NYRA:
Tomorrow marks the biggest racing day at Saratoga race Course, the 148th annual Travers stakes. The horses to beat are Kentucky derby winner Always Dreaming, Preakness champ Cloud Computing and Belmont winner Tapwrit. The grade I race for 3-year-olds has a post time of 5:44 PM Saturday. The purse is a huge $1.25 million, with $670,000 to be awarded to the winner’s owner.
MLB:
It was a tough day for the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. In the Yankees' case their pounding wasn't relegated to the scoreboard.
Detroit's 10-6 win over the Yankees included three bench-clearing altercations that included the ejections of five players, both managers and a coach.
Tempers began to flare in the sixth inning after Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle threw a brushback pitch to Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera, leading to the ejections of Kahnle and Yanks manager Joe Girardi. Play was about to resume when Cabrera and Yankees catcher Austin Romine got into an argument that escalated into a wrestling match causing both dugouts to empty. Cabrera and Romine were tossed from the game.
The next benches-clearing incident came after New York's Dellin Betances drilled Detroit catcher James McCann in the helmet with a pitch in the seventh inning. Betances and Yankees coach Rob Thompson were ejected.
One inning later, Tigers reliever Alex Wilson and manager Brad Ausmus were thrown out after Wilson hit Todd Frazier around the thigh with a pitch. The benches cleared for a third time, although the Cabrera-Romine fight was as nasty as things got.
Oh, and there also was some conventional baseball hitting. Jose Iglesias smacked a tiebreaking, a three-run double in the seventh, a half-inning after the Tigers blew a 6-3 lead. Iglesias was 3-for-3 with four RBIs to help Detroit salvage the series finale.
Justin Upton and James McCann homered for the Tigers, while Yankees slugger Gary Sanchez went deep for the fourth time in the series.
New York didn't lose any ground in the AL East. Boston remains 4 ½ games ahead in the division after Chris Sale was rocked in the Red Sox's 13-6 loss at Cleveland.
The Indians tagged Sale for seven runs in just three innings, the shortest start of his career. The Indians scored four times in the second inning and added three more in the third, leaving Sale with a 5-8 record and a 4.87 ERA in 29 career appearances versus the Tribe.
Rookie Yandy Diaz had four hits and Giovanny Urshela drove in four runs to help the Indians stretch their lead in the AL Central to 5 ½ games over Minnesota. Francisco Lindor and Jay Bruce each went deep to counter Mitch Moreland's two home runs for Boston.
Cleveland's division lead grew with the Twins' 5-1 loss to the White Sox. Derek Holland was reached for only one run and three hits in six innings for his second victory in two months. Yolmer Sanchez opened the scoring with a solo shot in the second inning.
Elsewhere in the majors:
— The Cubs' five-game winning streak is over after Pedro Strop surrendered three runs in the eighth inning of the Reds' 4-2 win against Chicago. Pinch-hitter Jose Pereza delivered the go-ahead, two-run double before Strop uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Cincinnati to go ahead by two. Ian Happ homered for the Cubs, whose lead in the NL Central is three games over Milwaukee.
— The Cardinals' 4-3 loss to the Padres keeps St. Louis 4 ½ games behind the Cubs. The game was tied 2-2 in the ninth until Carlos Asuaje hit an RBI single and Jose Pirella lifted a sacrifice fly. Asuaje and Manuel Margot each had three of the Padres' 10 hits.
— Solo homers by Curtis Granderson, Yasmani Grandal and Adrian Gonzalez powered the Dodgers past the Pirates, 5-2. Chris Taylor was 3-for-5 with an RBI to support Hyun-Jin Ryu, who held Pittsburgh to a run and four hits over six innings. The Dodgers improved to a major league-best 90-36 and dropped their magic number to 15 for winning the NL West.
— Robbie Ray was a winner in his first game since being hit in the head by a line drive last month, fanning 10 and allowing a run and just two hits over five innings to lead Arizona past the Mets, 3-2. Ray suffered a concussion when hit by a 108-mph line drive against St. Louis last month. The Diamondbacks took three of four from New York, leaving them a half-game ahead of the Rockies for the first NL wild-card berth.
— Colorado kept pace by beating the Royals, 3-2 on Pat Valaika's two-run homer in the eighth inning. Greg Holland finished for his 36th save, one night after he served up a three-run, walk-off homer to former teammate Eric Hosmer. The Rockies ended a four-game skid and won for just the fifth time in their last 17 games.
— The Nationals carried a 3-0 lead into the eighth but needed an 11th-inning rally to beat the Astros, 5-4. Anthony Rendon put Washington ahead for good with a sacrifice fly and Matt Wieters followed with an RBI single. Brandon Kintzler blew the save during the Astros' two-run ninth before the Nats maintained their 13 ½-game lead over Miami in the NL East.
— The Astros' lead in the AL West is 12 ½ games over the Mariners and Angels after Los Angeles absorbed a 3-0 shutout loss to the Rangers. Martin Perez scattered seven hits over seven innings as Texas moved within one game of the second AL wild-card berth. The runs came on Drew Robinson's two-run homer and Mike Napoli's solo shot, both against Troy Scribner.
— Giancarlo Stanton slammed his major league-leading 47th home run and the Marlins overcame an 8-3 deficit in a 9-8 downing of the Phillies. J.T. Realmuto provided the tiebreaking, sacrifice fly in the eighth, two innings after knotting the score with a two-run, inside-the-park home run. A.J. Ellis and Christian Yelich also homered for Miami.
— Alex Cobb combined with four relievers on a six-hitter in the Rays' 2-0 shutout of the Blue Jays. Cobb started for the first time in 19 days and was taken out of the game in the fifth inning after throwing 94 pitches. Center fielder Kevin Kiermaier made a pair of spectacular catches for the Rays, who also caught a break when Josh Donaldson's two-run double became a foul ball through a video challenge.
MLB-NEWS
The stumbling Mets will be spending some time without their best hitter after the recent unloading of four of their top regulars.
Outfield Michael Conforto dislocated his left shoulder while swinging at a pitch in the fifth inning against the Diamondbacks. He is hitting .279 with 27 home runs and 68 RBIs this year.
In other major league news:
— Astros shortstop Carlos Correa will begin a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Fresno. Correa has been out since July 17 following surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb.
— The Twins have put catcher Jason Castro on the seven-day concussion list and recalled outfielder Zack Granite. Castro took three foul balls off his face mask in Wednesday night's 4-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox.
NBA:
Manu Ginobili still isn't ready to quit.
The Spurs have re-signed the 40-year-old Argentine to a one-year package.
Ginobili will become the eighth player in NBA history to spend his entire career with one team and play at least 16 seasons. He averaged 7.5 points, 2.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 69 games last season
NFL:
Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is likely to make his preseason debut Saturday against Oakland.
The game is expected to be his only action before the 2016 NFL rushing leader begins a suspension for a domestic violence incident.
Elliott has appealed the six-game suspension he received after the NFL concluded he used physical force against his girlfriend at the time last summer in Columbus, Ohio. The appeal is scheduled for next week.
Checking out other NFL news:
— Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was perfect in his preseason debut against the Jaguars, completing both of his passes for 21 yards and a touchdown. His 9-yard strike to Kelvin Benjamin capped a 10-play, 75-yard opening drive that showed Panthers coach Ron Rivera all he needed to see from his star quarterback.
— Texans receiver Jaelen Strong has been suspended without pay for the team's season opener for violating the league's substance abuse policy. The punishment comes after Strong was arrested for possession of marijuana in Arizona in February 2016.
— Bills running back LeSean McCoy has chimed in on Colin Kaepernick's inability to sign a contract with a new team. McCoy says he believes one reason teams haven't signed the quarterback is because he represents too much of a distraction for a player who would likely be a backup. Kaepernick remains unsigned and received criticism for refusing to stand for the national anthem.
— Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall said he's considering reviving his take-a-knee protest during the national anthem. Marshall was prepared to focus solely on football this season after being was one of the first NFL players last year to follow the lead of Kaepernick. But in the wake of the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, Marshall indicated this week that several players are considering doing so prior to kickoff Saturday night against Green Bay.
— The Cardinals received a visit Thursday from Ariz. Sen. John McCain during the team's final workout at University of Phoenix Stadium. McCain chatted with team officials and players just a week after he completed his first round of radiation and chemotherapy treatment for brain cancer.
— Former Packers running back Ahman Green has pleaded not guilty to child abuse charges. The 40-year-old Green is accused of striking his teenage daughter in the head in a dispute over household chores in June at his Green Bay area home.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL:
Two Florida freshman football players have been cited for misdemeanor marijuana possession.
Receiver James Robinson and linebacker Ventrell Miller were cited for possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana early Monday. Miller is one of seven players under indefinite suspension for misusing university funds.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL:
The University of Alaska Anchorage says the 40th Great Alaska Shootout will be the last edition of the long-running college basketball tournament.
Chancellor Sam Gingerich says the university can no longer sustain funding for the annual Thanksgiving week tournament.
The shootout began in 1978 and is the longest-running regular-season college basketball tournament.
PGA:
— Russell Henley has a one-stroke lead over Dustin Johnson through one round of The Northern Trust on Long Island.
Henley played in the morning and holed seven birdie putts from 12 feet or close, along with an 80-foot chip-in for birdie for his 6-under 64.
Johnson overcame a shaky start with a switch to his old putter to post a 5-under 65, his best round since he won at Riviera in February.
Scott Brown, Camilo Villegas and Chris Kirk are two shots back and one ahead of a group that includes Bubby Watson and Louis Oosthuizen.
The Northern Trust is the first of four FedEx Cup playoff events that lead to the Tour Championship and the $10 million payoff.
LPGA:
Mariana Alex is the first round leader of the Canadian Pacific Women's Open.
Alex birdied four of her first nine holes en route to a 5-under 66 and a one-shot edge over In Gee Chun and Holly Clyburn.
Canadian star Brooke Henderson is in danger of missing the cut after a 74.
LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES
Lufkin, Texas, is a win away from reaching the Little League World Series title game. Lufkin routed Fairfield, Connecticut, 14-4 to advance to Saturday's title game against Greenville, North Carolina.
Mexico has advanced to the international championship by beating British Columbia, 6-2. That sets up a Saturday matchup between Mexico and Tokyo.
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