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MLB
Puig hits 1st homer, won’t be punished for incident
GLENDALE, Ariz. – Yasiel Puig hit his first home run of spring training in a 7-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday after MLB announced that the Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder wouldn’t be punished for his involvement in an incident at a Miami nightclub last fall.
Puig, who was under investigation for domestic assault involving his sister, hit a solo shot in the fourth inning over left field off Rockies starter Chad Bettis. Bettis gave up two runs on five hits over four innings.
In the fifth, Puig also robbed Colorado centerfielder Charlie Blackmon of a hit with a diving catch in right field.
NFL
Cardinals, former Bronco Mathis agree to contract
TEMPE, Ariz. – Evan Mathis, a starting guard for the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos last season, and the Arizona Cardinals agreed to terms on a one-year contract.
The deal is worth $6 million.
Mathis, a 2013 All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowl selection, fills an immediate need and is an upgrade at right guard for the Cardinals, who sent Jonathan Cooper to New England on Tuesday as part of the trade that brought defensive end/outside linebacker Chandler Jones to Arizona.
Skiing
Gut solidifies overall title; Vonn claims a globe
ST. MORITZ, Switzerland – Lara Gut made her World Cup overall title official despite finishing 13th in difficult conditions in the last downhill of the season Wednesday.
Lindsey Vonn flew in to collect her eighth crystal globe in the discipline on a snowy opening day at the World Cup finals.
Although Gut’s title – the first for a Swiss woman in 21 years – was effectively sealed last weekend at nearby Lenzerheide, it became a mathematical certainty in front of more home fans in St. Moritz.
Mirjam Puchner won the women’s race on the Engianda course to claim her first downhill victory. The Austrian beat Fabienne Suter of Switzerland by 0.13 seconds, with Elena Curtoni of Italy third, 0.17 behind.
Vonn clinched the downhill title before her crash in a super-G in Andorra last month, and was in St. Moritz to pick up her 20th crystal globe.
Gut is only 19 points behind Vonn in the super-G standings, with the final race Thursday.
Fill becomes 1st Italian to win men’s downhill title
ST. MORITZ, Switzerland – Peter Fill became the first Italian to win the men’s downhill title, while Beat Feuz of Switzerland triumphed in the last race in the discipline at the World Cup finals Wednesday.
Fill started the race level on points with Aksel Lund Svindal, who has been sidelined with a knee injury since January, and four points above Dominik Paris, who was not at his best after crashing in training on Tuesday and injuring his thigh and knee.
Soccer
FIFA admits to World Cup bribes, asks U.S. for cash
GENEVA – While acknowledging for the first time that votes were bought in past World Cup hosting contests, FIFA is seeking to claim “tens of millions of dollars” in bribe money seized by U.S. federal prosecutors.
FIFA submitted a 22-page claim to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New York on Tuesday that seeks a big share in restitution from more than $190 million already forfeited by soccer and marketing officials who pleaded guilty in the sprawling corruption case.
Tens of millions of dollars more is likely to be collected by U.S. authorities when sentences are handed down, and from dozens of officials currently indicted but who have denied bribery charges or are fighting extradition.
Associated Press
