<95.7 & 1400 WSJM Sports @wsjmsports wsjmsports.com Tuesday, August 29, 2017
NFL – QB Matthew Stafford agrees to 5-year extension with Lions
Matthew Stafford has made a home in the Motor City, leading the Detroit Lions on the field and becoming a first-time father with twin girls earlier this year. The Lions, likewise, made an aggressive move to keep their franchise quarterback around for many more years with the richest contract in NFL history. Stafford agreed to a 5 year, $135 million extension, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because financial terms of the contract were not disclosed. The team announced the deal worth $92 million guaranteed, keeps Stafford under contract through the 2022 season. The 29-year-old was entering the last year of his $53 million, three-year deal. Detroit drafted Stafford No. 1 overall in 2009 and gave him $41.7 million in guarantees as part of a six-year contract worth $78 million coming out of Georgia. Shoulder and knee injuries stunted his first two seasons, but Stafford played in every game the next six years.
NFL – Bengals LB Burfict suspended 5 games for egregious hit
The NFL has suspended Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict for five games because he leveled a Chiefs running back in a preseason game, the latest in his history of egregious hits. The Bengals are off today after returning from a preseason game in Washington. They released a statement supporting Burfict, saying his hit on running back Anthony Sherman was legal. Burfict is appealing the suspension.
MLB – Major League Baseball
Last Night
Detroit Tigers 4, Colorado Rockies 3
Chicago Cubs 6, Pittsburgh Pirates 1
Tigers 4, Rockies 3 – Castellanos, Zimmermann lift Tigers to 4-3 win over Rockies
Nicholas Castellanos had three hits, including a two-run triple, and Jordan Zimmermann rebounded from early trouble to help the Detroit Tigers beat the Colorado Rockies 4-3 on Monday night. The Rockies stranded 11 baserunners as they began a nine-game homestand. Their lead for the second NL wild-card spot dwindled to three games over idle Milwaukee. Zimmermann (8-11) went five innings and allowed three runs _ all in the second inning. He settled down to move his career mark to 7-0 against the Rockies in 11 career starts. Shane Greene struck out two of three in the ninth for his sixth save. He fanned Mark Reynolds to end the game. Antonio Senzatela (10-5) never found his command in allowing four runs over 3 2/3 innings.
Cubs 6, Pirates 1 – Montgomery pitches Cubs past Pirates 6-1
Mike Montgomery pitched six-hit ball into the eighth inning and helped himself at the plate, leading the Cubs to the win. Montgomery (5-6) struck out four and walked none in his second start since he was inserted into the rotation after Jon Lester was placed on the 10-day disabled list. The left-hander was pulled after Jordy Mercer snapped his 17 1/3-inning scoreless streak with a leadoff homer in the eighth. Carl Edwards Jr. got three outs before Wade Davis finished the six-hitter as Chicago moved 2 1/2 games ahead of idle Milwaukee for the top spot in the NL Central. Trevor Williams (5-7) hung in there with Montgomery, pitching five innings of two-run ball, but Pittsburgh lost for the 11th time in its last 16 games. Mercer went 3 for 3, David Freese had two hits and Andrew McCutchen singled for the Pirates.
Tonight
Chicago White Sox (Shields 2-4) at Minnesota (Santana 13-7), 8:10 p.m.
Pittsburgh (Kuhl 6-9) at Chicago Cubs (Arrieta 13-8), 8:05 p.m.
Detroit (Fulmer 10-11) at Colorado (Marquez 10-5), 8:40 p.m. WSJM Sports/Cosy-FM 8:15
NCAA Basketball – Former MSU Basketball coach Jud Heathcote passes
Jud Heathcote, who led Michigan State and Magic Johnson to the 1979 NCAA championship, has died. He was 90. Spartans coach Tom Izzo was hired by Heathcote and was promoted to replace him when he retired in 1995. Heathcote won three Big Ten titles and appeared in nine NCAA tournaments during his 19-year career at Michigan State. He got his start as a head coach in college at Montana in 1971.
Flooding forces Astros, Texans to move home games
Hurricane Harvey has forced both the Houston Astros and Houston Texans to play home games miles away from the flood-stricken city with players wondering when they will be able to come back. The Astros will play a three-game series against the Texas Rangers at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, this week, starting Tuesday, and the Texans will wrap up their preseason schedule against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington instead of NRG Stadium. Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph said it’s difficult to concentrate on his game “and then think about your family that’s back home when there’s constantly updates going on around the clock about things that are going on back in your hometown.” Both the Astros and Rangers flew to Dallas after games in California on Sunday to await news of where the series would be held.
NCAA Football – Harbaugh being Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh is playing games. Entering his third season in charge of college football’s winningest program, he’s refusing to unveil his roster until three days before No. 11 Michigan kicks off the season against No. 17 Florida in Texas. And he won’t say whether returning starter Wilton Speight or seldom-used senior John O’Korn will take the first snap Saturday against the Gators at the home of the Dallas Cowboys.
NCAA Football – Eighth Gator suspended for Michigan game
No. 17 Florida has an eighth player suspended for its season opener against 11th-ranked Michigan. Coach Jim McElwain says receiver James Robinson won’t play against the Wolverines. Robinson and linebacker Ventrell Miller were cited for misdemeanor marijuana possession last week. McElwain said “of course not” when asked whether Robinson would be available in Arlington, Texas. Miller is one of seven players under indefinite suspension for misusing university funds.
NCAA Football – Coach says Alabama defensive lineman Davis was shot in leg
Alabama coach Nick Saban says defensive lineman Raekwon Davis has been released from the hospital. Davis was shot in the right leg outside a Tuscaloosa bar early Sunday morning. Saban said Monday he’s getting treatment and is “day to day” for Saturday’s opener for the top-ranked Crimson Tide against No. 3 Florida State. Saban says he’s not happy about them being out that late but that “it doesn’t seem like our players were guilty of anything other than being out late.” The 6-foot-7, 306-pound Davis is battling with Joshua Frazier for a starting defensive end spot. He played in seven games as a freshman. A Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s spokesman said Sunday that a 20-year-old was shot in the right leg Sunday morning and a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to AP that Davis was the victim.
NHL – Number retirements for Rangers’ Ratelle, Flyers’ Lindros
New York Rangers Hall of Famer Jean Ratelle will finally get his No. 19 raised to the rafters at Madison Square Garden, the same season Eric Lindros will have his No. 88 retired by the Philadelphia Flyers. Lindros will be honored by the Flyers before their Jan. 18 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ratelle will have his night Feb. 25 before the Rangers face the Detroit Red Wings. Ratelle, who played parts of 16 of his 21 NHL seasons with the Rangers, entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985 and is second on their franchise goals list with 336 and third in assists with 481 and points with 817. Lindros is the sixth Flyers player to have his number retired after Bernie Parent, Mark Howe, Barry Ashbee, Bill Barber and Bobby Clarke.
Tennis – US Open – Venus advances
Venus Williams shook off a mid-match lapse to improve to 19-0 in the U.S. Open’s first round and stay in the hunt for the No. 1 ranking. The No. 9-seeded Williams, at 37 the oldest woman in the field, picked up a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Viktoria Kuzmova, a 19-year-old qualifier from Slovakia who is ranked 135th. Williams entered the U.S. Open as one of eight women with a chance to rise atop the WTA rankings by tournament’s end. It was the first tour-level main draw match of Kuzmova’s career, the 967th for Williams, who won the title at Flushing Meadows in 2000 and 2001. Williams was up a set, plus a break in the second at 2-0, when she faltered. Kuzmova broke for 2-1, then pulled at even at 3-all before taking three games in a row to force a third set. But Williams righted herself there, breaking for a 2-0 lead, then digging out of a love-40 hole for 3-0.
NJCAA – Junior College Athletics
Tonight
Women’s Volleyball
Ancilla College at Lake Michigan College, 6:30 p.m.
MWL – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night
West Michigan 3, Bowling Green 1
Dayton 6, Great Lakes 3
Lansing 6, Fort Wayne 5
South Bend 6, Lake County 3
Tonight
No games tonight
MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Boys Soccer
Niles 6, Bridgman 0
Lakeshore 5, Western Michigan Aviation Acad. 0
Gull Lake 6, Paw Paw 0
Three Rivers 8, Buchanan 0
Brandywine 4, Michigan Lutheran 3
Lake Michigan Catholic 9, Coloma 2
Bloomingdale 5, Bangor 2
Comstock 3, Lawton 0
Hartford 6, Eau Claire 0
Boys Tennis
St. Joseph 8, Lakeshore 0
Battle Creek Lakeview 5, Mattawan 3
Brandywine 7, Galesburg-Augusta 1
Kalamazoo Hackett 8, New Buffalo/Bridgman 0
South Haven 5, Three Rivers 3
Girls Volleyball
St. Joseph went 3-0 at the Coloma Quad
Lake Michigan Catholic 3, Lawrence 1
Cassopolis 3, Dowagiac 0
South Bend St. Joseph 3, Niles 1
Berrien Springs 3, New Buffalo 1
Hartford 3, River Valley 0
Girls Golf
SMAC West Jamboree at Harbor Shores
- St. Joseph 179
- Niles 214
- Lakeshore 243
- Portage Central 244
- Portage Northern No Score
Medalist:
Cailey Rooker (SJ) 39
Tonight
Boys Soccer
Battle Creek Lakeview at St. Joseph, 6:45 p.m.
Howardsville Christian at Brandywine, 5:00 p.m.
New Buffalo at Berrien Springs, 5:00 p.m.
Girls Swimming and Diving
Battle Creek Central at Bridgman/Lakeshore, 6:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Central at St. Joseph, 6:00 p.m.
Battle Creek Lakeview at Mattawan, 6:00 p.m.
