AP-NW–Sports Right Now/786
MARINERS-RAYS
Longoria, Dickerson help Rays rally to 8-7 win over Mariners
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Evan Longoria and Corey Dickerson had three RBIs apiece and the Tampa Bay Rays rallied from an early four-run deficit to beat the Seattle Mariners 8-7 on Tuesday night.
Longoria’s seventh homer in his last 10 games, a three-run shot off Nick Vincent, tied it at 7 in the seventh. Mike Montgomery (2-2) entered and walked two straight before Dickerson’s RBI single put Tampa Bay ahead 8-7.
Ryan Garton (1-0) got the final two outs in the seventh for his first major league win. Xavier Cedeno had a perfect eighth before Alex Colome worked the ninth to get his 19th save in as many chances.
Mariners starter Taijuan Walker left with one out in the fourth after aggravating a problem with his right foot.
MARINERS-WALKER
Walker leaves start with right Achilles’ tendon injury
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Seattle Mariners may have gotten some good news on a night they blew a four-run lead.
Taijuan Walker left his start in Tuesday’s 8-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays with what the team initially called an “aggravated right Achilles” tendon.
However, Seattle manager Scott Servais said after the game that the injury was not to the Achilles tendon. Servais says Walker is dealing with some tendonitis but the Mariners remain hopeful he will make his next scheduled start.
Walker left after allowing a one-out triple to Cory Dickerson in the fourth inning. He looked to be in discomfort after delivering the pitch that Dickerson drove to left field.
Walker says the foot “popped” and he first felt some discomfort in the second inning.
BOLIVIA-ARGENTINA
Argentina rolls past Bolivia 3-0 to win Copa America group
SEATTLE (AP) — Erik Lamela and Ezequiel Lavezzi scored two minutes apart early in the first half, Victor Cuesta scored his first international goal later in the half and Argentina dominated Bolivia 3-0 on Tuesday night to win Group D of the Copa America.
Argentina star Lionel Messi subbed on at the beginning of the second half for his most extensive game action since Barcelona beat Sevilla 2-0 to win the Copa del Rey on May 22.
In the time since, Messi suffered a back injury, testified in his tax fraud trial in Spain and scored a hat trick off the bench in a 5-0 win over Panama last week.
But the goals came from his teammates as Argentina — the only team in the tournament to win all three group games — clinched a matchup with Venezuela in the quarterfinals.
Argentina is in search of its first major international championship since winning the Copa America in 1993.
STORM-STARS
Jefferson scores career-high 19; Stars beat Storm 77-70
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Moriah Jefferson scored a career-high 19 points, Dearica Hamby had 15 points and 18 rebounds, and the San Antonio Stars beat the Seattle Storm 77-70 on Tuesday night.
Seattle pulled within 71-70 with 47 seconds left, but Jefferson made 1 of 2 free throws and after an offensive rebound, Kayla McBride hit a 3-pointer to put the Stars up 75-70. Sue Bird missed a 3-pointer and Hamby made two free throws with 5 seconds left.
McBride was just 6-of-18 shooting, but made two 3-pointers and scored 18 points for San Antonio (2-7), which is ranked No. 12 in the AP power poll.
San Antonio led 64-53 with 41 seconds left in the third quarter until Seattle closed on a 5-0 run. But the Storm didn’t score in the fourth until the 6:28 mark.
Breanna Stewart had 19 points and 15 rebounds for seventh-ranked Seattle (4-7). Jewell Loyd added 17 points and Alysha Clark 14 for the Storm, who were held to 33 percent shooting.
US HAMMER RECORD-DOPING
US hammer thrower loses mark because of doping positive
The woman who set the U.S. record for hammer throw will have that result thrown out after receiving a three-month doping ban for using a banned asthma medication.
Gwen Berry’s throw of 250 feet, 4 inches from last month will be erased from the record book, but she will still be eligible for Olympic trials next month. Her suspension, announced Monday by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, ends June 29.
Berry acknowledged using an inhaler containing Vilanterol Trifenatate during the U.S. Indoor championships in March in Portland, Oregon.
USADA handed down the three-month sanction after determining Berry was using the medication to treat asthma, and not to enhance performance.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
