MLB-SCHEDULE
Tigers, Braves, Giants get much-needed wins
UNDATED (AP) β The Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants were in dire need of victories on Wednesday. All three teams succeeded.
The Tigers had dropped four in a row before Victor Martinez provided three hits and three RBIs in an 8-4 home win against Pittsburgh. Nick Castellanos (kas-tee-AH’-nohs) added an RBI triple and a solo homer to help Detroit overcome an early 4-1 deficit. Alex Avila sparked the comeback with a solo homer in a three-run fifth that helped the Tigers stay a half-game behind first-place Kansas City in the AL Central.
The Braves won for just the third time in 14 games as Andrelton (AN’-drul-tuhn) Simmons collected two RBIs before Justin Upton singled home the go-ahead run in a 3-2 triumph against the Dodgers in Atlanta. Winning pitcher Ervin Santana struck out nine while surrendering two runs and eight hits in six innings.
The Braves’ victory keeps them five games behind the NL East-leading Washington Nationals and cuts the Dodgers’ lead in the NL West to five games over the Giants.
San Francisco ended a five-game skid by erupting for seven runs in the seventh to beat the Chicago White Sox 7-1. Angel Pagan supplied the tiebreaking, two-run single, and the Giants capped the rally with two runs on Adam Dunn’s error in right.
Elsewhere in the majors:
β Milwaukee’s lead in the NL Central remains 1 Β½ games over Pittsburgh after Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo hit back-to-back solo homers in the third inning of the Cubs’ 4-2 win over the Brewers in Chicago. Rizzo had two RBIs and Tsuyoshi Wada (soo-YOH’-shee WAH’-dah) worked 6 2/3 innings to help the Cubs beat the Brewers for the second straight night.
β Jason Vargas tossed a three-hitter and the Royals stayed atop the AL Central by blanking Oakland 3-0. Omar Infante (ihn-FAHN’-tay) hit a two-run homer in the third inning to back Vargas, who retired his final 23 batters.
β Adam Jones launched a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to push the Orioles past the New York Yankees 5-3 in Baltimore. Jonathan Schoop (skohp) tied it with a solo homer in the eighth before Jones smacked his 23rd of the season to send the AL East leaders a season-high 19 games over .500.
β The Orioles top their division by a major league-leading 7 1/2 games over Toronto after Hisashi Iwakuma (hihs-SAH’-shee ee-wah-KOO’-mah) worked 6 2/3 shutout innings to lead Seattle’s 2-0 win over the Blue Jays. Kendrys Morales provided the scoring with a two-run homer in the first inning to help the Mariners pick up their fourth straight win and stay tied with Detroit for the final AL wild-card berth.
β The Angels are within 2 Β½ games of first-place Oakland in the AL West after Howie Kendrick hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the sixth inning of the Halos’ 4-3 win over Philadelphia in Anaheim. Jered Weaver gave up eight hits but just two runs in six innings for his 13th win.
β Jordan Zimmermann gave up an unearned run and five hits over 6 1/3 innings to pitch Washington past the New York Mets 3-2. Asrubal (as-DROO’-bul) Cabrera hit a solo homer in the eighth to put the Nationals ahead 3-1 in the eighth inning of their 10th straight win at Citi Field.
β Justin Masterson scattered three hits in seven shutout innings as St. Louis topped the Marlins 5-2 in Miami to avoid a three-game sweep. Matt Adams put the Cardinals ahead to stay with a two-run single in the third inning.
β Mike Napoli smacked a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the fifth inning before the Boston Red Sox completed a 5-4 win over the Reds in Cincinnati. The Reds took a 3-2 lead on solo homers by Skip Schumaker (SHOO’-mah-kur) and Mike Leake in the fourth inning before Leake served up Napoli’s 15th home run of the season.
β Zach Walters belted a walkoff, solo homer in the bottom of the ninth to give Cleveland a 3-2 win over Arizona in Game 1 of a doubleheader. Michael Brantley hit a two-run single to help the Indians pick up their third straight win before the Diamondbacks took the nightcap 1-0 on Tuffy Gosewisch’s RBI single in the 12th.
β Rymer Liriano hit a two-run blast for his first big league homer, and Abraham Almonte added a solo shot in San Diego’s 5-3 defeat of Colorado. Jedd Gyorko (JUR’-koh) went 4-for-4 and scored the tiebreaking run on Yasmani Grandal’s sacrifice fly in the fifth inning.
β Matt Joyce, Sean Rodriguez and Brandon Guyer each homered and had two RBIs as Tampa Bay crushed Texas 10-1. James Loney had three hits and two RBIs in support of David Archer, who struck out 12 and allowed four hits in seven innings.
β Kyle Gibson allowed a run and six hits in 7 2/3 innings of Minnesota’s 3-1 victory at Houston. Joe Mauer put the Twins ahead to stay with his first homer since May 3, a solo shot in the sixth, two innings before Kennys Vargas added a two-run single to make it 3-0.
MLB-COMMISSIONER
Owners start to meet
BALTIMORE (AP) β The Major League Baseball owners are meeting in Baltimore and they could choose a new commissioner. MLB Chief Operating Officer Rob Manfred, Boston Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner and MLB Executive Vice President of Business Tim Brosnan were picked by the seven-man succession committee as candidates to replace the retiring Bud Selig (SEE’-lig).
Selig has ruled baseball since September 1992, first as chairman of baseball’s executive council and since July 1998 as commissioner. He announced last fall that he plans to retire next January.
MLB-NEWS
Tulo done for year…Darvish, Machado on DL
UNDATED (AP) β The Colorado Rockies say All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki will have season-ending surgery on his left hip Friday.
Tulowitzki was hitting a major league-high .340 when he was placed on the 15-day disabled list on July 22, three days after he was hurt running out a grounder at Pittsburgh.
In other major league news:
β Texas Rangers ace Yu Darvish will miss at least a couple of starts because of right elbow inflammation. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday, four days after he allowed six runs and nine hits over four innings.
β Orioles third baseman Manny Machado (muh-CHA’-doh) has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right knee ligament. The injury occurred while he took an awkward swing Monday night in Baltimore’s game against the New York Yankees.
β One of baseball’s top prospects was injured on Wednesday. Byron Buxton was taken off the field in an ambulance after an outfield collision in his first game for Double-A New Britain, Minnesota’s No. 2 minor league club.
GOLF-RYDER CUP/WOODS
Woods takes self out of Ryder Cup consideration
UNDATED (AP) β U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson said earlier this week that he wouldn’t rule out Tiger Woods making the team for next month’s tournament at Gleneagles in Scotland. Instead, Woods made the call for him.
The former No. 1 golfer has told Watson and the PGA of America that he has taken himself out of consideration to serve as a captain’s pick due to health reasons. He said he has been told by his doctors and trainer that his back muscles need to be rehabilitated and healed.
Woods has played poorly since coming back from back surgery performed in March. He didn’t come close to making the cut at the PGA Championship last weekend.
The 14-time major champion has appeared on seven U.S. Ryder Cup Teams between 1997 and 2012, missing the 2008 event due to injury.
The PGA of America says Watson will announce his three captain’s picks on Sept. 2.
NBA-CLIPPERS/SALE
Donald Sterling loses again in court
LOS ANGELES (AP) β Donald Sterling’s winning percentage in court is almost as bad as his former team’s lifetime record on a basketball court.
A California appeals court has shot down Sterling’s latest effort to block the $2 billion sale of the Los Angeles Clippers to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
The 2nd Appellate District Court issued a brief ruling saying there was nothing it could do because the team had been sold.
Ballmer closed the deal Tuesday after a probate court judge cleared the way for Sterling’s estranged wife to sell the team.
NFL-COWBOYS
Romo set to go
OXNARD, Calif. (AP) β Tony Romo is set to play in his first game for the Dallas Cowboys since undergoing back surgery for a herniated disk last December. Romo will start for the Cowboys in Saturday’s exhibition game against the Baltimore Ravens. Romo missed Dallas’ exhibition opener against San Diego as the Cowboys are easing him back into things after his second back surgery in the past two years.
NBA-SCHEDULE
NBA releases schedule
NEW YORK (AP) β The NBA has announced its 2014-15 schedule. As you might guess, LeBron James and his not-so-new team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, will be featured in several national telecasts. He will play his first game since rejoining the Cavs at home Oct. 30 against New York, then return to Miami for the first time on Christmas.
The NBA regular season will open Oct. 28, with the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs hosting the Dallas Mavericks in one of the three games that night.
NBA-ODEN
Former No. 1 heads to court
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) β Former NBA No. 1 draft pick Greg Oden faces an October trial on charges that he punched his ex-girlfriend in the face during a fight. The free-agent center appeared before a judge who set an Oct. 22 trial date. Oden faces a felony charge of battery resulting in serious bodily injury and two misdemeanor battery counts.
The judge allowed Oden to remain free on bond and he’s allowed to leave Indiana, but must remain on GPS monitoring.
The Portland Trail Blazers made Oden the top pick in the 2007 draft.
NASCAR-TRUEX
Driver to miss qualifying
DENVER (AP) β Martin Truex Jr. will miss the NASCAR Sprint Cup practice and qualifying session Friday at Michigan to support his girlfriend, who was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Matt Crafton will drive Truex’s No. 78 car Friday. Truex will rejoin the team Saturday and race Sunday.
STEWART-ACCIDENT
Father of dead driver questions Stewart
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) β The father of the driver run over and killed by Tony Stewart told The Syracuse Post-Standard that “there’s no reason for” the crash that led to his son’s death. Kevin Ward Jr. was sent into the wall when his car was bumped by Stewart’s in a dirt-track race on Saturday night. Ward got out of the car and walked onto the track, where he was hit by Stewart.
Kevin Ward Sr. told the paper that, “apparently, Tony Stewart was the only one driving out there who didn’t see him.” He added, “the one person that knows what happened that night is possibly facing 10 years in prison. Is he going to say what he done?”
F1 RACING
Ecclestone makes payment
MUNICH (AP) β A German court says Bernie Ecclestone (EHK’-ihl-stohn) has made the $100 million payment he agreed to last week, meaning the bribery case against the Formula One boss is formally closed.
The Munich state court on Aug. 5 approved an agreement between Ecclestone’s lawyers and prosecutors to end the trial. It gave the 83-year-old Englishman a week to pay the money, with $99 million of the payment going to the state and the remaining $1 million to a German organization that helps terminally ill children.
