Braves get McLouth and release Glavine

The Atlanta Braves acquired All-Star center fielder Nate McLouth from the Pittsburgh Pirates for three minor leaguers Wednesday, a move to beef up Atlanta’s offense in hopes of contending in the NL East.

The 27-year-old McLouth was an All-Star last season and set career highs with a .276 average, 26 homers and 94 RBIs. The Braves desperately needed more offense from an outfield that produced only 10 homers through the first 51 games.

It was a day of big moves for Atlanta. The trade was announced less than an hour after the Braves released 305-game winner Tom Glavine, saying they didn’t feel the 43-year-old had shown during three minor league rehab assignments that he could still be effective in the big leagues.

In the McLouth deal, Atlanta gave up outfielder Gorkys Hernandez, one of their top prospects, along with pitchers Charlie Morton and Jeff Locke.

McLouth is hitting .256 with nine homers and 34 RBIs this season. He won a Gold Glove in 2008.

HOCKEY

Granato is fired by Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche promoted Greg Sherman to general manager and fired Coach Tony Granato and five others in a sweeping shake-up.

Sherman has spent the last seven years as the team’s assistant general manager and replaces Francois Giguere, who was fired in April after the team’s worst finish since moving to Denver in 1995.

PRO FOOTBALL

Dungy, Harrison headed for TV

Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy and two-time Pro Bowl safety Rodney Harrison are joining “Football Night in America” as analysts, NBC announced.

Dungy retired from the Colts after last season, capping a career that included becoming the first black coach to win a Super Bowl. Harrison announced his retirement from the New England Patriots earlier Wednesday.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook will have surgery on his right ankle Friday. . . . A developer scrapped a plan to build a $1-billion stadium in San Diego as part of a redevelopment of the land around Qualcomm Stadium. Developer Perry Dealy told the San Diego Chargers and the mayor’s office in an e-mail that he is abandoning the project. Last week, the Chargers rejected the proposal.

PRO BASKETBALL

James back home after jaw surgery

Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James has been released from the Cleveland Clinic after a five-hour procedure to remove a benign growth from his jaw a day earlier.

The team says James returned home Wednesday and is recovering well. He has had the condition for several months but opted to put off surgery until the Cavaliers completed their season.

The Minnesota Lynx have promoted Jennifer Gillom to head coach after Don Zierden resigned to join Flip Saunders’ staff in the NBA with the Washington Wizards. . . . NBA TV and Comcast are expected to announce today that the cable television channel and the cable network have reached an agreement so that NBA TV will be available, beginning in time for the 2009-10 NBA regular season, to Comcast’s Digital Classic customers.

ETC.

Kaka headed to Real Madrid?

AC Milan soccer star Kaka’s future appeared to be leaning toward Real Madrid after English club Chelsea denied it made any attempt to hijack a $92-million deal tabled by the Spanish powerhouse.

Milan vice president Adriano Galliani was in Madrid to finalize the deal, along with Kaka’s father-manager, Bosco Leite, Italian media reported.

Camille Aliby scored in the 90th minute on a rebound off the post and the Sol salvaged a 1-1 tie against the Chicago Red Stars in a Women’s Professional Soccer game at the Home Depot Center. Christiane Silva had scored in the 88th minute for Chicago.

A judge in New York has rejected BALCO founder Victor Conte’s motion for summary judgment of boxer Shane Mosley’s defamation lawsuit. Mosley accuses Conte of lying when he repeatedly said the former three-division world champion knowingly took illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

Left-hander Mike Renner of Chatsworth High has been selected the City Section player of the year in baseball. He had a 10-2 record with a 1.44 earned-run average and capped his season by throwing a two-hit shutout against Reseda Cleveland in the City championship game at Dodger Stadium.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Play was suspended in the Southern California boys’ golf regional championship in the wake of a four-hour delay caused by a lightning storm that pelted the SCGA Golf Course in Murrieta with rain and pebble-sized hail. Play is scheduled to resume at 9 this morning.

-- Ben Bolch