DETROIT (AP) Miguel Vargas homered twice, Tristan Peters and Munetaka Murakami went deep once each, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 9-5 on Friday nightVargas went 4 for 5 and had his third multihomer game as the White Sox extended their lead atop the AL Central to 3 1/2 games. Peters and Braden Montgomery had three hits each.Montgomery gave the White Sox the lead with an RBI single in the first, but Detroit pulled ahead 3-1 on Ben Malgeri's two-run homer in the second and Eduardo Valencia's RBI double in the third.Peters' seventh home run of the season tied the game at 3-all in the fourth. Murakami gave the White Sox the lead for good three batters later with a solo shot, and Montgomery tripled to drive in two more and cap off a five-run inning.Vargas hit his first home run in the sixth and added his second in the eighth.Sean Newcomb opened with 1 1/3 hitless frames, and Jos Urquidy (1-1) threw 3 2/3 innings of relief for the win. Urquidy allowed three runs on five hits and struck out three.The Tigers were led by Malgeri with his first career multihomer game, and Gleyber Torres and Valencia with two hits each.Jackson Jobe (1-1) allowed six runs on nine hits across 3 2/3 innings. He fanned four and walked one.Up nextWhite Sox LHP Anthony Kay (9-5, 3.96 ERA) takes the mound against Tigers RHP Troy Melton (7-1, 1.46) on Saturday. ___See APs full MLB coverage here

INDIANAPOLIS The Indiana Fever won a crucial seeding game against the Dallas Wings 98-87 on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.Caitlin Clark, who had an injury scare in the second quarter but returned, finished with 29 points and 10 assists. Kelsey Mitchell continued her streak of 18 games scoring 20 or more points with 23 points, and Aliyah Boston posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.The Fever are now 22-12, fourth in the WNBA standings. Dallas (20-15) is battling the Mystics (19-14) for the seven seed, which the Wings hold. Paige Bueckers had 29 points, six rebounds and six assists.Here's what I liked and disliked, and what the win means.Buy 2026 Indiana Fever tickets!What I liked in the Indiana Fever's win vs Dallas WingsFirst-half defense: For as stagnant as the Fever's offense was to start the game, their defense kept them afloat. Indiana allowed the Wings to score 15 points on 33% shooting (including 0 of 5 from 3-point range) in the first quarter, marking one of the best defensive quarters they've had this year, especially as a team known for a subpar defensive front.Caitlin Clark avoiding serious injury:Clark hobbled off the floor with about 40 seconds remaining in the second quarter after she stepped on Alysha Clark's foot. She went straight back to the locked room, limping the whole way. But she avoided any serious ankle injury, evidently, as she ran back onto the court to warm up at halftime, started the second half as usual, and put the Wings defense on skates with her drives to the basket. She had 17 points in the third quarter alone, as compared to her nine points in the first half.Pulling away in the fourth quarter: Tyasha Harris had something to say about Dallas' three-point lead in the fourth quarter. She banked in a 3-pointer, her second of the game, to tie it with the first shot of the fourth, then hit another two minutes later to cap off a 17-2 run for the Fever, giving them a five-point lead. Indiana only extended its lead from there, and Harris gave them a 13-point lead with her third 3-pointer of the quarter with three minutes left.What I disliked in the Indiana Fever's win vs Dallas WingsStarting slow: The Fever's typical high-powered offense wasn't active to begin the game, as they scored just six points in the first 6.5 minutes of the game. Both teams were struggling to score, especially from 3-point range, to start, and the Fever went just 3 for 13 over those first six minutes. Eventually, the Fever found their fire with a 7-0 run to tie the game in the first quarter, but it was a slow-scoring first half.Excessive fouling in third quarter: Even though the Fever shot better from the field than the Wings in the third quarter, Dallas feasted from the free-throw line. The Wings went 8 of 8 from the charity stripe as the Fever fouled seven times in the third quarter, allowing them to maintain their slight lead at the time and negating Indiana's hot shooting.What the Indiana Fever's win vs Dallas Wings meansRight now, there are five teams all within two games of each other in the standings; the Fever and Wings are both part of that group. It was crucial for the Fever to get this win to maintain their position at the top of that group, and to salvage the series against the Wings. The Fever are now 1-1 against the Wings, and they have the chance to win the series (crucial in tiebreakers) next week. Must read: How Fever starter Lexie Hull is building FORTA makeup brand from scratch with perfect partnerChloe Petersonis the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her atchloe.peterson@indystar.com.Get IndyStar's Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with ourCaitlin Clark Fever newsletter.Subscribe toIndyStar TV: Feverfor in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers go shot for shot as Indiana Fever surge past the Dallas Wings

Aug. 14UNCASVILLE, Ct. Most of Mark Few's favorite fly-fishing spots are tucked away in remote parts of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho, where Ponderosa pine trees vastly outnumber cell phone towers.Generally speaking, the further from civilization the better.It's ideal when you're looking to unplug and disconnect not as much when you're anticipating the type of phone call that comes once in a lifetime.Few had reason to think one of those might be coming on March 31. He and an angling partner were miles out of town, just a minute or two from the river where they'd be casting their fly lines. Few's cell signal probably wasn't for long, but right as he prepared to enter a dead zone, the coach felt his phone vibrate.The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame was on the other line to inform the longtime Gonzaga coach he was being enshrined as part of the 2026 class, alongside NBA coaches Doc Rivers and Mike D'Antoni, former NBA star Amar'e Stoudemire, former WNBA stars Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne and Chamique Holdsclaw, the 1996 USA women's Olympic team and referee Joey Crawford."It happened in the perfect place," Few recalled on Friday during a press conference at Mohegan Sun Casino. "... I just felt my heart dropped down to my knees and I was just kind of overwhelmed with gratitude. It was showering down on me. Your entire basketball experiences of your life comes and flashes through your mind and it was really, really powerful stuff."Months after learning he'd be part of the esteemed group in Springfield, Mass., Few acknowledged he was still in the processing phase and may never leave it."This weekend, it's really sinking it with just the enormity of it," Few said. "But I don't know if it will ever truly sink in. As we've gotten closer and closer to this, I've definitely thought about that but it still seems overwhelming. Kind of surreal."Five months since inductions were announced, the newest Hall of Fame class will go through its Enshrinement process this weekend with a full schedule of activities in Uncasville, Ct., and Springfield, Mass.Few and other class members went through media obligations on Friday at Mohegan Sun Casino, followed by a red-carpet ceremony in the evening where he was presented with the classic Naismith Orange jackets. The Gonzaga coach responsible for 773 career victories, a winning percentage of .832 and two national championship appearances will deliver his official speech on Saturday at the "Birthplace of Basketball" in Springfield.Between 130 and 150 people in the Gonzaga/Few circle (including plus-ones) were scheduled to attend one or both days of activities this weekend.The group that arrived for Friday's red carpet gala featured more than a dozen former Gonzaga players, including John Stockton, Domantas Sabonis, Drew Timme, Matt Santangelo, Dan Dickau, Zach Norvell Jr., Kevin Pangos, Jeremy Jones, Kyle Dranginis, Casey Calvary, David Stockton, Mike Nilson, to name a handful.A large group of Few's close coaching colleagues also made the trip out East, including Tommy Lloyd, Dan Monson, Brian Michaelson, Roger Powell, RJay Barsh, Ray Giacoletti, Bill Grier and Tad Boyle.Others who've impacted Few's life and coaching career in a significant way traveled for the weekend festivities. That contingent included former ESPN anchor Neil Everett, former Oregon Director of Athletics Pat Kilkenny and Gonzaga benefactors Pat Volkar and Phill McCarthey."Just to be such a small part of this program and everything he's built, it's so cool and special," said Timme, the program's career scoring leader. "I can't think of a more fitting way to celebrate coach Few than being here in the Hall of Fame."

Aug. 14PULLMAN At this point, Linus Zunk and Matyus McLain have gotten all the headlines, all the publicity. They're shoo-ins to start at defensive end for Washington State, two transfers who figure to wreak all kinds of havoc in opposing backfields this fall, and they've been covered accordingly.Which makes this question interesting: In Zunk's eyes, which defensive ends should be getting a little more attention than they have so far?"Well, by now he should be talked about, but Ben Beatty," Zunk said. "100%. He is the perfect guy for this defense. He's been showing it every day. He's a ball player, and we're gonna see him show up on that stat sheet a lot. He's gonna get a lot of plays, he's gonna make a lot of plays. So he's someone that I'm very excited about."A third-year sophomore from Utah, Beatty looks ready for his first meaningful role at WSU. He walked on ahead of the 2024 season and redshirted the same year. Last season, he played mostly on special teams in the final 11 games and generated just one sack.Seven practices into fall camp, all signs are pointing toward Beatty playing a more vital role for the Cougars defense. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 265 pounds, Beatty has been repping with the Cougs' second-team defense, surging in for simulated sacks and tackles for loss with regularity. When Zunk or McLain need a breather this year, look for Beatty to come jogging in off the bench, as well as Michael Hughes, who has missed the last pair of practices.Beatty will get an even bigger chance to show he's earned that kind of opportunity on Saturday, when WSU hosts its first of two fall camp scrimmages, set for 11 a.m. It marks the eighth day of action for the Cougars, who didn't practice in earnest on Friday, only going through a walk-through to get the hang of gameday operations.For WSU, there's a lot to look for in the scrimmage, which will be the team's first time tackling live all fall camp. All eyes will be on the Cougars' quarterback battle, a three-man race between UC Davis transfer Caden Pinnick and returners Owen Eshelman and Julian Dugger. If any have pulled away meaningfully, coaches have been reticent to indicate as much, keeping details in-house and portraying the battle as a true three-player competition.But are all three still in contention? It's hard to say. In Thursday's practice, Pinnick was on the wrong end of a pick-six, making him the third quarterback to throw an interception in 11-on-11 sessions. Eshelman and Dugger tossed one apiece in previous practices. Outside of those mistakes, all three have done well to avoid critical mistakes, which is another reason why it's tricky to evaluate who may be pulling ahead or falling behind.Still, if rotations are any indication, Pinnick may be the Week 1 starter. In Wednesday and Thursday's practices, he was the first QB to take the field, often running with other first teamers on offense. When practices have shifted over to Gesa Field, where the team has repped end-of-half and redzone scenarios, Pinnick has often been the first quarterback to jog out onto the field.He has also turned in some encouraging practices , another reason to keep an eye on him in Saturday's scrimmage . How does he handle live action, real pressure in the pocket, with something on the line? It's likely WSU's quarterbacks won't be able to be tackled a reversal from last year's policy under former coach Jimmy Rogers, who wanted to test QBs' wherewithals with real tacklers coming after them but still, it'll be the first test for all three."Keep it simple. Execute. Guys play fast," WSU coach Kirby Moore said, referring to what he'd like to see unfold in Saturday's scrimmage. "Big thing is alignment assignment technique. Fundamentals showing up. Situational football. Guys learning from, hopefully, the situations that happen during the week, and those carrying over to Saturday. Just letting the guys play. We gotta keep it simple on offense and defense, and see who shows up."

Los Angeles, CA - April 11: Bellator president Scott Coker during a press conference for Bellator 279 at the Grammy Museum at LA Live in Los Angeles, Monday April 11, 2022. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty ImagesFormer Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, who went on to run Bellator MMA before the PFL debacle back in late 2023, is launching a new mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion in early 2027, though specific details (including a name and potential streaming partner) have yet to be revealed. Perhaps that information will become available when Coker and Co. host their brand launch event on Sept. 14 in New York City.Cokers leadership team includes Kevin Kay, Chief Content Officer (Paramount Network, Spike TV), Tom Fox, Chief Operating Officer (Gatorade, NBA Properties, Arsenal), Rich Chou, Executive Vice President, Athlete Relations (Strikeforce, Bellator MMA), and Chris DeBlasio, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Communications (Showtime Sports), among others.Have a look:Here we go pic.twitter.com/e5YEkDH3mX MMA Mania (@mmamania) August 14, 2026Ill be there on behalf of MMAmania.com (because I never turn down free food or drinks).I feel like theres a little bit of a funk in the MMA space right now, Coker told Yahoo Sports. And I dont know what it is, but I just feel its got a funk to it right now. So, you know, lets go stir it up. The thing with MVP, their show, theyre stirring it up. It gets people excited. It gets people to root for somebody. And then were gonna do the same. People are gonna root for us too, and were gonna go stir it up.Coker will need a roster that shares his vision and right now, the pickings are slim.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 01: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Dodger Stadium on August 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesThe Dodgers (73-49) look to bounce back and even the series against the Brewers after a stunning 5-4 collapse in the ninth inning during Thursday nights opener.Yoshi Yamamoto (11-7, 2.65 ERA, 0.89 WHIP) takes the ball for the Dodgers.Robert Gasser (3-4, 4.57 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) starts for Milwaukee.LineupsTonight's #Dodgers lineup vs. Brewers: pic.twitter.com/hA52ojhTub Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 14, 2026Big series continues: https://t.co/vfk4xUdTIA: WTMJ#ThisIsMyCrew x @NicoletLawpic.twitter.com/s6neWvnbFu Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) August 14, 2026Friday game infoTeams: Dodgers vs. BrewersBallpark: Dodger StadiumStart time: 7:10 p.m.TV: SportsNet LARadio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

ATLANTA (AP) Brandon Pfaadt allowed only two hits in seven innings in another strong start, Tim Tawa homered in the ninth and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Atlanta Braves 2-0 on Friday night.Pfaadt (7-1) outdueled Braves ace Chris Sale, striking out seven without a walk. He threw 87 pitches. Since returning to the rotation from Triple-A Reno on June 30, Pfaadt is 7-0 with a 1.16 ERA. He has gone 32 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run.Sale (12-8) gave up one run on five hits in six innings. He struck out nine and threw 108 pitches, which tied a season high.Tawa's solo shot in the inning was his seventh homer of the year. Geraldo Perdomo was 3 for 4 with a run and Corbin Carroll was 2 for 4 for the Diamondbacks.Rookie left-hander Brandyn Garcia picked up his fourth save with a perfect ninth inning. Arizona scored its only run off Sale thanks to a misplayed ball in the first inning. After a leadoff walk to Perdomo, Carroll hit a line drive to left where Mauricio Dubn started to come in, then reached up and couldn't come up with the ball. It was ruled a double, and Perdomo came home on a groundout by Gabriel Moreno.The Braves had not been shut out since June 27 and were 10-0 in Friday night home games this season.Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte left in the second inning with left knee soreness. Up nextDiamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (11-4, 2.70) was set to face Braves RHP Grant Holmes (7-4, 3.47 ERA) on Saturday night.___See APs full MLB coverage here

On Friday, the Toronto Blue Jays jumpstarted a 3-1 win over the New York Yankees with a falling glove, a lucky bounce and just enough Yankees defensive mistakes to make it work.The Yankees held a 1-0 lead through the first five innings of the game, before Toronto finally got onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth. But George Springers game-tying RBI only happened thanks to a wild series of misfires: Though third baseman Ryan McMahon was able to field the ball and force an out at third, his throw to first baseman Luis Garca Jr. managed to knock off his glove.As Garcas glove went flying, he did his best to wrangle the ball to send it back to third only to find that no one was there to receive the throw. That allowed Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to get back on his feet and run home to tie things up.Making things happen pic.twitter.com/FNCM9P8vzn Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 15, 2026Garca has certainly had his moments since joining the Yankees before the trade deadline, but his mistimed catch was not one of them; luckily, allowing the RBI was something of a group effort.Toronto then took the lead later in the inning, with Alejandro Kirk sending Springer home with a double.This all came after drama in the top of the sixth, when Yankees manager Aaron Boone had been ejected for arguing with the umpire about pitches. It was not a great overall inning for New York.Aaron Boone gets ejected for arguing balls and strikes pic.twitter.com/9CGNcVkcyf Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 15, 2026Kirks heroics werent over yet, either: The catcher then bashed in a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth to seal the victory at home.All Systems GO pic.twitter.com/xCsW35AqIJ Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 15, 2026Though the Blue Jays have spent much of the season languishing in the American League, theyve now won seven of their last 10, and are creeping their way back towards .500.Toronto will have to overcome stiff competition in the AL East, including the Yankees, the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays and surging Boston Red Sox to fight for a playoff spot though taking advantage of more mistakes will certainly help the Jays on their way up.

ATLANTA (AP) Jarrett Stidham threw a touchdown pass in his bid to keep his hold on Denvers backup job and Jahdae Barron returned an interception 97 yards for a touchdown as the Broncos overwhelmed the Atlanta Falcons 27-7 on Friday night in the preseason opener for both teams.Stidham completed 9 of 15 passes for 131 yards, including a 5-yard scoring pass to Jaleel McLaughlin, while playing the first half.Denver coach Sean Payton announced Wednesday starting quarterback Bo Nix would not play against Atlanta. Nix is expected to make his preseason debut next week at home against Green Bay. Sam Ehlinger played the second half, completing 10 of 14 passes for 67 yards, after Stidham led the Broncos to a 24-0 halftime lead.Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa completed 3 of 5 passes for 22 yards while playing two series. Tagovailoa's expected competition for the starting job has been on hold with Michael Penix Jr. still not cleared for team drills as he continues his recovery from surgery on his left knee.Cooper Rush, who played behind Tagovailoa, threw two interceptions, including Barron's pick returned for a touchdown. A deflection by linebacker Karene Reid on Rush's pass for Chris Blair set up the interception.Two prominent Atlanta starters, running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London, were in uniform but did not play. The Falcons were held to 192 yards in the debut for coach Kevin Stefanski.A fumble by McLaughlin set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Atlanta's third quarterback, undrafted rookie Jack Strand, late in the third quarter.Falcons second-year edge rusher James Pearce Jr. had two tackles as a backup hours after the NFL announced his suspension without pay for the first eight games of the season for violating the leagues personal conduct policy. The suspension begins on Aug. 30 and he will be eligible for reinstatement on Nov. 2. He is expected to play in the remaining preseason games.Pearce's suspension was the second major hit to the Falcons' pass rush, following Jalon Walker's season-ending torn ACL in his left knee. Pearce led Atlanta with 10.5 sacks as a rookie. Walker had 5.5 sacks.New turf after World CupA new Field Turf playing surface was installed at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the NFL season after real grass was used for eight World Cup soccer games this summer.InjuriesBroncos linebacker Levelle Bailey was carted off the field with an ankle injury and listed as questionable.Up nextBroncos: Host Green Bay next Friday.Falcons: Following joint practices at the Colts next week, Atlanta will play at Indianapolis on Aug. 22.___See APs full NFL coverage here

The Crew will play their quarterfinal match in the 2026 Leagues Cup in California.Having clinched the third of four MLS berths in the knockout stage, the Crew will face No. 2 Club America at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, the home stadium of the LA Galaxy. The game will be on Aug. 26 at 10:45 p.m.Columbus will head into that matchup after facing Nashville SC in MLS play on Aug. 22.According to the Leagues Cup rules, the two highest-ranked eligible Liga MX clubs earned hosting privileges for the quarterfinals, with the matches played at a designated neutral site. Dignity Health Sports Park is around 1,500 miles from Club America's home stadium of Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, and around 2,000 miles away from Columbus.The Crew have recent history with Club America, losing 1-1 (5-4 in penalty kicks) to the Liga MX side in the 2024 Campeones Cup Final. After staying even 4-4 through the first five penalty shots, Club America defender Nestor Araujo hit the final kick to walk off with the cup victory.One shot prior, many members of the Crew's roster and coaching staff thought Club America goalkeeper Luis Malagon jumped off his line to block Malte Amundsen's penalty kick. Officials, however, felt that Amundsen's shot, which hit the crossbar and went untouched by the keeper, was unimpacted by Malagon's movement.The two teams played one other time in the 2023 Leagues Cup group stage, with the Crew winning 4-1.In group play, the Crew beat Atlas FC and CF Pachuca in regulation and Pumas UNAM in penalty kicks to secure the third seed among MLS teams.When do the Columbus Crew play Club America in the 2026 Leagues Cup?Date: Aug. 26Time: 10:45 p.m. ETLocation: Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, CaliforniaTV/Streaming: Apple TVThis article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew set for Leagues Cup game in California with Club America