AP National Sports

HAMILTON, New Zealand (AP) — Japanese players have worn black armbands in their Women’s World Cup opener against Zambia following the death of Fumiko Tottori, the mother of Japanese Princess Takamado. The princess is the honorary patron of the Japan Football Association and her mother, Tottori, 96, died Tuesday in Tokyo. FIFA granted the association’s

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Angels fans rose and roared when Shohei Ohtani walked toward the dugout after a tumultuous Friday night on the mound. The Big A echoed with “M-V-P!” chants for the unique talent who has revolutionized baseball over the last six seasons in Orange County. The chants

By ZACH ALLEN Associated Press AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Left bruised, bandaged and limping, the Vietnamese walked off the pitch smiling. Entering its World Cup-opening match Saturday against the United States, the Vietnamese were expected to suffer a defeat similar to the 2019 Thailand team, which lost to the Americans 13-0 to open that

By MICHAEL WAGAMAN Associated Press OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kyle Tucker hit three home runs in a game for the first time in his career and drove in four runs, Alex Bregman also went deep and the Houston Astros beat the Oakland Athletics 6-4. It was the fifth multi-homer game of Tucker’s career, including playoffs,

By JENNA FRYER AP National Writer AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — France returns to the Women’s World Cup seeking a better result after falling short four years ago as the host nation. France lost to the United States in 2019 in the quarterfinals in Paris. The Les Bleus had controversy earlier this year when three

By JOE LISTER Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — South African players are committed to playing in the Women’s World Cup following disputes around player and support staff pay, and the team captain has assured fans back home they are fully focused on their upcoming tournament matches. Team captain Refiloe Jane said that all

By TIM BOOTH AP Sports Writer SEATTLE (AP) — Without question it was the most enjoyable 90-foot jog of the season for Seattle’s Teoscar Hernández. Not much can top a game-winning hit against a former team. “I was enjoying every single bit I could enjoy, especially because we win the game,” Hernández said. “For me,

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani allowed four homers for the first time in his major league career while pitching six-hit ball into the seventh inning and earning the mound victory in the Los Angeles Angels’ 8-5 win over Pittsburgh. Pirates rookie Henry Davis became the first major league

By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer MILWAUKEE (AP) — Austin Riley homered for the fifth time in his last four games, Orlando Arcia also went deep and the Atlanta Braves held off the Milwaukee Brewers for a 6-4 win. Riley hit a two-run homer in the third inning, and then singled and scored in the

By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Baseball Writer ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — All-Star shortstop Corey Seager isn’t in the starting lineup for the AL West-leading Texas Rangers while the team waits for results from an MRI on his sprained right thumb. Manager Bruce Bochy said before Saturday’s game that he’s trying to be optimistic. Seager got hurt

By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Baseball Writer ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Freddie Freeman hit a two-run double and a solo homer before scoring the go-ahead run as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Texas Rangers 11-5. That snapped the AL West leaders’ six-game winning streak. J.D. Martinez had two RBI singles and drew a bases-loaded walk

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani has allowed four homers in a game for the first time in the two-way superstar’s major league career with the Los Angeles Angels. Rookie Henry Davis hit two of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ four homers off Ohtani on Friday night. The No. 1 overall

By DAVE CAMPBELL AP Sports Writer MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Byron Buxton halted an 0-for-26 skid by homering in his first two at-bats, and Alex Kirilloff and Ryan Jeffers also took Lance Lynn deep for the Minnesota Twins in a 9-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Twins starter Joe Ryan shook off a home run

By PATRICK STEVENS Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — CJ Abrams and Lane Thomas homered, rookie Jake Irvin struck out a career-high nine and the Washington Nationals beat the San Francisco Giants 5-3 on Friday night. J.D. Davis and Joc Pederson homered for the Giants, who have dropped three in a row since a seven-game winning

By TERRY SPENCER Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — Peter Lambert pitched five shutout innings and his teammates hit three early homers as the Colorado Rockies defeated the Miami Marlins 6-1. Lambert struck out three while giving up three hits and a walk in his return from a minor-league stint aimed at converting him from a

By JEFF WALLNER Associated Press CINCINNATI (AP) — Rookie Matt McLain hit his first career grand slam and the Cincinnati Reds extended their winning streak to three games with a 9-6 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night in a matchup of surprising MLB teams. The Diamondbacks began the day two games behind the

By LARRY FLEISHER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Billy McKinney hit a three-run homer and made two key catches in center field as the New York Yankees got a much-needed win, beating the Kansas City Royals 5-4. Franchy Cordero homered for the second straight game and Gleyber Torres also went deep for the Yankees,

By KEN POWTAK Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — The game between the Boston Red Sox and New York was suspended in the bottom of the fourth inning with the Mets leading 4-3. The Mets erased a three-run deficit on two-run homers by Brandon Nimmo and Daniel Vogelbach and had one out and a 1-2 count

By DAVE HOGG Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — Juan Soto hit two long home runs and the San Diego Padres beat the Detroit Tigers 5-4 on Friday night. Soto’s home run in the first inning was estimated at 447 feet and his third-inning shot came in at 463 feet. Seth Lugo (4-4) allowed two runs