Press Box: Sports Recap
AUTO RACING: Ryan Blaney won the pole in Avondale, Ariz., in his final chance to qualify for NASCAR’s championship race. Blaney turned a lap at 137.942 mph around Phoenix Raceway to take the top starting spot for Sunday’s penultimate race of the playoffs.
BASEBALL: Former Indians and Mariners manager Eric Wedge became the second person to interview with the Yankees for their dugout opening. He follows Yankees bench coach Rob Thomson. Wedge was 774-846 over 10 seasons with the Indians and Mariners. He was AL Manager of the Year in 2007, when the Indians won the AL Central . ... Former Rockies manager Walt
Weiss, who completed his playing career with the Braves in 2000, is returning to the team as a bench coach. Weiss led the Rockies to a 283-365 record as manager from 2013-16.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Penn State officials disclosed the school recently paid out an additional $16 million to people with claims they were sexually abused by former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, raising the total over several years to more than $100 million.
GOLF: Patrick Rodgers made four straight birdies to take the lead before it was too dark to continue at the stormdelayed OHL Classic at Mayakoba in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Rodgers was at 11 under with three holes remaining in the second round at El Camaleon Golf Club. He was one shot ahead of Rickie Fowler, who also had three holes remaining, and
Patton Kizzire, who posted a 70 for the clubhouse lead at 10-under 132 . ... Defending champion Paul Goydos and major winners Vijay Singh and Lee Janzen each shot 7-under 64 to share the first-round lead at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix . ... Shanshan Feng carded a 1-over 73 to take a one-shot lead after the third round of the Blue Bay LPGA in Hainan, China . ... Victor Dubuisson has a two-shot lead after two rounds of the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City, South Africa.
HOCKEY: Slovakia beat the U.S. 2-1 in the opener for both teams at the Deutschland Cup in Augsburg, Germany.
OLYMPICS: Gymnast Aly Raisman said she’s among the young women sexually abused by Larry Nassar, a former USA Gymnastics team doctor. Raisman told “60 Minutes” she was 15 when she was first treated by Nassar, who spent more than two decades working with athletes at USA Gymnastics. He’s now is in jail in Michigan awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography.
SOCCER: World champ Germany was held by England to 0-0 in a friendly at Wembley Stadium as the teams prepare for the World Cup in Russia . ... Ex-U.S. goalie
Hope Solo told a Portuguese newspaper that former FIFA President Sepp Blatter sexually assaulted her at the Ballon d’Or awards ceremony in 2013. Solo said Blatter grabbed her rear end shortly before the two appeared onstage at the annual awards event . ... Four-time champ Italy is in danger of failing to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in six decades after losing to Sweden 1-0 in the opening leg of their playoff in Solna, Sweden.