The Tampa Bay Rays' remarkable start to the 2023 season continued as they extended their winning run to nine games with an 11-0 rout of the Oakland Athletics on Sunday.
The Rays improved to 9-0, becoming the first team since the Kansas City Royals in 2003 to win their first nine games. The longest opening run of wins in MLB history is 13, held by the Atlanta Braves (1982) and the Milwaukee Brewers (1987).
Tampa Bay have won all nine by four or more runs, outscoring their opponents 75-18, which is the most runs scored and least runs allowed in the majors this season.
The record streak for winning games by at least four runs is more than a century old, held by the St Louis Maroons from 1884, when they won 13 in a row.
The Rays swept their third series of the year in the process, blasting three homers on Sunday for an MLB-best 24 this season.
All that came amid pitcher Drew Rasmussen's combined one-hitter with Brandon Lowe's blasting a fourth-inning grand slam. Rasmussen had eight strikeouts and walked none.
Wander Franco homered in the first inning to put the Rays into the lead, before Lowe sent his shot 386 feet over left feld. Harold Ramirez added a two-run blast in the fifth as well.
Judge launches two blasts in Yankees win
Aaron Judge crushed two home runs as the New York Yankees downed the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 to claim the series win.
Judge hit solo blasts in the third and eighth innings, bringing up his 28th multi-homer career game and first of the 2023 season. The outfielder also scored in the first from a Giancarlo Stanton single.
Franchy Cordero hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning to open up a 4-0 lead, before the O's offered some resistance led by Adley Rutschman who went four-for-four with a homer and two runs.
Kiermaier gets Blue Jays home in slugfest
Kevin Kiermaier came to the Toronto Blue Jays' rescue after Matt Chapman's grand slam as they rallied back from 6-0 down to win 12-11 over the Los Angeles Angels in 10 innings.
Kiermaier, who went three-for-five with five RBIs, blasted a two-run triple after Chapman's grand slam as part of a six-run sixth-inning rally. Kiermaier's two-run single made it 10-6 in the next inning, before his ground rule double drove in Cavan Biggio, before scoring himself in the 10th inning.
Jays pitcher Tim Mayza retired Shohei Ohtani with bases loaded for the final out, after the Japanese had launched a two-run blast in the third inning. Ohtani's homer was one of four for the Angels.
Jon Rahm reflected on the achievements of his hero Seve Ballesteros after winning the Masters on Sunday by four strokes with a score of 12 under.
Rahm posted rounds of 65, 69, and 73 before closing with another three-under 69, pulling well clear of Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson in a tie for second at eight under.
It is the 20th professional win of Rahm's career at just 28 years old, and his sixth victory since October after two wins on the European circuit and three on the PGA Tour.
The result comes nearly 40 years to the day since Ballesteros' second win at Augusta National Golf Club back in 1983, and during his interview in the Butler Cabin, Rahm spoke about the impact the Spanish legend had on his life.
"The history of the game is a big part of why I play, and one of the reasons I play… with Seve being [another reason]," he said.
"If it wasn't for that Ryder Cup in 1997 – me and my dad talk about it all the time – we don't know where I would be, or as a family where we would be.
"So for me to get it done on the 40th anniversary of [Ballesteros'] win, on his birthday, on Easter Sunday, it's incredibly meaningful. And to finish it off the way I did – an unusual par, a 'Seve' par – in a non-purposeful way it was a testament to him, and I know he was pulling for me today."
When asked about the moment he felt the tournament was his to lose, he said he could feel the footsteps of the chasing pack at the turn.
"I thought eight was a key birdie, but I didn't expect that bogey on nine, that was a couple of good swings… but I had to get through 'Amen Corner' even par, that's what I was looking at," he said.
"Obviously Phil [Mickelson] and Jordan [Spieth] were making birdies and finishing strong, and they were finishing their round as I was finishing 10, so making sure I didn't put myself in a difficult spot on 10, 11, 12 was the key.
"Then on 13 with that right-to-left wind was when I could turn a little bit and get on the attack, and that's what I did. It was not really one moment, but if I had to pick one I would say hitting that draw perfectly on 13 was the start of it."
During his official presentation, Rahm included a funny story looking back at his wonky start to the tournament, having become the first to ever win the Masters after double-bogeying their first hole.
He spoke about how he received a text from Arizona Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz saying the first green is "looking like a walk in the park – 10 minutes before I four-putted it to start the tournament".
"Thank you, Zach," he said. "Don't ever do that again please."
The win means Rahm has reclaimed the world number one ranking yet again as he, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy take turns sitting atop the pile.
The Los Angeles Clippers secured the five seed in the Western Conference after rallying from a 10-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Phoenix Suns 119-114 on Sunday.
Norman Powell, Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook scored 29, 25 and 25 points respectively for the Clippers, who held off the Golden State Warriors for the five seed, meaning LA will take on the Suns again in the playoffs first round.
Leonard scored the Clippers' final eight points of the game among 12 in the fourth quarter, shooting 11-of-21 from the field, with 15 rebounds and six assists.
Powell continued his fine form off the bench, shooting 12-of-22 for his 29 points with five rebounds, while Westbrook made two three-pointers in his 25 points with seven rebounds and nine assists.
Phoenix sat starters Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Deandre Ayton for the game.
Despite that, the Suns put up a good fight, with guard Saben Lee having 25 points with 10 assists, shooting three-of-eight from beyond the arc.
Warriors hit NBA record, LeBron lifts Lakers
Stephen Curry made five three-pointers and shot nine-of-15 for 26 points as the Golden State Warriors routed the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers 157-101.
The Warriors could have jumped the Clippers into the five seed if LA lost, but the reigning champions will settle for the six seed, meaning they will take on the Sacramento Kings in the first round.
Curry only played 22 minutes along with Klay Thompson, who scored 20 points, with Golden State piling on an NBA record 55 first-quarter points. Jordan Poole added 21 points including four-of-five triples in 17 minutes and Moses Moody contributed 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting in 29 minutes.
That meant the Los Angeles Lakers finished seventh in the West despite LeBron James scoring eight three-pointers among 36 points in a 128-117 win over the Utah Jazz.
The Lakers will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the play-in tournament, with the winner to face the Memphis Grizzlies in the playoffs first round.
Wolves win amid Gobert and McDaniels drama
The Timberwolves jumped the New Orleans Pelicans in the play-in seeding for eighth with a 113-108 victory, but it was a game full of drama with Rudy Gobert throwing a punch at teammate Kyle Anderson during a timeout.
Gobert was dismissed for the rest of the game after the second-quarter incident, while top perimeter defender Jaden McDaniels broke his right hand after hitting a wall in frustration.
Despite all that, Anthony Edwards led the Wolves to victory with 26 points, 13 rebounds, four steals and four blocks, while Karl-Anthony Towns had 30 points with eight rebounds.
Brandon Ingram scored 42 points for the Pelicans, who could have finished as high as fifth, but will instead face the Oklahoma City Thunder in a play-in tournament elimination game.
Jon Rahm capitalised on a miserable Sunday for Brooks Koepka to race clear and win the Masters by four strokes with a score of 12 under.
Rahm, 28, had a disappointing finish to his third round early on Sunday morning, with a pair of bogeys in the last six holes meaning he would start his final trip around Augusta National Golf Course at nine under, two off the lead.
But Koepka would make two early bogeys, and Rahm tied things up with birdies on the third and eighth holes.
Rahm and Koepka both bogeyed the ninth, but while Koepka continued to head in the wrong direction, Rahm got back on track and opened up a four-stroke buffer with back-to-back birdies on the 13th and 14th, and he closed the show with par on 18.
Koepka ended up finishing at eight under in a tie for second, where he was surprisingly joined by Phil Mickelson after an historic round from the 52-year-old.
Mickelson shot a seven-under 65 in his last round – including five birdies from his final seven holes – to reach eight under for the tournament.
In doing so, Mickelson set the record for the lowest round in Masters history by a player aged 50 or older, finishing his day as the leader in the clubhouse.
He needed an epic collapse from Rahm to make things interesting down the stretch – who at the time only led by two strokes – but it never arrived.
Sunday's other top performance came from Jordan Spieth, putting together a round 66 – with nine birdies and three bogeys – to shoot up the leaderboard into a tie for fourth at seven under.
He was joined by fellow former Masters champion Patrick Reed as well as Russell Henley, with Viktor Hovland and Cameron Young one further back tied for seventh at six under.
Sahith Theegala produced a Tiger Woods-esque chip-in birdie on the 16th hole to claim outright ninth place at five under, with major champions Matt Fitzpatrick, Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa being joined by world number seven Xander Schauffele in a tie for 10th at four under.
Shot of the day
It was impossible to watch Theegala's chip-in run down the 16th green without remembering Woods' famous birdie in his 2005 victory, putting it in the perfect spot to replicate the historic moment.
Odell Beckham Jr. has chosen to join the Baltimore Ravens over the New York Jets.
The three-time Pro Bowler will move to the Ravens on a one-year deal that could be worth up to $18million, according to NFL Network's National Insiders Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero.
Beckham had been available as a free agent since leaving the Los Angeles Rams, last appearing in the team's Super Bowl LVI triumph at the end of the 2021 season.
The 30-year-old missed the entirety of the following campaign after a lengthy rehabilitation for an ACL tear sustained in that Super Bowl victory.
A post from Zydn Beckham's Instagram account, ran by father Odell and his girlfriend Lauren Wood, seemingly confirmed the wide receiver's next destination on Sunday.
Beckham's one-year-old son was pictured in a Ravens shirt, accompanied by the caption "Flock...", as Baltimore managed to snatch the former Rams star's signature ahead of the Jets.
The New York team were reportedly expecting to host Beckham on a visit this week before the Ravens stepped in to seal the deal.
Beckham had reportedly also drawn interest from the Dallas Cowboys, the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Reports suggested Aaron Rodgers had asked the Jets to acquire the former New York Giants and Cleveland Browns man if the Green Bay Packers quarterback moves to New York.
While Rodgers later suggested no such wish list existed, he admitted any QB would dream of playing with Beckham, but the Jets' advances ultimately ended without success.
Beckham has 56 receiving touchdowns in 96 career NFL appearances and will join a Baltimore team that finished 10-7 in the 2022 season, losing to the Cincinnati Bengals in an AFC wild-card game.
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert was sent home after punching teammate Kyle Anderson in a timeout during Sunday's chaotic 113-108 win against the New Orleans Pelicans.
After an animated discussion on the sidelines in the second quarter, Gobert aimed a jab at the chest of Anderson and was removed from the team for the remainder of the game.
Gobert was taken to the locker room and it was swiftly made public that his involvement was over.
In a statement, Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said after the game: "We made the decision to send Rudy Gobert home after the incident in the second quarter.
"His behaviour on the bench was unacceptable and we will continue handling the situation internally."
Gobert's teammate Jaden McDaniels also failed to last the distance in Sunday's game, with reports claiming he broke his right hand when punching a wall at half-time.
The Timberwolves will travel to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the first game of the Western Conference play-in tournament, and if they lose, they will have another chance to qualify for the playoffs by beating the winner of the nine versus 10 matchup between the Pelicans and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson gave himself a sniff of another green jacket success as he rolled back the years at Augusta.
The American won in 2004, 2006 and 2010 and swept up the leaderboard into second place on Sunday thanks to a 65, setting an eight-under-par clubhouse target.
Jon Rahm was out on the course on 11 under through 13 holes, having overtaken Brooks Koepka on the front nine, so Mickelson needed the Spaniard to suffer a late collapse to have a chance of the title.
Mickelson and Koepka have been among the star names who have defected to the LIV Golf series in recent times, while Rahm was flying the flag for the PGA Tour, as players from both circuits went head to head for major glory.
Speaking after his stellar closing round, Mickelson said: "This is as much fun as I could possibly have playing golf.
"The final round of the Masters, and to play the way I did and finish it off with two birdies – this has been a lot of fun. Regardless of the outcome, this has been a really fun day for me."
Mickelson and the LIV Golf set have pocketed fortunes for joining that Saudi-backed series, but they relish the big occasions such as the Masters.
"I'm grateful we get to be here, to play and compete and be a part of this great championship, and to play like I did today was extra special," Mickelson said.
The 52-year-old was thrilled to shoot as low as he did, and he told Sky Sports it was his aim "to shoot low scores and continue playing at a high level".
"I have a unique opportunity given I'm physically not having any issues, and I'm able to play and compete and swing the club the way I want to," Mickelson added.
"If I can focus and work on my game, I can take advantage of this unique opportunity I have and try to do some special things in the game."
Speaking for the LIV players, Mickelson added: "We're all really appreciative to be a part of this. I think it's great for the championship to have all the best players in the world here, playing and competing.
"It's fun for me as a past champion to be able to be a part of this and continue to be a part of this great championship."
Jon Rahm reached the turn on Sunday at the Masters with a two-shot lead as he swept ahead of Brooks Koepka.
Coming into the final round at nine under, two behind Koepka, Rahm birdied the par-four third hole and the par-five eighth to reach 11 under.
Meanwhile, after starting at 11 under, Koepka bogeyed the fourth and sixth to fall to nine under. They then both bogeyed the ninth, leaving Rahm at 10 under, and Koepka at eight under with the back nine to come.
Spain's Rahm, 28, stood potentially just nine holes away from the second major title of his career after also securing the 2021 U.S. Open.
It would also be his fourth win of the year after victories at the Tournament of Champions and The American Express in January, and the Genesis Invitational in February.
Koepka is coming off a win at last week's LIV Golf Orlando, and he was at 13 under when dismal weather brought an early end to Saturday's play, but by Sunday afternoon he looked to have run out of scoring power, with his last birdie coming on the eighth hole of his third round.
Two big names stormed up the leaderboard, with Jordan Spieth shooting a six-under 66 to reach seven under for the tournament and Phil Mickelson going one better with a 65 to get to eight under and set the clubhouse standard, moving level with Koepka.
After starting the day in the top 10, Jason Day capitulated with four double bogeys to be eight over for his round through 13 holes.
Dwane Casey has stepped down as Detroit Pistons head coach and will take up a new front office role.
Casey announced after the Pistons' final game of the season on Sunday, which ended in a 103-81 defeat to the Chicago Bulls, that he would not be staying on as head coach.
Detroit ended the season with the worst record in the NBA of 17-65.
Casey will remain with the franchise, but there will be a new head coach next season.
"This is my last game," Casey said. "I'm moving to the front office.
"I'm excited to go to the next phase of my life. Time to spend more time with my family. This team is on the right track. They probably need to hear a new voice. This is my decision.”
Milwaukee Bucks assistant Charles Lee and former Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka are reportedly expected to be among the candidates to replace the 65-year-old.
Casey took over as Pistons head coach in 2018 and ends his tenure with a record of 128-262.
World number five Ons Jabeur secured her first title of the season on Sunday with a 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 victory over Belinda Bencic in the Charleston Open final.
Jabeur, 28, enjoyed the best campaign of her career in 2022 as she reached the finals of Wimbledon and the US Open, but she was sidelined due to knee trouble following this year's Australian Open.
The Tunisian returned with early exits at both the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open, meaning she came into Charleston without consecutive wins since early January.
But she looked right back to her best at the WTA 500 event, not dropping a set the entire tournament.
After beating Lesia Tsurenko, Caroline Dolehide, Anna Kalinskaya and Daria Kasatkina to reach the final, Jabeur had to respond to early adversity against Bencic as the Swiss secured a break in the opening game of the first set.
Down 5-4 in the opener, Jabeur broke back at the last opportunity to keep the set alive, and after falling 6-4 behind in the tie-break she rattled off the next four points in a row to steal it.
The second set was all about making the most of her chances, as Jabeur only had three break-point chances compared to Bencic's five, but she was able to convert all three while Bencic could only snag two.
The final was a rematch from last year's Charleston Open title match, where Bencic prevailed over Jabeur in three sets, and it is Jabeur's first title since the German Open in June, where she again had to overcome Bencic in the final.
Jabeur now leads their head-to-head 3-2 in matches played at WTA Tour level.
Anthony Joshua has revealed his next fight will not be until December.
Joshua had not stepped into the ring for over seven months before returning to beat Jermaine Franklin via a unanimous decision at London's O2 Arena on April 1.
The two-time world heavyweight champion stated that he wanted to fight again in the next three months in order to "get the ball rolling."
Yet Joshua on Sunday stated that his next challenge will not be until the end of this year.
He wrote in an Instagram story: "My next fight is scheduled for December. Not ideal but everything is part of a bigger picture."
There has been talk of Joshua doing battle with either Dillian Whyte or Tyson Fury after he got the better of American Franklin.
The Brit lost his world titles to Oleksandr Usyk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September 2021 and lost his rematch with the Ukrainian In Jeddah last August.
Stephen Silas’ reign as Houston Rockets head coach is reported to have come to an end.
ESPN on Sunday reported that the Rockets have opted against taking up a fourth-year option on Silas' contract.
The 49-year-old took his first head coach role with Houston in October 2020, taking on the task of rebuilding the franchise.
Houston finished bottom of the Western Conference in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.
A 114-109 over the Washington Wizards ensured the Rockets ended the 2022-23 campaign with three consecutive victories, second-bottom behind the San Antonio Spurs with a 22-60 record.
It appears that victory will be the Rockets' last game with Silas in charge.
Jamaica’s Formula Woman driver, Sara Misir, looks forward to raising the roof on Monday at the Dover Raceway as roofing company, Spectrum Systems, announced sponsorship for her 2023 motorsports season.
The significant sponsorship deal from Spectrum Systems will support Misir for the duration of the local racing calendar.
Misir, the 2022 Jamaica Race Drivers Club (JRDC) Champion in the MP3 & TS1 classes, will open her season at the JRDC’s Carnival of Speed at the Dover Raceway on Easter Monday. Misir will take on a new challenge as she moves up a class to the MP4 category to face the 2022 Champion, veteran Doug “Hollywood” Gore.
Misir looks forward to the challenge.
“I dominated the MP3 class last season, so I wanted to take on a new challenge this year. The MP4 class has been dominated by “the beast”, Doug Gore, but look out for ‘the beauty’ this year!” joked Misir.
Meanwhile, CEO of Spectrum Systems Limited, Andrew Stanigar is backing Misir to succeed.
“Spectrum Systems, Jamaica’s number-one roofing company, is pleased to sponsor Jamaica’s number-one female race car driver,” he said.
“We see how much she has dedicated to the race track in 2022 for Formula Woman, the GT Cup Championships and in the JRDC series and we wish her all the best as she takes on the MP4 class.”
Head of Leep Marketing and manager to Sara Misir, Tanya Lee Perkins, said sponsorship support for athletes can be critical to their success.
“We are thankful to Spectrum Systems for joining her sponsor pool for 2023. Sponsorships encourage athletic performance and signals that corporate Jamaica is behind our sports women and men and believe in their talent and ability to inspire,” she said.
Misir is the RJR Sports Foundation Motosports Athlete of the Year in the female category.
In 2022. Spectrum System also sponsored Jamaica's all-female shooting team, the Super Six shooters, that placed third at the Pan American Handgun Championships.
Casper Ruud clinched his 10th career ATP title with a straight-sets victory over Miomir Kecmanovic in Sunday's Estoril Open final, while Roberto Carballes Baena won the Grand Prix Hassan II.
Having enjoyed the best season of his career in 2022, Ruud was bidding for his first trophy success of 2023 in Portugal, and the world number five made a flying start to his clash with Kecmanovic.
Ruud wrapped up the opener in just 36 minutes, taking control with a huge forehand winner to break in just the third game.
The Norwegian navigated two three-set contests in order to reach the showpiece, and it looked like another of his matches may go the distance when Kecmanovic recovered to force a second-set tie-break.
However, a dipping backhand saw Ruud secure the second of two crucial mini breaks, and he took the first of his three championship points to cap a fine week with silverware, sealing a 6-2 7-6 (7-3) win.
Elsewhere, Carballes Baena won just his second career title, triumphing on the clay in Marrakesh where he beat Alexandre Muller 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-2.
France's Muller showed no signs of being overawed on his first final outing as he took the opener in impressive fashion, but Carballes Baena edged a tie-break in the second before dominating the decider.
Carballes Baena's triumph – recorded in just under three hours – gave him his first title since the 2018 Ecuador Open, which also came on his favoured clay surface.
Brooks Koepka carried a two-shot lead into the final 18 holes of the Masters after the third round was completed before lunch on Sunday in Augusta.
An early start, made necessary after torrential rain curtailed play on Saturday, meant there was plenty to play for before the players set out on their final circuit of the Georgia course.
Koepka fell back from an overnight 13 under par to 11 under, while nearest rival Jon Rahm reached the 54-hole mark on nine under, with both men signing for rounds of 73. Viktor Hovland was one shot further back in third place after a two-under 70.
The prospect of a LIV Golf player landing the Green Jacket therefore remained a strong possibility, with Koepka among the players widely characterised as rebels for defecting to the Saudi Arabia-backed tour.
LIV CEO Greg Norman spoke before the tournament of the prospect of players from the breakaway circuit mobbing the winner on the 18th green in the final round if he came from within their ranks, rather than from the PGA Tour or elsewhere.
Koepka was on the seventh hole in round three when play was suspended on Saturday afternoon, and at that stage he held a four-shot lead. That dominance was reined in when the action resumed.
Rahm closed to just one behind, 11 under to Koepka's 12 under, by the time the leaders reached the 13th tee, but a bogey six from the Spaniard there knocked him back one shot.
Hovland improved to eight under with five birdies in a row from the 11th, moving ahead of Patrick Cantlay who was early into the clubhouse on six under after a 68.
At 15, Koepka saw his ball roll back off the green and towards water, only to hold up on the damp grass.
That spot of good fortune would be followed by Koepka stretching his lead to three at the short 16th when Rahm sprayed his tee shot the wrong side of a greenside bunker. The world number three could not stop his chip close enough to the hole, missing the putt back.
Koepka's first three-putt of the tournament followed at the 17th, where a par from Rahm cut the deficit back to two, and both men parred the last to set up a titanic battle for glory in the afternoon, scrapping against each other with the backdrop of it being a LIV Golf versus PGA Tour head-to-head.
Twice a winner of the US PGA Championship, and twice a U.S. Open champion, Koepka was bidding to become the 20th golfer to reach five men's major triumphs.
Rahm is also a former U.S. Open winner, while Hovland has yet to win a major.
The final day's play from Augusta did not feature Tiger Woods, as the 15-time major winner and five-time Masters champion withdrew due to injury, having toiled his way to nine over, limping as he struggled in the rain on Saturday.
Tiger Woods has withdrawn from The Masters because of injury.
The 15-time major champion, a five-time winner at Augusta National, was limping heavily as he struggled mightily on Saturday amid torrential rain in Georgia.
Woods was six over par after seven holes of the third round, leaving him nine over and last of the players who made the cut.
He made the cut for a record-tying 23rd straight time at The Masters, having been three over after the first two rounds.
But he will go no further in the tournament, with his struggles and subsequent withdrawal likely to raise further questions about his ability to compete at the highest level.
Woods, who has long since battled back problems, is playing a significantly reduced schedule after undergoing surgery on a fractured leg and shattered ankle suffered in a car crash in February 2021.
The only other event he has played in 2023 was the Genesis Invitational, with Woods finishing tied 45th at Riviera in February.
Charles Leclerc has asked supporters to respect his privacy and stop turning up at his house.
The Ferrari driver, who had his watch stolen in Italy last year, is unsure how details of his home address in Monaco became public.
While more than willing to greet supporters elsewhere, Leclerc draws a line at them appearing on his property.
"For the past few months, my home address has somehow become public, leading to people gathering beneath my apartment, ringing my bell, and asking for pictures and autographs," Leclerc wrote on Instagram.
"While I'm always happy to be there for you and I truly appreciate your support, please respect my privacy and refrain from coming to my house.
"I'll make sure to stop for everyone when you see me on the streets or at the track, but I won't be coming downstairs if you visit my home.
"Your support, both in person and on social media, means the world to me, but there is a boundary that should not be crossed."
Leclerc has suffered two DNFs in the first three races of the 2023 season and has just six points to his name.
Speaking after last week's Australian Grand Prix, Leclerc said: "[It is] just extremely frustrating. I mean, it's the worst start to the season ever, really. It is really frustrating."
Israel Adesanya exacted some revenge on Alex Pereira with a brutal second-round knockout victory in Saturday's UFC 287 main event in Miami.
Adesanya floored the Brazilian at 4:21 in the second round in their middleweight fight, having come into the contest 0-3 against Pereira in their previous kickboxing and MMA bouts. Among those losses was a fifth-round TKO at UFC 281.
Pereira started well with Adesanya up against the cage, but the Nigerian responded emphatically, countering with some massive right-hand hits.
The Brazilian was hurt but finally put down by Adesanya with a left hook, before pummelling him with a hammer fist leading to referee Dan Miragliotta's intervention with Pereira unconscious.
"They say revenge is sweet," Adesanya said. "If you know me I've got a sweet tooth... you already know, this is f***ing sweet."
Adesanya, who said he was "playing possum" with Pereira early, was delighted to re-claim the middleweight belt.
"Alex is a great champion no matter what," Adesanya said. "He lost the belt tonight, but he’ll always be the champion. In his story I’m the antagonist, in his story I’m the bad guy but tonight it’s my story. History.
"I told you the hunter is now the hunted. Thank you for beating me. Beating me made me a better fighter, a better person. In this camp I didn’t f*** around. I stayed in the grind and put myself through it."
In the co-main event, Gilbert Burns beat Jorge Masvidal by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) in the welterweight division.
Burns, who trains in Florida, was the clear winner, with Masvidal declaring after the bout that he would retire.
The Tampa Bay Rays claimed an eighth straight win to start the new season, extending the best MLB start in the past 20 years with an 11-0 rout of the Oakland Athletics on Saturday.
The last team to start 8-0 where the Kansas City Royals in 2003, who won their first nine games. The Rays, however, have won all eight games by four or more runs and outscored their opponents 64-18.
Tampa Bay's margin of victory is arguably most impressive, with the 1939 New York Yankees marking the last time any team has won eight games by four or more runs at any point of any season, managing that in 10 straight games.
Saturday's win came after a scoreless first three innings, before Isaac Paredes' two-run single. Randy Arozarena repeated that feat in the fifth, before another Paredes' RBI to open up a 5-0 lead.
Homers to Manuel Margot, Josh Lowe and Arozarena rounded out an emphatic victory for the Rays.
Jeffrey Springs threw seven strikeouts across seven scoreless innings on the mound, allowing three hits and three walks.
Stott walk-off caps Phillies' rally
Bryson Stott capped the Philadelphia Phillies' three-run ninth inning rally with a walk-off RBI single to secure a 3-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
The Reds went 2-0 at the top of the ninth inning from Jake Fraley's sacrifice fly, before the Phillies rallied with Brandon Marsh and Edmundo Sosa driving in runs to square it up.
Stott stepped up and singled to right field, driving in Marsh, who had stolen to second base, as outfielder Wil Myers bobbled the grounded ball.
It was Stott's second career walk-off hit and helped the Phillies secure back-to-back wins and improve to 3-5 after their 0-4 start.
Stanton blasts big in Yankees triumph
The New York Yankees piled on three fifth-inning runs including a Giancarlo Stanton home run in their 4-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles to improve to a 5-3 record.
The O's led early from Anthony Santander's first-inning sacrifice fly to drive in Cedric Mullins, but the Yankees squared it in the fourth from Aaron Hicks' single before their fifth-inning three-run salvo.
Rookie Anthony Volpe tripled before scoring from D.J. LeMahieu's double, with Aaron Judge driving in the latter with a sacrifice fly. Stanton blasted a 436-feet homer to left center with 116.3 mph exit velocity.
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