Baseball

Major League Baseball is taking the extraordinary step of assuming control of the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team increasingly paralyzed by its owners’ bitter divorce.

Once among baseball’s glamour franchises, the Dodgers have been consumed by infighting since Jamie McCourt filed for divorce after 30 years of marriage in October 2009, one week after her husband fired her as the team’s chief executive. Frank McCourt accused Jamie of having an affair with her bodyguard-driver and performing poorly at work.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig told Frank McCourt on Wednesday he will appoint a MLB representative to oversee all aspects of the business and the day-to-day operations of the club. At the same time, a baseball executive familiar with the situation said Frank McCourt was preparing to sue MLB. The executive spoke on condition of anonymity because McCourt had not made any statements.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Red Sox 5, Athletics 3: Kevin Youkilis and Jed Lowrie homered, leading Boston at Oakland.

Rays 4, White Sox 1: At St. Petersburg, Fla., John Jaso homered and Tampa Bay beat Chicago.

Angels 4, Rangers 1: At Arlington, Texas, Jered Weaver struck out eight, leading Los Angeles past Texas.

Orioles 5, Twins 4: Matt Wieters and Vladimir Guerrero homered, leading Baltimore past visiting Minnesota.

Yankees 6, Blue Jays 2: Bartolo Colon pitched effectively into the seventh, leading New York at Toronto.

Indians 7, Royals 5: Justin Masterson tossed six solid innings, leading Cleveland at Kansas City.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Phillies 4, Brewers 3: Placido Polanco hit a three-run homer and Philadelphia beat visiting Milwaukee.

Astros 4, Mets 3: Hunter Pence hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth, leading Houston at New York.

Rockies 10, Giants 2: At Denver, Jorge De La Rosa pitched seven sharp innings and Colorado beat San Francisco.

Marlins 6, Pirates 0: At Miami, Ricky Nolasco struck out eight, leading Florida past Pittsburgh.

Cubs 2-4, Padres 1-5: Ryan Ludwick had three hits, including a homer, and San Diego won at Chicago to split a doubleheader.

In the opener, Reed Johnson’s homer in the 11th inning lifted the Cubs.

Diamondbacks 3, Reds 1: Ian Kennedy pitched solidly into the sixth, leading Arizona at Cincinnati.

Nationals 8-3, Cardinals 6-5: Lance Berkman had three hits and two RBIs and host St. Louis beat Washington, giving the Cardinals a doubleheader split.

Laynce Nix homered and drove in two runs in Game 1 for the Nationals.

Dodgers 5, Braves 1: Jon Garland pitched a complete game and Los Angeles beat visiting Atlanta.

Football

After four long and intense mediation sessions between the NFL and its locked-out players at Minneapolis, the judge decided to give both parties an extended break.

Executive vice president Jeff Pash, the NFL’s lead negotiator, said that U.S. Judge Magistrate Arthur Boylan told both sides they likely won’t convene again until May 16 because he has a few other matters on his judicial calendar.

Hockey

Spokane Chiefs forward Tyler Johnson received a one-game suspension from the Western Hockey League after being issued a major penalty for kneeing and a game misconduct in Tuesday’s Western Conference semifinal game against the Tri-City Americans.

Johnson received the penalty 18:31 into the first period and will miss Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in Portland on Friday.

— From news and wire reports