TOKYO (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit a towering solo homer in his return to Japan, taking Chicago Cubs pitcher Nate Pearson deep with a ball that barely cleared the fence in right-center field and helping the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 6-3 to sweep the two-game series in Tokyo. Ohtani’s every step, swing and smile were intensely followed this week during his homecoming at the Tokyo Dome, an event that would make most mortals wilt under the pressure. After admitting to some nerves during Tuesday’s season homer, the slugger was more relaxed a day later. It led to another baseball moment that will live in MLB lore for quite a while.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings have committed to moving forward with J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback this season after deciding not to offer Aaron Rodgers a contract, according to a person with knowledge of the decision. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Vikings were not commenting publicly on their plans. Rodgers was released last week by the New York Jets. The departure of Sam Darnold left the Vikings ready to turn their offense over to McCarthy. He was the 10th pick in the 2024 draft whose rookie year was spent rehabilitating from knee surgery.
LONDON (AP) — Algerian boxer Imane Khelif says that President Donald Trump’s stance on gender in sports “does not intimidate” her and plans to defend her gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics. Khelif, who found herself in the middle of a bitter divide about gender eligibility during the Paris Olympics, was asked about Trump’s policies during an interview with British broadcaster ITV scheduled to be aired on Wednesday. She says “the U.S. president issued a decision related to transgender policies in America. I am not transgender. This does not concern me, and it does not intimidate me.” Khelif says she is aiming for a “second gold medal, of course,” at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
JuJu Watkins of Southern California and Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame are on The Associated Press women's basketball All-America team for second straight year, becoming the third and fourth players to earn that honor in their first two seasons. The pair of sophomores were joined on the first team by Madison Booker of Texas, UConn's Paige Bueckers and UCLA's Lauren Betts. Watkins, Bueckers and Betts were unanimous choices. Betts is the first player from UCLA to earn first-team honors.
A Department of Defense webpage describing baseball and civil rights icon Jackie Robinson’s military service is now missing. That development comes after a page honoring a Black Medal of Honor winner was momentarily taken down amid the department’s campaign to strip out content singling out the contributions by women and minority groups, which the Trump administration considers “DEI.” According to Internet Archive, the page on Robinson previously included biographical information about his Army service during World War II. When that page’s address was entered Wednesday, a message showed up saying it “might have been moved, renamed, or may be temporarily unavailable.” The letters “dei” were also automatically added to the URL.
MANALAPAN, Fla. (AP) — NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says the league and the Players' Association will sit down to begin negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement the week of April 1. Bettman said he did not expect either side to be pushing for fundamental changes and hopes to get a deal done quickly and quietly. NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said last month he was going into talks with a positive attitude. The working relationship between the league and union is at its highest point in recent history with business booming and revenues setting records.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The tennis players' association co-founded by Novak Djokovic has sued the main groups that run the sport in a bid to gain more money and control. The Professional Tennis Players' Association filed a class-action antitrust lawsuit in federal court in New York on Tuesday. They also are pursuing similar actions in Brussels and London. The athletes are hoping for a greater cut of revenues and to change the way the WTA and ATP professional tours, the International Tennis Federation and the International Tennis Integrity Agency oversee things.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida center Olivier Rioux, the world’s tallest teenager, is one of the team's most popular players heading into the NCAA Tournament. And he has yet to take the court. The requests are endless and the 19-year-old Rioux handles them all effortlessly without anything in return. But the Canadian whose unusual height landed him a spot in the Guinness World Record is hoping to start earning money from use of his name, image and likeness in the United States. Rioux has formally applied for an 0-1 visa that would allow him earning power through NIL.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina coach Dawn Staley has built a powerhouse, not unlike what Connecticut and Tennessee accomplished in previous decades. She has no shortage of talent. The Gamecocks will try to win back-to-back national championships with the help of their reserves. South Carolina’s bench is the best in women’s college basketball, and it’s not even close. The Gamecocks average 41.5 points per game from their reserves. That's nearly 10 points more than the next closest Division I team.
TOKYO (AP) — Sota Fujimori is the luckiest 10-year-old in Japan. Sitting in right-center field on Wednesday night at the Tokyo Dome, he watched Shohei Ohtani’s home run in the fifth inning fall off the hands of another fan nearby — and back onto the field. It looked like bad luck. He says: “I thought I missed out at first.” But Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong made his night, tossing the ball back into the stands. Young Sota retrieved the ball as umpires on the field reviewed to make sure the ball had cleared the wall and Ohtani had his first home run of the season.
TUESDAY SCORES
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Tuesday's Games
Boston 4, N.Y. Yankees 4
Detroit 6, Minnesota 5
Pittsburgh 3, Philadelphia 2
Miami 4, St. Louis 4
Cincinnati 1, L.A. Angels 0
Seattle 9, Milwaukee 3
Washington 4, Houston 3
Baltimore 8, Toronto 2
Texas 7, Cleveland 3
San Francisco (ss) 4, San Diego 3
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
FIRST FOUR
Tuesday, March 18 At UD Arena Dayton, Ohio
Alabama St. 70, St. Francis (Pa.) 68
North Carolina 95, San Diego St. 68
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Tuesday's Games
Atlanta 134, Charlotte 102
Boston 104, Brooklyn 96
Golden State 104, Milwaukee 93
L.A. Clippers 132, Cleveland 119
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Tuesday's Games
Washington 4, Detroit 1
N.Y. Islanders 4, Pittsburgh 2
Montreal 6, Ottawa 3
Calgary 2, N.Y. Rangers 1
St. Louis 4, Nashville 1
Dallas 4, Anaheim 3, OT
Seattle 6, Chicago 2
Edmonton 7, Utah 1
Vancouver 6, Winnipeg 2