ROCKIES BACK IN ACTION AFTER ALL-STAR BREAK
Denver—The Colorado Rockies hope to make a move on the leaders in the National League West with a 10-game homestand starting tonight. The Rockies take on the Chicago Cubs in the first of a three-game weekend series. Jorge De La Rosa will be going for his 9th win of the season against the Cubs’ flamethrowing righthander, Jeff Samardzija. The Rockies are currently in third place, just 4 and a half games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks.
AVS SECURE MATT DUCHENE FOR ANOTHER 5 YEARS
DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Avalanche agreed to a five-year extension with forward Matt Duchene (DOO’-shayn) that will run through the 2018-19 season. The 22-year Duchene is coming off a season in which he dished out a team-leading 26 assists and tied for the squad’s top spot in scoring with 43 points. Avalanche executive vice president of hockey operations Joe Sakic (SAK’-ihk) said on Thursday that Duchene “represents the identity we want the Avalanche to be.” The flashy forward was the No. 3 pick in the 2009 draft by the Avalanche, a team Duchene rooted for as a kid. He has been among the club’s top-three scorers in three of his four seasons with Colorado.
ELSEWHERE IN SPORTS…
GULLANE, Scotland (AP) — A day after snapping his 8-iron in disgust, Charl Schwartzel has gone on the offensive again at the British Open. The South African described conditions at Muirfield on Friday as unfair and “a lottery,” despite shooting the lowest second-round score so far. The 2011 Masters champion compared the fairways to a “runway” after hitting his drive at No. 15 380 yards into a bunker at speed and another at the second hole more than 400 yards. Schwartzel, who shot a 3-under 68 to move to 1 over par, says “it becomes a bit of a lottery. You don’t know what’s going to happen … you can hit good shots and get all sorts of results. And it’s not that exactly fair, in my eyes.”However, Schwartzel says if he wins the claret jug on Sunday, “I’ll be kissing this golf course.”
MADISON, Miss. (AP) — Daniel Summerhays was the clubhouse leader at the Sanderson Farms Championship after firing an opening round 9-under 63 yesterday. Michael Bradley, Will Claxton and Jonathan Randolph are tied for second, three shots back. Summerhays has posted back-to-back top 10 finishes the last two weeks.First-round play was suspended Thursday due to bad weather. Sixty-six golfers did not complete their round and will get an early start today.
SYLVANIA, Ohio (AP) — Paula Creamer (KREE’-mer) has rocketed to the top of the leaderboard during the second round of the LPGA’s Marathon Classic. She is 2-under for the day after six holes and 7-under for the tournament. First round leader Alison Walshe has a late tee time. She completed a round of 6-under 65 yesterday.Top-ranked Inbee Park posted a 69 as she bids for her seventh win of the season. She has won the first three major championships of the year, the Kraft, the LPGA Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open.
TOUR DE FRANCE
UNDATED (AP) — The Tour de France is getting close to the end. The annual race through the streets of Paris will take place Sunday and the leader as they start today’s 19th stage is Britain’s Chris Froome. He finished yesterday’s 18th stage 5 minutes, 11 seconds in front of Alberto Contador in the overall standings.
