SPORTS BRIEFS
Red Sox lefty Sale has COVID, scratched from Sunday start
Boston ace Chris Sale has tested positive for COVID-19, sidelining the left-hander while the Red Sox fight for positioning in the crowded AL playoff picture.
A Red Sox spokesman confirmed the result on Friday morning. The seventime All-star had been scheduled to start Sunday in Chicago against the AL Central-leading White Sox.
The 32-year-old Sale missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery. Since returning Aug. 14, he is 30 with a 2.52 ERA.
Any prolonged absence for Sale would be a big blow for the Red Sox, who entered Friday with a one-game lead over the New York Yankees for the AL’S top wild-card spot. Toronto was another half-game back as it tries to swipe the second wild card from its AL East rivals.
Raptors approved to play games in Toronto
The Toronto Raptors have gotten approval from the Canadian government to play games at their home arena this season, a team spokesman said Friday.
Toronto played last season in Tampa, Fla., because of travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s not clear whether the team will be allowed to have full attendance at
Scotiabank Arena. Fans who attend games will be required to show proof of vaccination.
The Raptors will open their preseason against the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 4 — their first game at Scotiabank Arena in more than 19 months.
The Raptors announced a five-game preseason schedule on Friday that includes two home appearances. They’ll also host Houston on Oct. 11.
U.S. soccer pres. asks men, women to equalize FIFA money
The head of the U.S. Soccer Federation asked the unions of the women’s and men’s national teams to agree to equalize FIFA’S World Cup prize money on their own.
USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone sent an open letter Friday making the request, which called for the men’s national team to allow the USSF to reallocate a portion of FIFA’S World Cup payments to the federation to the women’s team.
“We see an opportunity to create change,” Parlow Cone wrote. “We need our men’s and women’s national teams to come together and re-think how we’ve done things in the past. To that end, we have invited the players and both players’ associations to join U.S. Soccer in negotiating a solution together that equalizes World Cup prize money between the USMNT and USWNT.”
Aphibarnrat leads as three Ryder Cup hopefuls surge
Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand took the outright lead at the BMW PGA Championship as a slew of Ryder Cup hopefuls moved into contention after the second round of the flagship event on the European Tour on Friday.
Aphibarnrat, who started the day in a tie for the lead, shot 4-under 68 to be 12 under overall. That’s one stroke clear of Laurie Canter (66) and Francesco Laporta (65), and two ahead of Adam Scott ( 69).
Behind them, the Ryder Cup qualification picture is no closer to being cleared up.