Sports News Headlines

LONDON (Reuters) - Kevin Pietersen has been named in England's 14-man squad for a two-match Twenty20 series against New Zealand after returning from a knee injury, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Thursday. Pietersen, England's most explosive batsman, missed their one-day series against New Zealand as well …

By Mike Collett RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - World champions Spain will field a second-string side against Oceania champions Tahiti in the Confederations Cup on Thursday but are unlikely to show any mercy in what is expected to be a one-sided carnival of soccer at the Maracana stadium. One of the more unlikely competitive …

BOSTON (AP) — New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez had a connection to a homicide victim found in an industrial park near the athlete's home, but family and officials were mum on the nature of their relationship, two days after police first visited the upscale division.

By Tatiana Ramil FORTALEZA, Brazil (Reuters) - Neymar, inspired by the protest movement which has swept Brazil in the last few days, gave possibly his best performance for his country in a 2-0 win over Mexico in the Confederations Cup on Wednesday. The Barcelona-bound 21-year-old, who has often struggled at international …

MIAMI (AP) — He is the best player in the game and this is the best moment in his sport.

BOSTON (AP) — The Blackhawks are heading back to Chicago having regained home-ice advantage in the Stanley Cup finals and with a renewed faith in an offense that took more than 120 minutes to push a puck past Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask.

By Andrew Downie RECIFE, Brazil (Reuters) - Substitute Sebastian Giovinco tapped in a late goal to secure Italy a thrilling 4-3 win over Japan on Wednesday and a semi-final berth in the Confederations Cup. Giovinco slotted home the winner in the 86th minute after latching onto a cross in the area, capping a pulsating contest …

(Reuters) - Serena Williams has apologized for comments she made in a forthcoming interview in which she appeared to assign blame to the 16-year-old victim in the Steubenville, Ohio, rape case for being drunk. The comments were reported in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine and stirred up U.S. media attention on Wednesday. …

By Steve Keating BOSTON (Reuters) - Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews is what coaches like to call a "complete" ice hockey player. Defensively responsible, hard working, a leader and a playmaker, Toews has been all these things but mostly he is a goal scorer. On Wednesday he did what the Blackhawks expect him to …

By Mark Meadows LONDON (Reuters) - Choke is a word which has haunted South African cricket for three decades but rather than shy away from it, departing coach Gary Kirsten has embraced the term in a bid to end their semi-final hoodoo. Wednesday's heavy Champions Trophy semi-final defeat by England at The Oval, where the …

(Reuters) - Chris Davis continued his power surge by blasting a pair of home runs as the Baltimore Orioles bashed Detroit 13-3 on Wednesday. Davis launched a two-run blast in the fourth inning and another in the ninth to give him 26 homers on the season, the most in Major League Baseball. He finished with five RBIs as Baltimore …

By Steve Keating BOSTON (Reuters) - Coach Joel Quenneville shuffled his deck and came up with a winning hand as the Chicago Blackhawks' aces found their target in a wild 6-5 win over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday to level the Stanley Cup Final at two games each. After a 2-0 defensive showcase in Game Three, the two teams …

BOSTON (AP) — After struggling for more than 120 minutes to score even once, the Blackhawks beat Boston goalie Tuukka Rask a half-dozen times in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals to send the series back to Chicago tied two games apiece.

(Reuters) - World and Olympic champion Sally Pearson will compete in her first 100 meters hurdles event since winning gold at last year's London Games when she races in the Czech Republic next week, Athletics Australia said on Thursday. The 26-year-old will compete in Ostrava next Thursday before taking part in the hurdles …

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — When Justin Grimm threw his last pitch, the Texas Rangers were trailing the AL West-leading Oakland Athletics.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — In the kind of pitchers' duel the College World Series hadn't seen in three decades, Matt Boyd was just a bit superior to Aaron Slegers.

NEW YORK (AP) — Yasiel Puig kicked back in his chair, his well-worn uniform streaked in red clay, and calmly answered questions in Spanish. Then, suddenly, he threw his hands in the air and shouted, "Pow!"

By Larry Fine NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Yankees had a first-hand look at Cuban rookie sensation Yasiel Puig of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday and came away mightily impressed. "He hits the ball hard, I can tell you that. He's got a very good arm and he's aggressive," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said after …

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Bruins came from behind to tie the Chicago Blackhawks for the third time and sent Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals into overtime with the teams even 5-5 on Wednesday night.

SAO PAULO (AP) — Leaders in Brazil's two biggest cities said Wednesday that they reversed an increase in bus and subway fares that ignited anti-government protests that have spread across the nation in the past week.

BOSTON (AP) — A man found dead in an industrial park about a mile from New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez's home had been killed, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

BOSTON (AP) — They have come to wave flags or meet the players or just appear on the video screen, invariably to a standing ovation, during the Boston Bruins' run to the Stanley Cup finals.

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Astrodome, an iconic stadium that's fallen into disrepair since it was shuttered four years ago, could see new life as a giant convention center and exhibition space under a plan recommended by a county board on Wednesday.