Sports Briefs March 7, 2011
Rory Sabbatini began the day with a big lead, turned back a challenge on the back nine and shot an even-par 70 Sunday for a one-stroke victory in the PGA Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Sabbatini sank a 2-foot par putt on No. 18 to finish at 9-under 271. He earned his first PGA Tour title since the 2009 Byron Nelson Championship and sixth overall.
Y.E. Yang birdied the final hole for a closing 66 to finish 8 under. Jerry Kelly, who played with Sabbatini and Yang in the final threesome, shot a 67 and took third at 7 under.
Baseball
Mariners starter Nate Robertson allowed four runs on four hits in his second spring training start, a 6-1 exhibition loss to the World Champion San Francisco Giants.
Robertson walked two in three innings.
"He had good stuff, though," Seattle manager Eric Wedge said. "All of his pitches were working the way they needed to be working."
Centerfielder Ryan Langerhans went 2 for 3 with the lone RBI for Seattle, which faces Oakland today at noon in Phoenix.
Tim Lincecum struck out seven in 3 2/3 shutout innings and worked out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam for the Giants.
The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner was one strike away from a rare four-strikeout inning in the fourth after leadoff man Jack Cust reached base on a wild pitch on the third strike.
"Rhythm kind of went in and out between innings, other than that, everything felt fine," Lincecum said. "It's good to get my pitch count up, continue to add on to it and get my body in shape for the rest of the season."
Felix Hernandez, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, makes his first start of spring training for the Mariners today, and top pitching prospect Michael Pineda is also scheduled to pitch for Seattle.
Rangers 7, Flyers 0: Ryan Callahan scored a career-high four goals and five points and the New York Rangers finally found some success at home in a dominating victory over Philadelphia.
Capitals 3, Panthers 2, OT: At Sunrise, Fla., Alexander Semin scored 28 seconds into overtime for Washington.
Nicklas Backstrom and Boyd Gordon also scored to help the Capitals take the Southeast Division lead.
Devils 3, Islanders 2, SO: At Uniondale, N.Y., Brian Rolston scored in the sixth round of the shootout to give surging New Jersey its 20th victory in 24 games.
Sabres 3, Wild 2, OT: At St. Paul, Minn., Drew Stafford scored 46 seconds into overtime to lift Buffalo over Minnesota.
Flames 3, Predators 2: Jarome Iginla scored on a penalty early in the second period to become the 10th NHL player to reach 30 goals in 10 straight seasons, helping host Calgary over Nashville.
Canucks 3, Ducks 0: At Anaheim, Calif., Cory Schneider made 26 saves for his first career shutout to lead Vancouver past Anaheim.
Tennis
Andy Roddick defeated Paul Capdeville 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-3 in Santiago, Chile, giving the United States an insurmountable 3-1 lead in its 4-1 victory over Chile in the first-round Davis Cup World Group series.
Roddick improved 12-0 in matches that can clinch a Davis Cup matchup for the U.S. and is 33-11 overall in 24 ties since 2001.
Skiing
Mario Matt of Austria won his second straight World Cup slalom race, at Kranjska Gora, Slovenia.
n Lindsey Vonn clinched her third discipline title in three days with a super-G victory at Tarvisio, Italy.
Sled dog racing
Veteran musher DeeDee Jonrowe was dressed in her signature hot pink parka trimmed with wolverine and wolf fur on Sunday as she crossed the start line in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Willow, Alaska, and pointed her dog team toward Nome.
The restart was held in the town of Willow, north of Anchorage, where 62 teams took off on the Iditarod Trail across a frozen lake marking the competitive portion of the 1,150-mile race.
- The Associated Press