Sports Log

Mets' Wright may be done for season

August 17, 2009

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Baseball

The Mets said yesterday there is a chance slugger David Wright will miss the rest of the season after he was hit square on the helmet by a 94 miles-per-hour fastball from San Francisco’s Matt Cain Saturday night. Wright was released from a New York hospital and put on the 15-day disabled list yesterday. When asked if the third baseman could miss the rest of the season, manager Jerry Manuel said it’s “a possibility.’’ Wright still had a headache yesterday and was experiencing “post-concussion symptoms,’’ team spokesman Jay Horwitz said. While a CT scan came back negative, Manuel said Wright won’t be playing any time soon. “I do believe we have to be cautious with this,’’ Manuel said, “and we will be.’’ . . . Yankees designated hitter Hideki Matsui sat out yesterday’s game to get his swollen left knee drained and will likely miss at least one more game. Manager Joe Girardi said Matsui will have his left knee reevaluated tomorrow . . . Righthander Hiroki Kuroda was cleared to fly home with the Dodgers from Arizona one day after he was struck on the right side of his head by a line drive by the Diamondbacks’ Rusty Ryal . . . Blue Jays lefthander Brett Cecil will pitch Thursday against the Red Sox, his first start since injuring his left knee when he fell trying to field a bunt Aug. 8 against Baltimore . . . The Gwinnett Braves edged the host Pawtucket Red Sox, 3-2, dropping hard-luck Michael Bowden to 4-6. Bowden has had a total of six runs of support in his six defeats as the PawSox had three or fewer hits for the 18th time this season . . . Raynham coasted past West Lewis County, Wash., 7-2, to improve to 3-1 and clinch a spot in tomorrow’s elimination round at the Cal Ripken World Series in Winchester. Burlington dropped to 0-3 with a 9-5 loss to Johnson County, Ark.

Soccer

Beckham to sit after first MLS red card

David Beckham got the first red card in his MLS career during the Los Angeles Galaxy’s 2-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders Saturday night. Beckham slid into the Sounders’ Peter Vagenas trying to reach a ball, hooking his right ankle and bringing down the former Galaxy midfielder. Referee Ricardo Salazar immediately issued the red card, and Beckham did not offer much of an argument before leaving the field. “Pete’s one of my best friends,’’ Beckham said. “I’ve never gone into one tackle wanting to hurt someone. It was a hard tackle but by no means a red card.’’ The red card carries an automatic suspension that will force Beckham to miss the Galaxy’s match at Chicago Wednesday night . . . Mike Banner scored his first MLS goal, Jon Busch posted his eighth shutout of the season, and the visiting Chicago Fire beat Kansas City, 2-0, to spoil Peter Vermes’s first game as Wizards interim coach.

Running

Radcliffe return a success in NYC race

Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain won the New York City Half-Marathon, finishing two seconds off the course record in her first race in nine months after being sidelined by foot surgery. Radcliffe finished in 1 hour 9 minutes 45 seconds for her seventh straight victory in New York City. Mamitu Daska of Ethiopia was second in 1:11:04 and Catherine Ndereba of Kenya, who set the course record in 2006, was third (1:11:56). Defending champion Tadese Tola of Ethiopia easily won the men’s race in 1:01:06, besting Ridouane Harroufi of Morocco (1:02:33) and American Ryan Hall (1:02.35).

NHL

Messier rejoins Rangers, will assist GM

Mark Messier, who in 1994 led the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup title in 54 years, is returning to the club as a special assistant to general manager Glen Sather. Messier, a six-time Cup champion as a player, has expressed interest in eventually running a team as GM.

Miscellany

Jankovic, Murray post tennis victories

Jelena Jankovic knocked off No. 1 Dinara Safina, 6-4, 6-2, to win the Cincinnati Open in Mason, Ohio . . . Andy Murray matched his career best from last season with his fifth tournament win of the year, prevailing against Juan Martin Del Potro, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-3), 6-1, in the final of the Rogers Cup in Montreal . . . The US Olympic Committee postponed plans for its own television network after objections from international Olympic officials. The IOC criticized the USOC last month for “unilaterally’’ announcing the launch of the TV network, saying it raised complex legal questions and could jeopardize relations with Olympic broadcaster NBC . . . Janel McCarville scored 19 points, including the clinching 3-point play with 9.1 seconds remaining, in the New York Liberty’s 60-59 win over the Mystics in Washington . . . Pro wrestler and Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle was arrested on charges of possessing a human growth hormone and violating an order of protection against a former girlfriend in suburban Pittsburgh . . . Tyler Farrar of the United States won the Hamburg Cyclassics race, breaking away in the home stretch to beat Matti Breschel of Denmark.