MLB-ALCS
Royals take opener
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) β Edinson Volquez and the Kansas City Royals have taken the opener of the American League Championship Series.
Volquez combined with three relievers on a three-hitter as the Royals downed the Blue Jays 5-0 in Kansas City. Volquez issued four walks but allowed just two hits in six innings to help the Royals earn their eighth straight ALCS victory dating to Game 5 of the 1985 series against the Blue Jays.
Kansas City scored twice in the third to break a scoreless deadlock as Alcides (al-SEE’-dehs) Escobar hit an RBI double and scored on Lorenzo Cain’s single. Salvador Perez added a solo homer in the fourth off Jays starter Marco Estrada, who allowed six hits while striking out six in 5 1/3 innings.
The Royals tacked on two more insurance runs in the eighth off LaTroy Hawkins. Eric Hosmer hit an RBI double and Kendrys (KEHN’-drees) Morales followed with a sacrifice fly.
Game 2 of the series in Saturday afternoon at Kaufmann Stadium. David Price will start for the Blue Jays against Yordano Ventura.
NBA-ODOM-UPDATE
Family rep says Odom has regained consciousness
LAS VEGAS (AP) β Former NBA star Lamar Odom has regained consciousness and is communicating, just three days after being found in extremely critical condition at a Nevada brothel, according to loved ones.
It’s the first significant update on Odom’s health since he was found unconscious and facedown at the Love Ranch in Crystal, Nevada, Tuesday afternoon.
A publicist for Odom’s maternal aunt and godmother said that Odom spoke a greeting and gave a thumbs-up Friday morning. A person who is close to estranged wife Khloe Kardashian said that he was able to say hi to Kardashian.
Authorities are still retracing Odom’s $75,000, three-day visit to the brothel that started late afternoon Saturday, with blood test results to determine what caused his medical episode still pending.
NBA-CAVALIERS-JAMES’ BACK
LeBron gets back injection
CLEVELAND (AP) β LeBron James has received an anti-inflammatory injection to ease discomfort in his back.
Coach David Blatt has said he may rest the four-time MVP until the regular season. James missed a career-high 13 games last season.
James had a similar anti-inflammatory injection early last season when the Cavaliers star was bothered by both a sore knee and back.
NFL-BROWNS-MANZIEL
Alcohol involved in Manziel dispute
CLEVELAND (AP) β Browns backup quarterback Johnny Manziel (man-ZEHL’) admitted to police he drank alcohol before he was pulled over this week following a dispute with his girlfriend while driving on a highway.
Manziel was questioned by Avon, Ohio, police following the incident with girlfriend Colleen Crowley.
A witness told police Crowley was attempting to exit Manziel’s speeding vehicle as the former Heisman Trophy winner tried to keep her in the car. Police said Manziel told them he had two alcoholic drinks earlier in the day. Manziel wasn’t charged and Crowley told police she didn’t want to press charges.
Manziel spent 70 days in a Pennsylvania rehab facility last offseason for treatment of an unspecified condition.
NFL-NEWS
Luck questionable
UNDATED (AP) β Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is listed as questionable for Sunday night’s showdown with unbeaten New England. He’s missed the last two games with a shoulder injury and has seen only limited action in practice this week. If Luck can’t go, Matt Hasselbeck will likely make his third straight start. He’s led Indianapolis to wins in his previous two.
Elsewhere:
β Buffalo running back LeSean McCoy expects to return from a hamstring injury and play Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. McCoy has missed each of the past two weeks after a setback at practice. He is listed as probable. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor and receiver Sammy Watkins are questionable.
β The Lions will be without defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (NAH’-tah), linebacker DeAndre Levy and tight end Eric Ebron when they host the Bears on Sunday. Ngata has a calf injury, Levy is dealing with hip issues and Ebron has a sore knee.
β San Francisco running back Carlos Hyde has been fined $23,152 by the NFL for using the crown of his helmet to make contact with Giants linebacker Jon Beason. Beason sustained a concussion on the play, although he blamed 49ers guard Alex Boone for causing that. Boone was not fined by the league and no penalty was called.
β Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett got a personal foul for knocking down and diving on Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton during a Seahawks interception return, and that cost Bennett $20,000.
β Denver defensive end Malik Jackson was docked over $17,000 for a horse-collar tackle against Oakland.
β Pittsburgh defensive end Cam Heyward was fined nearly $5,800 for displaying a personal message with his eye black. The message was a tribute to his late father, former NFL fullback Craig “Ironhead” Heyward.
β Authorities say they’ll wait until an investigation is complete before deciding whether to file criminal charges against Seattle Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman, who was arrested following a crash that injured a man. A spokesman for the King County prosecutor said in a statement that Coleman was being released from jail and wouldn’t appear in court. Coleman is being investigated for vehicular assault and felony hit-and-run.
TOP 25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Cougars hammer Tulane
UNDATED (AP) β The 24th-ranked Houston Cougars could climb up the AP college football poll on Monday. No. 24 Boise State will not.
Greg Ward Jr. ran for three touchdowns and threw for 222 yards and another score as the Cougars hammered Tulane 42-7. Houston picked up 239 of its 461 yards on the ground and improved to 6-0 overall, 3-0 in the American Athletic Conference.
The Cougars have won four times by at least 21 points.
Utah State turned Boise State’s seven first-half turnovers into 35 points in the Aggies’ 52-26 victory over the No. 21 Broncos. The Broncos served up four fumbles and three interceptions in the first half, including a 90-yard interception return for a touchdown by Marwin Evans as the half expired.
Utah State’s Kent Meyers threw for 157 yards and a career-high three touchdowns and added 63 yards rushing and a touchdown.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Leafs finally get a win
UNDATED (AP) β The Maple Leafs and Blue Jackets met in Columbus on Friday, which meant one of those teams would pick up their first win of the season.
The Leafs scored three times in each of the last two periods to earn a 6-3 win over the Jackets. Toronto blew a 3-1 lead before Joffrey Lupul (JAH’-free LOO’-pul) scored the game-winner with 16 minutes left. Leo Komarov added the final two goals and Daniel Winnik picked up his first three assists of the season to help the Maple Leafs improve to 1-2-1.
It was Mike Babcock’s first victory since leaving Detroit’s bench to become Toronto’s head coach.
Scott Hartnell had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets, who are the first team to register five losses this season.
Also in the NHL:
β The Red Wings had been 3-0 until Eric Staal and Kris Versteeg (vur-STEEG’) each had a goal and two assists in Carolina’s 5-3 victory at Detroit. Brock McGinn scored 55 seconds into his NHL debut and also had an assist as the Hurricanes improved to 1-3.
β Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns scored shootout goals and the Sharks improved to 4-0 with a 2-1 triumph over the winless Devils at New Jersey. Patrick Marleau tallied two minutes into the game to help Sharks coach Pete DeBoer (deh-BOHR’) earn a victory against the team that dismissed him last season.
β Dustin Byfuglien’s (BUHF’-lihnz) unassisted goal with 1:28 remaining snapped a 1-1 tie in Winnipeg’s 3-1 win against Calgary. Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler each had a goal and an assist for the 4-1 Jets.
β Vancouver absorbed its first regulation loss as Alex Steen delivered a goal and an assist in the second period of the Blues’ 4-3 triumph over the Canucks. Jori Lehtera (YOHR’-ee LEH’-tuh-ruh), Roberto Bortuzzo and Kyle Brodziak (BRAHD’-zihk) also scored for St. Louis, which is off to a 4-1 start.
β Colorado was a 3-0 winner over Anaheim behind Reto (RAY’-toh) Berra’s 35 saves. Nick Holden assisted on goals by Nathan McKinnon and Jack Skille (SKIH’-lee) to support Berra’s second career shutout.
β The Kings earned their first win of the season, beating Minnesota’ 2-1 on Anze Kopitar’s (AHN’-zhay KOH’-pih-tahrz) goal at 2:19 of overtime. Tyler Toffoli had a power-play goal for the Kings, who dropped the Wild to 3-1.
NHL-SHARKS-COUTURE
Shark Couture breaks leg
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) β San Jose center Logan Couture (koo-CHUR’) will likely miss more than a month after breaking a leg during practice in New Jersey Thursday.
Couture will travel to San Jose for surgery and miss four to six weeks.
His loss is significant for the Sharks, who are 3-0-0 under new coach Peter DeBoer (deh-BOR’). Couture had one assist through three games while centering the second line between Patrick Marleau (MAR’-loh) and Joel Ward.
NHL-NESTEROV SUSPENSION
NHL suspends Lightning blueliner
NEW YORK (AP) β Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Nikita Nesterov (NEHS’-teh-rahv) has been suspended for two games without pay by the NHL for boarding Dallas Stars forward Curtis McKenzie on Thursday.
Nesterov was given a five-minute penalty and a game misconduct for checking McKenzie from behind late in the second period. The Stars said McKenzie had a game-ending lower body injury and was taken to an area hospital.
NASCAR-KANSAS CITY
Keselowski takes pole in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) β Brad Keselowski has won the pole for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway.
Keselowski turned a lap at 195.503 mph to beat out 10 other Chase drivers in the final round of qualifying.
Carl Edwards was second-fastest at 195.454 mph, followed by Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon and Martin Truex Jr. All are still in the championship race.
GOLF-FRYS.COM OPEN
Steele has lead
NAPA, Calif. (AP) β Brendan Steele remains the leader at the Frys.com Open after grinding out a 2-under 70 in the second round.
Steele is 11-under at the midway point, two strokes ahead of Harold Varner III, Will Wilcox, Jhonattan Vegas and Graham DeLaet. Varner missed a 10-foot birdie putt on his last hole, keeping him out of Saturday’s final group in his rookie debut.
Rory McIlroy is six strokes back.
LPGA
Ko takes lead
INCHEON, South Korea (AP) β Lydia Ko shot a 7-under 65 to take the lead after the second round of the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship. That put her at 10-under for the two rounds.
Lexi Thompson trails by one stroke following a 67.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Short goes low
SAN ANTONIO (AP) β Wes Short Jr. birdied three of the last four holes for a 5-under 67 and a one-stroke lead in the Champions Tour’s San Antonio Championship. Paul Goydos, Jeff Sluman, Stephen Ames, Duffy Waldorf and Scott Dunlap were tied for second.
The 51-year-old former University of Texas player had seven birdies and two bogeys on TPC San Antonio’s AT&T Canyons Course. He won the Quebec Championship last year for his lone victory on the 50-and-over tour and also won the PGA Tour’s 2005 Las Vegas event.
Defending champion Michael Allen had a 69.
FIFA INVESTIGATION-GERMANY
FIFA looks into German bribe charge
ZURICH (AP) β FIFA (FEE’-fuh) says allegations that Germany used bribes to secure the 2006 World Cup will be reviewed as part of its ongoing investigation into corruption in soccer.
German newsweekly Der Spiegel is reporting that the bidding committee set up a slush fund of about $6 million that was used to secure four votes from FIFA’s 24-member executive committee before Germany won the bid vote in 2000.
The German Soccer Federation is denying the story.
SPORTS-MEDIA
Sportscaster asking $75 million in peeping case
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) β Sportscaster and TV host Erin Andrews is seeking a $75 million judgment against the Marriott hotel chain and a man who admitted making secret nude tapes of her in 2008.
The lawsuit filed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2010 was amended this week to include the dollar amount the former ESPN reporter is suing for on the basis of negligence and invasion of privacy.
Michael David Barrett, of Westmont, Illinois, in 2009 pleaded guilty in federal court in Los Angeles to renting hotel rooms next to Andrews in three cities, altering the peepholes and shooting videos in two locations in Columbus, Ohio, and in Nashville.
OBIT-BEVO
Texas mascot dies
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) β The longhorn steer mascot of the University of Texas has died in his sleep after recently being diagnosed with cancer. Bevo XIV was 13.
The steer died at the ranch where he lived. He had been retired on Tuesday after his diagnosis.
The school said a search for Bevo XV will begin immediately and should be in place for the 2016 football season, which would be the 100th anniversary of the mascot being on the football sideline.
