Off the wire

MOTOR SPORTS Haas hires Busch

Gene Haas formally introduced Kurt Busch on Tuesday in Kannapolis, N.C., as the newest driver at Stewart-Haas Racing, which will double from two cars in 2012 to four next season. Haas admitted Tuesday that Stewart - brought in as a co-owner in 2009 - originally balked as his idea to bring in Busch and start a fourth team, but Haas forged ahead with a multi-year offer. Haas will fund Busch’s car out of pocket and sponsor the 2004 NASCAR champion himself. Haas insisted getting his name on a car was his primary motivation. “This is going to be my shot at being a primary sponsor, going to the Daytona 500, the Brickyard as the primary sponsor,” he said. “Haas Automation has never been in the winner’s circle, and I’m sure that’s going to change next year. So that’s my primary reason for basically pushing this expansion.”

A magnetic resonance imaging has confirmed that Martin Truex Jr. fractured his right wrist in a wreck during Saturday night’s race at Bristol. Michael Waltrip Racing said Tuesday that Truex has a scaphoid fracture and sprain. He’s been fitted with a special cast that allows him to grip the steering wheel and he is expected to finish the season after being cleared by NASCAR.

TENNIS Federer moves on

Roger Federer easily won his delayed first match at the U.S. Open on Tuesday in New York, marking his first Grand Slam victory since losing in the second round at Wimbledon. Federer needed just 93 minutes to beat 62nd-ranked Grega Zemlja 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 in a match up postponed from Monday night because of rain. Federer, ranked seventh, had 12 aces and 35 winners and won 20 of 21 points at the net. Top seed Novak Djokovic saved seven of eight break points and cruised to a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Ricardas Berankis. Jerzy Janowicz, who reached the semifinals at Wimbledon but is ranked just 247th, injured his lower back Saturday and struggled throughout his opening-round match Tuesday before losing 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 to qualifier Maximo Gonzalez. Janowicz had 11 double-faults and 53 unforced errors. Americans John Isner and Sam Querrey reached the second round. Isner, seeded 13th, beat Filippo Volandri of Italy 6-0, 6-2, 6-3. The 26th-seeded Querrey defeated Guido Pella of Argentina 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. Milos Raonic won his first Grand Slam match while seeded in the top 10, defeating qualifier Thomas Fabbiano of Italy 6-3, 7-6 (6), 6-3. On the women’s side, fourth-seeded Sara Errani defeated Olivia Rogowska 6-0, 6-0 in 51 minutes.The 151st-ranked Australian was a “lucky loser,” falling in qualifying but making the main draw when Ayumi Morita withdrew because of injury. Seventh-seeded Petra Kvitova weathered another tough U.S. Open match, needing three sets and nearly two hours to beat 92nd-ranked Misaki Doi. Kvitova won 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 on a windy day at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Sixth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki held off qualifier Duan Ying-Ying, 6-2, 7-5. Qualifier Victoria Duval defeated No. 11 Sam Stosur 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

BASEBALL Pittsburgh acquires 2

The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired outfielder Marlon Byrd and catcher John Buck from the New York Mets on Tuesday, hoping the veterans can bolster a struggling offense as the franchise chases its first playoff berth in 21 years. The Pirates sent the Mets minor league infielder Dilson Herrera and a player to be named later in exchange for Byrd, Buck and cash considerations. Byrd, 35, is hitting .285 with 21 home runs and 71 RBI this season and will give Pittsburgh needed depth in the outfield while lead off hitter Starling Marte recovers from a wrist injury. Buck, 33, is batting .215 with 15 home runs and 60 RBI. Since the beginning of the 2010 season, Buck’s 63 home runs as a catcher rank third in the majors. He is expected to back up Russell Martin.

The St. Louis Cardinals demoted Tyler Lyons to Class AAA Memphis, a day after the left hander started against the Reds, and recalled reliever Fernando Salas to boost the bullpen. Lyons is 2-4 with a 4.73 ERA in 9 games for St. Louis, and allowed 1 earned run in 5 innings with no decision in a victory over Cincinnati. Salas has appeared in 19 games with St. Louis, going 0-2 with a 4.79 ERA, and is 1-2 with a 1.90 ERA and 12 saves in 22 games in the minors. The former Cardinals closer has eight saves and a 1.64 ERA this month.

The Detroit Tigers activated catcher Alex Avila from the concussion disabled list Tuesday and optioned catcher Bryan Holaday to Class AAA Toledo. Avila had been sidelined since Aug. 11 because of a concussion he sustained three days earlier on a foul tip off his mask in Cleveland. His return was delayed by headaches after his first rehab game in Toledo, but he played the past three days without any symptoms and was cleared by team doctors.

Former Northwest Arkansas Naturals pitcher Danny Duffy will be recalled from Class AAA Omaha today to replace Wade Davis in Kansas City’s starting rotation. Duffy has allowed four runs over his past 22 innings in Omaha while recovering from elbow surgery. The left-hander made 2 starts for the Royals this month, allowing 2 runs over 9 2/3 innings. Davis has allowed 11 runs in his last two starts and will move to the bullpen. Since coming to Kansas City in the trade that sent top prospect Wil Myers to Tampa Bay, Davis is 6-10 with a 5.67 ERA.

BASKETBALL Pippen won’t face charges

Former Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen won’t face any criminal charges after a fight with an autograph seeker outside a Malibu sushi restaurant earlier this summer, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence against Pippen (Hamburg, Central Arkansas), who was dining with his family June 24 when he was approached by Camran Shafighi inside Nobu restaurant, a celebrity hangout on the beach in Malibu.

Prosecutors said Shafighi, 49, had a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit for driving and exaggerated injuries that were deemed minor.

The fight occurred outside the restaurant after Shafighi asked to have his photo taken with Pippen. Authorities said Shafighi followed Pippen, 47, outside into the parking lot and asked for another photo and an autograph from Pippen, who said no.

Pippen told investigators that Shafighi was irate, “grabbing at him, cursing him and then spit in his face,” according to a report by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. Pippen admitted he spit at Shafighi and pushed him away, but it’s unclear whether Pippen was the aggressor or acting in self-defense, based on witness accounts.

Shafighi said Pippen punched him in the mouth and kicked him several times. The last memory he had before losing consciousness was seeing Pippen’s foot coming toward his face, the report said.

Shafighi, who has filed a $4 million lawsuit against Pippen, was taken to a hospital with a possible concussion. All tests showed there wasn’t any internal trauma, but Shafighi returned to the hospital later and told doctors he had been diagnosed with fractured ribs and ankle, the report said. The only visible physical injuries were a small bruise on Shafighi’s chin and a cut to his lip.

Shafighi, whose blood sample turned up positive for opiates and a 0.18 percent blood-alcohol level, also feigned having seizures, but he was able to stop them when the doctor ordered him to stop them, according to the report.