The Rundown for August 20, 2021

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 37,293,969 and the nation’s death toll stands at 625,166, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University. Over the past 28 days, there have been 2,928,863 new cases and 14,484 deaths… The Texas Supreme Court yesterday denied a petition from Governor Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that sought to reinstate a ban on mask mandates in schools. The court cited a provision that requires cases be brought before an appellate court before they are decided by the state’s Supreme Court “unless there is a compelling reason not to do so.” The Texas Education Agency also said Thursday that it would not enforce Abbott’s mask mandate ban in public schools, citing the ongoing legal battles.

BIDEN MAY EXTEND TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN… President Joe Biden said yesterday that a small group of American security forces might remain in Afghanistan beyond his August 31 withdrawal deadline to make sure all American citizens are safely out of the country. Biden told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos that he’s committed to get all citizens out and do everything possible for Afghan civilians who aided the U.S. military. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported that a State Department memo sent last month from the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan warned of an impending fall of Kabul as the U.S. exited the country. The July 13 memo was sent to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and another State leader by 20 embassy officials.

JUDGE BLOCKS BIDEN IMMIGRATION RULES… A federal judge yesterday blocked a set of Biden administration’s immigration rules that limited whom deportation agents should detain and deport from the country. U.S. District Court Judge Drew Tipton prohibited federal officials from enforcing two directives that instructed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to focus on arresting recent border-crossers, as well as immigrants deemed to threaten public safety or national security. Under the new so-called “enforcement priorities,” ICE agents were required to obtain supervisory approval before arresting immigrants living in the U.S. without legal permission who did not fall within the three specified categories.

STANDOFF NEAR CAPITOL… A fervent supporter of former President Donald Trump who threatened Democrats online was arrested following an hours-long standoff near the U.S. Capitol yesterday. 49-year-old Floyd Ray Roseberry of Grover, North Carolina, warned authorities that he had an explosive device and demanded to talk to Joe Biden. Multiple buildings in the area were evacuated as authorities responded to an “active bomb threat investigation.” No bomb was found in Roseberry’s truck but that he did possess suspected bomb-making material.

3 ALBUQUERQUE OFFICERS SHOT… Three police officers were shot in Albuquerque, New Mexico, yesterday after responding to an armed robbery. One of the officers was reported to be in critical condition. A fourth officer was injured by shrapnel or shattered glass. Police arrested two suspects in the shootings by early yesterday afternoon.

ENTERTAINMENT
BRITNEY SPEARS UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR ASSAULT… Britney Spears is under investigation for alleged battery stemming from an altercation with an employee. According to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, an employee filed a complaint after allegedly being struck by Spears during a dispute on Monday morning. The employee was not injured. The sheriff’s office will forward their findings to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office for consideration of misdemeanor charges.

JAPANESE ACTOR SONNY CHIBA DIES… Japanese actor Sonny Chiba, whose martial arts skills were featured in in more than 100 films, died in a Tokyo-area hospital last night following a battle with COVID-19. He was 82. Chiba rose to stardom in Japan in the 1960s, portraying samurai, fighters and police detectives while performing many of his own stunts. His popularity spread internationally after his 1970s Japanese film “The Street Fighter” proved popular in the U.S. Chiba’s Hollywood credits include the 1991 film “Aces” and 1993’s “Kill Bill.”

SPORTS
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Arizona 6 – PHILADELPHIA 2… Nick Ahmed’s two-run double in the bottom of the seventh inning sparked a five-run rally that carried the Diamondbacks past the Phillies. Madison Bumgarner (7-7) allowed just a run on three hits over eight innings and helped himself at the plate with an RBI single.

CINCINNATI 6 – Miami 1… Luis Castillo (7-12) held the Marlins to a run on eight hits over seven innings. Joey Votto belted a three-run homer during a four-run bottom of the fourth inning for the Reds.

ST. LOUIS 8 – Milwaukee 4… Tyler O’Neill blasted a three-run homer during a five-run and the Cardinals came from behind to double up on the Brewers. Lars Nootbaar also went deep.

L.A. DODGERS 4 – N.Y. Mets 1… Seven pitchers held the Mets at bay and the Dodgers breezed to their seventh straight win. Trea Turner had a couple of hits, including a run-scoring single.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
L.A. Angels 13 – DETROIT 10… The Angels erased a 10-2 sixth-inning deficit in rallying past the Tigers. Max Stassi belted a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning. Phil Gosselin also went deep. Brandon Marsh’s two-run triple capped a six-run sixth.

TAMPA BAY 7 – Baltimore 2… Shane McClanahan (8-4) allowed just a run on five hits over five innings and the Rays cruised past the Orioles. Brandon Lowe homered with a runner aboard. Austin Meadows and Ji-Man Choi also drove in two runs.

Seattle 9 – TEXAS 8 (11 innings)… The Mariners recovered to top the Rangers after blowing a five-run lead in the ninth. Ty France smacked a tie-breaking two-run homer in the top of the 11th inning. Mitch Haniger connected for a three-run shot.

Houston 6 – KANSAS CITY 3 (10 innings)… The Astros overcame the Royals after spotting them an early three-run lead. Aledmys Diaz singled home a tie-breaking run to spark a three-run top of the 10th inning. Chas McCormick drove in three runs.

Oakland 5 – CHI. WHITE SOX 4… The Athletics got a two-run homer from Matt Olson and solo shots from Sean Murphy and Matt Chapman in squeaking past the White Sox.

N.Y. YANKEES 7 – Minnesota 5… The Yankees took a 6-0 lead into the sixth inning and held off the Twins. Kyle Higashioka singled home a run to spark a four-run bottom of the third inning and homered with a runner aboard in the fourth. Giancarlo Stanton added his 20th homer with the bases empty.

TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Miami (Elieser Hernandez, 0-0) is at Cincinnati (Sonny Gray, 4-6)…
Milwaukee (Brett Anderson, 4-6) hosts Washington (TBA)…
Pittsburgh (Mitch Keller, 3-10) is at St. Louis (Miles Mikolas, 0-0)…
Colorado (Austin Gomber, 9-7) hosts Arizona (Tyler Gilbert, 1-1)…
the N.Y. Mets (Carlos Carrasco, 0-1) are at the L.A. Dodgers (Walker Buehler, 12-2)…
San Diego (Blake Snell, 6-4) hosts Philadelphia (Matt Moore, 2-3)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Minnesota (Charlie Barnes, 0-2) is at the N.Y. Yankees (Nestor Cortes, Jr., 1-1)…
Toronto (Robbie Ray, 9-5) hosts Detroit (Tyler Alexander, 2-2)…
the L.A. Angels (Jaime Barria, 2-1) are at Cleveland (TBA)…
Tampa Bay (Michael Wacha, 2-4) hosts the Chi. White Sox (Lucas Giolito, 9-9)…
Texas (Dane Dunning, 5-7) is at Boston (Chris Sale, 1-0)…
Houston (Lance McCullers, Jr., 9-4) hosts Seattle (Yusei Kikuchi, 7-6)

INTERLEAGUE
Kansas City (Brad Keller, 7-12) is at the Chi. Cubs (Zach Davies, 6-9)…
Baltimore (Keegan Akin, 0-7) hosts Atlanta (Max Fried, 10-7)…
San Francisco (Alex Wood, 10-3) is at Oakland (James Kaprielian, 6-4)

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The Rundown for August 19, 2021

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 37,155,004 and the nation’s death toll stands at 624,253, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University. Over the past 28 days, there have been 2,843,080 new cases and 13,675 deaths… President Joe Biden yesterday directed the Department of Education to take action against state bans on mask mandates while also issuing a mandate for nursing home workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The order directs Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to “assess all available tools” to ensure governors and other officials take the necessary steps to safely prepare students to return to school “including not standing in the way of local leaders making such preparations”… Early efforts to vaccinate older adults and other at-risk groups against COVID-19 saved almost 140,000 lives and prevented more than 3 million infections through mid-May, according to an analysis released yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 156 million people in the U.S. had received at least one dose of the two-shot vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech by mid-May and nearly 122 million of them were fully vaccinated… More than 20,000 students in Mississippi were quarantined due to coronavirus exposures over the past week, according to Mississippi state health department data. Nearly 6,000 have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past two weeks, and two have died.

WHITE HOUSE TAKES ON MASK BANS… The New York Times reported yesterday that the White House plans to increase its pressure on Republican states that ban masks in schools by invoking the Department of Education’s civil rights enforcement authority. That authority will allow the department to hear the concerns of parents who believe districts not implementing mask mandates could jeopardize their children’s right to an education. Secretary Miguel Cardona said he believes governors in Florida, Texas and other states could be violating students’ educational rights under the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and discrimination under the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

MILLEY TALK AFGHANISTAN… Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley said yesterday that U.S. military intelligence did not indicate that Afghanistan would fall to the Taliban as quickly as it did. Speaking at a press briefing, Milley denied reports that the Biden administration ignored warnings that the security situation would deteriorate quickly as the U.S. was completing its troop withdrawal. Milley said the U.S. conducted a “deliberate and responsible drawdown” of troops with a focus on securing the U.S. Embassy and diplomatic presence in Afghanistan.

BIDEN ADMIN HOPES TO EASE ASYLUM CASES… The Biden administration hopes a proposed new rule for processing asylum cases at the southern border with Mexico will speed up the system and ease a backlog. Under rules proposed yesterday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers will be able to decide on asylum applications without the cases having to be assigned to immigration judges for review. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the new rule would reduce the caseload and “protect the rights of those fleeing persecution and violence.” The proposed rule wouldn’t apply to unaccompanied minors to those already living in the U.S.

PG&E RESTORING POWER AFTER SHUT-OFF… Pacific Gas & Electric began restoring power in some locations yesterday after shutting off power for approximately 48,000 California customers the night before. The shut-off was part of a planned safety measure in response to worsening wildfire weather conditions. Parts of 13 counties were affected.

ENTERTAINMENT
GARTH BROOKS CANCELS STADIUM DATES… Garth Brooks announced yesterday that he is cancelling the remaining five dates on his 2021 stadium tour due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases. Brooks said he scheduled the tour believing the pandemic was “behind us” in July but says he must do his part to help end it. The canceled shows were set to happen in Foxborough, Charlotte, Baltimore, Cincinnati and Nashville.

A BOY FOR SCARLETT JOHANSSON AND COLIN JOST… Scarlett Johansson and her husband, “Saturday Night Live” host Colin Jost, have announced the birth of their first child together. The 39-year-old Jost announced the birth of the couple’s son, Cosmo, on social media. Johansson and Jost married in an intimate ceremony last October. She had previously been married to actor Ryan Reynolds and journalist Romain Dauriac with whom she shares 7-year-old daughter Rose.

SPORTS
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Chi. Cubs 7 – CINCINNATI 1… The Cubs jumped out to a five-run lead after their first two at-bats and never looked back in breezing past the Reds. Michael Hermosillo hOmered with a runner aboard. Ian Happ and Sandy Alcántara added solo shots.

COLORADO 7 – San Diego 5… Trevor Story’s two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning proved to be the difference in the Rockies’ win over the Padres. C.J. Cron stroked a two-run double and singled home a run.

N.Y. Mets 6 – SAN FRANCISCO 2 (12 innings)… Kevin Pillar belted a tie-breaking three-run homer in the top of the 12th inning and Chance Sisco doubled home a run as the Mets outlasted the Giants. J.D. Davis lifted a sacrifice fly in the ninth to score Pete Alonso with a tying run.

Atlanta 11 – MIAMI 9… The Braves took an eight-run lead into the bottom of the ninth inning and held off the Marlins. They scored five of their runs on bases-loaded walks. Freddie Freeman hit a two-run homer. Austin Riley had three hits and drove in two runs. Adam Duval finished with three RBIs.

Milwaukee 6 – ST. LOUIS 4 (10 innings)… Christian Yelich and Jace Peterson singled home runs during a three-run top of the 10th inning and the Brewers topped the Cardinals. Avisail Garcia’s second solo homer tied the game in the ninth. Willy Adames also went deep for Milwaukee.

ARIZONA 4 – Philadelphia 2… Humberto Castellanos (1-1) allowed just a run on three hits over 5-1/3 innings and the Diamondbacks clipped the Phillies. Castellanos also went 2-for-2 with an RBI single at the plate.

L.A. DODGERS 9 – Pittsburgh 0… Max Muncy homered twice and drove home five runs to lead the Dodgers in their romp over the Pirates. Corey Seager singled home a run and hit a two-run homer. AJ Pollock also went deep. Mitch White (1-1) pitched two-hit ball over 7-1/3 innings in relief of starter Justin Bruihl.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
MINNESOTA 8 – Cleveland 7 (11 innings)… The Twins recovered to top the Indians after blowing a two-run ninth-inning lead. Jorge Polanco singled home Ryan Jeffers with the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning. Miguel Sanó knocked in five runs wit a single and a double.

N.Y. YANKEES 5 – Boston 2… The Yankees scored four times in the bottom of the second inning and cruised past the Red Sox. Andrew Velazquez drove in two runs with a pair of singles. Andrew Rizzo produced a two-run single. Andrew Heaney (8-8) held Boston to a run on two hits over seven innings.

L.A. Angels 3 – DETROIT 1… Shohei Ohtani (8-1) held he Tigers to a run on six hits over eight innings and helped himself at the plate with his 40th homer. Justin Upton got things going with a two-run homer in the top of the first inning.

TAMPA BAY 8 – Baltimore 4… Brandon Lowe singled home a tie-breaking run and scored in the bottom of the fourth inning and the Rays went on to double up on the Orioles. Wander Franco went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

Seattle 3 – TEXAS 1… Kyle Seager’s two-run homer in the top of the first inning provided all the offense the Mariners needed in their win over the Rangers. Marco Gonzales (5-5) scattered six hits over 5-1/3 scoreless innings.

KANSAS CITY 3 – Houston 2… Hunter Dozier smacked a go-ahead two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning and the Royals hung on to edge the Astros. The game featured a duel between Kansas City starter Brady Singer and his counterpart Zack Greinke but neither got a decision.

CHI. WHITE SOX 3 – Oakland 2… The White Sox held off the Athletics despite losing starting pitcher Lance Lynn to a fourth-inning ejection. Luis Robert singled home Yoan Moncada with a tie-breaking run in the bottom of the fourth inning and added a run-scoring single in the sixth.

INTERLEAGUE
WASHINGTON 8 – Toronto 5… Josh Bell hit a three-run homer and Carter Kieboom smacked a solo shot during a four-run bottom of the seventh inning that carried the Nationals past the Blue Jays. Juan Soto opened the scoring with a three-run homer in the first.

TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Philadelphia (Zack Wheeler, 10-7) is at Arizona (Madison Bumgarner, 6-7)…
Cincinnati (Luis Castillo, 6-12) hosts Miami (Zach Thompson, 2-5)…
Milwaukee (Brandon Woodruff, 7-5) is at St. Louis (Jon Lester, 4-6)…
the L.A. Dodgers (TBA) host the N.Y. Mets (Taijuan Walker, 7-7)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
the L.A. Angels (Jose Quintana, 0-3) are at Detroit (Matt Manning, 3-5)…
Tampa Bay (Shane McClanahan, 7-4) hosts Baltimore (Jorge Lopez, 3-13)…
Seattle (Chris Flexen, 10-5) is at Texas (Spencer Howard, 0-3)…
Kansas City (Mike Minor, 8-11) hosts Houston (Luis Garcia, 9-6)…
Oakland (Cole Irvin,8-11) is at the Chi. White Sox (Dylan Cease, 9-6)…
the N.Y. Yankees (Jameson Taillon, 7-4) host Minnesota (TBA)

The Rundown for August 18, 2021

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 37,017,746 and the nation’s death toll stands at 623,321, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University. Over the past 28 days, there have been 2,842,967 new cases and 13,884 deaths… The Pentagon has announced plans to send up to five medical assistance teams to combat COVID-19 inside the U.S. According to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, the teams will include about 20 medical personnel, including doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists. The first medical assistance team will be deployed to Lafayette, Louisiana.

TALIBAN PROMISE SAFE PASSAGE… White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said yesterday that the Taliban has committed to providing a “safe passage” for civilians looking to flee Afghanistan. According to Sullivan, the military is in discussions with the Taliban about getting civilians to the Kabul airport safely. Meanwhile, at a press conference yesterday, a Taliban spokesman vowed that the extremist Muslim group would not harbor terrorism and will support women’s rights.

SENATE PANEL TO PROBE AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL… Democratic Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has announced he will seek a “full accounting” of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. “Congress was told repeatedly that the Afghan Defense and Security Forces were up to the task,” Menendez said in announcing his plans yesterday. “The American and Afghan people clearly have not been told the truth.” Menendez says a hearing will center on “the Trump administration’s flawed negotiations with Taliban, and the Biden administration’s flawed execution of the U.S. withdrawal.”

KENOSHA LAWSUIT… The father of a man fatally shot by teenager Kyle Rittenhouse during racial justice protests in Wisconsin last August is suing the city of Kenosha and local law enforcement, claiming that Kenosha and its local law enforcement departments “deputized” and “conspired” with armed individuals. The complaint alleges that the defendants “did not treat Rittenhouse or any of the other armed individuals patrolling the streets as a threat to the safety of themselves or the citizens they were sworn to protect.” Rittenhouse, then 17, shot and killed Anthony Huber, 26, on August 25, 2020, after a chase. Rittenhouse has maintained that he was acting out of self defense.

RACIAL DISPARITY IN HEALTH SPENDING… An analysis published yesterday by JAMA found that the U.S. spends about 15 percent more on healthcare services for White people than for communities of color. Data found that of the roughly $2.4 trillion spent on healthcare for six common diseases in 2016, 72 percent was allocated for White people, with 11 percent spent on Black and Hispanic people. Hispanics account for just over 19 percent of the national population, while Blacks make up nearly 19 percent.

ENTERTAINMENT
‘SPENCER’ GETS PREMIERE DATE… An upcoming film about Princess Diana has been given a November 5 release date. “Spencer,” which stars Kristen Stewart, will have its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival and screen at the Toronto International Film Festival net month. The story takes place over a holiday weekend in the early 1990s when Diana decided to leave her marriage to Prince Charles, played by Jack Farthing.

JOHNNY DEPP CAN PROCEED WITH LAWSUIT… A judge in Virginia is allowing Johnny Depp to move forward with his defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard. The 58-year-old Depp is suing the 35-year-old Heard for accusing him of domestic violence amid their 2016 split. A supplemental plea Heard’s lawyers filed to dismiss the case after Depp lost his U.K. libel lawsuit against British tabloid The Sun was denied.

SPORTS
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Chi. Cubs 2 – CINCINNATI 1… Kyle Hendricks limited the Reds to a run on three hits over six innings. Ian Happ’s solo homer in the top of the sixth inning proved to be the difference.

Atlanta 2 – MIAMI 0… Six pitchers combined on a four-hitter as the Braves clipped the Marlins. Jorge Soler singled home Abraham Almonte to break a scoreless tie in the top of the eighth inning. Austin Riley homered in the ninth.

Milwaukee 2 – ST. LOUIS 0… Corbin Burnes (8-4) pitched two-hit ball over six innings and three relievers completed the shutout of the Cardinals. Kolten Wong and Omar Narvaez slugged run-scoring doubles for the Brewers.

COLORADO 7 – San Diego 3… Charlie Blackmon opened the scoring with an RBI single in the bottom of the first inning and added a two-run homer in the Rockies’ win over the Padres. C.J. Cron also went deep. German Marquez (11-9) allowed three runs on five hits over 6-1/3 innings. He helped himself offensively by driving in two runs with a double and a single.

ARIZONA 3 – Philadelphia 2… Josh VanMeter’s tie-breaking two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning powered the Diamondbacks past the Phillies. Josh Rojas went 3-for-4 with an RBI double.

SAN FRANCISCO 3 – N.Y. Mets 2… Tommy La Stella homered with a runner aboard in the bottom of the first inning and Eva Longoria’s solo shot in the seventh proved decisive as the Giants held off the Mets. Logan Webb (7-3) gave up two runs on seven hits over 7-1/3 innings.

L.A. DODGERS 4 – Pittsburgh 3… Matt Beaty delivered a tie-breaking two-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning and the Dodgers hung on to edge the Pirates. AJ Pollock singled home two runs in the third.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
N.Y. YANKEES 5 – Boston 3 (7 innings)… The Yankees came up with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take the lead for good in the opener of a doubleheader. Andrew Velazquez and Luke Voit stroked two-run singles.

N.Y. YANKEES 2 – Boston 0 (7 innings)… Solo homers by Luke Voit and Giancarlo Stanton provided all the offense the Yankees needed in completing a sweep of the twinbill. Three pitchers combined on a five-hitter.

L.A. Angels 8 – DETROIT 2… Joe Adell unloaded a tie-breaking grand slam to spark a six-run top of the ninth inning for the Angels. Kurt Suzuki also went deep.

TAMPA BAY 10 – Baltimore 0… Three pitchers combined to blank the Orioles on three hits and got plenty of support in the Rays’ romp. Nelson Cruz homered twice and knocked in five runs. Mike Zunino added a two-run shot.

Seattle 3 – TEXAS 1… Tyler Anderson (6-8) allowed just a run n three hits over six innings and the Mariners topped the Rangers. Mitch Haniger lifted a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth inning to score Cal Raleigh with a go-ahead run. Luis Torrens homered in the ninth.

KANSAS CITY 3 – Houston 1… Daniel Lynch (3-3) held the Astros to a run on four hits over seven innings in outdueling counterpart Franmil Valdez (8-4). Hanser Alberto’s two-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning proved decisive.

Cleveland 3 – MINNESOTA 1… Eli Morgan (2-5) pitched three-hit ball over six scoreless innings as the Indians downed the Twins. Daniel Johnson homered with a runner aboard.

CHI. WHITE SOX 9 – Oakland 0… Reynaldo Lopez (2-0) limited the Athletics to one hits over five innings and got help from two relievers in the shutout. Jake Lamb and Jose Abreu hit three-run homers.

INTERLEAGUE
WASHINGTON 12 – Toronto 6… The Nationals took control with a six-run bottom of the third inning and needed a four-run eighth to put away the Blue Jays. Yadiel Hernandez homered and lined a two-run single. Riley Adams also went deep.

TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
the Chi. Cubs (TBA) are at Cincinnati (Tyler Mahle, 10-3)…
Colorado (Austin Gomber, 9-7) hosts San Diego (Blake Snell, 6-4)…
the N.Y. Mets (Tylor Megill, 1-2) are at San Francisco (Anthony DeSclafani, 11-5)…
Miami (Jesus Luzardo, 2-1) hosts Atlanta (Charlie Morton, 11-4)…
Milwaukee (Freddy Peralta, 9-3) is at St. Louis (Jack Flaherty, 9-1)…
Arizona (TBA) hosts Philadelphia (Ranger Suarez, 5-3)…
Pittsburgh (JT Brubaker, 4-12) is at the L.A. Dodgers (TBA)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Cleveland (Zach Plesac, 7-4) is at Minnesota (TBA)…
the N.Y. Yankees (Andrew Heaney, 7-8) host Boston (Nick Pivetta, 9-5)…
the L.A. Angels (Shohei Ohtani, 7-1) are at Detroit (Tarik Skubal, 8-10)…
Tampa Bay (Shane McClanahan, 7-4) hosts Baltimore (Spenser Watkins, 2-4)…
Seattle (Marco Gonzales, 4-5) is at Texas (Mike Foltynewicz, 2-11)…
Kansas City (Brady Singer, 3-8) hosts Houston (Zack Greinke, 11-3)…
Oakland (Cole Irvin, 8-11) is at the Chi. White Sox (Lance Lynn, 10-3)

INTERLEAGUE
Toronto (Jose Berrios, 8-6) is at Washington (Josiah Gray, 0-1)

The Rundown for August 17, 2021

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 36,885,670 and the nation’s death toll stands at 622,295, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University. Over the past 28 days, there have been 2,598,793 new cases and 12,707 deaths… A report released yesterday by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association said more than 121,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported among kids last week. Children accounted for 18 percent of all cases reported last week, a three-percent rise over the preceding week. Pediatric COVID-19-related hospital admissions are now as high as they have been at any point of the pandemic, the report noted.

BIDEN ADDRESSES NATION ON AFGHANISTAN… President Joe Biden accepted responsibility for the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and defended his decision amid heavy criticism. During a national address, Biden conceded the that pullout was messy by said “there was never a good time to withdraw U.S. forces.” The Taliban declared victory in the 20-year-old war on Sunday after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled and his government collapsed. Biden said, “American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves.”

INTERIOR DEPARTMENT APPEALS LEASE DECISION… The Interior Department is appealing a federal judge’s order that blocked the suspension of new oil and gas leases on federal land and waters. A Louisiana-based federal judge sided with Louisiana’s attorney general and officials in 12 other states in lifting the suspension after plaintiffs argued that the administration bypassed comment periods and other bureaucratic steps required before such delays can be undertaken and the moratorium would cost the states money and jobs. The moratorium took effect after Biden signed executive orders on January 27 to fight climate change.

COLORADO RIVER SYSTEM LACKS WATER… The federal government has declared a shortage of water on the Colorado River system for the first time in history and is imposing mandatory water cuts at Lake Mead. The shortage only affects lower basin states such as California, Nevada and Arizona but shortages in the upper basin could appear by next year. Lake Mead is currently at less than half capacity due to drought.

FRED ARRIVES… Tropical Storm Fred arrived off the Gulf of Mexico yesterday afternoon and struck the eastern Florida Panhandle with maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour before moving into southeast Alabama. The storm is expected to dissipate tomorrow morning. Florida had at least been preparing for landfall since the previous week when Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 23 of Florida’s 67 counties. More than 36,000 customers in Florida were without power last night.

ENTERTAINMENT
BOB DYAN ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT… Bob Dylan is the target of a lawsuit filed by a woman who claims that he drugged and sexually assaulted her in 1965 when she was 12 years old. The woman, identified only as J.C., claims in her civil lawsuit filed Friday in New York City that Dylan “groomed” her for child sexual abuse by providing her with drugs and alcohol during a six-week period during 1965 in his room at the Chelsea Hotel in New York’s Greenwich Village. Lawyers representing the singer-songwriter vowed to disprove the allegations.

COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME CLASS… Ray Charles and The Judds headline this year’s class of entrants to the Country Music Hall of Fame. An induction ceremony is being scheduled for next year. Charles, who died in 2004, made his mark in R&B but had grown up listening to the Grand Ole Opry and his contributions to country music included recordings with Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash, among others. The Judds, a mother-daughter duo, released six studio albums and an EP between 1984 and 1991 and won five Grammy Awards. Drummer Eddie Bayers and steel player Pete Drake are being inducted in the recording musician category.

SPORTS
NATIONAL LEAGUE
CINCINNATI 14 – Chi. Cubs 5… Jonathan India opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning and added a bases-clearing double during an eight-run seventh as the Reds clobbered the Cubs. Tucker Barnhart hit a two-run homer and lifted a sacrifice fly. Aristides Aquino also knocked in three runs.

Atlanta 12 – MIAMI 2… The Braves used a seven-run top of the fourth inning to put away the Marlins. Freddie Freeman belted a three-run homer and Adam Duval homered with a runner aboard to power the uprising. Ozzie Albies had three hits and drive in three runs. Touki Toussaint (2-2) allowed just two runs on three hits over 6-1/3 innings.

COLORADO 6 – San Diego 5… C.J. Cron’s one-out solo homer in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the Rockies over the Padres after they blew a three run lead in the top half. Connor Joe homered to lead off the first and Charlie Blackmon smacked a two-run shot to cap a three-run third.

SAN FRANCISCO 7 – N.Y. Mets 5… Brandon Belt and Kris Bryant hit back-to-back homers and Brandon Crawford capped a four-hit night with an RBI triple during a three-run bottom of the seventh inning that carried the Giants past the Mets. Bryant also homered with a runner aboard in the fifth.

L.A. DODGERS 2 – Pittsburgh 1… Billy McKinney homered in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game and Max Muncy connected for a decisive homer in the eighth as the Dodgers squeaked past the Pirates for their fourth straight win.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
N.Y. YANKEES 2 – L.A. Angels 1… Joey Gallo gave the Yankees a lead with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning and they hung on to edge the Angels. Gerrit Cole (11-6) surrendered just a run on two hits over 5-2/3 innings and four relievers slammed the door.

TAMPA BAY 9 – Baltimore 2… Brandon Lowe homered twice and drove in three runs to lead the Rays in their romp over the Orioles. Kevin Kiermaier, Brett Phillips and Mike Brosseau hit bases-empty homers for Tampa Bay.

KANSAS CITY 7 – Houston 6… Salvador Perez lined a tie-breaking two-run singled in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Royals held off the Astros. Ryan O’Hearn drove in two runs with a single and a double.

MINNESOTA 5 – Cleveland 4 (10 innings)… Jorge Polanco doubled home Max Kepler with the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning as the Twins outlasted the Indians. Kepler homered for Minnesota.

CHI. WHITE SOX 5 – Oakland 2… The White Sox cruised past the Athletics after spotting them an early two-run lead. Eloy Jimenez singled home a tie-breaking run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Luis Robert homered in the eighth.

TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Atlanta (Huascar Ynoa, 4-2) is at Miami (Sandy Alcantara, 7-10)…
Cincinnati (Vladimir Gutierrez, 8-3) hosts the Chi. Cubs (Kyle Hendricks, 13-5)…
Milwaukee (Corbin Burnes, 7-4) is at St. Louis (Adam Wainwright, 11-6)…
Colorado (German Marquez, 10-9) hosts San Diego (TBA)…
Philadelphia (Kyle Gibson, 8-4) is at Arizona (TBA)…
San Francisco (Logan Webb, 6-3) hosts the N.Y. Mets (Marcus Stroman, 8-11)…
Pittsburgh (Wil Crowe, 3-7) is at the L.A. Dodgers (David Price, 4-1)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Boston (Nathan Eovaldi, 10-7; TBA) is at the N.Y. Yankees (Luis Gil, 1-0; Jordan Montgomery, 4-5) for a doubleheader…
Detroit (Casey Mize, 6-6) hosts the L.A. Angels (Dylan Bundy, 2-9)…
Baltimore (John Means, 5-4) is at Tampa Bay (Drew Rasmussen, 1-0)…
Texas (Spencer Howard, 0-3) hosts Seattle (Tyler Anderson, 5-8)…
Cleveland (Eli Morgan, 1-5) is at Minnesota (Bailey Ober, 1-1)…
Kansas City (Daniel Lynch, 2-3) hosts Houston (Framber Valdez, 8-3)…
Oakland (Chris Bassitt, 12-3) is at the Chi. White Sox (Reynaldo Lopez, 1-0)

INTERLEAGUE
Toronto (Alek Manoah, 5-1) is at Washington (Erick Fedde, 4-8)

The Rundown for August 16, 2021

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 36,666,269 and the nation’s death toll stands at 621,595, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University. Over the past 28 days, there have been 2,572,359 new cases and 12,486 deaths… National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins said yesterday the U.S. could decide in the next couple weeks whether to offer coronavirus booster shots to Americans this fall. Among the first to receive them could be health care workers, nursing home residents and other older Americans. Collins also said he expects 200,000 cases a day in the next couple of weeks and warned that unvaccinated people are “sitting ducks” for the Delta variant.

U.S. RETURNING MORE TROOPS TO AFGHANISTAN… The addition of 1,000 soldiers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne raises to 6,000 the number of troops being sent back to Afghanistan to help evacuate U.S. personnel and Afghans who assisted the U.S. mission. The additional troops were re-routed from Kuwait after General Frank McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, met with Taliban representatives in Doha, Qatar, and warned them not to interfere with the U.S. mission at the airport. Taliban militants took control of Afghanistan’s capital city of Kabul yesterday after President Ashraf Ghani left the country. A Taliban spokesman claimed that Afghan government security forces had abandoned their posts.

DOZENS HOSPITALIZED AFTER BUS ROLLOVER… Authorities said yesterday that dozens of people remain hospitalized following the rollover of a tour bus rolled over on an upstate New York highway on Saturday. New York State Police said 57 people were transported to hospitals after the bus ran off the New York State Thruway near the village of Weedsport in Cayuga County. Police said a preliminary investigation is trying to determine why the bus left the road.

WESTERN WILDFIRES… The Dixie Fire in Northern California remains the largest of more than 100 major blazes burning in more than a dozen states in the West. The 21,000 federal firefighters working on the ground is twice the number of firefighters who were battling blazes at this time a year ago. More than 6,000 firefighters alone were battling the Dixie Fire, which has consumed nearly 867 square miles and destroyed more than 1,000 homes and businesses. Crews held their own over the weekend in bringing the blaze to 31-percent containment as of yesterday but conditions turned for the worse and left nearly 15,000 structures under threat.

FRED STRENGTHENS ON APPROACH… The remnants of Tropical Storm Fred redeveloped into a tropical storm over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico early yesterday morning on its approach to the Florida Panhandle. Forecasters say the main impacts from the storm are expected today. Fred had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph as it came within 200 miles of Panama City yesterday. A tropical storm warning has been issued from Navarre to the Wakulla/Jefferson County line. Parts of Florida and southeastern Alabama are under a tropical storm watch.

ENTERTAINMENT
WEEKEND BOX OFFICE… “Free Guy” took in $28.4 million to open atop the weekend box office. Another newcomer, “Don’t Breathe 2,” made $10.6 million to finish at No. 2. “Jungle Cruise” slipped into third place with $9 million. “Respect” made $8.8 million to debut at No. 4. Last week’s champ, “The Suicide Squad,” tumbled into fifth place with $7.7 million.

BILLIE EILISH REMAINS ATOP ALBUM CHART… Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever” sold 85,000 copies to remain atop the Billboard 200 albums chart for a second week. Olivia Rodrigo’s “Sour” jumped one spot to No. 2 with 61,000 units sold. Nas’ “King’s Disease II” debuted in third place on sales of 56,000 copies. The Kid LAROI’s “F*ck Love” dropped to No. 4 after selling 56,000 units. Doja Cat’s “Planet Her” stayed at No. 5 with 55,000 copies sold.

SPORTS
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Cincinnati 7 – PHILADELPHIA 4… Tyler Stephenson’s two-run homer capped a three-run bottom of the eighth inning that carried the Reds past the Phillies. Jonathan India had three hits, including a homer to lead off the game.

Atlanta 6 – WASHINGTON 5… Dansby Swanson homered with a runner aboard in the top of the third inning and the Braves got back-to-back homers from Freddie Freeman and Austin Riley in the fifth on their way past the Nationals.

Milwaukee 2 – PITTSBURGH 1… Six pitchers combined on a three-hitter and the Brewers held off the Pirates. Christian Yelich’s run-scoring double in the top of the third inning proved to be the difference.

MIAMI 4 – Chi. Cubs 1… Jazz Chisholm smacked a go-ahead homer to lead off the top of the sixth inning and the Marlins put away the Cubs. Jesus Aguilar added a two-run shot in the seventh. Miami starter Elieser Hernandez allowed a run on four hits over 5-1/3 innings and four relievers shut the door.

SAN FRANCISCO 5 – Colorado 2… Tommy La Stella went 3-for-4 with a two-run double and the Giants breezed past the Rockies. Alex Wood (10-3) gave up two runs on six hits over 6-2/3 innings.

San Diego 8 – ARIZONA 2… Fernando Tatis, Jr. went 4-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs in leading the Padres past the Diamondbacks. Jake Cronenworth added a two-run shot. Seven pitchers held Arizona at bay.

L.A. Dodgers 14 – N.Y. METS 4… Max Muncy belted a pair of two-run homers and the Dodgers crushed the Mets to complete a sweep of the series. Justin Turner, Will Smith and Matt Beaty also went deep for L.A. Max Scherzer (10-4) gave up two runs on four hits over six innings.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
BOSTON 6 – Baltimore 2… J.D. Martinez gave the Red Sox the lead for good with a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning. Kiké Hernandez singled home a run to spark a three-run sixth. Eduardo Rodriguez (9-6) surrendered just an unearned run on three hits over six innings.

Cleveland 11 – DETROIT 0… Triston McKenzie (2-5) came without four outs of pitching a perfect game and got plenty of support in the Indians’ thrashing of the Tigers. Jose Ramirez homered with a runner aboard to cap a six-run top of the second inning and his RBI double capped a five-run third.

MINNESOTA 5 – Tampa Bay 4… The Twins recovered to edge the Rays after blowing a four-run lead. Jorge Polanco’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning scored Max Kepler with the winning run. Josh Donaldson singled, doubled and knocked in three runs.

N.Y. Yankees 5 – CHI. WHITE SOX 3… Yankee starter Nestor Cortes (1-1) held the White Sox to a run on seven hits over six innings. Rougned Odor and Luke Voit slugged two-run homers for New York.

TEXAS 7 – Oakland 4… DJ Peters cracked a pair of two-run homers to power the Rangers past the Athletics. Adolis Garcia also went deep.

L.A. ANGELS 3 – Houston 1… Reid Detmers (1-2) limited the Astros to a run on three hits over six innings in notching his first career victory. Phil Gosselin homered for the Halos.

Toronto 8 – SEATTLE 3… Teoscar Hernandez and Randal Grichuk connected for their 20th homers of the season and the Blue Jays also got round-trippers from Alex Dickerson and Marcus Semien in downing the Mariners. Steven Matz (10-7) gave up just an unearned run on three hits over five innings.

INTERLEAGUE
St. Louis 7 – KANSAS CITY 2… The Cardinals did all their scoring in their first two at-bats and never looked back in downing the Royals. Nolan Arenado’s RBI single sparked a three-run top of the first inning and he homered with a runner aboard in the second. Tyler O’Neill also went deep. J.A. Happ (7-6) pitched five-hit ball over 5-2/3 scoreless innings.

TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Atlanta (Touki Toussaint, 1-2) is at Miami (Braxton Garrett, 1-1)…
Cincinnati (Wade Miley, 9-4) hosts the Chi. Cubs (Justin Steele, 2-1)…
San Diego (Ryan Weathers, 4-5) is at Colorado (Antonio Senzatela, 2-9)…
San Francisco (Kevin Gausman, 11-5) hosts the N.Y. Mets (Rich Hill, 6-4)…
Pittsburgh (Steven Brault, 0-1) is at the L.A. Dodgers (TBA)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
the L.A. Angels (Jose Suarez, 6-5) are at the N.Y. Yankees (Gerrit Cole, 10-6)…
Tampa Bay (TBA) hosts Baltimore (Matt Harvey, 6-11)…
Oakland (Frankie Montas, 9-8) is at the Chi. White Sox (Dallas Keuchel, 7-6)…
Minnesota (Griffin Jax, 3-1) hosts Cleveland (Cal Quantrill, 3-2)…
Houston (Jake Odorizzi, 5-6) is at Kansas City (Carlos Hernandez, 3-1)

The Rundown for August 13, 2021

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 36,306,917 and the nation’s death toll stands at 619,093, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University. Over the past 28 days, there have been 2,331,082 new cases and 10,793 deaths… The Supreme Court yesterday declined to block Indiana University’s requirement that all students receive the COVID-19 vaccine before attending classes in the fall semester. Justice Amy Coney Barrett unilaterally issued the ruling denying the request by eight Indiana students.

U.S. SENDING TROOPS TO AFGHANISTAN… The Pentagon has announced plans to send 3,000 troops to safely remove State Department staff from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Marines are sending two infantry battalions while the Army is deploying another. The emergency move comes as a Taliban takeover of the country is expected within weeks, if not days.

BORDER SURGE.. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas acknowledged yesterday the U.S. is seeing an “unprecedented” number of migrants illegally crossing the border. Mayorkas said border officials have been shocked by the sharpness of the rise. Last month, Customs and Border Protection apprehended 212,672 people and expelled 95,788. The number of migrants detained at the border was the highest monthly total in two decades.

CENSUS DATA RELEASED… 2020 Census data released yesterday found that the U.S. is more diverse and more multiracial than ever before. People of color represented 43 percent of the total U.S. population, marking a 9-percent rise from 2010. The non-Hispanic White share of the population dropped six points to 57 percent in 2020. Detailed data from the 2020 census is likely to have an impact on upcoming federal elections, starting with next year’s midterms.

HEAT WAVE… A current heat wave gripping the nation has left nearly 200 million Americans living under heat advisories. There are 35 states under heat advisories and residents are being urged to stay inside. Some of the highest temperatures are expected to be recorded in the Northwest. Record highs are also on the forecast for the Northeast, with broiling temperatures in Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh and New York City. Forecasters say added humidity could make the red-hot temperatures even more dangerous.

ENTERTAINMENT
BRITNEY SPEARS’ FATHER SEEKS DEAL… Britney Spears’ father is seeking a deal to step down as conservator of her estate. Jamie Spears expressed a willingness to back away as conservator just weeks after his daughter’s lawyers filed a petition to remove him and replace him with a CPA. He hasn’t said when he might leave. Britney Spears has accused her father of conservatorship abuse and says the experience traumatized.

HORATIO SANZ FACES SEXUAL-ASSAULT ALLEGATION… Former “Saturday Night Live” castmember Horatio Sanz is accused of plying a 17-year-old with alcohol and sexually assaulting her at a party in 2002. A woman in Pennsylvania says she was just 15 when Sanz started flirting with her and he knew she was underage. The suit also names NBCUniversal as a defendant, claiming the network should have interceded. Sanz’s attorney denies the allegation.

SPORTS
NATIONAL LEAGUE
N.Y. METS 4 – Washington 1 (7 innings)… Brandon Nimmo belted a three-run homer in the bottom of the second inning, added a run-scoring single in the fourth and the Mets breezed past the Nationals in the opener of a doubleheader. Marcus Stroman (8-11) gave up a run on three hits over 5-1/3 innings.

N.Y. METS 5 – Washington 4 (7 innings)… Pete Alonso’s one-out solo homer in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the Mets a sweep of the twinbill. Jonathan Villar went 3-for-3 with a solo homer.

St. Louis 7 – PITTSBURGH 6… Paul Goldschmidt’s run-scoring double in the top of the ninth inning proved to be the difference in the Cardinals’ win over the Pirates. Paul DeJong and Lars Nootbaar hit two-run homers in the fourth.

PHILADELPHIA 2 – L.A. Dodgers 1… Five pitchers combined on a three-hitter as the Phillies clipped the Dodgers. Bryce Harper homered and singled home a run for Philadelphia.

Milwaukee 17 – CHI. CUBS 4… The Brewers unleashed a 22-hit attack in clobbering the Cubs. Manny Pina unloaded a grand slam and homered with a runner aboard. Luis Urias went 5-for-6 with a pair of homers and five RBIs. Jace Peterson went 5-for-5 with a two-run homer and knocked in four runs.

Cincinnati 12 – ATLANTA 3… Jesse Winker went 3-for-4 with a grand slam and the Reds pounded the Braves. Tyler Naquin blasted a three-run shot and Kyle Farmer homered with a runner aboard. Jonathan India and Tyler Stephenson also went deep. Victor Gutierrez (8-3) allowed a run on five hits over six innings.

SAN FRANCISCO 7 – Colorado 0… Logan Webb (6-3) pitched three-hit ball over six innings and two relievers completed the shutout of the Rockies. Webb helped himself offensively with a two-run single. LaMonte Wade hit a three-run homer.

ARIZONA 12 – San Diego 3… The Diamondbacks rolled past the Padres after spotting them an early two-run lead. Pavin Smith slugged a two-run double and a two-run single. David Peralta homered with a runner aboard.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Oakland 17 – CLEVELAND 0… Mark Canha and Starling Marte drove in three runs apiece to lead the Athletics in their romp over the Indians. Mitch Moreland smacked a pair of solo homers. Chris Bassitt (12-3) pitched three-hit ball over six innings and got help from three relievers.

Detroit 6 – BALTIMORE 4… Renato Nunez and Victor Reyes hit two-run homers during a five-run top of the fourth inning and the Tigers held off the Orioles. Robbie Grossman added a solo homer in the fifth.

Tampa Bay 8 – BOSTON 1… Wander Franco connected for a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the sixth inning and Mike Zunino connected for a three-run homer to cap a four-run eighth for the Rays. Five Tampa Bay pitchers limited Boston to two hits.

SEATTLE 3 – Texas 1… J.P. Crawford hit a go-ahead solo homer in the bottom of the fifth inning and Jake Fraley went deep in the seventh as the Mariners downed the Rangers. Marco Gonzales (4-5) went the distance, holding Texas to a run on two hits.

CHI. WHITE SOX 9 – N.Y. Yankees 8… Tim Anderson’s two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the White Sox over the Yankees in the Field of Dreams game after Chicago blew a three-run lead in the top of the inning.

L.A. ANGELS 6 – Toronto 3… Kurt Suzuki and Jared Walsh drove in two runs apiece as the Angels doubled up on the Blue Jays. Shohei Ohtani (7-1) surrendered two runs on three hits over six innings.

TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Atlanta (Charlie Morton, 10-4) is at Washington (Josiah Gray, 0-0)…
Philadelphia (Zack Wheeler, 10-6) hosts Cincinnati (Tyler Mahle, 9-3)…
Milwaukee (Brett Anderson, 4-5) is at Pittsburgh (Mitch Keller, 3-9)…
Miami (Jesus Luzardo, 1-1) hosts the Chi. Cubs (Adbert Alzolay, 4-12)…
the L.A. Dodgers (Julio Urias, 13-3) are at the N.Y. Mets (Tylor Megill, 1-2)…
Arizona (Madison Bumgarner, 6-7) hosts San Diego (Blake Snell, 6-4)…
Colorado (Austin Gomber, 9-6) is at San Francisco (Anthony DeSclafani, 10-5)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Baltimore (Spenser Watkins, 2-3) is at Boston (Nick Pivetta, 8-5)…
Detroit (Tyler Alexander, 2-1) hosts Cleveland (Zach Plesac, 6-4)…
Oakland (Cole Irvin, 8-10) is at Texas (Dane Dunning, 5-7)…
Minnesota (Michael Pineda, 4-7) hosts Tampa Bay (Shane McClanahan, 6-4)…
Houston (Zack Greinke, 10-3) is at the L.A. Angels (Patrick Sandoval, 3-5)…
Seattle (Chris Flexen, 10-5) hosts Toronto (Robbie Ray, 9-5)

INTERLEAGUE
St. Louis (Jack Flaherty, 8-1) is at Kansas City (Mike Minor, 8-10)

The Rundown for August 12, 2021

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 36,190,342 and the nation’s death toll stands at 618,479, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University. Over the past 28 days, there have been 2,242,949 new cases and 10,465 deaths… The FDA plans to amend the emergency use authorization orders for the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines today to allow a third dose for certain immunocompromised people who may not have had adequate protection from just two doses… California yesterday became the first state in the country to require all teachers and other school employees to be either fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or get regularly tested.

SENATE PASSES BUDGET RESOLUTION… Senate Democrats yesterday approved a $3.5 trillion budget resolution. The final vote was 50-49 following series of amendment votes. The budget resolution is on its way to the House, where it will be considered after the chamber returns from recess in two weeks.

JUDGE ORDERS SOME OF TRUMP’S TAXES TURNED OVER… A federal judge ruled yesterday that the accounting firm Mazars USA must hand over some of former President Trump’s personal financial records to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The judge, however, limited the scope of the panel’s request to information regarding Trump’s lease with the General Services Administration for Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. The committee has been investigating whether Trump’s businesses had profited from his time in the White House. It had sought records dating back to 2011, but the judge limited the transactions to those since 2018.

VOTING-LIE LAWSUITS CAN PROCEED… A federal judge ruled yesterday that defamation lawsuits against election-disinformation pushers Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani and Mike Lindell can proceed. The three were sued by Dominion Voting Systems after they toured the country spreading Trump’s lie that the 2020 election was stolen. The plaintiffs sought to have the suits dismissed. Dominion has sued each of the three for $1.3 billion and previously sued cable networks Fox News, OAN and Newsmax.

337 MIGRANT CHILDREN REMAINED SEPARATED… Lawyers trying to reunite migrant families separated at the U.S. southern border say they have yet to make contact with the parents of 337 children. Lawyers for the Justice Department and the American Civil Liberties Union lawyers told the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of California in a court filing that they have contacted the parents of 31 separated children since their last report in June. According to the filing, the parents of 250 children are believed to have been removed from the U.S. while the parents of 75 children are believed to still be in the country.

ENTERTAINMENT
DOLLY PARTON NOVEL COMING… Dolly Parton is teaming up with bestselling author James Patterson for her first novel. “Run, Rose, Run” is scheduled for release on March 7, 2022 and will tell the story of a young woman’s journey in the music world as she escapes her dark past. The release of the novel will coincide with an album of the same name with songs based on characters and plot points in the book.

JURY SELECTION IN R. KELLY TRIAL… Prosecutors and defense lawyers have selected seven men and five women to served as jurors in R. Kelly’s trial in Brooklyn federal court. The 45-year-old R&B singer is accused of leading a “criminal enterprise” consisting of his own employees to help him recruit women and young girls for his own sexual gratification. Opening statements in the trial are scheduled to begin on August 18.

SPORTS
NATIONAL LEAGUE
N.Y. METS 8 – Washington 7… The Mets rallied past the Nationals in the resumption of a game suspended by rain on Tuesday. Last night’s regularly-scheduled game was washed out by rain and will be made up as part of a doubleheader today.

Miami 7 – SAN DIEGO 0… Sandy Alcantara (7-10) limited the Padres to four hits over seven innings and two Marlins relievers held them hitless the rest of the way. Lewis Brinson went 3-for-4 with a pair of homers and three RBIs. Bryan De La Cruz also went deep.

St. Louis 4 – PITTSBURGH 0… Adam Wainwright (11-6) tossed a complete-game two-hitter and the Cardinals cruised past the Pirates. Wainwright helped himself at the plate with an RBI single. Paul DeJong doubled home two runs.

L.A. Dodgers 8 – PHILADELPHIA 2… Cody Bellinger homered twice and knocked in four runs to lead the Dodgers past the Phillies. AJ Pollock had three hits, including an RBI single.

ATLANTA 8 – Cincinnati 6 (11 innings)… The Braves recovered to outlast the Reds after blowing a 5-0 sixth-inning lead. Ozzie Albies belted a walkoff three-run homer in the bottom of the 11th inning. Guillermo Heredia homered with a runner aboard. Austin Riley had two hits and drove in a couple of runs.

Milwaukee 10 – CHI. CUBS 0… The Brewers opened with a seven-run top of the first inning and never looked back in their romp over the Cubs. Corbin Burnes (7-4) matched a major league record by recording 10 of his 15 strikeouts consecutively. He allowed just four hits over eight innings. Omar Narvaez hit a two-run homer and finished with five RBIs.

SAN FRANCISCO 7 – Arizona 2… DeMonte Wade, Jr., homered with a runner aboard and the Giants got solo shots from Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford ad Alex Dickerson in downing the Diamondbacks. Kevin Gausman (11-5) allowed two runs on four hits over five innings. One of the runs was unearned.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
MINNESOTA 1 – Chi. White Sox 0… Jorge Polanco’s one-out homer in the bottom of the sixth inning accounted for the game’s only run as the Twins clipped the White Sox. Minnesota managed just four hits in the victory.

N.Y. Yankees 5 – KANSAS CITY 2… Six pitchers held the Royals at bay and the Yankees breezed to the win. Luke Voit singled home two runs during a three-run top of the first inning.

Detroit 5 – BALTIMORE 2… Tarik Skubal (8-10) pitched five-hit ball over six scoreless innings and the Tigers handled the Orioles. Miguel Cabrera opened the scoring with a solo homer and Niko Goodrum stroked a two-run double in the top of the fifth inning. Cabrera also lifted a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

Oakland 6 – CLEVELAND 3… Elvis Andrus led off the top of the eighth inning with a game-tying homer and Jed Lowrie added a three-run shot to power the Athletics past the Indians. Matt Chapman had a couple of hits and an RBI.

BOSTON 20 – Tampa Bay 8… The Red Sox built a 14-0 lead through five innings and scored six more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to wallop the Rays. Xavier Bogaerts lined a run-scoring double and belted a three-run homer. Hunter Renfroe also knocked in four runs. Nathan Eovaldi (10-7) gave up just a run on three hits and fanned 10 over seven innings.

Toronto 10 – L.A. ANGELS 2… Teoscar Hernandez unloaded a grand slam to cap a five-run top of the fifth inning that put away the Angels. George Springer slugged a pair of solo homers. Lourdes Gurriel also homered with the bases empty.

SEATTLE 2 – Texas 1… Luis Torrens singled home Jarred Kelenic in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Mariners over the Rangers. Kelenic drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth to force home J.P. Crawford with a tying run.

INTERLEAGUE
HOUSTON 5 – Colorado 1… Framber Valdez (8-3) held the Rockies to a run on four hits over six innings. Aledmys Diaz went 3-for-3 and drove in three runs for Houston.

TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Washington (TBA; TBA) is at the N.Y. Mets (Marcus Stroman, 7-11; Trevor Williams, 4-2) for a doubleheader…
Pittsburgh (JT Brubaker, 4-11) hosts St. Louis (Wade LeBlanc, 0-1)…
the L.A. Dodgers (Julio Urias, 13-3) are at Philadelphia (Ronger Suarez, 5-3)…
the Chi. Cubs (Kyle Hendricks, 13-4) host Milwaukee (Brandon Woodruff, 7-6)…
Cincinnati (Vladimir Gutierrez, 7-3) is at Atlanta (Kyle Muller, 2-3)…
Arizona (TBA) hosts San Diego (Yu Darvish, 7-6)…
Colorado (German Marquez, 10-8) is at San Francisco (Logan Webb, 5-3)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Oakland (Chris Bassitt, 11-3) is at Cleveland (Eli Morgan, 1-4)…
Baltimore (John Means, 5-3) hosts Detroit (Matt Manning, 2-5)…
Tampa Bay (Drew Rasmussen, 1-0) is at Boston (Nick Pivetta, 8-5)…
Seattle (Marco Gonzales, 3-5) hosts Texas (Mike Foltynewicz, 2-10)…
the N.Y. Yankees (Andrew Heaney, 7-8) are at the Chi. White Sox (Lance Lynn, 10-3)…
the L.A. Angels (Shohei Ohtani, 6-1) host Toronto (Jose Berrios, 8-5)

The Rundown for August 11, 2021

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 36,051,023 and the nation’s death toll stands at 618,114, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University. Over the past 28 days, there have been 2,059,170 new cases and 9,998 deaths… With the U.S. surpassing 36 million cases yesterday, the percentage of Americans who’ve had a positive test rose to 10.82 percent… Experts say scientific trials from around the world have shown that COVID-19 vaccines have shown to be close to 100-percent effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths… Local officials are pushing back against the governors of Florida and Texas for their bans against school mask mandates. A number of counties, including Leon, Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Orange and Palm Beach, are defying Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ order. In Texas, school districts in Dallas and Austin, have announced mask requirements in opposition to Governor Greg Abbott’s executive order banning such mandates. Meanwhile, the San Francisco school district said its 10,000 employees would be required to be vaccinated or get tested weekly.

SENATE PASSES INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE… The Senate yesterday voted 69-30 in passing a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package. The measure got the support of all Democrats and 19 Republicans in advancing to the House. Vice President Kamala Harris then had to cast a tie-breaking vote to initiate debate on a $3.5 trillion spending plan, which includes funding for various social and healthcare measures and climate change.

CUOMO RESIGNS AS N.Y. GOVERNOR… New York Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul is set to take over the state’s first woman governor in 14 days following yesterday’s resignation of Governor Andrew Cuomo. The 63-year-old Hochul was first elected lieutenant governor in 2014 after serving as a U.S. congresswoman from Buffalo. She said she agreed with Cuomo’s decision to step down after a report released last week by New York State Attorney General Letitia James detailed 11 instances of sexual misconduct.

TEXAS TURNS UP PRESSURE ON QUORUM-BREAKING DEMOCRATS… Republicans in Texas yesterday cleared the way for law enforcement to track down and arrest Democrats who left the state last week to block a restrictive Republican voting bill. After the Texas House voted 80-12 to authorize law enforcement to bring the missing Democrats back to the state Capitol, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that officers can detain them. Governor Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan had asked the court on Monday to overturn a state district judge’s ruling that blocked the arrest of quorum-breaking Democrats.

MOON MISSION DELAYED… The Artemis mission that would put U.S. astronauts back to the moon will be delayed until 2025 at the earliest, according to a report from the NASA’s Office of the Inspector General. The COVID-19 pandemic, funding, as well as technical issues were cited among reasons for the delay. The report recommended that NASA create a more appropriate timeline to avoid such development risks.

ENTERTAINMENT
STEVIE NICKS CANCELS APPEARANCES… Stevie Nicks announced yesterday that she is cancelling all five of her 2021 scheduled appearances. The 73-year-old singer expressed concern for the coronavirus spread and said she looks forward to the days people can gather safely. She had been scheduled to perform at the Jazz Aspen Festival in Colorado, BottleRock Napa Valley, both weekends of the Austin City Limits Music Festival and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, which was canceled on Monday. The remaining festivals are planning to announce replacement acts.

CHRISTINA APPLEGATE DIAGNOSED WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS… Christina Applegate revealed on social media yesterday that she has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The 49-year-old actress, who stars on the Netflix series “Dead to Me,” joins her “The Sweetest Thing” co-star Selma Blair and “Sopranos” actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler and other stars who’ve shared the diagnosis in recent years. Production on the third season of “Dead to Me” has been paused temporarily.

SPORTS
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Milwaukee 4 – CHI. CUBS 2 (7 innings)… Wily Adames smacked a leadoff homer and Avisail Garcia added his 20th homer with a runner aboard during a three-run top of the fourth inning that carried the Brewers past the Cubs in the opener of a doubleheader. Lorenzo Cain added a sixth-inning homer. Freddy Peralta (9-3) allowed two runs on five hits over 5-1/3 innings.

Milwaukee 6 – CHI. CUBS 3 (7 innings)… The Brewers did all their scoring in the top of the fifth inning on their way to completing a sweep of the twinbill. Six different batters drove in runs.

St. Louis 4 – PITTSBURGH 1… J.A. Happ (6-6) allowed only a Hoy Park homer over six innings and the Cardinals cruised past the Pirates. Tommy Edman and Paul DeJong hit solo homers for St. Louis.

L.A. Dodgers 5 – PHILADELPHIA 0… Max Scherzer and six relievers combined on a six-hitter as the Dodgers blanked the Phillies in a game delayed an hour and 44 minutes by rain. Corey Seager and Max Muncy slugged solo homers. AJ Pollock singled home two runs.

ATLANTA 3 – Cincinnati 2… The Braves squeaked past the Reds after spotting them a two-run lead. Adam Duval tied the game with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning and Stephen Vogt drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth. Drew Smyly (8-3) surrendered two runs on two hits over six innings.

SAN FRANCISCO 8 – Arizona 7… The Giants recovered to top the Diamondbacks after blowing a five-run sixth-inning lead and a two-run lead in the ninth. LaMonte Wade Jr. scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth when Diamondbacks first-baseman Christian Walker couldn’t field Kris Bryant’s sharp grounder. Mike Yastrzemski had a couple of hits, including a two-run double.

SAN DIEGO 6 – Miami 5… The Padres overcame an early three-run deficit to edge the Marlins. Austin Nola doubled home a run in the bottom of the first and his seventh-inning single scored Adam Frazier with the decisive run.

Washington – N.Y. METS (susp.)… Rain in New York forced the suspension of last night’s Nationals-Mets game. The game will resume before today’s regularly-scheduled game with Washington leading 3-1 in top of second inning. Juan Soto blasted a first-inning homer.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
L.A. Angels 6 – TORONTO 3 (7 innings)… Justin Upton and Phil Gosselin stroked two-run singles and the Angels used a pair of unearned runs to double up on the Blue Jays in the doubleheader opener.

TORONTO 4 – L.A. Angels 0 (7 innings)… Four pitchers combined on a three-hitter and the Blue Jays blanked the Angels to claim a split of the twinbill. Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., singled home a run and scored in the top of the first inning. Lourdes Gurriel added a two-run single in the sixth.

Detroit 9 – BALTIMORE 4… Will Castro opened the scoring with an RBI double in the top of the second inning and tripled home two more runs in the third to lead the Tigers past the Orioles. Jeimer Candelario homered with a runner aboard.

Oakland 4 – CLEVELAND 3 (10 innings)… Jed Lowrie doubled home Elvis Andrus with a tie-breaking run in the top of the 10th inning and the Athletics made it stand in outlasting the Indians. Lowrie’s eighth-inning grounder scored Starling Marte with the tying run. Seth Brown homered with the bases empty.

Tampa Bay 8 – BOSTON 4… The Rays came from three runs down in the sixth to get past the Red Sox. Francisco Mejia’s tie-breaking two-run single in the top of the ninth inning sparked a four-run rally. Brandon Lowe homered and singled home a run.

MINNESOTA 4 – Chi. White Sox 3… Willians Astudillo blasted a go-ahead two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning and the Twins hung on to down the White Sox. Griffin Jax (3-1) allowed three runs on five hits and struck out 10 over six innings.

KANSAS CITY 8 – N.Y. Yankees 4… Salvador Perez went 3-for-4 with a pair of homers and three RBIs in leading the Royals past the Yankees. Hunter Dozier doubled home a tie-breaking run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Texas 5 – SEATTLE 4 (10 innings)… The Rangers got run-scoring singles from Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Yonny Hernandez in the top of the 10th inning and held off the Mariners. Jason Martin and Adolis Garcia cracked solo homers.

INTERLEAGUE
HOUSTON 5 – Colorado 0… Jake Odorizzi (5-6) limited the Rockies to three hits over five innings and four Astros relievers completed the shutout. Taylor Jones’ two-run double capped a three-run fourth.

TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Miami (Sandy Alcantara, 6-10) is at San Diego (Ryan Weathers, 4-4)
Philadelphia (Kyle Gibson, 2-0) hosts the L.A. Dodgers (David Price, 4-1)…
St. Louis (Adam Wainwright, 10-6) is at Pittsburgh (Wil Crowe, 3-6)…
the N.Y. Mets (Rich Hill, 6-4) host Washington (Joe Ross, 5-9)…
Cincinnati (Wade Miley, 9-4) is at Atlanta (Touki Toussaint, 1-2)…
the Chi. Cubs (Joe Ross, 5-9) host Milwaukee (Corbin Burnes, 6-4)…
Arizona (Merrill Kelly, 7-8) is at San Francisco (Kevin Gausman, 10-5)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
the Chi. White Sox (Lance Lynn, 10-3) are at Minnesota (Bailey Ober, 1-1)…
Kansas City (Brady Singer, 3-7) hosts the N.Y. Yankees (TBA)…
Detroit (Tarik Skubal, 7-10) is at Baltimore (Matt Harvey, 6-10)…
Cleveland (Cal Quantrill, 3-2) hosts Oakland (Frankie Montas, 9-8)…
Tampa Bay (Josh Fleming, 9-5) is at Boston (Nathan Eovaldi, 9-7)…
the L.A. Angels (Dylan Bundy, 2-8) host Toronto (Alek Manoah, 4-1)…
Texas (Spencer Howard, 0-3) is at Seattle (Tyler Anderson, 5-8)

INTERLEAGUE
Colorado (Antonio Senzatela, 2-8) is at Houston (Framber Valdez, 7-3)

The Rundown for August 10, 2021

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 35,948,131 and the nation’s death toll stands at 617,321, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University… Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced yesterday that the Pentagon will require U.S. military members to get vaccinated against coronavirus by September 15. The deadline could be pushed up, depending on developments. Meanwhile, an order issued yesterday by Washington Governor Jay Inslee requires state employees and hundreds of thousands of private healthcare workers to be vaccinated by October 18… Arkansas recorded 103 hospitalizations yesterday to set a new one-day record and raise the number of people hospitalized in the state to 1,376. The Department of Health reported that there are only eight intensive care unit beds available in the state… Canada yesterday opened its border with the U.S. for the first time in more than a year. All travelers are required to show proof of vaccination that’s uploaded through a Canadian app, and a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of entry. All U.S. travelers must be fully vaccinated at least two weeks before arriving at the border. Unvaccinated children under 12 traveling with vaccinated parents can skip quarantine if they follow other safety requirements.

SENATE TO VOTE ON INFRASTRUCTURE BILL… The Senate is scheduled to vote this morning the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill and move along to the broader $3.5 trillion bill aimed at family support, health and education programs as well as climate change. The infrastructure bill appears to have the votes needed for passage, although some Republicans have objected to the size, scope and financing of the package. Nearly $550 billion would be spent on roads, bridges, broadband internet, water pipes and other public works systems.

TEXAS HOUSE DEMS MAY MOVE FREELY… The more than 50 Texas House Democrats who broke quorum last month by leaving the state may return home without threat of apprehension following a judge’s order that took effect yesterday. The order issued by State District Judge Brad Urrutia restricts Governor Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan from “detaining, confining or otherwise restricting” the free movement of House Democrats within the state or issuing any warrants ordering their confinement. The order expires in 14 days unless extended by Urrutia.

LABOR DEPARTMENT SAYS HELP WANTED… The Labor Department announced yesterday that a record 10.1 million jobs were available in June. The report said hirings increased to 6.7 million while the number of workers leaving jobs jumped to 5.6 million. Professional and business services had the most job openings with 227,000 positions, while retail trade had 133,000 openings and accommodation and food services had 121,000 available jobs.

U.N. CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT IS DIRE… A 3,900-page report written by 234 scientists from 66 countries blames affirms droughts are more severe and fire seasons are becoming constant due to human activity. The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report says humans can still limit the worst of climate change but many of the changes happening now are irreversible in the coming decades. Time is running out to stave off the most catastrophic impacts, the report concludes but significant cuts in fossil-fuel use could still make a difference, according to the report.

ENTERTAINMENT
BILLIE EILISH TOPS ALBUM CHART… Billie Eilish’s sophomore album “Happier Than Ever” sold 238,000 copies to debut atop the Billboard 200 album chart. The Kid LAROI’s “F*ck Love” slipped to second place after selling 65,000 units. Olivia Rodrigo’s “Sour” finished third with 60,000 copies sold. Prince’s archival studio album “Welcome 2 America” opened at No. 4 after selling 55,000 units. Doja Cat’s “Planet” dropped to fifth place with 55,000 copies sold.

JURY SELECTION IN R. KELLY TRIAL… Jury selection began yesterday in the New York City criminal trial of R&B singer R. Kelly, who stands accused of trafficking women and girls for sex. The singer, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, faces charges that include sexual and physical abuse, child pornography, paying hush-money and racketeering. Twelve jurors and six alternates will be chosen for his trial in federal court in Brooklyn.

SPORTS
NATIONAL LEAGUE
SAN DIEGO 8 – Miami 3… The Padres used a four-run bottom of the eighth inning to bury the Marlins. Eric Hosmer homered and singled home a run. Trent Grisham legged out a two-run triple. Victor Caratini also knocked in two runs. Joe Musgrove (8-7) allowed a run on five hits over six innings.

Milwaukee – CHI. CUBS (ppd.)… Rain in Chicago forced postponement of last night’s Brewers-Cubs game. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader today.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Chi. White Sox 11 – MINNESOTA 1… The White Sox scored seven runs in their first two at-bats and never looked back in their romp over the Twins. Tim Anderson homered to lead off the game and Eloy Jimenez smacked a two-run shot during a four-run top of the first. Jimenez added a three-run homer in the second. Yoan Moncada also went deep. Lucas Giolito (9-8) allowed just a run on two hits over eight innings.

N.Y. Yankees 8 – KANSAS CITY 6 (11 innings)… The Yankees blew leads in four straight innings before putting away the Royals with a three-run top of the 11th inning. DJ LeMahieu doubled home a go-ahead run and Brett Gardner’s sharp infield single bounced off Kansas City shortstop Nicky Lopez and scored the two decisive runs. Luke Voit opened the scoring with a run-scoring single in the seventh and added a solo homer in the ninth.

INTERLEAGUE
CLEVELAND 9 – Cincinnati 3… Wilson Ramos belted a tie-breaking two-run homer in the bottom of the second inning and the Indians rolled past the Reds. Jose Ramirez homered with a runner aboard and tripled home a run. Bradley Zimmer also went deep.

TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Milwaukee (Freddy Peralta, 8-3; Aaron Ashby, 0-0) is at the Chi. Cubs (Justin Steele, 2-0; Alec Mills, 5-4) for a doubleheader…
Philadelphia (Aaron Nola, 7-6) hosts the L.A. Dodgers (Max Scherzer, 9-4)…
St. Louis (J.A. Happ, 5-6) is at Pittsburgh (Steven Brault, 0-0)…
the N.Y. Mets (Carlos Carrasco, 0-0) host Washington (Paolo Espino, 3-3)…
Cincinnati (Sonny Gray, 4-6) is at Atlanta (Drew Smyly, 7-3)…
San Francisco (Alex Wood, 9-3) hosts Arizona (Zac Gallen, 1-6)…
Miami (TBA) is at San Diego (Craig Stammen, 5-2)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
the L.A. Angels (Chris Rodriguez, 2-1; Jose Suarez, 5-4) are at Toronto (Steven Matz, 9-6; Ross Stripling, 5-6) for a doubleheader…
Baltimore (Keegan Akin, 0-5) hosts Detroit (Casey Mize, 6-6)…
Oakland (Sean Manaea, 8-7) is at Cleveland (Triston McKenzie, 1-5)…
Boston (Eduardo Rodriguez, 8-6) hosts Tampa Bay (Luis Patino, 2-3)…
the Chi. White Sox (Dallas Keuchel, 7-5) are at Minnesota (Griffin Jax, 2-1)…
Kansas City (Daniel Lynch, 2-3) hosts the N.Y. Yankees (Nestor Cortes, 0-0)…
Texas (Kolby Allard, 2-10) is at Seattle (Logan Gilbert, 5-3)

INTERLEAGUE
Colorado (Jon Gray, 7-7) is at Houston (Jake Odorizzi, 4-6)

The Rundown for August 9, 2021

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 35,763,970 and the nation’s death toll stands at 616,829, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University… The nation’s top infectious diseases expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said durning an appearance on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” yesterday that he “hopes” that the Food and Drug Administration will give COVID-19 vaccines full approval by the end of the month. The vaccines are being administered under emergency use authorizations. Public health officials hope full approval would spur new vaccine mandates in private businesses.

INFRASTRUCTURE BILL PASSES SENATE HURDLE… The Senate last night voted to advance the $1 trillion infrastructure bill. The 68-to-29 vote ended debate on the final infrastructure legislation. Republican Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee had held up the vote despite its ate being assured. A final vote is expected tomorrow morning.

FORMER AG TESTIFIES BEFORE SENATE PANEL… Former acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen provided the Senate Judiciary Committee about what had occurred at the Justice Department during the waning days of the Trump administration, committee chairman Dick Durbin said yesterday. Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, said during an appearance on CNN’s “Face the Nation” that Rosen provided seven hours of testimony on a bipartisan basis. The panel also heard from Richard Donoghue, who became acting deputy attorney general in late December 2020.

DIXIE FIRE BECOMES CALIFORNIA’S LARGEST EVER… The Dixie Fire in northern California is now the largest single wildfire in state history. Officials say the blaze has consumed more than 700 square miles across four counties and is less than a quarter contained. At least 400 homes and other structures have been destroyed. Smoke from the fire, along with the many other fires in the American West, has brought unhealthy air to parts of Colorado and Utah.

FATAL COP SHOOTING… One Chicago police officer was fatally shot and another was critically wounded during a routine traffic stop on Saturday night, officials said yesterday. Police say a vehicle occupied by two men and a woman began shooting at the officers after getting pulled over. The fallen officers has been identified as the first female officer shot to death in the line of duty since 1988.

ENTERTAINMENT
ACTRESS MARKIE POST DIES… Actress Markie Post, who is known for her roles in “Night Court,” “The Fall Guy” and “Hearts Afire,” died on Saturday after a nearly four-year battle with cancer. She was 70. Post launched her career on game shows and then began landing recurring roles on a wide range of television shows. In 1998, she appeared as the Cameron Diaz character’s mother in “There’s Something About Mary.”

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE… “The Suicide Squad” took in $26.5 million to debut atop the weekend box office. Last week’s champ, “Jungle Cruise,” slipped into second place with $15.6 million. “Old” dropped to No. 3 after taking in $4.1 million. “Black Widow” made $4 million to finish fourth. “Stillwater” capped the top five with $2.8 million.

SPORTS
MLB SCOREBOARD…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
PHILADELPHIA 3 – N.Y. Mets 0… Zack Wheeler (10-6) struck out 11 in a complete-game shutout of the Mets. Jean Segura, J.T. Realmuto and Bryce Harper hit solo homers.

CINCINNATI 3 – Pittsburgh 2… The Reds scored all three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and held off the Pirates. Tyler Mahle (9-3) allowed two runs on six hits and struck out 10 in seven innings.

ATLANTA 5 – Washington 4… Two-run homers by Ozzie Albies and Adam Duval powered the Braves past the Nationals. Max Fred (9-7) allowed a run on six hits over seven innings.

San Francisco 5 – MILWAUKEE 4… Tommy La Stella singled home a tie-breaking run in the top of the eighth inning and the Giants made it stand in edging the Brewers. Brandon Belt’s two-run homer tied the game in the seventh. Darin Ruff homered with the bases empty in the first.

COLORADO 13 – Miami 8… C.J. Cron blasted a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning and added a grand slam in the fourth to lead the Rockies in their pounding of the Marlins. Dom Nuñez homered with a runner aboard.

SAN DIEGO 2 – Arizona 0… Blake Snell (6-4) limited the Diamondbacks to two hits over seven innings and fanned 13. Jake Cronenworth singled home a run and homered for the Padres.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Tampa Bay 9 – BALTIMORE 6… Brett Phillips’ grand slam capped a six-run top of the eighth inning for the Rays. Phillips also homered with a runner aboard in the sixth. Austin Meadows had a couple of hits, including a solo homer.

Seattle 2 – N.Y. YANKEES 0… Yusei Kikuchi and three Mariners relievers combined on a six-hitter as the Mariners blanked the Yankees. Kyle Seager’s RBI double in the top of the eighth inning broke a scoreless tie.

TORONTO 9 – Boston 8… The Blue Jays rallied from five runs down to upend the Red Sox. George Springer blasted a go-ahead three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning. Vladimir Guerrero homered with a runner aboard. Teoscar Hernández went 3-for-4 and knocked in two runs.

CLEVELAND 7 – Detroit 5… Bradley Zimmer connected for a tie-breaking two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Indians came from behind to top the Tigers. Owen Miller also went deep for Cleveland.

Minnesota 7 – HOUSTON 5… Jorge Polanco’s three-run homer in the top of the sixth inning proved to be the difference in the Twins’ win over the Astros. Miguel Sanó smacked a two-run shot.

OAKLAND 6 – Texas 3… James Kaprielian (6-4) allowed just two runs on three hits over six innings and the Athletics doubled up on the Rangers. Seth Brown homered or Oakland. Sean Murphy doubled home two runs.

INTERLEAGUE
Kansas City 6 – ST. LOUIS 5… Nicky Lopez singled home Jarrod Dyson with a tie-breaking run in the top of the ninth inning and the Royals hung on to edge the Cardinals.

L.A. DODGERS 8 – L.A. Angels 2… Albert Pujols and Cody Bellinger belted two-run homers as the Dodgers breezed past the Angels. Walker Buehler (12-2) surrendered a run on four hits over six innings.

Chi. White Sox 9 – CHI. CUBS 3… The White Sox jumped out to a 7-0 lead after 1-1/2 innings and never looked back in trouncing the Cubs. Tim Anderson homered to lead off the game. Eloy Jiménez went 3-for=4 with a pair of homers and five RBIs. Andrew Vaughn homered and drove in three runs.

TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Milwaukee (Freddy Peralta, 8-3) is at the Chi. Cubs (Alec Mills, 5-4)…
San Diego (Joe Musgrove, 7-7) hosts Miami (Zach Thompson, 2-4)aaa

AMERICAN LEAGUE
the Chi. White Sox (Lucas Giolito, 8-8) are at Minnesota (Beau Burrows, 0-0)…
Kansas City (Carlos Hernandez, 3-1) hosts the N.Y. Yankees (Jameson Taillon, 7-4)

INTERLEAGUE
Cincinnati (Luis Castillo, 6-10) is at Cleveland (Sam Hentges, 1-4)