Weekday Morning Sports – Tuesday 4/11/17

sportsreport-188
sportsreport-188

95.7 & 1400 WSJM Sports     @wsjmsports     wsjmsports.com     Tuesday, April 11, 2017

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

Tigers 2, Red Sox 1 – Verlander, Sale duel before Castellanos lifts Tigers
Justin Verlander and Chris Sale dominated in a matchup of ace pitchers before Nicholas Castellanos singled in the go-ahead run off Sale in the eighth inning, lifting the Detroit Tigers over the Boston Red Sox 2-1 on Monday.  Verlander gave up an unearned run, three hits and two walks while striking out four over seven innings. Justin Wilson (1-0) struck out one and walked one in the eighth and Francisco Rodriguez struck out two and allowed a hit in the ninth, earning his second save in three chances. Sale (0-1) struck out 10 and gave up two runs and five hits over 7 2/3 innings. Ian Kinsler homered off Sale in the sixth. The Red Sox scored their only run in the second inning after Castellanos’ fielding error loaded the bases with no outs.

Cubs 3, Dodgers 2 – Rizzo and Cubs raise banner, beat Dodgers 3-2 in home opener
Anthony Rizzo hit a game-winning single off Kenley Jansen in the ninth inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 on Monday night after raising a World Series championship banner for the first time at Wrigley Field.  Pinch-hitter Jon Jay started the winning rally with a leadoff single against Sergio Romo (0-1). With two outs and Jay on third, Rizzo sliced a 1-1 pitch from Jansen into left field for his first RBI this season.  Wade Davis (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning for his first win with the Cubs, who blew a 2-0 lead before claiming a dramatic victory in their rain-delayed home opener. Rizzo also heard wild cheers earlier in the night when he started the 2016 flag toward the top of a pole in right-center before handing the reins over to his smiling teammates. Rizzo then emerged from under the bleachers with the championship trophy, drawing another big ovation from the sellout crowd of 41,166.

Today
Minnesota (Santiago 1-0) at Detroit (Boyd 0-1), 1:10 p.m.          WSJM Sports/Cosy-FM 12:45
Chicago White Sox (Shields 1-0) at Cleveland (Carrasco 1-0), 4:10 p.m.
Cubs are off

MLB – Banner moment for the Cubs
Finally, a banner moment at Wrigley Field. The Chicago Cubs have raised their 2016 World Series championship flag, delighting a raucous crowd that waited through a rain delay for a moment more than a century in the making. Hall of Famers Ryne Sandberg, Fergie Jenkins and Billy Williams raised banners for the franchise’s two previous championships and last year’s NL pennant before Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo had the honors for the drought-busting title flag. It was a moment generations of fans never got to witness. Even more wondered if they would ever get the chance. But that all changed when the Cubs beat the Indians in a thrilling Game 7 at Cleveland last fall for their first championship since 1908.

NCAA Hockey – Michigan hockey coach Red Berenson retires after 33 seasons
Michigan hockey coach Red Berenson has retired after a 33-season run that included two national championships. The 77-year-old former NHL star said Monday this is the right time for him to leave and the right thing for the program. He will become a special adviser to athletic director Warde Manuel. Under Berenson, the Wolverines win the national title in 1996 and 1998. He had a record of 848-426-92 with 23 NCAA Tournament appearances. Berenson played hockey at Michigan, winning team MVP awards in 1961 and 1962. He went on to play for 17 seasons in the NHL for Montreal, the New York Rangers, Detroit and St. Louis. He started his coaching career with the Buffalo Sabres as an assistant for Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman.

NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Washington Wizards 105, Detroit Pistons 101
Indiana Pacers 120, Philadelphia 76ers 111
Chicago Bulls 122, Orlando Magic 75

Wizards 105, Pistons 101 – Pistons lose final game at Palace of Auburn Hills
Bradley Beal scored 33 points and the Washington Wizards beat the Detroit Pistons 105-101 Monday night in the final game at the Palace of Auburn Hills.  Markieff Morris added 20 points for the Wizards, while Tobias Harris led the Pistons with 22. The highlight of the night for Detroit fans was a halftime ceremony that honored the top players from the three championship teams, with Isiah Thomas and Dennis Rodman posing for pictures with Ben Wallace and Chauncey Billups. Washington rested John Wall and Otto Porter Jr. in preparation for the postseason, but Scott Brooks brought his starters back to try to close out a tight game. The Pistons tied the game early in the fourth quarter, but Stan Van Gundy decided not to match Brooks bringing back in his top players. Detroit’s Boban Marjanovic recorded the final basket at the arena.

Pacers 120, Sixers 111 – Pacers beat 76ers 120-111 to close in on playoff spot
Paul George scored 17 of his 27 points in the opening quarter and the Indiana Pacers inched closer to clinching a berth in the NBA playoffs with a 120-111 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night. Thaddeus Young added 20 points, Myles Turner scored 18 and Kevin Seraphin had 17 to give the Pacers (41-40) their fourth straight victory and push them one win away from guaranteeing a playoff spot for the sixth time in the past seven years. The 76ers (28-53) lost for the seventh straight time and finished with a home record of 17-24. They conclude their fifth straight season out of the playoffs Wednesday night at the New York Knicks.

Bulls 122, Magic 75 – Bulls embarrass Magic 122-75, near playoff berth
The on-again, off-again Chicago Bulls are on again. Whether that’s enough for a postseason berth won’t be known until the final day of the regular season. Emergency starter Jerian Grant had 17 points and a career-high 11 assists on Monday night, and the Bulls routed the Orlando Magic 122-75 in their largest margin of victory this season. The Bulls will be guaranteed a playoff spot if they beat the Brooklyn Nets in their finale. “I just want everyone to lock in and realize how important this game is,” All-Star Jimmy Butler said. “We’re not counting on anyone else. We control our own destiny.” Chicago remained No. 8 in the Eastern Conference, one game behind Indiana after the Pacers beat the 76ers in Philadelphia. They own the tiebreaker against the Pacers as a result of a better division record. The Bulls (40-41) also would advance in the event of a tie with the Pacers (41-40) and Heat (40-41), which beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime in Miami.

NCAAMBB – Michigan’s Wagner, Wilson entering draft, don’t have agents
Moe Wagner and D.J. Wilson are entering their names into the NBA draft, but each Michigan standout says he’s doing so without hiring an agent. Wagner and Wilson announced their decisions via Twitter. By not hiring an agent, each retains the right to return to school.

NCAAMBB – Bonzie Colson to bypass NBA Draft, return to Notre Dame
Notre Dame forward Bonzie Colson will return for his senior season with the men’s basketball team and not enter the NBA Draft. Colson averaged team-highs with 17.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game as a junior and was named first-team All-ACC. He was also named Associated Press third-team All-American and was a Karl Malone Trophy finalist for the top power forward in the nation.

NCAAWBB – Erin Boley, Ali Patberg to transfer from Notre Dame
Erin Boley and Ali Patberg will transfer from the Notre Dame women’s basketball program. Boley was the 2016 Gatorade National Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American as a high school senior. The 6-foot-2 forward played in 37 games with 10 starts last season.  Boley saw her role increase after All-American Brianna Turner went down with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Patberg missed the 2015-16 season with a torn ACL after being named the 2015 MaxPreps National High School Player of the Year as a senior. The 5-10 guard played in 22 games last season.

MWL – Midwest League Baseball
Yesterday
Great Lakes 6, Lake County 2
Dayton 2, West Michigan 0
South Bend 5, Fort Wayne 3
Bowling Green 4, Lansing 1

Saturday
Great Lakes at Lake County, 6:30 p.m.
West Michigan at Dayton, 7 p.m.
South Bend at Fort Wayne, 7:05 p.m.
Lansing at Bowling Green, 7:35 p.m.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Yesterday
Baseball
Lake Michigan Catholic 7, New Buffalo 1 – Game 1
Lake Michigan Catholic 21, New Buffalo 0 – Game 2

Today
Baseball
Mishawka-Marian (IN) at Niles, 4:30 p.m.
Penn (IN) at Lakeshore, 4:30 p.m.
Benton Harbor at Lawton, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
Dowagiac at Decatur, 4:30 p.m.
Berrien Springs at Edwardsburg, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
South Haven at Holland, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
River Valley at Bridgman, 4:15 p.m.
Coloma at Buchanan, 4:00 p.m.
Watervliet at Brandywine, 4:15 p.m.
Eau Claire at White Pigeon, 4:30 p.m.
Galesburg-Augusta at Bangor, 4:30 p.m. (DH)

Softball
Benton Harbor at Lawton, 4:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Loy Norrix at Bloomingdale, 4:30 p.m.
Dowagiac at Decatur, 4:30 p.m.
River Valley at Bridgman, 4:15 p.m.
Coloma at Buchanan, 4:00 p.m.
New Buffalo at Hartford, 4:30 p.m.
Watervliet at Brandywine, 4:15 p.m.
Eau Claire at White Pigeon, 4:30 p.m.

Girls Soccer
Michigan Lutheran at Lake Michigan Catholic, 5:00 p.m.
Lakeshore at Vicksburg, 6:45 p.m.
Edwardsburg at Niles, 5:30 p.m.
Brandywine at Berrien Spring, 5:00 p.m.
Watervliet at Cassopolis, 5:00 p.m.
Bangor at Schoolcraft, 5:00 p.m.

Track and Field
St. Joseph at Niles, 4:00 p.m.
Lakeshore at Portage Central, 4:00 p.m.