A.J. Burnett (North Little Rock, Central Arkansas Christian) had had enough. Fed up with his decreased velocity and his tight, stiff right elbow Thursday night, Burnett began throwing as hard as he could. "Hey, if it's going to go, it's going to go," Burnett said. "I was just kind of letting it go. Seeing what was left." Burnett was referring to the ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow. Burnett, who went on the 15-day disabled list Friday because of elbow inflammation, said he thinks either the UCL or the flexor tendon is the issue. Pirates team doctors will examine him today. If tests find structural damage, though, Burnett said he won't have surgery at least not right now. The UCL connects the bones in the upper and lower arms and handles a lot of stress during a pitching motion. When it frays or tears, it can be replaced with a tendon from another part of the body in a procedure known as Tommy John surgery, which Burnett had in 2003 while pitching for the Florida Marlins.
HORSE RACING
Untapable beaten by length
Stopchargingmaria edged champion filly Untapable by a length Sunday in the Grade 3 $200,000 Shuvee at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Stopchargingmaria, the Town and Country Farms-owned 4-year-old filly ridden by Javier Castellano and trained by Todd Pletcher, has four victories in five starts at Saratoga, including last year's Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama. Stopchargingmaria ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.37 on the fast main track, returning $4.70, $2.40 and $2.10. Untapable, the Eclipse Award-winning 3-year-old filly of 2014 and the winner of the 2015 Apple Blossom Handicap this spring at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, returned $2.60 and $2.10. Tiz Windy paid $3.30 to show. Also, Thieves Guild took the lead at the top of the stretch and held off favored Free as a Bird by 1 1/2 lengths in the $100,000 Caress Stakes. The 4-year-old filly won for the second consecutive time since returning from a 14-month layoff and for the third time in five lifetime starts. She ran 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:00.82 over the Mellon turf course, and paid $5.50, $3 and $2.60.
MOTOR SPORTS
Becknam wins Funny Car final
Jack Beckman won the NHRA Sonoma Nationals on Sunday for his second consecutive victory and fifth of the season, beating Tommy Johnson Jr. on Sunday in the Funny Car final in Sonoma, Calif. Beckman had a 4.037-second run at 310.63 mph in a Dodge Charger to pull away from Johnson. Beckman also received a 20-point bonus this weekend for setting the national elapsed-time record of 3.921 seconds. He earned 147 of 150 available points in the event. Antron Brown won in Top Fuel, Chris McGaha in Pro Stock, and Eddie Krawiec in Pro Stock Motorcycle, marking the first time in NHRA history that all four No. 1 qualifiers also won the event.
FOOTBALL
Seahawks release McDaniel
The Seattle Seahawks released veteran defensive tackle Tony McDaniel on Sunday to save salary cap space after signing quarterback Russell Wilson and linebacker Bobby Wagner to contract extensions. The move will save the club between $2.5 and $3 million against the salary cap. McDaniel was set to make $2.5 million in base salary. McDaniel spent two seasons with the Seahawks, starting 29 of 32 regular-season games. McDaniel had 83 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 fumble recovery in the regular season, and started five of six postseason games with Seattle. McDaniel was originally signed by Jacksonville in 2006 as an undrafted free agent and spent three seasons with the Jaguars before playing four years in Miami.
• The Indianapolis Colts have put 2013 NFL sacks leader Robert Mathis and former starting guard Donald Thomas on the physically unable to perform list. Both moves Sunday were expected, with Mathis and Thomas still recovering from season-ending injuries. Both can be activated any time before the regular season. Mathis missed the first four games last season for violating the league policy on performance-enhancing substances, and the final 12 after tearing his left Achilles tendon in a private workout during the suspension. Thomas missed all of last season after tearing his right quadriceps during training camp -- the same injury that kept him out of all but two games in 2013. Two other injured players, linebacker Nate Irving and running back Vick Ballard, were cleared to practice.
• The Carolina Panthers have waived injured wide receiver Stephen Hill after he suffered a torn right ACL in practice. Panthers assistant coach Steve Wilks made the announcement on Sunday after practice. Hill was injured on Saturday when he attempted to catch a pass over the middle and landed awkwardly on his leg. He screamed as he fell to the ground. Hill, a former second-round draft pick by the New York Jets in 2012, spent last season on the Panthers' practice squad. He had impressed coaches in OTAs and minicamp with his play. However, he was cited Tuesday by police in Concord, N.C. for knowingly possessing drug paraphernalia with intent to use, raising concern about his status.
TENNIS
Nadal tops in Hamburg
Top-seeded Rafael Nadal overcame some sloppy play on his beloved clay to beat Fabio Fognini 7-5, 7-5 and win the Hamburg Open for the second time Sunday. Nadal squandered a 3-1 lead in the final set and saved two set points before prevailing in 2 hours and 34 minutes over the eighth-seeded Italian and the 2013 Hamburg winner. Former top-ranked Nadal extended his run of having won at least one European clay-court title every year since 2004 when he took his maiden crown in Sopot, Poland. Nadal now has 47 clay-court titles, second to Guillermo Vilas' 49. It was Nadal's second title on clay this year after Buenos Aires in February. The Spaniard has 67 career titles overall. Nadal won in Hamburg in 2008. With his third title of the year, Nadal will rise one spot to No. 9 in the rankings. Fognini was trying to become the first player to beat Nadal three times on clay in a year. With six losses this year, Nadal has as many defeats on clay as in three previous years combined. The two players traded breaks in the first four games and Nadal saved one break point to hold for 6-5. Fognini then saved three break points before Nadal clinched the set with a forehand return. Nadal served for a 4-1 lead in the second but Fognini turned the match before wasting two set points in the 10th game. Nadal again had to save two break points before going 6-5 up. Two successive forehand errors by Fognini gave Nadal the match in the next game.
BASEBALL
Porcello goes on DL
The Red Sox have placed struggling right-hander Rick Porcello on the 15-day disabled list because of soreness in his right triceps. To fill his spot on the roster, Boston added newly acquired right-handed reliever Ryan Cook. Manager John Farrell said Sunday the Red Sox initially thought of just pushing Porcello's next outing back. "We feel like it's a short-term thing," Farrell added. The 26-year-old Porcello was expected to be a top-of-the rotation starter, but he is 5-11 with a 5.81 ERA in 20 starts. The club signed him to a four-year, $82.5 million contract extension in April. Boston acquired Cook from Oakland at the non-waiver trade deadline Friday in a deal for a player to be named or cash.
• The Tampa Bay Rays demoted left-hander Matt Moore to the minors to continue his comeback from Tommy John surgery. Moore will go to Class AAA Durham and pitch on a regular schedule. Manager Kevin Cash said the Rays are shifting to a four-man rotation and they didn't want Moore to move to the bullpen. Moore (1-3) made his sixth start since returning from the April 2014 surgery Saturday and gave up 6 runs on 9 hits, walking 1 and striking out 2 in an 11-7 loss to the Boston Red Sox. He's failed to go past five innings in his comeback.
Sports on 08/03/2015