MLB – Major League Baseball
Yesterday
Pittsburgh Pirates 3, Detroit Tigers 2
Cincinnati Reds 4, Chicago Cubs 3
Chicago White Sox 6, Oakland A’s 3
Pirates 3, Tigers 2 – Ben Gamel’s RBI single helps Pirates rally past Tigers 3-2
Ben Gamel had a go-ahead two-run single in the sixth inning among his three hits and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Detroit Tigers 3-2. Gamel also made an outstanding catch in left field to end the top of the sixth, slamming into the fence to take away a potential extra-base hit from Derek Hill with two runners on and preventing the Tigers from adding to their 2-1 lead. Miguel Cabera went 3 for 4 with a double for the Tigers, raising his career hits total to 2,967.
Reds 4, Cubs 3 – Miley goes 7, Castellanos and India homer as Reds stop Cubs
Wade Miley pitched seven effective innings, Nick Castellanos homered and the Cincinnati Reds got a sorely needed victory, topping the Chicago Cubs 4-3. Cincinnati had dropped seven of nine to lose ground in the NL playoff race. Miley allowed one run and five hits. Jonathan India also homered for the Reds. Willson Contreras, Rafael Ortega and Ian Happ went deep for Chicago, which had won a season-high seven straight.
White Sox 6, Athletics 3 – White Sox beat A’s 6-3; Oakland drops fourth straight game
Gavin Sheets hit a go-ahead RBI single in the fifth, Cesar Hernandez added a two-run single in the same inning, and the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox beat the stumbling Oakland Athletics 6-3. Jimmy Lambert (1-1) allowed three hits over five solid innings for his first major league win in his third career start and sixth appearance as Chicago matched the club’s season-high of 22 games above .500 (80-58). Both managers and the training staffs came out when Chicago’s Leury García stole a base in the eighth and made a dive under leaping second baseman Tony Kemp, who fell hard.
Tonight
Detroit Tigers at Pittsburgh Pirates, 6:35 p.m. News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 6:15
Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs, 7:40 p.m.
Chicago White Sox at Oakland A’s, 9:40 p.m.
MLB – Kalamazoo’s Derek Jeter enters Hall of Fame today
Derek Jeter, Larry Walker, Ted Simmons and the late Marvin Miller will be enshrined at the Hall of Fame, a year after the induction ceremonies were called off because of the coronavirus pandemic. The four were chosen last year. No new members have been picked since. With a mid-week ceremony instead of the traditional Sunday afternoon, school back in session and the threat of inclement weather, the Hall of Fame wasn’t offering an attendance prediction for the ceremonies in Cooperstown, New York. The deaths of eight Hall of Famers over the past year and a half and the lingering pandemic have limited the number of returning Hall of Famers to 31. Two years ago a record 58 showed up.
NFL – NFLPA calls for daily COVID-19 testing for all players
The NFL Players Association wants daily COVID-19 testing for fully vaccinated players. The league and the union agreed last week to update protocols so vaccinated players would be tested weekly instead of every 14 days as they were during training camp. That’s not enough, according to NFLPA president and Cleveland Browns center JC Tretter. The league most recently announced 93% of players are vaccinated. Unvaccinated players are tested daily and face strict protocol requirements.
NFL – Gambling wave coming to NFL TV screens, but in moderation
Al Michaels no longer has to subtly refer to the point spread if a game comes down to the wire on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.” Now he can refer to it directly without worrying about drawing a comment from NFL officials in New York. Three years after the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act and allowed states to legalize sports betting, the NFL has embraced gambling as part of the landscape. Nowhere will that be more apparent than during pregame shows, the occasional mention during games and commercials as the point spread is no longer a taboo subject.
NCAAFB – So long, sound of silence: Teams adapt again to crowds
College football teams spent the opening week of the season getting reacquainted with an unfamiliar sound: Authentic crowd noise. The return of fans created some memorable scenes and allowed the return of some treasured traditions, including the “Jump Around” student frenzy at Wisconsin and players at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa waving to patients at a nearby children’s hospital. Teams have to adjust to it. Competing without spectators made it easy for players and coaches to communicate with one another last year. Now it’s a little trickier.
NCAAFB – Top 25: Georgia jumps to No. 2 behind Tide; UCLA moves in
Georgia has moved up three spots to No. 2 behind Alabama in The Associated Press Top 25 presented by Regions Bank. That gives the Southeastern Conference the top two teams in the country for the 30th time in history of the AP college football poll. The Crimson Tide strengthened its hold on No. 1. It received 59 first-place votes, up from the 47 in the preseason poll. Georgia received the other four first-place votes. Ohio State moved up to No. 3 and Oklahoma dropped two spots to No. 4. Texas A&M is fifth. Clemson fell three spots to No. 6 after losing to Georgia.
COVID – Seattle teams to require proof of vaccination
The Seahawks, Sounders and Kraken say they will require proof of vaccination for all fans 12 or older attending the teams’ home games. The Mariners also say they will require proof of vaccination beginning in October should the team make the playoffs. The Seahawks and Sounders will accept proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of an event, beginning with the Seahawks’ home opener on Sept. 19 against Tennessee. The University of Washington and Washington State University are also requiring a negative test or proof of vaccination. Washington’s begins Sept. 25. Washington State’s will begin in October. The Kraken are requiring proof of vaccination. Their first home game is October 23 against Vancouver.
Tennis – US Open – Medvedev reaches semifinals
Daniil Medvedev has reached the U.S. Open semifinals for the third straight year. He ended the surprising run of qualifier Botic van de Zandschulp with a 6-3, 6-0, 4-6, 7-5 victory. The No. 2 seed from Russia dropped a set for the first time in the tournament but recovered to keep alive his bid for a first Grand Slam title. Van de Zandschulp was trying to become the first man to come through the qualifying rounds to reach the U.S. Open semifinals. Medvedev will play either 18-year-old Carlos Alcazar of Spain or No. 12 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada in the semifinals.
NCAAMBKB – Gonzaga coach Mark Few cited for DUI in Idaho
Gonzaga basketball coach Mark Few has been cited for driving under the influence. The Coeur d’Alene Press and Spokesman-Review acquired a police report through a public information request that says Few was stopped Monday evening after he was “called in as driving erratic and speeding.” The report stated that Few exhibited “several signs of intoxication” and that he refused to complete field sobriety tests. The report says Few provided breath samples of .119 and .120, which is above the legal limit of .08. There was no immediate comment from Gonzaga.
Golf – Rahm wins points-based best player award from PGA of America
Jon Rahm’s birdie on the final hole of the Tour Championship earned him a trophy. He is the winner of the points-based award as player of the year by the PGA of America. Players get 10 points for a win, 30 points if it’s a major. Rahm’s only victory was the U.S. Open. But he picked up 20 points apiece for leading the scoring average and the money list. His actual score from East Lake was 14 under, same as Kevin Na. They split the win and each received 5 points. That was enough for Rahm to beat out Bryson DeChambeau.
NASCAR – Kyle Busch fined $50,000 for reckless driving at Darlington
Kyle Busch has been fined $50,000 by NASCAR. The stock car series said he recklessly entering the garage following a crash in the opening race of the playoffs Saturday night at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina. Busch had crashed and he ran over several orange safety cones at a considerable amount of speed as spectators hurried out the way in the garage area. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver finished 35th at Darlington. That dropped him from fourth to 14th in the playoff standings.
WNBA – WNBA playoff seeds up for grabs as teams enter home stretch
The WNBA playoff chase may come down to the final day of the regular season on Sept. 19. Six teams have already clinched postseason spots, although where they will finish in the standings is still up for grabs. Connecticut, which remained the unanimous choice atop the AP WNBA power poll, is still the top seed. The Sun are riding a nine-game winning streak. Connecticut, Las Vegas, Minnesota, Seattle, Phoenix and Chicago have all reached the postseason.
Soccer – Injuries, discipline and COVID disrupt US in qualifying
Two starters are injured, another tested positive for COVID-19 and a fourth was sent home as punishment. The star is regaining fitness after a bout with coronavirus. Less than a week into World Cup qualifying, much has gone wrong for the United States, which is back at another challenging Central American stadium. The Americans play Honduras on Wednesday night with intense pressure, key absences and a messy discipline issue following disappointing draws against El Salvador and Canada. Mexico leads with six points, followed by Panama with four, Canada, the U.S., Honduras and El Salvador with two each.
2022 Winter Olympics – Broadcasters urged to cancel plans to cover Beijing Olympics
Some of the world’s largest broadcasters including American network NBC are being asked by human rights groups to cancel plans to cover the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing. The Winter Games are set to open on Feb. 4. The request comes in an open letter from rights groups representing minorities in China including Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hong Kong residents and others. The open letter was sent to NBC Universal chief executive officer Jeff Shell and other broadcast executives. NBC has paid $7.75 billion for the rights to the next six Olympics. Those payments are estimated to account for about 40% of the International Olympic Committee’s income. The letter says broadcasters risk “being complicit” in the “worsening human rights abuses” in China.
NWHL rebrands to Premier Hockey Federation entering 7th year
The National Women’s Hockey League is changing its name to the Premier Hockey Federation. North America’s first women’s professional hockey league to pay players a salary made the switch as part of a rebranding to reflect sweeping changes made to its management structure. That’s coupled with an influx of private ownership entering its seventh season. The decision to change names also provides the six-team federation an opportunity to make a social statement by removing gender from its title. The rebrand follows a series of changes made over the past year in the federation’s bid to achieve financial stability. The federation is now run by a board of governors and recently completed the sale of its franchises to private owners.
MILB – Minor League Baseball – High-A Central
Last Night
Great Lakes Loons 18, West Michigan Whitecaps 7
Lansing Lugnuts at Fort Wayne Tin Caps, PPD to 9/8
Beloit Snappers 11, South Bend Cubs 5
Tonight
Lansing Lugnuts at Fort Wayne Tin Caps, 5:05 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Great Lakes Loons at West Michigan Whitecaps, 7:05 p.m.
South Bend Cubs at Beloit Snappers, 8:05 p.m.
NJCAA – Junior College Athletics
Last Night
Women’s Volleyball
Lansing Community College 3, Lake Michigan College 0
MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Boys Soccer
St. Joseph at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, PPD
Portage Central 1, Lakeshore 0
Kal. Central at Battle Creek Lakeview, PPD
Dowagiac 6, South Haven 2
Brandywine 2, Howardsville Christian 0
Hartford at Cassopolis, PPD
Kal. Christian at Battle Creek Pennfield, PPD
Fennville 1, Holland Black River 0
Girls Volleyball
Three Rivers 3, Berrien Springs 0
Lawton 3, Bloomingdale 0
Boys Tennis
Lakeshore 5, Gull Lake 3
Bronson at Buchanan, PPD
Today
Boys Soccer
Lake Michigan Catholic at Michigan Lutheran, 5:00 p.m.
Edwardsburg at Allegan, 6:00 p.m.
Sturgis at Niles, 5:30 p.m.
Watervliet at Parchment, 6:00 p.m.
Coloma at Schoolcraft, 5:30 p.m.
Constantine at Saugatuck, 6:00 p.m.
Otsego at Paw Paw, 6:30 p.m.
Plainwell at Three Rivers, 6:00 p.m.
Dowagiac at Vicksburg, 6:00 p.m.
Buchanan at Bridgman, 5:00 p.m.
New Buffalo at Brandywine, 5:00 p.m.
Andrews Academy at Berrien Springs, 6:30 p.m.
Bloomingdale at Comstock, 6:30 p.m.
Mattawan at Portage Northern, 6:30 p.m.
Battle Creek Central at Gull Lake, 6:30 p.m.
Kalamazoo Hackett at Hillsdale Academy, 5:30 p.m.
Delton-Kellogg at Kalamazoo Christian, 5:00 p.m.
Fennville at Lawton, 6:00 p.m.
Girls Volleyball
Kalamazoo Loy Norrix at St. Joseph, 6:30 p.m.
Lakeshore at Portage Northern, 6:30 p.m.
Lake Michigan Catholic at New Buffalo, 6:00 p.m.
Countryside Academy at Michigan Lutheran, 6:30 p.m.
Mattawan at Portage Central, 6:30 p.m.
Dowagiac at South Haven, 6:00 p.m.
Buchanan at Bridgman, 6:00 p.m.
Lawrence at Eau Claire, 6:30 p.m.
Kalamazoo Central at Battle Creek Lakeview, 6:30 p.m.
Battle Creek Central at Gull Lake, 6:30 p.m.
Boys Tennis
Lakeshore at Battle Creek Lakeview, 4:00 p.m.
Mattawan at St. Joseph, 4:00 p.m.
Bridgman/NB/LMC at Niles, 4:30 p.m.
Buchanan at Berrien Springs, 5:00 p.m.
Brandywine at South Haven, 4:30 p.m.
Edwardsburg at Three Rivers, 4:00 p.m.
