ATLANTA (AP) — Austin Riley hit two two-run homers, and the Atlanta Braves stopped the Los Angele...

ATLANTA (AP) — Austin Riley hit two two-run homers, and the Atlanta Braves stopped the Los Angeles Dodgers' seven-game win streak with a 4-3 victory on Sunday night.Riley went deep in the first inning and again in the third. A pinch-hit homer by Miguel Rojas off Dylan Lee in the seventh cut the lead to 4-3.Braves closer Raisel Iglesias gave up an infield hit to Andy Pages to open the ninth. Pinch-runner Hyeseong Kim stole second base and advanced to third on Will Smith's strikeout. Iglesias struck out Rojas and Austin Barnes to earn his fifth save.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The Braves had been 0-5 against the Dodgers this season after losing the first two games of the series. Atlanta avoided being swept in the season series and snapped a string of seven consecutive losses to Los Angeles that began last season.Dodgers right-hander Dustin May (1-2) trailed 2-0 before recording an out. May walked Alex Verdugo to open the game, and Riley drilled a homer 426 feet to left field.Riley added another shot, his eighth, off May in the third.Atlanta right-hander Bryce Elder (2-1) struck out six in five-plus innings. He was charged with two runs and four hits.Dodgers left fielder Michael Conforto made a diving catch on Drake Baldwin's drive in the second. Key momentRight-hander Pierce Johnson inherited runners on first and second with no outs when he took over for Elder in the sixth. He recorded three consecutive outs, including Max Muncy's run-scoring groundout.Key statConforto struck out looking in his two at-bats, leaving him in a 0-for-28 slump and his batting average at .141.Up nextLos Angeles continues its 10-game trip when it opens a three-game series at Miami on Monday night. Atlanta RHP AJ Smith-Shawver (1-2, 4.26 ERA) will face Cincinnati RHP Brady Singer (4-1, 3.24 ERA) in Monday night's opener of a four-game home series.___AP MLB: <a href="https://undefined/">https://apnews.com/hub/mlb</a>

ATLANTA, GA MAY 04: Atlanta third baseman Austin Riley (27) reacts after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning during the MLB game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves on May 4th, 2025 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA.

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers broke Michael Jordan's NBA playoff r...

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CLEVELAND (AP) — <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donovan-mitchell">Donovan Mitchell</a> of the Cleveland Cavaliers broke Michael Jordan's NBA playoff record Sunday night with his eighth straight game of at least 30 points in a series opener.
The All-Star guard set the mark with a layup that gave him 31 points with 4:50 remaining in the fourth quarter in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Indiana Pacers.
Jordan had two seven-game streaks of 30 points in Game 1s (from 1991 to 1993 and 1997 to 1998) while leading the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles.
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Mitchell's streak began with the Utah Jazz during the 2020 playoffs — held at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, during the COVID-19 pandemic — when he scored 57 points against the Denver Nuggets. That remains a Jazz playoff record and the third-highest-scoring performance in NBA postseason history.
Cleveland acquired Mitchell from Utah in September 2022.
Mitchell came into the game averaging 33.2 points in series openers, second-highest in NBA history for a player who has taken part in at least 10 postseason series. His playoff average of 27.8 points is seventh-best among players with at least 50 games.
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AP NBA: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nba">https://apnews.com/hub/nba</a>
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CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 04: Aaron Nesmith #23 of the Indiana Pacers guards Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first quarter of game one of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Rocket Arena on May 04, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio.

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton hardly resembled the player whose peers have deemed him overra...

CLEVELAND (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton hardly resembled the player whose peers have deemed him overrated.The dynamic Indiana point guard scored 22 points — including a go-ahead 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter — had 13 assists and made crucial defensive plays that propelled the Pacers to a 121-112 victory over the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.“We’re definitely the heavy underdog, but we’re trying to control what we can," said Haliburton, who was voted the NBA's most overrated player in a recent <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6300950/2025/04/23/tyrese-haliburton-nba-most-overrated-player-poll/">anonymous player survey</a> by The Athletic. "It gives us a lot of momentum for sure, but this is the best team in our conference. They don’t lose much.”<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>About the only thing Haliburton didn't do well was shoot 3-pointers. On a night when the fourth-seeded Pacers were 19 of 36 from beyond the arc, Haliburton was 2 of 6. But the second one ended up being decisive.The Cavs went ahead 102-101 on a free throw by Max Strus before Haliburton’s 3 ignited a 15-4 run.Andrew Nembhard scored 23 points and made two of his five 3-pointers during the four-minute stretch when the Pacers pulled away.“We had an exceptionally good shot-making night, but the key word is aggression. We’ve got to be in attack mode to beat this team," Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said.All five Indiana starters scored in double figures. Aaron Nesmith and Pascal Siakam had 17 points apiece.Haliburton's standout defensive plays included blocking a 3-point attempt by Strus with 2:12 left and converting it into a layup for a 10-point lead. His assists led to 34 points, including eight 3-pointers.Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 33 points and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-cavaliers-donovan-mitchell-d1271293a218d5809212b5094b73afcd">broke Michael Jordan’s NBA playoff record</a> with his eighth straight game of at least 30 points in a series opener.Evan Mobley added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who were without point guard Darius Garland for the third straight playoff game due to a sprained left big toe.Besides struggling with Indiana’s pace, Cleveland was done in by poor 3-point shooting. The Cavs were second in the NBA during the regular season with 15.9 3s per game, but went 9 of 38. The 23.7% rate was their second-worst of the season.“We missed a lot of good looks, and then when you miss shots, that’s when they get going in transition,” said Mitchell, who was 1 of 11 on 3-pointers. “The biggest thing is, when the shots aren’t falling, how do you respond? But when a team like this runs like that, it makes it tough.”Cleveland rarely trailed in its first-round sweep of the Miami Heat that included a 55-point victory in Game 4.Coach Kenny Atkinson was worried about Indiana's pace coming into the series. He's hoping his team can find ways to control the flow during Game 2 on Tuesday night.“I don’t feel like we had the rhythm of the game. We have to move forward,” Atkinson said. “The positive is we got accustomed to how they were playing. We’ll figure out the 3-point shooting.”Indiana had a 12-point lead in the third quarter before Cleveland rallied. The Cavs grabbed the lead in the fourth, but couldn't hang on and close it out.“I thought we did a good job when that ‘Cavalanche’ was on the way. We did a great job of weathering that," Haliburton said.___AP NBA: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nba">https://apnews.com/hub/nba</a>

CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 4: Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers drives to the basket during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Round 2 Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on May 4, 2025 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE

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CHICAGO (AP) — Thirty months after his last appearance, Lance McCullers Jr. finally made it back ...

CHICAGO (AP) — Thirty months after his last appearance, Lance McCullers Jr. finally made it back to the mound in a major league game.The 31-year-old McCullers started Sunday for the Houston Astros and threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings in his first outing since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series in Philadelphia. McCullers had surgery in June 2023 to repair his right flexor tendon and to remove a bone spur. Then he was shut down after a setback last year.He kept the Chicago White Sox off the scoreboard in his first game back, allowing three hits and three walks with four strikeouts. The Astros <a href="https://apnews.com/article/astros-white-sox-score-3697873049fa10f5f9eb72910e8802de">lost 5-4</a> in a game shortened to seven innings by rain.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"I was happy with the overall stuff. Physically, I felt strong through the game," McCullers told reporters. "Very grateful to just be back out with the team and be an active member."McCullers stranded runners on second and third in the first inning and pitched out of a bases-loaded situation in the second. After a 1-2-3 third, he got two outs in the fourth but also allowed a double and a walk. He was taken out after 87 pitches. "A lot of foul balls, a lot of high-stress moments there, but I think he pitched out of them," Espada said. "So he'll get ready for the next one."McCullers is 49-32 with a 3.46 ERA in his career, which has been entirely with Houston. He went 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA in 2021, the last time he pitched anything resembling a full season.If he can regain that level, the right-hander can obviously help the Astros."It has been a very long road for me. It's been a grind to get back to this point," McCullers said. "I know that I have to do a better job of controlling the pitch count and getting quick outs and things like that, but from where I've come from over the last couple years, especially where I was early this offseason, I would lie to you guys if I didn't say I was pretty proud of myself."___AP MLB: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">https://apnews.com/hub/mlb</a>

CHICAGO, IL - MAY 04: Lance McCullers Jr. #43 of the Houston Astros delivers a pitch during an MLB game against the Chicago White Sox on May 4, 2025 at Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois

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FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Reigning NASCAR Cup champion Joey Logano overcame a lot to finally get h...

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Reigning NASCAR Cup champion Joey Logano overcame a lot to finally get his first victory this season.It came a week after Team Penske teammate Austin Cindric's win at Talladega, where Logano had a fifth-place finish that became 39th after a postrace inspection found an issue with the spoiler on his No. 22 Ford. There was also <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-texas-preview-cindric-penske-5e5dd419ade3f03711a08dc0b1a000f1">Logano's expletive-laden rant</a> on the radio toward his teammate in the middle of that race that the two smoothed out during the week. Oh, and he started 27th at Texas after a bad qualifying effort on the 1 1/2-mile track.But Logano surged ahead on the restart in overtime Sunday to win in the 11th race this year. He led only seven of the 271 laps, four more than scheduled.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"After what happened last week, to be able to rebound and come right back, it’s a total '22' way of doing things. So proud of the team," Logano said.On the final restart after the 12th caution, Logano was on the inside of his other teammate, Ryan Blaney. But Logano pulled away on the backstretch and stayed easily in front the final 1 1/2 laps, while Ross Chastain then passed Blaney to finish second ahead of him."Just slowly, methodically," Logano said of his progression to the front. "Just kept grinding, a couple here and a couple there and eventually get a win here."Logano got his 37th career victory, getting the lead for the first time on lap 264. He went low to complete a pass of Michael McDowell."I mean there's always a story next week, right," Logano said. "So I told my wife last week before we left, I said watch me go win this one. It's just how we do stuff."On a caution with 47 laps left, McDowell took only two tires and moved up 15 spots to second. He ended up leading 19 laps, but got loose a few laps after getting passed by Logano and crashed to bring out the caution that sent the race to overtime. He finished 26th."We were giving it everything we had there to try to keep track position," McDowell said. "Joey got a run there, and I tried to block it. I went as far as I think you could probably go. When Blaney slid in front of me, it just took the air off of it and I just lost the back of it. I still had the fight in me, but I probably should have conceded at that point."Odds and EndsWilliam Byron, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott remained the top four in season points. ... Elliott left Texas last spring with his first victory after 42 races and 18 months without one. He hasn't won since, and now has another long winless drought — this one 38 races and now nearly 13 months after finishing 16th. ... A crew member for Christopher Bell crawled in through the passenger side of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and was fully in the car to reconnect an air hose the driver's helmet during a caution in the second stage. It took two stops during that caution, and twice climbing into the car, to resolve the issue.Fiery end to Hamlin streakHamlin had finished on the lead lap in 21 consecutive races, but a <a href="https://x.com/NASCARONFOX/status/1919127176521437286">fiery finish on lap 75</a> ended that streak that had matched the eighth-longest in NASCAR history. He was the first car out of the race.After the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota lost power, something blew up when Hamlin recycled the engine. There were flames coming out from under the car and it was engulfed in smoke by time it rolled to a stop on the inside of the track and Hamlin climbed out unharmed.Youngest polesitterCarson Hocevar, the 22-year-old driver who is McDowell's teammate with Spire Motorsports, was the youngest polesitter ever in Texas. He led only the first 22 laps of the race, losing it while pitting during the first caution. He finished 24th after a late accident.Stage cautionsBoth in-race stages finished under caution. Cindric won Stage 1 after Hamlin's issues and Kyle Larson took the second after a yellow flag came out because of debris on the track after the right rear tire on Chris Buescher's car came apart.Larson got his 68th overall stage win and his sixth at Texas, with both marks being records. He has won a stage in each of the last five Cup races at Texas, starting in his 2021 win there.___AP auto racing: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing">https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing</a>

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MAY 04: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 AAA Insurance Ford, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Würth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway on May 04, 2025 in Fort Worth, Texas.

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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The first time Oscar Piastri arrived at the Miami Grand Prix as a Form...

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The first time Oscar Piastri arrived at the Miami Grand Prix as a Formula 1 driver he was in the slowest car in the field and only narrowly avoided finishing last.Fast-forward two years and Piastri and McLaren Racing have come full circle.Piastri maintained his advantage in the F1 championship fight by winning at Miami on Sunday for his fourth win through six races this season. Piastri has won three consecutive F1 races for McLaren Racing, where he and teammate Lando Norris are trying to dethrone four-time defending champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>McLaren has won Miami the last two years, with Norris on top last season for his first career F1 victory."It's just incredible, the hard work that’s gone in," Piastri said of McLaren. "I remember two years ago here in Miami, we were genuinely the slowest team. I think we got lapped twice and to now have won the Grand Prix by over 35 seconds to third is an unbelievable result of the hard work of every single person."Piastri is the first McLaren driver to win three consecutive F1 races in 28 years; Mika Hakkinen did it with a win in the 1997 season finale and then victories in the first two races of 1998.He widened his lead over Norris in the driver standings to 16 points, while Verstappen trails Piastri by 32 points.Norris' win at Miami last season snapped Verstappen’s two-year winning streak at the course surrounding Hard Rock Stadium. Norris also won the sprint race on Saturday — Piastri dominated but a late safety car cost him the victory — but Verstappen won the pole in qualifying.Verstappen, who announced the birth of his first child Friday morning, has been determined to disprove the myth that fatherhood would make him a more conservative driver. It was evident as he darted away at the start and then aggressively held off Norris’ challenge for the lead.The Red Bull and McLaren were side-by-side and Norris was trying to edge ahead of the Dutchman, but he ran off track and lost four spots. Norris said Verstappen forced him off track and there was nothing he could do but try to avoid running into a wall — but F1 took no action against Verstappen."What can I say? If I don't go for it, people complain. If I go for it, people complain," Norris said. "You can’t win. But it really just how it is with Max — it's crash or pass."Verstappen was unapologetic after fading to fourth and insisted he raced within the rules."I mean, I had nothing to lose, so I also wanted to have a bit of fun out there," Verstappen said, adding McLaren’s strong start to the season is "not frustrating at all.""We are here to win and today we were miles off that, so it doesn’t really matter," Verstappen said.Norris recovered from the early incident and picked his way back toward the front, but not before Piastri took control away from Verstappen on the 14th of 57 laps. McLaren has decided it will allow Piastri and Norris to race each other cleanly without team orders, and Norris was cleared to challenge his Australian teammate for the victory.In the waning laps, Norris was able to close the gap but could never catch Piastri and settled for second in a 1-2 finish for McLaren. The two held a nearly 40-second advantage over George Russell of Mercedes, who finished third.Alex Albon of Williams was fifth, Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes was sixth and Charles Leclerc was seventh after Ferrari ordered Lewis Hamilton to give his teammate the position in the closing laps. Hamilton was eighth.Carlos Sainz Jr. was ninth for Williams and Yuki Tsunoda was 10th for Red Bull.Doohan in doubtJack Doohan ran into another car on the opening lap and then crashed on the second lap — a showing that won’t quiet chatter the rookie is on the verge of being replaced at Alpine by Franco Colapinto.There have been media reports in Argentina that Colapinto will replace Doohan at F1's next race, later this month in Italy. It was dismissed at the start of the Miami weekend by Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes, who indicated "as it is today" the Australian would still be in the seat at Imola."I think it was a sponsor from Argentina off-camera giving his view on Franco, when he's going to be in the car. I’m sure there’s a lot of people in Argentina who’d like him in the car this Sunday," Oakes said about the speculation. "We've been pretty open as a team that that's just noise. Jack needs to continue doing a good job. But it’s natural that there’s always speculation there."As it is today, Jack is our driver along with Pierre (Gasly)," he continued. "We've been pretty clear on that. We always evaluate, but today that is the case."Doohan, who didn't complete two laps Sunday and finished last, has yet to score a point this season through six races. His best finish was 13th at the Chinese Grand Prix.

McLaren's Australian driver Oscar Piastri looks at his trophy after winning the 2025 Miami Formula One Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Florida, on May 4, 2025.

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IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Caitlin Clark made the shot everyone came to see.  Clark stopped late in t...

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IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Caitlin Clark made the shot everyone came to see.
Clark stopped late in the third quarter of Sunday’s WNBA preseason game between the Indiana Fever and the Brazilian national team and <a href="https://x.com/IndianaFever/status/1919143866818515093">launched a 3-pointer</a> near the “22” logo on Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena court. It was the spot where she hit the shot in her senior season in 2024 that <a href="https://apnews.com/article/caitlin-clark-iowa-12e078352a92fe2effb307888775cdb0">made her the all-time leading scorer</a> in NCAA women’s basketball, and of course it went in.
This shot, with 25 seconds left in the third quarter, capped Clark’s return to the arena where she broke records on her way to becoming <a href="https://apnews.com/article/caitlin-clark-scoring-record-stats-16528f3863be82ace94532d7c687093f">the NCAA Division I all-time scoring leader</a>.
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Clark, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wnba-fever-caitlin-clark-a57296074672f8ac81123312ef3ea257">starting her second season with the Fever</a>, scored 16 points in Indiana’s 108-44 win.
Clark’s day was bookended by shots that were reminiscent of her career with Iowa’s women’s basketball team — her first 3-pointer came from the tip of the beak on Iowa’s “Tigerhawk” logo at midcourt <a href="https://x.com/SportsCenter/status/1919122820392452116">34 seconds into the game</a>.
And after both shots went in, the crowd response sounded just like all the shots she made in front of sellout crowds as she led the Hawkeyes to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA national championship game in her final two seasons.
Clark, dealing with a leg injury that kept her out of Saturday’s preseason opener against the Washington Mystics, played almost 19 minutes, and that was enough to please the capacity crowd of 15,400. She finished the game making 6 of 10 shots, and added six rebounds and five assists.
It was Clark’s second game back at the arena since she left the Hawkeyes — she had her <a href="https://apnews.com/article/clark-jersey-retired-iowa-2d656348e94e8fd9579efb067e7200bf">jersey No. 22 retired</a> in a ceremony after Iowa’s 76-69 win over USC on Feb. 2.
“I’ve told my teammates they’re going to be here cheering for me, yes, but they’re also going to be here cheering for you and our entire team,” Clark said before the game. “And I think that’s what’s so great about these fans, is they really rally around the entire team. It’s not just myself, and that’s what I love about it.”
Clark was greeted with a loud ovation when she took the court before the game, and the noise continued throughout the day. The crowd noise for Clark’s pregame introduction reached 116 decibels, and the first 3-pointer recorded 117-decibel applause.
That kind of a response wasn’t a surprise to Fever coach Stephanie White.
“I’ve seen the Caitlin Clark stuff from the outside looking in and being on the television side and certainly being an opponent,” said White, who called some of Clark’s games while working at ESPN and went against her last season as the coach of the Connecticut Sun. “For us to be able to bring Caitlin back here and to bring our team here to experience this fan base, it’s an incredible opportunity.”
Iowa coach Jan Jensen had the same reaction.
“We’re just proud that we can fill this place up in May,” she said. “Are you kidding me?”
The event became a hot ticket as soon as it was announced earlier this year. The average paid price of $440 per ticket on the secondary market this week made it the most in-demand event involving Clark, according to ticketing technology company Victory Live, which analyzes sales across the secondary market. Asking prices on the secondary market Wednesday ranged from $146 to $2,368.
Clark made it clear before the game she was going to play despite the injury, although it was apparent the injury was still an issue — when she came out of the game in the first half she went to the tunnel behind the Fever bench to ride a stationary bike.
“It sucked being on the sideline yesterday, but obviously, it’s probably just the best decision in the preseason,” Clark said.
Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 17 points. Aliyah Boston added 11.
Clark left the game after making that last shot, and as she got to the bench waved to the crowd, encouraging one last cheer.
“That’s my goal,” Clark said before the game. “Get them involved, get them loud.”
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AP WNBA: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/wnba">https://apnews.com/hub/wnba</a>
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IOWA CITY, IA - MAY 4: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever drives to the basket during the game against the Brazil Women's National Basketball Team during the WNBA preseason game on May 4, 2025 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE

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MADRID (AP) — Casper Ruud became the first Norwegian to win a Masters 1000 title after beating Ja...

MADRID (AP) — Casper Ruud became the first Norwegian to win a Masters 1000 title after beating Jack Draper 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 in the Madrid Open final on Sunday.The former second-ranked Ruud rallied from 5-3 down in the first set and sealed the victory after capitalizing on his lone break at 2-2 in the third.The 26-year-old Ruud yelled and thrust both arms into the air after clinching the win on his first match point on the Caja Magica clay court.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"It's been a long time coming," Ruud said. "(This was) one of the really big goals I dreamed about when I was young, so it's an incredible feeling to accomplish it. Also the way I did it today, it was a great match. I knew Jack had been playing unbelievable all year, and especially in this tournament, so I knew that if I didn't bring my A-plus game, I was going to be whooped around the court."The 15th-ranked Ruud will return to the top 10 thanks to his campaign in Madrid, reaching No. 7 in the rankings on Monday."Luckily, I played really well," Ruud said. "Jack has become such an incredible player, on any surface now ... This is a really big boost for me, and I would like to keep it going."The 13-time tour champion is the first Norwegian to lift a Masters 1000 trophy since the series was introduced in 1990, according to the ATP. It was Ruud's third such final after losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas in Monte Carlo last year and to Carlo Alcaraz in Miami in 2022.Ruud has more titles (12) on clay than any other player since the start of 2020, according to the ATP.Draper won at Indian Wells in March. After his quarterfinal victory in Madrid, he secured a top-five debut in the rankings.Draper said Ruud was "braver" than him in the key moments on Sunday."You deserve this," he said. "You've obviously put in so much hard work and constantly had very good years on the tour ... This sport is brutal, but I think this loss is going to make me better, so I'll keep trying."The tournament in Madrid was disrupted early last week because of a major blackout that brought Spain and Portugal to a standstill on Monday, prompting the postponement of 22 matches in total.Ruud had needed to take a couple of painkillers during his semifinal win over Francisco Cerundolo after feeling a rib ailment during his warmup, but there were no signs of any injury on Sunday.Draper, who like Ruud had not lost a set on his way to the final, served for the first set at 5-4 but couldn't finish it. The 23-year-old British player was visibly upset, and kept talking to himself and to his staff for a while during the changeover.The men's side of the draw lost most of its top players early. Home-crowd favorite Carlos Alcaraz had to withdraw from the tournament because of an injury, and Novak Djokovic lost to Matteo Arnaldi in his opening match.Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka defeated Coco Gauff in the women's final on Saturday.___AP tennis: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tennis">https://apnews.com/hub/tennis</a>___AP tennis: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tennis">https://apnews.com/hub/tennis</a>

MADRID, SPAIN - MAY 04: Casper Ruud of Norway celebrates winning match point against Jack Draper of Great Britain during the Men's Singles Final on Day Thirteen of the Mutua Madrid Open at La Caja Magica on May 04, 2025 in Madrid, Spain.

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Mets left fielder Jesse Winker had an MRI on Sunday after leaving the first game...

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Mets left fielder Jesse Winker had an MRI on Sunday after leaving the first game of New York's doubleheader at St. Louis with right side discomfort.
Manager Carlos Mendoza said Winker was injured while making a throw in the third inning of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mets-cardinals-score-0ca8aff777ffed003840ef8e8c924f95">the Mets' 6-5 loss</a>.
“On the right side in the oblique area, he got hurt on the throw to home plate,” Mendoza said. “So, we’ll see what we’re dealing with here.”
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Mendoza acknowledged there’s always concern when the word oblique is mentioned.
“When you hear that area, those are tricky,” Mendoza said. “I don’t want to get ahead of myself here.”
The 31-year-old Winker was making his first start in left field this season. He had played just two innings in left this year while serving mainly as a designated hitter.
The Cardinals loaded the bases with one out in the third. Nolan Gorman hit a flyball to Winker, who made the catch and threw home to try and nab Brendan Donovan, who slid in safely before catcher Luis Torrens got the ball. Nolan Arenado was ultimately tagged out in a rundown on the play.
Jeff McNeil moved from second base to replace Winker in left. Luisangel Acuña, who was making his first start at third base, switched to second. Mark Vientos entered to play third and take Winker’s spot in the lineup.
Winker had a walk and a sacrifice fly in his two plate appearances. He's hitting .239 this season with one homer and 10 RBIs in 24 games.
___
AP MLB: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">https://apnews.com/hub/mlb</a>
</div>

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 25: Jesse Winker #3 of the New York Mets looks on during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on April 25, 2025 in Washington, DC.

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IVINS, Utah (AP) — Haeran Ryu made an 8-foot eagle putt during a flawless back nine that allowed ...

<div>
IVINS, Utah (AP) — Haeran Ryu made an 8-foot eagle putt during a flawless back nine that allowed her to pull away Sunday with an 8-under 64, giving her a five-shot victory at the inaugural Black Desert Championship in the LPGA Tour's return to Utah after a 61-year absence.
Ryu became the second player to go wire-to-wire on the LPGA Tour this year, and it was her second time winning a new event. She won the FM Championship at the TPC Boston last year.
She was coming off a rough finish at the Chevron Championship last week, sharing the 54-hole lead at the first major of the year until closing with a 76.
<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>
This one was closer than the five-shot margin indicated. Ryu was clinging to a one-shot lead over Esther Henseleit of Germany going to the back nine. She missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the 10th — her third straight miss from short range for birdie.
But then she made a 15-foot birdie putt at the 11th, and her eagle at the 13th put her ahead by four shots.
“Incredible day,” said Ryu, who now has won in each of the last seven years dating to her first win as an 18-year-old on the Korea LPGA.
Henseleit, who started three shots behind, went out in 31 to get within one shot. She cooled on the back nine, not making another birdie until the 18th hole for a 66. She tied for second with Ruoning Yin (67), the final challenge to Ryu.
“Started out great on the front nine and then couldn’t quite keep up on the back,” Henseleit said. “Haeran played amazing and she really deserved to win it today.”
Yin, who got back into the mix with a 62 on Saturday, was four shots behind at the turn. She ran off four straight birdies starting at the 11th, all of them inside 8 feet. The last one got her to within three shots of Ryu.
The South Korean responded with an approach into 3 feet on the 15th for a birdie to restore her lead to four shots, and Yin fell back with a double bogey from the bunker on the 16th.
“I play 70 good holes,” Yin said. “I made a triple on the first day and then a double on 16 today. But overall, I think my game is really solid.”
Yan Liu closed with a 65 to finish alone in fourth.
Stephanie Kyriacou of Australia finished with the shot of the day, a fairway metal on the par-5 18th that rolled in for an albatross, giving her a 67 to tie for sixth.
Ryu is the 10th winner in 10 tournaments on the LPGA Tour this season.
___
AP golf: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/golf">https://apnews.com/hub/golf</a>
</div>

ST GEORGE, UTAH - MAY 04: Haeran Ryu of South Korea reacts after winning the final round of the Black Desert Championship 2025 at Black Desert Resort on May 04, 2025 in St George, Utah.

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SAINT-MALO, France (AP) — Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka claimed her first WTA title sin...

SAINT-MALO, France (AP) — Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka claimed her first WTA title since triumphing at the 2021 Australian Open — and on her seemingly worst surface.Osaka beat Kaja Juvan 6-1, 7-5 Sunday to win L'Open 35 de Saint-Malo — a WTA 125 tournament — and secure her first-ever trophy on clay.It was also the Japanese player's first WTA title since she became a mother in July 2023, returning to tennis at the start of the following year.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"Kinda ironic to win my first trophy back on the surface that I thought was my worst," <a href="https://x.com/naomiosaka/status/1919070606495985853?s=12&amp;t=5F3dlarP6x4nZx8VyzISiA">Osaka wrote on X</a>. "That's one of my favorite things about life though, there's always room to grow and evolve."Thanks to everyone accompanying me on this journey, I know it's turbulent but it's also really fun and I'm grateful."The former world No. 1 will rise to No. 48 in the WTA rankings on Monday.Osaka has two Australian Open and two U.S. Open crowns on hard courts but has a poor record at the French Open and pulled out of the clay-court tournament in 2021 before the second round to take a mental health break.The 27-year-old's clay-court season had started with a loss in the first round of the Madrid Open last month.The French Open starts May 25.___AP tennis: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tennis">https://apnews.com/hub/tennis</a>

MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 22: Naomi Osaka of Japan in action against Lucia Bronzetti of Italy during the Mutua Madrid Open 2025, ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000, tennis tournament celebrated at Caja Magica on April 22, 2025 in Madrid, Spain.

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PISA, Italy (AP) — Pisa was promoted to the top tier of Italian soccer on Sunday for the first ti...

PISA, Italy (AP) — Pisa was promoted to the top tier of Italian soccer on Sunday for the first time in 34 years.There were wild celebrations in Pisa despite the team's 1-0 loss at Bari because third-placed Spezia also lost 2-1 at Reggiana. Pisa is guaranteed second spot in Serie B and automatic promotion to the top flight with two rounds remaining.That means Serie A soccer will be returning to the Arena Garibaldi, which sits practically in the shadow of the leaning tower of Pisa, for the first time since the team was relegated in 1991.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Pisa is coached by World Cup-winning forward Filippo Inzaghi, the older brother of Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi.Serie B champion Sassuolo secured promotion last month and will be joined by the winner of the playoffs, which will be contested by teams that finish third to eighth.___AP soccer: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/soccer">https://apnews.com/hub/soccer</a>

BARI, ITALY - MAY 04: players of AC Pisa 1909 celebrates promotion to Serie A at the end of the Serie B match between SSC Bari and AC Pisa 1909 at Stadio San Nicola on May 04, 2025 in Bari, Italy.

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LONDON (AP) — Chido Obi became the youngest player to start a Premier League match for Manchester...

LONDON (AP) — Chido Obi became the youngest player to start a Premier League match for Manchester United when he lined up as the team's striker against Brentford on Sunday at the age of 17 years and 156 days.Obi is a Denmark youth international who joined United from Arsenal last year and made five appearances in the league this season, each time as a substitute, before getting his first start.He played the full match in United’s 4-3 loss and didn't score. Indeed, he has yet to score for the senior team.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>With the game coming in between legs against Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League semifinals, United rotated heavily and fielded a team against Brentford with an average age of 22 years and 270 days.According to stats supplier Opta, it was the third youngest team — by average age — ever named for a Premier League match.United beat Athletic 3-0 in the first leg in Spain.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

BRENTFORD, ENGLAND - MAY 04: Chido Obi-Martin of Manchester United looks on during the Premier League match between Brentford FC and Manchester United FC at Brentford Community Stadium on May 04, 2025 in Brentford, England.

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Manchester United slumped to a club record-extending 16th Premier League loss this season on Sund...

Manchester United slumped to a club record-extending 16th Premier League loss this season on Sunday, while Champions League-chasing Newcastle needed an 89th-minute penalty to salvage a 1-1 draw at Brighton.United was beaten 4-3 at Brentford in a wild, end-to-end game played in between matches against Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League semifinals.United manager Ruben Amorim fielded the club's youngest ever Premier League lineup according to average age, with Europe clearly the priority this season ahead of improving his team's woeful league position of 15th. United, on 39 points, is already certain to set its worst-ever total in the Premier League, as well as record its lowest finish.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>More important for Amorim will be protecting the 3-0 lead over Bilbao from the first leg in Spain going into the return match at Old Trafford on Thursday.One positive for United was the return from injury of winger Amad Diallo, who scored the third goal in stoppage time as the visitors came from 4-1 down but couldn't find an equalizer.A first-half goal by Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh — a former Newcastle player — looked like seeing off his old club, only for Alexander Isak to convert a late penalty.Newcastle could have climbed to third place but now is in danger of being caught by teams below in the race for a top-five finish.Newcastle is in fourth place and three points ahead of Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa.Chelsea, which hosts already-crowned champion Liverpool later Sunday, and Forest, which visits Crystal Palace on Monday, have yet to play this round.Also Sunday, West Ham drew 1-1 with Tottenham, which is also in the Europa League semifinals and beat Norwegian team Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in the first leg on Thursday.___Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

(left to right) Manchester United's Christian Eriksen, Chido Obi-Martin and Harry Amass after the Premier League match at the Gtech Community Stadium, London. Picture date: Sunday May 4, 2025.

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GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Rangers opted against giving a guard of honor for newly crowned Scottish...

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Rangers opted against giving a guard of honor for newly crowned Scottish champion Celtic ahead of the 1-1 draw between the fierce Glasgow rivals on Sunday.Celtic was playing for the first time since clinching the Scottish Premiership title last weekend to join Rangers on a national-record 55 championship crowns.Ahead of the game, interim Rangers manager Barry Ferguson had indicated there would be no guard of honor for Celtic, saying it had never happened in the past, and that ended up being the case at Ibrox.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The champions were roared onto the field by around 2,100 of their own supporters, however. It was the first time away fans were in attendance at a derby at Ibrox since the 2-2 draw in January 2023.Rangers looked well placed to follow up its victories from January and March over Celtic when Cyriel Dessers struck in the 44th minute.Celtic striker Adam Idah equalized in the 57th to make it six games in a row without a victory in all competitions for second-place Rangers, which has now won just four of its 12 games under Ferguson and none at home since Feb. 2.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - MAY 04: Rangers' Nedim Bajrami (L) and Celtic's Greg Taylor get into a heated exchange during a William Hill Premiership match between Rangers and Celtic at Ibrox Stadium, on May 04, 2025, in Glasgow, Scotland.

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McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — Scottie Scheffler’s comfortable lead at his hometown CJ Cup Byron Nelson w...

McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — Scottie Scheffler’s comfortable lead at his hometown CJ Cup Byron Nelson was the same late in the third round as it was at the start, even without the dominance the top-ranked player showed over the first 36 holes.Then he found that form again, and made a big lead even bigger at 23 under while finishing after sunset Saturday night.Scheffler has an eight-shot lead after a 5-under 66 capped by birdies on three of the final five holes — the last on the par-5 18th more than 13 hours after the day began with about half the field needing to complete the second round, including 18 players who hadn’t even started. There was a six-hour weather delay Friday.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Erik von Rooyen (65), Adam Schenk (65) and Ricky Castillo (67) are 15 under, with Kurt Kitiyama (68) and Jhonattan Vegas (67) another shot back.Scheffler had his first two bogeys of the tournament and was 2 under for the day through 13 holes after missing the PGA Tour record for the lowest 36-hole score by one shot at 124 (18 under). His six-shot lead after two rounds was a Nelson record.At the short par-4 14th, Scheffler drove the green before settling for a tap-in birdie, then put his tee shot at the long par-3 15th inside four feet for another birdie.The horn for darkness had already sounded after Scheffler, Castillo and Sam Stevens teed off on 18 when the group in front was still in the fairway but cleared them to hit to try to save time. The players had the option to finish.Scheffler couldn’t see his second shot from the rough after impact, but it reached the green. He two-putted from 31 feet for the biggest 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour since Rory McIroy also led by eight on the way to winning the 2011 U.S. Open.“I saw it take off the way I wanted it to,” Scheffler said of his approach on 18. “But after that, I couldn’t see that far. Really, I’d say the most challenging part was reading a green.”Van Rooyen was in the rough beside the green on 18 in two shots and looking for another birdie that would have matched the low around of the day, only to need four strokes from there for a bogey.“The rough was quite thin, so I thought I could scoot the ball through it,” van Rooyen said. “I didn’t the first time. Then it came out dead the second time as well. So I just got it wrong.”Schenk, who had missed six consecutive cuts coming into the Nelson, left with a similar feeling on his matching 65 after a bogey on 15 stalled his momentum at the TPC Craig Ranch course in the Dallas suburbs.Stevens started the day alone in second behind Scheffler, and was the only remaining player without a bogey when he had four in a five-hole stretch. The native of nearby Fort Worth was among five players at 13 under after a 70. That group included Antoine Rozner, who had the low around of the day at 63.Jordan Spieth, Scheffler’s fellow Dallas resident and former University of Texas golfer, shot a second consecutive 67 and is 10 under. He was the first of the two to make his tour debut in the Nelson when he contended on Sunday as a 16-year-old in 2010.Scheffler’s first appearance was four years later, and it will take a massive turn of events for him not to be the first of the good friends to win perhaps their favorite event. He’s set to become the first high school golfer from Dallas to win the Nelson since Scott Verplank in 2007. He could also become the third wire-to-wire winner in the history of the tournament after Mark Hayes (1976) and Tom Watson (1980).“I mean, I just walked off the golf course,” Scheffler said in the darkness of a post-round interview. “Tomorrow is not really a concern of mine right now.”Scheffler’s first bogey came at the par-3 fourth hole, when his tee shot came up short and he missed a 7-footer for par. The two-time Masters winner missed five fairways after missing a total of six the first two rounds.“I definitely wasn’t as sharp as I was the last two days, but overall I posted a pretty good score,” Scheffler said. “Over a 72-hole tournament, you’re going to have days, or typically at least one day where your swing’s not firing on all cylinders like it was the first two days. It’s all about how you battle through that.”___AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

MCKINNEY, TEXAS - MAY 03: Scottie Scheffler of the United States walks to the first green during the third round of THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson 2025 at TPC Craig Ranch on May 03, 2025 in McKinney, Texas.

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NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — League-leading goal scorer Marie Poulin recorded two goals - the first 11 sec...

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — League-leading goal scorer Marie Poulin recorded two goals - the first 11 seconds in - and the Montreal Victoire clinched the PWHL’s top seed to the playoffs by holding off the New York Sirens 3-2 on Saturday.The Victoire (11-8-7-3) received help in gaining the top seed when Ottawa beat Toronto 2-1 in overtime earlier in the day. Toronto needed to beat Ottawa and have New York win for the Sceptres to secure the top seed.On Sunday, Montreal will choose its opening-round playoff opponent — either three-seed Ottawa or No. 4-seed and defending champion Minnesota. Toronto, the second seed, will play the other team.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Following Poulin’s immediate goal, Montreal’s Catherine Dubois scored at 4:04 in the first period for a two-goal advantage. Poulin closed the scoring for the Victoire at 11:21 in the second period. She finished with 19 goals this season.New York’s Sarah Fillier scored at 2:39 in the third, and Alex Carpenter scored with 17 seconds left to get the Sirens within a goal.After pulling its goalie, New York kept the pressure on with a player advantage and Montreal never managed to clear the puck. The game ended with the puck trapped in a scrum of players behind the Montreal net.___AP women’s hockey: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey">https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey</a>

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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Max Verstappen celebrated the birth of his first child with a pole-win...

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Max Verstappen celebrated the birth of his first child with a pole-winning run at the Miami Grand Prix.The four-time defending Formula 1 champion edged Lando Norris of McLaren by .065 seconds to take the top starting spot for Sunday's race. It was a rebound for Verstappen, who was penalized earlier Saturday in the sprint race and finished 17th.“It's been a great qualifying, it worked out well and I'm very happy to be on pole,” Verstappen said of his 43rd career pole. It is his third pole through six races this season and second consecutive.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Miami GP Qualifying 🇺🇸" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-198Qg" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/198Qg/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="854" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}();
</script></figure>It wasn't the result Norris hoped for from F1's newest father. There's a myth that having children can slow drivers because they suddenly become a bit more conservative. Verstappen and his partner, Kelly Piquet, announced the birth of a baby girl on Friday.“Nod to Max, especially being a dad now,” Norris said. “I was hoping it was going to slow him down a little bit, but it clearly didn't.”Verstappen agreed.“Clearly it didn't make me slower, being a dad. We can throw that out the window for people mentioning it,” he said. And although he didn't reveal when Lily was born, he indicated the reason he skipped Thursday activities in Miami was to “spend a few days at home to make sure everything is OK.”He also said the myth that parenthood can change a driver's style is ridiculous.“I don't really listen to these kinds of silly things, you know,” Verstappen said. “I just do my thing. There are enough racing drivers in the past that they became world champion after having kids. I don't even know where that (myth) comes from.”Norris is both the defending race winner — his Miami victory last year was the first of his F1 career and ended Verstappen's two-year winning streak at Hard Rock Stadium — and the winner of Saturday's sprint race.Kimi Antonelli, who at 18 years old became F1's youngest pole winner in history when he started first in Saturday's sprint race, qualified third for Mercedes. It is the first time he qualified higher than teammate George Russell, who was fifth behind current F1 points leader Oscar Piastri of McLaren.Williams qualified sixth and seventh with Carlos Sainz Jr. and Alex Albon, while Charles Leclerc rebounded from crashing before the sprint race started to qualify eighth. He did not compete in the sprint race as his team worked to repair his Ferrari in time for qualifying.Esteban Ocon qualified ninth for Haas and Yuki Tsunoda was 10th to give Red Bull both its cars in points-paying position.Lewis Hamilton failed to carry momentum from his third-place finish in the sprint race held four hours before qualifying as the Ferrari driver was eliminated in the second round. His 12th-place effort was his lowest qualifying run since joining his new team.“I don’t feel in my heart that I’m — I mean, as I said, I’m trying everything, we’re trying everything, I mean like the smallest, the smallest (margin) of time today I was out,” Hamilton said. “It doesn’t make a huge difference, but the fact is, you know, we are trying.”It rained early Saturday — hard enough to delay the sprint race — and the forecast calls for more weather issues on Sunday. The uncertainty on if it will be a wet or dry race has made it impossible for drivers to predict how the event will unfold.___AP auto racing: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing">https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing</a>

MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 03: Pole position qualifier Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing receives his Pirelli Pole Position award from Brunello Cucinelli, CEO of luxury brand Brunello Cucinelli during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 03, 2025 in Miami, Florida.

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FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Austin Cindric will start on the second row for the NASCAR Cup race at T...

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Austin Cindric will start on the second row for the NASCAR Cup race at Texas after a week of celebrating a win at Talladega and a lot of attention paid to an expletive-laden radio rant directed toward him by his own teammate during Team Penske's first win of the season.There also was the conversation with Joey Logano, who was furious midway through the race when he didn't get the help he needed in his Ford from Cindric, which allowed rival Toyota driver Bubba Wallace to win the second stage and earn valuable bonus points.“Definitely needed, right? I mean, I think you’ve got to talk about that. You’ve got to talk about what happened on track. I think that’s a lot more of the substance of the conversation,” Cindric said Saturday.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"I feel like I’ve got pretty thick skin, and I also feel like I know Joey fairly well, so I’m not overly concerned or have too many emotions at all about what was said," he said. "But I think for us, sorting out where we both stood on track and what we can do in the future to be better there and capitalize on those opportunities.”They are back on the track Sunday at Texas, the 1 1/2-mile track where Cindric qualified third for the 11th Cup race this season.“All good for me, man,” Cindric said when asked if the teammates were good.Carson Hocevar earned his first Cup pole with a qualifying lap of 191.659 mph in the Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. The 22-year-old Hocevar is the youngest pole winner ever at Texas Motor Speedway, which will host its 45th Cup race. His 56th career Cup race will start on the front row with Cup points leader William Byron (191.564 mph), also in a Chevy.Cindric ran a qualifying lap of 191.523 mph. Logano will start 27th, two spots ahead of defending race champion Chase Elliott.Logano said this week that he probably “spouted out” more than he should have against his teammate during the Talladega race, and that it came in the heat of the moment.Among the reactions this week was Baseball Hall of Famer Chipper Jones criticizing reigning NASCAR champion Logano in a series of social media posts. Jones congratulated Cindric, called Logano selfish and celebrated Logano being disqualified for failing postrace inspection.Cindric said he knows who the former Atlanta Braves slugger is even though he doesn't follow much baseball.“But to have something like that with eyes on our sport, a Hall of Famer is really cool,” Cindric said. “The rest of it’s a lot of noise. But it’s cool to have someone like that behind me.”As for that Braves cap Cindric keeps in his truck, that isn't about being a fan of the MLB team, and he didn't wear it at all this week.“Well, the funny thing is, that’s like my neutral hat ... because I don’t want to walk around like advertising, ‘Hey, I’m a NASCAR driver’ if I can help it,” he said. “So it’s usually either that or my Colts (cap) that I snag in my truck.”Chase and Hendrick at TexasChase Elliott left Texas last spring with his first victory after 42 races and 18 months without one. He is back with another long winless drought, this one 37 races and nearly 13 months since crossing the finish line under caution after taking the white flag as the leader there.“Definitely not a conversation you want to be having, but nonetheless, I think we’ve been going in the right direction,” said Elliott, who is fourth in the NASCAR Cup standings, with six top-10 finishes and none outside the top 20.The sport’s most popular driver shouldn’t be hard to find on the track Sunday, when he will drive a gold car to help NAPA Auto Parts mark its 100th year as a company. NAPA has been his primary sponsor since he was racing in the Xfinity Series in 2014.Elliott's win last year was the eighth at Texas for Hendrick Motorsports, twice as many as any other team.Hendrick has won three of the last four there with different drivers each time. William Byron won the track’s last fall race in 2023, two years after Kyle Larson won a playoff race and the non-points All-Star race.“It’s not the best race track, but it’s unique enough that it’s different and it’s a challenge. There’s that positivity to it. They didn’t do a good job with the remodel of it,” Larson said, referring to a 2017 total repave with significant changes to Turns 1 and 2. “I mean you can still have success somewhere and not love it. But, yeah, I don’t hate it either.”Odds and EndsLarson at +375 is the betting favorite to win Sunday, per BetMGM Sportsbook, followed by Byron at +600 and Tyler Reddick at +700. ... Kyle Busch’s 35th race at Texas will come two days after his 40th birthday. He has four wins at Texas, where he has led in 20 different races overall, a track record. His 1,069 laps led are second only to Jimmie Johnson’s 1,152.___AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 26: Joey Logano (#22 Team Penske Shell Pennzoil Ford) talks with Austin Cindric (#2 Team Penske Menards/Quaker State Ford) during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link's 500 on April 26, 2025 at Talladega SuperSpeedway in Talladega, AL.

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JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia won its first AFC Champions League Elite titl...

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia won its first AFC Champions League Elite title after beating Kawasaki Frontale of Japan 2-0 in the final on Saturday.The star-studded Jeddah team, playing at home in front of 60,000 fans at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, deserved what was a comfortable victory and completed an unbeaten tournament.First-half goals from Galeno and Franck Kessie put the two-time beaten finalist in control against the five-time Japanese champion.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Al-Ahli was on top early and made the breakthrough after 35 minutes. Roberto Firmino fed Galeno outside the area and the Brazilian winger, signed from Porto in January for around $55 million, curled a shot into the top corner.Three minutes before the break, Firmino, who went on to be named as the tournament's most valuable player, crossed from the right for Kessie, and the former AC Milan and Barcelona midfielder headed home from close range.Kawasaki, which knocked out Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr in the semifinals to reach its first final, pressured after the restart but struggled to create clear chances against a team full of big-game experience.Firmino, signed from Liverpool in 2023, is a past UEFA Champions League winner, as are team-mates Riyad Mahrez and Edouard Mendy, who lifted the trophy with Manchester City and Chelsea respectively.Mahrez, with nine goals in the tournament, came close to adding a third late in the final, firing just wide.The home fans were already celebrating."We are so proud. Once we knew that the final eight would be in Jeddah, it was our goal to be champions in front of our fans," Al-Ahli goalkeeper Mendy said."Since I came here 18 months ago, they have supported us so much. As I said when I signed, it was to make history, to win trophies and to make this club as big as it was before."Al-Ahli is the third Saudi club to win the Champions League after Jeddah rival Al-Ittihad and Riyadh's Al-Hilal.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - MAY 03: Roberto Firmino of Al-Ahli Saudi lifts The AFC Champions League Elite trophy after his teams 2-0 victory following the AFC Champions League Elite Final between Al Ahli and Kawasaki Frontale at the King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium on May 03, 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

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