KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs traded up to select University of Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie with the 21st pick in the NFL draft. Then they used their pick at No. 30 to grab defensive end George Karlaftis of Purdue. The Chiefs had a pressing need at cornerback and they desperately needed pass rush help for a defense that managed just 31 sacks last season. Kansas City still has two second-round picks at No. 50 and No. 62 along with a third-round pick Friday night. Wide receiver is the Chiefs' biggest remaining need after sending Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins in the offseason.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The first five selections of the NFL 2022 draft came on the defensive side of the ball. Edge rushers Travon Walker of national champion Georgia went to Jacksonville and Aidan Hutchinson of Michigan to Detroit at Nos. 1 and 2. But it was wide receivers who ended up stealing the spotlight. In all, six of the opening 18 selections were wideouts, while the position was also the focus of a couple major trades, with Philadelphia acquiring A.J. Brown from the Titans, and Arizona getting veteran Marquise Brown from the Ravens.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Dakota Hudson pitched six shutout innings, Paul Goldschmidt drove in three runs and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-3. St. Louis star Nolan Arenado had two hits after deciding to appeal a two-game suspension from Major League Baseball for his role in a brawl with the Mets on Wednesday. Tommy Edman and Tyler O’Neill drove in two runs each for the Cardinals, who won their second game in a row after a three-game losing streak. Pavin Smith hit a two-run homer for Arizona, which had a two-game winning streak snapped.
CHICAGO (AP) — Rookie Kyle Isbel hit a two-run single in Kansas City’s three-run 10th inning, and the Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 5-2. Whit Merrifield scored the go-ahead run in the 10th when White Sox catcher Reese McGuire was charged with a passed ball with the bases loaded and two out. Isbel, who was promoted from Triple-A Omaha before the game, got his hit off left-hander Aaron Bummer. Chicago was held to three hits through the first seven innings, but tied it in the eighth. Royals starter Brad Keller induced 12 groundball outs and didn’t throw more than 15 pitches in any of his seven innings.
CHICAGO (AP) — Kansas City Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi’s season is in jeopardy after tests Thursday revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee. The 26-year-old Mondesi, who played in only 35 games in 2021 because of left hamstring and left oblique injuries, had started 14 of 15 games this season. Mondesi, who was batting .140 with five stolen bases in five attempts, suffered the injury on an attempted pickoff play Tuesday night against the Chicago White Sox. Nicky Lopez, who started 141 games at shortstop in 2021, likely will move from second base to shortstop.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Cardinals star Nolan Arenado and pitcher Génesis Cabrera have been suspended for their actions during a benches-clearing fracas Wednesday against the New York Mets. Arenado has been banned two games and Cabrera one game, and both have been fined undisclosed amounts. Their punishments were announced Thursday by Michael Hill, Major League Baseball’s senior vice president for on-field operations. Arenado is appealing his decision and was set to play third base and bat fourth for St. Louis against Arizona on Thursday night. Cabrera will serve his ban Thursday after pitching two innings during the 10-5 win over the Mets on Wednesday.
LINDSBORG, Kan. (AP) — Police in the central Kansas town of Lindsborg announced two boys are suspected of being involved in the contamination of a water cooler used by the Kansas Wesleyan baseball team during a doubleheader at Bethany College last weekend. Both schools contacted police to file a report about a foreign substance found in Kansas Wesleyan’s water. Police did not say how it connected the juveniles to the tainted water and said no one associated with either college was responsible for tampering with the water cooler. The substance mixed into the water was paint used to put lines on the field.
UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA is looking for a new president. Mark Emmert will step down from the job no later than June 2023. Observers say the NCAA should first decide what they want the function of the NCAA to be. The organization is making sweeping changes and handing more power to conferences and schools. Finding someone to lead amid all that turmoil is a challenge. Still, some involved in college sports still believe it will be necessary to have leadership at the top with a comprehensive vision for an organization that still emphasizes the importance of education.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Phoenix Suns are riding a bit of perfection from Chris Paul into the second round of the playoffs. The veteran guard shot 14 for 14 from the field, the best shooting night in NBA playoff history, in the Suns’ 115-109, series-ending victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Devin Booker returned from a hamstring injury to hit a late 3-pointer that gave the Suns the lead for good — fittingly, with an assist from Paul.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson each scored 24 points as the Mavericks advanced by beating the Utah Jazz 98-96 in Game 6 of their series. After Brunson hit a 3-pointer from the corner, Mike Conley was called for traveling with five seconds remaining, and Brunson made one of two free throws with 4.3 seconds to play. The Mavs will play the Suns in the second round.
TORONTO (AP) — Joel Embiid had 33 points and 10 rebounds, James Harden added 22 points and 15 assists to lead the 76ers to a 132-98 victory over the Toronto Raptors, ending their first-round series. Philadelphia will face Miami in the second round.
THURSDAY SCORES
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Tampa Bay 2 Seattle 1
Final Minnesota 7 Detroit 1
Final Houston 3 Texas 2
Final N.Y. Yankees 10 Baltimore 5
Final Kansas City 5 Chicago White Sox 2
Final Toronto 1 Boston 0
Final L.A. Angels 4 Cleveland 1
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Milwaukee 3 Pittsburgh 2
Final Miami 3 Washington 2
Final San Diego 7 Cincinnati 5
Final Philadelphia 7 Colorado 1
Final Atlanta 5 Chicago Cubs 1
Final St. Louis 8 Arizona 3
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Final Philadelphia 132 Toronto 97
Final Phoenix 115 New Orleans 109
Final Dallas 98 Utah 96
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Florida 4 Ottawa 0
Final Carolina 6 New Jersey 3
Final N-Y Islanders 5 Washington 1
Final Columbus 5 Tampa Bay 2
Final Boston 5 Buffalo 0
Final OT Minnesota 3 Calgary 2
Final OT Edmonton 5 San Jose 4
Final SO Nashville 5 Colorado 4
Final OT Vancouver 3 Los Angeles 2