AP-NW–Sports Right Now/595
PIRATES-MARINERS
Sean Rodriguez drives in 4 as Pirates beat Mariners 8-1
SEATTLE (AP) — Sean Rodriguez doubled in consecutive at-bats and drove in four runs, David Freese hit a solo home run and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Seattle Mariners 8-1 Wednesday night to split a brief two-game interleague series.
Rodriguez was responsible for breaking the game open in the fifth inning with a three-run double into the left-field corner off Seattle reliever Donn Roach. Rodriguez doubled an inning earlier off starter Wade Miley (6-4) to score Starling Marte.
Freese got it all started with a solo home run on the first pitch of the second inning. It was a three-run inning for Pittsburgh, capped by a two-run double from Josh Harrison.
All that offense backed a strong start from rookie right-hander Jameson Taillon (2-1), who pitched six innings, giving up just one run and six hits.
MARINERS-CLEVENGER
Seattle catcher Clevenger leaves with hand injury
SEATTLE (AP) — Mariners catcher Steve Clevenger left a game Wednesday night against Pittsburgh after a foul ball hit his exposed right throwing hand.
Clevenger exited in the top of the third inning after Andrew McCutchen’s foul ball came directly back and hit Clevenger’s bare hand. Clevenger immediately crumpled over, cradling the hand, and he was attended to quickly by Seattle’s athletic training staff. He walked off the field and was replaced by regular starter Chris Iannetta, who was getting the day off.
Clevenger was appearing in his 22nd game this season.
TRAIL BLAZERS-QUALIFYING OFFERS
Blazers give qualifying offers to Harkless, Leonard, Crabbe
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Trail Blazers have extended qualifying offers to guard Allen Crabbe and forwards Myers Leonard and Maurice Harkless.
The qualifying offers, announced Wednesday before the June 30th deadline, make all three restricted free agents. Portland can match any offer that teams extend to the players.
Crabbe averaged a career-high 10.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists last season with the Blazers, his third with the league.
Harkless, a four-year NBA veteran, averaged 6.4 points and 3.6 rebounds in 18.7 minutes for Portland, with 14 starts for Portland last season after starting his career in Orlando.
Leonard, the 11th overall pick in the 2012 draft by the Blazers, averaged a career-high 8.4 points and 5.1 rebounds last season. He was also a perimeter threat, with 86 3-pointers.
GLF-PACE-ZIKA
Lee-Anne Pace withdraws from Rio Games because of Zika
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa has withdrawn her name from consideration for her nation’s Olympic team out of concern about the Zika virus.
Pace, ranked 38th in the world, is the first player on the LPGA tour to cite Zika for sitting out of the Rio Games. Several men, including Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, have decided against the trip to Brazil. Australian Jason Day and Ireland’s Shane Lowry withdrew this week.
Pace, playing this week in the Portland Classic, said she has informed the South African Golf Association, South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee that she has withdrawn her name from consideration for the Olympic team.
The 35-year-old said she made the decision after discussing her options with her family and her team. She said her heath and her future family’s health must come first.
The LPGA said in a statement that it respects an individual player’s decision when it comes to participation in Brazil.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.