Jays get Storen from Nationals for Revere
The Washington Nationals accommodated reliever Drew Storen, trading him to the AL East champion Toronto Blue Jays for outfielder Ben Revere. The Nationals will also get a player to be named and will send cash to the Blue Jays.
The 28-year-old Storen had sought a deal, having lost his closer role in late July when the Nationals acquired Jonathan Papelbon from Philadelphia. Storen had converted 29 of 30 save chances and had a 1.73 earned-run average when the Nationals got Papelbon. Shifted to an eighth-inning role after that deal, Storen struggled.
Revere, 27, figures to fill the center field and leadoff job that Denard Span held. Span signed with San Francisco this week.
American Sloane Stephens had a long day at the office in Auckland, New Zealand, and came away with her second WTA title when she beat Germany’s Julia Goerges, 7-5, 6-2, to win the ASB Classic.
Fifth-seeded Stephens had to complete a three-set semifinal win over former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, and after a brief rest, returned to play the final.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will break their 23-23 headto-head record when they meet for the 47th time in the Qatar Open final in Doha.
The top-seeded Djokovic beat third-seeded Tomas Berdych, 6-3, 7-6 (3), to reach his 16th consecutive final. Nadal advanced to his 99th final after defeating Illya Marchenko of Ukraine, 6-3, 6-4.
In Australia, Roger Federer held off Grigor Dimitrov, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-4, and take his title defense into the semifinals at the Brisbane International.
The unseeded Victoria Azarenka, moved into the women’s final by seeing off U.S. qualifier Samantha Crawford, 6-0, 6-3. She will face No. 4-seeded Angelique Kerber.
Federer set up a meeting with Dominic Thiem. The winner will face Milos Raonic in the final.
Montreal Canadiens Coach Michel Therrien doesn’t expect star goalie Carey Price to return before early February at the earliest from a lower-body injury.
In a World Cup event at Lake Placid, N.Y., Jamie Greubel-Poser and Cherelle Garrett won the women’s bobsled competition, and Steven Holcomb teamed with Carlo Valdes to rally and win the two-man race later Friday for the Americans. Add Annie O’Shea’s first career skeleton gold to the mix, and the U.S. went three for three on home ice to begin the second half of the World Cup season.
Greubel-Poser and Garrett finished in 1 minutes, 53.48 seconds. Kaillie Humphries and Melissa Lotholz of Canada were second in 1:53.91.
Holcomb and Valdes finished two runs in 1:51.00. Germany’s Nico Walther and Christian Poser were second in 1:51.11.
Former NBA star Lamar Odom has been transferred from a Los Angeles hospital to a private facility. But there was no word on his condition, three months after he was found unconscious and in critical condition at a Nevada brothel.