95.7 & 1400 WSJM Sports @wsjmsports wsjmsports.com Tuesday, April 12, 2016
MLB – Major League Baseball
Yesterday
Pittsburgh Pirates 7, Detroit Tigers 4
Chicago White Sox 4, Minnesota Twins 1
Chicago Cubs 5, Cincinnati Reds 3
Pirates 7, Tigers 4 – Polanco doubles twice as Pirates beat Tigers, Verlander
Gregory Polanco had two of Pittsburgh’s six doubles, and the Pirates chased Justin Verlander during the fifth inning of a 7-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Monday. Verlander (0-1), who took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning at Miami in his first start, allowed seven runs and 10 hits _ five of them doubles _ in 4 1/3 innings. His 111 pitches were his most in an outing lasting fewer than five innings. He appeared to have good stuff early, but the Pirates were able to run up his pitch counts in the first two innings. Verlander needed 18 pitches as Pittsburgh scored a run in the first, then threw 37 in the second. Jonathan Niese (1-0) gave up four runs _ three earned _ and five hits in six innings. Mark Melancon pitched a one-hit ninth for his third save.
White Sox 4, Twins 1 – White Sox win 4-1, Twins fall to 0-7 in home opener
Austin Jackson hit a two-run, two-out single in the fourth inning one pitch after just missing a grand slam, lifting the Chicago White Sox to a 4-1 victory Monday that spoiled Minnesota’s home opener and stuck the winless Twins with their seventh straight loss. Jose Quintana (1-0) completed six smooth innings with one run allowed for the White Sox, who have won five of their first seven games. Todd Frazier sparked a second-inning rally with a leadoff single and later added an RBI double. Twins starter Kyle Gibson (0-2) was charged with only one earned run over 5 2/3 innings, but threw a wild pitch that set up Frazier to score on a single by Brett Lawrie.
Cubs 5, Reds 3 – Finnegan loses no-hit bid in 7th; Russell, Cubs top Reds 5-3
Reds left-hander Brandon Finnegan pitched 6 2/3 hitless innings before allowing a single to David Ross, but Addison Russell hit a three-run home run while Chicago roughed up Cincinnati’s bullpen in a 5-3 victory Monday night in the Cubs’ home opener. Ross’ single started a two-run rally, with Jason Heyward cutting the Cubs’ deficit to 3-2 with a bases-loaded single off Tony Cingrani. In the eighth, Cingrani (0-1) walked Ben Zobrist with one out and hit Jorge Soler. Russell then drove Jumbo Diaz’s first pitch out to left-center, whipping the packed crowd into a frenzy and sending the Cubs to their sixth victory in seven games, matching their best start since 1998. Jon Lester pitched six innings, allowing three runs and five hits. Adam Warren (1-0) worked a scoreless eighth for his first win as a Cub, and Hector Rondon struck out the side in the ninth for his second save in as many chances.
Tonight
Pittsburgh (Nicasio 1-0) at Detroit (An.Sanchez 1-0), 1:10 p.m. WSJM-AM/WCSY-FM 12:45
Cubs and White Sox are off
MLB – Cubs place Schwarber on 60-day DL, acquire Soto from Indians
The Chicago Cubs have transferred slugger Kyle Schwarber to the 60-day disabled list from the 15-day DL because of a season-ending knee injury. They also acquired left-handed pitcher Giovanni Soto from the Cleveland Indians for cash. The Cubs announced the moves before Monday’s home opener against the Cincinnati Reds. Schwarber tore ligaments in his left knee and severely sprained an ankle in an outfield collision with Dexter Fowler at Arizona last week. As a rookie last season, he hit 16 home runs and drove in 43 runs in 69 games. Soto debuted with Cleveland last season and threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings over six relief appearances. The Cubs optioned him to Triple-A Iowa.
MLB – Games offer farewell to field at site of old Tiger Stadium
Volunteers and baseball fans gathered over the weekend at the site of the old Tiger Stadium for a farewell of sorts to the former ballpark’s field. The volunteer group Navin Field Grounds Crew that maintained the field organized the events ahead of a Wednesday groundbreaking on a project to redevelop the site into a youth sports facility and new Detroit Police Athletic League headquarters. Tiger Stadium opened in 1912 as Navin Field. The Tigers left for Comerica Park after the 1999 season.
NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Chicago Bulls 121, New Orleans Pelicans 116
Bulls 121, Pelicans 116 – Jimmy Butler scores 23 points as Bulls beat Pelicans 121-116
Jimmy Butler scored 12 of his 23 points in the last six minutes and the short-handed Chicago Bulls beat the injury-riddled New Orleans Pelicans 121-116 on Monday night. Nikola Mirotic added 20 points and Cristiano Felicio matched his career high with 16 for the Bulls. Butler was the only regular in the starting lineup. Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol sat after Chicago was eliminated from the playoffs when Indiana won Sunday. James Ennis had a career-high 29 points for the Pelicans, who have been without all five of their leading scorers for two weeks. Toney Douglas contributed 21 points, and Tim Frazier had 20 points and 11 assists. With the score tied at 106, Butler took over down the stretch.
Tonight
New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers, 7:00 p.m.
Miami Heat at Detroit Pistons, 7:30 p.m.
NHL – Red Wings’ Datsyuk says it’s hard to make final decision now
Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk says it is hard to make a final decision on his future. Datsyuk was peppered with questions Monday, a day after being quoted in a story saying he was returning to Russia and retiring from the NHL. The 37-year-old center insists his focus is only on the playoffs. The Red Wings will play at Tampa Bay on Wednesday night in the first game of the playoffs. Datsyuk has one season left on his three-year, $22.5 million contract. He will count $7.5 million against Detroit’s salary cap next season even if he retires. Datsyuk acknowledges it was a mistake to sign a multiyear deal. Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg says he had a feeling Datsyuk would want to go back home.
NHL – Flyers co-founder dies
Philadelphia Flyers co-founder Ed Snider has died at 83 following a two-year battle with cancer. Snider and Jerry Wolman were awarded the NHL franchise in 1966, one year before Snider took over control of the team. His “Broad Street Bullies” became the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup when they defeated Boston in 1974. Snider was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988.
NCAA Men’s Basketball – Oakland University agrees to 3-year, $864K deal with Kampe
Oakland University has agreed to terms on a three-year, $864,000 contract extension with basketball coach Greg Kampe. The deal with Kampe would keep him under contract through the 2019-20 season. He will make $275,000 next season in the last year of his previous contract.
NCAA Men’s Basketball – Highly touted hoops recruit Josh Jackson commits to Kansas
Highly touted recruit Josh Jackson has committed to playing basketball at Kansas next season. Jackson announced his decision Monday night on Twitter. He can sign a letter of intent as soon as Wednesday. The Detroit native attends Prolific Prep Academy in California, Jackson had narrowed his final choices to Kansas, Michigan State and Arizona. He boosts the Jayhawks’ recruiting class that includes Mitch Lightfoot, who signed a letter of intent last week.
NCAA Football – NCAA puts hold on bowl games
Enough! That’s the message from the NCAA which is prohibiting the creation of new bowl
games for the next three years. he move comes after three teams with 5-7 records were needed to fill the record number of 40 bowls last season. The NCAA’s football oversight committee last week recommended a three-year moratorium on sanctioning new postseason games and it was approved by the Division I Council.
NFL – Another charge against alleged Smith assailant
New Orleans Police say they plan to add a new charge against Cardell Hayes, the man accused of killing former Saints player Will Smith following a car accident. A police spokesman said Hayes will be charged with attempted murder or aggravated battery after Smith’s wife, Racquel, was shot in the leg. The spokesman couldn’t comment on a statement from Hayes’ attorney saying Hayes called 911 shortly before a car crash that police say touched off the deadly shooting. Attorney John Fuller said a hit-and-run driver had rear-ended Hayes, who was trying to catch up to that vehicle and get a license plate number when he ran into Smith’s Mercedes SUV late Saturday.
NFL – Gordon’s latest drug test not entirely clean
Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon has raised a red flag following a recent NFL-administered drug test. A person familiar with the situation tells The Associated Press that while Gordon didn’t have a positive substance abuse test, a sample collected last month showed Gordon had traces of marijuana and a diluting substance in his system. The level of marijuana was less than the minimum required by the NFL for a positive test. Gordon was suspended for all of 2015 following a positive test for alcohol.
MWL – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night
Fort Wayne Tin Caps 4, Great Lakes Loons 2
Lake County Captains 6, West Michigan Whitecaps 1
Lansing Lugnuts 6, Dayton Dragons 4
South Bend Cubs 7, Bowling Green Hot Rods 6
Tonight
Fort Wayne Tin Caps at Great Lakes Loons, 6:05 p.m.
Lake County Captains at West Michigan Whitecaps, 6:35 p.m.
Bowling Green Hot Rods at South Bend Cubs, 7:05 p.m.
Dayton Dragons at Lansing Lugnuts, 7:05 p.m.
AHL – American Hockey League
Last Night
Iowa Wild 3, Grand Rapids Griffins 0
Tonight
Chicago Wolves at Milwaukee Admirals, 8:00 p.m.
MHSAA – High School Sports
Yesterday
Girls Soccer
Michigan Lutheran 2, Granger Christian (IN) 1
Edwardsburg 0, Coloma 0 – TIE
Bridgman 2, Brandywine 1
Today
Track and Field
Niles at St. Joseph, 4:00 p.m.
Vicksburg at Edwardsburg, 4:15 p.m.
Dowagiac at Sturgis, 4:15
Baseball
Benton Harbor at Paw Paw, 4:30 p.m. (DH)
Fennville at South Haven, 4:30 p.m. (DH)
Buchanan at Cassopolis, 4:15 p.m.
Watervliet at Brandywine, 4:15 p.m.
Softball
Edwardsburg at Lakeshore, 4:00 p.m.
New Buffalo at Lake Mich. Catholic, 4:15 p.m. (DH)
Hamilton at Allegan, 4:00 p.m.
Decatur at Dowagiac, 4:00 p.m.
Bridgman at River Valley, 4:15 p.m.
Brandywine at Watervliet, 4:30 p.m.
Girls Soccer
Three Rivers at Niles, 5:30 p.m.
Mattawan at Kalamazoo Hackett, 6:00 p.m.
Schoolcraft at Bangor, 6:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Christian at Lawton, 6:00 p.m.
