Notes

INDIANS-TIGERS

Rain postpones game

DETROIT -- Thursday's game between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians was postponed because of bad weather, a move that could force the teams to squeeze in a makeup game next week if it needs to be played because of postseason implications.

The regular season is scheduled to end Sunday.

The wild card-contending Tigers and AL Central champion Indians played a rain-shortened game Wednesday night, which Detroit won 6-3 in five innings. The series finale Thursday never began and was called after a delay of 4 hours, 13 minutes.

Detroit entered Thursday one game behind Baltimore for the American League's second wild card.

The Tigers begin a three-game series at Atlanta tonight, and Cleveland starts a three-game set at Kansas City. The Tigers and Indians would need to play a makeup game Monday if it could affect who makes the postseason or how teams are seeded.

MARLINS

Fernandez remembered

MIAMI -- Miami Marlins ace Jose Fernandez was remembered Thursday as a larger than life figure during a homily at his funeral.

"Jose was too good for this league," the Rev. Jose Alvarez said. "He's a going to a higher league."

Fernandez, 24, a two-time All-Star, died early Sunday along with two friends in a boating accident off Miami Beach.

His funeral service lasted more than two hours. Those in attendance included Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, current and former Marlins players and two hall-of-famers, Marlins executives Tony Perez and Andre Dawson.

The private service drew about 300 mourners, who nearly filled the large sanctuary at St. Brendan Catholic Church in Miami.

Pallbearers wore black Fernandez jerseys as they carried his casket.

While Thursday's funeral was private, fans got to say their goodbyes a day earlier.

Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, Manager Don Mattingly, hitting coach Barry Bonds and players including Marcel Ozuna and Giancarlo Stanton wore white T-shirts emblazoned with Fernandez's image and the letters "RIP" as they slowly walked the hearse away from Marlins Park in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood on Wednesday.

Many in the crowd of about 1,000 chanted "Jose! Jose!" and some waved Cuban flags in honor of the popular Cuban-American player.

BLUE JAYS

Montero suspended

NEW YORK -- Former major leaguer Jesus Montero has been suspended 50 games after testing positive for a stimulant, his second penalty for a banned substance.

Montero spent this season with Toronto's Class AAA Buffalo team, batting .317 with 11 home runs and 60 RBI. He was a designated hitter and first baseman and was picked as an International League All-Star.

The commissioner's office made the announcement Thursday. Because the minor league season is over, the suspension will take effect at the start of next year.

Montero tested positive for dimethylbutylamine.

In August 2013, Montero drew a 50-game drug ban -- he was among several players disciplined by Major League Baseball for their relationship to Biogenesis of America, a Florida anti-aging clinic accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs.

Montero, 26, made his big league debut with the New York Yankees in 2011 and was traded to Seattle after the season for pitcher Michael Pineda. Montero played for the Mariners last year.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

A-Rod returns

Alex Rodriguez is back. Sort of.

Rodriguez is returning to Fox Sports for the 2016 MLB postseason.

A-Rod, whose Yankees career came to an end in August when he was released from his contract, will be part of Fox's playoff broadcast team for the second consecutive season.

"I had a great experience working with the team at Fox Sports," Rodriguez said Thursday in a press release. "They made me feel comfortable as a TV rookie and I'm excited to be back with them for the postseason."

A year ago, Rodriguez received praise for an impressive debut on television, saying his "first day was scary" but that he leaned on help from the folks at Fox, including play-by-play man Joe Buck.

"Alex did a phenomenal job explaining the 'Why?' and the 'How?' for our baseball viewers last year," said John Entz, president of production for Fox Sports, in a release. "We always knew he'd be great on television but what surprised us all was just how quickly he picked it up. He's a natural. Plus, he still owes us for that screen he cracked last year."

That was a reference to Rodriguez throwing a pass to Jay Glazer during a spot on Fox's NFL pregame show. The football was out of Glazer's reach and broke a television screen.

Sports on 09/30/2016

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