MLB-SCHEDULE
Pirates gain ground in NL Central…Giants nip Cardinals…Kershaw fans 14
UNDATED (AP)β Pinch-hitter Josh Harrison singled home Francisco Cervelli with the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Pittsburgh bullpen continued its hot streak in the Pirates’ 5-3 victory over Colorado.
Gregory Polanco had three hits, drove in an insurance run and preserved a tie by throwing out the Rockies’ Jose Reyes (RAY’-uhs) at the plate from right field to end the top of the eighth.
Tony Watson earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief. Mark Melancon worked a perfect ninth for his major league-leading 42nd save. Pittsburgh relievers have won 18 straight decisions since last taking a loss on June 25.
The Pirates improved to 13-3 over their last 16 games to strengthen their grip on the top wild card spot in the National League. Pittsburgh is 45-20 at PNC Park. The Pirates moved within three and a-half games of the NL Central lead.
In other baseball:
__ The San Francisco Giants rallied to beat NL Central-leading San Francisco 5-4. Rookie Kelby Tomlinson singled with the bases load in the ninth to drive in the winning run. Recently acquired outfielder Marlon Byrd hit a grand slam, his third homer since joining the Giants eight days ago.
β Blake Swihart (SWY’-hahrt) hit an inside-the-park home run in the 10th inning and the Boston Red Sox stopped the New York Mets’ seven-game winning streak, 6-4. But the Mets maintained their six and a-half game lead atop the NL East because Washington lost.
__ Miami shaded Washington 4-3 as the Marlins hit two home runs off Nationals starter Max Scherzer, who has allowed 20 homers this season in falling to 11-11. Martin (mahr-TEEN’) Prado hit a two-run homer and Marcell Ozuna also went deep off Scherzer.
__ The N.L. West-leading L.A. Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 4-1. Clayton Kershaw struck out 14 while allowing one run on three hits in eight innings. Kershaw is 6-0 in his last 10 starts, and is 11-6 overall. The Dodgers have won four straight.
__ AL East-leading Toronto beat Detroit 5-3. Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki (too-loh-WIT’-skee) hit back-to-back home runs and Jose Bautista also went deep for the Blue Jays, who’ve won eight of 10. The Tigers have lost seven of eight.
__ The New York Yankees stayed a game and a-half back of Toronto in the AL East race by routing Atlanta 15-4. Didi Gregorius drove in a career-high six runs. Ex-Brave Brian McCann hit a three-run homer in his return to Atlanta.
__ Eduardo Nunez homered and Kyle Gibson pitched 5 2-3 scoreless innings to help the Minnesota Twins to a 3-0 victory over the AL West-leading Houston Astros.
__ Kendrys Morales hit his 15th homer, Edinson Volquez pitched into the seventh inning and the AL Central-leading Kansas City Royals beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2. Volquez improved to 12-7.
__ Trevor Bauer, starting in place of an ill Danny Salazar, allowed one run in eight innings and the Cleveland Indians defeated the Los Angeles Angels 3-1. Bauer is 10-10 after winning for the second time in nine starts.
__ Texas topped Baltimore 4-1. Recently acquired Cole Hamels pitched two-hit ball over eight innings, allowing one run and striking out 10.
β Kyle Seager and Franklin Gutierrez both had three hits and a homer and Taijuan Walker won his 10th game as the Seattle Mariners beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0.
__ Arizona beat Oakland 6-4. Paul Goldschmidt his his 26th home run and drove in two.
__ Philadelphia trounced San Diego 7-2. Phillies rookie Aaron Nola pitched seven strong innings. Cameron Rupp homered and drove in four.
MLB-NEWS
Mitchell is back for Yanks, but Teixeira sits…Nats lose Span
UNDATED (AP) β The New York Yankees have reinstated rookie right-hander Bryan Mitchell from the seven-day concussion disabled list. Mitchell sustained a concussion and a broken nose when he was struck by a line drive hit by Minnesota’s Eduardo Nunez on Aug. 17. The 24-year-old pitcher was making his third major league start. He is 0-1 with one save and a 3.86 ERA in 10 games this season.
Meanwhile, Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira (teh-SHEHR’-uh) is still out of the lineup while he deals with a bruised right shin. Teixeira is unable to run. Teixeira says his shin doesn’t feel better following an off-day Thursday. More tests may be needed on his injury.
In other baseball:
β Nationals center fielder Denard (deh-NARD’) Span will have surgery on his left hip next week and is likely out for the season. Washington manager Matt Williams says Span had problems in the labrum. The surgery is set for Tuesday. The 31-year-old Span, who is a free agent after this season, already has missed 52 games in two stints on the disabled list with back and abdominal ailments.
β The Los Angeles Dodgers put Yasiel Puig (yah-SEE pweeg) on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring, the same injury that sidelined him earlier in the season. Puig had hit safely in his last 10 games before getting hurt. He was hitting .256 with 11 homers and 38 RBIs in 77 games.
β The Seattle Mariners have fired general manager Jack Zduriencik (zur-EHN’-sihk). He held the job for seven seasons but the team didn’t make the playoffs during his tenure. Assistant general manager Jeff Kingston will take over on an interim basis. Seattle had just two winning seasons during Zduriencik’s tenure.
β Indians manager Terry Francona says he won’t use an out clause in his contract if Cleveland President Mark Shapiro takes a job elsewhere. Shapiro reportedly is a candidate to succeed Toronto Blue Jays President Paul Beeston, who plans to retire after this season.
β Giants right-hander Matt Cain has gone on the 15-day disabled list with irritation in his pitching elbow and received a cortisone injection to help it calm down.
NFL-NEWS
RGIII out of Saturday’s exhibition
BALTIMORE (AP)β Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III won’t have the opportunity to bounce back from a stressful showing last week. Griffin has been ruled out of Saturday night’s preseason matchup against Baltimore because of a concussion, the result of a blow he received in the second quarter against Detroit.
Griffin tweeted: “Trusting in God even when I don’t understand why certain things happen.”
PGA-THE BARCLAYS
Watson on the lead…Spieth misses cut, loses No. 1 ranking
EDISON, N.J. (AP) β Bubba Watson enters the weekend with a one-shot lead over British Open champ Zach Johnson, Jason Dufner, Henrik Stenson and Tony Finau after two rounds of The Barclays, the first event on the PGA Tour’s playoffs. Watson is at 7-under par following his second-round 2-under 68.
Johnson shot a 5-under 65, while Stenson turned in a 66 and Finau posted a 69.
Jordan Spieth (SPEETH) had a rough couple of days in north Jersey. The Masters and U.S. Open champion shot a second round 3-over 73 and missed the cut. That means Rory McIlroy will inherit the No. 1 world ranking.
LPGA-YOKOHAMA
Tseng grabs lead
PRATTVILLE, Ala. (AP) β Yani Tseng (YAH’-nee sehng) closed with an eagle and a birdie for an 8-under 64 and a one-stroke lead in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.
Austin Ernst had eight birdies and an eagle on the way to a 7-under 65 and is alone in second.
Lexi Thompson shot a 67 and trails by two strokes.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Goydos, Sauers tied for lead
ENDICOTT, N.Y. (AP) β Paul Goydos and Gene Sauers shot 6-under 66s to tie for the lead after the opening round of the Champions Tour’s Dick’s Sporting Goods Open. Former champ John Huston was a stroke back along with Ian Woosnam.
Defending champion Bernhard Langer had a 71.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-ILLINOIS
Big-10 school fires football coach
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) β Tim Beckman has been fired as football coach at Illinois. The school cites the preliminary results of an investigation into allegations of player mistreatment and inappropriate behavior. The school’s athletic director says it was better to dismiss Beckman now than wait for the release of the full investigation potentially during the season.
Beckman was 12-25 in three seasons at Illinois, improving the team’s record each season. The Illini went 6-7 last year.
Offensive coordinator Bill Cubit will coach the Illini in their home opener against Kent State Sept. 6.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-LOUISVILLE
$55 million stadium expansion
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) β Louisville plans to add 10,000 seats in a $55 million expansion that will make Cardinal Stadium Kentucky’s largest at 65,000 seats upon completion. Construction on Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium is expected to take 18 months.
TENNIS-NEW HAVEN
All-Czech final
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) β Second-seeded Petra Kvitova (kuh-VIHT’-oh-vuh) beat third-seeded Caroline Wozniacki (wohz-nee-AK’-ee) 7-5, 6-1 to reach the Connecticut Open final for the fourth consecutive year.
The defending champion will play fourth-seeded Lucie Safarova in an all-Czech Republic final.
NHL-OBIT
Al Arbour dies
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) β Al Arbour, the longtime coach of the New York Islanders, has passed away at the age of 82. He led the Islanders to four straight Stanley Cup championships.
Arbour, who was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996, ranks as the NHL’s second-most winningest coach. His death was announced by team officials.
The cause of death is unclear, though Arbor was battling a lengthy illness.
Before getting behind the bench Arbour had a 14-season career in the NHL as a defenseman. Beginning in 1973-74, as coach, he led the Isles to 15 playoff appearances and won an NHL record 119 playoff games over 19 seasons.
TENNIS-U.S. OPEN
Williams a big draw
NEW YORK (AP) β With Serena Williams looking to complete a Grand Slam, officials at the U.S. Open have announced that the women’s final has sold out before the men’s title match. It’s believed this is the first time that’s happened.
Williams has already won the Australian and French Opens as well as Wimbledon and is looking to become the first winner of all four majors in one year since Steffi Graf (grahf) in 1988. She also would tie Graf with the most major titles in the Open era with 22.
SPORTS-MEDIA
Beloved Scully coming back for 67th season
LOS ANGELES (AP) β Legendary broadcaster Vin Scully will return for a record 67th season in the booth for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 87-year-old Hall of Fame announcer extends his record of the longest-tenured broadcaster with one team in sports history.
