NEW YORK (AP) — Left-hander David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays and knuckleballer R.A. Dickey of the New York Mets are the winners of baseball’s Cy Young awards.
Price barely beat out 2011 winner Justin Verlander for the American League prize in one of the closest votes ever.
Price received 14 of 28 first-place votes and finished with 153 points to 149 for Verlander, who was chosen first on 13 ballots.
Other than a 1969 tie between Mike Cuellar and Denny McLain, it was the tightest race in the history of the AL award.
Dickey was an easy choice for the NL honor in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The 38-year-old got 27 of the 32 of the first-place votes to become the first knuckleballer to win the Cy Young Award.
Lefthanders Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers and Washington’s Gio Gonzalez finished second and third, respectively.
The AL and NL MVPs will be announced later today.
Pistons win! Pistons win!…Heat lose in L.A.
UNDATED (AP) — The Detroit Pistons earned their first victory after opening with eight defeats by bopping Philadelphia 94-76 in a game that ended with the hometown 76ers getting booed off the court by fans in the City of Brotherly Love.
Greg Monroe had 19 points, 18 rebounds and six assists to help the Pistons post their first W. Kyle Singler scored 16 points, and Tayshaun Prince and Brandon Knight each scored 15 points for a Detroit team off to its worst start in franchise history.
Four Pistons starters scored in double digits and forward Jason Maxiell had eight points and 12 rebounds.
The Sixers easily played their worst game of the season, shooting 30 percent. Lavoy Allen led Philly with 14 points.
In other NBA action:
— Chris Kaman scored 23 points and had eight rebounds in only his second start for the Dallas Mavericks, who held on for a 107-101 victory over winless Washington. The 0-7 Wizards are the only winless team in the NBA. O.J. Mayo had 25 points.
— Rudy Gay scored a season-high 28 points, Zach Randolph added 20 points and 11 rebounds before getting ejected along with Kendrick Perkins during a late-game altercation and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 107-97. The 6-1 Grizzlies have won six in a row and are on the best start in team history.
__ The Miami Heat ran into a fresher, bigger and more physical team on the road and the L.A. Clippers beat the Heat 107-100 despite 30 points from LeBron James. Jamal Crawford came off the bench and led the Clippers with 22. Blake Griffin added 20 points and 14 boards.
__Golden State edged Atlanta 92-88. Rookie Harrison Barnes scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Warriors.
— James Harden scored 30 points, Omer Asik added 15 points and 12 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets held off the New Orleans Hornets 100-96.
— Kemba Walker’s jumper with 0.7 seconds left lifted the Charlotte Bobcats to an 89-87 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
__ The Chicago Bulls outlasted Phoenix in overtime, 112-106. Carlos Boozer had 28 points and 14 rebounds.
— Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis scored 16 points each to help the Milwaukee Bucks cruise to a 99-85 victory over the struggling Indiana Pacers, who lost their fifth in a row.
__ The Boston Celtics beat Utah 98-93. Paul Pierce scored 23, including two free throws with 19.5 seconds left to clinch it.
Gator perfect in win over Badgers
UNDATED (AP) — Erik Murphy tied a career-high with 24 points just days after dealing with an illness, and No. 10 Florida beat 22nd-ranked Wisconsin 74-56 in AP Top-25 college basketball.
Murphy made all 10 of his shots, including two 3-pointers. He also had seven rebounds.
Mike Rosario added 15 points, four rebounds and four assists for Florida, which is 2-0.
In other AP Top-25 hoops:
__Josh Jones came off the bench and scored all 18 of his points in the second half to compensate for Doug McDermott’s quiet night in No. 15 Creighton’s 77-60 victory over UAB. McDermott, the returning first-team All-American, got into early foul trouble and finished with five points. His 37-game streak of scoring in double figures ended.
Roethlisberger has rib injury too; out vs. Ravens
UNDATED (AP) — It turns out Ben Roethlisberger’s sprained right shoulder is just the start of his problems.
The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback said he also dislocated a rib while getting sacked in the third quarter of Monday night’s win against Kansas City. Roethlisberger sprained the SC joint in his shoulder on the play but says the rib issue is a bigger concern. He says said doctors are concerned the rib could cut into his aorta.
He’s already been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens. Backup Byron Leftwich will start in his place.
Roethlisberger said there is no timetable for his return.
Elsewhere in the NFL:
— San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith went through position work in a non-contact black jersey Wednesday, his status still unclear for Monday night’s NFC showdown with the Chicago Bears after he sustained a concussion Sunday against the Rams. Backup Colin Kaepernick is the Niners’ Plan B.
— Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler’s status for this week remains in question because of a concussion. Coach Lovie Smith says Cutler is “feeling a whole lot better,” but whether he’ll be ready to play against San Francisco on Monday night is another issue.
— Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews will miss Sunday’s game in Detroit with a hamstring injury.
— The New York Jets have signed running back Khalil Bell, who spent parts of the last four seasons with the Chicago Bears. Bell will add depth to their banged-up backfield.