Sports: Tigers Lose 4-0; Bombers Start Tonight

(Source: Michigan Radio Network, Associated Press)

Tigers

The Tigers lost to Oakland 4-0 on Memorial Day for the start of a 7-game west coast trip against the Athletics and Angels.   Jesse Hahn pitched a four-hitter for his first career complete game. Hahn (2-4) struck out five and walked one in his stellar 112-pitch performance. The right-hander pitched around three errors, but allowed only one runner to get to scoring position. He had never gone further than seven innings.  Tyler Collins had two of Detroit's four hits as batters left six men on base and hit into three double plays.  Shane Greene was charged with the loss, giving up four runs while striking out four in five and two third innings of work. The Tigers lost their third in a row. Yoenis Cespedes went hitless in his first trip back to Oakland since being traded to the Boston Red Sox last July 31. Game two is tonight, with David Price on the mound.  Broadcast time is 9:40 p.m. on WBCK.   Wednesday is a day game, starting at 3:10 p.m. on WBCK.

Rondon on the Mend

On the disabled list since opening day with bicipital tendinitis, Tigers reliever Bruce Rondon pitched a perfect eighth inning Sunday night and picked up the win in his second rehab appearance for Triple-A Toledo. Rondon retired the side in order, needing just 10 pitches, six of which he threw for strikes.  He twice touched 98 mph on the radar gun at Fifth Third Stadium, and threw a mix of sliders and changeups.  He reported no discomfort following his outing.

Bombers Start Tonight

The Battle Creek Bombers are scheduled to start the season tonight against the Lakeshore Chinooks.  First pitch is 7:05 p.m. at C.O. Brown Stadium at Battle Creek’s Bailey Park.  It’s the first of three with the Chinooks, and then the Bombers hit the road to play three in Kalamazoo this weekend against the Growlers.

NHL

The Anaheim Ducks are up three games to two in the NL's Western Conference finals after beating Chicago 5-4 on Matt Beleskey's goal 45 seconds into overtime. The Ducks were up 4-2 before Jonathan Toews scored twice in the final 1:50 of regulation. Anaheim can close out the series Wednesday in Chicago. Meanwhile, the Lightning can secure a trip to the Stanley Cup Final with a victory over the Rangers in Game Six of the Eastern Conference finals Tuesday night.

Griffins in Playoffs
The Grand Rapids Griffins beat the Utica Comets 4-2 last night in New York to tie their Calder Cup playoff series at one game apiece. Dylan Larkin scored the first two goals of his AHL career and Teemu Pulkkinen and Tyler Bertuzzi each added a power-play goal in the win.   The best-of-seven Western Conference Finals series moves to Grand Rapids for Game Three on Thursday. Games four and five will be at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids on Friday and Sunday.

NBA

James Harden scored a playoff career-high 45 points and the Houston Rockets avoided a four-game sweep in the NBA's Western Conference finals by downing the Golden State Warriors 128-115. Harden contributed 17 points in the fourth quarter to help Houston avoid a late collapse and extend the series to a fifth game Wednesday in Oakland. Stephen Curry hit six 3-pointers and finished with 23 points despite landing on his head in a nasty spill during the second quarter, causing the league MVP to miss about 12 minutes before returning.  Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers will look to sweep the Atlanta Hawks when they host Game Four of the Eastern Conference finals Tuesday night.

NASCAR

Carl Edwards won the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday.  This was his first win in Charlotte, breaking a dry spell of 31 winless races.  Greg Biffle finished a full five seconds behind him, and took second.  Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was third.

Indy 500

Juan Pablo Montoya won the Indy 500.

College Baseball

The University of Michigan baseball team will make their first appearance in the NCAA tournament since 2008 in a game against Bradley in Louisville Friday. The Wolverines earned an automatic bid to the tournament with a 4-3 win over Maryland in the Big Ten championship game on Sunday. The Michigan State Spartans didn't make the field of 64 yesterday.

Tennis-French Open

No. 15 Venus Williams has dropped her opening-round match at the French Open, falling to fellow American Sloane Stephens, 7-6, 6-1.  It was Williams' second opening defeat in three years at Roland Garros, and the fifth time in the last 13 Grand Slam tournaments she's entered that she exited in the first round. Before that stretch, it happened once in 37 majors.  Williams can expect a fine after she failed to show up for her post-match news conference.  Second seed Maria Sharapova, eighth seed Carla Suarez Navarro and No. 11 Angelique Kerber advanced to the second round in straight sets, but No. 17 Sara Errani needed three sets to knock off Alison Riske. Winners on the men's side include third seed Andy Murray and No. 4 Tomas Berdych.

Harlem Globetrotters Legend Marques Haynes Dies

Marques Haynes, arguably one of the Harlem Globetrotters’ all-time best players, died on Friday in Plano, Texas, at age 89. Haynes first signed on with the Globetrotters in 1948, for $400 per season. He quite nearly became the NBA’s first black player in 1950, but missed that opportunity due to disagreements with the Globetrotters’ owner. However, Haynes still became the first Globetrotter inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, in 1998. Considered one of the best ball handlers in history, Haynes played before fans in 97 countries, in more than 12,000 games.

McDonald Arrested and kicked off Bears Team

NFL player Ray McDonald has been released from jail after posting bail for a domestic violence arrest in Northern California.  McDonald walked out of a Santa Clara County jail in San Jose on Monday afternoon, pushing past television cameras and reporters as he got into a taxi. His departure came several hours after his morning arrest on suspicion of the assault on a woman who was holding a baby.  Later in the day the Chicago Bears released the defensive end because of the arrest that followed a pattern of similar incidents.