July 17, 2021 4:41 am
PITTSBURGH (AP/WPXI) – Two NFL teams remain under 50% vaccinated less than two weeks from the start of training camp, a person familiar with the vaccination rates told The Associated Press. As for Friday, Washington and Indianapolis had the two lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates among the 32 teams in the league, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the league hasn’t released the numbers, which are changing daily. Pittsburgh, Miami, Carolina and Denver have the highest vaccination rates and are among 10 teams that have achieved at least 85%. About 73% of players have been vaccinated. Teams on the lower end of the vaccination table face potential competitive disadvantages.
July 17, 2021 4:29 am
SEATTLE (AP) – Former Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers star Richard Sherman says he’s “deeply remorseful” following his arrest in suburban Seattle this week. He tweeted a statement Friday before pleading not guilty to drunken driving, criminal trespassing, resisting arrest and other charges. Police said he drunkenly crashed his SUV in a construction zone, tried to break in to his in-laws’ home and fought with police as they detained him early Wednesday. Sherman said he’s been dealing with personal challenges for months but that’s no excuse for how he acted. Sherman was released from jail Thursday.
July 16, 2021 2:58 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Thursday’s only Major League Baseball game had to be postponed after three New York Yankees pitchers tested positive for COVID-19. Jonathan Loaisiga, Nestor Cortes Jr. and Wandy Peralta were the players who tested positive, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said he expects three other players to test positive. The Yankees were supposed to begin a four-game series with the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox Thursday, but the COVID-19 cases could postpone Friday’s game as well.
July 16, 2021 2:56 am
CHICAGO (AP) – The Atlanta Braves have acquired Joc Pederson in a trade with the Chicago Cubs, bolstering their outfield after losing Ronald Acuna Jr. to a season-ending knee injury. Atlanta sent minor league first baseman Bryce Ball to Chicago for Pederson, who is batting .230 with 11 homers and 39 RBIs in 73 games. The 29-year-old Pederson spent his first seven seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers before signing with the Cubs in free agency in February. The Braves are looking to return to the playoffs, but their pursuit of a fourth straight NL East title took a hit when Acuna tore the ACL in his right knee during Saturday’s 5-4 victory over Miami.
July 16, 2021 2:57 am
SEATTLE (AP) – A Seattle judge has ordered former Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers star Richard Sherman released without bail following his arrest on suspicion of trying to break in to his in-laws’ home. The judge found probable cause that Sherman committed criminal trespassing, driving under the influence and two other offenses. He declined to set $10,000 bail as prosecutors requested. The judge called Sherman a “pillar of the community” and noted that it was presumed he would be released because this was his first arrest. Police said he crashed his car and tried to break in to his in-laws’ home Wednesday.
July 15, 2021 3:40 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Teddy Blueger is sticking with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The team signed the 26-year-old forward to a two-year contract with an average salary of $2.2 million. Blueger, who worked on Pittsburgh’s fourth line, tied a career-high with 22 points -seven goals and 15 assists -in 43 games for the Metropolitan Division champions.
July 15, 2021 3:43 am
MILWAUKEE (AP) – The Milwaukee Bucks have tied the NBA Finals at two games apiece through a lot of help from Khris Middleton. The Bucks trailed by nine in the fourth quarter before Middleton carried them to a 109-103 win over the Phoenix Suns. He drained the go-ahead basket while scoring 10 straight Milwaukee points before finishing with 40. Phoenix led by two with 2 1/2 minutes left before Middleton made the next two baskets to give Milwaukee a 101-99 edge with 1:28 to play. Giannis Antetokounmpo followed a pair of 40-point performances with 26 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists and one huge block on Deandre Ayton with just over a minute remaining. The only thing stopping Suns guard Devin Booker was foul trouble. He poured in 20 of his game-high 42 points in the third period but had to sit out 3 1/2 straight minutes after picking up his fifth foul early in the fourth. Chris Paul shot just 5-for-13 and finished with 10 points and five turnovers, including one big miscue in the final minute. Jae Crowder was the only other Suns player with more than 10 points, finishing with 15 and eight boards. Game 5 is Saturday in Phoenix, where the Suns took the first two games of the series.
July 15, 2021 3:46 am
TOKYO (AP) – Athletes at the Tokyo Olympics will put their medals around their own necks to protect against spreading the coronavirus. International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach says it’s a “very significant change” to traditional medal ceremonies. Medals will be placed on a tray by a person wearing disinfected gloves and presented to the athletes, who will take them from the tray and place them around their necks. The tray will be presented to and athletes will take their medals from the tray. Medalists and ceremony officials will have to wear masks.
July 14, 2021 3:44 am
DENVER (AP) – The American League has earned its eighth consecutive All-Star Game victory. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Mike Zunino hit solo homers and Xander Bogaerts had two of the AL’s nine hits in a 5-2 victory over the National League. Marcus Semien put the junior circuit ahead to stay with an RBI single in the second, one inning before Guerrero went deep. Guerrero also poked an RBI grounder and Bogaerts added a run-scoring single. Guerrero is the first Toronto Blue Jay to be named the MVP of the All-Star Game. J.T. Realmuto put the NL on the board with a solo shot in the fifth. Jared Walsh made a sliding catch in left field on Kris Bryant’s tricky liner with the bases loaded to end the eighth inning, keeping the AL ahead. Angels star Shohei Ohtani made history as the first All-Star to be selected as both a pitcher and a hitter. He was the AL starting pitcher and worked a perfect first inning to get the win but finished 0-for-2 at the plate. Corbin Burnes took the loss, yielding two runs and four hits over two frames. The AL owns a 46-43-2 lead in the all-time series.
July 14, 2021 3:45 am
DENVER (AP) – Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred says banning or limiting defensive shifts would be an effort to restore Major League Baseball to how it was played before offense was suffocated by analytics. Speaking before the All-Star Game in Denver to the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, Manfred said seven-inning doubleheaders and starting extra innings with runners on second base likely will be dropped after this season. He said extending the DH to the NL could be possible. Manfred said MLB was considering having umpires explain video review decisions to fans at ballparks over the public-address system, similar to the procedure in the NFL.
