Digest

Baseball

Early exit costs CC a big bonus

New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia put solidarity over salary on Thursday as he was ejected in the sixth inning of a 12-1 rout of the Tampa Bay Rays in Florida.

Sabathia was tossed with one out in the sixth after he hit Rays catcher Jesus Sucre in the thigh with a pitch - suspected retaliation for Rays pitcher Andrew Kittredge firing a fastball behind the head of the Yankees' Austin Romine in the top of the inning.

Sabathia's premature departure in his last scheduled start of the regular season came as he was two innings away from completing 155 for the season and collecting a $500,000 bonus payment for reaching that number.

Soccer

Barca estimates record revenue

Spanish champion Barcelona on Thursday claimed it was on course to set a new record turnover of $1.1 billion this season, with a net profit of around $15 million.

According to the budget estimate approved by the club's board of directors, Barcelona's projected turnover exceeds its forecast of $950 million.

This season's expenses are expected to increase to just under $1 billion, but will be offset by the increase in revenues, said a statement by the club, which added the target of a $1.3 billion turnover by 2021 is still within reach.

Busquets extends deal until 2023

Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets has extended his contract until 2023, the Spanish champion announced on Thursday.

The deal for the 30-year-old Busquets had initially been until 2021, and under the new contract his buyout clause has increased to $584 million.

The contract extension for the 2010 world champion and Euro 2012 winner follows similar deals for Lionel Messi, who has signed on until 2021, Sergi Roberto (2022), goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen (2022) and Samuel Umtiti (2023).

Boxing

Wilder, Fury will square off in LA

WBC champion Deontay Wilder's Dec 1 heavyweight title defense against Britain's Tyson Fury will be held at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The venue was announced on Thursday by Showtime Boxing, which will televise the bout.

The fight will be Fury's third since the Englishman made his comeback from a two-and-half-year absence from the ring with a fourth-round stoppage of Sefer Seferi in June.

Wilder (40-0) and Fury (27-0) boast unbeaten records and the winner of their bout will be in prime position to take on WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO champion Anthony Joshua.

Tennis

Captain Courier ends 8-year run

Jim Courier is finished as captain of the US Davis Cup team after eight years in the job.

The US. Tennis Association announced on Thursday that Courier is "stepping down," less than two weeks after the Americans lost to host Croatia 3-2 in the Davis Cup semifinals.

The United States had a 10-8 record in World Group play since Courier was appointed in October 2010, twice making it as far as the semifinals.

The country's most recent Davis Cup title came in 2007.

Courier was part of Davis Cup-winning teams as a player in 1992 and 1995. He also won four Grand Slam singles titles and reached No. 1 in the rankings.

Agencies

(China Daily 09/29/2018 page11)