BASEBALL
Chris Murphy struck out 11 in six scoreless innings and the Portland Sea Dogs ended a long layoff with a 3-1 win against the BInghamton Rumble Ponies on Friday night at Hadlock Field.
Portland was playing its first game since Sept. 4. The Sea Dogs had five games canceled because of opponents COVID-19 concerns, and their game Thursday was canceled because of rain.
Murphy allowed two hits and didn’t walk a batter in his first appearance since Aug. 31. Andrew Politi and Joan Martinez each pitched a scoreless inning, while Victor Santos allowed one run.
Hudson Potts drove in a run in the first, sixth and eighth for Portland.
COLLEGES
MEN’S SOCCER: St. Joseph’s (1-0-1) took the lead on an own goal in the 61st minute and Michael Wildes added a goal in a 2-1 win over St. Joseph (2-1) in West Hartford, Connecticut.
Colin Grant had an assist for St. Joseph’s.
Jose Martin recorded six saves for St. Joseph (Conn.), while David Walbridge stopped four shots for St. Joseph’s.
HORSE RACING
BOB BAFFERT: The New York Racing Association has charged Bob Baffert with detrimental conduct and scheduled a hearing for the two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer to respond to those allegations.
NYRA announced the beginning of the hearing process Friday, adding the organization believes Baffert’s conduct warrants suspension or revocation of his right to train horses or enter races at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.
Baffert was suspended by NYRA in May for Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit failing a postrace drug test, and he sued to get the suspension lifted. A New York federal judge nullified the suspension in July on the grounds that NYRA acted unconstitutionally by failing to let him adequately respond.
Brooklyn Judge Carol Bagley Amon at the time said a prompt post-suspension hearing where Baffert could refute the charges was required to meet constitutional muster. NYRA scheduled Baffert’s video hearing to begin Sept. 27.
In a letter dated Sept. 9 and signed by Racing Committee Chairman Stuart Subotnick, NYRA charged Baffert with conduct detrimental to the best interests of racing, health and safety of horses and jockeys and the organization’s business operations.
BASKETBALL
NBA: The Toronto Raptors have gotten approval from the Canadian government to play games at their home arena this season, a team spokesman said.
Toronto played last season in Tampa, Florida, because of travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s not clear whether the team will be allowed to have full attendance at Scotiabank Arena. Fans who attend games will be required to show proof of vaccination.
GOLF
CHAMPIONS TOUR: Paul Goydos, Doug Barron and Marco Dawson each shot 5-under 66 to share the first-round lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ inaugural Ascension Charity Classic.
Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh, Wes Short Jr., Steve Flesch and Cliff Kresge were a stroke back on Norwood Hills’ West Course, the tree-lined layout where Ben Hogan won the 1948 PGA Championship for his second major title.
SOCCER
WORLD CUP: The head of the U.S. Soccer Federation asked the unions of the women’s and men’s national teams to agree to equalize FIFA’s World Cup prize money on their own. USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone sent an open letter making the request, which called for the men’s national team to allow the USSF to reallocate a portion of FIFA’s World Cup payments to the federation to the women’s team.
“We see an opportunity to create change,” Parlow Cone wrote. “We need our men’s and women’s national teams to come together and re-think how we’ve done things in the past. To that end, we have invited the players and both players’ associations to join U.S. Soccer in negotiating a solution together that equalizes World Cup prize money between the USMNT and USWNT.”
FIFA and the men’s union did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
• Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic is set to be out for 10 days because of a left ankle injury, Manager Thomas Tuchel said. Pulisic was hurt on Wednesday in the United States’ 4-1 win at Honduras in a World Cup qualifier.
Pulisic figures to miss English Premier League matches against Aston Villa and Tottenham, as well as Chesea’s Champions League opener against Zenit St. Petersburg on Tuesday.
PELE: Former Brazilian soccer great Pelé remained in intensive care as he recovered from surgery to remove a tumor on the right side of his colon.
Hospital Albert Einstein in Sao Paulo said in a statement that 80-year-old Edson Arantes do Nascimento was recovering “in a satisfactory manner,” though still in intensive care. The hospital said on Monday that Pelé was expected to be moved to a regular room on Tuesday.
AUTO RACING
FORMULA ONE: Valtteri Bottas edged out Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton and championship leader Max Verstappen at the Temple of Speed in the return of sprint qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix.
Bottas’ final flying lap saw him beat Hamilton by .096 seconds in a qualifying session that set the grid for Formula One’s second-ever sprint, which will determine the starting lineup for Sunday’s main race. Red Bull driver Verstappen was .411 behind the Finn, who is leaving Mercedes at the end of the season for Alfa Romeo.
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