Professional sports leagues continue to postpone games amid boycotts from players and coaches following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The NBA again postponed three games planned for Thursday, with spokesman Mike Bass saying the league hopes to resume schedule either Friday or Saturday. The WNBA and NHL followed suit — the NHL says its schedule is on hold until at least Saturday.
Seven more Major League Baseball games were postponed Thursday due to the boycott, including the Mets vs Marlins game at Citi Field. Players jointly walked on the field for a moment of silence in honor of Jackie Robinson, the first Black player in modern major league history. Both teams then returned to their clubhouses, leaving only a Black Lives Matter T-shirt at home plate. Other MLB games postponed include the Red Sox match against the Blue Jays in Buffalo, and Philadelphia at Washington.
Also, tennis tours paused play at the Western & Southern Open in Flushing Meadows, New York. And even the NFL saw teams cancel practice in support of racial justice. Teams that refused to take the field include the Jets, Cardinals, Bears, Broncos, Packers, Colts, Chargers, Titans, and the Washington Football Team.
The movement, which started with the NBA on Wednesday, has been criticized by President Trump, who told reporters Thursday that the NBA has become like “a political organization.”
MLB
The only games played Thursday were doubleheaders, three of them makeup games following Wednesday's boycotts:
Clayton Kershaw struck out four and didn’t walk a batter over six scoreless innings, leading the Dodgers past the Giants, 7-0 in the opener of a doubleheader. AJ Pollock belted a two-run homer and Dodgers star Mookie Betts reached 1,000 hits in his 824th game with his sixth-inning single. Joc Pederson was the hitting star in the Dodgers’ 2-0, Game 2 victory, hitting a solo homer and scoring an insurance run on Will Smith’s double. Seven pitchers combined on a two-hitter as Los Angeles completed the sweep.
Cole Tucker singled home in the go-ahead run in extra innings and the Pirates beat the Cardinals, 4-3 in Game 1. The seven-inning game went to extras tied at one before the Bucs scored three times in the eighth, including an RBI single by Bryan Reynolds and an error by third baseman Brad Miller. Chad Kuhl delivered six innings of one-run ball for Pittsburgh. The Pirates came away with a sweep as Erik Gonzalez and Adam Frazier provided RBI singles in a 2-0 decision over the Redbirds. Cody Ponce earned his first big league victory by pitching into the sixth inning of his first start, limiting St. Louis to five hits.
There was a thrilling end to San Diego’s 10-7, Game 1 win over the Mariners. Wil Myers hit a game-ending three-run homer with two outs in the Padres’ seven-run seventh. Manny Machado homered twice and had four RBIs, and Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his big league-leading 13th homer an estimated at 448 feet onto the roof of the Western Metal Supply Co. Building. Rookie José Marmolejos hit his first grand slam and Shed Long Jr. also connected in a six-run first that carried the Mariners to an 8-3 victory and a split of their twinbill. Manny Machado also went deep for his third home run of the doubleheader.
The Reds knocked off the Brewers, 6-1 in Game 1 as Jesse Winker homered twice and prized prospect Jose Garcia singled in his first big league at-bat. Cincinnati starter Sonny Gray allowed four singles over five scoreless innings, striking out four and walking two. Omar Narvaez accounted for Milwaukee’s run with a sixth-inning homer. Eugenio Suarez slammed a two-run homer and Wade Miley combined with two relievers on a one-hitter as Cincinnati blanked Milwaukee, 6-0 to complete a sweep. Winker and Kyle Farmer produced two hits and an RBI in the nightcap. Luis Urias singled off Miley in the third inning for the Brewers' lone hit.
In other MLB news, the Mariners have traded right-hander Taijuan Walker to the Toronto Blue Jays for a player or cash. Walker was 2-2 with a 4.00 ERA in five starts this season, with 25 strikeouts and eight walks. He is 33-33 with a 3.95 ERA in parts of eight big league seasons.
NFL
Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Chris Conley called on “figures who are the face of the league” to do more to help fight social injustice. The sixth-year pro made it clear Thursday he was talking about the NFL’s top quarterbacks, the ones who have the most influence in games, in locker rooms and in communities. Think Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson and Lamar Jackson, for starters. Conley said those in the NFL “who are irreplaceable” need to step up, but he doesn’t see it happening. He says there are leaders in the league who are speaking up and willing to make a sacrifice.
In other NFL news, the missing father of Bengals cornerback Mackensie Alexander turned up early Thursday at a ranger station at a Florida state park. The Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office said in a Twitter post Thursday morning that 65-year-old Jean Alexandre walked up to the ranger station at the Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park. He was reported to be in good health and will be reunited with this family. His son, cornerback Mackensie Alexander, was jailed Wednesday on a misdemeanor battery charge after deputies say he beat up a man who had last seen his father.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
A group of Nebraska football players filed a lawsuit Thursday asking a jury to force the Big Ten Conference to reinstate a fall football season. The lawsuit in Lancaster County District Court in Lincoln contends, among other things, the players lost opportunities for development in football, will lose exposure for possible professional football opportunities and won’t be able to market themselves in order to eventually capitalize on name, image and likeness revenue opportunities. The Big Ten had no immediate comment.
GOLF
Hideki Matsuyama birdied two of his last three holes for a 3-under 67 and a one-shot lead over Tyler Duncan through one round of the BMW Championship. Matsuyama carded one of only three rounds under par on a course that was long, tough, firm, fast and nothing like the last two weeks on the PGA Tour. Dustin Johnson opened with a 71 after winning The Northern Trust last week to move to No. 1 in the world. Tiger Woods finished with three straight bogeys for a 73. Woods needs to finish around fourth to have any hope of returning to East Lake next week in Atlanta to chase the $15 million bonus for the FedEx Cup winner.
TENNIS
Two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and 16-year-old Coco Gauff could face each other at the U.S. Open again. The tournament draw set up a possible third-round rematch. Other potential women’s quarterfinals: No. 1 seed Karolina Pliskova vs. No. 8 Petra Martic; No. 2 Sofia Kenin vs. No. 5 Aryna Sabalenka; and No. 3 Serena Williams vs. No. 7 Madison Keys. Only two of the top eight women in the WTA rankings entered the hard-court tournament. Among those missing are No. 1-ranked Ash Barty and 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu. Defending men’s champion, Rafael Nadal, and 20-time Grand Slam title winner Roger Federer are also among those absent in New York this year. Top-ranked Novak Djokovic did decide to play. The U.S. Open begins Monday.
NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME
Springfield City Councilors said they were surprised and disappointed by the announcement that the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will move the 2020 enshrinement ceremony out of the city. Hall of Fame president John Doleva assured Councilors during a meeting Thursday that holding the ceremony at the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut is a one-time-only move based on pandemic-driven safety protocols.
"We need to be economically solvent, and if we can't have an enshrinement in the near term, this greatly affects our ability to be a strong regional partner," says Doleva.
The economic loss to Springfield’s hotels and restaurants is put at $4-$5 million. It’s the latest blow to the hospitality industry. Six Flags New England remains closed. The Big E is cancelled. The MGM casino is open at about a third of capacity.
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