Monday Sports: Berries, Gulls Take Game 1s, NFL & CFL Story

WCBL Division Finals

Carter Beck proved to be too much for the Moose Jaw Miller Express in Game 1 of the Western Canadian Baseball League East Division Final on Sunday afternoon. The Saskatoon star outfielder hit for the cycle and had 3 RBI’s as the Berries routed the rival Millers 14-1 at a soldout Berry Patch (Cairns Field).

The Millers will look to avoid a sweep Monday night when they host Saskatoon at 7:05 pm at Ross Wells Park.

In the West Final, Sylvan Lake beat Okotoks 5-3 at Gulls Field on Sunday to grab a 1-0 lead in the Best-of-3. The Dawgs will look to stay alive with a home win Monday evening at Seaman Stadium.

MLB

J-J Bleday and Zack Gelof both homered in a six-run first inning, J-P Sears pitched seven innings to win his third straight start and the visiting Oakland Athletics beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-4 today. Oakland earned its 50th win, matching its total from last season. Toronto slugger Vladimir Guerrero Junior went 0-for-4, ending his hitting streak at 22 consecutive games. The Jays lost two of three to the A’s, who are last in the A-L West.

CFL

After losing their first seven games of the CFL season, the Edmonton Elks have now won two in a row. The Elks spotted the visiting B-C Lions a 10-1 first-quarter lead today before storming back with 18 unanswered points in the second quarter en route to a 33-16 victory. The Lions, who have lost three straight, slipped to 5-and-4.

NFL

BRONCOS 34 COLTS 30

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Rookie quarterback Bo Nix threw one touchdown pass and took Denver on long scoring marches to close the first half and open the second half Sunday as the Broncos picked up a 34-30 victory at Indianapolis in their preseason opener.

Nix, the No. 12 overall draft pick in April, was 15 of 21 for 125 yards while rushing three times for 17 yards before departing midway through the third quarter and being replaced by former New York Jets starter Zach Wilson.

Veteran Jarrett Stidham started the game and finished 4 of 7 with 57 yards and one interception.

But in his first NFL game, Nix may have taken the lead in the battle for Denver’s starting job.

He certainly was the most efficient of the three and proved the difference playing mostly against Indy’s backup defense.

For the Colts, it was all about seeing second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson and 2021 NFL rushing champ Jonathan Taylor in the same backfield after injuries limited the duo to just two snaps all of last season.

They played just two series and didn’t get much done. Richardson finished 2 of 4 with 25 yards and ran once for 1 yard in his first action since suffering a season-ending injury to his throwing shoulder last October. Taylor had two carries for 4 yards.

RAMS 13, COWBOYS 12

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Stetson Bennett rebounded from a four-interception afternoon and threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Miller Forristall with 4 seconds remaining as Los Angeles rallied for a victory over Dallas in the preseason opener for both teams.

Bennett led the Rams on a 13-play, 70-yard drive, including his sidearm throw to Forristall on fourth-and-goal from the Dallas 6-yard line. Los Angeles’ day looked to be over when it appeared Bennett threw his fifth pick on the last play before the two-minute warning, but it was negated when Dallas was called for holding.

Bennett went the distance at quarterback and was 24 of 38 for 224 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions. Rookie Joshua Karty had a pair of field goals for the Rams.

Bennett, who led the University of Georgia to two national titles, was drafted by the Rams in the fourth round last year. He was not with the team during the regular season as he addressed his mental health.

Trey Lance passed for 188 yards in his first game for Dallas, and the Cowboys got four field goals from Brandon Aubrey.

Lance was the third overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2021 draft and appeared in eight games, including four starts, during his first two seasons. He was traded to the Cowboys last season on Aug. 26 for a fourth-round pick but was inactive for every game.

Lance came in for the second series and played the rest of the game. He completed 25 of 41 passes and directed three scoring drives.

CEBL

Champions of the CEBL jungle at long last, the Niagara River Lions should sleep soundly tonight.
 
The River Lions beat the Vancouver Bandits in dramatic fashion, 97-95, to hoist the championship trophy on Sunday at Montreal’s Verdun Auditorium.
 
And yes, the team’s champagne-soaked celebration included a player rendition of The Tokens’ famous song The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

GOLF

Canada’s Stephen Ames successfully defended his Boeing Classic title yesterday in Snoqualmie, Washington, birdieing the par-5 18th hole for a one-stroke victory over Ernie Els, Steven Alker and Robert Karlsson. The 60-year-old Ames, a naturalized Canadian from Trinidad and Tobago, won his third PGA Tour Champions title of the season and ninth overall. He won four times on the PGA Tour.

TENNIS

Two American women will compete for the singles title later today at the National Bank Open in Toronto. Defending champion Jessica Pegula will meet Amanda Anisimova in the final. And Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe will play Americans Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk in the women’s doubles final.

Andrey Rublev of Russia and Australian Alexei Popyrin will meet in tonight’s men’s singles final at the National Bank Open in Montreal. Rublev defeated Matteo Arnaldi of Italy in one semifinal yesterday, while Popyrin beat American Sebastian Korda in straight sets in the other semifinal.

(Canadian Press)