Cabrera, NY's Ramirez suspended

Baltimore's Daniel Cabrera and the Yankees' Edwar Ramirez were suspended and fined by Major League Baseball yesterday for intentionally throwing at batters during a series between the teams this week. Cabrera was suspended for six games and fined an undisclosed amount for throwing a pitch at Alex Rodriguez's head Tuesday night. Ramirez, a reliever, was suspended for three games and fined an undisclosed amount for throwing at Kevin Millar's head Wednesday. Both were ejected from the respective games . . . The Yankees signed free agent Victor Zambrano, who has been working out at their minor league complex in Tampa, Fla. The righthander was last in the major leagues in 2007, when he pitched in 13 games for Toronto and Baltimore . . . Detroit reliever Todd Jones was placed on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his right shoulder . . . San Diego Padres shortstop Khalil Greene has a broken left hand and could miss the rest of the season, manager Bud Black said. After fouling a ball off his shin and then striking out in a loss to Arizona Wednesday night, Greene hit something in the tunnel between the dugout and clubhouse with his left hand, Black said . . . Blue Jays pitcher Dustin McGowan had surgery to repair fraying of the labrum in his right shoulder and is expected to be healthy in time for spring training . . . The Nationals (38-70), with the worst record in baseball, released infielder Felipe Lopez and catchers Paul Lo Duca and Johnny Estrada following last night's 8-4 loss to Philadelphia, their ninth straight defeat.

Roger Federer lost another three-set match and, perhaps, his longtime grip on No. 1. The world's top-ranked player fell in the Cincinnati Masters, 7-6 (10-8), 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), to Ivo Karlovic that opened the way for Rafael Nadal to take over the No. 1 spot by winning the tournament. Nadal stayed on course for the seismic shift by beating Tommy Haas, 6-4, 7-6 (7-0). Federer has been ranked No. 1 since Feb. 2, 2004. He and Nadal have held the top two spots since July 25, 2005. They will swap if Nadal extends his run of five consecutive tournament titles. Asked about the possibility, Federer said, "I don't care." . . . Top-ranked Ana Ivanovic, playing with a sore right thumb, was knocked out of the Rogers Cup in Montreal by Tamira Paszek, 6-1, 1-6, 6-2, giving second-ranked Jelena Jankovic a chance to take over the top spot if she can reach the tournament final. Jankovic advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Stephanie Dubois. "It's definitely very, very disappointing," Ivanovic said of Jankovic possibly passing her in the rankings. "Not really so much the fact that I might lose it; just the fact that I couldn't perform the best I could here without the pain."

Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman is joining the Chicago Blackhawks as a senior adviser for hockey operations. A special consultant with the Detroit Red Wings since retiring from coaching following the 2002 season, the 74-year-old Bowman signed a three-year deal with Chicago. Bowman's son, Stan, is in his eighth season with the Blackhawks and beginning his second as the team's assistant general manager . . . The Edmonton Oilers promoted general manager Kevin Lowe to president of hockey operations and named longtime Vancouver Canucks executive Steve Tambellini to replace him . . . The Nashville Predators signed center Jerred Smithson to a two-year, $1.4 million contract extension through 2011 . . . Antoine Vermette signed a $5.25 million, two-year contract extension with the Senators.

The US Soccer Federation has suspended Chicago Fire midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco from US Open Cup play for at least two years for punching midfielder Clyde Simms in the stomach and poking him in the eye July 8 during an Open Cup quarterfinal game against D.C. United. After being ejected, he also head-butted a United employee trying to lead him away . . . D.C. United has acquired midfielder-defender Ivan Guerrero of Honduras from the San Jose Earthquakes for cash . . . The Chicago Bulls waived guard JamesOn Curry. Curry, who spent most of last season in the Developmental League, was arrested in January in Idaho and pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and urinating in public . . . Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezighi (2004 marathon), and Khalid Khannouchi, the US record-holder in the marathon at 2 hours 5 minutes 38 seconds, will highlight a field of elite runners in the 36th Falmouth Road Race Aug. 10 . . . The Boston Blazers acquired the Boston Cannons' Sean Morris, a former UMass All-American, for their National Lacrosse League team, the professional indoor league that will debut in January.