MLB
Seth Lugo pitched six dominant innings in a stellar spot start, Todd Frazier hit a two-run homer off Luis Severino, and the New York Mets beat the Yankees 2-0 on Sunday night to snap an eight-game skid.
Frazier went deep for the second consecutive night to help the Mets prevent a Subway Series sweep at Citi Field. They ended a 10-game home losing streak and avoided an 0-9 homestand that would have matched the worst in team history.
Despite losing another important player to injury when second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera exited with a tight left hamstring, the Mets broke a six-game slide against their New York rivals. The crosstown foes meet again at Yankee Stadium from July 20-22, right after the All-Star break.
Both New York teams have the night off. The Yankees will host the Nationals Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. and the Mets head to Georgia to take on the Braves Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
Elsewhere in the majors:
Clayton Richard became the latest pitcher to flirt with the first no-hitter in San Diego Padres' history. He lost his bid with two outs in the seventh inning during a 3-1 win over the Miami Marlins. The Padres are the only team in the majors that has never thrown a no-hitter. They have played 7,881 games since starting out in 1969.
Max Muncy homered in his third straight game, Logan Forsythe and Enrique Hernandez also connected, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 7-2. The Dodgers took the series from Atlanta and have won seven of their last nine games.
George Springer scored the tiebreaking run in the ninth inning on a balk, and the Houston Astros swept their Texas rivals in a four-game series for the first time with an 8-7 win over the Rangers. Springer also had his major league-leading fifth leadoff home run.
Brandon Crawford went 4 for 4 with a two-run homer, and the San Francisco Giants dealt Max Scherzer his first loss in more than two months, defeating the Washington Nationals 2-0. After Pablo Sandoval walked leading off the third, Crawford homered into the second deck in right for his eighth of the season. Since May 1, Crawford is hitting an MLB-best .439. Scherzer had won nine straight decisions since his last loss on April 4.
Paul Goldschmidt doubled and tripled and had two RBIs to finish off a dominating series and the Arizona Diamondbacks earned an 8-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies. Goldschmidt homered twice in each of the first two games against the Rockies. He was 8 of 13 with four home runs and nine RBIs in the three-game sweep.
Matt Chapman homered leading off the eighth, moments after shortstop Marcus Semien's defensive gem, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2. Stephen Piscotty and Jonathan Lucroy both drove in runs for the A's, who squandered numerous scoring chances before Chapman came through with a solo home run off Royals reliever Jason Adam.
Reynaldo Lopez pitched into the seventh inning, Daniel Palka had a two-run double and the Chicago White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox 5-2. Lopez gave up two runs and six hits while striking out six with three walks in 6 1/3 innings to improve to 1-3 in eight road starts this season. The Rex Sox head to Baltimore to begin a three-game series Monday against the Orioles at 7:05 p.m.
Jake Cave had a career-high three hits, including a home run, and the Minnesota Twins held on to beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-5. Los Angeles had the go-ahead run at the plate against closer Fernando Rodney, but Zack Cozart popped out.
Right fielder Mitch Haniger threw out Johnny Field at the plate to end the game, and the Seattle Mariners held off the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 for their 17th win in 22 games. Field tried to score from first on a two-out, bloop single by Carlos Gomez. James Paxton struck out 10 and Kyle Seager hit a go-ahead home run for Seattle. Nelson Cruz and Mike Zunino also homered for the Mariners.
Corey Kluber continued his dominance of the American League Central, allowing two runs in eight innings as the Cleveland Indians beat the Detroit Tigers 9-2. Kluber (10-2) is 5-0 with a 0.76 ERA in five starts against division rivals this season and has won his last 11 decisions against teams from the AL Central. Melky Cabrera and Erik Gonzalez each drove in three runs for Cleveland, which expanded its divisional lead to five games over the Tigers.
Curtis Granderson had four hits and a career-high six RBIs, Marco Estrada pitched six innings to snap an eight-start winless streak and the Toronto Blue Jays routed the struggling Baltimore Orioles 13-3 to complete a four-game sweep.
Zach Eflin tied his career high with nine strikeouts over six innings and the Philadelphia Phillies snapped a four-game losing streak by holding off the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3. Eflin had his second strong start after two subpar outings. He allowed two runs and three hits with one walk. It was the Phillies' fourth victory in 14 games.
Josh Harrison led off the game with a home run and Gregory Polanco hit a bases-loaded triple, leading Ivan Nova and the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Chicago Cubs 7-1. Pittsburgh ended its losing streak at three. Anthony Rizzo drove in the lone run for Chicago, which had won four in a row.
Center fielder Billy Hamilton made a bunch of key defensive plays and the Cincinnati Reds ended their 13-game losing streak to St. Louis, beating the Cardinals 6-3. Hamilton threw out two runners, then made outstanding catches against the wall in the eighth and ninth innings. He also tripled and scored twice..
In other MLB news:
The Washington Nationals placed right-handed pitchers Stephen Strasburg and Brandon Kintzler on the 10-day disabled list Sunday. Second baseman Daniel Murphy (right knee surgery) could be close to returning to the lineup. He rejoined the team Sunday, taking batting practice and fielding grounders. Manager Dave Martinez said Murphy will accompany the team to New York, where they open a two-game series against the Yankees on Tuesday. The Nationals will play five straight games in American League parks where they'll need a designated hitter.
Aaron Judge was held out of the closer of the Subway Series against the Mets because of a jammed left thumb. With an off day coming up Monday, manager Aaron Boone says he's just playing "the long game" and simply wants to take the opportunity to give Judge consecutive days off. The slugger hurt his thumb sliding into second base during the first inning of Friday night's series opener.
Yoenis Cespedes' rehab assignment has been cut short after a setback, and the plummeting New York Mets have also lost Asdrubal Cabrera due to a tight left hamstring. The Mets aren't sure when they might get Cespedes back from a nagging hip injury. The slugging left fielder was removed from his second rehab game for Double-A Binghamton with tightness in his right quadriceps. Cabrera left a game against the Yankees after stumbling out of the batter's box.
The Toronto Blue Jays say prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will miss at least four weeks because of a strained patellar tendon in his left knee. The son of Hall of Fame outfielder Vladimir Guerrero and one of baseball's highest-ranked prospects left a game for Double-A New Hampshire after going 2 for 2 with two singles. He was placed on the seven-day disabled list and traveled to Toronto's spring training facility in Florida for tests. Guerrero is batting .407.
SOCCER
The 2018 FIFA World Cup begins later this week, with the tournament running from June 14 until the final on July 15. Thirty-two teams from five confederations will battle for the right to be crowned the best. The Cup begins with the Group phase Thursday where Russia will face off against Saudi Arabia, beginning one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year.
Each group plays a round-robin tournament, in which each team is scheduled for three matches against other teams in the same group. A total of six matches are played within a group.
The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage. Points are used to rank the teams within a group. Since 1994, three points have been awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss.
NFL
Earl Thomas is putting the pressure on the Seattle Seahawks for a new contract, saying he will not participate in any team activities until his contract situation is resolved.
That includes the upcoming mandatory minicamp.
The three-time All-Pro safety posted a lengthy statement on social media Sunday, saying he wants "certainty in regards to the upcoming years of my career," before he takes part in any Seahawks related activities. Thomas is entering the final year of his current deal signed before the 2014 season. He is scheduled to make $8.5 million in base salary in 2018.
TENNIS
Rafael Nadal has defeated Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 to win a record-extending 11th title at the French Open.
Nadal briefly interrupted the final in the third set because of a cramp in his left wrist on his racket-holding hand.
Nadal becomes the second player in tennis history to win 11 singles titles at any Grand Slam tournament after Margaret Court, who claimed 11 Australian Open titles.
Nadal will remain at the top of the ATP rankings ahead of Roger Federer. Nadal and Federer have won the past six Grand Slam tournaments between them.
Earlier Sunday at the Open, Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic won their first Grand Slam title in women's doubles.
LPGA
Annie Park won the ShopRite LPGA Classic for her first LPGA Tour victory, closing with an 8-under 63 on Sunday for a one-stroke victory over Sakura Yokomine.
The 23-year-old Park, from Levittown, New York, had an eagle and six birdies on a cloudy day over the Bay Course at Stockton Seaview to complete 54 holes at 16-under 197, a stroke off the tournament record.
Yokomine, the winner of 23 events on the Japan LPGA Tour, flirted with a 59 but parred the par-5 18th for a 61 to tie the course record.
PGA
Second-round leader Tom Lehman has been declared the winner of the PGA Tour Champions event in Iowa after weather washed out Sunday's final round. Principal Charity Classic officials had delayed the start of the third round by nearly five hours because of bands of lightning and persistent rain in central Iowa before calling the event. Lehman shot a 7-under 65 on Saturday to take a two-shot lead over Bernhard Langer, Glen Day, Woody Austin and Scott Parel.
Dustin Johnson emphatically reclaimed the No. 1 ranking Sunday, holing out for eagle from 170 yards on the final hole for a six-stroke victory in the St. Jude Classic. Johnson shot a 4-under 66 for his second PGA Tour victory this year and 18th of his career to reclaim the No. 1 ranking he held for 64 straight weeks before dropping down a month ago. He won the event for the second time, finishing with the eagle, three birdies and a bogey for a 19-under 261 total. Andrew Putnam started the final round with a share of the lead for the first time in his career. He shot 72 and finished at 13 under.
NASCAR
Clint Bowyer raced to his second NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season when Sunday's event at Michigan was called early because of rain.
Bowyer beat out Kevin Harvick on a restart to begin the third stage, and then the race went under caution when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. went into the wall. The rain put a stop to the race after 133 of the planned 200 laps on the 2-mile track.
Harvick was second, and pole winner Kurt Busch finished third, completing a sweep of the top three for Stewart-Haas Racing. Kyle Busch was fourth, the lone Toyota near the top in a race dominated by Ford. Four more Fords — Paul Menard, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney — rounded out the top eight.
HORSE RACING
Justify became the 13th Triple Crown winner and second in four years with a victory Saturday in the Belmont. Triple Crown winner Justify will get a well-deserved break and then race again this year, although no date or location has been targeted yet after the colt came out of his Belmont Stakes victory in good condition.
Elliott Walden of WinStar Farm said Sunday the multi-owner group that controls Justify wants to share the horse with the public by racing him. A plan will be formulated once the chestnut colt recovers from a compressed schedule that saw him win six races over 111 days since his debut on Feb. 18.
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