Harper’s 2-run double in 9th rallies Phillies past Dodgers
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper threw his helmet off rounding the bases, thrust his arms in the air and screamed while teammates stormed out of the dugout to mob him.
That’s what Philadelphia has been waiting for from its $330 million man.
Harper hit a two-run double off Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen with one out in the bottom of the ninth after pinch-hitter Matt Beaty hit a three-run homer off Phillies closer Hector Neris in the top half, rallying Philadelphia to a 9-8 win over Los Angeles on Tuesday night.
“That’s what baseball is all about,” Harper said. “Against one of the best closers, it’s always fun.”
Angels beat Astros 7-2 for 5th straight W; Marisnick plunked
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Houston Astros expected the Angels to retaliate against Jake Marisnick in his first game versus Los Angeles since his violent home plate collision with catcher Jonathan Lucroy.
So while the pitch that hit Marisnick in the back in the sixth inning was no surprise, it still left manager AJ Hinch and his Astros profoundly steamed — even after Noe Ramirez insisted he hadn’t done it on purpose.
Albert Pujols hit a bases-clearing double during the Angels’ six-run first inning, and Los Angeles remained unbeaten in five games since the All-Star break with a 7-2 victory over the Astros on Tuesday night.
Schwarber’s homer in 10th gives Cubs 4-3 win over Reds
CHICAGO (AP) — Kyle Schwarber wasn’t thinking home run when he stepped to the plate in the bottom of the 10th inning Tuesday night.
That, he believes, was the key to success.
Schwarber hit a solo home run with one out to give the Chicago Cubs a 4-3 comeback victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
The lefty slugger stroked a 1-1 pitch from closer Raisel Iglesias (2-8) into the basket in front of the left field bleachers for his 21st homer and first career game-ending hit of any kind.
“I was actually trying to hit a single up the middle,” Schwarber said. “I didn’t want to get too big. I stayed up the middle, just got under it and hit it well enough for it to catch the basket.”
Robel Garcia and Kris Bryant also connected for the NL Central leaders, who have won six of eight.
Eugenio Suárez homered for Cincinnati, which fell to 7-4 against Chicago this season.
Steve Cishek (3-5) worked the 10th and four Cubs relievers combined for four scoreless innings.
Woods trying to get up to speed for final major of year
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — Tiger Woods was on the practice range when the gates at the British Open opened Tuesday, and before long he was on the tee and ready to go. He just didn’t go for very long.
Woods played a full round at Royal Portrush when he arrived Sunday morning, and then again on Monday. For his third day of getting to know a links course that hasn’t hosted the British Open in 68 years, Woods made it down No. 1 and then skipped over to the 13th and played the homestretch.
It would be simple to assume it was fatigue. After all, Woods hasn’t competed since June 16 at the U.S. Open, and he has only 10 rounds under his belt since his victory in the Masters for his 15th career major.
Georgia leads growing SEC pack chasing powerhouse Alabama
HOOVER, Ala. (AP) — Kirby Smart talks about Georgia taking “that next step.” Quarterback Jake Fromm wants the Bulldogs “to get over the hump.”
In the Southeastern Conference, that step — or hump — is beating Alabama. Georgia has pushed the Crimson Tide to the brink in a Southeastern Conference championship game and a national championship game the past two seasons, only to lose both times.
It’s close enough to stamp the Bulldogs as national title contenders once again. Despite 24 wins and one SEC title in the past two seasons, the team’s offseason catchphrase says it all: “Do more.”
“We want to do more at the University of Georgia,” Smart said Tuesday at SEC media days. “We’re not complacent in what we’ve done, and we know we need to take that next step.”
Oklahoma City Thunder’s rebuild will take some time
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Yosef Maaroof wanted one more Russell Westbrook memory in Oklahoma City.
When he learned Thursday night the Thunder were planning to send Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Chris Paul and draft picks, the 20-year-old Tulsa resident planned to make the two-hour drive to Oklahoma City with friends. They wanted to take videos and photos in front of the large images of Thunder players that adorn Chesapeake Energy Arena during the season, hoping Westbrook’s photo would still be up on Friday morning.
It wasn’t, so Maaroof came up with a different tribute. In a video he posted on Twitter, he put on the Westbrook jerseys he’s collected since 2012 , took them off one by one and laid them side by side in front of the arena. He wore 18 in the video, which has been viewed more than 85,000 times.
Texas says 10-win season not enough to be ‘back’ in Big 12
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Tom Herman knows that Texas is probably a bit ahead of schedule after 10 wins in his second season that included making the Big 12 championship game and a Sugar Bowl victory.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the Longhorns are back just yet.
“We weren’t here to just have a really good season in Year 2,” Herman said Tuesday. “We were here to rebuild a program that’s capable of sustaining success, and we feel like we’re on the way there.”
With junior quarterback Sam Ehlinger, the preseason Big 12 offensive player of the year, the Longhorns are picked to again finish second in the league behind four-time defending champion Oklahoma.
The Longhorns won the Red River rivalry game at the State Fair of Texas last October. But the Sooners won the conference title game at the home stadium of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, where the two-day Big 12 media days wrapped up Tuesday and where the championship game will be played again in December.
