Weekday Morning Sports – Thursday 4/27/17

<95.7 & 1400 WSJM Sports     @wsjmsports     wsjmsports.com     Thursday, April 27, 2017

MLB – Major League Baseball
Last Night
Seattle Mariners 8, Detroit Tigers 0
Chicago White Sox 5, Kansas City Royals 2
Pittsburgh Pirates 6, Chicago Cubs 5

Mariners 8, Tigers 0 – Paxton dominant as Mariners blank Tigers 8-0
James Paxton struck out nine in seven outstanding innings, and Nelson Cruz and Guillermo Heredia homered to lift the Mariners to an 8-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday. It was just what Seattle needed after losing 19-9 to Detroit on Tuesday and putting right-hander Felix Hernandez on the disabled list before Wednesday’s game.  Paxton (3-0) allowed four hits and a walk in a dominant performance against a Detroit team that had scored 32 runs over its previous two games. He’s held the opposition scoreless in four of his five starts this season, and his ERA now sits at 1.39. Daniel Norris (1-2) allowed four runs and nine hits in four-plus innings. It was his second straight game allowing at least four earned runs after he went 21 consecutive starts yielding three or fewer.

White Sox 5, Royals 2 – Garcias homer to help Quintana, White Sox top Royals, 5-2
Avisail Garcia and Leury Garcia homered to back run-starved starter Jose Quintana and the Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 5-2 on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep. Chicago won its fourth straight, while Kansas City dropped every game on a seven-game trip. Quintana (1-4) had a season-high 10 strikeouts in six innings. He allowed five hits and two runs _ one earned _ and walked two. The left-hander received only four runs of support in his first four starts combined.  Avisail Garcia’s two-run homer, his fourth of the season, went to deep center field in the sixth inning to give Chicago a 4-2 lead. Leury Garcia put a line drive over the fence in right to close the scoring in the seventh.  

Pirates 6, Cubs 5 – Pirates beat Cubs 6-5 as Ngoepe becomes first African in MLB
Gift Ngoepe, the first African to reach the major leagues, singled in his first plate appearance and Josh Harrison led off the bottom of the first with a home run Wednesday night to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 6-5 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Ngoepe was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis and entered the game in fourth inning as part of a double switch and finished 1 for 2 with a walk. The 27-year-old South African, who signed with the Pirates in 2008 as an amateur free agent, led off the bottom of the fourth with a hit off winless Cubs ace Jon Lester. A year after winning 19 games in helping the Cubs win their first World Series title since 1908, Lester (0-1) is still looking for his first victory after five starts. The left-hander was tagged for six runs _ five earned _ and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings. Wade LeBlanc (1-0), who pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of rookie Tyler Glansow, got the win.

Tonight
Seattle (Iwakuma 0-2) at Detroit (Verlander 1-2), 1:10 p.m..                 WSJM Sports/Cosy-FM 6:45

NHL – 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs – Round 2 (Best of 7)
Last Night
Nashville Predators 4, St. Louis Blues 3                                      (NSH leads 1-0)
Edmonton Oilers 5, Anaheim Ducks 3                                            (EDM leads 1-0)

Tonight
New York Rangers at Ottawa Senators, 7:00 p.m.                        (Game 1)
Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals, 7:30 p.m.               (Game 1)

NHL – Jack Adams Finalists
Toronto’s Mike Babcock, Edmonton’s Todd McLellan and Columbus’ John Tortorella are the finalists for the Jack Adams Award as the NHL coach of the year. Members of the NHL Broadcasters’ Association voted at the end of the regular season, with the top three designated finalists Wednesday. The winner will be announced June 21 at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas.  The award honors the late Jack Adams, the longtime coach and general manager of the Detroit Red Wings.

NBA – 2017 NBA Playoffs – Round 1
Last Night
Washington Wizards 103, Atlanta Hawks 99                                (WAS leads 3-2)
Boston Celtics 108, Chicago Bulls 97                                          (BOS leads 3-2)

Celtics 108, Bulls 87 – Celtics beat Bulls, take 3-2 lead in series
Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley scored 24 points apiece to help the Boston Celtics beat the Chicago Bulls 108-97 on Wednesday night and take a 3-2 lead in their first-round playoff series.  After the road team won each of the first four games, the Celtics won at home in Game 5 to earn a chance to eliminate the Bulls on Friday night in Chicago. A Bulls victory would force the series back to Boston for a decisive Game 7 on Sunday.  Dwyane Wade had 26 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for Chicago.  But Wade and Robin Lopez were called for technical fouls 32 seconds apart with just under five minutes left, helping the Celtics to a 20-5 run that gave them a 104-89 lead.

Tonight
Toronto Raptors at Milwaukee Bucks, 7:00 p.m.                           (TOR leads 3-2)
San Antonio Spurs at Memphis Grizzlies, 9:30 p.m.                       (SAN leads 3-2)

NBA – Cleveland OKs last chunk of financing to upgrade Cavs’ arena
Cleveland officials have committed the final chunk of financing for $140 million in upgrades planned at the Cavaliers’ home arena. The makeover of Quicken Loans Arena would include more space for dining and gathering. The cost of renovations to the concert and sports venue is being split by the city, the team, Cuyahoga (ky-uh-HOH’-guh) County, and a convention and visitors bureau. The final total is expected to be roughly double the initial $140 million price tag, mostly because of interest over the next two decades.  Cleveland’s share is an estimated $88 million over 11 years, starting in 2024. Mayor Frank Jackson signed off on that Tuesday.  The county already approved the deal and agreed to sell bonds for the project.  The team committed to extend its lease at the arena to 2034.

NFL – Looking to fill hole on OL, Packers sign veteran Jahri Evans
The Green Bay Packers have signed veteran offensive lineman Jahri Evans as they look to fill a hole up front left by the departure of free agent-right guard T.J. Lang. Terms of the agreement were not announced Wednesday by general manager Ted Thompson.  The 33-year-old Evans joins the Packers following 11 seasons in New Orleans, here he played 169 regular-season games since being drafted in the fourth round in 2006. The 169 games are the most played by an active NFL offensive lineman in that span.  After blocking for Drew Brees in New Orleans, the durable Evans figures to be the favorite to replace Lang after the Pro Bowl guard signed with the Detroit Lions last month.  Evans has been voted to six Pro Bowls.

FIFA – FIFA confirms video replays for 2018 World Cup in Russia
FIFA has confirmed that video replays will be used at the World Cup for the first time in 2018. FIFA President Gianni Infantino had already stated that he wanted the technology to be used in Russia, and now he has ended any doubt. Speaking in Santiago, Infantino said “at the 2018 World Cup we will have video referees, because so far the results are very positive.” The International Football Association Board, the game’s lawmaking body, is in its second year of trials with various versions of video assistant referees (VAR).  Infantino says “we are going to help the referee to not make any mistake, or commit less mistakes, and we are going to give a bit more of justice to football.”

AHL – 2017 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs – Round 1 (Best of 5)
Las t Night
Grand Rapids Griffins 3, Milwaukee Admirals 2 – OT                    (GRG wins 3-0)
Chicago Wolves 3, Charlotte Checkers 2                                     (CHI wins 3-2)

MWL – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night
West Michigan 8, Fort Wayne 2
South Bend 14, Lansing 9
Great Lakes 7, Lake County 0

Tonight
West Michigan at Lake County, 6:30 p.m.
Great Lakes 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
Girls Soccer
St. Joseph 1, Portage Central 0
Lakeshore 1, Portage Northern 0
Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 2, Battle Creek Lakeview 1
Mattawan 3, Kalamazoo Central 1
Allegan 8, Three Rivers 0
Dowagiac 3, South Haven 2
Plainwell 3, Paw Paw 0
Edwardsburg 2, Vicksburg 0
Bridgman 4, Lake Michigan Catholic 3 – Shootout
Coloma 6, Watervliet 1
Hartford 5, Saugatuck 0
Kalamazoo Christian 8, Fennville 0

Baseball
Lakeshore 8, Buchanan 0 – Game 1
Buchanan 3, Lakeshore 2 – Game 2
Kalamazoo Hackett 13, Paw Paw 2
Bronson 25, New Buffalo 0 – Game 1
Bronson 15, New Buffalo 1 – Game 2
Niles 17, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 2 – Game 1
Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 5, Niles 2 – Game 2

Softball
Niles 15, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 0 – Game 1
Niles 4, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 3 – Game 2

Today
Baseball
St. Joseph at Mishawaka Penn (IN), 5:30 p.m.
Edwardsburg at Niles, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
Otsego at Kalamazoo Central, 4:00 p.m.
Gull Lake at Portage Central, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
River Valley at Fennville, 4:30 p.m.
Bridgman at New Buffalo, 4:30 p.m.
Bloomingdale at Decatur, 4:30 p.m.
Saugatuck at Gobles, 4:30 p.m.
Coloma at Hartford, 4:30 p.m.
Lawton at Kalamazoo Hackett, 4:30 p.m.
Lawrence at Marcellus, 4:30 p.m.
Eau Claire at Martin, 4:30 p.m.
Bangor at Watervliet, 4:30 p.m.

Softball
Edwardsburg at Niles, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
Buchanan at Dowagiac, 4:30 p.m.
Bridgman at New Buffalo, 4:30 p.m.
River Valley at Brandywine, 4:30 p.m.
Brandywine at Howardsville Christian, 4:30 p.m.
Bloomingdale at Decatur, 4:30 p.m.
Saugatuck at Gobles, 4:30 p.m.
Coloma at Hartford, 4:30 p.m.
Lawton at Kalamazoo Hackett, 4:30 p.m.
Lawrence at Marcellus, 4:30 p.m.
Eau Claire at Martin, 4:30 p.m.
Bangor at Watervliet, 4:30 p.m.

Girls Soccer
Buchanan at Three Rivers, 6:45 p.m.
Bangor at Comstock, 6:00 p.m.