SPORTS SHORTS
MLB: Bosox snap skid with wild win
The Red Sox avoided their first four-game losing streak of the season — barely.
J.D. Martinez scored when Marlins shortstop JT Riddle threw away a potential double-play ball in the ninth inning, lifting the Sox over Miami 8-7 on Tuesday night in Boston following a wild, back-andforth final two innings.
“I don’t believe in ugly wins. I believe in wins,” said Jackie Bradley Jr., who had two hits and two RBIs. “As long as we continue to win, I don’t care how ugly it is.”
This one helped the Red Sox hold steady atop the AL East with a 6 ¹/2 game lead over the Yankees.
Miami scored five runs in the eighth inning to lead 6-4, allowed three runs to Boston in the bottom of the inning, then tied the game at 7 in the top of the ninth against closer Craig Kimbrel (4-1).
In Houston, Nick Martini hit a tiebreaking double in the ninth inning and the Athletics won 4-3 to snap the Astros’ six-game winning streak.
The A’s moved within 1 ½ games of the AL Westleading Astros. Ramon Laureano drew a one-out walk from Roberto Osuna (1-2), Jonathan Lucroy singled and Martini followed with his double. In St. Louis, Jose Martinez and Tyler O’Neill homered, Jack Flaherty pitched seven innings and the Cardinals beat the Pirates 5-2 in Mike Shildt’s first game since being promoted to full-time manager. The Cardinals have won six of seven and are 20-5 in August. Earlier in the day, St. Louis took the interim tag off Shildt, who was put in charge after Mike Matheny was fired last month a day before the All-Star break. St. Louis is 27-12 under Shildt. He
was rewarded with a contract through 2020 after guiding the Cards back into playoff contention. NFL: Cowboys’ Jones: Let’s play 18!
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones offered a solution to shorten the NFL preseason, limit exposure to concussions and bring in a lot more money: an 18-game regular-season schedule.
“I think candidly it’s probably physically better for players than it is to have the longer preseason, the longer practicing,” Jones said on 105.3 FM in Dallas. “Our studies show that we actually have a ramped-up injury situation with players during preseason as opposed to the injury factor in the regular season.”
Free-agent wide receiver Dez Bryant tweeted Monday night that he plans to play in the NFL this year, but that it might take some time.
Bryant was responding to a tweet asking if he can still play. “I can,” he wrote, “I just have to take care of me first....gave to much love and not received at least half back...I will play ball this year just might be a lil bit later in the year.. we will see.”
Robert Ayers’ stint with the Lions was a short one. The Lions the released the veteran defensive end, a former Giant, about 28 hours after the team said it had signed him. ETC.: Libs get 2nd pick in WNBA draft
The Liberty will pick second in the WNBA draft after moving up from the fourth spot in the draft lottery, but the Las Vegas Aces will pick first for a third straight year.
The PGA of America selected former Deutsche Bank America chief executive Seth Waugh to be its next CEO. Waugh succeeds Pete Bevacqua, who is leaving to become president of the NBC Sports Group.