AP - Willy Aybar, Gabe Gross and Fernando Perez homered off Tim Wakefield and the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 10-3 Wednesday night to move closer to their first playoff berth.

AFP - Russian fourth seed Dinara Safina became the first player to reach the quarter-finals when she whipped Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia in the Pan Pacific Open on Wednesday.

AFP - No club has retained the Champions League since the format was introduced in 1992 -- but Manchester United will look to break the mould when they embark on this season's campaign at home to Villarreal of Spain on Wednesday.

AP - Paul Azinger was watching from his cart on the 13th hole when he decided to toss a few lapel pins toward his 13th man.

AFP - World No.3 Novak Djokovic and French star Jo-Wilfried Tsonga -- the finalists in this year's Australian Open -- will top the draw at the Brisbane International, organisers said Wednesday.

AP - Auburn tailback Brad Lester has returned to practice but his status remains uncertain for Saturday's game with No. 6 LSU. Lester was held out of contact drills in Tuesday's practice for 10th-ranked Auburn with a sprained neck sustained against Mississippi State.

AFP - Luiz Felipe Scolari has warned his Chelsea stars not to get carried away after their Champions League demolition of Bordeaux.

AP - Chicago's Gavin Floyd picked a fine time to "become a man." Minnesota's Joe Nathan chose the wrong time to show he's human.

Reuters - The Seattle Seahawks have bolstered their depleted wide receiver corps by re-acquiring former player Koren Robinson, the team said on Tuesday.

AP - Houston Texans owner Bob McNair has discussed the possibility of his team playing at Rice Stadium if repairs to Reliant Stadium from Hurricane Ike can't be made in time for its first home game on Oct. 5.

AP - Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama made ground zero their common ground for one rare day, free of politics and infused with memory. Putting their partisan contest on a respectful hold, they walked together Thursday into the great pit where the World Trade Center towers once stood and, as one, honored the dead from the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.