karate will be contested at the Nippon Budokan i

CLEVELAND -- The Indians had plenty of chances. They blew every one.With an opportunity to trim its magic number for winning the AL Central to one, Cleveland played sloppily on Saturday night and lost 8-1 to the Chicago White Sox, leaving the title -- and a playoff berth -- just out of reach.The Indians squandered early scoring chances against Jose Quintana (13-11) and disappointed a crowd of 32,088 fans who came hoping to see them move closer to the postseason.We had some really good chances early, and didnt do much with it, Indians manager Terry Francona said. And with a good pitcher like Quintana, he found himself.Clevelands magic number dropped to two after Detroit lost earlier to Kansas City. The Indians could have trimmed it further, and had a chance to clinch the title on Sunday in their regular-season home fine. However, theyll now need to win and get some more help from the Royals to wrap up their first division title since 2007 in front of their fans.Melky Cabrera and Jose Abreu hit RBI singles in the first off Cody Anderson (2-5), and Todd Frazier connected for his 39th homer in the sixth as the White Sox snapped a six-game losing streak.Quintana (13-11) gave up one run in six innings and beat Cleveland for the second time in 11 days. The Indians, who committed three errors, threw two wild pitches and had a passed ball, had Quintana on the ropes in the first two innings, but managed just one run.We had his pitch count up a lot early but we managed one (run), Francona said. We let him off the hook.With his rotation in disarray because of injuries, Indians manager Francona started Anderson and used seven relievers -- hardly an ideal situation for a team trying to lock down a postseason berth.The Indians, though, wasted the early opportunities against Quintana -- he threw 53 pitches in the first two innings -- and the left-hander got better as the game progressed.It was rough, White Sox manager Robin Ventura said of Quintanas first two innings. Locating-wise was probably the biggest thing. You really didnt see him like that too often. He gritted through it. He has a lot of heart in him to keep battling like that.Cleveland loaded the bases with one out in the first but Quintana got Carlos Santana to hit into an inning-ending double play. They had the bases full again in the second and appeared ready for a huge inning after Rajai Davis hit a one-out RBI single to right. But Coco Crisp got caught in a rundown for the second out and Quintana got Jason Kipnis to ground out.RED-HOT RAMIREZJose Ramirez has hit safely in his last 13 home games and is batting .432 (19 of 44) with eight doubles and 11 RBI in that span. He has 45 doubles, the most by a switch-hitter in club history.LINDORS SLIDEShortstop Francisco Lindor is hitless in his last 25 at-bats. He also had an error in the eighth, when the White Sox scored four times to make it 8-1.ODD LINEClevelands pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts and just one walk.GUYER PLUNKED -- AGAINIndians right fielder Brandon Guyer was hit for the 31st time, the most in the majors.TRAINERS ROOMIndians: Francona would like to give his players some rest in the seasons final week -- if possible. Lindor, for one, could use a break, but Francona acknowledged its tough to get fully re-charged at this point.Im not sure a day off just puts the spring back in your legs, he said. I think it helps, but I just think youve got to learn, thats part of growing up as a major league player.UP NEXTWhite Sox: Carlos Rondon starts the clubs final road game of 2016. Hes 0-2 with a 12.00 ERA in his past two starts.Indians: Josh Tomlins role in the postseason remains unclear. He could help himself with an outing similar to his last start, when he allowed one run and five hits in 6 2/3 innings. Nomar Mazara Rangers Jersey . Howard Ganz, an MLB lawyer, said in a letter to U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos that Rodriguezs claims do not come "remotely close" to what is needed to overturn an arbitration decision in federal court. Lance Lynn Rangers Jersey .Y. - Jerome Samson scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the St. http://www.texasrangersshop.com/ .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Asdrubal Cabrera Jersey . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. Nomar Mazara Jersey . The Americans, skipped by John Shuster, seized the advantage in the eighth end by scoring five points for a 7-3 lead. The Czechs pulled two back in the ninth, but Shusters team of third Jeff Isaacson, second Jared Zezel and lead John Landsteiner ended with another point to secure the last Olympic berth on offer. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Olympic leaders approved the addition of five sports to the program of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday, including the return of baseball-softball and the introduction of youth-oriented events such as skateboarding and surfing.International Olympic Committee members voted unanimously to accept the five-sport package, which also includes karate and sport climbing.The five were put forward for inclusion last year by Tokyo organizers, taking advantage of new IOC rules that allow host cities to propose the inclusion of additional sports for their own games. Wednesdays approval was for the Tokyo Games only.The new sports will add 18 events and 474 athletes to the program. The Tokyo Games will now feature 33 sports and about 11,000 athletes, compared with the usual number of 28 sports and 10,500 athletes.While baseball and softball, both highly popular in Japan, will be returning after a 12-year absence, the other sports will be making their Olympic debuts.The IOC called it the most comprehensive evolution of the Olympic program in modern history.Taken together, the five sports are an innovative combination of established and emerging, youth-focused events that are popular in Japan and will add to the legacy of the Tokyo Games, IOC President Thomas Bach said.Baseball and softball have been off the Olympic program since the 2008 Beijing Games. The two were rejected in separate bids to return for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, so they combined forces to put forward a single bid for inclusion in Tokyo.Mens baseball was a full part of the Olympic program from 1992 to 2008, with womens softball joining in 1996. The IOC voted them both out in 2005.Baseball will have a six-team tournament, short of the eight-team format sought by officials from the sports international federation. Womens softball will also have six teams. The games will be played at a shared venue In Yokohama.Todays historic decision by the IOC is a home run for the Olympics, our sport and the Tokyo 2020 Games, said Riccardo Fraccari, president of the World Baseball Softball Confederation. It will be the most covered and most exciting international baseball/softball tournaments in history, which will help build our case to be featured in future Olympic Games, as well.Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred also welcomed the IOC vote.Baseball and softball are global sports that belong in the Olympics, he said, adding that their approval will allow fans throughout the world to again enjoy baseball and softball on the Olympic stage.Craig Cress, executive director of USA Softball, said many young players had suffered after the sport was removed from the games.Their hearts were broken that they werent allowed to participate for their country at the Olympics in the sport that they had a passion for, he said. Now, thats back. In 2020, its our job as ambassadors of the sport to put on a great show in Tokyo.Before the vote, several IOC members questioned whether baseball would have the worlds top players at the games.dddddddddddd While pro leagues in Japan and some other countries have agreed to shut down their seasons to send their players to the Olympics, MLB has declined to do so.Franco Carraro, who chairs the IOCs program commission, said he hopes the international federation can still reach an agreement with MLB, in line with the deals with the NBA and NHL that brought pro basketball and ice hockey players into the Olympics.If not, Carraro said, it will be difficult for baseball to be included in the future beyond the Tokyo Games.Fraccari said talks with MLB are very open and going in a very good way.Our goal is not to appear one time but to be permanently in the program, he said. The goal is to have the best players possible.Skateboarding will have street and park events and feature 80 athletes -- 40 men and 40 women. In climbing, 40 competitors will take part in the disciplines of speed, bouldering and lead (also known as sport). Karate will have 80 athletes competing in mens and womens Kumite and Kata events, and surfing will have two shortboard events for 40 competitors.The surfing competition will be held on natural waves at a beach location in Chiba prefecture.Our Olympic dream has now become a reality, International Surfing Association president Fernando Aguerre said. This is a game-changing moment for surfing. With its unique and modern blend of sport performance, style and youth culture, surfing will help deliver something special to the games.Skateboarding and sports climbing events will be held in temporary venues in urban settings in Tokyo, and karate will be contested at the Nippon Budokan in the capital.Organizers say they hope skateboarding will catch on with worldwide viewers as halfpipe in snowboarding did in the Winter Olympics.Ive always believed that if skateboarding was properly protected and supported, its appearance on the Olympic stage could change the world, International Skateboarding Federation president Gary Ream said.Skateboardings approval came despite tensions between rival federations.For the Olympics, a special Tokyo 2020 skateboarding commission was formed to run the sport. It is a collaboration between the International Roller Sports Federation (FIRS) and the ISF.A lawsuit was filed last week in California by the World Skateboarding Federation (WSF). It alleged the ISF abruptly canceled scheduled drug testing at an event last year because of fears that several riders would test positive.The lawsuit also alleged that Ream struck up a friendly relationship with Christophe Dubi, the IOC Olympic Games executive director, and provided Dubis son with free training at a skateboarding camp he owned.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.? ' ' '