Weekday Morning Sports Report – Tuesday 9/4/18

sportsreport-504
sportsreport-504

MLB – Major League Baseball
Last Night
Chicago White Sox 4, Detroit Tigers 2
Milwaukee Brewers 4, Chicago Cubs 3

White Sox 4, Tigers 2 – Davidson, Palka homer in 9th to lift White Sox over Tigers
Matt Davidson hit a two-run, game-ending homer as the Chicago White Sox scored three times in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Detroit Tigers 4-2 on Monday for their eighth win in 11 games. Davidson hit his 20th homer into the left-field bullpen on the first pitch his saw from Detroit closer Shane Greene (2-6) after Welington Castillo singled. Daniel Palka’s 21st homer to lead off the ninth tied it at 2. Victor Martinez homered deep to left with one out in the top of the ninth off Jace Fry (2-2) to put Detroit ahead 2-1. Greene then failed to retire a batter in the ninth as he blew his fifth save. Martinez, Detroit’s designated hitter, sat out Sunday’s game in New York with flu-like symptoms and was questionable for this one. Niko Goodrum’s solo shot in the seventh tied it 1-all after Chicago’s Nicky Delmonico homered to lead off the game for Chicago. Both starters, Chicago’s Reynaldo Lopez and Detroit’s Michael Fulmer, were strong in no decisions.

Brewers 4, Cubs 3 – Brewers beat Cubs 4-3 in 9th after Yelich beats throw
Christian Yelich drove in the winning run with the bases loaded in the ninth after beating a throw from third to avoid a double play, and the Milwaukee Brewers opened an important three-game series with the Chicago Cubs with a 4-3 win Monday. The .316 hitter hit a 1-2 fastball from Jesse Chavez right at third baseman Kris Bryant, who touched third for the second out of the ninth before firing to first. The speedy Yelich reached safely just before the throw landed in the glove of the outstretched Anthony Rizzo, allowing Keon Broxton to score the game-winner from third.  The Brewers took advantage of wildness by Cubs reliever Steve Cishek (4-3), who loaded the bases with a walk, passed ball and two hit batters.  It set up the game-winning fielder’s choice by Yelich, the reigning National League Player of the Week.  The second-place Brewers, looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2011, pulled within four games of the NL Central-leading Cubs.

Tonight
Detroit (Liriano 3-9) at Chicago White Sox (Giolito 10-9), 8:10 p.m.  WSJM Sports/Cosy-FM 7:45
Chicago Cubs (Montgomery 4-4) at Milwaukee (Miley 2-2), 8:10 p.m.

MLB – Judge swings from tee
Yankees slugger Aaron Judge took his first swings off a tee since breaking his right wrist July 26.  The reigning AL Rookie of the Year took 25 dry swings in Oakland’s center-field cage before taking another 25 off the tee at what he called 100 percent effort. He said he felt good enough in recent days that the decision was made he would begin hitting again. Judge and the Yanks are hoping he can be activated in a couple of weeks.

Tennis – US Open – Keys and Djokovic move into quarterfinals
Madison Keys has moved into the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the second straight year. The 2017 finalist earned a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Dominika Cibulkova and will next face Carla Suarez Navarro, who was a 6-4, 6-3 winner against Maria Sharapova during the night session. Sharapova had been 22-0 under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium.  The 14th-seeded Keys has reached at least the quarterfinals in three of the four Grand Slams this year. She had six aces and no double faults Monday in perhaps her best performance of the tournament.  Two-time U.S. Open champion Novak Djokovic has advanced to the men’s quarterfinals, where he could face Roger Federer. The sixth seed needed a medical timeout before completing a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 triumph over 68th-ranked Joao Sousa of Portugal. Federer is taking on 55th-ranked John Millman of Australia right now. Federer took the first set, 6-3. Seventh seed Marin Cilic and Kei Nishikori also moved into the men’s quarters with straight-sets victories.

NCAAFB – College Football – Week 1
Last Night
(20) Virginia Tech 24, (19) Florida State 3

NFL – Lions sign Diggs to contract extension
Defensive back Quandre Diggs and the Detroit Lions agreed to terms Monday on a contract extension that will carry through the 2021 NFL season. Detroit’s sixth-round draft pick (200th overall) in 2015 out of Texas, Diggs is entering his fourth NFL season. He has appeared in 44 career games with 19 starts. His career totals include 131 tackles (110 solo), three interceptions, 16 pass defenses, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one sack. “Quandre has developed into one of our core defensive players and we are excited to come to this agreement that will have him as a Detroit Lion for the next four seasons.” Lions executive vice president and general manager Bob Quinn said.

NFL – Sam’s Club: Rookie Darnold to start at QB for Jets
Sam Darnold will start at quarterback in the New York Jets’ season-opening game at Detroit on Monday night. The 21-year-old Darnold will be the youngest quarterback to start in Week 1
since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger. The announcement Monday by coach Todd Bowles comes as no surprise as the rookie was solid while starting the Jets’ second and third preseason games.  New York traded Teddy Bridgewater to New Orleans last week, and Darnold then sat out the preseason finale at Philadelphia _ clear signals that the No. 3 overall draft pick would be under center against the Lions. Darnold was given every opportunity to win the job in a competition with Bridgewater and incumbent Josh McCown, and he didn’t disappoint. He went 29 of 45 for 244 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in the preseason.

NFL – Foles gets start for Champs
Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson says Nick Foles will start against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. Carson Wentz still hasn’t been medically cleared for contact as he comes back from surgery last December to repair two torn ligaments in his left knee. Foles was the Super Bowl MVP in Philadelphia’s 41-33 win over New England. Wentz didn’t play in the preseason and only recently returned to full practice.

Golf – DeChambeau makes it 2 straight wins in FedEx Cup playoffs
Bryson DeChambeau has become just the second player to win the opening two FedEx Cup playoff events. He has followed last weekend’s four-shot victory by finishing two shots ahead of Justin Rose at the Dell Technologies Championship near Boston. DeChambeau closed with a 4-under 67 for a 16-under total as he tries to gain a captain’s pick for the U.S. Ryder Cup roster. Captain Jim Furyk will announce the rest of his roster on Tuesday.

WNBA – WNBA Playoffs – League Semifinals (best of 5)
Tonight
Washington Mystics at Atlanta Dream, 8:00 p.m.                         (Series tied 2-2)
Phoenix Mercury at Seattle Storm, 10:00 p.m.                              (Series tied 2-2)

MWL – Midwest League Baseball

Last Night
West Michigan 3, Fort Wayne 2 – 10 Innings            (WM clinches playoff berth)
South Bend 1, Great Lakes 0
Lake County 3, Lansing 2
END REGULAR SEASON

Round 1 Playoffs – Best of Three
Eastern Division
Bowling Green vs. Lansing
Game 1 – at Lansing, Wednesday 7:05 p.m.
Game 2 – at Bowling Green, Thursday, 7:35 p.m.
*Game 3 – at Bowling Green, Friday, 7:35 p.m.

West Michigan vs. Great Lakes
Game 1 – at West Michigan, Wednesday, 7:05 p.m.
Game 2 – at Great Lakes, 7:05 p.m.
*Game 3 – at Great Lakes, 7:05 p.m.

Western Division
Quad Cities vs. Peoria
Game 1 – at Peoria, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.
Game 2 – at Quad Cities, 7:35 p.m.
*Game 3 – at Quad Cities, 7:35 p.m.

Cedar Rapids vs. Beloit
Game 1 – at Beloit, Wednesday, 8:00 p.m.
Game 2 – at Cedar Rapids, 8:05 p.m.
*Game 3 – at Cedar Rapids, 8:05 p.m.

*If neccessary

MHSAA – High School Sports
Today
Boys Soccer
Lakeshore at Battle Creek Lakeview, 6:30 p.m.
Mattawan at St. Joseph, 6:30 p.m.
Gull Lake at Niles, 5:30 p.m.
Michigan Lutheran at Howardsville Christian, 5:00 p.m.
Dowagiac at Brandywine, 5:00 p.m.
Portage Central at Kalamazoo Central, 6:30 p.m.
Portage Northern at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, 6:30 p.m.

Boys Tennis
Mattawan at St. Joseph, 4:00 p.m.
Lakeshore at Portage Northern, 4:00 p.m.
Portage Central at Niles, 4:00 p.m.
South Haven at Brandywine, 4:00 p.m.

Cross Country
Three Rivers at South Haven, 5:00 p.m.

Girls Swimming/Diving
Kalamazoo Loy Norrix at St. Joseph, 6:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Central at Bridgman/Lakeshore, 6:00 p.m.

Girls Volleyball
Michigan Lutheran at West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science, 6:30 p.m.
Hartford at Lawrence, 6:00 p.m.

Girls Golf
Michigan Lutheran at Kalamazoo Hackett Jamboree, 4:00 p.m.  (at Milham Park Golf Club)