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2B – Daily News – Wednesday, April 5, 2010 Giants beat Marlins 9-6 in 12 MIAMI (AP) — Aubrey Huff hit a two-run single to break a tie in the 12th inning Tuesday night, and the San Francisco Giants earned a seesaw victory over the Florida Marlins 9-6. The Giants’ Aaron Rowand hit a two-out solo homer in the ninth against Leo Nunez to tie the game. Dan Uggla’s three-run homer with two out in the eighth off Sergio Romo gave the Marlins a 6-5 lead. Unbeaten Giants ace Tim Lincecum had 13 strikeouts in seven innings and left with a 5-3 lead, but he was denied his fifth win of the season when Florida rallied. Lincecum was up 3-0 before Hanley Ramirez hit a three-run homer in the sixth. Lincecum’s ERA soared to 1.70, but aside from the homer he was in top form, allowing only five hits and one walk. Dan Runzler (1-0) struck out the side in the 11th, and Guillermo Mota pitched a perfect 12th for his first save. Six San Francisco pitchers combined for 20 strike- outs. Andres Torres singled with one out in the 12th off Burke Baden- hop (0-3), then took third on a double by Pablo Sandoval. After Bengie Molina was intentionally walked, Huff singled. With the bases loaded, Nate Schierholtz earned a tough RBI when he was hit by a pitch from Hunter Jones in the side of the helmet. Schierholtz remained on his feet and stayed in the game. Ramirez, last year’s NL batting champion, had three hits to hike his average to .327. Rowand had three RBIs and three of the Giants’ 15 hits, and he made a leaping catch in center field. In the early going, Lincecum was on pace to break the Giants’ 106-year-old team record of 16 strikeouts set by Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson. By the fifth inning, Lincecum had 12 Ks and had struck out every position play- er, making the Marlins look silly at times. Cody Ross fell down when he swung at a 3-2 pitch and missed. MCT photo Nate Schierholtz steals second base in front of Dan Uggla. An inning later, the bats began finding the ball. Pinch hitter Mike Lamb singled to start the sixth, and Cameron Maybin beat out a swinging bunt. Rowand robbed Chris Coghlan of a hit, but Ramirez hit the next pitch for a homer. It was his fourth homer in a span of nine at-bats, and his sixth this season. With Florida trailing 5-3 in the eighth, Coghlan walked with one out and Ramirez singled. Jorge Cantu struck out for the fourth time, but Uggla hit his sixth homer on the next pitch. The Giants’ bullpen has failed to protect a lead for Lincecum in his past two starts. Florida starter Anibal Sanchez allowed three runs, two earned, in six innings. Nunez blew a save for the second time in six chances. Rowand’s infield single drove in a run for the Giants in the sec- ond. Second baseman Uggla then saved a run with a leaping back- handed catch of Mark DeRosa’s liner. Florida’s defense wasn’t so good in the fifth. Schierholtz sin- gled, stole second and came home when third baseman Cantu failed to come up with Matt Downs’ grounder for an error. Rowand then hit a one-hopper to Sanchez, and the ball deflected off his glove into the outfield for an RBI single and a 3-0 Giants lead. Juan Uribe hit a two-out, two- run double in the eighth to put San Francisco ahead 5-3. Notes: Giants SS Edgar Rente- ria (groin) took part in pregame drills and is improving but was again held out of the lineup. He has been sidelined since leaving Friday’s game. ... LHP Barry Zito, scheduled to start Wednesday, is 4-0 with a 2.35 ERA in five starts against Florida. Sharks win in OT, lead series 3-0 DETROIT (AP) — Patrick Marleau scored 7:07 into overtime, lifting the San Jose Sharks to a 4-3 comeback win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night and a 3-0 lead in the second-round series. The Red Wings led 3-1 with 13 minutes left in regulation. ‘‘It’s a tough pill to swallow,’’ Detroit coach Mike Bab- cock said. Game 4 is Thursday night in Detroit, where the Red Wings will try to stay alive. ‘‘They didn’t have to win that one, they have to win the next one,’’ San Jose coach Todd McLellan said. ‘‘That’s when it becomes a must-win.’’ The two-time defending Western Conference champions haven’t been swept since the first round in 2003 by Ana- heim. Joe Thornton scored 6:42 into the third to pull San Jose within a goal and Logan Couture tied it with 6:43 left. Tomas Holmstrom and Dan Cleary gave Detroit a 2-0 lead in the first. San Jose’s Devin Setoguchi scored with 4 seconds left in the period, but Henrik Zetterberg restored Detroit’s two-goal lead early in the second. Detroit’s Jimmy Howard made 29 saves and Evgeni Nabokov stopped 32 shots for the Sharks. The Red Wings would’ve had a bigger lead in the third period if not for a disallowed goal in the first. Zetterberg had a goal negated by video review because the puck went in off his left skate in a distinct kicking motion. Zetterberg was also stopped by Nabokov on a penal- ty shot — awarded in the first when Couture made a rookie mistake of covering the puck in the crease with his glove. Howard, though, could’ve made life easier for the Red Wings when they were clinging to a one-goal lead in the final minutes. Couture sent the puck toward the net from the right cor- ner, and Howard didn’t press his body firmly against the post. That allowed the tying goal to go off him and into the net. Howard titled his head back and looked to the rafter-filled banners in disbelief. ‘‘It’s a tough one,’’ Babcock said. ‘‘But he goalie picks you up a lot, too.’’ Nabokov made a bunch of big stops, none bigger than grabbing Zetterberg’s backhander. ‘‘That was a big wake-up call for us,’’ McLellan said. Detroit did have a review go its way in the first period when the puck went off Holmstrom’s right skate, but the on- ice ruling of a goal stood. Thornton, who is quieting talk about his lack of produc- tion in the postseason, set up the winning goal on a 2-on-1 rush. Thornton made a perfect pass to Marleau, who scored easily into an open net — past the desperate dive of Howard, who lunged with his stick. ‘‘You saw a very determined nineteen,’’ said McLellan, referring to Thornton’s jersey number. The crowd at Joe Louis Arena stood silently for a couple of minutes, knowing the Red Wings had fallen into a lot of trouble against the top-seeded Sharks. Willis gets 5-year contract extension from 49ers SANTA CLARA (AP) — All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis has developed into an NFL star under Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary, and the 49ers coach expects his top defender to become better than he ever was. Willis is a big deal to San Francisco — and he earned himself a big new deal because of it. The standout middle line- backer signed a $50 million, five-year contract extension with the Niners on Tuesday that takes him through the 2016 season and includes $29 million in guaranteed money. He is set to make $10 million per season. ‘‘Wow. It’s been a long journey but it’s not over yet. I feel like it’s just beginning,’’ Willis said during a news con- ference at team headquarters. ‘‘It means a lot. It shows they really wanted me here — and it shows what they want and what I want are the same things: to win.’’ This is another big offsea- son splash by new San Fran- cisco personnel chief Trent Baalke, who took charge after general manager Scot McCloughan’s abrupt depar- ture in March. The team’s lead negotiator, Paraag Marathe, worked with Willis’ agent, Ben Dogra, over the recent months to get this done. Willis had two years left on his contract, too. Locking up Willis for the long haul makes sure the 49ers keep their dominant defensive leader after they bolstered their offense in the draft with two linemen picked 11th and 17th overall — Rut- gers’ Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati out of Idaho. ‘‘The most important mes- sage management sent today is for those guys that go out and perform, we’re going to take care of our guys, and Pat is a tremendous example of that,’’ Singletary said. ‘‘It’s a great day for the 49er organi- zation. Our management could see the value, our own- ership could see the value, in a young man like Patrick Willis, who embodies every- thing, on the field, off the field.’’ The 25-year-old Willis, the 11th overall pick in the 2007 draft out of Mississippi, has led the Niners in tackles in each of his first three seasons and has made 48 straight starts. He’s received plenty of comparisons to Baltimore Ravens star Ray Lewis along the way, though Singletary considers them different play- ers. ‘‘You can never just be great. Every day is a work in progress,’’ said Willis, who prides himself in being able to stop the run, blitz or match up with receivers. ‘‘When I’m done playing, I want to leave a legacy that says, ’You know, this guy gave everything he had and he’s one of the best players to ever play at that position.’’’ In March, Willis underwent surgery on his right knee to remove an inflamed fluid sac that kept him out of this year’s Pro Bowl. He said he’s close to being ready to return to the field. Before the 49ers drafted Willis, Singletary wasn’t ini- tially sold on his NFL poten- tial. Once Singletary learned a little more about him — like the fact he basically raised three younger siblings and dealt with the drowning death of his 17-year-old brother, Detris, and that he played not only hurt but also with a heavy heart — the coach changed his stance in a hurry. ‘‘I told Scot (McCloughan) before the draft, ’We’ve got to get this guy,’’’ Singletary said. Singletary said Willis pos- sesses ‘‘that passion to make every play.’’ It’s Singletary who has kept pushing Willis to improve through even more hard work — and Willis appreciates that constant pres- ence from his coach. ‘‘What I’ve done the last three years is only the tip of the iceberg,’’ Willis said. ‘‘People think they’ve seen Scoreboard MLB West Division Texas A’s American League WL Pct GB 14 12 .538 — 13 14 .481 1.5 Seattle 11 14 .440 2.5 Angels 12 16 .429 3 East Division WL Pct GB Tampa Bay 18 7 .720 — New York 18 8 .692 .5 Toronto 15 13 .536 4.5 Boston 13 14 .481 6 Baltimore 7 20 .259 12 Central Division Minnesota 18 9 .667 — Detroit WL Pct GB 16 12 .571 2.5 Chicago 11 16 .407 7 Kansas City 11 16 .407 7 Cleveland 10 16 .385 7.5 ——— Tuesday’s results Texas at Oakland, late Boston 5, Los Angeles 1 Kansas City 7, Chicago 2 Minnesota 4, Detroit 3 New York 4, Baltimore 1 Toronto 8, Cleveland 5 Tampa Bay at Seattle, late Today’s games Texas (C.Lewis 3-0) at Oakland (Cahill 0-1),12:35 p.m.,CSNCA Toronto (Morrow 2-2) at Cleveland (Carmona 3-1), 9:05 a.m. Baltimore (D.Hernandez 0-3) at New York (Pettitte 3-0), 10:05 a.m. Detroit (Porcello 2-2) at Minnesota (Slowey 3-2), 10:10 a.m. Los Angeles (Pineiro 2-3) at Boston (Lackey 2-1), 4:10 p.m. Kansas City (Bannister 1-1) at Chicago (F.Garcia 0-2), 5:10 p.m. Tampa Bay (Garza 4-1) at Seattle (Cl.Lee 0-0), 7:10 p.m. Monday’s late result Texas 4, Oakland 2 West Division National League WL Pct GB Padres 16 10 .615 — GIANTS 15 10 .600 .5 Colorado 13 13 .500 3 Arizona 13 14 .481 3.5 Dodgers 11 14 .440 4.5 East Division WL Pct GB Philadelphia 15 11 .577 — New York 15 12 .556 .5 Washington 14 12 .538 1 Florida 13 13 .500 2 Atlanta 11 15 .423 4 Central Division WL Pct GB St. Louis 18 9 .667 — Chicago 13 14 .481 5 Cincinnati 13 14 .481 5 Pittsburgh 11 15 .423 6.5 Milwaukee 10 15 .400 7 Houston 8 18 .308 9.5 ——— Tuesday’s results San Francisco 9, Florida 6, 12 innings Arizona 1, Houston 0 New York 5, Cincinnati 4 Philadelphia 2, St. Louis 1, 10 innings Pittsburgh 3, Chicago 2 Washington 6, Atlanta 3 Colorado at San Diego, late Milwaukee at Los Angeles, late Today’s games San Francisco (Zito 4-0) at Fla.(N.Robertson 2-2),4:10 p.m.,CSNBA New York (Niese 1-1) at Cincinnati (Cueto 1-1), 9:35 a.m. Atlanta (Hanson 2-2) at Best-of-7 Monday’s late result Phoenix 111, San Antonio 102 Phoenix leads series 1-0 Tuesday’s results Orlando 114, Atlanta 71 Orlando leads series 1-0 Utah at L.A. Lakers, late L.A. Lakers lead series 1-0 Today’s game San Antonio at Phoenix, 6 p.m., TNT Phoenix leads series 1-0 Other series Boston and Cleveland tied 1-1 NHL Conference Semifinals Best-of-7 Tuesday’s results San Jose 4, Detroit 3,OT Washington (Atilano 2-0), 4:05 p.m. Chicago (Lilly 1-1) at Pittsburgh (Morton 0-5), 4:05 p.m. St. Louis (Penny 3-1) at Philadelphia (K.Kendrick 0-1), 4:05 p.m., ESPN Arizona (R.Lopez 1-1) at Houston (Myers 1-2), 5:05 p.m. Colorado (Cook 1-3) at San Diego (Richard 1-2), 7:05 p.m. Milwaukee (D.Davis 0-3) at Los Angeles (Billingsley 2-1), 7:10 p.m. Monday’s late result Colorado 5, San Diego 2 NBA Conference Semifinals San Jose leads series 3-0 Pittsburgh 2, Montreal 0 Pittsburgh leads series 2-1 Today’s games Boston at Philadelphia, 4 p.m., VERSUS Boston leads series 2-0 Chicago at Vancouver, 6:30 p.m., VERSUS Series tied 1-1 MLS WESTERN CONFERENCE WL T Pts GF GA Galaxy 5 0 1 16 10 2 Houston 3 2 1 10 9 6 Colorado 3 2 1 10 8 6 Seattle 2 2 3 9 8 8 QUAKES 32 0 9 7 7 Salt Lake 2 3 1 7 9 8 Chivas USA 2 3 1 7 6 9 FC Dallas 0 1 4 4 7 8 EASTERN CONFERENCE WL T Pts GF GA New York 5 1 0 15 8 4 Columbus 2 0 2 8 6 3 Chicago 2 2 2 8 8 6 New England 2 3 1 7 8 7 Kansas City 2 2 1 7 5 4 Toronto FC 2 4 0 6 7 12 Philadelphia 1 4 0 3 6 11 D.C. Major League Baseball MLB—Suspended minor league free agent OF Benjamin Harrison 100 games for his vio- lations of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, including the pur- chase and the use of amphetamines. Sus- pended Philadelphia minor league SS Fidel Hernandez (Clearwater-FSL) for 50 games after testing positive for metabolites of Stanozolol. American League OAKLAND—Recalled RHP Vin Mazzero from Sacramento (PCL). Optioned INF Steve Tolleson to Sacramento. KANSAS CITY—Placed OF Rick Ankiel on the 15-day DL.Released RHP Roman Colon. MINNESOTA—Reinstated RHP Nick Black- burn from the family medical emergency list. Optioned RHP Jeff Manship to Rochester (IL). 0 5 0 0 2 13 NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie. ——— Today’s games Kansas City at D.C. United, 4 p.m., ESPN2 Chivas USA at New England, 4:30 p.m. FC Dallas at Houston, 6 p.m. Los Angeles at Colorado, 6:30 p.m. DEALS NEW YORK—Called up OF Greg Golson from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (IL). Optioned RHP Mark Melancon Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. National League ATLANTA—Placed SS Yunel Escobar on the 15-day DL. Purchased the contract of INF Brandon Hicks from Gwinnett (IL). FLORIDA—Reinstated RHP Clay Hensley from the bereavement list.Optioned RHP Tim Wood to New Orleans (PCL).Announced OF John Raynor, selected by Pittsburgh in the Rule 5 draft, was returned to the team. LOS ANGELES—Placed SS Rafael Furcal on the 15-day DL. Purchased the contract of INF Nick Green from Albuquerque (PCL), retroactive to April 28. PITTSBURGH—Recalled 1B/OF Steve Pearce from Indianapolis (IL). Placed RHP Brendan Donnelly on the 15-day DL, retroac- tive to April 28. SAN DIEGO—Recalled RHP Ryan Webb from Portland (PCL). Placed RHP Sean Gal- lagher on the 15-day DL. WASHINGTON—Promoted RHP Stephen Strasburg to Syracuse (IL). Golden Baseball League CHICO—Agreed to terms with RHP Demetrius Banks and RHP Ryan Screnar. National Basketball Association GOLDEN STATE—Announced G Kelenna Azubuike exercised the player option on his contract for the 2010-11 season. CHICAGO—Fired coach Vinny Del Negro. OKLAHOMA CITY—Exercised a team option on coach Scott Brooks, extending his contract through 2012. Major League Soccer MLS—suspended Chivas USA MF Michael Lahoud for two games and fined him $500 for a reckless tackle on Chicago’s Justin Mapp during a May 1 game.Suspended DC United coach Curt Onalfo two games and fined him $1,000 for leaving his technical area and for improper behavior after he was ejected dur- ing an April 28 U.S. Open Cup game against FC Dallas. National Football League SAN FRANCISCO—Agreed to terms with LB Patrick Willis on a five-year contract exten- sion through the 2016 season. BUFFALO—Signed G Cordaro Howard. CLEVELAND—Signed TE Alex Smith. Waived WR Aaron Valentin and TE Troy Wag- ner. PHILADELPHIA—Signed G Greg Isdaner to a three-year contract. SEATTLE—Claimed QB Mike Reilly off waivers from St. Louis. TAMPA BAY—Signed RB Clifton Smith to a one-year contract. WASHINGTON—Named Tony Wyllie as senior vice president. College NORTH CAROLINA STATE—Announced the resignation of athletic director Lee Fowler, down effective June 30. ST. BONAVENTURE—Named Michael Adams men’s assistant basketball coach. the best I have to offer, but they haven’t by far. There’s so much improvement in my game that I have to get to. And I’m willing to work every day to get to that point. But the best is yet to be seen by myself or this team in gen- eral.’’ The 49ers went 8-8 last season after a promising 3-1 start. Several last-minute loss- es on the road and inconsis- tent play on both sides of the ball and in special teams kept them from getting back to the postseason for the first time since 2003 — though the team did end a franchise-worst stretch of six straight losing seasons. Willis is ready to end the playoff drought, and he’s talk- ing big in early May. ‘‘This is a championship team right now. It’s bigger than just a playoff team,’’ he said. ‘‘I mean, I think we are a championship-caliber team. ... We will bring the sixth championship here, and I’ll be here.’’