AP Sports

 

 

 

Update on the latest in sports:

 

 

NHL-STANLEY CUP FINAL

 

Capitals take 3-1 lead over Vegas in Cup Final

 

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Washington Capitals are one win away from the first Stanley Cup championship in the 43-year history of the franchise.

 

T.J. Oshie, Tom Wilson and Devante Smith-Pelly all scored in the first period and the Capitals cruised from there in routing the Vegas Golden Knights 6-2 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

 

Only the 1942 Detroit Red Wings have blown a 3-1 series lead after winning the first three games against Toronto.

 

Game 5 is Thursday night in Las Vegas.

 

MLB-DRAFT

 

Tigers draft Auburn right-hander Casey Mize with No. 1 pick

 

SECAUCUS, N.J. (AP) – The Detroit Tigers selected Auburn right-hander Casey Mize with the No. 1 pick in the Major League Baseball draft Monday night.

 

The announcement at MLB Network studios marked the second time the Tigers led off the draft, and first since they took Rice pitcher Matt Anderson in 1997.

 

Mize had long been linked to the Tigers, and he pitched his way this season to the top spot on Detroit’s list.

 

With the second selection, San Francisco took slugging Georgia Tech catcher Joey Bart, the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year.

 

Wichita State third baseman Alec Bohm was the first of six players attending the draft to be selected, going third overall to Philadelphia.

 

Oregon State second baseman Nick Madrigal went fourth to the Chicago White Sox.

 

Rounding out the top five was Cincinnati, which took Florida third baseman Jonathan India.

 

MLB SCHEDULE

 

Judge sets doubleheader K record as Yanks and Tigers split

 

DETROIT (AP) – Yankees slugger Aaron Judge became the first player since at least 1920 with eight strikeouts in a doubleheader, including five punchouts in the nightcap as the Detroit Tigers beat New York 4-2 for a day-night split Monday.

 

Leonys Martin had two hits and scored twice for Detroit in the second game after New York took the opener 7-4 behind Luis Severino’s eight strong innings and a six-run fourth inning.

 

Judge struck out eight times in nine at-bats, a record for a doubleheader during the liveball era, according to STATS. Judge struck out in each of his five at-bats in the late game, including with a runner aboard in the bottom of the ninth.

 

The five strikeouts were a career high for Judge, who led the majors with 208 strikeouts while winning AL Rookie of the Year last season.

 

The doubleheader made up rainouts from April 14 and 15. Both teams wore No. 42 for the second game because they were making up their postponed Jackie Robinson Day showdown.

 

In a light MLB night:

 

– One other AL game saw Mike Trout drive in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning for one of his two RBIs and the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Kansas City Royals 9-6. Justin Upton and Albert Pujols also had two RBIs and Jefry Marte hit a solo home run to help the Angels remain undefeated against the Royals this season.

 

– Andrew McCutchen and Brandon Crawford opened a seven-run fourth inning with back-to-back home runs, and the San Francisco Giants got back to .500 on the season by beating the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks 10-3.

 

– Cory Spangenberg homered and tripled, Raffy Lopez had a homer among his career-high three hits and Eric Hosmer and Franmil Reyes also went deep to lead the San Diego Padres over the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves 11-4. Clayton Richard (4-6) pitched seven strong innings for the Padres, who have won six of seven and remain in last place in the NL West.

 

NFL NEWS

 

Trump calls off Eagles visit over anthem dispute

 

UNDATED (AP) – President Donald Trump has called off a visit by the Philadelphia Eagles to the White House Tuesday, citing the dispute over whether NFL players must stand during the playing of the national anthem.

 

None of the Eagles took a knee during the anthem in 2017, although a couple of players had said they did not plan to attend the White House meeting.

 

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney replied with his own statement, saying that he is “equally proud of the Eagles’ activism off the field” and that “disinviting them from the White House only proves that our President is not a true patriot, but a fragile egomaniac obsessed with crowd size and afraid of the embarrassment of throwing a party to which no one wants to attend.”

 

OBIT-DWIGHT CLARK

 

Former 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark dead at 61

 

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) – Dwight Clark will forever be remembered for one iconic moment, his leap in the back of the end zone to make a fingertip grab of a game-winning touchdown that launched the San Francisco 49ers dynasty and is one of the most indelible images in NFL history.

 

Clark, the author of one play simply known as “The Catch,” died Monday just more than one year after revealing he had ALS. He was 61.

 

Former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. said in a statement, “Today, I lost my little brother and one of my best friends. I cannot put into words how special Dwight was to me and to everyone his life touched. He was an amazing husband, father, grandfather, brother and a great friend and teammate. He showed tremendous courage and dignity in his battle with ALS and we hope there will soon be a cure for this horrendous disease.”

 

Clark said in March 2017 that he had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease), which attacks cells that control muscles. He suspected playing football might have caused the illness.

 

The team said he died Monday surrounded by friends and family.

 

Clark won two Super Bowls with the 49ers during a nine-year career that ended in 1987.

 

In other NFL news:

 

– The Chicago Bears have re-signed veteran tight end Zach Miller to a one-year contract, clearing the way for him to return from a gruesome injury last October that nearly cost him his left leg. Miller tore an artery while dislocating his knee trying to make a touchdown catch during the Week 8 game at New Orleans. He has undergone at least eight surgeries since then, but was walking on his own by late December.

 

– The Denver Broncos held linebacker Shane Ray out of workouts today due to a sore wrist. Ray broke his left wrist in July and underwent three surgeries that caused him to miss the opening six games in 2017. He had one sack over the next eight contests before going back on injured reserve.

 

COLLEGE BASKETBALL-OBIT-NEWTON

 

Hall of Fame coach and administrator C.M. Newton, 88, dies

 

UNDATED (AP) – Officials at Alabama and Kentucky say that Hall of Fame former administrator and basketball coach C.M. Newton has died. He was 88.

 

Newton was a member of Kentucky’s 1951 NCAA championship squad during a basketball career spanning more than 50 years as a player, coach and administrator.

 

Newton also influenced selection of the original U.S. Olympic “Dream Team” in 1992.

 

Inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2000, Newton was also a member of several halls of fame.

 

PENN STATE-ABUSE-COURT RECORDS

 

Court orders records unsealed in Penn State officials’ case

 

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – A Pennsylvania appeals court on Monday ordered the release of documents sealed in the criminal case against former Penn State administrators over their handling of child sex abuse complaints about former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

 

The three-judge Superior Court panel’s unanimous decision concerned many of the more than 200 records sealed in the case against former university president Graham Spanier, former vice president Gary Schultz and former athletic director Tim Curley.

 

Spanier is currently appealing his guilty verdict on a single count of child endangerment. Schultz and Curley pleaded guilty to the same offense and have served jail time. Lawyers for all three declined comment on the appeals court decision.

 

The judges said the basic information in many of the documents sought by The Associated Press has previously been made public and should be released, although they also ruled that sealed “proffers” were not made part of the court record and so are not subject to public disclosure. Docket entries also must be revealed.

 

The appeals court criticized the trial judge for issuing a blanket order sealing all documents rather than specifying why he was sealing each individual record.

 

GLF-US OPEN-QUALIFYING

 

Adam Scott narrowly makes it through US Open qualifying

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Adam Scott went through U.S. Open qualifying for the first time in his career and made it with one stroke to spare.

 

Scott two-putted from about 30 feet for par on his final hole at The Lakes Golf and Country Club for an even-par 72 to be among 14 players who made it through the 36-hole qualifier.

 

One shot less and Scott would have been in a 10-man playoff for the final spot. Instead, he will be competing in his 68th consecutive major dating to the 2001 U.S. Open.

 

The U.S. Open is June 14-17 at Shinnecock Hills.

 

SPORTS BETTING-NJ

 

Change in proposed sports betting law considered

 

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – New Jersey lawmakers are considering a change to their proposed sports betting law that would require the major professional sports leagues to consult with state gambling regulators before rules governing the betting are issued.

 

A state Senate committee is considering the change to the law. A state Assembly committee advanced the bill earlier Monday.

 

The bill does not contain an integrity fee payment for sports leagues to help them police betting patterns. Officials of Major League Baseball, the NBA and the PGA Tour testified that they need the fee.

 

But Democratic Assemblyman Ralph Caputo says “that’s not gonna happen.”