SPORTSCENE

Published Monday, June 18, 2007

Perlozzo out as Orioles manager

Sam Perlozzo was fired as manager of the Baltimore Orioles today with the last-place team in the midst of an eight-game losing streak.

Perlozzo’s firing was disclosed by a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made. The Orioles scheduled a news conference for later today.

Bullpen coach Dave Trembley, who has served as a minor-league manager in the organization, will be the interim manager when the Orioles begin a six-game trip in San Diego tomorrow.

Perlozzo was victimized by an underachieving bullpen and a punchless offense that ranks last in the AL in home runs. Baltimore was 27-27 and second in the AL East on May 31 before losing 13 of 15, including the final eight games of a 1-8 homestand that ended yesterday.

‘Pacman’ sought after Atlanta shooting

Suspended NFL player Adam "Pacman" Jones was being sought by police for questioning about a shooting early today involving members of his entourage after a fight at an Atlanta strip club.

The Tennessee Titans cornerback is currently on suspension after a melee and shooting at a Las Vegas strip club.

Jones, his group and three other people got into a fight, apparently over a woman, at a club around 4 a.m. EDT, officer Ariel Toledo said.

After everyone involved left the strip club - the three people in one car, and Jones and his entourage in three other cars - someone in Jones’ group shot at the car, and the others returned fire, Toledo said.

Toledo said Jones was not present when the shots were fired.

Packers’ Barnett arrested for battery

Green Bay Packers linebacker Nick Barnett was arrested early yesterday after a disturbance at a nightclub.

Police said in a statement that Barnett was taken into custody for battery after allegedly being involved in a physical altercation about 2 a.m. at the Wet. He was taken to Outagamie County Jail in Appleton, Wis., and released within an hour after posting a $500 cash bond.

Hamilton wins F1 race in Indianapolis

Lewis Hamilton is as surprised as anybody by his sensational start in Formula One.

The 22-year-old Englishman fought off a couple of challenges from Mercedes McLaren teammate and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso yesterday to win the U.S. Grand Prix in Indianapolis, the second straight victory for the first black driver in F1’s 61-year history.

"Coming into the season, being realistic, I never expected anything like this, but I hoped to do well," Hamilton said. "I hoped maybe I’d get a podium at some point. This is just insane."

This latest win, coming on the heels of his inaugural F1 victory a week earlier in the Canadian Grand Prix, gave Hamilton his seventh top-three finish in as many starts - one of his numerous unprecedented feats for a rookie.

Another is his lead in the points.

After being tied for the top with his teammate, Hamilton took an eight-point lead in the standings with his win in Montreal and will now carry a 10-point margin over Alonso into the French Grand Prix in two weeks.

Jankovic beats Sharapova for title

Jelena Jankovic won her fourth title of the year yesterday, beating Maria Sharapova 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 to capture the grass-court DFS Classic in Birmingham, England.

Both players had to win semifinal matches earlier in the day at the rain-affected tournament. Sharapova also had two matches Saturday.

"I can’t complain. I came for five warm-up matches, and I got them," Sharapova said. "I felt I would find a little more energy, but I wasn’t able to do it on a consistent basis."

Despite falling behind after the first set, Jankovic came back to win her first title on grass.

"I felt a little bit flat some of the time to be honest," said Jankovic, a French Open semifinalist who has won on three different surfaces this season. "But I always fight, no matter what the score and in the final set I became more like the player I am."

Roddick wins Queen’s Club again

Andy Roddick won his fourth Queen’s Club title yesterday in London, saving match point in the second set before beating France’s Nicolas Mahut 4-6, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (2) in the final of the grass-court tune-up for Wimbledon.

Roddick, seeded second, also won from 2003-05 and joined Lleyton Hewitt, Boris Becker and John McEnroe as four-time winners of this event.

"It’s nice winning at tournaments that you really enjoy playing at," Roddick said. "To have won four is great. I’ll have a number of chances to get five."