Sports

In this April 18, 2019, photo, country music star Tim McGraw, left, poses with Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel in Nashville, Tenn. After the opening round of the NFL Draft in Nashville on Friday, April 25, McGraw will cap off the evening performing on the draft stage across the Cumberland River from Nissan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
April 22, 2019 - 8:25 am

Country star, Titans coach talk about NFL draft in Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country music star Tim McGraw watched as Philadelphia hosted the NFL draft in 2017 with more than 250,000 people on hand and immediately had a vision of how to make the three-day event even better. Bring it to Nashville and add the Music City touch. "My first thought was, '...
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Jake Sheehan, 9, wears an Akron RubberDucks cap as he watches a minor league baseball game between Akron and the Bowie Baysox, Thursday, April 18, 2019, in Akron, Ohio. Up in New England, there are yard goats. In the Deep South, there are spacebound raccoons. A wider scan of the American map reveals a menagerie of unlikely characters, from quarrelsome jumbo shrimp to aggrieved prairie dogs. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
April 22, 2019 - 2:05 am

A baseball branding bonanza, and 2 guys helping it happen

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — On a spring evening in eastern Pennsylvania, upon a bluff overlooking the Lehigh Valley, a carnival of baseball and pork products is at hand. From loudspeakers, swine-like sounds reverberate. Vendors roam the stands in clothing festooned with outsized strips of bacon. And yes...
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Milwaukee Brewers' Christian Yelich (22) celebrates with Lorenzo Cain (6) after hitting a three-run home run during the fifth inning of the team's baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday, April 16, 2019, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
April 22, 2019 - 2:05 am

LEADING OFF: Yelich crunching Cards, Sale slump, deGrom OK?

A look at what's happening around the majors today: DON'T PITCH TO HIM NL MVP Christian Yelich gets yet another chance to feast on St. Louis pitching when the Brewers visit Busch Stadium. The teams have already played seven times this season — Yelich has eight home runs and 19 RBIs in those...
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Boston Red Sox closer Ryan Brasier, left, celebrates with first baseman Steve Pearce (25) after the Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 during an 11-inning baseball game Sunday, April 21, 2019, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
April 22, 2019 - 2:04 am

Boston avoids big early hole with sweep of Rays

Hold off — for now — on the panic in Boston. The Red Sox are indeed off to a poor start in defense of their World Series title. They have a 9-13 record and baseball's third-worst run differential. But after sweeping a three-game series with first-place Tampa Bay, Boston has avoided the worst-case...
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Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) goes to the basket as Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) defends in the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Sunday, April 21, 2019, in Oklahoma City. Portland won 111-98. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)
April 22, 2019 - 1:33 am

Lillard sparks Portland past Oklahoma City for 3-1 lead

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Russell Westbrook went cold just when Dame Time hit in the third quarter again. Now time's almost up for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Damian Lillard scored 15 of his 24 points in the third quarter, and the Portland Trail Blazers held Westbrook without a basket in the second half...
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San Jose Sharks celebrate after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Sunday, April 21, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
April 22, 2019 - 1:23 am

Hertl lifts Sharks past Vegas 2-1 in 20T to force Game 7

LAS VEGAS (AP) — After winning Game 5 at home to avoid elimination, Tomas Hertl vowed the San Jose Sharks would return to SAP Center for a seventh and decisive game in their opening round series with the Vegas Golden Knights. One day later, he clarified it wasn't necessarily a guarantee, but rather...
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Boston Celtics forward Marcus Morris (13) celebrates during the second half of Game 4 against the Indiana Pacers in the NBA basketball first-round playoff series in Indianapolis, Sunday, April 21, 2019. The Celtics defeated the Pacers 110-106 to win the series 4-0. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
April 22, 2019 - 12:06 am

Road, sweet road! NBA away teams go 8-0 over weekend

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Road, sweet road. There were eight NBA playoff games this weekend, and all eight were won by the road team. It's the first time in NBA history there were eight road playoff wins in a two-day span. "Road wins are the best, especially in the playoffs," Toronto's Kawhi Leonard...
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Toronto Raptors' Kawhi Leonard (2) gets a shot off as he gets past Orlando Magic's Nikola Vucevic (9) during the first half in Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Sunday, April 21, 2019, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
April 21, 2019 - 9:32 pm

Leonard scores 34, Raptors top Magic 107-85 for 3-1 lead

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 34 points and the Toronto Raptors beat the Orlando Magic 107-85 on Sunday night to take a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series. Pascal Siakam and Norman Powell each scored 16 for the Raptors, who can advance with a home win in Game 5 on...
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Oakland Athletics center fielder Ramon Laureano jumps to catch a fly ball hit by Toronto Blue Jays' Teoscar Hernandez during the second inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, April 21, 2019. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
April 21, 2019 - 9:18 pm

Smoak nabbed after Laureano overthrow, but Jays sweep A's

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Athletics caught Justin Smoak early, ending a wild sequence that began with another eye-popping play by center fielder Ramon Laureano. But the A's couldn't totally stop Smoak and the Toronto Blue Jays, who finished off a three-game sweep with a 5-4 victory Sunday...
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St. Louis Cardinals' Kolten Wong, left, and teammate Yadier Molina celebrate after scoring past New York Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud, right, during the second inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 21, 2019, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
April 21, 2019 - 8:32 pm

Syndergaard battered despite gift homer, Cards top Mets 6-4

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Noah Syndergaard has found his health, and even a little bit of luck at the plate, but he's still off to a vexing start to the season. Paul Goldschmidt drove in two runs and Syndergaard hit a home run with Dexter Fowler's help, but he struggled on the mound as the St. Louis...
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