The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 58

D8 SPORTS LOSANGELESTIMES From Times Staff and Wire Reports Jermain Taylor outpointed Cory Spinks in a split decision Saturday night at Memphis, for his fourth straight defense of his World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization middleweight titles but this one did little to satisfy his critics. Taylor had winning scores of 117-111 and 115-113 from two of the judges, and the third had it 117111 for Spinks. Spinks and Taylor spent most of the early rounds sizing up each other. Spinks is 2 1 2 inches shorter than the 6-foot Taylor, but he did a good job staying out of the reach. The two combined to throw 211 punches in the first three rounds and drew scattered boos from the crowd.

Taylor picked up the action during the middle rounds, and knocked Spinks off balance with asolid left in the seventh but Taylor (27-0-1) still knocked anyone down during his nearly two-year reign atop the middleweight division. The boos returned during the final rounds. Spinks, the International Boxing Federation junior- middleweight champion, moved up to fight Taylor. Spinks (36-4) was second straight opponent from a lower weight class. Taylor beat Kassim Ouma from the junior middleweight ranks in December.

Taylor outpointed Bernard Hopkins in July 2005 to become middleweight champion. He beat Hopkins in a second decision later that year, then escaped with a draw against Winky Wright in Memphis in 2006. Taylor then beat Ouma in another decision. As the 12th round drew to a close, Spinks immediately raised his arms in triumph, and he began dancing around the ring when it was over. That was premature.

know what to say. It was highway Spinks said. thought I gave a great boxing display. I feel great. I executed my game plan.

I think I Two of the judges disagreed, though. Neither fighter landed many memorable punches, but Spinks, in particular, struggled to connect. He threw 542 punches, but landed only 85. Taylor, on the other hand, threw only 319 punches, landing 101. TENNIS Federer and Nadal win to set up final Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal rallied to win their semifinal matches and set up a showdown between the top-ranked players for the championship of the Hamburg Masters in Germany.

The top-ranked Federer defeated Carlos Moya 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, and Nadal beat Lleyton Hewitt 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, to extend his clay- court winning streak to 81 matches. Nadal has a 7-3 career record against Federer, including 5-0 on clay. Federer has gone four straight tournaments without a title, his worst run since he became No. 1 in February 2004. He takes a 16-match winning streak in Hamburg into the final, his fourth this season.

Second-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova and third-seeded Jelena Jankovic posted straight-set wins to advance to the final of the Italian Open at Rome. Kuznetsova beat ninth- seeded Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 6-2, and Jankovic beat Patty Schnyder 6-1, 6-3. Milagros Sequera was shut out in the first set, then recovered to beat Ioana Raluca Ola- ru 0-6, 6-2, 7-6 (5), to reach the final of the Grand Prix SAR at Fez, Morocco. She will play Aleksandra Wozniak who advanced when Maria Emilia Salerni retired while trailing, 6-3, 4-4. The ninth-seeded UCLA team saw its season come to an end as it lost to top-ranked Georgia, 4-0, in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I tournament at Athens, Ga.

The Bulldogs (30-0) clinched the victory at No. 1 singles when John Isner the top- ranked singles player, beat fourth-ranked Benjamin Kohlloeffel 7-5, 7-6 (1). The Bruins, who finished the season with a 22-4 overall record, reached the quarterfinals for the 19th consecutive season. USC lost to fourth-seeded Virginia, 4-1, in the quarterfinals at Athens, Ga. Dominic Inglot clinched the victory for the Cavaliers by beating 7-6 (5), 6-3.

The 12th-seeded Trojans finished 23-3. SOCCER Stuttgart wins first German title in 15 years VfB Stuttgart won its first German Bundesliga title in 15 years with a 2-1 victory over Energie Cottbus. Sami Khedira scored the decisive goal on a header in the 63rd minute. Stuttgart finished two points ahead of Schalke to clinch the title. Schalke beat Arminia Bielefeld, 2-1, but missed out on its first league title in 49 years.

Juventus defeated Arezzo, 5-1, in the Italian SerieB to clinch a promotion to the Serie 10 months after being demoted and docked points in the Italian match-fixing scandal. Juventus, which was penalized nine points and relegated in July last year, leads the second division with 82 points. Genoa is second with 74. Djibril seventh goal in as many matches and substitute Mathieu late goal gave Marseille a 2-1 French league victory at Saint-Etienne and a berth in next European Champions League. COLLEGE SOFTBALL UCLA is eliminated in regional playoff Brandi two-run double in the top of the eighth inning gave Hawaii a 3-1 victory over UCLA in the second round of the NCAA Division I Los Angeles Regional at Easton Stadium.

The win left the Warriors (4811) as the only unbeaten team. The Bruins later lost and were eliminated by Loyola Marymount (45-14), which earlier beat UC Santa Barbara, 5-3, in an elimination game. 4-2 win over UCLA earned the Lions a meeting with Hawaii today at 2:30 p.m. for the regional title. Loyola must beat Hawaii twice to advance.

BASEBALL Bates sets record with four home runs Aaron Bates a first baseman for the Lancaster Jethawks, became the first player in the 66- year history of the California League to hit four home runs in a game in his 14-12 win over the visiting Lake Elsinore Storm in a Class-A minor league game. Among the players who have played in the California League over the years are Reggie Jackson for Modesto in 1966, George Brett for San Jose in 1972, Kirby Puckett for Visalia in 1983 and Ken Griffey Jr for San Bernardino in 1988. DISTANCE RUNNING Calvo sets record in Great Wall marathon Salvador Calvo of Spain set a record over one of the most unusual running courses in the world to win Great Wall Marathon at Kuaihuolin. time of 3 hours 23 minutes 10 seconds in a race that includes climbing 3,800 steps was two minutes faster than the old mark, and 15 minutes ahead of American Frederick Zalokar who finished second in 3:38:14. The first woman was Sara Winter of New Zealand an amazing fifth overall in another course record of 3:50:21.

NEWSWIRE Taylor retains his titles after edging Spinks Charles Rex Arbogast AP LOW DOWN: Cory Spinks, right, looks for an opening to punch Jermain Taylor. A fter 33 years of living on the wrong side of history, you would think Al Downing would have sympathy for Barry upcoming victim, not the slugger. Sometime soon Bonds will hit his 756th home run, and Downing no longer will be the pitcher who surrendered the homer that set the record. Downing has had that tag attached to his namesince April 8, 1974, when he was pitching for the Dodgers and gave up the home run that moved Hank Aaron past Babe Ruth. usually the first thing people ask about when he makes appearances for the speakers bureau.

That mean ready to provide words of comfort for the pitcher who will take his place. If anything, he feels sorry for Bonds. are saying, you going to call the guy that gives up the home Downing said. You should be focusing on the hitter. To keep harping on people who give up home runs makes no what else make sense to Downing: the condemnation of Bonds and Commissioner Bud reluctance to be a part of the historic moment.

Aaron has said he be there, and Selig has been noncommittal. a grown man; he should do whatever he Downing said. Selig represents Major League Baseball. Bud Selig should be there. This is amonumental moment in the history of Major League hedging, dodging and delaying is a statement in and of itself.

It says in the large crowd that believes numbers are tainted by the use of performance-enhancing drugs. think a disgrace that people go to such means to condemn a guy for something that they have no proof ever Downing said. seems like trying to distract him from trying to break the record. People are hoping he retires before breaking the record. What kind of attitude is that? was standing at home plate giving him special guidance.

You have to take your hat off to a guy, to say this is a tough But we look at any accomplishment in thelast 10 years with a skeptical eye? the MarkMcGwire-Sam- mySosa Home Run Race of and every home run milestone since then look increasingly tainted with every scandalous book, congressional hearing or federal raid? of all, the people who have been bellyaching about these numbers, they start off by saying the watered Downing said. they say the ballparks are smaller. Then they say these guys have help hitting these home runs. If all the previous things are true, they need Downing also says that since his career ended in 1977 the pitchers have not refined their skills as much as the hitters have. Hitters are better at recognizing pitches; pitchers are less deceptive and more reliant on trying to overpower batters.

It upset Downing when Bonds hits a home run. It bothers him when teams decide to walk him without even trying to get him out. travesty of the whole thing is we get to see the best of him because they walk him so Downing said. let the guy swing the bat. They ought to give the fans the money back when they do something like that.

People come to see this guy play. Nobody wants to go to a three-game series and see Barry walk 12 times. come up in an era when you walked guys. I came up in an era where you tried to get guys career started with the New YorkYankees in 1961, when Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle were chasing single-season record of 60 home runs. His playing career saw the integration movement take hold in the 1960s, the transition to nighttime World Series games, a brief stint withCharlie colorful Oakland of the early 1970s, and the stability that was the Dodgers with Manager Walter Alston and the SteveGarvey- DaveyLopes-BillRussell-Ron Cey infield.

why he spent his life moping about the pitch he threw to Aaron. At least he was in amajor league uniform when he made the windup and the delivery. look upon it as a negative Downing said. look on it as being a part of history in baseball. Do I wish I had gotten a ground ball and a double play? Of course.

was a fastball that get down. Hank Aaron was a great hitter. He have to get agood pitch to hit it out of the Reluctantly, he acknowledges the reason we feel compelled to attach a pitcher to every great hitting moment. every hero, there has to be a Downing said. Only this time around, it looks as if the villain is the one holding the bat.

J.A. Adande can be reached at j.a.adande@latimes.com. To read more by Adande, go to la- times.com/adande J.A. A DANDE The Bonds man Downing serves up some support for the record-chasing slugger Associated Press NO, THANKS: Hank Aaron, left, says he will not be on hand when Barry Bonds, right, passes his home run record. Andrew Gombert EPA Los Angeles Times OK BY HIM: Former Dodger Al Downing, who gave up Hank 715th home run, is endorsing Barry chase of the record.

about he said. And then he gave an angry and painful and delightfully honest answer. He gave it in front of his locker, still wearing a weathered blue T-shirt and shorts nearly 20 minutes after the game, dirt still flaking off his elbows and sweat flying off his hair. He gave it with wide eyes and atight wince and a head that shook in both humor and disgust. He gave it for several long minutes, long enough for teammates to slip out the clubhouse undisturbed, long enough to make you realize that, despite his distaste for being a leader, he was being a leader.

can sit back home and we can sit behind our desk and our computers and we can write out a about the game, and more than likely be wrong because wrong and wrong and Kent said. just play the game and hard about this game because you play it. game is a game of anticipation. The catcher sets up away, the pitcher throws it inside. looking for a fastball, you get a curveball.

You take a full swing, you break a bat, you get a single. You take a full swing, you hit a home run. You never know going to happen in this He paused to catch his breath. game is such a pain in the butt, I wait to And he was only getting started. Kent was speaking for a team whose impatient veteran offense leads the league in stranding runners had once again allowed occasionally shaky Angels pitchers to escape.

The worst example occurred in the eighth inning, after Juan Pierre led off with a double against reliever Scot Shields. The heart of the Dodgers order went down on only five pitches, including two to Kent, who grounded out. Kent was asked whether he should change his approach late in the game. His answer included a reference to the bloop two-run double by Robb Quinlan in the sixth inning that essentially finished the Dodgers. facing Shields, he throws me a fastball right down the middle for strike one, second pitch right down the middle for strike two and wanting to take the first two pitches, so if taking the first two pitches, sitting 0-2 and Kent said.

you throw your philosophy right out the window. You know. I mean, look what they did. A little one- out check-swing two runs. Should that be our approach? You ask that kid.

I know if he even knew what approach he had. He paused again. played on some great teams in my 15-plus-year career and played a lot of good baseball and I still figure this game he said. say wrong is not right. And to say right is not right either because I Wait.

There was more. He was asked about repeating the strategy of his second-inning homer in his ensuing at-bats. you think, OK, now I hit a home run, not going to throw me a strike first he said. here comes a fastball right down the middle. What is he thinking? Fifteen years later it still happens like this.

You hope to get into a rhythm where you can minimize your mistakes. Even so, if that were the case and we were able to control it that well, we play 162 games. Why not just play 30? You figure this game He done yet. He looked around at the half-dozen writers, looked down at his hands, shook his head. tried to answer your stupid questions with stupid answers and just strap it on tomorrow and he said.

the best we can do. frustrating. got to be patient with it and sometimes roll with the punches. The punches are sometimes going to hit you in the gut and going to hit you in the face and going to hit you in the He paused one last time. have to take Jeff Kent said.

And take it we should, as a reminder that even the road to Cooperstown is filled with bumpy curves. As Kent travels the final miles of that journey, it is clear he is doing so with his foot flat on the pedal. He is not going away quietly. He is not going away, period. The punches keep hitting him.

On Saturday night, he took one for the team. Bill Plaschke can be reached at bill.plaschke@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Plaschke, go to latimes.com/ plaschke. still trying to figure this game out Plaschke, from Page D1.