MLB:
The Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees continue to share the two AL wild-card berths following wins by each team.
The Blue Jays are 13-2 this month after Bo Bichette and Robbie Ray led them to a 6-3 victory over the Rays.
Bichette put Toronto ahead to stay with a three-run homer in the first inning and finished with five RBIs.
Ray is 12-5 after striking out 13 and holding Tampa Bay to a run and four hits, lowering his AL-best ERA to 2.64. He took over the AL strikeout lead and blanked the AL East leaders until Mike Zunino homered in the fifth inning. It was Zunino’s 30th home run.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doubled twice and scored twice as the Jays handed the Rays their fifth loss in seven games.
The Red Sox erupted for six runs in the 10th inning to beat the Mariners, 9-4. Kyle Schwarber delivered a two-run single and scored on a two-run double by Christian Vazquez.
Hunter Renfroe hit a solo homer for the Red Sox, who scored the tiebreaking run on a passed ball.
Kyle Seager hit a two-run double for the Mariners, who are 3 1/2 games out of a wild-card berth.
The Yankees kept pace by beating the Orioles, 4-3 on Brett Gardner’s two-run single off Tyler Wells in the ninth inning. Gardner also scored on Gio Urshela’s two-run homer in the third inning of New York’s third win in four games since a seven-game skid. Baltimore suffered its major league-leading 99th loss despite Austin Hays, who homered twice and had three RBIs.
Checking out Wednesday’s other major league action:
Jake Meyers and Marwin Gonzalez hit consecutive homers in a three-run second that sparked the Astros’ 7-2 downing of the Rangers. Kyle Tucker homered among his three hits, and Jose Urquidy allowed one run and two hits in six innings. Chas McCormick hit a two-run single and Yordan Alvarez had an RBI double as Houston stretched its lead in the AL West to seven games over Oakland.
The Athletics ended a three-game skid as Matt Olson hit a two-run homer and Josh Harrison drove in three runs in a wild 12-10 victory at Kansas City. Elvis Andrus had four hits to back a shaky Sean Manaea, who was reached for five runs in as many innings. The A’s move ahead of the Mariners in the standings and stay 3 1/2 games out of a playoff spot.
Brandon Marsh hit a tiebreaking solo homer off Michael Kopech in the eighth inning to push the Angels past the White Sox, 3-2. The White Sox put runners on the corners with one out in the ninth, but Brian Goodwin struck out swinging and César Hernández flied out to deep left. Chicago was unable to reduce its magic number for winning the AL Central.
Julio Urías earned his major league-leading 18th victory and Gavin Lux singled in the go-ahead run in the fourth to guide the Dodgers to their sixth straight win, 5-3 over Arizona. Urias allowed two runs and three hits over five innings in becoming the fourth Mexican-born pitcher in the majors to record 18 or more wins in a season. Lux had two RBIs and Max Muncy homered as Los Angeles pulled within 1 1/2 games of the NL West-leading Giants.
Adam Frazier was 4-for-5 with two RBIs for San Diego in a 9-5 downing of the Giants. Jurickson Profar batted a two-run homer and Eric Hosmer had two RBIs as the Padres stayed a game behind the Cardinals for the second NL wild card. The Giants ended a nine-game winning streak despite homers from Thairo Estrada, Kris Bryant, Steven Duggar and Brandon Belt.
Dustin Garneau smacked a solo homer and broke a 1-1 tie with a sacrifice fly as the Tigers beat the Brewers, 4-1. Rookie Matt Manning combined with the bullpen on a three-hitter to help the Tigers complete a two-game sweep. Derek Hill supplied an RBI triple and Miguel Cabrera added a run-scoring double.
The Pirates beat the Reds, 5-4 on Colin Moran’s RBI grounder in the bottom of the ninth. Moran and Yoshi Tsutsugo each had two RBIs as Pittsburgh handed Cincinnati its seventh loss in nine games. Kyle Farmer hit a game-tying solo homer in the eighth inning for the Reds, who are 1 1/2 games behind the Cardinals for the second NL wild card.
The Cardinals completed a three-game sweep with a convincing 11-4 win over the Mets. Harrison Bader, Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt and Edmundo Sosa homered for St. Louis. Tyler O’Neill laced a two-run double that sparked the Redbirds’ five-run first off loser Tylor Megill.
Andrew Knapp scored on a passed ball by Robinson Chirinos in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Phillies past the Cubs, 6-5. Freddy Galvis and J.T. Realmuto each homered and had two RBIs for Philadelphia. Chirinos, Matt Duffy and Frank Schwindel homered for the Cubs.
Raimel Tapia furnished an RBI single in the 10th inning to give the Rockies a 3-2 win over the Braves. Tapia’s late hit cuts the Braves’ lead in the NL East to 3 1/2 games over the Phillies. Eddie Rosario had two RBIs for Atlanta, including a solo homer that tied it in the fifth.
Homers by Bobby Bradley, Oscar Mercado and Franmil Reyes highlighted the Indians’ 14-hit attack in a 12-3 thumping of the Twins. Bradley and Mercado each had three RBIs to back Cal Quantrill, who allowed three unearned runs and just two hits over 6 2/3 innings.
Jesus Sanchez smacked his second two-run homer of the day to break a 6-6 tie in the Marlins’ 8-6 win over the Nationals. Bryan De La Cruz homered in the eighth for Miami, which took two of three from Washington.
Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon said Wednesday he would be very surprised if Mike Trout played again this season. The three-time AL MVP injured his right calf running the bases May 17 and had a setback last month, but he has left open the possibility of returning this year.
Jo Adell was placed on the 10-day injured list after he got hurt when he crashed into the wall in left while trying to catch a ball on Saturday.
NFL:
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. isn’t ready to play following knee surgery and won’t make his debut Sunday against Houston. Coach Kevin Stefanski says Beckham will practice this week, but will sit out against the Texans.
Beckham tore his left anterior cruciate ligament last October. He was expected to play in the season opener at Kansas City.
Stefanski says Beckham has not suffered any setbacks and that the decision to make him inactive after he practiced all week wasn’t out of the ordinary.
In other NFL news:
Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence broke a foot in practice Wednesday and likely will be out at least six weeks. That’s according to two people with knowledge of the injury. Lawrence was helped off the field during the first practice to prepare for Sunday’s visit to the Chargers.
New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton says a group of his offensive coaches, along with the team’s nutritionist and a player, have tested positive for COVID-19. Payton didn’t identify by name any of those who had tested positive. He said all of those who tested positive were vaccinated.
Jaguars coach Urban Meyer says “there’s no chance” he’ll take the open job at Southern California, saying he is “committed to try to build an organization.” Meyer’s name was immediately linked to USC after the Trojans fired Clay Helton on Monday.
NBA:
The Memphis Grizzlies have waived center Marc Gasol, days after acquiring his rights in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 36-year-old center spent his first 11 NBA seasons with Memphis. He averaged a career-low 5.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game last season with the Lakers. He never found a regular role in the injury-plagued Lakers rotation while they lost in the first round of the postseason.
In other NBA news:
The Celtics have acquired forward Juancho Hernangómez from the Grizzlies for guards Carsen Edwards and Kris Dunn. As part of the transaction, Memphis will have the right to swap a 2026 second-round draft pick with Boston’s second-round pick that year.
The Timberwolves have filled out their roster by re-signing forward Jarred Vanderbilt and guard Jordan McLaughlin. Both were restricted free agents.
Former Knicks head coach David Fizdale has joined his hometown Lakers as the lead assistant coach on Frank Vogel’s staff. The Lakers also hired John Lucas III as an assistant coach.
Lisa Byington is making history as the Bucks’ new play-by-play voice on their television broadcasts. The Bucks announced the hiring Wednesday and said Byington is the first woman to work as a full-time television play-by-play announcer for any major men’s professional sports team. She replaces Jim Paschke, who retired after 35 seasons as the team’s main television play-by-play broadcaster.
WNBA:
The Connecticut Sun bested New York Liberty, 69-98.
NHL:
Tyler Bozak is staying with the St. Louis Blues after signing a one-year contract worth $750,000.
The 35-year-old Bozak was with the Blues in 2019 when they won the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history, putting up 13 points during that title run. Injuries limited him to 31 games last season.
Bozak has 449 points in 764 regular-season NHL games with St. Louis and Toronto.
OLYMPICS:
Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles has told Congress that the FBI and gymnastics officials turned a “blind eye” to USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse of her and hundreds of other women.
Biles told the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday that “enough is enough” as she and three other U.S. gymnasts spoke in stark emotional terms about the lasting toll Nassar’s crimes have taken on their lives.
The hearing is part of a congressional effort to hold the FBI accountable after multiple missteps in investigating the case – including the delays that allowed Nassar to abuse additional young gymnasts.
On the women’s side, The Connecticut Sun bested New York Liberty, 69-98.