CHICAGO (AP) — Gavin Sheets homered, Erick Fedde pitched scoreless ball into the sixth inning and the struggling Chicago White Sox edged the Kansas City Royals 2-1 for a doubleheader split that ended a six-game slide. Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning of the opener to put the Royals ahead, and Kansas City went on to win 4-2. Paul DeJong had a five-hit day, adding two singles in the second game after going 3 for 3 in the first with a homer, double and walk. The White Sox are off to the worst start in franchise history at 3-15.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Esteury Ruiz homered for the second time in three games since being recalled from Triple-A, and the Oakland Athletics beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3 on Wednesday to avoid a three-game sweep. Iván Herrera drove in two runs for the Cardinals, who fell to 0-6 in series finales this season. Willson Contreras had two hits and an RBI, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games. A’s starter Paul Blackburn allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings, ending a scoreless streak of 22 1/3 innings. Blackburn earned his second win despite giving up six hits and five walks.
UNDATED (AP) — NCAA athletes will be immediately eligible to play no matter how many times they transfer — as long as they meet academic requirements. The NCAA Division I Council’s move fast tracks legislation to fall in line with a recent court order. The council’s decision still needs approval from the D-I Board, which meets next week. The new rules would go into effect immediately, though in reality they have already been enacted through a lawsuit filed late last year by a coalition of states. A judge in West Virginia granted a temporary injunction that lifted restrictions on multiple-time transfers.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid had 23 points, 15 rebounds and one huge assist to Kelly Oubre Jr. on a late go-ahead three-point play that led the 76ers to a 105-104 win over the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament on Wednesday night. The 76ers earned the seventh seed and advance to play the second-seeded New York Knicks in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Game 1 is Saturday at Madison Square Garden. The Heat - who went from the play-in tourney to the NBA Finals a year ago — host Chicago on Friday night. The winner gets the No. 8 seed.
UNDATED (AP) — The NBA has banned Toronto player Jontay Porter after a league probe found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors and bet on games. Porter, the league said, gave a bettor information about his own health status prior to Toronto’s game on March 20. The league said another individual, known to be an NBA bettor, placed an $80,000 bet that Porter would not hit the numbers set for him in parlays through an online sports book. That bet would have won $1.1 million. Porter is the second person to be banned by Commissioner Adam Silver for violating league rules. The other was now-former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling in 2014.
UNDATED (AP) — Golden State guard Stephen Curry knew he was running out of chances to play in what would be his first Olympics, so he and his wife Ayesha started planning many months ago about how to make the Paris Games work for their family. Their growing family, that is. Ayesha Curry revealed in March that she is pregnant with the couple’s fourth child and the baby is due in June. That’s not entirely by accident; the couple thought ahead with hopes of keeping the Olympic months of July and August clear. Just in case. And USA Basketball made it official Wednesday, saying Curry is on the roster picked for the Paris Games.
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Mullett Arena buzzed like few times in the two years since the Arizona Coyotes moved in, the fans amped for one last desert hurrah. For 60 minutes, they got one last chance to watch the team they came to love before the franchise as they know it is no more. The Coyotes are moving to Salt Lake City in a deal that could be signed less than 24 hours after Wednesday night’s 5-2 win over Edmonton. Hockey could return, perhaps within five years, but the stark reality is this is the end for the foreseeable future. Not knowing if or when hockey will return, Coyotes fans treated the Mullett finale like one big party, even if it was a wake.
WEDNESDAY SCORES
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE
Final Atlanta 5 Houston 4
Final Oakland 6 St. Louis 3
Final Seattle 5 Cincinnati 1
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Baltimore 4 Minnesota 2
Final Texas 5 Detroit 4
Final Kansas City 4 Chicago White Sox 2
Final N.Y. Yankees 6 Toronto 4
Final Chicago White Sox 2 Kansas City 1
Final Boston 2 Cleveland 0
Final L.A. Angels 5 Tampa Bay 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final San Francisco 3 Miami 1
Final Milwaukee 1 San Diego 0
Final N.Y. Mets 9 Pittsburgh 1
Final Washington 2 L.A. Dodgers 0
Final Chicago Cubs 5 Arizona 3
Final Philadelphia 7 Colorado 6
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Final Philadelphia 105 Miami 104
Final Chicago 131 Atlanta 116
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Tampa Bay 6 Toronto 4
Final N-Y Islanders 5 Pittsburgh 4
Final SO Dallas 2 St. Louis 1