MLB – Major League Baseball
Yesterday
Boston Red Sox 7, Detroit Tigers 1
Chicago White Sox 5, Minnesota Twins 2
Chicago Cubs 7, Philadelphia Phillies 5
Red Sox 7, Tigers 1 – Benintendi, Vazquez homer; Red Sox cruise past Tigers, 7-1
Andrew Benintendi and Christian Vazquez each hit a solo homer and had an RBI double to back a strong start by Eduardo Rodriguez, carrying the Boston Red Sox to a 7-1 win over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night. Xander Bogaerts added a two-run double during a four-run third inning for the Red Sox, who won their fourth straight game and improved their major league-best record to 43-19. Miguel Cabrera and JaCoby Jones each had two hits for Detroit, which has lost four of five. The Tigers have dropped 13 of their last 17 on the road. Rodriguez (7-1) gave up one run on five hits in 5 2/3 innings with five strikeouts and one walk, improving to 4-1 in his last five starts with a 2.14 ERA. The Red Sox are 11-1 in his starts this season.
White Sox 5, Twins 2 – Santiago beats former team as White Sox top Twins
Tim Anderson had two hits and drove in two runs and Hector Santiago earned the victory against his former team as the Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 5-2 on Wednesday night. Santiago (2-2), who pitched for Minnesota the past two seasons, fared much better than he did in his first appearance against his ex-teammates. The Twins knocked him around for eight runs in 3 1/3 innings on May 5 in his second start of the season. But on Wednesday, Santiago allowed just two runs on six hits in five innings pitched. And after giving up five home runs combined in his last two starts, the left-hander was able to keep the ball in the park against Minnesota. Four relievers combined to shut down the Twins the rest of the way. Joakim Soria pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his sixth save of the season.
Cubs 7, Phillies 5 – Heyward hits walk-off slam in 9th, Cubs beat Phillies 7-5
Jason Heyward hit a game-ending grand slam off Adam Morgan with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Chicago Cubs a 7-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night. Heyward’s drive sent the Cubs to their eighth win in 10 games, and it came after Philadelphia’s Dylan Cozens hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer against Brandon Morrow in the top half. Kyle Schwarber started the winning rally with a leadoff walk against Seranthony Dominguez and advanced to second on an errant pickoff throw by catcher Jorge Alfaro before Albert Almora singled, putting runners on first and third. Morgan (0-2) came in and walked pinch-hitter Ian Happ to load the bases before Ben Zobrist forced a runner at home with a tapper to the mound. Heyward then connected for a long slam to right-center on a 2-2 pitch and got mobbed by teammates as he crossed the plate, the crowd letting out a deafening roar at Wrigley Field. Cory Mazzoni (1-0) got two outs in the ninth. Chicago won after blowing a 3-0 lead.
Today
Chicago White Sox (Shields 1-6) at Minnesota (Berrios 6-5), 1:10 p.m.
Philadelphia (Pivetta 4-4) at Chicago Cubs (Chatwood 3-4), 2:20 p.m.
Detroit (Boyd 3-4) at Boston (Beeks 0-0), 7:10 p.m. WSJM Sports/Cosy-FM 6:45
MLB – Fans using cell phones cause brief delay at Fenway
Fans using their cell phone lights caused a brief delay when the Detroit Tigers were batting in the seventh inning at Fenway Park Wednesday night. It started to grow with one out in the seventh of Boston’s 7-1 win and circled the stands when Detroit’s Niko Goodrum took a called third strike from pitcher Matt Barnes. Before Nicholas Castellanos stepped to the plate, he chatted with plate umpire Mike DiMuro. Detroit manager Ron Gardenhire also came out to talk with DiMuro, who walked over to Boston’s dugout. Red Sox security asked fans in the center-field bleachers to stop using the phones as flash lights, and play resumed. Castellanos then singled to center. Red Sox manager Alex Cora joked that “that’s a good weapon.” Cora said the umpires asked him if they could find a way to make it stop, but security had taken care of the problem. Says Boston center fielder Andrew Benintendi: “It was kind of cool.”
NBA – 2018 NBA Finals – (Best of 7)
Last Night
Golden State Warriors 110, Cleveland Cavaliers 102 GSW leads 3-0
Warriors 110, Cavaliers 102 – Durant leads Warriors to 110-102 win vs Cavs
Kevin Durant scored a playoff career-high 43 points, including a long clinching 3-pointer, Stephen Curry ended a nightmarish night with five straight to give Golden State the lead for good, and the Warriors took a 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals with a 110-102 victory over Cleveland. Curry shot just 3 for 16 but he made a layup with the Warriors down one and followed with his only 3-pointer of the game for a four-point lead with a little more than 2 ½ minutes remaining. The Warriors have a 3-0 lead for the second straight year. They finished the Cavaliers off in five games in 2017. LeBron James had 33 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, but his Cavaliers will have to become the first team to climb out of a 3-0 hole in the NBA Finals. Golden State can clinch their second straight championship and third in four seasons in game 4 Friday in Cleveland.
NHL – 2018 Stanley Cup Final – (Best of 7)
Tonight
Washington Capitals at Vegas Golden Knights, 8:00 p.m. WAS leads 3-1
NHL – Caps look to claim first Cup
The Washington Capitals will play for a Stanley Cup championship tonight for the first time in franchise history. Although Alex Ovechkin understands the magnitude of this situation, he wants
his teammates focused on the Golden Knights, not the silver trophy. A desert is a strange place to end a drought, but Ovechkin and his teammates want to seize their very first chance to quench their fans’ 43 seasons of frustration when they take the Las Vegas ice for Game 5. Even with a commanding 3-1 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final, the Caps all spoke of the importance of consistency and seizing the moment after their light workout Wednesday. Washington has scored 16 goals in four games against the reeling Golden Knights.
NCAAMBB – Beilein stays in Ann Arbor
John Beilein has decided he’s staying on as head basketball coach at Michigan after exploring the possibility of coaching the Detroit Pistons. Beilein tweeted Wednesday, “I love the University of Michigan and I am excited about coaching our Men’s Basketball Team next season and in the years to come!” The 65-year old Beilein has coached at Michigan for 11 seasons with a 248-143 record. He has led the Wolverines to two Final Fours, losing in the national title game this year and in 2013.
NCAAFB – Ex-Spartan football players avoid jail in sex assault case
Three former Michigan State University football players accused in the sexual assault of a woman won’t be going to jail after pleading guilty. Josh King, Donnie Corley Jr. and Demetric Vance were sentenced Wednesday to three years’ probation, as well as sex offender treatment and therapy. They pleaded guilty in April to seducing an unmarried woman, a reduced charge. They could have been imprisoned for up to five years.
Tennis – French Open – Halep, Muguruza reach semifinals
Top-ranked Simona Halep has rallied past Angelique Kerber to reach the French Open semifinals. Halep went all out in the first set but her bold strategy backfired badly as she hit 30 unforced errors. Halep is still chasing her first Grand Slam title. She next faces third-seeded Garbine Muguruza, who overwhelmed Maria Sharapova today in a matchup of past French Open champions to reach the semifinals. The No. 3-seeded Muguruza had lost all three previous meetings against Sharapova, who won two of her five Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros.
MWL – Midwest League Baseball
Yesterday
South Bend 7, Fort Wayne 0 – SB Pitchers Rollie Lacy and Ben Hecht combine for a no-hitter
West Michigan 7, Great Lakes 1
Lansing 2, Bowling Green 0
Tonight
Fort Wayne at South Bend, 7:05 p.m.
Great Lakes at West Michigan, 7:05 p.m.
Lansing at Bowling Green, 7:35 p.m.
