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BALTIMORE (AP) Dylan Bundy took a no-hitter into the sixth inning for the second game in a row, Pedro Alvarez hit two of Baltimore’s four solo homers and the Orioles beat the Texas Rangers 5-1 on Tuesday night in a duel between AL division leaders. Making his fourth career start, Bundy allowed one hit and a walk over seven sparkling innings against a potent lineup featuring newcomers Carlos Beltran and…

CHICAGO — Sure Chicago’s ball players in blue have gained national attention this season — but on the Southwest Side, these other boys in blue are the talk of the town. The Clear Ridge baseball team is playing in Bangor, Maine, right now, just three wins away from a senior league World Series title. A perfect 16-0 in its regular season, Clear Ridge is representing all of the US central…

A group of Chicago entrepreneurs gave up their day jobs to launch an app where the competition that starts every time you hear the words “play ball.” It’s called The Fantasy Pizza App. It’s an app where you got to play to win and winning could mean free stuff at your front door in no time flat. The Fantasy Pizza App can deliver hot pizza to your door in the…

CHICAGO — Sure Chicago’s ball players in blue have gained national attention this season — but on the Southwest Side, these other boys in blue are the talk of the town. The Clear Ridge baseball team is playing in Bangor, Maine, right now, just three wins away from a senior league World Series title. A perfect 16-0 in its regular season, Clear Ridge is representing all of the US central…

Note: Don’t whiff on this special FanDuel offer. Win your first contest or get your money back (up to $10) to keep playing. Try FanDuel now! And I thought there were a lot of good pitchers on Monday. Tuesday brings us a game at Coors Field, 11 pitchers listed at $9,000 or more on FanDuel, and at least four others I could reasonably consider as top notch options. In one…

Atlanta Braves outfielder Matt Kemp is pretty pumped to kick things off with his new club. Kemp, who grew up a huge Braves fan, already penned a letter expressing his excitement over at the Players’ Tribune. On Tuesday, Kemp again went out of his way to praise Atlanta. Matt Kemp: “I’ve never really played in a baseball town before. So, I am excited about that.” — Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) August 2, 2016 That’s an incredibly…

In late June, legislation was introduced to the House of Representatives titled “Save America’s Pastime.” Read that title and the natural reaction for baseball fans is panic: “Baseball is in trouble? Like the whales? Oh my goodness! We’ve got to save it! Where do I sign up?” The title, however, was exactly as misleading as it was meant to be. A more accurate name would have been “Screw Baseball’s Minor Leaguers,” as that’s exactly…

K.J. Pilcher The Gazette More stories from K.J. DES MOINES — Cedar Rapids Jefferson’s Spencer Van Scoyoc faced some challenges his senior baseball season. After being drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 19th round of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, Van Scoyoc spent most of the summer negotiating with the organization and battling while pitchers gave him little to hit. Neither prevented him from posting…

This week, even before Rio starts, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) considers which sports will be at the next Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020. Skateboarding, for one, is “optimistic” about its inclusion. Golf went through this process four years ago and for its athletes, the Rio Olympics should be a sight for sore eyes. After a 112-year absence, the sport will return to the Olympic stage. Yet what should…

Maybe you’re not the biggest Olympics fan, or maybe you haven’t been keeping up with Olympic sports since London. It’s OK. We forgive you. In fact, we want to help you find your new favorite sport and Olympian. If you liked Shawn Johnson in 2008, you should watch Laurie Hernandez in 2016. (USA Today Sports Images) Both women have solid all-around chops, as Johnson won worlds in 2015 and Hernandez took second…

The 2016 Olympics tips off in Rio on Friday, and one of the prime events for the United States is the basketball portion of the games. USA Basketball has dominated nearly every year they’ve been in it, especially since allowing professional players to take part in 1992. It’s been legitimately shocking when the U.S. is challenged, let alone when they completely blew the 2004 Olympics and went home with the…

x Embed x Share Olympic boxer Carlos Balderas explains how boxing in Rio might be different than what you’re used to watching on pay-per-view. usa today sports Devin Haney had hoped to box in the Olympics, but a new age restriction sent him into the pros, including this bout in April in Las Vegas.(Photo: Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports) Neither Jonathan Esquivel nor Devin Haney are the types to…

Hi, my name is Chris Chase and I’m an Olympics junkie. Over the fortnight beginning Friday, I will spend approximately  384-straight hours on various spots on my couch, watching some of my favorite (and most popular) Olympic sports (such as swimming and track), mixing that with sports I love but only see during the Summer Games (indoor cycling, kayaking, rowing, Bob Costas-eye anatomy), combining that with sports that are enjoyable solely because there’s…

Jesus Gamez (left), Adebayo Akinfenwa (centre) and Nick Powell make up the spine of our EFL free transfers XI During every transfer window, fans of clubs up and down the country urge their team to ‘splash the cash’ on new players. But while the likes of Newcastle United have been forking out millions of pounds since coming down from the Premier League, who could you have signed without having to…

Some people definitely have an opinion when it comes to what sports should be included in the Olympics. Synchronized swimming and rhythmic gymnastics are popular targets, but non-TV-friendly sports like flat-water canoeing and the modern pentathlon also take some heat. But what about the sports that didn’t make it into this year’s Summer Games? The inclusion of golf and rugby sevens in the Rio Olympics shows that the International Olympic…

RELATED: Results | Standings | Chase GridSHOP: Buescher gear LONG POND, Pa. — Chris Buescher sat in his car on pit road, dreaming of the possibilities. NASCAR had just red-flagged Monday’s rain-delayed Pennsylvania 400 when a heavy fog settled over Pocono Raceway after 138 of a scheduled 160 laps, and Buescher was the unlikely race leader. “I’m thinking of every kind of rain dance I can,” Buescher said on his radio….

The Summer Olympic Games serve as a grand podium for the belief that a nation’s best athletes can bolster its sense of pride and honor for another four years—setting the stage for real-world superheroes who defy the odds and challenge the capabilities of the human body. It’s a tradition the globe is unlikely to kick. But 80 years ago, when the Summer Olympics opened on Aug. 1, 1936, in Berlin,…

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comment () Devon Fowler is a father of four. When he realized his only son’s birthday was coming up, he knew he had to do something special. Fowler’s son, Braheim, 12, dreams of becoming a professional baseball player. But in the meantime, he just loves to play the game. “He’s been playing baseball since he was 9 years old,” Fowler told TODAY. “He’s always loved it.” Devon Fowler Fowler, who…