MLB
Jose Iglesias had three hits, including a go-ahead single in the fifth inning, and Mark Vientos homered as the New York Mets held off the Washington Nationals 8-7. New York’s beleaguered bullpen nearly coughed up another late lead. Washington scored two runs in the ninth charged to Adam Ottavino, but Jake Diekman threw a called third strike past Drew Millas with runners at the corners for his second save. The scuffling Mets have lost six games since May 1 when leading after eight innings. Starling Marte also had three hits and scored twice for New York in the first meeting this season between the NL East foes. No. 9 batter Luis Torrens delivered a two-run double in his second start at catcher with the Mets.
Rhys Hoskins homered for the Milwaukee Brewers in an emotional return to Citizens Bank Park, but David Dahl went deep in his Philadelphia debut to back Zack Wheeler and the Phillies in a 3-1 victory. In the opener of a three-game series between NL division leaders, Edmundo Sosa and Johan Rojas hit consecutive RBI singles in the second inning for Philadelphia. Wheeler pitched seven strong innings, allowing five hits and three walks with six strikeouts. José Alvarado worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 10th save. The only run Wheeler gave up was a homer by Hoskins, who spent the first seven years of his career with the Phillies. He was sidelined throughout his final season while recovering from a knee injury, then signed with Milwaukee in January.
The Yankees and Red Sox were off last night. The Yankees are in Minnesota to take on the Twins tonight at 7:05. The Red Sox face the Braves at Fenway tonight at 7:10.
Alex Bregman and Yainer Diaz homered in the eighth inning, helping the Houston Astros top the St. Louis Cardinals 7-4. Bregman tied it at 4 when he hit a leadoff drive to left off JoJo Romero. It was Bregman’s fifth homer in his last seven games and No. 9 on the season. With two outs and Jake Meyers aboard, Diaz homered off the wall in left for his fourth on the year. Chas McCormick then reached on an error on shortstop Masyn Winn and swiped second ahead of Jose Altuve’s RBI double. Rafael Montero got three outs for the win, and Josh Hader worked the ninth for his ninth save.
The Los Angeles Angels beat the San Diego Padres 2-1. Jo Adell doubled and scored the tiebreaking run on two flyouts in the eighth inning. Tyler Anderson pitched into the seventh and Willie Calhoun had an early RBI single for the Angels, who snapped their five-game losing streak. Calhoun had two of the Halos’ four hits as they improved the worst home record in the majors to 8-21 in the opener of a six-game homestand. Manny Machado homered for the Padres, who lost their second straight after a 5-1 surge. San Diego failed to score after the first inning.
Austin Hays hit two home runs and Grayson Rodriguez pitched two-run ball into the seventh inning, helping the Baltimore Orioles beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-2. Anthony Santander and Ramón Urías also went deep as Baltimore won for the ninth time in 11 games. The Orioles are 31-11 when they hit more than one home run. Colton Cowser added an RBI double as Baltimore improved to 12-4 against AL East opponents. Rodriguez allowed one earned run and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings in his first win in four career starts against Toronto. He struck out four and walked none.
Jake Rogers homered twice, including a tiebreaking drive in the eighth inning, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Texas Rangers 2-1 to get back to .500. A West Texas native who lives in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Rogers hit a two-out homer in the third against Nathan Eovaldi and a 1-1 cut fastball from José Leclerc just inside the left field foul pole with two outs in the eighth. Beau Brieske struck out four in three scoreless innings, allowing Ezequiel Durán’s two-out double in the ninth before retiring Leody Taveras on a flyout.
Will Benson drove in three runs, Jeimer Candelario and Tyler Stephenson each hit a two-run home run, and the Cincinnati Reds blew past the Colorado Rockies 13-3 on Monday night. Jonathan India and Spencer Steer finished three hits apiece for the Reds, though India’s career-high six-game walk streak was snapped. Andrew Abbott earned his third win in five starts, giving up three earned runs and striking out six across six innings. Ryan Feltner (1-5) took the loss for Colorado, allowing 10 hits and a season-worst eight earned runs in 4 1/3 innings.
Pinch-hitter Pavin Smith connected for a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Arizona Diamondbacks a 4-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants. Jake McCarthy got the winning rally started with a looping, one-out double down the left-field line. Smith — hitting for Eugenio Suárez — smashed a pitch from Randy Rodríguez that barely cleared the yellow line above the wall in center. The Diamondbacks have won three straight, while the Giants have dropped a season-high five in a row.
San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano is under investigation by Major League Baseball for allegedly betting on baseball and could be subject to a lifetime ban, according to a person familiar with the probe. MLB is looking into allegations Marcano bet on games involving the Pittsburgh Pirates while on the team’s injured list last season, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. Marcano, 24, has not played since tearing his right ACL last July 24. He was claimed by the Padres off waivers on Nov. 2 and placed on the 10-day injured list March 19.
The ex-interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to plead guilty to bank and tax fraud in a sports betting case. Ippei Mizuhara is expected to admit to stealing nearly $17 million from the Japanese baseball player. Tuesday’s change-of-plea hearing in federal court in Santa Ana, California, occurs as the Dodgers begin a three-game series in Pittsburgh. The gambling scandal shocked baseball fans from Japan to the U.S. and ratcheted up a media frenzy that’s ever-present around Ohtani. Authorities say there was no evidence Ohtani was involved in or aware of Mizuhara’s gambling, and the player cooperated with investigators.
NBA
The Celtics are prohibitive favorites to win Thursday’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals and odds are on Boston to hoist what would be its record 18th championship banner. But the money is pouring in on the Dallas Mavericks at BetMGM Sportsbook. Senior trader Havlor Egeland said Monday that 80% of the bets were coming on the Mavs to win their second NBA title. Boston is a -225 favorite to win it all. The Celtics are 6 1/2-point favorites in the series opener.
Jason Kidd has the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals as a coach 13 years after helping the franchise win its only title as a point guard. The 51-year-old Naismith Hall of Fame player doesn't feel the need for vindication a year after many questions swirled around Kidd and a team that missed the playoffs. He has said Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving needed time to develop after the blockbuster trade for Irving. This season's postseason run has proved him right. The Mavs didn't win a playoff series in the 10 seasons from their title to Kidd's arrival as coach. He has Dallas to five series victories in three seasons.
Joe Mazzulla was thrust into a job he didn’t expect to have following former Celtics coach Ime Udoka’s suspension just days before the start of training camp last season. Mazzulla stepped up and guided Boston through that franchise-shaking crisis and to the cusp of an NBA Finals berth. Now armed with a coaching staff of his choosing and a style built around 3-pointers and defense, he’s followed that up by leading Boston to its first 60-win regular season since it won it all in 2007-08. Not bad for a 35-year-old who is the youngest head coach to reach the Finals since Bill Russell in 1969.
TENNIS
Novak Djokovic played through a painful right knee with the help of medicine and come back to beat No. 23 Francisco Cerundolo 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the French Open’s fourth round for his record 370th win in a Grand Slam match. Djokovic said after Monday's victory that he is not sure if he can play in the quarterfinals because of his knee. He is the defending champion at Roland Garros. He broke a tie with Roger Federer for the most match wins at major tournaments — and also for the most Slam quarterfinals for a man by reaching the 59th of his career.
SOCCER
Kylian Mbappé is finally a Real Madrid player. Real Madrid says it reached a deal with the France star for the next five seasons to bring together one of soccer’s top talents and its most successful club. The announcement comes after years of flirtation by Madrid with the player who inherited the status of the best in the game from Lionel Messi. The 25-year-old forward joins a Madrid team that is already loaded with talent and still celebrating its record-extending 15th European Cup title.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Those pesky Purple Aces of Evansville earned their first NCAA regional title, and their reward is a weekend trip to No. 1 national seed Tennessee for the next round. They weren’t concerned about what’s next. They were too busy celebrating the biggest win in the program’s 100-year history. Evansville became only the ninth No. 4 regional seed since 1999 to reach a super regional when it bounced back from a 13-run loss to East Carolina on Sunday to beat the Pirates 6-5 in Greenville, North Carolina. North Carolina, UConn, Florida and Oregon State also locked up regionals.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
An internal review by Penn State in 2019 found evidence of “friction” between football coach James Franklin and a now-former team doctor. However, it could not determine whether Franklin violated NCAA rules or Big Ten standards by interfering with medical decisions. The 15-page document from Penn State’s office of ethics and compliance was obtained by The Associated Press. Last week, a Pennsylvania jury awarded $5.25 million to Dr. Scott Lynch after he won a lawsuit against the hospital that employs him. The report left undetermined if actions by Franklin or anyone else at Penn State broke rules. It recommended further inquiry.
NASCAR
Austin Cindric gave Team Penske its first NASCAR win of the season along with some much-needed momentum after a whole lot of struggles. But even the victory on Sunday just outside St. Louis came with a bit of heartbreak. Ryan Blaney was leading with a lap to go when he ran out of fuel, allowing Cindric to win for the first time since the Daytona 500 in 2022. Still, the win along with Joey Logano's top-five run should give Team Penske some positive momentum. It also should be a boost to Ford, which had not won all year until Brad Keselowski last week at Darlington, and now has reached victory lane again.
HORSE RACING
Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan and Preakness Stakes victor Seize the Grey are both in the field for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. The morning-line favorite in the 10-horse race is Sierra Leone. The third leg of the Triple Crown is being run at The Spa for the first time while Belmont Park undergoes renovations. The race is part of a four-day festival starting Thursday. The regular 40-day Saratoga meet begins July 11th.
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