Astros acquire Cole in deal with Pirates
The World Series champion Houston Astros boosted their rotation with another big arm, acquiring righty Gerrit Cole from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a five-player trade announced Saturday.
The Pirates got righthanders Joe Musgrove and Michael Feliz, third baseman Colin Moran and outfielder Jason Martin Cole.
Cole, 27, went 12-12 with a 4.26 ERA last season. HAND RE-UPS WITH PADRES >> All-Star closer Brad Hand and the San Diego Padres agreed to a threeyear contraction extension reportedly worth $19.75 million, pending the lefthander passing a physical. The deal includes a fourthyear option. MARLINS SIGN VAN SLYKE >> Outfielder-first baseman Scott Van Slyke signed a minor-league contract with the Miami Marlins after spending the past six seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Right-handed pitchers Jumbo Diaz, Javy Guerra and Tyler Cloyd and lefthander Mike Kickham also signed minor-league deals with the Marlins. All five players received invitations to spring training. SAN JOSE HOT STOVE BANQUET >> Retired Stanford baseball coach Mark Marquess, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Eric Thames and Minnesota Twins pitcher Trevor Hilldenberger headline the list of honorees for the 34th annual Hot Stove banquet Tuesday in San Jose.
For tickets and information, call Dave Obenour at 408-891-2733 or email hotstovescv@gmail.com
Soccer
DONOVAN JOINING MEXICO
TEAM >> Landon Donovan, widely considered the most accomplished player in American soccer history, is coming out of retirement for the second time in three years, this time to join Club Leon in Mexico.
The Liga MX team announced Donovan’s return to soccer on Twitter on Friday. Donovan will play for Leon in the Mexican Clausura tournament.
The 35-year-old is the career scoring leader in the MLS and for the U.S. national team. He returned to the L.A. Galaxy in September 2016 following a 21-month retirement and appeared in nine games. He hasn’t played professionally since Nov. 6, 2016.
Basketball
BALL BROTHERS BLANKED >> LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball went scoreless in their pro basketball debuts in Panevezys, Lithuania, finishing a combined 0 for 7.
The younger brothers of Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball played in the Lithuanian league for BC Prienai on Saturday. Their team lost 95-86 to Lietkabelis Panevezys.
LiAngelo, 19, went 0 for 3 from the field in just over 9 minutes. LaMelo, 16, played 5:16, going 0 for 4.
Tennis
KERBER WINS IN SYDNEY >> Angelique Kerber won her first title since the 2016 U.S. Open and extended her winning streak to nine matches with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Ashleigh Barty in the Sydney International final.
In the men’s final, Russian qualifier Daniil Medvedev beat 18-year-old Australian Alex de Minaur 1-6, 6-4, 7-5. MERTENS DEFENDS HOBART TITLE >> Secondseeded Elise Mertens broke Mihaela Buzarnescu’s serve in the opening game and went on to beat the Romanian 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 to win the Hobart International title for the second consecutive year.
Winter sports
U.S. WOMEN’S BOBSLED
ROSTER SET >> Lauren Gibbs and Aja Evans were picked as the push athletes who will join pilots Elana Meyers Taylor and Jamie Greubel Poser on the U.S. Olympic women’s bobsled team.
Gibbs will be in Meyers Taylor’s sled at the Pyeongchang Games. Evans will push for Greubel Poser, a combination that earned the U.S. a bronze medal at the Sochi Games four years ago.
Briauna Jones will go to Korea as an alternate.
Lolo Jones, who pushed Meyers Taylor to a World Cup gold earlier Saturday in St. Moritz, Switzerland, did not make the team. She was bidding to become a four-time Olympian — twice in the summer as a hurdler, twice in the winter as a bobsledder.
The U.S. had expected to get three sleds qualified for the Olympics, but wound up with only two after USA-3 driver Brittany Reinbolt missed the third berth by finishing about one-sixth of a second slower than she needed to in St. Moritz on Saturday.