TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Freddy Fermin had three hits and an RBI, Kyle Isbel and Salvador Perez each drove in a run and Michael Lorenzen pitched six strong innings for his 50th career win as the Kansas City Royals beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1. Perez’s two-out double drove in Jonathan India in the first. One inning later, Fermin poked a single to right that allowed Drew Walters to advance from first to third, setting up Isbel’s sacrifice fly. Fermin, who nearly left the game in the seventh after fouling a pitch off his hands, singled home Maikel Garcia to give Kansas City a two-run cushion in the ninth. Lorenzen (3-3) halted the Rays’ five-game winning streak, his only blemish a solo homer to Junior Caminero in the fourth.
CINCINNATI (AP) — The game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds was postponed due to inclement weather on Tuesday. The teams will play a day-night doubleheader on Wednesday. Tuesday night’s game was called off about an hour before the scheduled first pitch of 6:40 p.m. Wednesday’s first game is scheduled for 12:40 p.m., and the second at 6:40 p.m.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs exercised their fifth-year options on cornerback Trent McDuffie and pass rusher George Karlaftis, two of the young pillars of a defense that has helped them reach three consecutive Super Bowls. The deadline to pick up the option year is Thursday. The 24-year-old McDuffie, who was the 21st overall pick in 2022, has started all 43 games that he has played over the past three seasons. He was a first-team All-Pro in 2023 and a second-team pick this past season. Karlaftis, who is also 24, was the 30th overall pick in the same draft, and has developed into one of the NFL’s top-tier defensive ends.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — George Kittle agreed to a four-year contract extension with the San Francisco 49ers that will make him the highest-paid tight end in NFL history. Kittle announced the deal on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast, saying the extension was worth $76.4 million over four years with $35 million guaranteed at signing. The deal keeps Kittle under contract with San Francisco through the 2029 season. The 49ers confirmed the deal with the only remaining member of the original draft class under coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.
UNDATED (AP) — There are always players poised in the spring for potential breakouts when the football season kicks off in the fall. Among those in the Big 12 are some standout transfers, and some returning players getting their chance. West Virginia added American Athletic Conference defensive player of the year Jimmori Robinson. Transfer receiver Chase Sowell is a big boost for an Iowa State offense that lost 1,000-yard receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, both drafted by Houston in in the first three rounds of the NFL draft.
UNDATED (AP) — Rich Rodriguez and Scott Frost are new to the Big 12 Conference. They aren't to the schools that brought them back. Rodriguez and Frost are the only new coaches in the 16-team Big 12. They have now through their first spring since getting back to their old schools. West Virginia was still in the Big East when Rodriguez led them to three consecutive 11-win seasons from 2005-07, then left for Michigan. Frost was the coach for UCF’s undefeated season out of the American Athletic Conference in 2017 before going to Nebraska.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers stole one from the Milwaukee Bucks. Indiana forced two turnovers in the final 29 seconds of overtime, and Haliburton blew past Giannis Antetokounmpo for the go-ahead layup with 1.3 seconds left to give the Pacers a 119-118 victory and a 4-1 series win. The Pacers closed the game with an 8-0 run over the final 40 seconds of OT to eliminate the Bucks in the first round for the second straight season. Haliburton had 26 points and 10 assists as he improved to 9-0 in home playoff games. This chippy series ended fittingly with a shoving match between the teams at midcourt.
NEW YORK (AP) — Cade Cunningham had 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and the Detroit Pistons stayed alive in their first postseason appearance since 2019 by beating the New York Knicks 106-103 on Tuesday night in Game 5 of their first-round series. Ausar Thompson added 22 points and Tobias Harris had 17 for the Pistons, who will have a chance to even things up Thursday night at home in Game 6. If they win that, the deciding game would be back at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. Detroit, though, has lost an NBA record-tying nine straight home games since 2008.
BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum had 35 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, and the Boston Celtics pulled away after Magic star Paolo Banchero went to the bench with five fouls, beating Orlando 120-89 in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals. The defending NBA champions will play either the New York Knicks or Detroit Pistons in the second round. The Knicks lead their series 3-2 despite falling 106-103 earlier Tuesday in New York. Franz Wagner scored 25 points, Banchero had 19 and Wendell Carter Jr. had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sebastian Aho hammered a one-timer past Jacob Markstrom at 4:17 of the second overtime to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New Jersey Devils 5-4 on Tuesday night to clinch their first-round playoff series. The score came with the Hurricanes on a four-minute power play on a double-minor high-sticking penalty by Dawson Mercer. Aho's capper marked the only lead for the Hurricanes in a wild game that pushed them into the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Markstrom finished with 48 saves for the Devils while facing a deluge of shots in the third period and first OT.
TUESDAY SCORES
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE
Final Milwaukee 7 Chicago White Sox 2
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Cleveland 2 Minnesota 1
Final N.Y. Yankees 15 Baltimore 3
Final Boston 10 Toronto 2
Final Kansas City 3 Tampa Bay 1
Final Texas 15 Athletics 2
Final Houston 6 Detroit 4
Final Seattle 5 L.A. Angels 3
NATIONAL LEAGUE
St. Louis at Cincinnati 12:40 p.m. (Postponed)
Final Chicago Cubs 9 Pittsburgh 0
Final N.Y. Mets 8 Arizona 3
Final Philadelphia 7 Washington 6
Final Atlanta 8 Colorado 2
Final San Diego 7 San Francisco 4
Final L.A. Dodgers 15 Miami 2
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Final OT Indiana 119 Milwaukee 118
Final Detroit 106 New York 103
Final Boston 120 Orlando 89
Final Denver 131 L.A. Clippers 115
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final Ottawa 4 Toronto 0
Final 2OT Carolina 5 New Jersey 4
Final OT Vegas 3 Minnesota 2
Final Edmonton 3 Los Angeles 1