Arizona outfielder Hunter Pace easily could have moped and complained, and even left the team because of the lack of playing time.

But he didn’t. He stuck around for three years, sitting behind T.J. Steele, who was a fourth-round selection in the Major League Baseball draft a year ago.

Pace, who graduates with a regional development degree, will start his last home series when the Wildcats play Washington at Sancet Stadium at 7 p.m. Saturday.

The Pac-10 series runs through Monday.

“Hunter Pace is the reason why I enjoy coaching,” UA coach Andy Lopez said.

Pace is one of four seniors playing their last home series, joining pitchers Preston Guilmet and Cory Burns, and outfielder Brad Glenn.

Pace was a standout at Chandler Hamilton High. But Steele took over the center field position and became one of the top outfielders in the country.

“Unfortunately T.J. had to come in the same year, but it was good for me,” Pace said. “I learned a lot from watching T.J. and the way he went about his business.”

Pace wasn’t bad, having been a 28th-round draft choice out of high school.

He just didn’t get too many chances. He had only 83 at bats entering this season.

Pace is making the most of his final season. A starter this year, he’s second on the team with a .369 average, and second in stolen bases with 13.

“It has been rewarding to finally see all the time you put in and the extra work paying off,” Pace said. “At the same time you have to stay hungry and stay humble so nobody else passes you up.”

A couple of times Pace met with Lopez about playing time. He wanted to know what had to happen in order for him to play.

“They were never the kind (of meetings) where he leaves and you say, ‘What a jerk,’ ” Lopez said. “I have always respected the way he has handled that. There is not a guy in this program who would say a bad thing about that guy.”

———

UA BASEBALL

Washington (23-25, 12-9) at Arizona (25-23, 8-13)

Saturday: 7 p.m.

Sunday: 6 p.m.

Monday: noon

> At Sancet Stadium, 1290 AM

New York Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli dives to tag out the Blue Jays' Rod Barajas as he slides into home during Thursday's game in Toronto.

TORONTO – Welcome back, Derek Jeter and Hideki Matsui.

The two Yankees stars returned from nagging injuries and delivered key hits to lead CC Sabathia and New York past the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 on Thursday night.

“You have to give our trainers Trainer of the Day for getting them back in there,” manager Joe Girardi joked.

Jeter tied it with an RBI single in the seventh inning, Matsui put New York ahead with a solo homer in the eighth and Mariano Rivera worked a perfect ninth for his seventh save in eight chances.

“You know I don’t like watching so it was good to get back out there,” Jeter said. “It’s been a couple of days. It’s a big win for us. We needed that one.”

Sabathia (3-3) allowed five hits in eight innings to win consecutive starts for the first time this season. He walked four, one intentional, and struck out five to help the Yankees take two of three from Toronto, the surprise leader in the AL East.

“I’m just trying to pound the strike zone, getting guys to swing early in the count, keeping the pitch count down and just trying to pick the team up,” Sabathia said.

Sabathia, who pitched a four-hit shutout at Baltimore May 8, improved to 8-3 in 11 career games against the Blue Jays.

“He pitched well against one of the best offenses in the league,” teammate Johnny Damon said.

Indians 11, Rays 7: At St. Petersburg, Fla., Victor Martinez had four hits and drove in four runs, raising his batting average to .400 and helping Cleveland get the victory.

Angels 5, Red Sox 4, 12 innings: At Anaheim, Calif., Jeff Mathis hit an RBI single in the 12th, Torii Hunter had a two-run double and an RBI triple, and the Angels won.

Twins 6, Tigers 5: At Minneapolis, Joe Crede capped the second Minnesota comeback in two days with a two-out, two-run single in a six-run seventh inning that ruined Justin Verlander’s strong start as the Twins finish a three-game sweep.

Rangers 3, Mariners 2: At Arlington, Texas, Chris Davis hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting Texas to a three-game sweep.

Orioles 9, Royals 5: At Kansas City, Mo., Cesar Izturis and Nick Markakis each drove in three runs and the Orioles won.

NL: Martin leads Dodgers past Phillies

PHILADELPHIA – Russell Martin hit a tiebreaking double in the 10th inning and Matt Kemp followed with an RBI double to lift the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3.

Chad Durbin (1-1) retired the first two batters, then walked Andre Ethier. Martin doubled for a 4-3 lead and after an intentional walk, Kemp delivered.

Cubs 11, Padres 3: At Chicago, Bobby Scales hit a pair of two-run doubles and Ryan Dempster excelled with both his arm and bat as Chicago took advantage of 10 walks to beat skidding San Diego.

Brewers 5, Marlins 3: At Milwaukee, Prince Fielder hit a go-ahead homer and Dave Bush turned in another strong start for Milwaukee.

Astros 5, Rockies 3: At Denver, Wandy Rodriguez struck out a career-high 11 and Michael Bourn stole home on the back end of a double steal, leading Houston over Colorado.

Cardinals 5, Pirates 1: At Pittsburgh, Colby Rasmus’ two-run homer in the second inning gave St. Louis’ slumping offense a lift and the Cardinals avoided being swept by last-place Pittsburgh.

Mets 7, Giants 4: At San Francisco, David Wright hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the ninth inning and finished with four of New York’s franchise-record seven stolen bases.

Tucson no longer has the Triple-A Sidewinders, but that hasn’t stopped the Tucson Toros from having a relationship with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Toros and Diamondbacks announced a two-game exhibition schedule Thursday. The Toros will compete against D’backs players who are in extended spring training.

The first game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday; the second will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Admission is free to both games.

The contests will be at Hi Corbett Field, 3400 E. Camino Campestre.

“This is definitely going to let me see what kind of talent we have and what kind of players because you’re playing in a competitive situation,” Toros manager Tim Johnson said.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun. I’ll be able to, and the coaches will be able to, see what we have. I think it’s great.

“I want to play as many of these games as I can.”

Ex-Toros manager Bob Didier (1987-89), who manages the D’backs’ extended spring training, was instrumental in getting the exhibition games scheduled.

“(Didier) has been a great baseball guy for a long time and his father, Mel Didier, is like a father to me,” Johnson said.

Didier sees advantages for both sides.

“We’re looking forward to the games because we’re playing older veterans,” Didier said. “It will be good experience for the guys.”

Tucson opens its independent Golden Baseball League schedule with a home game against the Chico (Calif.) Outlaws at 7 p.m. May 21.

The Cincinnati Reds' Adam Rosales (left) scores on a wild pitch as the Arizona Diamondbacks' Bobby Korecky waits for the ball. The Reds outscored the D'backs 26-9 in the three-game sweep.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Diamondbacks hoped a managerial switch would change their fortunes.

It has – for the worse.

Picked by many to contend this season, the Diamondbacks are 1-5 since they replaced Bob Melvin with A.J. Hinch, a front office executive with no managerial experience.

The Washington Nationals, the only major league team that has fewer wins than the Diamondbacks, took two out of three at Chase Field.

Then the Cincinnati Reds came to town and swept a three-game series by a combined score of 26-9.

As the Diamondbacks begin a 10-game road trip Friday, they’re 13-22 and in last place in the NL West, 10 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“It’s been tough, not only because we’re changing staffs but because we’re not winning games,” third baseman Mark Reynolds said.

Hinch has tried to jump-start the team by shuffling the lineup. He moved error-prone third baseman Reynolds to first base for a game, the second time he has played that position in his career.

He batted catcher Miguel Montero second for the first time in his career, then put shortstop Stephen Drew in the cleanup spot for the first time.

“I’m not grabbing it out of a hat,” Hinch said. “I’m doing it with a purpose.”

The new lineups have worked about as well as the old ones. With the exception of streaking right fielder Justin Upton, the Diamondbacks have been unable to shake themselves out of a season-long slump at the plate, where they’re hitting a major league-worst .232.

Outfielder Eric Byrnes is hitting .200 in the second year of a three-year, $30 million contract.

Outfielder Chris Young, who was given a $28 million, five-year contract extension in April 2008 after only one full major-league season, is batting .185 and has 11 more strikeouts than hits.

Catcher Chris Snyder is batting .215. Infielder Chad Tracy has been benched with a .200 average.

The malaise at the plate has carried into the field, where the club has looked disorganized and lethargic at times.

In a 13-5 victory Monday night, Cincinnati scored twice on wild pitches by reliever Bobby Korecky. Two nights later, Montero threw a ball into center field while trying to nail a base stealer at second, allowing a runner from third to trot home.

“There’s no magic potion here,” Hinch said. “There’s obviously some fundamental things that we can do better.”

Every miscue has prompted a new round of boos from the usually placid Chase Field crowds.

“If anything, we share that frustration with the fans,” Hinch said. “Ultimately I think everybody kind of understands that this is a rut that we’ve got to get ourselves out of, and we’re going to have to do it ourselves.”

Hinch, who turns 35 on Friday, has faced questions about his credentials. But as a former vice president for player development, Hinch is intimately familiar with the background of homegrown players such as Reynolds, Upton and Stephen Drew.

“My frustration is obviously not six days old,” Hinch said. “I feel exactly what these guys have gone through and I’m willing to dig down and help them get out of it the best we can as a group.”

For D’backs, Rockies, third team

A Marana spring training complex as a February-March site for Major League Baseball is still in the works and could be home to up to three clubs.

“We really think we can populate a three-team facility in Marana,” said Tom Tracy, chairman of the Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority.

And two of those teams could still be the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies, he added.

Both MLB teams are exploring options to move from their Tucson spring training homes at Tucson Electric Park and Hi Corbett Field, respectively.

The Diamondbacks’ contract with Pima County to conduct spring training at TEP expires in 2012. The Rockies are obligated to play at Hi Corbett through 2011.

But Tracy maintained the move of either team is far from a done deal, despite a published report out of Phoenix that indicated the Diamondbacks may be close to a decision to relocate spring camp to the Phoenix area.

“I spoke with the Diamondbacks as recently as 24 hours ago,” Tracy said. “They have not made a decision to leave.”

The Arizona Republic reported Wednesday that Diamondbacks Chief Executive Derrick Hall said the team was considering three proposals for new spring training facilities in Maricopa County.

But team officials also have said they are interested in the proposed Marana spring training complex, particularly if the regional sports authority is successful in bringing a third MLB team to share such a facility with Tucson’s existing Cactus League teams, Tracy said.

“We are having active conversations with another major league team to have them come here as early as next spring,” Tracy said.

He declined to name the team.

Talks continue with a Japanese major league team to join the Cactus League and play its games at TEP, Tracy said.

A major component of the Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority’s mission is to establish a nationally known baseball academy in Tucson, in conjunction with Major League Baseball and the Chicago White Sox.

The region could become a national site for youth and amateur baseball tournaments, as well, Tracy said.

The White Sox set off the potential loss of spring training in Tucson when the team moved this year to a new facility in Glendale that it shares with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who moved from their longtime Grapefruit League home in Vero Beach, Fla.

The Diamondbacks’ and Rockies’ contracts allow them to leave early if there are not at least three MLB teams training in Tucson.

Tracy said the sports authority also is considering life after the Diamondbacks and Rockies, if those teams decide to leave.

“There is a lot going on and there is a lot going on outside of the Diamondbacks and Rockies,” he said without elaborating.

The sports authority would need permission from both the Arizona Legislature and Pima County voters to enact a tax to fund a new complex in Marana. The proposed tax would be on hotel rooms, restaurants, and other businesses that benefit from the estimated $30 million that spring training brings to Tucson.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have narrowed their search for a new spring training home in metro Phoenix to three locations, including two on Indian tribal land, team Chief Executive Derrick Hall said Wednesday.

Hall said all of the locations are two-team sites, and it’s likely the Diamondbacks would share the facility with the Colorado Rockies. A final decision could come in the next few weeks.

Hall declined to disclose the locations, except for saying two were on tribal land. The cost of the training facility is expected to be around $100 million.

Only the Salt River Pima-Maricopa and Fort McDowell Yavapai communities made offers in late March after the Gila River Indian Community decided to not make a bid. The third location was unknown, but bids also came from Phoenix, Casa Grande and an undisclosed West Valley city. The tribes and Rockies could not immediately be reached for comment.

“In all three cases, no public money would be involved,” Hall said. “It has to be privately funded and financed so it does not affect the taxpayer at all, which makes it challenging in this economy.”

The Diamondbacks and Rockies are looking to leave Tucson after the departure this year of the Chicago White Sox, who relocated to a new facility near Glendale. The teams say being the only two Cactus League clubs in southern Arizona puts them at a disadvantage compared with the other teams that train in the Valley.

Hall said the Diamondbacks would remain at Tucson Electric Park for at least next season, but would like to be in a new home by 2011.

The Diamondbacks are contractually obligated to play at TEP through 2012, while the Rockies have a contract to play at Hi Corbett Field through 2011. But with the departure of the White Sox, both teams have said there are escape clauses to leave early.

Lopez can point to players like Tigers’ Perry, Padres’ Hundley

Ryan Perry, who graduated from Marana High School, has struck out 10 batters in 12.1 innings for Detroit this year.

Marana High grad Ryan Perry is a reliever for the Detroit Tigers – less than a year after helping pitch the University of Arizona to the super-regional of the NCAA Tournament.

Former UA reliever Mark Melancon made it to the big leagues with the New York Yankees before being sent back down last week for – of all players – Alex Rodriguez.

Ex-Wildcat Nick Hundley is the starting catcher for the San Diego Padres, while former UA outfielder Brian Anderson is working his way back from the disabled list for the Chicago White Sox.

They are just a few of the players UA coaches are using as recruiting bait to improve the future of a team sitting in eighth place in the Pac-10 with a 25-23 record. The Wildcats, trying to make a late run to reach the postseason, face Washington at home Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

“How is my son going to develop? That’s a question we get a lot from parents,” UA coach Andy Lopez said. “We mention guys like Perry and Melancon and guys I had at Florida. It’s an important question in the recruiting process.”

UA has had 37 players drafted since 2003, with many on the verge of joining Perry, Hundley and Anderson in the majors.

Shortstop Jason Donald (Philadelphia), pitcher Brad Mills (Toronto), outfielder Trevor Crowe (Cleveland), pitcher John Meloan (Cleveland) and first baseman Jordan Brown (Cleveland) are all seeing time at the Triple-A level.

Lopez gets the credit, but he passes along the praise to chief recruiting assistant Mark Wasikowski.

“Waz has done a great job in recruiting. My assistants have done a marvelous job. We have not messed them up and they have developed,” Lopez said. “And really, none of those guys came in here as (guaranteed) first or second-round picks.”

Lopez developed major leaguers David Eckstein, Mark Ellis, Brad Wilkerson, David Ross, Ryan Shealy and Josh Fogg while at Florida before arriving at Arizona.

Perry leapfrogged through the Tigers organization to quickly make it to “The Show,” but Lopez remembers his first few days at UA being rough.

“We were working together in the pen, and he’s looking at me like I am talking a foreign language. Holy smokes, I am thinking I need an interpreter,” Lopez said. “Four year later, he’s in the big leagues.”

Perry entered this week with an 0-1 record in 12 1/3 innings for the Tigers. He’s allowed four earned runs, while striking out 10 and walking 11 in 13 games.

“I’m not surprised by his talent,” Lopez said. “He has a gorgeous delivery. He’s young and really eager to get better.”

As for Hundley, he’s established himself as an offensive weapon for the Padres and a solid catcher for a promising pitching staff.

“A good makeup (character) and work ethic will get you somewhere. Nick is proof of that,” Lopez said. “His work ethic is off the charts. He gets behind there and runs the show.”

Hundley is batting .263 through 22 games, with 8 RBIs and a homer.

Anderson, a former first-round pick of the White Sox in 2003, is a backup outfielder for Chicago but has been on the disabled list with a strained side muscle. He’s beginning to take part in light batting practice, and could be back with the club by next week.

Anderson has developed a reputation for his defensive skills, but he must improve on his .227 career average. He was hitting .288 before going on the DL.

Potential arm issues dropped Melancon to the ninth round of the 2006 draft, but he was one of college baseball’s top closers from 2004-06.

Lopez told anybody who would listen not to worry about Melancon’s health or determination.

The Yankees listened. It took a few years, but Melancon made his first major league appearance a couple of weeks ago, shutting out Boston for two innings.

Melancon walked five in 3.1 innings, however, and was sent down to Triple-A Scranton-/Wilkes-Barre. He’s hoping to make it back to New York soon.

“I told the Yankees scouts when his arm was hurting that I would sign this guy in a heartbeat,” Lopez said. “Mark would will himself to the big leagues. Not for one second was I surprised he (made it).”

San Diego Padres catcher Nick Hundley, a former Wildcat, can't get the tag on the Los Angeles Dodgers' Juan Pierre in time during a game earlier this month in Los Angeles.

Former UA reliever Mark Melancon of the New York Yankees hangs his head after throwing a wild pitch against the Los Angeles Angels in a May 1 at Yankee Stadium.

———

WILDCATS DRAFTED

Arizona has had 37 players picked in the Major League Baseball draft since Andy Lopez took over in 2003:

Year No.

2003 4

2004 3

2005 8

2006 4

2007 7

2008 11

———

Washington (23-25, 12-9) at Arizona (25-23, 8-13)

Saturday: 7 p.m.

Sunday: 6 p.m.

Monday: noon

> Games at Sancet Stadium, 1290 AM

CDO players congratulate Ryan Cota after he scores a run against Cienega.

Ryan Retz gets an A-plus recalling his history batting against Cienega pitcher Seth Mejias-Brean.

Retz singled to right field in the bottom of the seventh inning on Wednesday night at Hi Corbett Field, driving home the winning run to lift Canyon del Oro to a 4-3 victory over Cienega in a Class 4A Division I quarterfinal game.

“I know Seth from history and he’s a fastball pitcher,” Retz said. “I have a lot of history with Seth. I’ve played with him and against him ever since my sophomore year.”

Retz connected on the second pitch from Mejias-Brean, who came in earlier in the inning to relieve Mario Sanchez, and lined the ball into right field to score Griffin Ronstadt from second base.

“I got a first-pitch fastball inside and the next pitch I was looking fastball away,” Retz said. “. . . I felt good with Griffin running. I knew he was going to score.”

The dramatic win was set up when Ronstadt reached base on a one-out infield hit. David Metz reached on a bunt single off Sanchez, bringing up Retz.

“The tougher the situation, the better (Retz) is,” CDO coach Len Anderson said.

The difference between winning and losing came down to one play for Cienega coach Todd Welch.

“Not making the play on Metz’s bunt was huge,” Welch said. “It allowed (Ronstadt) to get to second and in scoring position. That was the kicker.

“I went to Seth because I believed he would get the job done. I went with my best against their best and ended up on the short end of the stick.”

Cienega fought back from a 3-0 deficit with a run in the third and two in the fifth to tie the score 3-3. Michael Bregante accounted for two of the runs and Sanchez added an RBI.

CDO plays No. 10 Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor at 4 p.m. Friday at Tempe Diablo Stadium in the 4A-I semifinals.

Saturday’s 4A-I title game starts at 3 p.m. in Tempe Diablo Stadium and will be televised on Cox cable Channel 7.

No. 4 Scottsdale Chaparral 4, No. 5 Nogales 3: At Scottsdale, Nogales’ season came to an end at the hands of perennial power Chaparral.

The Apaches finish their season at 23-9-2.

No. 1 Glendale Cactus 6, No. 8 Catalina Foothills 3: At Glendale, Cactus senior right-hander James Fajardo was solid in picking up the win in the complete-game six-hitter.

The transfer from Phoenix Sunnyslope allowed six hits, struck out 12 and walked one.

Foothills had its chances, especially in the fourth inning when the first three hitters reached base, but the Falcons managed just one run off of Fajardo.

“I threw a lot of cutters, and my curveball wasn’t sharp (at the end of the season), but it was right on today,” Fajardo said. “I hadn’t thrown in a little over a week so I was fresh.”

Class 4A Division II

Sahuarita’s season ended at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Wednesday.

No. 6 Phoenix Greenway beat the No. 3 Mustangs 7-1 as Sahuarita finished the season with an 18-7 record.

For more on high school sports, check out the Grammer School sports blog.

Canyon del Oro's Ruben Rivera (right) is congratulated by Dorados teammate Doug Steele after Rivera scored during Wednesday night's game against Cienega. CDO won 4-3 to advance to Friday's 4A-I semifinal game against No. 10 Phoenix Sandra Day O'Connor at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

PHOENIX – Before the Cincinnati Reds put the finishing touches on a three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks at Chase Field, new manager A.J. Hinch had a fireside-like chat with reporters in the Arizona dugout.

He said things such as his team needs to “get back to the simpler things” and “rekindle a sense of spirit” and finally, remember to “take a deep breath” and “have some fun.”

Winning, not words, is the only thing that can save the spiraling Diamondbacks, who got clobbered 10-3 Wednesday night in front of 20,443 fans.

Arizona has lost three in a row, fallen to 1-5 under Hinch and dropped 10 of its first 12 series to open the season.

It’s not getting better. It’s getting worse.

Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto improved to 4-1 by limiting the Diamondbacks to three runs on four hits in seven innings, as Cincinnati outscored Arizona 26-9 in the series.

“It’s hard,” Hinch said. “They outhit us, ran the bases better and played better defense. They just stuck it to us.

“But there’s no magic potion here. I think we’ve got to find a way to have a little more fun and get that boyish spirit back. . . . (Without it) it can create a negative momentum if you’re not careful.”

The Diamondbacks brought up two prospects from Double-A Mobile to make their major-league debuts.

Pitcher Bryan Augenstein, who was 5-0 with a 0.78 ERA for the BayBears, had an electric start by easily retiring the first three hitters he faced. But after the first time through the order, the Reds settled in against him and the right-hander left after 6 1/3 innings, having allowed five earned runs and eight hits.

“This was an amazing feeling and a great opportunity for me,” said Augenstein, who will remain in the rotation indefinitely.

Gerardo Parra, who was hitting .361 for Mobile, started in center field for the slumping Chris Young and smacked a home run in his first at-bat, hitting in the No. 2 spot.

Parra became the 100th player in major-league history to homer in his first career at-bat. He is the second player to do so this season – the other was Atlanta’s Jordan Schafer on April 5 against Philadelphia. And he’s the second Diamondbacks player to do it – the other being Alex Cabrera on June 26, 2000, against Houston.

Parra didn’t get another hit the rest of the night, however, and the 1-0 lead he gave his teammates didn’t last long.

The Reds scored three times in the third inning, getting a two-run double to right by second baseman Brandon Phillips and an RBI single to right by first baseman Ramon Hernandez.

Brewers pitcher Braden Looper (right) argues a home run call with home plate umpire Gary Darling in Wednesday's game. Upon review, Ross Gload's homer for Florida was reversed. Milwaukee beat Florida 8-6.

Hey, Adam LaRoche and Ross Gload . . . halt!

Soon after the Pirates’ LaRoche became the first player to have a home run taken away following a video replay review, the Marlins’ Gload lost one the same way Wednesday night when umpires reversed their call.

LaRoche wound up with a double for Pittsburgh at PNC Park. Gload’s pinch-hit, two-run homer was finally called foul at Milwaukee and he eventually struck out. Both players had already rounded the bases when umps changed the original call.

“I can laugh those things off now, but if there’s a couple of guys on and we lose by one, it’s huge,” said LaRoche said after the Pirates beat St. Louis 5-2.

Gload’s reversal hurt Florida, which lost 8-6 to Milwaukee.

Major League Baseball started using replay last Aug. 28 to check whether balls were home runs or not. There have been a total of 14 calls reviewed, with four reversals overall. Last year, Carlos Pena and Bengie Molina were awarded homers.

Zimmerman’s streak ends at 30

SAN FRANCISCO – Ryan Zimmerman’s 30-game hitting streak ended right before he could carry it home to Washington, but he has a new appreciation for the greatness of Joe DiMaggio.

“It makes you realize how much better 56 is than 30,” Zimmerman said, referring to the San Francisco native’s record hitting streak in 1941. “That’s a long time. . . . To get a hit every single game, there’s got to be a little bit of luck involved.”

Zimmerman got no luck in the Nationals’ 6-3 victory over the Giants on Wednesday, going 0 for 3 with two walks. He never got the ball out of the infield, grounding into a fielder’s choice on his final chance in the ninth.

Braves 8, Mets 7, 12 innings: In New York, Martin Prado homered in the 12th inning and Atlanta beat New York after wasting three leads. Gary Sheffield tied the score in the eighth with his second home run of the season, No. 501 of his career.

Dodgers 9, Phillies 2: In Philadelphia, Randy Wolf dominated his former team, and the Dodgers’ James Loney homered and drove in four runs.

Cubs 6, Padres 4, 7 1/2 innings: In Chicago, Alfonso Soriano hit his 53rd career leadoff homer and the Cubs beat the Padres in a rain-shortened game. Soriano moved into a tie for second place on the all-time leadoff homers list with Craig Biggio.

Astros 15, Rockies 11: In Denver, Lance Berkman went 4 for 4 and the Astros finished with 24 hits in a victory over the Rockies.

Indians 4, White Sox 0: Cliff Lee outpitched Mark Buehrle, throwing seven innings as Cleveland took two of three games from Chicago.

Yankees 8, Blue Jays 2: In Toronto, Brett Gardner hit his first major league homer and drove in three runs, Andy Pettitte won for the first time in four starts for the Yankees.

Rays 8, Orioles 6: In Baltimore, Willie Aybar hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the sixth inning.

Rangers 6, Mariners 5, 11 innings: In Arlington, Texas, Hank Blalock’s two-run double in the 11th inning rallied the Rangers to a win. Wladimir Balentien’s RBI double in the top of the 11th had given the Mariners a 5-4 lead.

Angels 8, Red Sox 4: In Anaheim, Calif., Matt Palmer overcame a shaky start before retiring the last 19 Boston batters to lead the Angels to a win.

Athletics 7, Royals 2: In Oakland, Calif., Jack Cust’s three-run double broke open a close game and helped Josh Outman win his first game of the season as the Athletics beat the Royals.

Jackson

PHOENIX – The Arizona Diamondbacks placed slumping outfielder Conor Jackson on the 15-day disabled list with a “general illness.”

Jackson has had a prolonged fever and cough, and the club plans to put him through a battery of tests, manager A.J. Hinch said before the Diamondbacks played Cincinnati on Tuesday.

“We’re going to call it a general illness until we know exactly what it is,” Hinch said. “But it’s been a significant amount of time. That’s why we’re concerned.”

In a corresponding move, Arizona reinstated shortstop Stephen Drew from the disabled list. Drew walked as a pinch-hitter Tuesday night, as Arizona dropped to 12-20 with a 3-1 loss to visiting Cincinnati.

Jackson started in left field on opening day. He is hitting .182 – 105 points below his career average – and has only one hit in his last 19 at-bats.

The Diamondbacks decided to put Jackson on the DL because they didn’t want to play short-handed while they waited for him to return to full strength.

“He just never has been able to shake this cough, this fever, aches and things like that,” Hinch said. “We’re baffled a little bit by this because it’s been a long time and he’s just never really gotten better.

“He’s showing signs of coming out of it, and then kind of relapses,” Hinch said. “So we’re going to do a full battery of tests to rule out just about everything to get him back healthy again and back on his feet. This game’s hard enough when you’re completely on your feet. When you’re battling this – the temperature, the coughs, the aches – it’s near impossible.”

The move leaves the Diamondbacks with only three outfielders – Eric Byrnes, Chris Young and Justin Upton – although that may change in the next few days.

Hinch said he would use utility infielder Ryan Roberts in the outfield if he needs to. Roberts has played one game in the outfield – on May 16, 2007, for Toronto against Baltimore.

———

UP NEXT

Cincinnati (Cueto 3-1) at Arizona (Augenstein 0-0), 6:40 p.m. Wednesday. TV: FSNA. Radio: 1490 AM

PHOENIX – It is nothing close to fair to evaluate the A.J. Hinch era after only five days.

But the Sedona Red-clad in attendance Tuesday night didn’t seem to mind making the Diamondbacks aware of their frustration, their full-throated boos ringing out across Chase Field throughout the game.

And after the Diamondbacks lost once again, this time 3-1 to the Cincinnati Reds and ex-Diamondbacks pitcher Micah Owings, it’s tough to blame them for their displeasure, considering the body of work the team has turned in since Bob Melvin was canned as manager last week.

In the past five games, the Diamondbacks at times have appeared lethargic, other times sloppy, and certainly haven’t looked inspired. Regardless of what happens in Wednesday night’s series finale, they are assured of losing each of the first two series since the managerial change.

They are 1-4 under Hinch.

“There were plenty of chances,” Hinch said. “We didn’t really make Micah work probably as hard as we should’ve.”

Brandon Phillips had two hits, including a home run, as the Reds beat Diamondbacks right-hander Dan Haren, who allowed three runs in seven innings.

On this night, the target of the boos was the offense. Though the hitters have looked better in recent days, they could do little on this night against Owings, whom the Diamondbacks shipped to Cincinnati in August in the Adam Dunn trade.

Owings allowed just one hit through the first five innings, but gave up consecutive singles to open the sixth, putting runners on the corners with nobody out.

But the Diamondbacks failed to push a run across. Miguel Montero worked a 3-1 count but popped out to shortstop. Justin Upton followed and took three consecutive pitches – two fastballs and slider – to strike out looking.

And after Mark Reynolds hit the first pitch he saw for a fly out to end the inning, the boos rained down.

The Diamondbacks got on the board in the eighth on a Felipe Lopez RBI double. But with Lopez on second with no outs, the Diamondbacks again could not come up with a big hit.

Blue Jays starting pitcher Roy Halladay and catcher Rod Barajas enjoy Tuesday's 5-1 victory over the New York Yankees in Toronto.

TORONTO – Roy Halladay wasn’t about to get too caught up in his showdown with A.J. Burnett. Instead, the Toronto ace did what he always does: He shut down the New York Yankees.

Halladay pitched a complete-game five-hitter to best his former teammate and Scott Rolen had three hits and three RBIs for the Blue Jays in a 5-1 victory Tuesday night.

“That’s a big part of being consistent, having the same approach and not letting those things affect the way you look at games,” Halladay said of facing Burnett, who pitched for Toronto from 2006 to 2008. “As soon as you start changing the way you approach the game you can find yourself in trouble.”

Aaron Hill hit a solo homer for the Blue Jays, who improved to an AL-best 23-12. They lead New York, which was playing without shortstop Derek Jeter, by 6 1/2 games.

Halladay (7-1) walked none and struck out five to win his fourth straight start and improve to 16-5 in 33 career games against New York. He has an ERA of 2.77 against the Yankees, his best against any AL opponent.

Other AL games

Orioles 7, Rays 5: At Baltimore, Adam Jones hit two home runs for the first time in his career and drove in four runs, leading the Baltimore past Tampa Bay.

White Sox 7, Indians 4: At Cleveland, Jim Thome hit a pair of two-run homers to lead Chicago past Cleveland.

Rangers 7, Mariners 1: At Arlington, Texas, Josh Hamilton returned from the disabled list and hit the go-ahead homer in a six-run seventh inning for Texas, which won for the eighth time in 10 games.

Twins 6, Tigers 2: At Minneapolis, Joe Mauer hit a home run, and was robbed of another by Clete Thomas, and Minnesota’s struggling bullpen protected a lead for three innings.

Athletics 12, Royals 3: At Oakland, Calif., Jack Cust hit a three-run homer in a seven-run second inning and Orlando Cabrera had three hits and four RBIs for Oakland.

Red Sox 4, Angels 3: At Anaheim, Calif., Jason Varitek drove in the go-ahead run with a double in the ninth inning and J.D. Drew homered for Boston.

NL: Park, Werth lead Phillies past L.A.

PHILADELPHIA – Chan Ho Park had his second straight effective outing to win his first game with Philadelphia, and Jayson Werth stole home to lead the Phillies to a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night.

Park (1-1) has rebounded nicely after a dreadful start this season. He walked none and gave up two runs in six innings.

Raul Ibanez continued to look like a smart pickup for the Phillies, hitting a two-RBI double in the fourth for a 4-2 lead.

Other NL games

Pirates 7, Cardinals 1: At Pittsburgh, Zach Duke limited St. Louis to three singles over eight innings after giving up a homer to Albert Pujols in the first and Pittsburgh ended an eight-game losing streak.

Mets 4, Braves 3, 10 innings: At New York, Carlos Beltran drew a bases-loaded walk from Jeff Bennett (0-1) with two outs in the 10th inning and New York rallied to beat Atlanta.

Brewers 6, Marlins 3: At Milwaukee, Prince Fielder hit a pair of two-run homers and Rickie Weeks and Mike Cameron hit solo shots for Milwaukee.

Cubs 6, Padres 2: At Chicago, Milton Bradley hit a towering two-run homer off Jake Peavy and Rich Harden pitched six sharp innings for Chicago.

Rockies 12, Astros 1: At Denver, Ian Stewart hit a grand slam and a solo homer and Ubaldo Jimenez pitched seven sharp innings for Colorado.

Giants 9, Nationals 7: At San Francisco, Pablo Sandoval hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth, ending San Francisco’s wild win.

NEW YORK – Roger Clemens tried the silent treatment for more than a year and saw where that got him.

With many fans believing allegations that the seven-time Cy Young Award winner used performance-enhancing drugs, he’s now attempting a different strategy. Clemens hired a firm that guides high-profile figures through public relations crises, and Tuesday he broke his silence with a radio appearance.

Clemens again denied that former personal trainer Brian McNamee injected him with performance-enhancing drugs in a phone interview on ESPN’s “Mike & Mike in the Morning.”

“He’s never injected me with HGH or steroids,” Clemens said of McNamee’s assertions to baseball investigator George Mitchell.

About three weeks ago, Clemens met in Houston with Washington-based Levick Strategic Communications. He chose to speak out Tuesday because it was the release date of a book about his alleged drug use.

Clemens appeared on CBS’ “60 Minutes” in January 2008, then held a news conference the next day. But he had stayed quiet since testifying before Congress the following month.

While “American Icon: The Fall of Roger Clemens and the Rise of Steroids in America’s Pastime” was officially released Tuesday, its revelations were not new to the public. The book, by four New York Daily News reporters, recaps previous reports in the newspaper.

Clemens is under investigation by a federal grand jury in Washington that is trying to determine whether he lied when he told a congressional committee that he had not used illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Clemens said he had not been summoned to testify before the grand jury.

He also has sued McNamee for defamation. While not mentioning McNamee by name, Clemens said Tuesday that “you’ve got somebody that’s out there that is really just crawling up your back to make a buck.”

“This, in my view, is going to backfire, because he’s publicly now poking a stick in Congress’ eye,” McNamee’s lead lawyer, Richard Emery, said. “And, to me, all that’s going to do is vitalize the prosecutors going forward. Nobody, for a minute, thinks he’s not a liar just because he’s talking.”

Clemens said he gave a DNA sample to federal investigators but that syringes provided by McNamee would not link him to performance-enhancing drug use “because he’s never given me any,” Clemens said.

His radio appearance returns him to the spotlight as other stars had replaced him as the most visible reminders of baseball’s drug scandal. Alex Rodriguez admitted before the season he had used steroids, and Manny Ramirez was suspended last week for violating MLB’s drug policy.

Clemens said it would have been “suicidal” for him to use steroids because of a history of heart problems in his family.

Apology I

DALLAS – Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has apologized to the mother of Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin.

Cuban made a crack after a Mavs loss in Dallas on Saturday in their NBA playoff series. According to Cuban, a fan called the Nuggets “thugs.” Cuban looked at Martin’s mother, Lydia Moore of Dallas, and said, “That includes your son.” Martin’s agent told the Denver Post that Cuban said to Martin’s mother that her son is a “punk.”

In a Tuesday post on Cuban’s blog titled “An Apology to Kenyon Martin’s Mom,” Cuban wrote that he shouldn’t have said anything. He added that this matter has gotten out of hand.

The Mavs trail the series 3-1 after winning Monday 119-117. Game 5 is Wednesday at Denver.

The Associated Press

Apology II

WALTHAM, Mass. – Boston Celtics forward Glen Davis apologized Tuesday for bumping a 12-year-old boy while celebrating his game-winning shot against the Orlando Magic.

Davis said he got emotional and didn’t see the boy as he turned and ran to the Celtics bench following a 21-foot jumper that gave the Celtics a 95-94 win Sunday, tying the series at 2.

“If I’ve hurt anybody or if I’ve done any harm to anybody, please forgive me because my intentions were just harmless,” he said.

Video of the play shows the 6-foot-9, 289-pound Davis ducking behind a referee and stepping out of bounds before appearing to place a hand in the small of the boy’s back. The boy took a step back and his hat fell off.

The boy’s father, Ernest Provetti, wrote the NBA office demanding an apology, saying Davis had “no regard for fans’ personal safety.”

The Associated Press

NFL may deploy more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – After seeing fans jam London’s Wembley Stadium to watch the NFL the past two years, the league may add a second regular-season game overseas for 2010.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said the second game could also be played in London or another location in the United Kingdom. The issue will be discussed at next week’s league meetings, and could be included in a larger plan to add up to two regular-season games to the NFL schedule.

The NFL first staged a regular-season game in London in 2007, when the New York Giants beat Miami 13-10. Last year, New Orleans beat San Diego 37-32.

Both games were sellouts, and fans gobbled up tickets for this year’s game between the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 25.

“The fan reaction we’ve had in London has been extraordinary. We would like to feed that passion,” Goodell said.

But some players have been critical because of the extensive travel involved in the middle of the season. One team also loses a home game, a potential competitive disadvantage.

The Associated Press

Delaware may get sports betting

DOVER, Del. – The state Senate approved a bill Tuesday that would authorize Delaware to become the only state east of the Mississippi River to offer sports betting, sending it to Gov. Jack Markell for a promised signature.

The Senate passed the bill 17-2.

Because of a brief unsuccessful experiment with a sports lottery in the 1970s, Delaware is one of only four states, along with Nevada, Montana and Oregon, exempted from a 1992 federal law banning sports gambling.

The Associated Press

Utah hoops coach gets raise

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah has rewarded basketball coach Jim Boylen with a raise and new contract after only two years.

Utah announced Tuesday that Boylen has signed a five-year deal that will pay him $850,000 annually with potential for $1 million with incentives.

Boylen, who had been mentioned as a potential candidate for the Arizona job, had three years remaining on his original contract, which paid him $575,000 a year. Boylen has gone 42-25 in two seasons at Utah.

The Associated Press

———

SPORTS SOUND-OFF

Preseason picks always wrong?

Re: Anthony Gimino’s sneak peek at college football season

• The only thing certain about preseason prognostication is it is always wrong. It would not surprise me if this is the year Arizona comes out of almost nowhere to make it to our first Rose Bowl. Of course, it also wouldn’t surprise me if we lost by 14 to Central Michigan in the season opener. AZCATFAN85

• I’m looking forward to a challenging year for the Cats. Our wide open offense should be more polished now. I think our quarterbacks will come through for us. If Matt Scott can throw accurately, he should be exciting to watch. DSTOWE

Bring shooting guard to Arizona

Re: UA hoops signee Parrom, prospect Stephenson shine in tourney

• Lance Stephenson would make Jerryd Bayless look like a slow/poor shooter. YES, Stephenson is that good as a shooting guard. . . . He’s played with Parrom and knows UA assistant coach “Book” Richardson. Even if he’s a “one and doner,” I’d vote a big fat yes to bring him to Arizona. John Wall (Raleigh, N.C.) is the other Top 5 recruit that hasn’t committed yet. He’s a natural point guard. New Memphis coach Josh Pastner has him on speed dial! CACTUS PETE

———

BY THE NUMBERS

29

Points separating the leader and second place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup points standings:

Driver Points

1. Jeff Gordon 1,601

2. Tony Stewart 1,572

3. Kurt Busch 1,546

4. Jimmie Johnson 1,465

5. Denny Hamlin 1,445

6. Jeff Burton 1,384

7. Kyle Busch 1,380

8. Ryan Newman 1,363

9. Greg Biffle 1,345

10. Matt Kenseth 1,326

———

ON THIS DATE

1952: In an Appalachian League game, Ron Necciai of the Bristol Twins strikes out 27 batters while pitching a 7-0 no-hitter against the Welch Miners.

1958: Stan Musial gets his 3,000th hit with a pinch-double off Chicago’s Moe Drabowsky at Wrigley Field in a 5-3 win.

1976: The New York Nets overcome a 22-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Denver Nuggets 112-106 to win the ABA title 4-2.

2005: Tiger Woods misses a 15-foot par putt at the Byron Nelson Championship, ending his record of 142 straight cuts made over the last seven years on the PGA Tour.

Cincinnati's Jerry Hairston Jr. (top) gets tangled up with the Arizona Diamondbacks' Eric Byrnes after Byrnes was tagged out trying to stretch a single into a double on Monday in Phoenix.

PHOENIX – There were only 17,640 people in attendance for Monday night’s game between the Diamondbacks and the visiting Cincinnati Reds.

The smallest crowd of the season sounded twice as large as that, however, based on the loudness of all the boos directed at the Diamondbacks during their lethargic 13-5 loss.

It was bad enough the Reds were hammering on them all night, but to hear it from their own fans made it doubly worse.

The Diamondbacks were victimized for season highs in hits (18) and runs.

To be fair, there were a few bright spots:

• Right fielder Justin Upton extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a two-run home run in the second inning off Bronson Arroyo.

• Left fielder Eric Byrnes continued his torrid homestand, collecting three more hits Monday to make him 9 for 15 in his last four games since snapping a 0 for 17 skid.

• And second baseman Felipe Lopez came up a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.

But there was little else to get excited about, unless you were rooting for Cincinnati or got excited about Diamondbacks utility player Josh Wilson getting the chance to pitch in the ninth inning.

For the record, Wilson pitched a hitless and scoreless inning, becoming the fifth position player in club history to make a pitching performance.

Reds center fielder Willy Taveras tied his career high with five hits; he also scored four times. Meanwhile, the Reds also got three hits and three runs scored from third baseman Adam Rosales.

“They brought their bats,” Arizona manager A.J. Hinch said.

Bronson Arroyo (5-2) got the win, pitching seven innings. Diamondbacks starter Jon Garland (3-2) got roughed up early and took the loss.

“I got a lot of pitches up,” Garland said. “You’re facing a team like the Reds right now, who seem to be swinging the bats pretty well, you’re going to get hurt.”

The game featured several mental mistakes early by the Diamondbacks, namely some unwise throws with Reds runners on the move that eventually helped to plate three runs inside the first three innings alone.

Twice, the Reds turned singles into doubles because Byrnes and Lopez were either napping or weren’t on the same page defensively.

Third baseman Mark Reynolds was also charged with an error when his throw to first on a bunt by Willy Taveras allowed Arroyo to go from first to third.

And then there was Garland, who was lifted after 3 1/2 innings after allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits, including back-to-back home runs by Laynce Nix and Adam Rosales to open the fourth.

As bad as Garland was, relief pitcher Bobby Korecky was worse.

Recalled from Triple-A Reno on Saturday, the right-hander allowed six earned runs on seven hits in just two innings.

Short hops

• Right-hander Brandon Webb, on the disabled list indefinitely because of bursitis behind his right shoulder, could start playing catch during the team’s upcoming road trip, Hinch said.

After Webb starts playing catch, he can begin a throwing program.

• Left fielder Conor Jackson was out of the lineup for the third consecutive game Monday because an illness.

Hinch wasn’t sure when Jackson would be ready for full-time duty.