Former Cy Young winner Mike Flanagan dead at 59

Former Cy Young winner Mike Flanagan, who won 167 games over 18 seasons with Baltimore and the Toronto Blue Jays, has died.

Authorities found a body outside Flanagan’s home on Wednesday afternoon, and it was later determined to be the former left-handed pitcher. Flanagan was 59.

The Orioles confirmed Flanagan’s death Wednesday night.

Flanagan won the Cy Young Award with the Orioles in 1979 when he went 23-9 with a 3.08 ERA and five shutouts. He also played for Baltimore’s 1983 world championship team, going 12-4 despite missing nearly three months with ligament damage in his left knee.

He finished 167-143 with a 3.90 ERA, including 141-116 with Baltimore.

After his playing career, he worked in the Orioles’ front office and did color commentary for the team’s TV network.

Giants put claim on Heath Bell

San Diego Padres closer Heath Bell confirmed that he was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco Giants, although even he was skeptical about whether he will actually end up with the defending World Series champions.

The burly right-hander said before Wednesday night’s game — at San Francisco — that he’s planning to “sweat my butt off” when the Padres play at Arizona on Friday.

San Diego has 48 hours from the time Bell was claimed to decide whether to trade the three-time All-Star, allow him to be claimed or pull him back from waivers. Giants General Manager Brian Sabean might also just be trying to block NL West-leading Arizona from landing Bell.

The Giants won the claim, first reported by ESPN, for the 33-year-old Bell earlier in the day. He converted his 35th save in 39 opportunities in

The Giants are beat up in the bullpen, with closer Brian Wilson and reliever Sergio Romo on the disabled list.

Djokovic is seeded No. 1 at U.S. Open

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic is seeded No. 1 at the U.S. Open for the first time, followed by defending champion Rafael Nadal and five-time winner Roger Federer.

The tournament followed the ATP rankings for the men’s singles seedings Wednesday. It did the same for the women’s seedings, with Serena Williams 28th.

Djokovic is having one of the best seasons in tennis history: 57-2 with nine titles, including at Wimbledon and the Australian Open. He’s seeking his first championship at Flushing Meadows, where he was runner-up to Nadal in 2010 and to Federer in 2007.

Andy Murray is seeded No. 4, and Mardy Fish is No. 8, the first time he’ll be the highest-seeded American at the U.S. Open.

The draw is Thursday. Play starts Monday.

Roddick wins in North Carolina

Andy Roddick advanced to the quarterfinals of the Winston-Salem Open in North Carolina, beating Santiago Giraldo, 6-1, 6-3, in the final men’s tuneup before the U.S. Open.

Roddick will face Juan Monaco on Thursday. Monaco, from Argentina, beat Kei Nishikori, 6-0, 6-3.

Roddick and John Isner, a native of nearby Greensboro, are the lone Americans remaining in the field. Isner, the No. 4 seed, beat No. 13-seeded Jarkko Nieminen, 7-6 (4), 6-2.

Isner, a native of nearby Greensboro, solved Nieminen’s serve and needed

In the quarterfinals, Isner will face Marcos Baghdatis.

Li advances in Connecticut

Li Na of China had to battle from behind in each set Wednesday to beat Russia’s Maria Kirilenko, 6-4, 7-6 (4), in the second round of the New Haven Open in Connecticut.

She will next face another Russian, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues and Marion Bartoli of France also moved into the quarterfinals.

Harvick wins trucks race

Kevin Harvick extended his winning streak in the NASCAR Trucks Series on Wednesday night, while Sprint Cup rival Kyle Busch’s winning streak at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee came to a crashing halt.

Harvick raced to his third straight trucks victory, holding off John Sauter.

Busch entered the event with five consecutive victories in NASCAR’s three national touring series on the high-banked short track and three straight at Bristol in the Trucks Series. He finished 30th after making contact with polesitter Elliott Sadler midway through the race.

Fuming after the incident, Busch pointed fingers squarely at the Harvick camp.

“Just look where his paycheck comes from,” Busch said as a reference to Sadler driving for Harvick in the Nationwide Series.

Harvick retorted that Sadler was actually driving for owner Joe Dennette.

Todd Bodine was third.

Danica Patrick will hold a news conference Thursday in Scottsdale, Ariz., and is expected to announce her 2012 move to NASCAR.

The Associated Press reported earlier this month that Patrick was finalizing a deal to drive full-time for JR Motorsports in the second-tier Nationwide Series. She was also working on a limited schedule of elite Sprint Cup Series races for Stewart-Haas Racing.

Eleven horses drew into the starting field for Sunday’s $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar, but the most anticipated entry took a pass. Blind Luck, star four-year-old filly, has been redirected to the Oct. 1 Lady’s Secret Stakes at Santa Anita.

“I just didn’t want to run her against the boys,” said Jerry Hollendorfer, Blind Luck’s trainer.

Just two female horses have entered the Pacific Classic in its 21 year history and neither has hit the board.

Twirling Candy was made the 5-2 morning line favorite and Santa Anita Handicap winner Game On Dude was made second choice at 3-1.