Loadholt faces two charges

 Oklahoma offensive lineman Phil Loadholt faces a July court hearing on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and transporting an open container.
Loadholt, the Sooners’ 6-foot-8, 350-pound starting left tackle, was pulled over at 2:35 a.m. Saturday after a state trooper saw his white Chevy Impala cross the center line and run onto the shoulder on Interstate 35 in Norman, according to an affidavit filed in Cleveland County District Court.
The trooper reported in his affidavit that Loadholt, 22, had a blood-alcohol content of 0.15 percent — or nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent — on two separate tests. The trooper’s affidavit also indicated that open containers of Busch Light beer and malt liquor were on the center console of Loadholt’s car.
An attorney for Loadholt appeared in court Wednesday to enter an innocent plea on his client’s behalf. His next court date was set for July 8. Loadholt was released on bond.

Runge suspended
NEW YORK (AP) — Umpire Brian Runge was suspended for one game Thursday for bumping into New York Mets manager Jerry Manuel before ejecting him earlier in the week.
Manuel and center fielder Carlos Beltran also were fined by Major League Baseball for arguing with Runge in the fourth inning of the Mets’ game against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday.
Beltran started talking to Runge after he took two called strikes from R.A. Dickey to begin the inning. Runge took off his mask and continued the dialogue before he brushed dirt off home plate. Manuel then came out and started arguing.
Runge bumped into Manuel before throwing him out of the game. The manager walked to the bench after getting a few more words in as the Shea Stadium crowd roared.

Astros cruise
HOUSTON (AP) — Wandy Rodriguez pitched eight solid innings and tied a career high with nine strikeouts, leading the Houston Astros to a 7-2 win over the Texas Rangers on Thursday night.
Hunter Pence had a bases-clearing triple to help the Astros to a 2-1 series win over their state rivals, Houston’s second straight series win after taking two of three from Tampa Bay over the weekend.
Rodriguez (3-3) didn’t allow a hit until a double by Kevin Millwood with one out in the third. He retired the next nine batters before Ian Kinsler singled with one out in the sixth.
Milton Bradley singled in the seventh before Marlon Byrd reached on an error by Miguel Tejada. Rodriguez pitched out of trouble by retiring the next three Rangers. David Murphy tripled and scored on a single by Kinsler in the eighth that made it 7-1.
The 29-year-old lefty allowed five hits and struck out nine for the first time since August when he did it against the Cubs. It was his longest outing of the year.

Hurst leads Open
EDINA, Minn. (AP) — Gathering clouds gave way to sunshine, the first of many surprises Thursday in a U.S. Women’s Open that didn’t go the way anyone expected, least of all Pat Hurst.
Her day had a happy ending, one last birdie for a 6-under 67 and a share of the lead with Ji Young Oh.
Annika Sorenstam twice made back-to-back bogeys and wound up with a 75, her highest first-round score in a Women’s Open since she opened with a 76 in 1992 at Oakmont when she was a 22-year-old amateur.
Lorena Ochoa and Cristie Kerr, who have combined to win three of the last four LPGA majors, played alongside an 18-year-old freshman at UCLA and couldn’t keep up. Maria Jose Uribe of Colombia, the Women’s Amateur champion, shot a 4-under 69 that kept the gallery riveted.
Michelle Wie even got in on the act.
One minute she looked like she was on the road to recovery, the next minute she crashed to a quintuple-bogey 9 at the turn that sent her to an 81, the second straight year she failed to break 80 in the opening round.
“It was just one bad hole. And it’s a U.S. Open,” Wie said. “It will bite you in the butt.”

O’Neal to be dealt
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers are trading six-time All-Star forward Jermaine O’Neal to the Toronto Raptors for point guard T.J. Ford, center Rasho Nesterovic, the 17th pick in the draft and a player to be determined.
O’Neal confirmed the trade Thursday, saying he was pleased with the move by team president Larry Bird.
“He wanted to get me to a place where I could contend and do what I’m capable of doing,” O’Neal told The Associated Press.
“We both agreed that the timing was perfect. His focus on getting them (the Pacers) to a level where they can grow and start to be competitive was tremendous.”
O’Neal wasn’t surprised by the trade.
“I knew last year that this time would be coming,” he said.
Pacers spokesman David Benner said he could not confirm the trade.
“We’re stuck in our role here, the players can say whatever they want, we can’t say anything,” Benner said.
Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo told The Canadian Press on Wednesday that he was in the midst of “four or five” conversations with teams involving Ford and a combination of Toronto’s No. 17 pick and/or other Raptors players leading up to Thursday night’s draft.
A deal can’t be finalized until July 1, when Ford’s base-year compensation tag comes off the books.
O’Neal said he took his physical Wednesday, but he wasn’t sure if Ford had finished his.
O’Neal, who will turn 30 before entering his 13th season, has a contract paying him more than $44 million over the next two seasons. He now will be a part of a powerhouse front line with all-star forward Chris Bosh.