Apr 10, 2021

Sports Headlines for Saturday

Posted Apr 10, 2021 10:28 AM

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) β€” Ryan O'Reilly had three goals and an assist, Jaden Schwartz scored twice and the St. Louis Blues beat the Minnesota Wild 9-1. Justin Faulk and Sammy Blais each had a goal and two assists, and Zach Sanford and Ivan Barbashev also scored for the Blues.Jordan Binnington made 23 saves as St. Louis won its second straight game.Zach Parise scored his first goal in 14 games and Kaapo Kahkonen made 29 saves for the Wild. Minnesota has allowed 17 goals in its last three games.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) β€” A day after volleyball coaches criticized ESPN's coverage plans for the NCAA tournament, the cable network reversed course and announced there would be commentators for all matches streamed on its digital platforms. ESPN's original plan was to stream the first- and second-round matches with no play-by-play announcers or analysts. Several coaches complained publicly that having no announcers would diminish the stature of the tournament. 

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) β€” Rocky Rodriquez and Tyler Lussi each scored and the Portland Thorns welcomed their fans to Providence Park for the the first time in 545 days with a 2-1 victory over KC NWSL on Friday night. It was the first professional sporting event in Oregon to have fans in attendance since the Portland Trail Blazers on March 10 last year. State officials are allowing outdoor venues to host events at 25% capacity, but fans are still not allowed at indoor arenas.  

Update on the latest sports

PGA-MASTERS

Rose salvages 72 to stay in front at Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) β€”Justin Rose continues to lead the Masters, but his advantage has shrunk from four to one shot over Brian Harman and Will Zalatoris (sal-ah-TOHR'-ihs).

Rose is 7 under following his even-par 72 that included three birdies on the back nine.

Zalatoris climbed the leaderboard with a 4-under 68, while Harman signed off on a 69.

Jordan Spieth (speeth) and Marc Leishman (LEESH'-man) are two strokes back and one ahead of six others, including Justin Thomas.

Defending champ Justin Thomas missed the cut, as did Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka (KEHP'-kuh).

MLB-SCHEDULE

Padres finally get a no-hitter...Dodgers, Rays celebrate after celebrations

UNDATED (AP) β€” The first no-hitter of 2021 has been authored by a team that had never thrown one in their first 52 seasons.

San Diego-area native Joe Musgrove did the honors for the Padres, allowing only one baserunner in a 3-0 victory over the Rangers. The Padres were the only active MLB franchise without a no-hitter, and it came in their 8,206th regular-season game.

The only hitter standing between Musgrove and perfection was Joey Gallo, who was hit by a pitch with two out in the fourth inning.

Wil Meyers put the Padres ahead to stay in the second inning with his RBI double, then scored from second base on Tommy Pham's flyout to deep right-center to make it 2-0.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers received their World Series rings Friday and hoisted their World Series banner, about an hour after the Tampa Bay Rays unveiled their American League East and AL pennant banners. Both teams also celebrated victories.

Justin Turner's sixth-inning homer accounted for the only run as the Dodgers blanked Washington, 1-0. Walker Buehler (BYOO'-lur) pitched six strong innings as the Dodgers won without injured star outfielders Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger.

Joe Ross threw five scoreless innings of two-hit ball for the Nationals, who lost their third straight since their pandemic-delayed, season-opening win on Tuesday.

The Rays roughed up Corey Kluber while winning their home opener, 10-5 over the New York Yankees. The Rays tagged Kluber for five runs and five hits over 2 1/3 innings.

Brandon Lowe (low) delivered a three-run double and Austin Meadows had three of the Rays' 13 hits.

Also around major league diamonds:

β€” Shohei Ohtani (SHOH'-hay oh-TAH'-nee) hit a solo homer and a three-run double to finish with four RBIs in the Angels' 7-1 win over the Blue Jays. Andrew Heaney allowed three hits, struck out nine and walked two over six scoreless innings. Jared Walsh hit a two-run drive in the fifth as Los Angeles improved to 6-2, matching the best eight-game start in franchise history.

β€” Tyler Naquin (NAY'-kwihn) crushed his league-leading fifth homer before Tucker Barnhart singled home the winning run in the 10th inning of the Reds' 6-5 verdict over the Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks trailed 5-0 before scoring three times in the seventh and tying it on Eduardo Escobar's towering, two-run homer in the eighth. The Reds came into Friday's game on an offensive roll, batting .316 with 14 homers during their 5-1 homestand to start the season.

β€” Ronald AcuΓ±a (ah-KOON'-yah) Jr. had four hits, including a long two-run homer that gave Atlanta the lead in an 8-1 thumping of the Phillies. AcuΓ±a's fifth-inning blast off Zack Wheeler (1-1) traveled an estimated 456 feet, landing deep in the center-field seats behind the Braves bullpen for a 2-1 lead. He also had two doubles and an infield single to back Charlie Morton, who allowed a run and four hits over six innings. Mark Canha (KAN'-ah) added a two-run homer in the ninth to pad the lead.

β€” Matt Olson's tiebreaking, three-run homer in the eighth lifted the Athletics to a 6-2 win over Astros. Jed Lowrie furnished a solo shot for Oakland, which had dropped its previous five meetings with Houston this season.

β€” Brandon Crawford broke up a scoreless tie with a bases-loaded, two-run double in the seventh inning before the Giants completed a 3-1 win over the Rockies. Johnny Cueto (KWAY'-toh) came within one out of a complete game, scattering four hits and blanking Colorado until pinch-hitter Chris Owings tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly in the ninth.

β€” Franmil (FRAHN'-meel) Reyes homered twice and Zach Plesac (PLEE'-sak) pitched seven dominant innings to give the Cleveland Indians a 4-1 win over the Tigers, who scratched starter Julio Teheran just before the first pitch. Reyes hit a two-run homer in the first off emergency starter Derek Holland and added a 446-foot solo shot in the sixth to make it 4-0. Plesac pitched scoreless ball, allowing just three singles while improving to 3-1 in five career starts against the Tigers.

MLB-NEWS

Free agent pitcher banned 1 year for drug violation

UNDATED (AP) β€” Free agent pitcher David Carpenter has been suspended for one year for violating the minor league joint drug prevention and treatment program.

The 35-year-old Carpenter has pitched in six big league seasons and last appeared in the majors in 2019 for the Texas Rangers. The right-handed reliever has a 3.69 career ERA but hasn't held down a full-time bullpen job since 2015, when he made 30 appearances with the Washington Nationals and New York Yankees.

In other baseball news:

β€” The Dodgers have placed former NL MVP Cody Bellinger on injured reserve with a bruised left calf. Bellinger was accidentally spiked by Athletics reliever Reymin Guduan on Monday while beating out an infield single in the ninth inning of the Dodgers' 10-3 win in Oakland.

β€” Yankees slugger Aaron Judge was held out of New York's lineup for the second straight game with soreness in his left side. Judge had a homer, three hits and four RBIs in a 7-2 win over Baltimore on Tuesday night but didn't play in the Yankees' 4-3, 11-inning loss a day later.

β€” An usher who spent more than 80 years guiding Pirates fans to their seats through varying stages of success and failure by the team has died. Phil Coyne was 102. Coyne began working for the Pirates in 1936 and served as a fixture in the stands as the franchise moved from Forbes Field to Three Rivers Stadium to PNC Park.

NBA-SCHEDULE

Sixers fall to Williamson, Pelicans

UNDATED (AP) β€” The Brooklyn Nets enjoy sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference

The 76ers are a full game behind the Nets following a 101-94 loss at New Orleans. Zion Williamson scored 14 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter, including the first six of the period. Williamson was 15 of 28 from the field and added 15 rebounds and eight assists.

Brandon Ingram added 17 points but shot 5 of 21 in his first game back since missing five with a right foot injury.

Joel Embiid had scored 59 points in two games since returning from injury, but he provided just 14 on 5-of-16 shooting in this one.

Checking out Friday's other NBA action:

β€” Kawhi (kah=WY') Leonard scored 31 points, Reggie Jackson added 26 and the Clippers used a dominating second quarter to defeat the Rockets, 126-109 and extend their winning streak to four games. The Clippers trailed 40-26 with 9:57 remaining in the second before outscoring the Rockets 41-6 the remainder of the period. The Clippers were 15 of 21 from the field during the quarter while the Rockets missed 14 of 15 after making their first two shots.

β€” Nikola Jokic (nih-KOH'-lah YOH'-kihch) had 26 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds for the Nuggets in a 121-119 win against the Spurs. Jokic posted his 54th career triple-double to help the Nuggets to their eighth straight victory. Michael Porter Jr. had 22 points and reserve Monte Morris chipped in 21 for Denver, which didn't ice the victory until DeMar DeRozan's tip attempt at the buzzer spun out.

β€” Miles Bridges scored 26 points to lead the Hornets to a 127-119 victory over the Bucks, who were playing without all five of their usual starters. Charlotte had five players score at least 18 points, with Terry Rozier and Devonte' Graham each providing 20. Charlotte is three games over .500 for the first time since January 2017.

β€” Jayson Tatum poured in 18 of his career-high 53 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to help the Celtics outlast the Timberwolves, 145-136. It was the first 50-point game for the All-Star, who eclipsed his previous high of 41. Jaylen Brown had 26 points. Marcus Smart added 24 points, eight assists and six rebounds to help Boston post its fourth win in five games.

β€” The Hawks knocked off the Bulls, 120-108 as Trae Young scored 42 points, and Clint Capela added a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Zach LaVine (lah-VEEN') scored 39 of his career-high 50 points in the first half, but the Bulls lost for the first time in four games. Nikola Vucevic (nih-KOH'-lah VOO'-cheh-vihch) had 25 points and 10 boards for Chicago.

β€” RJ Barrett drained a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:15 left in overtime and finished with 20 points as the Knicks ended the Grizzlies' four-game winning streak, 133-129. Alec Burks had nine of his 19 in OT, and Julius Randle recovered from a scoreless first half to finish with 15 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in his fifth triple-double of the season. Ja (jah) Morant scored 26 points and Dillon Brooks had 23 for the Grizzlies, who were trying to complete a perfect four-game road trip through the Eastern Conference.

β€” Bradley Beal shook off a sluggish performance and scored six points in the final 6.1 seconds to lift the Wizards past the Warriors, 110-107. Washington guard Russell Westbrook had 19 points, 14 assists and 14 rebounds for his league-leading 21st triple-double. Rui Hachimura added 22 points and five rebounds for the Wizards, who had lost 12 of 16.

β€” Domantas Sabonis (doh-MAHN'-tahs sah-BOH'-nihs) had 16 points, 15 rebounds and six assists in his return from a three-game injury absence, helping the Pacers earn a 111-106 win over the Magic. Aaron Holiday made six of Indiana's 11 3-pointers and finished with 20 points for Indiana. Doug McDermott made 8 of 13 shots and added 19 points off the bench as the Pacers improved to 15-12 on the road.

NBA-HEAT-OLADIPO

Oladipo not leaving with Heat for trip

MIAMI (AP) β€” Victor Oladipo (oh-lah-DEE'-poh) will not be with the Miami Heat when they depart Saturday for a four-game West Coast trip.

The team says more evaluation will be required before the team knows the full extent of his right-knee issue.

Oladipo hurt the knee during the fourth quarter of Miami's win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

NHL-SCHEDULE

Caps catch Isles in East

UNDATED (AP) β€” The Washington Capitals and New York Islanders are back in a dead heat for first place in the NHL's East Division.

Justin Schultz had a goal and two assists as the Capitals knocked off the Sabres, 4-3, putting Washington back into a first-place tie. Brenden Dillon opened the scoring 2:39 into the first and set up Alex Ovechkin's 727th career goal nine minutes later. Justin Schultz and Jakub Vrana also scored as the Caps ended a two-game losing streak.

Vitek Vanecek (VEE'-tehk VAN'-eh-chehk) stopped 30 shots in his 16th win, tops among all league rookies.

The Islanders fell to 4-1 on their six-game homestand with a 4-1 setback against the Rangers.

Neither team scored until Alexis Lafrienere (ah -LEX'-ee lah-frehn-YEHR') and Colin Blackwell tallied about four minutes apart in the second period. Alexander Georgiev (JUR'-jee-ehv) stopped 31 shots to help the Rangers win for the fifth time in seven games.

Andy Greene scored his first goal of the season for the Isles, who fell to 17-2-2 at Nassau Coliseum.

Elsewhere on NHL ice:

β€” Jonas Johansson made 28 saves in his first career shutout and Valeri Nichushkin scored the game-winner as the Avalanche blanked the Ducks, 2-0. Mikko Rantanen (MEE'-koh RAN'-tah-nehn) notched his seventh goal in as many games with an empty-netter as Colorado rebounded from Wednesday's 8-3 loss to the Wild. Nathan MacKinnon extended his points streak to eight games with an assist on Rantanen's late goal, helping the Avs secure a point for the 16th time in 17 games.

β€” The Wild followed their blowout win over Colorado with a 9-1 loss at St. Louis as Ryan O'Reilly had three goals and an assist. Jaden Schwartz scored twice and St. Louis posted a season high for goals in a game. Jordan Binnington made 23 saves as the Blues won its second straight game.

β€” Reilly Smith scored twice to lead the Golden Knights to a 7-4 win over the Coyotes. Jonathan Marchessault (MAHR'-sheh-soh), William Carrier, Keegan Kolesar, Chandler Stephenson, and Max Pacioretty (patch-uh-REH'-tee) also scored for Vegas, while Robin Lehner made 22 saves. After opening a 5-0 lead early in the second period, the Knights survived a third-period rally and improved to 12-5-0 all-time against Arizona.

β€” Bryan Rust scored twice and Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists in leading the streaking Penguins to a 6-4 victory over the Devils. Jared McCann, Brian Dumoulin (DOO'-muh-lihn) and Colton Sceviour (SEE'-vee-ur) also scored as the banged-up Pens won their second game in as many nights to get within two points of the East Division lead. Casey DeSmith made 25 saves in snapping a personal two-game losing streak.

β€” The Sharks were 5-2 winners over the Kings as Martin Jones made 32 saves and Patrick Marleau scored his 566th career goal. Jones beat the Kings for the sixth time this season and has a .933 save percentage in seven games against his former team. Kevin Labanc, Rudolfs Balcers (BAHL'-surs) and Dylan Gambrell also scored, and Brent Burns had three assists to give San Jose its fifth win in six games.

NHL-NEWS

Virus-battered Canucks aim to complete condensed season

UNDATED (AP) β€” The Vancouver Canucks are recovering from the NHL's worst COVID-19 outbreak but believe they can complete the pandemic-condensed season.

The team has not played since March 24. An outbreak has ripped through the team over the past week and a half. Four coaches and 21 players have tested positive, and one additional player being deemed a close contact.

In other NHL developments:

β€” Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski is scheduled to undergo sports hernia surgery next week and will miss the rest of the season. It's the latest injury blow to the team after forward Boone Jenner's season-ending broken finger.

β€” The Predators have placed forward Filip Forsberg on injured reserve, Also Nashville right wing Mathieu Olivier will miss four to six weeks with a lower body injury after being hurt in the second period of Thursday night's 7-1 win over Detroit.

NFL-TEXANS-WATSON-LAWSUITS

Names of 13 accusers to be made public

HOUSTON (AP) β€” The names of 13 of the 22 women who have filed lawsuits accusing Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual assault and harassment will be made public following court hearings. The 13 women have sued under the name Jane Doe.

During two court hearings Friday, Watson's attorney, Rusty Hardin, asked that their names be publicly identified so his client can "have a chance at properly defending himself."

The women's lawyer, Tony Buzbee, argued against releasing their names. He said doing so could put their lives in danger. He said one woman who spoke publicly at a Tuesday news conference has already received death threats.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL-GONZAGA-AYAYI

Gonzaga guard Joel Ayayi declares for NBA draft

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) β€” Gonzaga guard Joel Ayayi (ah-YAH'-ee) has declared for the NBA draft and will skip his senior season. The school says Ayayi will hire an agent and pursue a professional career. Ayayi was a finalist for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award this season. He averaged 12 points per game while shooting 57.5% from the field. The French native's 6.8 rebounds per game were second on the team as Gonzaga advanced to the NCAA title game, where the Bulldogs lost to Baylor. Ayayi recorded the first triple-double in program history in a win at Portland on Jan. 9.

TRANSGENDER ATHLETES-NCAA

Advocates call on NCAA to act in response to anti-trans laws

UNDATED (AP) β€” Athletes, coaches and advocates are calling on the NCAA to act in response to state laws banning transgender athletes from competing in organized sports.

The NCAA has had a transgender inclusion policy since 2011 and requires states that host championships to provide an environment that is "safe, healthy and free of discrimination." The organization has said it is monitoring the wave of proposed bills and laws enacted that impact transgender student-athletes.

Conservative lawmakers in at least 28 states have introduced legislation to ban or limit transgender athletes from competing on teams or sports that align with their gender identity.