The New York Yankees have padded their lead in the AL East by beating the second-place Tampa Bay Rays for the second consecutive night. The Yanks were 6-3 winners on Tuesday as Edwin Encarnación went deep for his first hit with New York.
Cameron Maybin extended his home run streak to a career-high four games with a seventh-inning blast. Maybin also stretched the Yankees’ homer streak to 21 games as he battles to maintain a roster spot. Gary Sanchez had two RBIs and J.A. Happ gave up two runs over five innings as the Bombers moved 2 ½ games ahead of Tampa Bay. Giancarlo Stanton played right field and went 0-for-4 in his return from the injured list.
Jacob deGrom came within two outs of a complete game and rookie Pete Alonso reached base six times as the Mets hammered the Braves, 10-2. DeGrom struck out 10 and carried a three-hit shutout into the ninth before Freddie Freeman and Josh Donaldson hit back-to-back homers to end his night. Alonso hit one of the Mets’ three home runs and was 4-for-4 with two walks and three RBIs in New York’s second win in six games.
Max Kepler provided the biggest hits in the Twins’ 4-3 win over the Red Sox, lacing a walk-off, RBI single in the 17th after knotting the score with a 13th-inning homer. Kepler also delivered in the eighth as his two-out single to left field tied the game at 2. It was the longest game ever at Minnesota’s Target Field and allowed the Twins to maintain their 10-game lead in the AL Central.
The Phillies and Nationals were postponed by rain in Washington for the second straight day. The game will be made up on Sept. 24 as part of a day-night doubleheader. Monday's game was already rescheduled as the front end of a day-night doubleheader on Wednesday. The rainout leaves the Phils 2 1/2 games behind the NL East-leading Braves.
Elsewhere in the majors, Jesse Winker and Derek Dietrich homered off Justin Verlander in the first inning to jumpstart the Reds’ 4-3 win against the Astros. Kyle Farmer added a round-tripper in the seventh off Verlander, who has given up three homers in each of his last two starts. Anthony DeSclafani gave up a run and six hits while pitching into the sixth inning to remain unbeaten this month.
The White Sox pulled out a 3-1 win over the Cubs on a tiebreaking, two-run homer by Eloy Jiménez off Pedro Strop in the ninth inning. Four White Sox relievers combined for four scoreless innings after starter Iván Nova limited the Cubs to one run and four hits. Kyle Schwarber connected for his 16th homer and Cole Hamels pitched seven innings of six-hit ball, but the Cubs lost for the fourth time in five games.
Left-hander Logan Allen was brilliant in his major league debut, limiting the Brewers to three hits over seven scoreless innings of the Padres’ 4-1 victory. Allen struck out the side in his last inning and was backed by three double plays. Francisco Mejia belted a two-run home run and Manny Machado added an RBI double as San Diego handed Brandon Woodruff just his second loss in 10 decisions this season.
The Dodgers crushed the Giants, 9-0 as Clayton Kershaw combined with two relievers on a four-hitter. Kershaw allowed three hits, struck out six and walked two to move to 7-1 this season. Enriquè Hernàndez launched a pinch-hit grand slam to highlight a six-run seventh.
Nolan Arenado homered and drove in three to help the Rockies batter the Diamondbacks, 8-1. Reigning NL Player of the Week Charlie Blackmon stayed hot with three hits as Colorado earned its sixth straight win against Arizona. Antonio Senzatela was reached for only one run and seven hits while tying his season high with 6 2/3 innings.
Rookie Jordan Yamamoto stifled the Cardinals for the second time in as many big league starts, allowing two hits over seven innings of the Marlins’ 6-0 shutout. He gave up three hits over seven frames in his major league debut, on June 12 in Miami against the Cardinals. Brian Anderson and Starlin Castro homered for the Marlins.
Rookie Zach Plesac allowed only one run and two hits pitching into the eighth inning of the Indians’ 10-3 pounding of the Rangers. Cleveland hit three consecutive home runs for the first time in 15 years as Jake Bauers, Roberto Perez and Tyler Naquin went deep against Drew Smyly during a five-pitch span of the seventh. Jose Ramirez smashed a three-run homer in the third for the Indians.
Khris Davis, Robbie Grossman and Stephen Piscotty homered in a 10-run sixth that highlighted the Athletics’ 16-2 thrashing of the Orioles. Ramón Laureano, Chad Pinder and Beau Taylor also homered as the A's set a season-high with six. Brett Anderson allowed one earned run and four hits in seven innings, blanking Baltimore until Jonathan Villar homered in the fifth.
A botched double play attempt allowed Nicholas Castellanos to score the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning and give the Tigers a 5-4 win over the Pirates. Miguel Cabrera had two hits in his first start at first base since May 31 as Detroit beat the Pirates for just the second time in their last 10 meetings. Josh Bell belted his 20th home run for Pittsburgh.
Kole Calhoun and Brian Goodwin hit solo homers to support Tyler Skaggs in the Angels’ 3-1 victory at Toronto. Skaggs held the Blue Jays to a run and three hits over a season-high 7 1/3 innings. Luis Rengifo had two hits as Los Angeles improved to 5-0 versus the Jays this season.
The Royals rode Whit Merrifield’s two homers and career-high six RBIs to a 9-0 thumping of the Mariners. Homer Bailey allowed just one runner past second base and fanned six over 7 2/3 innings. Jorge Soler also homered and rookie Nicky Lopez had three hits for Kansas City.
In MLB news, former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz has been upgraded from "guarded" to "good" condition by his doctors at a Massachusetts Hospital as he recovers from gunshot wounds. The Red Sox issued a statement on behalf of his wife saying Ortiz continues to make progress after being shot in his native Dominican Republic on June 9. Meanwhile, authorities in Santo Domingo announced the arrest of an 11th suspect. The 10 others have already been ordered to spend a year in preventive detention as the investigation continues.
The Mets have placed pitcher Jeurys Familia on the 10-day injured list with a bone spur in his right shoulder and optioned pitcher Drew Gagnon to Triple-A Syracuse. Familia was shelved one day after giving up three runs while recording only one out in a 12-3 loss to the Braves.
Nationals ace Max Scherzer suffered a broken nose when he took a ball off the face during a bunting drill on Tuesday. The three-time Cy Young Award winner was scheduled to start one of the two games of Washington's day-night doubleheader against Philadelphia on Wednesday, but his status is still to be determined. Scherzer is 5-5 with a 2.81 ERA.
The White Sox have brought up catching prospect Zack Collins from Triple-A Charlotte and placed Welington Castillo on the 10-day injured list with a strained left oblique. The 24-year-old Collins was selected by Chicago with the 10th pick in the 2016 amateur draft out of the University of Miami. He hit .250 with nine homers and 39 RBIs for Charlotte.
The Rangers will retire former infielder Michael Young's No. 10 jersey number in a ceremony before their Aug. 31 game against Seattle. Young will be the fifth Ranger to have his number retired by the club, and the announcement comes only 10 days after former third baseman Adrian Beltre's No. 29 number was retired. Young is the franchise's career leader with 1,823 games played, 2,230 hits, 1,085 runs scored, 415 doubles and 55 triples.
The White Sox plan to extend the protective netting all the way to the foul poles at Guaranteed Rate Field. They would become the first major league team to take such a step in the wake of a couple of high-profile fan injuries.
NBA
Police in Canada are looking for a fourth person and haven't recovered the gun involved in a shooting at Monday’s rally for the NBA champion Raptors that left four people wounded and sent thousands fleeing. Police arrested three people who are now facing firearms charges for the shooting, but the shell casings at the scene didn't match two guns seized. Meanwhile, a lawyer for a deputy involved in an altercation with Raptors president Masai Ujiri said his client is considering a lawsuit. The attorney says the deputy has a jaw injury after Ujiri made contact with him as he tried to join his team on the court to celebrate their NBA championship. A sheriff's spokesman says the deputy was checking court-access credentials after the game Thursday in Oakland when Ujiri shoved the deputy and struck him in the side of head with his arm. The team has said it was cooperating with the investigation and gathering information on its own.
A person familiar with the decision says Boston Celtics center Al Horford will decline his player option for next season and become an unrestricted free agent. The five-time All-Star signed a four-year, $113 million deal in 2016. The 33-year-old Horford joins point guard Kyrie Irving, who will also not exercise his option to remain in Boston for the final year of his current contract. Horford was one of Boston's steadiest players throughout, averaging 13.9 points and nine rebounds in the postseason.
A diversity report shows the NBA still leads men's professional sports leagues in racial and gender hiring practices. The annual report card from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida reported almost identical scores from last year. That includes an A-plus for racial hiring, a B for gender hiring and an overall A grade. That was better than Major League Soccer's B-plus, the NFL’s B and Major League Baseball with a B-minus.
NHL
The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed defenseman Braydon Coburn to a two-year, $3.4 million deal. The 34-year-old had four goals and 19 assists in 74 games last season when he averaged 17:08 of ice time. Coburn took a $2 million annual pay cut from his last contract. Coburn has 228 points in 924 games with the Atlanta Thrashers, Philadelphia Flyers and Lightning. Tampa Bay acquired him in 2015.
The Sharks have cleared cap space by dealing veteran defenseman Justin Braun to the Flyers for one second- and one third-round pick in this weekend’s NHL draft. The move comes after the Sharks re-signed blueliner Erik Karlsson to an eight-year, $92 million package yesterday. The 32-year-old Braun counts $3.8 million against the salary cap this season in the last year of his contract.
NFL
The Oakland Raiders have signed first-round draft pick Clelin Ferrell. The defensive end from Clemson was selected fourth overall by the Raiders in April. A three-year starter and two-time national champion, Ferrell started in all 44 games he played. Ferrell was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year last season.
Broncos fans showed up in droves for a public tribute to Pat Bowlen at Broncos Stadium at Mile High. Among the late owner's memorabilia on display were his famous fur coat and his desk that included a to-do list _ with winning a Super Bowl on it. Bowlen died last week at 75 after a long battle with Alzheimer's and just two months shy of his enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
The NFL is teaming up with the NCAA to make football safer. Two of the league's top medical experts spent two days in Indianapolis sharing data from their research with NCAA officials, college team doctors and trainers. Jeff Miller and Dr. Allen Sills tell The Associated Press they hope it's the first of many meetings. Until now, their focus has been primarily on concussions. But Miller and Sills are now turning special attention to the prevention and treatment of lower-body injuries.
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