WEDNESDAY SPORTS PAGE: TYREEK HILL UNDER INVESTIGATION

On a night featuring defensive fist pumps, timely hits and quality pitching, the Toronto Blue Jays snapped a three-game losing skid by blanking the Marlins 2-0 in Miami on Tuesday. Ernie Clement and George Springer hit consecutive R-B-I singles in the eighth inning as the Jays made up for an 11-0 loss the night before to the Marlins. Yusei Kikuchi allowed two hits and struck out six in six innings to help Toronto even the series and halt the Marlins’ five-game win streak.

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A last-minute replacement for injured shortstop Pablo Reyes, Christian Arroyo had a career-high five hits and drove in four runs, while Kutter Crawford pitched five scoreless innings for the Boston Red Sox in a 10-4 win over the Minnesota Twins. Arroyo also hit a three-run double as part of a five-run seventh for Boston, which has outscored opponents 50-18 during a six-game win streak.

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Alex Bregman hit a two-run homer and Framber Valdez threw eight strong innings to outpitch former teammate Justin Verlander as the Houston Astros snapped a five-game skid with a 4-2 win over the New York Mets. Valdez took over as Houston’s ace this year following Verlander’s departure after winning the A-L Cy Young Award last season. The left-hander didn’t allow a baserunner until the sixth and held the Mets scoreless until the eighth. Verlander allowed eight hits and four runs in seven innings.

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T-J Friedl hit a three-run homer on a four-hit night, rookie Elly De La Cruz added a solo shot and the Cincinnati Reds extended their winning streak to 10 games with an 8-6 victory over the Colorado Rockies. Will Benson had a solo homer, helping the N-L Central-leading Reds to their longest winning streak since 2012, when they also won 10 straight. The Rockies have now lost seven in a row.

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Lionel Messi is expected to make his Major League Soccer debut with Inter Miami on July 21st, the team confirmed Tuesday. Owner Jorge Mas said his club and Messi have agreed to terms and are finalizing paperwork and a visa. The team said the 35-year-old Messi will be signing a contract through the end of the 2025 season. Messi’s contract will be worth 50-million to 60-million-dollars per year.

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Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill is under investigation by Miami-Dade police for allegedly hitting a man on Sunday. The incident was first reported by WPLG T-V in Miami after the station received a tip Sunday evening. The station reported that Hill got into an argument with an employee of a marina charter company in Miami, which apparently ended with Hill hitting the man. A Dolphins spokesman says the team is aware of the situation and that team officials have been in touch with Hill, his representatives and the NFL.

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Thomas Kennedy’s 18-point double-double led the Scarborough Shooting Stars to their third consecutive win in a row and an 85-83 victory over the Ottawa BlackJacks on Tuesday night. The forward’s season-high scoring mark and third double-double of the season helped his team get back to .500 and a four-way tie for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

(Canadian Press, CEBL Comms)