Rays
Pace has Rays falling toward all-time losers
Rally, solid outing by Paul Wilson aren't enough in a 6-4 loss to Indians, putting Tampa Bay on course for 109 losses.

Rupe to test knee as surgery looms
ST. PETERSBURG -- Ryan Rupe's season could be over soon.

John Romano
Where's the Grieve we traded for?
ST. PETERSBURG -- Find the player with the bemused smile. Exchange a pleasantry or two and laugh at the banality of his jokes.

Lightning
Lightning adds Barber to staff
For Jay Feaster and Bill Barber, friendship always came before feuding. Still, there was plenty of feuding to go around.

Supplemental danger Ephedrine, an unregulated drug common in dietary and energy supplements, can kill. The NFL and NCAA are trying to spread the word and keep it out of locker rooms. Story				[Times photo: Kevin German]

Baseball
Talks bog down over core issues
NEW YORK -- Baseball's labor talks hit a snag when the sides delved deeper into the key economic issues, leaving the union's executive board on track to set a strike date Friday.

NL notebook
Braves' power handles Giants'

AL notebook
Angels survive Tigers' mixup

NHL
Shaq's toe surgery may lead to missed games
LOS ANGELES -- Lakers star Shaquille O'Neal will have surgery on his arthritic big toe early next week and may miss several games next season, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

NFL
Around the AFC
BILLS: Guard Ruben Brown and tackle Jonas Jennings will miss Friday's game against Minnesota.

Around the NFC
49ERS: Defensive back Chad Cota signed after rookie safety Kevin Curtis was placed on injured reserve with a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee.

Vikings pick continues to sit
MANKATO, Minn. -- At least one thing hasn't changed since the Vikings arrived at training camp.

Motorsports
Win or lose, Rahal is pleased with drivers
The car owner says Vasser, Jourdain Jr. are coming along nicely.

Horse racing
Day not stopping at record win
Don't expect Pat Day to put away his whip now that he is the all-time money-winning jockey.

Youth/preps
Pitchers lift Dunedin
JEFFERSONTOWN, Ky. -- Dunedin fought off almost certain elimination Wednesday with a 2-0 win over Canada during the final day of round-robin play.

Win keeps Tampa Bay undefeated in pool play
The tune hasn't changed for Tampa Bay Little League.

King's Neal ineligible to play
TAMPA -- King running back Raymond Neal, the county's second-leading rusher as a sophomore last season with 1,498 yards, is academically ineligible and will not play this season.

Colleges
College football notebook
Scrimmage finds favor with Bowden

Golf
Azinger's finish puts Strange at ease
CHASKA, Minn. -- A tie for sixth on Sunday at the Buick Open was a much-needed boost for Bradenton's Paul Azinger -- and probably for Curtis Strange, too.

Outdoors
Daily fishing report
Through October, redfish schools will be prevalent throughout Tampa Bay.

Sports digest
Problems continue for Little League