TENNIS
Top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner tested positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March but will not be suspended because the International Tennis Integrity Agency determined the banned performance-enhancer entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist. The agency announced the case’s resolution on Tuesday and said Sinner will lose the $325,000 in prize money and 400 rankings points he earned at the tournament in Indian Wells, California, where his first positive drug test happened. Sinner won the Cincinnati Open on Monday and will be among the favorites at the U.S. Open, which starts in New York next week.
MLB
Pinch-hitter Lane Thomas delivered a tiebreaking double to spark a six-run 12th inning, and the Cleveland Guardians outlasted the New York Yankees 9-5 in the longest major league game this season. Both teams began the night in first place, and the tense opener of their three-game series at Yankee Stadium had the feel of a potential playoff preview. Juan Soto and Aaron Judge hit back-to-back homers in the first, but Cleveland came right back and the game was tied at 3 after four innings. Despite numerous chances on both sides, neither offense managed to score again until the 12th.
James McCann homered and drove in three runs against his former team to help power the Baltimore Orioles past the New York Mets 9-5. Anthony Santander opened the scoring in the first inning with his 37th homer, a two-run shot off struggling Jose Quintana. Ramón Urías and Eloy Jiménez also had RBIs for the Orioles. Dean Kremer gave up one run over six innings for the second straight start. He permitted just two hits and struck out seven. McCann, traded by the Mets to the Orioles following the 2022 season, had a sacrifice fly and a two-run homer. He is 5 for 9 with eight RBIs in 11 plate appearances over three games against New York since last year.
Jarren Duran went 4 for 4, capped by a tiebreaking homer with two outs in the eighth inning that sent the Boston Red Sox to a 6-5 win over the Houston Astros. The game was tied at 5 when Duran drove a fastball from Caleb Ort over the wall in left-center, matching his season high for hits. He also walked once and scored three times. Triston Casas, who had three RBIs, put Boston up 3-0 in the first with a two-run homer. Jon Singleton hit a two-run shot and Yainer Diaz homered for a third straight game for the Astros. But the AL West leaders went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position and lost for just the second time in 13 games.
Marcell Ozuna homered and Reynaldo López pitched five strong innings in his return from the injured list, leading the Atlanta Braves to a 3-1 win over the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies. In the opener of a crucial three-game series, the six-time reigning division champs pulled within six games of Philadelphia. Ozuna and López provided a huge lift for Atlanta, which learned a day earlier that slugging third baseman Austin Riley will miss at least the rest of the regular season with a broken hand. Ozuna snapped a 1-1 tie in the sixth with his 37th homer.
José Berríos struck out seven in seven innings to win his third straight start, George Springer hit two of Toronto’s season-high five home runs and the Blue Jays beat the Cincinnati Reds 10-3. Springer launched a two-run drive in the second inning and a solo shot in the fifth to give him 16 homers this season. It was his third multi-homer game of the year and the 24th of his career. Leo Jiménez also hit a two-run homer, and Alejandro Kirk and Spencer Horwitz had back-to-back shots for Toronto.
Corey Seager homered twice and drove in four runs, and the Texas Rangers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3. Seager’s nine homers in August are tied for the major league lead with Miami’s Jake Burger. He also went deep twice on Aug. 2 against Boston. Rangers right-hander José Ureña pitched four scoreless innings in relief of Dane Dunning. Kirby Yates worked a perfect ninth for his 22nd save. Pittsburgh has dropped 12 of 14. Jared Triolo hit a three-run homer in the fourth for the Pirates.
Cody Bellinger hit a two-run double and Dansby Swanson homered to lift the Cubs over the Tigers 3-1 on Tuesday night. Bellinger went 2 for 4 to lead Chicago. Javier Assad pitched 5 2/3 innings for the Cubs, allowing just one run on six hits and striking out seven. Porter Hodge earned his second save. Detroit fell despite strong performances at the plate by Dillon Dingler hit in the Tigers’ lone run. Tigers reliever Bryan Sammons took the loss with three runs scored on four hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Robbie Ray matched his season high with nine strikeouts and the San Francisco Giants beat the Chicago White Sox 4-1. After failing to get out of the first inning in his last start against the Braves, Ray limited Chicago to one run and three hits in 6 2/3 innings. Heliot Ramos drove in two runs as the Giants won their third straight game to remain 3 1/2 games behind Atlanta for the final NL wild-card spot. The White Sox lost their fourth in a row and clinched a 14th consecutive series defeat, falling to 3-30 in their last 33 games. Ryan Walker struck out the side in the ninth for his second save.
Jurickson Profar hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning, and the San Diego Padres rallied late to beat the Minnesota Twins 7-5. Manny Machado also went deep as San Diego won its second straight against Minnesota in a matchup of playoff contenders. Jake Cronenworth had two hits and scored two runs. The Padres trailed 5-3 before Profar drove a low slider from Steven Okert deep to left. Donovan Solano and Luis Arraez singled ahead of Profar’s 20th homer. Xander Bogaerts tacked on an RBI double against Ronny Henriquez, giving San Diego a 7-5 lead.
Pinch-hitter Jason Heyward broke an eighth-inning tie with a three-run homer and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a 6-3 victory over the reeling Seattle Mariners. Heyward lined a high 99 mph fastball from All-Star closer Andrés Muñoz over the short wall in the right-field corner to give the Dodgers their first lead. It was his second pinch-hit homer this season and the third of his career. Will Smith got aboard with one out when he was hit by a pitch, and Max Muncy walked. Muncy and Gavin Lux both homered for the second consecutive game. The NL West-leading Dodgers have won three straight and four of five.
Tyler Anderson outlasted Cole Ragans in a matchup of All-Star pitchers as the Angels beat Kansas City 9-5 to end the Royals’ five-game winning streak. Zach Neto homered and Anthony Rendon, Kevin Pillar and Logan O’Hoppe drove in two runs apiece for the Angels, who had lost three straight and six of their last seven. Anderson became the first Angels left-hander to reach 10 wins since Hector Santiago in 2016. Ragans allowed five runs, four earned, and was pulled by Royals manager Matt Quatraro without recording an out in the sixth inning.
Jose Siri homered with two outs in the eighth inning to break up a scoreless pitchers’ duel and help Shane Baz earn his first victory in more than two years, and the Tampa Bay Rays held off the Oakland Athletics 1-0. Baz (1-2) allowed three hits, struck out four and walked three over 7 2/3 innings to win for the first time since July 3, 2022, at Toronto. The right-hander missed the 2023 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. Siri’s solo drive to center for his 15th home run chased Oakland starter Joey Estes (5-6), who hung tough battling Baz.
Corbin Carroll and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered to help Eduardo Rodriguez and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Miami Marlins 3-1. Arizona, which finished with four hits, improved to a major league-best 30-13 since July 1. Carroll also singled and scored on Joc Pederson’s base hit, and Geraldo Perdomo walked twice. Rodriguez allowed one run and six hits over 5 1/3 innings in his third start of the season since being activated from the injured list on Aug. 6. The Marlins hit five doubles, but they went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
Austin Gomber gave up one run and three hits in seven innings, Ryan McMahon had two hits and drove in a run and the Colorado Rockies beat the Washington Nationals 3-1. Brenton Doyle and Ezequiel Tovar each had two hits and scored a run for Colorado, which has won three of its last four games. Gomber (4-8) threw 96 pitches, striking out five and walking two. Angel Chivilli pitched around a one-out walk and single in the ninth for his first career save. CJ Abrams homered for the Nationals, who were held to five hits.
Frankie Montas pitched seven sparkling innings and Devin Williams escaped a jam in the ninth, helping the Milwaukee Brewers beat the reeling St. Louis Cardinals 3-2. Montas allowed one hit in his fourth start since he was acquired in a trade with Cincinnati. William Contreras had three hits for the NL Central-leading Brewers, who earned their sixth straight win. Matt Carpenter homered for St. Louis in its seventh loss in eight games. Erick Fedde was charged with two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings.
WNBA
Breanna Stewart had 26 points and 12 rebounds, Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot also had a double-doubles, and the New York Liberty handed coach Sandy Brondello a 94-74 birthday victory over the Dallas Wings. Jones had 23 points and 12 rebounds and Vandersloot 15 points and 11 assists for the Liberty. Kennedy Burke added 13 points off the bench in New York’s seventh-straight win. Satou Sabally had 24 points for the Wings.
DiJonai Carrington scored 19 points, and the Connecticut Sun used a late 14-0 run to defeat the Los Angeles Sparks 69-61 in the first WNBA game to played at the Boston Celtics’ TD Garden. A franchise record sellout crowd of 19,125 saw the Sun storm back after they trailed 59-55 with less than four minutes to play. Carrington scored twice in the lane sandwiched around a three-point play by Alyssa Thomas and in less than a minute Connecticut was up 62-59 with the crowd roaring. Brionna Jones had 15 points and Harris 14 for the Sun. Rookie Rickea Jackson and Azura Stevens both had 14 points for the Sparks.
Kelsey Mitchell scored 27 points, Caitlin Clark added 23 points and nine assists, and Lexie Hull scored 12 of her career-high 22 points in the fourth quarter Sunday to help the Indiana Fever beat the Seattle Storm 92-75. With 232 assists so far this season, Clark broke the previous WNBA rookie record of 224 by Ticha Penicheiro in 1998. Aliyah Boston grabbed 15 rebounds to go with nine points and a career-high eight assists for Indiana. Jewell Loyd led Seattle with 26 points, Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 15 and Nneka Ogwumike added 14 points, nine rebounds and four steals.
WNBA players would like more of a break after the All-Star Game and Olympics before league play resumes. Here was a quick turnaround this year after the Paris Games. It could be a major topic of discussion when negotiations begin for the next collective bargaining agreement. The current CBA ends next year. Phoenix, Chicago and Los Angeles all played three games in a four-day span to resume the regular season. Fortunately, from the Olympics standpoint, the next Games are in Los Angeles, so travel will be less of an issue for the players.
NFL
Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores acknowledged he was stung by the sharp criticism of his coaching style from Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s recent public assessment of their time together with the Dolphins. Flores responded to remarks Tagovailoa made in an interview that aired on the "Dan LeBatard Show." He wished his former player well and expressed pleasure in the success the fifth pick in the 2020 draft has had. Flores also said he has reflected on his time as head coach of the Dolphins and believes he has learned to improve as a leader.
Bryce Young isn’t concerned if he doesn’t take a snap in the preseason. The No. 1 overall pick in 2023 is coming off a tough rookie season. He went 2-14 as a starter and ranked near the bottom of the league in most statistical categories. And he enters Year 2 having had to learn a different offense under new coach Dave Canales. Despite all that, Canales held Young out of Carolina’s first two preseason games. Young says he's comfortable enough in the offense and will be ready for the regular season even if he doesn’t play in Saturday’s final exhibition game at the Buffalo Bills.
The Heisman Trophy race appears wide open this season. The top five players in last year’s Heisman voting, won by LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, and eight of the top 10 are currently in NFL training camps. Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe is the only player among 2023’s top 10 vote-getters to appear on a long list of players with Heisman odds from BetMGM. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Georgia’s Carson Beck lead that list.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Alabama has given one of Kalen DeBoer’s key behind-the-scenes staffers, general manager Courtney Morgan, a new three-year contract worth nearly $2.5 million. The move is a notable investment from one of the top programs in the country at a time when colleges teams are increasingly operating like professional franchises. Plenty of major college teams now have general managers. They are increasingly valuable.
NHL
The St. Louis Blues have signed defenseman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway to two-year contracts after the Edmonton Oilers declined to match the offer sheets for the restricted free agents. Broberg signed for a total of $9.16 million and Holloway $4.58 million. The Blues sent second- and third-round picks to Edmonton. In Philadelphia, the NHL Players' Association is reviewing the Flyers decision to place forward Ryan Johansen on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract due to a material breach that was not disclosed.
GOLF
Scottie Scheffler says it's silly to call the FedEx Cup title a season-long competition when it comes down to one tournament at the end. He's not wrong. This also is nothing new. Scheffler has said it before. So have Jon Rahm and and Patrick Cantlay and even Tiger Woods some 15 years ago. It's a matter of the PGA Tour having to choose between the risk of someone wrapping up the title before the Tour Championship or making the season finale compelling. The FedEx Cup is an important title for players. It just doesn't always define the best season.
COLLEGE ATHLETICS
Athletic programs at historically Black colleges and universities are facing another wrinkle. Few of them have NIL collectives to arrange endorsement deals with athletes, though the area has seen some growth in the past couple years. Now all schools are facing the prospect of being able to pay athletes directly via revenue sharing, perhaps as early as 2025. That is a daunting possibility for schools with modest resources, including HBCUs. Coaches and players say the HBCU appeal goes far beyond available money.
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