SPORTS SHORTS
MLB: Strasburg HR powers Nats
Stephen Strasburg hit his second major league home run and pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, leading the Nationals over the Phillies 4-2 on Friday in Philadelphia.
Ryan Zimmeman hit his 12th homer, doubled and raised his average to .433 with a three-hit game. In Baltimore, former Met Gabriel
pitched six sharp innings after Orioles starter Wade Miley was forced out of the game by the impact of two line drives, and Baltimore got a home run from Chris Davis in a 4-2 victory over the White Sox. Miley left after being drilled by successive batters.
In Minneapolis, Joe Mauer hit a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth, the first walk-off homer of his career, to lift the Twins to a 4-3 victory over Red Sox.
In Anaheim, Calf., Albert Pujols hit career home run No. 595 in the second inning of the Angels’ 7-6 loss to the Astros in 10 innings.
GOLF: Irishmen lead Wells Fargo
Billy Hurley III and Seamus Power of Ireland were atop the leaderboard after a second round at the Wells Fargo Championship that didn’t finish in Wilmington, N.C. A violent storm overnight and into Friday morning forced a three-hour delay. Hurley had a 3-under 69, while Power shot 71 and joined him at 5-under 139.
Dustin Johnson was 2 over for his round, five shots out of the lead. Phil Mickelson made double bogey on his last hole for a 72. He was at 1-under 143. Tom Lehman shot an 8-under 64 to take the first-round lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ Insperity Invitational at The Woodlands in Texas. Kirk Triplett and Jay Haas were tied for second at 67.
RACING: Abel Tasman wins Oaks
Abel Tasman rallied from last and charged late to win the Kentucky Oaks by 1 ¹/4 lengths and give Hall of Fame trainer Bob
Baffert the victory with his lone entrant in the weekend marquee races at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Abel Tasman got clear in the stretch to win the $1 million marquee race for 3-year-old fillies
ETC.: Messi’s ban dropped
Argentina captain Lionel Messi was cleared by FIFA to play in the next three World Cup qualifiers after a ban for insulting a referee’s assistant was lifted. Messi already served one match of the four-match ban that was imposed when the FIFA disciplinary committee gave its ruling hours before Argentina’s 2-0 loss in Bolivia in March.
A son of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno has been elected to the university’s board of trustees. Jay Paterno, a former quarterbacks coach at the school, received the most votes in the alumni elections for trustee and will begin his new role in July.