Thursday Sports: Upset Night

WCBL Playoffs (Round 1)

East
Moose Jaw 4 Regina 3 (Miller Express lead 1-0)
Saskatoon 6 Medicine Hat 4 (Berres lead 1-0)

West
Okotoks 7 Lethbridge 4 (Dawgs lead 1-0)
Sylvan Lake 4 Brooks 0 (Gulls lead 1-0)

MLB

The Toronto Blue Jays’ bullpen struggled Wednesday in a 7-3 loss to Baltimore, hours after team president and CEO Mark Shapiro identified the group as the team’s Achilles heel. Ryan Burr and Ryan Yarbrough both surrendered home runs late in the game as Toronto lost a 3-2 lead entering the seventh inning. The Orioles were led by Anthony Santander, who hit two home runs in the game.

OLYMPICS

• Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson look to continue their success in the knockout round in women’s beach volleyball at the Paris Olympics. The Canadian duo has been on a tear after an uneven performance in group play, and they will guarantee themselves a podium finish with a win today in the semifinal against Switzerland’s Nina Brunner and Tanja Huberli.
• Two track-and-field heavyweights will clash today as reigning Olympic champion and world-record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone of the U-S goes up against reigning world champion Femke Bol of the Netherlands in the women’s 400 hurdles final. The race will also feature Saskatoon’s Savannah Sutherland in her first Olympics in Paris.
• U.S. men’s basketball coach Steve Kerr knows something unexpected is going to happen when his team plays against Serbia in the semifinals of the Paris Olympics. The U.S. will look to reach the gold-medal game for the 18th time in its 20 Olympic appearances when it faces Serbia in the semifinals of the Paris Games on Thursday night. France will play Germany in the other semifinal.
• A’ja Wilson scored 20 points and Jackie Young added 15 points to help the U.S. beat Nigeria 88-74 in the quarterfinals, extending its record winning streak to 59 consecutive Olympic wins.

CFL

Week 10 in the CFL kicks off Thursday evening with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-3) at the Ottawa Redblacks (5-2). Previews and picks are in the post below.

NFL

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The debate about whether the NFL will expand the regular season once again seems to have been resolved and now it’s a matter of how soon the league adds an 18th game. Commissioner Roger Goodell has talked openly about it, union chief Lloyd Howell recently told the Washington Post that the NFLPA is open to doing it before the current collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2030 season. Players seem resigned to the inevitability no matter how they might personally feel. The bigger question now might be what concessions can players get to agree to a longer season.

(Canadian Press)