In Brief

Ortiz-Berto bout called off after Berto tests positive for steroids

Former welterweight champion Andre Berto has failed a doping test, and the promoter of his rematch with Victor Ortiz said next month’s fight is off. Berto denied using steroids Friday, but said he couldn’t explain the voluntary test that showed evidence of nandrolone usage.

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said Berto tested positive last weekend, and a secondary test also came back positive Friday. Berto and Ortiz were scheduled to fight June 23 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, but Berto will be replaced by a new opponent for Ortiz. Schaefer said the replacement would be announced this weekend.

The fighters agreed to doping tests through the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, a Las Vegas-based organization that tests blood and urine for steroid use and other banned substances.

GOLF

Late birdie binge gives Dufner one-shot lead in Byron Nelson

Jason Dufner birdied four of the final five holes for a 4-under-par 66 and a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas. He is at 7-under 133.

Matt Kuchar was tied for second with first-round leader Ryan Palmer, former UNLV player Chad Campbell, Pat Perez, Dicky Pride and Marc Leishman. Defending champion Keegan Bradley was at 135.

Also: Top-seeded Martin Kaymer was eliminated from the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Casares, Spain, by the lowest-ranked player in the field, losing 1-up to 218th-ranked Richard Finch. Kaymer had a 3-foot putt to force a playoff, but it horseshoed out.

Top-ranked Yani Tseng beat Katie Futcher 2 and 1, and No. 2 Na Yeon Choi was a 3-and-2 winner over Jenny Shin in the second round of the LPGA Tour’s Sybase Match Play Championship in Gladstone, N.J. Henderson resident Natalie Gulbis was eliminated by Amy Yang, 5 and 4.

MISCELLANEOUS

Wood, who as rookie struck out 20 in a game, retires at age 34

Kerry Wood, who electrified baseball with a 20-strikeout game as a rookie in 1998, then became a reliever after his career was slowed by injuries, retired after one final, emotional appearance with the Chicago Cubs. Wood, 34, struck out the only batter he faced, the White Sox’s Dayan Viciedo, on three pitches in the eighth inning of a 3-2 loss at Wrigley Field.

Wood is 0-2 with an 8.64 ERA in nine games this season and was on the disabled list last month with right shoulder fatigue. Entering the season, he was 86-73 with a 3.64 ERA and 63 saves in his career.

"I had a blast," Wood said. "I wouldn’t trade it in. I learned from the injuries, I learned about my body and what it takes to compete and go out and play every day. Mentally and physically we get to this point."

Also: Brian McNamee, the former strength coach for Roger Clemens, endured a fifth day of questioning in the perjury trial of the ex-pitcher in Washington, D.C. Clemens lawyer Rusty Hardin relentlessly attacked McNamee over his personal life and accused the government’s chief witness of "making up this stuff on the fly."

McNamee will return to the stand Monday in a trial moving so slowly that U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton – for the first time in more than three decades on the bench – imposed time limits on the attorneys.

Kansas City Royals pitchers Danny Duffy and Blake Wood will have reconstructive elbow surgery after being examined by Dr. Lewis Yocum, who will perform the operations.

Mark Shannon went 3-for-6, including a three-run homer and a double, drove in four runs and scored three to power UNLV to a 12-0 nonconference baseball victory over host Sacramento State. Erick Fedde and Andy Beresford combined to throw a four-hitter for the Rebels (24-29).

Top-ranked and defending champion Novak Djokovic struggled with his serve in the first set before eliminating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-5, 6-1 in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open in Rome.

In the semifinals, Djokovic will play Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will meet David Ferrer. In the women’s semifinals, Serena Williams will face Li Na and defending champion Maria Sharapova will meet Angelique Kerber. Sharapova beat Venus Williams, 6-4, 6-3.

In Lingerie charged to victory in the $300,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Baltimore, holding off Disposablepleasure to win by 1¼ lengths. In Lingerie paid $9.80, $5 and $4.80. Disposablepleasure returned $7.20, and Wildcat’s Smile returned $8.60 to show.

Cruz Pedregon led Funny Car qualifying with a track-record performance in the NHRA Summernationals in Topeka, Kan. His 4.046-second run at 315.56 mph bettered both ends of the record. Antron Brown (Top Fuel) and Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) topped their divisions.

The Cincinnati Bengals signed cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick of Alabama to a four-year contract, the first time in nine years that they’ve reached a deal so quickly with their top pick.