Sports

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers addressed a longstanding need by selecting offensive tackle Ikem “Ickey” Ekwonu from North Carolina State with the sixth pick in the NFL draft. The 6-foot-4, 310-pound Ekwonu is expected to start right away at left tackle. Ekwonu was the first offensive player

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico (AP) — Jon Rahm is the big favorite at the Mexico Open and he’s playing the part. Rahm used his short game to avoid a slow start. He chipped in for birdie early. He made a long eagle putt late. It added to a 64, and the third-ranked player in golf was

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer Chicago will host the WNBA All-Star Game for the first time, the league announced Thursday. The game will coincide with two major youth girls’ basketball tournaments being played in Chicago the weekend of July 10. The league will host a two-day “WNBA Live” event that weekend. “We are thrilled

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Pro Football Writer FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets are adding some Big Apple Sauce to their defense. Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner was taken by the Jets with the No. 4 overall pick in the NFL draft Thursday night. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound shutdown cornerback didn’t allow

By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer HOUSTON (AP) — LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. has been taken by the Houston Texans with the third overall pick in the NFL draft. It’s the first time since 2019 that the Texans have had a pick in the first round and they have two thanks to the Deshaun

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves have placed catcher Manny Piña on the 10-day injured list with left wrist inflammation. The move is retroactive to Monday. William Contreras was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to serve as the backup catcher behind Travis d’Arnaud. The move came just in time for Contreras to be in the opposite

By LARRY LAGE AP Sports Writer ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions have selected Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson with the No. 2 pick in the NFL draft, addressing a desperate need with a hometown star. Detroit has an opportunity to add much-needed talent on both sides of the ball with the second

By MARK LONG AP Pro Football Writer JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars chose Georgia pass rusher Travon Walker with the top pick in the NFL draft. The Jaguars took the 6-foot-5, 272-pound “athletic freak” Thursday night over Michigan star Aidan Hutchinson, who set a school record with 14 sacks in 2021 and finished

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels haven’t won a playoff game in over 12 years, and they haven’t finished with a winning record since 2015. With a five-game winning streak and a wealth of confident players across their roster, the Halos are starting to believe this year

By PAUL NEWBERRY AP Sports Writer ATLANTA (AP) — He’s back! Outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. returns to the Atlanta Braves nearly 10 months after a major knee injury ended his 2021 season. The Braves has intended to wait another week before activating one of the game’s most dynamic players. But Acuña’s strong play during a

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The men’s and women’s Australian Open golf tournaments are set to be played at the same time on two sandbelt courses in southeast Melbourne in December. Golf Australia says the marquee domestic events will be played from Dec. 1-4 with Victoria Golf Club as the primary course and nearby Kingston Heath

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California has added a matchup with San Jose State to its football schedule for 2023. USC added the Spartans in place of a previously scheduled matchup with BYU, the school announced Thursday. USC will host San Jose State at the Coliseum on Aug. 26, 2023, in a so-called “Week Zero”

By ANDREW SELIGMAN AP Sports Writer CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks have completed their leadership team by hiring longtime Chicago Cubs executive Jeff Greenberg as associate general manager under new GM Kyle Davidson. The Blackhawks said Greenberg will be responsible for “overseeing the strategic systems and processes that will fuel” the team’s hockey operations.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — All-Star guard Devin Booker returned to the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night for Game 6 against the New Orleans Pelicans after missing three games because of a strained right hamstring. “He’ll be playing tonight,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. After scoring 31 points in first half of Game 2, Booker was

By WILLIAM J. KOLE and ROSS D. FRANKLIN Associated Press GILBERT, Ariz. (AP) — As Forrest Gump in the Oscar-winning 1994 film of the same name, lead actor Tom Hanks abruptly trots to a halt after more than three years of nonstop running and tells his followers: “I’m pretty tired — I think I’ll go

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Ralf Rangnick has expressed his intention to work in a consultancy role at Manchester United next season amid links to the vacant job of coaching Austria’s national team. Rangnick has been in interim control of United since December and will be replaced as manager by Erik ten Hag at the end