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PHOENIX --  Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw left his start against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night due to pain in his left big toe. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the pain is a lingering issue from a bone spur, adding that Kershaw could end up on the injured list. Kershaw allowed two runs in the first and was pulled with no outs in the second after giving up a homer to Corbin Carroll to start the inning. Roberts immediately came out of the dugout with an athletic trainer after Carroll's 18th homer curled just inside the right foul pole to remove the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner. Carroll's homer cut Los Angeles' lead to 5-3. The Dodgers went on to win 10-9 to extend their lead on the Diamondbacks to five games in the NL West. Kershaw had made six starts since spending the first four months of the season on the injured list as he recovered from offseason shoulder surgery. He entered the game 2-2 with a 3.72...

PHOENIX --  Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw left his start against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night due to pain in his left big toe. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the pain is a lingering issue from a bone spur, adding that Kershaw could end up on the injured list. Kershaw allowed two runs in the first and was pulled with no outs in the second after giving up a homer to Corbin Carroll to start the inning. Roberts immediately came out of the dugout with an athletic trainer and removed the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner after Carroll's 18th homer curled just inside the right foul pole. Carroll's homer cut Los Angeles' lead to 5-3. The Dodgers went on to win 10-9 to extend their advantage on the Diamondbacks to five games in the NL West. Kershaw had made six starts since spending the first four months of the season on the injured list as he recovered from offseason shoulder surgery. He entered the game 2-2 with a 3.72...

NEW YORK --  Novak Djokovic did not go easy on himself when assessing the listless way he performed from the start of the US Open, pointing to his sloppy serving as the main reason the defense of his 2023 title surprisingly ended in the third round. "I have played some of the worst tennis I have ever played, honestly," Djokovic said, just after midnight as Friday turned to Saturday. "Serving -- by far -- the worst ever." With 14 double-faults, raising his tournament total to 32, Djokovic bowed out with a 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 loss to 28th-seeded Alexei Popyrin of Australia, another shocking result at Flushing Meadows one night after 2022 champion  Carlos Alcaraz exited. It's Djokovic's earliest loss at a major since the 2017 Australian Open, where he lost in the second round to Denis Istomin. It's also only the third time in the Open era that two of the top three men's seeds at the US Open are gone before the fourth round; the other instances were in 1973 and...

CHICAGO --  Caitlin Clark had a career-high 31 points and 12 assists in her final regular-season matchup with fellow rookie sensation Angel Reese, leading the Indiana Fever to a dominating 100-81 win over the reeling Chicago Sky on Friday night. Clark shot 8 for 14 from the field, including 5 for 9 on 3-pointers, in her 11th double-double. She is the only player to have three games of at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in a season. And she is the first WNBA player to have four games with 50-plus points scored or assisted on in a single season. On the other side, Reese had 10 points and 11 rebounds, breaking a tie with Tina Charles for rookie double-doubles with 23 and passing Sylvia Fowles for the Chicago season record. Reese got the record with 1:32 to play, long after Clark and the other Indiana starters left the game. She also has a rookie record 399 rebounds. Clark might have slammed the door on the much-hyped Rookie of the Year race as...

Arsenal have signed Chelsea forward  Raheem Sterling on loan for the rest of the season, the clubs confirmed Friday. Sterling has three years remaining on his current contract at Chelsea but had been deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge. After previously being linked with Man United, Sterling completed his move to Arsenal just before the close of the summer transfer window. The deal for Sterling came as ESPN reported that Chelsea had  agreed to sign Man United winger Jadon Sancho on loan. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta distanced the club from a move from Sterling last week despite speaking positively about his character after the pair worked together for three years at Manchester City. However, Arsenal have been open to signing an attacking player throughout the window and are discussing their options, having also been linked with a late move for Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman. The move for Sterling came after...

Crystal Palace have signed  United States men's international goalkeeper Matt Turner on a season-long loan from Nottingham Forest, the clubs announced Friday. The deal does not include an option or obligation to make the move permanent, sources told ESPN. Turner, 30, joins Palace to challenge Dean Henderson for the first-choice keeper spot. He arrives on the same day Palace saw Sam Johnstone join Wolves for a fee that could rise to as much as £10 million. "I'm really excited to be here -- and I'm ready to get to work," Turner said in Palace's announcement. "I've heard a lot about [goalkeeping coach] Dean Kiely from Wayne Hennessey, and obviously Dean [Henderson] and Remi [Matthews] have got a lot of experience, so it'll be great to get to know them, learn how they work, support them in whatever ways I can, but also push them to be the best versions of themselves." He was linked with a move away earlier in the transfer window, but...

LA Clippers center Ivica Zubac has agreed to a three-year, $58.6 million contract extension, tying him to the franchise for $70 million through the 2027-2028 season, his agents Mike Lindeman and Jeff Schwartz of Excel told ESPN on Friday. Zubac will sign the maximum deal available to him for three seasons under the terms of the NBA's collective bargaining agreement. Zubac averaged a career-high 11.7 points and 9.2 rebounds for the 51-victory Clippers, including 16.2 points in a Western Conference playoff series loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Zubac shot 65% from the field in the regular season, third in the league behind Daniel Gafford and Rudy Gobert, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Zubac held offensive opponents to 49.6% shooting at the rim last season, best in the league among players to defend 200-plus shots, per Second Spectrum. He'll be starting his seventh season with the Clippers, where he arrived in a trade from the Lakers in...

NEW YORK -- Frances Tiafoe solved Ben Shelton's big serve and played brilliantly at the net to win their all-American rematch at the US Open 4-6, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3 on Friday and get back to the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the fifth consecutive year. A year ago in New York, Tiafoe was eliminated by Shelton in four sets in the quarterfinals. The year before that, Tiafoe, who loves the tournament's spotlight and its electricity, defeated Rafael Nadal on the way to the US Open semifinals, the best Grand Slam showing of his career. Tiafoe hasn't always excelled at five-setters: He was just 6-13 in matches that went the distance before Friday. Shelton was 6-2. But none of that mattered on this occasion. After getting past Shelton in a match that lasted 4 hours, 3 minutes, Tiafoe spread his arms wide and looked around at the thousands cheering in Arthur Ashe Stadium. The two pals then met at the net for a hug and a lengthy chat. "I've got to say,...

Taylor Fritz, the highest-seeded American men's player at No. 12, comfortably advanced to the US Open round of 16 on Friday. Fritz took down Argentina's  Francisco Comesana 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. In doing so, Fritz became the first American man to make the round of 16 at all four majors in a year since Andre Agassi in 2003. As Fritz was finishing up play on Louis Armstrong, fellow Americans Ben Shelton (No. 13) and Frances Tiafoe (No. 20) were locked in a five-set battle at Arthur Ashe Stadium, looking to join him in the second week.  In other men's singles matches Friday, both No. 6 seed Andrey Rublev and No. 9 Grigor Dimitrov carved out easy straight-set wins to set up a fourth-round showdown Sunday. ESPN Stats & Information and Reuters contributed to this report. 

North Carolina quarterback Max Johnson will miss the remainder of the season with a broken right leg suffered in the team's 19-17 season-opening win at Minnesota on Thursday. The school said Friday that Johnson underwent surgery on his leg in Minneapolis and will return to Chapel Hill in a few days. His parents, Brad and Nikki, remain with him in Minnesota. Johnson, who transferred to the Tar Heels from Texas A&M this past offseason, won the starting job after a competition with Conner Harrell that went down to the wire. In the early going against the Golden Gophers, Johnson struggled to find consistency -- but so did his offensive line, with four new starters. Late in the third quarter, Johnson dropped back to pass, but Justin Walley came in from the secondary on a blitz and sacked him. Johnson landed awkwardly on his right knee and immediately grabbed it. His parents watched in stunned silence from the stands. Brad Johnson, a former NFL...

Crystal Palace are set to complete the signing of United States men's international goalkeeper Matt Turner on a season-long loan, sources have told ESPN. The deal does not include an option or obligation to make the move permanent. Turner, 30, joins Palace to challenge Dean Henderson for the first-choice keeper spot. He arrives on the same day Palace saw Sam Johnstone join Wolves for a fee that could rise to as much as £10 million. He was linked with a move away earlier in the transfer window, but Nottingham Forest were reluctant to let him leave. But with the clock ticking down on transfer deadline day, Crystal Palace have made a late move. Turner has had to vie with Carlos Miguel and Matz Sels this season and has found himself third in the pecking order. Sels has started in the Premier League, with Miguel taking the spot for their midweek League Cup match. Turner made 17 Premier League appearances for Forest last term...

LOS ANGELES -- The Chargers signed kicker Cameron Dicker to a multiyear extension, the team announced Friday. The deal is for four years at $22.04 million, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The extension includes $12.5 million guaranteed, sources told Schefter. The Chargers reward Dicker after one of the best seasons of his career in 2023, where he was one of the Chargers most consistent players. Dicker set the franchise record for 50+ yard field goals made in a season last year with seven. Dicker has had somewhat of a winding journey to this point. He went undrafted out of the University of Texas in 2022, then spent time with three different teams during his rookie season before landing with the Chargers in Week 7 after an injury to kicker Dustin Hopkins. Last offseason, he and Hopkins competed for the spot throughout training camp, with Dicker eventually earning the starting job. The Chargers traded Hopkins to the Browns. Dicker quickly became a fan...

Pitt running back Rodney Hammond Jr. has been declared ineligible for the 2024 season, the school announced Friday. There was no reason given. Hammond remains a member of the team and is allowed to practice. Hammond was the returning starter at running back after leading the team last season with 564 yards and four touchdowns. On Thursday, coach Pat Narduzzi said Desmond Reid would be the starter at running back. When asked about Hammond, Narduzzi said, "He's had a good camp." Reid transferred in the offseason from Western Carolina, where he played for new Pitt offensive coordinator Kade Bell.

NEW YORK -- Coco Gauff was not aware that she'd lost five consecutive matches against opponents ranked in the top 50. She was not sure exactly how many points in a row she'd dropped -- 11, it turns out -- to give away the first set against Elina Svitolina in the US Open's third round on Friday. Here, then, is what was entirely clear to Gauff at that moment: "I needed a reset." So before the second set, the 20-year-old from Florida went to the bathroom, changed part of her outfit and splashed water on her face. Then Gauff went back on court and extended the defense of her first Grand Slam title by turning things around to beat the 27th-seeded Svitolina 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. "Felt like a new person coming out," the third-seeded Gauff said. "I just didn't want to leave the court with any regrets." After making mistake after mistake early on at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Gauff managed to reel off nine of 11 games in one stretch and won again despite losing the opening set,...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Wide receiver Marquise Brown, one of the Kansas City Chiefs' biggest offseason additions, will not play in Thursday night's season opener against the Baltimore Ravens, coach Andy Reid said. "Hollywood won't be back this week and we'll just see how it goes [from there]," Reid said. "But the kid's amazing. I mean, his progress has been incredible, but I wouldn't predict him being there this week." Brown dislocated a shoulder on the Chiefs' first offensive play of the preseason. The Chiefs planned to not have Brown for the game earlier in the week when they kept seven wide receivers on their active roster. The list includes Xavier Worthy, the Chiefs' 2024 first-round draft pick, Rashee Rice, their leading wide receiver last season, and JuJu Smith-Schuster, who signed with the Chiefs this week. Reid said he planned to play the other six receivers against the Ravens. He said quarterback Patrick...

Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell has agreed on a four-year, $45 million contract extension that takes him through the 2028-29 season, Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman of Priority Sports told ESPN on Friday. McConnell had been under contract for $9.3 million for the 2024-25 season and now is tied to the Pacers for five years and $54 million. He played an instrumental role in Indiana's run to the Eastern Conference finals this past season, averaging career highs in scoring in the regular season (10.2 points) and the playoffs (11.8). McConnell's extension punctuates a productive summer for the franchise in securing its key players on long-term contracts, including Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, Obi Toppin. McConnell, 32, completed his fifth season with the Pacers after arriving as an undrafted player and playing his first four NBA seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 11.8 points, 5.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 20 minutes per...

Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell has agreed on a four-year, $45 million contract extension that takes him through the 2028-29 season, Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman of Priority Sports told ESPN on Friday. McConnell had been under contract for $9.3 million for the 2024-25 season and now is tied to the Pacers for five years and $54 million. He played an instrumental role in Indiana's run to the Eastern Conference finals this past season, averaging career highs in scoring in the regular season (10.2 points) and the playoffs (11.8). McConnell's extension punctuates a productive summer of securing the franchise's key players on long-term contracts in Indiana, including Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, Obi Toppin. McConnell, 32, completed his fifth season with the Pacers after arriving as an undrafted player and playing his first four NBA seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 11.8 points, 5.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 20...

Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino is set to miss six to eight weeks after suffering a broken right thumb in a collision with the Houston Astros' Yainer Diaz, the team announced Friday. Pasquantino was injured while trying to catch a rushed throw from reliever Lucas Erceg that put his glove in Diaz's running path during Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Astros. The timeline would rule out Pasquantino for the rest of the regular season. The Royals (75-60) are 1½ games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central and hold the second wild-card spot. The Royals said Pasquantino would undergo further testing Friday. Erceg also was injured while trying to barehand Diaz's ground ball. The Royals have not provided an update on the right-hander. Pasquantino hit .262 with 19 home runs and 97 RBIs in 131 games this season. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

MIAMI -- The Dolphins have agreed to a three-year extension with Mike McDaniel, sources told ESPN's Jeff Darlington, keeping their head coach in south Florida through the 2028 season. McDaniel is entering his third season with the Dolphins and has led them to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons, joining Dave Wannstedt and Don Shula as the only coaches in franchise history to do so. After going 26 years without a top-10 offense, Miami has fielded one in each of the past two seasons, leading the league in total yards in 2023. Miami has not won a playoff game since the 1999 season, and lost a pair of AFC wild-card games under McDaniel, but a source told ESPN that McDaniel's working relationships with general manager Chris Grier, CEO Tom Garfinkel and Senior VP of Football and Business Administration Brandon Shore have convinced owner Steve Ross that he's the right coach to end the playoff win drought. McDaniel has made an especially noticeable impact on Tua...

Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau, 31 and his brother Matthew Gaudreau, 29, were killed after being hit by an alleged drunk driver in Salem County, New Jersey, police said.

Texas and Miami battled to the finish before four-star wide receiver Jaime Ffrench, No. 17 in the 2025 ESPN 300, committed to Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns on Friday morning during a pep rally at Mandarin High School in Jacksonville, Florida. Ffrench is the second-ranked wide receiver in the 2025 class and No. 3 player in the state of Florida in this cycle. A former Alabama commit, Ffrench entered Friday with finalists Texas, Miami, LSU and Tennessee following visits to each school in the spring. The skilled playmaker is now the second-ranked member of the Longhorns' rising 2025 class, which sits at No. 17 in ESPN's latest team rankings for the current cycle. Ffrench told ESPN that a tight recruitment ultimately came down to Texas and Miami in recent days. The Hurricanes fought into the final hours of the process, pitching a Power 4 experience closer to home, before Ffrench decided on the Longhorns, swayed by Texas' recent success in the 2025 class, the...

Professional sports teams have largely moved to accommodate the needs of fans with sensory issues, but many venues still fall short when it comes to addressing a range of other needs for fans living with conditions known as invisible or nonapparent disabilities, according to a nationwide ESPN survey. Tens of millions of Americans live with conditions that are not immediately apparent but significantly impact their daily lives, including autism, brain injuries, autoimmune diseases, chronic pain, mental health conditions, and loss of hearing and vision. Invisible disabilities are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act, a 1990 law that prohibits discrimination and requires stadiums, arenas and other venues to provide accommodations. But those efforts largely focus on physical accessibility features such as wheelchairs, ramps and elevators. "People think, 'Hey, let's just do the minimum, we have X number of wheelchair seats, that's good enough,'" said Sherri...

North Carolina quarterback Max Johnson was carted off the field with a hip injury in the third quarter of a 19-17 win against  Minnesota on Thursday night in Minneapolis. Johnson, who transferred to the Tar Heels from Texas A&M this past offseason, won the starting job after a competition with Conner Harrell that went down to the wire. In the early going against the Golden Gophers, Johnson struggled to find consistency -- but so did his offensive line, with four new starters. Late in the third quarter, Johnson dropped back to pass, but Justin Walley came in from the secondary on a blitz and sacked him. Johnson landed awkwardly on his right knee and immediately grabbed it. His parents, Nikki and Brad, watched in stunned silence from the stands. Brad Johnson, a former NFL quarterback, began his pro career with the Vikings. In his postgame news conference, UNC coach Mack Brown said the injury is to Johnson's hip and that he was taken to a...

Stephen F. Austin defeated North American 77-0 on Thursday night in a season opener that went to 5-minute quarters in the second half after the Lumberjacks led by 70 at halftime. FCS Stephen F. Austin scored touchdowns on 11 consecutive drives and outgained its NAIA opponent by a total yardage margin of 675-40. SFA quarterback  Sam Vidlak went 8-of-8 passing for 288 yards and five touchdowns to give the Lumberjacks a 42-0 lead after one quarter. They attempted seven passes over the rest of the game and rushed for 292 yards on 8.1 yards per attempt. NAU ran just 40 plays on offense and finished with 45 passing yards and -5 rushing yards but only one turnover in the loss. The two teams combined for 18 total offensive plays during the abbreviated second half. NAU, a private university in Stafford, Texas, played its inaugural football season in 2020 and joined NAIA in 2022. The Stallions went 1-10 last season, including a 91-0 loss to FCS Portland State. In 2022, SFA won a...

North Carolina quarterback Max Johnson was carted off the field with what appeared to be a right knee injury in the third quarter of a 19-17 win against  Minnesota on Thursday night in Minneapolis. Johnson, who transferred to the Tar Heels from Texas A&M this past offseason, won the starting job after a competition with Conner Harrell that went down to the wire. In the early going against the Golden Gophers, Johnson struggled to find consistency -- but so did his offensive line, with four new starters. Late in the third quarter, Johnson dropped back to pass, but Justin Walley came in from the secondary on a blitz and sacked him. Johnson landed awkwardly on his knee and immediately grabbed it. His parents, Nikki and Brad, watched in stunned silence from the stands. Brad Johnson, a former NFL quarterback, began his pro career with the Vikings. Speaking immediately after the win, UNC coach Mack Brown told Fox that he didn't have an update on...

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Howard coach Larry Scott wasn't happy with Rutgers counterpart Greg Schiano after the Scarlet Knights scored a touchdown on the final play of a 44-7 win on Thursday night. Scott walked across the field and shook hands with Schiano after the game ended and seemed to say something to the Rutgers coach. Schiano turned around and it was unclear whether he responded. In his postgame news conference, Scott made it clear he didn't like watching Antwan Raymond score on an 11-yard run as time expired in regulation. He said that's not what he would have done. When asked what he said to Schiano, he refused to say. Scott said he didn't know why Schiano did what he did at the end of the game, but he felt it could have been handled differently and was frustrated by what happened. "I think we're both two competitive people," Scott said. "And in that situation, I would choose to handle it a little bit differently. I can't speak for him. I have a lot...

After double faulting and falling behind two sets to none -- a deficit he has never overcome -- in the second round of the US Open on Thursday night, Carlos Alcaraz slung his equipment bag over a shoulder and trudged toward the locker room. Glancing in the direction of his coach, 2003 French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz pointed his right index finger at his temple then wagged that finger, as if to say, "I'm not thinking straight." He might have been excused for being confused by what was transpiring under the closed retractable roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium on a chilly evening. One set later, Alcaraz's 15-match Grand Slam unbeaten streak was over with a sloppy 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 loss to 74th-ranked  Botic van de Zandschulp. "It was a fight against myself, in my mind, during the match," Alcaraz said. "In tennis, you are playing against someone that wants the same as you -- to win the match -- and you have to be as ... calm as you can, just to think better in...

The  Golden State Warriors have signed star guard Stephen Curry to a one-year extension, the team announced Thursday. The extension is worth $62.6 million, his agent, Jeff Austin of Octagon, told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, and keeps Curry under contract with Golden State through the 2026-27 season. Curry will become the fourth NBA player, along with LeBron James, Paul George and Kevin Durant, to pass $500 million in career earnings. Curry had two years remaining on the four-year, $215.4 million contract he signed in August 2021. He was eligible to sign only a one-year extension this offseason due to the NBA's over-38 rule, which prevents teams from offering contracts of four years or more to players who are or will be 38 years old during that deal. Curry, 36, has been vocal about his desire to remain with the Warriors -- the only franchise he has ever played for -- and retire with them. "I've always said I want to be a Warrior for life,"...

BOSTON -- Rich Hill came on in relief for the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night and became the only active player to appear in a major league game in each of the past 20 seasons. "There's a lot of people to thank to get to this point," the left-hander said as he struggled to manage his emotions in the clubhouse after the 2-0 loss to the Blue Jays. "Putting in the work, the effort to get back. ... I've always loved doing it. I'm fortunate to be able to do it." Hill replaced starter Kutter Crawford with two outs in the seventh and struck out Toronto center fielder Daulton Varsho with a runner on second to end the inning. The 44-year-old Hill, who is in his fourth stint with the Red Sox, received a nice cheer from the crowd and a handshake from manager Alex Cora when he returned to the dugout. He came back out for the eighth with Boston trailing 2-0 and retired all three batters he faced on a strikeout and two grounders. Hill joined Tim...

NEW YORK -- Seemingly back in her US Open match, suddenly a point from getting to a third set, Naomi Osaka lost her way Thursday night, missing forehand after forehand until she ceded that game and chucked her racket, sending it clattering on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court. Not much later, she was out of the tournament, eliminated 6-3, 7-6 (5) by Karolina Muchova in the second round of an event where Osaka won two of her four Grand Slam titles. Osaka -- once ranked No. 1 but now No. 88 after missing nearly 1½ years because of mental health breaks and time off to have a baby -- acknowledged it was "a little rough" to bow out in the second round. "It's been a little difficult because obviously I can only gauge how I'm doing by results," Osaka said. "Like, I feel faster. I feel better, but I lost in the second round. ... Yeah, it's a little rough because I do take these losses really personally. It's like a dramatic word, but I feel like my heart dies every time I...

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The dramatic roller-coaster ride that has been the high-stakes contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk ended where it all began when this started more than six months ago -- with the Niners and Aiyuk sticking together for the long haul. Aiyuk and the Niners on Thursday agreed to terms on a four-year, $120 million contract extension that will keep him in San Francisco through the 2028 season, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. It's the same deal that has been on the table from the 49ers since Aug. 12, league sources told Schefter. The extension includes $76 million guaranteed, with $47 million to be paid to Aiyuk before April 1, 2025, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Aiyuk joins Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill as the fifth-highest-paid receivers in the NFL with an average annual value of $30 million per season. The deal comes on the heels of perhaps the most contentious move...

ATLANTA --  Scottie Scheffler started the Tour Championship with a two-shot lead based on his dominant season. And then he looked dominant as ever Thursday, posting the best round at 6-under 65 to build a seven-shot lead and take a huge step toward the FedEx Cup title. Scheffler had five birdies over his last seven holes on a sweltering afternoon at renovated East Lake to pull away from Xander Schauffele and everyone else. He made birdie from the bunker on the par-5 18th hole with an 8-foot putt and took his spot in the PGA Tour record book with an asterisk. No one has ever led by seven after 18 holes as far back as the tour keeps such records. The asterisk is because he was only one shot better than Collin Morikawa and four others who each had a 66. This is the sixth year of the "starting strokes" format at the FedEx Cup finale. Scheffler was the No. 1 seed based on his six PGA Tour victories, which includes the Masters and The Players Championship. He...

NEW YORK -- A US Open match between a pair of two-time Grand Slam finalists lasted only three points on Thursday, when former No. 1 Karolina Pliskova injured herself and had to stop playing against fifth-seeded  Jasmine Paolini. Their abbreviated match was followed by No. 4 seed Elena Rybakina withdrawing from the tournament with an undisclosed injury. The score in the second-round contest between Pliskova and Paolini was 15-all, with Paolini serving, when Pliskova stepped awkwardly on her left foot while trying to change directions during a point she lost. That made it 30-15, and that's where the scoreboard remained, as Pliskova headed to the sideline and asked for a visit from a trainer. Pliskova, the runner-up at the US Open in 2016 and at Wimbledon in 2021, removed both of her shoes and took off her left sock. The trainer examined her left foot and, eventually, Pliskova said she couldn't continue competing and limped off the court at Louis Armstrong...

FRISCO, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said he does not need a contract extension to be done before the season starts Sept. 8 against the Cleveland Browns. But does Prescott want it finished? "I think it says a lot if it is or if it isn't," Prescott said Thursday. "But 'however' doesn't really matter to me, to be honest with you." What does it say if a deal is not completed? "Just how people feel," Prescott said. On Wednesday, owner and general manager Jerry Jones was asked what more he needs to see from Prescott in order for a deal to get done. "You could easily say, 'If you haven't seen it by now, you haven't seen it,'" Jones said. "I'm such a fan of Dak's and appreciate all of the great things that we all know that is there. And I appreciate his work ethic more than anything out here. I can't tell you how proud I am that we've got him this year to start this campaign. ... "When you look at a situation, you've also got to...

Left-hander Sam Aldegheri will become the first pitcher born and raised in Italy to play in Major League Baseball when he starts for the Los Angeles Angels against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night, sources told ESPN. The Angels also announced they are calling up 20-year-old right-hander Caden Dana, their top prospect, to start Sunday against the Mariners. The aggressive promotions continue Los Angeles' trend of pushing its best young players to the major leagues on timelines far more rapid than other major league teams. Shortstop Zach Neto, the 13th pick in the 2022 draft, debuted two weeks into the 2023 season. Right-hander Ben Joyce, the 105 mph-throwing reliever, was in the big leagues a month later and locked down Los Angeles' closing job recently. First baseman Nolan Schanuel arrived in the big leagues 40 days after the Angels took him with the 11th pick last season. Aldegheri, 22, was signed out of Verona, Italy, by the ...

SEC schools will provide public reports on player availability for conference games in football, men's and women's basketball and baseball starting this season, the league announced Thursday. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said the new policy is designed to curtail individuals who might try to seek information on injuries and suspensions from student-athletes for gambling purposes. "This availability reporting policy is intended to reduce pressure from outside entities seeking participation information and represents a commitment of our 16 institutions to provide enhanced transparency to support efforts to protect our student-athletes and the integrity of competition," Sankey said in a statement. Under the new policy, SEC schools will be required to provide availability reports three days before each conference football game and then daily updates, including a final one 90 minutes prior to kickoff.              In basketball and baseball, availability reports will be filed with...

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Quarterback Aaron Rodgers will have his full arsenal of playmakers in Week 1, as wide receiver Mike Williams was cleared to play in the New York Jets' opener. Williams, who underwent knee surgery after tearing his ACL last September while playing for the Los Angeles Chargers, began training camp on the physically-unable-to-perform list and worked his way back, joining 11-on-11 drills this week. Coach Robert Saleh said Thursday it "wouldn't be fair" to expect Williams to be at his pre-injury form at the outset. "He's going to be available Week 1, but to expect him to be 100% -- we're going to be very smart with how we use him," Saleh said. "He can be plenty available to make his mark felt." The Jets conducted a scrimmage-like practice on Thursday (closed to the media) in which Williams caught four or five passes for more than 100 yards, according to Saleh. "[I] feel good," Williams said after practice. "I mean, this is what I...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Chiefs didn't get what they wanted long term from their 2022 midseason trade with the Giants that allowed them to acquire wide receiver Kadarius Toney, who was released this week. But because of Toney's contributions in what for the Chiefs was one of the most glorious days in franchise history, general manager Brett Veach felt the deal was one of the best he has ever made. "I don't think we're sitting here going for a third straight Super Bowl [championship] had we not made that trade,'' Veach said of the deal that sent third- and sixth-round draft picks to the Giants. "So, from that standpoint, we'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.'' Toney, 25, the Giants' first-round draft pick in 2021, wound up playing in just 20 regular-season games for the Chiefs. He caught 55 passes and scored four touchdowns, but those games were most notable for injuries and dropped passes. Toney tore the meniscus in his knee while returning kicks...

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Quarterback Aaron Rodgers will have his full arsenal of playmakers in Week 1, as wide receiver Mike Williams was cleared to play in the New York Jets' opener. Williams, who underwent knee surgery after tearing his ACL last September while playing for the Los Angeles Chargers, began training camp on the physically-unable-to-perform list and worked his way back, joining 11-on-11 drills this week. Coach Robert Saleh said Thursday it "wouldn't be fair" to expect Williams to be at his pre-injury form at the outset. "He's going to be available Week 1, but to expect him to be 100% -- we're going to be very smart with how we use him," Saleh said. "He can be plenty available to make his mark felt." The Jets conducted a scrimmage-like practice on Thursday (closed to the media) in which Williams caught four or five passes for more than 100 yards, according to Saleh. "[I] feel good," Williams said after practice. "I mean, this is what I expected....

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- After initially planning to sign with the New York Jets and join their practice squad on Wednesday, safety Lewis Cine instead Thursday signed with the Buffalo Bills on their practice squad. The 32nd pick in the 2022 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings was waived by Minnesota on Tuesday after efforts to trade him were unsuccessful.  "Just a change of heart, I guess," Jets general manager Joe Douglas said Thursday. The Jets were expecting Cine to fly to New Jersey for a physical and sign a contract, a source told ESPN's Rich Cimini. Buffalo has undergone significant change at the safety position this offseason with longtime starters Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde not on the roster. Poyer was released this offseason and Hyde remains unsigned and is contemplating retirement, although Bills general manager Brandon Beane said Wednesday that the door has not closed on Hyde possibly returning and that they will "stay in...

Wisconsin has hired longtime NFL coach Jack Del Rio to its staff, where he will serve as senior adviser to Badgers coach Luke Fickell, the team told ESPN on Thursday. Del Rio, the former Jaguars and Raiders coach, most recently served as Washington Commanders defensive coordinator until he was fired in November. He will work with both the offense and defense at Wisconsin and assist Fickell, who starts his second season at the school Friday against Western Michigan. A former linebacker at USC and with four NFL teams, Del Rio has spent his entire coaching career at the pro level. The 61-year-old held defensive coordinator roles with Carolina and Denver before coming to Washington in 2020. Fickell had hoped to have former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel, his close friend and former teammate at Ohio State, around the Wisconsin program this season. But Vrabel is serving as a coaching and personnel consultant...

A new college football season, featuring widespread conference realignment and an expanded playoff, has a familiar look to it at sportsbooks, with perennial powers from the SEC and Big Ten sitting atop the odds to win the national championship. Georgia and Ohio State have separated themselves from the pack as the consensus national title favorites ahead of the season. The Bulldogs are +300 at ESPN BET, followed closely by the Buckeyes at +325. Oregon (+700) and Texas (+900) are the only other teams with odds shorter than +1000. Georgia and Ohio State account for nearly 50% of the bets that have been placed on ESPN BET's title odds and are among eight teams that are odds-on favorites to qualify for this season's 12-team playoff. Oregon (-350), Texas (-240), Notre Dame (-170), Penn State (-150), Ole Miss (-140) and Alabama (-115) also are odds-on favorites to reach the playoff at ESPN BET. "All of our most popular teams to...

Liverpool have been drawn to face Real Madrid as part of the Champions League's revamped 36-team league format, while Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick will return to Germany to face his former employers Bayern Munich. Bayern will face Barça in the competition for the third time in the past four seasons. The German club has won the past six meetings, including an 8-2 quarterfinal victory on its way to lifting the Champions League in 2020 under Flick. The draw, which was conducted by a combination of Gianluigi Buffon, Cristiano Ronaldo and UEFA's supercomputer, also produced heavyweight clashes including Manchester City against Paris Saint-Germain and a repeat of last year's final: Borussia Dortmund vs. Madrid. Arsenal managed to avoid some of the most daunting teams from Pot 1 as they were drawn to play against PSG and Inter Milan. Aston Villa will face Bayern for the first time since they beat the ...

Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry has agreed to a one-year, $62.6 million extension, his agent, Jeff Austin of Octagon, told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Thursday. The agreement keeps Curry under contract with Golden State through the 2026-27 season, and he will become the fourth NBA player, along with LeBron James, Paul George and Kevin Durant, to pass $500 million in career earnings. Curry had two years remaining on the four-year, $215.4 million contract he signed in August 2021. He was eligible to sign only a one-year extension this offseason due to the NBA's over-38 rule, which prevents teams from offering contracts of four years or more to players who are or will be 38 years old during that deal. The extension will be signed Thursday, Austin told ESPN. Curry, 36, has been vocal about his desire to remain with the Warriors -- the only franchise he has ever played for -- and retire with them. "I've always said I want to be a...

PHILADELPHIA --  Jalen Hurts says he was "told not to worry about a lot of things" with respect to pass protections in past seasons because of the presence of center Jason Kelce and that his eagerness to learn was "halted" as a result, but the  Eagles quarterback said things are changing now that he has more control at the line of scrimmage. "I think in the end when you look at this upcoming season and what you have seen in years past, it's just different autonomy in different places," Hurts told 94.1 WIP on Thursday. "We had a great player in Jason Kelce who took on a lot of responsibility, and as a result of that I was told not to worry about a lot of things. And so my eagerness to learn over the years kind of was halted because of who we had, but now times are different and I'm excited for that journey and this opportunity." Kelce served as the maestro up front for 13 seasons in Philadelphia. He took the bulk of the responsibility off the quarterbacks, including...

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- With only 11 days until the season opener, New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas sent a clear message Thursday to holdout Haason Reddick: Show up and we'll talk. "The ball is in their court," Douglas told reporters, commenting for the first time on the 38-day holdout. Douglas said he has had no recent conversations with Reddick's agent, Tory Dandy, and he hasn't spoken to Reddick since April 1, the day the Pro Bowl edge rusher visited the Jets' facility, took a physical and conducted his introductory news conference after being acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. The GM reiterated that he won't grant Reddick's request for a trade, adding that he won't discuss a revised contract until Reddick reports. "I think we've been clear from the outset: Let's get here and then let's talk," Douglas said, claiming he's not frustrated by the prolonged stalemate. Neither Reddick nor his agent have commented. This is a highly...

Liverpool have completed the signing of winger Federico Chiesa from Juventus, the Premier League  club confirmed on Thursday.  The deal, worth €12 million ($13.3m) plus €3m in add-ons, will see Chiesa join  Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo and Luis Díaz in an already talented front line on Merseyside. "I'm so happy to be a Liverpool player," Chiesa told Liverpool's website. "When [sporting director] Richard Hughes called me and he said, 'Do you want to join Liverpool?' -- and the coach called me -- I said yes immediately because I know the history of this club, I know what it represents to the fans. "I'm so happy and I can't wait to get started." The 26-year-old had been close to a transfer to  Barcelona for a similar fee earlier this month, but the LaLiga side have been unable to structure a deal amid the stringent salary cap rules that saw Dani Olmo miss their first two league games as...

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta has seen a different Lamar Jackson on the field this year, and it goes beyond the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player's weight loss. "What I've noticed about Lamar really is more of an intangible thing," DeCosta said Thursday. "His urgency as a leader, his urgency with the other players. He's just really in tune with the other players every single day in practice. He's so engaged with the coaches, he's engaged with his teammates. Heck, he's engaged with me." DeCosta said Jackson talks to him about personnel, and it happened just after a recent practice. "He just really wants to win badly, and I think I'm seeing that as a player," DeCosta said. "I've always known that, but now I'm seeing his personality kind of come out more where I can really get a sense that this guy is so hyper-focused on this season and really working to get a ring." In his six-year career, Jackson has been one of the league's...

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- On the heels of their recent success, the Detroit Lions have become a destination for free agents, according to general manager Brad Holmes. Holmes discussed the new perception of the Lions franchise Thursday, citing its back-to-back winning seasons as a reason for the overall uptick in interest from players and their agents. "It has been different," Holmes said. "In the past -- I would say for the first two years, we were doing a lot of selling and convincing constantly just to try to get guys here. ... But now, it does make you feel good that we've done something, and we've accomplished some good things that these agents want to send their players here." Holmes, who is entering his fourth year as GM alongside coach Dan Campbell, specifically noted that agents of wide receivers and kickers pushed to get their players in Detroit this offseason. "Now, the wide receiver front, that was even easier conversations," he said. "Every agent of a wide...

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- After initially planning to sign with the New York Jets and join their practice squad on Wednesday, safety Lewis Cine is now planning on signing with the Buffalo Bills and joining their practice squad, sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Rich Cimini on Thursday. The 32nd pick in the 2022 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings was waived by Minnesota on Tuesday after efforts to trade him were unsuccessful.  "Just a change of heart, I guess," Jets general manager Joe Douglas said Thursday. The Jets were expecting Cine to fly to New Jersey for a physical and sign a contract, a source told Cimini. Buffalo has undergone significant change at the safety position this offseason with longtime starters Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde not on the roster. Poyer was released this offseason and Hyde remains unsigned and is contemplating retirement, although Bills general manager Brandon Beane said Wednesday that the door has not...