MLB:
In baseball, Boston's lead in the AL East is one game over Baltimore, two over Toronto and four over the Yankees after the Orioles earned a 1-0 win at Fenway Park. the Dodgers beat the Yankees 2-0, Tampa Bay won against Toronto 8-1, Houston doubled up Texas 8-4, Seattle edged the Angels 2-1, Cleveland bested the White Sox 6-1, Oakland shut out Kansas City 8-0, and it was Detroit over Minnesota 9-6.
In the National League, Washington edged the Mets 1-0, Miami won against Atlanta 7-5, Milwaukee shut out Cincinnati 7-0, Arizona beat Colorado 11-6, Philadelphia tripled up Pittsburgh 6-2, San Diego defeated San Francisco 3-1, and In the National League, Washington edged the Mets 1-0, Miami won against Atlanta 7-5, Milwaukee shut out Cincinnati 7-0, Arizona beat Colorado 11-6, Philadelphia tripled up Pittsburgh 6-2, San Diego defeated San Francisco 3-1, and there could be a celebration at Wrigley Field this evening. The Chicago Cubs have reduced their magic number to one for clinching the National League Central with this afternoon's 7-0 rout of the second-place Cardinals in St. Louis.
The Red Sox open a key four-game series tonight against the New York Yankees with Boston looking to hold on to its narrow lead in the AL East race. Eduardo Rodriguez will get the start in the opener for Boston while Masahiro Tanaka is up for the visiting Yankees.
Blue Jays slugger and reigning American League MVP Josh Donaldson has undergone an MRI on his sore right hip after missing Toronto's three-game series with Tampa Bay. Donaldson jammed his hip stepping on first base in Sunday's loss to Boston. He is hitting .284 with 34 homers and 92 RBIs but was mired in an 0-for-23 slump when the Blue Jays shelved him.
Nationals manager Dusty Baker has left the team because of a death in the family. Bench coach Chris Speier (SPY'-ur) is managing the team in Baker's absence. The Nationals say Baker is expected to rejoin the team Friday against the Atlanta Braves.
NFL:
On Thursday Night Football, Buffalo goes up against the Jets at 8:25 p.m.
The Bills could be without wide receiver Sammy Watkins for tonight's game with the Jets. The Bills listed Watkins as questionable after complaining of soreness in his surgically repaired left foot following a 13-7 season-opening loss at Baltimore on Sunday. Buffalo says left tackle Cordy Glenn won't play due to an ankle injury.
— Buffalo has ruled left tackle Cordy Glenn out for Thursday's game with an ankle injury that leaves the team thin at the position. Backup Seantrel Henderson is serving a four-game NFL suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
— Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower did not practice because of a knee injury and All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski is still nursing a hamstring as the team prepares to host the Miami Dolphins in their home opener. Gronkowski missed last week's season-opening win at Arizona.
— The Kansas City Chiefs have released third-round pick KeiVarae Russell and brought back linebacker Dezman Moses, who was cut last week. Russell had been pased over by sixth-round selection D.J. White and recent pickup Kenneth Acker on the cornerback depth chart.
— Defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins has re-signed with Washington, less than two weeks after he was released by the team. Jenkins spent the past three seasons with the New York Giants and has also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers.
— Chargers rookie Joey Bosa missed Wednesday's padded practice, increasing the likelihood that the defensive end will miss the team's home opener against Jacksonville on Sunday. Bosa is slowed by a hamstring injury and still hasn't gone through a padded practice with the Chargers. The third player taken in this year's draft missed much of training camp while holding out.
Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall and safety Darian Stewart have been fined a total of $42,540 for helmet-to-helmet hits on Carolina's Cam Newton. The person said linebacker Brandon Marshall was fined $24,309 and safety Darian Stewart $18,231. The hits occurred in the Broncos' season-opening win over the Panthers.
The New England Patriots are the second most valuable team in the NFL, behind only the Dallas Cowboys. Forbes' valuations puts the Cowboys' worth at $4.2 billion, easily topping the league for a 10th straight year. The Patriots are valued at $3.4 billion, more than $1 billion over the league average.
NCAA:
The Atlantic Coast Conference has voted to relocate all league championship tournaments from North Carolina until the state repeals a law limiting protections for LGBT people. The decision by the ACC Council of Presidents includes 10 neutral-site championships this academic year, which means relocating the ACC football title game that was scheduled to be played in Charlotte in December. The vote comes two days after the NCAA said it was relocating seven of its championships scheduled to be played in North Carolina, including the men's basketball tournament.
A former Siena Saints basketball player was released on $10,000 bail after being charged with raping a woman in July. The Times Union reports one-time point guard, Evan Hymes was charged with first-degree rape and was released at a bail hearing.
NBA:
Miami Heat big man Chris Bosh says he's "ready to play" and that he expects to be with the team when training camp opens in a few weeks. Bosh has seen his last two seasons cut short at the All-Star break by blood clots. In a podcast, Bosh says he is in shape and that there is no reason to believe he won't be able to participate in camp.
A woman who accuses NBA star Derrick Rose of raping her says not even her parents or brothers and sisters know about her claim or the lawsuit she is pursuing. The woman, who is identified only as Jane Doe in court filings, tells The Associated Press in her first media interview that it is critical her identity remain a secret so she can maintain her relationship with her religiously conservative family.
The 30-year-old woman claims Rose and two of his friends raped her in her apartment after a night of drinking in August 2013. She had dated Rose for nearly two years, and his lawyer says the sex was consensual and her lawsuit is a money grab. The case is scheduled to go to trial in Los Angeles on October 4th. The trial date coincides with Rose's 28th birthday and comes as his new team, the New York Knicks, will be underway in the preseason.
The Sacramento Kings have signed free agent point guard Jordan Farmar, who has averaged 7.7 points and 2.9 assists per game in nine NBA seasons. Farmar spent last season with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the Memphis Grizzlies, where he averaged 9.2 points and 3.1 assists per game under current Kings coach Dave Joerger (YAY'-gur).
Hockey:
Henrik Lundqvist got the hook after allowing five goals on 22 shots in Sweden's 6-2 loss to Team Europe on Wednesday night in each team's final exhibition game before the World Cup of Hockey.
Leon Draisaitl had a hat trick and Tomas Tatar and Thomas Vanek scored on the New York Rangers goaltender, who was a victim of giveaways and defensive miscues but wasn't at his best. Jacob Markstrom replaced Lundqvist in the third period. European captain Anze Kopitar added an empty-net goal. Daniel Sedin scored on the power play and Patric Hornqvist at even strength for Sweden, which opens the World Cup on Sunday against high-powered Russia.
Jaroslav Halak stopped 34 of the 36 shots he faced to solidify the No. 1 goalie job for Europe, which looked ready to face the United States on Saturday after losing twice to the 23-and-under Team North America.
Youth:
New York's highest court is weighing whether a youth hockey league is responsible for fighting among spectators because it didn't eject them from the arena as tensions rose. Raymond Pink alleges it's the Rome Youth Hockey Association's fault he was punched in the head by Matthew Ricci, who later pleaded guilty to assault.
Pink says the association failed to enforce its no-tolerance policy that calls for removal of parents and spectators for "inappropriate" and "destructive" behavior. He says the organization didn't follow its own rules before the fight broke out as a bantam league game ended in November 2006. The association wants the lawsuit dismissed, arguing the incident was unforeseeable since there had been no prior fights among spectators. The Court of Appeals, following arguments Wednesday, is expected to rule next month.
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