Alexander Zverev roared into his second grand slam final by beating Casper Ruud 2-6 6-2 6-4 6-2 at the French Open, the Norwegian affected by illness as he wilted on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Ruud entered Friday's semi-final rested after benefitting from Novak Djokovic's withdrawal in the last eight, and he controlled the baseline rallies with confidence as he took the opener.
However, a long forehand gifted Zverev a break in the opening game of the second set and the German did not look back from there, winning 92 per cent of points behind his first serve as he levelled things up.
More mistakes crept into Ruud's game and he told the umpire he was feeling unwell three games into the third, when Zverev continued to press home his physical advantage.
Ruud left the court after going 2-1 down in a bid to recompose himself, but Zverev set the tone for another dominant set by crashing home a big forehand winner for an opening-game break, and Ruud never looked like hitting back as the big-serving German advanced.
Data Debrief: Zverev's clay form rewarded
Zverev has become increasingly comfortable on the clay this year, winning the Italian Open and reaching his first final at Roland Garros.
He is just the fifth player in the last two decades to reach the men's singles final at both events in the same year, after Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
He will take on Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday's showpiece match, having won five of his nine tour-level meetings with the Spaniard.
Carlos Alcaraz described his five-set French Open semi-final triumph over Jannik Sinner as one of the toughest matches of his career.
The Spaniard overcame the soon-to-be world number one 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Court Philippe-Chatrier to become just the fifth player in the last 30 years to make the men's singles final at Roland Garros before the age of 22.
It marks the first time the 21-year-old has reached the final of the competition, also making him the fifth-youngest player to get his fifth win against a top-five opponent in grand slam events since the ATP Rankings were first published in 1973.
Speaking shortly after his win, Alcaraz acknowledged the magnitude of the result but pointed out that he had to suffer to emerge victorious in Paris.
"You have to find the joy in suffering, that is the key," he said.
"Here on clay at Roland Garros, long rallies, four-hour matches and five sets, you have to suffer, but I was told by my team many times that you have to enjoy suffering."
The pair have enjoyed thrilling encounters in previous meetings, and despite the latest instalment of their flourishing rivalry lasting four hours and 10 minutes, it was not the longest time they have spent together on court, having played for five hours and 15 minutes at the US Open in 2022.
Alcaraz prevailed in that encounter to reach his maiden major semi-final, going on to win the tournament. He ranks his latest meeting with the Italian among the toughest matches of his career.
"The toughest matches I have played in my short career have been against Jannik," he said.
"There was the US Open in 2022, this one. That shows the great player that Jannik is, the team that he has as well, and the great work he puts in every day.
"I hope to play many, many more matches like this one against Jannik, but it was definitely one of the toughest matches I have played in, for sure."
Alcaraz will face either Casper Ruud or Alexander Zverev in the final on Sunday.
Carlos Alcaraz is into his first French Open final after an incredible comeback against Jannik Sinner on Friday.
Dubbed as the match "everybody wants to watch", it certainly lived up to its billing as Alcaraz won 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in four hours and 10 minutes on the court.
Sinner, who had dropped just one set coming into the final, started quickly, getting an early double break to cruise to a 4-0 in the opener, and though Alcaraz fought back, he was quickly seen off.
The Spaniard responded well in the second despite another slow start, and Sinner had few answers as Alcaraz dragged himself level.
Sinner began to struggle in the third, needing medical treatment for hand cramp, but it did not slow him down as he once again held his nerve to take the set. He stayed in the fight in the fourth as well, matching Alcaraz until the final game, when his serve was broken.
The 21-year-old wore Sinner down with his aggressive play, and produced moments of magic, earning an early break. He kept his fate in his own hands then, seeing out the victory.
He will face either Casper Ruud or Alexander Zverev in the final on Sunday.
Data Debrief: More records broken for Alcaraz
Alcaraz (21 years and 33 days) is the youngest player in the Open Era to reach the men's singles finals in Grand Slam events on clay, grass and hard court.
He is also the fifth-youngest player to get his fifth win against a top-5 opponent in men's singles Grand Slam events since the ATP Rankings were published in 1973.
The Spaniard is keeping good company, as he is just the fifth player in the last 30 calendar years to make the men's singles final at Roland Garros before the age of 22, behind Alberto Berasategui, Gustavo Kuerten, Carlos Moya and Rafael Nadal.
Only Michael Chang and Bjorn Borg (12 each) have won more Grand Slam five-setters than Alcaraz before turning 22 in the Open Era (10, equalling Marat Safin).
Lewis Hamilton believes Mercedes are "not far away" from competing at the front of the grid after implementing upgrades ahead of this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix.
Mercedes have endured a torrid start to the 2024 season, which will be Hamilton's last with the team before he joins Ferrari for 2025.
Neither Hamilton nor team-mate George Russell have finished higher than fifth in any race, with Russell achieving that finish in the opening race at Bahrain and in Monaco two weeks ago.
The Silver Arrows – who have only won one race since 2021 – introduced a new front wing to Russell's car last time out and were encouraged by his pace. Both cars will be sporting the upgrade in Montreal this weekend.
Asked whether he thought Mercedes could close the gap to constructors' champions and current leaders Red Bull, Hamilton said: "I don't think it's far away.
"We've got the upgrade, both cars have the upgrade this weekend, so I'm looking forward to seeing how that feels on the track."
Max Verstappen initially looked set for another dominant campaign, but recent victories for McLaren's Lando Norris and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc have led some to suggest we could still see a title battle.
Hamilton added: "The car's continuing to improve. I think everyone's obviously taking that step, hopefully getting closer to the Red Bulls and I think that's been really positive.
"I'm incredibly proud of everyone back at the factory, how hard everyone's working and how resilient everyone is. Everyone is staying focused, the morale is really great in the team.
"So I'm hoping that we can get closer to these guys and start actually competing at the front."
Hamilton has won the Canadian Grand Prix seven times, a tally only matched by Michael Schumacher.
His last victory came 53 races ago at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, but a surprise win in Montreal would see him equal his record for most triumphs at a single event (eight in Hungary and Great Britain).
Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari have what it takes to beat Red Bull to the F1 championship this year.
Leclerc won at Monaco for the first time in his career last time out, and a double podium for Ferrari in that race means they are just 24 points behind Red Bull in the constructors’ championship.
Red Bull have won the constructors' title for the last three years in a row, but this year they could be in a tough battle with Ferrari and McLaren.
Speaking before the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend, Leclerc says he has faith that Ferrari mount a good challenge against Red Bull.
"I have to believe it [that Red Bull are beatable], and I believe in it," Leclerc told Sky Sports F1.
"However, let's say that I think the last two races have been not the tracks that favour Red Bull or show their strengths. I don't think that this one is a track that will show their strength either, so it might be an opportunity again for us.
"From Barcelona [the race after Montreal] onwards, I think we will see back the Red Bull that we have seen at the beginning of the year, which, if this is the case, might be more difficult to beat.
"But my hopes remain high. We still have some things that we want to bring to the car, and if that is enough to close the gap, then that's great. And we'll put them under more pressure.
"When you are under a bit more pressure, hopefully, we can push them into more mistakes and take our chances. For now, I don't feel like we are quite there yet. But looking at this weekend, I feel like it can be an opportunity."
Lando Norris, who won the Miami Grand Prix, has tipped Ferrari as the favourites to win in Canada, while Max Verstappen also thinks it will be another tough race after finishing in his lowest position for 18 months in Monaco.
Leclerc, however, is not fazed by those predictions.
"They always say that! Whether it's Helmut [Marko] one weekend, Lando the other," he added.
"Everyone doesn't want to hear they are the favourites, so you are never going to hear me say we are the favourites and same with them.
"I think the reality is we are so closely matched between three teams, that it will be down to the ones who do the better job, as well as the rain will be here, and we haven't really driven here with these cars yet in the rain."
Jaylen Brown hailed Kristaps Porzingis after the Boston Celtics power forward returned from injury with a "monster game" against the Dallas Mavericks.
Porzingis, who has been absent for five weeks with a calf strain, played a starring role from the bench against his former side, as the Celtics drew first blood in the NBA Finals with a 107-89 win in Game 1.
Having not played since Game 4 in the first round against the Miami Heat, the Latvian marked his return with 20 points, six rebounds and three blocks at TD Garden.
And Brown, who top-scored for the Celtics with 22 points, paid tribute to his team-mate.
"Kristaps had a monster game for us," he said. "Just his presence shooting the ball and then him being able to attack those switches and mismatches, he made them pay every time, and that's what we need going forward in the series."
Porzingis was understandably thrilled to make up for lost time with his inspired display for top seeds Boston, who are targeting a record-breaking 18th NBA title this year.
"The adrenaline was just pumping through my veins," he said. "Obviously, it wasn't ideal that I was out for such a long time.
"But, I did everything I could to prepare mentally for this moment coming back, and it paid off, and we got the job done tonight and had a good game, and happy about the result.
"Tonight was an affirmation to myself that I'm pretty good, you know? Maybe I'm not perfect, but I'm pretty good and I can play like this and I can definitely add to this team."
Trent Grisham doubled his season totals with a home run and three RBIs as the New York Yankees completed a season sweep of the Minnesota Twins with their eighth straight win, 8-5 on Thursday night.
Yankees slugger Juan Soto left the game with left forearm discomfort following a 56-minute rain delay before the sixth inning.
Gleyber Torres had a two-run double and Giancarlo Stanton walked three times as New York broke a tie with Philadelphia for the best record in the majors at 45-19. The Yankees have won 25 of 31 and extended their longest winning streak since a nine-game run in June 2022.
They went 6-0 this season against the Twins and outscored them 36-12. New York are 123-44 in the series since 2002 – including playoffs.
Carlos Correa homered and drove in two runs for Minnesota, who had won nine of 12 before getting to the Bronx.
De La Cruz homers for surging Reds
Elly De La Cruz belted a three-run homer and Hunter Greene pitched into the seventh inning as the Cincinnati Reds won their fifth straight, 8-4 over the Chicago Cubs.
After Seiya Suzuki's two-run homer staked the Cubs to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third, De La Cruz followed Will Benson's single and TJ Friedl's walk with his 11th home run, a shot to right field that came off the bat at 114.7 mph.
Christopher Morel's two-run homer in the sixth gave Chicago a 4-3 lead, but Cincinnati scored twice in the bottom half on Jonathan India's RBI single and Friedl's run-scoring double.
Greene allowed four runs and five hits over 6 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts and two walks to win his fourth straight decision.
Red Sox hammer lowly White Sox
Tanner Houck pitched seven strong innings and was backed by home runs from Jarren Duran and Emmanuel Valdez as the Boston Red Sox handed the Chicago White Sox their franchise-record 14th straight loss, 14-2.
The White Sox, who have lost 18 of 19, surpassed a mark set by the 1924 team and dropped to a major league-worst 15-48.
Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela each had four of Boston's season-high 24 hits, including two off White Sox infielder Danny Mendick in the ninth inning.
Houck did not allow a hit until the sixth inning and allowed two runs and three hits with nine strikeouts.
P.J. Washington urged the Dallas Mavericks to "stay connected and together" following defeat to the Boston Celtics in their NBA Finals opener.
The Mavs' first championship series since they were crowned champions in 2011 began with a 107-89 loss against the top seeds of this postseason at TD Garden.
It was Dallas' lowest scoring total during the playoffs, while their tally of just nine assists was the fewest in any match this term as they struggled against a strong Boston defense.
"We just have to stay connected [and] stay together," said P.J. Washington. "We are a great team. They are a great team at the end of the day. We're all right. It's only one game. We'll be better for Game 2."
"The ball has got to move a little bit more," added Kyrie Irving, whose 31.6 per cent shooting from the floor was his lowest in 14 career Finals games.
"That starts with me just being able to push the pace, get us some easy opportunities, and just adjust to what they are throwing at us.
"It's a fun series. It was fun going into the game. It's still going to be fun. But there's going to be a level of chess that still has to be played."
Mavs coach Jason Kidd also issued a rallying cry to his players, who he insisted must not be held back by the occasion.
"Give the Celtics credit," he said. "They did a great job defending, making it tough on us.
"I think this is the best team in the NBA, and they are good for a reason. They play their style of basketball at a high rate. Nerves or not being in this situation, we can't use that as an excuse. It's just basketball."
Trent Grisham doubled his season totals with a home run and three RBIs and the New York Yankees completed a season sweep of the Minnesota Twins with their eighth straight win, 8-5 on Thursday night.
Yankees slugger Juan Soto left the game with left forearm discomfort following a 56-minute rain delay before the sixth inning.
Gleyber Torres had a two-run double and Giancarlo Stanton walked three times as New York broke a tie with Philadelphia for the best record in the majors at 45-19. The Yankees have won 25 of 31 and extended their longest winning streak since a nine-game run in June 2022.
They went 6-0 this season against the Twins and outscored them 36-12. New York is 123-44 in the series since 2002 – including playoffs.
Carlos Correa homered and drove in two runs for Minnesota, which had won nine of 12 before getting to the Bronx.
De La Cruz homers for surging Reds
Elly De La Cruz belted a three-run homer and Hunter Greene pitched into the seventh inning as the Cincinnati Reds won their fifth straight, 8-4 over the Chicago Cubs.
After Seiya Suzuki’s two-run homer staked the Cubs to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third, De La Cruz followed Will Benson’s single and TJ Friedl’s walk with his 11th home run, a shot to right field that came off the bat a3t 114.7 mph.
Christopher Morel’s two-run homer in the sixth gave Chicago a 4-3 lead, but Cincinnati scored twice in the bottom half on Jonathan India’s RBI single and Friedl’s run-scoring double.
Greene allowed four runs and five hits over 6 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts and two walks to win his fourth straight decision.
Red Sox hammer lowly White Sox
Tanner Houck pitched seven strong innings and was backed by home runs from Jarren Duran and Emmanuel Valdez as the Boston Red Sox handed the Chicago White Sox their franchise-record 14th straight loss, 14-2.
The White Sox, who have lost 18 of 19, surpassed a mark set by the 1924 team and dropped to a major league-worst 15-48.
Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela each had four of Boston’s season-high 24 hits, including two off White Sox infielder Danny Mendick in the ninth inning.
Houck didn’t allow a hit until the sixth inning and allowed two runs and three hits with nine strikeouts.
Jaylen Brown led six players in double figures with 22 points and Kristaps Porziņģis had 20 in his first game in over a month as the Boston Celtics pulled away for a 107-89 win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.
Jayson Tatum had 16 points and 11 rebounds and Derick White scored 15 for the Celtics, who improved to 13-2 in the playoffs with their eighth straight win as they seek their 18th NBA title.
Game 2 is Sunday night in Boston.
Porzingis came off the bench and provided an immediate spark in his first game since April 29 due to a strained right calf. He had six rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes.
Luka Dončić had 30 points and 10 rebounds, but former Celtic Kyrie Irving managed just 12 points on 6-of-19 shooting and missed all five of his 3-point attempts.
Dallas totalled just nine assists on 35 field goals and its scoring total was its lowest of the postseason.
Boston started fast and led by 29 in the first half before Dallas opened the third quarter on a 22-9 run to pull within 72-64 on Doncic’s 3-pointer.
The Celtics responded with the next 14 points, capped by 3s from Tatum, Al Horford and Brown for an 86-64 advantage.
Jasmine Paolini says she started to "dream step by step" before making it to her maiden grand slam final at Roland Garros.
The Italian saw off Mirra Andreeva in straight sets on Thursday to book a showdown against world number one Iga Swiatek as she aims to win her first major title.
Paolini has already pulled off one major upset at the tournament, knocking out Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals over three sets in impressive fashion.
No matter what happens in the final, Paolini is already assured of breaking into the top 10 in the WTA rankings on Monday and will be ranked, at minimum, number seven at the end of the tournament.
Asked if this was a moment that she imagined when she was young in training, Paolini admitted that was not the case.
"I was watching grand slam finals. I was watching the other Italians make it in the finals, and also won grand slams, but imagining that can be myself was tough," she said.
"Of course, I wished, but now it's something crazy for me. I'm really happy. Also surprised.
"I never dreamed to be number one, grand slam champion. Never dreamed so big. Never.
"Never maybe dream to be in the top 10, but I was hoping, but not really believing it. I think step by step I started to believe, but to dream for closer things.
"I think it's important to dream, but I started to dream, I think, step by step. Not too far away."
Swiatek is chasing a third consecutive French Open title and is a heavy favourite to win it going into the final.
Paolini was full of praise for the Pole but said she would not be intimidated by her opponent.
"Iga is an unbelievable player. So young, but so many achievements and grand slams. Here she won three times," she added. "She's doing well week by week, and that's not easy. So I have huge respect for her.
"My goal is to step on the court on Saturday and try to enjoy the match and to enjoy that moment and to try to play a good match and to make a good performance on the court."
Iga Swiatek believes her victory over Naomi Osaka helped her adjust to Roland-Garros as she reached the final of the French Open following victory over Coco Gauff.
The world number one saved a match point against Osaka in the second round of the competition, pulling off a comeback to triumph 7-6 (7-1) 1-6 7-5 on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Swiatek saved a match point against the former world number one, and from 5-2 down in the deciding set, it was the Pole who prevailed.
Since then, the 23-year-old has lost just 14 games across the next four rounds and is one match away from becoming the first woman to win the tournament in three straight years since Justine Henin in 2007.
And she credited that win over Osaka as the turning point in her latest French Open campaign.
"Something changed [after the Osaka match]," Swiatek said after beating Andreeva.
"I adjusted better to the court, and it’s not easy to play first matches in a grand slam because the atmosphere is much different in other tournaments.
"Against Naomi, I didn’t have time to get into it. She was intense from the beginning and put pressure on me. I'm happy that I handled it well. The weather changed also; it helped my game and I gained confidence."
Reflecting on a dominant 6-2 6-4 defeat of reigning US Open champion Gauff, Swiatek said: "It was intense.
"In the second set, it was tight because we were breaking each other. But I'm happy that I was consistent with my tactics, didn't overthink stuff, and just went for it at the end."
Swiatek and Gauff have now faced off 12 times, but the American has won just one of those matches.
"I think [Gauff] is progressing a lot," Swiatek added.
"You can see by her results. Last year’s US Open showed that she's tough. At this age, it's obvious that she's going to grow. It's nice to see her handling everything around her well because it’s not easy.
"I'm sure we're going to have more really intense matches at the highest level because Coco is also one of the most consistent players out there."
Swiatek will face Jasmine Paolini in Saturday's final.
Jasmine Paolini has reached her first grand slam final after defeating Mirra Andreeva in straight sets on Thursday.
Andreeva stunned world number two Aryna Sabalenka to reach her maiden grand slam semi-final on Wednesday, but an error-strewn performance saw her defeated 6-3, 6-1.
Paolini, who caused an upset of her own by knocking out Elena Rybakina in the quarter-final, was determined and got the first break early on before saving three break points in the fifth game.
Though Andreeva tried to mount a comeback, Paolini was too strong, holding out to win the first set, before getting another early break in the second.
The 17-year-old's frustration started to show, and she had few answers to Paolini's dominance as the Italian held out for an impressive victory.
Paolini will now face Iga Swiatek in the final on Saturday as she aims to cause another upset and claim her maiden grand slam title.
Data Debrief: Late bloomer Paolini looks unstoppable
Paolini is just the third player in the last decade to reach her first grand slam final at Roland Garros after turning 28, along with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (2021) and Lucie Safarova (2015).
She also becomes the first Italian to reach the final of a grand slam event since Roberta Vinci at the US Open in 2015, and the first in the final of the French Open since Sara Errani in 2012.
Iga Swiatek will have the chance to win a third straight French Open title on Saturday after a brilliant performance saw her overpower Coco Gauff in straight sets in the semi-finals.
Three-time Roland Garros champion Swiatek only dropped one set en route to the final four – in a three-sets victory over Naomi Osaka in the second round – and she looked a cut above once again on Thursday in a 6-2 6-4 win.
Having won 10 of her previous 11 meetings with Gauff, Swiatek set the tone by breaking in the very first game, Gauff looking tense as she committed two unforced errors.
Swiatek was forced to save break point with a monster serve but that was as close as Gauff came in the opener, the American committing 18 unforced errors to her opponent's five.
Gauff improved at the start of the second set, but she was unable to match Swiatek's power and accuracy in the longer rallies and her frustration got the better of her in the third game, briefly breaking down in tears after a row with the umpire over an overruled out call.
She recovered to go a break up thanks to a whipped forehand, but Swiatek hit straight back to level things then inched ahead as an overhead smash brought another break.
She failed to convert two match points in a back-and-forth game on Gauff's serve but that was just a temporary setback as Gauff sent a wild forehand wide on her fourth match point.
Data Debrief: Swiatek emulates Navratilova
Swiatek's victory moved her to 8-2 versus top-10 seeds at grand slams. In the last 40 years, Martina Navratilova is the only other woman to manage eight wins in her first 10 such matches.
She will now be the heavy favourite when she faces Mirra Andreeva or Jasmine Paolini in the final.
The FIA has revealed Formula 1 cars will be more environmentally friendly and smaller from 2026 in an attempt to produce closer racing.
The sport's governing body described the key concept in the new rules as a "nimble car".
The cars will be 10cm narrower and 30kg lighter, with an even split between internal and electric combustion power, while running on 100 per cent sustainable fuels.
Active aerodynamics, in the form of moveable front and rear wings, will also be used to optimise the new engines.
The Drag Reduction System (DRS) is set to be replaced by a Manual Override Mode – technology that will give the driver an electrical boost of power to get past a close rival.
There will also be a focus on improved safety through stronger structures and tougher tests.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said: "The key features of the 2026 F1 Regulations are advanced sustainability, technology and safety.
"Our aim, together with Formula 1, was to produce a car that was right for the future of the sport's elite category. We believe we have achieved that goal."
The new hybrid engines have attracted Audi and Ford, who will be joining forces with Red Bull Powertrains, to join F1, while also persuading Honda to reverse its decision to quit the sport. There will be a total of six engine manufacturers in the sport in 2026, including Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault.
The rules are part of F1's pledge to go net-zero carbon by 2030.
The Los Angeles Lakers will move for Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley to succeed Darvin Ham, according to reports.
The Lakers fired Ham last month after suffering a five-game exit at the hands of the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
They have only gone beyond the first round of the postseason once in four years since winning their last NBA championship in 2019-20, missing the playoffs in 2021-22.
According to a report from ESPN, the Lakers have interviewed several candidates for the role and have now settled on Hurley, who has had six seasons with UConn and led them to back-to-back national titles in the last two years.
The report said the Lakers are now preparing a huge, long-term contract offer to Hurley, who has previously spoken of his ambition to coach in the NBA.
Hurley has a 141-58 record with the Huskies and appears to have seen off competition from Charlotte Hornets assistant James Borrego, Boston Celtics assistant Sam Cassell and Denver Nuggets assistant David Adelman, all of whom were reportedly interviewed.
Novak Djokovic has confirmed his knee surgery has been successful following his withdrawal from the French Open earlier this week.
The Serbian aggravated an injury during his five-set triumph over Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round at Roland-Garros before a scan revealed the extent of the damage sustained.
Djokovic was due to play Casper Rudd in the quarter-finals as he bid for a fourth French Open crown, but on Tuesday the reigning champion confirmed his withdrawal.
However, the 37-year-old is already eyeing a return to the court as he thanked fans for their support in a post on social media.
Djokovic said: "In the past day, I had to make some tough decisions after sustaining a meniscus tear during my last match. I’m still processing it all but I am happy to update you that the surgery went well.
"I am so appreciative of the team of doctors who have been by my side. As well as the overwhelming support I have received from my fans.
"I’m going to do my best to be healthy and fit to return to the court as soon as possible.
"My love for this sport is strong and the desire to compete at the highest level is what keeps me going."
It ended his hopes of a 25th grand slam title and will also see him lose his world number one ranking to Jannik Sinner, who faces Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the French Open, at the end of the tournament.
Aaron Judge drove in five more runs and Carlos Rodon won his sixth straight start as the New York Yankees rolled to their seventh consecutive victory with another win over the Minnesota Twins, 9-5 on Wednesday night.
Judge had an RBI groundout in a four-run first against Chris Paddack, lined a three-run triple in the fifth and added a bases-loaded walk in the sixth.
Judge is 10 for 21 with four home runs, a double, a triple and 15 RBIs in his last six games. He has 54 RBIs this season, second in the majors behind Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez (58).
The Yankees have won six straight against the Twins dating to last season and are 106-42 in the series since 2002.
New York, which has outscored Minnesota 28-7 in winning all five meetings in 2024, matched its longest win streak of the season and is tied with Philadelphia for the majors’ best record.
Rodon retired the first 16 batters before Carlos Santana homered with one out in the sixth. The left-hander allowed two runs on three hits in six innings, striking out nine and walking none.
Royce Lewis homered in the seventh on his 25th birthday, a day after he went deep in his return from a strained right quadriceps that sidelined him for 58 games. Lewis became the first player in franchise history to homer in his first three games of a season.
Pivetta dominates Braves as Red Sox win
Nick Pivetta pitched one-hit ball over seven innings and Rafael Devers hit a pair of home runs to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 9-0 rout of the Atlanta Braves.
Pivetta allowed his only hit on an Austin Riley leadoff single in the fourth inning and struck out nine with two walks.
Zach Kelly and Brad Keller each worked one scoreless inning to finish up the one-hitter.
Devers hit a solo homer in the second inning and added a two-run shot in the seventh for the 17th multi-homer game of his career.
Jarren Duran also went deep for the Red Sox, who moved back to .500 by completing a 3-3 homestand.
Braves rookie Spencer Schwellenbach was tagged for six runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings in his second career start.
Cubs walk-off lowly White Sox
Mike Tauchman homered to lead off the ninth inning and the Chicago Cubs rallied again to finish a two-game sweep with a 7-6 win over the Chicago White Sox, who lost their 13th straight game.
Tauchman sent Michael Kopech’s second pitch in the ninth deep to center for his first career game-ending home run.
One night after blowing a 5-0 lead, the White Sox squandered a 5-1 advantage in this one.
Cody Bellinger had a run-scoring fielder’s choice in the fifth and another run scored on a balk to get the Cubs within 5-3. They took the lead with three runs in the seventh on a wild pitch, Bellinger’s sacrifice fly and Ian Happ’s broken-bat RBI single.
Corey Julks and Paul DeJong homered for the White Sox, who have lost 17 of 18 to drop to a major league-worst 15-47.
They have led by at least two runs at one point in each of their last five losses. The 13-game skid matches the single-season franchise record set in 1924.
Alexander Zverev has no interest in recovering fitness as the world number four aims to push to an "absolute limit" at the French Open.
The German overcame Alex de Minaur in straight sets on Court Philippe-Chatrier, progressing to the Roland-Garros semi-finals for a fourth straight year on Wednesday.
Yet that does not tell the whole story as Zverev battled relentlessly to earn his 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 triumph over the Australian world number 11.
Falling 4-0 and 5-1 down in the second-set tie-break, Zverev seemed to afford De Minaur a route back into the match, only for the fourth seed to come crashing back in a response.
Zverev eventually sealed victory in just under three hours of the quarter-final meeting, and has every intention of pushing himself further for the last-four clash with Casper Ruud.
"Everybody in the press keeps asking me what I do for recovery and the answer is very simple – you don't recover after matches, you recover in the off-season," Zverev said in his on-court interview.
"I have the mindset you have to work harder than everyone else to be the best player. I like to work to my absolute limit. If I do that then playing five sets all of a sudden is not that difficult.
"I've been doing that over many years and I'm happy to be in another semi-final. Hopefully I can win one."
A fourth semi-final appearance in Paris means Zverev will equal Dominic Thiem for the most of any player born since 1990.
Among players with five main draws in the Open Era, Zverev (80.5 per cent) also holds the best winning percentage at Roland-Garros of any player not to have won the singles title at the event.
Ruud will stand in the way of a major final outing for Zverev, who says his battling identity has been embroiled in his mind from a young age.
"I have a coach who's my father who couldn't care less how I feel on the practice court," he added.
"Since I was three years old, it was run here, run there, run for four hours straight. He sometimes forgets I'm two metres tall and can hit a serve 230 kilometres an hour.
"I wish I would be more aggressive sometimes, but if I'm winning, I'm happy."
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