Update on the latest sports

MLB SCHEDULE

Marlins-Mets

Home cooking: Mets win Citi opener vs Marlins on gift HBP

NEW YORK (AP) — Jeff McNeil launched a tying homer in the ninth inning on his 29th birthday and the New York Mets were handed the winning run on a disputed hit by pitch for a bizarre 3-2 victory over Miami in their home opener. With the bases loaded and one out, Michael Conforto stuck out his right elbow pad just enough to get it grazed by a 1-2 breaking ball from Anthony Bass that appeared to be in the strike zone. Plate umpire Ron Kulpa ruled Conforto was plunked, and the Mets celebrated a comeback win. A quick replay review upheld the ruling, but afterward Kulpa acknowledged he blew the call.

Elsewhere in the majors:

— Nolan Arenado hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the eighth inning of his home debut with the Cardinals, lifting St. Louis over the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 as fans returned to Busch Stadium for the first time since 2019. Arenado, a five-time All-Star acquired from Colorado on Feb. 1 after eight seasons with the Rockies, followed a walk to Austin Dean with the score 1-1. Arenado turned on a first pitch 96.6 mph offering from Drew Rasmussen and sent the ball 373 feet to left for his second homer this season.

—Jon Gray took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning and got his first win of the season, pitching the Colorado Rockies over the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-3. Gray allowed three runners through six innings, helped in the sixth when third baseman Ryan McMahon made a barehanded grab of Tim Locastro’s grounder and threw out the speedy batter by a half-step. David Peralta hit a leadoff triple in the seventh. Trevor Story had a two-run double and scored in a three-run first inning. He tripled with two outs in the second to drive in Garrett Hampson.

—Eduardo Rodríguez won in his return from heart inflammation that caused him to miss the 2020 season, allowing three runs over five innings Thursday to lead the Boston Red Sox over Baltimore 7-3 in the Orioles’ home opener. Rafael Devers and Kiké Hernández homered for the Red Sox, who have won four consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 14-18, 2019. Boston has scored 33 runs in the four wins after scoring five while getting swept by the Orioles in a three-game series at Fenway Park.

—Jayy Baez hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the sixth inning and the Chicago Cubs’ struggling offense came to life in a 4-2 over Pittsburgh. Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo also homered for Chicago as the Cubs pounded out a season-high 11 hits against Tyler Anderson (0-2) and four Pittsburgh relievers. Baez, Rizzo, Bryant and Jake Marisnick had two hits each as Chicago raised its major-league worst team batting average from .143 to .157. Adam Frazier and Gregory Polanco had two hits each for the Pirates but couldn’t stop Pittsburgh from dropping its sixth straight.

—Mitch Garver, Byron Buxton and Luis Arraez hit home runs to back José Berríos, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Seattle Mariners 10-2. Twins fans had plenty to cheer for in their return to Target Field. The sellout crowd was 9,675. Gates at the ballpark were closed last year due to the pandemic. Berríos was pulled with two outs in the sixth and a comfortable lead. Mariners starter Marco Gonzales didn’t finish the fifth. The Twins had a season-high 16 hits, including six doubles. Ty France had two hits and José Marmolejos homered off Berríos.

MLB-NEWS

Mets put Betances on injured list

UNDATED (AP) — New York Mets reliever Dellin Betances (DEH’-lihn beh-TAN’-sehs) has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement. The team announced the move a little less than 90 minutes before the first pitch of its home opener against Miami. New York selected right-hander Trevor Hildenberger to the major league roster and added him to a bullpen that struggled during the first three games of the season in Philadelphia. The oft-injured Betances made his season debut yesterday in an 8-2 loss to the Phillies.

In other MLB news:

— Infielder Ketel Marte (keh-TEHL’ mahr-TAY’) was placed on the 10-day injured list by the Arizona Diamondbacks, a day after hurting his right hamstring against the Colorado Rockies. Arizona recalled Andrew Young, who had been with its taxi squad. Marte was injured in the sixth inning of the Diamondbacks’ 8-0 loss. He grabbed the back of his right hamstring while running to first base after hitting a grounder to third and had to be helped off the field. Manager Torey Lovullo says Marte likely will get an MRI when the team returns home.

— Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt was not in the starting lineup against Milwaukee because of lower back tightness. St. Louis said the move was made for precautionary reasons. The 33-year-old, starting his third season with the Cardinals, is batting .308 with no homers and two RBIs in 26 at-bats through the first six games. Goldschmidt was a six-time All-Star with Arizona before he was acquired by the Cardinals.

NBA-NEWS

Van Vleet, Bembry, Horton-Tucker suspended for fighting

UNDATED (AP) — Toronto Raptors guards DeAndre’ Bembry and Fred Van Vleet and Los Angeles Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker have been suspended one game without pay following their fight in Tuesday night’s game. The suspensions were the result of the three players leaving their bench areas during the scuffle in the Lakers’ 110-101 win.

Also, Toronto’s OG Anunoby (an-oo-NOH’-bee) and Montrezl Harrell of Los Angeles were fined for their roles, leading to their ejections.

The altercation came in the first quarter after Dennis Schroder fouled Anunoby’s layup attempt. Schroder and Anunoby squared off and other players became involved.

In other NBA news:

— Golden State Warriors President and chief operating officer Rick Welts will leave his job after this season but stay with the organization as an adviser. The Warriors said Thursday they expect to name a successor within a week. The 68-year-old Welts has spent more than four decades in the NBA, including a stint at the league office in New York. He led the project plan at second-year Chase Center, where the Warriors will welcome back fans for their April 23 home game against the Denver Nuggets.

SOUTH CAROLINA-SHOOTING

Authorities: Former NFL player Phillip Adams killed 5, then himself

ROCK HILL, S.C. (AP) — Authorities in South Carolina say no motive has been established in a mass shooting believed to have been carried out by former NFL player Phillip Adams.

Officials in York County say Adams fatally shot five people including a prominent doctor, his wife and their two grandchildren before killing himself. York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson said evidence at the scene of Wednesday’s shootings led authorities to Adams at his parents’ nearby home. He was later found dead in a bedroom with a gunshot wound to the head.

The victims were identified as Dr. Robert Lesslie and his wife Barbara, their grandchildren Adah Lesslie, ages 9 and 5, and a man who had been working at the Lesslie home, James Lewis of Gaston. A sixth person, who was not identified, was hospitalized with gunshot wounds.

Adams played in 78 NFL games over five seasons for six teams. He joined the 49ers in 2010 as a seventh-round draft pick out of South Carolina State.

NFL-LIONS MOVES

Lions sign ex-Bills S Dean Marlowe

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions have signed safety Dean Marlowe, hoping he can help a defense that was one of the worst in NFL history last season.

Marlowe played in 15 games last year in his third season with the Buffalo Bills. He had a career-high two interceptions along with 16 tackles and a fumble recovery last season. Marlowe started four games last year and has started seven in his 31-game career.

The former James Madison player earned a spot in the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Carolina Panthers in 2015 and spent his first two years in the league with them.

Detroit gave up 519 points and 6,716 yards last season, breaking team records set by its winless team in 2008 and ranking among the league’s all-time worst in both categories.

MAC-TRANSFER RULES

MAC eliminates intraconference transfer restrictions

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Mid-American Conference is eliminating its policies regarding intraconference transfers and no longer requiring athletes to sit out a season of competition after switching from one MAC school to another.

The announcement comes about a week before the NCAA Division I Council is expected to move toward allowing all college athletes to transfer one time as an undergraduate and be immediately eligible to play.

Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher says going forward the MAC will be governed solely by NCAA transfer regulations.

PGA-MASTERS

Rose torches tough Augusta for 65 and 4-shot Masters lead

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Justin Rose picked one of the toughest days at Augusta National for his lowest score in the Masters. Rose made seven birdies and an eagle during a 10-hole stretch.

That took him from 2-over par to a 7-under 65 and a four-shot lead after the first round. This was nothing like November. Everyone knew that before the tournament started. No one could have seen a 65 in dry, firm and fast conditions. This was the fourth time Rose has had at least a share of the first-round lead at the Masters, a record he now shares with Jack Nicklaus.