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Monday MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 4 p.m. ESPN — Detroit at Tampa Bay 7 p.m. CSNBA — Marlins and Giants SOFTBALL 6 p.m. ESPN2 — Women’s, World Cup Sports 1B Monday July 26, 2010 SF gets first 4-game sweep in Arizona in 9 years PHOENIX (AP) — Buster Posey had four hits to extend his hitting streak to 18 games and Travis Ishikawa hit a run-scoring single in the 10th inning, helping the San Francisco Giants beat the Diamondbacks 3-2 on Sunday to complete their first four-game sweep in Arizona in nine years. The Diamondbacks, who trad- ed All-Star right-hander Dan Haren during the game to the Los Angeles Angels for three pitchers and a player to be named, had run- ners on the corners in the ninth, but Sergio Romo (3-3) struck out Cole Gillespie and Chris Young. Posey started the winning rally with a double, setting up Ishikawa’s single off Esmerling Vasquez (1-3) that easily scored pinch-runner Eli Whiteside and gave the Giants their first four- game sweep in Arizona since July 26-29, 2001. Posey also drove in two runs and passed Orlando Cepeda for the second-longest hitting streak by a Giants rookie, leaving him four behind Willie McCovey’s 1959 record. Brian Wilson pitched a perfect 10th for his 29th save in 31 chances. The last-place Diamondbacks were looking to move Haren’s big contract ahead of the July 31 non- waiver trading deadline. In return for the three-time All-Star, Ari- zona acquired left-hander Joe Saunders and right-hander Rafael Rodriguez, along with minor lea- guer Patrick Corbin, from the Angels. Haren has averaged 15 wins over the past five seasons and is 7- 8 with a 4.60 ERA in 21 starts this year. He was tied for the NL lead with 141 strikeouts through Satur- day’s games. Justin Upton had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 12 games for Arizona, which had runners on third with one out in the eighth and ninth innings but couldn’t score. Starter Tim Lincecum made a similar escape in the eighth, get- ting Adam LaRoche to hit a too- shallow fly to left and a double play when third baseman Juan Uribe snared Miguel Montero’s liner and doubled off Justin Upton at first. The Giants were playing thin with outfielder Eugenio Velez on the mend and third baseman Pablo Sandoval headed to Venezuela for a couple of days. Velez was struck on the head by a foul ball in the dugout against the Diamondbacks Satur- day and spent the night in the hos- pital. He has a concussion, but was expected to travel home with the team. Sandoval went home to attend to a personal matter and was expected to return by Tues- day, at the latest. Lincecum did his best to keep the Giants from needing them in the lineup, regaining his command after a shaky outing against the Dodgers on Tuesday. The player the two- time NL Cy Young winner had the most trouble with was Diamondbacks pitcher Barry Enright, who had one career hit before Sunday. The rookie knocked San Francis- co’s ace for a two-run double for his first extra-base hit and added a single in the fifth. Linecum was good against everyone else, wriggling out of the jam in the eighth before being replaced by Romo in the ninth after allowing two runs on nine hits. OAKLAND (AP) — Dallas Braden won for the first time in 10 starts since his perfect game May 9, ending a five- game losing streak in the Oakland Athletics’ 6-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. Kurt Suzuki drove in three runs two days after receiving a $16 million, four-year contract, and Daric Barton hit a two- run single in the second before Suzuki followed with one of his own. Suzuki added another RBI single in the fourth. Paul Konerko gave Chicago an early lead on an RBI double with two outs in the first. After that, Braden (5-7) retired 13 of the next 14 White Sox hitters. This was the lefty’s second start since coming off the disabled list July 20 following a bout with tightness in his throwing elbow. Braden left in the sev- enth to a rousing standing ovation, the A’s well on their way to a fourth win in five games and ninth in 11. The nine consecutive starts without a victory after a no-hitter was the longest such streak in major league history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Chicago’s Mark Buehrle — who beat the A’s here Friday night — went eight out- ings without a win last year after his perfect game on July 23, 2009. Braden showed improved command of his pitches and seemed unfazed when he fell behind early. The offense Braden earns first win since perfect game McMurray wins Brickyard after Montoya falters INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jamie McMurray fol- MCT photo Oakland Athletics third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff briefly loses the handle on a grounder off the bat of Chicago White Sox's Carlos Quentin in the sixth inning Sunday. Kouzmanoff recovered the ball and threw out Quentin at first. quickly provided him everything he needed to finally get back in the win column. Oakland captured its fourth straight series and third since the All-Star break, winning its sev- enth consecutive day game. The A’s relied on small ball a day after hit- ting three home runs in a 10-2 win. They added another run on reliever Erick Threets’ wild throw past first trying to pick off a stealing Coco Crisp at first base. Crisp was credited with a stolen base, then easily scored on the two-base error. Braden allowed two of his five hits in the sev- enth, giving way to Brad Ziegler. Braden struck out five and walked two in 6 1-3 innings. The White Sox got three straight RBI singles in the seventh, from Juan Pierre, Alexei Ramirez and Alex Rios. Michael Wuertz fin- ished with a 1-2-3 ninth for his third save. A’s closer Andrew Bailey, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, was unavail- able for the second straight game because of back spasms. Daniel Hudson (1-1) struggled in his third start since being called up from Triple-A Char- lotte on July 11. After winning at Seattle on Monday and going a career-best 6 2-3 innings, he was done after throw- ing 108 pitches in five innings. Hudson allowed five runs, all earned, on six hits, struck out four and walked four. The White Sox return to Oakland from Sept. 20-22. NOTES: Oakland OF Rajai Davis missed his third straight game with a strained left hamstring. He tested the leg with some running before the game. lowed teammate Juan Pablo Montoya around and around historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, almost resigned to settling for a second-place finish. McMurray had already won one big race this year and as a firm believer in fate, he figured Sunday’s Brickyard 400 was Montoya’s chance to celebrate. Only it didn’t play out that way. Not even close. Montoya suffered a heartbreaking defeat for the sec- ond consecutive year at Indy, opening the door for McMurray to become just the third driver in NASCAR history to win the Brickyard 400 and Daytona 500 in the same year. ‘‘I really believe that this was Juan’s weekend,’’ a sympathetic McMurray said. ‘‘I’m looking with 15 or 20 laps to go and Juan is leading — not that I was con- tent — but, if this is the way it’s supposed to be, then that’s just the way it is.’’ The win was huge for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing, which this time last year was struggling to prove the team was stable and capable of competing for wins. On Sunday, Chip Ganassi became the first team owner to win the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400 in the same season. ‘‘When Juan was leading and I was in second, I am a big believer in fate, and I thought this was just the way it is meant to be,’’ McMurray said. ‘‘I won the 500, Dario (Franchitti) won the Indy 500 and Juan is gonna win this race. I really thought it was his day.’’ It was pit strategy that sunk Montoya, who started from the pole and led 86 of the 160 laps only to finish 32nd. A late caution for debris sent the field to pit road with Montoya as the leader, and crew chief Brian Pat- tie called for a four-tire stop. McMurray crew chief Kevin ‘‘Bono’’ Manion went the opposite direction, settling for a two-tire stop in what Ganassi character- ized as a ‘‘split strategy’’ that would ensure the organi- zation would benefit from one of the two calls. ‘‘The only reason we could do that is because we knew (Montoya) was going for four,’’ Ganassi said. ‘‘As a team, we had sort of both strategies covered there, I guess.’’ As six cars, led by McMurray, beat Montoya off pit road, he immediately questioned the decision. The four tires put him in seventh on the restart with 18 laps to go, and he vented over his radio how difficult it was to pass in traffic. Contador wins 3rd T Dawson, Herzog and Harvey to MLB HOFour, as Armstrong steps aside PARIS (AP) — Alberto Contador stood atop the podi- um at the Tour de France on Sunday for the third time in four years, struggling to rein in his emotions as Spain’s national anthem echoed across the wide boulevard of the Champs-Elysees. Off to one side, Lance Armstrong applauded and then, without much fanfare, headed toward the exit. ‘‘I need a cold beer,’’ he said when asked his thoughts at the finish line. Rarely has the emergence of a sport’s newest superstar dovetailed so neatly with the departure of the last one. Contador held off a next-to-last day challenge from Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, his runner-up for a second consecutive year, draining much of the drama from the 20th and final stage. Denis Menchov of Russia was third overall. Armstrong completed his last Tour in 23rd place, 39:20 behind Contador, his former teammate and rival. His crash- filled journey was a far cry from the third-place finish he posted in 2009 on his return from a four-year retirement. Yet the sport the 38-year-old American leaves behind hardly wants for budding stars eager to lead the way. Schleck, for one, vows he’ll win the yellow jersey one day. That promise could produce the next great Tour rival- ry, but this year, it wasn’t always sporting. The high-drama point in the race — and the low-point in their avowed friendship — came in Stage 15. Wearing the yellow jersey, Schleck mounted an attack against Contador on a Pyrenean climb. Suddenly, Schleck’s chain came undone, and he pedaled in vain. Con- tador sped ahead, and by the stage finish, had taken yellow and 39 seconds on Schleck — his margin of overall victo- ry. Many cycling aficionados cried foul, saying Contador had broken the sport’s unwritten etiquette about not taking advantage of unlucky breaks a rider can’t control — espe- cially when he was wearing yellow. COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — ‘‘The Hawk’’ has landed in Cooperstown. Andre Dawson, who endured 12 knee surgeries to forge an impressive 21- year major league career, was inducted Sunday into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, becoming just the 203rd player in the game’s long history to receive the honor. ‘‘Thank you for welcom- ing this rookie to your team’’ said Dawson, who played for a decade in Mon- treal before signing with the Chicago Cubs as a free agent. ‘‘It’s an honor beyond words. I didn’t play this game with this goal in mind, but I’m living proof that if you love this game, the game will love you back. I am proof that any young person who can hear my voice right now can be standing here as I am.’’ The 56-year-old Dawson took the podium as Cubs and Expos fans roared their approval and began his speech by thanking his loyal fans from both cities. He then poked fun at several Hall of Famers on the stage behind him. ‘‘Tom Lasorda, he taught MCT photo Former Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog, left, outfielder Andre Dawson, second from left, and umpire Doug Harvey are recognized at the end of the 2010 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cooperstown,NY, Sunday. me how to get a free meal. You gotta love Tommy,’’ Dawson said of the former Los Angeles Dodgers man- ager. ‘‘You eat half your meal, then complain and get a whole new free one.’’ Dawson, an All-Star eight times who had 438 homers, 2,774 hits, 1,591 RBIs and 314 stolen bases in his career from 1976-96, then got serious, warning players not to be lured to the dark side of using perfor- mance-enhancing drugs. ‘‘There’s nothing wrong with the game of baseball,’’ said Dawson, one of just three players to hit 400 homers and steal 300 bases. ‘‘Baseball will, from time to time like anything else in life, fall victim to the mis- takes that people make. It’s not pleasant and it’s not right. Individuals have cho- sen the wrong road, and they’re choosing that as their legacy.”