AP National Sports

By HANK KURZ Jr. AP Sports Writer Teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference have some work to do to back assertions that they can play with anybody. Through two weeks of the season, they’ve won only two of eight games against teams from other Power Five conferences, or Notre Dame. Three games on Saturday will

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Homestead-Miami Speedway will return to the playoff portion of the NASCAR season in 2022. The series is also bringing its Cup Series to the Gateway track outside St. Louis and will race on Easter Sunday for the first time in more than three decades.

By JOHN ZENOR AP Sports Writer Some Southeastern Conference defenses are flexing their muscles after 2020 being a defensive coordinator’s nightmare. The SEC’s seven ranked teams all have formidable — or at least improved — defenses. League competition ended last season with Alabama’s Mac Jones, Florida’s Kyle Trask and their offenses putting up stratospheric numbers

ISTANBUL (AP) — The World Anti-Doping Agency has warned Russia not to interfere in drug-testing in the country and asked that a year-old vacancy at the top of the national anti-doping body be filled. WADA president Witold Banka met with Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin in Turkey for talks on the future of the still-suspended

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Pohang Steelers and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors both won to give South Korea three teams in the quarterfinals of the Asian Champions League. Pohang advanced with a 1-0 win at Japanese club Cerezo Osaka. Two-time champion Jeonbuk defeated Thai club BG Pathum United 4-2 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1

By RAF CASERT Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — When European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen was at a loss for words to capture the true spirit of Europe’s young, she introduced a special guest of honor at her State of the Union address. Paralympic wheelchair fencer Bebe Vio of Italy became the symbol of

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — Barcelona needs to brace for some tough times ahead while adjusting to the post-Lionel Messi era. That message was clear after the 3-0 loss at home to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday. It was the team’s first defeat since Messi left amid the

VIRGINIA WATER, England (AP) — Henrik Stenson will still have a role for Europe at the Ryder Cup despite failing to get into the team. The Swedish player has been selected by European captain Padraig Harrington as the fifth and final vice captain for the event at Whistling Straits from Sept. 24-26. The 45-year-old Stenson

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Leeds defender Pascal Struijk will have to serve a three-match ban following his red card for a challenge on Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott that left the teenager with a broken ankle. Elliott thinks that’s unfair. Leeds says the club has failed with its appeal against Struijk’s sending-off which happened in the

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer BERN, Switzerland (AP) — Missing out on the Champions League knockout rounds for a third straight season is unthinkable with Cristiano Ronaldo back at Manchester United. Yet the same kind of problems carried over from last season’s failed campaign to the one that started badly Tuesday in Switzerland. Errors

By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer Sitting out the preseason did nothing to slow the start to the NFL season for guys like Matthew Stafford, Russell Wilson and Dak Prescott. For guys like Aaron Rodgers, Ryan Tannehill and Matt Ryan, there appeared to be some rust. In all, nine quarterbacks who didn’t take a

By CHRIS TALBOTT Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — Pinch-hitter Kyle Schwarber hit a tiebreaking three-run double in the eighth inning and the Boston Red Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 8-4 to keep pace in the competitive AL wild-card race. Schwarber, out of the lineup in favor of Alex Verdugo, entered against reliever Drew Steckenrider with

By BETH HARRIS AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers have clinched a postseason berth by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-4 for their fifth straight win. The Dodgers got home runs by Max Muncy, Trea Turner and Will Smith. Their victory, combined with losses by Cincinnati and San Diego, secured the

By JANIE McCAULEY AP Baseball Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Buster Posey homered in the first inning and scored the go-ahead run on an error in the third, and the San Francisco Giants beat the San Diego Padres 6-1 for their ninth straight victory a day after becoming the first team in the big leagues

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez is having the kind of season the Kansas City Royals won’t soon forget. The Oakland A’s are having the kind of September they might want to forget real soon. Perez hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the sixth inning Tuesday night, giving

By MIKE FITZPATRICK AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Edmundo Sosa hit the go-ahead single in a three-run 11th inning and the hard-charging St. Louis Cardinals climbed all the way back into playoff position with a 7-6 victory over the New York Mets. New York scored twice in the bottom of the 11th and

By DAVE HOGG Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — Derek Hill hit a leadoff RBI double in the 11th inning, giving the Detroit Tigers a 1-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers loaded the bases with one out against Bryan Garcia (2-1) in the 11th before Christian Yelich grounded into an inning-ending double play. Hill

By MATT CARLSON Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Rookie Gavin Sheets hit a long three-run homer and had four RBIs in his first three-hit game, and the White Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels 9-3 in Joe Maddon’s first game back in Chicago. Sheets hit a go-ahead single in the second inning off Packy Naughton

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clay Helton’s players hate the fact their head coach’s firing was a cause for celebration for much of Southern California’s vast football fan base. When those players went back to work at practice, Helton’s sudden departure was a cause for mourning and reflection. They say

By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Baseball Writer ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — All-Star slugger Adolis García tied the Rangers’ single-season rookie record with his 30th home run and last-place Texas beat the AL West-leading Houston Astros 8-1. The homer by García was one of three long balls allowed by Zack Greinke in his return after testing positive