Braves spoil Wainwright's homecoming, win 8-5 over Cardinals to avoid sweep

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:06:13 GMT

Braves spoil Wainwright's homecoming, win 8-5 over Cardinals to avoid sweep ATLANTA (AP) — Ronald Acuña Jr. hit two of Atlanta's five home runs, Matt Olson increased his major league-leading total to 47 and the Braves beat slumping Adam Wainwright and the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5 on Thursday night.Acuña raised his season total to 34 homers with his third multihomer game this season and the 12th of his big league career. Olson homered for his fourth straight game, and Michael Harris II and Travis d'Arnaud also went deep for major league-best Atlanta (91-48), which leads second-place Philadelphia by 14 games in the NL East.Max Fried (7-1) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings, improving to 5-0 in his last seven starts. He is 5-0 in his career against the Cardinals.Wainwright (3-11), pitching in his home state of Georgia for the final time against the team that drafted him in 2000, allowed six runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings, including four solo home runs. He is stuck at 198 wins, losing seven straight starts and dropping to 0-10 in 11 outings sin...

Al-Qaida-linked insurgents in Mali kill 49 civilians and 15 soldiers in attacks, military says

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:06:13 GMT

Al-Qaida-linked insurgents in Mali kill 49 civilians and 15 soldiers in attacks, military says BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Two attacks by al-Qaida linked insurgents in the restive north of Mali on Thursday killed 49 civilians and 15 government soldiers, the country’s military junta said.A passenger boat near the city of Timbuktu on the Niger River and a Malian military position in Bamba further downstream in the Gao region were targeted, according to a statement from the military junta read on state television. It said the attacks have been claimed by JNIM, an umbrella coalition of armed groups aligned with al-Qaida. The Malian government killed about 50 assailants while responding to the attacks, the announcement said. It said also declared three days of national mourning from Friday to honor the civilians and soldiers killed in the attacks.Al-Qaida affiliated and Islamic State-linked groups have almost doubled the territory they control in Mali in less than a year, the United Nations said in a report last month, as they take advantage of a weak government and of armed g...

Motorcyclist killed in Westminster crash

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:06:13 GMT

Motorcyclist killed in Westminster crash A motorcyclist died after crashing into the back of an SUV on 120th Avenue near Federal Boulevard on Thursday afternoon, according to the Westminster Police Department.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Reward offered for info on woman who abandoned cat next to Capitol Hill dumpster with no food, water Crime and Public Safety | Westbound lanes of I-70 reopen; eastbound lanes, U.S. 6 remain closed near Eagle Crime and Public Safety | Colorado family of five injured in horrific wrong-way crash in Seattle Crime and Public Safety | Woman found dead in rural Arapahoe County ID’d as homicide victim Crime and Public Safety | Rail crossing gates fixed after being stuck in down position on Alameda in Aurora Officers responded to the scene at about 3:30 p.m. to reports of a motorcycle striking the back end of a white SUV. The motorcyclist, an adult male, was transported to a local hospital and pronoun...

How Warriors rookies Podziemski, Jackson-Davis got acquainted with their new team

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:06:13 GMT

How Warriors rookies Podziemski, Jackson-Davis got acquainted with their new team SAN FRANCISCO — Trayce Jackson-Davis and Brandin Podziemski had to duck their heads through the underground hallways of the old Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. These buildings weren’t built for NBA-sized players, though both recognized the abandoned structures from the “Call of Duty” video game.But exploring the insides of one of San Francisco’s most famous landmarks was all part of the Warriors rookies’ day getting well acquainted with their new city. A few weeks earlier a few miles south, the pair had already gotten better acquainted with their new teammates.Through the team group chat, Steph Curry organized a players-only mini camp in Los Angeles at the end of August. Most of the team — except Dario Saric, who is playing for Team Croatia in the FIBA World Cup — attended for the near week-long gathering. As a group, they practiced and had team dinners.“Just a great thing by our vets to set that up and team bonding off the court ...

Tommy Pham homers twice, Diamondbacks beat Cubs 6-2 to move into 3rd NL wild-card spot

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:06:13 GMT

Tommy Pham homers twice, Diamondbacks beat Cubs 6-2 to move into 3rd NL wild-card spot CHICAGO (AP) — Tommy Pham hit two first-pitch home runs, Ryne Nelson was efficient on the mound in his return from the minors and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Chicago Cubs 6-2 on Thursday night.Ketel Marte added his 22nd homer to help the Diamondbacks win their second straight and move a half-game ahead of Miami for the last of the three NL wild-card spots. Chicago holds the No. 2 wild card, three games ahead of Arizona.Nelson (7-7), recalled from Triple-A Reno a night earlier, gave up two hits while striking out three and walking two in the first 5 2/3 innings. Paul Sewald, the last of five Arizona relievers, finished for his 31st save.Seiya Suzuki tripled and scored the first run for Chicago, which saw a four-game streak end and missed a chance to trim idle Milwaukee’s NL Central lead to one game. Dansby Swanson added a ninth-inning RBI single off reliever Joe Mantiply.Pham had a solo shot off Javier Assad (3-3) in the first and Marte added a two-run homer in the fourth to gi...

Dodgers credited with a run when Marlins ball boy picks up a ball that was in play

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:06:13 GMT

Dodgers credited with a run when Marlins ball boy picks up a ball that was in play MIAMI (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers got an assist — and perhaps a run — due to a faux pas by a Miami Marlins ball boy. The Dodgers led 3-0 in the sixth inning and had Mookie Betts on first when Freddie Freeman hit a hump-back liner that landed just beyond the infield and inside the right field foul line. The ball bounced twice and ended up in foul territory, where the ball boy grabbed it with his glove and tossed the ball deep into the stands as Marlins right fielder Jesus Sanchez moved in to make the play.The umpires gathered at home plate and determined Betts had rounded third and allowed him to score. Freeman was credited with a double on the play.Rookie Ryan Pepiot pitched a perfect game for 6 2/3 innings as Julio Urías’ replacement in the Los Angeles rotation, and the Dodgers routed the Marlins 10-0 for just their second win seven games. ___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLBSource

Ryan Pepiot throws 6 2/3 perfect innings as Julio Urías’ replacement, and Dodgers rout 10-0

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:06:13 GMT

Ryan Pepiot throws 6 2/3 perfect innings as Julio Urías’ replacement, and Dodgers rout 10-0 MIAMI (AP) — Rookie Ryan Pepiot pitched a perfect game for 6 2/3 innings as Julio Urías’ replacement in the Dodgers’ rotation, and Los Angeles routed the Miami Marlins 10-0 on Thursday night for just their second win seven games.Josh Bell grounded a single up the middle with two outs in the seventh for the only hit off Pepiot. Caleb Ferguson allowed Garrett Hampson’s leadoff single in the eighth and Evan Phillips finished the two-hitter with a perfect ninth.Pepiot (3-0) was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City before the game to take the place of Urías, who was put on the restricted list following his arrest Sunday in Los Angeles on suspicion of corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant. A 26-year-old right-hander starting his third stint with the Dodgers this season, Pepiot struck out three and induced nine groundouts, throwing 60 of 84 pitches for strikes.Chris Taylor had five RBIs that included his 15th home run, a double and a single. Miguel Rojas and Will Smit...

Acuña hits 2 of Braves’ 5 homer, Olson hits 47th in 8-5 win over Cardinals

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:06:13 GMT

Acuña  hits 2 of Braves’ 5 homer, Olson hits 47th in 8-5 win over Cardinals ATLANTA (AP) — Ronald Acuña Jr. hit two of Atlanta’s five home runs, Matt Olson increased his major league-leading total to 47 and the Braves beat slumping Adam Wainwright and the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5 on Thursday night.Acuña raised his season total to 34 homers with his third multihomer game this season and the 12th of his big league career. Olson homered for his fourth straight game, and Michael Harris II and Travis d’Arnaud also went deep for major league-best Atlanta (91-48), which leads second-place Philadelphia by 14 games in the NL East.Max Fried (7-1) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings, improving to 5-0 in his last seven starts. He is 5-0 in his career against the Cardinals.Wainwright (3-11), pitching in his home state of Georgia for the final time against the team that drafted him in 2000, allowed six runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings, including four solo home runs. He is stuck at 198 wins, losing seven straight starts and dropping to 0-10 in 11...

Coco Gauff tops Karolina Muchova to reach the US Open final. The match was delayed by a protest

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:06:13 GMT

Coco Gauff tops Karolina Muchova to reach the US Open final. The match was delayed by a protest NEW YORK (AP) — Coco Gauff never wavered. Not when a big lead in the first set evaporated. Not when match point after match point went by the wayside. And not, most distracting of all, when her U.S. Open semifinal against Karolina Muchova was interrupted for 50 minutes Thursday night by environmental activists — one of whom glued his bare feet to the concrete floor in the stands.It’s been rather obvious for quite some time that Gauff is no ordinary teenager. Now she is one win away from becoming a Grand Slam champion.Gauff, a 19-year-old from Florida, reached her first final at Flushing Meadows by defeating Muchova 6-4, 7-5 on what was anything but an ordinary evening.The toughest part for Gauff might have been closing out the victory: She needed six match points to get it done, raucously supported by a loud, partisan crowd that chair umpire Alison Hughes repeatedly implored to quiet down.After failing to convert one match point while serving for the win at 5-3, then another four in...

Ionescu breaks single-season 3-point record as Liberty win 8th straight, beating Sparks 96-89

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:06:13 GMT

Ionescu breaks single-season 3-point record as Liberty win 8th straight, beating Sparks 96-89 NEW YORK (AP) — Breanna Stewart scored 25 points and Sabrina Ionescu broke the single-season 3-point record to help New York beat the Los Angeles Sparks 96-89 on Thursday night, giving the Liberty eight straight wins.New York (32-7) moved a half-game behind Las Vegas for the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. The Liberty close out the season on Sunday at home against Washington. The Aces have a home-and-home series with Phoenix on Friday and Sunday.The loss put the Sparks (16-23) a half-game behind Chicago for the final playoff spot. The Sky own the tiebreaker between the teams so Los Angeles would have to win at Seattle on Sunday and have Chicago lose its final two games.Ionescu topped Diana Taurasi’s single-season 3-point mark and now has 124 this year. “It’s an honor, any time you’re able to pass arguably the greatest basketball player that ever played in the WNBA,” Ionescu said.The Liberty’s star guard missed all eight of her shots in the first half, including six 3-pointer...