Sports in brief

Staff and wire reports |

7/2/2008 - 7/3/08

Pitching plagues Isotopes in loss

As the pitching staff goes, so go the Albuquerque Isotopes.

And lately that has been due south.

Albuquerque dipped a season-low seven games below .500 with a 7-4 loss to Round Rock in Pacific Coast League baseball at Dell Diamond on Wednesday.

The Isotopes (40-47) never led, but were tied with the Express 4-4 in the top of the fifth. Round Rock came back in the bottom of the inning to score three runs and ice the game. Albuquerque starter Bobby Keppel (7-8) gave up all seven runs on 12 hits with just three strikeouts in five innings.

Josh Miller (5-5) was the winning pitcher. Three different Express players had two RBIs apiece. Albuquerque catcher Mike Robelo went 2-for-5 and drove in two runs.

Isotopes righty Daniel Barone (0-2, 14.25 ERA) goes against Round Rock lefty Josh Muecke (6-6, 3.88) tonight at 6:05.

De La Cruz returns to Albuquerque

MIAMI — Reliever Eulogio De La Cruz was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque by the Florida Marlins after Wednesday's 4-2 victory over Washington.

Manager Fredi Gonzalez said the Marlins will bring up a player, likely a pitcher, today to fill the roster spot.

De La Cruz, among six player obtained from Detroit in the offseason trade for Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera, was 0-0 with a 16.26 ERA in three appearances with the Marlins.

The 24-year-old began the season in Triple-A, then was recalled on May 25 to make an emergency start.

Sonics moving to Oklahoma City

SEATTLE — The SuperSonics will move to Oklahoma City for the 2008-09 season as part of a settlement with the city of Seattle, ending a contentious relationship that resulted in a trial in which the judge was to issue her ruling Wednesday.

The settlement calls for Sonics owner Clay Bennett and the Professional Basketball Club LLC to pay up to $75 million to the city in exchange for the immediate termination of the KeyArena lease between the NBA team and the city.

The team's name and colors will be staying in Seattle.

"We made it," Bennett said. "The NBA will be in Oklahoma City next season."

Favre's return: 'It's all rumor'

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Brett Favre dismissed an ESPN report that he's considering coming out of retirement as "all rumor."

Favre responded Wednesday to the ESPN report by telling his hometown newspaper Web site, SunHerald.com in Gulfport, Miss., that "it's all rumor."

The paper reported that Favre sent a text message saying there's "no reason" for a media frenzy.

ESPN reported that an unidentified Packers source said the 38-year-old Favre told coach Mike McCarthy in the past two weeks that he has the itch to play.

"The Packers have no reaction," team spokesman Jeff Blumb told said.

PGA Tour begins drug testing

BETHESDA, Md. — The hallway in the clubhouse at Congressional winds past photos of presidents, newspaper clippings, and magazine articles of Fred Couples and Ken Venturi winning their first PGA Tour events.

It leads to an elevator, which takes players to the third floor to be tested for drugs.

The PGA Tour reluctantly joined the modern era of sports when its anti-doping program took effect, featuring random testing for some 500 players on its three circuits.

The tour will not say who gets tested and when.