Aaron Judge had the first three-homer game of his career, and the New York Yankees snapped their first nine-game losing streak in 41 years with a 9-1 rout of the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.

Judge took starter MacKenzie Gore over the Yankees bullpen in right-centre in he first inning and opened a 6-0 lead the following inning with his fifth career grand slam.

He combined with DJ LeMahieu for back-to-back homers in the seventh with a shot over the right-field wall just inside the foul pole.

Judge, who notched his 32nd career multihomer game, drove in six runs for the third time in his career.

The reigning AL MVP is batting .279 with 27 home runs and 54 RBIs in 72 games. He missed nearly eight weeks because of a sprained right toe before returning late last month.

Last-place New York avoided what would have been its first 10-game losing streak since 1913.

Luis Severino allowed one hit over 6 2/3 scoreless innings, ending an 0-4 stretch since he beat Kansas City on July 23.

Ian Hamilton pitched 1 1/3 innings and Wandy Peralta gave up a home run to Dominic Smith in the ninth to spoil the shutout.

Ohtani hits 44th homer, then exits mound early as Reds sweep

The day began splendidly for Shohei Ohtani, with the two-way superstar hitting his major league-leading 44th homer in the first inning of the Los Angeles Angels’ first game of a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds.

One inning later, however, he left the mound due to arm fatigue and the Reds went on to win 9-4 behind Elly De La Cruz’s career-high six RBIs.

Ohtani threw 26 pitches before he departed with a 2-2 count against Christian Encarnacion-Strand, following a discussion with trainers.

Angels manager Phil Nevin said after the game that Ohtani said his pitching arm “just didn’t feel right.”

The Reds took a 4-3 lead on De La Cruz’s three-run home run in the fifth inning, his 11th of the season. Two innings later, the 21-year-old rookie shortstop hit a bases-clearing triple.

His six RBIs were one shy of the single-game rookie franchise record, established by Robin Jennings against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Aug. 31, 2001.

Ohtani served as the Angels’ designated hitter in Game 2 and went 1 for 5 with a run scored.

Tyler Stephenson and Matt McLain each hit two-run homers to lift the Reds to a 7-3 win in Game 2. They swept the three-game series and moved into sole possession of the third and final NL wild-card spot.

DeJong has memorable debut with Giants

Just one day after signing with the San Francisco Giants, Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning and had a two-run single in the 10th in an 8-6 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Giants closer Camilo Doval blew a three-run lead in the ninth inning on Bryce Harper’s three-run home run that rang off the foul pole in right field.

That set the stage for DeJong, who singled with the bases loaded in the 10th to put San Francisco back on top, 7-5.

He signed with the Giants on Tuesday one day after he was released by Toronto.

Thairo Estrada added a sacrifice fly and Ryan Walker retired Trea Turner with a man on second for the save.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and superstar center Auston Matthews agreed on a four-year, $53 million contract extension on Wednesday, making him the NHL’s highest-paid player.

Matthews has one year remaining on the five-year, $58.2 million pact he signed in February 2019, and he could have become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

With an average annual value of $13.25 million, Matthews will become the NHL’s highest-paid player beginning in 2024-25, surpassing Colorado star Nathan MacKinnon’s $12.6 million annual average value.

The 25-year-old Matthews has been one of the game’s elite players since he was selected with the first overall pick in the 2016 draft.

He led the league in goals twice (2020-21 and 2021-22) and has totaled 299 goals and 542 points in 481 regular season games.

Matthews’ best season came in 2021-22, when he set career highs with 60 goals and 106 points in 73 games, earning him the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP.

He dipped to 40 goals last season but still tallied 85 points in 74 games.

The native of Scottsdale, Arizona leads all players in goals since the start of the 2016-17 season and ranks 11th in points during that span.

The Maple Leafs have reached the playoffs in every full season since Matthews entered the league but have advanced past the first round only once – defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in a six-game series last spring.

New world champion Josh Kerr knew he would break Jakob Ingebrigtsen as he stormed to 1500 metres gold and revealed he played mind games with the Norwegian.

The Scot clocked three minutes and 29.38 seconds to stun Ingebrigtsen, forcing the overwhelming favourite to settle for silver at the World Championships in Budapest.

Kerr emulated Jake Wightman’s win in Eugene last year and, with the injured Wightman missing in Hungary, Ingebrigtsen – second in 2022 – was denied the world crown again.

“I felt him break and I just needed to stay strong,” said Kerr, who adds to his Olympics bronze.

“I was looking up at the screen making sure no one was coming on my outside but with 50m to go I knew I had it.

“I felt there was a slight weakness with 200m to go, I had to be in lane two for a minute but I’m going to fight all the way to the end, regardless whether I broke him or not.

“I’ve been in four major championship finals and come away with only a bronze. I knew it was my turn. When you’re the underdog you have to come and take what’s yours, you’re not handed anything. It was about going there and taking what’s mine.”

Kerr, fifth last year, admitted he tried to psyche Ingebrigtsen out on Wednesday after wearing a similar vest to the one Wightman wore in Eugene.

“I’m not saying I wore the specific one to bring back some nightmares but I needed every single ounce I had. This was the vest I chose,” he added.

Wightman, watching from the BBC studio at the National Athletics Centre, labelled his Edinburgh AC club-mate the Terminator after victory.

“I like it (the Terminator nickname), back-to-back world champions, it’s not something anyone has ever done before,” said Kerr.

“Especially in back-to-back years because it’s not been possible. Great Britain has something in the water. We have to keep producing world champions.”

Ingebrigtsen made his move inside the final lap, only for Kerr to retaliate with around 200m remaining – almost a carbon copy of Wightman’s win in America.

Ingebrigtsen was unable to fight back down the final straight as Kerr held off his challenge to win his first major global title.

The 25-year-old, who trains in Seattle, also revealed he cuts off communication in the build up to the Championships to focus on his goal.

“I don’t have my phone for about two weeks beforehand. Only about eight people or so,” he said. “I’m not a big social media guy when it comes to World Champs.

“You just have to have belief in yourself. My fiancee has my phone if anything big comes up, I have my other phone for the people who are massively important in this process.

“It’s been the same phone since 2021, it’s about making sure I’m focusing on the plan. All I have is the Premier League app, which I’m doing incredibly well on, and Duolingo as I’m trying to learn Spanish.”

Wightman, who has been forced to miss the Championships with a foot problem, saluted Kerr.

“Our little club in Edinburgh has had two back-to-back world champions,” he said.

“That’s hard to believe. Jakob Ingebrigtsen is going to start hating us Brits ain’t he? I think Josh Kerr knew what to do there. You saw when he came on Jakob’s shoulder.

“He showed so much promise for so long, that medal in Tokyo was just the start of this. When Josh Kerr gets it right and when he’s running well, he absolutely flies. I think Ingebrigtsen underestimated how well he was running at the moment.”

Ingebrigtsen said he had a sore throat this week and was feeling “not good”, adding: “I just wasn’t good enough.”

Asked how he views Kerr as a global rival now, he added: “It’s totally different. We have been competitors for a long time, he is a great runner but it is what it is.”

Neil Gourley, who finished ninth in the final, said: “I am really happy for Josh, I could tell this was coming, I knew he would be right up there, the margins are fine at this level.

“I knew he would give Jakob a run for his money this week. The way he has carried himself, the way he has been looking, he has been full of confidence.”

Meanwhile, Great Britain’s Molly Caudery finished fifth in the pole vault, victory shared by Australia’s Nina Kennedy and the USA’s Katie Moon, with a personal best of 4.75m, while Karsten Warholm took the 400m hurdles title.

New world champion Josh Kerr knew he would break Jakob Ingebrigtsen as he stormed to 1500 metres gold and revealed he played mind games with the Norwegian.

The Scot clocked three minutes and 29.38 seconds to stun Ingebrigtsen, forcing the overwhelming favourite to settle for silver at the World Championships in Budapest.

Kerr emulated Jake Wightman’s win in Eugene last year and, with the injured Wightman missing in Hungary, Ingebrigtsen – second in 2022 – was denied the world crown again.

“I felt him break and I just needed to stay strong,” said Kerr, who adds to his Olympics bronze.

“I was looking up at the screen making sure no one was coming on my outside but with 50m to go I knew I had it.

“I felt there was a slight weakness with 200m to go, I had to be in lane two for a minute but I’m going to fight all the way to the end, regardless whether I broke him or not.

“I’ve been in four major championship finals and come away with only a bronze. I knew it was my turn. When you’re the underdog you have to come and take what’s yours, you’re not handed anything. It was about going there and taking what’s mine.”

Kerr, fifth last year, admitted he tried to psyche Ingebrigtsen out on Wednesday after wearing a similar vest to the one Wightman wore in Eugene.

“I’m not saying I wore the specific one to bring back some nightmares but I needed every single ounce I had. This was the vest I chose,” he added.

Wightman, watching from the BBC studio at the National Athletics Centre, labelled his Edinburgh AC club-mate the Terminator after victory.

“I like it (the Terminator nickname), back-to-back world champions, it’s not something anyone has ever done before,” said Kerr.

“Especially in back-to-back years because it’s not been possible. Great Britain has something in the water. We have to keep producing world champions.”

Ingebrigtsen made his move inside the final lap, only for Kerr to retaliate with around 200m remaining – almost a carbon copy of Wightman’s win in America.

Ingebrigtsen was unable to fight back down the final straight as Kerr held off his challenge to win his first major global title.

The 25-year-old, who trains in Seattle, also revealed he cuts off communication in the build up to the Championships to focus on his goal.

“I don’t have my phone for about two weeks beforehand. Only about eight people or so,” he said. “I’m not a big social media guy when it comes to World Champs.

“You just have to have belief in yourself. My fiancee has my phone if anything big comes up, I have my other phone for the people who are massively important in this process.

“It’s been the same phone since 2021, it’s about making sure I’m focusing on the plan. All I have is the Premier League app, which I’m doing incredibly well on, and Duolingo as I’m trying to learn Spanish.”

Wightman, who has been forced to miss the Championships with a foot problem, saluted Kerr.

“Our little club in Edinburgh has had two back-to-back world champions,” he said.

“That’s hard to believe. Jakob Ingebrigtsen is going to start hating us Brits ain’t he? I think Josh Kerr knew what to do there. You saw when he came on Jakob’s shoulder.

“He showed so much promise for so long, that medal in Tokyo was just the start of this. When Josh Kerr gets it right and when he’s running well, he absolutely flies. I think Ingebrigtsen underestimated how well he was running at the moment.”

Ingebrigtsen said he had a sore throat this week and was feeling “not good”, adding: “I just wasn’t good enough.”

Asked how he views Kerr as a global rival now, he added: “It’s totally different. We have been competitors for a long time, he is a great runner but it is what it is.”

Neil Gourley, who finished ninth in the final, said: “I am really happy for Josh, I could tell this was coming, I knew he would be right up there, the margins are fine at this level.

“I knew he would give Jakob a run for his money this week. The way he has carried himself, the way he has been looking, he has been full of confidence.”

Meanwhile, Great Britain’s Molly Caudery finished fifth in the pole vault, victory shared by Australia’s Nina Kennedy and the USA’s Katie Moon, with a personal best of 4.75m, while Karsten Warholm took the 400m hurdles title.

The No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft is now No. 3 on the San Francisco 49ers' depth chart at quarterback.

Sam Darnold has been named the 49ers' backup QB ahead of Trey Lance in the battle of former third overall draft picks.

Kyle Shanahan's decision to go with Darnold as Brock Purdy's backup was reported by Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Media on Wednesday.

Lance's future in San Francisco is now uncertain, as the 49ers are reportedly exploring various options with the QB they drafted just over two years ago.

San Francisco paid a hefty price to draft Lance, trading three first-round picks and a third-rounder to the Miami Dolphin in 2021 to move up from No. 12 to select Lance after the Jacksonville Jaguars made Trevor Lawrence the top overall selection and the New York Jets picked Zach Wilson.

As Jimmy Garoppolo's backup in 2021, Lance appeared in six games as a rookie before being named the 49ers' starting quarterback for 2022, but he suffered a season-ending fractured right ankle in Week 2.

In eight career games, he's completed 54.9 per cent of his passes for 797 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions for an 84.5 QB rating. He has also rushed for 235 yards with a score.

He got the start in the preseason opener, and completed 22-of-33 passes for 285 yards with two touchdowns and a pick while being sacked four times in two exhibition games.

Darnold started the second preseason game, and has completed 16-of-22 passes for 193 yards while being sacked twice in two games.

The 49ers acquired Darnold in March to add depth at quarterback behind Purdy, who famously suffered a torn elbow ligament on the first offensive series for the 49ers in the 2022 NFC championship game.

Purdy, the final pick in last year's draft, won all five of his starts in the 2022 regular season after taking over for an injured Garoppolo in Week 13 to lift the 49ers to a 13-4 record and the second seed in the NFC. He has been cleared to start the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 10.

Darnold was the third overall pick of the 2018 draft by the New York Jets, and hasn't enjoyed much success in his five NFL seasons.

He did put together some encouraging performances last year with the Carolina Panthers, however, throwing for 1,143 yards with seven TDs and three interceptions for a 92.6 passer rating while going 4-2 as a starter.

In 56 career games, he has completed 59.7 per cent of his passes for 11,767 yards with 61 touchdowns and 55 picks.

Since his rookie season, his 78.2 passer rating ranks last among the 42 quarterbacks with a minimum of 750 attempts.

World players’ union FIFPRO has called for FIFA to investigate Spanish football president Luis Rubiales after he kissed Jenni Hermoso in the aftermath of Sunday’s World Cup final.

Rubiales, the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), kissed the forward on the lips during the medal ceremony following the team’s 1-0 win against England in Sydney.

FIFPRO’s call for action followed a statement from the Spanish players’ union on Tuesday that condemned such behaviour as “never appropriate or acceptable”, while United States winger Megan Rapinoe described the event as a “physical assault”.

Rubiales, who has faced calls to resign, issued an apology on Monday, which Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez described as “insufficient”.

And on Wednesday, a FIFPRO statement said: “FIFPRO fully endorses the statement of Spanish player union AFE in calling for immediate action to address the conduct of Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales at the FIFA Women’s World Cup final and is requesting an investigation of his actions under FIFA’s code of ethics.

“We reiterate that it was deeply lamentable that such a special moment for the players of the Spain national team taking place before a global television audience should be stained by the inappropriate conduct of an individual in a role carrying so much responsibility.

“Uninitiated and uninvited physical approaches towards players are not appropriate or acceptable in any context, and especially when they are put in a position of vulnerability by a person who holds a position of power over them in their workplace.”

Hermoso initially said on social media she “didn’t like” the kiss but a statement on her behalf was later released by the RFEF in which she described it as “spontaneous”.

The 33-year-old released a brief statement on Wednesday, which read: “My union FUTPRO, in coordination with my agency TMJ, are taking care of defending my interests and being the interlocutors on this matter.”

Rapinoe, who featured in the World Cup for the United States, also criticised Rubiales for celebrating by grabbing his crotch.

She told American magazine the Atlantic: “There was another picture that signals such a deep level of misogyny and sexism in that federation and in that man at the final whistle, just grabbing his crotch.

“What kind of upside-down world are we in? On the biggest stage, where you should be celebrating, Jenni has to be physically assaulted by this guy.”

The women’s football union FUTPRO has also condemned Rubiales’ actions and called on the RFEF to act for the protection of female footballers’ rights.

“From FUTPRO we express our firm and resounding condemnation of conduct that violates the dignity of women,” read a statement.

“From our association we ask the Royal Spanish Football Federation to implement the necessary protocols, ensure the rights of our players and adopt exemplary measures.

“It is essential that our national team, current world champion, is always represented by figures that project values of equality and respect in all areas.”

The RFEF will hold an extraordinary meeting of its general assembly on Friday and said “internal proceedings” were open in relation to integrity issues arising from the trophy ceremony.

Great Britain’s Josh Kerr stunned Jakob Ingebrigtsen to take the 1500m title in style at the World Championships.

The Scot clocked three minutes 29.38 seconds to win a massive battle with Ingebrigtsen, who came second, over the final 300m.

He emulated Jake Wightman’s win in Eugene last year, with Wightman missing through injury this year, to deny Norway’s Ingebrigtsen – who also had to settle for silver in 2022 – the world crown again.

Defensive tackle Chris Jones remains absent from Kansas City Chiefs training camp with the defending Super Bowl champions' season opener approaching two weeks away.

Based on comments from the All-Pro and head coach Andy Reid on Wednesday, Jones' holdout doesn't appear to be ending anytime soon.

Jones told a fan on social media he's contemplating sitting out until midseason over a dispute regarding his contract, while Reid told reporters Wednesday the team has had no recent conversations with the standout pass rusher as it continues preparation for the Sept. 7 opener against the Detroit Lions.

After posting a photo of a sign that read, "If it's out of your hands, it deserves freedom from your mind also," Jones hinted he may not rejoin the Chiefs until Week 8 in response to a question asking when he plans to end his holdout.

Jones would need to report by Week 8 to accrue a full season and become an unrestricted free agent in 2024.

The four-time Pro Bowl selection is due a $19.5 million base salary in 2023 in the final season of a four-year, $80 million extension he signed in 2020. Jones' deal was the second largest for an interior defensive lineman at the time of the signing, but now ranks eighth in average annual value after four defensive tackles - Quinnen Williams of the New York Jets, Tennessee's Jeffery Simmons, Washington's Daron Payne and the New York Giants' Dexter Lawrence - all signed extensions this offseason.

Jones has been accruing daily fines of $50,000 for missing camp, and implied he's willing to forfeit game checks as well if an agreement can't be reached.

"I can afford it," he answered when a social media user commented on the large amount of money Jones would give up by missing games.

Reid said following Wednesday's practise he has not been involved in any negotiations between Jones and the team and remains unsure of how long the stalemate will go on.

“There's been no communication so I don't know what's going to happen there,” Reid said. “The game goes on. That's how it works.”

Jones finished third in voting for NFL Defensive Player of the Year last season while playing a major role in the Chiefs' second Super Bowl title in four years. The 29-year-old tied a career high with 15.5 sacks in 17 regular-season games and registered two more sacks in Kansas City's win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC championship game.

The seven-year veteran has been named to the Pro Bowl in four consecutive seasons, while his 56.5 sacks since 2018 are the fourth most in the NFL over that five-year stretch. 

Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte has announced his departure from the club in a video on social media.

Laporte has reportedly agreed to join Al-Nassr after five-and-a-half-years in England.

The Spain international will become the latest high-profile player to sign for a Saudi Pro League club, with ex-City team-mate Riyad Mahrez among them after making the move to Al-Ahli last month.

“Dear Cityzens, today I wanted to share a story with you,” Laporte said in a video on Twitter that went on to show a highlights reel of his time at Man City.

“This is now our history. Thank you and see you really soon.”

Centre-back Laporte added in his social-media post: “It has lasted for five-and-a-half unforgettable years.

“Plenty of memories that I will keep forever close to my heart.”

Laporte will leave the Etihad after making 180 appearances for City, with his last outing for the club off the bench during their opening-day Premier League win at Burnley.

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After being restricted to a place among the substitutes for the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal and the UEFA Super Cup triumph over Sevilla, he was absent from the matchday squad for last weekend’s win over Newcastle.

The arrival of Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig has further pushed Laporte down the pecking order at City.

A powerful recruitment drive by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has seen Saudi Pro League teams – all PIF-owned – sign a plethora of the world’s best players this summer.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson have all swapped the Premier League for the division in the Middle East during the past 12 months.

Laporte will now do the same after winning 13 trophies during his time at City, including five Premier League titles and last season’s Champions League.