AP - Penn State defensive tackles Chris Baker and Phil Taylor, who were involved in off-field fights last year, have been kicked off the team by coach Joe Paterno.
AP - Mark Parrish's homecoming didn't work out. The Minnesota Wild bought out the final three years of the right winger's contract on Wednesday, ending Parrish's frustrating return to his hometown market. Parrish cleared waivers and is now an unrestricted free agent.
AFP - Rafael Benitez believes he has already seen signs that his new strike force of Robbie Keane and Fernando Torres will gel ahead of the start of Liverpool's coming campaign.
AP - Dan Haren pitched seven solid innings, Chad Tracy and Mark Reynolds each drove in two runs and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Diego Padres 7-3 Wednesday night.
AP - JaMarcus Russell was held out of team drills for the second straight practice Wednesday because his throwing elbow was still sore after banging it off the helmet of Darren McFadden.
AP - Apparently, Chase Utley means it when he says he feels fine. Utley homered for the second consecutive game, providing the big blow in a five-run fifth inning, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat Washington 8-5 Wednesday night to move back atop the NL East with their fourth victory in a row.
AP - Garret Anderson went 4-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs, Joe Saunders earned his 14th win and the Los Angeles Angels swept the lackluster and error-prone Boston Red Sox 9-2 Wednesday night.
AP - Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy traveled to Mississippi to meet with quarterback Brett Favre and his agent James "Bus" Cook on Wednesday, in an apparent attempt to talk Favre out of reporting to camp later this week.
AP - The Detroit Tigers sent veteran catcher Ivan Rodriguez to the New York Yankees for hard-throwing reliever Kyle Farnsworth on Wednesday, a trade that filled glaring holes for both contenders.
AFP - Liverpool starlet Ryan Babel climbed off the bench to inspire The Netherlands to a 2-0 victory over Cameroon in a pre-Olympic tournament in steamy Hong Kong on Wednesday.
AP - John Lackey came within two outs of a no-hitter, pitching the Los Angeles Angels past the Boston Red Sox 6-2 Tuesday night on a big day for the AL West leaders.
AFP - Euroleague champions CSKA Moscow and rivals FC Barcelona and Lietuvos Rytas of Lithuania will visit North America in October to face National Basketball Association teams in pre-season games.
AP - Italian cyclist Riccardo Ricco admitted Wednesday that he made a "mistake," taking responsibility after testing positive for the blood-booster EPO during the Tour de France.
