Sports: Tigers split in KC

(Source: Michigan Radio Network, Associated Press)

Tigers beat the Royals 6-4 in Kansas City yesterday afternoon.  Alex Avila had three RBI. Miguel Cabrera went 3-for-4 with a home run. Detroit built a 6-0 lead in the fifth and hung on to earn a split of the four-game series. Anibal Sanchez got the win to improved to 2-and-3 after dealing seven-and-one-third innings of three-run ball. He had a perfect game going through 5 innings. Joakim Soria got his 10th save. At 17-and-9, the Tigers lead KC by a half-game in the AL Central. Tigers’ shortstop Jose Iglesias is dealing with a groin injury. He singled in two at-bats before leaving yesterday's game against the Royals in the sixth inning with tightness in his groin.  He was replaced by Andrew Romine and Iglesias is listed as day-to-day. He's batting .354 on the season.  The Tigers have a travel day today before opening a three-game series tomorrow night against the White Sox in Chicago. Shawn Greene will start for Detroit.

NFL Draft

The Detroit Lions hope to bolster their ground game next season. They took Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah in the second round of the NFL Draft on Friday. The Lions also added a fullback, two cornerbacks, a defensive tackle and two offensive linemen.

NBA

The second round of the NBA playoffs began on Sunday.  The Wizards beat the Hawks 104-98 in Atlanta to take a 1-0 lead.  Golden State beat the Grizzlies, 101-86. On Monday, the other two series tip off.  The Cavaliers host the Bulls and the LA Clippers are at the Houston Rockets.

NHL

With the season over for the Detroit Red Wings, the focus is on whether Mike Babcock will return as head coach.   The team cleaned out its lockers on Friday and Babcock addressed reporters about his future, saying he didn't know himself. The 52-year-old's contract is set to expire at the end of June.

The Lightning, Blackhawks, and Ducks all grabbed 2-0 series leads in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sunday. Tampa cruised to a 6-2 win in Montreal. Chicago beat Minnesota 4-1. Anaheim shut out Calgary 3-0.The playoffs continue Monday with the Rangers and Capitals meeting in Game Three of their series in Washington. The teams split the first two games in New York.

NASCAR
Dale Earnhardt Junior edged Jimmie Johnson by less than two-tenths of a second to take the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.  Junior picked up his sixth career victory at Talladega, and his first since 2004. Paul Menard finished third.  Trevor Bayne caused a wreck on lap 47 while trying to pass Menard. 14 drivers were affected. The Sprint Series moves on to the Spongebob Squarepants 400, which kicks off on Saturday from Kansas Speedway.

A-Rod Ties Willie Mays

Alex Rodriguez hit his 660^th career home run to tie Willie Mays on the all-time list.  The Yankees, who were supposed to hand over a $6 million marketing bonus to Rodriguez once he tied Mays, came out publicly for the first time Saturday, saying they refuse to pay it.  Rodriguez is due $30 million in possible bonuses if he hits five milestone home runs, beginning with his 660th homer. He also can receive $6 million for tying Babe Ruth at 714, Hank Aaron at 755, Barry Bonds at 762, and becoming the home-run king for surpassing Bonds. Yet, since Rodriguez was suspended all of last season for performance-enhancing drug use, the Yankees insist they can't market his feats, which voids any bonuses.

Kentucky Derby

American Pharoah won Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.

The Fight

The Fight of the Century is in the history books with the big win going to a still-undefeated Floyd Mayweather, Jr.  Mayweather got the best of Manny Pacquiao in Saturday night's welterweight fight in Las Vegas, winning a unanimous 12-round decision.  He's now 48-and-0 in his career, with Pacquiao slipping to 57-6-and-2.
The long-anticipated matchup was considered the highest grossing bout in boxing history, expected to generate a record purse of more than 300 million dollars.  Terms of the contract signed by the two titans called for Mayweather to walk away with 60 percent, win or lose, compared to Pacquiao's 40 percent.