95.7 & 1400 WSJM Sports @wsjmsports wsjmsports.com Wednesday, October 04, 2017
MLB – Major League Baseball – 2017 Wild Card
Last Night
New York Yankees 8, Minnesota Twins 4
Yankees 8, Twins 4 – Yankees beat Twins to reach ALDS
Didi Gregorius’ three-run homer tied the score after the Minnesota Twins chased Luis Severino in the first inning, a pumped-up Aaron Judge hit a two-run shot in his postseason debut and the New York Yankees were rescued by their brilliant bullpen during an 8-4 victory in the AL wild-card game Tuesday night. Brett Gardner also homered for the Yankees, who knocked out Ervin Santana after two innings, won their first postseason game in five years and once again eliminated the Twins from the playoffs. Chad Green, David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle and Aroldis Chapman combined for 8 2/3 innings of one-run relief. New York opens the best-of-five AL Division Series on Thursday at Cleveland. The Twins lost their 13th consecutive postseason game, tying the record set by Boston from 1986-95.
Tonight
Colorado (Gray 10-4) at Arizona (Greinke 17-7), 8:08 p.m.
MLB – Manfred hopeful of agreement for pace of play rule changes
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is hopeful the league and players’ union will agree to changes to speed pace of play. Manfred said before Tuesday’s AL wild-card game that he’s encouraged by conversations with the union and “direct engagement with players.” He declined to address specifics of a deal, but says he thinks the league and union will have an agreement that will be “meaningful.” The average time of a nine-inning game in the majors rose 4 ½ minutes this season to a record 3 hours, 5 minutes, 11 seconds. MLB’s averaged had dropped to 2:56 in 2015. Baseball management proposed three changes last offseason the players’ association didn’t accept, and MLB has the right to start them next year without player approval: restricting catchers to one trip to the mound per pitcher each inning, employing a 20-second pitch clock and raising the bottom of the strike zone from just beneath the kneecap to its pre-1996 level_ at the top of the kneecap.
MLB – Verlander to start for Astros in Game 1 of ALDS
The Houston Astros will start Justin Verlander in Game 1 of the AL Division Series against Chris Sale and the Boston Red Sox on Thursday. Manager A.J. Hinch announced the decision Tuesday on SiriusXM radio, adding that left-hander Dallas Keuchel, who won the AL Cy Young in 2015, will start Game 2 on Friday. The Red Sox haven’t announced their Game 2 starter. Verlander has been at his best since being acquired in a trade from the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 31. He’s 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA in five starts since the trade. The six-time All Star has appeared in the postseason five times. He is 7-5 with a 3.39 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 16 career starts in the playoffs. He faced Boston twice this season while with Detroit but did not factor into the decision in either start.
NFL – Bears LB Trevathan has suspension reduced from 2 games to 1
The NFL has reduced Chicago Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan’s suspension for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams from two games to one. The league announced the change on Tuesday. Adams was taken off the field on a stretcher in the third quarter Thursday night after getting hit in the head during a tackle by Trevathan. The game was delayed for about 5 minutes while medical personnel tended to Adams. He tweeted Friday that he was at home and “feeling great.” Trevathan was called for an unnecessary roughness penalty following Adams’ 8-yard catch but was not ejected. He is eligible to return following Chicago’s game against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night.
NBA – NBA Preseason
Last Night
Chicago Bulls 113, New Orleans Pelicans 109
Tonight
Charlotte Hornets at Detroit Pistons, 7:00 p.m.
Chicago Bulls at Dallas Mavericks, 8:30 p.m.
NBA – NBA changes All-Star Game format; captains will pick teams
The NBA is scrapping the East against West format for its All-Star Game and will have captains pick teams this season. The league says Tuesday that the leading vote-getter from each conference will choose teams from the pool of players who were voted as starters and reserves. The change will begin with this season’s game in Los Angeles on Feb. 18. Players and league officials have been eager to inject new interest in the often defense-absent game, and NBA Players Association President Chris Paul says improving the game was a “priority.” They chose a format that has been used by the NFL and NHL for what will be the first NBA All-Star game that doesn’t pit the Eastern Conference against the Western Conference.
NHL – National Hockey League – Regular Season Start
Tonight
Toronto Maple Leafs at Winnipeg Jets, 7 p.m.
St. Louis Blues at Pittsburgh Penguins, 8 p.m.
Calgary Flames at Edmonton Oilers, 10 p.m.
Philadelphia Flyers at San Jose Sharks, 10:30 p.m.
WNBA – Women’s National Basketball Association – Finals (Best of 5)
Tonight
Los Angeles Sparks at Minnesota Lynx, 8:00 pm (series tied 2-2)
MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Girls Volleyball
Coloma 3, Saugatuck 0
Watervliet 3, Gobles 1
Constantine 3, Lawrence 0
Mendon 3, Decatur 1
Cassopolis 3, Hartford 0
Centreville 3, Eau Claire 0
White Pigeon 3, Bloomingdale 0
Boys Soccer
Lakeshore 5, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 2
St. Joseph 1, Gull Lake 0
Mattawan 8, Niles 1
Cross Country (Lower score wins)
Girls: Vicksburg 25, South Haven 35
Boys: South Haven 19, Vicksburg 36
Girls Swimming and Diving
Bridgman/Lakeshore 112, Mattawan 73
Portage Northern 117, St. Joseph 66
Boys Tennis
St. Joseph 4, Byron Center 4 – TIE
Three Rivers 6, Coloma 1
Girls Golf
Pre Regional hosted by Gull Lake at Stonehedge North GC
- St. Joseph 344
- Zeeland East 379
- Byron Center 389
- Coldwater 391
- Zeeland West 401
- Portage Central 441
Medalist: Cailey Rooker (SJ) 80
2nd place: Maddie Wright (SJ) 84
Today
Cross Country
SMAC West at Niles, 5:00 p.m.
Girls Volleyball
Portage Northern at Lakeshore, 6:30 p.m.
Portage Central at Niles, 6:30 p.m.
Mattawan at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, 6:30 p.m.
River Valley at Lake Michigan Catholic, 6:30 p.m.
Michigan Lutheran at Covert, 5:00 p.m.
Boys Soccer
Howardsville Christian at Lake Michigan Catholic, 5:00 p.m.
Brandywine at Buchanan, 5:00 p.m.
Bridgman at Berrien Springs, 5:00 p.m.
New Buffalo at Covert, 5:00 p.m.
Dowagiac at Otsego, 6:45 p.m.
Allegan at Paw Paw, 6:45 p.m.
Vicksburg at South Haven, 6:45 p.m.
Plainwell at Sturgis, 6:45 p.m.
Edwardsburg at Three Rivers, 5:00 p.m.
Schoolcraft at Gobles, 5:00 p.m.
Lawton at Marcellus, 5:30 p.m.
Fennville at Saugatuck, 6:00 p.m.
