Latest South Carolina sports

SEC TOURNAMENT

LSU, South Carolina headline expanded SEC tournament

HOOVER, Ala. (AP) It didn't take long for LSU to jump back on top of the Southeastern Conference.

The Tigers are the No. 1 seed in this week's SEC tournament just one year after missing the field entirely and hope to win an expanded version of the event, which begins on Tuesday at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala.

The SEC tournament field has expanded to 10 teams from the usual eight, a move made in advance of the league's expansion to 14 teams next season. But the coaches hope there's another added benefit more teams making the NCAA tournament.

Two-time defending national champion South Carolina is the tournament's No. 2 seed. Florida is the No. 3 seed and Kentucky is No. 4.

BRAVES-REDS

Leake homers, Reds hit 4 in 4-1 win over Braves

CINCINNATI (AP) Right-hander Mike Leake hit his first career homer part of three solo shots in a row by the Cincinnati Reds and allowed only two hits over eight innings Monday night for a 4-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

Drew Stubbs hit two of the career-high four homers allowed by Atlanta starter Mike Minor (2-4). All the runs scored on solo homers at one of the majors' most hitter-friendly ballparks.

Leake (1-5) finally got his first victory in eight starts this season, doing a little bit of everything. He struck out a season-high six and retired 14 in a row after Juan Francisco homered in the first inning.

Sean Marshall retired Jason Heyward on a fly ball with two aboard in the ninth for his eighth save.

BRAVES-JONES

Braves' Chipper Jones misses 3rd straight game

CINCINNATI (AP) Braves third baseman Chipper Jones was out for a third straight game Monday because of a bruised left calf, saying he's a day or two away from being able to play.

Jones was hit on the leg by B.J. Upton's hard-hop grounder on Friday night. He said on Monday that he's still got a welt the size of a golf ball where the ball hit his leg. He had the ankle and lower calf wrapped.

Jones wants to play during a four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds, who are honoring his career with a tribute on the sides of the bases. They'll present him with one of the bases on Thursday before the final game of the series.

Jones has announced he will retire at the end of the season.

WEEKEND ATTENDANCE

Interleague play ramps up MLB weekend attendance

NEW YORK (AP) Big crowds at Nationals Park, Minute Maid Park and Yankee Stadium helped Major League Baseball set its top weekend attendance total since 2009.

Interleague play began this season on Friday and boosted crowds.

Overall, MLB drew 1,652,935 fans for 45 games over the weekend. That was the most since a weekend in late July 2009 drew 1,684,095 for 46 games.

MLB said Monday that overall attendance is up 6.7 percent this year over the same point last season.