Update on the latest sports
APMLB-SCHEDULE
Judge, Sánchez drive Yanks to blowout win over Royals
UNDATED (AP) — Aaron Judge homered for the first of his three hits, Gary Sánchez connected for the second straight game and the New York Yankees got their first blowout victory in a month, beating the Kansas City Royals 8-1.
Judge got New York started with a solo shot in the first, Luke Voit had another in the third and Sánchez blew the game open with a three-run drive in the sixth. It was the first time New York won by more than four runs since May 22, when the Yankees routed the Chicago White Sox 7-0. Jameson Taillon matched a season high by pitching 6 1/3 innings.
In other Thursday action:
Chris Bassitt has won eight decisions in a row for the Oakland Athletics. Bassitt allowed one run over seven innings as the A’s beat the Texas Rangers 5-1 on Thursday for a split in the four-game series. Jed Lowrie had a long solo homer and an RBI single. Bassitt is 8-0 in 14 games since being the opening day starter and losing his first two games. Rangers starter Kolby Allard managed to make it six innings. The only other run he allowed was Lowrie’s homer in the fourth.
MLB-NEWS
Oakland’s Fiers likely not throwing another month
UNDATED (AP) — Oakland 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, who last pitched May 6, won’t need surgery after he felt discomfort when trying to resume throwing this week. Fiers, who has made only two starts this season and hasn’t pitched since May 6, visited with Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday. Fiers missed the first 22 games of the season because of a lumbar strain before his debut April 30 and made his only other start May 6. Melvin said the A’s still believe there is a possibility for the 36-year-old Fiers to pitch again this season.
NHL- NEWS
Expansion Seattle Kraken hire Dave Hakstol as first coach
UNDATED (AP) — The NHL’s newest team now has a coach. The expansion Seattle Kraken hired Dave Hakstol on Thursday to take charge of the team that will play its first NHL season beginning in the 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. The longtime college coach at North Dakota spent the past two seasons as a Toronto Maple Leafs assistant.Hakstol got the Seattle job over former Arizona coach Rick Tocchet (TAH’-keht) and others who interviewed multiple times.
In other NHL news:
—An unidentified former Chicago 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 Thursday night 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 Thursday 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 Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle is returning to Indiana to coach the Pacers, the team that relaunched his head coaching career almost two decades ago. The 61-year-old NBA veteran confirmed the decision to The Associated Press, though the team hasn’t announced it. 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.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPORTS
Steelers stay home for training camp for 2nd straight year
UNDATED (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers are staying home for training camp. The team announced Thursday it will not go to Saint Vincent College for the second straight summer after the NFL declined the organization’s plan.
Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten said the club is “disappointed” it will not return to the small school in Latrobe — about an hour east of downtown Pittsburgh — that has served as the team’s camp since 1966. He said in a statement that the plan to host training camp on campus with fans wasn’t approved due to NFL’s COVID-19 protocols.
The Steelers will instead split time between Heinz Field and their training complex in the city’s South Side. The team does plan to allow fans at select practices once their practice schedule is set.
In other pandemic-related news:
— 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
— Danish health officials say at least seven people have tested positive for the coronavirus after attending European Championship soccer games in Copenhagen. Officials have urged thousands of fans who were at Denmark’s game against Belgium on June 17 to get checked after at least five people were found to be positive with the delta variant.
— Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton says he is concerned about fans visiting next month’s British Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver calls the decision to allow a full capacity crowd at Silverstone “a bit premature” amid the rising number of coronavirus cases.
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.
That includes players on the nationally renowned Kentucky and Louisville men’s basketball teams. The Democratic governor said Thursday he took the action as a matter of fairness for college athletes. He says it 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. Beshear said his executive order takes effect July 1, when similar legislation passed in several other states will become law.
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 because Telfer has not met the conditions World Athletics established in its eligibility regulations for certain women’s events.
Telfer was entered in this week’s trials but was ultimately not allowed to compete because of guidelines World Athletics released in 2019 that closed off international women’s events of between 400 meters and a mile to athletes who did not meet the eligibility requirements. 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.
Telfer competed for the men’s team at Division II Franklin Pierce, but took time off, then came back to compete for the women’s team. In 2019, Telfer won the NCAA title.
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.
