Adam Duvall starred before blasting a walk-off two-run homer over the Green Monster as the Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 9-8 on Saturday.
Duvall, who joined the Red Sox from the Atlanta Braves in the offseason, had four hits, three runs and five RBIs for the game in a glittering display at Fenway Park.
But his crowning moment came with the Red Sox two out with a runner on first at the bottom of the ninth, hammering a Felix Bautista fastball just above the Green Monster for the walk-off blast.
The Red Sox capitalised on Ryan McKenna's fielding error at deep left field that allowed Masataka Yoshida to get on first base after hitting a routine fly ball.
Duvall's subsequent blast just cleared the Monster, caroming into a tabletop and back on to the field, but the lights flickered, signalling the walk-off homer.
The 34-year-old outfielder homered in the third inning as part of a four-run salvo after the Red Sox trailed 7-1.
Baltimore had raced ahead with Ryan Mountcastle's two-run first-inning homer along with Cedric Mullins three-run blast in the third. The Orioles tagged Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale for seven runs across three innings.
The Red Sox cut it to 8-7 in the seventh after Enrique Hernandez's homer and Duvall's ground rule double for Rafael Devers to score. Austin Hays went five-for-five with two runs for the O's.
Flaherty's mixed day as Cardinals register first win
St Louis Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty threw five no-hit innings along with giving up a career-high seven walks as his side claimed their first win of the season, 4-1 over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Flaherty fanned four, tossing down 49 of 95 pitches for strikes, but only had one clean inning, albeit his final one, on a mixed day on the mound.
The Cardinals opened up a 3-0 lead in the third inning, capitalising on a two-out throwing error by Jays third baseman Matt Chapman, before Nolan Gorman's two-run single.
Angels pile on the runs in Fujinami's A's debut
The Los Angeles Angels scored 11 runs in the third inning as they spoiled Shintaro Fujinami's debut for the Oakland Athletics, winning 13-1.
Fujinami, who joined the A's on a one-year free-agent deal, fell apart in the third after a positive start, with his game ending after 55 pitches with the Angels leading 6-0. The Japanese pitcher allowed eight earned runs with three walks and four Ks.
Taylor Ward blasted a three-run homer off reliever Adam Oller, while Shohei Ohtani had two hits and two RBIs.
Trayce Thompson produced a three-homer, eight-RBI game as the Los Angeles Dodgers won 10-1 over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Lamont Butler scored a buzzer-beating game-winner to send San Diego State into the National Championship Game where they will face Connecticut after edging Florida Atlantic 72-71 on Saturday.
Butler got downhill and hit a 17-foot two-point shot as time expired completing a remarkable 14-point second-half comeback for the Aztecs.
It was the first buzzer-beater during this NCAA tournament and only the fifth in the Final Four history.
Aztecs coach Brian Dutcher opted against calling a timeout when Nathan Mensah rebounded Johnell Davis' missed jumper with the Owls leading 71-70 with 10 seconds left, before Butler drove on and took responsibility with his buzzer-beater for the ages.
"I didn't really know how big it was," Butler said who was mobbed by teammates and coaches. "We're going to the national championship. That's not things many people do."
After trailing 40-33 at half-time, SDSU found its defensive grip to work its way back into the contest, with Matt Bradley scoring 21 points with six rebounds.
Alijah Martin top scored for FAU with 26 points including three triples along with seven rebounds.
The Aztecs will face UConn who accounted for the Miami Hurricanes 72-59 with forward Adama Sanogo outstanding with 21 points including two three-pointers and 10 rebounds.
UConn advanced to their fifth National Championship game, with the Huskies having not lost to a non-conference opponent this year and winning all five NCAA games by double digits.
Huskies guard Jordan Hawkins overcame illness to contribute 13 points, while Miami's Isaiah Wong scored a team-high 15 points on four-of-10 shooting with their offense blunted, going at 32.3 per cent from the field as a team.
Luka Doncic scored 42 points with 10 rebounds but it was not enough for the Dallas Mavericks who suffered their sixth loss from their past seven games 129-122 to the Miami Heat on Saturday.
The win was much needed for Miami, who improved to 41-37 to be seventh in the East, with Jimmy Butler top scoring with 35 points and 12 assists at FTX Arena.
The Heat snapped their three-game skid but it left the Mavs' perilous playoff hopes worse off, falling to a 37-41 record, remaining 11th in the West.
Dallas are a game back from Oklahoma City (38-40) in the race for the final play-in spot, with the Thunder owning the head-to-head tiebreaker too.
Doncic tried his best with 42 points on 17-of-25 shooting with two triples along with 10 rebounds, eight assists and two steals. That was the Slovenian's 14th 40-point game this season.
Kyrie Irving added 23 points and eight assists, while Tim Hardaway Jr drained six three-pointers in his 31 points with six rebound and seven assists.
Yet all that was not enough for Dallas who shot at 61 per cent as a team, after Miami piled on 44 first-quarter points, leaving the Mavs to lament their defense. Miami's 76 first-half points was the third most in franchise history.
Center Cody Zeller offered good support to Butler with 20 points and eight rebounds, while Kevin Love and Max Strus both added 18 points and Tyler Herro contributed 15.
Ingram stars as Pels continue playoffs push
The New Orleans Pelicans moved above the Los Angeles Lakers and into the seven spot in the Western Conference with a crucial 122-114 over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Kawhi Leonard scored 40 points for the Clippers, who fall to sixth in the West, but Brandon Ingram maintained his fine form with a game-winning display.
Ingram scored 36 points on 13-of-23 shooting with four rebounds and eight assists, while Jonas Valanciunas added 23 points with 12 rebounds.
Leonard shot 15-of-28 from the field with four-of-eight from beyond the arc with eight rebounds and four assists, while Russell Westbrook contributed 24 points with nine assists.
The Pels have won seven of their past eight games to shoot into playoffs contention in the West with a 40-38 record, while the Clippers are 41-38.
Anthony Joshua put the ball in Tyson Fury's court after calling his rival out following victory over Jermaine Franklin.
A unanimous decision triumph against Franklin at the O2 Arena on Saturday brought an end to a two-fight losing streak for Joshua, who swiftly set his sights on a bigger opportunity.
Joshua's clash against Franklin was his first non-title fight in 12 bouts and, if he gets his way, will return to familiar ground next time out.
Fury and Joshua have negotiated for a 'Battle of Britain' clash in previous years without securing an agreement, but the 'Gypsy King's' failure to set up an undisputed bout with Oleksandr Usyk has opened the door again.
With Usyk expected to defend his belts against mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois, Fury's next move is not clear, and Joshua has issued his challenge.
"I know who the fans want… They said Fury. The ball is in his court," Joshua told DAZN in the ring after his win.
"I would 100 per cent be honoured to compete for the WBC heavyweight championship of the world. I stand here and I say that proudly. It would be an honour.
"Wherever you are, if you're listening, you know my management, you know my promoter. We've had dialect before, so let's continue and hopefully we can get this done sooner rather than later. We're not getting any younger.
"I can't wait to get back to Texas, to develop and push on. You know how one fight leads to another; I can't wait to get the next big fight."
Promising a new dawn against Franklin, Joshua fell short of expectations despite having the upper hand throughout, acknowledging he should have earned a stoppage.
"Someone else would knock him out, probably, but Jermaine has a good duck and dive style," he added.
"There were opportunities there but he knows how to tuck up. Respect to him, he done well, I respect him for that.
"Well done to him and his team for preparing. I should have knocked him out but what can I say now, it's done, onto the next."
Patrick Rodgers struggled to match his first two rounds at the Valero Texas Open but nevertheless held his nerve to take a one-stoke lead at 12 under into the final day.
The 30-year-old had led overnight after play was halted early on Friday, following an impressive five-under 67 to back up an opening round of six-under 66.
But after carding a more sedate one-under 71 at TPC San Antonio, the American was left with just a single-stroke lead ahead of Canada's Corey Conners, who held on to second place with a three-under 69.
Veteran Matt Kuchar had looked set to challenge for top spot before a double bogey on the 18th derailed his pursuit, though he still finished in a respectable third, three shots off at nine-under for the tournament.
American duo Sam Stevens and Chris Kirk are tied for fourth at eight under, while South Korea's An Byeong-hun and Ireland's Padraig Harrington are among those in a six-way tie for sixth.
Rodgers is chasing a first win on the PGA Tour, having arrived in Texas with six missed cuts from his past eight starts, though he did secure a top-15 finish at the Phoenix Open.
Anthony Joshua returned to winning ways by beating Jermaine Franklin via unanimous decision at O2 Arena on Saturday.
Entering the content having lost three of his past five, including the last two against Oleksandr Usyk to cede his heavyweight belts, Joshua faced his first non-title fight in 12 bouts.
The Brit's camp promised a new dawn for fans of the Olympian, but, despite being in control throughout against Franklin, he showed there was still plenty of work left on his comeback trail.
While Franklin did well to shrug off some heavy hits, he never truly mustered much of a threat and the scorecards reflected what was a largely one-sided affair.
Joshua came out of his corner firing, landing a powerful left jab in the first round and following it up with further shots in the second when he countered a Franklin hit to respond with a strike to the body.
Franklin then began to grow in confidence, sensing there may be an opportunity for an upset, before Joshua came the closest he would to a knockout blow after connecting with a big right-hand uppercut but missing his left swing.
Frustration then began to show for AJ, with Franklin halting any momentum he gained by holding his opponent, and Joshua struggled to create an opening to land a strong overhand right to follow up his consistent jabs.
Both fighters had big shots in the latter rounds, with Franklin surely aware he needed a knockout to clinch victory.
But that hit never came for the American and the scores ringside reflected a routine, albeit uninspiring, win for Joshua.
Scorecards: 118-111, 117-111, 117-111
Brad Binder won MotoGP's sprint race in Argentina after a stunning ride saw him surge from 15th on the grid.
The South African beat Marco Bezzecchi by just 0.072 seconds, with his Mooney VR46 team-mate Luca Marini coming in third to clinch a double podium for the team.
Binder enjoyed a meteoric rise through the pack on the opening lap, leaping from his lowly start position to fourth and taking the lead on lap three en route to victory.
Prior to the sprint, Marquez secured pole after a dramatic day for the Spaniard in Q1 saw him go top, crash out and abandon his number one bike as it caught fire.
The younger Marquez brother rallied in Q2 after gambling on slick tyres in wet conditions to seal a maiden pole and his spot at the front of the pack for Sunday's race, following in his brother's footsteps after his pole in the season opener.
Bezzecchi, who starts second, smashed the top time by two seconds but Marquez pipped him to pole, while a late charge from Francesco Bagnaia saw him bump Franco Morbidelli out of the top three.
Binder's victory in the sprint caused quite a stir, with the man himself among those surprised by his performance.
"I didn't expect that at all, honestly my bike worked so well from the first lap and I got the most unreal start I could have ever asked for," he told reporters.
"I got really lucky [at the start] where there was a gap where the riders split, some were on the left and some were right so I could get down the middle and just chip my way through.
"I couldn't have ever dreamed of getting a start that good, so when I saw an opportunity of getting to first I took it with both hands and from then on it was a case of whoever passed me try and divebomb them straight back.
"We made a huge step from [Friday] and I was able to keep rhythm at my fastest lap from [Friday], so hats off to the team. They did an unreal job.
"My rhythm wasn't terrible, and even though the other guys had a bit extra at the end we won the race so I can't complain and I'm really happy."
GRID CLASSIFICATION
1. Alex Marquez (Gresini) 1:43.881
2. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46) +0.172
3. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) +0.858
4. Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha) +2.101
5. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) +2.355
6. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) +2.582
7. Luca Marini (Mooney VR46) +2.707
8. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) +2.754
9. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) +2.997
10. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) +3.241
SPRINT RESULT
1. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) 19:56:873
2. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46) +0.072
3. Luca Marini (Mooney VR46) +0.877
4. Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha) +2.354
5. Alex Marquez (Gresini) +2.462
6. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) +2.537
7. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) +2.643
8. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) +3.754
9. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) +4.856
10. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM) +5.143
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) 41
2. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) 28
3. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46) 25
4. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) 22
5. Alex Marquez (Gresini) 17
6. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) 15
7. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM) 15
8. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) 11
9. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) 11
10. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) 9
Elena Rybakina's superb run in the United States was ended by Petra Kvitova, who won 7-6 (16-14) 6-2 to clinch the Miami Open title.
Two-time grand slam champion Kvitova, 33, became the second-oldest Miami champion, denying young gun Rybakina a Sunshine Double in the process.
Rybakina, fresh from her triumph at the Indian Wells Open, has been in stunning form but could not find her groove on Saturday.
After clinching the first set following a marathon tie-break, Kvitova took momentum into the second, cruising into a 5-2 lead before sealing the win with a break – Rybakina sending a forehand long.
Kvitova equalled Simona Halep as the players with the third-most WTA 1000 titles (nine), with only Serena Williams (13) and Victoria Azarenka (10) having won more since 2009.
"It feels unbelievable. I'm 33, and it's my 30th title, so I'm very happy," Kvitova told Amazon Prime Sport.
"I didn't think, that was the key. Elena didn't lose a tie-break [this season]. I thought, well, she has to lose at some time. I had to be a bit more aggressive, it was a bit of a struggle. I was a bit nervous, yes.
"I would have laughed [if someone told me I was going to win] but it feels great for sure. Nobody expected this, not me, not my team. I'm happy I'm injury free and, oh my God, I made it."
Kvitova is the second woman to win the singles title in Miami after turning 33, following Serena Williams in 2015.
Indeed, only Serena Williams (68), Justine Henin (42), Venus Williams (40), Kim Clijsters (40) and Maria Sharapova (36) have more WTA singles title to their name in the 21st century than the Czech.
Rybakina, meanwhile, will lament the chance of a Sunshine Double going begging.
The 23-year-old is the fourth player to fail to win the Sunshine Double in Miami's final after Serena Williams (1999), Lindsay Davenport (2000) and Sharapova (2006 and 2013).
"I want to congratulate Petra for a great two weeks here in Miami, and good luck for the rest of the year," said Rybakina. "Thank you to my team, we'll keep going."
Gregg Popovich is among those to have been entered into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, it was announced on Saturday.
The San Antonio Spurs coach has won five NBA titles and more games than anyone else in the history of the league, with 1,363 regular season victories and a further 170 in the postseason.
Headliners joining Popovich in the class of 2023 are Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade, as well as two players who played under 'Pop' in San Antonio, Tony Parker and Pau Gasol, and his former assistant and San Antonio Stars player Becky Hammon.
Popovich is coming towards the end of his 27th season with the Spurs, sitting in 14th place in the Western Conference with a record of 19-58.
In better days though, Parker won four championships with Pop at the Spurs, while Gasol makes it more for his success with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won two titles.
Dallas Mavericks legend Nowitzki won the 2011 championship and is sixth in the NBA's all-time scoring list, while 13-time All Star Wade won three titles during his 13 years with the Miami Heat.
Hammon – a six-time WNBA All Star – worked under Popovich in San Antonio between 2014 and 2022 before becoming head coach of the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA.
All-Star infielder Jake Cronenworth has agreed to a seven-year extension worth $80million with the San Diego Padres, according to multiple reports.
Cronenworth's new contract is scheduled to begin in 2024 and serves as a reward for his impressive consistency for the Padres.
According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the deal buys out five free agent seasons and marks the biggest ever for a 29-year-old with under four years of service in the majors.
Cronenworth did not make his MLB debut until 26 but has emerged as a key contributor for San Diego.
Last season, he had a batting average of .239, an on-base percentage of .332 and a slugging percentage of .390, hitting 17 home runs and 88 RBI as he was named to the NL All-Star team for the second successive campaign.
The Padres have made an 0-2 start to the season following successive defeats to the Colorado Rockies.
Lewis Hamilton suspects Mercedes' sensational Saturday in Melbourne may not be achievable at other tracks and is still unsure if he and George Russell can fight to win the Australian Grand Prix.
Mercedes drivers and officials had been pessimistic in their forecasts for the season prior to qualifying in this week's third race.
But Russell secured a place on the front row alongside Max Verstappen, with Hamilton qualifying third-fastest to put the Silver Arrows in a great position to attack Red Bull's world champion.
"I'm a little bit surprised; maybe they are also a little bit surprised," Verstappen said in Saturday's press conference. "But I guess it's a good thing."
It is certainly a good thing for Mercedes, although Hamilton is not convinced this means all their issues have gone away.
"I think it's perhaps track-specific," he said, "but I think ultimately there's no one in the team that's had their heads down, in terms of giving up.
"Everyone's been working incredibly hard to try to squeeze the most out of what we currently have."
Verstappen had not previously qualified on pole in Melbourne, where he is still waiting for his first win.
Hamilton has a joint-record eight poles at this event, winning twice, and added: "I think this gives everyone in the team a boost and a glimpse of hope and this will spur everyone on and will inspire everyone to continue to push.
"We know that if we can just bring a little bit of performance, we can close the gap to the front. Still, there are going to be places where the gap is a lot bigger."
Russell did not entirely concur, countering: "For sure, we maximised the job, no doubt about it, but we had a good qualifying last week in Jeddah.
"I didn't put my lap together in the last run in Jeddah and was only a tenth off P3.
"So no, I don't think it's necessarily track-specific. I do think we're making some improvement with the understanding of the car."
But Hamilton and Russell were in agreement that Red Bull, even with Sergio Perez encountering issues and failing to make it out of Q1, remain the team to beat.
Russell said: "I do still think Red Bull are a class ahead of everybody else.
"For sure Lewis and I got the most out of it today, [but] by the sounds of what Max is saying, there was probably still a little bit more in the locker.
"And we're talking that three-tenths is a little bit – normally, they're a second ahead; now, they're three-tenths ahead – that's still a huge amount in the world of F1."
If only for this weekend, though, can Mercedes challenge Red Bull for the top step of the podium? Hamilton still does not know.
"I haven't even done a long run," he explained. "So tomorrow, going into the race, will be the first time I do so.
"And I've not seen where we tally up compared to them. We have to expect they're going to be a quarter of a second, half a second, at least, quicker than us.
"But maybe in the tow, maybe we can just about hold on; maybe the fact that there's two of us and only one Red Bull, maybe with strategy, maybe we can apply some pressure to them. So, we'll see."
Jalen Brunson stepped up in Julius Randle's absence on a career night as the New York Knicks fired a warning shot in beating the Cleveland Cavaliers ahead of the playoffs.
The Knicks are fifth in the Eastern Conference, with the Cavs in fourth. Barring an unlikely late turn of events, they will face each other in the first round this postseason.
Friday's win was a big one then for New York, a 130-116 victory in Cleveland renewing optimism ahead of making that same trip again in the coming weeks.
All-Star Randle was back in New York, but he was scarcely missed as Brunson scored a career-high 48 points, including seven three-pointers.
"There is nothing that Jalen does that surprises you," said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau. "He's so mentally tough.
"He's nicked up a little bit, but he's a machine. He just keeps going."
Randle sprained his ankle this week and will miss the rest of the regular season, although he will be evaluated again ahead of the playoffs.
"He's done all he can to prepare himself to play in every game, which is a credit to him," Thibodeau said.
"He doesn't miss practice. He doesn't miss games. I'm actually surprised it doesn't happen more than it does."
With Randle potentially returning for the Knicks' far more consequential next game against the Cavs, Donovan Mitchell was eager to ensure Cleveland learn from their loss.
"This loss hurts," said Mitchell. "We need to feel it and be ready to use it when the time comes.
"Obviously, we control our destiny and we'll probably see these guys in two weeks.
"There is a lot of film to go through. But if we let this affect us, we have no chance in the playoffs."
The NBA and the NBPA have reached an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement, which is set to include a new in-season tournament.
The two parties announced a deal early on Saturday, although details of the CBA's contents were not officially released.
"The NBA and National Basketball Players Association have reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement, pending ratification by players and team governors," a statement read.
"Specific details will be made available once a term sheet is finalised."
ESPN reported the terms of a seven-year agreement that is set to come into place from next season.
The most notable addition is that of an in-season tournament, which would see eight teams advance to a single-elimination bracket ahead of a 'Final Four' at a neutral site.
Those games would count towards the regular season standings, meaning the two finalists would play 83 games.
The agreement is also reported to include changes to eligibility rules for end-of-season awards, requiring MVP candidates to appear in 65 games in order to qualify in a bid to curb load management.
Further tweaks relate to team spending and contracts, with the upper limit for player extensions set to increase.
Anthony Davis limped through a vital Los Angeles Lakers win at the Minnesota Timberwolves before assuring fans his ankle would "be fine" and "we're not finished".
The Lakers moved above .500 for the first time this season with a 123-111 victory at the T-Wolves, powered by 38 points and 17 rebounds from Davis.
That was despite the Lakers superstar turning his ankle in his first game back in Minnesota since sustaining a knee injury there in December 2021.
On that occasion, Davis missed more than a month; this time, he did not miss a possession.
"I knew I was going to play," he said after the game. "Tied the shoes up tighter and just kind of played off adrenaline until the end of the game and was able to get some treatment. But I'll be fine."
The Lakers could not have afforded to be without him, with coach Darvin Ham emphasising the big man's importance to their team.
"Everyone knows that in order for us to be at the highest level and playing at the highest level, it all starts with AD," he said.
"We have a team that can make some things happen, but you have to have that one pivotal force that's leading the charge, and in our case, with this particular team here in the moment, it's AD.
"When he comes out and he's aggressive and we're feeding him and he's not settling and he's putting pressure on the paint, putting pressure on the rim, we find ourselves having a lot of success."
LeBron James added of his team-mate: "I think he understood the assignment and knew how important this game was, and I think we all knew that.
"We jumped on AD's back and he brought us home."
As T-Wolves coach Chris Finch put it: "He kicked our a** in every way possible."
The Lakers are up to seventh in the West, but an intense playoff race is not done – and nor are they.
"We've made some huge climbs, but we're not finished," Davis said. "We want to get greedy."
Max Verstappen ended his wait for pole position at the Australian Grand Prix, but Mercedes came out of Saturday with their optimism renewed in Melbourne.
While reigning Formula One champion and season leader Max Verstappen remains the man to beat, he is without Red Bull team-mate in support at the front of the grid this weekend.
Instead, George Russell joined Verstappen on the front row, with Lewis Hamilton qualifying third-fastest in a qualifying session the pair acknowledged was "unexpected".
It could have been even better for Mercedes, with Hamilton setting an initial provisional pole in a hotly contested Q3.
Just 0.301 seconds separated the top seven at one stage, before a dominant Verstappen performance took him 0.236s clear.
"The last run was very good," he said, acknowledging a "very tough" weekend.
After finally securing pole in Melbourne, his next aim is a first Australia GP win.
Verstappen added: "I've been on the podium once, but I want to be on a different step this time."
Yet Mercedes intend to have something to say about that, even if merely getting this close to Verstappen was far beyond their expectations.
"We weren't expecting that, that's for sure," said Russell. "There's a lot of hard work going on back at the factory here in Melbourne, and what a session for us. The car felt alive.
"The lap at the end was right on the limit, and to be honest, I was a little bit disappointed we didn't get pole position.
"It's one of those things, how your expectations change so quickly in this sport. We probably would have been happy with top four, top five yesterday, but the car felt awesome.
"It goes to show we've definitely got potential still to come."
Hamilton suggested this week it would take "the rest of the year to potentially close that gap" to Red Bull, yet the Silver Arrows are suddenly back in contention.
"I'm so happy with this. This is totally unexpected," Hamilton said. "I'm really, really proud of the team.
"George did a fantastic job today, so for us to be up there on the two front rows is a dream for us.
"We're all working as hard as we can to get right back up the front, so to be this close to Red Bull is honestly incredible. I hope tomorrow we can give them a bit of a run for their money."
Absent from the Q3 battle was Perez, who is on a career-best run of three straight podiums and had talked up his title aspirations this week.
But he endured problems right from the outset on Saturday, delayed in his start to FP3 and then running into trouble at Turn 3.
Perez locked up again at the same corner early in Q1 and ended in the gravel, his session over as he bemoaned "the same issue again" over the team radio.
McLaren's home favourite Oscar Piastri, making his Australian GP debut, fared little better, out in Q1.
A strong start to the season for Fernando Alonso continued as the veteran qualified fourth, ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz.
PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. George Russell (Mercedes)
3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
4. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
6. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
8. Alexander Albon (Williams)
9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
Anthony Joshua weighed in at a career-heavy 18st 3lb for Saturday's bout against Jermaine Franklin, which Eddie Hearn suggested was a sign he had "bad intentions for this fight".
Heavier than at his previous top weight of 18st 2lb for his 2017 clash with Carlos Takam, Hearn anticipates an "explosive knockout" from Joshua at O2 Arena.
By contrast, Franklin has lost 23lb since facing Dillian Whyte, weighing in at 16st 7lb to seemingly give Joshua a clear advantage in terms of power, if not mobility.
"There's always an over-analysis with his weight, but clearly he's come in with bad intentions for this fight," said promoter Hearn.
"In some fights, where you need speed and agility, he comes in lighter. But I think you're going to get an explosive knockout."
Joshua is backing himself for the same, adding: "I know I've got the possibility of doing it, but there's a process to get there. I just follow the process."
Franklin claimed to have "a chin of steel", but that is set to be put to the test by the focused Briton, who has vowed to retire if he loses.
"I've got my gameplan, got my mind right, and I'm ready to go for war," Joshua said.
World Series hero Yordan Alvarez came to the Houston Astros' rescue again on Friday with a bases-clearing double to ignite a 6-3 comeback win against the Chicago White Sox.
Alvarez, who hit the go-ahead home run in the clinching Game 6 of the World Series in November, was 0-2 with a walk when he stepped up to the plate in the seventh inning with two outs and the bases loaded.
He got on a hanging sinker and drove it to deep left-centre, cannoning off the wall for a three-run double to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 lead.
It comes after Alvarez connected on an Opening Day home run in Thursday's loss, as he continues to make his case as arguably the best left-handed hitter in the sport.
While Alvarez got the Astros over the line, it was Kyle Tucker initially sparking the comeback, finally getting Houston on the board with a two-run homer in the sixth inning.
White Sox third-baseman Yoan Moncada was the only player to record three hits in the game – including a ground-rule double to bring in Chicago's third run – but the road team could not get anything going after Astros starter Cristian Javier was taken out of the game.
The Astros bullpen – with an inning each from Phil Maton, Seth Martinez, Bryan Abreu and Rafael Montero – combined for four scoreless frames, with five strikeouts, three hits and no walks.
Soler, Chisholm and Luzardo get the Marlins back on track
After dropping their home opener with reigning Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara on the mound, the Miami Marlins rode a strong start from Jesus Luzardo to a 2-1 triumph against the New York Mets.
Luzardo pitched five-and-two-thirds innings of scoreless action, striking out five while walking four and allowing just two hits.
He was given an early lead to work with after Jorge Soler's second-inning solo home run, and rising star Jazz Chisholm Jr doubled the advantage with another solo shot in the eighth.
New York's top hitter Pete Alonso made it a contest again with his first home run of the year off Marlins closer A.J. Puk in the ninth, but Puk was able to finish off the save.
Padres fall to surprise 0-2 start
The Colorado Rockies have handed the San Diego Padres a rocky start to their season after sealing at least a road series split with a 4-1 victory.
The Rockies came into San Diego and upset the Padres on Opening Day with a 7-2 result, and despite being one of the World Series favourites, the home side's offense failed to fire yet again in a poor display.
Kim Ha-seong finished with three of the Padres' five total hits, while Yonathan Daza, Elehuris Montero and Charlie Blackmon all collected multiple hits for the Rockies, highlighted by Blackmon's two-run homer in the fifth inning.
The Padres will hope to right the ship in the third of their four-game series on Saturday.
The Los Angeles Lakers collected their fifth win from their past six games as they defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 123-111 away from home on Friday.
Lakers center Anthony Davis was the star of the show, piling up a game-high 38 points on 15-of-26 shooting while adding a game-high 17 rebounds and an equal team-high two blocks.
Superstar running-mate LeBron James was not as his offensive best, shooting seven-of-19 from the field, but he found a way to contribute with 10 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal to go with his 18 points.
The Timberwolves actually led by 10 at half-time, but the Lakers came out of the break and produced a 35-18 third period to snatch control of the contest.
An Anthony Edwards three-pointer early in the fourth period cut the Lakers' lead to nine, but from that point Davis would score 15 of Los Angeles' next 17 points, taking over when his team needed him most.
It was a disappointing performance from Edwards, finishing four-of-16 from the field for 11 points. Karl-Anthony Towns was strong with 23 points (eight-of-18), and Mike Conley led the Wolves with 25 (seven-of-11) and seven assists.
It was a costly loss for Minnesota, as they could have begun threatening the sixth-seeded Warriors with a win, but instead dropped down to ninth at 39-39.
The Lakers (39-38) jumped two spots up to seventh, and are just 1.5 games behind Golden State (41-37).
Brunson outduels Mitchell in Cleveland
Jalen Brunson put together one of the best games of his career as he carried the New York Knicks to a 130-116 victory on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Brunson set a new career-high with 48 points on 18-of-32 shooting, and he also dished nine assists. It is the fourth time this season he has scored at least 40 points after never scoring more than 34 during his four years in Dallas.
Donovan Mitchell was determined to match Brunson every step of the way, dropping 23 points in the first quarter on his way to 42 (16-of-23) for the game, but Cleveland fell away in a disappointing 25-14 fourth period.
Barring any major losing streak from either of these teams the rest of the regular season, Cleveland will host New York as the Eastern Conference's four-five first-round playoff matchup.
Banchero bullies the Wizards
Number one draft pick Paolo Banchero showed why he is the future of the Orlando Magic after a dominant display in a 116-109 road win over the Washington Wizards.
Banchero, the runaway Rookie of the Year favourite, scored a game-high 30 points, blocked a game-high three shots and snatched down a team-high 12 rebounds, while also leading the Magic with six assists.
Fellow number one pick Markelle Fultz was similarly impressive, shooting 11-of-15 from the field for his 25 points, six rebounds and four assists, while 21-year-old talent Franz Wagner chipped in 20 points (eight-of-14).
Jannik Sinner is through to the Miami Open decider after eliminating world number one Carlos Alcaraz 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-2 in Friday's semi-final.
Sinner, 21, has enjoyed a terrific start to 2023. Since the beginning of the Australian Open, the Italian has only lost three matches – to Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev and Alcaraz.
He avenged his defeat to Tsitsipas with a straight sets win at the Rotterdam Open, and he has now got one back on Alcaraz after their three-hour war of attrition.
Both players created exactly 12 break point opportunities, and Sinner's 26 unforced errors were only one less than Alcaraz's 27, but the Spanish 19-year-old committed an uncharacteristic nine double faults. The loss snapped Alcaraz's 10-match winning streak.
The victory gives Sinner his second appearance in the Miami Open final after losing the 2021 edition to Hubert Hurkacz, and he now joins Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic as the only players to ever reach the final here twice before turning 22.
Sinner will get a chance to avenge his only other loss this year in the final after Daniil Medvedev booked his spot with a 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 6-3 victory over Russian compatriot Karen Khachanov.
Incredibly, Khachanov lost despite hitting 53 winners and only 11 unforced errors, and he ended up edging the total point count 93-88, but he could only convert two of his six break point opportunities, while Medvedev converted two out of four.
The win means Medvedev is the first player since Roger Federer in 2019 to reach the final of both the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open in the same season, and he is the first since Federer in 2006 to reach five ATP finals before the clay court season begins.
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