James Paxton won his eighth straight start and the Yankees officially eliminated the Red Sox from the AL East race by blanking the defending World Series champs, 5-0 at Fenway Park. Paxton gave up four hits over 6 2/3 innings to improve to 13-6. Austin Romine and Gio Urshela each hit solo homers as the Yankees finished 14-5 versus their arch-rivals this season.
Rookie Pete Alonso took over the big league home run lead by belting his 46th and 47th in the Mets’ 3-1 win over the Diamondbacks. Jacob deGrom struck out 11 over seven innings while holding Arizona to three hits, including a solo blast by former teammate Wilmer Flores. Seth Lugo fanned four in a two-inning save as the Mets dropped the DBacks 2 ½ games out of an NL playoff slot.
The Atlanta Braves moved another step toward an NL East championship while also hampering Philadelphia’s playoff push. Mike Foltynewicz threw seven impressive innings and the Braves homered twice in a 7-2 win over the Phillies. Foltynewicz retired the first 13 batters before Corey Dickerson went deep in the fifth. He gave up a run and three hits while striking out seven in his fifth straight win since a 1-5 start. Ronald Acuna Jr. led off the game with his 38th home run. Josh Donaldson ripped an opposite-field, three-run shot off Nick Pivetta in the seventh to give the Braves a 7-1 lead. The Braves’ 10th win in 11 games leaves them with a magic number of 10. The Phillies are three games behind the Cubs for the second NL wild card.
In MLB news, former slugger David Ortiz threw the first pitch before Monday’s game between the Red Sox and New York Yankees in Boston. It was his first public appearance since he was shot and seriously injured in a Santo Domingo nightclub on June 9. Ortiz took a microphone on the pitcher's mound and thanked the fans for their prayers and support after he threw the pitch to Jason Varitek, a catcher and teammate on Boston's 2004 and '07 championship clubs.
Yankees outfielder Mike Tauchman is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks. The rookie suffered a Grade 2 strain in his left calf while fielding a ball in Sunday night's 10-5 win over the Red Sox. The AL playoffs begin Oct. 2 and it's uncertain whether Tauchman would be able to recover, rehab and be ready to play in the postseason.
Angels slugger Mike Trout has undergone a cryoablation procedure to alleviate pain in his right foot. Manager Brad Ausmus calls it a minor procedure and says Trout could return later in their series with the Indians. Trout is batting .291 with an AL-leading 45 homers and 104 RBIs despite being bothered by nerve pain in his foot for several weeks.
Cubs shortstop Javier Báez saw a hand specialist who has confirmed the slugger has a hairline fracture of his left thumb. He is expected to miss the rest of this month, but the team says he will continue his rehab in hopes of playing in October. Baez is batting .281 with 29 home runs and 85 RBIs in 133 games this season.
NFL
The New Orleans Saints have opened their NFL schedule with a comeback win. Wil Lutz drilled a 58-yard field goal as time expired to kick the Saints to a 30-28 victory against the Houston Texans. Lutz also hit a 47-yarder late in the fourth quarter to give New Orleans a 27-21 cushion in the final minute, but New Orleans needed his sturdy leg again after DeShaun Watson hit Kenny Stills for a 37-yard touchdown with 37 seconds to play. The Saints trailed 14-3 and 21-10 before getting the victory. Drew Brees was 32 of 43 for 370 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Alvin Kamara rushed for 97 yards on 13 carries, Michael Thomas caught 10 passes for 123 yards and Ted Ginn Jr. had seven receptions for 101 yards. Watson was 20 of 30 passing for 268 yards, three scores and an interception for the Texans.
The Raiders didn’t miss Antonio Brown at all in a 24-16 victory over the Denver Broncos. Tyrell Williams had six receptions for 105 yards and one touchdown, two days after Brown was released and signed by the Patriots. Darren Waller had six catches for 70 yards for Oakland, who led throughout after Derek Carr threw a touchdown pass on the opening drive. Carr was 22 of 26 for 259 yards and no interceptions. Joshua Jacobs was productive in his NFL debut, carrying 23 times for 85 yards and two scores. Joe Flacco completed 21 of his 31 passes for 268 yards, one TD and no interceptions in his first game as a Bronco.
In NFL news, the Jacksonville Jaguars have brought in a reinforcement after losing their starting quarterback. The Jags have acquired Josh Dobbs from the Steelers for a fifth-round pick in next year’s NFL draft. The move gives the Jaguars a backup while Nick Foles recovers from a broken collarbone suffered in Sunday’s season-opening loss to Kansas City. Dobbs was in his third season with the Steelers after being taken by Pittsburgh in the 2017 draft. He has played in five career NFL games, completing 6 of 12 passes for 43 yards and an interception. Gardner Minshew is the starter after replacing Foles in Sunday’s 40-26 loss. He put up good numbers in his NFL debut, completing 22 of 25 passes for 275 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Colts coach Frank Reich says receiver Devin Funchess will be placed on injured reserve after having surgery on a broken collarbone. Funchess was injured during a 30-24 loss at the Chargers while diving to catch a pass in the end zone in the final minute of regulation. Reich says he expects Funchess to return later this season.
Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith will miss several weeks after spraining his knee in the game against Miami. Coach John Harbaugh says Smith has a Grade 2 sprain of the right knee. Harbaugh said Smith will miss "multiple weeks" but added that the injury is "not a season-ender by any stretch."
The Falcons have lost rookie right guard Chris Lindstrom to a broken foot, and the No. 14 overall draft pick will undergo surgery that will keep him on injured reserve for the next eight weeks. Coach Dan Quinn says Jamon Brown will replace Lindstrom as a starter.
A person with knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press that Redskins running back Derrius Guice underwent an MRI on his right knee the morning after making his NFL debut. Guice is just over a year removed from tearing the ACL in his left knee. He ran for just 18 yards on 10 carries in a loss to Philadelphia but downplayed concern about a trip to the injury tent during the game.
The NFL plans to speak with Browns star Odell Beckham Jr. about wearing a watch during a game. The flashy wide receiver sported an expensive watch worth over $250,000 while catching seven passes for 71 yards in his Cleveland debut. A league spokesman said there are no rules prohibiting jewelry, but there is one for hard objects.
An attorney and Saints fan says he will go no further with his court fight against the NFL over game officials' failure to call an obvious penalty at a crucial point in a January playoff game. The so-called "Nola No-call" helped the Rams beat the Saints and advance to the Super Bowl. The lawsuit alleging fraud by the NFL was filed by lawyer Antonio LeMon and three others. It was dismissed Friday by Louisiana's Supreme Court.
NCAA
The California Assembly has passed a bill to let college athletes make money. The bill would let college athletes hire agents and be paid for the use of their name, image or likeness. And it would stop universities and the NCAA from banning athletes who take the money. The bill also sets up a confrontation with the NCAA that could jeopardize the athletic futures of programs at USC, UCLA and Stanford. Universities oppose the bill, and the NCAA has warned the bill could mean California universities would be ineligible for national championships.
BASKETBALL WORLD CUP
The United States men’s basketball team has formally wrapped up a berth in the Tokyo Olympics by advancing to the World Cup quarterfinals. The Americans moved on with a convincing 89-73 win against Brazil. Kemba Walker and Myles Turner each scored 16 points for the U.S., which has the top seed in the quarterfinals.
TENNIS
The latest WTA rankings show a big jump for the U.S. Open women’s champion. Bianca Andreescu has gone from 15th to a career-best fifth in the WTA rankings. The 19-year-old Canadian knocked off Serena Williams in straight sets on Saturday for her first major title. Ash Barty has replaced Naomi Osaka at No. 1.
Rafael Nadal remains No. 2 in the ATP rankings, but he closed the gap on No. 1 Novak Djokovic by capturing the U.S. Open men’s title for the fourth time. Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev went up to a career-best No. 4.
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