Sports Headlines
Mariners beat Texas 4-3 to take series and top spot in AL West
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) â Ty France and the Seattle Mariners never left Texas with a win last season. In their first trip to the Rangers' ballpark this year, they took the series and first place in the AL West from the reigning World Series champions France and UrĂas hit two-run homers and Luis Castillo pitched six solid innings in a 4-3 win Thursday to take two of three in a stadium where the Mariners had lost eight games in a row, including all six last season. âIt's nice to get off to a good start here. Historically, last year, it was a tough go for us. But get a couple wins under our belt here, itâs a nice way to ... Read MoreCrow-Armstrong homers for his first big league hit as the Cubs beat the Astros 3-1
CHICAGO (AP) â Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a tiebreaking two-run homer for his first major league hit, and the Chicago Cubs swept the Houston Astros with a 3-1 victory on Thursday. Nico Hoerner had three hits and Mike Tauchman went 1 for 1 with three walks as Chicago won for the fourth time in five games. Hayden Wesneski (2-0) pitched 2 1/3 perfect innings for the win in relief of Javier Assad. Houston has lost a season-high five straight and eight of nine overall. At 7-19, it is off to its worst 26-game start since it was 6-20 in 1969. First-year manager Joe Espada was ejected by plate umpire Jansen Visconti in the top of the ninth. âI just did not ... Read MoreCowboys get Oklahoma offensive lineman Tyler Guyton after trading down in NFL draft
FRISCO, Texas (AP) â The Dallas Cowboys took Oklahoma's Tyler Guyton with the 29th pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night, and even after trading down five spots sounded as if they had found their next left tackle for a group that lost two starters to free agency. Guyton played mostly right tackle in two seasons with the Sooners after starting his college career not far from the home of the Cowboys at TCU and growing up in the Austin area as a fan of the storied franchise. In 2023, Guyton protected the blind side of left-handed quarterback Dillon Gabriel. âHe is the backside tackle, so it will definitely be an easy transition as far as the responsibility of ... Read MoreBroncos make Bo Nix sixth QB picked in first round of NFL draft
ByABC News The Denver Broncos' decision-makers said over and over again in the weeks leading up to Thursday's first round of the NFL draft they would not "force'' a decision at quarterback. Whether or not the Broncos indeed forced the issue remains to be seen, but what the Broncos did do is make history when they made Oregon's Bo Nix the sixth quarterback off the board Thursday night. Nix's selection tied the record of six quarterbacks selected in the first round, set in 1983 when Broncos Hall of Famer John Elway was the No. 1 pick of the draft (by the Baltimore Colts). In all, a record 23 offensive players -- including the first 14 picks off the board -- ... Read MoreMichael Penix Jr. taken by Falcons in NFL draft surprise
ByMARC RAIMONDI The Atlanta Falcons pulled off the biggest shocker of the NFL draft Thursday night, taking Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick. And that stunned feeling extended to incumbent quarterback Kirk Cousins. The Falcons made the pick despite signing veteran quarterback Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract last month in free agency. Cousins' agent Mike McCartney told ESPN's Pete Thamel that the Falcons only notified the quarterback that they would pick Penix while the team was on the clock. McCartney said there is frustration and confusion coming from Cousins' camp because Atlanta did not use its first-round pick to make the team better in 2024. Instead, the Falcons used their selection on Cousins' apparent ... Read MoreGiants ‘ecstatic’ with Malik Nabers as No. 6 pick of NFL draft
ByJORDAN RANAAN EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants declined an invite to the quarterback party at the top of the 2024 NFL draft when they passed on Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, among others, before selecting LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers with the sixth overall pick. Quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr., McCarthy and Bo Nix were available when the Giants were on the clock Thursday night in the first round of the draft. They were all eventually taken within the first 12 picks -- Penix at No. 8 to the Atlanta Falcons, McCarthy at No. 10 to the Minnesota Vikings and Nix at No. 12 to the Denver Broncos. Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye were selected Nos. 1-3 to ... Read MoreEmbiid has 50 to lead 76ers to win, reveals Bell’s palsy diagnosis
ByABC News PHILADELPHIA -- Not only did Joel Embiid set a playoff career high with 50 points to carry the Philadelphia 76ers back into their first-round series against the New York Knicks with a 125-114 victory in Game 3, but he did it while playing through Bell's palsy, a condition that has affected the left side of his face. "I think it started a day or two before the Miami game [in the play-in tournament], and I had bad migraines and thought it was nothing," Embiid said after Thursday's win. "It's pretty annoying, you know, with the left side of my face, my mouth and my eye. So yeah, it's been tough. "But I'm not a quitter, so gotta keep ... Read MoreKnicks call Joel Embiid’s foul on Mitchell Robinson ‘dirty’
ByTIM BONTEMPS PHILADELPHIA -- The New York Knicks took exception to the flagrant foul Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid committed on Knicks center Mitchell Robinson in the first quarter of Philadelphia's 125-114 Game 3 victory, calling it "dirty" and saying Robinson was fortunate to avoid serious injury on the play. "It was dirty," Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo said. "It was dirty." "I mean, we're just happy Mitch didn't get a serious injury on that," Knicks forward Josh Hart added. "I'm all for tough fouls, tough playoff fouls, but that's something that can put a guy out for a significant amount of time. So we're lucky he didn't get seriously hurt during that time." The play came with 4:34 in the ... Read MoreChiefs trade up, pick speedy WR Xavier Worthy in NFL draft
ByADAM TEICHER The Kansas City Chiefs didn't want to just rebuild at wide receiver. They wanted to rebuild with speed. That effort got a big boost in the first round of the draft when the Chiefs traded up four spots with the Buffalo Bills to select Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who set a scouting combine record when he ran a 4.21 in the 40-yard dash. This comes after the Chiefs signed veteran wideout Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, who ran a 4.27 40 when he came out for the draft in 2019. General manager Brett Veach said the addition of the two players will "make life easier'' for the Chiefs' top two returning receivers, Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice. "It's a ... Read More49ers say trades involving Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel are unlikely
ByNICK WAGONER SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- As San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan made their way to the auditorium Thursday night, a text popped up on each of their phones. The sender was Brandon Aiyuk, the subject of plenty of trade speculation amid the Niners' latest attempts to consummate a big-money contract extension with the star wide receiver. Lynch and Shanahan had just spent the No. 31 pick in the NFL draft Thursday on Florida receiver Ricky Pearsall, a selection that didn't do much to quiet the Aiyuk rumors. But Aiyuk's message wasn't one of anger. It was far simpler. "Fire pick, I can't lie," Aiyuk's message said, according to Lynch. Aiyuk and Pearsall played ... Read MoreRavens pick Nate Wiggins in NFL draft after Dabo Swinney text
ByJAMISON HENSLEY Before the Baltimore Ravens selected Nate Wiggins in the NFL draft's first round Thursday night, team officials were getting constant reminders from Clemson coach Dabo Swinney that the Tigers cornerback was still on the board. "We were getting texts from the head coach," Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said. "Dabo was texting us during the first round [saying], 'Please take this guy.'" Swinney, who attended Wiggins' draft party, gave him a hug after he was drafted by the Ravens. "Nate is as talented as we've ever had come through here at his position from a skill set standpoint," Swinney said in a press release Thursday night. One of the top cornerbacks in the draft, Wiggins unexpectedly fell to ... Read MoreLakers falter again, on brink of another sweep by Nuggets
ByDAVE MCMENAMIN LOS ANGELES -- Having just logged the 285th playoff game of his career -- clearing the entire Denver Nuggets starting five's combined 275 -- Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James spoke from plenty of experience when he detailed what it takes to thrive in the postseason after Thursday night's 112-105 Game 3 loss. "You're supposed to have anxiety and pressure -- or feel the pressure," James said after Denver went up 3-0 in their first-round series, one win away from sweeping L.A. into its summer for a second straight year. "That's what it's about. This is what the postseason is about." With Anthony Davis to his right, James endorsed his and the Lakers center's ability to perform when ... Read MoreStephen F. Austin State University names new AD
NACOGDOCHES â Stephen F. Austin State University Thursday appointed a new athletics director. According to our news partner KETK, Michael McBroom, who is currently the athletics director at West Texas A&M University with be joining the university May 15. Interim SFA president, Gina Oglesbee said, âWe are excited about the future of Lumberjack athletics under McBroomâs leadership. His proven ability to build championship-worthy programs, both on the playing surfaces and in the classroom, aptly matches the goals of SFA Athletics and the university.â McBroom, a Southern Methodist University graduate, will be joining SFA with 25 years of athletics administrator experience and 18 of those as athletics director. ... Read More
Swanson homers as the short-handed Cubs beat the struggling Astros
CHICAGO (AP) â Dansby Swanson hit a three-run homer during Chicago's four-run first inning and the short-handed Cubs beat the Houston Astros 4-3 on Wednesday night. Playing without Cody Bellinger, Chicago used Swanson's big swing and a solid start by Jameson Taillon to earn its second straight win. It will try to sweep the three-game set against the struggling Astros on Thursday. Taillon (2-0) allowed two runs, one earned, and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings on a chilly evening at Wrigley Field. The right-hander struck out four and walked two in his second start since he began the season on the injured list with a back strain. âBefore that back injury, I just really liked where we were at,â ... Read MoreRangers star Corey Seager hit by pitch, leaves game because of shin contusion
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) â Texas shortstop Corey Seager left the Rangersâ game against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night following the seventh inning because of a left shin contusion after being hit by a pitch in the inning. The 2023 World Series MVP was struck on the back leg by an 0-2 pitch from reliever Austin Voth that bounced in the dirt in front of the plate. Seager was attended to by the medical staff after taking first base and remained in the game for the rest of the inning. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said after Texas' 5-1 victory that he won't know Seager's status for Thursday afternoon's game until checking on him in the morning. âIt swelled up pretty ... Read MoreGarcĂa and Carter hit back-to-back homers and Rangers beat Mariners 5-1
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) â Adolis GarcĂa and Evan Carter hit Texasâ first back-to-back home runs this season and the Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 5-1 on Wednesday night. GarcĂaâs team-high seventh homer in the fourth inning barely cleared the wall in straight-away center field and tipped off the glove of Julio RodrĂguez. GarcĂa stood near first base apparently thinking RodrĂguez made the catch until he saw the center fielder walk toward the infield, turn and look over the fence. âIâve seen Julio do that deke before where he acts like he didnât catch it, so I didnât know what was going on,â said Carter, who watched from the on-deck circle. Mariners manager Scott Servais said he thought RodrĂguez made the ... Read MoreCubs reliever Luke Little forced to change his glove because of white in American flag patch
CHICAGO (AP) â Chicago Cubs reliever Luke Little said he had to change his glove before he entered Wednesday night's 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros because of an American flag patch. Manager Craig Counsell went to insert Little with one out in the seventh inning. But as the 6-foot-8 left-hander went through the usual check by umpires for pitchers coming into the game, he was told he had to swap out his glove. âThe issue was the American flag was on his glove,â Counsell said. âPitchers' gloves, they're pretty strict about not having white on the pitchers' gloves. Apparently the flag had what could be a distraction to the hitter.â As Little went to the mound to warm up ... Read MoreGolden Knights beat Stars 3-1 to take 2-0 series lead home to Vegas
DALLAS (AP) â Jack Eichel and defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas got exactly what they anticipated, and withstood that early hard push in Game 2 by the desperate Dallas Stars. The Golden Knights didnât settle for a split while starting the first-round series on the road. âWe expected them to come out and push hard that first five, 10 minutes and they did,â Eichel said. âWe responded. We were able to come in here after the first period and itâs all tied. ... They gave us all we could handle.â Eichel assisted on the tying goal by Jonathan Marchessault late in the first period before adding an empty-netter late, Noah Hanifin scored the tiebreaker with unassisted goal late in the ... Read MoreReport: Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy among big PGA Tour payouts
ByABC News Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and other PGA Tour stars are about to receive massive bonuses for their loyalty. The Telegraph reported Wednesday that Woods will receive up to $100 million in equity as part of the newly created for-profit PGA Tour Enterprises, with McIlroy getting about half that amount. The payouts, which are set to be disclosed to the players by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan on Wednesday, are a way to thank players for sticking with the PGA Tour instead of jumping to the rival LIV Golf League and huge paydays from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. Nearly 200 players will receive a stake, with $750 million of it going to the top 36 players based on ... Read MoreRavens extend receiver Rashod Bateman through 2026
ByJAMISON HENSLEY OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Wide receiver Rashod Bateman is staying in Baltimore, after all. Bateman reached a two-year extension with the Ravens on Wednesday, which keeps the former first round pick in Baltimore through the 2026 season, the team announced. This surprising move was made eight days before the Ravens had to make a decision on whether to exercise Bateman's fifth-year option. There had been speculation that Baltimore might trade Bateman during the draft like the Ravens did with wide receiver Marquise Brown two years ago. Instead, Bateman made team history, becoming the Ravens' first first-round wide receiver to sign a second contract with Baltimore. "Congratulations to 'Bate' and his family," Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said in ... Read MoreSharks fire coach David Quinn after historic last-place season
ByABC News The San Jose Sharks have fired David Quinn after a season that saw San Jose finish with the second-fewest points in the salary cap era. Quinn's firing after two seasons Wednesday came less than a week after the Sharks (19-54-9) lost three straight games and five of their last six and ended the regular season with the worst record in the NHL. "After going through our end of the season process of internal meetings and evaluating where our team is at and where we want our group to go, we have made the difficult decision to make a change at the head coach position," Sharks general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. "David is a good coach ... Read MoreBears unveil $5B proposal for new domed lakefront stadium
ByABC News CHICAGO -- The Bears unveiled a nearly $5 billion proposal Wednesday for an enclosed stadium next door to their current home at Soldier Field as part of a major project that would transform the city's lakefront, and they are asking for public funding to help make it happen. The plan calls for $3.2 billion for the new stadium plus an additional $1.5 billion in infrastructure. The team and the city said the project would add green and open space while improving access to the city's Museum Campus and also could include a publicly owned hotel. "This is not an easy project, but Chicago doesn't like it easy," Bears president Kevin Warren said. The announcement at Soldier Field comes ... Read MoreLawsuit vs. former Texas Tech guard Pop Isaacs dismissed
ByMYRON MEDCALF A civil lawsuit that accused former Texas Tech basketball player Richard "Pop" Isaacs of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl during a team trip to the Bahamas in November has been dismissed, according to attorneys for both Isaacs and the parents of the girl. In addition, Isaacs was found "not responsible" by a panel following a Title IX hearing Wednesday morning, The Field of 68 reported, citing Kimberly Simon, Texas Tech's assistant vice president for compliance and Title IX. "The parties to the lawsuit and Title IX complaint have agreed to dismiss all claims that have, or could have been, alleged as against one another," an attorney for Isaacs said in a statement. "Pop loved his time in Lubbock ... Read MoreLakers try to take positives from Game 2 collapse vs. Nuggets
ByDAVE MCMENAMIN EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Lakers reconvened on Wednesday for the first time since their Game 2 collapse Monday against the Denver Nuggets. As crushing as the Denver's 20-point comeback might have felt in the moment, LeBron James said that Wednesday's film session let the Lakers see some encouraging signs. "We generated some great shots," James said. "We missed a lot of shots at the rim that we've been making throughout the course of this season." James was 4-for-11 at shots at the rim, tied for the most layups and dunks he's missed in a playoff game since joining the Lakers, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. "The film session was very revealing with which ... Read MoreTimberwolves’ Naz Reid wins NBA Sixth Man of the Year award
ByTIM BONTEMPS Minnesota forward Naz Reid was named the 2023-24 NBA Sixth Man of the Year on Wednesday night, becoming the first Timberwolves player to win the award. Reid, 24, averaged career highs of 13.5 points and 5.2 rebounds to help Minnesota finish with the second-best record in franchise history (56-26) and clinch the third seed in the Western Conference. He also became the third undrafted player to win the award, along with John Starks (1997) and Darrell Armstrong (1999). "Blessed to be in this situation," Reid, one of six players to win the award before the age of 25, said in an interview on TNT. "It's special," Reid said of his relationship with the fans in Minnesota, where he ... Read MoreCubs’ Cody Bellinger placed on injured list with fractured ribs
ByABC News Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger has two fractured ribs and has been placed on the 10-day injured list, manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday. Bellinger, a two-time All-Star selection, crashed into the center-field wall during Tuesday's game while tracking a fly ball hit by Houston's Yainer Diaz that went for a double and scored Kyle Tucker. He left the game an inning later. Counsell said after Tuesday's game that the X-rays on Bellinger were clean, but a CT scan on Wednesday revealed the injury. A timeframe of his return in unclear, Counsell said. "He woke up feeling good. Unfortunately [the CT scan] just revealed what's there," Counsell said. "... He has to get symptom-free first and then we'll go ... Read MoreBengals’ Trey Hendrickson, seeking long-term deal, requests trade
ByBEN BABY CINCINNATI -- Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson requested a trade Wednesday, his agent, Harold Lewis, confirmed to ESPN. Lewis told ESPN that Hendrickson's request is about a long-term investment from the franchise after the two sides settled on a one-year extension last year. "Our No. 1 goal is to get a long-term commitment from them," Lewis said on the eve of the NFL draft. "If we can't, then we're asking for a trade. And hopefully if he gets traded, that's what we do -- get a long-term commitment with somewhere else." Last year, Hendrickson received a one-year contract extension worth $21 million, which included an $8 million signing bonus, according to Roster Management System. After another season in ... Read MoreAdell, Angels dispute controversial review in loss to Orioles
ByALDEN GONZALEZ ANAHEIM, Calif. -- A sparse afternoon crowd at Angel Stadium gathered enough voices to produce a surprisingly loud "safe" chant as Wednesday's contest neared its conclusion, hoping to prolong a game that still seemed undecided. The news, relayed from home-plate umpire Hunter Barksdale, disappointed them: Replay review of an initial out call on Jo Adell's attempted steal of second base, which would have put the tying run in scoring position with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, was not overturned. The Los Angeles Angels' late comeback hopes had fallen just short. They absorbed a 6-5 loss to the visiting Baltimore Orioles, their sixth defeat in seven games. And afterward they lamented what could have been. ... Read MoreHeat torch Celtics with 23 3-pointers to even series in Game 2
ByCHRIS HERRING BOSTON -- The day before his short-handed Heat sought to even the score with the heavily favored Celtics, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra made an intriguing comment about his team's identity. After being deluged by Boston's 3-point shooting in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first-round series, Spoelstra said his team needed to do a better job of letting it fly to keep pace. "I understand the math of it," Spoelstra said, before adding, "We're not going to shoot 50 of them. That's not realistic." Maybe 50 3-point shots wasn't quite realistic, but the upset-minded Heat did just fine with 43 attempts Wednesday night. And by finishing with a playoff franchise-record 23 treys, the Heat beat the Celtics 111-101 ... Read MoreFormer college and NFL star Reggie Bush’s 2005 Heisman Trophy reinstated
Michael Cohen/WireImage/Via Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Former standout college football player and NFL running back Reggie Bush will have his 2005 Heisman Trophy reinstated, according to Bush's attorneys and a statement posted on the Heisman website Wednesday.Bush posted a photo on Instagram with the trophy captioned, "No one can take from you what God has for you."Bush forfeited the trophy in 2010 amid NCAA sanctions against his former school, the University of Southern California."I am grateful to once again be recognized as the recipient of the Heisman Trophy," said Bush in a statement via his attorneys, "This reinstatement is not only a personal victory but also a validation of the tireless efforts of my supporters and advocates who have stood ... Read More
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