The Boston Red Sox blanketed Fenway Park with pieces of the city's championship past to welcome the newest members of their World Series title club. It wasn't enough to ward off another setback for a team yet to resemble the one that hoisted the trophy last year. Chris Sale let a Toronto runner steal home , Mookie Betts fanned with two on for the final out and the Red Sox stumbled again, losing to the Blue Jays 7-5 Tuesday in their home opener.
After getting their World Series rings that had 185 diamonds, rubies and sapphires during a ceremony that included the Super Bowl champ New England Patriots, the Red Sox fell to 3-9 and are now last place in the AL East.
Jose Altuve hit his 100th homer and George Springer's two-run double in the eighth inning helped the Houston Astros to their third straight comeback win, 6-3 over the New York Yankees. Houston has won five in a row overall to improve to 7-5.
Juan Soto hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning and the Washington Nationals rallied from a five-run deficit to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 10-6. Bryce Harper crushed a three-run homer off former teammate Stephen Strasburg, but Victor Robles tied it at 6 on a solo shot with two outs and two strikes in the ninth.
In other action, the Seattle Mariners defeated the Kansas City Royals 6-3 to improve to 11-2, baseball's best record. They homered in their 13th straight game. KC's Whit Merrifield extended his hitting streak to 30 games, tying George Brett's club record.
Yadier Molina drove in three runs, Paul Goldschmidt homered and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0.
Jurickson Profar got four hits, including a homer, and drove in a career-high five runs, leading Brett Anderson and the Oakland Athletics over the Baltimore Orioles 13-2. The win ended a four-game losing streak. Slumping Orioles slugger Chris Davis didn't play, a day after he set the major league record for the longest hitless streak — 0 for 49 — by a position player.
Jacob deGrom's record-tying streak of quality starts ended at 26 when he allowed two home runs to Mitch Garver and one to Eddie Rosario in a 14-7 drubbing by the Minnesota Twins. It was the worst outing in two years for the New York Mets ace.
Matt Kemp started Cincinnati's spree of three consecutive homers, Luis Castillo dominated again, and the Reds snapped their eight-game losing streak, beating the Miami Marlins 14-0.
Two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber has his first win of the young season, as the Cleveland Indians topped the Detroit Tigers 8-2. Four Indians had their first homers of 2019. The Tigers saw a five-game win streak come to an end, as Jordan Zimmermann lost his first decision of the season.
Austin Meadows homered and set a career high with four hits, Avisail Garcia connected against his former team and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Chicago White Sox 10-5. The Rays pounded Ervin Santana and improved to 9-3.
Dansby Swanson and Ronald Acuna Jr. homered, leading Max Fried and the Atlanta Braves past the Colorado Rockies 7-1. Fried took a no-hitter into the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday and carried that momentum into Denver. The left-hander allowed an unearned run and five hits in six innings. In four games, two starts, Fried has yet to allow an earned run in 13 2/3 innings.
Jarrod Dyson hit a pinch-hit two-run home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, sending the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 5-4 win over the Texas Rangers Tuesday night. Dyson, off the bench to hit for catcher John Ryan Murphy with Eduardo Escobar on second base, ripped a 2-2 pitch from Rangers closer Jose Leclerc into the seats in right field. Arizona (6-5) rallied from a 4-0 deficit after two innings for their third win in four games.
Kevin Pillar drove in four runs for the second straight game, Evan Longoria broke out of a long slump with an RBI single and the San Francisco Giants beat the San Diego Padres 7-2. Derek Holland (1-1) pitched seven crisp innings and allowed five hits with two walks and a season-best nine strikeouts.
Tommy La Stella homered twice and drove in four runs, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Milwaukee Brewers 11-8 on Tuesday after Mike Trout departed with a groin injury. Andrelton Simmons collected three hits as Los Angeles extended its win streak to five games. Jonathan Lucroy had two hits and three RBIs against his first major league team.
In MLB news, Yankees ace Luis Severino has a Grade 2 lat strain and will stop throwing for six weeks. Severino has been out since he was scratched from what would have been his first spring training appearance with right shoulder inflammation.
The Boston Red Sox have activated second baseman Dustin Pedroia from the injured list for their home opener. Pedroia has not played since last May because of a knee injury.
Lenny Dykstra has sued former New York Mets teammate Ron Darling, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Publishing Group for defamation. The suit is over a passage in the pitcher's new book accusing the outfielder of directing racist comments toward Boston starter Oil Can Boyd during the 1986 World Series.
Pittsburgh pitcher Chris Archer has been suspended for five games, Cincinnati outfielder Yasiel Puig for two and Reds manager David Bell for one for their roles in a bench-clearing fracas last weekend. The commissioner's office said Tuesday that Archer has appealed his penalty and will play pending a decision. Puig and Bell were to serve their discipline starting Tuesday. Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre also fined all three for their behavior Sunday.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu on the 10-day injured list with a strained left groin. The same injury sidelined Ryu for more than half of last season.
Cleveland Indians starter Mike Clevinger will miss at least six weeks with a back muscle injury. The Indians say Clevinger has strained his teres major, a muscle in his upper back. The Indians called up reliever Nick Wittgren from Triple-A Columbus.
A woman has sued the Houston Astros for more than $1 million, saying that a T-shirt cannon fired at a game by the team's mascot broke her finger. The Houston Chronicle reports the suit alleges that the mascot, who is named Orbit, "shattered" her left index finger during a game last July when a T-shirt fired from a "bazooka style" cannon.
NBA
Bradley Beal became the first player in Washington Wizards franchise history to average at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists for a season. He reached the numbers he needed in a 116-110 loss to the playoff-bound Boston Celtics in a finale Tuesday night that was meaningless to both clubs.
Dennis Smith Jr. scored 25 points, Mitchell Robinson added eight points and 17 rebounds and the New York Knicks escaped the possibility of finishing with their worst-ever record by beating the Chicago Bulls 96-86. With one game remaining, the Knicks can only tie for the worst season in franchise history.
Dwyane Wade scored 30 points in the tribute-filled final home game of his career, and the Miami Heat defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 122-99. Bam Adebayo scored 19, Justise Winslow scored 16 and Hassan Whiteside added 15 for the Heat, who were eliminated from playoff contention when Detroit beat Memphis. That result went final during the third quarter of the Miami-Philly game.
In more Tuesday NBA action: Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki has announced that he is retiring from the NBA. The 40-year-old kept his plans secret until the end of his final home game. After speeches from Larry Bird and others he idolized growing up in Germany, Nowitzki told the crowd, "this is my last home game." Nowitzki played a record 21 seasons with the same franchise, scoring 30 points in his final home game in a 120-109 victory over the Phoenix Suns. The 14-time All-Star has one game remaining, Dallas' season finale at San Antonio on Wednesday night.
DeMarcus Cousins had 21 points and 12 rebounds and the Golden State Warriors defeated the Pelicans 112-103 in a game that saw guard Stephen Curry leave with a mild foot sprain. The Warriors announced that Curry was held out the rest of the night as a precaution. The Warriors already had clinched the top playoff seed in the Western Conference.
Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points and the Toronto Raptors closed their regular season with a 120-100 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night. The Raptors finished the regular season at 58-24.
Andre Drummond had 20 points and 17 rebound and Ish Smith matched a season high with 22 points, helping the Detroit Pistons rally from a 22-point deficit to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 100-93 and cling to a spot in the playoffs.
Kemba Walker scored 23 points and the Charlotte Hornets kept their late-season playoff push going with a 124-97 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, whose painful first season rebuilding without LeBron James is over. The Hornets had to win to have any chance of getting the No. 8 spot.
Donovan Mitchell matched his career high with 46 points as the Utah Jazz beat the Denver Nuggets 118-108 on Tuesday night. Rudy Gobert had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Derrick Favors scored 16 points and Joe Ingles added 10 points and 13 assists as Utah won its last eight regular-season home games.
Paul George hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds left, and the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Houston Rockets 112-111 on Tuesday night. Russell Westbrook had 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his 33rd triple-double of the season and George added 27 points for the Thunder, who won their fourth straight. James Harden scored 39 points and Chris Paul added 24 for the Rockets.
Maurice Harkless hit a corner 3-pointer at the buzzer, and the Portland Trail Blazers secured home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs with a 104-101 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Lakers a few hours after Magic Johnson abruptly resigned as their president of basketball operations. Harkless scored 26 points and Enes Kanter had 22 points and 16 rebounds while the Blazers rallied in the fourth quarter.
In NBA news, Magic Johnson abruptly quit as the Los Angeles Lakers' president of basketball operations Tuesday night, citing a desire to get back to the simpler life he enjoyed before taking over the franchise just over two years ago. Johnson didn't tell owner Jeanie Buss or general manager Rob Pelinka before he stepped in front of reporters about 90 minutes before the final game of the Lakers' sixth consecutive losing season. Johnson didn't directly tie his decision to the future of coach Luke Walton, who was widely expected to be fired by Johnson soon. But Johnson repeatedly mentioned Buss' affinity for Walton and Johnson's desire not to cause upheaval between them.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Chris Mullin has "stepped down" as basketball coach at St. John's. Athletic Mike Cragg director announced the decision Tuesday, saying the team "progressed well" during Mullin's four years in charge, but he did not detail any reason for the move. Cragg noted Mullin's "contributions" and "deep passion for this program." Mullin said in a separate statement he had suffered a "recent personal loss," but he did not elaborate. Mullin, the greatest player in school history, had two years remaining on his contract. He was coming off his first winning season.
Mick Cronin has been hired as UCLA's basketball coach, ending a months-long search to find a replacement for the fired Steve Alford. The university says Cronin agreed to a $24 million, six-year deal Tuesday. He leaves his alma mater Cincinnati after 16 seasons.
Kentucky forward PJ Washington will enter the NBA draft pool and hire an agent, ending his collegiate career after leading the Wildcats in scoring and rebounding as a sophomore. The 6-foot-8 Dallas native averaged 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
Tennessee forward Grant Williams says he is entering the NBA draft to "test the waters," but the consensus All-America selection hasn't ruled out the possibility of returning for his senior season. He can maintain his college eligibility if he withdraws from draft consideration by May 29.
NHL
The NHL has suspended defenseman Slava Voynov for the 2019-20 season and 2020 playoffs after determining he committed acts of domestic violence. Commissioner Gary Bettman suspended Voynov on Tuesday for what the league called unacceptable off-ice conduct. The 29-year-old Russian could have his eligibility restored on July 1, 2020, based on good behavior. Voynov was suspended indefinitely in October 2014 after being arrested for domestic abuse.
The New Jersey Devils will have the No. 1 pick at this year's NHL draft. The team was announced Tuesday night as the winner of the draft lottery. The Colorado Avalanche had the best odds of landing the first pick at 18.5 percent, but they drew the No. 4 selection. The New York Rangers will pick second and the Chicago Blackhawks will select third at the June draft.
NFL
DeMarcus Lawrence may not be the highest-paid Dallas Cowboys player in history for long. It doesn't mean the club's best defensive end can't enjoy the distinction while it lasts. The 26-year-old Lawrence signed a $105 million, five-year contract Tuesday. He then was asked repeatedly to try to reflect on what it means to have a $21 million-per-year average that tops retired quarterback Tony Romo, pass rushing predecessor and franchise sacks leader DeMarcus Ware and receiver Dez Bryant before him.
Defensive end Adrian Clayborn is returning to the Atlanta Falcons on a one-year contract following one season with the New England Patriots. The 30-year-old Clayborn played for the Falcons from 2015-17.
The first NFL exhibition game in Hawaii in 43 years highlights the league's preseason schedule announced Tuesday. Dallas will play the Los Angeles Rams at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu on Aug. 17.
Atlanta and Denver face off in the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 1 to open the preseason. The regular season opens Sept. 5 with Green Bay at Chicago to start the league's 100th season.
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