Giants win appeal of called game

CHICAGO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants became the first team since 1986 to win a protest filed with Major League Baseball, and will now get to resume a rain-shortened game the Chicago Cubs thought they had won.

MLB executive Joe Torre ruled on Tuesday night’s game at Wrigley Field that was called after 4 1/2 innings. The Cubs were declared the winners by a 2-0 score.

Now, it is instead a suspended game that will resume at 4:05 p.m. CDT Thursday with the Cubs batting in the bottom of the fifth. The playoff-contending Giants and Chicago have a regularly scheduled game set to begin three hours later.

A short rainstorm caused the delay Tuesday after the grounds crew couldn’t put the tarp down quickly. The umpires said the field was unplayable and called it at 1:16 a.m. local time.

MLB ruled that the tarp had not been properly put away after its previous use. Therefore, under provisions of Official Baseball Rule 4.12 (a) (3) there a “malfunction of a mechanical field device under control of the home club.”

Stewart to skip Bristol; Burton in again

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Tony Stewart will not race Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, the third Sprint Cup race he’s skipped since his car struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr. during a sprint car race.

Jeff Burton will once again replace him in the No. 14 Chevrolet. Burton also drove Stewart’s car at Michigan last weekend. Stewart-Haas Racing is allowing Stewart to take the time he needs away from the track, and the team statement indicated the three-time NASCAR champion is taking it week-by-week. Stewart will not have to decide on another race until the Aug. 31 event at Atlanta.

Stewart has been in seclusion since the Aug. 9 incident at an upstate New York dirt track. He has not commented since he issued a statement the day after Ward’s death.

Without Rose, U.S. hoops downs D.R.

NEW YORK (AP) — Derrick Rose heard the fans chanting his name, and yes, he would’ve loved to give them what they wanted. But after missing most of the past two years and with still a long summer of basketball ahead, he’s willing to take this return slowly.

With Rose sitting out, Kyrie Irving started and made all five shots, scoring 12 points as the U.S. national basketball team beat the Dominican Republic 105-62 in an exhibition game.

James Harden also scored 12 in limited playing time for the Americans, who used their subs for most of the second half. Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan each scored 13 points.

Rose’s absence allowed U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski to take a longer look at other players with cuts coming soon. The Americans have 16 players on the roster and have to get down to 12 before the upcoming Basketball World Cup.

Moore to be named WNBA MVP

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota’s Maya Moore has won the WNBA most valuable player award, a person close to the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday night.

Moore will receive the award Thursday night in Minnesota before the Lynx face San Antonio in the first game of the Western Conference semifinals. The person spoke to The Associated Press late Wednesday night on condition of anonymity because no official announcement has been made.

Phoenix’s Diana Taurasi finished second and Atlanta’s Angel McCoughtry was third, the person said.

“Maya is the Michael Jordan of this league.” Tulsa Shock coach Fred Williams said after Moore had 32 points and nine rebounds against his team in July.