The Record, Bergen County, NJ

Red Sox Awaken, Outlast Jays

David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez homered and Jonathan Papelbon earned his 19th save in as many chances as the Boston Red Sox avoided a three-game sweep with an 8-6 victory over the Blue Jays on Wednesday in Toronto. Ortiz homered in the first off Ted Lilly (5-5) and Ramirez hit a two-run homer off Francisco Rosario in the fifth.

Hole of the Week

Wawayanda Lake, Wawayanda State Park How to get there

Plax, Shockey Absent ; Veteran Giants Working Out On Their Own

The Giants have begun their organized team workouts at Giants Stadium, but neither wide receiver Plaxico Burress nor tight end Jeremy Shockey is participating. Two of Eli Manning's top targets remain in Florida, working out at the University of Miami. Apparently neither will show up until the mandatory three-day veteran minicamp June 14-16, which closes out Tom Coughlin's off-season program.

Yankees Notes

Hello Houston During the World Baseball Classic, Derek Jeter waged an active, if playful, campaign to sway Roger Clemens back to the Yankees. However, "he always wanted to be close to his family," Jeter said.

Yankees Blog

Cano unfazed June 1, 2006

Mets Blog

A shorts story June 1, 2006

Mets Notes

Beltran raises concern Carlos Beltran put a fright in the crowd when he fouled an 0-1 pitch off the inside of his right knee in the top of the 11th. The center fielder hopped to the backstop, fell, and then lay writhing in pain as the Mets' trainer, manager Willie Randolph and Carlos Delgado huddled around him. With the crowd chanting his name, Beltran allowed the three to haul him up and he hobbled back to the batter's box.

Soriano Ruins Day for Phillies

Alfonso Soriano hit a two-run homer and a tie-breaking single, and the Washington Nationals avoided a three-game sweep with a 3-2 victory over the Phillies on Wednesday in Philadelphia. Livan Hernandez (4-5) allowed two runs and five hits over seven innings to get his third straight win. Chad Cordero retired pinch- hitters Pat Burrell and David Bell with two runners on for his eighth save.

Venus Warms Up to Cold, Wet Paris

PARIS So there was Venus Williams, on center court at the French Open on the final day of May, wearing a sweat shirt, her game as shaky as the weather was dismal. Thanks to three rain delays totaling nearly two hours, Williams was forced to wait until after 8 p.m. to play her second-round match, and only a few hundred bundled-up spectators saw her fall behind, 4-0, as the temperature dropped to 50 degrees.

Sports Briefs

HOCKEY Wayne Gretzky signed a five-year contract to remain the Coyotes' coach. * Defenseman Chris Chelios, 44, signed a one-year deal to stay with the Red Wings. * Bryan Trottier returned to the Islanders as the executive director of player development. * NHL revenues are expected to exceed $2.1 billion this season, which could lead to an estimated $5 million increase in next season's salary cap, the players' association said.

Detroit Answers Call with Back to the Wall

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. Detroit's defense would not let the Pistons' season end. The Pistons got back to their swarming ways when the Miami Heat had the ball and Tayshaun Prince scored a career playoff-high 29 points to lift Detroit to a 91-78 win Wednesday night in Game 5 of the East finals.

Mavericks Are Miffed About Lack of Emotion

DALLAS Fresh out of a demoralizing film session, Jerry Stackhouse delivered Wednesday what could become the Mavericks' rallying cry for the rest of the postseason: "It's about the fight."

Sabre-Rattling Time As East Is Set for Game 7

RALEIGH, N.C. For nearly two weeks, the Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres have fought to a standstill to see who will play for the Stanley Cup, so closing the intense series with a Game 7 seems fitting. Even inevitable.

D. Grunfeld's Back at Home

GREENBURGH, N.Y. Danny Grunfeld grew up with the Knicks, literally. It made donning an orange and blue practice uniform Wednesday and working out for his former favorite team special. The son of ex-Knick player, broadcaster, assistant coach and general manager Ernie Grunfeld spent the first 15 years of his life around the team. Danny witnessed Patrick Ewing's glory years and the last power struggle between a Knicks coach and GM, which his father ultimately lost to Jeff Van Gundy.

Moose Makes It Look so Easy ; Stops Tigers On Just Six Hits

DETROIT Mike Mussina and a band of irregulars made up for the absence of Gary Sheffield, Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon on Wednesday night. After a 92-minute rain delay at the start, the Yankees made it three consecutive wins over the Tigers and five straight overall with a 6-1 victory at Comerica Park.

Yanks Battle Injury Bug ; Sheffield May Go Back On Dl

DETROIT The lineup posted on the Yankees' clubhouse door late Wednesday afternoon was a spring-training special - a starting nine more designed to take on the Tigers at Lakeland, Fla., instead of Comerica Park. Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter were on the bench, and Gary Sheffield was already in New York for a more extensive examination of his aching left wrist.

Lastings Advice ; Mets' Milledge has Eventful First Two Days in the Majors

NEW YORK Lastings Milledge's first day as a major-leaguer was everything he expected and then some, he said. His second day on Wednesday, he officially became a big-leaguer. First his dad, Tony Sr., shot down any reveling in his first major league hit, telling him, "Don't be happy with just one." Then Julio Franco, 47, interrupted the rookie right fielder's court with the media, saying, "2,999 left. You've got a long way to go, kid."

Happy Endy ; Pedro-Webb Duel Starts Game, Chavez Hit Wins It for Mets

NEW YORK It's not like Pedro Martinez can really complain. Once again the Mets' ace pitched a monstrously good game. Once again the Mets gave him no run support and once again he didn't win. But this time, the Mets did.

Rocket Chooses His Son Over October ; Clemens Signs Lucrative Deal with Astros

Roger Clemens has always possessed a spacey, out-there way of communicating, leading some to (mistakenly) believe his genius extended no further than 60 feet, 6 inches. But The Rocket's decision to return to the Astros confirms a hard truth about the man he's shrewd enough to have stoked the industry into paying him nearly $1 million a start for the rest of the season, but tender enough to finish his career with his son, Koby. Clemens was standing before a buffet table of midsummer choices, e...

Report 'Exonerates' Armstrong

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands Lance Armstrong called it a "witch hunt" from the very beginning, saying a French newspaper used dubious evidence to accuse him of doping even charging that lab officials mishandled his samples and broke the rules. According to a Dutch investigator's findings released Wednesday, he may have been right.