FinnU Baseball 1, Refinery Blast 1 – Friday Sports Wrap

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MLB
The Detroit Tigers lost a 1-0 pitchers duel to the Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday afternoon. Michael Fulmer struck out nine over six shutout innings for Detroit. Daniel Stumpf and Joe Jiménez each added a scoreless frame. Pittsburgh’s Ivan Nova was even better, throwing eight shutout innings. The Tigers loaded the bases in the top of the ninth, but the Pirates’ Felipe Vazquez worked out of the jam. Pittsburgh finally won it when Corey Dickerson homered off Alex Wilson in the bottom of the ninth.

The Tigers begin a weekend series at Baltimore tonight. Mike Fiers will pitch against Chris Tillman. Pregame coverage will begin at 6:40 on 99.3 The Lift.

Before yesterday’s game, the Tigers brought reliever Johnny Barbato up from Toledo. Outfielder Mike Gerber was sent down.

The Milwaukee Brewers’ eight-game winning streak ended with a 1-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs last night. Kyle Schwarber’s sixth inning home run off Chase Anderson was the game’s only score.

The Brewers continue that series in Chicago this afternoon. Brent Suter will pitch against Yu Darvish.

Finlandia
The Finlandia University baseball team blanked Northland College 5-0 yesterday in the first game of a doubleheader that was scheduled in Superior, Wisconsin. The Lions scored single runs in the first, second and fourth innings, and Ben Loya doubled home a pair of insurance runs in the seventh. Joey Krug went the distance, giving up just four hits, and striking out six.  The Lions led the second game of the twinbill 1-0 in the fifth inning when the area had to be evacuated because of the fire at the Husky Energy Oil Refinery about two miles away. The contest was suspended, and will be completed Sunday before another scheduled doubleheader against the Lumberjacks in Duluth.

NHL
The second round of the NHL playoffs opened last night…
– Las Vegas blanked San Jose 7-0.
– Pittsburgh edged Washington 3-2.

Tonight, Winnipeg skates at Nashville.

NBA
In the NBA playoffs last night, Milwaukee defeated Boston 97-86. That series is tied 3-3.

Tonight…
– Toronto plays at Washington. The Raptors lead that series 3-2.
– Cleveland tips off at Indiana. The Cavaliers are up 3-2 in that series.
– Oklahoma City plays at Utah. The Jazz lead that set 3-2.

NFL
The opening round of the NFL amateur draft is in the books. With the first overall pick, the Cleveland Browns selected Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. The New York Giants used the second pick on Penn State running back Saquon Barkley.

The Green Bay Packers traded their 14th pick to New Orleans, in exchange for the Saints’ number-27 pick this year, and their first-round pick next year. They then swapped the 27th pick, and two late-round selections, to get the 18th pick held by the Seattle Seahawks. With that 18th pick, they took Louisville cornerback Jaire Alexander.

With the 20th pick, the Detroit Lions took Arkansas center Frank Ragnow.

The second and third rounds will be held tonight. The Packers hold the 13th pick in round two, and the 12th selection in round three. The Lions hold the 19th pick in round two, and the 18th in round three.

The draft will conclude with the final four rounds tomorrow.

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