AP-Sports Right Now
MLB-RESULTS
Torres’ homers lift Yanks to doubleheader sweep
UNDATED (AP) — Gleyber Torres hit a pair of three-run home runs to help New York complete a doubleheader sweep of Baltimore with an 11-8 win at Yankee stadium.
Torres also hit a home run in the first and now has a total of 13 against the Orioles this season. And he set a big league record with his fifth multihomer game against a team in a season, breaking a tie with Ralph Kiner (1947), Gus Zernial (1951) and Roy Sievers (1955).
Didi Gregorius, Gio Urshela and Cameron Maybin all hit home runs in the Yanks’ 8-5 victory this afternoon, while first baseman Mike Ford also drove one over the fence in the nightcap.
As a team, New York stretched its record to 59 long balls against Baltimore this season, while the AL East-leaders’ winning streak versus the Orioles has grown to 14 games.
Elsewhere:
_ Carlos Santana homered leading off the ninth inning to send the Indians to a 6-5 win over the fast-fading Boston Red Sox. That propels Cleveland back into first-place in the AL Central, alone there for the first time since April 19.
_ Trea Turner and Matt Adams homered, Erick Fedde pitched well after allowing a solo shot on the game's first pitch and the depleted Washington Nationals held on to beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-6. The Nationals were coming off a 5-4 road trip that left them tied for the lead in the NL wild-card race.
_ Brandon Drury hit his first career grand slam, Justin Smoak had a two-run homer among his three extra-base hits, and the Toronto Blue Jays routed the Texas Rangers 19-4. Bo Bichette had the first four-hit game of his career and Randal Grichuk had three hits, including a solo homer.
_ Jake Lamb, Nick Ahmed and Carson Kelly homered during a four-run sixth inning as the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied for an 8-6 victory over the reeling Colorado Rockies. Over the course of 13 pitches, Arizona went from trailing 6-3 to leading 7-6.
_ Meanwhile, Zack Greinke’s (GREHN'-keez) second start with the Houston Astros has been postponed by rain. The Astros were scheduled to begin a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox, but the rain started to pick up in the afternoon and the game was quickly called. The teams will play a doubleheader on Tuesday.
^MLB-NEWS
Baseball gets early jump in 2020 with March 26 openers
NEW YORK (AP) _ Major League Baseball will open its 2020 season on March 26th, its earliest start other than international games. The schedule also features an April series in Puerto Rico between the New York Mets and Miami Marlins.
Globe Life Field, the new home of the Texas Rangers, opens March 31st.
The commissioner's office said all 30 teams could play on opening day for the first time since 1968.
The 2020 regular season is to end September 27th, putting the World Series on track to run from October 20th-28th. The All-Star Game is at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on July 14th. The Cubs and Cardinals will play two games in London in June. The Yankees and White Sox will play August 13th at a ballpark next to the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa.
^NFL-NEWS
Raiders Brown loses helmet grievance
UNDATED (AP) _ Oakland Raiders receiver Antonio Brown has lost his grievance with the NFL over his use of an old helmet that is no longer certified as safe to use for practice or play.
The arbitrator issued the ruling Monday after holding a hearing last week with Brown, representatives from the league and the players' union.
Brown said in a statement on Twitter that he disagreed with the decision. He also said he looks forward to getting back on the field as soon as he is fully healthy.
Brown has not participated in a full practice for the Raiders after starting training camp on the non-football injury list with injuries to his feet that reportedly came from frostbite suffered while getting cryotherapy treatment in France. Brown was cleared to practice on July 28 and participated in part of two sessions but wasn't around the team last week when he had a grievance hearing with the NFL over his helmet.
Elsewhere around the NFL:
_ A petition reportedly has been filed with the National Labor Relations Board seeking to create a separate union for NFL running backs. According to the website Law360, the petition was filed Thursday by the International Brotherhood of Professional Running Backs and focuses on the shorter careers for players at the position. The petition says: "These employees have unique career structures; and the current one-size fits all unit is inappropriate."
_Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says the state is working on lease extensions with the New Orleans Saints designed to keep the NFL club in the Superdome for up to 30 additional years. Edwards says the lease talks are running in conjunction with plans for "extensive and needed" renovations to the Superdome. The Louisiana state bond commission is scheduled on Thursday to consider approval of about $500 million in financing for project.
_ The Jacksonville Jaguars left tackle Cam Robinson is back on the field. He has been removed from the physically unable to perform list two days after coach Doug Marrone said he didn't believe Robinson would be ready for the season opener. Robinson went through individual drills for the first time in nearly a year. The second-round draft pick from Alabama in 2017 tore a knee ligament last September.
_ Browns defensive end Chad Thomas sustained a neck injury in practice today and is undergoing further tests at a hospital. Thomas was immobilized on a backboard for precaution and carted off the field after getting injured. The team said he has movement and feeling in all of his extremities. Thomas was taken to the hospital for more testing and examination. The Browns drafted Thomas in the third round in 2018 out of Miami.
_ The New England Patriots have acquired tight end Eric Saubert from the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a conditional draft pick. The Patriots have questions at tight end following Rob Gronkowski's retirement. Veteran Ben Watson will be suspended for the first four games of the season following a positive test for a banned substance.
_ Oakland Raiders cornerback Nevin Lawson has been suspended four games for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances. The league announced the decision Monday, one week after Lawson revealed he had tested positive for Ostarine despite "never knowingly" taking the substance. Lawson signed a one-year deal with the Raiders in March after five seasons with the Detroit Lions. He was in the mix for one of the backup spots at cornerback.
_ Mitch Keller earned his first major league victory and the Pittsburgh Pirates snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 10-2 win over the Angels. Jacob Stallings, Kevin Newman, Josh Bell and Bryan Reynolds all homered in Pittsburgh's fifth win since the All-Star break. The Angels committed two of their three errors during the first inning of their ninth loss in 11 games.
_ Avisaíl García had a two-run home run among his three hits and Matt Duffy had four hits and three RBIs for the Tampa Bay Rays, who benefited from a Padres bullpen meltdown in a 10-4 victory in their first game in San Diego since 2004. The Rays, currently holding the second AL wild card spot, won their fourth game overall and their eighth straight on the road.
_ The Minnesota Vikings have hired Toronto Blue Jays executive Andrew Miller as chief operating officer. Miller ran the Blue Jays' business operations for four years, including capital improvements at Rogers Centre and at the team's spring training facilities. Before that, he spent a decade in the Cleveland Indians organization in a variety of jobs.
^COLLEGE FOOTBALL-NEWS
Judge approves settlement in concussion lawsuit against NCAA
UNDATED (AP) _ A federal judge has approved an amended settlement in a class-action concussion lawsuit against the NCAA that will establish a 50-year medical-monitoring program for college athletes.
The settlement was announced Monday by Hagens Berman, the law firm representing the plaintiffs. The case originated with a claim against the NCAA in 2011 by former Eastern Illinois football player Adrian Arrington. The case was later consolidated with other claims. Initially, a settlement was reached in 2016. It created $70-million fund for monitoring of current and former college athletes for brain trauma.
Arrington opposed that agreement because it did not pay damages.
According to Hagens Berman, the settlement approved by U.S. District Judge John Z. Lee changes the NCAA's approach to concussion treatment and establishes a $5 million fund for concussion research.
^NHL-NEWS
Carolina signs GM Don Waddell to 3-year extension
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) _ The Carolina Hurricanes have signed team president and general manager Don Waddell to a three-year contract extension. Owner Tom Dundon announced the signing. Terms were not disclosed. The 60-year-old Waddell had been mentioned as a candidate for the Minnesota Wild's GM vacancy.
Waddle has been with the Hurricanes since 2014. The Hurricanes made their first playoff appearance in a decade during his first season as the full-time GM.
Waddle was also the Atlanta Thrashers' GM from 1998-2010.
^WORLD CUP BASKETBALL
Lowry withdraws from USA Basketball's World Cup team
UNDATED (AP) _ Kyle Lowry of the NBA champion Toronto Raptors says his surgically repaired thumb has not recovered sufficiently enough to allow him to participate with USA Basketball in camp for the FIBA World Cup, and is withdrawing from consideration for the team.
Lowry made the announcement Monday after meeting with his surgeon to gauge the recovery of his thumb, which was operated on last month. He was hoping to be on the court with the Americans this week when they resume practice in Southern California.
Lowry's decision means there are 15 players in the running for 12 spots on the final roster.
In World Cup warm-up action:
_ First-round NBA draft pick Rui Hachimura scored 35 points to lead Japan to a 99-89 win over New Zealand. Hachimura became the first player from Japan to be chosen in the first round of the NBA draft when he was taken with the No. 9 overall pick by the rebuilding Washington Wizards in June.
^NBA-SCHEDULE
NBA 2019-20: Some tip-offs earlier, back-to-backs down again
UNDATED (AP) _ The upcoming NBA schedule will be a little bit easier on players. And fans might be catching some more sleep. The league announced its 2019-20 schedule, featuring another dip in back-to-back games for teams and a major change in the number of nationally televised games starting at 10:30 p.m. on the East coast. Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers will start several games a half-hour earlier than usual, while ESPN and Turner are going to earlier start times on many of their midweek doubleheader nights.
Roughly half of the nation's television homes are in the East time zone — but now, a number of the league's biggest stars play on the West coast. It wasn't uncommon for nationally televised midweek games to end around 1 a.m. or even later last season, which was not good for ratings.
^TENNIS-US OPEN
2004 champ Kuznetsova into US Open when Cibulkova withdraws
WHITE PLAINS, N. Y. (AP) _ Two-time major champion Svetlanta Kuznetosva has moved into the main draw of the U.S. Open after Dominika Cibulkova withdrew because of an injured left foot. Kuznetsova won the U.S. Open in 2004 and the French Open in 2009. She becomes the seventh past champion at Flushing Meadows to enter the field for women's singles this year.
Tournament play begins Aug. 26.
Barneys New York has secured fresh new financing that will enable the luxury retailer to have more time to find a buyer.
The New York-based chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Tuesday and announced it would keep five stores open, including its flagship Madison Avenue location. It would close stores in Chicago, Las Vegas and Seattle along with 12 concept and warehouse locations.
Barneys said it has received $218 million in financing from Brigade Capital Management and B. Riley Financial. The agreement replaces the previously announced $75 million agreement with affiliates of Hilco Global and the Gordon Brothers Group and will refinance all of Barneys New York's existing secured debt.
It will now have until Oct. 24 to find a buyer, instead of the previous deadline in early October.
