MLB-SCHEDULE
Gray matter works for Athletics…All 3 NL division races tied
UNDATED (AP) β The Oakland Athletics pelted Baltimore 10-2 to take two of three in the matchup of division leaders in their final regular-season meeting. Sonny Gray struck out eight to win his fifth straight decision and improve to 11-3.
Oakland had 15 hits, chasing starter Kevin Gausman (4-3) in the fifth before beating up Baltimore’s bullpen the rest of the way.
Eric O’Flaherty tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Sean Doolittle pitched a perfect ninth to help Oakland finish 4-2 against the Orioles this season.
Oakland has the best record in baseball at 61-37.
In other Sunday baseball:
β Adrian Gonzalez delivered a run-scoring go-ahead hit in the top of the ninth to give the L.A. Dodgers a 4-3 victory over St. Louis. That victory moves the Dodgers into a tie with the Giants in the NL West and also creates a tie at the top of the NL Central between the Cardinals and Brewers. Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw went seven innings, allowing three runs, but was not involved in the decision.
β Jayson Werth hit a game-winning RBI double in the bottom of the ninth to give Washington a 5-4 win over Milwaukee. The Nationals bullpen tossed five scoreless innings in relief of Gio Gonzalez until Rickie Weeks’ RBI single in the ninth off closer Rafael Soriano, who earned the win despite blowing his third save in 25 chances.
β Atlanta remained tied with Washington atop the NL East by beating Philadelphia 8-2. Tommy La Stella drove in three runs and Chris Johnson hit a two-run homer.
β Grant Green hit a bases-loaded single off Fernando Rodney with two out in the ninth inning after Albert Pujols (POO’-hohlz) tied the score with an RBI double, and the L.A. Angels pulled out a 6-5 victory over the Seattle Mariners. That’s the Angels’ 30th come-from-behind victory, which leads the majors. The Angels remain a game and a-half back of Oakland in the AL West.
β Odrisamer Despaigne (dehs-PAHN’-yay) came within four outs of the first no-hitter in San Diego’s 46-year major league history, but was not involved in the decision as the Padres beat the New York Mets 2-1. The winning run scored on Seth Smith’s infield single in the ninth. Making his fifth major league start, Despaigne didn’t allow a hit until Daniel Murphy doubled with two outs in the eighth. San Diego is the only active major league franchise without a no-hitter.
β Detroit salvaged the final game of a four-game home series against Cleveland with a 5-1 win. After dropping the first three games of the series the Tigers got two runs batted in from Torii Hunter and seven innings of work from starting pitcher and winner Drew Smyly (SMY’-lee). By taking 3 of 4, the Indians now trail the Tigers by 5 Β½ games.
β National League hits leader Casey McGehee (mih-GEE’) homered for the second time this season and the Miami Marlins beat the San Francisco Giants 3-2.
β Melky Cabrera hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning and the Toronto Blue Jays handed the Texas Rangers another loss, 9-6. Cabrera drove in three runs and finished 3 for 5 for his 13th multi-hit effort in the past 28 games.
β The Red Sox completed a three-game sweep of the visiting Royals with a 6-0 win. Jon Lester fanned eight and allowed no earned runs for the third time in his last four starts.
β The Yankees had a good weekend taking three straight from visiting Cincinnati. New York wrapped things up with a 3-2 walkoff win as Jacoby Ellsbury scored the winning run on a pop-fly single. Hiroki Kuroda (heer OH’-kee kur-OH’-duh) outpitched Cincinnati ace Johnny Cueto (KWAY’-toh) for the win.
β Andrew McCutchen hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning, Neil Walker followed with a home run and the Pittsburgh Pirates overcame a three-run deficit to beat the Colorado Rockies 5-3 for a three-game sweep.
β The Astros walked all over the White Sox in an 11-7 win. Third baseman Matt Dominguez had the big day at the plate for the Astros with four runs batted in.
β Arizona completed a three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs with a 3-1 win. Josh Collmenter threw seven strong innings to improve to 8-5. The only run off Collmenter came on Anthony Rizzo’s 23rd homer.
βThe Rays got the better of the Twins in a 5-3 win in Minneapolis. James Loney had a pair of RBI’s for the Rays.
MLB-NEWS
Belt heads to DL…Astros’ Springer expects to play Tuesday
UNDATED (AP) β Giants first baseman Brandon Belt will go on either the seven-day or 15-day disabled list because of a concussion. He was struck by a ball in the face while fielding during batting practice Saturday. Manager Bruce Bochy (BOH’-chee) says tests have confirmed the concussion.
In other baseball injury news:
β Houston outfielder George Springer sat out the Astros’ 11-7 win over the Chicago White Sox because of soreness in his right quad and knee. He expects to play Tuesday when the Astros begin a three-game series at Oakland. The 24-year-old rookie hurt his knee earlier this month when he crashed into the wall making a catch against Texas. Springer leads the Astros with 20 home runs.
BRITISH OPEN
McIlroy gets third major
HOYLAKE, England (AP) β At the age of 25 Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy now has three major championships. He closed out the British Open with a 1-under 71 to finish the tournament in first at 17-under-par, two shots in front of Ricky Fowler and Sergio Garcia. McIlroy won the third major of the year leading after every round. He began the fourth round leading by six shots and never let anyone closer than two shots.
Garcia put up the biggest fight. He was two shots behind when he left a shot in the pot bunker right of the 15th green and made bogey. Birdies on two of the last three holes were not enough to close the gap.
McIlroy won the 2011 U.S. Open and the 2012 PGA Championship, which means he has only failed to win the Masters for a personal Grand Slam. He joins Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players with three different majors at age 25 or younger. He will go to the Masters next spring trying to become only the sixth player to win all four of golf’s biggest events.
Defending British Open champ Phil Mickelson finished with a 4-under 68 to complete play at 5-under while Woods had a final-round 3-over 75 to finish at plus-6. Tom Watson finished the week with a 4-under score in the final round to finish the tournament at 1-over.
LPGA-MARATHON
Ko takes first
SYLVANIA, Ohio (AP) β Lydia Ko is the winner of the LPGA’s Marathon Classic in Ohio. She closed out with a 6-under-65 to finish 15 shots under par, one shot in front of So Yeon Ryu (soh yahn yoo). American Cristie Kerr was third at minus-12. Women’s British Open winner Mo Martin finished five shots off the pace.
Laura Diaz skied to a 4-over-75 with four bogeys to finish 7-under, tied for 18th.
GOLF-CELEBRITY TITLE
Ex-Redskins QB wins in Tahoe
STATELINE, Nev. (AP) β Former Washington Super Bowl winning QB Mark Rypien (RIP’-ihn) beat out Jeremy Roenick and Annika Sorenstam to win the weather-delayed American Century Celebrity Golf Championship.
Rypien took the title for the first time since winning the inaugural event in 1990.
AUTO RACING-F1
Rosberg wins another race
HOCKENHEIM, Germany (AP) β Germany’s Nico (NEE’-koh) Rosberg won the German Grand Prix to stretch his lead in the Formula One drivers’ championship over Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton, who finished third after starting 20th. Hamilton, who crashed in qualifying and survived a number of scrapes throughout the race, had a tremendous race to clinch a spot on the podium.
Four-time defending World Champion Sebastian Vettel was fourth, ahead of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who won a battle with Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo (rih-KAR’-doh) for fifth.
INDYCAR
Bourdais and Conway win in Toronto
TORONTO (AP) β IndyCar’s weekend doubleheader in Toronto was crammed into one day because Saturday’s race was called because of rain.
In the first race, Sebastien Bourdais (bohr-DAY’) dominated from the pole to cruise to his first open wheel victory since 2007. The race was shortened to 65 laps after rain wiped out yesterday’s race. Bourdais has 32 career open wheel wins and this is his first in 53 races under the IndyCar banner.
Mike Conway won the second for his second win of the season. Conway was fifth on the restart, but his dry tires were far superior to the drivers still racing on rain tires. He quickly moved through the field and into the lead.
NFL-PATS
Pats get some insurance for Gronk
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) β Three days before training camp opens, the New England Patriots have signed veteran tight end Nate Byham. The 26-year-old Byham spent the past two seasons with Tampa Bay after his first two seasons with San Francisco.
The Patriots have been seeking depth at tight end going into training camp. Rob Gronkowski was a limited participant in minicamp last month as he continued his comeback from a season-ending knee injury last year.
TOUR DE FRANCE
Nibali remains the man to beat
NIMES, France (AP) β Alexander Kristoff of Norway won the 15th stage of the Tour de France while overall leader Vincenzo Nibali of Italy finished in the main pack to keep the overall lead. After two days in the Alps, the 15th stage provided some relief over a flat 138 miles. Nibali is 4:37 ahead of second place Alejandro Valverde of Spain.
Riders take the second rest day today.
