AP Sports Summary for Tuesday, August 20th, 2024:
Caleb Downs leads 4 Ohio State players selected to Associated Press preseason All-America first team
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs is one of the second-ranked Buckeyes' high-profile transfers. He and three of his new teammates have been selected to The Associated Press preseason All-America team. Downs was joined by guard Donovan Jackson, receiver Emeka Egbuka and cornerback Denzel Burke to give Ohio State the most first-team selections. No. 1 Georgia and No. 9 Michigan each had three players picked for the first team, including Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck.
Dolphins' Tagovailoa says McDaniel built him up after Flores tore him down as young NFL quarterback
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa left no doubt he likes playing for Mike McDaniel a lot more than he did Brian Flores. Fresh off signing a four-year contract extension last month, Tagovailoa said he appreciates McDaniel's positive coaching style after dealing with Flores' negativity during his first two seasons in the NFL. Tagovailoa made his remarks during an interview on "The Dan LeBatard Show." Tagovailoa said Flores told him repeatedly he didn't belong while McDaniel built him up by saying his skills fit what the Dolphins want to do. Tagovailoa threw for 29 touchdowns and a league-best 4,624 yards last season.
Braves take another major blow, losing 3B Austin Riley for 6-8 weeks with broken hand
ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley will miss at least the rest of the regular season after breaking his right hand. Riley was struck Sunday by a 97 mph fastball from Los Angeles Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz in the first inning of Atlanta's 3-1 victory. An MRI confirmed the fracture. The Braves said Monday that Riley will miss six to eight weeks, which knocks him out through the regular season and likely into the playoffs should the Braves qualify. The Braves have won six straight NL East titles, but that streak is in jeopardy after a rash of injuries. They trail Philadelphia by seven games.
Vardy scores on Premier League return as Leicester holds Tottenham to 1-1 draw
LEICESTER, England (AP) — Jamie Vardy still knows how to score in the Premier League. The 37-year-old veteran striker rescued a point for Leicester in its return to the Premier League on Monday by heading home a second-half equalizer in a 1-1 draw against Tottenham, which had largely dominated the first half. Tottenham had plenty of opportunities to build a bigger lead but new signing Dominic Solanke was among those guilty of missing chances.
Alvarez's homer in 9th inning gives Mets 4-3 win over Orioles
NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Alvarez hit a solo home run with one out in the ninth inning to give the New York Mets a 4-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. J.D. Martinez launched an early two-run shot and Tyrone Taylor had an RBI single as the Mets moved within 1 1/2 games of idle Atlanta for the last National League wild card. Ramón UrÃas hit a tying homer in the seventh for the Orioles, who dropped a half-game behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The slumping Alvarez connected on a 3-0 fastball from Seranthony DomÃnguez for his first home run since July 26.
Blue Jackets give Patrik Laine 'a change of scenery,' trade him to Canadiens for D Jordan Harris
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Columbus Blue Jackets traded forward Patrik Laine to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Jordan Harris and a second-round draft pick in 2026. The Blue Jackets were without the 26-year-old Laine for much of the 2023-24 season. He sought help from the NHL's player assistance program in January and made it known that his issues were mental-health related. Laine was drafted second overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 2016. He has two seasons remaining on a four-year, $34.8 million contract. In four seasons with the Blue Jackets, Laine had 64 goals and 74 assists.
Tyler Reddick wins rain-delayed NASCAR Cup race at Michigan, his 2nd victory of 2024
BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) — Tyler Reddick took the lead on a restart in the second overtime to win at Michigan International Speedway, opening up another spot for a driver in NASCAR's playoffs. Reddick is one of 12 drivers with a place secured in the postseason, leaving four spots available with races remaining at Daytona and Darlington. He also won at Talladega four months ago in his No. 45 Toyota for 23XI, the team owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan. The race at Michigan was suspended on Sunday after 51 laps because of rain and concluded Monday. William Byron was second and Ty Gibbs finished third.
Top-ranked Jannik Sinner and women's No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka win titles in Cincinnati
MASON, Ohio (AP) — Top-ranked Jannik Sinner and women's No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka earned straight-set victories in the finals of the Cincinnati Open, the first titles at the tournament for both players. Sabalenka defeated Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-5 for her first title since the Australian Open in January. Sinner, who turned 23 on Friday, beat American Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (4), 6-2 to become the youngest Cincinnati champion since 21-year-old Andy Murray won in 2008. Sabalenka had reached the semifinals in the tournament three times and lost each time. The players now look toward the US Open which begins on Aug. 26 in New York.
The NFL says moving the touchback on kickoffs to the 35 is 'not likely' this season
The NFL's new dynamic kickoff is achieving its goals in the preseason of raising the rate of return and the threat of big plays after years of increasing touchbacks. Whether that will carry over to the regular season when coaches might be more concerned with avoiding risk than testing out the new rule remains an open question. With the average start after kickoffs nearly reaching the 30, teams might opt to kick it deep and give up touchbacks to the 30 instead of risking giving up a long return. The NFL says it is "not likely" that the touchback will be moved to the 35 this season.
The college football season is packed with mouthwatering games from coast to coast
Conference realignment has brought Oklahoma and Texas into the SEC, Oregon, Washington, UCLA and USC into the Big Ten and Utah, Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado into the Big 12. Because the conferences at the top are so loaded now, there will be more big games in league play. And with the new 12-team playoff, more late-season games will affect the national championship race than ever. No. 1 Georgia has three games against top six opponents and two more against the top 15. Defending champ Michigan plays Texas in the first truly huge matchup of the season.
AP-Scorecard
Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:
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INTERLEAGUE
Final N.Y. Mets 4 Baltimore 3
Final Cincinnati 6 Toronto 3
Final Texas 4 Pittsburgh 3
Final San Diego 5 Minnesota 3
Final San Francisco 5 Chicago White Sox 3
Final L.A. Dodgers 3 Seattle 0
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Kansas City 5 L.A. Angels 3
Final Houston 5 Boston 4
Final Oakland 3 Tampa Bay 0
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Arizona 9 Miami 6
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TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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INTERLEAGUE
Cincinnati at Toronto 7:07 p.m.
Baltimore at N-Y Mets 7:10 p.m.
Detroit at Chi Cubs 8:05 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Texas 8:05 p.m.
Minnesota at San Diego 9:40 p.m.
Chi White Sox at San Francisco 9:45 p.m.
Seattle at L-A Dodgers 10:10 p.m.
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
Cleveland at N-Y Yankees 7:05 p.m.
Boston at Houston 8:10 p.m.
L-A Angels at Kansas City 8:10 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Oakland 9:40 p.m.
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Arizona at Miami 6:40 p.m.
Colorado at Washington 6:45 p.m.
Philadelphia at Atlanta 7:20 p.m.
Milwaukee at St. Louis 7:45 p.m.
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WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Dallas at New York 7 p.m.
Los Angeles at Connecticut 7 p.m.
Seattle at Washington 7 p.m.
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