Tea New Zealand 103 for 3 (Latham 55*, Nicholls 5*) trail Sri Lanka 244 (De Silva 109, Southee 4-63, Boult 3-75) by 141 runs

After Dhananjaya de Silva made a chancy but classy century to carry Sri Lanka to 244, Lahiru Kumara and the spinners made early inroads into New Zealand's batting line-up as the second Test gathered pace. This, after wet weather had allowed just 66 overs across the first two days.

Both Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor nicked off cheaply, but opener Tom Latham ground his way to an unbeaten half-century, leading New Zealand's resistance at Colombo's P Sara Oval. The visitors were 141 runs behind Sri Lanka at tea on day three.

Dilruwan Perera marked his return to Test cricket with a biting offbreak that bounced sharply to get rid of Jeet Raval for a nine-ball duck to set the ball rolling for Sri Lanka in the field. Williamson, who had been dismissed for single-digit scores in both innings in Galle, looked more assured here until he guided fast bowler Kumara straight into the lap of second slip for 20 off 28 balls.

Latham and Taylor then briefly repaired the early damage with contrasting methods. While Latham defended resolutely and refrained from reaching out for the ball outside off, Taylor engaged in signature slog-sweeps and regular trips down the track. During one such advance down the track, he failed to meet the pitch a turning ball from left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya and tickled an outside edge to slip for 23.

Latham, though, pressed on to bring up his fifty with a flat, hard sweep to the square-leg boundary, moments before tea. Keeping him decent company was Henry Nicholls.

It was de Silva who had owned the third morning. From an overnight score of 32 off 62 balls, he cranked up the tempo and peeled off 77 off 86 balls, reaching his fifth Test hundred in the process.

De Silva had stepped out to bat when Sri Lanka were 93 for 4 and could have been dismissed on 9 had Trent Boult, who has grabbed several blinders over the years, not dropped an absolute sitter off his own bowling. There were streaky inside edges that eluded the leg stump and top edges that cleared the outfielders, but de Silva counterbalanced that with some exquisite strokes.

He collared left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel and struck three successive fours off him, the pick of them an inside-out shot over extra-cover. It provided a throwback to his first runs in Test cricket: a similarly regal inside-out loft off Steve O'Keefe in Pallekele in 2016.

Ajaz, however, found success at the other end when he pinned the other overnight batsman Dilruwan Perera with an arm ball that skidded off the pitch. Tim Southee then went around the wicket and softened Suranga Lakmal with a short-ball barrage, which resulted in the batsman taking his eyes off and fending one behind to BJ Watling. In his next over, Southee removed Embuldeniya to come within one scalp of joining Boult in reaching 250 Test wickets in the same game.

Dhananjaya, though, cut and drove with great authority in addition to taking calculated risks with the tail. He had moved into the 90s with a top-edged six off Boult and then nearly dragged Southee back onto his stumps when he was 99. Two balls later, with No. 11 Kumara for company, he got to the landmark with a carved four over backward point. De Silva celebrated by blowing kisses in the direction of the crowd even as captain Dimuth Karunaratne was seen pumping his fist in the dressing room. There would be more joy for Sri Lanka in the afternoon.

Responding to India's 297, each of West Indies' top-eight batsmen got into double figures, but only four of them crossed 20 and Roston Chase's 48 was the highest score. That left the home side at a precarious 189 for 8 at the end of the second day of the North Sound Test, and "we gave away our wickets a little too easy" was Chase's explanation of the stuttering batting display.

John Campbell was aggressive in a first-wicket stand of 36 with Kraigg Brathwaite, but once he fell, and his partner became the first of Ishant Sharma's five victims on the day, there weren't many partnerships of note, the 44-run alliance between Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer for the sixth wicket the best of them.

Earlier this year, West Indies beat England 2-1 in a three-Test series at home. The middle-order batsmen played excellent hands then, but there were contributions from the top too, which Chase said the team needed desperately against India too.

ALSO READ: Monga - Ishant Sharma, exorcising one ghost at a time

"I thought that in that series, what we did well [was] we had some good opening partnerships. We saw off the new ball, that made it easier for the middle order, and we were able to just come out and play freely before the bowlers, being that fresh, full of energy, chirping in the field, stuff like that …" he said. "I just think that that's where we need to knuckle down with our top-order batting.

"We usually contribute very well in the middle order but I think our top order needs to pull a little more weight and bring some scores to the table."

On Friday, every once in a way, the West Indies batsmen looked like they were settling down and bedding in for a defining partnership, but it never quite came. Worse for the team, as Chase said, none of the batsmen were done in by spectacular bowling.

"Most of our guys got starts but we give away our wickets a little too easy today, didn't really knuckle down and get that big score we were looking for," Chase said. "I find it (the pitch) has quickened up, because on the first day, it had a little bit of moisture, so the ball was slowing a bit. It's coming on to the bat quite nicely. Our batsmen could have used that to our advantage, but we gave our wickets away today.

"Just a lapse in concentration, I guess, because none of us got any really special delivery, any unplayable delivery, it was just poor on our part to give our wickets away to such ordinary deliveries."

Chase's own dismissal was an example of the "lapse in concentration", as he reached out to flick Ishant to KL Rahul at midwicket. Before that, he did look like he would pull off one more of the sort of innings in home conditions that he has made a name for.

"My thought process was just to stay hungry at the crease, to get my team as close as possible to the lead. But I gave it away. I thought it was looking good, it was going through my process, sticking to my game plan, but a lapse in concentration cost me my wicket," Chase said. "For me, the ball didn't do much, it was straight. I just thought I did not let it come to me as much as I should have.

"I just went a little bit too much in front of my body. That's what caused the ball to go in the air. I could have played with softer hands and let the ball come to me a bit more and just tuck it behind square for one."

"None of us got any really special delivery, any unplayable delivery, it was just poor on our part to give our wickets away to such ordinary deliveries"

When India batted, Kemar Roach and Co had reduced them to 25 for 3 - the wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli among them - but the visiting side fought back to reach nearly 300, the 60-run stand for the eighth wicket between Ravindra Jadeja and Ishant hurting the West Indians the most.

"I thought that after our initial quick burst on top with the early wickets, the Indian batsmen really applied themselves well. Parternships are always big in Test cricket, and I thought that our bowlers really stuck to the task at hand," Chase said. "This morning, we got the early wickets we were looking for but I thought that we tried a bit too hard, we didn't stick to coming down the channel, we tried a bit too hard with the short-ball plan and stuff like that. And it cost us.

"Our energy went down a bit after the partnership built. I guess Jadeja and Ishant fed off that. We played into their hands and we tried too much things. But after we got that wicket, we wrapped it up pretty quickly, so that was still good for us. I thought we could have used that momentum going into the innings, but, as I said, we didn't really use the conditions to our favour."

Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera are among the most high-profile omissions from Sri Lanka's squad for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand, along with the likes of Suranga Lakmal and Dhananjaya de Silva. The selectors have named a youthful squad, with only two players above the age of 30 - captain Lasith Malinga and seam bowler Isuru Udana. Niroshan Dickwella, who was not picked in the World Cup squad or for the home ODIs that followed, has been named vice-captain of the team.

The selectors are understood to have dropped Mathews on account of what they felt was a modest scoring rate at the beginning of his innings. Concerns about his running between the wickets also persist. Thisara, meanwhile, had a poor World Cup and is believed to have lost form considerably following an excellent year in 2018.

The squad features no fewer than five frontline seam bowlers - Malinga leading a cohort that includes Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara and the recalled Lahiru Madushanka, in addition to Udana. Akila Dananjaya has also been named despite a big cloud hanging over his head, in the form of a biomechanics assessment that he must pass in order to avoid a year's suspension. Left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan and legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga are the other spinners.

Avishka Fernando, the 22-year-old batsman who impressed at the World Cup, is among the top-order options in the squad. Middle-order hitter Dasun Shanaka has been recalled as well.

The three T20Is will all be played in Pallekele, the first on September 1.

Despite announcing his retirement from "all forms and levels" of the game in early July, Ambati Rayudu has clarified that he would "definitely be playing the IPL for Chennai Super Kings" next season and keep playing white-ball cricket.

Rayudu, currently in Chennai playing the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association's one-day league for Grand Slam, attempted to clear the air on his status, explaining that his retirement announcement on July 3 was not in reaction to being snubbed by the selectors for the World Cup but because he was disappointed at not making the cut.

The 33-year-old batsman was thought of as the frontrunner to fill the No. 4 spot in the ODI batting order, but was left out of the main squad of 15 and named in the list of standby players. But, following injuries to Shikhar Dhawan and Vijay Shankar, Rishabh Pant and then Mayank Agarwal, who weren't among the standbys, travelled to England.

ALSO READ: 'No bias or favouristism in Rayudu's WC exclusion' - MSK Prasad

But, speaking to Times of India on Friday, Rayudu said: "I would definitely be playing the IPL for Chennai Super Kings and make a comeback into white-ball cricket. My priority now is to get back into peak fitness." Rayudu also said that he wouldn't be seeking his fortunes in overseas T20 leagues, as had been speculated.

On being asked about his statement on bringing the curtain down on a "wonderful journey of playing the sport and learning from every up and down it brought up on for the last 25 years", Rayudu said that it wasn't an "emotional decision" but an expression of his disappointment at missing out on the World Cup.

"I wouldn't say it was an emotional decision, because I worked very hard for the World Cup in the last four years," he said. "You are bound to be disappointed and I felt it was time. The decision that I took was not because of rejection or anything else.

"You work towards something and when you don't get it, you feel it's time to move on."

Rayudu, who said he would be sending the BCCI "a formal letter soon" to inform it of his change of heart, added that he wasn't thinking about a spot in any of the India white-ball teams yet - he had announced his retirement from first-class cricket in late 2018.

"I haven't thought that far yet," he said of a return to the national side. "I need to take it step by step and see how things pan out in the coming months."

Olympic gold medalists Lindsey Vonn and P.K. Subban are tying the knot.

Former ski champion Vonn announced her engagement to the NHL star on Instagram on Friday. The pair have been dating for at least a year.

Vonn, 34, told Vogue that they don't yet have a date for the wedding.

"I just want to enjoy the moment and the engagement," Vonn told Vogue. "We're not in a big hurry to get married. It kind of depends on his playing schedule, and when we have time to sit down and go through it. I don't want to stress him out because he has a big season coming."

Vonn retired from skiing in February, citing persistent pain in both of her knees. She won Olympic gold for the United States in the women's downhill in 2010 at Vancouver. She also won a bronze in the super-G that year, and another bronze last year at the Pyeongchang Games.

Subban, 30, earned a gold medal of his own when Canada won the men's hockey competition at the Sochi Games in 2014, though he was scratched in all but one game. In June, the New Jersey Devils acquired Subban in a trade from the Nashville Predators.

Vonn previously dated golfer Tiger Woods for nearly three years, before the pair split up in 2015.

After completing a contract buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies, Dwight Howard will sign a non-guaranteed contract with the Los Angeles Lakers that comes with a clear message, league sources told ESPN: Disrupt this team -- and you'll be gone.

In meetings with Lakers management, coaches and teammates -- including Anthony Davis -- late this week, Howard sold himself as an eight-time All-Star who had hit "rock bottom," in the words of one team source, and promised that he'd humbly accept the responsibility to rebound and block shots for the Lakers.

He showed the Lakers that his surgically repaired back was healthy and that he had lost 25 pounds to get into better condition, and ultimately the Lakers chose him over Joakim Noah, sources said.

With DeMarcus Cousins probably lost for the season because of a torn ACL in his left knee, and Davis reluctant to play significant minutes at center, the Lakers and Howard found themselves needing each other for a reunion of a miscast partnership that fizzled in the 2012-13 season.

For years, Howard, 33, has sold an almost annual idea of a personal renaissance and epiphany, only to infuriate coaches and teammates with behavior that moved from selfish on the court to childish and disruptive off of it. Since signing with the Atlanta Hawks as a free agent in 2016, Howard has been traded three times and waived twice. The Lakers will be his sixth team in five years -- far from the All-Star and All-Defensive team appearances he earned with Orlando and Houston.

The Lakers will hold the leverage on Howard, able to cut him before the NBA's Jan. 7 deadline to guarantee contracts for the season without cost to the team. Howard's arrival moves the Lakers' roster to a full 15 players. His contract buyout with the Grizzlies -- who acquired him in an offseason trade with Washington -- will require him to clear waivers next week before signing with Los Angeles.

Howard will surrender $2.6 million of his $5.6 million guaranteed salary to Memphis in the buyout, league sources said. He can earn back the $2.6 million on his veteran's minimum deal with Lakers -- if he survives on roster beyond Jan. 7.

Memphis never intended to bring Howard to training camp, so the savings turns out to be a significant financial bonus for the franchise.

The Lakers will be Howard's fifth team since he signed as a free agent in Atlanta in 2016. He has played with the Hawks, Charlotte and Washington -- and been waived after trades to Brooklyn and Memphis without ever wearing a uniform. He played only nine games with Washington before back surgery ended his season.

MELBOURNE, Australia -- The World Cup is a week away, and the United States is no lock for gold.

Australia delivered that message to the world Saturday.

For the first time in nearly 13 years, a U.S. roster of NBA players played an international game -- and lost. Patty Mills scored 30 points, and Australia rallied from a 10-point deficit in the second half to stun the Americans 98-94 and snap a 78-game U.S. winning streak that started with the bronze-medal game at the 2006 world championships.

"They wanted it more than us tonight,'' U.S. guard Kemba Walker said. "Lesson learned for us.''

It was the first loss for the U.S. in a major international tournament or exhibition since the 2006 world championship semifinals against Greece. The Americans won the bronze there, then were unbeaten through the cycles for the 2007 FIBA Americas, 2008 Olympics, 2010 World Cup, 2012 Olympics, 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics.

Add all that up, along with wins over Spain and Australia with this team, and it was a 78-game winning streak for the U.S. -- the longest in program history.

And it's now over.

"It was awesome,'' Mills said.

Australia had never beaten the Americans, and the U.S. national team had been 30-0 all-time in Australia.

"Some of it is expected with a new group that's trying to learn about each other and learn a system,'' U.S. coach Gregg Popovich said. "So it's not surprising. But the Aussies gave us a great lesson as far as where we want to be and how you have to play in this kind of a competition.''

A World Cup where Serbia has already made very clear it expects to win gold, where NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo will lead Greece, where France figures to have a medal shot and now with the Australians absolutely knowing they can beat the U.S., will begin next week with no shortage of realistic title hopefuls.

USA Basketball is No. 1 in FIBA's world rankings, but so far in the run-up to this World Cup -- with most of the top NBA stars deciding to not play this summer -- the Americans have not looked like a lock for more gold. They beat Spain by nine in Anaheim, California on Aug. 16, needed a big second half to defeat Australia by 16 on Thursday, and then let a sizable second-half lead slip away Saturday.

"Obviously, this was a great step for us,'' Australia guard Joe Ingles said.

Mills plays for San Antonio, so ordinarily Popovich -- the longtime Spurs coach -- would enjoy seeing what the veteran guard did down the stretch. Mills scored Australia's last 10 points, doing it all from banking in 3-pointers to slicing through for a layup that put the hosts up by six with 1:50 left.

"As I told you all after the last game, Patty's a pain,'' Popovich said.

Walker scored 22 points for the U.S., and Harrison Barnes had 20. Donovan Mitchell's 3-pointer with 1:05 left got the U.S. to within 97-94. The Americans then forced a stop on the ensuing possession and had two chances to tie -- but Mitchell's 3-pointer was off, Joe Harris missed a corner 3 a few seconds later and Mills iced the game with a free throw.

Aron Baynes left the floor with his head back, screaming in celebration as he slapped hands with delirious countrymen. Ingles and Andrew Bogut grabbed their kids and brought them onto the floor for a look.

Bogut scored 16 points, Ingles had 15 and Baynes scored 13 for the Australians.

Baynes powered in for a score that put Australia up 82-76 with 8:25 left, just before Barnes answered with a three-point play for the U.S. to start an 8-0 run that put the Americans back on top. There were four lead changes in the final quarter, the last coming when Ingles made a step-back 3 with 3:35 left for an 88-87 lead.

Mills did the rest.

He banked in a long 3 for a four-point lead, added a layup to put his team up six with 1:50 left and clinched it with the last free throw.

The U.S. led by one at the half and went up 68-58 midway through the third on a dunk by Jayson Tatum, but the Australians got right back into the game. Mills scored eight points in 45 seconds, including a pair of 3-pointers, to get Australia to within one with 2:40 left in the third.

"That's a great team and they've been together a long time,'' Barnes said. "They play a great style of basketball.''

TIP-INS

United States: Barnes, Marcus Smart (who had been out because of a calf strain), Khris Middleton, Mitchell and Myles Turner started for the Americans. The U.S. has now used different starting lineups in its three exhibitions, with only Mitchell opening all three contests. In all, the U.S. has given nine different players at least one start on the pre-World Cup tour. ... Kyle Kuzma (left ankle soreness) did not play.

Australia: Attendance was 52,079, the biggest crowd to watch a basketball game in Australia -- breaking the record of 51,218 set Thursday. ... The Australians went with the same starters for the second straight game, opening with Ingles, Matthew Dellavedova, Mills, Baynes and Jock Landale. ... Ingles and Mitchell weren't the only Utah Jazz guards at Marvel Stadium -- Dante Exum was in the stands.

SHAKEN UP

U.S. guard Derrick White of the San Antonio Spurs was tripped up as he dribbled downcourt midway through the fourth quarter, and hit his forehead on the court. He left with a sizable icepack on the left side of his head.

UP NEXT

USA: Face Canada in an exhibition on Monday at Sydney.

Australia: Face Canada in World Cup opener on Sept. 1 at Dongguan, China.

Dwight Howard is on his way back to the Los Angeles Lakers, after agreeing to a buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies.

While the move wasn't a surprise given recent developments -- specifically the Lakers losing DeMarcus Cousins to a torn ACL and the Grizzlies having little interest in keeping Howard on the roster after acquiring his contract earlier this summer -- it's shocking to anyone who remembers how poorly Howard's first stint with the Lakers went.

The former Defensive Player of the Year joined the Lakers in 2012 and was supposed to be part of a superteam with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Steve Nash, who was also traded to Los Angeles that summer. Instead, head coach Mike Brown was fired after a 1-4 start, Howard and Bryant reportedly feuded in the locker room (which led to a staged photo that did nothing to stem the rumors) and Bryant tore his Achilles tendon with two games left in the season. As a final indignity, Howard was ejected from his final game as a Laker, a 103-82 loss to complete the San Antonio Spurs' four-game sweep in the first round.

Howard signed with the Houston Rockets in the summer of 2013, and when he and Bryant next met on the court, Bryant famously called Howard "soft," something the center told Fox Sports 1 that he "hated" Bryant for at the time.

Yet, despite all that history, Howard will once again don a Lakers jersey as he tries to help the team win its first NBA title since 2010.

The reunion between Howard and the Lakers is far from the first in NBA history to come after a bad breakup.

Moses Malone/Philadelphia 76ers

A three-time MVP, Malone had led the 76ers to a title in 1983, but his 1985-86 season ended early due to a fractured orbital bone. Fearing Malone's best days were behind him following a season in which he'd feuded with coach Matt Guokas, Philadelphia traded him to the Washington Bullets in exchange for All-Star big man Jeff Ruland and Clifford Robinson. "We're far better equipped to deal at a championship level than 24 hours ago," 76ers general manager Pat Williams said at the time. He was wrong. The 76ers fell from 54 wins to 45, as Ruland continued to struggle with injuries. Meanwhile, Malone proved he was far from done, making the All-Star team in each of the next three seasons.

After stints in Washington, Atlanta, and Milwaukee, Malone returned to Philadelphia for the 1993-94 season. Serving as a backup and mentor to rookie Shawn Bradley, Malone played 55 games in what would turn out to be his second-to-last NBA season. The 76ers posthumously retired Malone's No. 2 jersey earlier this year.

Chris Webber/Golden State Warriors

The No. 1 overall pick in the 1993 draft by the Orlando Magic, Webber was traded to the Warriors in exchange for Anfernee Hardaway and three future first-round picks. He went on to win Rookie of the Year honors, despite clashing with head coach Don Nelson for much of the season. Because Webber was drafted in the era before rookie scale contracts, his first deal contained an out clause after the first season, which he exercised, making him a free agent. He made it clear he had no intention of returning to Golden State, so the Warriors worked a sign-and-trade deal with the Washington Bullets, where Webber would play the next four seasons.

After his brief stint with the Detroit Pistons ended, Webber remained unsigned at the start of the 2007-08 season. He eventually rejoined the Warriors -- and Nelson, who'd also come full circle after leaving the Bay -- but was limited to just nine games before his surgically repaired knees forced him to retire two months later.

Kevin Garnett/Stephon Marbury

KG and Starbury were supposed to be the star duo that lifted the Minnesota Timberwolves to the top of the NBA. Instead, they played a little more than two seasons together before Marbury forced his way out of Minnesota, a move that reports at the time suggested was fueled in part by Marbury's jealousy over Garnett's contract (the trade came after the 1998-99 lockout and the subsequent institution of maximum salaries, which meant Marbury wouldn't have been able to sign a deal similar to Garnett's).

After a contentious end to his time with the New York Knicks, Marbury signed with the Boston Celtics, rejoining Garnett, who'd led the team to a championship the season before. Marbury played 23 regular-season games for Boston and saw action in all 14 of the Celtics' playoff games that season, but a title once again eluded the duo, as Garnett's injuries prevented him from playing in the postseason.

Allen Iverson/Philadelphia 76ers

A beloved MVP. A feud with a coach. A controversial trade. History repeated itself in Philadelphia 20 years after Moses Malone's departure. Iverson (and Webber, coincidentally enough) had been benched for the 2005-06 season finale after showing up late to fan appreciation night. That set the stage for a summer of trade rumors, and while Iverson began the following season with the 76ers, it didn't last long. After a 5-10 start, the 76ers told Iverson he wouldn't be playing any more and sent him home to await a trade. He was eventually sent to Denver, where he played parts of three seasons before being dealt to Detroit.

Iverson started what would turn out to be his final NBA season with the Grizzlies, but left the team after just three games, and briefly retired. But less than a week into his retirement, he rejoined the 76ers, who were in need of guard help after Lou Williams suffered a broken jaw. Iverson played 25 games in his second stint with the 76ers, starting 24 of them, before leaving the team to attend to the health of his daughter. The team retired his No. 3 in 2014.

LeBron James/Cleveland Cavaliers

There has arguably never been an NBA breakup as fraught with emotion as the one between James and the Cavaliers in 2010. "The Decision" ripped the hearts out of Cleveland fans, then "The Letter" ripped into James. By the time James was on a stage in Miami setting a goal of winning "not five, not six, not seven" championships, it seemed the idea of him ever again playing in a Cavaliers uniform was dead and buried.

But time heals all wounds, and the "self-titled former king" (as Cavs owner Dan Gilbert had called James in his letter) made his triumphant return to Cleveland in 2014. Two years later, he brought the franchise its only championship, and when he left again in 2018, the team had nothing but good things to say about him.

Carmelo Anthony/Mike D'Antoni

D'Antoni had a losing record in his first two seasons with the Knicks, but things turned around in 2010-11 with the signing of Amar'e Stoudemire and the midseason trade that brought Anthony from Denver to New York. The Knicks posted their first winning record since 2000-01 and ended a six-year playoff drought. However, Anthony and D'Antoni quickly butted heads, and the following season, Anthony issued an ultimatum: It was either him or D'Antoni. So after just 69 games together, the Melo/D'Antoni partnership was over. "I just went in and quit," D'Antoni told ESPN's Tim Keown in 2017.

That would've been the end of the story, except the two managed to set aside their history to give it another shot in Houston last season. "I think this is totally different," the coach said to USA Today, comparing the situations in Houston and New York. However, it wasn't. Anthony played just 10 games for the Rockets before eventually being sent home, then traded to Chicago. All said, between their two stints together, D'Antoni hasn't coached Anthony for a full 82-game season yet.

Miami Marlins outfielder Brian Anderson suffered a broken finger on his left hand in Friday night's 19-11 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies and likely will miss the rest of the season.

Anderson, 26, was injured when he was hit by a 96 mph pitch by Vince Velasquez in the third inning.

"Hopefully I'll be back in six weeks. I'm not exactly sure of the timetable yet,'' said Anderson, who is batting .261 and leads the team with 20 homers and 66 RBIs. "Today was a tough day for me, but I keep looking at it like it was a great day for our team. Like the best day, I could even say, with the way we came back from that streak we had going and with the way our guys fought today, that helped me out a lot.''

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

BALTIMORE -- Orioles general manager Mike Elias has fired 11 members of the scouting department and front office as part of an effort to turn around a team in the early stages of a major rebuild.

Elias announced the personnel moves Friday. The rookie GM would not reveal the names of those people dismissed, nor the positions impacted.

"We're in a period of change right now with the industry and we're in a period of change right now with the Orioles," Elias said. "Sometimes to make changes you've got to make changes."

The Orioles hired Elias in November and manager Brandon Hyde in December following a season in which they finished 47-115, their worst record since coming from St. Louis in 1954. This year, Baltimore again is in position to end up with the worst record in the majors, currently leading only Detroit for that dubious distinction.

Elias hopes shuffling personnel and scouting assignments will speed the process of bringing the Orioles back to respectability.

"We are reconfiguring quite a bit. We're going to be very busy bringing people into this organization," he said. "This is just the organization moving along and adapting to the sport today."

He insisted that this wasn't a cost-cutting move, but rather an adjustment to the current state of major league scouting.

"There are changes going on in the scouting business in terms of greater availability of information in general, video and data. It just changes the way that scouts do their job," Elias said. "There are instances where we will replace people's roles kind of man for man, head for head, spot for spot, but there's other instances where we're reconfiguring the way the scouts go about their business."

Elias said the moves were made now instead of after the season to provide those who lost their jobs a jump at getting back into the market. It's also a chance for him to get a jump on retooling the internal workings of the team.

"This is not to disparage the contributions that have taken place in the past, which is significant," he said. "But it's my position to look to the future and make tough choices sometimes. We wish everybody well and hope things work out."