Chamberlain ready to rejoin Yankees

Joba Chamberlain breezed through 35 pitches while facing batters in a simulated game yesterday, saying he's ready to rejoin the Yankees for the stretch run. On the disabled list with rotator cuff tendinitis, Chamberlain said he threw all of his pitches. The 22-year-old righthander, who moved from the bullpen to the rotation this year, said he doesn't know when he'll be activated, but plans to return to relief duty . . . Struggling Florida Marlins closer Kevin Gregg says he's taking a break to rest a sore left knee. In his absence, expected to be only a few days, manager Fredi Gonzalez said he'll use Matt Lindstrom or Joe Nelson as the closer . . . Baltimore Orioles third baseman Melvin Mora is expected to be sidelined about a week with a strained left hamstring he hurt Friday night trying to beat out a ground ball against Tampa Bay . . . The Orioles fined reliever Fernando Cabrera, who gave up consecutive homers to Ben Zobrist and Gabe Gross in Friday's 14-3 loss to the Rays, for flipping the ball into the air when he left the mound.

The Can-Am minor league hopes it still will be in Nashua, N.H., next season, even if the Nashua Pride team is gone. But league commissioner Miles Wolff says it won't be easy. Wolff said a couple of potential buyers have inquired about the franchise after Pride owner John Stabile announced Thursday he is putting the team up for sale, citing failing attendance and big financial losses. Wolff would not name the interested parties, but said one is originally from New England and expressed a desire to return . . . The Buffalo Bison defeated the visiting Pawtucket Red Sox, 11-10, in 10 innings.

Lyudmila Blonska of Ukraine received a lifetime ban for a positive doping test after winning the silver medal in the heptathlon at the Beijing Games. The Ukrainian national athletics federation made the decision and officially revoked her medal after the 30-year-old Blonska tested positive for the steroid methyltestosterone - her second doping offense . . . Robert Mugabe, the Zimbabwean president accused of impoverishing his country, has handed out $148,000 to the nation's Olympians, including $100,000 to swimmer Kirsty Coventry, who won three silvers and a gold.

Curlin won the $500,000 Woodward Stakes to move a step closer to defending his Horse of the Year title, beating long shot Past the Point by 1 1/4 lengths at Saratoga Race Course. The $300,000 winner's share moved the Stonestreet Stable-owned Curlin past Skip Away as the No. 2 money-winning thoroughbred in history with more than $9.79 million and leaves him less than $200,000 behind Cigar ($9.9 million). Curlin, ridden by Robby Albarado, ran 1 1/8 miles in 1 minute 49.34 seconds en route to his fourth victory in five starts this year . . . Scorpion Moon is the 5-2 favorite in the field of nine who will compete in today's $50,000 Joseph Carney Memorial Trot at Rockingham Park in Salem, N.H. Post time for the first race is 1:05 p.m.

Russian giant Nikolai Valuev won the World Boxing Association heavyweight championship using his left jab to outpoint Chelsea, Mass., native John Ruiz in an unanimous decision in Berlin. The fight was first declared a split decision, but the score was officially changed later. The 7-foot Valuev (49-1) regained the title he lost to Ruslan Chagaev in April 2007 and beat Ruiz (43-8-1) for the second time. The judges scored it for Valuev, 116-113, 116-111, and 114-113. "I thought I won the fight," Ruiz said. "I don't know what was going on with the scorecards." . . . Pro wrestling pioneer Walter "Killer" Kowalski, 81, died from the effects of a massive heart attack in Everett. Kowalski had been in critical condition since the heart attack Aug. 8 and his family had him taken off life support yesterday. Obituary, Page A23 . . . In the WNBA, Tamika Catchings had 23 points and seven rebounds, and the host Indiana Fever beat the Atlanta Dream, 87-72 . . . Rookie Candice Wiggins scored 22 points to lead the Lynx past the Washington Mystics, 92-78, in Minneapolis . . . Nicole Powell hit four 3-pointers and had 20 points and nine rebounds to lead host Sacramento past Houston, 80-65 . . . Lisa Leslie scored 18 points and the host Los Angeles Sparks rallied for a 58-53 victory over San Antonio . . . Kyle Busch led 144 of the 150 laps in Fontana, Calif., to win his seventh Nationwide Series event of the season.