BASEBALL
Roldani Baldwin’s three-run homer capped a seven-run second inning, and the Portland Sea Dogs took advantage of a wild outing by rehabbing Yankees pitcher Corey Kluber to earn an 8-7 win Thursday against the Somerset Patriots in Bridgewater, New Jersey.
Somerset knocked out Sea Dogs starter Josh Winckowski during a five-run first inning, but Portland answered quickly in the second inning.
Kluber, who is working his way back from a right shoulder injury, was charged with five runs in 11/3 innings. He walked four and hit two batters before exiting with the bases loaded. Reliever Ken Waldichuk hit Triston Casas to force in a run, then allowed a two-run single by Devlin Granberg and Baldwin’s home run that made it 8-5.
Matthew Kent (7-2) earned the win in relief, allowing six hits and two runs in 51/3 innings. Joan Martinez pitched two hitless innings for a save.
BASKETBALL
SPAIN: Former University of Maine guard Blanca Millan signed a one-year contract to play for CB Gran Canaria in Spain’s top professional league.
Millan, a native of Spain, finished her UMaine career this past season with 1,974 career points – fifth most all-time. She’s the only player in America East women’s basketball history to twice be named the conference’s player of the year and defensive player of the year.
NBA: Kawhi Leonard is staying in Los Angeles after the Clippers re-signed their free-agent superstar.
Leonard averaged 26 points, 6.8 rebounds and five assists in his first two seasons with his hometown team.
He suffered a partially torn right ACL during the playoffs and missed the Clippers’ first Western Conference finals appearance. He declined his $36 million option last week, setting up his ability to sign a maximum contract worth 35% of the team’s salary cap and allowing him to earn upwards of $3 million more for the 2021-22 season.
• The Denver Nuggets added experience, versatility and another 3-point shooter by signing free agent forward Jeff Green to a two-year, $10 million contract.
The Nuggets are Green’s 11th team in 14 NBA seasons.
Green shot a career-best 41.2% from 3-point range for the star-studded Brooklyn Nets last season, when he averaged 11.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 68 games, including 38 starts. He averaged 27 minutes a game.
COLLEGES
USM: University of Southern Maine Athletic Director Al Bean is one of two recipients of the 2021 Richard A. Rasmussen Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators.
The award is presented to someone who has had a significant impact on Division III during the course of his/her career. The other 2021 recipient is Steve Ulrich, former executive director of the Centennial Conference.
Bean has been USM’s athletic director since 1993, including two years as interim athletic director. He initiated a review of the school’s athletic facilities which led to the construction of a new field house, ice arena, soccer field, baseball and softball stadiums and upgrades, and the development of Hannaford Field.
Bean was instrumental in the formation of the USM Athletic Association – the fundraising arm for the athletic program – as well as the creation of the USM Husky Golf Classic, the William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete awards program, USM Senior Honors Night and the Husky Hall of Fame.
PAC-12: Pac-12 teams that cannot play because of COVID-19 issues will likely be forced to forfeit games this season.
The conference announced it is reinstituting its forfeiture policy after it modified its rules last season because of the pandemic.
Last season, a game that could not be played because of COVID-19 problems with either team was canceled and deemed no contest. This season, COVID-19 will not be automatically considered an excused absence.
FOOTBALL
NFL: The cost of the Bills’ proposed new stadium is $1.4 billion and is to be built across the street from their existing facility in suburban Buffalo, a person with direct knowledge of discussions told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to The AP Thursday on the condition of anonymity because the details of the proposal haven’t been made public.
The Bills’ proposal has been presented to New York state and Erie County officials as part of discussions, which began two months ago, to determine the future of the NFL team’s home. The Bills are proposing a new facility to replace the newly renamed Highmark Stadium, which opened in 1973.
• Starting quarterback Daniel Jones is not going to play in the New York Giants’ preseason opener against the Jets on Saturday.
It’s expected that veteran Mike Glennon, who was signed as a free agent in the offseason, will get most of the work. First-year quarterback Clayton Thorson would finish up.
GOLF
PGA: Russell Henley shot an 8-under 62, his lowest round in more than two years, to take the lead in the suspended first round of the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Henley birdied three of his final four holes for a two-stroke lead over Sung Kang, Ted Potter Jr., Chris Kirk, Hudson Swofford, Scott Piercy and Michael Thompson in the PGA Tour’s final regular-season event. Adam Hadwin also was 6-under, but had two holes left when darkness ended play, with 30 players unable to finish.
LPGA: Michele Thomson of Scotland shot a 7-under 65 at Dumbarnie Links to take the first-round lead in the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open in Fife, Scotland.
U.S. Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso, Jasmine Suwannapura and Anne van Dam were second at 67.
TENNIS
NATIONAL BANK OPEN: Stefanos Tsitsipas celebrated his 23rd birthday by beating Karen Khachanov 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals in Toronto.
Fourth-seeded John Isner of the United States beat Russia’s Andrey Rublev, 7-5 7-6 (5). American Reilly Opelka also advanced, beating Lloyd Harris of South Africa, 4-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4), and top-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia beat Australia’s James Duckworth 6-2, 6-4 in a night match.
At the women’s tournament in Montreal, top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reached the quarterfinals by defeating unseeded Canadian Rebecca Marino, 6-1, 6-3.
U.S. OPEN: Matches in qualifying rounds will be closed to spectators because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Qualifying is held at Flushing Meadows in New York the week before main draw competition begins there on Aug. 30. The USTA said in June it would allow 100% capacity for all sessions during the main part of the Grand Slam tournament.
HOCKEY
NHL: The Winnipeg Jets agreed to terms with forward Andrew Copp on a one-year contract.
The deal is worth $3.6 million for Copp, who had 15 goals and 24 assists in 55 games for the Jets last season.
SOCCER
ENGLAND: Romelu Lukaku sealed a return to Chelsea by moving from Inter Milan for a reported $135 million, a record transfer fee for the European champions that made the Belgium striker the seventh most expensive player of all time.
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