AP-NW–Sports Right Now/738
MARINERS-ANGELS
Cruz, Hernandez help Mariners hand Angels 11th straight loss
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Nelson Cruz hit his 30th home run to lead Felix Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners past Los Angeles 3-2 on Monday night as the Angels matched a franchise record with their 11th consecutive defeat.
Hernandez (7-4) struck out eight and pitched into the seventh inning to help the Mariners remain two games behind Boston for the second AL wild card.
The Angels had lost 11 straight on three other occasions, but never under manager Mike Scioscia. Last in the AL West, Los Angeles (49-69) is a season-high 20 games under .500.
The last time the team dropped 11 in a row was during the 1999 season.
Cruz drove Ricky Nolasco’s 2-2 curveball into the left-field stands in the fifth to become the sixth player in Mariners history with multiple 30-homer seasons. It’s the fourth consecutive season Cruz has hit 30 or more.
OLYMPICS-TRACK AND FIELD
Allen in semis of 110-hurdles at Rio
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — After a day off, Usain Bolt returns to the track in his quest for more gold — in his favorite event, too: the 200 meters.
Bolt says he always feels confident going into the 200. Then again, the fastest man on the planet has never lacked for confidence.
Also today, Devon Allen, the University of Oregon football and track standout, races in the semifinals in the 110-meter hurdles. Allen ran a time of 13.41 seconds to narrowly finish second yesterday in his qualifying heat. Oregon alum Johnathan Cabral also advanced out of his heat in the race.
Current Oregon sprinter Deajah Stevens won her preliminary heat yesterday in the women’s 200 meters to advance along with former Duck Jenna Prandini.
OLYMPICS-WOMEN’S 400
Felix just short in 400-meter final at Rio
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — It took a dramatic dive by Shaunae Miller of Bahamas at the finish line to win the women’s 400-meter final, preventing American Allyson Felix from capturing a record fifth Olympic gold medal.
Miller clocked 49.44 seconds, running in lane 7, to narrowly hold off Felix, who finished in 49.51. Shericka Jackson of Jamaica won the bronze in 49.85.
Felix won the 400 at the world championships last year and was planning to run the 200 and 400-meter double in Rio, but was hampered by an ankle injury at the U.S. trials and didn’t make the team for the 200. She won the 200 in London four years ago.
Felix now has seven Olympic medals, including three silvers. She could still run both the 4×100 and the 4×400 relays in Rio.
Three American runners placed in the race’s top five, with Natasha Hastings in fourth and Oregon’s Phyllis Francis in fifth.
SEAHAWKS-FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Seahawks see progress after first preseason game
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — What Pete Carroll saw beginning to develop in the first two weeks of training camp showed when the Seattle Seahawks finally got on the field, in a good way.
Carroll says players are showing in the game similar to how they showed in practice.
The standouts included the maligned starting offensive line, which held its own against Kansas City’s front, though the Chiefs were without a number of starters.
Seattle also has signed veteran defensive tackle Tony McDaniel. McDaniel played with Seattle in 2013-14 and was in Tampa Bay last year.
HALL OF FAME-KENNY EASLEY
Hall of Fame committee selects Easley as senior finalist
CANTON, Ohio (AP) — Former Seattle Seahawks safety Kenny Easley has been selected as the senior finalist for the 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
Easley was selected by the Hall of Fame Seniors Committee on Monday. A senior nominee must have completed his career at least 25 years ago. Easley would need to get at least 80 percent of the vote by the Hall of Fame selection committee when it meets during Super Bowl week in Houston to be elected.
Easley was the No. 4 overall pick in the 1981 draft and played seven seasons, all in Seattle. He was a first-team All-Pro four straight years from 1982-85 and was the NFL defensive player of the year in 1984 when he led the league with 10 interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
