Weekday Morning Sports Report – Friday 5/31/19

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sportsreport-300x207-35

MLB – Major League Baseball
Yesterday
Chicago White Sox 10, Cleveland Indians 4
Tigers and Cubs were off

White Sox 10, Indians 4 – White Sox beat Indians 10-4 for season-high 4th straight win
Yonder Alonso and José Abreu each hit a two-run homer, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Indians 10-4 on Thursday night for their season-high fourth straight victory.  Alonso also doubled and scored against his former team, helping Chicago move within one game of Cleveland for second place in the AL Central. Eloy Jiménez had three hits and two RBIs, and Manny Bañuelos (3-4) pitched 5 1/3 innings of three-run ball for his first win in a month.  Carrasco (4-6) matched a season high by allowing six runs and 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings of his third consecutive loss. The right-hander had enjoyed great success versus Chicago since 2017, going 7-1 with a 1.09 ERA in his previous 10 appearances against the White Sox, including a 2-0 record and 12 scoreless innings over two starts this year.  Carrasco allowed Leury García’s leadoff single in the seventh and struck out Yoán Moncada before he was replaced by Dan Otero. Abreu greeted the reliever with a drive to left for his team-high 15th homer, making it 7-3 White Sox.

Tonight
Detroit (Turnbull 2-4) at Atlanta (Foltynewicz 1-3), 7:20 p.m.   WSJM Sports/Cosy-FM 6:55
Cleveland (Bauer 4-4) at Chicago White Sox (Covey 0-4), 8:10 p.m.
Chicago Cubs (Darvish 2-3) at St. Louis (Mikolas 4-5), 8:15 p.m.

MLB – Not packing `em in
Major League attendance has dropped slightly compared to the start of last season. Average attendance was 26,854 through Wednesday, down 1.4% from the similar point last season. Last year’s average attendance wound up below 30,000 for the first time since 2003. Baltimore, Cincinnati, Minnesota and Tampa Bay have set stadium lows this year, and just 11 of 30 teams have seen increases from 2018. Tampa Bay and Miami drew 12,653 Wednesday night… combined.

NBA – 2019 NBA Finals (Best of 7)
Last Night
Toronto Raptors 118, Golden State Warriors 109                                 (TOR leads 1-0)

Raptors 118, Warriors 109 – Raptors top Warriors in Game 1
The Golden State Warriors had won the last four openers in the NBA Finals before running into the Toronto Raptors on Thursday. Pascal Siakam scored a playoff career-high 32 points and the Raptors won the first NBA Finals game played outside the U.S. by downing the Warriors, 118-109. Siakam shot 6-for-6 in the third quarter to keep Golden State from gaining much ground, and the Raptors kept their lead around double digits for much of the final period. Kawhi Leonard had 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists in his first NBA Finals game since winning MVP of the 2014 championship with the Spurs. Marc Gasol provided 14 of his 20 points while Toronto built a 59-49 halftime lead. Stephen Curry scored 34 points and Klay Thompson had 21 for the Warriors, who are seeking their third straight championship.  The Warriors were again without All-Star forward Kevin Durant due to a calf injury. Head coach Steve Kerr says that “it’s a long shot” that Durant will be able to practice with the team in Toronto before Game 2 of the title series against the Raptors. Kerr has said that Durant won’t be back in a game until he practices with the team. Game 2 is Sunday in Toronto.

NHL – Blues’ Sundqvist faces suspension
Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist has been suspended for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final for delivering an elbow to the head of Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk. Sundqvist was assessed only a two-minute minor penalty for boarding for the hit that knocked Grzelcyk out of the game and possibly longer. Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said Grzelcyk was in concussion protocol and considered day-to-day.  Game 3 is Saturday night

NHL – 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Final (Best of 7)
Saturday
Boston Bruins at St. Louis Blues, 8:00 p.m. (Saturday)                          (Series tied 1-1)

Tennis – Halep stumbles then wins match
Defending champion Simona Halep looked headed for a relatively straightforward, straight-set victory in the French Open’s second round _ until everything started to fall apart for her. Then she pulled it all back together to beat 87th-ranked Magda Linette of Poland 6-4, 5-7, 6-3. Naomi Osaka survived another fraught match at the French Open to cling onto her quest for a third consecutive Grand Slam title. She beat former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Golf – PGA – Moore has Memorial lead
Ryan Moore birdied five of his first seven holes en route to a 7-under 65 that puts him one ahead of Jordan Spieth after the opening round of the Memorial. Only two of his seven birdies were longer than 10 feet, and the only time he came close to a bogey was on his opening hole.  Martin Kaymer, Marc Leishman, Vaughn Taylor, Bud Cauley and Anirban Lahiri are at 5 under.  Meanwhile, Tiger Woods made a pair of late birdies to salvage a 70 in his first round since missing the cut at the PGA Championship.

Golf – LPGA – Duke sophomore leads US Women’s Open
Japan’s Mamiko Higa shot a bogey-free 6-under 65 for the lowest round in a U.S. Women’s Open debut. That gives the Duke sophomore a one-stroke lead over American amateur Gina Kim and Germany’s Esther Henseleit. The 25-year-old Higa tied for the third-lowest round in U.S. Women’s Open history, two off the mark set by Helen Alfredsson in 1994. Celine Boutier of France shot 67.

NWHL cancels expansion plans, open to talk of new league
The National Women’s Hockey League is canceling plans to add a pair of Canadian teams for the 2019-20 season for now and making it clear it is open to doing what’s best for women’s hockey.  Even if that means a new league.  The NWHL made clear in a post on its website Thursday that the league would be happy to talk about partnering or “passing the torch” to people or groups wanting to start or invest in a new league paying women both a full-time salary and medical insurance.  More than 200 of the world’s top female players announced May 2 that they will not play professional hockey in North America at all this year in a bold attempt to establish a single, economically viable professional league. They also formed a new Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association earlier this month.  The NWHL says the next season will start in October with five returning teams in the Boston Pride, Connecticut Whale, Buffalo Beauts, Metropolitan Riveters and Minnesota Whitecaps. The league says whether more teams are added for this season will remain an option for a few more weeks.

NCAABSB – College Baseball – NCAA Baseball Tournament
Tonight
Michigan vs. Creighton, 7:00 p.m.                            (at Oregon State)
Central Michigan vs. Miami (FL), 8:00 p.m.               (at Mississippi State)

ECHL – 2019 ECHL Kelly Cup Finals (Best of 7)
Tonight
Newfoundland Growlers at Toledo Walleye, 7:35 p.m.                           (NFL leads 2-1)

MWL – Midwest League Baseball
Yesterday
Lake County 5, South Bend 1
Lansing 9, Dayton 4
Fort Wayne 1, West Michigan 0
Great Lakes 8, Bowling Green 4

Tonight
West Michigan at Lake County, 6:30 p.m.
South Bend at Dayton, 7 p.m.
Bowling Green at Lansing, 7:05 p.m.
Great Lakes at Fort Wayne, 7:05 p.m.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Girls Soccer – District Finals
Division 2 at Plainwell
Gull Lake 1, Plainwell 0

Division 3 at Dowagiac
Coloma 6, Paw Paw 4

Softball – Regular Season
St. Joseph 6, Bridgman 3

Tonight
Girls Soccer – District Finals
Division 3 at Holland Christian
Allegan vs. Holland Christian, 6:00 p.m.

Division 4 at Kalamazoo Christian
Schoolcraft vs. Kalamazoo Christian, 6:00 p.m.
(at Kalamazoo College)

Saturday
Girls Soccer – District Finals
Division 1 at Battle Creek Lakeview
Portage Central vs. Portage Northern, 12:00 p.m.

Division 2 at St. Joseph
St. Joseph vs. Mattawan, 10:00 a.m.

Division 4 at New Buffalo
Michigan Lutheran vs. New Buffalo, 6:00 p.m.

Division 4 at Saugatuck
Hartford vs. Holland Black River, 12:00 p.m.

Baseball – Districts
Division 1 at Mattawan
St. Joseph vs. Portage Northern, 10:00 a.m.
Mattawan vs. Portage Central, 12:00 p.m.
Championship – 2:00 p.m.

Division 2 at South Haven
Edwardsburg vs. Benton Harbor, 10:00 a.m.
Niles vs. Lakeshore, 12:30 p.m.
Championship – 3:00 p.m.

Division 2 at Sturgis
Otsego vs. Vicksburg, 10:00 a.m.
Plainwell vs. Sturgis, 12:00 p.m.
Championship – 2:00 p.m.

Division 2 at Hopkins
Wayland vs. Allegan, 10:00 a.m.
Hopkins vs. Thornapple-Kellogg, 12:00 p.m.
Championship – 2:00 p.m.

Division 3 at Bloomingdale
Coloma vs. Hartford, 10:00 a.m.
Watervliet vs. Bangor, 12:30 p.m.
Championship – 3:00 p.m.

Division 3 at Constantine
Buchanan vs. Constantine, 10:00 a.m.
Berrien Springs vs. Centreville, 12:00 p.m.
Championship – 2:00 p.m.

Division 3 at Lawton
Lawton vs. Parchment, 10:00 a.m.
Comstock vs. Schoolcraft, 12:00 p.m.
Championship – 2:00 p.m.

Division 4 at Michigan Lutheran
Michigan Lutheran vs. Eau Claire, 10:00 a.m.
Bridgman vs. River Valley, 12:00 p.m.
Championship – 2:30 p.m.

Division 4 at Decatur
Marcellus vs. Cassopolis, 10:00 a.m.
Decatur vs. Lawrence, 12:00 p.m.
Championship – 2:00 p.m.

Softball – Districts
Division 1 at Mattawan
St. Joseph vs. Portage Northern, 10:00 a.m.
Mattawan vs. Portage Central, 12:00 p.m.
Championship – 2:00 p.m.

Division 2 at South Haven
Dowagiac vs. South Haven , 10:00 a.m.
Niles vs. Lakeshore, 12:30 p.m.
Championship – 3:00 p.m.

Division 2 at Plainwell
Otsego vs. Sturgis, 10:00 a.m.
Vicksburg vs. Three Rivers 12:00 p.m.
Championship – 2:00 p.m.

Division 2 at Hopkins
Hopkins vs. Thornapple-Kellogg, 10:00 p.m.
Wayland vs. Allegan, 12:00 a.m.
Championship – 2:00 p.m.

Division 3 at Bloomingdale
Coloma vs. Bloomingdale, 10:00 a.m.
Watervliet vs. Bangor, 12:30 p.m.
Championship – 3:00 p.m.

Division 3 at Constantine
Buchanan vs. Centreville, 10:00 a.m.
Brandywine vs. Constantine, 12:00 p.m.
Championship – 2:00 p.m.

Division 3 at Lawton
Schoolcraft vs. Comstock, 10:00 a.m.
Parchment vs. Lawton, 12:00 p.m.
Championship – 2:00 p.m.

Division 4 at Michigan Lutheran
Michigan Lutheran vs. River Valley, 10:00 a.m.
Bridgman vs. New Buffalo, 12:00 p.m.
Championship – 2:00 p.m.

Division 4 at Decatur
Lawrence vs. Eau Claire, 10:00 a.m.
Decatur vs. Gobles, 12:00 p.m.
Championship – 2:00 p.m.