BASEBALL
NEW YORK (AP) - Vulgar and direct, Yankees fans cranked up a baleful cacophony for the scandal-tainted Houston Astros - thunderous heckles that belied their pandemic-restricted numbers.
About the only thing louder? Maybe the ball coming off Giancarlo Stanton’s bat.
Boos and bad words streamed from the seats in the Astros’ return to the Bronx, and Stanton had a homer and four hits to help New York sate those spiteful fans in a 7-3 victory Tuesday night.
In Houston’s first visit to New York since the Astros’ sign-stealing scam was exposed, an error by third baseman Alex Bregman in the sixth inning let New York blow the game open.
A sellout crowd of 10,850 skipped subtle barbs for salty language, aimed especially at 2017 AL MVP Jose Altuve. Several brought signs insulting the Astros, and security confiscated multiple inflatable trash cans.
OLYMPICS
ROME (AP) - The Italian Olympic Committee is making arrangements to vaccinate its entire team for the Tokyo Games.
About two-thirds of the Italians qualified for the games have already been vaccinated against COVID-19 because they are affiliated with the military. The remaining athletes, as well as coaches and staff members - and even athletes still attempting to qualify - will begin receiving vaccines on Friday, CONI said.
As of Tuesday, 237 Italians had qualified for the Olympics, which open on July 23.
Australia also recently announced plans to vaccinate its Olympians.
Athletes traveling to Japan for the Tokyo Olympics will be required to stay within a “bubble” consisting of the official accommodation, venues and training areas and will be tested for the coronavirus before and during their stay, but there is no requirement to be vaccinated ahead of competition.
HOCKEY
NEW YORK (AP) - Washington’s Tom Wilson was fined but not suspended for his actions during a post-whistle scrum in New York, an outcome the Capitals are ready to move on from and the Rangers feel isn’t sufficient punishment for one of hockey’s most polarizing players.
The NHL fined Wilson $5,000 Tuesday for roughing Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich during the second period of a game Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
The fine is the maximum allowable for the incident under the collective bargaining agreement, and Wilson was not disciplined for throwing Artemi Panarin to the ice moments later.
New York’s Ryan Strome called it a “joke” and said he thought “the league missed one here big time.” The team’s statement was even stronger, calling Wilson’s behavior a “horrifying act of violence” and targeting NHL senior vice president of player safety George Parros for his inaction.
SOCCER
CHESTER, Pa. (AP) - Santiago Sosa scored for Atlanta in Tuesday’s second leg, but the Philadelphia Union prevailed 4-1 on aggregate to advance to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League.
Philadelphia had a 3-0 advantage following the first leg of the quarterfinal last Tuesday in Atlanta. Forward Kacper Przybylko scored twice.
Sosa scored in first-half stoppage time at Subaru Park, but United was not able to catch up to the Union’s commanding lead.
Przybylko scored in the 88th minute to cement the victory. He has scored in each of the Union’s four CCL matches.
Atlanta was without midfielders Ezequiel Barco and Jurgen Damm because of injury.
Philadelphia was making its first appearance in the Champions League tournament between club teams in CONCACAF, the confederation of North America, Central America and the Caribbean regions.
The Union will play the winner of the quarterfinal between the Portland Timbers and Club America, set to conclude Wednesday in Mexico City. The semifinals start in August.
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