MLB-SCHEDULE
Angels take over first in AL West battle again
UNDATED (AP) β The Los Angeles Angels salvaged the finale of their weekend series against Oakland — and regained a one-game lead over the Athletics in the AL West in the process. The Angels built an early 9-0 lead and held off the Athletics 9-4 behind Jered Weaver’s 14th victory.
The Angels roughed up Oakland starter Scott Kazmir, a 14-game winner himself, with six runs in the opening three innings. The big hit was a two-run home run by Josh Hamilton, his 10th of the season. Mike Trout hit his 29th of the season, off reliever Jesse Chavez.
Weaver went six and two-thirds innings, giving up a pair of home runs by Alberto Callaspo and Andy Parrino in the seventh after the Angels took a 9-0 lead.
In other baseball:
β The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pirates 4-3 to avoid a three-game sweep by the Bucs. The win, along with Philadelphia’s win over St. Louis, secures Milwaukee’s hold on the National League Central. The Brewers now lead the Cards by 1 Β½ games and Pirates by five. Mike Fiers (FY’-urs) held Pittsburgh to two hits in seven innings for his fourth straight win since coming up from Triple-A and closer Francisco Rodriguez picked up his 39th save.
β In the Phillies 7-1 win over the Cardinals, Jimmy Rollins homered and Jerome Williams tossed eight strong innings. Ben Revere had a pair of hits and a run batted in for the Phillies, who took two of three from St. Louis to claim consecutive series wins for the first time since April. The Cards loss was just their third in 11 games.
β Lucas Duda homered twice, drove in a career-high five runs and was involved in the New York Mets’ first triple play in over four seasons in an 11-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bartolo Colon (bar-TOH’-loh koh-LOHN’) improved to 12-10. Despite the loss, the Dodgers maintained their 4 1-2 game lead on San Francisco in the NL West following the Giants’ 14-6 defeat at Washington.
β Ian Desmond and Bryce Harper each homered and drove in two runs as the streaking Nationals rallied from a five-run deficit to beat the Giants 14-6. The Nats have won 12 of their last 13 games to bolster their lead to eight games over Atlanta in the National League East.
β Alfredo Simon (SY’-muhn) pitched went seven innings to earn his first win in eight starts since the All-Star break and Todd Frazier homered as the Reds held on for a 5-3 win over the Braves. Simon is 13-8.
β Trevor Bauer took a shutout into the seventh and won for the first time since July 18 as Cleveland beat Houston 3-1. Cody Allen, the Indians’ fourth pitcher, worked out of ninth-inning trouble for his 17th save. The Indians took two of three games from the Astros in the series.
β Victor Martinez homered and had four RBIs in the Detroit Tigers’ 13-4 victory rout of Minnesota.
β San Diego beat Arizona 7-4. Yasmani Grandal homered and drove in four runs as Ian Kennedy won his 10th game.
β Nolan Arenado hit a two-run homer and Christian Bergman pitched into the seventh to earn his first major league win as the Colorado Rockies beat the Miami Marlins 7-4.
βScott Baker won as a starter for the first time in more than three years as the Rangers beat the AL Central-leading Kansas City Royals 3-1 to avoid a series sweep. Adrian Beltre (BEHL’-tray) put Texas ahead to stay with an RBI double in the first.
β Dustin Ackley had three hits and scored three runs and Seattle’s bullpen was sharp for the second straight day as the Mariners beat Boston 8-6. The loss is Boston’s eighth straight.
β Evan Longoria singled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning as Tampa Bay edged Toronto 2-1. Jake McGee worked two innings for the win and Brad Boxberger finished for his second save in five chances as the Rays won for the eighth time in 11 road games.
β Pinch-hitter Brian McCann lined a three-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning to give the Yankees 7-4 win over the White Sox. The victory gave the New Yorkers a three game sweep. Chasing an American League playoff spot the Yankees have won four in a row.
β American League East leader Baltimore finished off a nine game road trip with a mark of 4-5 after losing to the Cubs in Chicago 2-1. The O’s only hit was a home run in the seventh inning off winner Tsuyoshi Wada. This was the Orioles first losing road trip of the season.
MLB-NEWS
A’s closer goes on DL
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) β Athletics closer Sean Doolittle was placed on the 15-day disabled list by Oakland about an hour before Sunday’s game with the Los Angeles Angels with a strained right intercostal, a muscle in the rib cage.
Doolittle, who saved the last two games against the Angels, is 1-3 with 20 saves and a 2.28 ERA in 54 relief appearances. He has walked five and struck out 80 in 55 1-3 innings. Opponents are batting just .171 against him
Right-hander Dan Otero was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento.
NFL-RAMS
Quarterback Bradford done
ST. LOUIS (AP) β Rams quarterback Sam Bradford has a torn ACL in his left knee for the second straight year and is out for the season.
Bradford, the first overall pick of the 2010 draft, missed the last nine games last season after getting injured at Carolina. Veteran Shaun Hill has been the backup and the Rams also have rookie Garrett Gilbert and Austin Davis on the roster.
In all, five starters were hurt against the Browns.
Cornerback Trumaine Johnson was carted off with a knee injury and three others β guard Rodger Saffold and defensive tackles Kendall Langford and Michael Brockers β left with ankle injuries.
Johnson will be out 4-6 weeks with an MCL tear. But coach Jeff Fisher said Saffold, Langford and Brockers could play if needed in the preseason finale Thursday at Miami.
NFL-NEWS
Newton has rib injury
UNDATED (AP) β Panthers coach Ron Rivera says quarterback Cam Newton has a hairline fracture in his ribs and will miss the team’s final preseason game. Rivera says he expects Newton to be ready for the team’s Sept. 7 regular season opener against Tampa Bay. Newton was hit after scrambling from the pocket in Carolina’s preseason game Friday night against New England.
Newton has never missed a regular season start in his three seasons with the Panthers.
In other NFL news:
β The lawyer for Denver kicker Matt Prater (PRAY’-tur) says his client has agreed to a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Harvey Steinberg says Prater’s suspension was alcohol-related.
β The Denver Broncos have parted ways with 11 players, including nine-year veteran tackle Winston Justice and undrafted rookie running back Brennan Clay of Oklahoma.
β The Chicago Bears have cut Jordan Palmer, making Jimmy Clausen the backup quarterback behind Jay Cutler.
F1-BELGIAN GRAND PRIX
Ricciardo wins second straight race
SPA, Belgium (AP) β Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo (rih-KAR’-doh) won the Belgian Grand Prix with Nico (NEE’-koh) Rosberg second. The second-place finish extends his overall championship lead over Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton, who retired from the race with five laps remaining, to 29 points.
Ricciardo’s win is his second straight and third of the season. Four-time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel was fifth.
INDYCAR-SONOMA
Dixon surges late for victory
SONOMA, Calif. (AP) β Scott Dixon passed Mike Conway with three laps to go at Sonoma Raceway to earn a dramatic IndyCar victory and muddying the overall championship race. Series leader Will Power finished ninth to set up an intriguing finish to the Indy Car season Saturday at Fontana.
Dixon is out of the race to defend his 2013 title, but he surged for his 35th career victory after leader Graham Rahal was forced to the pits for gas with four laps left.
The raceway was unaffected by an earthquake centered just northeast of the track about 10 hours before the race began. The 6.0 quake left several drivers alarmed, but unharmed.
SWIMMING-PAN PACS
More gold for Ledecky and Phelps
GOLD COAST, Australia (AP) β The Pan Pacific swimming championships in Australia are over and they were successful for Michael Phelps fellow American Katie Ledecky (leh-DEK’-ee). Phelps completed his comeback meet in international competition with a gold medal in the medley relay, while Ledecky set a second world record within 24 hours.
The 17-year-old Ledecky sliced almost six seconds off her own world mark by winning the 1,500-meter freestyle in 15 minutes, 28.36 seconds a day after lowering her record in the 400 freestyle. She finished the meet with five gold medals.
The 29-year-old Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history, finished the meet with three gold medals and silvers in the 200 IM and the 4×100 relay.
GOLF-THE BARCLAYS
Mahan finishes in front
PARAMUS, N.J. (AP) β Hunter Mahan (MAY’-han) finished two shots in front of Stuart Appleby and Cameron Tringale to win the first FedEx playoff tournament. Mahan completed play 14-under par for the win after shooting the final round 6-under-65.
Pre-tournament favorite Rory McIlroy finished the tournament at 5-under. His week was done in by a first round 74.
LPGA-CANADIAN WOMEN’S OPEN
Ryu leads the way
LONDON, Ontario (AP) β South Koreans finished 1-2-3 in the LPGA’s Canadian Open. So Yeon Ryu (soh yahn yoo) was the winner at 23-under-par after a final round 3-under-69. She finished a tournament record 23 under par. Ryu finished two strokes in front of Na Yeon Choi (choy) with Inbee Park third at 18-under.
CHAMPIONS TOUR-BOEING CLASSIC
Dunlap wins
SNOQUALMIE, Wash. (AP) β Scott Dunlap won the Boeing Classic when he made a short birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff against Mark Brooks.
It was the fifth playoff in the 10-year history of the tournament at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge east of Seattle.
TENNIS
US Open starts Monday
NEW YORK (AP)β The 15-day U.S. Open, the last Grand Slam of the tennis season, starts Monday in New York. The 2013 men’s singles champion, Rafael Nadal (rah-fay-ehl nah-DAHL’) of Spain, withdrew from this year’s tournament because of an injured right wrist. The men’s top seed, Novak Djokovic (NOH’-vak JOH’-kuh-vich), is in action on opening day,
The 2013 women’s singles champion, Serena Williams, is going for her sixth U.S. Open and 18th overall Grand Slam title.
LITTLE LEAGUE
South Korea wins
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) βSouth Korea won the Little League World Series with an 8-4 win over Chicago. Jae Yeong Hwang drove in two runs and Hae Chan Choi weathered a late Chicago rally. International teams have won the last three and four of the last five titles.
Brandon Green went 5 2-3 innings for Chicago, which had survived four straight knockout games before the final.
