LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw gave up a home run while pitching his final regular-season home game for the Los Angeles Dodgers, receiving standing ovations from fans. This comes a day after he announced his retirement at the end of the season. Kershaw, 37, left the game with the Dodgers trailing 2-1, having given up two runs and four hits. Fans cheered as he walked off, waving and hugging teammates. Kershaw's career includes three Cy Young Awards and two World Series championships. His competitive spirit remains strong despite recent injuries. The Dodgers beat San Francisco 6-3 to clinch their 13th consecutive postseason berth.
TOKYO (AP) — Anna Hall joined Jackie Joyner-Kersee as America’s second winner of the world heptathlon title, wrapping up a wire-to-wire endurance test with cruise into the finish line to celebrate her biggest victory. It’s the first major title for Hall, one of the world’s most consistent performers in the seven-part event, after years of close calls and disappointments. Hall finished with 6,888 points to top Ireland's Kate O'Connor by 122. Defending champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson finished in a rare tie for third place with American Taliyah Brooks.
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels will miss Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders because of an injured left knee. It is the first game Daniels will sit out since entering the NFL last season. He was unable to fully participate in practice on Friday after also missing work with his teammates on Wednesday and Thursday. Washington coach Dan Quinn said the reigning AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year won’t play this week and Marcus Mariota will replace Daniels in the lineup. It will be the first start for Mariota since 2022 with the Atlanta Falcons.
SANTA CLARA. Calif. (AP) — Quarterback Brock Purdy is highly unlikely to start for the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday because of a toe injury. He was listed as questionable for the game against the Arizona Cardinals, with a final decision expected on Saturday. Coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned Purdy might serve as a backup if he can’t start. Mac Jones would start his second game if Purdy isn’t ready. Purdy injured his toe in the season opener and missed last week’s game. He returned to practice on a limited basis this week. The 49ers have other players dealing with injuries, affecting their lineup for Sunday.
TOKYO (AP) — Noah Lyles pulled ahead of Kenny Bednarek heading into the straightaway then held him off down the stretch to capture his fourth title in a much-awaited 200 meters at the world championships. Lyles finished in 19.52 seconds for a .06-second margin over Bednarek who led at the halfway point, fell behind by a few steps but was closing the gap over the final footsteps. Lyles matched Usain Bolt with four titles at the world championships. Minutes later, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden completed the first women’s 100-200 double at worlds since Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, winning in 21.68 seconds — a .46-second margin over surprise silver medalist Amy Hunt of Britain.
NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto has hit his career-high 42nd homer. The slugger reached the milestone in the first year of his record $765 million contract with the New York Mets. Soto’s 419-foot, three-run shot to straightaway center capped a six-run rally in the fourth inning against Washington. The 26-year-old topped his previous career high, which he set last season with the crosstown Yankees. Soto signed his 15-year deal with the Mets in December. He’s the eighth player this century to have consecutive 40-homer seasons for different clubs.
PHOENIX (AP) — Alyssa Thomas had a 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in her fifth career playoff triple-double, and the Phoenix Mercury advanced to the second round of the WNBA playoffs by eliminating the defending champion New York Liberty 79-73 in Game 3 on Friday night. Satou Sabally added 23 points and 12 rebounds for the fourth-seeded Mercury, who play at top-seeded Minnesota on Sunday to start the best-of-five semifinal round. Thomas has five of the seven WNBA playoff triple-doubles. Breanna Stewart, five days after spraining the MCL in her left knee in overtime of a Game 1 win, scored 30 points for the Liberty.
LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool maintained a perfect start to its Premier League season when Ryan Gravenberch scored and set up a first-half goal in a 2-1 win over Everton in the Merseyside derby. Seeking to win consecutive league titles for the first time since the 1980s, Liverpool is 5-0. Liverpool was listless for large stretches of the second half and Idrissa Gueye scored in the 58th minute for the Toffees, who lost for the first time since their opener at Leeds. Liverpool has won five consecutive home games against the Blues for the first time since 1933-37.
The WNBA semifinals are set and a new champion is guaranteed after all four remaining teams were challenged in the opening round. Minnesota, Las Vegas and Phoenix have all made it this far in the past few years, while Indiana won a playoff series for the first time in a decade. The Lynx will face the Mercury, and the Aces will play the Fever in best-of-five series that begin Sunday. The Lynx are looking for their first championship since 2017. They’ll face a confident Phoenix squad that knocked out the defending champion New York Liberty in three games.
MILAN (AP) — The International Olympic Committee has confirmed that Russian athletes will compete as Individual Neutral Athletes at next year’s Milan-Cortina Winter Games. This decision follows the same approach used at the Paris Games. IOC president Kirsty Coventry says nothing has changed from Paris. Restrictions remain for Russian athletes in the military or those supporting the invasion of Ukraine. The IOC clarified that it has never discussed banning Israel from the Games. The Milan-Cortina Games will take place in northern Italy from Feb. 6-22. Security concerns are heightened due to recent pro-Palestinian protests.
Finals
INTERLEAGUEFinal Atlanta 10 Detroit 1Final Athletics 4 Pittsburgh 3Final Chicago White Sox 4 San Diego 3Final Colorado 7 L.A. Angels 6Final Miami 6 Texas 4
AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal Baltimore 4 N.Y. Yankees 2Final Kansas City 20 Toronto 1Final Boston 11 Tampa Bay 7Final Cleveland 6 Minnesota 2Final Seattle 4 Houston 0
NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal Cincinnati 7 Chicago Cubs 4Final N.Y. Mets 12 Washington 6Final St. Louis 7 Milwaukee 1Final Philadelphia 8 Arizona 2Final L.A. Dodgers 6 San Francisco 3