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#SportsReport: Capitals Beat Golden Knights 4-3, Win 1st Stanley Cup

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NHL

The Washington Capitals have won their first Stanley Cup.

Alex Ovechkin scored midway through the game and Lars Eller had a go-ahead goal with 6:37 left in the third period, lifting the Capitals to a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 on Thursday night.

The expansion Golden Knights closed their record-breaking season with their first four-game losing streak.

The Capitals went into the third trailing 3-2 and went ahead after Devante Smith-Pelly and Eller scored 2:31 apart midway through the pivotal period.

Braden Holtby, who made a spectacular stick save to help win Game 2, made enough saves to seal the win while the clock appeared to malfunction after Vegas pulled Marc-Andre Fleury to add an extra skater with more than a minute remaining

NHL News:

Tens of thousands of red-clad Capitals fans partied in the streets Thursday night to celebrate the franchise's first Stanley Cup and the city's first title in the major four professional sports since 1992.

After the Capitals beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 on the road in Game 5, celebrations erupted inside their home arena at the viewing party and around Chinatown. Fans chanted, "We got the Cup!" and then "Ovi! Ovi" as captain Alex Ovechkin was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

As police officers blocked F Street and announcements were made about the last subway train, many fans ignored those pleas and kept partying on the steps of the National Portrait Gallery and in bars surrounding the rink. A couple of fans climbed light poles and one even scaled the nearby dragon tower.

The championship is the first by a Washington professional sports team in the NFL, NBA, NHL or Major League Baseball since the Redskins won the Super Bowl on Jan. 26, 1992.

MLB

Anthony Rizzo hit a solo homer and added a second RBI with a sacrifice fly to lead the Chicago Cubs past the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 on Thursday.

The Cubs won for the fifth time in six games to close to a half-game behind idle first-place Milwaukee in the NL Central.

Brian Duensing, the first of five Cubs relievers, got the win despite allowing two runs over one inning. Phillies starter Nick Pivetta, who is now 4-5, lost his third straight, yielding four runs on six hits in five innings.

Brandon Morrow pitched the ninth for his 15th save in 16 chances.

Elsewhere in the majors:

Matt Chapman doubled in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning to make a winner of Paul Blackburn in his first start of the season, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Kansas City Royals 4-1. Matt Olson hit his 13th home run, Stephen Piscotty singled three times and Marcus Semien added two hits and an RBI to help the A's to their third win in four games against the Royals over the past seven days.

Aledmys Diaz hit a game-winning single in the 10th inning and the Toronto Blue Jays rallied from a three-run deficit in the ninth to beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-4. Teoscar Hernandez doubled off Miguel Castro to begin the 10th and Justin Smoak was intentionally walked before Kendrys Morales and Luke Maile struck out. Diaz won it with a single to the wall in left, giving Toronto just its second win in its past 12 home games.

Evan Gattis hit a two-run homer and an RBI single, and Gerrit Cole allowed one run over six solid innings as the Houston Astros topped the Texas Rangers 5-2. Alex Bregman also homered for the Astros, and Jose Altuve had three singles after coming in with a big league-leading 85. Cole gave up just three singles — and none after the third inning — had eight strikeouts and walked three. Cole Hamels didn't allow a hit until Bregman's one-out double in the fourth.

Leonys Martin had a two-run home run to cap a five-run first inning and the Detroit Tigers beat the Boston Red Sox 7-2. Detroit's victory ended a four-game win streak for Boston, which had outscored Detroit 13-1 in the first two games of the series. Left-hander Matthew Boyd was solid in his third career start against Boston, allowing just four hits and two runs while striking out six over 6 1/3 innings.  Boston will face off against the White Sox Friday at 7:10 p.m.

Mike Leake pitched into the ninth inning, Mitch Haniger homered and drove in three, and the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4. Leake was lifted with a 5-1 lead after allowing his eighth hit, a leadoff double in the ninth to Wilson Ramos. Johnny Field hit a three-run double off Alex Colome before the former Rays' closer got a game-ending grounder from Daniel Robertson.

Joc Pederson went deep twice, Cody Bellinger hit his third home run in as many games and the Los Angeles Dodgers used nine pitchers to hold off the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-7. Pederson led off the game with a solo blast off Jameson Taillon (3-5) and added a two-run shot in the eighth off Michael Feliz for his second multi-home run game in a week. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts got creative with his bullpen after scheduled starter Dennis Santana was scratched.

Miles Mikolas rebounded from his first loss of the season to pitch three-hit ball over seven innings and lead the St. Louis Cardinals over the Miami Marlins 4-1. Mikolas allowed an unearned run, struck out five and walked one, improving to 7-1 and lowering his ERA. Jordan Hicks and Bud Norris finished the four-hitter. Jose Martinez and Luke Volt homered. Trevor Richards gave up three runs and seven hits in five-plus innings.

Jesse Winker hit a two-run homer in the 13th inning, completing the Cincinnati Reds' late rally to a 7-5 victory that avoided a sweep by the Colorado Rockies. Only one out away from their second series sweep at Great American Ball Park, the Rockies blew the lead in the ninth and wound up losing for the fifth time in seven games.

Jose Berrios pitched a six-hitter for his second complete game this season, and the Minnesota Twins hit three home runs against James Shields in a 7-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Berrios retired his first 14 batters before Omar Narvarez's double. By that time, the 23-year-old right-hander already had a 7-0 lead.

The first subway series of the season between the Yankees and Mets kicks off Friday at 7:10 p.m.

In other MLB news:

Yankees left-hander Jordan Montgomery has undergone Tommy John surgery, which will sideline him until the second half of next season or possibly 2020. Head team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad operated at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. The operation repaired a torn ulnar collateral ligament in Montgomery's left elbow. A loose bone chip also was removed. Montgomery turns 26 in December. He was 2-0 with a 3.62 ERA in six starts.

Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa says nothing abnormal showed up during an MRI on his right side. Correa was examined in Houston after coming out of the previous game because of discomfort in his right side when swinging during an at-bat. Correa wasn't in the lineup for the opener of a four-game series at the Texas Rangers.

The Tampa Bay Rays have designated infielder Brad Miller for assignment to clear a roster spot for first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers. Tampa Bay says Bauers, considered one of the Rays' top offensive prospects, will be recalled from Triple-A Durham.

Pitcher Fernando Abad, an eight-year major league veteran who ended last season with Boston, has been suspended 80 games under baseball's minor league drug program following a positive test for the steroid Stanozolol. The suspension of the 32-year-old left-hander was announced Thursday by the commissioner's office. In addition, Chicago Cubs pitcher David Garner was banned for 100 games following a third violation for a drug of abuse.

The Texas Rangers have given general manager Jon Daniels a multiyear contract extension. Daniels' contract had been scheduled to expire at the end of this season. He is in his 13th season as GM. The Rangers have made their only two World Series appearances and won four AL West tiles in Daniels' time.

NBA

Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown is expected to file a lawsuit against the city's Police Department for an arrest in January during which officers used a stun gun when they detained him for a parking violation.

Brown's attorney Mark Thomsen says he is filing the lawsuit in federal court Friday afternoon.

Officers swarmed Brown and took him down when he didn't immediately take his hands out of his pockets as ordered. He had been standing and talking with officers while waiting for a citation for illegally parking on a disabled spot outside a Walgreens.

Brown wasn't charged with anything and three officers involved in the arrest were disciplined, with suspensions ranging from two to 15 days. Eight others will undergo remedial training in professional communications.

In other NBA news:

The Philadelphia 76ers say Bryan Colangelo has resigned as president of basketball operations. An independent firm investigated allegations that he used a variety of Twitter accounts to anonymously trash some of his own players and fellow executives and defend himself against criticism from fans and the sports media. The team says Colangelo offered his resignation "recognizing the detrimental impact this matter on the organization."

The New York Knicks have hired former NBA coach Keith Smart and three others as assistants on David Fizdale's coaching staff. Jud Buechler, Pat Sullivan and Royal Ivey were also added to join Fizdale, who was hired last month to replace Jeff Hornacek. Smart coached Cleveland, Golden State and Sacramento and was most recently an assistant to Fizdale, and later J.B. Bickerstaff, in Memphis. Sullivan and Ivey have both been NBA assistants.

COLLLEGE BASKETBALL

Texas basketball player Andrew Jones has been approved for online-based coursework for summer school and move into a dorm.

Those are big steps toward an eventual return to the program as he continues treatment for leukemia.

Jones was diagnosed in January and spent weeks in Houston getting treatment.

MEN’S FRENCH OPEN

Rafael Nadal is in to the French Open semifinals for the 11th time.

The top-ranked Spaniard completed a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over Diego Schwartzman of Argentina over two days after their quarterfinal was halted by rain on Wednesday night.

Nadal will face Juan Martin del Potro, who earned a return to the French Open semifinals for the first time since 2009 today by defeating Marin Cilic.

WOMEN’S FRENCH OPEN

Sloane Stephens has advanced to the French Open final for the first time, beating Madison Keys 6-4, 6-4 in an all-American semifinal.

The 10th-seeded Stephens will bid for her second major title when she takes on top-seeded Simona Halep of Romania in Saturday's final.

Halep qualified for the final by defeating 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza.

Stephens won last year's U.S. Open for her first major.

NFL

Terrell Owens says he will not attend the induction ceremony for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August, an unprecedented decision by an enshrinee.

Owens was voted into the hall in February. In a statement released Thursday by his publicist, Owens says: "While I am incredibly appreciative of this opportunity, I have made the decision to publicly decline my invitation to attend the induction ceremony in Canton."

Owens added, "After visiting Canton earlier this year, I came to the realization that I wish to celebrate what will be one of the most memorable days of my life, elsewhere."

Owens heavily criticized the voting process when he failed to be elected to the hall in his first two years of eligibility.

In other NFL news:

The Browns have reached agreement on a three-year, $15.6 million contract extension with running back Duke Johnson. He was the team's best offensive player last season. He led the club with 74 catches for 693 yards receiving last season. Johnson was in the final year of his rookie contract.

Indianapolis Colts coach Frank Reich says Andrew Luck is getting close to start throwing a football. But he is not expected to begin throwing until after next week's three-day minicamp ends. He's still recovering from surgery in January 2017 for a partially torn labrum in his right shoulder.

Chicago Bears chairman George McCaskey says he supports the NFL's new policy requiring players to stand for the national anthem or stay in the locker room. McCaskey says the vote by NFL owners two weeks ago will "return the anthem to what it should be — a unifying force" even though the policy "isn't perfect."

SPORTS BETTING

Major League Baseball, the NBA and the PGA Tour want New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy to "fix" the sports betting law on his desk to address concerns about the integrity of betting on their games.

The leagues are seeking payments to help them police betting patterns, and want better information sharing. They say the law passed Thursday by the state Legislature does not address those concerns.

Lawmakers rejected the integrity fee payments.

It remains unclear when sports betting might begin in New Jersey, or when the Democratic governor might act on the bill.

MEN’S U.S. OPEN

Tiger Woods will play the opening two rounds of the U.S. Open with Justin Thomas and Dustin Johnson, which feels like a grouping of Nos. 1-2-3 in the world.

Except that Woods is No. 80.

The USGA released its tee times for the U.S. Open next week at Shinnecock Hills, and it offered two stacked groups for the morning and afternoon. Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy tee off together in the morning of the first round. Woods, Johnson and Thomas are together in the afternoon.

© 2018 Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.

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