AP - Nate McLouth hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer off Carlos Marmol in the ninth to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 7-6 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday even though Alfonso Soriano hit two home runs for the second straight day.

AP - Mike Lowell hit a two-run homer and doubled in a pair of runs, and the Boston Red Sox survived a battle of bumbling infielders to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-6 on Saturday and complete a sweep of their day-night doubleheader.

AP - Marty Turco picked the perfect time for his first NHL victory at Joe Louis Arena. Turco made 38 saves to lift the Dallas Stars to a 2-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday in Game 5, extending the Western Conference finals.

AP - Kasey Kahne won a popularity contest, then parlayed it into a $1 million payday. After failing to qualify for the All-Star race, Kahne grabbed a spot in the field when the fans voted him into Saturday night's event at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

AP - Not once but twice, jockey Kent Desormeaux sneaked a peek to see if anyone was gaining on Big Brown. "I looked between my legs, under my arms, and they were eight (lengths) behind me," Desormeaux said. "I stopped pushing. I said, `That's enough.'"

AP - After two straight top-10 finishes at the AT&T Classic, Jonathan Byrd is poised to win the suburban Atlanta tournament.

AFP - World number six Serena Williams has pulled out of the WTA Rome International after hurting her back while training, but thinks she will recover in time for the French Open less than two weeks away.

AP - Rick Nash scored the go-ahead goal to put Canada in the title game of the world hockey championships with a 5-4 win over Sweden on Friday night.

AFP - Portsmouth play Cardiff for the FA Cup on Saturday in their first major Wembley final for 69 years. For Harry Redknapp, their 61-year-old manager, the wait has been almost as long.

AP - Jayson Werth surprised even himself with his power surge.

AP - Kobe Bryant was back to his MVP self, which was just enough for the Lakers to hold off the Jazz.

AP - NFL owners could opt out of their agreement with the players union next week, leaving open the possibility of a 2010 season without a salary cap. The labor agreement is on the agenda for the league meetings in Atlanta on Tuesday.

AP - Peter Magowan, the owner who brought Barry Bonds to San Francisco, built a new ballpark and kept major league baseball in the city, is stepping down as managing partner of the Giants.