MLB-SCHEDULE
King Felix goes for win No. 11
UNDATED (AP) β Seattle ace Felix Hernandez takes a shot at becoming the American League’s first 11-game winner when he gets the start against AL Central-leading Kansas City tonight. It will be the first start for the 10-3 right-hander since he tossed eight shutout innings to beat the Giants last time out. Eric Hosmer doesn’t have a problem facing the Mariners’ top pitcher. He’s gone 4 for 9 against Hernandez in his career. The Royals are starting a three-city, 10-game road trip.
Detroit star Miguel Cabrera is probably happy to be facing the Indians in a series opener in Cleveland. He’s 22 for 34 with five home runs and 15 RBIs in nine games against Cleveland this season. He’s also walked seven times and scored 10 runs. Of course, the Indians aren’t the only team Cabrera has beaten up on. He leads the American League with a .346 batting average.
The NL West-leading Dodgers flew half-way across the country to Chicago after pounding the Giants 10-2 last night. Clayton Kershaw gets the start tonight against the Cubs. The reigning NL MVP and three-time Cy Young Award winner has given up 34 earned runs in 93 innings on the way to a 5-4 mark. That’s just five fewer than he allowed in 198 1-3 innings all of last season, when he led the majors in ERA for the fourth straight year with a career-best 1.77 mark. His ERA is now 3.29.
The AL East-leading Rays open a 10-game homestand, hosting Toronto. Tampa Bay is just 19-19 at Tropicana Field, while its 21-12 road record is the best winning percentage (.636) in the AL. Right-hander Drew Hutchison takes a 6-1 record into his start for the Blue Jays, but he has a 9.46 ERA in seven road starts.
Michael Pineda gets the start for the Yankees tonight when they take on the Phillies. The 8-3 right-hander took a no-hitter into the seventh inning in his last start against Miami. Philadelphia has scored the fewest runs in the majors.
There are just seven games in the majors tonight.
COLLEGE WORLD SERIES
Vandy, Virginia start title round
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) β Defending champ Vanderbilt and Virginia face off in the opener of the best-of-three. Many preseason prognosticators believed Vanderbilt and Virginia had what it took to reach the College World Series finals again. The 50-19 Commodores have rolled through the tournament sweeping their three games in bracket play and 8-0 in the overall.
Virginia has rebounded from an 18-18 record in March and April to reach the title round. The Cavaliers are 42-23 and didn’t even qualify for the Atlantic Coast Conference until the final week of the regular season.
Virginia will be trying to win the first national title in baseball for the Atlantic Coast Conference since Wake Forest in 1955.
SOCCER-WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
US faces Colombia
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) β The second-ranked United States faces Colombia in the knockout round of the Women’s World Cup tonight. Beside the incentive to stay alive in the tournament, the Americans may have some extra inspiration for the showdown.
When the teams met nearly three years ago in the London Olympics, Colombia striker Lady Andrade sucker-punched U.S. star Abby Wambach in the eye, drawing a two-match suspension.
Then in advance of tonight’s game, Andrade made provocative statements about the Americans to a reporter.
The 28th-ranked Colombians already have an upset win over No. 4 France in the tournament.
Colombia will be without starting goalie Sandra Sepulveda who will sit out after receiving a second yellow card.
SOCCER-WORLD CUP-RUSSIA
Budget cutbacks for 2018 World Cup
MOSCOW (AP) β Russia has slashed more than $500 million from its official budget for the 2018 World Cup after cutting spending on hotels and infrastructure.
The government is curbing most areas of public spending as the economy contracts due to the low oil price.
Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko revealed in April that the government had decided to slash the number of luxury hotels, warning they could lie empty after the tournament. That reduction was confirmed Monday. Various projects to improve drainage were also removed from spending plans.
