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BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox have finalized a $9.5 million, two-year contract with right-handed reliever Edward Mujica. Mujica had 37 saves and a career-best 2.78 ERA for St. Louis in 2013 and was selected an All-Star for the first time. But he lost his job as closer with a series of bad outings in September and pitched only two innings in the Cardinals playoff run, which ended with a six-game World Series loss to Boston. Mujica gives the Red Sox some protection if closer Koji Uehara, who turns 39 in April, cannot repeat his 2013 performance next season. In an eight-year career, the 29-year-old Venezuelan has a 19-19 record with 41 saves and a 3.75 ERA. The deal, agreed to Thursday and announced Saturday, calls for salaries of $4.75 million a season. He can earn $1 million annually in performance based on games finished: $125,000 for 20 and each additional five through 55. . He was still a kid, going into his senior year of high school. Thursday, the point guard stood in front of a couple dozen members of the media and spoke with poise about how much hed grown since then, and how hes ready for the next level. .C. - The housecleaning continues for the B. .C. -- LeBron James called comments on an audio recording of a man identified as Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling "appalling" and said hes not sure if he would suit up for the remainder of the NBA playoffs if he played for the Clippers. . The Suns termed Fridays surgery by team doctor Thomas Carter a success. No timetable was given for Bledsoes return but the team said in a news release that he "will pursue a possible return to action during the second half" of the season. .com) - Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James will sit out Thursdays game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with left knee soreness.LOS ANGELES -- One by one, Los Angeles Dodgers opponents are learning the perils of challenging Yasiel Puig. The rookie sensation hit his seventh home run in 20 major league games and added a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning against Madison Bumgarner, leading the Dodgers to a 3-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Monday night. "Yasiel is a phenomenal talent right now," Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis said. "The leagues trying to figure him out and theyre trying to see what the best way to approach him is. But hes making them go back and scratch their heads a lot, because hes hitting everything and hitting it hard. Im just really happy hes on our side. The way he plays the game is just infectious, and the energy he brings to our lineup is something that was sorely missed. Nick Punto, who replaced third baseman Juan Uribe in a double switch, led off the eighth with an opposite-field double down the right-field line. Mark Ellis sacrificed Punto to third and reached safely when Bumgarner threw high to first for an error. Puig greeted George Kontos with a line-drive single to left that scored Punto. "Hes someone who really thrives in the moment," A.J. Ellis said. "One of my best friends in baseball is the Double-A manager for the Diamondbacks, Andy Green. And when I called him and asked him what he thought about Puig, the thing that impressed him the most was that Puig never shied away from the big stage. It seemed like his best at-bats in a game came in the late stages and those clutch situations. And were seeing that right now. Theres no secret that he loves the spotlight." Hanley Ramirez drove in the final run two batters later on a liner toward the middle that shortstop Brandon Crawford knocked down with a lunging attempt before getting the out at first. Kontos was recalled from Triple-A Fresno before the game, while Jean Machi was sent back to the Giants Pacific Coast League club. Kontos was optioned to the minors on June 11, the day he received a three-game suspension for throwing at Pittsburghs Andrew McCutchen. But since he is appealing the penalty, Kontos is eligible to play until his case is heard by Major League Baseball. Paco Rodriguez (2-2) got two outs and Kenley Jansen worked the ninth for his fifth save. The Dodgers third straight victory tied their longest winning streak this season, which came back in early April. This was their ninth attempt at matching it. "Weve been trying to get over this three-game hump for a while, so it was important for us to break through today," A.J. Ellis said. "We just want to carry the momentum into tomorrow." Bumgarner (7-5) was charged with three runs -- two earned -- and five hits in seven-plus innings with five strikeouts in his 100th big league start. The 23-year-old left-hander engaged in another tense duel with Hyun-Jin Ryu in a rematch of their April 2 meeting, when Bumgarner spoiled the Korean-born leftys major league debut with eight innings of two-hit ball and retired 18 consecutive batters durinng a 3-0 win at Dodger Stadium.dddddddddddd Ryu allowed a run, eight hits and four walks in 6 2-3 innings. He was lifted by manager Don Mattingly after Buster Posey reached second on a fly to right field that Puig was just about to catch when his backside made contact with the auxiliary scoreboard and the ball fell behind him. The play was originally ruled an error, then changed to a double by official scorer Don Hartack. Ronald Belisario then came on and struck out Hunter Pence. The Giants began a 10-game road trip with a familiar face back in the lineup: Pablo Sandoval was reinstated from the disabled list Monday after missing 14 games because of a left foot strain. He went 2 for 4. Puig drove a 1-1 pitch the other way into the lower seats in the right-field corner with one out in the first. "Its pretty amazing the way he handles that ball away," A.J. Ellis said. "He loves to extend those arms and hes got so much power, foul pole to foul pole. Its another thing that makes him such a rare talent." The home run ended Bumgarners 16-inning scoreless streak against the Dodgers, and was their only hit until Puigs two-out single in the sixth. "I feel like every pitch I made to Puig, I threw where I wanted to and just mixed it up on him," Bumgarner said. "He got me the first at-bat and I didnt expect him to do that. Hes obviously good, or else he wouldnt be doing what hes doing. Its going to take everybody a couple of times facing him to see what hes trying to do. I think its pretty clear what hes trying to do, but its just a matter of seeing him a few more times." The Giants tied it in the second inning with an RBI double inside third base by Andres Torres that scored Joaquin Arias from first base -- but Arias strained his left hamstring on the play and came out of the game. Crawford, who replaced Arias at shortstop, flied out with the bases loaded to end the third after Ryu got a visit from pitching coach Rick Honeycutt. The Giants had the bases loaded again in the fifth, but only because Posey slipped and fell rounding third base on a one-out single by Sandoval before scampering back to the bag. Crawford followed with a comebacker to Ryu, who calmly threw to the plate to begin an inning-ending double play. "He realizes the key situations of the game, and when he needs a groundball and when he needs a strikeout," A.J. Ellis said. "I mean, this guys pitched on the worlds stage forever, and hes had bigger games than this and was representing a lot more people than just us. It was a great performance by him to keep us in the game. Getting that big double-play ball from Crawford on the comebacker, that was the biggest at-bat of the game." NOTES: Puig was 3 for 4 in his first game against the rival Giants. ... Pence was 2 for 2 with a walk against Ryu, and has six hits in eight at-bats against the lefty overall. ... Ryu is 0-1 with a 2.73 ERA in four starts since beating the Angels 3-0 with a two-hitter for his first major league complete game. ' ' '
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