Field House 100 - Samoa News

Page B2 samoa news, Monday, June 25, 2012Tampa Bay Rays’ Sean Rodriguez (1) collides with Philadelphia Phillies catcher BrianSchneider as he scores in the sixth inning of an interleague baseball game, Sunday, June 24, 2012,in Philadelphia. The Rays won 7-3 in the second game of a doubleheader. (AP Photo/H. Rumph Jr)Ross homers 2X in Boston’s9-4 victory over the BravesBOSTON (AP) — Kevin Youkilis said farewellat Fenway Park on Sunday, a 9-4 win over homer that had given the Reds a 3-2 lead.overcame Joey Votto’s eighth-inning, two-runthe Atlanta Braves helped by Cody Ross, who Minnesota left-hander Scott Diamond (6-3)hit two homers and drove in five runs. allowed three runs and eight hits in eight innings.Youkilis was traded to the Chicago White RANGERS 4, ROCKIES 2Sox for utilityman Brent Lillibridge and righthanderZach Stewart after the game.worked five scoreless innings for his 10th vic-ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Matt HarrisonYoukilis was lifted for a pinch-runner after tory, Leonys Martin had a pair of extra-basehitting a triple in the seventh inning. He was hits for his first three RBIs in the majors and thegreeted with a hug from Nick Punto, who pinchranfor him, and many of his teammates on the Martin, the Cuban defector who signed withTexas Rangers beat Colorado.top step of the dugout.the Rangers last year, had an RBI double in theThe burley infielder, in his ninth season with second and a two-run triple an inning later.the Red Sox, took his helmet off and waved to Harrison (10-3) won his sixth consecutivethe crowd, blew a kiss and was urged to come decision. His outing was cut short because ofout for a curtain call by his teammates before tightness in his lower back that caused sorenessheading down the steps. He was given a lengthy in his left hip. Alex White (2-6) lost his thirdstanding ovation and the fans chanted “Yook.” straight decision. Texas finished a majors-bestAaron Cook (1-1), gave up three runs — 14-4 in interleague play, winning all six of itstwo earned — six hits and didn’t walk or strike series against National League teams.out anyone in five innings. Braves starter Mike The Rockies were 2-13 against the AL.Minor (3-6) gave up three homers and allowed MARLINS 9, BLUE JAYS 0seven runs — four earned — in 4 2-3 innings. MIAMI (AP) — Mark Buehrle pitchedYANKEES 6, METS 5effectively for seven innings to become the winningestpitcher in interleague play, John BuckNEW YORK (AP) — Robinson Cano hit atiebreaking homer in the eighth inning and the hit a three-run homer and the Marlins snapped aNew York Yankees touched up R.A. Dickey for six-game losing streak with a win over Toronto.five runs in a victory over the New York Mets. Greg Dobbs had a two-run homer among hisNick Swisher had an early three-run shot three hits for the Marlins, winners for just theagainst Dickey, who was coming off consecutiveone-hitters — making him the first major Buehrle (6-8) gave up seven hits in winningthird time in 18 games.league pitcher in 24 years to accomplish that his 25th interleague matchup, breaking a tiefeat. But in a much-anticipated matchup at soldoutCiti Field, both he and Yankees ace CC Toronto starter Jesse Chavez (0-1) allowedwith Freddy Garcia. Buehrle struck out seven.Sabathia were missing their best stuff. six runs and seven hits in six innings whileCano drove a 2-0 delivery from Miguel striking out six.Batista (1-2) over the home run apple in straightawaycenter for his 16th homer and fifth in seven BALTIMORE (AP) — Matt Wieters hit aORIOLES 2, NATIONALS 1games. The Yankees won the final two games two-run homer in the eighth inning to interruptof the weekend series by one run to finish 5-1 Baltimore’s agonizing offensive struggle, andagainst their crosstown rivals this season. the Orioles rallied to beat the Nationals.Including a sweep in the Bronx earlier this Baltimore appeared headed for its thirdmonth, the Yankees have won five consecutive shutout loss in six games before Adam Jonesseries against the Mets since May 2010. led off the eighth with a single off Sean BurnettSabathia gave up nine hits in 5 2-3 innings. (0-1) and Wieters drove an 0-1 pitch over theHe was betrayed by his defense while yielding center-field wall. Pedro Strop (4-2) got the finalfive runs — one earned. Boone Logan (2-0) gave out in the eighth for Baltimore and Jim Johnsonthe Yankees another splendid performance out of worked the ninth for his 22nd save.the bullpen. Rafael Soriano worked a scorelessTIGERS 3, PIRATES 2ninth in the rain for his 15th save in 16 chances. PITTSBURGH (AP) — Justin VerlanderThe Yankees have won 14 of 18 road games. pitched a five-hitter, Quintin Berry hit a tworunshot for his first major league home run andTWINS 4, REDS 3CINCINNATI (AP) — Josh Willingham hit Detroit avoided a sweep with a win over thea two-run homer in the ninth inning off shaky Pirates. Berry also scored the go-ahead run onCincinnati closer Aroldis Chapman, rallying Delmon Young’s single in the eighth, an inningMinnesota over the Reds. Joe Mauer opened the after Garrett Jones tied it with a two-run homer.ninth with a double off the left field wall against Verlander (8-4) had allowed only two infieldChapman (4-4). Willingham followed with his hits through six innings before Pedro Alvarez15th homer of the season. Willingham’s homerScott Fujita seesbounty probe assmear campaignNEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Former Saints linebacker ScottFujita, a union leader with a record of criticizing the NFL’splayer-safety record, sees elements of a “smear campaign” in abounty investigation that has sullied his reputation.Some NFL players agree, and question whether Fujita’sthree-game suspension has something to do with retribution.“I’m not saying the NFL is intentionally lying,” Fujita saidin an interview with The Associated Press. “I’ve been willing togive them the benefit of the doubt that they may have just beenworking with the information they’ve been given, even thoughmuch of that information was inaccurate and lacked credibility.“It’s their cavalier interpretation of everything that’s beenway off. They clearly proceeded with a public smear campaignwith very little regard for the truth.”NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell could rule on the appealsof Fujita and the other players suspended because of their rolesin the bounty program as early as Monday.Saints linebacker Scott Shanle finds it hard to ignore the symmetryof the NFL portraying Fujita as a hypocrite on playersafetymatters after Fujita had done the same thing to the league.“When you look at Scott, who was here for one season (of thethree spanned by the bounty probe), for him to get three games,I just felt like there had to be more of a personal issue with that,”Shanle said. “When you look at how outspoken he is and a lotof the issues he tries to address, it probably doesn’t sit well withthe league.”NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the NFL stands by itsfinding that Fujita gave “more than token amounts” of moneyto a pool that also rewarded injury-producing hits called “cartoffs”and “knockouts.”“The process gave all of the players every opportunity toraise arguments and provide any mitigating information,” Aiellosaid. “Scott Fujita unfortunately chose not to avail himself of theprocess. Nothing that he has asserted in his various public statementsundermines the findings of the investigation.”Fujita, who now plays for Cleveland, was one of four currentor former Saints suspended in the bounty probe. Two of them,Jonathan Vilma and Will Smith, still play for New Orleans. Theother, Green Bay defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove, leftNew Orleans after 2010, while Fujita left after 2009, the firstseason covered by the investigation.In 2010, Fujita became a member of the NFLPA executivecommittee, and has since echoed comments by CongresswomanLinda Sanchez (D-Calif.) comparing the NFL’s 2009 positionon concussions’ links to brain disease to the way the tobaccoindustry denied knowledge that smoking caused cancer.Fujita argued Goodell undermined his own credibility onplayer-safety matters when he pushed for an 18-game regularseason.He called for the NFL to employ independent neurologicalconsultants after Browns quarterback Colt McCoy was knockedout of a game, but allowed to return, despite later being diagnosedwith a concussion.Browns players say Fujita challenged Goodell’s answersto a range of questions including how a lockout would affectplayers’ health coverage when the commissioner visited theteam in 2010.“Scott wasn’t scared to ask the tough questions that some ofus wouldn’t or some of us didn’t even know to ask,” Brownstight end Benjamin Watson said. “Scott wanted to make surethe commissioner owned up to all that stuff and ... you could tellthat Mr. Goodell wasn’t comfortable answering some of thosequestions.”Former Browns linebacker Eric Barton added, “Most peoplein the room were like, this guy (the commissioner) is full of itand Scott just called him out, and it was almost like, ‘Oh, Scott,you’re going to be in trouble.’”After seeing evidence the NFL presented against him in lastweek’s appeal hearing on the four players’ suspensions, Fujitahas more questions:- Why has the NFL linked him to bounties in its public statements,while its disciplinary letter announcing his suspensionacknowledges there is no evidence he “pledged money toward aspecific bounty” on a particular player?- Why does that same letter state he was a member of theSaints in the 2010 season, when he was with Cleveland? Andwhat does that say about the quality of the investigation?- If the investigation was going on for parts of three years,why did no one contact him before the league’s first report inMarch?(Continued on page B6) (Continued on page B4)