AUSTIN, Texas -- A Texas appeals court has rejected Lance Armstrongs attempts to block an arbitration panel from reviewing $12 million in bonuses paid to him by a company that wants its money back, a setback for the cyclist who is fighting multiple legal battles that could strip him of his personal fortune. The Dallas-based Fifth Court of Appeals temporarily halted the case at Armstrongs request in March, but ruled on Thursday it doesnt have jurisdiction at this stage of an arbitration matter. A spokesman for SCA Promotions said the ruling will allow the arbitration to proceed. The ruling was a defeat for Armstrong but not a final one. State law will allow him to appeal any final judgment if the panel rules against him. SCA Promotions wants to reopen a 2006 settlement it paid to Armstrong, and sued the cyclist after his 2013 admission to doping during his career to win the Tour de France. The arbitration panel that first approved the settlement agreed to reconsider the case, prompting Armstrong to ask the state courts to intervene. Armstrong attorney Tim Herman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursdays ruling. SCA and Armstrong have been battling since 2005, when the company first tried to withhold the bonus money and sought to prove he doped. Despite producing some of the most serious doping allegations at the time, SCA ultimately agreed to pay Armstrong. Armstrongs attorneys insist state law doesnt allow SCA to reopen the original settlement, which included a clause that said "no party may challenge, appeal or attempt to set aside" the payment and that it was "fully and forever binding." But given Armstrongs doping admission and SCAs claims that it reached the settlement only because of fraudulent efforts by Armstrong, the arbitration panel agreed to consider the companys case for repayment. The appeals court said it cant step in until there is a final judgment from the arbitration panel. "As a general matter, an arbitration must be complete before appellate review is appropriate," the court wrote in its opinion. Armstrong has faced several lawsuits since admitting last year that he used steroids and other performance-enhancers to win the Tour de France every year from 1999-2005. He has settled cases with the London-based Sunday Times and Nebraska-based Acceptance Insurance. Armstrong settled with Acceptance, which paid him $3 million in bonuses similar to SCA, hours before he was scheduled to be questioned under oath. He also is facing a federal whistleblower lawsuit, as the government wants to recover more than $30 million the U.S. Postal Service paid to Armstrongs teams. Potential penalties in that case could be as high as $100 million. Cheap Air Max Sale . He chirped to the caddie of Brandt Snedeker about their money game, a Mickelson tradition at the majors. 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Louis Blues and Buffalo Sabres came to an agreement on a big trade that may only offer incremental improvement to the Blues in their quest for a Stanley Cup. CHICAGO -- It didnt matter much to Anthony Rizzo that the Chicago Cubs finally swept a series. Winning three straight? Thats what registered with him. Rizzo hit a tiebreaking homer, Travis Wood went deep and drove in three runs, and the Chicago Cubs beat the New York Mets 7-4 Thursday night to complete the three-game sweep. Rizzos solo drive off Vic Black (1-1) with one out in the seventh gave the Chicago a lead after they wasted a four-run lead. Andrew Browns two-run shot tied it 4-all in the top half. Junior Lake added a two-run triple in the eighth, and the Cubs came away with their first series sweep since they took three at San Francisco last July 26-28. "I know we won three games in a row, whether its a sweep or not," Rizzo said. "Its just nice to win ... especially in a series where we played good baseball." Wood delivered in a big way at the plate and was in line for the win before New York rallied from a 4-0 deficit. He hit a two-run homer in the second off Jacob deGrom after Luis Valbuena was ruled safe at home on a sacrifice fly to left following a replay review on what would have been the third out to give Chicago a 3-0 lead. And Wood drove in another run with a fielders choice grounder in the fourth. "I feel like were commanded to hit in this league, so you want to try to be as best as you can," said Wood, who has two homers this season and eight in his career. The Mets scored two while chasing Wood in the sixth and tied it in the seventh when Brown, who was recalled from Triple-A earlier in the day, connected off Justin Grimm. Rizzo, however, put the Cubs back on top with a long drive to right-centre on a 3-1 pitch for his team-leading 11th homer. Grimm (2-2) got the win. Pedro Strop stranded two runners in the eighth before Lake made it a three-run game in the bottom half. Neil Ramirez then converted his first save opportunity, retiring the side in the ninth, and the Cubs swept three from New York at Wrigley Field for the first time since April 2004. The Mets went 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners after leaving 10 onn in each of the previous two games.dddddddddddd It added up to a sweep by a team with the worst record in the National League. "When they all got big league uniforms on, theyre major leaguers," New York manager Terry Collins said. "Theyre trying to beat you just as much as youre trying to beat them. Once in a while they play good, you dont play good, youre gonna get your butt kicked. Thats the way it is, thats just the way it is around here." They wasted several opportunities against Wood, who gave up two runs and five hits in five-plus innings. He tied a season high with five walks but kept pitching out of trouble until the Mets knocked him out in the sixth. He left with a run in after giving up a leadoff walk to Brown and back-to-back singles by Wilmer Flores and Ruben Tejada. Young added an RBI single off Brian Schlitter with two out, cutting it to 4-2, before Curtis Granderson popped out to end the rally. DeGrom gave up four runs and five hits over five innings and remained winless in five starts for New York. NOTES: The Cubs observed a moment of silence before the game for Don Zimmer, who managed the 1989 team to the NL East crown. Zimmer spent 66 years in pro baseball and was still working as a senior adviser for the Tampa Bay Rays before he died Wednesday at 83. He had been in a Florida rehab centre since heart surgery in mid-April. "I lived in St. Petersburg for 12 years, so I saw Don a lot," Collins said. "Its a sad day for baseball. One of the truly iconic baseball personalities in the game. I grew up a Dodgers fan and this guy was one of the great Dodgers. If it wasnt for Pee Wee (Reese) he would have had a tremendous career." ... Mets prized pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard left Thursdays start for Triple-A Las Vegas after experiencing discomfort in his left shoulder following a tag play at the plate. New York said he had precautionary X-rays and the results are pending. It was his first start after returning from the DL because of a mild strain in his right elbow. ... Chicago took Indiana C-OF Kyle Schwarber with the fourth pick in the draft. ' ' '
