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2B Daily News – Friday, August 19, 2011 Ausberry makes transition NAPA (AP) — Making the transi- tion from college to the NFL is tough enough under normal conditions. Doing it while switching positions and without the benefit of an offseason program is an even more monumental task. Despite the daunting odds, David Ausberry is making a seamless transi- tion from little-used college wide receiver at Southern California to NFL tight end with the Oakland Raiders. ''It's a different world down there,'' Ausberry said. ''I am down there with the big guys now, but I am learning every day and progressing, so I am thankful for that.'' Ausberry made an immediate impression on the practice field, using his receiver's speed and skills to get deep down the middle of the field and the 6-foot-4, 247-pound body of a tight end to create space for himself. He has quickly become a favorite target in practice for Jason Campbell and the Raiders' other quarterbacks. ''Ausberry's a guy that's real fast,'' Campbell said. ''He has a lot of skill at that position. The thing with him is just a matter of game time and a matter of playing. I think he can really be some- thing special.'' Ausberry showed signs of that in his preseason debut, catching an 18-yard touchdown pass from Trent Edwards for Oakland's only touchdown in a 24- 18 loss to Arizona. Ausberry had to reach up to make the difficult catch and still managed to get both feet inbounds before reaching the sideline to cap a memorable debut. ''It's one of those things I work on every day,'' he said. ''You've got to LOS ANGELES (AP) — The UFC has made it to network prime-time. Mixed martial arts' dominant pro- motional company announced a land- mark seven-year deal with Fox on Thursday, putting four UFC shows on the main network each year and an extensive array of programming on its cable networks. The UFC will become a prominent feature on FX, with live fights on most Friday nights and a revamped version of ''The Ultimate Fighter,'' the UFC's popular reality show. UFC President Dana White said the deal is the biggest step yet in MMA's transformation from a banned fringe sport into a mainstream enter- tainment property. The UFC already is wildly popular among young men, but Fox will put the sport in front of an enormous new audience with its first regular slot on a broadcast network. GIANTS (Continued from page 1B) ''We can't get shut out. That's our fault,'' Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. ''We've got to get that mojo back. We're just missing it.'' Minor (3-2) pitched bril- liantly, allowing just four hits and one intentional walk while striking out a season- high nine. Only two runners got as far as second base against the left-hander, who didn't flinch when Cody Ross led off the game with a double. ''Instead of giving in, I tried to bear down,'' Minor said. ''I knew if he scored, that would be a big run.'' Lincecum (11-10) was no slouch, surrendering five hits in seven innings with seven Ks. But the wiry right-han- der made one pitch he want- ed back, serving up a high fastball to Jones leading off the fifth. He sent a drive soar- ing into the right-field seats for his 11th homer, giving the Braves all the offense they would need. ''Losing's not fun,'' Bochy said. ''Especially when you go out there and pitch like that.'' Lincecum said he trying to come inside with the pitch, NFL PRESEASON Thursday's results New England 31, Tampa Bay 14 Pittsburgh 24, Philadelphia 14 Today's games Washington at Indianapolis, 4 p.m. Carolina at Miami, 4:30 p.m. Detroit at Cleveland, 4:30 p.m. Kansas City at Baltimore, 4:30 p.m. Arizona at Green Bay, 5 p.m. Atlanta at Jacksonville, 5 p.m. Saturday's games Oakland at San Francisco, 5 p.m. Tennessee at St. Louis, 5 p.m. New Orleans at Houston, 5 p.m. Buffalo at Denver, 5:30 p.m. Minnesota at Seattle, 7 p.m. Sunday's games Cincinnati at N.Y. Jets, 4 p.m. San Diego at Dallas, 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 22 Chicago at N.Y. Giants, 5 p.m. make the catch first, secure it, drag your toes and make it count. It was something I was concentrating on, just waiting for my number to be called. I got it and made the opportunity count.'' Ausberry didn't get many opportu- nities at USC, where he had 64 catches for 700 yards and seven touchdowns in four seasons. He played mostly wide receiver in college, while getting some time at H- back. He said a move to tight end was talked about at times but never hap- pened until scouts told him at his pro day that he would need to make the switch to make it in the NFL. ''Some of these men come into col- lege with aspirations of being the next Keyshawn Johnson, or the next Mike Williams,'' coach Hue Jackson said. ''You go there because you have big bodies, and then you get there, and have all these other little fast guys, and you have your opportunity kind of pass you by. But I'm glad we have him. He is a tremendous find for us. He's doing some great things. He is a matchup nightmare for most people. He can catch, he can run, he learns well, so we're excited that he's a part of our organization.'' Jackson said it often takes more than a year for a wide receiver to feel comfortable to ''stick your face'' in there as a blocker at tight end. But Aus- berry has made the transition much quicker. Ausberry has put on almost 15 pounds since last season to deal with the blocking responsibilities that come in the trenches as a tight end. Now it's just a matter of honing his technique as a blocker. ''I have never been in a 3-point stance, so just having to recognize the defensive front and look at linebackers (is new),'' he said. ''I have never done it before, and that's something I am try- ing to work on every day, trying to rec- ognize the defense and use certain techniques to block. Things you would never know or learn as a wide receiver. That part of the game is starting to slow down for me a little bit.'' Despite the lack of college produc- tion, the Raiders used their final pick of the draft on Ausberry, taking him in the seventh round in April. He was the sec- ond tight end they selected, having drafted blocking tight end Richard Gordon in the sixth round. But Ausberry looks like he will make the team and could even be a key contributor. Pro Bowl tight end Zach Miller left for Seattle in free agency earlier this month and the Raiders brought in Kevin Boss from the New York Giants to take his place as a starter. Returning backup Brandon Myers has played more as a blocker and spe- cial teams player his first two seasons, meaning Ausberry could get his chance when the Raiders want a sec- ond pass-catching tight end on the field. With last year's leading wide receiv- er Louis Murphy out for at least the opener with an injury and Jacoby Ford and Chaz Schilens also sidelined, the Raiders might be looking for their tight ends even more. ''The sky's the limit for him,'' Jack- son said. ''He keeps working like he is, he will reach that opportunity to play at that position in this league.'' Notes: C Samson Satele missed practice after leaving early with an injury Wednesday but is expected to play Saturday against San Francisco. ...CB Chris Johnson said he hopes to be back in two weeks after having surgery for an undisclosed injury. UFC headed to Fox networks in landmark 7-year deal ''This is what I always wanted, what I always thought was the pinnacle for us,'' White said. ''This partnership is going to take this sport to the next level. Those people that thought I was a lunatic, saying this was going to be the biggest sport in the world, this is the next step.'' Fox will allow the UFC to control its own production, a longtime stum- bling block in White's negotiations with network TV over the past several years. Although the UFC is still in charge of the product, White said he wants ''to make a fresh start'' in every aspect of UFC's programming, work- ing with Fox to improve even its pay- per-view broadcasts. Fox Sports Chairman David Hill said the network won't have trouble selling network advertising for a vio- lent, high-testosterone sport that's still but his location was off. ''Chipper's a great hitter,'' he said. ''I gave up that one timely home run. That cost me.'' Eric O'Flaherty, Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel closed out the five-hitter with one inning apiece. Kimbrel struck out two in a perfect ninth for his 37th save in 42 chances, breaking a tie with Todd Worrell for the most saves by an NL rookie since 1969. Worrell had 36 saves for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1986. Kimbrel is closing in on the major league mark for rookies, set just last season by Texas closer Neftali Feliz with 40. Kimbrel has not allowed a run in his last 28 appear- ances, covering 28 2-3 innings. Over that span, he's given up a mere nine hits and eight walks, with a stagger- ing 48 strikeouts. ''I'm glad I don't have to face anybody in our bullpen,'' Jones said. The Giants had to use a makeshift lineup because of injuries, while the Braves WNBA WESTERN CONFERENCE WL Pct GB Minnesota 19 6 .760 — Phoenix 14 10 .583 4.5 San Antonio 13 11 .542 5.5 Seattle 13 12 .520 6 Los Angeles 9 14 .391 9 Tulsa 1 22 .043 17 EASTERN CONFERENCE WL Pct GB Indiana 18 7 .720 — Connecticut 16 9 .640 2 New York 15 11 .577 3.5 Atlanta 12 12 .500 5.5 Chicago 11 14 .440 7 Washington 5 18 .217 12 —————————————————— Thursday's results Minnesota 81, Washington 62 New York 84, Connecticut 81, OT Indiana at Los Angeles, late Friday's games Connecticut at Atlanta, 4:30 p.m. Saturday's Games Chicago at Washington, 4 p.m. Los Angeles at Minnesota, 5 p.m. New York at Seattle, 7 p.m. San Antonio at Phoenix, 7 p.m. viewed with an arched eyebrow by much of the public and media. ''TV is all about the next big thing, and that's what we're here for,'' Hill said. ''We would not have gone into this deal if we had not canvassed a large pool of advertisers ... and found they were behind it.'' Hill also had no problem leaving the UFC in charge of its own broadcasts. ''I think their production is first- class, and I doubt there's anything we could bring,'' he said. The UFC's first prime-time fights on Fox will air Nov. 12. White is still working out details of the show, which likely will be held at Honda Center in Anaheim. Networks have flirted with MMA for most of the past decade, and CBS has aired cards by the EliteXC and Strikeforce promotions in recent years to mixed success. showed off some of their impressive young pitching talent during the tight series. Randall Delgado threw six- plus innings of one-hit ball on Tuesday before heading back to the minors. Another rookie, Arodys Vizcaino, picked up his first big league win in that game. Minor fin- ished the series with another strong effort. ''It's almost embarrassing how many young pitchers who can help this club we have at the minor league level,'' Jones said. Atlanta wasted a chance against Lincecum in the fourth. Michael Bourn led off with a single and raced around to third on Brian McCann's one-out double into the right-field corner. But Dan Uggla struck out swinging and Freddie Free- man grounded out. Freeman came up with a brilliant defensive play in the LITTLE LEAGUE World Series At South Williamsport, Pa. Double Elimination UNITED STATES GREAT LAKES, LaGrange, Ky.; MID- ATLANTIC, Clinton County, Pa.; MID- WEST, Rapid City, S.D.; NEW ENG- LAND, Cumberland, R.I.; NORTHWEST, Billings, Mont.; SOUTHEAST, Warner Robins, Ga.; SOUTHWEST, Lafayette, La.; WEST, Huntington Beach. INTERNATIONAL ASIA-PACIFIC, Kaohsiung, CANADA, Langley, Taiwan; British Columbia; CARIBBEAN, Oranjestad, Aruba; EUROPE, Rotterdam, Netherlands; JAPAN, Hamamatsu City; LATIN AMERI- CA, Maracay, Venezuela; MEA, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; MEXICO, Mexicali. Thursday's results Game 1 — Mexicali, Mexico 3, Kaohsi- ung, Taiwan 0 Game 2 — Billings, Mont. 6, Rapid City, S.D. 4 Game 3 — Hamamatsu City, Japan 12, Oranjestad, Aruba 1, 4 innings Game 4 — Lafayette, La. 2, Warner Robins, Ga. 0 Today's games Game 5 — Dhahran, Saudi Arabia vs. Langley, British Columbia, 10 a.m. Game 6 — Cumberland, R.I. vs. Hunting- ton Beach, Noon Game 7 — LaGrange, Ky. vs. Clinton County, Pa., 5 p.m. Game 8 — Rotterdam, Netherlands vs. Maracay, Venezuela, 2 p.m. fourth, sprawling out on the rolled-up tarp to make a great diving catch on Aubrey Huff's foul popup. ''We might face these guys later on,'' Jones said, referring to the playoffs. ''Every mental edge we can get is helpful.'' NOTES: The Braves won six of seven against San Francisco this season. ... San Francisco was without closer Brian Wilson for the third night in a row. He's bothered by a sore elbow, though the Giants are hopeful he won't have to go on the disabled list. ... The Giants continue their road trip with their first three games of the season against Houston. ... Ryan Vogelsong will try to improve to 3-0 in his career against the Astros, who will be in San Francisco next week for a four-game series. MLS WESTERN CONFERENCE WL T Pts GF GA Galaxy 13 3 9 48 35 20 FC Dallas 12 6 7 43 33 26 Seattle 11 5 9 42 35 27 Colorado 10 6 10 40 37 32 Salt Lake 10 6 6 36 30 17 Chivas USA 7 8 9 30 30 26 Portland 7 12 5 26 30 40 QUAKES 59 10 25 26 32 Vancouver 3 12 9 18 25 40 EASTERN CONFERENCE WL T Pts GF GA Columbus 10 7 7 37 27 23 Philadelphia 8 5 10 34 29 22 Kansas City 8 7 9 33 35 31 Houston 7 7 11 32 31 30 New York 6 6 13 31 39 35 D.C. 7 6 10 31 34 34 Toronto FC 4 11 11 23 25 46 N. England 4 11 10 22 24 37 Chicago 2 7 15 21 26 33 NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie. —————————————————— Thursday's results Chicago 1, D.C. United 1, tie Saturday's games San Jose at Los Angeles, 7:30 p.m. New York at New England, 4:30 p.m. Philadelphia at Columbus, 4:30 p.m. Real Salt Lake at Houston, 5:30 p.m. Chivas USA at Colorado, 6 p.m. Seattle FC at FC Dallas, 6 p.m. Vancouver at Portland, 7 p.m. Sunday's games D.C. United at Kansas City, 4 p.m. Toronto FC at Chicago, 4 p.m. Montana wins LLWS debut SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — The boys from Billings keep making Mon- tana Little League history. The first team from the state to advance to South Williamsport overcame a shaky start and three solo homers Thursday by the sluggers from Rapid City, S.D., to win its Little League World Series debut, 6-4. Connor Kieckbusch and his teammates were under- standably a little anxious when they first trotted on to the manicured field at Lamade Stadium, with about 11,000 fans watching their every move. Those nerves disap- peared after a five-run fourth inning highlighted by Kieckbusch's two-run single and Cole McKenzie's two- RBI double with two outs. ''I felt kind of nervous (initially) because we're in Williamsport and pretty much nationals, and I didn't know what to expect,'' said the red-freckled Kieck- busch, 12, as he flashed a slight grin. ''As the game went on, I kind of relaxed.'' Mexicali, Mexico, shut out Kaoshiung, Taiwan, 3-0 in the series' first game Thursday behind a two-hit- ter by flame-throwing righty Jorge Jacobo. He's just 12, too. Hamamatsu City, Japan, beat Oranjestad, Aruba, 12- 1, but the game had added meaning for the Japan squad after a survivor of this year's earthquake and tsunami threw out the ceremonial first pitch. ''I told the kids that they should appreciate that they are here to play a game,'' manager Akihiro Suzuki said through translator Kotaro Omori. ''It should teach them to keep working hard and that it's only a sport.'' Lafayette, La., shut out Warner Robins, Ga., 2-0 in an entertaining nightcap fea- turing solid pitching and good fielding by each squad. Both towns have previously sent teams to South Williamsport. In contrast, no one from Billings — let alone, Mon- tana — had ever set foot on the picturesque Little League complex for a World Series game until Thursday. Montana trailed 2-0 after two innings before breaking through in the fourth against South Dakota starter Brett Beyer, working deep into counts to get runners on base. Kieckbusch's high fly to shallow center fell just in between two fielders to score two runners with the bases loaded. The next hit- ter, McKenzie, lined an opposite-field double to the left-field wall to score two more runs for a 6-2 lead. On the mound, McKen- zie allowed six hits and four MLB West Division Texas American League WL Pct GB Angels 65 59 .524 7 A's 72 52 .581 — 55 68 .447 16.5 Seattle 53 69 .434 18 East Division WL Pct GB New York 75 47 .615 — Boston 75 48 .610 .5 Tampa Bay 66 56 .541 9 Toronto 63 60 .512 12.5 Baltimore 47 74 .388 27.5 Central Division WL Pct GB Detroit 65 58 .528 — Cleveland 62 58 .517 1.5 Chicago 61 62 .496 4 Minnesota 54 69 .439 11 Kansas City51 74 .408 15 —————————————————— Thursday's results Toronto at Oakland, late Boston 4, Kansas City 3 Cleveland 4, Chicago White Sox 2 N.Y.Yankees 8, Minnesota 4 Texas at L.A. Angels, late Today's games Toronto (Cecil 4-5) at Oakland (Harden 3-2), 7:05 p.m. Cleveland (Tomlin 12-5) at Detroit (Scherzer 12-7), 4:05 p.m. Seattle (F.Hernandez 11-10) at Tampa Bay (W.Davis 8-7), 4:10 p.m. Boston (A.Miller 4-1) at Kansas City (Francis 4-13), 5:10 p.m. N.Y.Yankees (P.Hughes 3-4) at Minnesota (Slowey 0-0), 5:10 p.m. Texas (M.Harrison 10-8) at Chicago (Peavy 5-5), 5:10 p.m. Baltimore (Jo-.Reyes 6-9) at L.A. Angels (Haren 12-6), 7:05 p.m. Saturday's games Toronto at Oakland, 6:05 p.m. Cleveland at Detroit, 4:05 p.m. Boston at Kansas City, 4:10 p.m. N.Y.Yankees at Minnesota, 4:10 p.m. Seattle at Tampa Bay, 4:10 p.m. Texas at Chicago White Sox, 4:10 p.m. Baltimore at L.A. Angels, 6:05 p.m. runs over five innings for the win. He allowed all three homers, including two by 5- foot-9 South Dakota slugger Erik Petry, 12. Petry's first shot, lined over the ''Little League'' sign above the left-center- field wall 225 feet away, sent his first-base coach dancing down the foul line to greet his power hitter. It was hard to tell who was happier — the coach or the giddy play- ers who skipped out of the dugout behind him. Hayden McGriff added a solo shot in the fifth before Montana's Sean Jones got the final three outs for the save. Hayden's father, man- ager Kasey McGriff, told his disappointed players to put the loss behind them. ''If you look at the stats, obviously you wouldn't guess the outcome of the game,'' he said. ''They fought hard. There is noth- ing to be sad for.'' His Montana counter- part, Gene Carlson, said his team's patient approach at the plate paid off when the team settled down. ''They always look for a good pitch to hit,'' he said. ''They're well-disciplined hitters — sometimes.'' ——— Louisiana 2, Georgia 0 Georgia broke through against Louisiana starter Ethan Hines to load the bases with nobody out in the sixth, but reliever Haden Erbe came out to get the final three outs for the save, including a Dillon Toms' comebacker to end the game. Erbe also made a strong throw from the hole to out- stretched first baseman Austin Primeaux with two outs and two runners on in the third to end another rally. Logan Arnett went 3 for 3 to lead Georgia. ——— Mexico 3, Taiwan 0 Jacobo overpowered Tai- wan with 12 strikeouts, including the final five outs. It was the first time a Taiwan team had been shut out in 55 games at the series. Jacobo helped his cause at the plate, too, doubling home the first run and finish- ing 1 for 3 with two runs. Ko Chia-Hao struck out five and allowed six hits to take the loss for Taiwan. ——— Japan 12, Aruba 1, 4 innings Yoshiki Suzuki, no rela- tion to his manager, hit a grand slam and Mitsuhiro Uchida added three hits and three RBIs in a game that ended after four innings due to Little League's 10-run rule. Suzuki also pitched, striking out five in 2 2-3 innings for the win. Gillian Wernet was 2 for 2 for Aruba MLB West Division National League WL Pct GB Arizona 69 55 .556 — GIANTS 67 58 .536 2.5 Colorado 58 67 .464 11.5 Dodgers 56 67 .455 12.5 Padres 55 70 .440 14.5 East Division WL Pct GB Philadelphia 80 42 .656 — Atlanta 73 52 .584 8.5 New York 60 63 .488 20.5 Washington 59 63 .484 21 Florida 57 66 .463 23.5 Central Division WL Pct GB Milwaukee 73 52 .584 — St. Louis 66 58 .532 6.5 Cincinnati 60 64 .484 12.5 Pittsburgh 58 64 .475 13.5 Chicago 54 70 .435 18.5 Houston 40 84 .323 32.5 —————————————————— Thursday's results Atlanta 1, San Francisco 0 L.A. Dodgers 5, Milwaukee 1 Philadelphia 4, Arizona 1 Washington 3, Cincinnati 1 Florida at San Diego, late Today's games San Francisco (Vogelsong 10-2) at Houston (W.Rodriguez 8-9), 5:05 p.m. St. Louis (J.Garcia 10-6) at Chicago (R.Wells 4-4), 11:20 a.m. Cincinnati (H.Bailey 7-5) at Pittsburgh (Correia 12-11), 4:05 p.m. Philadelphia (Oswalt 5-7) at Washington (L.Hernandez 7-11), 4:05 p.m. Milwaukee (Marcum 10-3) at N.Y. Mets (Pelfrey 6-9), 4:10 p.m. Arizona (D.Hudson 12-8) at Atlanta (D.Lowe 7-11), 4:35 p.m. L.A. Dodgers (Kuroda 8-14) at Colorado (Hammel 7-11), 5:40 p.m. Florida (Volstad 5-9) at San Diego (LeBlanc 1-2), 7:05 p.m. Saturday's games San Francisco at Houston, 4:05 p.m. Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, 1:10 p.m. L.A. Dodgers at Colorado, 1:10 p.m. Milwaukee at N.Y. Mets, 1:10 p.m. St. Louis at Chicago Cubs, 1:10 p.m. Philadelphia at Washington, 4:05 p.m. Arizona at Atlanta, 4:10 p.m. Florida at San Diego, 5:35 p.m.