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BASEBALL
WASHINGTON (AP) — Albert Pujols reached 500 homers in a hurry.
The Los Angeles Angels' first baseman hit a pair of shots off Washington Nationals right-hander Taylor Jordan on Tuesday night — a three-run homer in the first inning and two-run drive in the fifth — to become the 26th player in major league history to reach the milestone.
Pujols is the first player to collect his 499th and 500th homers in the same game, according to STATS. About three months past his 34th birthday, he's also the third-youngest to get to 500; Alex Rodriguez and Jimmie Foxx were both 32.
Making a quick recent surge, Pujols has eight homers this season, all in the past 13 games.
NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball suspended four players involved in Sunday's brawl between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Milwaukee Brewers.
Milwaukee catcher Martin Maldonado was suspended five games, while outfielder Carlos Gomez was suspended three. Pittsburgh outfielder Travis Snider received a two-game penalty and catcher Russell Martin will miss one.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Major League Baseball acknowledged it failed to correct a pitch count after Tampa Bay shortstop Yunel Escobar struck out in an at-bat that was completed after a replay review.
After a replay delay of 1 minute, 47 seconds in Tuesday night's game against Minnesota, umpires incorrectly ruled the count on Escobar was 3-2. Escobar struck out on the next pitch after already taking four balls.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn is taking a leave of absence from his job as San Diego State's baseball coach as he recovers from undisclosed health issues.
The school didn't set a timetable for Gwynn's return and isn't commenting his medical condition, at his request.
Gwynn has had two operations for cancer in his right cheek since August 2010.
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PRO BASKETBALL
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was named NBA coach of the year on Tuesday, making him just the third coach in league history to win the Red Auerbach trophy three times in his career.
Popovich has received the league's top coaching honor in two of the last three seasons, joining Don Nelson and Pat Riley as the only coaches to win the award three times.
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PRO FOOTBALL
STERLING, Va. (AP) — Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder said it's time for people to "focus on reality" concerning Native American matters instead of criticizing the team's nickname.
"We understand the issues out there, and we're not an issue," Snyder said. "The real issues are real-life issues, real-life needs, and I think it's time that people focus on reality."
Challenged by those who consider the name "Redskins" offensive, Snyder and his staff recently traveled to Native American reservations and last month established a foundation to assist American Indian tribes. He had declined requests to answer questions about the foundation until Tuesday.
Snyder has insisted he will not change the Redskins' name, calling it a "badge of honor."
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday for his guilty plea to a charge that he assaulted a former girlfriend who is the mother of his daughter.
The 27-year-old pleaded guilty nearly a month ago in Maricopa County Superior Court to aggravated assault arising out of a May 1 argument with the child's mother. Authorities say Washington choked the woman and caused a fall that broke her right collarbone.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Former Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Russell Allen will retire because of a concussion and a stroke he sustained in a game in December.
Allen told MMQB.si.com that he has a dead spot on his cerebellum, which controls motor movement and coordination.
The Jaguars released Allen last week after his personal physician consulted with Jacksonville's medical staff before a scheduled physical.
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions began their first voluntary minicamp under first-year coach Jim Caldwell without Ndamukong Suh.
The two-time All-Pro defensive end was not on the field with his teammates Tuesday afternoon during the 10-minute portion of the workout that was open for the media.
A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday night that Suh will attend organized team activities in May and a mandatory minicamp the next month.
NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL says 30 top prospects, including Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel and South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, will attend the draft in New York that begins on May 8.
Among other players scheduled to appear at Radio City Music Hall include Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins and Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack.
NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL will release its regular-season schedule Wednesday night.
The schedule normally is announced earlier, but several issues cropped up to delay its release.
Among the highlights is a Super Bowl rematch, with the Denver Broncos at NFL champion Seattle. Other marquee interconference matchups include San Francisco at Denver, New England at Green Bay, and Philadelphia at Indianapolis.
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COLLEGE BASKETBALL:
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky forward Julius Randle will leave after one season to enter the NBA draft, where he is expected to be among the top five selections.
With five days left before the deadline for underclassmen to declare, the 6-foot-9 Dallas native announced the decision many expected even before he arrived as part of Kentucky's best recruiting class ever.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee introduced Southern Mississippi's Donnie Tyndall as its new coach and hopes he can make the same solid transition from the mid-major ranks as the Volunteers' last two basketball coaches.
Tyndall replaced Cuonzo Martin, who went 63-41 in three seasons at Tennessee before California hired him on April 15.
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Auburn won't ask the NCAA to lift the show-cause penalty against new basketball coach Bruce Pearl.
Pearl is barred from recruiting by the NCAA until Aug. 24, stemming from his tenure at Tennessee.
He was fired in 2011 and placed under a three-year show-cause penalty after lying to investigators about violations involving a cookout at his home for junior prospects and their families.
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SOCCER
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — David Moyes was fired as Manchester United manager, paying the price for the club's spectacular and sudden decline in his 10 months in charge since replacing Alex Ferguson.
United later announced that Ryan Giggs, a club great who was on Moyes' coaching staff, will take temporary control of the team until a permanent replacement is found.
The 50-year-old Scot was removed from his post by vice chairman Ed Woodward during a meeting at United's training ground in the morning.
MADRID (AP) — Chelsea capitalized on its defensive strategy, playing to a 0-0 draw with Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal.
Jose Mourinho's ultra-defensive tactics worked at the Vicente Calderon Stadium despite the early exit of injured goalkeeper Petr Cech in the 18th minute. Mark Schwarzer came on with Cech's long-term replacement, Thibaut Courtois, playing in the opposite goal, on-loan from Chelsea.
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MOUNTAINEERING
KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Dozens of Sherpa guides packed up their tents and left Mount Everest's base camp Wednesday, after the avalanche deaths of 16 of their colleagues exposed an undercurrent of resentment by Sherpas over their pay, treatment and benefits.
With the entire climbing season increasingly thrown into doubt, the government quickly announced that top tourism officials would fly to base camp Thursday to negotiate with the Sherpas and encourage them to return to work.
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CYCLING
Lance Armstrong's longtime coach, Johan Bruyneel, was banned for 10 years for helping to organize massive doping on teams led by the disgraced cyclist.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced the verdicts of an American Arbitration Association panel against Bruyneel and two medical staff, completing a lengthy investigation that saw Armstrong banished from cycling in 2012.
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TENNIS
Saying his right wrist is not as badly hurt as he feared, Novak Djokovic plans to be back on the tennis tour in two weeks — and at the French Open later next month.
The right-handed Djokovic said in a statement he's been "assured" by doctors that he will be ready for upcoming clay-court tournaments, starting with the Madrid Masters on May 5.
STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — Defending champion Maria Sharapova survived a first-round scare at the Porsche Grand Prix by defeating Lucie Safarova 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 7-6(2).
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Sixth-seeded Andreas Seppi was knocked out of the first round of the Nastase Tiriac Trophy, along with seventh-seeded Nicolas Mahut.
Carlos Berlocq of Argentina ousted Italy's Seppi 6-0, 2-6, 7-6 (4) on the outdoor clay at the BNR Arenas, while qualifier Paul-Henri Mathieu defeated Mahut 6-3, 6-1 in all-French contest.
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