TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2014 SPORTS

Milan fire coach Seedorf Hooper new Wallabies captain England’s Pietersen at peace ITALY: AC Milan fired coach Clarence Seedorf yesterday after less than five SYDNEY: Openside flanker Michael Hooper has been elevated to the Australian rugby team’s captaincy after hooker Stephen Moore LONDON: Kevin Pietersen is at peace after coming to terms with the fact his months in charge and replaced him with youth team boss Filippo Inzaghi, a England career is over and says the dressing room was not “a pleasant place” move that had been on hold for two weeks. “AC Milan have dismissed coach was ruled out for the season due to a knee reconstruction. The 22-year-old Hooper had been widely expected to take the during the 5-0 Ashes whitewash in Australia. Clarence Seedorf and handed over the first team to Filippo Inzaghi until June The 33-year-old former captain’s central contract was terminated by 30, 2016,” the Serie A club and seven-times European champions said in a role after Moore tore his anterior and medial cruciate ligaments in his left knee in the opening minute of the Wallabies’ 50-23 victory England after the calamitous tour and the team will walk out to play their first statement. Former Netherlands midfielder Seedorf, who had no previous test on Thursday, against Sri Lanka at Lord’s, since the sacking of the prolific coaching experience and spent 10 years of his playing career at Milan, quickly over France in Brisbane on Saturday. Hooper, who had been appointed by coach Ewen McKenzie as -scorer. fell out of favour despite overseeing a significant improvement in results. “I will have no anger, no negative thoughts whatsoever when England walk Milan won 11 out of 19 Serie A matches under the Dutchman compared to one of his two vice-captains before the three-test series with France, led the side at Lang Park when Moore limped off. out without me at Lord’s,” the South Africa-born cricketer wrote in a column for only five of the previous 19 under predecessor Massimiliano Allegri on their the Daily Telegraph yesterday. way to an eighth-place finish, missing out on the Europa League by “It’s a massive honour to captain your country and I’m confident Michael has all the right leadership qualities to lead this team mov- “I am grateful for what I have had and have moved on with my life. I one point. Seedorf, 38, was playing for Botafogo in Brazil when he have scored 13,500 international runs for England and it would be he was offered the Milan job and cut short his playing career to ing forward,” McKenzie said in a statement. “I couldn’t have been more impressed with his performance on greedy to want more so I am at peace with everything. accept what he clearly felt was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “I wish my friends in the England team well.” Portrayed as a brash A crushing 5-1 aggregate defeat by Atletico Madrid in the the weekend after Stephen went down, so we know the added responsibility won’t impact the high-level of play we all expect from cricketer and frequently labelled a disruptive dressing room influ- Champions League round of 16 appeared to turn the tide against ence, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said Pietersen Seedorf, who as a player won the Champions League with Ajax, him each week.” Hooper is McKenzie’s fourth test captain since he replaced Robbie Deans in the job less than a year ago.—Reuters was axed because captain Alastair Cook needed to be able to Real Madrid and Milan. —Reuters trust and rely on the support of all his players.—Reuters Mariners blank Rays

ST. PETERSBURG: Felix Hernandez struck out a career-high 15 in seven before Endy Chavez keyed a five-run ninth with a tiebreaking RBI single, leading the Seattle Mariners to a 5-0 vic- tory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. James Jones had a two-run triple for the Mariners, who have won seven of eight. King Felix scattered four hits over seven innings. After Brad Miller a two-out triple and Willie Bloomquist walked against Grant Balfour (0-2), the left-handed hitting Chavez slapped a two-strike single to left for a 1-0 lead. Jones had his triple before Kyle Seager added a two-run double. Yoervis Medina (3- 1) threw a scoreless eighth for the win.

ROYALS 2, YANKEES 1 James Shields kept making critical pitches to escape trouble, Lorenzo Cain and Mike Moustakas drove in runs and the Royals squeaked out a win over the Yankees. The Royals have won the last seven games that MONTREAL: Red Bull Racing’s Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo celebrates on the Shields (7-3) has started, and he’s earned the win in podium after winning the Canadian Formula One Grand Prix. —AFP four of those. The veteran right-hander lasted six innings in his latest effort, giving up six hits to the punchless Yankees but only allowing only one Ricciardo wins Canada GP unearned run. The Royals scored both of their runs off Hiroki MONTREAL: Australian Daniel Ricciardo every race and finished one-two in the Kuroda (4-4) in the second . Aaron Crow celebrated his first Formula One victory last five. Red Bull, who won the last nine escaped a jam in the seventh inning, and Wade on Sunday in a Canadian Grand Prix that races of 2013 with Vettel, have been rac- Davis recorded the 500th of his career put Red Bull back on top of the podium ing to catch up after engine partner during a perfect eighth before Greg Holland sur- and dealt Mercedes a first defeat of the Renault started the year on the back vived a shaky ninth for his 18th save. season. An afternoon of high drama at foot. the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve ended “It’s the first time we have beaten ASTROS 14, TWINS 5 ST. PETERSBURG: Seattle Mariners’ Robinson Cano (right) follows the flight of his two-run single behind the safety car after Brazilian Mercedes this year and we managed to Chris Carter and Jon Singleton hit their first off Tampa Bay Rays starting David Price during the third inning of a baseball game. —AP Felipe Massa’s Williams smashed into the get a victory,” said Horner. “We’re realists, career grand slams to power the Astros to a victory Gallardo (4-4) gave up four hits and a walk. He won seven straight in 2006. back of Sergio Perez’s Force India as they we know we have a massive challenge over the Twins. Carter’s slam in the seventh inning struck out a season-high eight. Francisco Rodriguez Justin Upton, Freddie Freeman and Ramiro Pena entered the final lap. Ahead of them, ahead of us but there is still a long way to sailed over the limestone overhang in right field and gave Houston a 9-3 lead. Singleton lined a fast- got four outs for his 19th save. homered for the Braves, who lost two of three in Ricciardo cruised to the chequered flag go in this championship. We’re not even Jeff Locke (0-1) also pitched seven solid innings Arizona. Aaron Harang (4-5) issued six walks in six with championship leader Nico Rosberg at the halfway point.” ball off Glen Perkins over the right-field wall that made it 14-5 in the ninth. in a spot start for the Pirates. The left-hander plus innings, and was charged with three runs and second for Mercedes after starting on McLaren’s Jenson Button, winner in The only other time two Astros players hit grand allowed three hits, struck out five and walked one. four hits. Brad Ziegler gave up a leadoff homer to pole position in what turned out to be a Canada in 2011, benefited from the last slams in the same game was July 30, 1969, at New Lucroy led off the seventh with a liner down the Pena but retired the next three for his first save of thriller in Montreal. lap chaos to take fourth followed by Nico York when Denis Menke and Jimmy Wynn both hit left-field line that was grabbed by a fan while it was the season. Last year’s winner Sebastian Vettel, Hulkenberg in a Force India and Ferrari’s slams in an 11-run ninth inning against the Mets. in play. Lucroy was awarded a ground-rule double the quadruple world champion, was Fernando Alonso. Dexter Fowler and George Springer also home- on the interference. Lucroy went to second on DODGERS 6, ROCKIES 1 third for Red Bull. “I’m still a bit in shock,” Perez and Massa, who a few laps earli- red for the Astros. Darin Downs (1-0) got the last Carlos Gomez’s lineout to center and scored on Hanley Ramirez homered, Clayton Kershaw beamed Ricciardo from the podium, er had looked capable of getting on the eight outs as the third reliever to follow starter Ramirez’s bouncer to first. struck out nine and the Dodgers won a game cut where he was interviewed by 1995 podium, were both reported to be Colin McHugh, who fanned six and allowed one short by rain in the sixth inning. The Dodgers broke Canadian GP winner Jean Alesi. “It’s an unscathed after their heavy impact with run over 4 1/3 innings. Houston batted around in MARLINS 4, CUBS 3 it open with four runs in the top of the sixth. The amazing feeling right now.” Rosberg still the barriers. the fourth inning, scoring three runs after Samuel Giancarlo Stanton scored the go-ahead run on game was then delayed 1 hour, 35 minutes before stretched his lead to 22 points after team Starting alongside each other on the Deduno (2-4) loaded the bases with nobody out by Pedro Strop’s wild pitch in the eighth inning, and it was called. mate Lewis Hamilton, his closest rival, front row, Rosberg and Hamilton - a walking two batters and hitting another. Miami snapped Chicago’s five-game winning Matt Kemp had a triple and two RBIs for the streak. Dodgers, who played without outfielder retired with a rear brake problem. three times winner in Canada - had Marlins starter Henderson Alvarez left the game and second baseman Dee Gordon, both of whom “It’s been a decent weekend and the looked poised for another of their private INDIANS 3, RANGERS 2 Lonnie Chisenhall had two hits and scored because of a left hip injury and is day to day. The sustained hip injuries Saturday. points are important so I’m definitely duels. Hamilton tried to force his way Marlins trailed 3-2 before they pushed across two Kershaw (5-2) allowed three hits in five innings. pleased with that,” said Rosberg, who past at the start but was squeezed out twice and Indians starter Justin Masterson picked up his first road win of the season. runs in the eighth. Garrett Jones had a sacrifice fly Troy Tulowitzki homered for Colorado, which has won two weeks ago in Monaco. and lost a place to Vettel. Adrian Beltre and Alex Rios had two hits each before Stanton came home on the wild pitch from lost nine of 10. Jorge De La Rosa (6-5) struggled He and Hamilton had fought wheel- Rosberg was unable to capitalise on for the injury-riddled Rangers, who learned before Strop (0-3). Steve Cishek then struck out two in a through 5 1-3 innings. to-wheel, their cars touching at the hair- Hamilton’s setback, however, with the the game they will be without first baseman Mitch scoreless ninth that gave him 14 saves in 15 tries. pin on lap 46, before the 2008 world safety car immediately deployed after Moreland for three months. Moreland needs sur- Mike Dunn (5-3) got two outs for the win. NATIONALS 6, PADRES 0 champion suffered his second blank in the two Marussias collided behind them gery on his ailing left ankle. Masterson (4-4) gave Jordan Zimmermann took a perfect game into seven races. and left debris scattered across the track. up five hits and two runs in 5 2-3. Left-hander Joe GIANTS 6, METS 4 the sixth inning and finished with a two-hitter and “This has been a good track for me, so The German, who was warned by Saunders (0-2) is winless in four starts for Texas Gregor Blanco doubled, singled and drove in a career-high 12 for Washington. to come here and not finish is sad for the stewards after he cut the chicane while after allowing seven hits and three runs - two three runs, and the surging Giants earned their fifth Ian Desmond hit his second two-run home run team but we’ve got many more races defending against Hamilton, said it had earned - with four walks in 5 1-3 innings. consecutive win. Curtis Granderson tagged Tim in as many games. Zimmermann (5-2) faced only ahead of us, so let’s hope that there’s been a tough afternoon. “I had to read- Lincecum with two homers, the biggest highlights two batters over the minimum as he walked none more fortune coming in the future,” said just all my braking points because (I was) ANGELS 4, WHITE SOX 2 of New York’s season-high sixth straight loss. in his first of the season and sixth Hamilton. The Mercedes pair had built up arriving with so much less speed and CJ Wilson bounced back strongly from his short- Lincecum (5-4) allowed six hits, struck out six and of his career. It was his third career . Padres a comfortable lead but reported power pushing all these buttons to try and get est outing of the season, taking a three-hit shutout walked one in six innings. left-hander Eric Stults (2-7) lasted only 2 1-3 Brandon Crawford, Michael Morse and Brandon innings, the shortest of his 85 career starts. problems half way through the race, with the thing going again,” he said. into the eighth inning, and Josh Hamilton drove in Hicks each drove in a run for the Giants, who Rosberg holding out until he was passed Finland’s Valtteri Bottas finished sev- three runs to lead the Angels over the White Sox. Wilson (7-5) was charged with one run over 7 1- chased Zack Wheeler in the fourth. Wheeler (2-6) ATHLETICS 11, ORIOLES 1 by Ricciardo with two laps to go. enth for Williams with Frenchman Jean- gave up four runs and six hits. Brandon Moss hit a grand slam and Scott “The boy has been brilliant all year,” Eric Vergne eighth for Toro Rosso and 3 innings and struck out six. Ernesto Frieri got three outs for his 10th save. Jose Quintana (3-6) allowed Four relievers held the Mets to one run in two Kazmir threw seven scoreless innings and Oakland declared Red Bull boss Christian Horner. Danish rookie Kevin Magnussen ninth for four runs, seven hits and four walks through 4 1-3 innings before Sergio Romo recorded his 20th save beat Baltimore in a game that featured another “It was an incredible drive. It’s been a McLaren. Kimi Raikkonen took the final innings and struck out four. in 22 chances. San Francisco has won 10 of 12 and bench-clearing confrontation between the teams. great team effort. We beat them point for Ferrari. It was a disastrous trip owns baseball’s best record at 42-21. John Jaso also had four RBIs for the A’s, who (Mercedes) at the most unlikely track. We to Canada for Marussia, who had cele- CARDINALS 5, BLUE JAYS 0 took two out of three in the series and improved to are closing the gap.” brated scoring their first ever champi- Jaime Garcia and two relievers combined on a DIAMONDBACKS 6, BRAVES 5 a major league-best 22-12 on the road. Baltimore Until Sunday, Mercedes had won onship points in Monaco. —Reuters three hitter, Matt Carpenter and Jhonny Peralta Arizona right-hander Chase Anderson pitched allowed a season-high 11 walks in its most lop- homered, and the Cardinals beat the Blue Jays. seven innings to become the third pitcher since sided loss of the year. Staked with an early lead, Garcia (2-0) allowed three hits in seven innings, 1998 to win his first five major league starts. Kazmir (7-2) dominated the Orioles’ lineup. 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