BASEBALL
The Akron RubberDucks scored three runs in the first inning and added two more in the second to beat the Portland Sea Dogs, 5-2, in an Eastern League game Saturday afternoon at Hadlock Field.
Akron took a 1-0 lead on an RBI single Bryan Lavastida. Portland nearly got out of the inning when Joe Naranjo hit a ground ball to second with the bases loaded and one out. Nick Yorke fed shortstop Marcelo Mayer to get the out at second, but Mayer made a throwing error trying to complete the double play, allowing two runs to score.
The RubberDucks made it 5-0 in the second on a solo home run by Michael Amditis and an RBI single by Juan Brito.
Matthew Lugo homered in the bottom of the second for Portland and York hit an RBI double in the third.
The Sea Dogs (34-22) have dropped two straight and four of their last six.
NECBL: The OceanState Waves scored five times in the bottom of the eighth inning and beat the Sanford Mainers 6-3 in Wakefield, Rhode Island.
Jeremiah Jenkins hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth to give Sanford (1-2) a 3-1 lead. OceanState (1-3) started their rally with an RBI single by Matthew Graveline. The Waves tied it on an error and took the lead on a two-run double by Brodey Heaton. The fifth run of the inning scored on an error.
BASKETBALL
WNBA: Brittney Griner and her Phoenix Mercury teammates were confronted by a “provocateur” at the Dallas airport, the WNBA said.
The league said in a statement it was looking into the team’s run-in with a “social media figure” whose “actions were inappropriate and unfortunate.”
Mercury player Brianna Turner said in a tweet people at the airport followed the team with cameras “saying wild remarks.”
NBA: The Toronto Raptors are in the process of finalizing a contract with Memphis assistant Darko Rajakovic to become the team’s next coach, a person with knowledge of the matter said.
The team and Rajakovic entered into an agreement in principle for him to become the franchise’s 10th head coach on Saturday, according to the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the final details are pending.
AUTO RACING
NASCAR CUP SERIES: Denny Hamlin claimed the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway, edging road course stalwart Tyler Reddick.
Hamlin earned the 38th pole of his career by turning a lap in 77.719 seconds in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Reddick will start up front alongside him Sunday after turning a lap in 77.812 seconds in his 23XI Racing Toyota.
Chase Elliott qualified in 10th in his return from a one-race suspension. NASCAR’s most popular driver missed last week’s race for deliberately wrecking Hamlin in Charlotte.
GOLF
PGA: Rory McIlroy shot a 6-under 66 at tree-lined Oakdale in Toronto, leaving him two strokes behind leader C.T. Pan at the Canadian Open.
Pan, from Taiwan, birdied the final two holes for a 66 to get to 14-under 202. The 31-year-old former University of Washington player won the 2019 RBC Heritage for his lone PGA Tour title.
SOCCER
PREMIER LEAGUE: Aston Villa reached a deal to sign Leicester midfielder Youri Tielemans on a free transfer, the Premier League club said.
The Belgian international’s contract with recently relegated Leicester will expire at the end of the month, after which he will officially complete his move to Villa.
SPANISH LEAGUE: Spanish forward Brahim Díaz is returning to Real Madrid from AC Milan, the Spanish club.
The 23-year-old Díaz spent three seasons on loan at Milan. He helped the Italian team win a Serie A title in 2022 and reach the Champions League semifinals this season.
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