Slumping Hader given break from closing
Padres are giving reliever Josh Hader a break from the closer role after ninth-inning meltdowns Thursday and Friday resulted San Diego losses.
Padres manager Bob Melvin said before Saturday’s game against the Washington Nationals that the left-handed Hader would be given time to try to work out his issues.
“We will probably give him a break from that [closer] in the interim here, let him work on some things,” Melvin said. “But, our best team, obviously, is with Josh Hader in the closer’s role and that’s why we got him. So, we will give him a little break for now.”
Melvin said the Padres closer role would be based on matchups game by game, basically closer by committee. With Hader out as closer for now, the role likely will be shared by right-handers Luis Garcia and Robert Suarez and left-handers Adrian Morejon and Nick Martinez.
Tampa Bay ace Tyler Glasnow threw 20 pitches in his first live batting-practice session since undergoing Tommy John surgery a little more than one year ago . ... St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina was put on the restricted list and is expected to miss the next two games because of “business matters,” according to manager Oliver Marmol. The Chicago Cubs placed right-handed starter Keegan Thompson on the 15-day injured list with low back tightness and recalled right-hander Anderson Espinoza from triple-A Iowa . ... Former major leaguer Bill Lee had stopped breathing after collapsing in the bullpen during an exhibition game, but paramedics with a defibrilThe lator helped resuscitate the 75-year-old pitcher Friday, according to a witness at the scene.
ETC. Elliott wins pole at Watkins Glen
Chase Elliott won the NASCAR Cup pole at Watkins Glen International (N.Y.), edging Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson for the top spot.
Elliott, a two-time winner at The Glen, turned a fast lap of 1 minute 10.477 seconds around the 2.45-mile natural terrain road course . ... Larson zoomed past Ty Gibbs and William Byron when the two leaders made contact with under five laps to go, then held off AJ Allmendinger to win the Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen . ... Matt Hagan topped funny car qualifying in the
Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway . ... A rain delay saved the victory for Josef Newgarden, who earned his IndyCar-best fifth win of the season at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill.
Leon Edwards knocked out Kamaru Usman in the fifth round to capture the welterweight title at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City . ... Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk retained his world heavyweight titles with a split-decision win over Anthony Joshua in a rematch in Saudi Arabia that was closer than last year’s first fight.
Petra Kvitova outlasted Madison Keys 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-3 to reach the Western & Southern Open final in Mason, Ohio. Tallon Griekspoor battled to back to defeat Greece’s Michail Pervolarakis 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 to advance in the qualifying round of the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Open.
Top-seeded men Theo Brunner and Chaim Schalk
and top-seeded women Terese Cannon and Sarah Sponcil all advanced to the semifinals at the AVP Manhattan Beach Open.
Brody Malone cruised to his second national gymnastics title in Tampa, Fla., to cement his status atop the American men’s program with the Paris Olympics less than two years away.
Columbus Blue Jackets center Kent Johnson scored at 3:20 of three-on-three overtime to give Canada a 3-2 victory over Finland for its record-extending 19th world junior hockey title. Ducks prospect Mason McTavish was the tournament’s top scorer, finishing with eight goals and nine assists.