AP-NW–Sports Right Now/1293
TIGERS-MARINERS
Seager, Zunino rally Mariners past Tigers 6-5 in 15 innings
SEATTLE (AP) — Kyle Seager had two key hits that tied the score, Mike Zunino lofted a game-winning sacrifice fly and the Seattle Mariners rallied twice to beat the Detroit Tigers 6-5 in 15 innings Tuesday night for their season-high fifth straight victory.
Victor Martinez gave Detroit a 5-4 lead when he opened the 15th with his 20th home run. But the Mariners came back against closer Francisco Rodriguez and took advantage of a pivotal error by Tigers left fielder Justin Upton.
Rodriguez (1-3) issued a one-out walk to Nelson Cruz before Adam Lind singled. Seager, who tied it 4-all with a three-run homer in the eighth, followed with an RBI single to left. Upton booted the ball, allowing Lind to reach third base as Seager advanced to second.
Zunino hit a fly ball to medium center field, and Lind slid home easily ahead of a wayward throw from Tyler Collins.
TIGERS-MARINERS-AWARD-WINNING MATCHUP
Verlander, King Felix match up Wednesday
SEATTLE (AP) — AL Cy Young Award winners Felix Hernandez (6-4, 3.55 ERA) and Justin Verlander (12-6, 3.52) square off when the Mariners host the Tigers Wednesday.
Hernandez won his prize in 2010 and has finished in the top 10 in Cy Young Award voting in four of five seasons since.
Verlander won in 2011 and was runner-up in 2012 but hasn’t been in the top 10 since, although his 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings this season represent his best rate since 2008.
RIO OLYMPICS-SWIMMING
Adrian advances in 100 freestyle
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Defending Olympic champion Nathan Adrian barely advanced in the preliminaries of the 100-meter freestyle at the Rio Olympics.
He wasn’t taking any chances in the semifinals Tuesday night.
Competing in lane eight, Adrian posted the fastest time out of 16 swimmers, sending him to Wednesday’s final with a much more customary position in the center of the pool.
The biggest cheers at the Olympic Aquatic Center were for Brazil’s Marcelo Chierighini, who advanced to the final with the eighth-best time.
RIO OLYMPICS-WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Tokashiki leads Japan with 13 vs. Turkey in Rio
RIO DE JANIERO (AP) — Former North Carolina star Laura Sanders scored 36 points to help Turkey knock off previously undefeated Japan 76-62 in women’s basketball Tuesday.
Sanders turned in the best scoring performance yet in group play. Japan’s loss leaves only Australia undefeated at 3-0 in Group A, while the United States and Canada are 2-0 in Group B.
Sanders, known as LaToya Pringle when she played in college, scored 10 of Turkey’s first 20 points in taking control. Turkey led 38-13 on a layup by Sanders with 3:04 left in the second quarter before Japan started whittling away and trailed 38-23 at halftime. Japan (2-1) got within eight on a Yuka Mamiya’s layup with 4:20 left. Sanders answered with back-to-back jumpers.
Nevriye Yilmaz added 15, and Isil Alben had 14 for Turkey.
Ramu Tokashiki, who plays for the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, led Japan with 13.
COACH-POSTGAME PRAYER
Coach fired for praying sues Washington school district
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — A Washington state high school assistant football coach who was fired for praying at midfield after games has sued the school district, saying his religious rights were violated.
The Texas-based First Liberty Institute filed the lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma. It seeks to have Joe Kennedy restored to his job as an assistant coach for the varsity team at Bremerton High School, and it asks the court to rule that his postgame prayers are allowed.
Kennedy had prayed before and after games, sometimes joined by students, since 2008. The district asked him to stop when the practice came to its attention last year, but he persisted by silently taking a knee and praying.
The district argued that students could feel coerced to participate in religious activity when they see their coaches lead or endorse it.
AQUASOX-CANADIANS
Ojeda’s double leads Everett to 1-0 win over Vancouver
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Dimas Ojeda hit a run-scoring double in the fourth inning to give the Everett AquaSox a 1-0 win over the Vancouver Canadians on Tuesday.
Donnie Walton scored on the play after he led off the inning with a single.
Everett starter Brandon Miller (2-2) picked up the win after allowing just five hits over six scoreless innings. Opposing starter Patrick Murphy (2-4) took the tough loss in the Northwest League game after giving up one run and three hits over seven innings. Thomas Burrows pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for his fourth save of the season.
RIVER CATS-RAINIERS
Freeman, Strausborger lead the way for Tacoma
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Mike Freeman doubled and singled as the Tacoma Rainiers beat the Sacramento River Cats 5-1 on Tuesday.
Ryan Strausborger singled twice, also stealing a base for Tacoma.
Up 2-1, the Rainiers added to their lead in the fourth inning when Daniel Robertson hit a two-run triple.
The Rainiers tacked on another run in the seventh when Freeman scored on a forceout.
Tacoma right-hander Forrest Snow (1-0) picked up the win after allowing one run on three hits over five innings. Opposing starter Alex Torres (1-2) took the loss in the Pacific Coast League game after allowing two runs and two hits over 1 1/3 innings.
SPOKANE INDIANS-DUST DEVILS
Spivey’s sac fly leads Spokane to 6-5 win over Tri-City
PASCO, Wash. (AP) — Seth Spivey drove in Leody Taveras, Darius Day, and Charles Leblanc with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning, leading the Spokane Indians to a 6-5 win over the Tri-City Dust Devils on Tuesday.
Kaleb Fontenot allowed a run, but struck G.K. Young out with a runner on first to end the game for his third save of the season.
The sacrifice fly by Spivey gave the Indians a 6-4 lead and capped a five-run inning for Spokane. Earlier in the inning, Day and Leblanc hit RBI singles.
In the bottom of the ninth, Tri-City cut into the lead on a single by Chris Baker that scored Taylor Kohlwey.
Brallan Perez doubled and singled for Spokane.
Mark Vasquez (4-0) got the win with 3 1/3 innings of scoreless, four-hit relief while Diomar Lopez (4-1) took the loss in the Northwest League game.
For the Dust Devils, Baker doubled and singled three times, driving in three runs.
EMERALDS-VOLCANOES
Moreno, Galindo carry Eugene to 11-5 win over Salem-Keizer
KEIZER, Ore. (AP) — Wladimir Galindo hit a two-run home run and had four hits, driving in three, and Erling Moreno hurled five scoreless innings as the Eugene Emeralds defeated the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes 11-5 on Tuesday.
Moreno (1-0) allowed one hit while striking out three and walking one to pick up the win.
Up 2-0 in the third, Eugene added to its lead when Galindo hit a two-run home run.
The Emeralds later added six runs in the fourth and one in the fifth. In the fourth, Tyler Payne drew a bases-loaded walk, scoring Galindo, while Kevonte Mitchell hit an RBI single in the fifth.
Victor Concepcion (3-5) went three innings, allowing nine runs and 10 hits in the Northwest League game. He also struck out three and walked two. Tyler Peitzmeier gave up one run in three innings and recorded his first save of the season.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
