newyorkpost--2020-08-15--Fantasy baseball owners must snag some of these rookies

Service time for youngsters routinely becomes an issue for some MLB clubs , and here in the time of COVID , we expected it to be an even bigger problem .
Some of your more frugal fantasy baseball owners prefer to delay the start of any player ’ s arbitration clock and now were expected to be even less enthusiastic about starting the clock in a truncated season .
Nevertheless , some of those owners have learned that a truncated season could mean there is no tomorrow , and if they are going to recoup any lost money with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ players on the field , regardless of service time .
The Cardinals are in a very tricky spot , and general manager John Mozelaik knows he can take full advantage .
Heading into the weekend , the Cardinals have played just five games while almost every other team has played somewhere between 15-20 .
With the new format , MLB agreed that non-division winners would get into the playoffs based on winning percentage , and the Cardinals find themselves just one game below .500 .
Given the sense of urgency , Mozelaik wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bringing up highly touted rookie Dylan Carlson right now .
If Carlson is sitting on your waiver wire , the time to act is now .
Maybe the fact the team has played so little will help drive the price down , but putting in a strong claim could really help your team ’ s offense , as the 21-year old switch-hitter offers both power and speed .
None of the four outfielders the Cardinals are using have provided much , which means Carlson ’ s contributions should provide an immediate boost .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his ascension through the Cardinals system , and he finished 2019 with 26 home runs and 20 stolen bases between Double- and Triple-A .
If the surge and continued adjustments we witnessed during spring training and Summer camp hold true , he is a must-own .
The Phillies also have seen the light with regard to rookie promotions and power-hitting third-baseman Alec Bohm has arrived .
With Scott Kingery struggling to find his way and Rhys Hoskins failing to provide any shred of power , Phillies GM Matt Klentak has turned to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playoff train moving .
The former first-rounder ( third-overall ) from the 2018 draft ascended from rookie ball to Double-A last season without losing his plate discipline or ability to get on-base and crushed 21 homers in just 475 at-bats .
In his first at-bat in the majors , he yanked a double down the third-base line and looked eager for more .
With a greater sense of urgency for MLB teams , you can expect to see a few more rookie faces in the coming weeks .
Don ’ t waste time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Bohm are immediate adds and once players like Gavin Lux and Casey Mize arrive , they will be too .
Howard Bender is the VP of operations and head of content at Fantasy-Alarm.com .
Follow him on Twitter @ rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “ Fantasy Alarm Radio Show ” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy baseball advice .

Service time for youngsters routinely becomes an issue for some MLB clubs, and here in the time of COVID, we expected it to be an even bigger problem. Some of your more frugal fantasy baseball owners prefer to delay the start of any player’s arbitration clock and now were expected to be even less enthusiastic about starting the clock in a truncated season. Nevertheless, some of those owners have learned that a truncated season could mean there is no tomorrow, and if they are going to recoup any lost money with a playoff run, you need your best players on the field, regardless of service time.
The Cardinals are in a very tricky spot, and general manager John Mozelaik knows he can take full advantage. Heading into the weekend, the Cardinals have played just five games while almost every other team has played somewhere between 15-20. With the new format, MLB agreed that non-division winners would get into the playoffs based on winning percentage, and the Cardinals find themselves just one game below .500. Given the sense of urgency, Mozelaik wants wins right now, and that means bringing up highly touted rookie Dylan Carlson right now.
If Carlson is sitting on your waiver wire, the time to act is now. Maybe the fact the team has played so little will help drive the price down, but putting in a strong claim could really help your team’s offense, as the 21-year old switch-hitter offers both power and speed.
None of the four outfielders the Cardinals are using have provided much, which means Carlson’s contributions should provide an immediate boost. His plate discipline has steadily improved during his ascension through the Cardinals system, and he finished 2019 with 26 home runs and 20 stolen bases between Double- and Triple-A. If the surge and continued adjustments we witnessed during spring training and Summer camp hold true, he is a must-own.
The Phillies also have seen the light with regard to rookie promotions and power-hitting third-baseman Alec Bohm has arrived. With Scott Kingery struggling to find his way and Rhys Hoskins failing to provide any shred of power, Phillies GM Matt Klentak has turned to his youth to keep the team’s playoff train moving.
The former first-rounder (third-overall) from the 2018 draft ascended from rookie ball to Double-A last season without losing his plate discipline or ability to get on-base and crushed 21 homers in just 475 at-bats. In his first at-bat in the majors, he yanked a double down the third-base line and looked eager for more.
With a greater sense of urgency for MLB teams, you can expect to see a few more rookie faces in the coming weeks. Don’t waste time waiting to see what happens. Carlson and Bohm are immediate adds and once players like Gavin Lux and Casey Mize arrive, they will be too.
Howard Bender is the VP of operations and head of content at Fantasy-Alarm.com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy baseball advice.


newyorkpost--2020-08-15--Surprising Nets relishing underdog role vs. Raptors

Portland was playing for their playoff lives .
Brooklyn was playing ...

After starting the Orlando journey on July 31 as a depleted mess, the Brooklyn Nets became the bubble surprise of August. Now this gritty group heads to the playoffs Monday against the No. 2 seed Toronto Raptors but full of bravado and only needing a Disney World passport.
The neutral, fan-less Disney venue might be key to aiding an upset against the defending NBA champions who coasted through Orlando’s “seedings games.” Canada’s team has been nearly unbeatable at raucous Air Canada Centre the past few years against Atlantic Division foes.
Thursday’s thrilling 134-133 loss to the Trail Blazers could not stop the Nets’ good vibes. The makeshift roster finished up 5-3, with the seventh seed. They watched the starry emergence of shooting guard Caris LeVert, which bodes well for the first round — and as importantly — next season.
“As a team we got better each and every game,’’ LeVert said. “That’s what we wanted to do when we came down here. We knew we had a shot to accomplish to keep the seventh spot and keep momentum going. But the job’s still not done. We have a tough series coming up in Toronto.
“We have a lot of pride and professionalism in this locker room. A lot of guys are overlooked and took it personally. We were supposed to go 0-8.”
The Raptors (53-19) don’t have Kawhi Leonard, but boast a fierce backcourt of Kyle Lowry and Fred Van Vleet. Add power forward stud Pascal Siakam and granite center Marc Gasol, playing better with age on defense, makes them an Eastern Conference title threat.
The bubble Nets, who are 10-point underdogs in Game 1, are a prolific 3-point shooting club — the Raptors’ Achilles heel on defense — and they have scored 115 points or more in six of their eight contests.
“We played a great eight games, but now it’s time to really lock in,’’ LeVert said. “That’s why we came out here — for the playoffs. There’s no moral victories. We have to lock in the next couple of games.”
The Raptors will be a sound test but not the end all, be all on what the future holds on Atlantic Avenue next season. The other members of the Nets’ “Bubble Big 3’’ also have been stalwart, with Joe Harris and center Jarrett Allen playing at a high level.
Add that trio to a threesome of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Spencer Dinwiddie, all absent from Orlando, and the Nets have on paper the makings of potentially the Eastern Conference title favorites in 2020-21. That’s not to mention role-playing Deandre Jordan, Taurean Prince and Nic Claxton.
Next season might come down to coaching as GM Sean Marks needs to figure out if Jacque Vaughn’s impressive work in Orlando is enough to seal the job for 2020-21. Or should their coaching search, which could start as early as next week, lead to a marquee hire out of potential candidates, Jason Kidd, Tyronn Lue, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson. It stands as the largest decision in their Brooklyn history.
“I think the sky’s the limit,’’ guard Garrett Temple said of the future. “The continuity that we’re playing with, I think this is the way that we need to play. Obviously with guys like Kyrie and KD, they’re very adept at playing in iso situations when need be. So we definitely have that ability. But they also can play in situations where the ball moves. Obviously bringing those two guys back, as well as DeAndre [Jordan], Taurean [Prince], it’s crazy when you think about what we don’t have here and the way we’re playing.”
Blending LeVert’s game with Durant and Irving is for another time. Right now he’s the No. 1 option — cited for his unexpected vocal leadership.
“We know coming down here wasn’t going to be easy,’’ LeVert said of the depleted roster. “We knew we’d have to come together as a group of guys and teammates. If we didn’t do that, we didn’t have a chance.”
LeVert struck for 37 points, nine assists and six rebounds in a game the Blazers needed to win to extend their season into Saturday’s play-in Western Conference match versus the Grizzlies.
“[LeVert] had a great pace to him, mixing it up, attacking the rim, that balance and making the right play,’’ Vaughn said. “The team believes in Caris. This is an opportunity for him to show not only his teammates but the rest of the league the work he’s put in and [get] honors and achievements he deserves.”
And now it’s onto Toronto without the trip through customs.
“It was the perfect game for us [vs. Portland] for the progression going into the playoffs — a meaningful game with an outcome we had a chance to decide,’’ Vaughn said.


newyorkpost--2020-08-15--Islanders’ special teams come up big vs. Capitals

Alex Ovechkin welcomed himself to the postseason Friday night , but ...

It wasn’t always pretty, but the Islanders’ special teams answered the call Friday night.
After being let down by both units in Game 1, the Islanders got important contributions from both in Game 2 to come up with a 5-2 win over the Capitals.
The Islanders did a better job of staying out of the box Friday — after giving up a pair of power-play goals in Game 1 — but still had to kill off two key penalties in the third period while protecting a 3-2 lead. They kept the Capitals out of the net and took the momentum the rest of the way to extend their series lead to 2-0.
“When you need a kill, you’re in a one-goal game and you got that [Capitals] power play that has so many weapons on it and can hurt you in so many ways, you need that big in those moments and our guys were big in that moment,” coach Barry Trotz said. “Sometimes you look at the numbers and percentages but when you need those kills, we got it done, in a real important time in the third period when the other team was pressing.”
The Islanders’ power play also got off the schneid. After going 0-for-3 in Game 1, they still struggled at times on the man advantage in Game 2 but got one big goal from Nick Leddy. The defenseman fired a shot from the point that got through on the Isles’ third power-play of the night to tie the game early in the second period.
The bad blood got left in the past.
Game 1 between the Islanders and Capitals was a physical affair that included some fireworks after Anders Lee delivered a crushing blow to Nicklas Backstrom. But there was little carryover into Game 2, aside from Tom Wilson darting around to deliver some hits in the first period. Wilson tallied eight hits in the first 20 minutes, but was quiet after that as the Islanders got back to business.
Trotz kept the same lineup for Game 2 that he rolled out in Game 1, which left Johnny Boychuk, Ross Johnston and Tom Kuhnhackl among the healthy scratches.


newyorkpost--2020-08-15--Meghan Markle on returning home during George Floyd unrest: ‘just devastating’

In an online interview Friday , Meghan Markle blasted the “ toxicity ” of journalism and complained it was “ just devastating ” to be in the U.S. during the civil unrest over police brutality .
“ It was so sad to see where our country was in that moment , ” Markle said of the protests , speaking during an interview with Emily Ramshaw , the co-founder and CEO of the non-profit “ The 19th.
” “ There is so much toxicity out there in what is being referred to as — my husband and I talk about it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said of herself and Prince Harry .
“ That is what is monetizable right now .
So if you ’ re just trying to grab someone ’ s attention , you ’ re going for something salacious versus what is truthful.
” The group , named after the amendment that gave women the right to vote , bills itself as a non-profit newsroom that empowers women who are underserved by the American media ; Markle was keynote speaker for the group ’ s 2020 virtual summit .
“ If there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said of the protests , “ I would say that in the weeks after the murder of George Floyd , in the peaceful protests that you were seeing , in the voices that were coming out , in the way that people were actually owning their role … it shifted from sadness to a feeling of absolute inspiration , because I can see that the tide is turning.
” Markle and Prince Harry moved to California in March after leaving the royal family — right as the coronavirus pandemic hit and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ From my standpoint , it ’ s not new to see this undercurrent of racism and certainly unconscious bias , but I think to see the changes that are being made right now is really — it ’ s something I look forward to being a part of , ” Meghan said .
“ And being part of using my voice in a way that I haven ’ t been able to of late.
” Markle said she ’ s had her eyes on the upcoming election and has been talking to Gloria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ People are craving a change , ” she said .
“ In the place we ’ re all in right now , there ’ s such a moment where people are starting to question the systems we ’ ve always believed in .
”

In an online interview Friday, Meghan Markle blasted the “toxicity” of journalism and complained it was “just devastating” to be in the U.S. during the civil unrest over police brutality.
“It was so sad to see where our country was in that moment,” Markle said of the protests, speaking during an interview with Emily Ramshaw, the co-founder and CEO of the non-profit “The 19th.”
“There is so much toxicity out there in what is being referred to as — my husband and I talk about it often — the economy for attention,” she said of herself and Prince Harry.
“That is what is monetizable right now. So if you’re just trying to grab someone’s attention, you’re going for something salacious versus what is truthful.”
The group, named after the amendment that gave women the right to vote, bills itself as a non-profit newsroom that empowers women who are underserved by the American media; Markle was keynote speaker for the group’s 2020 virtual summit.
“If there’s any silver lining in that,” she said of the protests, “I would say that in the weeks after the murder of George Floyd, in the peaceful protests that you were seeing, in the voices that were coming out, in the way that people were actually owning their role … it shifted from sadness to a feeling of absolute inspiration, because I can see that the tide is turning.”
Markle and Prince Harry moved to California in March after leaving the royal family — right as the coronavirus pandemic hit and shortly before Floyd was killed.
“From my standpoint, it’s not new to see this undercurrent of racism and certainly unconscious bias, but I think to see the changes that are being made right now is really — it’s something I look forward to being a part of,” Meghan said.
“And being part of using my voice in a way that I haven’t been able to of late.”
Markle said she’s had her eyes on the upcoming election and has been talking to Gloria Steinem about the importance of voting.
“People are craving a change,” she said. “In the place we’re all in right now, there’s such a moment where people are starting to question the systems we’ve always believed in.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-15--More than 40 hurt or killed in bloody week of NYC shootings

A bloody week of shootings in New York City had by 2 a.m. Saturday left behind at least 42 victims — including eight who died .
In all , there were at least 32 shootings this week before sunrise Saturday .
By comparison , there were only 26 shootings in all of the same week last year .
On Friday alone , there were 12 shootings throughout Manhattan , Brooklyn , Queens and The Bronx , law enforcement sources told The Post .
Out of Friday ’ s 20 total victims , one died .
Deshawn Reid , 28 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 p.m. in front of his home on Ocean Avenue , near Crooke Avenue , police said .
Too many of Friday ’ s other shootings had multiple victims .
Three women and one man were injured in a single shooting at 11:10 p.m. at a sidewalk block party outside the BLK Ink Gallery tattoo parlor at 55 Malcolm X Boulevard in Harlem , a law enforcement source said .
The shots were fired from across the street by a single gunman ; he remained at large and the motive was still being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Two of the women and the man were shot in the leg ; it was unclear where the third woman was shot ; all had been outside at the time .
“ This is something we ’ re seeing — the number of shooting victims outpacing the number of victims , ” a law enforcement source said of the summer ’ s spate of multiple-victim shootings .
“ A factor is crowds , ” the source said .

Laura Italiano, Joe Marino, Larry Celona

A bloody week of shootings in New York City had by 2 a.m. Saturday left behind at least 42 victims — including eight who died.
In all, there were at least 32 shootings this week before sunrise Saturday. By comparison, there were only 26 shootings in all of the same week last year.
On Friday alone, there were 12 shootings throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and The Bronx, law enforcement sources told The Post.
Out of Friday’s 20 total victims, one died.
Deshawn Reid, 28, was fatally shot in the torso around 4 p.m. in front of his home on Ocean Avenue, near Crooke Avenue, police said.
Too many of Friday’s other shootings had multiple victims.
Three women and one man were injured in a single shooting at 11:10 p.m. at a sidewalk block party outside the BLK Ink Gallery tattoo parlor at 55 Malcolm X Boulevard in Harlem, a law enforcement source said.
The shots were fired from across the street by a single gunman; he remained at large and the motive was still being investigated, another law enforcement said.
Two of the women and the man were shot in the leg; it was unclear where the third woman was shot; all had been outside at the time.
“This is something we’re seeing — the number of shooting victims outpacing the number of victims,” a law enforcement source said of the summer’s spate of multiple-victim shootings.
“A factor is crowds,” the source said.


newyorkpost--2020-08-15--How one Jets unit is building chemistry during tough times

Gregg Williams gave the Seahawks some bulletin board material for ...

The Jets offensive line is hoping they can speed up the bonding process with text message chains and games of “Call of Duty.”
Center Connor McGovern, one of four new starters along the line, said Friday that the group is doing whatever it can to build chemistry before the regular season gets here.
“It’s a little bit difficult but we’ve been doing what we can whether it’s we have a group text where we’re always communicating with each other, sending stuff in whether it’s memes or jokes or serious topics, whatever,” McGovern said. “That’s how we kind of started.”
The group is now in Florham Park together at training camp and tries to spend its downtime together, whether that means in person or virtually.
“Now that we’ve been together, there’s not a whole lot else to do but hang out with each other,” McGovern said. “When you go back to your hotel room and you have two hours of break and you’re done watching film or studying your notebook, hop on Xbox together a little bit. It’s actually kind of funny how something as simple as playing ‘Call of Duty’ as a group of four of us, how much that brings you together because you’re joking the whole time.”
McGovern said quarterback Sam Darnold also is spending plenty of time with the linemen. McGovern, who signed with the Jets as a free agent after three years with the Broncos, said the group is coming together quickly.
“I don’t know if it’s the group of guys [general manager] Joe Douglas brought together or the pandemic or what have you, but this is one of the closer groups as a whole that I’ve been around,” he said. “The offense as a hole isn’t clique-y. Everyone wants to be around the same people. Everybody is working really hard to get to know each other.”
Jets coach Adam Gase did not touch a question about defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ comment tweaking the Seahawks on Thursday. Williams said safety Jamal Adams, traded to Seattle by the Jets, may get “bored” in the Seahawks defense because they won’t use him as creatively as Williams did with the Jets.
“Jamal [Adams] is in Seattle,” Gase said. “We’re going to worry about ourselves.”
The Jets are counting on DL Quinnen Williams to make a leap in his second season. Gase said he can tell Williams is focused.
“Quinnen has come in and he’s gone to work,” Gase said. “The couple times I’ve rolled by him, chatted with him, he looks like he’s got his head down, he’s working. He isn’t looking to talk much.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-15--Georgia state trooper charged with murder in shooting of black driver

A white Georgia state trooper was fired and charged with murder on Friday in the shooting of a black driver last week .
Jacob Gordon Thompson , 27 , was arrested on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault after he fatally shot Julian Lewis , 60 , last Friday as Lewis tried to flee a traffic stop in Screven County , the George Bureau of Investigations announced Friday .
Thompson attempted to stop Lewis in his Nissan Sentra for what his family attorney said was a busted tail light .
When Lewis refused to pull over , Thompson began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eventually , Thompson used what is called a PIT maneuver , short for pursuit intervention technique , which can cause a driver to lose control during a chase and come to a stop .
Lewis came to a stop in a ditch , at which point Thompson reportedly struck him in the head with a single round .
Lewis was pronounced dead at the scene .
“ Mr .
Lewis never got out of the vehicle and the investigation will show that , mere seconds after the crash , he was shot to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed , ” Francys Johnson , the lawyer for his family , told the Associated Press .
Thompson in an incident report wrote that he shot Lewis in the head because he feared he was going to run him over , the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported .
“ At some point , I heard the engine on the violator ’ s vehicle revving at a high rate of speed , ” he wrote in the report , according to the outlet .
“ I saw him wrenching the steering wheel in an aggressive back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patrol vehicle , ” Thompson went on .
“ It appeared to me that the violator was trying to use his vehicle to injure me .
Being in fear for my life and safety , I discharged my weapon once.
” But Johnson told the Journal-Constitution that Thompson unnecessarily escalated the situation when he used his vehicle to force Lewis off the road , a dangerous procedure typically reserved for the most high-risk cases .
“ No one should have to bury a loved one simply because of a busted tail light , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Georgia NAACP , told the AP .
“ This was a case of racial profiling .
We are not necessarily happy right now .
Yes , the man was arrested , but we ’ re done dying.
” Johnson said Lewis was a carpenter and had recently finished a project for a local ministry .
Thompson will be booked into the Screven County Jail and the investigation is still ongoing , the George Bureau of Investigations .
“ I think he ’ s a fine trooper , ” Thompson ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP .
“ I think at the end of the day he will be exonerated in this case .
”

A white Georgia state trooper was fired and charged with murder on Friday in the shooting of a black driver last week.
Jacob Gordon Thompson, 27, was arrested on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault after he fatally shot Julian Lewis, 60, last Friday as Lewis tried to flee a traffic stop in Screven County, the George Bureau of Investigations announced Friday.
Thompson attempted to stop Lewis in his Nissan Sentra for what his family attorney said was a busted tail light. When Lewis refused to pull over, Thompson began a car chase along several streets.
Eventually, Thompson used what is called a PIT maneuver, short for pursuit intervention technique, which can cause a driver to lose control during a chase and come to a stop.
Lewis came to a stop in a ditch, at which point Thompson reportedly struck him in the head with a single round. Lewis was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Mr. Lewis never got out of the vehicle and the investigation will show that, mere seconds after the crash, he was shot to death, shot in the face and killed,” Francys Johnson, the lawyer for his family, told the Associated Press.
Thompson in an incident report wrote that he shot Lewis in the head because he feared he was going to run him over, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“At some point, I heard the engine on the violator’s vehicle revving at a high rate of speed,” he wrote in the report, according to the outlet.
“I saw him wrenching the steering wheel in an aggressive back and forth manner towards me and my patrol vehicle,” Thompson went on.
“It appeared to me that the violator was trying to use his vehicle to injure me. Being in fear for my life and safety, I discharged my weapon once.”
But Johnson told the Journal-Constitution that Thompson unnecessarily escalated the situation when he used his vehicle to force Lewis off the road, a dangerous procedure typically reserved for the most high-risk cases.
“No one should have to bury a loved one simply because of a busted tail light,” Rev. James Woodall, president of the Georgia NAACP, told the AP.
“This was a case of racial profiling. We are not necessarily happy right now. Yes, the man was arrested, but we’re done dying.”
Johnson said Lewis was a carpenter and had recently finished a project for a local ministry.
Thompson will be booked into the Screven County Jail and the investigation is still ongoing, the George Bureau of Investigations.
“I think he’s a fine trooper,” Thompson’s attorney, Keith Barber, told the AP. “I think at the end of the day he will be exonerated in this case.”
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-08-15--Twins’ Randy Dobnak is fantasy baseball pitcher you can’t live without

Imagine a time when you were able to go to ...

Pop quiz, hot shot: Which pitcher entered Friday tied for the league lead in wins (three) and had the majors’ lowest ERA (0.90)?
If your guess was Randy Dobnak, the bespectacled Twins pitcher with a 4.99 Uber driver rating (yes, he drove an Uber while pitching in the minors) and the Goose Gossage-like mustache, you obviously cheated and saw his accompanying picture.
But, it’s true. Through his first four starts, Dobnak was leading the league in both categories. He also had the 17th lowest opponent batting average (.183), the 15th best WHIP (0.900) and was in the top 30 in fewest walks (2.25 per nine innings).
Dobnak’s 88.9 percent strand rate, which is better than Justin Verlander’s league-best 88.4 percent in 2019, was ranked 11th, and his 66.7 percent groundball rate was the best in the majors.
These numbers, especially that groundball rate, are even more important when you take into consideration he is striking out just 4.95 per nine innings. If a pitcher is not going to strikeout batters, he must find other ways to get outs. And, right now, Dobnak is doing exactly that.
So, the big question is this: Is this guy for real? Let’s take a look:
Dobnak, the most added starting pitcher this week in ESPN leagues who went undrafted out of Division II Alderson Broaddus University, is walking just 6.6 percent of the batters he faces. This is consistent with what he did in the minors, where he issued 1.8 free passes per nine innings. The guy throws strikes. In fact, 209 of his 317 pitches (66 percent) have been strikes.
Dobnak also is keeping the ball in the park. He hasn’t allowed a homer this year, and has given up just one in his first 48¹/₃ big league innings. If you think this is luck, he allowed just 15 homers over 54 games in the minors (45 starts) and four over 143¹/₃ innings in college.
The groundball rate isn’t a sham either. Dobnak’s 52.9 percent rate over 28¹/₃ innings last year would have ranked sixth in the majors, wedged between Max Fried and Mike Soroka, and ahead of Stephen Strasburg, Sonny Gray, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Aaron Nola. In the minors last year, he had a 59.1 percent groundball rate at Single-A, 58.8 percent at Double-A and 61.1 percent at Triple-A.
Dobnak’s sinker, which has a 91 mph average velocity, is what got him to The Show, and it is a pitch he uses early and often. Of the 317 pitches he has thrown, 147 were sinkers (46.7 percent). Opponents are 9-for-32 (.281) against the pitch (seven of those hits were singles) and 78.1 percent of the balls hit were grounders.
Dobnak’s fastball sits in the 91-94 mph range, but he is only using that pitch 5.7 percent of the time. He does the rest of his damage with his changeup and slider, a pitch he is using 31.6 percent of the time.
Opponents are 2-for-26 (.077) against his slider, and it has accounted for nine of his 11 strikeouts. He also has a 17 percent swing rate against the pitch. Batters are struggling with his changeup, too, as they’re hitting .182 with two strikeouts and an 11.5 percent swinging strike rate.
Not every pitcher is going to, or has to, overpower hitters. Look at Greg Maddux. He struck out just 6.1 per nine innings over his 23-year Hall of Fame career while walking 1.8 per nine and inducing lots of groundballs. Roto Rage is not saying Dobnak is on Maddux’s level, he isn’t. But, Maddux was effective and extremely successful without the need, or ability, to overpower.
Is Dobnak going to maintain his current ERA? No. His 2.72 FIP and 3.76 xFIP indicate some good luck and there will be regression, but not to the point where he won’t bring value to your fantasy rotation.
Big Hits
Anthony Santander, OF, Orioles
Had an eight-game hit streak entering Friday, going 11-for-34 (.324) with two homers, 12 RBIs, eight runs and a 1.019 OPS in that span.
Dylan Bundy, SP, Angels
Allowed one earned run over his past two starts, going 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA, 20 strikeouts, one walk and a .145 opponent average. He is striking out a career-high 11 per nine, and batters are hitting .150 against him.
Renato Nunez, 1B, Orioles
Despite striking out 16 times over his first 12 games this month, he was 15-for-42 (.357) with five homers, 10 RBIs, 11 runs and a 1.211 OPS in that span.
Salvador Perez, C, Royals
Entered Friday with a 10-game hit streak, going 18-for-42 (.429) with two homers, seven RBIs, seven runs scored and a 1.122 OPS in that span.
Big Whiffs
Miguel Sano, 1B/3B, Twins
Though he homered four times and drove in seven runs in his first 10 games this month, he is 6-for-34 (.176) with 18 strikeouts.
Sean Manaea, SP, Athletics
Over his first four starts, the lefty is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA, 13 strikeouts and four walks. He has allowed 24 hits over 15 innings and a robust .364 opponent average and .985 OPS.
Mitch Garver, C, Twins
Had just seven hits in his first 42 at-bats (.167) with just one home run and a .518 OPS. Had not homered or driven in a run since Aug. 2.
Tyler Chatwood, SP, Cubs
Before taking the mound Friday, he was the most dropped player in ESPN leagues this week after allowing eight runs on 11 hits in his last start on Aug. 6 against the Royals.
Check Swings
Over his first 12 games as a Marlin, Jesus Aguilar went 14-for-45 (.311) with four homers, 12 RBIs, a .975 OPS and just six strikeouts. He is available in more than 65 percent or more of ESPN and Yahoo leagues.
Unexpected saviors: Former Met Rafael Montero has not allowed a run and is 4-for-4 is save opportunities for the Rangers after Jose Leclerc went down with a shoulder injury. He was the most added relief pitcher in ESPN leagues this week. The second-most added was veteran Trevor Rosenthal, who is also 4-for-4 in save chances and is striking out 10.0 per nine innings.
Matthew Boyd has allowed 14 earned runs over his past two starts, and a league-leading 22 over his first four. He is walking a career-high 3.7 per nine innings and opponents are hitting .353 against him, worst in the majors among qualified pitchers.
Team Name of the Week
Max to the Future


newyorkpost--2020-08-15--Brooklyn man shot to death outside of apartment building in Flatbush

Greg Schiano has waited nine years to coach another Rutgers ...

A Brooklyn man was gunned down in broad daylight right outside his apartment building on Friday.
Deshawn Reid, 28, was fatally shot in the torso around 4 p.m. in front of his home on Ocean Avenue, near Crooke Avenue, police said.
Reid was rushed to NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County, where he was pronounced dead, according to police.
An investigation into his death is ongoing and the shooter remained at large early Saturday.
The shooting is the latest during the uptick in gun violence in the city during the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought sky-high unemployment and fears of mass evictions.
On Friday alone there were 12 shootings with 20 victims across Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Manhattan. Reid was the one victim to have been struck fatally on Friday.


newyorkpost--2020-08-15--Greg Schiano looks to use coronavirus hiatus to Rutgers’ advantage

Health is priceless , but the decision to prioritize it was ...

Greg Schiano has waited nine years to coach another Rutgers football game.
What’s an extra five months? Or 13 months? It can be an opportunity.
At Rutgers, the initial disappointment of a canceled Big Ten fall season because of safety concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic quickly was replaced by embracing the bonus time to improve a program with 21 straight conference losses.
“We are going to find competitive advantages in this,” Schiano said.
The Big Ten is hoping to play a modified winter/spring season to mitigate the possibility of a $1 billion revenue loss, but Schiano would not speculate on the likelihood. He returned to Rutgers — site of his greatest coaching feats from 2001-11 — in December 2019 but might not be on the sideline until at least September 2021.
“We are not going to be at the bottom very long,” Schiano said. “We have to make sure every step of the way we stay safe. That’s been my No. 1 priority. We certainly have a plan to get better. I’m excited to coach this team however it is, whether training or practices or games. I know it’s going to be a process, but I’d like to accelerate the process as much as we can.”
Here are three other takeaways from Schiano’s first interview since the Big Ten acted:
— Rutgers shut down voluntary summer workouts after an outbreak that New Jersey health officials mentioned with others caused by party-going. Schiano cited about 30 infected players, including two who remain quarantined.
“They all seem to be feeling well,” Schiano said. “Of those 30, probably half of them were asymptomatic. They never felt anything. They just tested positive.”
In light of growing concerns about long-term heart issues, including myocarditis, in athletes impacted by COVID-19, Rutgers is performing “a full cardiac work-up” on anyone who tests positive, Schiano said.
“I think what you would say is the worst of our guys had a pretty bad flu,” Schiano said. “Sweat through the sheets, that kind of stuff.”
— No football season is an estimated $50 million loss for Rutgers.
Schiano, who has an eight-year, $32 million contract, is extending the 10 percent salary reduction he took in conjunction with other top athletics employees through the end of the calendar year. Furloughs already have hit the department and more expense-slashing is coming.
It’s not clear what that means for the commitment to facility upgrades made to close the deal with Schiano. It is estimated the project will cost about $150 million, half covered by fundraising and half by the school. Rutgers is expected to begin receiving a full-share $65 million annual membership payout from the Big Ten in 2027.
“We certainly have a financial responsibility,” Schiano said. “Sometimes you have to look at things and say, ‘What can we press pause on and what can we move on very methodically? Certainly I’m a hard-charging guy, but I also understand reality. Long-term we’ll be fine, but we have to find a way to really fight through this.”
— Many of Rutgers’ traditional rivals remain scheduled to play in the fall, which could sound enticing to players considering transferring or recruits considering flipping a commitment.
“Our program is unique and you either want to be part of it or you don’t,” Schiano said. “If not playing is the reason you wouldn’t come then you probably weren’t going to last very long here, anyway.”
Rutgers signed 32 recruits in 2020 who are “our kind of guys,” Schiano said. In other words, they relish facing adversity and take pride in staying close to home.
“The concept of coming in and poaching players,” Schiano said, “we talk openly and honestly with our guys. I tell them, ‘You guys who are the best players on the team, people are going to reach out. They are not allowed to legally, but there are going to be intermediaries. If this is what you want to be part of, don’t even go there.’”


newyorkpost--2020-08-15--New York shampoo assistant bill is dripping with special interests

Washing hair is about to get a lot more complicated ...

A state bureaucrat wants to mandate 500 hours of training for anyone who shampoos hair at a beauty salon or barbershop — but something about her push for the bizarre new requirement just doesn’t wash.
That’s because she is also a beauty school owner, The Post has found, as is a second member of the state board that licenses salon workers.
A third person on the panel runs a membership and lobbying group for the cosmetology school industry.
That’s out of four total board members.
If their training-before-shampooing mandate passes, hair washers would have to spend an average of $13,354 on beauty school each to secure a “shampoo assistant” license.
Requiring such licenses could turn on a gushing spigot of hundreds of millions of dollars for beauty school owners across the state, possibly benefiting board chairwoman Michelle D’Allaird Brenner, who is pushing the state Assembly to approve the measure.
Member Anthony Fiore also owns a school and could potentially profit, as well.
As could Anthony Civitano, who serves as executive director of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools.
New York state currently has 22,997 hair salons and 4,847 barbershops — all of which could be impacted if the proposed bill becomes law.
If just one shampoo assistant from each business had to pay for training, the total learn-to-lather classwork cost could top $370 million.
And with just 61 such schools in the state, each would be awash in cash — with a potential average of more than $6 million per school in extra revenue.
A pricy license mandate would put the “sham” in shampoo, say people who already wash hair for a living.
“It’s simple shampoo. Anyone can do it,” said Evelyn Moquete, 45, who has worked as a shampoo assistant at Greenwich Village’s iconic Astor Place Hairstylists for six years.
“I don’t think I should have to go to school for a simple shampoo. My family needs me and my grandchildren.”
D’Allaird Brenner, who chairs the state’s Division of Licensing Services advisory committee and owns the Aesthetic Science Institute, made no apologies for the arrangement.
“Our businesses thrive on the fact that these students need these hours in order to get a license and to work,” she told The Post. “We would surely be negatively impacted if there was any lack of licensure requirement.”
“There was a time that many states looked at delicensing our profession altogether. For us, it would have been just a disaster,” she added.
Fiore, who owns Capri Cosmetology Learning Center, with outlets in Nanuet and Newburgh, said of the proposal, “I wasn’t even aware of it.”
“I’m not pushing anything,” he said.
The average tuition and fees for a cosmetology course in the state is $13,354, according to an industry estimate, though it’s less at D’Allaird Brenner’s school in Latham, which charges $9,600.
Meanwhile, a trade group for the schools enjoys a friendly connection to the bill’s backer in the Assembly.
Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, (D-Saratoga Springs), who co-sponsored the bill, employs Christopher Garofano, 25, as her legislative director.
Garofano’s father, Todd, serves as executive director of the Salon & Spa Professionals of NYS, a nonprofit that reps cosmetology schools. Garofano’s mother, Hollene, previously served as a director of the organization.
Todd Garofano said he presented the shampoo-assistant bill to Woerner’s office and worked with her chief of staff, Mark Luciano. He said his son had nothing to do with the initiative.
Lisa Knepper, an expert on licensing requirements at the nonprofit Institute for Justice, noted research showing that the more a state’s cosmetology board is dominated by industry professionals, the stiffer barriers to entry become.
“One of the interests that have a lot of sway traditionally are cosmetology schools and barbering schools,” Knepper told The Post.
The state also expects to take its cut with applications, fees and fines from assistants and salons.
Trade groups said that they were merely trying to clarify existing law by codifying the new title of shampoo assistant, and that doing so would protect salons and barbershops.
“There are people in the state right now who have hired ‘shampoo assistants’ who are being fined now for doing it. It takes it aboveboard, makes it legitimate,” Todd Garofano said.
Part of the issue lies with what jobs a “shampoo assistant” can and can’t do under current law.
While at least some degree of licensing appears to be required if one wants to shampoo hair, the details are hazy.
Garofano and some salon owners told The Post that anyone who shampoos or “touches hair” already must have 1,000 hours of training — and that the proposed shampoo-assistant rule would make the existing law less onerous.
Others disagreed.
John Vezza, whose family has owned Astor Place Hairstylists for 75 years, said it was “news to me” that his assistants who shampoo and perform other tasks needed certification.
“I’ve had dozens of random inspections over the years, and I’ve never had a problem,” he said.
At the very least, “shampoos, rinses, conditioners and treatments” are unambiguously covered with just 80 hours of the state’s 300-hour natural-hairstyling license.
The other 220 hours cover “hair-braiding, locking, weaving and styling.
The state Division of Licensing Services declined to clarify
Additional reporting by Melissa Klein


newyorkpost--2020-08-15--Yankees’ DJ LeMahieu exits with left thumb sprain

The Yankees have another injury scare , with DJ LeMahieu leaving Saturday night ’ s game against the Red Sox @ @ @ @ @ sixth after on an awkward swing in the bottom of the fourth .
The team @ @ @ @ @ left thumb sprain .
LeMahieu was visited by Aaron Boone and the training staff in @ @ @ @ @ the game .
He grounded out to end the inning and stayed at second base @ @ @ @ @ fifth , but he was replaced by Tyler Wade to start the sixth in The @ @

The Yankees have another injury scare, with DJ LeMahieu leaving Saturday night’s game against the Red Sox before the top of the sixth after on an awkward swing in the bottom of the fourth. The team later announced he has a left thumb sprain.
LeMahieu was visited by Aaron Boone and the training staff in the fourth and remained in the game.
He grounded out to end the inning and stayed at second base for the top of the fifth, but he was replaced by Tyler Wade to start the sixth in The Bronx.


newyorkpost--2020-08-15--How New York state made it increasingly expensive to become a hairstylist

Hair care in New York was once a simple affair .
If you wanted to work as a barber or hairstylist , all you needed was desire and some time as an apprentice .
For decades there were no state requirements .
You didn ’ t need a license or schooling .
There were no exams or fees .
That changed in 1946 when state lawmakers approved a requirement that prospective hair cutters get licensed .
One needed a “ course of study in a school of barbering , ” they said , along with a note from a doctor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infectious or communicable disease ” and had “ good moral character.
” Approval opened the door to just about any kind of service you ’ d find in a barber shop , including trims and shaves , shampooing , facial and scalp massages , and color treatments — for men only .
A section of that law involved cosmetology work on women .
Since then , high-minded concerns about protecting public safety have been overtaken by a system that continues to add new and expensive hurdles , which bring in revenue for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a job .
The latest barrier — that any “ shampoo assistant ” undergo 500 hours of instruction and obtain a state license — follows a trend of rising regulation that started in the 1990s .
The 1946 statutes were repealed in 1992 and replaced with a new law that broke up the traditional barbering responsibilities into categories , with each skill eventually requiring its own separate license .
In 1994 , the state rolled out an esthetics license , which needed 600 hours of training , a natural hair styling license , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nail specialty license , with 250 hours of classroom work .
The most demanding requirement was the 1,200 hours of training for a cosmetology license ( later lowered to 1,000 in 1999 ) .
That year , the state also rolled out new regulations for a waxing license , requiring 75 hours of study .
The average tuition for the required course of study at cosmetology schools in New York comes in at $ 13,354 and takes about 10 months to complete , according to an industry review .
“ Schools can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customer base , ” said Lisa Knepper of the Institute for Justice and critic of the new licensing requirement .
“ There ’ s really only a handful of other states that have a shampoo assistant license , and the trend is toward getting rid of them .
”

Hair care in New York was once a simple affair.
If you wanted to work as a barber or hairstylist, all you needed was desire and some time as an apprentice. For decades there were no state requirements. You didn’t need a license or schooling. There were no exams or fees.
That changed in 1946 when state lawmakers approved a requirement that prospective hair cutters get licensed. One needed a “course of study in a school of barbering,” they said, along with a note from a doctor declaring the applicant was free of “infectious or communicable disease” and had “good moral character.”
Approval opened the door to just about any kind of service you’d find in a barber shop, including trims and shaves, shampooing, facial and scalp massages, and color treatments — for men only.
A section of that law involved cosmetology work on women.
Since then, high-minded concerns about protecting public safety have been overtaken by a system that continues to add new and expensive hurdles, which bring in revenue for the state but make it harder to get a job.
The latest barrier — that any “shampoo assistant” undergo 500 hours of instruction and obtain a state license — follows a trend of rising regulation that started in the 1990s.
The 1946 statutes were repealed in 1992 and replaced with a new law that broke up the traditional barbering responsibilities into categories, with each skill eventually requiring its own separate license.
In 1994, the state rolled out an esthetics license, which needed 600 hours of training, a natural hair styling license, which involved 300 hours of instruction and a nail specialty license, with 250 hours of classroom work.
The most demanding requirement was the 1,200 hours of training for a cosmetology license (later lowered to 1,000 in 1999). That year, the state also rolled out new regulations for a waxing license, requiring 75 hours of study.
All at enormous expense.
The average tuition for the required course of study at cosmetology schools in New York comes in at $13,354 and takes about 10 months to complete, according to an industry review.
“Schools can set up rules that create a captive customer base,” said Lisa Knepper of the Institute for Justice and critic of the new licensing requirement.
“There’s really only a handful of other states that have a shampoo assistant license, and the trend is toward getting rid of them.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-15--Steven Matz lit up again as Mets get whipped by Phillies

PHILADELPHIA — Steven Splatz was more like it .
That was the sound Saturday of a certain Mets pitcher hitting the pavement like a watermelon heaved from the roof of a 32-story building , as the Phillies were putting the latest hurting on the beleaguered left-hander wearing No .
32 .
If there was thought Steven Matz ’ s 8.20 ERA couldn ’ t get worse , think again .
That number now stands at 9.00 after the Phillies pounced for five runs in the fifth inning against Matz in a 6-2 victory over the Mets at Citizens Bank Park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to avoid getting swept three games in this series when they face Zack Wheeler on Sunday in the right-hander ’ s first appearance against his former team since receiving a five-year contract worth $ 118 million from the Phillies last winter .
Rick Porcello will be asked to stop the bleeding from this wounded rotation .
Aaron Nola frustrated the Mets , allowing just three hits over seven shutout innings .
Tomas Nido singled leading off the third and the Mets didn ’ t get another hit against the right-hander .
Matz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Walker Lockett was thrust into starting duty with ace Jacob deGrom sidelined by neck stiffness .
Lockett allowed five runs over six innings in a loss .
And within the last week , Michael Wacha was placed on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation and Marcus Stroman opted out from the season .
One of the few positives has been the development of rookie left-hander David Peterson , but he departed his last start with left shoulder fatigue , a situation the Mets are monitoring as he approaches his next outing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was knocked out after allowing six earned runs on five hits and three walks over 4 ¹/₃ innings .
It followed an outing against the Nationals earlier in the week in which he surrendered three home runs .
Rhys Hoskins delivered the hurt in this one , with a bases-loaded double in the fifth against Matz that scored three runs .
Bryce Harper ’ s ensuing RBI double buried the Mets in a 6-0 hole .
Matz started a game here last season in which he didn ’ t survive the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an out , so it was perhaps noteworthy Saturday that he retired the side in order in the opening frame .
After Matz stumbled briefly in the second , surrendering a solo homer to Jean Segura on a 2-2 changeup , he quickly recovered , but caved in the fifth , beginning with Didi Gregorius ’ infield single .
Phil Gosselin followed with a single and Alec Bohm walked to load the bases for Hoskins , with Familia warming up in the bullpen .
But manager Luis Rojas stuck with Matz , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harper .
Familia was then summoned and pitched 1 ²/₃ innings scoreless .
The Mets wasted an early chance against Nola , leaving runners on second and third when Pete Alonso struck out to continue his woes with runners in scoring position .
J.D .
Davis ’ two-out single and Dominic Smith ’ s ensuing double had fueled the rally .
Luis Guillorme singled leading off the eighth against Ramon Rosso , but Segura started an acrobatic double play on a Nido grounder before the Mets could generate serious thoughts of a rally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ninth against Rosso .
It gave Smith a homer in four straight games .

PHILADELPHIA — Steven Splatz was more like it.
That was the sound Saturday of a certain Mets pitcher hitting the pavement like a watermelon heaved from the roof of a 32-story building, as the Phillies were putting the latest hurting on the beleaguered left-hander wearing No. 32.
If there was thought Steven Matz’s 8.20 ERA couldn’t get worse, think again. That number now stands at 9.00 after the Phillies pounced for five runs in the fifth inning against Matz in the Mets’ 6-2 loss at Citizens Bank Park.
Even with the Mets’ recent rotation turmoil, manager Luis Rojas wouldn’t commit afterward to keeping Matz as a starter.
“Right now, we just finished this game, and it was a tough game for Matzy,” Rojas said, when asked about the possibility of moving Matz to the bullpen. “That is something we really don’t want to get into right now. We don’t want to start talking about it. We really want to slow things down now and be able to talk about what’s going on.”
A struggling Matz was shifted to the bullpen near the end of last season’s first half and emerged after the All-Star break as a dependable starter. If the Mets had other options at this point, Matz to the bullpen might be an easier call.
Matz’s meltdown came a day after Walker Lockett was thrust into starting duty with ace Jacob deGrom sidelined by neck stiffness. Lockett allowed five runs over six innings in a loss. And within the last week, Michael Wacha was placed on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation and Marcus Stroman opted out from the season. One of the few positives has been the development of rookie left-hander David Peterson, but he departed his last start with shoulder fatigue, a situation the Mets are monitoring as he approaches his next outing.
Matz was knocked out after allowing six earned runs on five hits and three walks over 4 ¹/₃ innings. It followed an outing against the Nationals earlier in the week in which he surrendered three home runs.
Rhys Hoskins delivered the hurt in this one, with a bases-loaded double in the fifth against Matz that scored three runs. Bryce Harper’s ensuing RBI double buried the Mets in a 6-0 hole.
“It’s really frustrating — really, really frustrating for me,” Matz said. “I am trying to stay positive, trying to take the positives out of it and I have just got to execute better. I have got to give the team a better chance to win. It’s unacceptable.”
The Mets (9-13) will try to avoid getting swept three games in this series when they face Zack Wheeler on Sunday in the right-hander’s first appearance against his former team since receiving a five-year contract worth $118 million from the Phillies last winter. Rick Porcello will be asked to stop the bleeding from this wounded rotation.
After Matz stumbled briefly in the second, surrendering a solo homer to Jean Segura on a 2-2 changeup, he quickly recovered, but caved in the fifth, beginning with Didi Gregorius’ infield single. Phil Gosselin followed with a single and Alec Bohm walked to load the bases. Matz then walked Andrew McCutchen to force in a run before Hoskins smashed a double.
“I really do think I improved a lot on my stuff today, commanding my pitches” Matz said. “That fifth inning I made two good pitches and two base hits and then two hard-fought at-bats by those two guys, they drew a walk, and it’s really frustrating. It’s tough. In your head you want to go back and, ‘I have got to do something different.’ But ultimately I have just got to try to find the stuff I did well and just build off that.”
Aaron Nola stifled the Mets, allowing just three hits over seven shutout innings. Tomas Nido’s single leading off the third was the Mets’ didn’t last hit against the right-hander. Pete Alonso had struck out in the first with two runners in scoring position to kill a rally.
Smith launched a two-run blast in the ninth against Ramon Rosso. It gave Smith a homer in four straight games.


newyorkpost--2020-08-15--Trail Blazers clip Grizzlies to snag playoff spot; Lakers up next

They needed all that just to get into the playoffs .
Damian Lillard scored 31 points , CJ McCollum had 14 of his 29 in the fourth quarter — including a pair of big jumpers over Ja Morant late — and the Blazers clinched the NBA ’ s final playoff spot by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 126-122 on Saturday .
Portland ’ s reward : a matchup with the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers , starting Tuesday .
Jusuf Nurkic had 22 points and 21 rebounds for the winners , who got 21 points from former Knick Carmelo Anthony , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game .
“ What we ’ ve done in these two weeks is really special , ” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said .
“ I couldn ’ t be more proud of a group of guys because we were up against it every game , nine straight games where our season was basically in the balance .
… They found a way.
” Morant scored 35 for Memphis , which got a 22-point , 16-rebound day from Jonas Valanciunas and 20 points apiece from Dillon Brooks and Brandon Clarke .
It was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Western Conference play-in series — a wrinkle the NBA added to the restarted season because the coronavirus pandemic meant no team would play its allotted 82 games .
Portland finished eighth in the West , Memphis was ninth , and the Grizzlies needed to sweep a two-game matchup to advance .
They had a chance , up eight in the final quarter , before Portland did what Portland does in the bubble — pull games out at the end .
The Blazers ’ last four wins have come by a combined 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Memphis goes home — knowing its potential is very real .
“ I ’ m going to be able to sleep and live well during the summer , despite a tough loss , knowing that we put in so much work and we were that close to getting into the playoffs , ” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said .
“ These guys , the first words they said when we got in the locker room was , ‘ We ’ ve got a lot of work to do . '
” Nurkic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his grandmother ’ s death , grabbed an offensive rebound and wound up converting a three-point play with 2:39 left to put Portland on top for good .
McCollum — playing with a fracture in his back — connected on a 3-pointer and another long jumper late , both times guarded by Morant , to ensure Portland kept the lead , and Anthony ’ s 3-pointer with 20.2 seconds left was the last big shot the Blazers needed .
Nurkic revealed on Instagram about 90 minutes before the game that his grandmother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had died .
His post did not disclose the cause of death , but Nurkic said last month that she had tested positive for COVID-19 and briefly slipped into a coma in recent days .
“ She would have wanted me to play , ” Nurkic said after the game .
Memphis led 94-89 going into the fourth quarter , the last three points in that five-point margin coming on a brilliant recovery by Morant .
The soon-to-be Rookie of the Year attacked the rim , his drive thwarted by the outstretched arms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , undeterred , simply ran down the loose ball and tapped it out to the right corner where Clarke connected on a 3-pointer .
The Grizzlies ’ lead was eight with 9:55 left .
And even though they held Lillard — picked earlier Saturday as the bubble MVP — without a field goal in the fourth , they couldn ’ t force their way into Sunday .
“ We are right there … time to get ready for next season , ” Morant said .

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — A fourth consecutive down-to-the-wire finish, a fourth consecutive win for the Portland Trail Blazers.
They needed all that just to get into the playoffs.
Damian Lillard scored 31 points, CJ McCollum had 14 of his 29 in the fourth quarter — including a pair of big jumpers over Ja Morant late — and the Blazers clinched the NBA’s final playoff spot by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 126-122 on Saturday.
Portland’s reward: a matchup with the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers, starting Tuesday. Jusuf Nurkic had 22 points and 21 rebounds for the winners, who got 21 points from former Knick Carmelo Anthony, who hit a big 3-pointer late in the game.
“What we’ve done in these two weeks is really special,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “I couldn’t be more proud of a group of guys because we were up against it every game, nine straight games where our season was basically in the balance. … They found a way.”
Morant scored 35 for Memphis, which got a 22-point, 16-rebound day from Jonas Valanciunas and 20 points apiece from Dillon Brooks and Brandon Clarke.
It was the start, and the end, of the Western Conference play-in series — a wrinkle the NBA added to the restarted season because the coronavirus pandemic meant no team would play its allotted 82 games. Portland finished eighth in the West, Memphis was ninth, and the Grizzlies needed to sweep a two-game matchup to advance.
They had a chance, up eight in the final quarter, before Portland did what Portland does in the bubble — pull games out at the end. The Blazers’ last four wins have come by a combined 11 points.
So they go on, and Memphis goes home — knowing its potential is very real.
“I’m going to be able to sleep and live well during the summer, despite a tough loss, knowing that we put in so much work and we were that close to getting into the playoffs,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. “These guys, the first words they said when we got in the locker room was, ‘We’ve got a lot of work to do.'”
Nurkic, playing with a heavy heart because of his grandmother’s death, grabbed an offensive rebound and wound up converting a three-point play with 2:39 left to put Portland on top for good.
McCollum — playing with a fracture in his back — connected on a 3-pointer and another long jumper late, both times guarded by Morant, to ensure Portland kept the lead, and Anthony’s 3-pointer with 20.2 seconds left was the last big shot the Blazers needed.
Nurkic revealed on Instagram about 90 minutes before the game that his grandmother, back in his native Bosnia, had died. His post did not disclose the cause of death, but Nurkic said last month that she had tested positive for COVID-19 and briefly slipped into a coma in recent days.
“She would have wanted me to play,” Nurkic said after the game.
Memphis led 94-89 going into the fourth quarter, the last three points in that five-point margin coming on a brilliant recovery by Morant.
The soon-to-be Rookie of the Year attacked the rim, his drive thwarted by the outstretched arms of Blazers 7-footer Hassan Whiteside. Morant, undeterred, simply ran down the loose ball and tapped it out to the right corner where Clarke connected on a 3-pointer.
The Grizzlies’ lead was eight with 9:55 left. And even though they held Lillard — picked earlier Saturday as the bubble MVP — without a field goal in the fourth, they couldn’t force their way into Sunday.
“We are right there … time to get ready for next season,” Morant said.


newyorkpost--2020-08-15--3 shot, 1 critically, within 15 minutes in separate NYC shootings

Three people were shot , one critically , within 15 minutes in separate incidents Saturday afternoon in Manhattan and Brooklyn , police said .
The gunplay began at 4:08 p.m. in Brooklyn when a man was shot in the back after a “ possible dispute ” in front of 1096 Ocean Ave .
The victim , 26 , was taken to Kings County Hospital with non-life threatening injuries , police said .
Just eight minutes later , this time in East Harlem , a 29-year-old man was also shot once in the back in front of 421 East 102nd St @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where he was expected to survive his injuries , police said .
There was no motive for the shooting .
Just five minutes later , at 4:21 p.m. , a man was shot in the face on East 80th Street in Canarsie , police said .
The victim , 28 , was taken to Brookdale Hospital , where he was battling for his life , authorities said .
By 6 p.m. Saturday , the NYPD had recorded “ roughly 15 shootings ” for the day , a department spokeswoman said , noting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few hours left.
” The latest spate of shootings comes on the same day when four people — including a city correction officer — were killed and at least 11 were shot overnight .

Three people were shot, one critically, within 15 minutes in separate incidents Saturday afternoon in Manhattan and Brooklyn, police said.
The gunplay began at 4:08 p.m. in Brooklyn when a man was shot in the back after a “possible dispute” in front of 1096 Ocean Ave. The victim, 26, was taken to Kings County Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police said.
Just eight minutes later, this time in East Harlem, a 29-year-old man was also shot once in the back in front of 421 East 102nd St. He was taken to Cornell Hospital, where he was expected to survive his injuries, police said. There was no motive for the shooting.
Just five minutes later, at 4:21 p.m., a man was shot in the face on East 80th Street in Canarsie, police said. The victim, 28, was taken to Brookdale Hospital, where he was battling for his life, authorities said.
By 6 p.m. Saturday, the NYPD had recorded “roughly 15 shootings” for the day, a department spokeswoman said, noting, “And we still have a few hours left.”
The latest spate of shootings comes on the same day when four people — including a city correction officer — were killed and at least 11 were shot overnight.