Search Results for: news

LEADING OFF: Kershaw vs Scherzer as last 2 champs collide

A pair of three-time Cy Young Award winners square off when Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers face Max Scherzer and the Nationals in a marquee matchup between the past two World Series champions. Los Angeles is looking for a three-game sweep of its first home series this season, and Dodgers starters are 5-0 in their last seven outings. Also, the Braves go for their fifth straight victory and a series sweep of NL East rival Philadelphia. Plus, AL MVP José Abreu and the White Sox try to win their 18th consecutive game when facing a left-handed starter. That would tie the major league record. Chicago gets its chance against Mike Minor and the Royals.

Electrical problem strikes Iran's Natanz nuclear facility

A spokesman for Iran’s civilian nuclear program says an incident has struck the electrical distribution grid of the country’s Natanz nuclear facility. He made the comment Sunday, saying there were no injuries or pollution caused by the incident. The word state television used in its report in Farsi can be used for both accident and incident. It didn’t immediately clarify. A mysterious explosion in July damaged Natanz’s advanced centrifuge facility. Iran later called the incident sabotage. Israel, Iran’s regional archenemy, has been suspected of carrying out an attack there, as well as launching other assaults, as world powers negotiate with Tehran over its tattered nuclear deal. 

Lakers pull away after ejections, rout Nets 126-101

Andre Drummond had 20 points and 11 rebounds, Dennis Schroder scored 19 points before he and Kyrie Irving were ejected in the third quarter and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Brooklyn Nets 126-101. A nationally televised matchup already missing plenty of star power lost even more when Irving started jawing with Schroder and neither player stopped quickly enough for the officials. The Lakers had led most of the way and were ahead 66-62 when Irving fouled Schroder with 9:41 left in the third. Los Angeles blew it open soon after the ejections with a 15-2 burst to open an 88-71 lead.

21 Chinese coal miners trapped by underground flood

BEIJING (AP) — Rescuers on Sunday were trying to reach 21 coal miners who were trapped by an underground flood in China's northwest, a state news agency reported. The mine in Hutubi County in the Xinjiang region flooded at about…

T-wolves owner: A-Rod, partner in agreement to buy NBA club

Former baseball star Alex Rodriguez and e-commerce mogul Marc Lore have signed a letter of intent to buy the Timberwolves and keep the NBA franchise in Minnesota. Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor confirmed the agreement, which includes the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx. The two sides have a 30-day window for negotiations to be finalized. Taylor plans to keep control of the club for the next two years and bring on Rodriguez and Lore as partners until a handover in 2023. The Athletic first reported the sale, which would be worth $1.5 billion.

Rain wins again; Martinsville to have doubleheader Sunday

Rain forced the postponement of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway after just 42 laps Saturday night, setting up a doubleheader Sunday. The day will start at noon with the completion of an Xfinity Series race that was suspended after 91 laps Friday night. That race has 159 laps to complete, and the Cup completion will begin at 4 p.m. in conditions that weather forecasts suggest will be sunny and in the mid-70s. Denny Hamlin led all but four of the 42 laps before a light drizzle intensified.

Shootout in Utah leaves 2 deputies wounded; suspect dead

Two Utah sheriff’s deputies were wounded and the suspect was killed in a shooting outside the Salt Lake County jail. Officials said both deputies were taken to a hospital after the Saturday morning shootout and are expected to survive. Their identities were not immediately available. Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said in a news conference that the two officers worked as part of campus security and were partners. Rivera says one of the deputies was shot in the eye and is in critical condition. The other deputy was grazed in the cheek by a bullet and is expected to be released from the hospital soon.

Xander Schauffele, again, right in major mix at Masters

Xander Schauffele is in what has become familiar territory. He’s close to the top of the leaderboard in a major championship. He’s hoping Sunday isn’t more of the same when it comes to finishes. Schauffele shot a 4-under 68 on Saturday to get to 7 under through three rounds of the Masters, leaving him four shots back of Hideki Matsuyama going into the final round. He’s had five top-five finishes in majors, including a tie for second -- one shot behind winner Tiger Woods — at Augusta National in 2019. And now comes another chance for a major breakthrough.

LEADING OFF: Twins run into extra trouble, Chisox rake LHPs

The Twins have lost three times this season -- all of them in 10th inning with the automatic runner on second base. Seattle topped the Twins 4-3 in the 10th on Saturday, helped when Minnesota reliever Taylor Rogers couldn’t get a clean grip on a bunt. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli says small ball is making a big difference. Also, AL MVP José Abreu and the White Sox will try to win their 18th straight game facing a left-handed starter. That would tie the major league record set by Atlanta from 2004-05. The White Sox get their chance when they host lefty Mike Minor and the Royals.

Contenders make moves, get head start on NHL trade deadline

Some of the NHL's top teams got a head start on the trade deadline by making moves. Defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay got arguably the most sought player available by acquiring defenseman David Savard from Columbus in a three-team trade Saturday. It cost the Lightning three draft picks to make it happen. NHL-leading Colorado paid a smaller price for backup goaltender Devan Dubnyk in the form of a depth defenseman and a fifth-round pick going to San Jose. Florida sent a third-round pick to Buffalo for defenseman Brandon Montour in a move that fills the void left by Aaron Ekblad's season-ending injury.

Haniger, Mariners win 4-3 as Twins' trouble in 10th persists

Mitch Haniger homered and hit the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 10th inning to give the Seattle Mariners a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins. All three of Minnesota’s losses this season have come in the 10th. Taylor Trammell scored the winning run after starting the extra inning on second base. He homered earlier in the game. Taylor Rogers took the loss for the Twins. He gave up a bunt single to Braden Bishop that allowed Trammell to advance. Kendall Graveman worked the ninth for the victory, and Keynan Middleton pitched a perfect 10th for the save for the Mariners.

The Latest: NHL's Canucks get OK to reopen team facilities

The NHL says the Vancouver Canucks will reopen team facilities Sunday and resume play next Friday after a COVID-19 outbreak in which 21 players and four staff members tested positive for the virus. The Canucks’ next game will be their first since March 24. They still have 19 players on the league’s COVID protocol list. Vancouver general manager Jim Benning has said he's optimistic the team will still be able to complete the shortened 56-game season. With schedule changes, the Canucks will need to play six consecutive days and eight of nine to get to 56 games by mid-May.

Meadows, Arozarena homer, AL champ Rays beat Yankees 4-0

Austin Meadows and Randy Arozarena homered off Domingo Germán, helping the Tampa Bay Rays extend their mastery over the New York Yankees with a 4-0 victory. The AL champions have won 10 of 12 regular-season games between the division rivals since the start of 2020 and also eliminated the Yankees from last year’s playoffs in a five-game series that went the distance. Meadows hit his third homer of the season in the first inning. Arozarena, the rookie who led Tampa Bay's run to last year's World Series, went deep in the third. Six Rays pitchers combined to limit the Yankees to five hits.

Catching No-Nos: Padres' Caratini an MLB 1st with 2nd in row

Victor Caratini is a no-no catcher. He was behind the plate for hometown pitcher Joe Musgrove in the first no-hitter in San Diego Padres franchise history. It was after Caratini caught a no-hitter for the Chicago Cubs last September. That makes him the first catcher in MLB history to be behind the plate for consecutive no-hitters in the league for different teams. Musgrove and the Padres got the no-hitter in Texas on Friday night. Caratini said Saturday he's super happy and glad the team got to experience that.

Avalanche acquire goaltender Devan Dubnyk from Sharks

The Colorado Avalanche have acquired goaltender Devan Dubynk from the San Jose Sharks for defenseman Greg Pateryn and a fifth-round pick in the 2021 draft. Dubnyk gives NHL-leading Colorado some insurance in net behind starter Philipp Grubauer. Dubnyk has 26 games of Stanley Cup playoff experience during his career. This season he has a 3.18 goals-against average and .898 save percentage for struggling San Jose. He and Pateryn are set to become free agents after this season. The Avalanche have made two trades in two days, acquiring defenseman Patrik Nemeth from Detroit for a fourth-round pick.

Chisholm homers off deGrom, says heater on 'lighter side'

Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a stunning homer off an otherwise dominant Jacob deGrom, Trevor Rogers beat the two-time Cy Young Award winner for the second time and the Miami Marlins three-hit the New York Mets 3-0. DeGrom matched a career best with 14 over eight innings. The 23-year-old Rogers fanned 10 in six, and outpitched deGrom for the second time in nine major league starts. Chisholm said the 100.4 mph fastball he hammered out to right field was “on the lighter side” for 100, adding he was worried about being ahead of the pitch.

Rapinoe's penalty kick gives US 1-1 draw with Sweden

Carli Lloyd made her 300th national team appearance but the United States’ 16-match winning streak was snapped in a 1-1 draw with Sweden on Saturday. Lina Hurtig put Sweden ahead on a goal off a set piece in the 38th minute before Megan Rapinoe’s penalty kick pulled the United States even in the 87th. The draw extended the U.S. team’s unbeaten streak to 38 games. Rapinoe’s goal was her sixth this year to lead the team. 

Late goals hurt Man City, boost Liverpool in Premier League

One stoppage-time goal slowed Manchester City’s march to the Premier League title. Another ignited Liverpool’s push for the Champions League qualification positions. A day of dramatic finishes in England’s top flight on Saturday began with City losing 2-1 to 10-man Leeds. Leeds' winning goal by Stuart Dallas came in the first minute of added-on time at Etihad Stadium. City’s fourth league defeat of the season should only delay the inevitable as Pep Guardiola’s team still leads by 14 points with six matches remaining. Liverpool was heading for another disappointing result at Anfield when Trent Alexander-Arnold scored late to secure a 2-1 win against Aston Villa. Liverpool is fifth. Chelsea beat Crystal Palace 4-1 and climbed to fourth.

Prosecutors defend newer charges against Ghislaine Maxwell

Prosecutors hope to preserve a July trial date for Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell by defending an expansion of charges against her. Prosecutors wrote to a judge Friday after a defense lawyer said a delay of the July 12 trial might be necessary. The defense says that is so it can fully investigate charges alleging Maxwell recruited teenage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse. Prosecutors say the expansion was needed when a woman came forward after Maxwell's arrest. New trafficking charges last month expand the time frame of the charges from three years to a decade and the number of women who allege abuse from three to four.

Georgia governor: Loss of All-Star game will hurt minorities

Georgia’s Republican governor has stepped up his attack on Major League Baseball’s decision to pull this summer’s All-Star Game from the state in response to a sweeping new voting law. Brian Kemp said Saturday the move politicized the sport and would hurt minority-owned businesses. Critics say it’s the voting law that will disproportionately affect communities of color. The measure _ signed by Kemp last month _ expands weekend early voting, but includes strict identification requirements for absentee ballots, limits the use of ballot drop boxes and makes it a crime to hand out food or water to voters waiting in line. 

Protest near Masters pushes back against Georgia voting law

About two dozen protesters turned out near Augusta National to object to Georgia’s new voting law during the third round of the Masters. The group held signs that said “Let Us Vote” and “Protect Georgia Voting Rights,” drawing both jeers and cheers from motorists on a busy street about a half mile from the course. One man passing by shouted an insult against Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who signed new voter restrictions into law last month. But another yelled at protesters, “C’mon, you can vote! Get out of here!” Opponents say the Georgia law reduces the impact of minority voters by making it more difficult to cast a ballot. It has drawn fire from around the country and prompted Major League Baseball to pull its All-Star Game from Atlanta.

Fellow SNL writer remembers Anne Beatts as courageous, witty

Anne Beatts, who died Wednesday at age 74, was a pioneering comedy writer who was on the original staff of “Saturday Night Live.” During her five years on the show, she worked with Rosie Shuster and created such recurring characters as Uncle Roy and the Nerds. Shuster spoke with The Associated Press about their years together and about their enduring friendship. Female comedy writers were rare in the '70s, and Shuster says getting their ideas even listened to left their heads scarred “from bashing them against the glass ceiling." But Beatts was not afraid to demand attention and respect.

Toddler out of medical coma after Chicago road rage shooting

A doctor says a toddler shot in the head while riding in a car on Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive has been removed from a medically induced coma but remains in critical condition. Dr. Marcelo Malakooti of Lurie Children's Hospital said Saturday that Kayden Swann remains on a ventilator to help with his breathing. He says the 21-month-old boy “continues to demonstrate positive improvements.” The shooting occurred Tuesday near Grant Park on the city’s South Side. Police have said one driver would not let another enter a lane of traffic. Kayden was riding in a car driven by his grandfather. 

Blackmore becomes 1st female jockey to win Grand National

Rachael Blackmore has broken down one of the biggest gender barriers in sports by becoming the first female jockey to win the grueling Grand National horse race. Blackmore is a 31-year-old Irishwoman. She rode Minella Times to victory at odds of 11-1 at Aintree on Saturday in the 173rd running of the famous race. Female jockeys have only been allowed to enter and race in the National since 1975 when the Sex Discrimination Act was passed. Blackmore has become the new face of British and Irish horse racing. Three weeks ago she became the first woman to finish as the leading jockey at the prestigious Cheltenham Festival.