MLB-SCHEDULE
Mets get the better of the Phillies
UNDATED (AP) β In the lone day game of the day the Mets beat the Phillies in Philadelphia 5-3.
Catcher Anthony Recker led the attack with three runs batted in while John Niese went seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits. He had six strikeouts. The loser was David Buchanan. New York put the game away with four runs in the seventh after trailing 2-1.
Oakland, the winningest team in baseball with 72 wins, starts a series tonight in Kansas City against the hottest team in the game. The Royals have won seven straight and nine of 10 to move within a half-game of first-place Detroit in the American League Central. The Athletics start the night with a four game lead over the Angels in the AL West. The pitching matchup tonight has Sonny Gray going for the A’s against Yordano Ventura. Gray enters the game with 12 wins on the season. This is the opening game of a three-game series.
First-place Baltimore of the AL East is home tonight to the third-place Yankees. New York enters the game six games back of the O’s and tonight’s game is the first of three.
The Dodgers and Braves kick off a four-game series tonight in Atlanta. Visiting Los Angeles starts the week with a 4 Β½ game lead over the Giants in the National League West while the Braves are four games back of first-place Washington the NL East.
The rest of tonight’s schedule has the Tigers opening a series with the Pirates in Pittsburgh; Miami at home to St. Louis; the Rays in Arlington against Texas; Houston home to Minnesota; the Blue Jays, fresh off that 19-inning game Sunday with Detroit, in Seattle; and the Padres entertaining the Rockies.
NFL-JETS
Milliner out with ankle injury
CORTLAND, N.Y. (AP) β New York Jets cornerback Dee Milliner has a sprained left ankle that could sideline him for a few weeks. He was injured during practice Sunday, about a half-hour after fellow cornerback Dexter McDougle was lost for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Milliner had an X-ray on his ankle, but the team is waiting for the swelling to subside before performing an MRI to see just how bad the injury might be.
NFL-SEAHAWKS
Lynch being investigated
BELLEVUE, Wash. (AP) β Police in Bellevue, Washington, are investigating whether Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch was involved in an assault and damage of personal property. The Bellevue Police Department released a statement saying that the alleged incident took place around 2:30 a.m. Sunday and that Lynch is alleged to have been involved. Bellevue police stated that they have not been able to verify whether Lynch was involved, but are investigating.
The incident was reported by the female victim about 12 hours after it took place at a downtown Bellevue apartment. Police say there was no domestic violence or sexual assault involved in the allegation.
NBA-ODEN
Former NBA top pick charged
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) β Prosecutors in Indiana have formally charged former NBA No. 1 draft pick Greg Oden with battery for allegedly punching his ex-girlfriend in the face during a fight. The free-agent center was charged with felony battery resulting in serious bodily injury, misdemeanor domestic battery and misdemeanor battery resulting in serious bodily injury.
The Portland Trail Blazers made Oden the top pick in the 2007 draft. He played for the Miami Heat last season.
GOLF
McIlroy takes dominating role
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) β With his win in the PGA Championship, Rory McIlroy has claimed the role of top player in men’s golf.
Just weeks after winning the British Open, the third of the four annual major tournaments, the native of Northern Ireland earned his fourth career Grand Slam title with a one-shot win over Phil Mickelson on Sunday. McIlroy has won the last three events he has entered, the British Open, last week’s Bridgestone Invitational and now the PGA.
In case you’re wondering, with those wins over the last two weeks the 25-year old has won over $3 million in purse money.
GOLF-RYDER CUP
Watson says Woods is still in the equation
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) β U.S. captain Tom Watson says he would be foolish not to consider Tiger Woods as one of his wild-card selections for the Ryder Cup. Woods missed the cut by five shots at the PGA Championship, just five days after he withdrew from an event because of a sore back.
Watson doesn’t make his three captain’s picks for three more weeks, during which time Woods isn’t playing in any tournaments.
Watson says he will continue to talk with Woods and that he says he would base his decision on what Woods tells him.
The Ryder Cup is next month in Scotland.
NASCAR
Investigation continues
CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. (AP) β Officials continue to investigate the accident Saturday night that claimed the life of a young dirt track driver.
Kevin Ward Jr. made the fatal mistake of getting out of his car during the race and walking on the track after hitting the wall. He was apparently trying to confront the man who he had made contact with before hitting the wall, NASCAR veteran Tony Stewart.
Ward was wearing all black on a dimly lit track. After one car moved to avoid hitting him, Stewart wasn’t able to avoid the 20-year old and Ward was hit. According to video and witness accounts, Ward’s body was sucked underneath the car and hurtled through the air before landing on his back as fans looked on in horror.
Ontario County Sheriff Philip Povero said that criminal charges have not been ruled out, but that investigators don’t have any evidence at this point in the investigation to support criminal intent.
He said today that there were no plans “at this time” to talk to Stewart again and that there is no timetable as to when the investigation will conclude.
NCAA
Looking for clarification
UNDATED (AP) β The NCAA wants a clarification on a California judge’s ruling in the landmark Ed O’Bannon case. The governing body of college athletics wrote in a brief to the U.S. District Court that schools want to know which recruits are covered under the ruling. The decision opened the door to athletes receiving a small percentage of the millions of dollars they help generate.
Judge Claudia Wilken wrote it would affect only athletes who enroll after July 1, 2016, at the beginning of the next recruiting cycles.
The NCAA calls the language about the “next recruiting cycle” ambiguous. It wants the court to establish another date, Aug. 1, 2015, when scholarships can first be offered in the 2015-16 recruiting cycle.
