Yankees manager Aaron Boone got fired up at a rookie umpire in a profane rant, and New York awoke from a sleepy start to rally past the Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 in the opening of a doubleheader sweep. Boone called his hitters "savages" while digging into plate umpire Brennan Miller during a tirade picked up by television microphones. The Yankees won the second game 5-1 to reopen an eight-game AL East lead.
Madison Bumgarner pitched nine superb innings but had nothing to show for it aside from an ovation of sheer appreciation, and the San Francisco Giants rallied past the New York Mets on Donovan Solano's 16th-inning RBI single for a 3-2. The Giants finished their season-best sixth straight victory hours after Bumgarner wrapped up what might have been his final start with San Francisco.
Stephen Strasburg set franchise history for a pitcher by driving in five runs with three hits, including a three-run homer, and the surging Washington Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 13-4. The Nationals, who have won 14 of their last 18 games, cut Atlanta’s lead to 5 ½ games in the NL East.
Bryce Harper tied the game in his Phillie Phanatic headband with an RBI single and Rhys Hoskins ripped a two-RBI single in the seventh inning to rally the Philadelphia Phillies to a 7-6 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Phillies closer Hector Neris gave up a solo homer to Alex Verdugo in the ninth to make it 7-6. But he got the final out for his 18th save.
Chris Sale struck out 12 in six shutout innings to earn his first regular-season win at Fenway Park in more than a year, and Rafael Devers hit a three-run homer to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 5-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. It was Sale's 11th double-digit strikeout game of the year and the two hits he allowed were the fewest all season.
In MLB news, former New York Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera is awaiting his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame this Sunday. Rivera set a record with 652 saves. He says he always wanted to do "whatever it took to win, and it worked many times." He is the first player unanimously voted into the Hall by the writers. He is part of a Cooperstown class that also includes Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina the late Roy Halladay, Harold Baines and Lee Smith.
GOLF
Bettors who picked Tiger Woods or native son Rory McIlroy to do well in the British Open are highly unlikely to win. McIlroy had a shocking 78 in mixed weather conditions. And a “sore” Tiger Woods had his worst score to start a British Open. He posted a 79. The Open returned to Ireland’s Royal Portrush after a 68-year absence. Ireland’s Shane Lowry led the pack on Thursday.
TENNIS
Li Na, the first player from Asia to win a Grand Slam singles title, will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame this weekend. She is being celebrated not only for her skills on the court but for her importance to the growth of the sport in her country of China. Li won two major singles titles and reached No. 2 in the WTA rankings.
The U.S. Open total purse this year is more than $57 million, the richest in tennis history. The men's and women's singles champion will each receive $3.85 million, and the men's and women's doubles champion teams will get $740,000. Those are both the highest payouts in U.S. Open history.
NFL
A Missouri man has been fined $500 for pointing a laser at New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady during the AFC championship with the Kansas City Chiefs in January. Dwyan Morgan pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and disturbing the peace and will pay the fine with no jail time. Footage of the game showed a green light flashing on Brady late in the Patriots' 37-31 overtime win at Arrowhead Stadium. Laser pointers are banned from sports events and other activities because even a short burst of the light can damage the retina.
A Louisiana judge is allowing a lawsuit to proceed against the NFL over the blown playoff "no-call" that led to the Rams beating the Saints and advancing to the 2019 Super Bowl. Thursday’s ruling means Commissioner Roger Goodell and game officials can be questioned in depositions.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Former Boston College women's basketball coach Cathy Inglese suffered a brain injury when she fell Wednesday, according to a social media post by her sister. The 60-year-old Inglese coached at Boston College from 1993-2008 and was hired as an assistant coach at Hofstra last month. Inglese led the Eagles to seven NCAA Tournament appearances, including the Sweet 16 three times. She led the Eagles to their lone Big East Tournament championship in 2004. They became the first and only school in conference history to win the title by winning games on four straight days.
EXCESSIVE HEAT
The New York City Triathlon scheduled for this Sunday has been canceled due to the extreme heat levels expected for race day. The cancellation announcement was made Thursday night after the National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for the tristate area from noon Friday until 8 p.m. Sunday. The race organizers said they were "unable to provide either a safe event experience or an alternate race weekend." Participants who registered for the event will receive a full refund.
Racing has been canceled Saturday at Saratoga Race Course due to expected excessive heat. The New York Racing Association says the decision comes because of a heat index forecast of between 105 and 110 degrees. It’s the first time an entire day of racing has been canceled because of heat at Saratoga since 2006.
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