AP Sports Report for May 26th, 2024:
Josef Newgarden was on top of the world after winning the Indy 500. This year feels much different
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Team Penske's Josef Newgarden is the defending winner of the Indianapolis 500 and he is a favorite for Sunday's race. A year ago, he seemed on top of the world. Since then, he has had to find ways to restore his love of racing. And then he and his teammates were caught up in a cheating scandal that cost him his season-opening win in Florida. He goes into this weekend's showcase event without team President Tim Cindric, who was among several Penske employees suspended in the fallout. There is rain in the forecast for Sunday and the race could be delayed.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr vows not to retaliate, wreck Kyle Busch at Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has cooled off and no longer plans to wreck Kyle Busch at the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday. But that doesn't mean he and Busch are back on speaking terms. Stenhouse said he spoke to Busch's team owner Richard Childress — who had threatened to go after Stenhouse himself if he retaliated against his driver in NASCAR's longest race of the season at Charlotte Motor Speedway — and said they are fine. Stenhouse threw a punch at Busch that started a melee following last weekend's All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Stenhouse said he spoke the words in the heat of the moment. He was fined $75,000 from NASCAR. He said that you never want to wreck anybody on purpose.
Jrue Holiday's finishing flurry helps Celtics beat Pacers 114-111 for 3-0 lead in East finals
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jrue Holiday overcame an illness to convert the go-ahead three-point play with 38 seconds left, then make the game-saving steal to help the Boston Celtics rally from an 18-point deficit to beat the Indiana Pacers 114-111 on Saturday night for a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. Boston can clinch its second NBA Finals trip in three seasons with a Game 4 win Monday in Indianapolis. Jayson Tatum matched his playoff career high with 36 points and had 10 rebounds and eight assists. Jaylen Brown added 24 points and Al Horford had 23 points and seven 3-pointers as the Celtics won their sixth straight playoff game and stayed unbeaten on the road this postseason.
Mason Marchment breaks 3rd-period tie, Stars beat Oilers 3-1 in Game 2 to even West final
DALLAS (AP) — Mason Marchment scored for the first time since the playoff opener and the Dallas Stars beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-1. The Stars evened the Western Conference Final at a game each. Marchment scored the go-ahead goal 3:41 in the third period when he deflected the puck that went through the legs of a defender, then bounced on the ice and went between the right arm and body of goalie Stuart Skinner. Stars captain Jamie Benn had a goal and assisted on Esa Lindell's late empty-netter. Wyatt Johnston had two assists. Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger stopped 28 shots. Connor Brown had Edmonton's goal. Skinner stopped 22 shots. Game 3 is Monday night in Edmonton.
Grayson Murray dies at age 30 a day after withdrawing from Colonial, PGA Tour says
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray has died at the age of 30. The PGA Tour and his management company GSE Worldwide confirmed the death Saturday. There were no immediate details how Murray died. He opened with a 68 at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial. The next day he was 5 over for his round when he withdrew with two holes to play. Murray won the Sony Open this year with a 40-foot birdie putt in a playoff. He also won the Barbasol Championship in 2017. Murray made his Masters debut in April.
Davis Riley leads Scottie Scheffler by 4 at somber Colonial after the news of player's death
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Davis Riley has a four-shot lead over hometown favorite and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler going into the final round at Colonial. Golf has been disrupted again by news off the course. This time it's the death of two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray. He played the first two rounds at Colonial. The news comes a week after Scheffler's arrest that was triggered by an accident that killed a pedestrian. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan flew to Texas to be with the players after learning of the death of the 30-year-old Murray.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says star Shohei Ohtani has been slowed by a hamstring bruise
CINCINNATI (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has been playing with a bruised hamstring and been told to take it easy on it. Manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Ohtani suffered the injury when he was hit by a pickoff throw during the Dodgers' last homestand. The question was raised with the Dodgers skipper after Ohtani appeared not to be at full speed in legging out a sixth-inning triple. Ohtani was 1 for 4 with three strikeouts in Saturday night's 3-1 loss to the Reds.
Chiefs' Butker has no regrets about expressing his beliefs during recent commencement speech
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has no regrets about expressing his beliefs in a recent commencement speech and he said he has received support as well as "a shocking level of hate" from others. Butker made his comments Friday night at the Regina Caeli Academy Courage Under Fire Gala in Nashville, Tenn. He made his first public comments since his controversial recent commencement speech at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.
Pac-12 goes dark: conference baseball tournament marks end of an era
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Waves of fans streamed into Scottsdale Stadium an hour before the start to see the Pac-12 baseball championship game. They got a dose of history with it. With Arizona and Southern California atop the marquee, the undercurrent of Saturday night's game swirled around what could be a finality: the end of the Pac-12 Conference as we know it. The Pac-12 will splinter after this school year, with 10 teams headed to new conferences and two teams clinging to the remnants of the once-proud conference. Washington State and Oregon State may find a way to help keep the conference alive, but it won't be the same even if it does continue.
UEFA celebrates growth of women's soccer as Barcelona lifts another Women's Champions League trophy
BILBAO, Spain (AP) — It was a night of celebration for Barcelona after another Women's Champions League title, and for the women's game in general after another season with significant growth in the sport. Barcelona defeated Lyon 2-0 to win its third European trophy and add to its recent dominance in the sport to cap a year that saw increased attendance, additional revenue and more participation by women across all levels of the sport. The final won by Barcelona came as soccer officials celebrated the success of a five-year plan to boost the women's game.
AP-Scorecard
Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:
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INTERLEAGUE
Final Washington 3 Seattle 1
Final Milwaukee 6 Boston 3
Final N.Y. Yankees 4 San Diego 1
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Detroit 2 Toronto 1
Final Minnesota 5 Texas 3
Final Baltimore 5 Chicago White Sox 3
Final Oakland 3 Houston 1
Final Kansas City 7 Tampa Bay 4
Final Cleveland 4 L.A. Angels 3
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final San Francisco 7 N.Y. Mets 2
Final Pittsburgh 4 Atlanta 1
Final Cincinnati 3 L.A. Dodgers 1
Final St. Louis 7 Chicago Cubs 6
Final Philadelphia 8 Colorado 4
Final Arizona 3 Miami 2
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Final Boston 114 Indiana 111
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final Dallas 3 Edmonton 1
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WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Minnesota 84 New York 67
Final Connecticut 86 Chicago 82
Final Las Vegas 99 Indiana 80
Final Seattle 101 Washington 69
Final Dallas 107 Phoenix 92
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MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Final Los Angeles FC 1 Atlanta 0
Final tie Philadelphia 0 Charlotte FC 0
Final tie Chicago 1 D.C. United 1
Final tie Nashville 0 CF Montréal 0
Final New York City FC 1 New England 0
Final Columbus 2 Orlando City 0
Final Cincinnati 4 Toronto FC 3
Final tie Real Salt Lake 3 FC Dallas 3
Final Seattle 2 St Louis City 1
Final tie Minnesota 3 Colorado 3
Final Miami 2 Vancouver 1
Final LA Galaxy 2 Houston 1
Final Portland 2 Sporting Kansas City 1
Final tie Austin FC 1 San Jose 1
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TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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INTERLEAGUE
Milwaukee at Boston 1:35 p.m.
Seattle at Washington 1:35 p.m.
N-Y Yankees at San Diego 4:10 p.m.
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
Toronto at Detroit 11:35 a.m.
Kansas City at Tampa Bay 1:40 p.m.
Baltimore at Chi White Sox 2:10 p.m.
Texas at Minnesota 2:10 p.m.
Cleveland at L-A Angels 4:07 p.m.
Houston at Oakland 4:07 p.m.
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
L-A Dodgers at Cincinnati 12:10 p.m.
Atlanta at Pittsburgh 1:35 p.m.
San Francisco at N-Y Mets 1:40 p.m.
Philadelphia at Colorado 3:10 p.m.
Miami at Arizona 4:10 p.m.
Chi Cubs at St. Louis 7:10 p.m.
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Minnesota at Dallas 8 p.m.
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
N-Y Rangers at Florida 3 p.m.
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WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Minnesota at Atlanta 6 p.m.
Dallas at Los Angeles 9 p.m.
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