Mitchell contacts Giants coaches

Members of the San Francisco Giants' coaching staff have been contacted by former Senator George Mitchell in his independent investigation of steroids in baseball. ``I understand some guys were supposed to talk to him," Giants manager Felipe Alou told the Associated Press. ``That's all I know. That is very personal. I don't ask these guys." Several people within Major League Baseball confirmed that coaches on Alou's staff had heard from Mitchell. They spoke on condition of anonymity. Harvey Shields, one of Barry Bonds's personal trainers, who works for the team, also was being sought by Mitchell. Bench coach Ron Wotus, bullpen coach Mark Gardner, hitting coach Joe Lefebvre, and first base coach Luis Pujols declined to comment when asked if they had been contacted by Mitchell -- as did longtime equipment manager Mike Murphy. Hitting assistant Willie Upshaw said he had not heard from Mitchell.

Chicago Cubs catcher Michael Barrett's 10-game suspension for punching the White Sox' A.J. Pierzynski was upheld by Major League Baseball and began with last night's interleague game against the Indians . . . The Yankees released pitcher Scott Erickson and sent infielder Nick Green outright to Triple A Columbus . . . The Minnesota Twins released third baseman Tony Batista . . . A lawyer for Detroit Tigers designated hitter Dmitri Young was ordered to pay $150 in court costs after failing to appear at a hearing June 13 in the player's domestic violence case in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Young, accused of choking a woman April 14 at a suburban Detroit hotel, also missed the court appearance, and an arrest warrant was issued . . . The Oakland Athletics agreed to a one-year contract with lefthanded reliever Scott Sauerbeck, who was released Friday by the Indians . . . Knuckleballer Charlie Zink (3-0) limited Richmond to one run in seven innings as the visiting Pawtucket Red Sox topped the Richmond Braves, 5-3 . . . Luis Mendoza allowed 11 hits in 6 1/3 innings to take the loss in his Hadlock Field debut as the Connecticut Defenders topped the host Portland Sea Dogs, 4-3.

Jonah Nickerson pitched seven strong innings and Oregon State survived anxious moments in the eighth and ninth while eliminating Georgia from the College World Series with a 5-3 victory in Omaha. Chris Kunda drove in two runs for the Beavers (45-15), who bounced back from Saturday's 11-1 loss to Miami . . . Tyler Henley led off the game with a home run, closer Cole St. Clair pitched five solid innings in a rare start, and Rice held on in the ninth to beat Miami, 3-2. The victory put the Owls (57-11) in the winners' bracket, and they need to win once more to advance to the championship series. Rice will face the winner of today's elimination game between Miami (42-23) and Oregon State tomorrow night.

The driver involved in the accident with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger June 12 will be cited for failing to yield to oncoming traffic and fined $106.50. Pittsburgh police chief Dominic Costa said the driver, a woman, has received threatening phone calls since the accident and the calls are being investigated. Roethlisberger will be issued $388 in fines for riding without a valid motorcycle license and not wearing a helmet. In an interview with ESPN Radio yesterday, Steelers coach Bill Cowher said there is no way of knowing what effect Roethlisberger's injuries would have on his playing ability . . . Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes pleaded not guilty in Columbus, Ohio, to charges of assaulting a woman, his second arrest since he was chosen in the first round of the NFL draft . . . An assault charge was dropped in Los Angeles against former UCLA running back Maurice Drew, a second-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars . . . The Seattle Seahawks released 13-year veteran punter Tom Rouen . . . The Baltimore Ravens traded a conditional 2007 draft pick to the Indianapolis Colts for safety Gerome Sapp.

Lindsay Davenport pulled out of Wimbledon because of a back injury. The 1999 champion, ranked No. 6, hasn't played since aggravating her back in March . American Taylor Dent (back), Carlos Moya of Spain (shoulder) and Jose Acasuso of Argentina (undisclosed) also withdrew . . . Elena Likhovtseva upset Russian counterpart Daniela Hantuchova, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), in the first round of the Hastings Direct International at Eastbourne, England.

Boise State guard Coby Karl, son of Denver Nuggets coach George Karl, withdrew from the NBA draft and will return to school for his senior season. George Washington guard Danilo Pinnock hired an agent and will remain in the draft, while his backcourt mate, Carl Elliott, withdrew and will return to the Colonials . . . Former Ohio State head coach Nancy Darsch, who has been an assistant for the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA the past three years, was named an assistant women's basketball coach at Boston College . . . Former World Boxing Council super middleweight champion Dave Hilton Jr. was released from prison early in Montreal after serving five years of a seven-year sentence for sexually assaulting his two daughters . . . The Minnesota Wild exercised their option on former Bruin Brian Rolston's contract for the 2007-08 season . . . Boston University added three hockey recruits from the US Under-18 team -- defenseman Brian Strait of Waltham, forward Luke Popko, and goalie Brent Bennett -- along with two Junior A players from the United States Hockey League -- forward Zach Cohen and defenseman Eric Gryba.