Off the wire
Cliff Robinson dies at 53
Cliff Robinson, an early star in UConn’s rise to power and longtime top sixth man in the NBA, died Saturday. He was 53. Robinson’s death was confirmed by UConn. No cause of death was given, though former Huskies coach Jim
Calhoun said Robinson had a stroke
21/2 years ago. “It’s really sad to hear of this, because he was one of my kids, my players, a guy I watched grow into a man,” Calhoun said. “It’s not an easy thing.” Robinson played 18 seasons in the NBA and helped the Portland Trail Blazers reach two NBA Finals. Clifford Robinson was born on Dec. 16, 1966, in Buffalo, N.Y. He was the centerpiece of Calhoun’s early teams at UConn. He played in Storrs from 1985-89, helping guide the Huskies from the bottom of the Big East to the 1988 NIT championship. Robinson was the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 1993 and made his lone All-Star appearance the following year. At 6-11, he had the size of a center but was a skilled outside shooter. He played 1,380 games in the league, ranking in the top 15 all-time. Besides the Blazers, Robinson also played for Phoenix, Detroit, Golden State and the Nets.
Sigg holds Korn Ferry lead
Greyson Sigg fired a 6-under 66 to take a one-shot lead at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship at Newburgh, Ind., Saturday afternoon. Sigg is at 16-under 200 after three rounds. Former University of Arkansas golfer Taylor
Moore, who shared the lead after two rounds, managed an even-par 72 on Saturday and is seven shots behind Sigg, tied for 16th place.
Nicolas Echavarria (Razorbacks) turned in a 69 on Saturday and is at 212 overall.
Padres trade for Rosenthal
The San Diego Padres acquired
Trevor Rosenthal in a trade with the Kansas City Royals on Saturday, bolstering their bullpen for their pursuit of their first playoff appearance in 14 years. San Diego thought its bullpen would be one of its biggest strengths this year after it traded for Emilio Pagan and signed Drew Pomeranz in free agency. But it has been hit hard by injuries, losing closer Kirby Yates for the rest of the season because of an inflamed right elbow. Pomeranz was on the IL with a strained left shoulder before he was activated on Saturday. Rosenthal, 30, has a 3.29 ERA and seven saves in 14 games.
Nationals sign Brock Holt
The Washington Nationals have signed former longtime Red Sox utility player Brock Holt, adding him for the final month of the season. The 32-year-old Holt played for the Red Sox for seven years before signing a $3.25-million, one-year deal with Milwaukee as a free agent in February. Holt was released by the Brewers this week after hitting just .100 with nine strikeouts in 30 at-bats over 16 games.
Rays lefty placed on IL
Left-hander Ryan Yarbrough became the 11th Rays pitcher since the start of summer camp to be sidelined with an injury when he went on the 10-day injured list Saturday because of left groin tightness. Starting catcher Mike
Zunino also went on the injured list with a strained left oblique strain. That move was retroactive to Wednesday. The Rays are hoping neither player will be out for an extended stretch. Yarbrough might miss only one start, Manager Kevin Cash said. However, there were further setbacks for two Rays pitchers already sidelined. Left-hander Jalen Beeks (Prairie Grove, University of Arkansas) was scheduled for Tommy John surgery Wednesday, and right-hander Chaz Roe was transferred to the 45-day injured list with a sore right elbow.
Miami deals LB to Vegas
Linebacker Raekwon McMillan was traded Saturday by the Miami Dolphins to the Las Vegas Raiders along with a 2021 fifthround draft pick in exchange for a fourth-round pick. The trade came after McMillan fell behind newcomers Kamu Grugier-Hill and
Elandon Roberts on the Dolphins’ depth chart in training camp. McMillan was a second-round draft pick in 2017 but missed his rookie season because of a knee injury. He started 28 games the past two seasons and totaled 177 tackles.
Saints add three to roster
The New Orleans Saints have signed defensive ends T.J. Carter and Anthony Lanier II and linebacker Wynton McManis, General Manager Mickey Loomis said Saturday. The signings came as New Orleans waived injured defensive tackle Jalen Dalton and placed offensive lineman Darrin
Paulo on injured reserve. The 6-6, 285-pound Lanier spent much of the 2020 offseason with Kansas City Chiefs and was on the Los Angeles Chargers’ practice squad last season. He began his NFL career with Washington in 2016 as an undrafted rookie out of Alabama A&M. The 6-1, 225-pound McManis has played in the CFL the past three seasons. He made a career-high 86 tackles in 2019, with two sacks and a forced fumble. He has appeared in two career NFL games, both with San Francisco as a rookie out of Memphis in 2016. The 6-4, 289-pound Carter is an undrafted rookie out of Kentucky.
Djokovic captures title
Novak Djokovic tied Rafael Nadal’s record by winning his 35th title at a Masters 1000 tournament, overcoming a sluggish start to beat Milos Raonic 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the Western & Southern Open final and remain unbeaten this season. Getting tuned up ahead of the U.S. Open, which starts Monday, the No. 1-ranked Djokovic improved to 23-0 in 2020 and 11-0 head-to-head against Raonic, the 2016 Wimbledon runner-up. Earlier Saturday, Victoria Azarenka won her first tour title since 2016 when Naomi Osaka pulled out of the women’s final because of a left hamstring injury. The Western & Southern Open normally is held in Ohio but was moved to Flushing Meadows this year because of the coronavirus pandemic as part of a two-tournament “controlled environment.” Djokovic, who owns 17 Grand Slam titles, played Raonic in Louis Armstrong Stadium — the No. 2 court for the U.S. Open — with the roof closed because of rain.
Tour de France finally starts
Delayed but alive again and out on French roads, the strangest Tour de France ever set off Saturday in a bubble of anti-covid protocols to try to keep the 176 riders virus-free for three weeks of racing through the country’s worsening epidemic. Only after riders peeled off their face masks and raced off from the start in the Mediterranean city of Nice, serenaded by a uniformed band playing “La Marseillaise,” did the Tour begin to look like its old, pre-covid self. But with fans kept firmly at arm’s length, told by the government that it was best to stay home and watch the racing on television, the Tour lost much of its festive atmosphere. Powering past thin crowds on the finishing straight in Nice that would usually have been many rows deep, Norwegian rider Alexander Kristoff won the first stage with a fearsome final sprint. Winning Stage 1 earned Kristoff the first yellow jersey of the 2020 Tour, which he will wear as the race leader on today’s Stage 2 that loops into the mountains behind Nice.