Wednesday Morning Sports Update-04/14/2021

tigers-astros-baseball-2

MLB – Major League Baseball
Yesterday
Detroit Tigers 8, Houston Astros 2
Cleveland Indians 2, Chicago White Sox 0 – 10 Innings
Chicago Cubs 3, Milwaukee Brewers 2

Tigers 8, Astros 2 – Ramos homers twice, Tigers slug Astros for 2nd straight win
Wilson Ramos hit two home runs and Renato Núñez and rookie Akil Baddoo each homered for the second straight game as the Detroit Tigers slugged their way to an 8-2 win over the Houston Astros. Baddoo is off to a scorching start to his major league career and has four home runs in just eight games. Nomar Mazara also homered to give the Tigers a season-high five homers as they won their second straight game following a four-game skid. Detroit manager A.J. Hinch secured a rare series win for the Tigers in Houston by winning the first 2 of 3 games against his former team.

Indians 2, White Sox 0 – F/10 – Bieber excels, Indians outlast Giolito, White Sox 2-0 in 10
AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber pitched three-hit ball over nine innings for Cleveland while Lucas Giolito nearly matched him before the Indians broke through in the 10th to beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0. The matchup between All-Star aces sure lived up to its billing. Bieber struck out 11 and has fanned 35 in his first three starts of the season for the second straight year. Nolan Ryan set the record with 37 in 1973 and Gerrit Cole had 36 in 2018. Giolito also allowed only three hits and fanned eight.

Cubs 3, Brewers 2 – Plunked again, Contreras hits back with HR, Cubs beat Brews
Willson Contreras struck back after getting plunked again by the Brewers, hitting a two-run homer in the eighth inning as the Chicago Cubs rallied past Milwaukee 3-2 on Tuesday night. Contreras has already been hit by a pitch from the Brewers three times this season. He got his revenge when he hit a towering drive off Brent Suter. Contreras turned himself around and flipped his bat back toward the Cubs dugout before beginning his trot. Contreras put his finger to his lips several times as if to hush Milwaukee fans. Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff hit Contreras earlier. When Woodruff was at the plate in the fifth inning, Cubs reliever Ryan Tepera threw behind him, and they exchanged words,

Today
Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee Brewers, 1:40 p.m.
Detroit Tigers at Houston Astros, 7:10 p.m.  94.9 WSJM/103.7 Cosy-FM 6:50
Cleveland Indians at Chicago White Sox, 8:10 p.m.

MLB – Cubs managing COVID scare
The Chicago Cubs hope to stay on schedule amid a coronavirus scare that’s landed four players on the COVID-19 injured list the past two days. Scheduled starter Kyle Hendricks was scratched Tuesday after the right-hander indicated he wasn’t feeling well — the team didn’t immediately provide more info on his status, other than to say the move was made out of caution. Chicago is set to wrap a series in Milwaukee, with Brewers ace Corbin Burnes facing Jake Arrieta.

NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Los Angeles Clippers 126, Indiana Pacers 115

Clippers 126, Pacers 115 – George dominates Pacers, leads Clippers to 6th straight win
Paul George scored 36 points and Marcus Morris Sr. added 22 to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 126-115 victory at Indiana. The Clippers have won six straight and 12 of 14 overall. George has won all four games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse since he was traded by the Pacers in July 2017. Indiana was led by Malcolm Brogdon’s 29 points. Caris LeVert scored 26. Los Angeles broke it open by starting the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run to make it 108-97. Indiana never recovered.

Tonight
Los Angeles Clippers at Detroit Pistons, 8:00 p.m.
Orlando Magic at Chicago Bulls, 8:00 p.m.
Indiana Pacers at Houston Rockets, 9:00 p.m.

NHL – Mantha shines in debut, Ovechkin scores as Caps rout Flyers
Anthony Mantha had a two points in his Washington debut, Alex Ovechkin scored the 728th goal of his NHL career and the Capitals beat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-1. The East Division-leading Capitals went 3 for 3 on the power play as part of another offensive outburst. Mantha had a goal and an assist after a trade from Detroit. Ovechkin scored his team-leading 22nd goal of the season. The Capitals have won three in a row. The Flyers lost for the sixth time in eight games.

NCAAMBB – Michigan State F Thomas Kithier enters transfer portal
Michigan State forward Thomas Kithier has entered the transfer portal. Kither says he plans to graduate in May. He started 14 games last season as a junior and played in 26 games, averaging 2.4 points and 2.5 rebounds. The 6-foot-8 Kithier averaged two-plus points in 86 games over three seasons. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo says he will help Kithier explore his options.

NCAA – Immediately eligible: NCAA on verge of transfer rule change
The NCAA is about to make an monumental change to its transfer rules. The Division I Council meets Wednesday and Thursday. At the top of the agenda is voting on a proposal that would grant all college athletes the right to transfer one time as undergraduates without sitting out season of competition. All indications are the proposal will pass. When it does, athletes in football, basketball, baseball and men’s hockey will for the first time be immediately eligible to play after switching schools without asking for special consideration.

NFL – NFL players call for virtual offseason, shun in-person work
Members of the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers have become the first to say they won’t participate in their team’s in-person voluntary offseason programs. The NFL Players Association is calling for a second straight year of virtual offseason programs because of the coronavirus pandemic. Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo Tuesday saying COVID-19 protocols can start to be eased as more and more players get vaccinated.

US Soccer – Rapinoe, Morgan score, US women beat France 2-0
Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan scored and the U.S. women’s national team beat France 2-0 in an exhibition. The United States extended its unbeaten streak to 39 games, dating to January 2019 when the Americans fell to France 3-1. Rapinoe scored on a penalty kick in the fifth minute. She leads the team with seven goals in seven matches this year. Morgan made it 2-0 with her 109th career goal in the 19th minute. France was missing some of its top players, including Wendie Renard, Amandine Henry and Dephine Cascario, because of a coronavirus outbreak on that trio’s club team, Lyon.

MCCAA – Junior College Sports
Yesterday
Softball
Lake Michigan College 17, Grand Rapids Community College 2 – Game 1
Lake Michigan College 12, Grand Rapids Community College 2 – Game 2

Baseball
Northwood University JV 18, Lake Michigan College 8 – Game 1
Lake Michigan College 18, Northwood University JV 11 – Game 2

Today
Women’s Soccer
Muskegon Community College at Lake Michigan College, 2:00 p.m.

Softball
Kalamazoo Valley Community College at Lake Michigan College, 3:00 p.m./5:00 p.m.  (DH)

MHSAA – High School Sports
Yesterday
Baseball
Mishawaka Penn 3, Lakeshore 1 – Game 1
Mishawaka Penn 14, Lakeshore 1 – Game 2
Brandywine 5, South Haven 3 – Game 1
Brandywine 6, South Haven 0 – Game 2
Bridgman 29, Eau Claire 1 – Game 1
Bridgman 16, Eau Claire 0 – Game 2
Coloma 7, Galesburg-Augusta 5 – Game 1
Coloma 4, Galesburg-Augusta 4 – Darkness
Kal. Hackett 11, Saugatuck 2 – Game 1
Kal. Hackett 12, Saugatuck 4 – Game 2
Watervliet 6, Parchment 3 – Game 1
Parchment 10, Watervliet 3 – Game 2
Buchanan 3, Schoolcraft 2 – Game 1
Buchanan 11, Schoolcraft 0 – Game 2
Lawrence 7, Marcellus 3
Dowagiac 16, Cassopolis 6
Sturgis 3, Harper Creek 0 – Game 1
Sturgis 9, Harper Creek 4 – Game 2
Portage Northern 12, Three Rivers 1 – Game 1
Portage Northern 10, Three Rivers 0 – Game 2
Mattawan 11, Vicksburg 5 – Game 1
Mattawan 6, Vicksburg 5 – Game 2

Softball
South Haven 7, Brandywine  3 – Game 1
South Haven 23, Brandywine 9 – Game 2
Buchanan 15, Saugatuck 0 – Game 1
Buchanan 15, Saugatuck 0 – Game 2
Coloma 10, Galesburg-Augusta 1 – Game 1
Coloma 12, Galesburg-Augusta 5 – Game 2
Watervliet 14, Parchment 7 – Game 1
Watervliet 5, Parchment 1 – Game 2
Bridgman 38, Eau Claire 0 – Game 1
Bridgman 22, Eau Claire 0 – Game 2
Dowagiac 20, Marcellus 3 – Game 1
Dowagiac 20, Marcellus 4 – Game 2
Harper Creek 9, Sturgis 4 – Game 1
Harper Creek 17, Sturgis 7 – Game 2
Portage Northern 8, Three Rivers 6 – Game 1
Three Rivers 11, Portage Northern 10 – Game 2

Track and Field
Boys: Buchanan 97, South Haven 35
Girls: Buchanan 60, South Haven 48

Girls Tennis
Brandywine 5, Buchanan 3

Today
Girls Soccer
Kalamazoo Central at St. Joseph, 6:00 p.m.
Lakeshore at Portage Northern, 6:30 p.m.
South Haven at Michigan Lutheran, 5:00 p.m.
Buchanan at Lake Michigan Catholic, 5:00 p.m.
Watervliet at Coloma, 5:00 p.m.
Berrien Springs at Comstock, 6:00 p.m.
Bridgman at Covert, 5:00 p.m.
Brandywine at New Buffalo, 6:00 p.m.
Niles at Paw Paw, 6:00 p.m.
Mattawan at Gull Lake, 6:30 p.m.
Fennville at Kal. Hackett, 5:00 p.m.
Kal. Christian at Lawton, 6:00 p.m.
B.C. Lakeview at Kal. Loy Norrix, 6:30 p.m.
Harper Creek at Sturgis, 6:30 p.m.

Baseball
Decatur at River Valley, 4:00 p.m.
Paw Paw at Bloomingdale, 4:00 p.m.
Vicksburg at Kalamazoo Central, 4:00 p.m.

Softball
Plainwell at Kalamazoo Central, 4:00 p.m.

Boys Golf
SMAC West at Lake Cora (Mattawan Host), 3:30 p.m.
St. Joseph, Lakeshore, Mattawan, Portage Central, Portage Northern

Girls Tennis
St. Joseph at Portage Northern, 4:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Central at Lakeshore, 4:00 p.m.