Weekday Morning Sports Report – Thursday 8/8/19

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sportsreport-300x207-78

MLB – Major League Baseball
Last Night
Chicago White Sox 8, Detroit Tigers 1
Chicago Cubs 10, Oakland A’s 1

White Sox 8, Tigers 1 – Nova pitches 8 scoreless, White Sox beat Tigers 8-1
Ivan Nova pitched eight scoreless innings, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 8-1 on Wednesday. Nova (7-9) allowed five hits, walked three and struck out one as he picked up his third win in four starts.  Former Tiger James McCann had three RBIs, while Tim Anderson reached base five times and scored three runs.  The White Sox took three of four games from the Tigers and went 5-2 on their trip to Philadelphia and Detroit.  Detroit has lost six of seven and is 5-21 since the All-Star break. Tyler Alexander (0-3) allowed five runs on nine hits and a walk in 4 1/3 innings. First baseman Brandon Dixon pitched a scoreless ninth for the Tigers. He has a 5.40 ERA in four pitching appearances over the past two seasons. McCann had an RBI double in the first, and Ryan Cordell made it 2-0 with a long homer in the second.

Cubs 10, A’s 1 – Happ’s slam leads Quintana, Cubs over Athletics 10-1
Ian Happ hit his second career grand slam, José Quintana tossed two-hit ball through seven innings to win his sixth straight decision and the Chicago Cubs ripped the Oakland Athletics 10-1 on Wednesday.  Kyle Schwarber hit a three-run homer, Victor Caratini connected and Javier Báez kept up his latest hot streak with two hits and two RBIs as the Cubs responded with a rout of their own after Oakland pounded them 11-4 on Tuesday night. NL Central-leading Chicago took two of three from the A’s and won its fifth in six games.  Báez was replaced at shortstop by David Bote in the eighth after fouling a pitch of his left leg in the seventh. Last year’s NL MVP runner-up, Báez is batting .478 (11 for 23) with nine RBIs in a six-game hitting streak. Quintana (10-7) allowed one run, struck out seven and walked one. David Phelps and Pedro Strop each followed with a scoreless inning to wrap up a three-hitter.

Tonight
Kansas City (TBD) at Detroit (Boyd 6-8), 7:10 p.m. WSJM Sports/Cosy-FM 6:45
Chicago Cubs (Hamels 6-3) at Cincinnati (Wood 1-0), 7:10 p.m.
White Sox are off

MLB – Two senators ask MLB for data on foul ball injuries
Illinois’ two senators have urged Major League Baseball to be more transparent about fans who are injured by foul balls, saying the lack of data is creating confusion about the extent of the problem. Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth said in a letter to baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred this week that MLB should "collect and report data about fan injuries."  The letter says "we currently rely on media coverage about foul ball injuries, which can lead to misinformation and confusion." The senators say the data "will provide a more honest dialogue and help protect baseball’s biggest (and littlest) fans."  Last month, the Chicago White Sox became the first major league team to extend protective netting from foul pole to foul pole. The safety measure was announced a week after a foul ball at the park sent a woman to the hospital with her head bleeding. Several fans, including a 2-year-old girl in Houston, have been injured by hard-hit foul balls this season.

MLB – Four players suspended under minor leaguers drug program
Two players in the Detroit Tigers system have been suspended after testing positive for banned substances. The commissioner’s office made the announcement Wednesday. Detroit shortstop Pavin Parks, with the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Tigers, was suspended 52 games for a positive test for Trenbolone, a performance-enhancing substance. Tigers first baseman Reynaldo Rivera, with Class A West Michigan, was penalized 80 games after a positive test for Trenbolone.Cincinnati outfielder Nate Scantlin, with rookie-level Billings of the Pioneer League, was banned 100 games after his third positive test for a drug of abuse.  There have been 33 players have been suspended this year under the minor league program and seven under the big league program, including Seattle Mariners infielder Tim Beckham this week for 80 games after testing positive for a banned performance enhancer.

NFL – National Football League – Preseason Week 1
Tonight
New England Patriots at Detroit Lions, 7:00 p.m.
Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills, 7:00 p.m.
Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears, 8:00 p.m.
Houston Texans at Green Bay Packers, 8:00 p.m.

NFL – Lions agree to extension with OL Joe Dahl through 2021
The Detroit Lions have agreed to a contract extension with offensive lineman Joe Dahl through 2021.  A Lions spokesman confirmed the deal Wednesday. The 26-year-old Dahl has made four starts in his career with the Lions, including one last season. Dahl was drafted in the fifth round in 2016 by the Lions out of Washington State. He has played in 22 games in his three seasons and made a career-high three starts in 2017.  Dahl is listed as the backup to Kenny Wiggins at left guard on the Lions’ depth chart. Detroit plays its preseason opener tonight against New England.

NFL – Bears to unveil statues of Payton, Halas outside stadium
The Bears will unveil statues of Hall of Famers Walter Payton and George S. Halas outside of Soldier Field on Sept. 3.  The 12-foot, 3,000-pound bronze statues honoring the great running back and the franchise founder and coach will be made public two days before Chicago hosts Green Bay to kick off the NFL’s 100th season.  "I know Walter would be humbled to have this honor bestowed upon him, just as Jarrett, Brittney and our entire family are," said Connie Payton, Walter’s widow. "To say that I am enthusiastic about unveiling this statue to the city of Chicago is an understatement. What a proud moment for all of us and the city of Chicago. We’re not just Chicago Bears fans, we’re family."  Payton entered the Hall of Fame in 1993. He held 16 NFL records when he retired.  Halas, who led the team for 40 years, entered the hall in its first class in 1963.

NFL – Orlando to host Pro Bowl again
The Pro Bowl will return to Orlando for the fourth straight year and be held one week before the Super Bowl. The NFL’s all-star game will be an afternoon match at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 26. A week later, the league’s championship game will be played a few hours south in the Miami area.  Fans, players and coaches will vote for the 88 Pro Bowlers. The game matches the AFC against the NFC.

NCAAFB – Clemson football flagged for 8 secondary NCAA violations
Clemson’s national championship football program has been flagged for eight NCAA infractions.  Clemson self-reported the violations and says none were considered major and all issues about the penalties have been resolved.  The football violations reported by the school included a homeowner paying a player above the going rate for work around the home on three separate occasions. Two violations involved players on social media in a promotional capacity.  The other five infractions were committed by football staffers and included reimbursing an athlete for ground transportation expenses above the school’s mileage rate.

WNBA – Women’s National Basketball Association
Last Night
Chicago Sky 101, New York Liberty 92

Sky 101, Liberty 92 – Quigley, Lavender each score 20-plus, Sky beat Liberty
Allie Quigley scored 22 points, Jantel Lavender had 20 points and 10 rebounds and the Chicago Sky beat the New York Liberty 101-92 on Wednesday night.  Diamond DeShields and Courtney Vandersloot each scored 16 points for Chicago (13-9), which has won five of six to match its win total from last season. Tina Charles led New York (8-14) with 24 points

Tonight
Indiana Fever at Washington Mystics, 7:00 p.m.

MWL – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night
Lansing 9, South Bend 5
West Michigan 3, Bowling Green 1
Great Lakes 4, Lake County 1

Today
South Bend at Lansing, 7:05 p.m.
Bowling Green at West Michigan, 7:05 p.m.
Lake County at Great Lakes, 7:05 p.m.