NFL – National Football League Preseason – Hall of Fame Game, Canton, Ohio
Last Night
Baltimore Ravens 17, Chicago Bears 16
Ravens 17, Bears 16 – Ravens and Bears show off D, Baltimore wins 17-16
The Ravens and Bears honored their great linebackers Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher with some defense to make them proud in the Hall of Fame game that opened the NFL’s preseason Thursday night. Oh, there was a little spark of offense, some provided by Baltimore’s first-round draft pick Lamar Jackson in the second half of a 17-16 victory. His 7-yard touchdown pass to fellow first-rounder Hayden Hurst came after the Ravens’ defense recovered a fumble. Chicago put together its best drive in the final minutes and journeyman Tyler Bray connected with Tanner Gentry for a 10-yard score to cap a 92-yard march. But the 2-point conversion pass fell incomplete. Otherwise, D was the letter of the day: there were six turnovers in all, and 12 sacks, eight by the Bears. Generally, it was a sloppy affair marred by a slew of dropped passes, poor protection for the quarterbacks, and misthrows by those QBs.
MLB – Major League Baseball
Last Night
Chicago White Sox 6, Kansas City Royals 4
San Diego Padres 6, Chicago Cubs 1
Tigers were off
White Sox 6, Royals 4 – Abreu, Palka homer as White Sox rally to top Royals 6-4
Jose Abreu hit a tying home run off Jason Adam in the eighth and pinch-hitter Daniel Palka had a three-run homer off Jason Hammel later in the inning, leading the Chicago White Sox over the Kansas City Royals 6-4 Thursday. In a matchup of teams on track to both lose 100 or more games, the White Sox avoided getting swept in the three-game series. Kansas City overcame a 2-0 deficit when pinch-hitter Whit Merrifield hit a three-run homer in the eighth off Xavier Cedeno (1-0), but Abreu homered with one out in the bottom half against Adam (0-3). Abreu’s 141st big league homer moved him ahead of Ron Kittle into sole possession of 10th on the White Sox career list. Chicago (38-70) won for the second time in eight games. Kansas City (34-74) had been seeking its first three-game sweep at the White Sox since June 13-15, 2014
Padres 6, Cubs 1 – Hedges, Erlin lead Padres past Cubs 6-1 to stop 7-game slide
Austin Hedges hit a go-ahead, three-run homer, Robbie Erlin pitched two-hit ball over five innings in a spot start and the San Diego Padres beat the Chicago Cubs 6-1 on Thursday night to end a season-high, seven-game losing streak. Hedges homered off Jesse Chavez (3-2) in the sixth inning for a 3-1 lead, his third homer in six games and seventh overall. Hedges and Manuel Margot each had three of the Padres’ 15 hits, and Margot, Eric Hosmer and A.J. Ellis drove in runs. Erlin (2-3) allowed one run, struck out four and walked one in his third start this season and first since May 21. He didn’t allow a runner until Jason Heyward’s infield single with two outs in the fourth. Mike Montgomery yielded one run and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings for the Cubs, who began the night one game ahead of second-place Milwaukee in the NL Central.
Today
San Diego (Ross 6-8) at Chicago Cubs (Quintana 9-7), 2:20 p.m.
Chicago White Sox (Giolito 7-8) at Tampa Bay (TBD), 7:10 p.m.
Detroit (Liriano 3-5) at Oakland (Anderson 2-3), 10:05 p.m. WSJM Sports/Cosy-FM 9:40
MLB – World Series could end in October for first time since 2014
The October Classic could actually end in October for the first time since 2014. The commissioner’s office has announced that the World Series will start Oct. 23, and a Game 7 would be played on Oct. 31, barring postponements. The World Series ended on Nov. 2 in 2016 and on Nov. 1 in both 2015 and last year. The National League wild-card game will open Major League Baseball’s postseason for the first time since 2013 and is scheduled for Oct. 2. The AL wild-card game is the following day. The NL Division Series is scheduled to start Oct. 4 and the AL on Oct. 5. The NL Championship Series opens Oct. 12, followed by the AL the next day.
NCAAFB – Ohio State trustees’ group will head Meyer probe
Ohio State trustees have appointed a special committee to investigate coach Urban Meyer’s handling of a fired assistant coach’s domestic abuse allegations. The university released a statement Thursday night announcing the formation of the six-member “independent board working group. ”Meyer was put on paid administrative leave on Thursday following a report that Meyer’s wife Shelley knew about 2015 abuse allegations against former assistant Zach Smith made by his then-wife Courtney. Meyer told reporters he didn’t know about the 2015 allegations until just before Smith was fired last month. The university is trying to determine what Meyer knew and when he knew it, and if he failed to report the allegations against Smith to officials. This group includes current trustees Alex Fischer, Janet Porter and Alex Shumate. Also on the panel are former Ohio House Speaker Jo Ann Davidson, former acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Craig Morford and former federal prosecutor Carter Stewart.
NCAAFB – Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State top preseason coaches’ poll
Defending national champion Alabama is a unanimous No. 1 in the preseason coaches’ poll, with Clemson No. 2 and Ohio State No. 3. The Crimson Tide received 61 first-place votes from a panel of major-college coaches in the poll. Alabama won its fifth national championship under coach Nick Saban last season, beating Georgia in overtime of the College Football Playoff national title game. The Bulldogs were ranked fourth by the coaches and Oklahoma was fifth. Rounding out the top 10 were Washington, Wisconsin, Miami, Penn State and Auburn. Notre Dame is 11th, Michigan State is 12th, and Michigan is 14th.
WNBA – Women’s National Basketball Association
Last Night
Indiana Fever 84, Dallas Wings 78
Fever 84, Wings 78 – Fever beat Wings 84-78 for 4th win of season
Cappie Pondexter scored 18 points to lead six Indiana players in double figures and the Fever beat the Dallas Wings 84-78 on Thursday night for their fourth victory of the season. Erica Wheeler made two free throws with 25.6 seconds left to give the Fever (4-23) an 82-74 lead. Dallas answered with a four-point possession, but Pondexter sealed it with two free throws. Natalie Achonwa added 13 points, and Indiana had a season-high 13 steals. Candice Dupree and Victoria Vivians each had 12 points. Elizabeth Cambage had 37 points and nine rebounds for Dallas (14-13), The Wings have lost four straight games.
Tonight
Chicago Sky at Atlanta Dream, 7:00 p.m.
Golf – PGA – Poulter leads, Woods four back
Ian Poulter fired an opening-round 8-under 62 to take the lead at the PGA’s Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone. Poulter carded eight birdies in soft, vulnerable conditions and saved par from the bunker on his final hole to build a one-shot lead over Rickie Fowler and Patrick Cantlay. Tiger Woods has his best opening round of the year, a 66 that puts him four strokes back. Speaking of Woods, he is denying an ESPN report that he and Phil Mickelson have firmed up an exhibition match Thanksgiving weekend at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas. Woods said after his opening-round at the Bridgestone Invitational that nothing has been signed or confirmed. Golf.com reported last month that Woods and Mickelson were contemplating a winner-take-all $10 million match.
Golf – LPGA – Lee leads Women’s British Open
Minjee Lee is the leader through one round of the Women’s British Open at Royal Lytham. The No. 8-ranked Australian shot a 7-under 65 and included a right-to-left putt for eagle from 25 feet on the par-5 15th hole. Lee is one shot ahead of Mamiko Higa and two better than five others.
MWL – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night
Lansing 8, South Bend 6
Great Lakes 3, West Michigan 1
Tonight
South Bend at Lansing, 7:05 p.m.
West Michigan at Great Lakes, 7:05 p.m.
