NFL looking at ‘several’ protocol incidents with Titans, News+Notes,
NASHVILLE, TENN. >> The NFL’s investigation into how Tennessee turned into the league’s first COVID-19 outbreak found “several specific incidents” of the Titans possibly breaking protocols dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, according to a person with knowledge of the probe.
Also, the headmaster of a private school in Nashville confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday that several Titans, including quarterback Ryan Tannehill, practiced on its field Sept. 30. That was a day before the NFL first postponed Tennessee’s game with Pittsburgh before rescheduling to Oct. 25.
N F L C ommi s s ioner Roger Goodell warned all 32 teams Monday that following league protocols is mandatory and that violations forcing changes in the schedule could lead to forfeiting games.
Tenne ssee ha d t wo more players test positive Wednesday, a person familiar with the situation said. The Titans placed starting wide receiver Corey Davis on the reserve/COVID-19 list hours later, bringing their total to 22 cases with 20 returned since Sept. 29.
The Titans cannot return to their facility before Saturday at the earliest, needing back-to-back days without a positive test result. They haven’t been on a field since beating the Vikings 31-30 on Sept. 27. The NFL has to decide if they play Buffalo (4- 0) as scheduled Sunday, postpone and reschedule or forfeit.
MLB
BRAVES 2, MARLINS 0 >> Rook ie Ia n A nderson pitched like a poised veteran, right fielder Nick Markakis made a nifty defensive play late and Atlanta threw another playoff shutout, beating Miami for a 2- 0 lead in the NL Division Series.
The Braves have pitched three shutouts in four games this postseason. Travis d’Arnaud and Dansby Swanson each homered for the second straight day, putting Atlanta one win away from a sweep in the best- of-five matchup.
The 22-year- old Anderson scattered three hits and struck out eight over 5 2/3 innings. The lanky righthander who made his major league debut in late August added to his impressive outing last week in the wildcard series when he fanned nine in six scoreless frames against Cincinnati.
The 36-year- old Markakis helped preserve the shutout and the lead in the eighth.
D OD G E R S 5 , PA DR E S 1 (TUES.)>> Los Angeles had already drawn nine walks before Mookie Betts got their first hit with one out in the sixth inning, and they went ahead to stay on Corey Seager’s sacrifice fly right after that in a win Tuesday night over NL West rival San Diego in the opener of their best- of-five Division Series.
Tennis
DJOKOVIC REACHES FRENCH S EMI F INA L S >> Nova k Djokovic overcame a bothersome left arm and an early deficit to reach the French Open semifinals for the 10th time.
The top-seeded Djokovic kept flexing and stretching that arm and got off to a slow start before he received massages from a trainer, righted himself and beat No. 17 seed Pablo Carreño Busta 4- 6, 6-2, 6-3, 6- 4 to move closer to a second championship at Roland Garros and 18th Grand Slam trophy.
T his was a rematch from the U. S. Open last month, when Djokov ic was defaulted for inadvertently hitting a line judge in the throat with a ball he smacked in anger. That went into the books as a loss and remains the only blemish on Djokovic’s 36-1 record in 2020.
• Djokovic will face Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is into his first French Open semifinal. The fifth-seeded Greek player beat 13thseeded Andrey Rublev 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 to avenge a loss in the Hamburg (Germany) final less than two weeks ago.
• Sofia Kenin extended her run of success at Grand Slam tournaments this year by beating Danielle Collins 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 to reach the semifinals. Kenin has now won a tour-leading 15 matches at majors this year. She started the year by winning the Australian Open and then reached the fourth round at the U.S. Open last month.
Kenin’s semifinal opponent will be two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.
Kvitova overcame some potentially costly doublefaults to beat 66th-ranked Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-3 and reach the semifinals for
the second time. The seventh- seeded Czech player is back in the last four at Roland Garros for the first time since 2012. Kvitova has not dropped a set in her five matches at this year’s tournament.
• Kenin and Tsitsipas have both been fined $8,500 at the tournament so far for multiple infractions, including receiving coaching help. Both coincidentally were docked the same amounts for the same offenses: $3,000 for coaching in the first round, another $4,000 for coaching in the fourth and an additional $1,500 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Both are coached by their fathers. No coaching help is allowed during matches at Grand Slam tournaments.
Olympics
TOKYO OLYMPICS SAY THEY FOUND SAVINGS EVEN AS COSTS RISE >> Tokyo Olympic organizers estimate they have found cost-savings of about $280 million by simplifying and cutting some frills from next year’s postponed games.
The report came as the Inter nationa l Oly mpic Committee executive board met on-line with officials in Japan.
The savings represent about 2% of the official Tokyo Olympic budget of $12.6 billion.