Bombs over the Bronx…
With temperatures well into the 90’s yesterday, baseballs were flying out of Yankee Stadium. The Bronx Bombers blasted four home runs, but the Braves slammed five – including two by Jason Heyward, as they doubled up the Yankees 10-5.
In Queens, Dillon Gee extended the Mets' shutout streak to 29 innings before Baltimore broke through late, but the Mets were able to survive the rally attempt, dropping the Orioles 4-3 to complete a three-game series sweep.
In Boston, David Ortiz launched a grand slam, one of the Red Sox's four homers, as they set a season high in runs, routing the Marlins 15-5.
Elsewhere, Washington got by Tampa Bay 3-2, St. Louis downed Detroit 3-1, the White Sox blanked the Cubs 7-0, Oakland dumped the Dodgers 4-1, the Angels shutout San Francisco 6-0, Texas topped San Diego 4-2, Cleveland swept Cincinnati 8-1, Minnesota edged Pittsburgh 2-1, Arizona outlasted Seattle 14-10, Kansas City doubled up Houston 2-1, Milwaukee dropped Toronto 8-3, and Philadelphia rallied to beat Colorado 7-6.
Tonight in Miami - Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Thunder and Heat. The Heat, who leads the series three-games-to-one, can take home the NBA championship with a win tonight.
In other NBA news, the Hornets have traded Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor to the Wizards for Rashard Lewis (and his massive expiring contract) and a second round pick.
At the Jerry Sandusky trial, the defense in the child sexual abuse case has rested without the former Penn State assistant football coach taking the stand in his own defense. The 68-year-old Sandusky could spend the rest of his life in state prison if convicted. He is fighting 51 criminal counts for alleged abuse of 10 boys. Closing arguments will begin later this morning.
In college basketball news, the NCAA seems to be getting serious about its new academic requirements for college basketball teams. A record 10 men's basketball teams, including three-time national champion U-Conn, have been banned from this year's NCAA tournament because of poor Academic Progress Rate scores. Joining the Huskies on the sideline next March will be Arkansas-Pine Bluff, California-Riverside, Cal State Bakersfield, Jacksonville State, Mississippi Valley State, North Carolina-Wilmington, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Toledo, and Towson.
And in college football news, the BCS commissioners are backing a playoff plan with the sites for the national semifinals rotating among the major bowl games and a selection committee picking the teams. The plan will be presented to university presidents next week for approval, which is expected. The four-team playoff would start in 2014.
I’m Tristan O’Neill, WAMC News.