Update on the latest sports
APNBA PLAYOFFS-BUCKS/HAWKS
Young Hawks try to regroup at home in Game 3 against Bucks
ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks are following a familiar playoff script in their Eastern Conference finals against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Hawks won their opener at Milwaukee before losing Game 2. They followed the same path in winning their first two playoff series against the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers.
Thanks to Friday night’s 125-91 win in Game 2, the Bucks take momentum into Sunday night’s Game 3 in Atlanta. The staggering 125-91 loss was a reminder that the Hawks are starting three players — Trae Young, John Collins and Kevin Huerter — who are in their first postseason. They will need to regroup against a Milwaukee team playing in its second conference finals in three years and was widely expected to contend for a title this season.
NHL-VIRUS OUTBREAK-CANADIENS
Canadiens’ Armia in COVID-19 protocol day before Cup Final
MONTREAL (AP) — Montreal Canadiens forward Joel Armia (joh-EHL’ ahr-MEE’-ah) has been placed in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol and won’t travel with the team to Tampa Bay for Monday’s Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Armia has already posted playoff career bests with five goals and eight points in 17 games while playing on what’s considered Montreal’s energy line rounded out by veterans Corey Perry and Eric Staal.
Coach Dominique Ducharme (doo-SHAHRM’) is out until Friday when the Canadiens host Game three and remains in isolation since testing positive for COVID on June 18. Assistant coach Luke Richardson has taken over bench duties.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Ohtani hits 25th homer, drives in 3 as Angels beat Rays 6-4
UNDATED (AP) — — Shohei Ohtani hit his 25th homer and drove in three runs, and the Los Angeles Angels stopped a five-game losing streak by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 6-4. Ohtani hit an opposite-field shot to left in the ninth off Pete Fairbanks.
He also had a run-scoring double in the sixth and a tying RBI triple during the Angels’ two-run seventh inning. Ohtani has 46 extra-base hits this season.
Phil Gosselin put the Angels up 5-4 with his leadoff homer in the eighth against Matt Wisler
Brandon Lowe and Ji-Man Choi homered for the Rays, who had won four in a row.
Elsewhere around the majors:
— Seattle reliever Hector Santiago was ejected after he was checked by the umpires as part of baseball’s new sticky substance protocols, and the Mariners beat the Chicago White Sox 3-2 in the resumption of a suspended game. Santiago was stopped as he exited in the fifth inning. His glove was confiscated, and it was later announced that Santiago had been thrown out. Taylor Trammell homered twice for Seattle, which improved to 10-2 in its last 12 games. Paul Sewald got one out for the win, and Kendall Graveman worked the ninth for his seventh save.
— Max Scherzer allowed one run in six innings and passed two umpire inspections without a fuss, helping the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 5-1 to earn a split of their four-game series. Trea Turner and Josh Bell each hit a two-run homer in the sixth against Sandy Alcantara to break the game open. Scherzer struck out seven and lowered his ERA to 2.14.
— Zack Wheeler threw seven scoreless innings against his former team, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Mets 4-2 to split a four-game series. Wheeler signed a five-year deal worth $118 million in December 2019 after spending his first seven seasons with the Mets. He allowed four hits, walked two and struck out eight. His final strikeout was his 130th of the season, lifting him past the Dodgers’ Trevor Bauer for the NL lead. Jose Alvarado gave up an RBI single to Pete Alonso in the eighth and Archie Bradley surrendered a one-out homer to Kevin Pillar in the ninth before recording his first save.
— Nelson Cruz hit a three-run homer shortly after Cleveland right fielder Josh Naylor was carted off the field following a frightening collision with a teammate, and the Minnesota Twins went beat the Indians 8-2. Cleveland manager Terry Francona said Naylor had suffered a broken bone, but didn’t say which one, and was being treated at a hospital. Naylor and rookie second baseman Ernie Clement chased a popup in short right field in the fourth inning on a ball hit by Jorge Polanco. Naylor went flying after the collision and had his right foot catch underneath him, twisting the foot the wrong way. Clement had the ball glance off his glove for a single. He had a cut on his chin. Played resumed after a 12-minute delay and two batter later, Cruz homered.
— Kiké Hernández and Rafael Devers homered in the first inning as the Boston Red Sox hammered Gerrit Cole, routing the New York Yankees 9-2 to complete a second straight sweep of their longtime rivals. J.D. Martinez and Christian Vázquez also homered for the Red Sox. Boston outscored the Yankees 18-7 in the three-game series at Fenway Park, improving to 6-0 against them this year and improving to a season-best 16 games above .500. Eduardo Rodriguez was solid in earning his first win in nine starts. Cole allowed six runs and three homers in five innings. Cole’s spin rates have slipped in recent starts, adding to speculation he’s had trouble adjusting to MLB’s recent crackdown on pitchers using substances to get traction on balls.
— Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in two runs to raise his major league-leading RBI total to 66, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2. The Blue Jays tallied 12 hits in closing out a four-game series with their seventh win in eight games. Five of those victories came against the Orioles, who have dropped 16 of 18. Toronto got two hits apiece from Guerrero, Cavan Biggio, Marcus Semien, Teoscar Hernández and Reese McGuire. It was the Blue Jays’ 34th game with 10 or more hits, matching the Astros for most in the majors.
— Kyle Muller earned his first career victory, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Austin Riley hit solo homers, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-0 to split a four-game series. Muller was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett before the game to make his second career start. He retired the first seven batters he faced and cruised through five scoreless innings, allowing one hit with a career-high nine strikeouts. Five relievers followed Muller, with only Shane Greene allowing a hit, to complete the two-hitter. Ender Inciarte’s catch against the wall in center robbed Joey Votto of an extra-base hit off Greene in the eighth.
— Keston Hiura homered, doubled and drove in three runs to back a sharp performance by Eric Lauer, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Colorado Rockies 5-0 for their fifth consecutive victory. Lauer struck out six over six innings of two-hit ball. After the Rockies loaded the bases with two outs in the second, Lauer retired 13 of his last 14 batters. Omar Narváez also went deep as the NL Central-leading Brewers completed a three-game sweep and improved to 26-9 in day games. The Rockies lost their fourth straight and fell to 6-31 away from Coors Field for the majors’ worst road record.
— Robbie Grossman’s squeeze bunt in the 10th inning drove in the winning run and the Detroit Tigers won a duel of small ball, beating the Houston Astros 2-1 for a split of their four-game series. The Tigers went 5-2 against Houston this season. There were a total of only seven hits in their final meeting this year, and Detroit needed just three to win. Houston brought in reliever Blake Taylor to begin the 10th with Akil Baddoo starting on second as the automatic runner. Jonathan Schoop’s groundout moved the winning run to third. Grossman bunted Taylor’s first pitch to the third-base side of the mound and Baddoo beat Taylor’s desperate flip.
— Joey Gallo homered again, Jordan Lyles pitched seven strong innings after getting bumped from the rotation for one start, and the Texas Rangers finished a three-game sweep with a 4-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals. The last-place Rangers have won three consecutive games for the first time since sweeping Houston at home from May 21-23. Whit Merrifield had an RBI single among three hits as the Royals lost their fifth straight on a 10-game trip. Lyles allowed seven hits, all singles, in his longest outing this year.
MLB-NEWS
Harper not in series finale
UNDATED (AP) — Right fielder Bryce Harper wasn’t in the Philadelphia Phillies’ lineup for their series finale against the New York Mets on Sunday, a day after he was hit in the left calf by a pitch from Jacob deGrom. Travis Jankowski started in right field and batted fifth. Harper is batting .272 with 11 homers and 21 RBIs in 55 games this season. He has missed 19 games with a variety of ailments, including a left forearm injury that required a stint on the injured list.
In other MLB news:
— Washington Nationals pitcher Erick Fedde (FEH’-dee) has gone on the 10-day injured list because of a mild oblique strain. Manager Dave Martínez says he’s unsure about the timetable for Fedde’s recovery. Fedde is 4-4 with a 3.90 ERA in 11 starts. He threw 21 consecutive scoreless innings before giving up five runs in four innings in the Nationals’ 13-12 win over Philadelphia on Wednesday. To fill Fedde’s roster spot, the Nationals recalled reliever Andres Machado from Triple-A Rochester.
WOMEN’S PGA
Whoa, Nelly! A major title for Korda and No. 1 world ranking
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. (AP) — Nelly Korda is a major champion and the new No. 1 in women’s golf. She won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship by three shots after a duel with Lizette Salas.
The duel only lasted for 11 holes. Korda seized control with a three-shot swing on the par-5 12th hole when she made an 8-foot eagle and Salas made bogey.
Korda made two eagles at Atlanta Athletic Club in the final round for a 4-under 68.
The 22-year-old Korda has won back-to-back weeks. She’s the first American to reach No. 1 in the world since Stacy Lewis in 2014.
PGA-TOUR CHAMPIONS
Steve Stricker wins Bridgestone Seniors Players Championship
AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Steve Stricker won the Bridgestone Seniors Players Championship on Sunday at difficult Firestone for his second victory of the year and third major title.
Eight strokes ahead in the third round and four in front entering the final round, Stricker closed with an even-par 70 for a six-stroke victory over defending champion and Wisconsin friend Jerry Kelly.
Stricker finished at 7-under 273 on the South Course.
TENNIS-SERENA WILLIAMS-OLYMPICS
Serena Williams says she won’t play at the Tokyo Olympics
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Serena Williams says she will not go to the Tokyo Olympics.
Williams did not say why she is skipping the trip to Japan.
The 39-year-old American joins other top tennis players including Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem (teem) in saying they will not go to the Olympics this year. Roger Federer said Saturday he has not decided whether to compete in Tokyo.
WIMBLEDON-KONTA OUT
Britain’s Konta out of Wimbledon because of COVID-19 contact
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — The only British woman seeded at Wimbledon has been dropped from the tournament because a member of her team tested positive for COVID-19.
Johanna Konta is a three-time Grand Slam semifinalist who had been seeded 27th for the tournament that begins Monday.
Konta was a semifinalist at the All England Club in 2017 and at the Australian Open in 2016 and the French Open in 2019.
F1-SYRIAN GP
Verstappen dominates Styrian GP for his 4th win of F1 season
SPIELBERG, Austria (AP) — Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen dominated the Syrian Grand Prix on Sunday to win back-to-back races for the first time in his career.
With a clean start from pole, the Red Bull driver denied Lewis Hamilton an early attack and he remained ahead for the entire race, beating his Mercedes rival by more than 35 seconds.
Hamilton’s teammate Valtteri Bottas finished third ahead of Sergio Perez as Red Bull and Mercedes occupied the top four places once more.
It was Verstappen’s 14th career win and fourth of the season, increasing his lead over the seven-time world champion in the drivers’ standings to 18 points after eight races.
