Luka Doncic was in "magic mode" after his starring role helped the Dallas Mavericks to their first NBA Finals since 2011, coach Jason Kidd said.
The Mavs and the Boston Celtics will battle it out for this season's NBA championship after Dallas wrapped up a 4-1 Western Conference finals series victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
A 124-103 win did the trick at Target Center on Thursday, with Doncic and Kyrie Irving leading the way for the Mavs with 36 points apiece.
Doncic was quick out of the blocks, scoring 20 of his points during the first half on the way to notching up his highest-scoring contributions of the postseason, with his performances earning the Western Conference finals MVP award.
"It was Luka magic mode," Kidd said. "He set the tone, and then he made it easier for everyone else. Everybody else stepped up."
"You're just watching a special performance take place," Irving added. "When Luka starts off a game like that, we're a tough team to beat."
Indeed, they are. The Mavs are 7-2 on the road during the playoffs - winning the last five - matching the franchise record for such victories during a single postseason, set in their title-winning campaign of 2010-11.
A EuroBasket champion with Slovenia and EuroLeague winner during his final season with Real Madrid, Doncic is now gearing up for his first crack at an NBA title, with the Finals series commencing on June 6.
And he insists his team-mates cannot afford to rest on their laurels.
"It was a very hard road, very hard," Doncic said. "But we're not done. We have four more [victories to achieve]."
Luka Doncic was in "magic mode" after his starring role helped the Dallas Mavericks to their first NBA finals since 2011, coach Jason Kidd said.
The Mavs and the Boston Celtics will contest this season's NBA championship after wrapping up a 4-1 Western Conference series victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
A 124-103 win did the trick at Target Center, where Donic and Kyrie Irving led the way for Dallas with 36 points apiece.
Doncic was quick out of the blocks, scoring 20 of his points during the first half on the way to notching up his highest-scoring contributions of the postseason, with his performances earning the Western Conference finals MVP award.
"It was Luka magic mode," Kidd said. "He set the tone, and then he made it easier for everyone else. Everybody else stepped up."
"You're just watching a special performance take place," Irving added. "When Luka starts off a game like that, we're a tough team to beat."
Indeed, they are. The Mavs are 7-2 on the road during the playoffs - winning the last five - matching the franchise record for such victories during a single postseason, set in their title-winning campaign of 2010-11.
A EuroBasket champion with Slovenia and EuroLeague winner during his final season with Real Madrid, Doncic is now gearing up for his first crack at an NBA title, with the Finals series commencing on June 6.
And he insists his team-mates cannot afford to rest on their laurels.
"It was a very hard road, very hard," Doncic said "But we're not done. We have four more [victories to achieve]."
Novak Djokovic hailed Rafael Nadal as his greatest-ever rival after coasting into round three of the French Open on Thursday.
The world number one had little trouble in overcoming Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3 6-1 6-2 in a little over two hours on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Speaking at a news conference after his victory, Djokovic was asked about his long-term foe Nadal, who has possibly played his final tournament at Roland Garros.
Nadal, dubbed the 'King of Clay', was unseeded for the tournament due to a long injury lay-off and was beaten by Alexander Zverev in the first round.
But Nadal's legacy will be forever entrenched in Paris having won the tournament 14 times, including beating Djokovic in three finals in one of tennis' best match-ups.
"He has been the greatest rival that I ever had," said Djokovic, who leads their head-to-head record 30-29.
"Matches against him on clay have frustrated me so much in my career, but they also made me a better player, made me understand what it takes to try to surpass him; try to win at least once or twice at Roland Garros.
"It's the highest mountain to climb for me to win Roland Garros, particularly because of Nadal, because I always have to win against him in order to get to the title. We had some really fantastic matches here."
Alongside Nadal and the great Roger Federer, Djokovic formed men's tennis' big three.
With Federer retired and Nadal in the swansong of his career, Djokovic - now 37 - concedes it is increasingly difficult to find the motivation to keep continuing at such a high level.
"It is becoming a little bit more challenging for me to push myself every single tournament to be really at the top," added Djokovic, who will face Lorenzo Musetti in round three in Paris.
"I did struggle with motivation on a constant basis to always have that motivation I've had for more than 20 years of professional tennis.
"I know the moment is going to arrive sooner or later when I'm just going to, you know, have off weeks, where I'm struggling to push myself or deliver what needs to be delivered.
"My commitment to practice hasn't gone down. I'm focused pretty much solely on Grand Slams and Olympics this year, and playing for my country."
Jack Flaherty took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and the Detroit Tigers hit three home runs in a 5-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night.
Flaherty held the Red Sox without a hit until Rob Refsnyder singled to left with one out in the seventh. The right-hander was replaced one out later after throwing 104 pitches. He walked one and struck out nine for the third straight start.
Alex Faedo pitched one inning and Tyler Holton got the final four outs to complete the two-hitter.
The game remained scoreless until Akil Baddoo homered with one out in the fifth off Nick Pivetta. Mark Canha had an RBI single in the sixth and the Tigers scored three more runs in the eighth on Riley Greene’s two-run homer and Gio Urshela’s solo shot.
Detroit (28-28) has won five of six to get back to .500, while Boston (28-29) lost for the fifth time in seven games to drop under the break-even mark.
After walking the leadoff batter, Pivetta tied Roger Clemens for the Red Sox record with eight consecutive strikeouts. His bid for nine straight was snapped on a groundball to second that led off the fourth inning.
Pivetta allowed two runs and three hits over 5 1/3 innings with two walks and nine strikeouts.
Brewers keep Counsell, Cubs reeling
Gary Sanchez’s two-run home run snapped an eighth-inning tie and the Milwaukee Brewers took three of four games from former manager Craig Counsell and the Chicago Cubs with a 6-4 victory.
The NL Central-leading Brewers have won five of seven games to drop the struggling Cubs into third place in the division.
Chicago (28-29) got home runs from Cody Bellinger, Seiya Suzuki and Christopher Morel but the Cubs lost their seventh in eight games to drop below .500 for the first time since the end of March.
Counsell, the winningest manager in Brewers history who left to take over the Cubs, was booed every time he left the dugout this series.
Sanchez’s shot off Tyson Miller put Milwaukee back in front for good after Morel’s home run – his team-leading 10th - in the top of the eighth forged a 4-4 tie.
Jeffers leads Twins past Royals
Ryan Jeffers hit a pair of home runs and Carlos Correa had a bases-clearing triple as the Minnesota Twins rallied from a four-run deficit for a 7-6 win over the Kansas City Royals.
Jeffers’ first homer of the game was a two-run shot in the fourth inning and cut Minnesota’s deficit to 4-2. He went deep again in the fifth to make it 4-3 and the Twins scored four times in the sixth on Correa’s three-run triple and Max Kepler’s RBI single.
The Twins won three of four in the series and are an American League-best 24-12 since a 7-13 start.
Vinnie Pasquantino and MJ Melendez homered for the Royals, who have dropped four of five following eight consecutive wins.
Luka Dončić scored 20 of his 36 points in the first quarter and Kyrie Irving also scored 36 as the Dallas Mavericks booked a trip to the NBA Finals with a 124-103 rout of the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night.
Dallas was never threatened in Game 5 as it built a 29-point halftime lead on 61 percent shooting and led by as many as 36 points in the third quarter.
The Mavericks will have a full week to rest before the NBA Finals begin in Boston on June 6 for the franchise’s first appearance since winning the title in 2011. The Celtics have been off since finishing a sweep of Indiana on Monday.
Irving improved to 15-1 in his career in closeout games in the playoffs.
Anthony Edwards scored 28 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 with 12 rebounds for the Wolves, who were unable to build on Tuesday’s Game 4 win in Dallas.
Doncic hit his first four shots and drained a 32-footer later in the first quarter. The Mavs closed on a 17-1 spurt, a run they pushed to 28-5 over a nine-minute stretch.
It was Doncic’s second 20-point quarter in his postseason career, following a 21-point fourth quarter in the Western Conference finals loss to Golden State in 2022.
Dallas got backup center Dereck Lively II back from a sprained neck that sidelined him the previous game. He had nine points and eight rebounds and Daniel Gafford added 11 points and nine boards.
Anton Lundell snapped a tie midway through the third period and Sam Bennett had a goal and an assist to give the Florida Panthers a 3-2 win over the New York Rangers and a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference final on Thursday night.
Gustav Forsling also scored for the Panthers, who can book a return trip to the Stanley Cup Final with a win at home in Game 6 on Saturday.
If a seventh game is necessary, it will be at Madison Square Garden on Monday.
The Panthers, who got 25 saves from Sergei Bobrovsky, lost to Vegas last year in the championship series.
Chris Kreider scored a short-handed goal and Alexis Lafreniere tallied in the final minute, but the Rangers couldn’t find the equaliser and lost their second straight.
New York is 3-5 in its last eight playoff games after opening with seven consecutive wins.
The go-ahead goal came after the Rangers lost the puck in the Florida end. Eetu Luostarien got the puck, found Lundell at the New York blue line. His shot from the right circle beat Igor Shesterkin, although it may have hit off the stick of Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider.
Bennett’s empty-net goal proved necessary when Lafreniere made it a one-goal game with 50 seconds left.
Casper Ruud survived a scare after being pushed all the way by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the French Open second round on Thursday.
The Norwegian prevailed 7-6 (7-5), 1-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in an instant classic that lasted just over four hours on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Ruud knew he was in for a tough match after winning the tiebreak in the first set, and Davidovich Fokina fought back in brilliant fashion to take the second.
The momentum swung back in Ruud’s favour in the third as he regained the lead in the match, but the Spaniard ensured they could not be separated as he forced a decider after another tight contest.
Despite putting up a good fight, Davidovich Fokina failed to see out what would have been a stunning win, as Ruud edged one step closer to a potential first Roland Garros title.
Next up for Ruud is Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the third round.
Data Debrief: Ruud holds his nerve
Ruud lost his first-ever Roland Garros second-round match (v Albert Ramos in 2018) but is unbeaten in his six matches at that stage of the French Open since.
The Norwegian has now reached the third round at Roland Garros six times in his career, which is more than he has in all other three Grand Slams combined (two at the Australian Open, two at the US Open, 0 at Wimbledon).
Jamaican Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight Randy Brown will get another chance to display his skills when he competes at UFC 302 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday.
The 33-year-old will take on Brazilian Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos in a three-round bout to open up the five-fight main card of the event to be headlined by a UFC Lightweight Championship main event between current champion Islam Makhachev (25-1) and former interim champion Dustin Poirier (30-8).
Makhachev is currently ranked as the number one pound-for-pound MMA fighter in the world.
Brown enters this fight with a record of 18-5 including wins in six of his last seven fights with his only loss coming by submission against Australian Jack Della Maddalena, currently the UFC’s fifth-ranked welterweight, at UFC 284 in Perth last February.
“Just being more deliberate,” was Brown’s response when asked what has led to his recent success at UFC 302 media day on Wednesday.
“Not really just throwing out different things at once. Having a better understanding of the tools that I have and being able be deliberate with those things instead of doing too much. Sometimes less is more,” he added.
His opponent Dos Santos is four years his elder and has more experience, coming in with a record of 24-7. His last three fights have earned him two wins and a draw.
Brown, while acknowledging the edge dos Santos has in experience, believes his style will be too much for the veteran.
“I think he’s good. He’s a crafty vet who’s been around a long time. He’s experienced, seen it all. I think our styles match up well and I think the fans are in for a treat,” he said.
“I’m expecting top form. Like I said, he’s been around and seen it all. Styles make fights and I think I have a great style to hinder his abilities and he has a great style to bring the best out of me. It’s a matter of who can go out there and initiate their game plan,” he added.
Aryna Sabalenka paid tribute to "great fighter" Paula Badosa and is relishing the opportunity to play her best friend on the WTA Tour in the French Open third round.
The pair have endured contrasting fortunes in their opening two matches at Roland-Garros this week.
Sabalenka has dropped just seven games on the way to straight-set victories over Erika Andreeva and Moyuka Uchijima, while Badosa has come from behind to beat Katie Boulter and Yulia Putintseva.
The reigning Australian Open champion - fresh from reaching successive clay-court finals in Madrid and Rome - cannot wait to face the Spaniard, but acknowledged their friendship will be put aside when they collide.
"She's my favourite," Sabalenka said. "I love her so much. I love to see her play, and she's really a great fighter, so it's always great matches.
"It's always tough to play your friend, really your best friend on tour, but we know how to manage that. We know how to separate court and life. So, it's always a great battle, a great fight against her. I always enjoy playing against her."
Sabalenka has won each of the last four meetings between the players, though the most recent in Stuttgart earlier this year ended prematurely with an emotional Badosa forced to retire injured.
The former world number two has endured a seemingly endless battle with injuries in recent times, with a back problem forcing her to miss the second half of last season and seeing her drop out of the WTA's top 100.
"She has a big personality," Badosa said of her opponent. "She always brings this good energy, even on court. She's a very active, very intense player.
"I'm really looking forward to that match. I think the last time [in Stuttgart], it finished in a sad way. I learned a lot from that match. I think it was a very good one from both sides.
"Sharing the court with her - after all these results she's getting - is a pleasure for me, because this past year hasn't been easy. Playing this kind of match makes it all worth it."
Marketa Vondrousova and Madison Keys were both pushed hard but advanced to the fourth round of the French Open on Thursday.
Vondrousova's topsy-turvy match against Katie Volynets started on Wednesday before concluding on Thursday, with the number five seed coming out on top 0-6, 6-1, 6-4.
The American started strongly, storming through the first set, but Vondrousova recovered well to take a commanding 4-1 lead before rain washed out the rest of the game.
Vondrousova picked up where she left off upon resumption on Thursday and won one game before another delay due to rain, but eventually saw out the win.
Keys, meanwhile, won in straight sets against Mayar Sherif, holding out for a 6-0 7-6 (9-7) victory.
The American cruised through the first game, enjoying three breaks, but a stern fightback from Sherif almost caused some problems.
Keys held her nerve though, avoiding a decider by saving three set points to prevail on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Vondrousova will face Chloe Paquet in the next round, while Keys will play either Sara Errani or Emma Navaro.
Data Debrief: Vondrousova marches forward
The Roland Garros is the tournament where Vondrousova has won the joint-most career matches (13, equalling Indian Wells).
She is also unbeaten against opponents ranked above 100 in the WTA since the start of 2023, going 10-0 against such competitors.
Novak Djokovic eased through to the French Open third round following another straight-sets victory over Roberto Carballes Baena at Roland-Garros.
The reigning champion, who is seeking a record-breaking 25th grand slam singles title, took just over two hours to wrap up a 6-4 6-1 6-2 win and set up a showdown with either Gael Monfils or Lorenzo Musetti in round three.
Not since the 2017 Australian Open has Djokovic failed to progress beyond the second round at a major.
It looked like the Serb would be in for a tough battle as Carballes Baena broke in the opening game, though he did respond immediately before the first set appeared finely poised at 4-4 and deuce.
Djokovic subsequently drew first blood, and it was very much one-way traffic thereon.
Indeed, from 4-4 in that first set, the world number one won 14 of the next 17 games to sail into the last 32.
Data Debrief: Djokovic surpasses Nadal at Roland-Garros
The undisputed 'King of Clay', Nadal's record of 14 French Open titles looks highly unlikely to be under any severe threat in the near future.
However, Djokovic has surpassed the Spaniard by reaching round three at Roland-Garros for a 19th time in his 20 appearances - the most appearances by any player during the Open Era.
The Serb also notched up his 94th match win at the French Open. That is his joint-most at a single ATP event in his career, matching is tally at the Australian Open, where he is a 10-time champion.
Jaylen Waddle has become the latest star wide receiver to receive a big new contract this offseason, as the Miami Dolphins standout has agreed to a three-year, $84.75 million extension according to multiple reports.
NFL.com reported Thursday that Waddle will receive a minimum of $76 million on his new deal, which begins in 2026 and will run through the 2028 season. That amount is the third-largest sum of guaranteed money to a wide receiver in league history, trailing only Philadelphia Eagles star A.J. Brown's $84 million and Detroit Lions playmaker Amon-Ra St. Brown's $77 million.
The $28.25 average annual value of Waddle's extension is the fourth-highest among wide receivers behind Brown ($32 million), St. Brown and Dolphins teammate Tyreek Hill (both $30 million).
Both Brown and St. Brown signed their extensions this offseason as well. Three other receivers, Philadephia's DeVonta Smith ($75 million), Nico Collins of the Houston Texans ($72.75 million) and Michael Pittman Jr. of the Indianapolis Colts ($70 million), recently agreed to new three-year deals.
Taken by Miami with the sixth overall pick in the 2021 draft, Waddle is one of only five players in NFL history to begin his career with three consecutive seasons with at least 70 catches and 1,000 receiving yards. That list includes another current Dolphins player in Odell Beckham Jr., who did so with the New York Giants from 2014-16, as well as Michael Thomas (four straight from 2016-19), Justin Jefferson (2020-22) and Ja'Marr Chase (2021-23).
Waddle set an NFL rookie record with 104 receptions in 2021, a mark that was surpassed this past season by the Los Angeles' Rams Puka Nacua (105). In 47 career regular-season games, the 25-year-old has compiled 251 catches for 3,385 yards and 18 touchdowns.
The former University of Alabama star was a key part of a Miami offence that led the NFL with 4,514 net passing yards in 2023, with Waddle contributing 1,014 yards and four touchdowns on 72 receptions in 14 games.
Waddle has two seasons remaining on his rookie contract after the Dolphins exercised his fifth-year option in April.
French Open spectators will no longer be able to consume alcohol from the stands, tournament director Amelie Mauresmo has revealed.
The move has been made in a bid to end unruly behaviour within the crowd following a couple of incidents at Roland-Garros this week.
Reigning women's champion Iga Swiatek pleaded for supporters to keep quiet during points after her second-round victory over Naomi Osaka, while David Goffin had chewing gum spat at him in his win over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
While alcohol will still be available on the concourses, Mauresmo says there will be tougher security measures in place to identify offenders, while umpires are encouraged to be stricter when calling for respect "to the players and to the game".
"First of all, we are happy people are very enthusiastic about watching tennis and being part of the matches, showing feeling and emotions," the tournament director said.
"But there are definitely steps which shouldn't go further. A few things have needed to be put in place. Alcohol has been allowed up until now in the stands - but that's over."
"Overstepping these two things is not something we will tolerate. If people want to show emotion, that's great and see how it happens. I'm an optimist and I think people will react in a good way. If not, we will take more measures."
Alexander Zverev cruised through to the third round of the French Open with a straight-sets victory over David Goffin on Thursday.
The fourth seed followed up his impressive win over 14-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal in the last round by beating Goffin 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, 6-2 after two hours and 22 minutes on the court.
Zverev was pushed all the way in the opening set before eventually edging it, and his intensity and power carried him through the rest of the match.
Despite making five unforced errors in the second set, the German remained in control and did not face a single break point in the third to advance.
He will play either Tallon Griekspoor or Luciano Darderi in the next round as he continues to chase his first major title.
Data Debrief: Zverev continues dominance on clay
Zverev has won eight consecutive matches on clay for the first time since 2019, when he won eight between Geneva and Roland Garros.
This was a significant victory, too, as it is his 90th in Grand Slam events - only Boris Becker and Tommy Haas have more among German players in men's singles.
Elina Svitolina and Elena Rybakina remain on course for a French Open fourth-round showdown, after the pair enjoyed straight-sets victories in round two.
Rybakina was a 6-3 6-4 winner over Arantxa Rus in 67 minutes, while Svitolina battled past local favourite Diane Parry 6-4 7-6 (7-3) in just under two hours at Roland-Garros.
Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina is still yet to drop a set at this season's clay-court major.
Her opponent was seeking another scalp at the French Open, having stunned second seed Kim Clijsters at this stage back in 2011.
However, despite a spirited display, there was to be no such fairytale for the 33-year-old Dutchwoman 13 years on, with Rybakina hitting 28 winners to 20 unforced errors on the way to victory.
The Kazakhstani is back in round three for a third straight year, though she was forced to withdraw injured before her last-32 clash with Sara Sorribes Tormo 12 months ago.
Meanwhile, Svitolina faced another tough battle, having been forced to come from behind to beat former world number one Karolina Pliskova in the opening round.
Runner-up to Coco Gauff in Auckland at the start of the year, the Ukrainian has not progressed beyond the last 16 of any event since, but just had too much for Parry on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Data Debrief: Svitolina matches Sharapova and Stosur
A four-time quarter-finalist at Roland-Garros, Svitolina is through to round three for a ninth successive appearance.
The 15th seed is the first player to do that since Maria Sharapova (13 from 2004) and Sam Stosur (10 from 2009) in 2018.
Aryna Sabalenka swept through to the third round of the French Open with a straight-sets victory over qualifier Moyuka Uchijima on Thursday.
It only took 62 minutes for Sabalenka to secure a 6-2 6-2 win, with the second seed not being broken throughout the contest.
Rival Iga Swiatek had to come through a bruising battle against Naomi Osaka to reach the last 32 a day earlier, but there were no such complications for dominant Sabalenka against a Japanese opponent as she raced to victory.
She broke Uchijima twice in each set and racked up 27 winners in the match, coming out on top in 11 of her 14 points at the net.
The match was level at 2-2 until Sabalenka won four straight games to clinch the first set, not offering up a single break-point opportunity to Uchijima in the opener. She then had few issues closing it out in the second.
Data Debrief: Swiatek and Sabalenka set the standard
Sabalenka (60 wins) has now become only the second player to achieve 60 or more women's singles match wins at grand slam events since the start of the 2020 season, only trailing Swiatek, who has 67.
This win means she has made it to the third round at Roland Garros for five straight editions. Sabalenka is hoping to better her semi-final berth from last season, having made the final at the WTA 1000 events in Madrid and Rome – losing to Swiatek each time – ahead of her campaign in Paris.
Sabalenka will next face former world number two Paula Badosa in a marquee third-round clash. The Spanish player progressed after battling back from a set down to defeat Yulia Putintseva 4-6 6-1 7-5.
Daniil Medvedev advanced to the French Open third round after Miomir Kecmanovic was forced to retire injured in their round-two clash at Roland-Garros.
The former US Open champion prevailed in just 55 minutes at 6-1 5-0 ahead on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, when his opponent was unable to continue.
Medvedev has never progressed beyond the quarter-finals of the clay-court major, reaching the last eight in 2021, but has plenty of energy still in reserve after his premature win.
A runner-up at the Australian Open and Indian Wells this season, the fifth seed was in dominant form throughout the contest, and will play either Mariano Navone or Tomas Machac in round three.
Data Debrief: Medvedev continues to make strides on clay
Medvedev has now won 36 career ATP matches on clay, with 50 per cent of those coming since the start of the 2023 season (18).
The fifth seed won 23 of his 27 points on first serve (85 per cent), while converting five of nine break points, and hitting 26 winners to just six unforced errors.
Rookie Luis Gil pitched two-hit ball over eight masterful innings to win his sixth straight start and Alex Verdugo homered as the New York Yankees held on for a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night.
In the longest of his 18 major league starts, Gil gave up Luis Rengifo’s single in the third and Logan O’Hoppe’s home run in the seventh. He walked two and struck out nine to improve to 7-1 with a 1.99 ERA in 11 starts this season.
New York’s starters have gone at least five innings and allowed two runs or fewer in an MLB-record 16 straight games. That group has allowed only 11 earned runs in 99 innings for a 1.00 ERA during that stretch.
Clay Holmes gave up a leadoff single to Rengifo in the ninth and walked Taylor Ward but got Willie Calhoun to hit into a double play and retired O’Hoppe on a game-ending groundout to third for his 16th save.
Anthony Volpe extended his hitting streak to 21 games with two hits, matching the longest run in the majors this season.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone was ejected for arguing an interference call in the first inning.
Royals’ Lugo first in AL to 9 wins
Seth Lugo pitched six strong innings to become the American League’s first nine-game winner and Nelson Velazquez homered twice as the Kansas City Royals topped the Minnesota Twins 6-1 to end a three-game losing streak.
Lugo allowed one run on six hits with three walks and five strikeouts to win his fourth straight start and sixth consecutive decision.
He joined Philadelphia’s Ranger Suarez as only nine-game winners in the majors and surpassed his previous career high of eight wins set last season with San Diego.
Lugo’s ERA dropped to an MLB-best 1.72, the lowest by a Royals pitcher through 12 starts in team history.
Salvador Perez also homered for Kansas City, which had lost three in a row after winning eight straight.
Velazquez’s first home run came in a four-run third, and he went deep again in the fifth after Perez homered earlier in the inning.
Willi Castro had three of Minnesota’s seven hits as the Twins lost for the second time in eight games.
Seager homers again to lift Rangers
Corey Seager continued his power surge with his eighth home run in eight games and Dane Dunning pitched five scoreless innings as the Texas Rangers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks, 6-1 to sweep a two-game rematch of last year’s World Series.
Seager’s two-run shot off starter Ryne Nelson in the fifth inning extended the Rangers’ lead to 4-0.
Seager has 13 home runs this season and four in the past three games. He went deep twice in a series finale victory at Minnesota on Sunday, which ended Texas’ season-high six-game skid, and is batting .357 (10 for 28) with eight home runs and 13 RBIs over his last eight contests.
He is the fifth player in franchise history with at least eight home runs in an eight-game span, joining Jose Canseco, Rafael Palmeiro, Josh Hamilton and Joey Gallo.
Reigning World Series champion Texas has won three in a row after losing five consecutive series.
Dunning allowed three hits and walked four with six strikeouts in his second start back from a stint on the injured list with a right rotator cuff strain.
Mattias Janmark scored a short-handed goal in the second period to snap a tie and Leon Draisaitl tallied 51 seconds later as the Edmonton Oilers rallied for a 5-2 victory over the Dallas Stars to even the Western Conference final at two games apiece on Wednesday night.
Ryan McLeod and Evan Bouchard had first-period goals and Connor McDavid set up three scores for the Oilers, who trailed 2-0 less than six minutes into the game.
The series shifts back to Dallas for Game 5 on Friday night.
Stuart Skinner bounced back from consecutive losses with 20 saves.
Wyatt Johnston staked the Stars to a lead just 58 seconds into the game and Esa Lindell made it 2-0 at 5:29 of the opening period.
Dallas had a power play with eight minutes left in regulation and a chance to make it a one-goal game, but Edmonton killed its 23rd straight penalty before Mattias Ekholm’s empty-netter sealed the win.
The Oilers made three lineup changes, inserting defenseman Philip Broberg along with McLeod and fellow forward Corey Perry for Vincent Desharnais, Warren Foegele and Sam Carrick.
Stars defenseman Chris Tanev left in the second period with a lower body injury and did not return.
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