San Francisco Giants acquire outfielder Andrew McCutchen from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
BASEBALL
Giants acquire McCutchen The San Francisco Giants acquired outfielder Andrew McCutchen from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday for right-hander Kyle Crick, minor league outfielder Bryan Reynolds and $500,000 in international signing bonus allocation. Pittsburgh also will send the Giants cash to cover part of McCutchen’s $14.75 million salary. McCutchen, 31, a former NL MVP and the face of the Pirates’ franchise, became the second star jettisoned by Pittsburgh in three days. Ace Gerrit Cole was traded to Houston on Saturday. McCutchen has played at least 153 games in each of the past three seasons for the Pirates, batting .279 with 28 home runs and 88 RBI in 156 games in 2017. But he has not been an All-Star since 2015, when he was selected for the fifth consecutive season. McCutchen is entering the final season of a six-year, $51.5 million contract he signed in March 2012. Crick, 25, had a 3.06 ERA, 28 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings and a .191 opponents’ batting average this year in his first big league season, allowing three of 21 inherited runners to score. Reynolds, a 22-yearold switch-hitter, batted .312 with 26 doubles, 9 triples, 10 home runs and 63 RBI at Class A San Jose.
FOOTBALL
Georgia’s Smith to draft Linebacker Roquan Smith, the leader of a defense that led Georgia to the national championship game, is entering the NFL draft. The decision announced Monday by Smith, the Butkus Award winner, was expected. He enjoyed a strong junior season, which boosted his draft status. Smith was named a first-team All-American and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year by The Associated Press. He led Georgia with 137 tackles, 6½ sacks and 17 quarterback hurries. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound Smith was a game-changer with his speed and instincts and is seen as a possible first-round draft pick. Georgia (132) finished No. 2 in the final Top 25
following its 26-23 overtime loss to Alabama in the national championship game. Smith joins defensive tackle Trenton Thompson as key starters on the defense who are bypassing their senior seasons to enter the draft. Thompson announced his decision last week.
TENNIS
Nadal wins opener Top-ranked Rafael Nadal and No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov opened with routine victories, as did second-seeded Caroline Wozniacki and No. 4 Elina Svitolina on the women’s side at the Australian Open on Monday in Melbourne. Nadal, returning from time out with a sore right knee, had a 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 victory over Victor Estrella Burgos. Local hope Nick Kyrgios beat Rogerio Dutra Silva 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko started with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over 37-year-old Francesca Schiavone, the 2010 French Open winner. Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig saved a match point before recovering for a victory over former U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur. Other seeded players falling included No. 24 Dominika Cibulkova, the 2014 Australian Open finalist, No. 25 Peng Shuai and No. 31 Ekaterina Makarova.
BASKETBALL
Texas Tech fined
The Big 12 fined Texas Tech $25,000 and reprimanded West Virginia forward Wes Harris for hitting a fan who joined thousands of others in storming the court during a weekend postgame celebration. Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in a statement Monday that Texas Tech did not ensure the safety and security of West Virginia players following the game in Lubbock, Texas. Videos posted on social media by fans show Harris and other West Virginia players trying to reach the sideline as Red Raider fans swarmed the court Saturday in celebration of No. 8 Texas Tech’s 72-71 victory over then-No. 2 West Virginia. The videos show Harris striking a fan who had run into him before Harris is pulled away. Other players were involved in a separate skirmish trying to protect a teammate in the swarm. Bowlsby noted that although the Big 12 does not have a policy prohibiting spectators from entering the court for postgame celebrations, “it is of utmost importance that home game management provide adequate security measures for our student-athletes, coaches, game officials and spectators.” Harris, a sophomore, is averaging 6.2 points and 4.6 rebounds off the bench. No. 6 West Virginia faced No. 10 Kansas on Monday night in Morgantown, W.Va. Texas Tech plays at Texas on Wednesday.