Mookie Betts hit a career milestone as the Los Angeles Dodgers extended their winning streak to seven games, defeating their rivals in the San Francisco Giants 4-2 on Saturday.
After his three-run shot to give the Dodgers a 9-6 win to start the four-game series, Betts hit his 200th career home run in the win, going deep off Alex Wood in the third inning.
Trea Turner and Freddie Freeman also scored homers for the Dodgers, making it the first time this season all three have gone over the wall in the same game.
Julio Urias was solid on the mound, meanwhile, striking out five and giving up only two hits over 91 pitches in six innings.
The Dodgers have now won 14 of their last 15 games and now lead the National League by six games over the New York Mets, extending their record to 63-30.
Manoah makes life tough for Red Sox
The Toronto Blue Jays claimed an important win in the American League wildcard race, beating the Boston Red Sox 4-1.
Alek Manoah lowered his ERA to 2.24 for the season, giving up seven hits but striking out as many over 97 pitches in six innings, as he continues to establish himself as one of the MLB's best pitchers.
After pounding the Red Sox 28-5 on Friday to start their three-game series in the American League East, the Blue Jays moved to 9-2 head-to-head for the season, and are now 3.5 games ahead of Boston for the AL's final wildcard spot.
Verlander leads Astros to within touching distance of Yankees
Justin Verlander was in fine form as he became the first pitcher in MLB to win 13 games this season, propelling the Houston Astros to a 3-1 win over the Seattle Mariners.
Verlander was in impressive touch on the mound, giving up only four hits and striking out nine over 101 pitches in seven innings, while clocking 99 miles per hour on his fastball in the seventh.
Kyle Tucker and Yuli Gurriel both hit RBI doubles in the fourth inning off Logan Gilbert to set up the win for the Astros, who moved to 63-32 and are now 1.5 games behind the AL-leading New York Yankees.
Pre-race favourties Jamaica finished in second position behind the United States on the back of a few untidy baton exchanges in the Women’s 4x100m relays at the IAAF World Championships on Saturday.
The US quartet of Melissa Jefferson, Abby Steiner, Jenna Prandini, and Twanisha Terry blasted to the line in 41.14. With Terry just managing to hold off rapidly closing 200m champion Shericka Jackson.
The Jamaicans had gotten off to a poor start with a botched exchange between first leg runner Kemba Nelson and second leg runner Elaine Thompson-Herah putting the team immediately on the back foot. 100 World champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce reduced the deficit on the third leg but could not pull things back. The team finished with a time of 41.18.
The German quartet of Tatjana Pinto, Alexandra Burghardt, Gina Lückenkemper, and Rebekka Haase claimed third place in a time of 42.03.
In the men’s equivalent, the Jamaicans finished just outside the medal places. The top spot went to the Canadian team who upset pre-race favourites the United States. Great Britain finished with the bronze medal. The Jamaica team consisted of Ackeem Blake, Yohan Blake, Oblique Seville, and Jelani Walker.
Robert Lewandowski made his debut for Barcelona as they defeated Real Madrid 1-0 in their pre-season friendly in Las Vegas on Saturday.
The 33-year-old had to share the spotlight with Raphinha however, with the latter's lone goal ultimately proving the difference in the 27th minute.
With Xavi also able to take his place on the touchlines after he was allowed entry into the United States, the Blaugrana started close to what could be considered a full-strength starting XI, with Andreas Christensen starting ahead of Gerard Pique.
Carlo Ancelotti kept a number of starters on the bench to begin the match, with the trio of Luka Modric, Casemiro and Toni Kroos eased in along with Ferland Mendy, while Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga were paired in midfield to start.
Raphinha scored what would be the winning goal midway through the first half in what was an ultimately timid affair, firing home from the top of the penalty area after a quick regain of possession up the pitch for Barcelona.
Modric, Kroos and Casemiro were introduced while the likes of Pedri and Sergio Busquets came off in the second half, creating the aura of a sparring match, and Barcelona held out despite chances to Ousmane Dembele.
Grenadian thrower Anderson Peters put together a series of sensational performances to dominate the Javelin Throw at the IAAF World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday.
Straight out the gates, the Caribbean athlete served notice of his intention to defend the crown he won in Doha, at the 2019 edition. Peters went straight to the head of the pack with a massive throw of 90.21. The athlete went on to register another three 90m throws, including his winning distance of 90.54 in the final round.
The Grenadian was the only athlete on the day attaining the 90m standard. Second spot went to India’s Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra who registered a mark of 88.13 in the fourth round. The Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch claimed the bronze medal with his best of 88.09, which he achieved in the third round.
Peters heading into the event as the athlete in form, having registered a world-leading mark of 93.07 in Doha, Qatar in May.
Scott Piercy holds a commanding four-stroke lead coming into the final round of the 3M Open, after posting a five-under 66 at TPC Twin Cities.
Coming into moving day with a three-shot lead, Piercy was red-hot on the front nine on a rain-interrupted Saturday in Blaine, Minnesota, scoring five consecutive birdies between holes three and seven.
A bogey on the par-five 18th to close out the round put him on 18-under after 54 holes, moving him four shots clear of Emiliano Grillo in second.
Piercy's last win on the PGA Tour came alongside Billy Horschel as the 2018 Zurich Classic, with his last solo win on the tour going back three years further, taking out the 2015 Barbasol Championship.
Grillo's last win on the PGA Tour also came in 2015, winning the Frys.com Open in a playoff, and he's in contention despite an up-and-down third round amid suitable conditions.
Afternoon thunderstorms caused the third round to be moved up, and without much, the more accessible pin locations and shortened course distance made for low scores.
Grillo and Im Sung-jae were the only players to finish Saturday in the leaderboard's top ten with a third-round score of less than five-under.
Going four-under over the opening six holes after an eagle on the par-five sixth, the Argentine also had to birdie the last to make up for bogeys on the ninth and 15th holes.
Doug Ghim and Tom Hoge are a further stroke back on 13-under, with both posting scores of six-under 65 for their third rounds.
After three consecutive birdies between five and seven, Finau made an extraordinary par save on the par-four ninth, after failing to make the green with his opening three shots.
With the ball nestled in the rough just off the green, the 32-year-old turned his putter sideways and after a couple of practice strokes, made a 34-foot save with the putter's toe.
Erling Haaland netted a goal on his debut as Manchester City defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 at Lambeau Field in their pre-season friendly on Saturday.
Torrential rain meant lengthy delays and 40-minute halves, with the two sides sent back to respective dressing rooms after only 13 minutes of play, but not before Haaland opened his account for City.
The 22-year-old was left with a relatively simple finish, tapping in from close range after the reigning Bundesliga champions failed to clear a dead ball, with Kevin de Bruyne playing Jack Grealish in for the evential assist.
The Norway international made way for Julian Alvarez during a shortened half-time break, while Bayern looked particularly out of sorts in possession without the talismanic Robert Lewandowski.
Bayern managed only three shots over the 80 minutes - with Gabriel Vidovic taking their only attempt in the penalty area in the 73rd minute - in comparison to City's 22.
Alvarez, De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez had chances to double the margin and the reigning Premier League champions arguably should have per the xG count, notching up a cumulative score of 2.42 to Bayern's 0.11.
Irina-Camelia Begu came from a set down to defeat Sara Sorribes Tormo 3-6 6-3 6-4 to set up a final against Lucia Bronzetti at the Palermo Ladies Open.
A contest that lasted three hours and 12 minutes, finishing just 20 minutes shy of 2am local time, began well for Sorribes Tormo, with the fourth seed taking the opening set.
The Romanian came storming back in the second though and was forcing her opponent all the way back to the advertising curtain with a series of deep shots, while also impressing on her own serve, getting 90 per cent of her first serves in across the set.
Begu ultimately served out to take it 6-3 as the local time went past midnight, but there was plenty more to come as a third set that moved at a glacial pace in the early hours of Sunday morning kept the more dedicated fans in the stands away from their beds.
An hour after the second set had concluded, the score in the third was just 3-2 to Begu after the sixth seed forced a break against Sorribes Tormo, who was warned with a time violation during the game.
That seemed to be a turning point as one break became two, before the Spaniard broke back to initially frustrate Begu, only for the Romanian to serve out victory at the second time of asking.
She will face Bronzetti in Sunday's final after the world number 78 also came from behind to win her semi-final with compatriot Jasmine Paolini.
It was a remarkable turnaround considering Paolini won the opening set 6-0, with Bronzetti only winning 33 per cent of points on her own first serve compared to Paolini's 79 per cent on hers.
However, Bronzetti found several more gears in the second set, winning 83 per cent on her first serve this time, and she carried that form into the third, recovering brilliantly to take the match 0-6 6-3 6-3.
The final celebration of the Los Angeles Rams' 2021 championship season concluded with Thursday's Super Bowl LVI ring ceremony.
And with that, Sean McVay and the Rams are focused on the season ahead.
The Rams open training camp on Sunday, just over five months after they beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in the Super Bowl.
"It was kind of good timing, because now it represents, 'Let's turn the page,'" McVay said on Friday. ''Let's not minimise what a great year last year was, but that's not going to have anything to do with this year.''
No team has won back-to-back Super Bowls since the New England Patriots did so in February 2005, and McVay realises there is a reason it has been nearly two decades since it has been accomplished.
''So many things have to go right,'' McVay added. ''We could be a better team this year, and I think we've got a chance to do that, and it might not mean we win a Super Bowl, because there are a lot of things that take place throughout the course of a game - the bounce of a ball here - certain things that are out of your control.''
The Rams had quite a few close calls en route to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy with three-point victories over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the San Francisco 49ers and the Bengals in the playoffs.
While there are some parts of the game that coaches and players cannot control, McVay acknowledged that with proper preparation and the right mind-set, the team will be in the best position to win and avoid a dreaded Super Bowl hangover.
''A hangover, to me, what that entails is guys think they're better than they are,'' said McVay, whose Rams missed the playoffs in 2018 after reaching the Super Bowl the previous season.
''They stop working the right way, complacency sets in and the previous success you think is going to have anything to do with your future success. We've got the right kind of guys in our locker room, the right kind of coaches that are intrinsically motivated.''
As the defending champions, the Rams have the honour of kicking off the 2022 season when they host the Buffalo Bills on September 8.
The Jamaica Olympic Association on Saturday issued a statement clarifying comments made by Jamaica Administrative Athletics Association treasurer Ludlow Watts regarding the payment for air travel for the Jamaican Track & Field delegation for the 2022 Commonwealth Games scheduled for July 28-August 8 in Birmingham.
“The Jamaica Olympic Association, given a report by Kayon Raynor regarding the travel arrangements in relation to the Commonwealth Games, is obliged to respond to state the facts and rehearse the same for the benefit of Mr. Ludlow Watts, JAAA's Treasurer, who is alleged to have made unfortunate comments concerning the matter,” the statement started.
It continued: "From time immemorial travel grants in relation to athletes and officials have been instituted by owners of regional and international games and this has not changed and all parties are aware of this fact.
Last year in relation to the Tokyo Olympic Games, travel agencies were identified with which member associations were advised to interface in making travel arrangements for their athletes and officials. The JAAA compiled and consulted a travel agency and made appropriate arrangements on behalf of their athletes and officials with the agency which is the said agency that is handling arrangements for the JAAA for the Commonwealth Games.
Mr. Watts, a seasoned manager, understands that the travel grant is a fixed sum and as obtained in relation to the Tokyo Olympics, is aware that travel arrangements should be made efficiently by his association to avoid increased costs.
In the report by Kayon Raynor, Mr. Watts fails to mention that the JAAA adhered to the policy with respect to the Tokyo Games and gives the impression that the JOA has the responsibility of dealing directly with member athletes of his governing body whose itineraries and attendant obligations are more known to the JAAA.
Based on the previous course of dealing respecting the Tokyo Olympic Games to which the JAAA adhered, the impression given is misconceived. What clearly is of concern to Mr. Watts, as keeper of the JAAA's treasury, is the risk of increased travel costs consequent upon the delay committed by his association in failing to provide a definitive list of athletes and officials with settled itineraries coupled with its continual reworking of lists of athletes and officials in a vain attempt to comply with the regulations of the Commonwealth Games Federation.
It is from this self-imposed risk that Mr. Watts is attempting to flee in "championship" style.
Furthermore, the JOA is alarmed that in the report of Kayon Raynor, Mr. Watts states that there is an overage of US$1,240.00 per person versus the individual travel grant when the JOA, to date, is still not in receipt from the JAAA of the itinerary costs of the track and field delegation.
All other member associations which have sports participating in the Commonwealth Games, in keeping with the established course of dealing, interfaced with their respective travel agencies, made appropriate bookings cost-effectively and are either comfortable in Birmingham or en route seamlessly.
Had Mr. Watts, as Chancellor of the Exchequer of the JAAA, complied with the CGF's regulations and refrained from providing lists that changed continually and are still changing to date he would not have found himself and place his association in this quandary.
Despite Mr Watts' failure to manage the process, the JOA, in the interest of Jamaica's athletes, will work with the travel agency with a view to having them attend the Games. Also, the JOA reminds Mr. Watts that it has never resiled from its obligation regarding travel costs and therefore his misstatement that the JOA is refusing to pay is ill-conceived. What he must consider is that the business of sport requires economic decisions to ensure viability."
Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi insisted his team are "on the right track" in their preparations for the new season, despite suffering a surprise 1-0 friendly defeat to Lens.
Saturday's friendly in France was a cagey affair, ultimately decided by a 91st-minute winner for the hosts when Lois Openda flicked on a corner at the near post, which looped into the far corner of the net.
Lens, who finished seventh in Ligue 1 last season, provided a stern test for their Serie A opponents, who fielded several of their new faces - including Romelu Lukaku and Henrikh Mkhitaryan as second-half substitutes.
They were unable to make a difference though, with Lens goalkeeper Brice Samba - recently signed from Premier League side Nottingham Forest - making several important saves.
Inzaghi felt it was a good exercise for Inter, who will be striving to regain the Serie A title next season after being dethroned by city rivals Milan.
The New York Yankees’ bullpen took a serious hit when the team announced on Saturday that right-hander Michael King has been placed on the 60-day injured list with a fractured right elbow, possibly ending the key reliever’s season.
Pitching in the eighth inning of Friday’s win over the Baltimore Orioles, King walked off the mound in discomfort immediately after throwing a slider, calling for his team's training staff.
The New York Post reported late on Friday that King’s season is over.
King, 27, was on pace for a career year in 2022, posting a 2.29 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 51 innings out of the bullpen.
In his fourth year in the majors - all with the Yankees - King had settled comfortably into his role in the seventh and eighth innings, setting up breakout closer Clay Holmes.
The Yankees took advantage of relatively good health early this season and have an MLB-leading 65-30 record, but King's injury comes just a week after starter Luis Severino was placed on the injured list with a right lat strain.
The New York bullpen has posted an ERA of 2.96 this season, trailing only the Houston Astros (2.72), despite playing without Zack Britton, Miguel Castro and Chad Green.
Britton, who underwent Tommy John surgery last September will have a chance to return this season if his rehabilitation stays on track.
With King's injury coming more than a week before MLB's August 2 trade deadline, the Yankees could look to add pitching in hopes of making a World Series run.
The Pittsburgh Pirates' David Bednar and Chicago Cubs’ David Robertson - a former Yankee - are among the top relievers thought to be available at the deadline.
There is a chance, however, that New York keeps its bullpen intact, hoping for resurgent second-half performances from the likes of Aroldis Chapman and Jonathan Loaisiga, who have thrown just 20 1/3 innings each this season.
Chapman, formerly one of the game’s most imposing relievers, has a 5.75 ERA and has allowed at least one run in nine of his last 13 appearances.
Loaisiga was a breakout star in the Yankees’ bullpen in 2021, but his ERA has jumped from 2.17 last season to 7.52 this season.
Lewis Hamilton says Red Bull and Ferrari "are in a league of their own" as Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen prepare to battle it out once again at the French Grand Prix.
Leclerc came out on top at the Austrian Grand Prix two weeks ago and will start Sunday's race at Circuit Paul Ricard in pole position for the seventh time this season.
The Ferrari driver has momentum on his side, but he still trails Red Bull rival Verstappen by 38 points heading into the 12th race of 2022.
Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez finished third in qualifying after recovering from some flat practice showings, while Mercedes driver Hamilton was a distant fourth.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton is still seeking his first win of the campaign, but that seems unlikely to arrive in his 300th grand prix on the basis of Saturday's qualifying.
"It's not that it is disheartening, but you do a lap and you are told it is 1.7 seconds off and you are like 'what?'" Hamilton said.
"And then you do a really good lap and you are 1.1 seconds off and you are like 'wow'. There is nothing I can do in my power to change that.
"Everyone is working as hard as they can. Each weekend we come with little bits to try and improve, but sometimes that doesn't make a difference and that is difficult.
"The top two teams are in their own league. I came here this weekend hoping we would be within three tenths of them, and we are a second back.
"If it is anything like this it is going to be a while before we win, but it's not impossible."
The driver starting on pole has won the past three French GPs – Hamilton in 2018 and 2019 and Verstappen last year – though not since 1960 has it happened four times in a row.
Leclerc's 16th career pole was achieved in large thanks to a tow from team-mate Carlos Sainz, who will start at the back of the grid after a fourth engine change of the season.
Sainz provided a tow down the straights to help Leclerc edge Verstappen, but the latter does not believe the same tactic would have worked for Red Bull.
"No, because Ferrari gained only two to two-and-a-half tenths with the slipstream, Charles told me," Verstappen said. "It was also very logical that they did it.
"Obviously both me and Sergio Perez want to be in the best position possible. That's why I don't think we're doing that sort of thing. Neither of us had a grid penalty, either.
"It also seems logical to me. We are both still fighting for the title, so it is difficult to explain. It is up to Ferrari if they want to do that, but within our team we haven't talked about it."
Should Verstappen and Perez earn at least 12 points on Sunday, Red Bull will join Ferrari (9,015) and Mercedes (6,535.50) as the third team ever to reach the 6,000 points mark.
Perez has placed in the top two in six of the past seven finished races, two times more than his previous 186, and the Mexican is delighted with his starting position.
"It's been a good recovery. I've been nowhere the whole weekend. To be honest, I've been struggling a lot," he said.
"I think it's probably been my worst weekend up to qualifying, really, and finally we managed to recover well. Now we will try to beat those red cars. They were very strong today."
There will be no more arrivals at Liverpool in this transfer window says manager Jurgen Klopp, unless they experience injuries or sell someone.
The Reds have already added Darwin Nunez, Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsey to the squad since the end of last season, and have been consistently linked with a move for a midfielder in recent weeks.
Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham and Sporting CP's Matheus Nunes have been reported targets, but Klopp has appeared to rule out a move for either, or anyone else, in this window.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the German coach said when asked if there would be further signings: "Unless we have injuries or player sales, no, we have our squad [for the coming season].
"Hopefully, there won't be any [injuries], so Liverpool supporters can focus on other things."
Former Fulham youngster Carvalho has impressed in pre-season so far, while Darwin bagged four goals in a 5-0 rout of RB Leipzig on Thursday, with Carvalho providing the assist for the Uruguayan striker's fourth at Red Bull Arena.
Liverpool came close to an unprecedented quadruple last season, winning the EFL Cup and FA Cup, before being pipped to the Premier League title by Manchester City and losing the Champions League final 1-0 to Real Madrid.
However, Klopp is determined not to let the last day denial in the league and defeat in Paris sour their achievements, and wants his players to use any negatives to their advantage in the new season.
"It ended how we liked it – it ended with a parade," he said. "We would've loved to celebrate even more. If there's anything good about losing it is that there's always the next day.
"If you're smart enough, you can pick up information about your defeat in order to do better and that's the plan. There was obvious disappointment in losing but I was over it pretty quickly.
"The parade helped me massively and let's try it again. Nothing would be different had we won the league or the Champions League. I'd still be sat here wearing the same shirt and the same shorts. We'll try to use it and analyse it in the right way."
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Brittany Anderson and Megan Tapper all looked comfortable as six Caribbean women safely advanced to the semi-finals of the 100m hurdles at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene on Saturday.
Anderson, who won her first Jamaican national title in June, was first up and comfortably advanced to the semi-finals with 12.60 to win heat one.
There was also a major casualty in the first heat as defending world champion Nia Ali of the USA failed to advance after clipping the ninth hurdle and falling to the track.
Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico was next up, running 12.52 to win heat two ahead of Bahamian world indoor silver medallist Devynne Charlton (12.69).
Jamaican 2015 world champion Danielle Williams finished second in heat three with 12.87 to advance. Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan cruised to a new national record 12.40 to win the heat.
Costa Rica’s Andrea Carolina Vargas ran 13.12 for third in heat four to advance.
Tapper, bronze medallist at the Olympics last year, ran 12.73 to finish second behind American Alia Armstrong (12.48) in heat five and progress.
World leader and world record holder Kendra Harrison of the USA ran 12.60 to win heat six and advance.
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