National League Capsules

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Bronson Arroyo worked eight strong innings and the Cincinnati Reds broke loose with three home runs Thursday for a 6-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals that averted a three-game sweep.

NHL Capsules

MIAMI (AP) - LeBron James had 27 points and 11 rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 18 points and Miami tightened up the race in the Eastern Conference by beating Chicago 83-72 in a scuffle-filled game Thursday night.

Elliott leads Blues to win vs Sharks in Game 4

SAN JOSE (AP) - Brian Elliott made 24 saves, B.J. Crombeen and Andy McDonald scored and the St. Louis Blues moved one win away from the second round of the playoffs, beating the San Jose Sharks 2-1 in Game 4 on Thursday night to take a 3-1 series lead.

SKI REPORTS

Woods' swing coach: criticism is 'out of hand'

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Tiger Woods' swing coach says criticism of his client is getting out of hand. "I know everyone has a job to do, and I get it," Foley said this week on "Fairways of Life," a radio show hosted by Matt Adams on XM Sirius. "But if it is about the game of golf, Tiger Woods is an extremely ...

NHL Capsules

CHICAGO (AP) - Mikkel Boedker scored in overtime for the second straight game and the Phoenix Coyotes beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Thursday night to take a 3-1 lead in the first-round series.

Sports News Brief

COLLEGES

Colts picking Andrew Luck as No. 1 in next week’s NFL player draft

Selig says A's and Rays must get new ballparks

Lakers rout Warriors, await Kobe's return

OAKLAND (AP) - Kobe Bryant walked out of the visitor's locker room to a few dozen fans waiting with hugs and handshakes for the Los Angeles Lakers' star and a circle of reporters ready to stick a microphone near his face.

Splitter, Neal lead Spurs past Kings

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Even with Tim Duncan sitting out to rest, the San Antonio Spurs had enough to get an easy win on the road for the third time in three nights.

NBA Capsules

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Carmelo Anthony scored 21 of his 33 points in the first quarter, and the New York Knicks beat the Nets 104-95 on Wednesday night in their last trip to New Jersey.

National League Capsules

DENVER (AP) - Juan Nicasio threw 6 1-3 solid innings for his first win since returning from a broken neck, lifting the Colorado Rockies over the San Diego Padres 8-4 on Wednesday night.

American League Capsules

BOSTON (AP) - Mike Napoli hit a two-run homer and drove in four runs, Derek Holland pitched seven solid innings as Texas beat Boston for its sixth straight win.

Blues outplay Sharks on special teams

SAN JOSE (AP) - The San Jose Sharks are looking to change things up after dropping two straight games to the St. Louis Blues in their first-round series.

49ers trade up to get S Eric Reid with 18th pick

SANTA CLARA (AP) - Several years back, Eric Reid shunned Jim Harbaugh and Stanford to stick close to home at LSU.

Raiders select D.J. Hayden with 12th pick in draft

ALAMEDA (AP) - D.J. Hayden's remarkable comeback from a near-death experience has taken him to the first round of the NFL draft.

Bergland lifts Thunder to 2-1 series advantage

STOCKTON - The Stockton Thunder used a three-goal first period to take an early lead and held on for a 5-3 win over the Alaska Aces in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals, taking a 2-1 series lead in front of 3,297 fans at Stockton Arena on Thursday.

NBA committee deciding Kings’ fate to meet Monday

SEATTLE (AP) - Microsoft Chairman Steve Ballmer, part of the group attempting to purchase the Sacramento Kings and move them to Seattle, said Thursday he believes "there will never be a better opportunity" than now to bring back professional basketball to the Puget Sound.

McLouth stays hot in O’s win over A’s

OAKLAND (AP) - Nate McLouth's patience as Baltimore's leadoff hitter is paying off nicely so far.

American League capsules

BOSTON (AP) - David Ortiz went 3 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs, boosting his batting average over .500 as the Boston Red Sox beat the Houston Astros 7-2 Thursday night to win their eighth straight series opener.

National League Capsules

MIAMI (AP) - Luis Valbuena hit a tie-breaking solo home run in the ninth inning to lift the Chicago Cubs to a 4-3 win over the Miami Marlins on Thursday night.

NBA Playoff capsules

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Ray Allen scored 23 points and broke the NBA career playoff record for 3-pointers, and the Miami Heat used another of their patented runs to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 104-91 on Thursday night for a 3-0 lead in their first-round series.

Ripon Christian rebounds from loss with blowout win

Natalie Prins and Kaylie Colyn each netted two goals apiece for Ripon Christian during Wednesday's 8-0 Southern League victory over visiting Delhi.

Warriors look to stay hot back home against Denver

OAKLAND (AP) - Sleep deprived but back in the Bay Area, the Golden State Warriors returned to work Wednesday calm and confident that their Mile High City masterpiece will be no fluke.

Crawford has 3 hits in Giants’ loss to D’backs

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Brandon Crawford saved the day twice with late-inning offensive heroics. He never got a third chance, resting in the on-deck circle when the final out was recorded.

Oakland A’s feel missed call costly in loss to Red Sox

BOSTON (AP) - Oakland's Jed Lowrie rounded first base, reached second and immediately raised his arms in the air.

Coyotes knock off Sharks

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Coming off a dramatic victory in their home finale, the San Jose Sharks had a chance to move closer to earning home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

California environmental changes could aid Kings bid

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Proposed changes to California environmental protection law unveiled Wednesday could help Sacramento's effort to keep its professional basketball team, according to the leader of the state Senate.

MLB capsules

WASHINGTON (AP) - Yadier Molina hit a two-run single off Stephen Strasburg during St. Louis' three-run first inning, and the Cardinals beat the Nationals 4-2 Wednesday to complete a sweep and give Washington's All-Star ace the only four-start losing streak of his young career.