BASEBALL
Brett Netzer hit a two-run homer in the second inning and Daniel McGrath struck out seven in six innings to lead the Portland Sea Dogs to a 4-2 Eastern League win over the Richmond Flying Squirrels on Wednesday in Richmond, Virginia.
McGrath (3-0) allowed six hits and one earned run and walked two.
C.J. Chatham hit an RBI triple in the fifth to make it 3-1. He also singled and doubled.
• The Sea Dogs activated infielder Deiner Lopez from the injured list.
NECBL: Connor Charping and Straton Podaras each drove in two runs to help the Vermont Mountaineers (24-19) to a 7-5 win over the Sanford Mainers (16-27) in Montpelier, Vermont.
Reece Armitage hit a solo homer for Sanford in the fifth inning, and Shane Marshall hit an RBI single to cut the lead to 6-5 in the seventh.
Corey DiLoreto hit an RBI single for Vermont in the eighth to increase the lead to 7-5.
SWIMMING
U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: Olympic champion Ryan Lochte made an emphatic return to competition, swimming the fourth-fastest time by an American in the 200-meter individual medley during a time trial at the Phillips 66 National Championships at Stanford University in California.
“I’m back, woo!” Lochte proclaimed in his opening remarks on the pool deck at Avery Aquatic Center after qualifying for the U.S. Olympic trials with the time of 1 minute, 57.88 seconds. “It’s been a long three years but it’s good to be back, get on those blocks and race again.”
Lochte is entered in the 100 butterfly, 100 and 200 backstroke and 200 and 400 IM this week, though he hasn’t decided which events he will focus on for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
HOCKEY
NHL: The New York Rangers will buy out the remaining two years of defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk’s contract, according to multiple reports.
The move will get the Rangers below the league’s $81.5 million salary cap, saving the team $5.2 million in cap space. Shattenkirk will still count $6.1 million against the cap next season, and $1.4 in each of the following two.
The 30-year-old Shattenkirk, a native of New Rochelle, New York, signed a four-year, $26.6 million with New York in the summer of 2017, but was often injured. He had seven goals and 44 assists in 119 games with the Rangers.
• The Colorado Avalanche locked up defenseman Samuel Girard with a seven-year extension that runs through the 2026-27 season.
The 21-year-old played in all 82 games last season, finishing with four goals and 23 assists.
It was Girard’s second season with Colorado after being acquired from Nashville as part of a three-team deal with Ottawa on Nov. 5, 2017. The Predators drafted him in the second round in 2016.
• The New Jersey Devils re-signed defenseman Will Butcher to a three-year, $11.2 million contract.
The 24-year-old had four goals and 26 assists in 78 games last season, placing him second among the club’s defensemen.
SOCCER
WOMEN’S WORLD CUP: FIFA’s Council unanimously approved expanding the tournament from 24 teams to 32 for 2023 and reopened bidding to host it, but made no mention of changing prize money.
FIFA said the decision was made remotely.
Nine national associations had expressed interest in hosting and were due to submit their formal bids by Oct. 4: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and South Korea, which could bid jointly with North Korea.
PREMIER LEAGUE: American midfielder Christian Pulisic scored his first two goals in a Chelsea uniform and drew a foul that led to a penalty kick in a 5-3 exhibition victory at Red Bull Salzburg in Austria.
The 20-year-old from Hershey, Pennsylvania, scored in the 20th and 28th minutes. After Pulisic was fouled, Ross Barkley converted a penalty kick in the 23rd.
Pulisic was acquired by Chelsea in January from German club Borussia Dortmund.
TENNIS
CITI OPEN: Brothers Andy and Jamie Murray, playing together for the first time since 2016, advanced to the doubles quarterfinals at Washington, beating France’s Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-4, 6-7(7), 10-5.
In singles, fifth-seeded John Isner beat Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-4, and eighth-seeded Milos Raonic beat American qualifier Tim Smyczek 6-1, 6-4.
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