MLB-PLAYOFFS
Royals outlast Angels…Birds bash Bengals
UNDATED (AP) β The Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles took opposite paths in winning the openers of their respective American League Division Series. The Royals earned their second straight extra-inning victory, while the Orioles set a team record for runs in a postseason game.
The Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 on a homer by Mike Moustakas off loser Fernando Salas in the 11th inning. The game-winning blast was just the fourth and final base hit for the Royals, who were coming off a 9-8 win against Oakland in the Wild Card game. It was the first extra-inning homer in postseason history for the Royals.
Kansas City never had a lead for more than a half-inning until Moustakas smacked his first postseason homer. The Royals scored their first run on Alcides (al-SEE’-dehs) Escobar’s RBI double in the second and Omar Infante’s tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the fifth. The Angels’ lone hits were solo homers by Chris Iannetta (eye-ah-NET’-uh) and David Freese (freez), each coming the same inning the Royals took a lead.
The Royals managed to hold Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Howie Kendrick to a combined 0-for-13, with Josh Hamilton going 0-for-5. Kole Calhoun had two of the Angels’ four hits.
Danny Duffy picked up the victory with a scoreless inning of relief after being kept out of the Royals’ rotation by manager Ned Yost. Greg Holland picked up the save with a perfect 11th.
The Orioles erupted for eight runs in the bottom of the eighth to secure a 12-3 rout of the Tigers. Shortstop Andrew Romine (ROH’-myn) committed an error with the Birds clinging to a 4-3 lead. Jonathan Schoop (skohp) and Alejandro De Aza (day AH’-zah) capped the uprising with two-run doubles, allowing the Orioles to break the previous team postseason mark of 11 runs.
Nelson Cruz had three RBIs, delivering a two-run homer in the first and a run-scoring single in the eighth. J.J. Hardy also homered for Baltimore.
The Tigers’ scoring came on homers by Victor Martinez, J.D. Martinez and Miguel Cabrera. The Martinezes hit back-to-back homers in the second to briefly tie the game, a half-inning before Nick Markakis (mahr-KAY’-kihs) laced an RBI single that put the Birds ahead to stay.
Winning pitcher Chris Tillman needed 103 pitches to complete five innings, allowing two runs and four hits. Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (SHUR’-zur) took the loss after yielding five runs and seven hits in 7 1/3 innings.
MLB-NATIONALS
Strasburg named No. 1
WASHINGTON (AP) β Stephen Strasburg is finally getting to start a postseason game. Nationals manager Matt Williams has announced that Strasburg will start Game 1 of the National League Division Series with San Francisco on Friday. He’ll be opposed by veteran Jake Peavy, a late-season acquisition who has pitched well for the Giants down the stretch.
Strasburg was held out of the 2012 playoffs by the Nats to protect his surgically-repaired right elbow. That move is still being debated by some baseball fans.
The Nationals were 5-2 against the Giants during the regular season.
MLB-CARDINALS
Cards leave vets off postseason roster
LOS ANGELES (AP) β Veterans Jason Motte (maht), Mark Ellis and A.J. Pierzynski (peer-ZIN’-skee) have been left off the St. Louis Cardinals’ 25-player roster for the NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers have yet to release their roster, although manager Don Mattingly has confirmed Hyun-Jin Ryu (hyoon-jihn ryoo) will start Game 3 on Monday in St. Louis. It will be the first game Ryu has pitched since coming out early on Sept. 9 because of left shoulder irritation.
MLB-BREWERS/BRAUN
Former MVP has thumb procedure
MILWAUKEE (AP) β Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun has undergone a medical procedure to address a nerve problem near his right thumb.
Braun is to meet with his doctor again Monday. If Braun responds well to the treatment, he will begin swinging a bat to determine the procedure’s effect on his swing and pain tolerance.
Braun hit .266 with 19 homers and 81 RBIs this year. The 2011 NL MVP missed the final 65 games of the 2013 season for violations of baseball’s drug agreement and labor contract.
NFL-PACKERS/VIKINGS
Packers crush Vikes
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) β The Sunday night NFL game was a blowout, as was the Monday night game. Thursday’s game was more of the same as Aaron Rodgers threw for three touchdowns and Eddie Lacy ran for two more in the Green Bay Packers’ 42-10 rout of Minnesota.
The game was lopsided enough for Packers coach Mike McCarthy to insert backup QB Matt Flynn in the second half. Rodgers completed 12 of just 17 passes for 156 yards, including a 66-yard TD to Jordy Nelson.
Lacy had 105 rushing yards on 13 carries in his best game of the season. He had third-quarter touchdown runs of 11 and 10 yards to put the Packers ahead 42-0.
Julius Peppers got into the scoring mix with a 49-yard interception return for another score.
It was a tough night for Christian Ponder, the Vikings’ third starting quarterback this season following injuries to Matt Cassel and Teddy Bridgewater. Ponder ran for Minnesota’s only touchdown but completed just 22 of his 44 passes for 222 yards and two interceptions.
The Vikings were shut out until the first play of the fourth quarter.
The Packers’ second straight win leaves them 3-2 and puts the Vikings 2-3.
NFL-DRAFT/CHICAGO
Draft coming to Windy City
NEW YORK (AP) β The NFL has confirmed that its 2015 draft will be held in Chicago. The draft had long been held in New York, but the NFL had been considering moving around the draft and soured on Radio City Music Hall after it was forced to move the draft back two weeks into May this year. Chicago and Los Angeles were the finalists for next year’s event.
NFL-COWBOYS
League investigating Spillman
IRVING, Texas (AP) β C.J. Spillman practiced Thursday with the Dallas Cowboys, a day after his name surfaced in a sexual assault investigation. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett says the special teams player will remain active because he hasn’t been arrested or charged in a police investigation into his role in an alleged assault last month at a suburban Dallas hotel.
NFL-RICE
Rice appeal update
NEW YORK (AP) β Former U.S. District Judge Barbara S. Jones has been appointed to hear Ray Rice’s appeal of the indefinite suspension handed down by the NFL. Commissioner Roger Goodell (guh-DEHL’) announced the appointment after consulting with DeMaurice (deh-MOHR’-ihs) Smith, the players’ union executive director.
Rice was suspended indefinitely Sept. 8 for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy after a video of Rice hitting his then-fiancee in an elevator was released publicly. Goodell originally had suspended Rice for two games.
T25 FOOTBALL-ARIZONA/OREGON
Wildcats beat Ducks in Eugene.
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) β For the second straight year the Arizona Wildcats have damaged Oregon’s bid for a national championship.
The Wildcats blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter before Terris Jones-Grigsby scored on a one-yard run with 2:54 remaining to give Arizona a 31-24 victory over the second-ranked Ducks in Eugene. Jones-Grigsby accounted for 210 total yards, netting 115 on 27 carries and making four receptions for 95 yards.
Nick Wilson ran for 92 yards and two touchdowns, and Any Solomon was 20 of 31 for 287 yards and a TD.
Marcus Mariota (mar-ee-OH’-tah) threw for 276 yards and two scores but couldn’t prevent the Ducks from falling to 4-1.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-MICHIGAN
Vote of confidence for embattled Hoke
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) β Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon says he prefers to wait until the end of the season before evaluating his coaches, suggesting Brady Hoke is safe for now at the helm of the school’s storied football program. Brandon and Hoke have received criticism for the handling of injured quarterback Shane Morris in last weekend’s loss to Minnesota. There’s also the matter of the Wolverines’ 2-3 record that includes two home losses.
Brandon said in an interview with The Associated Press that Hoke is a “terrific” coach and that fans should support players and coaches as they try to turn this season around.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-BUTLER
Butler coach takes leave
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) β Butler men’s basketball coach Brandon Miller is taking a leave of absence for medical reasons. Athletic director Barry Collier said in a statement that assistant Chris Holtmann will serve as interim coach until Miller returns.
Miller played college basketball at Butler and also served as an assistant coach with the Bulldogs before he was hired to replace Brad Stevens in July 2013. The 35-year-old Miller led Butler to a 14-17 record in his first season as coach, the Bulldogs’ first in the Big East.
Holtmann won a school record 21 games and was chosen Big South coach of the year in his final season as Gardner Webb’s head coach in 2012-13.
NHL-WILD
Prosser rejoins Wild
The Minnesota Wild have claimed defenseman Nate Prosser off waivers from St. Louis. Prosser scored two goals and had six assists and 58 penalty minutes in 53 games with the Wild last season. He was waived by the Blues this week.
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. 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) βThe 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.
