Update on the latest sports
APOLYMPICS
US women’s volleyball team finally golden
TOKYO (AP) — It’s a breakthrough for the U.S. women’s volleyball team and old hat for the country’s women’s basketball team at the Tokyo Games.
The volleyball team will leave Japan with the first Olympic gold medal in the program’s history. The Yanks took the final with a straight-sets victory over Brazil.
The U.S. had won silver three times and bronze twice previously for the most medals by any country that hadn’t won gold. But the Americans finally completed that quest by beating the country that denied them gold in the final match in both 2008 and 2012.
The women’s basketball team has run its Olympic winning streak to 55 games and seven gold medals.
Brittney Griner poured in 30 points on 14 of 18 shooting as the Americans knocked off Japan, 90-75. The U.S. jumped out to a 18-5 lead and was up 24-13 after one quarter behind Griner’s 10 points.
The outcome leaves Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi as the only basketball players to win five gold medals. Dawn Staley became the second woman to win a gold medal as a player, assistant and head coach, joining Anne Donovan.
Also in Tokyo:
— Jennifer Valente overcame a crash in the omnium-ending points race to hang on for the gold medal, capping what had been an otherwise frustrating and disappointing Olympics for American cycling. Valente won the opening scratch race, picked up three sprints in the points race and performed well in the elimination race to take an eight-point lead into the points race.
— Andy Cruz won Cuba’s fourth boxing gold medal by defeating U.S. lightweight Keyshawn Davis 4:1 in the final. Cruz had to rally with an impressive third round after Davis swept the second on all five judges’ cards.
— American Richard Torrez Jr. also had to settle for boxing silver with a 5:0 loss in the super heavyweight division. The U.S. had its most successful Olympics since 2000 in terms of total medals, but the country still hasn’t won a men’s gold medal since 2004.
— Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge (EHL’-ee-uhd kihp-CHOH’-gee) pulled away late and defended his Olympic marathon title. Kipchoge finished in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 38 seconds along the streets of Sapporo.
— The International Olympic Committee has given itself more power to remove sports from the Olympic program. It can now remove a sport if its governing body does not comply with a decision made by the IOC’s executive board or if it “acts in a manner likely to tarnish the reputation of the Olympic movement.” The change approved by IOC members comes amid prolonged issues with the leadership of weightlifting and boxing.
— The Tokyo Olympics ended with IOC President Thomas Bach declaring the Games closed after the French flag was raised inside Olympic Stadium for the transition to Paris 2024. After a short performance in the empty stadium, the cauldron closed around the Olympic flame, extinguishing it. Medals for the marathon were presented — an Olympic tradition — followed by traditional Japanese dances inside the stadium and on the videoboard.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Wheeler 2-hitter, Harper HR, Phils beat Mets, 8th win in row
UNDATED (AP) — Zack Wheeler pitched a two-hitter and struck out 11, Bryce Harper homered and the first-place Philadelphia Phillies finished off a three-game sweep for their eighth straight victory, 3-0 over the fading New York Mets.
Jean Segura and J.T. Realmuto also homered for the Phillies, who moved 2 1/2 games ahead of the Mets in the NL East. The streak is Philadelphia’s longest since winning eight straight in July 2010.
The Mets got a pregame pep talk in the clubhouse from owner Steve Cohen before losing for the seventh time in eight tries.
Elsewhere in the majors:
— Pinch-hitter Tommy La Stella singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the San Francisco Giants beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4 to take two of three in the series between division leaders. Brandon Belt had tied it in the seventh with a two-run pinch-hit homer off Daniel Norris. La Stella’s single up the middle off Brad Boxberger in the eighth scored Brandon Crawford, who had punched a roller into left against the shift and legged it out for a double. It was the second straight game Belt came through in a big situation. In the Giants’ 9-6 victory Saturday, Belt won it in the 11th with his second homer. Belt has four home runs over three games since he came off the injured list Thursday.
— Tyler Mahle struck out 10, Kyle Farmer delivered another key hit and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 for a four-game sweep. Nick Castellanos added a double and scored as playoff-chasing Cincinnati continued its dominance of the Pirates, improving to 9-1 against them this season, including 7-0 at Great American Ball Park. Mahle allowed six hits without walk in seven innings. He pitched seven innings for just the third time this season.
— Yusei Kikuchi (YOO’-say kih-KOO’-chee) and the Seattle bullpen combined on a six-hitter, Kyle Seager doubled to break a scoreless tie in the eighth inning and the Mariners avoided a four-game sweep, beating the New York Yankees 2-0. The Yankees had won five in a row. They lost for only the third time in 13 games, ending a tightly contested series between playoff contenders. New York rookie starter Luis Gil pitched two-hit ball for five scoreless innings, striking out eight. In his big league debut Tuesday against Baltimore, he threw six shutout innings, allowing four hits and fanning six. Kikuchi and Mariners relievers Casey Sadler, Paul Sewald and Drew Steckenrider combined to strike out 12.
— George Springer hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the eighth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays rallied from a five-run deficit to beat the Boston Red Sox 9-8. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added a two-run drive to help the Blue Jays finish 9-2 on their first homestand in Canada since September 2019. Guerrero’s homer was his 35th. Boston’s J.D. Martinez had four hits and three RBIs in his return to the lineup after being reinstated from the COVID-19 list.
— Jorge Polanco homered twice and drove in four runs, Miguel Sanó also hit a home run and the Minnesota Twins beat the Houston Astros 7-5 on Sunday. Polanco hit a solo home run in the fifth and a three-run shot to right in the sixth to help the Twins build a 7-3 lead. Sanó hit a monstrous two-run homer to left in the fourth. Kenta Maeda allowed three runs on six hits with five strikeouts in five innings. He won for the first time since July 4. Alex Colomé pitched the ninth for his fifth save. Houston has lost four of its last five games.
— Brett Phillips capped his first career two-homer game with a tiebreaking grand slam in the eighth inning, and the Tampa Bay Rays rallied to beat the Baltimore Orioles 9-6 for a three-game sweep. After Orioles starter Jorge López flustered Tampa Bay’s potent offense for six innings, the AL East-leading Rays feasted on Baltimore’s shoddy bullpen to erase a 5-2 deficit and hit a season-high 24 games over .500. Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander homered for the Orioles, who fell to 1-11 against Tampa Bay this season.
— Ozzie Albies and Adam Duvall each hit a two-run homer off Patrick Corbin, Max Fried pitched six strong innings and the Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 5-4. Corbin has allowed a National League-high 27 homers and is 0-4 with a 7.22 ERA in his last five starts. The lefty has lost his last five starts against Atlanta. The three-time defending division champion Braves are winners in five of six and won a second consecutive series for the first time since June 29-July 4 against the New York Mets and Miami Marlins.
— Miguel Cabrera got a planned day off as he closes in on his 500th career home run and the Cleveland Indians defeated the Detroit Tigers 7-5. Bradley Zimmer’s two-run homer off Erasmo Ramírez broke a seventh-inning tie. Cabrera has 498 homers and didn’t play as part of Detroit manager A.J. Hinch’s plan to help his slugger get through the season. Bryan Shaw pitched the seventh for the win and Emmanuel Clase worked the ninth for his second save of the series and 16th of the season.
MLB-NEWS
Another COVID positive for Yankees
UNDATED (AP) — Newcomer Anthony Rizzo has become the latest Yankees player to test positive for the coronavirus.
The first baseman tested positive after Saturday’s game against Seattle. He went 0 for 4 in the Yankees’ 5-4 victory.
Rizzo is the fourth New York player within the past week to be sidelined by COVID-19, joining starting pitchers Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery and catcher Gary Sánchez.
Rizzo is off to a quick start since being acquired from the Chicago Cubs on July 29. He is hitting .281 with three homers and six RBIs in nine games for New York. The Yankees recalled Luke Voit from the injured list to take Rizzo’s roster spot.
In other MLB news:
— The Red Sox have activated designated hitter J.D. Martinez and outfielder Jarren Duran from the COVID-19 injured list. Both players were in the lineup for Sunday’s game at Toronto. Duran was placed on the COVID-19 list Friday night, and Martinez joined him there before Saturday’s doubleheader.
— The Philadelphia Phillies have retired Roy Halladay’s No. 34 jersey. The team held a tribute for the late Hall of Famer Sunday on the same diamond where he pitched himself into history. Former teammates Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Raúl Ibañez as well as pitching coach Rich Dubee and manager Charlie Manuel were among those in attendance for the ceremony before the Phillies played the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park. Halladay died in a 2017 plane crash at age 40. He spent four of his 16 seasons in Philadelphia and was twice an All-Star.
NFL-NEWS
Indianapolis locks up Leonard with richest LB contract
UNDATED (AP) — Darius Leonard has agreed to a five-year contract extension with the Indianapolis Colts worth $99.25 million, making him the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL.
The deal keeps Leonard off the 2022 free-agent market and means the Colts have locked up their two biggest offseason priorities in the past two weeks. Right tackle Braden Smith signed his extension in late July.
In other NFL news:
— All-Pro cornerback Xavien Howard has agreed to a reworked contract with the Miami Dolphins 12 days after he had requested a trade. The agreement allows Howard to earn up to $3.5 million in new incentives this year, with more guaranteed money in 2022. The sixth-year pro said he’s glad to be staying in Miami. Howard had 10 interceptions last year, the most in the NFL since 2007. He has been limited in training camp because of an ankle injury.
— Jacksonville Jaguars receiver DJ Chark had surgery to repair a broken finger on his right hand, but coach Urban Meyer said Sunday the fourth-year pro is expected to be ready for the season opener next month. Chark has 140 catches for 1,888 yards and 13 touchdowns in three seasons. He made the Pro Bowl in 2019.
— The Pro Football Hall of Fame turns its attention Sunday to inducting eight men from the class of 2021, a day after the 20 members of the class of 2020 were enshrined. Peyton Manning, John Lynch, Calvin Johnson, Charles Woodson and Alan Faneca (FAN’-ee-kuh) are being inducted as modern-day players. Tom Flores will enter in the coaching category, Drew Pearson in the senior category. Bill Nunn, who was recognized posthumously in April from the contributors, will be featured in a video tribute.
— Green Bay Packers wide receiver Devin Funchess has apologized for using a racial slur against Asians during a news conference on Saturday night. Funchess said on Twitter that he “meant no harm.” He added that he understood that his comment was “not OK.”
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-BOWDEN OBIT
Bobby Bowden, who led Florida State football dynasty, dies at 91
UNDATED (AP) — College football is mourning the loss of one of its greatest coaches. Bobby Bowden has died after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
His son, Terry, says his father died at home in Tallahassee, Florida, surrounded by family early Sunday morning. He was 91.
Bowden led Florida State to two national championships and a record of 315-98-4 during his 34 seasons with the Seminoles. In all, Bowden had 377 wins during his 40 years in major college coaching. He was selected for the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Services are scheduled for Saturday at the Donald L Tucker Center, Florida State’s basketball arena.
