Category: Sports

ORLANDO, Fla. — Jeff Ulbrich is hoping his short stint as the New York Jets’ interim head coach won’t hurt his chances of running his own team in the future.

Daronte Jones is focused on preparing himself for advancement opportunities.

These two defensive coordinators were part of a group of 34 people who took part in the NFL’s updated coaching and front-office accelerator program, which took place Monday and Tuesday at an upscale resort near Disney World.

“I would like to hope that people don’t judge me 100% off of that experience because it is challenging but, at the same time, I learned a lot, although it was not necessarily my team and my culture and my staff,” Ulbrich said regarding his 3-9 record with the 2024 Jets after taking over for Robert Saleh.

“I loved all the members of that team, both players and coaches alike, but I did learn the responsibilities and the things that come across that desk that I had no clue of. I think we make assumptions that we know and until you actually sit in it, it was eye-opening to say the least.”

The NFL established the accelerator program in 2022 as part of the Rooney Rule’s expansion to boost diversity among coaching staffs and front office leadership.

Those who participate have chances to meet with team owners and executives, plus attend workshops meant to prepare them for future job interviews. The program took a break last year and now welcomes participants from all backgrounds. About half of this year’s attendees were white men, including Ulbrich.

Additional participants featured former Dolphins coach and current Chargers OC Mike McDaniel; former Giants interim coach and current Lions assistant Mike Kafka; Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy; and Vikings assistant Josh McCown.

“I get caught in my defensive-minded silo in that I don’t think about potential coaching staffs, I don’t think about the global vision of a team necessarily as often as I should,” said Ulbrich, who is starting his second season with the Atlanta Falcons. “This is that opportunity to step away from your club and step away from your primary role that you’re currently serving and really look at it from that perspective. There’s a ton of power in that because it’s not your job until it’s your job, and to think that you’re just gonna follow into it and have success, you’re setting yourself up for a real failure that way. This is definitely preparing us in a way that we wouldn’t otherwise be prepared. So I’m very grateful to the NFL for having this and providing this for us.”

Jones is working his first season with the Washington Commanders following two separate periods in Minnesota. He served as the Vikings’ defensive backs coach in 2020, worked as defensive coordinator at LSU in 2021, then returned to Minnesota from 2022-2025.

“It’s been great, the perspective of challenging who you are as a person and self-awareness, fear and how that can kind of tap into things and just identify things so it’s been very informative that way,” Jones said about his accelerator experience.

“I’m very thankful for having this program. Just the amount of information and resources that was allotted to us these last 48 hours has been huge so I’m just thankful and grateful to be a part of this. You’re getting so much information you want to share it to others and you’re like, man, I wish other people could hear this and it’s just been very valuable.”

Three people have landed top positions after completing the NFL’s original accelerator program: one head coach (Aaron Glenn) and two general managers (Ran Carthon and Ian Cunningham).

The NFL has faced criticism regarding its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

Last week, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sent a subpoena to the NFL while investigating potential civil rights violations connected to the Rooney Rule and the league’s employment practices, policies and programs.

In March, Uthmeier warned of possible enforcement action against the league unless it halted the 23-year-old Rooney Rule, which mandates NFL teams interview at least two external minority candidates for head coach, general manager and coordinator roles. Teams must also interview at least one minority candidate for quarterbacks coach positions.

In a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Uthmeier characterized the Rooney Rule as “blatant race and sex discrimination.”

“I think all of our policies, all of our programs need to be looked at because the challenges are different,” Goodell said. “And so as we’re looking at every single one of our programs, we did that, whether it’s the accelerator program or any one of the policies. It’s one of the things we spent time on today, is how do we continue to look at our policies in scheduling? How do we look at policies in international? All of those things are hoping to make our game better, make it more accessible to our fans. And that doesn’t happen without a lot of work and refocus. You can call it innovation, I think it is in many ways, but it’s a desire to get better.”

The top-ranked tennis player in the world, Jannik Sinner, enters the French Open with an opportunity to capture the one major championship that has eluded him and round out his Grand Slam collection. The tournament dynamics have shifted considerably following the withdrawal of defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.

Alcaraz, who was seeking his third consecutive French championship, had established dominance on clay courts through his versatile playing style, quick acceleration, and defensive range that could challenge Sinner’s baseline control.

The competition between these two players has become central to men’s professional tennis, though on slower clay surfaces, the Spanish player’s skill at disrupting rhythm and creating unexpected shots provided him with a competitive edge.

Sinner enters Roland Garros as the most well-rounded and reliable competitor in professional tennis, carrying a 29-match victory streak during which he has lost only three sets — two decided by tiebreakers.

His clay court performance has improved markedly over the last two years, not through dramatic strategic changes but through steady improvements in court movement, patience during points, and strategic shot selection.

The Italian maintains his characteristic aggressive baseline play and continues to pressure opponents with quick shot timing, but he now handles challenging match situations with improved control and mental toughness.

This equilibrium proves especially valuable in Paris, where five-set matches seldom progress smoothly and where managing physical and psychological demands often equals technical skill in importance.

Sinner demonstrates much greater comfort during extended rallies and difficult stretches while maintaining his tactical approach, and his enhanced serving has become a significant weapon for managing tournament pressures.

Despite the devastating outcome of last year’s championship match, where the 24-year-old lost to Alcaraz after leading by two sets, the performance confirmed his status as a legitimate Roland Garros threat rather than simply a hard-court specialist adjusting to clay.

Even in that loss, Sinner proved he could maintain his performance level through the tournament’s final week and manage the pressure, physical demands, and strategic challenges of a championship match on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

His victories at the Australian Open (twice), U.S. Open, and Wimbledon have established his dominance at major tournaments and elevated him from a player seeking recognition to one establishing the standard in men’s tennis.

Roland Garros now represents not so much an uncertainty as the remaining major obstacle in an already impressively well-rounded career.

The absence of Australian Open winner Alcaraz due to a wrist injury significantly alters the Paris competition by removing the one competitor who has consistently appeared capable of forcing Sinner into difficult situations on clay courts.

This development does not guarantee victory for the Italian, as clay remains the most unpredictable playing surface in men’s tennis and two weeks in Paris consistently create physical and strategic challenges.

Nevertheless, it enhances the possibility that this tournament may provide Sinner with his best opportunity yet to complete his Grand Slam collection.

PARIS, May 20 – German tennis player Alexander Zverev continues his pursuit of a first Grand Slam title as he prepares for another opportunity at the French Open, despite nearly ten years of attempts to join the elite championship club.

The 29-year-old athlete will compete in his 41st Grand Slam main draw at Roland Garros, where he has earned the second seed position after defending champion Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament. This development may provide Zverev with his best opportunity yet to capture an elusive major title.

Currently ranked third in the world, Zverev has demonstrated remarkable consistency on the clay courts of Paris. He advanced to consecutive semifinals from 2021 through 2023, then reached the championship match in 2024 before falling to Alcaraz. His 2025 campaign ended in the quarterfinals with a loss to Novak Djokovic.

The German player brings formidable weapons to the court, including a powerful first serve and backhand, combined with smooth movement on clay surfaces. However, his biggest challenge may be maintaining confidence in his ability to break through at the highest level.

A significant obstacle remains in the form of world number one Sinner, even though they would only meet in the final. The Italian player has dominated their recent encounters, defeating Zverev in all four matches this season without dropping a single set.

Following his latest defeat to Sinner in the Madrid final, where he managed just three games, Zverev acknowledged the difficulty of the matchup.

“It’s not like I’m the only one losing to him. I’m just losing to him more because I get to him every single time and I lose to him. So it’s like that,” he said.

“I think there’s a big gap between Sinner and everybody else right now. It’s quite simple.”

Recent physical challenges have also affected Zverev’s preparation. He experienced fatigue during the Italian Open, losing to Luciano Darderi in the round of 16, and withdrew from his hometown Hamburg tournament due to back problems.

To achieve his breakthrough moment, Zverev will need peak performance and may privately hope that Sinner’s dominant streak ends before the men’s final on June 7.

Despite the challenges, Zverev maintains public optimism about potentially solving the puzzle if they meet again.

“I do have to believe that I’m capable of beating him. I do have to believe it, otherwise we can just give him the trophy without playing the tournament,” Zverev said.

Netflix announced Tuesday that its inaugural live mixed martial arts broadcast attracted a peak audience of nearly 17 million viewers, setting new records for the streaming platform.

The California event, organized under Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotion banner in Inglewood, reached a maximum of 11.6 million U.S. viewers and maintained an average of 9.3 million throughout the card. These numbers exceeded the previous benchmark of 8.8 million established in 2011 during UFC on Fox 1.

Fans witnessed Rousey’s first fight in ten years, though the 39-year-old’s appearance was brief. She secured victory over Carano in just 17 seconds using her trademark armbar submission technique before announcing her permanent retirement from competitive fighting.

The former Olympics judo medallist and WWE performer previously held the distinction of being the UFC’s inaugural female bantamweight champion and the first woman enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame.

Her opponent, the 44-year-old Carano, had not competed in mixed martial arts for 17 years, with her last bout being a 2009 defeat to Cris Cyborg. Carano has since transitioned to a career in acting.

Washington pulled off a remarkable comeback victory Tuesday night, overcoming a five-run deficit to defeat New York 9-6 behind James Wood’s spectacular inside-the-park grand slam and three-hit performance.

The dramatic moment came in the second inning with the bases full when Wood drove a ball to the left-center field wall. The shot deflected off rookie Nick Morabito’s glove and rolled past Tyrone Taylor toward center field. Wood circled the bases and slid home safely for his first career grand slam before the defense could retrieve the ball. Jose Tena also connected for a home run in the Nationals’ victory.

Bo Bichette powered the Mets offense with two two-run homers, extending his hot streak to three home runs across two games. Juan Soto and Carson Benge, who collected three hits, also contributed to New York’s attack, but it wasn’t enough to extend their three-game winning streak.

Brewers 5, Cubs 2

Jacob Misiorowski dominated on the mound, delivering six shutout frames to guide Milwaukee past Chicago and secure the team’s 10th victory in 12 contests. The right-hander struck out eight batters and extended his scoreless streak to 24 1/3 innings across four outings, improving to 4-2 on the season.

Abner Uribe closed out the ninth inning without allowing a run for his fifth save of the year. Brice Turang went yard and finished 3-for-4 at the plate for Milwaukee. Chicago’s struggles continued as they dropped their fourth straight game and eighth in their last 10. Seiya Suzuki managed two hits and drove in a run, while Ben Brown took the loss after surrendering three runs over five innings.

White Sox 2, Mariners 1

Chicago mounted a dramatic ninth-inning rally in Seattle, with Chase Meidroth and Andrew Benintendi delivering clutch RBI singles to secure the victory. The White Sox pitching staff dominated, combining for a one-hitter to even the series.

Bryan Hudson earned the win in relief, while Grant Taylor struck out three consecutive batters in the ninth for his first save. Seattle’s Luis Castillo made his first regular-season relief appearance after 252 career starts, taking the loss after allowing two runs in 2 1/3 innings. Bryce Miller was excellent for the Mariners, tossing 5 2/3 scoreless innings.

Rays 4, Orioles 1

Yandy Diaz’s go-ahead homer highlighted a strong offensive showing that carried Tampa Bay past Baltimore in St. Petersburg. Diaz also doubled and finished with two RBIs in the victory.

Richie Palacios added an RBI double while Jonny DeLuca chipped in with an RBI single for Tampa Bay, which has won seven of nine games. The bullpen was outstanding, with Kevin Kelly, Ian Seymour, Casey Legumina and Bryan Baker combining for four shutout innings. Baker notched his 13th save.

Astros 2, Twins 1

Isaac Paredes’ two-run blast in the opening frame provided all the offense Houston needed to edge Minnesota in Minneapolis. Jeremy Pena went 2-for-4 as the Astros leveled the series at one game each.

Jason Alexander made an emergency start in place of Lance McCullers Jr., who was sidelined with a shoulder issue, and delivered six shutout innings while allowing four hits to earn his first win. Bryan Abreu recorded the final out for his third save.

Additional Scores:

Atlanta rallied for an 8-4 victory over Miami behind Matt Olson’s two-run single in a three-run eighth inning… Cleveland defeated Detroit 4-3 on Travis Bazzana’s two-run homer… Cincinnati’s Chase Burns struck out nine in six innings to lead the Reds past Philadelphia 4-1… New York held off Toronto 5-4 behind Ben Rice’s tiebreaking two-run homer… Boston exploded for seven runs in a victory over Kansas City… Texas routed Colorado 10-0 behind strong performances from Brandon Nimmo and Ezequiel Duran… St. Louis walked off against Pittsburgh 9-6 in 10 innings on Ivan Herrera’s three-run blast… Oakland defeated Los Angeles Angels 14-6 behind Nick Kurtz’s five-RBI performance… Arizona stunned San Francisco 5-3 on Ketel Marte’s walk-off three-run homer… Los Angeles Dodgers edged San Diego 5-4 on Andy Pages’ sacrifice fly.

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson repeatedly exploited James Harden defensively in the final period, while the veteran guard couldn’t provide enough offensive production to compensate.

The New York Knicks erased a 22-point deficit to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Tuesday evening, with Harden’s defensive and offensive struggles contributing significantly to the stunning collapse.

Brunson dominated multiple consecutive possessions by driving against Harden’s defense. The point guard tallied 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting during the fourth quarter exclusively.

“He made some tough ones, but we obviously all know he’s a great 1-on-1 player,” Harden said. “Anybody on an island, it’s going to be difficult, so we’ve got to do a better job of making sure he sees bodies. On the other hand, they do a good job at supporting him and helping him when he’s on an island. He made some tough ones, but we’ve got to do a better job as a team.”

New York’s coach Mike Brown deliberately placed the basketball in Brunson’s control and relied on his floor general to take advantage of the defensive matchup against Harden.

“There is no secret: We were attacking Harden,” Brown said. “Sometimes you’ve got to do what the game dictates, and they were trying to do the same thing with Jalen, so we said, ‘OK, we feel like we can play that game.’ We try not to play that game much, but we feel like we have a guy that we can play that game with in Jalen.”

Brunson managed just 14 points through the first half, as Cleveland’s strategy of switching multiple defenders against him proved effective until he began facing Harden individually to ignite the rally.

“Jalen was a little bit more aggressive,” Harden said. “We just allowed him to be aggressive, and he made shots and he continued to make shots.”

Coach Kenny Atkinson acknowledged that he and his coaching staff implemented adjustments, though none proved successful.

“We started sending two at him, getting the ball out of his hands, full rotating,” Atkinson said. “James was good most of the game. Listen, we weren’t great defensively in the fourth quarter.”

Following a 48-hour turnaround after eliminating Detroit in Game 7 of the previous round, Atkinson said he never contemplated removing Harden from defensive assignments.

“Listen, he’s been one of our best defenders and a big player in the playoffs,” Atkinson said. “I trust him. He’s smart, great hands.”

Acquiring Harden, an 11-time All-Star, during February helped drive the Cavaliers to this stage. However, the 36-year-old veteran experienced difficulties handling the basketball Tuesday evening as well.

Harden connected on 5 of 16 field goal attempts, including 1 of 8 from three-point territory, while committing six turnovers.

Donovan Mitchell, who paced Cleveland with 29 points, emphasized that he and his teammates could have contributed much more as a unit to contain Brunson and refused to place responsibility for the shocking loss solely on Harden.

“Ultimately, this isn’t on him — it’s on all of us,” Mitchell said. “It’s not just on one person. He’s been around the league long enough. He understands that.”

Even the most creative Hollywood writers would struggle to script the incredible opening night that launched the NBA conference finals.

The basketball world witnessed something extraordinary as Victor Wembanyama delivered 41 points and 24 rebounds, leading San Antonio to a stunning road victory over the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Meanwhile, New York mounted an incredible comeback from a 22-point deficit with roughly eight minutes remaining to defeat Cleveland. Both contests required overtime play – marking the first time in conference finals history – and remarkably, each game was deadlocked at 101-101 when regulation time expired.

Impressive performances from the Spurs and Knicks set the stage for what promises to be memorable series.

The defining characteristic of both victories was watching elite players elevate their performance when it mattered most. Monday evening belonged to Wembanyama and the Spurs, while Tuesday night saw Jalen Brunson take control for the Knicks during an extraordinary 44-11 scoring surge across the final 13 minutes.

Yes, that’s 44-11 over 13 minutes.

“I don’t know if I’ve seen that in a playoff game,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “I take my hat off to my group.”

The Spurs and Thunder will meet for Game 2 on Wednesday, followed by the Knicks and Cavaliers on Thursday. Expectations are high for continued excitement.

“Found a way. … We got some stops,” Brunson said. “Kept fighting, kept believing, kept chipping away.”

The statistical achievements from both games seem almost fictional.

Tuesday night’s action at Madison Square Garden defied basketball logic. A 44-11 run simply doesn’t occur at the NBA level, especially during conference finals play. Teams holding 22-point or larger fourth-quarter leads had posted a 452-1 record this season across regular season and playoffs combined. That mark now stands at 452-2. During playoff action specifically, teams had captured 330 straight victories when ahead by 22 or more points in the fourth quarter dating back to 2013. That streak is now 330-1.

The numbers seem impossible to explain.

“I don’t have an answer,” Brunson said.

Cleveland’s players and coaches were equally baffled during and after the collapse.

“We got a little unlucky,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Brunson obviously took over at the end. … We played great basketball tonight for three quarters. Unfortunately, the fourth quarter, they dominated us in the fourth quarter.”

Wembanyama’s 41-point, 24-rebound performance represents another rare achievement. The young star shined in his conference finals debut, receiving strong support from Spurs rookie guard Dylan Harper. San Antonio, similar to Cleveland, surrendered a double-digit fourth-quarter advantage in Game 1 before heading to overtime. The Spurs led by 10 points rather than 22, but still squandered a significant lead.

Unlike Cleveland, San Antonio managed to regain composure during both overtime periods Monday night.

“That game was in the balance multiple times for both teams,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said Tuesday. “You can’t get preoccupied with the outcome because there was so much in the balance that could have went either way.”

Simply put, capturing home-court advantage through a Game 1 victory doesn’t make the Spurs believe their series is decided. The Thunder understand Game 1’s importance while recognizing it’s far from conclusive.

“The cumulative experience just teaches you that it’s a series,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Tuesday. “Game 1’s a starting point, not an end point. We’ve lost playoff series that we’ve won Game 1 pretty convincingly. And we’ve also won series that we won Game 1. So, every series is different. It’s the first to four. They’re 25% of the way there and we’re at zero right now. But there’s a lot of basketball left to be played. I think this team kind of understands the length of the series, the length of the playoff run and the length of a playoff game.”

The reigning champions face mounting pressure. New York’s confidence is soaring. Wembanyama continues building his reputation. Cleveland – having survived two Game 7 victories during these playoffs – must overcome adversity once more.

These conference finals opened with spectacular drama. The second chapter promises even more excitement.

A wave of shirtless enthusiasm is taking over baseball stadiums nationwide as fans embrace what’s being called the “Tarps Off” phenomenon.

The movement involves groups of predominantly young male fans gathering in stadium sections, removing their shirts, and spinning them overhead while engaging in soccer-style chants and singing. The energetic displays are bringing a new level of excitement to a sport sometimes criticized for lacking stadium atmosphere.

The phenomenon originated in St. Louis last Friday and has rapidly expanded to ballparks in Detroit, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and Anaheim, California.

“It’s hard not to have fun when the fans are like that,” Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn said. “We’ve got the best fans in the world, but it seems like the younger generation makes it more like a college atmosphere.”

The movement began when a club baseball team from Stephen F. Austin State University attended a Cardinals game while in Alton, Illinois, for the National Club Baseball Division II World Series. The Cardinals had provided tickets to the team, and 17 players showed up.

Those players initiated the celebration, which attracted dozens of additional participants and eventually grew to include several hundred fans creating an uproar in right field. The energy contributed to the Cardinals’ 5-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals in 11 innings. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol was so impressed by the atmosphere that he purchased tickets for the enthusiastic fans to return for Saturday’s game.

The Cardinals’ mascot Fredbird even participated in the festivities.

The trend appears to be establishing itself as a regular occurrence, with more shirtless supporters cheering during Tuesday’s matchup against the Pirates. The home field energy seems to be paying dividends, as Ivan Herrera delivered a three-run homer that secured a 9-6 victory in 10 innings for the Cardinals.

Similar displays emerged at Tampa Bay Rays games on Monday and Tuesday. A smaller group celebrated in Philadelphia during a rain-soaked game between the Reds and Phillies. Angels fans combined their shirtless celebration with frustration, chanting demands for owner Arte Moreno to sell the franchise.

Major League Baseball likely welcomes the increased attention, as stadium attendance has improved this season with approximately 1,000 additional fans per game compared to last year through Monday’s games.

Should this upward trend persist, baseball could reach an average of 30,000 fans per game for the first time since 2016.

An increasing number of those spectators may simply be without shirts.

The Chicago White Sox completed a player exchange with the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, bringing in left-handed pitcher Joe Rock while sending infielder Oliver Dunn to Tampa Bay.

Following the trade’s completion, the White Sox placed Rock with their Triple-A Charlotte affiliate. To create space on their 40-man roster for Rock, the team moved catcher Kyle Teel to the 60-day injured list due to his sprained right knee ligament.

The 25-year-old Rock entered the major leagues last June, recording a 2.35 ERA through seven innings in three relief outings for Tampa Bay. During the current season, he compiled a 1-1 record with one save and a 5.40 ERA across 13 appearances for Triple-A Durham.

The 28-year-old Dunn logged 55 games with the Milwaukee Brewers during the 2024 and 2025 seasons, recording a .206 batting average along with one home run and 13 RBIs. This season with Triple-A Charlotte in the White Sox system, he posted a .296 average with eight home runs and 33 RBIs across 40 games.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar’s participation in the opening game of the Western Conference finals remains uncertain following his absence from Tuesday’s practice session, marking the third time he has skipped practice since their previous playoff series concluded.

Team officials have not revealed any specific injury details regarding Makar, who has participated in every playoff contest this season. When Colorado coach Jared Bednar was questioned about whether Makar’s potential absence from Wednesday’s Game 1 in Denver against the Vegas Golden Knights was worrisome, his response was cautiously optimistic.

“No,” Bednar stated. “Not yet.”

The Avalanche, who captured the Presidents’ Trophy, eliminated the Los Angeles Kings with a clean sweep to open their playoff run, then knocked out the Minnesota Wild in five contests. Makar has suited up for all nine postseason games and leads the team’s defensemen with four goals and one assist while logging nearly 25 minutes per game.

Despite his consistent presence in the lineup, Makar left both Games 1 and 5 during the Minnesota series after absorbing significant hits, though he managed to return in both instances.

“If he can’t go, it is what it is,” veteran Colorado defenseman Josh Manson commented. “That’s a huge piece. You don’t replace a guy like that. We need guys to step and fill roles and you just do what you can. We’ve done it in the past with other guys out.”

The 27-year-old Makar captured the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman in 2021-22 and 2024-25, and remains a nominee for this season’s award. Throughout his seven-year career with Colorado, he has accumulated 507 points on 136 goals and 371 assists across 470 games. During the 2025-26 regular season, he recorded 20 goals and 59 assists in 75 appearances.

Colorado forward Artturi Lehkonen and defenseman Sam Malinski, who sat out the final two games against Minnesota, returned to full practice participation on Tuesday.

Netflix’s inaugural mixed martial arts event featuring Ronda Rousey versus Gina Carano reached almost 17 million viewers worldwide at its peak, with the three-bout main card drawing an average of 12.4 million viewers, the streaming platform and Most Valuable Promotions revealed Tuesday.

Within the United States, the Rousey-Carano matchup reached a maximum of 11.6 million viewers, while the overall card maintained an average of 9.3 million American viewers.

The 39-year-old Rousey, who previously held the inaugural UFC bantamweight title, made her comeback against 44-year-old Carano and secured victory using her trademark armbar submission just 17 seconds into the featherweight contest. The fight took place Saturday night in Inglewood, California, marking Most Valuable Promotions’ inaugural mixed martial arts event.

Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, who co-founded Most Valuable Productions, issued a statement that read partially, “We’re incredibly proud of what was accomplished alongside our partners at Netflix and grateful to the athletes who helped make MVP MMA’s debut such a success. We’ve received an overwhelming amount of interest from investors, strategic partners, and fighters who want to be involved with MVP and the future of MVP MMA.”

The statement continued, “We are currently reviewing all strategic options to do something very meaningful within MMA on a go-forward basis with a distribution partner like Netflix that shares our vision to create lasting impact.”

Looking ahead, Netflix has secured rights to stream the T-Mobile Home Run Derby in July 2026, an expanded collection of 2026 NFL games, and worldwide streaming rights for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The Dallas Mavericks and head coach Jason Kidd have reached a mutual decision to separate after five years together, the team revealed on Tuesday.

Kidd’s time leading the franchise produced mixed results, with two seasons of 50 or more victories, highlighted by a Western Conference title in 2023-24. However, that squad fell to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, losing the series in five games. The coach also oversaw three seasons with losing records, including a disappointing 25-56 campaign last year.

“Jason has had a meaningful impact on the Dallas Mavericks, both as a Hall of Fame player and as the head coach who helped lead this franchise back to the NBA Finals,” Mavericks president Masai Ujiri said. “We are thankful for Jason’s leadership, his professionalism and his commitment to the team. In my short time here, I’ve developed an enormous amount of respect for what he has built. He will always be an important part of the Mavericks family.”

During his Dallas tenure, Kidd compiled a 205-205 regular season record along with a 22-18 mark in playoff games. His overall coaching record stands at 388-395 in regular season play and 31-33 in postseason contests.

The 53-year-old coach recently received a contract extension in October 2025, leaving four years and more than $40 million still owed on his agreement.

Kidd’s standing with fans deteriorated following the February 2025 trade that sent superstar Luka Doncic elsewhere. While Kidd claimed he only learned about the transaction at “the 11th hour,” he became linked to the move that transformed Dallas from a championship contender into a lottery franchise.

Team leadership indicated their intention to begin an immediate and thorough coaching search.

“As we evaluate the future of our basketball program, we believe this is the right moment for a new direction for our team,” Ujiri said. “We have high expectations for this franchise and a responsibility to build a basketball organization capable of sustained championship contention. We will conduct a thorough, disciplined search for our next head coach and continue to evaluate our entire basketball operations staff to ensure we compete at the standard Mavs fans expect and deserve.”

The former point guard enjoyed a distinguished playing career that earned him Hall of Fame recognition and brings a decade of head coaching experience to his resume. He previously guided the Brooklyn Nets to a successful 44-38 season before moving to Milwaukee in 2014. His Milwaukee teams struggled to maintain consistency, achieving a winning record just once (42-40 in 2016-17) before his dismissal during the following campaign.

Following two years as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas hired Kidd in 2021. He had previously played eight seasons with the Mavericks during a 19-year career that included 10 All-Star selections.

Kidd experienced early success upon returning to Dallas, guiding the team to a 52-30 record and Western Conference finals berth in his first season. The strong performance, fueled by Doncic’s excellence and two playoff series victories, earned him sixth place in Coach of the Year voting.

After the Finals run two seasons later, he placed ninth in that same award consideration.

The New Jersey Devils have decided to keep head coach Sheldon Keefe on the bench, multiple reports confirmed Tuesday.

The organization announced it has dismissed goaltending coach Dave Rogalski and will be moving assistant coach Sergei Brylin to a different role within the team.

New general manager Sunny Mehta, who joined the organization on April 16, conducted a review of the coaching staff and chose to keep Keefe, who still has two years left on his current deal.

Keefe previously coached in Toronto for five seasons from 2019 to 2024 before taking over the Devils’ bench in May 2024. In his debut season with New Jersey, he guided the team to a playoff berth, though they fell to the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs by a 4-1 series margin.

This past season, New Jersey matched their previous win total of 42 games but failed to secure a postseason spot, ending Keefe’s impressive run of six straight playoff appearances with his teams.

During his tenure with the Devils, Keefe has compiled a record of 84 wins, 70 losses, and 10 overtime losses across two seasons. His overall coaching record stands at 296-167-50 over seven seasons.

Rogalski had been part of the coaching staff since the 2020-21 season. The team’s defensive performance declined this year, allowing 3.09 goals per game compared to 2.68 the previous season.

Before joining the Devils, Mehta worked as assistant general manager and head of analytics for the Florida Panthers from 2023 to 2026, where he was part of two Stanley Cup championship teams.

Professional basketball’s postseason tournament is celebrating a dramatic surge in television viewership through the first two rounds of competition.

League officials announced Tuesday that games have drawn an average of 4.5 million viewers per contest, with broadcasts distributed among ABC, ESPN, and newer media partners NBC/Peacock and Amazon Prime Video.

The league reports this represents the strongest viewership numbers in 29 years, dating back to 1997.

Amazon Prime Video separately revealed that the decisive seventh game of the Eastern Conference semifinals, where the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the top-ranked Detroit Pistons, attracted 6.53 million viewers. This figure exceeded the previous year’s equivalent second-round finale between Oklahoma City and Denver by 3 percent.

The playoff action continues with the Cavaliers traveling to face the New York Knicks Tuesday evening for the opening game of the Eastern Conference championship series. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the reigning champion Thunder in a double-overtime thriller Monday night in the first game of the Western Conference finals.

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks have dismissed head coach Jason Kidd following five seasons with the franchise, announcing the separation just two weeks after bringing on former Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri as team president and governor.

Dallas officials announced Tuesday they were separating from Kidd, characterizing the decision as mutually agreed upon. The Hall of Fame point guard previously helped bring the franchise its sole championship as a player in 2011.

During his May 5 introduction, Ujiri remained uncommitted regarding Kidd’s future, stating he would speak with the coach while assessing every element of the organization.

“As we evaluate the future of our basketball program, we believe this is the right moment for a new direction for our team,” Ujiri said in a statement. “We have high expectations for this franchise and a responsibility to build a basketball organization capable of sustained championship contention.”

Under Kidd’s leadership, the Mavericks achieved two significant playoff campaigns alongside Luka Doncic, advancing to the NBA Finals in 2024 after reaching the Western Conference finals two years earlier against Golden State.

Dallas traded Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2024-25 campaign, acquiring Anthony Davis as the primary asset in an exchange that proved disastrous for the organization. The Mavericks failed to reach the playoffs that year and again in 2025-26.

The 53-year-old coach had expressed enthusiasm about working with 2025 No. 1 overall draft selection Cooper Flagg, who earned Rookie of the Year honors. That responsibility will now shift to his successor.

Kidd concluded his Dallas tenure with an even .500 regular-season mark (205-205), perfectly reflecting the inconsistent nature of his time with the team.

The Western Conference finals appearance occurred during his inaugural season, when Dallas upset the favored Phoenix Suns in a road Game 7 during the second round. The Mavericks fell to the eventual champion Warriors in five games.

Then-general manager Nico Harrison acquired Kyrie Irving the following season, though injuries to both him and Doncic prevented them from forming an elite scoring tandem. Dallas failed to qualify for the playoffs.

During their sole healthy campaign together in 2023-24, Doncic and Irving guided the Mavericks to their first Finals appearance since Kidd’s championship-winning playing days.

Nine months afterward, Harrison stunned the league by dealing Doncic. Due to injuries, Irving and Davis shared the court for merely 2 1/2 quarters.

Harrison received his dismissal early in the 2025-26 season following a poor start and another Davis injury. Davis was subsequently dealt to Washington, and despite exceptional performances from Flagg, the Mavericks concluded with a 26-56 record.

Dallas joins Orlando, Chicago and Portland as franchises seeking new head coaches. The Trail Blazers utilized Tiago Splitter in an interim capacity this season. Since the regular season concluded, Milwaukee has brought in Taylor Jenkins while New Orleans hired Jamahl Mosley.

Among the 12 coaches who have guided teams to NBA Finals since 2019, seven have departed those organizations — including four championship winners: Nick Nurse with Toronto in 2019; Frank Vogel with the Lakers in 2020; Mike Budenholzer with Milwaukee in 2021; and Michael Malone with Denver in 2023.

Additional coaches who reached the Finals since 2019 but no longer remain with those franchises include: Monty Williams (Phoenix in 2021), Ime Udoka (Boston in 2022) and Kidd.

Kidd holds a 388-395 record across nine-plus seasons as a head coach. He transitioned directly from playing to coaching, guiding Brooklyn to the second playoff round in 2013-14. He departed for Milwaukee, where he was dismissed midway through his fourth season.

Following two seasons as a Lakers assistant, including their 2020 championship run in the playoff bubble alongside LeBron James and Davis, Kidd joined the Mavericks.

Ujiri advised reporters against interpreting his non-committal stance regarding Kidd’s return, noting coaches had lengthy tenures during his previous basketball operations roles with Toronto and Denver.

This time, Ujiri begins with a clean slate.

NEW YORK (AP) — After an extended absence, Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees are preparing for his highly anticipated comeback.

The pitcher is slated to make his season debut Friday evening when New York faces Tampa Bay, marking his first major league appearance in nearly 19 months following Tommy John surgery.

Cole, a six-time All-Star who earned the 2023 AL Cy Young Award, last took the mound in the majors during October 2024’s World Series Game 5 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“It’s been tough. I mean, I’ve missed it quite a bit,” he said Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. “There’s been some blessings along the way as well. I talked about my family, and spending time with my boys. But largely I’m just looking forward to being really tired and having that exhaustion, like, mean something.”

Manager Aaron Boone indicated that Cole was scheduled for a bullpen session Tuesday and will face pitch limitations Friday.

“He hasn’t been in that flow of competition for 17 months. That being said, it is Gerrit Cole,” Boone said. “He looks great to me. So, my expectation is that he’s going to be really good.”

Despite Max Fried joining the injured list last weekend with a left elbow bone bruise, Boone explained the team had originally planned for Cole to complete a seventh minor league rehabilitation appearance this week before returning to a big league rotation featuring Cam Schlittler, Carlos Rodón, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers.

However, following the 35-year-old right-hander’s 86-pitch performance across 5 1/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre against Syracuse on Saturday evening, Cole and the organization shifted their approach.

“We just kind of continued to work through that. Didn’t want to make any rash decisions just because Max was out. This isn’t about that spot. It’s like, we were going to play the long game with this,” Boone said.

“But in just like, all the talks with the trainers, pitching group, Gerrit, his support group and all that, we just felt like he has done everything he needs to be ready to compete now at this level. So, I’m really excited to get him back and excited for him because, again, knowing the long road that it’s been and the blood, sweat and tears he put in the rehab process.”

During his latest minor league appearance, Cole’s four-seam fastball averaged 97 mph and topped out at 99.6 mph.

“When we all looked at it and just considered all the variables, it checked all the boxes,” he said.

Cole will take the mound for the series opener at Yankee Stadium against the AL East division rival Rays, who completed a three-game sweep of New York last month in Florida and held the league’s best record at 31-15 entering Tuesday.

“I expect it to be intense. Tough matchup. Lot of balls in play. Control the running game,” Cole said. “Lot of pressure from the other team.

“I’m most looking forward to just competing at the highest stage,” he added. “Pretty high stakes Friday night for May, and I mean, it’s just a blessing to play the game. You get a better sense of that once you’re removed from it.”

Cole expressed satisfaction with his advancement through the lengthy rehabilitation period.

“I felt like any return around this point, even with a few weeks ahead of time, would be generally viewed as a good return-to-play plan and a good level of execution. I mean, I expected to do well. I didn’t really hit any significant snags. And so, you put a lot of hard work in and execute along the way and this is where it takes you,” he said.

“It didn’t feel very quick, yet it’s been very efficient and optimal.”

Cole holds a career record of 153-80 with a 3.18 ERA across 12 major league seasons with the Pirates, Astros and Yankees. The two-time ERA champion’s comeback to an already-solid rotation should provide substantial support for second-place New York, which stood at 29-19 entering Tuesday, three games behind Tampa Bay.

“This is a good measuring stick. So you get a good litmus test of where you are,” Cole said. “I’m confident. I’m optimistic. But I definitely know there’s some work in front of us. It’s just the right time to take the next step.

“I’m as prepared as possible to do the best I can, whatever challenges come our way on Friday.”

Cole underwent testing in 2025 after surrendering two home runs during his second spring training appearance against Minnesota on March 6, and received reconstructive elbow surgery five days afterward.

This year, he completed two one-inning spring training starts on March 18 and 24, then started minor league rehabilitation outings on April 17. He posted a 4.71 ERA across 28 2/3 innings, allowing 28 hits while recording 28 strikeouts and three walks.

“We’re all excited for him and know the long road that it’s been to get back to this point,” Boone said. “I’m sure there’s been some trying moments for him, but I also feel like he’s handled it all really well, and there’s been a discipline to what he’s done.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the league will work with Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier following receipt of a legal subpoena regarding the organization’s diversity hiring policies.

The Attorney General’s office issued the subpoena on May 13 as part of an investigation into possible civil rights violations connected to the Rooney Rule and other NFL employment policies and programs.

“I think we have been very clear about our programs, and we obviously evaluate them all the time, not just for how they get better, but also to make sure that they’re consistent with the law,” Goodell stated Tuesday at league meetings in Orlando, Florida. “We’re engaging with the Florida attorney general and will continue to. We’ll share everything we’re doing with them. We think it’s certainly within the law, but also something very positive.”

In March, Uthmeier warned of potential enforcement measures against the NFL unless it halted the 23-year-old Rooney Rule, which mandates teams interview a minimum of two external minority candidates for head coaching, general manager and coordinator roles. Teams must also interview at least one minority candidate for quarterbacks coach positions.

In correspondence to Goodell, Uthmeier characterized the Rooney Rule as “blatant race and sex discrimination.”

The legal document requires the league to appear at the attorney general’s Tallahassee office on June 12. It demands comprehensive documentation, including “all diversity reports, coaching census data, or demographic surveys that reflect the race and sex of coaching staffs of the teams from 2017 to the present.”

The investigation includes examination of the accelerator program, which the NFL established in 2022 as an expansion of the Rooney Rule to boost diversity among coaching staff and front office leadership.

The accelerator program provides participants chances to network with team owners and executives, plus attend educational sessions preparing them for future job interviews.

Following a pause last May, the NFL conducted its updated accelerator program Monday and Tuesday in Orlando. The revised version now includes nonminority participants, with nearly half of this year’s attendees being white men.

“There are a lot of candidates up there that are diverse, that are getting the opportunity to improve themselves and to get exposure, to get an opportunity,” Goodell said. “So, the people that are up there are the best of the best and they are a very diverse group, but they are the best of the best. And what we’re trying to do here is to make them even better and to give them opportunities. And that’s what I heard is that one, they appreciate the opportunity; two, it was helpful in that.”

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has been sentenced to 30 days behind bars after failing a drug test for marijuana, violating his probation conditions. The Dallas-area incident stems from his involvement in a highway collision that injured several people two years ago.

Officials from the Texas State Attorney’s Office announced that Rice must begin serving his jail term immediately as part of his original punishment for the third-degree felony charge of racing and causing bodily injury. His release date is scheduled for June 16. The Chiefs organization has refused to provide any statement regarding the legal matter.

In other sports news, the NAACP has launched a campaign urging Black athletes, former students, supporters and the public to avoid supporting athletic programs at public universities in states targeting longtime Black legislators through redistricting efforts.

The organization announced the initiative Tuesday, as civil rights advocates seek to pressure Republican-controlled state governments through mass demonstrations and economic boycotts. Should Black athletes join this boycott, it could significantly impact rosters for major football and basketball teams throughout the Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference. The Congressional Black Caucus has also stated it will resist key legislation supported by college athletic conferences unless conference officials stand against the redistricting campaigns.

Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama delivered a spectacular performance in his conference finals debut, posting remarkable statistics of 41 points, 24 rebounds, and three blocked shots. These numbers represent an unprecedented conference finals opening game in the NBA’s eight-decade history.

The San Antonio standout dominated every aspect of the Spurs’ 122-115 double-overtime Game 1 triumph over Oklahoma City to begin the Western Conference finals Monday evening. He showcased powerful dunks, celebrated with intensity, and energized his teammates throughout the contest. Despite his individual brilliance, Wembanyama emphasized that team victory was his primary focus. San Antonio head coach Mitch Johnson praised him, saying “he has a rare desire to step into every moment that’s in front of him.”

Women’s flag football is advancing toward NCAA championship recognition, with a potential title game occurring just before the sport debuts in the 2028 LA Olympics. The NCAA Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact voted Tuesday to support adding a national collegiate flag football championship across Divisions I, II and III as early as spring 2028.

This represents significant progress toward full NCAA championship inclusion for women’s flag football. The sport requires 40 schools to sponsor it at the varsity level for recommendation approval. According to NCAA data, over 100 schools are planning to compete in the upcoming academic year.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed the league is working with Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier following a subpoena issued last week. Uthmeier delivered the subpoena to the NFL on May 13 as part of an investigation into potential civil rights violations concerning the Rooney Rule and other league employment practices, policies and programs.

The attorney general had previously threatened possible enforcement measures against the league in March unless it suspended the 23-year-old Rooney Rule. The subpoena requires the league to appear at the attorney general’s Tallahassee, Florida office on June 12.

Aaron Rai captured the PGA Championship title in what many consider a surprising victory, though his triumph was built on exceptional shot-making rather than luck. Rai demonstrated championship-level performance and executed memorable shots at Aronimink throughout the tournament.

The most remarkable aspect was his ability to outperform some of golf’s elite competitors. The PGA Championship itself also emerged as a winner, often labeled as the fourth major tournament. This week’s competition thoroughly tested every element of the game from driving to putting.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from next month’s grass-court Grand Slam tournament due to his persistent wrist injury. Alcaraz suffered the wrist injury during last month’s Barcelona Open, which also forced his withdrawal from this weekend’s French Open.

The tennis star began the year by claiming the Australian Open championship, becoming the youngest male player to capture all four major tennis titles.

The Vegas Golden Knights’ request to reduce their penalty for violating media access regulations has been rejected by the NHL, and they will forfeit a second-round draft pick this year. Two sources familiar with the situation confirmed this information to The Associated Press on Tuesday, speaking anonymously since the league had not publicly announced the appeal outcome.

The league penalized Vegas with the loss of their second-round selection and imposed a $100,000 fine on coach John Tortorella for what officials termed flagrant violations of media regulations. Tortorella declined to speak with reporters and the team failed to provide locker room access following their series-clinching Game 6 victory.

The removal of a massive whale mural in Dallas to prepare for upcoming World Cup artwork has generated significant public backlash. The mural had become a cherished feature of the downtown area for many residents.

This month, people walking by began observing that the artwork, which had adorned two complete walls of a parking structure for nearly three decades, was being covered with solid blue paint. Wyland, who created the original mural, released a statement expressing that the destruction left him “deeply disheartened.” Hundreds of upset individuals have signed a Change.org petition protesting the mural’s removal.

Three former racing stars will be honored as the NASCAR Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2027 inductees on Tuesday, with Kevin Harvick earning selection in his first year of eligibility alongside Jeff Burton and Larry Phillips.

The voting took place Tuesday at the Charlotte Convention Center, where Harvick and Burton were selected from 10 Modern Era candidates while Phillips was chosen from five Pioneer Era nominees.

Lesa France Kennedy was also named as this year’s Landmark Award recipient for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

The induction ceremony is scheduled for January 22 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte.

At age 50, Harvick stepped away from full-time competition following the 2023 season, finishing his 23-year career with 60 Cup Series wins, ranking him 11th all-time. His achievements include the 2014 Cup Series title and championships in what is now known as the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2001 and 2006.

Harvick’s career began when he took over for the late Dale Earnhardt after the seven-time champion’s fatal crash at the 2001 Daytona 500. Working with team owner Richard Childress, Harvick achieved immediate success, capturing his third race and earning 2001 NASCAR Rookie of the Year honors.

Throughout his career, Harvick reached at least five wins in a season four different times, with his best year coming in 2020 when he won nine races. Known by his nickname “The Closer,” Harvick now works as an analyst for Fox Sports’ NASCAR broadcasts.

Burton, who like Harvick was recognized among NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023, accumulated 21 Cup Series victories and 27 O’Reilly Series wins during his career. “The Mayor” of NASCAR achieved his career-best season in 1999 with six race wins. The 58-year-old received his Hall of Fame selection in his sixth year of eligibility.

Currently, Burton serves as a broadcaster for NBC Sports and works as an adviser for NASCAR’s drivers’ council.

Phillips’ racing accomplishments are estimated to include 1,000 or possibly 2,000 victories according to his crew chief James Ince, though NASCAR notes the exact number remains uncertain due to Phillips competing on various surfaces across multiple locations where results weren’t always documented. Phillips passed away in September 2004 at 62 years old.

According to NASCAR, Phillips became the first driver to claim five NASCAR Weekly Series championships, and between 1989 and 1996, he won 220 out of 289 NASCAR-sanctioned events.

Kennedy serves as NASCAR’s Executive Vice Chair and brings over three decades of experience with International Speedway Corporation. Recognized as one of sports’ most influential women, Kennedy has held various executive positions including secretary, treasurer, executive vice president and CEO.

In 2016, Kennedy received induction into the Cynopsis Sports Business Hall of Fame.

The selection process involved a 50-member voting panel consisting of NASCAR representatives, NASCAR Hall of Fame officials, track owners, media personnel, competitors including drivers, owners and crew chiefs, nationwide fan voting, and reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson.

Harvick earned 92% of Modern Era votes while Burton received 32%. Neil Bonnett finished third in voting, followed by Randy Dorton and Greg Biffle. Phillips captured 38% of Pioneer Era votes.

Fan voting through NASCAR.com selected Harry Hyde for the Pioneer category and Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick for the Modern Era.

New York Yankees right-handed pitcher Gerrit Cole will take the mound Friday at Yankee Stadium against the Tampa Bay Rays, marking his return to major league action after a 14-month absence due to Tommy John surgery.

The former Cy Young Award recipient sat out the entire 2025 season following elbow issues that arose during spring training, leading doctors to recommend the surgical procedure. Cole’s most recent competitive appearance was in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, where the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Yankees 4-1 to claim the championship.

The 35-year-old hurler completed six rehabilitation appearances across three minor league levels this spring, posting a 5.28 ERA over 29 innings pitched. Earlier this week, Yankees skipper Aaron Boone had not committed to Cole’s return, suggesting the team might send him for an additional rehab outing.

New York’s roster move sending pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre created the opening for Cole’s comeback when the rotation cycle came around.

The Yankees currently trail the division-leading Rays by three games and recently placed star southpaw Max Fried on the 15-day injured list with a left elbow bone bruise, which had necessitated Rodriguez’s second promotion this season.

The six-time All-Star earned the 2023 AL Cy Young Award while wearing pinstripes, compiling a 15-4 record with a league-best 2.63 ERA across 33 starts.

During the 2024 campaign, he posted an 8-5 mark with a 3.41 ERA in 17 appearances, having missed the season’s first half due to elbow soreness. Cole delivered strong postseason performance for New York’s playoff run that year, recording a 1-0 record with a 2.17 ERA in five starts.

Throughout his major league career spanning stints with the Pittsburgh Pirates (2013-17), Houston Astros (2018-19) and New York (2020-24), Cole has accumulated a 153-80 regular-season record with a 3.18 ERA in 317 starts. His postseason resume includes an 11-6 record with a 2.77 ERA over 22 starts.

The NCAA has taken a major step toward establishing a national championship for women’s flag football, potentially launching the title competition just before the sport debuts at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

On Tuesday, the NCAA Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact approved a recommendation to create national collegiate flag football championships across Divisions I, II and III, targeting spring 2028 for the inaugural tournament.

While the decision isn’t finalized, this represents significant progress for the emerging sport. The recommendation required sponsorship from 40 schools at the varsity level, but more than 100 institutions are already preparing to field teams during the upcoming academic year, the NCAA reported.

“Today is a landmark day for collegiate athletics, as women’s flag football officially becomes an NCAA championship sport,” said Marion Terenzio, chair of the Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact Emerging Sport Subcommittee and president at SUNY Cobleskill. “This step recognizes a sport whose growth, competitiveness and national momentum have been impossible to ignore. Elevating flag football to championship status affirms that progress and opens new doors for women to compete at the highest level.”

The approval process continues with each division needing to review the recommendation and submit proposals by July 1. Following that timeline, voting would occur in January 2027, requiring unanimous approval from all three divisions to move forward. Officials would also establish an oversight committee for NCAA women’s flag football.

Flag football would join other sports that achieved NCAA championship recognition through the Emerging Sports for Women program, including rowing in 1996, ice hockey in 2000, water polo in 2000, bowling in 2003, beach volleyball in 2015, wrestling in 2025, acrobatics and tumbling in 2026, and stunt in 2026.

“The momentum behind the game reflects the passion of athletes, coaches, administrators and partners across the country who have embraced flag football and invested in creating more opportunities for female athletes,” said Izell Reese, founder and CEO of RCX Sports, the official operator of NFL FLAG. “We’re excited to continue working alongside the NCAA, NFL and school leaders to help accelerate that growth and build sustainable pathways for the next generation.”

Jacqie McWilliams Parker, chair of the Committee on Access, Opportunity, added: “Girls want to play. Whenever you give access and opportunity to an easier way to play, the better the success and numbers in participation you see.”

The International Olympic Committee approved flag football for the Los Angeles Olympic program in 2023, alongside cricket, baseball-softball, lacrosse and squash.

Female participation in flag football continues surging nationwide. Over 20 states now recognize it as an official girls’ high school varsity sport, and NFL clubs approved launching a professional flag football league in December 2025.

The growth extends to youth levels as well. USA Football research shows participation among girls ages 6 to 12 jumped 283% between 2015 and 2024.

“This is great news for flag football,” USA Football CEO Scott Hallenbeck said. “Growing the game is central to our mission, and the potential for women’s flag football to have a fully recognized NCAA championship does exactly that.”

ORLANDO, Fla. — Professional football will expand its global presence with more games scheduled outside American borders.

League owners gave their approval Tuesday for increasing international contests to 10 games starting after the upcoming season. This represents the highest number of overseas games permitted under the current collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has stated that 16 international games remains the ultimate target.

This season will feature a record-breaking nine international contests spanning four continents, marking the debut of regular-season play in France and Australia. Rio de Janeiro will host its first game, while London gets three contests, with additional games planned for Munich, Spain, and Mexico City.

“Our strategy is not one and done so our goal is to go back to those markets that we’re establishing,” NFL executive Peter O’Reilly said. “There are parts of the world that we are looking at for future years, maybe not ’27, beyond. Asia would be an example of that. Japan would be a good example within Asia of a market that has complexity.”

When asked about the possibility of an international Super Bowl, O’Reilly offered measured optimism.

“I don’t know if I can fully parse that in terms of feasibility versus likelihood, but if you’re just talking feasibility, obviously, as we go to new stadiums around the world, we’re getting a better sense of those buildings,” O’Reilly said. “And, as we go around the whole world, we get a sense of the passion there, and the partnerships, governmental partnerships, private sector partnerships, and otherwise. So I think all of that strengthens the foundation that you need to perhaps someday on a far off horizon have an international Super Bowl.

“You have great buildings like Tottenham (in London) that were built with the NFL in mind from Day 1. So I think passion, partners, some stadiums, there’s some feasibility, obviously a lot of other factors, inclusive of the fact there’s tremendous demand as we saw today from Nashville, from the U.S. cities in hosting this major event and the massive economic impact that comes with it, but we’re learning every day to increase the feasibility.”

Owners also passed a measure eliminating teams’ ability to shield two home games from international scheduling.

The league’s Inspire Change program has exceeded half a billion dollars in funding.

Since its 2017 inception, the NFL has distributed nearly $575 million to support thousands of partner organizations and nonprofits through four main areas: education, economic advancement, police/community relations and criminal justice reform.

Nine nonprofit organizations will receive renewed funding, including Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Law Enforcement Action Partnership and Center for Employment Opportunities.

“It’s really a credit to the NFL family for contributing back to our communities that need us to reach the under resourced and the underserved,” said Anna Isaacson, senior vice president of social responsibility for the NFL. “The dollar amount is big, but it’s really what that dollar amount represents. It’s thousands of organizations over the last nine years that have received grants from NFL clubs, from club foundations, from the NFL Foundation, to do the work in their communities across the four pillars of Inspire Change.”

The funding renewals received approval from the Player-Owner Social Justice Committee, a 12-member group featuring current and former players from the Players Coalition alongside team owners.

“Our mission as the Players Coalition is to use our collective voices and influence to advocate for the individuals actively making a difference in their communities,” Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum said. “The collaborative work with the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative gives players the opportunity to raise awareness of social issues and direct funds to solve them.”

Nashville and the Tennessee Titans’ upcoming Nissan Stadium will host the 2030 Super Bowl.

The Titans remain on track to complete their new venue directly opposite the existing Nissan Stadium by February, wrapping up the three-year construction project. The NFL previously brought the 2019 draft to Music City.

“That for us changed the future of the draft, arguably changed the future of the Titans and the community,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “And I think this is the next great step in a remarkable football journey and a great community in Nashville. We can’t wait to be there.”

Los Angeles will host this season’s Super Bowl, followed by Atlanta in 2028 and Las Vegas in 2029.

Minnesota will welcome the 2028 draft to Minneapolis.

Owners approved bringing the three-day event to Minneapolis, which previously hosted the 2018 Super Bowl when the Eagles beat the Patriots 41-33.

Washington will host next year’s draft.

“Minnesota knows how to show up for big moments, and we’ve experienced it firsthand,” Goodell said. “Working with the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Sports and Events, we look forward to bringing the 2028 NFL draft to this great community, driving positive economic impact throughout the region, and hosting an incredible event for fans and the next generation of the NFL.”

The NFL draft took place in New York from 1965 to 2014. Radio City Music Hall served as the venue nine times, with the Rockettes’ spring show forcing the draft into May in 2014. The league relocated to Chicago for two years, achieved significant success, and transformed the draft into a major attraction, particularly for cities unable to host a Super Bowl.

“For three days, Minnesota will become the center of the football world,” Vikings owner/President Mark Wilf said. “The 2028 NFL draft will give us an opportunity to showcase not just U.S. Bank Stadium, but the energy, hospitality and pride that define Minneapolis-St. Paul and the entire state and region. We have no doubt the community will deliver a world-class event that is unique to Minnesota.”

The Texas Rangers brought back right-handed pitcher Chris Martin from the 15-day injured list on Tuesday, while sending fellow right-hander Gavin Collyer down to Triple-A Round Rock.

Martin, who will celebrate his 40th birthday next month, was placed on the IL on April 15 due to a right shoulder impingement. Before getting hurt, he posted a 1-1 record with a 7.11 ERA across eight bullpen outings.

Throughout his career since 2014, Martin holds a 19-25 record with a 3.39 ERA and 16 saves across 426 career appearances (all in relief) while playing for seven different teams, including two separate periods with the Rangers (2018-19, 2025-current). He earned a World Series championship with the Atlanta Braves in 2021.

Collyer, 25, first appeared in the major leagues on April 15. In his 14 relief outings, he has compiled a 1-0 record with a 2.84 ERA, recording 10 strikeouts and issuing eight walks over 12 2/3 innings pitched.

Tuesday brought shocking results at the Hamburg Open in Germany, where second-seeded Ben Shelton and fourth-seeded defending champion Flavio Cobolli both fell to unexpected defeats.

In the biggest surprise of the day, German player Daniel Altmaier delivered a stunning blow to World No. 6 Shelton, winning 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4 in a marathon match lasting two hours and 51 minutes. The victory sends Altmaier into the quarterfinals despite entering the tournament ranked No. 65 with just a 4-13 record this season. Shelton appeared poised for victory when he held a 5-4 lead in the second set with a chance to close out the match on his serve, but Altmaier mounted a dramatic comeback.

In another major upset, Peruvian qualifier Ignacio Buse eliminated Italy’s Cobolli with a straight-set victory of 6-2, 7-5 in just one hour and 31 minutes. Buse dominated the match by recording more winners than his opponent 15-13 and never allowed Cobolli a single break point opportunity.

Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, the tournament’s top seed, successfully navigated his opening match by defeating Vit Kopriva of the Czech Republic 7-5, 6-1. Additional victorious players included Russia’s fifth-seeded Karen Kachanov, Italy’s seventh-seeded Luciano Darderi, France’s Ugo Humbert, and American lucky loser Aleksandar Kovacevic. The second-round contest between sixth-seeded Tommy Paul and Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry had to be halted due to insufficient light, with each player claiming one set 7-6 (5).

At the Geneva Open in Switzerland, Norway’s sixth-seeded Casper Ruud bounced back from his recent loss to World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the Italian Open final by defeating Jenson Brooksby 6-3, 7-5 in first-round action. The world No. 17 Ruud capitalized on half of his break point opportunities, converting five of 10 chances against Brooksby, who managed more winners 28-21 but also committed significantly more unforced errors 22-12.

Other Geneva Open results included Spain’s eighth-seeded Jaume Munar’s dominant 6-0, 6-3 victory over American qualifier Nishesh Basavareddy, Belgium’s Raphael Collignon’s 6-3, 7-6 (5) win against France’s Adrian Mannarino, Australia’s Alexei Popyrin’s three-set triumph over French qualifier Clement Tabur 7-6 (2), 6-7 (5), 6-4, and Serbia’s Laslo Djere’s 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Australia’s James Duckworth.

University of Michigan basketball player Morez Johnson has officially committed to the 2026 NBA Draft, putting to rest any questions about whether he might return to Ann Arbor for another college season.

The forward posted impressive numbers during the previous campaign, recording 13.1 points per game along with 7.3 rebounds while appearing in all 40 contests for the championship-winning Wolverines, who finished with a 37-3 record. Johnson originally began his college career at Illinois, where he made just eight starting appearances before transferring to play under head coach Dusty May.

Johnson joins two other Michigan starters who are expected to be selected in the opening round of next month’s professional draft. Center Aday Mara could potentially be chosen in the lottery portion, while All-American Yaxel Lendeborg has earned recognition among Field Level Media’s Top 25 prospects.

“I am excited to chase my lifelong dream of playing in the NBA,” Johnson said. “Every stop along my journey has prepared me for this moment, and I’m extremely grateful.”

Coach May has been active in rebuilding the roster through the transfer portal as Michigan prepares to defend its national championship. The program previously found success with transfers, including Johnson and the other two top draft prospects currently on the team.

The incoming class includes Moustapha Thiam from Cincinnati, Jalen Reed from LSU, and J.P. Estrella from Tennessee, who will help form Michigan’s new core group.

Wide receiver Rashee Rice of the Kansas City Chiefs has been sentenced to 30 days in jail following a probation violation after testing positive for marijuana, according to reports from several news outlets on Tuesday.

Rice was processed into custody Tuesday afternoon at a Dallas County, Texas facility and is scheduled for release on June 16. This timing will cause him to be absent from organized team activities and a mandatory minicamp.

KSHB 41 News in Kansas City first reported the news and secured court documentation showing Rice’s positive test result for THC.

The Chiefs organization has not issued a statement regarding the matter.

Rice’s probation stems from his involvement in a street-racing incident that resulted in injuries to several individuals on a Dallas highway in March of 2024. He entered guilty pleas last July to two third-degree felonies and received five years of probation along with deferred adjudication on a 30-day jail term.

The NFL has already handed Rice a six-game suspension to begin the 2025 season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

The 26-year-old Rice recorded 53 receptions for 571 yards and five touchdowns across eight games in the previous season. Selected by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2023 draft, Rice has accumulated 156 catches for 1,797 yards and 14 touchdowns over 28 career contests.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice will spend the next month behind bars after violating his probation by testing positive for marijuana, stemming from his involvement in a multi-vehicle collision on a Dallas freeway in 2024.

According to the Texas State Attorney’s Office on Tuesday, Rice must now fulfill the 30-day jail term that was included in his original sentencing from July, when he entered guilty pleas to third-degree felony charges including collision causing serious bodily injury and highway racing resulting in bodily harm.

Under his plea deal from last summer, Rice received five years of deferred probation along with the conditional 30-day jail sentence that he must now serve, according to prosecutors.

The Kansas City Chiefs organization chose not to provide a statement about the matter Tuesday. An attempt to reach Rice’s legal representative was unsuccessful.

The jail term comes during the NFL’s offseason training period, potentially causing the 26-year-old player to miss organized team workouts and minicamp activities this spring.

According to prosecutors, Rice was behind the wheel of a Lamborghini Urus SUV traveling 119 mph on March 30, 2024, when he performed “multiple aggressive maneuvers around traffic” before colliding with other vehicles. Following the crash on North Central Expressway, prosecutors stated that Rice did not attempt to assist those in the other cars and escaped the scene on foot.

During training camp before the previous season, Rice expressed that he had “completely changed” and matured from the incident, which also resulted in a six-game suspension for breaking the league’s personal conduct standards.

“You have to learn from things like that,” Rice stated. “I’ve learned and taken advantage of being able to learn from something like that.”

Rice has been active for portions of three seasons, sitting out time due to both the suspension and a knee injury. He contributed to Kansas City’s Super Bowl victory during the 2023 season.

IndyCar officials announced Tuesday that WNBA star Caitlin Clark has been chosen to serve as grand marshal for this Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 race.

The Indiana Fever guard will deliver the traditional command directing drivers to report to their vehicles as part of the official pre-race festivities.

“I’m looking forward to experiencing an iconic piece of what makes Indiana so special and being part of the time-honored tradition of ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,’” said Clark.

Clark was selected as the top pick in the 2024 WNBA draft and shattered numerous records during her first professional season, including surpassing the league’s all-time assists record.

Past grand marshals for the Indy 500 have included Baseball Hall of Famer Derek Jeter and 14-time MLB All-Star Alex Rodriguez.

NEW YORK — The National Hockey League has rejected the Vegas Golden Knights’ request to overturn penalties imposed for violating media access requirements, according to two sources familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The sources requested anonymity since the league has not publicly disclosed the appeal outcome.

Last Friday, the NHL stripped Vegas of a second-round draft selection and imposed a $100,000 fine on coach John Tortorella for what officials described as blatant violations of media policies. Following the team’s series-clinching Game 6 win at Anaheim on Thursday evening, Tortorella declined to meet with reporters and the organization failed to provide locker room access.

When announcing the penalties, league officials noted that the Golden Knights had received prior warnings about failing to comply with media and other organizational policies. The team was given an opportunity to present their case directly to Commissioner Gary Bettman this week, but their efforts to recover the draft pick or reduce the financial penalty were ultimately unsuccessful.

This marks the harshest penalty ever imposed by the league for media access violations. Vegas will begin the Western Conference Final on Wednesday evening against the Colorado Avalanche.

When questioned about the sanctions on Saturday, Tortorella responded to Las Vegas media members: “We put out a statement as an organization, and so we’ll go back that. We have no more comment on that.” The referenced statement merely acknowledged awareness of the league’s announcement and indicated no additional comments would be forthcoming.

Tortorella assumed coaching duties on an interim basis following Bruce Cassidy’s dismissal on March 29. Under his leadership, the Golden Knights posted a 7-0-1 record in their final eight regular-season contests, then defeated the Utah Mammoth and the Ducks to reach the Western Conference final for the fourth time in the franchise’s nine-year history.

At age 67, Tortorella previously guided the Tampa Bay Lightning to Stanley Cup victory in 2004. Throughout his NHL career, he has accumulated $262,000 in fines for various infractions.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The statistics tell an extraordinary story: 41 points, 24 rebounds, and three blocks.

Victor Wembanyama delivered a conference finals debut performance unmatched in the NBA’s eight decades of existence.

The San Antonio standout dominated every aspect of the court during the Spurs’ 122-115 double-overtime triumph against Oklahoma City in Monday night’s Western Conference finals opener. He threw down dunks, celebrated with intensity, and struck poses for his teammates throughout the marathon contest.

However, Wembanyama’s sole focus remained on his team’s victory.

“The relentlessness is built as well,” Wembanyama said. “First of all, the first thing is physical ability, getting stronger as the years go on. And the mental toughness, you have to have it all the time. Yes, it takes a toll, but we will rest in July.”

His comment about resting in July carries significant weight — it’s currently May. Should San Antonio advance to play in June, they would be competing for the NBA championship. This appears to be both his expectation and his objective.

“He has a rare desire to step into every moment that’s in front of him,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “And I think he has showed in his three years, in a lot of different situations, with a lot of different circumstances, that he’s going to attack those moments. Doesn’t mean they’ll always work out for him or be exactly the outcome that he wants, but he has some rare God-given ability. He puts in even more work and preparation into maximizing that and his disposition and mentality and approach is reflected at times in the way he handles those moments.”

Meanwhile, Spurs guard Dylan Harper had an outstanding rookie performance that might have been overlooked. Harper contributed 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and seven steals. He became only the second rookie alongside Magic Johnson to record at least 15 points, five assists and five steals in a conference finals contest.

Despite Harper’s exceptional showing, the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama commanded the spotlight.

Breaking down Wembanyama’s remarkable evening:

At age 22, he set a record as the youngest player to achieve those numbers in NBA postseason history, beating Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s previous mark by seven months when Abdul-Jabbar posted 46 points and 25 rebounds in 1970.

Including regular season games, he ranks as the second-youngest player ever to reach those totals. Bob McAdoo accomplished a 45-point, 25-rebound performance at age 21 in 1973.

These exceptional performances are becoming increasingly frequent for Wembanyama. He has now recorded 10 career games with 40 or more points. Half of those occurred during his first 2 1/2 seasons, while the other five have happened within the past three months.

His 24 rebounds surpassed his previous career-high of 23, which he achieved on his 21st birthday — Jan. 4, 2025, in a game against Denver. Since that occurred during regular season play, it remains his official “career-high” while his playoff performance stands separately.

Making 12 free throws on 13 attempts tied his second-best free throw performance as a professional. He converted 16 free throws in a loss to Denver last month. His 12-of-13 shooting represented one of his finest free throw displays in the NBA; he previously went 12-for-12 against Phoenix in March and 16-for-17 against the Nuggets in April.

“He’s one of a kind.” — Harper, on Wembanyama.

The National Football League has chosen Nashville to host the 2030 Super Bowl at the Tennessee Titans’ upcoming enclosed stadium, marking the first time the championship game will be played in Music City.

Team owners cast their votes Tuesday to award the game to Nashville’s new $2.1 billion facility. The decision comes after the city demonstrated its capabilities during the highly successful 2019 NFL draft, which set new attendance records for the league.

Commissioner Roger Goodell noted that Nashville had proven itself in every area except having an appropriate venue. He praised the city’s performance during the draft, saying it established new benchmarks for the league.

“That for us changed the future of the draft, arguably changed the future of the Titans and the community,” Goodell said. “And I think this is the next great step in a remarkable football journey and a great community in Nashville. We can’t wait to be there.”

Construction of the new facility is progressing on schedule, with completion expected in February after three years of building. The stadium is being constructed directly opposite the existing Nissan Stadium. While some questioned whether the planned seating capacity would be sufficient for a Super Bowl, league representatives monitored the development process closely.

By scheduling the 2030 Super Bowl for Nashville, the Titans will have three complete seasons to address any operational issues that may arise.

Controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk expressed excitement about Nashville’s inaugural Super Bowl and acknowledged the support of Goodell, fellow team owners, and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp.

“We cannot wait for our community to experience an event of this magnitude and for the world to see the energy, hospitality, and culture that make our city so special on a global stage,” she said. “We look forward to bringing an unforgettable Super Bowl experience to Nashville together.”

The NFL’s leadership was impressed by Nashville’s unique approach during the 2019 draft, which featured live musical performances between player selections and major artists like Tim McGraw headlining nightly festivities. Crowds gathered in the Lower Broad entertainment district, with additional activities held at the Titans’ current venue, accessible via a pedestrian walkway.

“We are grateful to the NFL for the confidence they have placed in our community,” said Deana Ivey, president and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “Nashville has earned a reputation for hosting major events at the highest level, and we are ready to welcome the world.”

Among NFL cities, only New Orleans and Las Vegas offer more hotel accommodations within one mile of their stadiums. Nashville’s hospitality market is expected to grow to 658 hotels with over 80,000 rooms by 2030, compared to the current availability of more than 61,000 rooms.

The stadium construction involves $760 million in bonds from Nashville’s sports authority plus $500 million in state bonds. This combined $1.2 billion in taxpayer funding represented the largest public investment in an NFL stadium when approved in 2022.

Burke Nihill, the Titans’ president and CEO, credited the support from municipal, state, and community officials for making Tuesday’s announcement achievable.

“We are grateful to the NFL for the opportunity to host in 2030,” he said. “Beyond the game itself, this event will create lasting impact for Nashville, our fans, and the entire region for years to come.”

This selection extends the NFL’s Super Bowl schedule, which includes SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, for 2027, followed by Atlanta in 2028 and Las Vegas in 2029.

Nashville has broader ambitions beyond securing a Super Bowl for the new Nissan Stadium. Former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, who also serves as controlling owner of the NHL’s Nashville Predators, leads the Music City Major Events group formed in 2023 to attract additional premier events to the venue.

The league also revealed Tuesday that Minnesota will host the 2028 draft, marking ten years since that city last hosted a Super Bowl in 2018. Pittsburgh welcomed a record 805,000 attendees over three days during April’s draft. Washington is set to host the 2027 NFL draft.

DENVER (AP) — Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog says reaching the Western Conference Final provides all the motivation he needs.

However, if additional fuel were required, the painful memory of their 2021 second-round defeat to Vegas would certainly suffice. Colorado held a commanding 2-0 series advantage — and maintained a lead deep into the third period of Game 3 — before dropping four consecutive contests.

While that collapse was devastating at the time, it also served as motivation for the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup championship the next year. Vegas followed by claiming their own Cup title the subsequent season.

“Obviously, it’s the same teams but a lot of turnover,” Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri said ahead of a series that gets under way Wednesday night in Denver. “Obviously, we’re hoping for a different outcome this time.”

Several recognizable players return from that 2021 matchup between Colorado’s fast-paced attack and Vegas’s hard-hitting style — characteristics that still define this upcoming battle.

Colorado’s current roster features many holdovers from that series, including Landeskog, Kadri, Cale Makar, Valeri Nichushkin, Devon Toews and Nathan MacKinnon, with coach Jared Bednar still behind the bench.

Vegas retains key contributors such as captain Mark Stone, William Karlsson, Brayden McNabb, Keegan Kolesar, Shea Theodore and Reilly Smith. Former Avalanche adversary Pete DeBoer coached Vegas back then, but John Tortorella now leads the team.

Nicolas Roy has changed allegiances, playing for Vegas previously and now suiting up for Colorado. Brandon Saad made the opposite move, joining Vegas after playing for Colorado.

“We feel like we have swagger, believe in each other,” Vegas defenseman Noah Hanifin said. “It should be a fun test.”

The Golden Knights have surged since Tortorella assumed control after Bruce Cassidy’s dismissal. Vegas posted a 7-0-1 record to close the regular season — including a 3-2 overtime victory against Colorado on April 11 — and defeated playoff newcomers Utah and Anaheim to reach this stage.

Similar to how they channeled their 2021 Vegas loss into success, the Avalanche hope to transform last season’s playoff disappointment against Mikko Rantanen and the Dallas Stars into positive energy.

“The buy-in from our guys in both 2022 and this year, it’s at a different level,” said Bednar, whose Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche are 8-1 so far in the postseason. “Because they know what the stakes are.”

Oddsmakers have installed the Avalanche as plus-135 favorites to win the Cup, while the Golden Knights sit at plus-575.

“It doesn’t matter in this room,” McNabb said of being an underdog. “They’re a good team. We know that. We respect them.”

Vegas is reaching the conference final for the fifth time since their inaugural 2017-18 campaign. No franchise has made more conference final appearances during that timeframe.

“Your approach should always be the same, so I don’t really think a whole lot changes,” center Jack Eichel said. “You want to continue to elevate your game both individually and as a team the further you go.”

Vegas traded Roy to Toronto last summer in exchange for Mitch Marner. Roy later joined Colorado through another transaction and now faces the organization he helped capture the 2023 Stanley Cup.

“They have a really good lineup. They have depth,” Roy said. “We do as well. So looking forward to it.”

Just four months ago, Kadri and Vegas defenseman Rasmus Andersson were Calgary teammates. Andersson was dealt in January while Kadri moved in March.

“Pretty crazy,” Kadri said. “It worked out for both of us.”

MacKinnon paces Colorado’s playoff scoring with 13 points (seven goals, six assists). The Avalanche’s depth shows as 17 different players have found the net.

“That doesn’t just happen,” Landeskog said. “That’s everybody pulling their weight and everybody doing the best they can to help the team out.”

Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev has shown a pattern of late-series production in both playoff rounds. After going scoreless through the first three games against Utah, he scored in Game 4 and recorded a hat trick in Game 5.

Dorofeyev managed only two assists in the opening three contests versus Anaheim before exploding for five goals across the final three games.

“It seems like he’s beginning to be a high-stakes player, scoring big goals at big times,” Tortorella said.

Colorado has alternated between goaltenders Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood. Wedgewood boasts a 7-1 record with a 2.21 goals-against average this postseason, while Blackwood stands 1-0 with a 3.20 GAA.

Vegas relies on Carter Hart, who carries an 8-4 record with a 2.37 GAA and .915 save percentage.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The physical attributes and basketball abilities that make Victor Wembanyama so dominant aren’t changing before the second game of the Western Conference finals. His skills will remain sharp, and the San Antonio Spurs’ confidence level certainly won’t diminish.

This reality means the Oklahoma City Thunder must find ways to improve their approach.

San Antonio needed extraordinary performances — particularly Wembanyama’s dominant 41-point, 24-rebound showing and rookie Dylan Harper’s impressive 24-point, seven-steal contribution — to capture Monday’s double-overtime classic in Game 1. With Game 2 scheduled for Wednesday, the pressure is on Oklahoma City to respond.

“You’ve just got to be aggressive, just be smart, I think, more than anything,” Thunder guard and two-time Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said of facing the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama. “He obviously is very big at the rim, but we still found cracks in (the defense) at times. We’ve just got to be willing to work possessions and make sure we get the best shot each time down.”

Put simply, Oklahoma City needs to do some studying.

There’s some irony in this situation, considering that continuous improvement has been San Antonio’s theme.

The Spurs declared De’Aaron Fox unavailable roughly an hour before the opening game, which meant they fielded the youngest starting lineup in NBA conference finals history — featuring 20-year-old Harper, 21-year-old Stephon Castle, 22-year-old Wembanyama, 24-year-old Julian Champagnie and 25-year-old Devin Vassell. Given that most of these players would typically still be in college, Wembanyama’s frequent references to “learning” seem both genuine and appropriate.

“We want to win everything, and we have the chance to. We have people above us in the organization that know how to do that,” Wembanyama said. “And, so far, it looks like they’ve put the right people together to give us a chance — because right now, we’ve got a chance. We still got a lot to do, lot to learn, lot of trials to go through that we don’t even know of, but we have a chance.”

Clearly, the architects of San Antonio’s success — including the likes of Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford, along with the current leadership of general manager Brian Wright and coach Mitch Johnson — understand their craft. The championship banners hanging in San Antonio serve as evidence.

Oklahoma City’s leadership has proven equally capable; the Thunder demonstrated their championship credentials last season by capturing a title. Following Monday’s defeat, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault maintained his characteristic composure.

“I’m never going to discredit an opponent when they come in here and win like that,” Daigneault said. “But we have a lot of runway to improve. We have a lot of players that can play better. We collectively can play with more intentionality on both ends of the floor, certainly on the offensive end of the floor. We can play better collectively.”

Regardless of Wednesday’s outcome, Daigneault will probably deliver similar comments following Game 2.

“Game 2 is going to end and then we’ll need to be a better team in Game 3,” Daigneault said. “That’s how these work.”

San Antonio has legitimate reasons for optimism: they hold a 1-0 series advantage and hope Fox might return for the second game. While Oklahoma City, despite Alex Caruso’s 31-point effort in the series opener, may lack immediate reasons for celebration, they shouldn’t panic either: Gilgeous-Alexander’s poor shooting performance (7 for 23 in Game 1) is unlikely to continue, and the 21-rebound deficit — their worst since November 2024 — represents a correctable issue.

“That’s what this time of year is about,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s the highest level of basketball and you’re going to find out exactly what type of player you are, what type of competitor you are and exactly what you need to get better at.”

The international governing body for gymnastics stood by its controversial choice to remove all bans on Russian and Belarusian competitors on Tuesday, citing principles of fair treatment and what it called the “true spirit of sport.”

On Monday, the organization announced that competitors from both nations could immediately resume participating in international events while representing their home countries, overturning a ban that had been enforced since March 2022 after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.

“The Executive Committee’s decision to lift all restrictions imposed on Russian and Belarusian athletes is based on the principle of equal treatment for all athletes regardless of nationality,” World Gymnastics said in a statement to Reuters.

“World Gymnastics firmly believes that sport and politics must remain separate and that unity and solidarity should prevail at all sporting events.”

The organization further stated that athletic competitions should function as a “neutral platform that brings athletes and nations together in a spirit of fairness, mutual respect and solidarity.”

This ruling covers every discipline under the federation’s authority, including artistic, rhythmic, acrobatic, and aerobic gymnastics, plus trampolining.

Competitors from Russia and Belarus had faced exclusion from international competitions through late 2024, when they gained permission to participate without national identification. This complete policy reversal now permits them to display national symbols and play their anthems, aligning with similar decisions by United World Wrestling and World Aquatics.

Russia has maintained dominance in gymnastics historically, capturing 10 total medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics while competing under the Russian Olympic Committee designation.

The Professional Women’s Hockey League finalized its latest expansion effort on Tuesday by awarding San Jose a franchise, marking the league’s first venture into California and completing a four-team growth initiative.

With 12 teams set for the upcoming fourth season, the organization has expanded dramatically from its original six franchises when it launched in June 2023. The San Jose selection brings approximately 7.6 million residents into the league’s market reach, creates a third West Coast team, and taps into a region known for supporting women’s athletics and developing young female hockey players.

The franchise will call the SAP Center home, sharing the venue with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks. The city and Sharks Sports & Entertainment spearheaded the successful bid for the team.

“Between a deeply rooted hockey culture, rapidly booming women’s sports scene, and a community known for growth and innovation, San Jose offers a dynamic stage for the PWHL to expand its reach and build lasting momentum,” said Amy Scheer, PWHL executive vice president of business operations.

This announcement wraps up the league’s second wave of expansion, which started with Detroit’s addition two weeks prior, followed by Las Vegas and Hamilton, Ontario, one week later. These four newcomers join Seattle and Vancouver from last year’s expansion, plus the founding markets of Boston, New York, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Minnesota.

League leadership, according to Scheer, is considering restructuring into conferences or divisions. The new markets help address geographic gaps and should reduce travel distances between cities.

The Bay Area has emerged as a significant hockey market, currently ranking sixth nationally in girls’ hockey participation.

“From its humble beginnings with an NHL expansion team in 1991, San Jose is now truly a ‘hockey city,’” Sharks Sports & Entertainment president Jonathan Becher said.

The team’s identity will feature orange, blue and white colors – orange paying tribute to the Sharks, while blue and white reflect the coastal setting and sky.

San Jose’s franchise becomes the third major women’s professional sports team to establish itself in the Bay Area recently, following Bay FC in the National Women’s Soccer League in 2024 and the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA in 2025.

Bay FC achieved third place in NWSL attendance last season and attracted 40,091 spectators to Oracle Park in San Francisco, creating the league’s third-largest crowd ever.

The Valkyries reached the playoffs in their inaugural season while leading the league with over 18,000 fans per game at Chase Center. Sportico recently valued the team at $850 million, the highest in the league, following an expansion fee of $50 million paid in 2023.

The league maintains ownership of all franchises and receives private funding from Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter and his wife Kimbra.

This rapid expansion reflects the anticipated boost in interest following the Milan Cortina Olympics in February, as well as preparation for an exceptionally talented draft class this year.

The 235-player prospect pool features five college players who earned Olympic gold for the United States, led by Wisconsin defender Caroline Harvey, along with increasing numbers of European players transitioning to North America.

With 12 teams, including seven in the United States, the league improves its prospects for securing a national television deal. Scripps Sports appears positioned as a potential partner, having already broadcast playoff games on ION this season, reaching 126 million American homes.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Montreal defenseman Mike Matheson shared the same growing frustration as countless Canadiens supporters who had grown weary of hearing about the franchise’s developing talent and bright tomorrow.

As it turns out, that tomorrow may have come sooner than expected, driven forward by Alex Newhook’s remarkable ability to deliver crucial goals in winner-take-all playoff contests.

“It means a lot,” Matheson commented following Montreal’s advancement to the Eastern Conference finals, achieved through Newhook’s overtime strike at 11:22 in their 3-2 victory against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday evening.

“For a long time it’s been talking about the rebuild and rebuild. I think as a group we’re a little tired of that whole kind of viewpoint, as if we have to keep being patient and wait, and our time will come,” he said. “So I feel it’s exciting for us and motivating for us to see that we’re at this stage already.”

Monday’s victory marked Montreal’s second Game 7 triumph during these playoffs, with both road victories sealed by Newhook’s heroics. The second-line player previously netted the decisive goal at 11:07 of the final period in Game 7 of Montreal’s opening-round victory over Tampa Bay, winning that series 2-1.

The Canadiens will now face the well-rested Hurricanes in a series beginning Thursday evening in Carolina. The Hurricanes completed sweeps in both of their opening playoff rounds and haven’t played since defeating Philadelphia 3-2 in overtime on May 9.

Montreal has reached the NHL’s penultimate round for the first time since the pandemic-affected 2021 playoffs, when a veteran-heavy squad featuring captain Shea Weber and netminder Carey Price defeated Vegas before falling to Tampa Bay in a five-game Stanley Cup Final.

While some players remain from that era, including captain Nick Suzuki and his linemate Cole Caufield, both now in their mid-20s, this roster has been essentially reconstructed over three-plus seasons under general manager Kent Hughes and head coach Martin St. Louis.

The new faces include drafted prospects like defenseman Lane Hutson, forwards Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov, plus goaltender Jakub Dobes. Hughes has also brought in crucial pieces through trades, including Newhook, Matheson, Noah Dobson, Alexandre Carrier and Phillip Danault, who has returned for his second tenure with the organization.

“We built it since I’ve been here, and we built it all season long,” said Newhook, who captured the Stanley Cup in 2022 with Colorado and is now completing his second campaign in Montreal. “We’re a confident group. We knew what we were capable of all year. I think we believe that we can keep going and bring this thing all the way.”

This marks just Montreal’s fourth playoff appearance in nine seasons. The franchise’s upward momentum is evident following last year’s first-round elimination by Washington, and after a regular season where Montreal’s 48 victories and 106 points represented their best totals since 2014-15.

The Canadiens haven’t suffered back-to-back defeats since mid-March and have posted a perfect 6-0 record in playoff games following losses.

Rookie netminder Dobes has shouldered the goaltending responsibilities by starting every postseason contest after posting a 29-10-4 regular season record. In both Game 7 appearances, he has surrendered just three total goals on 68 shots, including a 37-save performance against Buffalo.

Both he and his teammates recovered impressively from an 8-3 defeat in Game 6.

“We’re used to it,” Dobes said of performing in the clutch. “The Tampa series made us a way better team than before the playoffs. We know how to bounce back. We know what’s the feeling like. So, yeah, it’s just keep getting experience.”

Montreal began the playoffs with 10 players who had previously participated in a Game 7. That number has now doubled to 20.

“It’s easy to just use the age as a crutch,” said St. Louis, who now holds a 2-0 record in Game 7s as a coach to complement his 6-2 mark as a player.

“Two years ago, we know that we lacked experience. That doesn’t mean you can’t advance and mature,” he said. “Last year’s experience in the playoffs, what we’re going through right now, you can’t buy that. It’s amazing. I’m so happy for the players to live that.”

Victor Wembanyama delivered a spectacular performance with 41 points and 24 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-115 in double overtime to begin the Western Conference finals with a statement victory.

The towering star clinched the win with consecutive dunks in the closing moments, including one that resulted in a three-point opportunity, helping San Antonio capture home-court advantage while improving to 5-1 against Oklahoma City this season.

Dylan Harper contributed 24 points along with a franchise playoff-record seven steals for the Spurs. Oklahoma City received 31 points from Alex Caruso in what marked the second-best scoring performance of his professional career, but it wasn’t enough to prevent their nine-game playoff victory streak from ending—a run that dated back to Game 7 of last season’s championship series.

In hockey action, Alex Newhook netted the game-winner 11:22 into overtime as the Montreal Canadiens eliminated the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 in their decisive seventh game Monday evening. Newhook fired a shot through traffic from the left wing that found its way past goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen inside the far post.

This marked Newhook’s second series-clinching goal of the current postseason, having previously delivered the decisive strike in Montreal’s first-round triumph over Tampa Bay. Phillip Danault and Zachary Bolduc provided additional scoring for the Canadiens, while goalie Jakub Dobes made 37 saves. Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin forced the extra period by equalizing 6:27 into the final frame, with Jordan Greenway adding the other Thunder goal.

Wembanyama’s dominant display placed him alongside basketball legends Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with such a statistical performance in playoff competition. Despite being passed over for the MVP honor in favor of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the young superstar continues to demonstrate his championship drive.

Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson highlighted his star player’s fierce competitive nature following the victory. San Antonio now finds themselves in an advantageous position despite entering as underdogs without the services of injured guard De’Aaron Fox, needing to protect their home venue to maintain a realistic path toward an NBA championship.

Meanwhile, reports from British media outlets suggest Pep Guardiola may conclude his remarkable decade-long leadership of Manchester City following the current campaign. Major news organizations including the BBC and Daily Mail indicate the decorated manager is expected to depart despite having one year remaining on his current agreement.

Former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca emerges as the frontrunner to assume control according to BBC reporting. Maresca previously served as Guardiola’s assistant during his time with City. Neither Manchester City officials nor representatives for Maresca provided immediate responses when contacted for comment. Guardiola has captured 17 major trophies since joining English football in 2016.

In baseball, Oakland Athletics pitcher J.T. Ginn carried a no-hit bid into the ninth inning before Adam Frazier broke it up with a leadoff single for the Los Angeles Angels. Zach Neto immediately followed with a two-run homer that secured a 2-1 Angels victory, delivering a crushing defeat to Ginn and the Athletics.

Frazier connected on an 0-2 offering over the shortstop for a clean base hit, becoming just the third Los Angeles baserunner of the contest. Neto then launched a 2-0 sinker to center field for his eighth homer this season. Ginn was attempting the first major league no-hitter since September 2024, throwing a career-high 105 pitches with 64 strikes while recording a personal-best 10 strikeouts alongside one walk and one hit batter in the sixth inning.

Looking at NFL draft prospects, Carson Beck experienced mixed reviews during the evaluation process, explaining his slide to the third round before Arizona Cardinals selected the quarterback. Beck joins an intriguing group of signal-callers determined to prove their worth beyond Fernando Mendoza and other highly-regarded prospects.

Players like Beck, Pittsburgh’s Drew Allar, and the Jets’ Cade Klubnik face challenging odds reaching NFL stardom after third and fourth-round selections, though professional football history includes numerous elite quarterbacks who weren’t early draft choices.

Aaron Rodgers wasted little time returning to action with the Pittsburgh Steelers following his one-year contract signing. The four-time MVP quarterback participated in voluntary organized team activities immediately after agreeing to return for a 22nd professional season.

The agreement reunites Rodgers with first-year Pittsburgh head coach Mike McCarthy, who previously collaborated with the quarterback in Green Bay where they captured a Super Bowl victory against Pittsburgh during the 2010 campaign. Last season, the 42-year-old signal-caller guided Pittsburgh to an AFC North division title while throwing 24 touchdown passes against seven interceptions.

New York Yankees player Jazz Chisholm Jr. has adopted an unusual approach to breaking his early-season struggles, borrowing Giancarlo Stanton’s oversized trousers and José Caballero’s bat. The style change appears to be working, as Chisholm delivered a crucial two-run homer that propelled the Yankees to a 7-6 victory over Toronto.

After seeing his batting average drop to .200, Chisholm has heated up since making the equipment adjustments. Both teammates and fans have embraced the distinctive look, while manager Aaron Boone remains supportive of the unconventional approach. The custom pants now feature Chisholm’s name as well.

The Montreal Canadiens’ rebuilding process has reached fruition as the youth-driven squad advances to the Eastern Conference finals following their 3-2 overtime victory in Game 7 against Buffalo. The organization essentially reconstructed their roster from the ground up over three-plus seasons.

Montreal has now captured two Game 7 contests this postseason, both decided by Alex Newhook goals, and will face the well-rested Carolina Hurricanes in a series beginning Thursday night. The Canadiens have undergone complete reconstruction since falling to Tampa Bay in five games during the COVID-affected 2021 Stanley Cup Final.

Atlanta prepares to welcome World Cup supporters from across the globe as Mercedes-Benz Stadium, temporarily renamed Atlanta Stadium for the tournament, will host eight matches including a semifinal contest on July 15. The city offers numerous attractions during the summer months, including Piedmont Park, Ponce City Market, and the Georgia Aquarium.

Local cuisine highlights include the city’s renowned lemon pepper wings and barbecue, with establishments like The Local and Fox Bros Barbecue drawing crowds. Centennial Olympic Park will feature the FIFA Fan Festival with live match broadcasts and musical performances, while MARTA public transportation provides convenient stadium access for the venue that has previously hosted major sporting events.

TEMPE, Ariz. — When the Arizona Cardinals selected Carson Beck with the 65th overall pick in the third round, it marked another chapter in the ongoing story of quarterbacks chosen later in the NFL draft who must overcome significant odds to find success.

Beck, age 24, experienced a lengthy six-year college career marked by both achievements and setbacks, including a serious elbow injury that sidelined him for several months. Despite questions about his draft stock, the quarterback remains focused on making the most of his chance.

“Everybody’s got to run their own race,” Beck said. “It looks different for everyone regardless of the opinions that others have of that race or that journey.”

Beck joins a group of quarterbacks from this draft class hoping to defy expectations, including Drew Allar, who went to the Steelers, and Cade Klubnik, selected by the Jets. These players face steep challenges in reaching NFL stardom after being chosen in rounds three and four.

History does provide some encouragement for late-round quarterback selections.

The most notable success story remains seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady, chosen by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 draft before achieving legendary status. More recent examples include Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott, a fourth-round selection, and San Francisco’s Brock Purdy, who was taken in the seventh round.

However, such success stories are becoming increasingly rare.

Last season saw only three quarterbacks drafted in the third round or later — Prescott, Purdy and Jacoby Brissett — make nine or more starts. This represents a significant decline from 17 such quarterbacks in 2001 and 10 in 2017.

While some might attribute this trend to improved quarterback evaluation, ESPN NFL draft analyst Matt Miller offers a different perspective.

“I’ve had this conversation with agents before — the round you’re drafted in stays with you a long time,” Miller said. “You’re given a lot more opportunity based on that first-round moniker over fifth or sixth round. I wouldn’t say teams are better, I think teams are stubborn about wanting to admit they’re wrong on a quarterback.”

Miller points to recent high draft picks like C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, Kenny Pickett and Bryce Young, who have received extended opportunities to develop due to the significant investment made in them. The results have been mixed.

“There’s pressure to stick with those guys,” Miller said.

Despite the challenges, later-round quarterbacks can still succeed, and Miller believes extensive college experience serves as a strong predictor of future success. Purdy accumulated 46 starts across four seasons at Iowa State, while Prescott made nearly 30 starts for Mississippi State in Southeastern Conference play.

Both players benefited from fortunate circumstances. Purdy entered the lineup in 2022 when injuries struck Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, finishing with a perfect 5-0 record as a starter. Prescott claimed the starting role in 2016 after injuries to Tony Romo and Kellan Moore.

The crucial factor was their preparedness to capitalize on unexpected opportunities.

“You have the experience factor to come in, make plays and perform at a high level,” Miller said. “That’s not to say that experience can cover up a lack of tools — the tools have to be there.”

Miller views Beck’s situation with the Cardinals as particularly promising. Arizona has veteran options in Brissett and Gardner Minshew, but neither carries a substantial contract or long-term commitment.

First-year coach Mike LaFleur dismisses concerns about Beck’s third-round selection, noting the quarterback’s 43 starts over three seasons at Georgia and Miami.

“Part of our job in this building is to say, ‘Hey, take all that away and develop them at the pace that they can develop,’” LaFleur said. “Let’s make sure we have great urgency in the way we coach them. They need to match that urgency back, because the clock starts now for all these guys.

“No one really cares. You’ve got to put the best 53 on the roster and the best 22 out there from a starting standpoint.”

The Steelers selected Allar from Penn State with the 76th overall pick in the third round. Pittsburgh hopes the physically talented but unpolished prospect can develop under first-year coach Mike McCarthy, who brings extensive experience working with skilled quarterbacks.

Allar enters his professional career not as an immediate franchise solution but as a development project. Unless injuries create openings, he will likely spend his rookie season third or fourth on the depth chart, learning from McCarthy and four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, who returned to Pittsburgh on a one-year contract.

“Right now it’s just really focusing on the fundamentals and not really caring about where I am at in terms of depth-chart stuff,” Allar said.

At 22 years old, Klubnik brings substantial college experience after appearing in 49 games across four seasons at Clemson, throwing for over 10,000 yards. The New York Jets selected him in the fourth round at 110th overall.

Klubnik has an opportunity to compete for the backup position behind Geno Smith, depending on whether the Jets add a veteran quarterback. New York’s quarterback depth chart remains thin beyond Smith, with Klubnik joined by Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe.

“He’s a really smart kid. Not kid, but he’s a really smart man,” Jets coach Aaron Glenn said of Klubnik. “I don’t think he’s swimming as much as you probably think he is and that’s a lot because of the way the coaches are actually teaching them.

“But, listen, we’re going to push the envelope with that player and see exactly where he’s at and how he’s going to be able to operate with our offense.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Oversized uniform pants have become the latest fashion statement during what some are calling the Yankees’ Jazz Age.

As Jazz Chisholm Jr. positioned himself in the batter’s box, hoping to keep his hit in fair territory, the fabric of his loose-fitting pinstriped trousers hung loosely around him. The New York Yankees second baseman has adopted an unusual strategy to escape his early-season struggles: wearing Giancarlo Stanton’s uniform pants and swinging José Caballero’s bat.

The extremely wide trousers, reminiscent of Oxford Bags from 1920s Britain, might catch on if Chisholm continues his hot streak.

“My teammates love ’em,” Chisholm said following his go-ahead two-run home run in the seventh inning that propelled the Yankees to a 7-6 victory over Toronto on Monday night. “I hear a lot of fans on the road talk about it but at home guys like it.”

After an All-Star campaign last season featuring 31 home runs, 80 RBIs and 31 stolen bases, Chisholm struggled to find his power stroke this year, not connecting for his first homer until April 23. His batting average dropped to .200 during last week’s series in Baltimore.

The 28-year-old Chisholm, listed at 5-foot-11 and 184 pounds, had initially been wearing the roomier pants belonging to 221-pound teammate Trent Grisham. When he couldn’t locate a pair of Grisham’s pants last Wednesday in Baltimore, he made a change.

“I went to Big G’s pants, and the balls were coming off hot,” Chisholm said.

Sporting the much larger uniform bottoms of the 6-foot-6, 245-pound Stanton, Chisholm collected a double that day. He then went 7 for 12 while wearing Stanton’s oversized pants during the Subway Series against the New York Mets at Citi Field over the weekend.

“Jazz has so much swag. He can really kind of pull off anything,” teammate Cody Bellinger said.

Chisholm also made an equipment change in Baltimore, switching from his usual Chandler-manufactured bat to a 34-inch, 31-ounce Victus model belonging to Caballero.

“I was like, bro, keep my bat hot, and he’s like, ‘All right, let me try that,’” said Caballero, currently on the injured list with a broken finger. “His is more end-loaded. Mine is more balanced so you can really feel your hands.”

Baseball players are notoriously superstitious and will try almost anything to reverse their fortunes. Bellinger remembered his own unusual method for ending a prolonged slump at Double-A Tulsa in 2016.

“Showered with my jersey on,” he said. “It did work. I ended up having a really good year.”

New York found itself trailing 5-3 in the seventh when Aaron Judge delivered a two-out single off Yariel Rodríguez, who had just entered the game. Bellinger connected on a low splitter, driving it off the top of the right-center wall and into the Yankees bullpen for a two-run homer that evened the score.

Grisham entered as a pinch hitter and drew a walk, setting the stage for Chisholm, who sent a slider down the left-field line. He watched intently as the ball struck the foul pole.

“I was trying to steer it with my mind,” he said.

Chisholm celebrated by flipping his bat, turning toward his teammates in the dugout and beating his chest, then mimicking a basketball shooting motion while circling the bases. The home run lifted his batting average to .237.

“He was missing pitches that he usually hits,” manager Aaron Boone said, “and now you’re seeing it come to its level a little bit.”

Boone has embraced the unusual uniform choice.

“I think he looks great, especially when his uni’s dirty and he’s running around the bases,” the manager said. “So, whatever he’s got to do.”

With a 7-5 advantage, David Bednar secured the victory in the ninth inning despite allowing an RBI double to pinch-hitter Jesús Sánchez. Toronto had runners on first and second with one out when Bednar struck out George Springer, then got Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to ground out to Chisholm.

Chisholm no longer needs to search for Stanton’s pants each game. Equipment manager Rob Cucuzza is now providing him with the roomy Stanton trousers on a regular basis.

“They have my name on them now,” Chisholm said.

The Los Angeles Angels broke their six-game losing streak in dramatic fashion Monday night, defeating the Athletics 2-1 on a walk-off home run by Zach Neto at Anaheim, California.

The Angels managed no hits through eight innings against Athletics pitcher J.T. Ginn, who was one inning away from a no-hitter before Los Angeles rallied in the ninth.

Adam Frazier started the comeback with a leadoff single to center field on an 0-2 slider, breaking up Ginn’s no-hit attempt. Pinch runner Jose Siri took Frazier’s place on the basepaths before Neto stepped up and launched a 2-0 sinker over the center field wall for the game-winning two-run blast. Ginn (2-2) recorded 10 strikeouts, a career best, while walking one batter and hitting another. The right-handed pitcher threw 105 total pitches, including 99 through the first eight innings before taking the mound for the ninth.

The Athletics scored their only run in the top of the ninth when Lawrence Butler delivered a pinch-hit single.

Mets 16, Nationals 7 (12 innings)

New York erupted for 10 runs in the 12th inning to defeat Washington in an extended battle, with Carson Benge driving in a pair of runs during the decisive frame.

Benge finished with three RBIs for the contest, matching teammates Bo Bichette and Brett Baty, who both connected for home runs. Benge and Bichette each collected three hits in the victory.

Washington’s James Wood contributed three hits and scored twice. Both teams managed one run in the 11th inning before New York dominated the 12th with a 10-1 scoring advantage.

Padres 1, Dodgers 0

San Diego shut out Los Angeles behind Miguel Andujar’s first-inning home run and Michael King’s outstanding pitching performance in a low-scoring affair.

King (4-2) surrendered just four hits across a season-high seven innings while striking out nine batters, also a season best. Jason Adam worked out of trouble in the eighth inning with two runners on base and two outs, while Mason Miller secured his 15th save with a clean ninth inning.

Los Angeles starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3-4) was nearly as effective, allowing only three hits over seven innings with eight strikeouts. Andujar and Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani were the lone players to record multiple hits.

Rays 16, Orioles 6

Tampa Bay overwhelmed Baltimore with a season-high offensive output, led by Yandy Diaz’s 4-for-5 performance that included two doubles, four runs scored, and four RBIs.

Junior Camimero contributed two hits, including a three-run homer, and drove in four runs, while Ryan Vilade went 3-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs for the Rays, who set season records with 16 runs and 18 hits. Jonny DeLuca added a double and three RBIs, and Taylor Walls recorded two doubles among his two hits. Shane McClanahan (5-2) earned the victory despite allowing four runs on six hits over five innings.

Baltimore’s Pete Alonso managed three hits, including a two-run double, while Weston Wilson and Rutschman hit solo home runs. Rutschman went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Struggling pitcher Trevor Rogers (2-5) extended his losing streak to five consecutive starts, giving up eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Diamondbacks 12, Giants 2

Arizona opened their three-game homestand against San Francisco with a commanding victory, sparked by Nolan Arenado’s grand slam on the sixth pitch of the game from Robbie Ray.

Gabriel Moreno added a two-run homer to help the Diamondbacks capture their sixth win in nine games. Zac Gallen held San Francisco to two runs across six innings, while rookie Ryan Waldschmidt achieved a career-high three hits.

Ray (3-6) struggled mightily, charged with 10 runs (nine earned) on 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings. The hit total, runs allowed, and earned runs all represented career-worst marks for the pitcher.

Phillies 5, Reds 4

Philadelphia rallied past Cincinnati as Bryson Stott connected for a two-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning to provide the winning margin.

Alec Bohm also homered and went 2-for-3 to help Philadelphia improve to 16-4 under interim manager Don Mattingly in the series opener. The Phillies have now won six straight series and can extend that streak to seven with a victory in either of the remaining two games.

Orion Kerkering (2-0) earned the win for Philadelphia. Cincinnati has lost five of their past seven contests.

Marlins 12, Braves 0

Miami dominated the opening game of their four-game series with Atlanta, getting four RBIs from Joe Mack and a grand slam from Javier Sanoja in a shutout victory.

The Marlins batted around in both the fourth and fifth innings, plating five and six runs respectively. Miami finished with 10 hits, drew seven walks, and scored a season-high 12 runs, which also marked the most runs Atlanta has allowed this season.

Liam Hicks went 2-for-4 with a two-run double, retaking the major league lead with 42 RBIs. Max Meyer (4-0) pitched six scoreless innings for the victory.

Yankees 7, Blue Jays 6

New York rallied from multiple deficits to edge Toronto, with Jazz Chisholm Jr. delivering a go-ahead two-run homer with two outs in the seventh inning and David Bednar securing the save by retiring Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with two runners on in the ninth.

Chisholm’s 339-foot opposite-field drive came after Cody Bellinger tied the game with a two-run homer two batters earlier, with both blasts coming off Yariel Rodriguez (0-1). Yankees reliever Paul Blackburn (2-1) contributed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Toronto got home runs from Ernie Clement and George Springer but lost for the ninth time in 14 games. New York overcame two separate two-run deficits to win just their third game in 10 contests.

Red Sox 3, Royals 1

Boston defeated Kansas City behind Sonny Gray’s strong pitching performance and Willson Contreras’ two-run homer in a road victory.

The 36-year-old Gray struck out a season-high nine batters while pitching into the seventh inning, allowing one run on five hits and a walk to lower his ERA to 2.93. Gray improved to 10-2 with a 1.74 ERA in 14 career starts against Kansas City. Aroldis Chapman closed out the ninth inning perfectly for his 11th save in 11 opportunities.

Jac Caglianone drove in a run and doubled twice for Kansas City, which has lost nine of 12 games. Royals starter Seth Lugo (1-4) allowed five hits over six innings.

Guardians 8, Tigers 2

Cleveland rolled past struggling Detroit behind Jose Ramirez’s strong offensive showing that included a two-run double and solo home run.

Chase DeLauter and Rhys Hoskins each drove in two runs, while Brayan Rocchio crossed the plate three times. Cleveland starter Slade Cecconi (3-4) limited Detroit to two runs and five hits across 7 1/3 innings. The Guardians have won six of their last seven games.

Detroit starter Framber Valdez (2-3) allowed four runs and five hits in five innings. Valdez had previously won all five of his career starts against Cleveland.

Mariners 6, White Sox 1

Seattle snapped a three-game losing streak by defeating Chicago, highlighted by Colt Emerson’s first major league hit—a home run—and strong pitching from Bryan Woo.

Woo (4-2) struck out eight batters and retired the final 11 hitters he faced during six scoreless innings. Julio Rodriguez also homered for Seattle, while Josh Naylor went 3-for-4 with an RBI single.

Chicago’s Tristan Peters homered for the second straight game, but the White Sox saw their two-game winning streak end. Noah Schultz (2-3) worked 5 1/3 innings and surrendered three runs.

Brewers 9, Cubs 3

Milwaukee moved within half a game of first-place Chicago by defeating the Cubs, powered by Jake Bauers’ four-RBI performance that included a home run.

Christian Yelich added a home run and two RBIs for Milwaukee, which has won nine of 11 games. Brandon Sproat started and lasted 4 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on three hits. Drohan (2-1) threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings in relief.

Shota Imanaga (4-4) endured his worst start of the season for Chicago, which has dropped three consecutive games and seven of nine. He surrendered eight runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. Dansby Swanson homered twice for the Cubs.

Twins 6, Astros 3

Minnesota held on for a rain-delayed victory over Houston, with Josh Bell going 3-for-4 and hitting two home runs while driving in four runs.

Luke Keaschall contributed two RBIs for the Twins, who have won six of their past nine contests. Eric Orze (2-1) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief, and Taylor Rogers recorded the final two outs for his first save of the season.

Houston’s Christian Walker went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Tatsuya Imai (1-2) gave up three runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Rockies 7, Rangers 6

Colorado held off Texas in Denver, getting two doubles from Willi Castro and solid pitching from Jose Quintana through the middle innings.

Quintana (2-2) surrendered three runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. Ezequiel Tovar drove in two runs for the Rockies, and Juan Mejia worked a scoreless ninth inning for his third save.

Texas got three hits and a home run from Justin Foscue, while Ezequiel Duran also recorded three hits. MacKenzie Gore (3-4) allowed two runs in the first inning before leaving with left lat tightness.

Texas Rangers pitcher MacKenzie Gore departed Monday’s matchup with the Colorado Rockies after experiencing tightness in his left lat muscle, though the left-handed starter remains hopeful the problem won’t sideline him long-term.

Gore was making his 10th appearance of the season when he exited after completing just one inning of work. During that frame, he surrendered two runs on three hits across 28 pitches, recording two strikeouts and issuing two walks. The pitcher made a diving attempt to field a slow grounder during the inning.

Following Texas’s 7-6 defeat in Denver, Gore minimized concerns about the injury that ended his outing early.

“I felt kind of like a cramp in that behind-the-shoulder-blade, mid-back area,” Gore said. “I thought it was something I could probably pitch through. … It was uncomfortable, but it wasn’t a pain, like I hurt myself or anything like that. It’s frustrating for that to happen right from the get-go in the first inning. But we probably made the right move.”

Nationals manager Skip Schumaker added, “He said he was feeling OK, but with the weather and the conditions and everything, you hear that and just don’t want to push it.”

Peyton Gray entered the game in Gore’s place. Gore was credited with the defeat, dropping his record to 3-4 with a 4.78 ERA in his debut campaign with Texas. Throughout his career spanning 115 games (112 starts) with the San Diego Padres, Washington Nationals and Texas, he holds a 29-45 record and 4.24 ERA.

Texas obtained Gore from Washington this past January, sending five minor-league players in return for the southpaw.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Following the most demanding game of Victor Wembanyama’s professional career, the towering star had completed his media obligations and briefly visited with his father in a corridor outside San Antonio’s locker room.

Rather than walking back on his own, he accepted a ride — seated in a rolling office chair while a team employee pushed him along.

“Save some steps,” Wembanyama explained.

Given his extraordinary performance that evening, conserving energy made perfect sense.

His 41-point, 24-rebound playoff display placed him among basketball’s most exclusive company — joining Wilt Chamberlain (eight times), Hakeem Olajuwon (twice), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (once), and Charles Barkley (once) as the only players to achieve those numbers in postseason play.

Wembanyama earned his spot on that prestigious list following his spectacular showing — playing a career-high 49 minutes — that powered the Spurs to a 122-115 double-overtime triumph against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Monday’s Western Conference finals opener.

“The best player in the (expletive) world,” Spurs guard Stephon Castle declared during his televised NBC postgame interview.

Technically speaking, that distinction currently belongs to another player. The league’s top performer at present is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who received his second straight Most Valuable Player trophy during pregame festivities while Wembanyama watched from nearby. The French sensation coveted that recognition — and continues to pursue it. Witnessing Gilgeous-Alexander hoist that award clearly impacted the 7-foot-4 competitor.

“He’s competitive. If you’re a competitor and you see another competitor get rewarded with what you want. … If that’s motivation, we all get motivated by different things,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson explained. “As a competitive person, that would be my approach and perspective.”

When asked if the ceremony provided extra motivation, Wembanyama responded thoughtfully.

“I’ve still got a lot to learn,” Wembanyama said. “And I want to get that trophy many times in my career.”

Pressed about whether he considers himself the league’s premier talent, he offered a philosophical response.

“The world is 8 billion people,” Wembanyama said. “That’s 8 billion opinions.”

His statistical output told an impressive story: 14 successful shots on 25 attempts, 12 made free throws on 13 tries, plus a crucial three-pointer during the first extra period that forced a second overtime. Without that long-range shot, Oklahoma City likely would have secured the series opener and taken a 1-0 advantage into Wednesday’s Game 2.

Beyond scoring and rebounding, he rejected three shots while altering numerous others. He threw down powerful dunks and celebrated emphatically on multiple occasions. San Antonio dominated the boards 61-40. The young star even grinned and struck poses for photographers at times. Despite this being his conference finals debut in a hostile environment, he appeared completely at ease.

“I think he’s a great player with high impact obviously, and when you play against those players it’s kind of an acquired thing,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault observed. “You’re learning as you go. We’ve gone through that with other great players.”

San Antonio entered as clear underdogs: playing away from home, missing injured point guard De’Aaron Fox, facing the defending champions who had swept through the opening two playoff rounds. After surrendering a 10-point fourth-quarter advantage, the Spurs appeared headed for defeat against a Thunder squad known for protecting late leads.

However, Wembanyama’s brilliance changed everything. The championship path now runs through San Antonio; if the Spurs protect their home court for the remainder of the playoffs, they’ll claim the NBA title.

While that goal remains distant, this franchise has evolved beyond a developing team. They’ve arrived as legitimate contenders.

“The message would be that we as a team are ready to go into any environment, in any place, against anybody,” Wembanyama stated. “And even though we’ve still got a lot to learn, our effort should be over anybody else’s. And tonight, we were relentless.”

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Oakland Athletics pitcher J.T. Ginn carried a perfect game into the final inning Monday evening before Adam Frazier broke it up with a leadoff base hit for the Los Angeles Angels.

Zach Neto then connected on a two-run blast that delivered Los Angeles a 2-1 win, dealing Ginn and Oakland a devastating defeat.

Frazier connected on an 0-2 offering over the shortstop for a base hit, providing Los Angeles with only its third runner to reach base. Neto then launched a 2-0 sinker into center field for his eighth long ball this year.

Ginn (2-2) was attempting to throw the majors’ first perfect game since September 2024. He delivered 105 pitches, with 64 finding the strike zone. He fanned 10 batters, issued one free pass and plunked Neto with a pitch during the sixth frame.

The Mississippi native, who celebrates his 27th birthday on Wednesday, finished the seventh inning with his 10th strikeout — establishing a new personal best.

Neither team had scored until substitute hitter Lawrence Butler gave Oakland a 1-0 advantage with a run-scoring single.

This marked Ginn’s 30th professional start since making his big league debut in August 2024.

Los Angeles hasn’t been held hitless since Sept. 11, 1999 — the longest current run in Major League Baseball.

CHICAGO — Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong expressed remorse Monday for his language during a confrontational exchange with a spectator.

The altercation took place during the fifth inning of Sunday’s 9-8 defeat to the crosstown White Sox at Rate Field. After Crow-Armstrong failed to catch Miguel Vargas’ two-run double and was getting back on his feet near the warning track, a female fan behind the fence began heckling him.

The 24-year-old player fired back with profanity-laced language.

“I think I just regret my choice of words the most and who that affects in my life, directly and indirectly,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I don’t think that any of the women in my life would ever think that I would use those kind of words regularly, especially referring to them.

“So I’m just bummed out about the word choice, and that a bunch of little kids go and probably find their way to social media and see that as well.”

Cubs manager Craig Counsell confirmed he discussed the situation with Crow-Armstrong.

“He made a mistake, and we’ve got to move on from it,” Counsell said before Chicago’s 9-3 loss to Milwaukee. “It’s a reality of this job. It happens. Fan interactions happen. You want to try to keep them positive, even when they’re not. Sometimes when it’s a really emotional situation, it’s difficult, but it’s still a requirement of the job.”

Crow-Armstrong stands as one of Chicago’s premier players following a season where he batted .247 with a career-best 31 home runs and 95 RBIs. The defensive standout also earned his first Gold Glove award last year as one of baseball’s top center fielders.

The first-round selection from the 2020 amateur draft signed a six-year, $115 million deal with the Cubs in March. However, he’s struggling this season with a .229 batting average after going hitless in four at-bats with two strikeouts against the Brewers.

“Part of playing is that you’re going to hear some stuff that you don’t want to hear, and the job is to focus on what’s going on in the field and keep your attention on that,” Cubs outfielder Ian Happ said.

Video footage of Crow-Armstrong’s interaction with the fan circulated extensively on social media platforms.

“That’s something I should be aware of at all times, that there will be cameras and such on me,” he said. “I’m not always going to let stuff like that fly either. It’s just about being a little more respectful and maybe killing somebody with kindness instead of matching their level of intent.”

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell is set for surgery Tuesday to have loose bodies removed from his elbow, according to general manager Brandon Gomes.

Team officials believe this surgical approach will help the $182 million left-handed starter get back on the field more quickly than alternative treatments, though he will still miss considerable time. Gomes noted that Snell will receive the same procedure as Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal, who is dealing with an identical elbow issue and aims to return this season.

“Hopefully it’s the shorter timeline,” Gomes said. “That’s the hope and the expectation right now. Obviously don’t know 100% until we’re in there, but that’s what we expect.”

The defending World Series champions, who continue to battle injury issues, brought in veteran reliever Jonathan Hernández and sent reliever Chayce McDermott to the minors following his single appearance. These roster moves came Monday before Los Angeles faced division rival San Diego Padres for their first meeting of the season.

Hernández left his minor league deal with Philadelphia on Monday after 13 outings for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, posting a 1-0 record with a 4.80 ERA and 22 strikeouts across 15 innings.

The reliever spent portions of five seasons with the Texas Rangers before moving through minor league systems with Seattle, Tampa Bay and Philadelphia over the last two years. His most recent major league action came in three games for the Mariners in August 2024.

McDermott pitched one clean inning in his Dodgers debut during Sunday’s 10-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels, helping complete a three-game series sweep. Los Angeles obtained the right-handed pitcher in a deal with Baltimore last month.

The Dodgers face another season of substantial pitching injuries, requiring constant adjustments to their starting rotation and relief corps. Despite these challenges, Los Angeles enters their series at Petco Park with baseball’s second-best ERA at 3.21.

“We’ve dealt with this in the past,” Gomes said. “It’s the reason you try to go in with as much depth as you can, knowing that things can happen. You hope that they don’t pile up at the same time, which has been happening as of late, but we’ll keep navigating it and work through it like we have in the past.”

Both expensive starters Snell and Tyler Glasnow are currently unavailable due to injuries.

Manager Dave Roberts reported Monday that Glasnow’s back problem recently “flared up,” keeping him from mound work. Snell has made just one start for the Dodgers this year, while Glasnow exited his seventh outing nearly two weeks ago with his injury.

Edwin Diaz, baseball’s highest-paid reliever, faces at least three months on the sidelines after surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow following only seven appearances with his new club. The team also lost left-handed reliever Jack Dreyer, their most frequently used bullpen arm this season, to shoulder problems last weekend.

Roberts mentioned that reliever Brusdar Graterol has experienced another complication in his recovery from a back injury. The hard-throwing pitcher, who hasn’t appeared in the majors since the 2024 World Series, had been working for Triple-A Oklahoma City.

“He’ll be shut down for a while,” Roberts said.

Gomes indicated that surgery on Graterol’s lower back remains under consideration.

Additional injured Dodgers pitchers with major league experience include right-handers Brock Stewart, Evan Phillips, Ben Casparius, Landon Knack, Gavin Stone, Bobby Miller and Jake Cousins.

Utility players Kiké Hernández and Tommy Edman have missed the entire season so far with injuries, though both could potentially return within the next month.

The Dodgers moved Casparius to the 60-day injured list to create roster space for Hernández on the 40-man roster.

The New York Yankees completed a roster move Monday that could set the stage for Gerrit Cole’s return to major league baseball this weekend, marking his first appearance in over 18 months.

The 35-year-old pitcher has been working through rehabilitation assignments in New York’s minor league system while recovering from Tommy John surgery performed on his pitching elbow in March 2025.

A roster spot became available Monday when the Yankees sent Elmer Rodriguez down to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Just a day earlier, New York skipper Aaron Boone had indicated the 22-year-old rookie would get at least another major league start.

However, Boone shifted course Monday, telling reporters that Cole potentially taking the mound during the upcoming series against Tampa Bay Rays beginning Sunday at home is “on the table.”

“We’ll make a call one way or the other. … We’re talking through everything. We’ll see what makes the most sense moving forward,” Boone explained.

Cole has completed five rehabilitation outings across three New York farm teams, posting an 0-2 record with a 4.66 ERA over 29 innings pitched. His most recent appearance came Saturday for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he delivered 5 1/3 innings of one-run baseball while recording six strikeouts.

His fastball reached 99.6 mph during that outing, matching his hardest thrown pitch since August 2023, MLB.com reported.

“He looks really good,” Boone observed regarding Cole’s progress. “I think I’ve watched every pitch he’s made in rehab. I think it’s gone really well. He’s checked a lot of the boxes, and I feel like his last start was mostly excellent.”

Following Saturday’s performance, Cole told MLB.com: “So far, so good. It’s been a good progression. The pitch count is steadily increasing. The recovery has been good, and the velocity and command are steadily increasing as well.”

The veteran right-hander brings impressive credentials, including six All-Star selections and the 2023 American League Cy Young Award after posting a 15-4 record with a league-best 2.63 ERA across 33 starts for New York.

During the 2024 campaign, he compiled an 8-5 record with a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts, having missed the season’s first half due to elbow discomfort. Cole also contributed significantly in the 2024 playoffs, going 1-0 with a 2.17 ERA over five starts.

Throughout his major league career spanning stints with Pittsburgh (2013-17), Houston (2018-19) and New York (2020-24), Cole has accumulated a 153-80 regular season record with a 3.18 ERA across 317 starts. His postseason resume includes an 11-6 record with a 2.77 ERA in 22 starts.

Rodriguez finished his brief major league stint with an 0-1 record and 4.15 ERA over three starts. His final appearance Sunday against the New York Mets resulted in a no-decision after allowing one run over 4 1/3 innings.

To fill Rodriguez’s roster spot, the Yankees promoted right-handed reliever Yovanny Cruz from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 26-year-old has no major league experience but posted a 5-1 record with one save and a 3.00 ERA in 15 Triple-A appearances this season.

Detroit Tigers star pitcher Tarik Skubal completed his first comprehensive bullpen workout on Monday, marking his return to a regular five-day schedule, as reported by The Athletic.

The pitcher underwent a procedure on May 6 to extract loose material from his left elbow.

While Monday marked Skubal’s second mound session since the operation, it represented the first occasion he utilized his complete pitching arsenal.

“Everything was very normal,” Skubal stated. “I think that’s what the goal is, to get back to normal as fast as possible and get in a five-day rotation and get your body back in shape to be back in the big leagues.”

The procedure was performed using a NanoNeedle 2.0, an advanced surgical instrument designed to accelerate healing. Traditional arthroscopic operations typically require a 2-3 month rehabilitation period.

This season, Skubal holds a 3-2 record with a 2.70 ERA and 0.946 WHIP across seven appearances.

Kansas City Royals left-handed pitcher Kris Bubic has been sidelined with left elbow soreness, landing on the 15-day injured list as of Monday, media reports indicate.

The roster move takes effect retroactively from May 15, one day following Bubic’s briefest performance this season during Kansas City’s matchup with the White Sox in Chicago. In that 6-2 defeat, he surrendered five earned runs across four innings of work.

To fill Bubic’s roster spot, Kansas City brought up reliever Eli Morgan from their Triple-A affiliate in Omaha.

Bubic, who carries a 3-2 record and 4.11 ERA this season, was scheduled to take the mound for Tuesday’s home contest against Boston. However, manager Matt Quatraro announced prior to Monday’s game that the team would instead utilize multiple relievers for that start.

The 28-year-old pitcher, who had Tommy John surgery in 2023 and dealt with a rotator cuff strain that ended his strong 2025 campaign in late July, remains hopeful this will be a brief absence from the lineup.

“Very mild in nature,” Bubic said. “It’s not something I want to push, given my history and given the timing of the year. So for me, this is good news in a sense. I’ll talk to (Dr. Vincent Key) when he’s here later, but I expect this to be pretty minimal IL, just a few weeks, and we should be back. That’s the expectation in my head.”

Throughout his entire professional career with Kansas City, Bubic compiled an 8-7 record with a 2.55 ERA across 20 starts during the 2025 season.

The California native holds career statistics of 22-38 with a 4.14 ERA.

Morgan, the 30-year-old right-handed pitcher, brings experience from four seasons with Cleveland and one with the Chicago Cubs. He appeared in seven games for Kansas City during April before his assignment to Omaha, recording an 0-1 mark with one save and a 2.61 ERA.

A quarterback at Texas Tech has taken legal action against the NCAA, filing an injunction on Monday as he seeks to return to the field for the upcoming college football season. The 22-year-old player, Brendan Sorsby, was ruled ineligible for competition by the university following gambling violations.

The legal filing claims the NCAA is acting in a “deeply hypocritical” manner regarding gambling issues and argues that Sorsby will face “irreparable harm” without court intervention. Court documents describe his gambling problem as a “clinically diagnosed” disorder.

“The NCAA has weaponized his condition to shore up a facade of competitive integrity, while simultaneously profiting from the very gambling ecosystem it polices,” the filing states.

Sorsby has been undergoing treatment at an inpatient facility for his condition since the end of April, according to reports.

NCAA regulations strictly prohibit student-athletes from wagering on any NCAA-sanctioned competition. Violations of these rules, particularly when players bet on their own teams, can result in lifetime suspensions from collegiate athletics.

The quarterback placed modest bets on Indiana football while he was on that team, wagering that the team would “win or for teammates to exceed expectations.” He did not play in any of the contests on which he placed wagers.

The legal team representing Sorsby has invoked the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, asking that the NCAA be “precluded from enforcing its gambling bylaws against Mr. Sorsby to deny or withhold his reinstatement.” The petition seeks his eligibility to “participate fully” for Texas Tech in 2026, including game participation, and requests that contrary NCAA actions be declared “void and unenforceable.”

The NCAA responded Monday, stating it had not yet received any reinstatement application in this matter.

“The Association’s sports betting rules are clear, as are the reinstatement conditions,” the NCAA statement said. “When it comes to betting on one’s own team, these rules must be enforced in every case for the simple reason that the integrity of the game is at risk.”

Sorsby topped ESPN’s transfer portal rankings this offseason following two seasons at Indiana and two at Cincinnati.

The San Antonio Spurs will be without their starting point guard De’Aaron Fox for Monday night’s Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder after he was sidelined due to a sprained right ankle.

Fox had been listed with a questionable status on Monday afternoon before team officials made the final call to hold him out less than an hour before the game’s start time.

Head coach Mitch Johnson had expressed optimism that Fox would be cleared to play when speaking with the media shortly before the official announcement was made.

During the team’s midday practice session, Fox informed reporters that he planned to test his injured ankle before making a final determination about his availability.

The ankle injury occurred during Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals when the Spurs faced the Minnesota Timberwolves. Minnesota’s Ayo Dosunmu accidentally stepped on Fox’s ankle while both players were going after a loose ball.

Despite the injury, Fox managed to participate in the series’ final two contests, contributing 18 points in Game 5 and 21 points in Game 6. In the deciding game, he made 8 of his 10 field goal attempts and recorded nine assists.

The 28-year-old guard has posted averages of 18.8 points and 5.8 assists across 11 playoff games this season. Throughout the regular season, he maintained similar production with 18.6 points and 6.2 assists per game over 72 starts, which earned him his second All-Star selection.

With Fox unavailable, rookie Dylan Harper and NBA Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson are expected to take on expanded responsibilities in the lineup.

Forward Luke Kornet, who had also been questionable with a left foot issue, has been cleared to participate in Monday’s game.

The Baltimore Orioles brought back infielder Jackson Holliday from the 10-day injured list ahead of Monday’s matchup with Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The 22-year-old has been making his way back to the big leagues after breaking a hamate bone during batting practice before spring training began in February.

Following surgery, he completed 11 rehabilitation games with Triple-A Norfolk between March 27 and April 12, plus two additional games with High-A Fredericksburg on April 18-19.

However, the 2022 MLB Draft’s top overall selection was pulled from Norfolk’s contest against Memphis on April 24 when he felt discomfort while swinging.

He came back May 7 and participated in three contests for Double-A Chesapeake, then returned to Norfolk where he connected for his first homer with the Tides on Saturday.

Over the last two weeks, the Orioles had Holliday practicing defensive drills at third base. His major league experience includes 195 games at second base and 11 at shortstop.

While Holliday faced challenges in 2024, he posted a .242 batting average with 17 homers and 55 RBIs across 586 at-bats in 149 games during 2025. He also recorded 17 stolen bases.

To make room on the roster, the Orioles sent third catcher Maverick Handley down to Norfolk. Handley, who was called up when outfielder Dylan Beavers went on the 10-day injured list May 13, recorded just one plate appearance.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The San Antonio Spurs will begin their Western Conference finals campaign without their starting guard De’Aaron Fox, who has been sidelined for Monday evening’s series opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to right ankle soreness. The setback creates an early challenge for the Spurs in what was expected to be a highly competitive matchup.

In contrast, Oklahoma City received positive news as Jalen Williams returned to action following a six-game absence caused by a left hamstring strain.

Fox participated in San Antonio’s morning practice session on Monday, with the player stating he was “trying to test it out.” He also took the court in Oklahoma City approximately 90 minutes before the scheduled tip-off for Game 1. However, that second session apparently did not produce the desired results, leading to the decision to keep him out of action.

Throughout these playoffs leading up to Monday, Fox had been contributing 18.8 points and 5.8 assists while playing a team-high 33.3 minutes per contest for San Antonio. The organization has not provided detailed information about the ankle problem, describing it only as soreness.

“It’s one of those deals where it’s not going away for as long as we’re playing, I don’t believe,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said.

Fox was absent for San Antonio’s initial eight contests this season and had only missed three additional games since that time. The Spurs brought a 7-3 record into Monday when playing without Fox this season.

Williams had been unavailable for 55 of Oklahoma City’s first 90 games this season prior to Monday, including playoff contests. Among those missed games, 19 were due to a right wrist problem and 36 were connected to hamstring issues — with the right hamstring keeping him out for 30 regular season games and the left hamstring causing his most recent six-game absence during this playoff stretch.

Ajay Mitchell stepped up effectively during Williams’ six-game playoff absence, moving into the starting lineup and posting 21.2 points per game — the team’s second-highest average during that period, trailing only two-time reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — while shooting 48% from the field.

Oklahoma City entered Monday with a 27-8 record when Williams was available this season, compared to 45-10 when he was not in the lineup.

Minnesota Wild netminder Filip Gustavsson faces hip surgery for an injury that may have contributed to his struggles late in the season, team officials announced Monday.

The procedure’s timing remains uncertain regarding whether the 27-year-old goalkeeper will be ready when training camp begins. Wild general manager Bill Guerin indicated Monday that the operation would happen “as soon as possible.” Guerin explained that the problem stemmed from gradual wear and tear rather than a specific incident.

The hip problem may explain why Gustavsson’s play deteriorated toward season’s end and why he only appeared in one playoff contest. Rookie netminder Jesper Wallstedt took over as the primary goaltender during Minnesota’s postseason campaign, which concluded in the second round following their elimination by the Colorado Avalanche.

When speaking with media members on Friday, Gustavsson made no reference to any physical ailments. The Swedish goaltender has secured a five-year deal worth $34 million that kicks off with the 2026-27 campaign.

This past season, Gustavsson compiled a 28-15-6 record alongside a 2.69 goals-against average and four clean sheets across 50 appearances, starting 49 of those contests. During his lone playoff appearance in Game 2 against Colorado, he surrendered four goals while making 18 saves in a 5-2 defeat.

Throughout his career spanning one-plus seasons with the Ottawa Senators (2020-22) and four campaigns with the Wild, Gustavsson has posted a 111-74-26 mark with a 2.67 GAA and 15 shutouts over 219 games, starting 210 of them.

The 23-year-old Wallstedt recorded an 18-9-6 regular season performance with a 2.61 GAA and four shutouts in 35 games, making 33 starts. He went 5-5-0 with a 2.77 GAA during 10 playoff starts.

Guerin expressed satisfaction with his goaltending duo – both hailing from Sweden – and indicated no urgency to move either player via trade.

“I like our goaltending situation, to be quite honest with you,” Guerin said. “Both of our goalies are No. 1 goalies, you know? The luxury of it is being able to put a fresh, rested goalie in the net every night, and you know both guys are signed. They’re both very good. They work well in a tandem. They support each other. I’m very comfortable with where it is.”

The Texas Rangers have sidelined shortstop Corey Seager with lower back inflammation, placing him on the 10-day injured list effective from Friday’s date.

In a related roster move, the team brought up utility player Michael Helman from their Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock.

Medical staff ordered an MRI examination for Seager on Sunday to identify the source of his back troubles after the player missed action since his last appearance against Arizona on Wednesday. The discomfort began Saturday morning.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said Seager “was here (at the stadium) before me trying to get in the lineup.”

The 32-year-old infielder is struggling offensively this year with a .179 batting average and is currently mired in a career-worst streak of 27 straight at-bats without a hit. Through 42 games, he has recorded seven home runs and driven in 20 runs.

Now in his fifth campaign with Texas, Seager earned World Series MVP recognition in 2023 as the Rangers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in a five-game series. That same year, he finished second in regular-season MVP voting behind Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels.

Seager previously captured World Series MVP honors with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020 and has been selected to five All-Star games throughout his career.

Helman, who will celebrate his 30th birthday this Saturday, saw action in 38 contests for Texas last season and appeared in nine games for the Minnesota Twins in 2024. Across those appearances, he has posted a .239 batting average with five home runs and 20 RBIs.

Professional golfer Garrick Higgo has ended his working relationship with caddie Austin Gaugert following a disappointing performance at the PGA Championship that included a penalty for tardiness.

The golfer’s agent confirmed to Golfweek on Monday that Higgo has brought back former caddie Nick Cavendish-Pell after missing the cut at the major championship.

The 27-year-old player was assessed a two-stroke penalty during the opening round for arriving late to his tee time, a mistake that proved costly throughout the tournament. His initial score of 1-under-par 69 would have been a 67 without the penalty, which would have put him in a tie for the lead at that point.

Higgo then posted a 76 in his second round and failed to make the cut by just one stroke — a fate he would have avoided had it not been for the tardiness penalty.

Following his opening round, Higgo made several notable statements, including his admission that the penalty “wasn’t a surprise. I was late. I mean, my caddie was yelling at me to get to the tee.”

Television coverage from the first round showed Gaugert urging Higgo to move quickly from the practice green to the first tee at Aronimink Golf Club.

Higgo has claimed victory twice on the PGA Tour and three times on the DP World Tour. He will compete in this week’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Texas with Cavendish-Pell serving as his caddie. Cavendish-Pell was working with Higgo in 2021 when he captured his first PGA Tour victory at the Palmetto Championship.

Retired basketball star Rick Fox, who won three NBA championships during his playing career, received an appointment Monday to serve as a senator for the opposition party in the Bahamas following an unsuccessful campaign for elected office in last week’s general election.

The Free National Movement Party selected Fox to fill one of their four designated Senate positions.

The Bahamian electoral system allows citizens to vote for House of Assembly representatives, while Senate members receive appointments. Both ruling and opposition parties have the authority to choose their own senators, including those who were unsuccessful in electoral contests.

Fox campaigned as a Free National Movement Party representative in last Tuesday’s election but did not receive sufficient votes for victory.

“Nobody likes to lose, but sometimes setbacks give us the opportunity to reflect, grow, sharpen ourselves and come back wiser, stronger and more prepared for what’s next,” Fox said in a video posted on social media after the defeat.

The sitting Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis and his Progressive Liberal Party claimed victory in the election, earning a second consecutive term in power. This achievement represents the first time a political party has secured back-to-back general election wins in that nation since 1997.

Fox’s eligibility to seek office in the Caribbean nation stems from his birth in Canada to a Canadian mother and Bahamian father, and he spent his childhood years in the Bahamas.

The former athlete spent 13 seasons playing professional basketball after being selected in the first round of the NBA draft. His career included time with the Boston Celtics before joining the Los Angeles Lakers, where he contributed to three championship victories. Fox concluded his NBA career in 2004.

Beyond basketball, Fox has pursued acting opportunities, taking roles in various films and television productions.

A passionate soccer enthusiast and former metallurgist in Rio de Janeiro has transformed his devotion to the sport into a successful enterprise, handcrafting FIFA World Cup trophy replicas at his workshop in the western part of the city.

Jarbas Meneghini Carlini was inspired to begin his craft after witnessing Brazil’s team captain Dunga hoist the trophy in celebration of the nation’s fourth World Cup victory in 1994. This moment sparked Carlini’s determination to make his own version.

“They weren’t for sale. So I decided to make the trophies myself. And today, I’m a trophy craftsman,” he explained from his Campo Grande workshop.

The 58-year-old craftsman creates each replica World Cup trophy by hand using molds and applies paint finishes. His creations vary in both size and cost, with prices spanning from approximately $1 to $100.

While Carlini markets his trophies to supporters and visitors at the famous Maracanã soccer stadium nearby, he has also presented his creations as gifts to renowned players such as Pelé, Jorginho and Ronaldinho, shipping them throughout Brazil and internationally.

When describing the visible excitement on customers’ faces as they photograph themselves with his creations, Carlini emphasizes the trophy’s significance.

“Everyone wants to be a world champion, everyone wants to be the best,” Carlini explained.

Similar to soccer’s most prestigious award, Carlini’s versions feature two stylized human forms stretching upward to hold a globe. However, his are constructed from plaster instead of 18-carat gold.

“Yet it brings the same sense of wonder, as if it were made of gold,” Carlini noted.

Throughout the years, the craftsman has expanded his offerings to include reproductions of the previous World Cup trophy that was used from 1930 to 1970, the Copa Libertadores trophy, and also golden balls, gloves and boots.

World Cup tournament years bring particularly strong sales, according to Carlini.

With the nation preparing to cheer for the Seleção — their national squad — in this year’s competition taking place in the United States, Canada and Mexico during June and July, Carlini has prepared 200 trophies. He anticipates sales could climb to 600 should Brazil claim victory.

The largest South American nation has captured five World Cup championships, surpassing all other countries, though their most recent triumph occurred in 2002.

Brazilians are recognized for their celebratory playing approach and executing amazing moves like bicycle kicks, noted Carlini, who is optimistic his team will break their championship drought this year.

“That’s what we should use in the next World Cup to become champions: use joy, use artistry,” he stated.

Nathan Kimsey of England captured the leading position at Monday’s U.S. Open final qualifying tournament held at Walton Heath Golf Club in Surrey, England, securing his spot alongside six other golfers who earned entry into the major championship field.

Ugo Coussaud from France emerged victorious in a four-player playoff to claim the final qualifying position at 10 under par, defeating LIV Golf player Thomas Detry from Belgium, South Africa’s Hennie Du Plessis, and England’s Andrew Wilson in the sudden-death competition.

The 33-year-old Kimsey fired rounds of 68 and 62 for a 36-hole total of 10-under 130, finishing two strokes ahead of Spain’s Rocco Repetto Taylor. Also earning spots with scores of 11 under were Italy’s Filippo Celli, England’s Matthew Jordan, Spain’s Angel Hidalgo, and Denmark’s Niklas Norgaard.

This marks Kimsey’s inaugural U.S. Open appearance and only his second major championship opportunity. His previous major experience came at last summer’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush, where he made the cut and finished tied for 40th place.

The Surrey venue represents the final qualifying opportunity for European competitors and marks the first of 13 qualifying locations worldwide. Additional qualifying is taking place Monday in Dallas, with Japan hosting a site on May 25, while the remaining 10 locations across North America will conduct qualifying on June 8, traditionally known as “golf’s longest day.”

At Dallas Athletic Club, LIV Golf’s Peter Uihlein held the leading position during Monday’s 36-hole qualifying event. Competitors are playing one round each on the Blue Course and Gold Course layouts.

Nine qualifying positions are up for grabs among a field filled with both PGA Tour and LIV Golf professionals.

Uihlein stood at 8 under par through eight holes of his second round after opening with a 67, based on the USGA’s online scoring system. Hayden Springer, South Korea’s Tom Kim, Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz, Doug Ghim, and Kevin Streelman were all positioned to either qualify directly or enter a playoff situation.

Additional notable players seeking qualification in Dallas include Spain’s Sergio Garcia, a LIV member who missed qualifying last year after competing in 25 consecutive U.S. Opens; Tom Hoge; Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes; and South Korea’s Byeong Hun An, who joined LIV earlier this season.

Having accumulated over 50 NHL playoff appearances, Jack Eichel believes the Vegas Golden Knights shouldn’t alter their strategy as they advance deeper into postseason play.

“We know we need to be better, and you want to continue to elevate your game both individually and as a team the further you go,” Eichel said. “That’s our goal.”

However, executing that plan becomes increasingly challenging. Elite-level hockey has reached the third round, featuring three of the five top championship contenders still competing in conference finals. Vegas will battle the league’s top team Colorado in the Western Conference, while the perfect Carolina squad awaits the victor of the seventh game between Buffalo and Montreal.

Game 1: Wednesday, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Favorite: Colorado (2-5)

The Avalanche claimed the Presidents’ Trophy for their outstanding regular season performance and maintained their position at the top of NHL standings for 156 straight days starting November 1, marking the longest such streak in 40 years. They eliminated Los Angeles with a sweep in round one and defeated Minnesota in five contests, mounting a comeback to finish off the Wild in overtime after trailing 3-0 away from home.

At this stage, the competition intensifies significantly.

“I would expect Colorado’s stiffest challenge is going to come here in this next series because Vegas has been around the block,” former player and coach-turned-TNT analyst Ed Olczyk said. “They’ve got an experienced coach. They’re getting goaltending that they didn’t get for a lot of the regular season.”

With Carter Hart between the pipes and Mitch Marner providing leadership, the Golden Knights have reached the Western final for the fourth occasion in their nine-season history. This marks their first appearance under coach John Tortorella, who assumed control in late March and guided the team through a 7-0-1 stretch to close the regular season plus additional playoff achievements.

“We feel really good about ourselves,” Tortorella said. “In playoffs, it’s not just the X’s and O’s and all. It’s how you feel, and the confidence level you have. I think we’re in a good spot.”

Colorado’s counterpart Jared Bednar isn’t concerned about his team’s ability to perform under increased scrutiny. The Avalanche sit four years past their 2022 Stanley Cup championship, while Vegas captured the title in ’23.

“We have the exact same expectations as Vegas does,” Bednar said. “We have very similar experience, too: probably close to half the roster winning a Stanley Cup a couple years ago, no success since, and here we are facing each other. So, pressure on us is no different than the pressure on them.”

Regarding player health, Vegas captain Mark Stone has been sidelined since exiting Game 3 against Anaheim with an undisclosed injury. Avalanche standout Cale Makar has been managing an apparent right arm or shoulder injury while teammate defenseman Sam Malinski and forward Artturi Lehkonen were unavailable for portions of the Minnesota series.

Game 1: Thursday, 8 p.m. ET (TNT, TruTV)

Favorite: Carolina (4-11)

The Hurricanes became the first franchise to complete clean sweeps of both opening rounds since the NHL adopted four best-of-seven series format in 1987. Their reward includes 11 complete days of rest before beginning the Eastern final.

“Obviously that’s not great,” Olczyk said. “That’s not ideal, but you’d rather have that than play back-to-back seven-game series and probably having guys being taped up to just get out there.”

Carolina captain Jordan Staal shares that perspective, dismissing concerns about potential rust and stating, “If anyone in the league was in a playoff series and they had the opportunity to win in four or seven, they would pick four.”

Another victory would match the 1985 Edmonton Oilers for the longest winning streak to begin playoffs.

With defending champion Florida eliminated after injuries disrupted the Panthers’ campaign and traditional powerhouses like Toronto and Tampa Bay knocked out early, conditions have aligned favorably for the Hurricanes to break through. They’ve advanced at least one round during each of Rod Brind’Amour’s eight seasons as coach but haven’t yet made the Stanley Cup Final.

“They’re perfect — no blemishes,” Olczyk said, highlighting Frederik Andersen’s goaltending and balanced offensive production as key factors. “I felt that it was them: It was Carolina and everybody else. And could they do it when they were the favorites and when the path was opened, could they take advantage? And they have taken full advantage.”

The eventual winner of the Sabres-Canadiens matchup will face a rapid transition from Monday night’s Game 7 to competing in Raleigh just 72 hours later. Montreal’s most recent third-round appearance came in 2021 during pandemic-adjusted divisional playoffs designed to address border restrictions, while Buffalo hasn’t advanced this far since back-to-back Eastern final appearances in 2006-07.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — When NBA schedule makers paired Donovan Mitchell’s Cleveland Cavaliers against Jalen Brunson’s New York Knicks for a nationally broadcast season opener and Christmas Day game, they clearly saw this as the Eastern Conference’s premier matchup.

That prediction proved accurate.

Both teams return to Madison Square Garden’s bright lights where their season began Tuesday, but now they’ll compete in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

“It’s go-time now,” Brunson declared Monday.

New York has dominated the playoffs with record-breaking performances. Cleveland, strengthened by adding James Harden, gained momentum late in the regular season and convincingly eliminated Detroit, the East’s top seed, in round two.

This advancement marks Mitchell’s first conference finals appearance and brings him back to his hometown area. The Elmsford, New York native grew up near the Knicks’ practice facility.

“Yeah it’s great I get to play at home, woo, but it doesn’t matter,” Mitchell stated. “We’ve got to be locked in and ready to go, and I know we will be.”

New York secured the East’s third seed while Cleveland finished fourth, trailing Detroit and Boston significantly. However, seven months after the Knicks defeated the Cavaliers in Mike Brown’s coaching debut, both squads have fulfilled preseason expectations.

The Cavaliers started as the East’s wagering favorites and reclaimed that position following Harden’s acquisition from the Los Angeles Clippers. New York ranked second in preseason predictions but climbed to the top during the playoffs, and their performance demonstrates why.

The Knicks have captured seven consecutive victories and outpaced Atlanta and Philadelphia by a combined 194 points, marking the largest differential through any team’s initial 10 playoff contests. New York reached 140 points in both series-clinching games.

“They’re rested and they’re a juggernaut right now,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson observed. “I mean, it’s just what it is. It’s hard to blow out teams in the playoffs like they’ve been blowing out. Point differential means something in this league.”

Cleveland performed adequately rather than exceptionally throughout most of this postseason, requiring seven games to advance past both Toronto and Detroit. However, they claimed their final two road victories against the 60-win Pistons, including a dominant 125-94 Game 7 triumph.

Jarrett Allen contributed 23 points while Evan Mobley added 21 points and 12 rebounds, demonstrating that Cleveland’s strength extends beyond their prolific backcourt.

“I remember back in the day when I was with Pop, Pop said you need three All-Stars to win a championship. Well, they’ve got four,” Brown commented, referencing his assistant coaching tenure under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio.

New York defeated Cleveland in five games during the 2023 first round, Brunson’s inaugural New York season, extending their series record to 4-0 against the Cavaliers. The Knicks hold a 12-2 advantage in playoff matchups, having previously won series in 1978, 1995, and 1996.

Beyond Mitchell, both head coaches return to former organizations. Brown previously coached Cleveland twice, guiding them to their first NBA Finals in 2007. Atkinson, a Long Island native, served as Mike D’Antoni’s assistant with the Knicks before receiving his first head coaching opportunity in Brooklyn.

New York hasn’t competed since May 10, while Cleveland has just one complete day between rounds.

The extended break allows the Knicks to recover physically, with OG Anunoby returning to full practice after missing Philadelphia’s final two games with a strained right hamstring. Yet the layoff might disrupt a team operating in excellent rhythm.

“I’ve been in both situations. I’ve been playing while the team is waiting and I’ve been waiting while a team is playing, and you can say a lot theoretically,” Brown explained. “You could say that they’re going to be tired, but you can also say they have a competitive edge because they’ve been going at it for seven games and we’ve been off.”

Cleveland has received significant contributions beyond Mitchell and Harden.

Mobley has dominated on both ends, averaging 17 points while leading in rebounds (8.0) and tying for blocks (1.9). Allen has delivered strong Game 7 performances and benefited from Harden’s emphasis on interior offense.

Max Strus, Dennis Schroder, and Sam Merrill have provided crucial bench production. Strus made pivotal steals in Games 3 and 5 against Detroit. Schroder offers veteran ball-handling when Harden and Mitchell rest, while Merrill maintains 40.4% three-point accuracy.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach has been unsuccessful in his multi-million dollar arbitration battle against the NFL franchise that terminated him for cause in 2021, according to a source with knowledge of the legal proceedings.

The individual provided information to The Associated Press under the condition of anonymity due to non-disclosure agreements that prevent both parties from publicly discussing the matter. The source indicated the case reached resolution in 2025, though On3 initially reported the outcome Monday.

The Jaguars organization refused to provide comment, and attempts to reach Meyer for response were unsuccessful.

Team owner Shad Khan terminated Meyer for cause in December 2021, just hours after former player Josh Lambo publicly accused Meyer of physically kicking him during a practice session months prior — marking the final incident in a series of controversies during Meyer’s 11-month stint with the franchise.

Meyer attempted to manage a professional roster using collegiate methods. He decorated the facility with motivational sayings and phrases, implemented training camp-style drills during practice sessions, and maintained his flawed philosophy that coaching staff work for players while players perform for their coaches. He frequently brought in guest speakers for motivation and consistently blamed his assistant coaches for accumulating defeats rather than holding the professional athletes accountable.

Among Meyer’s most controversial actions occurred after a Thursday evening matchup in Cincinnati during late September. He decided to remain behind with relatives rather than return home with his squad, and was subsequently recorded the next evening acting inappropriately with a female patron at an establishment in Columbus, Ohio.

Abandoning his team demonstrated Meyer’s disconnect from professional football culture. This represented just one example of questionable judgment from a coach who achieved remarkable collegiate success — earning three combined championship titles — while leading programs at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and Ohio State.

Meyer contested his dismissal through arbitration proceedings. A favorable ruling would have secured the remaining portion of his five-year agreement valued at approximately $6 million per year.

Meyer and Lambo remain engaged in separate civil litigation scheduled for trial in early August. Lambo voluntarily removed the Jaguars organization from his lawsuit earlier this year.

Lambo seeks more than $3.5 million in lost wages and emotional distress compensation related to Meyer’s alleged actions. The complaint filed in 4th Judicial Circuit Court in Duval County alleges Meyer established a hostile workplace and claims Lambo’s job performance declined following the kicking incident and verbal mistreatment from Meyer.

Meyer, 61, currently serves as a college football television analyst for Fox Sports and received induction into the College Hall of Fame in December.

Third baseman Gio Urshela has called time on his professional baseball career, making the announcement Monday after spending a decade in Major League Baseball across eight different franchises and appearing in 851 games.

The 34-year-old player shared his decision through a heartfelt message on Instagram, writing: “Today is the day to close this chapter as a professional player, and this is not a moment to be sad. It is a moment to be grateful to God for allowing me to play this beautiful sport that changed my life.”

Urshela’s career truly flourished during his time with the New York Yankees from 2019 through 2021, following underwhelming stints in Cleveland during 2015 and 2017, plus a season in Toronto in 2018. His breakout 2019 campaign saw him post impressive numbers with a .314 batting average, 21 home runs, and 74 RBIs. He maintained strong performance in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season with a .298 average, followed by a .267 average with 14 homers and 49 RBIs in 2021.

The Yankees traded Urshela along with catcher Gary Sanchez to the Minnesota Twins on March 13, 2022, receiving infielders Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa plus catcher Ben Rortvedt in return.

Following his Minnesota tenure, Urshela played for the Los Angeles Angels in 2023, split the 2024 season between the Detroit Tigers and Atlanta Braves, and most recently appeared with the Athletics in 2025. He entered free agency after participating in spring training with the Twins.

Urshela concludes his professional career with a .270 lifetime batting average, recording 312 runs, 73 home runs, and 352 RBIs over his 10-season tenure.

According to a Monday report from The Athletic, the Professional Women’s Hockey League is preparing to reveal San Jose, California as the location for its 12th franchise during an announcement scheduled for Tuesday.

San Jose will join three other expansion teams set to begin competition in the 2026-27 season, including franchises in Detroit, Las Vegas and Hamilton, Ontario.

League officials have scheduled a press conference for 12:45 p.m. PT on Tuesday at the SAP Center, which serves as the home venue for the NHL’s San Jose Sharks.

This expansion represents a significant growth milestone for the PWHL, which has now expanded to twice its founding membership from 2023. The league originally launched with six teams based in Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa and Toronto. Two additional franchises in Vancouver and Seattle joined the competition in 2025.

San Jose’s addition continues a recent trend of Bay Area expansion in women’s professional sports. The Golden State Valkyries became part of the WNBA in 2025, while Bay FC joined the NWSL in 2024.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has committed to returning to the Steelers for another campaign, putting pen to paper on a one-year contract for the 2026 season.

The team made the signing official on Monday, giving new head coach Mike McCarthy plenty of time before his target of having Rodgers participate in mandatory minicamp this June.

Multiple sources indicate the contract carries a value of up to $22 million.

Rodgers had kept his future plans in question after longtime head coach Mike Tomlin revealed he wouldn’t be returning to the Steelers for 2026. The veteran quarterback had emphasized that Tomlin’s leadership was a major factor in his decision to join the Steelers as an unrestricted free agent last year.

However, Rodgers has extensive history with McCarthy, who served as his coach in Green Bay from 2006 through 2018 before being brought on by the Steelers this January. The duo captured a Super Bowl championship in 2011 (defeating the Steelers), with Rodgers earning Super Bowl MVP honors.

During his 2025 campaign with the Steelers, Rodgers took every snap in 16 games, sitting out just one contest due to a wrist ailment. He posted a 65.7% completion rate, connecting on 327 of 498 attempts for 3,322 yards, 24 scoring passes, and only seven picks.

The four-time NFL MVP has now logged 21 seasons in the league. Across 264 career games with 257 starts, he maintains a 65.1% completion percentage with 66,274 passing yards, 527 touchdowns, and 123 interceptions.

NEW ORLEANS — A source familiar with the decision confirms the New Orleans Pelicans have selected Jamahl Mosley, the recently dismissed Orlando Magic coach, to lead their franchise, effectively ending James Borrego’s opportunity to secure the position permanently after serving as interim coach.

The source requested anonymity as the team has not yet made an official announcement regarding the hiring.

Mosley arrives in New Orleans following his departure from Orlando, where he coached for five years before being let go this month. His tenure with the Magic concluded after a devastating first-round playoff defeat to the Detroit Pistons, during which Orlando surrendered a 3-1 series advantage and squandered a 24-point advantage in the decisive seventh game.

During his time with Orlando, Mosley compiled a record of 189-221. Under his leadership, the Magic reached the NBA playoffs three consecutive years and captured the Southeast Division title twice, though they were ousted in the opening round each time.

Borrego stepped into the interim role for 70 games after taking control of a struggling 2-10 squad following Willie Green’s dismissal.

This marked Borrego’s second interim assignment and third overall opportunity to helm a coaching staff. He finished with a 24-46 record with the Pelicans, who failed to reach the postseason for consecutive years.

Prior to his New Orleans stint, Borrego coached the Charlotte Hornets from 2018 through 2022. His Charlotte squads secured Eastern Conference play-in tournament berths in both 2021 and 2022 but failed to advance to the actual NBA playoffs either year.

Following the conclusion of the 2025-26 regular season, Borrego expressed his desire to retain the Pelicans’ coaching position permanently and voiced confidence that a complete offseason would enable him to build a more competitive team.

Pelicans basketball operations chief Joe Dumars acknowledged Borrego as a legitimate candidate while noting his intention to explore options “outside the building” for the coaching vacancy.

With this hire, Mosley becomes the franchise’s third coach since Dumars assumed the role of executive vice president of basketball operations prior to last season.

Dumars’ choice to bring in Mosley provides the organization with a seasoned coach to guide a roster that added two first-round selections in the 2025 NBA Draft — guard Jeremiah Fears and forward Derik Queen — to complement existing stars forward Zion Williamson, wing Trey Murphy and guard Dejounte Murray.

Mosley emerged as the top choice among several candidates Dumars evaluated, including former player Rajon Rondo, Brooklyn Nets assistant Steve Hetzel, and former Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham, who currently serves as a senior assistant with Milwaukee. San Antonio Spurs assistant Sean Sweeney was also reportedly in consideration.

Prior to accepting his first head coaching opportunity with Orlando, Mosley served seven seasons as a key assistant under then-Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, a period that coincided with developing Luka Doncic, who launched his NBA career in Dallas before moving to the Los Angeles Lakers via trade.

Before his Dallas tenure, Mosley worked with the Cleveland Cavaliers for four seasons.

Though Mosley never competed in the NBA as a player despite being a standout at Colorado, he played professionally across Australia, Europe and Asia before launching his NBA career in player development and scouting with Denver in 2005.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Aaron Rodgers wasted no time jumping into his 22nd NFL campaign.

The veteran quarterback, who has earned NFL MVP honors four times, participated in voluntary organized team activities in Pittsburgh on Monday within minutes of finalizing a one-year contract with the Steelers.

The contract brings Rodgers back together with first-year Pittsburgh head coach Mike McCarthy. The pair had an extensive working relationship during their time together in Green Bay, which included capturing a Super Bowl championship against Pittsburgh following the 2010 campaign.

Last season, the 42-year-old quarterback led Pittsburgh to an AFC North championship, completing passes for 24 touchdowns while throwing seven interceptions. Rodgers appeared to appreciate playing for an organization with deep football traditions, similar to his experience in Green Bay, and will now return to help the Steelers break a playoff win drought that spans nearly ten years.

Multiple reports indicate that Nashville will receive approval to host its first-ever Super Bowl when NFL owners gather for meetings on Tuesday.

Super Bowl LXIV, set for February 2030, would take place at the Tennessee Titans’ new stadium facility that is currently being built. This would mark the inaugural time the championship game has been held in Nashville.

The league’s ownership group is conducting meetings in Orlando on Tuesday and Wednesday, where a formal decision and vote confirming Nashville as the host location is anticipated. The Music City demonstrated its ability to handle major NFL events during the 2019 NFL Draft, when fan attendance broke records for the occasion.

Construction is underway on the new Nissan Stadium, a $2.1 billion project featuring a retractable roof and complete enclosure. The 60,000-capacity facility sits along the Cumberland River and is slated to open by February 2027.

The NFL has increasingly selected cities with newly built stadiums to host the Super Bowl, breaking from the traditional pattern of warm-weather locations. Detroit, East Rutherford, N.J., and Minneapolis have all hosted the game in recent years following stadium construction.

Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium will host the championship game in February 2027 for its second time. The league previously announced Las Vegas as the 2029 host city, marking the second time since Allegiant Stadium’s completion. Atlanta is scheduled to host in 2028.

A former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach will not receive a contract buyout following his dismissal just 13 games into a five-year deal in 2021, according to a Monday report from On3.com.

Urban Meyer, who had challenged the Jaguars’ choice to fire him “with cause,” was unsuccessful in his arbitration proceedings in a ruling that prevents the team from paying more than $30 million, the report stated.

Meyer, who captured three college football national titles at Florida (2006, 2008) and Ohio State (2014), was dismissed by Jacksonville on Dec. 16, 2021, following a 2-11 record to start the season.

His troubled NFL stint featured $300,000 in penalties for breaking offseason workout rules, a widely-circulated video showing him with a woman who was not his spouse at a bar, and missing a team flight back from Cincinnati following a defeat to the Bengals.

An abuse claim was also made by Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo, who subsequently detailed his alleged August 2021 incident with Meyer to the Tampa Bay Times.

“I’m in a lunge position. Left leg forward, right leg back,” he said. “… Urban Meyer, while I’m in that stretch position, comes up to me and says, ‘Hey, dips—, make your f—ing kicks!’ And kicks me in the leg. …

“It certainly wasn’t as hard as he could’ve done it, but it certainly wasn’t a love tap. Truthfully, I’d register it as a five (out of 10). Which in the workplace, I don’t care if it’s football or not, the boss can’t strike an employee. And for a second, I couldn’t believe it actually happened. Pardon my vulgarity, I said, ‘Don’t you ever f—ing kick me again!’ And his response was, ‘I’m the head ball coach, I’ll kick you whenever the f— I want.’”

Meyer disputed Lambo’s claims.

Those who provided testimony during the arbitration proceedings included Meyer, Lambo, former Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke, punter Logan Cooke and long snapper Ross Matiscik, according to the report.

Meyer maintains the option to contest the decision in court.

Aaron Rai has etched his name in golf history by becoming the first player born in England to claim the PGA Championship in more than 100 years. The 31-year-old golfer, who once aspired to race in Formula 1 before pursuing golf, staged a remarkable comeback at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

Trailing by three strokes as he made the turn, Rai delivered a championship-caliber performance that included sinking a spectacular 40-foot eagle on the ninth hole during an incredible stretch where he needed just one putt on seven consecutive greens. His defining moment came with a stunning 70-foot birdie putt across the 17th green that secured his victory. Rai finished with a final-round 65, five under par.

The victory makes Rai the first golfer of Indian heritage to capture a major championship. His journey from watching Tiger Woods on VHS tapes as a youngster in England to seeing his own name engraved on the Wanamaker Trophy represents a remarkable achievement built on humility and dedication.

Rai’s performance over the final 10 holes was historic, playing them at 6 under par. Only Jack Nicklaus during his legendary 1986 Masters triumph posted better numbers over a similar stretch to win a major championship. The Englishman surged past several of golf’s elite players to claim his first major title.

While Rai celebrated, other contenders struggled in the final round. Rory McIlroy’s bid for a comeback victory unraveled with frustration, including an angry confrontation with a spectator who shouted “U-S-A!” after McIlroy’s errant shot from thick rough at the 16th hole. The two-time PGA Championship winner appeared to use profanity while telling the fan to “shut up.” Other top players including Jon Rahm, Cam Smith, and Xander Schauffele also failed to mount successful challenges against Rai’s surge.

In NBA action, the Cleveland Cavaliers advanced to the Eastern Conference finals with a commanding 125-94 Game 7 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 26 points, while Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill each contributed 23 points. Evan Mobley added 21 points and 12 rebounds as the fourth-seeded Cavaliers eliminated the East’s top seed. Cleveland will face the New York Knicks in the conference finals, with Game 1 scheduled for Tuesday in New York. This marks the Cavaliers’ first conference finals appearance since 2018.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder captured his second consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player award, becoming the 14th player in league history to win back-to-back MVP honors and the 18th to claim at least two MVP trophies. The Thunder, who won 64 games this season as defending champions, are preparing for an epic Western Conference finals matchup against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, who won 62 games. The Spurs notably defeated the Thunder in all four of their regular season meetings. Game 1 of the series begins Monday in Oklahoma City.

At Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Alex Palou secured his second career Indianapolis 500 pole position with a qualifying speed average of 232.248 mph. The defending champion becomes the first title holder to earn the pole since 2010 and is the only driver in this year’s 33-car field to exceed 232 mph in qualifying. Alexander Rossi will start second at 231.990 mph, followed by David Malukas at 231.877 mph on the front row. Felix Rosenqvist, who led qualifying through the first two rounds, settled for fourth place at 231.375 mph.

Two American drivers faced disappointing qualifying results. Josef Newgarden will start 24th, while Kyle Kirkwood qualified 26th on a challenging day marked by high temperatures, hot track conditions, and strong winds. Kirkwood’s team failed to advance to the 12-car pole shootout, making it more difficult for him to close Alex Palou’s 27-point championship lead in next Sunday’s race.

In Major League Baseball, the Kansas City Royals continue to struggle despite outstanding individual performance from Bobby Witt Jr. The star player has been exceptional, hitting .395 with four home runs over his last 10 games, yet Kansas City lost seven of those contests. The Royals, who made the playoffs as a wild card team a couple of years ago and won 82 games in 2025, are currently tied with Detroit for last place in the AL Central division.

Meanwhile, the Chicago White Sox have found success with Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami, who wasn’t initially expected to join the organization. Murakami leads the American League with 17 home runs and tops his team with 32 RBIs through Sunday’s games. The White Sox rank second in Major League Baseball with 66 total home runs. Murakami signed a $34 million, two-year contract in December after entering MLB’s posting system in November to a lighter market than anticipated.

Just a few seasons back, Kansas City made the playoffs as a wild card team and advanced through the first round. After securing Bobby Witt Jr. with an extended deal, the organization’s prospects appeared promising.

However, Kansas City took a step backward in 2025, though only marginally, finishing with 82 victories. This season’s beginning has raised more serious concerns.

Witt continues performing at an MVP level. He’s actually batting .395 with four home runs in his most recent 10 contests. The issue is that Kansas City dropped seven of those games. Despite the AL Central appearing more competitive than usual, the team cannot gain momentum. They’re currently sharing the division’s bottom spot with Detroit. While that situation creates urgency for the Tigers with Tarik Skubal approaching free agency after this season, Kansas City faces its own challenges.

The primary issue lies with the offense, which currently consists of Witt surrounded by underperforming players. Vinnie Pasquantino is hitting .202. Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone have shown decent performance, though neither has experienced a significant breakthrough, and questions remain about whether these players — ages 22 and 23 — can deliver what Kansas City requires alongside Witt in coming seasons. Maikel Garcia has managed just three home runs across 200 plate appearances.

Additionally, veteran Salvador Perez is batting .205.

The pitching staff has performed somewhat better, but following more than a month of inconsistent performances, Cole Ragans exited his May 6 appearance with elbow discomfort and was subsequently placed on the injured list.

Kansas City can exercise patience — up to a certain extent. Witt’s deal could potentially extend through 2037 if both parties exercise various options. However, he possesses player options starting with the 2031 season, allowing him to potentially enter free agency at that time.

Currently, Kansas City has just three prospects listed in Baseball Pipeline’s top 100. All three rank outside the top 50 and are currently playing in Class A. Therefore, pressure mounts on players like Caglianone and Jensen to elevate their performance. That represents the most straightforward route for Kansas City’s improvement.

Milwaukee ranks last in major league home runs, yet they place sixth with 4.95 runs per contest. How are they achieving this? Clutch hitting plays a significant role. Milwaukee ranks fourth in baseball for batting average with runners in scoring position at .281. The team also ranks fourth in stolen bases with 49.

Another significant element is walks. Milwaukee places fourth in bases on balls and third in on-base percentage. It’s uncommon for a team displaying such limited power to maintain such a high walk rate, but Milwaukee is accomplishing this. Their 7-1 victory over San Diego on Thursday exemplified this approach. Milwaukee earned seven walks — including four consecutive in the opening inning — without hitting any home runs.

Milwaukee is among five major league teams with more stolen bases (49) than home runs (30). Who are the remaining teams?

Philadelphia’s Christopher Sánchez completed the full game Saturday, recording 13 strikeouts in a 6-0 victory over Pittsburgh. He now maintains a scoreless streak spanning 29 2/3 innings.

Sánchez became the third pitcher to deliver a shutout this season. Minnesota’s Bailey Ober accomplished this earlier in the week, and Miami’s Sandy Alcantara did so on April 1.

New York’s Mets achieved a significant comeback Sunday against the Yankees, but Philadelphia’s Friday performance in Pittsburgh was even more remarkable. The team fell behind 6-0 in the fourth inning and 8-3 in the seventh. They still trailed 8-5 in the ninth when Kyle Schwarber — who had already connected for two home runs — drew a bases-loaded walk with one out. Then Bryce Harper’s hit off the wall’s top tied the contest.

Philadelphia scored three runs in the 10th inning and won 11-9. Pittsburgh’s win probability reached 97.9% in the seventh inning, according to Baseball Savant.

Cleveland (51 steals and 50 homers), Tampa Bay (51-38), Miami (57-36) and Boston (35-33).

CHICAGO — Munetaka Murakami has developed a special handshake with infielder Miguel Vargas and credits teammate Mike Vasil’s magic wand celebration for helping power his latest home run. Fans wearing his No. 5 jersey fill the seats at Rate Field.

The Japanese power hitter wasn’t expected to land with the Chicago White Sox, but the partnership is proving highly successful.

Murakami appears completely comfortable alongside Chicago’s talented group of young position players, and they’ve been demolishing baseballs throughout this season. Through Sunday’s games, Murakami tops the American League with 17 home runs and leads his team with 32 RBIs, while the unexpected White Sox are second across all of baseball with 66 total homers.

“It’s the full lineup, one through nine. Feeding off each other,” Murakami said through his interpreter, Kenzo Yagi. “It’s a great confidence builder, seeing other players get good results. I just want to be that contributor and contribute to the lineup and contribute to the team’s wins.”

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Murakami’s 17 homers rank as the third-highest total by any player in major league history during their initial 45 games. He also established a record by homering in eight straight series openers between April 14 and May 8.

When Murakami approaches home plate, one of baseball’s three true outcomes typically follows. He also stands among major league leaders with 36 walks and 66 strikeouts.

“He’s a superstar. There’s no other way to do it,” White Sox pitcher Davis Martin said. “You play against guys like (Mike) Trout, you play against guys like (Aaron) Judge and Yordan Alvarez and he’s doing the same things that they are. It’s an incredible thing to watch.”

Murakami becomes the fourth Japanese-born player in White Sox history, following Shingo Takatsu (2004-05), second baseman Tadahito Iguchi (2005-07) and outfielder Kosuke Fukudome (2012). Takatsu previously managed Murakami in Japan.

“He’s had to make a ton of adjustments to get comfortable,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “And I know that probably is not easy for him. So yeah, he’s just a guy who has that flexibility to come into different environments and then get comfortable and I think this speaks a lot to his character and who he is.”

The 26-year-old Murakami earned Central League MVP honors in both 2021 and 2022. An oblique injury restricted him to just 56 games last season, though he still posted a .273 average with 22 homers and 47 RBIs.

He joined MLB’s posting system in November. With a lighter market than anticipated due to overblown concerns about his ability to handle velocity, the White Sox secured the slugger with a $34 million, two-year deal in December.

Since Murakami’s explosive start this season, White Sox general manager Chris Getz has received congratulatory calls from fellow GMs.

“One GM said ‘Congratulations, you beat the industry on this one,’” Getz said, “so that was nice to hear, and it’s worked out and you know we feel really excited about having him in a White Sox uniform and he’s helping us win baseball games.”

Murakami arrived late to his first spring training game due to traffic delays, but things have gone smoothly since then.

He launched solo homers in each of his first three regular-season contests. He demolished a 431-foot grand slam during a 9-2 win at the Athletics on April 17, starting a five-game home run streak. He delivered a three-run blast in an 8-7 victory over the Angels last month.

With Vasil continuing his magic wand routine in the White Sox dugout, Murakami went deep twice in his first career multihomer performance on Saturday night against the crosstown Cubs.

He’s no longer flying under the radar.

“He’s a dangerous hitter and a guy you definitely have to be careful with,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said.

Murakami continues working to improve. He identified adjusting to different pitchers daily as his greatest challenge and is becoming more comfortable playing first base.

When asked about his biggest adjustment moving to the majors, he paused and smiled.

“Compared to Japan, here, the environment’s totally different,” he said. “The space, the fields and everything is really nice. That’s the … biggest surprise.”

The leader of Ultimate Fighting Championship participated in NPR’s interview series focused on newsmakers, discussing the mixed martial arts organization with host Steve Inskeep.

The conversation centered on how the combat sport has expanded over recent years and touched on a planned White House event.

Cleveland demonstrated their playoff experience Sunday night, delivering a commanding Game 7 performance on the road in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Their veteran presence showed, and that familiarity with high-pressure situations made all the difference.

Donovan Mitchell topped all players with 26 points, while Jarrett Allen delivered another standout performance in a series-deciding game, helping Cleveland secure their Eastern Conference finals berth with a dominant 125-94 victory over Detroit in the final game of their semifinal matchup.

Allen dominated his matchup against Jalen Duren 23-7, Sam Merrill contributed 23 points coming off the bench, and Evan Mobley recorded his series-first double-double with 21 points and a game-leading 12 rebounds. The fourth-seeded Cavaliers will now battle the third-seeded New York Knicks in a best-of-seven series beginning Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Cleveland wasted little time looking toward their next challenge.

“This is fantastic. I’m excited, believe me. But we’ve got to be more disciplined (Tuesday),” Mitchell told a television audience, making a reference to two series-opening losses at Detroit, then a defeat at home in Game 6 with a chance to advance. “We shouldn’t have to wait to get hit, to get punched in the mouth and face a go-home situation.”

Dominating the top-seeded Pistons across all aspects of the game, Cleveland established a 20-point advantage during the opening half, stretched their lead to 26 points in the third quarter, and cruised to their first Eastern finals appearance since defeating the Boston Celtics in seven games during 2018.

Detroit’s quest to reach the Eastern finals continues for an 18th straight season, as All-Star guard Cade Cunningham struggled to a 13-point performance while missing all seven attempts from beyond the arc, and Tobias Harris went scoreless from the field on six attempts, finishing with just five points.

Extending their Game 7 winning streak to six straight dating to 2008, Cleveland shot 50.6% (43 of 85) compared to Detroit’s 35.3% (30 of 85) while controlling the boards 50-41.

Allen, who recorded 22 points and 19 rebounds when Cleveland required a Game 7 to eliminate the Toronto Raptors in the opening round, scored 15 of his 23 points before halftime. He praised Mitchell’s approach for setting the early tone.

“He started out the game not trying to take it over, not trying to score every single basket,” the big man praised in a televised on-court interview moments after the final horn. “He started the game trying to distribute the ball. That’s huge for a leader like him — trying to get everybody else going, then getting himself going second.”

The decisive victory should benefit Cleveland’s preparation for their upcoming series, with just one day of rest before traveling to New York.

“We know it’s going to be a loud environment. But we know that we can do it,” Allen boasted. “We came into an incredible arena like this and took over the game. We just have to do it again.”

Daniss Jenkins paced Detroit with 17 points and five assists, while Duncan Robinson added 13 points and Caris LeVert contributed 11. Duren led the team with nine rebounds.

During his postgame media session, Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff praised Cleveland while looking ahead to future opportunities.

“We knew it was going to be a tough series and a tough test for us. (The Cavaliers) outplayed us; give them credit for it,” he said. “Just like last year (when the Pistons lost in the first round to the Knicks), we’ll put it in our pocket. We’ll learn from it, and next year we’ll grow and be a better team.”

The Washington Nationals have launched an investigation following a disturbing incident at Sunday’s baseball game where several individuals displayed a banner promoting a white nationalist website and demanding the deportation of “100+ million” people.

The incident occurred during the team’s daily “Salute to Service” ceremony honoring military personnel and veterans, which takes place before the fourth inning. Three people unfurled the controversial banner in the upper deck along the first-base line at Nationals Park.

When a stadium usher tried to take down the banner, the three individuals holding it pulled it away and quickly left the ballpark, according to a team spokesperson.

Team officials have successfully identified and permanently banned at least one person involved in the incident from Nationals Park. The organization is collaborating with the Metropolitan Police Department for additional investigation but has not revealed the identity of the banned individual.

“The Washington Nationals vehemently condemn discriminatory and hateful rhetoric, and we strive to make our home field a safe space for our fans,” the team said in a statement to multiple media outlets.

Jake Lang, a Jan. 6 rioter and conservative influencer, took credit for the banner on social media.

The Athletic reported that it is not clear at this time how the banner got through security, with the stadium’s magnetometers able to detect weapons but would not flag something like a nylon sign.

The team’s official policy states that “signs, banners and fan activities do not distract from the enjoyment of sports games or other forms of entertainment” and includes specific restrictions on size and materials used.

According to stadium guidelines, the baseball park “is not a forum or place for use by the public at large for assembly and speech, for use by certain speakers or for the discussion of certain subjects.”

Permitted messages must focus on Major League Baseball, Nationals players, management, staff, broadcast entities, or family-friendly occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, and engagements.

The policy specifically prohibits banners and signs containing messages that are “slanderous,” “obscene, vulgar or indecent and inappropriate for viewing by children,” contain “fighting words” likely to provoke conflict, serve commercial purposes, or include “derogatory matter relating to race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, age, personal appearance, familial status, familial responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, source of income, status as a victim of an intrafamily offense, place of residence or business or any other category protected by D.C. law.”

Stadium management maintains the authority to remove non-compliant banners or require guests to stop displaying them immediately.

The Nationals lost Sunday’s game to the Baltimore Orioles by a score of 7-3.

Carson Benge delivered the decisive hit in the 10th inning for the second time in seven days as the New York Mets completed a remarkable comeback from a five-run deficit to defeat the visiting New York Yankees 7-6 in the final game of this season’s opening Subway Series on Sunday.

Luis Torrens contributed a crucial two-run pinch-hit double in the sixth inning when the Mets trailed 6-1, and Tyrone Taylor sent the game to extra innings with a three-run blast in the ninth off David Bednar. Devin Williams (3-1) induced an inning-ending double play to set up the Mets’ opportunity to win in the 10th.

Freddy Peralta navigated six walks to surrender three runs on two hits across five innings for the Mets, while Yankees starter Elmer Rodriguez gave up one run on five hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Tim Hill (0-1) allowed Benge’s decisive hit. Anthony Volpe recorded three RBIs for the Yankees, and Ben Rice connected for his 15th home run of the campaign. The Yankees concluded their nine-game road trip with a 2-7 record.

White Sox 9, Cubs 8 (10 innings)

Edgar Quero connected on a walkoff two-run blast to propel the host Chicago White Sox to an extra-innings triumph in the deciding game against the Chicago Cubs.

Both Quero and Tristan Peters, who launched a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth, hit their first home runs of the season. Quero and Andrew Benintendi each collected three hits for the White Sox, who closed their homestand with a 7-2 mark. Tyler Davis (2-1) surrendered one unearned run on three walks in the top of the 10th.

Alex Bregman recorded two hits and two RBIs for the Cubs. Michael Conforto also contributed two hits, including a game-tying three-run blast in the ninth. Ryan Rolison (3-1) gave up the walkoff homer.

Braves 8, Red Sox 1

Austin Riley and Mike Yastrzemski both homered to power Atlanta to a victory over visiting Boston in the deciding game of their series.

Grant Holmes (3-1) allowed five hits and one walk while fanning four across six innings. Drake Baldwin joined Riley and Yastrzemski in supporting Holmes by contributing two RBIs each. The Braves dominated the Red Sox despite being outhit nine to eight.

Brayan Bello (2-5) surrendered seven runs on eight hits across five innings. He struggled immediately, requiring 30 pitches in the opening frame while allowing a three-run homer to Riley. Nick Sogard delivered Boston’s only run with a ninth-inning double that prevented Atlanta’s shutout.

Rays 6, Marlins 3

Taylor Walls’ fourth-inning triple drove in three runs for Tampa Bay, which defeated visiting Miami and captured two of three games in the rivalry weekend series in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Drew Rasmussen (4-1) allowed seven hits and two walks across 5 1/3 innings, but the Rays right-hander permitted just two runs while earning his second straight victory. Junior Caminero and Yandy Diaz homered against Marlins pitcher Eury Perez (2-6), whose personal losing streak reached five starts. Caminero’s solo shot, his team-leading 12th homer of the season, came in the first to give the Rays an early advantage.

Miami took the lead with a two-run third inning thanks to RBI singles from Xavier Edwards (2-for-5) and Otto Lopez (2-for-4).

Phillies 6, Pirates 0

Zack Wheeler threw seven scoreless innings to outpitch Paul Skenes as visiting Philadelphia completed a three-game sweep of Pittsburgh with a shutout victory.

Wheeler (3-0) allowed only three singles and a double with one walk and eight strikeouts while reducing his ERA to 1.99 in five starts. Bryce Harper and Bryson Stott homered for the Phillies to extend their winning streak to four games. Philadelphia is now 15-4 since Don Mattingly replaced Rob Thomson as manager late last month.

Skenes (6-3) surrendered five earned runs — his highest total since Opening Day — across five-plus innings while giving up six hits and a walk. He received no offensive support from the Pirates, who managed just five hits and were shut out for the second consecutive day.

Blue Jays 4, Tigers 1

Kevin Gausman delivered six shutout innings in a rebound effort and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered and scored twice as visiting Toronto defeated struggling Detroit.

Gausman allowed only four hits without issuing a walk, one start after surrendering seven runs (six earned) and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings against Tampa Bay on Monday. Daulton Varsho had a double and triple while scoring twice and driving in one run after delivering a game-winning single Saturday.

Detroit starter Jack Flaherty (0-5) couldn’t prevent the Tigers from losing their 10th game in 12 attempts, allowing four runs and five hits across six innings. Jahmai Jones produced the Tigers’ lone run with a pinch-hit groundout.

Orioles 7, Nationals 3

Gunnar Henderson collected four hits, including a home run, and Baltimore defeated host Washington to prevent the three-game sweep.

Henderson had a solo blast, double and two singles, while Coby Mayo and Colton Cowser also homered for Baltimore, which had dropped three of four and scored three runs or fewer in eight of its previous nine games. Anthony Nunez (2-0) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief.

Jacob Young homered for the Nationals, who were seeking their first home series sweep of the season. James Wood contributed two hits and a walk.

Guardians 10, Reds 3

Cleveland launched six home runs, including two from Kyle Manzardo, to dominate the deciding game against in-state rival Cincinnati.

The Guardians scored all their runs via the long ball. Brayan Rocchio, Chase DeLauter, Jose Ramirez and Angel Martinez also went deep for Cleveland, which received six solid innings from Gavin Williams (6-3), ending his two-start losing streak.

Elly De La Cruz hit his team-leading 11th homer for the Reds, who watched starter Brady Singer (2-4) get tagged for five runs on seven hits (including three homers) across four innings.

Rangers 8, Astros 0

Jake Burger contributed two extra-base hits, including a two-run double that sparked a five-run seventh inning, and Nathan Eovaldi pitched seven shutout innings as visiting Texas prevented a series sweep with a shutout of Houston.

Burger started the scoring with a two-run homer in the fifth. Kyle Higashioka followed Burger’s seventh-inning RBI double with his own two-run single and capped the scoring with a solo homer in the ninth. Eovaldi (5-4) surrendered five hits and two walks with a season-high-tying eight strikeouts.

Astros right-hander Peter Lambert (2-4) traded zeros with Eovaldi through four innings. He gave up five runs on three hits over six-plus innings. Zach Dezenzo had two of Houston’s five hits.

Giants 10, Athletics 1

Harrison Bader launched a grand slam and Luis Arraez homered for the second time in three games to help San Francisco capture its series against the A’s in West Sacramento, Calif.

Bader’s second career grand slam came during an eight-run eighth inning as the Giants broke open a tight contest. Arraez collected three hits and went 8-for-12 with five runs in the series, which San Francisco won after losing the opener.

San Francisco’s Adrian Houser (2-4) worked six solid innings and three relievers completed the game. Houser surrendered one run and four hits. Athletics starter Jeffrey Springs (3-4) suffered a tough-luck defeat, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits across six innings.

Twins 5, Brewers 4

Kody Clemens went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs and Minnesota held on for a victory over Milwaukee to salvage the finale of a three-game series in Minneapolis.

Garrett Mitchell and Christian Yelich each connected for solo home runs for Milwaukee, which suffered only its second loss in 10 games. Sal Frelick and Jake Bauers each drove in one run for the Brewers.

Twins right-hander Bailey Ober (5-2) surrendered three runs on six hits across five innings. He walked two and struck out one. Brewers right-hander Grant Anderson (1-2) gave up one run on two hits in 1 2/3 innings of relief. He followed starter Robert Gasser, who allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits across four innings in his season debut.

Royals 2, Cardinals 0

Stephen Kolek surrendered four hits while working into the seventh inning, and Salvador Perez drove in both runs, highlighted by a solo homer, as visiting Kansas City ended its six-game losing streak with a shutout of St. Louis.

Kolek (2-0) walked only one batter and struck out three across 6 1/3 innings. Royals relievers Daniel Lynch IV and Lucas Erceg (11 saves) combined to surrender one hit and a walk over the final 2 2/3 innings.

Cardinals starter Andre Pallante (4-4) was equally effective while allowing eight hits across 6 2/3 innings. St. Louis, which entered on a three-game winning streak, was held to five singles and didn’t bat with a runner in scoring position until the ninth.

Diamondbacks 8, Rockies 6

Corbin Carroll hit two home runs and drove in three runs to help Arizona defeat Colorado in Denver.

Following a 105-minute weather delay to begin the series finale, Michael Soroka (6-2) worked 5 2/3 innings, surrendering two runs on six hits while striking out eight and walking two. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered and Gabriel Moreno collected three hits for Arizona, which captured its first road series since taking two of three from the Baltimore Orioles from April 13-15.

Michael Lorenzen (2-6) suffered his fourth consecutive loss for the Rockies, giving up seven runs (six earned) on nine hits across 4 2/3 innings. Willi Castro drove in two runs for Colorado, which dropped its sixth game in eight contests.

Padres 8, Mariners 3

Gavin Sheets connected for two home runs and Lucas Giolito teamed with two relievers on a one-hitter in his San Diego debut during a victory over host Seattle to complete a sweep of this season’s six-game Vedder Cup series.

Giolito, signed as a free agent by the Padres on April 22, surrendered one hit and no runs through five innings. He walked the first three batters in the sixth and was removed. Sheets finished with four RBIs, adding an RBI double in the seventh for the Padres, who secured the game with a five-run sixth.

The Mariners’ only hit was Luke Raley’s one-out single to right in the second inning. George Kirby (5-3) surrendered six runs on six hits across 5 2/3 innings. Seattle’s top prospect Colt Emerson made his major league debut, going 0-for-2 with a walk and a run.

Dodgers 10, Angels 1

Roki Sasaki surrendered one run on four hits across seven innings and Kyle Tucker went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs as the Los Angeles Dodgers completed a three-game Freeway Series sweep of the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif.

Sasaki (2-3) didn’t issue a walk for the first time in 16 career regular-season starts and struck out a career-high eight batters. Shohei Ohtani went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored, Hyeseong Kim also had two hits, an RBI and two runs scored, and Andy Pages drove in two runs for the Dodgers, who extended their winning streak to five games.

Nolan Schanuel had two hits and a run scored, Mike Trout doubled and Yoan Moncada had an RBI single for the Angels, who suffered their sixth straight loss and eighth defeat in nine games. Grayson Rodriguez (0-1) made his Angels debut in his first start since July 31, 2024, after undergoing Tommy John surgery. The right-hander allowed seven runs on seven hits across 3 2/3 innings.

Spanish racing driver Alex Palou has secured the top starting position for this year’s Indianapolis 500, positioning himself perfectly for a potential repeat championship when the race unfolds on May 24.

The 29-year-old driver achieved his second career pole position during Sunday’s qualifying session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, recording a four-lap average speed of 232.248 mph.

As the current four-time and reigning IndyCar Series champion, Palou previously earned pole position for the 2023 race, where he ultimately placed fourth. The last defending champion to start from pole position in the following year’s race was four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves in 2010.

“I have no words,” Palou expressed regarding his pole position for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500. “That was incredible. It just feels incredible. Great start to the month of May.”

“Did not expect it. You could see the celebration was really high (after winning the pole) because this morning when we woke up, we did not expect this speed.”

Joining Palou’s No. 10 Honda from Chip Ganassi Racing on the front row are Chevrolet drivers Alexander Rossi from Ed Carpenter Racing and David Malukas from Team Penske. The 2016 champion Rossi posted a personal-best average of 231.990 mph, while Malukas claimed third place with 231.877 mph.

An interesting twist occurred when Palou’s wife, Esther, randomly selected the 31st position out of 33 drivers during Friday evening’s blind draw for qualifying order. Saturday’s qualifying session was canceled due to rain, compressing the entire qualifying process into Sunday with elimination rounds reducing the field from 33 to 12 to six drivers for grid determination.

During the first qualifying round, Palou ranked 11th with a four-lap average of 231.155, then improved to second-fastest in the subsequent round (231.665) behind Felix Rosenqvist from Meyer Shank Racing. His team successfully adjusted the car setup for the warmer, sunny conditions during the day’s hottest period.

“I have to say being on the 31st — thanks to my wife, by the way, for drawing that number — I think being there allowed us to work on those conditions,” Palou commented. “It’s not easy to do everything the way this team is executing.”

The second row features Rosenqvist’s Honda in fourth place (231.375) alongside Chevrolets driven by Santino Ferrucci (230.846) from A.J. Foyt Racing and Pato O’Ward (230.442) from Arrow McLaren.

Katherine Legge earned the 27th starting position in the No. 11 Chevrolet, placing her on Row 9. Legge intends to compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600, which would make her the first female driver to successfully complete the “Double” if accomplished on May 24.

The Double requires drivers to participate in both premier races, covering 1,100 miles with minimal time between the Indy and NASCAR Cup Series events. Five drivers have previously attempted this challenge since John Andretti originated and completed the concept in 1994 while driving for A.J. Foyt Racing.

The 45-year-old Legge will race in the Indy 500 for A.J. Foyt Racing before flying directly to drive the No. 78 car for Live Fast Motorsports in the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, N.C., which begins several hours afterward. She has previously entered and qualified for four Indy 500 races and represents the only woman in the 2026 field.

Rick Fox, the retired NBA champion, has been selected to serve in the Bahamian Senate, securing one of four positions designated for opposition party members.

Fox’s selection to the 16-member Senate by the Free National Movement (FNM) occurred just days following his unsuccessful campaign for a seat in the Bahamian House of Assembly.

“Picked Rick – Soon to be sworn in to the upper house: Rick Fox!” the FNM posted on their Facebook page Sunday evening.

Fox has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding his appointment.

Born in Canada to a Bahamian father and Canadian mother, Fox spent 14 seasons as a forward in the National Basketball Association, playing for both the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.

During his career with the Lakers, he captured three NBA championships between 2000 and 2002 before hanging up his jersey in 2004.

The retired athlete first entered Bahamian political life in 2022 when the ruling Progressive Liberal Party named him as an ambassador-at-large.

Fox subsequently switched to the opposition party and mounted an unsuccessful campaign for parliament representing the Garden Hills constituency.

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pennsylvania – English golfer Aaron Rai captured his first major championship title with a spectacular final-round performance at the PGA Championship on Sunday, shooting a brilliant 65 at Aronimink Golf Club to claim the Wanamaker Trophy.

The 31-year-old golfer entered the tournament as a massive 300-1 longshot and began Sunday’s final round among 43 players within five strokes of the lead, including several well-known competitors.

Rai maintained his focus under pressure, recording four birdies during the final nine holes, highlighted by a remarkable 68-foot putt for birdie at the 17th hole. His victory makes him the first golfer from England to capture the PGA Championship in 107 years.

“There’s so many different things that you face, whether that is in the game, whether that is acquiring the skills, putting the time in that is required, facing all the setbacks that come along with it,” Rai reflected after his victory.

“It is certainly a roller coaster to get to these points, and a week like this, an achievement like this, certainly makes it all feel very much worthwhile. It’s an absolute dream come true.”

Two-time major winner Jon Rahm, who finished in a tie for second place, praised Rai as one of the most courteous and respectful competitors on the PGA Tour.

Rai credits his modest approach to life to his childhood in the English Midlands, where he was raised by parents who immigrated from India and Kenya.

“My mom and my siblings were very fast to reinforce the importance of just being a good person and trying to do the right things away from golf,” he explained.

The champion also acknowledged his wife, professional golfer Gaurika Bishnoi from India, and his father, who influenced his distinctive practice of wearing two gloves and placing protective covers on his iron clubs – habits that remind him of how valuable his equipment was during his youth.

“My dad was with me every day that I went to practice from the age of four or five years old, he actually quit his job and started to focus on my golf from a really young age,” Rai shared.

“He was very much an advocate to really just stay in your lane, focus on the things that you can do and I didn’t really mix with a lot of other junior golfers, which didn’t give me a perspective of what was normal.”

Fellow competitors consistently described the world number 44 golfer using terms like dedication and perseverance when asked about his character on Sunday.

“There are a lot of guys that work extremely hard … so I think that’s a prerequisite of what is just required to try and compete out here,” Rai noted.

“It’s reaffirming to know that the things that we’re doing are working and they’re leading to continued development within the game. Hopefully I can just continue to move along a pretty similar path moving forwards.”

The last Englishman to win the PGA Championship was Jim Barnes, who claimed the Wanamaker Trophy in 1916 and again in 1919.

“There’s a lot of incredible and historic English players over those 100 years who have had phenomenal careers,” Rai said.

“To be the person that’s the first one in such a long time from England is an amazing thing, and something to be extremely proud of. I’m very proud to be from England (and) I’m very proud of India and Kenya as well … I’m very proud of representing all three, really.”

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Roki Sasaki’s challenging major league journey appears to be heading in the direction most anticipated when he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers before last season began.

The young pitcher delivered seven innings of outstanding baseball, allowing just four hits during Los Angeles’ commanding 10-1 win against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. This performance marked the most impressive and extended outing of his unpredictable time wearing Dodgers blue.

The 24-year-old pitcher from Japan achieved personal milestones with eight strikeouts and zero walks, displaying newfound self-assurance that was absent throughout much of his previous campaign. Sasaki (2-3) consistently puzzled Angels hitters while aggressively targeting the strike zone using a 98 mph fastball complemented by an expanding array of off-speed offerings.

“I think he has confidence in who he is as a big league pitcher, and we’re seeing some of the fruits right now,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

Despite facing the club with baseball’s poorest record, Sasaki’s arsenal is clearly functioning at an elite level he has seldom achieved as a major league starter.

He arrived as a highly-touted prospect in January 2025 when he selected the Dodgers for what could be a six-year commitment. However, following a debut season where virtually everything went wrong, Sasaki is just now demonstrating why every major league organization coveted his services for their starting rotation.

“I actually felt better in my last outing, but today I felt able to throw strikes a little bit more,” Sasaki said through his interpreter. “Also the offense did a great job of scoring a lot of runs.”

While Sasaki hasn’t commanded most of his previous starts, Roberts noted he’s clearly moving in the right direction. The pitcher is also developing good chemistry with catcher Dalton Rushing, who earned praise from Roberts for his exceptional game-calling at Angel Stadium.

“He looked really good today,” Rushing said. “Obviously it’s really good momentum for him to carry forward, but at the same time, there’s opportunities for him to be even better. We know that’s not his ceiling. What he just did is obviously the best we’ve seen him to this point, but I trust that guy has got a lot more in the tank, and we’re going to continue to push. But it was fun to watch.”

Sasaki is once more attempting to secure a regular position in the Dodgers’ starting lineup this year after notably struggling to establish himself during his first season. He later sat out four and a half months due to shoulder issues, but remarkably returned as Los Angeles’ relief pitcher during their championship pursuit, helping secure a consecutive World Series victory.

Sasaki’s relief work proved crucial for the depleted Dodgers roster, though it didn’t alter their future vision for his role. He entered spring preparation as a rotation candidate once more — but then consistently performed poorly in Arizona, undermining his self-belief.

Precisely fifty percent of the hitters he encountered during exhibition games managed to reach base safely, as Sasaki battled command issues.

Roberts explained the Dodgers’ guidance to Sasaki has remained unchanged: cease focusing on minor mechanical adjustments or perfecting new offerings, and instead challenge hitters in the strike zone using his already impressive abilities.

While it required time for Sasaki to embrace this approach, the message is now resonating clearly — and his aggressive mindset is simultaneously enhancing his pitching mechanics. Sasaki induced 18 swings and misses from Angels batters, contributing significantly to his personal-best strikeout performance.

“I think one of the reasons is mechanical,” Sasaki said of his recent success. “Things are kind of clicking, and I was able to execute really well throughout the game today.”

The Dodgers require Sasaki’s excellence as they navigate another season plagued by significant pitching injuries. Expensive acquisitions Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are sidelined once more, while closer Edwin Diaz remains unavailable alongside Jack Dreyer, their most frequently utilized reliever.

Los Angeles continues pitching exceptionally well, entering the weekend ranked third in major league ERA. Both Rushing and Roberts anticipate Sasaki playing a significant role in maintaining that standard.

“Pretty much it’s a confidence thing,” Rushing said. “He needs to trust his stuff, understand how good his stuff is, and execute. … With the stuff he has, it’s easy to miss barrels, and we hadn’t quite got to see that just yet. Today was obviously a big step forward.”

NEW YORK — Carson Benge reached first base and lifted both arms triumphantly after delivering the game-winning hit for the New York Mets in extra innings, marking his second walk-off RBI in just five days.

A collision between Yankees players Anthony Volpe and Max Schuemann behind the pitcher’s mound allowed Marcus Semien to score the deciding run on Benge’s two-hop grounder, as both defenders tumbled to the ground after Schuemann had fielded the ball.

“Once it went over the pitcher’s head I kind of knew,” Benge said.

The dramatic victory came after Tyrone Taylor launched a crucial three-run blast off All-Star closer David Bednar with two outs in the ninth inning, followed by Benge’s walk-off hit one frame later, as the Mets shocked the New York Yankees 7-6 on Sunday to capture two games of their three-game Subway Series at Citi Field.

“He’s like 20 years old, hitting a bunch of walk-offs,” the 32-year-old Taylor said as he walked by the 23-year-old Benge to address the postgame media scrum.

The comeback snapped a streak of 91 straight losses for the Mets when behind after eight innings, dating back to Pete Alonso’s three-run homer off Devin Williams that sparked their victory at Milwaukee in the deciding Game 3 of their 2024 NL Wild Card Series.

The injury-depleted Mets (20-26) reached 10-5 in May despite playing without injured regulars Francisco Lindor, Francisco Alvarez, Jorge Polanco and Luis Robert Jr., while the Yankees (28-19) finished a disappointing 2-7 road trip before returning home for seven games against AL champion Toronto and AL East-leading Tampa Bay.

“Guys are playing tough and making the plays they need to but just coming up a little bit short,” Yankees captain Aaron Judge said. “We’ve got to have a short memory, move on and get ready … because we’ve got a big division opponent coming in.”

Called up from the minors on Tuesday after shortstop José Caballero suffered a broken finger, Volpe contributed a go-ahead two-run single and drew a bases-loaded walk for his first RBIs this season. His production helped the Yankees establish leads of 5-1 in the sixth and 6-3 in the seventh, positioning them for what would have been their first series victory at Citi Field since 2018.

Benge and Bo Bichette opened the ninth with back-to-back singles against Bednar. After Juan Soto grounded into a forceout and Mark Vientos struck out, Taylor connected on a first-pitch hanging curveball that traveled 404 feet, barely staying fair inside the left-field foul pole.

“I didn’t know it was going to stay fair,” Taylor said. “I kind of waited there to see if it would.”

Taylor’s teammates surrounded him in the dugout celebration, as he beamed while still wearing his wraparound sunglasses and received the team’s ceremonial orange construction helmet and matching hi-visibility vest.

Earlier in the contest with the score tied 1-1 in the fifth, Taylor entered as a pinch hitter with two outs and runners on the corners but was denied by center fielder Trent Grisham, who made a spectacular diving catch. Taylor also lined out to Schuemann near the left-field warning track in the seventh.

Those near-misses convinced Benge that Taylor was destined for a clutch hit in the ninth.

“I kind of blacked out for him,” Benge said. “I had a feeling. I didn’t tell him but I had a feeling, and to be able to see that was so sick.”

Bednar suffered his second blown save in 12 opportunities and now carries a 4.95 ERA. He has surrendered runs in six of his past nine outings.

“Overall it’s unacceptable, especially in that spot,” Bednar said. “It’s just very frustrating.”

Williams (3-1), now pitching for the Mets, induced Austin Wells to ground into an inning-ending double play in the 10th.

Tim Hill (0-1) took over for Bednar to start the bottom half, and A.J. Ewing advanced Semien, the automatic runner, to third base with the first sacrifice bunt of his professional career. The Yankees positioned Schuemann from left field to create a five-man infield, and Luis Torrens — whose pinch-hit two-run double had narrowed the gap in the sixth — was struck by a pitch.

Benge’s chopper hit off home plate and bounced high before settling between the mound and second base. Schuemann, stationed to the right of second, caught the ball on a short hop and prepared to throw to catcher Austin Wells when Volpe crashed into his right shoulder, sending Schuemann stumbling.

“A no-man’s land there,” Volpe said. “We’re both just trying to make a play on the ball.”

Semien had reached the halfway point to home when Schuemann secured the ball. Once Schuemann regained his footing, throwing home was futile.

“With Timmy on the mound, it’s more than likely going to be a ground ball in that situation,” Schuemann said. “It’s just one of those things that we’re both going to be aggressive to that baseball no matter what. We both want to make a play.”

The Mets claimed their second consecutive victory despite committing a costly fielding error that allowed a run to score. Bichette moved over from shortstop but let Grisham’s sixth-inning popup in shallow left field bounce off his glove, one day after Benge dropped Cody Bellinger’s fly ball for his second defensive mistake in right field during the homestand.

“We get down. We get punched in the face. We get back up,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Today was a perfect example when, like I said, we didn’t play our best game and we still are able to shake hands at the end.”

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pennsylvania, May 17 – Aaron Rai of England secured his inaugural major championship victory on Sunday, capturing the PGA Championship with a three-stroke margin over Jon Rahm of LIV Golf and Alex Smalley at Aronimink Golf Club.

The tournament marked Rai’s first major title triumph in professional golf.

Houston Astros star Jose Altuve is heading to the injured list following a Grade 2 left oblique strain he sustained during Saturday’s contest, team manager Joe Espada announced to media on Sunday.

The veteran second baseman received an MRI examination Sunday morning after being pulled from the game before the final inning. Altuve showed visible discomfort during his plate appearance in the eighth inning when he made contact on a ground ball to third base, choosing not to run to first and instead returning to the dugout while clearly in pain.

Espada declined to provide a specific recovery timeframe for Altuve’s return to action.

“Obviously just not what we wanted to hear,” Espada said. “But we find ourselves having to fight through this one here. So these young players are going to continue to get opportunities.”

Houston’s roster challenges continue to mount with third baseman Carlos Correa already out for the remainder of the season following ankle surgery, while Jeremy Pena has been unavailable since April 11 due to a hamstring injury, though he may return as early as Monday when the team travels to Minnesota.

The 36-year-old Altuve is batting .245 this season with four home runs and 12 RBIs across 42 games. The nine-time All-Star has spent his entire 16-season major league career in Houston, compiling a .302 lifetime batting average along with 259 home runs and 901 RBIs.

The Seattle Mariners have promoted their top prospect, infielder Colt Emerson, from Triple-A Tacoma ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the San Diego Padres.

To create space on the roster, Seattle moved infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan to the 10-day injured list due to a groin injury. The roster move dates back to May 16.

The 20-year-old Emerson is preparing for his first major league appearance, starting at third base and hitting ninth in the batting order against San Diego.

MLB Pipeline ranks Emerson as Seattle’s top prospect and sixth-best overall across all of baseball.

The Mariners noted that at 20 years and 301 days old, Emerson will become the youngest player to make his Seattle debut since right-hander Felix Hernandez, who was 19 years and 118 days old when he debuted on Aug. 4, 2005.

Among all players making their major league debuts this season, Emerson ranks as the second-youngest behind Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin, who is 19.

The left-handed batter has compiled a .255 average with seven home runs and 26 RBIs across 38 games at Triple-A Tacoma this year. Seattle selected him in the first round of the 2023 draft, taking him 22nd overall.

Emerson secured his future with the organization on March 31, agreeing to an eight-year contract worth $95 million that runs through 2033, with Seattle holding an option for 2034.

The injured Donovan, 29, has posted a .274 batting average with three homers and eight RBIs in 25 games this season. Seattle acquired him from the St. Louis Cardinals during the offseason.

Two American soccer players who are vying for spots on the United States Men’s National Team suffered injuries during Sunday’s matches, raising concerns about their availability for the upcoming World Cup.

Brenden Aaronson, an attacking midfielder, sustained a left leg injury while competing for Leeds United, though early reports suggest the injury may not threaten his World Cup participation.

Chris Richards, a defender hoping to make the national team roster, also suffered an injury on Sunday when he twisted his left ankle during Crystal Palace’s match. The substitute player briefly left the field but returned after about a minute and finished the game.

Aaronson’s injury occurred in the 58th minute of Leeds United’s Premier League contest against Brighton & Hove Albion. The 25-year-old player from Medford, New Jersey, was seen holding his left leg as the medical staff rushed onto the field. He hobbled off the pitch and was substituted in what became a 1-0 win for Leeds.

Richards, age 26, hails from Alabama and developed through FC Dallas’s youth system before transferring to Bayern Munich’s academy in Germany in 2018. The defender spent two seasons in Germany’s top league before transferring to Crystal Palace in 2022.

National team coach Mauricio Pochettino is scheduled to announce his 26-player World Cup roster on May 26 during a public ceremony in New York.

This season, Aaronson leads Leeds United with five assists while contributing four goals, appearing in 35 of the team’s 37 matches.

Aaronson joined Leeds on a five-year contract in 2022. Following the club’s relegation, he spent the 2023-24 season on loan with FC Union Berlin in the German Bundesliga before returning to the English club in West Yorkshire.

The midfielder received his initial national team invitation in October 2019, made his debut in 2020, and participated in all three United States matches during the 2022 World Cup.

Richards has made 36 appearances for the national team since 2020, netting three goals, but was left off the 2022 World Cup squad. This season, he has featured in 33 Premier League matches for Crystal Palace, scoring once.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — While this Western Conference finals showdown isn’t unprecedented, it certainly carries the weight and excitement typically reserved for championship games.

The stage is set for an extraordinary battle: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the title-defending Oklahoma City Thunder, who captured 64 victories during the regular season, against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, who secured 62 wins this season — including four victories over Oklahoma City. The Western Conference finals begin Monday night in Oklahoma City.

“Just the words — ‘conference finals’ — is crazy,” Wembanyama said. “It’s something I heard my whole life and now being in it is just special.”

NBA history shows this level of excellence rarely collides in playoff competition. Only six previous playoff series have featured teams with 62 or more wins (or equivalent .756 winning percentage during seasons with fewer than 82 games). The most recent occurrence was the Chicago vs. Utah matchup in the 1998 NBA Finals.

Previous elite matchups include: Chicago-Utah in 1997’s finals, Chicago-Seattle in 1996’s finals, Boston-Los Angeles Lakers in 1985’s finals, Boston-Philadelphia in 1981’s Eastern Conference finals, and Lakers-Milwaukee in 1972’s West finals.

While the initial four high-caliber matchups determined NBA champions since they occurred in the finals, the previous conference finals battles between similarly dominant teams also produced championship results, with Boston claiming the 1981 title and the Lakers capturing 1972’s crown.

“It’s fitting because both teams earned their way here,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Sunday. “I mean, that’s how it works. You’ve got to win four games to advance and then you’ve got to win four games again — and if you do that, you’re in the Western Conference finals. And that’s what makes it fitting. It is a team we have a ton of respect for. We know what they’re capable of. It’s an opponent that is incredibly worthy and that we’re going to need to be our best to beat and we understand that.”

These franchises haven’t met in postseason play since 2016, when Oklahoma City eliminated San Antonio in six games during the Western Conference semifinals. Just five players from that series — Kevin Durant, Steven Adams, Russell Westbrook, Kyle Anderson and Kawhi Leonard — continue playing in the NBA, though none remain with either franchise.

San Antonio dominated the season series 4-1, capturing three of those victories by double-digit margins. No other NBA teams combined managed more than six such decisive wins against Oklahoma City this season.

“You could take a bit from it,” Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox said. “But the playoffs is a different story, obviously.”

Oklahoma City holds a significant advantage in deep playoff experience.

San Antonio’s roster includes just five players with conference finals or NBA Finals scoring experience — yet only one of those five, Luke Kornet, averages double-digit minutes during this postseason. Harrison Barnes contributes 9.8 minutes per contest, while Kelly Olynyk, Mason Plumlee and Bismack Biyombo rarely see action in the regular rotation.

Conversely, Oklahoma City features 12 players who have scored during Rounds 3 or 4 of playoff competition, with most gaining that experience during last season’s championship run.

Dating back to Game 7 of last season’s playoffs, the Thunder have captured nine straight playoff victories — maintaining perfection at 8-0 this postseason.

Monday’s victory would place this Oklahoma City squad among just 11 NBA teams to achieve 10-game postseason winning streaks. The Thunder could also join eight teams that started playoff runs with 9-0 records.

“Everything that we’ve done so far is behind us,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We still haven’t reached our goal. We have two more series to win until we reach our ultimate goal and that’s what we’re focusing on.”

Oklahoma City’s presence was anticipated: defending champions returning their entire roster, heavy preseason favorites for this year’s title.

San Antonio’s arrival, however, was unexpected.

Preseason predictions placed the Spurs’ win total at 44.5 games. With 66-1 championship odds, San Antonio ranked 17th among 30 teams entering the season.

Now the Spurs stand among the NBA’s final four teams, suggesting they’ve exceeded expectations.

“Ahead of schedule what?” asked Spurs coach Mitch Johnson. “I understand the general expectations of what we were supposed to do in October aren’t necessarily aligned with where we’re at right now. So, if that’s your question, I would guess by general consensus then we’re ahead of that schedule. But we never talked about what we were going to be or what we were going to do. We just knew that we had a lot of potential and we were going to try to be the best team we can be.”

Former UFC champion Ronda Rousey delivered a remarkable conclusion to her mixed martial arts journey Saturday evening, defeating Gina Carano by submission in just 17 seconds.

The following day, the 39-year-old fighter disclosed the message she delivered to Carano moments before their brief encounter in the ring.

“I told her, ‘I respect you and I’m breaking your arm,’” Rousey said. “No contradiction there. I was hoping to come out as unscathed as possible. I didn’t really want to hurt her. It was beautiful. It felt like the magic was back.”

Following her victory, Rousey declared her intention to retire once again. She quickly brought Carano to the ground, defended against a guillotine choke attempt, delivered several strikes from a dominant position, and secured her trademark submission hold.

The Rousey-Carano bout served as the main event for Netflix’s inaugural MMA broadcast. Both fighters, the former inaugural UFC bantamweight champion and the 44-year-old Carano, were returning to competition after extended breaks from the sport. Rousey claimed victory with her signature armbar technique in the featherweight contest held in Inglewood, California, marking Most Valuable Promotions’ first mixed martial arts event.

The victory marked Rousey’s fourth win achieved in less than 35 seconds, bringing her professional record to 13-2-0 while earning her 10th submission victory.

“There’s no way I could’ve ended it better than this,” Rousey added. “This is a storybook ending if this is the end of my book as a fighter. I never thought I would come back. It didn’t cross my mind at all. But getting back into it reminded me of the joy that it gave me from the very beginning.

“Gina brought me into this sport, and she brought me back to it. We both needed to reclaim our bodily identity and rewrite our own ending together. It lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. I feel like I got the closure I needed.”

The Texas Rangers’ star shortstop Corey Seager missed Sunday’s game and has been scheduled for an MRI to examine his troublesome back injury.

Back problems forced Seager to sit out Saturday’s 4-1 defeat to the Houston Astros on their home field. The veteran player had been rested during Friday’s contest and developed back discomfort Saturday morning.

Speaking with reporters Sunday, Seager explained that his back remained too stiff for him to take the field.

Despite his condition, he had attempted to convince Texas manager Skip Schumaker to include him in the starting roster.

“He was in here before I got here,” Schumaker said. “I got here early, and he was here before me trying to get in the lineup.”

The 32-year-old is currently experiencing offensive struggles, posting a .179 batting average this season while enduring a career-high 27 straight at-bats without a hit. Through 42 games, he has recorded seven home runs and 20 RBIs.

This marks Seager’s fifth campaign with Texas, following his World Series MVP performance in 2023 when the Rangers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in a five-game series. That same year, he finished second in regular-season MVP voting behind Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels.

Seager previously earned World Series MVP honors with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020 and has been selected to five All-Star games throughout his career.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — A wild and unpredictable NHL playoff series between the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens will reach its conclusion Monday night with a winner-take-all Game 7 at Buffalo’s home arena (7:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN).

The series has defied conventional wisdom, with Buffalo’s coach Lindy Ruff joking about his team’s poor home performance while Montreal’s coach Martin St. Louis used scientific terminology to describe his team’s mindset heading into the final game.

“It didn’t get switched,” Ruff commented Sunday with a laugh, acknowledging Buffalo’s disappointing 2-4 home record during these playoffs. “But we’re looking forward to giving our fans our best game.”

St. Louis offered a unique perspective on his team’s approach following Saturday’s crushing 8-3 defeat at home in Game 6. Rather than focusing on bouncing back, he prefers the concept of bouncing forward.

“I just feel bounce back, you come back to where you were,” St. Louis explained. “Bounce forward, you’re actually further than where you were. Physics.”

The winner will advance to face the well-rested Carolina Hurricanes, who completed sweeps of both their playoff series and have been waiting since their 3-2 overtime victory against Philadelphia on May 9. Carolina will host the Eastern Conference finals opener Thursday night.

This series has been characterized by road team success, early-period scoring explosions totaling 20 of 45 goals in first periods, frequent goaltender changes, and Buffalo’s unconventional decision to skip practice before Game 6.

Saturday’s contest perfectly illustrated the series’ chaotic nature. Montreal raced to a 3-1 advantage by the 10:14 mark of the opening period before surrendering seven consecutive goals. The reverse occurred in Game 5, where Buffalo held a 3-2 lead at the 10:15 mark of the first period before falling 6-3 at home.

Ruff has been so concerned about replicating road success that he contemplated having his team stay at a Buffalo hotel Sunday night, despite playing at home.

“I don’t know the answer. I can try to make one up,” Ruff admitted regarding his squad’s impressive 5-1 road record.

Montreal is drawing inspiration from their first-round series victory over Tampa Bay. After losing 1-0 at home in Game 6 of that series, the Canadiens responded with a 2-1 series-clinching triumph on the road.

“It’s disappointing to have this effort on home ice. We can’t let that be our last game,” captain Nick Suzuki said about dropping to 2-4 at Montreal. “We’ve been in this situation already, so we have experience, and we just got to win one game.”

Both franchises represent the youngest teams by average age remaining in playoff contention and are relatively new to recent postseason success. Buffalo is experiencing their first playoff appearance in 15 years, while Montreal is making their fourth postseason run in nine years.

Montreal holds an advantage in Game 7 experience after defeating Tampa Bay, while Buffalo’s roster includes only eight players who have participated in a seventh game.

Among those veterans is forward Alex Tuch, who compiled a 2-1 record in seventh games during his four seasons with Vegas. His most memorable loss came when the Golden Knights surrendered four third-period power-play goals in a 5-4 overtime defeat to San Jose during a 2019 first-round series.

“I’m going to try to give some of my wisdom, but at the same time, I don’t want to talk too much about my past experiences or what could go right or what can go wrong,” Tuch said.

“I’ve said it a hundred times, you got to go out there and just play hockey,” he continued. “I think we’re the better team. I think we’re going to come out and compete hard, and that’s all we can control.”

Historically, Buffalo holds a 1-6 record in seventh games, with their sole series victory occurring in a 1997 first-round matchup against Ottawa. Montreal boasts a 16-9 Game 7 record, tied with Boston for the NHL lead in seventh-game victories.

Goaltending remains uncertain for both teams. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is anticipated to start for Buffalo after being removed during Game 5. He performed well in relief Saturday, stopping all 18 shots after replacing Alex Lyon, who allowed three goals on four attempts.

Montreal plans to start rookie Jakub Dobes, who was pulled after surrendering six goals on 33 shots in Game 6.

“Every loss is hard to sleep on, but in playoffs, it’s really after midnight you move on,” Canadiens veteran forward Phillip Danault said. “I know we’re young, but there’s no excuses. We know how we can play and we know how good we can be.”

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pennsylvania – Kurt Kitayama delivered a spectacular putting performance Sunday, firing a seven-under 63 in the final round that matched the major championship record for lowest closing score at Aronimink Golf Club.

The remarkable round made Kitayama only the second golfer to post a 63 in a PGA Championship final round, matching Brad Faxon’s achievement from 1995. Overall, he became the ninth player to record such a score in any of golf’s four major tournaments.

When reporters asked about his exceptional performance, Kitayama responded: “The putter God. I felt like I was holding the world out there. What my eye saw, that’s what the ball was doing. And that’s a good feeling. I think just the putter kind of carried me today.”

Beginning the day trailing 54-hole leader Alex Smalley by 10 strokes, Kitayama started in the fourth group and immediately made his move with three straight birdies. He maintained that momentum throughout a flawless round, adding four additional birdies without dropping a shot, bettering the tournament’s previous best score by two strokes.

His stellar performance moved him into the top 10 at three-under for the tournament, positioning him just three shots behind the lead before Smalley had even begun his final round.

Reflecting on his outstanding day, Kitayama explained: “It was kind of one of those rounds for me that the putter clicked. I was just rolling it. It was just lights out for me.”

Los Angeles moved left-handed pitcher Jack Dreyer to the 15-day injured list on Sunday due to discomfort in his left shoulder, while bringing up right-handed pitchers Paul Gervase and Chayce McDermott from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

The team also sent left-hander Charlie Barnes down to Triple-A as part of their roster adjustments.

The 27-year-old Dreyer shares the team lead in game appearances with left-hander Tanner Scott, both having pitched in 20 games. During his second year in the majors, he holds a 2-1 record with a 2.08 ERA and has recorded 24 strikeouts across 21 2/3 innings.

Over his career spanning two seasons, Dreyer has compiled a 5-3 record with a 2.76 ERA in 87 game appearances, including five starts. He delivered shutout performances in four postseason games last year, with two of those coming during the World Series matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The 25-year-old Gervase pitched three innings in his single appearance for Los Angeles this year on May 9, giving up one run.

McDermott, 27, will be making his first appearance for the team after being traded from the Baltimore Orioles on April 16 in exchange for minor league right-hander Axel Perez. During his time with Baltimore from 2024-25, he posted a 12.79 ERA across five game appearances.

Barnes, 30, has pitched two scoreless relief outings for the team this season, most recently throwing one inning on Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels.

The Los Angeles Angels have brought right-handed pitcher Grayson Rodriguez back from the injured list, setting him up to make his first appearance for the team in Sunday’s home game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

To make room on the roster, the Angels sent right-handed pitcher Alek Manoah down to Triple-A Salt Lake.

The 26-year-old Rodriguez joined the Angels through an offseason trade with the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for outfielder Taylor Ward. Baltimore originally selected Rodriguez as their first-round pick, 11th overall, in the 2018 draft. He missed the entire previous season following elbow surgery.

Rodriguez has compiled a 20-8 record with a 4.11 ERA across 43 major league starts spanning the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He threw 12 2/3 innings during spring training with the Angels before being placed on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation.

In his two minor league rehabilitation appearances, Rodriguez posted a 2.79 ERA across 9 2/3 innings, striking out 18 batters while issuing just two walks.

The 28-year-old Manoah struggled significantly in Saturday’s game against the Dodgers, allowing nine runs (eight earned) in just 1 1/3 innings. This marked his third appearance for the Angels after being sidelined for over a month at the season’s start with a right middle finger contusion.

Manoah previously played his first four major league seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays and holds a career record of 29-20 with a 3.45 ERA across 78 appearances, including 75 starts.

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pennsylvania, May 17 – Alex Smalley, considered a longshot before the tournament began, finds himself in unfamiliar territory as he prepares for Sunday’s final round of the PGA Championship with a two-stroke advantage over a crowded field of competitors.

The golfer, who had never been in contention at a major championship prior to this week, will face unprecedented pressure as a record-breaking 22 players sit within four shots of his lead at Aronimink Golf Club. Smalley held co-leader status after both the first and second rounds before securing his first solo 54-hole lead of his professional career with Saturday’s two-under 68, putting him at six-under for the tournament.

Smalley’s previous best performance in a major came at last year’s PGA Championship where he finished tied for 23rd place. He will tee off at 2:35 p.m. ET alongside Germany’s Matti Schmid, creating a final pairing of two golfers who have yet to claim a PGA Tour victory. The last occurrence of such a pairing was during the 2022 U.S. Open featuring Matt Fitzpatrick and Will Zalatoris.

Sitting two strokes behind the leader alongside Schmid are Spain’s Jon Rahm and Canada’s Nick Taylor, who make up the second-to-last group, while Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg and England’s Aaron Rai will play in the group ahead of them.

Masters winner Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele are positioned three shots back from the leader.

Current world number one and defending champion Scottie Scheffler began the day tied for 23rd position, five strokes behind the leader. Through his first six holes, Scheffler remained at even par after canceling out an early birdie with a bogey.

Kurt Kitayama, playing in the day’s fourth group, matched the major championship record for lowest final-round score with a flawless seven-under 63, finishing the tournament at three-under overall.

Kitayama’s performance puts him alongside Brad Faxon from 1995 as the only players to shoot a final-round 63 at a PGA Championship, and marks him as the ninth golfer to achieve this score in any major championship’s final round.

World number one Jannik Sinner made tennis history Sunday by defeating Norway’s Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 in the Italian Open championship match, achieving a rare career milestone known as the “Golden Masters.”

The 24-year-old Italian became just the second player following Novak Djokovic to capture all nine ATP Masters 1000 tournament titles. Playing on home court, Sinner finally claimed the championship that had eluded him through six previous attempts, including a loss to Carlos Alcaraz in last year’s final.

The match saw Ruud take an early 2-0 advantage with a service break in the opening set, but Sinner quickly responded by breaking back. At 4-4 in the first set, Sinner executed a brilliant backhand that created a break point opportunity, which he converted when Ruud sent his return long, giving the Italian a crucial 5-4 edge.

Sinner secured an early break in the second set’s opening game, which proved sufficient to close out the victory. This triumph marks his fifth ATP 1000 championship this year and extends his remarkable Masters winning streak to 34 consecutive matches.

The victory made Sinner the first Italian man to capture the Rome singles title since Adriano Panatta accomplished the feat in 1976. His championship came on the same day that Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori claimed the men’s doubles crown, marking the first time an Italian duo had won that title in 66 years.

Sinner’s current Masters dominance includes recent victories in Paris, Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid, and now Rome, establishing him as the sport’s premier player on the tour’s most prestigious stage below the Grand Slams.