Estimated read time: 7-8 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
MLB PLAYOFFS-NLCS
NLCS begins
ST. LOUIS (AP) _ The National League Championship Series begins Friday night in St. Louis when the Cardinals welcome the Washington Nationals.
Aníbal Sánchez starts for the Nats against Miles Mikolas (MY'-koh-las).
Sánchez was 11-8 with a 3.85 ERA this season, then gave up one run in five innings in his lone appearance against Los Angeles.
The Cardinals are going with the same roster that they used in the first round of the playoffs. The only notable exclusions are right-handers Michael Wacha (WAH'-kuh) and John Gant. Wacha is recovering from a strained shoulder. Gant went 11-1 with a 3.66 ERA this year, but the reliever struggled in the last part of the season.
MLB PLAYOFFS-ALCS
Astros aces lined up for ALCS against Yankees
HOUSTON (AP) — Zack Greinke (GREHN'-kee) will start the AL Championship Series opener for the Houston Astros against the New York Yankees on Saturday night.
After the former NL Cy Young winner and midseason acquisition starts Game 1, the Astros will follow with Justin Verlander, also a former AL Cy Young winner, and then Gerrit Cole after his two dominating starts in the AL Division Series against Tampa Bay.
The Game 4 starter against the Yankees will be determined by the status of the series.
The Yankees are expected to announce their pitching plans later Friday.
MLB-NEWS
MLB free-agent qualifying offer price drops to $17.8 million
NEW YORK (AP) _ The price of qualifying offers for Major League Baseball free agents has dropped for the first time, falling by $100,000 to $17.8 million. Determined by the average of the top 125 major league contracts this year, the figure reflects a flat market last offseason.
In addition, large signing bonuses in the contracts of Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Mike Trout impacted on the drop, because the signing bonuses are prorated over the length of the contract rather than the year they were received. The trio had relatively low 2019 salaries and if their 2020 salaries had been included instead, the qualifying offer figure would have risen to $18.3 million.
A qualifying offer can be made through the fifth day after the World Series, and a player has a week after that to accept. If a team makes a qualifying offer to a player who signs a major league contract with another club before the June amateur draft, his former club would receive a draft pick as compensation at the end of the first round.
A free agent can be made a qualifying offer only if he has been with the same team continuously since opening day and has never received a qualifying offer before.
NFL-NEWS
Broncos sign fullback Andy Janovich to three-year deal
UNDATED (AP) — Fullback Andy Janovich has signed a three-year extension with the Denver Broncos worth $5.7 million.
The fourth-year pro from Nebraska is making $720,000 this season in the final year of his rookie contract as a sixth-round draft pick. He's the first member of the Broncos' 2016 draft class to sign a second contract.
Janovich missed the first three games this season after tearing a pectoral muscle in August.
Janovich has three TDs in his career, two rushing and one receiving. He's also recorded a team-high 16 special teams tackles.
In other NFL news:
— The Jacksonville Jaguars have listed cornerback Jalen Ramsey as questionable to play Sunday against New Orleans. That word comes a day after owner Shad Khan said he expects the disgruntled defender to return following a two-week absence because of an apparent back injury. Ramsey was limited in practice Friday for the third straight day. The Jaguars ruled out rookie tight end Josh Oliver, who has yet to make his NFL debut because of a significant hamstring injury.
_ The Seattle Seahawks could be without starting offensive linemen Duane Brown and D.J. Fluker for Sunday's game at Cleveland. Brown and Fluker were both listed as doubtful on the injury report. Fluker left Seattle's game against the Los Angeles Rams with a hamstring injury, while Brown has played through a biceps injury for a couple of weeks.
_ The Atlanta Falcons will be without cornerback Desmond Trufant and punter Matt Wile for Sunday's game at Arizona. Both players were ruled out with injuries, along with second-string cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson. The loss of Wile means the Falcons will have to go with their third punter of the season. Matt Bosher is already on injured reserve.
_ The New Orleans Saints have listed running back Alvin Kamara as questionable to play against Jacksonville because of an ankle injury. The injury limited his practice time on Thursday and sidelined him entirely from practice on Friday. Saints coach Sean Payton has declined to discuss when and how Kamara got hurt. He was not on the injury report on Wednesday. Kamara has averaged more than 100 yards from scrimmage this season.
NBA-NEWS
Kings forwards Ariza, Giles to miss last 2 preseason games
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) _ Sacramento Kings forward Trevor Ariza (ah-REE'-zuh) will miss the final two preseason games after he had a procedure to remove a benign tumor from his back. The Kings said Ariza had the procedure Friday and would be re-evaluated after the preseason finale against Melbourne United on Wednesday.
Forward Harry Giles is sidelined by a sore left knee, and also is likely to miss the last two preseason games.
NASCAR-TALLADEGA
Denny Hamlin goes nearly 205 mph in Talladega practice
TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) — Denny Hamlin went nearly 205 mph at Talladega Superspeedway, where he was among seven drivers to top 203 mph in Friday's first practice.
The Daytona 500 winner went 204.904 mph in the closing moments of the first drafting session of the weekend. He was the only driver to top 204, but Kevin Harvick was second fastest at 203.688 mph. Kyle Busch, who had an early fuel pressure issue at the start of practice, was third at 203.684.
Corey LaJoie was fourth fastest and followed by Michael McDowell and an unusual cast of fast contenders. The top-10 average speeds were rounded out by Erik Jones, Ross Chastain, Brendan Gaughan, Chris Buescher and Matt DiBenedetto.
Of the 40 drivers in the field, 33 topped 200 mph.
The Talladega weekend schedule gives teams track time on Friday only, with qualifying the only scheduled activity Saturday. It makes for a condensed schedule at a wild-card race of NASCAR's playoffs. Sunday marks the middle race of this round, and four drivers will be trimmed from the remaining field next week at Kansas.
NBA-CHINA RELATIONSHIP
NBA decides to remain silent for rest of China trip
UNDATED (AP) _ The NBA has decided to stay silent for the remainder of its trip with the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets in China.
The Lakers and Nets will play on Saturday in Shenzhen as planned, though no news conferences for either team are scheduled to be held before or after the game.
On Thursday, it was the Chinese that stopped NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the teams from holding news conferences before or after the Lakers-Nets game in Shanghai. That was part of the Chinese response to the rift that started when Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted support for anti-government protesters in Hong Kong and intensified when Silver defended Morey's right to exercise free speech.
This time it was the NBA’s call.
NIKE-OREGON PROJECT CLOSING
Nike closing Oregon Project in wake of Salazar ban
BEAVERTON, Oregon (AP) — Nike says it is closing its Oregon Project track and field program following Alberto Salazar's four-year ban. Nike says it made the decision "to allow the athletes to focus on their training and competition needs."
Salazar was banned last week for possessing and trafficking testosterone while coaching top runners at the elite training program.
The verdict didn't directly implicate runners from the Nike Oregon Project. But the company is partly blaming the scrutiny on the stars of the training center for its decision to shut the program that began in 2001.
The 61-year-old Salazar has consistently denied being involved in doping schemes. Nike is supporting his plan to appeal the ban. In the meantime, Salazar cannot coach and his credential was revoked during the world track and field championships last week.
SWIMMING-DWYER-DOPING
Olympic gold medalist Conor Dwyer gets 20-month ban
UNDATED (AP) _ Olympic gold medalist Conor Dwyer has received a 20-month doping ban after an arbitration panel found that he had testosterone pellets inserted into his body. Dwyer won relay gold medals in 2012 and 2016. He tested positive three times between Nov. 15 and Dec. 20 last year.
His ban was made effective on Dec. 21, meaning he won't be eligible for next year's Olympics.
The arbitration decision says Dwyer worked with a nutritionist who suggested the pellets, which are inserted into the skin tissue near the hip.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
