Angels outslug Indians 14-11 with 19-hit attack

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Jeff Mathis hit his first grand slam in the majors for the Los Angeles Angels yesterday in a 14-11 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

Mathis went 4-for-5 and had a career-high six RBIs. Casey Kotchman had a career-best five hits.

The Angels padded their AL West lead to 10 games over Oakland with the season-high 19-hit attack that also included four hits by Howie Kendrick.

Ryan Garko hit a two-run homer that gave Cleveland a 4-2 lead in the fourth. Cleveland went back in front 6-5 in the fifth with two-out RBI singles from Andy Marte and Sal Fasano.

Garko added a two-run single in the eighth that cut the Angels' lead to 14-10. Grady Sizemore added his 25th home run, one more than he had in 162 games last year.

Dunn's slam leads Reds over Maddux and Padres 9-5

CINCINNATI (AP) -- Adam Dunn hit Cincinnati's first grand slam of the season, and the Reds kept Greg Maddux in the longest winless streak of his sterling career by beating the San Diego Padres 9-5 yesterday.

The 42-year-old Maddux hasn't won since May 10th, going 14 starts without a victory. He was thwarted again yesterday with an assist by the Padres' defense and bullpen.

Maddux left the game with a 3-2 lead in the sixth after giving up an unearned run. Edwin Encarnacion hit the first pitch by Cla Meredith for a two-run homer that put the Reds ahead, dooming Maddux to another empty outing. He's 0-5 with nine no-decisions and a 4.54 ERA since his last victory.

Bronson Arroyo won his fifth consecutive start by holding the Padres to three runs in seven innings. It's the longest consecutive-win streak by a Cincinnati pitcher since Steve Parris won seven in a row in 2000.

Josh Fogg to miss next start with split lip

CINCINNATI (AP) -- Josh Fogg got hit in the face during batting practice and will now miss his next scheduled start for the Cincinnati Reds.

The right-hander chipped a tooth and needed 30 stitches Tuesday to close a split upper lip.

Fogg was playing catch in the outfield when he was hit by Joey Votto's batted ball. The lip was badly swollen this morning, but Fogg said he felt good.

He was scheduled to start on Friday against Colorado. Instead, Edinson Volquez will take his spot.

Manager Dusty Baker says he's relieved that Fogg wasn't hurt more seriously, such as suffering a broke nose.

James likely will miss exhibition vs. Canada.

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- U.S. forward LeBron James likely will miss tomorrow's exhibition against Canada as he recovers from a mild right ankle sprain.

James, who has had problems with both ankles, shot baskets on the sidelines but was held out of a scrimmage at a Las Vegas high school yesterday.

The Cleveland Cavaliers star injured his ankle when he landed on Kevin Durant's foot during scrimmage Tuesday between Team USA and a select squad of young NBA players.

James says it improved overnight, and he moved without a limp after reporters were admitted to the gym at the end of practice.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski says if the gold medal game was tomorrow, James would play.

Good as gold: LeBron guarantees Olympic title

UNDATED (AP) -- LeBron James says he won't be coming home from Beijing with anything but a gold medal.

James made his guarantee in a Time magazine story that hits newsstands tomorrow. The Cleveland Cavaliers superstar is featured on one of the covers of the Olympic preview issue.

James was on the American team that won a bronze at the Athens Olympics.

He compared the feeling of receiving a gold medal on the podium to opening a prized gift on Christmas morning.

He was asked if that meant he would lead the Americans to the title. James responded that he "absolutely" guaranteed it.

Team USA is the favorite, but they haven't won a major title since the 2000 Olympics. James was on also on the team that took third-place in the '06 world championships.

Pavlik finalizes deal to fight Hopkins

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Top Rank promoter Bob Arum says Youngstown-native and unbeaten middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik has finalized a deal to fight longtime titlist Bernard Hopkins on October 18th in Atlantic City.

Arum is ambivalent about making the 170-pound fight between Pavlik and Hopkins, the cagey 43-year-old boxer who lost a narrow decision to Joe Calzaghe in April.

After potential matchups with Calzaghe and Arthur Abraham fell through, Arum and Pavlik decided to move up 10 pounds to face Hopkins.

Arum says Pavlik was looking for a big fight, and Hopkins was the only alternative.

Pavlik holds the WBC and WBO middleweight belts. He also craves a unification bout with Abraham, the dangerous IBF 160-pound champion. But the German fighter must meet mandatory challenger Raul Marquez this fall.

Browns open camp with high hopes

BEREA, Ohio (AP) -- Training camp officially opened yesterday in Berea -- the practice home of the Cleveland Browns.

On coach Romeo Crennel's whistle, the Browns sprinted across the field as hundreds of fans dressed in various shades of brown and orange hooted and hollered.

Expectations are higher than they've been since the late 1980s, when Bernie Kosar was the quarterback. So bad for so long, the Browns have become a trendy pick to make a championship run this season.

After winning just four games in 2006, they went 10-6 last season with a high-scoring offense and just missed making the playoffs.

Crennel says the team is embracing its tough regular season schedule, as well as the higher expectations.

Browns missing 2 players as camp opens

BEREA, Ohio (AP) -- Wide receiver Joe Jurevicius and offensive lineman Ryan Tucker were placed on the active physically unable to perform list yesterday as the Cleveland Browns opened training camp.

Jurevicius caught 50 passes last season. He's had two operations on his right knee since the end of last season, and his recovery took a major setback when he contracted a staph infection.

Browns general manager Phil Savage says the players can remain on the active list through the mandatory cutdown to 75 players.

After that, if the team places an injured player on the list, he must miss the first six games of the regular season.

The 33-year-old Tucker broke his hip during mini-camp in May and had surgery in June. Savage says he's made solid progress in his recovery.