SYDNEY, Australia (AP) _ Do you believe in miracles? Do you believe in miracles?

The United States pulled off not one but two big Olympic upsets Wednesday. One of the latest shockers came in the obscure sport of Greco-Roman wrestling, the other in the national pastime.

A 29-year-old man from Wyoming, who had never won a world or NCAA title, beat a Russian generally considered the best Greco-Roman wrestler ever 1-0 in the superheavyweight gold-medal match.

Then in the nightcap, an American baseball team made up of mostly minor-leaguers took the gold 4-0 over a veteran Cuban team that had lost only once in three Olympic tournaments.

Cuba had won both of the previous baseball golds, hardly breaking a sweat along the way. The Cubans lost to the Netherlands in the preliminary round at the Sydney Games, showing that their international dynasty might be in jeopardy, but handed the Americans their only prelim loss.

Wednesday night was different. Starter Ben Sheets, Milwaukee's first-round draft pick last year, threw a complete game and limited to the Cubans to just three hits.

Mike Neill hit a first-inning homer, Ernie Young had a bases-loaded single and Pat Borders smacked an RBI double to account for the U.S. scoring.

When Neill made a sliding catch of Yasser Gomez's fly to left field for the final out, the Americans poured out of the dugout and turned into one big pile of blue jerseys. Manager Tom Lasorda draped himself in the stars-and-stripes and hugged his coaches and players.

Greco-Roman wrestler Rulon Gardner had trouble fathoming his triumph over Alexander Karelin.

Karelin hadn't been just unbeatable _ he had been untouchable.

He hadn't lost in 13 years, winning three gold medals in the process. He hadn't been scored on in 10 years. He has a lift named after him. Great wrestlers gave up rather than be thrown around by him.

But, in the end, Gardner just outmuscled Karelin. The American forced the Russian to break a clinch and was awarded the only point of the match.

"When did I think I could beat him? About 10 minutes ago," Gardner said. "I kept saying, `I think I can. I think I can.' But it wasn't until it was over that I knew I could."

Gardner's supporters mobbed him on the mat, but even they couldn't bring him down.

The United States pushed its medal total to 69 (29 gold, 15 silver, 25 bronze) at the end of competition Wednesday. Russia followed with 55 (18-16-21) and China had 51 (22-14-15).

BASEBALL=

A ragtag bunch of minor leaguers led by Hall of Fame manager Tom Lasorda beat mighty Cuba 4-0 for the gold medal.

Ben Sheets, Milwaukee's first-round draft pick last year allowed just three hits.

Mike Neill hit a first-inning homer as the Americans scored early instead of late. Ernie Young _ at the center of Saturday's bench-clearing dust-up _ more than got even with a bases-loaded single.

Catcher Pat Borders also had an RBI double as an exquisite payback.

In the bronze medal game, Lee Seung-yuop doubled home a pair of runs with two outs in the eighth inning to give South Korea a 3-1 victory over Japan.

BOXING=

Featherweight Rocky Juarez powered past a 1996 Olympic champion and into the Olympic boxing semifinals.

Juarez, a 1999 world champion, landed 23 scoring blows in the final two rounds and stopped Somluck Kamsing of Thailand on the 15-point rule (31-16) with eight seconds remaining in the 125-pound bout.

Ricardo Williams Jr. assured himself of at least a bronze medal Wednesday, fighting his way into the 139-pound Olympic boxing semifinals with a 17-12 win over Russia's Alexandre Leonov.

He became the second American boxer to reach the semifinals, where he will face big punching Cuban Diogenes Luna on Friday for the right to fight for Olympic gold.

Williams joined Juarez and 119-pound teammate Clarence Vinson in the semifinals.

CANOE-KAYAK= AN=

For the third straight Olympics, Germany, the Netherlands and the United States finished 1-2-3 in team dressage.

Germany, which topped the field with 5,638, won its seventh gold medal since 1964.

Christine Traurig of Carlsbad, Calif., aboard Etienne scored 1,745 on the last combination of the day to secure the bronze for the United States.

FIELD HOCKEY=

India, the eight-time gold medalist, was forced out of the men's competition at the Olympics after it drew 1-1 with Poland.

Despite being a power for years until cricket took over as a major sport, India's hockey players still live in dormitories and sleep on the floor during tournaments at home.

SAILING=

Thunderstorms forced the men's and women's races to be postponed for a day.

TAEKWONDO=

American Kay Poe, who made the Olympic team thanks to the kindness of her best friend, lost her first-round flyweight match and then lost out on a chance for even the bronze.

In an upset, Poe, of Houston, lost 4-3 to Hanne Hoegh Poulsen of Denmark.

Poe's chances for bronze disappeared when Poulsen lost to Australia's Lauren Burns in her third bout. Burns went on to win the gold medal. Urbia Melendez of Cuba took the silver. Shu-Ju Chi of Taiwan won the bronze medal.

At the Olympic trials Poe dislocated a kneecap in the semifinals, leaving her unable to compete in the finals against her best friend, Esther Kim.

Kim, who would have been an underdog if Poe was healthy, gave up her chance to make the team by forfeiting the match.

Michail Mouroutsos of Greece took the men's gold medal in flyweight.

Tna play in the doubles final against Kristie Boogert and Miriam Oremans of the Netherlands.

Sebastien Lareau and Daniel Nestor of Canada won the Olympic gold medal in double's tennis Wednesday, defeating Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde of Australia in four sets.

Arnaud Di Pasquale won the men's bronze medal, France's first in that sport since 1924. Spaniards Alex Corretja and Albert Costa won the bronze in men's doubles.

VOLLEYBALL=

Russia had a a dramatic 21-25, 25-23, 25-19, 19-25, 15-13 victory over Cuba when Angel Dennis netted a serve on the match point to give Russia a spot in the men's semifinals.

Russia will play the Brazil-Argentina winner in Friday's first semifinal.

In another quarterfinal, tournament favorite Italy dropped a set to Australia before recovering to win 25-14, 22-25, 25-19, 25-15. Italy will play the winner between the defending Olympic champion Netherlands and Yugoslavia.

WATER POLO=

The U.S. men's water polo team ended its opening round at the Sydney Games with a 9-3 victory over Greece to gain the quarterfinals as Group B's fourth and final team.

The United States needed some momentum to bring against Russia in Friday's quarterfinals.

Aleksandar Sapic ripped a short shot past Hungary's Zoltan Kosz as time ran out, lifting Yugoslavia to a 10-9 victory in Olympic men's water polo.

Yugoslavia, 4-0-1, clinched a share of the Group B title. Hungary, 3-2-0, will take third in the pool. Both teams already had qualified for Friday's quarterfinals.

(Copyright 2000 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)