The Yankees lead in the AL East is quickly fading to Tampa Bay who are now just 4 games back. The Chicago White Sox did the Rays a favor by downing the Yankees 9-6. Alexei Ramirez hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the seventh, one inning before Adam Dunn smacked his major league-leading 36th home run.
The Red Sox were off yesterday but it was a busy day in Boston, nonetheless. The team has announced that Carl Crawford will have Tommy John surgery on Thursday, ending his season. Boston also fired pitching coach Bob McClure and replaced him with Randy Niemann for the rest of the season.
The Mets are also keeping an eye on their roster. Pitcher Johan Santana's next start for the New York Mets may be his final outing of the season. The left-hander will be limited to a pitch count somewhere under 100 in his start Thursday against Colorado. The Mets lost to the Rockies last night 3-1.
The Yanks are in Chicago again tonight, Boston hosts the Angels and the Mets try again in Colorado.
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Augusta National's membership is about to include females for the first time since the club was founded 80 years ago. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore will be presented with the club's iconic green jackets when the new season opens in October. Augusta has been under pressure for years to admit a woman as a member. Club chairman Billy Payne calls the admission of Rice and Moore a "joyous occasion."
And finally this morning, a federal judge in Austin, Texas, has thrown out Lance Armstrong's lawsuit against the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, ruling the court lacked jurisdiction. That upends an attempt to stop the drug case against the seven-time Tour de France winner, who has repeatedly denied doping. His lawsuit claimed USADA lacked jurisdiction and that its arbitration process violates his constitutional rights. Armstrong can appeal in federal court, go ahead with USADA's arbitration or accept its sanctions, which could include a lifetime ban from the sport and loss of his Tour titles.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press