West Marshall freshman Alayna Frederick walks off the field as second-ranked Grand View Christian celebrates its 12-4, five-inning victory over the No. 14 Trojans in Monday’s Class 2A Region 1 final at Hoover High School in Des Moines. The Trojans were denied their first trip to the state ...
ARLINGTON, Texas — Kylian Mbappé and France haven’t trailed at all at this year’s World Cup. Neither has Spain with teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and clutch goal-scoring substitute Mikel Merino. Only one of those teams can make it to the final. France and Spain are both playing at their 17th World Cup, but have met only once previously on soccer’s biggest stage. They play Tuesday at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys in the first of two powerhouse semifinal matches. After entering this tournament as FIFA’s top-ranked team, France has outscored its opponents 14-2. ...
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson, who was arrested on June 9 on suspicion of felony domestic violence, has the opportunity to avoid criminal charges. Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office spokesman Ivor Pine confirmed in a statement to The Associated Press on Monday that Jackson’s case has been assigned for a pre-filing diversion available to eligible individuals. The City Attorney Hearing is an alternative to misdemeanor criminal prosecution. Though charges will not be filed against Jackson at this time, the case remains open and can be re-evaluated if ...
PHILADELPHIA — Kyle Schwarber of the host Philadelphia Phillies will lead off for the National League in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game as the replacement for designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, who is skipping the showcase to have a knee procedure ahead of the season’s second half. Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene and two New York Yankees, first baseman Ben Rice and outfielder Cody Bellinger, gained American League starting spots because of injuries. Rice, third in the major leagues with 29 home runs behind Schwarber (32) and the Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez (31), starts ...
NEW YORK — Chad Tracy notices how much baseball has changed in the 13 years since he took his last big league at-bat. “You watch a Triple-A game, most everybody that’s coming out of the bullpen left-handed or right-handed is throwing 95-plus,” the Boston Red Sox manager said. “Back in the day, it was you’d get a lead and you’d get to the lower part of a bullpen and you’d see some guys coming out throwing 88.” Heading into the All-Star break, velocity is on track to set a record for the sixth straight season. Four-seam fastballs averaged 94.7 mph through Saturday, up ...
SOUTHPORT, England — Jordan Spieth was four days shy of turning 24 when he delivered pure magic in the final hour at Royal Birkdale to win the British Open for the third leg of the Grand Slam. It was among the most astonishing finishes in a major championship. Perhaps even more astonishing? He has only two PGA Tour victories since. He has played in the final group at a major only once. What hasn’t changed is his optimism that he can get back to his best golf, now matter how far away that looks for a player who is No. 51 in the world, who has not been to the Tour Championship the ...
