baseball

Royals extend contracts of manager, general manager

The Kanasas City Royals signed General Manager Dayton Moore and Manager Ned Yost to contract extensions, ensuring the leadership of the World Series champions will remain intact.

Yost was entering the final year of his deal, but is now under contract through the 2018 season. He had floated the possibility of retiring in the near future but said Thursday “it’s hard to leave when you still have the ability to win.”

Terms of Moore’s contract were not disclosed.

n Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman said he would appeal if he is suspended under baseball’s new domestic violence policy.

Florida prosecutors decided not to file charges against Chapman, whose girlfriend told officers he pushed her, put his hands around her neck and choked her during an argument in October.

n The Diamondbacks exercised the 2017 option of Manager Chip Hale, who is entering his second season at the Arizona helm. The team went 79-83 last season.

FOOTBALL

NFL: Panthers defensive end Jared Allen announced his retirement from football on Twitter in unique fashion – from atop a horse.

Allen thanked everyone in a short video before saying, “I was going to ride off into the sunset, but seeing there is no sunset I’m just going to ride off.” He then turned the horse and galloped away into the dark night with snow on the ground.

A four-time All-Pro, Allen played 12 seasons in the NFL and finished with 136 career sacks. He led the league in sacks in 2007 and 2011.

TENNIS

RIO OPEN: Rafael Nadal and defending champion David Ferrer – the top two seeds – both beat fellow Spaniards to reach the last eight at Rio de Janeiro. Nadal beat Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 7-5 and Ferrer defeated Albert Ramos-Vinolas, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

OPEN 13: Second-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych needed more than two hours to get past 18-year-old German Alexander Zverev 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 to advance to the quarterfinals at Marseille, France.

COLLEGES

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Nate Mason had 18 points, six rebounds and six assists to help host Minnesota (7-19, 1-13) get its first Big Ten win of the season with a stunning 68-63 upset of No. 6 Maryland (22-5, 10-4).

GOLF

PGA: Jordan Spieth was everywhere he wasn’t supposed to be at Riviera and wound up with an opening 79 in the Northern Trust Open at Los Angeles.

Spieth called it a day to forget. It was his worst score since an 80 in the 2014 Tour Championship.

For Camilo Villegas, it was a day to savor. The Colombian ran off four straight birdies late in his round and challenged the course record until a bogey on his final hole for a 63. He led by three shots over Bubba Watson, Chez Reavie and Luke List.

EUROPEAN TOUR: Nathan Holman of Australia shot a 7-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead after one round of the inaugural Maybank Championship Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.

LPGA: Holly Clyburn shot a 7-under 65 Friday to move to 8-under 136 and into a tie for the clubhouse lead with Catriona Matthew (69) during the second round of the Women’s Australian Open at Adelaide.

Overnight leader SooBin Kim, who shot a course-record 63 on Thursday, had an afternoon start Friday, as did defending champion Lydia Ko, who shot 70 on Thursday.

– From news service reports