Haslams sell portion of the Crew

COLUMBUS — Haslam Sports Group has sold a 10% stake in Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew to the Edwards family, increasing their ownership share to 30% while the Haslams retain majority control.

The deal values the Crew at approximately $900 million, reflecting the club’s recent on-field success and strong attendance at Lower.com Field, which opened in 2021.

The Edwards family, led by longtime team physician Dr. Pete Edwards, originally partnered with the Haslams to purchase the team in 2018. The increased stake gives the Edwardses a larger role in the franchise’s operations and governance.

Under the current ownership, the Crew have become one of MLS’s model franchises, winning MLS Cup titles in 2020 and 2023. The team has also seen consistent sellouts at its downtown stadium.

Haslam Sports Group, which also owns the NFL’s Cleveland Browns and holds a stake in the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, remains the Crew’s controlling owner.

Coach pokes fun at drone

ST. LOUIS (AP) — U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino made light of an unexpected drone flying over his team’s training session ahead of a CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal against Guatemala.

The U.S. Soccer Federation had three drones above Tuesday’s practice at the training facility next to Energizer Field and a fourth joined them during the start of the workout, which was open to media for the first 15 minutes.

“If someone want some clips we can send. It’s not a problem,” Pochettino said. “We are not going to hide nothing. It’s not the NASA here. It is the national — men’s national team. No problem.”

Pochettino said it was not clear whether midfielder Johnny Cardoso will be available for the match. Cardoso missed Sunday’s quarterfinal win over Costa Rica.

“He was today training a little bit, but he’s feeling … a problem again in his ankle,” Pochettino said. “It’s not a big issue, but it’s an uncomfortable situation.”

Guardians place Arias on injured list

CHICAGO (AP) — The Cleveland Guardians placed shortstop Gabriel Arias on the 10-day injured list with a left ankle sprain before Tuesday night’s game at the Chicago Cubs and recalled infielder Brayan Rocchio from Triple-A Columbus.

Rocchio was in Cleveland’s lineup at shortstop and batting ninth for the series opener at Wrigley Field.

Arias was taken off the field on a cart after getting hurt in the third inning of Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals. The team said X-rays were negative and Arias underwent an MRI on Monday.

“It looks like we got pretty lucky,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “It looks like a moderate ankle sprain. So we’ll have more information on him when we get back (to Cleveland on Friday), but it sounds like he avoided some major injury, which is great.”

Arias is batting .231 with six homers and 31 RBIs in 77 games in his first full season as a starter.

Arias went deep into the hole to field a grounder by Masyn Winn with one out, but caught his left spike on the grass and awkwardly rolled his ankle. The ball wound up in left field for a single. Arias immediately grabbed his leg and remained down for several minutes.

Rocchio opened the season with the Guardians, but was optioned to Triple-A on May 12 after batting only .165 with eight RBIs in 35 games. In 41 games with Columbus, he hit .252 with seven home runs and 30 RBIs.

Pirates find a way against Cardinals

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Catcher Henry Davis drove in the game’s only run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning and preserved the lead with a tag at the plate in the ninth, giving Pittsburgh a 1-0 win over St. Louis Cardinals 1-0 on Tuesday night as Pirates ace Paul Skenes’ winless streak reached six starts.

Pittsburgh’s Ke’Bryan Hayes led off the bottom of the eighth with a single off Phil Maton (1-3). Pinch-hitter Adam Frazier doubled to right and Hayes scored on Davis’ fly ball to center.

St. Louis had runners on second and third with one out in the ninth when Victor Scott hit a slow chopper that first baseman Spencer Horwitz fielded and threw to Davis, who tagged Jose Fermin at the plate.

Skenes pitched five scoreless innings and allowed five hits and one walk and struck out five while throwing 88 pitches. Skenes, who is 4-7 with a 2.03 ERA, has not won since May 28 at Arizona and is winless in six starts against the Cardinals.

The loss spoiled a strong outing by Cardinals starter Andre Pallante, who pitched seven innings of one-hit ball. He struck out three and walked two, and his only hit allowed was a single by Andrew McCutchen in the fourth.

Issac Mattson (2-0) pitched one inning for the win, and David Bednar picked up his 12th save in as many chances this season as Pittsburgh won its fifth straight.

Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras sustained a left-hand contusion in the fourth inning on a tag play at home plate and left the game. Third baseman Nolan Arenado missed the game because of a jammed right index finger.

Key moment

Jose Fermin being tagged out at home on Scott’s chopper to Horwitz and Bednar striking out Brendan Donovan to end the game.

Key stat

The Pirates had scored 37 runs in their previous four games.

Up next

Cardinals RHP Sonny Gray (8-2, 3.36 ERA) faces Mitch Keller (2-10, 3.90) on Wednesday as the Pirates go for the series sweep.

Cubs beat up Guards

CHICAGO (AP) — Matthew Boyd pitched seven sharp innings for his eighth win, Seiya Suzuki cracked his team-leading 23rd homer and the Chicago Cubs topped the sliding Cleveland Guardians 5-2 on Tuesday night.

Carson Kelly doubled twice with a sac fly for three RBIs. Michael Busch went 3-for-3 and drove in a run to help NL Central-leading Chicago win its 50th game.

Carlos Santana had two hits, including his 400th career double, but Cleveland dropped its fifth straight.

The Guardians scored two runs in the fourth — ending a skid of 17 straight scoreless innings — on Nolan Jones’ RBI single and Angel Martínez’s sacrifice fly. Cleveland has scored in just two of its last 45 innings.

Boyd (8-3) allowed two runs on five hits with five strikeout and one walk. The left-hander finished by retiring 11 straight hitters before Brad Keller entered for the eighth.

Daniel Palencia struck out two in a perfect ninth for his ninth save.

Cleveland’s Gavin Williams (5-4) yielded four runs on seven hits and four walks.

The Cubs took a 3-0 lead in a quirky second on four straight hits.

Then Kelly was out at home when he tried to score from third after the ball got away from catcher Bo Naylor. Williams walked the next two hitters — Nico Hoerner and Matt Shaw — but picked both off first.

After Cleveland cut it to 3-2 in the fourth, Suzuki hit his solo shot to left in the sixth.

Key moment

It looked like Cleveland’s offense finally awakened in the fourth. But Boyd picked off Jones for the second out, then got Naylor to ground out.

Key stat

Boyd tossed his 12th quality start in 17. He’s one win short of his career high of nine, reached with Detroit in 2018 and 2019

Up next

Guardians RHP Tanner Bibee (4-8, 3.80 ERA) faces Cubs LHP Shota Imanaga (4-2, 2.54) on Wednesday.

Contreras sustains left hand contusion

PITTSBURGH (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras sustained a left hand contusion after being hit by a pitch by Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes while leading off the fourth inning of Tuesday night’s 1-0 loss to the Pirates.

Contreras stayed in the game to run the bases and was thrown out at home plate by Pirates left fielder Tommy Pham to end the inning while trying to score from second base on Pedro Pages’ single.

Contreras had X-rays on the hand, and they came back negative. He and Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said it is doubtful that the three-time All-Star will play in the teams’ series finale on Wednesday.

Contreas was replaced in the bottom of the fourth by Alec Burleson, who shifted from left field. Garrett Hampson took over in left.

Contreras is hitting .248 in 82 games with 11 home runs and 51 RBIs.

The 33-year-old Contreras sustained a season-ending fractured left middle finger last Aug. 24 when he was hit by a pitch.

“When I get hit in the arm or hand, I get a little worried,” Contreras said. “I think I’m going to be OK, just a day or two (off).”

The Cardinals are off Thursday before opening a three-game series Friday in Chicago against the Cubs.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB