Tag: sports

The Rundown for August 6, 2021

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 35,440,488 and the nation’s death toll stands at 615,320, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University… A report released yesterday by Moderna found that booster shots of the biotechnology company’s COVID-19 vaccine appear to be effective against the Delta variant. The report also found that Moderna’s two-dose vaccine regimen is effective for at least several months.

ZERO-EMISSION GOAL… Half of all mew cars, trucks and SUVs sold in the U.S. will be zero-emission vehicles by 2030, according to a goal established by the White House yesterday. The effort had begun as part of the Paris Climate Agreement, which the U.S. rejoined under the Biden administration. Automakers General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen and Stellantis have announced their support of the goal.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TARGETS PHOENIX IN INVESTIGATION… The Justice Department has opened a pattern-or-practice investigation into city of Phoenix and the Phoenix Police Department. Investigators want to know whether the police department retaliates against people for using their First Amendment rights, unlawfully takes or destroys the belongings of the homeless and uses unacceptable levels of force. The review will also take into account department policies, training and internal affairs processes. According to Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, the investigation follows a review of court files, media reports and citizen complaints.

INFRASTRUCTURE BILL WOULD ADD $256M TO DEFICIT… The bipartisan infrastructure bill making its way through the Senate would add $256 billion to the federal deficit over the next decade, according to an estimate released yesterday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The CBO said that over the next 10 years, the legislation would decrease direct spending by $110 billion, boost revenues by $50 billion and increase discretionary spending by $415 billion. Earlier this week, the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation said the infrastructure bill’s revenue provisions will raise $51 billion over 10 years.

UNION LEADER RICHARD TRUMKA DIES… AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka has died of undisclosed causes, the organization announced yesterday. He was 72. Trumka was elected president of the nation’s largest and most powerful labor union in 2009 after serving as secretary-treasurer. The union represents some 12.5 million workers.

ENTERTAINMENT
‘THE TOMORROW WAR’ TOPS STREAMING CHART… “The Tomorrow War” remains atop Nielsen’s movie streaming chart for a second week of play on Prime Video. The film followed Netflix’s “Manifest” and “Virgin River” as the most watched subscription video on demand title. “Luca” and “Black Widow” finished second and third, respectively, on the streaming chart.

ELLEN BURSTYN RETURNS TO ‘ORGANIZED CRIME’… NBC announced yesterday that Ellen Burstyn will reprise her role as Elliot Stabler’s (Chris Meloni) mother, Bernadette, in the second season of “Law & Order: Organized Crime.” Burstyn won an Emmy for playing the character in a 2008 episode of “Law & Order: SVU.” The second season of “Organized Crime” will be divided into three eight-episode story arcs as Stabler and his colleagues on the organized crime task force take on three major cases.

SPORTS
MLB SCOREBOARD…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
MIAMI 4 – N.Y. Mets 2… Lewis Brinson doubled home two runs to cap a three-run bottom of the eighth inning that carried the Marlins past the Mets. Jorge Alfaro singled home the tying run.

COLORADO 6 – Chi. Cubs 5… Trevor Story homered twice and knocked in three runs to power the Rockies past the Cubs. Connor Joe and Sam Hilliard also went deep.

San Francisco 5 – ARIZONA 4 (10 innings)… The Giants came from four runs down in the ninth inning to upend the Diamondbacks. LaMonte Wade singled home two runs to cap a four-run ninth. Kris Bryant doubled home Tommy La Stella with the go-ahead run in the 10th.

Philadelphia 7 – WASHINGTON 6… J.T. Realmuto and Rhys Hoskins produced two-run doubles during a four-run top of the ninth inning and the Phillies held off the Nationals. Bryce Harper homered for Philadelphia.

CINCINNATI 7 – Pittsburgh 4… The Reds did all their scoring in their first two at-bats and cruised past the Pirates. Eugenio Suarez and Joey Votto slugged three-run homers during a six-run bottom of the second inning.

Atlanta 8 – ST. LOUIS 4… Austin Riley’s two-run homer sparked a six-run top of the eighth inning that pushed the Braves past the Cardinals. The other four runs came on bases-loaded walks. Joc Pederson also went deep for Atlanta.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
DETROIT 8 – Boston 1… Tarik Skubal (7-10) pitched five-hit ball over five scoreless innings and the Tigers breezed past the Red Sox. Robbie Grossman homered to lead off the bottom of the first inning. Victor Reyes had a couple of hits, including a two-run triple, and three RBIs.

L.A. Angels 5 – TEXAS 0… Dylan Bundy (2-8) limited the Rangers to three hits over 6-1/3 innings and three relievers completed the shutout. Adam Eaton homered and Jose Iglesias singled home two runs for the Angels.

N.Y. YANKEES 5 – Seattle 3… Joey Gallo’s three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning sent the Yankees past the Mariners. Gallo was 3-for-4 on the night and scored twice.

TORONTO 3 – Cleveland 0… Ross Stripling (5-6) pitched three-hit ball over six innings and got help from three Blue Jays relievers in the shutout. Bo Bichette smacked his 20th homer with a runner aboard and singled home a run to account for Toronto’s offense.

Minnesota 5 – HOUSTON 3… Griffin Jax (2-1) held the Astros to a run on three hits over 5-1/3 innings in the Twins’ victory. Andrelton Simmons drove in two runs for Minnesota.

Kansas City 3 – CHI. WHITE SOX 2… Daniel Lynch (2-3) allowed just a run on four hits over five innings in outdueling counterpart Dallas Keuchel (7-5) and the Royals edged the White Sox. Emmanuel Rivera doubled home two runs in the top of the first inning and homered to lead off the fourth for Kansas City.

TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
N.Y. Mets (Marcus Stroman, 7-10) are at Philadelphia (Kyle Gibson, 1-0)…
Cincinnati (Wade Miley, 8-4) hosts Pittsburgh (JT Brubaker, 4-10)…
Washington (Erick Fedde, 4-7) is at Atlanta (Kyle Muller, 2-3)…
Milwaukee (Corbin Burnes, 6-4) hosts San Francisco (Logan Webb, 5-3)…
Miami (Sandy Alcantara, 6-9) is at Colorado (German Marquez, 9-8)…
San Diego (Ryan Weathers, 4-3) hosts Arizona (Caleb Smith, 1-8)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Seattle (Marco Gonzales, 3-5) is at the N.Y. Yankees (TBA)…
Baltimore (John Means, 5-3) hosts Tampa Bay (Ryan Yarbrough, 6-4)…
Boston (Nathan Eovaldi, 9-6) is at Toronto (Alek Manoah, 3-1)…
Cleveland (Cal Quantrill, 2-2) hosts Detroit (Matt Manning, 2-4)…
Minnesota (Bailey Ober, 1-1) is at Houston (Zack Greinke, 10-3)…
Oakland (Chris Bassitt, 11-3) hosts Texas (Mike Foltynewicz, 2-10)

INTERLEAGUE
the Chi. White Sox (Lance Lynn, 10-3) are at the Chi. Cubs (Kyle Hendricks, 13-4)…
St. Louis (Kwang Hyun Kim, 6-6) hosts Kansas City (Mike Minor, 8-9)…
the L.A. Angels (Patrick Sandoval, 3-5) are at the L.A. Dodgers (David Price, 4-1)

MLB NEWS… Former Houston Astros pitcher J.R. Richard, whose career was cut short in 1980 by a stroke, died yesterday of undisclosed causes. He was 71. During his 10 seasons with the Astros, the imposing right-hander went 107-71 with a 3.15 ERA and was a two-time NL strikeout champion. His 313 strikeouts in 1979 stood as the team’s single-season record until Gerrit Cole surpassed it in 2019.

OLYMPIC HIGHLIGHTS… April Ross and Alix Klineman beat Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy of Australia 21-15, 21-16 to win gold in beach volleyball… The U.S. women’s basketball team defeated Serbia 79-59 and advanced to the gold medal game… The U.S. women’s volleyball team is also heading to the final after downing Serbia with a 25-19, 25-15, 25-23.

The Rundown for August 5, 2021

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 35,330,873 and the nation’s death toll stands at 614,785, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University… The daily case average has jumped 45.3 percent in the last week to more than 84,000 and is now more than seven times higher than it was six weeks ago. All but three states are now reporting high or substantial community transmission. The delta variant now accounts for 93 percent of all sequenced cases in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

MEXICO SUES U.S. GUN COMPANIES… The government of Mexico yesterday filed a lawsuit against 10 major U.S. gun companies, accusing them of facilitating the illegal flow of weapons across the southern border. The suit claims that more than 2.5 million American guns have illegally crossed into Mexico over the past decade, with 70 percent of the guns traced back to the U.S. The plaintiffs say U.S. gunmakers design weapons that explicitly appeal to Mexican crime groups.

WESTERN WILDFIRES… A fast-moving wildfire burned homes and forced thousands of evacuations in Northern California yesterday. The River Fire burned 1,400 acres in Placer and Nevada counties. Fewer than 100 miles north, the three-week-old Dixie Fire as grown to 274,139 acres and is nw the seventh largest fire in state history. In Oregon, the Bootleg Fire has grown to 413,765 acres with 84-percent containment.

FIRST RESPONDERS TO BE HONORED… House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on yesterday signed a bill to award Congressional Gold Medals to police who responded to the January 6 attacks on the U.S. Capitol. Pelosi was joined by fellow House Democrats, Jennifer Wexton of Virginia and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton of Washington, D.C., at a bill-enrollment ceremony. The House passed its version of the measure on June 15.

10 DEAD IN TEXAS CRASH… Authorities say at leas 10 people were killed yesterday when an overloaded van carrying 29 migrants crashed on a remote South Texas highway. The crash on U.S. 281 in Encino, Texas, injured 20 others. The van, which was designed to hold 15 passengers, slammed into a metal utility pole and a stop sign as it tried to turn. The driver was among the dead.

ENTERTAINMENT
CHARLIE WATTS EXPECTED TO SIT OUT STONES TOUR… The Rolling Stones announced yesterday that drummer Charlie Watts probably won’t be with the band on its upcoming U.S. tour. The 80-year-old Watts reportedly needs time to recover from an unspecified medical procedure. The Stones’ No Filter tour resumes September 26 in St. Louis.

MEL BROOKS MEMOIR SET FOR RELEASE… Mel Brooks’ memoir “All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business” is set for release on November 30, according to publisher Ballantine Books. The 95-year-old Brooks grew up in Brooklyn during the Depression, served in the military during World War II and launched his career as a teenage comedian in the Catskills. His career produced the comedy films “Young Frankenstein” and “Blazing Saddles,” the TV show “Get Smart” and the Tony-winning Broadway play “The Producers,” which also earned him an Oscar for Best Screenplay.

SPORTS
MLB SCOREBOARD…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
MILWAUKEE 4 – Pittsburgh 2… Rowdy Tellez belted a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to power the Brewers past the Pirates. Eduard Escobar went 3-for-4 with an RBI single.

Philadelphia 9 – WASHINGTON 5… The Phillies rolled past the Nationals after spotting them an early three-run run lead. Rhys Hoskins doubled home a go-ahead run to cap a four-run top of the third inning and homered with a runner aboard in the fifth.

N.Y. Mets 5 – MIAMI 3… Javier Baez led of the top of the eighth inning with a go-ahead homer and the Mets added an insurance run to put away the Marlins. New York scored three times in the third on infield grounders.

Atlanta 7 – ST. LOUIS 4… The Braves came from three runs down to top the Cardinals. Joc Pederson slugged a two-run double during a three-run top of the eighth inning. Adam Duval homered with a runner aboard and Jorge Soler smacked a solo shot for Atlanta.

Chi. Cubs 3 – COLORADO 2… Patrick Wisdom’s bases-clearing double in the top of the fifth inning provided all the offense the Cubs needed in a come-from-behind win over the Rockies. Alec Mills (5-4) overcame a tough start to pitch six solid innings.

San Francisco 7 – ARIZONA 1… Donovan Solano homered and singled home a pair of runs in leading the Giants past the Diamondbacks. Alex Dickerson slugged a three-run homer. Kevin Gausman (10-5) allowed a run on five hits over six innings.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
TAMPA BAY 4 – Seattle 3… Mike Zunino’s solo homer in the bottom of the sixth inning proved to be decisive in the Rays’ win over the Mariners. Josh Fleming (9-5) gave up two runs on five hits over five innings.

N.Y. YANKEES 10 – Baltimore 3… Giancarlo Stanton stroked a three-run double to highlight a five-run bottom of the seventh inning and the Yankees rolled past the Orioles. D.J. LeMahieu had three hits and knocked in four runs. Anthony Rizzo homered with the bases empty.

TORONTO 8 – Cleveland 6… The Blue Jays built an 8-0 lead after three innings and held on at the end to down the Indians. George Springer homered and double home two runs. Steven Matz (9-6) scattered six hits over six scoreless innings.

Boston 4 – DETROIT 1… Eduardo Rodriguez (8-6) pitched two-hit ball and fanned 10 over five scoreless innings and the Red Sox cruised past the Tigers. Kiké Hernández hit a two-run homer and Boston got solo blasts from J.D. Martinez and Jarren Duran.

L.A. Angels 2 – TEXAS 1… Angels starter Shohei Ohtani (6-1) held the Rangers to a run on four hits over six innings in outdueling counterpart Kolby Allard (2-10). Jack Mayfield homered for L.A.

Kansas City 9 – CHI. WHITE SOX 1… Ryan O’Hearn lifted a sacrifice fly and hit a two-run homer for the Royals in their romp over the White Sox. Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer and Michael A. Taylor also went deep. Carlos Hernández (3-1) allowed a run on two hits over five innings.

INTERLEAGUE
CINCINNATI 6 – Minnesota 5… The Reds withstood a late rally to top the Twins. Tyler Stephenson singled home a run and homered. Jonathan India had three hits, including an RBI single. Luis Castillo (6-10) gave up a run on six hits over six innings.

OAKLAND 5 – San Diego 4 (10 innings)… Matt Olson’s two-run double in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted the Athletics over the Padres. Matt Chapman and Yan Gomes produced run-scoring singles in the ninth. Jed Lowrie homered.

L.A. DODGERS 7 – Houston 5… Max Scherzer (9-4) held the Astros to two runs on five hits and struck out 10 over seven innings in an impressive debut for the Dodgers. Mookie Betts hit a pair of solo homers. Will Smith got things going with a three-run homer in the first. AJ Pollock homered with a runner aboard.

TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
the N.Y. Mets (Rich Hill, 6-4) are at Miami (TBA)..
Colorado (German Marquez, 9-8) hosts the Chi. Cubs (Jake Arrieta, 5-10)…
San Francisco (Alex Wood, 9-3) is at Arizona (Merrill Kelly, 7-8)…
Washington (Joe Ross, 5-9) hosts Philadelphia (Aaron Nola, 7-6)…
Pittsburgh (Wil Crowe, 3-5) is at Cincinnati (Sonny Gray, 3-6)…
St. Louis (Wade LeBlanc, 0-1) hosts Atlanta (Touki Toussaint, 1-2)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Boston (Martin Perez, 7-7) is at Detroit (Tarik Skubal, 6-10)…
Texas (Spencer Howard, 0-2) hosts the L.A. Angels (Dylan Bundy, 1-8)…
Seattle (Tyler Anderson, 0-0) is at the N.Y. Yankees (Nestor Cortes, 0-0)…
Toronto (Ross Stripling, 4-6) hosts Cleveland (Triston McKenzie, 1-4)…
Kansas City (Daniel Lynch, 1-3) is at the Chi. White Sox (Dallas Keuchel, 7-4)…
Houston (Framber Valdez, 7-2) hosts Minnesota (Griffin Jax, 1-1)

OLYMPIC HIGHLIGHTS… THE U.S. men’s basketball team downed Australia 97-78 and advanced to Saturday’s gold-medal game. The Americans trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 35,238,143 and the nation’s death toll stands at 614,295, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University… The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yesterday issued a new eviction ban aimed toward counties with high rates of infections. The ban, which will replace the previous CDC moratorium that expired Saturday, will cover about 90 percent of renters through October 3. The official announcement of the new ban came after President Joe Biden acknowledged that the new moratorium could face legal challenges but said he believed it “will probably give some additional time” to renters in need of assistance.

CUOMO SEXUALLY HARASSED WOMEN… A New York attorney general’s investigation has determined that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women. The investigation led by state Attorney General Letitia James found that Cuomo harassed current and former state employees, as well as a number of women outside of state government. According to the James, Cuomo engaged in “unwelcome and nonconsensual touching,” made comments of a “suggestive” sexual nature and his conduct created a “hostile work environment for women.” Cuomo is facing mounting pressure from his fellow Democrats to resign.

JUDGE BLOCKS MIGRANT ORDER… A federal judge yesterday blocked Texas Governor Greg Abbott from ordering state troopers to pull over drivers transporting migrants “who pose a risk of carrying COVID-19.” A temporary restraining order against Abbott’s move was granted by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone. The Justice Department filed suit against Abbott and Texas on Friday. The day before, Attorney General Merrick Garland threatened to take legal action if Abbott didn’t rescind his order, calling it “dangerous and unlawful.”

OHIO ELECTIONS… Shontel Brown has defeated Nina Turner in the Democratic primary preceding the special election race in Ohio’s 11th congressional district. The seat was vacated by Marcia Fudge when she was appointed housing and urban development secretary. Mike Carey has won the Republican primary preceding the special election in Ohio’s 15th congressional district. Former Republican Congressman Steve Stivers vacated the seat in May and returned to the private sector.

ENTERTAINMENT
‘IDOL’ SEASON GEARING UP… Judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, along with host Ryan Seacrest, have announced that they are returning for “American Idol” Season 20. The new season will be the fifth to air on ABC. Live, virtual auditions for Season 20 begin this Friday through the show’s “Idol Across America” program.

TOKYO RATINGS SUFFER… The Tokyo Olympics are proving to be a nightmare for NBC. Sunday’s audience of 13 million was down 51 percent from the 26.7 million who watched the corresponding night at the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro. Drops of 50 percent have been common the past week, according to the Nielsen Company. The time difference with Japan and a lack of star power are among factors blamed for the ratings drop.

SHOOTINGS OUTSIDE PENTAGON… Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced yesterday that a police officer was killed and multiple people were injured in shootings outside the Pentagon. The shooters prompted a temporary lockdown at the building. The Pentagon Force Protection Agency earlier announced that there was an “active crime scene” and ordered the public to stay away from the Metro rail entrance and bus platform at the Defense Department headquarters.

SPORTS
MLB SCOREBOARD…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Philadelphia 5 – WASHINGTON 4… Ronald Torreyes homered with a runner aboard and the Phillies got solo shots from Jean Segura, J.T. Realmuto and Bryce Harper in their win over the Nationals. Zack Wheeler (9-6) took a shutout into the seventh inning.

MIAMI 5 – N.Y. Mets 4… Jorge Alfaro’s RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning proved to be the difference in the Marlins’ win over the Mets. Alex Jackson and Isan Diaz homered with the bases empty for Miami. Bryan De La Cruz singled home two runs.

Pittsburgh 8 – MILWAUKEE 5 (10 innings)… The Pirates came from four runs down to outlast the Brewers. Gregory Polanco stroked a tie-breaking RBI single in the top of the 10th inning and Bryan Reynolds singled home two more runs. Hoy Park’s two-run double capped a five-run seventh.

Atlanta 6 – ST. LOUIS 1… The Braves did all their scoring in their first two at-bats and coasted past the Cardinals. Jorge Soler’s solo homer sparked a five-run top of the first inning. Freddie Freeman also went deep. Max Fried (8-7) pitched four-hit ball over six scoreless innings.

COLORADO 13 – Chi. Cubs 6… Elias Diaz unloaded a grand slam and Sam Hilliard added a three-run homer and run-scoring double as the Rockies pounded the Cubs. C.J. Cron went 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

ARIZONA 3 – San Francisco 1… Doubles by Nick Ahmed and Asdrubal Cabrera knocked in all three Diamondbacks runs and they hung on to top the Giants. Madison Bumgarner (6-6) allowed a run on six hits over seven innings.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
N.Y. YANKEES 13 – Baltimore 1… The Yankees piled up 15 hits in their thrashing of the Orioles. Giancarlo Stanton belted a three-run homer and singled home a run. Aaron Judge also went deep. Luis Gil (1-0) limited Baltimore to four hits over six scoreless innings in his major-league debut.

TORONTO 7 – Cleveland 2… George Springer led off the bottom of the first inning with a homer and Teoscar Hernández followed a two-run shot to give the Blue Jays the lead for good in their win over the Indians. Hyun Jin Ryu (11-5) gave up two runs on seven hits over seven innings.

DETROIT 4 – Boston 2… The Tigers fought their way past the Red Sox after spotting them an early two-run lead. Akil Baddoo doubled home a tie-breaking run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Miguel Cabrera put Detroit on the board with a second-inning homer.

Seattle 4 – TAMPA BAY 2… Mariners starter Yusei Kikuchi (7-6) held the Rays to two runs on six hits over six innings. Abraham Toro tied the game with a leadoff homer in the top of the fourth inning and Jarred Kelenic added a solo shot two batters later.

L.A. Angels 11 – TEXAS 3… Phil Gosselin and Jo Adell each had three hits and drove in three runs to lead the Angels in their crushing of the Rangers. Jack Mayfield homered with a runner aboard. José Suarez (5-4) gave up three runs on six hits over 5-2/3 innings.

CHI. WHITE SOX 7 – Kansas City 1… Dylan Cease (8-6) surrendered just one hit and struck out 11 over six scoreless innings and the White Sox breezed past the Royals. Tim Anderson hit a two-run homer and singled home a run. Andrew Vaughn also went deep.

INTERLEAGUE
Minnesota 7 – CINCINNATI 5… Jorge Polanco connected for a three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning to power the Twins past the Reds. Mitch Garver cracked a three-run homer in the fifth.

San Diego 8 – OAKLAND 1… Blake Snell (5-4) allowed just a run on six hits over five innings and the Padres breezed past the Athletics. Tommy Pham led off the game with a homer and singled home a run during a three-run second. Austin Nola went 4-for-5 with a two-run double.

Houston 3 – L.A. DODGERS 0… Lance McCullers, Jr. (9-2) pitched four-hit ball over 6-2/3 innings and got help from three relievers in the shutout of the Dodgers. Yordan Alvarez struck the big blow with a two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning.

TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Pittsburgh (Steven Brault, 0-0) is at Milwaukee (Freddy Peralta, 8-3)…
Washington (Paolo Espino, 3-2) hosts Philadelphia (Chase Anderson, 2-4)…
the N.Y. Mets (Carlos Carrasco, 0-0) are at Miami (Zach Thompson, 2-4)…
St. Louis (J.A. Happ, 5-6) hosts Atlanta (Drew Smyly, 7-3)…
the Chi. Cubs (Alec Mills, 4-4) are at Colorado (Jon Gray, 7-6)…
Arizona (Zac Gallen, 1-5) hosts San Francisco (Kevin Gausman, 9-5)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Seattle (Logan Gilbert, 5-2) is at Tampa Bay (Josh Fleming, 8-5)…
the N.Y. Yankees (Jameson Taillon, 7-4) host Baltimore (Matt Harvey, 6-10)…
Cleveland (J.C. Mejia, 1-6) is at Toronto (Steen Matz, 8-6)…
Detroit (Casey Mize, 6-5) hosts Boston (Eduardo Rodriguez, 7-6)…
the L.A. Angels (Shohei Ohtani, 5-1) are at Texas (Kolby Allard, 2-9)…
the Chi. White Sox (Lucas Giolito, 8-7) host Kansas City (Carlos Hernandez, 2-1)…

INTERLEAGUE
Minnesota (Charlie Barnes, 0-1) is at Cincinnati (Luis Castillo, 5-10)…
Oakland (Frankie Montas, 9-8) hosts San Diego (Joe Musgrove, 7-7)…
Houston (Jake Odorizzi, 4-5) is at the L.A. Dodgers (Max Scherzer, 8-4)

NBA NEWS… Free-agent forward Carmelo Anthony has agreed to terms with the Los Angeles Lakers on a one-year deal. The 37-year-old Anthony spent the past two seasons in Portland after being out of the league. The 18-year veteran averaged 13.4 points a game for the Trail Blazers last season.

The Rundown for August 3, 2021

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 35,131,393 and the nation’s death toll stands at 613,679, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University… The U.S. reached a goal yesterday of administering at least one vaccine dose to 70 percent of adults. President Joe Biden hoped to reach the goal by July 4 but Americans were a month late in responding. Cases are up 150 percent nationwide over the past two weeks, with major outbreaks in Florida, Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi.

WHITE HOUSE STRUGGLES WITH EVICTION BAN… The Biden administration is continuing its efforts to stave off an expected nationwide wave of COVID-19-related evictions. Millions of Americans could lose their homes following the expiration of a national moratorium on evictions. Administration officials are urging landlords to hold off for 30 days as tenants seek emergency rental assistance money that has been allocated for them by Congress. The eviction ban has been challenged in federal court repeatedly and President Biden says its continuation requires clear justification from Congress.

BORDER POLICY EXTENDED… The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yesterday signed an order that extends the Trump-era Title 42 border policy, which allows the U.S. to expel migrants at the border without court hearings or the chance to seek asylum amid the coronavirus pandemic. The CDC released a statement saying the policy “shall remain in effect until the CDC Director determines that the danger of further introduction of COVID-19 into the United States from covered noncitizens has ceased to be a serious danger to the public health, and the Order is no longer necessary to protect the public health.” The policy will be reviewed by the CDC every 60 days, the agency added.

U.S. EXPANDS AFGHAN REFUGEES… U.S. officials announced yesterday that they are expanding the number of refugees who will be allowed to flee rising violence in Afghanistan and resettle in the U.S. The State Department has created a second qualification category, called “Priority 2,” for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. The new category will make eligible Afghan civilians who have worked for U.S.-based news organizations, U.S.-based aid or development programs and U.S. government or NATO programs. The department said cases for the Priority 2 category will be processed in third countries once the applicants are outside of Afghanistan.

CAPITOL-DEFENDER SUICIDE TOLL DOUBLES… Officials revealed yesterday that two more officers who defended the U.S. Capitol during the January 6 attack have taken their own lives. Their deaths raise to four the number of Capitol defenders who have died by suicide. Washington Metropolitan Police Department officer Gunther Hashida was found dead in his home on Thursday. His fellow MPD officer Kyle DeFreytag was found dead on July 10. They joined MPD officer Jeffrey Smith and Capitol Police Department officer Howard Liebengood as Capitol defenders who’ve died at their own hands.

ENTERTAINMENT
KATHY GRIFFIN BATTLING CANCER… Kathy Griffin revealed on social media yesterday that she is undergoing surgery for lung cancer and her doctors are optimistic she “should be up and running around as usual in a month or less.” The comedian said doctors diagnosed her cancer early and it is confined to her left lung. Griffin won back-to-back Emmy Awards in 2007 and 2008 for her popular reality series “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List.” In 2013, she won a Grammy for her live comedy album “Calm Down Gurl.”

NETFLIX ANNOUNCED PREMIERE DATE FOR ‘WORTH’… Netflix announced yesterday that Michael Keaton’s new film, “Worth,” will premiere on September 3. Keaton stars as mediator Kenneth Feinberg, the mediator who was appointed by Congress to lead the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Feinberg learns a lesson in empathy when must determine how to compensate families who lost those closest to them. Amy Ryan and Stanley Tucci co-star.

SPORTS
MLB SCOREBOARD…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Philadelphia 7 – WASHINGTON 5… J.T. Realmuto stroked a tie-breaking two-run single during a five-run top of the ninth inning that carried the Phillies past the Nationals. Odubel Herrera homered to lead off the fifth.

MIAMI 6 – N.Y. Mets 3… Lewis Brinson unloaded a grand slam in the bottom of the first inning and added a run-scoring grounder as the Marlins cruised past the Mets.

MILWAUKEE 6 – Pittsburgh 2… Brewers starter Eric Lauer (4-4) pitched three-hit ball over five scoreless innings. Eduardo Escobar tripled home a run and blasted a three-run homer.

San Francisco 11 – ARIZONA 8 (10 innings)… The Giants recovered to outlast the Diamondbacks after blowing a three-run seventh-inning lead. Buster Posey doubled home a tie-breaking run in the top of the 10th inning and came around to score on Steven Duggar’s single. Alex Dickerson cracked a grand slam. Mike Yastrzemski and Wilmer Flores also went deep.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Cleveland 5 – TORONTO 2 (10 innings)… Amed Rosario singled home a tie-breaking run and Jose Ramirez followed with a two-run homer as the Indians outlasted the Blue Jays.

Baltimore 7 – N.Y. YANKEES 1… The Orioles got solo homers from Cedric Mullins, Austin Hays, Ryan Mountcastle and Ramon Urias in downing the Yankees. Jorge López (3-12) allowed just a run on a hit over six innings.

SEATTLE 8 – Tampa Bay 2… The Mariners pushed across five runs in the top of the third inning and coasted past the Rays. Ty France went 3-for-5 with a solo homer and three RBIs.

TEXAS 4 – L.A. Angels 1… Dane Dunning (5-7) limited the Angels to a run on three hits over five innings. Brock Holt stole home with a go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth inning and lifted a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Philadelphia (Zack Wheeler, 8-6) is at Washington (Patrick Corbin, 6-9)…
Miami (TBA) hosts the N.Y. Mets (Taijuan Walker, 7-5)…
Pittsburgh (Max Kranick, 1-2) is at Milwaukee (Adrian Houser, 7-5)…
St. Louis (Jon Lester, 3-5) hosts Atlanta (Max Fried, 7-7)…
the Chi. Cubs (Zach Davies, 6-7) are at Colorado (Kyle Freeland, 1-6)…
Arizona (Madison Bumgarner, 5-6) hosts San Francisco (Johnny Cueto, 7-5)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Baltimore (Alexander Wells, 1-1) is at the N.Y. Yankees (Gerrit Cole, 10-6)…
Toronto (Hyun Jin Ryu, 10-5) hosts Cleveland (Zach Plesac, 6-3)…
Boston (Garrett Richards, 6-6) is at Detroit (Wily Peralta, 3-2)…
Tampa Bay (Luis Patino, 2-2) hosts Seattle (Yusei Kikuchi, 6-6)…
the L.A. Angels (Jose Suarez, 4-4) are at Texas (Jordan Lyles, 5-7)…
the Chi. White Sox (Dylan Cease, 7-6) host Kansas City (Kris Bubic, 3-4)

INTERLEAGUE
Minnesota (Kenta Maeda, 4-4) is at Cincinnati (Tyler Mahle, 8-3)
Oakland (Sean Manaea, 8-6) hosts San Diego (Blake Snell, 4-4)…
Houston (Lance McCullers, Jr., 8-2) is at the L.A. Dodgers (Walker Buehler, 11-1)

OLYMPICS HIGHLIGHTS… Rai Benjamin’s 46.17 time in the 400-meter hurdles was good enough to break old world record, but garnered him only silver in Tokyo, where Norway’s Karsten Warholm was even better… The U.S. men’s basketball team defeated Spain 95-81 to set up a semifinal matchup with Australia… Five-time Olympian Allyson Felix and world champion Noah Lyles cruised to the semifinals of the women’s 400-meter and men’s 200-meter, respectively.

The Rundown for August 2, 2021

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 34,997,105 and the nation’s death toll stands at 613,223, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University… The nation’s leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, conceded yesterday that he believes “things are going to get worse” in the nation’s surge in new cases but he doesn’t expect widespread lockdowns to return. During an appearance on ABC News’ “This Week,” Fauci reiterated that the unvaccinated “are the ones that are vulnerable to getting severe illness that may lead to hospitalization, and in some cases death… Florida has emerged as the epicenter of the outbreaks. Over the past week, the state has averaged 1,525 adult hospitalizations a day and 35 daily pediatric hospitalizations. Both are highest per-capita rates in the nation.

KINZINGER SAYS SUBPOENAS COMING… Illinois Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger said yesterday that he expects the House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol to issue “a significant number of subpoenas.” Kinzinger said during his appearance on ABC News “This Week” that he is in favor of seeking testimony from anyone who spoke to former president Donald Trump on the day of the attack.

SENATE ‘DAYS AWAY’ FROM INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE… The Senate continued work over the weekend to finalize legislation on the $1 trillion infrastructure package. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said a finished bill could be brought to the floor “in a matter of days.” Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine said during appearance on CNN’s “Face the Nation” that she believes the measure will get the 10 Republican votes it needs to stave off a filibuster.

CREWS GAIN GROUND ON WESTERN FIRES… Firefighters made progress over the weekend in the battles against two major wildfires burning in the West. Containment on the Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon climbed to 74 percent yesterday. The blaze, which was sparked by a July 6 lightning strike in the Fremont-Winema National Forest, has scorched more than 646 square miles. California’s Dixie Fire, which has charred 383 square miles and destroyed 42 homes and other buildings, was listed at 32-percent containment. Authorities lifted evacuation orders and warnings for several remote areas of Butte and Plumas counties.

10 VICTIMS IN NEW YORK SHOOTING… Police in New York released video footage of a brazen shooting Saturday night in the borough of Queens. Ten people were shot, but none fatally, after two gunmen approached a group of people on foot and opened fire. The suspects jumped onto scooters driven by two other men and fled. Detectives said it appears the intended targets were three known gang members. The seven other victims were bystanders. The victims range in age from 19 to 72.

ENTERTAINMENT
THE KID LAROI TOPS ALBUM CHART… The Kid LAROI’s “F**k Love” sold 85,000 copies to top the Billboard 200 album chart after 53 weeks in release. Olivia Rodrigo’s “Sour” finished second with 69,000 units sold. Doja Cat’s “Planet” jumped into third place on sales of 57,000 copies. Morgan Wallen’s ”Dangerous: The Double Album” jumped one spot to No. 4 with 44,000 units sold. Last week’s champ, Pop Smoke’s “Faith,” fell to fifth place after selling 38,000 copies.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE… “Jungle Cruise” took in $34.2 million to debut atop the weekend box office. Another newcomer, “The Green Knight,” finished in a distant second place with $6.78 million. Last week’s champ, “Old,” slipped to third place with $6.76 million. “Black Widow” dropped to No. 4 after taking in $6.4 million. “Stillwater” capped the top five with $5.1 million.

SPORTS
MLB SCOREBOARD…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
WASHINGTON 6 – Chi. Cubs 5… Yadiel Hernandez led off the bottom of the ninth inning with his second homer of the game in lifting the Nationals over the Cubs. Hernandez also singled home a run and went 4-for-5 on the day. Rafael Ortega’s three home runs and five RBIs weren’t enough for Chicago.

Philadelphia 15 – PITTSBURGH 4… The Phillies pummeled the Pirates with a 20-hit attack. J.T. Realmuto went 5-for-6 and knocked in four runs to lead the barrage. Didi Gregorius had three hits and three RBIs.

Cincinnati 7 – N.Y. METS 1… Victor Gutierrez (6-3) held the Mets to a run on three hits over seven innings and got plenty of support in the Reds’ win. Max Schrock went 5-for-5 with a solo homer and run-scoring single.

Milwaukee 2 – ATLANTA 1… Brewers starter Brett Anderson (4-5) limited the Braves to a run on three hits over 5-2/3 innings and our relievers shut the door. Willy Adames homered for Milwaukee.

SAN DIEGO 8 – Colorado 1… Jake Cronenworth and Ha-Seong Kim stroke two-run doubles in the bottom of the first inning and the Padres never looked back in downing the Rockies. Kim also homered to lead off the sixth.

L.A. Dodgers 13 – ARIZONA 0… Justin Turner singled home a run and blasted a three-run homer as the Dodgers walloped the Diamondbacks. Albert Pujols delivered a bases-clearing double. AJ Pollock went 4-for-5 with a pair of run-scoring doubles. Julio Urias (13-3) pitched four-hit ball over five innings and three relievers completed the shutout.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
TORONTO 5 – Kansas City 1… Jose Berrios (8-5) pitched five-hit ball over six scoreless innings in his debut for the Blue Jays. Marcus Semien homered with a runner aboard and Santiago Espinal added a solo shot.

DETROIT 6 – Baltimore 2… The Tigers cruised past the Orioles after spotting them an early two-run lead. Eric Haase doubled home the tying and go-ahead runs to cap a three-run bottom of the first inning.

CHI. WHITE SOX 2 – Cleveland 1… Brian Goodwin homered in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the White Sox a walkoff win over the Indians. Jose Abreu was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force home a tying run in the fifth.

TEXAS 4 – Seattle 3… Andy Ibanez blasted a game-tying two-run homer and Jonah Heim added a walkoff solo shot in the bottom of the ninth inning to power the Rangers past the Mariners.

Oakland 8 – L.A. ANGELS 3…The Athletics came from three runs down to cruise past the Angels. Matt Olson belted a three-run homer and Yan Gomes added a two-run shot during a five-run top of the third inning. Gomes also singled home a run in the fifth.

TAMPA BAY 3 – Boston 2… Shane McClanahan (5-4) held the Red Sox to a run on four hits over six innings and three relievers did the rest. Brandon Lowe homered with a runner aboard in the bottom of the third inning for Tampa Bay. Manuel Margot’s RBI single in the fifth proved decisive.

INTERLEAGUE
N.Y. Yankees 3 – MIAMI 1… Newly acquired Anthony Rizzo lined a game-tying RBI single and Aaron Judge singled home the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning as the Yankees rallied past the Marlins. Five New York pitchers combined on a four-hitter.

ST. LOUIS 7 – Minnesota 3… Edmundo Sosa went 3-for-3 with an RBI single and solo homer as the Cardinals cruised past the Twins. Paul Goldschmidt also knocked in two runs. Adam Wainwright (9-6) allowed three runs on six hits over seven innings.

SAN FRANCISCO 5 – Houston 3… Kris Bryant’s two-out solo homer in the bottom of the third inning sparked a three-run rally that gave the Giants the lead for good in his debut for the team. Darin Ruf singled home a run and hit a two-run homer. Logan Webb (5-3) allowed two runs on seven hits over six innings.

TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Philadelphia (Ranger Suarez, 5-3) is at Washington (Josiah Gray, 0-0)…
Miami (TBA) hosts the N.Y. Mets (Tyler Megill, 1-0)…
Pittsburgh (Bryse Wilson, 0-0) is at Milwaukee (Eric Lauer, 3-4)…
Arizona (Taylor Widener, 1-1) hosts San Francisco (Anthony DeSclafani, 10-5)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Cleveland (Eli Morgan, 1-3) is at Toronto (Robbie Ray, 9-5)…
the N.Y. Yankees (Andrew Heaney, 6-7) host Baltimore (Jorge Lopez, 2-12)…
Tampa Bay (Michael Wacha, 2-2) is at Seattle (Chris Flexen, 9-5)…
Texas (TBA) hosts the L.A. Angels (Dane Dunning, 4-7)

OLYMPICS HIGHLIGHTS… The U.S. women’s basketball team beat France 93-82 yesterday to close out group play undefeated and advance to the quarterfinals. The Americans (3-0) haven’t lost a game in group play since women’s basketball was added to the Olympics in 1976.

The Rundown for July 30, 2021

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 34,745,060 and the nation’s death toll stands at 612,105, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University… The 500,332 new coronavirus cases recorded in the U.S. over the past week are the most in the world and reflect a 131-percent increase over the previous the week. High numbers were also recorded in Brazil, Indonesia, the United Kingdom and India.

BIDEN SEEKS TO EXTEND EVICTION MORATORIUM… President Joe Biden has called on Congress to extend a federal ban on evictions that expires tomorrow. White House officials say Biden would have liked to extend the moratorium amid ongoing coronavirus outbreaks but his hands are tied following a Supreme Court’s determination that the moratorium would only be extended until the end of July. Democratic leaders in the House were working on extension legislation.

CONGRESS PASSES SECURITY SPENDING PACKAGE… The House and Senate both approved a $2.1 billion supplemental security spending package that directs funding to the U.S. Capitol Police and National Guard and helps relocate Afghans who aided U.S. troops during the war in Afghanistan. The legislation passed the Senate unanimously in a 98-0 vote. The House approved the legislation 416 to 11.

SAILOR CHARGED IN NAVY WARSHIP FIRE… The U.S. Navy yesterday charged a sailor in connection with the 2020 fire that destroyed the amphibious warship USS Bonhomme Richard while it was harbored in San Diego. According to a statement released by the Navy, charges stem from evidence found during a criminal investigation into the cause of the fire. The sailor was not publicly identified but was a member of the Bonhomme Richard’s crew at the time of the blaze. Some 40 sailors and 23 civilians were treated for injuries suffered during the fire in July 2020. It took five days for federal firefighters and more than 400 sailors to extinguish the blaze. The ship was commissioned in 1998 with an expected service life for 40 years and was decommissioned in April.

HUGE ALASKA QUAKE… The largest earthquake felt in the U.S since 1965 rattled parts of southern Alaska yesterday but caused no major damage. The magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck just south of the Alaska Peninsula, nearly 500 miles southwest of Anchorage. The quake was about 29 miles below the surface of the North Pacific Ocean, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A tsunami warning that went into effect on the West Coast was cleared.

ENTERTAINMENT
SCARLETT JOHANSSON SUES DISNEY… Scarlett Johansson has filed suit against Disney for allegedly breaching her contract by releasing the Marvel movie “Black Widow” in theaters and on its streaming service the same day. Attorneys representing Johansson claim Disney-owned Marvel Entertainment promised her “an exclusive theatrical release.” The actress notes in court filings that her salary was largely based on how well the movie did at the box office, and The Wall Street Journal reported that the decision to stream the film on Disney+ could cost her more than $50 million.

TV PITCHMAN RON POPEIL DIES… Ron Popeil, who pitched products on television for decades and helped pioneer infomercials, died Tuesday at a Southern California hospital following a medical emergency, family members confirmed yesterday. He was 86. Through his company, Ronco, Popeil sold everything from the Pocket Fisherman to food hydrators to spray-on hair coloring to cover up baldness. His first infomercial aired in 1959 and featured the “Chop-o-Matic.” Popeil was also an inventor, and his Showtime “Set it and Forget it” Rotisserie generated more than $1 billion in sales.

SPORTS
MLB SCOREBOARD…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Washington 3 – PHILADELPHIA 1 (7 innings)… Yan Gomes’ two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning lifted the Nationals over the Phillies in the opener of a doubleheader. Max Scherzer (8-4) allowed just a run on three hits over six innings.

PHILADELPHIA 11 – Washington 8 (8 innings)… Brad Miller’s grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning gave the Phillies a split of the twinbill. J.T. Realmuto’s two-run single capped a three-run seventh. Andrew McCutchen and Alec Bohm hit back-to-back solo homers in the fourth. Rhys Hoskins also went deep.

Atlanta 6 – N.Y. METS 3… Austin Riley hit a two-run homer and singled home a run to lead the Braves past the Mets. Abraham Almonte and Dansby Swanson smacked solo homers.

Cincinnati 7 – CHI. CUBS 4… Kyle Farmer doubled home two runs during a three-run top of the seventh inning that carried the Reds past the Cubs. Joey Votto opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the first.

SAN FRANCISCO 5 – L.A. Dodgers 0… Johnny Cueto (7-5) pitched four-hit ball over 5-2/3 innings and four relievers completed the shutout in the rubber game of the series. Brandon Crawford provided all the offense the Giants needed with a two-run double in the bottom of the first inning.

Milwaukee 12 – PITTSBURGH 0… The Brewers pounded out 16 hits in their thrashing of the Pirates. Manny Piña homered twice and knocked in five runs. Rowdy Tellez went 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Freddy Peralta (8-3) pitched two-hit ball over six innings. Three relievers preserved the shutout.

SAN DIEGO 3 – Colorado 0… Joe Musgrove (7-7) limited the Rockies to three hits over seven innings and struck out 11. Fernando Tatis, Jr., doubled home a run in the bottom of the first inning and Jake Cronenworth homered with a runner aboard in the eighth.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
TAMPA BAY 14 – N.Y. Yankees 0… Austin Meadows belted a three-run homer to cap a four-run bottom of the first inning and added a two-run blast during a 10-run sixth in the Rays’ annihilation of the Yankees. Brandon Phillips cracked a grand slam. Ji-Man Choi homered with a runner aboard.

KANSAS CITY 5 – Chi. White Sox 0… Carlos Hernandez (2-1) limited the White Sox to four hits over six innings and got help from two relievers in the shutout. Salvador Perez blasted his 25th homer with a runner aboard in the bottom of the first inning. Michael A. Taylor went deep to lead off the second.

DETROIT 6 – Baltimore 2… Casey Mize (6-5) allowed just an unearned run on four hits over seven innings and the Tigers cruised past the Orioles. Miguel Cabrera went 3-for-3 with a pair of solo homers. Eric Haase singled home a run and lifted a sacrifice fly.

Toronto 13 – BOSTON 1… Teoscar Hernandez homered with a runner aboard during a three-run top of the first inning and Vladimir Guerrero blasted a three-run homer in the Blue Jays’ romp over the Red Sox. Hyun Jin Ryu (10-5) surrendered just two hits over six scoreless innings.

Oakland 4 – L.A. ANGELS 0… Frankie Montas (9-8) pitched three-hit ball over seven innings and two relievers finished off the blanking of the Angels. Ramon Laureano slugged a two-run double.

TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
the Chi. Cubs (Trevor Williams, 4-2) are at Washington (TBA)…
Pittsburgh (Will Crowe, 2-5) hosts Philadelphia (Aaron Nola, 7-6)…
Cincinnati (Sonny Gray, 2-6) is at the N.Y. Mets (Carlos Carrasco, 0-0)…
Atlanta (Touki Toussaint, 1-1) hosts Milwaukee (Corbin Burnes, 6-4)…
the L.A. Dodgers (Tony Gonsolin, 2-1) are at Arizona (Zac Gallen, 1-5)…
San Diego (Ryan Weathers, 4-2) hosts Colorado (Jon Gray, 6-6)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Kansas City (Daniel Lynch, 1-2) is at Toronto (Ross Stripling, 3-6)…
Detroit (Tarik Skubal, 6-9) hosts Baltimore (Matt Harvey, 5-10)…
Boston (Martin Perez, 7-6) is at Tampa Bay (Josh Fleming, 7-5)…
Texas (Kolby Allard, 2-8) hosts Seattle (Logan Gilbert, 4-2)…
Cleveland (J.C. Mejia, 1-6) is at the Chi. White Sox (Lance Lynn, 10-3)…
the L.A. Angels (Patrick Sandoval, 3-4) host Oakland (Chris Bassitt, 10-3)

INTERLEAGUE
the N.Y. Yankees (Jameson Taillon, 6-4) are at Miami (Zach Thompson, 2-3)…
St. Louis (Wade LeBlanc, 0-1) hosts Minnesota (Jose Berrios, 7-5)…
Houston (Framber Valdez, 6-2) is at San Francisco (Kevin Gausman, 9-4)

YANKEES, RED SOX MADE TRADE-DEADLINE DEALS… AL East rivals New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox made major acquisitions yesterday ahead of today’s 4 p.m. Eastern trade deadline. The Yankees acquired first-baseman Anthony Rizzo from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for minor league pitcher Alexander Vizcaino and outfielder Kevin Alcántara. Rizzo, who turns 32 in 10 days, is a three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove Award winner. The Red Sox acquired outfielder Kyle Schwarber from the Washington Nationals in exchange for pitcher Aldo Ramirez.

OLYMPICS HIGHLIGHTS… Sunisa Lee won the gold medal in the artistic gymnastics women’s all-around final. She is the fifth consecutive American gymnast to win gold in the event. Lee will compete in next week’s uneven bars event final.

The Rundown for July 29, 2021

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 34,672,690 and the nation’s death toll stands at 611,801, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University… Yesterday’s 88,377 new cases marked the biggest one-day increase in cases since February. Hospitalizations also have been surging… Medical experts and health agencies are urging people to get vaccinated regardless of whether they have previously been infected because it remains unclear how strong or long-lasting the protection from natural antibodies is. Studies have shown that vaccination provides a strong boost in protection in people who have recovered from COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SENATE ADVANCES INFRASTRUCTURE BILL… The Senate voted yesterday to advance on a bipartisan infrastructure bill after weeks of negotiations. The 67-to-32 vote cleared a key procedural hurdle on a bill that includes $550 billion in new spending for infrastructure projects. 17 Republicans joining Democrats in voting in favor. The bill moves on to the House, where its future is unknown. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has declined to comment on the bill until she is able to see the final legislation.

JUDGE KEEPS TRUMP SUIT IN OPEN COURT… A circuit court judge yesterday rejected an attempt by former President Donald Trump and three of his four adult children to force a class-action lawsuit out of open court and into arbitration. The Trumps, who are facing fraud allegations related to an alleged pyramid scheme, sought to keep the proceedings hidden from public view. A lawsuit filed in 2018 alleges that the Trump family conned victims into investing “hundreds or thousands of dollars” they never had a chance of recouping.

BLINKEN TROUBLED BY AFGHANISTAN… Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday expressed regrets for recent developments in Afghanistan. Blinken said during a press conference that the Taliban is “making advances” and called reports that the group has committed atrocities “deeply, deeply troubling.” Blinken made the comments in New Delhi, India, where he has been engaged in talks with senior Indian officials.

FORMER NY STATE SENATE CANDIDATE ARRESTED… A former candidate for the New York state senate who participated in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was taken into custody yesterday. Christmann referred to his participation in postings on social media, according to prosecutors. He allegedly began asking people to delete videos and photos of him inside the building after his friends began getting arrested.

ENTERTAINMENT
ZZ TOP BASSIST DUSTY HILL DIES… Dusty Hill, who played bass in the rock trio ZZ Top, died yesterday of undisclosed causes. He was 72. Surviving members Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard issued a statement on social media expressing their sorrow. Hill joined the trio shortly before they cut their debut LP, “ZZ Top’s First Album,” in 1971. He remained with the band through its most recent albums and tours.

ODENKIRK ON THE MEND… Bob Odenkirk is reported to be in stable condition after experiencing a “heart-related incident” Tuesday on the set of “Better Call Saul.” The 58-year-old actor was rushed to an Albuquerque hospital after collapsing. Odenkirk’s adult son, Nate, yesterday assured fans in a tweet that his dad “is going to be O.K.”

SPORTS
MLB SCOREBOARD…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Milwaukee 7 – PITTSBURGH 3… The Brewers got two-run doubles from Lorenzo Cain and Luis Urias in downing the Pirates. Adrian Houser (7-5) pitched two-hit ball over five innings.

N.Y. METS 2 – Atlanta 1… Brandon Drury smacked a tie-breaking solo homer in the bottom of the seventh inning and the Mets hung on to edge the Braves.

Cincinnati 8 – CHI. CUBS 2… Joey Votto homered twice and drove in three runs to lead the Reds past the Cubs. Tyler Stephenson lined a two-run single. Tyler Mahle (8-3) pitched five-hit ball over six scoreless innings.

L.A. Dodgers 8 – SAN FRANCISCO 0… Walker Buehler (11-1) limited the Giants to three hits over seven innings and reliever Mitch White completed the shutout. Wil Smith tripled home two runs during a four-run top of the fourth inning and Max Muncy lined a two-run double during a three-run seventh. Cody Bellinger homered for L.A.

Washington – PHILADELPHIA (ppd)… Last night’s Nationals-Phillies game in Philadelphia was postponed due to a Covid-19 issue within the Nationals organization. The game has been rescheduled as part of a doubleheader today.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Toronto 4 – BOSTON 1 (7 innings)… Robbie Ray (9-5) held the Red Sox to a run on five hits over six innings and Blue Jays took the opener of a doubleheader. Randal Grichuk homered with a runner aboard and George Springer added a solo shot.

BOSTON 4 – Toronto 1 (7 innings)… Four pitchers combined on a five-hitter and the Red Sox earned a split of the twinbill. Jarren Duran legged out a two-run triple for Boston.

DETROIT 17 – Minnesota 14… The slugged their way past the Twins in the wildest game of the season so far. They won despite hitting no home runs and giving up seven. Eric Haase and Jeimer Candelario knocked in three runs apiece. Derek Hill had three hits and two RBIs.

Houston 11 – SEATTLE 4… The Astros banged out 15 hits in their pounding of the Mariners. Yuli Gurriel had three hits, including a solo homer, and drove in three runs. Aledmys Diaz also had three RBIs. Kyle Tucker homered with a runner aboard.

N.Y. Yankees 3 – TAMPA BAY 1 (10 innings)… Aaron Judge singled home a tie-breaking run in the top of the 10th inning and Greg Allen raced home on a wild pitch in the win over the Rays. DJ LeMahieu’s sacrifice fly tied the game in the fifth.

KANSAS CITY 3 – Chi. White Sox 2 (10 innings)… The Royals came from two runs down in the seventh inning to outlast the White Sox. Michael A. Taylor singled home Hunter Dozier with the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning. Salvador Perez tied the game with a solo homer in the ninth.

INTERLEAGUE
CLEVELAND 7 – St. Louis 2… Franmil Reyes went 3-for-3 with a pair of solo homer as the Indians cruised past the Cardinals. Cesar Hernandez hit a two-run homer and lifted a sacrifice fly. Zack Plesac (6-3) allowed two runs on seven hits over five innings.

Oakland 10 – SAN DIEGO 4… Matt Chapman belted a three-run homer during a four-run top of the first inning and the Athletics never looked back in their throttling of the Padres. Elvis Andrus went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs. Sean Manaea (8-6) limited San Diego to one hit over six scoreless innings.

BALTIMORE 8 – Miami 7… The Orioles erased an early five-run deficit and rallied again late to top the Marlins. Ryan McKenna drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth inning to force home Cedric Mullins with the winning run. Pedro Severino blasted a three-run homer and Trey Mancini added a solo shot.

Arizona 3 – TEXAS 2… Madison Bumgarner (5-6) surrendered just two runs on five hits over seven innings and the Diamondbacks scored a pair of late runs to squeak past the Rangers. Daulton Varsho led off the top of the eighth inning with a tie-breaking homer.

L.A. ANGELS 8 – Colorado 7… The Angels recovered to top the Rockies after blowing a 7-3 seventh-inning lead. Phil Gosselin singled home David Fletcher with a tie-breaking run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Shohei Ohtani belted his 37th homer with two runners aboard. Justin Upton added a two-run shot.

TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Atlanta (Drew Smyly, 7-3) is at the N.Y. Mets (Taijuan Walker, 7-4)…
Philadelphia (Vince Velasquez, 3-5) hosts Washington (Max Scherzer, 7-4)…
Cincinnati (Luis Castillo, 4-10) is at the Chi. Cubs (Alec Mills, 4-3)…
San Francisco (Johnny Cueto, 6-5) hosts the L.A. Dodgers (David Price, 4-0)…
Milwaukee (Freddy Peralta, 7-3) is at Pittsburgh (Chad Kuhl, 3-5)…
San Diego (Joe Musgrove, 6-7) hosts Colorado (Kyle Freeland, 1-5)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
the N.Y. Yankees (Gerrit Cole, 10-5) are at Tampa Bay (Luis Patino, 1-2)…
Kansas City (Carlos Hernandez, 1-1) hosts the Chi. White Sox (Carlos Rodon, 8-4)…
Baltimore (Alexander Wells, 1-0) is at Detroit (Casey Mize, 5-5)…
Boston (Eduardo Rodriguez, 7-5) hosts Toronto (Hyun Jin Ryu, 9-5)…
Oakland (Frankie Montas, 8-8) is at the L.A. Angels (Alex Cobb, 7-3)

INTERLEAGUE
St. Louis (Kwang Hyun Kin, 6-5) is at Cleveland (Zach Plesac, 5-3)…
San Diego (Blake Snell, 4-3) hosts Oakland (Sean Manaea, 7-6)…
Miami (Jordon Holloway, 2-3) is at Baltimore (Jorge Lopez, 2-12)…
Texas (Jordan Lyles, 5-7) hosts Arizona (Madison Bumgarner, 4-6)…
Colorado (Chi Chi Gonzalez, 3-6) is at the L.A. Angels (Andrew Heaney, 6-7)

MLB TRADES… Deals are in the works ahead of Major League Baseball’s 4 p.m. Eastern trade deadline on Friday. The Oakland Athletics acquired outfielder Starling Marte from the Miami Marlins for left-handed pitcher Jesús Luzardo. The Marlins also will cover the majority of the roughly $4.6 million left of Marte’s salary this season. The New York Yankees were reportedly close to acquiring slugger Joey Votto from the Texas Rangers.

OLYMPICS HIGHLIGHTS… U.S. swimmer Caeleb Dressel won his first individual gold medal of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in the men’s 100-meter freestyle… Robert Finke mounted a furious comeback to win gold in the first-ever Olympic men’s 800-meter freestyle… U.S. women’s swimmers Regan Smith and Hali Flickinger took home silver and bronze, respectively, in the women’s 200-meter butterfly.

The Rundown for July 28, 2021

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 34,603,768 and the nation’s death toll stands at 611,414, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University… The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yesterday changed its masking recommendations and is now urging vaccinated people to resume wearing masks indoors in areas with “high” or “substantial” Covid-19 transmission public areas. Nearly two-thirds of all counties in the U.S. have high or substantial transmission, according to CDC data.

CAPITOL ATTACK HEARINGS OPEN… The House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol featured emotional testimony from four law enforcement officers who were present. The officers described the physical and psychological injuries they sustained and gave a rare, first-hand look at the types of attacks they and their fellow officers suffered. During his testimony, D.C. Metropolitan Police officer Michael Fanone criticized people who have downplayed the attacks, calling it “disgraceful.” Representative Bennie Thompson, the committee’s chairman, played footage of the attack at the start of the hearing.

DOJ DEALS MO BROOKS LEGAL BLOW… The Justice Department yesterday declined to support Alabama Republican Congressman Mo Brooks in lawsuit brought by California Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell over the Capitol attack. The DOJ Has notified a federal court that Brooks was not acting in his official capacity when he spoke at a pro-Trump rally on January 6, where he made comments blamed for inciting violence. In his lawsuit filed in March, Swalwell accuses Brooks, former president Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani of violating federal civil rights laws and local incitement laws. The defendants all spoke at a rally near the White House on January 6 before members of the crowd stormed the Capitol.

ELLZEY WINS TEXAS SPECIAL ELECTION… Texas state Congressman Jake Kelley was projected to win yesterday’s special election runoff in Texas’ 6th Congressional District. His victory over fellow Republican Susan Wright comes despite Wright having landed an endorsement from former president Donald Trump. She is the widow of the late Congressman Ron Wright, who had cancer and died in February after contracting Covid-19.

MESSAGE PARLOR KILLER GETS LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE… The man charged with killing eight people earlier this year at Atlanta-area massage parlors pleaded guilty in court to several of the murders yesterday and will spend the rest of his life in prison. Robert Aaron Long targeted victims at three different parlors last March. Prosecutors in Cherokee County offered life without parole in exchange to a guilty plea in four of the murders. Long still faces the death penalty for the other four deaths, which are being prosecuted in Fulton County.

ENTERTAINMENT
FORMER SLIPKNOT DRUMMER DIES… Former Slipknot drummer and founding member Joey Jordanian died on Monday of undisclosed causes, family members announced yesterday. He was 46. Jordison formed Slipknot with percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray in his native Iowa in 1995. He left the band in December 2013. Slipknot earned three top 10s on the Billboard 200, including “All Hope Is Gone,” which topped the chart on September 13, 2008.

BOB ODENKIRK COLLAPSES ON ‘BETTER CALL SAUL’ SET… Actor Bob Odenkirk collapsed yesterday on the New Mexico set of “Better Call Saul” and was rushed to the hospital in unknown condition. Witnesses say the 58-year-old Odenkirk abruptly fell to the ground. The series is in production on its sixth and final season.

SPORTS
MLB SCOREBOARD…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Milwaukee 9 – PITTSBURGH 0… Brett Anderson (3-5) pitched three-hit ball over six innings and three relievers completed the shutout of the Pirates. Omar Narvaez hit a two-run homer and singled home two runs. Rowdy Tellez added a two-run single and solo homer.

Washington 6 – PHILADELPHIA 4… The Nationals did all their scoring in their first two at-bats and held off the Phillies. Josh Bell and Juan Soto blasted three-run homers.

Atlanta 12 – N.Y. METS 5… Austin Riley unloaded a grand slam and belted a two-run homer to lead the Braves past the Mets. Ozzie Albies and Abraham Almonte hit two-run homers.

Cincinnati 7 – CHI. CUBS 4… Joey Votto smacked two of the Reds’ four solo homers in the win over the Cubs. Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez also went deep. Victor Gutierrez (5-3) held Chicago to two runs on five hits over 6-1/3 innings.

SAN FRANCISCO 2 – L.A. Dodgers 1… A throwing error by Dodgers’ first-baseman Cody Bellinger allowed Buster Posey to score a tie-breaking run in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Giants made it stand. Posey singled home Austin Slater with a tying run in the sixth.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
N.Y. Yankees 4 – TAMPA BAY 3… Jordan Montgomery (4-5) pitched five-hit ball over six scoreless innings and the Yankees held off the Rays. Ryan LaMarre’s solo homer in the top of the eighth inning proved to be the difference. Gio Urshela lined a two-run double.

Detroit 6 – MINNESOTA 5 (11 innings)… The Tigers rallied from a pair of four-run deficits to outlast the Twins. Miguel Cabrera singled home Jonathan Schoop with a tie-breaking run in the top of the 11th inning. Eric Haase’s grand slam in the ninth forced extra innings.

Chi. White Sox 5 – KANSAS CITY 3… Eloy Jimenez’s three-run homer capped a four-run top of the eighth inning that carried the White Sox past the Royals. Gavin Sheets also homered for Chicago.

Houston 8 – SEATTLE 6… Myles Straw’s two-run double sparked a four-run top of the fourth inning that pushed the Astros past the Mariners. Yordan Alvarez drilled a three-run homer in the first.

Toronto – BOSTON (ppd)… Inclement weather in Boston forced postponement of last night’s Blue Jays-Red Sox game. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader today.

INTERLEAGUE
Miami 7 – BALTIMORE 3… Sandy Leon blasted a three-run homer and the Marlins got solo shots from Lewin Diaz and Brian Anderson in their win over the Orioles. Sandy Alcantara (6-9) allowed three runs on six hits over six innings.

St. Louis 4 – CLEVELAND 2… Paul DeJong belted a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning for the Cardinals. Harrison Bader opened the scoring with a homer to lead off the third. Adam Wainwright (8-6) surrendered two runs on four hits over seven innings.

TEXAS 5 – Arizona 4… Nathaniel Lowe stroked a two-run double and Joey Gallo hit a three-run homer as the Rangers scored all four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and hung on to edge the Diamondbacks. Dane Dunning (4-7) gave up two runs on six hits over 6-1/3 innings.

Colorado 12 – L.A. ANGELS 3… The Rockies pounded out 16 hits in their throttling of the Angels. Sam Hilliard went 3-for-3 with a three-run homer. Connor Joe also had three hits and knocked in three runs.

SAN DIEGO 7 – Oakland 4… Fernando Tatis, Jr., homered with a runner aboard, Manny Machado added a three-run blast and the Padres topped the Athletics. Jake Cronenworth produced a two-run single.

TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Milwaukee (Eric Lauer, 3-4) is at Pittsburgh (TBA)…
Philadelphia (Zack Wheeler, 8-5) hosts Washington (Patrick Corbin, 6-9)…
Atlanta (Max Fried, 7-6) is at the N.Y. Mets (Tylor Megill, 1-0)…
the Chi. Cubs (Zach Davies, 6-6) host Cincinnati (Tyler Mahle, 7-3)…
the L.A. Dodgers (Walker Buehler, 10-1) are at San Francisco (Anthony DeSclafani, 10-4)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Detroit (Wily Peralta, 3-2) is at Minnesota (J.A. Happ, 5-5)…
Seattle (Yusei Kikuchi, 6-5) hosts Houston (Jake Odorizzi, 3-5)…
the N.Y. Yankees (Nestor Cortes, 0-0) are at Tampa Bay (Michael Wacha, 2-2)…
Boston (Garrett Richards, 6-5; Tanner Houck, 0-2) hosts Toronto (Robbie Ray, 8-5; Steven Matz, 8-5) for a doubleheader…
the Chi. White Sox (Lucas Giolito, 8-7) are at Kansas City (Kris Bubic, 3-4)

INTERLEAGUE
St. Louis (Kwang Hyun Kin, 6-5) is at Cleveland (Zach Plesac, 5-3)…
San Diego (Blake Snell, 4-3) hosts Oakland (Sean Manaea, 7-6)…
Miami (Jordon Holloway, 2-3) is at Baltimore (Jorge Lopez, 2-12)…
Texas (Jordan Lyles, 5-7) hosts Arizona (Madison Bumgarner, 4-6)…
Colorado (Chi Chi Gonzalez, 3-6) is at the L.A. Angels (Andrew Heaney, 6-7)

OLYMPICS DAY 4 HIGHLIGHTS… American swimmer Caeleb Dressel led the men’s team to a gold medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay… Katie Ledecky won the first gold medal of her 2020 Olympic campaign and the sixth of her career in the debut of the women’s 1,500-meter freestyle. Teammate Erica Sullivan won the silver… The U.S. captured both gold medals in skeet shooting yesterday, with Amber English winning the women’s final and Vincent Hancock the men’s final… The U.S. softball team completed it undefeated run in the round-robin stage with a 2-1 win over Japan. Kelsey Stewart connected for a walkoff a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The Rundown for July 27, 2021

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 34,531,694 and the nation’s death toll stands at 610,947, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University… Government workers in California and New York City will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or face weekly tests for the virus. California Governor Gavin Newsom said the new rule will take effect in August, and extends to those in the medical profession. Mayor Bill de Blasio said New York City’s rule applies to all municipal workers, including in the Department of Education, NYPD and the FDNY. The mandate is expected to begin September 13… A joint statement issued yesterday by a coalition of nearly 60 medical groups urged that all U.S. health care workers should be required to get vaccinated. The American Medical Association and the American Nursing Association were among groups declaring that all medical workers have an ethical commitment to put their patients first.

COMBAT MISSION IN IRAQ ENDING… President Joe Biden announced yesterday that the more than 20-year-old U.S. combat mission in Iraq will be over by the end of this year. Appearing at the White House alongside Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, Biden said the U.S. focus in Iraq will shift to an advisory role. Prior to the announcement, Biden and al-Kahdhimi discussed the continued presence of U.S. troops in the country. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reportedly met with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein recently for talks centered on “a whole host of issues on the bilateral agenda.”

BARRACK PLEADS NOT GUILTY… Former Trump inaugural committee chairman Tom Barrack pleaded not guilty yesterday to federal charges that he illegally lobbied the White House on behalf of the United Arab Emirates while Trump was president. The 74-year-old Barack, a private equity billionaire, is accused with two others in a seven-count indictment of “acting and conspiring to act as agents of the UAE” in an attempt to influence the policy positions of the Trump administration. Barrack is also facing charges of obstruction of justice and making false statements. Barrack was released from jail last Friday after posting a $250 million bond, which was secured by $5 million in cash, some $21 million in securities, and Barrack’s California home.

FINAL MISSING PERSON RECOVERED FROM COLLAPSE SITE… Search crews have recovered and identified the final missing person in the condominium building collapse in Surfside, Florida. The identification of a 54-year-old woman raises the total death toll to 98 victims. The site of the June 24 collapse had been mostly cleared and the debris has been relocated as of late last week, Miami Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said.

SHERIFF, 4 OTHERS KILLED IN STANDOFF… Authorities in Kern County, California, said yesterday that five people, including a sheriff’s deputy, were killed amid a multi-hour standoff with a gunman who had barricaded himself in a residence with family members. The standoff began Sunday afternoon in Wasco when a 41-year-old man climbed atop the roof of the house and exchanged fire with police using an AK-47 assault rifle and a handgun. The suspect was killed by SWAT team members five hours after the standoff began. Inside the residence, police found the bodies of the suspect’s 24- and 17-year-old sons and their 42-year-old mother.

ENTERTAINMENT
SPEARS ATTORNEY PETITIONS FOR NEW CONSERVATOR… The new attorney representing Britney Spears has petitioned a California court to remove her father as her conservator and replace him with a professional fiduciary. Former prosecutor Mathew Rosengart, was hired to represent Spears after a ruling earlier this month, yesterday asked the Los Angeles County Superior Court to have James “Jamie” Spears replaced by Jason Rubin as conservator of the pop star’s $60 million estate. In his filing, Rosengart wrote that the 39-year-old Spears has “an objectively intelligent preference to nominate a highly qualified, professional fiduciary in this circumstance.” During the July 14 hearing, Spears said she was “extremely scared” of her father, who has overseen her fortune since 2008. She added that the conservatorship “has allowed my dad to ruin my life.”

LAVAR BURTON HOSTS ‘JEOPARDY!’… Longtime “Jeopardy!” fan LaVar Burton began his week-long stint as guest host of the show last night. Burton, who hosted the PBS program “Reading Room,” is also known for his acting roles in “Roots” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” He joins a number of other guest hosts who have filled in for Alex Trebek, who died of pancreatic cancer in November after hosting the show for 40 years.

SPORTS
MLB SCOREBOARD…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Atlanta 2 – N.Y. METS 0 (7 innings)… Kyle Muller (2-3) pitched four-hit ball over five innings and the Braves blanked the Mets in the doubleheader opener. Joc Pederson doubled home a run in the top of the third inning for Atlanta.

N.Y. METS 1 – Atlanta 0 (7 innings)… Six pitchers combined on a four-hitter and the Mets clipped the Braves to earn a split of the twinbill. Jeff McNeil doubled home the game’s only run in the bottom of the fifth inning.

PHILADELPHIA 6 – Washington 5… Andrew McCutchen’s three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Phillies a walkoff win over the Nationals. Rhys Hoskins put Philadelphia on the board with a three-run homer in the sixth.

CHI. CUBS 6 – Cincinnati 5… Javier Baez singled home Patrick Wisdom with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Wilson Contreras tied the game with an eighth-inning homer.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
BOSTON 5 – Toronto 4… Alex Verdugo singled home a run and smacked a tie-breaking two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead the Red Sox past the Blue Jays. Rafael Devers homered for Boston.

KANSAS CITY 4 – Chi. White Sox 3… Jorge Soler hit a pair of solo homers and the Royals got another from Andrew Benintendi in their win over the White Sox. Mike Minor (8-8) limited Chicago to two runs on three hits over six innings.

MINNESOTA 6 – Detroit 5 (10 innings)… The Twins recovered to outlast the Tigers after blowing a two-run ninth-inning lead. Max Kepler singled home Kenta Maeda with the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning. Josh Donaldson homered with a runner aboard.

SEATTLE 11 – Houston 8… The Mariners erased a 7-0 fourth-inning deficit on their way past the Astros. They took the lead on Dylan Moore’s grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning. Kyle Seager slugged a three-run blast. Cal Raleigh lined a bases-clearing double.

INTERLEAGUE
L.A. ANGELS 6 – Colorado 2… Angels starter Shohei Ohtani (5-1) held the Rockies to a run on five hits over seven innings and helped himself at the plate with a run-scoring single. Jack Mayfield homered with a runner aboard.

TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Milwaukee (Brett Anderson, 2-5) is at Pittsburgh (Tyler Anderson, 5-8)…
Philadelphia (Matt Moore, 0-2) hosts Washington (Erick Fedde, 4-7)…
Atlanta (Charlie Morton, 9-3) is at the N.Y. Mets (TBA)…
the Chi. Cubs (Adbert Alzolay, 4-10) host Cincinnati (Vladimir Gutierrez, 4-3)…
the L.A. Dodgers (Julio Urias, 12-3) are at San Francisco (Logan Webb, 4-3)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
the N.Y. Yankees (Jordan Montgomery, 3-5) are at Tampa Bay (Shane McClanahan, 4-3)…
Boston (Garrett Richards, 6-5) hosts Toronto (Robbie Ray, 8-5)…
the Chi. White Sox (Dylan Cease, 7-6) are at Kansas City (Brad Keller, 7-9)…
Minnesota (Kenta Maeda, 4-4) hosts Detroit (Tyler Alexander, 1-1)…
Houston (Lance McCullers, Jr., 7-2) is at Seattle (Chris Flexen, 9-4)

INTERLEAGUE
Miami (Sandy Alcantara, 5-9) is at Baltimore (Spenser Watkins, 2-0)…
Cleveland (Cal Quantrill, 2-2) hosts St. Louis (Adam Wainwright, 7-6)…
Arizona (Taylor Widener, 1-0) is at Texas (Dane Dunning, 3-7)…
the L.A. Angels (Jose Suarez, 7-5) host Colorado (Austin Gomber, 7-5)…
Oakland (James Kaprielian, 5-3) is at San Diego (Chris Paddack, 6-6)

OLYMPICS DAY 3 HIGHLIGHTS… American swimmer Caeleb Dressel led the men’s team to a gold medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay… Katie Ledecky captured silver in the 400-meter freestyle… The U.S. softball team defeated Japan 3-1 to finish the group stage with a perfect 5-0 record.

The Rundown for July 26, 2021

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 34,443,527 and the nation’s death toll stands at 610,891, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University… The U.S. has averaged about 43,700 new cases per day over the past week, which was up 65 percent over the previous seven days and nearly three times as high as the level two weeks ago. Highest daily averages were recorded in Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Florida and Nevada… White House medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci says the U.S. is headed in the “wrong direction” on the pandemic, leaving him feeling “very frustrated.” During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Fauci warned of the threat particularly to unvaccinated people as inoculation rates have slowed amid the spread of the contagious Delta variant.

KINZINGER JOINS HOUSE JAN. 6 PANEL… Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger of Illinois has accepted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s appointment to the Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He joins Wyoming Congesswoman Liz Cheney as the only Republicans on the panel. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy pulled Republicans off the committee last week after Pelosi vetoed his selections of Congressmen Jim Jordan of Ohio and Jim Banks of Indiana, due to their response to the attack.

CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER BOB MOSES DIES… Civil rights leader Bob Moses, who achieved notoriety while organizing voting rights campaigns in Mississippi in the 1960s, died at his nome in Hollywood, Florida, yesterday of undisclosed causes. He was 86. In 1964, Moses became the principal organizer of the Mississippi Freedom Summer, which recruited college students to join with Black Mississippians to register Black voters and promote civil rights. Three activists on the campaign were killed by members of the Ku Klux Klan and local police weeks into the effort. In 1991, Moses founded the Algebra Project, a program that uses mathematics as an organizing tool to provide quality education to middle and high school students who previously performed in the lowest quartile on standardized exams.

WESTERN WILDFIRES… Wildfires in the West gained strength over the weekend as crews battled to get the upper hand. California’s largest wildfire, the two-week-old Dixie Fire, merged with the smaller Fly Fire on Saturday and tore through the Northern California community of Indian Falls. Firefighters say they managed to gain ground against the nation’s largest wildfire, the Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon, which was listed at 46-percent containment. The lightning-caused fire has burned 67 homes and left at least 2,000 others under evacuation orders.

POSSIBLE TORNADO LEAVES MICHIGANDERS IN THE DARK… More than 125,000 homes in Michigan were without power yesterday after a possible tornado touched down near Detroit on Saturday night. Substantial damage was reported in Macomb County. Winds as high as 88 mph were reported by meteorologists.

ENTERTAINMENT
POP SMOKE TOPS ALBUM CHART… Pop Smoke’s second posthumous album, “Faith,” sold 88,000 copies to debut atop the Billboard 200 album chart. John Mayer’s “Sob Rock” opened in second place with 84,000 units sold. Olivia Rodrigo’s “Sour” slipped to third place on sales of 77,000 copies. Doja Cat’s “Planet Her” dropped to No. 4 with 59,000 units sold. Morgan Wallen’s “Dangerous: The Double Album” finished fifth after selling 44,000 copies.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE… “Old” took in $16.5 million to top the weekend box office. Another newcomer, “Snake Eyes,” debuted in second place with $13.3 million. “Black Widow” fell one spot to third place after bringing in $11.6 million. “Space Jam: A New Legacy” made $9.5 million to finish fourth. “F9: The Fast Saga” capped the top five with $4.7 million.

SPORTS
MLB SCOREBOARD…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
PHILADELPHIA 2 – Atlanta 1… Aaron Nola (7-6) took a shutout into the ninth inning and the Phillies turned away the Braves. Jean Segura and Ronald Torreyes homered for Philadelphia.

St. Louis 10 – CINCINNATI 6… Harrison Bader wet 3-for-4 with a three-run homer in the Cardinals’ win over the Reds. Tyler O’Neill homered with a runner aboard. Drew Carlson and Nolan Arenado also went deep.

MIAMI 9 – San Diego 3…Magneuris Sierra doubled home a tie-breaking run and scored in the bottom of the fifth inning and Lewis Brinson belted a three-run homer to cap a five-run sixth. Deven Marrero and Brian Anderson smacked solo homers for the Marlins.

CHI. CUBS 5 – Arizona 1… Trevor Williams (4-2) pitched five-hit ball over six scoreless innings and the Cubs breezed past the Diamondbacks. Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo homered during a three-run bottom of the first inning. David Bote added a two-run shot in the fourth.

SAN FRANCISCO 6 – Pittsburgh 1… Alex Wood (9-3) limited the Pirates to a run on five hits over 5-1/3 innings and the Giants handled the Pirates. LaMonte Wade hit two solo homers. Wilmer Flores and Thairo Estrada also went deep.

L.A. DODGERS 3 – Colorado 2… Chris Taylor hit two solo homers and Will Smith added a third in the bottom of the eighth inning to power the Dodgers past the Rockies. Five L.A. pitchers combined on a six-hitter.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
CLEVELAND 3 – Tampa Bay 2… Bobby Bradley’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth inning scored with the go-ahead run and the Indians made it stand in edging the Rays. Cesar Hernandez homered for Cleveland.

BOSTON 5 – N.Y. Yankees 4… The Red Sox rallied to score all five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and stun the Yankees. Xander Bogaerts lifted a sacrifice fly to score Kiké Hernandez with the tie-breaking run after Hernandez doubled home a run.

KANSAS CITY 6 – Detroit 1… First-inning homers by Salvador Perez and Jorge Soler staked the Royals to a 4-0 first-inning lead and they coasted past the Tigers. Soler added a third-inning homer. Daniel Lynch (1-2) pitched five-hit ball over eight scoreless innings.

HOUSTON 3 – Texas 1… Zack Greinke (10-3) allowed just a run on five hits over six innings and the Astros clipped the Rangers. Abraham Toro connected for a go-ahead two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning.

L.A. Angels 6 – MINNESOTA 2… Jaime Barria (1-0) held the Twins to two runs on four hits over seven innings. Shohei Ohtani belted his 35th homer. Max Stassi also went deep.

SEATTLE 4 – Oakland 3… Kyle Seager’s two-run single sparked a four-run bottom of the third inning that carried the Mariners past the Athletics. Marco Gonzales (3-5) allowed two runs on five hits over 5-2/3 innings.

INTERLEAGUE
BALTIMORE 5 – Washington 4… The Orioles scored twice in the bottom of the ninth inning to upend the Nationals. Pat Valaika’s sacrifice fly scored Maikel Franco with the tie-breaking run. Franco, Trey Mancini and Ryan McKenna hit solo homers for Baltimore.

N.Y. METS 5 – Toronto 4… Pete Alonso homered with a runner aboard and Jeff McNeil doubled home two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and the Mets held off the Blue Jays. Jonathan Villar had a couple of hits, including a run-scoring single.

Chi. White Sox 3 – MILWAUKEE 1… Starting pitcher Lance Lynn lined a two-run single as the White Sox scored all three runs in the top of the second inning and cruised past the Brewers. On the mound, Lynn (10-3) gave up a run on six hits over six innings.

TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Atlanta (Kyle Muller, 1-3; Bryse Wilson, 2-3) is at the N.Y. Mets (Marcus Stroman, 7-8; TBA) for a doubleheader…
Philadelphia (Spencer Howard, 0-2) hosts Washington (Joe Ross, 5-8)…
Cincinnati (Wade Miley, 8-4) is at the Chi. Cubs (Kyle Hendricks, 12-4)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Toronto (Thomas Hatch, 0-0) is at Boston (Nick Pivetta, 8-4)…
Kansas City (Mike Minor, 7-8) hosts the Chi. White Sox (Dallas Keuchel, 7-3)…
Detroit (Matt Manning, 2-3) is at Minnesota (Michael Pineda, 4-5)…
Seattle (Darren McCaughan, 0-0) hosts Houston (Luis Garcia 7-5)

INTERLEAGUE
Colorado (German Marquez, 8-7) is at the L.A. Angels (Shohei Ohtani, 4-1)

OLYMPICS DAY 2… The U.S. bounced back to win 10 medals yesterday on Day 2. of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Swimmers Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland won gold and silver, respectively, in the men’s 400-meter individual medley. Kieran Smith took bronze in the men’s 400 freestyle. Emma Weyant and Hali Flickinger won silver and bronze, respectively, in the women’s 400-meter individual medley. Will Shaner won gold in the men’s 10-meter air rifle event. His schoolmate at the University of Kentucky Wildcat Lee Kiefer took gold in women’s foil while Anastasija Zolotic captured the U.S. first-ever gold in women’s taekwondo. The U.S. finished second to Russia in women’s gymnastics team qualifying. The U.S. men’s basketball team fell to France 83-76 in its opening matchup.