MLB-SCHEDULE
For old time’s sake, Orioles deep-six Cards…Athletics build lead to 4
UNDATED (AP) β On a night in which the Orioles wore 1954 throwback uniforms to mark the 60th anniversary of their arrival in Baltimore, the team administered an old-fashioned whipping on the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Orioles swatted six home runs in their 12-2 laugher. The Orioles moved 17 games over .500 and maintained their five-game lead atop the AL East.
J.J. Hardy hit two of the six. Hardy hit a solo shot and a three-run drive for his 11th multihomer game. Manny Machado, Adam Jones, Chris Davis and Ryan Flaherty also connected as Baltimore, which reached double figures in runs for the first time since April 24.
The six homers came on a night when the Orioles were celebrating their 60th year in Baltimore with past sluggers Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Eddie Murray, Boog Powell, Ken Singleton, Cal Ripken and Brady Anderson among those in attendance. By comparison, the Orioles’ leading home run hitter during their inaugural 1954 season in Baltimore was Vern Stephens with eight.
In other MLB action:
β The New York Yankees scored five in the first and five more in the sixth and held off Cleveland 10-6. Carlos Beltran hit a grand slam and drove in five runs. Derek Jeter tied Honus Wagner with his 3,430th hit in a five-run first. The Yanks are five back of the Orioles.
β Oakland improved baseball’s best record to 71-44 by holding off Minnesota 6-5. Scott Kazmir improved to 13-4. Coco Crisp hit a bases-loaded triple. The Athletics have beaten the Twins 11 straight times.
β The Athletics now own a four-game lead in the AL West. That’s because the L.A. Angels lost 4-2 to Boston. Mike Napoli (NAP’-oh-lee) hit his 14th homer for the Red Sox.
β Mike Zunino hit a three-run homer, Hisashi Iwakuma pitched seven innings and the Seattle Mariners beat the Chicago White Sox 4-1 for their fourth straight victory. Zunino moved into a tie for the major league lead in home runs by a catcher with his 18th of the season.
β Freddie Freeman and brothers B.J. and Justin Upton, all touched Stephen Strasburg with early home runs and Tommy LaStella added a solo shot as the Atlanta Braves snapped their eight-game losing streak by holding off Washington 7-6. The Braves led 7-0 after five innings. The victory cuts the Nationals lead to three and a-half games over the Braves. Strasburg fell to 8-10.
β The Milwaukee Brewers routed the L.A. Dodgers 9-3 in a matchup of division leaders. Rickie Weeks hit a three-run homer and Gerardo Parra had two hits and two RBIs.
β Kansas City doubled up San Francisco 4-2 in interleague play. Billy Butler homered and drove in three runs. The Royals have won five straight.
β Miami nipped Cincinnati 2-1. Nathan Eovaldi (ee-VAHL’-dee) held Cincinnati to five hits over eight shutout innings. Giancarlo Stanton hit his NL-leading 28th homer.
β Pittsburgh’s Gregory Polanco and Josh Harrison had three hits each and Vance Worley outdueled Ian Kennedy as the Pirates beat the San Diego Padres 2-1.
β Bartolo Colon (bar-TOH’-loh koh-LOHN’) pitched eight innings for his 200th career victory, Travis d’Arnaud homered and the New York Mets held on for a 5-4 victory over Philadelphia.
β Nick Castellanos tied the game with a two-run homer in the ninth inning and Eugenio Suarez followed with a go-ahead shot as the Detroit Tigers rallied to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4.
β Houston won the battle of Texas by beating the Rangers 4-3. Robbie Grossman’s two-run homer gave the Astros the victory. Chris Carter hit his 25th homer for the Astros.
β Arizona jumped on Colorado for three runs in the first inning and coasted past the Rockies 5-3. Miguel Montero hit his 12th homer for the D-Backs.
βKevin Kiermaier, who entered the game in the eighth inning, drove in the game-winning run with a single in the 10th to give the Tampa Bay Rays a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
GOLF-PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
McIlroy takes 1-shot lead over Day…Phil 3 back after eagle on 18….Woods misses cut
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) β Rory McIlroy is living up to pre-tournament expectations.
The heavy favorite is the 36-hole leader at the 96th PGA Championship after a 4-under 67 left him 9 under for his two days. McIlroy seemed unfazed by the 50-minute rain delay and soggy conditions at Valhalla as he shoots for his third straight win and second straight in a major.
The world’s No. 1 ranked player is now 9-under par. That’s one shot better than Jim Furyk (FYOOR’-ihk) and Australian Jason Day.
First round co-leader Ryan Palmer shot a 70 and is two shots off the lead along with Rickie Fowler and Mikko Iloen.
Phil Mickelson is heading into the weekend with some momentum. He eagled the 18th to finish a round of 67 and is just three shots off the lead.
Tiger Woods will be heading home for the weekend. The four-time champ shot a 3-over 74 and finished six over par for his two rounds. It’s the fourth time that Woods has missed the cut at a major in his pro career. He has not won a major since 2008.
LPGA-MEIJER LPGA CLASSIC
Park vaults to the top
BELMONT, Mich. (AP) β Inbee Park took the second-round lead in the Meijer (MAY’-ur) LPGA Classic, birdieing her first three holes en route to her second straight 5-under 66.
Fourth-ranked Suzann Pettersen (PEHT’-ur-suhn) was a stroke back. The Norwegian matched the course record with a 64.
South Korean Mirim Lee posted six birdies and an eagle in a 7-under 64 and is two off the lead.
NCAA-O’BANNON LAWSUIT
Judge rules against NCAA in O’Bannon case
UNDATED (AP) β A federal judge has ruled that the NCAA can’t stop college football and basketball players from selling the rights to their names and likenesses, opening the way to athletes getting payouts once their college careers are over.
In a landmark decision issued Friday, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken ruled in favor of former UCLA basketball star Ed O’Bannon and 19 others in a lawsuit that challenged the NCAA’s regulation of college athletics on antitrust grounds.
In a partial victory for the NCAA, though, Wilken said the NCAA could set a cap on the money paid to athletes, as long as it allows at least $5,000 a year for big school football and basketball players.
Wilken was not asked to rule on the fairness of a system that pays almost everyone except the athletes.
MLB-TV LAWSUIT
Judge says antitrust doesn’t work in TV case
NEW YORK (AP) β Major League Baseball cannot hide behind its antitrust exemption to fend off a lawsuit from fans who say the league unjustly dictates television markets for its ballclubs, a judge says.
U.S. District Judge Shira A. Scheindlin’s ruling came after two lawsuits were brought by fans against MLB and the National Hockey League to stop their strict control over television broadcast rights.
The judge wrote that exceptions to antitrust laws are to be construed narrowly and noted that the U.S. Supreme Court has “expressly questioned the validity and logic of the baseball exemption and declined to extend it to other sports.”
NFL-SUSPENSIONS
NFL suspends two
UNDATED (AP) β Miami safety Reshad Jones has been suspended for the first four games of the regular season for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances.
In a statement released by the Dolphins, Jones apologized to his teammates and coaches. He said a supplement he took caused the positive test. He said he regretted not investigating the supplement carefully before he took it.
Giants backup offensive lineman Eric Herman has also received a four-game suspension. Herman says in a statement that he tested positive for a stimulant. He says he has a therapeutic use exemption for a different stimulant that treats the same condition, but not for the one for which he tested positive.
NBA-NEWS
Sterling vs. Sterling again…Gay added to Team USA
LOS ANGELES (AP) β The legal drama over the sale of the Los Angeles Clippers will extend into next week.
An appellate court refused to consider Donald Sterling’s request to block the $2 billion sale of the Los Angeles Clippers to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer Friday, but has given him until next Wednesday to file objections. It’s the result of a series of miscommunications between the judge and Sterling’s lawyers.
Sterling’s estranged wife, Shelly Sterling, negotiated the record sale after the NBA banned the 80-year-old billionaire for making offensive remarks about blacks.
In other basketball news:
β The U.S. national basketball team has added Sacramento’s Rudy Gay to its roster, a day after Kevin Durant’s withdrawal from the team. Gay averaged 20 points last season for Toronto and Sacramento.
β The Phoenix Suns have signed first-round draft picks T.J. Warren and Tyler Ennis. Warren was the 14th overall pick out of North Carolina State. The forward averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 rebounds last season and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year. Ennis was taken 18th overall. The guard averaged 12.9 points and 5.5 assists in his lone season at Syracuse.
β NBA superstar LeBron James says he intends to play the rest of his career with Cleveland. When re-signed with the Cavaliers last month to a two-year, $41 million contract that included an option after one year, there was speculation he would one day test free agency again. But James said last night, “I don’t plan to go anywhere” before an event Friday night celebrating his homecoming to Northeast Ohio.
TENNIS-MONTREAL
Williams sisters to meet
MONTREAL (AP) β It’ll be an all-Williams semifinal at the Rogers Cup.
Defending champ Serena Williams recovered after a listless start to outlast Caroline Wozniacki (wohz-nee-AK’-ee) 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 in one quarterfinal. Sister Venus outlasted Carla Suarez Navarro 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in another.
The two sisters have met 24 times previously with Serena winning 14 including the last five.
TENNIS-TORONTO
Tsonga into the semifinals
TORONTO (AP) β Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (SAHNG’-guh) reached the Rogers Cup semifinals with a 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 upset of Andy Murray.
The victory comes a day after Tsonga upset top-seeded Novak Djokovic (NOH’-vak JOH’-kuh-vich) in straight sets.
