LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Denny Hamlin earned the top seed in the inaugural version of NASCAR's In-se...

LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Denny Hamlin earned the top seed in the inaugural version of NASCAR's In-season Challenge, a five-race, bracket-style tournament set to kick off next week in Atlanta.The tournament, which comes with a $1 million prize to the winner, is part of a new media rights deal that includes TNT.The final 32-driver field was set by results of the races at Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono. Chase Briscoe won the Cup race Sunday at Pocono Raceway to finalize the field.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The drivers will be paired in head-to-head matchups based on seeding, with the winners advancing to the next round in a bracket format that mirrors the NCAA basketball tournaments.Hamlin goes head-to-head next week against the 32nd seed, Ty Dillon. Briscoe earned the second seed, Chris Buescher is third, Christopher Bell fourth and Chase Elliott fifth.The format is single elimination with the field cut to 16 at Chicago, eight at Sonoma, four at Dover and the final two at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The tournament is patterned after in-season tournaments that are staged by soccer leagues around the world and even brought to the NBA.

LONG POND, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 21: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, enters his car during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway on June 21, 2025 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.

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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Patrick Agyemang scored a tiebreaking goal in the 75th minute, and the Un...

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Patrick Agyemang scored a tiebreaking goal in the 75th minute, and the United States overcame Matt Freese’s goalkeeping gaffe to beat Haiti 2-1 on Sunday night and win its CONCACAF Gold Cup group with a perfect record.Malik Tillman put the U.S. ahead in the 10th minute with his third goal of the tournament but Freese, who has displaced Matt Turner, highlighted the Americans’ goalkeeping issues a year ahead of the World Cup with a botched clearing attempt that led to Louicius Don Deedson’s 19th-minute goal.After Tillman came close three times in the second half, Agyemang scored after taking a long pass from John Tolkin. Agyemang touched the ball past goalkeeper Johny Placide and slotted into an open net for his fifth international goal and second of the tournament.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The U.S., which opened with victories over Trinidad and Tobago and invited guest Saudi Arabia, won its group for the 17th time in 18 Gold Cups. The Americans have 43 wins, one loss and five draws in group play, going 3-0 for the seventh time.Using largely a B team in the tournament, the Americans already had clinched a spot in the quarterfinals. They'll play Costa Rica next weekend for a place in the semifinals.Haiti finished third on goal difference ahead of Trinidad and Tobago, which was eliminated when it wasted a lead in a 1-1 draw as the Saudis.The Gold Cup is the last competitive test for the 16th-ranked Americans ahead of the World Cup. As co-hosts, the U.S., Mexico and Canada get automatic berths.In front of a sparse crowd at the 80,000-seat home of the Dallas Cowboys, one of next year’s World Cup venues, Tillman scored his third goal of the tournament when he headed the ball inside the far post from Brenden Aaronson’s cross in the 10th minute.Freese blundered when took a back pass from Tim Ream and tried to play the ball to Tolkin with left foot. The ball went straight to Don Deedson, who took a touch and scored inside the far post.American midfielder Tyler Adams started after being slowed by turf toe, among four changes by coach Mauricio Pochettino, and got a yellow card for a late sliding tackle on Duckens Nazon about 25 seconds in.___AP soccer: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/soccer">https://apnews.com/hub/soccer</a>

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JUNE 22: Malik Tillman of USA celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 1-0 with Quinn Sullivan and Alex Freeman during the CONCACAF Gold Cup Group D match between United States and Haiti at AT&T Stadium on June 22, 2025 in Arlington, Texas.

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LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Chase Briscoe returned to victory lane Sunday at Pocono Raceway, conserving...

LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Chase Briscoe returned to victory lane Sunday at Pocono Raceway, conserving fuel down the stretch to hold off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin for his first win with his new race team.Briscoe raced his way into an automatic spot in NASCAR’s playoffs with the win and gave the No. 19 Toyota its first victory since 2023 when Martin Truex Jr. had the ride. Briscoe lost his job at the end of last season at Stewart-Haas Racing when the team folded and he was tabbed to replace Truex in the four-car JGR field.Hamlin, who holds the track record with seven wins, appeared on the brink of reeling in Briscoe over the final, thrilling laps only to have not enough in the No. 11 Toytota to snag that eighth Pocono win.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>“It was just so hard to have a guy chasing you, especially the guy that’s the greatest of all time here,” Briscoe said.Briscoe, who won an Xfinity Series race at Pocono in 2020, raced to his third career Cup victory and first since Darlington in 2024.Briscoe has been on a bit of a hot streak, and had his fourth top-10 finish over the last six races, including a seventh-place finish in last week’s ballyhooed race in Mexico City.He became the 11th driver to earn a spot in the 16-driver field with nine races left until the field is set.Hamlin finished second. Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher and Chase Elliott completed the top five.Briscoe, a third-generation dirt racer from Indiana, gave JGR its 18th Cup victory at Pocono.“To get here and finally deliver a win is just an awesome feeling,” he said. “To be able to get Coach in victory lane after taking a chance on me, it’s just so rewarding.”The race was delayed 2 hours, 10 minutes by rain and the conditions were muggy by the time the green flag dropped. Briscoe led 72 laps and won the second stage.Briscoe wrote before the race on social media, “Anybody going from Pocono to Oklahoma City after the race Sunday?” The Pacers fan wasn’t going to make it to Game 7 of the NBA Finals.He’ll certainly settle for a ride to victory lane.

LONG POND, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 22: Chase Briscoe, driver of the #19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway on June 22, 2025 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.

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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — LSU knocked previously unbeaten Coastal Carolina ace Jacob Morrison out of the...

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — LSU knocked previously unbeaten Coastal Carolina ace Jacob Morrison out of the game with a four-run fourth inning and the Tigers won their second national championship in three years Sunday with a 5-3 victory in the College World Series finals.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The moment the LSU Tigers became the 2025 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MCWS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MCWS</a> Champions 🤩<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MCWS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MCWS</a> x 🎥 ABC / <a href="https://twitter.com/LSUbaseball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LSUbaseball</a> <a href="https://t.co/1vCaNJXJJM">pic.twitter.com/1vCaNJXJJM</a>— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/NCAABaseball/status/1936903102805991577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>The Tigers (53-15) completed a two-game sweep of the Chanticleers (56-13), who entered the finals on a 26-game win streak and on Sunday saw coach Kevin Schnall and first base coach Matt Schilling ejected in the bottom of the first inning.LSU gave the Southeastern Conference its sixth straight national title in baseball and 11th in 16 years. It was LSU’s eighth, all since 1991 and second most all-time behind Southern California’s 12.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Tigers coach Jay Johnson became the first Division I coach to win two titles in his first four years at a school. No other coach had accomplished that feat in fewer than eight seasons.“Our whole motto for the year was ‘Tough And Together,’ and that’s what they did from Aug. 26 until now,” Johnson said in a postgame television interview. “It’s only 12 returning players. That collection of talent became a team and a family.”Coastal Carolina won the national title in 2016 and was trying to become the first team since 1962 (Michigan) and the fifth all-time to win the championship in its first two CWS appearances.With five-time champion coach Skip Bertman watching from the stands, LSU tied it at 1 in the third on Ethan Frey’s RBI double and went up 5-1 in the fourth on two-run singles by Chris Stanfield and Derek Curiel.Coastal Carolina pulled within 5-3 in the seventh against LSU starter Anthony Eyanson when No. 9 batter Wells Sykes hit his fourth homer of the season.That brought on Chase Shores for his fourth appearance of the CWS. The 6-foot-8 right-hander touched 100 mph with his fastball while retiring the first five batters he faced before Dean Mihos, who homered in the second, singled through the right side leading off the ninth.With Tigers fans on their feet and chanting “L-S-U, L-S-U,” Shores struck out Ty Dooley and got Sykes to ground into a game-ending double play. The Tigers’ dugout emptied and the celebratory dogpile behind the mound ensued. The 87-year-old Bertman came onto the field in a wheelchair and walked with assistance to have pictures taken with coaches and players.The Chanticleers had won 15 straight when Morrison (12-1) started. Morrison’s 3 2/3 innings marked his shortest start of the season and the five runs against him were the most he has allowed.LSU entered having won 13 games in a row in which one of its top two pitchers — Kade Anderson and Eyanson — started.Anderson was selected the Most Outstanding Player of the CWS after allowing one run and six hits and striking out 17 in 16 innings over two starts in Omaha.Anderson threw a three-hit shutout in LSU’s 1-0 win in Game 1 of the finals, and Eyanson (12-2) was mostly sharp over his 6 1/3 innings. The three runs against him came on seven hits and a walk. He struck out nine.Schnall, in his first year as head coach after taking over for the retired Gary Gilmore, had not been ejected this season before Sunday.Walker Mitchell was at bat with two outs and Sebastian Alexander had just stolen second base when Schnall went to the top steps of the dugout, gestured at plate umpire Angel Campos with three fingers and began shouting at him.The NCAA said Schnall was arguing balls and strikes, was given a warning and thrown out when he did not leave immediately. Schilling was tossed for comments he made as the confrontation with umpires continued near the plate.

OMAHA, NEBRASKA - JUNE 22: The LSU Tigers celebrate with Chase Shores #34 of the LSU Tigers after defeating the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in game two of the Division I Baseball Championship held at Charles Schwab Field on June 22, 2025 in Omaha, Nebraska.

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FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Minjee Lee closed with a 2-over 74 but never gave up the lead Sunday in the ...

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Minjee Lee closed with a 2-over 74 but never gave up the lead Sunday in the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship to win her third major title.While Lee had three bogeys in a four-hole stretch on the front nine, she had started the day with a four-stroke lead over Jeeno Thitikul. And the world’s No. 2-ranked player, also in that final group, bogeyed both par 5s that are among the first three holes on Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco.Lee, ranked 24th, finished at 4-under 284, three strokes ahead of Auston Kim and Chanettee Wannasaen, the only other players to finish under par.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Kim and Wannasaen both shot 68 to match the best rounds of the day and the tournament after only two 68s combined the first three rounds. Kim played without a bogey, but had only pars after three consecutive birdies to wrap up her front nine.With a record $12 million purse that was up from $10.4 million a year ago and matched the U.S. Women’s Open for the most price money, Lee took home $1.8 million. That matches the $1.8 million Lee got for her four-stroke win in the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-minjee-lee-juli-inkster-lydia-ko-jin-choi-3302be83ddb6264ae25769353f8b003f">2022 U.S. Women’s Open</a> at Pine Needles.The 29-year-old Australian who is a Texas resident, living in nearby Irving, got her 11th career win. It was her first this season, making it 16 players to win 16 LPGA tournaments this year.While still windy like it had been all week at 15-20 mph, there weren’t the constant gusts of 30 mph or more that had made the playing conditions so difficult Saturday.Thitikul, still in search of her first major title, had the solo lead after the first and second rounds. But she fell behind shooting a 76 on Saturday, when Lee had the only bogey-free round for any player until then. Thitikul then hit her first shot of the final round into the right rough on way to a 75 to finish at 1 over 289, tied for fourth with Chisato Iwai (71).Lee’s lead Sunday never got under two, and she preserved that with a clutch 8-foot par putt at the 170-yard 13th hole to stay at 3 under. That came about the same time Wannasaen rolled in a 14-foot eagle putt at the 235-yard par-4 15th hole to get to 1 under, though the 21-year-old from Thailand then missed the green and bogeyed the 455-yard 16th.There was a subtle fist pump from Lee when she then made a 9-foot birdie at No. 14, the only par 5 on the back nine, and followed with another birdie at No. 15. She was the only player this week with two rounds in the 60s, with 69s on Thursday and Saturday.Lee’s first bogey was at the par-5 third after her third shot went into a deep greenside bunker, then she had back-to-back bogeys on the 441-yard fifth and 434-yard sixth hole. She didn’t have a birdie until the ninth to make the turn at 4 under — at the time three ahead of Thitikul and Kim.Kim started the final round nine strokes back, which was two more than the record comeback for a women’s major. Several players have done that, including Lee when she <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-europe-1ec48991fc713ec3d507411f67fdb777">won the 2021 Evian Championship</a> in France by coming from seven back for her first major title.The 24-year-old Kim opened her round with a 5-foot birdie putt on the 528-yard par 5 first. She got within two strokes of Lee after the three birdies to wrap up her front nine. Her tee shot at the 157-yard 8th hole stopped a foot from the cup, and was sandwiched by a pair of 2 1/2-foot birdies before finishing with nine consecutive pars.Nelly Korda, the world’s top-ranked player, and semi-retired Lexi Thompson both closed with 76s.Thompson, in the second-to-last group for the second day in a row, finished tied for 12th at 293. The 30-year-old, who played for <a href="https://apnews.com/article/womens-pga-lexi-thompson-frisco-36886a3e42cb66131157d88c51258e9c">only the seventh time in 16 tournaments</a> this season, has gone 11 years since her only major win in the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship.Korda tied for 19th at 6-over 294 and still hasn’t won this year after winning seven times last season.

FRISCO, TEXAS - JUNE 22: Minjee Lee of Australia hits a tee shot on the second hole during the final round of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship 2025 at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco on June 22, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.

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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Coastal Carolina coach Kevin Schnall and first base coach Matt Schilling were ...

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Coastal Carolina coach Kevin Schnall and first base coach Matt Schilling were ejected in the bottom of the first inning in Game 2 of the College World Series finals against LSU on Sunday.Walker Mitchell was at bat with two outs and Sebastian Alexander had just stolen second base when Schnall went to the top steps of the dugout, gestured at plate umpire Angel Campos with three fingers and began shouting at him.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Coastal Carolina head coach, Kevin Schnall and first base coach Matt Schilling have been ejected from what could possibly be the last game of the MCWS finals 😱 <a href="https://t.co/NjiVeQ3KKR">pic.twitter.com/NjiVeQ3KKR</a>— ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1936863920402133361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>The NCAA said Schnall was arguing balls and strikes, was given a warning and thrown out when he did not leave immediately. Instead, Schnall went onto the field to continue arguing.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"NCAA Playing Rule 3-6-f-Note 1 states that balls, strikes, half swings or decisions about hit-by-pitch situations are not to be argued," the NCAA said in a statement. "After a warning, any player or coach who continues to argue balls, strikes, half swings or a hit-by-pitch situation shall be ejected from the game."The NCAA said “prolonged arguing” results in a two-game suspension, so Schnall would miss a possible Game 3 on Monday.Schilling was thrown out for the comments he made while arguing and also would be suspended for a Game 3.Associate head coach Chad Oxendine took over Schnall’s duties.Coastal Carolina needs a victory to stay alive in the best-of-three series, which LSU leads 1-0.

OMAHA, NEBRASKA - JUNE 22: Head coach Kevin Schnall of the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers reacts after being ejected against the LSU Tigers during the first inning during game two of the Division I Baseball Championship held at Charles Schwab Field on June 22, 2025 in Omaha, Nebraska.

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HOUSTON (AP) — Canadian midfielder Jonathan Osorio will miss the rest of the CONCACAF Gold Cup be...

HOUSTON (AP) — Canadian midfielder Jonathan Osorio will miss the rest of the CONCACAF Gold Cup because of a lower-body injury.Osorio was hurt on Friday, and the Canada Soccer Association said he was returning to Major League Soccer’s Toronto on Sunday for evaluation. He cannot be replaced on the roster.The 33-year-old has 85 international appearances, the most on the team’s Gold cup roster.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Canada has one win and one tie going into Tuesday’s Group B finale against El Salvador.___AP soccer: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/soccer">https://apnews.com/hub/soccer</a>

KANSAS CITY, KANSAS - JUNE 25: Jonathan Osorio #21 of Canada looks on during the CONMEBOL Copa America group A match between Peru and Canada at Children's Mercy Park on June 25, 2024 in Kansas City, Kansas.

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ALGIERS (AP) — Three people died and 81 were injured following the collapse of a stand after socc...

ALGIERS (AP) — Three people died and 81 were injured following the collapse of a stand after soccer club Mouloudia Club d’Alger won a ninth league title, Algerian authorities said Sunday.An earlier toll was one dead and 50 injured but two fans subsequently died from their injuries following Saturday’s incident at the Stade Olympique du 5 Juillet 1962, according to a statement issued by the country’s Ministry of Health.Algeria president Abdelmadjid Tebboune offered his condolences.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>According to the website La Gazette du Fennec, a security barrier broke just as fans were getting ready to celebrate the title following a goalless draw between MC Alger and NC Magra.___AP soccer: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/soccer">https://apnews.com/hub/soccer</a>

AL KHOR, QATAR - DECEMBER 18: A detail view of the Official Adidas Conext Match Ball prior to the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021 Final match between Tunisia and Algeria at Al Bayt Stadium on December 18, 2021 in Al Khor, Qatar.

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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Kade Anderson made his final start in an LSU uniform on Saturday night, and it...

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Kade Anderson made his final start in an LSU uniform on Saturday night, and it was a masterpiece that put the Tigers on the cusp of their second national championship in three years.Anderson pitched a three-hitter and struck out 10 in a 1-0 victory over Coastal Carolina in Game 1 of the College World Series finals, his second straight dominant performance in Omaha."That's what we've seen all year," LSU coach Jay Johnson said. "He's the best pitcher in the country. And did it again tonight. That's been on the regular every game one of the entire season. Everybody got to see what we've seen and known for an entire season."<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The Chanticleers (56-12) lost for the first time in 27 games and must win Sunday to force a third and deciding game Monday night.LSU (52-15) made Steven Milam's RBI single in the first inning stand up with Anderson getting stronger as the game progressed against a Coastal Carolina team that had won its first three CWS games by a combined 24-9."If it was going to be easy, there would be more than one national champion," Chanticleers coach Kevin Schnall said. "We've got to regroup. We've won 26 in a row. Let's just call it is what it is — the odds were not in our favor to go 28-0 and win this national championship."Anderson, a lefty projected to be a top-three pick in next month's MLB amateur draft, threw 130 pitches and was just as good as he was in LSU's CWS opener against Arkansas last weekend. He has allowed one run and six hits and struck out 17 in 16 innings in Omaha. Anderson grew up in Madisonville, Louisiana, as a big fan of LSU baseball. Asked how often he dreamed of a CWS performance like Saturday's and winning a title, he said, "Probably every night.""That wasn't necessarily to end the College World Series," he said. "We've got one more that we're preparing for. We'll go back to the hotel and start preparing for that one as well."Against the Chanticleers he had to deal with traffic on the basepaths after issuing three of his five walks in the first two innings and hitting two batters. He was up to the challenge. The Chanticleers were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position."It's the College World Series. You're going to pitch with runners on base," Johnson said. "It's the best teams in the country, and that's one of the best teams in the country. They do a great job of finding their way on base. And they did a few times tonight."Anderson (12-1) walked pinch-hitter Domenico Tozzi with two outs in the ninth, prompting a mound visit from pitching coach Nate Yeskie. Anderson then got Wells Sykes to fly out to end the game. Anderson and catcher Luis Hernandez embraced, and then their teammates mobbed them behind the mound to celebrate the first complete-game shutout in the CWS since 2022.Anderson worked around two walks in the first inning, got out of the third when Sebastian Alexander was caught stealing third base, and he struck out three in a row after Blagen Pado’s double leading off the fourth.After he gave up LSU's early run, Coastal Carolina's Cameron Flukey (8-2) matched zeroes with Anderson from the second to sixth inning. Flukey limited the Tigers to four hits, walked two and struck out nine before turning the ball over to Dominick Carbone to start the seventh.The Tigers are 16-0 when they have a lead at any point when Anderson is pitching. It was Anderson’s second shutout of the season. He threw 135 pitches in a 2-0 win over Oklahoma on April 3.Anderson said he wasn't bothered by the conditions. The temperature was 97 degrees at first pitch with a gusty wind blowing out to left."I think that's the real benefit of playing in Louisiana," he said. "Growing up there, this was honestly not nearly as bad as it was in the super regional."LSU will try to lock up its eighth national title Sunday.Coastal Carolina won the championship in its first trip to Omaha in 2016 and is seeking to become the fifth school to win the title in each of its first two trips to the CWS, but the first since Michigan in 1962.Schnall reminded reporters that in 2016, Arizona left-hander JC Cloney threw a shutout in Game 1 of the finals and Coastal Carolina came back to win the next two."Again, we’ve got to respond, rebound, regroup," Schnall said. "We've got Jacob Morrison pitching tomorrow. Answer the bell."

OMAHA, NEBRASKA - JUNE 21: Kade Anderson #32 of the LSU Tigers celebrates after throwing a complete game shut out against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers to win game one of the Division I Baseball Championship held at Charles Schwab Field on June 21, 2025 in Omaha, Nebraska.

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PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — River Plate and Monterrey played to a lively 0-0 draw on Saturday night i...

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — River Plate and Monterrey played to a lively 0-0 draw on Saturday night in the second round of group play at the Club World Cup.River Plate had 18 shot attempts, but the Argentine powerhouse got none of its six shots on goal past Monterrey goalkeeper Esteban Andrada, a native of Argentina.Monterrey got two of its three shot attempts on net, but Franco Armani also kept a clean sheet for River Plate.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The teams traded 40 combined fouls and eight yellow cards throughout a chippy match at the Rose Bowl before a raucous crowd of 57,393, with both teams benefitting from large supporter sections on each end of the famed stadium.River Plate had the first half’s best scoring chances shortly before halftime, but Giuliano Galoppo’s unobstructed shot from the penalty area curled over Monterrey’s net before Lucas Martínez Quarta brutally shanked a point-blank volley moments later.Monterrey opened Club World Cup play four days earlier with an impressive draw against Champions League finalist Inter Milan.River Plate also looked sharp in a 3-1 victory over Urawa Red Diamonds in its opener in Seattle.<h3>Key moment</h3>In the 76th minute, Andrada smothered Miguel Borja’s dangerous close-range shot after a run into the box.<h3>Takeaways</h3>Nothing is decided in Group E. Inter and River Plate are on top with four points each, but they must play each other on Wednesday in Seattle while Monterrey, which has two points, takes on winless Urawa in Pasadena.___AP soccer: <a href="https://apnews.com/soccer">https://apnews.com/soccer</a>

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 21: Franco Mastantuono (L) of River Plate and Sergio Canales (R) of Monterrey compete for the ball during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group E match between CA River Plate and CF Monterrey at Rose Bowl Stadium on June 21, 2025 in Pasadena, California.

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Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz and Seattle Mariners reliever Trent Thornton got sick S...

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz and Seattle Mariners reliever Trent Thornton got sick Saturday while playing in the extreme heat that covered much of the United States.De La Cruz vomited on the field with two outs in the fourth inning of Cincinnati's extra-inning loss at the St. Louis Cardinals. He was checked on by a trainer, and two workers from the grounds crew cleaned up the area."I actually watched him. He drank a bunch of water. I mean a bunch," Reds manager Terry Francona said, "and then he went right out and got rid of it."<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The 23-year-old De La Cruz, who is from the Dominican Republic, stayed in the game and hit a two-run homer in the seventh.Thornton pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings for Seattle before departing in the eighth in a 10-7 loss at the Chicago Cubs. The 31-year-old right-hander had to be helped from the field.Mariners manager Dan Wilson said Thornton had "a little bit of a heat-related illness.""It was a scary moment, for sure," Wilson said. "He battled hard. But just really glad that he's feeling a little bit better now and should be OK."The gametime temperature for Reds at Cardinals was 92 degrees, and it was 94 for the first pitch of the Mariners' loss to the Cubs. Milwaukee's game at Minnesota was played under an excessive heat warning.Seattle and Chicago finished their game with three umpires after Chad Whitson got sick. Dexter Kelley moved from second base to home plate. Whitson was treated in the Mariners' dugout."He came in, same kind of thing. Just was not feeling well," Wilson said. "Threw up a few times in the dugout and then they came and took care of him from there. The heat was a real thing today, for sure."Whitson was dealing with some dehydration, but a Major League Baseball spokesman said he was doing better Saturday night and had been cleared to work third base for the series finale.A Wrigley Field staffer had a heat-related medical issue right after Saturday's game, according to a spokesman for the Cubs. He was tended to by medical personnel and walked off the field on his own.The Cubs set up cooling and misting stations throughout Wrigley to help fans with the heat on Saturday, along with additional emergency personnel. The team had similar plans in place for Sunday, along with bringing in a city bus to use as a cooling station on the street.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JUNE 21: Trent Thornton #46 of the Seattle Mariners is helped off the field after nearly passing out while pitching during the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on June 21, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.

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De La Cruz, Thornton fall ill while playing in extreme heat

NEW YORK (AP) — Clarke Schmidt walked off the mound after getting through his seventh hitless inn...

NEW YORK (AP) — Clarke Schmidt walked off the mound after getting through his seventh hitless inning and exchanged a glance with New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone in the dugout.That was it for Schmidt. Done for the day.While the right-hander was disappointed, he certainly understood Boone’s decision to take him out of the game even with a no-hitter going. Schmidt was pulled after tying a career high with 103 pitches, and the Yankees lost a no-hit bid Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles when Gary Sánchez singled to start the eighth off JT Brubaker.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"It's more him like looking at me like, this is it for you right here," Schmidt said after the 9-0 win. "There's a little bit of a back-and-forth where you're having a conference, some dialogue, but you can tell with the look in his eyes it's, 'You're at (103). We're not driving you to 130 today.'""You're going to power through pitch limits, or within reason," Boone said. "Today was not that day for Clarke."Schmidt threw 27 pitches in the first inning, when he issued consecutive walks to Jordan Westburg and Gunnar Henderson. Schmidt stranded a runner in the fourth after hitting Ryan O’Hearn with a pitch.He breezed through a nine-pitch fifth and needed eight pitches to get through the sixth."I knew he was struggling a little bit, even in the fifth, in the sixth and when he came through in that seventh and I was kind of down there waiting," Boone said. "I knew he was done." Schmidt threw 21 pitches in the seventh as Brubaker warmed up. The starter ended his outing by retiring Colton Cowser on a flyball to center field."Unbelievable," Brubaker said of Schmidt. "He absolutely dominated with every single pitch he had in the arsenal and went right after their hitters and that can go show you what attacking hitters can do and it can put you in a really good spot."It was the fifth time a Yankees pitcher threw at least seven hitless innings but did not finish a no-hitter. The previous instance was Oct. 3, 2022, at Texas when Luis Severino was pulled after seven innings and Josh Jung singled in the eighth off Miguel Castro.Brubaker threw two strikes to Sánchez, but the former Yankees catcher hit a clean single to left field one pitch after first base umpire Jansen Visconti said he checked his swing. After the hit, some in the crowd of 46,142 lightly booed."Everybody in the stadium knows the situation," Brubaker said. "I'm not ignoring it. Anytime I toe the rubber, I don't want to give up a hit. At the end that’s always the goal. It happened to be that there was the no-hitter going."Brubaker finished New York's second one-hitter this season by retiring Dylan Carlson. It was the Yankees' 73rd one-hitter and sixth since the start of the 2022 season.Schmidt threw first-pitch strikes to 16 of 24 hitters, struck out five and walked two. He ended the game with a streak of 25 1/3 scoreless innings, the third-longest by a Yankees pitcher since 1961. Only Gerrit Cole (25 2/3 innings in 2023) and Catfish Hunter (26 innings in 1975) had longer shutout streaks during that span.New York has thrown 13 no-hitters. The most recent came on June 28, 2023, in Oakland when Domingo Germán threw the Yankees’ fourth perfect game — most of any major league team.The Orioles have been no-hit 15 times. Baltimore was last held hitless on Aug. 12, 2015, in Seattle by Hisashi Iwakuma.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 21: Clarke Schmidt #36 of the New York Yankees walks to the dugout in the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on June 21, 2025 in New York City.

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Schmidt pitches 7 hitless innings as Yankees shut out Orioles

CARY, N.C. (AP) — Arkansas shortstop Wehiwa Aloy won the Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur b...

CARY, N.C. (AP) — Arkansas shortstop Wehiwa Aloy won the Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur baseball player in the nation, USA Baseball announced Saturday.Aloy is the third Arkansas player to take home the prize, joining Andrew Benintendi in 2015 and Kevin Kopps in 2021, and the 12th winner from the Southeastern Conference — most of any league.Aloy, the SEC player of the year, started all 65 games this season and led the Razorbacks in almost every major offensive cateogy, including slugging percentage (.673), OPS (1.107), hits (93), doubles (19) and home runs (21). He was second on the team with a .350 batting average and 68 RBIs.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>He made just five errors in 229 total chances (.978) and helped turn 31 double plays.Aloy was named an All-American by four major publications and finished the season with a run to the College World Series semifinals. He batted .324 with eight runs, 10 RBIs and five extra-base hits in nine NCAA Tournament games.Of the 46 previous Golden Spikes winners, six have earned Rookie of the Year honors in the major leagues, three have won the Cy Young Award, three were selected league MVP and 11 have won at least one World Series championship as a player or manager. Twenty-three previous winners have also been named to at least one All-Star Game roster as a player or manager.Golden Spikes winners are chosen in voting by national baseball media, select professional baseball personnel, USA Baseball staff and previous winners.

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - MAY 15: Wehiwa Aloy #9 of the Arkansas Razorbacks throws to first base during game one of the series against the Tennessee Volunteers at Baum-Walker Stadium at George Cole Field on May 15, 2025 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Volunteers defeated the Razorbacks 10-7.

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Arkansas' Aloy wins Golden Spikes Award as top amateur player

LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Carson Hocevar walked around Pocono Raceway without a scratch on his face. ...

LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Carson Hocevar walked around Pocono Raceway without a scratch on his face. His polo shirt looked more tailored than tattered and the Spire Motorsports driver was ready to race rather than rumble.Ricky Stenhouse Jr. hadn’t socked Hocevar with a right hook quite yet — hot on the heels of Stenhouse’s threat to beat up his racing rival after last weekend’s race in Mexico City — leaving the next shot at any potential retaliation inside or outside the cars set for Sunday’s NASCAR race.Hocevar should walk with his head on a swivel because Stenhouse can throw a right hook.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Just ask Kyle Busch, who suffered a crushing TKO loss when he clashed with Stenhouse after last year’s All-Star race.Get ready! The Pounding at Pocono could be just another round in the ongoing feud between Stenhouse and Hocevar.“He probably will be looking over his shoulder for a long time,” Stenhouse said Saturday at Pocono. “We’ll see how that goes.”Hocevar has to look over his shoulder — and for that charging Chevrolet in his rearview mirror.“The scorecard has it that I I’m getting something from the 47 at some point, right? And I think my team and everybody kind of knows that,” Hocevar said.Their beef has little chance of getting squashed any time soon, a dispute that started three races ago when Hocevar wrecked Stenhouse early at Nashville. Hocevar sent Stenhouse spinning <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-hocevar-fined-mexico-city-comments-866f18061f3a67038cb654591e37f6ff">last week in Mexico City</a>, which ignited the postrace melee on pit road.Stenhouse seemed to grab at Hocevar as he spoke to him, then slapped at his helmet as Stenhouse walked away.Hocevar’s in-car camera captured audio of the confrontation.“I’m going to beat your (behind),” Stenhouse threatened. “You’re a lap down, you’ve got nothing to do. Why you run right into me? It’s the second time. I’m going to beat your (behind) when we get back to the States.”Hocevar avoided a smackdown from Stenhouse but his Spire team hit him where it hurts — a $50,000 fine on Tuesday for <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-hocevar-fined-mexico-city-comments-866f18061f3a67038cb654591e37f6ff">derogatory comments</a> he made about Mexico City on a livestream as NASCAR raced there last weekend.At just 23 and in his second full Cup season, Hocevar has whipped himself into a flurry of unwanted attention, continuing a trend that started last year when even veteran Denny Hamlin chimed in and said NASCAR had “to do something to Carson.”Stenhouse might do it on behalf of the sanctioning body with his fist or even his No. 47 Chevrolet.Hocevar conceded, yes, payback may be imminent and the time to talk out their lingering issues is over.Yet, Hocevar pleaded: “It’s not an open hunting season on the 77 because of these incidents.”Hocevar stamped his own target on his back. With his aggressive racing. With his ignorant words.“Just because I do something in the heat of the moment or maybe, you know, you do it two or three times, doesn’t mean I’m not hard on myself for those mistakes because they are mistakes,” he said. “It’s just trying not to make that a pattern. But when you’re constantly making aggressive moves like we’re doing, it’s balancing that fine line of, you know, you make a thousand moves a day. Just unfortunately, what people remember isn’t always the good ones. You always remember the negative ones.”Case in point, Hocevar walked back his derisive comments about Mexico after he actually experienced the culture of the country following NASCAR's foray into a new Cup Series market.“I didn’t give it a shot. I didn’t give it a chance,” Hocevar said. “I didn’t go walk around. I didn’t go see it. When I did, you know, then hindsight’s 20/20, then I have my own opinion. But I’ve already put it out there.”Spire also ordered Hocevar to attend cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training.He can be thankful he gets a shot at another race. Stenhouse's spotter, Tab Boyd, was fired this week by HYAK Motorsports in the wake of an unflattering social media post about his experience in Mexico.“That's above my paygrade,” Stenhouse said.The biggest KO so far came in the standings, where Stenhouse has been flattened in just three weeks from 13th in points in the thick of playoff contention before Nashville to 21st entering Pocono. Hocevar is one point ahead of Stenhouse in the standings.“That's the thing that hurts worse for our team is just where it's put us,” Stenhouse said.Stenhouse's trash talk more worthy of UFC hype could put him in hot water should he actually deliver on his vowed retribution and take out Hocevar.If it comes to a point where NASCAR dishes out a monetary punishment, it’s OK, the 2023 Daytona 500 champion could afford his fine. He just sold his North Carolina estate for $12.2 million, the highest-priced residential sale ever recorded in the greater Charlotte metro area.“It's been a big week. We've had a lot going on,” Stenhouse said, laughing.He'd rather talk real estate than about the space and time wasted thinking about Hocevar.“I’m just honestly tired of talking about the kid,” Stenhouse said.Tired of the talk? Sure. Of the action? Not just yet.“Eventually it'll all come together at some point,” Stenhouse said. “I'm not sure when or how. But it will."___AP auto racing: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing">https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing</a>

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - JUNE 15: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the #47 Fun Pops Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Viva Mexico 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on June 15, 2025 in Mexico City, Mexico.

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Stenhouse looking for payback vs. Hocevar at Pocono

LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Pocono Raceway paints its signature black rocks outside the garage in gold ...

LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Pocono Raceway paints its signature black rocks outside the garage in gold lettering with a last name and race car number highlighted to honor some of NASCAR’s greats. Jimmie Johnson has one. So does Richard Petty, among others.So where's the celebratory boulder for Denny Hamlin, who holds the track record with seven wins and saw another victory thrown out in 2022 because of a disqualification?Hamlin laughed when he said Pocono officials told him the requirement was, “either retire or die.”<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>At 44 years old, Hamlin — who just welcomed a son with fiancee Jordan Fish — should have the prime of his life ahead.As for retirement? What, and miss out on all the fun?Even without a Cup championship on his resume, Hamlin remains a dominant force in the sport and he showed again Saturday why he's the driver to beat on the 2 1/2-mile tri-oval track. Hamlin skipped last week's race in Mexico City following his son's birth and returned without missing a beat, turning a lap of 172.599 mph to take the top spot in Sunday's race.“Truthfully, I'm on a run,” Hamlin said. “I don't know how else to say it.”Yes, life is good for Hamlin, especially after the couple welcomed their third child, Jameson Drew Hamlin, on June 11. Hamlin shared in a social media post that the baby was delivered at 8 pounds, 4 ounces and was measured at 22 3/4 inches. The name has special meaning: The three-time Daytona 500 champion's given name is James Dennis Alan Hamlin. So his son's name is for James' son and the JD theme is for two men (JD Gibbs and James Dean) who helped launch his career path into NASCAR.Hamlin said a difficult labor and the logistical issues of traveling on short notice to Mexico forced him to miss the race.“If we were racing at Darlington,” he said, “I would have been there on race day.”The layoff didn't affect Hamlin. He earned his third NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season and 57th of his career on June 8 at Michigan International Speedway and jumped right back into the top spot at Pocono.Maybe some unexpected rest this week helped Hamlin crush it in the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.“He’s slept through the night the last three nights in a row. So it’s been really, really great,” Hamlin said.If anything keeps Hamlin stirring at night, it's the acrimonious legal fight with NASCAR that continues to drag in court.A federal judge urged NASCAR and two of its teams to settle their lawsuit that spilled over into tense arguments during a hearing this week. 23XI Racing, which is owned by Hamlin and Michael Jordan, is fighting with NASCAR along with Front Row Motorsports. The two teams say the series is a monopoly, but NASCAR has struck back with a countersuit of its own.Jeffrey Kessler, an attorney representing the teams, said he was open to a settlement. Hamlin said Saturday at Pocono he also was open to a settlement, but said no offer of one had been made on their side and wouldn't be at least until there is a mediation attempt. Kessler said NASCAR was uninterested in a settlement.“I have stated publicly cooler heads will prevail,” Hamlin said. “I can tell you this, this is not on our end that needs cooler heads. I think the difference is they're saying different things on their side. We're prepared to go all the way.”Hamlin is going to try and go all the way and win at Pocono with his fifth pole in 36 races at the track.<remove></remove>“It’s a track that no matter the car we drive or the tires or the aero package, none of that really matters,” Hamlin said. “You still make speed at this racetrack the same way no matter what car you are driving. I think it’s been one of the few tracks I haven’t had to change my approach to it depending on the car that I’m driving. I think that’s why the success has been sustained.”The rest of the lineupChris Buescher starts second at Pocono and Carson Hocevar — embroiled in a feud with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who has vowed retaliation for recent wrecks — is third. John Hunter Nemechek is fourth and Cole Custer fifth.Led by Hamlin, Toyota had six of the top-10 starting spots.Pocono selloutPocono Raceway continued its renaissance with a third straight sellout crowd set for Sunday. The track sold out all frontstretch seating, premium seating, suites, infield camping and the grandstand camping area. It also is the fifth consecutive year that the entire infield camping inventory has been sold out.Pocono President Ben May said the track sold around 50,000 grandstand tickets, around 2,000 suite seats and 3,300 camping spots.NASCAR traditionally ran two NASCAR weekends at the track until 2022. The sellout streak started the next year and it was the first since 2010.“When you look at this weekend, it's sold out. It's fantastic,” three-time Cup champion Joey Logano said.NASCAR expressed at least a cursory interest in adding to its recent string of offbeat race locations — everywhere from Mexico City to a temporary track inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum — and floated the idea of holding a race inside a Philadelphia stadium, Franklin Field. The site is traditionally home to the Penn Relays and college football.May said he wasn't necessarily concerned another race within driving distance of the mountains — about 100 miles away — would affect Pocono.“When you get into center city and Philly proper, it's a stick-and-ball town,” May said. “I'm very comfortable with Pocono's position on the schedule for a long time.”___AP auto racing: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing">https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing</a>

LONG POND, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 21: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, poses for photos after winning the pole award during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway on June 21, 2025 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.

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Hamlin grabs pole at Pocono after welcoming new son

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants said Major League Baseball is looking into allegati...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants said Major League Baseball is looking into allegations of abuse made by the wife of reliever Sean Hjelle.Caroline Hjelle made a <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@carolinehjelle/video/7518143089454763278?embed_source=121374463%2C121468991%2C121439635%2C121749182%2C121433650%2C121404359%2C121497414%2C121477481%2C121351166%2C121751638%2C121487028%2C121679410%2C73347567%2C121331973%2C120811592%2C120810756%2C121503376%3Bnull%3Bembed_card_play&amp;refer=embed&amp;referer_url=www.sfgate.com%2Fgiants%2Farticle%2Fsf-giants-sean-hjelle-wife-accusation-infidelity-20387554.php&amp;referer_video_id=7518143089454763278">post on TikTok</a> on Friday of her with the couple's two children with a caption that said: "When my MLB husband abandons us on Mothers Day a week after this (video was taken) once I finally found about his affairs and stopped putting up with his abuse, so I've been raising two boys alone."Hjelle said after Saturday's game that he had no comment on the allegations, adding that he and his wife are in the process of finalizing their divorce.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"I feel confident in saying that I will have one eventually," he said. "I don't have an exact timeline on that. But I would like to actually meet with the people that are handling the situation with me and for me before I actually make an official statement."The Giants said in a statement Saturday that they are "aware of these serious allegations" and that MLB is handling it.Manager Bob Melvin said before Saturday's game against the Boston Red Sox that Hjelle would be available to pitch."Obviously we're aware of it," Melvin said. "He told me about it last night. We talked to MLB. At this point, it's in their jurisdiction right now so I really can't comment on it further."Hjelle took the loss in Friday night's game against the Red Sox, allowing a tiebreaking homer to Ceddanne Rafaela in the sixth inning.Hjelle is 1-1 with a 4.66 ERA in six appearances this season.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JUNE 20: Sean Hjelle #64 of the San Francisco Giants pitches during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Friday, June 20, 2025 in San Francisco, California.

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CHICAGO (AP) — Sami Whitcomb hit five of the Mercury's franchise-record 17 3-pointers and finishe...

CHICAGO (AP) — Sami Whitcomb hit five of the Mercury's franchise-record 17 3-pointers and finished with 17 points, Kahleah Copper scored 16 and the Phoenix Mercury beat the Chicago Sky 107-86 on Saturday. Kalani Brown hit a 3 — the second of the 6-foot-7 center's career — with 25.6 seconds left to break the Mercury's previous record of 16.Six different Phoenix players hit at least two 3-pointers, tying the WNBA single-game record.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Angel Reese finished with nine points and a career-low two rebounds for the Sky.Phoenix (11-4) set a season high for points in a game and has won five in row, including an <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mercury-liberty-score-389beb2a078561a5b0af60c4bb44e34e">89-81 win</a> over defending WNBA champion New York on Thursday, for the first time since the Mercury won 10 straight in 2021.Satou Sabally scored 15 points for the Mercury and Alyssa Thomas had 11 points and eight assists. Brown and Kitija Laksa added 11 points apiece. Chicago (3-9) has lost five of six. Kamilla Cardoso and Michaela Onyenwere led the Sky with 17 points apiece. Phoenix made 35 of 68 shots from the field, 17 of 35 from 3-point range, 20 of 24 from the free-throw line and finished with 25 assists.They Sky had just 22 rebounds.Up nextThe Mercury host New York on Friday. The Sky play Sunday at Atlanta.___AP WNBA: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball">https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball</a>

CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 21: Sami Whitcomb #33 of the Phoenix Mercury shoots a three point basket during the game against the Chicago Sky on June 21, 2025 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE

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Mercury drill franchise-record 17 threes in blowout win vs. Sky

NEW YORK (AP) — Luis Gil faced hitters for the first time since straining his right lat in spring...

NEW YORK (AP) — Luis Gil faced hitters for the first time since straining his right lat in spring training, throwing about 20 pitches in a session New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone described on Saturday as "free and easy."About two hours before the Yankees continued their three-game series with Baltimore, Gil notched four strikeouts — three swinging. Since several of the backups who would take part in live sessions were in the lineup, Gil threw to bullpen catcher Peter Serruto and information coordinator Ryan McLaughlin."I felt it looked really good," Boone said. "I think he was 95, 96. It looked every bit of that, looked like it. Just the metrics on the four-seam were really good and I thought he was in control of himself. So free and easy."<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The Yankees are unsure of how many more times Gil will face hitters before progressing to a rehab game. Boone is hopeful the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year can return by the end of July."I felt really good out there," Gil said through a translator. "It's been a long process. You heal little by little. It felt good to get on the mound to face some hitters."Gil stopped a bullpen session on Feb. 28 because of tightness in his pitching shoulder. He went to New York for a second MRI that revealed a high-grade lat strain on March 3.Gil was shut down from throwing for at least six weeks after receiving the original diagnosis, and at the time the Yankees said he would not return until June at the earliest. On April 16, the Yankees said Gil's throwing program would be delayed for about 10 days."It's important. Fortunately, after the setback, it's been a slow build up, but it's gone well," Boone said. "It feels like kind of every step of the way. So that's been encouraging and now we start to build. We start to build lives, pitch counts and then eventually getting into rehab games. So definitely another important box to check."The 26-year-old Gil went 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA in 29 starts for the AL East champions last year, striking out 171 and walking a major league-high 77 in 151 2/3 innings. Acquired from the Minnesota Twins in a 2018 trade, Gil made a successful return from Tommy John surgery and threw eight more innings in a pair of postseason starts as the Yankees reached the World Series for the first time since 2009.___AP MLB: <a href="https://apnews.com/MLB">https://apnews.com/MLB</a>

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 4: Luis Gil #81 of the New York Yankees reacts walking off the field during the sixth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium on June 4, 2024 in New York City. The Yankees won 5-1.

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NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has been rewarded with a...

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has been rewarded with a contract extension for leading the club to its first European qualification for almost 30 years.The 51-year-old Nuno signed a three-year deal to stay at the City Ground until at least 2028, the Premier League club said on its website Saturday.“Nuno masterminded an incredible 2024-25 season for Forest, guiding the club to its highest league finish in 30 years and thus qualifying for UEFA European competition for the first time since 1995-96,” the club said.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Nuno’s team enjoyed away wins over Liverpool and Manchester United, and strung together the club’s longest top-flight winning streak since 1967.Forest was on course for Champions League qualification after beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 away in April, but only one more win in the last five games meant it had to settle for seventh place. Only the top five qualified for Europe’s premier competition.Forest had to settle for the third-tier Conference League competition — and will learn its playoff-round opponent when the Aug. 4 draw is made.Club owner Evangelos Marinakis remonstrated with Nuno on the field after a 2-2 draw with Midlands rival Leicester dented its Champions League hopes. The club later said that Marinakis’ concern was about the handling of injured player Taiwo Awoniyi.On Saturday, Marinakis only had words of praise.“Nuno has made a great impact and performed very well during his time with us so far,” the Greek businessman said. “He has demonstrated that he maximizes player performance and is an expert at developing players, whilst also embedding our young talent into the first team set-up.”Nuno, who previously managed Wolves and Tottenham, took over at Forest from the fired Steve Cooper in December 2023 and helped the team avoid relegation on the final day of the season.“I am delighted to be able to continue our journey at this fantastic football club,” the manager from the island country of São Tomé and Príncipe said of his contract extension. “Since we arrived at Forest, we have worked extremely hard to create a special bond between the players, the fans and everyone at the club, which helped us achieve great things last season.”___AP soccer: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/soccer">https://apnews.com/hub/soccer</a>

WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 06: Nuno Espirito Santo the head coach / manager of Nottingham Forest during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers FC and Nottingham Forest FC at Molineux on January 06, 2025 in Wolverhampton, England.

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Nuno extends Nottingham Forest contract until 2028

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Yousef Belaili scored in the 70th minute and Esperance de Tunisie beat LA...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Yousef Belaili scored in the 70th minute and Esperance de Tunisie beat LAFC 1-0 on Friday night in the Club World Cup to remain in contention to advance and eliminate the California MLS team.LAFC had one final chance to tie it in the 101st minute on Dénis Bouanga’s right-footed shot off a penalty kick just in front, but goalkeeper Béchir Ben Säid smothered it.Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban were in the crowd of 13,651 at 30,000-seat GEODIS Park on a steamy late afternoon.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Key moment</h3>Belaili came through with a right-footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom left corner through goalkeeper Hugo Lloris’ legs.<h3>Takeaways</h3>Esperance will finish the round Tuesday night against Chelsea, with second place in Group D and a spot in the round of 16 on the line.Not only was LAFC eliminated, it has been shut out in both of its matches. LAFC had two goals wiped out by offsides in the first half.<h3>What they said</h3>“Overall, I didn’t think we played well enough tonight to win,” LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo said.“Gave us the feeling that we can keep playing,” said Esperance coach Maher Kanzari.___AP soccer: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/soccer">https://apnews.com/hub/soccer</a>

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JUNE 20: Denis Bouanga of Los Angeles FC (C) walks in the field during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group D match between Los Angeles Football Club and Esperance de Tunis at GEODIS Park on June 20, 2025 in Nashville, United States.

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LAFC out of Club World Cup after late penalty miss

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