NBA
The Cleveland Cavaliers are losing LeBron James once again.
The 33-year-old forward has agreed to a four-year, $154 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. This is the third time in eight years James has changed teams. He returned to the Cavs in 2014 after four seasons in Miami.
The 14-time All-Star is ranked seventh on the NBA's all-time list with 31,038 points. James is also fourth in scoring average at 27.2 points.
The game's best all-around player and biggest star will now lead a young Lakers team that has been overmatched in recent years while rebuilding but will instantly rise with James. He joins a roster that included Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma and Isaiah Thomas last season.
The Lakers also include Lance Stephenson after he agreed to a deal with the team on Sunday. Stephenson averaged 9.2 points last season.
In other NBA news:
Aaron Gordon has agreed to a four-year, $82 million deal to remain with the Magic. That's according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations.
Glenn Robinson is coming back to Michigan after a person was knowledge of the agreement says the former Wolverine has taken a one-year contract with the Pistons.
A person with knowledge of the situation says forward Trevor Ariza has agreed to a one-year, $15 million contract with the Suns.
A person with knowledge of the contract says the Raptors have reached an agreement with Fred VanVleet on a two-year, $18 million deal.
Aron Baynes and the Celtics have worked out a two-year, $11 million contract, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.
Derrick Jones Jr. has signed a minimum deal with the Miami Heat, after playing with them on a two-way contract last season.
The Kings have signed first-round pick Marvin Bagley III to a contract.
MLB
The Tampa Bay Rays are back over .500 after concluding an 8-1 homestand by taking three straight from the Astros.
Blake Snell improved to 11-4 by limiting Houston to one run and four hits over 7 1/3 innings of the Rays' 3-2 victory. Diego Castillo preserved Tampa Bay's 2-1 lead in the eighth by striking out Jose Altuve with the bases loaded.
Matt Duffy hit a two-out, two-run single in the seventh to break a 1-1 tie, one inning before Mallex Smith homered to make it 3-1.
Charlie Morton fell to 10-2 despite striking out 11 and yielding six hits over 6 2/3s.
Houston's lead in the AL West is down to a half-game over Seattle following the Mariners' seventh consecutive win, a 1-0 decision over the Royals. James Paxton fanned 11 and held the Royals to a pair of hits over eight innings to move to 8-2. Ben Gamel's second-inning single brought home the game's only run.
Checking out the rest of Sunday's major league schedule:
Aaron Hicks slammed three of the Yankees' six home runs and had four RBIs as New York destroyed the Red Sox, 11-1 to move percentage points ahead of Boston in the AL East. The Yankees torched David Price once again, reaching him for eight runs and nine hits in just 3 1/3 innings. Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres and Kyle Higashioka homered to back Luis Severino, who is 13-2 after tossing two-hit shutout ball over 6 2/3 innings. Boston heads to D.C. to take on the Nationals Monday at 7:00 p.m. and The Yankees host the Braves Monday at 7:05 p.m.
Francisco Lindor homered and provided two of the Indians' 11 doubles in a 15-3 dismantling of the Athletics. Edwin Encarnacion also homered and Yonder Alonso went 4-for-6 with two doubles and three RBIs. Cleveland ended Oakland's six-game winning streak and increased its lead in the AL Central to nine games over the Twins.
The Reds' 8-2 rout of the Brewers leaves Milwaukee just a half-game ahead of the second-place Cubs in the NL Central. Jose Peraza connected in the sixth inning for the Reds' ninth slam this year, tying the single-season franchise record set in 2002. Matt Harvey won his third consecutive start by holding the Brewers to two hits over 5 2/3 innings.
Pitcher Jon Lester belted a three-run homer that ignited the Cubs' eight-run second in an 11-10 triumph over the Twins. Javier Baez doubled home a pair in the second and Ian Happ supplied a solo blast that put Chicago ahead 10-3 in the fifth. Lester improved to 11-2 and the Cubs picked up their fourth straight win after surviving Minnesota's five-run eighth.
Pinch-hitter Hunter Pence lined a big two-run double and the Giants won for the 10th time in 12 games by whipping the Diamondbacks, 9-9. Joe Panik and Brandon Belt each had two hits and two RBIs as San Francisco wrapped up a three-game sweep. Paul Goldschmidt belted a two-run homer for the Diamondbacks, whose lead in the NL West is down to 2 ½ games over the Giants and Dodgers.
The Dodgers earned a 6-4 win over the Rockies behind Matt Kemp, who had three hits and four RBIs. Kemp sent his 14th homer of the season over the center-field wall off Adam Ottavino in the eighth inning to put Los Angeles ahead 5-4. He drove in the Dodgers' first three runs with an RBI groundout in the first, a double in the third and a single in the fifth.
The Braves kept their three-game lead in the NL East by building a 6-0 lead before holding off the Cardinals, 6-5. Freddie Freeman crushed a two-run homer and Charlie Culberson drove in two runs to back Mike Foltynewicz, who pitched one-hit ball while striking out nine over five shutout innings. Tommy Pham hit a three-run homer in a five-run seventh before the Cardinals dropped their fourth in a row to stay 5 ½ games off the NL Central lead.
The Phillies remained three games behind the Braves by downing the Nationals, 4-3 on Andrew Knapp's walk-off homer in the 13th inning. Philadelphia tied the game with a three-run fifth, capped by Odubel Herrera's RBI single. Adam Eaton's two-run single didn't stop the Nats from falling six games back in the NL East.
Manny Machado and Mark Trumbo belted consecutive homers while the Orioles were scoring six times in the fourth inning of an 8-2 rout of the Angels. Trumbo and Trey Mancini added solo shots in the fifth as Baltimore ended a seven-game losing streak.
The Tigers' 11-game skid is over after Nick Castellanos hit his fourth career grand slam and Jordan Zimmermann gave up one run over seven innings of a 9-1 thrashing of the Blue Jays. JaCoby Jones smacked a two-run homer, Niko Goodrum had four hits and Jose Iglesias had two hits and two RBIs in Detroit's first win since June 17.
Colin Moran hit his second grand slam of the season to put the Pirates ahead 6-3 in the fifth inning of a 7-5 verdict over the Padres. Corey Dickerson and Elias Diaz also homered as Pittsburgh took the rubber match of the three-game set.
The Mets won for only the second time in 12 games as Steven Matz combined with three relievers on a four-hitter in a 5-2 victory at Miami. Matz also furnished an RBI single and was lifted after allowing an unearned run and three hits over 5 1/3 innings. New York has the night off as they head to Toronto to face the Blue Jays Tuesday at 7:07 p.m.
Avisail Garcia went 4-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored as the White Sox doubled up the Rangers, 10-5. Jose Abreu and Matt Davidson drove in three runs apiece to back Reynaldo Lopez, who allowed two runs over 6 1/3 innings.
In other MLB news:
The Phillies have placed right-hander Vince Velasquez on the 10-day disabled list with a bruised forearm a day after he made a dazzling throw with his left hand. Velasquez was hit just below the elbow on a liner back up the middle by Washington's Adam Eaton on Saturday. He picked up the ball and threw it left-handed to first base to get the final out. He then went down, writhing in pain and clutching his right arm.
Strikeouts exceeded hits in the major leagues for the second time in three months, a deviation that had never occurred before this year. The Elias Sports Bureau says there were 6,776 strikeouts and 6,640 hits in June.
NHL
Five-time All-Star center John Tavares is going home, agreeing to terms on a seven-year, $77 million contract with his childhood team, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Tavares had spent his entire NHL career with the Islanders after being taken first overall in the 2009 draft. He scored 37 goals and 84 points while playing all 82 games for New York last season.
The 27-year-old Tavares has scored 272 goals and 621 points in 669 career games. He was a First Team All-Star in 2015.
The Isles countered by working out a four-year, $12 million package with Leo Komarov, who provided seven goals and 19 points in 74 games for Toronto last season.
In other NHL news:
The Flyers have signed left winger James van Riemsdyk to a five-year, $35 million deal. Van Riemsdyk scored 36 goals last season and is back with the team that picked him second overall in the 2007 draft.
The Lightning have signed defenseman Ryan McDonagh to a seven-year, $47.25 million extension that begins with the 2019-20 season. Tampa Bay acquired McDonagh from the Rangers at the trade deadline.
The Blackhawks have signed goaltender Cam Ward, winger Chris Kunitz and defenseman Brandon Manning. Ward and Kunitz each took one-year deals, while Manning received a two-year pact.
Veteran free-agent defenseman Jack Johnson has agreed to sign a five-year, $16.25 million deal with the Penguins.
A person with direct knowledge of the trade tells The Associated Press the Sabres acquired two draft picks, including a 2019 first-rounder, and three players in dealing center Ryan O'Reilly to the Blues. Buffalo also picked up veteran centers Vladimir Sobotka and Patrik Berglund, and center Tage Thompson, the Blues first-round pick in the 2016 draft. The Sabres also worked out a three-year, $8.25 million contract with netminder Carter Hutton. Hutton was 17-7-3 with a 2.09 goals-against average in 32 games for the Blues last season.
The Coyotes have signed All-Star defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to an eight-year contract extension that averages $8.25 million per year. Arizona also inked forward Michael Grabner to a three-year contract worth just over $10.
The Golden Knights have signed center Paul Stastny to a $19.5 million, three-year deal. He had 53 points last season plus 15 more in 19 playoff games with the Jets last spring.
The Blue Jackets have signed center Riley Nash to a three-year $8.25 million package. The 29-year-old Nash had a career-high 41 points last season with Boston.
The Rangers have agreed to terms on an $8 million, two-year deal with restricted free agent forward Vladislav Namestnikov, who had 44 points in 81 games with the Lightning and Blueshirts last season.
The Red Wings' rebuilding process has some age to it following the signings of 34-year-old winger Thomas Vanek and 29-year-old goaltender Jonathan Bernier, along with the re-signing of 32-year-old defenseman Mike Green. Vanek signed a $3 million, one-year deal, Bernier got $3 million per season on a three-year deal and Green will make $5.375 million annually over the next two years.
The Stanley Cup champion Capitals lost one of their longest tenured players as center Jay Beagle signed a four-year, $12 million deal with the Canucks.
The Avalanche have added two free agents from the Columbus Blue Jackets, signing defenseman Ian Cole and forward Matt Calvert to three-year deals.
The Wild are bringing in a couple of veteran forwards, agreeing to one-year deals with Matt Hendricks and Eric Fehr.
NASCAR
Kyle Busch outdueled Kyle Larson on a wild final lap to win NASCAR's Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway.
Busch moved into the lead on a restart with 58 laps to go, replacing Kevin Harvick at the front of the field. Busch, Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. were up front with about 40 laps left before a hard-charging Larson crashed the party.
It was Busch's fifth victory overall this year and his second win at Chicagoland.
Harvick was third, followed by Truex and Clint Bowyer. Truex was trying for his third straight victory at Chicago.
PGA
Francesco Molinari picked up his first PGA victory by delivering a record performance to win the final edition of the Quicken Loans National. The Italian closed with an 8-under 62 for an eight-shot victory, matching the largest margin this year on the PGA Tour. Molinari holed a 50-foot eagle putt to start the back nine, and he never stopped until he turned the final round into a runaway and finished 21 under to break the tournament record by seven shots. Tiger Woods closed with a 66 and tied for fourth, his best result since a runner-up finish at the Valspar Championship three months ago.
David Toms made one long putt to take the lead, then another one to preserve it on his way to a one-shot victory at the U.S. Senior Open. Toms sank a 15-foot birdie on the par-3 16th hole at the Broadmoor to take the lead, then held on with a 20-foot downhill make after laying up from a fairway bunker on the 17th hole. Toms finished 3-under to edge third-round leaders Jerry Kelly, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Tim Petrovic.
SOCCER
Russia has eliminated Spain from the World Cup. The Russians survived two hours of dominance from the 2010 champions in a 1-1 draw, and then won a penalty shootout 4-3. All four Russian shooters scored before thousands of screaming home fans, the team's greatest win in international soccer in 10 years.
The World Cup's lowest-ranked team now advances to a quarterfinal in Sochi on Saturday.
Spain has now failed to win a knockout game at three major tournaments since it won the 2012 European championship.
Also on Sunday, Danijel Subasic made three saves in the shootout as Croatia beat Denmark 3-2 on penalties to advance to a quarterfinal against Russia. Subasic joins former Portugal goalkeeper Ricardo as the only man to save three shots in a single Cup shootout.
In Monday’s World Cup action Brazil takes on Mexico at 10 a.m. EST and Belgium goes against Japan at 2 p.m. EST.
TENNIS
Two-time champion Andy Murray has pulled out of Wimbledon because of a hip injury.
Murray had surgery on his hip in January and returned to competition only two weeks ago.
The tournament begins Monday in London.
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