Best 15 Minutes in Sports–Wednesday
……(NBA)……..
Lakers….Magic Johnson quits as President of Basketball Operations, announcing in tearful press conference, he was leaving the team just an hour before final game….Said he was unhappy in the position…and did not feel comfortable having to fire people and impacting their lives…..Johnson confirmed he did not have the heart to meet face to face with owner Jeannie Buss…..and did not have the heart to fire Coach Luke Walton…..Said he did not like the restrictions on his life…..Wanted to be an ambassador to basketball…..Johnson quit just hours after sources around the league had told ESPN that Johnson was being criticized for being an ‘absentee exec’…who was never in the office…would ‘parachute in-order things done-then leave’……….would go days without talking to people in the front office……ESPN report said that Johnson had lost the respect of the young players on the team-players felt Johnson had spent time trying to trade all of them to appease LeBron James in the failed attempt to acquire Anthony Davis.
…..(Baseball)……
Padres-L-Giants…(7–2)……San Francisco scores 6R in 2nd inning off Joey Luccheisi….Kevin Pillar 3R-bases loaded double breaks game open……Lucchesi (4inn-7R-7H) in loss….Giants P-Derek Holland ((7inn-1R-9K)……Friars (7-5)…after Tuesday action.
San Diego-San Francisco…Wednesday afternoon game..Nick Margevicius (1.80-ERA)-vs-Derek Rodriguez.
Padres..DL-P-Aaron Loup..could be gone 4-8W-elbow pain-tied to forearm issues he has had twice previously in career.
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Dodgers-L-Cardinals (4-0)…..Paul Goldschmidt HR….Yadier Molina 2-doubles-2RBIs………Tuesday night action….LA (8-4)
LA-St Louis..Wednesday game…Kenta Maeda (2-0)-vs-Jack Flaherty.
Dodgers..Clayton Kershaw-2nd rehab start-Tulsa-vs-Springfield….(5inn-2R-5H-6K)…expected to make 1st start of season early next week.
Dodgers..IR-P-Hyun Jin Ryu-groin injury
Dodgers..Callup P-JT Chargois from Oklahoma City.
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Angels-Texas…Halos tied (8-8) at Press Time in 5th inning….Angels scored 6R-in 1st inning off Freddy Peralta…..Matt Harvey knocked out (4inn-6R) allowed…Tuesday action
Angels-Brewers…Wednesay matchup…Felix Pena-vs-Brandon Woodruff.
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(Scoreboard)
Red Sox-L-Blue Jays….Toronto roughs up Chris Sale (4inn-5R-7H)…Mookie Betts-Mitch Moreland HRs…Bosox lose home opener and fall to (3-9) after opening season with brutal 11-game road trip.
Tampa Bay-W-White Sox..Austin Meadows 2R-HR-RBI single..P-Ervin Santana (3inn-7R-7H)…Rays off to (9-3) start.
Indians-W-Tigers..Tribe hits 4-home runs in win Brad Miller-Leonys Martin solo HRs.
Marlins-L-Reds..Matt Kemp 3R-HR….Reds hit 4 home runs in (14-0) blowout win…Miami (3-8)…Reds (1-9)
A’s-W-Orioles..Marcus Simian 3R-HR…Jurickson Profar 3RBIs in 13-run eruption against Baltimore pitchers..
Phillies-L-Nationals…Philadelphia loses (6-2)….Juan Soto 3R-HR seals (10-6) win….Nationals hit 4 homers….Bryce Harper 3R-HR in loss…Phillies now (7-3)
Mets-L-Twins…Twins hit 6-home runs….Jon Schoop 3R-HR..solo HR….Jacob deGrom (4inn-6R-3HRs) in loss…New York (6-4)
Yankees-L-Astros..George Springer 2R-double..Jose Altuve HR….New York (5-6)
Seattle-W-Kansas City…Jay Bruce HR..Dee Gordon 2R-single….Mariners (11-2)…Royals (2-8)
Atlanta-W-Colorado…Dansby Swanson 3R-HR……Rockies (3-9)
Arizona-W-Texas…..Jared Dyson 2R-HR in 9th inning in D-backs comeback win.
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(Roster Moves)
Washington..Sign FA-P-Bud Norris-ex Blue Jays
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(Injuries)
Cubs..IR-P-Jon Lester..2 weeks-hamstring injury
Indians..IR-P-Mike Clevenger..8 weeks-back injury
Tigers..P-Matt Moore-exam-possible knee meniscus surgery
Orioles..IR-P-Nate Karns-forearm injury
Rockies..OF-David Dahl-rib cage injury
Red Sox..Activate 2B-Dustin Pedroia from DL-knee surgery rehab
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(MLB)
Pirates..Suspend P-Chris Archer-5G-for throwing beanballs
Reds..Suspend OF-Yasiel Puig for triggering brawl
Orioles..1B-Chris Davis sets record (0-48) slump.
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……..(Football)…………
Chargers…Announce preseason schedule….Home-Saints-Seahawks…Road games at Arizona-at-San Francisco.
Chargers..Hire LaRoi Glover..former Aztecs star…as Asst Def Line coach…coached last year with Jets…worked prior with the LA Rams in player programs….Hire Chris Caiminit-ex UCLA-Assitant Athletic Director as Administrative assistant to head coach Anthony Lynn.
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(Roster Moves)
Atlanta..Sign FA-DE-Adrian Clayborn-ex New England
49er…Visit with FA-K-Stephen Gostkowski-ex Patriots
Miami..Sign AAF-FA-RB-Kenneth Farrow..WR-Reece Horn..LB-Ty Holmes..OT-Jaryd Smith..DT-Joe Mbu all from San Antonio.
Eagles..Sign AAF-FA-QB-Luis Perez-ex Birmingham…WR-Charles Johnson-ex Orlando…WR-Greg Ward-San Antonio.
Vikings..Sign FA-DE-Kzrtr Schult-ex Salt Lake City.
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(Teams)
Packers..QB-Aaron Rodgers says he played most of year with a tibia plateau fracture in his knee.
Packers..QB-Aaron Rodgers says Green Bay should honor its time with Mike McCarthy…..13Y-career…4-NFC titles…1-Super Bowl…9-playoff appearances.
NFL Union-NFL Owners…Open talks in Minnesota for new Collective Bargaining Agreement…Union reportedly wants changes in CBA including “Guaranteed Years” in contracts….Dropping of Franchise Tag….Improve Retirement-Health Benefits for retired players.
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(College Football)
Wyoming…RB-Jevon Bigelow announces he is transferring.
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…….(Basketball)……….
UCLA…Hires Mick Cronin-U Cincinnati as head coach…he was 4th choice on list…(6Y-24M)…was (365-171) at UC and Murray State…9-times in NCAA tourney….Hiring came hours after Rick Barnes-Tennessee turned down the job.
St Johns….Chris Mullen steps down…went (59-73) in career….Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley hot candidate to replace him.
Kentucky…F-PJ Washington files for NBA draft.
Virginia..F-BJ Hunter meeting with coaching staff to discuss NBA.
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(NBA)
Lakers-L-Portland (104-101)….Blazers go (19-22) from free thrown line….Enis Kanter (26P) in win….Kantavius Pope (32P) in loss…..loss comes hours after Magic Johnson quit at President of Basketball Operations… …..season ending game….
Lakers…Coach Luke Walton could be fired on Wednesday for missing playoffs.
Clippers-Utah…Wednesday game-final nite of season…Clippers have lost 4-of-6
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………(Hockey)……….
Gulls-San Jose Barricudas….San Jose in 2nd place (81P)…Gulls (77P) with 3-games to play…fighting to finish second to get home ice advantage.
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NHL Lottery….New Jersey Devils win lottery and get 1st pick in draft…..2nd time in 3-years New Jersey wins the lottery pick……New York Rangers jump up to draft 2nd….Blackhawks will draft 3rd……Colorado gets 4th pick……Kings-who had 2nd worst record in league-tumble to 5th……Ducks will draft 9th. .
NHL…Hands out 1Y-suspension former LA Kings D-Slava Voynov for violent domestic abuse incident with his wife..choking-beating episode…He served 90-days in jail in LA…then was deported to Russia…He played in KHL for 2-years…the conviction has been expunged from his record after he finished probation….NHL suspension runs for the 2019-2020 season…but he can apply for reinstatement at end of next season….Kings still own his NHL rights.
Minnesota..Vote of confidence Coach Bruce Boudreau despite missing playoffs.
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NHL Playoffs…1st round games begin on Wednesday
..Tampa Bay-Columbus..Lightning coming off 61-win season…loaded on offense with Steven Stamkos (45G)..Nickita Kucherov (41G)..Brayden Point (41G).
..Penguins-Islanders….Isles surprising season rebuilding without John Tavares…Penguins finally healthy with firepower…Sidney Crosby..Jake Guentzel (42G)…Evgeni Malkin..Phil Kessell.
..Blues-Winnipeg..St Louis (30-10-5) since midseason…Red hot rookie G-Jordan Bennington (24-5-1) as starter….Jets slumping-Patrick Laine (1G-last-19 games)…big burden on. Blake Wheeler-Mark Scheifele.
..Las Vegas-San Jose…Golden Knights with strong front line Mark Stone-Max Pacioretty-Paul Stasny…..Sharks need strong series from G-Martin Jones who slumped this year…D-Erik Karlsson finally healthy but Sharks struggled on defense this year despite having #2-ranked scoring team.
Kings..Sign FA-C-Nikoli Prokhorkin from SKA-St Petersburg-KHL..had 41P in 41-games in Russia
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……….(General)………
Masters…Tiger Woods says he is having back soreness that is impacting his practice rounds to get ready for tourneys….biggest issue is lack of time on putting green….rated #74 in putting….and #141 on putts inside 10’…..Tees off Thursday at Augusta.
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