Opening day is here: Juan Soto debuts, Paul Skenes vs Sandy Alcántara, and more
NEW YORK (AP) -- Juan Soto, Blake Snell and Clay Holmes debut for new teams. Paul Skenes makes his first opening-day start at age 22 and Sandy Alcántara returns from Tommy John surgery. A week after the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers swept an opening two-game series over the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo, 26 other teams get underway Thursday on opening day in the U.S. and Canada. One day later the Rays and Rockies become the final clubs to take the field, given extra time while Tampa Bay moved into the New York Yankees' Steinbrenner Field, its temporary home this season after Hurricane Milton destroyed Tropicana Field's roof.
Auburn's Pearl says his March Madness call for hostage release was about 'survival,' not politics
ATLANTA (AP) -- Auburn coach Bruce Pearl says he wasn't mixing politics with sports last week when he called for the release of an American hostage in Gaza. Pearl says his comment was about "survival" when he called for the release of Edan Alexander, the last living American being held hostage in Gaza by Hamas. No. 1 seed Auburn will play No. 6 seed Michigan in an NCAA Tournament regional semifinal on Friday night. Auburn is in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019. Auburn players Dylan Cardwell and Johni Broome say they support Pearl's right to speak out.
Don't write off future Cinderellas just because it's an all-power conference Sweet 16, coaches say
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Nearly every year there's at least one lovable underdog that rises from obscurity in the NCAA Tournament to capture the hearts of basketball fans and bust their brackets. Not this year. All 16 regional semifinalists are from power conferences for the first time since the bracket expanded to 64 teams in 1985. The popular theory is that the transfer portal has led to a concentration of the best players at the big schools paying the most NIL money and, soon, the most through revenue sharing. Coaches say don't write off future Cinderellas because there is so much talent.
Sidney Crosby breaks Wayne Gretzky's NHL record with his 20th season averaging a point per game
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Sidney Crosby's career-long point-per-game consistency led to the Pittsburgh Penguins captain breaking an NHL record he shared with Wayne Gretzky. By scoring 8:49 into the first period against Buffalo, Crosby registered his 80th point to assure he'll finish his 20th NHL season averaging at least a point per outing. In doing so, he broke Gretzky's record in which the Great One finished all but his 20th and final NHL season in 1998-99 averaging a point a game. The 37-year-old Crosby reached 80 points in his 72nd game in a season he's already missed two outings due to injury. Pittsburgh has eight games left.
Hader strikes out Soto with 2 on to save Astros' 3-1 win over Mets
HOUSTON (AP) -- Framber Valdez pitched seven scoreless innings and Josh Hader struck out Juan Soto with two on to save the Houston Astros' 3-1 win over the New York Mets. New York cut its deficit to two on a sacrifice fly by Francisco Lindor for the second out of the ninth. There were runners on first and third when Hader struck out Soto swinging at a full-count slider wide of the zone for his 200th career save. Soto singled and walked twice in his Mets debut after signing a record $765 million, 15-year contract as a free agent this offseason.
Wells becomes 1st catcher to hit leadoff homer on opening day and Yankees beat Brewers 4-2
NEW YORK (AP) -- Austin Wells became the first catcher to hit a leadoff homer on opening day, Anthony Volpe also went deep and the New York Yankees began their AL pennant defense with a 4-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Carlos Rodón, starting because of ace Gerrit Cole's season-ending elbow injury, allowed one run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings. Devin Williams, facing his former team for the first time since he was traded in December, held on for the save.
Dodgers celebrate 2024 World Series victory with Ice Cube and Kirk Gibson at home opener
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- It's a new season but the Los Angeles Dodgers are still celebrating their 2024 World Series championship. Rapper Ice Cube rolled up to their dugout in a vintage blue convertible with the Commissioner's Trophy in the front passenger seat. Magic Johnson carried the prize to home plate as fans roared before the Dodgers' home opener against the Detroit Tigers. Kirk Gibson, a hero of the 1988 World Series, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to 2024 World Series MVP Freddie Freeman. Some of the team's owners hoisted a blue-and-white flag in center field marking the franchise's latest championship.
Mikaela Shiffrin powers through a bump-filled course to win the slalom at the World Cup finals
SUN VALLEY, Idaho (AP) -- Mikaela Shiffrin smoothly navigated a bumpy course to win the women's slalom at the World Cup finals. The first-run leader, Shiffrin found another burst to finish in a combined time of 1 minute, 45.92 seconds and beat Lena Duerr of Germany by 1.13 seconds. Andreja Slokar of Slovenia took third. Shiffrin glided through the course at Sun Valley with a large crowd cheering her through every gate. She closed out the World Cup slalom season the same way she started it, with a win. Croatian ski racer Zrinka Ljutic was 10th and captured the season-long slalom title over Katharina Liensberger of Austria.
Manager Carlos Mendoza among those eagerly anticipating Juan Soto's New York Mets debut
HOUSTON (AP) -- Juan Soto's debut with the New York Mets has seemingly the entire baseball world excited. "Yeah, put me in that category too," manager Carlos Mendoza said Thursday. "I'm excited to watch him today and every day." Soto was set to bat second and play right field in his first game with the Mets on Thursday against the Houston Astros after signing a blockbuster 15-year, $765 million contract this offseason.
Novak Djokovic beats Sebastian Korda, advances to semifinals in push for 7th Miami Open title
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) -- Novak Djokovic is finding a higher gear in South Florida after a sluggish start to 2025. Djokovic, gunning for his seventh Miami Open title, dispatched American Sebastian Korda 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) Thursday in one hour, 24 minutes in a quarterfinal match that was postponed from Wednesday night. Djokovic advanced to Friday's semifinals and will face Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov. Djokovic is 12-1 against the 33-year-old Dimitrov, who reached the tournament finals in 2024.