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Smart Named Defensive Player of Year

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart was named the 2021-22 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year. It marks the first NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award for Smart, who becomes the first guard to earn the honor since Gary Payton in the 1995-96 season. Smart is also the second player to win the award with the Celtics, joining Kevin Garnett (2007-08).

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Smart received 257 points (37 first-place votes) from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Phoenix Suns forward Mikal Bridges finished in second place with 202 points (22 first-place votes). Utah Jazz center and three-time Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert finished in third place with 136 points (12 first-place votes). Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.

A starter in all 71 of his games played in the 2021-22 regular season, the 6-4 Smart ranked seventh in the NBA in steals per game (1.68) and tied for sixth in total steals (119). He had 19 games with three or more steals, including two games with a season-high five steals.

Smart, 28, ranked among the league leaders in several “hustle” categories, finishing tied for fourth in the NBA in loose balls recovered (75) and tied for 10th in both deflections (206) and charges drawn (16). He also set a career high in defensive rebounds per game (3.2).

Behind Smart, the Celtics led the NBA in defensive rating (106.2) and points allowed per game (104.5) and held opponents to the lowest field goal percentage (43.4) and three-point field goal percentage (33.9). The strong defense helped propel the Celtics to a 51-31 record and the second seed in the Eastern Conference for the 2022 NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel.

An eight-year NBA veteran, Smart has been selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team twice (2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons). He also won the NBA Hustle Award for the 2018-19 season. This season, Smart averaged 12.1 points, a career-high 5.9 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 32.3 minutes per game.

The voting results for the 2021-22 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award are below. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP.

Red Sox Roster Moves

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Releases) – The Boston Red Sox placed left-handed pitcher Rich Hill on the Bereavement/Family Medical Emergency List. To fill Hill’s spot on the active roster, the club recalled catcher Ronaldo Hernández from Triple-A Worcester. Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the roster move..

Hill, 42, started yesterday’s game against the Minnesota Twins, allowing four runs in 4.2 innings. The left-hander has made two starts for the Red Sox this season, posting a 7.00 ERA (7 ER/9.0 IP).

Hernández, 24, has played in seven games for Worcester this season, making six starts at catcher. In 106 games between Worcester and Double-A Portland since the start of 2021, the right-handed hitter is batting .274 (107-for-391) with 48 extra-base hits and 62 RBI. His first appearance will be his major league debut.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox made additional roster moves in reaction to yesterdays sidelining of Kevin Plawecki and subsequent medical update on Plawecki’s battery-mate in catcher Christian Vázquez and infielder Jonathan Araúz on the COVID-19 Related Injured List.

Additional moves included:

· Recalled right-hander pitcher Tyler Danish from Triple-A Worcester.

· Selected outfielder Rob Refsnyder to the active major league roster from Worcester.

Vázquez, 31, has started seven of the Red Sox’ first 10 games at catcher, throwing out two of five attempted base stealers (40.0%). The right-handed hitter went 2-for-4 with two RBI in yesterday’s game against the Twins, hitting his first home run of the season in the seventh inning.

Araúz, 23, has appeared in five games this season, making three starts at second base. The switch-hitter most recently appeared as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning on Saturday.

Danish, 27, has not allowed a run in his three relief appearances for Worcester this season, striking out six batters in 3.0 innings. The right-hander posted a 1.29 ERA (1 ER/7.0 IP) in six Grapefruit League appearances for the Red Sox in Spring Training.

Refsnyder, 31, is batting .400 (14-for-35) with 12 runs scored, four doubles, one home run, eight RBI, and nine walks in 11 games for Worcester this season. The right-handed hitter has made eight starts in center field, two in right field, and one at designated hitter.

Sox Plawecki Out on COVID+ List

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BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox placed catcher Kevin Plawecki on the COVID-19 related Injured list and filled his spot on the active roster with catcher Connor Wong from Triple-A Worcester.  Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the move.

Plawecki, 31, has played in four games this season, with the Red Sox winning each of his three starts at catcher. The right-handed hitter has batted .297 (74-for-249) with a .757 OPS in 92 games during his three seasons with Boston (2020-22).

Wong, 25, has made four starts at catcher for Triple-A Worcester this season, batting .250 (4-for-16) with three runs scored. The right-handed hitter played in six games for Boston last season, his major league debut, and hit .308 (4-for-13) with one double, one triple, and one RBI.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora noted that two (non-coaching) members of the team staff also tested COVID+ and were asked to quarantine under guidelines previously established. The Red Sox staff members were not identified.

Spieth Wins for Second Straight Easter

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HARBOUR TOWN – Jordan Spieth defeated Patrick Cantlay in a playoff to win the RBC Heritage, earning his 13th PGA Tour title and first since the 2021 Valero Texas Open. Spieth became the 82nd player to reach 13 wins on the tour and moves to T-72 on the all-time wins list.

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With the victory, Spieth moved to No. 11 in the FedEx Cup standings, his highest position of the season. The playoff was the first in the FedEx Cup era (est. 2007) between two FedEx Cup Champions.

Patrick Cantlay (P2) earns his third top-three finish and fourth top-10 in five starts at the event (T-3/2017, T-7/2018, T-3/2019, MC/2021, P2/2022) while 54-hole leader Harold Varner III (T3) now has three Top-3 results on the PGA Tour, with two coming at the RBC Heritage (T-3/2019 FedEx St. Jude Championship, T-2/2021 RBC Heritage, T-3/2022 RBC Heritage)

Shane Lowry (T-3) has finished in the Top 15 in each of his last five stroke-play events, including a runner-up at The Honda Classic and back-to-back T-3s (Masters Tournament and the RBC).

Cam Davis (T-3) ties his career-low score on the PGA TOUR with a 63, his second instance with the first coming at the 2020 Sanderson Farms Championship.

Defending champion Stewart Cink finished 68th.

RBC Heritage | Final Leaderboard

*Jordan Spieth 69-68-68-66—271 (-13) 5-3

Patrick Cantlay 66-67-70-68—271 (-13) 3-3

Cam Davis 69-73-67-63—272 (-12)

J.T. Poston 68-72-68-64—272 (-12)

Matt Kuchar 68-69-67-68—272 (-12)

Shane Lowry 66-72-65-69—272 (-12)

Sepp Straka 66-71-67-68—272 (-12)

Harold Varner III 67-72-63-70—272 (-12)

Cameron Young 63-73-70-66—272 (-12)

*defeated Patrick Cantlay with a par-4 on the first extra hole (No. 18)

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | April 17

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While We’re Young (Ideas) Enjoys the Pageantry of Baseball

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – This weekend, we’ll delve into the wonderful pageantry of the game of Baseball and its place in the sporting fabric of the City of Boston and the United States of America. There’s nothing quite like it as we work towards a return to our normal lives of pre-COVID virus amidst constantly threatening variants.

First and foremost: Happy Easter and a thoughtful and peaceful Passover to those who celebrate. Our simple wish of peace to people of all faiths as Spring 2022 “Springs Eternal” in the Northeast, USA.

A DAY IN THE LIFE: The Boston Red Sox lost their home opener against the Minnesota Twins, 8-4, on Friday. Aside from some early season/limited Spring Training grumbles (see below), nearly every fan left Fenway Park as happy as could be.

First, because of the fact the home opener came six games into the season, on a 65-degree Boston Friday, the assembled fans at Fenway were downright giddy. It seemed as though the entire City of Boston and Commonwealth of Massachusetts shunned their work obligations and their Tax Man duties and will rely on the fact the true income tax deadline is Tuesday, April 19 (because of Passover and Easter). Even the Pope, the Cardinals (Roman Catholic, not St. Louis) and every Monsignor this side of the Berkshires turned their heads and offered some magical Good Friday dispensation to fans guzzling Sam Wicked Easy by the keg full.

Secondly, there was an indescribable air of normalcy at the park, certainly for the first time since September 29, 2019 which fell – get this – 929 days, as in 9/29 – since that 2019 season finale against the Baltimore Orioles. The Sox defeated the hapless O’s on the final day of the regular season but only after the bullpen blew what could’ve been SP Eduardo Rodriguez’ 20th win of the season. BTW, then-Boston OF Mookie Betts went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI to finish his career with the Red Sox.

Maybe things aren’t all that normal, again, as Betts is LONG gone and OF Jackie Bradley Jr. was here-gone-and came back again. But, Friday afternoon certainly beat an Opening Day a year ago with only 4,500 fans in the building.

Of course not to be overlooked, the Red Sox played quite well last season and filled the joint for Postseason games, including a Wild Card win over the rival New York Yankees, a 3-games-to-1 series win over a very good Tampa Bay Rays team, but an ALCS loss to the Houston Astros last October.

At Friday’s opener, the ballpark was packed (36,266) with the sellout crowd enjoying previously mentioned Sam Adams on one outfield deck or some concoction named TRULY on another deck. Progress in marketing, and changing tastes, changing societal norms, changing team personnel amidst this damn global pandemic that just won’t quit, as evidenced by the current lock-down in major cities in China, including Shanghai.

ON SATURDAY: Boston and its Fenway faithful were treated to yet another seasonably-warm late afternoon date – a 4:11pm (ET) first pitch to start the second game of the four-game set between the Sox and Minnesota Twins. The series will conclude Monday, Patriots’ Day in the Commonwealth, with the traditional 11:10am (ET) start as the Boston Marathon runs its way from the suburbs of Hopkinton all the way to Copley.

To celebrate the weekend, the Red Sox are wearing their “City” uniforms, depicted ⬇️.

Many fans, outside of Boston, might wonder about the colors, but they are the official colors of the Boston Marathon and Boston Athletic Association. Those colors became the foundation of the “Boston Strong” civic campaign to help the city and the victims of the senseless 2013 marathon bombing incident begin the road to recovery after some severe post Traumatic Stress. As you might recall, the initial blast killed three people Krystle Marie Campbell, 29; Lü Lingzi, a 23-year old Boston University student and 8-year old Martin Richard who were all in direct proximity of the two blasts. An MIT security man, Sean Collier, was shot three days after the bombing when the two suspects tried to rob him and flee the scene and Dennis Simmonds, a local police officer, died almost a year later from wounds suffered during a shoot-out in Watertown, Mass. … We remember them all every year – FOREVER.

PANIC BUTTON: A glance to the Green Monster and the AL East standings show Boston is “next to last” place in the division (3-4) as Saturday’s game was on-going. Only the poor Baltimore Orioles (2-5) trail. … Yes, it is FAR too early to scoreboard watch and the usual frenzy and negative buzz of Boston sports talk radio and thus the fans is palpable, even if it’s eight games into the season. … The bulk of the reasoning is the lack of trust in the Red Sox starting rotation and bullpen, as evidenced in Friday’s home opener when the Twins knocked Boston SP Nick Pivetta off the mound in two innings and the bullpen coughed up another four runs in the Sox 8-4 loss. … With star SP Chris Sale out indefinitely, the likes of Pivetta, Tanner Houck, Michael Wacha, Rich Hill, and relievers Garrett Whitlock, Matt Barnes and Jake Diekman (L) are under immediate pressure to perform. That pressure comes without a proper MLB Spring Training period and stretch-out time for pitchers. The Red Sox will need a resurgence from RP Ryan Brasier and their current ace SP Nathan Eovaldi who finished fourth in the 2021 AL Cy Young Award voting. … Time will tell on both the basic situation and the possible return of Sale and SP Jim Paxton (2021 Tommy John surgery) who was acquired in the off-season. By the way, Paxton will pocket a cool $10m for his rehab efforts in ‘22 … It seems a bit early in the Spring to be hopefully awaiting the MLB All-Star break.

HOUCK TO THE RESCUE: Continuing the news from Saturday afternoon, Red Sox SP Tanner Houck walked off the mound, hopped over the first base lines in a superstitious kind-of-way and departed the game with a 4-0 lead. Houck went 5.2 innings, tossing two-hit baseball with three walks, four Ks on 89 pitches/50 strikes. He left only two runners on base and only Nick Gordonof the Twins reached third base, harmlessly.

The Red Sox won their Saturday game, 4-0, behind the pitching of Houck and Garrett Whitlock’s tidy work out of the bullpen. All is not lost in the Fens.

For the complete While We’re Young (Ideas) Sunday Sports Notebook, subscribe HERE.

Varner Vaults to Lead at RBC

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HILTON HEAD – Following a bogey-free (63) at the RBC Heritage, Harold Varner III holds the 54-hole lead for the second time of his PGA Tour career, but he is 0-for-1 to date in converting it to a win. Varner will attempt to become the eighth Black player to win on Tour.

Reigning FedEx Cup Champion and 36-hole leader Patrick Cantlay trails by one following a 1-under (70) while Shane Lowry and Erik van Rooyen, both T-2, could become the sixth international winner of the RBC Heritage since 2012.

Of 12 players at 8-under or better, Varner III (1st) and Tommy Fleetwood (T-9) are seeking their first Tour victory.

The last two RBC Heritage champions (Webb Simpson in 2020, Stewart Cink in 2021) each held the 54-hole lead/co-lead but prior to 2020, the event featured seven consecutive come-from-behind winners, with all trailing by at least two strokes going into the final round.

One week following a T-3 at The Masters Tournament, Shane Lowry (T-2) at (-10) is in search of his third Tour victory (2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, 2019 Open Championship). He has two Top-10 finishes in four starts at the RBC Heritage.

RBC Heritage Leaderboard | After 54 Holes

Harold Varner III 67-72-63—202 (-11)

Shane Lowry 66-72-65—203 (-10)

Erik van Rooyen 69-67-67—203 (-10)

Patrick Cantlay 66-67-70—203 (-10

Cantlay Takes Lead at RBC Heritage

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The RBC Heritage | Third Round 

HILTON HEAD – Reigning FedEx Cup Champion Patrick Cantlay holds 36-hole lead/co-lead at the RBC Heritage and for the eighth time on Tour. He’s 1-for-7 in cashing in for the win to date.

Of 13 players at 5-under or better, Cameron Tringale, Cameron Young, and Mito Pereira are seeking their first PGA Tour win.

Following 15 bogey-free rounds Thursday, the most in any single round at Harbour Town Golf Links since 2003, only two were recorded in Round-2 on Friday, as Matthew NeSmith, and Cameron Tringale accomplished the task.

Defending champion and three-time RBC Heritage winner Stewart Cinkadvanced to the weekend for the 18th time in his 23rd appearance

Competing on a Major Medical Extension in his first PGA TOUR start since the 2019 Shriners Children’s Open, Morgan Hoffmann missed the cut by one stroke. Other notables to also miss by a stroke: Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson and Kevin Kisner.

Brandon Hagy WD during the second round with a back injury.

RBC Heritage Leaderboard | After 36 Holes

Patrick Cantlay 66-67—133 (-9)

Robert Streb 68-67—135 (-7)

Cameron Tringale 69-67—136 (-6)

Aaron Wise 68-68—136 (-6)

Erik van Rooyen 69-67—136 (-6)

Cameron Young 63-73—136 (-6)

Joel Dahmen 69-67—136 (-6)

Twins Spoil Red Sox Home Opener, 8-4

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BOSTON – Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan made his second start of the 2022 MLB season – just his seventh career appearance – and spoiled the Boston Red Sox home opener by throwing six innings of five-hit baseball to anchor the Twins’ 8-4 victory over Boston.

Ryan allowed only one run (earned), struck-out seven Sox batters and walked none. He passed the ball to the Twins bullpen with a 6-1 lead with only a home run to Boston LF Alex Verdugo as his lone blemish. Ryan is (1-1) on the season and he lowered his ERA to (2.70) with the outing.

Boston’s starting pitcher, Nick Pivetta, didn’t fare as well. The Twins scored four runs on five hits over the first two innings to knock Pivetta out of the game after throwing 54 pitches in two innings and leaving on the wrong side of a 4-1 score. Minnesota 1B Miguel Sano did the most damage with a two-run homer off Pivetta in the second inning.

The Red Sox would go on to use six pitchers throughout the game and Minnesota scored a pair of insurance runs in both the fifth and ninth innings, hitting-up RP Hirokazu Sawamura for two runs in the fifth and Matt Barnes for another pair in the top of the ninth, sealing the Twins’ victory.

After rallying for three runs in the eighth inning, including two off the bat of Rafael Devers who homered off reliever Jhoan Duran, the Sox bats went limp in the bottom of the ninth. Both newly acquired infielder Trevor Story and veteran first baseman Bobby Dalbec struck-out to end the game in a whimper before a sellout crowd of 36,266 at Fenway Park.

 

It’s Opening Day at Fenway Park

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BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox face the Minnesota Twins in their home opener at Fenway Park after a six-game road trip to open the season. Boston split the six games and meet a Twins team that is (2-4) over their first six contests of 2022.

Between the fact it’s Opening Day, along with MLB’s league-wide tribute to Jackie Robinson, the 75th anniversary of NY/MLB’s first game at Ebbets Field, The Hub’s “ONE Boston” day to memorialize the victims of the April 15, 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and a home opening tribute to longtime Red Sox second baseman and TV commentator Jerry Remy, there’s a lot going on at the ballpark.

The Red Sox are in the midst of a stretch of six consecutive games when they play afternoon baseball. Eight of the Red Sox first 10 games of 2022 are scheduled for day games, including this Monday’s 11:10am (ET) start to celebrate Patriots’ Day in the Commonwealth and the running of the Boston Marathon.

The next time Boston plays a night game will be Monday, April 19th vs Toronto.

Boston will be playing games on 17 consecutive days (April 15-May 1)

TODAY’S STARTING PITCHERS: Twins: Joe Ryan (0-1, 4.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, four strikeouts); Red Sox: Nick Pivetta (0-1, 6.35 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, four strikeouts).

 

 

PGA Rookie Smith Leads RBC Heritage

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The RBC Heritage | Second Round | April 15

HILTON HEAD – PGA Tour rookie Cameron Young opened with a bogey-free (63), the lowest first-round score of his Tour career and one stroke shy of his low in any round. Young holds a two-stroke lead, the first lead/co-lead of his PGA Tour career after any round.

Joaquin Niemann has now been T-3 or better after 18 holes five times this season, the most of any player while defending champion and three-time RBC Heritage winner Stewart Cink is T-10. The last player to successfully defend title at the event was Boo Weekley in 2008. Both PGA Tour members from Chile are T-3 or better with Niemann in 2nd at (-6) and rookie Mito Pereira among a group of seven players T-3 at (-5).

Competing on a Major Medical Extension in his first PGA Tour start since the 2019 Shriners Children’s Open, Morgan Hoffmann carded an even-par (71), and is T-71.

Corey Conners is T-3 after posting a (-5) including a hole-in-one (No. 7, 187 yards), his fourth on Tour since the start of the 2019-20 season. He has the most aces on Tour in that stretch with second-most honors going to Martin Laird.

Conners’ holes-in-one have come at the 2020 BMW Championship, 2021 Masters Tournament, 2021 Wells Fargo Championship and 2022 RBC Heritage.

Shane Lowry (T-3) at (-5) has finished in the Top 15 in each of his last four stroke-play starts on TOUR (2nd/The Honda Classic, T-13/The PLAYERS, T-12/Valspar Championship, and T-3/Masters Tournament).

Webb Simpson finished his round with five straight birdies but is six shots off the lead – at a T-32 logjam at (69) after 18 holes.

Reigning FedEx Cup Champion Patrick Cantlay (T-3) at (-5) opened with a (66), snapping a streak of seven consecutive scores in the 70s. Cantlay opened the season with four consecutive Top-10s but has not finished T-10 or better in four starts since losing to Scottie Scheffler in a playoff at the WM Phoenix Open.

Zach Johnson WD during the first round due to illness.

 

RBC Heritage Leaderboard | After 18 Holes

Cameron Young 63 (-8)

Joaquin Niemann 65 (-6)

Seven players 66 (-5)