Clemens return could come at Fenway

New York pitcher Roger Clemens, who had a cortisone shot in his right elbow Wednesday, could return for the Yankees in their series finale at Fenway Park Sept. 16. "I am sort of looking at the weekend in Boston as probably his next start," Yankees manager Joe Torre said last night. "But again, it all depends how he feels." . . . The Yankees would host a tiebreaker playoff, if one is needed to decide the American League wild-card race. The Yankees won coin flips with both the Tigers and Mariners conducted by the commissioner's office. Detroit would host Seattle . . . With the team three losses from a 15th consecutive losing season, one off the major league record, the Pirates fired general manager Dave Littlefield after six-plus seasons . . . Diamondbacks All-Star second baseman Orlando Hudson may have to undergo season-ending thumb surgery. General manager Josh Byrnes acknowledged that surgery is the "worst-case scenario" after Hudson tore a ligament in his left thumb sliding headfirst into third base against San Diego Tuesday . . . A's third baseman Eric Chavez had surgery on his right shoulder this week and is expected to return for spring training. Oakland also claimed outfielder Kevin Thompson off waivers from the Yankees . . . Reliever Bob Wickman, who was released by the Braves last month, signed with the Diamondbacks . . . Trenton held off Portland, 3-2, at Hadlock Field to take a 2-1 lead in their Eastern League playoff series. Facing elimination, Portland will start Chris Smith tonight in New Jersey against Jeff Marquez, the league's leader in wins (15) . . . The union for minor league umpires said its members will let Major League Baseball perform background checks, a move the commissioner's office requested following the NBA's referee betting scandal.

Receiver Terry Glenn, 33, will miss the Cowboys' opener tomorrow against the Giants after injuring the knee that was operated on in the preseason. Glenn had arthroscopic surgery Aug. 1 to remove a cyst from the back of his right kneecap. The latest injury came in practice two days ago, coach Wade Phillips said, although it is not related to the original injury . . . Bengals defensive end Frostee Rucker won't have to serve a one-game suspension from the NFL, but will miss Monday's game against the Ravens because of a hamstring injury. The league proposed a one-game suspension after Rucker settled a domestic violence case in April; Rucker's agents appealed on grounds that the incident occurred while he was a student at Southern California . . . Falcons defensive tackle Rod Coleman had arthroscopic right knee surgery and might not return until Week 5 . . . The Jaguars will be without starting linebacker Clint Ingram (sprained ankle) against the Titans . . . A jury in Scottsdale, Ariz., found Buccaneers tight end Jerramy Stevens guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol. Stevens faces a jail sentence of at least 30 days for "extreme" intoxication, when a driver has a blood alcohol content of .15 percent or higher; Stevens's measured .20 percent . . . A federal judge in San Francisco tossed out a lawsuit accusing the NFL players' union of inadequately representing 3,500 retired players, ruling the complaints of fraud and antitrust allegations had little merit.

Rudy Fernandez had 20 points and Pau Gasol added 15 for Spain in a 76-58 victory over Greece in the second stage of the European basketball championship in Madrid. Earlier, Andrei Kirilenko scored 16 points and four teammates scored in double figures as Russia remained unbeaten with a 78-65 win over Portugal. Israel beat Croatia, 80-75, behind 17 points and 16 rebounds from forward Yaniv Green . . . Shauneen Garrahan, a former three-sport athlete for Amherst, has been named one of nine finalists for the NCAA's Woman of the Year Award . . . Acton-Boxboro product Tom Barrasso was hired as the Carolina Hurricanes' director of goaltender development . . . Justin Blackshere, 18, was sentenced to life without parole for the Jan. 2 stabbing deaths of two employees at Cheli's Chili Bar, a restaurant owned by Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios . . . Junior Witter (36-1-2) retained his WBC light welterweight belt by stopping Vivian Harris in the seventh round in Doncaster, England.