Mathis leads Angels over Indians 3-2

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Jeff Mathis hit a go-ahead solo homer in the fifth inning to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-to-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians last night.

Angels right-hander Jered Weaver threw 77 pitches over three innings then left with tightness in the middle of his back. He allowed two runs and three hits. Darren Oliver relieved him and allowed one hit in two-and-two-thirds innings for the victory.

Mathis drove in a run in the second with an RBI forceout and led off the fifth with his seventh homer.

Francisco Rodriguez threw a scoreless ninth for his 41st save -- surpassing last season's total with 62 games remaining. He is five saves shy of the franchise record he set in 2006.

Matt Ginter allowed three runs and seven hits over six innings in his second start with the Indians.

Keppinger's double sends Reds to 4-3 win in 11

CINCINNATI (AP) -- Jeff Keppinger's one-out double in the 11th inning sent Cincinnati to a 4-3 victory over San Diego last night.

It's a rare loss for the Padres against the Reds when reigning NL Cy Young winner Jake Peavy starts.

Jay Bruce started the rally with a one-out single off right-hander Bryan Corey. Keppinger doubled into the left-field corner for Cincinnati's 10th walkoff win.

Gary Majewski was the fifth Cincinnati pitcher. He retired the three batters he faced in the 11th.

San Diego's Edgar Gonzalez had three hits, including an RBI single off Johnny Cueto.

The Padres scored three times in the third off the 22-year-old Cueto, who settled down and wound up striking out 10. Cueto gave up four hits, but needed a career-high 120 pitches to get through six innings.

Reds RHP Fogg hit in mouth during batting practice

CINCINNATI (AP) -- Cincinnati Reds right-hander Josh Fogg has received 30 stitches for a split upper lip after being hit in the mouth by a ball during batting practice.

A ball hit by Joey Votto smacked Fogg, who was in the outfield during batting practice yesterday. Fogg left the field with the assistance of a trainer who held a towel in front of his face.

Fogg is scheduled to start Friday against Colorado. He is 2-2 with a 7.09 ERA in seven starts and seven relief appearances.

James leaves practice with mild ankle sprain

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- U.S. forward LeBron James left practice yesterday with what the Olympic team describes as a mild right ankle sprain.

The Cleveland Cavaliers star landed on Kevin Durant's foot during a scrimmage between Team USA and a select squad of young NBA players at a Las Vegas high school.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski says James and trainers think it's a mild sprain. He says the team will reassess the injury tomorrow and that he doesn't think it's serious.

James was reclining on a table behind the bench when reporters were admitted to practice at Las Vegas' Valley High School. Trainers wrapped the ankle in a black brace, and James hobbled off the court.

The Americans have two more workouts before facing Canada in an exhibition on Friday.

Coach says Bengals aren't interested in Chris Henry

CINCINNATI (AP) -- Coach Marvin Lewis closed the door yesterday on the possibility of receiver Chris Henry rejoining the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Bengals released Henry in April after he was arrested for the fifth time, and the NFL suspended him indefinitely.

Henry's court case ended in a mistrial and prosecutors dropped the charges, prompting Henry to seek reinstatement with the league. Lewis says he won't play for the Bengals.

Lewis told reporters yesterday that bringing Henry back wouldn't be productive for the team.

The 25-year-old Henry was suspended for the first eight games last season for repeatedly violating the league's conduct policies. He played in the last eight games, but had only 21 catches for 343 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the No. 3 receiver.

WR Mario Urrutia signs with Bengals

CINCINNATI (AP) -- Receiver Mario Urrutia signed a four-year contract yesterday with the Cincinnati Bengals. The seventh-round draft pick played at Louisville.

The Bengals still have six picks unsigned.

They haven't signed any of their first five picks from last April's draft, including first-round pick Keith Rivers, a linebacker from Southern California.

Bengals players are expected to report for training camp Sunday in Georgetown, Ky., and hold their first workout the next day.

Browns sign 5 draft picks to 4-year contracts

CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Cleveland Browns have signed all five of their 2008 draft picks to four-year contracts.

The Browns had no picks in the first three rounds of the April draft. They had to wait until the fourth round to select UNLV linebacker Beau Bell and Missouri tight end Martin Rucker with picks acquired in trades with Dallas.

Rucker was a consensus first team All-American last year, while Bell won the Mountain West Conference defensive player of the year award.

Also signed are sixth- and seventh-round picks. Ahtyba Rubin was an Iowa State defensive lineman, and Paul Hubbard was a receiver at Wisconsin. Alex Hall is a defensive end from Division II St. Augustine in North Carolina.

Terms of the deals were not disclosed. All run through the 2011 season.

Crew plays down 'altercation' during weekend game

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Columbus Crew officials are playing down a weekend incident that included punches and police, describing it as a brief "altercation."

Crew officials issued a statement yesterday blaming three English Premier League club West Ham United fans for the Sunday skirmish. The club says West Ham fans went into Crew stands and that reports describing the incident as a brawl or fight are incorrect.

The Major League Soccer team says the halftime incident was crowded with bystanders, not participants.

Some participants threw punches, and three people were told to leave Crew Stadium.

West Ham's chief executive said Monday he hoped the incident wouldn't mar the club's North American trip.

West Ham United beat the Columbus Crew 3-1.

ALMS fueler transferred from OSU medical center to Indy burn center

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- A fueler for De Ferran Motorsports was transferred from Ohio State University Medical Center to an Indianapolis burn center yesterday and his condition was upgraded from critical to serious.

Keith Jones was injured in a pit fire during the American Le Mans Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington on Saturday.

It was just the second event for the newly formed team headed by former Indianapolis 500 winner Gil de Ferran.

De Ferran won the pole and started the race, but teammate Simon Pagenaud was at the wheel when the team's Acura ARX-01B pulled away from the pit with the hose still attached to the car, igniting the fuel.

Safety workers quickly put out the fire, but Jones, wearing a helmet and fire-retardant clothing, was briefly caught in the flames.

H.S. coaches to attend summit for Hall of Fame

NEW YORK (AP) -- The NFL selected 51 high school football coaches to attend the eighth annual youth football summit before the Hall of Fame weekend.

More than 150 coaches and administrators will take part in the summit from July 22nd to July 25th in Canton.

A coach from each state and Washington, D.C., were selected to attend the seminars.

Some 22 former NFL players who coach youth leagues -- along with youth coaches from Canada, Japan, Mexico and the United Kingdom -- will attend seminars held at Kent State.

Three-time Super Bowl champion Riki Ellison of the San Francisco 49ers and former Dallas Cowboys personnel chief Gil Brandt will be among the speakers, along with Cleveland Browns general manager Phil Savage.

US team rallies for 6-2 win over Akron Racers

AKRON, Ohio (AP) -- The U.S. softball team warmed up for their gold-medal run in China by rallying for a 6-2 win over the professional Akron Racers last night.

Kelly Kretschman snapped a 2-2 tie by driving in the go-ahead run in the seventh and Andrea Duran followed with a three-run homer off reliever Jamee Juarez as the U.S. improved to 57-1 on its "Bound 4 Beijing" tour.

That lone loss came on March 26th at the hands of Angela Tincher, who dominated the three-time defending gold medalists for seven innings while pitching for Virginia Tech. That performance that ended the U.S. team's 185-game winning streak in pre-Olympic exhibitions.

Last night, she was Akron's starting pitcher, giving up two hits and a run in three innings.

The Americans play their Olympic opener on August 12th against Venezuela.