Taylor, Urías propel streaking Dodgers past D-backs, 6-3
LOS ANGELES — Chris Taylor drove in a season-high four runs and Julio Urías pitched six innings of four-hit ball in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 6-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night.
After largely standing pat at the trade deadline while most of their fellow elite teams added talent, the major league-leading Dodgers (27-10) calmly kept rolling toward their eighth straight NL West title and another playoff appearance with their 16th win in 19 games.
Taylor, AJ Pollock and Max Muncy had two hits apiece as Los Angeles opened a six
game homestand with its third straight victory. And though they didn’t homer in their September opener after setting an NL record with 57 long balls in August, the Dodgers still took the first step toward maintaining their season-long streak of never losing a series.
Carson Kelly homered again at Dodger Stadium, and Nick Ahmed added a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth for the last-place Diamondbacks, who have lost 11 of 12.
Kim Clijsters loses 1st Grand Slam in 8 years at US Open
Mounting a comeback at the U.S. Open, Kim Clijsters fell victim to one.
The three-time champion powered her way to an early lead but couldn’t hold it, and Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova rallied Tuesday night for a first-round victory, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1.
It was Clijsters’ first match at a Grand Slam tournament since 2012, when she retired after the Open. Now 37, the mother of three and a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, she has decided to resume her career this year but is 0-3.
“It’s a process,” she said. “That’s what I told myself at the start when I took this challenge on — that it’s going to take a lot of hard work and losses.”
Clijsters said she trained hard for the Open and was excited to play, even with no fans in the stands because of the coronavirus pandemic. She has been hampered this year by injuries, most recently an abdominal ailment that appeared to be an issue in the final set, when the pace of her serve dropped.
But Clijsters said she felt fine, and the only problem was Alexandrova, a tour veteran ranked 29th.
UCF: 10 players opt out of season due to COVID-19 concerns
ORLANDO, Fla. — Two projected starters are among 10 UCF football players who are opting out of the 2020 season due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.
Coach Josh Heupel said cornerback Tay Gowan and defensive lineman Kalia Davis, as well as backup quarterback Darriel Mack Jr., are part of the group.
The others are offensive linemen Allan Adams, Lamarius Benson and Adrian Medley; defensive linemen Mason Cholewa and Kendrick Wilson, and defensive backs Elijah Benoit and Devunte Dawson.
Tigers OF JaCoby Jones gets hit by pitch, fractures hand
MILWAUKEE — Detroit Tigers outfielder JaCoby Jones is expected to miss the rest of the season after fracturing his left hand when he was hit by a pitch Tuesday in a 12-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Jones was leading off the eighth inning with the Tigers ahead 6-1 when he was hit by a pitch from Phil Bickford in the reliever’s major league debut.
Bickford hit each of the first two batters he faced: Jones and Emilio Bonifacio. Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said after the game that Bonifacio was fine.
Chapman suspended 3 games for throwing near Brosseau’s head
NEW YORK — Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman was suspended for three games Wednesday, a day after he threw a fastball near the head of pinch-hitter Michael Brosseau while closing out his first save of the season in a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Chapman, who previously was disciplined in his career for intentionally throwing at the head area, also was fined by Major League Baseball.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone received a one-game suspension and was also fined an undisclosed amount following the events during Tuesday night’s game.
Rays manager Kevin Cash received a one-game suspension and was fined an undisclosed amount after being ejected during the game and for his comments afterward. Umpires convened before issuing warnings to both benches, and Cash was ejected after coming onto the field to argue.
Blazers’ Ariza denies allegations he abused 12-year-old son
LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles judge has issued a temporary restraining order keeping the Portland Trail Blazers’ Trevor Ariza away from his 12-year-old son after the boy’s mother alleged Ariza had physically abused him.
Ariza strongly denied the abuse allegations, saying the boy’s mother, his former girlfriend Lana Allen, had engaged in a long campaign to hurt his relationship with his son and to take away his visitation rights, according to court papers obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Allen alleges in documents filed Aug. 27 that Ariza punched his son in the arm and shoulder and put him in a choke hold on July 25 during a month-long visit at Ariza’s Los Angeles-area home.
The court filings allege Ariza engaged in similar abuse on previous visits, and has violated a court order against using corporal punishment. Allen sent the police to Ariza’s home during the visit, but their investigation was inconclusive, the documents said.
4 members of Congress question NFL on concussion payments
WASHINGTON — Four members of Congress sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday questioning the league’s formula for making concussion settlement payments to Black former players.
Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Representatives Yvette D. Clarke (D-N.Y.) and Maxine Waters, (D-Calif.) signed the letter seeking explanation of a race-based formula for payments.