Zach

at Pittsburgh 7, Houston 0: Zach Duke (2-0) limited the Astros to four hits in his third career shutout, Adam LaRoche hit a home run during a five-run third inning and the Pirates won their home opener for the first time since 2004. Duke's shutout was the first by a Pirates pitcher in a home opener since John Candelaria beat the Chicago Cubs, 1-0, on April 7, 1978.

It's been nearly a month since VH1, on a renewed mission to become something more than an anonymous video jukebox, handed the keys to a half-hour time slot to one Zach Galifianakis. "Late Night With Zach" (weeknights at 11), an irreverent talk-variety show aimed at older teens and young adults, was seen by the cable channel as a means of developing an identity with viewers, part of the "New Face of VH1" promotion.

Hey girl, it turns out that Ryan Gosling really may be able to do it all. The Oscar-nominated actor who has broken up street fights and saved pedestrians from oncoming traffic is now set to direct his first feature film, "How to Catch a Monster. " The movie, which will star "Mad Men" actress Christina Hendricks, was also written by Gosling and is set to start filming next spring. The film, set in what a news release described as a "surreal dreamscape of a vanishing city," follows a single mother whose teenage son uncovers a frightening and mysterious underwater town.

Ryan Lombardo called it one of the toughest decisions he has ever had to make. It was all the more difficult because he saw his older brother, Chris, have a bad experience after making a similar choice three years ago. It's the decision to transfer to another school. Thousands of students change schools each year for myriad reasons, including athletics.

Dion Bailey is moving back to safety, USC's quarterback competition will move, as expected, into summer and Trojans Coach Lane Kiffin made at least one curious move with offensive linemen. That's what was revealed Monday when Kiffin released his end-of-spring depth chart , though he noted that it "is very much in sand" and "does not mean a whole lot. " Bailey, a fourth-year junior, started two seasons at linebacker and sat out spring practice while recovering from shoulder surgery.

Two years into NCAA sanctions, USC's football program now faces the toughest part. For each of the next three years Coach Lane Kiffin and his staff can give only 15 scholarships, and by fall the Trojans' roster cannot exceed 75 scholarship players. Both of those numbers are a handicap of 10 fewer than what rules typically allow. As punishment goes, the four years of NCAA probation were more symbolic than punitive, and the two-year bowl ban, while disappointing for players, coaches and fans, is over.

The extras stepped out of the large shadow cast by their co-tenants, the Lakers. The Clippers will always have this one special night in February in which they crafted a memorable upset against the Boston Celtics, beating the defending NBA champions, 93-91, at Staples Center on Wednesday. It was wild. It was emotional. There was heated smacking and shoving -- Mardy Collins and Paul Pierce on the verge of throwing down -- bringing the Clippers coaches off the bench late in the game.

Fredrik "Zach" Zachariasen, 68, veteran Caltech theoretical physicist who worked on several federal and international committees dealing with nuclear power. A native of Chicago, Zachariasen earned degrees in physics at the University of Chicago and Caltech. After a year in research at UC Berkeley, he taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford and then in 1960 joined the Caltech faculty. He remained there until his retirement in September.

Now I know why Zach de la Rocha looked so relaxed the other day sitting outside at Oinkster in Eagle Rock with a couple of friends (one of whom, I think, was former Mars Volta drummer Jon Theodore). It's just been announced that One Day as a Lion -- the new collaboration between Rage's erstwhile front man and Theodore -- has signed to Anti- Records, home to the rawest grown-up music in rock. And music will be available soon. The band's debut EP will be released July 21. (We're not about to suggest that the quick release was a way of beating Rage guitarist Tom Morello to the punch, but his new Nightwatchman album, "The Fabled City," is slated for release Sept.

Zach Horowitz has been named chief operating officer of MCA Entertainment Group, where he will focus on international operations, new technology and day-to-day management of the company under Chairman Al Teller. Horowitz was previously executive vice president at MCA. * Ruth L. Otte, president and chief operating officer of Discovery Networks, is leaving the cable TV company to become president of Knowledge Adventure Inc., a fast-growing multimedia educational software company in La Crescenta.