MLB:
Jake Arietta has authored the first no-hitter of the major league season, and his second in eight months. He struck out six and allowed four walks as the Chicago Cubs crushed the Reds 16-0 in Cincinnati. Arrieta is the second Cubs hurler to throw at least two no-hitters with the team, joining Ken Holtzman and Larry Corcoran.
In baseball, in the American League, Oakland topped the Yankees 7-3, Tampa Bay bested Boston 12-8, Seattle won against Cleveland 10-7 in 10 innings, Baltimore beat Toronto 3-2, Kansas City blanked Detroit 4-0, and it was Texas over Houston 7-4.
In the National League, the Dodgers beat Atlanta 2-1 in 10 innings, Miami bested Washington 5-1, Arizona tripled up San Francisco 6-2, and it was Pittsburgh over San Diego 11-1.
In interleague play Minnesota beat Milwaukee 8-1.
The Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates are slated to meet in a two-game series next month in Puerto Rico. Worries over the Zika virus have led players from the teams to express concerns about the trip. Union head Tony Clark says the players and ownership have been having discussions about health and safety concerns.
NBA:
In the NBA playoffs, Oklahoma City bested Dallas 131-102 to lead the series 2-1, Toronto topped Indiana 101-85 to lead the series 2-1, and James Harden capped his 35-point performance by draining a go-ahead jumper with 2.7 seconds left as Houston beat Golden State 97-96 to make it two games to one in the NBA's Western Conference quarterfinals.
NBA All-Star Kevin Durant is scheduled to become a free agent after the playoffs. The Wizards may have given him reason to return to Washington. Two people familiar with the hiring tell The Associated Press that the Wizards have reached an agreement with Scott Brooks to become the team's new coach. Brooks went 338-207 in seven years with the Oklahoma City Thunder and helped develop Durant and Russell Westbrook into superstars and led the Thunder to the NBA Finals in 2012.
Commissioner Adam Silver is cranking up the economic pressure on North Carolina officials to change a new law that directs transgender people to use public toilets corresponding to the sex listed on their birth certificate. The NBA boss says the league has been "crystal clear" that the 2017 All-Star Game only stays in Charlotte if that controversial North Carolina law goes. Political and business leaders he's spoken with in the state believe it will. So for now, Silver says he's holding off on setting any deadlines for when the NBA might act. Silver said last week that the law that limits anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay and transgender people was "problematic" for the NBA.
NHL:
In the NHL playoffs, Tampa Bay defeated Detroit last night 1-0 in 5 games, Pittsburgh shut out the Rangers 5-0 to lead the series 3-1, Anaheim beat Nashville 4-1 to tie the series 2-2, and it was Chicago over St. Louis in a shootout 4-3, the Blues lead the series 3-2.
NCAA:
The Seattle Storm's top overall draft pick from UConn, Breanna Stewart, stood together yesterday for the first time as a professional teammate with the Storm's most recent top pick from the Huskies, Sue Bird. The event yesterday for a new jersey sponsor was Stewart's first public event since last week's WNBA draft. Stewart says she wants to have an impact and to live up to the Storm's expectations.
A debate continues after this month's decision by the NCAA's Division I Council to ban so-called satellite football camps this month. The SEC and ACC came out with competing proposals on the issue. Coaches from Group of Five conferences such as the American Athletic Conference have frequently attended camps held by bigger schools as a way of scouting players they might not see in person otherwise.
NFL:
New York Giants GM Jerry Reese is noncommittal about the team's potential interest in former Carolina cornerback Josh Norman, who famously tangled last season with Odell Beckham Jr. Reese will only say "we investigate everything." The Panthers stripped Norman of the franchise tag Wednesday, making him a free agent.
The New England Patriots continue preparing for next week's NFL draft with "Deflategate" resulting in the team losing its first-round pick. Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio isn't focusing on what it can't control. As of now, New England will make two picks apiece in the second and third rounds and then will have to wait until round 6 to make its next pick.
NASCAR:
Tony Stewart has been cleared to return to racing and will be back in his car Friday at Richmond International Raceway. Stewart missed the first eight races of the season with a fractured vertebra suffered in a January all-terrain vehicle accident. Stewart has said he will retire after the season.
Meanwhile, NASCAR has fined Stewart $35,000 for criticizing the series about a potential safety hazard during races. The three-time champion warned on Wednesday that a driver is going to get hurt if the series doesn't start policing pit stops for missing lug nuts. NASCAR chairman Brian France said Stewart is "wrong" and the series takes pride in its push for safety.
LPGA:
So Yeon Ryu shot a tournament-record 9-under 63 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic. The South Korean had seven birdies in an eight-hole stretch on the back nine found herself two strokes ahead of Candie Kung and Haru Nomura at the end of the day. Two-time defending champion Lydia Ko opened with a 68.
PGA:
Brendan Steele was leading the PGA's Texas Open when the first round was suspended by darkness. Steele was 8-under through 13 holes when play was stopped. The round was delayed 3 1/2 hours because of rain. Charley Hoffman is the clubhouse leader following a 6-under 66, a stroke ahead of Stuart Appleby and Peter Malnati.
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