Probe of Astros widens
Major League Baseball is conducting a wider probe of the Astros that goes beyond the assistant GM who was fired this week for inappropriate behavior, concerned about the team’s initial denial.
The Astros dismissed assistant GM Brandon Taubman on Thursday, saying he directed inappropriate comments at female reporters during a clubhouse celebration following Game 6 of the ALCS last weekend.
“There are aspects of this that go beyond the incident that’s been dealt with in terms of the employment of the individual,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said Friday before World Series Game 3. “We need to gather additional facts.”
Sports Illustrated reported Taubman repeatedly yelled toward a group of female reporters about closer Roberto Osuna, who was suspended for 75 games last year for violating MLB’s domestic violence policy and then was traded from the Blue Jays to the Astros. Taubman shouted, “Thank God we got Osuna!” according to SI, which said he made similar remarks several times during Saturday night’s celebration, punctuating them with a profanity.
The Astros issued a statement Monday accusing the SI reporter of making up the story. Taubman apologized for his language in a statement Tuesday, and MLB and the team started an investigation.
Astros GM Jeff Luhnow apologized Thursday for the team’s initial response, saying it was wrong, and the team apologized to the SI reporter, the magazine and people who saw the incident, and to those who were offended.
Manfred said MLB’s investigation began because of concern over the initial statement but was ongoing.
College football: Notre Dame junior WR Michael Young will transfer, according to reports. Young will play his final two seasons of eligibility as a graduate transfer.
Golf: Organizers of the the Zozo Championship, the PGA Tour’s first tournament in Japan, took the unusual step of closing the course in Inzai City to spectators for Saturday’s second round and extending the tournament until Monday because of torrential rainfall and flooding in the area. Rain washed out the second round Friday . ... Danielle Kang held a one-stroke lead at the Buick Ladies Championship in Busan, South Korea. Kang won last week’s LPGA event in Shanghai . ... Oliver Fisher of England held a one-stroke lead at the Portugal Masters in Vilamoura. Fisher reached 12-under 130.
Soccer: Leicester scored five first-half goals and another four after the break to destroy 10-man and host Southampton 9-0 and tie the biggest win in Premier League history. Manchester United beat Ipswich by the same score in 1995, three years after the English top tier was rebranded. Ayoze Perez and Jamie Vardy both scored hat tricks in the victory.
Tennis: No. 3 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece rallied for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic to advance to the semifinals of the Swiss Indoors in Basel. Tsitsipas will face No. 1 seed Roger Federer, who has won his hometown event nine times.
— News services