Update on the latest sports
MLB-SCHEDULE
Yanks batter Royals
UNDATED (AP) — The New York Yankees are in a nice hitting groove heading into their weekend series with the Boston Red Sox.
Homers by Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Luke Voit powered the Yankees to their seventh win in nine games, 8-1 over the Royals.
Judge opened the scoring with a first-inning blast and finished with three hits. Sanchez went deep for the second straight game, a three-run shot in the sixth to break the game open.
The Yankees have scored at least five runs in 11 of their last 15 games.
Jameson Taillon (TY’-ahn) and Nester Cortes Jr combined on a six-hitter, with Taillon allowing a run and five hits over 6 1/3 innings. He ended an eight-start winless skid.
Losing pitcher Brad Keller was reached for four runs over five innings.
In other major league action:
— Two hits were enough for the Rays as Manuel Margot (mahn-WEHL’ mahr-GOH’) scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth to complete their 1-0 win over the Red Sox. Margot rapped a two-out single, stole second and went to third on a throwing error by catcher Christian Vázquez before coming home with the winning run. Nick Pivetta, Josh Taylor and Darwinzon Hernandez combined to no-hit Toronto until Kevin Kiermaier’s one-out double in the eighth.
— Lourdes Gurriel (gur-ee-EHL’) Jr. belted his first career grand slam in a six-run first that catapulted the Blue Jays past the Orioles, 9-0. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. smacked his major league-leading 24th home run as Toronto handed Baltimore its 20th consecutive road loss, tying the 1916 Athletics for the second-longest in American League history. Anthony Kay tied his career high with eight strikeouts in five innings and combined with four relievers on a seven-hitter.
— Chris Bassitt allowed one run and five hits over seven innings as the Athletics downed the Rangers, 5-1 to gain a split of their four-game series. Bassitt is 8-0 with a 2.95 ERA in 14 starts since losing his first two appearances. Jed Lowrie drove in runs with a single and a no-doubt home run.
— Tony Santillan earned his first career victory and Nick Castellanos (kas-tee-AH’-nohs) smacked a two-run home run as the Reds topped the Braves, 5-3. Santillan gave up just one run over six innings, a Freddie Freeman homer in the top of the first. Castellanos drove in four runs.
— The Nationals are finally back at .500 after Kyle Schwarber crushed two more homers in a 7-3 defeat of the Marlins. Schwarber has homered 12 times since June 12 and became the fourth player in major league history with eight home runs and 15 RBI in a five-game span. Juan Soto had two doubles and two RBI to back Joe Ross, who was reached for just four hits over seven shutout innings of the Nats’ fifth win in a row.
MLB-NEWS
Oakland’s Fiers likely not throwing another month
UNDATED (AP) — Athletics right-hander Mike Fiers (FY’-urz) likely won’t throw for at least another four weeks after an injection for his sprained right elbow.
Manager Bob Melvin says that Fiers won’t need surgery after he felt discomfort when trying to resume throwing this week. Fiers has made only two starts this season and hasn’t pitched since May 6. Fiers missed the first 22 games of the season because of a lumbar strain before his debut April 30.
NHL- NEWS
Hakstol hired to coach Kraken
UNDATED (AP) — The NHL’s newest team now has a coach. The expansion Seattle Kraken hired Dave Hakstol to take charge of the team that will play its first NHL season this fall.
It’s Hakstol’s second NHL head-coaching job after three-plus seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers. Hakstol coached the Flyers to two playoff appearances and was fired midway through his fourth season.
In other NHL news:
— An unidentified former Blackhawks player says in a lawsuit against the team that a then-assistant coach sexually assaulted him in 2010 during a playoff run to a Stanley Cup title and that the team did nothing after he informed a now-retired employee. Chicago’s WBEZ reported that former assistant coach Bradley Aldrich was convicted in 2013 in Michigan of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a student. The former player’s attorney says inaction by the Blackhawks helped enable Aldrich to go on and assault the Michigan student, and possibly others. An attorney for Aldrich told WBEZ his client denied the allegations in the lawsuit.
NBA-NEWS
Suns’ Paul expected to play after being listed as available
UNDATED (AP) — Chris Paul is expected to play for the Phoenix Suns tonight in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Paul was upgraded to available from probable on the league’s injury report and participated in the team’s shootaround this afternoon. He missed the first two games while in the NBA’s health and safety protocols since June 16.
The 36-year-old point guard averaged 25.5 points, 10.2 assists and 5.0 rebounds in the second round against Denver.
In other NBA news:
— Longtime Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle is returning to coach the Pacers, 14 years after his dismissal by Indiana. Carlisle will get a chance to make a quick fix with the same organization he led from 2003 to 2007 and took to the Eastern Conference finals in his first season with the team. He guided the Mavericks to the 2011 NBA championship and has won 1033 regular-season games over 13 seasons with Dallas, Indiana, and Detroit.
PGA-TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Kodaira, Hickock lead in Connecticut
CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Satoshi Kodaira and Kramer Hickok each shot a PGA Tour career-best 7-under 63 for a share of the first-round lead in the Travelers Championship.
Kodaira took the lead at 8 under in the afternoon after making the turn onto the front nine birdie-eagle-birdie, but a bogey on the par-3 eighth dropped him back into a tie with Hickok.
Talor Gooch was a stroke behind Hickok after the morning rounds.
Defending champion and former world No. 1 Dustin Johnson stumbled at the start with a bogey on the second hole and then a double on No. 3. He finished with a pair of birdies to end the day at 70 at TPC River Highlands.
LPGA-WOMEN’S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Salas leads LPGA major
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. (AP) — Lizette Salas opened with a 5-under 67 for the early lead in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Salas had one of five rounds in the 60s from the early wave, with four players at 69. Nelly Korda was among those at 70 after making a long birdie putt on the 18th.
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS-BRIDGESTONE
Stricker off to great start at Firestone
AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Steve Stricker shot a 7-under 63 at Firestone Country Club to take a four-stroke lead through one round of the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship.
Stricker had a bogey-free round on the South Course, opening with a 5-under 30 on the back nine. The 54-year-old U.S. Ryder Cup captain added birdies on Nos. 3 and 8.
Stricker is seeking his seventh Tour Champions victory and third major.
Ken Duke and Paul Broadhurst are tied for second.
OLYMPICS-VIRUS OUTBREAK
Local coronavirus fears ahead of Tokyo Games
UNDATED (AP) — The head of the Imperial Palace in Japan says Emperor Naruhito is “extremely worried” that the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics could accelerate the spread of the coronavirus.
The games will bring thousands of foreign athletes, officials, sponsors and journalists to Japan during a pandemic despite caution raised by experts about the risk of infections and the public’s persistent calls for cancellation or further postponement.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is determined to hold the Olympics despite widespread concern and opposition.
COLLEGE ATHLETES-KENTUCKY
Kentucky to allow college athletes to earn off likeness
FRANKFORT, K.Y. (AP) — Gov. Andy Beshear has signed an executive order allowing college athletes in Kentucky to make money through the use of their name, image or likeness.
The Democratic governor says he took the action as a matter of fairness for college athletes. He says the law will take effect July 1 and will spare Kentucky’s colleges from being at a competitive disadvantage with rivals in other states that will have laws enabling athletes to profit off their name, image or likeness.
US TRACK TRIALS-TRANSGENDER
Eligibility rule keeps transgender runner out of trials
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Transgender runner CeCe Telfer will not be allowed to compete in the women’s 400-meter hurdles at U.S. Olympic trials this week because Telfer has not met the conditions World Athletics established in its eligibility regulations for certain women’s events.
Among those requirements was that their testosterone levels had to be below 5 nonomoles per liter for a span of 12 months.
Telfer’s manager, David McFarland, said Telfer would respect the decision.
HIGH-SCHOOL-GAME-RACIST TAUNTING
Man who gave tortillas thrown at game denies racist intent
CORONADO, Calif. (AP) — A California man who claims he provided the tortillas that San Diego-area high school students threw at the basketball team of a mostly Latino high school said his intentions were not racist.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported Wednesday that Coronado High School alumnus Luke Serna said he gave packs of tortillas to players for a celebration. Serna says throwing them was a tradition at University of California, Santa Barbara, where he attended.
Serna also criticized the firing of Coronado’s head basketball coach following the last weekend’s event with mostly Latino Orange Glen High School of Escondido, Calif.
