Weekday Morning Sports – Tuesday – 5/23/17

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sportsreport-215

95.7 & 1400 WSJM Sports     @wsjmsports     wsjmsports.com     Tuesday, May 23, 2017

MLB – Major League Baseball
Last Night
Houston Astros 1, Detroit Tigers 0
Arizona Diamondbacks 5, Chicago White Sox 1
San Francisco Giants 6, Chicago Cubs 4

Astros 1, Tigers 0 – Brad Peacock helps Astros to combined 1-hitter in spot start for Dallas Keuchel
Brad Peacock and three relievers combined for a one-hitter and Jose Altuve provided the offense with an RBI double to lead the Astros to a 1-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Monday night.  Peacock was solid moving out of the bullpen to make a spot start for Keuchel. In his first start since September, Peacock allowed the lone hit and struck out eight in 4 ⅓ innings. He was lifted after walking Tyler Collins with one out in the fifth inning.  Chris Devenski (3-2) took over and pitched 2⅔ innings for the win before Will Harris pitched a scoreless eighth. Ken Giles struck out two in the ninth for his 12th save to allow the Astros to bounce back after being swept by the Indians over the weekend. Detroit’s only hit was a single by Mikie Mahtook with one out in the third on a night the Tigers tied a season high by striking out 14 times. The team’s only baserunner after Collins was Victor Martinez, who was plunked with one out in the seventh. 

Diamondbacks 5, White Sox 1 – Greinke whiffs 12 in 8 2/3, Diamondbacks beat White Sox 5-1
Zack Greinke struck out a season-high 12 and came within one out of a complete game as the  Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Chicago White Sox 5-1 on Monday night. The ace right-hander gave up four hits and improved to 5-0 in his last six starts. The crowd booed loudly when manager Torey Lovullo walked to the mound to pull Greinke (6-2) after Jose Abreu’s two-out double in the ninth. Daniel Descalso hit a three-run homer and Paul Goldschmidt added a solo shot for the Diamondbacks during their sixth victory in seven games. After totaling 24 runs in their last two games at Seattle over the weekend, the White Sox managed only Leury Garcia’s solo homer against Greinke, who walked one in his third double-digit strikeout game this season.

Giants 6, Cubs 4 – Panik homers as Giants beat Lackey, Cubs 6-4
Joe Panik hit his first career leadoff homer and doubled twice, helping the San Francisco Giants beat the Chicago Cubs 6-4 on Monday night. Brandon Belt also connected and Ty Blach pitched into the eighth inning in the first meeting between the teams since San Francisco was eliminated by Chicago in the NL Division Series last year. Panik, Belt and Justin Ruggiano each had two RBIs as the streaking Giants won for the eighth time in 10 games. Ruggiano’s leadoff drive in the eighth made it 6-0 and gave San Francisco 18 straight solo homers, just three away from matching its major league record of 21 from 2011.

Tonight
San Francisco (Cueto 4-3) at Chicago Cubs (Lester 2-2), 7:05 p.m.
Detroit (Zimmermann 4-2) at Houston (McCullers 4-1), 8:10 p.m.           WSJM Sports/Cosy-FM 7:40
Chicago White Sox (Covey 0-3) at Arizona (Corbin 3-4), 9:40 p.m.

MLB – Cubs bring up LH reliever Zac Rosscup from Triple-A Iowa
The Chicago Cubs have promoted reliever Zac Rosscup from Triple-A Iowa, adding another left-hander to their bullpen. They selected Rosscup’s contract before Monday night’s game against San Francisco. Right-hander Dylan Floro was sent down to Iowa, and right-hander Jake Buchanan was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. The 28-year-old Rosscup missed last season due to left shoulder surgery. He is 3-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 61 career major league games.

MLB – Tigers send Sanchez to Toledo.
The tigers made a roster move yesterday, assigning pitcher Anibal Sanchez to Triple A Toledo.  The tigers right handed reliever will start for Toledo in their game today. 

NHL – 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs – Conference Finals (best of 7)
Last Night
Nashville Predators 6, Anaheim Ducks 3                                                 (NSH wins 4-2)

Predators 6, Ducks 3 – Predators clinch Western Conference Championship
Colton Sissons scored his third goal with 6:00 left, ensuring the Nashville Predators’ magical postseason now includes the franchise’s first trip to the Stanley Cup Final after eliminating the Anaheim Ducks with a 6-3 win in Game 6 on Monday night. The Predators, who’ve never won even a division title in their 19-year history, came in with the fewest points of any team in these playoffs. Now they’ve swept the West’s No. 1 seed in Chicago, downed St. Louis in six in the second round and then the Pacific Division champ in six games. Peter Laviolette became the fourth coach to take three different teams to the Final, and the first since the playoffs split into conference play in 1994. The Predators will play either defending champion Pittsburgh or Ottawa for the Stanley Cup. Game 1 is Monday. Anaheim lost in the conference finals for the second time in three years.

Tonight
Pittsburgh Penguins at Ottawa Senators, 8:00 p.m.                               (PIT leads 3-2)

NBA – 2017 NBA Playoffs – Conference Finals (best of 7)
Last Night
Golden State Warriors 129, San Antonio Spurs 115                              (GSW wins 4-0)

Warriors 129, Spurs 115 – Warriors earn third straight trip to NBA Finals
Stephen Curry scored 36 points and the Golden State Warriors closed out the Western Conference Final against the injury-ravaged San Antonio Spurs with a 129-115 victory Monday night, becoming the first team in league history to start the playoffs 12-0. Golden State led by as many as 22 points in cruising to its third straight NBA Finals. The Warriors await a possible third straight championship matchup with Cleveland, which leads Boston 2-1 in the East finals. San Antonio’s only lead came on the opening possession when Manu Ginobili tossed in a left-handed scoop shot. The Spurs started Ginobili in what could be his final game with the team. The 39-year-old had maintained he will not ponder whether to retire or return until after the season. Kyle Anderson scored 20 points to lead the Spurs, who were without Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker and David Lee.

Tonight
Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers, 8:30 p.m.                                   (CLE leads 2-1)

NCAAFB – Former Western Michigan football player sentenced in robbery
One of two former Western Michigan football players is heading to prison in connection with the armed robbery of a woman near campus. A judge on Monday sentenced 19-year-old Ronald George of Pittsburgh to 32 months to 10 years. George’s co-defendant, 19-year-old Bryson White of Mason, Ohio, faces a July 3 sentencing after pleading guilty earlier this month to armed robbery. White and George were accused in the robbery last August after planning to smoke marijuana with the woman. Cash, marijuana and a speaker were taken from her apartment.  The two were dismissed from the team following their arrests. George apologized Monday in court. He acknowledged making a bad decision and said his dreams of an education at Western Michigan and playing college football are gone.

NCAAFB – Title IX investigation into Michigan State sexual assault allegations ends
Michigan State officials say they have concluded a Title IX investigation into an alleged sexual assault and haven’t taken any action to remove three football players from the university. The Detroit Free Press reports Michigan State spokesman Jason Cody would not discuss the specifics or outcome of the investigation into the alleged January assault. The names of the suspended players haven’t been released. The university disclosed the case in February, saying it was part of a criminal investigation that had detectives interviewing members of the coaching staff and others. Cody said once a Title IX investigation is completed it would move into the student conduct system if a violation had been found. If no violations of policy are found, the matter is closed. A criminal case has been under review by Ingham County prosecutor. There is no timeline for when or if charges will be filed.

Indy 500 – Indy 500 winners Dixon, Franchitti robbed at a Taco Bell
Indianapolis police are saying Scott Dixon’s wife was not in the car when the Indianapolis 500 pole winner and three-time race winner Dario Franchitti were robbed at gunpoint Sunday night.  The police report lists three victims: Dixon, his wife, Emma, and Franchitti. Police spokesman Aaron Hamer clarified that Dixon’s wife was not in the vehicle.  The robbery happened shortly before 10 p.m. Sunday at a Taco Bell less than a mile from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Dixon had hours earlier won the top starting position for next Sunday’s Indy 500. Officers later arrested two boys, ages 15 and 14. Dixon, who is from New Zealand, is the 2008 Indy 500 winner and a longtime Chip Ganassi Racing teammate of Franchitti, a Scot who retired in 2013.

MWL – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night
West Michigan 12, Fort Wayne 2
Great Lakes 5, Dayton 4, 10 innings
Lansing 10, Lake County 3
Bowling Green 11, South Bend 1

Last Night
Lake County at Lansing, 10:35 a.m.
Fort Wayne at West Michigan, 6:35 p.m.
Dayton at Great Lakes, 7:05 p.m.
South Bend at Bowling Green, 7:35 p.m.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Yesterday
Baseball
Niles 5, Lakeshore 2 – Game 1
Lakeshore 2, Niles 1 – 8 Innings – Game 2   (Lakeshore wins SMAC West Title)
Michigan Lutheran 6, Barry County Christian 5 – Game 1
Barry County Christian 1, Michigan Lutheran 0 – Game 2
Watervliet 1, Decatur 0 – Game 1
Watervliet 5, Decatur 0 – Game 2
Kalamazoo Central 11, Paw Paw 6

Softball
Lakeshore 12, Niles 2 – Game 1
Lakeshore 8, Niles 3 – Game 2                   (Lakeshore wins SMAC West Title)
Watervliet 13, Decatur 7 – Game 1
Watervliet 4, Decatur 2 – Game 2

Girls Soccer
Michigan Lutheran 8, Covert 0
Coloma 5, Bangor 1
Plainwell 3, Otsego 0
Paw Paw 8, Dowagiac 0
Edwardsburg 4, Sturgis 3
Hartford 4, New Buffalo 0
Bridgman 3, Brandywine 2
Delton-Kellogg 4, Fennville 1
Kalamazoo Central 1, Three Rivers 0

Today
Baseball
Portage Central at St. Joseph, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
Mattawan at Kalamazoo Central, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
Berrien Springs at Lake Michigan Catholic, 4:15 p.m.
Benton Harbor at Dowagiac, 4:30 p.m.
Marcellus at River Valley, 4:15 p.m.
Buchanan at Edwardsburg, 4:00 p.m.

Girls Soccer
Allegan at South Haven, 6:00 p.m.
Vicksburg at Three Rivers, 6:45 p.m.
Dowagiac at Buchanan, 5:00 p.m.

Softball
Portage Central at St. Joseph, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
Mattawan at Kalamazoo Central, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
Berrien Springs at Lake Michigan Catholic, 4:15 p.m.
Marcellus at River Valley, 4:15 p.m.
Buchanan at Edwardsburg, 4:00 p.m.
Bloomingdale at Delton-Kellogg, 4:30 p.m.
Martin at Galesburg-Augusta, 4:30 p.m.
Lawrence at Gobles, 4:30 p.m.
Saugatuck at Kalamazoo Christian, 4:30 p.m.
Hartford at Kalamazoo Hackett, 4:30 p.m.
Fennville at Lawton, 4:30 p.m.