MLB
The New York Yankees have acquired All-Star slugger Juan Soto in a blockbuster trade with the cost-cutting San Diego Padres. San Diego received right-handed pitchers Michael King, Jhony Brito, Randy Vásquez and Drew Thorpe along with catcher Kyle Higashioka. In addition to Soto, the Yankees get Gold Glove center fielder Trent Grisham. It’s the second blockbuster deal involving the 25-year-old Soto in less than two years. The three-time All-Star has one season of team control left and is likely to get a salary around $32 million after batting .275 with 35 homers, 109 RBIs and a .930 OPS in his only full season with the Padres. San Diego acquired Soto from Washington on Aug. 2, 2022, after he turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer from the Nationals.
Joe Castiglione, a Boston Red Sox radio announcer for 41 years, won the Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting. Castiglione, who has called the four World Series wins of the Red Sox that followed an 86-year title drought, will be honored during the Hall of Fame’s induction weekend from July 19-22 in Cooperstown, New York. Castiglione, 76, has broadcast four no-hitters and both of Roger Clemens’ 20-strikeout games. The Fenway Park home radio booth was named in his honor last year.
Juan Soto found a new home with the New York Yankees as the winter meetings ended, while Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto were still up for grabs as team officials headed home with the bulk of their business yet to be done. Soto, an All-Star slugger who can become a free agent next fall, was dealt from the San Diego Padres with Gold Glove center fielder Trent Grisham for right-handers Michael King, Jhony Brito, Randy Vásquez and Drew Thorpe along with catcher Kyle Higashioka. Ohtani, the unique two-way star, is expected to get a record contract of $500 million-plus.
The Arizona Diamondbacks and pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez have agreed to an $80 million, four-year contract, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday night because the team had not announced the move. Rodriguez gives the National League champions another quality starter for their rotation. The 30-year-old left-hander spent the past two seasons with the Detroit Tigers and went 13-9 with a 3.30 ERA in 2023. He spent his first six seasons with the Boston Red Sox and had his best year in 2019, going 19-6 with a 3.81 ERA in 34 starts.
NBA
Mikal Bridges scored 32 points, including a fadeaway jumper with 4.5 seconds remaining, and the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Atlanta Hawks 114-113 in a game that went back-and-forth all night. There were 43 lead changes and 11 ties, with Bridges hitting the decisive shot. Trae Young swished a 3-pointer that again put the Hawks ahead 113-112 with 17 seconds left. But Bridges knocked down the 18-foot jumper over De’Andre Hunter. The Hawks had one more chance, but Young stumbled at the top of the key and missed an off-balance one-hander as the horn sounded. Young led the Hawks with 30 points.
Joel Embiid scored a season-high 50 points and had 13 rebounds to help the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Washington Wizards 131-126 last night. Embiid reached 50 points for the sixth time in his career. He had a career-best 59 on Nov. 13, 2022, against Utah. The reigning NBA MVP was 19 of 24 from the field, making a 3-pointer on two attempts, and hit 11 of 13 free throws. He also had seven assists and six turnovers in just over 38 minutes. Tyrese Maxey added 26 points and also had seven assists. Jordan Poole led Washington with 23 points. The Wizards are 3-17.
Dillon Brooks scored 23 points and the Houston Rockets snapped a three-game skid with a 110-101 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. Aaron Holiday scored a season-high 22 points off the bench and matched a career best with six 3-pointers. He also added six rebounds in 27 minutes as Houston improved to 9-9 overall, with all their wins coming at home. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 33 points on 13-of-18 shooting. Oklahoma City’s four other starters combined for 29 points while converting on 10 of 38 shots from the field.
DeMar DeRozan scored 29 points and the Chicago Bulls beat the short-handed Charlotte Hornets 111-100 on Wednesday for their third straight victory following a five-game skid. Nikola Vucevic had 20 and 11 rebounds and Coby White added 19 points. Gordon Hayward scored 27 points for Charlotte, and Terry Rozier had 25. The Hornets have lost two straight and four of five. Chicago took control in the first six minutes of the second half by holding the Hornets to just a pair of field goals. White capped a 19-4 run with a 3-pointer that gave the Bulls a 67-48 lead midway through the third. Charlotte never got closer than eight points the rest of the night.
Luka Doncic had 40 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists playing only three periods after the first first-half triple-double of his career in the Dallas Mavericks’ 147-97 victory over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. Doncic had his 60th career triple-double to move past Larry Bird and into sole possession of ninth place overall on the career list. It was the first 25-point first-half triple-double in NBA history. It was the Mavericks’ highest-scoring game this season and two points short of their highest-scoring game ever in regulation. Dallas’ 52-point lead in the closing minutes was one point short of the franchise record set in November 2014 in a 123-70 win over Philadelphia
Paul George scored 25 points and the Los Angeles Clippers rallied to beat Denver 111-102 on Wednesday night and snap an eight-game skid against the defending NBA champion Nuggets. Denver won 113-104 last week in Los Angeles as former Clipper Reggie Jackson scored 35 points with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon all sidelined. They all played in the rematch. Murray scored 23 points. Jokic had a triple-double with 22 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Michael Porter Jr. had 18 points and nine rebounds, making 7 of 8 from the floor and hitting four 3-pointers.
Stephen Curry overcame a slow start to score 31 points, Jonathan Kuminga dazzled off the bench for 13 points and the Golden State Warriors rallied to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 110-106 on Wednesday night. Kuminga dunked on a pretty alley-oop from Draymond Green with 1:03 left and made all six of his field goals. Kuminga also stole the ball from Toumani Camara with 29 seconds to go and his team ahead 105-104, leading to a 3 by Curry. Anfernee Simons scored 28 points to lead the Trail Blazers. Shaedon Sharpe added 26 points, six rebounds and five assists, but missed a free throw with 1:18 remaining.
Caleb Martin had a season-high 24 points and a career-best 12 rebounds, Duncan Robinson scored 21 points and the Miami Heat beat the Toronto Raptors 112-103 on Wednesday night. Jimmy Butler scored 19 points, Orlando Robinson had 15 points and 12 rebounds and Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 15 points as the Heat won for the second time in six games. Pascal Siakam scored 30 points for the fourth time this season and OG Anunoby had 23 for the Raptors, who had won the previous three meetings with Miami. Siakam went 11 for 11 at the free throw line but Toronto lost for the first time this season when the two-time All-Star scores 30 or more.
Desmond Bane scored 32 of his career-high 49 points in the second half and the Memphis Grizzles handed the Detroit Pistons their 18th straight loss, 116-102 on Wednesday night Detroit is 2-19, with the losing streak the longest in one season in franchise history and second-longest overall behind a 21-game slide at the end of the 1979-80 season and start of 1980-81. The Philadelphia 76ers hold both NBA records, setting the single-season mark at 26 in a row in 2013-14 and the overall mark at 28 at the end of 2015-16 and start of 2016-17. Bane was 19 of 31 from the field, hitting 4 of 8 3-pointers, and made seven free throws without a miss. He also had eight assists and six rebounds.
Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points, Darius Garland added 26 and the Cleveland Cavaliers began a challenging stretch with a 121-111 win over the Orlando Magic, who got a career-high 42 points from Paolo Banchero. It was one of the better performances lately by the Cavs, who have been inconsistent so far in 2023 and came in just 4-8 against teams with winning records. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft, Banchero went 16 of 26 from the field for Orlando, which lost for just the second time in 11 games. The Magic went just 2 of 23 on 3-pointers, barely extending their streak of making at least one trey to 1,314 games, dating to 2007.
Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 21 rebounds and the NBA-leading Minnesota Timberwolves held on to beat San Antonio 102-94 on Wednesday night for their fifth straight victory and the Spurs’ 15th loss in a row. Mike Conley added 18 points, Anthony Edwards had 17 and Naz Reid 15. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds to help Minnesota improve to 16-4. Edwards returned after missing two games because of a right hip pointer. Gobert matched up often with good friend and French countryman Victor Wembanyama in the rookie’s first game in Minnesota. Wembanyama struggled against Minnesota’s height with Gobert, Towns and Reid, scoring just 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting. He had 10 rebounds. Devin Vassell scored 22 points to lead San Antonio.
NFL
Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane is disappointed in the allegations of domestic violence made against Von Miller, while stressing he and the team are waiting for the legal process to play out rather than rush to judgement. Beane says Miller will participate in practice and is expected to play on Sunday when the Bills travel to play the Kansas City Chiefs. Beane spoke for the team as the Bills returned from their bye week off. Miller turned himself in to police in a Dallas suburb after being charged in a warrant with domestic violence against the mother of his children, who is pregnant.
Zach Wilson is back in as the New York Jets’ starting quarterback. Wilson was benched for two games after struggling in place of the injured Aaron Rodgers, but will be under center for the Jets’ home game Sunday against the Houston Texans. Coach Robert Saleh announced the decision to start Wilson on Wednesday, a day after New York waived Boyle following two ineffective starts and signed Brett Rypien off Seattle’s practice squad. The Jets also have veteran Trevor Siemian, who replaced Boyle in the fourth quarter of New York’s 13-8 loss to Atlanta last Sunday. The Jets have lost five in a row and appear headed to a 13th straight season without a playoff berth.
A former financial manager for the Jacksonville Jaguars has been accused of stealing more than $22 million from the franchise through its virtual credit card program between 2019 and 2023, according to a seven-page court filing. Amit Patel, who worked for the Jaguars for five years beginning in 2018, is charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of illegal monetary transaction in documents filed in U.S. District Court in Jacksonville. He is accused of using the money to buy vehicles, a condominium, a designer watch, cryptocurrency and other items.
On Thursday night football, the Patriots are in Pittsburgh to face the Steelers at 8:15 tonight.
NHL
Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 24 shots, NHL points leader Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assist, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1. Anthony Cirelli and Tanner Jeannot also scored for the Lightning, who have won four in a row after a four-game skid. Kucherov extended his point streak to 11 games, and has 44. points in 26 games. Vasilevskiy, making his sixth start since recovering from back surgery delayed his season debut, lost his shutout bid when Jake Guentzel scored with 53 second left in the third. Tristan Jarry had 24 saves for the Penguins, who have lost eight of 11 (3-5-3). Pittsburgh went 0 for 4 on the power play to fall to 0 for 33 over the last 12 games.
Evan Rodrigues tied a career-best with four points, Aleksander Barkov scored a goal off a crazy rebound to break a third-period tie and the Florida Panthers beat the Dallas Stars 5-4. Rodrigues had two goals and two assists, Sam Reinhart had a goal and two assists and Carter Verhaeghe also scored for Florida. Mason Marchment and Evgenii Dadonov scored in a span of 3:36 early in the third period against their former team, pulling the Stars to a 3-3 tie. Radek Faksa and Thomas Harley also scored for Dallas, and Jake Oettinger stopped 26 shots.
Jonathan Marchessault scored his 200th career goal and Jack Eichel added a goal and an assist, leading the Vegas Golden Knights to a 6-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Zach Whitecloud, Keegan Kolesar, Michael Amadio and William Karlsson also scored for Vegas, and Logan Thompson had 26 saves. Jordan Kyrou, Jake Neighbours and Kevin Hayes had goals for St. Louis, and Jordan Binnington had a season-high 43 saves.
Zach Hyman scored three goals for his second hat trick of the season, Connor McDavid had three assists, and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-1 for their fifth straight win. Ryan McLeod, Mattias Ekholm and Warren Foegele also scored for the Oilers. Stuart Skinner stopped 39 shots. Jordan Staal scored in the third period for the Hurricanes (14-10-1), who have lost two in a row. Pyotr Kochetkov was pulled after giving up three goals on six shots in the first 5:46 of the game. Antti Raanta came on and finished with 25 saves.
NCAA
A day after NCAA President Charlie Baker made an aggressive and potentially groundbreaking pitch to allow some schools to pay their athletes, his proposal was met with praise, caution and questions from around college sports. Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey says any attempt to reform college sports will be addressed in five arenas: the courts, Congress, state legislatures, conferences and the NCAA. Some in college sports wonder how Baker's proposal will be received by those who believe college athletes should have employee status and others worry if schools will sponsor fewer teams.
Schools paying athletes has been banned by the NCAA for decades, but a new proposal by the head of the largest college sports governing body in the United States aims to change that. NCAA President Charlie Baker earlier this week sent a letter to Division I members suggesting the creation of a new subdivision in which schools would be required to compensate at least half of their athletes yearly with at least $30,000 each in a trust fund. Baker’s idea is an aggressive first step toward what could be a revolutionary change. There are many steps to come.
BELMONT STAKES
As expected, the Belmont Stakes is coming to Saratoga Race Course for the first time this June. The New York Racing Association and Governor Kathy Hochul confirmed details Wednesday, as ongoing renovations of the Long Island course prevent the race from being held downstate. Saratoga Race Course, which typically runs a 40-day meet from late July through Labor Day, has never operated in June. The four-day festival will run June 6th through June 9th, with the Belmont on Saturday, June 8th. The purse for the last leg of the Triple Crown will be raised to $2 million and the race will be run at 1 ¼ miles instead of the usual 1 ½ miles due to the configuration of Saratoga’s main track.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Bryant 67 Siena 51
Hofstra 62 Iona 57
UVM 73 Northeastern 71
On the women's side:
UAlbany 56 CCSU 37
Drexel 51 Marist 36
UVM 62 Army 42
Boston College 95 UMass 57
UConn 90 Ball State 63
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