DENVER (AP) — Corey Dickerson hit Atlanta catcher Gerald Laird with his backswing and tempers quickly flared, setting off a tense sequence and leading to several ejections Thursday as the Colorado Rockies beat the Braves 10-3.
The Rockies led 8-3 in the eighth when Dickerson knocked off Laird’s facemask with his swing — it appeared accidental.
Laird was down for several minutes before walking off the field on his own and being replaced by Evan Gattis.
With his next pitch, Atlanta reliever David Carpenter hit Dickerson in the thigh and was ejected.
Rockies manager Walt Weiss bolted from the dugout and yelled at Carpenter, as well as in the general direction of Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. Weiss was held back by plate umpire Jordan Baker before being ejected.
In the ninth, Rockies reliever Nick Masset hit Gattis in the hip with a pitch. Both Masset and Rockies bench coach Tom Runnells were tossed.
SAO PAULO (AP) — With all of the issues and questions leading up to the World Cup, Itaquerao Stadium shined under blue skies as Brazil kicked off its home World Cup with a football-style carnival.
Jennifer Lopez, rapper Pitbull and Brazilian pop star Claudia Leitte bounced around a giant stage resembling a peeled melon singing “We Are One” on Brazil’s Valentine’s Day.
Brazil is ready to samba, and plans to teach the world to join in for the coming month during soccer’s showcase tournament.
The soccer-crazed country hoped Thursday’s Croatia-Brazil opener would just be the start of a run to extend its record to six World Cup wins.
The field was covered in for the opening ceremony, which cost $8 million, or about $18 million Brazilian reais.
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — The Baseball Hall of Fame has celebrated its 75th anniversary with a birthday cake cut by former stars Cal Ripken and Phil Niekro.
More than 300 people gathered in the museum’s showpiece Plaque Gallery on Thursday for the occasion.
Babe Ruth was the centerpiece of the first class to be inducted, and he attended the Hall of Fame’s official opening on June 12, 1939.
The Hall opens a revamped Babe Ruth exhibit on Friday. Ruth and Hank Aaron are the only players to have exhibits devoted solely to them in the Hall of Fame.
The Mid-Plains Community College Rodeo Team has announced the addition of Garrett Nokes to its coaching staff.
The MPCC Rodeo team officially became a team and part of the athletic department in April when the college’s Board of Governors voted to allow them that distinction and take away the ‘club’ title. MPCC Rodeo’s head coach Dustin Elliott said the move from club to team helped with the addition of Nokes.
“When the board approved our budget and the move to the athletic dept they were interested in involving McCook in a bigger capacity,” Elliott said. “Then it was brought up about an assistant coach and they wanted that person in McCook. I had already talked to Garrett well before the athletic department move was even a consideration and asked him if in a few years when the team got bigger if he’d be interested, and he was. Things moved a lot quicker than we all expected and after the board meeting in McCook I called him and asked again if he was ready and he was.”
Elliott also said that Nokes will be able to handle any problems that might arise at the MCC campus and it will help promote the team on a larger scale.
“I prefer him there,” Elliott said. “That way if there are any issues with athletes attending that campus we have a coach there. Also since we are an area wide sport it just spreads our impact on community awareness out to show everyone we are serious on building the best program in the country.”
Nokes has had a successful career in rodeo. His best year came in 2005 when he qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in steer wrestling. He placed 11th at the finals and finished the 2005 season fourth in the world in that event. He has been successful at local rodeos as well. He won the all-around and was co-champion in the team roping of the 2012 Buffalo Bill Rodeo during NEBRASKAland Days in North Platte.
Elliott said that his experience and stature in the community will help with coaching and recruiting.
“He’s well qualified and is a timed event person, which only diversifies our coaching staff to accommodate all athlete events,” Elliott said. “He puts on several clinics annually to begin the teaching of potential MPCC athletes at an early age. These kids in the area know him well and respect him so I know a lot of them will be very comfortable knowing what his coaching style will be like when they attend MPCC to rodeo.”
The MPCC Rodeo team made great strides during the season that will be completed following the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo., which runs June 15-21. For the first time in team history MPCC is sending an athlete to the CNFR. Bull rider Tyler Viers from Comstock won the Great Plains Region and goes in to the finals ranked seventh in the country. Elliott said the addition of Nokes will only help the team make even more strides in becoming a power in college rodeo.
“About half the schools I can think of have a two coach system,” Elliott said. “A lot of them are a male/female combination of husband and wife. Partly because of finances of rodeo programs and the two ends of the arena, and rodeo is family oriented. But there are some programs like Iowa Central, which I refer to a lot because they are in our region, a community college, in the athletic department, and their program is 7 or 8 years old, where they have a rough stock coach, and a timed event coach just like what we put in place. It only makes it better for our athletes knowing that their coaches know what they are talking about. I think we as a pair will make a great team to be able to push every athlete that attends MPCC and rodeo’s to their very best because the coach can teach them.”
DENVER (AP) — Tyler Matzek pitched two-hit ball for the first seven innings of his major league debut before faltering in the eighth, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Atlanta Braves 8-2 on Wednesday night.
The left-hander retired the first 13 hitters and 21 of 23 before allowing three straight singles to start the eighth. He is the third Colorado pitcher in the last six days to make his debut.
Matzek (1-0) allowed two runs on five hits and struck out seven in seven-plus innings. He also had his first hit and run scored. The Rockies had lost 11 of 12.
Julio Teheran (6-4) entered Wednesday with a 1.89 ERA, best in the majors, but Colorado scored three in the first on Drew Stubbs’ RBI double and Corey Dickerson’s two-run triple.
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Rangers suddenly have some life in the Stanley Cup finals.
Henrik Lundqvist made 40 saves and Benoit Pouliot and Martin St. Louis each scored as the Rangers managed to keep the Los Angeles Kings at bay in a 2-1 victory in Game 4 on Wednesday night.
The Kings lead the series 3-1 and will get their second shot to claim the Cup for the second time in three years Friday night at home.
The Kings had champagne at the ready but didn’t get the chance to pop the corks. Los Angeles hoped to become the first team since 1998 to complete a sweep in the finals.
Twice Los Angeles put the puck on the goal line, but couldn’t get it all the way across. The last came with 1:11 left in the game.
DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Rockies have recalled left-hander Tyler Matzek from Triple-A Colorado Springs and optioned right-hander Chad Bettis to the Sky Sox.
Matzek will start Wednesday’s game against Atlanta in his major league debut.
Matzek is the fifth Rockies pitcher to make his major league debut this season and the third in a six-day span. Eddie Butler started Friday’s game against the Dodgers and Christian Bergman made his debut in Monday’s series opener against the Braves.
Butler has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with right rotator cuff inflammation.
Matzek, the 11th pick in the 2009 draft, was 5-4 with a 4.05 ERA in 12 starts for Colorado Springs this year.
Bettis was recalled Monday and he allowed three runs on four hits in one inning against Atlanta on Tuesday.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yordano Ventura dominated the Indians for seven stingy innings, and the Kansas City Royals scored all of their runs on sacrifice flies in a 4-1 victory over Cleveland on Wednesday.
The four sacrifice flies tied a franchise record, and the Royals became only the second team to score four runs all on sacrifice flies since it became an official stat in 1954. The Expos did it in an 8-4, 14-inning loss to the Cubs on May 28, 1980, according to STATS.
Kansas City won its fourth in a row.
Ventura (4-5) allowed six hits while striking out three without a walk to win back-to-back starts for the first time. Greg Holland worked a perfect ninth for his 19th save.
Jarrod Dyson, Omar Infante and Alcides Escobar hit sacrifice flies off Trevor Bauer (1-3). Billy Butler later added another.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos and Houston Texans will conduct three joint training camp practices leading up to their Aug. 23 preseason game at Sports Authority Field.
The Broncos and Texans will practice together Aug. 19-21 at the Dove Valley training headquarters in Colorado.
It’s the first time the Broncos will have hosted another team at that facility since practicing with the Dallas Cowboys in the 2008 preseason.
The Texans and Broncos last held joint practices in 2003 and 2005 in Houston.
NEW YORK (AP) — Ron Gardenhire will be in the dugout with the AL All-Stars at his home stadium.
The Minnesota manager was chosen along with Cleveland’s Terry Francona as coaches to join AL manager John Farrell of Boston in the July 15 All-Star game at Target Field.
For the NL, manager Mike Matheny of St. Louis chose Clint Hurdle of Pittsburgh and Fredi Gonzalez of Atlanta as his coaching staff.
Francona has himself managed the AL team before — in 2005 and 2008. In that second one, Farrell served as his pitching coach for the game. Gardenhire, who has managed the Twins since 2002, has been an AL coach in 2003 and 2007.
DENVER (AP) — Corey Dickerson hit Atlanta catcher Gerald Laird with his backswing and tempers quickly flared, setting off a tense sequence and leading to several ejections Thursday as the Colorado Rockies beat the Braves 10-3.
