Update on the latest sports
APMLB-SCHEDULE
Rays push winning streak to 7, beat O’s 10-1 for sweep
UNDATED (AP) — Joey Wendle homered twice, Rich Hill combined with his bullpen on a two-hitter and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles 10-1 to extend their winning streak to seven games.
Tampa Bay outscored the Orioles 32-14 and out-hit them 43-22 during its first three-game sweep at Camden Yards since May 17-19, 2013.
The Rays at 26-19 are seven games over .500 for the first time this year. They hit 17 homers during the streak, Baltimore has lost 10 of 12 and at 17-26 is a season-high nine games under .500. The Orioles fell to a majors-worst 6-18 at home.
In other Thursday action:
—Martín Maldonado homered and drove in three runs, helping the Houston Astros beat the Oakland 8-4 to move ahead of the Athletics for the AL West lead. Alex Bregman, Michael Brantley and Yuli Gurriel also had run-scoring hits for the Astros in the rubber match of a three-game series. Houston is 21-9 against division opponents, including 7-3 against Oakland, and at 26-18 has sole possession of the division lead for the first time since before play on April 9. Mark Canha, Tony Kemp and Seth Brown homered for the A’s. Luis Garcia won his second straight start.
—Steven Duggar hit his first career grand slam in a nine-run third inning, Brandon Crawford drove in six runs and the San Francisco Giants routed the Cincinnati Reds 19-4 to sweep a four-game series. Darin Ruf had four hits, including a two-run homer in third. Crawford hit a three-run homer in the fifth, becoming the Giants first primary shortstop with 11 homers in a season’s first 37 games. San Francisco outscored Cincinnati 33-9 in the series and extended its winning streak to five. The NL West-leading Giants have the best record in the major leagues at 28-16.
—Domingo Germán followed Corey Kluber’s no-hitter with seven more scoreless innings, Gio Urshela and Aaron Judge delivered RBI singles as pinch-hitters in the seventh inning and the New York Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 2-0. New York won its sixth straight series and at 25-19 moved a season-high six games over .500. Yankees pitchers have thrown seven shutouts in the team’s first 44 games for the first time since 1967. Texas had at least one hit in each of the first five innings, starting with Nick Solak’s single, a day after Kluber pitched the major leagues’ sixth no-hitter.
—Phil Gosselin homered and hit a three-run double in the first two innings, and Alex Cobb pitched five strong innings in the Los Angeles Angels’ 7-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins in the first game of a makeup doubleheader. Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer for the Angels in the opener of a doubleheader necessitated by a COVID-19 outbreak among the Twins while they were in Anaheim last month, forcing the postponement of two weekend games. Gosselin’s four RBIs matched the best total of his nine-year big league career.
MLB-NEWS-CUBS-COVID19 VACCINATIONS
Hoyer disappointed with Cubs’ COVID-19 vaccination rate
UNDATED (AP) — Chicago Cubs executive Jed Hoyer is disappointed with the team’s COVID-19 vaccination rate, and he isn’t sure if it will ever reach Major League Baseball’s threshold for relaxing some of its coronavirus protocols.
Despite the team’s vaccination advocacy and education program, the Cubs remain shy of 85% for their Tier 1 players and staff. Hoyer says “there’s a real competitive advantage” to the relaxation of MLB’s COVID-19 rules.
In other news around MLB:
—The Seattle Mariners have claimed catcher Jacob Nottingham off waivers from Milwaukee for a second time this season as part of a series of roster moves. Nottingham was claimed by the Mariners in late April but was subsequently traded back to Milwaukee when the Brewers were in need of catching help.
— Vince Velasquez was a late scratch for the Philadelphia Phillies because of numb index finger on his right hand. The Phillies instead started long reliever David Hale (0-1, 5.09 ERA) on short notice Thursday against the Marlins.
— The Chicago Cubs have placed outfielder Jason Heyward on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. Heyward left Wednesday night’s 4-3 loss to Washington in the fourth inning. He is batting .183 with four homers and 13 RBIs in 39 games. The Cubs also recalled outfielder Nick Martini from Triple-A Iowa before their 5-2 victory over the Nationals.
NBA-PLAY-IN-PACERS-WIZARDS
Wizards host Pacers for chance to face top seed Philadelphia
UNDATED (AP) — Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal and the Washington Wizards are hosting the Indiana Pacers tonight in a win-or-go-home game in the NBA’s play-in round. The team that wins will move on to face the No. 1 seed Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The team that loses is done for the season.
Westbrook’s record-breaking triple-double ability and Beal’s scoring pushed Washington to a 17-6 run to close the regular season.
The Pacers are without Caris LeVert but hope to count on Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon to lead them to a fifth consecutive playoff appearance. Washington swept the teams’ season series 3-0.
In other NBA news:
—Atlanta Hawks interim coach Nate McMillan was fined $25,000 by the NBA after saying the league is rooting for the success of the New York Knicks and implying his team may struggle to get calls in the opening round of the playoffs. The Hawks face the Knicks in a best-of-seven series that begins Sunday at Madison Square Garden. McMillan called the Knicks one of the league’s glamour franchises, even though this is New York’s first appearance in the playoffs since 2013.
—Atlanta Hawks forward Cam Reddish is expected to miss the opening round of the playoffs as he continues his extended recovery from an ailing right Achilles. The team says Reddish has expanded his rehabilitation to include unrestricted individual workouts and limited participation in team practice. His status will be reviewed again in 10-14 days.
—Denver’s Nikola Jokic finished ninth in the MVP voting last season. Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Golden State’s Stephen Curry didn’t get listed on a single ballot a year ago. A year later, one of them will walk away with the NBA’s highest individual prize. Jokic, Embiid and Curry were revealed Thursday night as the three top votegetters for this year’s NBA MVP award, one that will be presented sometime during the playoffs. Curry is a two-time winner, Jokic’s best previous finish was fourth in 2019 and Embiid’s best MVP showing was seventh in 2019.
NHL-PLAYOFFS
Three Game3s and a series opener on tap
UNDATED (AP) — Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has stopped 63 of 65 shots from the Minnesota Wild over the first two games of their West Division playoff series. They’re tied 1-1 heading into Game 3 Thursday night in Minnesota.
In other Game 3s on Thursday, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Florida Panthers with a 2-0 lead in their Central Division matchup. The Pittsburgh Penguins play at the New York Islanders with that East Division series tied.
In the North Division, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens for Game 1 and the first postseason meeting between the teams in 42 years.
NHL-AVALANCHE-KADRI SUSPENDED
Avalanche’s Kadri suspended for hit vs Blues pending hearing
DENVER (AP) — Colorado’s Nazem Kadri (NAH’-zehm KAH’-dree) was suspended indefinitely Thursday pending a video hearing with NHL officials over his illegal check to the head of St. Louis defenseman Justin Faulk in Game 2 of the teams’ playoff series.
Kadri clipped Faulk in the head with his right elbow midway through the third period Wednesday night. Faulk left the game, and Kadri was thrown out with a match penalty.
Kadri has three previous playoff suspensions on his record in addition to a four-game ban late in the regular season in 2015 for an illegal check to the head. He was suspended four games for cross-checking in 2016, three games for boarding in 2018 and the rest of the first round for cross-checking in 2019. All those transgressions were with Toronto, which traded him to Colorado in July 2019.
The Avalanche lead their series with the Blues 2-0. Game 3 is Friday night in St. Louis.
NFL-JAGUARS MOVES
Reunited: Tebow signs with Jags, rejoins Meyer as tight end
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Tim Tebow and Urban Meyer are together again. But this time in the NFL and with Tebow playing a new position.
The former Florida star and 2007 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback has signed a one-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars and will attempt to revive his pro career as a tight end. The move also reunites two of college football’s most polarizing figures over the past 15 years.
The 33-year-old Tebow is returning to the NFL after five years in the New York Mets’ organization and he’ll be playing for Meyer for the first time since his senior year in 2009.
The Jacksonville Jaguars also signed rookie tight end Luke Farrell, getting their third of nine draft picks under contract. Fourth-round pass rusher Jordan Smith and sixth-round receiver Jalen Camp signed earlier this week.
Elsewhere in the NFL:
Washington is releasing longtime starting right tackle Morgan Moses and reserve Geron Christian, a person with direct knowledge of the moves tells The Associated Press. Moses started for Washington at right tackle every game for the past six seasons. Signing former Chicago Bears offensive tackle Charles Leno and drafting Samuel Cosmi in the second round led to Washington’s surprising decision to cut ties with Moses. The team saves $7.5 million against the salary cap. The 30-year-old fan favorite from Richmond, Virginia, is a free agent effective immediately.
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Corey Conners alone in lead at PGA Championship
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Corey Conners made it look stress-free amid the wind and havoc of Kiawah Island.
He made only one bogey on his way to a 67 and a two-shot lead in the PGA Championship. The wind was stiff enough off the Atlantic that only seven players shot in the 60s. That’s the fewest for the opening round of a PGA Championship since 2002.
Brooks Koepka was among those two shots behind. Keegan Bradley, Viktor Hovland, Aaron Wide and Sam Horsfield also fired 69s
The Ocean Course is playing shorter because of the wind but that didn’t make it easy. There was plenty of stress for Dustin Johnson. He made two double bogeys and shot 76. Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy each shot 75.
