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Contender or pretender? One team looks the part in SF Giants’ romp over big-pocketed Padres

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

SAN DIEGO — On the Giants’ last visit here, one team was in the thick of a playoff race and the other decidedly was not. It showed. Seats were packed. Play was lopsided. On one side, it was especially sloppy.That was last year.On their first and only visit to America’s finest city, an oddity of the balanced schedule and two games in Mexico City, the tables had turned.For all their struggles, the Giants entered Thursday’s series opener against the Padres holding the slimmest of leads on a playoff position, while the star-studded opposition — carrying the game’s third-highest payroll — held the same record as the team that sent them Juan Soto last season.And in front of more than a few empty seats on the first day of Labor Day weekend, one team went down with a whimper, committed mental and physical errors and generally played uncompetitive baseball while the other squad poured it on. In other words, one team played like a playoff contender.The Giants, having s...

A’ja Wilson scores 26 to reach 800 points, Aces turn back Mystics 84-75

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A’ja Wilson had 26 points and 11 rebounds and the Las Vegas Aces ended a two-game losing streak with an 84-75 win over the Washington Mystics on Thursday night.The Aces (31-6) lost to Washington 78-62 on Saturday when Wilson was 4-of-12 shooting for 14 points. Wilson, who became the fifth WNBA player and third this season to score 800 points in a season, helped get Las Vegas off to a quick start by making six of her first seven shots.Chelsea Gray scored 21 points, Alysha Clark added 11 off the bench and Kelsey Plum had 12 points and 10 assists for Las Vegas, which is two games ahead of New York for the top seed in the playoffs.Wilson, who was 10 of 14 from the field and made all five of her free throws, became the franchise leader in made free throws. She joined Seattle’s Jewell Loyd and New York’s Breanna Stewart in reaching the 800-point milestone this season. Elena Delle Donne led the Mystics (17-19) with 17 points. Brittney Sykes added 16 and N...

Yastrzemski homers and drives in 2 runs as the Giants beat the punchless Padres 7-2

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Mike Yastrzemski homered and drove in two runs for the San Francisco Giants, who beat the sloppy, listless San Diego Padres 7-2 on Thursday night to open a one-game lead over Arizona for the NL’s third wild-card spot.Opener Jakob Junis and three relievers combined on a seven-hitter. The Giants were up 7-0 before the Padres got their first hit, a single by Matthew Batten with two outs in the fifth off former Padres pitcher Sean Manaea (5-5).Yastrzemski had an RBI single in the third, when the Giants scored six runs, five of them unearned due to two errors by first baseman Matthew Batten. The Padres had three errors overall, tying their season high.The Giants sent 10 batters to the plate in the third and had five hits and a sacrifice fly to go along with Batten’s two errors. Blake Sabol had an RBI double while Joc Pederson, Yastrzemski and Wade Meckler had run-scoring singles.Yastrzemski homered to left off Matt Waldron leading off the fifth for a 7-0 lead...

Lan Larison runs for 109 yards and 3 TDs; UC Davis beats Texas A&M-Commerce 48-10 in opener

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

COMMERCE, Texas (AP) — Lan Larison ran for 109 yards on 16 carries and had three of UC Davis’ five rushing touchdowns as the Aggies beat Texas A&M-Commerce 48-10 Thursday night in the season opener for both teams. Matteo Perez added 83 yards rushing, including a 25-yard touchdown that made it 31-0 with about a minute left in the first half, and C.J. Hutton scored on a 3-yard run. Miles Hastings completed 22 of 30 passes for 239 yards with a touchdown, two interceptions and a lost fumble. Hunter Ridley kicked a 37-yard field goal before Larison scored on a 5-yard run late in the first quarter and a 2-yard scamper with 9:31 left in the second to give UC Davis a 17-0 lead. Ridley made a 24-yarder late in the third quarter and Hastings connected with Josh Gale for a 15-yard touchdown that made it 41-3 with 13:18 left. Keith Miller III scored Texas A&M Commerce’s only touchdown on a 65-yard catch-and-run with 8:45 to play. Peter Parrish, a transfer from East Mississip...

Missouri dominates first half, struggles in second in 35-10 win over South Dakota

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz’s plan for his quarterbacks in the season opener against South Dakota on Thursday night was to play returning starter Brady Cook in the first half and give redshirt freshman Sam Horn the second half.The plan next week? Drinkwitz wasn’t sure after a 35-10 win over the Coyotes.Cook threw for 172 yards and a touchdown while running for another score in his half, leading the Tigers to a 28-3 lead. Horn threw for 54 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception in a sluggish second half, though one the young QB was able to salvage with his scoring toss to dynamic wide receiver Luther Burden III in the closing minutes.“Brady played a more consistent half,” Drinkwitz admitted. “We’ll go back and evaluate the tape. I’m not going to make a rush judgment there on that decision. I do think Brady was very efficient. Sam had his moments as well.”The two QBs, who competed for the top job throughout the fall, got plenty of...

Abilene Christian dismantles Northern Colorado 31-11, beat Bears for first time

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

ABILENE, Texas (AP) — Maverick McIvor threw for 219 yards and a touchdown and Xavier Wishert ran for two touchdowns and Abilene Christian was never threatened in a 31-11 win over Northern Colorado on Thursday night in the debut for Wildcats coach Ed Lamb.McIvor threw a 12-yard score to Rovaughn Banks on the Wildcats’ opening drive, Wishert ran it in from 2 yards out with 2:45 left in the first quarter and Jay’Veon Sunday ran it in from the 12 midway through the second for a 21-0 advantage.In those three scoring drives, ACU amassed 240 yards in 29 plays using 17:26. For the game, the Bears collected 190 yards, ran 59 plays and held the ball 26:45.Northern Colorado’s lone touchdown occurred when Jacob Simon threw 8 yards to Alec Pell. Simon threw for 106 yards.It was the Wildcats’ first-ever win over Northern Colorado in three meetings. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-pollSource

FCS Independent Kennesaw State opens season with 38-7 win over Tusculum

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

KENNESAW, Ga. (AP) — Kennesaw State staked Division II Tusculum to the first touchdown, then Jonathan Murphy engineered 38 straight points as the Owls opened the season with a 38-7 win on Thursday night.Kennesaw State opens the season with new offensive and defensive coordinators under coach Brian Bohannon and will be an FCS independent after leaving the Atlantic Sun Conference and will officially join Conference USA in July, 2024.Murphy connected on 12 of 18 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns and added another 90 yards and a score on 13 carries. Murphy connected with Tykeem Wallace on a 54-yard touchdown to start the second quarter, then raced 55 yards into the end zone and fired 55-yards to Blake Bohannon to make it 24-7. After Preston Roberts opened the game with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Stinnett, the Owls picked off the freshman four times and limited Tusculum to just 179 yards and a touchdown through the air. Kennesaw State has won 23 straight home games against n...

Trailer: Power Play

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

Listen on Spotify Apple Music Google Play EN_Google_Podcasts_Badge Created with Sketch. Acast POLITICO’s new weekly transatlantic podcast Power Play is officially coming to your podcast feed on Thursday, September 21! Hosted by renowned British journalist Anne McElvoy, Power Play takes listeners inside the minds of those who wield power to better understand the choices they face. The show features guests at the top of their fields ...

Austrian Foreign Minister Schallenberg: EU needs to rethink its enlargement approach

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

Listen on Spotify Apple Music Google Play EN_Google_Podcasts_Badge Created with Sketch. Acast EU Confidential returns from its summer break, bringing you this episode from the European Forum Alpbach in Austria where the theme of a “bold Europe” has prompted discussions about Europe’s internal as well as geopolitical challenges.Host Suzanne Lynch sits down with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg to discuss ...

Back to school briefing: A whirlwind guide to UK politics this autumn

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

Listen on Spotify Apple Music Google Play EN_Google_Podcasts_Badge Created with Sketch. Acast As MPs return to parliament after the summer break, host Ailbhe Rea and an array of expert guests provide an essential briefing on everything that’s coming up in British politics over the next few months.The Spectator’s political editor Katy Balls takes Ailbhe through Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s “not-a-reset” leadership reset, and e...