Update on the latest sports
NBA PLAYOFFS-SUNS/CLIPPERS
Suns win low-scoring game for 3-1 lead
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Phoenix Suns managed just 34 points in the second half on Saturday, but it was enough to take a three-games-to-one lead in the NBA’s Western Conference Finals.
Devin Booker scored 25 points before fouling out in the final minute of the Suns’ 84-80 win over the Clippers in Los Angeles. Chris Paul had 18 points, dished out seven assists and was 5-for-6 from the line in the final 13 seconds to help Phoenix clinch it.
Deandre Ayton added 19 points and a career playoff-high 22 rebounds, helping the Suns bounce back from Thursday’s loss to the Clippers.
The Clippers trailed by 14 before outscoring the Suns, 30-19 in the third quarter. But Los Angeles was held to 14 points in the final period.
LA forward Paul George had 23 points, 16 rebounds and six assists before fouling out with 1 second left. Reggie Jackson added 20 points for the Clippers, who will try to stave off elimination Monday in Phoenix.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Tigers end Astros’ streak
UNDATED (AP) — The Houston Astros have fallen one short of tying the longest winning streak in team history by dropping Game 1 of a doubleheader in Detroit.
Zack Short’s first major league home run was a two-run blast that snapped a 1-1 deadlock in the fifth inning of the Tigers’ 3-1 victory over the Astros. Short was recalled as the 27th man for the twinbill. He promptly doubled in the third for his first career extra-base hit before going deep to end Houston’s 11-game winning streak.
Casey Mize improved to 2-0 in his last four starts, giving up one run on six hits and two walks in six innings. Framber Valdez gave up Short’s home run and fell to 4-1.
Houston was able to get a split of the twinbill. Yordan (yohr-DAHN’) Alvarez and Carlos Correa hit back-to-back homers in the sixth inning to give the Astros a 3-2 victory in Game 2. Houston trailed 2-0 until Jose Altuve (al-TOO’-vay) doubled and scored on the blast by Alvarez.
Elsewhere on the major league schedule:
— Brett Phillips drove in three runs and the Rays picked up their fourth straight win by trouncing the Angels, 13-3. Manuel Margot (mahn-WEHL’ mahr-GOH’) and Mike Zunino (zoo-NEE’-noho) homered to back Shane McClanahan, who allowed three runs and four hits over six innings. Ji-Man Choi had four hits and drove in two runs as the Rays improved to 6-0 against the Angels this season.
— The Red Sox are 5-0 versus the Yankees this season after Nathan Eovaldi (eh-VAHL’-dee) took a shutout into the eighth inning of their 4-2 win against New York. Eovaldi’s night ended when DJ LeMhieu (leh-MAY’-hyoo) smacked a solo homer with two out in the eighth. Xander Bogaerts (BOH’-gahrts) hit one of Boston’s three sacrifice flies and scored on Hunter Renfroe’s third-inning single.
— Vladimir Guerrero Jr. belted his major league-leading 26th home run, one of three hit by the Blue Jays in a 12-4 pounding of the Orioles. Guerrero homered during a four-run burst in the third inning that also included Bo Bichette’s RBI double and a Teoscar (tay-AHS’-kur) Hernández homer. Randal Grichuk (GRIH’-chuhk) added a three-run blast in the fifth and finished with four RBIs in Toronto’s sixth win in seven games.
— The Rangers have their first winning streak in more than a month after Joey Gallo blasted a pair of long homers in a 8-0 rout of the Royals. Gallo’s two home runs averaged 448 feet and drove in five runs. Kyle Gibson had a season-high 10 strikeouts and allowed two hits over seven innings.
— Christian Yelich (YEH’-lihch) smacked a two-run homer while the Brewers scored six times in the eighth to beat the Rockies, 10-4. Omar Narváez (nahr-VY’-ehz) produced a tiebreaking sacrifice fly and Luis Urías (oo-REE’-uhs) singled home two runs earlier in the eighth. Milwaukee collected a season-high 14 hits and improved to 4-2 against the Rockies this season, with all four Brewers wins coming on their final at bat.
— Curt Casali lined an RBI double to cap the Giants’ two-run 10th in a 6-5 comeback over the Athletics. LaMonte (lah-MAHN’) Wade slammed a two-run homer and Donovan Solano tied it with a solo shot in the eighth. Matt Chapman lifted a sacrifice fly in the 10th and smacked a two-run homer that put the A’s ahead, 4-2 in the seventh.
— Eduardo Escobar drove in five runs and the Diamondbacks ended their record road losing streak at 24 games with a 10-1 trouncing of the Padres. Escobar and Christian Walker homered for the Diamondbacks, who hadn’t won away from Chase Field since April 25. Merrill Kelly scattered five hits over six shutout innings.
— The Dodgers pulled out a 3-2 win over the Cubs on Cody Bellinger’s solo shot with two out in the bottom of the ninth. The Cubs rallied to tie it after Max Muncy poked an RBI double and scored on Justin Turner’s single. Anthony Rizzo homered for the Cubs, who have dropped the last two games of the series after no-hitting Los Angeles.
— Adam Wainwright pitched into the seventh inning and the Cardinals ended a five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Pirates. Wainwright allowed one run and six hits with eight strikeouts in helping St. Louis win for just the seventh time in its last 25 games. Paul Goldschmidt and Paul DeJong (deh-YUHNG’) hit solo home runs to help the Redbirds beat a division rival for the first time in 11 games.
— Luis Castillo continued his recent resurgence by working seven scoreless innings to lead the Reds’ 4-1 win against the Braves. Castillo is 2-2 with a 1.71 ERA in five June starts after entering the month with a 7.22 earned run average. Cincinnati outfielder Jesse Winker homered before departing with a hip injury.
— Jacob deGrom’s shutout streak ended at 31 innings, but the Mets scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to pull out a 4-3 win over the Phillies. DeGrom gave up more than one run for the first time this season, reached for two runs and three hits with five strikeouts over six innings. Philadelphia led 3-2 until Luis Guillorme (gee-OHR’-may) worked out a bases-loaded walk and Michael Conforto lifted a sacrifice fly to end it.
— The Marlins were 3-2 winners against the Nationals as rookie Zach Thompson struck out 11 while allowing two runs and three hits over six innings. Jon Berti led off the bottom of the fifth with a homer to break a 2-2 tie. Nationals slugger Kyle Schwarber was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts after homering in 13 of his previous 14 games.
— The Mariners and White Sox were suspended in the third inning because of heavy rain that also delayed the start in Chicago. The teams will resume the nine-inning game on Sunday before playing a seven-inning nightcap.
— The Indians’ game against the Twins in Minnesota was postponed with heavy rain in the forecast. The game will be made up as part of a September 14 doubleheader.
MLB-NEWS
Soroka has more Achilles’ trouble
UNDATED (AP) — Braves pitcher Mike Soroka (sah-ROH’-kah) is facing his third right Achilles’ surgery in 11 months after tearing it while walking to the team’s clubhouse at Truist Park.
Soroka originally tore it in a game against the Mets last August and had surgery after the season. He needed another procedure last month after experiencing a setback.
Soroka emerged as one of the foundations of the Braves’ rotation in 2019, when he went 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA.
STANLEY CUP FINAL-CANADIENS
Ducharme to return for Game 3
MONTREAL (AP) — Interim head coach Dominic Ducharme (doo-SHAHRM’) says he will rejoin the Montreal Canadiens for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against Tampa Bay.
Ducharme missed the team’s last four games of the semifinals after testing positive for COVID-19. He says he remains symptom free and had hoped he’d be allowed to complete his two-week mandatory self-quarantine earlier.
The Habs are 3-1 under acting coach Luke Richardson and advanced to the Cup Final for the first time in 28 years.
COLLEGE WORLD SERIES-NC STATE
Wolfpack forced out of CWS
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — North Carolina State baseball players who were one win away from playing for a national championship reacted with anger and confusion to their team’s removal from the College World Series because of COVID-19 protocols. Right fielder Devonte Brown said something he dreamed of as a little kid was snatched away in the blink of an eye.
Vanderbilt advanced to the CWS finals after the NCAA announced early Saturday that the Wolfpack would not be allowed to continue in the tournament. NC State had only 13 players available during its 3-1 loss to Vanderbilt on Friday.
Vanderbilt will play Mississippi State for the title a best-of-three series starting Monday night.
NASCAR-POCONO
Bowman wins after Larson blows tire
LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Kyle Larson’s winning streak is over.
Larson had won three straight Cup races and was in line for a fourth when he blew a tire on the final lap at Pocono Raceway on Saturday, allowing Hendrick teammate Alex Bowman to win the race.
It’s the sixth consecutive victory for Hendrick Motorsports and the third for Bowman in his last 10 starts.
Larson passed Bowman with three laps remaining and was about a mile from becoming the first driver since Jimmie Johnson in 2007 to win four consecutive Cup races.
LPGA-WOMEN’S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Salas, Korda share Women’s PGA Championship lead
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. (AP) — Lizette Salas and Nelly Korda are co-leaders heading into the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Salas fired her third straight 5-under 67 to make up a stroke on Korda, the second-round leader. She shot a 30 on the front nine before carding her first bogey of the tournament on the 10th hole.
Korda shot a 68 to get to 15 under as she seeks her third win of the season. She’s the only player with multiple victories.
Patty Tavatanakit, Giulia Molinaro and Celine Boutier share third at minus-10. Tavatanakit ran off four straight birdies toward the end of her round for a 65.
PGA-TRAVELERS
Watson, Hickok still tied through 54
CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Three-time Travelers champion Bubba Watson continues to share the Travelers Championship lead with Kramer Hickok after each shot 2-under 68s in the third round.
Watson picked up three strokes on Kramer Hickok over the final two holes and moved to 10 under.
Hickok headed to the 17th with a three-shot edge over Watson before carding bogeys on his last two holes. Hickok is seeking his first PGA win.
Jason Day, Cameron Smith and Russell Henley are one stroke back. Smith picked up two shots on the co-leaders with a 66.
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
Stricker falters but still leads by 4
AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Steve Stricker is up by four shots through three rounds of the Bridgestone Seniors Players Championship, but his lead could have been a lot more.
Three opening birdies gave Stricker an eight-shot lead before a series of missed greens and bad putts. He steadied himself with a birdie on the par-5 16th and wound up with a 2-over 72 that leaves him minus-7.
Jerry Kelly is alone in second, one ahead of Ken Duke.
TENNIS-SERENA WILLIAMS-OLYMPICS
Serena Williams says she won’t play at the Tokyo Olympics
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Serena Williams says she will not go to the Tokyo Olympics.
Williams did not say why she is skipping the trip to Japan. She was asked about her Olympic plans during a pre-Wimbledon video conference with reporters Sunday.
The 39-year-old American joins other top tennis players including Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem (teem) in saying they will not go to the Olympics this year. Roger Federer said Saturday he has not decided whether to compete in Tokyo.
Williams has won four gold medals at past Summer Games for the United States: in both singles and doubles at the 2012 London Olympics and in doubles at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2008 Beijing Olympics. All her doubles golds were won with her older sister, Venus, as her partner.
CYCLING-TOUR DE FRANCE
Alaphilippe wins opening stage; Froom crashes out
LANDERNEAU, France (AP) — Julian Alaphilippe (ah-lah-fee-LEEP’) avoided most of the numerous crashes to win the opening stage of the Tour de France with a punchy attack.
The Frenchman was involved in the first pileup caused by a fan that took down a large part of the peloton but he remained on his bike. He surged ahead of the main pack in the final steep climb leading to the finish in Landerneau, Alaphilippe was eight seconds ahead of Michael Matthews.
The second pileup involved dozens of competitors riding at full speed near the finish. That wreck knocked four-time champion Chris Froome out of the race. Froome said he would race Sunday after he went to a hospital and underwent scans that did not reveal any fractures.
