Sports People: 7-run seventh propels 'Winders

A seven-run seventh inning was more than enough offense for the Tucson Sidewinders Sunday in an 8-1 win over the Oklahoma RedHawks in Oklahoma City.

The Sidewinders (49-66) broke open a 1-1 tie with two outs in the seventh. Jeff Salazar and Phil Avlas drew walks followed by RBI singles from Tim Raines Jr. and Josh Whitesell. A Jesus Merchan two RBI double punched the Sidewinders lead to 5-1 and forced out Oklahoma starter Brian Gordon.

Tucson added two more runs off reliever Paul Komentani and sent 11 hitters to the plate in the inning, with eight consecutive hitters reaching base with two outs.

Evan MacLane (6-6) got the win, pitching seven innings and allowing one earned run and inducing four double plays.

Josh Whitesell went 4 for 5 with two RBIs to extend his hitting streak to 11 games and push his average to .328.

Merchan had three hits and eight of Tucson's nine starters had at least one hit.

Brandon Medders and Jailen Peguero each pitched a scoreless inning in relief of MacLane.

The teams continue their series Monday with Tucson righty Juan Gutierrez facing Oklahoma's Michael Ballard.

CHICAGO - A 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card was sold for $1.62 million at a memorabilia auction in Chicago, a sports auction company said Saturday.

The record price for a baseball card is $2.8 million - paid in 2007 for a near-mint condition Wagner card released in 1909 by the American Tobacco Company.

John Rogers, 35, of North Little Rock, Ark., said his winning bid for the T206 Wagner card is the realization of a long dream.

"I call this the holy grail of baseball cards," Rogers said. "I've looked at a number of other specimens, sat in a few other Wagner auctions. But this is the one that makes collecting worthwhile."

Rogers has collected cards since he was 6. When he was in the second grade, he said he cut out a copy of a Wagner card and carried it around in his pocket.

The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS - Joshua Clottey captured the vacant IBF welterweight championship Saturday night, stopping Zab Judah in the ninth round.

The win could help land him a unification fight with Antonio Margarito, who beat Miguel Cotto a week ago.

Clottey (35-2) connected with a right hand to Judah's left eye in the ninth round that sent blood rushing down Judah's face. Ringside physician Dr. James Game examined Judah, who claimed he couldn't see, and the fight was called at the 1:22 mark.

Clottey was ahead 86-85 on two of the judges' scorecards and 87-84 on the other.

"He really hit with a lot of uppercuts, but I never felt anything," Clottey said. "He never hurt me, trust me. In my boxing life, nobody has hurt me."

The 30-year-old Judah (36-6) was attempting a comeback after his career was derailed by a string of losses and a one-year suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission for hitting Floyd Mayweather Jr. under the belt in a 2006 bout that started a melee between the two camps.

CINCINNATI - Andy Murray wasted four match points with an uncharacteristic show of sloppiness in the second set. But forced to play another tiebreaker, the 21-year-old Briton pulled off the best shot of the game - an in-the-corner backhand - that set up a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) win over Novak Djokovic for the Cincinnati Masters title.

• In Montreal, Dinara Safina of Russia easily handled unseeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia in a 6-2, 6-1 victory at Uniprix Stadium to win the Rogers Cup.

• In Stockholm, Sweden, Caroline Wozniacki routed Vera Dushevina 6-0, 6-2 Sunday to win the Nordic Light Open for her first WTA title.

• Alex Bogomolov beat Phillip King by a point to win the Shotgun 21 World Tennis Championships, a tournament believed to be the first involving ranked men and women going head to head. Jill Craybas was the only woman to defeat a man in the Los Angeles tournament.

SOCCER: In Chicago, Samuel Eto'o scored two goals to lead FC Barcelona to a 5-2 win over CD Guadalajara in front of 40,717 at Soldier Field Sunday. Barcelona plays the New York Red Bulls at Giants Stadium on Wednesday.

CYCLING: Spain's Alejandro Valverde won the San Sebastian Classic cycling race in Spain on Saturday with a strong burst in the final sprint.