MLB:
— The Boston Red Sox's principal owner says he wants to take steps to rename a Fenway Park street that has been an enduring reminder of the franchise's complicated racial past. John Henry told the Boston Herald that he is "haunted" by the racist legacy of former owner Tom Yawkey and that he welcomes renaming of Yawkey Way in front of the ballpark and offices.
Yawkey owned the Red Sox from 1933 to 1976 and presided over a franchise that was the last in Major League Baseball to field a black player. That was in 1959, more than a decade after Jackie Robinson played for the Dodgers.
The Red Sox were off last night but begin a three game series against the New York Yankees tonight at 7:10 from Fenway Park.
— Gary Sanchez homered and matched a career high with five RBIs, Luis Severino got right back on track and the New York Yankees made it a four-game sweep in the Subway Series with a 7-5 victory over the Mets. Sanchez hit a three-run homer off struggling starter Steven Matz in the first inning and a two-run single in the fourth.
— The Yankees put first baseman Garrett Cooper on the 10-day disabled list Thursday with tendinitis in his left hamstring and promoted Tyler Austin from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Austin played first base and batted seventh as New York tried for a four-game sweep of its Subway Series against the crosstown-rival Mets. He singled his first two times up.
A special guest appearance by Boston Red Sox baseball legend David Ortiz will be among the highlights of this year’s Saratoga Wine and Food Festival, September 8 and 9 in Saratoga Springs, New York. The sports star, known affectionately to his fans as “Big Papi,” will participate in Friday’s Fired Up! event as well as two smaller gatherings on Friday evening, spotlighting his new line of cigars and Arias wine. Ortiz’s presence is one of many highlights of the 2017 festival, a weekend of events featuring fine wine and gourmet food tastings, luxury car displays and VIP experiences.
Jeff Samardzija struck out six over six innings to win for the fourth time in five starts, Jarrett Parker hit a two-run double, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-4 Thursday night.
Buster Posey and Hunter Pence each hit RBI singles in the third to back Samardzija (8-12) as San Francisco returned from a 2-4 road trip through Washington and Miami. On Parker's fifth-inning double, Pence sprinted around the bases so fast he was right on the heels of Denard Span coming into home.
Elsewhere in the leagues:
— Ryan Zimmerman homered with two outs in the eighth inning to lift the NL East-leading Washington Nationals to a 2-1 victory against the San Diego Padres. Zimmerman homered to right field on 1-1 pitch from Kirby Yates, who struck out the first two batters of the inning.
— Nomar Mazara drove in five runs, including a tiebreaking three-run homer in the fifth inning, and the Texas Rangers held on for a 9-8 victory over the Chicago White Sox. The Rangers reached .500 for the first time since July 15 with their fourth straight win and seventh in eight games. The defending AL West champs, out of the division race behind Houston, pulled within 1 1/2 games of the idle Los Angeles Angels for the AL's second wild card.
— Max Kepler made up for a fielding mistake in the top of the inning with the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the seventh, sending the Minnesota Twins to a 4-2 victory over Cleveland in the second game to salvage a doubleheader split with the Indians. Twins starter Aaron Slegers sailed through 6 1/3 innings in his major league debut, helping stop a six-game winning streak by the Indians.
— Dexter Fowler's two-run triple sparked the St. Louis Cardinals to an 11-7 comeback win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. With the Cardinals trailing 5-4 in the seventh inning, Fowler tripled down the right field line off reliever Joaquin Benoit to give the Cardinals a 6-5 lead. Fowler went 2 for 3 with three RBIs and two walks.
— Ender Inciarte hit two of Atlanta's four homers and the Braves beat the Colorado Rockies 10-4. Freddie Freeman and Tyler Flowers also homered, and Lucas Sims got his first win in the majors for the Braves, who managed a four-game split at Coors Field thanks to four solo shots off Colorado starter Jeff Hoffman.
— Justin Smoak hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning, Josh Donaldson added a pair of solo blasts and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-3. Smoak hit a two-run drive off Tommy Hunter, his 33rd, as the Blue Jays took three of four from the Rays to remain on the fringes of the AL wild card race. Toronto is 10-5 in August.
— Phillip Ervin hit a two-run homer to snap a tie in the seventh inning and had four RBIs in his first major league start as the Cincinnati Reds rebounded from blowing a nine-run lead to defeat the Chicago Cubs 13-10. Ervin, in right field in his fifth game, also had a single and double in four at-bats. On Wednesday, the 25-year-old homered as a pinch hitter for his first hit.
— An anxious moment turned out to be nothing serious and the Cleveland Indians continue to roll. Yan Gomes and Jason Kipnis each had three hits including a home run, and the Indians beat the Minnesota Twins 9-3 in the first game of a day-night doubleheader. Winners of six straight, the Indians are 9-0 at Target Field this year, outscoring Minnesota 65-19. Cleveland got an early scare when Jose Ramirez left the game in the second inning after getting hit by a pitch on the right forearm. X-rays were negative.
— Patrick Corbin was kicking himself for one small mistake that led to his exit. The Arizona pitcher came within an out of his first career shutout and first complete game since 2013 in the Diamondbacks' 4-0 victory over the Houston Astros. After allowing a two-out double to Yuli Gurriel in the bottom of the ninth, Corbin was pulled by Arizona manager Torey Lovullo. Archie Bradley took over and struck out Marwin Gonzalez.
In other MLB news:
— Washington Nationals owner Mark Lerner said in a letter to a Washington Post columnist Barry Svrluga that he had cancer and had his left leg amputated. Lerner is 63. Lerner says he's now cancer free and healing well.
— Nationals manager Dusty Baker says the team is evaluating righty reliever Ryan Madson's finger injury, which originally was believed to be a blister. Madson last pitched Saturday for the NL East leaders.
—The Minnesota Twins have reinstated relief pitcher Glen Perkins from the disabled list, where he's been for more than 16 months because of shoulder trouble. The Twins made the move before their doubleheader against Cleveland, with all arms needed on deck against the division leaders. Perkins last pitched for the Twins on April 10, 2016. The former closer and three-time All-Star has spent his entire career with the Twins organization since being drafted in the first round in 2004.
NYRA:
Saturday at Saratoga is the $600,000 Alabama Stakes for Fillies three year olds. The race is set to begin at 5:22 PM. Brian Lynch’s Unchained Melody is the favorite, after her performance at the Grade II Mother Goose at Belmont Park on July 1.
NFL:
Jameis Winston continued his solid preseason, completing 21 of 29 passes for 196 yards and helping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat woeful Jacksonville 12-8 on Thursday night.
Winston had two passes dropped, including what would have been a 43-yard touchdown strike to Mike Evans in the first quarter.
— Jay Cutler made his debut for Miami, playing the first two series in what became a 31-7 preseason loss to Baltimore. Ryan Mallett threw for 113 yards and Josh Woodrum ran for two TDs for the Ravens. Cutler completed three of six passes for 24 yards for Miami.
— Chris Long, the Philadelphia defensive end who grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia, put his arm around teammate Malcolm Jenkins as a show of unity during the national anthem before the Eagles' exhibition game Thursday night against Buffalo. Jenkins stood with his right fist raised in the air as he's done since last season. Long was to his right with his left arm on Jenkins' shoulder. Jenkins has been outspoken against racial injustice and has worked with law enforcement to try to better the situation.
— Seattle Seahawks center Justin Britt signed a multiyear contract extension today that will keep the anchor of the offensive line in place beyond the 2017 season. It's believed to be a three-year deal and takes away any concern that Britt would leave after this season when his rookie contract expires.
— A gun charge against a former NFL linebacker has been dropped because his lawyer says the man who said he gave him a weapon admitted he lied. NJ.com reported this week the charges against Khaseem Greene were dismissed by a judge on July 17 after a request from prosecutors. His attorney, Joshua McMahon, provided an audio recording to NJ.com that includes the other man telling detectives in Elizabeth that he lied about Greene's involvement. Prosecutors declined to comment.
— Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly will have surgery on his injured foot and will be out indefinitely. Coach Chuck Pagano made the announcement in the final day of training camp. Kelly was injured during a joint practice with the Detroit Lions last week and did not play in Sunday's preseason opener. Indianapolis plays at Dallas on Saturday.
FBC-PURDUE-NOTRE DAME SERIES:
Purdue and Notre Dame have added two more games to their four-game series.
The Boilermakers today announced the expansion of the series, saying they will play the Fighting Irish six times over the eight-year period from 2021-28.
Purdue also will play home games against Memphis in 2020 and Indiana State in 2022, and will push its game at Wake Forest back a year to 2028 to accommodate one of the Notre Dame games.
Purdue athletic director Mike Bobinski graduated from Notre Dame and played baseball there. New Boilermakers football coach Jeff Brohm calls it "a no-brainer to add more games against them" because of the Fighting Irish's close proximity and prestige.
CONFEDERATE MONUMENT-TAMPA TEAMS
The three major professional sports teams based in the Tampa Bay area say they have "dedicated funds" to help remove a Confederate monument from the city.
The NFL's Buccaneers, NHL's Lightning and Rays of Major League Baseball issued a joint statement saying they're working with the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce because they're "recognizing that this monument does not reflect the values of our community."
The teams did not disclose how much money they would dedicate.
Former Buccaneers coach Tony Dungy tweeted that he would donate $5,000 to help move the statue from its spot in downtown Tampa.
The teams' announcement came a day after commissioners, in a divisive 4-2 vote, gave fundraisers 30 days to collect $140,000, about half of what's needed to relocate the monument.
CONFEDERATE SCHOOL MASCOT
An Ohio high school is getting rid of its Confederate mascot in the wake of a deadly car attack at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, last weekend.
Superintendent Steve Thompson announced at a news conference that Willoughby South High School will drop its "Rebel" mascot, a man dressed in a gray Confederate military outfit, but keep the name.
The school is located in Willoughby, 20 miles northeast of Cleveland. Thompson says he made the decision to support the school's diverse student body and because of "changing perceptions."
The sports teams will still be called the South High Rebels. Thompson says the school will create a committee to select a new representation of the name.
The depiction has represented the school since 1959.
OLYMPICS:
Former Australian Olympian Shane Perkins says he has completed his sporting defection to Russia after President Vladimir Putin signed off on granting him citizenship.
In to bid to compete at Tokyo 2020, Olympic bronze medalist Perkins switched his allegiance after missing selection on the Australian team for last year's Rio de Janeiro Games.
The 30-year-old Perkins posted a picture of himself on Twitter wearing Russian colors and sitting on a racing bike.
Cycling Australia, which learned of Perkin's intention to swap allegiances last November, said it wouldn't stand in his way to represent Russia.
WYNDHAM CHAMPIIONSHIP
Matt Every matched the Wyndham Championship's first-round record with a 9-under 61 to take a one-stroke lead.
Every tied the opening-round mark set in 2010 by Arjun Atwal, who went on to win the PGA Tour's final tournament before the postseason.
Henrik Stenson opened with a 62. Former Wyndham winner Webb Simpson was at 63 along with Cameron Smith, Vaughn Taylor, Tim Wilkinson, Harold Varner III, Brian Campbell and Sam Saunders.
Davis Love III — who has won this tournament three times, most recently in 2015 — matched Martin Flores and Rick Lamb with a 64.
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