Indians roll to fourth straight 'W'

SPOKANE - Brett Nicholas went 4 for 4 with four RBIs and a run scored as the Spokane Indians defeated the Vancouver Canadians (12-16) 9-5 in front of 6,845 at Avista Stadium in Northwest League baseball action Friday night.

Jurickson Profar went 2 for 5 with two doubles and three runs scored for Spokane (15-12).

Spokane scored five runs in the seventh inning, keyed by two-run doubles from Clark Murphy and Kevin Roland.

Francisco Mendoza gave up one hit in relief to get his second win of the season and Ryan Rodebaugh earned the save for Spokane.

The Indians will attempt to sweep the five-game series from Vancouver tonight at 6:30.

from B1

month ago and shot 67 in the morning when players only had to cope with a light wind and short spells of rain.

A pair of Englishmen, Lee Westwood (71) and Paul Casey (69), were at 6-under 138.

At least an exasperating day ended with a heartwarming moment. Watson, the 60-year-old who came within an 8-foot putt of winning last year at Turnberry, played his final Open round at St. Andrews, the only Scottish links where he didn't win the claret jug.

The five-time champion leaned over to kiss the Swilcan Bridge, then posed atop the stone arch just as Arnold Palmer did in 1995 and Jack Nicklaus did in 2000 and 2005.

And just like Nicklaus five years ago, Watson finished with a birdie. His wedge across the Valley of Sin stopped an inch from the hole.

"I pulled it just an inch," Watson said after his 75 to finish at 4-over 148. The cut will not be made until today, but it was unlikely to go further than 2-over par.

Oosthuizen made seven birdies in his round of 67, finishing with a 15-foot birdie putt.

Far more compelling were the players trying to make par as the wind raged off St. Andrews Bay.

No one suffered quite like McIlroy.

One day after his record-tying 63, the 21-year-old from Northern Ireland was blown away by shots into the rough and putts that he could not control in the wind. He wound up with an 80 and staggered off the course 11 shots out of the lead.

"I think all the guys were finding it tough this afternoon, and I just let it get away from me a little bit," McIlroy said. "I actually did well to par the last three holes, if I'm totally honest. It could have been an 82 or an 83. I'm here for the weekend, so it's not all bad, but definitely a complete contrast to what it was like yesterday."

How tough?

Of the last 75 players who completed the round, none broke par. Thirty players had to return today to finish the second round, including British Amateur champion Jin Jeong, who was at 5-under par.

Woods won the last two times at St. Andrews by a combined 13 shots. The Old Course was nothing like it was Friday afternoon, and it was rare for the world's No. 1 player to feel so satisfied after a 73.

Woods was at 4-under 140.

Phil Mickelson shot a 71 to finish at even-par 144, and the horn sounded to stop play not long after he finished.