UNDATED (AP) — The Colorado board of regents has scheduled a special meeting for Thursday. Athletics operations is on the agenda, raising speculation the school may leave the Pac-12 Conference and return to the Big 12. A source told The Associated Press that Big 12 school leaders have already voted to accept Colorado if the Buffs formally apply. The Pac-12 has seemed vulnerable to more poaching. It will lose USC and UCLA to the Big Ten next year and has spent months trying to land a new media rights contract.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Lindsey Horan scored a revenge goal after being knocked around in the second half and the United States squeezed out a a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands at the Women’s World Cup. The Dutch struck early with Jill Roord’s first-half goal to surprise the Americans. With the draw, neither team secured a spot in the knockout round yet with one group game remaining. The Americans and the Dutch sit atop the Group E standings with a win and a draw, but the U.S. has the edge with more goals.
CLEVELAND (AP) — JosĂ© RamĂrez hit a two-run homer in the first inning and a solo shot in the fourth, leading the Cleveland Guardians past the Kansas City Royals 8-3. RamĂrez has 22 multi-homer games in his career, including two this season. He homered into the right field seats in the first and cleared the wall in center in the fourth for his 16th of the season. RamĂrez was 3 for 4 with a check-swing infield hit in the sixth and a walk in the second followed by a stolen base, and he scored three runs. He was finally retired on a groundout in the eighth.
PHOENIX (AP) — Nolan Gorman hit two of St. Louis’ five home runs in the Cardinals’ 11-7 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday. Gorman connected leading off the second against All-Star starter Zac Gallen, then hit a two-run blast to dead center in the eighth off Scott McGough. Gorman has two multi-homer games this season and 22 homers on the season. Lars Nootbaar, Paul Goldschmidt and Andrew Knizner also homered to give the Cardinals the series victory over the slumping Diamondbacks. Andre Pallante (3-1) pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief of Jack Flaherty. Gallen (11-5) lost for the first time at home in 11 starts this season. He pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing five runs, seven hits and two walks. He struck out eight.
WASHINGTON (AP) — CJ Abrams’ RBI single capped a four-run ninth inning and the Washington Nationals rallied to beat the Colorado Rockies 5-4 on Wednesday for a second straight day. A day after using a four-run eighth to come back from a 5-2 deficit to beat the Rockies 6-5, Lane Thomas and Jeimer Candelario opened the ninth with walks against Daniel Bard (4-2) in the finale of the three-game series. Joey Meneses, whose three-run homer was the difference in Tuesday night’s win, singled to load the bases. Keibert Ruiz was out on an infield fly, but Bard hit Dominic Smith with a pitch to walk in a run and make it 4-2. Stone Garrett was out on a slow roller before Candelario scored Washington’s third run. Luis Garcia was intentionally walked and Ildemaro Vargas drew a four-pitch walk to tie the game. Matt Koch came on to face Abrams, who grounded a single between first and second to score pinch runner Michael Chavis for the winning run.
NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge is back in New York and could return to the Yankees’ lineup Friday night at Baltimore. Sidelined since early June with a toe injury, Judge played another simulated game Wednesday at the team’s complex in Tampa, Florida. He returned to the Big Apple after that, manager Aaron Boone said. Speaking at Yankee Stadium after his team’s 3-1 victory over the Mets on Wednesday night, Boone said he didn’t know yet if Judge would come off the injured list Friday. Earlier in the day, the New York Post reported Judge is expected to be activated Friday barring a late setback. Boone has maintained the last-place Yankees are taking Judge’s status day by day and he wouldn’t rule out anything, including a return this weekend.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Judging by the vibe at Wednesday’s “ramp-up” workout, the Denver Broncos are in for a much tougher training camp under new head coach Sean Payton than the infamous “Camp Cupcake” they took part in under Nathaniel Hackett a year ago. Players appear to have steeled themselves for a much more rigorous training camp and preseason slate than they had under Hackett, who was canned after just 11 months and four wins. Payton instilled a culture in which the Broncos went about their business this offseason in relative isolation, keeping the coaching staff he assembled and big free agents he signed off the podium at a time when the Denver Nuggets were winning their first NBA championship and the Colorado Avalanche were coming off a title of their own.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — A person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press that quarterback Aaron Rodgers took a pay cut and agreed to a new two-year, $75 million guaranteed contract with the New York Jets. The four-time NFL MVP had nearly $110 million in guaranteed money remaining on his previous deal signed with Green Bay. But Rodgers is taking less money with New York and reiterating his stay with the Jets is likely to last beyond just this season. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the team didn’t announce the contract. NFL Network first reported the sides had agreed to a new deal.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Bryce Kirtz, Rod Heard II and Bryce Gallagher were supposed to represent Northwestern at this year's Big Ten media days. Instead, they were no-shows. Just 16 days after longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired amid a hazing scandal that has tarnished the Wildcats' once-pristine reputation, interim coach David Braun answered questions by himself about the expanding scandal. Braun couldn't say much more than players because of pending litigation, which was the why the players announced Tuesday they would not make the trip to Indianapolis.
UNDATED (AP) — The PGA Tour won't be supporting the proposal to roll back the golf ball. That's from Commissioner Jay Monahan in a memo sent to players Wednesday evening. Monahan says there is widespread belief this isn't good for the game. The USGA and R&A have proposed a modified local rule that would reduce distance by 15 yards for the biggest hitters. The rule would only apply to elite players. It also would allow for two sets of rules. Monahan says he has notified the groups the tour won't go along with this proposal. The feedback period ends Aug. 15.
WEDNESDAY SCORES
INTERLEAGUE
Final Miami 7 Tampa Bay 1
Final Toronto 8 L.A. Dodgers 1
Final Philadelphia 6 Baltimore 4
Final N.Y. Yankees 3 N.Y. Mets 1
Final Boston 5 Atlanta 3
Final Chicago Cubs 10 Chicago White Sox 7
Final San Francisco 8 Oakland 3
AMERICAN LEAGUE
L-A Angels at Detroit 4:40 p.m. (Postponed)
Final Seattle 8 Minnesota 7
Final Cleveland 8 Kansas City 3
Final Texas 13 Houston 5
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Washington 5 Colorado 4
Final Milwaukee 3 Cincinnati 0
Final Pittsburgh 3 San Diego 2
Final St. Louis 11 Arizona 7