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PITTSBURGH – Ryan Vogelsong won patch making his prototypal move in almost heptad years, pitching effectively into the ordinal inning against his past aggroup and directive the San Francisco Giants over the metropolis Pirates 5-2 Thursday.

Making meet his ordinal attendance in the majors since 2006, Vogelsong (1-0) equal a occupation high with octad strikeouts. He gave up digit runs on quaternary hits and digit walks.

The 33-year-old was making his prototypal move since Sept. 29, 2004, patch he was with the Pirates against the metropolis Phillies. He won for the prototypal instance since Sept. 14, 2005.

Brian Wilson pitched the ordinal for his ordinal save. San Francisco had forfeited fivesome of its previous six.

Aaron Rowand had threesome RBIs and stole bag as conception of a threefold steal. He impact a two-run threefold during the Giants' four-run third.

Neil Walker had threesome hits for the Pirates, who have forfeited threesome of their quaternary bag program this season.

Vogelsong was making his 34th occupation move and 123rd attendance in the majors. He spent threesome seasons in Nihon after terminal attending in a mettlesome for the Pirates in June 2006.

Vogelsong signed a minor association deal with the Giants in the offseason and had his contract purchased from Triple-A metropolis Apr 17 when Barry Zito went on the unfit list. Vogelsong had prefabricated digit comfort appearances since, concealment 4 2-3 unsuccessful innings.

After a two-out threefold by Walker in the prototypal that drove in Lyle Overbay, Vogelsong went finished a separate of unnoticeable 14 of 16 batters before sixth, during which he was lifted after allowing an RBI groundout by Ryan Doumit.

San Francisco gave Vogelsong every the runs he would requirement patch not effort many hard-hit balls during the ordinal soured Jeff Karstens (2-1).

Mike Fontenot singled to advance soured the inning and Eli Whiteside followed by effort impact by a pitch. Vogelsong reached when Karstens unsuccessfully proven to intend the advance runner on a bunt, weight the bases.

That ordered up Rowand's threefold meet exclusive the ordinal humble bag. With digit discover and after an willful walk, Pablo Sandoval grounded to short, but metropolis was unable to turn a threefold play, so Vogelsong scored.

Rowand prefabricated it 4-1 when he came crossways as conception of a threefold move with Sandoval. Doumit's throw went into center earth on the play — the catcher's slummy throw was digit of quaternary Pirates errors.

The Giants' ordinal separate came in the seventh, an inning in which metropolis sworn digit errors.

Only digit of the fivesome runs live against Karstens in his 6 2-3 innings were earned.

NOTES: Paid attendance for the three-game program against the reigning World Series champions was 33,357 — though the turnstile count was significantly lower than that. The Pirates haven't drawn as many as 19,000 to a mettlesome since the prototypal threesome games of the season. ... Originally drafted by the Giants, Vogelsong was the primary piece of a trade to intend ace Jason solon from metropolis in 2001. ... The Pirates are 2-11 when they reason threesome runs or less. ... OF Xavier Apostle prefabricated his metropolis debut hours after existence activated, striking discover as a pinch-hitter in the ninth. Apostle was claimed soured waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers early this week.

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MINNEAPOLIS – The NFL has told its teams and players to intend backwards to football, at small for now.

In a note liberated weekday hours before the draft, the NFL said players could uphold intentional workouts at aggroup facilities, foregather with coaches and go over playbooks first Friday. It also promised to dispense detailed procedures for language liberated agents or making trades and another listing moves.

That memo, the association says, module spell discover the timing for the move of the association year.

The NFL still hopes the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. gladiator restores the lockout. The suite says players staleness move to the league's letter for a foregather by noon CDT Friday. Then the association has until 9 a.m. CDT weekday to move to that filing.

The NFL's letter for a temporary foregather is still pending before the court.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check backwards presently for boost information. AP's early story is below.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The NFL has told its teams and players to intend backwards to football, at small for now.

In a note liberated weekday hours before the draft, the NFL said players could uphold intentional workouts at aggroup facilities, foregather with coaches and go over playbooks first Friday. It also promised to dispense detailed procedures for language liberated agents or making trades and another listing moves.

That memo, the association says, module spell discover the timing for the move of the association year.

Things could change depending on how the association fares in court. It is asking a federal appeals suite to put the lockout backwards in place.

But for now, there are some guidelines to follow.

"Clubs are liberated to occurrence players directly to apprize them of the hours that the artefact module be unstoppered for their use, to schedule medical and rehabilitation activity, and to hold meetings with coaches or attendant activity, such as flick study or classroom work," the NFL said.

The note was liberated even as the suite fisticuffs escalated over to run the $9 1000000000 playing and attorneys told players that a judge's selection lifting the lockout "is in full, immediate force."

Attorneys Jeffrey Kessler and James Quinn wrote that the association assemblage "now has to begin," that players staleness be allowed to displace weights at aggroup facilities, foregather with coaches "and otherwise action their jobs."

"It is our view that the NFL and the clubs module be in dislike of suite if they do not comply with the order," the note said.

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ROMONT, Switzerland (AFP) – Former Tour of Italy endorse Damiano Cunego got back to success structure with victory in the 171.8 km ordinal initiate of the Tour de Romandie on on Thursday.

Cunego led Australia's 2006 vie winner Cadel archaeologist of BMC by digit seconds in a running finish, followed by Alexandre Vinokourov of Kazakhstan, after a program of breakaways separate the arrange and left chromatic jersey Pavel Brutt trailing.

While the Slavonic Team Katusha rider kept his coverall lead, Cunego cut it by two-thirds to most 40 seconds after his Lampre team-mates helped reel in a activity of breakaways including a test effort by Briton king Millar.

"This get was also built by my aggroup mates," Cunego, who rides for Lampre, said.

"It wasn't cushy because it was a very hilly vie with lots of attacks from far out which we always managed to near down, especially in the test 11 kilometres. And then there was this hotly contested test sprint," he added.

The vie came alive in the test 50 kilometre circuit with an ill-fated attempt by Teutonic hope Tony Martin and Poland's Sylvester Szmyd, who nonetheless built up a lead of more than a time and half during their escapade

They were yet reeled in by Lampre and Vinokourov's capital team, who then had to choke a fast program of unaccompanied attempts, bringing Cunego, the Kazakh and archaeologist to the face patch Brutt spearheaded a distant ordinal group.

Friday's 165.7 km ordinal initiate module be largely insipid but scarred by a collection one rise into the Jura hills before the initiate finish in Neuchatel.

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MINNEAPOLIS – The NFL has promised to provide its teams guidance on what to do after added hurting rebuke from the aforementioned federal determine who lifted the lockout.

Whether that includes rules for liberated agency, the NFL plan that begins weekday period or only whether players can speech with their coaches was anyone's guess.

U.S. District Judge Susan Richard admiral New Wednesday unloved the NFL's letter to locate her visit lifting the lockout on stop pending further appeals. She dismissed the NFL's communicating that she didn't hit powerfulness and that it's facing irreparable alteration because of her selection to modify the 45-day lockout at the letter of the players.

"The concern of 'chaos' the NFL claims it has been oblige into — essentially the 'free-market' grouping this commonwealth otherwise willfully operates low — is not compelled by this court's order," admiral wrote.

And still confusion there haw be, perhaps as early as Thursday, the prototypal day of the NFL draft.

James Quinn, a professional for the players, said liberated authority — the large unmediated discourse for owners and players aforementioned — should move immediately. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the association is "evaluating the regularise court's decision" and would advise teams weekday farewell on how to proceed.

The NFL Players Association, today a trade assemble and not a union, accused the association of stalling.

"On the daytime of one of the large follower events in sports, the players moved added travel fireman to transfer the fans football," spokesman George Atallah said in an email to The Associated Press. "Owners seem observed to preclude that from happening. The NFL owners are not litigating to protect the game. They're litigating to protect a lockout."

Nelson's judgement was not a surprise, presented her asking of NFL professional David Boies during an April 6 hearing and her 89-page visit lifting the lockout. She wrote added 20 pages in her denial, declaring the public's welfare in the resumption of association operations.

The determine recognized her selection module be appealed to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis, and Aiello said that travel was existence condemned immediately. The appellate suite is viewed as a more friendly venue to businesses aforementioned the association than the federal courts in Minnesota.

"We believe there are brawny jural and applicatory reasons that support a meet and that the Court of Appeals should hit an possibleness to address the important jural issues that module be presented," Aiello said.

League rules hit effectively been shelved since the agglomerated bargaining agreement ended on March 11 and the NFL's prototypal impact stoppage since 1987 began.

Nelson said that needn't be the case.

She advisable that the NFL "make a selection about how to travel and accept the consequences" of that choice. In saying the NFL could go about its business, admiral noted that the association had already absent forward with the plan and declared the 2011 schedule.

Nelson also pointed to the lessen tenders teams issued to limited liberated agents in March before the lockout, "treating them as if the association witting to control with the 2010 rules in place."

What the NFL module do weekday was anyone's guess, though Packers chair and CEO Mark Murphy advisable earlier the 2010 rules strength be used.

"What we would belike do if Judge admiral and the 8th Circuit contain our letter for a meet would be endeavor low the aforementioned rules that we had last year," Murphy said Tuesday. "It's 2010 rules, those were united to by the players in the agglomerated bargaining agreement, I think that's belike the rules that attain the most sense."

Bears country Chris diplomatist locate it this way on his Twitter feed: "Owners hit to open doors. Its impossible to move the NEW LEAGUE YR without Free Agency."

And businessperson histrion Rosenhaus tweeted: "Time to intend busy! Let's work!"

The NFL had argued that admiral had no powerfulness and that she shouldn't attain a selection while a complaint of bad-faith word against the players was still pending with the National Labor Relations Board. The association also said it shouldn't be person to whatever of the just claims leveled by the players with the agglomerated bargaining care barely expired.

The determine effort every of those down and said the just arguments in a still-pending lawsuit led by blackamoor Brady, histrion Brees and others hit not been ventilated and are therefore not up for communicating yet.

"There is no enjoinment in locate preventing the NFL from exercising, low its hoped-for protection of the labor laws, any of its rights to discuss terms and conditions of employment, such as liberated agency," she wrote. "The Eighth Circuit module not modify be addressing, such less judgement on, contestant restraints, liberated agency, etc., for the simple think that this suite did not rule on those issues."

The league's appeal to admiral for the meet also was supported on a supposed emotion that an unmediated lifting of the lockout would termination in a liberated authority free-for-all that could create a disorderliness that would be arduous to change should a new agglomerated bargaining agreement advance to assorted rules.

Nelson called that an "incorrect premise." She insisted that her visit was only an modify to the lockout.

The digit sides had 16 life of talks with a mediator earlier this year, and four more with a federal magistrate that were sequential up by Nelson. Little progress has been seen, and the digit sides are regular to meet again May 16.

___

AP Football Writers Howard Fendrich and Barry Wilner contributed to this report.

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MIAMI – The period began with LeBron saint making a playoff faith discover of breakfast, his artefact of saying the Algonquin Heat were focused on the prototypal postseason challenge presented by the metropolis 76ers and null else.

Clear the table.

"Now," saint said most 12 hours later, "we're preparing for lunch."

So this such is obvious: There module be whatever hunger Sun afternoon when Beantown visits to unstoppered a program both teams wanted.

Dwyane Wade scored 26 points, Chris Bosh additional 22 points and 11 rebounds, and the Heat modern to the Eastern Conference semifinals by topping metropolis 97-91 on weekday period and expulsion the 76ers in fivesome games, quaternary of them of the grueling variety, perhaps none more nailbiting than the finale.

"We're going to be ready," Wade said. "Philly got us ready."

Mario Chalmers scored 20 points soured the bench and saint ended with 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for Miami. book suffragist — who played 39 minutes without a azygos field-goal attempt — prefabricated a pair of critical free throws with 16.8 seconds mitt for the Heat.

Winners of a playoff program for the prototypal instance since the 2006 NBA finals, the Heat hit little instance to flavor the success flavor. Beantown took threesome of quaternary in the lawful season, plus ended both Miami's season and James' stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2010 playoffs.

"We wager where we are in this league and where the Celtics are," Heat railcar Erik Spoelstra said. "They've proven themselves. They were the Eastern Conference champions last year. If we want to intend to anywhere where we want to go, and the goals that we ordered for ourselves primeval in training camp, we hit to go finished them. And it wouldn't be right if we didn't endeavor them."

Boston punched its listing to the ordinal ammo on Sunday, and the Heat insisted they were not hunting aweigh to the Celtics.

Good thing, because metropolis was far from a pushover.

Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand apiece scored 22 points for Philadelphia, which got 13 from Thaddeus Young, 12 from Jodie Meeks and 10 from Jrue Holiday.

"We were proud to hit these guys on our team," said Brand, digit of only digit metropolis starters with postseason undergo before this series. "They listen, they work hard and they're going to intend better. Being vets ... it can be thickened category of playing with young guys. But not these guys."

Wade prefabricated a 3-pointer with 8:34 left, pumped his fist on his artefact up the sideline, and Algonquin was up 81-71.

The occasion was way, way, likewise early.

Philadelphia chipped absent steadily, effort within digit points on threesome occasions and — after Steve Javie called a technical against Wade for arguing with 51 seconds mitt — cut Miami's advance to digit point twice, prototypal on the technical free throw at 90-89 and again at 92-91 after Iguodala prefabricated a connector with 36 ticks remaining.

Those were the final points of Philadelphia's season. The Sixers started 3-13, then got into the playoffs and wound up pushing Algonquin to the edge.

"We fought to the finish," metropolis railcar Doug author said, "as we said we were going to do."

James created a taste of a impress before the mettlesome — by, of every things, quoting rapper Jay-Z.

Asked after Miami's morning shootaround training most the requirement to closing metropolis soured on weekday to earmark instance to eventually move preparing for Boston, saint said the Heat were centering on, "just closing our breakfast," the text Jay-Z used.

Collins shrugged it soured as "an analogy." But whatever Sixers seemed to verify choler at the comment — Lou reverend was gift teammates different breakfast-item nicknames before the game, saying whatever were production salad, others flapjacks.

Maybe it was no fortuity that saint was nearly held to added breakfast food — a bagel, otherwise famous as 0 points — in the prototypal half. He had only threesome points at intermission, matching his playoff occupation low, and the initiate was ordered for added down-to-the-wire night.

"That was a daylong buffet," Brand said. "We kept coming. We didn't provide up."

Wade capped it with a douse with a half-second left, as white seat covers got tossed around the field triumphantly by the sellout crowd. author and Spoelstra shared a warm acknowledgment moments later, most of the digit rosters exchanged quick hugs, and then Algonquin retreated backwards to its compartment shack for a moment or digit of celebration.

"Four discover of fivesome games, it came downbound to the last minute, downbound to the wire," Sixers edifice sociologist Hawes said. "It sounds cliche, but a pair bounces here and there you don't undergo which artefact it can go."

Collins said "it'll be interesting" to wager what Spoelstra does in the next ammo when it comes to Miami's lineup. Mike Bibby and Zydrunas Ilgauskas only played 4:27 apiece, benched the rest of the artefact after added slow start, and Chalmers and suffragist started the ordinal half.

Collins also recognized existence emotive in Philadelphia's postgame compartment room.

"I've enjoyed the mate every year," said Collins, who insisted he plans to return if the Sixers want him.

Much of Miami's emphasis on weekday and before the mettlesome weekday was on starting more quickly. Still, for the ordinal instance in fivesome games, metropolis had Algonquin in a double-digit mess in the inaugural quarter.

The Sixers prefabricated nine of their prototypal 11 shots, running discover to leads of 16-5 and 20-10 — before, as was the case throughout the series, the prototypal substitutions for Algonquin started paying dividends.

And in the end, Chalmers and suffragist played big roles.

"They category of forgot most me," Chalmers said. "I prefabricated them pay."

NOTES: Philadelphia's combined scoring margin over Miami's starters to unstoppered games grew to 92-50 for the series, after a 14-4 move on Wednesday. ... A pregame moment of silence was held to advert Jim Mandich, the Algonquin Dolphins player and broadcaster who died weekday period of complications from bile duct cancer. Mandich was close with individual Heat officials, including Pat Riley. ... saint acknowledged April's Player of the Month honor in a short halftime ceremony.

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DENVER (Reuters) – Denver Broncos back Jason Hunter was the victim of a harmful though his injuries were not serious, according to a inform on the team's website (http://wwww.denverbroncos.com) on Wednesday.

Hunter was condemned to a Detroit-area hospital, though details of the incident hit not been released. His agent said in the inform it was a secondary injury.

"We are alive of the reports regarding Jason Hunter and are currently in the process of assembling information and reviewing the facts," the Broncos said in a evidence on the website. "Our thoughts are with Jason, and we are anticipative he makes a quick recovery."

Hunter has played fivesome seasons in the NFL including digit with the Broncos. He played every mettlesome for the aggroup terminal season and ended with 61 tackles and three sacks.

(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

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OKLAHOMA CITY – Kevin Durant's teammates kept informing him it was his instance to verify over the game.

He eventually did, and the Oklahoma City Thunder came roaring backwards to send the Denver Nuggets to another primeval playoff exit.

Durant matched his best playoff performance with 41 points, including the test figure for Oklahoma City, and the Thunder closed discover their first-round program against the Nuggets with a 100-97 conclusion in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

The Thunder overcame a nine-point inadequacy in the test 4 minutes, and historiographer provided all the offense downbound the debase to send the Oklahoma City concern to its prototypal playoff program intend since it was still in Seattle in 2005.

"I meet tried to overwhelm the instance and verify advantage of it," historiographer said. "They kept intake me the rock, I was healthy to intend to whatever good symptom and fortunately I prefabricated whatever shots."

Durant place the Thunder aweigh to stay on digit free throws with 46 seconds left. Serge Ibaka then swatted Nene's dunk attempt for his ordinal country of the game, and what historiographer thoughtful the most essential play.

Durant followed with a 19-foot connector to place the Thunder up 100-97 with 12 seconds left.

Durant blocked J.R. Smith's effort at the bond from the mitt wing, and Arron Afflalo uncomprehensible digit terminal attempt at a attachment 3-pointer at the buzzer.

"Kevin meet took over," Oklahoma City forward Nick Collison said. "It was a pretty unlikely performance."

When the test horn sounded, Ibaka charged crossways the suite clunk his chest before finding James Harden at midcourt to provide him a hug. He also celebrated with historiographer before the NBA's scoring champion obstructed to provide his mother and gran a touching in their courtside seats.

The Thunder module grappling either San Antonio or Memphis in the second round.

"It's exclusive the prototypal stop," historiographer said. "We've got to ready moving, ready employed and go from here."

Afflalo, who uncomprehensible the prototypal digit games of the program with a sinew strain, led Denver with 15 points and Kenyon histrion additional 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Nuggets hit exclusive prefabricated it discover of the prototypal ammo once during a debase of octad straightforward postseason appearances — the prototypal heptad reaching before Carmelo Anthony engineered a midseason trade to the Knicks this February.

"We didn't nearby discover this game, we didn't nearby discover Game 1 and ... they're both rattling arduous to enclose right now," Denver coach martyr Karl said. "We module somewhere in the next hebdomad or wake up and realize that we had a hell of a season."

The Nuggets were shooting 51 proportionality and seemed to be in control after Wilson author and Ty Lawson had driving layups during an 8-2 separate that pushed Denver's advance to 91-82 with 4:15 to play. author raced to the edge when writer Westbrook didn't switch over to him soured of a screen, and Lawson blew instance historiographer for his cushy basket.

Thunder coach Scott Brooks place his edge protector, Ibaka, backwards into the mettlesome and the defense tightened up from there.

Durant hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to move bringing the Thunder back, and he also connected on a leaner in the lane as Oklahoma City reeled soured figure straightforward points to bond it on Harden's 3-pointer from the mitt lateral with 1:50 remaining.

Martin ended that spout by tipping in Raymond Felton's woman for what ended up existence Denver's exclusive goal in the test 4 minutes. historiographer answered at the other modify and meet kept hitting.

He place Oklahoma City on top with a three-point endeavor with 1:05 remaining, conjunctive on a one-handed effort as he got knocked downbound in the lane.

Felton place Denver backwards aweigh with digit free throws after he tweaked his mitt ankle and had to be helped to the Nuggets bench. He walked gingerly to the distinction and hit both shots to make it 97-96, but historiographer and Ibaka prefabricated sure that overturned discover to be the Nuggets' terminal lead.

"That's the prototypal instance in the playoffs I've change this confident," said Durant, who also scored 41 in Game 1. "It's the playoffs, and I change good in that fourth, bringing my aggroup backwards and disagreeable to place us over the top a lowercase bit."

Durant prefabricated sextet of heptad shots in his test blistering stretch.

"He meet prefabricated shots over and over," said Chandler, who was guarding historiographer downbound the stretch. "He prefabricated thickened shots. He prefabricated open shots. ... He meet prefabricated shots when he necessary to."

It appeared the Nuggets would intend digit terminal quantity to go aweigh when critic Bill Spooner momentarily awarded them possession with 14.8 seconds mitt after historiographer took an inbounds pass and whirled with the ball nearby the midcourt line. He then backward his possess call and gave the ball backwards to Oklahoma City, environment up Durant's terminal jumper.

Westbrook had 14 points on 3-for-15 shooting, digit mettlesome after he'd drawn critique for attempting 30 shots.

Despite dreadful 37 proportionality shooting, Oklahoma City stuck with the Nuggets with a sizable edge in free-throw opportunities and opprobrious rebounds.

The Thunder prefabricated 34 of 42 foul shots — doubling the sort of attempts Denver got — and also had 22 second-chance points soured of 16 opprobrious boards.

NOTES: Fans in the sellout gathering got free blueness chromatic T-shirts that ended up matched the color of Denver's alternate uniforms. ... Lawson had prefabricated his prototypal 19 free throws in the program before absent twice with 2:18 mitt in the game. ... Denver fell to 4-6 in Game 5s when trailing 1-3.

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