In brief: Pirates sign Sanchez, add reliever Kolb

National League batting champion Freddy Sanchez chose not to go to arbitration and agreed to a $2.75 million, one-year contract Saturday with the suddenly active Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates, who made almost no player moves for the first 3 1/2 months of their off-season, signed former Brewers All-Star reliever Dan Kolb to a minor-league contract.

Given that Sanchez hit .344 during a virtually slump-free season and drove in 85 runs despite hitting only six homers, he appeared to have a good chance of winning an arbitration case that was to be argued Feb. 8.

Horse Racing

Invasor the victor

Horse of the Year Invasor won the $500,000 Donn Handicap in Hallandale Beach, Fla., by two lengths, finding room on the rail after getting checked in the stretch in his first race since capturing the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November.

Argentine-bred Invasor, the 2-5 favorite, has won all five of his starts in the United States. The winner paid $2.80, $2.40, $2.10.

“Ravel edged Liquidity by a length in the $101,500 Sham Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., giving trainer Todd Pletcher a West Coast horse on the Kentucky Derby trail.

Ridden by Garrett Gomez, Ravel ran 1 1-8 miles in 1:48.91, the second-fastest time in the race’s seven-year history, and paid $7.20, $4 and $3.40.

Winter Sports

German wins luge

David Moeller of Germany won the single title at the luge world championships in Igls, Austria, edging defending champion Armin Zoeggeler of Italy by 0.007 seconds.

Tony Benshoof was the only American to qualify for the second run. He finished 18th, trailing Moeller by 1.064 seconds.

“Olympic gold medalist Sandra Kiriasis of Germany won the two-man bobsled in St. Moritz, Switzerland, with Shauna Rohbock of the United States finishing third.

Kiriasis had a time of 4 minutes, 33.84 seconds in the four races.

“The men’s super-G at the world championships in Are, Sweden, was postponed because of high wind. The race will be run Monday.

Boxing

Ali scores a KO

Laila Ali wasted little time in retaining her WBC and WIBA world titles, knocking out Gwendolyn O’Neil of Guyana at 56 seconds of the first round in their super middleweight fight in Johannesburg, South Africa.

She improved to 24-0 with 21 knockouts.

“ Unbeaten Chad Dawson won the WBC light-heavyweight title, handing defending champion Tomasz Adamek of Poland his first professional defeat.

Earlier, Julio Diaz took the IBF lightweight title when defending champion Jesus Chavez crumbled early in the third round after his right knee buckled while avoiding a punch. Also, Cory Spinks defended his IBF junior middleweight title by outpointing Rodney Jones in Kissimmee, Fla.

Miscellany

Zagreb finals set

Defending champion Ivan Ljubicic rallied past Mikhail Youzhny in Zagreb, Croatia, and will play for the Zagreb Open men’s tennis title against Marcos Baghdatis. Baghdatis, seeded second, defeated Austrian qualifier Alexander Peya in the earlier semifinal.

“In Tokyo, second-seeded Martina Hingis won her record fifth Pan Pacific Open tennis title, beating 19-year-old Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-2.

“Meseret Defar of Ethiopia set a women’s world record in the indoor 3,000 meters in Stuttgart, Germany, with a time of 8 minutes, 23.72 seconds, beating the old mark of 8:27.86.

“Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has reached a five-year contract extension with NASCAR to remain its exclusive tire provider through 2012.