BOSTON (AP) — Rubby De La Rosa pitched seven solid innings and Mike Napoli hit a tiebreaking homer to lift the Boston Red Sox to a 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.
It was the sixth win in seven games for the defending World Series champions, who are looking to climb from the AL East’s basement.
De La Rosa (3-2) had another strong start in Fenway Park, giving up one run on five hits, walking four and striking out two. He worked out of trouble most of his outing.
Danny Duffy (5-10) allowed two runs — one earned — on six hits in 6 2-3 innings. It was his fifth loss in six starts, but he’s allowed two or fewer runs in four of the losses.
All-Star Koji Uehara got his 20th save in 22 chances.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jordy Mercer doubled home Neil Walker with one out in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night.
Walker led off the inning with a single against Colorado’s Chad Bettis (0-2), moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored one batter later when Mercer hit a drive deep into the gap in left-center.
Jared Hughes (5-2) earned the win after escaping a two-on, one-out jam in the 11th by snagging a line drive from Charlie Blackmon and turning it into a double play.
Walker went 3 for 5 with two runs scored for the Pirates.
Carlos Gonzalez hit a two-run homer for the Rockies, who lost All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki in the fourth inning to a left thigh cramp.
Lincoln—The 30th annual Cornhusker State Games officially opened Friday with eight year-old Jack Hoffman touching off the caldron as mystery torch lighter and capping off opening ceremonies at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Not quite tall enough to reach the bowl of the caldron, Hoffman got an assist from a pair of National Guard Soldiers who had rappelled from the building’s catwalk moments earlier.
“The purpose of the Opening Ceremonies is to inspire the athletes, and I doubt you get a more inspirational torch lighter than Jack Hoffman,” Games Executive Director Dave Mlnarik said.
The Opening Ceremonies, which began at 7:30 p.m. with the Parade of Athletes, marks the beginning of the largest Cornhusker State Games since 2001, with more than 13,000 competing in 63 different sports, mostly over the next two weekends.
Hoffman, who lives in Atkinson and whose battle with brain cancer led him to befriend former Husker running back Rex Burkhead, gained national fame and worldwide awareness for his cause with a touchdown run in the Huskers’ 2013 spring game. The video clip of the run went viral and Hoffman won an ESPY, which spawned an outpouring of support for the Team Jack Foundation, formed in Jack’s name to raise money in the fight against pediatric brain cancer.
The stage was set for Hoffman when First Lieutenant Ryan Thompson and Staff Sergeant Chad Morris rappelled 90’ from the rafters, marched to the stage and flanked the caldron. Hoffman was introduced by a video produced by Husker vision before crossing the arena and joining the soldiers, who lifted him high enough to ignite the Games flame.
Entertainment was provided earlier in the show by the trampoline dunk act known as ACRODUNK, a 2013 finalist on America’s Got Talent and a famous Sioux Falls drum-line known as Su Fu Du. Several Nebraska mascots made appearances along with DJ Romeo, Miss Nebraska USA Amanda Soltero and members of the Husker men’s and women’s basketball teams, who led the oath of athletes. The national anthem, sung by statewide contest winner Ether Saure, capped a patriotic segment that included video messages from Nebraska U.S. soldiers. Emcees included KOLN-KGIN anchors Owen Jensen and Bridget Fargen, and Sports Director Kevin Sjuts, while Joy Patten, General Manager of Three Eagles Communications served as Honorary Chair and made the opening declaration.
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The development of an Olympic TV channel is receiving support as the IOC gets down to mapping out a major overhaul of its operations.
Leading representatives of the Olympic Movement met Saturday to discuss “Olympic Agenda 2020,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach’s blueprint for the future.
An IOC statement says the 16 participants supported an Olympic TV channel “to greatly increase the presence of sports and the promotion of the Olympic values year round and worldwide.”
The IOC adds that it will contact all the relevant stakeholders in the coming months to further develop the TV concept.
Also discussed were changes to the bidding process and a more flexible “event-based rather than sport-based approach” to the Olympic program.
Recommendations will be voted on in Monaco in December.
NEW YORK (AP) — CC Sabathia is disappointed and relieved all at the same time.
Sidelined with a right knee injury, the New York Yankees’ pitcher spoke to reporters Saturday morning for the first time since the team announced he will have season-ending surgery Wednesday.
Sabathia says the news was tough to take and his situation is “not fun,” but he’s glad doctors recommended an arthroscopic cleanup rather than microfracture surgery, which would have required perhaps an 18-month recovery.
The big left-hander, who turns 34 on Monday, says he’s confident he will be back on the mound in spring training next year. And with a plan now in place, he says he was able to get some sleep Friday night for the first time in weeks.
Sabathia made only eight starts this year and finished 3-4 with a career-worst 5.28 ERA. He is 208-119 with a 3.63 ERA in 14 major league seasons.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is asking hunters buying their deer permits to consider also making a tax-deductible donation to Hunters Helping the Hungry.
The program arranges distribution of venison to Nebraskans in need. During the state’s various deer seasons, hunters can donate deer at participating processors. The processors then distribute ground venison to food pantries and soup kitchens.
The cost of processing is covered by donations. Last year 363 hunters donated 392 deer, which provided more than 19,000 pounds of venison to Nebraskans in need.
More information about the program is available online at OutdoorNebraska.com/HHH.
NEW YORK (AP) — Former NFL players Christian Ballard and Gregory Westbrooks are suing the union for not providing accurate information about the risk of head injuries.
The lawsuit was filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, with both claiming the NFL Players Association “withheld information from the players about the risks of head injuries.”
Ballard and Westbrooks named former union presidents Trace Armstrong, Troy Vincent and Kevin Mawae in the suit.
An NFLPA statement says: “This lawsuit has no merit and we will defend our union and our past presidents.”
Ballard, a defensive end in 2011 and 2012, left the Vikings last September. Coincidentally, he is being represented by the union in a grievance concerning about $240,000 in 2013 salary.
Westbrooks, now 61, played parts of seven seasons from 1975-81 as a linebacker and special teamer with four clubs.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA’s board of directors will vote Aug. 7 on a modified proposal to change how the governing body works.
If approved, athletic administrators and the biggest schools would play a bigger role in rule-making. Schools then would have 60 days to override the decision.
The proposal creates a 24-member board, run primarily by presidents, to ensure the principles of college sports are enforced. But rule-making would be delegated to a new council, composed primarily of athletic directors.
Those from the five biggest conferences would have more voting power than the other five FBS football leagues. Some rules may apply only to the five major conferences.
Husker senior I-back Ameer Abdullah and junior defensive end Randy Gregory continued an impressive collection of preseason accolades on Friday, as both were named to watch list for the Walter Camp Player of the Year.
The Walter Camp Player of the Year is the fourth-oldest individual college football award. A total of 50 players were named to the Walter Camp list with Nebraska being one of nine schools with two or more players on the list. Abdullah was one of seven running backs on the list, while Gregory was one of only 17 defenders to make the watch list, including just five defensive linemen.
The 5-9, 195-pound Abdullah has previously been named to watch lists for the Maxwell Award, Doak Walker Award and Paul Hornung Award. He has also been recognized as a preseason All-American by several media outlets and is considered a leading contender for the Heisman Trophy.
Abdullah earned first-team All-Big Ten honors when he rushed for 1,690 yards in 2013, the most of any player returning for 2014. Abdullah owns 2,977 career rushing yards to rank third among active returning players in career rushing yards, and he leads all active players with 4,914 career all-purpose yards.
Randy Gregory
Gregory has now been named to five watch lists in the past two weeks. In addition to being named to the Walter Camp list, he was also on the watch lists for the Lombardi Award, Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Lott Trophy.
As a sophomore, Gregory became one of the Big Ten’s top defenders last season and has earned preseason All-America accolades in 2014. In his first year with the Huskers, Gregory led the Big Ten with 10.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss. Nine of Gregory’s sacks came in Big Ten Conference play, including a season-high three sacks at Michigan.
Abdullah and Gregory are two of eight Big Ten players on the Walter Camp list. Ten semifinalists for the award will be announced in mid-November, with the winner announced on Thursday, Dec. 11.
Three Huskers have won the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, most recently Eric Crouch in 2001.
Abdullah and teammates Kenny Bell and Corey Cooper will represent Nebraska at Big Ten Media Days later this month in Chicago. Abdullah will also be a featured speaker at the Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon, speaking on behalf of the 42 student-athletes in attendance.
LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) — Forward Rachelle Tucker, of Pierce, Nebraska, has verbally committed to play for Wyoming.
The 6-foot-2 Tucker is entering her senior year at high school and is the second recruit for the 2015 Cowgirl class. She joins 6-1 forward Daley Handy of Maize, Kansas, as verbal commitments for the Cowgirls.
The earliest a basketball player can sign a national letter of intent is November.
Tucker averaged 19 points and 8.3 rebounds a game during her junior year last season. She also shot 60 percent from the field and 70 percent from the free-throw line while averaging 1.7 blocks and 1.3 steals a game.
Tucker said that she will have to work on improving her 3-point shooting but she believes she can do that.
BOSTON (AP) — Rubby De La Rosa pitched seven solid innings and Mike Napoli hit a tiebreaking homer to lift the Boston Red Sox to a 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.
