Jun 20, 2019 4 min read

Interference review

remains intact

The NFL competition committee has decided against making any changes to the new rule for reviewing pass interference, the league announced Thursday.

That means the rule stands as approved by NFL owners in March.

Owners decided in May to let the competition committee consult with coaches and decide whether to refine the rule further. During the rule’s one-year trial this season, coaches still can challenge until the two-minute warning of each half or overtime. Then a replay official will be responsible for any reviews.

But that replay official will need “clear and obvious visual evidence” to review and overturn potential pass interference in an attempt to avoid too many stoppages, and that official will have only the angles on the television broadcast available to overturn an on-field decision. Pass interference still is defined as an act significantly hindering the opportunity to make a play on a ball, and all pass plays will be subject to review.

The committee also decided against exempting Hail Mary passes, so those plays will be reviewed following the on-field officiating guidelines.

In the MLB

Elvis Andrus homered and had an RBI triple to back another impressive home start by Mike Minor as the Texas Rangers earned a series split with a 4-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

Minor (7-4) limited the Indians to three hits and one run over eight innings after they had scored 10 runs each of the last two nights. The lefty struck out four and walked three while throwing 70 of 110 pitches for strikes.

Danny Santana went deep in the Rangers’ eighth, his third homer in the four-game series and seventh overall. Andrus immediately followed with his seventh homer, his first since May 12 at Houston.

They also teamed up for the first two Texas runs. Andrus tripled to right-center in the first inning after Santana had doubled and stolen third base. Andrus raced home on a wild pitch by Shane Bieber (6-3) that ricocheted off catcher Kevin Plawecki and went several feet in front of the plate.

Minor has a 2.03 ERA in eight home starts, allowing no runs in four of those.

• Chris Iannetta’s two-run, bases-loaded single in the 10th inning lifted the Colorado Rockies to a 6-4 victory that completed a three-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Iannetta, a former Diamondbacks catcher, singled off the center-field wall against Yoshihisa Hirano (3-4) with one out to drive in Ian Desmond and Brendan Rodgers.

Scott Oberg (5-0) got the win with two scoreless innings in relief, but had to pitch out of jam in the bottom of the 10th when the Diamondbacks loaded the bases with one out. He got Ildemaro Vargas to fly out, and then struck out David Peralta swinging to end the game.

Charlie Blackmon and Desmond homered for the Rockies, who have won eight in a row over the Diamondbacks.

In golf

Ryan Armour and Bronson Burgoon shot 64s to share the early first-round lead at the Travelers Championship.

Burgoon birdied four of his first six holes, and Armour birdied seven of his final 14 in drizzle and fog Thursday morning at TPC River Highlands.

Memorial champion Patrick Cantlay was part of a group at 66. Cantlay started on the back nine and was tied for the lead when his tee shot landed in water on the par-3 eighth hole, leading to a double bogey.

Defending champion Bubba Watson opened with a 69 in his bid for his fourth Travelers title. Brooks Koepka, coming off his runner-up showing at the U.S. Open, had a 71.

• Hyo Joo K
• im handled a long, tough Hazeltine with only one bogey for a 3-under 69 and a one-shot lead among the early starters at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Michelle Wie struggled to handle the pain. Icing her right wrist throughout the round, Wie shot 84 and then started crying when she wondered aloud how much time she had left.

Kim birdied three of the par 5s – most of them were unreachable in two shots – and dropped her only shot at the par-4 10th.

She was one shot ahead of Ariya Jutanugarn and Annie Park.