AP National Sports

By BERNIE WILSON AP Sports Writer SAN DIEGO (AP) — As the most eagerly anticipated season in San Diego Padres history approaches, it’s not a stretch to say that owner Peter Seidler is as beloved as the superstar quartet of Manny Machado, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts that will be on the

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Scott McTominay scored twice as Scotland upset Spain 2-0 in qualifying for the European Championship for its first win in 39 years over one of soccer’s biggest heavyweights. McTominay’s goals ended Spain’s 19-game unbeaten run in European qualifiers and put Scotland top of Group A with six points from two games.

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Scott McTominay continued his good scoring form for Scotland by netting twice for the second straight game to give the hosts a surprising 2-0 win over Spain in qualifying for the 2024 European Championship. The Manchester United midfielder found the net once in each half to give Spain its first European

By DAVE CAMPBELL AP Sports Writer ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Matt Boldy acknowledged in the aftermath of his second hat trick in five games that the puck these days feels as if it’s automatically going in the net each time he shoots it. Boldy has 11 goals in the past nine games for the

By SCHUYLER DIXON AP Sports Writer DALLAS (AP) — Kim Mulkey is returning to Texas for another Final Four, keenly aware that her LSU Tigers will play a short road trip from the school she made synonymous with women’s basketball. Mulkey is the third coach to take multiple schools to the Final Four, doing so

By ROB MAADDI and STEPHEN WHYNO AP Sports Writers PHOENIX (AP) — Dan Snyder’s departure from the NFL is moving closer to reality. A group led by Josh Harris and Mitchell Rales and another group led by Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos have submitted fully financed bids for the NFL’s Washington Commanders, according to a person

By JIM VERTUNO AP Sports Writer AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Rodney Terry says he always felt confident he’d earn the chance to be the full-time head basketball coach at Texas. The school removed the interim tag from his title and gave him the full-time job after leading the Longhorns to the Elite Eight following the

By LARRY FLEISHER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — A season of seismic changes for baseball gets underway Thursday highlighted by significant new rules designed to improve the pace of play and create increased action on the field. Those changes also involve more transparency on replay reviews and efforts to increase marketing of players. Improved

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina has extended her winning streak to 12 matches by beating 25th-seeded Martina Trevisan 6-3, 6-0 to reach the Miami Open semifinals. Rybakina’s 10 aces Tuesday raised her total to 46 through four matches at the hard-court tournament. She leads the women’s tennis tour with 201

NEW YORK (AP) — Ben Simmons won’t play again this season because of a nerve injury in his back, ending his disappointing first full season with the Brooklyn Nets after 42 games. Simmons saw multiple specialists this week who determined that he should be shut down for the season because of a nerve impingement. Coach

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Sports Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — No major league pitcher lost more games in 2022 than Patrick Corbin’s 19. And none took more Ls in 2021 than Corbin’s 16. Last season’s ERA for the Washington Nationals left-hander was 6.31. A year earlier? 5.82. And yet Corbin will be facing the reigning NL

By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer Julie Ertz has been named to the U.S. roster for a pair of upcoming matches against Ireland after taking time off for the birth of her son. Ertz has not played for the United States since the bronze medal-winning victory over Australia at the Tokyo Olympics. She and

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — The brother of the late New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez is facing criminal and motor vehicle charges in Connecticut. Dennis Hernandez, who has been known as D.J. and Jonathan, was issued a misdemeanor summons by Bristol police over allegations he threw a brick onto the ESPN headquarters campus on Thursday.

By GERALD IMRAY AP Sports Writer CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Defending champion Senegal and South Africa are the latest teams to qualify for next year’s African Cup of Nations. Senegal registered a fourth win in four games in Group L after forward Boulaye Dia’s 18th-minute goal secured a 1-0 victory over Mozambique. South

By PAUL NEWBERRY AP National Writer The NCAA has taken a seat on the bench in the political game. The organization that governs college athletics was once at the forefront of hot-button issues such as the Confederate flag and transgender rights. But that stance evolved quickly as one Republican-controlled state after another rushed to pass

By SAM METZ and CHRISTOPHER WEBER Associated Press PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Skiers have likely noticed signs at mountain resorts across the country saying, “Know the code.” They refer to universal rules of conduct that apply to people who partake in inherently risky snow sports that involve navigating down crowded slopes, often at high

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner have both defeated seeded opponents in straight sets at the Miami Open to move into the quarterfinals. No. 9 Fritz compiled twice as many winners as unforced errors and only dropped serve once during a 6-3, 6-4 victory over No. 7 Holger Rune on Tuesday.

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations tells the Associated Press that the Cleveland Guardians are close to signing a long-term contract with All-Star second baseman Andrés Giménez. The 24-year-old batted .297 and won a Gold Glove for the AL Central champions last season. He could sign