Drayage Brokersin Houston, TX

Alex Cora was among those who played a key role in the Houston Astros’ 2017 cheating scandal, with some reports saying he was the mastermind behind the operation.

Cora served as the Astros’ bench coach during the season, and he took over as the Boston Red Sox manager the following season.

After getting caught in the scandal, Cora expressed remorse for his actions.

However, it’s fair to question if he truly regretted taking part in it, or if he was more upset he was caught. After taking over as the Red Sox manager, Cora reportedly bragged about stealing the World Series from the Los Angeles Dodgers, via Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald:

“We stole that (expletive) World Series,” Cora allegedly said.

The quote is from the upcoming book, “Winning Fixes Everything,” by Evan Drellich, The Athletic’s writer who worked with Ken Rosenthal to break the original story of the Astros’ cheating scandal.

Drellich goes on to report that Cora told the Red Sox players that they were aware of what pitches the Dodgers were throwing before they would even get players on base, which has long been the accepted way of stealing signs:

“We knew the Astros did [steal signs],” another member of the Red Sox told Drellich, “because Alex Cora told us. He said that when they played the Dodgers, ‘We already knew what everybody was throwing before we even got on base. We didn’t have to get on base.’ And everybody was like, ‘What the hell does that mean?’”

The Dodgers of course ended up losing that World Series to the Astros in seven games, which is quite remarkable they made it that far considering what they were playing against.

Although MLB commissioner Rob Manfred decided against taking the Astros’ championship away from them, many fans and players do not recognize the trophy as legit, including Joe Kelly, who is among the most outspoken players against that 2017 club.

Cora did end up parting ways with the Red Sox once the scandal broke and he received a suspension through the 2020 season for his role, but he returned to manage Boston once his suspension ended.

Alex Cora recruited Justin Turner to Red Sox

After nine years with the Dodgers and becoming a franchise icon, Justin Turner agreed to sign a two-year contract with the Red Sox after L.A. decided to move on from the 38-year-old.

Turner’s market reportedly grew to include interest from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins and the Red Sox. Along with some of Boston’s players, Cora reportedly played a role in recruiting Turner, who was of course a member of the 2017 Dodgers.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The celebration surrounding Damian Lillard’s record-breaking performance was short-lived.

Lillard set franchise and career marks with 71 points — tied for the most in the NBA this season — and 13 3-pointers in the Portland Trail Blazers’ 131 -114 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.

“I enjoy those moments in the game when I’m just going after people,” Lillard said, “when I’m in attack mode.”

But soon after the streamers fell to the court and the crowd headed for the exits, Lillard was summoned for a drug test. Turns out, the seven-time All-Star who’s unafraid of taking a 3-pointer from half court is afraid of needles.

“I know I’ve got a lot of tattoos, but when you’re doing a blood draw, it’s different from tattoos. It brought me down from here to the floor,” Lillard said gesturing with his hand raised then dropping it.

And Lillard got tested on the night he tied Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell for the most points in a game this season after Mitchell also scored 71 in a win over Chicago on Jan. 2. His 13 3-pointers were also one shy of the NBA record set by Golden State’s Klay Thompson in 2018. Thompson’s Warriors teammate Stephen Curry (2016) and Chicago’s Zach LaVine (2019) also made 13 3s.

Lillard broke his own franchise mark of 61 points, which he’d done twice, on a 3-pointer with 4:42 left that also topped his previous career record for 3s, which was 11.

Known for his humility, Lillard was unsure how to mark the occasion.

“I think any hooper enjoys those moments when you’re hot, you’re in attack mode, you’re feeling good,” Lillard said. “But it’s the stuff afterward that I struggle with, like when I walked off the court, was I supposed to be overly excited, or what?”

In the final minutes of the game, the crowd at the Moda Center was on its feet, phones recording the moment, while chanting “MVP! MVP!”

“It really, really was a masterful performance,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “It was a piece of art. That was incredible.”

Even Mitchell took notice.

“My mom calls me and says @Dame_Lillard tied your record … you gotta get 72 now,” Mitchell posted on Twitter with some laughing emojis.

Lillard left the game with 44 seconds left, tied with Mitchell, Elgin Baylor (1960) and David Robinson (1994) for the eighth-most points scored in a game in NBA history. Wilt Chamberlain owns the league record with 100 for Philadelphia against New York on March 2, 1962, at Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Lillard had 41 points and eight 3-pointers by halftime. It was a career high in a half for Lillard and the most points in a half for any player in the league this season. He had 50 by the start of the fourth quarter.

In the end, he made 22 of 38 shots from the floor and he hit on 13 of his 22 3-point attempts. He was also 14 of 14 from the foul line.

Jerami Grant added 13 points for the Blazers, who led by as many as 23. Portland is part of a cluster of eight Western Conference just four wins apart that are vying for playoff spots.

Alperen Sengun had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, sitting in last place in the Western Conference with just 13 overall wins and nine straight losses.

“It’s not like we didn’t give effort, he made some really tough shots,” said Rockets coach Stephen Silas, who sat Sengun midway through the third quarter for the rest of the game. “But we need everyone to give effort on the defensive end.”

Houston trailed 102-88 heading into the final quarter, but scored the first six points of the period to close the gap to 102-94. Grant’s 3-pointer for Portland extended the margin to 108-98.

Lillard’s 3, his 11th of the night to tie his career high, made it 113-103 with 6:43 left. He added a driving layup and a free throw. Houston could not catch up.

Lillard started after resting for Thursday night’s 133-116 loss to Sacramento. He participated in the NBA All-Star Game and won the 3-point contest the previous weekend.

The Blazers led 73-58 at the break with Lillard the 10th player since the 1996-97 season with 40-plus points in a half. He has 15 games with 50 or more points, sixth-most in NBA history.

SIDELINED

Guards Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. did not play, although Silas said both should be available for the team’s short upcoming homestand. Green missed his second game with a strained left groin. Porter has been out 19 games because of a left foot contusion.

TIP-INS

Rockets: It was the third and final meeting between the teams this season. The Blazers won the previous two. Last season, the series ended 2-2. ... Jae’Sean Tate had four fouls in the first half, but finished with 17 points.

Trail Blazers: Portland remained without center Jusuf Nurkic (left calf) and guard Anfernee Simons (right ankle).

UP NEXT

Rockets: Return home to face the Denver Nugget on Tuesday.

Trail Blazers: Visit the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.

___

More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PORTLAND, Ore. -- — The celebration surrounding Damian Lillard’s record-breaking performance was short-lived.

Lillard set franchise and career marks with 71 points — tied for the most in the NBA this season — and 13 3-pointers in the Portland Trail Blazers' 131 -114 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.

“I enjoy those moments in the game when I’m just going after people,” Lillard said, “when I’m in attack mode.”

But soon after the streamers fell to the court and the crowd headed for the exits, Lillard was summoned for a drug test. Turns out, the seven-time All-Star who's unafraid of taking a 3-pointer from half court is afraid of needles.

“I know I’ve got a lot of tattoos, but when you’re doing a blood draw, it’s different from tattoos. It brought me down from here to the floor,” Lillard said gesturing with his hand raised then dropping it.

And Lillard got tested on the night he tied Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell for the most points in a game this season after Mitchell also scored 71 in a win over Chicago on Jan. 2. His 13 3-pointers were also one shy of the NBA record set by Golden State’s Klay Thompson in 2018. Thompson’s Warriors teammate Stephen Curry (2016) and Chicago’s Zach LaVine (2019) also made 13 3s.

Lillard broke his own franchise mark of 61 points, which he’d done twice, on a 3-pointer with 4:42 left that also topped his previous career record for 3s, which was 11.

Known for his humility, Lillard was unsure how to mark the occasion.

“I think any hooper enjoys those moments when you're hot, you're in attack mode, you're feeling good,” Lillard said. "But it's the stuff afterward that I struggle with, like when I walked off the court, was I supposed to be overly excited, or what?”

In the final minutes of the game, the crowd at the Moda Center was on its feet, phones recording the moment, while chanting “MVP! MVP!"

“It really, really was a masterful performance,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “It was a piece of art. That was incredible.”

Even Mitchell took notice.

“My mom calls me and says @Dame--Lillard tied your record … you gotta get 72 now,” Mitchell posted on Twitter with some laughing emojis.

Lillard left the game with 44 seconds left, tied with Mitchell, Elgin Baylor (1960) and David Robinson (1994) for the eighth-most points scored in a game in NBA history. Wilt Chamberlain owns the league record with 100 for Philadelphia against New York on March 2, 1962, at Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Lillard had 41 points and eight 3-pointers by halftime. It was a career high in a half for Lillard and the most points in a half for any player in the league this season. He had 50 by the start of the fourth quarter.

In the end, he made 22 of 38 shots from the floor and he hit on 13 of his 22 3-point attempts. He was also 14 of 14 from the foul line.

Less than two months after Donovan Mitchell scored an NBA-season-high 71 points, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard reached the same historic benchmark Sunday night, and he didn’t even need overtime to do it.

On fire throughout a 131-114 victory over the Houston Rockets, Lillard set a career high, a Portland franchise record and a Moda Center record and tied Mitchell for the most points in an NBA game since Kobe Bryant’s 81-point effort against the Toronto Raptors in 2006.

Lillard, a seven-time all-star guard, became just the eighth player in NBA history to score at least 70 points, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, David Thompson, David Robinson, Bryant, Devin Booker and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Mitchell, who scored 71 points in an overtime victory over the Chicago Bulls on Jan 2.

“I saw it go in a few times, and I just stayed aggressive,” Lillard said in a postgame interview with Root Sports. “I didn’t ease up or try to back off or anything. They’re a competitive team. They play hard and with a lot of energy, and they put pressure on you with that effort that they play with. I just wanted to stay aggressive. I finished the half strong. In the second half, they came out and gave me a lot of attention, and I just wanted to be patient. I didn’t want to try to come out and get back on the heater. I just kept making the right plays.”

The 2022-23 season has been defined by scoring explosions. Entering Sunday, NBA teams were scoring 114.4 points per game, the highest average since 1969-70. The Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers combined for 351 points in a double-overtime game Friday, marking the second-highest-scoring game in league history. Together, Mitchell and Lillard produced multiple 70-point games in the same season for the first time since Chamberlain had three by himself in 1962-63.

“My mom calls me and says Damian Lillard tied your record... you gotta get 72 now,” Mitchell wrote on Twitter.

Lillard scored 41 points in the first half and finished 22 for 38 from the field, 13 for 22 on three-pointers and 14 for 14 from the free throw line. He added six rebounds and six assists in 39 minutes, checking out to a standing ovation with just under a minute to play.

Lillard outscored all of his teammates combined (60) and Houston’s entire starting lineup (67). After the final buzzer, he was surrounded by his teammates at center court and doused with water. The young and overmatched Rockets, who were without starting guards Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr., rank 29th in defensive efficiency and have the NBA’s worst record at 13-47.

“This is so great because of the efficiency,” Trail Blazers Coach Chauncey Billups said. “Dame is always very poised out there. Even when he had his career high, he still didn’t force shots, even though we still ran every single thing for him. It was a piece of art. He kept [the Rockets] off-balance. When they got over-aggressive, he made them foul him. When they weren’t aggressive enough and they were scared of how quick he is getting to the basket, he got to his step-back. When they blitzed him and trapped him, he hit the guy in the pocket. It really, really was a masterful performance.”

Remarkably, Lillard now ranks third all-time with five 60-point efforts, trailing only Chamberlain (32) and Bryant (six). The Oakland, Calif., native also owns the top six scoring performances in Blazers history: 71, 61, 61, 60, 60 and 59. No other Portland player has scored more than 54 points.

One week after he won the NBA’s three-point contest at All-Star Weekend, the 32-year-old set a career high with his 13 three-pointers. He fell one shy of tying the NBA record held by Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson.

Intentionally or not, Lillard’s outburst came after mounting chatter in recent days that the Blazers might tank down the stretch in hopes of improving their draft lottery odds. Lillard, who has been adamantly against tanking, sat out a road loss to the Kings on Thursday after Portland’s plane was delayed by a snowstorm, and guard Anfernee Simons is sidelined with a significant ankle injury. Sunday was Lillard’s first appearance since before the all-star break, and he left no doubt about his commitment to keeping Portland (29-31) in the chase for the play-in tournament.

“We’ve got 22 games left after this,” Lillard said. “We need to win as many as possible. Obviously being shorthanded, I know it’s going to be a team effort, but I’ve got to do my best to be aggressive and try to do what I can to get some wins. That’s all the case was tonight. I wanted to be in attack mode. I got it going, and I just stayed aggressive.”

Week 2 of the 2023 XFL season is in the books.

After another round of action, three teams remain undefeated. Two of those teams — the St. Louis Battlehawks and San Antonio Brahmas — will face off next week.

But let's break down Week 2 before we get ahead of ourselves.

The unbeaten BattleHawks pulled off a wild, fourth-quarter rally en route to a dramatic win. Meanwhile, the Houston Roughnecks prevailed in a territorial battle against the Arlington Renegades.

Elsewhere around the league, the San Antonio Brahmas took care of the Orlando Guardians, while the Vegas Vipers experienced a slip-up.

BREAKING THE CHAIN:In 2023, XFL and USFL aim (again) to not join long line of failed start-up pro football leagues

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:How XFL 2023 rule book is different from NFL and college football

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Here are the winners and losers from Week 2 of the 2023 XFL season.

The cardiac kids from St. Louis

St. Louis BattleHawks games are turning into must-see TV (or, must-stream if you've queued up ESPN+).

Last week, the BattleHawks pulled off a frenzied late fourth-quarter rally by scoring 15 points in the final minute and a half of an 18-15 win over the San Antonio Brahmas. That comeback was made possible by the XFL giving teams the option to go for three-point conversions after touchdowns.

On Thursday, the BattleHawks won another thriller, a 20-18 victory over the Seattle Sea Dragons at Lumen Field. Quarterback AJ McCarron, who led Alabama to back-to-back national college football championships, deftly put his team into position for the winning field goal. A 9-yard pass to Austin Proehl — son of former NFL receiver Ricky Proehl (who happens to be the BattleHawks' receivers coach) — set up Donny Hageman for a 44-yard game-winning field goal as time expired.

McCarron might have found his happy place in the XFL.

"Ever since I came out of college, I've been counted out a little bit," McCarron said in a postgame interview with ESPN. "It's just fun to come out here and play. I miss playing. Not always just being a backup, and that's a great living. It really is, and I absolutely love it. I love playing. This is special and I can't thank the XFL enough. It's been awesome."

Territorial triumph

Former NFL coach Wade Phillips and the Houston Roughnecks emerged victorious from an intra-state tussle with the Arlington Renegades on Sunday.

The game featured a healthy amount of trash talk and bragging-rights stakes — as evidenced by the live mics on the field — but Houston kept its head down in the second half to keep Arlington in the rearview mirror.

After an Arlington end- zone interception was reversed due to illegal contact, Houston took advantage of the second chance and hit paydirt to build a 9-point lead. The Renegades' last-ditch effort fell short, giving the Roughnecks a 23-14 win and moving them to 2-0 on the season.

Both teams got familiar with one another during the preseason due to the relatively close proximity of the cities, and it feels as though the bad blood isn't going away soon.

The unbeaten DC Defenders

The DC Defenders improved to 2-0 on the season with an 18-6 road comeback win against the Vegas Vipers. Quarterbacks Jordan Ta'amu and D'Eriq King, along with running backs Abram Smith and Ryquell Armstead, ran for a combined 231 yards and two touchdowns on 42 carries. Smith turned in an individual effort of 69 yards on 11 carries.

The Defenders pitched a second-half shutout of the Vipers and scored all 18 of their points after the break. Playing through wet and slippery conditions, the Defenders took advantage of Vegas' missed opportunities and did just enough to move to the top of the North division standings.

The Defenders match up against the St. Louis BattleHawks (2-0) in a showdown of unbeaten squads on Sunday (1 p.m. ET on FX).

A Winning(ham) play

The Central Arkansas product and former Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver had a prolific sequence in the first half of Sunday's game between the Arlington Renegades and Houston Roughnecks.

Winningham forced a fumble on special teams and caught a touchdown pass on the subsequent possession, giving the Renegades a huge push of momentum into the half.

The 24-year-old was an undrafted signing by the Jaguars prior to the 2022 season but was waived in August.

Winningham had 53 receptions for 840 yards and five touchdowns in his final nine games at Central Arkansas last season, and he's making a big impact on Arlington in the 2023 XFL season.

Woeful Orlando Guardians

The Orlando Renegades have endured two blowout losses so far, and head coach Terrell Buckley was not having it.

During Sunday's 30-12 defeat against the San Antonio Brahmas, Buckley was visibly frustrated with his team's play (or, lack thereof) throughout the contest. Much of it was caught on his hot mic. During an in-game interview with ESPN, Buckley further berated his players.

"We got guys out there who are not competing, not making plays," Buckley said. "So, we got to get people in there who want to play, who want to compete and make plays."

Buckley's Guardians team features two former NFL first-round draft picks (quarterback Paxton Lynch and safety Matt Elam) and a second-round NFL pick (wide receiver Cody Latimer).

Turnover-prone Ben DiNucci

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Ben DiNucci made one NFL start, a 23-9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 1, 2020. In that game, he lost two fumbles.

His turnover trend has continued into his XFL gig with the Seattle Sea Dragons. In Week 1, DiNucci fumbled the ball on a second-and-goal situation with 19 seconds remaining and the D.C. Defenders won the game, 22-18. That wasn't the only turnover for DiNucci against D.C. He also threw two interceptions, including a pick-six.

Against the St. Louis BattleHawks on Thursday night and facing a third-and-1 at the opponent's 18-yard line, DiNucci fumbled the ball on what appeared to be an attempted quarterback sneak. The turnover spoiled a potential opportunity to score points.

DiNucci did put his team in a position to win the game, throwing a fourth-down touchdown pass to Jordan Veasy with under a minute and a half to play. The moment was spoiled when Donny Hageman made the winning field goal for St. Louis in the final seconds.

Bad slips in Las Vegas

En route to a second loss in as many weeks, Vegas was victimized by poor playing conditions on their home field.

Rainy weather produced a slippery surface at Cashman Field that felled Vipers kicker Bailey Griffin, who lost his footing on a 23-yard field goal attempt.

Las Vegas is one of the driest major cities in the country, so it seems unlikely the Vipers will be regularly contending with a wet field. Still, it didn't help their chances on Saturday.

Vegas went on to lose 18-6, falling to 0-2 on the season.

Hot mics

Given the sheer amount of players, coaches and referees that are mic'd up during each XFL game, it was only a matter of time before some explicit language snuck through.

Sunday's game between the Orlando Guardians featured multiple such incidents.

Orlando Guardians QB coach Shane Matthews tripped himself up during a play call against the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, yelling an obscenity that made it through on air.

Later in the game, during a mic'd up Guardians huddle, one player told another to "shut the (expletive) up as the play call was being relayed.

ESPN has typically done an effective job censoring swear words uttered by individuals wearing live microphones — as is inevitable in a live sports environment — but these expletives obviously slipped through the cracks.