In brief: Beltre back with Mariners

Baseball: Gold Glove third baseman Adrian Beltre is returning to the Seattle Mariners.

Manager Don Wakamatsu says Beltre is scheduled to be back to the lineup today for the opening game of a three-game set at the Kansas City Royals. The FSN broadcast starts at 4:30.

The Mariners have gone 15-15 since Beltre left June 29 to have surgery to remove bone spurs from his left, non-throwing shoulder. His return is on the shorter end of the time doctors originally gave for his recovery.

Seattle acquired Jack Hannahan from Oakland to play third base while Beltre was out. Hannahan batted .268 with two home runs and five RBIs in 18 games.

Beltre is batting .259 with five homers and 31 RBIs in 73 games.

Also today: Shortstop Jack Wilson takes scientific approach to defense, B3

Indians hit Volcanoes hard

Baseball: The Spokane Indians got home runs from Jason Ogata and Aja Barto to go with strong relief pitching in a 9-5 victory over the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in Keizer, Ore.

Story, B2

Chiefs release schedule

Hockey: The Spokane Chiefs open the 2009-2010 season at Prince George on Sept. 18 and 19 and open the home schedule Sept. 26 against rival Tri-City.

The team released the tentative schedule Monday.

The home opener will be the first of 12 games, six at home and six away, with the Americans. It will be the 18th time in the past 20 years that the Chiefs have played the Americans in their home opener.

Tickets for individual games will go on sale Sept. 4. Season tickets and multi-game packages are on sale now by phone at (509) 535-PUCK.

See complete tentative schedule, page B4.

Russian fans told Welsh whisky will ward off flu

Soccer: Russian soccer fans heading to Wales for next month’s World Cup qualifier are urged to take precautions to ward off swine flu: Drink Welsh whiskey.

“Welsh whiskey is on offer to Russian supporters as a disinfectant,” Alexander Shprygin, head of the national team’s fan club, said Monday. “This will relieve any symptoms.”

Russia’s top doctor advised the country’s citizens to avoid traveling to Britain, but “nothing will stop the Russian fans,” Shprygin said.

Britain’s Health Protection Agency has said the number of new swine flu cases reached 110,000 in the last week of July. Fifty-five swine flu cases have been confirmed in Russia.

Associated Press