July 28, 2022 3:45 am
NEW YORK (AP) – The AL East-leading New York Yankees made the first of what could be a flurry of moves ahead of next week’s trade deadline, acquiring All-Star outfielder Andrew Benintendi from the Kansas City Royals for three minor league pitchers. Right-handers Chandler Champlain and Beck Way went to the Royals with left-hander T.J. Sikkema. Benintendi, a 28-year-old left-handed hitter, was among 10 Royals who missed a four-game series at Toronto from July 14-17 because he was not vaccinated. New York believes he is amenable to getting vaccinated. No Yankees missed earlier trips to Toronto this season, and the Yankees have a three-game series there from Sept. 26-28. Benintendi is hitting .320 this season and a reigning Gold Glover. The Royals play at Yankee Stadium on Thursday night.
July 27, 2022 3:34 am
CHICAGO (AP) – Willson Contreras drew a standing ovation in perhaps his last home game at Wrigley Field, then keyed an early burst as the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2 for their season-high sixth straight win. Contreras, one of three members left from the 2016 World Series title team, tipped his cap after being cheered at the plate his first time up. He hit a soft single in a three-run first inning. Contreras, an All-Star catcher who can become a free agent after this season, has acknowledged this might be his last homestand as a member of the Cubs before the Aug. 2 trade deadline. He saluted the fans with a fist in his last at-bat in the seventh. Representatives from the Blue Jays and White Sox were in attendance.
July 27, 2022 3:49 am
Training camps opened across the NFL and the biggest off-season question remains unanswered. The Cleveland Browns still don’t know how many games they’ll be without Deshaun Watson, who is still waiting for retired judge Sue L. Robinson to issue a ruling following his disciplinary hearing that concluded nearly four weeks ago. The league and the NFL Players’ Association requested a decision by the start of training camp, according to a person familiar with the process who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the discussions are private. Robinson, who was jointly appointed by the league and the union, had no obligation to meet that deadline. Representatives are hopeful a decision comes this week.
July 27, 2022 3:47 am
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren says the conference will be bold and aggressive as college sports goes through a period of sweeping change. He left the door open for more expansion after the league added Southern California and UCLA for the 2024 season. Warren says the future could involve more expansion. He says the Big Ten will be strategic and look for schools that add value to the conference. The Big Ten’s big moves came less than a year after Texas and Oklahoma announced plans to leave the Big 12 for the SEC.
July 26, 2022 3:55 am
NEW YORK (AP) – The players’ association has rejected what Major League Baseball called its final offer for an international draft, a move that will keep direct draft-pick compensation in place for free agents and likely limit the market for some older players. The union announced its decision about eight hours before Monday’s midnight EDT deadline for an agreement that was set in the March 10 lockout settlement.
July 26, 2022 2:31 am
The NFL is making its move into offering its own media streaming platform. The league announced that “NFL+” launched on Monday. Owners were briefed about it during the league meetings in May while Brian Rolapp, the NFL’s chief media and business officer, confirmed in a column for “Sports Illustrated” last week that it would be starting this season. Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a phone interview with The Associated Press that the direct-to-consumer offering gives the league the ability to understand what fans and non-fans are seeking in terms of content and customize it for them.
July 25, 2022 3:53 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Nick Fortes and Miguel Rojas hit RBI singles in the 10th inning and the Miami Marlins beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5. Fortes led off the 10th with a go-ahead single against closer David Bednar and took second on a bobble by right fielder Cal Mitchell. Rojas drove him in two batters later with a single. Jeff Brigham gave up a two-out, RBI single to Mitchell in the bottom half, then fanned Greg Allen to strand Ben Gamel at third for his second save in the majors and first since 2019. Miami ace Sandy Alcantara struck out 10 in six innings, allowing two runs and two hits. It was his first outing since striking out Giancarlo Stanton and Byron Buxton in a perfect inning during the All-Star Game.
July 25, 2022 3:57 am
BLAINE, Minn. (AP) – Tony Finau shot a 4-under 67 to win the 3M Open by three strokes. He erased a five-stroke deficit with 11 holes left as Scott Piercy tumbled out of the lead down the stretch at windy TPC Twin Cities. Piercy followed his tournament-record 54-hole score with a wince-inducing 76 to tie for fourth. He was four strokes back. Finau finished at 17-under 267. Sungjae Im and Emiliano Grillo tied for second place. James Hahn surged in with a 65 to match Piercy and Tom Hoge at 13 under. Piercy bogeyed four of six holes before a triple bogey on 14.
July 25, 2022 3:54 am
LONG POND, Pa. (AP) – First-place finisher Denny Hamlin was disqualified when his No. 11 Toyota failed inspection, giving Chase Elliott the NASCAR Cup Series victory Sunday at Pocono Raceway. Joe Gibbs Racing had Hamlin’s car and runner-up Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Toyota both disqualified. Hamlin lost his record seventh victory at Pocono and his third win of the season. Busch had led a race-high 63 laps. There was no immediate word why the Toyotas were disqualified. Elliott, who had finished third, was given his fourth win of the season. NASCAR believed the last time it disqualified an apparent winner was April 17, 1960, when Emanuel Zervakis’ victory at Wilson Speedway in North Carolina was thrown out because of an oversized fuel tank.
July 24, 2022 7:42 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jose Quintana pitched seven strong innings and combined with two relief pitchers on a five-hitter as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Miami Marlins 1-0 on Saturday night. Quintana (3-5) allowed four hits while matching his season-high in innings. He had four strikeouts and no walks. Wil Crowe and All-Star David Bednar followed with one inning apiece. Bednar notched his 17th save in 21 opportunities while finishing the Pirates’ third shutout of the season. The Marlins were blanked for the fourth time in their last five games. They ended a franchise-record 37-inning scoreless drought Friday in an 8-1 victory over the Pirates. Highly touted Marlins rookie pitcher Max Meyer left the game in the first inning with right elbow discomfort. Miami wound up using six pitchers as it lost for the fifth time in six games. Yoshi Tsutsugo knocked in the game’s lone run with a sixth-inning single as the Pirates won for just second time in seven games. With the trade deadline coming up Aug. 2, Quintana’s days with the Pirates could be coming to an end. The 33-year-old is a free agent at the end of the season and contending teams are reportedly interested in dealing for him. Shelton understands the rebuilding Pirates will likely trade Quintana. However, Quintana has meant a lot to a young team on and off the field. Quintana got help from his defense as the Pirates turned three double plays behind him. The biggest came in the third when Miguel Rojas grounded into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play with runners on first and third.
