Buehrle, White Sox agree to new deal

July 9, 2007

Baseball
Mark Buehrle is staying with the White Sox. The lefthander agreed to a four-year, $56 million deal yesterday, ending weeks of trade speculation about Chicago's best pitcher. Buehrle, a three-time All-Star, could have been a free agent after this season. Earlier talks stalled over Buehrle's desire for a no-trade clause, and with the White Sox struggling, his name popped up often in trade rumors. He is 6-4 this season with a 3.03 earned run average and is 103-70 with a 3.77 ERA in his career. Buehrle's contract calls for $14 million in each of the four years. He has a no-trade provision in the first season, but if he is traded during a window in the second or third seasons, his annual salary goes to $15 million that year and a fifth season is added, also at $15 million . . . Texas first baseman Mark Teixeira, who played in a club-record 507 consecutive games before going on the disabled list June 9 because of a strained left quadriceps muscle, will make a rehabilitation start at Double A Frisco Wednesday and expects to play Friday night for the Rangers in their first game after the All-Star break at the Los Angeles Angels . . . Rookie righthander Homer Bailey was optioned to the minors so the Cincinnati Reds' top prospect can keep pitching over the All-Star break . . . Brian Buscher's two-run double in the eighth inning lifted the Rochester Red Wings past the visiting Pawtucket Red Sox, 6-4, in International League play . . . In the Eastern League, Jed Lowrie homered twice and drove in four runs, and Portland banged out 18 hits in the Sea Dogs' 16-6 victory over the host New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Auto racing

Scott Dixon held off Sam Hornish Jr., series leader Dario Franchitti, Tony Kanaan, and Marco Andretti over the final 14 laps and won the Indy Racing League's Watkins Glen Grand Prix, pulling away at the end by 6.2 seconds for his third straight victory at the 3.4-mile, 11-turn natural road course in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. It was the first win of the season for Dixon, who has four runner-up finishes for Target Chip Ganassi Racing, and seventh of his career. It was the best career road-course finish for Hornish, but there was no glee when he returned to the pits. He had bumped Kanaan early in the race, and the Brazilian swerved at Hornish's Penske Racing Honda after Dixon took the checkered flag. An altercation broke out when the drivers exited their cars. Hornish's father pushed Kanaan, then was knocked to the ground by members of Kanaan's crew . . . Kimi Raikkonen won the British Grand Prix in Silverstone and rookie Lewis Hamilton, racing in his home country, finished in the top three -- as he has in all nine Formula One races this season. Hamilton's third-place finish left him atop the standings with 70 points. He's 12 ahead of McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso. Raikkonen turned 59 laps around the 3.2-mile circuit in 1 hour 21 minutes 43.074 seconds . . . NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Aaron Fike was arrested in an amusement park parking lot in Mason, Ohio, after authorities found a substance believed to be heroin in his sport utility vehicle, police said. Mason police said Fike, 24, and his fiancee, Cassandra Davidson, were arrested Saturday afternoon.

Basketball

Top pick Greg Oden's second Summer League game with the Portland Trail Blazers was better than his first, but still not up to expectations. Two days after he was disqualified with 10 fouls in 20 minutes, Oden had 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 fouls in a 72-68 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Summer League rules allow for 10 personals . . . Katie Smith scored 20 points, Deanna Nolan added 18, and the host Detroit Shock used a 72-point second half to rout the Phoenix Mercury, 111-82, in WNBA action. The Shock seemed energized by coach Bill Laimbeer's benching of All-Star center Kara Braxton for lethargic play. Braxton played only the last 3:42, entering long after the game was decided . . . Tina Thompson scored 23 points to help Houston beat the Minnesota Lynx, 79-67, giving the Comets their first road win of the season. Seimone Augustus led the Lynx with 22 points . . . Tamika Catchings had 16 points and a career-high 11 assists to lead the host Indiana Fever over the Chicago Sky, 86-70 . . . Erin Thorn and Cathrine Kraayeveld scored 13 points apiece, leading the host New York Liberty past the Sacramento Monarchs, 71-61.

Miscellany

Broadcaster Bill Maas, a former All-Pro defensive lineman who played nine seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs, was released from jail after his arrest on drug possession and weapons charges during a roadside check in Peoria, Ill. Maas and passenger Sarah Murphy were ordered to return to court Aug. 21, jail officials said. The two were arrested Friday night after authorities stopped Maas's sport utility vehicle along Illinois Route 116. They asked to search the vehicle after Maas, 45, appeared nervous, officials said. The search uncovered a .22-caliber revolver, 5 grams of suspected marijuana, 6 grams of suspected cocaine, and 28 pills of Ecstasy, police said . . . Wladimir Klitschko fought most of his title bout against Lamon Brewster with a broken left hand. Assistant trainer Jamen Ali Bashir told the Associated Press that the heavyweight champion broke his middle finger during his technical knockout of Brewster Saturday night in Cologne, Germany. Despite the injury, Klitschko dominated in a fight that was stopped before the seventh round . . . Mexico took advantage of being a man up from the third minute to shut out Paraguay, 6-0, to advance to the Copa America soccer semifinals in Maturin, Venezuela. Also, Juan Roman Riquelme scored twice as Argentina beat Peru, 4-0, in Barquisimeto, Venezuela . . . John Wolyniec scored his second goal of the season and the New York Red Bulls survived a late scare to defeat the Colorado Rapids, 1-0, in an MLS game . . . Brian Ching scored in the first half and the host Houston Dynamo earned their fifth straight shutout in a 1-0 victory over D.C. United . . . Eileen Canney pitched a two-hitter and Garland Cooper homered as the New England Riptide edged the Philadelphia Force, 1-0, in National Pro Fastpitch softball action in Allentown, Pa.