MLB-SCHEDULE
A’s fall again as Halos trim deficit
UNDATED (AP) β The Oakland Athletics have hit a rough patch since climbing a season-high 28 games over .500 last weekend.
The sputtering Braves had dropped 12 of 15 before sending the A’s to their fifth loss in six games, 7-2 in Atlanta. Freddie Freeman belted a three-run homer to put Atlanta ahead 5-0 in the third, one inning after Justin Upton and Evan Gattis hit solo shots. Alex Wood gave up two runs and four hits in six innings for the victory.
The Los Angeles Angels took advantage of Oakland’s loss and pulled within one game of the A’s in the AL West. Kole Calhoun had three hits, including a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the Angels’ 5-4 triumph in Texas.
Chris Ianetta (eye-uh-NET’-uh) had three hits and scored twice to back Garret Richards, who is 13-4 after giving up two runs and seven hits with seven strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.
Elsewhere in the majors:
β Adam LaRoche and Bryce Harper each had two RBIs for the second straight night as Washington downed Pittsburgh 5-4. Tanner Roark (ROH’-ahrk) pitched into the sixth for his 12th win, while the Nationals kept their six-game lead over the Braves in the NL East.
β Kansas City’s lead in the AL Central is up to 1 Β½ games over Detroit after Josh Willingham lined a three-run double while the Royals scored five times in the fourth inning of a 6-4 triumph at Minnesota. Danny Duffy helped the Royals pick up their 11th victory in 12 games by holding the Twins to two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.
β Robinson Cano lifted his average to .330 by going 2-for-4 with a solo homer and two runs scored in Seattle’s 7-2 triumph at Detroit. The Mariners moved a half-game ahead of Detroit for the final AL wild-card berth.
β Cleveland pulled out a 2-1 win over Baltimore on Mike Aviles’ solo homer in the bottom of the 11th. Corey Kluber had to settle for a no-decision after striking out 10 and holding the Orioles to a run and five hits in 7 2/3 innings.
β Baltimore’s lead in the AL East remains a healthy 7 Β½ games over Toronto after Jose Abreu (ah-BRAY’-oo) had three hits and three RBIs in the Chicago White Sox’s 11-5 mauling of the Blue Jays. Adam Dunn and Dayan Viciedo (day-AN’ vih-see-EH’-doh) drove in two runs apiece as the White Sox dealt the Jays their fourth consecutive loss.
β Philadelphia prevented San Francisco from making up ground in the NL West by scoring twice in the 10th to beat the Giants 5-3. Cody Asche (ASH’-ee) tied the game with a two-run homer in the eighth and scored the go-ahead run when Chase Utley was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
β Pinch-hitter Lyle Overbay laced a tiebreaking, three-run double while Milwaukee put together a five-run eighth to beat the Dodgers 6-3. The Brewers still lead the NL Central by two games over St. Louis, while Los Angeles continues to top the NL West by 5 1/2 games over San Francisco.
β Lance Lynn allowed a run and six hits in six innings to push the Cardinals past San Diego 4-2 in St. Louis. Matt Adams and Jhonny Peralta (JAH’-nee peh-RAHL’-tah) each had two hits and an RBI in the Redbirds’ third consecutive win.
β Alex Cobb was terrific in Tampa Bay’s 5-0 shutout of the New York Yankees, allowing six hits while fanning eight over 7 1/3 innings. Troy Loney was 2-for-4 with a solo homer and two RBIs as the Rays dealt the Yanks their fifth straight loss while becoming the fourth team in major league history to reach the .500 mark after falling 18 games under.
β Kris Negron capped his four-hit night with a tiebreaking, RBI single in the ninth inning of Cincinnati’s 3-2 verdict over Colorado. Negron’s final hit made a winner out of Johnny Cueto (KWAY’-toh), who became the majors’ first 15-game winner of the season after yielding two runs and six hits in eight innings.
β Cliff Pennington hit a solo homer before Aaron Hill’s two-run blast put Arizona ahead 3-0 in the first inning of a 3-2 win at Miami. Trevor Cahill was just 2-8 before limiting the Marlins to two runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings.
β Jake Marisnick doubled home a pair of runs in the 10th inning to lift Houston past the Red Sox 5-3 in Boston. Robbie Grossman had three hits and two RBIs to help the Astros win for the first time in nine tries at Fenway Park.
β The New York Mets beat the Chicago Cubs 3-2 on Eric Campbell’s go-ahead, three-run homer in the fourth inning. Zack Wheeler earned his fifth straight win by allowing two runs and four hits with 10 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.
MLB-PIRATES/PITCHERS
Bucs activate Axford, shelve Pimentel
WASHINGTON (AP) β The Pittsburgh Pirates have activated recently-acquired John Axford.
The Pirates made a waiver claim on Axford, who was 2-3 with 10 saves and a 3.92 ERA in 49 games this season for the Indians.
The Bucs made roster room by putting right-hander Stolmy Pimentel (STOHL’-mee pih-mehn-TEHL’) on the 15-day disabled list because of a sprained right ankle.
MLB-INDIANS
Bourn is back
CLEVELAND (AP) β Center fielder Michael Bourn has been activated by the Cleveland Indians. Bourn had been on the DL since July 6 because of ongoing hamstring problems since undergoing surgery last October. Before he was sidelined, he was hitting .267 with seven triples, three home runs and 37 runs scored.
NASCAR-MICHIGAN 400
Gordon sets track record
BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) β Jeff Gordon hopes he has more success from the pole position on Sunday than he did a week ago.
Gordon has broken the Michigan International Speedway qualifying record to take the pole for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race. He had a top speed of 206.558 mph, 2 mph faster than the old mark set by Kevin Harvick in June.
Gordon also qualified first last weekend at Watkins Glen but finished 34th, giving up the series points lead to Dale Earnhardt Jr. It’s the 76th pole of Gordon’s career and the seventh-fastest pole-winning speed in the history of NASCAR’s top series.
Joey Logano qualified second, followed by Carl Edwards, Brian Vickers and Brad Keselowski.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-NOTRE DAME
ND looking at 4 football players in academic probe
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) β Notre Dame football players KeiVarae Russell, DaVaris Daniels, Ishaq Williams and Kendall Moore are being held out of practice while the school investigates what it is calling “suspected academic dishonesty.”
University president the Rev. John Jenkins said evidence students had submitted papers and homework that had been written for them by others was initially detected at the end of the summer session. Because of potential violations, the four players can’t compete until the conclusion of the investigation and the university honor code process.
Russell is the team’s best cornerback, and Daniels is the leading returning receiver. Williams was expected to be a key contributor on the defensive line.
NFL-NEWS
Cleveland hopes to name starting QB by Tuesday…Bowe expected to be suspended
UNDATED (AP) β Browns coach Mike Pettine (PEH’-tihn) has set next Tuesday as his target date for naming a starting quarterback. He said on Thursday that for next Monday’s exhibition game with Washington that Brian Hoyer will start but Johnny Manziel (man-ZEHL’) will get reps with the first team.
Pettine would not confirm or deny a report that Manziel was late to a team meeting this week.
Also in the NFL:
β Kansas City Chiefs’ receiver Dwayne Bowe is expected to be suspended for the season opener against Tennessee. Bowe was pulled over in a Kansas City suburb last November for speed and police found a black bag which had two containers of what was suspected of being marijuana.
β Chicago Bears tight end Zach Miller has been placed on season-ending injured reserve because of a foot injury suffered in Thursday’s 20-19 preseason victory over Jacksonville. Miller had six catches for 68 yards and two touchdowns in the preseason opener as he tried to make the team as a third tight end behind starter Martellus Bennett and backup Dante Rosario.
β Jacksonville right tackle Auston Pasztor says he has a broken right hand, which he suffered in Thursday night’s exhibition game with the Bears. Pasztor says he has no timetable in place for his return.
NBA-PACERS
No timetable for George
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) β Injured guard/forward Paul George of the Indiana Pacers told reporters that there is no timetable for him to return to the team. George suffered a broken leg during tryouts in Las Vegas for the U.S.A. men’s national team.
George said he is confident he will be able to return and recalls being in shock when he realized what had happened.
USA BASKETBALL-EBOLA
Trip to Africa canceled
UNDATED (AP) β The U.S. National basketball team will not be traveling to Senegal because of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo (koh-LAN’-jeh-loh) says the Americans are disappointed by the decision but because of the risk there was no other option.
More than 1,000 people have died in West Africa in the last six months after the outbreak quickly spread to major cities.
LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Lincicome surges to top
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) β Brittany Lincicome (LIHN’-sih-kuhm) has a three-shot lead over Inbee Park and Lexi Thompson through two rounds of the LPGA Championship in New York. Lincicome shot a 4-under 68 for a 9-under total as she seeks her second major title and first since the 2009 Kraft Nabisco Championship. Meena Lee, Jane Park and Lydia Ko are tied for fourth at minus-5.
PGA-WYNDHAM
Co-leaders through 36
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) β Heath Slocum and Scott Langley share the lead midway through the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina. Slocum and Langley each fired 5-under 65s for the second straight day to take a one-shot edge over Brian Stuard, Nick Watney, Martin Laird and Andrew Svoboda. First-round leader Camillo Villegas (vih-zhay’-gas) is among nine golfers who are two strokes back.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Cook, Browne share lead
ENDICOTT, N.Y. (AP) β John Cook birdied the final two holes for a 7-under 65 and a share of the first-round lead in the Champions Tour’s Dick’s Sporting Goods Open in New York. The 56-year-old Cook had eight birdies and a bogey to finish in a tie with Olin Browne, who birdied five of his last seven holes.
Defending champion Bart Bryant was a stroke back along with Steve Lowery and David Frost.
