Update on the latest sports
APMLB-SCHEDULE
Yankees go for 12 straight
UNDATED (AP) — The Yankees try for their longest winning streak in 60 years when they open a four-game series Thursday night in Oakland.
New York has won 11 in a row for the first time since 1985. The storied Yankees haven’t won 12 straight since Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris powered a 13-game run in September 1961.
Jameson Taillon (TY’-ahn) pitches for the Yankees against James Kaprielian (kah-PREE’-lee-an), a first-round draft pick by the Yankees in 2015. Taillon is 7-0 since his last loss on May 31. Kaprielian is 2-0 with a 3.31 ERA in three starts since coming off the injured list.
The A’s have lost four straight and eight of 10 to fall out of playoff position in an AL wild-card race now led by the Yankees.
In other highlights of Thursday’s schedule:
— One night after outlasting San Diego in 16 innings, the Dodgers go for a three-game sweep of their NL West rivals with Max Scherzer on the mound and Mookie Betts expected back in the lineup. Yu Darvish is scheduled to come off the injured list for the Padres, who have lost three straight and 11 of 13. Scherzer makes his fifth start since Los Angeles acquired him from Washington at the July 30 trade deadline. Scherzer hasn’t lost since May 30 and will attempt to go 8-0 over 13 starts. But he’s allowed 11 runs over 10 2/3 innings in two starts against San Diego this season, both no-decisions. AJ Pollock’s two-run homer in the 16th sent Los Angeles to a 5-3 victory early Thursday in by far the longest major league game since pandemic rules were implemented last year.
— A day after ending their 19-game losing streak, the Baltimore Orioles try to make it two in a row against the Los Angeles Angels. Baltimore finally stopped its slide Wednesday night, rallying to beat Los Angeles 10-6 after a shaky start by Shohei Ohtani (SHOH’-hay oh-TAH’-nee) left the Angels’ bullpen with too much to do. The Orioles were two losses shy of the American League record for the longest skid — which they set themselves in 1988 when they started 0-21. Keegan Akin starts the series finale for Baltimore against Jaime Barria.
— The slumping Philadelphia Phillies host the NL-worst Arizona Diamondbacks to begin a four-game series. If the Phillies fail to catch Atlanta in the NL East race, they can’t blame their schedule. Of their 11 remaining series, nine are against teams that currently have losing records. Philly has 36 games left and just six are against winning teams: three-game sets at NL Central-leading Milwaukee and NL East-leading Atlanta. In addition to the woeful Diamondbacks, the Phillies will host the even worse Baltimore Orioles next month. Philly also welcomes the Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs and last-place Pittsburgh Pirates, and has two road series at Miami, one at Washington and one at the New York Mets.
— Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard is slated to pitch an inning for High-A Brooklyn as he begins his second minor league rehab assignment following Tommy John surgery in March 2020. His first rehab stint was shut down in May due to elbow discomfort. Acting general manager Zack Scott said Tuesday that New York plans to use Syndergaard in relief when he returns, hoping it will shorten the length of his rehab assignment. The 28-year-old Syndergaard can become a free agent after the season.
NFL-BILLS-MCKENZIE FINED
Bills’ McKenzie faces discipline for breaking COVID rules
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills receiver Isaiah McKenzie has revealed that he faces NFL discipline for violating the league’s COVID-19 protocols for unvaccinated players by failing to wear a mask inside the team’s facility.
In a social media post Thursday McKenzie wrote: “They got me! @NFL you win!” The post included a copy of the first page of a letter he received from the league informing him of the violation.
It was McKenzie’s second violation; the league issued him a warning on July 27, a day before the Bills opened training camp. Under league rules, the first offense for violating the protocols will result in a fine of $14,650. Repeat violations could result in a player being suspended or fined a week’s salary.
The NFL wrote that McKenzie twice failed to wear a mask on Wednesday. The first violation came while he walked through the team’s fieldhouse to the trainer’s room, and the second was later in the day while he was in a meeting area of the weight room near other players. The league also noted his violation came shortly after NFL staff made a presentation reminding players of the mask-wearing requirements and that penalties may result to players who fail to do so.
McKenzie’s violations came days after four Bills players were required to spend at least five days in self-quarantine after being deemed to have had close contact with a trainer who tested positive for COVID-19. The four players are receivers Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis and defensive tackles Star Lotulelei and Vernon Butler. All four tested negative on Tuesday, while general manager Brandon Beane said the trainer — who is vaccinated — is experiencing mild symptoms.
