Update on the latest sports
APMLB SCHEDULE-REDS-CUBS
Cubs blank Reds
UNDATED (AP) — Scoring was hard to come by at Wrigley Field this afternoon.
David Bote’s fifth-inning homer was all the runs the Cubs needed in a 1-0 shutout of the Reds.
Bote went deep off Reds starter Vladimir Gutiérrez, who allowed just one other hit over five innings in his major league debut.
Winning pitcher Adbert Alzolay (AD’-burt AL’-zoh-ly) wriggled out of several jams while working into the sixth inning, allowing five hits and three walks to move to 3-4.
Craig Kimbrel worked a perfect ninth to close out the Cubs’ 10th win in 12 games.
Nick Castellanos ran his hitting streak to 14 games with a pair of singles, but the Reds fell for the eighth time in 11 games.
Also around the majors:
— Rain has caused the postponement of the Pirates and Rockies in Pittsburgh, the Brewers and Nationals in Washington and the Mets and Braves in New York. The Pirates and Nationals will host Saturday doubleheaders to make up the games. The Mets haven’t announced a makeup date.
MLB-NEWS
Stanton activated
UNDATED (AP) — Cody Bellinger is ready to return from a broken leg that’s sidelined him for nearly two months.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says the 2019 NL MVP will start in center field on Saturday and Sunday against San Francisco.
Bellinger has been out since April 5 with a hairline fracture in his left fibula.
In other MLB news:
— Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton is in the lineup tonight in Detroit after being taken off the injured list earlier in the day. Stanton had been out because of a strained left quadriceps and hadn’t played since May 13. He’s hitting .282 with nine home runs and 24 RBIs in 33 games this season.
— Indians outfielder Jordan Luplow (LOOP’-loh) has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left ankle. Luplow has been dealing with an ankle issue since training camp, and continued soreness and swelling over the past few days forced the Indians to make the move.
— Sixteen of the 30 major league teams have 85% vaccinations for players and other on-field personnel, up from 14 last week. Those teams have been able to relax coronavirus protocols, but the pace of vaccinations has slowed markedly. The commissioner’s office and the players’ association say three additional teams had reached the 85% level of having received final doses and would be able to relax protocols within the next two weeks once they are fully vaccinated.
NBA-NEWS
Bucks lose DiVincenzo for season with ankle injury
UNDATED (AP) — Donte DiVincenzo’s season is over. Tests showed Friday that the Milwaukee guard tore a ligament in his left ankle during Game 3 of the Bucks’ NBA playoff series against the Miami Heat.
DiVincenzo had appeared in 69 games for Milwaukee this season, all of them starts including the three playoff matchups. His regular-season averages of 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists were all the best of his three-year career.
In other NBA news:
— The Cavaliers intend to keep Kevin Love around. The five-time All-Star forward was limited to 25 games by injuries this past season, when the young Cavs went 22-50 and failed to be competitive. Love was never fully healthy and then led to some frustration, which reached a boiling point when he had an on-court meltdown against Toronto.
— The Knicks will sell tickets only to fully vaccinated fans if they reach the second round of the playoffs. The Knicks announced Friday that Game 5 of their first-round series against Atlanta has already sold out, with more than 16,000 fans expected on Wednesday. More than 90% of those in attendance for the first two games of the series were fully vaccinated.
— Cody Riley has entered his name in the NBA draft after helping UCLA to the Final Four. The redshirt junior forward averaged career highs of 10 points and 5.4 rebounds while starting all 31 games for the Bruins this season. In six NCAA Tournament games, Riley averaged nine points, six rebounds and 1.3 blocks. UCLA lost to eventual runner-up Gonzaga in the national semifinals.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-JAPAN
Japan extends virus emergency with safe Olympics at stake
TOKYO (AP) — Japan has extended a coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo and other areas for 20 more days, with infections still not slowing as it prepares to host the Olympics in just over 50 days. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga says the decision was made because cases remain high and medical systems in Osaka, the hardest-hit area in western Japan, are still overburdened.
The Olympics are scheduled to start July 23 after a one-year postponement due to the pandemic. Worries about new variants and Japan’s slow vaccination rollout have triggered calls from the public, medical experts and even a sponsor to cancel the games.
TEXAS-COMPENSATING ATHLETES
Texas lawmakers approve college athlete compensation bill
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas lawmakers have approved letting college athletes earn money with endorsements and sponsorship deals. Friday’s Senate vote sends the bill to Gov. Greg Abbott to consider signing into law.
Texas has five schools in the so-called Power Five conferences. Supporters of the measure say those schools need the bill to compete for top-level recruits.
