KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. scored the first run and drove in the second to back five overpowering innings and 11 strikeouts from Cole Ragans as the Kansas City Royals stayed hot with a 3-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox. The Royals took the opener of a four-game series to begin a seven-game homestand. They have won three straight and 11 of 13. Witt had an RBI double to make it 2-0 in the fifth. Ragans allowed three hits and walked two in his fourth outing with 10 or more strikeouts this season. Four relievers finished a six-hitter.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Willson Contreras hit a go-ahead home run in a four-run sixth inning and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 on Monday night for their third straight victory. Contreras’ fifth home run came off Pirates reliever Chase Shugart, who walked Nolan Arenado after coming in with the bases empty, one out and a 3-2 lead. Jose Barrero, who hit his first homer as a Cardinal earlier, added a bases-loaded ground-rule double off Shugart for a 6-3 lead. Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas allowed three runs on four hits in five innings. Gordon Graceffo (2-0) pitched the sixth for the win. Ryan Helsley notched his sixth save.
NEW YORK (AP) — Mike Shildt had seen enough, and he was so angry with plate umpire Adrian Johnson that he tossed his glasses. A tantrum by San Diego's manager following the first major league ejection of star slugger Fernando Tatis Jr. fired up the Padres, who overcame a three-run deficit in the eighth inning to beat the New York Yankees 4-3 and extend their winning streak to six. Tatis was ejected after a strikeout, causing Shildt to rush out onto the field. He threw his lineup card and then his spectacles.
UNDATED (AP) — Ross Stripling is calling it a career. The veteran pitcher has announced his retirement. Stripling made the decision about six weeks after the Kansas City Royals released him following a monthlong tryout during spring training. Stripling went 40-54 with a 4.17 ERA and four saves in 248 appearances with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto, San Francisco and Oakland. The right-hander was an All-Star for the Dodgers in 2018, going 8-6 with a 3.02 ERA in 122 innings while bouncing between the starting rotation and the bullpen.
IRVING, Texas (AP) — Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen and longtime administrator Jeff Long have been appointed to the College Football Playoff selection committee. Dannen will replace Damon Evans, who recently became athletic director at Southern Methodist. Long will serve a one-year term, replacing Steve Weiberg, who stepped down from the committee for personal reasons. Dannen is in his second year at Nebraska following a short stint at Washington and eight years at Tulane. Long is a consultant with ISE and Trenchcoat Advisors. He returns to the committee after having served from 2014-18, including as the initial chairman in 2014-15.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced the NFL draft is coming to Washington in 2027. The plan is to hold the event on the National Mall with the Washington Monument, U.S. Capitol and other landmarks part of the backdrop. Trump announced the news in the Oval Office flanked by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Commanders controlling owner Josh Harris and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. Washington hosting the draft two years from now is the latest off-field victory for the Commanders, who a week ago reached an agreement with the D.C. government to build a stadium on the old RFK site.
UNDATED (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens say they are releasing kicker Justin Tucker, months after reports that he was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by massage therapists. The Baltimore Banner has reported that over a dozen massage therapists have accused Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior. The NFL said it would investigate, and the Ravens drafted kicker Tyler Loop late last month. Last weekend, coach John Harbaugh suggested a decision on Tucker might come before the NFL completed its inquiry.
LEETSDALE, Pa. (AP) — Cleveland Browns linebacker Devin Bush faces charges of harassment and misdemeanor simple assault after allegedly chasing a woman through his suburban Pittsburgh house and smashing her cellphone. Officers said they responded to a 911 call on Sunday from Bush's home in Sewickley. The woman, who was identified only as his girlfriend, alleges Bush assaulted her, took her car keys and broke her phone to prevent her from calling for help. Investigators say Bush admitted he smashed the phone but denies getting physical with the woman. Police say they saw injuries on her wrist and foot.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 42 points and 22 rebounds, and Aaron Gordon hit a 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds to give the Denver Nuggets a stunning 121-119 comeback win over the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinals series. Denver’s Russell Westbrook, who started his career with the Thunder, assisted on Gordon’s game-winner. It was his first playoff game in Oklahoma City as an opposing player. Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 33 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Thunder, who hadn’t played in more than a week after sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies.
BOSTON (AP) — Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby each scored 29 points before Mikal Bridges stole the ball from Jaylen Brown with a second left in overtime, and the New York Knicks stunned the Boston Celtics 108-105 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series on Monday night. Karl-Anthony Towns added 14 points and 13 rebounds for New York, which lost all four games against its longtime rival during the regular season and trailed by 20 points in the second half of this game. Jayson Tatum and Brown both had 23 points for the defending champion Celtics, who had an NBA playoff-record 45 missed 3-pointers to blow a game they appeared to have in control.
TORONTO (AP) — William Nylander scored twice in the first period before adding an assist as Toronto built a big lead before holding on to beat the Florida Panthers 5-4 in the opener of the second-round series. Matthew Knies and Chris Tanev each had a goal and an assist, and Morgan Rielly also scored for the Maple Leafs. Max Pacioretty and Jake McCabe each had two assists. Anthony Stolars stopped eight of the nine shots he faced before leaving in the second period with an undisclosed injury. Joseph Woll stopped 17 shots in relief. Seth Jones, Eetu Luostarinen, Uvis Balinskis and Sam Bennett scored for the Panthers, and Brad Marchand and Carter Verhaeghe each had two assists. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 24 shots.
UNDATED (AP) — An attorney in the $2.8 billion legal case reshaping college sports says he thinks an updated agreement with the NCAA will solve the judge’s concerns over roster limits that have delayed the settlement’s approval. Steve Berman, co lead-counsel for the defendants, told The Associated Press that all is on track to file paperwork later this week.
UNDATED (AP) — Authorities say they've charged a second suspect with murder in the death of a television reporter on assignment to cover the Super Bowl in New Orleans. Police said Monday that 34-year-old Rickey White faces a second-degree murder charge in the death of Adan Manzano. The Telemundo anchor from Kansas City, Missouri, was found dead in his hotel room Feb. 5 in a suburb of New Orleans. An attorney for White says police have shown no evidence White was in the area when Manzano died. Officials say Manzano died after taking alcohol and Xanax. A woman previously was charged with murder and with stealing Manzano’s cellphone and bank cards.
MONDAY SCORES
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE
Cleveland at Washington 6:35 p.m. (Postponed)
Final San Diego 4 N.Y. Yankees 3
Final Milwaukee 5 Houston 1
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Kansas City 3 Chicago White Sox 0
Final Athletics 7 Seattle 6
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Atlanta 4 Cincinnati 0
Final L.A. Dodgers 7 Miami 4
Final Chicago Cubs 9 San Francisco 2
Final St. Louis 6 Pittsburgh 3
Final N.Y. Mets 5 Arizona 4
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Final OT New York 108 Boston 105
Final Denver 121 Oklahoma City 119
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final Toronto 5 Florida 4