AP National Sports

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer SEATTLE (AP) — The education of robot umpires has been complicated by an open secret in baseball for the past 150 years: The strike zone called on the field doesn’t match the one mapped out in the rule book. Before the Automated Ball-Strike System is ready for the major

NAPIER, New Zealand (AP) — Co-host New Zealand has pulled off a confidence-boosting win 10 days before facing Norway in the opening match of the Women’s World Cup. The New Zealanders beat Vietnam 2-0 in their last warm-up game in Napier. The 32-team tournament kicks off July 20 in New Zealand and Australia. The win

By MARIAM FAM Associated Press RABAT, Morocco (AP) — The game was sparsely attended; it was midweek and the outcome wasn’t much in doubt: the Association Sportive des Forces Armees Royales, a powerhouse in women’s soccer here, ended up crushing its Moroccan women’s national professional league opponent 7-0. Regardless, one young fan in the stands

By MARIAM FAM Associated Press RABAT, Morocco (AP) — The game was sparsely attended; it was midweek and the match wasn’t going to be a nail-biter: the Association Sportive des Forces Armees Royales, a powerhouse in women’s soccer here, ended up crushing its Moroccan national women’s professional league opponent 7-0. One young fan in the

By JAMES ELLINGWORTH AP Sports Writer SILVERSTONE, England (AP) — Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton is happy his old team McLaren is competitive in Formula One again. Even if it is at his expense. The seven-time champion lost an all-British tussle to McLaren’s Lando Norris for second place in the British GP on Sunday. Norris even

CINCINNATI (AP) — Matt Turner stopped two penalty kicks, and the United States beat Canada 3-2 in a shootout after a 2-2 draw for a berth in a CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal against Panama. In a game scoreless until the 88th minute, the U.S. tied the score on Scott Kennedy’s 115th minute own goal, six

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — There’s another American sprinter making a big comeback this year. Gabby Thomas held off Sha’Carri Richardson with the best time in the world in 2023 to win the women’s 200 meters at the U.S. track and field championships on Sunday night. Thomas caught up to Richardson rounding the curve and powered

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer LAS VEGAS (AP) — Victor Wembanyama was yelling in celebration, punching the air, even got a Band-Aid on his right cheek because of some physicality. For his second act in Las Vegas, Wembanyama showed some fire. The No. 1 pick in this year’s draft looked much more like himself

By SUSIE RANTZ Associated Press Elizabeth Eddy scored the tiebreaking goal in the 76th minute, and host Angel City rallied past the National Women’s Soccer League-leading North Carolina Courage 2-1. The Courage gave up two goals in a game for the first time since May 6. Brianna Pinto scored in the 15th minute for North

CHICAGO (AP) — Rhyne Howard scored 32 points and the Atlanta Dream pulled away in the closing minutes to defeat the Chicago Sky for the second time in three days, getting an 88-77 decision night for their fifth-straight win. Up one midway through the fourth quarter the Dream surged ahead by cashing in on three

By CHARLES ODUM AP Sports Writer HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) — William Byron won the rain-shortened NASCAR race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It is Byron’s second win in Atlanta in the last two years and his fourth victory of the season. The threat of rain affected strategy as drivers fought to move toward the front of

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Allisen Corpuz picked the right time and the right place for her first big win. She won the first U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach, shooting a final-round 69 for a three-shot victory. The 25-year-old from Hawaii is the first American in 20 years

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings acquired Michigan native Alex DeBrincat from the Ottawa Senators on Sunday in exchange for two players and draft picks. The Red Wings signed the 25-year-old DeBrincat, a two-time 41-goal scorer from Farmington Hills, to a four-year extension worth about $7.8 million annually. In exchange for DeBrincat, the Senators

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kelsey Plum scored a career-high 40 points on 14-of-18 shooting and the Las Vegas Aces routed the Minnesota Lynx for the third time this season, rolling 113-89. The Aces, who beat Minnesota by 21 and 31 earlier this season, clinched the Western Conference berth in the Commissioner’s Cup. Las Vegas (17-2), which

PHOENIX (AP) — Brittney Griner scored 29 points, including her 25th dunk as a professional, and the Phoenix Mercury held on for a 78-72 win over the Los Angeles Sparks in a battle between two struggling teams. Diana Taurasi added 22, 12 in the fourth quarter to put her less than 100 points from 10,000

By TIM BOOTH AP Sports Writer SEATTLE (AP) — LSU’s stars stole the spotlight at the College World Series. It carried over to the top of baseball’s amateur draft. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected hard-throwing LSU right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes with the top pick in the draft on Sunday night, with teammate Dylan Crews going No.

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer The Washington Post is reporting former AT&T Chairman Randall Stephenson has resigned from the PGA Tour policy board. His resignation letter cites serious concerns over the tour’s proposed partnership with Saudi Arabia’s national wealth fund. The PGA Tour confirmed the resignation in a memo to its members citing Stephenson’s

By JANIE McCAULEY AP Sports Writer SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Megan Rapinoe and Trinity Rodman stood side by side at the top of a stairwell waiting to return to the field for some final cheers and fanfare before the Americans departed for the Women’s World Cup Down Under. The Old Guard and Young Guard