Yankees’ Cortes exits Game 4 with groin injury
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Marly RiveraESPN Writer
NEW YORK — New York Yankees starter Nestor Cortes was taken out of the do-or-die Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros in the third inning due to a left groin injury.
On a windy and cool night, and with the game starting after an hour-and-a-half rain delay, Cortes struggled with his command, taking six of the first 10 batters he faced to a 3-ball count.
It appeared like Cortes slipped on the mound at the start of the third inning, while facing Jose Altuve, but gave a thumbs up to the Yankees dugout before Yankees manager Aaron Boone and head athletic trainer Tim Lentych came to check up on him.
Cortes issued his second walk of the inning to Altuve — the first time he walked consecutive batters this year — before hanging an 82 mph slider to rookie shortstop Jeremy Pena, which he barreled 408 feet to make it a tie game. Lentych and Boone escorted Cortes out of the game after the Pena at bat.
Cortes did not pitch between Aug. 21 and Sept. 8 because of a strained left groin, then returned to make five regular-season starts and two against Cleveland in ALDS. In Game 4 on Sunday night, his fastball and slider velocity were both down about 1.5 mph from their season average.
Cortes was replaced by lefty reliever Wandy Peralta.
In speaking in between innings during the TBS broadcast, Boone said that the left groin was something that Cortes had “kind of been dealing with really since the first game of the playoffs.” Boone added that it was something that he had been able to pitch well with, but “it just started acting up more there.”
Cortes ended up throwing just 28 of 55 pitches for strikes, allowing two hits and three walks in two innings. Sunday’s outing was Cortes’ shortest of the season.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
PASASDENA, Calif. — Nico Iamaleava threw for two touchdowns and ran for three more on Saturday as UCLA notched its first win of the season in stunning fashion, knocking off No. 7 Penn State 42-37 at the Rose Bowl.
The Nittany Lions, who lost to Oregon at home last week for their first loss of the season, have suddenly dropped two straight, and could fall out of the Associated Press Top 25 after a sluggish performance that saw the Bruins (1-4) take a 27-7 lead before holding off the visitors.
Penn State (3-2) allowed more than 400 yards to a team that hadn’t held a lead all season, and is being led by interim coach Tim Skipper after DeShaun Foster was fired Sept. 14.
“It feels great. That is a valiant team and our coaches, we stuck together. Everyone counted us out, we just needed to keep going to work,” Skipper said on the CBS game broadcast. “Every single play counted today. That is a top-notch Penn State team. We kept our minds right and just continued to execute.”
The Bruins became the first 0-4 team to defeat a top-10 team since 1985, when UTEP knocked off BYU.
“Ballers always ball out,” Skipper said of Iamaleava. “He shows up every single week. I’m glad he’s on my team, I will say that.”
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David Hale
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The stands at Kenan Stadium were nearly empty long before halftime, and the fervor that surrounded the hiring of Bill Belichick at North Carolina has, in the span of just five games, devolved into exasperation and frustration after the Tar Heels looked awful yet again in a 38-10 loss to Clemson.
UNC trailed 28-3 after the first quarter, giving up 14 points on Clemson’s first four plays. The Heels are now 0-3 against Power 4 teams, having been outscored by a combined total of 120-33.
Despite the struggles, Belichick shrugged off a need for structural changes so soon into his tenure.
“The main thing we need to do is to keep doing what we’re doing but do them better,” Belichick said. “Fundamentally we’re not doing the wrong things, we’re just not doing them well enough.”
Belichick chalked up Saturday’s defeat to self-inflicted wounds at “two or three critical times” and noted that execution and coaching are to blame.
“It’s a lack of concentration,” he said, “and part of that is coaching, too, so I’ll take my share of the responsibility.”
Saturday’s implosion comes just days after a letter from GM Mike Lombardi to donors was released publicly, in which Lombardi calls this a “rebuilding” campaign for the Tar Heels and explains in detail about a dearth of talent on this year’s team due to exits from past recruiting classes.
After the loss to Clemson, Belichick downplayed the branding of a rebuild, but when asked directly what he’s telling recruits about the status of the program, he appeared to acknowledge a long-term approach.
“We’re honest with them, honest that we’re building, and if you want to be a part of a program that’s being built, then we’re here for you,” Belichick said.
That’s not the notion UNC’s players seemed to embrace after a 2-3 start.
Quarterback Max Johnson, who got his first start Saturday in place of injured Gio Lopez, said he feels UNC has enough talent, and receiver Jordan Shipp strongly pushed back against the notion this program was in need of a rebuild.
“I’m not here to rebuild, I’m here to win football games,” Shipp said. “That’s why I’m here. Whatever they’re doing with the donors, that has nothing to do with me. I’m here to win football games and that’s what 100% of my focus is on.”
Belichick said he won’t make changes in personnel based on a long-term vision of the program, despite the poor results early on.
“The guys who deserve to play are going to play,” he said. “I’m not going to base it on how old they are or whatever. Guys that play the best deserve to play. We’ll see how that goes. My expectations are to come in and have a good week this week and get ready for Cal.”
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