WJPA Sports

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie All-Star Travis Bazzana hit a two-run homer to center field in the ninth inning for his first career walk-off hit and the Cleveland Guardians rallied for a 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates to split in a doubleheader. Patrick Bailey led off the ninth with a single to right field, Steven Kwan followed with a double down the left-field line. Bailey tried to score from first but as tagged out at home by Pittsburgh catcher Rafael Flores Jr. after the relay throw by third baseman Nick Gonzales. Bazzana — the top overall pick in the 2024 amateur draft — then connected on a 1-0 changeup by Pittsburgh’s Dennis Santana and drove it 414 feet for his eighth homer of the season and give Cleveland its fourth walk off win of the season.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Esmerlyn Valdez and Jacob Gonzalez hit two-run homers, Jared Jones struck out nine in five innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Cleveland Guardians 7-1 in the first game of a doubleheader. Nick Gonzales added a solo shot in the sixth inning as the Pirates extended their winning streak to four games. At 51-47, it is the first time they are at least four games over .500 after the All-Star break since September 2018. Cleveland All-Star rookie second baseman Travis Bazzana had an RBI triple in the third inning to drive in Steven Kwan for the lone run as the Guardians had a four-game winning streak snapped.

SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Sam Burns has a great chance to win a major he never planned on playing. Burns shot a 65 on Saturday to build a two-shot lead over Ryan Fox and Si Woo Kim going into the final round of the British Open. Burns thought his runner-up finish in the U.S. Open would be his last major of the year because his wife was due to give birth the week of the British Open. But she had their daughter earlier than expect and Burns decided a week ago Friday to fly over to England. Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau shrugged off his two-shot penalty Friday with a 69. He was four shots back.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Jared Jones became the third Pirates pitcher over the past 70 seasons to retire at least 30 straight batters, a streak that began July 2 and ended during a 7-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in the first game of a doubleheader. After Bryce Harper lined an RBI double to left field in the third inning, the right-hander retired the last four Phillies batters he faced. Jones then threw six perfect innings against Atlanta on July 8. On Saturday, he got the first eight Cleveland batters out. The run ended when Steven Kwan had a base hit to left. Guardians’ rookie All-Star second baseman followed with an RBI triple into the right-field corner to get Cleveland within 2-1.

Odds On Mr Mamba and Al Papi will lead the field in next Saturday’s $420,000 Grade 1 Delvin Miller Adios final, presented by 1ST/BET, at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows after they won their respective $25,000 eliminations for 3-year-old pacers on Saturday afternoon. North America Cup champion Odds On Mr Mamba and driver James MacDonald won the first elimination on the front-end in 1:49.3. After showing speed from post six, the supplemental entrant cleared filly Loua Dipa and Frantic Hanover before the 26.1 quarter went on the board. From there, Odds On Mr Mamba kept command to the half in 54.4 and the three-quarters in 1:22.1 as Loua Dipa waited in the two-hole until Wrenn Jr. guided her to the outside on the final bend. Loua Dipa was unable to make headway on the pace-setter after she pulled, though, and although Frantic Hanover had a better kick from the three-hole, he couldn’t get by Odds On Mr Mamba, who held sway to win by a neck in a 1:49.3 mile. Treacherous Lou closed well after an inside trip to get past Loua Dipa for third at odds of 75-1. They were followed by Another C Note, who would make the final as the fifth-place finisher from the two eliminations with the higher lifetime earnings.

Al Papi came up just a fifth of a second short of his sire Papi Rob Hanover’s track, stakes and world record with a 1:47 2/5 triumph for Gingras in the second elimination. No Waitlist, another supplemental entrant, shot through from post one to cut a crisp opening-half of 25.3 and 54.1, but Al Papi was flushed out of third just past the half by Sweet Lovin Lou. Once he was fed racetrack, Al Papi paced up to and around No Waitlist prior to the 1:20.3 three-quarters as Sweet Lovin Lou tracked Al Papi before he dropped into the pocket. In the stretch Al Papi remained clear and his 26.4 final quarter slammed the door on a two length victory. Melillo, who got shuffled from the pocket after Al Papi took the lead, was able to move out to get by the tiring No Waitlist before he dropped back in on the far turn, then finished with interest to come in second over Sweet Lovin Lou. Toast Of The Town was unable to keep up in the cover flow but did secure a berth in the final by finishing fourth.

Post time for next Saturday’s program, led by the 60th edition of the Delvin Miller Adios, will be 11:30 am. Trainer Ron Burke will send out five horses in the final. The Adios Day program will also feature a stakes-filled undercard, highlighted by the Mickey Burke Sr. Adioo Volo, the companion event to the Adios, which attracts many of the nation’s top 3-year-old pacing fillies.