Tigers fall to Rangers 8-3; Boyd out for the season – Wednesday Morning Sports Update

ezequiel-duran

MLB – Major League Baseball
Last Night
Texas Rangers 8, Detroit Tigers 3
Los Angeles Angels 4, Chicago White Sox 2
Philadelphia Phillies 5, Chicago Cubs 1

Rangers 8, Tigers 3 – Duran’s solo homer in long at-bat sparks five-run eighth as Rangers beat Tigers 8-3
Ezequiel Duran’s solo home run into the second deck in left sparked a five-run eighth inning as the Texas Rangers beat the Detroit Tigers 8-3 on Tuesday night. Duran’s homer, his 10th of the season, came on a 3-2 pitch by Brendan White (1-2), the 12th pitch of the at-bat. Texas then pulled away with RBI hits by Corey Seager and Nathaniel Lowe and Adolis Garcia’s two-run homer, all off Anthony Misiewicz. The late barrage made a winner of Josh Sborz (4-2), who gave up a tying homer to Spencer Torkelson in the top of the inning to end Sborz’s run of 17 consecutive scoreless innings.

Angels 4, White Sox 2 –Ohtani first AL pitcher in 60 years to homer twice, strike out 10, Angels beat ChiSox
Shohei Ohtani became the first American League pitcher in nearly 60 years to hit two homers and strike out 10 batters in a game, leading the Los Angeles Angels past the Chicago White Sox 4-2 in his latest extraordinary performance. Ohtani, who leads the majors with 28 home runs, hit solo shots in the first and seventh innings. It’s first time he has gone deep twice while also pitching. The superstar from Japan struck out 10 in a 6 1/3-inning start that ended because of a cracked fingernail. He’s the sixth player in major league history to homer at least twice and strike out at least 10.

Phillies 5, Cubs 1 – Brandon Marsh homers twice as Philadelphia Phillies beat Chicago Cubs 5-1
Brandon Marsh homered twice and drove in three runs, helping the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago Cubs 5-1 for their second straight win. Phillies left-hander Ranger Suárez pitched four-hit ball into the eighth inning in a game played in a strong smoky haze caused by Canadian wildfires. The teams were in contact with Major League Baseball and the players’ association about air quality throughout the afternoon. Marsh hit a solo shot in the second and a two-run drive in the fifth in his second career multihomer game.

Tonight
Detroit (Wentz 1-8) at Texas (Dunning 6-1), 8:05 p.m.              News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 7:40
Philadelphia (Nola 6-5) at Chicago Cubs (Smyly 7-4), 8:05 p.m.
Chicago White Sox (Giolito 5-5) at L.A. Angels (Barría 2-2), 9:38 p.m.

MLB – Tigers starter Matthew Boyd will have season-ending Tommy John surgery
Detroit Tigers starter Matthew Boyd will have season-ending elbow reconstruction surgery after tests Tuesday revealed a partial sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament. The lefty exited his start against the Texas Rangers on Monday night after only 15 pitches. Boyd was placed on the 60-day injured list. The Tigers didn’t say when Boyd would have the procedure, commonly known as Tommy John surgery. The timetable for recovery is typically at least 12-14 months. The Tigers have 10 pitchers on the IL. Right-hander Matt Manning was activated from the 60-day IL to start Tuesday against Texas. Left-handed reliever Anthony Misiewicz was recalled from Triple-A Toledo.

NHL – Blackhawks to begin rebuild with anticipated pick of Connor Bedard in NHL draft
Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson can begin building up his roster again after spending much of the past year tearing it down. That process is expected to begin with the Blackhawks selecting forward Connor Bedard with the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft on Wednesday. Beyond that is when the intrigue begins. The intrigue revolves around when Russian Matvei Michkov is selected, because he is under contract to play in his native Russia through 2025-26. Another question is when the first defenseman goes off the board in what is a top-heavy class of forwards. This NHL draft might have been considered the chase for Adam Fantilli as the top overall pick rather than the Connor Bedard sweepstakes in a different year. Fantilli’s got the size and can put the puck in the net. The Canadian also was only the third freshman to win college hockey’s Hobey Baker player of the year award. Fantilli isn’t worried of what might have been because he can’t play another game or score another goal to improve his resume. Fantilli also says Bedard’s season was phenomenal. So he plans to sit back and enjoy the NHL draft on Wednesday night. The Detroit Red Wings have the 9th and 17th pick. 

WNBA – Women’s National Basketball Association
Today
Los Angeles Sparks at Chicago Sky, 12:00 p.m.

NASCAR – NASCAR great Jimmie Johnson’s in-laws found shot to death in Oklahoma
Police in Muskogee, Oklahoma, are investigating the shooting deaths of three relatives of NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson. Muskogee police spokesperson Lynn Hamlin says the bodies of Jack Janway; his wife, Terry Janway; and their 11-year-old grandson, Dalton Janway, were discovered Monday at a home in Muskogee. Hamlin confirmed the three are the parents and nephew of Johnson’s wife, Chandra Janway. Hamlin says investigators believe Terry Janway shot and killed her husband and grandson before shooting herself. Johnson’s race team has announced it is withdrawing his No. 84 Carvana Chevrolet from this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series event in Chicago.

NASCAR – NASCAR brings season to Chicago for the first street race in Cup Series history
It’s a big week for NASCAR as it visits downtown Chicago for the Cup Series’ first foray into street course racing. The Xfinity Series runs the The Loop 121 on Saturday, and the Cup Series takes over for the Grant Park 220 on Sunday. It has been quite an adventure to get to this point, especially when it comes to setting up for the event in the heart of a busy city. The races are the centerpiece of a NASCAR festival that also includes music and other entertainment options.

NCAAFB – Former Arkansas and Michigan QB Ryan Mallett dies in an apparent drowning
Former Arkansas and Michigan quarterback Ryan Mallett, who also played for New England, Houston and Baltimore during five seasons in the NFL, has died. He was 35. Mallett died in an apparent drowning, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. Mallett was a football coach at White Hall High School in his native Arkansas, and the school district also confirmed his death in a post on its website. Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek said the university “lost an incredibly special person.”  Mallett played for the University of Michigan for one season before finishing his college career at Arkansas. He passed for 7,493 yards and 62 touchdowns in two seasons with the Razorbacks.  Mallett was selected by New England in the third round of the 2011 NFL draft. He appeared in four games with the Patriots during the 2012 season, completing 1 of 4 passes for 17 yards.

NCAA – NCAA rules on NLI changed
New policies in the National Letter of Intent Program will eliminate athletes having to sit out a full season of competition for not complying with NLI rules under some circumstances. The binding agreement between athletes and schools has been part of recruiting since 1964. The Collegiate Commissioners Association no longer will penalize athletes who renege because of a head coaching change or for leaving his or her original school after one quarter or one semester. A release must be requested in both instances. The CCA also is allowing athletes who transfer to another four-year school to sign NLIs.

Golf – PGA – PGA Tour board reminds players they’ll have vote on final deal with Saudis
The PGA Tour is seeking to assure players they will have a say in the tour’s new partnership with the Saudi funders of LIV Golf. The tour’s policy board issued a statement Tuesday noting players would have to approve any final agreement between the once-rival tours. The statement was released after a meeting of the board, which includes five players: Patrick Cantlay, Rory McIlroy, Charley Hoffman, Peter Malnati and Webb Simpson. The framework agreement between the tour and the Saudis says the parties would work together to decide how defectors to LIV Golf can return and what kind of punishment they would face.

NFL – History says highly touted rookie TE’s don’t always make a major impact right away
This rookie class of tight ends already made quite an impact on the draft. They’ll have to buck history if they’re going to leave the same type of impression on the field this year. Tight end is one of the toughest positions for rookies to make huge contributions. Only five rookie tight ends in NFL history have caught as many as 60 passes. This year’s rookie class features nine tight ends who got drafted in the first three rounds. That’s the most since the common draft era began in 1967.

MWL – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night
Dayton at West Michigan, PPD to 6/30, Smoke/Air Quality

Tonight
Dayton Dragons at West Michigan Whitecaps, 6:35 p.m.
Lansing Lugnuts at Great Lakes Loons, 7:05 p.m.
South Bend Cubs at Beloit Sky Carp, 7:35 p.m.