Sports

By JOHN DUERDEN Associated Press Chongqing Liangjiang has withdrawn from the Chinese Super League just over a week before the start of delayed season in yet another setback for the domestic soccer scene. It’s an unwanted echo of the build-up to the 2021 season when defending champion Jiangsu FC folded. Chongqing issued a statement saying

By FRED GOODALL AP Sports Writer TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jon Cooper had every reason to be confident the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning could keep their bid for a three-peat alive. “Our story is not finished being written,” the coach said earlier this month with his team on the brink of

By JANIE McCAULEY AP Baseball Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Buck Showalter believes in this New York Mets offense, especially if his players keep taking tough at-bats the way they did in the series opener against San Francisco. Pete Alonso hit an early three-run homer moments after Francisco Lindor’s tying, two-run double, and the Mets

By JACK MAGRUDER Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona’s familiarity with Zack Greinke led to a solid offensive night against the Diamondbacks’ former pitcher. Christian Walker and Pavin Smith homered and Ketel Marte’s two-run double broke a fourth-inning tie to help the Diamondbacks beat Kansas City 9-5 Monday night in Greinke’s first appearance at Chase

By TIM BOOTH AP Sports Writer SEATTLE (AP) — The first three times Julio Rodríguez homered, the reaction was mostly silence. The cost of hitting long balls on the road. The prized Seattle rookie finally got to hear the hometown roar he’s been anticipating. “(When) I’ve been on the road, every time I hit it

By STEPHEN WHYNO and JOHN WAWROW AP Hockey Writers Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri refused to buckle in the face of death threats, racial slurs, a booing St. Louis crowd and a few post-whistle hits. Kadri scored three goals, drew two penalties, and Colorado took a 3-1 second-round playoff series lead over the Blues following a

By JOE HARRIS Associated Press ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nazem Kadri scored three goals, including two during a four-goal second period barrage, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 6-3 to take a 3-1 lead in their Western Conference series. Kadri’s outburst came after he received racist death threats on social media following

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Football League players have rejected the new collective bargaining agreement with the league. The players’ union confirmed the deal had been voted down in a memo to its members on Monday night. The CFL Players’ Association says in the memo that a new deal could be reached “if the league is

By GEORGE HENRY AP Sports Writer ATLANTA (AP) — Zack Wheeler pitched 6 2/3 strong innings with a season-high 10 strikeouts, Rhys Hoskins knocked in three runs with an early double and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 7-3. The teams began the day tied for second in the division, eight games out of

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A’ja Wilson scored 24 points, Jackie Young added 19 points and nine rebounds, and the Las Vegas Aces routed the Los Angeles Sparks 104-76 on Monday night for their fifth straight victory. The Aces tied a WNBA record with 18 3-pointers, topping the team mark of 16, and scored 100-plus in

By WARREN MAYES Associated Press ST. LOUIS (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt hit a walkoff grand slam in the 10th inning to lift the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto fell to 1-2 in extra innings games. The Cardinals improved to 1-1. Genesis Cabrera was the fifth St. Louis

By JEROME PUGMIRE AP Sports Writer PARIS (AP) — A potential menace hangs over Wednesday’s Europa Conference League final between Dutch club Feyenoord and Italy’s Roma in the Albanian capital of Tirana in a season when soccer violence has made an ugly comeback. Up to 100,000 fans are expected to travel despite each club being

By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics took their turn pounding the Miami Heat early. Jayson Tatum scored 31 points and Boston jumped out to a 26-4 lead and cruised to a 102-82 victory that evened the Eastern Conference finals at two games apiece. Miami missed 15 of its first

By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer HOUSTON (AP) — José Ramírez homered with four RBIs and Triston McKenzie pitched seven sharp innings to help the Cleveland Guardians to a 6-1 win over the Houston Astros Monday night. Ramírez had two hits, highlighted by a two-run shot in the fifth inning that pushed the lead to