MLB: Ankiel carted off field

In St. Louis, Cardinals outfielder Rick Ankiel was carted off the field with his head and neck immobilized, then taken to a hospital for tests after slamming headfirst into the fence following a running catch.

Ankiel chased down Pedro Feliz’s long drive in the eighth inning against the Phillies but couldn’t stop himself from crashing into the padded center-field wall. He stayed flat on his back for several minutes as teammates gathered around him, and the game was delayed about 15 minutes as a hush fell over Busch Stadium.

He was placed in a neck brace and strapped to a gurney before being carted off the field accompanied by team physician Dr. George Paletta and trainer Barry Weinberg. As he was wheeled off, Ankiel flashed a thumbs-up sign.

* In Kansas City, Zack Greinke struck out 10 in a six-hitter and became the majors’ first six-game winner with his second shutout in four starts, leading the Royals to a 3-0 win over the White Sox.

* Cubs right-hander Carlos Zambrano is out two or three weeks after being placed on the disabled list due to a strained left hamstring.

NFL: Jets sign pair of free agents

The Jets yesterday signed two undrafted free agents, defensive tackle Anthony Harris and tight end Jack Simmons.

Harris, who can long snap, signed with the Panthers before the 2008 season but was waived before training camp. He last played for the Rock River (Ill.) Raptors of the CIFL indoor league.

Simmons was a three-year starter at Minnesota who appeared in 41 games. In 2008, he caught 34 passes for 331 yards with two TDs. — Mark Cannizzaro

HOOPS: Nets’ Dooling has hip surgery

Nets point guard Keyon Dooling underwent successful arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his right hip yesterday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. Dr. Bryan Kelly and Nets team orthopedist Dr. Riley Williams performed the procedure.

Dooling will start rehab in a few days and is expected to be ready for the start of the 2009-10 season. Dooling, who missed five games with the cranky hip this past season, averaged career highs of 9.7 points and 3.5 assists. — Fred Kerber

* The NBA fined Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin $25,000 for throwing Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki to the floor in the opener of their second-round playoff series Sunday.

* John Wall, one of the nation’s most sought-after recruits, was charged with misdemeanor breaking and entering after police found him walking out of a vacant house in North Carolina.

* Sean Johnson said he was unhappy throughout his recruiting process, believing that he belonged in a better conference than the NEC and MAAC schools that were looking at him. The Christ the King star finally settled on Duquesne yesterday and will play for the Atlantic 10 school in the fall. — Dan Martin

NHL: Ovechkin’s hat trick lifts Caps

In Washington, Alex Ovechkin got his first playoff hat trick, so did Sidney Crosby, but his third one was too little, too late for the Penguins. Ovechkin broke open a tie game with a pair of goals less than three minutes apart in the third period, leading the Capitals to a 4-3 victory over the Penguins and a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.