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Seattle Defeats Boston in 10th Inning

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BOSTON – Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning and the Seattle Mariners rallied to defeat the Boston Red Sox in the first game of a four-game series at Fenway Park.

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The Mariners managed only three hits, including doubles by Ty France and Sam Haggerty, but capitalized despite only one hit through the first nine innings. Mariners right-hander Rafael Montero (2-0) earned the victory after retiring the side in order in the ninth.

Red Sox right-hand pitcher Nick Pivetta didn’t allow a hit until the sixth inning, when France tied the game with a two-run double with two outs. Pivetta went six innings, allowing the two runs on one hit with three walks and four strikeouts. Boston’s Rafael Devers had two hits and a homer.

Boston Takes Key Game vs Phoenix Suns

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BOSTON – Celtics All-Star guard Kemba Walker tied his season-high with 32 points to lead Boston to a key victory over the visiting Phoenix Suns, 99-86, Thursday night at TD Garden. Walker shot 11 of 17 from the field for the Celtics (32-27), who won for the ninth time in their last 11 games. All-Star forward Jayson Tatum had 15 points and 11 rebounds for Boston as he returned from a left ankle injury.

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Boston played without its All-Star forward Jaylen Brown (shoulder), newly acquired forward Evan Fournier (health and safety) and center Robert Williams III (knee).

Veteran Phoenix guard Chris Paul had 22 points with eight rebounds and eight assists to lead the Suns (42-17), who lost for just the third time in their last 16 games. Suns guard Devin Booker had 15 points before fouling out.

The Celtics grabbed their largest lead of the game, 66-45, on a Tatum pull-up jumper with 7:13 left in the third quarter. A 10-2 Suns run prompted a Boston timeout, after which Mikal Bridges and Paul made short buckets to cut Phoenix’s deficit to single digits, 68-59.

Boston ended the period up 77-65. Later in the game, the Suns cut the deficit to nine, 90-81, but could not close the gap any further down the stretch.

Both Brown and Walker will be out tonight when the Celtics face Brooklyn.

 

PGA Tour: Second Round Preview at Zurich Classic of New Orleans

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PGA Tour Brunch 1st Round Coverage of Zurich Classic of NOLA

NEW ORLEANS – Making their first starts in the Zurich Classic, Viktor Hovland and Kris Ventura opened with a bogey-free 10-under (62). Brice Garnett and Scott Stallings birdied eight of their last 11 holes to post 10-under (62).

Louisiana native Sam Burns and two-time Zurich Classic champion Billy Horschel birdied first four holes en route to a (63).

Defending champions Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer are T-16 after a 7-under (65).

Format: Four-ball in first and third rounds, Foursomes in second and fourth rounds.

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The Tournament Tee Times today at 8:20am (local)/9:20am (EDT through 2:14pm (local)/3:14pm (EDT)

Weather: Forecast today calls for mostly cloudy skies, showers and thunderstorms after 3pm with a 40% chance of rain. The showers and thunderstorms could hold over until Saturday (90% chance of rain). Sunday will be mostly sunny and 71-degrees.

PGATourBrunch will be posting before 9am (EDT) on Saturday and Sunday.

Next Week: Valspar Championship (Palm Harbor, FLA)

Leaderboard After First Round at Zurich Classic

Viktor Hovland/Kris Ventura 62 (-10)

Brice Garnett/Scott Stallings 62 (-10)

Seven teams 63 (-9)

Sports TV: Class is in Session with Doug Glanville on Marquee Sports

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CHICAGO – Regional Sports Networks are upping the ante each and every year and Chicago’s Marquee Sports Network is leading the trend of RSN’s producing original “network quality” programs.

Class is in Session with Doug Glanville is a monthly show that explores the sports industry within the larger lens of its effect on society. It premieres its newest episode this Friday, April 23, on Marquee Sports Network. Presented by UI Health, this month’s episode focuses on the decision by Major League Baseball to move the All-Star Game from Atlanta to Colorado and how the Players Alliance is giving a voice to minority players and providing outreach in communities across the country.

To view a trailer, click below:

https://www.marqueesportsnetwork.com/doug-glanville-discusses-mlb-all-star-game-and-players-alliance-on-newest-episode-of-class-is-in-session/

Guests for this episode include:

Jason Heyward – Chicago Cubs outfielder, 12-year major league veteran and member of the Major League Player Committee for The Players Alliance
Curtis Granderson – 16-year major league veteran and President of The Players Alliance
Ken Rosenthal – Senior writer for The Athletic and MLB Network insider
Doug Glanville, the show’s host, creator and one of its executive producers, was nominated for a 2021 Sports Emmy Award for his “Enough” video essay and draws on his experience as a veteran MLB player, baseball analyst, writer, and college professor of sport and society as he interacts with this distinguished panel of guests.

“Having the opportunity to learn and engage with true insiders and their knowledge of the impact and motivation around MLB moving the All-Star Game is unique,” said Glanville. “Between Curtis, Jason and Ken, we get an education on all the factors at play and why it was so significant for MLB to take a stance. The conversations are deep and examine historical context through current player insight.”

During the wide-ranging discussion, Glanville and the panel of guests discuss what led to MLB’s decision to move the All-Star Game, the role of players in that decision and how The Players Alliance is going above and beyond to impact all communities, including Atlanta.

Jason Heyward, a native of the Atlanta area, shared his support for moving the game out of Atlanta, while acknowledging that he remains committed to his hometown.

“It’s cool to know that the Players Alliance will still be going to Atlanta, and will still be reaching out in these communities … I’m looking forward to being a part of that any way I can,” said Heyward.

Glanville, a nine-year MLB veteran, is a Marquee Sports Network analyst and the host of “Class is in Session with Doug Glanville” presented by UI Health, a half-hour panel show exploring the intersection between sports and larger society. Glanville was selected by the Cubs in the first round of the 1991 MLB draft and made his major league debut with Chicago in 1996.

After spending five-plus seasons with Philadelphia and Texas, he returned to the Cubs in 2003 and hit a go-ahead triple in the 11th inning of Game Three of the NLCS against the Marlins. He was the first African American Ivy League graduate to play in the MLB.

MLB Legacies Take It to Red Sox

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BOSTON – MLB legacies Cavan Biggio, Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – batting one-two-three – in the Toronto Blue Jays’ order, combined to go 3-for-4 with a run scored and three RBI over the opening two innings of the game to lead Toronto to a 6-3 win over Boston at Fenway Park.

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Toronto snapped their three-game losing streak while the Red Sox dropped to 3-3 on their current home stand but 12-4 overall. Boston remains tied with the Oakland A’s for the best record in the AL (12-7, .632), and trail only the LA Dodgers (14-4, .778) for the best record in MLB.

Biggio and Guerrero are the sons of Baseball Hall of Famers Craig Biggio and 16-year veteran Vladimir Guerrero while Biggio is the son of former MLB outfielder Dante Bichette.

Toronto utilized seven pitchers with Trent Thornton getting the start, his first of the season. Thornton allowed an Alex Verdugo single and a Rafael Devers double over 2.0 scoreless innings to maintain his record of holding opponents scoreless in his last four outings (7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 SO).

Blue Jays reliever Ryan Borucki was credited with the win and Anthony Castro earned a save.

Boston Starter Garrett Richards (0-2) took the loss after going 4.2 innings and throwing a season-high 92 pitches. He allowed four runs on four hits and was hurt by six walks.

Boston SS Xander Bogaerts went 1-for-4 with a home run in the 8th inning, his second homer in two nights.

 

 

PGA Tour: R-1 Coverage of Zurich Classic

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PGA Tour Brunch 1st Round Coverage of Zurich Classic of New Orleans

The Zurich Classic field consists of five of Top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking: Jon Rahm (3), Collin Morikawa (4), Xander Schauffele (5), Tyrrell Hatton (8), Patrick Cantlay (10).

There are 11 major championsplaying and two teams include two major champions: Justin Rose/Henrik Stenson and Louis Oosthuizen/Charl Schwartzel

The strong field includes 11 winners from the current 2020-21 season: CollinMorikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Billy Horschel, Max Homa, Joel Dahmen, Branden Grace, Viktor Hovland, Matt Jones, Jason Kokrak, Martin Laird, and Robert Streb

Reminder: This is a two-player “team” event, with each team comprised of two professionals, competing at Four-ball (best ball) during the first and third rounds and Foursomes (alternate shot) during the second and fourth rounds.

The starting field will consist of 80 teams (160 players) with the 36-hole cut to the low 33 teams and ties at the 33rd position.

The Tournament Tee Times begin Thursday at 7:00am (EDT) through 2:10pm (EDT).

Weather: Today’s Forecast calls mild, sunny skies and a temperature of 64-degrees with 49% humidity and 13 mph winds. Zero chance of rain. Friday (70% chance of rain) could bring PM showers and thunderstorms which will hold over until Saturday (90% chance of rain). Sunday will be mostly sunny and 71-degrees.

PGATourBrunch will be posting before 7am (EDT) for early tee times on Friday.

Next Week: Valspar Championship (Palm Harbor, FLA)

Field:

The Field (team player noted in (parenthesis) (link)

THIS WEEK on the PGA TOUR: RBC Heritage

COURSE: TPC Louisiana, Avondale, LA

ARCHITECT: Pete Dye

YARDS/PAR: 7,425 yards/Par 72

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $7,400,000/$1,069,300 (for each winning player)

DEFENDING Champion (April 2019) – Jon Rahm/Ryan Palmer – (Leaderboard link)

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points Winner Share: 800 per team/400 per player

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @Zurich_Classic

OFFICIAL SITE: (Zurich Classic of New Orleans)

TV COVERAGE: Today, April 22 and Friday, April 23: 3:30pm to 6:30pm (EDT) on Golf Channel. On Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25 – Golf Channel’s TV coverage goes from 1:00pm to 3:00pm (EDT), then CBS takes over coverage from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT).

STREAMING: PGA Tour Live will offer streaming coverage of Featured Groups Today from 8:00am to 6:30pm (EDT) and Friday from 9:15am to 6:30pm (EDT) and Friday from 9:15am to 6:30pm (EDT). On Saturday PGA Live Featured Groups runs from 9:00am to 3:00pm (EDT) with Featured Holes going from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT). On Sunday, PGA Tour Live offers Featured Groups streaming from 10:30am to 3:00pm (EDT) and Featured Holes from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT).

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: Streaming Radio coverage Today and Friday from 1:00pm to 6:30pm (EDT); then Saturday and Sunday, 1:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92) or online on PGATour.com.

Boston College Signs with New Balance

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Source: Official Joint News Release) – Boston College athletics signed a 10-year agreement with Boston-based New Balance Athletics to become the Official Footwear and Apparel Provider for the Eagles. The deal will begin on June 1, 2021.

The largest financial footwear and apparel agreement in Boston College athletics history gives New Balance the right to provide uniforms, apparel, and footwear for 30 of BC’s 31 varsity sports. The partnership will also include the opportunity for Boston College student-athletes to be part of an annual internship program at New Balance.

“This partnership will be an absolute game-changer for Boston College athletics and our student-athletes,” said William V. Campbell Director of Athletics Pat Kraft. “This is not just a historic deal in terms of the financial value and amount of apparel for our department. The opportunities for our student-athletes to assist in product design and development of the footwear and apparel they will actually wear and compete in will be transformational.”

As New Balance looks to continue its growth with New Balance Basketball, a key element in this partnership focuses on the innovation and investment in the men’s and women’s basketball programs. New Balance will work closely with both programs to aid in design and product enhancements and is dedicated to their success both on and off the court.

“This progressive collaboration joins two world-class Boston-based teams with strong synergies at our core and enables a broad spectrum of initiatives that will drive innovation, performance and creativity,” says Ray Hilvert, Vice President of Global Team Sports at New Balance. “Boston College athletics is known for its historic commitment to excellence and we look forward to working with Pat Kraft, Father Leahy and the entire Boston College team to build a strong and dynamic relationship that benefits student-athletes and our shared communities.”

The partnership will grant several BC teams access to the new state-of-the-art TRACK@New Balance that is currently under construction. The new sports complex at Boston Landing will feature a 200-meter hydraulically banked track, seating for more than 5,000 spectators, and facilities for training, events, and recovery.

Officially licensed Boston College apparel will be available online this summer on BCEagles.com and New Balance.com in addition to both New Balance Boston retail locations and the Boston College Bookstore.

Boston College cited its longstanding appreciation for New Balance’s history and corporate mission as factors in its decision to seek the agreement. Since 1972, when the company was purchased by Jim Davis, New Balance has grown from six employees manufacturing 30 pairs of shoes per day in a single location to a global brand with more than 7,000 associates worldwide and global annual sales of $3.3 billion in 2020.

Headquartered in Boston, New Balance owns and operates four factories in New England and one in the United Kingdom, and New Balance Foundation– established by Jim and Anne Davis in 1981–has donated more than $110 million in total grants to non-profit organizations to develop high-impact, long-term, sustainable initiatives that enrich the lives of children, their families and their communities.

PGA Tour: First Look at Zurich Classic

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Welcome to PGA Tour Brunch Coverage of the Zurich Classic

The 2020 Zurich Classic of New Orleans was one of 11 events canceled in the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19. The Zurich Classic (which was first played in 1938), has utilized the two-man team format since 2017. It remains the only official FedExCup team event on the PGA TOUR schedule.

Two-player team event, with each team comprised of two professionals, featuring Four-ball (best ball) during the first and third rounds and Foursomes (alternate shot) during the second and fourth rounds.

The starting field will consist of 80 teams (160 players) with the 36-hole cut to the low 33 teams and ties at the 33rd position.

The field consists of 12 past Zurich Classic of New Orleans winners: K.J. Choi (2002), Nick Watney (2007), Andres Romero (2008), Bubba Watson(2011), Jason Dufner (2012), Billy Horschel (2013, 2018), Justin Rose(2015), Brian Stuard (2016), Cameron Smith (2017), Scott Piercy (2018), Jon Rahm (2019), Ryan Palmer (2019)

Zurich Ambassadors: Justin Rose, Billy Horschel, and Collin Morikawa.

The Tournament Tee Times begin Thursday at 7:00am (EDT) through 2:10pm (EDT).

Weather: Thursday’s Forecast calls mild, sunny skies and a temperature of 64-degrees with 49% humidity and 13 mph winds. Zero chance of rain. Friday (70% chance of rain) could bring PM showers and thunderstorms which will hold over until Saturday (90% chance of rain). Sunday will be mostly sunny and 71-degrees.

Red Sox Win 12th of Last 15 Games

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BOSTON – After a day off to rest, Boston shortstop Xander Bogaerts hit a three-run home run to provide Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez with some run support in his first start at Fenway Park since 2019. That combination gave the Boston Red Sox their second consecutive win and 12 wins in their last 15 games, by way of  a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.

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Rodriguez (3-0), who missed last season due to COVID-19 complications, allowed two runs on three hits over six innings and struck out six for AL East-leading Boston. The Boston bullpen was strong, as Matt Andriese, Adam Ottavino and Matt Barnes each worked a scoreless inning in relief. Barnes earned his third save.

Toronto Blue Jays starter Hyun Jin Ryu (1-2) pitched five innings, giving up eight hits, four runs and striking out two.

Rodriguez received a warm greeting from the COVID-19 protocol-limited Fenway faithful  crowd of 4,728.

Boston 2B Christian Arroyo and OF/DH J.D. Martinez singled ahead of Bogaerts’ blast to left-center in the bottom of the inning. Red Sox utility man Marwin Gonzalez doubled later in the fourth and 1B Bobby Dalbec drove him in with a triple.

Celtics Fall Short Against Bulls

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BOSTON – Boston’s All-Star forward Jayson Tatum recorded 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in his first career triple-double for the Celtics, but the club’s six-game winning streak came to an end as the visiting Chicago Bulls outlasted the shorthanded Boston Celtics, 102-96, on Monday night at TD Garden.

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Jaylen Brown led the team with 23 points but Boston played without guards Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker, both sidelined with non-COVID illness. Boston center Robert Williams III (knee) and forward Evan Fournier (health and safety) also remained sidelined.

Chicago’s Nikola Vucevic scored 29 points to carry the Bulls to the victory. Vucevic added nine rebounds as the Bulls won their second straight game after a five-game losing streak. Coby White scored 19 and Thaddeus Young and Garrett Temple 13 apiece as Chicago remained without top scorer Zach LaVine for a third straight game due to health and safety protocol.