Connect with us

Published

on

The Mountain West Conference made pitches late last month to what are now the Pac-12’s final two members after realignment, Oregon State and Washington State.

Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez made presentations to Washington State on Aug. 24 and to Oregon State on Monday, associate commissioner Javan Hedlund confirmed Saturday.

Stanford and California announced Friday that they are bolting for the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2024. That leaves the Beavers and the Cougars alone in the Pac-12.

Eight other teams from the onetime “Conference of Champions” previously announced plans to depart next year. USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington are headed to the Big Ten, and Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah will play in the Big 12.

One possible option for Washington State and Oregon was shut down Friday when the American Athletic Conference released a statement that said “we have concluded that the best way to proceed for our outstanding student-athletes is to not look westward.”

The Beavers and Cougars made it clear they are working together to find, or create, a solution. In addition to the Mountain West, the teams also could attempt to build a new Pac-12 with teams from that conference and/or others.

The latest departures came as Washington State and Oregon State prepare to open their football seasons. The Cougars were at Colorado State on Saturday, and the No. 18 Beavers visit San Jose State on Sunday. Both games could be a harbinger of what’s to come: Colorado State and San Jose State are in the Mountain West.

Nevarez was attending the Rams’ game against the Cougars.

Oregon State president Jayathi Murthy said Friday that a decision for the Beavers likely would come in weeks, not months. Her hope was that the Pac-12 brand can be retained in some way.

“We continue to look for options that work for us, where the needs of our students-athletes are taken care of, where our athletic and academic values align, and where we can play at the national level and be visible,” Murthy said. “But jumping from a conference was never the first option; making the conference work is always where my heart and my mind lay. And I’m sorry that a top-20 football team ends up where we are because of the focus on media rights and media valuations.”

Continue Reading

Sports

Guardians OF Thomas reinjures foot, exits game

Published

on

By

Guardians OF Thomas reinjures foot, exits game

CLEVELAND — Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas left during the sixth inning of Friday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers due to mild plantar fascia symptoms with his right foot.

Thomas missed 11 games in late May and early June because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot. He is batting .160 this season and .197 (13-for-66) since coming off the injured list on June 9. He does have four homers in his past 10 games.

“We think he’s good. The plantar fasciitis flared up a little bit again and I just didn’t like the way he looked running around the outfield. So rather than take a chance, I got him out of there,” manager Stephen Vogt said after the 2-1 loss to the Tigers.

Thomas also missed five weeks due to a right wrist bone bruise after getting hit by a pitch during the April 8 home opener against the Chicago White Sox.

Continue Reading

Sports

Westburg sparks Orioles, homers in winning return

Published

on

By

Westburg sparks Orioles, homers in winning return

ATLANTA — Jordan Westburg didn’t have to be fully recovered from a finger injury to move back into Baltimore’s lineup and make an immediate impact.

Westburg had three hits, including a homer, in the Orioles3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night.

The Orioles received another boost as Tyler O’Neill came off the injured list with a single and a walk.

“I think they gave us two of the three runs,” said Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino, referring to O’Neill scoring on Cedric Mullins‘ two-run homer off Spencer Strider.

“Those are two really good players,” Mansolino said. “We’re still short. We’re still missing Adley [Rutschman], but a lot of credit to the guys. They went out there and put up three runs against probably one of the great pitchers in the game.”

Rutschman, Baltimore’s primary catcher, has been out since June 20 with an oblique strain.

Westburg has tried to play through his sprained left index finger. He left a game at the New York Yankees on June 21 before returning four days later against Texas and then having to leave a game after aggravating the injury on June 27.

“Is he 100%? Probably not,” Mansolino said before the game. “But I think he’s probably close.”

Close was good enough. When asked how he feels after his three-hit game, Westburg said, “Pretty good.”

“I’m willing to play through whatever I have,” Westburg said. “It just was at a point where I wasn’t able to swing a bat. As soon as I’m able and can, I want to be on the field as much as they’ll let me.”

O’Neill was the Orioles’ designated hitter in his return from a left shoulder impingement. He was placed on the injured list for the second time this year on May 16 after missing time earlier in the season with neck inflammation.

The contributions from Westburg and O’Neill, who combined to reach base five times, helped support Charlie Morton, who allowed six hits and two runs in 5⅓ innings in his return to Atlanta, where he pitched the past four seasons. Morton also began his career with the Braves.

Morton (5-7) improved to 5-0 in 10 appearances, including seven starts, since May 10.

“I spent basically half my career here,” Morton said. “Being drafted here, I spent seven years in the system, went to the big leagues, made my debut, got to play for Bobby Cox, got to play with some of the pillars of this organization and … come back and win a World Series here. Yeah, it’s a special place for me.”

Continue Reading

Sports

‘Really cool’: Cubs launch franchise-record 8 HRs

Published

on

By

'Really cool': Cubs launch franchise-record 8 HRs

CHICAGO — Fireworks in Chicago began early on Independence Day as the Cubs set a franchise record for a single game, hitting eight home runs on Friday, including three from first baseman Michael Busch in a rout of the St. Louis Cardinals.

“Especially to do it at Wrigley Field,” Busch said after the 11-3 win. “It’s really cool. I think that was my first three-homer game, ever. That’s one game I’ll never forget.”

Busch, 27, took Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas deep in the second and third innings then set a career mark with his third home run in the seventh off reliever John King. It was the first time a Cubs player hit three home runs in a game since Rafael Ortega on Aug. 1, 2021.

Busch wasn’t the only Cub to hit multiple home runs as Pete Crow-Armstrong hit two after making a diving catch in the first inning. Both Busch and Crow-Armstrong went 4-for-4 on the day, driving in seven of the team’s 11 runs. Busch drove in five.

The Cubs have been near the top of the league in most offensive rankings since early in the season as they extended their lead on the Cardinals to 6.5 games.

“It’s really easy to appreciate what we’re doing right now,” Crow-Armstrong said. “It’s also easy to just keep it going and not let that be something that we are dwelling on. It’s the best offense I’ve ever been a part of.”

Also homering for the Cubs on their record-setting day was designated hitter Seiya Suzuki, catcher Carson Kelly and shortstop Dansby Swanson. Manager Craig Counsell was asked to put the day in perspective considering the lengthy history of the franchise. It came a day after they beat the Cleveland Guardians 1-0.

“It’s the sport,” Counsell said with a smile. “It took us 10 innings to score one run yesterday. That’s what’s crazy about it. That’s why you turn the page every single day. We had a really good day, today.”

Mikolas set a Cardinals franchise record, giving up six of the eight home runs — all of which came in the first three innings. The Cardinals did break a scoreless streak on offense extending back to last Sunday when second baseman Brendan Donovan homered in the fourth inning. St. Louis scored two more times in the ninth off Cubs infielder Jon Berti, but by then the game was in hand.

Busch is the third Cubs player with a three-home run game against the Cardinals. In an odd twist, all three did it on Independence Day: Moises Alou on July 4, 2003, and Hank Leiber on July 4, 1939, according to ESPN Research.

Continue Reading

Trending