Radke, Martínez take playoff tests

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said that righthander Brad Radke will start tomorrow's game against the Royals. Radke, who has pitched much of the season with a torn labrum and stress fracture in his throwing shoulder, said he felt good after a bullpen session Monday. Radke's last start before landing on the disabled list was Aug. 25 against the White Sox. The Twins clinched a playoff berth by beating Kansas City Monday night. Johan Santana and Boof Bonser will start the first two games of the divisional series. If tomorrow's start goes well, Radke (12-9, 4.46) could start Game 3 . . . The Mets have a similar situation with Pedro Martínez, giving him his final regular-season start tonight. A strong outing by Martínez would clear up manager Willie Randolph's rotation plans for the playoffs. ``If he's healthy he's going to get the ball for Game 1," Randolph said . . . No one was injured, but the Washington Nationals suffered a scare when their chartered Amtrak train from New York derailed early yesterday morning en route to Washington.

Because of a rift with Florida Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, Joe Girardi's tenure as manager is expected to end after only one year. He's under contract through 2008, but a change is likely even though the young Marlins exceeded expectations by contending for a playoff berth before fading last week. Girardi has said he won't resign, and before the start of a six-game homestand to end the regular season, he lobbied more strongly than ever to stay. Loria has said he'll assess the managerial situation after the season, and has declined to endorse the job Girardi has done . . . Former Tiger Dmitri Young was sentenced to a year of probation for assaulting his former girlfriend.

Indiana football coach Terry Hoeppner walked into his weekly news conference and got right back to business. ``I love coaching football games," he said. ``I enjoy the preparation, I enjoy the recruiting, but my passion is coaching football games, so it's good to be back." Hoeppner temporarily turned over the reins of the Hoosiers to assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Bill Lynch two weeks ago after announcing he would undergo his second brain surgery since December. Doctors said they would remove a possibly recurrent tumor. But the resilient 59-year-old coach is back. Hoeppner said he wasn't taking pain medication, had no restrictions, and that doctors gave him the go-ahead . . . Former UConn starting safety Marvin Taylor was sentenced to a year of probation and 50 hours of community service after pleading guilty to sixth-degree larceny and illegal use of a credit card. Taylor was dismissed from the football team last week . . . Five Niagara basketball players will be disciplined whether or not they are convicted for their alleged involvement in an assault on a university baseball player last month . . . Boston College, returning all but three players from the team that went to the NCAA championship game last season, was picked No. 1 in the men's Hockey East preseason coaches poll with 89 points. New Hampshire led the women's Hockey East poll with 56 points . . . NESN and Hockey East extended their television contract through 2008-09.

After winning his fifth NBA title as a head coach, Pat Riley spent the next two months keeping most of the Miami Heat organization guessing about his future. Turns out, there was no reason for their angst. Riley revealed the decision to return was easy, saying he quickly realized the defending NBA champions would be best served with him on the sideline. He didn't make the decision publicly known until Aug. 23. "It was a no-brainer," Riley said . . . Dirk Nowitzki is sticking with the Dallas Mavericks at least through the 2010-11 season after signing a lucrative extension. Nowitzki, 28, is already signed for the upcoming season and had a $16 million-plus option for 2007-08 under the maximum contract he signed in 2001. The new deal guarantees that season, plus tacks on three more. He'll turn 33 the summer his new contract expires. Terms of the deal were not released, but with basic raises the extension is likely worth around $60 million.

Chanda Rubin won her first match in more than a year, beating Germany's Martina Muller, 6-3, 6-0, to reach the second round of the Fortis Championships in Luxembourg . . . Argentine teenager Juan Martin del Potro upset Carlos Moya, 6-3, 6-2, in the opening round of the Mumbai Open in India . . . Top-seeded Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia overcame Fernando Vicente of Spain, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, to advance to the second round of the Thailand Open in Bangkok.

Flyers goalie Antero Niittymaki could miss up to two months because of a hip injury sustained during practice. An MRI revealed a torn labrum in his left hip, and Philadelphia general manager Bob Clarke said a decision on whether to operate would be made today . . . Defenseman Rostislav Klesla of the Columbus Blue Jackets will sit out two regular-season games for a questionable preseason hit on Chicago forward Tuomo Ruutu . . . Byron Nelson, whose 11 straight tournament golf victories in 1945 stand as one of sport's most enduring records, died in Irving, Texas. He was 94. Obituary, Page A19 . . . Randall Hien, 57, a Little League coach who led his Rhode Island team to the 2004 World Series, was killed Monday after a car struck him in Lincoln, R.I. . . . Jim Ruschioni of Indian Meadows GC captured the Massachusetts Senior Championship on the third playoff hole at the Country Club of Pittsfield over Joseph Keller (Oyster Harbors Club) and John Crook (Cape Cod National GC).