Sports News Roundup: Mets GM Van Wagenen apologizes for Manfred criticism; MLB roundup: Reds post DH sweep of Brewers and more

It was the first doubleheader in the history of Milwaukee's Miller Park after both clubs mutually agreed to boycott Wednesday's contest in the wake of the unrest and violence following Sunday's police shooting of black 29-year-old Jacob Blake in nearby Kenosha, Wis. NHL postpones games, joins waves of protests against racial injustice The National Hockey League said it has postponed playoff games that were scheduled for Thursday and Friday, joining similar moves by other leagues in protest over the police shooting of a Black man in Wisconsin on Sunday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Mets GM Van Wagenen apologizes for Manfred criticism

After a video surfaced of him criticizing Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen apologized Thursday for misconstruing the situation. In a video widely circulated on social media, Van Wagenen said Manfred "doesn't get it" when it comes to the players' actions regarding their social-injustice movement. Games across baseball have been postponed Wednesday and Thursday following the shooting by a police officer of a Black man, Jacob Blake in Wisconsin on Sunday.

From field hospital to Grand Slam, Flushing Meadows welcomes back U.S. Open

Bruised - but not broken - New York City is bringing back Grand Slam tennis. Just five months ago part of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center was transformed into a temporary 350-bed hospital to handle an overflow of patients as COVID-19 cases spiked across the city, then the epicenter of the virus in the U.S. Reports: Hall of Fame coach Olson dead at 85

Hall of Fame college basketball coach Lute Olson, who won 776 games over 34 seasons and led the Arizona Wildcats to the 1997 NCAA championship, died Thursday, multiple outlets reported. He was 85 years old.

MLB roundup: Reds post DH sweep of Brewers

Wade Miley allowed one hit over four strong innings, while Nick Castellanos and Jesse Winker provided offensive help as the visiting Cincinnati Reds completed a doubleheader sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers with a 6-0 win in Thursday's nightcap. Castellanos and Winker each had an RBI double, while Reds righty Lucas Sims (2-0) pitched two hitless innings of relief to get the win to complete a 4-6 road trip. It was the first doubleheader in the history of Milwaukee's Miller Park after both clubs mutually agreed to boycott Wednesday's contest in the wake of the unrest and violence following Sunday's police shooting of black 29-year-old Jacob Blake in nearby Kenosha, Wis.

NHL postpones games, joins waves of protests against racial injustice

The National Hockey League said it has postponed playoff games that were scheduled for Thursday and Friday, joining similar moves by other leagues in protest over the police shooting of a Black man in Wisconsin on Sunday. The decision impacts all the eight remaining playoff teams, starting with Thursday games between the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders, and the Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights.

NBA ready to resume games after players' racial injustice boycott

The National Basketball Association (NBA) said on Thursday it hopes to resume play in a day or two after a boycott by players protesting racial injustice and police brutality, while President Donald Trump denounced the league. NBA Executive Vice President Mike Bass said the league is "hopeful" it will resume games Friday or Saturday after the protest, which was sparked by the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and led to game cancellations in other sports as well.

Djokovic primed to extend unbeaten 2020 streak in New York

The men's draw at a Grand Slam has seldom had such an overwhelming a favorite in recent times as Novak Djokovic at this year's U.S. Open, with lot more at stake for the world number one than just his 18th major title. It took the COVID-19 pandemic to put a brake on Djokovic's 18-match unbeaten run in 2020, as he won the ATP Cup with Serbia, an eighth Australian Open title and a fifth Dubai Tennis Championships before the season came to a halt in early March.

Racial injustice hits home for U.S. athletes

When former NBA star Robert Horry's son showed him the video of a police officer shooting Jacob Blake in the back in Wisconsin on Sunday, he said he felt compelled to remind the teenager of the dangers he could face when encountering the police. "It's hard to tell your 14-year-old son that I worry about him when he walks out that door. I have a 22-year-old son and I worry about him because Black men are an endangered species," he said fighting back tears.

A week to change my life': Lawlor on European Tour debut

Brendan Lawlor shot a 12-over-par 84 in the first round of the UK Championship but the 22-year-old, who became the first golfer with disabilities to compete on the European Tour on Thursday, said scoring is immaterial in a week that will change his life. The Irishman has a rare condition called Ellis-van Creveld syndrome, a disability characterized by a shorter stature and shorter limbs. He was invited to compete in the Aug. 27-30 UK Championship by his sponsor, the tournament's title partners.

Matsuyama grabs first-round lead on a tough day at Olympia Fields

Japan's Hideki Matsuyama drilled a 67-foot birdie putt on his last hole to grab a one-stroke lead at the BMW Championship on Thursday, a day when only three players managed to break par. Matsuyama's three-under 67 put him one clear of American Tyler Duncan and two ahead of Canada's Mackenzie Hughes as players struggled with fast and firm conditions at Olympia Fields Country Club outside Chicago.