WSJM Sports

MLB – Major League Baseball
Yesterday
Cleveland Guardians 4, Detroit Tigers 0
Chicago White Sox 12, Minnesota Twins 2
New York Mets 8, Chicago Cubs 0

Guardians 4, Tigers 0 – McKenzie whiffs 12 in 8 scoreless, Guardians trip Tigers 4-0
Triston McKenzie struck out a career-high 12 and extended his scoreless streak to 21 innings, leading the Cleveland Guardians to a 4-0 win over the Detroit Tigers. McKenzie pitched eight dominant innings, giving up five singles, walking none and working out of his only trouble in the sixth. With runners at first and third, McKenzie struck out Eric Haase for the third out. Josh Naylor homered in the first off rookie Elvin Rodríguez, who made his first start for the Tigers since June 10. All-Star Andrés Giménez added a solo shot in the eighth inning for Cleveland.

White Sox 12, Twins 2 – White Sox rout Twins 12-2, extend win streak to three games
Luis Robert hit his first grand slam, Johnny Cueto pitched six strong innings and the Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 12-2 to extend their winning streak to three games. Robert’s 452-foot blast to the second deck in left field gave the White Sox a 6-1 lead in the fourth inning. He added a run-scoring single in the sixth inning and a double in the eighth for his third consecutive three-hit game. Andrew Vaughn also homered and drove in two runs for Chicago, and Tim Anderson added two hits and scored three runs. Sebby Zavala hit a three-run homer in the ninth off Twins infielder Nick Gordon. Cueto (4-4) gave up one run and seven hits over six innings while throwing a season-high 118 pitches. He pitched out of trouble in the first three innings.

Mets 8, Cubs 0 – Carrasco, Mets hand Cubs 7th straight loss, 8-0
Carlos Carrasco pitched six sharp innings, Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso homered, and the New York Mets beat the Chicago Cubs 8-0. The Cubs have lost seven straight. The Mets won for the third time in four games, maintained their 2 1/2-game lead over Atlanta in the NL East and improved their road record to 28-19. The Cubs have totaled three runs over their last three games. Thanks to Carrasco, Mets starters improved to 7-3 with a 2.55 ERA in 14 July games. Carrasco allowed only one runner to advance past first base.

Today
N.Y. Mets (Walker 7-2) at Chicago Cubs (Stroman 2-5), 2:20 p.m.
Detroit (Hutchison 1-4) at Cleveland (Plesac 2-7), 7:10 p.m.                WSJM/WCSY 6:50
Chicago White Sox (Kopech 2-6) at Minnesota (Smeltzer 4-2), 8:10 p.m.

MLB – Feds sue Cubs, allege changes to Wrigley not ADA-compliant
The federal government is accusing the Chicago Cubs of failing to make Wrigley Field accessible to those with disabilities during a half-billion dollar renovation. The project that started in 2014 added luxury seating, bathrooms and restaurants. The lawsuit filed by U.S. Attorney John Lausch Jr. says the team’s 1060 Project “has had a significant adverse impact on individuals with disabilities and their ability to access Wrigley Field.” It asks for compensatory damages and civil penalties and demands that the team fix the problems to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The team says the renovation “greatly increased” the accessibility for those with disabilities.

NHL – NHL free agency: Devils sign Palat, Capitals add Strome
The New Jersey Devils have agreed to terms with left winger Ondrej Palat on a $30 million, five-year contract. Palat had 52 points in 71 games during Tampa Bay’s three consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Cup Final. The Devils turned to Palat after losing the Johnny Gaudreau sweepstakes to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Washington Capitals continued their busy offseason by signing former Chicago Blackhawks forward Dylan Strome. Ottawa followed up on landing former Flyers captain Claude Giroux in free agency by locking up third-year player Josh Norris through the 2029-30 season.

WNBA – Women’s National Basketball Association
Yesterday
Chicago Sky 80, Los Angeles Sparks 68

Sky 80, Sparks 68 – Gardner powers Sky to 80-68 victory over Sparks
Rookie Rebekah Gardner came off the bench to score 18 points and grab 10 rebounds to lift the Chicago Sky to an 80-68 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks. Gardner hit 8 of 11 shots, had four offensive boards and four assists to help Chicago improve to a WNBA-best 18-6. Fellow reserve Azura Stevens scored 14, hitting 6 of 7 shots with two 3-pointers. Candace Parker had 11 rebounds but missed all 11 of her shots and didn’t score. Nneka Ogwumike had 16 points and eight rebounds for Los Angeles (10-14), while younger sister Chiney Ogwumike added 14 points and 13 boards.

Tonight
Minnesota Lynx at Indiana Fever, 7:00 p.m.

WNBA – WNBA’s Griner gets support at trial from character witnesses
The drug possession trial of WNBA star Brittney Griner has resumed, with the head of the Russian club she plays for in the offseason and a teammate from that squad testifying in support of her character and what she has meant for women’s basketball in the country. Griner, who pleaded guilty last week, did not testify as expected at the third day of the trial. She has been detained in Russia since February, and the U.S. government is under pressure at home to do more to secure her freedom. Her guilty plea could be an effort to expedite the court proceedings so any negotiations about a prisoner exchange could move forward.

NBASL – NBA Summer League
Yesterday
Cleveland Cavaliers 82, Detroit Pistons 79
Chicago Bulls 89, Charlotte Hornets 73

NBA – Suns match Pacers’ offer for Ayton, keeping nucleus intact
Deandre Ayton finally has his new deal from the Phoenix Suns, who simply weren’t willing to let him get away for nothing. A person with knowledge of the situation said the Suns quickly decided to match a $133 million, four-year offer sheet that Ayton agreed to earlier Thursday with the Indiana Pacers. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Suns had not publicly announced the decision. The move means the Suns keep their nucleus of Ayton and the All-Star backcourt of Devin Booker and Chris Paul. The trio pushed Phoenix to the NBA Finals in 2021.

Golf – LPGA – Roussin-Weber have ace, take lead in LPGA Tour’s team event
Pauline Roussin made a hole-in-one and teamed with fellow rookie Dewi Weber to take a three-stroke lead Thursday in the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, leaving Annika Sorenstam and Madelene Sagstrom five shots behind. Tied with the 51-year-old Sorenstam and Sagstrom after an opening 5-under 65 in alternate-shot play Wednesday, Roussin and Weber had a 61 at Midland Country Club in the better-ball round to reach 14-under 126. Roussin, the Frenchwoman playing on Bastille Day, aced the par-3 seventh with a 46-degree wedge. The teams will play alternate shot Friday and finish Saturday with better ball. Sorenstam and Sagstrom had a 66. Sorenstam is making her second LPGA Tour start of the year and only her third since retiring after the 2008 season.

Golf – British Open – A rookie rises and Tiger crashes in slow-moving British Open
The Old Course at St. Andrews was fast as ever. The same couldn’t be said for the pace of play at the British Open. The heralded start of the 150th Open featured Cameron Young making his debut with a 64. He had a two-shot lead over Rory McIlroy. And the long day could make for a short week for Tiger Woods. The two-time winner at St. Andrews had two double bogeys on his way to a 78. That’s his second-highest score ever in the Open and leaves him six shots out of the cut line.

MILB – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night
West Michigan 8, Wisconsin 7 – F/10
Fort Wayne 5, Lansing 4
Great Lakes 2, Quad Cities 1
South Bend 5, Peoria 1

Tonight
Wisconsin at West Michigan, 6:35 p.m.
Lansing at Fort Wayne, 7:05 p.m.
Great Lakes at Quad Cities, 7:30 p.m.
South Bend at Peoria, 7:35 p.m.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NHL – Red Wings aim for relevancy with moves in NHL free agency
Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman just kick-started the franchise’s rebuild. Yzerman made bold moves when free agency opened Wednesday, generating a jolt of excitement for the once-proud franchise that it has not had since the former team captain was hired three-plus years ago. The Hockey Hall of Famer signed center Andrew Copp to a $28.1 million, five-year contract soon after the market opened. Yzerman also signed defenseman Ben Chiarot to a $19 million, four-year contract and a pair of wings to two-year deals. David Perron signed for $9.5 million and Dominik Kubalik for $5 million.

NHL – Blackhawks make some minor free agent signings, nothing on Kane or Toews.
The Chicago Blackhawks signed 4 players on the first day of NHL Free Agency.  Three forwards signed deals, Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou each signed for one season, and Colin Blackwell signed a tow year deal.  Goalie Alex Stalock inked a one year deal.  The news is still quiet on Patrick Kane and Jonathon Toews, who each have one year left on their current contracts, which are for $10.5 million for this season. 

NHL – Blue Jackets sign top NHL free-agent, "Johnny Hockey"
The Columbus Blue Jackets landed the biggest prize on the opening day of NHL free agency by signing Johnny Gaudreau to a $68.25 million seven-year contract. The signing came a day after Johnny “Hockey” rejected an eight-year contract to stay in Calgary. Gaudreau’s signing highlighted a busy day. Claude Giroux is leaving Florida for a homecoming in Ottawa. The Washington Capitals landed Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Darcy Kuemper from Colorado. The New York Rangers signed forward Vincent Trocheck to a seven-year contract. There was also a big trade with 2017 Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Brent Burns going from San Jose to the Carolina Hurricanes. Top free agents Nazem Kadri and John Klingberg were still available.

MLB – Major League Baseball
Yesterday
Kansas City Royals 5, Detroit Tigers 2
Chicago White Sox 2, Cleveland Guardians 1
Baltimore Orioles 7, Chicago Cubs 1

Royals 5, Tigers 2 – Singer leads Royals to 5-2 victory and series win vs Tigers
Brady Singer won for the first time in over a month as the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 5-2. The Royals earned their first winning homestand since July last year. Singer allowed 12 baserunners and repeatedly pitched out of trouble for his first victory since June 8. Andrew Benintendi collected his tenth multi-hit game out of his last 16 starts as he prepares for his first All-Star Game. Kansas City batted around in the fourth against Tarik Skubal, who has lost six of his last seven starts. Scott Barlow finished with his 15th save.

White Sox 2, Guardians 1 – White Sox beat Guardians 2-1, gain split in 4-game series
Lucas Giolito pitched one-run ball into the seventh inning and the Chicago White Sox beat Cleveland 2-1 after Guardians’ starter Aaron Civale exited after one inning because of a sore right wrist. Giolito yielded an unearned run in 6 1/3 innings and extended his dominance of Cleveland hitters. The right-hander is 5-1 with a 0.83 ERA in 10 starts against Cleveland since May 17, 2019. Giolito’s strong outing, along with RBIs by José Abreu and Andrew Vaughn, helped the White Sox earn a split of the four-game series between teams battling for second place in the AL Central.

Orioles 7, Cubs 1 – Orioles beat Cubs 7-1, extend winning streak to 10 games
Anthony Santander hit a two-run double to spark Baltimore’s three-run first inning, Spenser Watkins and four relievers scattered six hits and the Orioles extended their winning streak to 10 games with a 7-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs. It’s the Orioles’ longest winning streak in a single season since they won 13 in a row from Sept. 7-22, 1999. With the victory, the Orioles (45-44) also went over the .500 mark for the first time since April 8, 2021, when they were 4-3. The Cubs lost their sixth consecutive game, their longest skid since dropping 10 straight games June 4-16.

Today
Detroit (Rodriguez 0-2) at Cleveland (McKenzie 6-6), 7:10 p.m.            WSJM/WCSY 6:50
Chicago White Sox (Cueto 3-4) at Minnesota (Gray 4-2), 7:40 p.m.
N.Y. Mets (Carrasco 9-4) at Chicago Cubs (Thompson 7-3), 8:05 p.m.

WNBA – Women’s National Basketball Association
Yesterday
Connecticut Sun 89, Indiana Fever 81

Sun 89, Fever 81 – Connecticut beats Indiana, Bonner moves into 12th in scoring
Jonquel Jones had 20 points and 14 rebounds, DeWanna Bonner added 19 points to move into 12th on the WNBA’s career scoring list, and the Connecticut Sun beat the Indiana Fever 89-81. Bonner passed Seattle star Lauren Jackson (6,007) on the career scoring list, becoming the 14th player in WNBA history to reach 6,000 points. Brionna Jones added 17 points, Natisha Hiedeman had 11 and Courtney Williams scored all 10 of her points in the first half for Connecticut. Kelsey Mitchell scored 21 points and Victoria Vivians added 17 for Indiana.

Tonight
Chicago Sky at Los Angeles Sparks, 10:30 p.m.

Golf – LPGA – Annika Sorenstam back on top of LPGA Tour leaderboard
Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam was back on top of an LPGA Tour leaderboard Wednesday, teaming with Madelene Sagstrom in the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. Sorenstam and Sagstrom shot a 5-under 65 in alternate-shot play at Midland Country Club for a share of the first-round lead with fellow late starters. Sorenstam and Sagstrom, played alongside Lexi Thompson and Brittany Altomare, with the Americans shooting 71 in the round delayed 2 hours, 40 minutes because of morning rain. The 51-year-old Sorenstam is making her second LPGA Tour start of the season and only her third since retiring after the 2008 season. She missed the cut in the U.S. Women’s Open last month.

Golf – British Open – Tiger Woods now an honorary member of Royal & Ancient
Already a two-time winner at St. Andrews, Tiger Woods has another honor before he even hit a shot in the 150th edition of the British Open. He’s now an honorary member of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. The R&A used the occasion of its big celebration week to confer honorary membership to Open champions Woods, Rory McIlroy and Paul Lawrie. Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau is still using a Bridgestone golf ball. He’s just not getting paid for it. Bridgestone says they have agreed to end their endorsement after DeChambeau signed on with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series.

NBASL – NBA Summer League
Today
Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 5:30 p.m.            Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas
Chicago Bulls vs. Charlotte Hornets, 6:00 p.m.                Cox Pavilion, Las Vegas

NCAAMBKB – Ahoy! Gonzaga, Michigan State to play on carrier deck
They’re going to try to play college basketball on an aircraft carrier again. Coach Tom Izzo and Michigan State will get a return trip to San Diego Bay to face Gonzaga on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln on Veteran’s Day. The game will be shown in prime time on Nov. 11 as part of ESPN’s Armed Forces Classic from the flat top moored at Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, across the bay from downtown San Diego. The Abraham Lincoln is on deployment and is due back in port later in the summer.

NCAA – New commish: Big 12 open for business amid realignment talk
New Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark says the league is open for business. While nothing is imminent, he says all options will be explored as he prepares to take over with conference realignment again in the forefront. Yormark made his introductory marks at the start of the league’s football media days. He says he’s excited about the transformative moment and the opportunity to grow and build the Big 12 brand and business. The 55-year-old Yormark is joining the Big 12 from his role as an executive on the commercial side of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. He was previously CEO of the Brooklyn Nets.

MILB – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night
Wisconsin 5, West Michigan 2 – F/11
Fort Wayne 8, Lansing 7
Great Lakes 5, Quad Cities 4 – F/11
South Bend 11, Peoria 1

Tonight
Wisconsin at West Michigan, 6:35 p.m.
Lansing at Fort Wayne, 7:05 p.m.
Great Lakes at Quad Cities, 7:30 p.m.
South Bend at Peoria, 7:35 p.m.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MLB – Major League Baseball
Yesterday
Detroit Tigers 7, Kansas City Royals 5
Cleveland Guardians 4, Chicago White Sox 1 – Game 1
Chicago White Sox 7, Cleveland Guardians 0 – Game 2
Baltimore Orioles 4, Chicago Cubs 2

Tigers 7, Royals 5 – Cabrera drives in 2 to tie Williams, Tigers beat Royals 7-5
Miguel Cabrera drove in the tying and go-ahead runs, matching Ted Williams for 14th place on the career RBI list, and the Detroit Tigers rallied past the Kansas City Royals 7-5 to snap a four-game skid. Cabrera’s sacrifice fly in the fifth inning made it 3-3, and he had an RBI grounder for the Tigers’ first run in a four-run seventh. He equaled Williams with 1,838 RBIs. Later in the seventh, Cabrera stole third and scored on a wild throw. It was just his second stolen base in the past seven seasons. The Royals committed four errors as their three-game winning streak ended.

Guardians 4, White Sox 1 & White Sox 7, Guardians 0 – Cease strikes out nine, White Sox split DH with Guardians
Dylan Cease struck out nine in 5 2/3 innings, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-0 for a doubleheader split. José Abreu, Luis Robert and Josh Harrison homered for Chicago, which had dropped four of six before its sorely needed victory in the nightcap. Cease allowed five hits and walked three. In the opener, Shane Bieber tossed a three-hitter for his first complete game of the season, leading Cleveland to a a 4-1 victory. José Ramírez and Amed Rosario each drove in two runs.

Orioles 4, Cubs 2 – Urías stars as Orioles beat Cubs 4-2 for 9th straight win
Ramón Urías hit a two-run homer and made a big defensive play, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Chicago Cubs 4-2 for their ninth straight victory. Jorge Mateo also homered as Baltimore reached .500 for the first time this season. It’s the longest win streak for the Orioles since the franchise won 13 straight in September 1999. Baltimore right-hander Jordan Lyles pitched seven innings of two-run ball in his second straight win. All-Star Ian Happ homered for Chicago, which dropped its fifth in a row.

Today
Detroit (Skubal 6-7) at Kansas City (Singer 3-3), 2:10 p.m.                  WSJM/WCSY 1:50
Chicago White Sox (Giolito 5-5) at Cleveland (Civale 2-5), 7:10 p.m.
Baltimore (Watkins 2-1) at Chicago Cubs (Steele 3-5), 8:05 p.m.

MLB – MLB testing modified "pie slice" infield shift ban in minors
The Florida State League will limit defensive shifts by drawing chalk lines in a pie shape from second base to the outfield grass starting July 22, prohibiting infielders from the marked area pre-pitch in an experiment that could increase offense. Major League Baseball has been testing shift limits all season at Double-A and Class A, requiring teams to have four players on the infield, including two on each side of second base. The experiment in the Class A FSL was first reported by The Athletic and confirmed by MLB.

WNBA – Women’s National Basketball Association
Last Night
Chicago Sky 99, Atlanta Dreams 75

Sky 99, Dream 75 – Parker scores 31, Copper adds 23 as Sky beat Dream 90-75
Candace Parker had 31 points and 11 rebounds, Kahleah Copper scored 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting and the Chicago Sky pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Atlanta Dream 90-75. Emma Meesseman added 10 points, six rebounds and a season-high eight assists for Chicago (17-6). Aari McDonald hit a 3-pointer that gave the Dream a 70-65 lead with 7:50 to play, but Chicago scored the next 15 points. Atlanta went scoreless for nearly five minutes and the Sky never trailed again. Meesseman either scored or assisted on 18 of Chicago’s 30 fourth-quarter points.

Today
Connecticut Sun at Indiana Fever, 12:00 p.m.

WNBA – LeBron critical on his show of US efforts to get Griner home
LeBron James is publicly criticizing the United States’ handling of WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner’s case in a trailer for an upcoming episode of his television show: “The Shop: Uninterrupted.” Griner is on trial in Russia for drug possession. She pleaded guilty last week and will appear again in court on Thursday. James tweeted Tuesday night that his comments in the trailer weren’t intended to be critical of the U.S. efforts to get Griner back. It’s unclear when the show was filmed, although in the trailer it’s mentioned she had been in Russia for over 110 days which would be roughly five weeks ago.

NBA – NBA stiffens take foul penalty, will keep play-in tournament
The NBA has completed the process of changing the transition take foul rule, ending years of discussion about what to do with the long-maligned tactic. And the play-in tournament is going to be around for the foreseeable future. The league’s board of governors finalized those two matters Tuesday by approving a plan to award one free throw when teams are disadvantaged by the take foul. They also removed the “experimental” designation from the play-in element to the postseason.

NBASL – NBA Summer League
Yesterday
Chicago Bulls 93, Toronto Raptors 83
Indiana Pacers 101, Detroit Pistons 87

NHL – Scotty Bowman moves on from job as Blackhawks adviser
Scotty Bowman says he no longer works for the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hockey Hall of Famer who won the Stanley Cup nine times as a coach had been a senior hockey operations adviser since 2008. The 88-year-old says it is time to move on but he is not ready to retire just yet. Bowman’s son Stan resigned as general manager in October after an investigation into the team’s mishandling of sexual assault allegations against an assistant coach by a player revealed he knew about the situation. Scotty says he left the team on good terms after what he called a pretty uncomfortable year.

NHL – Former Red Wings coach Blashill joins Lightning as assistant
Former Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill is joining the Tampa Bay Lightning as an assistant. Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois announced the move, selecting Blashill to replace Derek Lalonde on Jon Cooper’s staff. Lalonde had been hired to replace Blashill. The 48-year-old Blashill coached the Red Wings the past seven seasons. Detroit missed the playoffs in six of the seven seasons. Blashill joins a staff that includes assistant coaches Jeff Halpern and Rob Zettler and goaltender coach Frantz Jean. The two-time defending champion Lightning were dethroned by Colorado last month in the Stanley Cup Final.

NHL – Duncan Keith announces retirement after 17 NHL seasons
Duncan Keith is retiring after 17 seasons in the NHL, three Stanley Cups and two Norris Trophy awards as the league’s top defenseman. He spent 16 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks and joined Edmonton last season. Keith will turn 39 on Saturday, and said there’s a noticeable change in how he’s felt in recent postseasons. That, coupled with the desire to spend more time with his son Colton, helped him reach a difficult decision. Keith finished his career with 106 goals, 540 assists and 675 penalty minutes over 1,256 games. He also helped Canada win Olympic gold at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Games and played two years of college hockey at Michigan State.

NHL – Gaudreau leaving Flames, joins deep NHL free agent class
Johnny Gaudreau told the Calgary Flames he’s leaving to test NHL free agency. He’s likely to receive the biggest contract handed out when the market opens Wednesday. Colorado Avalanche Stanley Cup champions Nazem Kadri and Darcy Kuemper, and Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg are also part of a deep class with the most high-end talent available in several years. Evgeni Malkin is not after re-signing with the Pittsburgh Penguins for $24.4 million over four years. There’s significant money to spend with the salary cap going up slightly in the first increase in three years. And some teams have already made moves to free up more cap space to go shopping.

Note: NHL Free Agency begins today

Golf – British Open returns to home of golf at St. Andrews
Golf’s oldest championship returns to the home of golf. There’s always something special about a British Open at St. Andrews. This one rises to an even greater occasion as the 150th edition. Tiger Woods is playing his third major of the year. Xander Schauffele is coming off his second straight win. Rory McIlroy tries to end eight years without a major. All the elements are in place. Elsewhere, the PGA Tour stages its only modified Stableford scoring tournament in Lake Tahoe. The LPGA Tour has its only official team event in Michigan. But it’s all about St. Andrews this week.

Golf – Tiger Woods unsure how many Opens he has left at St. Andrews
Tiger Woods will be crossing the Swilcan Bridge for the last time at some point this week at St. Andrews. He just doesn’t know if it will be the last time this year or forever. Woods doesn’t know how many British Opens he has left at the home of golf. All that matters is playing this one. That explains why he has walked more holes ahead of the opening round than the previous two majors combined. Woods is a two-time Open champion at St. Andrews. Winning another is a tall order. He has played only seven competitive rounds this year.

NCAABSB – Notre Dame hires VCU’s Shawn Stiffler as new baseball coach
Shawn Stiffler is the new baseball coach at Notre Dame. The Irish hired Stiffler away from VCU to replace Link Jarrett. Jarrett took the Florida State job after leading Notre Dame to the College World Series. Stiffler was 340-198 in 10 seasons at VCU. The Rams reached their first NCAA super regional in 2015 and made regional appearances in 2021 and 2022. Stiffler takes over a program that went 41-17 for its first 40-win season since 2006. The Irish beat No. 1 national seed Tennessee in super regionals and went 1-2 in its first CWS appearance since 2002.

NFL – Judge says blood test results can be used in Ruggs’ DUI case
A judge has ruled that results of a blood-alcohol test taken from former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III can be used as evidence in his DUI crash case. Authorities say the 23-year-old Ruggs allegedly was driving 156 mph just before the fiery November 2021 crash that left a woman dead. Prosecutors say Ruggs’ blood alcohol level after the crash in Las Vegas was 0.16%, which is twice the legal limit for drivers in Nevada. Ruggs could be sentenced to more than 50 years in prison if he’s convicted of all four felony charges in the case. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 7.

NFL – House committee accepts Snyder’s offer to testify virtually
The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform has accepted an offer for Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder to testify virtually July 28. Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney wrote a letter to attorney Karen Patton Seymour saying Snyder would be allowed to testify via Zoom under the conditions set out by the committee’s initial subpoena. The committee is set to give Snyder access to exhibitions used in prior depositions and interview transcripts as well as descriptions of redacted information. Snyder refused to testify when first invited along with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. His camp has until Wednesday at noon EDT to confirm Snyder will appear before the committee.

MILB – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night
West Michigan Whitecaps 1, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 0
Fort Wayne Tin Caps 7, Lansing Lugnuts 1
Great Lakes Loons 14, Quad Cities River Bandits 9
South Bend Cubs 6, Peoria Chiefs 0

Today
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at West Michigan Whitecaps, 12:05 p.m.
Lansing Lugnuts at Fort Wayne Tin Caps, 12:05 p.m.
Great Lakes Loons at Quad Cities River Bandits, 7:30 p.m.
South Bend Cubs at Peoria Chiefs, 7:35 p.m.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NCAAFB – Gary Moeller, former Michigan and Lions coach, dies at 81
Former Michigan football coach Gary Moeller has died. The university says he died Monday at the age of 81. No cause was provided. Moeller coached the Wolverines from 1990-95, succeeding Bo Schembechler. He went 44-13-3 with three Big Ten titles and four bowl victories. After he resigned, he moved to the NFL and was an assistant for four teams. He coached the Detroit Lions for seven games in 2000, going 4-3. Moeller’s first head coaching job was at Illinois from 1977-79. Moeller was from Lima, Ohio. He played linebacker and was a captain for Woody Hayes at Ohio State.

MLB – Major League Baseball
Yesterday
Kansas City Royals 3, Detroit Tigers 1 – Game 1
Kansas City Royals 7, Detroit Tigers 3 – Game 2
Cleveland Guardians 8, Chicago White Sox 4
Cubs were off

Royals 3, Tigers 1 – Royals 7, Tigers 3 – Bobby Witt Jr. has 4 hits, Royals sweep twinbill vs Tigers
Bobby Witt Jr. had his first career four-hit game along with three RBIs to help the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 7-3 for a doubleheader sweep. In the opener, Brad Keller tossed seven strong innings and rookie Vinnie Pasquantino homered and drove in two runs as the Royals beat the Tigers 3-1. Witt had a hit in each of the first three innings in the late game, giving him six hits for the doubleheader. He scored twice and stole three bases on the day. Detroit starter Alex Faedo slogged through a 37-pitch first inning, walking the bases full after Witt tied it with a double.

Guardians 8, White Sox 4 – Rookie Jones drives in 4 as Guardians topple White Sox 8-4
Rookie Nolan Jones drove in four runs in his home debut for Cleveland, leading the Guardians to an 8-4 win over the Chicago White Sox. A 24-year-old outfielder with a sweet swing, Jones hit a two-run single in the first inning off Lance Lynn. He chased the right-hander with a two-run double in the fifth. Jones is batting .500 (6 for 12) with a homer and eight RBIs in four games since coming up from Triple-A Columbus. Back from a 1-6 road trip to Detroit and Kansas City, the Guardians staked Cal Quantrill to a five-run lead in the first and moved back to .500 at 42-42.

Today
Chicago White Sox (Cease 7-4) at Cleveland (Bieber 3-5), 1:10 p.m. – Game 1
Chicago White Sox (Martin 1-2) at Cleveland (Pilkington 1-1), 7:10 p.m. – Game 2
Baltimore (Lyles 5-7) at Chicago Cubs (Sampson 0-0), 8:05 p.m.
Detroit (Brieske 2-6) at Kansas City (Bubic 1-6), 8:10 p.m.         WSJM/WCSY 7:50

MLB – LA stadium workers authorize strike ahead of All-Star week
Concession workers at Dodger Stadium have voted to authorize a strike days ahead of MLB’s All-Star Game festivities in Los Angeles. Workers employed by concessionaire Compass Group and its subsidiary Levy Restaurants voted 99% to authorize a strike. Unite Here Local 11 says a strike could begin at any time. The union is seeking what it calls “a fair new contract.” Levy employs nearly 1,500 food servers, bartenders, cooks and dishwashers at the stadium. All-Star Game events begin Saturday and culminate in the game on July 19.

NHL – Derek King stays with Blackhawks as assistant coach
Derek King is staying with the Chicago Blackhawks as an assistant coach on Luke Richardson’s staff. King finished last season as Chicago’s interim coach after Jeremy Colliton was fired on Nov. 6. He was in the mix for the full-time job before Richardson was hired last month. Kevin Dean also was hired as an assistant. Dean was an assistant with the Boston Bruins for the previous five seasons. Dean was an NHL defenseman for seven seasons, finishing his playing career with 96 games with the Blackhawks.

NBASL – NBA Summer League
Today
Chicago Bulls vs. Toronto Raptors, 5:00 p.m.                   at Las Vegas
Detroit Pistons vs. Indiana Pacers, 9:00 p.m.                    at Las Vegas

WNBA – Women’s National Basketball Association
Tonight
Atlanta Dream at Chicago Sky, 8:00 p.m.

NFL – Officials: Ex-Cowboys RB Marion Barber died of heat stroke
Police in a Dallas suburb have concluded that heat stroke caused the death of former Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber III. In a statement Monday, Frisco police say the Collin County medical examiner ruled Barber’s death an accident. Police provided no further elaboration, and the medical examiner’s office didn’t immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press. Police making a welfare check on June 1 found the 38-year-old former running back dead at a Frisco apartment. Barber spent six seasons with Dallas and one with the Chicago Bears. He made the Pro Bowl in 2007.

NFL – Heinz out, Acrisure in as Steelers’ stadium sponsor
The Pittsburgh Steelers have run out of Heinz. And they’re not running to the store to grab more. The Steelers have ended their longtime partnership with the formerly Pittsburgh-based food company. Heinz had served as the title sponsor for the NFL franchise’s home stadium on the city’s North Shore since it opened in 2001. The venue will now be known as Acrisure Stadium after the Michigan-based financial tech company agreed to a 15-year sponsorship deal with the team.

Golf – Tiger Woods part of celebration of champions at St. Andrews
Talk about a great warmup act for the 150th British Open at St. Andrews. Monday was the “Celebration of Champions.” Tiger Woods isn’t big on ceremonial golf, but this would be considered a big exception. He played with Rory McIlroy, Lee Trevino and former Women’s British Open winner Georgia Hall. They were joined at the end by Jack Nicklaus. He wasn’t playing. Nicklaus is in the gray old town to become an honorary citizen of St. Andrews. That led to a lot of laughs and memories. McIlroy says it was a dream to be part of it all.

Golf – PGA/LIV – Report: DOJ inquiring about antitrust in PGA-LIV dispute
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the U.S. Department of Justice is now interested in the dispute between the PGA Tour and the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series. The Journal reports that players’ agents have received inquiries from the Justice Department’s antitrust division. They involve the PGA Tour regulations on players competing in other events and the tour’s decision to suspend those who played. The Justice Department had no comment. The tour says in a statement the investigation was not unexpected. It cites a Federal Trade Commission investigation in the 1990s in believing it will prevail again.

USA Soccer – Mewis scores late, US women top Mexico 1-0 at W Championship
Kristie Mewis scored in the 89th minute to break a stalemate and the United States beat Mexico 1-0 at the CONCACAF W Championship. The U.S. won Group A in the eight-team tournament and will face Costa Rica in the semifinals. The Americans had already qualified for the 2023 Women’s World Cup as one of the top two teams in their group. Mexico’s Lizbeth Ovalle was sent off with a red card for a foul on Rose Lavelle in the 73rd minute. In other tournament action, Jamaica beat Haiti 4-0, Canada beat Costa Rica 2-0 and Panama beat Trinidad and Tobago 1-0.

Tennis – Analysis: Unvaccinated Djokovic’s pursuit of Nadal on hold
Novak Djokovic overtook Roger Federer in the Grand Slam title standings and moved within one of Rafael Nadal by claiming his 21st major trophy at Wimbledon. Now Djokovic is headed off to vacation. And what no one knows right now is how long his break will be or when he might be able to resume trying to accumulate Slam hardware. He is not vaccinated against COVID-19 and repeated Sunday after beating Nick Kyrgios for a seventh championship at the All England Club that he will not get the shots. As things stand now, that means Djokovic will not be able to enter the United States to play in the U.S. Open in August.

MILB – Midwest League Baseball
Tonight
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at West Michigan Whitecaps, 6:35 p.m.
Lansing Lugnuts at Fort Wayne Tin Caps, 7:05 p.m.
Great Lakes Loons at Quad Cities River Bandits, 7:30 p.m.
South Bend Cubs at Peoria Chiefs, 7:35 p.m.

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NHL – Blackhawks begin dismantling, trade DeBrincat and Dach
The long-anticipated dismantling of the Chicago Blackhawks’ roster has begun with the team trading Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators and Kirby Dach to the Montreal Canadiens. Chicago eventually made three trades in going from having no picks in the first-round of the NHL draft to selecting three times. The Blackhawks got the seventh pick and two others for DeBrincat and No. 13 for Dach. Now the situation turns to the future of longtime Blackhawks stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane with the organization aimed at extending its rebuild over the long term. Their matching contracts expire after next season. Chicago added a third first-round pick at No. 25 by acquiring goalie Petr Mrazek from Toronto.

NHL – Canadiens take Juraj Slafkovsky with top pick in NHL draft
The Montreal Canadiens have selected Slovak winger Juraj Slafkovsky with the first pick in the NHL draft. He’s the first player from Slovakia to be taken No. 1. The previous best was Marian Gaborik going third in 2000. This was the first year in nearly a decade there was suspense about who was going to be the No. 1 pick right up until the player’s name was called. The Canadiens said they were considering Slafkovsky, Canadian center Shane Wright and American forward Logan Cooley. The New Jersey Devils surprisingly selected Slovak defenseman and Slafkovsky Olympic teammate Simon Nemec with the second pick.  

NHL – Red Wings select Center Marco Kasper from Sweden
Detroit Red Wings general manager continued his pattern of going slightly off of the board for their selection in the 2022 NHL Draft.  The Red Wings selected center Marco Kasper with the 8th overall pick. The 18 year old Austrian born player scored seven goals and had 4 assists in 46 games played for Rogle of the Swedish Hockey League.   Yzerman also went slightly off the board when they selected German defenseman Moritz Seider with the 6th overall pick in the 2019 draft.  Seider won the NHL’s Calder Trophy this past season as the Rookie of the Year.

MLB – Major League Baseball
Yesterday
Detroit Tigers 2, Chicago White Sox 1
Los Angeles Dodgers 5, Chicago Cubs 3

Tigers 2, White Sox 1 – Rookie Brieske outduels Cease, Tigers beat White Sox 2-1
Rookie Beau Brieske tossed two-hit ball into the seventh inning while outpitching Dylan Cease, Javier Báez homered and the Detroit Tigers hung on beat the Chicago White Sox 2-1. The Tigers won their fifth straight. They began this four-game series against the reigning AL Central champs after a four-game home sweep of the Guardians, their first against Cleveland in nine years. Spencer Torkelson had an RBI single in the ninth to give Detroit a 2-0 lead. Chicago then made it interesting in the bottom half against closer Gregory Soto, who earned his 17th save. Luis Robert had a one-out RBI double before Soto struck out two batters to end it.

Dodgers 5, Cubs 3 – Gonsolin goes to 11-0, Dodgers get 4 HRs to beat Cubs 5-3
Tony Gonsolin pitched seven strong innings for his 11th victory in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 5-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. Mookie Betts hit a pair of leadoff homers and the Dodgers got a two-run blast from Gavin Lux and a solo shot by Justin Turner. Gonsolin is the first Dodgers pitcher to start a season 11-0 since Alex Wood in 2017. He and Houston’s Justin Verlander are tied for most wins in the majors. The NL West-leading Dodgers won their fourth in a row. The Cubs got a two-run homer from Christopher Morel in the fifth.

Tonight
Detroit (Skubal 5-7) at Chicago White Sox (Giolito 5-4), 8:10 p.m.                WSJM/WCSY 7:50
Chicago Cubs (Thompson 7-3) at L.A. Dodgers (Anderson 9-1), 10:10 p.m.

NBASL – NBA Summer League
Last Night
Detroit Pistons 81, Portland Trailblazers 78
– (DET) Jaden Ivey 20 Points, Saban Lee 13 points, Isaiah Stewart 13 points, Braxton Key 11 points, Cade Cunningham DNO

Today
Chicago Bulls vs. Dallas Mavericks, 4:00 p.m.

NBA – Bulls finalize max contract with two-time All-Star LaVine
The Chicago Bulls say they have re-signed Zach LaVine, after the high-flying guard agreed to a five-year max contract worth about $215 million last week. LaVine had said he wanted to explore the market as an unrestricted free agent for the first time after eight seasons in the NBA and five with the Bulls. If he went shopping, it was a quick trip. He announced his decision about 18 hours after the free-agent negotiating period began. Executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas praised LaVine’s work ethic while saying the Bulls “look forward to more great things from Zach.” LaVine averaged 24.4 points in the final season of a four-year, $78 million deal.

WNBA – Women’s National Basketball Association
Last Night
Chicago Sky 93, Indiana Fever 84

Sky 93, Fever 84 – Chicago secures home court for the Commissioner’s Cup game
Emma Meesseman scored 20 points, Candace Parker had 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists and the Chicago Sky beat the Indiana Fever 93-84 to secure home court for the Commissioner’s Cup game. Chicago will host Las Vegas on July 26 for the Commissioner’s Cup. Julie Allemand beat the third-quarter buzzer with a long 3-pointer to extend Chicago’s lead to 77-57 after a 29-point frame. Indiana scored 18 of the opening 27 points of the fourth, but Chicago held on. Azura Stevens scored 16 points and Allie Quigley added 13 for Chicago. Courtney Vandersloot had seven points and six assists. Kelsey Mitchell scored 27 points and rookie NaLyssa Smith had her sixth double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds for Indiana.

Sunday
2022 WNBA All Star Game – Wintrust Arena, Chicago, IL
Team Stewart vs. Team Wilson, 7:00 p.m.

WNBA – WNBA’s Griner pleads guilty at her drug trial in Russia
WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to drug possession charges on the second day of her trial in a Russian court in a case that could see her sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. Her abrupt guilty plea came amid a growing chorus of calls for Washington to do more to secure her freedom nearly five months after her arrest amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Russia over Ukraine. A senior Russian diplomat said earlier that no action could be taken by Moscow on Griner until the trial was over. Griner was detained at a Moscow airport while returning to play basketball in Russia. Police said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage.

Tennis – Wimbledon – Injured Nadal out of Wimbledon; Kyrgios advances to final
Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from Wimbledon a day before he was supposed to play in the semifinals because of a torn abdominal muscle. Nadal announced that he was pulling out of the Grand Slam tournament at a news conference Thursday. The 22-time Grand Slam champion was scheduled to face Nick Kyrgios for a berth in the final on Friday. Kyrgios advanced to his first final at a major tournament. He will meet either Novak Djokovic or Cam Norrie for the championship on Sunday.

Tennis – Wimbledon – Jabeur 1st woman from Africa in pro Slam final
Ons Jabeur has reached her first Grand Slam final with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 victory over good friend Tatjana Maria at Wimbledon. Jabeur is a 27-year-old from Tunisia who is the first African woman and Arab woman to get to the title match at a major tennis tournament. Maria is a 34-year-old German who is ranked 103rd and never had made it past the third round of a Grand Slam event before. The third-seeded Jabeur next will face 17th-seeded Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan for the championship on Saturday. Rybakina overwhelmed 2019 Wimbledon champion Simona Halep 6-3, 6-3 in the second semifinal. She also will be making her major final debut.

Pac-12 facing uncertain future after losses to Big Ten
The Pac-12 can make a case as the most successful conference in collegiate athletics, amassing more than 500 NCAA championships while leading the nation in titles 56 of the past 62 years. But when it comes to the biggest moneymakers, football and men’s basketball, the conference has come up short for years. The lack of success, particularly in football, combined with the conference’s media rights missteps put the Pac-12 on shaky financial footing, opening the door for two marquee schools to jump ship. Now the conference and its remaining member schools face an even more uncertain economic future.

NFL – Dome for Soldier Field? Panel says Chicago should explore it
A panel appointed by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot recommended the city explore enclosing Soldier Field, part of an effort to convince the NFL’s Chicago Bears to remain in their lakefront home rather than leave for the suburbs. The panel also recommended expanding capacity of the stadium with the fewest seats in the NFL as well as installing synthetic turf and selling naming rights. Adding a roof or a dome might lure Super Bowls and Final Fours as well as more concerts. The group’s work is part of a bigger proposal to transform a stretch of land that also includes the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium and McCormick Place lakefront building. It includes improved transportation and making the area more bike friendly.

NFL – Bears WR Moore arrested on drug, weapons charges in Texas
Chicago Bears receiver David Moore was arrested on drug and weapons charges in his hometown of Gainesville, Texas, last weekend. Gainesville police say officers responding to a possibly intoxicated person at a Taco Bell drive-thru late Sunday night found Moore asleep in the driver’s seat of a silver 2018 Ford F250. Officers smelled marijuana while talking to Moore and found a package of THC edible candies and three pistols while searching the vehicle. Police arrested Moore and charged him with possession of a controlled substance and unlawful carrying weapons. The Bears say they are aware of the arrest and “are in the process of gathering more information.” They said they would “refrain from making any further comment.”

NFL – Commanders owner Dan Snyder, House committee at odds
Dan Snyder’s attorney told the Committee on Oversight and Reform the Washington Commanders’ owner is willing to testify by video conference regarding the investigation into the team’s workplace culture following accusations of pervasive sexual harassment by team executives of women employees. In a letter sent to the committee and obtained by The Associated Press, attorney Karen Patton Seymour said Snyder is traveling outside the country and available for video testimony July 28 and 29. Seymour expressed concern because the committee countered with dates that conflict with her travel schedule and Snyder’s.

Biden awards Medal of Freedom to Biles, McCain, Giffords
President Joe Biden has presented the nation’s highest civilian honor to 17 people, including gymnast Simone Biles and the late Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain. Biden and McCain served together in the Senate. The president, who took office during the coronavirus pandemic, also honored Sandra Lindsay, the New York nurse who received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine that was administered in the U.S. outside of clinical trials. Others receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom were gun safety advocate Gabrielle Giffords, U.S. women’s national soccer team player Megan Rapinoe and late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

Soccer – US women beat Jamaica 5-0 at the W Championship
The U.S. women’s national team qualified for the 2023 World Cup on Thursday night at the CONCACAF W Championship. The United States defeated Jamaica 5-0 at Estadio BBVA but had to wait until Haiti downed Mexico 3-0 in the late game to secure a spot in next summer’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. With two victories at the W Championship, the United States was atop its group and became the first team to win one of four World Cup berths up for grabs.

MILB – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night
West Michigan Whitecaps 7, Dayton Dragons 3 – Game 1
Dayton Dragons 5, West Michigan Whitecaps 0 – Game 2
South Bend Cubs 8, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 6
Lansing Lugnuts 10, Great Lakes Loons 1

Last Night
West Michigan Whitecaps at Dayton Dragons, 7:05 p.m.
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at South Bend Cubs, 7:05 p.m.
Great Lakes Loons at Lansing Lugnuts, 7:05 p.m.

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MLB – Major League Baseball
Yesterday
Detroit Tigers 8, Cleveland Guardians 2
Chicago White Sox 9, Minnesota Twins 8 – 10 Innings
Chicago Cubs 2, Milwaukee Brewers 1

Tigers 8, Guardians 2 – Cabrera makes case for All-Star Game, Tigers sweep Guardians
Miguel Cabrera had three RBIs to help the Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Guardians 8-2. It was Detroit’s first four-game sweep of Cleveland since 2013. Cabrera also moved past Dave Winfield into a tie for 17th with Rafael Palmeiro on baseball’s all-time RBI list with 1,835. Michael Pineda allowed two runs and five hits over five innings and four teammates combined to pitch four innings of scoreless relief. Cleveland’s Shane Bieber gave up five runs on seven hits and three walks. Detroit is 7-2 against the Guardians this year and is set up to win the season series against them for the first time since 2015.

White Sox 9, Twins 8 – F/10 – Vaughn, Garcia help White Sox rally, beat Twins 9-8 in 10
Andrew Vaughn tied the game with a two-run homer in the eighth inning, and Leury Garcia hit a game-ending single in the 10th to give the Chicago White Sox a 9-8 victory over the Minnesota Twins. The White Sox trailed five times in the game and tied it each time before taking their first and only lead in extra innings to avoid a three-game sweep. Chicago snapped a seven-game losing streak to the AL Central-leading Twins. Playing his first game since April 23, Eloy Jiménez made an immediate impact for the White Sox, hitting a two-run homer and an RBI single.

Cubs 2, Brewers 1 – Cubs rally against Brewers’ bullpen, win 2-1 at Milwaukee
P.J. Higgins hit a tiebreaking two-out double off Josh Hader in the ninth inning, and the Chicago Cubs rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. After Brewers starter Corbin Burnes threw seven shutout innings, the Cubs broke through against Milwaukee’s bullpen by scoring in each of the last two frames. The Cubs took two of three at Milwaukee and have followed a 10-game losing streak by winning four straight series. Patrick Wisdom led off the ninth with a walk for Chicago and stole second one out later. Higgins brought home Wisdom by sending Hader’s 1-1 slider just inside the right-field line.

Tonight
Detroit (Brieske 1-6) at Chicago White Sox (Cease 7-3), 8:10 p.m.                  WSJM/WCSY 7:50
Chicago Cubs (Leiter Jr. 2-2) at L.A. Dodgers (Gonsolin 10-0), 10:10 p.m.

NBA – Bulls sign two-time All-Star center Andre Drummond
The Chicago Bulls have signed veteran center Andre Drummond, adding a two-time All-Star and four-time rebounding champion. The team also re-signed backup forward Derrick Jones Jr. The 28-year-old Drummond has averaged 13.8 points and 13.3 rebounds over 10 seasons with Detroit, Cleveland, the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia and Brooklyn. He figures to back up Nikola Vucevic. Drummond had a strong second half for Brooklyn last season after being traded in the deal that sent James Harden to Philadelphia, averaging 11.8 points and 10.3 rebounds in 24 games for the Nets. Drummond has averaged 13.8 points and 13.3 rebounds over 10 seasons with Detroit, Cleveland, the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia and Brooklyn. Jones averaged 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 51 games last season.

NBASL – NBA Summer League
Today
Chicago Bulls vs. Dallas Mavericks, 4:00 p.m.
Detroit Pistons vs. Portland Trailblazers, Fri 12:00 a.m.

NFL – Browns finally trade Mayfield, send quarterback to Panthers
Baker Mayfield’s rocky run with the Cleveland Browns has officially ended. The Browns have traded the divisive quarterback and former No. 1 overall draft pick to the Carolina Panthers for a future draft pick. Mayfield was pushed out of his starting job by the Browns’ pursuit of Deshaun Watson and is going to Carolina for a conditional draft pick in 2024 or 2025. The Browns are also paying $10 million of Mayfield’s $18.8 million contract for next season, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The trade was announced by the Panthers, who will host the Browns in next season’s opener.

WNBA – Women’s National Basketball Association
Last Night
Minnesota Lynx 81, Chicago Sky 78

Storm 95, Fever 83 – Minnesota ends Chicago’s five-game winning streak
Aerial Powers had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Kayla McBride added 15 points and the Minnesota Lynx beat Chicago 81-78, ending the Sky’s five-game winning streak. Minnesota, which was coming off a 102-71 victory over Las Vegas on Sunday, has beaten the top-two teams in the WNBA standings in consecutive games. Jessica Shepard converted a three-point play with one minute left to give Minnesota a 77-75 lead. Sylvia Fowles added two free throws at 33.7 for a four-point lead, but Candace Parker answered with a 3-pointer to pull Chicago within 79-78. McBride made two free throws with 12.4 left to give Minnesota an 81-78 lead and Chicago’s Allie Quigley missed two 3-pointers at the other end.

Today
Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever, 7:00 p.m.

WNBA – Biden tells Griner’s wife he’s working to get her home
The White House says President Joe Biden has called the wife of WNBA player Brittney Griner, who is detained in Russia, and has pledged he’s working to win her release as soon as possible. Biden’s conversation with Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, comes after Brittney Griner wrote Biden a letter on Monday. In the letter, Brittney Griner told the president she feared she would spend forever in a Russian jail. The WNBA star is currently on trial in Russia, accused of possessing vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. Cherelle Griner says she is “grateful” for the outreach but will keep up the public pressure.

WNBA – Mercury hold public rally in support of Brittney Griner
They shared laughs, smiles, memories. There also were tears, fears, unease. Through the range of emotions, one common thread bonded them together: Brittney Griner. Wearing “BG” shirts and holding signs, several hundred fans gathered for a public rally in support of Griner on Wednesday, hoping their sentiments would reach the WNBA player 6,000 miles away in a Russian jail cell. Griner has spent the past four months in a Russian prison and is currently on trial, accused of possessing vape cartridges containing cannabis oil when she arrived at the Moscow airport while returning to play for her Russian team. She faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

NHL – Who’s No. 1? Uncertainty surrounding top pick at NHL draft
There is legitimate uncertainty about who the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft will be for the first time in almost a decade. The Montreal Canadiens have been considering Canadian center Shane Wright, Slovak winger Juraj Slafkovsky and American center Logan Cooley. There’s also buzz about the Canadiens trying to make a trade for an additional top-five pick in the first draft they’ve hosted in Montreal since 2009. The New Jersey Devils have shopped the second pick in an effort to get more immediate help. The Arizona Coyotes pick fourth and the Seattle Kraken fifth.  The Blackhawks traded their 6th pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Seth Jones trade last summer, and the Red Wings will pick 8th.

NHL – Wild GM Guerin says Kirill Kaprizov is fine, still in Russia
Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin says Kirill Kaprizov remains in Russia and is doing fine after state media there reported the star winger’s name was linked to fraudulent military identifications. Guerin denied the Sport-Express report that Kaprizov returned to the U.S. after Flyers goaltending prospect Ivan Fedotov was taken to a remote military base in northern Russia. Philadelphia GM Chuck Fletcher had no update on Fedotov’s status. New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello said he was not concerned about getting goalie Ilya Sorokin home from Russia

NHL – Former NHL defenseman Bryan Marchment dies at 53
Former NHL defenseman Bryan Marchment died Wednesday in Montreal. He was 53. Longtime agent Rick Curran confirmed Marchment’s death to The Associated Press. Marchment was attending the NHL draft in Montreal as a scout for the San Jose Sharks. A cause of death was not immediately available. Marchment played parts of 17 NHL seasons from 1989-2006. He had been working in scouting and other roles for the Sharks and their American Hockey League affiliate since 2007.  Marchment played three seasons for the Chicago Blackhawks and his son Mason currently plays for the Florida Panthers.

NCAA – One year of NIL: How much have athletes made?
It’s been a year since college athletes have been able to capitalize on their status with name, image and licensing deals, and some are making thousands of dollars. One NIL platform projects that more than $900 million was spent in the first year and that NIL is only going to get bigger — $1.1 billion in 2022-23. While comprehensive data is hard to come by, some of the NIL platforms and a handful of schools have provided information about the average deal, the median deal and what athletes do for that money.

Tennis – Wimbledon – Hampered Nadal gets past Fritz at Wimbledon; Kyrgios next
Rafael Nadal extended his Grand Slam winning streak to 19 matches with a 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10-4) victory over 11th-seeded Taylor Fritz in the Wimbledon quarterfinals. Nadal is seeking a third Wimbledon championship and 23rd major title overall. He is perfect at the four most important tournaments in 2022. He won the Australian Open in January and the French Open in June. He will face Nick Kyrgios in the semifinals at the All England Club on Friday. Kyrgios reached the final four at a major for the first time by beating Cristian Garin in straight sets. Simona Halep and Elena Rybakina advanced to the women’s semifinals.

Cycling – Tour de France – Clarke wins crash-marred Stage 5, Van Aert keeps Tour lead
Australian rider Simon Clarke won a crash-marred fifth stage of the Tour de France while Wout van Aert clung onto the leader’s yellow jersey despite coming off his bike. Tadej Pogačar kick-started his bid to win a third straight Tour with a sensational ride over the cobbles to slash the gap to Van Aert to 19 seconds on a day where several of his rivals lost time. Clarke won from the remnants of an early breakaway.

World Games ’21 – Pandemic-delayed World Games open in Birmingham a year late
A global athletic competition is starting in Birmingham, Alabama, after a yearlong delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The opening ceremony for the World Games 2022 is set for Thursday night at Protective Stadium. It will kick off 10 days of competition in nearly 40 sports around the metro area with more than 3,600 participants from about 100 nations. Events include non-Olympic sports including sumo wrestling, gymnastics, pickleball, martial arts and tug of war. Some competitions already have been held. Hundreds of people turned out in Oxford east of Birmingham for exhibition games featuring the USA Softball Women’s National Team.

World Games ’21 – NFL makes strong push for flag football with eye on Olympics
Flag football will be played at an international, multi-sport event for the first time next week during the World Games in Birmingham, Alabama. The NFL may be the sport’s biggest cheerleader. The NFL partnered with the International Federation of American Football to bring flag football to The World Games with an eye on the 2028 Olympics. Sixteen of the world’s best flag football teams will compete for gold for the first time at The World Games kicking off Sunday at Birmingham’s historic Legion Field. Flag football is one of 33 sports in the program at the Olympic-style, multi-sport event, following its inclusion by the International World Games Association in 2020.

NASCAR – NASCAR penalizes Gragson for intentional Road America crash
NASCAR has penalized Noah Gragson for a deliberate and dangerous crash he caused in the Xfinity Series race at Road America. Gragson has been docked 30 points and fined $35,000 by NASCAR for intentionally crashing into Sage Karam on Saturday at the road course in Wisconsin. Gragson’s swerve into Karam triggered a frightening multicar crash that was so egregious, he was criticized publicly by Dale Earnhardt Jr. ahead of the penalty announcement. The NASCAR Hall of Famer and co-owner of the JR Motorsports team Gragson has represented since 2019 was surprised NASCAR didn’t immediately penalize his driver.

MILB – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night
South Bend 3, Wisconsin 0
Great Lakes 5, Lansing 1
West Michigan at Dayton, PPD

Last Night
West Michigan Whitecaps at Dayton Dragons, 5:30 p.m. (DH)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at South Bend Cubs, 7:05 p.m.
Great Lakes Loons at Lansing Lugnuts, 7:05 p.m.

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MLB – Major League Baseball
Yesterday
Detroit Tigers 11, Cleveland Guardians 4
Minnesota Twins 8, Chicago White Sox 2
Chicago Cubs 8, Milwaukee Brewers 3

Tigers 11, Guardians 4 – Greene, Reyes lead Tigers to 3rd straight win over Guardians
Riley Greene and Victor Reyes drove in three runs apiece, Eric Haase blasted a two-run homer and the Detroit Tigers pounded the Cleveland Guardians 11-4. Miguel Cabrera added three hits, two runs scored and an RBI for the Tigers, who have won the first three games of the four-game series. Greene had a pair of doubles, while Reyes supplied three hits and scored twice. Drew Hutchison got his first victory since last Sept. 25, allowing two runs — one earned — and five hits in five innings. Guardians starter Cal Quantrill surrendered six runs — three earned — in four innings.

Twins 8, White Sox 2 – Kirilloff hits 2 homers as Twins pound White Sox 8-2
Alex Kirilloff hit two of Minnesota’s five home runs, Jorge Polanco went deep on his birthday for the second time and the Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 8-2. Kirilloff had his second career multi-homer game. He went back to back with Polanco against slumping White Sox starter Michael Kopech in a three-run fifth and added a two-run drive against Vince Velasquez in the seventh. Max Kepler and Jose Miranda also connected, and the AL Central-leading Twins finished one homer shy of their season high. Josh Winder pitched five solid innings on short notice, and Minnesota improved to 5-0 against the reigning division champions.

Cubs 8, Brewers 3 – Suzuki homers again, Hendricks hurt as Cubs top Brewers 8-3
Seiya Suzuki homered for the second straight night as the Chicago Cubs overcame Kyle Hendricks’ early exit and defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 8-3. Hendricks left after three innings with a sore right shoulder. The right-hander threw 69 pitches, with his velocity slightly lower than usual. Chicago’s bullpen stepped up in Hendricks’ absence. Matt Swarmer, Rowan Wick and Michael Rucker combined to allow just one run over the last six innings. Suzuki’s two-run homer broke a 2-all tie in the fifth. Rowdy Tellez hit a two-run shot for the Brewers.

Today
Cleveland (Bieber 3-4) at Detroit (Pineda 1-3), 1:10 p.m.          WSJM/WCSY 12:50
Minnesota (Ryan 6-3) at Chicago White Sox (Lynn 1-1), 2:10 p.m.
Chicago Cubs (Sampson 0-0) at Milwaukee (Burnes 7-4), 2:10 p.m.

WNBA – Women’s National Basketball Association
Last Night
Seattle Storm 95, Indiana Fever 83

Storm 95, Fever 83 – Loyd scores 25 points, Storm beat Fever 95-73
Jewell Loyd scored 25 points, Tina Charles had 13 points and eight rebounds, and the Seattle Storm beat the Indiana Fever 95-73. Seattle got its 400th regular-season win. Gabby Williams added 14 points, Ezi Magbegor had 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Breanna Stewart also scored 12 for Seattle. Sue Bird had two points, on 1-of-7 shooting and five assists. Briann January, who is retiring after the season, also scored two points in her final trip to Indiana, where her 14-year career began. Kelsey Mitchell scored 21 points for Indiana. NaLyssa Smith added 14 points and Danielle Robinson had 11 points, six rebounds and four assists.

Today
Chicago Sky at Minnesota Lynx, 1:00 p.m.

WNBA – White House: Biden has read Griner letter pleading for help
Brittney Griner’s appeal to President Joe Biden in a handwritten letter continued to garner reaction Tuesday after the WNBA All-Star acknowledged she feared never returning home and asked Biden not “forget about me and the other American Detainees.” Griner’s letter was delivered through her representatives to the White House on Monday and officials say the president has read it. However Griner’s wife, Cherelle, said Tuesday on a morning talk show that she hadn’t heard from Biden. The Phoenix Mercury center and two-time Olympic gold medalist is in the midst of a trial in Russia that began last week after she was arrested on Feb. 17 on charges of possessing cannabis oil while returning to play for her Russian team. The trial will resume Thursday.

NCAA – Pac-12 accelerates negotiations for media rights deals
The Pac-12 is pushing up negotiations for its next media rights agreements in the wake of the decision by UCLA and USC to leave for the Big Ten. The Pac-12 announced that its board of directors has authorized negotiations. The conference’s current media rights deal expires in 2024, but the Pac-12 accelerated the timeline for negotiations for the next one with two of its marquee programs headed out the door. UCLA and USC leaving for the Big Ten in 2024 will knock the Pac-12 out of the nation’s second-largest media market.

NHL – NHL Draft: Teams weigh risks of selecting Russian prospects
The war in Ukraine has added an increasing level of uncertainty for teams looking at Russia-born prospects in this week’s NHL draft. There are fresh questions regarding their availability to play in North America. There is the potential of Russia being shut out in the first round for the first time since 2005. The concerns include when and whether Russian players will be able to travel to play in North America. The draft will be held Thursday and Friday in Montreal.

NHL – Agent: Top NHL goalie prospect sent to Russian military base
The North American agent for Philadelphia Flyers goaltending prospect Ivan Fedotov says he is at a remote military base in northern Russia. Fedotov vanished last week ahead of a planned move to the U.S. The disappearance of one of the NHL’s top prospects prompted concern for his wellbeing and worry over whether Russians will be willing or able to join teams who draft them this weekend. Russian men can be conscripted between the ages of 18 and 27. Fedotov is 25 and considered one of the top goalies in the world not already playing in the NHL.

NHL – Sharks hire Mike Grier as NHL’s first Black GM
The San Jose Sharks have hired longtime NHL forward Mike Grier to become the first Black general manager in NHL history. Grier fills the spot that opened when Doug Wilson stepped away for health reasons earlier this year. Grier spent three of his 14 seasons in the NHL with the Sharks from 2006 to 2009 and he has spent the past decade filling various roles as a coach and scout around the league. He was most recently the hockey operations advisor for the New York Rangers.

NHL/AHL – Jessica Campbell hired as 1st female assistant coach in AHL
The Coachella Valley Firebirds have hired the American Hockey League’s first female assistant coach. Jessica Campbell spent the past year working with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL development program and she was an assistant coach with Germany at the IIHF men’s world championships. Coachella Valley is set to begin its first season this fall as the AHL affiliate for the Seattle Kraken. Campbell was part of the Canadian national team program and played three seasons for the Calgary Inferno of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League. She also played collegiately at Cornell.

Tennis – Wimbledon – 2 sets down, Djokovic wins 26th consecutive Wimbledon match
Novak Djokovic erased a two-set deficit against 10th-seeded Jannik Sinner to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the 11th time. Djokovic came back to win 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 at Centre Court. It is his 26th consecutive victory at the All England Club. Djokovic is pursuing a fourth straight title at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament and seventh overall. He will face Cam Norrie of Britain in the semifinals. Norrie won a five-setter against David Goffin to reach his first Grand Slam semifinal. Third-seeded Ons Jabeur and Tatjana Maria also reached their first Grand Slam semifinals with victories on Tuesday.

MILB – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night
No games last night

Last Night
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at South Bend Cubs, 7:05 p.m.
Great Lakes Loons at Lansing Lugnuts, 7:05 p.m.
West Michigan Whitecaps at Dayton Dragons, 7:05 p.m.

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MLB – Major League Baseball
Yesterday
Detroit Tigers 4, Cleveland Guardians 1 – Game 1
Detroit Tigers 5, Cleveland Guardians 3 – Game 2
Milwaukee Brewers 5, Chicago Cubs 2 – 10 Innings
Minnesota Twins 6, Chicago White Sox 3 – 10 Innings

Tigers 4, Guardians 1/Tigers 5, Guardians 3 – Schoop has 6 hits in DH as Tigers sweep Guardians
Jonathan Schoop had two singles to close out a six-hit day, Eric Haase had his sixth home run and Tyler Alexander pitched three-plus scoreless innings of relief to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 5-3 win in the second game for a sweep of the day-night doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians. Schoop, who entered the day hitting .191, had four singles in four at-bats in a 4-1 Tigers win in the opener. Tigers starter Alex Faedo was pulled for right hip soreness in the top of the fourth and Alexander (2-3) took over. Schoop had an RBI single and Victor Reyes a run-scoring grounder to tie it 3-3 in the fourth. Riley Greene’s RBI infield single in the sixth put the Tigers ahead and Haase homered in the seventh.

Twins 6, White Sox 3 – F/10 – Arraez gets 3 hits as Twins beat White Sox 6-3 in 10 innings
Luis Arraez had three hits, including a tiebreaking RBI single in Minnesota’s four-run 10th inning, and the Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 6-3. Arraez’s leadoff grounder against Joe Kelly drove in pinch-runner Gilberto Celestino. Jorge Polanco added a sacrifice fly, and Alex Kirilloff made it 6-2 with a two-run single. The AL Central contenders faced off hours after a gunman opened fire on an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago, killing at least six people. The White Sox talked to Major League Baseball about postponing the game, but it went on as scheduled.

Brewers 5, Cubs 2 – F/10 – Caratini’s HR in 10th gives Brewers 5-2 victory over Cubs
Victor Caratini hit a three-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning to give the Milwaukee Brewers a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Caratini’s big hit followed an eventful ninth inning that featured an inside-the-park homer from Chicago’s Seiya Suzuki and a two-out, bases-loaded walk by Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich. Caratini hit a 2-1 sinker from Scott Effross over the center-field wall in the 10th after striking out in each of his first four plate appearances. Milwaukee’s Brad Boxberger had worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the 10th.

Tonight
Cleveland (Quantrill 4-4) at Detroit (Hutchison 0-4), 7:10 p.m.           WSJM/WCSY 6:50
Minnesota (Archer 2-3) at Chicago White Sox (Kopech 2-5), 8:10 p.m.
Chicago Cubs (Hendricks 4-6) at Milwaukee (Alexander 2-0), 8:10 p.m.

Tennis – Wimbledon – Quieter, calmer Kyrgios in Wimbledon quarters years later
Nick Kyrgios has reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal in 7 1/2 years with a five-set victory at Wimbledon over Brandon Nakashima of the United States. Kyrgios repeatedly was visited by a trainer to massage his right shoulder. The unseeded 27-year-old Australian hit 35 aces and pulled out the 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-2 win at Centre Court after more than three hours. He was much calmer and quieter than during and after his previous match against No. 4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. Kyrgios repeatedly argued with the chair umpire in that win and was later fined $4,000 for cursing aloud. He also was docked $10,000 after his first-round match.

Tennis – Wimbledon – Wimbledon appealing fine from women’s tour over Russia ban
The All England Club is appealing a fine levied by the WTA women’s professional tennis tour for banning Russian and Belarusian players from tournaments in Britain because of the war in Ukraine. The Lawn Tennis Association also is expected to appeal a financial penalty imposed by the WTA after no players from Russia or Belarus were allowed to take part in grass-court tuneup events last month at Eastbourne, Nottingham and Birmingham. All England Club CEO Sally Bolton says the club appealed its WTA fine and is “is still waiting to hear from” the ATP men’s tour.

NHL – NHL Draft: The risk of attending and not getting selected
The NHL draft in Montreal this week is being conducted in person for the first time since 2019 after the coronavirus pandemic forced the past two events to be held remotely. With prospects again in attendance, it opens the age-old question of whether it’s worth going for some at risk of not hearing their name called through the seven-round draft. Flames forward Andrew Mangiapane recalls almost giving up. He sat in the stands through 12-plus rounds over two consecutive summers before finally getting selected 166th overall by Calgary in the 2015 draft in Florida.  The 2022 NHL Draft is Thursday and Friday.  Montreal has the first pick, Detroit will select 8th,  The Blackhawks do not have pick in the first round, they traded the 6th pick to Columbus in the Seth Jones trade.

WNBA – Women’s National Basketball Association
Tonight
Seattle Storm at Indiana Fever, 7:00 p.m.

WNBA – Griner sends letter to President Biden pleading for his help
Brittney Griner made an appeal to President Joe Biden in a letter passed on to the White House through her representatives saying she feared she may never return home and asking that he not “forget about me and the other American Detainees.” Griner’s agent says the letter was delivered on Monday. The Phoenix Mercury All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist is in the midst of a trial in Russia that began last week after she was arrested on Feb. 17 on charges of possessing cannabis oil while returning to play for her Russian team. The trial will resume Thursday.

USA Soccer – Morgan scores twice and US women down Haiti 3-0
Alex Morgan scored a pair of first-half goals and the U.S. women’s national team defeated Haiti 3-0 on Monday in the opening match of the CONCACAF W Championship. The tournament determines the region’s four direct berths in the 2023 Women’s World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. Midge Purce also scored for the United States, which has won the past two World Cups.

USA Basketball – A win on the 4th: USA Basketball pulls away, tops Cuba 87-64
There were some cheers for “The Star-Spangled Banner” before USA Basketball’s game in Cuba on Independence Day. And then the Americans celebrated the holiday with a big win. Xavier Munford scored 24 points and the U.S. defeated Cuba 87-64 on Monday night to close the first round of qualifying for next year’s Basketball World Cup. The U.S. is now 31-1 all-time against the island nation. Munford was 10 for 12 from the floor for the Americans. Justin Jackson scored 13 points for the Americans. They’ll start the second round of World Cup qualifying in late August.

Olympics – Zelenskyy praises IOC for supporting bans on Russian sport
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked the IOC for supporting a ban on Russian teams and athletes competing in most Olympics sports. On Tuesday, a sports court in Switzerland will hear a Russian appeal to challenge the ruling in international soccer. Zelenskyy met with IOC president Thomas Bach in Kyiv on Sunday. He praised Bach’s “unwavering position” on sports sanctions against Russia and its ally Belarus. Zelenskyy said 89 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have died in hostilities that are now in a fifth month. The IOC has tripled an aid fund for Ukrainian sport to $7.5 million.

Competitive Eating – Joey Chestnut is chomp champ again in July 4 hot dog contest
Frankfurter-munching phenom Joey “Jaws” Chestnut has gobbled his way to a 15th win at the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest. Chestnut powered down 63 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes Monday at the annual exhibition of excess. Women’s record-holder Miki Sudo took the women’s title after skipping last year’s frank fest because she was pregnant. Sudo downed 40 wieners and buns in 10 minutes to notch her eighth victory. A spectator wearing a Darth Vader mask momentarily disrupted the competition by rushing the stage. Chestnut put the protester in a brief chokehold before contest officials escorted the intruder away.

MILB – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 9, South Bend Cubs 1
Lansing Lugnuts 7, Great Lakes Loons 4
West Michigan Whitecaps 20, Dayton Dragons 1

Tonight
No games tonight

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NCAA – Big Ten votes to add USC, UCLA as members starting in 2024
The Big Ten voted unanimously to add Southern California and UCLA as conference members beginning in 2024. The expansion to 16 teams will happen after the Pac-12’s current media rights contracts with Fox and ESPN expire and make the Big Ten the first conference to stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The announced came almost a year after Oklahoma and Texas formally accepted invitations to join the Southeastern Conference in July 2025.

NHL – Red Wings hire Lightning assistant Derek Lalonde as coach
The Detroit Red Wings have hired two-time Stanley Cup-winning assistant Derek Lalonde as coach after a lengthy search process. Lalonde was on Jon Cooper’s Tampa Bay Lightning staff the past four years in which they won the Cup twice and most recently reached the final. Lalonde is now in charge of a team in Detroit on the upswing of a long-term rebuild. Lalonde is the first active Cooper assistant to take a head coaching job in the NHL. He replaces Jeff Blashill who coached the Red Wings for seven seasons.  Red Wings General Manager Steve Yzerman hired Lalonde when Yzerman held the same position as GM of Tampa Bay.

MLB – Major League Baseball
Yesterday
Chicago Cubs 15, Cincinnati Reds 7
Tigers and White Sox were off

Cubs 15, Reds 7 – Wisdom’s slam, 6 RBIs lift Cubs over Reds 15-7
Patrick Wisdom hit a grand slam and a solo homer en route to a career-high six RBIs, rookie Christopher Morel had a career-high five hits and the Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 15-7. The Cubs collected 23 hits off five pitchers, tying their season high from a 21-0 rout of the Pirates on April 23. Seven of those hits came in the eighth against outfielder Max Schrock, who allowed a two-run homer to P.J. Higgins and a solo shot to Morel. Wisdom’s slam off Graham Ashcraft capped a five-run second, and he also connected against Dauri Moreta in the sixth.

Tonight
Boston (Hill 4-4) at Chicago Cubs (Sampson 0-0), 2:20 p.m.
Kansas City (Keller 2-9) at Detroit (TBD), 7:10 p.m.                             WSJM/WCSY 6:50
Chicago White Sox (Lynn 1-1) at San Francisco (Cobb 3-3), 10:15 p.m.

MLB – Agency clears way for Oakland Athletics $12B ballpark plan
A California agency has cleared the way for the Oakland Athletics to move forward with a $12 billion waterfront ballpark project. The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission voted Thursday to reclassify a terminal at the Port of Oakland as a mixed-use area where a new ballpark could be built. The vote is the first in a series of hurdles before the team could get permission to break ground for the project. The Athletics have also been working on plans to relocate to Nevada and find a spot for a new stadium in Las Vegas.

NBA – 5 players, $1.1 billion: NBA free agency starts with a bang
The NBA generated more basketball related income than ever this past season, the total number coming up just short of $9 billion. Business is good. The first night of free agency underscored how good. Nikola Jokic, Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns and Ja Morant agreed to extensions worth more than $1 billion by the time they expire, highlighting the moves made Thursday when the NBA’s annual free-agent negotiating window opened.

NBA – AP source: Kevin Durant asks for trade from Brooklyn Nets
A person with direct knowledge of the decision says Kevin Durant has requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. The decision revealed just before the start of NBA free agency undoubtedly will have teams scrambling to put together enormous offers for the perennial All-Star. The Nets have been working with Durant to find a trade partner, and he has multiple teams on his preferred list. That’s according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the player nor Brooklyn revealed any details publicly. ESPN first reported Durant’s trade request and cited Phoenix and Miami as two of his preferred destinations. Durant is a 12-time All-Star, 4-time scoring champion, 3-time Olympic gold medalist and 2-time NBA champion.

NBA – Hornets forward Miles Bridges arrested on eve of free agency
Charlotte Hornets and former Michigan State forward Miles Bridges has been arrested in Los Angeles on the eve of NBA free agency after a warrant was issued, according to the LAPD. Details of the arrest first reported by TMZ were not immediately available. Bridges was the Hornets’ leading scorer last season and is set to become a restricted free agent and could command a max contract. NBA free agency begins Thursday night. The 24-year-old Bridges averaged career highs with 20.2 points and seven rebounds last season for the Hornets in what amounted to a breakout season while playing alongside All-Star LaMelo Ball. Bridges is also a rapper, who goes by the name RTB MB.

Golf – LIV – LIV tees off in Oregon amid criticism over Saudi funding
The Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf tour’s second event teed off Thursday, angering a group of families who lost loved ones on Sept. 11 and want the Saudi government held to account for the terrorist attacks. About 10 family members and survivors spoke at a small park honoring veterans in tiny North Plains, home to Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club. The LIV Golf series, funded by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, was making its first stop on American soil this week after a debut this month outside of London. Carlos Ortiz took the lead Thursday with a 5-under 67. Dustin Johnson, the 2020 Masters winner, was a shot back, and Hideto Tadihara, Pat Perez and Brenden Grace were two shots off the lead.

Golf – PGA – JT Poston shoots 62, leads John Deere Classic by 2 strokes
J.T. Poston shot a 9-under 62 on Thursday to take a two-stroke lead in the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic. Coming off a second-place tie last week in Connecticut after also opening with a 62, Poston eagled the par-5 second and had seven birdies in a bogey-free round at TPC Deere Run. He won the 2019 Wyndham Championship for his lone PGA Tour title. Canadian Michael Gligic was second at 64, playing in the final group of the day off the first tee. Vaughn Taylor and Christopher Gotterup followed at 65.

Tennis – Wimbledon – Most American men reach Wimbledon’s 3rd round since 1995
There will be eight American men in the third round of Wimbledon for the first time since 1995. That’s also the largest group for the country at that stage of any Grand Slam tournament since the U.S. Open a year later. Brandon Nakashima, Taylor Fritz and Jenson Brooksby all advanced at the All England Club. Nakashima pulled off the biggest surprise by beating 2021 Wimbledon semifinalist Denis Shapovalov of Canada. Four U.S. men will play for a berth in the fourth round Friday: John Isner, Steve Johnson, Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul.

Tennis – Wimbledon – COVID-19 at Wimbledon: 3 top-20 men out after positive tests
Reigning Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic might be playing in his last Grand Slam tournament for a while because he isn’t vaccinated against COVID-19. And the coronavirus has become a significant matter at the All England Club: Three of the top 20 seeded men in the tournament have pulled out of the bracket after testing positive. Players aren’t required to get tested for COVID-19 but are encouraged to if they develop symptoms. They also are encouraged to let Wimbledon know if that happens and pull themselves out of the tournament. No. 8 Matteo Berrettini, No. 14 Marin Cilic and No. 17 Roberto Bautista Agut have done that so far.

WNBA – Women’s National Basketball Association
Tonight
Indiana Fever at Seattle Storm, 10:00 p.m.

Saturday
Phoenix Mercury at Chicago Sky, 1:00 p.m.

MILB – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night
West Michigan Whitecaps 8, Fort Wayne Tin Caps 4
Lansing Lugnuts 10, Lake County Captains 3
Dayton Dragons 11, Great Lakes Loons 8
South Bend Cubs 5, Beloit Sky Carp 3

Tonight
Fort Wayne Tin Caps at West Michigan Whitecaps, 6:35 p.m.
Lansing Lugnuts at Lake County Captains, 7:00 p.m.
Dayton Dragons at Great Lakes Loons, 7:05 p.m.
South Bend Cubs at Beloit Sky Carp, 7:35 p.m.

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MLB – Major League Baseball
Last Night
Detroit Tigers 3, San Francisco Giants 2
Los Angeles Angels 4, Chicago White Sox 1
Chicago Cubs 8, Cincinnati Reds 3

Tigers 3, Giants 2 – Haase’s two-run HR allows Tigers to hold off Giants 3-2
Eric Haase hit a two-run homer to break a 1-all tie in the sixth inning and the Detroit Tigers held on to beat the San Francisco Giants 3-2. It was Haase’s fifth home run of the season and his second in the last three games. Miguel Cabrera also drove in a run for the Tigers, who improved their league-worst road record to 11-23 and split the two-game series. Rony García won his third consecutive start for Detroit. Gregory Soto pitched a perfect ninth for his 15th save in 17 opportunities. Evan Longoria had a first-inning home run for the Giants. San Francisco starter Alex Wood fanned six in 5 2/3 innings but took the loss.

Angels 4, White Sox 1 – Ohtani Ks 11, extends scoreless streak in 4-1 win over WSox
Shohei Ohtani extended his scoreless streak to 21 2/3 innings while pitching five-hit ball into the sixth with 11 strikeouts in the Los Angeles Angels’ 4-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Luis Rengifo hit a two-run homer and Mike Trout had an early RBI double as the Angels finished their disappointing nine-game homestand on a positive note because of their two-way superstar’s work on the mound. Ohtani yielded five singles and a walk while winning his fourth consecutive start. The AL MVP hasn’t allowed a run since the fifth inning of his brilliant outing at Boston’s Fenway Park.

Cubs 8, Reds 3 – Contreras homers, Morel also goes deep as Cubs beat Reds 8-3
Willson Contreras homered, Christopher Morel also went deep and nailed a runner at the plate with a terrific throw from center field, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-3. Contreras got hit by a pitch and scored on a double by Ian Happ against Hunter Greene in the first inning. He made it 5-0 in the fifth when he lined a two-run drive against Luis Cessa for his 13th homer — tops among major league catchers — and also doubled twice. Morel helped Justin Steele escape a bases-loaded jam in the fourth when he caught Donovan Solano’s line drive and fired a one-hop laser to the plate. Morel added a two-run homer in the sixth. Cincinnati has lost 9 of 12.

Tonight
Cincinnati (Ashcraft 4-1) at Chicago Cubs (Hendricks 3-6), 8:05 p.m.
Tigers and White Sox are off

MLB – St. Pete mayor reopens talks on future of Rays stadium site
The mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida, is reopening talks about the future of the Tropicana Field site where baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays play their home games. Mayor Ken Welch said Wednesday that two previous proposals for the 86-acre downtown location are being scrapped, with a new round of plans to be solicited beginning in mid-August. Welch, St. Petersburg’s first Black mayor, has made a priority out of including such things as affordable housing and greater job opportunities along with Rays baseball. Welch said the goal is to choose a new redevelopment plan by year’s end. The Rays’ lease is up in 2027 and Welch said the new plan will include a stadium at the site.

NBA – AP source: Harden declines $47M option with Philadelphia
James Harden is taking less with hopes the Philadelphia 76ers can do more. A person familiar with the situation said Harden chose not to exercise his $47.4 million option for next season and will become a free agent — but with no designs on leaving Philadelphia. Harden made the decision to allow the 76ers the flexibility they need to sign other players this summer.

NBA – NBA Finals viewership up 24 percent over 2021
The Nielsen company says the NBA Finals series between two stories franchises reached 24% more viewers than the 2021 Finals. Nearly 14 million people watched the Golden State Warriors clinch its fourth championship since 2015 with a Game 6 victory over the Boston Celtics, the franchise with the most NBA titles overall. The series as a whole averaged 12.3 million viewers, beating the 9.91 million who watched 2021’s Milwaukee-Phoenix series. The first game of hockey’s Stanley Cup Finals between Colorado and Tampa Bay was seen by 4.2 million people. All of these sports events were seen on ABC, leading the network to an easy win in the weekly ratings.

NCAAMBB – Emoni Bates says he’s transferring to hometown E. Michigan
One of the top recruits in the 2021 men’s basketball recruiting class says he’s transferring from Memphis to Eastern Michigan. Emoni Bates announced on Instagram he’s returning to his hometown of Ypsilanti to play for the Eagles of the Mid-American Conference. An EMU spokesman said he could not confirm Bates’ transfer. Bates averaged 9.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game his freshman season at Memphis and started 13 of 18 games. He missed 15 games because of a back injury before appearing in the Tigers’ two NCAA Tournament games.

NCAAMBB – Williams, Calhoun, Beilein among coaches headed to college hoops Hall
Roy Williams and Jim Calhoun will join John Beilein and Lon Kruger in a star-studded cast of coaches that will be inducted into the National College Basketball Hall of Fame in November. Coach Jerry Krause of Eastern Washington will join the quartet. The players to be inducted are Richard Hamilton of UConn, Larry Miller of North Carolina, Frank Selvy of Furman and Jimmy Walker of Providence. The date of the induction ceremony has not been announced, but it typically coincides with the Hall of Fame Classic, which is set for November 21-22 in Kansas City, Missouri.

WNBA – Women’s National Basketball Association
Yesterday
Chicago Sky 91, Connecticut Sun 83
Phoenix Mercury 99, Indiana Fever 78

Sky 91, Sun 83 – Parker’s 25 points, 11 rebounds lead Chicago past Sun 91-83
Candace Parker had a season-high 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, Kahleah Copper scored 15 points and Chicago beat the Connecticut Sun 91-83 for the Sky’s fourth straight victory. Parker made a no-look pass to Kahleah Copper with 33.5 seconds left before halftime to become the eighth player in WNBA history to reach 1,500 career assists. Parker is the only player in WNBA history to eclipse 6,000 points, 3,000 rebounds and 1,500 assists in a career. Allie Quigley added 13 points for Chicago. Jonquel Jones had 24 points, 11 rebounds and five steals for her sixth double-double of the season for Connecticut.

Mercury 99, Fever 78 – Mercury beat Fever for 7th straight time, 99-78
Skylar Diggins-Smith had 17 points and seven assists, Sophie Cunningham added 14 points and the Phoenix Mercury beat the Indiana Fever 99-78. Phoenix beat Indiana for a seventh straight time, including an 83-71 victory on Monday. Shey Peddy and Diamond DeShields each added 13 points for Phoenix, which has won three straight games. Brianna Turner had 11 points and 11 rebounds and Diana Taurasi also scored 11. The Mercury had a season-high 29 assists on 38 made field goals. Phoenix built a 49-43 lead by halftime behind 28 combined points from Diggins-Smith, Cunningham and Peddy. Kelsey Mitchell scored 14 of her 21 points in the first half for Indiana. Victoria Vivians added 13 points.

NHL – Challenge accepted: Richardson steps in as Blackhawks coach
Luke Richardson says he likes a challenge. Good thing, because he’s got a big one ahead of him. The rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks have hired Richardson as the 40th coach in franchise history. The former NHL defenseman takes over a team in transition under general manager Kyle Davidson, one that has fallen on hard times since it won the franchise’s sixth Stanley Cup championship in 2015. Richardson was an assistant on Montreal’s coaching staff for the previous four seasons. When Dominique Ducharme was diagnosed with COVID-19 during the 2021 playoffs, Richardson helped lead the Canadiens to their first Stanley Cup Final since 1993.

Hockey – 3-on-3 hockey league launches, could be step toward Olympics
Hockey is not on summer vacation even after the Colorado Avalanche dethroned the Tampa Bay Lightning to win the Stanley Cup. The new 3ICE 3-on-3 league debuted in mid-June with Hall of Famers Bryan Trottier, Grant Fuhr, Joe Mullen and Larry Murphy among the coaches. The International Ice Hockey Federation and IOC have discussed the possibility of bringing 3-on-3 to the Olympics for another medal event. That happened with basketball at the Tokyo Games. Leaders at 3ICE are focused on getting the league off the ground.

Tennis – Wimbledon – 2-time Wimbledon champ Murray loses to Isner in 2nd round
Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray has lost in the second round to big-serving American John Isner. It is Murray’s earliest loss in 14 appearances at the All England Club. No. 3 seed Casper Ruud also lost in the second round Wednesday, just weeks after being the runner-up to Rafael Nadal at the French Open. Prior to Murray vs. Isner, the host country’s other leading player, reigning U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu, was eliminated by Caroline Garcia of France 6-3, 6-3.

NFL – NFL insists on indefinite suspension at Watson hearing
The NFL and Deshaun Watson’s legal team presented their arguments before a disciplinary officer for a second day with both sides holding firm as the hearing is scheduled to continue in Delaware on Thursday. The league is insisting on an indefinite suspension and Watson’s side is arguing there’s no basis for a punishment that significant, two people in attendance told The Associated Press. Former U.S. District Judge Sue Robinson, who was jointly appointed by the league and the NFL Players’ Association, is tasked with determining whether Watson violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy and whether to impose discipline.

Golf – LIV – Sept. 11 families plan protest as LIV tees off in Oregon
LIV Golf’s first U.S. event was set to begin Thursday, with a group of survivors and families who lost loved ones in the Sept. 11 terror attacks planning to gather at a nearby park to speak out against the Saudi Arabia-funded tour. The families are speaking out because of what they say are the Saudi connections to the tragic event in 2001. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers on Sept. 11 were Saudi citizens.

FIFA – FIFA to put more World Cup tickets up for online sale
FIFA will put more World Cup tickets up for sale next week on a first-come, first-served basis. Soccer’s governing body said Wednesday that a total of 1.8 million tickets for the World Cup in Qatar have already been sold ahead of the next sales round, which opens Tuesday on the FIFA website. The tournament is being played from Nov. 21 to Dec. 18. The cheapest tickets for fans from outside Qatar are priced at 250 Qatari riyals ($69). The tournament has a total capacity of about 3 million tickets, with about 2 million placed on general sale and 1 million allocated for FIFA stakeholders such as member federations and sponsors, plus hospitality programs.

Olympics – Stolen Olympic gold medal found in Southern California
Authorities say a stolen Olympic gold medal belonging to a member of the 2020 U.S. Women’s Volleyball Team has been found in Southern California. Olympian Jordyn Poulter reported the medal stolen May 25 after she discovered her car broken into at a parking garage in Anaheim. Detectives later arrested a suspect in the theft, but weren’t immediately able to locate the missing medal. On Monday, the owners of an Anaheim barbershop reported finding the gold medal inside a plastic bag discarded outside their business. They handed it over to police, who plan on returning it to Poulter.

MILB – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night
West Michigan Whitecaps 14, Fort Wayne Tin Caps 4
Lake County Captains 14, Lansing Lugnuts 10
Dayton Dragons 2, Great Lakes Loons 1 – F/10
South Bend Cubs 5, Beloit Sky Carp 1

Tonight
Fort Wayne Tin Caps at West Michigan Whitecaps, 6:35 p.m.
Lansing Lugnuts at Lake County Captains, 7:00 p.m.
Dayton Dragons at Great Lakes Loons, 7:05 p.m.
South Bend Cubs at Beloit Sky Carp, 7:35 p.m.

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