SB Nation Cleveland: All Posts by David Vranicar

Tigers Vs. Yankees: Doug Fister Looks To Continue Resurgence In Series Finale

2012-08-09T15:54:46Z

Doug Fister will try to continue his roll -- and the Detroit Tigers will try to start a new roll -- in Thursday afternoon's series finale with the New York Yankees.

The Tigers won the first two games of the four-game series before falling Wednesday, 12-8. That snapped a six-game winning streak and left the Tigers 0.5 games back of the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox.

But Fister is as good a bet as anyone this side of Justin Verlander to get the Tigers back on track.

Fister, 6-7 with a 3.52 ERA, is 5-1 over his last six starts and has been lights-out of late. In his last five outings, Fister has pitched 39.0 innings with 37 strikeouts and just seven runs allowed. He pitched a complete-game, one-run, six-K gem his last time out.

Fister won't need to be nearly that good if the Tigers continue to hit like they have been lately. Detroit has scored at least six runs in each of its seven games this month, including 21 through three games in New York.

First pitch Thursday is scheduled for 1:05 Eastern.

For more on the Detroit Tigers, check out Bless You Boys. You can also head over to SB Nation's main MLB hub at Baseball Nation.

Pistons Could Have Sponsor Logos On Jerseys Next Season

2012-08-09T15:28:10Z

The Detroit Pistons will likely be putting a sponsor logo on their jerseys during the 2012-13 season, according to The Detroit Free Press.

The NBA has been discussing the possibility of sponsor logos on jersey since the spring. According to The Free Press, the league hinted last month that it would indeed allow small patches on the upper-left part of jerseys.

Dennis Mannion, president of Palace Sports & Entertainment, said that the Pistons would "most probably" take advantage of the sponsorship opportunity.

From The Free Press:

Mannion said Tuesday there have been discussions about offering the space as part of a package with a high-end sponsor.

"The ilk of sponsor that you could attract is typically very big consumer marketers, and they help you with your brand," Mannion said. "So I think we are doing an OK job here in the Detroit metro area with the Pistons brand, (but) there are sponsors out there that can take you to a whole new level and other markets, and that's exciting....

"I think, what we've seen, especially with the Premier League and the success they've had with the commercialization of the jersey, it's been very positive for them," Mannion said. "I love the way the league does business. They are moving very tastefully. They are moving in small steps."

The WNBA has already taken these steps, allowing large sponsor logos to appear under the numbers on the front of jerseys.

For more on the Detroit Pistons, check out Detroit Bad Boys. You can also check out professional basketball news from around the league over at SB Nation's NBA page, or watch SB Nation's YouTube channel:

London 2012: Wallace Spearmon United States' Lone Chance To Upset Usain Bolt

2012-08-09T14:51:37Z

Wallace Spearmon will be the lone American with a chance to stun Usain Bolt, and stun the world, in Thursday's 200 meter track final.

Bolt is, and long has been, the presumptive gold medalist in the 200. He won the event in 2008 and, after winning gold in the 100 meter sprint earlier this week, is widely expected to add hardware to his collection.

But Spearmon, who was disqualified from the 200 in Beijing in 2008, isn't ready to hand the gold to Bolt just yet. From The Los Angeles Times:

Bolt was one of three Jamaicans qualifying for the eight-man field in the final. Yohan Blake of Jamaica had the fastest qualifying time at 20.01 seconds, followed by Spearmon in 20.02 and France Christopher Lemaitre at 20.03.

Spearmon, the lone American in the field, bristled at the suggestion that Bolt and Blake had all but wrapped up the first two spots.

"That's why we're racing," Spearmon said. "If we weren't, they'd just hand them the medals and we'd race for third or whatever."

That is surely the right attitude, but Bolt does, alas, own both the Olympic record (19.30 seconds) and world record in the 200 (19.19).

Thursday's race is scheduled for 8:55 p.m. London time, or 3:55 p.m. Eastern.

For more Olympics coverage, stick with this SB Nation Detroit StoryStream or check out SB Nation's Olympic hub. You can also watch SB Nation's YouTube channel:

London 2012: USA, Japan Square Off Again

2012-08-09T14:21:25Z

The United States and Japan will play Thursday in the gold match in women's soccer.

The U.S., which has won back-to-back Olympic gold medals, lost to Japan in the 2011 Women's World Cup.

The game is a hot ticket in soccer-loving England, where a record crowd is expected to turn up. From Reuters:

A crowd of at least 83,000 is guaranteed after fans snapped up 5,000 tickets following the defending champions' dramatic 4-3 extra-time win over Canada and world champions Japan's enthralling 2-1 win over France in the semi-finals on Monday.

The Olympic women's soccer attendance record was set in 1996 when 76,489 fans watched the final between the United States and China at the Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia.

The game is set for 7:45 p.m. London time, which is 1:45 p.m. Central.

Canada took an early 1-0 lead over France in the bronze medal match.

For more Olympics coverage, you can stick with this SB Nation Minnesota stream, or check out SB Nation's Olympic hub.

2012 PGA Championship Leaderboard: Jason Dufner 1-Under Through 5

2012-08-09T13:59:15Z

Jason Dufner is -1 through five holes at the PGA Championship, which started Thursday at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, South Carolina.

Dufner is tied with a slew of other golfer at No. 11. He has four pars and one birdie -- a three on the par-4, 497-yard No. 13, his third hole of the day. He teed off at 8:20 a.m.

The PGA Championship will be aired both on TV and online.

Tiger Woods, meanwhile, is even through four holes. PGA.com has loads of video of Woods if you care to have a look-in.

Ken Duke and Jim Furyk are currently tied for the lead. Duke is -3 through nine holes, while Furyk is -3 through six.

PGA.com has an updated leaderboard available here.

For more from Kiawah throughout the week, stay with SB Nation Cleveland's StoryStream. For all your news and updates on the season's final major, visit SB Nation's Golf hub. You can also check out SB Nation's YouTube channel:

London Olympics 2012: Boxer Claressa Shields Goes For Gold Thursday

2012-08-09T13:27:07Z

Seventeen-year-old Flint native Claressa Shields will compete for a gold medal in women's boxing Thursday against Russian Nadezda Torlopova.

As women's boxing is new to the Olympics, this will be the first Olympic gold ever awarded in the event.

The match is set for 5:15 p.m. London time, or 12:15 Eastern.

Shields, whose unabashed faith made her a media darling for Christian outlets heading into the Olympics, is competing in the 75kg (165-pound) weight class.

Torlopova, who at 33 is nearly twice as old as Shields, is a former world champion in the super heavyweight class

Shields rolled through her semifinal bout with Marina Volnova of Ukraine, winning each of the four rounds en route to a 29-15 victory.

Stay with this SB Nation Detroit StoryStream for more coverage of local athletes at this year's games. You can also check out SB Nation's Olympic hub for more coverage from London, or watch SB Nation's YouTube channel:

PGA Championship 2012: TV Schedule, How To Watch Online And More

2012-08-09T13:02:24Z

Whether kicking back on the living room couch or sneaking peeks at work, golf fans will be able to get their PGA Championship fix.

The PGA, which began early Thursday morning, will be broadcast on TNT from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern.

For those not in front of a TV, PGA.com will have a handful of streaming options. Click here for the streaming page and a schedule.

PGA.com also has an updated leaderboard.

Tiger Woods teed off at 8:30 a.m. (he's even after one hole). From a local angle, Detroit native Brian Cairns tees at 9:10 a.m., and former Ferris State Bulldog Alan Moran tees at 9:20 a.m..

A detailed list of tee times and pairings is available here.

For more from Kiawah throughout the week, stay with SB Nation Detroit's StoryStream. For all your news and updates on the season's final major, visit SB Nation's Golf hub. You can also check out SB Nation's YouTube channel:

London 2012: USA, Australia Renew Women's Hoops Rivalry

2012-08-09T12:46:34Z

This matchup is becoming tradition. So, too, is the result.

The United States and Australia will play in the semifinals in women's basketball Thursday. The game will take place at 5:00 p.m. London time, or 10 a.m. Central.

The US and Australia have quite the history in Olympics hoops. The two teams played in the gold medal game in 2000, 2004 and 2008. The US won each game, the closest victory coming by 11 points (2004) and the biggest by 27 (2008).

Those wins are part of the United States' 38-game Olympic winning streak that has spanned four gold medals.

Thursday's winner will play either France or Russia in the gold medal game Saturday.

Minnesota Lynx players Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen and Seimone Augustus are on the United States squad. None is averaging double figures, but with the extreme parity of the squad, only three players are. Diana Taurasi and Angel McCoughtry lead the team with 12.7 points per game.

For more Olympics coverage, you can stick with this SB Nation Minnesota stream, or check out SB Nation's Olympic hub.