Auto Racing
Harvick and Keselowski fight for second start
AVONDALE, Ariz. – Denny Hamlin won the pole Friday at Phoenix International Raceway, where eight drivers will go into Sunday’s race vying for the four spots in the championship finale.
Hamlin turned a lap at 142.113 mph to put his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the top starting spot. He was followed by Chase drivers Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick, respectively.
Harvick shoved Keselowski from behind into a scrum after last week’s race at Texas. It ignited a brawl between Jeff Gordon, Keselowski and their teams, and both drivers were bloodied.
Joey Logano was fourth, followed by GR drivers Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch, respectively. The top five drivers are all racing for the championship.
Gordon was seventh.
The lowest two qualifying Chase drivers were Carl Edwards in 13th and Ryan Newman in 20th.
Kurt Busch faces assault probe from ex-girlfriend
DOVER, Del. – NASCAR driver Kurt Busch was accused of domestic assault by his ex-girlfriend, and police in Delaware said Friday they are investigating.
The Dover Police Department said the allegations were brought to the department Wednesday. Busch’s ex-girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll, 36, said the allegations involved an incident inside his motorhome at a race at Dover International Speedway in September. The couple broke up about a week before.
Driscoll said Busch, 36, called her names and accused her of “having spies everywhere and having a camera on the bus to watch him.” He then jumped up, grabbed her face and smashed her head three times against the wall next to the bed, the documents said.
A hearing in the case is scheduled for Dec. 2.
MLB
McGehee and Young are the comeback players
NEW YORK – Miami third baseman Casey McGehee and Seattle pitcher Chris Young were selected as baseball’s comeback players of the year.
McGehee, who turned 32 last month, hit .287 with 29 doubles, four home runs and 76 runs batted in to win the NL honor after a season with the Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan’s Pacific League.
Young, a 35-year-old right-hander, won the AL award after being limited to nine starts in 2013 – all in the minor leagues – because of injuries. He was 12-9 with a 3.65 earned-run average in 29 starts and one relief appearance this year, reaching double digits in wins for the first time since 2006.
Trout matches Piazza mark in Silver Sluggers
NEW YORK – Washington Nationals’ Ian Desmond, Pittsburgh Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen and the Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout won their third consecutive Silver Slugger Awards.
There were eight first-time winners announced Thursday by Louisville Slugger, which presents the annual honors after voting by major league coaches and managers for the top hitter in each league at every position.
Texas Rangers’ third baseman Adrian Beltre won for the fourth time.
Trout joined Mike Piazza (1993-95) as the only players to win in each of their first three full big league seasons.
The NL team included L.A. Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, Pittsburgh second baseman Neil Walker and Washington’s left side of the infield, with Desmond at shortstop and Anthony Rendon at third. McCutchen was picked in the outfield along with the Miami Marlins Giancarlo Stanton and the Atlanta Braves Justin Upton.
World Series champion San Francisco earned battery honors, with Madison Bumgarner winning at pitcher and Buster Posey at catcher.
Associated Press
