Mota gets 50-game suspension

Reliever Guillermo Mota was suspended for 50 games Wednesday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, becoming the third player penalized this year for violating Major League Baseball’s toughened drug policy.

In announcing the suspension, the commissioner’s office did not say why Mota was suspended. His failed drug test was confirmed by a baseball official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the specifics weren’t included in the release.

Mota, 33, was 4-3 with a 4.53 earned-run average this season with Cleveland and the New York Mets, who acquired him from the Indians on Aug. 20.

Mota, who gave up a tying two-run triple to Scott Spiezio in the seventh inning of Game 2 of the NL championship series, filed for free agency Monday. His suspension will start at the beginning of next season.

“I have no one to blame but myself,” Mota said in a statement that did not explain how he ran afoul of baseball’s drug rules. “I take full responsibility for my actions and accept MLB’s suspension. I used extremely poor judgment and deserve to be held accountable.”

Dusty Baker will interview for the San Diego Padres’ vacant manager’s job Monday, General Manager Kevin Towers said. Baker, who has managed the Giants and Cubs, will be the first former manager to interview for the job vacated when Bruce Bochy took the job with the San Francisco Giants. The Padres interviewed Angels pitching coach Bud Black on Wednesday.

Pitcher Jeff Suppan filed for free agency after earning MVP honors for the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL championship series. Suppan was 12-7 with a 4.12 ERA during the regular season.

The San Francisco Giants declined to exercise club options for next season on outfielder Steve Finley and right-hander Jamey Wright.

The Giants will give Finley a $1 million buyout instead of picking up his $7 million option. Wright gets a $300,000 buyout instead of a $2.5 million.

Meanwhile, third baseman Pedro Feliz filed for free agency.

Don Mattingly is moving up to New York Yankees’ bench coach next season, a promotion that makes him the early favorite to eventually succeed Joe Torre as manager.

A six-time All-Star first baseman for the Yankees from 1982 to ‘95, Mattingly rejoined New York in 2004 as hitting coach. He replaces Lee Mazzilli.

TENNIS

Clijsters returns with easy victory

Defending champion Kim Clijsters played her first match since August, returning from a wrist injury by beating Anne Kremer, 6-3, 6-2, in the first round of the Gaz de France Stars in Hasselt, Belgium.

Clijsters sprained her left wrist in Montreal and did not play in the U.S. Open. She later bruised her back after stumbling over her dog while playing soccer.

Sixth-seeded Vera Zvonareva defeated Kirsten Flipkens, 6-3, 6-4, in the second round. In the first round, eighth-seeded Mara Santangelo retired because of an injury while trailing Michaella Krajicek, 5-2 in the first set, and seventh-seeded Samantha Stosur beat Olga Savchuk, 6-4, 6-1.

Seventh-seeded James Blake beat Arnaud Clement, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, improving to 5-0 against him to reach the third round of the Paris Masters.

Defending champion Tomas Berdych rallied past Olivier Rochus, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-2.

Fifth-seeded Fernando Gonzalez was beaten by Julien Benneteau, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, and Sebastien Grosjean lost to sixth-seeded Tommy Robredo, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.

Marion Bartoli and Shenay Perry will meet in the Bell Challenge quarterfinals for a second successive year after straight-sets wins in Quebec City.

Second-seeded Bartoli beat Laura Granville, 6-4, 6-3, while No. 6 Perry defeated 2004 finalist Abigail Spears, 6-1, 7-5.

In a first-round match, fourth-seeded Severine Bremond beat Jill Craybas, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

MISCELLANY

U.S., Italy prevail in volleyball

The U.S. and defending champion Italy won at the women’s world volleyball championships in Nagoya, Japan.

The U.S. was stretched to five sets for the second straight day but prevailed with a 25-19, 25-22, 27-29, 20-25, 15-7 win over the Netherlands.

Italy, seeded fourth, rebounded from Tuesday’s loss, winning 25-15, 25-16, 25-14 over 12th-seeded Peru.

Tayyiba Haneef led the U.S. with 21 points.

Olympic champion China earned a 25-19, 25-17, 25-23 victory over the Dominican Republic and Brazil beat Kazakhstan, 25-17, 25-13, 25-16.

The 11th annual Budweiser Oval Nationals will begin tonight at Perris Auto Speedway, featuring continuing battles for U.S. Auto Club and USAC/CRA sprint car championships.

Twenty-five-lap features tonight and Friday night will set the field for Saturday night’s 40-lap finale on the half-mile dirt track.

Josh Wise leads teammate Levi Jones by 113 points in the battle for the national title. Cory Kruseman has a 41-point lead on Damion Gardner in the CRA battle.

The UCLA women’s basketball team lost, 79-70, in an exhibition at Pauley Pavilion against Love and Basketball, a group of former collegiate players. Noelle Quinn, Amanda Livingston and Lindsey Pluimer scored 14 points apiece for the Bruins.

Marvin Lea scored 20 points to lead the Pepperdine men past Cal Baptist, 110-102, in an exhibition at Firestone Fieldhouse.

PASSINGS

Negro leaguer Simmons, 111, dies

Silas Simmons, a pitcher-outfielder in the Negro leagues who was said to be the oldest living pro baseball player, died two weeks after his 111th birthday in St. Petersburg, Fla.