Marlins demote struggling Sanchez

Baseball
Florida Marlins righthander Anibal Sanchez was optioned yesterday to Triple A Albuquerque, where he'll try to rediscover the form that helped him throw a no-hitter as a rookie last year. The former Red Sox farmhand, who was part of the deal that brought Josh Beckett to Boston, has allowed 43 hits and 19 walks in 30 innings this season. He's 2-1 with a 4.80 ERA in six starts . . . The Yankees said righthander Carl Pavano may need surgery on his sore right elbow and general manager Brian Cashman admitted the oft-injured pitcher has been a bust with New York since signing a $39.95 million, four-year contract. "We signed a player that we expected to be a horse in our rotation and it hasn't worked out," said Cashman. "He physically hasn't held up. Period." . . . Orioles lefthander Adam Loewen will be sidelined for much of the season with a stress fracture in his pitching elbow . . . Phillies closer Tom Gordon was put on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in the rotator cuff of his throwing arm . . . The Angels put outfielder Garret Anderson on the 15-day DL and he could miss a month because of a right hip injury . . . The Indians will lose a home game and three days off in making up the four-game series against Seattle that was postponed by snow. The games of April 6-8 will be played at Jacobs Field May 21, June 11, and Aug. 30. The April 9 game will be held in Seattle Sept. 26 . . . Binghamton's Nic Jackson snapped a 3-3 tie with a three-run homer off Kyle Jackson in the eighth inning, leading the visiting Mets to a 6-3 victory over the Portland Sea Dogs.

Football

The NFL said it is considering expanding its annual draft to a third day, moving the first round into prime time on a Friday, with the remaining six rounds taking place over the following two days . . . Former Patriots guard Joe Andruzzi's contract was officially terminated by the Browns . . . Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones will meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell next Friday to appeal his season-long suspension . . . The Humane Society of the United States called on the NFL to ban players who are involved in dog fighting, saying it was especially troubled that evidence of the deadly activity was allegedly found at a home owned by Falcons quarterback Michael Vick . . . Charges were dropped against four of six Penn State players involved in an off-campus fracas, but two players, Anthony Scirrotto and Chris Baker, of Windsor, Conn., will stand trial.

Hockey

The Nashville Predators' third straight exit in the first round of the playoffs hasn't shaken general manager David Poile's confidence in coach Barry Trotz. Poile picked up the option on Trotz and his staff for next season as a reward for the best regular season in franchise history . . . Sharks forward Bill Guerin will not play against the Red Wings tonight in Game 5 of their second-round series because of a cut on his face . . . Canada's Shane Doan scored three goals in the second period in a 6-3 win over Belarus at the world championships in Moscow.

Miscellany

Svetlana Kuznetsova rallied to beat Venus Williams, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, and reach a semifinal matchup against Alona Bondarenko at the clay court J&S Cup in Warsaw. Top-ranked Justine Henin and fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic will meet in the other semifinal . . . Tomas Berdych reached the semifinals of the BMW Open in Munich by beating Nicolas Devilder, 6-4, 6-0, for his 200th career win . . . BMW Oracle Racing took over sole possession of first place in the Louis Vuitton Cup standings by beating Italian syndicate Luna Rossa in the fifth flight of round-robin sailing off Valencia, Spain . . . David Beckham will receive more than double what any other player in MLS is getting this year and more than 50 times the average salary, according to the league's players' union.