The Houston Astros‘ offense looks to be back on track.

After totaling 21 runs in their previous seven games <a title="Authentic Dorian O'Daniel Jersey" href="http://www.kansascitychiefsteamonline.com/dorian-o_daniel-jersey">Authentic Dorian O'Daniel Jersey</a> , the World Series champs have scored in double-figures in each of their last two.

Yuli Gurriel and Alex Bregman each homered and Charlie Morton won his 11th as the Astros beat the Chicago White Sox 12-6 Saturday for their fifth straight win.

”I think we’re swinging the bats well and playing good baseball,” Bregman said. ”I think offensively, we have a done a good job of passing the baton to the next guy, and if we continue to do that, we will be successful.”

Morton (11-2) allowed five runs and five hits with eight strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander has won four of his last five starts.

”I feel bad for Charlie because he got a little nickel and dimed at the end with a few soft hits and an ill-timed walk and then a well-placed, bases-clearing double,” Houston manager AJ Hinch said. ”I thought his stuff was really good at the end. . That saying that he pitched better than the line indicates, that’s going to be the day today. Still a winning pitcher, still a guy that gave us a chance to win.”

James Shields (3-10) allowed a season high-tying eight runs on a season-high 10 hits with nine strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings for the White Sox, who have lost four straight. Shields had allowed one run over his prior two starts.

”Just wasn’t my day today,” Shields said. ”I’m just not really happy about not going deep in the game. I’m really trying to save this bullpen. These guys are taxed. I really wanted the ball and be that guy to go deeper in the game.”

Gurriel, who also had an RBI single in the eighth <a title="Authentic John Franklin-Myers Jersey" href="http://www.losangelesramsteamonline.com/john-franklin-myers-jersey">Authentic John Franklin-Myers Jersey</a> , hit a three-run homer to left field to increase Houston’s lead to 4-0 in the third inning.

Josh Reddick had a run-scoring fielder’s choice and Evan Gattis added an RBI single to push the Astros’ advantage to 6-1 in the fifth. However, Matt Davidson had an RBI single with the bases loaded and Omar Narvaez followed with a three-run double to pull Chicago within one in the sixth, chasing Morton.

Bregman’s two-run homer in the bottom of the inning extended Houston’s lead back to three.

”A 2-0 count, I was trying to get something over the middle of the plate,” Bregman said. ”I was fortunate enough to put a good swing on it.”

Bregman finished a triple shy of the cycle to extend his hitting streak to 12 games.

”He’s doing everything right in the batter’s box as far as seeing the ball, his selectiveness, his approach is A-plus,” Hinch said. ”Bat-to-ball has been exceptional.”

Max Stassi hit an RBI double in the second and an RBI single in the eighth for the Astros. Marwin Gonzalez added an RBI single in the seventh as every Houston starter had a hit. Houston won 11-4 Friday night.

”It’s an excellent ball club, let’s face it they’ve got guys that swing the bat up and down the lineup,” Chicago manager Rick Renteria said of the Astros. ”They’ve got an air of confidence that they play with, which comes with the things that they’ve accomplished. It’s natural.”

Avisail Garcia hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth and a solo home run on to the train tracks in left in the eighth for Chicago. Garcia has five home runs in his last six games.

TUCKER PROMOTED

The Astros promoted top prospect, outfielder Kyle Tucker from Triple-A Fresno. Tucker <a title="Kenny Clark Jersey" href="http://www.packerscheapstore.com/kenny-clark-jersey-cheap">Kenny Clark Jersey</a> , who was named to the Pacific Coast League’s All Star team, was hitting .306 with 14 home runs and 66 RBIs. He went 1 for 4 with a single and run scored in the seventh and an RBI walk in the eighth to go along with three strikeouts. The Astros optioned outfielder Jake Marisnick to Fresno in a corresponding move.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: SS Tim Anderson returned to the lineup. Anderson was out Friday after being hit on the left forearm the previous day. Anderson went 0 for 4 and reached on an error in the fifth.

UP NEXT

White Sox: RHP Lucas Giolito (5-7) will make his 18th start of the season in the series finale. Giolito is 2-3 with a 7.50 ERA in his last eight stars and gave up nine runs in two innings in his last start against the Astros on April 21.

Astros: LHP Dallas Keuchel (5-8) is looking for his third straight win. Keuchel allowed two runs over seven innings in his last start Tuesday against the Rangers.

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Tom Brady is not looking to have the radio host who called his daughter ”an annoying little pissant” to lose his job.

The Patriots quarterback said early Monday he’s reconsidering whether to continue a long-running weekly radio appearance with the station. Hours later at the Super Bowl media night, he was asked about the incident in which WEEI host Alex Reimer made the remarks about Brady’s 5-year-old daughter after watching the first episode of a Brady documentary called ”Tom vs. Time” that is airing on Facebook. Reimer’s show aired Thursday, four days before Brady’s weekly morning radio segment with different hosts.

”I didn’t hear too much about it. I didn’t get into it much,” Brady said at the Xcel Center. ”I certainly hope the guy is not fired.

”I just know everybody is real protective of their kids. I never stayed away from criticism. I understand that criticism is part of sports. But I certainly don’t think that my children or anybody else’s children deserve to be in that. And that’s what I said.”

Brady cut short an appearance on Monday morning and said, ”I’ll obviously evaluate whether I want to come on this show again.

”It’s very disappointing when you hear that certainly with my daughter or any child. They certainly don’t deserve that.”

The station says Reimer has been suspended indefinitely.

The Patriots and the station recently announced an extension of their agreement, which involves weekly calls from Brady and coach Bill Belichick. The five-time Super Bowl champions will play for their sixth ring against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Brady expressed no regrets about doing the Facebook series.

”I thought it was fun. I thought it was a great opportunity,” he said. ”The fans like it. And that’s really what we were looking for.”

He said his son will be in an upcoming episode that features their summer trip to China.

Patriots safety Devin McCourty praised Brady defending his daughter.

”It’s always easy to defend our families,” McCourty noted. ”I thought that was very disappointing to see anyone say anything negative toward his daughter, or anything about your family. Really poor taste.

”But I think as always Tom handled it in the right way with something like that. But I think with all of us that’s one thing that we’re gonna tolerate is anything toward our family.”

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Standing in foul territory Authentic Phillip Gaines Jersey , Steven Matz stared at the ball he had just mishandled and started to give it an angry kick, then changed his mind and instead just picked it up.

Matz and the New York Mets keep their cool Sunday, barely, overcoming three errors and escaping the NL East cellar after a one-day stay by beating the Miami Marlins 5-2.

The Mets, who endured their worst June ever, won for only the second time in the past 12 games to reach the season’s halfway point at 33-48.

”We’re all disappointed with where we’re at,” Matz said. ”We had higher expectations. We’re just going to keep pushing.”

Matz (4-5) did that in the series finale, when he pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed only an unearned run. It scored on his error, and he worked around misplays by two teammates – an encouraging sign from a pitcher still learning not to let setbacks snowball.

”You still see him get a little flustered out there,” manager Mickey Callaway said. ”But he regroups and makes the next pitch. Today he won the game for us because he did that, because they easily could have tacked on some runs there early. He held them right where he needed to hold them.”

New York’s bullpen leads the majors in losses but limited Miami to one hit in the final 3 2/3 innings. Jeurys Familia completed the four-hitter with a perfect ninth for his 15th save.

Asdrubal Cabrera hit his 14th homer off Dan Straily (3-4). Todd Frazier had two hits and scored three times, and Kevin Plawecki doubled home New York’s first run.

Straily allowed three runs in seven innings, matching his longest outing of the year. Cameron Maybin hit his first homer for the Marlins, but they slipped back into last place in the division.

”We just didn’t do a whole lot with Matz,” manager Don Mattingly said. ”That’s probably the best I’ve seen him.”

Matz loaded the bases with two out in the second by walking Straily, an .056 career hitter, but then struck out Starlin Castro to escape.

Matz also reached behind his legs to snare Lewis Brinson’s grounder and retire him in the fourth. But the left-hander failed to come up with Straily’s safety squeeze bunt with two out in the inning Authentic Marshall Newhouse Jersey , allowing Miguel Rojas to score from third.

”If I had taken my time I would have had him, but I rushed it,” Matz said.

MISCUES

Callaway talked before the game about how the Mets needed to play better defense, but they didn’t. Second baseman Cabrera and third baseman Frazier misplayed grounders for errors.

Miami misplays in the eighth led to the Mets’ final two runs. Center fielder Brinson failed to catch Frazier’s drive after a long sprint, and the play was ruled an RBI double.

”He probably should have caught that,” Mattingly said. ”I know they gave him a hit there, but if you ask him he gets to that ball and catches that pretty much all the time.”

Frazier then came home on a wild pickoff throw by catcher J.T. Realmuto.

UNEXPECTED CONTRIBUTION

Matz was 2 for 26 this year before he hit a two-out single in the fourth for his first RBI of the season.

”I was in a slump,” he said, ”but I’m out of it now.”

NIMMO SLUMP

The Mets’ Brandon Nimmo, hit by a pitch on his right hand a week ago, went 0 for 5 and is in a 1-for-19 slump.

”I’m super late. My bat speed is not there,” he said. ”But my hand feels fine.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: INF Dominic Smith, who had a cortisone shot for his sore right wrist, pinch-hit in the eighth and flied out. … OF Jay Bruce (hip) is expected to begin taking batting practice in the next few days.

UP NEXT

Mets: After an off day, RHP Zack Wheeler (2-6, 4.47) is scheduled to start Tuesday at Toronto.

Marlins: LHP Wei-Yin Chen (2-5, 6.14) is scheduled to start Monday against Tampa Bay to begin a three-game series.

—

Well Authentic Marquis Haynes Jersey , that didn’t last long.

The Los Angeles Rams’ first playoff appearance in 13 seasons came to a quick end Saturday night when the young, upstart team led by the NFL’s youngest coach was schooled by Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons, who won the wild-card game 26-13.

It was the Rams’ first playoff game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum since 1979 and their first in Southern California since 1986.

Only six Rams players had playoff experience, including left tackle Andrew Whitworth, who went 0-6 with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Whitworth said it was natural that players would be nervous in their first playoff appearance.

However, second-year quarterback Jared Goff downplayed the team’s lack of postseason experience.

”I think they played better than we did,” Goff said. ”Playoff inexperience, I don’t know what that means. Each game’s the same. This one has a little bit more meaning to it, of course. But we did not play well. And if we played like this two weeks ago against the same team, we would have lost as well.”

The Rams fell behind 13-0 thanks to two special teams gaffes by Pro Bowler Pharoh Cooper. Todd Gurley got going too late to help, although he did finish with 101 yards rushing. Goff made some nice passes, but also had some misses and watched his teammates make some drops.

Cooper fumbled on a kickoff return late in the first quarter when he was hit by Damontae Kazee, with Kemal Ishmael recovering at the Rams 32.

Devonta Freeman capped the short drive with a 3-yard scoring run to give the Falcons a 13-0 lead.

Matt Bryant kicked field goals of 29 and 51 yards in the first quarter.

The Falcons, who blew a 28-3 lead in last season’s Super Bowl, had their first score set up by a special teams blunder by the Rams that allowed Atlanta to almost completely flip the field.

With the Falcons forced to punt from their 14, Cooper was indecisive and let the ball bounce at about the L.A. 40. It hit off Blake Countess’ foot during a wild scramble that ended with LaRoy Reynolds recovering at the Rams 17.

The Falcons had to settle for Bryant’s 29-yarder. He kicked a 51-yarder on Atlanta’s next possession.

Cooper took the blame for the miscues. He said he should have protected the ball better on the kickoff return. On the punt, he said he needed to take control of the situation by yelling ”Poison Authentic Cordy Glenn Jersey ,” as in, get away from the ball.

”They’ve been so good for us all year,” Goff said. ”They’ve won so many games for us. You can go look throughout the whole season how many games those guys, in particular Pharoh, have contributed to and put us in good field position. The first one was a freak one and the second one I know he’d like to have back. He’s a Pro Bowl returner and has done such a good job this year. I know we wouldn’t want anyone (else) back there.”

The Rams had gone from 4-12 in 2016, their first season back in Los Angeles after 22 years in St. Louis, to 11-5 and the NFC West championship under first-year coach Sean McVay.

The Rams were hosting their first playoff game in the Coliseum since Jan. 7, 1979, when they lost 28-0 to the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC championship game. It was their first playoff game in Southern California since Jan. 4, 1986, when they beat the Cowboys 20-0 at Anaheim Stadium.

McVay was born 20 days after that game.

The Rams moved to St. Louis after the 1994 season and won their only Super Bowl after the 1999 season.

They moved back to L.A. prior to the 2016 season.

”It’s hard,” Goff said. ”We didn’t want this to end at all. We’ve got such a special group of dudes in there, coaches and everybody. It’s such a special group. You don’t want it to end this early by any means. But I think we have a good, strong core group we’ve built this year.”

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Closer Kyle Barraclough has been exceptional for the Marlins in the last two months Authentic Joseph Noteboom Jersey , so the novelty of him giving up a run — even in a Miami win — is major news.

“Claw will bounce back, no worries about that,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said after he gave up the tying run in the ninth, ultimately earning the victory in a 2-1 win in a series opener against the Rays.

Barraclough had not allowed a run since May 8 — an amazing run of 21 games and 20 2/3 innings with just two hits allowed before Monday, when the Rays matched that with two hits and the tying run. His season ERA had dipped below 1.00 to 0.99 ERA before that run scored.

“To be able to scratch runs and get pitching, it’s nice to be able to get that win in the end,” Mattingly said of his Marlins (35-51), who have won three of four games.

The Marlins will try to continue that Tuesday with rookie right-hander Trevor Richards (2-5, 5.06 ERA) on the mound. Richards lasted only four innings in his last outing, giving up six hits and three runs to Arizona, but he has two wins in his last four starts Authentic Brian Allen Jersey , this after having zero wins in his first six starts of the season.

Richards has never faced the Rays, but his limited work in interleague play has been rough — eight hits and five runs in 4 1/3 innings against the Red Sox in April, then nine hits and six runs in 3 1/3 innings against Baltimore in June. His interleague record is 0-2 and his ERA is 12.91, with a staggering 17 hits in 7 2/3 innings.

The Rays answer with another rookie who hasn’t faced this team before — Ryne Stanek, spectacular as an “opener” with short outings to open games throughout the month of June, was supposed to start Tuesday but instead got the nod in the 10th inning Monday, surrendering a leadoff walk that quickly became the winning run off an infield single.

Ryan Yarbrough (7-4, 3.76 ERA) has pitched well coming in after the “opener,” but he’ll get the start now against the Marlins. Much like Richards, he’s struggled in interleague play, going 0-2 with a 6.60 ERA Authentic John Kelly Jersey , allowing 19 hits in 15 innings. His last outing wasn’t bad at all, lasting 6 1/3 innings in relief, giving up seven hits but only one run in a 1-0 loss to Houston on Thursday. He’ll likely get a rare chance to bat as well with the game in a National League park — he’s just 0-for-2 at the plate in his young career.

One-run games have been a major part of the Rays’ season — they’ve played in 37, matching the most in the majors, and they’ve lost 21, the most of any team, but Rays manager Kevin Cash said he was optimistic even when his team was down 2-1 in the ninth on Monday. The Rays had won eight of nine coming in and will try to bounce back Tuesday.

“The way we’ve been playing, we’ve been getting the big hit,” Cash said. “I think it was going to work out the entire game.”

The Panthers will not be punished for their handling of Cam Newton’s injury during a playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints on Jan. 7.

The NFL and the Players Association announced Wednesday that Carolina’s medical staff correctly followed concussion protocol guidelines. The league released a statement Wednesday saying it reviewed game footage and medical reports, as well as statements and interviews with Newton and coach Ron Rivera, before making its determination that ”there was no protocol violation.”

After walking off the field with a second-half eye injury Kentrell Brice Jersey , Newton stumbled to the ground near the sideline when asked by trainers to take a knee.

The league said they believe that stumble was caused by a previous knee injury.

The NFL said the league’s 2015 MVP had an MRI on Jan. 8 that ”confirmed ligament and cartilage damage and very extensive swelling in the knee.”

Panthers interim general manager Marty Hurney told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Newton will not need surgery on the knee.

Newton sat out one play, but returned on the next offensive series and finished the game.

Hurney said on Jan. 8 that Newton intentionally took a knee because he was told to by the team’s training staff so Carolina could get an official timeout, thus allowing backup quarterback Derek Anderson a little more time to warm up on the sideline.

Anderson came in for one third-down play and threw an incompletion.

”He took a hit,” Hurney said of Newton. ”But when he walked off and he told the trainers he got poked in the eye, then they did take him into the tent and checked him for a concussion, which he did not have. And it was really getting poked in the eye.”

Up for debate in the investigation was whether Newton should have been taken to the locker room for evaluations.

The league and the players union changed its concussion protocol in December after Texans quarterback Tom Savage returned to the field after having a concussion that left the quarterback’s hands shaking following a hit.

The changes to the protocol include the requirement of a locker room concussion evaluation for all players ”demonstrating gross or sustained vertical instability (e.g., stumbling or falling to the ground when trying to stand.)”

Newton did not visit the locker room.

Newton said after the team’s loss to the Saints that ”it wasn’t my head. It was my eye. My helmet had come down low enough over my eyelid and it got pressed by the player’s stomach.”

”Our review of all of the facts do not support a claim of inappropriate medical care,” the NFL Players Association said in a statement. ”Mr. Newton was immediately evaluated for a concussion and cleared by the team physician and unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant.”

The Seattle Seahawks were fined $100,000 in Week 10 after the league and union determined they failed to apply the concussion protocol properly after quarterback Russell Wilson took a blow to the head against the Arizona Cardinals.

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The St. Louis Cardinals left Arizona feeling a little bit better about themselves 49ers Weston Richburg Jersey , thanks to a late-inning surge by the offense and another strong outing from Miles Mikolas.

The Cardinals scored seven times in the seventh and eighth innings to beat Arizona 8-4 on Wednesday night. After coming to town on a four-game losing streak and off a three-game sweep at the hands of Atlanta, St. Louis took two of three from the first-place Diamondbacks.

Yadier Molina’s three-run homer on the first pitch from reliever Fernando Salas highlighted a five-run Cardinals seventh inning after Arizona had nursed a 2-1 lead through six in front of a sellout crowd of 44,072.

”Had some big hits today,” St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. ”It allows those big five-run innings to happen. Wear the pitcher down, wear the defense down. Then you have Yadi come in and do something special on the back end.”

Tommy Pham drove in three Cardinals runs with a double and two singles. Matt Carpenter doubled twice and singled with one RBI.

”Carp kind of set the tone. He got on base a lot,” Pham said. ”I think we had good at-bats. Even when the results weren’t there, we made guys throw pitches. That’s key. If a guy is taking four or five plus pitches to get outs, that means you are grinding as a hitter. When you put that together as a team, it wears out pitching staffs.”

The Diamondbacks dropped to 1-5 on their homestand and lead the surging Los Angeles Dodgers by just a half-game in the NL West.

Mikolas (9-3) gave up two runs and seven hits, walked four and struck out three.

Arizona reliever Yoshihisa Hirano (2-1) had his franchise-record streak of 26 games without allowing a run end when Yairo Munoz homered to lead off the seventh. Hirano gave up four runs 49ers Cassius Marsh Jersey , one earned, on three hits in two-thirds of an inning for his first loss since coming to the major leagues from Japan this season.

”Yoshi’s human,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. ”That’s what it means, right? And he’s absolutely spoiled us. He’s been a slam-dunk reliever and he made a really tough game look easy for a long time.”

After Munoz’s homer, shortstop Ketel Marte booted pinch-hitter Tyler O’Neill’s grounder for an error. With one out and O’Neill on second, Pham singled to center to put the Cardinals up 3-2. Center fielder Jarrod Dyson left the game with discomfort in his right groin area, Lovullo said.

Salas relieved Hirano and gave up the big hit to Molina, who homered twice in the series.

”It was like two totally different games,” Lovullo said. ”The first six innings were exactly the way you’d like to see guys go out and execute and do their job, and then the final three innings unfortunately we couldn’t execute in a lot of key areas.”

HARD-LUCK LEFTY

Arizona starter Patrick Corbin allowed one run and six hits in six innings Colton Sissons Jersey , his third straight strong outing without a decision. He’s given up two runs in 19 innings during those three starts.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Paul DeJong (broken left hand) homered and doubled and played shortstop all nine innings Tuesday night in his fourth rehab game for Triple-A Memphis. Matheny said DeJong would not be activated Thursday in San Francisco but could be at some time during the four-game series.

Diamondbacks: Right-handed reliever Randall Delgado (left oblique strain) was scheduled to make another rehab appearance for Triple-A Reno and is expected to be activated Thursday, the end of his rehab assignment. … OF Steven Souza Jr. (strained right pectoral) had Wednesday off in his rehab assignment with Reno after homering twice for the Aces on Tuesday night. Souza has three homers in his last two rehab games.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Head to San Francisco for four games against the Giants. RHP Luke Weaver (4-7, 5.16 ERA) starts for St. Louis in Thursday night’s opener. Johnny Cueto (3-0, 0.84) comes off the disabled list to pitch for the Giants.

Diamondbacks: RHP Shelby Miller (0-2, 11.42), following two rough starts in his return from Tommy John surgery, takes the mound Thursday night in the opener of a four-game home series against San Diego. LHP Eric Lauer (3-5, 5.08) goes for the Padres.

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Antonio Brown is good to go against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ All-Pro wide receiver is active for the first time in a month as the AFC North champions host the Jaguars with a spot in the AFC title game on the line.

Brown injured his left calf in the first half of a loss to New England on Dec. 17 and missed Pittsburgh’s final two games.

Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt, who was limited this week with an elbow injury, is also active. So is Pittsburgh cornerback Artie Burns Shawn Williams Jersey , who was limited this week because of a hyperextended right knee.

Running back Chris Ivory is inactive for the Jaguars.

Other Steelers inactives include QB Josh Dobbs, WR Justin Hunter, CB Coty Sensabaugh, S J.J. Wilcox, OT Jerald Hawkins, G Matt Feiler and NT Daniel McCullers.

Other Jaguars inactives include OL Chris Reed, OL Josh Walker, WR Jaydon Mickens, OL William Poehls and DL Eli Ankou.

—

AP NFL website:

Tennessee safety Kevin Byard is hoping to scratch one more thing off his bucket list.

The second-year safety tied for the league-lead with eight interceptions and led the NFL with 10 total takeaways Darqueze Dennard Jersey , though he has yet to reach the end zone. Byard sees no better time than Saturday when the Titans (9-7) visit the Kansas City Chiefs (10-6) in an AFC wild-card game in his postseason debut.

”I’m just hoping to get in the end zone this time I can get an interception,” Byard said. ”That’s just my whole thing, trying to help this team anyway I can.”

Byard just earned his second AFC defensive player of the week award for adding two more interceptions in a 15-10 win over Jacksonville in helping the Titans clinch their first playoff berth since 2008. Scoring off Alex Smith won’t be easy with the Chiefs quarterback having been intercepted only five times all season.

Coach Mike Mularkey believes Byard is the kind of player who can help the Titans win their first playoff game since January 2004. Mularkey also has no problem with how confident Byard is.

”He backs it up, that’s the best part about it,” Mularkey said. ”He’s not a big talker, trash talker. He’s not cocky at all. He’s a good football player, has a lot of confidence. We all have a lot of confidence in Kevin. He deserves it. He shows if you do what you’re asked to do and you’re in the right place, good things happen and it continues to happen for him.”

The Titans took advantage of geography in making Byard the first pick of the third round in 2016 after he set a school record with 19 interceptions at Middle Tennessee where he landed after Kentucky pulled a scholarship late. His performance wasn’t enough to earn Byard an invitation to the NFL combine.

Once with the Titans, the 5-foot-11, 212-pound Byard impressed coaches and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau with how quickly he picked up the complicated schemes. Byard started the final seven games of his rookie season. Byard didn’t get his first interception in the NFL until his 20th career game Dre Kirkpatrick Jersey , but he’s the kind of safety that gets his hands on passes in bunches.

Byard picked off three passes in a win at Cleveland on Oct. 22, then he grabbed two more in a win over Baltimore on Nov. 5. That put him atop the NFL for a few weeks with six interceptions .

That’s a big reason why Byard won the fan voting to start at safety for the AFC in the Pro Bowl. But Byard wound up as an alternate after voting by coaches and players, though he said Pro Bowl safety Eric Weddle reached out to him after the roster was announced. He says Weddle told him to keep his head up and offered to watch film with him.

LeBeau isn’t about to compare Byard to safeties he’s coached in the past, like Troy Polamalu who’s among Byard’s football role models with Ed Reed and Brian Dawkins. That would be too much pressure for any young player. But LeBeau says like Polamalu, he knew quickly that Byard would do OK in the NFL.

”He’s a player that’s on the rise no question about it, and he’s playing great football,” LeBeau said.

—

Atlantic City and southern New Jersey have always been Philadelphia Eagles country.

And with the local team in the Super Bowl, the seaside gambling resort can only dream of the extra millions of dollars it might have taken in had it been able to offer sports betting.

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide New Jersey’s challenge to a law banning sports betting in all but four states later this year.

But the decision won’t come in time to make up for the business Atlantic City thinks it would have gotten from die-hard Eagles fans, as well as casual fans, looking to bet on the Eagles-Patriots championship game on Feb. 4 in Minneapolis.

Tropicana president (and lifelong Eagles fan) Tony Rodio said sports betting would generate a lot of new business for Atlantic City.

”The northeast corridor is a giant sports betting market Geno Atkins Jersey ,” he said. ”If you take the Eagles and put them into the mix, I just can’t even imagine how big that would be. It would take it to a whole new level.”

Alas, that is not to be, at least this season. The Supreme Court ruling might not come until June. Legal analysts predict New Jersey has a decent chance of winning the case with a ruling that would permit sports betting in the state or across the nation.

Sports betting would be offered at Atlantic City’s casinos and the state’s horse racing tracks.

City Councilman Marty Small, an Eagles season-ticket holder who organizes an annual flight to see an Eagles road game, said Eagles fans would have booked every available hotel room in the city weeks ago in anticipation of watching – and betting on – their team in Atlantic City.

”We would have been totally sold out by now, the whole city,” he said. ”Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest party day of the year, and people would have come from near and far to claim Atlantic City as their party place. We’re missing a golden opportunity this year.”

This year, casinos in Las Vegas expect betting on the Super Bowl to surpass last year’s record of $138.5 million.

Drew Leonard Carlos Dunlap Jerse , lifelong Eagles fan from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, who grew up in southern New Jersey and used to visit Atlantic City twice a month, said he would go to the resort to bet a few hundred dollars on the Eagles, if it were legal.

”Anything that would bring in more people and business would definitely help,” he said, predicting Philadelphia will beat New England by a touchdown.

Of course, if sports betting were legal, a sizeable number of people would be expected to come to Atlantic City to place bets regardless of which two teams were playing in it.

Kevin Ortzman, regional president of Caesars Entertainment Patriots Danny Shelton Jersey , which owns three of Atlantic City’s seven casinos, said the northeastern U.S. ”is probably the biggest driver of sports betting,” noting that there are hard-core sports fans who would come to Atlantic City to bet on football, even if it involved the Cleveland Browns.

But the presence of the local market-favorite Eagles would have added some ”extreme excitement and vibe” to the game, he said.

Even without sports betting, Atlantic City casinos are trying to cash in on Eagles mania. The Caesars Entertainment casinos (Harrah’s Bally’s and Caesars) are considering bringing in retired Eagles players to meet and greet customers.

The Tropicana is using green lights to illuminate two indoor fountains, and all last weekend, it sprinkled the recorded sound of an eagle screech from time to time into the overhead music playing in the casino.

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Follow Wayne Parry at

The Tennessee Titans have hired five new assistant coaches with coach Mike Vrabel keeping a couple assistants.

The Titans announced the moves Tuesday.

Pat O’Hara will coach quarterbacks with Kerry Coombs overseeing the secondary. Shane Bowen will coach outside linebackers with Tyrone McKenzie in charge of inside linebackers. Rob Moore will coach wide receivers. Vrabel is keeping Craig Aukerman as special teams coach after having been an assistant for that unit. Arthur Smith also is being retained as tight ends coach.

O’Hara spent the past three seasons with the Houston Texans with Vrabel. O’Hara also played quarterback for 16 years in the NFL Authentic Kareem Martin Jersey , World League and Arena Football League. He spent 10 years coaching in the AFL and six years coaching high schools. O’Hara played at Southern California and was a 10th-round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1991.

Moore spent the past three seasons coaching Oakland’s wide receivers and has 16 years of experience in the NFL as a player and coach. Moore worked with Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree in Oakland, and he coached Sammy Watkins in Buffalo in 2014. Moore coached wide receivers for four seasons at Syracuse and spent a year at Phoenix Junior College in Arizona after starting as a high school coach in New Jersey in 2002.

He played 12 years in the NFL with the new York Jets and Arizona Cardinals.

Coombs has coached for 35 years with the last six at Ohio State where he had been assistant coordinator for the defense and coordinated special teams. He also coached cornerbacks each year with Ohio State working with Marshon Lattimore, Gareon Conley and Eli Apple.

Bowen spent the past two seasons with Houston as a defensive assistant. He coached linebackers between 2013 and 2015 at Kennesaw State and was a defensive graduate assistant in 2012. Bowen started coaching in 2009 at his alma mater, Georgia Tech.

McKenzie was assistant special teams coach with the Rams last season. He played 19 games in the NFL with Tampa Bay and Minnesota. He coached two seasons of high school before coaching linebackers as a graduate assistant at Colorado in 2015 and was assistant defensive line, quality control coach with Stanford in 2016.

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A look at what’s happening around the majors Friday:

TEXAS STORY

Colorado shortstop Trevor Story gets to play a big league game near home for the first time when the Rockies open an interleague series Friday night at the Texas Rangers, in a stadium only a few miles from his hometown of Irving, Texas. The Rockies last played at Texas in 2016 Authentic Cody Latimer Jersey , which was Story’s standout rookie season. But Story, the 45th overall pick in the 2011 draft out of Irving High, suffered a season-ending left thumb injury about two weeks before that series. Another Texas native starts the opener for the Rockies in right-hander Chad Bettis (4-1), who is from Lubbock and went to Texas Tech. He got a no decision in the Rockies’ 12-9 win during that August 2016 series when he allowed five runs in five innings.

ACES UP

Two of the National League’s top pitchers this season will face off when the Chicago Cubs open a weekend series at the St. Louis Cardinals. Jon Lester (7-2) takes the mound for the Cubs, who are coming off two straight losses at Milwaukee, and the left-hander is fourth in the NL in ERA (2.22). Michael Wacha, meanwhile Authentic Patrick Omameh Jersey , is 8-1 and seventh in the league with a 2.47 ERA – providing a much-needed boost for a Cardinals team that’s 4-5 in its last nine games against Miami, Cincinnati and San Diego.

BACK IN TOWN

Nathan Eovaldi (1-1) takes the ball for the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium, his fourth outing since becoming the 12th pitcher to start a major league game following multiple Tommy John surgeries. Eovaldi pitched for the Yankees from 2015-16, going 14-3 for them in 2015, but has never faced New York. ”I wish I would have been able to finish on a healthy note. Other than that, I really enjoyed my time there,” Eovaldi said.

Jonathan Loaisiga comes up from Double-A Trenton to make his big league debut for the Yankees Authentic Terrelle Pryor Sr. Jersey , starting in place of injured Masahiro Tanaka. The 23-year-old Loaisiga, from Nicaragua, returned to the mound last year from Tommy John surgery. ”Super excited. This is a great opportunity the Yankees are giving me,” Loaisiga said through a translator. ”It’s been a tough road for me to get here and now it’s about enjoying this moment.”

GIO WATCH

Gio Gonzalez (6-2, 2.65 ERA) had his worst start of the season in his last outing, allowing four runs in 3 1/3 innings against the San Francisco Giants last week. The Washington Nationals left-hander will return to the mound when he makes an interleague start against the Toronto Blue Jays.

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Ricardo Allen remembers when the Falcons’ defense ranked among the worst in the NFL.

That’s not difficult. It was only one year ago when the Falcons ranked near the bottom of the league in total defense and dead last in red-zone stops.

Those memories made Allen smile on Wednesday Authentic Quenton Nelson Jersey , because defense has become a point of pride for the Falcons, who play at the Los Angeles Rams in a wild-card game on Saturday.

For the first time since Atlanta’s first Super Bowl season in 1998, the Falcons (10-6) finished the regular season ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense (19.7) and total defense.

Allen was especially proud to note the Falcons have climbed to No. 5 in the league in red-zone defense.

Unlike 2016, when the Falcons leaned heavily on the NFL’s top-scoring offense for their Super Bowl run, Atlanta takes better balance into the postseason.

”Going from being one of the bottom defenses in the league last year … it’s big growth,” Allen said, adding the improvement has come ”much faster than I thought it would be.”

The Falcons have emphasized defense in recent drafts, and that commitment has produced results. Defensive starters added in the last three drafts include linebackers Vic Beasley Jr., Deion Jones and DeVondre Campbell and safety Keanu Neal.

Six defensive starters on last year’s defense were first- and second-year players.

Coach Dan Quinn said he has seen second-year players Jones, Campbell and Neal ”take a big step from year one to year two just as you hoped it would happen.”

Jones, Neal and Campbell are Atlanta’s top three leaders in tackles.

Quinn said he sees better communication on the field through ”hand signals, just sometimes an eye contact.”

Allen says there’s room for more improvement.

”Oh man, if we keep growing and we stay humble and we keep enjoying the process, the sky is the limit,” he said. ”I think we can be one of the best defenses in the league for sure.”

Quinn, the former Seattle defensive coordinator, enjoys seeing the young starters play lead roles. He also sees more improvement to come.

”I think this group can take another jump,” Quinn said. ”They’re athletic, they’re tackling well, the communication piece is there, so I’m very hopeful for where that group can go.”

The defensive upswing has been important, because the Atlanta offense that led the league in scoring in 2016 has struggled at times this season . The Falcons’ scoring has dropped from 33.8 to 22.1 points per game.

Atlanta has been held under 30 points in five straight games Authentic Darius Leonard Jersey , including last week’s 22-10 win over Carolina to clinch a playoff spot.

NOTES: Special teams coach Keith Armstrong will interview with the Cardinals next week as a candidate to replace coach Bruce Arians. ”To me it’s a sign of respect,” Armstrong said after Wednesday’s practice. ”I’ve been doing this 24 years now. That’s quite a long time in this league. It’s good to have someone recognize you for what you’ve done.” … Return specialist Andre Roberts (knee, ankle) did not practice. A long list of players were limited, including RB Devonta Freeman (knee), WR Julio Jones (ankle, ribs), DE Adrian Clayborn (calf), WR Taylor Gabriel (hamstring), C Alex Mack (calf) and TE Levine Toilolo (knee).

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NEW YORK — When the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox get together for their next series, both teams could feature somewhat different rosters.

After Sunday’s finale of the three-game series at Yankee Stadium, the longtime rivals will not meet again until Aug. 2 at Fenway Park — two days after the non-waiver trade deadline.

Both teams will play 25 games before the next installment of the rivalry.

The teams head into the ninth meeting with four wins apiece after Chris Sale fanned 11 in seven one-hit innings in an 11-0 rout Saturday. Rafael Devers hit a grand slam among a career-high five hits while J.D. Martinez drove in three runs as the Red Sox rebounded from opening the series with an 8-1 loss Friday.

Devers has 14 RBIs in his last 12 games while Martinez is hitting .432 with 12 of his major league-leading 67 RBIs in his last nine games.

The Yankees will be looking to rebound from getting shut out for the fourth time this season and third time since June 23.

Off the field, trade talks were a popular topic as both Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and Red Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski addressed it.

The Yankees are in the market for a starting pitcher to bolster the back end of their rotation anchored by Sunday’s starting pitcher Luis Severino (12-2, 2.10 ERA).

With the crosstown New York Mets falling to one of the worst records in the National League, talk of a possible deal for Jacob deGrom is circulating, though Toronto’s J.A. Happ or Texas Rangers left-hander Cole Hamels could be more realistic.

“If the best business decisions happened to be with a rival, that’s not a problem for me,” said Cashman on Friday, while noting he has been in touch with Omar Minaya, one of three men holding the Mets GM role in Sandy Alderson’s leave of absence. “As far as I’m concerned it match just makes sense, I don’t care who (it’s) with.

As for the Red Sox, they already filled a need by adding a right-handed hitting first baseman in Steve Pearce. Pearce was obtained Thursday night from the Toronto Blue Jays but Dombrowski said Saturday the deal could have been completed earlier and any changes would not be overly significant.

“People are calling, and you just kind of check in and make sure they know what’s taking place and vice versa Authentic Braden Smith Jersey ,” Dombrowski said Saturday afternoon. “The one thing with us is, we’re going to try to be the best club we can, regardless of what the Yankees do. And we all know that they have a really good team.”

Neither team is motivated to get something done now and both executives will watch Severino face David Price (9-5, 3.66) in a matchup of pitchers who are rolling of late.

Severino can become the first 13-game winner in the majors after he allowed six hits in seven scoreless innings Tuesday in Philadelphia.

“There’s no question that he’s our ace, and we know that when he gets the ball, he has a chance to dominate and we have a good chance to get it done that day,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday.

Severino also is 7-0 with a 1.83 ERA in nine home starts this season. He also is 10-0 with a 1.98 ERA in his last 13 regular season home starts, the longest streak at home since David Cone went 16 starts without a home loss from Aug. 17, 1997, to Aug. 27, 1998.

Severino’s home unbeaten streak matches Seattle’s Wade LeBlanc for the longest active streak in the majors.

The right-hander has turned in 14 straight starts without allowing more than three runs. It is the longest active streak in the majors and the longest by a Yankee starting pitcher since Rudy May from Aug. 2, 1980-April 20, 1981.

Besides racking up wins, Severino also is maintaining velocity, especially late in outings. His 98th pitch Tuesday was tracked at 100.1 mph, was among 12 at least 100 mph and his 44 pitches tracked at 100 leads all starting pitchers.

Severino’s last home loss was to the Boston Red Sox on Sept. 3. He is 2-5 with a 4.61 ERA in 10 appearances (nine starts) against Boston.

Price is 7-1 with a 2.72 ERA in his last nine starts and has allowed three earned runs or fewer in each outing. He last pitched Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels and recorded his ninth win by allowing one run and five hits in six innings.

Things are going so well that he ended his press conference following his last outing by making fun of his carpal tunnel syndrome that some speculated was due to playing the video game Fortnite and kept him out of a game in New York in May.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to go, so I don’t think so,” Price said before adding “Yeah, Fortnite.”

Price is attempting to reach double-digits in wins before the All-Star break for the first time since 2012 with Tampa Bay and third time overall.

The left-hander is 15-12 with a 4.67 ERA in 39 appearances (38 starts) against the Yankees. At the current Yankee Stadium, he is 8-6 with a 4.27 ERA in 19 starts.

Since joining the Red Sox in 2016, he is 2-4 with a 7.42 ERA in eight starts against the Yankees.

Interim general manager Marty Hurney insists the Carolina Panthers handled the medical treatment of quarterback Cam Newton ”the right way” during Sunday’s 31-26 playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints.

The NFL and NFL Players Association announced Monday they plan to conduct a joint review to determine if the Panthers followed the correct concussion protocol after Newton took a hard shot from Saints defensive tackle David Onyemata midway through the fourth quarter. If the concussion protocol was not properly followed the team is subject to discipline Customized San Francisco 49ers Jerseys , including a $150,000 fine.

Newton spent time on the ground after the hit. Then, as he was walking toward the sideline, appeared to stumble to one knee. He briefly pointed toward his right eye.

He sat out one play, but returned on the next offensive series and finished the game.

”He took a hit. But when he walked off and he told the trainers he got poked in the eye Customized Seattle Seahawks Jerseys , then they did take him into the tent and checked him for a concussion, which he did not have,” Hurney said. ”And it was really getting poked in the eye.”

Hurney said Newton intentionally took a knee because he was told to by the team’s training staff so Carolina could get an official timeout, thus allowing backup quarterback Derek Anderson a chance to warm up. Anderson came in for one third down play and was nearly intercepted.

However, the question could become whether or not Newton should have been taken to the locker room for evaluations.

The league and the players union changed its concussion protocol last month after Houston Texans quarterback Tom Savage returned to the field after having a concussion that left the quarterback’s hands shaking after a hit.

The changes to the protocol include the requirement of a locker room concussion evaluation for all players ”demonstrating gross or sustained vertical instability (e.g. Customized Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jerseys , stumbling or falling to the ground when trying to stand.)”

Newton did not visit the locker room.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera said he is very confident that the protocol was followed correctly.

”Based on what the young man (Newton) said to me, that is what I believe happened,” Rivera said. ”And again, from that point on I don’t think anything else needs to be said about it.”

Newton said after the game Sunday that ”precautionary concussion protocol things” happened, but ”it wasn’t my head. It was my eye. My helmet had come down low enough over my eyelid and it got pressed by the player’s stomach.”

The Panthers were investigated once before in the 2016 season opener at Denver when Newton took a blow to the head but remained in the game.

It was later determined the Panthers handled that situation correctly and no fines were handed out.

The Seattle Seahawks were fined $100 Customized Tennessee Titans Jerseys ,000 in Week 10 after the league and union determined they failed to apply the concussion protocol properly after quarterback Russell Wilson took a blow to the head against the Arizona Cardinals.

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San Francisco Giants third baseman Evan Longoria has elected to have surgery on his broken left hand, hoping that can speed his return to the field.

Longoria was injured Thursday when he was hit in the hand by a pitch from Miami’s Dan Straily. Longoria underwent an examination in Los Angeles on Saturday morning and said surgery was not required.

The procedure could improve his recovery time, he said.

”Hopefully soon after the All-Star break, I should be back,” Longoria said before the Giants played the Dodgers. ”It shouldn’t be too long before I can start the process of strengthening it. Once the incision heals Customized Washington Redskins Jerseys , it’s pretty much pain tolerance.”

”It’s best to say six to eight weeks, but I have a hard time telling myself that,” Longoria said. ”I’ll definitely push for some time soon after the All-Star break.”

The surgery will be done Tuesday in Los Angeles by hand specialist Steven Shin and a permanent pin will be inserted in Longoria’s left hand.

The 32-year-old Longoria is batting .246 with 10 home runs in his first season with the Giants, and was tied for the team lead with 34 RBIs.

Longoria was a three-time All-Star in 10 seasons with Tampa Bay before being traded to the Giants last winter.

The Nationals broke out of their offensive funk in a big way.

Juan Soto hit two of Washington’s seven home runs Youth Jonathan Allen Jersey , finishing with four hits and five RBIs, and the Nationals routed the Philadelphia Phillies 17-7 on Friday night.

Anthony Rendon, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, Brian Goodwin and Mark Reynolds also homered for the Nationals, who set a season high for homers. Washington hadn’t homered while losing its last three, getting outscored 16-3 in those defeats.

”We’re back,” Soto said.

Rendon added two doubles and three RBIs, and Harper also contributed three hits and three RBIs. With his drive, Harper became the first NL batter to reach 20 homers.

”We needed that,” manager Dave Martinez said. ”Bats came alive and they came alive big.”

Rhys Hoskins, Scott Kingery and Carlos Santana homered for Philadelphia. Kingery was a triple shy of the cycle.

The teams combined for 28 hits Youth Geron Christian Jersey , including 16 for extra bases, on a steamy night in Philadelphia with the game-time temperature 90 degrees.

Erick Fedde (1-3) earned his first major league win in his eighth career start, allowing five runs on eight hits in five innings with three strikeouts and three walks.

Nick Pivetta (4-7) continued to struggle against the organization that drafted him. The right-hander was shelled for seven runs on seven hits, including three homers, in 1 2/3 innings to fall to 0-3 with an 11.94 ERA in five career starts against Washington. Pivetta, a fourth-round pick in 2013, finished June 0-4 with a 7.71 ERA in six starts.

Already leading 12-7, Washington sandwiched solo homers from Goodwin and Reynolds around Soto’s second of the night, a three-run shot off Hector Neris in the ninth.

Washington jumped on Pivetta for four runs in the first. Adam Eaton led off with a single and Turner quickly made it 2-0 by sending a 94-mph fastball into the seats in left.

”That sparked everyone,” Martinez said.

It was 4-0 three batters later when Soto also cleared the wall in left with a two-run shot.

Soto said he didn’t put a home run swing on either of his drives.

”I just try to make a good swing,” he said.

Rendon blew the game open in the second with an opposite-field, three-run drive to right that made it 7-0.

Two innings later Youth Troy Apke Jersey , Harper’s three-run homer to left off Yacksel Rios put the Nationals ahead 10-0. And it was 11-0 later in the frame after Wilmer Difo’s two-out RBI double to left.

”Everybody had fun,” Soto said. ”I hope we can do the same thing tomorrow. Same plans.”

RHYS’ RESILIENCE

The biggest Phillies highlight came in the fifth when Hoskins culminated a 14-pitch at-bat with a line-drive homer to left-center. The Philadelphia slugger fouled off eight pitches, including seven in a row with a 3-2 count. It gave him eight homers and 22 RBIs since returning from the DL (broken jaw) on June 9. Hoskins has gone deep in three straight games.

”It was one of the better at-bats I’ve seen,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said. ”Really special.”

WALK THIS WAY

Santana had a walk to give him a free pass in six straight games and up his total this month to 27, which is the most for the Phillies in June since Greg Luzinski walked 28 times in 1980.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Nationals: 3B Ryan Zimmerman (oblique) took batting practice on Friday and could begin a rehab assignment as early as Monday. Zimmerman has been out since May 12.

Phillies: Right-handed reliever Pat Neshek, out all season with a right shoulder strain, allowed a run on two hits while striking out the side in one inning during a rehab outing at Double-A Reading on Friday night.

UP NEXT

RHP Vince Velasquez (5-8, 4.69) takes the mound for the Phillies in the third game of the four-game set on Saturday afternoon. Washington RHP Jeremy Hellickson (2-0, 2.28) is expected to return from the DL. Hellickson has been sidelined since June 4 with a right hamstring strain.

TORONTO — The New York Yankees will open an 11-game road trip in Toronto on Friday, a journey that will take them to the All-Star break.

But the Yankees received some bad news on what was an otherwise a happy Fourth of July.

After the Yankees defeated the Atlanta Braves 6-2 in the rubber match of a three-game series at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, it was revealed that their superb rookie second baseman Gleyber Torres had a hip strain that will sideline him until at least mid-July.

Torres will be on the disabled list when the Yankees (56-28) open a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays (40-46) at the Rogers Centre.

The Yankees will start right-hander Sonny Gray (5-6, 5.44 ERA) against Blue Jays right-hander Sam Gaviglio (2-2 Customized Carolina Panthers Jerseys , 3.97).

Torres was removed from the game Wednesday during the fourth inning and an MRI showed a strain.

“Any time you’re talking about a groin, a hamstring, quads or a hip — once you have a strain in there, you can punch through it or make it a worse strain,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “So, I think the wise thing is to do this now. Gleyber wants to take a couple of days and work through it, but I think he also understands this is the best thing for him and for us.”

Infielder Tyler Wade will be recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for the game on Friday. After going 3-for-35 (.086) in 13 games with New York early in the season, Wade was demoted to the RailRiders and batted .271/.332/.376 with two homers and 18 RBIs.

Torres is batting .294/.350/.555 in 63 games with 15 homers and 42 RBIs for the Yankees since being called up from Triple-A April 22.

The Blue Jays lost their game Wednesday to the New York Mets 6-3 to split the two-game interleague set. They are 3-3 on the homestand and 23-23 overall at home.

Gray has pitched well at the Rogers Centre, going 2-3 with a 1.88 ERA in seven career starts while pitching for the Yankees and the Oakland Athletics, who traded him to New York during last season.

The 28-year-old is 4-3 with a 2.71 ERA in 11 career starts against Toronto. As a Yankee, he is 1-1 with a 2.96 ERA in five starts against the Blue Jays, and he is 0-0 with a 3.52 ERA in three starts this season.

Gray has lost his past two starts Customized New York Giants Jerseys , including Saturday against the Boston Red Sox when he went 2 1/3 innings, his shortest of the season, and allowed six earned runs.

“That was embarrassing for me and I think for everybody in here,” Gray said. “I haven’t beat a lot of teams since I’ve been here. I’ve been bad against the Red Sox, I’ve been bad against a lot of teams. I don’t think one particular team you can say has my number or whatever. I’ve been bad against multiple teams.”

“The good thing about Sonny is, he’s got the equipment to get this right,” Boone said. “He’s got the stuff to be the same pitcher he’s been at times in his career. This guy’s still a dude. He’s got to dig his heels in and it’s on all of us to try and help unlock that.”

Gaviglio has faced the Yankees once in his career, pitching seven scoreless innings against them June 6 in a no decision as New York won 3-0 in 13 innings.

In his most recent start, the 28-year-old allowed three runs, four hits and three walks in seven innings Saturday against the Detroit Tigers but did not factor in the decision. Toronto won the game 4-3 on Justin Smoak’s leadoff homer in the bottom of the ninth inning.

This will be Gaviglio’s 11th appearance and ninth start with Toronto after going 0-0 with a 1.86 ERA in five starts with Triple-A Buffalo.

The Blue Jays made two moves before the game Wednesday, designating right-handed reliever Preston Guilmet for assignment and returning left-hander Tim Mayza on option to Buffalo. Right-handers Luis Santos and Rhiner Cruz were called up from Buffalo. Each had a scoreless relief outing against the Mets.

The Yankees lead the season series 7-3.

A look at what’s happening around the majors Wednesday:

NATIONAL DECLINE

The Nationals could use a spark before the July 4 fireworks go off in D.C. Washington is at risk of falling below .500 for the first time since May 2 as it continues a series against Boston at 11 a.m. EDT. The Red Sox thumped the Nationals 11-4 on Tuesday Customized Minnesota Vikings Jerseys , giving Washington its fourth straight loss and 16th in 21 games to fall to 42-42. That slide has the preseason NL East favorites chasing the Braves and Phillies in the division. Erick Fedde (1-3, 6.00) tries to stop Washington’s skid against Boston left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (9-3, 4.11).

THE SHO GOES ON

Shohei Ohtani is back from the disabled list, albeit without full use of his electric right arm. The Japanese two-way sensation has been cleared to hit and was in the Angels’ lineup as a designated hitter Tuesday night, but he won’t be pitching anytime soon due to a Grade 2 sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament suffered more than three weeks ago. Ohtani has received stem cell therapy and a platelet-rich plasma injection on his right elbow, and it’s unclear if he’ll be able to return to the mound this year. For now, Los Angeles welcomes him as a hitter. He entered Tuesday batting .289 with a .907 OPS and six homers in 114 at-bats.

ROTATION RESET

Gerrit Cole (9-2) will pitch on regular rest for the Astros after a slight tweak to their rotation. Lance McCullers Jr. was initially scheduled to start at Texas, but Cole will pitch instead. Justin Verlander (9-4) will follow Thursday at home against the White Sox and McCullers goes Friday. Manager A.J. Hinch said the switch keeps Cole and Verlander pitching every fifth day, and provides extra rest for McCullers (9-3) and Charlie Morton (10-2). The reset rotation means likely All-Star selection Verlander is scheduled for the final game before the break. ”This is always going to be the priority,” said Hinch, the All-Star manager who then won’t have Verlander available to pitch for the AL team on July 17 in Washington D.C.

BAUER POWER

Trevor Bauer tries to carry over an outstanding June when the Indians play at Kansas City. Bauer (7-6, 2.45) was 3-3 with a 2.18 ERA last month, striking out 62 batters in 41 1/3 innings. He gets probably his easiest test of the year against the Royals, who scored a major league-low 58 runs in June – the second-lowest output was Tampa Bay at 87.

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A look ahead to top enterprise and feature stories planned globally by AP Sports. New digests will go out each Thursday and Monday and will be repeated on other weekdays. Please note that story plans may change depending on news and other issues.

For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact AP Customer Support at apcustomersupport(at)ap.org or 877-836-9477. For reruns, call the Service Desk 800-838-4616 or your local AP bureau.

As with all our operations, we welcome and want your feedback. If you have thoughts or questions about the Sports Showcase Digest or the material listed, please reach out to Oskar Garcia, assistant sports editor for the U.S. east region Customized New England Patriots Jerseys , at 215-446-6632 or at ogarcia(at)ap.org.

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NOTE: The stories slugged Black History-Game Changers are part of AP’s coverage during Black History Month of how African-American athletes have used their platforms during the last 100 years to influence social and political change. Please see the Black History Month advisory for more details on the series.

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WEDNESDAY, Jan. 31

WRE-WAHINE WRESTLERS

FREMONT, Neb. – Welina Tong tried wrestling for the first time when she was a junior in high school and fell in love with the sport so deeply that she was willing to move 4,000 miles from her home in Hawaii to the snowy plains of Nebraska to continue competing. She’s not alone. She and three other women from the women’s wrestling hotbed of Hawaii are on the team at Midland University. The 1,400-student school is among three dozen small colleges that have started women’s wresting programs. With more than 14,000 girls participating in high school wrestling, the sport is growing rapidly and on track to gain greater recognition by the NAIA and NCAA. By Eric Olson. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos, video by 3 a.m. Wednesday.

BKC–WASHINGTON-INSIDE LOOK

SEATTLE – One of the most surprising stories in college basketball is what Mike Hopkins is doing in his first season at Washington. Hopkins provided The Associated Press an inside look at his first-year program to try and explain how the Huskies are in the conversation for an NCAA bid entering February, an idea that seemed unfathomable back in October. By Tim Booth. UPCOMING: 1,000 words, photos and video by 12 p.m. Wednesday.

THURSDAY, Feb. 1

BLACK HISTORY-GAME CHANGERS

Some of the top NFL players say they have been racially profiled, or had a family member or friend who has been. Yes, Colin Kaepernick is out of work and mostly out of the spotlight after starting the latest chapter of black athletes using their sports platforms to make America uncomfortable by raising awareness on racially charged issues in an effort to bring about social and political change. But the issues that spurred him to kneel silently are still very much a part of people of color’s daily lives. And like athletes that have taken a stand before them, many believe the struggle against injustice must continue. By Errin Haines Whack and Fred Goodall. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos and video.

FRIDAY, Feb. 2

BLACK HISTORY-GAME CHANGERS-KAEPERNICK

Colin Kaepernick knew he was sending a message when he first refused to stand during the national anthem, before a preseason game in 2016. He probably never would’ve guessed the price he would pay. Because of the efforts of the now-unemployed quarterback Customized New Orleans Saints Jerseys , the days of excluding politics and social issues from sports appear to be over, and those who have followed Kaepernick’s lead are feeling more and more empowered to use their platform for something other than mere fun and games. By National Writer Eddie Pells. UPCOMING: 950 words, photos and video by 3 a.m. Friday.

BLACK HISTORY-GAME CHANGERS-BLACK ATHLETES

Sports and race have been intertwined in America’s journey to become a more perfect union, and black athletes have often found themselves at the center of the struggle for racial progress. From Jack Johnson’s defiance outside of the boxing ring, thumbing his nose at segregation and challenging notions of black inferiority to former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel silently during the national anthem ahead of NFL games that many point to as the reason he is now out of the league, black athletes have protested for generations in ways large and small in an effort to highlight injustice, expose hypocrisy and move the country forward. Often met with hate by fans uninterested in mixing sports and social issues, many have taken stances that risk their careers, choosing race over the games they love. Where does that leave us? By AP National Writer Errin Haines Whack. UPCOMING: 1,200 words, photos and video by 1 p.m. Friday.

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Again, if you have questions about the Sports Showcase Digest or the material listed, please reach out to Oskar Garcia, assistant sports editor for the U.S. east region, at 215-446-6632 or at ogarcia(at)ap.org.

Thanks,

AP Sports