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Nebraska rewards men's basketball assistants for its best season in history with contract extensions

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg announced Tuesday that assistants Nate Loenser, Ernie Zeigler and Pat Monaghan and general manager Luca Virgilio have signed contract extensions following the best season in program history.

Hoiberg, the Associated Press national coach of the year, also named Loenser associate head coach. Contract terms were not immediately announced.

The Cornhuskers finished 28-7 overall, tied for second in the Big Ten at 15-5 and beat Troy for their first-ever NCAA Tournament win and then Vanderbilt to reach the Sweet 16. They were No. 14 in the final AP Top 25.

“The success our program had this year is really a testament to the efforts of our entire staff, and it is important to reward them for all of their work,” Hoiberg said. “The work they pour into our players is evident in their development in our program. Nate, Ernie and Luca have been vital over the last four years in helping us build a winning culture and enjoy sustained success that Nebraska basketball has not seen in a long time."

Loenser, who coordinates the defense, just completed his fifth season on the staff. Zeigler, who works with the offense and plays a major role in game planning, has been at Nebraska four seasons. Monaghan, who joined the staff in April 2025, assists in player development, game planning and recruiting.

Virgilio, who has been with Hoiberg all seven seasons at Nebraska, is in charge of roster management and retention.

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PGA Tour winter schedule for 2027 looks like this year. The mystery is Florida

The Zurich Classic of New Orleans is the latest PGA Tour event to announce its dates for a 2027 season that is looking to be similar to this year, minus Hawaii.

The American Express in La Quinta, California, is set for the third full week in January again. The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Feb. 4-7) and WM Phoenix Open (Feb. 11-14, the week of the Super Bowl) already have announced dates on their websites.

The Masters, around which the early season revolves, is April 8-11, and again will be followed by the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town and the Zurich Classic.

The mystery remains Florida, except for The Players Championship set for March 11-14. Adding to the intrigue was the return of Doral to the schedule, which looked nothing like the Doral of old except for all the water on the course and airliners descending on nearby Miami International Airport.

Five of the top 15 players in the world were missing from the Cadillac Championship, as were the fans that used to pack the Blue Monster even when Tiger Woods wasn't winning. The PGA Tour was last at Doral in 2016. LIV Golf was there the last four years and had better crowds.

It didn't help the Cadillac Championship that Formula 1 was in Miami last weekend and attracted some 275,000 spectators over three days. The weather was dodgy on Sunday, and Cameron Young eliminated any suspense with his six-shot win.

It's looking more likely that big changes to the PGA Tour won't be ready until 2028. Still to be determined is how soon the PGA Tour will act to move the Cadillac Championship back to the Florida swing that leads to the Masters.

Florida currently has four tournaments — the Cognizant Classic at PGA National, the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, The Players and the Valspar Championship, which gets a good field despite a bad date because Innisbrook is such a proper test.

Is there room for Doral? That's more moving parts for the PGA Tour to figure out.

CEO Brian Rolapp didn't have answers last August when he announced a schedule of two majors and three signature events in a six-week span. He said of Doral, “I think we’re looking forward to bringing that back as a PGA Tour tradition.”

It clearly doesn't have much tradition the first weekend in May.

Nelly Korda and Coca-Cola

Fresh off back-to-back wins and a return to No. 1 in the world, Nelly Korda raised her profile even more with a playful appearance Monday on “The Pat McAfee Show.” That's when she revealed how Coca-Cola helped her develop that sweet golf swing.

McAfee asked how often she made changes, and Korda gave credit to longtime coach David Whelan for building her swing. She also said her father, Grand Slam tennis champion Petr Korda, played an important role.

“My parents spent so many hours with me, just working on tempo. That is the one thing they ingrained in my brain,” Korda said. “And my dad always referred to Coca-Cola.”

She moved her arms back for “Coca” and forward for “Cola.”

“It was super simple, but it was the key to have a very fluid swing,” Korda said.

She also allowed one more secret on the turnaround this year when she said, “I have higher shoes.”

“I’m trying to actually get closer to the ground with my chest,” Korda said. “I actually get a little bit steeper in my swing and I can hinge a little faster. So it’s just literally the smallest of things. But yeah, golfers are crazy. I’m crazy, just to let you know.”

Rose and Poulter going with McLaren irons

Justin Rose made a big switch and then set himself up for an easy punch line. He became the first global ambassador for McLaren Golf, the company best known for its Formula 1 race cars. He used McLaren irons at the Cadillac Championship and then got off to quite the slow start.

He was 21 shots behind after three rounds, closed with a 68 and beat two players in the 72-man field. One tournament is no measure, of course. But it's a bold move for Rose and McLaren, which has promised to “push the boundaries of equipment design and manufacturing.”

Rose says the clubs were performing well on the range, though he expects a refinement period.

He has been down this road before. Rose was No. 1 in the world when he left for Honma, winning within weeks at Torrey Pines but then falling out of the top 10 just over a year later. He left Honma 16 months into the deal.

Rose isn't the only player switching to McLaren. Ian Poulter, himself a lover of fast cars, had the McLaren irons in his bag at LIV Golf Virginia.

US Open spot up for grabs at LIV Golf

LIV Golf’s first tournament on U.S. soil this week also comes with a spot available in the U.S. Open.

Joaquin Niemann already secured one spot from LIV by finishing among the top three in last year’s points race. Another spot is available for the leading player from the top three in points on May 18, and LIV Golf Virginia is the last event before that cutoff.

Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau are set as U.S. Open champions in the last 10 years. The final spot is a close race with Thomas Detry holding down third place by 0.86 points over Elvis Smylie. Lurking and very much in range is Anthony Kim at No. 5, who is just over 14 points behind. Finishing 10th is worth 21 points, as an example.

The British Open offers one spot to the leading player not already in the field from the standings through LIV Golf Andalucia on June 7. The cutoff originally was Louisiana at the end of June, but that event has been postponed for now.

Koepka and Srixon end relationship

Brooks Koepka is back to being a free agent in the equipment market.

Koepka didn't have an equipment deal when Nike got out of the business of clubs and golf balls until he signed with Dunlop-owned Srixon in late 2021. He joined LIV Golf the next year, but then won the PGA Championship in 2023 at Oak Hill.

Dunlop Sports announced last week they had mutually agreed to end their contract.

“Over the course of their relationship, Brooks served as an exceptional ambassador for the Srixon and Cleveland Golf brands,” said a statement on the company’s website. “His commitment to competing at the highest level of the game, including a major championship victory with Srixon and Cleveland Golf equipment in play, exemplifies the performance standard both brands stand for."

The first sign of the deal ending came in late February when Koepka began using the Titleist Pro V1x golf ball. Koepka is playing the Myrtle Beach Classic this week.

Women’s TGL gets 6 more players and a logo

Three-time major champion Minjee Lee is among six women who have joined the indoor WTGL that starts later this year. The tech-infused league playing in SoFi Center also revealed Tuesday a logo — a red “

The logo was unveiled Monday for WTGL players in the field for the Mizuho Americas Open in New Jersey. The other players to join are Celine Boutier, Andrea Lee, Megan Khang, Danielle Kang and Albane Valenzuela.

WTGL now has 14 commitments from players, which includes five of the top 10 in the world, along with Michelle Wie West. Still not included for the inaugural season is top-ranked Nelly Korda.

Stat of the week

Scottie Scheffler has earned $6.75 million in his last three tournaments without winning. He was runner-up in the Masters, the RBC Heritage and the Cadillac Championship.

Final word

“Yes, I am living my best life, for sure. But golf also humbles you, so I know that I need to enjoy these moments.” — Nelly Korda after winning her second straight tournament at the Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

New Packers DC Jonathan Gannon says he will adjust his scheme to suit players' strengths

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — New Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon says he doesn’t consider himself a “huge rah-rah guy,” but there’s one point the former Arizona Cardinals coach is trying to make sure he gets across.

This is his message: You are under no obligation to be the person you were five minutes ago.

“I said it for the players, but it’s for us, too,” Gannon said Monday during his first media session since taking this job three months ago. “And what that’s basically saying is grow and adapt and get better. And if we all have that mindset and can continually stick to the process, we’ll get better.”

That adaptability is apparent from Gannon’s schematic approach.

The Packers had run a 4-3 defense during Jeff Hafley’s two years as coordinator before the Miami Dolphins hired him as their coach. Green Bay previously had utilized a 3-4 alignment under Joe Barry, the Packers’ defensive coordinator from 2021-23.

Gannon says he wants to adjust his scheme to reflect the strengths of his personnel.

“I don’t really get caught up in 4-3, 3-4,” Gannon said. “We’re an NFL-style defense hopefully, right? I just believe that you’ve got to be, you’ve got to continually every year try to adapt and solve problems and really with your guys in mind.”

Gannon has some specific principles he likes to utilize, but he said he’s not going to force a defense to do something that doesn’t suit its players’ talents.

“We’ve got to put them in the best positions possible, that they feel comfortable that they can go out and play the game,” Gannon said. “Before scheme, I truly believe it’s not what you play, it’s how you play.”

Gannon comes to Green Bay after an unsuccessful head coaching stint. He went 15-36 at Arizona before getting fired late in his third season.

Before going to Arizona, Gannon had a productive two seasons as the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator. The Eagles reached the Super Bowl, ranked second in the league in total defense and had a franchise-record 70 sacks — 15 more than any other NFL team — in Gannon’s final season with them.

Gannon described the interview process with Packers coach Matt LaFleur and how it made him eager to join his Green Bay staff.

“I think Matt’s a savant, so he can go from topic to topic to topic, and you’ve got to be pretty wired up or you’ll fall behind pretty quick,” Gannon said. “It was intense. I was sweating. I was in a coat and tie, and I think I was sweating a little bit. It was fun. It was fun. I got home off the plane and I told my wife, Gina, I said, ‘This is where I want to go.’"

Gannon takes over a defense that ranked 12th in yards allowed per game (311.8), ninth in yards allowed per play (5.0) and 11th in points allowed per game (21.2) last season. That defense wasn’t the same after All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons tore his anterior cruciate ligament, an injury that occurred during the first of Green Bay’s five straight losses to end the season.

Parsons has said he hopes to be back for the start of the 2026 season, but has indicated a Week 3 or Week 4 return is more likely. Gannon believes Green Bay’s defense has plenty of other productive players to go along with Parsons.

“It’s a good mix of some younger players, (and) we’ve got some vets that are some really good players — that sweet spot,” Gannon said. “(Safety Xavier) McKinney, you think he’s been playing forever because he’s such a high performing vet, but he’s still pretty young. And then you got some guys that are younger and in their first contract that have played really good football.”

Green Bay’s defense has some new faces who are familiar with Gannon. Linebacker Zaire Franklin began his NFL career in Indianapolis when Gannon was coaching the Colts’ defensive backs. Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave had a career-high 11 sacks as part of Gannon’s Philadelphia defense in 2022.

Gannon knows the type of defense he wants to see. He believes the Packers have the pieces in place to play that style, no matter how they line up.

“I think that’s what a good defense looks like — a fast, violent, physical team that takes the ball away,” Gannon said.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Former employee of Stefon Diggs to take the stand for a second day in NFL player's assault trial

BOSTON (AP) — A woman who worked as a live-in chef for Stefon Diggs and is accusing the former New England Patriots wide receiver of assault is expected to continue her testimony Tuesday at his trial, marked the first day by sharply conflicting accounts of what happened inside his home.

Jamila Adams, who goes by “Mila,” testified Monday that Diggs slapped her and choked her during a dispute in December, leaving her struggling to breathe. Diggs’ attorney told jurors the attack never happened.

Adams told jurors that Diggs “smacked me with an open hand” before wrapping his arm around her neck. She described what she called a “complicated” employment dynamic, saying their relationship had previously been sexual, although not at the time of the alleged assault. She lived in his home, preparing meals and snacks, and had known Diggs for more than four years at the time she alleges that he attacked her.

Defense attorney Andrew Kettlewell said there was no evidence of an assault, noting that no one else in the house reported seeing or hearing anything unusual and that there were no medical records, photos or video documenting injuries. He also suggested Adams had a financial motive, telling jurors they would hear evidence she sought money from Diggs after reporting the incident.

Prosecutors say the case centers on what happened on Dec. 2, when they allege Diggs entered Adams’ bedroom, slapped her and put her in a headlock that made it difficult to breathe.

Diggs, 33, has pleaded not guilty to a felony strangulation charge and a misdemeanor assault and battery charge. A jury was seated Monday in Norfolk County District Court in Dedham.

Brunson and the Knicks host Philadelphia with 1-0 series lead

Philadelphia 76ers (45-37, seventh in the Eastern Conference) vs. New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference)

New York; Wednesday, 7 p.m. EDT

LINE: Knicks -6.5; over/under is 215

EASTERN CONFERENCE SECOND ROUND: Knicks lead series 1-0

BOTTOM LINE: The New York Knicks host the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference second round with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Knicks won the last meeting 137-98 on Tuesday, led by 35 points from Jalen Brunson. Paul George led the 76ers with 17.

The Knicks are 14-3 against opponents in the Atlantic Division. New York averages 116.5 points and has outscored opponents by 6.4 points per game.

The 76ers are 9-7 in division matchups. Philadelphia ranks eighth in the Eastern Conference scoring 50.1 points per game in the paint led by Tyrese Maxey averaging 14.0.

The Knicks score 116.5 points per game, 0.4 more points than the 116.1 the 76ers allow. The 76ers score 5.8 more points per game (115.9) than the Knicks give up (110.1).

TOP PERFORMERS: Brunson is scoring 26.0 points per game with 3.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists for the Knicks. Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 16.7 points and 9.6 rebounds while shooting 58.1% over the last 10 games.

Quentin Grimes is shooting 45.0% and averaging 13.4 points for the 76ers. George is averaging 3.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Knicks: 7-3, averaging 116.4 points, 42.0 rebounds, 25.7 assists, 9.2 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 51.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 101.1 points per game.

76ers: 6-4, averaging 105.5 points, 41.9 rebounds, 21.2 assists, 6.5 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 44.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.3 points.

INJURIES: Knicks: None listed.

76ers: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Duran hits 3-run homer, Tolle pitches 7 innings as Red Sox rally past Tigers 5-4

DETROIT (AP) — Payton Tolle pitched seven innings of two-run ball, Jarren Duran hit a three-run home run and the Boston Red Sox used a five-run seventh inning to beat the Detroit Tigers 5-4 on Monday night.

Tolle (1-1) struck out eight, giving up two runs, one hit and a walk to help the Red Sox take the opener of the series and earn his first win of the season.

Aroldis Chapman pitched a hitless ninth for his seventh save of the season and 373rd of his career.

Duran went 3 for 5 and drove in three runs, and Wilyer Abreu and Marcelo Mayer both finished with RBIs in a 12-hit night for Boston.

The Tigers opened the scoring in the sixth inning on Matt Vierling's two-run single. Vierling reached on a fielder’s choice after third baseman Andruw Monasterio overthrew the catcher, scoring Colt Keith and Jahmai Jones for a 2-0 lead.

Duran responded in the seventh with a three-run homer to the opposite field wall that put the Red Sox up 3-2. His homer was the Red Sox’s first opposite-field home run since April 1. Abreu followed with his RBI single, and Mayer drove Abreu in with a single of his own for a 5-2 Boston lead.

Detroit pulled within a run in the eighth after Dillon Dingler doubled to score Keith and Vierling, but that capped the game's scoring. The inning was also delayed by lightning for 25 minutes.

Ricky Vanasco (0-1) took the loss after giving up four runs in two-thirds of an inning.

Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony left the game in his first at-bat with right wrist discomfort. Masataka Yoshida replaced Anthony in left field.

Up Next

RHP Brayan Bello (1-4, 9.12 ERA) gets the start for Boston while LHP Framber Valdez (2-1, 3.35 ERA) takes the mound for the Tigers in the second game of the series.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Ryan Vilade hits a 3-run homer and the Rays beat the Blue Jays 5-1 for their 4th straight win

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Ryan Vilade hit a three-run homer in the first inning, Taylor Walls added a two-run single in the sixth and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 on Monday night.

Tampa Bay has won four straight games and 10 of its last 11.

Jonathan Aranda went 3 for 5 with a run scored — a day after delivering a game-ending single in the 10th to cap a 4-for-5 afternoon and complete a three-game sweep of the Giants.

Vilade hit the first pitch he saw 413 feet to give Tampa Bay a 3-0 lead. It was the Rays' first three-run shot this year and 30th homer overall.

Vilade's only other major league homer came in 2024 with Detroit.

Walls singled to left field with two outs and the bases loaded in the sixth to make it 5-1.

Nick Martinez (3-1), who entered third in the AL and fifth in the majors with a 1.70 ERA through six starts, struck out four in five innings while allowing just one run. Bryan Baker came on for three pitches in the ninth to get his ninth save.

Eric Lauer (1-4) permitted three runs and five hits over 4 1/3 innings.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up his 16th RBI on a single in the third to trim Tampa Bay’s lead to 3-1. Yohendrick Pinango had three hits and scored a run.

Toronto dropped to 6-11 on the road this season and 4-8 in series openers.

Up next

Toronto RHP Kevin Gausman (2-2, 3.10 ERA), who leads current Blue Jays pitchers with 26 career games against Tampa Bay, is scheduled to start Tuesday versus Rays RHP Drew Rasmussen (2-1, 2.64).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Harper hits his 7th homer, Nola works 6 strong innings as the Phillies beat the Marlins 1-0

MIAMI (AP) — Bryce Harper had a homer, double and single, Aaron Nola worked six strong innings and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Miami Marlins 1-0 on Monday night.

Adolis García had two hits for the Phillies, who took three of four games in Miami and improved to 6-1 under interim manager Don Mattingly.

Nola (2-3) bounced back from two consecutive difficult outings, scattering five hits and striking out five. The right-hander gave up 11 runs and 13 hits over a combined nine innings in his last two appearances.

Tanner Banks relieved Nola and got the three outs in the seventh. José Alvarado followed with a perfect eighth. Closer Brad Keller pitched the ninth around two singles and earned his second save.

Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs threw out Jakob Marsee in the third inning and Otto López in the fourth on stolen base attempts. It was the first time Stubbs has thrown out two base runners in a game.

Harper put the Phillies on the board with his homer in the third. He drove a sweeper from Marlins starter Janson Junk (2-3) an estimated 393 feet over the wall in right-center for his seventh homer.

The Marlins had their first runner reach scoring position against Nola in the sixth when Marsee hit a one-out single and advanced on a groundout. Marsee then advanced on a wild pitch before Nola retired López on a groundout to end the threat.

Junk was lifted after 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball. He gave up five hits and struck out six.

Marlins rookie catcher Joe Mack went 0 for 3 in his major league debut. Mack, rated the No. 5 catching prospect in the major leagues, was recalled from Triple-A on Monday.

Up next

Phillies: LHP Cristopher Sánchez (2-2, 2.90 ERA) will start the opener of a three-game home series against the Athletics on Tuesday. RHP Luis Severino (2-2, 4.46 ERA) will start for the Athletics.

Marlins: Open a three-game home series against Baltimore on Tuesday with RHP Sandy Alcantara (3-2, 3.04) scheduled to start against Orioles RHP Chris Bassitt (2-2, 5.46).

John Chayka faces harsh questions while being introduced as Maple Leafs GM

TORONTO (AP) — Mats Sundin is the Toronto Maple Leafs franchise icon rejoining the Original Six organization as part of their remade front office.

He was not the focus of his introductory news conference.

The succession of rapid-fire questions came for John Chayka as he took over as general manager and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment president and CEO Keith Pelley, who hired them. The news conference was pointed and at times uncomfortable.

Chayka's work in the league as GM of the Arizona Coyotes was under intense focus. They were docked two draft picks for broken rules before the analytics-focused executive was suspended by commissioner Gary Bettman for seeking employment from other teams while still under contract with the cost-conscious team.

“I’ve made decisions I’m proud of, and I’ve also made mistakes that I’ve learned from,” Chayka, out of the league since 2020, said in his opening remarks. “I’m human. I own all of it, and I’m better because of it.”

Chayka was the youngest GM in NHL history a decade ago and is now 36. The Coyotes' 300 standings points during his tenure rank him 127th all time at the position.

“Arizona was a really complicated situation,” Chayka said. “It was the biggest challenge I ever took on in my life, and it was honestly the hardest thing I ever did, and also in a lot of ways the most rewarding.”

Pelley was then challenged on Chayka’s resume before another reporter asked why the Arizona indiscretions didn’t raise red flags in what was described as a “comprehensive” search.

“It was deep due diligence,” Pelley said. “I’m quite happy with where we landed.”

Chayka, who started a hockey analytics company before working for the Coyotes and has a number of business interests, was asked following the formal news conference why he’s viewed so negatively in some league circles.

“Maybe I didn’t value relationships as much as I should have in the human connection,” he said. “That was (age) 26, and now I’m 36. I have three kids, married. “Life evolves and changes. ... So do I.”

Sundin, who played 13 of his 18 NHL seasons with Toronto, including a decade as captain, was named senior executive adviser of hockey operations. The 55-year-old Swede has never held a management role in the sport.

Pelley said Chayka will run the hockey operations, but big decisions will be a collaborative process that will include Sundin.

“This is the hockey capital of the world,” Sundin said. “We've got to do everything we can to get a winning team there and make (fans) proud.”

The pair takes over with the Maple Leafs at a crossroads after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016. GM Brad Treliving was fired, and Chayka said he was open to keeping Craig Berube as coach after briefly speaking with him.

“Respected leader,” Chayka said. “Tremendous coach.”

Toronto will also have to decide on a path forward — Chayka wouldn’t commit on a potential rebuild — with captain and star center Auston Matthews, who is signed for two more seasons.

“It is our job to sell him on what we’re capable of and reaching the ultimate goal,” said Chayka, who has known Sundin since 2012 when he was still in university. “I know that that’s what’s most important to him.”

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Giants call up top prospect Bryce Eldridge to try to jolt a sputtering offense

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants called up top prospect Bryce Eldridge on Monday to help boost their sputtering offense.

Eldridge was the designated hitter batting in the No. 7 slot in manager Tony Vitello’s lineup for Monday night’s game against the San Diego Padres.

After going 0-6 at Philadelphia and Tampa Bay, San Francisco failed to hit a home run on a road trip of six games or more for the first time since 2008. The Giants are hoping Eldridge will provide a spark that has been missing all season.

This is Eldridge’s second stint in the majors. He hit .107 (3 for 28) and had four RBIs in 10 games with San Francisco last year, and struck out 13 times and had seven walks. The 21-year-old first baseman/DH was hitting .333 with five homers and 22 RBIs with a .518 slugging percentage and .963 OPS in 30 games for Triple-A Sacramento in the Pacific Coast League.

Eldridge was the 16th overall pick by the Giants in the 2023 amateur draft out of James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia.

The Giants entered Monday with a .243 team batting average, with the struggles coming throughout the lineup. Second baseman Luis Arraez and utilityman Casey Schmitt had identical .308 averages, but were the only players on the roster batting above .300. Schmitt is also the only Giants player with more than three home runs.

Key veterans such as first baseman Rafael Devers (.214, 43 strikeouts), shortstop Willy Adames (.195), third baseman Matt Chapman (.246, one home run) and catcher Patrick Bailey (.152, one home run) have not played up to expectations.

The Giants also called up pitcher Trevor McDonald and catcher Jesús Rodriguez from Sacramento. To make room, outfielder Jerar Encarnacion was designated for assignment, reliever Erik Miller (back strain) was placed on the 15-day injury list and outfielder Will Brennan was optioned to Sacramento.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Colts QB Richardson shows up for offseason workouts, AP source says

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Quarterback Anthony Richardson made an appearance at the Indianapolis Colts' voluntary offseason workouts Monday, a person with knowledge of his attendance told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because team attendance is not typically released publicly. Richardson had been working out in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, when the Colts began the workouts as his agent searched for a trade partner.

It's yet another twist in Richardson's four-year career, which began with the former Florida star being taken with the No. 4 overall draft pick in 2023.

The selection made Richardson a clear-cut choice to become the long-term answer at a position that had been a revolving door since Andrew Luck's surprise retirement in August 2019.

Richardson got off to a strong start by beating out Gardner Minshew II for the starting job in training camp and he became the seventh different opening day starter for the Colts in seven years. Since then, not much else has gone right for Richardson.

He started only three more games that season and finished only two of the four games he appeared in before suffering a season-ending injury to his throwing shoulder.

When Richardson returned in 2024, he struggled with his accuracy and health. He completed only 47.7% of his throws, the lowest among the league's regular starters, missed two midseason games with an oblique injury and the final two games with a back injury.

But the defining moment of his second NFL season came in October 2024 against Houston when he took himself out of the game because he acknowledged later that he was tired.

Coach Shane Steichen responded by benching Richardson for Indy's next two games.

Still, the Colts wanted to bring in another potential starter to challenge Richardson in 2025. General manager Chris Ballard opted to sign Daniel Jones, the No. 6 overall draft pick of the New York Giants in 2019.

Jones struggled and dealt with injuries during his career with the Giants and eventually was released in November 2024 at his request. In Indy, Jones resuscitated his career by winning the starting job in camp as Richardson continued to deal with injuries and then led the Colts to a strong 11-game start.

All that ended, though, when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in December against Jacksonville.

But Richardson never got a chance to win back the job because of a freak pregame injury that resulted in a fractured orbital bone and a recovery that was slowed as he struggled to regain the eyesight in his right eye. He appeared in just two games and threw two passes in 2025 and when it became clear the Colts wanted to keep Jones off the free agent market, Richardson asked for permission to look for a trade.

Ballard has not ruled out the possibility Richardson could still be with the Colts this fall, but they did not exercise the fifth-year option that would have kept him in town through 2027.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Edwards cleared to play for Timberwolves in series opener against Spurs after expedited rehab

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards has been cleared to play Monday night against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, returning 10 days after hyperextending his left knee.

Edwards was expected to miss at least the first two games of the series in San Antonio, but the 6-foot-4 guard expedited his rehabilitation to play in the opener.

“He's in,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said.

Finch said Edwards will be on a minutes restriction.

Edwards was cleared to participate in team activities Saturday and upgraded to questionable on Sunday's injury report. He was a full participant in the morning shootaround and was cleared to play following pre-game workouts Monday.

Edwards suffered a bone bruise, in addition to hyperextending his left knee, on April 25 during Game 4 of Minnesota’s opening-round series against Denver.

The Timberwolves also lost Donte DiVicenzo in Game 4 to a torn right Achilles tendon, but won the next two games against the Nuggets to advance.

Edwards was not in attendance during Game 6 while receiving treatment for his injury.

Edwards averaged 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 61 games during the regular season. He averaged 36.7 points, 4.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds in three games against San Antonio this season.

The Timberwolves were 2-1 against the Spurs during the regular season.

San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama, named the Defensive Player of the Year on April 20, missed the opening game against Minnesota during the regular season with a left calf strain. Wembanyama averaged 34 points and 8.0 rebounds in two games against the Timberwolves, including 39 points in a 126-123 victory on Jan. 17 in the regular-season finale between the clubs.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh sitting out a 3rd straight game due to a sore right side

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh is out of the starting lineup for the third straight game with a sore right side, manager Dan Wilson said Monday.

Raleigh began experiencing soreness following Friday night’s game against the Kansas City Royals and was a late scratch on Saturday.

Raleigh said there wasn’t a specific moment Friday when he felt the injury happen and that he was “playing it safe” on the recommendation of the team’s training staff. He had on MRI on Saturday and is awaiting results.

“I think he's getting himself into a good spot," Wilson said. “He's testing himself a little more today. We'll have more information once we see how he feels after he's done some work today.”

Seattle has yet to make any decisions about whether Raleigh will be put on the injured list.

“A decision will be forthcoming here within the next day or so,” Wilson said.

Wilson didn't say if Raleigh would be available off the bench against the Atlanta Braves on Monday night.

“That kind of decision would be made closer to game time,” Wilson said.

Raleigh, who was the runner-up for AL MVP last season after hitting 60 homers and driving in 125 runs, is hitting .186 with seven homers and 18 RBIs through 33 games. After getting off to an extremely slow start at the plate, Raleigh has started to heat up, with five of his homers coming in the past 15 games.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

UConn's Geno Auriemma reflects on postgame exchange with Dawn Staley at Final Four

STORRS, Conn. (AP) — A little more than a month after Geno Auriemma’s UConn women’s basketball team’s title bid ended with a Final Four loss to South Carolina, Auriemma reflected on his heated postgame exchange with South Carolina coach Dawn Staley.

“When I walked into the locker room afterward with the coaches, you are just shaking your head, thinking five more seconds, you couldn’t keep it in for five more seconds,” Auriemma said. “You just feel dumb for the way that it played out. We are all human and we all do dumb (stuff).”

Auriemma went over to Staley in the final seconds of South Carolina’s 62-48 victory at the Final Four in Phoenix and appeared to chastise her. Coaches from both teams had to separate them. When the game finally ended, Auriemma walked off the court to the locker room without going back to shake hands with anyone from South Carolina.

Auriemma’s behavior generated more buzz than South Carolina’s impressive defensive effort that shut down a UConn team with two first-team All-Americans.

“I didn’t see a lot of it, but that is to be expected,” Auriemma said of the backlash. “I think maybe some of it was warranted and some of it was people have been lying in the weeds waiting for that moment. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done for the game; it is what you just did.

"Unfortunately, that is the world that we live in today and it usually is one-sided. The people who understood what it was all about in a different light, they are not going to go on the air and say it. They are not going to write about it because now they are going against a major internet or media frenzy; they are not going to do that. I brought the criticism on myself. I didn’t bring the (stuff) that came after it on myself.”

Auriemma compared the backlash to what might have happened if social media had been around in 1998, when he arranged for an injured Nykesha Sales to make a basket so she could set the program’s career scoring record.

“Immediately, it was the worst thing to ever happen to the game of basketball and to sports in general,” Auriemma said.

“These things that happen, you take them all with a grain of salt, understand them. I did what I did, I apologized for it and I moved on.”

His focus now is on the 2026-27 season. Despite the loss of two starters, including WNBA No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd, the Huskies figure to be one of the top title contenders again.

Transfers Serah Williams and Kayleigh Heckel played pivotal roles for the 38-1 UConn team in the 2025-26 season. He opted not to add any transfers and rely on the returning players, led by national player of the year Sarah Strong and two incoming freshmen.

“People have to get better,” Auriemma said. “You want your players to get better and improve from one year to the next. Blanca (Quinonez) going from playing 17 minutes a night to playing 27-30 minutes a night, I think changes the dynamic of the team. Sarah (Strong) probably getting more touches, probably playing 30 minutes per game.

Auriemma said that Strong has declined opportunities to play for USA Basketball this offseason to recover from inflammation in her leg that kept her out of most practices during the postseason.

“The new kids that are coming in are going to give us a little bit of a different look than we had. We have really good guards on our team but none of them are exactly what Jovana (Popovic) is; our big kids are going to get better. Olivia (Vukosa) is a little different than what we have right now. We will look a little different, but the core of the team is back.”

UConn also brings back Morgan Cheli, who played at least 15 minutes nine times as a freshman before missing all of last season with an ankle injury.

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College Baseball Notebook: Program-best No. 7 ranking marks another milestone for ascending Jayhawks

Kansas is no one-hit wonder. We're talking baseball, not the popular band of the 1970s and '80s.

For an encore to their record-setting 2025 breakthrough, the Jayhawks have put themselves on track for their best season since the standard-bearing 1993 team made the program's only College World Series appearance.

The Jayhawks have won 10 straight games, 21 of their last 22 after sweeping Arizona and have a four-game lead in the Big 12 Conference. They achieved their highest ranking ever Monday when they landed at No. 7 in the D1Baseball.com poll. They are No. 9 by Baseball America.

“I think they just love playing baseball,” coach Dan Fitzgerald said. "They’re tough, they work hard and they take their preparation very seriously. They’re really fun to be around. There’s a lot of work that goes into this. Still a lot of coaching, a lot of preparation and specific to each player. There’s a lot of stuff right now that they’re just running with — the energy in the dugout, their attitude towards each other. It’s a very selfless group.”

This is all new for Kansas (37-11, 20-4 Big 12), which hasn't had much sustained success in its 136-year baseball history. The Jayhawks' all-time record is just a little over .500 and the most recent of their three regular-season conference championships came in 1949. They did win the 2006 Big 12 Tournament, but 22 of their 29 regular-season records in the conference have been sub-.500.

KU has ascended in the four seasons since Fitzgerald took over after assistant coaching stops at Dallas Baptist and LSU. The Jayhawks' 2025 win totals — 43 overall and 20 in conference play — were program records. Their 80 total wins since the start of last season are tied for third most in Division I.

A major roster overhaul led by an influx of junior-college transfers has not slowed Fitzgerald's momentum. Of the 35 players on the roster, 26 are newcomers and 24 had not previously played in Division I.

Tyson LeBlanc, who played juco ball for LSU-Eunice last season, leads the Jayhawks with a .337 batting average, 16 homers and 49 RBIs. Dominic Voegele is emerging as the top arm with four straight quality starts, including a 15-strikeout complete game in a 4-2 win over Arizona on Friday.

The Jayhawks don't have numbers that jump off the stat sheet, but they find ways to win. They're 14-1 in games decided by two runs or fewer and they've come from behind to win 24 times. Once they get a late lead, they keep it: They're 30-0 when leading after the sixth inning.

In the polls

UCLA (43-4), North Carolina (37-9-1) and Georgia Tech (39-8) remained the top three teams by D1Baseball.com. Texas is No. 3 by Baseball America.

UCLA, which swept Michigan State on the road to improve to 24-0 in Big Ten play, hosts nationally ranked Oregon this weekend. North Carolina, which was off this past weekend, lost 12-2 to Coastal Carolina and beat Duke 13-0 in a nonconference game last week. Georgia Tech won two of three against Xavier. Texas (35-10) won its series over Mississippi State.

Freshman goes Hog wild

Arkansas freshman Christian Turner pushed a ball just outside the left-field foul pole before he delivered the ninth-inning, walk-off homer to beat Mississippi 5-4 on Sunday. It reminded him of the situation five weeks earlier when he faced Florida's Luke McNeillie in the bottom of the ninth. That time, he struck out after his fly to left blew foul, ending a 7-6 loss.

“I can’t lose this at-bat," Turner said he told himself after fouling off the pitch against Walker Hooks. "Florida got me, but Ole Miss ain't going to get me.”

Batting for the first time in the game after Nolan Souza singled leading off, Turner drove a 1-2 pitch over the right-center fence to win the game and series.

“I really believe this team deserved to win a game like that,” coach Dave Van Horn said. “We really have not won a game like that in all the games we’ve played. Sometimes you've just got to have a break and someone has to step up, and those two hitters in the ninth did it.”

Cleanup spot

Texas overcame Luke Harrison's rough first inning to beat Mississippi State 11-6 on Sunday and win two of three in the top-10 matchup. The Longhorns were down 5-0 after the first, but Harrison righted himself and struck out nine in five innings. Three relievers held the Bulldogs to one hit over the last four innings. ... Ohio State's seven homers in a 10-1 win over Nebraska on Sunday were its most since connecting seven times against UConn in 2009. The Buckeyes swept the Cornhuskers for the first time. ... UC Santa Barbara outscored Cal State Bakersfield 41-13 in a three-game sweep, with the Gauchos scoring their most runs in two years in Sunday's 19-9 win.

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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

Golden Knights' William Karlsson to return on Monday vs. Ducks after missing 6 months with injury

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson will return for Game 1 of the team's second-round playoff series against the Anaheim Ducks after missing nearly six months with a lower-body injury.

Coach John Tortorella confirmed the news before Monday night's game.

Karlsson was hurt in the first period of Vegas’ 4-3 overtime loss against the Ducks on Nov. 8.

Karlsson had four goals and three assists early in the season before the injury. He had back-to-back 50-point seasons, but finished with only 29 in 53 games last season, when he was sidelined twice because of injuries.

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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Expected wet weather causes Cubs-Reds and Tigers-Red Sox start times to be moved up

Expected wet weather in the Midwest is affecting the Major League Baseball schedule, with two teams moving up their game times on Monday

The Chicago Cubs announced that their game against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field would be pushed up to 7:10 p.m. EDT from 7:40 p.m., while the Detroit Tigers said their game against the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park would also be moved 30 minutes earlier to 6:10 p.m. EDT.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Detroit Mercy men's basketball banned from next year's postseason for academic reasons

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Mercy men's basketball team is facing a postseason ban next season because the program did not meet the benchmark for the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate.

Detroit Mercy athletic director Robert C. Vowels Jr. released a letter on Monday confirming the academic problems, which comes one day before the NCAA is scheduled to release its annual APR report.

The news blunts Detroit Mercy's recent momentum on the basketball court after falling just one game short of the NCAA Tournament in March. The Titans finished with a 17-15 record last season and made it to the Horizon Tournament finals before losing to Wright State 66-63.

Vowels wrote that while APR is a “meaningful measure" of academic progress, many believe that it is based on an “overreliance on narrow, potentially biased measures that can perpetuate inequities and may undermine the broader educational mission.”

He added that changes to the formula should be made for several reasons, including more financial incentives for players in the NIL era.

“While our program has undergone several changes over the last few years, we now have a new academic improvement plan in place to address the evolving NCAA era,” Vowels wrote. "Head coach Mark Montgomery is committed to the Titans, and the coaching staff has been fully invested in academic monitoring and success since their arrival last year."

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Formula 1's electrical revolution is losing its spark and V8 power could return

Four races into Formula 1's new era and the peak of electrical power's influence on the sport may already be in the rearview mirror.

The Miami Grand Prix was the first under changes which slightly limited the role of the electrical power which has redefined racing this year. The president of the governing body, the FIA, said in Miami he wants traditional V8 engines back in a few years' time.

F1 started the year with some of the biggest changes in its 76-year history, headlined by a 50-50 split in power between a traditional engine and the onboard battery pack.

There were only three Grand Prix races under those new rules before a package of tweaks was introduced which curbed the influence of the electrical power. They answered driver criticism by promoting pure driving skill over electrical recharging, especially in qualifying. Discussions on further changes for 2027 could continue that trend.

Sunday's race in Miami was one of the most wide-open in recent F1 history with drivers from four different teams leading before Kimi Antonelli took his third win of 2026 for Mercedes.

V8 engines would take F1 back to the future

When FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem first proposed a return to big, noisy traditional engines last year, some F1 figures thought it was an election tactic, and it fizzled out in a meeting with manufacturers.

Now with Ben Sulayem in office for another term, and following a backlash to electrical power from some key drivers and fans, his push for V8 engines by 2030 or 2031 seems much more serious. The F1 world typically plans out new regulations years ahead of time.

“You get the sound, you get less complexity and then you’ve got the lighter weight, you hit all the boxes,” Ben Sulayem said Saturday in Miami. “You will hear about it very soon and it will be with a very, very minor electrification, but the main one will be the engine.”

F1 has used V6 engines with electrical hybrid power since 2014 and a big step up in the amount of electrical power for this year has made it central to how drivers go racing. Timing the electrical boost and recharging is the key to tactical racing. Four-time champion Max Verstappen loathes it so much he's questioned his future in F1.

A return to bigger V8 engines would be a nostalgia trip for older drivers and fans, with a distinctive screaming engine noise. They're relatively rare in modern vehicles outside of expensive sportscars.

Using sustainably-sourced fuel, as F1 does already from this season, would be one concession to environmental goals.

FIA says automakers can't take sport ‘hostage’

There's a lot of politics behind the decisions on F1's future, from the White House to the racing paddock.

Electrical vehicles no longer seem as certain to dominate the roads in key F1 markets as they did when the FIA and teams began drawing up the regulations in the early 2020s.

The Trump administration has put tighter rules on the charger network that electric vehicles depend on, and the European Union is rethinking a planned ban on new internal combustion-powered cars from 2035.

“The political landscape has changed,” the FIA's top F1 regulations official Nikolas Tombazis told reporters last week. “Back when we discussed the current regulations, the automotive companies, who were very involved, told us that they’re never going to make another internal combustion engine again, a new one, that they were going to phase out and by whatever year they were going to be fully electrical. Obviously, this hasn’t happened.”

Ben Sulayem said the FIA would need engine manufacturers' agreement to push for V8 engines for 2030, ahead of the agreed five-year schedule for the current cars, but would be more free to act without their agreement for 2031.

The F1 world has long appealed to automakers by promising innovation relevant to their road cars but now the FIA seems less keen for F1 cars to resemble daily drivers. The boom in F1's popularity around the world over the last decade could give it more leverage.

“We do need to protect the sport from the world macroeconomic situation, meaning we cannot be hostage to automotive companies deciding to be part of our sport or not,” Tombazis said.

“We want them to be a part of our sport, absolutely. That’s why we’ve worked so hard to secure new ones to participate. But we can also not be in this position where if they decide they don’t want to be, we’re simply left vulnerable.”

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Alanis Thames in Miami Gardens, Fla., contributed to this report.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

In his first Game 7, Jarrett Allen delivers a 22-point, 19-rebound night to help Cavs advance

CLEVELAND (AP) — Jarrett Allen is usually laid back before games, including interacting with the crowd during the last minute of pregame warmups.

That wasn't the case Sunday night as he played in his first Game 7.

Not only was the veteran center even more pumped up than usual, he had a game to remember.

Allen's 22 points and 19 rebounds in Cleveland's 114-102 victory over Toronto made him the second player in franchise history with at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in a Game 7.

LeBron James had 35 points and 15 boards in Game 7 of the 2018 Eastern Conference final against Boston to get Cleveland into the NBA Finals for the fourth straight year.

“I had a great time doing it. Honestly, that was my first Game 7 I’ve ever played in,” said Allen, who had his 11th double-double in a playoff game and tied a postseason high in scoring. “It was a unique experience driving here from my house. It’s like, ‘I’m going to a Game 7, everything’s on the line.’ It’s just a different feeling that I’ve never experienced before. The crowd’s into it, I’m into it.”

After Cleveland went on an 11-2 run to close the first half and tie it at 49, Allen took over in the third quarter. The ninth-year center became the first player in franchise history to have a double-double in a playoff quarter as his 14 points and 10 rebounds in the third put the Cavaliers on top 87-68 going into the final 12 minutes.

Allen also had five offensive boards, one steal and a blocked shot as he played the entire third quarter.

“I just wanted to show my teammates that we could win this game," he said. “Energy and effort: That’s what I believe win games. You do it on the defensive end, everything translates to offense.”

One of Allen’s baskets during the quarter was a fast-break dunk after Max Strus stole the ball from Barnes to make it 74-59.

“Man, he really took us over the top in the third quarter,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “The offensive rebounding, inside scoring. He was flying around, enthusiastic, I was thinking, ‘What got into this guy?’ He was ready for the moment.”

While most of the attention remains on Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, the Cavaliers got big contributions from others throughout the series.

Strus had 24 in Game 1, Evan Mobley had 23 points in Game 2 and then 25 points in Game 5 while Dennis Schroder had 19 points in 21 minutes in Game 5. All of those were Cavaliers victories.

“When Allen wants to go for 19 rebounds, yeah, that’s tough. It was Schroder before and in the first couple games, it was Strus. When they have that one guy show up, it’s tough," said Toronto's RJ Barrett, who had 23 points.

Allen missed most of March due to right knee tendinitis, but averaged 28.5 minutes of playing time in this series along with 11.4 points and 8.3 rebounds.

The Cavaliers are hoping to get the same from Allen when their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Pistons begins Tuesday in Detroit.

“That’s what it's going to take in the playoffs," Mobley said. “There’s a lot of guys that stepped up throughout this whole series. Every game is somebody else, and we’re going to need that night in and night out as we keep going.”

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Newhook scores late as Canadiens eliminate Lightning in Game 7

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Alex Newhook broke a tie with 8:53 left and the Montreal Canadiens outlasted the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Game 7 on Sunday night to end the thrilling first-round series.

The Canadiens will face the Buffalo Sabres in the second round after finishing off their first series victory since losing the Stanley Cup Final to Tampa Bay in 2021. Game 1 is Wednesday night in Buffalo.

Rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes made 28 saves and Nick Suzuki got his first goal of the series for Montreal.

Each game of the series was decided by one goal and four went to overtime. The score was tied or within one goal for all but six minutes in the seven games.

The Lightning were eliminated in the first round for the fourth straight season after falling two wins short of a Stanley Cup three-peat in 2022.

Tampa Bay’s tough defense held the Canadiens without a shot for nearly 27 minutes from the first period into the third and just four through two periods. Brandon Hagel made an outstanding, sliding stick save with an open net in the final minute but the Lightning couldn’t get the tying goal during a 6-on-5 and 6-on-4 for the final six seconds.

Montreal got a couple lucky bounces to score twice on its first eight shots on goal and finished with only nine.

After Lane Hutson fired a slap shot that went wide and bounced back out, Newhook skated backhanded the puck out of the air and in off Andrei Vasilevskiy’s pad and his backside.

AVALANCHE 9, WILD 6

DENVER (AP) — Cale Makar scored twice in the third period after returning from an earlier injury and Colorado overcame blowing a three-goal lead to beat Minnesota in a wacky Game 1 of their second-round playoff series.

Makar, who left in the first period with an undisclosed ailment, scored his second goal of the game with 2:54 remaining to make it 8-6. Nathan MacKinnon added an empty-net goal with 2:08 remaining to seal it.

This was the 10th playoff game ever with at least 15 combined goals and just the second since 1994. There were five goals in each period.

Who figured this? A high-scoring affair between two of the better defensive teams in the league with two elite goaltenders. There were 14 different players who notched a goal in a game that turned into a track meet. It’s tied for the second-most in a playoff game.

The Avalanche improved to 72-1 since moving to Colorado in 1995-96 when leading a playoff game by three or more goals. The lone loss was Game 5 against St. Louis in a season they went on to win the Stanley Cup.

A well-rested Colorado team led 3-0 just 6:47 into the game. But the Wild steadily climbed back and took a 5-4 lead on a short-handed goal from Marcus Foligno late in the second.

Devon Toews tied at 5-apiece in the second period. It was just the fourth Game 1 in playoff history with both teams scoring five or more goals through two periods.

Both goalies struggled, but made some timely saves, too. Scott Wedgewood, who had the league’s best goals-against average this season, allowed one more goal than he did in the entire sweep of the Los Angeles Kings in Round 1.

4th straight 1st-round exit leaves the Lightning searching for answers

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning dominated most of Game 7, had triple the scoring opportunities and still found a way to lose.

It’s an early exit for the fourth straight season.

A pair of fluky goals helped the Montreal Canadiens beat the Lightning 2-1 on Sunday night, sending Tampa Bay to a familiar first-round exit.

The Lightning played their best game of the series, held the Canadiens to just nine shots and yet are heading on vacation while the Canadiens advance to face the Buffalo Sabres.

Montreal’s first goal bounced off Lightning defenseman J.J. Moser and went in. The second was whacked out of the air behind the net, hit goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy’s pad and his backside and went in..

“The hockey gods have been in my corner many, many times. Tonight they were in the other corner,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.

For a talented team whose standard is hoisting Stanley Cups, nobody has any answers. Since falling two wins short of a three-peat in 2022, Tampa Bay can’t win a series.

“I don’t really have words,” Ryan McDonagh said. “You like a lot about the game. From start to finish, we stuck with our process and our plan. But at the end it doesn’t matter because they had two, we had one. It’s a loss. Credit to them. They grinded and found a way.”

The Lightning just couldn’t get much past rookie goalie Jakub Dobes throughout the series. He made 28 saves in Game 7. Tampa Bay didn’t get enough production from its offensive stars. Nikita Kucherov, who had 130 points in the regular season, still has zero in his career in Game 7s.

“There’s some disbelief in our room that we can play like that and not walk away with anything,” Cooper said about the defensive effort. “We couldn’t have played any better and still it wasn’t good enough. You have to tip your cap to (Canadiens coach) Martin St. Louis, Jakub Dobes and the Montreal Canadiens.”

After tallying 106 points in the regular season and finishing second in the division, the Lightning missed an opportunity to make a run at the Cup.

And, the team could be running out of time together.

Kucherov and Jake Guentzel, the team’s two leading scorers in the regular season, and Vasilevskiy are in their early 30s. McDonagh is 36. Captain Victor Hedman, who hasn’t played since March, is 35.

Darren Raddysh, who is coming off a breakout 70-point season, will be a free agent.

“It sucks. You don’t get any younger that’s for sure,” Brandon Hagel said. “I have one goal on my mind every single year and I just want to win.”

The Lightning have to wait until next year to do that.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Anthony Volpe's rehab ends and Yankees option shortstop to Triple-A with José Caballero playing well

NEW YORK (AP) — Anthony Volpe’s rehab from left shoulder surgery ended Sunday, but the shortstop’s next step is not rejoining the New York Yankees.

With José Caballero excelling as New York's everyday shortstop, the AL East-leading Yankees announced they had optioned Volpe to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

“Caballero is playing the heck out of the position and playing really well,” manager Aaron Boone said before Sunday’s 11-3 win over Baltimore. “That complicates it.”

Volpe batted .250 (11 for 44) in 13 minor league rehabilitation games, mostly for Double-A Somerset. Sunday was the maximum 20th day for a rehab assignment in the minors.

If Volpe remains in the minors for another 20 days or more, it would delay his free-agent eligibility by a year until after the 2029 season.

Volpe had left shoulder surgery on Oct. 14, a week after the Yankees were eliminated by Toronto in the AL Division Series.

Volpe hit .212 with 19 homers and a career-high 72 RBIs last year and made a career-high 19 errors, tied for third-most among major league shortstops. He got a cortisone shot on Sept. 10 after reaggravating a previous shoulder injury three days earlier.

Volpe also had a cortisone shot during the All-Star break. He initially got hurt when he felt a pop in his shoulder during a loss to Tampa Bay on May 3 last season.

As a rookie in 2023, Volpe won a Gold Glove and hit .209 with 21 homers, 60 RBIs and had 24 stolen bases after winning the shortstop job in spring training.

He batted .243 with 12 homers and 60 RBIs in 2024.

In the 2024 playoffs, Volpe batted .286 and hit a grand slam in Game 4 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Caballero has started at shortstop in 33 of the Yankees’ 34 games this season. On Friday, he had a go-ahead, second-inning homer off Baltimore's Cade Povich. He is batting .259 with four homers, 12 RBIs and 13 stolen bases.

“He’s been right in the middle of that, defensively and offensively,” Boone said. “He’s earned some opportunities there. It’s really as simple as that.”

A 29-year-old acquired from Tampa Bay last July 31, Caballero is hitting .316 (24 for 76) with 11 RBIs in his last 21 games.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Cameron Young at Doral and Nelly Korda in Mexico deliver dominant wins

DORAL, Fla. (AP) — Cameron Young called a one-shot penalty on himself for his ball slightly moving in the second fairway and he still made par. It was that kind of week for Young, who closed with a 4-under 68 for a six-shot victory over Scottie Scheffler in the Cadillac Championship.

Young became the first wire-to-wire winner at Doral since Andy Bean in 1977, opening with a 64 on the Blue Monster and never giving anyone much of a chance, including the world's No. 1 player.

He finished at 19-under 269 with President Donald Trump, who owns Trump National Doral, watching and giving the rising American star a thumbs-up and later a handshake.

Young now has three wins since last August, including The Players Championship. Scheffler, who closed with a 68, was a runner-up for the third straight time dating to the Masters. Scheffler has earned $6.,75 million for those three tournaments.

LPGA Tour

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP) — Nelly Korda delivered an early knockout punch Sunday and stretched her lead to seven shots before cruising to the finish line with a 3-under 69 and a four-shot victory in the Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba.

One week after Korda won her third career major with a five-shot win at The Chevron Championship, she was just as dominant at El Camaleon. Korda went 60 consecutive holes without a bogey, a streak that ended when it no longer mattered on the 18th hole. She made a 20-foot bogey putt after losing her tee shot into tropical bushes.

Korda became the first player since Annika Sorenstam in 2001 to start a season with six straight tournaments finishing no worse than runner-up.

She finished at 17-under 271, four shots ahead Arpichaya Yubol of Thailand, who celebrated her 24th birthday with a 70 to finish alone in second. Yu Liu of China (69) was another shot back.

PGA Tour Champions

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Stewart Cink pulled away with consecutive birdies early on the back nine Sunday that stretched his lead to four shots, and he closed with a 3-under 69 for a three-shot victory in the Regions Tradition for his second major this year on the PGA Tour Champions.

Cink, who won the Senior PGA Championship two weeks ago in Florida, became the second player in two years to capture the first two majors on the 50-and-older circuit. Angel Cabrera won the Senior PGA and the Tradition last year in consecutive weeks.

He was staked to a three-shot lead going into the final round at Greystone Golf & Country Club, and Colin Montgomerie got within two shots of them heading to the back nine. The 52-year-old Cink responded with birdies on the 11th and 12th holes to build a four-shot lead, and Montgomerie failed to make birdie over his final 13 holes to shoot 71 and finish alone in third.

Scott Hend (65) was the runner-up.

European tour

ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) — Mikael Lindberg closed with a 3-under 69 to win the Turkish Airlines Open on Sunday for his first European tour victory that earned him a spot in the PGA Championship by leading the tour’s Asian swing.

Lindberg has three birdies on a four-hole stretch on the front nine at National Golf Club to take control, and he added consecutive birdies on the back nine. He two-putted for par on the last to finish at 10-under 278 and win by two over Daniel Rodrigues (71) and Guido Migliozzi (70).

The PGA Championship, to be played May 14-17 at Aronimink, set aside spots for three players from the Asian swing. Lindberg will be joined by Bernd Wiesberger and Jordan Gumberg.

Asian Tour

SEONGNAM, South Korea (AP) — Minhyuk Song shot 1-under 70 and defeated Mingyu Cho with a par on the first playoff hole Sunday to win the GS Caltex Maekyung Open on the Asian Tour.

Cho was poised to win, leading by two shots, until missing a 3-foot bogey putt on the 18th for a 70 to fall into a playoff. Adding to the drama was Inhoi Hur closing with a 64 to also finish at 11-under 273, only for officials to assess a two-shot penalty from an incident in the third round that kept him from playing for the title.

Hur hit a wild tee shot on the seventh hole on Saturday, and then a provisional in case it was not found. A spotter picked up the ball out-of-bounds, but that led to questions whether it was beyond the boundary.

A rules official mistakenly told Hur to play the provisional without penalty while the matter got sorted out. The correct procedure was to place the ball where it had been and go from there. The stroke-and-distance penalty was not applied until after Hur finished his final round.

Other tours

Mikumu Horikawa rallied with a 7-under 63 for a one-shot victory over Yusaku Hosono (67) to win The Crowns on the Japan Golf Tour. ... Smilla Tarning Soenderby on Denmark won her second Ladies European Tour title when she made a 5-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for a 5-under 67 and a one-shot victory in the MCB Ladies Classic. ...Hyunjo Yoo closed with an even-par 72 for a one-shot victory in the DB Women’s Championship on the Korea LPGA.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Max Verstappen takes 5th at Miami after a spin but still wants improvements to his car

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Max Verstappen was feeling a bit more comfortable in his car at the Miami Grand Prix, but the four-time Formula 1 champion still believes Red Bull has improvements to make.

After testing out Red Bull's upgrades made during a five-week break in the F1 schedule, Verstappen had his best result of the season on Sunday, finishing fifth despite spinning from second on the opening lap.

Verstappen has been a vocal critic of the current car regulations, even going as far as saying he's considering leaving the sport. He left Miami only slightly happier with the car.

“I mean, my car drives a bit better,” said Verstappen, who qualified a season-best second for the race at Miami International Autodrome. “But what I said before about the regulations is the same. ... It’s still not how I would like to see it.”

Verstappen was part of a chaotic start to Sunday's race when he spun trying to hold off Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who had surged to the lead ahead of eventual winner Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes on the opening lap. The spin caused Verstappen to fall to ninth.

“Quite hectic,” Verstappen said. “I lost the rear into Turn 2. Then I tried to minimize the time loss by doing a 360. I thought I was going to crash but then I floored it and managed to do a good 360. So if F1 doesn't work out, I could always go Rally (racing).”

Verstappen worked his way through the midfield back into third, even briefly taking the lead as others pitted. He attempted to make it a one-stop race, an approach that eventually cost him.

“After that (spin) I think the pace was not too bad on the medium (tires),” he said, “but as soon as I swapped to the hard compound (tires) it was just a lot more difficult. Now, after the race it’s easy to say of course, but I think that stint was just a bit too long.”

Tough weekend for Ferrari

Leclerc settled for a sixth-place finish despite getting off to a strong start from third.

He was among the leaders throughout the race, but a costly move on the penultimate lap caused him to spin and hit the barriers.

“The damage was significant,” Leclerc said afterward, adding: “I'm very disappointed with myself. It's all on me and it's not acceptable.”

Leclerc's teammate Lewis Hamilton said it was a disappointing weekend he qualified sixth and finished seventh. Hamilton's car was affected by an apparent collision with Franco Colapinto of Alpine at the start.

“Overall, it was a challenging weekend, but I believe we have a good car and there are some positives to take away,” Hamilton said. “We just need to keep pushing, both at the factory and at the track, to keep adding performance and close the gap as we move forward.”

Star-studded audience

F1 races typically bring out famous faces from all over, and rainy weather on Sunday didn't stop the influx of celebrities.

Miami-based entertainer DJ Khaled arrived at Miami International Autodrome on a yacht that was toting an F1 car belonging to Red Bull's sister team.

Inter Miami's Lionel Messi, perhaps looking for a refreshing getaway after Saturday's disappointing loss to Orlando City, arrived with his family a few hours before the race, posed for photos with drivers and visited the Mercedes garage. Messi's teammates Luis Suárez and Tadeo Allende were also in attendance.

Stars from all over the sports world toured the campus' sprawling grounds all weekend, including tennis greats Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal — he flew the checkered flag at the end of the race — the Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo, and several Miami Dolphins players.

Also spotted were actors Colin Farrell and Patrick Dempsey, late-night host Jimmy Fallon and astronaut Reid Wiseman, the commander of last month's Artemis II moon mission.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

NBA top rookie Cooper Flagg gets a ride from NASCAR rookie Connor Zilisch

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — NBA top rookie Cooper Flagg got a fast ride on the track Sunday before the NASCAR race in Texas with another 19-year-old, Cup Series rookie Connor Zilisch.

A week after being named the NBA Rookie of the Year, the Dallas Mavericks' 6-foot-9 forward was the honorary pace car driver for the race in Texas.

But several hours before leading the 38-car field to the green flag at the 1 1/2-mile track, Flagg was the passenger in that 2026 Chevrolet Corvette. It was driven then by Zilisch, who is in his first full Cup season with Trackhouse Racing after winning 10 races in NASCAR's second-tier series last year.

“We got going pretty fast, and I think half the ride I was more scared of what was going on,” Flagg said. “I've never been in a car going that fast, so it was pretty cool.”

Zilisch was driving well over 100 mph while giving Flagg an up-close look at the track.

So what do a couple of 19-year-old guys talk about while going around the track?

“I don’t know much about racing, but I think just being able to connect on the fact that we’re both young in our respective sports ... that was really cool, and to be able to talk to someone that’s going through a lot of similar things at a time in your life," Flagg said. "There’s just not many people that have been through this type of stuff at this age, so I think it was cool to connect on that.”

It was the first time Flagg, who was born and grew up in Maine, has been to any NASCAR track. But his parents in 1999 started going regularly to races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, with Tony Stewart being their favorite driver.

Flagg said his parents, who were with him, hadn't been to a NASCAR race in a while since they got busy following him and his two brothers. During their visit to Texas, they got to meet personally with seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, four-time champ Jeff Gordon and owner-driver Denny Hamlin.

Flagg set a host of records as an NBA teenager and edged his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel for the NBA rookie award announced last Monday. Flagg was the first rookie since Michael Jordan, now a NASCAR owner, in 1984-85 to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba and AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing

Braves place Ronald Acuña Jr. on the 10-day injured list with a strained hamstring

DENVER (AP) — The Atlanta Braves placed star right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. on the 10-day injured list because of a strained left hamstring on Sunday.

The Braves owned the best record in baseball at 24-10 entering Sunday's game against the Colorado Rockies. But they'll have to get by for now without one of their top players.

Acuña left Saturday night’s game in the second inning. He was attempting to run out a ground ball before he pulled up about halfway down the base path and grabbed at his hamstring.

The five-time All-Star and 2023 National League MVP is batting .252 with two home runs, nine RBIs, 17 runs and a team-high seven steals. He had played in all 34 games after a torn ACL he suffered in May 2024 limited him to a combined 144 games over the past two seasons.

The Braves activated right-hander Spencer Strider from the injured list prior to Sunday's start. The 2023 All-Star was set to make his season debut after being sidelined with a strained oblique. The Braves optioned right-hander Hunter Stratton to Triple-A Gwinnett following Saturday's game to make room for him. They also selected outfielder José Azócar's contract from the minor league club on Sunday with Acuña going on the injured list.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Pennsylvania Sportswatch Daily Listings

(All times Eastern)
Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts
Monday, May 4
MLB BASEBALL
6:40 p.m.

Philadelphia at Miami — NBCS Philadelphia, ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited, Marlins.TV, MLB.TV

NBA BASKETBALL
8 p.m.

Philadelphia at New York — NBC, Peacock

NHL HOCKEY
7 p.m.

Philadelphia at Carolina — ESPN

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive TV listings provided by LiveSportsOnTV.

Swiss soccer league gets surprise champion as Thun seals first title in club's 128-year history

THUN, Switzerland (AP) — Swiss soccer finally got its surprise champion Sunday in unheralded Thun, sealing a title to compare with Leicester’s long-shot Premier League win in 2016.

Thun clinched a first Swiss league title in the club’s 128-year history — despite losing games on the past two Saturdays — when second-place St. Gallen dropped points in a 3-0 loss hosting Sion.

That left Thun, coached by former star forward Mauro Lustrinelli, 11 points clear with three rounds to go.

The title came in Thun’s first season back in the top tier after five years in the second division. The team from a central Switzerland town of 45,000 people also never won a Swiss Cup title.

The final step was a nervous one for Thun when victory in either of its past two games would have confirmed the title. A 3-1 loss Saturday at defending champion Basel, ending with nine players after two red cards, followed a 1-0 loss at home to Lugano one week earlier.

Thun has a long path to competing with Europe's elite in the next Champions League, where the club made an unlikely appearance in 2005 after being runner-up in the Swiss league.

The champion of Switzerland now enters the second qualifying round of the Champions League in July — starting two days after the World Cup final. Thun needs to beat three opponents to advance to the main phase.

Thun is unlikely to have any player selected for a World Cup squad though 20-year-old midfielder Ethan Meichtry is a Switzerland Under-21 international with a bright future.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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