The CW's "The Vampire Diaries," which returns for its fourth season in the fall, probably won't ever be an Emmy darling, but it's definitely tops for one award show contingent. It picked up six nominations for the Teen Choice Awards, announced on Friday.

The vampire drama recieved nominations for Choice TV Show: Fantasy/Sci-Fi, Choice TV Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi and Choice TV Actress: Fantasy/Sci-Fi.

"American Idol" also had a strong showing, with five nominations, including Choice TV: Male Personality, Choice TV: Female Personality and Choice TV: Reality Competition Show. Justin Bieber also recieved five nominations.

The Teen Choice Awards are voted on by teens ages 13 to 19 through the website teenchoiceawards.com.

The awards will be handed out during a live broadcast at 8 p.m. July 22 on Fox. The complete list of nominees is here.

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'American Idol' recap: Joshua Ledet goes out with style

Upfronts 2012: The CW hopes its changes are for the better

Upfronts 2012: CW's 2012-13 schedule; 'Supernatural,' '90210' move

— Patrick Kevin Day

Photo: Randy Jackson, left, and Jennifer Lopez console Josh Ledet on "American Idol." Credit: Frank Micelotta / AP / Fox.

The Original Post is Located Here: ‘American Idol,’ ‘Vampire Diaries’ top Teen Choice Award nominees

NEW YORK (AP) Reds manager Dusty Baker went deep into his dominant bullpen to find someone who could put away the New York Yankees.

Jose Arredondo worked out of a ninth-inning jam for his first major league save, Joey Votto hit a three-run homer and Cincinnati held on for a 6-5 victory Saturday.

New York scored twice off Sean Marshall in the ninth, but Baker pulled his regular closer in favor of Arredondo and he got the job done.

''I could have done without the drama, but we did win the game,'' Baker said.

Arredondo entered with two on and one out, and Derek Jeter grounded his first pitch to third. Cincinnati nearly turned a game-ending double play, but Jeter just beat the relay. Even Votto thought the Reds had it won - he clenched his fist when he caught the ball at first base, hoping the game was over.

Curtis Granderson then fouled off a 3-0 pitch before topping a slow roller to Votto for the final out.

''It wasn't fun the way it ended,'' Votto said. ''Well, I take that back. It was fun the way it ended. Just a little bit nerve-racking at the end, but that's part of wins and losses and it was nice for Jose to come in and pick us up.''

Brandon Phillips got Cincinnati started with a run-scoring single and the Reds overcame Ivan Nova's career-high 12 strikeouts to improve to 2-2 during their five-game visit to both New York ballparks this week.

Homer Bailey (2-3) pitched effectively into the seventh inning for the second consecutive outing. Cincinnati then turned it over to its normally lights-out bullpen and held on to hand New York its fourth loss in five games.

''We just didn't get the last hit that we needed,'' Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. ''It's good that we're able to come back, but it's frustrating that you get so close and lose.''

Logan Ondrusek retired Jeter on a shallow fly with two on to end the seventh. Cuban flame-thrower Aroldis Chapman, hitting 99 mph on the stadium scoreboard, whiffed Granderson and Robinson Cano in a perfect eighth.

Raul Ibanez doubled to start the ninth and scored on Nick Swisher's single, snapping New York's 0-for-22 skid with runners in scoring position. Marshall threw a called third strike past Russell Martin, but Andruw Jones singled to put runners at the corners and Jayson Nix singled to make it 6-5.

That's when Baker went to Arredondo.

''I didn't really like the matchup there at the end with all those righties coming up there against Marshall,'' said Baker, who hinted that he might consider moving Chapman into the closer role soon.

Martin and Nix homered for the Yankees on a beautiful, 74-degree day when three balls barely cleared the short porch in right field.

Bailey, drafted seventh overall in 2004, was 0-1 in his previous four starts since beating the Cubs on April 20 for the franchise's 10,000th victory. The 26-year-old right-hander struck out seven and walked one in his first outing at Yankee Stadium.

''Overall, pitched a good game,'' he said. ''I'd be lying if I said the anticipation wasn't there. The first couple pitches it looked like the plate was about 100 feet away.''

With the score tied 2-all, No. 9 batter Wilson Valdez singled leading off the Cincinnati fifth and Chris Heisey followed with a bunt single. One out later, Votto got just enough of an inner-half slider from Nova (4-2) to drive it over the auxiliary scoreboard in right-center.

Five of Votto's seven homers this season have come in the last seven games, including a three-homer performance Sunday against Washington that he capped with a game-ending grand slam.

''I'm starting to make progress,'' the 2010 NL MVP said.

Nix homered in the bottom half to cut it to 5-3. An eighth-inning throwing error by Yankees reliever David Phelps led to Mike Costanzo's sacrifice fly.

Nova had no problem with the bruised and sprained right foot that knocked him out of Monday night's start at Baltimore in the sixth inning. Flashing a sharp curve, he struck out eight in the first three innings and had 11 strikeouts after five, surpassing his previous career high of 10.

The right-hander got himself in trouble with consecutive walks in the first and Phillips put the Reds ahead with an RBI single. Devin Mesoraco and Heisey both doubled in the second to make it 2-0.

It was an early breakthrough for the Reds, silenced by 39-year-old Andy Pettitte in their first shutout loss of the season Friday night.

Martin homered on the first pitch of the third and New York tied it on Ibanez's two-out RBI double in the fourth. Nova allowed seven hits and two walks over six innings in his second loss since a 15-game winning streak.

''I don't care about strikeouts,'' Nova said. ''I don't like the way I'm pitching right now. I'm making a lot of mistakes.''

NOTES: The series finale Sunday features an excellent pitching matchup. Reds RHP Johnny Cueto (4-1, 1.89 ERA) faces Yankees ace CC Sabathia (5-1, 3.77). Cueto's 2.20 ERA over the past two seasons is the best in the majors. ... Cincinnati rookie SS Zack Cozart, with one hit in his last 26 at-bats, was not in the lineup. Valdez started in his place and moved to third when Cozart entered for defense in the eighth. ... Costanzo got his first major league start (at DH) and singled in the sixth for his first career hit.

The Original Post is Located Here: Votto hits 3-run HR, Reds hold off Yankees 6-5 (Yahoo! Sports)

Saturday May 19, 2012 - 4:12 PM

By C. Trent Rosecrans | CBSSports.com Baseball Blogger

Plenty of Rangers fans would love to see the team reach a deal with Josh Hamilton before he hits free agency this offseason, but it sounds like team president Nolan Ryan is resigned to the fact that Hamilton will test the free-agent waters.

Ryan said he didn't expect Hamilton to sign a new contract until "end of November into December," according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

"We haven't carried on negotiations in the season because we don't feel like it's fair to Josh and we don't want to do something that would be a distraction," Ryan told reporters, including the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, on Friday. "We certainly are in hopes that we're able to work a deal out with him, but I think they probably have the mindset that they'll go through the season and see what happens and see what the market is for Josh Hamilton."

Hamilton said he's praying about his free agency, but he's "comfortable" in Texas. Although, that may not be the advantage you'd think it is.

"I want to do His will more than mine, so I don't necessarily want to do what's comfortable for me or my family," Hamilton told the Star-Telegram. "If he has us leave and go somewhere else, it might not be comfortable, but you know what? That's going to draw me closer to Him and have a better relationship with Him. … It's not about where I want to be. It's about where He wants me to be."

I'm guessing that's not Kansas City or Pittsburgh, but I wouldn't expect water to suddenly turn into wine, either.

The Original Post is Located Here: Rangers prez Ryan expects Hamilton to explore free agency

I[read more]age Credit: Fotos International/Getty Images

Has there ever been a musical genre more maligned than disco? Along with hair metal and that random swing-dance revival, disco is often used as shorthand for empty froth that inspired terrible fashion choices and aged poorer than warm Gruyere.

But the legacy of the late Donna Summer, who passed away today at the age of 63, makes a pretty spectacular case for the greatness of her particular blend of funk, soul, R&B, and dance music. She essentially created the genre with her 1975 hit “Love to Love You,” and only elevated it from there.

Over the course of her career, Summer recorded a handful of stone-cold classics that defined the late 1970s for millions, including the memorably “Last Dance,” the smash “Hot Stuff,” the iconic “Bad Girls,” and her whimsical chart-topping hit “MacArthur Park.”

Summer probably had the best 1979 of any recording artist of the era. In addition to “Hot Stuff” and “Bad Girls,” she put three more singles in the top five: The sweet “Heaven Knows,” the epic “Dim All The Lights,” and the Barbara Streisand duet “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough).”

All told, Summer put 14 singles in the top 10, including four number one hits. Her body of work — including plenty of hits that transcended disco — is impressive, and she was moving bodies all the way through her final album Crayons in 2008 (see the adrenaline-packed gem “Stamp Your Feet”).

Give the EW playlist below a spin, and enjoy the best days of disco.

What are your favorite Donna Summer songs? Crown your favorites in the comments.

Read more on EW.com:Donna Summer dies at 63: Report

The Original Post is Located Here: Donna Summer playlist: In memoriam

MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports that the Marlins have optioned Gaby Sanchez to Triple-A New Orleans.

The 28-year-old first baseman went 0-for-3 in Saturday afternoon’s loss to the Indians, dropping his already-hideous slash line to .197/.244/.295.

The Fish will hope that he can get his timing back against a lower level of competition at Triple-A.

Sanchez is a .263/.337/.427 career hitter in over 1,450 major-league plate appearances. He was named an All-Star in 2011 and finished the season with 19 home runs and 75 RBI.

Logan Morrison seems likely to move to first base while the Marlins wait for Sanchez to get himself right.

The Original Post is Located Here: Marlins option Gaby Sanchez to Triple-A New Orleans

The 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival is officially in full swing, with nearly everyone in Hollywood transported to the prestigious French fest for a week and a half of wheeling and dealing. Catch up on all the goings-on with Cannes Chatter.

• Let's have a toast for the douchebag! Kanye West, who previously showed off his behind the camera talents via short film "Runaway" in 2010, will debut a new film, Cruel Summer. Sorry, 1990s fans — don't expect an adaptation of the Ace of Base hit. West's film, which will be screened out of competition, will be "a fusion of short film and art installation" and also include an "immersive seven-screen experience for the eyes and ears unlike anything West has attempted before," according to DONDA, West's creative company. Cruel Summer's cast is quite hot: Aziz Ansari and Kid Cudi are among those involved with the project. Imma let you finish enjoying that fact before pointing out that this means Cannes will inevitably have to keep up with at least one Kardashian. [MTV]
• A Cannes story that could be a film itself: Italian actor Aniello Arena, celebrated for his performance as a Naples-set fishmonger who's obsessed with starring on a reality show in Reality, is currently serving 20 years in prison for double murder. Arena was reportedly incarcerated for the crime prior to filming — he was excused during the day in order to star in the film, directed by Matteo Garrone. How did Garrone manage to choose the actor? Arena toured Italy performing with a prison theater troupe. Truth sometimes really is stranger than fiction. [Forbes]
• Thanks to Sean Penn's best efforts — the actor chided Hollywood and the "whole f**king world" Friday for their lack of support in the earthquake-ravaged Haiti — guests at the film festival have donated over $250,000 to the cause at a charity auction headed by Penn, Paul Haggis, and Petra Nemcova. [Associated Press]

  More:Cannes 2012 in the Can: How to See the Fest's Biggest MoviesCannes Chatter: Marion Cotillard Already Building Oscar BuzzCannes Chatter: The Fight Over Sexism Rages On

• 
  
  

The Original Post is Located Here: Cannes Chatter: Kanye West to Debut ‘Cruel’ Short Film

BEIJING (Reuters) - Thirty of China's biggest state-owned businesses have signed contracts worth about 350 billion yuan ($55.3 billion) with the southwestern municipality Chongqing, Chinese media reported on Sunday, in a sign of Beijing's determination to bolster confidence in the city formerly run by ousted leader Bo Xilai.

Since the fall of the once high-flying Chinese official, media reports and some investors have questioned whether Chongqing's debt-laden economy is also headed for trouble.

A senior government official led a delegation of state-owned enterprise heads, including those from Sinopec Group, China National Petroleum Corp. and China Mobile <0941.HK>, to the city last week, The Economic Observer reported on Sunday.

"The central enterprises should firmly grasp new development opportunities in Chongqing," the newspaper quoted Wang Yong, the head of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, as saying. "Central enterprises" are the businesses directly managed by Beijing.

The companies signed agreements for a total of 72 projects, the paper reported. The article provided no details on the individual investments.

Bo's removal as Chongqing's Communist Party boss in March, amid police suspicions that his wife had murdered an expatriate British businessman last year, has triggered a party review of his leadership, including Chongqing's financial affairs.

That, plus fears of a purge of Bo's business allies, have created concerns over the debt accumulated by the vast municipality of some 30 million people.

Chongqing, China's biggest municipality, has approached Hong Kong investors with the aim of selling distressed property assets and bolstering its finances, Reuters reported earlier this month.

China Development Bank, a policy bank that lends at Beijing's behest, signed a memorandum with Chongqing in May to provide more capital for roads and social housing.

(Reporting by Sabrina Mao and Don Durfee; Editing by Daniel Magnowski)

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The Original Post is Located Here: China state-run businesses to invest 350 billion yuan in Chongqing

NEW YORK (AP) Reds manager Dusty Baker went deep into his dominant bullpen to find someone who could put away the New York Yankees.

Jose Arredondo worked out of a ninth-inning jam for his first major league save, Joey Votto hit a three-run homer and Cincinnati held on for a 6-5 victory Saturday.

New York scored twice off Sean Marshall in the ninth, but Baker pulled his regular closer in favor of Arredondo and he got the job done.

''I could have done without the drama, but we did win the game,'' Baker said.

Arredondo entered with two on and one out, and Derek Jeter grounded his first pitch to third. Cincinnati nearly turned a game-ending double play, but Jeter just beat the relay. Even Votto thought the Reds had it won - he clenched his fist when he caught the ball at first base, hoping the game was over.

Curtis Granderson then fouled off a 3-0 pitch before topping a slow roller to Votto for the final out.

''It wasn't fun the way it ended,'' Votto said. ''Well, I take that back. It was fun the way it ended. Just a little bit nerve-racking at the end, but that's part of wins and losses and it was nice for Jose to come in and pick us up.''

Brandon Phillips got Cincinnati started with a run-scoring single and the Reds overcame Ivan Nova's career-high 12 strikeouts to improve to 2-2 during their five-game visit to both New York ballparks this week.

Homer Bailey (2-3) pitched effectively into the seventh inning for the second consecutive outing. Cincinnati then turned it over to its normally lights-out bullpen and held on to hand New York its fourth loss in five games.

''We just didn't get the last hit that we needed,'' Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. ''It's good that we're able to come back, but it's frustrating that you get so close and lose.''

Logan Ondrusek retired Jeter on a shallow fly with two on to end the seventh. Cuban flame-thrower Aroldis Chapman, hitting 99 mph on the stadium scoreboard, whiffed Granderson and Robinson Cano in a perfect eighth.

Raul Ibanez doubled to start the ninth and scored on Nick Swisher's single, snapping New York's 0-for-22 skid with runners in scoring position. Marshall threw a called third strike past Russell Martin, but Andruw Jones singled to put runners at the corners and Jayson Nix singled to make it 6-5.

That's when Baker went to Arredondo.

''I didn't really like the matchup there at the end with all those righties coming up there against Marshall,'' said Baker, who hinted that he might consider moving Chapman into the closer role soon.

Martin and Nix homered for the Yankees on a beautiful, 74-degree day when three balls barely cleared the short porch in right field.

Bailey, drafted seventh overall in 2004, was 0-1 in his previous four starts since beating the Cubs on April 20 for the franchise's 10,000th victory. The 26-year-old right-hander struck out seven and walked one in his first outing at Yankee Stadium.

''Overall, pitched a good game,'' he said. ''I'd be lying if I said the anticipation wasn't there. The first couple pitches it looked like the plate was about 100 feet away.''

With the score tied 2-all, No. 9 batter Wilson Valdez singled leading off the Cincinnati fifth and Chris Heisey followed with a bunt single. One out later, Votto got just enough of an inner-half slider from Nova (4-2) to drive it over the auxiliary scoreboard in right-center.

Five of Votto's seven homers this season have come in the last seven games, including a three-homer performance Sunday against Washington that he capped with a game-ending grand slam.

''I'm starting to make progress,'' the 2010 NL MVP said.

Nix homered in the bottom half to cut it to 5-3. An eighth-inning throwing error by Yankees reliever David Phelps led to Mike Costanzo's sacrifice fly.

Nova had no problem with the bruised and sprained right foot that knocked him out of Monday night's start at Baltimore in the sixth inning. Flashing a sharp curve, he struck out eight in the first three innings and had 11 strikeouts after five, surpassing his previous career high of 10.

The right-hander got himself in trouble with consecutive walks in the first and Phillips put the Reds ahead with an RBI single. Devin Mesoraco and Heisey both doubled in the second to make it 2-0.

It was an early breakthrough for the Reds, silenced by 39-year-old Andy Pettitte in their first shutout loss of the season Friday night.

Martin homered on the first pitch of the third and New York tied it on Ibanez's two-out RBI double in the fourth. Nova allowed seven hits and two walks over six innings in his second loss since a 15-game winning streak.

''I don't care about strikeouts,'' Nova said. ''I don't like the way I'm pitching right now. I'm making a lot of mistakes.''

NOTES: The series finale Sunday features an excellent pitching matchup. Reds RHP Johnny Cueto (4-1, 1.89 ERA) faces Yankees ace CC Sabathia (5-1, 3.77). Cueto's 2.20 ERA over the past two seasons is the best in the majors. ... Cincinnati rookie SS Zack Cozart, with one hit in his last 26 at-bats, was not in the lineup. Valdez started in his place and moved to third when Cozart entered for defense in the eighth. ... Costanzo got his first major league start (at DH) and singled in the sixth for his first career hit.

The Original Post is Located Here: Votto hits 3-run HR, Reds hold off Yankees 6-5 (Yahoo! Sports)

"Just blocked 2 people who asked me not to tweet about my views on religion. They obviously couldn't find their unfollow button so I helped." Atheist funnyman Ricky Gervais continues to clash with fellow 'tweeters' on the topic of faith.

The Original Post is Located Here: The Things They Tweet

The UK is set to simplify its video game ratings and bring in the parental warnings in line with rest of Europe. The move means that retailers will need to adopt new age ratings and face legal penalties if they fail to adhere to the new rules.

The rating of video games in the UK has, for many years, fallen under the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). The BBFC is the same body which rates films shown at movie theaters. This has led to video games having different age cut-offs in the UK when compared with other European countries. It has also led to a series of complex tiers.The UK government have decided that a new body will be set-up for this purpose. This is body called the Video Standards Council (VSC), and game ratings will now be aligned with those across the rest of the European Union.The BBFC, however, will retain a role in assessing games with a 'high level' of violence or sexual content.The VSC will use a system called the Pan European Game Information system (Pegi). Pegi gives games an age rating as well as other details, such as violent content and bad language.The Pegi system will mean stiffer penalties for retailers who break the law. This means that any retailer who sells a 12-rated game to a child under that age could face jail.The issue has led to considerable debate on the PlayStation forums.The BBC notes that the VSC / Pegi system will begin operational from July 2012.

The Original Post is Located Here: Video Games Ratings Changed

Donna Summer Dead: Singer Dies at 63

Thursday May 17, 2012

DONNA Summer has died at the age of 63 after a battle with cancer.

A statement from Summer’s family says “are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy.”

“Words truly can’t express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensitive time,” the statement continued.

Summer — whose hits include I Fell Love, Last Dance and MacArthur Park — had attempted to keep the extent of her illness from fans and was recently trying to finish up her latest album.

Donna was a five-time Grammy Award winner and the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach number one on the US Billboard chart.

She also charted four number-one singles in the United States within a thirteen-month period.

Donna — who was born LaDonna Adrian Gaines in 1948 — married actor Helmuth Sommer in 1973 before giving birth to the couple’s daughter Mimi later that year.

Although the marriage crumbled in 1975, she kept an altered version of her ex’s surname to use as her stage name. She married Brooklyn Dreams musician Bruce Sudano in 1980 and the couple went on to have two daughters, Brooklyn, born in 1981 and Amanda the following year.

In 1994, the family moved from Los Angeles to Nashville where Donna took time out from showbusiness to focus on painting but had recently returned to the recording studio.

The Original Post is Located Here: Donna Summer Dead: Singer Dies at 63

No surprise here, but Paul Konerko is out of the starting lineup for the White Sox tonight against the Cubs, one day after he was hit in the face by a pitch from right-hander Jeff Samardzija.

Initial tests came back clean aside from a cut and swelling above his left eye, but Chuck Garfien of CSNChicago.com reports that his eye is now “swollen shut” and he might have to miss “more than a couple games.”

Adam Dunn was originally expected to play left field this weekend with the DH unavailable under National League rules, but he’ll fill in at first base with Konerko out of the lineup. Dayan Viciedo, who has hit safely in five straight games, will play in his usual spot in left field.

Konerko, 36, is hitting .367/.453/.604 with eight home runs, 23 RBI and a 1.058 OPS over his first 161 plate appearances this year.

The Original Post is Located Here: Paul Konerko could miss multiple days after being hit above left eye with pitch

As much as we're familiar with mobile device torture tests, they're normally inflicted by us or otherwise not-so-voluntary. Nokia, however, has stepped up to the plate and doled out the abuse to the Lumia 900 itself with a hammer and nail, all based on a wager that the Windows Phone's use of Gorilla Glass would hold up to Sonim-level punishment. The company's Chris Ruble and Mike Meyers (not that Mike Myers) used a Lumia 710 as a dry run before an on-camera demo that not only saw the 900 assaulted with the hammer, but used as a blunt instrument itself -- all without a crack or scratch. We imagine that other toughened-glass phones would survive the hit, and there's every possibility that smacking the polycarbonate plastic would leave more than a scuff mark. Nokia's test still proves that its pride and joy can withstand more than just a casual roughing up, and you can see the slightly cringe-inducing test in the video below.

The Original Post is Located Here: Nokia uses Lumia 900 as a hammer in a torture test, makes us wince (video)

HOUSTON (AP) -- Justin Maxwell hit one of Houston's season-high three homers to put his team on top in the fifth inning and the Astros held on for a 6-5 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night.

Maxwell's second home run of the year, and first since his first at-bat as an Astro earlier this season, came with one on and two outs in the fifth inning to make it 5-4. Chris Snyder had a solo shot in the third and Carlos Lee 's two-run homer in the fourth helped close the gap.

The Rangers took an early lead thanks to a four-run third inning, highlighted by David Murphy 's three-run inside-the-park home run.

The Astros added an insurance run in the sixth when J.D. Martinez doubled and scored on a double by Travis Buck after a walk by Snyder.

Houston starter Lucas Harrell (3-3) yielded five hits and four runs - one earned - in 5 2-3 innings.

Brett Myers allowed a single by Elvis Andrus with one out in the ninth, but Josh Hamilton grounded into a double play to end the game. Andrus got caught in a rundown after Hamilton's grounder, and was out when Myers tagged his foot on a close play at second to earn his 10th save.

Derek Holland (3-3), who was pitching on four days of extra rest, allowed five hits and five runs in five innings in his shortest start of the season. He last started on May 10, but pitched an inning of relief on Monday.

Andrus tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Hamilton to get Texas within 6-5 in the seventh inning.

Michael Young singled off Wilton Lopez to start the eighth. Lopez was replaced by Wesley Wright , who gave up a pinch-hit single to Brandon Snyder . Wright was relieved by Brandon Lyon , who retired Nelson Cruz before Mike Napoli grounded out, leaving runners at second and third.

Houston escaped the jam when Maxwell caught a fly ball by pinch-hitter Craig Gentry .

It was the first time Houston had three home runs in a game since Sept. 7 against Pittsburgh. The Astros did it in front of their second sellout crowd of the season to even the three-game series at 1-1.

Andrus walked with one out in the third inning before reaching second on a groundout by Hamilton. Andrus scored on a single to left field by Adrian Beltre to make it 1-0. Beltre has a 10-game hitting streak.

Michael Young reached on a force attempt on an error by shortstop Jed Lowrie to leave two on and two out.

Then came Murphy's inside-the-park homer on a fly ball to right center field.

Maxwell dived to try and make the catch and Jordan Schafer tripped over him in the process. Schafer got up and grabbed the ball near the wall and threw to Jose Altuve . Murphy beat Altuve's throw home to make it 4-0.

It was the first inside-the-park homer for Murphy, the 23rd one in franchise history and the first for Texas since Gentry did it at Seattle last Sept. 23.

The last inside-the-park home run at Minute Maid Park came on Altuve's first career homer on Aug. 20.

Schafer was injured on Murphy's home run and left the game with a sprained right ankle. Brian Bogusevic entered the game at right field and Maxwell took Schafer's spot in center.

X-rays on Schafer's ankle were negative and the team said he would undergo more tests on Monday.

After Murphy's homer, Snyder got the Astros within 4-1 with a solo shot to left field in the third inning.

Lee cut the lead to 4-3 with his two-run homer to left field in the fourth inning. Maxwell walked to set up the score.

NOTES: Texas pitcher Robbie Ross has the most wins in the majors by a relief pitcher this season with five. ... These teams wrap up the series on Sunday when Rangers right-hander Colby Lewis opposes Jordan Lyles .

The Original Post is Located Here: Astros rally from four-run deficit to beat Rangers

HOUSTON (AP) -- Justin Maxwell hit one of Houston's season-high three homers to put his team on top in the fifth inning and the Astros held on for a 6-5 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night.

Maxwell's second home run of the year, and first since his first at-bat as an Astro earlier this season, came with one on and two outs in the fifth inning to make it 5-4. Chris Snyder had a solo shot in the third and Carlos Lee 's two-run homer in the fourth helped close the gap.

The Rangers took an early lead thanks to a four-run third inning, highlighted by David Murphy 's three-run inside-the-park home run.

The Astros added an insurance run in the sixth when J.D. Martinez doubled and scored on a double by Travis Buck after a walk by Snyder.

Houston starter Lucas Harrell (3-3) yielded five hits and four runs - one earned - in 5 2-3 innings.

Brett Myers allowed a single by Elvis Andrus with one out in the ninth, but Josh Hamilton grounded into a double play to end the game. Andrus got caught in a rundown after Hamilton's grounder, and was out when Myers tagged his foot on a close play at second to earn his 10th save.

Derek Holland (3-3), who was pitching on four days of extra rest, allowed five hits and five runs in five innings in his shortest start of the season. He last started on May 10, but pitched an inning of relief on Monday.

Andrus tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Hamilton to get Texas within 6-5 in the seventh inning.

Michael Young singled off Wilton Lopez to start the eighth. Lopez was replaced by Wesley Wright , who gave up a pinch-hit single to Brandon Snyder . Wright was relieved by Brandon Lyon , who retired Nelson Cruz before Mike Napoli grounded out, leaving runners at second and third.

Houston escaped the jam when Maxwell caught a fly ball by pinch-hitter Craig Gentry .

It was the first time Houston had three home runs in a game since Sept. 7 against Pittsburgh. The Astros did it in front of their second sellout crowd of the season to even the three-game series at 1-1.

Andrus walked with one out in the third inning before reaching second on a groundout by Hamilton. Andrus scored on a single to left field by Adrian Beltre to make it 1-0. Beltre has a 10-game hitting streak.

Michael Young reached on a force attempt on an error by shortstop Jed Lowrie to leave two on and two out.

Then came Murphy's inside-the-park homer on a fly ball to right center field.

Maxwell dived to try and make the catch and Jordan Schafer tripped over him in the process. Schafer got up and grabbed the ball near the wall and threw to Jose Altuve . Murphy beat Altuve's throw home to make it 4-0.

It was the first inside-the-park homer for Murphy, the 23rd one in franchise history and the first for Texas since Gentry did it at Seattle last Sept. 23.

The last inside-the-park home run at Minute Maid Park came on Altuve's first career homer on Aug. 20.

Schafer was injured on Murphy's home run and left the game with a sprained right ankle. Brian Bogusevic entered the game at right field and Maxwell took Schafer's spot in center.

X-rays on Schafer's ankle were negative and the team said he would undergo more tests on Monday.

After Murphy's homer, Snyder got the Astros within 4-1 with a solo shot to left field in the third inning.

Lee cut the lead to 4-3 with his two-run homer to left field in the fourth inning. Maxwell walked to set up the score.

NOTES: Texas pitcher Robbie Ross has the most wins in the majors by a relief pitcher this season with five. ... These teams wrap up the series on Sunday when Rangers right-hander Colby Lewis opposes Jordan Lyles .

The Original Post is Located Here: Astros rally from four-run deficit to beat Rangers

CBSSports.com wire reportsMay 20, 2012

LOS ANGELES -- Getting shut out by Clayton Kershaw was the least of the St. Louis Cardinals' problems. They may have to do without first baseman Lance Berkman for a while because of an injured right knee.

Kershaw outdueled Jake Westbrook with a six-hitter for his fourth career shutout, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-0 victory on Saturday night.

"The first couple of innings I threw mainly fastballs," said the 24-year-old left-hander, who is 14-1 with a 1.40 ERA in his last 19 starts at home. "Once I established it, I used my breaking ball more, and the combination worked. They have a great lineup, but losing Lance Berkman is a big blow for them."

Berkman injured himself stretching for a throw from shortstop Rafael Furcal on Justin Sellers' groundout for the third out of the second inning. Matt Carpenter took over at first and committed a fielding error on a hard-hit grounder by former Cardinal Adam Kennedy in the fourth, allowing the game's first two runs to score.

The switch-hitting Berkman, a six-time All-Star and the NL comeback player of the year in 2011, has played in only 13 games this season and is batting .333 with a homer and four RBIs.

In Friday night's series opener, he homered as a pinch-hitter against Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen with two out in the ninth to tie the score, before the Cardinals lost in the bottom half on a bases-loaded walk. The homer ended the longest season-opening home run drought of his career after 40 at-bats.

Berkman had just come off the disabled list last Sunday after being sidelined for 21 games because of a strained left calf he aggravated while chasing a popup. Another trip to the DL is a distinct possibility, judging by the way he was limping around in the clubhouse.

"I wish I knew," said Berkman, who has been on the DL five times. "We're just going to wait and see what the MRI says, but it just doesn't feel right. It buckled on me twice, and I don't know why it did that. I was able to move around OK in here, and then it buckled again. So I have to be careful with it. It's not too painful, but it's just a weird feeling. I wish I could describe it. There's a little bit of instability that's mildly concerning."

Kershaw did not walk a batter for the third time this season while lowering his ERA from 2.22 to 1.90.

"It's scary, but he keeps getting better," catcher A.J. Ellis said. "It just gives us a ton of confidence in this clubhouse that when it's his day to pitch, he's going to give us an awesome chance to win the game. You know what you're getting with Kersh. He's the same consistent guy on and off the field, and he knows he's got a job to do no matter what the circumstances. He wants every game real badly, but you could tell he really wanted this one."

The reigning NL Cy Young winner earned the seventh complete game of his career on 116 pitches, striking out four and not allowing a runner past second base against an offense that came in leading the NL in team batting average, runs, homers, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

Sellers triggered a four-run seventh inning with his first home run of the season for the NL West-leading Dodgers, who improved the best record in the majors to 27-13.

The Dodgers beat the defending World Series champions for the sixth straight time -- their longest winning streak against the Cardinals since an eight-game stretch from July 24, 1975 through May 12, 1976.

Westbrook (4-3) was charged with four runs - three earned - and six hits in 6 1-3 innings. The 34-year-old right-hander, pitching at Dodger Stadium for the first time in his 12-year career, departed after giving up Kershaw's opposite-field double off the glove of left fielder Matt Holliday. It was Kershaw's first extra-base hit after hitting 28 singles over five seasons.

Tony Gwynn Jr. greeted Eduardo Sanchez with a single that drove in Kershaw. The Dodgers got two more runs that inning when Gwynn scored on Sanchez's wild pitch and Andre Ethier added an RBI single that increased his NL-best RBI total to 36.

Westbrook knew he would have his work cut out for himself facing the Dodgers' ace, but he didn't let that distract him.

"You try not to do that, because you always want to go out there and throw a decent ballgame and put up zeros no matter who you're facing," Westbrook said. "If you put too much added pressure on yourself, it's really counter-productive. So you just go out there and pitch your game and do the best you can."

Ellis doubled his first two times up, and has reached base with a hit or a walk in 31 of his first 32 games -- including the last 28 in a row. He entered Saturday with a .459 on-base percentage, the second-highest in the majors behind the Mets' David Wright (.510).

Notes

• Dee Gordon, the Dodgers' regular SS and leadoff batter, got the night off after going 2 for 31 with 10 strikeouts and one walk in the previous seven games. Mattingly said before the game that he will sit him for a few days.
• Kershaw, who led the NL with 248 strikeouts last season, has made 13 consecutive starts without reaching double digits in strikeouts.
• In eight starts this season, Westbrook has yielded just one run over the first three innings. He has made only two other regular-season appearances against the Dodgers, both in relief for Cleveland in 2003.

The Original Post is Located Here: Dodgers’ Kershaw tosses shutout against Cards

Hasselblad is typically known for everything but price cuts, and sometimes goes in the opposite direction. As such, we're more than a little caught off-guard by a round of price cuts on what's usually considered the definitive medium format camera line. The 'entry' H4D-31 has been cut down by as much as 23 percent; we're not sure we'd call it a steal at $11,995 without a lens, but it's now an option if you think even a Nikon D800's full-frame sensor is puny. Price slashes aren't reserved for the bargain models, either, as even the 200-megapixel, status symbol H4D-200MS shaves enough off the cost (now $35,995) to be a worth look for those sitting on the fence. You can get the full details at the source link, and you won't have to survive on ramen noodles for a year to shoot billboard-sized photos.

The Original Post is Located Here: Hasselblad cuts H4D prices by up to 23 percent, might let you afford rent

PHILADELPHIA (AP) David Ortiz homered, singled and drove in two runs to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 7-5 win over Philadelphia, snapping the Phillies' six-game winning streak Saturday night.

Mike Aviles, Will Middlebrooks and Jarrod Saltalamacchia also homered for Boston, which won for the seventh time in nine games. Saltalamacchia went 3 for 4, needing a triple for the cycle.

Jon Lester (3-3) improved to 3-0 in four career starts against the Phillies despite matching a season high for hits allowed with eight and giving up four runs in six innings.

Freddy Galvis homered, and John Mayberry Jr., Hector Luna and Shane Victorino each had three hits for the Phillies as the teams combined for 26 hits.

Joe Blanton (4-4) pitched a season-low 4 1/3 innings while surrendering seven runs - six earned - on nine hits. Alfredo Aceves got four outs for his ninth save in 11 chances.

Aviles gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead with the club's first leadoff homer of the season.

Boston extended the margin to 3-0 with a pair of runs in the second, with Saltalamacchia scoring on Daniel Nava's grounder and Ryan Sweeney reaching on Lester's double-play groundout.

Philadelphia got a run back in the third on Shane Victorino's RBI double off the metal fence above the 10-foot, 6-inch wall in left. But Middlebrooks and Saltalamacchia opened the fourth with consecutive homers to put Boston up 5-1.

Philadelphia scored three runs in the fourth, highlighted by Galvis' two-run homer to left, to make it a one-run game.

After Dustin Pedroia singled to lead off the fifth, Ortiz launched the first pitch he saw in the fifth over the wall in straightaway center to give the Red Sox a 7-4 advantage.

Sweeney saved two runs in the seventh when the Red Sox center fielder robbed Carlos Ruiz of extra bases with a highlight-reel diving catch just in front of the warning track in right-center with two outs and runners on first and second.

The Phillies trimmed the lead to 7-5 in the eight on Jimmy Rollins' RBI infield single, but stranded the bases loaded when Victorino popped out to shortstop off of Aceves.

Notes: Red Sox OF Cody Ross did not play after fouling a ball off his left leg in Friday's game. Boston manager Bobby Valentine said before the game that X-rays were negative. ... The crowd of 45,656 was the Phillies' 224th straight sellout and 240th counting postseason play. ... Former Philadelphia OF Pat Burrell was honored in a pregame ceremony after signing a one-day contract and officially retiring as a member of the Phillies. ... Boston right-hander Josh Beckett (3-4, 4.97) is scheduled to face Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee (0-1 1.95) at 1:35 on Sunday.

The Original Post is Located Here: Ortiz leads Red Sox past Phillies 7-5 (Yahoo! Sports)

Virgin Atlantic has announced that passengers will be able to make phone calls via a cellular device while in-flight on their A330 aircraft.

At first, the service will only be available on Virgin's new Airbus A330 planes flying from London to New York, but will soon be rolled out to 17 planes on 10 routes by the end of the year.In-flight mobile access will be provided by AeroMobile, which is part-owned by Panasonic. The Telegraph reports that customers will be charged approximately the same as normal roaming charges for utilizing the service, however the service cannot be utilized during the takeoff or landing phases of flight.

The Original Post is Located Here: Virgin Atlantic to allow in-flight cellphone calls

This probably won’t go over too well in Cleveland.

According to Chris Assenheimer of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, Indians closer Chris Perez went on a bit of a rant after Saturday’s 2-0 victory against the Mariners about the lack of support this year at Progressive Field. And the fact that he’s been booed at home during some of his rougher outings.

The Indians have a four-game lead over the Tigers in the American League Central standings but attracted only 29,799 fans on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon and rank dead last in the American League this year in attendance.

Here’s the gist of Perez’s comments, via Asshenheimer’s Twitter feed:

Perez is 13-for-13 in save opportunities since imploding on Opening Day. He has a 3.31 ERA on the year.

The Original Post is Located Here: Chris Perez rips Indians fans for poor attendance and booing

CLEVELAND (AP) Miami Marlins center fielder Emilio Bonifacio, who leads the majors in stolen bases, could be headed for the disabled list because of a sprained left thumb.

Bonifacio is out of the lineup for Saturday's game at Cleveland. An MRI on Saturday revealed the sprain. Manager Ozzie Guillen says going on the DL is a possibility, but adds Indians doctors said Bonifacio won't need surgery.

Guillen said Bonifacio will be examined by Marlins doctors when the team returns home to open a series against Colorado on Monday.

Bonifacio, who has stolen 20 bases, jammed his hand on a dive back to first base Friday. He then was thrown out by catcher Carlos Santana, the first time Bonifacio has been caught stealing this season.

Bryan Petersen took Bonifacio's spot in center field.

The Original Post is Located Here: Marlins CF Bonifacio out with sprained thumb (Yahoo! Sports)

Patent Pending Wins Billboard's Battle of the Bands

With pop-punk hooks, fist pumps aplenty and some fancy footwork, Patent Pending, an impossibly high energy "rag-tag bunch jerks" from Long Island, NY, earned a golden ticket to perform at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday (May 20) after besting five other acts to win the Battle of the Bands showdown.

Hosted by hitmaker Taio Cruz and presented by Chevrolet, the Battle went down Live from Las Vegas' Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Judges included Billboard editorial director Bill Werde, Billboard.com's managing editor Jessica Letkemenn, BBMAs producer Charlie Hagel and Laura Swanson, the executive vice president of media and artist relation for Island Def Jam.

PHOTOS: Battle of the Bands 2012

"Naturally these are pain tears," beamed Patent Pending's super-affable frontman Joe Ragosta following his band's stage-shaking performance, which included a short dance routine since no boy-bands were in the competition.

The band beat out an impressive and diverse group of acts from across the country -- all of them brought a different take on American music.

Watch The Whole Battle of the Bands Concert:

First up was hook-heavy alt-rockers Take the Day, a five-piece from Milwaukee who dialed up the energy level on their set, starting with the infectious "Freaks." Savannah Outen of Portland, Ore. followed with another hard-charging performance, the highlight being her original track "Singing to Me."

Things took an otherworldly turn when Tallahassee hip-hop band After the Smoke, who invoke something they call "nostalgic futurism" in their sound, took to the stage to show off their funk/soul/rock fusion. "We're from the future," principle members/time-travelers Rob Coin and Anthony X² made known… repeatedly.

All four judges seemed universally smitten with San Francisco's Doe Eye, the moniker for indie singer Maryam Qudus. Echo-heavy and orchestral, her two songs, including "I Hate You," slowed the proceedings down in a good way. Werde later noted hers was the album he would seek out first if he had to choose.

Saints of Valory took a slight ribbing for their choice in jackets, but not before schooling the rest of the bands in precision playing on their anthemic stadium-filling songs.

But in the end, it was Patent Pending that won out with judges and online voters -- an impressive feat considering they were representing the Northeast. Backstage they thanked their "psychotic friends and family" for staying up to vote.

Tune in to see them perform at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday at 8/7c on ABC. If you missed the Battle, you can watch all the action again right here.

- Marc Schneider

The Original Post is Located Here: Patent Pending Wins Billboard’s Battle of the Bands

Considering how bipolar her latest album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded is, it makes sense that Nicki Minaj’s singles would slingshot between hardcore (“Stupid Hoe,” “Beez in the Trap”) and super-slick pop (“Starships”).

“Right By My Side,” her latest single and video venture, falls squarely in the latter category, and the clip itself is a pretty bland love story between Nicki and guest star Nas (who does not actually rap on the song). There’s also plenty of refreshing Pepsi and a guest spot from hook singer Chris Brown, whose comeback was recently rejected by Liz Lemon.

Check out the video below, if only to get a look at Nas’ cool glasses.

Minaj should know that getting romantically involved with Nas is a bad idea, as usually everybody ends up poor.

It’s a pretty straightforward video about wanting your man by your side, but that last shot is confusing. Why does Minaj look at the camera like that? Does Nas’ embrace suddenly bother her? Is she having a psychotic break? The next shot is of a full moon—is Minaj turning into a werewolf, and are we to assume that Nas cannot love a werewolf?

What do you think of Nicki’s new video — and what’s your stance on Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded‘s pop turns?

Read more on EW.com:EW’s Spring Playlist: Nicki Minaj, Marina and the Diamonds, Schoolboy Q and more — stream it hereNicki Minaj debuts in new Pepsi commercial: Watch it hereReview: Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded

The Original Post is Located Here: Nicki Minaj rolls with Chris Brown and Nas in ‘Right By My Side’ video

Russell Brand: ‘I Still Love Katy Perry’

RUSSELL Brand says he still loves Katy Perry.

The actor insists he has no regrets about his 14-month marriage to the I Kissed a Girl hitmaker.

“I still love her as a human being,” he said.

“But, sometimes when you’re in a relationship I suppose it doesn’t work out, does it?

“But that doesn’t mean I regret it or anything. I was very happy to be married with her.

“You can’t absolutely make everything the way you want it to be in life.

“Sometimes thing are just different and then you do just move with that and try and remain in contact with what is beautiful about yourself and each other … with any situation.”

Tags: katy perry, russell brand

The Original Post is Located Here: Russell Brand: ‘I Still Love Katy Perry’

 Throughout the 11th season of “American Idol” he’s been called “one of the top two best 'Idols' of all time” by Steven Tyler and one of the best singers Jennifer Lopez has “seen in 50 years.”

Now, he’s a third-place finisher.

Louisiana soul singer Joshua Ledet was sent home by “American Idol” viewers in the show’s semifinals week. Ledet’s exit sets up a finale between acoustic strummer Phillip Phillips and diva-in-waiting Jessica Sanchez.

“American Idol” will come to a close next week, with performances between the two finalists taking place on Tuesday and a winner being crowned on Wednesday. San Diego’s Jessica Sanchez is just 16, but she’s been championed by the “Idol” judges all season, earning the trio’s “save” when viewers tried to send her home on April 13.

"This girl is one of the best singers in America, ever," Randy Jackson gushed after the judges vetoed voters and kept her on the show.

Phillips, a 21 year-old from Georgia, has stayed true to his rock 'n' roll roots all season, usually appearing tethered to his acoustic guitar as he tackled songs from the likes of the Box Tops, the Zombies, Jonny Lang and the Dave Matthews Band. The latter was a sly wink to the judges and viewers, as Phillips has been compared to Matthews since first appearing on the show.

He wowed the judges on Tuesday when he showed his tender side, tackling Bob Seger's "We've Got Tonight" sans guitar.

L.A. Times readers called the final two right in voting that has taken place over the last eight weeks in our "Idol" vs. "The Voice" poll. The poll has pitted the hopefuls on Fox against their counterparts on NBC, where former backup singer Jermaine Paul emerged the victor earlier this month.

Of more than 300,000 reader votes cast, San Diego-native Sanchez, has drawn about 99,000. Phillips is in second with 37,500.

Our readers got Ledet's third-place finish right -- he had nearly 26,000 votes in our poll.

Do you think readers' predictions will hold for next week's finale? Will Sanchez emerge the first female winner since Jordin Sparks in 2007 or is Phillips going to keep the boys' streak alive?

The poll below includes the top 15 reader vote-getters. Vote for your favorites and check back Friday to see who tops the chart and where our experts stand on the talent after watching all season.

'Idol' vs. 'The Voice' top 15. Who should win (or should've won) it all?

RELATED:

Full coverage: 'American Idol'

'American Idol' recap: The top three vie for the finale

'American Idol' recap: Hollie Cavanagh ousted, three remain

'American Idol' vs. 'Voice': Jessica Sanchez better than Jermaine Paul?

-- Todd Martens and Megan Garvey

Photo: From left are "American Idol's" final three: Phillip Phillips, Jessica Sanchez and Joshua Ledet. Credit: Michael Becker / Fox

The Original Post is Located Here: ‘American Idol’: The final two standing are…