BASEBALL

Sea Dogs hitter Linares wins Player of the Week

Portland Sea Dogs outfielder J.C. Linares was named the Eastern League’s player of the week for the final week of the season, spanning Aug. 26 to Sept. 2.

Linares hit .486 with four home runs and 13 RBI, and slugged an even 1.000 in eight games. He ended the season on a 12-game hitting streak.

The Cuban native is the first Sea Dog to win the award since Jeremy Hazelbaker for the week of July 16-22, 2012.

Linares previously won the award in the opening week of 2012.

GOLF

EUROPEAN TOUR: The European Tour’s oldest champion has criticized the appearance of the tour’s youngest-ever competitor — who is now 13 — in the European Masters starting Thursday.

Miguel Angel Jimenez, who was 48 when he won last year’s Hong Kong Open, was introduced on the Crans-sur-Sierre practice range to Ye Wo-cheng, who was just 12 in May when he competed in the China Open.

Jimenez was at odds with a sponsor’s decision to give Ye an invitation to compete this week.

“A 13-year-old competing against professionals is a little bit too young,” he said.

PRESIDENTS CUP: Jordan Spieth started the season without status on any tour but will end it by going to the Presidents Cup.

Fred Couples used his captain’s picks on the 20-year-old Spieth and Webb Simpson to fill out the 12-man American team. Spieth is the youngest American to play in the Presidents Cup.

HOCKEY

NHL: Former Portland Pirates goalie Ollie Kolzig has been promoted to head goaltending coach of the Washington Capitals.

Kolzig, a native of Johannesburg, South Africa, appeared in 29 games with the Pirates over three seasons.

The Vezina Trophy winner in 2000, Kolzig, 43, played a total of 16 seasons with the Capitals.

• The Chicago Blackhawks agreed to a five-year contract extension with defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson.

Hjalmarsson helped the Blackhawks win their second Stanley Cup in four years last season with five assists in 23 playoff games.

BASKETBALL

NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder guard DeAndre Liggins was arrested after his girlfriend told police he attacked her in front of their 2-year-old son.

A probable cause affidavit said the woman told police Liggins punched and hit her at his home.

SOCCER

TAX COMPLAINT: A Spanish court declined a government request to set bail for Lionel Messi and his father in a case of alleged tax fraud after ruling that a payment made satisfied the case’s legal requirements.

The complaint alleged Messi tried to conceal the extent of his earnings and owes $5.3 million in back taxes.

AUTO RACING

NASCAR: Jeff Burton will not return to Richard Childress Racing for the 2014 season.

Burton thus ends a relationship with RCR that dates to 2005. Burton hasn’t won since 2008 and is 22nd in the Sprint Cup standings this season.

INDYCAR: IndyCar is considering adding a road race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as soon as next year.

Mark Miles, CEO of IndyCar parent company Hulman & Co., said IndyCar is leaning toward running the event in May, the same month as the Indianapolis 500.

— From staff and news services