Patriots’ Edelman apologizes after facing PED suspension

Cards RB Johnson sidelined

NEW YORK, June 9, (RTRS): New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman apologized Friday, one day after reports emerged that he faces a fourgame suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Edelman indicated the matter is under appeal. He said he doesn’t know how the alleged violation occurred.

“I am very sorry — I don’t know what happened,” Edelman, who missed all of last season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, wrote on his Instagram account. “I’ve taken many, many tests obviously over the course of my career, and nothing like this has ever happened. I apologize to [team owners] the Kraft family, my coaches, teammates and fans.

Edelman

Running back David Johnson was sidelined for part of the Arizona Cardinals’ organized team activities this week, though the team has not disclosed the reason.

The workhorse back who missed nearly all of last season with a wrist injury missed practice time and watched Thursday’s session from the sideline, according to the Arizona Republic. AZ Central’s Kent Somers cited two NFL sources saying the injury is “not serious,” and that Johnson is expected to participate in the team’s minicamp next week.

Houston Texans safety Andre Hall has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, the team announced.

The team said Hal, who started all 16 games last season, received a preliminary diagnosis from team physician Dr James Muntz at Houston Methodist Hospital. Hal and the team’s medical staff are in consultation with doctors at MD Anderson Cancer Center as the 26-year-old undergoes future testing while discussing treatment options.

Fox is going all out as it prepares to take over broadcasts of Thursday night NFL games this season, announcing it will add both sideline reporters Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink to a broadcast team that already features its No. 1 announcer team in the booth.

Andrews has been with Fox since leaving ESPN in 2012 and has worked as the sideline reporter for the network’s main announcing team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman.

The Detroit Lions announced they will hold five joint practices with the Oakland Raiders and New York Giants during training camp.

The Lions will travel to the Raiders’ training camp in Napa, California, to practice Aug 7-8 ahead of the teams’ preseason opener in Oakland on Aug 10. Detroit will also host practices with the Giants on Aug 14-16 before they face each other in a preseason game at Ford Field on Aug 17.

Kellen Winslow Jr, out of the NFL since 2013, was arrested on suspicion of burglary in Southern California on Thursday, according to multiple reports.

Winslow was arrested after police were called for a suspected break-in at a mobile home park in Encinitas, California around 2:30 pm on Thursday. A neighbor had reported a suspicious person entering a residence that wasn’t his, then leaving in a black SUV after being confronted.

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig connects with an RBI single during the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves on June 8, in Los

Angeles. (AP)

Austin Meadows #17 of the Pittsburgh Pirates is caught stealing second base as Ben Zobrist #18 of the Chicago Cubs applies the tag in the 1st inning at

Wrigley Field on June 8, in Chicago, Illinois. (AFP)

NEW YORK, June 9, (AP): Brett Gardner hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer off Jacob deGrom on an eighth-inning changeup, and the New York Yankees beat the reeling Mets 4-1 Friday night in the Subway Series opener after losing Masahiro Tanaka to hamstring problems when the pitcher sprinted home to score his first major league run.

Tanaka allowed one hit, a home run into the second deck in right by Brandon Nimmo on his second pitch. The 29-year-old righthander scored standing up on Aaron Judge’s sacrifice fly, then was replaced before the bottom of the sixth. The Yankees said Tanaka had tightness in both hamstrings, and the team expects to know more Saturday.

Gardner’s home run, his fifth this season and fourth in his last 21 games, went just over the wall in right-center and followed Gleyber Torres’ second single off deGrom (4-1). Giancarlo Stanton added a ninth-inning homer off Paul Sewald, his 22nd at Citi Field — the most among visiting players.

Giants 9, Nationals 5 In Washington, Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasberg exited after two innings because of tightness in his right shoulder, and San Francisco had eight extra-base hits.

Strasburg (6-6) gave up three runs and five hits. He was scheduled for an MRI on Saturday.

Andrew McCutchen and Gorkys Hernandez homered for San Francisco.

Reyes Moronta (2-0) got two outs for the win.

Indians 4, Tigers 1 In Detroit, Jason Kipnis hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the ninth inning to lead Cleveland past Detroit.

Jose Ramirez almost broke the tie earlier in the ninth, hitting Shane Greene’s 3-1 pitch just past the foul pole down the right-field line, but ended up drawing a walk. Yonder Alonso singled with two outs.

Kipnis connected off Greene (2-3) for a drive over the right-center field scoreboard for his fourth homer of the season.

Kipnis

Cubs 3, Pirates 1 In Chicago, Kris Bryant had three hits and scored a run while batting leadoff for the first time in his career, Ian Happ made a spectacular diving catch near the left-field corner to end the game and surging Chicago beat slumping Pittsburgh.

Bryant singled in his first three atbats and scored in a two-run first inning, helping the Cubs win for the 10th time in 12 games.

Ian Happ sprawled out to grab Josh Harrison’s drive toward the corner against Pedro Strop with a runner on third and two out in the ninth. He also possibly saved a run in the third when he made a tumbling catch on Corey Dickerson’s shallow fly with runners on first and second. Happ made another neat grab in the sixth when he raced back and lunged to snag Colin Moran’s smash.

White Sox 1, Red Sox 0 In Boston, Trayce Thompson had an RBI single in the seventh inning off Chris Sale, Dylan Covey pitched six innings as part of a three-hitter and Chicago beat Boston.

Kevan Smith had two

hits and scored the only run after leading off the seventh with a ground-rule double. Thompson brought him in with a oneout single to help Chicago end a sixgame skid against Boston.

Covey (2-1) more than kept pace with former White Sox ace Sale (54), who lost his third straight start despite striking out 10 in eight innings. Jace Fry and Nate Jones each pitched a scoreless inning, and Joakim Soria earned his seventh save. Chicago has won three of four.

Blue Jays 5, Orioles 1 In Toronto, J.A. Happ allowed two hits in seven innings to earn his 100th career victory, Russell Martin homered and drove in two runs and Toronto beat Baltimore to win consecutive games for the first time in more than a month.

Randal Grichuk and Kevin Pillar also homered as the Blue Jays recorded their first back-to-back victories since April 30 and May 1 at Minnesota.

The Orioles lost for the ninth time in 11 games and dropped to 9-25 on the road and 19-43 overall, both worst in the majors.

Mariners 4, Rays 3 In St Petersburg, Florida, Marco Gonzales won his fourth straight start and Seattle beat Tampa Bay for the team’s 16th win in 20 games.

Gonzales (7-3) pitched into the eighth inning, leaving the game after taking a throw at first base too late to retire a sliding Mallex Smith. Christian Arroyo had a solo homer in the fifth and C.J. Cron added a two-run shot in the eighth off former teammate Alex Colome to pull the Rays within a run.

However, Edwin Diaz got the final four outs for his 22nd save in 25 opportunities, finishing the Mariners’ 20th one-run win of the season and sending the Rays to their eighth straight loss.

Brewers 12, Phillies 4 In Philadelphia, Ryan Braun homered twice and drove in five runs, and Milwaukee busted out of an offensive funk to beat Philadelphiaand snap a three-game losing streak.

Braun, who came in batting .229, hit a three-run shot off Vince Velasquez (4-7) in the first inning and a two-run blast off Mark Leiter Jr in a six-run fourth that made it 11-0.

Christian Yelich also went deep and Lorenzo Cain added two hits and two RBIs for the Brewers, who had 13 hits after totaling four runs in their previous three games. Jhoulys Chacin (5-1) allowed four runs and five hits in 6-1/3 innings for Milwaukee, which held onto a half-game lead over the Chicago Cubs atop the NL Central.

Marlins 4, Padres 0 In Miami, Caleb Smith pitched into the sixth inning and had an RBI single for his first career hit to help Miami beat San Diego.

Smith (5-6) gave up four hits and

two walks while striking out five in 5-1/3 innings. Brad Ziegler pitched 1-2/3 innings, and Drew Steckenrider and Kyle got three outs each to finish the shutout.

Brian Anderson had three hits and Cameron Maybin had two for the Marlins, who have won three of four. Eric Lauer (2-4) allowed three runs amd six hits and walked seven in five innings.

Astros 7, Rangers 3 In Arington, Texas, Justin Verlander struck out nine in seven innings after Shin-Soo Choo homered on the Houston ace’s first pitch of the game.

Verlander (8-2) gave up three earned runs after allowing just two in his first 40-2/3 innings on the road this season.

Texas slugger Joey Gallo bunted for a single in the sixth, drawing a big cheer from the crowd. The Astros had been putting six defenders to the right side of second base when Gallo batted this season, and old-school baseball fans had been urging him to bunt toward third and beat the shift.

Diamondbacks 9, Rockies 4 In Denver, Paul Goldschmidt continued his sizzling June with two long home runs and a double, leading Arizona over Colorado Rockies.

Jake Lamb and David Peralta also homered, and Zack Greinke (5-4) tossed 5-2/3 innings and had an RBI single. Goldschmidt had just 14 hits in May, batting .144 in 27 games, but has already collected 13 hits in seven games this month.

Goldschmidt’s first drive was one of three homers German Marquez (4-6) allowed in the third. Lamb and Peralta also connected.

Angels 4, Twins 2 In Minneapolis, Ian Kinsler hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning and Justin Upton went deep in the

Tampa Bay Rays’ Wilmer Font pitches to the Seattle Mariners during the

first inning of a baseball game on June 8, in St Petersburg, Fla. (AP)