MLB
Fighting words
Oakland at Toronto (-155)
According to media reports out of Toronto, Jays manager John Gibbons fought with pitcher Ted Lilly in the tunnel behind the team’s dugout during last night’s loss to the A’s.
The pair argued on the mound when Gibbons removed Lilly from the game in the third inning, before continuing the altercation in the tunnel.
Both Gibbons and Lilly deny the altercation got physical, although Gibbons appeared to have a bloody nose when spotted in the Jays dugout later and at least one Canadian Press photographer said Gibbons and Lilly exchanged shoves.
It was just one month ago that Gibbons challenged Shea Hillenbrand to a fight in the Jays clubhouse. Hillenbrand was later traded to the San Francisco Giants.
The alleged fight comes just days after media reports that All-Star Vernon Wells has told the Jays he’s not interested in signing a long-term deal with the team.
Yanks give Moose a rest
Yankees (-135) at Mariners
The Yankees are giving Mike Mussina some extra down time to rest his tight right groin.
Mussina was forced out of New York’s Aug. 20 game against Boston with the injury and will miss at least one start.
As a result the Yankees have shuffled their rotation, with rookie Jeff Karstens starting against Seattle tonight in his Major League debut and Jaret Wright taking Mussina’s turn on Friday against the L.A. Angels.
In his last seven starts at Triple-A, Karstens went 5-0 with a 1.84 ERA.
Glove at first sight
Yankees at Mariners
Alex Rodriguez is using a new glove in hopes of ending his defensive struggles. He's currently tied for the MLB lead with 22 errors.
A-Rod wore his new glove for the first time on Monday in Boston, and used it to make two very nice defensive plays in the Yankees’ win.
The new glove is bigger that A-Rod’s old one, and Rodriguez told the New York Post it helped him backhand a Manny Ramirez grounder and snag a hot shot off Mark Loretta's bat.
“It's a Robin Ventura model, a little bigger,” Rodriguez told the New York Post. “I'm going to stay with it, I like it.”
WNBA
Bird to play for Storm
Seattle at Los Angeles (-6 1/2)
Sue Bird will suit up tonight for Seattle, despite the fact she has a broken nose.
Bird broke her nose after receiving an elbow from the Sparks’ Tamara Moore in the last minute of play in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal on Aug. 20. It is the third time in three years she has suffered a broken nose.
Bird will play with a protective mask tonight.
College football
UCLA names starting QB
Bruins head coach Karl Dorrell officially named Ben Olson the team’s starting quarterback on Monday.
UCLA hosts Utah on Sept. 2 as a 4 1/2-point favorite.
“I believed I was the starter all along,” Olson, a sophomore, told the L.A. Daily News. “It was just a waiting game, I guess.”
Olson outperformed fellow sophomore Pat Cowan in fall practices to win the job, one year after serving as the backup to Drew Olson (no relation).
Ben Olson was one of the most sought after QBs in the country in 2001 coming out of high school before deciding to attend BYU. He then left the team after one semester to go on a two-year Mormon mission.
When the mission was complete, he decided on UCLA and battled Drew Olson for the starting job last fall before eventually setting in as his backup.