95.7 & 1400 WSJM Sports @wsjmsports wsjmsports.com Monday, April 03, 2017
MLB – Major League Baseball – Opening Day 2017
Last Night
St. Louis Cardinals 4, Chicago Cubs 3
Cardinals 4, Cubs 3 – Grichuk, Cardinals top Cubs 4-3 in wild opener
Randal Grichuk hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning and a game-ending RBI single in the ninth, helping the St. Louis Cardinals top the Chicago Cubs 4-3 in a wild prime-time opener on Sunday night. Jose Martinez sparked the winning rally with a pinch-hit double against Mike Montgomery, who closed out Chicago’s World Series championship in November. Yadier Molina then was awarded the first no-pitch intentional walk in major league history, part of baseball’s offseason rule changes designed to speed up the game. With two outs and the bases loaded, Grichuk’s liner went into the gap in left-center for his second career game-ending hit. He was mobbed as he rounded first in the rain, and what was left of a sellout crowd of 47,566 cheered wildly.
Today
Detroit (Justin Verlander 0-0) at Chi. White Sox (Jose Quintana 0-0), 4:10 p.m. WSJM Sports/Cosy-FM 3:45
MLB – Cubs, Maddon become first to use no-pitch intentional walk
Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon became the first manager to call for a no-pitch intentional walk, using the rule that was adopted by Major League Baseball in St. Louis’ 4-3 win on Sunday night. Maddon had left hander Mike Montgomery intentionally walk St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning with the game tied at 3-3. He did so moments after Jose Martinez doubled with one out for the Cardinals, and St. Louis went on to win the game later in the inning with a bases-loaded single by Randal Grichuk. The rule was adopted last month in an effort to speed up major league games.
MLB – Rodon was placed on the 10-day DL by White Sox
Pitcher Carlos Rodon was placed on the 10-day disabled list by the Chicago White Sox because of bursitis in his left biceps. The 24-year-old experienced tightness in his pitching arm late in spring training and was expected to begin the season on the DL. He went 9-10 last season with a 4.04 ERA and is 18-16 with a 3.90 ERA in 54 career games with the White Sox. Chicago placed right-hander Juan Minaya (right abdominal strain) and outfielder Charlie Tilson (stress reaction in right foot) on the 10-day DL. The White Sox also selected the contracts of veteran catcher Geovany Soto, infielder Cody Asche and right-gander Anthony Swarzak from Triple-A on Sunday. Chicago opens against Detroit today.
NCAAMBB – Men’s College Basketball – 2017 National Championship
Tonight
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
(1) North Carolina vs. (1) Gonzaga, 9:20 p.m. 95.7 & 1400 WSJM Sports 6:30
NCAAWBB – Women’s College Basketball – 2017 National Championship
Last Night
American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
(1) South Carolina 67, (2) Mississippi State 55
SC 67, MSU 55 – South Carolina finally wins its first NCAA championship
Dawn Staley finally has her first NCAA women’s basketball championship after coaching South Carolina to a 67-55 victory over Mississippi State. Staley had reached the Final Four three times as a player and once previously as a coach without capturing a title. She watched as A’ja Wilson scored 23 points to give the Gamecocks their first championship. South Carolina saw a 14-point, second-half lead cut to 54-50 before Wilson following her blocked shot with a short jumper that started a game-clinching, 12-2 run. South Carolina handled a Bulldogs squad that ended Connecticut’s 111-game winning streak Friday on Morgan William’s buzzer-beating basket in overtime. William was held in check by the Gamecocks, scoring just eight points.
NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
Boston Bruins 3, Chicago Blackhawks 2
Bruins 3, Blackhawks 2 – Bruins beat Blackhawks 3-2 for 5th straight win
Backup goalie Anton Khudobin made 41 saves and the Boston Bruins held off the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Sunday for their fifth straight victory. Ryan Spooner, Patrice Bergeron and Kevan Miller scored for the Bruins, who jumped over idle Toronto and Ottawa into second place in the Atlantic Division. Boston began the day in wild-card position, four points ahead of Tampa Bay for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Chicago’s Artemi Panarin extended his goal-scoring streak to four games with his 29th. Jordin Tootoo also scored for the Blackhawks, who got 26 saves from Corey Crawford in their final regular-season home game. The Blackhawks clinched first place in the Central Division and Western Conference on Saturday when Minnesota lost at Nashville. Chicago is assured of home-ice advantage through the first three playoff rounds.
Tonight
Ottawa Senators at Detroit Red Wings, 7:00 p.m.
NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Chicago Bulls 117, New Orleans Pelicans 110
Cleveland Cavaliers 135, Indiana Pacers 130 – 2 OT
Bulls 117, Pelicans 110 – Butler’s 39 points lead Bulls past Pelicans, 117-110
Jimmy Butler scored 39 points and the Chicago Bulls sustained their playoff push with a 117-110 victory over the recently resurgent New Orleans Pelicans Sunday. Butler made 14 of 26 shots, including all three of his 3-point shots, to help the Bulls win for the fifth time in six games. Chicago entered the day in a tie for seventh in the Eastern Conference with Miami and Indiana. Butler’s final points came on a step-back jumper with 20 seconds left stem a late Pelicans run. Anthony Davis had 30 points and 11 rebounds for New Orleans, while DeMarcus Cousins added 26 points and 18 rebounds.
Cavaliers 135, Pacers 130 – 2 OT – LeBron’s 41 points lead Cavs past Pacers, 135-130 in 2 OTs
LeBron James made a big 3-pointer in the final minute of the second overtime and scored 41 points to offset 43 by Indiana’s Paul George, and Cleveland opened its April schedule with an emotional 135-130 win Sunday over the Pacers, who remain on the outside of the postseason in the Eastern Conference. James added 15 rebounds and 11 assists in 52 exhausting minutes — his most in more than four years — for the defending NBA champions, whose win was overshadowed by an angry exchange between James and teammate Tristan Thompson during a timeout late in the second OT. James accepted blame for the argument and said he apologized to Thompson.
NBA – Derrick Rose to have knee surgery, miss rest of season
Derrick Rose needs surgery to repair torn left knee cartilage and the New York Knicks say he will miss the rest of the season. Rose missed his third straight game Sunday against Boston. The Knicks announced that an MRI had revealed the injury and that Rose would require an arthroscopy. Troubled by knee injuries throughout much of his career, Rose averaged 18 points in 64 games in his lone season with the Knicks. He will be a free agent this summer. The injury news was surprising, as coach Jeff Hornacek said shortly before the game that while Rose had been bothered by swelling in the knee, he believed he could play again this season.
NASCAR – Keselowski pulls away and wins at Martinsville
Brad Keselowski passed Kyle Busch with 43 laps to go and pulled away for his 23rd Cup victory and first at Martinsville Speedway. Keselowski and Busch swapped the lead several times during a green flag run that began with 64 laps to go. Busch finished second, followed by Chase Elliott, Joey Logano and Austin Dillon. Martin Truex Jr. won the first stage in a three-lap sprint to the finish before Elliott took Stage 2.
