AP National Sports

By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joe Girardi has been fired by the Philadelphia Phillies after his team’s terrible start. He’s the first major league manager to lose his job this season. Philadelphia said bench coach Rob Thomson will become interim manager for the rest of the season. Expected to contend for

CHICAGO (AP) — Will Wilson is quitting as CEO of the U.S. Soccer Federation ahead of the World Cup, making the surprising decision to leave the job after just 2 1/2 years. The uncle of former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, Wilson says he will leave on Oct. 31. That’s three weeks before the American

By JOHN WAWROW AP Sports Writer BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has confirmed to The Associated Press that he plans to retire. His career spanned 17 seasons and nine teams and made him one of the NFL’s most colorful and beloved journeymen. Fitzpatrick never settled for being a backup and ended up starting

By JOHN WAWROW AP Sports Writer BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills have added experience and depth to an already crowded receiver group by signing Tavon Austin to a one-year contract. Austin was an unrestricted free agent, who spent last season appearing in seven games with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He’s now on his fifth

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN AP Sports Writer BRUSSELS (AP) — Former Giro d’Italia champion Tom Dumoulin has announced that he will retire at the end of the season. He says the sacrifices he makes no longer bring the results he wants. Dumoulin’s contract with the Jumbo-Visma team ends at the conclusion of this season. The Dutch

By GARY B. GRAVES AP Sports Writer LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville’s athletic board has promoted Josh Heird to permanent athletic director after nearly six months leading the department on an interim basis. The University of Louisville Athletic Association’s board of directors and personnel committee approved Heird’s promotion in a special meeting on Friday morning.

LONDON (AP) — Matt Potts continued his outstanding debut for England by taking two wickets in the morning session to reduce New Zealand to 38-3 at lunch on Day 2 of the first test at Lord’s. England had earlier resumed on 116-7 after 17 wickets had fallen on the opening day but it was quickly

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer Olympic sports are targeting new and more dynamic youth-focused formats. Now field hockey is making its move toward a first World Cup for a five-a-side version and one day joining the Olympic program. The Hockey5s event this weekend in the IOC’s Swiss home city Lausanne will launch senior tournaments

PARIS (AP) — Tennis legend and LGBTQ rights activist Billie Jean King received France’s highest civilian honor, the Legion of Honor, on Friday. King, who is in France as the French Open concludes, received the award in recognition of her contributions to women’s sports, gender equality and the rights of LGBTQ people in athletics. She

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid wants an explanation for the causes of the disorder that left its fans “abandoned and defenseless” at the Champions League final. The club’s call for answers comes nearly a week after the problems occurred outside the Stade de France in suburban Paris where Madrid

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Robinson Canó’s short stint with the San Diego Padres is over. Less than a month after signing him, the Padres parted ways with the veteran slugger, who elected to become a free agent Thursday when he declined an assignment to Triple-A El Paso. San Diego had hoped the 39-year-old Canó would provide

By BETH HARRIS AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tony Gonsolin pitched two-hit ball over six sharp innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Mets 2-0. The loss snapped New York’s six-game winning streak in the opener of a four-game series between the National League’s top two teams. Gonsolin improved to

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — The Tempe city council has voted to negotiate with the Arizona Coyotes on a proposed development of nearly $2 billion that would include a new arena for the franchise. The council voted 5-2 in favor after a seven-hour meeting that included comments from more than 100 citizens and the reading of

By STEPHEN WADE AP Sports Writer OIZUMI, Japan (AP) — Brazilians will feel at home when Brazil plays Japan next week in Tokyo in a soccer game between their national teams. Brazil and Japan are connected by more than 100 years of immigration. Brazil has about 2 million residents who claim ties to Japan, and

By CLIFF BRUNT AP Sports Writer OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Karli Petty hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning and seventh-seeded Oklahoma State beat Arizona 4-2 in the Women’s College World Series opener for both teams. Petty’s fifth homer of the season helped the Cowgirls advance to play Florida in the winners’ bracket. Kelly

By MIKE CRANSTON Associated Press DENVER (AP) — Travis d’Arnaud homered twice, including a grand slam, and drove in a career-high six runs as the Atlanta Braves pounced on Colorado’s struggling pitching in a 13-6 rout of the Rockies. D’Arnaud was 3 for 5 and scored three times as the Braves piled up 18 hits

By CLIFF BRUNT AP Sports Writer OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Natalie Lugo pitched six innings of scoreless relief and Cheyenne Lindsey went 3 for 3 to help 14th-seeded Florida beat Oregon State 7-1 on Thursday night in the Women’s College World Series opener for both teams. Lugo gave up one hit and struck out six.

By ANDREW WAGNER Associated Press MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jace Peterson tied the score with a three-run triple in the ninth inning and slumping Andrew McCutchen followed with a game-ending single as the Milwaukee Brewers rallied past the San Diego Padres 5-4. Jorge Alfaro’s two-run homer in the sixth off Brent Suter gave the Padres a

By JOSH DUBOW AP Sports Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The ball was moving, the shots were falling and the arena was rocking in a very familiar third quarter for the Golden State Warriors. Then came the fourth quarter and a surprising collapse by the more experienced team as the Warriors dropped a rare Game

By JANIE McCAULEY AP Sports Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Once Boston’s balanced roster of NBA Finals first-timers found a groove from long range, the determined Celtics delivered a memorable comeback and rallied past Stephen Curry and the Golden State old guard. Jaylen Brown fueled the late charge and scored 24 points, Al Horford hit