MLB:
Steven Kwan kept up an historic start to his big league career with a bases-loaded triple, Oscar Mercado added a two-run homer and the Cleveland Guardians beat Kansas City 10-7 to split their season-opening series.
Kwan became the first player in big league history to begin his career by reaching base at least three times in each of his first four games. He was 9 of 13 for the series, reaching base in 15 of 19 plate appearances.
Logan Allen earned the win with two scoreless innings of relief in his first appearance of the season. Jake Brentz took the loss for the Royals.
In other MLB action:
Byron Buxton and Luis Arraez each had three hits and Dylan Bundy earned his first win in a Twins uniform as Minnesota won its series finale against the Seattle Mariners by a 4-0 final Monday at Target Field.
George Springer answered booing fans with a go-ahead, two-run homer and a RBI double, and the Toronto Blue Jays made three sparkling defensive plays to beat New York 3-0 and extend their Yankee Stadium winning streak to five.
Maikel Franco drove in five runs with four hits, including a two-run homer as the Washington Nationals beat Huascar Ynoa and the Atlanta Braves 11-2. Franco homered to cap a five-run third, then added a three-run double off Tucker Davidson as the Nationals again scored five runs in the eighth. The Braves lost their second in a row.
Jose Iglesias’ fourth hit was a tiebreaking RBI single in the 10th inning and the Colorado Rockies won a game-ending replay challenge to beat Texas 6-4, spoiling the Rangers’ home opener.
Cedric Mullins hit a two-run single, Bruce Zimmermann pitched four sharp innings and the Baltimore Orioles won their opening game at a slightly altered Camden Yards, 2-0 over the Milwaukee Brewers. Mullins singled off Milwaukee starter Adrian Houser with the bases loaded in the second to bring home the game’s only runs.
Javier Báez hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth inning and the Detroit Tigers held on to beat the Boston Red Sox 3-1. Baez sent a 396-foot shot to left off Ryan Brasier that scored Austin Meadows. Michael Fulmer pitched the eighth and Gregory Soto closed the game for Detroit’s first save of the season.
J.T. Realmuto hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning and Rhys Hoskins and Didi Gregorius followed with run-scoring doubles that helped the Philadelphia Phillies rally past the New York Mets 5-4. The Phillies trailed 4-0 before they scored five runs against two Mets relievers. Brad Hand worked the ninth for the save.
Paul Blackburn allowed three hits in five scoreless innings, Seth Brown and Elvis Andrus both hit three-run homers, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Tampa Bay Rays 13-2. It was Tampa Bay’s first loss after opening the season with a three-game sweep of Baltimore.
Chicago Cubs reliever Keegan Thompson has been suspended for three games for hitting Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Andrew McCutchen with a pitch. Cubs manager David Ross was suspended for one game by Major League Baseball.
Thompson and Ross also were fined an undisclosed amount.
Ross will serve his suspension Tuesday at Pittsburgh. If Thompson doesn’t appeal the punishment, he will begin his suspension as well with the series opener against the Pirates.
In other MLB news:
The Lerner family that has owned the Washington Nationals since 2006 is exploring the possibility of selling the Major League Baseball franchise. Manager Dave Martinez says Mark Lerner called him to deliver the news. Lerner in recent years had said the family would never sell the team. Forbes valued the team at $2 billion.
Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen was put on the 10-day injured list with a strained left oblique muscle. Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo announced it before a series opener at Yankee Stadium.
NHL:
Evgeny Svechnikov scored a tiebreaking goal midway through the third period, and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-2. Morgan Barron had a goal and an assist and Paul Stastny also scored for Winnipeg.
Adam Lowry added an empty-net goal, and Dylan Samberg had two assists. Starting back-to-back games, Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves.
Josh Anderson scored his 100th career goal for Montreal, and Joel Armia added a goal against his former team. Samuel Montembeault finished with 31 saves.
Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin has been suspended four games for cross-checking Nashville’s Mark Borowiecki in the face. The NHL’s department of player safety announced the suspension after holding a hearing with Malkin about the play.
Malkin was initially given only a four-minute double-minor penalty after striking Borowiecki in the mouth with his stick at the end of the second period Sunday. This is Malkin’s second suspension after a one-game ban for high-sticking in 2019. This one costs him $190,000 in salary. He’s eligible to return April 23 vs. Detroit.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his wrist. He is expected to be ready for training camp. Doughty was injured March 7 in a game at Boston, and he hasn’t played in 16 consecutive games since March 10.
NBA:
The Los Angeles Lakers have fired Frank Vogel. The championship-winning head coach is the first member of the organization to take the fall for one of the most disappointing seasons in NBA history.
Vogel was fired exactly 18 months after he led the Lakers to the franchise’s 17th title in his first season in charge. Almost nothing went right in the ensuing two seasons for the rosters assembled by general manager Rob Pelinka and coached by Vogel. The former Orlando and Indiana coach went 126-98 in his three seasons running the Lakers. Los Angeles finished 33-49 this year and missed the playoffs.
Elsewhere around the NBA:
The Sacramento Kings have fired interim coach Alvin Gentry a day after the franchise missed the playoffs for a 16th straight season. Sacramento won 116-109 at NBA-leading Phoenix on Sunday to finish at 30-52. The 67-year-old Gentry was promoted from associate head coach to interim coach when the Kings fired Luke Walton in November following a 6-11 start.
Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch has signed a multi-year contract extension. He guided the team to seventh place in the Western Conference and a play-in game berth. The Timberwolves host the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday for a spot in the playoffs.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL:
Louisville coach Kenny Payne has named former Duke staffer Nolan Smith as assistant coach. It is Payne’s first staff hire since becoming Cardinals head coach nearly three weeks ago.
Smith’s hiring comes nearly a week since he informed the team of his departure after a season as assistant to Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski and six overall with the Blue Devils. Smith helped Duke win three consecutive ACC championships from 2009-11 and the NCAA men’s basketball title in 2010.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL:
Brandon Murray has chosen to transfer to Georgetown. The former LSU guard picked Georgetown over Tennessee and Illinois.
Murray was considered one of the top players in the NCAA transfer portal. He started 32 games for LSU last season and averaged 10 points a game.
NFL:
The Washington Commanders have re-signed kicker Joey Slye. The team announced the deal Monday. A person with knowledge of the move tells The Associated Press it’s a two-year deal that could be worth up to $5 million with $2 million guaranteed.
Slye was a perfect 12 of 12 on field goals and made nine of 10 extra points with Washington last season. Washington was his third team in 2021 after bouncing around the NFL from Houston to San Francisco. The 26-year-old found a groove despite missing four games with a hamstring injury.
Elsewhere in the NFL:
The Jacksonville Jaguars waived linebacker Dylan Moses as players reported for the team’s voluntary offseason workout program. Moses signed with Jacksonville as an undrafted rookie from Alabama in 2021. He spent all of last season on the non-football injury list after undergoing knee surgery in February 2021.
Gary Brown, who rushed for 4,300 yards while playing on three NFL teams in the 1990s before going on to coach running backs in the pro and college ranks, has died. He was 52. Brown had coached Wisconsin’s running backs last season before departing for health-related reasons. He coached the Cowboys’ running backs from 2013-19.
WNBA:
Moments before Rhyne Howard went to Atlanta with the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league is working very hard to help bring Brittney Griner back to the United States.
Griner, one of the league’s biggest stars, has been detained in Russia since arriving at a Moscow airport in mid-February. Russian authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges that allegedly contained oil derived from cannabis, which could carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
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