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Monday, May 28, 2012

Sports

The Best and the Brashest

Connor Fields riding on a track in California that is a replica of the one riders will race on at the London Olympics this summer.
Jonathan Fennell for The New York Times

Connor Fields riding on a track in California that is a replica of the one riders will race on at the London Olympics this summer.

Still a teenager, Connor Fields is the first rider in BMX supercross history to win three straight World Cup final races, and he has become a medal favorite for the London Olympics.

Albert Pujols was hitting .288 with 6 homers and 17 R.B.I. in his previous 18 games going into Monday’s game.
Dan Levine/European Pressphoto Agency

Albert Pujols was hitting .288 with 6 homers and 17 R.B.I. in his previous 18 games going into Monday’s game.

After 11 seasons with the Cardinals, Albert Pujols signed a big contract with the Angels. But until recently, he was not close to being the player he was in St. Louis.

Phillies 8, Mets 4

Mets More Short-Handed at Shortstop After Loss

The Phillies won for the fifth time in six games, and the Mets’ Justin Turner could be headed to the disabled list with a sprained ankle, thinning an already stretched infield.

Baseball Roundup

Given a Fourth Strike, Aviles Sparks Red Sox

After an umpire’s mistake, Mike Aviles lined a single to center that started a three-run surge in the second inning to give the Red Sox the lead for good in a 7-4 win.

French Open

Straight Sets

Baker Adds Another Victory to His Comeback Story

Brian Baker, whose career was interrupted for six years by injury, defeated Xavier Malisse at the French Open to win his first Grand Slam match since 2005, 6-3, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (5).

Top Seed Azarenka Struggles in Her Opener

Azarenka trailed, 0-4, in the second set before recovering to beat Alberta Brianti in the first round at Roland Garros.

Stanley Cup Playoffs

Wayne Gretzky led the Kings in their only previous trip to the Stanley Cup finals, in 1993.
Gary Hershorn/Reuters

Wayne Gretzky led the Kings in their only previous trip to the Stanley Cup finals, in 1993.

Slap Shot

Getting a Hockey Education During the 1993 Finals

A reporter who had never covered hockey before recalls the Los Angeles Kings’ run to the Stanley Cup finals in 1993, and their eventual loss.

Devils’ Lamoriello Never Tires of Beating the Team He’s Tired of Hearing About

Despite being focused on the Stanley Cup finals, General Manager Lou Lamoriello cannot resist looking back just a little to savor the Devils’ victory over the rival Rangers.

N.B.A. Playoffs

Game 1: Spurs 101, Thunder 98

Spurs Finish Strong for 19th Straight Win

Manu Ginobili scored 26 points as the Spurs, who are undefeated in the playoffs, beat the Thunder in the first game of the Western Conference finals.

Spurs-Thunder Matchup Is Not Exactly Second Fiddle

The Western Conference finals aren’t as glamorous as the matchup in the East, but its combatants were 16-1 in the playoffs entering Sunday’s game.

Loyola 9, Maryland 3

Loyola Soaks Up Feeling of a Breakthrough Title

With a 9-3 victory over the Terrapins, the top-seeded Greyhounds joined the elite of men’s college lacrosse, a sport long dominated by a small circle of programs.

Johnny Tapia, Champion Boxer Amid Chaos, Dies at 45

Tapia won titles in three weight divisions but struggled with mental illness and addiction, having been declared clinically dead five times as a result of drug overdoses.

Italian Soccer Players Arrested Over Match-Fixing

The Italian authorities arrested Lazio’s captain, Stefano Mauri, and 13 others Monday as part of an investigation into sporting fraud.

On a Fishing Trip, a Surprise Catch Among the Expected Striped Bass

One axiom of saltwater fishing in New England is that tautog, those thick and dark-toned fish of inshore reefs and submerged boulder fields, do not strike jigs. No one told this tautog.

Multimedia

Slide Show: From Little League to the Major Leagues

As a major league pitcher for 15 seasons, including time with the Red Sox and the Mets, Bob Ojeda had an intense relationship with pain.

Slide Show: Micah True’s Journey

The man who became known as Caballo Blanco took a long, fascinating path from a furniture mover and boxer in Colorado to an ultrarunner in the canyons of Mexico.

  • Related Article

On a Fishing Trip, a Surprise Catch Among the Expected Striped Bass

One axiom of saltwater fishing in New England is that tautog, those thick and dark-toned fish of inshore reefs and submerged boulder fields, do not strike jigs. No one told this tautog.

Sports of The Times

Uncontrolled Sport May Not Merit Triple Crown Glory

Without central leadership, reforms have been slow in coming to the sprawling, disjointed horse racing industry, which lacks accountability.

Multimedia
Photo Replay: May 28

A view of the day in sports, including the many chapeaux at the French Open.

Mets’ Banner Day

Fans’ banners of all shapes and sizes were on display at Citi Field, as the Mets revived a tradition.

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