Manchester United have completed the signing of striker Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta on a five-year deal for a reported £72million.

The 20-year-old, who has scored 27 goals in 87 club appearances and netted six times in six appearances for Denmark, has an option for a further year which would take his Old Trafford stay to 2029.

He becomes the third first-team signing of the close-season, following the arrivals of Mason Mount from Chelsea and goalkeeper Andre Onana from Inter, and was introduced to United supporters on the pitch at Old Trafford ahead of Saturday’s 3-1 friendly win over Lens.

Hojlund, who leaves Atalanta after a single season since joining from Sturm Graz, told United’s website: “It is no secret that I have been a fan of this great club since I was a small boy, and I dreamed of walking out at Old Trafford as a Manchester United player.

“I am incredibly excited by this opportunity to turn that dream into a reality, and I am determined to repay the faith that the club has shown in me.

“It is still early in my career, but I know that I am ready to make this step up and play with this group of world-class players.

“Once I had spoken to the manager, I knew that this environment would be perfect for my development; I am relishing the opportunity to work with one of the best coaches in the world.

“Under his guidance and support I know that I am capable of achieving great things together with my new team-mates at this special club.”

He began last season as a substitute for the side from Bergamo but later established himself in the team as a replacement for the injured Colombian striker Duvan Zapata.

He scored four goals in four games in January to cement a burgeoning reputation in Serie A, as the team went on to finish fifth and qualify for the Europa League.

United manager Erik ten Hag has been vocal about his team’s need for a striker this summer, particularly since the club pulled out of the race to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham.

The team will travel to Dublin to play Athletic Bilbao on Sunday afternoon in their final pre-season outing before opening their Premier League campaign at home to Wolves a week on Monday.

Director of football John Murtough said: “Rasmus is a truly exceptional talent. He possesses technical and physical attributes which rank him amongst the best players in the world for his age group.

“Working under Erik ten Hag and his coaches will provide Rasmus with the perfect development platform.”

Second-half goals from Marcus Rashford, Antony and Casemiro helped United ease to victory against the Ligue 1 side after Florian Sotoca had given the visitors the lead with a spectacular strike from the halfway line.

Tom Marquand excelled from the front at Goodwood as Sumo Sam ran her rivals ragged to win the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes.

Having stolen a decisive advantage on Quickthorn in the Group One Goodwood Cup earlier in the week, Marquand was again allowed to do his own thing on a stayer.

He bounced straight into an early lead on Paul and Oliver Cole’s filly, and in a race run in very testing conditions, he never looked like being caught at any stage.

Frankie Dettori briefly looked a threat on Free Wind who moved into contention on the bridle, however, as soon as Dettori asked his mount for an effort, she floundered in the heavy ground.

Sumo Sam (25-1) was allowed to come home unchallenged, with River Of Stars staying on from the rear to claim second, some eight and a half lengths away, with a further five and a half lengths back to Time Lock in third.

Marquand was a late jockey booking and Oliver Cole said: “Tom’s given her a brilliant ride and she’s a very good filly.

“Out in front like that, she was not going to be pegged back. It’s great for the old man and Sir Martyn (Arbib) as they have been together so long.

“I’m not sure what we’ll do next, she’d have a penalty in the Park Hill. She’s got the class to run in a Cup race but she’s got to have her conditions.”

Cole added: “We’ve done a lot of stalls work with her since her last run – she’s gone in twice a week. In her last two races she’s been left and that hasn’t been helpful. She takes a lot of pushing in and a lot of cajoling, and the stalls handlers make it look so easy. We’re always standing a few lengths behind because we don’t want to get booted!

“Full credit to the team at home, and thanks very much to the guys at the stalls who are the unsung heroes. They do what a lot of us wouldn’t do, so full credit to them. Also to the boys who have ridden her in the stalls at home, because I know I wouldn’t ride her.

“I was as confident as you can be with the ground because you never know how they will go through it, but she’s gone through it like a really, really good horse. Someone said to me a few weeks ago if you want to get the best out of that horse leave her until next year, so this just shows you have to persist with horses. They are not there to be decorations.”

Marquand was thrilled to secure a winning ride and said: “I’d be lying if I said I did any research into the race.

“I came back in from the last race and they said ‘can you do 8st 11lb?’ so I jumped aboard. I’ve seen plenty of her and was due to ride her on the day I got kicked at the Guineas weekend. I watched her go and finish second and it looked like she wanted a trip.

“Mr Cole and Olly were keen to go and make it a solid test, and as the other day showed if you find a rhythm in front it’s a hard track to get horses back. She’s done well, and while she was getting tired in the last half furlong the damage was already done.”

Beaten Irish 2,000 Guineas favourite Royal Scotsman will not run again this season but will return next year.

Trained by Paul and Oliver Cole, last year’s Richmond Stakes winner ran a fine race to finish third behind Chaldean in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Off the back of that run, connections decided to supplement the Gleneagles colt for the Irish equivalent, but he could finish only ninth of 11 as the 6-4 favourite.

Royal Scotsman was reported to be suffering from bruised feet following that run, although he was believed to have recovered in time for the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

However, he finished eighth of nine runners in that Group One and subsequently underwent a full examination.

“He’s suffered from bone bruising, which is quite rare but not a long-term issue,” said Paul Cole.

“Sadly he won’t run again this season.

“My intention is to win as many Group Ones over a mile as I can with him next year.”

Sweet William’s rapid progression continued apace at Goodwood with another smooth success in the Coral Summer Handicap.

John and Thady Gosden’s stayer finished second on his first three outings, admittedly never beaten far, but has come into his own in recent weeks.

He opened his account in a mile-and-a-half Doncaster novice before landing a valuable pot when upped to an extended two miles at Newbury last time out.

Sent off the 9-4 favourite to bring up his hat-trick, his supports never really had much to worry about.

Having moved into contention smoothly to take over from Torcello at the head of affairs, Adjuvant appeared as a threat.

With Rab Havlin maintaining his partnership on Sweet William, it was Frankie Dettori who he had to beat on Michael Bell’s charge, but when Sweet William’s stamina kicked in the race was over.

He ended up pulling two and three-quarter lengths clear and while bookmakers were quick to chop his price for the Sky Bet Ebor, his owner Philippa Cooper had previously stated she is not a huge fan of the race.

However, John Gosden would be eager to run at York next month, with Sweet William the 5-1 favourite with the Ebor sponsor.

He said: “He only ran a fortnight ago at Newbury, he’s fresh and well and has won again decisively which is great.

“He’s a lot of fun to train. It was a long time before he could race but he has a strong view on life. As soon as he hits the front, he looks around and goes where he wants to go.

“I hope personally that Philippa elects to run him because the York Ebor meeting is my favourite of the year.

“It will be touch and go whether he gets in, and if not we will take it on the chin and step him up into Cup races.”

Cooper could yet be persuaded to run at York, although Sweet William sits some way down the field with a weight of 8st 11lb at this stage.

She added: “My husband is an Ebor person – he loves the Ebor and trying to find the winner.

“I’m willing to go with the flow. I’m not going to tell the trainer what to do because without the trainer I wouldn’t even have the horse.

“If they want to do it – could he get in off a low weight? I’m just grateful and it’s one day at a time, so let him come through today.”

David Turnbull seized his fresh start with a double as Celtic opened the cinch Premiership season with a 4-2 home victory over Ross County.

Brendan Rodgers preferred Turnbull to Reo Hatate in his first competitive match since returning as Celtic manager and the midfielder vindicated his faith with two first-half efforts which sandwiched Kyogo Furuhashi’s goal.

The 24-year-old had not started a league game since November 12 last year and looked an increasingly peripheral figure during Ange Postecoglou’s second season in charge.

Turnbull was named the club’s man of the match and probably should have a had a hat-trick as he revelled in playing in the advanced role in Rodgers’ three-man midfield ahead of Callum McGregor and Matt O’Riley.

Rodgers also made a big decision in central defence as Maik Nawrocki made his debut ahead of Carl Starfelt, who came off the bench later on.

Jordan White had netted for the visitors by that stage and O’Riley restored Celtic’s three-goal cushion before James Brown’s deflected effort provided further consolation for the visitors.

The County players and manager Malky Mackay gave the champions a guard of honour as they entered the field before Celtic substitute James Forrest raised the league flag.

The visitors did not stand back when the whistle blew. Mackay’s side got men forward in numbers and had an early chance when both Simon Murray and Josh Sims were unable to turn home from close range.

Murray then turned inside Anthony Ralston before being denied by a Cameron Carter-Vickers block.

Ralston looked rusty early on after missing much of pre-season and his lofted back pass put Joe Hart under pressure. The goalkeeper chested the ball down before being dispossessed by Murray, who stumbled and ran the ball out before appealing in vain for a penalty.

Celtic soon had a spot-kick after Sims caught Greg Taylor as the left-back latched on to a bouncing ball. Turnbull sent Ross Laidlaw the wrong way to open the scoring 17 minutes into the season.

The goalscorer was involved as Celtic doubled their lead in the 26th minute, heading the ball on following Ralston’s clearance to leave County exposed. Celtic punished them clinically as Furuhashi swept home Liel Abada’s pass.

Turnbull was denied by a double save from Laidlaw after being played through by the Japanese striker, but he soon got his second goal in the 42nd minute.

O’Riley played a one-two with Furuhashi and stood the ball up to the back post where the former Motherwell midfielder found the roof of the net.

Celtic dominated the opening stages of the second half and Laidlaw made a double stop from O’Riley and Daizen Maeda.

But County made their eighth corner of the game count on the hour mark when White sent a looping header into the top corner from Yan Dhanda’s inswinging delivery.

Hatate replaced Turnbull and Starfelt came on before O’Riley blasted a right-footed shot high into the net after Furuhashi’s first-time through-ball in the 73rd minute.

Some heavy touches from Furuhashi twice cost him the chance to add to Celtic’s tally before Odin Thiago Holm and Yang Hyun-jun came on for their competitive debuts.

Yang played an impressive part in a sweeping counter-attack which ended with Laidlaw making an excellent stop from Forrest.

County got reward for continuing to commit men forward when James Brown fired home in the fifth minute of stoppage time when his shot went in off Starfelt’s leg.

Connections of Art Power believe Sunday’s Prix Maurice de Gheest presents the flying grey with his “best chance ever” of striking gold at the highest level for the first time.

Not beaten far when fourth in last month’s July Cup, Tim Easterby’s six-year-old turned out just seven days later for the Group Two Sapphire Stakes and produced a dominant display to extend his unbeaten record at the Curragh to four.

He faces another quick turnaround and a step up in trip for this weekend’s Deauville feature, but confidence is high that he can strike whilst the iron is hot.

Alastair Donald, racing manager for owners King Power Racing, said: “He’s got his favoured ground and he’s thriving at the moment. He seems to love travelling and in French conditions we feel six and a half furlongs shouldn’t be a problem – he actually ran pretty well last year over seven at York.

“The style of racing in France should really suit us as he might be able to dominate and this is possibly his best chance ever to win a Group One.

“We’ve still got a month until the Flying Five back at the Curragh, so he can get a bit of a break after this weekend and he is a six-year-old gelding, so you may as well race them.

“He’s been a great servant and it would be great if he could add a Group One to his CV.”

Art Power is part of a strong British contingent that also includes the Karl Burke-trained duo of Cold Case and Spycatcher.

Cold Case was last seen being beaten just half a length into third place in the Hackwood Stakes at Newbury, while his stablemate Spycatcher returns to Deauville having carried the colours of Highclere Thoroughbred Racing to an an impressive Group Three win at the track four weeks ago.

“The horse is in really good form and he loves this ground and the track. We just thought he deserves to to take his chance,” said Highclere’s managing director Harry Herbert.

“It’s a rather unique race obviously in that it’s run over six and a half furlongs and that would be his ideal trip.”

He added: “We’re really excited. He’s been such a fun horse, he was so impressive last time and having thought he might be retired last year with a little issue he had, he now seems to be better than ever.

“The turnaround has been incredible for his shareholders, he’s been very well trained by Karl and it’s amazing to be heading over to Deauville for a Group One.”

Archie Watson’s Saint Lawrence, the David Evans-trained Rohaan, Andrew Balding’s Sandrine and Brad The Brief from Hugo Palmer’s yard complete the raiding party.

With Aidan O’Brien’s Little Big Bear not declared having been supplemented earlier in the week, the field is completed by Nicolas Caullery’s pair of Fort Payne and King Gold and Egot, trained by French maestro Andre Fabre.

Anthony Joshua’s scheduled rematch against Dillian Whyte has been cancelled after the latter “returned adverse analytical findings” from a random anti-doping test.

The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association said it had informed the Association of Boxing Commissions and the British Boxing Board of Control that a “random anti-doping protocol” undertaken by Whyte had returned the adverse findings, leading to the bout being called off and an investigation being launched.

The fight had been due to take place at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday, August 12.

Fight promoter Matchroom said in a statement: “Today, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) informed Matchroom, the Association of Boxing Commissions and the British Boxing Board of Control that Dillian Whyte had returned adverse analytical findings as part of a random anti-doping protocol.

“In light of this news, the fight will be cancelled and a full investigation will be conducted.”

Whyte lost his unbeaten 16-fight record when he was stopped by Joshua at London’s O2 Arena in December 2015 when contesting for the vacant British heavyweight title.

A rematch was announced in early July after talks over Joshua taking on Tyson Fury broke down. Former world champion Joshua had also been linked with a fight against Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua’s win over Whyte almost eight years ago avenged a defeat to his Jamaica-born rival when they had met as amateurs.

Whyte recovered from his defeat to Joshua by winning his next 11 fights and after losing to Alexander Povetkin in 2020 he gained revenge by stopping the Russian in a rematch.

Defeat to defending WBC champion Tyson Fury at Wembley in April 2022 was followed by a points win over American Jermaine Franklin the following November.

Anthony Joshua’s scheduled rematch against Dillian Whyte has been cancelled after the latter “returned adverse analytical findings” from a random anti-doping test.

The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association said it had informed the Association of Boxing Commissions and the British Boxing Board of Control that a “random anti-doping protocol” undertaken by Whyte had returned the adverse findings, leading to the bout being called off and an investigation being launched.

The fight had been due to take place at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday, August 12.

Fight promoter Matchroom said in a statement: “Today, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) informed Matchroom, the Association of Boxing Commissions and the British Boxing Board of Control that Dillian Whyte had returned adverse analytical findings as part of a random anti-doping protocol.

“In light of this news, the fight will be cancelled and a full investigation will be conducted.”

England midfielder Katie Zelem admits it was bittersweet to make her World Cup debut knowing close friend Keira Walsh’s injury was the reason why.

Manchester United captain Zelem started in England’s 6-1 victory over China, while Walsh has stepped up her recovery from the knee problem she sustained in the 1-0 victory over Denmark.

Zelem, 27, was not part of boss Sarina Wiegman’s squad to face Brazil and Australia in April and confessed there was a time she did not think she would be on the plane to the World Cup.

She said: “I think it’s a tough situation, to be honest, especially when Keira is one of my closest friends in the team.

“I think you never want to be playing on someone else’s misfortune, but luckily we found out that Keira’s injury obviously wasn’t too long-term or serious, so that is brilliant news.

“To be honest when I found out I wasn’t picked for the April camp I actually thought that was my World Cup dream over.

“I think that was one of the hardest moments to take, especially following the Euros last year when I wasn’t selected.

“It just kind of felt like there’s not another camp before obviously the selection.

“I think for a couple of days I really thought I’ve worked so hard all season, and it’s just not meant to be, but we had some really important games at Manchester United, obviously fighting for the league title and the FA Cup final.

“I think that really helped shift my focus to being the best I can for club and hopefully whatever I did was enough.”

Walsh joined her team-mates at the Central Coast Stadium on Friday, though the Champions League winner took part in an individual programme while the remaining 22 Lionesses trained on the pitch.

On Sunday they will travel to Brisbane ahead of Monday’s last-16 meeting with world number 40 side Nigeria, who emerged from Group B while Olympic champions Canada – 33 places above them in the global rankings – were sent packing alongside debutants the Republic of Ireland.

Wiegman, who before this tournament had the reputation of being unfailingly consistent – starting the same XI for every match of England’s Euro 2022 triumph – has now shown she is willing to switch between players and systems to optimise the Lionesses’ chances of winning against sides with vastly different philosophies and approaches.

The decision to switch to a 3-5-2 against China turned out to be an inspired choice, while new connections numerous players insisted were forming in training seemed to really start clicking as England played with more fluidity.

On the flip side, even in the absence of Walsh, a regular place for someone like Zelem, who made not just her World Cup debut but earned her first senior England start in the final game of the group stage, is nowhere near a given.

She said: “As much as we’re all pushing each other and fighting for the starting 11 spot, I think it really is a team effort.

“You can see when different players come on and when different players start the sort of impact they make.”

Stephen Robinson stressed the importance of the work ethic at St Mirren as he looked forward to the cinch Premiership opener against Hibernian on Sunday.

The Buddies travel to Easter Road on the back of their most successful league finish since 1985 – last season’s sixth-place finish.

The Paisley club’s boss, who will assess defender Charles Dunne as he hopes to recover from a calf injury which initially was believed to have kept him out of the start to the league season, spoke of the key criteria  – “discipline, hard work and being hard to break down” – for what he hopes is another successful season.

The Northern Irishman said: “Before the  top-six split, we didn’t concede loads of goals, I think we had one of the best defensive records in the league.

“We were the highest pressers in the league outwith Celtic. Those things we have to maintain.

“There are other aspects and statistics we look at and ask what we can be better at.

“But first and foremost the work ethic from top to bottom of the football club has to be high to compete at this level.

“To bridge the gap in the financial disparity in the league, you have to be disciplined, you have to work hard and you have to have good characters and I believe we have got that.

“There is a real core of players who were here last year that believe in what we are doing.

“We are trying to tweak it, change and makes things better as we go while not coming away from our core values of the hard work and organisation.

“The fans believe in the team and there is real togetherness at the football club.

“You can achieve if you stick together, you can achieve many good things and that’s what we aim to do.”

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is sure Arsenal will be a greater force this season for the players they have acquired over the summer.

The Gunners, managed by Guardiola’s former assistant Mikel Arteta, topped the Premier League for much of last season before ending up five points behind treble-winners City in second place.

They have since brought in Kai Havertz from Chelsea, Declan Rice from West Ham – who City had been looking at signing themselves before ending their interest after Arsenal bid £105million for him – and Jurrien Timber from Ajax.

And when Guardiola was asked ahead of Sunday’s Community Shield clash with Arsenal if he thought that trio would take them to the next level, he said: “Definitely.

“They didn’t buy players to make the squad bigger, they buy starting XI players. Really good, all of them.”

He added: “I could not expect differently – Newcastle have done it, Liverpool maybe less but I think with (Jordan) Henderson and Fabinho gone they will go to the market again, and (Manchester) United do it again.

“It’s normal. Every season, the teams want to make the team better, not just Man City.”

Guardiola said City – whose summer incomings have been Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea and, this week, Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig – were “not in the best, best way” heading into Sunday’s season curtain-raiser at Wembley but is hopeful of how they might fare.

“Of course we are going to try, but knowing how we are right now, we finished two weeks later than Arsenal and started two weeks later, so we are not in the best, best way,” he said.

“Always we struggle to restart every season, but it is a final and hopefully our mentality can help us to be there and compete, like we have to compete against them and try to win the title.”

On Arsenal as Premier League title challengers and the task ahead for his own side, he said: “Arsene Wenger installed Arsenal in that position.

“He changed many things in English football I would say. His influence was massive, one of the greatest, maybe the greatest in terms of coming from aboard and bringing something new that maybe wasn’t here, install a culture.

“Maybe the last years (it) dropped, and Mikel brought them again to the position Arsenal was all the time.

“Everybody knows – at the start of every season I say the same, but it is my feeling – there is not one or two, there are a lot of teams that are going to fight for everything, and the challenge is massive for us.

“So how we will be mentally, and how we can grow as a team and football-wise, and sustain that level. It is almost impossible, you cannot win more than we won. But the challenge is that. How starving still we are, how hungry, how we have desire to defend what we won.

“And yeah, we will see during the process of 11 months, in the lower moments – of which we will we have many, I would think more than ever – how we overcome and come back.

“I know they (his players) are incredible competitors and we will push each other and challenge each other and I’m sure that we will be there.”

Josko Gvardiol rose to global prominence as ‘the man in the mask’ at the 2022 World Cup but had long since been destined for the top.

The Zagreb-born 21-year-old caught the eye in Qatar, but more for his unruffled dynamism at the heart of Croatia’s defence than for the black face mask worn to protect his broken nose.

Gvardiol, who on Saturday completed a £77.6million to Manchester City, was a stand-out player during Croatia’s run to the semi-finals and emerged as arguably the best young player at the tournament and certainly among the world’s best left-footed central defenders.

Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez received FIFA’s young player award, but Gvardiol was included in a five-man shortlist alongside the likes of Jude Bellingham and Morocco’s Azzedine Ounahi.

Dozens of British media outlets named him in their team of the tournament.

His career had already been on a steep upward curve after making his debut for Dinamo Zagreb aged 17 in 2019 and less than a year later he joined RB Leipzig for £13.8million.

Leipzig loaned Gvardiol straight back to Zagreb for the remainder of the 2020-21 season and he played a key role in his hometown club’s domestic double-winning campaign.

The Bundesliga club beat a host of European clubs to the teenager’s signature, including Leeds, who had offered a reported £19million under then head coach Marcelo Bielsa.

Gvardiol later revealed that he had been close to teaming up with Bielsa, who had regularly phoned him personally to convince him of his project at Elland Road.

But he opted for Leipzig and, in his first season at the Red Bull Arena, Gvardiol won rave reviews, helping them lift the DFB Pokal – their first major trophy – and qualify for the Champions League after finishing runners-up to champions Bayern Munich.

Leipzig also reached the 2022 Europa League semi-finals – they lost 3-2 on aggregate to Rangers – and, with Gvardiol integral to their success, Europe’s big guns moved in.

Chelsea’s reported offer of £77.5m in the summer of 2022 was rejected as Leipzig extended the Croatian’s contract until 2027 and he continued to impress.

He scored his first Champions League goal as Leipzig halted Real Madrid’s 16-game unbeaten start last season in a 3-2 win before the World Cup break, heading the German side into an early lead.

Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic had no doubts Gvardiol was on the path to stardom when handing the then-19-year-old his first senior international start in their opening group defeat to England at Euro 2020.

Gvardiol started in every game at the Euros as Croatia lost to Spain in the round of 16 and Dalic’s admiration grew at the World Cup in Qatar.

Lionel Messi duped Gvardiol when setting up Julian Alvarez for Argentina’s third goal in Croatia’s 3-0 semi-final defeat, but that did not detract from the 6ft 1in defender’s immense contribution overall.

After Croatia reached the knockout stages in Qatar, Dalic said: “Gvardiol is the best central defender in the world. He’s so mature. The way he plays, with the grace he controls the ball – it’s amazing.”

Manchester City will be hoping Gvardiol can live up to such high praise.

James McCann matched a career high with five RBIs against his former team to lead the Baltimore Orioles to a 10-3 win over the New York Mets on Friday.

McCann, traded to the Orioles from the Mets in the offseason, opened the scoring in the fourth inning with a two-run single.

He ripped a two-run double high off the wall in left field in Baltimore’s four-run sixth and added an RBI single to cap a four-run seventh.

The veteran catcher drove in five runs one time previously, on August 12, 2017, while with the Detroit Tigers.

McCann became the first catcher to go 3 for 3 or better with a walk, stolen base and at least five RBIs since RBIs became an official stat in 1920.

Rookie Jordan Westburg hit his second career home run – a three-run blast to centre - as American League-leading Baltimore won for the fifth time in six games to remain two games ahead of Tampa Bay in the East.

Reliever Mike Baumann worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings to become the first in team history to win his first nine relief decisions in a season.

Francisco Lindor had a two-run single for the Mets, who have been outscored 30-11 during a four-game losing streak.

 

Royals beat Phillies for 7th straight win

Bobby Witt Jr. and Michael Massey homered to lead the Kansas City Royals to their seventh straight win, 7-5 over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Dairon Blanco knocked in three runs and stole three bases for the last-place Royals, who followed three-game sweeps of the New York Mets and AL Central-leading Twins with a series-opening victory for their longest win streak since July 2017.

Witt has keyed the streak, going 17 for 32 with four homers, 15 RBIs, eight runs and four steals in those seven games.

He became the first player in MLB history with 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases in each of his first two seasons.

 

Braves’ Fried dominates Cubs in return

Max Fried pitched six stellar innings in his return and the Atlanta Braves homered on back-to-back pitches in a seven-run fourth in an 8-0 rout of the Chicago Cubs.

Making his first appearance since May 5, Fried limited the Cubs to three hits with no walks and eight strikeouts while throwing 72 pitches.

Sean Murphy and Marcel Ozuna went deep off Kyle Hendricks on consecutive pitches in Atlanta’s fourth inning and Austin Riley connected in the seventh.

The major league-best Braves earned their sixth win in seven games to increase their NL East lead to 12 ½ games over Philadelphia.

The Cincinnati Bengals have come to terms with linebacker Logan Wilson on a four-year extension worth up to $37.25 million, according to sources.

Wilson, who was entering the final year of his rookie contract, will make an average of $11.2 million over the first two years of the deal.

Wilson has 123 tackles, 2 ½ sacks, an interception and a forced fumble in 15 games last season as Cincinnati captured its second straight AFC North title.

In three seasons with the Bengals, the 27-year-old Wilson has 256 tackles, seven interceptions and 4 ½ sacks in 40 games.

The Bengals have given Wilson and defensive end Trey Hendrickson extensions, and star quarterback Joe Burrow is soon to get what could be the richest contract in NFL history.

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