Update on the latest sports
HORSE RACING-BAFFERT
Baffert suspended by Churchill Downs officials
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Bob Baffert won’t be strolling the stalls at Churchill Downs for a while.
Track officials have suspended the Hall of Fame trainer for two years after an additional drug test of Medina Spirit confirmed the presence of the steroid betamethasone in the Kentucky Derby winner’s system. The next step could be the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission disqualifying Medina Spirit, expunging Baffert’s record seventh Kentucky Derby victory.
Baffert won’t be able to enter any horses in the Derby or other races at the storied track through the spring of 2023.
Churchill Downs reserves the right to extend Baffert’s suspension if he has any other violations in other states. Baffert has had five in the past 13 months.
New York banned Baffert indefinitely and prevented him from entering any horses in the Belmont Stakes.
FRENCH OPEN-DAY 4
Serena recovers in time to advance
PARIS (AP) — Serena Williams was able to win her second-round match at the French Open after being forced to three sets against 174th-ranked Mihaela Buzarnescu.
Williams advanced with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 victory, surviving a stretch in which her serve was broken three times in 10 games. By the end of the first set, Williams had won 20 of 23 points she served. She regrouped in the third set and stayed in line for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title.
Next for the No. 7-seeded Williams is an all-American matchup against Danielle Collins, who overwhelmed Anhelina Kalinina 6-0, 6-2.
Joining Williams in the third round are third seed Aryna Sabalenka, 15th seed Victoria Azarenka and American Madison Keys, all in straight sets.
No. 10 Belinda Bencic (BEHN’-chihch) was the highest women’s seed to fall, losing 6-2, 6-2 to Daria Kasatkina.
Men’s No. 2 Daniil Medvedev has reached the third round in Paris for the first time by coming back from a poor start to eliminate American Tommy Paul in four sets. Medvedev had been 0-4 at Roland Garros heading into this tournament.
Winners on the men’s side include fifth seed Stafanos Tsitsipas and No. 6 Alexander Zverev, along with Americans John Isler, Reilly Opelka, Marcos Giron and Steve Johnson. No. 11 Roberto Bautista Agut (ah-GOO’) dropped a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 decision to Henri Laaksonen.
French Open organizers say that both members of a men’s doubles team have tested positive for COVID-19 and have been dropped from the tournament. The tournament did not identify the players, who were placed in quarantine.
MLB-SCHEDULE
UNDATED (AP) — The Chicago Cubs hit the road having won nine of their last 10 games.
Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo led the Cubs’ offense in a 6-1 win over the Padres. Baez launched his 14th homer of the season and third in three games, a two-run shot in the seventh inning. Rizzo was 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, including a two-run two-bagger that snapped a one-all tie in the fifth.
Adbert Alzolay (AD’-burt AL’-zoh-ly) allowed one run on three hits and struck out seven in five innings for the win.
The Cubs homered eight times in sweeping the Padres in a three-game set at Wrigley Field for the first time since May 2012.
San Diego lost its fourth straight.
Also on the major league schedule:
— Francisco Lindor (lihn-DOHR’) had three hits and scored the winning run on Pete Alonso’s single in the ninth inning in the Mets’ 7-6 victory over the Diamondbacks. James McCann smacked a three-run homer and had four RBIs as the Mets took the rubber match of the three-game set to win for the sixth time in seven games.
— The Indians have postponed their game against the White Sox because of rain. The teams will play a split doubleheader on Sept. 23.
— The Phillies and Reds were rained out in Cincinnati. The game will be made up on June 28, a scheduled off day for both teams.
MLB-NATIONALS-STRASBURG
Strasburg hurt again
UNDATED (AP) — The Washington Nationals placed right-hander Stephen Strasburg on the 10-day injured list with a neck strain, the second time he’s been sidelined this season.
Strasburg flew to Washington to be examined on Wednesday after he complained of tightness in his shoulder and neck in Tuesday night’s 11-6 win over the Braves. The 32-year-old was pulled after only 1 1/3 innings.
NBA-NEWS
Embiid out tonight
UNDATED (AP) — If the Philadelphia 76ers are able to advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs tonight, they will do it without their MVP candidate.
Center Joel Embiid (joh-EHL ehm-BEED’) is sitting out Game 5 against the Wizards because of a knee injury. Embiid underwent an MRI on Tuesday that revealed a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee. Surgery isn’t expected to be necessary, and the All-Star is listed as day to day.
Embiid was injured in Philadelphia’s Game 4 loss on Monday. He wound up on the floor behind the baseline after having his shot blocked by Washington’s Robin Lopez on a drive to the basket in the first quarter.
Also in the NBA:
— Celtics president Danny Ainge (aynj) has retired and head coach Brad Stevens has moved into the front office. The moves came the morning after Boston’s season-ending loss to the Nets in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series. Ainge took over as the team president in 2003 and was voted the league’s top executive five years later, when Boston won its 17th championship.
— Former University of Michigan men’s basketball coach John Bielein (BEE’-lyn) has been hired by the Pistons as a senior adviser for player development. Beilein spent 12 seasons with the Wolverines, winning 278 games and reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 five times in nine tournaments. He reached the 2013 and 2018 title games, losing both before leaving to become head coach of the Cavaliers for part of the 2019-20 season.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-DUKE-KRZYZEWSKI
Krzyzewski to coach last season in 2021-22
UNDATED (AP) — Duke’s Hall of Fame basketball coach is about to hang up his whistle.
Mike Krzyzewski (shuh-SHEF’-skee) will step down at the end of next season. His successor will be former Duke player and associate head coach Jon Scheyer.
Krzyzewski issued a statement Wednesday saying he and his family view the announcement as a celebration.
The 74-year-old Krzyzewski has led Duke to five national championships, most recently in 2015. His 1,170 victories are the most in men’s Division I basketball history.
Scheyer coached the Blue Devils last season while Krzyzewski was in quarantine.
NHL-DRAFT LOTTERY
Sabres get top pick
SECAUCUS, N.J. (AP) — The Sabres were the NHL’s big winners on Wednesday after serving as the league’s biggest losers this season.
The Sabres have won the draft lottery and will have the No. 1 pick this summer. Buffalo had the best shot of getting the top pick after finishing a league-worst 15-34-7.
Two draws were held. The first determined the club selecting first overall and the second determined the team receiving the No. 2 choice.
Seattle will choose second, followed by Anaheim, New Jersey and Columbus. Detroit, San Jose, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Ottawa round out the top 10.
NFL-NEWS
49ers center Richburg retires
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers center Weston Richburg has retired at age 29 after a knee injury derailed his career.
Richburg missed the entire 2020 season recovering from knee surgery and remained on San Francisco’s roster until now to delay some of the salary cap impact until 2021.
