Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/30630
Monday Golf — Les Schwab Tires Red Bluff Pro-Am, 8 a.m. final round, Wilcox Oaks Golf Club MLB — Giants at Nationals NBA — Conference semis, 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m., TNT Sports 1B Monday May 2, 2011 Neck and neck By CHIP THOMPSON DN editor Competition was tight in the first round of the Les Schwab Tires Red Bluff Pro-Am golf tourna- ment Sunday at Wilcox Oaks Golf Club, with two pros tied for the lead and three teams within a stroke of the team lead. Joe Carlton and Greg Senestraro both shot 70s and enter today’s final round tied atop the leader board. Jason Schmul trailed by just a stroke. In the team race, Schmul’s team, including Greg Lee, JB Stacy, Tom Eubanks and Keith Thomas, lead after 18 with a 198. A stroke back, Carl- ton’s team, including Jason Munson, Dick Ashe, David Latimer and Brian McDougall, fin- ished the day locked in a tie for second at 199 with pro Josh Westmoreland’s team, including Glen Gal- legos, Mac McDonald, Devan Leitem and Chris Chapin. A fundraising heli- copter ball drop was held following the opening round with the top prize of $3,060 going to Kelly Asbe. The same amount went to the Tehama Coun- ty Shriners. Players tee off today at 8 a.m. and the final group should finish around 4 p.m. Spectators are wel- come Organizers include the Red Bluff Pro-Am Com- mittee made up of Wilcox pro Bill DeWildt and members Roy and Joan Christ and Paul and Ton- nie Spencer. Punchless again, Giants fall to Nationals 5-2 WASHINGTON (AP) — The defending World Series champions have had trouble mustering offense this season, and San Francisco’s bats were silenced again Sunday by Jordan Zimmermann in a 5-2 loss to the Washington Nationals. The Giants failed to score more than two runs for the third straight game against Wash- ington and the seventh time in their last 10 overall. ‘‘One thing I know is nobody is going to feel sorry for us,’’ shortstop Miguel Teja- da said. ‘‘We have to continue to play hard. When we get hot, we won’t feel sorry for nobody.’’ After scoring two runs in the second, the Giants were shut out and managed only four hits in the final seven innings. San Francisco did get production from the bottom of the lineup, with No. 8 hitter Nate Schierholtz driving in both runs and No. 7 Mike Fontenot hitting two doubles. At the top it was a different story. The first six batters in the lineup were 4 for 21 combined against the Nationals. First baseman Aubrey Huff is in the deepest slump, now 3 for 34 (.088) over his last 10 games, but he is far from alone in having problems at the plate. ‘‘Right now we’re having a hard time getting runs across the board,’’ manager Bruce Bochy said. ‘‘Thank goodness for the back end of the order because they are finding ways to get us runs right now until we get things going.’’ The Giants were 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left seven on base, including three in the third inning. After the Nationals intentionally walked the slumping Huff with first base open to load the bases, the struggling Tejada inexplicably swung at a 3-0 pitch, grounding into a fielder’s choice. ‘‘I take that pitch all the way,’’ said Tejada, who finished 1 for 4 and is batting .217 on the season. ‘‘I don’t know what (happened). That was the only at-bat I was frustrated with all year.’’ Daily News photo by Chip Thompson Devan Leitem chips onto the 18th green at Wilcox Oaks Golf Club Sunday during the Les Schwab Tires Red Bluff Pro-Am tournament. Leitem’s team, with pro Josh Westmoreland, ended Sunday tied for second place. Harrison roughed up again, Rangers lose to A’s 7-2 The Giants took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Tejada reached on an infield single and advanced to third on Fontenot’s double off the right-field wall. Schierholtz hit a blooper that landed on the left-field line between left field- er Laynce Nix and shortstop Ian Desmond and scooted toward the stands, giving Schierholtz a two-run double. Matt Cain (2-2) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings. He struck out five, but walked three and threw one costly wild pitch with the bases loaded. ‘‘I wasn’t able to find a good rhythm to be able to get ahead of guys,’’ said Cain, who allowed a single run in the second, third and fourth. ‘‘I really never gave our offense a good chance to get off defense and come back in real quick.” Sharks beat Red Wings, take 2-0 series lead MCT photo Athletics' Hideki Matsui (55) connects for a double to bring in teammate Kurt Suzuki (8) in the third inning against the Texas Rangers Sunday in Oakland. OAKLAND (AP) — Even after left-hander Matt Harri- son struggled for a third straight start, Texas Rangers man- ager Ron Washington has no plans to alter his rotation. After watching his team’s shaky defense fall apart again, Washington has bigger issues on his plate. Harrison gave up four runs in 1 2-3 innings and Texas couldn’t get much going against Oakland starter Gio Gon- zalez and four relievers, losing to the Athletics 7-2 on Sun- day. ‘‘Matt Harrison threw us three pretty good ballgames (and) had two bad ones,’’ Washington said. ‘‘He’ll get the ball next time. I don’t think there’s anyone in this clubhouse that feels more bad about not going out there giving their team a chance than Matt Harrison. I’m not disappointed in Harrison, he just didn’t get it done.’’ Coco Crisp doubled on Harrison’s second pitch and things went downhill quickly from there. Two batters later, Crisp scored on Conor Jackson’s two-run double down the right-field line, then Kurt Suzuki singled through a drawn- in infield to give the A’s a 3-0 lead. Crisp, back hitting leadoff in Oakland’s lineup after missing three games with a sore left quadriceps, made it 4- 0 with a two-out RBI single in the second. Harrison, who lasted just three innings in his previous start against Toronto, was gone two batters later after Daric Barton doubled and Jackson walked to load the bases. ‘‘I’ve just got to be more focused when I get on the See A'S, page 2B MCT photo Sharks Logan Couture (39) sprays Detroit Redwings goaltender Jimmy Howard (35) after Howard made a save during the first period in Game 2 of the NHL Western Conference Semifinals at HP Pavilion in San Jose Sunday. SAN JOSE (AP) — The defense- men are scoring, the high-scoring for- wards are working in the defensive zone, and Antti Niemi played the same way he did when he knocked San Jose out of the playoffs a year ago. That all added up to another win for the Sharks and a 2-0 series lead against the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference semifinals. Ian White and Niclas Wallin scored their first goals of the postseason, Niemi made 33 saves and the Sharks put together a complete performance to beat the Red Wings 2-1 on Sunday. Niemi helped kill off three penal- ties in the opening half of the first peri- od and came up with countless big saves in the final two periods of per- haps his best playoff game since help- ing Chicago sweep San Jose in the conference finals a year ago. ‘‘We like him on our side a lot bet- ter,’’ forward Dany Heatley said. ‘‘He’s a steady guy. He makes the saves he should make; he’s in position. And he makes a lot of saves he should- n’t make. He changes games for us sometimes.’’ White scored on a power play in the first period and Wallin extended the lead early in the third period as the Sharks put together two of their best back-to-back games to jump on top of the Red Wings for the second straight year. While Detroit could blame a lack of rest for falling into a 3-0 hole to San Jose a year ago following a seven- game first-round series, the Red Wings were well-rested this year after sweeping Phoenix. But that made no difference against a determined Sharks team that has won 10 of 12 games against Detroit. ‘‘We weren’t good enough,’’ Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. ‘‘They won more battles than we did. By doing that they end up with the puck more times than we do. They held serve at home. We have to lick our wounds on the flight home.’’ Jimmy Howard was again strong for the Red Wings, making 35 saves, but he got little help from his team- mates. The Red Wings hope to change their fortunes when the series shifts to Detroit for Games 3 and 4 starting Wednesday night. The Sharks controlled play in the second period and took control of the scoreboard with the rare goal from Wallin early in the third. He skated into the offensive zone and fired a shot that hit off Howard’s shoulder and hel- See SHARKS, page 2B