NFL
Aaron Rodgers is once again the NFL's highest paid player after agreeing to a new deal with the Green Bay Packers. The two-time NFL MVP and the Packers have agreed on a four-year extension worth $134 million, with $100 million guaranteed. The deal keeps Rodgers under contract through the 2023 season. Rodgers' new annual average salary of $33.5 million per year would eclipse Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan's five-year extension worth $30 million a year.
In other NFL news:
The Cleveland Browns released linebacker Mychal Kendricks Wednesday night, hours after he was charged by federal prosecutors in Philadelphia with insider trading. Kendricks, who signed a one-year contract with the Browns in June after winning a Super Bowl title last season with the Eagles, allegedly used tips from an acquaintance to make about $1.2 million in illegal profits on four major trading deals, federal prosecutors said. The 27-year-old issued a statement earlier in the day admitting to his guilt and apologizing. He expressed regret and accepted "full responsibility" for his actions.
The Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers are heading into the 2018 season with new backup quarterbacks. The Seahawks acquired quarterback Brett Hundley from the Packers on Wednesday for an undisclosed draft pick. Green Bay announced the trade late in the day, completing the deal on the cusp of the preseason finales for all teams. Hundley's trade means the Packers will go with DeShone Kizer as the backup behind Aaron Rodgers.
The New Orleans Saints have made a move to shore up their backup quarterback position. The Saints have agreed to acquire veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and a sixth-round pick from the New York Jets for a third-round draft pick.
In Thursday’s NFL Action:
The New England Patriots take on The New York Giants at 7 p.m.
The New York Jets go against the Philadelphia Eagles at 7 p.m.
The Buffalo Bills will face off against the Chicago Bears at 8 p.m.
MLB
The Los Angeles Dodgers got seven scoreless innings from Alex Wood and three solo homers in a 3-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, matching a season-best with their fifth straight victory a night before the opener of a four-game NL West showdown at home against Arizona.
Cody Bellinger and Manny Machado hit first-pitch homers off Mike Minor (10-7). Yasmani Grandal also went deep for the defending National League champion Dodgers.
After sweeping a three-game series against San Diego last weekend, the Dodgers won both games at Texas in their final interleague series of the season.
In other MLB results:
Steven Souza Jr. homered leading off the third to end Arizona's 25-inning scoreless drought, then followed with an RBI double the next inning and added a defensive gem that helped the Diamondbacks beat the San Francisco Giants 3-1. Zack Godley (14-7) struck out six over 7 2/3 innings of two-hit ball and increased his career best for wins as first-place Arizona moved a half-game ahead of idle Colorado in the NL West.
C.J. Cron hit a tiebreaking homer in the third inning, Tommy Pham added a two-run shot in the fourth and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Atlanta Braves 8-5 in a rain-delayed game early Thursday. Tampa Bay has won nine of 10 and outscored opponents 54-26 over that span. The Braves have dropped three of five but still lead the NL East by 3½ games.
Mookie Betts homered early and had a two-run double in Boston's 11-run seventh inning as the Red Sox rallied for a 14-6 victory over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night after their hottest pitcher was injured. Betts and Eduardo Nunez each hit a solo homer for the Red Sox, who won for the 22nd time in their last 26 interleague games. Red Sox starter David Price, was knocked out with a bruised left wrist. The 33-year-old lefty exited in the fourth after being struck by a line drive off the bat of Austin Dean on the final play of the previous inning. The Red Sox announced "X-Rays were negative" and further testing will be done as needed. Boston travels to Chicago to take on the White Sox Thursday at 8:10 p.m.
The Chicago Cubs finally tasted defeat. Todd Frazier hit a grand slam and drove in a season-high five runs to lead the New York Mets to a 10-3 victory over the Cubs, avenging a tough loss earlier in the day. The Cubs had won a season-high seven in a row after pulling out a 2-1 victory earlier Wednesday on Ben Zobrist's RBI single with the bases loaded in the 11th. That game had been suspended in the top of the 10th because of rain Tuesday night. The Mets have the night off as they travel to San Francisco to take on the Giants at 10:15 p.m.
The Houston Astros handed the Oakland Athletics just their second series defeat in their last 21 series when Tyler White homered with one out in the ninth inning to give Houston a 5-4 victory.
Trevor Williams pitched six strong innings, Starling Marte had an RBI single in the sixth inning, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 Wednesday night. Williams (11-9) gave up three hits and struck out a career-high eight.
Carlos Santana hit a grand slam and Jose Bautista had the go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to an 8-6 victory over the Washington Nationals. Philadelphia avoided a thhee-game sweep while winning for just the third time in the last 11 games.
Christian Yelich led Milwaukee's big comeback by hitting for the cycle and Jesus Aguilar homered in the 10th inning, powering the Brewers to a 13-12 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Aguilar connected off Raisel Iglesias (2-3) for Milwaukee's fourth homer of the game, halting the Brewers' month-long slide. Milwaukee has dropped 11 of 20 and slipped into third place in the NL Central, five games behind the Cubs.
Ryan LaMarre homered and drove in a career-best four runs as the Chicago White Sox beat the New York Yankees 4-1 on Wednesday night. Chicago has won five of six and 11 of 15. New York hosts the Detroit Tigers Thursday at 7:05 p.m.
Adam Jones hit his second career grand slam, Trey Mancini had a solo shot and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-5 Wednesday night to complete their first three-game sweep of the season.
Minnesota's Robbie Grossman hit a two-out, two-run single off Cleveland closer Cody Allen in the seventh inning as the Twins rallied for a 4-3 win over the Indians. Minnesota's Joe Mauer doubled and scored in the fifth to become the third player in club history to score 1,000 career runs, joining Hall of Famers Kirby Puckett (1,071) and Harmon Killebrew (1,047).
Alberto Mondesi homered for the second straight game, this time a two-run shot as part of a four-RBI performance, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 9-2 to sweep a two-game set.
Joey Lucchesi struck out nine batters in a career-best 6 2-3 innings leading the San Diego Padres to an 8-3 win over the Seattle Mariners. Hunter Renfroe homered and drove in four runs for the Padres.
Pujols sidelined:
Los Angeles Angels slugger Albert Pujols is likely to miss the rest of his 18th major league season after undergoing surgery on his left knee.
The Angels announced Wednesday that Pujols has undergone arthroscopic knee surgery. Recovery time is typically at least six weeks, and the Angels' season likely will be over in 4 1/2 weeks.
Pujols is sixth in baseball history with 633 career homers after passing Ken Griffey Jr. last month. He is seventh in history with 1,982 career RBIs, just behind Lou Gehrig (1,995) and Barry Bonds (1,996), and close to becoming only the fifth member of the 2,000-RBI club.
In other MLB news:
San Francisco Giants center fielder Steven Duggar has gone on the disabled list with a potential season-ending left shoulder injury a day after a hard, headfirst slide back into second base. While San Francisco's medical staff was still awaiting MRI results, manager Bruce Bochy said the club won't take any chances with the prized 24-year-old outfielder.
Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper was not in the starting lineup for Wednesday night's game against the Philadelphia Phillies because he was sick. The six-time All-Star was available to pinch-hit, manager Dave Martinez said. Harper was lifted in the ninth inning of Tuesday's game due to illness.
Braves manager Brian Snitker says right-hander Mike Soroka, who's been sidelined for 82 games with shoulder strain and inflammation, will not return this season. Soroka has been on the disabled list twice and last pitched June 19 at Toronto. He went 2-1 with a 3.51 ERA in five starts.
US OPEN
Serena Williams set up a third-round showdown at the U.S. Open against her older sister by hitting 13 aces and overwhelming 101st-ranked Carina Witthoeft of Germany 6-2, 6-2 in a little more than an hour.
This Williams vs. Williams matchup will be the earliest they've faced each other at a Grand Slam tournament in 20 years.
Venus Williams advanced to the third round with a straight-setS victory earlier Wednesday. Serena leads Venus 17-12 overall and 15-10 at majors.
In other action at the U.S. Open:
Defending champion Rafael Nadal won 46 of 55 first-serve points in cruising to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over Vasek Pospisil in Arthur Ashe Stadium Wednesday night.
Defending champion Sloane Stephens rallied to reach the third round of the U.S. Open with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory over Anhelina Kalinina. Stephens set up a third-round matchup with Victoria Azarenka, the former No. 1 player who has twice been a U.S. Open finalist.
John Isner reached the U.S. Open's third round for the seventh consecutive year, hitting 38 aces to come back and edge 42nd-ranked Nicolas Jarry of Chile 6-7 (7), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4.
The 11th-seeded Isner is the highest-ranked American man in New York for the seventh time in a row, but he's only once made it to the fourth round in that span.
Andy Murray's return to the U.S. Open lasted just two rounds. The 2012 champion was eliminated by No. 31 seed Fernando Verdasco 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Third-seeded Juan Martin del Potro advanced by beating American Denis Kudla 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (4).
Stan Wawrinka ran his U.S. Open winning streak to nine with a 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over qualifier Ugo Humbert of France.
COLLEGE ATHLETICS
Ohio State University trustees are set to receive an update on the investigation into a former team doctor now accused of sexual misconduct against scores of male athletes and other students.
A law firm hired to investigate the claims has heard from more than 100 former students sharing firsthand accounts of sexual misconduct by Richard Strauss. The allegations date from 1979 to 1997, most of his two decades at Ohio State. University officials' responses to any concerns raised also are under investigation.
University Provost Bruce McPheron is scheduled to provide an update on the nearly 5-month-old investigation to the trustees' Audit and Compliance Committee meeting Thursday on campus.
BOXING
Former middleweight boxing champion Jermain Taylor has been arrested in Arkansas after police allege he punched a woman, held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her.
Little Rock police say they were called to Taylor's home Wednesday afternoon in regard to a disturbance with a weapon. The 40-year-old Taylor has been charged with third-degree domestic battery and aggravated assault on a family or household member.
SOCCER
A former top South American soccer official was sentenced on Wednesday to nine years in prison for pocketing millions of dollars in cash bribes as part of the sprawling FIFA corruption scandal. Juan Angel Napout, of Paraguay received the sentence in federal court in New York City, where he and another soccer official from Brazil were found guilty late last year of racketeering conspiracy and other charges. The trial stemmed from a U.S.-led investigation resulting in charges against dozens of people and entities accused of orchestrating tens of millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks.
Dempsey Retires:
Clint Dempsey announced his retirement Wednesday at age 35 after playing professional soccer for 15 years.
Dempsey was mostly a sub with the Seattle Sounders this summer, and that, combined with age and injury, prompted him now was the time to walk away even with two months left in the MLS regular season. Dempsey is tied with Landon Donovan as the greatest U.S. goal scorer, with 57 international goals in 141 appearances. He captained the U.S. in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Dempsey's pro career included stints with the New England Revolution, Fulham and Tottenham in England, and the Sounders.
© 2018 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
