MLB:
In baseball, in the American League, the New York Yankees' lead in the AL East is down to 1 ½ games over Toronto following Cleveland's 3-2 victory in the Bronx., Boston topped Kansas City 4-1, Minnesota crushed Baltimore 15-2, Detroit blanked Texas 4-0, Tampa Bay edged Houston 1-0, and it was the White Sox over the Angels 8-2.
In the National League, Pittsburgh shut out San Francisco 4-0, Miami defeated Philadelphia 9-7, Arizona slid past Cincinnati 5-4, the Cubs bested Atlanta 7-1, and it was Colorado over Washington 3-2.
The head of the Rhode Island State Police says there's still an open, ongoing criminal investigation into the state's failed $75 million deal with ex-Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's video game company. Colonel Steven O'Donnell made the comments the day several groups called for an independent investigation into the 38 Studios deal.
NFL:
In the NFL, Buffalo beat Cleveland 11-10 and Washington bested Detroit 21-17.
New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz is calling his calf injury a hiccup in his return from his second major knee surgery. Cruz pulled a calf muscle in his left leg and coach Tom Coughlin doesn't think he will play in the preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at MetLife Stadium tomorrow night.
Tom Brady's media blackout has left him unavailable to even discuss how the New England Patriots look on the football field. But during a pair of joint practices with the New Orleans Saints this week, the reigning Super Bowl MVP demonstrated how well his arm is holding up, and how sharp he remains on the football field even as the NFL's "Deflategate" case hangs over him.
Arizona Cardinals starting nose tackle Corey Peters will miss the upcoming NFL season after tearing his left ACL in practice on Wednesday. Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians says rookie Rodney Gunter will move into the starting nose tackle role after being taken in the fourth round of the draft out of Delaware State. Arians also says starting left guard Mike Iupati (ee-yoo-PAH'-tee) will undergo surgery for a torn left meniscus and will be out three to eight weeks. Ted Larsen will be the new left guard.
NBA:
A person familiar with the decision says free-agent forward J.R. Smith has agreed to re-sign with the Cavaliers.
Smith declined his $6.8 million player option following the season. He looked at other teams before deciding to return to Cleveland, said the person who spoke to the Associated Press on Thursday night on condition of anonymity because the contract has not yet been signed.
Smith came to the Cavs in a trade with the New York Knicks last season. He averaged 12.7 points in 46 regular-season games with Cleveland.
In the playoffs, Smith was forced into a more prominent role following injuries to Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. He averaged 12.8 points in 18 games, starting four.
Smith announced his return on his Instagram account, saying he "wanted to rejoin an incredible organization in pursuit of the ultimate goal, an NBA championship."
NHL:
Former New York Rangers player Dale Purinton has been arrested in connection with a central New York burglary.
Police say the 38-year-old former defenseman was charged for his role in a burglary in Sylvan Beach, 25 miles east of Syracuse.
He was arrested Wednesday following an investigation into an Aug. 11 assault. He's being held in the Oneida County Jail. It couldn't be determined if he has a lawyer.
Police say Purinton broke into a residence and attacked the homeowner before fleeing. Police tracked him down in the town of Laurens, where he was taken into custody and turned over to Oneida County sheriff's deputies.
Purinton played for the Rangers from 1999 to 2004, racking up 578 penalty minutes in 181 games.
PGA:
Tiger Woods is off to a fine start at the PGA's Wyndham Championship following his best round in two years. Woods opened with a 6-under 64 that included seven birdies and a bogey. It was his lowest score on the PGA Tour since a 61 in the second round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in 2013.
Woods is 187th in the FedEx Cup standings as he tries to move himself into the 125-man field for the playoffs that start with The Barclays next week. He can wrap up a spot with a win or possibly a solo second-place finish.
William McGirt, Erik Compton and Tom Hoge share the lead. Each played bogey-free in carding 6-under 62s. Jim Herman, Derek Ernst and Morgan Hoffman are tied for fourth at minus-7.
A computer error has caused the PGA Tour to readjust the U.S. standings for the Presidents Cup team. Officials realized that double the FedEx Cup points had been awarded starting with the Frys.com Open in October. Points were not supposed to be double the value until the first event of 2015. The adjustment means Robert Streb and Charley Hoffman will have more work to do to earn one of the 10 automatic qualifying slots for the American squad. Streb dropped from 11th to 16th, and Hoffman slipped from 12th to 15th.
LPGA:
Karine Icher had six birdies in a seven-hole stretch en route to a 7-under 65 and the first-round lead in the Canadian Pacific Women's Open.
Icher is winless in 253 career LPGA Tour starts.
Two-time champion Lydia Ko was second after a 67 that included birdies on her final two holes.
The final three spots on the U.S. Solheim Cup team will be set after the tournament.
FIFA:
FIFA has met with some World Cup sponsors as they demanded after a corruption crisis rocked soccer's governing body. Little detail was revealed after the closed-door session shrouded in secrecy at FIFA headquarters.
Officials from World Cup sponsors Adidas, Budweiser, Coca-Cola, McDonald's and Visa attended, FIFA says. Those sponsors say in a joint statement that they "reiterated our expectations for robust reform, and we will continue to engage with FIFA."
Horse Racing:
At Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, the Grade 1 Alabama will take place just after 6 p.m.
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