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A daily glance inside the numbers from the world of sports:

• George Mikan died Wednesday in Scottsdale, Ariz., at the age of 80. Mikan, whose teams won seven titles in his nine seasons, was the most dominant player in the NBA before the implementation of the 24-second clock for the 1954-1955 season. The leaders in points per game and rebounds per game before that season:

	Mikan

Points per game: George Mikan, 24.3; Alex Groza, 22.5; Paul Arizin, 21.3; Bob Cousy, 19.1; Ed Macauley, 19.0.

Rebounds per game (compiled since the 19501951 season): George Mikan, 14.1; Dolph Schayes, 13.4; Harry Gallatin, 12.7; Larry Foust, 12.1; Arnie Risen, 11.4

• In honor of newly crowned U.S. spelling champion Anurag Kashyap, we present this pop quiz. Spell the last names of: (a) the Red Sox Hall of Famer known as "Yaz"; (b) the men's basketball coach at Duke; (c) the 1980s Padres catcher whose last name was pronounced "Goosh" and whose nickname was "Eye Chart"; and the first names of (d) Shaq's teammate Wade; and (e) Jets wide receiver Coles. Answers below.

• David Ortiz hit a walkoff home run against B.J. Ryan in the Red Sox's 6-4 win over the Orioles on Thursday. Items of note on both sides:

	Ortiz

* Ortiz has now hit walkoff homers in each of the last four seasons, the longest streak since Fred McGriff hit walkoff homers in five consecutive seasons from 1993 to 1997.

* Ryan held left-handed batters to 10 hits in 106 at-bats last season – an .094 batting average, with only three extra-base hits, including two homers. This season, opposing left-handers have batted .226 (7-for-31), with five extra-base hits including two homers.

* Ortiz homered off Ryan last season, on July 28 at Camden Yards. The only other player with two career home runs against Ryan is also a left-handed batter: Erubiel Durazo.

• The Tigers rallied from a two-run deficit in the ninth inning and defeated the Rangers 6-5 in 10 innings. It was only the second time in 430 games at Comerica Park that the Tigers won a game in which they trailed by two runs or more going to the bottom of the ninth. The other was on April 30, 2000 – the first month of play at Comerica.

• The Royals completed a three-game sweep of the Yankees with a 5-2 victory. It's only the third time in the history of the Yankees franchise that they have been swept by a team with the worst record in the majors in a series of at least three games. It last happened in May 2000, when the Tigers swept a three-game series on the Yankees' first-ever trip to Comerica Park. The other time was against Connie Mack's Philadelphia A's at Shibe Park in August 1937.

• Buddy Bell is the sixth manager since 1900 to take over a team with a record below .300 and win at least his first three games. The others: Clint Hurdle, started 6-0 with the 2002 Rockies (6-16 when he took over); Jerry Royster, 4-0 with the 2002 Brewers (3-12); Rene Lachemann, 4-0 with the 1981 Mariners (6-18); Ralph Houk, 3-0 with the 1966 Yankees (4-16); and Jimmy Dykes, 3-0 with the 1959 Tigers (2-15).

	Isringhausen

• Jason Isringhausen failed to close out the Rockies in the Cardinals' 8-7 loss, snapping his streak of 21 consecutive converted saves. Isringhausen faced five batters and failed to record an out, the longest outing of his career in which he didn't retire a batter.

Isringhausen's save streak had been the longest in the majors. That distinction now falls to Eric Gagne, Eddie Guardado and Dustin Hermanson, who have each converted their last 14 save opportunities.

• Carlos Beltran hit his seventh home run of the season Thursday. All seven have been hit in games started by Pedro Martinez. Unusual as that may seem, Derrek Lee did the same for Mark Prior last month. (Lee hit seven home runs from May 1 to May 27, all in games started by Prior.)

• Pedro Martinez dribbled an infield single, snapping an 0-for-58 streak that dated back to 1997. It was the longest hitless streak since Bruce Ruffin went 69 at-bats without a hit from 1990 to 1993.

• Answers to the Elias Spelling Bee: (a) Yastrzemski; (b) Krzyzewski; (c) Gwosdz; (d) Dwyane; (e) Laveranues.