Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • 43

MONDAY, MAY 15, 2 000 SPORTS DETROIT FREE PRESS 5E THE LOWEDOIYN ameviKis 1 Red Sox sweep O's, take AL East lead sffflidingin shootout FREE PRESS NEWS SERVICES i i. Swede wins Nelson in three-way playoff IRVING, Texas Jesper Par-nevik missed a 1-foot putt but not the one that mattered. The 35-year-old Swede overcame a horrendous blunder earlier in Sunday's round by making par on the third extra hole to win League history. The game probably seemed only slightly longer to the Brewers than Wednesday's ninth inning. TRACHSEL DIG BARGAIN Anyone could have had Steve Trachsel during the off-season.

He was coming off an 1 8-loss season with the Cubs. His agent, Alan Meorsand, worked the lobby at the winter meetings, trying to generate interest in the right-hander. Finally, a month later, Trachsel signed with Tampa Bay for $1 million a discount special these days. Trachsel always will be known as the pitcher who gave up Mark McGwire's record-setting 62nd homer. But now he also can be known for something else winning back-to-back 1-0 games in Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium.

And he won them by going all the way against Pedro Martinez (1 7 strikeouts that day) and by pitching seven innings Thursday against Orlando Hernandez. Trachsel became the first pitcher in eight years to win 1 -0 in consecutive starts. The last? Pittsburgh's Zane Smith, who did it in July '92 against St. Louis (complete game) and Houston (8V3 innings). If Trachsel had an inclination after his 1 -0 wins to point out how many clubs passed on him, he declined the temptation.

"It's just a continuation of what I did in the last game, nothing special," Trachsel said after the Yankee Stadium win. "Just locating my fastball real well. When you feel good and you're hitting your spots, your confidence builds." Tampa Bay catcher John Flaherty, the former Tiger, said, "Now maybe we can score him some runs. These 1-0 games are not getting it done. Well, they are getting it done.

But they're giving me a heart attack. I have enough gray hairs." nrr.izr.'Drn Amid the criticism that Tigers general manager Randy Smith has received, it's worth noting that Smith is signed through 2003, thanks to a two-year extension he received in the off-season. The Tigers haven't announced the extension because it was reported publicly during spring training. it's ovra rcn cvzs We'd call what happened at Wrigley Field last Wednesday the comeback of the year. Only it was more like the blown lead of the year.

With two out and the bases empty in the ninth, the Chicago Cubs trailed Milwaukee, 8-3. And Milwaukee reliever Jim Bruske had an 0-2 count on Jeff Reed. But before the Brewers could get the third out, the Cubs had tied the score with five runs on one hit. After Reed rallied for a walk, first baseman Kevin Barker lost Damon Buford's pop-up in the sun for an error. "He just hit it in the perfect spot, I guess," Barker said.

"That was one of about a million things that went wrong that inning." Henry Rodriguez followed with a three-run homer to bring the Cubs within 8-6. Then the Cubs got two more runs without a hit. Closer Bob Wlckman relieved Bruske and walked the next three hitters to load the bases. Mark Grace followed with a grounder. Shortstop Mark Loretta charged it and made a high throw to first.

Barker went up to catch it. Grace barely got to the bag before Barker's foot came down on it. Eric Young scored from third, and Ricky Gutierrez sped home from second with the tying run. You can probably guess the rest. The Cubs won in the 11th.

The next day, the Brewers won, 14-8, in a game that lasted 4 hours and 22 minutes the longest nine-inning game in National BALTIMORE Darren Lewis and Brian Daubach homered Sunday as the Boston Red Sox moved into first place in the American League East by beating Mike Mussina and the Baltimore Orioles, 10-1. Boston's season-high fifth straight victory boosted the Red Sox (22-12) past the New York Yankees (22-13), who were swept by the Tigers. Brian Rose (3-2) allowed one run in five innings as the Red Sox registered their eighth consecutive win over Baltimore. The Orioles were outscored, 35-6, in the series. It was the seventh straight loss for Baltimore, which last dropped a four-game series at home against Boston on June 20-23, 1977.

Mussina (1-5) allowed six hits, including two home runs, in seven innings. Mussina has yielded 14 homers this season compared to 16 all last year. Anaheim 7, Texas 6: Troy Glaus and Scott Spiezlo hit back-to-back home runs in the ninth Inning, and Mo Vaughn homered twice tor the host Angels. Ivan Rodriguez put Texas ahead In the ninth with a homer oft Shigetoshl Hasegawa (2-0), making him 3-for-3 with two home runs as a pinch-hitter this season. Glaus tied the game against Francisco Cordero (1-1) with his 10th homer ot the season, Chicago Mirmstoti 3: At Chicago, Jose Valentin singled home the go-ahead run in the seventh Inning and Kelly Wunsch (2-2) pitched an inning ot scoreless reliet for his second win two days.

Undefeated White Sox starter James Baldwin, vying for his eighth victory, had a no-declslon. He allowed three runs and six hits In six Innings. Kansas City 5, Cleveland 4: Mike Sweeney went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and Mac Suzuki (1-0) struck out eight In 8V4 Innings for the visiting Royals. Toronto 3, Tampa Bay 2: At St. Petersburg, Fla David Wells scattered seven hits to win his sixth straight game on Darrin Fletcher's ninth-inning sacrifice fly.

Wells (7-1), who registered his AL-leading third complete game, retired 21 ot 23 batters after falling behind, 2-0, In the third Inning. Jose Canseco hit a 456-foot homer off Wells in the second. McGwire ties Mantle; Cards win slugfest Fi.17XSK.UL LEACl'S MAHK HUMPHHfcYAssociated Press Holding her 11-month-old son, Jackson, Pat Hurst beams after winning an LPGA tournament. By John Lowe the Byron Nelson Classic in a thrilling playoff over Davis Love III and Phil Mickelson. Love, winless in his last 47 PGA Tour events, got a huge break when he was given relief from newly laid sod left of the 18th green.

He chipped to 5 feet but missed the par putt. That left Parnevik a short putt for his second victory this year. It was gimme length but not after what happened on the 12th hole, when Parnevik somehow missed from that same distance. He recovered with two birdies for a four-under-par 66 that got him into the playoff at 11-under 269. Mickelson bogeyed the 72nd hole for a 65, but he was eliminated with a par on the par-three 17th, the second playoff hole, when his 15-foot birdie putt lipped out.

Love stayed alive with a 20-foot birdie on the same hole, but he will look back on two crucial misses on the 18th. He had an 8-foot birdie putt in regulation that would have given him his first victory in more than two years. Love, who was tied for the third-round lead with John Huston, had a 69. It was seventh time Love has finished second since his victory in the 1998 MCI Classic. Tiger Woods nearly pulled off the greatest final-round comeback of his career, with another eagle from the fairway.

Seven shots back to start the final round, he closed with a 63, his lowest final round ever as a professional. But he missed a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th and wound up one stroke out of the playoff at 270, along with Huston (70). LPCA: On her first Mother's Day as a mother, Pat Hurst won the inaugural Electrolux USA Championship at Franklin, her first LPGA victory since 1998. With her husband pushing their Aaron Boone is the center of attention at the end of a big day Thursday for the Cincinnati Reds, who beat the San Diego Padres and brother Bret Boone. FREE PRESS NEWS SERVICES son around the course in a stroller for the final nine holes, Hurst closed with a two-under-par 70 for a four-stroke, wire-to-wire victory.

"Of course, it's going to be my only first Mother's Day," said Hurst, who took off four months last year for the birth of her first child. "And to lead from Thursday on, yeah, it definitely feels good." Hurst sealed her victory with birdies on the final two holes and finished with a 72-hole total of 275, 13 under par. Her only serious challenge came from Juli Inkster, who tried to rally from six shots down. Inkster pulled within two strokes with three holes left before finishing with two bogeys for a round of 69 and a 279 total. EUROPEAN PGA: Jose Maria Olazabal shot six-under-par 66 and won the Benson and Hedges International at Sutton Coldfield, England.

Olazabal, a two-time Masters champion, finished at 275, 13-under-par and beat playing partner Phillip Price, of Wales by three strokes. Ireland's Padraig Harrington, who was five strokes in front going into the final round, was disqualified before he teed off when it was discovered he had not signed his card after his opening 71 on Thursday. I.J 'y i DAVID KOHL Associated Press LOWE I Big day for 3 Boones ST. LOUIS Mark McGwire homered in his first two at-bats Sunday, tying Mickey Mantle for eighth place on the career list with 536, and the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, 12-10.

Craig Paquette homered in going 5-for-5 with four RBIs. Jim Edmonds also homered and drove in three runs for St. Louis. Eric Karros homered twice for the Dodgers, and Gary Sheffield and Todd Hundley also connected as the teams combined for a Busch Stadium-record eight homers. McGwire passed Jimmie Foxx with his 13th homer of the season, a two-run shot off Carlos Perez in the first.

Edmonds and McGwire hit consecutive homers in the second. Atlanta 11, Philadelphia 2: At Philadelphia, Chipper Jones homered from both sides of the plate and Andruw Jones missed hitting for the cycle by a single as the Braves completed a three-game sweep. Colorado 11, San Francisco 7: Todd Helton broke a tie with an RBI double and raised his league-leading average to .417 for the host Rockies. Montreal 16, Chicago IS: Rondell White hit a two-run homer and Mike Mordecal had an RBI single as the Expos scored two in the bottom of the ninth. Sammy Sosa had five hits and five RBIs.

He singled home a run In the ninth and Henry Rodriguez (seven RBIs) hit a three-run homer for the Cubs. Eric Young stole five bases, the most by a Cubs player since George Gore swiped seven on June 25, 1 881 The Expos turned a triple play In the first. New York 5, Florida 1: At New York, Mike Piazza hit his 10th career grand slam in the sixth inning as the Mets ended the Marlins' four-game winning streak. Mike Hampton (4-4) allowed eight hits in his first complete game of the season for the Mets, Pittsburgh 3, Milwaukee 0: Bruce Aven and Brian Giles hit solo homers for the host Pirates. San Diego 3, Arizona 1: Brian Meadows (4-3) allowed two hits In eight Innings as the host Padres ended Arizona's nine-game winning streak.

Bonds' back injury may only be sprain Methodist is the zeal tiling in Division HI golf tourney ByJACKSAYLOR free press sports writer home-run trot, Bret has his back to him, staring at the rightfield wall. As Ray Boone had hoped, each of his grandsons has finished with three hits. Of their six combined hits, three were homers. The next day, Ray recalled their baseball growth. "Aaron was kind of the late bloomer," Ray said.

"Bret bloomed right away." With those words, Ray could have been recapping Thursday's game. When Bret hit his second homer, the inside-the-parker in the sixth, Aaron had only a single. But by the bottom of the ninth, the day belonged to Aaron. He had beaten Bret with a homer. And that might be even better than beating him in the back-flip competition at midnight.

From Page IE in Villa Park, listened on the Internet. Down the road in San Diego, Ray Boone also was listening. He's the former Tiger who is the patriarch of this family that edged the Bells (Gus, Buddy, David) to become the first three-generation family in big-league history. Here's what Sue and Ray heard happen Thursday: First inning: Bret hits a two-run homer to left, capping a three-run rally. Second inning: With the Reds trailing, 5-1, Aaron singles.

He soon scores, and when the inning ends, the Padres' lead is 5-4. Third inning: Moments after a Reds homer ties the score, Aaron bats with two out and pops to second base to his brother. "When that happened," Sue said on the phone Sunday, "I laughed. I couldn't believe how ironic it was." Sixth inning: Cincinnati now leads, 6-5, as Bret bats with a runner aboard. He grounds one into left, and the ball eludes Dmitri Young.

Bret sprints around with an inside-the-park homer. San Diego leads again. Seventh inning: Aaron brings the Reds within 9-8 with a two-out RBI single. "When they're playing each other," Ray Boone said later, "I pull for both of them to get hits and play well. As for the outcome, whatever happens, happens.

I'm glad one of them gets a victory. And I like to see them get three or four hits apiece." Ninth inning: After the Reds tie the game in the eighth, Bret doubles with two out and the bases empty. That's the fifth hit of the day for the Boones, and Bret's third for extra bases. But Bret is stranded. In the Reds' ninth, Aaron bats with a runner on first and one out.

He hits a drive the other way, to right, down the line. It hits the foul pole for a home run. Reds win, 11-9. When Aaron goes past Bret on his FREE PRESS NEWS SERVICES the fifth time. Gustavus Adolphus, the Uth-seeded team, is making its 16th consecutive appearance in the 20-year history of the Division III event.

Another Minnesota school, St. John's, is advancing to the title tourney for the first time. Also invited were five individual Division III players: Seth Adair of Savannah College of Art and Design Robert Fink of Oglethorpe Yanni Mommo of Averett Kevin Van Ros-sum of Augsburg and Tom Pavlars of Howard Payne (Texas). They will play as the 15th-seeded "team" and vie for individual honors. The 120 players play four rounds over the Bedford Valley course, which has hosted the Michigan Open and Michigan Publinx Match Piay.

The awards ceremony is at the golf course at 7 p.m. Thursday. Hope's bid is led by Eric Woh-field, a sophomore from Brighton and two-time MIAA golfer of the year. He finished 19th, individually, in last year's Division III championship as a freshman. Two Olivet golfers won spring tournaments for coach Gary Morrison's Comets.

Rick Gibbons, a freshman from Rockford, averaged 75.8 strokes for the spring season. Team captain Mark Raven, a senior from Burlington, Ontario, averaged 76.5 strokes. Contact JACK SAYLOR at 313-222-2503. The NCAA doesn't care about religious affiliation, but chances are if the question is posed when its Division III golf championship is concluded at Bedford Valley Golf Club in Battle Creek on Thursday, the answer will be: Methodist. Seeking its 10th title in the past 11 years and its seventh straight is Methodist College ofFayetteville.N.C.

With its top three players returning, Methodist is top-seeded among 24 teams invited to the championship, hosted by Olivet College. Joining the perennial champs atop the seeding list is another North Carolina school, Greensboro College, which finished third last year. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Ohio's Otterbein College are seeded third and fourth. Two MIAA schools are in the field, led by 13th-seeded Hope College, which won the conference championship last fall. Host Olivet is seeded 16th.

The Comets had won eight of the 10 previous MIAA titles. Methodist's bid is paced by veteran players Chad Collins; Bill Whitney of Cleveland, the Northeast Ohio Amateur champion; and Brion McLaughlin. Another notable entry is University of California-San Diego, which won Division III in 1993 and was runner-up last year for Sue and Bob Boone have another child: Matt, 20, an infielder for the Tigers' Class A club in Lakeland, Fla. Sue Boone sometimes thinks it's humanly impossible for all of her sons to do well on the same day. So after what Bret and Aaron did Thursday, Sue thought, "Matthew probably is going to call tonight and say he went 0-for-4." Matthew called and said he'd gone 3-for-4.

"Oh, my gosh," Sue thought. "They were 9-for-13 today with 10 RBIs. That's not a bad day. It's awesome. It is humanly possible." The whole day had become a gift from her three sons.

And when Mother's Day came Sunday, Sue could say, "I am blessed. I have good kids doing what they love the most. To watch your kids grow up and get into a profession that they have chosen for themselves and that they genuinely love, that is very rewarding to a parent." DENVER Less than 24 hours after being taken from the field on a cart, San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds was walking on his own Sunday, thankful that a seemingly debilitating injury turned out to be a sprained joint in his lower back. "I thought, 'This year's Bonds said. "I didn't think my career, just the season, I thought it was gone.

The pain was so severe in my spine, I was like, It was weird." The eight-time All-Star left Saturday's game against Colorado in the ninth inning and did not play Sunday. He was scheduled to return to San Francisco for an MRI and rays while the team headed to Atlanta to continue a nine-game trip. The club will wait for today's test results before deciding whether to place Bonds hitting .284 with 15 homers and 26 RBIs on the 15-day disabled list. Florida: Third baseman Mike Lowell is out two weeks with a sprained left thumb. Infielder Chili Claptntki was called up from Triple-A Calgary.

Milwaukee: Right-hander Jim Bruske Is on the DL with a sore elbow. Right-hander Hector Ramlrei was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis. Contact JOHN LOWE at 313-223-4053 or JohnLowe98 ffaol.com. TIGERS I Yankees swept 2-0; Mlicki sharp for 8 ('h 'tut "cVctl MMDS MTErulATiQUAL $10 V.I.P. DANCES ALL WEEK LONG i FREE V.I.P.

COVER FREE PARKING txcEcrrai i ur nsht OPEN FBI. SAT. TILL DAWN DRAWINGS ON OUR WEB I WIN AVIP CARp ON OURWra jr The Tigers lost 24 of their next 40 games after the '99 sweep and finished 69-92. "Hopefully we'll learn from what happened last year," Mlicki said. "We're a year older and have more experience.

Maybe we can use that to our advantage." Garner, in his first year as Tigers manager, said he doesn't know and doesn't want to know what happened last season. "This is the first opportunity we've had to gloat over a three-game winning streak, and we're going to take it," Garner said. "Who knows how far this can go?" Contact CEm GUIDI at 313-222-2373. side than the chump side." The Tigers had their share of chances for more runs against David Cone (1-3) and two relievers, but stranded 11 runners. They scored on RBI hits by Juan Gonzalez and Juan Encarna-cion.

"We hit some other balls hard that were caught," Garner said. "Even though we didn't score many runs today, I thought we had a better offensive approach by our hitters all weekend." Mlicki, who beat the Yankees to complete the previous sweep against the Yanks on April 18, 1999, hopes the Tigers won't revert to their losing ways this year. Jones got his 10th save by retiring Scott Brosius on a soft fly to right after yielding an RBI single to Spencer, who had three of the Yankees' five hits. Because Jones has suffered through three losing seasons with the Tigers, he is more pragmatic than giddy when asked to assess the club's first streak this season. "We've got so much work to do that we can't really celebrate too much," Jones said.

"We stink for six weeks and then play like champs for three games. "Who are the real Tigers? We're probably somewhere in between. What you have to hope is that we're closer to the champ From Page IE sions and followed strong outings from C. J. Nitkowski and Jeff Weaver in the first two games.

"Somewhere around the third inning today, Mlicki got into a groove," Garner said. Mlicki, pitching ahead in the count all day and getting most of his outs with curveballs and change-ups, retired 15 in a row before a seventh-inning, two-out single by Shane Spencer. Mlicki got two outs in the ninth before walking Tino Martinez and Jorge Posada, the latter on four pitches. "I was starting to aim the ball to the last hitter," Mlicki said. DvHo3 v-C-cn pj.rs Id cc.ic3 jo33v0 i.