Fans show our culture is in tank

Phil Mushnick

From Philly to L.A., our sports “culture” was on full review this week.

The Flyers were three goals up and minutes away from eliminating the Penguins last Sunday when, instead of a congratulatory chant of something like, “Let’s go Flyers,” the crowd chanted an obscenity toward Sidney Crosby.

In L.A., after the Artist Formerly Known As Ron Artest assaulted the Thunder’s James Harden with an atomic elbow, Artest, ejected, was cheered as he headed to the locker room — and to his third suspension of seven or more games.

Still, pandering to the bad acts is a specialty of modern society. Last May, days after the NBA bestowed an award for citizenship on Artest — apparently not being fined or suspended for a few minutes is deserving of a lollipop — he was suspended for a playoff game for clotheslining the Mavericks’ J.J. Barea.

Getty Images

PEACE MAKER? Fans cheer Lakers star Metta World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest, after he was ejected, and later suspended seven games, after throwing an elbow to the head of Oklahoma City’s James Harden.

Hey, remember what those champs at Nike chose as its Olympic ad campaign: “You don’t win silver, you lose gold.”

More: Seeing how Fordham University has become noted for future sportscasters and newscasters, the school asked two professors to check in on ESPN Radio’s move to KISS 98.7 FM, which included R&B music.

Dr. Paul Levinson, professor of communications and media studies:

“The purchase [actually, the rental] of KISS by ESPN is indicative of the general shift of music listening from radio to the Web, which has been going on for more than a decade, but is still accelerating with iPhones and iPads as music-listening devices. Sports on the other hand, still has a powerful voice via radio.”

Dr. Mark Naison, professor of African-American studies, sees it far differently: “By contrast, I would say the generation of black people who listen to KISS-FM are dying off rapidly as a result of stress-induced illnesses that result from living in a racist (but post-racial) society.”

Really? Geez.

No mention from Dr. Naison, however, that this sustaining racism will allow ESPN 1050-AM to become New York’s first Spanish-language sports station.

And more: Good chat Wednesday between Howie Rose and Josh Lewin during Mets-Marlins on WFAN.

Rose noted that Marlin Logan Morrison was wearing No. 5, originally retired by the Marlins as a memorial to Carl Barger, the first president of the team who died suddenly few months before the Marlins played their first game in 1993.

The No. 5 was chosen, said Rose, because Joe DiMaggio had been Barger’s favorite. Unretiring that number, Rose said, “Rubs me the wrong way.”

Lewin agreed, saying it reminded him of when the Padres renamed Jack Murphy Stadium Qualcomm Stadium. Murphy, the brother of the late Mets broadcaster Bob Murphy, was a San Diego columnist who worked to have a big league team in town.

Next >

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2

Ron Artest, James Harden, ESPN, Howie Rose, Flyers

Nypost.com

iPad replaces iPod as first Apple product consumers purchase: report

The iPod has had a nice run of it, but it’s no longer the gateway drug into the Apple ecosystem it once was. It is fast being replaced by one of the company’s newer devices: The iPad.

More than a quarter of current iPad owners say the tablet is the first Apple product they’ve purchased, according to a new survey from the NPD Group. “iPad sales are growing much faster than any other Apple product has this soon after launch,” says NPD’s Ben Arnold. “In fact, one-in-five Apple owner households has one — nearly equivalent to the number that own an Apple computer.”

So the iPad is Apple’s newest ambassador? Not all that big of a surprise considering how well the device has been selling. Apple sold 11.8 million iPads during its most recent quarter — that’s more than double the number it sold last year. More to the point, the newest model was only actually shipping during the last three weeks or so of the quarter. And, as Apple CEO Tim Cook noted during the company’s Tuesday earnings call, iPad supply was constrained at that time.

And sales to date have been fantastic.

“Just two years after we shipped the initial iPad, we’ve sold 67 million,” Cook said Tuesday. “To put that in some context, it took us 24 years to sell that many Macs, and five years for that many iPods, and over three years for that many iPhones, and we were extremely happy with the trajectory on all of those products.”

To read more, go to AllThingsD

Apple, Apple product, iPad owners, Ben Arnold, NPD Group, first Apple product, ebook download

Nypost.com

Devils turn focus toward Flyers for Game 1 Sunday

The Devils have exorcised their own demons. It will require greater supernatural force to purge the Flyers of their orange goblins.

The Devils were hooting and hollering in their locker room in Florida after eliminating the Panthers on rookie Adam Henrique’s double-overtime goal in their 3-2 Game 7 victory over the Panthers Thursday.

“If feels good for a day. Then you have to face the Flyers,” Martin Brodeur said afterward, his smile turning into a feigned grimace.

New Jersey goes to the second round for the 10th time when it visits Philadelphia Sunday afternoon. The Devils are 6-3 in those second rounds, but have lost both trips since winning their last Stanley Cup in 2003. They have gone to the finals four times among those six second-round triumphs, losing in the third round only in 1988, and you know when and to whom.

In beating Florida, the Devils knocked off a team that hasn’t won a series since 1996, and hadn’t been to the playoffs in an NHL-record 10 seasons.

But it counts in erasing their own 0-fers, dispelling those ghosts. They won their first series in five years and first since moving to Newark. Ilya Kovalchuk was on the winning side for the first time in his 10-year career.

Coach Pete DeBoer won his first playoff series, against the team that fired him last spring for not making the playoffs in his three years there.

“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a little bit [satisfying],” DeBoer said. “But I’m just happy to be able to move on.”

Kovalchuk, who had two goals, three assists in the series but was less than masterful in Game 7, said he was glad to have that monkey of never advancing to the second round off his back.

“It feels good. That first one is always the toughest,” he said. “Now, it’s routine, although it’s never going to be easy.”

Kovalchuk will find that out against the Flyers, who finished one point ahead of New Jersey, 103-102, but brought back memories of the bad old days by beating up and beating out the Cup favorite Penguins.

Against the Flyers, DeBoer eventually — like in Game 2 — may have to turn to either Eric Boulton or Eric Janssen, and that would break up his fourth line, which scored five of the Devils’ 13 even-strength goals (18 total) in the first round. David Clarkson will be a busier boy than he was against Florida.

Brodeur was clearly overjoyed to be back on the winning playoff side, but now must reverse recent history. He is 2-8 in his last 10 playoff games against the Flyers, and 1-3 this regular season.

And he will turn 40 on the day of Game 4 in Newark.

The Flyers will be certain to attack the Devils’ defense. Andy Greene was superb, especially in Game 7, but he will be black and blue soon. That the Devils were woefully thin was demonstrated by their plight before Bryce Salvador returned from Kris Versteeg’s dirty wrist slash in Game 7.

Brodeur claimed the Devils could grow off their triumph.

“Winning a playoff series goes a long way,” Brodeur said. “From ’95 to 2000 [except 1997], we weren’t able to get out of the first round, either. Then we did in 2000 and we did a lot of good [a second Stanley Cup].”

It may be making a mountain of a moderate accomplishment, but it’s all the Devils have, and they have their big guns that have not exploded yet.

***

The Devils beat the Flyers in 1995 in six, their last losses before winning their first Cup. They also beat them in 2000, their comeback from a 3-1` on their path to their second Stanley Cup. They lost to the Flyers in five in 2004, Pat Burns’ last games as coach, and against in 2010, their last previous playoff appearance. ... Johan Hedberg went 2-0 against the Flyers. Brodeur is 1-3. ... Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov was 3-0 against New Jersey with two shutouts, Sergei Bobrovsky 0-2-1. ... The Devils were 3-3 against the Flyers this season.

mark.everson@nypost.com

The Devils, the Devils, the Flyers, the Flyers, Martin Brodeur, Devils, Ilya Kovalchuk, New Jersey, Flyers, Panthers, Stanley Cup, Stanley Cup, Florida

Nypost.com

Ford looks to make pension payout

Ford, which yesterday posted its 12th straight profitable quarter, is looking to use some of that cash to make upfront pension payments to 90,000 white-collar workers this summer.

The carmaker hopes to lower its $74 billion worldwide pension liability. The payments could amount to roughly $400,000 a pop, or more.

Ford, with 164,000 workers around the world, said the wholesale pension payout is the first offered by any US company.

Ford already has accumulated $9.3 billion in cash this year, and intends to use about $3.8 billion to kick off its buy-out bonanza to 75,000 US employees, its largest single workforce, and thousands others elsewhere, the company said.

“We believe this is the first time a program of this type and magnitude has been done with an ongoing pension obligation,” Ford CEO Alan Mulally told analysts while unveiling first-quarter earnings..

Ford reported a first quarter profit of $1.4 billion, down sharply from its $2.55 billion first-quarter profit a year ago.

The company said it took a bath in Europe operations, which lost $149 million.

CFO Robert Shanks called Europe’s slide the worst since 1995, saying it “is like looking back at the US in 2008 and 2009.”

Meanwhile, Shanks hailed the buyout plan as “a huge step forward in terms of actually eliminating some of the obligations altogether.”

The US pension tab is about $49 billion.

Shanks had no idea how many salaried workers — including a handful of current retirees collecting checks — would accept offers. Union workers aren’t involved in the deal yet, he said.

“This will be done person by person because it’s done with actuarial data around each individual, and how long they might be expected to live — so actually it’s not one rate,” said Shanks. “It’ll be thousands of rates.”

Filings showed Ford pays white collar workers a base pension of about $48 a month, multiplied by the number of years of service. Executives get bumped up to as much as $100 a month or higher, depending on their pay scales.

Mulally, who joined Ford in 2004, has no pension as such, but owns 22 million shares of Ford valued in excess of $265 million.

Veteran executive vice president L.W.K. Booth has a pension pot valued at $13 million based on his 34 years of service, filings said.

tharp@nypost.com

Robert Shanks, white collar workers, Ford, upfront pension payments

Nypost.com

Yonkers Results

FIRST-1 mile; pace; $8,500; cl.

1

CamVnBussel(CMnz)

4.00

2.40

2.30

4

Spank Me Frank (J Bartlett)

5.20

8.30

7

Forte Blue Chip (D Dube)

36.20

* Exacta (1-4) $24.60 * Triple (1-4-7) $259.00Scr: Victory Spirit N.

Winner picked by Smith

SECOND-1 mile; trot; $17,000; cond.

3

ColdWnnr(MMcDnld)

10.00

3.90

2.50

5

Master Pine (B Sears)

2.40

2.10

2

Whata Winner (J Doherty)

3.20

* Exacta (3-5) $23.80 * Triple (3-5-2) $95.50 * Daily double (1/3) $27.60

Exacta picked by Smith

THIRD-1 mile; pace; $12,000; cl.

4

Dan Chaz (D Dube)

6.80

3.40

3.60

5

Fritzie Rocket (B Sears)

2.40

2.20

6

Prestissimo (L Stalbaum)

12.60

* Exacta (4-5) $14.80 * Triple (4-5-6) $152.00 * Superfecta (4-5-6-1) $1,375.00

FOURTH-1 mile; trot; $17,000; cond.

3

He'sLucky(GBrennan)

11.40

5.90

3.60

4

Brickyard Toots (R Baynes)

6.70

4.30

2

New Hampshire Boy (J Bartlett)

4.50

* Exacta (3-4) $69.00 * Triple (3-4-2) $359.50 * Pick 3 (3/4/3) $126.50

FIFTH-1 mile; pace; $17,000; cond.

5

ShkyHnover(GBrnnn)

5.50

2.80

2.40

4

UpFrontKelleJo(MMcDonld)

2.40

2.10

6

Sadies Place (J Stratton)

4.20

* Exacta (5-4) $10.80 * Triple (5-4-6) $45.80 * Superfecta (5-4-6-2) $162.00

SIXTH-1 mile; trot; $33,000; Open

1

CoachFox(LStalbum)

82.00

25.00

5.80

2

CelebrityBluechp(JBartlett)

9.80

4.60

5

Flex The Muscle (J Gregory)

2.10

* Exacta (1-2) $284.00 * Triple (1-2-5) $2,055.00 * Pick 4 (4/3/5/1) $18,869.00

SEVENTH-1 mile; trot; $20,000; cond.

2

BbyBoyGrn(LStlbum)

4.80

2.70

2.60

1

Sweet Joe (G Brennan)

2.60

2.10

6

Wygant Prince (C Manzi)

3.10

* Exacta (2-1) $10.00 * Triple (2-1-6) $32.40 * Pick 3 (5/1/2) $599.00

EIGHTH-1 mile; trot; $20,000; cond.

3

PerfctPctur(LStlbum)

6.50

3.10

3.00

1

Photo King (B Sears)

3.00

2.30

4

Defend The Rock (J Stratton)

7.80

* Exacta (3-1) $16.80 * Triple (3-1-4) $181.50 * Superfecta (3-1-4-5) $711.00

NINTH-1 mile; pace; $20,000; cond.

1

Syynsymynm(JBrtltt)

38.60

14.00

7.30

6

It's De Lovely (J Gregory)

11.40

5.60

5

Giveittoemstaight (G Brennan)

3.40

* Exacta (1-6) $472.00 * Triple (1-6-5) $2,037.00

TENTH-1 mile; trot; $23,000; cond.

4

HavaKadabr(YGngrs)

3.50

2.40

2.30

8

Blcktuxwhtesocks(GBrnnn)

3.40

3.40

6

Tasty Max (J Stratton)

6.10

* Exacta (4-8) $11.40 * Triple (4-8-6) $86.00 * Superfecta (4-8-6-1) $156.00 * Pick 3 (3/1/4) $847.00 * Pick 4 (2/3/1/4) $1,364.00

Winner picked by Smith

ELEVENTH-1 mile; pace; $23,000; cond.

3

Feeling You (B Sears)

2.70

2.30

2.10

1

Hello GreatMate(BHolland)

6.50

3.80

5

Oceans Motion (Y Gingras)

2.30

* Exacta (3-1) $12.40 * Triple (3-1-5) $37.80 * Superfecta (3-1-5-2) $153.00 * Late double (4/3) $5.70

Winner picked by Smith
Attendance: Unavailable
Total Handle: $837,973

J Bartlett, J Bartlett, B Sears, D Dube, mile, J Gregory

Nypost.com

Rangers start second round Saturday

The Rangers barely will have a chance to catch their collective breath, much less come down from their high, to prepare for the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Capitals, which will commence at Madison Square Garden on Saturday at 3 p.m. with Game 2 at 7:30 p.m. Monday.

“We’ve already talked about it,” Brad Richards said following the Rangers’ 2-1, Game 7 victory over the Senators on Thursday night at the Garden. “We can enjoy this for about an hour, that’s really about it, and then we have to refocus immediately.”

Richards knows from what he speaks, having won the Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2004 in a seven-game Final over the Flames following a seven-game Eastern finals victory over the Flyers.

“There’s nothing harder to do than go from Game 7 right into Game 1,” he said. “We have to bring that same work ethic right onto the ice with us in a day or two that we had tonight or we’ll be in trouble right away.

“The best thing for us is that the Caps are coming right off a Game 7 too [Wednesday night, 2-1 in OT in Boston], but we have to have that same hatred for them right away that we had for the Senators at the end of this series.”

***

The Rangers’ nemesis this series, Chris Neil, was hounded by fans, often hearing an uncouth chant with his name as the centerpiece.

He was held in check, but did manage to draw a penalty on Michael Del Zotto in the second period. It was Del Zotto who hit Neil in Game 6 in Ottawa, with Neil saying, “I’m sure I’ll catch him with his head down one of these times.”

The Rangers killed off the penalty — one of two they took the whole night — and Neil went home empty handed.

***

There was no update on Brian Boyle, who was concussed on a hit from Neil in Game 5. He did not play Game 6, and did not practice with the team on Wednesday or skate Thursday.

***

Steve Eminger participated in the morning skate and the Rangers defenseman, out since March 15 with a right ankle injury, declared himself “100 percent.”

A source tells The Post a group of 24 Rangers had a big, business-like dinner Wednesday night at Serafina Broadway restaurant on 55th Street.

Eminger was recovering from a right ankle injury that has kept him out of the lineup since March 15. He previously had been listed as “day-to-day” and now said he’s ready whenever he might get the call to play.

***

It could have been the last game in the storied career of Senators’ captain Daniel Alfredsson. The 39-year-old center had missed games three through five with a concussion he sustained on a hit from Carl Hagelin in Game 2, and rejoined his team for the final two games of the series, which it lost.

“It has been one of the most fun seasons for me in a while,” Alfredsson said before the game. “It has been an unbelievable year throughout.”

larry.brooks@nypost.com

Chris Neil, Rangers, Madison Square Garden, Michael Del Zotto, Brad Richards, Senators, Del Zotto, Daniel Alfredsson

Nypost.com

Tortorella must push buttons for Rangers to stay alive vs. Senators

Larry Brooks
Follow Larry on Twitter
Blog: Slap Shots

KANATA, Ont. -- On the night of March 30, minutes after the Rangers defeated the Canadiens at the Garden for their 50th win of the season, this is what their coach, John Tortorella, said about the achievement:

“Fifty wins doesn’t mean squat,” he said. “You are judged by the playoffs.

“You are measured as a player and as a team by what your team does in the playoffs.”

In that case, and presuming that the sentiment applies equally to the man behind the bench, the 2011-12 Rangers will be measured by what they do tonight facing Game 6 first-round elimination by the Senators and then on Thursday in Game 7 at the Garden, if they can get there.

CSM /Landov

‘SQUAT’ THE HELL?! Rangers coach John Tortorella, who has made questionable moves in the playoff series against Ottawa, says 50 regular-season wins don’t mean “squat” in the postseason.

It is not entirely accurate that winning 51 games, amassing 109 points and finishing first in the Eastern Conference meant “squat.” The people who invest an inordinate amount of time, energy, emotion and money to go to the games — the fans, that is — deserve to be repaid with the honest effort the Rangers provided throughout the year.

But it is true the Rangers will ultimately be evaluated on their performance in the postseason, and the cold truth is that the Blueshirts have not measured up to themselves, their expectations, or the Senators while falling behind 3-2 over the first five games of the series.

The Rangers look like they’re playing at regular-season tempo. They can talk all they want about urgency and increasing their level, but they haven’t done it. The Senators look like they’re desperate to win, that they’ll do anything to win. The Rangers don’t, or at least they haven’t given anyone that impression.

A few words about the NHL’s abdication of its responsibility by codifying Chris Neil’s concussion-inducing blow to Brian Boyle’s head early in Saturday’s Game 5 third period.

Doing so merely reinforces the notion that the NHL remains more invested in protecting an imaginary culture than in protecting its young men in uniform.

Initial contact was made to the head but the head was not the principal point of contact? What?

This is the way general managers want to see the game enforced? You know what that is? That’s old(er) men sending young guys into harm’s way.

But the Rangers can’t get caught up in that, and neither can Tortorella, who is speaking to deaf ears on Sixth Avenue.

The Rangers not only get Carl Hagelin back tonight after having served his three game-suspension for concussing Daniel Alfredsson, the Rangers will also get their first line back when the pace car gets the wheels-up signal.

Even absent Hagelin, though, Tortorella should not have separated Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik the last two games, not with the chemistry the club’s two best offensive players created down the stretch.

Neither Artem Anisimov — nailed to the bench for the final 15:39 Saturday after getting one shift early in the third — nor Derek Stepan — inconsistent at best and invisible at worst — had played close to well enough for Tortorella to have reunited the Gaborik-Anisimov-Stepan line as the coach did after Game 3.

Of course, the Rangers are essentially playing nine forwards and five defensemen, with Stu Bickel getting a sum of five third-period shifts in five games. Brandon Prust has not been a factor. Mike Rupp has barely gotten on.

The Rangers have not scored an even-strength goal in 135:17. They have scored two goals at even-strength in the last 259:30, both scored by Boyle. Ridiculous.

Michael Del Zotto hasn’t been able to spring Gaborik, the Rangers haven’t been able to create through the neutral zone and they haven’t been strong enough on the puck in the areas they dominated during the regular season by being more desperate, by being more hungry.

Then again, that was then, when all that meant was squat.

This is now, when tonight will become the Rangers’ season.

larry.brooks@nypost.com

John Tortorella, Rangers, Senators, Marian Gaborik

Nypost.com

5 questions for ... Rich Eisen

The NFL Network’s Rich Eisen, who will host the network’s NFL Draft coverage (Thursday through April 28), talks about this year’s coverage from Radio City with The Post’s Justin Terranova. Eisen, a Staten Island native, also recommends his Podcast for those in the metropolitan area shut out from the NFL Network because of its ongoing dispute with Cablevision and Time Warner.

Q: How different does this feel from a year ago when the draft was held in the middle of the NFL lockout?

A: Last year the draft was “How good this would be if we didn’t have all the labor [junk] hanging over it?” And right around this time rhetoric was being ratcheted up because we had not reached the whole legal part of the disaster, where both sides had to get in a room and hammer something out. Now we are coming up to an NFL Draft with two supremely talented quarterbacks going 1, 2 coming off the greatest season ever.

WireImage

Rich Eisen

Q: When you came over to NFL Network, did you guys use ESPN’s draft coverage as a model for how to cover the event?

A: I just make sure that what we are doing is something that I want to watch for a really long time. The one thing I like about our coverage: The pick comes in and we don’t sit there like Roman emperors and give the thumbs up and the thumbs down immediately or throw the pick to the lions. We talk about what the kid is and what he may be able to accomplish in the current system and move forward.

Q: What storyline intrigues you the most about this year’s draft?

A: Would the Browns really go ahead and use the fourth pick on Ryan Tannehill and if so, would there be a market at No. 3 for someone to trade up with Minnesota and actually make it three quarterbacks in a row to start the draft? ... And, of course, when the Jets get on the clock it’s always fun.

Q: Why do you think the draft has become such a big event?

A: It’s the Super Bowl of the non-playing season, and for many good reasons. It’s the time when the regenerative process hits its apex. You’ve seen these guys every Saturday and you know exactly what they can do, how they might fit into your team’s system, so there’s a relate-ability from the fan to the draft process that puts it in a whole different level.

Q: Non-playing season?

A: That’s what we call it here. When I was coming from ESPN and there were discussions on “SportsCenter” meetings in March and April and anyone that mentioned a football story got laughed out of the room. Now ESPN has live football programming year-round. I would definitely say part of that is due to the success of the NFL Network.

jterranova@nypost.com

Exclusive Super Bowl merchandise featuring New York Post front pages

NFL Network, NFL Draft coverage, Rich Eisen, NFL, NFL, Justin Terranova, NFL Draft ebook download, ESPN, ESPN, Ryan Tannehill, draft coverage, Radio City

Nypost.com

Home Team Lineups

TODAY
Apr. 19

FRI
Apr. 20

SAT
Apr. 21

SUN
Apr. 22

MON
Apr. 23

TUE
Apr. 24

WED
Apr. 25

Yankees

Minnesota
7:05
YES Network
WCBS 880 AM

Bos.
3:05
YES
WCBS

Bos.
4:05
FOX
WCBS

Bos.
8:05
ESPN
WCBS

Tex.
7:05
WWOR
WCBS

Tex.
8:05
YES
WCBS

Tex.
8:05
YES
WCBS

Mets

NO
GAME

S.F.
7:10
SNY
WFAN

S.F.
1:10
WPIX
WFAN

S.F.
1:10
WPIX
WFAN

S.F.
7:10
SNY
WFAN

Mia.
7:10
SNY
WFAN

Mia.
7:10
SNY
WFAN

Knicks

NO
GAME

Cle.
7:30
MSG
ESPN

NO
GAME

Atl.
1:00
MSG
ESPN

NO
GAME

NO
GAME

L.A.C.
8:00
MSG
ESPN

Nets

NO
GAME

NO
GAME

Milw.
8:30 YES
WBBR

NO
GAME

Phi.
7:30 YES
WBBR

NO
GAME

NO
GAME

Rangers

NO
GAME

NO
GAME

Ott.
7:00
MSG
ESPN

NO
GAME

Ott.
TBD
MSG
ESPN

NO
GAME

NO
GAME

Devils

Florida
7:00
MSG Plus
WFAN 660 AM

NO
GAME

Fla.
6:30
MSG+
WFAN

NO
GAME

NO
GAME

^Fla.
TBD
MSG+
WBBR

NO
GAME

Red Bulls

NO
GAME

NO
GAME

NO
GAME

D.C.
6:00
ESPN2
WADO

NO
GAME

NO
GAME

NO
GAME

HOME

AWAY
Nypost.com

Business briefs

Marts rally

US stocks posted their biggest gains in a month yesterday after Coca-Cola led a round of strong earnings and concerns about Europe's debt crisis eased. Apple shares ended a five-day losing streak with a rally of 5.1 percent, helping the Nasdaq composite close above 3,000. The stock closed at $609.70 and booked its best day in almost three months.

Sears sale

Sears Holdings said it has completed the sale of 11 Sears full-line store locations to General Growth Properties for $270 million.

Martha suit

Martha Stewart Living was sued by investor Helene Hutt over a proposed increase in the number of shares in a stock option plan.

Big Blue

IBM raised its full-year profit forecast after first-quarter earnings beat analysts’ estimates. Revenue missed projections.

Larry v. Larry

The CEOs of Silicon Valley giants Google and Oracle — Larry Page and Larry Ellison — went head-to-head in a San Francisco courtroom, each telling a jury that the other had misused Oracle’s Java technology.

Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters. Click For Restrictions

Coca-Cola, General Growth Properties, Sears, Stewart Living, Larry Ellison, Helene Hutt, Apple, Nasdaq, stock, Silicon Valley giants Google

Nypost.com

Yankees’ rally falls short as pitching falters again

Mark Teixeira’s fly ball fell a few feet short of the right-field seats in the bottom of the ninth to end the Yankees’ 6-5 loss to the Twins last night in The Bronx.

By the time Clete Thomas hauled in Teixeira’s bid to extend the game — 3:27 after the first pitch — you could have forgotten the main culprit in the loss was again the Yankees’ rotation, as Hiroki Kuroda coughed up four first-inning runs in another outing that won’t make the doubts about his ability to pitch in the American League go away.

“He was up and didn’t have his good sinker that he had against the Angels, especially in the first inning,” manager Joe Girardi said. “And they really made him pay.”

N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg

GOING, GOING... Russell Martin only can watch as Minnesota designated hitter Justin Morneau belts a two-run homer in the first inning of the Yankees’ 6-5 loss to the Twins last night at the Stadium.

Teams have been doing that to the 6-6 Yankees a lot this season, scoring first in eight of 12 games.

“My sinker is my core pitch, but I didn’t have my other pitches, either, so I couldn’t rely on them,” said Kuroda, who pitched eight shutout innings against the Angels in his previous start. But other than that, he has had difficulty making the transition to the American League.

“I can’t really make that excuse,” said Kuroda, who allowed 10 hits. “I’m a professional baseball player. If I go on the mound, I’m there to win.”

The offense tried to get Kuroda back in the game, scoring three times in the first, thanks in part to Robinson Cano’s first homer of the year. But Kuroda gave up six runs in just 4 1/3 innings and was done in by a pair of home runs by Justin Morneau.

Kuroda’s short outing also means the Yankees have gotten more than six innings from their starters just three times in 12 games. Kuroda, Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia have been disappointments.

“There’s an immediate concern, yeah, because you tax your bullpen,” Girardi said. “I believe the guys are going to straighten it out.”

Last night, Russell Martin thought Kuroda struggled with his command and left his pitches over the plate, but the catcher wasn’t ready to draw too many conclusions from the staff’s slow start.

“It’s too early,” Martin said. “We’re not going to be in panic mode. I trust our pitching staff. We have a good one. These are just some little bumps along the way right now, but I have complete confidence.”

The problems might not seem as acute if the Yankees had been able to recover, which they seemed on the verge of doing more than once.

Even in the first, after scoring three times, Eric Chavez — filling in for Alex Rodriguez who grounded out to third base as a pinch hitter in the ninth — hit into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.

They wasted another opportunity in the fourth and again in the seventh when Nick Swisher, who had a two-run single earlier, struck out with runners on the corners.

“It seemed like we were one hit short,” Girardi said.

That was certainly the case in the ninth. After Derek Jeter hit his fourth homer of the season and Curtis Granderson struck out, Teixeira came up against closer Matt Capps.

“I just got under it,” said Teixeira, who looked good at the plate for one of the first times this season. “If it was a hair lower, we’d still be playing right now.”

But if it wasn’t for Kuroda poor start, it may not have come to that.

dan.martin@nypost.com

Hiroki Kuroda, Mark Teixeira, the Yankees, Russell Martin, Russell Martin, Joe Girardi, Justin Morneau, American League, the Angels

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Backup catcher Stewart comes up big for Yankees

The Yankees still have plans for Francisco Cervelli, but right now the catcher is hitting just .162 with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, so Chris Stewart likely will keep backing up Russell Martin for a while longer.

Stewart made his first real impact on his new team with two hits and a career-high three RBIs in the Yankees’ 8-3 victory over the Twins Tuesday night in The Bronx in what Brett Gardner called “a must-win” game.

BOX SCORE

Stewart, who came in a trade from the Giants on the eve of the regular season this month, singled in two runs to give the Yankees the lead in their four-run fourth and sent Twins’ starter Francisco Liriano packing.

“I told him that ball he hit to left field that knocked Liriano out of the game was the biggest hit we’ve had all year,” Gardner said.

It was certainly the biggest for the 30-year-old Stewart, who was making just his second start of the season and hadn’t had any before last night.

“For me, I’ve always said it’s never about the hitting,” said Stewart, who knocked in Gardner in the seventh for the Yankees’ final run of the night. “But when it does come, it’s awesome. And for it to come in Yankee Stadium, wearing the Pinstripes, it’s a night I’m not going to forget.”

After grounding out weakly to third with two runners in scoring position in the second inning — and calling it “one of the worst at-bats I’ve ever had —” Stewart had a pair of run-scoring hits later in the game.

It also had Stewart thinking about sticking around in The Bronx. He played just one game during his first stint with the Yankees in 2008, so he already is doing more with his second chance.

“I’d like to stay a little longer this time,” Stewart said. “I’m looking to stay the whole season and go into the playoffs with this team and then do some damage there.”

That may be optimistic, considering he had 42 career hits before last night and Cervelli isn’t going to stay cold forever. Cervelli had his best game of the season last night for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, going 3-for-5 after getting off to a horrendous start in the minors following his unexpected demotion at the end of spring training.

For now, the job is Stewart’s.

“I’m always ready to go,” Stewart said. “Russ is obviously our guy and we’ll ride him as long as we can, but I’ll give him a spell whenever I can. As long as we get wins [I] couldn’t care less how much I play.”

dan.martin@nypost.com

Chris Stewart, Francisco Cervelli, Francisco Liriano, Brett Gardner ebook download, The Yankees, Russell Martin, Cervelli

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Fast start: Velazquez homers, Fordham downs Iona in opener

Andrew Velazquez was sick of waiting. Fordham Prep has played scrimmages and non-league games. The Rams went to Myrtle Beach for a tournament last week. But they were the last team to compete in a CHSAA Class AA league contest.

“I was anxious for the season to start, a lot of preseason games, a lot of practice,” Velazquez said.

Evidently, his patience paid off.

The Virginia Tech-bound shortstop crushed a three-run home run in the sixth inning and Fordham went on to rout rival Iona Prep, 9-2, in CHSAA Bronx/Westchester ‘AA’ baseball Tuesday in New Rochelle. Velazquez also had a hit and a run scored in the second. The home run, though, was majestic – well over the 372-foot sign in right center.

William Thomas

Fordham Prep's Sean McNamara gave up two runs on seven hits in seven innings for the win.

William Thomas

Fordham Prep's Andrew Velazquez rounds the bases after his three-run home run.

“Especially the first game of the season, I’ll take that any time,” Velazquez said.

Fordham (1-0) gave ace Sean McNamara plenty of run support, but he didn’t need a whole lot, carrying a shutout into the seventh inning, when Iona (2-2) got both of its runs. The 6-foot-4 righthander joked that he was still a little distracted by Velazquez’s booming homer. Overall, McNamara gave up two runs on seven hits in a complete-game performance.

“I don’t think it’s brain surgery honestly,” Rams coach Pat Deane said. “Throw strikes. And that’s what this kid does.”

McNamara threw almost exclusively fastballs, which he estimates are about 80 mph. He didn’t throw a single changeup, he said, and didn’t use his curveball until late in the game. All he needed was location.

“That’s it,” he said. “I moved it in and out. … Itr’s great to have run support. I mean, nine runs – you get nine runs, you throw strikes. That’s all you need.”

Fordham hit up and down its lineup. Ryan Mahoney was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, Kevin Flynn was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs, Zach Leone was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run and Mick Regan was 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. The Rams chased Temple-bound Iona starter Tim McCarthy with three runs in the first two innings.

“We’re here to swing the bats, there’s no doubt,” Deane said.

Then there was Velazquez. With Fordham up 5-0, he pounded an offering from reliever Michael Cavallo with Flynn and Regan on base. As it sailed deep and eventually out of the park, Velazquez posed and preened a bit, taking a long time to reach first base.

“He does it all – he’s a five-tool player,” Deane said. “He can run, he can hit, he hits for average, he hits for power, he’ll take a walk. As he goes, we go.”

So far, so good. It’s early – just one league game – but Fordham put the rest of the CHSAA on notice with an impressive performance against one of the chic picks to win an intersectional title.

“We definitely came out and we wanted to make a statement to the rest of the league, especially since we started late,” Velazquez said.

Better late than never.

mraimondi@nypost.com

Fordham Prep, Andrew Velazquez, Iona Prep, Velazquez, Velazquez, CHSAA Class AA, ThomasFordham Prep, Sean McNamara, CHSAA online, Pat Deane

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Cheese stakes up in Village

SIDE DISH

Murray’s Cheese has finally found a natural pairing — the opening of its own wine and cheese bar and the West Village.

A New York institution founded in 1940, Murray’s Cheese has signed a lease to take over the space of Bin on Bleecker Wine Bar & Kitchen, Side Dish has learned.

Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield of The Spotted Pig, The Breslin and The John Dory had also expressed interest in the space.

“It’s still very early on,” said Deena Siegelbaum, Murray’s director of marketing. “We are really excited about this. We intend for it to be a really accessible and approachable cheese and wine bar.”

Murray’s Cheese, at 254 Bleecker St., will remain in its spot, where it sells more than 300 types of cheeses and boasts of “subterranean cheese caves” where cheeses age and ripen.

The new wine bar will be in the Bin location at nearby 264 Bleecker, a 1600-square-foot restaurant with 64 seats.

Listing broker Rafe Evans of Walker Malloy & Company could not be reached for comment.

*

A new Italian restaurant, Corvo Bianco, will be opening in the old Calle Ocho space at 45 West 81st St., where Ed Brown’s “81” once stood in the Excelsior Hotel.

Construction begins today.

Corvo Bianco means “white crow” in Italian.

About one percent of crows are white, said Luis Gonzalez Rul, a co-owner of the restaurant — his first in the US after three in Mexico.

“We like the mystery of the name,” Gonzalez Rul told Side Dish. “It’s an unusual concept to think about it and we will use it to help find our identity.”

Corvo Bianco’s chef is Andrea Cobbe, from Northern Italy, who has worked as Gonzalez Rul’s executive chef in Mexico.

Gonzales Rul said the restaurant, expected to open in mid-July, will be a mix — an action-packed, dynamic front seating area with two bars, and a more “calm and peaceful” dining area in the back — with an upper level that will feature a resurrected skylight.

*

WE HEAR ... that restaurateur Zach Erdem, of 75 Main in Southampton, opened 75 Main in Delray Beach, Fla., this month.

Bleecker Wine Bar , Corvo Bianco, Side Dish, Side Dish, Luis Gonzalez Rul, Gonzalez Rul, Deena Siegelbaum, wine and cheese, John Dory, Italian restaurant, Walker Malloy , Bleecker

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Rangers crowd noisy, but city has seen louder days

Mike Vaccaro
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This isn’t necessarily a testament to how loud a building can get. But if you closed your eyes during John Amirante’s rendition of the national anthem the other night before Game 1 of the Rangers-Senators series, if you couldn’t actually see Amirante, then you wouldn’t have been able to say with certainty that he still was singing by the time he got around to the bombs bursting in air.

It also is not a testament to the absolute belief that a noisy crowd can assure anything, even though the Rangers did ride the wave of a jazzed-up, juiced-up Garden that night, beating the Senators 4-2.

But it is interesting to see how teams react to the home crowd. It isn’t just New York where you see that effect, of course. You go to any stadium or any arena in any city and you’re going to hear hometown athletes marvel at how engaged the home fans are. But for our purposes, in New York, we have known some awfully loud venues.

Everyone’s list is different, because most aren’t as lucky as your humble narrator to spend their days and nights watching games inside our municipal playgrounds. But here’s one man’s list of the five loudest moments I’ve ever experienced live in and around New York:

1. Larry Johnson’s four-point play, Game 3 of Eastern Conference finals vs. Pacers, June 5, 1999, Madison Square Garden: Remember, that was a day in New York that also included Charismatic’s run for the Triple Crown at Belmont Park and an eventful Mets-Yankees day at Yankee Stadium in which half of Bobby Valentine’s coaching staff was axed. But the moment LJ’s shot went down was the single loudest that I have ever heard sports, here or anywhere else. Honestly, my ears still were ringing the next night when I made my way to the Stadium to watch some baseball. The Garden made a sound you could somehow feel in your feet. Stunning.

2. Endy Chavez’s catch, NLCS Game 7 vs. Cardinals, Oct. 19, 2006, Shea Stadium: Proof positive that it really doesn’t matter how loud a crowd can get if you can’t scratch more than a run off Jeff Suppan, or if Aaron Heilman serves up a meatball to Yadier Molina, or if Adam Wainwright ... well, you know. Still, the moment Chavez plucked Scott Rolen’s ball from a good three feet beyond the left-field wall, then doubled up Jim Edmonds, I was afraid the auxiliary press box I was sitting in was going to become part of the left-field grandstand.

3. Scott Brosius’ game-tying homer, World Series Game 5 vs. D’backs, Nov. 1, 2001, Yankee Stadium: The funny part was that in the half-second before the sonic boom that nearly leveled the place, it was almost completely silent. Who could believe the Yankees had done this again? And yet the moment everyone realized that they had, indeed, tied a game for the second straight night with two outs in the ninth, it was sheer unfettered bedlam. And unlike the poor Mets, the Yankees almost never lose when they get that kind of energy boost.

Next >

1

2

Madison Square Garden, New York, Mike VaccaroFollow Mike, Endy Chavez, Yankee Stadium, John Amirante

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Through the Binocs

One of the ugliest breakdowns in a breakdown-plagued year at Aqueduct occurred in yesterday's fourth race for bottom 10G claimers. The 5-year-old gelding La Festa E Domani – 1-for-24 in his career for trainer Gary Sciacca – was racing far back in the field, as he'd done in most of his prior starts, when he broke down badly in his left foreleg at the top of the stretch, threw jockey Ruben Silvera, then hobbled down the stretch on three legs.

When they finally got a hold of La Festa E Domani, he was near the outer rail between the sixteenth pole and the finish line. The curtain came out, signifying he was about to be euthanized. But instead, a splint was put on his damaged ankle, and with much effort, he was loaded into the horse ambulance and vanned off – only to be euthanized a short time later.

Two questions: 1) Did NYRA delay euthanizing La Festa E Domani because of his location, right in front of the grandstand with a gaggle of customers standing nearby? 2) Although he was not claimed, did the NY State Racing and Wagering Board's new rule – that a claim is voided if the horse dies or is put down on the racetrack – enter into the decision? And if not this time, will it in the future?

It's Tricky, winner of last year's Acorn and Coaching Club American Oaks, second in the Alabama and Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic, and winner of her only previous start this year, the Top Flight over Aqueduct's inner dirt, was favored at 3-5 going seven furlongs in the Grade 2, $200,000 Distaff Handicap, but it took some persistent handling for Eddie Castro to get her home in front.

Chasing the pace duel between 33-1 Dontbeshy I'll Buy and 2-1 Nicole H down the backside and around the turn, It's Tricky was hard-ridden to keep pace, and she looked in deep trouble when Castro went to the whip turning for home. Then, after spinning her wheels for most of the trip, It's Tricky finally kicked into gear, made the lead in mid-stretch and drew clear.

FIRST RACE: Persistence paid off here, too, for Eddie Castro aboard 9-5 favorite English Major, coming off a maiden win on the Gulfstream lawn for Todd Pletcher. Going a mile on turf, Undrgroundregulatr, 10-1, gunned to the front under David Cohen, going very wide around the clubhouse turn, and set the pace down the backside chased by 26-1 Half Lucky and 5-1 Yari, then English Major rushed up outside to press the pace. Castro put him to a drive on the far turn, but Half Lucky spurted clear under Cornelio Velasquez and led by daylight into the stretch. Inside the final furlong, 3-1 Selection Sunday, Alan Garcia up, Yari under Rosie Napravnik and English Major between them rallied past Half Lucky and battled to the wire, with English Major winning the bob in a three-way photo.

SECOND RACE: Todd Pletcher's 4-year-old gelding R King of the Road was 4-5 making his first start since breaking his maiden by 8 ¾ lengths last July 23 at Saratoga, and for a while he looked in deep trouble. After emerging from between horses to take the lead down the backside under Rosey Napravnik, R King of the Road set the pace chased by 21-1 Haya's Boy, double-bug Jose Ortiz, who went after R King of the Road on the turn. Those two slugged it out the length of the stretch, with Haya's Boy – a NY-bred winner of two straight for Jeremiah Englehart – a stubborn foe. But R King of the Road, under aggressive handling from Napravnik, edged clear late.

THIRD RACE: Alex Solis, who stands a good chance of being elected to the Racing Hall of Fame this year, was comeback-jockey-of-the-year in 2011; but going into last Friday, he was in a bad slump so far in 2012 with just five wins from 127 starts. But that afternoon on turf at Keeneland, Solis rallied from last to win the Grade 1 Maker's Mile by a neck on 12-1 Data Link; and here, in the $75,000 Videogenic overnight stakes at 1 1/16 miles on grass, he rallied from last again to blow by 8-5 frontrunner Sharnberry in deep stretch aboard 6-1 My Redbyrd, making her first start for John Terranova since Nov. 6.

SEVENTH RACE: Eminent Tale, favored at 6-5 dropping from 30G to 10G for Rick Dutrow Jr., was racing well off the pace under Junior Alvarado, advancing up the rail, when Cinder Cone, Alan Garcia up, came over in front of him, forcing Alvarado to check hard and lose his irons, costing him any chance. Dakota Roadhouse, 47-1, shook loose on the lead, chased by 22-1 Mutiny, with another big gap back to the rest of the field. When Dakota Roadhouse called it quits on the turn, Mutiny took command, opened up and coasted home, giving Rosey Napravnik her third win on the day.

EIGHTH RACE: The Bronx wasn't the only borough where Jeter had a tough time yesterday; here in Queens, the Yankees shortstop's namesake, the 3-year-old gelding Jeter, was an odds-on also-ran. Favored at 2-5 coming off his 8 ½-length maiden romp last month for Rick Dutrow Jr., Jeter chased the duel between 6-1 Half Nelson and 7-2 Vebosity, couldn't keep pace when put to a drive by Junior Alvarado on the turn, made a bit of a run down the stretch but flattened out to finish fifth.

PICK SIX

Winning numbers:

7-7-6-12-7-12

Winners (6 of 6)

Paid $27,618

Consolation (5 of 6)

Paid $122.50

Eddie Castro, Rosey Napravnik, Rosey Napravnik, Todd Pletcher, Rosie Napravnik, Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic, Alan Garcia, Alan Garcia, Rick Dutrow Jr., La Festa, Junior Alvarado, Coaching Club American Oaks, English Major

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Business briefs

Rough week

US stocks fell yesterday, with the major indexes recording their worst week yet this year. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 136.99 points, or 1.1 percent, to close at 12,849.59, its largest weekly hit since December. The S&P 500 dropped 17.31 points, or 1.3 percent, to 1,370.26, off 2 percent from the week-ago close. The Nasdaq composite retreated by 44.22 points, or 1.5 percent, to 3,011.33, leaving it down 2.3 percent for the week.

Googled

Google shares fell 4.1 percent to $624.60 after its latest bid to preserve control for founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin raised concern.

Dream gone

DreamWorks’ head of physical production, Steve Molen, resigned in the wake of the studio’s decision to scale back production.

Ally hint

Ally Financial may be signaling plans to put its money-losing mortgage unit into bankruptcy, according to Fitch Ratings.

Talbots’ slip

Talbots, the women’s apparel maker, dropped 15 percent to $2.67 after saying first-quarter sales will decline from a year earlier.

Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters. Click For Restrictions

Sergey Brin, worst week ebook download, major indexes, Steve Molen, Dow Jones industrial average, stocks, Nasdaq, Larry Page

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Webb's wild ride culminates in Seton Hall signing

Brittany Webb committed to schools in Washington, D.C., and South Carolina. She attended junior colleges in Tennessee and Florida.

All along, though, the answer for the former St. Michael Academy star was back home in New York City, at ASA College in Brooklyn.

On Wednesday, the 6-foot-4 center signed with Seton Hall, ending one part of a long, winding journey that started with her being a non-qualifier out of St. Mike’s and almost finished with her giving up basketball altogether.

“It’s been a ride, but it was a well-needed ride – most definitely,” Webb said. “It was a maturing ride.”

Tara Polen, ASA

ASA's Brittany Webb, formerly of St. Michael Academy, signed with Seton Hall on Wednesday after attending three JUCOs.

The summer before Webb’s senior season at St. Michael Academy, she committed to George Washington. By November, she had changed her mind and signed with South Carolina. Webb helped lead St. Mike’s to its first and only New York State Federation Class AA title in March, but she was unable to qualify academically.

That, in itself, was a disappointment, but Webb went the junior college route. She headed off to Columbia State in Tennessee, but she was gone from there after the first semester.

“It was a small town, the backwoods of Tennessee,” Webb said. “It wasn’t a fit for me.”

Last season, she enrolled at Gulf Coast Community College in Florida, where she sat out due to transfer regulations. It was a difficult year for her there with injury issues and in August she found out that her scholarship would not be renewed.

That was about Webb’s last straw. She had played only four games in two years and was set on taking the corrections officer exam. Webb was ready to leave basketball in the rear-view mirror for good.

“Who’s gonna take a triple transfer, if that’s what you want to call it?” she said. “Who really is gonna pick me up? I was going to be done with basketball.”

Her former coaches at St. Michael Academy, Apache Paschall and Lauren Best, wouldn’t let her give up her dream, though. That’s when Adia Revell, the coach of ASA, stepped in. She played for Paschall at St. Michael’s and knew Webb for years. Revell presented her with an opportunity.

“Maybe because I was a little like that when I was younger,” Revell said.

Added Webb: “Never in a million years would I have thought I’d wind up at ASA.”

But that’s where she played this year, earning NJCAA All-American honorable mention honors. Webb averaged 9.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game for the Avengers and, with the help of Revell, matured. Revell said she didn’t let Webb get away with the things other coaches might have and she also wouldn’t let her accept failure or defeat, always pushing her to accomplish her goals.

“She has made a tremendous amount of growth as a person,” Revell said. “Still with that amount of growth, she has a long way to go, but she can get there. She’s a really bright kid. No one really gets to see that, because she has a wall up. Most kids have a wall up.”

Webb hit another wall in January when Paschall died of cardiac arrest. It was devastating for the Harlem native.

“I thought when he passed that was my breaking point, I thought everything was over and my world crumbled,” Webb said. “Honestly, that was my father. He’s been in my life since I was 12, 13. I definitely think I’m making him proud.”

Over the last few months, especially through the tragedy of Paschall’s death, Seton Hall was omnipresent, Webb said. Assistant coach Bett Shelby and head coach Anne Donovan, formerly of the New York Liberty, showed care for her outside of basketball.

“I don’t think I’ve come across such a group of people collegiately,” Webb said. “Theyr’re so nice. … When Apache died, they played a big part in helping me get through it. That’s what I love about them. They went above and beyond.”

Webb has interest from schools like St. John’s, Mississippi State and Old Dominion, but she never considered any of them. She and the coaches from Seton Hall just “clicked instantly.”

“Seton Hall is the one that steadily kept reaching out,” Revell said. “They were always showing that they cared. I think a lot of these kids want to see coaches – whether it’s true or not – that seem to care.”

Webb was emotional again this week. She never believed another major Division I school would take a chance on her again, not after all the false starts. But with the help of Paschall, Best and Revell she never gave up.

“I’m extremely grateful,” Webb said. “Words can’t even describe it. A year ago, I never would have thought I’d be in such a great position.”

mraimondi@nypost.com

Brittany Webb, St. Michael Academy, St. Michael Academy, Seton Hall, Seton Hall, Adia Revell, Revell

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Bernanke stresses importance of regulation

The financial crisis stemmed from fundamental breakdowns in both markets and regulation, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Friday, highlighting the importance of pressing forward with an important overhaul of banking regulations.

The stability of the financial system is even more important in the current environment of super-low interest rates, Bernanke said at an event in New York held by two research organizations, the Russell Sage Foundation and the Century Foundation.

"Going forward, particularly in situations where interest rates are low for a period, as they are today, we must be particularly attentive to systemic stability and make sure there's nothing happening that gives us pause," Bernanke said.

Echoing points he has made in a number of previous addresses, Bernanke defended the Fed's actions taken to mend markets and the economy during the financial meltdown and worked to explain why the crisis caused so much damage relative to other financial implosions.

"Dependence on short-term funding, high leverage, and inadequate risk management were critical vulnerabilities of the private sector prior to the crisis," Bernanke said, listing the failures in the private sector.

Financial firms' inadequate risk controls magnified the problems associated with the housing and mortgage markets' slump, he said. When home prices started to slide, losses were concentrated at "key nodes" in the financial system, including highly leveraged banks and broker dealers.

Contrasting the aftermaths of the popping of the technology stock bubble at the start of the last decade and the recent financial crisis, Bernanke said the two episodes differed because "the problems in housing and mortgage markets interacted with deeper vulnerabilities in the financial system in ways that the dot-com bust did not."

Bernanke also highlighted the failings of government agencies.

"The public sector also failed to appreciate or sufficiently respond to the building vulnerabilities in the financial system, both because the statutory framework of financial regulation was not well suited to addressing some key vulnerabilities and because some of the authorities that did exist were not used effectively."

Gaps in the regulatory structure before the crisis prevented officials from seeing all of the system's vulnerabilities and gathering enough information, he said. If another asset bubble emerges, changes to monetary policy shouldn't be the first response, he said.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, financial crisis, financial crisis, Russell Sage Foundation, financial regulation, the financial system, mortgage markets, Bernanke, financial system, vulnerabilities

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Keeneland Analysis

Post Time: 1:10 p.m.

FIRST-1 1/16m; $22,000; clm($16,000); 4up

THE WAR DEPARTMENT seeks third consecutive victory. MAY ONE won as favorite on turf at Fair Grounds. MY LOST SILVER makes local and dirt route debut.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Odds

1 May One(LA),120

MMena

1-4-3

9-5

2 MyLostSilver(L),118

GGomz

4-9-5

5-1

3 GoldenMeadwL118

PJhnsn

4-7-8

12-1

4 LadyCharlie(LA)118

JMcKee

3-5-5

8-1

5 Cozy Cabin(LA),118

O Rossi

2-2-8

12-1

6 Shameless(LA),118

RAlbrd

8-5-3

2-1

7 ThWrDprtmntLA118

P Ouzts

1-1-5

6-1

SECOND-4 1/2 fur; $50,000; mdn; 2YO(f)

LIGNITE and uncoupled entrymate FLIRTINWITHTHEBOSS are firsters from excellent first out barn. ALLABOUTCAROLINE working bullets for career debut.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Odds

1 FlirtinwththbssL118

MPedrz

x-x-x

3-1

2 LuvmlldyndysLA118

RHmstJ

x-x-x

4-1

3 LiveandLearn(L)118

MStrgh

x-x-x

20-1

4 EmmasHolyBeL118

APusac

6-x-x

20-1

5 AllaboutcarlnLA118

JCstlln

x-x-x

3-1

6 Fantacious(LA),118

MMena

x-x-x

5-1

7 Lignite(L),118

JSnchz

x-x-x

5-2

8 Brook'sSecret(L118

MTorrs

8-x-x

20-1

THIRD-1 1/8 miles(T); $62,000; alw; 4up(f)

SMART STING closed to finish fourth in Grade 2 Mrs Revere. LUCKY STRIKES GOLD won at Tampa Bay going shorter. HUNTER FORWARD adds Lasix for US debut.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Odds

1 a-SmartPenny(L118

JRosari

1-1-1

7-5

1 a-SmartSting(A)118

JLezcn

4-1-2

7-5

2 HunterForwardL118

GGomz

5-2-3

6-1

3 bSafeCrossngLA120

JLeparx

1-2-5

9-5

4 BetOntheBlueLA118

SBrdg

3-3-3

6-1

5 RomanInvadrLA120

MMena

1-3-2

15-1

6 Sassy's Dream ,118

M Cruz

3-8-4

5-1

7 bLckyStrksGldLA18

LGnclv

1-2-7

9-5

FOURTH-6 fur; $19,000; clm($30,000); 3up

HAVA DREAM closed to finish third by neck in only dirt start. GUILE cuts back to sprint and removes blinkers. MYCITYTIP drops in class off two month layoff.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Odds

1 Red Vixen(LA),116

GGomz

8-5-11

7-2

2 FunkyNassauLA122

P Ouzts

x-x-x

20-1

3 GrannyCallngLA116

RAlbrd

5-x-x

5-1

4 Jack'sFlame(LA)122

BHrnnJ

9-6-x

10-1

5 ScarletSavvy(LA122

NSlmn

3-6-3

30-1

6 Mycitytip(LA),116

MMena

6-x-x

6-1

7 Two Cat Wendy,115

LBthnc

4-6-3

20-1

8 Langsyne(LA),116

CLaneri

3-9-4

7-2

9 PrettyWitty(LA)116

JGrahm

x-x-x

20-1

10 Guile(L),116

LGnclv

5-2-6

10-1

11 HavaDream(LA)116

JLeparx

2-3-8

3-1

FIFTH-7 fur; $35,000; clm($50,000); 3YO

HOLIDAY BROAD cuts back to sprint and goes turf to dirt after being a beaten favorite. AUDINGTON drops in class for dirt debut. WINTERS CHILD second going longer in last two starts.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Odds

1 QuickSlvrSngLA118

E Prado

12-4-11

7-2

2 LadyDivaGaGLA118

BHrnnJ

8-1-4

4-1

3 Winter'sChild(L)118

JMcKee

2-2-1

10-1

4 Audington(L),118

LGnclv

8-6-1

15-1

5 HolidayBroadLA118

JLezcn

8-3-1

2-1

6 CatchingReysLA118

JGrahm

7-13-1

5-1

7 OnetooMany(A)118

RAlbrd

1-6-x

4-1

Next >

1

2

LA, WAR DEPARTMENT

Nypost.com

GAMETRACKER: Nationals at Mets

Expectations may be very low for the Mets this season, but they're in position for their best start in 27 years.

Dillon Gee will try to help the Mets keep their perfect record intact Tuesday night when they face the Washington Nationals at Citi Field.

Mets, the Mets, Washington Nationals, perfect record

Nypost.com

Calder Charts

April 9th, 2012 Clear And Fast.

©2012 Equibase. All Rights Reserved

FIRST-6f; $10,500; cl($5,000); 3up; (f&m)

Time: 23.39, 47.6, 1:.39, 1:13.67.

Trainer: Gilberto Zerpa

Winner: DK B/ M, 5, by Closing Argument-Beafleet

Scr: Hear Her Roar, Tweet, Robin des Concorde.

Horse

Wt.

PP

1/4

1/2

Str.

Fin

Jockey

Odds

Super Girlie

120

5

1

1

1 1/2

1 2

Jara

0.70

Atomic Flea

120

6

3

2

2 2 1/2

2 1 3/4

Gallardo

13.20

Kathy's Ribbons

115

1

2

4

4 hd

3 nk

Rodrigez

8.70

Bond Baroness

113

3

4

5

5 3

4 1 1/4

Battula

2.40

Miss Gold Indy

120

2

5

3

3 3

5 5 1/2

Rivera II

7.60

Clery's Magic

120

4

6

6

6

6

Gomez

15.50

6-Super Girlie

3.40

2.40

2.10

8-Atomic Flea

5.80

3.40

2-Kathy's Ribbons

3.20

* Exacta (6-8) $21.20 * Superfecta (6-8-2-5) $161.00 * Trifecta (6-8-2) $81.80 *

Winner picked by Affrunti, Debbie L., Vic C., COnsensus

SECOND-1m; $10,500; cl($6,250); 3up

Time: 24.15, 48.65, 1:14.52, 1:43.21.

Trainer: Giuseppe Iadisernia

Winner: CH G, 4, by Suave-Belle Story

Horse

Wt.

PP

1/4

1/2

Str.

Fin

Jockey

Odds

Brothers Outlaw

118

4

4

4

3 2

1 nk

Rodrigez

4.60

Ya Ya's Rules

111

1

2

2

2 1/2

2 3

Bernardn

8.90

Lil John Paul

113

7

1

1

1 1

3 no

Coa

4.90

El Cobre

123

8

6

6

5 1

4 2

Nunez

9.30

Rockcastle

123

2

5

5

6 5

5 7 1/2

Noguera

6.10

Marty's Perfect

118

6

3

3

4 hd

6 4 1/2

Penalba

5.90

Sir Sparky

118

3

8

7

7 hd

7 no

Nelson

2.40

Im Having a Ball

113

5

7

8

8

8

Sanchez

8.00

4-Brothers Outlaw

11.20

5.80

4.40

1-Ya Ya's Rules

9.20

6.60

7-Lil John Paul

4.00

* Daily Double (6-4) $17.60 * Exacta (4-1) $96.00 * Superfecta (4-1-7-8) $4,987.80 * Trifecta (4-1-7) $474.40 *

Double picked by Debbie L.

THIRD-1 1/16m; $12,000; cl($8,000); 3up

Time: 24.31, 49.91, 1:14.39, 1:4.65, 1:47.94.

Trainer: Jose Garoffalo

Winner: DK B/ C, 4, by With Distinction-Cool Cara

Horse

Wt.

PP

1/4

1/2

Str.

Fin

Jockey

Odds

Truly Distinctive

120

1

1

1

1 1/2

1 3/4

Olivero

3.50

Gimmeawinkpoppy

110

5

6

2

2 4

2 no

Gonzales

6.50

a-In Rhythm

115

2

2

3

3 1 1/2

3 2 1/2

Rodrigez

1.90

Well Excuuuze Me

120

3

5

7

4 2 1/2

4 2 1/2

Santana

5.40

Winaway

120

10

11

11

6 hd

5 2

Rios

38.10

Old Parr

120

6

3

4

5 1

6 no

Jara

10.70

Bruce N Autumn

110

11

10

10

7 2

7 no

Coa

26.80

a-J J's Prophet

120

8

4

5

8 3

8 6 1/2

Garcia

1.90

Green Lite Special

120

9

9

9

9 2 1/2

9 3 3/4

Leyva

12.60

Tyler's Wildcat

120

4

7

8

10

10

Bocachic

7.40

Medaglia d'Onore

120

7

8

6

_pull

_up

Berrios

25.30

2-Truly Distinctive

9.00

4.80

4.00

5-Gimmeawinkpoppy

7.40

3.80

1-a-In Rhythm

3.00

* $1 Pick 3 (6-4-2) 3 Correct $28.60 * Exacta (2-5) $69.60 * Superfecta (2-5-1-3) $923.60 * Trifecta (2-5-1) $211.00 *

Winner picked by Fountaine, (Best Bet), Affrunti, Consensus, Trifecta picked by Vic C.

FOURTH-6f; $17,000; mdn cl($32,000); 3YO

Time: 22.08, 45.7, 58.45, 1:12.19.

Trainer: Larry Pilotti

Next >

1

2

3

Trifecta, Debbie L.

Nypost.com

Amazin’! Mets 3-0 after sweeping series against Braves

A day after the Mets rewarded Jon Niese with a five-year, $25 million contract, he rewarded them by taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning.

And by the time their young homegrown core — Niese, Daniel Murphy, Ruben Tejada — had led a 7-5 win over Atlanta, the Mets had opened the season with a sweep of the Braves.

Niese (1-0) retired 15 in a row before walking Dan Uggla on a 10-pitch at-bat to lead off the seventh, and seeing Freddie Freeman single on his next pitch — his 99th of the game — to right. Lucas Duda lost a ball in the sun to open up the gates for a four-run inning, but it could hardly dampen the Mets’ hot start.

Christopher Pasatieri

WRIGHT ON: David Wright hits a sacrifice fly in the first inning of the Mets’ 7-5 win over the Braves yesterday, completing a three-game sweep and keeping the Amazin’s in first place in the NL East.

METS BOX SCORE

Despite an offseason filled with negativity — from Ponzi scheme lawsuits, a slashed payroll and Jose Reyes-less roster — the Mets opened 3-0 for the first time in five years, and with a three-game sweep of a division foe for the first time ever. Niese’s start, in front of 27,855 fans (109,461 came to the three games) was simply the exclamation point on their statement.

“It was nice, but it spiraled real quick at the end. It would’ve been nice. The seventh inning I just left the ball up and paid for it,’’ said Niese, bidding for the Mets’ first no-hitter in 7,971 games. “I would’ve ran back out there [for the eighth]. It would’ve been hard to take me out.

“The starting pitchers have a friendly competition to outperform each other. That’s a good thing. I’ve said it from the beginning: I think we have a great staff, and a great offense. With all that, we can surprise some people this year.’’

They’ve already surprised many, thanks to a rotation of Johan Santana, R.A. Dickey and Niese that’s 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA. Niese was given an extension Saturday as part of the Mets’ intent to build from within, while home-grown teammates Tejada (career-high four hits, two runs, two RBIs) and Murphy (2-for-5, two runs, RBI) sparked the offense from atop the order.

“This [start] means everything,’’ manager Terry Collins said. “We’ve done a lot of talking about getting ready to compete. I told those guys ... you’re professional players and there are expectations in this town and in this clubhouse, so get yourself ready to play. And they’ve done that; they’ve stepped up.’’

Niese, who saw last year cut short on Aug. 23 by a strained intercostal muscle, got this one off in fine form. In his first start since an offseason nose job, he allowed four runs (two earned) and two hits while striking out seven. His fastball hit 93 mph, and he befuddled the Braves.

“I think he’s more relaxed [with the extension]’’ said Collins. “And he’s a competitive guy so I think he wanted to go out and say ‘Hey, I deserve what I got and I’m going to go out and show everybody I did.’ He certainly did that.’’

Clinging to a 2-0 lead in the fifth, Murphy stroked a two-out, two-RBI double down the third base line to plate Niese and Tejada, and the Mets made it 7-0 the next inning on Scott Hairston’s RBI double and Tejada’s well-struck two-RBI double to left.

The bullpen allowed its first run after 8 1/3 scoreless frames when Manny Acosta coughed up Brian McCann’s homer in the eighth. But Frank Francisco pitched a perfect ninth to become the first Met to save his first three games with the club. The Mets moved to 3-0 as the Yankees fell to 0-3, only the third time that has happened.

“It’s nice to be in the middle of it,’’ said Murphy. “We’re excited; 3-0, man, you can’t draw it up any better than that.’’

brian.lewis@nypost.com

Jon Niese, Niese, Niese, the Mets, the Mets, Daniel Murphy, Mets, Ruben Tejada, inning, inning online

Nypost.com

Yonkers Graded Entries

Post Time: 7:10 p.m.

Best Bet: Foiled Again (7th)

FIRST: mile pace; $17,000; cond

1 Jettin Justin

(JBartlett)

7-4-2

4-1

4 On The Brink

(GBrennan)

7-5-6

8-5

2 Eagle Jolt

(MMacDonald)

5-2-2

5-1

3 Benns Superman

(BMiller)

3-2-2

6-1

5 Palmer's Z Tam

(PLachance)

7-7-8

15-1

6 Goddess's Justin

(CManzi)

7-8-2

12-1

7 Electric Oui

(BHolland)

8-3-1

8-1

8 Pacific Desperado

(Gingras)

3-5-3

10-1

SECOND: mile pace; $50,000; Levy

1 Sea Venture

(GBrennan)

1-1-2

6-5

7 Code Word

(YGingras)

5-2-2

4-1

5 Jk Camelot

(BSears)

7-5-1

10-1

2 StonebridgeTonic

(McDnld)

8-5-1

12-1

3 Power Of Tara N

(BHolland)

4-5-8

20-1

4 Gallant Yankee

(EGoodell)

7-1-7

30-1

6 Foreign Officer

(JBartlett)

7-4-3

6-1

THIRD: mile pace; $17,000; cond

7 Touch And Go

(JSheehan)

9-5-4

8-1

6 Kid Carson

(GBrennan)

2-1-5

3-1

2 HandsomeHarry

(MacDnld)

4-6-7

4-1

1 San Antony-O

(EGoodell)

3-6-7

6-1

3 Dash N

(BSears)

5-5-4

10-1

4 Shotgun A

(YGingras)

4-1-6

5-1

5 Digital Z Tam

(PLachance)

2-7-7

8-1

8 Rafferty Hanover

(JBartlett)

8-8-3

12-1

FOURTH: mile pace; $50,000; Levy

3 Clear Vision

(YGingras)

4-1-3

8-5

1 River Shark

(MMacDonald)

2-5-1

4-1

4 Fitz's Z Tam

(BSears)

3-4-2

6-1

1 A Show Me Up

(GBrennan)

2-4-3

4-1

2 RoadsideDelight

(Lachance)

2-3-7

5-1

5 Urgent Action

(JBartlett)

3-6-1

10-1

6 P H Jackpot

(LStalbaum)

4-5-2

15-1

FIFTH: mile pace; $50,000; Levy

6 Atochia

(YGingras)

1-1-4

8-5

3 Flipper J

(GBrennan)

1-3-3

5-1

7 Strand Hanover

(EGoodell)

4-1-1

4-1

1 Reibercrombie

(BSears)

6-1-1

6-1

2 OneMoreLaugh

(Schnittker)

7-3-6

12-1

4 GiddyUpDelight

(MMacDnld)

5-4-6

10-1

5 Shortstacked

(SVallee)

4-7-6

20-1

SIXTH: mile pace; $50,000; Levy

1 Southern Allie

(YGingras)

3-3-1

7-5

4 Art Z

(BMiller)

2-1-1

4-1

2 Dancin Yankee

(JBartlett)

3-2-6

5-1

3 StonebrdgeRcket

(MMcDnld)

7-7-2

12-1

5 Razzle Dazzle

(BSears)

5-3-3

12-1

6 Line Officer

(EGoodell)

6-7-1

30-1

7 Valentino

(GBrennan)

4-6-3

15-1

SEVENTH: mile pace; $50,000; Levy

1 Foiled Again

(YGingras)

1-2-2

3-5

2 Nob Hill High

(JStratton)

1-2-1

5-1

7 Silent Swing

(MMacDonald)

2-4-2

15-1

3 Art Two D Two

(BSears)

6-7-6

12-1

4 Blatantly Good

(GBrennan)

2-3-2

8-1

5 Summer Camp

(JBartlett)

2-2-4

8-1

6 Rock To Glory

(EGoodell)

3-4-1

10-1

EIGHTH: mile pace; $50,000; Levy

2 Real Nice

(JBartlett)

1-1-2

3-5

6 PowerOfAMoment

(BHollnd)

3-7-3

10-1

3 Macraider N

(GBrennan)

6-2-8

6-1

1 Twin B Legend

(EGoodell)

6-5-1

15-1

4 Bj's Bequia

(MMacDonald)

6-6-5

8-1

5 Shark's Legacy

(JStratton)

6-5-4

15-1

7 Dreamlands Art

(YGingras)

5-3-8

12-1

NINTH: mile pace; $20,000; cond

4 Tyler Hanover

(BHolland)

6-1-2

5-1

1 Jacked Up

(JBartlett)

5-1-4

8-5

8 Noble'sGrandSlam

(Brennn)

2-4-1

15-1

2 Doubleshotsctch

(MMcDnld)

7-2-2

6-1

3 Life Up Front

(JStratton)

7-4-6

10-1

5 MysteriousMment

(PLchnce)

6-2-2

12-1

6 Eagle Now

(YGingras)

6-7-8

20-1

7 Mercurio N

(EGoodell)

5-7-5

12-1

TENTH: mile pace; $20,000; cond

2 Grab Your Keys

(BMiller)

5-2-5

4-1

5 Versado

(YGingras)

3-4-7

3-1

3 Rampage Jackson

(Stratton)

5-6-4

6-1

1 Arts Lair

(BHolland)

6-2-3

5-1

4 Dear Mac

(CManzi)

5-6-3

10-1

6 Untold Legend

(BSears)

5-2-1

10-1

7 Sailing Cruise

(LStalbaum)

3-3-4

6-1

8 MiasBoldManeuver

(EGodell)

2-7-6

8-1

ELEVENTH: mile pace; $20,000; cond

3 Lean On You

(YGingras)

4-3-5

5-1

4 Saint William A

(LStalbaum)

3-4-5

8-5

2 DiamondStickPin

(Brennan)

1-5-4

5-1

1 Diablo Seelster

(CManzi)

1-1-4

8-1

5 Domitian Hanover

(JBartlett)

7-6-5

15-1

6 Southwind Tabor

(JStratton)

4-5-6

8-1

7 Flowmaster

(BSears)

9-1-2

6-1

8 KeystoneRideau

(MacDnld)

3-6-6

12-1

TWELFTH: mile pace; $23,000; cond

3 Four Trumps A

(LStalbaum)

1-4-1

8-5

4 Bet On Roulette

(JBartlett)

1-1-1

3-1

1 Spy N

(EGoodell)

5-4-4

4-1

2 HomeAgainDragn

(McDnld)

7-1-1

15-1

5 Jerry's BrownGold

(Gingras)

1-4-7

5-1

6 Cigar Hall

(BSears)

1-2-2

10-1

7 Whogoesfirst

(BMiller)

3-2-7

12-1

8 Forest Vic A

(SSmith)

2-4-2

15-1

mile pace, Z Tam, Jettin Justin, Digital Z Tam

Nypost.com

Yankees lose to Rays in opener; Rivera blows save

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Mariano Rivera took the blame for a rare blown save.

Carlos Pena hit an early grand slam off CC Sabathia, then completed a ninth-inning comeback with an RBI single off the Yankees closer that lifted the Tampa Bay Rays to a season-opening 7-6 victory Friday.

“My fault,” Rivera said. “I felt good. I don’t make excuses. I just left the ball up.”

Rivera (0-1) had been 60 of 61 in save chances against the Rays. But after Desmond Jennings opened the ninth with a single against baseball’s career saves leader, Ben Zobrist tripled home the tying run.

Rivera intentionally walked the next two batters to load the bases and struck out Sean Rodriguez. Pena, who was 0 for 11 lifetime against Rivera, won it by driving a 1-2 pitch off the base of the wall in left-center field for his fifth RBI of the game.

“It’s bad,” Rivera said of the Yankees’ opening-day defeat. “You don’t want to start that way, but at the same time, it’s only one game.”

Rivera had gone 44 for 49 on save tries last year.

BOX SCORE

Pena, making his return to the Rays after a year away with the Chicago Cubs, hit his slam in the first. Evan Longoria hit a solo homer in the Rays third, and it stayed 6-5 until the ninth.

“When you see him blow one, it’s shocking,” Joe Girardi said. “It’s going to happen. It happened. It’s baseball.”

Rivera’s other blown save against Tampa Bay came on Aug. 16, 2005.

Sabathia yielded both of Tampa Bay’s homers, but later worked out of a couple of tight spots to cling to the lead the defending AL East champions took on newcomer Raul Ibanez’s three-run homer in the third.

Reliever David Robertson escaped a jam in the eighth inning, striking out Stephen Vogt, Jose Molina and Matt Joyce with runners at the corners, seemingly setting up Rivera to close it out.

Fernando Rodney (1-0) struck out one in a perfect ninth to earn the win in his debut for Tampa Bay.

The Rays, who’ve made the playoffs three of the past four years, raised a 2011 AL wild-card banner to the left-field catwalk before the game and Pena brought the sellout crowd of 34,078 to its feet again in the bottom of the first when he sent a 3-2 pitch into the right-field stands for his eighth career grand slam.

Tampa Bay’s career home run leader entered the day 4-for-35 with two homers and 19 strikeouts lifetime against Sabathia, who walked Rodriguez intentionally — the fourth intentional pass of the young shortstop’s career — to get to Pena.

“It was the right move,” Sabathia said. “If I make the pitches, then we have nothing to talk about.”

The Yankees battled back with two runs in the second and four more in the fourth, when Ibanez’s put them ahead 6-4. The offseason free agent acquisition was 0 for 12 against Rays starter James Shields, including a grounder to second base that drove in the first run, before getting his first hit for his new team.

Shields allowed six runs and nine hits, walked three and struck out three in five innings. The right-hander, who set Rays records for complete games (11) and shutouts (4) while becoming a first-time All-Star in 2011, also hit a batter and unleashed a wild pitch that allowed a run to score in the second.

Sabathia, a 19-game winner a year ago, wasn’t sharp, either. The lefty struck out Pena twice to help himself through jams in the third and fifth innings but wound up throwing 104 pitches in six innings. The Yankees ace allowed five runs and eight hits, walked three and struck out seven.

“Fastball command, got better later,” Sabathia said. “So, I can take something from that.”

Alex Rodriguez went 2 for 3 with a pair of walks and scored two runs for the Yankees. He’s hit safely in all eight opening day games he’s played for the Yankees.

The Yankees went 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position, and left 12 men on base.

“We did have a couple opportunties to get it done, but tomorrow is a new day,” Ibanez said.

*

Some of the Yankees sported T-shirts in the clubhouse before the game with the slogans “Yankees 1” accompanied by a degree sign on the front and “Mind Heart Guts” on the back. ... With Rays closer Kyle Farnsworth beginning the season on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow strain, Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon plans to fill his role by committee. RHPs Joel Peralta and Rodney are among the candidates to get much of the work. ... Yankees LHP Andy Pettitte is scheduled to face Philadelphia Phillies minor leaguers in extended spring training on Monday, his second game action since ending a one-year retirement. Meanwhile, RHP Michael Pineda, who’s on the disabled list because of right shoulder tendinitis, played catch Friday for the second straight day. ... Looking to give his starters a regular break from playing in the field this season, Girardi is expected to have Rodriguez or Derek Jeter DH on Saturday.

Mariano Rivera, Rivera, CC Sabathia, Sabathia, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay, the Rays, Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees, Sean Rodriguez, Rays, Rays, ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Tampa

Nypost.com

Asian Markets Mixed

Can the stock market sustain its gains, or are investors facing a pullback? We'll discuss the outlook for the financial markets with Russell Investments Chief Market Strategist Stephen Wood on The News Hub. Photo: Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Asian stock markets ended mixed Friday, with Tokyo shares falling for a fourth straight day on a return of fears about European sovereign debt problems, while a firmer yen weighed on Japanese exporters.

Japan's Nikkei Stock Average fell 0.8%, China's Shanghai Composite rose 0.2% and South Korea's Kospi ended flat. Taiwan's Taiex climbed 0.9%, finishing higher for the first time in four days.

The advance came on reports that a Taiwanese committee looking into whether to reinstate a tax on capital gains favors exempting foreign institutional investors.

Trading volumes were modest, with markets in Australia, Hong Kong, India and Singapore among those closed for the Good Friday holiday. Investors were also cautious ahead of the U.S. nonfarm payrolls data for March later in the day, although U.S. markets are also due to be closed for Good Friday.

In the Markets

Ahead of the Tape: U.S. Jobs News Could Be So Good It's Bad

Stocks in U.S. Cap Biggest Weekly Drop of Year

China Development Bids $1.85 Billion for KGI Securities

Japan's Nikkei lost 3.9% during the week, followed by a 2.9% decline for the Taiwanese benchmark. The Shanghai Composite and the Kospi rose 1.9% and 0.7%, respectively.

In Friday's trading, gains for some property developers, brokerages and consumer stocks provided support to the Chinese markets, which had posted solid gains Thursday after regulators increased the investment quota for foreign institutional investors.

"We think this move is intended to provide support to the stock market, which has been dragged by investors' concerns about a slowing economy, continued tightening in the property market and weak corporate profits," Credit Suisse analysts wrote in a report.

Shares of Gemdale Corp. rose 0.5% and Cinda Real Estate rose 1.4%, while Citic Securities Co. added 1.3% and Chongqing Brewery gained 1.7% in Shanghai.

But some state-owned banks extended losses following Premier Wen Jiabao's remarks earlier this week that the nation's state-controlled lenders earned profit "too easily" and urged a break-up of their virtual monopoly.

Shares of China Construction Bank fell 1.3% and Industrial & Commercial Bank of China gave up 0.2%.

Japanese exporters declined as the dollar slipped versus the yen, with Sony Corp. dropping 2%, Honda Motor shedding 1.8% and Nissan Motor declining 1.5%.

Shares of Toshiba fell 1.1% in Tokyo and SK Hynix dropped 2.0% in Seoul after a Nikkei business daily reported Thursday they would make a joint bid for bankrupt Japanese chip maker Elpida Memory Inc.

Shares of Japan's Kobe Steel fell 3.1% after the company doubled its loss forecast for the fiscal year that ended last month. Other steel makers were also under pressure, with JFE Holdings Inc. dropping 1.6%, and Nippon Steel Corp. losing 2.3%.

On the upside, Kansai Electric Power Co. rose 2.8% after a Nikkei business news report that the government would likely approve the resumption of operations at Kansai's Oi nuclear power plant.

Astellas Pharma Inc. rose 3.2% after the firm reported that a U.S. advisory committee recommended the Food & Drug Administration approve Astellas' overactive-bladder treatment mirabegron.

Shares of Japanese retail major Seven & I Holdings Co. fell 1.3% in the downbeat market, despite a record-high operating profit reported late Thursday by the 7-Eleven convenience store owner.

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Mature McIlroy drives past last year’s Masters meltdown

George Willis
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Blog: By George

MASTERS

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy could have earned a sizeable check from a Fortune 500 company by putting its logo on the front of his golf bag for the 76th Masters, which begins Thursday at Augusta National.

Instead, the reigning U.S. Open champion will use the space to feature the logo of UNICEF, the non-profit organization that provides children around the world with health care, clean water, emergency relief and more.

Golf clap, please.

“I try to help out whenever I can, and I saw this as an opportunity to give UNICEF some added exposure and hopefully increase awareness for such a great cause,” said McIlroy, who made his first UNICEF field visit to Haiti in June.

Sports Illustrated/Getty Images

SCENE OF THE CRIME: Rory McIlroy, from virtually uncharted territory, tries to get back to the 10th fairway during his final round last year. McIlroy triple-bogeyed the hole during his epic collapse.

His commitment isn’t limited to his golf bag. Already the National Ambassador from Ireland for UNICEF, McIlroy, according to sources, has made a multi-million dollar pledge to the organization, going well beyond the normal partnership between an athlete and a worthy cause.

“It’s a unique thing for someone at his age and level to be cognizant about more than himself and his money,” said Chris Weiller, who heads the sports partnerships for UNICEF.

The gesture speaks to McIlroy’s growth and maturity and why the 22-year-old has been able to bounce back from a dreadful back nine that cost him a chance to win the 2011 Masters. In addition to his immense talent, McIlroy has a healthy perspective that helps him see the world beyond his scorecard.

“It’s only golf,” he said of the four-shot lead he wasted last year. “It’s not like anyone died out there.”

Still, it was the kind of implosion that could have created long-term damage to a player’s self-esteem and confidence. His final-round 80 was highlighted by a triple-bogey at the par-4 10th, where an errant drive landed between two cabins far left of the fairway.

A massive meltdown ensued. But after a good cry while talking to his mother and an encouraging phone call from Greg Norman, who suffered his own Masters collapse, McIlroy rebounded two months later with a dominant eight-stroke victory at the U.S. Open at Congressional. It’s why he comes back to Augusta this week able to laugh about what happened on Masters Sunday last year.

“I can’t believe how close the cabins are — they’re only 50 yards off the tee,” he said jokingly. “I just had a quick glance on the way past walking down the middle of the fairway [during practice] last week, and hopefully I’ll do the same thing this week.”

The native of Northern Ireland can laugh now because he has won a major, was ranked the world’s No. 1 player for two weeks and has finished no worse than tied for fifth in his five worldwide events this year, including a win at the Honda Classic.

He insists he is a different player than he was year ago when he tried to be “too focused, too perfect” during that fateful final round.

“I feel like myself when I’m more relaxed,” McIlroy said. “I sort of have a bounce in my step and sort of a heads-up looking around at the other people. That day, I felt I was always looking at the ground. I was very insular.”

McIlroy will be paired in Thursday’s opening round with Bubba Watson and 2009 Masters champion Angel Cabrera, who was alongside McIlroy during the final round last year. The presence of “El Pato” shouldn’t rattle McIlroy.

“I’m coming back here a much more experienced player and feel like a much better player than the player that came here last year,” he said adding, “I’m coming in with the attitude that I want to win.”

If all goes well, McIlroy and his UNICEF golf bag will be getting plenty of coverage come Sunday. This time, he plans to finish the job.

george.willis@nypost.com

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