Update on the latest sports
MLB-SCHEDLE
Padres and Dodgers renew their rivalry in San Diego
UNDATED (AP) — San Diego rookie Ryan Weathers makes his first big league start Friday when Mookie Betts and the champion Dodgers visit Petco Park in the first matchup this season between the NL West rivals. Weathers, a 21-year-old lefty, has a 1.50 ERA in three relief appearances since making his debut this season.
Los Angeles swept the Padres in the NL Division Series last year, and both teams added more stars in the offseason.
The series opener could mark the return of San Diego shortstop Fernando Tatís (tah-TEES’) Jr., who’s eligible to come off the disabled list after partially dislocating his shoulder.
Walker Buehler is lined up to pitch for the Dodgers, who own the best record in the majors this year.
In other highlights of Friday’s schedule:
— The Cubs will be minus manager David Ross for their series opener against Atlanta at Wrigley Field. He’s been suspended for one game by Major League Baseball in the aftermath of a dust-up in Milwaukee earlier this week. Chicago reliever Ryan Tepera was suspended for three games for throwing at Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff on Tuesday. Tepera has appealed the penalty and can continue to play until there’s a resolution.
— Jacob deGrom is scheduled to start for the Mets, weather permitting. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner never warmed up Thursday when New York’s game at Citi Field against Philadelphia was rained out. The Mets headed to Denver, where the series opener against the Rockies was threatened by a forecast of 2 to 3 inches of snow overnight and a gametime temperature projected at 37 degrees.
— Steven Matz aims to keep up his bounce-back season when he starts for the Blue Jays at Kansas City. The 29-year-old lefty is 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA in his first season with Toronto, striking out 13 in 12 1/3 innings. Much heralded when he joined the Mets and helped them reach the World Series in 2015, he went 31-41 for them before being traded to Toronto last January.
MLB-HALL OF FAME-MEAD
Tim Mead quits as president of baseball Hall after 2 years
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Tim Mead is quitting as president of Baseball’s Hall of Fame after two years, effective in mid-May.
Mead says the last two years have been “challenging” in maintaining his “responsibilities” to his family.
Mead joined the Hall after 40 years with the Angels organization, the last 22 as vice president of communications. He was assistant general manager from 1994 to 1997.
The 62-year-old Mead joined the Hall in 2019 after 40 years with the Angels organization, the last 22 as vice president of communications. He served as assistant general manager from 1994-97.
DOPING-COLEMAN BAN
Christian Coleman to miss Olympics despite reduced ban
GENEVA (AP) — The American sprinter who had been expected to succeed Usain Bolt as Olympic champion will miss the Tokyo Games after failing Friday in an appeal to overturn his ban for missed doping tests.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport cut current 100-meter world champion Christian Coleman’s ban from two years to 18 months, but it won’t expire until November, three months after the Olympics. The panel of three judges said 18 months “was the appropriate sanction in the circumstances” because Coleman was not entirely at fault for one of the missed tests.
Coleman’s 9.76-second run to win the 2019 world title was the fastest in the world in the past five years, and 0.05 quicker than Bolt when he won a third straight Olympic gold in 2016. Bolt, however, still holds the world record in the event, running 9.58 at the 2009 worlds in Berlin.
Coleman has never tested positive but he broke anti-doping rules by missing three no-notice attempts to take samples from him in a one-year period.
FIGURE SKATING-TEAM TROPHY
Chen tops Hanyu to win men’s free skate at World Team Trophy
OSAKA, Japan (AP) — American figure skater Nathan Chen has won the free skate at the figure skating World Team Trophy to continue his dominance of two-time Olympic gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan.
Hanyu finished second and Russian skater Mikhail Kolyada was third.
Chen is a three-time world champion and has won the past five U.S. titles. He has not lost a competition since the 2018 Olympics.
Last month he became the first American since Scott Hamilton to win a third consecutive World Figure Skating Championships, also beating Hanyu.
With less than a year to go until the Beijing Olympics, many of the world’s top skaters are in Osaka, eager to get in another competition after several International Skating Union events were cancelled this season due to the pandemic.
The competition concludes Saturday with the women’s free skate and the pairs free skate.
