Sports

By PAUL GEREFFI Associated Press SUNRISE, Fla- (AP) — Sam Bennett scored with 37.3 seconds left to lift the Florida Panthers to a 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Sam Reinhart and Claude Giroux each had a goal and an assist, and Patric Hornqvist also scored for the Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky made 19 saves. Jeff

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP National Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Benches and bullpens emptied and the Mets and Nationals confronted each other on the infield grass after Francisco Lindor was struck by a pitch from Steve Cishek in the fifth inning. New York manager Buck Showalter led the charge after one of his batters was plunked

NEW YORK (AP) — Cincinnati Reds outfielder Brian Rey and Minnesota pitcher Ricardo Velez were suspended for 80 games each following positive tests under the minor leage drug program. Rey, on the roter of the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts, tested positive for the performance-enhancing subtstance GW501516, the commissioner’s office said. Velez, a member of the Class

By BERNIE WILSON AP Sports Writer SAN DIEGO (AP) — Steve Lavin is eager to be leaving college basketball broadcasting and returning to coaching, even if means being in the same conference as Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s. Lavin has been introduced as coach at San Diego, which has struggled for the better part of the

COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Chargers have signed wide receiver and return specialist DeAndre Carter to a one-year contract. Carter was with Washington last season and led the NFC with 1,038 total return yards, 904 kickoff return yards, 36 kickoff returns and a 25.1-yard kickoff return average. He also returned a kick

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina reserves Eniya Russell and Elysa Wesolek both announced they were entering the transfer portal on Friday, less than a week after the Gamecocks celebrated a national championship. Russell is a 6-foot-1 sophomore from Baltimore who averaged less than eight minutes in her 23 appearances. Wesolek is a 6-1 senior

By MARK DIDTLER Associated Press LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — Rachel Balkovec signed some autographs, drew a nice ovation when she as introduced and posed for a picture at home plate. Then it was time to get to work. The manager of a New York Yankees minor league team had a game to run. The 34-year-old

By The Associated Press Justin Verlander will pitch for Houston for the first time since having Tommy John surgery late in 2020. The 39-year-old will face Noah Syndergaard and the Angels. Verlander, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, returned to the Astros on a $25 million, one-year deal that includes a $25 million player option

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Belinda Bencic rallied to beat second-seeded Paula Badosa 2-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 on Friday to  advance to the semifinals of the Credit One Charleston Open. Bencic will play Ekaterina Alexandrova, who defeated Magda Linette 6-0, 6-2. No. 4 Ons Jabeur also reached the final four in the season’s opening clay-court event,

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler is in control through two rounds at the Masters. Scheffler posted a 5-under 67 to move to 8 under for the tournament and a five-shot lead over a handful of players, including defending champion Hideki Matsuyama. Tiger Woods shot a 2-over 74 to make the cut in his first

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Browns added another quarterback as they try to figure out what to do with Baker Mayfield. The team agreed to a one-year contract with backup QB Josh Dobbs, a deal that was tweeted by his agent and confirmed by a person familiar with the

By JANIE McCAULEY AP Baseball Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Austin Slater doubled with two outs in the 10th inning for his first career walkoff RBI, sending the San Francisco Giants past the Miami Marlins 6-5 in an opening-day nail-biter. Thairo Estrada hit a tying home run to start the bottom of the ninth off

By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Golf’s hottest rivalry not so long ago has cooled off considerably. Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka both missed the cut at the Masters after struggling through two rounds at Augusta National. Koepka shot back-to-back 75s to finish at 6-over 150, while DeChambeau and his ailing

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Sports Writer AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Tiger Woods’ second round at the Masters on Friday seemed like a constant ride from one end of the success spectrum to the other. Not his best, not his worst, but plenty good enough, especially considering what he’s been through in the 15 or so

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Major League Soccer suspended Austin forward Cecilio Dominguez on Friday as it investigates possible off-field misconduct that it didn’t disclose. The league said it suspended Dominguez after receiving preliminary information gathered by the club. The move bars Dominguez from engaging in team activities while under investigation. The league statement said MLS

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Tiger Woods has made it to the weekend at the Masters in his first official start in 508 days. Now it’s a matter of chasing down Scottie Scheffler. That might be even tougher than dealing with the wind at Augusta National. Scheffler is making his

HOUSTON (AP) — Reigning champion Cristian Garin has beaten No. 2 seed Taylor Fritz 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3 to reach the semifinals at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship. Garin’s victory Friday allowed him to improve his career record at the tournament to 8-0. Fritz is the highest-ranked American man at No. 13 and had

WASHINGTON (AP) — Baseball players and fans are familiar with rain delays. Even, in recent times, replay review delays. The Washington Nationals and New York Mets waited through a lights delay on Friday night. Max Scherzer’s first start for the Mets — against the Nationals, the team he helped with the 2019 World Series, no

NEW YORK (AP) — Rookie Evan Mobley is back in the starting lineup for the Cleveland Cavaliers for a key game Friday against the Brooklyn Nets. Mobley missed the previous five games with a sprained left ankle and the Cavaliers lost four of them without their big man. Mobley is a leading contender for Rookie

By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer DENVER (AP) — Freddie Freeman reached base three times and scored a run in his Dodgers debut, helping Walker Buehler and Los Angeles beat the Colorado Rockies 5-3 in a season opener. Freeman struck out in his first at-bat. He was then hit by a pitch, walked and lined