In brief: Braves select Gonzalez as new skipper

Baseball: The Atlanta Braves didn’t even wait 48 hours to introduce Bobby Cox’s replacement.

No need. Fredi Gonzalez was Atlanta’s manager-in-waiting almost as soon as Cox announced that 2010 would be his final season.

In what was nothing more than a formality, Gonzalez took over Wednesday as the team’s new manager, succeeded the fourth-winningest skipper in baseball history.

Gonzalez said he’s not worried about following in Cox’s large footsteps. The Braves’ manager since 1990, he led the team to an unprecedented 14 straight division titles and the 1995 World Series championship. After missing the playoffs the last four years, Atlanta returned as a wild card this season.

“Our goal is simple: We want to keep putting flags on that facade up there,” Gonzalez said. “I don’t think there’s a person alive that’s going to replace Bobby Cox. We just want to continue the winning tradition and go from there.”

Gonzalez’s return to the Atlanta has been widely expected since he was fired in June by the Florida Marlins.

• Giants move Sanchez to No. 2: San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy is planning to tweak his rotation for the N.L. championship series, moving up left-hander Jonathan Sanchez to Game 2 against the Philadelphia Phillies following ace Tim Lincecum.

Bochy said he would do so to break up the two right-handers – Lincecum and Matt Cain, who now is set to pitch Game 3 in San Francisco on Tuesday.

Game 1 is Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park with the highly anticipated matchup between Lincecum and Roy Halladay.

NHL: Joel Ward’s power-play goal with 26.7 seconds remaining in the third period snapped a tie and lifted the Nashville Predators to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks at Chicago.

• Capitals deflect Islanders: Nicklas Backstrom deflected in Alex Ovechkin’s drive from the point on a power play with 3:39 left, lifting the Washington Capitals to a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders at Washington.

With New York’s Blake Comeau off for roughing, Ovechkin whistled a shot from long range that Backstrom tipped past goalie Dwayne Roloson for his first goal of the season and Washington’s third straight victory.

• Penguins struggle at new home: Clarke MacArthur scored twice and the Toronto Maple Leafs withstood Sidney Crosby’s first goal of the season to keep the Penguins winless (0-3) in their new arena, beating Pittsburgh 4-3.

• Lightning come through in OT: Ryan Malone scored 4:09 into overtime to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a 4-3 win over the host Montreal Canadiens.

Lawsuit questions transgender ban

LPGA: Lana Lawless, a former police officer who underwent a sex change operation five years ago, is challenging the LPGA’s ban on transgender players.

She filed a federal lawsuit late Tuesday in San Francisco federal court claiming the LPGA’s “female at birth” requirement for competitors violates a California civil rights law.

Lawless is seeking to prevent the LPGA from holding tournaments in the state until the organization changes its policy to admit transgender players. She is also seeking unspecified damages.

Lawless, 57, also sued three LPGA sponsors and the Long Drivers of America, which holds the annual women’s long-drive golf championship. Lawless won the event in 2008 with a 254-yard drive but was barred from competing this year after organizers adopted the LPGA’s gender rules.

Pearson gains entrance to hall class

NASCAR: It was popularity vs. performance in voting for NASCAR’s second Hall of Fame class, a five-member group that likely will be remembered for the exclusion of three-time champions Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough.

David Pearson, the only true “lock” of the group, was the leading vote-getter in the lengthy selection process. A year after the “Silver Fox” surprisingly was left out of the inaugural class, he was on all but three of the 53 ballots cast after two hours of spirited debate at Charlotte, N.C.

The 105-race winner received a standing ovation when NASCAR chairman Brian France called his name from the Great Hall of the Hall of Fame.

“I am just proud that that many people thought enough to vote for me,” Pearson said, insisting he’d never been upset at losing by a single vote last year to former NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr.