Quick Hitters
Pistons land ex-Raptors coach Dwane Casey
DETROIT — Dwane Casey lost his job in Toronto because the Raptors wanted to advance further in the playoffs.
In Detroit, it would be an accomplishment if Casey can simply get the Pistons into the playoffs.
The Pistons hired the NBA coach of the year finalist Monday, hoping he can help the three-time NBA championship franchise regularly reach the postseason and eventually compete again for titles.
“Dwane is one of the most successful and highly respected coaches in our league,” Pistons owner Tom Gores said. “He’s a great communicator and a leader who will connect with our players and accelerate their growth. Having spent many hours with Dwane over the last few weeks, I’m confident he is the right person to get us to the next level.”
A month after being fired by the Raptors, Casey agreed to a five-year deal to become head coach of the Pistons, two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the move, which was first reported by ESPN.
Casey led Toronto to a teamrecord 59 wins this year and helped the franchise earn the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time, a performance that won him coach of the year honors from his peers at the National Basketball Coaches Association. He had one year remaining on a three-year, $18 million dollar extension when he was fired shortly after Toronto was swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was 320-238 in seven seasons and is Toronto’s winningest coach.
Florida, Texas, Red Raiders, Arkansas make CWS
Defending national champion Florida, Texas, Texas Tech and Arkansas won their winner-take-all games in the NCAA Tournament best-of-three super regionals on Monday and are headed to the College World Series.
The No. 1 national seed Gators beat Auburn 3-2 in 11 innings in Gainesville, Florida, when Austin Langworthy’s deep drive to right field glanced off Steven Williams’ glove and went over the fence for a walk-off home run.
Kody Clemens homered for a third straight game and fill-in starter Matteo Bocchi held Tennessee Tech to one run in a career-high five innings as the Longhorns locked up their NCAA recordextending 36th CWS appearance with a 5-2 win in Austin.
Texas Tech’s Gabe Holt, Brian Klein and Michael Davis homered, and the Red Raiders beat Duke 6-2 in Lubbock Texas, for their third trip in five years to the CWS in Omaha, Nebraska.
Arkansas’ Carson Shaddy hit a three-run homer in a five-run first inning, and the Razorbacks reached the CWS for the first time since 2015 with a 14-4 win over South Carolina in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Florida, in the CWS for the fourth straight year, prevailed in what turned into a duel between relievers Michael Byrne and Auburn’s Davis Daniel. Byrne pitched four innings, allowed one hit and struck out five. Daniel threw 5 1/3 innings of one-hit ball with six strikeouts.
Cody Greenhill entered with one out in the bottom of the 10th and faced Langworthy, who homered off him Sunday, to start the 11th. Langworthy connected on a 1-2 fastball, and it appeared Williams would make the catch, but the ball went off his glove and out.
“I just saw a pitch up and I happened to get good barrel to it and I saw it go out of the yard,” Langworthy said, “and I was stoked to put my team back to Omaha for the second straight year for me.”
PHOENIX — Arizona scored two runs on wild pitches in the eighth inning, Jake Lamb hit a tying three-run homer in the seventh and the Diamondbacks took advantage of a hit by pitch to rally past the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-5 on Monday night.
The Pirates led 5-0 behind Joe Musgrove until the right-hander opened the seventh inning by hitting Chris Owings on the first pitch — possibly as retaliation for Josh Harrison being plunked in the top half. Nick Ahmed followed with a run-scoring single, Daniel Descalso had another off Edgar Santana and Lamb tied it at 5-all on a three-run homer to left.
Ketel Marte singled off Kyle Crick (0-1) to lead off the eighth, moved to second on a walk and raced to third after a pickoff attempt at second base by catcher Elias Diaz. Marte scored when the next pitch by Crick bounded to the backstop. Descalso put Arizona up 8-5 with a two-run triple and scored on Dovydas Neverauskas wild pitch.
Archie Bradley (2-1) worked out of a basesloaded jam in the seventh inning.
Musgrove was sharp early against the Diamondbacks, working out of jams in the second and sixth inning without allowing a run. His night came unraveled with the plunking of Owings. Musgrove gave up the single to Ahmed was lifted after a throwing error by third baseman David Freese put runners on first and second with no out.
Musgrove allowed three runs — two earned — on five hits with six strikeouts in six innings.
Arizona’s Patrick Corbin was solid his previous outing, holding the San Francisco Giants to a run on four hits in 6 1/3 innings. The left-hander wasn’t as sharp against the Pirates.
He gave up an unearned run in the first inning to the Pirates on first baseman Paul Goldschmidt’s fielding error and four more in the fifth on two-run hits Austin Meadows and Starling Marte had two-run hits.
Corbin allowed five runs — four earned — on six hits and struck out five in 5 1/3 innings.
DIAMONDBACKS MOVES
The Diamondbacks recalled RHP Braden Shipley from Triple-A Reno and optioned utility man Christian Walker to the Aces prior to Monday’s game. Shipley replaced Corbin and hit a batter in 1 1/3 scoreless innings.