National Sports

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Travis Moen helped shut down Ottawa’s big three, then scored a goal that trio would have been proud of.

SALT LAKE CITY — Foul after foul, free throw after free throw, the San Antonio Spurs won Game 4 of the Western Conference finals the hard way.

BALTIMORE — There were hugs, handshakes and plenty of tears. The Duke lacrosse team had run through a myriad of emotions over the past 14 months, and now it was over.

DENVER — Jeff Francis doesn’t want to analyze why he’s pitching so well in May. The Colorado Rockies feel the same way about their six-game winning streak.

Jay Frye gets pulled in all sorts of different directions. He oversees an entire NASCAR Nextel Cup motorsports team. He deals with sponsors and drivers. Then there’s NASCAR’s biggest free-agent, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who Frye plans to speak to about the possibility of joining his team, Ginn Racing.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Back in 1927 when Babe Ruth and the rest of Murderers’ Row feasted on American League pitching, Canada’s capital celebrated a Stanley Cup championship.

KANSAS CITY — Long after his baseball career is done, Jarrod Washburn will look back fondly on Kauffman Stadium.

ST. LOUIS — One by one, the St. Louis Cardinals have honored their departed World Series players and then gotten beat by them.

CONCORD, N.C. — If Dale Earnhardt Jr. ends up at Joe Gibbs Racing, team officials are adamant it won’t be with sponsor Budweiser.

INDIANAPOLIS — The rain came quickly in the gathering darkness, so quickly the winner got soaked as he took a victory lap Everyone knew it was coming, because the 91st Indianapolis 500 was always as much a race against the weather as it was for the checkered flag.

CONCORD, N.C. — Casey Mears shored up his job security by stretching his fuel to the finish line Sunday night to win the Coca-Cola 600 for his first Nextel Cup victory.

Back in the comfort of home, the Utah Jazz found what they were lacking in the first two games of the Western Conference finals: Confidence, defense and scorers other than Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams.

KANSAS CITY — Ask Seattle’s Cha Seung Baek what was working well against Kansas City, and he reels off his entire repertoire.

ST. LOUIS — Jim Edmonds had two hits and three RBIs, helping the St. Louis Cardinals end the Washington Nationals’ four-game winning streak with an 8-6 victory Saturday night.

The father of Josh Hancock filed suit Thursday, claiming a restaurant provided drinks to the St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher even though he was intoxicated prior to the crash that killed him.

KANSAS CITY — The distinctive crowned scoreboard that’s towered behind center field since Kauffman Stadium opened in 1973 will tower much taller.

DETROIT — Detroit’s Justin Verlander stayed unbeaten in May and Brandon Inge hit a home run to help the Tigers win 6-2 on Sunday, completing a sweep of the defending world champion St. Louis Cardinals.

MOBILE, Ala. — Charlie Lord stands at the entrance to Hank Aaron Stadium, under a giant baseball emblazoned with the famed “755” and facing a life-sized cutout of Mobile’s most famous son.

BALTIMORE — No Triple, no buzz.

And maybe no Kentucky Derby winner for the Belmont Stakes, either.

DENVER — Reliever Joel Peralta couldn’t describe his first major league hit. His eyes were closed. Peralta, a converted shortstop, connected on a two-run double in a five-run 12th inning as the Kansas City Royals beat the Colorado Rockies 10-5 on Sunday.