Hometown Broadcasting Sports Monday 8/17/20
17 August 2020 Sports
Keston Hiura and Orlando Arcia homered, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 6-5 on Sunday for their third straight win against the NL Central leaders. Arcia had three hits and scored the go-ahead run on Ryan Braun’s seventh-inning single off Jason Adam (0-1) at Wrigley Field. Hiura belted a tying three-run drive in the third for his fifth homer. “Doing it here at Wrigley, we were able to come back and win three consecutive games, that’s huge for us,” Hiura said. “It’s good to see the offense coming alive, breaking the potential of what this lineup can do.” Eric Yardley (1-0), the first of four Milwaukee relievers, pitched a scoreless inning for the win. Josh Hader got three outs for his fifth save. Hader, David Phelps and Devin Williams combined to strike out six over the final three innings. The Cubs struck out 53 times during the four-game set. Steven Souza Jr. and Jason Kipnis each drove in two runs for Chicago.
Cubs left-hander Jon Lester permitted five runs and nine hits in six innings. The veteran left-hander allowed just two runs in his first three starts of the year. Brewers starter Josh Lindblom also struggled, allowing five runs in five-plus innings. He struck out eight and walked four. The Cubs jumped on top 3-0 in the first. Kyle Schwarber singled in Anthony Rizzo and scored on Souza’s two-run double.
Lester retired his first seven batters before running into trouble. Luis Urias and Arcia hit consecutive singles with one out in the third. After Braun struck out, Hiura sent a drive deep to center. Before the homer, Hiura was mired in a 1-for-21 slide. In the fifth, Urias led off with a triple and Arcia followed with a two-run homer to put the Brewers on top 5-3. The Cubs tied it on a two-run single by Kipnis with two out in the sixth. The Brewers are off today before travelling to Minnesota to begin a three-game series with the Twins Tuesday night. RHP Corbin Burnes (0-0, 3.38 ERA) will start for Milwaukee.
Elsewhere in the N.L Central, the White Sox beat the Cardinals 7-2 and Pittsburgh at Cincinnati was postponed.
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The Packers held their first practice Saturday and of course there were no fans in attendance. The players were excited to be back on the field despite the weird feel of no fans.
“Yeah, it’s strange,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “Very strange. Obviously this is my 16th training camp. Nostalgically you miss some of those fun traditions that really make Green Bay, Green Bay.”
“Today felt a little bit different than your typical training camp day,” LaFleur said. “You didn’t have the energy of our fans which we dearly miss. Guys are going to have to dig deep this year and look inside themselves to bring that juice.”
Rookie running back A.J. Dillon stood out as players and coaches are impressed not only by his size but his speed at 250 pounds.
“He is a big boy,” Rodgers marveled. “He is a large man. He walks around pretty comfortably at 250 pounds. for a back that moves pretty well.”
“He has got some massive legs,” LaFleur said. “I have not seen a running back that is built like that, not in my career that I have ever been around.”
As for position battles? QB Tim Boyle took most of the 2nd-team reps on Saturday, ahead of 1st-round draft pick Jordan Love. Billy Turner got the first reps at right tackle ahead of Ricky Wagner with Lane Taylor starting at right guard. And Chandon Sullivan was playing slot corner with the 1st team following Tramon Williams’ departure.
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The Green Bay Packers have claimed WR Travis Fulgham off of waivers from the Detroit Lions. General Manager Brian Gutekunst announced the transaction Saturday.
Fulgham (full-gum), 6-2, 211, was originally drafted by the Detroit Lions in the
sixth round (No. 184 overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Old Dominion. He spent
time on the Lions’ active roster and practice squad as a rookie, appearing in three
games last season. Fulgham will wear No. 18 for the Packers.
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The Green Bay Packers have signed DL Kenny Clark to a contract extension. General
Manager Brian Gutekunst announced the transaction Saturday. Reportedly, it’s a four-year extension worth $70 million with a $25 million dollar signing bonus.
Clark, originally selected by the Packers in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft
(No. 27 overall) out of UCLA, has recorded 16.5 sacks so far in his career to rank
No. 3 among Green Bay DTs in sacks in their first four seasons since 1982 according
to pro-football-reference.com). From 2017-19, he led the team in sacks (16.5) as
well as forced fumbles, with his four tying for No. 7 in the NFL over that span
among players listed at DL, DT and NT on Sportradar. Clark earned his first trip to
the Pro Bowl (injury replacement for Rams DT Aaron Donald) after a 2019 season where he started all 16 games, ranked No. 2 on the team with a career-high 89 tackles (52 solo) and tied his career high with six sacks.
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Clark ranked No. 2 in the NFL during the 2019
regular season with 49 QB pressures and 43 disruptions (the combined total of
hurries, pressures or sacks – one per play) among players that played at least 75
percent of their snaps on the interior defensive line. Overall, he has played in 60
regular-season games with 46 starts and registered 273 tackles (151 solo), four
fumble recoveries and five passes defensed. Clark has also started two of the five
postseason contests he has played in, recording 16 tackles (10 solo) and a sack.
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The Green Bay Packers have released CB Marc-Antoine Dequoy (de-KWAH), TE James
Looney and WR Darrell Stewart. General Manager Brian Gutekunst announced the
transactions Saturday.
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In an interview with Larry McCarren posted to the Packers website, Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy announced more than 80% of Packers fans have opted out of season tickets for the upcoming season. During the interview, McCarren brought up the team’s decision to not have any fans attend at least the first two home games, and Murphy said that it was a tough decision.
“Here in Green Bay, we know how much our home games mean to the local economy. But, at the end of the day, the most important thing in my mind is protecting the health and safety of our community and our fans.”
Then, Murphy announced that after sending a survey out to season ticket holders earlier this year, just over 80% of fans opted out of season tickets for this year. “In my mind, the fact that high of a percentage of fans were uncomfortable in coming to games was a factor that weighed in my thinking,” said Murphy. In addition to no fans at the first two home games, there will be no fans at training camp, Family Night, or for preseason games.
Fans who do attend games will be required to wear face masks, only use mobile tickets, and are encouraged to wash their hands often.
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A group of Ohio State football players’ parents Saturday joined parents of players at Iowa in calling for the Big Ten to overturn its decision not to play this fall because of the pandemic. Meanwhile, Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said nine Sooners tested positive for COVID-19 after he gave his players a week break from team activities. The Football Parents at Ohio State posted on social media a letter to Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren, calling for the reinstatement of the 10-game schedule the conference unveiled six days before it postponed football until spring. The letter also asked for the release of all medical data and information the Big Ten used to make its decision, a meeting with Warren for senior players and their parents, and to permit athletes who want to play to sign a COVID-19 liability waiver. The parents of Iowa players sent a similar letter Friday. The Big Ten has received the two letters.
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In golf, Jim Herman won the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina Sunday, shooting a 21-under 259 to edge Billy Horschel by one stroke. Four players finished three shots off the pace.
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In Nascar, Chase Elliott picked up a win at Daytona International Speedway Road Course on Sunday. Just before a caution flag with five laps remaining, Elliott had pulled out to a 10-second advantage on the field. He turned in a fantastic restart and drove three perfect final laps in his No. 9 Chevrolet to hold off Denny Hamlin by .202 seconds to win the GoBowling 235. It was Elliott’s third consecutive road-course win dating back to last year.
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