Phillies must make do without Hamels

Baseball
Phillies ace Cole Hamels was placed on the 15-day disabled list yesterday, leaving Philadelphia without its workhorse for at least two starts during its playoff push. The All-Star lefthander (14-5, 3.50 ERA) has a strained pitching elbow, though an MRI showed no structural or ligament damage. His DL stint is retroactive to Aug. 17. The Phillies did have positive updates on the injury front -- All-Star second baseman Chase Utley took batting practice for the first time since breaking his hand July 26, and outfielder Shane Victorino (quadriceps) was activated from the DL . . . Major league ERA leader Chris Young returned to San Diego to get his ailing back examined, a day after leaving his start for the Padres after five innings. Manager Bud Black acknowledged that a trip to the DL is a possibility . . . Gary Sheffield will be out of the Tigers' lineup through the weekend because of a sore right shoulder that has bothered him for more than a month . . . Jacoby Ellsbury ran his hitting streak to 18 games -- one shy of tying the Pawtucket record -- but the PawSox' ninth-inning rally fell short in Buffalo, 7-6. Starter Clay Buchholz took the loss, allowing three runs in three innings . . . Portland's Michael Bowden held Binghamton to a run over six innings and the Sea Dogs cruised to a 10-2 victory at Hadlock Field.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of issuing the first Gold Glove awards, Rawlings announced its all-time Gold Glove team with some obvious choices and one surprising winner. With nearly 1 million fan votes received by Rawlings, Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson drew the highest vote total of any player with 61 percent. Robinson won a record-tying 16 Gold Gloves, the same total for Greg Maddux, who took pitching honors. Although Don Mattingly (nine) and Keith Hernandez (11) won more Gold Gloves, Dodger Wes Parker, a six-time Gold Glover, received 53 percent of the votes at first base. Rounding out the team were catcher Johnny Bench, second baseman Joe Morgan, shortstop Ozzie Smith, and outfielders Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, and Ken Griffey Jr.

Tennis

In her return to the court after nearly a yearlong absence, Lindsay Davenport lost her doubles match at the Pilot Pen tournament in New Haven to the top-ranked team in the world. Davenport, who hadn't played professionally since September after the birth of her first child, and partner Lisa Raymond were beaten by Cara Black and Liezel Huber, 6-7 (1-7), 6-3, and 10-4 in the match tiebreaker. "It was fun to be back," said the former world No. 1. "Obviously, this is the first step in a long process." In singles, second-seeded Daniela Hantuchova was upset by qualifier Agnes Szavay, 7-5, 6-3, in the second round. Top seeds Svetlana Kuznetsova and Nikolay Davydenko both advanced in three sets . . . Round-robin play began at the Gibson Guitar Champions Cup, with Jim Courier, Todd Martin, and Cedric Pioline opening with victories in the five-day event in Newport, R.I.

Colleges

Oregon State's leading receiver, Sammie Stroughter, has put football on hold indefinitely while he deals with family issues. Stroughter did not offer a timetable for his return, but the senior could sit out this season as a redshirt and play for the Beavers in 2008 . . . Tennessee senior tight end Brad Cottam will miss most of the season with a left wrist injury Alabama standout point guard Ronald Steele will undergo a second arthroscopic surgery on his left knee today, but is expected to recover in time for the upcoming season, coach Mark Gottfried said . . . Illinois junior shooting guard Jamar Smith will redshirt the upcoming season following his drunken-driving conviction last spring . . . The NCAA placed Purdue on two years' probation after determining a former assistant women's basketball coach wrote a paper for a player and made more than 100 impermissible recruiting calls.

Miscellany

Free agent Michael Peca, who missed the last half of the 2006-07 season with a broken leg, has agreed to a one-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Peca is expected to sign the contract after passing a physical this week . . . Steven Whitney of Reading had two goals as the US select team rolled past Switzerland, 6-1, at the Under-17 Five Nations Tournament in Strakonice, Czech Republic . . . A federal marshal has seized a $1.5 million dollar yacht that belonged to former NBA star Latrell Sprewell after he defaulted on the mortgage, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . . . Ukrainian 7-footer Kyrylo Fesenko signed a multiyear deal with the Utah Jazz . . . Street Sense will be the horse to beat in Saturday's $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga (N.Y.) Race Course. The Kentucky Derby winner was made a 3-5 favorite, with C P West at 5-1 and Sightseeing at 6-1 . . . Harrah's Entertainment Inc. and AEG are building a 20,000-seat arena in Las Vegas capable of housing an NBA or NHL team. The $500 million structure is projected to open in 2010.