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  • Rangers throw 3-hitter in 5-0 win over Giants

    A near-perfect day for the Texas Rangers pitching staff ended the same way so many others have this season: in the training room. Alexi Ogando pitched three perfect innings before leaving with a strained groin after a bunt single, combining with three relievers on a three-hitter to lead Texas past the San Francisco Giants 5-0 on Sunday. The Rangers also shut out San Francisco for the first time this season in a 5-0 win Friday. ''Seemed like everything we tried to do,'' Texas manager Ron Washington said, ''worked for us.'' Well, almost everything. Robbie Ross (6-0) allowed only a double to pinch-hitter Aubrey Huff in the sixth while working four innings. Mike Adams gave up two hits in a scoreless eighth and Joe Nathan tossed a 1-2-3 ninth. The AL West-leading Rangers tagged Tim Lincecum (2-7) for all their runs and finished a 4-6 road trip. Even still, the Bay Area finale left its mark. Ogando, who made his first start of the season filling in for injured Derek Holland, could be the latest Texas starter headed for the disabled list. ''Right now it feels pretty bad,'' said Ogando, scheduled to have an MRI exam Monday back in Texas. ''I feel bad because of the situation we're in but that's something that happens in baseball.'' Josh Hamilton and Ian Kinsler each drove in two runs to chase Lincecum after 5 2-3 innings in the fifth straight loss for San Francisco's shaggy-haired ace. He allowed nine hits, struck out five and walked four. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner has been erratic all season. Sunday was no different. Lincecum labored through a 30-pitch first inning - walking three straight with two outs - before striking out the side in the second on a rare warm, windless day at San Francisco's waterfront ballpark. In the third, Elvis Andrus tripled and scored on Adrian Beltre's two-out double to give Texas a 1-0 lead. Everything really unraveled for the Giants in the fourth. Three straight singles by the Rangers loaded the bases, the last coming on a bunt by Ogando that trickled between Lincecum and third baseman Pablo Sandoval. Ogando limped off the field after the play, leaving with a right groin strain after throwing 39 pitches. Kinsler hit a two-run double to left to put the Rangers ahead 3-0. Lincecum got Beltre to pop out to right with the bases loaded, but he never settled into a rhythm. Hamilton hit another two-run double in the sixth to extend Texas' lead to 5-0 and send Lincecum into another four days of misery. The lanky right-hander is winless in eight straight starts. Lincecum, who pitched the Game 5 World Series clincher for the Giants at Texas in 2010 and also helped beat the Rangers earlier in that Series, has a 6.00 ERA this season. ''I was just looking to come in and compete against a very good team, try to right what I've been doing wrong the last 10 starts,'' Lincecum said. ''I didn't do that. Executing my pitches is the biggest problem. I had a good second inning and I wanted to carry that over but nothing was smooth.'' This time, the stars on the mound belonged to the Rangers. Not until Huff's pinch-hit double off Ross with one out in the sixth did the Giants even get a hit. Gregor Blanco followed with a grounder to the pitcher, Huff was tagged out in a rundown heading for third and Beltre's throw nabbed Blanco leaning too far off first for a double play. Angel Pagan and Nate Schierholtz singled off Adams in the eighth. Then Kinsler snagged a grounder by Brandon Crawford at second and flipped it back-handed to Andrus out of his glove to start another dramatic double play.

    Olsen twins get fashion's big prize

    Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen took home the biggest prize at the annual Council of Fashion Designers of America awards. The former child TV stars were selected Monday night as the country's top womenswear designers for their collection called The Row. "I'd like to thank you — you," Mary-Kate, wearing an all-black ensemble, said, turning to her purple-clad twin, as she accepted. Jessica Chastain, who wore a sparkly white dress by Prabal Gurung, announced the 25-year-olds as winners at Lincoln Center in front of an audience that drew not only from the fashion world but also from Hollywood. "Mad Men's" Jessica Pare gave Reed Krakoff his trophy as best designer of accessories, and "White Collar's" Matt Bomer gave menswear designer Billy Reid his. The previously announced style icon award went to Johnny Depp, but he was on the set of "The Lone Ranger" and didn't attend. He sent an email — and filmmaker friend John Waters — in his place. Standing in front of a collage of Depp's outfits over the years, Waters said, "This man can't look ugly no matter how hard he tries." Waters also accepted the international award on behalf of Tokyo-based Rei Kawakubo, who won honors as an international designer for her often creative, balloonlike silhouettes created for the label Comme des Garcons. Waters said he was a fan of her clothes — and she also was a personal friend. However, he joked, some people might describe her clothes as "disaster at the dry-cleaner," rattling off the slew of warnings often found on washing labels. Ceremony host Seth Meyers, who started the night in a suit by Band of Outsiders, took on many targets, from John Galliano to Marc Jacobs. After making fun of Jacobs' sheer lace "dress" worn over boxer shorts to last month's fashion gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the industry's other important red carpet event, Meyers proceeded to put on the get-up later in the show. Using what he called fashion terminology, Meyers described the outfit as "breezy." And, no matter, he joked, if all the designers and models in the auditorium didn't like his act. "Fashion people like hating things more than they do liking things." In presenting Tommy Hilfiger with his lifetime achievement award, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour said the designer could be pretty funny, especially in his imitations of famous people such as Karl Lagerfeld, Donna Karan and even Mick Jagger. "As long as you're not imitating me, we're all good," the famously serious Wintour said. CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg gave a shoutout to all the designers who have been members of the organization, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. "I'm the mother of all American designers. I can't pick a favorite child." The CFDA also presents a series of awards sponsored by Swarovski to up-and-coming talent: Joseph Altuzarra won in the women's category, Phillip Lim in men's and Tabitha Simmons in accessories.

    Timothy Bradley attends news conference in a wheelchair after beating Manny Pacquiao

    Timothy Bradley injured both of his feet during his win over Manny Pacquiao Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden and was forced to attend the post-fight news conference in a wheelchair. He said he heard his left foot snap in the second round. In about the fifth, he injured his right. His right ankle was grotesquely swollen following the fight, which Bradley won by a highly controversial split decision. Bradley had to suck it up and he won most of the last six rounds to take the victory. Judges C.J. Ross and Duane Ford had it 115-113 for Bradley. Jerry Roth had it 115-113 for Pacquiao. Timothy Bradley shows his right foot injury (Chris Farina/Top Rank)"I went back to the corner after the second and I said, 'Coach, I think I broke my ankle,' " Bradley said. His trainer, Joel Diaz, quickly responded. "You have two options," Diaz said he told Bradley. "I said, 'Either I'll stop the fight now or you'll suck it up and fight like a warrior.' " Diaz said Bradley once fought with a broken rib in a fight against Miguel Vazquez. "I wasn't quitting," Bradley said. "This was Manny Pacquiao." Bradley was taken to a local hospital for x-rays. There was no word on his condition.

    AIEEE topper aims for Indian Idol title

    Suraj Sanjay Jog, who bagged all India ranking (AIR) 24 in the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) has one more target to hit - the Indian Idol title. Jog said he has cleared five rounds of Indian Idol of the current season. "Definitely, I want to win Indian Idol title. I have cleared five rounds. My first audition was held in Jaipur and also I went to Mumbai for audition." He said he has not performed yet in front of the three judges - Anu Malik, Salim Merchant and Sunidhi Chauhan. "For that I think you have to be pathetically bad or extremely good," he said. Jog has not only bagged AIR 24 in AIEEE but also in IIT JEE with the same AIR 24. "I want to go for IIT. I will opt for electrical in IIT Bombay," he said. He claimed that he has taken singing lessons from playback singer Suresh Wadkar for a month. "Now, I am planning to devote time to singing as I will join Suresh Wadkar academy," said Jog, who is an NRI and lives in Dubai. He came to Kota and joined the Allen institute and devoted two years while preparing for various entrance exams. "When I find difficulty in studies, I always listen to the song 'Madhuban Main Radhika Nache Re', it's a soothing song," said Jog, who has his roots in Bangalore.

    Timothy Bradley wins split decision

    Timothy Bradley promised to shock, though the biggest shock in his fight with Manny Pacquiao came from the judges' scorecards. [+] EnlargeTimothy Bradley Jeff Bottari/Getty Images"I didn't think he was as good as everyone says he was. I didn't feel his power," Timothy Bradley said after beating Manny Pacquiao. In a fight Pacquiao seemed to have in hand, two judges decided otherwise, giving Bradley a split decision Saturday night and ending the Filipino fighter's remarkable seven-year unbeaten run. Promoter Bob Arum fumed, the crowd at the MGM Grand arena booed, and Pacquiao seemed stunned when the decision was announced. Arum said there would be a November rematch, though he blasted the way the decision went down. "I've never been as ashamed of the sport of boxing as I am tonight," said Arum, who handles both fighters. Bradley came on strong in the later rounds, winning five of the last six on two scorecards and four on the third. He won 115-113 on the scorecards of judges Duane Ford and C.J. Ross, while losing on Jerry Roth's scorecard by the same margin. The Associated Press had Pacquiao winning 117-111. "I did my best," Pacquiao said. "I guess my best wasn't good enough." Pacquiao tried to turn the fight into a brawl, using his power to hurt Bradley in the early rounds. But Bradley changed tactics in the middle rounds and used his boxing skills to win enough rounds to take the narrow decision for the welterweight title. It ended a 15-fight winning streak by Pacquiao dating to 2005 that turned him into a boxing superstar and made him a national hero in the Philippines. "I thought I won the fight," Bradley said. "I didn't think he was as good as everyone says he was. I didn't feel his power." Ringside punching statistics showed Pacquiao landing 253 punches to 159 for Bradley, who vowed before the fight to take the 147-pound title from Pacquiao. The Compubox statistics showed Pacquiao landing more punches in 10 of the 12 rounds. Bradley was so confident that he had oversized tickets printed up for a Nov. 10 rematch that now will likely happen. Bradley seemed hurt in the fourth and fifth rounds, but Pacquiao had trouble landing big punches after that. Still, he seemed in control of the fight everywhere but on the judge's scorecards. "Can you believe that? Unbelievable," Arum said. "I went over to Bradley before the decision and he said, `I tried hard but I couldn't beat the guy.' " Bradley said he hurt his ankle in the second round, and that trainer Joel Diaz said he could either quit or try to take the fight to Pacquiao.

    Police: Musician Bob Welch kills self

    Bob Welch, a guitarist who played with Fleetwood Mac before launching a solo career, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his chest, Nashville, Tennessee, police said Thursday. He was 66.
    Welch's wife found his body in their Nashville home about 12:15 p.m., Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron said.
    "All indications are that it was a suicide," Aaron said. A suicide note was found, he said.
    Welch played guitar with Fleetwood Mac starting in 1971. He left the group in late 1974, just before Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined the group.
    Nicks said in a statement that Welch's death was "devastating."
    "I had many great times with him after Lindsey and I joined Fleetwood Mac," singer Nicks said. "He was an amazing guitar player -- he was funny, sweet -- and he was smart.
    "I am so very sorry for his family and for the family of Fleetwood Mac -- so,so sad," Nicks said.
    Welch's biggest hits, "Sentimental Lady" and "Ebony Eyes" came from his debut solo album "French Kiss," released in November 1977.

    Kansas Family Of 6 Killed In Plane Crash In Polk County, Florida Swamp

    A Kansas businessman, his wife and their four children were killed Thursday when their small plane crashed into a swampy area of central Florida, and word quickly spread to their hometown where the family was known for their charitable work and always having a house full of neighborhood kids.
    The single-turboprop, fixed-wing plane was heading home to Junction City from the Bahamas when it broke apart and went down about 12:30 p.m. in the Tiger Creek Preserve, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office in Florida.
    Deputies reached the area by helicopters, but it was clear there were no survivors, the sheriff's office said. The cause of the crash wasn't immediately known, and parts of the plane were found nearly 3 1/2 miles away, investigators said.
    Ron Bramlage, a prominent businessman in Junction City who owned Roadside Ventures LLC, was piloting the 2006 Pilatus Pc-12/47. The 45-year-old, his wife, Rebecca, 43, and the couple's children – Brandon, 15; Boston, 13; Beau, 11; and 8-year-old Roxanne – were killed.
    "It's just a horrific loss," Junction City Mayor Pat Landes said, adding that the couple supported many local projects and provided college scholarships. The family was well known in town and at Kansas State University, where the basketball arena is named for Ron Bramlage's grandfather.
    At least two dozen bouquets of flowers lined the black wrought-iron fence surrounding the family's ranch-style home by Thursday evening. A trampoline sat in the front lawn, and a hammock hung between two large trees in the wooded yard.
    Standing in his front yard across the street, Rick Bazan said he'd been friends with Ron Bramlage since childhood. He said his friend would often help local families financially, such as paying for kids to go to wrestling camps if their parents couldn't afford to send them.
    He said Rebecca, who was president of the local school board, "never stopped working. She was tireless." She would be embarrassed by the outpouring of support now at her home, where at least a half-dozen friends of the couple's children were always running around, Bazan said.
    "It's going to be a long time getting over this one," he said as he watched the family's neighbors and friends gather outside.
    Bella Omann, 14, who went to middle school with the two younger boys, said Beau "was really the funniest kid I've ever met." She had an advanced geometry class with Boston, whom she said "loved reading books. We would always talk about our favorite books," including the Harry Potter novels. He read so much, she said, that their teacher wouldn't allow extra material on students' desks to keep him from reading.

    Kris Humphries' New Girlfriend Takes On the Kardashians

    All right, y'all, I am totally digging Kris Humphries' new girlfriend, Myla Sinanaj. She looks like a downmarket Kim Kardashian, and she Tweets like a chick with serious 'tude. Well, she IS a New Yawkah. Kris' reps deny she is his gf, but whatev, whatev. Why else would the girl Kris has been photographed with be burning up a storm on Twitter insulting the Kardashians? Eh? Check it out. This girl needs her own reality show. First, Myla took on the Kardashian/Jenner patriarch, Tweeting: Bruce Jenner's face scares me -- it should be on the 'Why not to get plastic surgery' poster. I mean, did she really write that? I'm pretty astonished. Not because of the diss, which is kind of funny, but because everything is spelled correctly. There's no way to check against her original Tweet, however, because a few hours ago her account went private. Boo! Myla, come back. Anyway, she also Tweeted about Kanye, who insulted Kris Humphries in his song "Theraflu": He should be bigger than taking petty shots at sh*t that got nothing to do with him. Lost respect. And then, the capper. After Kim Kardashian Tweeted some new pics of herself, Myla wrote: Looks like J. Lo. Ohhh, burn!!! Wait, was that a burn? A compliment? Could go either way. J.Lo is beautiful, but no celebrity wants to be thought of as emulating another celebrity. Was Myla implying that Kim is a poor carbon copy of J.Lo.? Was she saying that Kim is unoriginal? Or was she being nice to Kim? Ohhhh, I have a headache.

    Ex-Titans CB Wade Davis comes out

    A cornerback who spent four preseasons with three NFL teams and also played in NFL Europe has come out as gay, joining a small but growing number of former athletes who are publicly acknowledging they are gays or lesbians. Wade Davis, who played in college at Weber State and spent the 2000 and 2002 preseasons with the Tennessee Titans, said he didn't tell his teammates he was gay because he feared the impact it would have in the locker room. Jevon Kearse and Samari Rolle were among his closest friends on the Titans, and he would later be invited to Rolle's wedding. "You just want to be one of the guys, and you don't want to lose that sense of family," Davis said in an interview with Outsports.com. "Your biggest fear is that you'll lose that camaraderie and family." But Kearse said he doesn't think Davis being openly gay would have changed anything. "I know there have been a lot more than just Wade," Kearse told Outsports. "It's just becoming more acceptable, which is a good thing so they can come out and not feel secluded." While there has yet to be an openly gay player in any of the four major American professional leagues, several players have come out after retiring, including former NBA forward John Amaechi, NFL lineman Esera Tuaolo and major leaguer Billy Bean. Rick Welts, president and chief operating officer of the Golden State Warriors, is openly gay. Davis' football career ended in 2003, after he got hurt in training camp. He is now a staff member at the Hetrick-Martin Institute in New York, which serves, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth.

    Nasty Great Pacific Garbage Patch Coming to a Beach Near You!

    Headed to the beach this summer? Don't forget to pack the sunscreen, the inner tubes, the paddle ball, and an effing trash bag the size of your house because the sad news, folks, is that you're going to need it. Parts of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch are heading for the vulnerable shores on the west coast and there's nothing that can be done to stop it. Experts predict that the coastline of Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii will see some pretty nasty debris wash ashore; California will have some, but less, as most of it will be caught in a current that will carry it to the pacific islands. How do you say "look out, there's a giant goddamn wad of plastic refuse floating behind you" in Tahitian? There is some good news, though. Scientists say that they don't expect any bodies to land on the beach -- any human parts that were part of the Garbage Patch will have disintegrated before reaching land. How reassuring. We all know that the Great Garbage Patch has been around for a while, so why, exactly, is some of it washing ashore this summer? Apparently, it has to do with the Japanese tsunami last year. The debris from that disaster is just now making its way across the Pacific and researchers say that it will continue to beach itself until 2014. That's three whole summers of potentially very, very dirty shorelines. Officials are telling people, "If you don't know what it is, don't touch it." Solid advice. Obviously there's no one to blame for the tsunami debris -- it was a tragedy last year and its unwelcome effects are still being felt today. But if you see some trash on the beach this summer, regardless if you're in South Carolina or Hawaii, do everyone a favor and pick it up. Well, that is, if you recognize it. Otherwise, call the cops.

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