MLB  – Major League Baseball
Yesterday

  Cleveland  Guardians 4, Detroit Tigers 1 – Game 1

  Detroit  Tigers 7, Cleveland Guardians 5 – Game 2

  Washington  Nationals 5, Chicago Cubs 4

Chicago  White Sox 4, Houston Astros 2

Guardians 4, Tigers 1/Tigers 7, Guardians 5 – Schoop, Carpenter  homer, Tigers split DH with Guardians 

  Jonathan Schoop and rookie Kerry Carpenter hit  back-to-back homers in the sixth inning, and the Detroit Tigers rallied for a  7-5 win over the Cleveland Guardians in the second game of a doubleheader.  Detroit snapped an eight-game skid. In the opener, All-Star Andrés Giménez  belted a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh inning to give AL  Central-leading Cleveland a 4-1 win. Giménez added a two-run homer in the  nightcap, finishing with four hits and five RBIs on the day. Schoop gave the  Tigers a 4-3 lead in the second game when he launched a changeup from Eli  Morgan over the wall in left field.

Nationals 5, Cubs 4 – Cruz’s eighth-inning homer lifts  Nationals over Cubs 5-4 

  Nelson Cruz hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth  inning to lift the Washington Nationals to a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs.  Cruz, who had hit a two-run double in the fifth, smacked a 1-1 pitch from  Brandon Hughes (1-1) to center to snap a 4-all tie with one out in the eighth.  Carl Edwards Jr. (4-3) pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Kyle Finnegan  worked the ninth for his fifth save. Ian Happ hit two solo homers for the Cubs,  giving him three in his past three games.

White Sox 4, Astros 2 – Moncada, Cueto lead White Sox  past Astros 4-2

  Yoán Moncada hit a tiebreaking two-run single in  Chicago’s four-run eighth inning, and the White Sox beat the Houston Astros 4-2  for their fourth straight win. Chicago’s winning rally started after José Urquidy  retired the first two batters. Urquidy was pulled after AJ Pollock’s infield  hit, and the White Sox jumped all over Rafael Montero. Andrew Vaughn doubled  before Eloy Jiménez bounced a tying two-run double down the third-base line.  Walks to José Abreu and Yasmani Grandal loaded the bases for Moncada, who made  it 4-2 with a liner into center.

Tonight

  Chicago  Cubs (Steele 4-7) at Washington (Corbin 4-16), 7:05 p.m.

  Detroit  (Hill 2-3) at Cleveland (Plesac 2-10), 7:10 p.m.              WSJM/WCSY 6:50

  Houston  (Verlander 15-3) at Chicago White Sox (Cease 12-5), 8:10 p.m.

MLB  – Rangers fire manager Chris Woodward short of his 500th game

  The  Texas Rangers have fired manager Chris Woodward with the team on pace for its  sixth consecutive losing season. Woodward has managed the team for almost four  seasons. The move came with Woodward two games short of his 500th game with the  Rangers. He finished with a 211-287 record in his first managerial job.  Woodward was under contract through next season, and the team held an option  for 2024. Third base coach Tony Beasley was named the team’s interim manager.  Texas is 52-63 after beating Oakland 2-1 on Monday night.

MLB  – World Series to start on a Friday, could see latest end ever

  The  World Series is scheduled to start on a Friday for the first time since 1915  and could end on Nov. 5, its latest ever. That’s because of the lockout that  delayed opening day. Major League Baseball said Monday its expanded postseason  will begin with all four games in the new wild-card series on Oct. 7. The other  games are Oct. 8 and 9, if necessary. Each best-of-five Division Series starts  Oct. 11. The best-of-seven Championship Series starts Oct. 18 in the NL and  Oct. 19 in the AL. The World Series begins Oct. 28, matching its latest start,  in 2009. The latest a Series game has been played is Nov. 4, in 2001 and again  in 2009.

NCAAFB  – No. 1 Alabama tops preseason AP Top 25; Ohio St, ‘Dawgs next

  Alabama  is No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 for the second straight season. That is  also the ninth time overall, second most in poll history. The Crimson Tide  received 54 of 63 first-place votes. Ohio State is No. 2 with six first-place  votes. Defending national champion Georgia is third with three first-place  votes. Clemson is No. 4 and Notre Dame rounds out the top five. The Tide’s  preseason No. 1 ranking is the seventh in 15 years. Since the preseason rankings  started in 1950, only Oklahoma has been No. 1 in the initial poll more than  Alabama.

NCAAFB  – CFP championship games to return to Atlanta, South Florida

  Atlanta  and South Florida have been selected to host College Football Playoff national  championship games for the second time. The CFP announced that Hard Rock  Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, would be the site of the title game  scheduled to be played in January 2026, the final game of the current 12-year  media rights deal with ESPN. Miami Gardens hosted the 2021 game, following the  2020 pandemic-altered season. Attendance was limited to about 15,000 fans. A  person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press that Atlanta would  host the championship game in 2025. Mercedes-Benz was the site of the 2018  title game.

NCAAFB  – Big Ten Preview – Michigan

  Jim  Harbaugh’s eighth team is his first at Michigan that is coming off a win over  Ohio State. The Wolverines’ new challenge is to beat the Buckeyes on the road  for the first time since 2000. The Wolverines went 12-2 last year, finishing  No. 3 in The Associated Press college football poll. They won the Big Ten title  and earned a spot in the College Football Playoff for the first time. The  Wolverines are ranked eighth in the preseason AP Top 25. They open at home  Sept. 3 against Colorado State.

NCAAFB  – Big Ten Preview – Michigan State

  Michigan  State is openly talking about winning a national championship. The Spartans  lost three starters on defense and six starters on offense, including  award-winning running back Kenneth Walker III. Quarterback Payton Thorne and  do-it-all Jayden Reed return to give the team a potent passing game that could  open up the running game. The Spartans open at home Sept. 2 against Western  Michigan.

NFL  – Lions’ Funchess making adjustment to tight end position

  Devin  Funchess, hoping to play in the NFL for the first time since 2019, made the  most of his opportunities in the Detroit Lions’ preseason opener. The former  Michigan star had 21 touchdown receptions for the Carolina Panthers over the  first four years of his career before it was slowed by injuries and the  COVID-19 pandemic. On Friday night against the Atlanta Falcons, Funchess played  in just 21 snaps on offense, but he capitalized on the playing time by catching  four passes for 19 yards and a touchdown. He converted a key third-and-8 by  breaking a tackle on his way to a 9-yard gain. Two plays later, he had a  highlight-reel hurdle of Atlanta Falcons defensive back Tre Webb on his way to  another first down.

WNBA  – WNBA’s Brittney Griner appeals her Russian prison sentence

  Russian  news agencies reported that lawyers for American basketball star Brittney  Griner have filed an appeal of her nine-year Russian prison sentence for drug  possession. The appeal comes as the U.S. and Russia are holding talks that  could lead to a high-profile prisoner swap. Griner is an eight-time all-star  center with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and two-time Olympic gold medalist. She  was convicted Aug. 4 after police said they found vape canisters containing  cannabis oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport. Griner admitted that she had  the canisters in her luggage, but said she had inadvertently packed them in  haste and that she had no criminal intent..

MILB  – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night

  No  games last night

Tonight

  Lake  County Captains at West Michigan Whitecaps, 6:35 p.m.

  Great  Lakes Loons at Lansing Lugnuts, 7:05 p.m.

  Beloit  Sky Carp at South Bend Cubs, 7:05 p.m.

MHSAA  – High School Sports
Last Night
Boys Tennis

  Portage  Central 6, Lakeshore 2

Girls Golf

  Lakeshore  200, Edwardsburg 229

MLB – Major League Baseball 
 Yesterday 
 Cleveland Guardians 4, Detroit Tigers 1 – Game 1 
 Detroit Tigers 7, Cleveland Guardians 5 – Game 2 
 Washington Nationals 5, Chicago Cubs 4 
Chicago White Sox 4, Houston Astros 2
Guardians 4, Tigers 1/Tigers 7, Guardians 5 – Schoop, Carpenter homer, Tigers split DH with Guardians 
 Jonathan Schoop and rookie Kerry Carpenter hit back-to-back homers in the sixth inning, and the Detroit Tigers rallied for a 7-5 win over the Cleveland Guardians in the second game of a doubleheader. Detroit snapped an eight-game skid. In the opener, All-Star Andrés Giménez belted a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh inning to give AL Central-leading Cleveland a 4-1 win. Giménez added a two-run homer in the nightcap, finishing with four hits and five RBIs on the day. Schoop gave the Tigers a 4-3 lead in the second game when he launched a changeup from Eli Morgan over the wall in left field.
Nationals 5, Cubs 4 – Cruz&#8217;s eighth-inning homer lifts Nationals over Cubs 5-4 
 Nelson Cruz hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth inning to lift the Washington Nationals to a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Cruz, who had hit a two-run double in the fifth, smacked a 1-1 pitch from Brandon Hughes (1-1) to center to snap a 4-all tie with one out in the eighth. Carl Edwards Jr. (4-3) pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Kyle Finnegan worked the ninth for his fifth save. Ian Happ hit two solo homers for the Cubs, giving him three in his past three games.
White Sox 4, Astros 2 – Moncada, Cueto lead White Sox past Astros 4-2 
 Yoán Moncada hit a tiebreaking two-run single in Chicago&rsquo;s four-run eighth inning, and the White Sox beat the Houston Astros 4-2 for their fourth straight win. Chicago&rsquo;s winning rally started after José Urquidy retired the first two batters. Urquidy was pulled after AJ Pollock&rsquo;s infield hit, and the White Sox jumped all over Rafael Montero. Andrew Vaughn doubled before Eloy Jiménez bounced a tying two-run double down the third-base line. Walks to José Abreu and Yasmani Grandal loaded the bases for Moncada, who made it 4-2 with a liner into center.
Tonight 
 Chicago Cubs (Steele 4-7) at Washington (Corbin 4-16), 7:05 p.m. 
 Detroit (Hill 2-3) at Cleveland (Plesac 2-10), 7:10 p.m.              WSJM/WCSY 6:50 
 Houston (Verlander 15-3) at Chicago White Sox (Cease 12-5), 8:10 p.m.
MLB – Rangers fire manager Chris Woodward short of his 500th game 
 The Texas Rangers have fired manager Chris Woodward with the team on pace for its sixth consecutive losing season. Woodward has managed the team for almost four seasons. The move came with Woodward two games short of his 500th game with the Rangers. He finished with a 211-287 record in his first managerial job. Woodward was under contract through next season, and the team held an option for 2024. Third base coach Tony Beasley was named the team&rsquo;s interim manager. Texas is 52-63 after beating Oakland 2-1 on Monday night.
MLB – World Series to start on a Friday, could see latest end ever 
 The World Series is scheduled to start on a Friday for the first time since 1915 and could end on Nov. 5, its latest ever. That&#8217;s because of the lockout that delayed opening day. Major League Baseball said Monday its expanded postseason will begin with all four games in the new wild-card series on Oct. 7. The other games are Oct. 8 and 9, if necessary. Each best-of-five Division Series starts Oct. 11. The best-of-seven Championship Series starts Oct. 18 in the NL and Oct. 19 in the AL. The World Series begins Oct. 28, matching its latest start, in 2009. The latest a Series game has been played is Nov. 4, in 2001 and again in 2009.
NCAAFB – No. 1 Alabama tops preseason AP Top 25; Ohio St, &#8216;Dawgs next 
 Alabama is No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 for the second straight season. That is also the ninth time overall, second most in poll history. The Crimson Tide received 54 of 63 first-place votes. Ohio State is No. 2 with six first-place votes. Defending national champion Georgia is third with three first-place votes. Clemson is No. 4 and Notre Dame rounds out the top five. The Tide&rsquo;s preseason No. 1 ranking is the seventh in 15 years. Since the preseason rankings started in 1950, only Oklahoma has been No. 1 in the initial poll more than Alabama.
NCAAFB – CFP championship games to return to Atlanta, South Florida 
 Atlanta and South Florida have been selected to host College Football Playoff national championship games for the second time. The CFP announced that Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, would be the site of the title game scheduled to be played in January 2026, the final game of the current 12-year media rights deal with ESPN. Miami Gardens hosted the 2021 game, following the 2020 pandemic-altered season. Attendance was limited to about 15,000 fans. A person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press that Atlanta would host the championship game in 2025. Mercedes-Benz was the site of the 2018 title game.
NCAAFB – Big Ten Preview &#8211; Michigan 
 Jim Harbaugh&rsquo;s eighth team is his first at Michigan that is coming off a win over Ohio State. The Wolverines&rsquo; new challenge is to beat the Buckeyes on the road for the first time since 2000. The Wolverines went 12-2 last year, finishing No. 3 in The Associated Press college football poll. They won the Big Ten title and earned a spot in the College Football Playoff for the first time. The Wolverines are ranked eighth in the preseason AP Top 25. They open at home Sept. 3 against Colorado State.
NCAAFB – Big Ten Preview – Michigan State 
 Michigan State is openly talking about winning a national championship. The Spartans lost three starters on defense and six starters on offense, including award-winning running back Kenneth Walker III. Quarterback Payton Thorne and do-it-all Jayden Reed return to give the team a potent passing game that could open up the running game. The Spartans open at home Sept. 2 against Western Michigan.
NFL – Lions&#8217; Funchess making adjustment to tight end position 
 Devin Funchess, hoping to play in the NFL for the first time since 2019, made the most of his opportunities in the Detroit Lions&rsquo; preseason opener. The former Michigan star had 21 touchdown receptions for the Carolina Panthers over the first four years of his career before it was slowed by injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic. On Friday night against the Atlanta Falcons, Funchess played in just 21 snaps on offense, but he capitalized on the playing time by catching four passes for 19 yards and a touchdown. He converted a key third-and-8 by breaking a tackle on his way to a 9-yard gain. Two plays later, he had a highlight-reel hurdle of Atlanta Falcons defensive back Tre Webb on his way to another first down.
WNBA – WNBA&#8217;s Brittney Griner appeals her Russian prison sentence 
 Russian news agencies reported that lawyers for American basketball star Brittney Griner have filed an appeal of her nine-year Russian prison sentence for drug possession. The appeal comes as the U.S. and Russia are holding talks that could lead to a high-profile prisoner swap. Griner is an eight-time all-star center with the WNBA&rsquo;s Phoenix Mercury and two-time Olympic gold medalist. She was convicted Aug. 4 after police said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport. Griner admitted that she had the canisters in her luggage, but said she had inadvertently packed them in haste and that she had no criminal intent..
MILB – Midwest League Baseball 
 Last Night 
 No games last night 
Tonight 
 Lake County Captains at West Michigan Whitecaps, 6:35 p.m. 
 Great Lakes Loons at Lansing Lugnuts, 7:05 p.m. 
 Beloit Sky Carp at South Bend Cubs, 7:05 p.m.
MHSAA – High School Sports 
 Last Night 
 Boys Tennis 
 Portage Central 6, Lakeshore 2
Girls Golf 
 Lakeshore 200, Edwardsburg 229

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WSJM Sports

MLB – Major League Baseball Yesterday Cleveland Guardians 4, Detroit Tigers 1 – Game 1 Detroit Tigers 7, Cleveland Guardians 5 – Game 2 Washington Nationals 5, Chicago Cubs 4 Chicago White Sox 4, Houston Astros 2