MLB
Yasmani Grandal started a four-run sixth inning with a two-run double that followed Pete Alonso’s error and the Chicago White Sox beat New York 6-2 in José Quintana’s Mets debut. Grandal doubled to the warning track in right after the White Sox loaded the bases against Drew Smith. The inning started when Alonso backed up on a grounder by Luis Robert Jr. that bounced off his glove. Quintana, a 34-year-old left-hander who pitched for the White Sox from 2012-17, allowed two runs and six hits in five innings, struck out three and walked none.
The New York Mets placed outfielder Starling Marte on the 10-day injured list Thursday because of migraines. The move was announced shortly after the Mets began their series finale with the White Sox and is retroactive to Monday. Marte was not in the lineup for the fourth time in five games though manager Buck Showalter said before the game the veteran is feeling better. On Wednesday afternoon, Marte saw a specialist and underwent a scan.
Corbin Burnes continued his torrid July, allowing two hits while striking out 10 in eight innings Thursday as the Milwaukee Brewers concluded their six-game road trip with a 4-0 shutout of the Philadelphia Phillies. After struggling through June with a 1-1 record and a 4.99 ERA in five starts, Burnes has reverted to the form that saw him win the 2021 National League Cy Young Award. Burnes is now 4-0 for the month with a 1.33 ERA and has allowed eight hits combined while striking out 36.
The Yankees and Red Sox were off last night. The Yankees begin a three-game set at home against Kansas City tonight at 7:05, and the Red Sox begin a three-game series at home against the Mets at 7:10 tonight.
Meanwhile, The Baltimore Orioles moved past the Tampa Bay Rays and into the AL East lead for the first time this season, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-5. Baltimore is 50-30 following an 8-7 start while the Rays have lost 11 of 14.
Baseball Hall of Famers and fans from across the country will gather in Cooperstown this weekend for the annual induction ceremony Sunday afternoon at 1. Players Scott Rolen and Fred McGriff headline the honorees. Rolen was elected by the baseball writers on his sixth turn. The seven-time all-star won eight Gold Gloves at third over his 17 years in the big leagues with the Phillies, Cardinals, Blue Jays and Reds:
McGriff wound up his 19-year career in the bigs with Tampa Bay in 2004, but it wasn’t until December that the 16-member Contemporary Baseball Players Committee chose him unanimously for enshrinement. McGriff was a five-time All-Star who hit at least 30 homers 10 times, and the Crime Dog helped lead the Braves to the 1995 World Series title:
NFL
NFL owners have unanimously approved the sale of the Washington Commanders from Dan Snyder to a group led by Josh Harris. The deal is for a North American professional sports record of $6.05 billion. Snyder was also fined $60 million after the completion of an NFL-sponsored investigation into workplace culture and business dealings. Harris' group also includes basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, Washington-area businessman Mitchell Rales and partner David Blitzer. Blitzer co-owns with Harris the NBA's 76ers and NHL's Devils. Snyder had owned the club since 1999 and long insisted amid mounting criticism and pressure he would never sell.
The NFL says Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder sexually harassed a team employee and oversaw team executives who deliberately withheld millions of dollars in revenue from other clubs. The league says Snyder has agreed to pay a $60 million fine. The NFL released a 23-page report detailing an investigation into Snyder's conduct just minutes after league owners unanimously approved the sale of the Commanders to Josh Harris. The independent investigation was conducted by former Securities and Exchange Commission chair Mary Jo White and her law firm, Debevoise & Plimpton. Investigators concluded that Snyder sexually harassed former team employee Tiffani Johnston.
Aaron Rodgers recognizes all the differences this summer as he begins training camp with the New York Jets after spending the past 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers. The 39-year-old quarterback doesn't mind all the added attention and hype around the Jets. He says it's spectacular to be around a team that has lots of positivity and high expectations. A lot of that is attributed to Rodgers being in New York. He says he has learned to be patient in the early days of training camp and has taken to his role as a teacher on the field for the Jets' young talent.
The New York Jets have traded wide receiver Denzel Mims to the Detroit Lions. The Jets part ways with the disappointing 2020 second-round draft pick who requested to be dealt last summer. The Jets also sent a 2025 conditional seventh-round pick to the Lions for a conditional sixth-rounder in 2025 on Thursday. New York told Mims it would release him if the Jets couldn’t find a trade partner, two people with knowledge of the situation said Wednesday. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team didn’t announce its intentions. Mims was excused from joining the team when rookies and veterans reported for training camp Wednesday.
Jacksonville Jaguars associate strength coach Kevin Maxen has come out as gay. His announcement is a first for a male coach in a major U.S.-based professional league. Maxen spoke about his sexual orientation in an interview published Thursday by Outsports. He said he didn't want to lie about the way he lives his life or his boyfriend of two years. While Maxen’s announcement is a first for a male coach, NFL players have come out previously. Carl Nassib came out in 2021 while playing for Las Vegas and played for Tampa Bay last season.
WNBA
Natisha Hiedeman scored 20 of her career-high 24 points in the third quarter, Alyssa Thomas had 12 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists and the Connecticut Sun ended the Atlanta Dream’s seven-game winning streak with an 82-71 victory. Connecticut trailed 59-57 with 2:38 left in the third quarter before going on a 16-0 run to pull away. Hiedeman took over in the third quarter, scoring 20 of Connecticut’s 29 points to help build a 67-59 lead. She made 7 of 8 shots in the quarter, including all five of her 3-point attempts. Atlanta scored 18 points in the frame. Hiedeman finished 8 of 11 from the field, including 6 of 7 from distance. She had combined for just six 3-pointers in her last seven games.
BRITISH OPEN
Thick clouds, wind and a few rain drops are greeting the second round of the British Open at Royal Liverpool today. The demanding test remains the same. Emiliano Grillo, Tommy Fleetwood and South African amateur Christo Lamprecht share the lead at 5-under 66. Grillo is the only one playing in the morning. Rory McIlroy also plays today. He starts five shots behind the leaders.
WOMENS WORLD CUP
Hannah Wilkinson scored to open the second half and New Zealand upset Norway 1-nil for its first-ever win at the Women’s World Cup just hours after a shooting in downtown Auckland that shocked the host nation. (In the other group A game Switzerland beat the Phillipines 1-nil.) A gunman stormed a high-rise construction site near Norway’s team hotel and opened fire, killing two people early Thursday. The gunman was found dead after a police shootout. There was increased security at Eden Park stadium where 42,137 — a record crowd for a soccer match in New Zealand — were on hand to cheer on the home team, co-hosts of the tournament with Australia.
Meanwhile, an estimated 20,000 Americans are coming to New Zealand for the Women's World Cup and many have arrived in the days before the U.S. women's team plays its opener against Vietnam on Saturday. The fans of the U.S. women's team who are making the journey have a Facebook group with about 9,000 members. There may not be many more veteran American fans than Steff Colonna. She is attending her third Women’s World Cup. Colonna says “they represent our country and they represent a sport, and what they’re doing for women’s sports is awesome."
SOCCER
Lionel Messi will make his Inter Miami debut today at DRV PNK Stadium, ushering in the next chapter of his career. He announced June 7 that he would join Inter Miami after months of speculation. Almost immediately, the club had to rush renovations to the stadium to accommodate the added attention. Inter Miami has played its home matches at the 18,000-seat stadium. Bleachers were added last week to the northeast and southeast corners of the stadium, increasing capacity by about 3,000 seats.
HORSE RACING
The 2023 Saratoga Race Course season continues Saturday with the Grade I Coaching Club American Oaks. The total purse for the winning rider sits at half a million dollars. The season kicked off last week with the Grade I Diana Stakes, which was won by Whitebeam in a time of 1:48.33.
© 2023 Associated Press.
