■ BASEBALL
Dodgers' trip delayed
The Los Angeles Dodgers' trip to China next week will be delayed by a day. Originally scheduled to make the long flight to Beijing on Monday, the team will depart from Orlando the following day because the original charter company contracted by Major League Baseball didn't receive approval to land in China before its deadline. Now, the Dodgers will bus to Orlando on Monday and spend the night before departing on another charter. Team spokesman Josh Rawitch said the team will arrive about 20 hours later than originally scheduled. "The only thing it really does is eliminate the off-day there," manager Joe Torre said. "It just makes sightseeing a little tighter. We'll work out here [on Monday] before heading to Orlando."
■ ATHLETICS
Sprinter Roger Gill dies
Roger Gill, a sprinter who competed for Guyana at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, was killed in a Brooklyn car crash. He was 35. The car in which Gill was riding hit an unoccupied box truck early on Sunday. He died at a hospital, police said. Warren Davies, the 35-year-old driver, died at the scene and investigators believe he might have been speeding. Gill ran the anchor leg in the 4x400m relay in Atlanta. Guyana finished sixth out of seven teams in their first-round heat and did not advance.
■ RUGBY UNION
Nathan Sharpe re-signs
Australia lock Nathan Sharpe has signed a three-year extension deal with the Wallabies in the hope of finishing his career with a World Cup victory. The 30-year-old Sharpe played at the last two World Cups without success, reaching the final in 2003 then the quarter-finals last year, but hopes to have one final crack at it in 2011. "I really want to be there again in 2011. It's something I would love to be a part of," he said in a statement yesterday. "If I do get the opportunity, it would be a great way to finish up. I think I'd quite literally hang the boots in the locker room at the end of it all. I look on the next World Cup as my last throw of the dice, and this contract as the last one of my career."
■ RUGBY UNION
Nel and Engels suspended
Bulls center JP Nel and prop Jaco Engels will miss Friday's South African Super 14 derby at home to the Lions after being suspended for foul play. Engels was suspended for three matches for punching Sharks captain Johann Muller during the Bulls' 29-15 home loss in Pretoria last Saturday, a South African Rugby Union spokesman said on Monday. Nel was given a one-match ban for a dangerous (spear) tackle on Sharks fullback Frans Steyn in the same match. The suspensions multiply the problems facing the defending champions after losing coach Heyneke Meyer and captain Victor Matfield.
■ FOOTBALL
Ben Roethlisberger re-signs
Star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger signed an eight-year extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday that is worth US$102 million and makes him one of the NFL's top-paid players. "He's a Steeler and he'll always be a Steeler," team chairman Dan Rooney said. The agreement comes after Roethlisberger re-established himself as one of the NFL's best quarterbacks last season, and nearly two years after his life and career were threatened by a motorcycle crash. The serious accident happened a few months after he led the Steelers to victory in the 2006 Super Bowl.
Taiwan last night defeated Cuba 2-0 in their World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12 Group B game at the Taipei Dome and finished the group second. At the Taipei Tianmu Baseball Stadium, South Korea yesterday defeated Australia 5-2, while Japan last night won 11-3 against the Dominican Republic. On Sunday, Taiwan scored two three-run homers in an 11-3 blowout win over Australia at the Taipei Dome to advance to the Super Round. Fresh off a defeat at the hands of defending Premier12 champions and Group B winners Japan the previous day, Taiwan’s offense came out slugging against Australia from the
OFFENSE SHINES: First baseman Pan Chie-kai hit a solo homer in the fifth inning as all 10 batters Taiwan used contributed at least one hit toward their team total of 14 One day after their first shutout loss at the WBSC Premier12, Taiwan yesterday bounced back with a commanding 8-2 victory over the US, keeping their hopes for a spot in tomorrow’s final alive. The win in the Super Round marked Taiwan’s first triumph over the US at a top-tier international baseball tournament since 2003. Their previous win over the US was at the 2003 Baseball World Cup, with only one win in the previous 10 matchups since 1999. Yesterday’s game was tightly contested through the first six innings, with the margin never exceeding two runs. However, the tide turned in the top of
Taiwan scored two three-run homers in an 11-3 blowout win over Australia at the Taipei Dome last night to advance to the Super Round of the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12 tournament. Fresh off a defeat at the hands of defending Premier12 champion and Group B winner Japan the previous day, Taiwan’s offense came out slugging against Australia from the off. After taking a walk to first base, Taiwan’s Chen Chieh- hsien (陳傑憲) then stole second before Tseng Song-en (曾頌恩) drew a walk to first in the top of the first inning. Chen then
TWO-NIL LOSS: Taiwan’s best chance to score came at the top of the fifth with the bases loaded and one out, but Venezuela’s Liarvis Breto got out of the jam Taiwan yesterday suffered a shutout 2-0 loss to Venezuela in the opening game of the WBSC Premier12 Super Round at the Tokyo Dome. Taiwan had seven hits, one more than Venezuela’s six, but catcher Carlos Perez’s two-run homer to left field in the bottom of the fourth inning delivered the only runs scored by both teams and secured victory for Venezuela. Taiwan’s best chance came at the top of the fifth inning with the bases loaded and only one out. However, Venezuela reliever Liarvis Breto struck out Chen Chen-wei before reliever Pedro Garcia finished the inning by allowing an infield flyball by Lin
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