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Sports in brief

 
Published Oct. 6, 2016

SOCCER

ROWDIES EARN LATE POINT

ST. PETERSBURG — The Rowdies were only too glad to extend Minnesota's late-game misery Wednesday, pulling off a crucial 2-2 draw when Keith Savage scored in the 92nd minute. The teams stay tied for fourth place and the final NASL playoff spot, but the Rowdies have a game in hand.

"It means we're still in it. Every point counts," Savage said.

Minnesota (10-11-7, 37 points) had lost four straight and given up a goal in the final 10 minutes of the previous three. It looked as if it wouldn't happen Wednesday despite the Rowdies (9-8-10) playing the last half-hour almost entirely in Minnesota's end and making two offensive-minded substitutions (Carlos Preciado and Kalif Alhassan) and pushing D Neill Collins up front in the final 20. With five minutes of stoppage time, the Rowdies came through when Savage pounced upon a loose ball served in by Georgi Hristov.

Savage "absolutely" was exhausted, starting for the first time in eight games. "I was going to go forward there no matter what. I'm just glad it fell to my feet," he said.

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ET CETERA

AUTOS: Team Penske added Josef Newgarden to its roster, giving the organization the top four finishing drivers in this season's standings. Newgarden, who finished fourth this year in the series, was the top free agent in IndyCar and becomes the first American driver on Penske's open wheel roster since Sam Hornish Jr. in 2007.

BOXING: Troubled heavyweight champion Tyson Fury said he has been on a cocaine and alcohol binge to deal with manic depression. The British boxer has not fought since beating Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015.

GOLF: U.S. Presidents Cup captain Steve Stricker said he has chosen Tiger Woods, Ryder Cup captain Davis Love and three-time Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples to be his assistants for the matches next year. International team captain Nick Price said his assistants would be Ernie Els, Geoff Ogilvy and Tony Johnstone.

MMA: UFC fighter Josh Samman died from a probable drug overdose after spending nearly a week in a hospital in Hollywood, Fla. He was 28.

NBA: Former Cavaliers coach David Blatt accepted a championship ring from the team despite being fired midway through his second season.

TENNIS: Top-seeded Andy Murray dispatched Andrey Kuznetsov 6-2, 6-1 to set up China Open quarterfinal against his British Davis Cup teammate Kyle Edmund in Beijing.

Darek Sharp, Times correspondent; Times wires