Chinese men roll to world title; US 4th

The Chinese powered their way to another men's gymnastics world championship yesterday in Stuttgart, Germany, and now the questions are: Can anyone catch them in time for the Olympics in Beijing, and if so, how? Led by their champion, Yang Wei, China routed the competition for its third straight world gold medal - and eighth overall - scoring 281.9 points to beat silver medalist Japan by a whopping 4.875 and bronze medalist Germany by 8.375. The United States joined the mix, finishing fourth after threatening to get bronze. The Americans were fourth with two events to go but David Durante and Sasha Artemev each flopped off the high bar. They scored 13.575 and 13.750 to drop the US to sixth place. They did a nice job on the floor routines - averaging an impressive 15.6 - to get back into fourth. "We're definitely guys that can step out on the floor with anybody in the world," Durante said.

The Houston Astros interviewed three more candidates for their vacant general manager job: Philadelphia assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr., Cleveland director of player personnel Steve Lubratich, and St. Louis assistant GM John Mozeliak. Houston also is considering one of its former GMs, Bob Watson, currently vice president of on-field operations for Major League Baseball . . . Cleveland Indians outfielder David Dellucci, who underwent surgery to repair a tear in his left hamstring and hadn't played since June 19, was activated from the 60-day disabled list . . . The Seattle Mariners released righthanded reliever Rick White. He appeared in six games, going 0-1 with an 8.40 ERA, in pitching for the 11th team in his career, one short of the major league record. His last appearance came Wednesday, when he allowed one run in two-thirds of an inning in New York, before being ejected for arguing balls and strikes . . . Andrew Pinckney drove in Bryan Pritz with an infield single in the 13th inning, lifting the Portland Sea Dogs past the Thunder, 3-2, in Trenton, N.J., to even their best-of-five Eastern League playoff series at 1-1. Mike James worked the final two innings to earn the win. Portland's bullpen of Jose Vaquedano, Barry Hertzler, and James combined for six scoreless innings. Game 3 is tonight in Portland . . . A rare Honus Wagner baseball card has been sold for a record $2.8 million, just over six months after it was bought for a then-record $2.35 million. It was purchased by an unnamed private collector.

Holy Cross men's basketball coach Ralph Willard has agreed to a five-year contract extension that will keep him at the school through the 2012-13 season. Willard has a 159-89 record in eight seasons with the Crusaders, advancing to the NCAA Tournament four times. He has been the Patriot League coach of the year three times . . . Duquesne University forward Stuard Baldonado, suspended from school Wednesday after being charged with drug violations, was arrested near the Pittsburgh campus again hours later that day on a misdemeanor drug charge. Baldonado, one of five Dukes players shot on campus a year ago this month, was indefinitely suspended from the university and the basketball team Wednesday after school officials reviewed the situation . . . Tonya Evette Johnson, 33, a prostitute who was with former Villanova basketball star Howard Porter on the night he was beaten, aided and abetted his killing, according to a criminal complaint. Porter, 58, died May 26, a week after he was found unconscious in a Minneapolis alley.

The quest to bring Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense to Suffolk Downs for the Massachusetts Handicap Sept. 22 is over. "I talked to [Street Sense trainer] Carl Nafzger this morning," said Suffolk COO Chip Tuttle, "and he told me that the races on Sept. 22 are out. He feels [Street Sense] needs more time."

Mark Blaudschun

Scott Niedermayer is certain about only one thing in his hockey future - he won't be on the ice when the Anaheim Ducks open camp next week. The decision whether to retire is proving more difficult. "It's sort of unfortunate that this decision has taken this long for me to make," he said. The Ducks' captain, 34, did not rule out joining the team during the season . . . Ducks forward Samuel Pahlsson underwent surgery to repair a sports hernia Wednesday and is expected to be sidelined 3-5 weeks, GM Brian Burke said . . . Globe staff writer Bob Hohler's series of stories on minority football coaches in New England was honored as the top sports story in the over-150,000 circulation category in the annual National Association of Black Journalists contest . . . Ante Razov and Lawson Vaughn scored as Chivas USA overcame an early two-goal deficit to tie D.C. United, 2-2, in Carson, Calif. Luciano Emilio scored his 15th and 16th goals of the season for D.C. United (13-6-4), which leads the Eastern Conference.