Manziel formally indicted for ‘domestic violence’ charges

Brees criticizes Goodell

WASHINGTON, April 27, (RTRS): Johnny Manziel was formally indicted by a Dallas County grand jury on Tuesday.

The misdemeanor domestic violence charge carries a maximum of one year incarceration and a $4,000 fine.

The alleged incident took place in January, when Manziel is accused of striking his longtime girlfriend Colleen Crowley several times. One of the blows to Crowley’s left ear caused a ruptured ear drum, she said in an affidavit.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees sharply criticized NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, one day after New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had his four-game suspension reinstated by a federal appeals court.

Brees said Goodell shouldn’t be trusted and has been a “black eye” for the NFL.

“I think we would all agree that he definitely has too much power,” Brees told SI.com. “He is judge, jury and executioner when it comes to all the discipline. I’m not going to trust any leagueled investigation when it comes to anything. It’s not transparent.”

A court of appeals ruling Monday reaffirmed the authority of NFL commissioner

In this Dec 8, 2012 file photo, thenTexas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel poses with the Heisman Trophy after becoming the first freshman to win the college football award,

in New York. (AP)

Roger Goodell in matters of integrity, and in his eyes, justified the litigation that reinstated New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s four-game suspension.

“We are obviously pleased with the court’s decision,” Goodell said Tuesday on Bloomberg TV. “We think that was the right decision. They were very firm in their decision that that was within our authority and the judgments were based on solid facts. So we’re actually pleased with that, and we hope we can move on from there.”

Carolina Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman picked up the fifth-year option for defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, who is now bound to the franchise through the 2017 season.

Lotulelei, a first-round pick in 2013 out of Utah, started 14 games last season and is described by Gettleman as a difference-maker in the middle of the Panthers’ defensive line.

Linebacker A.J. Hawk was released by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Hawk, signed last year as a free agent snapped a tie and Chicago held off Milwaukee to secure its best 20-game start since 1907.

Anthony Rizzo added an RBI single in the seventh and Adam Warren (2-0) struck out three in two scoreless innings as the Cubs improved to 15-5, surpassing the 1969 club’s 14-6 start. The 1907 World Series-winning team began 16-4.

Twins 6, Indians 5 In Minneapolis, Miguel Sano singled in a run with one out in the ninth inning, giving Minnesota walk-off win over Cleveland.

Minnesota rallied after Mike Napoli homered off Kevin Jepsen (2-3) in the top of the ninth to tie the game 5-5. It was Jepsen’s third blown save in five chances.

The Twins came back against closer Cody Allen (0-2). Minnesota’s Brian Dozier doubled with one out in the ninth and intentionally walked Joe Mauer. Sano followed with a line drive to center field to score Dozier.

Red Sox 11, Braves 4 In Atlanta, David Price matched his career high with 14 strikeouts, Travis Shaw homered and drove in five runs and Boston beat Atlanta as the Braves’ staggering home-run drought reached 15 games.

The Braves, who opened the season with nine straight losses, have lost seven straight.

The homer drought is the longest for the Braves in their 51 years in Atlanta. It’s the franchise’s longest span since a 16-game streak in September, 1946, when the Braves were based in Boston. Atlanta is 1-12 at home.

Marlins 6, Dodgers 3 In Los Angeles, Giancarlo Stanton homered for the third straight game, hitting a go-ahead, three-run shot off Clayton Kershaw, and Miami rallied to beat Los Angeles for its third straight victory.

The Marlins trailed 3-0 before scoring five runs in the sixth inning off Kershaw (2-1), capped by Stanton’s drive into the center-field bleachers.

Kershaw’s five earned runs allowed in the inning were as many as he allowed in his first 35 innings to start this season. He hadn’t allowed five runs in an entire game in his last 30 starts. Mets 4, Reds 3

York, Yoenis

In New

Cespedes

Chris Sale #49 of the Chicago White Sox delivers a pitch in the seventh inning during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 26, at Rogers

Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (AFP)

been sexist in his treatment of sprinter Jess Varnish.

“It is absolutely crucial that, as our athletes begin their final preparations for Rio, they are able to do so free of distraction,” said Sutton in his resignation statement.

“The developments over the past few days have clearly become a distraction.

“It is for this reason, and having spoken to friends and family, that I believe it is in the best interests of British Cycling for me to step down from my position as technical director,” added Sutton.

returned from a leg injury to line a tying, three-run homer as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning off Brandon Finnegan, slumping David Wright had a go-ahead single later in the inning and New York rallied past Cincinnati for its 10th straight win against the Reds.

Cespedes had missed three straight games because of a bruised right thigh and had fluid drained Monday.

Athletics 5, Tigers 1 In Detroit, Rich Hill allowed four hits in seven scoreless innings, and Oakland beat Detroit.

Marcus Semien homered for the A’s, and Hill (3-2) breezed through Detroit’s righty-heavy lineup with little trouble. The left-hander struck out eight and wasn’t really in any jams after he escaped the first inning with two on.

Mike Pelfrey (0-4) allowed five runs and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings and remains winless since signing with Detroit this past offseason. He allowed three runs in the fourth inning and then gave up Semien’s two-run shot with two out in the seventh.

Rays 3, Orioles 1 In St Petersburg, Florida, Kevin Kiermaier hit a two-run homer and Tampa Bay beat Baltimore.

After Steven Souza Jr had a two-out single in the sixth, Kiermaier put the Rays up 3-1 on his two-run shot off Ubaldo Jimenez (1-2).

Tampa Bay has won three in a row, with 11 of its 13 runs over the stretch coming with two outs.

Giants 1, Padres 0 In San Francisco, Johnny Cueto pitched a seven-hitter for his seventh career shutout to outwork James Shields, and San Francisco beat San Diego.

Cueto (4-1) struck out a season-high 11 batters, walked one and repeatedly pitched out of trouble to help the Giants to their seventh straight home win against the Padres. It was his 13th career complete game.

Denard Span drove in the game’s only run with a two-out double in the fifth inning that scored Brandon Crawford.

Mariners 11, Astros 1 In Seattle, Robinson Cano hit a grand slam and drove in six runs, Nathan Karns threw seven shutout innings and Seattle beat Houston.

Cano reached 1,000 RBIs in his career with a two-run single in the fifth and then crushed his seventh-inning grand slam.

Karns (2-1) allowed two hits and struck out six while walking three.

Rangers 10, Yankees 1 In Arlington, Texas, A.J. Griffin pitched eight strong innings, Mitch Moreland hit a bases-loaded two-run single during a five-run third and Texas beat New York.

The Rangers ended a four-game skid, during which they totaled five runs. They were no-hit for six innings by Yankees right-hander Nathan Eovaldi on Monday night.

Angels 9, Royals 4 In Anaheim, California, Johnny Giavotella drove in three runs with his first homer of the season, Mike Trout and Carlos Perez had two-run singles and Los Angeles beat Kansas City.

Jered Weaver (3-0) allowed four runs and nine hits over six innings and struck out four. The Angels scored one more run than they totaled in the right-hander’s first three starts this season.

Phillies 4, Nationals 3 In Washington, Andres Blanco’s three hits included a two-run homer and he scored the go-ahead run on Maikel Franco’s seventh-inning double, helping Philadelphia edge Bryce Harper and Washington.

Jeanmar Gomez, Philadelphia’s fourth pitcher, got Harper to ground out to third with a man on first in the ninth to end the game and earn his fifth save.

Cardinals 8, Diamondbacks 2 In Phoenix, Carlos Martinez gave up three hits in eight scoreless innings, Brandon Moss and Stephen Piscotty homered and St Louis beat Arizona.

Martinez (4-0) won for the fourth time in four starts. The 24-year-old righthander held the Diamondbacks without a hit until David Peralta’s one-out single in the fourth.