95.7 & 1400 WSJM Sports @wsjmsports wsjmsports.com Friday, July 21, 2017
MLB – Major League Baseball
Yesterday
Kansas City Royals 16, Detroit Tigers 4
Cubs and White Sox were off
Royals 16, Tigers 4 – Royals rout Tigers 16-4, set season highs for runs and hits
Brandon Moss drove in four runs, Mike Moustakas had three RBIs and the Kansas City Royals routed the error-prone Detroit Tigers 16-4 on Thursday night. Eric Hosmer and Whit Merrifield homered for the Royals, who moved within 1 ½ games of first-place Cleveland in the AL Central. The 16 runs and 19 hits were season highs for Kansas City. Detroit committed three errors in the Royals’ four-run first inning, when only one run was earned. It was the most errors the Tigers have made in an inning since May 1, 2010. Michael Fulmer, the 2016 AL Rookie of the Year, threw 37 pitches in the first. The heat index was 107 when the game started. Fulmer (10-7), who had won his previous four starts, was removed after facing 18 batters. He retired only eight, and eight scored. It was the shortest outing of his career.
Today
St. Louis (Martinez 6-8) at Chicago Cubs (Arrieta 9-7), 2:20 p.m.
Detroit (Sanchez 1-0) at Minnesota (Santana 11-6), 8:10 p.m. WSJM Sports/Cosy-FM 7:45
Chicago White Sox (Shields 2-2) at Kansas City (Kennedy 3-6), 8:15 p.m.
NFL – Simpson wins parole
Nine years after trying to snatch sports memorabilia in a Las Vegas hotel-room heist, O.J. Simpson will walk free as soon as Oct. 1. The former football star and one-time defendant on Los Angeles murder charges was granted parole Thursday after his sister and one of the collectibles dealers robbed at gunpoint spoke on his behalf. Simpson was, at turns, remorseful, jovial and defensive at the hearing on live TV. In allowing Simpson to go free in October, the board cited his compliance with prison rules, his lack of prior convictions, his low risk of committing another crime, his community support and stable release plans.
Golf – British Open – An All-American start to the British Open
The wind off the Irish Sea pushed away the rain clouds and bathed Royal Birkdale in sunshine, Stars and Stripes. The British Open began Thursday with an All-American flavor. Jordan Spieth, U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka and Matt Kuchar all fired 5-under par 65s. Kuchar, who first endeared himself to these British fans as a 19-year-old amateur in 1998 at Royal Birkdale, tied the course record with a 29 on the front nine, only to fall into a routine of pars the rest of the way. He still shot 65, his best score ever in a major. They were a stroke ahead of Paul Casey and Charl Schwartzel on a day that started nasty and ended with 39 players breaking par.
NCAA Football – Freeze resigns as Ole Miss football coach over “personal misconduct”
football coach Hugh Freeze resigned Thursday after university officials found a “pattern of personal misconduct” that started with the school’s investigation into a call to an escort service. Freeze’s resignation brings a stunning end to a five-year tenure that saw a Sugar Bowl victory, but also a wide-ranging NCAA investigation into rules violations. His ultimate downfall came after school officials investigated Freeze’s phone records and found misconduct. Athletic director Ross Bjork says the school’s investigation started last week after an outside Freedom of Information request revealed a concerning phone call that lasted less than a minute. The school then looked into the rest of his phone records and found more problems. Freeze’s university cell phone records obtained by The Associated Press show a 1-minute call made on Jan. 19, 2016, to a Detroit-based number. An internet search shows the number linked to a site that offers various escort services.
NBA – Cavaliers talking contract with Derrick Rose
A person familiar with the negotiations says the Cleveland Cavaliers are discussing a contract with former NBA MVP Derrick Rose. The team is discussing a one-year deal with Rose, said the person who spoke Thursday to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the talks. Cleveland is limited in what it can offer the free agent guard, whose career has been slowed by knee injuries. Rose made $21.3 million while playing in 64 games for the New York Knicks last season. ESPN.com first reported the Cavs’ interest in the 28-year-old Rose. The Cavs signed free agent Jose Calderon last month as a backup to All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving. Rose, if healthy, would be a better option than the 34-year-old Calderon. Cleveland struggled to fill the backup role after allowing Matthew Dellavedova to leave as a free agent following the 2016 championship season.
WNBA – Women’s National Basketball Association
Last Night
Chicago Sky 82, Los Angeles Sparks 80
San Antonio Stars 85, Indiana Fever 61
Sky 82, Sparks 80 – Dolson hits late 3, Sky hand Sparks 1st home loss
Stefanie Dolson hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 13 seconds left and scored 15 points to help the Chicago Sky beat Los Angeles 82-80 on Thursday for the Sparks’ first home loss of the season. After a timeout with 20.4 seconds left, Courtney Vandersloot curled around the defense, drove the baseline and found an open Dolson in the corner for a 3-pointer. Nneka Ogwumike dribbled into a double team in the lane and her shot was blocked out-of-bounds by Imani Boyette with 4.8 seconds left. Boyette blocked another shot under the basket, and Ogwumike’s putback was short at the buzzer. Vandersloot had her fourth double-double in six games with 14 points and a career-high 14 assists for Chicago (8-13). Cappie Pondexter scored eight points to reach 6,500 for her career. Pondexter made a jumper with 7:24 left in the fourth quarter to give Chicago its first lead, 67-65, since 9-8. Nneka Ogwumike had 24 points and 10 rebounds for Los Angeles (14-6).
Stars 85, Fever 61 – Stars beat Fever 85-61 for 2nd series victory in 8 days
Isabelle Harrison had 18 points and nine rebounds, rookie Kelsey Plum scored a season-high 16 points and the San Antonio Stars beat the Indiana Fever 85-61 on Thursday night for their second series victory in eight days. San Antonio raced to an 11-2 lead, held San Antonio to 12 first-quarter points and cruised. The Stars were ahead 47-26 at the break after shooting 60 percent and extended it to a 29-point lead after closing the third quarter on a 14-0 run. Moriah Jefferson added 11 points and eight assists for San Antonio (3-18). Kayla McBride did not play because of an ankle injury. Harrison was 8 of 10 from the field. Plum — the former Washington star drafted No. 1 overall — was 5 of 9 and made all five of her free throws. Tiffany Mitchell scored 13 points for Indiana (8-13), which has lost six of seven. Candice Dupree grabbed six rebounds for sole possession of ninth in WNBA history with 2,488.
AHL – Scuba diver finds HOF ring of former AHL star Dick Gamble
A scuba-diving treasure hunter has found the American Hockey League Hall of Fame ring belonging to Dick Gamble in one of New York’s Finger Lakes. Gary Gavurnik says he found the ring in Canandaigua Lake on Fourth of July weekend and plans to return it to the 88-year-old Gamble. The AHL said Thursday that Gamble ordered a replacement ring several years ago and that his name is inscribed on both. Gamble, who starred for the Rochester Americans, retired early in the 1969-70 season. He was inducted as an original member of the Americans’ Hall of Fame in 1986 and was enshrined in the AHL Hall of Fame in 2007. He played parts of eight NHL seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks.
MWL – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night
West Michigan 6, Beloit 3 – Game 1
Beloit 2, West Michigan 0 – Game 2
Great Lakes 10, Cedar Rapids 0
Lansing 3, Quad Cities 2
South Bend 6, Wisconsin 1
Today
Great Lakes at Cedar Rapids, 7:35 p.m.
Lansing at Quad Cities, 7:35 p.m.
West Michigan at Beloit, 8 p.m.
South Bend at Wisconsin, 8:05 p.m.
