MLB:
The Atlanta Braves have moved three games ahead of Philadelphia for first place in the NL East.
The Braves erupted for seven runs in the fifth inning of an 11-4 drubbing of the Diamondbacks.
Freddie Freeman hit an RBI double and a run-scoring single in the fifth. Adam Duvall delivered a two-run homer and Austin Riley had three hits and three RBIs in Atlanta’s second straight win since a four-game skid.
The Orioles avoided their 102nd loss as John Means scattered four hits over 6 2/3 innings of their 2-0 shutout of the Phillies. Cole Sulser and Tyler Wells finished up the combined four-hitter as the Birds kept Bryce Harper hitless with two strikeouts in three at-bats.
Neither team scored after Ranger Suarez gave up consecutive RBI singles to Pedro Severino and Ryan McKenna in the first inning.
Checking out Monday’s other major league action:
Nolan Arenado slammed a two-run homer in the first inning to set the tone in the Cardinals’ ninth consecutive win, 5-2 over the Brewers. Yadier Molina provided a pair of RBI singles, including the go-ahead hit in the sixth. Winning pitcher Jon Lester allowed three hits over six innings, including solo shots by Avisail Garcia and Luis Urias in the second inning.
The Reds erased a five-run deficit and beat the Pirates, 9-5 to stay three games behind the Cardinals for the second NL wild card. Joey Votto tied the game in the fifth inning with his second homer of the night, Eugenio Suarez followed with a go-ahead shot. Nick Castellanos drove in three runs and Kyle Farmer also went deep for Cincinnati.
Aaron Judge and Gleyber Torres hit RBI singles in a three-run third while the Yankees were building a 4-0 lead in a 4-3 win over the Rangers. Gary Sanchez homered as the Yankees bounced back from consecutive losses to the Indians by a combined 22-4 margin. The Yankees received 4 2/3 scoreless innings from the bullpen and within a half-game of Toronto for the second AL wild card.
The Blue Jays led 2-0 until Yandy Diaz belted a three-run homer in the fifth inning of the Rays’ 6-4 victory. Diaz had three hits and scored twice to back Shane Baz, who worked five innings to earn his first major league win. The Jays fell to 13-4 this month despite homers by Teoscar Hernandez, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Marcus Semien.
Seattle’s 4-2 victory at Oakland keeps the Athletics two games behind for the second AL wild card and brings the Mariners within three games. Kyle Seager was 3-for-4 with three RBIs, including a two-run single in the decisive third inning. Mitch Haniger doubled twice and winning pitcher Tyler Anderson allowed just one run and four hits while fanning seven over seven innings.
Marwin González hit a grand slam and the Astros moved closer to the AL West title with a 10-0 victory over the Angels. Framber Valdez pitched seven innings of six-hit ball in Houston's fifth victory in six games. Martin Maldonado launched a three-run homer and José Siri hit a leadoff homer as the Astros cut their magic number to six for winning their division.
White Sox hurler Carlos Rodon was pulled after allowing two runs over three innings of a 4-3 loss at Detroit. Harold Castro’s eighth-inning single broke a 3-all tie for Detroit. Chicago’s magic number to clinch the division dropped to two when second-place Cleveland was swept by Kansas City in a doubleheader.
Salvador Perez slammed his 46th home run and the Royals grabbed the opener of their doubleheader by whipping the Indians, 7-2. Perez tied for the major league lead in homers, became the RBI leader with 113 and broke Johnny Bench’s record among players who appeared in at least 75% of his team’s games at catcher. Hunter Dozier and Andrew Benintendi also hit two-run homers to support Brady Singer, who limited the Indians to two runs over seven innings.
The Royals also were 4-2 winners for a sweep of the twin bill at Cleveland. Five hurlers combined on a four-hitter in the second game. Hanser Alberto provided an RBI single and a run-scoring grounder.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered twice before scoring from third on a wild pitch in the 10th inning to give the Marlins an 8-7 victory over the Nationals. Jesús Sánchez homered and stunned even himself in the fourth inning when the Marlins right-fielder barehanded Lane Thomas’ fly ball.
Pitcher Luis Severino has been activated by the New York Yankees and is in position to make his first major league appearance in nearly two years. Yankees manager Aaron Boone says he plans to use Severino out of the bullpen.
The 27-year-old right-hander hasn’t pitched in the majors since undergoing Tommy John surgery before last season.
The two-time All-Star and 19-game winner in 2018 was limited by shoulder soreness to three appearances in 2019.
Also in the majors:
Outfielder-turned-reliever Anthony Gose was called up from the minors by the Indians, this time as a hard-throwing lefty reliever. The 31-year-old Gose last played in the majors in 2016 with Detroit. Gose pitched 1 2/3 innings on Monday against the Royals, throwing 39 pitches, seven zoomed into triple digits. He allowed one run and one hit.
NFL:
The Green Bay Packers were able to shake off their 35-point loss to the New Orleans Saints in the season opener.
Aaron Jones caught three of Aaron Rodgers’ four touchdown passes and rushed for a fourth score in the Packers’ 35-17 win over the Detroit Lions.
Rodgers went 22 of 27 for 255 yards and surpassed John Elway for 10th all-time in passing yards with 51,633. Rodgers has followed up each of the Packers’ last five regular-season losses by throwing four touchdown passes and no interceptions in his next game.
Jones became the first Packers running back to catch three touchdown passes in a game since Andy Uram against the Chicago Cardinals in 1942. He had 17 carries for 67 yards and six catches for 48 yards.
Jared Goff completed 13 of his first 14 passes but struggled the rest of the way as the 0-2 Lions blew a 17-14 halftime lead.
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry could miss multiple games after spraining his knee in Sunday’s win over Houston.
Landry hurt his MCL while being tackled at the end of a 9-yard completion on Cleveland’s second offensive play.
Coach Kevin Stefanski said Landry will be “week to week” but provided no other specifics on a timeline for his return.
Elsewhere in the NFL:
The Colts won’t know until later this week whether quarterback Carson Went will play at Tennessee after spraining both ankles in Sunday’s loss to the Rams. Colts coach Frank Reich says he does not yet have a timeline for a return. Wentz hurt his left ankle early in the game and injured his right ankle midway through the fourth quarter, causing him to miss the rest of the game. Jacob Eason is expected to make his first NFL start if Wentz can’t go against the Titans.
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr underwent tests on his injured right ankle, but coach Jon Gruden expects him to be able to play this Sunday against Miami. Carr got hurt after throwing a TD pass to Foster Moreau in the third quarter of Sunday’s 26-17 victory over the Steelers. After being down on the turf for a bit, Carr got taped up in the medical tent and didn’t miss a play.
Broncos coach Vic Fangio wouldn’t confirm reports Monday that fourth-year inside linebacker Josey Jewell is out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle. Fangio said they team is awaiting a final prognosis, but teammates were talking as though they’d be without their defensive play-caller for some time. Denver also lost Pro Bowl outside linebacker Bradley Chubb on Sunday when he aggravated a right ankle injury that’s been bothering him for a month.
Houston quarterback Tyrod Taylor is day to day with a hamstring injury as the Texans face a quick turnaround with a Thursday night game against Carolina. If Taylor can’t play, Deshaun Watson won’t be an option. Coach David Culley says Watson will be inactive for Thursday’s game just as he has been for the first two games.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL:
The College Football Playoff management committee is scheduled to meet Wednesday. The committee will discuss the feedback members have received from campuses since a 12-team expansion plan was unveiled in June.
The 10 major college football conference commissioners and Notre Dame’s athletic director get together this week and plan to reconvene early next week in Chicago. The second meeting will include university presidents who make up the CFP’s board of managers.
A four-person subcommittee has come up with was a 12-team format that would include six conference champions and six at-large teams. Games would be played both on campus and at bowl sites.
Also in college football:
Florida coach Dan Mullen says quarterback Anthony Richardson will “probably do a little bit more at practice” this week before the 11th-ranked Gators host Tennessee. Richardson was held out of Saturday’s 31-29 loss to Alabama as a precaution after the redshirt freshman strained his right hamstring near the end of an 80-yard run the previous week.
Miami quarterback D’Eriq King has a shoulder injury that will need further evaluation on Tuesday. The Hurricanes fell out of the AP Top 25 on Sunday for the first time this season.
NHL:
The Arizona Coyotes have proposed a $1.7 billion development in Tempe that will include a hockey arena. Renderings by the Coyotes include proposed restaurants, shops and apartments on a 46-acre tract of land.
The team says the arena would be funded by private investors but would seek city sales tax revenues to help pay for $200 million in additional costs, including infrastructure work.
Elsewhere in the NHL:
Longtime Devils center Travis Zajac has signed a one-day contract with the team so he could retire as a member of the organization where he spent all but 27 games of his 15-year career. The 36-year-old Zajac plans to remain with the Devils in a number of roles on and off the ice. Zajac provided 203 goals and 552 points in 1,037 career regular-season games, including his short stint with the Islanders last spring.
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