AP Tuesday Sports Roundup

STANLEY CUP FINALS

Hawks set off Chicago Cup celebration

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks are drinking from the Stanley Cup for the third time in six seasons.

Duncan Keith scored the game-winner and Corey Crawford finished with 25 saves as the Hawks closed out the finals in six games, beating Tampa Bay 2-0. The game was scoreless until Keith followed up his own rebound and beat Ben Bishop with 2:47 left in the second period. Patrick Kane and Brad Richards drew assists on the Cup-winning goal.

Keith was a unanimous selection for the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP after he finished with 21 points while playing over 700 minutes in a grueling postseason.

Kane doubled the Blackhawks' lead with his only goal of the series with 5:14 remaining. Richards finished with two assists and Crawford earned his fifth career postseason shutout.

The Blackhawks scored just twice in each of their four victories en route to their sixth Stanley Cup. It's the first time they've clinched on home ice since 1938.

Tampa Bay lost the series despite surrendering just 13 goals. Ben Bishop kept the Lightning in Game 6 with 30 saves as he played through a torn groin muscle that kept him out of Game 4.

NHL-CANADIENS-MITCHELL

Mitchell gets 3-year pact

MONTREAL (AP) — Montreal Canadiens center Torrey Mitchell has signed a three-year deal.

The 30-year-old Mitchell had six goals and eight assists in 65 regular-season games between the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal. He had a goal and four assists in 12 playoff games for the Canadiens.

MLB-SCHEDULE

Mets halt Jays' streak

UNDATED (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays saw their 11-game winning streak end in agonizing fashion.

Lucas Duda and Wilmer Flores hit RBI singles with two out in the bottom of the 11th to push the New York Mets past the Jays 4-3. Toronto went ahead on Dioner Navarro's sacrifice fly before ending their team record-tying winning streak.

Jose Bautista homered twice for the Blue Jays, including a game-tying blast on the first pitch of the ninth inning.

Juan Lagares and Ruben Tejada hit consecutive RBI doubles for the Mets, who stretched their lead in the NL East to 1 ½ games over Washington.

Mets starter Noah Syndergaard had to settle for a no-decision after striking out 11 over six innings and leaving with a 2-1 lead.

Meanwhile, San Diego was a loser in its first game under manager Dave Roberts, who took over when Bud Black was fired yesterday.

Stephen Vogt belted a grand slam while Oakland put together a five-run eighth to earn a 9-1 rout of the Padres. Vogt, Josh Reddick and Brett Lawrie hit RBI singles in the third inning to put the A's ahead to stay.

The Padres managed just a run and three hits in 6 2/3 innings against Athletics starter Jesse Hahn.

Black was let go with the team a game under .500 at 32-33. He was the 2010 NL Manager of the Year and went 649-713 in eight-plus seasons as San Diego's skipper, but the team never reached the playoffs or won more than 90 games.

Elsewhere in the all-interleague schedule:

— Mark Reynolds and Yadier Molina hit back-to-back homers in the fourth inning to put St. Louis ahead 3-0 in a 3-2 triumph over Minnesota. John Lackey looked good in holding the Twins to a pair of runs and five hits in eight innings.

— Erasmo Ramirez threw six shutout innings and Logan Forsythe was 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI singles in the Rays' fourth consecutive win, 6-1 over Washington. The Rays have won 10 of their last 13 to move one game ahead of the New York Yankees atop the AL East.

— Yovani Gallardo scattered four hits in seven shutout innings of the Rangers' 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Texas. Rougned Odor went 3-for-3 with a two-run single just hours after his recall from the minors.

— Houston still leads the AL West by 2 ½ games over Texas after Colby Rasmus hit a three-run homer and George Springer added a pair of solo shots in the Astros' 6-3 win over Colorado. Dallas Kuechel carried a perfect game into the sixth inning and improved to 8-2.

— Lorenzo Cain bashed a two-run homer and Alcides Escobar lined a pair of RBI singles while Kansas City was building an 8-2 lead in an 8-5 triumph at Milwaukee. Edinson Volquez gave up two runs and six hits in five innings as the Royals extended their lead in the AL Central to 2 ½ games over Minnesota.

— Anibal Sanchez fired a two-hitter with seven strikeouts in Detroit's 6-0 shutout of Cincinnati. J.D. Martinez hit a two-run homer and had three RBIs, while Miguel Cabrera added a two-run double to the Tigers' sixth victory in eight games since an eight-game losing streak.

— Starling Marte was 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored as Pittsburgh crushed the Chicago White Sox 11-0. Francisco Cervelli and Jung Ho Kang also drove in two runs apiece to back Francisco Liriano, who struck out 12 and gave up only two hits in eight innings.

— Derek Dietrich hit a tiebreaking homer off Masahiro Tanaka in the seventh inning, and Tom Kohler combined with two relievers on a three-hitter as Miami downed the New York Yankees 2-1. Koehler gave up the three hits, including Mark Teixeira's solo blast in the second inning.

— Wei-Yin Chen struck out nine and held the Phillies to four hits in eight innings of Baltimore's 4-0 shutout of Philadelphia. Matt Wieters hit a three-run homer as the Orioles handed the Phillies their seventh straight defeat and third shutout loss in four games.

— The Mariners were 5-1 winners in San Francisco behind Taijuan Walker, who gave up a run and seven hits in seven innings. Logan Morrison singled home the tiebreaking run, Austin Jackson had two RBIs and Kyle Seager homered as the Mariners dealt the Giants their fifth consecutive loss.

— Robbie Ray held the Angels to a pair of hits in seven shutout innings as Arizona posted a 7-3 victory at Anaheim. Paul Goldschmidt is hitting a major league-leading .366 after going 3-for-4 with a three-run homer in the Diamondbacks' fourth consecutive win.

— Williams Perez worked six shutout innings and Atlanta put together a 3-run fourth in a 4-2 triumph at Boston. Nick Markakis was 2-for-4 with an RBI single and a run scored for the Braves.

— Monday's game between the Chicago Cubs and visiting Cleveland Indians has been rained out and rescheduled for Aug. 24.

MLB-METS-GEE

Gee DFA'd

NEW YORK (AP) — Dillon Gee lost a regular spot on the New York Mets' starting rotation, and he's now lost his place on the roster.

The Mets have designated the right-hander for assignment, one day after he allowed eight runs and 11 hits in 3 2/3 innings of an eventual 10-8 win against Atlanta.

General manager Sandy Alderson said the NL East leaders will try to trade Gee or push him through waivers for the purpose of sending him to Triple-A Las Vegas.

Gee won a career-high 13 games as a rookie in 2011, but he's 0-3 with a 5.90 ERA in 39 2/3 innings this year. He's 40-37 with a 4.03 ERA over six major league seasons.

MLB-NEWS

Jays shelve Sanchez

NEW YORK (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays have placed right-hander Aaron Sanchez on the 15-day disabled list with a mild lat muscle strain. Sanchez is 5-4 with a 3.55 ERA in 11 big league starts since making his debut last season. Scott Copeland filled in for Sanchez on Wednesday and has been recalled to start Tuesday's game against the Mets in New York.

NBA-HORNETS/CLIPPERS TRADE

Clippers get Stephenson from Hornets

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Hornets have given up on Lance Stephenson, sending the guard to the Los Angeles Clippers for center Spencer Hawes and forward Matt Barnes.

The Hornets signed Stephenson to a three-year, $27 million contract after he averaged 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists for Indiana in 20013-14. But he struggled with Charlotte, providing just 8.2 points, 4 1/2 boards and 3.9 assists while starting just 25 of his 61 games.

The deal was also a chance for the Clippers to unload Hawes' contract.

He has three years left on a four-year, $23 million deal he signed last summer with the Clippers.

Hawes didn't play in half the Clippers' 14 playoff games.

Speaking of the Hornets, center Al Jefferson has exercised the third-year option on his contract and will remain with the team next season.

Jefferson struggled with injuries last season and appeared in 65 games, averaging 16.6 points and 8.4 rebounds.

NBA-NUGGETS

New coach for Denver

DENVER (AP) — Michael Malone has agreed to a deal to be the new head coach of the Denver Nuggets.

He won the job over Melvin Hunt, who had served as interim coach after Brian Shaw was fired on March 3. Malone was let go by Sacramento in December after going 39-67 in parts of two seasons with the Kings.

FIFA-BLAZER-US PROSECUTORS

Blazer working with Feds

UNDATED (AP) — Former FIFA executive committee member Chuck Blazer agreed to act undercover for U.S. prosecutors and has been cooperating since at least 2011 in the government's investigation of soccer corruption. His plea agreement from Nov. 2013 was unsealed today after a federal judge agreed to a request by media organizations. In exchange for Blazer's cooperation and guilty pleas to 10 counts, the government agreed not to recommend a specific sentence for his crimes and also accepted that a reduction of up to three levels be warranted under sentencing guidelines.

SHARPER-RAPE

Former NFL player admits guilt

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Former New Orleans Saints player Darren Sharper is headed to jail after pleading guilty to rape in a Louisiana drug-and-sexual-assault case, completing a series of pleas in four states that will see him serve at least nine years in prison.

Each case arose from allegations that the former player drugged and sexually assaulted women. Formal sentencing is still pending but the deal calls for Sharper to spend nine more years behind bars.

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

Vandy rallies big on Day 3

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The defending NCAA baseball champs have opened their College World Series schedule with a victory.

Freshman Jeren Kendall's two-run homer off Tyler Peitzmeier in the bottom of the ninth inning gave Vanderbilt a 4-3, come-from-behind victory over Cal State Fullerton. The Commodores were down 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning when heavy thunderstorms Sunday night forced the suspension of the game.

Virginia is 2-0 after Brandon Waddell limited Florida to a pair of hits in seven innings of a 1-0 verdict over the Gators. Robbie Coman supplied the game's lone run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

Arkansas was eliminated from the series when Jacob Heyward singled in the bottom of the ninth to give Miami a 4-3 win over the Razorbacks. Heyward opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the fifth, scored the go-ahead run in the seventh and delivered the walk-off hit after Willie Abreu doubled off the center-field wall.