Update on the latest sports
APMLB-SCHEDULE
Oakland’s 13-game winning streak ends, Orioles romp 8-1
UNDATED (AP) — Oakland’s 13-game winning streak ended Sunday as Austin Hays hit a pair of home runs, starter John Means had another stellar performance and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Athletics 8-1.
Means allowed just one run on two hits over 6 1/3 innings, lowering his ERA to 1.50. Hays hit his first two homers of the season. Cedric Mullins had three hits, raising his average to .350 for Baltimore.
The A’s, who opened the season with six straight losses, had put together their third-longest winning string since moving to Oakland in 1968. The Athletics won 14 in a row in 1988 and a then-American League record of 20 consecutive wins in 2002. Cleveland broke that mark with 22 straight in 2017. Oakland’s string had been the longest in the majors since that run by the Indians.
Elsewhere in the majors:
— Zac Gallen pitched a one-hitter in a seven-inning shutout, Stephen Vogt and Kole Calhoun homered and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Atlanta Braves in the first game of a doubleheader. Gallen allowed only Freddie Freeman’s sharp single to right-center field with one out in the sixth. Gallen struck out six, walked two and hit a batter. This was his first complete game in 30 major league starts. Arizona has won five of six.
— Toronto starter Hyun Jin Ryu was forced to leave early with a minor strain and five relievers completed the shutout, lifting the Blue Jays over the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0. Ryu gave up three hits and struck out five in 3 2/3 innings but exited with right glute injury after giving up a single to Manuel Margot. Rafael Dolis got four outs to get his second save. Santiago Espinal singled home the game’s only run in the fifth inning.
— Taijuan Walker pitched three-hit ball over seven innings in his first win for the Mets, J.D. Davis hit a two–run homer in the first off a faltering Patrick Corbin and New York beat Washington 4-0 to take two of three in the matchup of NL East rivals. Corbin lost his 10th straight decision dating to last August. Walker, who signed a $23 million, three-year contract as a free agent, made his fourth start. He allowed a pair of leadoff runners but picked off Josh Harrison in the first.
— Franmil Reyes hit a three-run homer, tripled and had his first career stolen base, helping the Cleveland Indians avoid a four-game series sweep with a 7-3 victory over the New York Yankees. Reyes’ three-run shot off Jameson Taillon in the fourth inning gave Cleveland a 4-3 lead and he delivered his second MLB triple in the sixth. Gio Urshela and Mike Ford hit back-to-back homers in the top of the fourth for New York, which was seeking its first four-game sweep in Cleveland since 1996. Rookie Sam Hentges earned his first major league victory with 1 2/3 innings of relief.
— J.D. Martinez had two more doubles and Eduardo Rodriguez struck out eight Mariners in six innings to help the Red Sox beat Seattle 5-3. It was Boston’s major league-leading 11th comeback victory of the season. Seattle starter Nick Margevicius got just one out while allowing four runs in the first inning. He faced seven batters and walked four of them — two with the bases loaded — while also allowing two hits. Rodriguez allowed six hits — five of them doubles — and no walks to remain unbeaten on the year.
— Danny Duffy pitched five scoreless innings, and the Kansas City Royals kept Detroit’s offense quiet again in a 4-0 victory over the Tigers. A day after the Royals prevailed 2-1 in a game that took 2 hours, 10 minutes, Duffy allowed four hits while striking out eight. He’s allowed one earned run in 23 innings so far this season. Hunter Dozier hit a solo homer for the AL Central-leading Royals, who have won four straight. Kansas City has allowed only three runs through the first three games of this series. The Tigers have lost nine of 10.
NBA-SCHEDULE
Graham scores 24 as Hornets rout Celtics 125-104
UNDATED (AP) — Devonte Graham had 24 points and nine assists, P.J. Washington added 22 points and 12 rebounds and the Charlotte Hornets defeated the Boston Celtics 125-104.
Terry Rozier had 21 points and 11 assists and Miles Bridges stayed hot with 20 points, and the Hornets avenged a 30-point loss to the Celtics earlier this season.
Charlotte pulled within 1 1/2 games of Boston for the sixth spot in the East. Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown each had 20 points and Jayson Tatum added 19 points and 11 rebounds for Boston, which has dropped two straight games.
NBA-NEWS
Durant back for Nets after 3-game absence with thigh injury
UNDATED (AP) — Kevin Durant was back for the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday against Phoenix after missing three games with a bruised left thigh.
Durant was hurt last Sunday against Miami. Coach Steve Nash said the Nets would go in with the goal of playing the All-Star forward fewer than 30 minutes against the Suns.
Durant has played in just five of the previous 32 games. In his first season back after missing all of last season while recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, he has been limited to just 24 games because of injuries and COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
The Nets have 12 games remaining, including three sets of back-to-backs. Nash said his preference remains that Durant doesn’t play in both games in those situations, so it’s unlikely Durant plays in every game before the playoffs even if he remains healthy.
In other NBA news:
— Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford has tested positive for the coronavirus and will miss multiple games while going through the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Assistant coach Tyrone Corbin will coach in Clifford’s absence, starting with Sunday night’s game against Indiana. There is no timetable for Clifford’s return. Typically, those in the league who have tested positive have missed at least 10 days before being cleared to resume work. That would mean Clifford could miss much of the remainder of the season.
MLB-NEWS
Cubs reliever Ryan Tepera gets suspension reduced to 2 games
UNDATED (AP) — Chicago Cubs reliever Ryan Tepera has had his three-game suspension for throwing at Milwaukee’s Brandon Woodruff reduced to two games.
Tepera began his suspension with Sunday’s series finale against the Brewers. The Cubs begin a four-game series at Atlanta on Monday night.
Tepera also was fined by MLB senior vice president for on-field operations Michael Hill. He appealed the discipline to MLB special adviser John McHale Jr.
The 33-year-old Tepera threw a pitch behind Woodruff in the fifth inning of Chicago’s 3-2 victory at Milwaukee on April 13. Cubs catcher Willson Contreras had been plunked earlier in the game, and Tepera said he wanted to send a message because he felt his team had been hit too often in the past couple of years.
In other baseball news:
— The Milwaukee Brewers are moving along with their plan for Christian Yelich (YEH’-lihch) after an MRI on the slugger’s strained lower back showed no major issues. Yelich hasn’t played since April 11. He was eligible to come off the injured list this weekend, but the 2018 NL MVP was sent back to Milwaukee because manager Craig Counsell said the outfielder had hit a “plateau” in his recovery. Counsell says the team “basically just ruled out anything significant structurally that would show up on the MRI.”
— The Braves have sent Sean Kazmar Jr. to their alternate training site, a week after the infielder returned to the majors for the first time since 2008. The 36-year-old Kazmar became an instant feel-good story when Atlanta brought him up to the big leagues. Kazmar hit .205 in 19 games for San Diego when he debuted 13 years ago, and had been in the minors since then. Kazmar got into two games for Atlanta and batted just once — he grounded into a double play against the Cubs at Wrigley Field and was a pinch-runner at Yankee Stadium. Kazmar lost his roster spot when the Braves reinstated lefty Drew Smyly from the injured list to start Saturday night against Arizona. The game got rained out, and the Braves and Diamondbacks are now scheduled for a doubleheader.
— The Miami Marlins’ minor league complex in Jupiter, Florida, was shut down for the weekend after five players tested positive for COVID-19, a club spokesman said. The stricken players were isolated. About 120 players train at the complex. The interruption in workouts is not expected to affect the start of the season for any of the Marlins’ four full-season affiliates — the Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Class A Beloit Snappers and Class A Jupiter Hammerheads. Their seasons begin May 4.
NHL-BLACKHAWKS-STILLMAN
Blackhawks announce 3-year extension with D Riley Stillman
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to a three-year contract extension with defenseman Riley Stillman. The contract runs through the 2023-24 season and carries an annual cap hit of $1.35 million.
The 23-year-old Stillman was acquired in a multiplayer trade with Florida on April 8. He has 16 hits and eight blocked shots in six games with Chicago.
Stillman was selected by Florida in the 2016 NHL draft. He appeared in 34 games with the Panthers last season, finishing with five assists. He also skated in three playoff games last year.
INDYCAR-ST. PETE
Herta takes St. Pete, ties father on IndyCar win list with 4
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Colton Herta has won on the street course at St. Petersburg for his fourth career IndyCar victory. That ties him with his father, Bryan, on IndyCar’s win list.
It took Bryan Herta 12 years to win his four races but his son has done it in just 34 starts. The father and son have been paired on the radio this season. Colton Herta is considered a rising IndyCar star and legitimate title favorite. His win was the 66th for Andretti Autosport, which struggled through 2020 with only one victory.
Josef Newgarden finished second and Simon Pagenaud (see-MOHN’ PA’-zheh-noh) was third.
NASCAR-VACCINATIONS
NASCAR not considering requiring COVID vaccinations
TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) — NASCAR is not considering mandating its competitors be vaccinated against COVID-19. President Steve Phelps says he thinks it’s important for people to get vaccinated but that making it a requirement would be a “slippery slope.”
Phelps spoke before Sunday’s Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.
Bubba Wallace recently partnered with Novant Health to address the hesitancy some have about getting vaccinated. He and Denny Hamlin are among the very few NASCAR drivers who have publicized receiving their shots.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN QB SHOT
Central Michigan QB seriously injured in off-campus shooting
CHICAGO (AP) — An off-campus shooting left two Central Michigan University students, including quarterback John Keller, hospitalized Sunday for gunshot wounds.
Officers with the Isabella County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to an apartment complex near the Mount Pleasant campus for reports of a shooting early Saturday. Authorities said two students suffered single gunshot wounds.
The sheriff’s office said Sunday that one student was airlifted to a hospital and listed in serious condition. Another was listed as stable.
University officials identified the students Sunday as Keller, a junior, and senior Tyler Bunting.
