AROUND THE HORN
Yankees: Newcomer Anthony Rizzo has become the latest Yankees player to test positive for the coronavirus. Rizzo is the fourth Yankees player within the last week to be sidelined by COVID-19, joining starting pitchers Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery and C Gary Sánchez. Rizzo, who tested positive after Saturday’s game, is off to a quick start since being acquired from the Cubs on July 29. The first baseman is hitting .281 with three HRS and six RBIS in nine games for the Yankees. “I just spoke with him, he’s doing all right,” manager Aaron Boone said before Sunday’s loss to the Mariners. Rizzo, a 32-year-old cancer survivor, said in June he wasn’t vaccinated.
Red Sox: Manager Alex Cora announced that LHP Chris Sale completed his minor league rehab assignment and will start Saturday’s game against the Orioles. Sale made five rehab starts in the minors, and Cora said Sunday that the seven-time All-star feels great. Sale, 32, hasn’t pitched in the majors since Aug. 13, 2019. He had Tommy John surgery in March 2020.
Phillies: Zack Wheeler pitched a two-hitter and struck out 11, Bryce Harper homered and the NL Eastleading Phillies beat the visiting Mets 3-0 to finish off a three-game sweep. The Phillies have won eight in a row. Jean Segura and J.T. Realmuto also homered for the Phillies, who moved 2 ½ games ahead of the Mets in the NL East. The streak is the Phillies’ longest since winning eight straight in July 2010. Wheeler (10-6) gave up a double to Brandon Nimmo to start the game and then retired 22 consecutive batters until Michael Conforto walked in the eighth. Nimmo singled with one out in the ninth and Wheeler soon struck out slumping slugger Pete Alonso for his fourth career complete game, three of them shutouts. Wheeler walked only one. He threw 80 of his 108 pitches for strikes. The 31-year-old All-star pitched for the
Mets for five seasons before signing a five-year, $118 million free-agent deal with the Phillies prior to the 2020 season. He improved to 3-1 with a 2.72 ERA in seven starts against his former club while reaching double-digit strikeouts for the 14th time overall and sixth this year . ... On the same diamond where Roy Halladay pitched himself into baseball history and the hearts of Philadelphia fans, the Phillies retired the late Hall of Famer’s No. 34 jersey in a touching tribute. Former teammates Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Raúl Ibañez as well as pitching coach Rich Dubee and manager Charlie Manuel were among those in attendance for the ceremony at Citizens Bank Park before the Phillies beat the Mets 3-0. Halladay’s wife and two children were unable to attend due to COVID19 protocols, Ibañez said. Halladay died in a plane crash in 2017. He was 40. Halladay spent four of his 16 seasons with the Phillies. He was twice an All-star with the club and won the second of his two Cy Young Awards following the 2010 season when he went 21-10 with a 2.44 ERA. The righthander tossed a perfect game against the Marlins on May 29, 2010 in Miami, and threw the second no-hitter in postseason history that Oct. 6 against the Reds.
Reds: Tyler Mahle struck out 10, Kyle Farmer delivered another key hit and the host Reds beat the Pirates 3-2 for a four-game sweep. Nick Castellanos added a double and scored as the playoff-chasing Reds continued their dominance of the Pirates, improving to 9-1 against them this season. Mahle (9-3) allowed six hits without walk in seven innings. The Reds handed Mahle the lead when Farmer, who since the All-star break leads the major leagues in hitting, had an RBI double off Bryse Wilson (2-5) to cap a three-run fourth . ... Before the game, the Reds honored Hall of Fame 2B Joe Morgan, who passed away in October at the age of 77.