MLB-PLAYOFFS
American League Divisional playoffs begin today
UNDATED (AP) β Play in the American League divisional playoff series starts today in Baltimore and Anaheim, California.
In the first game of the day the Orioles are hosting Detroit with the pitching matchup featuring Max Scherzer of the Tigers against Chris Tillman of the O’s. During the regular season Scherzer, the winner of the AL Cy Young Award last year, was 18-5 while Tillman was 13-6.
The Tigers once again won the AL Central Division while the Orioles won the AL East. Record-wise Baltimore had 96 wins against 66 defeats while the Tigers were 90-72.
If playoff experience and Cy Young Awards mean anything, the Tigers have to be favored as their first three pitchers, Scherzer, Justin Verlander and David Price, have three Cy Young Awards among them and 35 games of postseason experience.
Game 2 in the best-of-five affair will be played Friday afternoon.
Tonight’s game has the Angels playing host to the Royals. KC advanced with a 12-inning win over Oakland in the AL Wild Card Game two nights ago.
Eighteen-game winner Jered Weaver is on the rubber for the Angels against 11-game winner Jason Vargas for the Royals.
Los Angeles racked up the best record in the American League this season with 98 wins and 64 defeats while the Royals finished second to the Tigers in the AL Central with 89 wins and 73 losses.
During the season the Royals and Angels met six times with each team winning three games.
The second game in that best-of-five series will be Friday evening.
NFL
Packers hosting Vikings tonight
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) β The NFL game this evening features a pairing of old rivals, the Vikings and Packers. Tonight’s game is being played in Green Bay and each team is 2-2 on the young season. In their last meeting, last November, the game finished in a tie at 26-all.
The Packers aren’t sure who they will be seeing behind center as rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who made his pro debut last week, is recuperating from an ankle injury. If he can’t play veteran Christian Ponder will get the snaps. Bridgewater, who played his college ball at Louisville, passed for 317 yards last week against the Falcons.
LPGA
Lewis grabs lead
BEIJING (AP) β Top-ranked Stacy Lewis birdied five holes on the back nine to shoot a 7-under 66 in the first round of the Reignwood LPGA Classic today. The American, who finished second to Shanshan Feng of China in last year’s inaugural tournament, had seven birdies overall. Lewis will start the second round with a one-stroke lead over Caroline Hedwall of Sweden.
OLYMPICS
No interest
LONDON (AP) β The International Olympic Committee will not reopen the bidding process for the 2022 Winter Games after Oslo’s withdrawal left just two cities in the race. IOC President Thomas Bach (bahk) told The Associated Press that the Committee will not suspend the bidding or reopen the process to invite new candidates.
Oslo became the fourth city to drop out of the bidding on Wednesday after the Norwegian government declined to provide financial support, citing concerns over the cost of hosting the games.
The move leaves Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan, as the only two remaining candidates. Neither is an established winter sports country.
