The NFL has suspended Atlanta Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr. for the first eight games of the season. This decision follows his February arrest after a domestic dispute with his ex-girlfriend, Rickea Jackson. The incident occurred in Doral, Florida. Pearce can participate in preseason games and team activities until the suspension starts on Sunday, Aug. 30. He will be eligible for reinstatement on Nov. 2, after the Falcons play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road. Pearce led the Falcons with 10 1/2 sacks during his rookie season in 2025, the most by a rookie since Micah Parsons in 2021.
NEW YORK (AP) — A judge sided with Madison Square Garden in its lengthy legal battle with Charles Oakley on Friday, saying that the former New York Knicks All-Star had not proven he was assaulted when he was removed from a game he attended in 2017. Oakley was handcuffed and arrested after an altercation with security while sitting near owner James Dolan. Oakley initially brought a number of claims against MSG that were dismissed in February 2020. After appeal, Oakley’s assault-and-battery claim remained. But Judge Richard J. Sullivan of the Southern District of New York ruled that Oakley “has produced no evidence to support his claim that he was assaulted by MSG security guards.”
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out nine in six innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers moved back within a game of the National League-leading Milwaukee Brewers with a 3-1 victory Friday night. Andy Pages and Tommy Edman homered to help the Dodgers win the second game of the four-game series after the Brewers rallied to take the opener 5-4 on Friday night. Yamamoto (12-7) allowed one run on four hits while striking out at least nine for the third time this season. Edwin Diaz loaded the bases in the ninth inning but finished off his seventh save after taking the loss Thursday. Robert Gasser (3-5) allowed three runs on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings for the Brewers.
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — After answering six minutes worth of questions about the Seattle Seahawks and cornerback Terrion Arnold working on a contract, coach Mike Macdonald was asked about the team’s preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday. Macdonald, though, made it clear he was not ducking inquiries about Arnold, who is facing eight felony charges stemming from allegations he orchestrated the abduction and beating of three men in February. The 23-year-old became a free agent in June, when the Detroit Lions released him a few days after the kidnapping, armed robbery and conspiracy charges were levied.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler birdied the first five holes and shot a 9-under 61 on Friday to take a three-stroke lead in the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The top-ranked Scheffler had 11 birdies and two bogeys in 100-degree heat at TPC Southwind in the playoff opener. He had an 11-under 129 total. Scheffler tied the tournament course record. He has played the TPC Southwind more times (seven) without winning than any other course on the PGA Tour. Viktor Hovland and Sungjae Im were tied for second at 8 under. Hovland had a 64, and Im shot his second 66. Scheffler entered the week with a 794-point lead over Matt Fitzpatrick in the FedExCup standings. Fitzpatrick was 3 under after a 67.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The All-Star Game is returning to San Francisco in two years. Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred made the announcement that the 2028 Midsummer Classic will be played at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. The 2007 game was played in the waterfront ballpark, featuring Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki’s famous inside-the-park home run that bounced off the tricky wall in right-center field.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Dawn Staley and the 1996 Olympic women’s basketball team paved the way for the WNBA and players such as Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne and Chamique Holdsclaw. The team that started the Americans’ 30-year Olympic dominance will be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday along with Parker, Delle Donne and Holdsclaw. It’s the second consecutive year that a stellar class of women will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame as Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles were inducted in 2025. This year’s group will be joined by NBA player Amar’e Stoudemire, longtime NBA official Joey Crawford, NBA coaches Doc Rivers and Mike D’Antoni and Gonzaga coach Mark Few in the Hall of Fame.
MASON, Ohio (AP) — Venus Williams’ losing streak in singles play has reached 13 matches. The seven-time major champion was defeated 6-2, 6-2 by Emiliana Arango on Friday in the first round of the Cincinnati Open. The 46-year-old Williams received a wild-card entry to the WTA 1000 event. She has not won a singles match since July 2025. Arango, a 25-year-old qualifier from Colombia ranked 95th, needed 1 hour, 5 minutes to defeat Williams. Williams will remain in Cincinnati to play doubles with her sister, Serena, after they received a wild-card entry. They last played doubles together at the 2022 U.S. Open.
PARIS (AP) — Champions League titleholder Paris Saint-Germain has bolstered its star-studded attack by signing World Cup winner Ferran Torres from Barcelona on a five-year year contract. PSG announced the signing in a statement without giving financial details. Sports Daily L’Equipe says French champion PSG paid 50 million euros for Torres. The 26-year-old Torres scored Spain’s winning goal during extra time of the World Cup final against Argentina for his only goal of the competition. Torres scored 65 goals in 207 games for the Catalan club.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Stephanie White was greeted by cheers instead of boos. And the Indiana Fever and their fans had plenty of reasons to be happy before the night was over. Caitlin Clark had 29 points and 10 assists in an entertaining duel with fellow No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers, and the Fever beat the Dallas Wings 98-87 on Friday night in a rare game that wasn’t marred by on-court or off-court controversies. White had drawn the wrath of Fever fans earlier this week after what some saw as her downplaying a flagrant foul by Chicago’s DiJonai Carrington on Indiana’s Sophie Cunningham.
Finals
INTERLEAGUE
Final Pittsburgh 8 Boston 4
Final San Diego 7 Cleveland 5
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Chicago White Sox 9 Detroit 5
Final Toronto 3 N.Y. Yankees 1
Final Baltimore 6 Tampa Bay 5
Final Houston 10 Seattle 7
Final Kansas City 7 L.A. Angels 6
Final Athletics 8 Texas 3
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Chicago Cubs 3 St. Louis 0
Final Cincinnati 1 Miami 0
Final N.Y. Mets 4 Washington 1
Final Arizona 2 Atlanta 0
Final Colorado 5 San Francisco 2
Final L.A. Dodgers 3 Milwaukee 1
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PRESEASON
Final Denver 27 Atlanta 7
Final Tampa Bay 24 N-Y Jets 16