Update on the latest sports
APNCAA-SCHEDULE
Baylor blitzes Houston to reach title game
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Baylor made the most of its first NCAA men’s basketball semifinal appearance since the Truman administration.
Jared Butler led a balanced attack with 17 points as the Bears smothered Houston, 78-59 to reach Monday’s title game. He provided all his scoring while Baylor carved out a 45-20 halftime lead.
Butler had 11 points during a 16-3 run late in the half that cracked open the game.
Davion (DAY’-vee-ahn) Mitchell and Matthew Mayer were among five Bears to score in double figures, finishing with 12 points apiece. Mitchell also had 11 assists for Baylor, which was in its first NCAA semifinal game in 71 years.
Marcus Sasser had 20 points for the cold-shooting Cougars, who hit 38% of their attempts and were 6 of 19 from 3-point range.
Baylor will face the winner of tonight’s game between unbeaten Gonzaga and 11th-seeded UCLA.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Yanks beat Jays in Kluber debut
UNDATED (AP) — One of the New York Yankees’ newest starting pitchers looked pretty good on Saturday as the team bounced back from a season-opening loss to Toronto.
Two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber allowed one earned run over four innings of the Yankees’ 5-3 win over the Blue Jays. Kluber was signed by New York after pitching just one inning the previous two seasons due to injuries.
Jay Bruce blooped a two-run single in the seventh for his first hit with his new team. Gary Sánchez joined Elston Howard in 1963 as the only Yankees catchers to homer in each of the first two games.
Elsewhere in the majors:
— The Phillies were 4-0 winners over the Braves as Zack Wheeler retired his final 17 batters while throwing one-hit ball over seven frames. Wheeler also was 2-for-3 with two RBIs in Philadelphia’s second straight victory over the defending NL East champs.
— Jake Arrieta (ehr-ee-ET’-uh) pitched six solid innings in a triumphant return to the Cubs, 5-1 over the Pirates. Kris Bryant made it 3-1 in the third with a solo homer against Tyler Anderson, and Jason Heyward bumped the lead to three with a long drive to the right-field bleachers in the sixth.
— Tucker Barnhart belted a two-run homer while the Reds scored six times in the third inning to chase Adam Wainwright in a 9-6 downing of the Cardinals. Nick Castellanos stood over, flexed and jawed at St. Louis pitcher Jake Woodford after scoring, setting off a series of scuffles that included relievers shoving in the outfield.
— Maikel (MY’-kehl) Franco drove in two runs after another Boston error and Pedro Severino had his second two-hit game in a row as the Orioles beat the Red Sox for the second straight day, 4-2. Matt Harvey fell one out shy of winning his Orioles debut, allowing two earned runs and six hits.
— The Astros are off to a 3-0 start after Yordan Álvarez belted a three-run homer in a 9-1 pounding of the Athletics. Kyle Tucker drove in a pair and Aledmys (ah-LEHD’-mees) Diaz went 3-for-5 with two runs scored to back Lance McCullers, who limited Oakland to a run and two hits over five innings.
— Michael A. Taylor homered and drove in three runs for the second straight game, leading the Royals to an 11-4 thumping of the Rangers. Texas starter Kohei Arihara allowed three runs in five innings in his major league debut after six seasons in Japan.
— Julio Teheran pitched through trouble in his Detroit debut, allowing a run and four hits over five innings of a 5-2 victory over the Indians. Willi Castro hit an RBI triple off Zach Plesac (PLEE’-sak) and came home on Miguel Cabrera’s groundout.
MLB-NEWS
Georgia governor vows a fight after MLB yanks All-Star Game
UNDATED (AP) — Baseball fans are divided about Major League Baseball’s decision to pull this summer’s All-Star Game from Georgia over a new voting law that critics say will hurt communities of color.
But Gov. Brian Kemp vowed Saturday to defend the measure, saying “free and fair elections” are worth any threats, boycotts or lawsuits. Some fans upset about the decision say they won’t watch or attend any games because of it.
Others who support the league’s move say not taking a stand would have alienated those who oppose the law.
In other baseball news:
— Ty Buttrey has decided to retire from baseball, saying his love for the game had diminished. The 28-year-old right-hander was one of the key pieces of the Angels’ bullpen the past three seasons, but he struggled with control problems during spring training and was optioned to the team’s alternate training site.
— Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes left Saturday’s game against the Cubs with discomfort in his left wrist. Hayes walked and scored on Kevin Newman’s two-out single in the first inning, but he jammed his left hand diving back to first on a pickoff attempt.
— Twins third baseman Josh Donaldson is on the 10-day injured list with a mild right hamstring strain. The move comes two days after he appeared to hurt himself running the bases on a double in the first inning of the Twins’ season-opener against the Brewers.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Vasilevskiy 12-0 against Detroit, Lightning beat Wings 2-1
UNDATED (AP) — There’s probably no safer sports bet than going against the Detroit Red Wings in Tampa Bay, especially with Andrei Vasilevskiy (va-sih-LEHV’-skee) in goal for the Lightning.
Vasilevskiy is 12-0 lifetime versus the Wings after turning back 25 shots in the Lightning’s 2-1 victory. Ross Colton and Brayden Point scored in the first 7 1/2 minutes of Tampa Bay’s 17th consecutive home win over Detroit.
The Bolts are 20-1-1 in their last 22 games against the Red Wings as the two teams prepare to square off again on Sunday.
Adam Erne (UR’-nee) scored and Thomas Greiss (grys) finished with 27 saves for the Red Wings.
Elsewhere on NHL ice:
— Brad Marchand scored a hat trick and the Bruins erupted for five goals in the second period of a 7-5 downing of the Penguins. Marchand had two goals and an assist during the second-period outburst, two days after coach Bruce Cassidy called out some of his top veterans. David Pastrnak (PAHS’-tur-bahk) scored twice for the Bruins, who were just 4-4-1 in their previous nine games.
— Juuse Saros (YOO’-see SAH’-rohs) made 41 saves to lead the Predators to a 3-0 victory over the Blackhawks. Eeli Tolvanen (EE’-lee TOHL’-vah-nehn), Colton Sissons and Luke Kunin (KOO’-nihn) scored for the Predators, winners of seven of eight. Kevin Lankinen made 18 saves in Chicago’s fourth loss in five games.
NBA-76ers-EMBIID
Embiid back in Sixers’ lineup
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has returned to the lineup tonight after missing 10 games due to a bone bruise in his left knee.
The four-time All-Star is averaging 29.9 points and 11.5 rebounds in 31 games this season. The Sixers went 7-3 after he was injured on March 12 at Washington.
The MVP candidate has missed a total of 16 games with back and knee injuries this season.
NBA-HORNETS-HAYWARD
Hornets’ Hayward out at least 4 weeks with right foot sprain
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Gordon Hayward will miss at least a month after spraining his right foot during the Charlotte Hornets’ win Friday night over the Indiana Pacers. Hayward was injured when he stepped on Myles Turner’s foot while driving to the basket in the second quarter and immediately crumpled.
The 31-year-old forward is averaging 19.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in his first season with the Hornets on a $128 million, four-year deal.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NEWS
Oklahoma hires Moser as basketball coach
UNDATED (AP) — Oklahoma has hired Loyola Chicago’s Porter Moser as its basketball coach following Lon Kruger’s retirement. Moser led Loyola to two deep runs in the NCAA Tournament and takes over a program accustomed to success.
Kruger led the Sooners for 10 years and reached seven of the past eight NCAA Tournaments. Oklahoma reached the Final Four in 2016 with Buddy Hield (heeld) leading the way. In Kruger’s final season, the Sooners went 16-11 and finished with a loss to top-seeded Gonzaga in the second round.
In other college basketball news:
— Michigan senior Isaiah Livers has had surgery on his right foot. Recovery time is expected to be a minimum of six months. The Wolverines made it to the Elite Eight before losing to UCLA. Livers averaged 13.1 points a game this season.
— Cincinnati has put put coach John Brannen on paid leave. The school announced it was investigating the program after six Bearcats players decided to transfer last month because of a rift between them and Brannen. The Bearcats finished 12-11 in Brannen’s second year at Cincinnati after a 20-10 season in 2019-20.
USA BASKETBALL-HILL
USA Basketball picks Grant Hill as Colangelo’s replacement
UNDATED (AP) — USA Basketball has announced that Grant Hill will take over as managing director of the men’s national team following the Tokyo Olympics. He will succeed the retiring Jerry Colangelo, replacing one Basketball Hall of Famer with another in the critical role of assembling teams that will compete for gold.
Hill helped the U.S. win Olympic gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games and was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.
