This Hour: Latest Texas sports

Posted: Updated:

ATHLETICS-RANGERS

Rangers top A's 3-1 in Wolf's 1st big league start

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - David Murphy and Adrian Beltre homered in a three-run first inning, Ross Wolf was strong in his first major league start and the Texas Rangers avoided a sweep with a 3-1 victory against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old Wolf was making his first big league appearance since Oct. 1, 2010, as a reliever with Oakland. He retired the first nine hitters and gave up one run with three strikeouts and two walks in five innings.

Neal Cotts preserved Wolf's lead by striking out the side with no outs and two runners on in the sixth. Joe Nathan pitched a perfect ninth for this 14th save.

Jarrod Parker (2-6) was down 3-0 just four batters into the game, but went seven innings.

RANGERS MOVES

Rangers option RHP Burns for Wolf's spot start

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - The Texas Rangers have optioned right-handed reliever Cory Burns to AAA Round Rock to make room for Ross Wolf for a spot start Wednesday against Oakland.

Wolf will be the second pitcher in three days to make his first major league start for the Rangers after previous stints with other teams as a reliever. Josh Lindblom lost to the A's on Monday.

The 30-year-old Wolf last pitched in the majors with Oakland in 2010. The right-hander has 25 career relief appearances. He was 1-1 with a 1.85 ERA in six starts for Round Rock.

Burns had no record and a 4.91 ERA in three appearances after being called up to Texas last week.

ROYALS-ASTROS

Astros win series with 3-1 victory over Royals

HOUSTON (AP) - J.D. Martinez hit a two-run homer, Jordan Lyles pitched six effective innings and the Houston Astros beat the Kansas City Royals 3-1 on Wednesday night.

Lyles (2-1) allowed one run and six hits in his 50th career game. Travis Blackley and Hector Ambriz each got three outs before Jose Veras pitched a perfect ninth for his eighth save one night after the bullpen struggled in a 7-3 loss.

Houston took 2 of 3 from Kansas City for its fourth series win this season.

SPURS-PARKER'S CALF

Spurs' Parker getting MRI on troublesome left calf

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker plans to have an MRI on Thursday on his troublesome left calf, although he doesn't expect to miss any playing time in the Western Conference finals.

Parker says the MRI is "just to make sure" he's improving on schedule from the injury, which limited his effectiveness in the final two games of the Spurs' second-round series against Golden State.

Parker had 15 points and a career-best 18 assists in San Antonio's Game 2 win against Memphis on Tuesday night. The Spurs lead the series 2-0. Game 3 is Saturday night in Memphis.

Parker says his calf feels better and the 3-day break between games arrives "at a perfect time for me."

SEC-TEXAS A&M-VANDERBILT

Parker leads Texas A&M past Vanderbilt, 5-0

HOOVER, Ala. (AP) - Ray Parker pitched eight-plus innings to lead Texas A&M to a 5-0 victory over top-seeded Vanderbilt on Wednesday in the second round of the Southeastern Conference baseball tournament.

The Aggies (32-25) produced three solo homers and Parker made sure it was plenty in the double-elimination tournament.

Making his fifth start of the season, Parker (1-1) allowed three hits and walked three while throwing 110 pitches. He left after walking the leadoff batter in the ninth.

Vandy (48-8), which had lost only three SEC games, didn't manage an extra base hit and was shut out for the first time this season. The Commodores came in leading the league in hitting.

Cole Langford, Hunter Melton and Troy Stein homered for Texas A&M while Daniel Mengden had three hits and Krey Bratsen added two. Melton also homered in the opening win over Florida.

SILVER STARS PREVIEW

Steady and sure, Silver Stars slide into new year

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - The San Antonio Silver Stars had a quiet offseason, which seems appropriate for a non-descript franchise that has quietly made six straight playoff appearances.

Like the San Antonio Spurs, their NBA brethren, the Silver Stars are led by a defensive-minded coach in Dan Hughes who has established a selfless and straightforward identity for his team.

The Silver Stars didn't draft high enough to pick up any of the WNBA's heralded rookie trio of Brittney Griner (Phoenix), Elena Delle Donne (Chicago) and Skylar Diggins (Tulsa). And they didn't trade for or sign a major star.

In fact, the biggest news of the offseason was losing all-star forward Sophia Young for the season to an ACL tear.

MLS-DYNAMO-BOSWELL SUSPENDED

Houston D Boswell's suspension doubled to 2 games

NEW YORK (AP) - Houston defender Bobby Boswell's suspension has been doubled to two games by the MLS disciplinary committee.

Boswell was given a red card for a head butt against New England's Dimitry Imbongo in the 39th minute on Saturday, resulting in an automatic 1-game ban. In addition to increasing the length of the suspension Wednesday, citing violent conduct, the disciplinary committee also fined Boswell.

He will miss Sunday's game at Kansas City and a June 1 match at the Columbus Crew.

SUN BELT-MEMBERSHIP

Sun Belt delays expanding to 12 teams

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Karl Benson says plans to become a 12-team league are on hold.

Benson, speaking after Wednesday's conclusion of conference meetings in Destin, Fla., says the conference is comfortable with having an 11-team setup by 2014. He says member institutions don't want to rush to add another school simply so the league can host a conference championship game in football.

Benson says the decision to wait is aimed at seeking stability and ensuring a good geographic fit for a league currently in transition. Four schools are leaving this summer and a fifth next year. Those will be replaced by seven schools, one which does not have football and two which are joining for football only.

The Sun Belt will have eight football teams this coming season.

This Hour: Latest Texas sports - Houston weather, traffic, news | FOX 26 | MyFoxHouston

This Hour: Latest Texas sports