Category: Sports

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Lionel Messi delivered a breathtaking three-goal performance Tuesday evening, tying the all-time World Cup scoring record and silencing any doubters about the 38-year-old’s ability to still dominate the world’s biggest stage, as Argentina cruised past Algeria 3-0 in Group J action.

With those three goals, Messi drew even with Germany’s Miroslav Klose at 16 career World Cup goals. He also claimed the title of oldest player to ever score a hat-trick at a World Cup — and remarkably, the milestone came exactly 20 years to the day after he scored his very first goal at the tournament.

Tuesday’s match at Kansas City Stadium was also Messi’s 200th international appearance for Argentina, and it marked his participation in a sixth World Cup — a feat no other player has ever accomplished. He turns 39 later this month.

The Argentina captain nearly gave the crowd something to cheer about within the first five minutes, but an early goal was called back for offside. Algeria also had a potential goal disallowed on the same grounds shortly after.

Messi’s first legitimate goal came in the 17th minute, set up by a perfectly threaded through ball from Rodrigo De Paul that split Algeria’s defensive line. Messi charged forward and unleashed a powerful shot from roughly 25 yards out that grazed the fingertips of goalkeeper Luca Zidane — son of French soccer legend Zinedine Zidane, who was watching from the stands — and found the top-right corner of the net.

His second goal arrived in the 60th minute under more fortunate circumstances. Alexis Mac Allister launched a low shot from distance that Zidane mishandled badly, the ball bouncing off the goalkeeper’s chest and falling perfectly for Messi, who calmly slotted it home.

Messi came close to completing the hat-trick just minutes later, but Zidane recovered to push that attempt over the crossbar. He would not be denied, however, finding the net again in the 76th minute with another powerful strike after being set up by substitute Nico Gonzalez.

Algeria fans called for a red card when Messi appeared to step on defender Aissa Mandi’s calf in the first half, but no disciplinary action was taken.

Mac Allister was effusive in his praise of his captain following the victory. “There are no words to describe it,” he said. “I think if anyone thought this team was better without Leo, today it became clear that Leo is the most important player of all. And that we have to build a team around him, where he feels comfortable.”

Mandi himself acknowledged the difficulty of trying to contain Messi. “What makes the difference is they have a player who doesn’t forgive,” the Algerian defender said. “Almost every chance ends up in the back of the net. He’s a player, maybe the best player of all time, so that’s his efficiency, and it’s formidable. We knew it, we tried to limit him as much as possible, but it didn’t work.”

Argentina entered the tournament with some uncertainty hanging over the squad. Their previous two World Cup campaigns had opened with a shocking loss to Saudi Arabia in 2022 and a frustrating draw with Iceland four years before that. There were also questions about whether coach Lionel Scaloni’s side had been adequately tested, given that they had gone years without facing European competition before a 3-0 friendly win over Iceland just last week.

Tuesday’s performance appeared to put those concerns to rest. Mac Allister reflected on the importance of the strong opening result: “While we had the experience of the last World Cup, where we started, perhaps not in the best way, and ended up winning, we know how important it is to start with a win, to gain confidence.”

Argentina now aims to become the first men’s national team to successfully defend a World Cup title since Brazil accomplished the feat in 1962. Their next match is Monday against Austria in Arlington, Texas. Algeria will also play Monday, taking on Jordan in Santa Clara, California.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — When defending World Cup champions Argentina took the field Tuesday, nothing was going to stand in the way of their most devoted supporters — not distance, not cost, and not even the lack of a ticket.

Three fans pedaled nearly 11,000 miles from South America all the way to Kansas City, Missouri — arriving without tickets. Another group made a 20-hour drive, surviving on sandwiches to stretch their budget. Then there’s Daniel Otero, a 73-year-old attending his seventh World Cup, who is spending approximately $100,000 so he and his two sons can follow the team throughout the tournament.

“We are crazy for Argentina,” Otero said. “That’s why we spend so much money to see our country, our national team.”

The dedication paid off as Argentina opened its championship defense with a 3-0 shutout of Algeria. Legendary forward Lionel Messi netted all three goals. With his 39th birthday arriving next week, this could be the final World Cup appearance for the sport’s iconic star.

“Argentina now is like the Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan,” said Juan Martin, 43, of Buenos Aires, before the match. “In his prime, he had fans around the world. Argentina has fans around the world with Messi.”

Martin plans to spend the next month following the team alongside his girlfriend, 31-year-old Agostina Gomez Uvia, a journey he estimates will run $20,000 apiece. Otero, meanwhile, spent $40,000 on tickets alone.

Otero and his 27-year-old son Franco were struck by the sight of American families also wearing Argentina jerseys bearing Messi’s name.

“I can’t remember an Argentinian team without Messi,” Franco Otero said.

“He changed the game,” added Manuel Valdes, a 29-year-old engineer from Corrientes, Argentina, who made the trip with his father and younger brother. “There’s a before and after in football.”

Outside the stadium, 11-year-old Andre Cornuz of Miami joined his father in setting up an Argentine flag on top of a van before kickoff. Nearby, members of the band Los Sin Entradas — which translates to “Those Without Tickets” — assembled their drums. Fans stopped to take photos in front of the display, which featured a large banner reading “Lio Te Quiero” — “I love you, Lio” — alongside a photo of Messi.

“I have been raised with Messi,” said Andre, whose father is originally from Argentina and who frequently visits family there. “I am very connected to the land.”

The band’s next destination is Dallas, where Argentina plays its next match, and then “wherever it takes us,” Andre said.

Pam Kramer, the chief executive of the Kansas City organizing committee, said she has been amazed by the commitment of Argentina’s supporters this past week — including the three cyclists who arrived without tickets and still found a way into the stadium.

“We had those three Argentine cyclists come here, and they came here without tickets. And the people in Johnson County (Kansas) were like, ‘You know what? We’re fans too. We’re going to make sure you get to a match,’” Kramer said. “And that’s genuine. Nobody is doing it for show. We want people to see what we see, that this place is pretty special.”

Three hours before the opening whistle, fans were already forming lines at the stadium gates, with mounted police officers keeping watch over the crowd. Jorgelina Skorput, 34, of New York City, waited alongside friends after a two-day drive fueled by sandwiches and a stay at an Airbnb an hour outside the city to cut costs.

All in, she estimates the trip set her back $2,000, including an $800 game ticket.

“I felt like this is the only time, the only opportunity I’m going to get to see the World Cup,” said Skorput, who was born in Rosario, Argentina, and came to the United States at age 9. “We’re the last champions.”

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Lionel Messi has drawn level with the all-time men’s World Cup scoring record after delivering a stunning hat-trick in Argentina’s opening match of the tournament against Algeria on Tuesday.

The three-goal performance pushed Messi’s career World Cup goal tally to 16, tying the record set by former German striker Miroslav Klose.

American sprinter Noah Lyles delivered a stunning performance on Tuesday, slashing a quarter of a second from the world’s best time in the 150 meters at the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting held in the Czech Republic.

Lyles, who holds the Olympic 100m title and has claimed the 200m world championship four times, crossed the line in 14.67 seconds — surpassing the previous mark of 14.92 set by Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson earlier this year.

The 28-year-old reflected on the achievement with a sense of satisfaction. “It was about time,” he said.

Lyles also spoke about the unique challenge of competing in the unconventional event. “This feeling — it’s nothing new. It’s very hard to get used to running from a staggered 150 start. We do it in practice, but that’s without blocks. But all in all, I think that it was really good,” he added.

South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile came in second place with a time of 14.78 seconds, while Australian teenage standout Gout Gout rounded out the top three, finishing in 14.96 seconds.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Edward Cabrera was taken out of Tuesday’s game against the Colorado Rockies with just one out recorded in the fifth inning, after manager Craig Counsell and a team trainer made their way to the mound to check on him.

Reliever Ryan Rolison stepped in to replace Cabrera at a point when Colorado held a 3-2 lead. Rolison surrendered two additional runs during his appearance, though both were officially credited to Cabrera’s stat line.

By the time Cabrera’s outing was over, he had given up five runs on three hits across 4 1/3 innings, while striking out three batters and issuing two walks.

No official explanation was provided for the early exit. However, it is worth noting that Cabrera was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 24 due to a blister problem.

The Cubs’ pitching staff has been hit hard by injuries. Earlier the same day, Daniel Palencia was also placed on the injured list, bringing Chicago’s total number of pitchers on various injury lists to nine.

ABC announced Tuesday that this year’s Stanley Cup Final delivered the network’s best viewership numbers for the NHL championship round in seven years, fueled by a high-scoring, dramatic series.

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in six games, drawing an average audience of 5.2 million viewers. To find higher Stanley Cup Final ratings, you’d have to go back to 2019, when an average of 5.3 million viewers watched the St. Louis Blues defeat the Boston Bruins in a seven-game series.

The championship-clinching Game 6 brought in 5.9 million viewers — the largest audience for a finals Game 6 since 2019. That number was more than double the viewership from last year’s Game 6, when the Florida Panthers claimed the title against the Edmonton Oilers.

The Sunday clincher aired on ABC and drew a 40% increase in viewers compared to the last time ABC broadcast the finals in 2024, which also featured the Panthers and Oilers. At its peak late in the game, 7.2 million people were watching as Carolina secured the second championship in the franchise’s history.

The first five games of the series were marked by high-scoring action, with each contest featuring at least six total goals. Both teams mounted comebacks during the series, and two games went to overtime. Only the final game broke the pattern, with Carolina shutting out Vegas 3-0 to claim the Cup.

ABC and ESPN also announced that viewership across the entire 2026 NHL playoffs reached an all-time high for the company, averaging 2.2 million viewers over 43 games. That figure represents a 127% jump from 2025 and a 19% increase from 2024. ESPN has broadcast NHL playoff games from 1994 to 2002 and again every year since 2021.

Serena Williams’ doubles run at the WTA 500 Berlin Tennis Open came to an early end Tuesday, as she and Czechia’s Karolina Muchova were knocked out in the opening round.

The unseeded duo lost to New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe and Mexico’s Giuliana Olmos by a score of 6-4, 6-4. For Williams, the defeat came in just her second tournament back since announcing her return to professional tennis.

Muchova had better luck on the singles court, however. Seeded seventh, she cruised past China’s Shuai Zhang 6-1, 6-3. Ukraine’s sixth-seeded Elina Svitolina was in firm control against Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya, leading 6-1, 4-1, when Kalinskaya withdrew from the match. Czech eighth seed Linda Noskova also advanced, defeating Mexico’s Renata Zarazua 6-1, 6-4.

American Madison Keys, along with France’s Diane Parry, Spain’s Paula Badosa, Czechia’s Katerina Siniakova, and Germany’s Eva Lys, each picked up first-round victories in straight sets.

Meanwhile, at the Lexus Nottingham Open in the United Kingdom, Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez pulled off a notable upset, eliminating second-seeded Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 7-6 (1). Sonmez had to fight through two qualifying matches just to earn a spot in the main draw.

Two other seeded players also fell in the first round at Nottingham. Eighth seed McCartney Kessler lost to fellow American Katie Volynets 6-3, 6-3, while 11th seed Sara Bejlek dropped a three-set match to compatriot Karolina Pliskova 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2.

Fifth seed Ann Li survived a tough three-set battle against Australia’s Kimberly Birrell, winning 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4. Caty McNally, Great Britain’s Hannah Klugman, and Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska all advanced in straight sets, while Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic needed three sets to get past Sofia Kenin.

This year’s NBA Finals delivered television ratings not seen in nearly three decades, as the matchup between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs captivated more than 20 million viewers on average, according to Nielsen data.

The Knicks sealed the championship with a 94-90 win over the Spurs in Game 5 on Saturday night, a contest that drew an average audience of 24.5 million on ESPN and ABC. That figure represents the largest Game 5 audience for the NBA Finals since 1998, when Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls claimed their sixth title by defeating the Utah Jazz across six games — a series that averaged 29.04 million viewers.

At its peak, viewership for Saturday’s clinching game reached 33 million, as Finals MVP Jalen Brunson — who finished with 45 points — led the Knicks on a dramatic rally from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to secure the championship.

Since ESPN and ABC took over broadcast rights for the NBA Finals in 2003, this year’s series stands as the highest-rated. It is only the third time since 1999 that the Finals has averaged at least 20 million viewers per game.

By contrast, last season’s championship series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers — which the Thunder won in seven games — averaged just 10.31 million viewers, less than half of this year’s total.

The player unions representing NFL and NBA athletes have joined forces in a letter to the leaders of the Senate Commerce Committee, voicing their approval of a newly introduced Senate bill intended to overhaul college sports.

The Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter from the NFL Players Association and National Basketball Players Association on Tuesday, shared by a source who requested anonymity because the letter had not been made public.

In the letter, the two unions expressed backing for the bill, specifically citing provisions that would guarantee name, image, and likeness — or NIL — rights for college athletes, along with medical and healthcare benefits.

“We encourage continued meaningful stakeholder engagement and negotiations to further strengthen the bill as it moves through Congress to ensure college athletes are protected and empowered,” the letter read. It was addressed to Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.

The NFL also issued a separate statement endorsing the bipartisan measure. “Healthy, stable, and thriving collegiate athletics is essential to the future of American sports, including Olympic sports, and this legislation is an important step to achieving that for the benefit of all college athletes and institutions alike,” the league said, noting it will continue working with Congress on the effort.

Cruz and Cantwell, the top two lawmakers on the Senate Commerce Committee, are co-sponsors of the bill, but its passage is far from guaranteed. The measure would need 60 votes to advance through the Senate, and both senators have said they remain open to making changes to the 111-page bill, which was unveiled on May 27.

The legislation, known as the Protect College Sports Act, has yet to earn the backing of the SEC and Big Ten conferences, and is drawing criticism from some members of the Senate.

Former Alabama football coach Nick Saban has been among those who testified in support of the bill, which seeks to bring order to a college sports landscape where athletes can earn millions of dollars and move between schools with relative ease.

Among its key provisions, the bill would regulate how much athletes can be paid, limit players to one transfer without penalty during their college careers, and establish what is being called a “Lane Kiffin Rule” — a restriction that would prevent coaches from leaving their programs mid-season.

The Nashville Predators bolstered their roster Tuesday by acquiring veteran center Ross Colton from the Colorado Avalanche in a trade that sent three players and two future draft picks between the two clubs.

Nashville received Colton along with minor league goaltender Isak Posch. In return, the Predators gave up goaltender Magnus Chrona, their third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, and an additional third-round selection in the 2027 draft.

Colton, who is 29 years old, brings six seasons of NHL experience to Nashville. He earned a Stanley Cup championship with the Tampa Bay Lightning during his rookie campaign in 2021 and has gone on to score 13 goals across 75 career playoff appearances.

Over the course of his regular-season career spanning 404 games, Colton has put up 89 goals, 87 assists, 183 blocked shots, and 822 hits. This past season, he contributed nine goals and 15 assists in 73 games for an Avalanche team that captured the Presidents’ Trophy by posting the NHL’s top regular-season record.

Chrona, a 25-year-old native of Sweden, made nine appearances for the San Jose Sharks during the 2023-24 season, finishing with a 1-6-1 record and a 4.71 goals-against average. He then spent the past two seasons in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admirals, going 21-22-8 with a 2.86 goals-against average.

Posch, also a 24-year-old from Sweden, played the bulk of this season with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, posting a 15-8-5 record and a 2.78 goals-against average.

Former boxing champion Floyd Mayweather is now facing two felony charges in Nevada after allegedly writing a $200,000 check for a watch purchase that his bank account couldn’t cover, according to Clark County court records.

The 49-year-old appeared through his legal representative at a Monday hearing in Clark County court, where he faced official charges of “theft, value $100,000 or greater” and “draw or pass check with intent to defraud, value $1,200 or greater.”

According to a complaint filed by Clark County prosecutors on April 27, Mayweather wrote a check from a Wells Fargo Bank account to a jewelry business called Gold and Beyond on December 31, 2024, for $200,000 to purchase a watch. The complaint states he “had insufficient money, property, or credit” in his account to complete the purchase. A court order requiring Mayweather to appear before a judge followed three days after the complaint was filed.

The theft charge alleges Mayweather wrote the check “in exchange for obtaining property or services” while “knowing that the check would not be paid when presented,” and that he did so “knowingly, feloniously, and without lawful authority.”

Under Nevada law, a fraud conviction could land Mayweather in prison for one to four years and result in a $5,000 fine plus restitution. The felony theft charge carries an even steeper penalty — up to 20 years behind bars and fines reaching $15,000.

Gold and Beyond first brought the complaint to the Clark County District Attorney’s office back in February. Mark Cook of Cook & Kelesis, the law firm representing the business, explained that the delay was intentional — the company was hoping Mayweather would simply pay what he owed. However, Cook said neither Mayweather nor his legal team ever responded. The Clark County District Attorney’s Office and Mayweather’s attorney were both unavailable for comment.

Meanwhile, Mayweather is still scheduled to participate in an exhibition bout against kickboxer Mike Zambis on June 27 in Athens, Greece. Although the Internal Revenue Service placed a tax lien of more than $7.2 million against Mayweather for unpaid taxes in 2018 and 2023, his tax attorneys have reportedly reached an arrangement with the IRS allowing him to make the trip abroad.

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — When a reporter showed Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha just how many new Instagram followers he had picked up after his team’s jaw-dropping 0-0 tie against Spain, the 40-year-old shot stopper gasped and broke into laughter, clearly stunned by what he was seeing.

The reaction came just after Monday’s remarkable draw in Atlanta, where Vozinha had watched his follower count climb from roughly 50,000 to over one million. By the time less than a day had passed since the final whistle, that number had exploded to nearly 10 million — surpassing the Instagram audiences of NBA star Victor Wembanyama, who has 6.2 million followers, and NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has 6.4 million.

“Crazy, that’s crazy,” Vozinha told Brazilian YouTube channel CazéTV following the match that made him the breakout name of the World Cup so far.

CazéTV, the only channel in Brazil holding broadcast rights to all 104 World Cup matches, is spearheaded by popular Brazilian streamer Casimiro Miguel, widely known as Cazé. The channel boasts more than 31 million YouTube subscribers and has built its reputation on a casual, fan-friendly style of sports coverage. During the broadcast of Vozinha’s standout performance, Cazé noticed the goalkeeper’s modest social media following and made a direct appeal to his viewers.

“Normally we ask for subscribers,” Cazé said. “We are not going to ask for subscribers today, we are going to ask for followers. For Vozinha. He is stopping Spain. He is shocking the world. He is the standout player of the first half. Why not show him some love?”

Spain, widely considered one of the favorites to win the tournament, was fully expected to roll past the World Cup newcomers. Instead, the European champions were repeatedly turned away by Vozinha and a determined Cape Verde defense that refused to crack. Vozinha, who didn’t begin his professional career until age 25, is among the rare players at this tournament who are 40 or older. He made several critical stops against Spain’s attack and was awarded man of the match honors.

The scoreless result set off celebrations across Cape Verde, an island chain situated off the western coast of Africa with a population of roughly half a million people. Cape Verde ranks as the third-smallest nation by population ever to qualify for the World Cup.

Adding an emotional dimension to the story, Vozinha revealed after the match that his mother was unable to travel to the United States to see him play due to difficulties obtaining a visa.

In Washington, the U.S. State Department said it had no record of her ever submitting a visa application, but indicated it was working with Cape Verde officials to address the matter. The department also noted that it had informed all players from World Cup nations subject to a $15,000 visa bond requirement that both they and their family members would be exempt from that requirement.

“All relatives of players are eligible for visa bond waivers, and the department is actively reaching out to this player’s family to assist with visa services,” the department stated.

A source with knowledge of the situation, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the confidential nature of visa proceedings, said the State Department believes Vozinha’s mother had not applied for a visa because she lacked a valid Cape Verde passport, but that she is now in the process of obtaining one. A request for comment was sent to the team Tuesday afternoon. Cape Verde’s next World Cup match is scheduled for Sunday.

Vozinha’s viral moment echoes a similar story from last month involving New Zealand defender Tim Payne, who was thrust into the spotlight after an Argentine social media influencer known as El Scarso — also called Valen Scarsini — identified the 32-year-old as the least-followed player at the tournament and encouraged fans to rally around him. Payne’s Instagram following jumped from about 4,700 to more than one million almost immediately, and by Tuesday had grown to nearly 6 million.

FIFA has been actively working to draw younger fans into the World Cup experience by expanding digital access to matches. For the 2026 tournament, the organization struck what it called a record number of agreements with broadcast partners running digital-only platforms, and teamed up with TikTok and YouTube to let users watch portions of games in real time.

Brazil has long ranked among the most digitally engaged nations in the world when it comes to sports. FIFA took note of that energy four years ago and gave CazéTV a trial run following Cazé’s success on Twitch. He covered 22 matches during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which led to a larger arrangement for this year’s event.

“Thank you,” Vozinha told CazéTV. “The Brazilians have always supported us. We felt it during our campaign to qualify for the World Cup and now we are feeling it again at the biggest stage. We are thankful for it.”

Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez had surgery Tuesday to repair a fractured hamate bone in his left hand, sidelining one of baseball’s most accomplished players for more than a month.

Ramirez, a seven-time All-Star, is expected to be out of action for five to seven weeks. Dr. Thomas Graham carried out the procedure in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, removing the hook of the hamate bone, according to the team.

The 33-year-old suffered the injury during Saturday’s 3-1 win over the Detroit Tigers. He began experiencing pain following a fifth-inning at-bat in which he fouled out to Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler.

This isn’t the first time Ramirez has dealt with a hamate injury — he broke the same bone on his right hand back in 2019 and also required surgery at that time.

Now in his 14th season with Cleveland, Ramirez is hitting .239 this year, notably below his career average of .278. In 72 games, he has contributed 10 home runs and 33 RBIs.

Over the course of his career, Ramirez has accumulated 295 home runs and 982 RBIs across 1,681 games.

Kelsey Pfendler is somewhere in the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, pushing herself toward a historic milestone — and she’s doing it entirely on her own.

Pfendler is currently rowing solo from California to Hawaii, a grueling open-ocean challenge that has been attempted by very few. If she completes the journey, she will become the first American woman ever to row solo across the Pacific.

NPR’s Ailsa Chang spoke with Pfendler from the middle of the ocean, getting a firsthand account of what it’s like to take on one of the most demanding solo endurance challenges on water.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Just two and a half months after the Milwaukee Brewers handed shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt an eight-year, $50.75 million deal, the 21-year-old has officially arrived in the big leagues.

Milwaukee promoted Pratt from Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday, timing the move to coincide with the start of a three-game homestand against the Cleveland Guardians. To clear a spot on the roster, the Brewers designated third baseman Luis Rengifo for assignment.

The Brewers made their commitment to Pratt clear when they inked him to his long-term contract on April 3. The deal runs through eight years and includes club options for the 2034 and 2035 seasons. Built-in escalators could push the total value up by another $10 million if Pratt finishes high in MVP voting on multiple occasions and the team exercises both options.

Pratt earned a Gold Glove award as the premier shortstop in the minor leagues in 2024, and his defensive excellence has remained a constant. His bat, however, is still a developing part of his game.

Through 58 games with Nashville this season, Pratt was batting .241 with a .349 on-base percentage, six home runs, 32 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases. A year ago with Double-A Biloxi, he hit .238 with a .343 on-base percentage, eight homers, 62 RBIs, and 31 steals across 120 games.

Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold spoke to Pratt’s overall potential when the contract was announced. “We believe in the bat,” Arnold said. “We believe in the glove, certainly. This guy is really toolsy, too. He’s very athletic. He’s a big, physical kid, so we think there’s a chance to grow into some power. And he can really run. When you have that kind of athletic foundation, it’s a really good thing.”

As long as Pratt continues to shine defensively the way he did in the minors, the organization appears willing to give his offensive game time to develop.

Milwaukee’s infield has struggled offensively on the left side all year, yet the club still entered Tuesday’s action holding a 4.5-game advantage over St. Louis in the NL Central as it chases a fourth consecutive division championship. David Hamilton had been sharing duties at shortstop with Joey Ortiz and at third base with Rengifo.

Hamilton is hitting .231 with a .316 on-base percentage, .320 slugging percentage, three home runs, 11 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases in 58 games. Ortiz has posted a .207 average with a .299 on-base percentage, .262 slugging percentage, one homer, 14 RBIs, and five steals in 60 games. Rengifo, now designated for assignment, was batting .205 with a .280 on-base percentage, .254 slugging percentage, no home runs, 19 RBIs, and three steals in 57 games.

Pratt is not the only Brewers minor leaguer to land a big-money contract this year. Luis Lara, a 21-year-old outfielder also playing for Nashville, signed a seven-year, $31 million deal just last week.

In what may be one of golf’s more ironic twists this season, Garrick Higgo finds himself watching from the sidelines as this week’s U.S. Open gets underway — while the caddie he recently parted ways with walks the fairways of the tournament.

According to a Tuesday report from Golfweek, Austin Gaugert — Higgo’s former caddie — is on the bag for Patrick Rodgers at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, for this week’s major championship.

The split between Higgo and Gaugert came shortly after last month’s PGA Championship, where Higgo made headlines for missing his tee time in the first round. The late arrival cost him a two-stroke penalty, and he ultimately missed the cut by a single stroke.

Gaugert had worked alongside Higgo since 2025, including during Higgo’s victory at the Corales Puntacana Championship. After parting ways with Higgo, Gaugert quickly returned to work on the PGA Tour, stepping onto the bag for Dylan Wu two weeks after the PGA Championship for the Charles Schwab Challenge.

Now Gaugert is back on the major stage ahead of the golfer who let him go. He’s caddying for Rodgers, 33, who has yet to claim a PGA Tour victory but has put together a solid 2025 season — sitting 51st in the FedEx Cup standings with 15 made cuts, five top-25 finishes, and 18 events played.

Fresh off a playoff run that extended into the second round, the Philadelphia Flyers wasted no time making moves this offseason — landing a new goaltender and defenseman in a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The trade, completed Tuesday, brings goaltender Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to Philadelphia. In exchange, the Flyers shipped goalie Samuel Ersson, defenseman Emil Andrae, and a third-round pick in next week’s draft north to Toronto.

The addition of Woll is expected to give Philadelphia a reliable backup option alongside projected starter Dan Vladar, who just wrapped up the best season of his career. Vladar helped the Flyers knock out Pittsburgh in the first round of the playoffs before falling to Carolina — the team that went on to win the Stanley Cup.

“We thought it was a chance to improve the team, help them take another step,” Flyers general manager Daniel Briere told reporters at a predraft news conference in Voorhees, New Jersey. “We felt that Woll is a step forward for us and will be able to help Vladdy in a tandem role.”

Vladar becomes eligible to sign a contract extension on July 1. Briere indicated the team and Vladar’s representatives are working toward getting that deal done. The hope is that pairing Vladar with Woll creates a more balanced goaltending situation than what played out early last season, when Ersson ran into difficulties.

“The better you can have both of them going, I think it helps,” Briere said. “It prevents injuries and (Vladar) stays fresh and he can, I think, perform better. We hope that they can push each other that way.”

On the defensive side, Benoit — who is 28 years old, stands 6-foot-4, and weighs over 200 pounds — brings a physical presence that Briere felt was missing. With smaller defensemen Cam York and Jamie Drysdale already on the roster, the general manager said he wanted someone with Benoit’s size and strength.

“It’s going to probably be a little easier for the coaches having a guy like Simon Benoit back there to use,” Briere said. “We like the physicality that he brings, and we like the size and the skating aspect, too. He’s a really good skater.”

For Toronto, this transaction marks the first roster move by new general manager John Chayka since he took over in early May. Chayka described the deal as an opportunity to gain salary cap flexibility while also picking up a defenseman in his mid-20s in Andrae.

“What we like about this opportunity was it allowed us to create some flexibility,” Chayka said during a video call with reporters. “We think flexibility and optionality are assets to any great organization, and certainly this allows us to be in a better spot as we think about the entire offseason plan.”

Woll carries a cap hit of $3.67 million over each of the next two seasons, while Benoit is under contract for one more year at $1.35 million. Both Andrae and Ersson are restricted free agents. With Anthony Stolarz and Dennis Hildeby expected to lead Toronto’s goaltending depth chart, Chayka was noncommittal when asked whether the Leafs would extend a qualifying offer to keep Ersson’s rights.

“He’s a good, young goaltender,” Chayka said. “He’s someone that we identified as having some upside and someone that our staff could work with.”

ARLINGTON, Texas — When St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol learned his team had an unexpected Saturday off in the middle of a road series, his first thought was getting to a World Cup match.

The question he asked: “Can I make it to the soccer game?”

The FIFA World Cup, the international soccer tournament that takes place every four years, is currently underway across 16 host sites in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Eleven of those markets are also home to a total of 13 Major League Baseball teams, creating an unusual and exciting overlap between the two sports.

Kansas City is hosting six World Cup matches at an NFL stadium located in the same complex as the Royals’ ballpark. When the Cardinals visit Kansas City for a three-game series opening Thursday, both teams will have Saturday off — the same day Ecuador takes on Curaçao in a World Cup match.

“That is the goal, yes,” Marmol said when asked whether he planned to attend.

Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino is also planning to go, along with his wife, who played soccer at Old Dominion University.

“It’s strange, but it’s special circumstances,” Pasquantino said. “It’s awesome that Kansas City got access to World Cup games. So, however many years until the United States hosts again, we’ll be all right with some off days like that.”

This marks the first time World Cup matches have been held on U.S. soil since 1994.

In the Dallas-Arlington area, AT&T Stadium — home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys and located right next to Globe Life Field — is set to host a tournament-high nine matches. The neighboring Texas Rangers will have a Monday off on July 6, the date of a round of 16 match, sandwiched between two home series.

Texas is currently wrapping up a three-game series against Minnesota, which concludes Thursday, following a Wednesday pause when England faces Croatia in its World Cup opener.

Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson, who grew up playing soccer in California, called the experience something rare.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Pederson said.

The Rangers also got a taste of World Cup fever during a recent road trip to Boston. Thousands of Scottish fans filled Fenway Park, chanting and singing the night after Scotland beat Haiti in the country’s first World Cup appearance in 28 years. That match was held at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, roughly 30 miles from Fenway.

Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said the energy from the Scottish supporters made the ballpark feel like a European soccer match. The experience was so electric that he and most of his coaching staff are now scrambling to find tickets to a Cup game.

“It was so much fun that on the off day the majority of our staff is trying to find a way to get tickets to go to a game that they know really nothing about because of the atmosphere that was so incredible,” Schumaker said. “The passion was insane.”

In Philadelphia, the Phillies will have a day off Friday during their home series against the New York Mets, coinciding with Brazil’s match against Haiti at nearby Lincoln Financial Field.

Like the Rangers, Royals, and Seattle Mariners, the Phillies’ home stadium shares a parking lot with an NFL venue hosting World Cup matches. The nearly six-week tournament features 104 total matches with 48 nations competing.

Both Texas and Kansas City are off on July 3 for round of 32 Cup matches. The Rangers will have already started a series against Detroit, while the Royals are set for an unusual Saturday-through-Monday home series against the Phillies.

At MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, World Cup matches are scheduled on eight dates — and either the Mets or Yankees have a home game on every single one of those days. That includes the championship match on July 19, when the Yankees also host Shohei Ohtani and the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Yankee Stadium sits about 14 miles from the Meadowlands, with Citi Field approximately 24 miles away.

On the West Coast, World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood will be about 13 miles from Dodger Stadium and 35 miles from Angel Stadium. The Dodgers or Angels will be playing at home on six of the eight match days in Inglewood, with the remaining two falling on regular off days during homestands.

In cities like Atlanta, Boston, Houston, Miami, and Toronto — where the stadiums are farther apart — teams will still play multiple home games that overlap with World Cup matches in their markets.

The Angels will also experience a split series during a trip to Seattle, with a midweek break scheduled July 1 for a round of 16 match.

The Mariners originally had a home doubleheader planned for Saturday against Boston, the same day the United States was set to play Australia in Seattle. However, when the match time at Lumen Field was confirmed for noon local time on Friday instead, the Mariners and Red Sox adjusted to a traditional three-game series starting Friday night — avoiding what would have been MLB’s first scheduled doubleheader in two years.

RFK Racing has locked up NASCAR Cup Series driver Chris Buescher for the foreseeable future, announcing a multiyear contract extension with the 33-year-old on Tuesday.

Buescher has been piloting the team’s No. 17 Ford since the 2020 season and is currently having a strong year, sitting seventh in the Cup Series standings. Through 16 races, he has recorded eight top-10 finishes, highlighted by a second-place result at Talladega on April 26.

In a statement released by the team, Buescher expressed deep appreciation for the organization that has shaped much of his career. “RFK Racing has been home for most of my racing career, and that’s something I don’t take for granted,” he said. “I’ve grown up with this organization, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together over the last several years. The direction we’re heading, the people we have in place and the commitment throughout the company make me excited about the future. I’m grateful to Mr. Jack (Roush), Brad (Keselowski), Fenway Sports Group and everyone at RFK Racing for their belief in me. I’m looking forward to continuing to chase wins and championships together.”

Since breaking into the Cup Series in 2015, Buescher has accumulated six victories, with his most recent coming at Watkins Glen in 2024.

Co-owner Jack Roush spoke highly of the driver’s contributions both on and off the track. “Chris has been part of this organization for most of his professional career, and there is a tremendous amount of pride in seeing what he has become,” Roush said. “He is an exceptional driver, but just as importantly, he is the kind of person who makes our organization stronger. His work ethic, intelligence and commitment to our success have earned the respect of everyone at RFK Racing, and we’re proud that his story with us will continue.”

Buescher’s history with the organization — formerly known as Roush Fenway Racing — goes back to 2009, when he joined as a development driver. He began competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the team in 2011 before eventually earning a spot in the Cup Series.

LAS VEGAS — The Vegas Golden Knights have decided not to retain John Tortorella as their head coach, despite the fact that he steered the team all the way to the Stanley Cup Final while serving in an interim role.

General manager Kelly McCrimmon broke the news Tuesday, confirming Tortorella’s departure from the organization.

“We thank Torts for the guidance he provided our team since joining the organization in March,” McCrimmon said. “When the decision was made to bring Torts to Vegas, we needed an immediate impact to help us at a pivotal point in the season. Torts’ experience and leadership proved to be the boost that we were looking for, helping guide us to the Stanley Cup Final. We are grateful for Torts’ passion, sincerity, and commitment to our organization, and we wish him and his family the best.”

McCrimmon had brought Tortorella on board on March 30, the same day he let go of Bruce Cassidy with only eight games remaining in the regular season. The Golden Knights responded by winning seven of those eight games and then advanced through three playoff rounds before ultimately falling to Carolina in six games in the Stanley Cup Final.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice walked out of a Dallas County jail on Tuesday, having completed a 30-day sentence handed down for a probation violation connected to a multi-injury car crash on a Texas highway.

The 26-year-old was booked into the facility on May 19 after a positive test for THC. When he emerged from jail, Rice moved quickly past waiting reporters and climbed into a waiting SUV that drove him away from the scene.

Prior to beginning his sentence, Rice underwent surgery on his right knee to address debris that had been causing inflammation. His legal team successfully petitioned a judge to allow Rice to receive treatment at Parkland Hospital during his incarceration.

Rice was absent for all of the Chiefs’ voluntary offseason workouts and missed the team’s mandatory minicamp, which wrapped up last week. Despite that, head coach Andy Reid has indicated he expects the receiver to arrive on time when training camp opens at the end of July.

“(Chiefs trainer) Rick (Burkholder) has talked to him more than what I have,” Reid said, “just making sure that everything was set there where he could do some rehab with it and still do the time that he needed to take care of. So he’s on top of that, and thank goodness that they’re allowing him to do that. So, they’ve been great with that.”

The Chiefs are counting on Rice to provide a boost to an offense that struggled significantly during a disappointing 6-11 finish last season.

When healthy and available, Rice has proven to be a valuable contributor, recording 156 receptions for 1,797 yards and 14 touchdowns, and playing a role in the team’s Super Bowl victory in the 2023 season. However, suspensions and injuries have limited him to just 28 games played across three seasons.

“We’re moving forward as normal as we go here,” Reid said during voluntary workouts. “When he gets back, we’ve got to get him caught up in doing what he needs to do, and make sure he gets it. It’s not an easy thing he’s going through.”

“Life lessons are important,” Reid added, “but we’re all given chances to learn, and he’s in that position now.”

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The family of former NFL defensive star Aldon Smith has sent his brain to the Boston University CTE Center, where researchers will study the long-term impact of repeated head trauma, following his unexpected death at just 36 years old.

Smith passed away Saturday, just hours after he had delivered pizzas to a homeless charity in the San Francisco Bay area. No official cause of death has been released.

His family has brought on attorneys Harry Daniels, Bakari Sellers, and Wayne Kendall to look into the circumstances of his death. In a statement issued Tuesday, the legal team said: “As with anyone who dies so suddenly at such a young age, we understand that there is a great deal of interest in and speculation about Aldon Smith’s passing and we intend to get to the bottom of it. To that end, we have taken a number of steps including sending his brain to Boston where medical experts will examine it for CTE as well as other damage caused by years of concussions and additional trauma.”

The attorneys also asked the public to “keep Aldon’s family in our prayers and respect their privacy as they struggle to come to grips with this terrible loss.”

According to Smith’s friend Amir Shirazi, who spoke with the San Francisco Chronicle, he discovered Smith slumped over in the front passenger seat of a vehicle after the pizza delivery on Saturday. Smith was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Former teammate Anthony Dixon paid tribute on social media, writing: “He was a creative mind, so smart, so fierce, so real, so powerful, his presence, his passion and his aura meant a lot to me as a brother and I wish I could’ve did more to help him and pray to God he doesn’t have to hurt anymore.”

Smith entered the league when San Francisco selected him seventh overall out of Missouri in the 2011 NFL Draft. He made an immediate splash, helping the 49ers end a playoff drought and advance to the NFC Championship Game in each of his first three seasons, including one Super Bowl appearance.

As a rookie, Smith recorded 14 sacks and finished as the runner-up to Von Miller in AP Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. The following year, he set a franchise record with 19 and a half sacks and earned first-team All-Pro honors. His combined 33 and a half sacks across his first two seasons remain the most in NFL history.

Smith continued that dominance into 2013, posting four and a half sacks in the first three games before off-field troubles began to mount. A DUI arrest and a stint in rehab for substance abuse cost him five games that season.

San Francisco released him in August 2015 following a fifth arrest in three years — another drunk driving charge. He signed with Oakland shortly before the 2015 season kicked off and recorded three and a half sacks in nine games before facing another suspension.

Smith sought reinstatement to the NFL in 2016 but was initially denied. Oakland released him in 2018 after a domestic violence arrest, though a plea agreement was later reached in that case.

He was ultimately reinstated in 2020 and played all 16 games for Dallas that year, contributing five sacks. He signed with Seattle the following season but was arrested again on a battery charge and released during training camp. In 2023, he served a six-month jail sentence for DUI and never returned to the NFL.

Smith wrapped up his professional career with 52 and a half sacks across 75 games.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — When World Cup fans show up to cheer on their national teams, they’re not just carrying flags, jerseys, and team songs — many are also toting cups and metal straws to share a round of yerba mate.

The energizing beverage, a staple in many South American countries, has grown in popularity alongside the global reach of soccer. In the United States, it has even become a go-to drink for elite athletes both on and off the field.

When reigning World Cup champions Argentina arrived at their Kansas City hotel, supporters gathered outside sharing yerba mate from gourd-shaped cups, sipping through metal bombillas — a special filtered straw designed for the steeped leaves. At Cafe Corazon, considered one of the largest yerba mate importers in the Midwest, a crowd of fans dressed in Argentina’s signature sky blue-and-white jerseys stretched nearly to the door on Monday — the day before Argentina’s opening World Cup match.

“Our mate has been flying off the shelves,” said Dulcinea Herrera, a co-owner of Cafe Corazon. “So a lot of people have been coming in to try it. People who aren’t Argentinian want to just have that experience. And we have a lot of Argentinians coming in saying, ‘Oh, this reminds me of home.’”

Several of the World Cup’s most recognizable players are well-known mate enthusiasts, including Uruguay’s Luis Suarez and Argentina’s Lionel Messi. After Argentina’s 2022 World Cup victory, Messi famously shared a photo of himself holding a mate cup in one hand and the championship trophy in the other — a moment that firmly placed the drink among the most iconic images in sports history.

The beverage traces its origins to Indigenous peoples and gauchos — the traditional cowboys of South America — and has since traveled the globe. Christine Folch, a cultural anthropologist at Duke University and author of “The Book of Yerba Mate,” notes that different cultures around the world have put their own unique spin on the drink.

Mate drinkers from Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil each have distinct preferences for how the drink is prepared and what vessel it’s served in, which can serve as a cultural marker when fans from those regions cross paths at a match. Folch herself owns an extensive collection of mate cups, ranging from those crafted from cow hooves and horns to hand-stitched, leather-wrapped metal containers and traditional gourds.

Folch also explained that in the early 1900s, mate gained a strong following in Syria and Lebanon — which is why Middle Eastern grocery stores in the United States remain one of the primary places to find the dried leaves. In the American market, mate is frequently sold in refrigerated cans and promoted as a natural energy drink, often blended with fruit flavors. Some Cuban Americans enjoy a sweetened, carbonated version, while in Berlin, a sparkling mate drink called Club Mate is widely popular and frequently mixed with alcohol.

In its traditional form, the leaves are smoked during preparation, giving mate a slightly smoky quality along with a bold, earthy, grassy taste. Many drinkers say it provides an energy boost without the jittery feeling associated with coffee.

And for those new to ordering it — the correct pronunciation is MAH-teh, not like the word for a teammate on the soccer field.

Folch describes mate as a naturally social drink, well-suited for gatherings like sporting events, where it’s customary to share a single cup or bring enough for everyone around you.

“When somebody offers you mate and you accept, what you have done is you have stepped into a relationship. So it’s a way of bonding with people,” Folch said.

Sebastian Cufre and his father Rene, who was born in Argentina, made the drive from Albuquerque to Kansas City hoping to land last-minute tickets to Argentina’s match. At Cafe Corazon, they connected with fellow Argentina fans and passed a cup of mate around the table.

“It’s like something that you pass around during the games,” Cufre said.

While he has sampled the canned American version of the drink, he’s not impressed by it.

“Honestly, I don’t even consider that to be mate,” Cufre said. “That’s like a completely different class of beverage.”

Regardless of how someone prefers their mate, fans of the drink are encouraging North Americans to give it a try if they spot a cup being passed around at a cafe, restaurant, or watch party.

“It’s not only a drink, but a social thing,” said Fernando Villagran, originally from Salta, Argentina, who traveled from California to support his country’s team. “It is about friendship.”

VANCOUVER — A highly anticipated World Cup showdown is scheduled for Thursday as Canada takes on Qatar at BC Place stadium in Vancouver, with Group B remaining wide open and three points on the line for both teams.

Co-host Canada is coming off a 1-1 tie with Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto during its tournament opener. The team can count on enthusiastic home support once again in Vancouver, where fans have already shown they are ready to embrace the sport in a country better known for its passion for ice hockey.

Qatar, which hosted the 2022 World Cup, also kicked off this tournament with a 1-1 draw, that time against Switzerland out in California.

BC Place has already demonstrated its enthusiasm for the competition, packing in a strong crowd for Australia’s 2-0 victory over Turkey. The stadium is expected to deliver a lively atmosphere as Canada pushes for a home win.

Canada enters as the favorite despite still being in search of their first-ever World Cup victory. Star forward Jonathan David, the country’s all-time leading scorer, will be looking to step up after substitute Cyle Larin scored the goal in the opening match.

A significant question mark hangs over the fitness of captain and left-back Alphonso Davies, who is dealing with a hamstring issue. That leaves head coach Jesse Marsch with a major lineup decision heading into the match.

Defender Joel Waterman is also hoping to see time on the field. He sat on the bench during the opener, but playing in his home city would make this game especially meaningful for him.

Qatar has had a tough road when it comes to earning respect on the World Cup stage. Heading into this tournament, the team had gone without a win across six matches played at the 1986 and 2022 editions. In 2022, they finished last in their group without earning a single point.

Still, Qatar has already shown improvement over that dismal 2022 showing and now has a chance to build on their opening draw with another strong result.

Waterman summed up the stakes heading into Thursday’s match. “The group is wide open,” he told reporters. “We want to top the group. The focus has never changed for us.”

“It’s a big game on Thursday to beat Qatar and then we’ve got to try and beat Switzerland as well,” Waterman continued. “We’re going to try and pick up the six points and go on to the next round.”

Major League Baseball has put players on notice about writing on their uniforms after three San Francisco Giants pitchers inscribed Bible verses on their caps during the team’s Pride Night game last week.

Giants starter Landen Roupp took the mound Friday night in a 5-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs with “Gen 9:12-16” written on his cap. The inscription partially covered the rainbow SF logo that players were wearing to mark Pride Night. San Francisco relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker also had Bible verses written on their caps during the game.

A fourth Giants pitcher, left-hander Sam Hentges, chose to wear the team’s regular black cap with the orange logo rather than the Pride Night version.

In response, MLB released a statement saying the writing broke league uniform rules and that the players involved have been cautioned about repeating the violation. “The writing on the cap violates our rules and consistent with normal practice we have warned the players about future violations,” the league said.

The Genesis passage referenced by Roupp describes God’s covenant with Noah — a promise never to send another worldwide flood — with the rainbow serving as the symbol of that agreement.

Roupp explained his decision to reporters after the game. “That’s just kind of something I believe in, and I stand firm in that, and I’m thankful we live in a country where, you know, we have the freedom to believe what we want … and express what we want,” he said.

Giants manager Tony Vitello told reporters the topic was never brought up with the pitchers before the game, adding that it was “just kind of a general knowledge” that players “have the freedom to do what they think is best.”

World number one Scottie Scheffler will step onto the course Thursday morning at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, with a historic goal in mind — completing a career Grand Slam. He will play alongside defending U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun and amateur Mason Howell, with their group scheduled to begin from the par-four, 394-yard first hole at 8:14 a.m. ET.

Scheffler, a two-time Masters champion who captured both the PGA Championship and the British Open last year, is attempting to become just the seventh man in history to win all four of golf’s major titles. If he succeeds, he would join Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan, and Gene Sarazen in that exclusive club.

Australian Adam Scott, who is marking his 100th consecutive major appearance this week, will play in the group just ahead of Scheffler, alongside Harris English and Nick Taylor.

McIlroy, who successfully defended his Masters title in April and finished tied for seventh at last month’s PGA Championship, will tee off from the 10th hole at 7:52 a.m. with Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg and England’s Tommy Fleetwood.

Former U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm, one of 13 LIV Golf players competing in the 156-man field and a joint runner-up at the PGA Championship, is set to begin from the 10th tee at 2:09 p.m. alongside Justin Rose and Jordan Spieth.

Two-time U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, also competing on the LIV Golf circuit, will look to bounce back after missing the cut at both the Masters and the PGA Championship. He tees off from the back nine at 1:25 p.m. with Viktor Hovland and 2022 U.S. Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick.

LONDON — Tennis icon Serena Williams is headed back to Wimbledon, and this time she’s bringing her sister along. The All England Club announced Tuesday that it has awarded Serena and Venus Williams a doubles wildcard, setting the stage for a highly anticipated reunion at one of the sport’s most prestigious events.

Serena boasts an extraordinary record at Wimbledon, having claimed seven singles titles there as part of her 23 Grand Slam singles championships overall. She has also won six doubles titles at the All England Club, all of them alongside Venus.

The 44-year-old made her long-awaited return to competitive tennis earlier this month at the Queen’s Club Championships, where she played doubles alongside Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko. That partnership came to an abrupt end when Mboko sustained a knee injury that ended her Wimbledon hopes.

Serena is now preparing for the grasscourt Grand Slam, which gets underway June 29, by competing in doubles this week in Berlin with partner Karolina Muchova.

Her most recent Wimbledon appearance came in 2022, when she also required a wildcard and fell to Harmony Tan in the opening round. That match marked the beginning of what she described as her decision to “evolve away from tennis” — a choice she made four years ago before her current comeback.

Wildcards at Wimbledon are typically granted to players whose rankings don’t qualify them for automatic entry, and they are generally reserved for notable players returning from injury or those representing the host nation.

On the men’s side, wildcards were handed out to three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, who plans to retire at the conclusion of this season, and former Wimbledon semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov. Tournament organizers still have two men’s singles wildcard spots to fill, with 2021 finalist Matteo Berrettini, Dan Evans, Nick Kyrgios, and Gael Monfils all under consideration.

In women’s singles, French Open runner-up Maja Chwalinska of Poland was among those receiving a wildcard, with one spot in that category still remaining. A second round of wildcard announcements is expected later this week.

In doubles, British players Katie Boulter and Heather Watson were also awarded a wildcard to compete together.

INGLEWOOD, California — Iran’s head coach Amir Ghalenoei said Monday that his team is being “oppressed” due to sudden travel changes caused by tensions between Iran and the United States, and that the ongoing disruption had an impact on his squad’s performance in a 2-2 tie with New Zealand.

The Iranian football federation had worked out a late switch of the team’s base camp from Arizona to Mexico, driven by uncertainty around U.S. visas and a growing desire to limit the squad’s time on American soil, according to Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, who spoke with Reuters.

Ghalenoei, 62, said the problems continued even after the match, with the team expecting to spend the night in Los Angeles before heading back to Mexico the following day — only to be told they had to leave immediately.

“We’re supposed to stay here tonight to recover and return tomorrow lunchtime, but they haven’t permitted us,” Ghalenoei said. “To be honest, I have no idea why. I think perhaps our team is the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup.”

The coach did not identify who had issued the order. The U.S. State Department did not respond to a request for comment, and FIFA also did not immediately reply.

The buildup to the match had already been filled with drama off the field. Iran played on U.S. soil less than 24 hours after a peace agreement was announced to end the conflict that began when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in February.

Iran forward Mehdi Taremi added his voice to the frustration, saying the restrictions were keeping the team from performing at their best.

“It’s not good for us. I think it’s not good for football,” Taremi said. “I think FIFA have to help us more than this.”

Taremi described a frantic Sunday that included travel from Tijuana to Los Angeles, then to their hotel, and finally to the stadium just to view the pitch. He said they should have had two full days to settle in before the match.

“It’s so bad and it affects our team and we just want peace,” Taremi said, also noting that FIFA President Gianni Infantino visited the Iran locker room on Monday.

Coach Ghalenoei also pointed to the absence of several key support staff members, with some officials and media personnel unable to enter the country due to visa restrictions. That left coaches taking on extra duties on the sideline.

“Our management team, many of them aren’t here,” he said. “We had to deal with those roles ourselves.”

In spite of all the disruption, Ghalenoei praised his players for their toughness in earning the draw. He noted that several players dealt with cramping during the match, which he attributed to added fatigue from the travel complications.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Dustin May put together one of the most impressive pitching performances of the season Monday, tossing a complete-game one-hit shutout to deliver a 3-0 win over the visiting San Diego Padres.

May, now 5-6 on the year, was untouchable through the first six innings, retiring every batter he faced before issuing a walk to Fernando Tatis Jr. to open the seventh. The Cardinals starter punched out nine batters and walked just one in what was the first complete game of his career. The outing also pushed May’s June record to 2-0 with a 1.31 ERA over three starts this month.

Jimmy Crooks provided the offensive punch with two RBIs for St. Louis, which had dropped three of its previous four contests heading into Monday.

Tatis opened the seventh with that walk — the Padres’ first baserunner of the night. After Jackson Merrill grounded out, Manny Machado singled to break up the no-hit bid and put runners at the corners with two outs. May then induced Gavin Sheets to ground into a double play on the very next pitch, ending the threat.

Cubs 5, Rockies 4

Pete Crow-Armstrong hit for the cycle and host Chicago rallied from a two-run deficit late to claim a walk-off victory over Colorado in the first game of a three-game series. Matt Shaw drew a bases-loaded walk to end it, one batter after Pedro Ramirez tied the game.

Crow-Armstrong completed his cycle in reverse order — leading off the first with a home run, tripling in the third, doubling in the fifth and singling in the seventh. It was the first cycle in the majors this season, the 13th in Cubs history, and the first at Wrigley Field since Mark Grace accomplished the feat in a 5-4 loss to the San Diego Padres on May 9, 1993.

Colorado’s Juan Mejia (1-6) walked leadoff hitter Seiya Suzuki in the ninth and then threw wildly to second base on Ian Happ’s comebacker, allowing Suzuki to advance to third. Mejia walked Nico Hoerner before Seth Halvorsen came in and surrendered the game-tying RBI single to Ramirez.

Tigers 9, Astros 3

Colt Keith clubbed three home runs — a first for his career — as Detroit bashed five total homers in a convincing win at Houston. Keith went 3-for-4 with a pair of two-run shots, a solo blast and a career-best six RBIs. Kevin McGonigle and Spencer Torkelson also went deep for the Tigers, who improved to 8-4 this month.

Houston starter Kai-Wei Teng (3-6) gave up three of those home runs while posting an unusual line: five runs allowed on six hits and two walks over 3 1/3 innings, yet he set a career high with nine strikeouts. Teng and four relievers combined for 18 punchouts on the night.

Phillies 7, Marlins 0

Zack Wheeler was sharp over six innings, striking out nine, while Gabriel Rincones Jr. launched the first home run of his major league career as Philadelphia blanked the visiting Miami Marlins. After being shut out twice in Milwaukee over the weekend, the Phillies bounced back behind Wheeler (6-1) and three relievers. J.T. Realmuto also homered for Philadelphia, and Justin Crawford collected three hits and an RBI. Liam Hicks accounted for two of Miami’s five hits, while starter Ryan Gusto (0-2) gave up five runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Nationals 7, Royals 3

Dylan Crews capped a five-run fifth inning with a three-run home run as Washington defeated visiting Kansas City in the series opener. Nasim Nunez went 2-for-the-game and scored twice for the Nationals, who have now won three in a row while plating 25 runs during that stretch. Crews has homered twice and driven in seven runs over a five-game hitting streak. Brad Lord (5-0) allowed two runs on two hits over three innings of relief, backing starter Andrew Alvarez, who gave up one run on five hits across four frames. Recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Monday, Mitch Spence (0-1) surrendered six runs on seven hits in four-plus innings in the loss.

Reds 12, Mets 0

Eugenio Suarez crushed a two-run homer in the first inning and followed with a grand slam in the second, finishing with a career-high six RBIs to fuel Cincinnati’s blowout of visiting New York. Suarez has now posted three multi-hit games over his last six appearances, hitting three of his seven home runs during that stretch. The 12 runs were Cincinnati’s highest total since a 15-1 win over Washington on May 14. Chase Burns earned his team-leading eighth victory, holding New York to four hits over five scoreless innings while striking out seven and walking three.

The Mets turned to right-hander Tobias Myers (0-2) as an emergency starter after Christian Scott was placed on the injured list with hip inflammation. Myers was in immediate trouble, giving up seven runs on four hits in just 1 1/3 innings, with three walks and one strikeout.

Twins 4, Rangers 2

Josh Bell launched a three-run homer in the opening inning and Minnesota held on to beat host Texas in the first game of a three-game set in Arlington. Byron Buxton, the reigning American League Player of the Week, also went deep for the Twins, who have won three of their last four. Starter Mike Paredes went 4 2/3 innings in just his second major league start and fourth appearance overall, allowing two runs on four hits without issuing a walk. Relievers Taylor Rogers (3-3), Andrew Morris and Eric Orze combined to retire nine of 10 batters, and Yoendrys Gomez closed it out by retiring all four batters he faced for his seventh save.

Diamondbacks 4, Angels 3

Pavin Smith delivered a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning, leading Arizona past Los Angeles in the opener of a three-game series in Phoenix. Geraldo Perdomo added an RBI double, drew two walks and scored a run for the Diamondbacks, who have won three of their last four. Ryne Nelson (3-5) earned his first victory since May 24, allowing two runs on nine hits and two walks over seven innings with five strikeouts.

Mike Trout went 2-for-3 with a home run and scored twice for the Angels, while Jo Adell doubled, singled and drove in a run. Rookie Walbert Urena (4-5) allowed four runs — three earned — on seven hits over a career-high seven innings, walking two and striking out three.

Athletics 11, Pirates 2

Nick Kurtz belted two home runs and drove in five while Jeff McNeil homered and knocked in four as the Athletics cruised past Pittsburgh in West Sacramento, Calif. Kurtz and McNeil each recorded three hits as Oakland won for the sixth time in eight games. The 15-hit performance continues a hot stretch in which the A’s scored 47 runs over six games in Las Vegas last week. Starter J.T. Ginn (5-3) allowed just one unearned run and six hits over six innings, striking out three and walking two to earn his third consecutive win. Pittsburgh’s Jared Jones (1-1) gave up five runs and eight hits over four innings, striking out four and walking one.

Dodgers 4, Rays 3

Pinch hitter Miguel Rojas delivered a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning as Los Angeles came from behind to open a three-game series against visiting Tampa Bay with a victory. Kyle Tucker hit a three-run homer and also threw out a runner at the plate for the Dodgers, who overcame a 3-0 deficit. Starter Eric Lauer surrendered three runs over six innings for Los Angeles. Kyle Hurt (2-1) threw a scoreless inning in relief, and Tanner Scott worked a clean ninth for his eighth save. Reliever Steven Matz (4-4) gave up the Rojas homer as Tampa Bay dropped its third loss in four games.

CHICAGO — Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong etched his name into team history Monday night, joining legendary slugger Hack Wilson in the Cubs’ record books — though he almost turned the celebration sour at Wrigley Field.

Crow-Armstrong became the first player in all of Major League Baseball to hit for the cycle this season, completing the milestone with a single in the seventh inning. Moments later, however, Colorado Rockies reliever Brennan Bernardino picked him off first base in what was a one-run ballgame.

“My excitement was a little short-lived,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said with a quip, following his team’s two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth that secured a 5-4 victory.

The 24-year-old center fielder had come close to the achievement just days earlier, falling one hit short of the cycle Saturday in San Francisco. On Monday, he wasted no time, launching a leadoff home run in the opening inning, then tripling off the outfield wall on a nearly identical trajectory in the third. He followed that up with a double down the right-field line in the fifth.

When Crow-Armstrong stepped to the plate to lead off the seventh needing only a single, he said his mindset was more composed than it might have been earlier in his career.

“Earlier, it probably made me a little nervous,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I felt like I ‘had to’ instead of ‘I get to’ hit in this really cool moment with this crowd of 40,000 pulling for me. I think I’m learning to use that to my advantage instead of me shaking in my boots when I’m up there and wanting to get the job done so badly. It’s also a regular thing at Wrigley. That happens a lot.”

With the crowd fully aware of what was on the line, Crow-Armstrong drove a 1-1 fastball from Bernardino into right field to complete the 13th cycle in Cubs franchise history and only the second since 1993.

He and Wilson are the only two Cubs center fielders to accomplish the feat since 1901. Wilson’s cycle came on June 23, 1930.

“I know it’s a rare feat,” Crow-Armstrong said.

He continued to contribute after the milestone, adding a key sacrifice fly in the eighth inning that trimmed Colorado’s lead to 4-3 — setting the stage for the Cubs’ ninth-inning comeback.

“I absolutely put up great at-bats tonight and I’m proud of the production that I’ve helped have over the past few weeks,” Crow-Armstrong said. “But you saw it tonight: The game’s not over until it’s over. I did everything I could to help the team. But I also had a real lapse in focus and that really could have hurt us tonight. That’s what I’m talking about. Not going to dwell on that. Something so simple as someone gets in your ear and says that can’t ever happen again, and it can’t ever happen again.”

The performance extended Crow-Armstrong’s on-base streak to 19 consecutive games dating back to May 26, with hits in 18 of those contests. Over that stretch, he is batting .402 with seven doubles, three triples, seven home runs, and 12 RBIs.

Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga offered perhaps the most fitting tribute to his teammate’s recent run of play.

“Watching him every day, he’s a player who overcomes your imagination,” Imanaga said through an interpreter.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Dustin May came within a whisker of pitching a perfect game Monday night, and even after losing that bid in the seventh inning, he delivered the most impressive outing of his injury-filled career as the St. Louis Cardinals blanked the San Diego Padres 3-0 at Busch Stadium.

“This is about as good as I’ve felt in a long time,” May said following his one-hit shutout performance.

The 28-year-old right-hander worked through 101 pitches, 69 of which were strikes, and struck out nine batters while issuing just a single walk. It was his first complete game in 71 major league starts.

May’s perfect game bid came to an end in the seventh inning when Fernando Tatis Jr. drew a walk to lead off the frame. Two batters later, Manny Machado laced a single to left field, ending any chance at a no-hitter as well.

Rather than losing his composure, May buckled down and retired the final seven batters he faced. The last out came on a sharp breaking ball that dove low and away, catching Tatis unable to hold his swing as the pitch skipped off the dirt and into catcher Jimmy Crooks’ glove for strike three.

May, who improved to 5-6 on the season, let out a roar of celebration and pumped his fist as he bounded off the mound. He embraced Crooks, acknowledged the crowd with a tip of his cap, and then made his way to a line of teammates and coaches waiting at the dugout entrance for high-fives. One teammate doused him with a chest full of ice.

“After all the stuff I’ve been through in my career,” May said, “that was fantastic.”

May became the first Cardinals starter this season to record an out in the eighth inning — something he himself had not accomplished during a seven-inning no-hit attempt against Milwaukee on May 27. In that game, he was removed before the eighth and ultimately took a 2-1 loss when the Brewers rallied. This time, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol kept him in to finish the job.

May’s path to this moment has been anything but easy. He has dealt with multiple arm injuries and even a life-threatening tear in his esophagus early in his career. Between 2021 and 2024, he logged just 101 innings pitched and missed the entire 2024 season.

Originally with the Los Angeles Dodgers, May was traded to Boston last season. This year marks his first with St. Louis.

Monday’s performance was the ninth complete game thrown in the majors this season and the sixth individual shutout.

The Texas Rangers are dealing with another setback involving shortstop Corey Seager, who was placed on the seven-day concussion injured list on Monday.

The injury stems from a collision at home plate last Thursday involving Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen. Despite remaining in that game and even hitting a home run afterward, Seager sat out the entire weekend series against the Boston Red Sox before the Rangers officially made the roster move. To fill his spot, infielder Josh Smith was activated from the 10-day injured list.

This is the second time Seager has landed on the injured list this season. Earlier, he missed nearly three weeks — 19 games total — due to lower back inflammation before returning on June 5. After just five games back in the lineup, he is now sidelined again while the team waits for his concussion symptoms to resolve.

The absence adds pressure to a Texas team that has remained in the playoff conversation despite an inconsistent first half of the season. Seager has also struggled offensively by his own standards, posting a .186 batting average with nine home runs, 24 RBIs, and a .657 OPS across 47 games.

The Rangers have not provided a specific return timeline beyond the mandatory seven-day minimum, which is typical for concussion-related injuries. The roster move was made retroactive to Friday.

Smith had been out since early May dealing with multiple issues, including a strained glute, an inflamed left wrist, and symptoms related to viral meningitis. He appeared in Monday’s 4-3 home loss to the Minnesota Twins, coming in as a pinch hitter and fouling out. On the season, Smith is hitting .215 with a .321 on-base percentage, a .237 slugging percentage, no home runs, and six RBIs in 32 games.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — A late goal from Maxi Araújo gave the large crowd of Uruguay supporters at Hard Rock Stadium something to celebrate Monday, as La Celeste fought back to earn a 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia in their World Cup Group H opener.

Despite the comeback, Uruguay’s players were far from satisfied with how the match unfolded.

“We gave it away. We have to be honest,” midfielder Federico Valverde said in Spanish following the result.

Valverde was blunt in his assessment of the first half: “We gave away the first half. We didn’t play the way we had trained. It wasn’t what we were aiming for. We rushed things too much. We wanted to win the game in the very first minute. Sometimes you need a bit more patience and just play our game. We improved a lot in the second half.”

Saudi Arabia took the lead when Abdulelah Al-Amri tapped in a rebound in the 41st minute after goalkeeper Fernando Muslera palmed away a header. Al-Amri had already tested Muslera earlier in the half before finally breaking through. He dropped to his knees and bowed his head to the pitch in celebration as Saudi fans — though heavily outnumbered — roared their approval.

Araújo answered in the 80th minute, blasting a rebound past Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais from close range to level the score. It was the fourth international goal of Araújo’s career and his second scored at Hard Rock Stadium, which serves as the home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

Uruguay controlled the ball for the majority of the match and generated 29 shot attempts compared to just seven for Saudi Arabia, yet found themselves trailing deep into the second half.

Al-Owais was a key reason for that, turning away a close-range header from Federico Vinas in the first half, getting his fingertips on a Manuel Ugarte attempt in the 61st minute, and later denying Valverde during stoppage time.

Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa, speaking through an interpreter, reflected on how the dynamic of the game shifted: “When a team that is supposed to make a difference cannot do it, in terms of being dangerous or dominating the ball, then the weaker team actually dares to do something.”

Saudi Arabia coach Georgios Donis, who took over just two months ago after Hervé Renard was let go, viewed the result more positively. Speaking through an interpreter, he praised Uruguay’s quality while expressing satisfaction with earning a point.

“Uruguay is a team that is very energetic,” Donis said. “The players are well experienced, and there is depth on the bench. … When you’re faced with such an opponent, getting one point is a positive.”

Donis acknowledged he is still getting to know his squad but felt encouraged by the performance. “I need to get to know my team better,” he said. “I need to create a team that is competitive, and it only makes sense that we need time to do this. Today’s outcome gives us an advantage.”

The draw was part of a surprising day across Group H. Cape Verde, competing in their very first World Cup, held heavily favored Spain to a scoreless draw in Atlanta.

“The draw involving Spain may be the biggest surprise in this World Cup,” Donis said. “Cape Verde was very competitive, very strong. It’s not like the (group) favorites changed. It’s Spain and Uruguay.”

Monday’s match also carried historical weight. Uruguay hosted the very first World Cup back in 1930 and is set to host a centennial match in 2030, while Saudi Arabia will serve as host of the 2034 tournament.

Notable figures in attendance included FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo, former NFL player Chad Ochocinco, and longtime Uruguay standout Luis Suárez — currently a teammate of Lionel Messi at Inter Miami — who was not selected to represent his country at this tournament.

Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby is reportedly planning to enter the NFL supplemental draft, according to several reports published Monday — a decision that could effectively end a growing legal dispute over whether he could continue playing college football.

Sorsby faced a June 22 deadline to submit his application for the supplemental draft, a process the NFL makes available to players who either missed the standard draft deadline or encountered eligibility complications at the college level.

What remains unclear is what path Sorsby would take if no NFL franchise selects him in that process.

Earlier this month, the supplemental draft had already appeared to be a strong possibility for Sorsby — until a Lubbock County, Texas judge granted him a temporary injunction blocking the NCAA’s decision to strip him of his college eligibility. The NCAA had revoked his eligibility because of sports betting violations.

Texas Tech stood behind Sorsby throughout his fight to reclaim his eligibility, but that support came at a cost. The Big 12 Conference filed a complaint against Texas Tech and the Texas attorney general on Monday, seeking a court ruling that would allow the conference to enforce its own eligibility bylaws. The Big 12 asked the court to affirm its authority to set and administer its own rules.

In a separate action, the NCAA filed a formal appeal in Lubbock County District Court and requested that the case be resolved quickly — ideally before the 2026 college football season gets underway. Sorsby’s case had previously been scheduled for trial in February 2027.

The 15 Big 12 athletic directors — everyone except Texas Tech’s — gathered last week and unanimously voiced their opposition to Sorsby suiting up for the Red Raiders. Big 12 university presidents were also scheduled to convene Monday to discuss the possibility of sanctions against the school.

The controversy surrounding Sorsby began in the offseason when his legal team acknowledged that he had placed a minimum of 40 bets on the Indiana football team while he was a member of that program in 2022 and 2023. Over a four-year span, he bet approximately $90,000 on both college and professional sporting events. He entered an addiction treatment program on April 27.

Texas Tech had been prepared to allow Sorsby to play throughout the regular season and any postseason games, following a two-game suspension at the beginning of the year.

The NFL supplemental draft has not taken place since 2023, as it is only held when at least one eligible player opts in. The draft is expected to be conducted sometime in late July, though no specific date has been confirmed.

Several quarterback-needy teams — including the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and Cleveland Browns — have been mentioned as potential suitors for Sorsby. However, first-year Browns head coach Todd Monken commented this month that pursuing Sorsby would be “a slippery slope” given the quarterback’s gambling history.

During his two seasons at Cincinnati, Sorsby threw for 5,613 yards, 45 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also added 1,027 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns across 24 games.

Czech qualifier Nikola Bartunkova delivered a stunning upset at the Berlin Tennis Open on Monday, taking down ninth-seeded Diana Shnaider of Russia in a dramatic three-set battle, 6-2, 6-7 (2), 6-3.

The match was anything but straightforward. Bartunkova built a 5-4 lead in the second set and had a chance to close it out, but Shnaider escaped two match points before ultimately winning the tiebreaker. In the third set, Shnaider jumped out to a 3-0 advantage, only for Bartunkova to reel off six consecutive games and seal the victory.

Two other first-round matches were completed Monday at the Berlin event. Belgium’s Elise Mertens mounted a strong comeback against Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova, winning 1-6, 6-3, 6-0, while Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova claimed the opening set 6-1 before her Austrian opponent Anastasia Potapova was forced to retire.

At the Lexus Nottingham Open in Great Britain, American third seed Emma Navarro bounced back from dropping the opening set in a tiebreaker to defeat Hungary’s Anna Bondar 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-2. Navarro was dominant on serve, winning 76.8 percent of her service points — 63 out of 82 — while Bondar saved 9 of 13 break point opportunities. Navarro’s next challenge will be Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva, who advanced after rallying past Australia’s Maya Joint 6-7 (8), 7-5, 6-4.

Czech fourth seed Marie Bouzkova dispatched fellow Czech Tereza Valentova in straight sets, but the day saw two seeded players exit the tournament. China’s Qinwen Zheng upset Greek sixth seed Maria Sakkari 4-6, 7-6 (1), 6-4, and Germany’s Tatjana Maria eliminated ninth-seeded Janice Tjen of Indonesia 6-3, 6-2. Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and Australians Talia Gibson and Taylah Preston also advanced to the next round.

INGLEWOOD, California — Iranian Americans made their way into a Los Angeles stadium Monday ahead of Iran’s opening match at the 2026 World Cup, with some carrying political symbols in opposition to the Iranian government while others urged fellow fans to set aside politics and simply support their team.

The Iranian squad had traveled to the U.S. on Sunday from their training base in Tijuana, Mexico, landing in Los Angeles just as a deal was announced bringing the U.S.-Iran war to an end. They are scheduled to face New Zealand in Group G at 6 p.m. local time (0100 GMT).

Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran itself, with many residents having left the country following the Islamic Revolution. Iranian American soccer fans there say they have found themselves caught between the thrill of watching their team compete on the world’s biggest stage, outrage over Tehran’s violent response to protesters, and worry over a U.S. bombing campaign against Iran.

Between 300 and 500 protesters assembled outside the stadium, holding anti-government signs and flags. Those demonstrators said they chose not to enter the venue, explaining that buying a ticket would feel like showing support for the Tehran government.

Some fans did enter the stadium but brought along symbols of dissent, including the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag. That flag features the same colors as the current official flag but displays a different lion-and-sun design rather than the current emblem.

Iranian officials have warned that matches could be stopped if unofficial flags are displayed or unauthorized chants are heard inside stadiums.

FIFA, the global governing body for soccer, has pointed to existing rules banning politically themed flags and clothing when asked about the situation, but has not specifically addressed how it plans to handle the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag. The organization did not respond to requests for comment on Monday.

Reporters on the scene observed numerous fans carrying the lion-and-sun flag or wearing shirts bearing that symbol pass through security without any problem. Many then held the flags up from their seats inside the stadium.

Three fans in the stands, all wearing white shirts printed with the lion-and-sun image, said they chose to wear the shirts despite the warnings they had heard.

“This team is not the team of the people of Iran,” said one of the three, Farhad Jafargad. He and the others said they planned to root for New Zealand instead.

Meanwhile, other fans draped themselves in the official Iranian flag and said they had been confronted by protesters outside. Some expressed frustration, saying they simply wanted to focus on their team — affectionately called Team Melli — and leave politics at the door.

“I’m here to support Iran. We’re going to win this game,” said 57-year-old Mehdi Jafari, dressed in an Iran soccer jersey.

“We’re very proud of our country. We’re here to support Iran. I think we should all let go of the politics and just go in and cheer on the Team Melli,” he added.

Iran’s presence at the tournament has been surrounded by controversy from the start, set against the backdrop of a war that began in February when the U.S. and Israel launched military strikes against Iran. That conflict followed nationwide protests inside Iran in January, during which thousands of people were killed amid a brutal government crackdown.

In recent weeks, the Iranian soccer team relocated their training base from Arizona to Mexico. Their federation also complained that some staff members were denied U.S. visas and that tickets originally set aside for Iranian supporters had been taken back.

American tennis standout Frances Tiafoe recorded his first top-10 victory since 2024 on Monday, defeating Italian Flavio Cobolli — the sixth seed and recent French Open finalist — by a score of 6-2, 7-6 (4) in the opening round of the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle, Germany.

Tiafoe, who was eliminated in the Round of 16 at Roland Garros, spoke to the ATP website about his approach to the match, saying he wanted to make things difficult for Cobolli and help him “come down to reality” in his first outing since the French Open final, where German Alexander Zverev defeated Cobolli in five sets. Tiafoe’s performance was impressive across the board — he delivered nine aces, converted 34 of 42 first-serve points for an 81.0% success rate, and never had to fend off a single break point.

Second-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime — who lost to Cobolli in the French Open quarterfinals — had a tougher time advancing, needing three sets to get past Portugal’s Nuno Borges 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. His next opponent will be American Learner Tien, who beat German wild card Max Schoenhaus 6-2, 6-4. France’s Terence Atmane and German wild card Daniel Altmaier also moved on to the next round.

At the HSBC Championships in London, eighth-seeded American Tommy Paul had little trouble in his first-round match, dispatching lucky loser Zachary Svajda 7-5, 6-3 in one of just three matches completed on the day.

Paul dominated the all-American matchup by firing 15 aces, winning an impressive 33 of 38 first-serve points — an 86.8% clip — and successfully saving all five break points he encountered.

Elsewhere in London, Canada’s Denis Shapovalov outlasted British wild card Jack Pinnington Jones in a tight three-set battle, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (3), while the Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp advanced with a 6-4, 7-6 (5) win over British wild card Harry Wendelken.

San Diego Padres relief pitcher Ron Marinaccio is facing a three-game suspension and an undisclosed financial penalty after Major League Baseball ruled he deliberately plunked Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson with a pitch during Saturday’s game.

Marinaccio has filed an appeal of the suspension, which was originally set to begin with Monday’s road matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals. Under MLB rules, the discipline cannot take effect until the appeals process has run its course.

Meanwhile, Padres manager Craig Stammen — who received a one-game suspension and an undisclosed fine stemming from the same incident during Saturday’s 9-3 San Diego victory in Baltimore — began serving his penalty Monday, the league confirmed.

The hit-by-pitch occurred in the ninth inning, with Marinaccio having already recorded two outs and no runners on base. He struck Henderson on the very first pitch of his at-bat.

The Orioles believed the move was retaliation after Baltimore starter Trey Gibson — who had already walked five batters — hit San Diego’s Xander Bogaerts in the helmet in the fifth inning. That pitch was the rookie’s 93rd of the game. Bogaerts exited in the sixth inning with what Stammen described as “a little spasm here in the neck.”

Henderson said after Saturday’s contest that he believed he was targeted intentionally, noting he had managed to dodge two inside pitches from Padres pitcher Bradgley Rodriguez in the seventh inning but couldn’t get out of the way of Marinaccio’s delivery.

“I guess they were trying to get payback,” Henderson said, “so I guess we’re even now.”

Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said he respected the way the Padres handled the situation, even if he didn’t believe Gibson’s pitch was on purpose.

“Trey (Gibson) hit Bogaerts in the head and their dugout didn’t like it at all. Obviously, it definitely wasn’t intentional. It was a two-seam that slipped out of his hand,” Albernaz said Saturday. “I get there why they’re mad; the ball hit him in the head and he had to come out of the game. I’m not saying the ball to Gunnar was on purpose, but it was done the right way. And that’s why there was no gripes from us, and Gunnar was fine with it and just took it to first base.”

Marinaccio maintained after the game that his approach to Henderson was simply to pitch him on the inside part of the plate.

“He’s a great hitter. You’ve got to make hitters like that uncomfortable at times, and I pulled a fastball a little bit too much there,” Marinaccio said. “I could understand the visual, a couple guys pitching inside earlier, but there were no warnings.”

Stammen also took issue with the umpiring crew’s decision to eject Marinaccio without first issuing a warning, which forced him to bring in reliever Adrian Morejon.

“They definitely thought he did it on purpose. That was not my understanding or my take from it. Ultimately, that’s why I went out and argued,” Stammen said. “Just didn’t think it was warranted. It would’ve been fine if they just warned everybody. We’d have been fine and moved on from there.”

On the season, the 30-year-old Marinaccio owns a 1-0 record with a 3.96 ERA, 10 walks, and 31 strikeouts across 36 1/3 innings in 24 relief outings. For his career, he is 7-5 with two saves, a 3.23 ERA, 75 walks, and 180 strikeouts in 161 2/3 innings over 132 games, all coming out of the bullpen.

Belgium avoided a stunning World Cup opening-day defeat on Monday, battling back to share the points with Egypt in a 1-1 draw played in Seattle — a result secured largely thanks to the second-half arrival of all-time leading scorer Romelu Lukaku.

Egypt drew first blood against the flow of play in the 19th minute, when midfielder Emam Ashour unleashed a powerful strike past the goalkeeper for his maiden international goal.

Belgium had several opportunities to pull level before halftime but couldn’t convert. Jeremy Doku badly sliced a shot wide just before the break, and Kevin De Bruyne struck the post with a well-struck free kick as Egypt’s confidence grew. A win would have marked their first World Cup victory in four appearances at the tournament.

The turning point came in the 66th minute when Lukaku — who managed little more than an hour of playing time for Italian club Napoli this season due to injury — entered the match. Within roughly 20 seconds, Belgium were level, as defender Mohamed Hany turned a threatening cross into his own net.

Neither team was satisfied with a draw as the match entered its final stages. Lukaku himself had a prime opportunity to win it with two minutes left in regulation but failed to convert a close-range header.

Belgium coach Rudi Garcia praised Lukaku’s immediate influence on the game and kept a positive outlook, though he acknowledged that Sunday’s matchup against Iran in Los Angeles is now a must-win situation.

“We’re still in the competition, foot in the door, but now obviously we have to win against Iran,” Garcia said.

The other two sides in Group G — Iran and New Zealand — were set to meet in Los Angeles later Monday.

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan expressed pride in how his team performed against a strong opponent and felt his side deserved more than a point.

“We were the ones who scored the opening goal, and they equalised,” Hassan said. “I believe we were closer to winning — we really were. The chances we created were arguably more in our favour.”

Both teams started the match carefully, but Belgium quickly asserted themselves. De Bruyne had the game’s first clear-cut chance, pulling a shot wide from outside the box.

Just as Belgium appeared to be taking control, Egypt captain Mo Salah — playing in a deeper central position on his 34th birthday — set up Ashour, who fired past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois at full stretch to put Egypt ahead.

Belgium pushed hard as halftime approached, but Leandro Trossard completely missed a cutback from Doku, who then had a golden chance to equalize in stoppage time but squandered it.

Early in the second half, De Bruyne’s free kick beat goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir only to clang off the post. Egypt also missed opportunities to extend their advantage as Belgium pressed forward and left themselves exposed at the back.

Lukaku’s introduction ultimately changed the game, and Garcia admitted that his team still leans heavily on the striker.

“We know how he can be difficult for the opponent and we needed him to come on,” the coach said.

Lukaku did show signs of rustiness, however, heading a cross from fellow substitute Nicolas Raskin over an open goal from close range late in the match.

In the frantic closing moments, Egypt appealed loudly for a penalty when Ahmed Mostafa “Zizo” went to ground after contact from Maxim De Cuyper, but the referee waved play on with no VAR review called.

Hassan was furious with the decision.

“What surprises me is that there was no VAR review and the referee didn’t even consider going back to check it or stopping play,” he said. “That was a 100% penalty. If it had been against us, it would have been given.”

Uruguay narrowly avoided a stunning World Cup upset Monday in Miami, as winger Maxi Araujo scored a late equalizer to earn his side a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia in their Group H opener.

The result kept Uruguay from suffering the kind of shock that Saudi Arabia famously delivered in 2022, when the Saudis knocked off Argentina 2-1 in the tournament’s opening round. This time, an Abdulelah Alamri goal in the 41st minute had Saudi Arabia on course for another historic win — until Araujo stepped up with just 10 minutes remaining to level the score.

Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa made no attempt to hide his disappointment after the final whistle, particularly given that European champions Spain had also failed to win earlier in the day, drawing goalless with Cape Verde in the same group.

“An opponent we should have beaten; we gave away minutes in the first half that suggests we didn’t do things right,” Bielsa said. “We had to win this match.”

For Saudi Arabia, the draw was a cause for optimism. Their goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais was the difference-maker, making a series of crucial saves to preserve the point. The result gives the Saudis hope they can reach the knockout stage for the first time since the United States last hosted the World Cup in 1994.

Saudi coach Georgios Donis praised his players’ effort while acknowledging room for improvement. “We were very tired at the end, but to play this type of game with this opponent and to get a point, it’s a positive for us,” he said. “I like the spirit and the passion of my players but I think we have the quality to play better.”

Uruguay, who won the World Cup in both 1930 and 1950, came out of the gate looking like the favorites they were expected to be. In just the fifth minute, Araujo turned near the edge of the penalty area and fired a shot that Alowais managed to push away. Federico Vinas also threatened with a diving header around the half-hour mark, which Alowais again deflected to safety.

Despite those early chances, Uruguay was inconsistent going forward and at times looked careless in their own defensive third.

Saudi Arabia’s attack came to life in the 36th minute when left back Moteb Alharbi drove through midfield before being brought down roughly about 30 meters from goal. Two minutes later, Alamri tested Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera with a shot from the center of the box, which Muslera saved.

The Saudis broke through shortly after when Mohamed Kanno met a corner kick from Musab Aljuwayr. Muslera stopped Kanno’s powerful header, but Alamri was right there to tap the rebound into the net and put Saudi Arabia ahead 1-0 going into halftime.

Bielsa made two substitutions at the break, and Uruguay’s play became noticeably more organized in the second half. The team began getting the ball wide and delivering crosses into the box, creating a series of aerial challenges for Alowais to deal with.

Defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte came agonizingly close to tying the score in the 60th minute, drilling a shot that beat Alowais but bounced off the far post.

The equalizer finally came with 10 minutes left in regulation. Vinas, who had been Uruguay’s most dangerous aerial presence all match, got his head on a ball and Alowais made yet another save — but the rebound dropped directly to Araujo, who controlled it cleanly and clipped it into the net at the near post to make it 1-1.

Uruguay pushed hard for a winner in a chaotic final stretch, with Federico Valverde and Jose Maria Gimenez both unleashing powerful shots from the edges of the box that Alowais pushed wide.

Vinas reflected on the nerves that seemed to affect his side throughout the match. “I think the nerves of the debut worked against us, as did the need to go out and score,” he said. “In the second half we did a bit more of what the manager wanted. I’m frustrated and angry, but as captain I’m happy with my teammates’ work.”

Roughly halfway through the 2026 PGA Tour season, few players have matched the level of consistency that Matt Fitzpatrick has shown from January through June.

Across 14 tournaments this season, Fitzpatrick has made the cut every single time, logged 10 top-25 finishes, placed in the top three five times, and claimed three victories.

Last week, he came within one spot of a fourth win, finishing runner-up at the RBC Canadian Open. With that momentum heading into the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., it’s no surprise that Fitzpatrick is hoping the course will be set up to challenge the field as much as possible.

“Really like the golf course. It’s looking great already,” Fitzpatrick said at his Monday press conference. “Actually a little bit disappointed that they’re out there watering it right now.”

The 31-year-old’s lone major title came at the 2022 U.S. Open, where he edged out Will Zalatoris and Scottie Scheffler by a single stroke at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., finishing at 6-under-par 274. That victory came on a demanding layout, and Fitzpatrick has made no secret of his preference for courses that require precision over power.

“I don’t particularly like playing birdie-fests,” he said.

“For me, this golf course, I think when it is really tough like that, I enjoy that challenge because you have to do your homework and you have to hit good shots, and that’s what I think any good golf tournament should require.”

Shinnecock Hills last hosted the U.S. Open in 2018, when Brooks Koepka took the title despite finishing 1 over par — a testament to just how punishing the course can be. Fitzpatrick, who was 23 at the time, tied for 12th place that week at 8 over, hampered by a 5-over third round.

Now returning to Shinnecock eight years later, Fitzpatrick was quick to share the credit for his improved play with the people around him rather than taking it for himself.

“I’ve always liked to feel like I praise my team a lot. They put in a lot of hard work for me and try and help me become the best player I can be,” he said. “Mark Blackburn has done a brilliant job from a technical standpoint on my swing. My iron swing is very different to what it was in the past, and that’s been the biggest change, I think, from this year compared to previous years.”

“With that, that’s obviously given me more opportunities, and I know when I putt well, I can putt well and, I think, take advantage of those opportunities. That’s been the biggest thing,” Fitzpatrick added.

Defending U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun is hoping to carry the same winning formula into this week’s tournament at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club — and in a strange twist, his home life is mirroring that journey in more ways than one.

Last Father’s Day, Spaun was up in the early morning hours hunting down a CVS pharmacy to find medicine for one of his daughters, who was battling a stomach bug. Just hours later, he carded a final-round 72 and drained a remarkable 64-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to capture his first major championship title.

When reporters asked Spaun on Monday whether both of his kids were healthy heading into this week’s event, the golfer didn’t sugarcoat the situation. His older daughter Emerson, he said, had been having a rough stretch lately.

“She broke her collarbone at the Truist (Championship), so like a month ago at the daycare,” Spaun said. “Then she had a tooth pulled on Wednesday, poor thing.”

In an unintentional moment of irony, Spaun quickly pivoted to talking about “taking your medicine” — though this time he meant it in a figurative sense when describing what it takes to compete at a U.S. Open.

He said resilience is the quality he most wants to bring with him from Oakmont to Shinnecock Hills as he chases back-to-back titles.

“It was nice to get off to a really hot start in the first round, but I think that’s the biggest thing at U.S. Opens is being resilient, taking all the punches that are thrown at you, taking your medicine,” Spaun said.

“It’s not going to be easy golf. It’s not going to be ho-hum, very boring golf. But the way I persevered and was resilient last year, I’ve been trying to use that since then, as well.”

The 35-year-old has held his place among the world’s top-10 golfers this season, highlighted by a win at the Valero Texas Open in April. However, he has fallen short of the cut at both of the first two majors in 2026.

Spaun pointed to the greens at Aronimink Golf Club — the host venue for the PGA Championship — as a stumbling block for his game.

“I just think I got a little caught up in the putting portion of Aronimink,” he said. “My putting has been very hot and cold this year. That’s kind of been the only thing holding me back.”

“I got too caught up in, like, thinking I was the only one putting poorly at Aronimink, but apparently everyone was, like, three-putting. I think if I would have just accepted that, I would have done less of three-putting, and maybe it would have been a different week.”

It’s a recurring theme with Spaun — his mental approach often proving to be the deciding factor in how his rounds unfold, for better or worse.

He acknowledged that winning a major had changed his mindset in an unexpected way, shifting him from someone playing freely with nothing to lose, to someone feeling the weight of expectation to prove himself worthy of his new status.

The source of his renewed mental clarity? His daughter’s favorite Disney movie, “Frozen.”

“Yeah, the whole ‘Let It Go,’ that was definitely a mantra that I had kind of all year,” Spaun said.

“I felt like every week at the start of the year I had to be that guy that needed to show up and play well and kind of validate where I was in the world rankings and what I had achieved this season. So it was the complete opposite of letting it go. I put more pressure on myself, put way more emphasis on outcome instead of just focusing on my process.”

“It was a nice corner I turned at The Players (Championship) where I tried to just forget about trying to be this perfect golfer that I thought I was last year, when in reality I just was doing the same things. I just was mentally a little bit more nice to myself, I guess, and not so worried about being perfect. That’s what led to better golf.”

Wyndham Clark captured his first major title at the 2023 U.S. Open, but a troubling chapter from last year’s edition of that same tournament is something the golfer is eager to put behind him.

Clark is teeing it up this week at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club for the U.S. Open, returning to the sport’s most prestigious championship one year after things went badly wrong at Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh.

After missing the cut at last year’s tournament, Clark was found to have caused significant damage to a locker inside Oakmont’s locker room before departing that Friday. The following month, Oakmont announced that Clark had been banned from the club following conversations between club members and the USGA.

Oakmont indicated the ban could potentially be lifted if Clark fulfilled several conditions — among them paying for the damage he caused, making a charitable donation, and completing anger management or similar counseling.

At the time, Clark vowed he would “show them who I really am with the apology and the things I’m going to do.” Now, a full year later, he says the regret has not faded.

“That was a really challenging time and something I’ve deeply regretted and feel awful that I did that,” Clark said Monday during a press conference at Shinnecock Hills. “But there were so many good lessons in that that really taught me a bunch.”

“I’ve really come a long way, and I’m excited for this year’s Open for some redemption and to move forward and enjoy the challenges of Shinnecock and how great this place is and how amazing this championship is,” he added.

Reporters did not press him further on the matter.

Clark’s 2023 U.S. Open victory came by a single stroke over Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy at Los Angeles Country Club. He then endured a winless stretch lasting more than two years — from February 2024 through May 2026 — before breaking through with a 30-under-par performance to claim the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in the Dallas area.

“It’s amazing,” Clark said of his U.S. Open history. “Being a major champion is one of the greatest things in golf, and to come back, to feel that and be in the champions’ locker room is really neat, and coming back to this great championship is something that always kind of reminds me of that amazing year in ’23.”

The San Jose Earthquakes made their commitment to head coach and sporting director Bruce Arena official on Monday, signing him to a new contract that extends through the 2028-29 season. The deal comes as Arena continues to guide the team through a dramatically improved second campaign.

Arena holds the distinction of being the all-time winningest coach in Major League Soccer history, and his current squad is living up to that reputation. The Earthquakes sit at 10-3-2 with 32 points, placing them tied atop the Western Conference in points alongside the Vancouver Whitecaps, who hold a 10-2-2 record. According to the team, San Jose has not been in that position in 14 years. The club also made league history by winning nine of its first 10 matches in the post-shootout era.

Arena spoke about his enthusiasm for the future in a team news release. “I have enjoyed my time here in San Jose, and I am excited to continue to see this team improve and compete at the highest level in MLS,” he said. “We have a great core group of players here and a devoted fan base that has treated me very well from the start. I would like to thank ownership for their support since I arrived, and I’m looking forward to the second half of this season as we compete for a playoff spot.”

The Earthquakes are currently ranked third in the overall Supporters’ Shield standings. San Jose also tied MLS records by starting the season 5-0-1 away from home and by opening with six consecutive shutouts. The team is just one win away from matching its entire regular-season win total from last year, when they finished 11-15-8 with 41 points.

Earthquakes managing partner John Fisher expressed strong confidence in Arena’s leadership. “He has done an outstanding job rebuilding this team and getting us positioned amongst the top teams in MLS this season,” Fisher said in the release. “Not only has he assembled a great, young team that is already competing for the playoffs this year, but he has built a team that is set up for sustainable, long-term success. We are excited to keep Bruce in San Jose for the foreseeable future.”

Arena, 74, is coaching his fifth MLS club and carries a trophy case that few in the sport can match. He has led teams to a record five MLS Cup championships, four Supporters’ Shield titles, one CONCACAF Champions Cup, a Copa Interamericana, and a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. His records for most MLS regular-season wins (283) and postseason victories (35) remain unmatched, and he has earned MLS Coach of the Year honors a record four times.

A member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, Arena also spent time leading the U.S. men’s national team, compiling 81 wins — the most in program history — while guiding the squad to two FIFA World Cup appearances.

Adrian Rodriguez put on a historic show Monday afternoon in Omaha, Nebraska, going 5-for-5 with seven RBIs and hitting for the cycle as sixth-seeded Texas crushed seventh-seeded Alabama 14-2 in a College World Series elimination game.

The Longhorns wasted no time getting on the board, plating three runs in the first inning against Alabama starter Zane Adams on three consecutive doubles. Ethan Mendoza started the scoring with a double down the left-field line, and Rodriguez followed with a two-run double to right field.

Alabama trimmed the deficit to 3-1 with a run in the second, but Texas responded with four more runs in the bottom of the inning — all coming with two outs — to effectively put the game away.

Anthony Pack Jr. pushed the lead to 4-1 with an RBI single, and Mendoza added another run with a single through the right side. Mendoza then looped a ball into left-center that fell between Alabama left fielder Eric Hines and center fielder Bryce Fowler, allowing two more runs to score.

Hines was initially charged with an error on the play, which would have limited Mendoza to a single. However, late in the game — after Mendoza had already added a single and a home run — officials reversed the error call and upgraded the hit to a triple, completing the cycle and giving Mendoza a perfect 5-for-5 day at the plate.

The feat marked only the third cycle in Men’s College World Series history and the first since Tennessee’s Christian Moore accomplished it in 2024.

Rodriguez kept his own big day going by leading off the fifth with a single, then launching a two-run home run to right field in the sixth. Pack also went deep in the sixth with a two-run blast of his own.

Alabama’s John Lemm accounted for the Crimson Tide’s second run with a solo home run in the fourth inning. The Crimson Tide finished the game at 42-21 on the season.

Texas starter Ruger Riojas improved to 6-2 on the year, allowing just two runs on six hits over six innings while striking out seven and walking two.

The Longhorns tacked on three more runs in the eighth, with Rodriguez adding yet another RBI double to cap his remarkable afternoon.

Mendoza finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs, while Pack went 3-for-5 with three runs and four RBIs. Rodriguez’s seven RBIs tied a Men’s College World Series record, and he is now 7-for-8 in this year’s tournament.

Texas, now 46-14 on the season, will face the loser of Monday’s late game between Georgia and Oklahoma in an elimination contest on Tuesday. Monday’s victory was the Longhorns’ first win at the College World Series since 2021.

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves announced Monday that starting pitcher Spencer Strider will not be allowed to throw for the next four weeks after doctors discovered inflammation in his right elbow.

Strider, who was placed on the 15-day injured list on Saturday, met with Dr. Keith Meister before the decision was made to shut him down for four weeks. At the end of that period, Strider will undergo another MRI, and if the results show the inflammation has resolved, he will begin a gradual throwing program, according to the team.

The right-hander exited Friday’s 7-5 defeat against the New York Mets in the fourth inning, citing soreness in both his right shoulder and elbow. Braves manager Walt Weiss noted that the team had also grown concerned about a significant drop in Strider’s pitching velocity.

This is not the first time Strider has dealt with arm injuries. He underwent Tommy John surgery back in 2019, and in April 2024 he had his UCL repaired using an internal brace.

With Strider out, rookie right-hander JR Ritchie — who came in as a reliever behind Strider on Friday — will take over a spot in the starting rotation. Ritchie is slated to take the mound Wednesday night against San Francisco.

In his final outing before being shut down, Strider gave up six hits, including three home runs, and surrendered a season-high seven earned runs in just three innings of work.

Friday’s start was Strider’s eighth of the season for the first-place Braves. He had missed the team’s first 34 games while recovering from a strained left oblique. On the year, he holds a 4-2 record with a 5.31 ERA.

Strider had a standout 2023 season, leading all of Major League Baseball with 20 victories while setting an Atlanta franchise record with 281 strikeouts.

Falcons defensive end James Pearce Jr. arrived at Atlanta’s facility on Monday to complete a physical examination before the start of the team’s mandatory minicamp this week.

The 22-year-old had been absent from the Falcons’ voluntary spring workouts because of off-field legal matters.

Atlanta is scheduled to hold its minicamp Tuesday through Thursday, marking the last formal team gathering before training camp begins next month under head coach Kevin Stefanski.

Pearce Jr.’s absence this spring stems from felony charges connected to a domestic dispute with his ex-girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson. The incident occurred on February 7 in Miami. Before his trial on three felony counts could proceed, Pearce agreed in May to enter a diversion program.

The program runs for one year under a judge’s supervision. If Pearce successfully completes the terms, he will be eligible to petition to have all charges cleared from his record.

On the field, Pearce Jr. made a strong impression in his debut season, pacing the Falcons with 10.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits. Atlanta made a significant investment to land him, trading up in the 2025 NFL Draft — surrendering a 2026 first-round pick — to select Pearce 26th overall.

The Kansas City Royals bolstered their pitching staff Monday, acquiring right-handed reliever Connor Seabold from the Toronto Blue Jays. In return, Toronto received minor league right-hander Denis Samudio along with cash considerations.

To open a spot on the 40-man roster for Seabold, Kansas City placed right-hander Carlos Estevez on the 60-day injured list due to a shoulder injury.

Seabold, who is 30 years old, has posted a 1-0 record with a 4.26 ERA across 16 relief appearances split between the Detroit Tigers and Blue Jays this season. He originally joined Toronto in a trade on May 27. Over five years in the major leagues with six different organizations, Seabold carries a career record of 2-11 with a 7.30 ERA in 56 total appearances, including 19 starts.

Samudio, 21, is a native of Panama who was signed by the Royals in January 2025. This season, he has gone 1-1 with a 5.49 ERA in six outings — three of which were starts — across two different minor league levels.

The Carolina Hurricanes are soaking in their Stanley Cup glory, but the rest of the NHL isn’t wasting any time. The offseason is officially underway, and the coming weeks are expected to be packed with trades, signings, and major roster moves.

The salary cap is climbing to $104 million, giving several big-spending teams the financial room to upgrade their rosters heading into next season.

Here’s a look at the key storylines to watch:

Beginning late Tuesday night and running through June 30, teams are allowed to buy out player contracts. Buyouts aren’t expected to be widespread this summer, but Carolina itself has an interesting case on its hands. Forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi — who turns 26 on July 6 — was a healthy scratch throughout the playoffs, yet was surprisingly handed the Stanley Cup before top goal-scorer Logan Stankoven or goaltender Brandon Bussi. Despite having four years remaining on his deal, a buyout could save the Hurricanes nearly $4 million against the cap next season and $4.3 million in each of the following three years, with a minimal cap charge of under $900,000 from 2030 through 2034. A trade is also a possibility for a team willing to bet on his upside.

Montreal may also consider buying out 34-year-old winger Brendan Gallagher, who appeared in just three games during the first round before being sidelined for the rest of the Canadiens’ run to the Eastern Conference Final. He carries a $6.5 million cap hit for one more season.

Looking at players who nearly changed teams at the trade deadline offers a preview of what might happen this summer.

The New York Rangers are in the middle of a rebuild-on-the-move, and center Vincent Trocheck — who will turn 33 soon — could attract significant interest from contending teams. Trocheck proved his value by winning gold with the U.S. at the Olympics and is seen as a reliable two-way player.

Toronto and Montreal reportedly came close to a deal that would have sent young winger Matthew Knies from the Maple Leafs to the Canadiens, but the trade never materialized. Since then, Toronto fired general manager Brad Treliving and brought in John Chayka to take over. It remains unclear whether the new front office would be willing to move a cost-controlled player still in his early 20s.

Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly, the franchise’s longest-serving player, appears likely to be traded. Meanwhile, Edmonton is also looking to make changes on defense, and Darnell Nurse has provided the Oilers with a short list of teams he’d accept a trade to.

Missing the playoffs for the first time in ten years created a lot of tension in Toronto, including questions surrounding captain Auston Matthews and his future with the organization.

The Maple Leafs did get some good news in early May when the draft lottery went their way. Penn State’s Gavin McKenna is widely viewed as the likely first overall pick, and Chayka made a personal trip to McKenna’s hometown of Whitehorse in the Yukon territory to meet with him and his family.

The NHL Draft in Buffalo, New York, kicks off with the first round on June 26. San Jose, Vancouver, and Chicago hold the second through fourth picks, with Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg and Canadian defensemen Chase Reid and Carson Carels among the most talked-about prospects available.

On the free agent front, 30-year-old forward Alex Tuch is expected to be the most sought-after unrestricted free agent if the Buffalo Sabres don’t re-sign him before the month ends. Tampa Bay defenseman Darren Raddysh, who just wrapped up his best professional season — posting nearly a point per game — is another name to watch.

The New York Islanders could choose to move longtime captain Anders Lee, who will be 36 on July 3, making him a free agent for the first time in his career. Winger Anthony Mantha, who had a standout year with Pittsburgh — setting career bests with 33 goals, 31 assists, and 64 points — may also be in line for a lucrative new deal.

Perhaps the biggest question mark of the summer surrounds the Florida Panthers, who failed to make the playoffs after back-to-back championships. The goaltender behind both of those title runs, Sergei Bobrovsky, is currently unsigned and will be 38 years old by the time next season opens.

It all started with a flyer her brother brought home from school — a local league was looking for flag football players. Curious, a then-5-year-old Akemi Higa asked if she could join. Even at that age, she could already launch the ball 20 yards downfield.

Years of passing yards and touchdown throws later, the 17-year-old quarterback from Hawaii/Las Vegas has become part of a new generation reshaping the U.S. women’s national flag football team. The timing makes sense: the sport is surging in popularity and is set to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 LA Games.

This week, at a training camp in California, Higa is competing for a roster spot that would send her to Germany to represent Team USA at the IFAF flag football world championships later this summer.

“More people are getting into it and more people are getting better at it,” said Higa, a strong-armed QB who will play flag football at Nevada State University. “You start young and grow with the game — constantly learning new ways of playing the game.”

The women’s team at this camp has an average age of 26, nearly two full years younger than it was just three seasons ago. Six players on the current roster are under 21 years old.

The men’s side is trending younger as well. The average age dropped from 29.4 in 2024 to 28.6 this season. Two 21-year-olds — receiver Jorge Cascudo Jr. and safety Justin McMullen — are among those fighting for a spot on the Germany-bound squad.

This week’s camp serves as the final evaluation, trimming the roster from 18 players down to 12. Both the men’s and women’s teams will also take on Canada on Friday in Los Angeles as part of USA Football’s Rivalry Series.

Earning a spot on the team means valuable international experience — something that could be crucial when flag football hits the Olympic stage two summers from now.

“That’s in the back of my mind,” said 20-year-old receiver/quarterback Maci Joncich, speaking about the LA Games. “Every single day, everything I do is around that. I wake up and if I’m like, ‘You know what? I don’t really want to go for a run today. I don’t really want to work out.’ In the back of my mind, it’s like, ‘Do you want to be an Olympian?’”

Higa is in contention for the quarterback position after 45-year-old Vanita Krouch, a dominant force in women’s flag football, did not make the 18-person roster due to a knee issue. Krouch addressed the situation on Instagram, writing: “Plain and simple, I was outplayed these last two training camps, and the women selected earned their spots.”

Higa grew up playing flag football on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Her family relocated to Las Vegas in 2022 to take advantage of the sport’s growing momentum. She and her twin sister and receiver, Akiko, quickly became standout players. During her career at Desert Oasis High School, Akemi threw for 22,476 yards and 371 touchdowns. Alongside Higa, Joncich and Valentina Fanetti — a 21-year-old from New Jersey — are among the quarterbacks competing for roster spots.

“It’s crazy just to see how much growth the sport has had,” Higa said, “and just how many girls are interested in it.”

The numbers back that up. More than 68,800 girls played high school flag football in 2024, a 60% increase over the prior year, according to a survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations.

Women’s flag football is also on track to earn NCAA championship status, with a potential title game possibly taking place in the spring before the sport’s Olympic debut.

High-profile investors have taken notice as well. Mark Cuban and Aaron Rodgers have both made philanthropic contributions to USA Football in support of the women’s game, and the NFL has been actively promoting it too.

Players are coming from diverse athletic backgrounds. Joncich, for example, played basketball, soccer, and tennis growing up before committing to flag football. She’s been part of the USA Football program since 2022 and recently signed with Cal Poly after playing for the University of Florida’s club team.

One moment that stuck with her: a mother reaching out to say her daughter had chosen Joncich as the subject of a school project.

“I sent her one of my jerseys,” Joncich said. “This is inspiring me to do better and inspiring me to do more things.”

On the men’s side, Cascudo and McMullen are chasing spots on a roster whose oldest player is 36-year-old quarterback Darrell “Housh” Doucette III. Cascudo has deep roots in the sport — his father, Jorge, is a flag football legend who now coaches the men’s national team.

“Growing up in Miami, all you hear is, ‘Your dad’s the GOAT. Your dad’s the Tom Brady of flag,’” Cascudo said. “Growing up, I didn’t know what that meant. Getting older, I started to see it. It’s just amazing to see the sport growing so fast.”

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is calling on FIFA to take a hard look at the steep ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup, which many say are far beyond the financial reach of most Mexicans.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Sheinbaum argued that the sport of soccer should mean more than profit.

“Soccer has to be something else,” she said. “All of this should prompt reflection, even within FIFA.”

FIFA had not publicly responded to the remarks as of Monday. FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, defended the pricing last week, saying the costs were appropriate for the North American market.

Tickets for games in the three host countries — including Mexico — went on sale earlier this year at prices ranging from $140 to $8,680. While some prices have since dropped, others have climbed even higher. Tickets to the championship final carry a price tag of $32,970, and resale prices go even further. In April, FIFA’s own resale platform listed four final tickets at roughly $2.3 million apiece.

Sheinbaum acknowledged that running the World Cup as a business venture is acceptable, but she emphasized that soccer should also serve as “a space for bringing people together, like all sports.”

Her administration has faced pushback from several social movements staging protests in Mexico City, with critics arguing the government is placing too much emphasis on the tournament while neglecting urgent social issues.

Meanwhile, sections of stadiums in cities such as Guadalajara have shown noticeable gaps in attendance. FIFA attributed some of the empty seats last week to fans who chose to watch from the stadium concourses rather than their assigned seats.

Since ticket prices were announced for all 104 World Cup matches scheduled across Mexico, the United States, and Canada, Sheinbaum has spoken publicly on the issue and championed a government-supported initiative called the “Social World Cup.”

The program is designed to create street festivals in Mexico City and cities throughout the country, allowing both Mexicans and visiting tourists to watch matches at no cost on large outdoor screens.

Local officials report that approximately 500,000 people attended 18 street festivals held across Mexico City on June 11 to watch the opening match, in which Mexico beat South Africa.

Sheinbaum also departed from a longstanding tradition in which the host nation’s president attends the opening match in person. Instead, she gave her ticket to a 21-year-old Indigenous female soccer player who had no way of affording one on her own.

The federal government additionally decided that public officials would surrender around 500 tickets to individuals who participated in “Social World Cup” events, while 88 additional tickets would be distributed through schools.

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls are putting the finishing touches on a deal to bring Portland Trail Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter on board as their next head coach, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke to The Associated Press on Monday.

The source requested anonymity because the Bulls had not yet made an official announcement. The deal was first reported by ESPN.

Splitter, 41, came aboard Chauncey Billups’ coaching staff in Portland last June. He was bumped up from assistant to interim head coach in October after Billups was taken into custody as part of a large-scale federal crackdown targeting an illegal gambling operation. Billups has entered a not guilty plea to wire fraud and money laundering charges.

Under Splitter’s leadership, Portland finished the regular season 42-40 before falling to San Antonio in five games during the first round of the playoffs. It marked Portland’s first postseason appearance and first winning season since 2020-21.

Before moving into coaching, Splitter spent seven seasons as an NBA player with San Antonio, Atlanta, and Philadelphia. The 6-foot-11 center, a native of Brazil, was drafted by the Spurs in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft and was part of the championship-winning team in 2014.

After his playing career ended, Splitter spent five years with Brooklyn from 2018 to 2023, starting as a pro scout and later moving into an assistant coaching role. He then served as an assistant in Houston for a season before leading Paris Basketball Club to a French Cup title during the 2024-25 season.

Splitter would take over for Billy Donovan, who stepped down after six years at the helm in Chicago. The Bulls reportedly held talks with Donovan about staying on, but he chose to walk away rather than work under a new front office leadership structure.

Chicago struggled defensively this past season, giving up an average of 121.5 points per game — ranking 28th in the entire NBA. The Bulls wrapped up the year at 31-51, missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.

The team’s front office has also undergone a significant overhaul. Bryson Graham was brought in as executive vice president of basketball operations on May 4, with Stephen Mervis and Acie Law IV joining the revamped front office on May 19.

A deadly BASE jumping accident in a remote Utah canyon took the lives of two people over the weekend — one of them a well-known extreme athlete who once shared the stage with Madonna at the Super Bowl, according to authorities.

The Grand County, Utah Sheriff’s Office confirmed that one of the victims was Andy Lewis, a celebrated daredevil best recognized for his stunts in BASE jumping — a high-risk sport in which participants leap from fixed structures like buildings, bridges, or canyon cliffs and parachute to the ground below.

Lewis had also made a name for himself in the niche disciplines of slacklining and tricklining, sports that blend high-wire balancing with aerial gymnastics, sometimes performed at terrifying heights.

His moment in the national spotlight came when he appeared during Madonna’s halftime performance at the 2012 Super Bowl. Wearing a Roman toga, Lewis performed flips and acrobatic tricks on a one-inch-wide line as if it were a trampoline, all while Madonna performed behind him — turning him from a little-known athlete into an overnight sensation.

“My phone actually rang itself to death three days in a row,” Lewis said during a subsequent appearance on Conan O’Brien’s late night television program.

Emergency crews were sent Sunday to Mineral Bottom, a secluded desert location near the Utah-Colorado border, following reports of injuries during a BASE jumping attempt. Lewis and an unidentified 50-year-old man were both pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff’s office announced in a news release.

Sheriff’s Lt. Al Cymbaluk confirmed to The Associated Press that Lewis was indeed among the deceased, though he said no additional details about the circumstances of the fatal accident were available.

Lewis ran BASE Jump Moab, a company that took first-time customers on tandem jumps, where the guest is strapped to an experienced guide who wears and controls the parachute. Even so, Lewis never shied away from discussing the very real dangers the sport carries.

“It’s weird to think about how many people are dead, because it’s like a normal thing,” Lewis told documentary filmmaker Ella Warnick in an interview released last year.

As of Monday, calls, texts, and Facebook messages sent to BASE Jump Moab had not been returned.

Lewis claimed four consecutive world championships in competitive slacklining between 2008 and 2011. In 2011, he also set a Guinness World Record for slackline surfing — a technique involving a side-to-side rocking motion that mimics surfing — while maintaining his balance above China’s Diaoshuilou waterfall. Three years later, in 2014, he walked a slackline stretched between two hot air balloons hovering more than 4,000 feet above the Nevada desert.

NEW YORK (AP) — In the closing seconds before the Knicks clinched their first NBA title in more than five decades, Yolanda Matos found herself surrounded by a crowd of nervous New Yorkers gathered on the sidewalk outside her Brooklyn home.

Some bowed their heads in silent prayer. Boxes of pizza made their way through the crowd, passing from fans in jerseys to people still dressed in work suits. Matos — a retired correctional officer who refuses to celebrate before the final buzzer — held off until the game was officially over before leading the screaming, tearful crowd through the jubilant streets.

“The camaraderie and craziness is something I’ve never seen in my whole life,” Matos said. “These Knicks really got everyone outside.”

Saturday night’s win over the San Antonio Spurs was not without some disorder — dozens of arrests were made and property damage was reported, mostly in the area surrounding Madison Square Garden.

But the scene outside Matos’ home was far more representative of what unfolded across the city: neighbors and strangers of all ages and backgrounds crowded around televisions and projectors, their collective anxiety melting into a once-in-a-generation moment of citywide joy.

Spontaneous dance parties went well into the early morning hours and picked back up Sunday, as euphoric New Yorkers flooded the Puerto Rican Day parade — an event also attended by several Knicks players, including Brooklyn native Jose Alvarado.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Knicks fan who had been making appearances at watch parties throughout the city, announced the team will be honored with a ticker-tape parade on Thursday.

By Sunday evening, many New Yorkers were struggling to put the moment into historical context.

“I was there for the Giants’ Super Bowls, the Yankees dynasty, the Mets in ’86, which was really special. None of that comes even close to this,” said Marlon Rice, a 51-year-old community advocate. “The entire city is on tilt because of the Knicks. I just hope this stays and we can enjoy an entire summer off this vibe.”

The excitement had been building for weeks as the Knicks put together a historic playoff run filled with dramatic comeback victories. For a fan base that had grown used to heartbreak, processing this new reality became a shared experience — one that called for a new kind of communal viewing.

Unofficial watch parties sprang up all over the city — on street corners, in parks, at gas stations and delis, inside synagogues, mosques, and even at least one funeral home — giving fans a way to watch together without paying the steep price of an actual ticket.

Hours before Saturday’s tip-off, lawn chairs and speakers were already in place on street corners, including outside a Cuban restaurant whose game projections had regularly drawn thousands of fans. By that point, the phrase “Knicks in 5” had become the standard greeting among New Yorkers.

The celebration has spilled into everyday life in unexpected ways. Newborns at Lenox Hill Hospital were given Knicks-embroidered hats. The cast of Hamilton closed Sunday’s performance with a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.” Bus drivers, firefighters, and subway workers were being treated like celebrities, with some pausing their duties to join in the festivities.

In one widely shared video, a pair of sanitation workers let bystanders toss trash bags into their truck, drawing cheers from the crowd watching nearby.

Rabbi Yakov Bankhalter, who leads an Orthodox Jewish community space near Madison Square Garden, said his quickly organized watch party ended with fans of all faiths dancing in the streets of Manhattan.

“Wherever you are in New York, it feels like there is nothing but the Knicks,” Bankhalter said Monday morning. “We’re still in the euphoria. It’s unbelievable. It’s still unbelievable.”

WASHINGTON — By the time Justin Gaethje finished off his bloodied opponent and celebrated his championship victory with a backflip off the top of the wire-mesh cage — then shook hands with President Donald Trump and even exchanged a fist bump with Melania — the head of the UFC had already made up his mind about one thing.

The White House will not be hosting another UFC event.

“It was an amazing experience, this was a one-of-one,” UFC CEO Dana White told reporters. “It will never happen again.”

That’s not because the event, called Freedom 250 — staged to mark Trump’s 80th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence — fell short of expectations. White was quick to boast about merchandise sales, streaming subscriptions, and hitting every performance benchmark the organization tracks, all shared at a press conference that ran well into the early morning hours.

The setting itself was nearly impossible to beat. Fighters treated their pre-fight walkouts like a guided tour, making their way through the West Wing, past the Oval Office, by presidential portraits, through the Roosevelt Room and the Cabinet Room. Winners even got a personal meeting with the president.

Gaethje paused to look at the copy of the Declaration of Independence displayed in the Oval Office and said a prayer before making the unusually long walk to the cage. He then dominated Spanish-Georgian fighter Ilia Topuria in the main event to claim the UFC lightweight title.

“Usually, I kind of blank out when it comes to getting ready to walk to the cage,” Gaethje said. “It was pretty crazy, looking at the Declaration of Independence. The original one. Their language was different. I’m not smart enough to read that.”

Gaethje also walked away with $825,000 in bonus money after earning both “Performance of the Night” and “Fight of the Night” honors.

Trump remained at the event through all seven bouts and appeared genuinely engaged throughout the night — at one point sporting a white “USA” baseball cap — and was all smiles each time a victorious fighter came over for a handshake.

Trump later took to Truth Social to declare the evening was “PERFECT!”

“Most people have never seen anything like that kind of human speed and power before,” Trump wrote. “The White House has never looked more beautiful. The setting was unsurpassed!”

The night wasn’t entirely without issues. UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland was escorted away from the Ellipse watch party — where thousands of fans had gathered — by police officers. Heavyweight Josh Hokit went further, making an extraordinary and baseless attack rooted in a right-wing conspiracy theory targeting former first lady Michelle Obama.

Despite those moments, the event delivered on its patriotic promise. The Marine Band performed, tributes were paid to first responders, active military members, and other honorees. Gaethje and Ciryl Gane were both crowned champions inside a blood-stained octagonal cage set up outdoors on the White House South Lawn.

“Hopefully tonight created some unity,” White said. “Even for the people that thought this was going to be some big political statement or something, this wasn’t. This was Americans, all Americans celebrating the birthday. For people who tuned in for the first time, because it was at the White House, hopefully they liked the sport. They liked some of the guy’s stories.”

White hopes the event may have attracted some new UFC fans — and they’ll have plenty to watch. International Fight Week is approaching, with UFC 329 set to mark the return of the promotion’s biggest draw, Conor McGregor, after a five-year absence. That event will take place in a traditional arena on UFC’s home turf in Las Vegas.

As for Washington, D.C.? White is firm: it’s a one-time deal. Dealing with unpredictable outdoor weather, the complex logistics of building a cage at a federal landmark, and the staggering price tag — UFC said it covered the $60 million cost itself — made Freedom 250 a singular occasion.

“I can’t afford it,” White said. “I’ll never do the Sphere again and we’ll never do this again.”

The Denver Broncos are adding a proven pass-catcher to their roster, with NFL Network reporting Monday that the team is signing wide receiver Hakeem Butler, a two-time UFL Offensive Player of the Year.

Butler, who celebrated his 30th birthday last month, claimed the prestigious spring league honor in both 2024 and 2026. His most recent award-winning season saw him top the UFL with 641 receiving yards on 29 receptions and three touchdowns while playing for the St. Louis Battlehawks.

According to the report, Butler will be on the field for the Broncos’ mandatory minicamp, which gets underway Tuesday.

The 6-foot-5 receiver’s path to Denver has been a long one. The Arizona Cardinals selected him in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Iowa State. His NFL playing time proved limited — he appeared in just two games with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020, logging 29 of his 30 snaps on special teams and never recording a reception.

Butler also had stints on the practice squads of the Carolina Panthers in 2020, the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023, and the Cincinnati Bengals in 2024. He also ventured north to the Canadian Football League in 2022, suiting up for both the BC Lions and Edmonton Elks.

His career took a significant turn when he joined the Battlehawks in 2023. Since then, he has established himself as the UFL’s all-time leader in receiving yards, accumulating an impressive 2,192 yards throughout his time in the spring league.

LAS VEGAS — When the Vegas Golden Knights made the surprising mid-season decision to bring in John Tortorella, there was no promise he would be around past the end of the year. Now, after leading the team all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, Tortorella appears to have made a compelling argument for staying on.

The Golden Knights hired Tortorella with just eight games remaining in the regular season, a move that came alongside the firing of Bruce Cassidy. The team had slipped from first to third place in the Pacific Division when general manager Kelly McCrimmon decided to shake things up.

“If we didn’t have the expectations and the belief in our team that we do, we probably would have let this thing ride out,” McCrimmon said at the time of the change. “We like our team a lot, and we think our team has a chance to win. We needed to make this change to help that happen.”

That gamble paid off. Under Tortorella, Vegas went 7-0-1 to close out the regular season and claimed the Pacific Division title — the franchise’s fifth division crown in its nine-year history. In the playoffs, they knocked out Utah and Anaheim in six games each before pulling off a stunning sweep of Colorado, a team that had won the Presidents’ Trophy and posted an 8-1 record in the postseason.

The Golden Knights then faced Carolina in the Final, taking a 2-1 series lead before the Hurricanes rallied to win three straight games and capture their first Stanley Cup championship in 20 years. Vegas dropped the decisive Game 6 by a score of 3-0.

After that loss Sunday night, Tortorella wasn’t in the mood to talk about his future, though his words hinted strongly that he wants to keep coaching.

“I’ve got to swallow this a little bit,” Tortorella said.

The 67-year-old coach — who turns 68 soon — spoke warmly about the players and the organization, and didn’t sound like someone ready to walk away from the bench.

“I feel very fortunate to get to know the team, get to know the organization,” Tortorella said. “It’s a first-class organization. Just to have the opportunity. I wanted to coach. I want to coach. To jump in with this gang, I feel so fortunate.”

Should he return next season, Tortorella expressed confidence in the team’s ability to make another deep run. The Golden Knights roster features talented players including Mitch Marner, Jack Eichel, Pavel Dorofeyev, and Mark Stone — a group Tortorella clearly believes can compete for a championship again.

“I know we’re on the wrong end of it here, but I just feel that’s a strong room,” Tortorella said. “I’m anxious to see what happens next year because it has another chance.”

The Golden Knights are also known for their willingness to pursue additional talent when needed. What management decides about Tortorella’s future is expected to become clear in the days ahead.

Braden Montgomery wasted no time making his mark on the major leagues.

The Chicago White Sox have been turning heads all season, sitting at 38-32 and leading the AL Central — a remarkable turnaround for a team that lost 102 games last year and a record 121 in 2024. The good feelings were already flowing when Montgomery stepped onto the field for his first major league game Tuesday night.

Then he made history. In the bottom of the 10th inning, Montgomery launched a two-run homer to left field, giving the White Sox a 6-5 walk-off victory over the Atlanta Braves. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he became just the fifth player ever to hit a walk-off home run in his major league debut, joining Billy Parker, Josh Bard, Miguel Cabrera, and Carlos Pérez.

Montgomery is ranked the No. 2 prospect in the Chicago organization by MLB Pipeline. The outfielder was originally selected by Boston in the first round of the 2024 draft before being included in the trade that sent Garrett Crochet to the Red Sox ahead of last season.

Chicago capped off the week by winning two of three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers, following back-to-back wins over Atlanta.

The week also featured two remarkable pitching performances worth noting. On Saturday, Yoshinobu Yamamoto retired the first 23 batters he faced and carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning before surrendering a leadoff home run. The Dodgers still won that game 7-1 over the White Sox.

Even more impressive, however, was Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, who tossed a one-hitter against Philadelphia on Friday night. He struck out 15 batters in a 6-0 victory and unleashed a pitch clocked at 104.5 mph — the fastest recorded by a starting pitcher since tracking began. Misiorowski became only the fifth pitcher since 1903 to strike out at least 15 batters without issuing a walk while throwing either a no-hitter or a one-hitter.

The others in that exclusive group: Kerry Wood of the Chicago Cubs, who struck out 20 in a one-hitter on May 6, 1998, against Houston; Pedro Martinez of the Boston Red Sox, who struck out 17 in a one-hitter on September 10, 1999, against the New York Yankees; Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals, who struck out 17 in a no-hitter on October 3, 2015, against the New York Mets; and Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who struck out 15 in a no-hitter on June 18, 2014, against Colorado. Of that group, only Misiorowski faced the minimum 27 batters.

Elsewhere, the San Francisco Giants pulled off one of the most stunning comebacks in recent memory. Trailing Washington by eight runs heading into the eighth inning Wednesday, the Giants scored five runs in both the eighth and ninth innings to win 11-10. Baseball Savant put San Francisco’s win probability at just 0.2 percent at that point.

Matt Chapman and Rafael Devers opened the eighth with back-to-back home runs. After two walks, Daniel Susac doubled in a run, and two more scored on a groundout and a wild pitch. After Washington pushed the lead back to 10-6, Luis Arraez and Chapman hit consecutive doubles to begin the ninth. Following a walk and a single that loaded the bases, Bryce Eldridge delivered a grand slam to complete the comeback.

According to Sportradar, teams trailing by at least eight runs in the eighth inning or later had lost 4,291 straight games before San Francisco’s win. The last team to accomplish that feat was Cleveland against Tampa Bay back in 2009.

The New York Jets have reached an agreement on a four-year contract extension with right guard Joe Tippmann, according to multiple reports that surfaced Monday.

The 25-year-old Tippmann’s new deal is valued at $62 million, with $31 million in new money guarantees, as reported by The Athletic.

Tippmann had been set to enter the last year of his rookie contract, which carried a base salary of $3.9 million for the 2026 season.

Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 313 pounds, Tippmann started every one of the Jets’ 17 games at guard last season following a position shift from center. Across his NFL career, he has appeared in 50 games and made 48 starts.

General manager Darren Mougey has made it a priority to extend promising young players before their rookie deals expire. Tippmann now joins wide receiver Garrett Wilson, running back Breece Hall, and tight end Jeremy Ruckert as players who have secured new contracts ahead of hitting that milestone.

HOUSTON — It was a lopsided scoreline, but nothing could steal the joy from Curacao supporters after their nation made its long-awaited World Cup debut on Sunday — a 7-1 loss to Germany that still felt like a victory of sorts for the smallest country ever to qualify for the tournament.

Curacao, a tiny island nation that stands out as the smallest country by both population and geographic size to reach a World Cup, faced a harsh welcome from a sharp and efficient German squad. Yet even as the goals piled up, the fans in the stands never stopped cheering.

The moment that had supporters on their feet came in the first 38 minutes, when Livano Comenencia netted what will go down in history as Curacao’s first-ever World Cup goal, briefly leveling the match at 1-1. After that, Germany pulled away decisively.

Still, the pride among Curacao supporters was impossible to contain. Fan Otmar Cornelia captured the emotion of the moment: “(I am) very proud because we are the smallest island, smallest country and we scored against Germany! We are very happy and very, very proud!”

Many supporters expressed hope that the team’s appearance on the world’s biggest soccer stage would ignite a passion for the sport among young people both on the island and in the Curacao diaspora around the globe.

Supporter Sandy Martina put it simply after the match: “Children who see this game know exactly that the future is without any limits. I am honoured, I am happy, I am blessed, I celebrate Curacao. We are again on the world map. We scored our first World Cup goal. I am proud, I am happy and it means a lot to me, it means a lot to my nation.”

Caroline Sluys made the trip from Curacao with her son specifically to witness the historic occasion. “This is so much fun. This is the first time Curacao have made it to the World Cup and we are just a little island of 150,000 inhabitants. It is amazing,” she said.

Curacao’s World Cup journey continues Saturday when they take on Ecuador in Kansas City. They will then wrap up group play against Ivory Coast in Philadelphia on June 25.

When Taylor Hall was selected first overall in the 2010 NHL draft, his future linemates were barely old enough to tie their own skates. Logan Stankoven was just 7 years old at the time, and Jackson Blake was days away from turning 7.

More than fifteen years later, the trio nicknamed the “Kids and the Hall” line became the driving force behind the Carolina Hurricanes claiming the Stanley Cup.

“Great all playoffs, all year,” head coach Rod Brind’Amour said of the line. “Their game really hasn’t changed for months.”

While the Hurricanes faced power-play struggles in the first three rounds and inconsistent production from the top line of Seth Jarvis, Sebastian Aho, and Andrei Svechnikov, Hall, Stankoven, and Blake stepped up in a big way. The three combined for 29 of Carolina’s 66 goals during the entire playoff run, including the two that sealed the deal against goaltender Carter Hart in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against Vegas.

Hall scored what will be remembered as the game-winning goal in Game 6, completing what turned out to be the longest gap between being drafted first overall and hoisting the Cup — 18 seasons. The 34-year-old winger, who won the NHL MVP award in 2017-18 with New Jersey, embraced a supporting role with Carolina, his seventh franchise in the league. He joined the Hurricanes from Chicago as part of a three-team trade in January 2025 and later signed a contract extension.

“You never know what kind of turn your life’s going to take,” Hall said. “I got fortunate coming here. A special group to do it with. They allowed me, personally, just to come in and have success and that says a lot.”

That same trade also brought big winger Mikko Rantanen to Carolina from Colorado, though he lasted only 13 games with the team before being dealt to Dallas. The key piece coming back in that transaction was Stankoven, who had been in the middle of his first season with the Stars.

“I didn’t see it coming,” Stankoven admitted. “It was tough at first just to kind of swallow it and realize that I was getting shipped out.”

Despite the initial shock, Stankoven quickly found his footing as the center Carolina had long been searching for. He finished the playoffs leading the team with 11 goals. Meanwhile, Blake — the youngest player to lift the Cup this time around — assisted on Hall’s goal and added one of his own on Sunday night.

“I have no words right now,” said the 22-year-old Blake. “I’m out of breath. But this is the greatest feeling I’ve ever had in my life. It’s unbelievable. And to do it with these guys, my family here and everyone here supporting us, it’s unbelievable.”

Each player found a distinct role within the line. Hall provided the physical presence, Blake distributed the puck, and Stankoven emerged as the finisher while also generating offense at even strength.

“It’s what you dream of as a kid — to win a Stanley Cup, but also to be a difference-maker in the NHL,” said the 23-year-old Stankoven. “I know that I’m not a finished product. I still have work to put in, and I’m still a young guy. I just want to keep working at my game and just being a sponge.”

While Dallas is certainly pleased to have Rantanen in his prime, Stankoven made the most of his trade 15 months ago. Last summer, he signed an $48 million contract running through 2034, and his playoff performance suggests the investment was well worth it.

“Everything kind of happens for a reason,” Stankoven said. “Dallas got their player, and I just want to become the best version of myself here in Carolina.”

NEW YORK (AP) — By the time Jalen Brunson and his Knicks teammates made it back to New York, the city had turned almost entirely orange. For close to two months, New Yorkers were swept up in the team’s championship push, and the celebration shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.

A victory parade down Broadway is set for Thursday — the franchise’s very first, despite winning titles in 1970 and 1973 without ever holding one.

Long after the streets are cleaned up, this team will be remembered. Not just in New York, but across the entire NBA.

The 2025-26 Knicks have secured a place in the 80-year history of the league.

Their postseason performance ranks among the finest ever seen, a stretch filled with dominant victories and stunning comebacks that ultimately delivered the franchise its first championship in more than 50 years.

Former President Barack Obama took to social media to celebrate the achievement, writing: “What a run!” in a post congratulating coach Mike Brown, Brunson, and the rest of the roster — a run some are calling comparable to even Obama’s beloved Chicago Bulls teams.

The Knicks closed out the postseason at 16-3, an .842 winning percentage that ties the 2024 Boston Celtics for the second-best mark since the NBA moved to best-of-seven series in all rounds starting in 2003. Only the 2017 Golden State Warriors, who went 16-1, finished with a better percentage. The 2001 Los Angeles Lakers went 15-1, and the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers finished 12-1, with five other teams finishing a postseason with just two losses.

At one point, New York rattled off 13 wins in a row — second only to Golden State’s 15 consecutive victories in 2017. The Knicks also set records by winning nine straight games away from home and outscoring all postseason opponents by a combined 283 points.

Even before the NBA Finals were finished, rapper Fat Joe — one of many celebrity fans showing up in orange and blue — attended coach Brown’s press conference and offered his assessment of what he was watching.

“Let’s just wait until it’s over, but right now you analyze the numbers, we might be looking at the greatest team ever, like if you analyze the numbers,” Fat Joe said.

When the wins stopped coming easily, the Knicks found another way to make history. Their comeback from 29 points down in Game 4 of the Finals was the largest rally in a Finals game since detailed play-by-play tracking began in 1997. They then capped the championship with a comeback from 16 points down in the clinching game.

Veteran broadcaster Mike Breen, who calls Knicks games on MSG Network during the regular season and has served as ABC’s lead NBA Finals announcer since 2006, weighed in on where this run stands historically.

“It’s absolutely one of the greatest ever,” Breen said. “It’s impossible for me to rank it, but when you take into account the point differential, the nine straight road wins, clinching all four series on the road, the two losses by one point, the two record-setting comebacks, it’s in the conversation as the best ever.”

Two of New York’s three losses came by a single point against Atlanta in the opening round. The third was a four-point defeat in Game 3 against San Antonio, meaning the Knicks finished just six combined points away from a flawless postseason.

On the flip side, they won three clinching games in the Eastern Conference by margins of 51, 30, and 37 points.

Before the playoffs even tipped off, All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns acknowledged the weight of expectations, saying: “At the end of the day we’ll be judged by what we do in this run.”

That judgment has come in, and it’s historic.

“We went through a lot this season, a lot of ups and downs, but we just stayed with it,” forward OG Anunoby reflected. “We’re resilient, mentally tough and we won.”

The Carolina Hurricanes are Stanley Cup champions for the first time in two decades, finishing off the Vegas Golden Knights with a dominant 3-0 shutout in Game 6 on Sunday night. The Hurricanes won three consecutive games to close out an exciting final series that featured dramatic momentum shifts and high-powered offense throughout. Goaltender Brandon Bussi, whose entry into Game 3 proved to be a turning point for Carolina, stopped all 22 shots he faced to earn his first career playoff shutout. Jackson Blake contributed a goal and an assist, Taylor Hall struck just 3 minutes and 47 seconds into the game to establish early control, and Nikolaj Ehlers sealed the win with an empty-net goal.

Jordan Staal has been awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs’ most valuable player, becoming the oldest recipient of that honor at 37 years old. Staal led Carolina in goal-scoring during the final against Vegas and was a dominant two-way center throughout the entire postseason, excelling in faceoffs and shutdown situations. He joined the Hurricanes via a trade from Pittsburgh back in 2012 and has served as team captain for the past seven years, making him the longest-tenured player in the organization.

Brandon Bussi’s path to a Stanley Cup championship is one of the more unlikely stories of this postseason. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour had actually expressed relief before the final that Bussi — the team’s backup — hadn’t been needed. That changed when Bussi entered during Game 3 and ultimately carried the team the rest of the way. The 27-year-old, once a journeyman goalie, had already played in nearly half of Carolina’s regular-season games, helping the team earn the top playoff seed. Starter Frederik Andersen handled the first three rounds before Bussi took over and made crucial saves in the clinching game.

President Donald Trump celebrated his 80th birthday with a UFC event held on the White House lawn. The event, called Freedom 250, featured seven fights and also marked the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Fighters from across the globe participated, with UFC President Dana White alongside Trump as the crowd chanted “USA! USA!” Fighter Bo Nickal won his bout and publicly thanked Trump for the opportunity. Thousands of fans attended, including notable guests such as Mark Zuckerberg, highlighting the long-standing relationship between Trump and White.

Hockey stars Matthew and Brady Tkachuk and Logan Paul were among those taking part in pre-fight festivities for UFC Freedom 250 at the South Lawn of the White House. While VIPs filled the area around the Octagon, a separate viewing party was held at the Ellipse for the general public. Weather was a concern for a time, with dark clouds gathering as the fights began, but the area avoided any storms.

Iran captain Mehdi Taremi says his team is facing a difficult World Cup experience due to the tensions stemming from his country’s conflict with co-host United States. The Iranian squad arrived in the Los Angeles area on Sunday after training in Tijuana, Mexico — just over the U.S. border and roughly 140 miles from the stadium where they will open group-stage play against New Zealand. Taremi said he felt the tension from the moment Iran arrived and described this World Cup as far less enjoyable than his two previous appearances in the tournament.

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders is speaking out about the gambling scandal spreading through college football. Sanders, who has dealt with plenty of risk throughout his career, said he will not tolerate wagering on college games. The controversy has grown after Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby obtained a court order last week restoring his eligibility and overturning an NCAA ban that had been imposed for betting on professional and college sports. Colorado is scheduled to face Big 12 rival Texas Tech on October 3rd. Sanders, who missed time last spring and summer while undergoing treatment for bladder cancer, is said to be more involved this offseason as the Buffaloes look to rebound from a 3-9 finish.

The NBA offseason is underway, with plenty of questions surrounding star players including Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James. The New York Knicks are the reigning champions, continuing a remarkable stretch of parity in the league — eight different franchises have won the title over the past eight seasons. That list includes Toronto in 2019, the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, Milwaukee in 2021, Golden State in 2022, Denver in 2023, Boston in 2024, Oklahoma City last year, and now New York. The rest of the league is now chasing the Knicks heading into the new season.

Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway for his third consecutive victory, moving past the late Kyle Busch into ninth place on the all-time wins list. Hamlin, 45, is the oldest full-time driver in the Cup Series and now has 64 career wins, including four this season. Despite the success, Hamlin says he still plans to retire when his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing expires in 2027. Tyler Reddick came in second and William Byron finished third. The series heads next to a street race at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego.

The Colorado Rockies set a franchise record with a 23-9 victory over the Athletics on a scorching 101-degree afternoon at Las Vegas Ballpark. Willi Castro drove in seven runs and Hunter Goodman collected a career-best five hits in the lopsided win. The Athletics, who are scheduled to move to Las Vegas full time in 2028, wrapped up a six-game homestand at the ballpark, which currently serves as the site of their top minor league affiliate.

SOUTHAMPTON, New York — The world’s top golfers are converging on Shinnecock Hills Golf Club this week for the U.S. Open, scheduled for June 18-21. Here are five major storylines to keep an eye on as the action unfolds.

SCHEFFLER CHASING GOLF’S ULTIMATE PRIZE

World number one Scottie Scheffler — a two-time Masters champion who also claimed last year’s PGA Championship and British Open titles — will have his first opportunity to complete the career Grand Slam by capturing all four of golf’s major championships. A victory would place him among an exclusive group of just seven men to accomplish the feat, joining Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan, and Gene Sarazen. Through 12 PGA Tour starts this season, Scheffler has posted seven top-10 finishes, including a January win at La Quinta and runner-up showings at the Masters, the Cadillac Championship, and the RBC Heritage.

EUROPEANS RIDING HIGH

European golfers arrive in New York with significant momentum. When Englishman Aaron Rai captured the 2026 PGA Championship just a month after Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy defended his Masters title in April, it marked the first time in the modern major era that the season’s opening two majors were both claimed by European players. McIlroy and Rai will spearhead the European effort at Shinnecock Hills, with McIlroy’s Ryder Cup teammates Justin Rose and Matt Fitzpatrick also looking to build on their own wins earlier this season.

SCOTT POISED TO ENTER RARE TERRITORY

Australian Adam Scott is on the verge of a remarkable milestone. When he tees it up in Thursday’s opening round, he will join Jack Nicklaus as the only men in history to compete in 100 consecutive major championships. Scott’s extraordinary streak dates back to the 2001 British Open and includes his 2013 Masters victory. By comparison, Nicklaus played in 146 straight majors, from the 1962 Masters through the 1998 U.S. Open.

KOEPKA’S STATUS IN QUESTION

Brooks Koepka would have entered this week with a distinct edge, having won his second U.S. Open title at Shinnecock Hills back in 2018. However, a puzzling hand injury forced him to withdraw during the final round of the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday, casting doubt on whether he’ll be able to compete. Koepka described the moment it became clear something was wrong: “(I) got to the range and went to grip the club and I just couldn’t even grip it,” he told reporters.

THE HAMPTONS BACKDROP

This year’s U.S. Open takes place in the Hamptons, the glamorous Long Island destination favored by celebrities and Manhattan’s wealthiest residents. The influx of summer visitors and tournament traffic is expected to create significant congestion across Long Island. To help ease the burden, a temporary Long Island Rail Road platform has been built right next to the tournament grounds, and organizers have urged ticket holders to use public transportation. Home rental prices in the surrounding area have also surged ahead of the event.

American fighter Justin Gaethje delivered one of the biggest upsets in recent UFC history Sunday, defeating Ilia Topuria to claim the lightweight championship at a landmark event held on the grounds of the White House.

Topuria appeared to be in control through the first two rounds of the contest, but Gaethje changed the momentum dramatically with a powerful right hand that rocked the Spaniard. He followed that up with a relentless combination of punches that left Topuria’s face badly swollen and bleeding.

By the fourth round, Topuria was visibly struggling and had difficulty seeing. A ringside physician examined him before allowing the fight to continue, but Topuria’s corner ultimately decided to stop the contest before the fifth and final round could begin.

A disbelieving Gaethje reflected on the victory afterward. “I cannot even believe it … I knew I was going to have to get through the first round, his skills are unmatched when he’s fresh,” he said. “But my durability, my tenacity and my heart were going to carry me through.”

The championship bout served as the headliner for “UFC Freedom 250,” which made history as the first professional sporting event ever staged at the White House. The occasion was a centerpiece of U.S. President Donald Trump’s festivities celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.

In the evening’s co-main event, France’s Ciryl Gane put on a dominant performance against Brazil’s Alex Pereira, finishing the fight with a spectacular second-round knockout to claim the interim UFC heavyweight title. Pereira, who previously held both the light heavyweight and middleweight championships, had been attempting to become the first fighter in UFC history to win titles across three weight classes.

An 8-year-old boy named Beckham balanced on a fence for more than three hours outside a Tennessee school, clutching a handwritten note and waiting for Spain’s national soccer team to appear.

The note was addressed to players Pedri and Lamine Yamal. “I love you and I look up to you,” it read. “Thanks for coming to my city. I hope you win the World Cup.”

When the players finally jogged onto the field, the boy’s eyes went wide. “Dad,” he whispered, “they’re real.”

His father, Jaxon McClure, a Marine Corps veteran who grew up in Chattanooga playing pickup soccer with trash cans as goalposts, was just as awestruck. McClure now coaches hundreds of local children and named his son after soccer legend David Beckham.

This summer marks 32 years since the United States last hosted the world’s largest sporting event, and several American cities have been designated as World Cup base camps — places where visiting national teams live and train between matches.

Spain, considered one of the tournament favorites, established its headquarters at a boarding school along the Tennessee River in Chattanooga. Iraq is training at a mountain resort community in West Virginia with a population of fewer than 3,000 people. Germany, meanwhile, has settled into Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where cobblestone streets and old tobacco warehouses now share space with German flags and roving television crews.

Back in Chattanooga, a 144-foot underground waterfall beneath Lookout Mountain has been illuminated in red, and the downtown Embassy Suites hotel where Spain’s squad is staying is draped in the team’s red and yellow national flag, known as la Rojigualda. When La Roja landed at Chattanooga Airport, giant banners bearing the players’ images and the message “Bienvenidos a Chattanooga” welcomed them to the city.

Chattanooga native Skip Schwartz noted that so many people are wearing Spanish jerseys around town that “you don’t know if they’re from Spain, hoping to get a glimpse, or they are locals who have bought into the La Roja bandwagon.”

Roughly 25,000 people entered a lottery for just 1,000 tickets to watch Spain practice at Baylor School, a 600-acre private academy serving students in grades 6 through 12. In Winston-Salem, tickets to observe Germany’s training session at Wake Forest University sold out in four minutes.

“It’s just fun to see everyone start to care about something they didn’t care about before,” said Savannah Lahey, who manages a soccer bar called Small Batch Beer Co. in downtown Winston-Salem. The bar has extended its hours for watch parties and put together a German-inspired menu featuring schnitzel sandwiches and sauerbraten timed to Germany’s opening match.

“It’s getting to make people feel at home, even when they’re not at home,” Lahey added.

In West Virginia, the Iraqi national team arrived at the Greenbrier, a storied resort that has previously hosted presidents and foreign dignitaries. Iraqi flags flew alongside the American flag to mark the occasion.

Teams selected their base camps from a list of FIFA-approved sites across North America, with higher-ranked nations getting first choice. Spain passed over larger cities — including Chicago and Los Angeles — in favor of Chattanooga, then partnered with Baylor School to build out a full training and media operation on the campus.

FIFA inspectors evaluated Baylor’s facilities in detail, including grass quality, drainage, and irrigation systems, according to the school’s operations and systems director Sam Green. To protect the pitches for Spain’s use, Baylor’s own players were moved to artificial turf for their spring training — a trade-off Green said graduating seniors accepted without complaint.

Spain’s daily training sessions take place on two grass fields tucked behind a tree line. The airport and the team’s downtown hotel are just minutes away, and Atlanta — where Spain is scheduled to play two group-stage matches — is easily accessible. After Spain’s first official practice, players reportedly headed to the campus pool to swim, relax, and enjoy themselves before returning to work.

For Schwartz, who now sits on Baylor’s board of trustees, Spain’s decision carries personal weight. He played soccer at Baylor in the late 1980s and early 1990s and helped lay Bermuda sod for a new soccer field during his time there. That field has since been replaced by an indoor tennis facility now serving as Spain’s media center, but the school has grown to include three soccer pitches and one of the region’s top programs.

“If somebody had told me then that 40 years later Spain would be using this campus as the foundation for a World Cup, I wouldn’t even have tried to fathom it,” Schwartz said.

Tina Ankar, a first-generation Palestinian American, said she became a soccer fan through the World Cup and her boyfriend, who grew up watching matches with his Mexican family. At Spain’s open practice, hundreds of fans chanted “Vamos, España!” after nearly every touch of the ball. Ankar found herself caught up in the excitement.

“I’ve got to watch these guys all the way to the end,” she said. “Now we really have someone to cheer on besides America.”

Before Spain’s first public practice, Baylor students sneaked into the locker room to photograph the freshly labeled stalls bearing the names of Spain’s top players, debating among themselves which star had ended up in “their” locker.

“I sat in that locker room almost every single day this spring,” said 17-year-old midfielder and graduating senior Heath Techasiriwan.

Techasiriwan, a Filipino American and lifelong Lionel Messi fan who cheered for Argentina during the 2022 World Cup, said there was no doubt where his loyalty lies this summer.

“Without a doubt, I’m cheering for Spain,” he said. “I can’t see players like Pedri, Gavi and Lamine Yamal literally right in front of me and not cheer for them.”

Goalkeeper Mathew Ramirez drives an hour each way from Calhoun, Georgia, to train at Baylor. He grew up watching FC Barcelona alongside his father, who emigrated from Guatemala, and plans to watch Spain’s World Cup games over carne asada with family and friends.

After one practice session, 18-year-old Yamal signed the 16-year-old goalkeeper’s custom Barcelona jersey. Ramirez told the star in Spanish, “Watching you play gives me happiness.”

Young Beckham, meanwhile, has been collecting autographs and taking selfies with players before heading home each day wearing the Spain jersey his father says he slept in the night before.

“Wait, Dad. They’re real,” Beckham kept saying. “Lamine Yamal is a real person. I just thought they were like superheroes. They’re on TV.”

Chattanooga has changed dramatically since the days when McClure played neighborhood soccer with makeshift goalposts. He now coaches around 850 children, and the city supports both a professional men’s and women’s team.

“They could have gone anywhere in this country,” McClure said of Spain’s decision to come to Chattanooga, “and they chose us.”

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Iranian American community is deeply divided over Iran’s presence at the World Cup, with some planning to rally outside the stadium and others gathering to cheer the team on as it faces New Zealand in its opening match Monday.

The planned protest will take place outside the stadium near Los Angeles, which is home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran itself. Many of Southern California’s Iranian Americans came to the United States following the Islamic Revolution, and an area roughly 10 miles from the stadium — packed with restaurants, shops, and markets — has earned the nickname “Tehrangeles.”

Protesters intend to wear lion-and-sun T-shirts and carry the Iranian flag that was used before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, as a show of opposition to Tehran’s deadly crackdown on dissent this past January.

Ali Javahery, a 59-year-old consultant born in Iran who now lives in Orange County, California, said he will be standing outside in protest rather than watching the match. He believes soccer and politics cannot be separated, and while he has a deep love for the sport, he feels the national team’s players are pressured to align with the Iranian government’s stance.

“This is not ‘Team Melli,’” Javahery said, referring to the team’s Persian nickname. “This is Team Islamic Republic.”

Iran’s involvement in the tournament has been complicated by the country’s ongoing conflict with U.S. and Israeli forces. The team relocated its training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Mexico, and several key Iranian soccer officials were denied visas to enter the United States. Many in the diaspora are wrestling with how to express solidarity with the Iranian people — without appearing to support their government — through their shared passion for the sport.

Team captain Mehdi Taremi addressed the tension at a press conference Sunday. “We play for every Iranian, be it in the diaspora or in Iran. People have different opinions, but we are here to unite people and we will try to bring joy to all Iranians wherever they live,” he said. “We are here to bring joy to Iranian people. We do not get involved in politics. We are here to play football.”

Reza Garajedaghi, 57, said he plans to watch the game alongside his 96-year-old father in San Diego. He chose not to purchase tickets, in part due to the steep prices, but said he backs the team regardless of politics, while acknowledging the wide spectrum of opinions held by Iranians living abroad.

“I’m a football die-hard, and the boys, they’re representing all Persians, Iranians around the world,” said Garajedaghi, who left Iran at age 10. “To me, it has nothing to do with whatever government they have in Iran.”

Watch parties have been organized throughout Southern California, and when Iran was placed in the Los Angeles bracket last year, many fans snapped up tickets. However, in recent months, some have sold those tickets in frustration following January’s violent crackdown.

The political pressure surrounding the team is not new. In 2022, a well-known former member of the national squad was arrested for allegedly speaking out against the country’s leadership. This year, star striker Sardar Azmoun was reportedly left off the World Cup roster after a social media post drew the ire of authorities.

Iran’s coach, Amir Ghalenoei, called Azmoun “an excellent player” and said he wished the striker had been part of the squad.

When asked Sunday about the large Iranian diaspora expected near the stadium, Ghalenoei expressed gratitude. “I am just happy that they are coming to watch us and I hope that they will pray for us and I hope that they will encourage us,” he said, adding that he hoped the team would reward that support with a strong performance.

A separate dispute has emerged over FIFA’s ban on political flags inside the stadium. Many Iranian Americans wish to display the pre-revolution lion-and-sun flag, which is not Iran’s current official flag. The Iranian American Institute for Voices for Liberty announced it filed a lawsuit in California last week challenging that FIFA rule.

During Friday’s opening ceremony in Los Angeles, much of the predominantly American crowd booed when Iran’s flag was carried onto the field.

Late Sunday, President Donald Trump announced that the United States had reached an agreement with Iran to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict, which was launched by the U.S. and Israel on February 28, has destabilized the region and largely halted oil and natural gas shipments out of the Persian Gulf. A formal signing of the deal is expected Friday, though specific terms have not yet been released.

LAS VEGAS — Just hours before the opening game of the Stanley Cup Final, Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour had kind words for backup goaltender Brandon Bussi — while also admitting he was relieved the team hadn’t needed to call on him yet during the playoffs.

“Haven’t had to use him, (and) to be honest, I hope we don’t because something’s gone wrong,” Brind’Amour said.

As it turned out, the late-blooming netminder did get his call — and he made the most of it, guiding the Hurricanes all the way to the Stanley Cup championship.

Starter Frederik Andersen had been between the pipes for every single minute of Carolina’s first three playoff rounds and the beginning of the Final. But Bussi took over during Game 3 and never looked back. He turned aside 81 of the 87 shots he faced against Vegas, all while Andersen’s availability remained a mystery. It was only after the series ended that the team revealed the veteran Danish goaltender had been dealing with a knee injury, which kept him out of the lineup from Game 4 onward.

“Freddie battled,” Brind’Amour said. “He got a little nicked up, wasn’t 100%. I felt for him, but he got us here and then Bus took over. This is a team.”

When Game 6 wrapped up Sunday night, Bussi and Andersen shared an emotional embrace on the ice. Andersen — at 36, the second-oldest player on the roster — was the first person that captain and playoff MVP Jordan Staal handed the Stanley Cup to after receiving it from Commissioner Gary Bettman.

“It’s disbelief, really,” Andersen said. “I did not expect that. It really beat every emotion I could think of or what I’ve been feeling.”

Bussi, 27 and a native of Long Island, was far from a stranger to the Hurricanes organization. He had appeared in nearly half of Carolina’s regular-season games, winning 31 of his 39 starts and helping the team claim the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Back in February, he signed a three-year contract extension at a team-friendly $5.7 million total value.

But not long ago, his career trajectory looked far more ordinary. Going undrafted, Bussi spent several years working his way through the Boston Bruins’ farm system — suiting up for the Maine Mariners in the ECHL and the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League. The Florida Panthers liked what they saw and signed him last summer to serve as their third goaltender, behind Sergei Bobrovsky and Daniil Tarasov.

When the Panthers attempted to send him to their AHL affiliate in Charlotte, they lost him — the Hurricanes scooped Bussi off waivers. He and his fiancée, Mary Raclawski, were already 10 hours into a drive from South Florida to North Carolina when his agent called with the news.

“The next thing you know, the following day I’m in Raleigh and I’m on the opening night roster,” Bussi said. “It’s crazy.”

Injuries to both Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov pushed Bussi into a much bigger role for one of the league’s top contenders. That role grew even larger in the Final. He entered the game at the second intermission of Game 3 with Carolina trailing 4-0 and proceeded to stop all 18 shots he faced, fueling a remarkable comeback. The only blemish on his record came in double overtime, when a puck took an unlucky bounce off the end boards and Bussi inadvertently kicked it in for the Golden Knights’ winning goal.

In the championship-clinching Game 6, Bussi came up huge when it mattered most. He turned away playoff leading goal-scorer Brett Howden on a breakaway in the first period. In the second, he denied Tomas Hertl on a 2-on-1 rush — much to the delight of his family watching from the stands. Then, in the closing minutes of regulation, he robbed both Hertl and Mark Stone on high-quality scoring opportunities.

Hurricanes fans packed into the arena in Las Vegas chanted “Buss-i! Buss-i!” as their goaltender earned his third career shutout and secured the championship. The journeyman label is gone — Bussi is now a Stanley Cup champion.

So is Andersen.

“This is something everyone dreams of,” Andersen said. “You don’t really know what it feels like until you try it, and now we’re here.”

There’s a new piece of gear showing up on boats across America, and it’s stirring up one of the biggest debates the fishing world has seen in years.

Forward-facing sonar — a high-tech system that can cost around $2,500 for a complete setup — is giving anglers the ability to see exactly where fish are swimming in real time, right on a screen mounted to their boat. And not everyone is happy about it.

“You’ve got people that are concerned about what’s going to happen to the sport of fishing,” said Gary Korsgaden, who has spent decades writing about the sport.

Traditional fish-finding sonar works by sending sound frequencies from the bow or rear of a boat down into the water. The time it takes those pings to bounce off the bottom and return creates a picture on a screen. The newer forward-facing version goes further — anglers can attach it to a trolling motor and scan the water in all directions to pinpoint a fish’s exact location at any moment.

“With forward-facing sonar, you can attach it to a trolling motor and you can look around the water under you and you could find exactly, pinpoint where that fish exactly is at any given time,” said Dave Dunn, a sales executive at Garmin, one of the companies that makes the technology.

Dunn added that users can even see their lures moving through the water, allowing them to cast directly toward a fish. He acknowledged the equipment does take some time to learn.

For Minnesota angler Terry Rehm, the technology has been a welcome addition. Between work and his kids’ busy schedules, Rehm said he doesn’t get much time on the water, and forward-facing sonar helps him make the most of every trip.

“It’s just nice to be able to hone in on them a little quicker and find them quicker and catch more fish when I’m out here,” Rehm said.

Fishing remains one of the most popular recreational activities in the United States, with tens of millions of people casting a line each year. But anglers fish for many different reasons — and those who value the peace and quiet of a day on the lake sometimes find it jarring to see fellow fishermen glued to their screens.

Despite the pushback, use of the technology is growing fast. Surveys in Minnesota show roughly 30% of anglers now use forward-facing sonar. On one lake surveyed last fall, that number climbed as high as 63%, according to Walleye Alliance spokesperson Nate Blasing.

The debate has spilled across social media, podcasts, online fishing forums, trade shows, and tournaments.

“It’s much like politics now. It tends to get personal. You can agree to disagree,” Blasing said.

Korsgaden said the online arguments can turn ugly quickly, noting that tournament anglers have removed him from their Facebook pages simply for bringing up the subject.

“I think the unfortunate reality is fishing has gotten to be more about, shall we say, success or numbers or quantity, that type of thing, instead of the actual enjoyment of the engagement and making decisions on your own,” Korsgaden said.

But is the technology actually wiping out fish populations? So far, the science suggests otherwise.

Researchers in Wisconsin ran a controlled experiment last year, splitting anglers into two groups — one using forward-facing sonar, one fishing without it — while targeting smallmouth bass. Midway through the summer, the groups switched methods.

Surprisingly, the group fishing without the technology actually had higher catch rates, though the sonar users tended to land slightly larger fish. Greg Sass, fisheries research team leader with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Office of Applied Science, said sonar users spent more time searching for fish before casting, while the traditional anglers spent more time actively fishing.

Sass said he’s cautious about applying those results to all fish species and water types, but acknowledged the findings “would be counterintuitive to what I’m hearing in the bait shops or from other people that are on both sides of the fence with technology.” Additional studies are planned, including research focused on the muskie.

In Minnesota, a fisheries specialist with the state’s Department of Natural Resources said a statewide lake analysis found no “negative impacts” tied to the use of forward-facing sonar. Wildlife officers conducting surveys found that anglers using the technology caught similar numbers and varieties of fish compared to those using traditional methods.

“To some degree, it can get scapegoated a little bit, and people’s perceptions of what other people are doing is often different than what the reality is,” said Marc Bacigalupi, a regional fisheries supervisor with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Still, the department has proposed cutting the daily walleye limit from six fish down to four. Forward-facing sonar is one factor in that proposal, along with a surge in ice fishing, social media attention drawing crowds to popular spots, and lower limits in neighboring states.

For Daren Schneider, a lifelong angler from Bismarck, North Dakota, the technology has completely changed his understanding of fish behavior. He once believed walleye needed to be caught near the lake bottom — but watching them on sonar revealed they “do all kinds of things that you never thought a walleye would do.”

Schneider says the technology has deepened both his knowledge and his love of fishing.

“Fishing isn’t necessarily about catching fish and getting your limit or whatever,” he said. “It’s about being out there and making memories, and if it’s making memories with forward-facing sonar, why is that such a bad thing?”

Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour has a unique perspective on what his captain Jordan Staal is going through right now. Brind’Amour himself wore the captain’s ‘C’ when the franchise claimed the Stanley Cup two decades ago, and now he watched Staal lead the team to its second championship in franchise history.

Even before the Final against Vegas got underway, Brind’Amour made his feelings about Staal crystal clear.

“We’re not here today without Jordan Staal,” the coach said. “I can promise you that. We’re very lucky. And as a coach, you’re super fortunate to have a guy like that be your leader.”

Staal delivered the kind of performance that defines his entire NHL career — a shutdown center who dominates faceoffs and plays both ends of the ice — while also stepping up offensively when it mattered most. He led the team with six goals in the Final against the Golden Knights, and that combination earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs’ most valuable player.

At 37 years old, Staal is now the oldest player in history to receive that honor.

“He’s always really good, but yeah, he’s stepped it up at such a pivotal time,” said teammate Seth Jarvis. “It’s incredible to watch, and it’s so much fun playing with him and being around him.”

Staal has been with the organization longer than any current player. He arrived in 2012 via a trade from Pittsburgh — on his wedding day, no less — and after previously winning the Cup with the Penguins in 2009, he endured four to five years with Carolina without even making the playoffs.

“I don’t want to say that the losing that he had to do for four, five years when he got here might have fueled him even more, but I think it did,” said fellow veteran Jordan Martinook. “The fact that he’s seen some pretty dark days here and then to be on the other side of it … he stuck through it the whole time.”

Over the past seven seasons, Staal and the Hurricanes consistently reached the postseason but could never break through to the Final. He took over as captain in 2020, following in the footsteps of Brind’Amour, who held the role from 2005 to 2010, and his older brother Eric, who served as captain from 2010 to 2016.

Staal has carried the weight of those repeated early exits with him.

“Each scar, each moment just drives a hunger even deeper into you,” Staal said. “Being a part of this core and all the scars that we’ve gone through just brings that care factor for each other that we want it for each other that much more.”

While Staal has never taken home the Selke Trophy — awarded to the league’s top defensive forward — he has been a finalist, and this postseason run demonstrated exactly why. He won more than 56% of his faceoffs and is so critical on draws that the team even uses him at the start of power plays simply to win possession.

When told about his coach’s remarks crediting him as essential to the team’s run, Staal deflected the praise back toward Brind’Amour and insisted he hadn’t changed his approach. The two shared a lengthy embrace on the ice following the Game 6 victory.

“I’m just being me,” Staal said. “I’m not really anyone different. But just my day-to-day presence is showing up and working. That’s all I’ve done since I got here in Carolina, and being consistent with that must have been enough.”

His offensive explosion against Vegas ultimately pushed him past Logan Stankoven and Taylor Hall, who had been considered the leading Conn Smythe candidates for Carolina. Though Staal never reached 30 goals in a regular season, his six in the Final place him alongside Hall of Famers Mario Lemieux and Mike Bossy in the record books.

“I’m not really surprised,” Brind’Amour said. “You take the goals away, it’d be the same impact. It’s just added that extra element.”

The coach hasn’t changed. The system hasn’t changed. The core group of players hasn’t changed either.

That’s no knock on Rod Brind’Amour, widely regarded as one of the finest coaches in the NHL, or on cornerstones Jordan Staal, Jaccob Slavin, Sebastian Aho, and Seth Jarvis — the players who have kept the Carolina Hurricanes in the postseason year after year.

What made this season different was the wave of fresh talent that general manager Eric Tulsky brought in over the past 17 months. Those moves added up to the franchise claiming the Stanley Cup for the second time ever, and the first since 2006.

Tulsky made a high-stakes move by acquiring star winger Mikko Rantanen from Colorado in January 2025, also landing veteran Taylor Hall from Chicago in the same three-team deal. When it became apparent that Rantanen had no interest in staying long-term in Carolina, Tulsky shipped him to Dallas in exchange for center Logan Stankoven and two first-round draft picks. One of those picks was later used to land defenseman K’Andre Miller on July 1.

Just two days after that, the Hurricanes won the race to sign top free agent Nikolaj Ehlers, a swift winger who filled the exact void that had plagued the team through seven straight postseason trips without ever reaching the Stanley Cup Final. Ehlers, Stankoven, Hall, and Miller collectively answered the question that had haunted Carolina fans every spring.

All of the new arrivals proved to be a good fit under Brind’Amour, whose demanding style of play isn’t suited to every player.

“We’ve really focused on finding people who fit the way we want to play,” Tulsky said. “We ask players to play a very distinctive style, and our scouts have done a great job finding players who can come in and look their best playing the way Rod needs them to play.”

The Rantanen trade carried significant risk. Carolina gave up talented forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury to Colorado on the bet that the Finnish winger was the missing piece. But Rantanen managed only six points in 13 games with the Hurricanes, and the pairing clearly wasn’t working. Talks with Toronto about Mitch Marner never resulted in a trade waiver, and Marner ultimately ended up in Las Vegas, where he played a key role in the Golden Knights’ run to the final.

Rather than watching the situation deteriorate with Rantanen likely to walk in free agency, Tulsky moved quickly and dealt him to Dallas for Stankoven and two first-round picks. One of those selections was sent to the New York Rangers to acquire Miller, who strengthened Carolina’s defensive depth.

“We never want to get worried about the what ifs,” Tulsky said. “That being said, sometimes it doesn’t go the way you hoped, and you’ve got to be ready to figure out how you’re going to move forward from there.”

Stankoven finished as the team’s leading scorer during the championship run, netting 11 goals across a dominant stretch of 16 wins in 19 games.

For years, the Hurricanes’ playoff struggles weren’t a matter of simply being a regular-season team that fell apart in the postseason. Under Brind’Amour’s first seven seasons, they won at least one series in six of them, including three trips to the Eastern Conference Final. The breakthrough just kept eluding them.

Tulsky — a former scientist who first entered the hockey world by writing about it as a fan on a blog, before being promoted to replace Don Waddell two years ago — didn’t tear the roster apart. But he wasn’t content to leave it as-is, either.

The moves paid off, including a seemingly routine decision to claim goaltender Brandon Bussi off waivers from back-to-back champion Florida just before the season opened in October. Making his NHL debut at age 27, Bussi went 31-8 in 39 starts during the regular season, then stepped in during the Stanley Cup Final for Frederik Andersen and carried the team the rest of the way — including a shutout in Sunday night’s Game 6 clincher.

“We have the confidence in Bus,” Brind’Amour said. “He makes a ton of big saves. Even when there’s breakdowns, we trust him back there, gives us tons of confidence to play our game and just be aggressive all night.”

Aggression has long defined the Vegas Golden Knights’ approach — pursuing every major free agent and trade target available — a strategy that delivered a Stanley Cup in 2023 and three final appearances in their first nine years. Now, Carolina has adopted that same mindset.

“Fundamentally, we want to be aggressive,” Tulsky said. “Rod has the team playing very aggressive on the ice. We want to be aggressive off the ice, too. And when you have a chance to add a really high-end player, we never want to miss out on it.”

Carolina did not miss on Ehlers, who proved to be a crucial piece and scored the empty-net goal that sealed the championship. The additions of Ehlers, Stankoven, Hall, Miller, and others also energized longtime veterans like Staal and forward Jordan Martinook, who felt the team had finally assembled what it needed to win it all.

“When your team is trying to get better all the time, it’s something that you can get behind,” Martinook said. “Obviously, we took a run at Mikko, it didn’t work out, but look what we got from it. Stanks and Key, those are two of the pieces that we got from it. Hallsy was part of that, too. Those are three incredibly important pieces to our team. It just shows that they’re ready to take chances all the time.”

The Carolina Hurricanes are Stanley Cup champions once again, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 on Sunday to claim their second title in franchise history and their first in nearly two decades.

Taylor Hall, Jackson Blake, and Nikolaj Ehlers each found the back of the net for Carolina, while goaltender Brandon Bussi turned in a shutout performance to seal the victory. The Hurricanes closed out the NHL’s best-of-seven championship series on the road in six games.

Carolina’s last Stanley Cup title came back in 2006, making Sunday’s win a long-awaited return to the top of the hockey world.

Multiple reports indicate the Milwaukee Brewers are set to call up Triple-A shortstop Cooper Pratt to the major leagues before Tuesday’s home contest against the Cleveland Guardians.

Pratt, who is 21 years old, inked an eight-year deal with the Brewers back in April reportedly valued at $50.75 million, with two club options potentially adding at least $15 million per season. He entered the 2026 season ranked 50th overall by Baseball America and fourth among Brewers prospects according to MLB Pipeline.

Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 210 pounds, Pratt has posted a .241/.349/.386 slash line across 58 games for Triple-A Nashville, adding six home runs and 17 stolen bases. A strong signal of the call-up came Sunday when he was pulled from the game against the Durham Bulls in the sixth inning and was spotted exchanging celebratory hugs with his teammates.

Selected by Milwaukee in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Pratt has played exclusively at shortstop over his past three seasons as he rapidly worked his way through the organization’s minor league system.

Pratt is joining a Brewers club that carries a 43-26 record and leads the St. Louis Cardinals by five games in the National League Central. Manager Pat Murphy’s team, however, has some clear weaknesses to address.

Although Milwaukee’s offense ranks tied for second in all of baseball at 5.36 runs per game, production on the left side of the infield has been a trouble spot. Starting third baseman Luis Rengifo is hitting just .205 with a .534 OPS, while shortstop Joey Ortiz is batting .207 with a .561 OPS.

LAS VEGAS — Despite playing countless games at the notoriously hitter-friendly Coors Field, the Colorado Rockies had never put up numbers like they did on a scorching Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas.

With temperatures hitting 101 degrees, the Rockies demolished the Athletics 23-9 at Las Vegas Ballpark, setting a new franchise record for runs scored in a single game.

Willi Castro was the offensive standout, finishing with seven RBIs and four hits — including a grand slam off Scott Barlow in the eighth inning. Hunter Goodman had a career-best five hits and drove in four runs, while Kyle Karros also added four hits. The Rockies piled up 24 total hits, just one short of the team’s all-time hit record set against Houston on September 25, 2011.

“You’ve just got to make contact and the ball’s gonna go,” Goodman said of the Las Vegas conditions.

Colorado launched six home runs in total, with Castro and Goodman each hitting two. Troy Johnston and TJ Rumfield also went deep for the last-place Rockies, who improved to 27-45 and snapped a three-game skid.

The Rockies took control in the fifth inning, scoring six times to push their lead to 14-6. Goodman’s home run started the rally, which was capped by a run-scoring triple from Tyler Freeman.

The Athletics, who are scheduled to permanently relocate to Las Vegas in 2028, wrapped up a six-game homestand this week against Milwaukee and Colorado at the ballpark that currently serves as home to their top minor league affiliate. The A’s went 4-2 during the homestand.

The six-game stretch produced a staggering 102 combined runs, beginning with a wild 15-14 Milwaukee victory over Oakland last Monday in a 12-inning game that featured 11 home runs and 34 hits.

While Sunday’s game offered a glimpse of what big league baseball could look like in the Nevada desert, Goodman isn’t ready to draw conclusions — because the A’s future Las Vegas home will be a very different environment. The team is building a new $2 billion enclosed stadium on The Strip, unlike the open-air ballpark used this week.

“I’ll be curious to see how it plays,” Goodman said. “I think time will tell. With it being indoors, I don’t know if it will play the same or not. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer, who has seen similar high-scoring affairs during his time in Triple-A Albuquerque, acknowledged the unique challenges of the desert environment.

“This is a very, very tough environment to play baseball,” Schaeffer said. “As you saw, obviously the ball flies in the thin air, the heat and the sun. It’s just a hard place to play.”

Starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano earned the win at 7-4, even after surrendering eight runs and nine hits over five innings. Eiberson Castellano pitched three scoreless frames to earn a save in his major league debut. Athletics starter Jeffrey Springs dropped to 3-7 after giving up eight runs — six earned — on seven hits in four innings.

For Oakland, Max Muncy and Tyler Soderstrom hit home runs. Lawrence Butler went 3-for-the-day, and Zack Gelof stretched his hitting streak to 18 consecutive games. A’s outfielder Carlos Cortes was pressed into pitching duty in the eighth inning and proved to be Oakland’s most effective arm, allowing just one run and three hits over the final one and two-thirds innings.

The Athletics now head back to their temporary home in West Sacramento, California, where they’ll open a series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday.

The Colorado Rockies made history Sunday in Las Vegas, setting a franchise record for runs scored in a game by routing the Athletics 23-9. Willi Castro was the offensive standout, blasting two home runs and driving in seven runs while going 4-for-6 at the plate.

Castro got things going with a two-run homer in the second inning and capped his day with a grand slam in the eighth. Hunter Goodman also had a massive game, hitting two home runs, driving in four runs, and going 5-for-6 — falling just a triple short of the cycle. Troy Johnston chipped in with a home run and four RBIs as Colorado totaled 24 hits and six home runs, producing the most runs scored by any team in a single MLB game this season.

Rockies starter Tomoyuki Sugano improved to 7-4 on the year despite a rough outing, surrendering nine hits and eight runs over five innings. Eiberson Castellano earned a save in his major league debut, throwing three hitless and scoreless innings to close out the game.

Athletics starter Jeffrey Springs fell to 3-7 after giving up seven hits and eight runs — six earned — in four innings. The left-hander did not issue a walk and struck out five. Tyler Soderstrom and Max Muncy each homered for the A’s, who finished with 15 hits.

Marlins 4, Pirates 2

Heriberto Hernandez and Joe Mack each hit solo home runs, and Max Meyer outpitched Paul Skenes as visiting Miami took the rubber match of its series against Pittsburgh.

Meyer improved to 7-0, giving up just one run on six hits over six innings. Pete Fairbanks allowed a run but struck out two to earn his ninth save of the season. Liam Hicks added two hits and a run for Miami.

Skenes dropped to 6-6 after surrendering two runs on four hits. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner struck out the side in both the fourth and sixth innings, but Pittsburgh has now lost six straight starts with Skenes on the mound. Bryan Reynolds went 2-for-3 with a home run, while Nick Gonzales and Jake Mangum each had two hits for the Pirates.

Yankees 8, Blue Jays 3

Ben Rice and Jose Caballero each homered during a five-run ninth inning as visiting New York defeated Toronto in the rubber game of a three-game series.

With Paul Goldschmidt on second base and one out in the ninth, Rice crushed a go-ahead two-run homer off Braydon Fisher, who fell to 2-2. Caballero then added a three-run blast to put the game out of reach. Starter Will Warren gave up two runs, eight hits, and three walks with one strikeout in four innings.

New York’s Camilo Doval improved to 3-0 after throwing a perfect eighth inning to earn the win. Goldschmidt finished with three hits. Davis Schneider hit a solo homer for Toronto, while starter Patrick Corbin allowed two runs and seven hits without a walk, striking out three in 3 2/3 innings.

White Sox 6, Dodgers 3

Colson Montgomery and Chase Meidroth each connected on two-run home runs during a six-run sixth inning as host Chicago won the rubber match of its three-game series with Los Angeles.

Trailing 1-0, Sam Antonacci led off the sixth with a solo homer. After Andrew Benintendi’s RBI double chased Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan, Montgomery and Meidroth both went deep off reliever Jack Dreyer to push Chicago’s lead to 6-1.

Sheehan dropped to 3-4 after allowing three runs and four hits in five-plus innings. Erick Fedde threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings in the bulk role for the White Sox. Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts hit solo homers for Los Angeles, which dropped its first series since May 8-10 against the Atlanta Braves.

Twins 5, Cardinals 4

Ryan Kreidler delivered a two-out double in the eighth inning to score the winning run as Minnesota held off St. Louis in Minneapolis.

Byron Buxton went 3-for-5, while Kody Clemens and Josh Bell each had two hits for the Twins. Starter Taj Bradley gave up four runs over 6 2/3 innings. Andrew Morris improved to 2-2 after striking out three in the eighth, and Yoendrys Gomez earned his sixth save.

JJ Wetherholt went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs for St. Louis, while Alec Burleson homered to stretch his hitting streak to a career-best 14 games. Starter Michael McGreevy exited with a lead after allowing two runs over six innings, but relievers JoJo Romero and George Soriano — who fell to 3-1 — gave up six hits and three runs over two innings.

Rays 8, Angels 3

Junior Caminero and Victor Mesa Jr. each hit two-run home runs as Tampa Bay erupted for five runs in the eighth inning to break a 3-3 tie and beat Los Angeles in Anaheim.

Mesa, Jonathan Aranda, and Cedric Mullins each had two hits for Tampa Bay, while Ben Williamson added his first home run of the season. Kevin Kelly improved to 4-2, striking out three over two innings as the third of six Rays pitchers used in a bullpen game.

Donovan Walton homered and Jo Adell had two hits for the Angels, who turned to five relievers after Grayson Rodriguez exited in the third inning with lower back tightness. Sam Bachman fell to 1-1 after giving up all five eighth-inning runs on four hits and two walks.

Padres 5, Orioles 2

Rodolfo Duran drove in three runs with a home run and a double to power visiting San Diego past Baltimore.

Duran, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Jackson Merrill each had two hits for San Diego. Walker Buehler improved to 4-3 after allowing just one run over five innings. Mason Miller then finished off the bullpen effort by striking out three of the four batters he faced to collect his 19th save.

Jeremiah Jackson hit a solo homer for Baltimore, while Gunnar Henderson and Blaze Alexander each had two hits. Starter Trevor Rogers fell to 3-7 after giving up five hits and two runs over six innings.

Nationals 10, Mariners 1

James Wood fell just a triple short of the cycle, and Miles Mikolas threw seven scoreless innings as host Washington routed Seattle to win its third consecutive series.

After Seattle scored its only run off opener PJ Poulin in the first inning, Wood answered with his fifth leadoff home run of the season in the bottom half. He finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Keibert Ruiz also went 3-for-4 with a homer for the Nationals.

Mikolas improved to 2-5, scattering three hits over seven innings while striking out three. Seattle starter Emerson Hancock fell to 5-3 after surrendering nine hits and six runs in four innings. Reliever Anthony Munoz departed with lower back tightness, and first baseman Josh Naylor left after taking a foul ball off his right shin.

Mets 8, Braves 1

Freddy Peralta worked through a shaky first inning to deliver five strong frames as New York defeated visiting Atlanta in the rubber game of a three-game series.

A.J. Ewing went 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs for the Mets, who finished 3-3 on their homestand. Ewing, Jared Young, and Brett Baty each drove in a run during a four-run first inning, and Ewing and Marcus Semien both homered in the fifth. Juan Soto added two hits, including a two-run single in the eighth, and drew two walks. Baty, Carson Benge, and Bo Bichette each finished with two hits.

Peralta improved to 5-4, allowing one run on four hits and a walk while striking out two. He retired 14 consecutive batters between the first and fifth innings and allowed just one runner to reach second base or beyond after the opening frame. He opened the game by giving up three straight singles and one run on 28 pitches.

Diamondbacks 5, Reds 3

Tommy Troy, Geraldo Perdomo, and Gabriel Moreno each homered to lift visiting Arizona past Cincinnati in the rubber game of their three-game series.

Arizona starter Zac Gallen allowed three runs and six hits in six innings on 85 pitches, striking out four and walking two. He surrendered solo home runs to JJ Bleday and Noelvi Marte for the Reds, who have now dropped eight of their last ten games.

Cincinnati left-hander Andrew Abbott gave up one run and four hits in five innings, striking out five and walking three on 95 pitches. Moreno led off the eighth by hitting a high fly ball to right off Zach Maxwell — who fell to 0-1 — that just cleared the fence to give Arizona the lead for good.

Brewers 4, Phillies 0

Blake Perkins, who entered the game hitting just .113, belted a three-run homer and Kyle Harrison threw six innings of three-hit ball as Milwaukee shut out visiting Philadelphia.

Perkins put Milwaukee ahead 4-0 in the fourth inning with his first home run of the season, coming off Cristopher Sanchez, who fell to 8-3. Sanchez had gone 6-0 over his previous nine starts before surrendering four runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings — his first loss since April 18.

Harrison improved to 8-1, allowing three singles with no walks and a hit batter in an efficient 80-pitch outing. Abner Uribe followed with a scoreless seventh, and Aaron Ashby finished the game with two scoreless innings.

Royals 4, Astros 0

Stephen Kolek delivered 7 1/3 outstanding innings and Maikel Garcia went 3-for-the-day with three RBIs as Kansas City avoided a series sweep against visiting Houston.

Kolek improved to 4-1 as he and two relievers held the Astros to just four singles and a double — a stark contrast to Houston’s 18 runs and eight home runs over the first two games of the series. Jac Caglianone also drove in a run for Kansas City.

Brice Matthews led off the third with a double for Houston but was left stranded at second. Spencer Arrighetti fell to 7-2 after allowing all four Kansas City runs on eight hits, though he struck out seven over six innings.

Giants 5, Cubs 1

Logan Webb threw eight innings of one-run ball for the second straight start, Matt Chapman provided all the offense Webb needed with a two-run homer, and San Francisco salvaged one victory in a three-game home series against Chicago.

Six days after being pulled before the ninth inning with a lead and watching the Washington Nationals rally for a comeback win, Webb saw Caleb Kilian close things out by retiring the Cubs in order in the ninth — striking out two — to secure Webb’s second win in his last three starts. Webb improved to 4-4, allowing seven hits without a walk over his eight innings while striking out seven.

Cubs opener Ryan Rolison and bulk-innings reliever Colin Rea — who fell to 5-5 — matched Webb’s zeroes for four innings before giving up three runs in the fifth, highlighted by Chapman’s home run.

BOSTON — Thousands of Scotland soccer supporters flooding into Boston for the World Cup took a break from football on Sunday to experience something uniquely American: a baseball game.

Known as the Tartan Army, the traveling fan base paraded through Boston’s streets accompanied by the sounds of more than a dozen bagpipes, making their way to Fenway Park — home of the Boston Red Sox — just one day after celebrating their team’s first World Cup victory since 1990, a 1-0 win over Haiti.

Inside and outside the ballpark, where the Red Sox were hosting the Texas Rangers, the Scottish supporters treated the home crowd to their famously passionate singing, including spirited renditions of ‘Flower of Scotland,’ the anthem of the Scottish national team.

Scotland’s World Cup journey continues Friday in Boston, where they will face Morocco in their second group stage match. After that, the team heads to Miami to take on Brazil on June 24.

INGLEWOOD, California — Iran’s national soccer team coach and star forward spoke out ahead of their World Cup Group G opener, promising to represent all Iranians — both inside the country and across the globe — even as political tensions and protests surround the team’s appearance in Los Angeles.

Speaking through a translator at a pre-match press conference, forward Mehdi Taremi addressed the difficult circumstances head-on. “We respect all Iranians,” he said, referring to those living in Iran as well as members of the Iranian diaspora worldwide.

His comments came shortly after the team arrived in the United States, around the same time news emerged that a peace deal between the two countries is expected to be signed very soon.

“For many years the civilized country of Iran has been a united nation. We want to showcase that unity. And we are here at the World Cup to bring joy to Iranians wherever they are,” Taremi said.

Members of the Iranian American community have staged protests against Iran’s government this week in the Los Angeles area, including a demonstration Sunday near the stadium where Iran is scheduled to play Monday against New Zealand. Additional protests are anticipated both outside and inside the venue during the match.

The backdrop to the team’s World Cup journey is especially fraught. In January, mass protests inside Iran involving hundreds of thousands of people were met with a violent crackdown that left tens of thousands dead. The United States and Israel also launched military strikes against Iran in late February.

Adding to the team’s difficulties, the U.S. government declined to allow the Iranian squad to remain on American soil outside of their actual game dates and blocked certain team staff members from entering the country at all. As a result, the players are required to stay in Mexico between matches, creating ongoing travel uncertainty.

Coach Amir Ghalenoei acknowledged the hardships but remained focused. “We are accustomed to making opportunities out of hardships,” he said. “We don’t think of anything other than bringing joy to our people, and we will do our utmost, and the rest is up to God, the almighty.”

Both Ghalenoei and Taremi acknowledged that the “tensions” surrounding the team’s presence at the tournament have taken some of the usual excitement out of the World Cup experience for players and fans alike.

The pre-match press conference spent little time on typical soccer topics like team lineups, injuries, or tactics. One notable subject that did come up was the absence of Sardar Azmoun — who has scored 57 goals across 91 international appearances — from Iran’s final roster.

Iran has never advanced beyond the group stage at a World Cup, and expectations remain modest. In addition to New Zealand, the team will face Egypt and higher-ranked Belgium in Group G.

When asked whether he would instruct his players to stop the game if pre-revolutionary Iranian flags or anti-government chants were heard in the stadium, Ghalenoei did not give a direct answer, saying instead that his players were capable of tuning out distractions.

Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran itself, and Ghalenoei expressed hope that many of them would come out to support the squad. “I am just happy that they are coming to watch us and I hope they will pray for us. I hope they will encourage us. And I hope we will pay off by playing a very good game,” he said.

The San Francisco Giants have landed reliever Keaton Winn on the 15-day injured list after the right-hander developed a right elbow strain, the team announced Sunday. The IL placement is backdated to last Thursday.

To fill his roster spot, the Giants called up fellow right-hander Tristan Beck from their Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento.

Winn, 28, had pitched in three consecutive games on June 6, 7, and 8. His final outing of that stretch lasted just two-thirds of an inning, during which he surrendered three runs on three hits, blowing a save chance in a 4-3 home defeat to the Washington Nationals.

Giants manager Tony Vitello said Winn first noticed elbow soreness while playing catch on Saturday and subsequently underwent an MRI exam. Vitello indicated Winn would be held from throwing for “a handful of days at the most” and downplayed the severity of the issue, saying he doesn’t think it’s “anything too crazy.”

“It’s probably best for him to get a reset here,” Vitello said. “I think he’s in a fairly good spot. I think, more than anything, mentally, he’s a little frustrated. He wants to be out there.”

Through 29 relief outings this season covering 30 2/3 innings, Winn carries a 2-2 record with one save, a 3.23 ERA, nine walks, and 26 strikeouts.

San Francisco originally selected Winn in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Iowa Western Community College. His path to the majors has been interrupted by significant arm issues — he missed the entire 2021 season recovering from Tommy John surgery and underwent additional right elbow surgery in July 2024.

Over parts of four seasons since 2023, Winn holds a career record of 6-13 with two saves, a 5.33 ERA, 39 walks, and 118 strikeouts across 138 1/3 innings in 57 games, including 17 starts.

Beck, who will turn 30 on June 24, has appeared in games for San Francisco this season, posting a 9.00 ERA with two walks and three strikeouts across eight innings. With Sacramento this year, he was 2-1 with a save, a 3.91 ERA, nine walks, and 23 strikeouts over 23 innings in 17 relief appearances.

For his career with the Giants since 2023, Beck is 4-3 with four saves, a 4.18 ERA, 43 walks, and 126 strikeouts in 165 2/3 innings over 77 appearances, including five starts.

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — England’s first match of the World Cup against Croatia on Wednesday comes with an unusual backstory: the referee assigned to the game is Frenchman Clement Turpin, a man their own head coach once publicly torn apart in a post-match interview.

Back in April 2023, Turpin was officiating a Champions League quarter-final second leg between Bayern Munich and Manchester City when he sent Bayern’s manager — who is now England’s coach, Thomas Tuchel — to the stands. Tuchel had been protesting after receiving two yellow cards from Turpin during the match, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Manchester City went on to win the tie 4-1 on aggregate.

Turpin’s officiating that night drew Tuchel’s fury. In addition to sending the coach off, the referee handed out five yellow cards in the first half alone and initially showed Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano a straight red card, though that decision was later reversed after a VAR review determined an offside had occurred.

Tuchel did not hold back when speaking to reporters after the match. “Two things couldn’t keep up with the level, the pitch wasn’t in good condition and also the referee, unfortunately, was Grade E,” he said. “I’d give him a one out of 10. He was absolutely terrible. It’s unbelievable at this level. He was whistling for everything and anything. Everything was against us.”

Tuchel added: “In the end, we were never in a position to turn things around with three men against us. That’s a fact.”

England midfielder Jude Bellingham has also had friction with Turpin. During a Champions League semi-final in 2024, the referee physically pushed Bellingham away from the penalty area when the Real Madrid player attempted to distract Bayern’s Harry Kane as he prepared to take a penalty kick.

Kane, now Bellingham’s international teammate with England, spoke about the moment afterward. “I’m sure (Bellingham) was saying something to try and put me off but, thankfully, it was OK,” Kane told reporters. “I don’t know what he was saying. I saw him there mumbling something.”

Despite the controversy surrounding him, Turpin is no stranger to high-profile assignments. He has refereed the 2021 Europa League final, the 2022 Champions League final, and England’s 0-0 draw with Slovenia at the 2024 European Championship.

Houston Astros right-hander Hunter Brown is scheduled to make his return to the starting rotation on Tuesday when the team faces the Detroit Tigers, ending a roughly two-and-a-half-month absence due to a shoulder strain.

Brown’s last outing came on March 31, when he was pulled after six innings and 78 pitches in a game against the Boston Red Sox. He flagged discomfort during a throwing session on April 3, and two days after that he was placed on the 15-day injured list. He has since been transferred to the 60-day IL.

Before going down with the injury, Brown had been sharp, going 1-0 with a 0.84 ERA across two starts — his first time landing on the injured list as a big leaguer.

Last season, Brown put together one of the best years of his career, finishing third in American League Cy Young Award voting after going 12-9 with a 2.43 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. He set a personal best with 206 strikeouts in 185 1/3 innings, matched his career high in wins, and earned a spot on the AL All-Star team.

Astros manager Joe Espada spoke about Brown’s return ahead of Sunday’s 4-0 defeat to the Kansas City Royals. “We’re excited to have him back,” Espada said. “We’re playing good baseball right now. Our rotation needs that boost. Our entire team needs him in our rotation. Just getting him back, he’s one of the best in the game.”

During his time away, Brown made four rehab starts at two different levels in the minor leagues, finishing with a 1.88 ERA, 21 strikeouts, and a 0-1 record over 14 1/3 innings pitched.

Now 27 years old, Brown owns a career record of 37-31 with a 3.44 ERA across 102 appearances — 94 of them starts — since breaking into the majors with Houston in 2022.

Tuesday’s matchup could pit Brown against a familiar face on the opposing mound. Former Astros left-hander Framber Valdez, who spent eight seasons in Houston before departing as a free agent this past offseason, is expected to start for the Tigers.

After 15 years, 239 tournaments, and a near-career-ending accident, Bud Cauley finally has a PGA Tour win to his name.

The 36-year-old fired a 5-under-par 65 in Sunday’s final round of the RBC Canadian Open at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley’s North course in Caledon, Ontario, capturing his first PGA Tour title in dominant fashion despite a rain-soaked day on the course.

Cauley turned professional in 2011 and had never placed better than third in any PGA Tour event before Sunday. His path to the winner’s circle was made even more remarkable by a 2018 car accident that left him with six broken ribs, a fractured leg, and a collapsed lung.

Reflecting on the journey, Cauley spoke about the difficulty of the road that led him here. “Just how hard that was,” he said. “Just so many people helped me get here and I’m just really thankful for all the help that I’ve gotten.”

Cauley closed at 17-under 263 overall, two shots clear of England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, who posted a 64 in the final round. Fitzpatrick nearly made things interesting, draining a 12-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole, but a bogey on the previous hole had already put his chances out of reach. Norway’s Viktor Hovland shot 65 and finished third at 14 under.

The turning point for Cauley came on a five-hole stretch from the 11th through the 15th, where he recorded four birdies — including a chip-in on No. 12 — to build a three-shot cushion over the rest of the field.

“I’m just very proud of the way I kind of kept going and continued to make birdies there on the back nine and I’m just so happy,” Cauley said.

Fitzpatrick was upbeat despite falling short. “It’s a good week,” he said. “I would have taken it at the start of the week. I felt like there was a lot of good stuff in there.”

Jimmy Stanger entered the 18th hole three shots back but hit his approach into the water, leading to a bogey and a final round of 67. He finished at 13 under, tying for fourth with Jackson Suber (70), Brice Garnett (68), and Sweden’s Jesper Svensson (68). Suber had actually held a one-shot lead over Cauley heading into the final round.

Despite not winning, Suber came away with significant rewards. His finish earned him entry into the British Open and the Travelers Championship later this year, adding to a U.S. Open spot he secured through a Monday qualifier at the start of the week.

“To be able to play in the U.S. Open next week, Travelers, and then the British Open, I mean, that’s a pretty big schedule change, especially coming into the year with conditional status,” Suber said.

Defending champion Ryan Fox of New Zealand shot 68 and tied at 12 under with Canadian Sudarshan Yellamaraju (68) and South Africa’s Aldrich Potgieter (65).

“Obviously going into the week, it was like you have that little bit of added pressure being at the Canadian Open and for me being pretty close to home and stuff like that,” Yellamaraju said. “I just kind of tried to keep trying to tell myself to play the best that I could and just fight until the very end, which was pretty much what I did.”

Second-round leader Ben James bounced back from a rough third round to shoot 69 in his PGA Tour debut, finishing tied for 54th at 3 under.

Brooks Koepka, who shared the lead after opening with a 64, withdrew before Sunday’s round due to a hand injury. He stood at 6 under through three rounds after a 72 on Saturday.

Sunday’s tee times were pushed back due to weather concerns, with players sent off both the first and 10th tees in groups of three.

Uruguay’s World Cup preparations ran into trouble Sunday when the team’s flight from Mexico to the United States was held up for several hours due to a paperwork problem, according to local media reports.

The holdup stemmed from documentation that FIFA required to authorize the flight not being ready at the time the team was supposed to depart.

The Uruguayan squad, which has been staying in Playa del Carmen, had been scheduled to head to Miami ahead of their Group H World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia on Monday.

Beyond the travel disruption, the delay could also result in the cancellation of a mandatory press conference that head coach Marcelo Bielsa and player Jose María Gimenez were slated to attend.

Neither the Uruguayan Football Association nor FIFA responded to requests for comment in time for publication.

Iran’s national soccer team set foot on U.S. soil for the first time this World Cup on Sunday, arriving at Los Angeles International Airport following a brief flight from Tijuana, Mexico, where the squad had been based and received an enthusiastic farewell from supporters.

The team’s Airbus A320 touched down on runway 25L at 4:11 p.m. ET on its second landing attempt, arriving under clear skies at the airport located approximately 15 minutes from Los Angeles Stadium, the venue for Iran’s opening World Cup match against New Zealand on Monday.

Following their arrival, the players were expected to proceed to a nearby hotel, where a visible police security presence had already been established. Officers were blocking off sidewalks and stretching concertina security coils along sections of the hotel’s exterior.

Coach Amir Ghalenoei and striker Mehdi Taremi were scheduled to speak with reporters at a press conference at Los Angeles Stadium at 6:45 p.m. ET.

The Group G contest between Iran and New Zealand carries added weight given the ongoing U.S. war with Iran, creating a charged atmosphere for what will be the first-ever World Cup meeting between the two nations.

Iran had relocated its World Cup base camp from a sports complex in Arizona to Mexico late last month, a move that followed joint military strikes carried out by the U.S. and Israel against Iran beginning in late February.

While the team was in the air en route to Los Angeles, demonstrators gathered near Los Angeles Stadium calling for democratic change in Iran and condemning its government. Signs reading “No Shah — No Mullah in Iran — Regime Change by Iranians” were visible at the rally, and posters of athletes protesters said had died following arrest by the Iranian government were displayed along a busy street corner in Inglewood.

Mojgan Ramezani, 56, an Iranian American attending the protest, expressed particular anger over a January crackdown on demonstrations inside Iran, which rights organizations and activists say resulted in thousands — and possibly tens of thousands — of deaths.

“They’re holding hostage their own people,” Ramezani said.

Hassan Haddadi, 70, voiced frustration that most world governments had taken little meaningful action to support change in Iran. “We’re hoping to bring awareness to the western world, to somehow do something beyond just condemning, to bring an end to this regime,” he said.

Earlier in the day in Tijuana, crowds five people deep lined the sidewalk outside Iran’s hotel, chanting “Team Melli” — which translates from Persian as “national team” — as the players emerged and made their way to a waiting bus. Many players waved and smiled at the gathered crowd, while some delegation members recorded the moment on their phones.

One supporter held up a yellow sign with black lettering that read: “Iran, you will never walk alone. Mexico stands with you.” At one point, the crowd broke into a Spanish chant: “Iran, brother, you are Mexican now.”

A young boy, perched on someone’s shoulders, held the official Panini FIFA World Cup 2026 sticker album, opened to the page featuring the Iranian squad.

Iranian soccer federation President Mehdi Taj was also present outside the hotel as the players departed, with many supporters following the bus down the street as it pulled away.

The Iranian community in Tijuana is quite small — estimated at around 20 people — a stark contrast to Los Angeles, which is home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran itself. Tens of thousands of Iranian Americans reside in Los Angeles, where a distinct diaspora community often referred to as “Tehrangeles” has long been established.

This World Cup marks the first time since the tournament’s founding in 1930 that a host nation has competed against a country with which it is at war.

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was out of the lineup for the second day in a row Sunday, sitting out the final home game of the series against the New York Yankees due to tightness in his lower back.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider revealed Saturday that the problem first appeared during Friday’s 8-5 victory. The team is hopeful that giving Guerrero some time off will be enough to get him feeling better and help him avoid what would be his first career trip to the injured list in eight major league seasons.

“Back was a little tight (Friday), and he’s been kind of grinding a little bit, so just wanted to give him a blow,” Schneider said.

Guerrero, 27, is batting .280 on the season with three home runs and 27 RBIs across 68 games. His power output has dipped compared to recent years — he had hit at least 23 home runs in each of the previous five seasons. He has also appeared in at least 156 games in each of those five seasons.

The five-time All-Star carries a career batting average of .288 with 186 home runs and 618 RBIs over 1,043 games, all with Toronto.

Milwaukee Brewers skipper Pat Murphy had an MRI performed on his back ahead of Sunday’s game, and surgery may be a possibility in his future, according to a report from MLB.com.

The 67-year-old manager has been sidelined from making mound visits during the team’s current series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Pitching coach Chris Hook has been handling those duties in his place.

Murphy’s troubles began with hip pain that first surfaced last season, with doctors now believing a back nerve may be the root cause. He went through a rehabilitation program during the offseason to address the hip discomfort, and while he experienced some improvement, the pain has since come back.

Murphy described his condition to reporters Sunday morning. “What I have is a nerve running down my leg, and if I stand up and straighten up — the pain, if you’ve had nerve pain, it’s just ridiculous. I literally can’t walk,” he said. “They think the back now has degenerative discs that might have to be taken care of. It might be back surgery, it might just be an epidural.”

Despite his physical struggles, Murphy has kept the Brewers performing at a high level. Milwaukee entered Sunday’s contest at 42-26 and sitting atop the National League Central standings. Over three seasons at the helm, Murphy has compiled a 231-160 overall record, guiding the club to the wild-card round of the playoffs in 2024 and all the way to the National League Championship Series last season.

Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider is set to be examined by Dr. Keith Meister following his placement on the 15-day injured list Saturday due to right elbow inflammation. Braves manager Walt Weiss shared the news with reporters ahead of Sunday’s game against the New York Mets.

The trouble began during Friday’s 7-5 defeat to the Mets, when Strider was pulled after completing just over three innings. He surrendered a career-high seven earned runs in the outing, and his fastball speed fell sharply — dropping from 96 mph earlier in the game down to just 88 mph by the fourth inning.

Weiss expressed measured concern when speaking to reporters Sunday. “You always expect to see inflammation when somebody’s hurting,” he said. “So we just want to let Dr. Meister get a look at it and get his diagnosis.”

This is not Strider’s first brush with injury this season — he opened the year on the injured list while recovering from a left oblique strain. Through eight starts, he holds a 4-2 record with a 5.31 ERA. His elbow history is significant: he underwent Tommy John surgery while playing at Clemson in 2019, and in April 2024 had a brace placed in the UCL of his right elbow, a less invasive version of the same procedure.

The 27-year-old has been a consistent performer for Atlanta over the past six seasons, compiling a 43-26 record and 3.86 ERA across 98 appearances, including 85 starts. In 494 career innings, he has recorded 672 strikeouts against 180 walks.

Inclement weather forced the cancellation of Sunday’s series finale between the Cleveland Guardians and the visiting Detroit Tigers, cutting short what could have been a series sweep for Cleveland.

The two American League Central rivals will now make up the game as part of a split doubleheader scheduled for September 4 in Cleveland.

The Guardians had been on the verge of sweeping the three-game series after posting a 3-2 win on Friday and following it up with a 3-1 victory on Saturday. The postponement denied Cleveland the chance to complete the sweep.

Adding to the team’s challenges, the Guardians placed star third baseman Jose Ramirez on the 10-day injured list earlier Sunday after he suffered a broken bone in his hand.

SAN ANTONIO — When the New York Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau last spring and began searching for a new head coach, Mike Brown did not appear to be at the top of their list. Reports linked the franchise to at least six other candidates from around the league before Brown ultimately got the job.

Looking back now, it’s hard to argue with the decision.

Brown has now been part of five NBA championship teams — four as an assistant coach and one as a head coach. His latest ring came with the Knicks, making him just the second coach in franchise history to win a title with New York, joining the legendary Red Holzman. In a remarkable coincidence, Brown claimed the championship on June 13 — a date that carries deep meaning for the organization. Madison Square Garden features a banner reading “Holzman 613” honoring his career win total with the team. Brown’s title came on 6/13.

“I’m pretty good at trying to control what I can control,” Brown said. “I had zero control over who else was interviewing, who was denied permission. I had zero control over that. I just did the best I could in the interview process. I went about my business and waited until it was either going to progress or end. … I was pretty nonchalant about it as time went on. I just let it unfold the way it unfolded.”

Brown has deep roots in San Antonio, where his family still lives, and where the Knicks wrapped up the championship by beating the Spurs in five games. He credits his time working under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio and alongside Steve Kerr in Golden State as formative experiences in his coaching career.

His championship résumé stretches back to 2003, when he was an assistant on the Spurs’ title-winning squad. He later collected three more rings as an assistant with the Warriors. Along the way, he was named the NBA’s Coach of the Year twice — once with Cleveland in 2009 and again with Sacramento in 2023 — yet both franchises eventually let him go.

In New York, however, his legacy is now cemented forever.

“Mike was invaluable to this run,” said Knicks forward Josh Hart. “He understands what it is to be a champion. He understands how to build a team, how to build habits that will put you in this position. We’re so grateful, so thankful to have him at the top. He kept us even so many times. He’s brought the best out of us, as people first. I’m so happy for him. He’s the reason why we’re here. He’s the reason why we’re here, and we’ve got love for him.”

Brown remained steady throughout the postseason, even when the Knicks fell behind 2-1 in the first round against Atlanta following back-to-back one-point losses. Critics flooded social media questioning whether he was the right person for the job. Brown never wavered.

New York went 15-1 the rest of the way, ending a 53-year championship drought for the franchise.

“I am so tired. I mean, I’m gassed,” Brown admitted. “You know, this stuff is harder than what you think.”

He may say that, but from the outside, he made it look effortless.

The Kansas City Royals announced Sunday that first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino has been placed on the 10-day injured list after sustaining a right hamate fracture.

The injury occurred during Saturday’s 8-7 defeat against the Houston Astros, when Pasquantino appeared to hurt himself while taking a swing in the fifth inning and had to leave the game.

Following his departure, the Royals reshuffled their lineup. Isaac Collins entered the game in left field, while Jac Caglianone moved from right field to cover first base. Lane Thomas then shifted from left field to right field to round out the adjustments.

Catcher Carter Jensen expressed how much the team will miss Pasquantino’s presence. “It stinks a lot. He’s a big part of our team,” Jensen said. “He’s a leader on this team, so seeing him go down, it’s never fun. But we’re backing him up and wishing him a speedy recovery [so he can] get back and help us win some games just like he does every night.”

Through 68 games this season, Pasquantino, 28, is posting a career-low .224 batting average with six home runs and 32 RBIs. Over five seasons with Kansas City, he carries a .260 career average with 76 homers and 294 RBIs. His standout 2024 campaign saw him slug 32 home runs and drive in 113 runs across 160 games.

In a corresponding move, the Royals called up outfielder John Rave from their Triple-A affiliate in Omaha. The 28-year-old Rave has been productive at that level this season, batting .278 with 10 home runs and 32 RBIs in 60 games. Last year with Kansas City, he hit .196 with four homers and 14 RBIs in 72 games.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topic has had surgery on his lower back and is anticipated to be healthy and ready when training camp opens for the 2026-27 NBA season.

The team announced Topic underwent a minimally invasive lumbar microdiscectomy, a procedure that, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, corrects a bulging disk in the lower back. Dr. Andrew Dossett carried out the operation at the Carrell Clinic in Dallas, with Thunder medical staff present throughout.

Topic was selected by Oklahoma City with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-6 point guard came to the league from Serbia, but his early professional career has been marked by significant health challenges.

He was unable to play his entire rookie season after suffering a knee injury before the draft. Then, heading into the 2025-26 season, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and had to undergo treatment before returning to the court.

The 20-year-old eventually appeared in 10 games for the Thunder last season, putting up averages of 5.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 16.0 minutes per outing. In his limited playing time, he connected on 40.0 percent of his three-point attempts, going 9-for-15 from beyond the arc.

Topic is not expected to participate in the NBA summer league in July as he recovers from the procedure.

Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the RBC Canadian Open after a hand injury made it nearly impossible for him to grip his golf club during the tournament’s third round.

The 36-year-old five-time major champion announced his withdrawal Sunday morning from the event held in Caledon, Ontario. The decision came after he battled through a difficult 2-over-par 72 on Saturday, during which he was seen receiving medical treatment on the 11th tee box at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley’s North Course.

Koepka described the frustrating situation with his grip. “Yeah, I don’t know what it is. I’m struggling to grip the club with my ring finger and pinkie finger, so can’t grip it,” he said.

He added that the problem persisted throughout the day. “So the club is kind of just, my fingers would come loose, it was kind of numb. I don’t know what the deal was but hopefully we’ll figure it out.”

What made the injury especially puzzling was that Koepka felt completely healthy during his warm-up. “Yeah, the whole warm-up, I felt fine, I was absolutely good,” he explained. “Then got to the range and went to grip the club and I just couldn’t even grip it.”

“So it lasted — it was all day. Felt better the last few holes. I don’t know if that’s just the meds kicked in or what it is. But hopefully we’ll figure it out now,” he continued.

Koepka had entered Saturday’s round in strong form, having posted rounds of 64 and 68 to open the tournament.

The injury comes at a particularly critical time — the U.S. Open tees off next week at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York. That course holds special significance for Koepka, as it was the site of his second consecutive U.S. Open title back in 2018.

Koepka returned to the PGA Tour in January after spending more than three years competing with LIV Golf. While he has finished in the top 20 in six events this season, his last victory in a standard PGA Tour event dates back to the 2021 WM Phoenix Open.