AP Sports

England beats Australia 3-1 to move into Women’s World Cup final against Spain

SYDNEY (AP) — England moved on to its first Women’s World Cup final with a 3-1 victory over co-host Australia. England moves on to face Spain in the championship game on Sunday. Ella Toone scored in the 36th minute as England dominated possession in the first half. Sam Kerr’s equalizer in the 63rd gave the 75,000-plus crowd some hope but European champion England sealed it with goals from Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo. England and Spain will each be playing in the Women’s World Cup final for the first time when they meet at Stadium Australia in Sydney. Australia will play Sweden for third place.

Anthony Richardson named Colts’ starting QB for opener against Jaguars

WESTFIELD, Ind. (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts have seen enough of rookie Anthony Richardson to name him their opening day starting quarterback. Coach Shane Steichen made the announcement three days after the former Florida star delivered a solid performance against Buffalo in the Colts’ preseason opener. It’s the seventh consecutive year Indy will have a new starter in Week 1. The No. 4 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft beat out veteran Gardner Minshew for the job. Minshew signed with Indy as a free agent during the offseason.

Tuohys call Michael Oher’s filing ‘hurtful’ and part of a shakedown attempt

Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy are calling Michael Oher’s claims that they enriched themselves at his expense “outlandish,” “hurtful and absurd” and part of a shakedown by the former NFL offensive tackle. A statement from the Tuohys’ attorneys also accuses Oher of filing this petition after an earlier shakedown attempt. Attorney Martin Singer says in the statement that the Tuohys hope they can reconcile with Oher but will defend their name. Oher filed a petition asking a Tennessee judge to end the Tuohys’ reign as his conservators. That paperwork was signed months after he turned 18.

Dodgers win 9th in a row with 6-2 victory over Brewers in matchup of NL division leaders

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rookie Bobby Miller tossed six innings of one-run ball and the Los Angeles Dodgers won their ninth straight game, beating the Milwaukee Brewers 6-2 in a matchup of NL division leaders. The NL West-leading Dodgers are riding their longest winning streak since taking 12 in a row from July 31-Aug. 13 last year. They improved to 13-1 this month and are a season-best 26 games over .500 at 72-46. Miller (7-2) allowed one hit in his first win since July 22. The right-hander struck out four and walked one. Ryan Yarbrough earned his first save of the season with three innings of relief. The NL Central-leading Brewers had their three-game winning streak snapped.

Lionel Messi scores again, Inter Miami tops Philadelphia 4-1 to make Leagues Cup final

CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — Lionel Messi keeps scoring goals, and Inter Miami keeps winning games. Messi ripped a shot from 30 yards past three Philadelphia defenders in the 20th minute, and Miami beat the Philadelphia Union 4-1 to reach the Leagues Cup final. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner scored his ninth goal in six matches with his new team in front of a crowd that pushed 20,000 fans. Messi’s appearance at Subaru Field in the Philly suburbs sent ticket prices soaring past $1,000 on the secondary market. Miami will face Nashville for the Leagues Cup title.

Sumo wrestler Hanada catches on quick as he learns to be a defensive lineman for Colorado State

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — Hidetora Hanada was a highly ranked sumo wrestler in Japan. He decided he wanted to try something different. He is learning to play college football at Colorado State. He is able to use some of the same basic techniques as he tries to become a defensive lineman. The 21-year-old Hanada is quickly adjusting to life in Fort Collins, Colorado. His English has come a long way and he knows the basic rules of football. He’s also discovered a love of lasagna.

Reality Check: The truth hurts and truth is a bunch of ranked teams will break hearts in 2023

The first Reality Check of the college football season from the Associated Press can be a real bummer. The truth hurts and the truth is a bunch of ranked teams won’t be as good as the voters think. The past two seasons have been particularly volatile. Each year has seen a new record in the number of preseason ranked teams falling out of the Top 25 by the end of the season. Last year, it was 15 teams.

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge not expected to need toe surgery after season, manager says

ATLANTA (AP) — New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge likely will avoid surgery on his ailing toe after the season. That’s the word from manager Aaron Boone, who spoke before a game against the Atlanta Braves. Boone says the reigning AL MVP has been moving well since his return from injured list on July 28. After serving as a designated hitter in an 11-3 loss to the Braves on Monday, Judge is set to start in right field for game two of the series. It’s the seventh time in 17 games since his return that Judge has been penciled in defensively.

Kenya’s crisis is unique and driven by poverty, track and field’s anti-doping head tells the AP

Kenya is likely to haul in another good chunk of medals in distance races at the upcoming track and field world championships in Hungary. Each one of them will throw more suspicion on a country that is in reputational crisis because of doping. The man whose job it is to fix Kenya’s deep-rooted problem says it is “unique” to the sport. The head of track and field’s anti-doping body says the crisis is not state-sponsored like Russia’s but a result of an economic need for hundreds of poor Kenyan runners seeking to make a living out of running who face “a temptation to dope that’s like no other part of our sport.”

Failed marijuana tests nearly ended Jon Singleton’s career. Now the Astros slugger is asking what if

HOUSTON (AP) — Slugger Jon Singleton is back in the majors for the first time since 2015 after his career was derailed by several failed tests for marijuana. His final failed test was in 2018, one year before Major League Baseball removed marijuana from its banned substances list. He wonders what could have been if marijuana was taken off the list sooner. He started this season with Milwaukee and is now back with the Houston Astros. The 31-year-old was once a top prospect. He starred for the Astros in his first home game Friday night with two homers and a career-high five RBIs.