Beaten

If you're a big fan, you already knew what was coming in the season finale. But it didn't make it any easier -- or less heartbreaking -- to watch. The majority of the Season 3 "Downton" finale, or the "Christmas special" as its called in the U.K., took place in Scotland, where the whole family (minus Branson) visits the Highlands home of the Dowager's niece, Susan, and her husband, Shrimpy. Most of the trip included bagpipes, hunting, more bagpipes and Scottish reel dancing. But more on that later (and more on O'Brien meeting her Scottish lady's maid doppelganger)

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Veteran right-hander Freddy Garcia will fill the Orioles' empty starting rotation spot Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels, manager Buck Showalter said Thursday. The 36-year-old Garcia, who is 4-0 with a 2.67 ERA in five starts at Triple-A Norfolk, was scheduled to start on Saturday for the Tides, which Showalter said is one of the main reasons he's been selected to make the spot start. "His date fits well timing-wise," Showalter said. "That's what you look at first.

Baltimore County police are investigating a homicide in Cockeysville that took place early Wednesday. An unidentified man was killed in the 9800 block of Williamson Lane, off Cockeysville Road, police said. Police received a call for service about 4 a.m. for a man lying unconscious outside his home. The man had sustained several blows to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a police spokesman. Investigators are awaiting the results of an autopsy. Police say the man was originally from Mexico and had no local family.

A win this Saturday against No. 13 Johns Hopkins would strengthen No. 7 Loyola's bid for an at-large spot in next month's NCAA tournament. It would also do away with this pesky matter of a 13-game losing streak to the Blue Jays. The Greyhounds haven't won a contest in this series since 1999 - a slide that includes last year's 10-9 overtime loss en route to capturing the school's first Division I national championship in any sport. Ending that skid is a weighty motivation for the players.

A fight over a pool game that began inside a South Baltimore bar left a man fatally beaten, according to police and the bar's owner, in one of three violent incidents over a three-hour span Wednesday night. Officers responded to a call just before midnight in the 3700 block of S. Hanover St. for a man lying in the bushes. When police arrived, they found the victim on the ground next to the Ravens House bar, bleeding from the head and with severe body trauma. Ravens House owner Zeke Conover said the man was struck in the head with a pool stick during an argument over a pool game inside the bar. He said the fight then moved outside.

A medical examiner has determined that the man whose skeletal remains were found last weekend in Jessup was beaten to death, Howard County police said yesterday. Hunters discovered the remains Saturday in woods off Mission Road near Concord Drive by the CSX railroad tracks. The results of tests to determine the victim's identity will not be available for months, police said. Detectives believe the remains could be weeks or months old, said Pfc. Jennifer Reidy, a police spokeswoman.

A Baltimore man who was beaten Sunday morning by three men armed with a tire iron has been treated at Franklin Square Hospital and released, county police and hospital officials said.Timothy Adam Pazourek, 25, lives in Hamilton in Northeast Baltimore. He was beaten on the head, face and hands.About 2:30 a.m. Sunday, Officer Gary Kazor went to a shopping center in the 8400 block of Fort Smallwood Road to investigate a complaint of a fight in the parking lot. He found the victim near his car, police said.

A 31-year-old man who was beaten with a tree branch Tuesday morning in Northwest Baltimore has died of his injuries, and police added his name yesterday to the list of this year's homicides, bringing the total to 268. The victim was identified as Quentin Reddicks-Flowers of the 2400 block of Francis St. in West Baltimore. Police said two witnesses saw him get tackled, punched and beaten about 11:45 a.m. in the 4000 block of W. Rogers Ave. Officers found a bloody tree branch nearby. Police said Reddicks-Flowers died at Sinai Hospital at 11:15 p.m. Wednesday That same day, police detectives arrested Jermaine Cornish, 17, of the 5500 block of Gist Ave., and charged him with first-degree murder.

Two men were shot and another beaten with a baseball bat yesterday in a melee outside a North Baltimore bar, police reported.The incident began outside Tower's Lounge in the 4700 block of York Road about 2 a.m. when a fight broke out among a group.During the fight, Antonio Aberhardt, 22, was struck with a baseball bat several times, said Sgt. Scott Rowe, a police spokesman.One of two men standing on a nearby porch opened fire on the crowd, wounding two men, Rowe said. Louis Washington, 65, was struck in the knee, and Darryl Powell, 19, in the chest by the shots, he said.

An Edgewater man was beaten on his head and face with wooden poles Friday night in apparent retaliation for an earlier attack, county police said yesterday.The victim, David M. Conway, 27, of the 1700 block of Ridgely Avenue in Edgewater was flown by helicopter to the Prince George's Hospital Center, where he was listed in good condition.Mr. Conway and two friends were assaulted by three men shortly before 11 p.m. Friday near Londontown and Grange roads in Edgewater. Witnesses said Mr. Conway was pulled to the middle of the street, where he was beaten.

Reigning national champion Salisbury has won the past 11 meetings and 14 of the last 15 with Washington College. But as the two sides prepare for the latest installment of the “War on the Shore” series Wednesday night in Chestertown, Sea Gulls coach Jim Berkman said he and his players have no intention of overlooking the Shoremen. “They've got a win over a team that beat us,” Berkman pointed out Monday. “They beat [Washington and Lee], 8-4, and we lost to W&L, 7-6. So they have a couple good wins on their schedule.

A 64-year-old man was robbed and beaten with his own walking stick after a group of six teenagers and young men attacked him in a parking lot at the Glen Burnie Towne Center late Tuesday night, according to Anne Arundel County Police. The incident was one of two robberies reported in the area within several hours of one another. The man flagged a patrol officer down about 11:15 p.m. to report the incident near the Toys R Us store in the 6700 block of Ritchie Highway, police said.

Beautiful blue sky at Camden Yards on Sunday. Not a cloud in sight. In fact, it was so beautiful it helped cost the Orioles a win. Here's what you take from that 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins: The Orioles are 3-3 to start the new season. And in all three losses, they basically beat themselves. The high fly ball to Adam Jones in the third inning off the bat of Twins clean-up hitter Justin Morneau was a case in point. Two on, two out and it looked like a can of corn or whatever other cliché you want to use. But the Gold Glove center fielder staggered under it almost from the start, fighting the high sky and the sun and maybe the stiff breeze a little bit, too. Seconds later, the ball dropped harmlessly between Jones and left fielder Nolan Reimold for a double as two runs scored and the O's lead was cut to 3-2. "It went in the sun and I missed it," Jones said.

Bowie State ran into the top-scoring men's basketball team in the country as host West Liberty of West Virginia won, 114-82, in the first round of the Atlantic Regional of the NCAA Division II tournament on Saturday night. Bryon Westmorland (Mervo) scored a team-high 18 points and Najee White added 13 points for the Bulldogs (16-14). The Hilltoppers (31-1), who average about 106 points a game, shot 66.7percent from the field and took a 66-41 lead at halftime. St. Mary's 84, Morrisville State 66: Donn Hill (Bel Air)

Jerrelle Benimon had 17 points and seven rebounds as visiting Towson beat Hofstra, 57-50, in men's basketball Saturday. Benimon's basket gave Towson a 53-44 lead with 1:10 to go as the Tigers won for the first time in the past eight games at Hofstra. Towson's Marcus Damas (11 points) made two key baskets down the stretch for the Tigers, who had not won at Hofstra since Feb.25, 2002. Damas' free throw with 49 seconds left gave Towson a 54-46 lead, and his two free throws sealed the win with six seconds to go. Towson (15-13, 10-5)

The following is compiled from local police reports. Our policy is to include descriptions when there is enough information to make identification possible. If you have any information about these crimes, call the Wilkens Police Station at 410-887-0872. Baltimore National Pike, 6600 block, Jan. 19, 8:09 p.m. Two men approached man, implied they had a gun, beat him and stole his wallet, credit cards and cash. One man arrested and charged with armed robbery. Baltimore National Pike, 5600 block, Jan. 18, 8:55 p.m. Two women approached woman, demanded her wallet and punched her in the face.

LOS ANGELES -- Reginald Denny, the truck driver who was beaten severely in the first moments of the unrest in the city's South Central area, was able to talk yesterday for the first time since the incident, and doctors upgraded his condition to good.Doctors at Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital in Inglewood, where Mr. Denny was taken by a group of onlookers after the beating Wednesday night, said his prognosis was improving. They said they still had not determined whether Mr. Denny had suffered permanent brain injuries.

Ollie Hines, a 95-year-old West Baltimore resident who was severely beaten by thieves in February, died early Thursday in his sleep at a Columbia nursing home.Baltimore police have ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of Mr. Hines' death, said police spokesman Sam Ringgold.If the autopsy reveals that Mr. Hines died from injuries sustained in the attack, the incident will be classified as a homicide. Robbery detectives have identified two suspects in the case, but have made no arrests, Mr. Ringgold said.

The following is compiled from police reports. It is the Baltimore Messenger's policy to include descriptions only when there is enough information to make identification possible. If you have any information about these crimes, call the Baltimore City Police Department's Northern District at 410-396-2455. Abell Avenue 3200 block, between 12:01 a.m. Jan. 2 and 3 p.m. Jan. 3. Radio stolen from vehicle. Bellona Avenue 6000 block, between 11:30 p.m. Dec. 31 and 1 p.m. Jan. 1. Garmin GPS stolen from vehicle.

As the punches kept coming, landing across his face and head, Kenni Shaw tried to talk to his five attackers but couldn't get the words out. "I was pinned down by punches," Shaw said of the beating he received Christmas night, outside the East Baltimore liquor store he frequents near his home. "It was so hard that I felt my lip and side face swell up immediately. I was trying to talk to these guys, but they weren't letting me talk. " Instead, they were intent on beating him - simply out of hate, said Shaw, a 30-year-old gay man. "I was just beaten in my face.