Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports
SILVIS – Despite sitting T-133 after an opening-round (73), Sepp Straka won his second PGA Tour title with final-round (62). Straka became the first player since 1992 to win John Deere Classic with an over-par round during the week.
Three-time TOUR winner Brendon Todd finished T2 for the second time this season (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am).
BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Masataka Yoshida went 2-for-4 with a go-ahead home run in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Boston Red Sox rallied to sweep the visiting Oakland Athletics with a 4-3 win on Sunday afternoon.
After dropping the first two games of the series, Oakland scored first and held a 3-1 lead through six innings.
Boston tied the game on Adam Duvall‘s solo homer and Christian Arroyo’s RBI double in the sixth inning before Yoshida’s solo shot into the Green Monster seats two innings later, extending its winning streak to five games entering the All-Star break.
Duvall finished with a pair of RBIs, while Yoshida also scored two runs.
Chris Martin (3-1) earned the win.
Brent Rooker went 3-for-3 with a solo homer for Oakland, which held an 11-6 advantage in the hit column but committed three errors in the field. Jace Peterson and Manny Pina both had two hits.
Ken Waldichuk (2-6) allowed the winning run over 1 1/3 innings after Paul Blackburn, who had been scheduled to start Saturday before an illness scratch, pitched in relief of starter JP Sears.
The A’s got out to a first-inning lead as Ryan Noda hit a one-out double before advancing on a wild pitch and scoring on Red Sox catcher Jorge Alfaro’s subsequent throwing error.
Red Sox opener Tayler Scott got out of the first inning, allowing just the one unearned run.
Rob Refsnyder drew a leadoff walk and scored a tying run on Duvall’s sacrifice fly in the Boston half of the opening frame.
Oakland took the lead when Noda drew a bases-loaded, two-out walk against Boston reliever Chris Murphy in the second. Murphy worked three innings in relief of Scott, striking out four, walking four and yielding two hits.
Rooker added to the A’s lead with a one-out solo shot to left in the fifth.
–Field Level Media
BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox have clicked on all cylinders over their first two games against the Oakland Athletics this weekend. Entering today’s series and unofficial first-half finale, Boston has won four straight games and seven out of eight, while scoring 27 runs in just the last three games.
The Red Sox have put together seven consecutive games with at least 10 hits after pounding out 15 in Saturday’s 10-3 triumph.
Jarren Duran went 3-for-5 with a double, home run, three RBIs and three runs to lead the way. It was his sixth three-hit game of the season and extended his hitting streak to five games.
“Man, he’s on fire,” James Paxton, Saturday’s starting pitcher for the Red Sox, said of Duran. “It’s fun to watch. You know, he’s such an athletic guy, and so many tools on the field. He’s an exciting player, and I’m glad he’s on our team.”
Boston’s recent success has hardly been a one-man effort. Justin Turner has also been on a hot streak with at least one RBI in eight straight games.
Nonetheless, Red Sox manager Alex Cora knows how crucial Duran’s surge has been.
“We know about Alex (Verdugo). We know about (Masataka) Yoshida. We know about the power of (Adam) Duvall,” Cora said. “But when we talk about Jarren, give credit to the front office. They stuck with the kid, and we have found ways to play him. He’s been very dynamic.”
Cora is expected to use Tayler Scott (0-0, 7.71 ERA) as an opener less than a week after his Red Sox debut. He was acquired from the Dodgers in a trade late last month. While with the Seattle Mariners in 2019, Scott made one relief appearance against the Athletics, surrendering two unearned runs over two innings.
Left-hander JP Sears (1-6, 4.09) is scheduled to make his team-leading 18th start for the Athletics, making him their only pitcher to remain in the rotation all season.
“One of the goals was just to be available every fifth day — give my team 30 starts by the end of the year,” Sears said. “Hopefully, I can just keep it up. Stay on top of my routine and stay healthy so we can be there by the end of the year.”
Sears has allowed two or fewer runs in six of his last eight starts, including Tuesday in Detroit. He worked 7 1/3 shutout innings and allowed just five hits while striking out four in Oakland’s 1-0 win. It was the longest start of his career in the majors.
“Probably the best start of the year for us by a starter,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said, calling that outing “the definition of how to pitch. He used his weapons. Kept the ball out of the middle of the plate.”
In his first career start against Boston, Sears will look to break the A’s out of a 6-16 drought. They allowed nine extra-base hits Saturday and have won just four road series all season.
Brent Rooker and Manny Pina homered Saturday against Paxton.
–Field Level Media
SILVIS – Three-time Tour winner Brendon Todd is the only PGA Tour winner among the top five on the current John Deere leaderboard as Eight of the 13 players within three strokes of the lead are seeking their first Tour victory.
The John Deere Classic has produced 23 first-time Tour winners, the most of any event since 1970.
Alex Smalley matched his low round of career on TOUR (62).
Peter Kuest will become eligible for PGA TOUR Special Temporary Membership by completing the tournament.
Jonas Blixt can become the first since 1992 to win this event with an over-par round during the week.
Second-round leader Cameron Young carded a double bogey on final hole and sits three back on the crowded leaderboard. Twelve players are within three strokes of the leader.
By TERRY LYONS
BOSTON – In recent weeks, the readers have been the recipients of some breaking sports news (SlamBall!) and some motion picture musings (Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford). WWYI ran some music insights, from Billy Joel to The Beatles and Stones to Bruce Springsteen and his introspective thoughts through the “Last Man Standing.” The Notes always finish with a closing musical memory in the popular section tagged, “Parting Words & Music.”
Throughout, reader and writer have shared laughs and tears (for fears), talked sports, chatted-up trends in society while trying very hard to avoid politics and the terrible news of the day/week/month.
Today?
We have Notes. Just Notes.
HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Did you catch this news item? Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady lost millions in the collapse of cryptocurrency company FTX, for which he served as an ambassador, The New York Times reported Friday. Under an agreement the retired NFL quarterback made with FTX in 2021, he received $30 million in now-worthless stock for his work pitching the company in television ads and at its conference. In step with him at the time was his then-wife, Gisele Bundchen, who received $18 million in stock, per the report.
 |
DRIBBLED IT OUT: USA Basketball tried to slip one by us on Thursday at 5pm (ET). New USA head-honcho Grant Hill named the players on the 2023 USA World Cup senior national team scheduled to compete in the 2023 FIBA World Cup tournament August 25-September 10, (a.k.a) The Thriller in Manila.
The 2023 USA Men’s National Team will include Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic), Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets), Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Josh Hart (Knicks), Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans),Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies), Cam Johnson (Brooklyn Nets), Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz), Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks) and Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers).
In past years, Nike has spent beaucoup de bucks on glitzy announcements with day-long twitter feeds, NYC/Statue of Liberty photo shoots, team clinics for kids and global media days. This year, it was a simple news release (5pm ET) on Thursday with a follow-up with new USA national team managing director Grant Hill.
 |
PERTH: The NBA G League Ignite will once again host a premiere international program for a pair of preseason games with the inaugural NBA G League Fall Invitational featuring the Perth Wildcats of Australia. The Ignite will welcomes the Wildcats to the Dollar Loan Center on Wednesday, Sept. 6 and Friday, Sept. 8 when the matchup spotlights top 2024+ NBA Draft prospects among both teams. McDonald’s All-Americans Matas Buzelis andRon Holland, who are projected as Top 10 picks in the 2024 NBA Draft highlight Ignite’s 2023-24 roster, while the Wildcats feature top international talent including National Basketball League (NBL) Next Stars participant Alexandre Sarr, a projected Top 20 selection in next year’s NBA Draft. … Remember! If there’s a logo, it must be important.
NIKKI – RIP: Amongst the saddest news item to report, former USA Basketball women’s team gold medalist and proud Olympian Nikki McCray-Penson, also a former WNBA star and immortal member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, died at the age of 51.
McCray-Penson, who spent nine years in the WNBA and led the U.S. Olympic Team to a gold medal in 1996, spent this past basketball season as an assistant coach at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Rutgers confirmed the report of Ms. McCray’s passing on Friday.
“Today is deeply sad and emotional day for everyone who knew and loved Nikki,” Rutgets head coach of the women’s team Coquese Washington said in a prepared statement. “Nikki had a big smile and an even bigger heart. She was full of life, energy, and was so much fun to be around. Nikki touched the lives of many because she made it her mission to uplift others and help them achieve whatever dreams and goals they expressed.”
McCray-Penson had been diagnosed with breast cancer years ago (2013), but the initial reports of her passing did not state a cause of death, but Nikki’s friend, South Carolina head coach and former USAB Olympic Games teammate Dawn Staley did.
 |
$AUDI MONEY: Mucho controversy was made of the Private Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia paying the freight for LIV Golf in the summers of 2022 and 2023. The Saudi fund -valued at $650 billion – will branch-out with new fund-holders to arrange a new, multibillion-dollar entity, dedicated solely to sports, according to the Financial Times.
Accused by many – especially the families of 9/11 United – as using the funds to “Sportswash” in an attempt to cover-up human rights violations and murder committed by Saudi nationals. As time passes, the concept now calls for mainstream investments into leagues, teams, new franchises, start-ups in addition to LIV Golf. … Meanwhile, the rival to the PGA Tour, makes its way through St. Albans, England and London LIV where the LIV players will soon meet-up with their PGA Tour brethren to participate in The Open.
Current Saudi sports investments include:
 |
IT’S OFFICIAL: Although there were plenty of leaks a week or two ago, the NBA formally announced the addition of the long-awaited “In-Season Tournament.” The NBA In-Season Tournament, a new annual competition for all 30 teams that will debut in the 2023-24 regular season, will tip off on Friday, Nov. 3 in NBA team markets and culminate with the playing of the Semifinals (Thursday, Dec. 7) and Championship (Saturday, Dec. 9) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
“The NBA In-Season Tournament is an opportunity to further enhance and innovate around our season structure,” said Joe Dumars, NBA Executive Vice President, and the Head of Basketball Operations. “With the addition of this new marquee event on the NBA calendar, we are focused on providing players and teams with another competition to win, engaging fans in a different way and driving further interest in the early portion of the regular-season schedule,” added Dumars.
The In-Season Tournament will consist of two stages: Group Play and the Knockout Rounds.
The 67 games played in both stages of the In-Season Tournament will count toward the regular-season standings except the Championship. Each team will continue to play 82 regular-season games in the 2023-24 season, including those games that are part of Group Play and the Knockout Rounds.
TOURNAMENT GROUPS:
West Group A
Memphis Phoenix L.A. Lakers Utah Portland
West Group B
Denver LA Clippers New Orleans Dallas Houston
West Group C
Sacramento Golden State Minnesota Oklahoma City San Antonio
East Group A
Philadelphia Cleveland Atlanta Indiana Detroit
Eastern Conference
East Group B
Milwaukee New York Miami Washington Charlotte
East Group C
Boston Brooklyn Toronto Chicago Orlando