Talk » Award winner Mike Scott threw

NEW YORK -- Top-ranked Serena Williams, who is seeking a record 23rd Grand Slam title, will meet two-time major semifinalist Ekaterina Makarova in the first round of the US Open, it was announced Friday.Makarova made two straight major semis: at the 2014 US Open, where she lost to Williams, and the 2015 Australian Open. Her ranking has slipped to 36th, and she just missed a seed at Flushing Meadows. The Russian is coming off an Olympic doubles gold medal.Im OK with it, Williams said of the match. I think I try to look at it as we all always have tough matches. I played her I think in the semis before. I know shes a good player. Ive just got to do the best I can.Williams said she hasnt practiced much because of an injury to her right shoulder, which bothered her during her third-round loss at the Olympics and was the reason she pulled out of the hard-court warm-up event in Cincinnati.I have not played a lot, I havent practiced a lot, but Im just now starting to feel a little better, said Williams, who added that shes been doing a lot of physical therapy.Williams could face fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska in the semifinals, which is also when she could potentially meet sister Venus. Australian Open champ Angelique Kerber and French Open winner Garbine Muguruza are in the other half of the draw, which was set Friday.Williams is tied with Steffi Graf for the most Grand Slam titles during the Open era.On the mens side, top-ranked Novak Djokovic, who injured his left wrist just before the Rio Olympics,?will open the final Grand Slam event of the season against 2013 Wimbledon semifinalist Jerzy Janowicz.Janowicz has been ranked as high as 14th but has struggled in recent years and missed much of this season because of injuries. Hes currently ranked 228th and used a protected ranking to get into the US Open.The right-handed Djokovic, who needs the left wrist for his backhand, said hell be ready to make his title defense at Flushing Meadows.Im doing everything in my power with the medical team to make sure that Im as close to 100 percent as possible during the course of this tournament, at least for the beginning of it, Djokovic said Friday. After undergoing certain treatments, Ive gotten better. Im just hoping that Monday when the tournament starts Ill be able to, as I said, get as close to the maximum of executing my backhand shot as possible.?The 12-time major champ also said his issues at Wimbledon, where he was upset in the third round, werent physical, but there were other things I was going through.He declined to elaborate on those problems other than to say they had been resolved.Other than that loss in the Olympic Games and Wimbledon, Ive had a phenomenal season -- definitely rank this season one of the best that Ive had in career, Djokovic said. So I dont feel like it has shaken me too much. I just hope to be healthy and to be enabled to play the way I wish to play in US Open. Thats why Im here.Fridays draw set Djokovic and Rafael Nadal as potential semifinal opponents, while Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka are in the other half of the bracket.Nadal, who has missed more than two months since withdrawing from the French Open with a left wrist injury, said he still isnt 100 percent but I can start to hit my normal forehand.When Nadal first came back from the injury, he had to adjust his technique to avoid pain. Now he says he needs to get comfortable again with his regular stroke.Olympic silver medalist Juan Martin del Potro could face 19th-seeded American Steve Johnson in the second round. Ranked No. 142 because of three left wrist surgeries, the 2009 US Open champ got in with a wild card.The Associated Press contributed to this report.J.R. Bremer Jersey Signed .Y. - General manager Billy King says the Brooklyn Nets are looking to add a big man and confirmed the team worked out centre Jason Collins, who would become the first openly gay active NBA player if signed. NBA Jerseys 2020 . -- Team after team passed on Andre Ellington in the draft. https://www.cheapnbajerseysjustwholesale.com/jimmy-darden-jersey-signed/ . The Dutchmans tenure got off to a poor start when referee Guido Winkmann awarded a penalty within two minutes for Niklas Starks clumsy challenge on Alexandru Maxim. NBA Jerseys . Jeff Green scored 13 points and Kris Humphries 12 for the Celtics, who nearly blew an 18-point, second-half lead. Sullingers 20-20 was the first by a Celtics player since Kevin Garnetts first game in Boston in 2007. Garnett was dealt -- along with Paul Pierce -- to Brooklyn during the off-season. Thomas Jordan Jersey Signed . How great will be revealed in the next couple of days at the board of governors meeting in Pebble Beach, Calif.HOUSTON -- The Texas Rangers trade deadline-day moves bought them a victory Saturday night.Jonathan Lucroy hit two homers, Carlos Beltran had a tiebreaking single and three hits and the Rangers beat the Houston Astros 3-2.Lucroy, Beltran and reliever Jeremy Jeffress were acquired before the trade deadline by the Rangers, and Lucroy hit his first homer with Texas in a 5-3 win Thursday.Theyve shown up huge for us, all three of them, manager Jeff Banister said. Jeffress with the two innings hes thrown for us so far, Lucroy with what you see behind the plate, its All-Star caliber. Frontline caliber. And then at the plate the two home runs tonight, the home run the other night and just the quality of at-bats. And then a future Hall of Famer in my opinion in Beltran. Just as good a hitter as there is in the game.The Rangers improved to 10-2 against the Astros this season and pulled 6 1/2 games ahead of Houston in the AL West.Beltran singled to left off Chris Devenski (0-3) in the seventh to score Shin-Soo Choo and make it 2-1. Beltran left after the inning with a left quad contusion.Lucroy got his second home run in the eighth off Tony Sipp for his seventh career multihomer game and first this season.Playing meaningful games is always a lot of fun, Lucroy said. This is my third season Ive been that Ive actually played for a team thats really competing. Its really cool and its a lot of fun out there. Makes it easier to play, makes it easier to get us more excited. Just a whole different feeling.Keone Kela (2-1) pitched a perfect sixth inning for the win. Sam Dyson ran into trouble in the ninth, giving up an RBI single to Alex Bregman, but induced a game-ending groundout from Marwin Gonzalez to get his 24th save.Lucas Harrell gave up one run and walked five in 3 2/3 innings, matching his shortest outing of the season. The run came in the first inning when Preston Tucker walked with the bases loaded.Houston left seven ruunners on base through the first three innings against Harrell.ddddddddddddertainly on our end we had a chance in the first, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. ... Chance in the second, chance in the third, chance in the fifth, chance in the ninth. Thats a lot of innings to come away with a couple one-run innings. Credit to their guys for walking the fine line, but certainly, we felt like we could have gotten more out of tonight.Jose Altuve was ejected in the seventh for arguing with plate umpire Alan Porter. This is the first time Altuve has been ejected in his career.Doug Fister gave up one run on nine hits, walked two and struck out two in six innings. Fister has allowed three runs or fewer in 18 of his 22 starts.Bregman got the first three-hit game of his career with two singles and a double and got his first RBI. Bregman is 5 for 43 since making his debut.1986 ASTROS HONOREDHouston commemorated the 30th anniversary of the 1986 NL West division champion team, including Nolan Ryan, Jose Cruz, Phil Garner and Alan Ashby. The Astros wore their rainbow pullover jerseys that the 1986 team wore.The 1986 NL Cy Young Award winner Mike Scott threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Dallas Keuchel.TRAINERS ROOMRangers: LHP Derek Holland (left shoulder inflammation) gave no indication of soreness, tightness or feeling bad following his first rehab assignment start with Triple-A Round Rock on Friday, manager Jeff Bannister said.UP NEXTRangers: RHP Yu Darvish (2-3, 3.29 ERA) starts against Houston on Sunday. Darvish is 0-4 since the All-Star break despite posting a 3.57 ERA in that span.Astros: RHP Joe Musgrove (0-0) makes his first major league start on Sunday against Texas. Musgrove struck out eight batters in 4 1/3 shutout innings of relief in his debut on Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays. ' ' '