Cycling
A Spaniard wins Stage 4; Nibali takes Horner’s lead
FISTERRA, Spain – Daniel Moreno of Spain timed his final sprint perfectly to win the fourth stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Tuesday, while Vincenzo Nibali of Italy overtook Christopher Horner of the United States for the overall lead.
Moreno, riding for Katusha, broke away from the pack almost within sight of the finish line. He covered the 117-mile route from Lalin to Fisterra at Spain’s northwestern tip in 4 hours, 37 minutes, 47 seconds.
Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland was second, just ahead of Michael Matthews of Australia.
The fifth stage Wednesday will remain in the northwest region of Galicia with a 108-mile ride from Sober to Lago de Sanabria.
The three-week race will end in Madrid on Sept. 15.
Scheduling conflicts derail Chicago’s Tour of Elk Grove
CHICAGO – The Tour of Elk Grove ceased operations after scheduling conflicts with other domestic events would have made staging the three-stage cycling race more difficult.
The men’s race, held in early August, began in 2006 and last year was designated a 2.1 rating by the International Cycling Union. But changes to the dates for the more established Tour of Utah cast the future of the Tour of Elk Grove in suburban Chicago into question.
MLB
Pirates acquire Byrd, Buck from a Harvey-less Mets
PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired outfielder Marlon Byrd and catcher John Buck from the New York Mets on Tuesday, hoping the veterans can bolster a struggling offense as the franchise vies for its first playoff berth in 21 years.
The Pirates, who began the day a half-game back of St. Louis for the lead in the NL Central, sent the Mets minor league infielder Dilson Herrera and a player to be named later in exchange for Byrd, Buck and cash considerations.
Byrd, 35, is hitting .285 with 21 home runs and 71 runs batted in this season; Buck, 33, is batting .215 with 15 home runs and 60 RBIs. The 19-year-old Herrera is hitting .265 with 11 home runs and 56 RBIs for Class A West Virginia.
NEW YORK – Matt Harvey has a partially torn ligament in his right elbow, a potentially devastating injury for the pitcher that had given the foundering New York Mets reason to be hopeful about their future.
For now, the 24-year-old Harvey and the Mets hope that he will be able to avoid reconstruction surgery on the ulnar collateral ligament. A full prognosis will not be made until swelling in the elbow goes down in about two weeks.
The No. 7 pick of the 2010 draft, Harvey is 9-5 with a 2.27 earned-run average and was this year’s NL All-Star game starter. He has a league-leading 191 strikeouts in 178 1/3 innings pitched and was a top candidate for the NL Cy Young Award.
NFL
Panthers’ backfield starter will miss 6 weeks on PUP
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart will miss at least the first six weeks of the season while he recovers from an ankle injury.
Panthers’ head coach Ron Rivera said after practice Tuesday that Stewart was placed on the physically unable to perform list.
Stewart is coming off a disappointing season a year ago, rushing for 336 yards and one touchdown, both career lows. He missed seven games in all, including the final five with a sprained ankle.
San Francisco trades Parys (Haralson) to New Orleans
METAIRIE, La. – The San Francisco 49ers confirmed they traded outside linebacker Parys Haralson to the New Orleans Saints and will receive an undisclosed 2014 draft pick in return.
Haralson must pass a physical in New Orleans for the trade to become official.
A fifth-round draft pick by San Francisco in 2006, Haralson has played in 86 games with 68 starts. He’s been credited with 295 tackles, 21.5 sacks, four fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles.
Associated Press
