Angels may interview Jerry Dipoto for GM

The Angels have received permission from the Arizona Diamondbacks to interview Jerry Dipoto for their general manager’s job opening, a major league source confirmed. Dipoto, who spent parts of eight seasons as a reliever in the big leagues, is Arizona’s senior vice president of scouting and player development.

Dipoto was part of the Boston Red Sox front office during the team’s run to the 2004 World Series championship before joining the Colorado Rockies as director of player personnel in 2005.

Dipoto joined the Diamondbacks as their vice president of player personnel in 2006 and took over as interim GM when Josh Byrnes was fired in 2010.

Dipoto interviewed for the permanent job that eventually went to Kevin Towers, but he remained with the club in the position he currently occupies.

Dipoto brings to at least three the number of candidates the Angels will interview for the job that opened when Tony Reagins was dismissed two days after the season. Two Yankees executives, Damon Oppenheimer, the team’s vice president of amateur scouting, and Billy Eppler, the team’s director of professional scouting, have confirmed that they will interview.

— Mike DiGiovanna

The Chicago Cubs are still talking with the Boston Red Sox about compensation in a deal to bring Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein to Chicago, a person familiar with the negotiations said Friday.

Epstein has agreed to a deal with the Cubs and would leave Boston with a year remaining on his contract, the person said on condition of anonymity because the negotiations are confidential. The deal is reportedly for five years.

Whether the Cubs have to send the Red Sox cash, prospects or both was not clear, though various reports say the two sides were not in agreement Thursday. The talks continued Friday for a second day.

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Former Dodger Manny Ramirez pleaded not guilty to a domestic battery charge involving his wife. Ramirez’s attorney filed the written plea ahead of Friday’s scheduled arraignment. Ramirez did not appear at the hearing.

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Bob Geren was hired by the New York Mets as bench coach, four months after he was fired as manager of the Oakland Athletics.

ETC.

Edwards wins Nationwide race

Sprint Cup points leader Carl Edwards moved in front on a late restart and held off Kyle Busch on the final lap to win his eighth Nationwide race of the season at Charlotte, N.C.

Busch was second and Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne third.

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Webb Simpson, in a chase to try to win the PGA Tour money title, made a pair of late birdies for a three-under 67 at the McGladrey Classic at St. Simons Island, Ga. That left him one shot behind Billy Horschel, who picked up four shots over his last four holes on the Seaside course for a 64.

After opening with a 63 and facing stronger wind off the coastal waters, Simpson survived a shaky start and poured in enough birdies to get into the lead with Michael Thompson, who had a 64 earlier in the day.

They stayed there until Horschel made his late burst with an eagle-birdie-par-birdie finish to take the lead at 12-under 130.

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Fred Couples shot a seven-under 65 to take a share of the first-round lead with Steve Lowery in the Champions Tour’s AT&T Championship at San Antonio.

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Americans Stacy Lewis and Brittany Lang share the lead after the second round of LPGA event at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Lewis shot a six-under 65 and Lang finished with a 67 on Friday. Lewis dropped two strokes at the par-four ninth, but made eight birdies for a nine-under 133 total.

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Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Rick Dutrow Jr., who had his license revoked and was barred from racing in New York for 10 years, won’t be allowed to race in California either.

Stewards at Santa Anita said they would uphold the ruling by the New York State Racing and Wagering Board made this week.

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Andy Roddick lost to David Ferrer, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (2), and Andy Murray eased into the semifinals with a 6-3, 6-2 win over qualifier Matthew Ebden at the Shanghai Masters Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova beat Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, 6-2, 6-2, to reach her seventh semifinal of the season at the Generali Ladies at Linz, Austria.