Salvador Perez homered twice to set a career high with 29 this season, and the Kansas City Royals rallied to beat the New York Yankees 8-4. Perez put the Royals ahead with a two-run blast in the first inning estimated at 418 feet, and he tied the game at 4 leading off the sixth. It was the fourth multi-homer game this season and 10th of his career for Perez, who marked the 10th anniversary of his major league debut.
In other MLB action:
Tampa Bay's Francisco Mejía singled with the bases loaded in the ninth, Boston's Hunter Renfroe made a costly error on the play, and it helped the Rays rally past the Red Sox 8-4. Tampa Bay's lead in the AL East is now up to five games.
Corey Seager and Max Muncy homered and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-0. The Phillies had their eight-game winning streak end. Max Scherzer and Aaron Nola had a a pitchers' duel ruined by rain. Scherzer and Nola combined for 13 strikeouts over a combined 7 1/3 innings in a scoreless matchup before heavy rain delayed the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. Neither star pitcher returned when the game resumed.
Justin Upton and Phil Gosselin each had two hits and two RBIs, and the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 in the first game of an unusual doubleheader. Toronto batted last and was the "home" team at Angel Stadium in the first game, a makeup from an April 11 rainout at the Blue Jays' temporary home field early this season in Dunedin, Florida. In the nightcap, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit an early RBI single and Shohei Ohtani struck out with the bases loaded for the final out as the Blue Jays beat the Angels 4-0.
Jed Lowrie hit an RBI double in the 10th inning and the Oakland Athletics extended their winning streak to five, beating the Cleveland Indians 4-3. Oakland moved into sole possession of the top AL wild-card spot, one game ahead of Boston. Indians reliever Nick Wittgren retired the first two batters in the 10th before intentionally walking Matt Olson. Lowrie followed with a double to left field, scoring automatic runner Elvis Andrus.
Luis Urías had two hits during a six-run, fifth-inning rally as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 6-3 to complete a doubleheader sweep. The nightcap was delayed by rain with one out in the top of the third, which limited starter Aaron Ashby to two scoreless innings. The Brewers then used six pitchers to complete the final five innings. Miguel Sanchez threw one pitch to get the final out in the fourth inning for the win. The NL Central leaders are a major league-best 36-19 on the road. In the opener, Avisail García smacked a go-ahead two-run homer in Milwaukee's 4-2 win.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Yonny Hernandez each hit an RBI single in the 10th inning, and the Texas Rangers snapped a 14-game road losing streak with a 5-4 win over the Seattle Mariners. The Rangers rallied twice to end their six-game skid overall, taking a 3-2 lead in the ninth on rookie Adolis García's 25th home run before reliever Spencer Patton blew it. Patton walked three of the first four batters he faced to tie the game 3-all and load the bases with no outs. But he struck out J.P. Crawford and Mitch Haniger, and Brett Martin got the third out to send the game into extra innings.
Austin Nola hit a go-ahead single in the seventh inning, lifting the San Diego Padres over Miami 6-5 and sending the Marlins to their fifth straight loss. Nola had two hits and two RBIs. He extended his hitting streak to a career-best nine games. With the score tied 5-all and Adam Frazier on second base with two outs, Nola hit a sharp single to left field against Richard Bleier. Mark Melancon got the last out of the eighth, worked around a leadoff double in the ninth and notched his MLB-leading 34th save.
LaMonte Wade Jr. scored the winning run with two outs in the ninth inning when first baseman Christian Walker failed to handle Kris Bryant's sharp grounder, and the San Francisco Giants danced on the field celebrating an 8-7 victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Giants won their third straight and fifth in six games, doing it the hard way after going up 5-0 in the fifth. Brandon Crawford hit a go-ahead double in the eighth and Buster Posey homered. After scoring from first on Crawford's hit, Posey came up from his feet-first slide smiling and told Bryant, "I'm so fast."
Adam Duvall hit a two-run homer, Stephen Vogt's bases-loaded walk in the sixth forced in the go-ahead run and the Atlanta Braves beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 in a matchup of second-place teams. Braves left-hander Drew Smyly recovered after allowing a two-run home run to Aristides Aquino in the second inning. Smyly allowed two runs on only two hits in six innings. The left-hander won his sixth consecutive decision. The Braves began the night two games behind Philadelphia in the NL East. The Reds were six games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central.
Willians Astudillo hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning and the Minnesota Twins held on for a 4-3 victory to stop a four-game winning streak for the Chicago White Sox. Rookie pitcher Griffin Jax gave the Twins a career-high six innings. He fell behind 3-2 on consecutive homers by Adam Engel and José Abreu in the third. Jax is the first Air Force Academy graduate to reach the major leagues. He struck out a career-best 10 with one walk. White Sox starter Dallas Keuchel gave up four runs in six innings.
Jake Odorizzi and four relievers combined on a five-hit shutout, Taylor Jones had a two-run double and the Houston Astros beat the Colorado Rockies 5-0. Houston scored three runs in the fourth inning off Colorado starter Jon Gray. Chas McCormick had an RBI single, and Jones followed with a double. Jones and McCormick each finished with two hits. Michael Brantley had an RBI double in the fifth, and José Altuve added an RBI single in the sixth.
J.A. Happ combined with a trio of relievers on a one-hitter, Tommy Edman and Paul DeJong homered early and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the skidding Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1. Happ retired the first nine batters, then gave up rookie Hoy Park's first career home run to lead off the fourth inning. Making his second start for the Cardinals since being acquired from the Twins in a July 30 trade, Happ struck out five and walked two.
Willi Castro doubled, tripled and drove in three runs, and Detroit beat the Baltimore Orioles 9-4 in a game that included a scary collision between two Tigers outfielders. Center fielder Derek Hill and left fielder Akil Baddoo were shaken up after running into each other while chasing Anthony Santander's eighth-inning fly ball. Hill did make the catch, and although they both left the game, the two players were able to walk off the field after a bit of a delay.
The series opener between the Washington Nationals and New York Mets was suspended in the top of the second inning because of rain. Washington is ahead 3-1 on the strength of a three-run homer from Juan Soto in his return to the starting lineup. Play will resume Wednesday at 4:10 p.m., and the game will remain scheduled for nine innings. Under pandemic rules, the regularly scheduled game between the teams Wednesday night will now be shortened to seven innings.
In MLB news:
Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly is expected to rejoin the team Friday. He has been sidelined since he tested positive for COVID-19 on July 31. The 60-year-old Mattingly, who was vaccinated in mid-April, experienced mild symptoms. The Marlins began a series at San Diego on Monday, and Mattingly plans to return to the dugout when they start a homestand Friday against the Chicago Cubs. James Rowson has been the Marlins' acting manager in Mattingly's absence.
The Tampa Bay Rays placed left-handed pitcher Ryan Yarbrough on the COVID-19 injured list on Tuesday. Manager Kevin Cash said Yarbrough did not join the club in Boston for a three-game series that opened Tuesday night at Fenway Park. Yarbrough last pitched Friday, when he allowed five runs on nine hits in five innings before the Rays beat the Orioles 10-6. The Rays also activated outfielder Randy Arozarena from the COVID-19 injured list Tuesday and had him batting leadoff.
NHL
Tony Esposito, a Hall of Fame goaltender who played almost his entire 16-year career with the Chicago Blackhawks, has died following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 78. Esposito debuted with Montreal during the 1968-69 season and appeared in 13 games. He was then taken by the Blackhawks in an intraleague draft, quickly emerging as one of the league's best goalies. He won the Calder Trophy in 1970 as the NHL's best rookie as well as the Vezina Trophy given to the top goaltender. He also won the Vezina in 1972 and 1974.
Elsewhere in the NHL:
The Anaheim Ducks have re-signed defenseman Josh Mahura and left wings Max Comtois and Max Jones. Comtois got a two-year contract through the 2022-23 season, and Jones signed a three-year deal through 2024. Mahura's contract is for two years, and it is a two-way deal in the upcoming season only. Comtois was the leading scorer for the NHL's lowest-scoring team last season, posting a team-best 16 goals and 33 points in 55 games for the Ducks. Jones scored 11 points in 46 games for the Ducks last season. Mahura scored four points in 13 games for Anaheim last year.
The Los Angeles Kings have signed top draft pick Brandt Clarke to a three-year, $2.775 million entry-level contract. The Kings chose the defenseman with the eighth overall pick. The 18-year-old Clarke is expected to play most of next season in the Ontario Hockey League, where he racked up 38 points in 57 games as a rookie with Barrie in the 2019-20 season.
The Detroit Red Wings and winger Jakub Vrana have agreed to a three-year contract worth $5.25 million per season. He had 11 points in 11 games last season with the Red Wings after they acquired him just before the NHL trade deadline. The Washington Capitals sent Vrana, Richard Panik, 2021 first- and 2022 second-round pick to Detroit for Anthony Mantha.
SOCCER
Soccer star Lionel Messi has finalized agreement on his Paris Saint-Germain contract and arrived in the French capital to complete the move that confirms the end of a career-long association with Barcelona. Dozens of PSG fans gathered at Le Bourget Airport to welcome Messi, who was wearing a T-shirt that said — in French — "Here is Paris." A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press the 34-year-old Argentina star has agreed a two-year contract with the option for a further season. Messi's father and agent Jorge also confirmed his son was moving to PSG in a brief exchange with reporters at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport.
NBA
Luka Doncic has signed the richest contract in the history of the Dallas Mavericks. The young superstar is getting a $207 million, five-year extension. Doncic was eligible for the massive deal because he made the All-NBA first team twice. The 22-year-old is the youngest player in league history with multiple first-team nods. Owner Mark Cuban and others in the Dallas front office went to Doncic's native Slovenia for the signing. Doncic says he "never imagined this happening."
Elsewhere in the NBA:
The Brooklyn Nets have signed veteran Australian guard Patty Mills. The NBA team did not disclose terms of the deal for the free agent. Mills has appeared in 739 career games across 12 NBA seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers. He has averaged 8.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists. This past season with the Spurs, the 32-year-old Mills appeared in 68 games and averaged 10.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists, hitting a career-high 161 3-pointers. Mills won a bronze medal in the just-concluded Tokyo Olympics.
Free agent point guard Dennis Schröder says he is signing one-year deal with the Celtics, ending his up and down one-year stint with the Lakers. Schröder announced the move on Instagram. ESPN reported the pending deal with Boston is for the $5.9 million mid-level exception. Schröder reportedly turned down a four-year, $84 million extension offer from the Lakers during the season. Schröder spent last season in Los Angeles after being dealt by Oklahoma City last offseason.
Free agent forward Andre Iguodala is returning to the Golden State Warriors, whom he helped win the 2015 championship as he became the NBA Finals MVP. Iguodala signed a one-year contract for the veteran minimum of $2,642,000. After the Heat declined his $15 million team option last week, Iguodala will reunite with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and newly crowned Olympic gold medalist Draymond Green under coach Steve Kerr.
NCAA
The NCAA has selected a 23-member committee to work on reforming its constitution. It includes university presidents, college sports administrators and athletes across all three divisions. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who is an independent member of the NCAA Board of Governors, is the committee chairman. Other members include Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour, West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons, Tulane athletic director Troy Dannen and Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner Jim Phillips.
NFL
The Buffalo Bills have activated Jerry Hughes from the non-football injury list. The team's top pass rusher missed the first two weeks of training camp because of an injured left calf. Buffalo also placed backup linebacker Marquel Lee on the reserve/COVID list. Starting left tackle Dion Dawkins appears to be closing in on his return after opening camp on the reserve/COVID list. Dawkins is no longer wearing a mask while watching practice from the sideline.
In other NFL news:
Browns All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett is dealing with a hamstring injury and could miss some time. Coach Kevin Stefanski didn't provide any specifics on Garrett's injury, but said he'll be held out of practice and is day-to-day going forward. The Browns play their exhibition opener on Saturday in Jacksonville. Stefanski would not say if Garrett will be able to go, saying he'll announce plans later in the week. The 25-year-old Garrett missed two games last season after contracting the COVID-19 virus. While Garrett is out, Browns starting linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. returned on a limited basis after missing a week with a knee injury.
The Minnesota Vikings have activated quarterback Kellen Mond from the COVID-19 reserve list. The rookie completed a 10-day quarantine following a positive test for the virus. Mond joined the team on the field for the first time since July 30. After he was infected, fellow quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Nate Stanley were forced into a five-day quarantine under the NFL's high-risk close contact protocols.
Saints veteran cornerback Patrick Robinson is retiring despite being a candidate for a starting job. Robinson was a 2010 first-round draft choice by New Orleans and turns 34 in September. He'd been getting first-team snaps as the Saints try to fill a vacancy created when they allowed Janoris Jenkins to become a free agent in a cost-cutting move. Saints coach Sean Payton says he wasn't expecting Robinson's decision but understands when veteran players decide during training camp that they're ready to retire. Ken
MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers probably won't appear in any of Green Bay's three preseason games as the Packers look to get 2020 first-round draft pick Jordan Love as much work as possible. Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Love will play the majority of the Packers' preseason opener Saturday against the Houston Texans and that Kurt Benkert also would get some snaps. LaFleur said Rodgers will "most likely not" play in any preseason games.
Denver coach Vic Fangio has chosen Drew Lock to start the Broncos' preseason opener this weekend at Minnesota. Fangio says Lock gets the nod because he's the incumbent quarterback. He's in a training camp competition with veteran Teddy Bridgewater. There's been little separation between the two so far at training camp.
© The Associated Press 2021. All Rights Reserved.