Several key games on tap tonight
UNDATED (AP) — The Chicago White Sox look to build on their three-game lead over second-place Detroit in the American League Central tonight as the two teams square off in Chicago. Last night the Sox upped their lead by beating the Tigers 6-1. The pitching matchup this evening has Jake Peavy going for the Sox against Doug Fister.
Two teams vying for the lead in the American League East, as well as a wild card berth, are facing off tonight in Baltimore as the Orioles entertain the Rays. In the East the Yankees have a one-game lead over the Orioles and a two-game lead over the Rays. In the wild card race, the Orioles currently hold down one of the two berths with the Rays a game back. Ten-game winner Matt Moore is on the mound for the Rays against 8-6 Jason Hammel. As far as the Yankees are concerned they start a series in Boston tonight that really means nothing for the home team as the BoSox are 63-78, 16 ½ games back of the Yankees.
The second AL wild card spot is currently held by Oakland and the A’s are in Anaheim, Calif., tonight for a game with the Angels. In the AL West, the A’s are three games back of first-place Texas while the Angels are 6 ½ back. LA is just a game and a half back of a wild card berth.
Pittsburgh is just 2 ½ games out of a wild card berth in the National League and tonight the Pirates are visiting the Reds in Cincinnati. Cincy tops the NL Central by 9 ½ games over St. Louis. The Cardinals have one of the wild card berths in hand right now and tonight they are in San Diego to play the Padres. The Braves have the other wild card spot and they are in Milwaukee.
In the NL East, the Braves are 6 ½ games back of first-place Washington. The Nationals are in New York to face R.A. Dickey and the Mets. Dickey is looking for his 19th win of the season.
The Giants lead the Dodgers by 5 games in the NL West. This evening San Francisco is in Denver to play the Rockies, while the Dodgers are visiting Arizona.
The rest of the games in baseball tonight have Cleveland playing at Texas, Miami at Philadelphia, Minnesota at home to Kansas City, Seattle at Toronto and the Astros playing host to the Cubs.
NHL lockout looms as players, owners travel to NYC
NEW YORK (AP) — NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly says the owners and players are both to blame for their failure to reach a new collective bargaining agreement before the Saturday deadline for a work stoppage.
Daly wrote in an email to The Associated Press that he hoped both sides would meet before Saturday.
“But to this point, we have received no indication that the union has anything new to say to us. And right now, we have nothing new to say to them,” he wrote Tuesday. “It’s unfortunate, but it’s the reality of the situation.”
The NHL’s labor contract expires at midnight Saturday night, and a lockout appears certain. It would be the league’s fourth work stoppage since 1992.
“Ultimately, we just want to negotiate a fair deal that will give all our clubs an ability to be stable and healthy,” he wrote. “We hoped (and still hope) we can do that without causing any interruption to the upcoming season. Logic would have suggested we would have been able to. The fact that we haven’t yet is extremely disappointing, and is a failure for which we both must share blame.”
More than 250 players are set to attend the NHLPA meetings Wednesday and Thursday here to discuss the current state of CBA negotiations.
The board of governors will meet Thursday at the NHL offices here and could authorize Commissioner Gary Bettman to proceed with a lockout on Saturday if a new collective bargaining agreement hasn’t been reached.
Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask, understandably, doesn’t sound optimistic.
“I hear November, December and New Year’s,” he said Monday. “But no one really knows.”
Donald Fehr, who took over as union head two years ago, said his players are resigned to a work stoppage, which would follow lockouts last year in the NFL and the NBA.
Industry revenue has grown from $2.1 billion to $3.3 billion annually under the expiring deal. Owners asked players to cut their share of hockey related revenue from 57 to 43 percent, and then modified their offer to 46 percent during a six-year proposal. Players are concerned management hasn’t addressed its problems by re-examining the teams’ revenue-sharing format.
The sides haven’t had a full bargaining session since Aug. 31 and the strife is threatening regular-season openers scheduled to start Oct. 11. The preseason schedule is set to begin on Sept. 19.
An 11-day strike in April 1992 caused 30 games to be postponed, and a 103-day lockout in 1994-95 caused the cancellation of 468 games and delayed the season’s start until Jan. 20. The 2004 lockout started Sept. 16 when training camps were to open, as they are this year, and wasn’t settled until July 13.
League awards money for concussion research
NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Charities is awarding more than $1.5 million in grants for sports-related medical research at 15 organizations, with nearly two-thirds of the money going to study concussion prevention and treatment. This year’s grants include research on stem cells and nervous system injuries; MRI methods after concussions; and the effect of temperature on the severity of potential brain injuries.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Tampa Bay at Baltimore 6:05 p.m.
Seattle at Toronto 6:07 p.m.
N-Y Yankees at Boston 6:10 p.m.
Cleveland at Texas 7:05 p.m.
Detroit at Chi White Sox 7:10 p.m.
Kansas City at Minnesota 7:10 p.m.
Oakland at L.A. Angels 9:05 p.m.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Miami at Philadelphia 6:05 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati 6:10 p.m.
Washington at N-Y Mets 6:10 p.m.
Chi Cubs at Houston 7:05 p.m.
Atlanta at Milwaukee 7:10 p.m.
San Francisco at Colorado 7:40 p.m.
L.A. Dodgers at Arizona 8:40 p.m.
St. Louis at San Diego 9:05 p.m.