July 27, 2020 3:50 am
ST. LOUIS (AP) – Pittsburgh’s Derek Shelton staged baseball’s first major, socially distanced umpire argument, then got his first victory as a big league manager as the Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1. Shelton came out to argue with plate umpire Jordan Baker in the third inning after pitcher Derek Holland was ejected from the dugout for arguing balls and strikes. Shelton pulled a gaiter over his face as he left the dugout, and Baker pulled a face mask out of his pocket and held it to his face as Shelton argued from about six feet away. Baker let Shelton say his peace, and the first-year skipper was not ejected.
July 26, 2020 10:26 pm
MIAMI (AP) – The Miami Marlins’ home opener against Baltimore has been postponed as the Marlins deal with a coronavirus outbreak that stranded them in Philadelphia. The Marlins postponed their flight home Sunday night after their series finale against the Phillies. A person familiar with the decision to postpone Monday’s game said the move was made due to health precautions. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the postponement hadn’t been announced. Pitcher Jose Urena was scratched from his scheduled start in Sunday’s game, and catcher Jorge Alfaro went on the injured list Friday.
July 27, 2020 3:52 am
UNDATED (AP) – Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka has stepped down, one week before the Coyotes open the Stanley Cup qualifiers against Nashville. The Coyotes announced former player and current assistant GM Steve Sullivan will serve as interim general manager. Chayka made a name for himself as one of the NHL’s top general managers since being promoted in 2016 and recently signed a contract extension through 2024 late last year. His relationship with new owner Alex Meruelo began to deteriorate when he asked for permission to pursue another, non-NHL opportunity. The Arizona Republic reported Chayka was not invited to a recent dinner with Meruelo and new CEO Xavier Gutierrez to talk with Taylor Hall about a contract extension. News of Chayka’s departure came the same day the Coyotes were scheduled to leave for Edmonton for the Stanley Cup qualifiers. Arizona opens against the Predators next Sunday in its first postseason appearance since reaching the 2012 Western Conference finals.
July 27, 2020 3:51 am
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) – The NBA said Sunday that Lou Williams of the Los Angeles Clippers is being quarantined for 10 days because of his trip out of the league’s bubble last week to attend a family member’s funeral. He will miss at least two of the Clippers’ seeding games, including their July 30 opener against the Los Angeles Lakers. It’s possible he could miss more than two since his likely release will be Aug. 4, the day of the Clippers’ third seeding game. The issue was not that Williams left the bubble but that he also went to a club on that trip to Atlanta, and photographs of that visit appeared on social media. That prompted an investigation by NBA security, and ultimately the 10-day ruling. Williams visited a club that he has often described as being his favorite restaurant. The establishment has chicken wings that are named for him on the menu.
July 26, 2020 8:03 am
ST. LOUIS — Paul Goldschmidt homered, Adam Wainwright pitched six solid innings, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-1 on Saturday. Wainwright (1-0) pitched out of a bases loaded, no-out jam in the second, giving up just one run. He retired 14 of the final 15 batters he faced as the Cardinals beat the Pirates for the 12th time in their last 13 games. The veteran had trouble regulating his body temperature early on as the heat index soared above triple-digits. John Gant, Tyler Webb and Daniel Ponce de Leon combined for three scoreless innings of relief as the Cardinals pitchers held the Pirates to just three hits. Wainwright’s 163rd career victory moved him into a tie with Bob Forsch for third-most wins in Cardinals history.
July 26, 2020 8:01 am
BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — Michael Thompson hasn’t experienced the anxiety and thrill of playing the last round of a tournament in the final group for several years. This time, pitted against Richy Werenski in the 3M Open, he’ll do so without the murmuring, clapping and roaring sounds from the spectators. For Thompson, that’ll do just fine. Werenski birdied three of the last four holes Saturday to erase a four-stroke deficit and catch Thompson for the lead. After sharing the halfway lead, Thompson and Werenski traveled vastly different paths to each shoot 3-under 68. They walked together to the clubhouse even again, tied at 15 under at the TPC Twin Cities.
July 26, 2020 7:57 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Jamal Adams’ wish was finally granted: He’s leaving New York in a stunning trade. The Jets dealt the disgruntled star safety to the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, splitting with a gifted player whose relationship with the franchise quickly deteriorated because of a contract dispute. New York received a massive haul in the deal, sending a 2022 fourth-round draft pick along with Adams to the Seahawks for a 2021 first-rounder, a 2022 first-rounder, a 2021 third-rounder and safety Bradley McDougald — pending physicals.
July 25, 2020 3:58 am
ST. LOUIS (AP) – Jack Flaherty pitched seven solid innings, Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer and the St. Louis Cardinals opened the season by beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4. Tyler O’Neill and Dexter Fowler added solo homers for St. Louis in the first game of an unprecedented 60-game season shortened due to the coronavirus pandemic. Flaherty, who went 7-2 with an 0.91 ERA over his final 15 regular season starts last year, did not give up a run until Jacob Stallings hit two-out, two-run single just under the glove of first baseman Paul Goldschmidt in the seventh.
July 25, 2020 3:59 am
TORONTO (AP) – The displaced Toronto Blue Jays will play in Buffalo, New York, this year amid the pandemic. The team had been looking for a major league ballpark after the Canadian government didn’t allow the club to play in Toronto, but was unsuccessful in securing a big league site. The Blue Jays say the greater part of their home schedule will be played in the home of the club’s Triple-A affiliate. The Blue Jays’ first game in Buffalo will be either on July 31 against the Phillies or on Aug. 11 against the Marlins.
July 25, 2020 4:01 am
NFL training camps are set to open after the league and the players’ union reached agreement on several issues. Those issues included future salary cap mechanisms and how players can opt out of the upcoming season because of the coronavirus. The NFL Players Association’s executive committee and 32 player representatives approved the offers Friday. Players who decide they want to opt out have until Aug. 3 to do so, and they will receive a stipend from the owners. The amount of the stipend will be $350,000 for medical opt outs and $150,000 for voluntary opt outs. Chiefs offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif became the first player to opt out of the upcoming NFL season on Friday. He’s choosing to put his medical degree to use on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic rather than helping the Kansas City Chiefs defend their first Super Bowl title in 50 years.
