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Wyatt-Hodge always been one of England’s most fascinating cricketers. She jokes and smiles, but that should never be confused with anything but fierce determination.

As a cricketer, she as resilient as they come.

Wyatt-Hodge made her debut in the same Mumbai ODI as Heather Knight and the pair are now the longest-serving members of this England set-up.

From the World Cup win at Lord’s in 2017 to last year’s Ashes drubbing down under. Together they have witnessed it all.

But while Knight was front and centre nine years ago as captain, Wyatt-Hodge was a bit-part player. She played five matches before others returned from injury for the trophy tilt.

Now, at 35, there is still time for this career’s defining chapter.

While Wyatt-Hodge took her parental leave, debate bubbled about who would be England’s openers when the big time came in this tournament.

Sophia Dunkley’s form faltered and Amy Jones was promoted. The one certainty, despite her absence, was always England’s diminutive right-hander.

Bleary-eyed from the sleepless nights, she made 29 when she did return against India last month in Bristol. Three single-figure scores followed but again England did not waver.

“Some people just need a bit of pressure and a bit of ‘something’ on a game,” said another former team-mate Katherine Sciver-Brunt, who watched on from the commentary box.

“This is exactly the sort of environment she needs.

“As a cricketer you can thrive or you can go within yourself, and she thrives with situations like these.

“Don’t be surprised if she is the highest run-scorer of this tournament now.”

It was also fitting that when Wyatt-Hodge reached three figures, captain Nat Sciver-Brunt was at the other end.

Like Wyatt-Hodge she is a cricketer and mum. Like Wyatt-Hodge she rocked her bat to celebrate reaching three figures at last year’s 50-over World Cup.

Coincidentally both tons were against the same opposition.

“It was really nice to have her in the middle to celebrate that hundred – two mummies,” Wyatt-Hodge said.

“I got a bit nervous at the end when the crowd was cheering me on. Nat said just take a breath and time it. I was really determined.”

As Wyatt-Hodge took the crowd’s acclaim and left the field, it was the jettisoned Dunkley who met her first by the boundary edge.

There is a togetherness building in this squad and Wyatt-Hodge is one of its most popular members.

“It was pretty emotional. A few of the girls said they had a few tears,” she said of those moments returning to the dressing room.

It was Graham Gooch who coined the phrase ‘Daddy Hundred’. This was one of the mummy variety.

After everything, few are more deserving of this moment in the sun than Wyatt-Hodge.

It would be fitting if Ireland’s first win in the T20 World Cup came against the Scots given they denied the Irish a place in the tournament two years ago as they pulled off a shock victory to reach the tournament for the first time.

Lewis said there was “major heartbreak” in the Ireland camp after that sore defeat that forced the squad to have to watch the World Cup from home.

Ireland are in a better place now and come into the tournament off the back of a productive Tri-Nations series in Clontarf where they beat both Pakistan and the West Indies.

“The series was a great success, we’ve got the results behind us. Confidence is high and that’s exactly what you want going into a World Cup,” Lewis added.

Lloyd Tennant’s side are ranked ninth in the world but are in a tough Group B which also has hosts England, holders New Zealand, Sri Lanka and West Indies alongside the Scots.

They will face all five sides with the top two in the group moving through to the semi-finals where they will face the top two from Group A.

Scotland won by 39 runs the last time the two sides met in Nepal in January and Lewis believes getting off to a good start in their first game is “massive” for Ireland in terms of momentum.

“There’s a big rivalry between us and them. They’ve probably got one up on us at the moment after beating us in Nepal. I think we’re looking good and we’re really excited for it.

“They’ve got a new addition in Kirsty Gordon [a former England spinner] which is a boost for them.

“If we get the win, then you never know against England.”

England did almost everything right in their qualifying group, winning five of their six matches, including the victory over Spain at Wembley in April.

They also scored 13 goals, conceded just five – four of which came against Spain – and kept four clean sheets.

But it is not easy to qualify automatically and England were given a rough draw with world champions Spain in their group. The quest for top spot was always likely to come down to their head-to-head record.

That is what happened as England ultimately missed out because they were thumped in Majorca.

That humbling defeat – which showed the gulf between the two teams when Spain are at their best – was their downfall.

Wiegman opted for experience in the starting XI against Spain. Despite not featuring for England since October, and only returning from a four-month injury in April, midfielder Ella Toone was given the nod over Lucia Kendall and Laura Blindkilde Brown.

Chelsea’s Lucy Bronze started at right-back despite an injury in the build-up to the game.

In the end, England’s midfielders were too passive and easily controlled by Spain, while the usually explosive frontline of Alessia Russo, Lauren Hemp and Lauren James proved ineffective.

At the back, England struggled to live with Spain’s creativity and dynamism, with only Esme Morgan impressing in a generally dismal performance.

England’s sloppiness was compounded by the fact Spain produced one of their best performances to date and Wiegman could not come up with an answer for it.

Wiegman told BBC Radio 5 Live this week that she is “absolutely convinced” England can match Spain at their best if they are to meet again next year.

But that one crucial defeat showed just how difficult it is for England to qualify for major tournaments and why they cannot afford an ‘off day’ against the best teams.

“We have mixed feelings, of course. We were very disappointed with the way the game went [against Spain],” said midfielder Georgia Stanway, a scorer on Tuesday along with Jess Carter and Beth Mead.

“It’s very rare that you get 15 points and still not make it out of the group. I think that it shows our level, our consistency, but we know our performance wasn’t good enough against Spain.”

Wiegman said it was a “good thing” that there is more competition throughout Europe but admitted it was tough to miss out on such fine margins.

“The Nations League brought more competition in Europe. I think that’s really nice. We also noticed we have to play Spain so many times,” she said.

“I was excited for this group to play Iceland as we hadn’t played them. It’s something for Uefa to have a look at, at least. The good thing is there is a lot of competition.”

Nelly Korda watched someone else lift the trophy at last year’s U.S. Women’s Open.

This time, it was Korda — the 2025 runner-up — who did the heavy lifting.

The world’s No. 1 women’s golfer won for the fourth time in 2026 on Sunday and checked off the biggest item on her to-do list.

“To be hoisting this trophy, to hold it high and at such an iconic venue, is just a dream come true,” said Korda, the first American to win back-to-back majors since Juli Inkster in 1999.

Korda claimed her first U.S. Open title, pulling ahead on the back nine at Riviera Country Club, which was playing host to the major championship for the first time.

It was anything but a wire-to-wire win for Korda, who struggled on the tee and limped through the opening round at two over par. But she shot a pair of 67s on Friday and Saturday, then closed out the victory Sunday with a 69 on a postcard afternoon.

Korda’s scrambling was masterful. No one in the last 20 years won a U.S. Women’s Open hitting fewer greens, yet she got up and down for par 24 times out of 30.

The final putt — two feet, 10 inches — was appropriately dramatic, teetering along the left edge before curling back into the cup. With the victory comes a $2.5-million prize.

Korda gasped, covered her mouth, waved to the crowd and wiped away tears. She made her way to her family on the fringe of the green, was showered by champagne and took a swig.

She was locked in a four-way tie for first — Charley Hull of England, Gaby Lopez of Mexico and In Gee Chun of South Korea also at seven under — and broke free with a long birdie putt on No. 17.

There would be no playoff, not with Korda closing the deal with a par on No. 18. It was her fourth win in eight tournaments this year.

Hull and Lopez tied for second, one shot back.

Nelly Korda holds the Harton S. Semple trophy after winning the 81st U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club on Sunday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Korda, 27, is the youngest American player to win four majors since Mickey Wright in 1960.

What’s more, Korda is only the second American in the past 10 years to win the Open, joining former USC standout Allisen Corpuz, who won at Pebble Beach in 2023.

Korda has a championship pedigree. Her older sister, Jessica, was a six-time winner on the LPGA Tour, and brother, Sebastian, is a professional tennis player. Their father, Petr Korda, won the 1998 Australian Open in singles tennis. Their mother, Regina Rajchrtová, is a former professional tennis player who competed for Czechoslovakia in the 1988 Summer Olympics.

When the tournament started, the focus was on Korda’s feet. She was gifted a pair of Nike Victory Pro 4 golf shoes from LeBron James but changed out of them after six holes because they felt too roomy. It was a bad day for her as she was spraying her tee shots.

The focus then shifted to her head. She has worked on her mentality this year after going winless in 2025.

“I’ve tried to have a mindset shift,” she told reporters Saturday. “I’ve tried to have the attitude of instead of saying, `I’m screwed in this position. Oh, here we go again,’ I’m just going to embrace the challenges, and I’m not going to walk off the golf course. I’m just going to figure it out.”

Korda, who had the fewest bogeys of anyone in the field (seven), was typically steady Sunday, saving pars when she needed to despite crosswinds that picked up in the afternoon and made putting trickier.

There were plenty of compelling story lines taking shape as the sun began to dip on the legendary course.

Lopez, who made a great birdie putt on 18 to claim a share of the lead, was looking to become the first Mexican woman to win the Open and the second to win a major behind her mentor, Lorena Ochoa, who won the Chevron in 2008.

After making par on each of the first nine holes, Lopez made her move on the back with four birdies.

“I’ll say that at the beginning of the day I felt way more nervous than at the end,” Lopez said. “At the beginning it’s all the energy, you’re trying to get a run, but the U.S. Open it’s about waiting and waiting and waiting, and once you get your chance you kind of ride the wave.”

Hull, a runner-up in a major for the fifth time, was looking to become the third English woman to win the Open, matching Laura Davies (1987) and Alison Nicholas (1997).

Amazingly, Hull nearly missed the cut after over-par rounds of 73 and 72 on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, she shot a 65 — the lowest round of anyone in the field on any day — and followed with a 67 on Sunday.

Gaby Lopez sinks a birdie putt on No. 18 to briefly move into a share of the lead during the final round of the U.S. Women’s Open on Sunday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

According to Elias Sports Bureau, Hull matched the U.S. Women’s Open record for the lowest 36-hole score in the final two rounds (132), set by Meg Mallon when she won in 2004.

“It’s frustrating,” Hull said. “Another second place.”

She added: “I love the feel of being under the gun, under pressure. It’s not like a life-and-death situation, but you know that adrenaline that you get…”

Chun had a chance to win her fourth major and bookend Open victories, as she won this tournament in 2015. That would have been the second-biggest gap between Open victories.

Two amateurs with unforgettable names made their mark at Riviera Country Club on Saturday.

Asterisk Talley and Aphrodite Deng — both barely old enough to get behind the wheel — turned in remarkable performances in the third round of the U.S. Women’s Open, each proving she belongs among the best players in the game.

On a postcard day, Talley assembled a bogey-free round suitable for framing. The 17-year-old from Fresno had five birdies a day after a 75 put her in peril of missing the cut. By the end of her morning round, she had gone from an afterthought to a tie for 15th.

“I was just feeling like the hole was so big today,” said Talley, who has gone 22 consecutive holes without a bogey. “Couldn’t miss.”

According to Elias Sports Bureau, Talley’s 66 was the third-lowest round by a woman in a major championship since 1980. It was also the lowest score by an amateur in the final two rounds of a U.S. Women’s Open.

Deng, 16, made a similar splash later in the day, opening her round with three consecutive birdies to play her way near the top of the leaderboard. Last year, she became the first Canadian to win the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship.

Asterisk Talley watches her tee shot on the fifth hole during the second round of the Chevron Championship tournament in April.

(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)

It’s rare for a player to go from junior champion to contender in the Open in back-to-back years, but not unheard of. In 1975, defending junior champion Nancy Lopez finished tied for second in the Open.

As of press time Saturday, the lowest round of the day — and the tournament — was the 75 of Charley Hull, a crowd favorite who has won three times on the LPGA Tour but is still looking for her first major victory.

Hull, who is English, is a colorful character who went viral during the 2024 Open for smoking a cigarette while signing autographs and playing. She finished second in that tournament at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club.

Like Talley, Hull was in danger of missing the cut after opening with unspectacular rounds of 73 and 72. On Saturday, she had seven birdies and a bogey. That left her tied for sixth at the end of her round.

“I kind of like chasing,” Hull said of her move up Saturday. “I just find it more fun and just I can then be free and then just play golf how I want to play golf.”

Methodically moving up the board is No. 1-ranked Nelly Korda, the biggest needle mover in women’s golf. She collected five consecutive wins last season and seven overall. Though she finished in a runner-up spot at Erin Hills last year, she has yet to win an Open.

Korda frequently found trouble off the tee in the opening round and shot a 73, but came back strong Friday with a 67 and had two birdies in her first six holes Saturday.

“It was weird because I was striking it so well Monday through Wednesday, and all of a sudden I just really didn’t,” Korda said after her Friday round. “I had no idea what was going on [Thursday] with my driver. So I tried to figure it out on the range after the round and kind of got a little bit of something kind of going.”

A big story heading into the weekend was the rise of Alison Lee, who held the lead after Friday and is balancing motherhood with her chase for her first major championship. She is staying with her parents in Valencia, who are watching her 1-year-old son, Levi, while she plays.

Lee, who played at UCLA, cooled a bit Saturday with two bogeys in her first four holes and was midway through her round at press time.

Also in contention is Jennifer Kupcho, who shot a 66 on Thursday. If she continues to hold her position near the top of the leaderboard, and if former USC standout Allisen Corpuz is in the mix, it could get interesting.

Kupcho’s husband, Jay Monahan, caddies for Corpuz, who won the 2023 Open at Pebble Beach.

“Jay and I don’t talk about golf,” Kupcho said. “We get back, and we don’t talk golf. I think that’s one thing that’s been really good about our relationship. … If I do want to talk about it, I’ll talk to him, but he’s not going to bring it up to me.”

Demi Vollering claimed victory on a shortened queen stage of the women’s Giro d’Italia on Saturday but admitted it was the “weirdest finish line of my life”.

A summit finish in Sestriere had been scheduled for the eighth and penultimate stage, but organisers reduced the route by 28 kilometres as an unstable slab of ice was threatening to fall on to the route.

Ice had already been cleared from an avalanche shortly before the riders passed through the Italian Alps.

Instead the line was hastily moved to one kilometre below the Colle delle Finestre, where Vollering, of FDJ United–Suez, prevailed in a four-way sprint finish.

The pre-race favourite edged out Isabella Holmgren, Antonia Niedermaier and fellow Dutch rider Anna van der Breggen to claim her second stage win of this year’s race.

“It was strange because the Finestre was suddenly the final climb,” said the 29-year-old Vollering. “It was the weirdest finish line of my life, but I’m very happy to take the win.”

Team SD Worx–Protime rider Van der Breggen retains the pink jersey for the final stage, over 145km around Saluzzo at the foot of the Alps, with Vollering having cut the four-time winner’s lead slightly to 49 seconds.

“We hoped that we could get closer to the maglia rosa today,” said Vollering. “Tomorrow’s stage is not as hard as today’s, but we will make a plan and think about how to try to win the Giro.”

“Dumbo” might not sound like the most flattering nickname, but In Gee Chun has embraced it.

Years ago, her coach in South Korea gave her the moniker because of her exceptionally keen hearing, the ability to hear someone clearing their throat or opening a soda two holes away. She leaned into it ever since. The Disney character adorns her golf bag and is her driver headcover, and her fans refer to themselves as the “Flying Dumbos.”

At the U.S. Women’s Open on Friday, everyone heard Chun’s footsteps. She shot a three-under-par 68 to claim an early share of the lead at Riviera with Jennifer Kupcho and Japan’s Hinako Shibuno.

Many of the contenders were still on the course at press time, but Chun assured herself of a prime position heading into the weekend, in the hunt for her fourth major championship. She won the Open in 2015, Evian in 2016, and Women’s PGA in 2022.

Were Chun to win this tournament, she would be in rarefied air with bookend victories separated by 11 years. According to Elias Sports Bureau, among women with multiple U.S. Open titles, Meg Mallon had the longest gap (13 years apart), followed by Annika Sorenstam (10 years).

Of course, there’s a big difference between being at a logjam atop the leaderboard on Friday and lifting the Harton S. Semple Trophy on Sunday.

“Just stick to the game plan, nothing changes,” Chun said of her mindset heading into the weekend. “I don’t want to think about the future to put extra pressure on me.”

Speaking of extra pressure, Kupcho has an arrangement with her mom. They’ll talk before and after the tournament, but not during it.

“Me and my mom kind of have an understanding,” she said, “like, ‘Just don’t text me. I don’t want to hear from you if I play good. I don’t want to hear from you if I play bad. We’ll talk at the end of the tournament.’”

Jennifer Kupcho hits out of a fairway bunker on No. 9 during the second round of the 81st U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club on Friday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Kupcho, raised in Colorado, said she hasn’t banned her folks from attending, “But I don’t think they’re going to.”

Maybe she could have used some TLC on Friday. After leading outright Thursday with a 66, she came back to earth with a 73.

That was still enough to keep her squarely in the mix. The same could not be said for Michelle Wie West, who followed a 75 with a 74 — a deflating finish for the LPGA legend who came out of retirement to use her final year of exemption to play at Riviera.

“Obviously I would be lying to say I wasn’t disappointed. I would have loved to have made the cut today, granted all day,” Wie West said. “But I had a blast honestly, with playing here at Riv, such a special week to have played it, and to have family, friends, a lot of familiar faces coming out, it was a lot of fun.

“I hit some good shots, hit some good putts, and kind of felt that feeling again, which is awesome.”

Nelly Korda, ranked No. 1 in the world, was coming on strong Friday afternoon in the wake of a ho-hum 73 in the opening round. She had three birdies and six pars on the front nine in the second round.

Nelly Korda misses a birdie putt on No.3 during the second round of the U.S. Women’s Open on Friday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Likewise gathering momentum was Alison Lee who shot a 70 on Thursday, and Friday had four birdies through her first 12 holes. She grew up in Valencia and played at UCLA.

Lee had a son, Levi Todd Kidd, in April of last year and was back on the LPGA Tour within four months. She made her 2026 debut at the LET Saudi Ladies International in February and opened with a two-under 70 despite playing with rental clubs, as her regular set was stuck in Amsterdam.

Balancing a major championship and motherhood is no simple challenge.

“It’s been really tough trying to juggle everything,” she told reporters before the Open. “I feel like sometimes I’m drowning under water, but thankfully I have some great people and great help around me where I can get through it.”

She’s staying with her parents in Valencia so she won’t disrupt her son’s schedule, and has a backup room at Megan Khang’s nearby rental home for early tee times.

Recently, her baby had the kind of breakthrough every parent can appreciate.

“He’s sleeping a lot better,” she said. “Therefore, my life has been a lot easier. … I’ve been able to get a little more rest. I’ve been able to work out a little bit more and practice a little bit more.”

The draw meant Wales wasted a chance to seize control of Group B1.

Czech Republic, their rivals for top spot, also dropped points in surprising fashion as they were held to a 1-1 home draw by Albania in a game which kicked off half an hour before Wales’ fixture in Podgorica.

Had Wales won, they would have needed only a draw in Tuesday’s final group game against the Czechs in Cardiff to secure first place, and therefore a more favourable play-off draw in the play-offs later this year.

Instead, Wilkinson’s side must beat the Czechs – who they drew with in the opening game of the campaign – to come out on top.

“We are exactly where we started [the day],” she added.

“We have to grab these opportunities. I’m sure the Czech Republic coach is as frustrated as I am.

“I am confident it will be a close game on Tuesday. We have to show up.”

The story of the night might have been different had goal-line technology been in place at Montenegro’s Gradski Stadion.

Wales appeared convinced Hughes’ second-half effort had gone over the line before Montenegro defender Sladjana Bulatovic hooked the ball clear.

“I am frustrated there is no VAR, but this is the game – we can’t affect that,” Wilkinson said.

“I’ll fight for it behind the scenes, but on the night we needed to put the ball away.”

Jennifer Kupcho leads U.S. Women’s Open

From Sam Farmer: Nelly Korda’s bid for a U.S. Women’s Open title began Thursday with a foot fault.

The No. 1-ranked player opened her round at Riviera wearing a pair of golf shoes provided to her by LeBron James, Nike Victory Pro 4s with white uppers, gold swooshes, red-and-navy details and an American flag pin on the laces.

Snazzy as they looked, the shoes were a little loose fitting for Korda, who swapped them for a more familiar pair after she played the first six holes at one over par. She never really found her groove and finished the opening round with a two-over-par 73.

“Just hit it really poorly off the tee,” said Korda, who immediately headed to the practice range after meeting with the media following her round. “Found myself in a lot of trouble on the wrong side of a lot of these pins. I just felt like I was kind of just grinding to make safe pars. It wasn’t a great day. I hit it really good Monday through Wednesday, so I have honestly no idea where this came from.”

For others, Riviera — playing host to the major championship for the first time — was as comfortable as an old shoe.

In the long shadows of the afternoon sun, Jennifer Kupcho finished her round of 66 to claim the first-round lead. Her round started with three consecutive birdies. According to Elias Sports Bureau, it marked the first time in her career she made birdie or better three consecutive holes.

Korea’s Sei Young Kim finished just behind Kupcho with a 67, making back-to-back birdies on the 10th and 11th holes, then three in a row on Nos. 6, 7 and 8.

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U.S. Women’s Open leaderboard

Dodgers lose on walk-off homer

From Maddie Lee: Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy appeared to escape serious injury Thursday, despite being involved in a violent collision during a 3-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Thursday.

Although Muncy left the game after colliding hard with Arizona first baseman Ildemaro Vargas, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he thinks Muncy will be available over the weekend. Muncy won’t play Friday against the Angels, but that was already the plan.

“The head got banged up a little bit,” Muncy said after the game, a cut on the brim of his nose still visible. “I think it was my glasses, maybe, that cut my nose. I’m not entirely sure. And then as I was on the ground, just had shortness of breath. Once I was able to kind of get my breath back, then I was able to get off the field.”

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Why Dave Roberts didn’t pinch-hit Shohei Ohtani in Dodgers’ walk-off loss

Dodgers box score

MLB standings

Casey Wasserman says he will not resign

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: The list of politicians grew daily. Major stars from his talent agency joined the chorus calling for Casey Wasserman to resign as the chairman of LA28 after emails the mogul exchanged with Ghislaine Maxwell were revealed in the Epstein files in February.

But four months after the controversy appeared to threaten his position leading the effort for L.A.’s first Olympic Games since 1984, Wasserman said he never saw it the same way.

“No and yes,” Wasserman said matter of factly Thursday when asked if he considered stepping down as chairman of LA28 and whether he has spoken with Mayor Karen Bass since she was one of several local politicians to call for his resignation.

When asked about the nature of any discussions he’s had with Bass, Wasserman said he speaks with the mayor weekly if not more frequently.

“Our conversations are between us,” Wasserman said in his first public comments in months. “They continue to be thoughtful and productive with a completely shared vision on delivering the greatest Games for the city and our community.”

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USC baseball wants to keep the train rolling

From Jose de Jesus Ortiz: As USC baseball coach Andy Stankiewicz noted the next additions that will be made to USC’s refurbished baseball stadium, he paused Monday night as a train rumbled loudly behind Blue Bell Park.

Stankiewicz, 61, smirked at the fitting metaphor after the Trojans clinched their first NCAA super regional berth in 21 years. He, after all, has rebuilt the USC program over his four seasons as head coach.

“Now we have a beautiful stadium,” he said of Dedeaux Field. “We’re going to have a beautiful clubhouse next year, batting cages and all that.”

As Stankiewicz attempted to utter another sentence, the train’s ear-piercing horn sounded.

“That’s appropriate because we tell people the train’s moving,” Stankiewicz said. “Now we have a train honking its whistle. The train’s moving. We’re certainly excited to see where we’re going.”

The Trojans are definitely going places these days thanks to many players who believed in Stankiewicz’s vision despite knowing their on-campus stadium would be under construction for at least two seasons.

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This day in sports history

1870 — Ed Brown becomes the first Black jockey to win the Belmont Stakes, with Kingfisher.

1927 — The United States wins the first Ryder Cup golf tournament by beating Britain 9½-2½.

1932 — Faireno, ridden by Tommy Malley, wins the Belmont Stakes by 1½ lengths over Osculator. Burgoo King, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, doesn’t race.

1966 — Ameroid, ridden by Bill Boland, wins the Belmont Stakes by 2½ lengths over Buffle. Kauai King, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, finishes fourth.

1974 — NFL grants franchise to Seattle Seahawks.

1984 — 1960 champion Arnold Palmer fails to qualify for the US Open Golf Championship for the first time in 32 years.

1987 — Danny Harris defeats Edwin Moses in the 400 hurdles at a meet in Madrid, ending the longest winning streak in track and field. Moses, had won 122 consecutive races dating to Aug. 26, 1977.

1988 — West Germany’s Steffi Graf beats 17-year-old Natalia Zvereva of the Soviet Union in 32 minutes with a 6-0, 6-0 victory to win the French Open for the second straight year.

1990 — Penn State is voted into the Big Ten. The school becomes the 11th member of the league and first addition to the Midwest-based conference since Michigan State in 1949.

1994 — Haile Gebrselassie becomes the first Ethiopian to set a world track record with a time of 12:56.96 in the men’s 5,000 meters at Hengelo, Netherlands.

1998 — Harut Karapetyan of the Galaxy scores three goals in five minutes for the fastest hat trick in MLS history in an 8-1 rout of the Dallas Burn. The seven-goal margin sets an MLS record.

2005 — Justine Henin-Hardenne beats a rattled and fumbling Mary Pierce 6-1, 6-1 to win the French Open, capping a comeback from a blood virus with her fourth Grand Slam title and her second at Roland Garros.

2005 — Eddie Castro sets a North American record for most wins by a jockey in one day at one track, winning nine races on the 13-race card at Miami’s Calder Race Course.

2008 — The Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup for the fourth time in 11 seasons with a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 .

2011 — Li Na becomes the first Chinese — man or woman — to win a Grand Slam singles title. She beats Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 7-6 (0) in the French Open final for her fifth career title and first on clay.

2016 — Garbine Muguruza wins her first Grand Slam title by beating defending champion Serena Williams 7-5, 6-4 at the French Open, denying the American her record-equaling 22nd major trophy.

Compiled by the Associated Press

This day in baseball history

1940 — The Pirates beat the Boston Bees 14-2 in the first night game at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field.

1940 — The St. Louis Cardinals play their first night game at Sportsman’s Park, defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers 10-1.

1951 — Pittsburgh’s Gus Bell hit for the cycle to lead the Pirates to a 12-4 victory over the Phillies at Philadelphia.

1964 — Sandy Koufax pitched his third no-hitter, striking out 12, as the Dodgers beat the Phillies 3-0 in Philadelphia.

1968 — Don Drysdale of the Dodgers blanked the Pirates 5-0 for his sixth straight shutout en route to a record 58 2/3 scoreless innings.

1972 — A major league record eight shutouts were pitched in 16 major league games: five in the American League, three in the National League. The Oakland Athletics swept a pair from the Baltimore Orioles by identical 2-0 scores.

1974 — The game between the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium was forfeited to Texas. Umpire Nestor Chylak had problems with fans all night on 10-cent beer night. The crowd got out of control when Cleveland tied the score 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth.

1989 — Toronto beats Boston 13-11 in 12 innings after trailing 10-0 after six innings. Red Sox starter Mike Smithson threw six scoreless innings before leaving in the seventh because of a foot blister. The Jays then scored two in the seventh, four in the eighth and five in the ninth and two more in the 11th on Junior Felix’s home run. It was the biggest lead the Red Sox have blown and their 12th consecutive loss to the Blue Jays at Fenway Park.

1990 — Ramon Martinez struck out 18 and pitched a three-hitter, sending the Dodgers past the Atlanta Braves 6-0.

1996 — Pamela Davis pitched one inning of scoreless relief and got the win in a minor league exhibition game. She is believed to be the first woman to pitch for a major league farm club under the current minor league system. The 21-year-old right-hander pitched for the Jacksonville Suns, a double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, against the Australian Olympic team.

2000 — Esteban Yan of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays becomes the 77th major league player to hit a home run in his first at bat, but just the fourth American League pitcher and the first since the Angels’ Don Rose in 1972, the year before the designated hitter rule took the bat out of AL pitchers’ hands.

2005 — Rafael Palmeiro and Melvin Mora each hit grand slams to help Baltimore rally for a 14-7 win over Detroit.

2007 — Mark Ellis hit for the cycle and Eric Chavez had a two-out homer in the 11th inning to lift Oakland to a 5-4 win over Boston.

2009 — Randy Johnson became the 24th major league pitcher to win 300 games by leading San Francisco to a 5-1 victory over the Washington Nationals in the first game of a doubleheader.

2012 — Angels manager Mike Scioscia became the ninth manager in AL history to manage 2,000 games with one club. The Mariners beat the Angels 8-6.

2018 — In a doubleheader with the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees OF Aaron Judge sets a record by striking out eight times.

2019 — San Francisco Giant Manager Bruce Bochy wins his 1,000th game as the manager of the Giants with a 9-3 victory over the New York Mets.

2022 — The rule preventing position players from pitching in a close game is invoked for the first time when Crew chief C.B. Bucknor objects to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts calling on utility player Zach McKinstry to pitch the ninth inning gainst the Mets with his team trailing, 9-4. The rule, adopted before the 2020 season but not implemented until this year due to the upheavals caused by the coronavirus pandemic, states that a team cannot use a position player on the mound unless there is a difference of six or more runs between the two teams. Roberts is thus forced to use a real pitcher, Evan Phillips, to pitch the final inning.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Nelly Korda’s bid for a U.S. Women’s Open title began Thursday with a foot fault.

The No. 1-ranked player opened her round at Riviera wearing a pair of golf shoes provided to her by LeBron James, Nike Victory Pro 4s with white uppers, gold swooshes, red-and-navy details and an American flag pin on the laces.

Snazzy as they looked, the shoes were a little loose fitting for Korda, who swapped them for a more familiar pair after she played the first six holes at one over par. She never really found her groove and finished the opening round with a two-over-par 73.

“Just hit it really poorly off the tee,” said Korda, who immediately headed to the practice range after meeting with the media following her round. “Found myself in a lot of trouble on the wrong side of a lot of these pins. I just felt like I was kind of just grinding to make safe pars. It wasn’t a great day. I hit it really good Monday through Wednesday, so I have honestly no idea where this came from.”

For others, Riviera — playing host to the major championship for the first time — was as comfortable as an old shoe.

Korea’s Sei Young Kim worked her way to the top of the leaderboard with a 67, making back-to-back birdies on the 10th and 11th holes, then three in a row on Nos. 6, 7 and 8.

Sei Young Kim eyes her putting line on the ninth green during the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club on Thursday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

According to Elias Sports Bureau, Kim ended a personal streak of 43 consecutive major championship rounds shooting 70 or higher. It was the longest active streak of its kind entering this week.

“The U.S. Open is not regular — not the same as a regular tournament,” Kim said. “So you need to be really patient instead of attacking the pin. So I really try to follow what my caddie says.”

Some caddies have an even closer relationship with their players. On the bag for Michelle Wie West is her husband, Jonnie West, son of late NBA legend Jerry West. Wie West retired three years ago after the Open at Pebble Beach, but came out of retirement to use her last year of exemption to play on this iconic course, celebrating its centennial.

Wie West opened her round with a flourish, crushing her tee shot 293 yards down the left side. Although she missed the green on her approach, chipped up for a short birdie putt but missed it.

Wie West, once one of the biggest stars in the game, qualified for the USGA amateur championship at age 10, the youngest player to do so. She turned professional shortly before her 16th birthday and won five times on the LPGA Tour, with her only major victory coming at the U.S. Open in 2014.

Now a mother of two, Wie West said part of her motivation to return for this tournament was so her daughter, Makenna, who turned 6 this week, will have memories of her playing.

Michelle Wie West, right, and caddie Jonnie West, her husband, discuss an approach shot during a practic round Wednesday.

(Harry How / Getty Images)

“It’s everything,” Wie West said of that inspiration. “Being able to share this with her — even the last couple of months, just practicing. We talk a lot before she goes to bed, and I tell her what I do when she’s at school. ‘I had a tough day at practice. This is what I overcame.’”

Makenna is almost a sounding board.

“My daughter is like the best sports psychologist I’ve ever had, honestly. … I’m going to try to live by the words I tell my daughter. I always tell her before a game or tournament, ‘I don’t care about the results. All I care about is a good attitude and that you try your hardest.’ That’s my No. 1 goal this week.”

Still in search of her first major victory is Gaby López, whose 68 on Thursday put her just behind the leader. She grew up in Mexico City and said Riviera has a familiar and comfortable feel.

“It’s all high elevation [there] and flies way less here,” she said. “But the same kikuyu [grass] and the ball sits up, and you just have to be ready to hit some flier shots off the fairway.

“That rough, you can get lucky at times. … It’s so sticky it’s hard to get it out, especially when you’re going to have no spin. So you just have to be very specific where you’re going to miss it if you don’t hit the fairway.”

Lopez has started hot in the U.S. Open before, although she wasn’t pleased with those results. She was four under through her first nine holes in 2017 before going two over in her second nine. She shot a 70 that day and was tied for 13th after the opening round, but wound up missing the cut.

Her approach this year is simple and straightforward.

“Right now let’s be smart, let’s be focused on what you want to achieve,” she said, “and at the end of the day, let’s put yourself in a position that you can have a shot on the back nine on Sunday.”

June 4 (UPI) — Melinda French Gates has added another $215 million to her organization Pivotal, which funds social initiatives for women and families around the world.

The latest boost in funding is specifically to address problems with women’s reproductive and menopause health, she said. French Gates has contributed $600 million to women’s health over the past two years.

As part of this round, she is donating $10 million to The Menopause Society for the education of healthcare professionals and to expand outreach in areas where access to menopause care is limited.

“For too long, perimenopause and menopause have been treated as invisible — something women are expected to manage quietly, without clear answers or support. That must change. By getting healthcare practitioners better training and investing in research, we can help ensure women have the care they need to live full and healthy lives,” French Gates said in a statement.

While midlife issues have seen more attention, thanks to social media, that attention doesn’t always translate to correct information from practitioners.

“The piece that I’m focused on with Pivotal is: How do we make sure that women get accurate information about what we do know about this phase of life? And how do we make sure that all providers are trained?” she told Time in an interview.

“In midlife, I would say we both don’t have enough knowledge or tools,” she said. “The research should have been started more than 50 years ago. We should have had many, many, many studies about this period of life, so that we have different tools, not just hormone replacement therapy. Then, we have a lack of provider training, which is the piece I’m going to work on with this particular amount of funding.”

The Menopause Society said the funding will help reach women who need the care.

“Menopause is a universal life stage, but quality care is not universally available,” said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of The Menopause Society, in a statement. “With this funding, we can scale evidence-based training for front line clinicians and extend our reach to areas where menopause care has long been overlooked. This is a meaningful step toward ensuring that women receive the informed, compassionate care they need and deserve so they can make smarter healthcare decisions. It also allows for exploration and a better understanding of the need for system changes.”

While the donation is critical, Faubion said the attention generated by French Gates is even more important.

“It shows that somebody like Melinda Gates and Pivotal feel that this is an important issue,” Faubion told the Independent. “It will illuminate the gaps that are still there … and it makes people not only aware, but maybe motivated to take some action.”

Though women make up half the population, health issues that affect them get only 2% of private healthcare funding, according to the World Economic Forum.

“The role of philanthropy, in my opinion, is to look at some of these societal problems that have been left behind, and shine light on them, show ways of making progress so you can then crowd in other donors and ultimately crowd in government funding,” French Gates told The Independent. “Part of what I’m doing here, I hope, is sending a signal to say, ‘This is really important. Let’s do something about it.’ And my hope is that I’ll be able to get others who will join me.”

Montenegro is a key fixture for Wales as they fight it out with the Czech Republic to finish first in Group B1, and therefore secure a more favourable path in the World Cup qualifying play-offs which are to come later this year.

The Czechs, who currently lead the way on goal difference, host Albania on Friday before facing Wales in the group’s pivotal fixture at Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday, 9 June.

Wales eased to a 6-1 victory over Montenegro in Llanelli in March, and will be expected to claim another win in the return game despite their far-from-ideal preparation.

Should Wales and the Czech Republic be level on points at the end of the group stage, the winners will be decided by head-to-head records.

If they still cannot be separated, the next tiebreaker will be goal difference – but Wilkinson says that is not a concern yet.

“That’s not something we’re chasing,” she said. “What we’ve talked about is winning the [final two games of the] group and then we take care of our own fate.”

Wales’ preparations for Friday’s Women’s World Cup qualifier in Montenegro have been badly disrupted after the team flight was forced to divert to Italy due to bad weather.

Rhian Wilkinson’s squad took off from Cardiff at 16:30 BST on Wednesday and had been due to arrive in Montenegro around three hours later.

However, they were unable to land in Podgorica due to electrical storms around the Montenegrin capital and eventually diverted to the Italian port city of Brindisi.

After more than three hours on the tarmac in southern Italy, during which Wales had hoped weather conditions would ease, the decision was taken to stay in Brindisi on Wednesday night.

That left Football Association of Wales (FAW) officials scrambling to secure hotel rooms for the travelling party, as well as trying to arrange travel plans for Thursday.

“Due to storms in Podgorica, the Cymru women’s national team flight was diverted this evening, landing safely in Brindisi airport in south Italy,” the FAW said on social media.

“The team will stay overnight in Italy and will arrange alternative travel to Montenegro ahead of Friday evening’s match.”

Wales take on Montenegro in Podgorica in their penultimate Group B1 fixture at 17:00 BST on Friday.

They then host Czech Republic, their rivals to finish top of the group, in their final fixture in Cardiff on Tuesday.

Reaching the summit is a dream. But staying there? That’s an altogether different challenge.

Maja Stark has a special appreciation for that now, a year after winning the U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills and feeling the hefty weight of expectation that came along with it.

For her, the aftermath of that victory brought heightened anxiety, and searing criticism from outsiders when the Swedish professional’s play took a dip.

“You get comments and stuff saying, ‘What happened? You just won a major; why do you suck all of a sudden?‘” Stark said at the Chevron Championship in April. “That does take some energy and just makes you focus on the wrong things. Then I got even more stressed and anxious.”

Maja Stark plays a shot from a bunker on the 17th hole during the third round of the Chevron Championship on April 25.

(Alex Slitz / Getty Images)

Stark said she sought professional help in the form of a mental coach, sports psychologist and therapist and now believes she’s better able to withstand the scrutiny that comes with winning at the highest tier.

That career-shaping pressure will be on display again this week when the USGA brings the U.S. Women’s Open to Riviera Country Club for the first time, merging the game’s most prestigious women’s championship with a historic venue celebrating its centennial year. The tournament takes place Thursday through Sunday.

Riviera is a theater, sitting low beneath high hillsides that almost serve as balconies. Players have described the course as a stage because it can feel as if you’re being watched even when you’re alone.

“I think there’s something very nostalgic about the facility,” said Jim Richerson, Riviera’s general manager. “The golf course has never had any major renovations or changes. The clubhouse is the exact same footprint today as it was when it was built in the 1920s.”

The U.S. Women’s Open is the oldest of the LPGA Tour’s five majors, and has long served as the standard by which women’s golf measures itself. It’s open to professionals and elite amateurs through a qualifying process, and the tournament is known for identifying the player who can withstand the most pressure under the most demanding conditions.

NBC will televise the championship and although Mike Tirico will not call the event, he knows the significance of holding it at Riviera.

“Without there being a Masters for women’s golf, that tournament really is the crown jewel of the sport,” Tirico said. “It has become the event people dream of winning. … It’s just appropriate that it’s contested at a place like Riviera that for so many generations has come to define a great championship test of golf.”

A look at some of the players to watch:

Nelly Korda

Nelly Korda celebrates after winning the Chevron Championship on April 26.

(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)

The world’s No. 1 player is a major needle mover for women’s golf and is a significant source of ratings when she’s in contention. She had a record five consecutive victories last season and seven overall. Her missing major is the U.S. Women’s Open. She finished in a runner-up spot last year and left Erin Hills firmly believing a win was within reach.

Jeeno Thitikul

Jeeno Thitikul plays a shot from the fairway during the first round of the Queen City Championship on May 14.

(Jeff Dean / Associated Press)

The former World No. 1 is still in pursuit of her first major championship. She’s a big question mark in the field.

Lydia Ko

Lydia Ko hits from the fairway during the second round of the LPGA Honda Thailand on Feb. 22.

(Kittinun Rodsupan / Associated Press)

This Hall of Fame player is the only golfer in modern Olympic history to win a complete set of medals — gold, silver and bronze — across three different Olympic Games. She’s still looking for her first U.S. Women’s Open win.

Charley Hull

Charley Hull hits off the 16th tee during the first round of the Mizuho Americas Open on May 7.

(Seth Wenig / Associated Press)

A colorful character who went viral during the 2024 Open for smoking a cigarette while signing autographs and playing. She was among a cluster who finished second in that tournament. She has three victories on the LPGA Tour but has yet to win a major.

Rose Zhang

Rose Zhang hits from the ninth tee during the final round of the Queen City Championship on May 17.

(Dylan Buell / Getty Images)

Zhang, who has been splitting time between Stanford and the LPGA, amassed a remarkable collection of victories as an amateur and three years ago, became the first player in 72 years to win an LPGA Tour event in her professional debut.

Minjee Lee

Minjee Lee prepares to putt during the third round of the Chevron Championship on April 25.

(Sarah Stier / Getty Images)

Lee, an Australian star, has won three majors including the U.S. Women’s Open in 2022. Her younger brother, Min Woo, won the 2016 U.S. Junior Amateur, making them the first brother-sister tandem to win the USGA’s junior championships.

Yuka Saso

Yuka Saso lines up a putt during the first round of the Mizuho Americas Open on May 7.

(Seth Wenig / Associated Press)

She is the anomaly of anomalies, with zero wins on the LPGA Tour with the exception of two U.S. Women’s Open victories. She won the first of those at 19 years, 11 months and seven days — astoundingly tying her for the youngest player to win the Open with Inbee Park, who was precisely that old when she won in 2008.

Lilia Vu

Lilia Vu watches her shot from the seventh tee during the third round of the Queen City Championship on May 16.

(Dylan Buell / Getty Images)

Vu grew up in Fountain Valley and was a standout at UCLA. She won two majors in 2023 but lately has been battling back problems.

Michelle Wie West

Michelle Wie West of the United States hits from the third tee during the first round of the Mizuho Americas Open on May 7.

(Sarah Stier / Getty Images)

Wie West retired three years ago after the Open at Pebble Beach, but is coming out of retirement to use her last year of exemption to play at Riviera. Her husband, Jonnie West, son of late NBA icon Jerry West, will be caddying for her.

Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo, herself a former women’s world number one, had regularly pointed to the possibility of short two-set matches as the reason for often overlooking the women.

“The match-ups are always interesting for both men and women, but there are multiple factors for us to make the choice,” Mauresmo said earlier on Monday.

“As you know, the potential length of the matches is something that we are also looking at.”

On picking Sabalenka against Osaka, she added: “It was obvious that it should be a night match tonight.”

There was a school of thought that Mauresmo might have looked elsewhere, though, had men’s world number one Jannik Sinner still been in the tournament.

Sinner would have been scheduled to play on the same day, but without him the men’s matches taking place on Monday lacked star power.

If Sabalenka against Osaka did not take place under the lights, then which women’s match would conceivably ever be picked?

With that came a sense of expectation.

If the match ended up being a dud, then it could have been used by critics as a stick to beat the women’s game with.

That, others argue, was a situation created by the French Open’s reluctance to showcase its female stars in the first place.

Was the burden which it placed on Sabalenka and Osaka to represent the women’s game fair?

“I don’t really care. There are so many different things to put pressure on myself – that was the last thing on my mind,” said Osaka.

“Shout out to the tournament for trusting us – I hope it was entertaining for people.”

UCLA loses to Alabama

Megan Grant hit her 41st home run of the season to tie a UCLA career record Thursday night, but top-seeded Alabama rallied behind a five-run surge to beat the eighth-seeded Bruins 6-3 on opening day at the Women’s College World Series.

UCLA starter Taylor Tinsley took a 3-1 lead into the fifth inning but walked leadoff batter Jena Young then surrendered a 249-foot home run to Alexis Pupillo two batters later to tie the score.

In the sixth, Alabama’s Kristen White beat out a grounder to third and Young dropped a bloop single to left, setting the stage for Brooke Wells, who drove a pitch from Tinsley 239 feet to center field to give the Crimson Tide the lead.

The Bruins (52-9) will have to beat the winner of the game between Arkansas and Nebraska on Friday night to avoid elimination.

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Angels rout the Tigers

Grayson Rodriguez pitched five strong innings as the Angels beat the Detroit Tigers 7-1 on Thursday for their fifth victory in six games.

The Angels won back-to-back series for the first time this season, sweeping Texas at home before winning two of three in Detroit.

Detroit has gone 4-18 since May 4, losing seven straight series.

Rodriguez (2-1) allowed one run on two hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out five.

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Angels box score

MLB standings

MLB team owners propose a salary cap

From Bill Shaikin: They had balloons, baseball caps and a splashy video. They even had Dusty Baker, because any day with Dusty Baker is a good day.

And, as a campaign called “The Sacramento Pitch” unveiled its plan to lure a Major League Baseball expansion team to the state capital, the mayor made his pitch a blunt one.

“This region has earned its place in the majors,” Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty said Thursday. “And, frankly, MLB could use Sacramento.”

We’ll see. But, as McCarty and other dignitaries rallied in Sacramento, a more important gathering was happening in New York, at which MLB owners formally proposed the salary cap players have vowed to resist.

Whether owners can get a cap — either by persuasion through the fall and winter, or more likely by canceling games next spring so players go unpaid — remains to be seen. For Sacramento and the other American and Canadian cities pursuing two expansion teams, the outcome of collective bargaining could determine the fee MLB would charge for each one.

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Mason Edwards leads USC to College Baseball World Series

From Joaquin Ruiz: Mason Edwards has first-round hype ahead of July’s 2026 MLB draft for a reason.

USC’s ace takes the mound like a boxer enters the ring, eager to land blow after blow. And as the Trojans (43-15) open the NCAA tournament in College Station, Texas, at 6 p.m. PDT Friday (ESPNU), the southpaw packs a serious punch. He carries a nation-leading 160 strikeouts and the second-best 1.43 ERA.

“They’re getting a competitor,” Edwards said of what people can expect when he pitches. “There have been a lot of situations where I’ve had to battle and fight adversity. So, I think you’ll see a good fight when I toe the rubber. I’m not going to shy away from any type of competition.”

If anything, the competition probably shies away from Edwards.

Named the Big Ten 2026 Pitcher of the Year after stacking a record 113 strikeouts in conference play, Edwards is integral to what has been USC’s best team since the early 2000s.

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Can UCLA win the College Baseball World Series?

From Joaquin Ruiz: No. 1 UCLA’s quest for the second baseall national title in school history starts Friday.

The Bruins (51-6, 28-2 Big Ten) enter the NCAA tournament as the top overall seed and host against Saint Mary’s (34-25, 15-12 West Coast) to begin the Los Angeles Regional at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

After winning its first Big Ten tournament championship in program history on Sunday, UCLA is focused on continuing its dominance and embracing the target on its back as a College World Series favorite.

“We’ll see what happens, but I think just staying with us and not trying to do too much and just stay present,” UCLA junior outfielder Payton Brennan said. “That’s the main thing — and staying with each other.”

Their record and conference dominance aside, the Bruins sit atop several statistical categories and are intimidating across the diamond.

But UCLA coach John Savage said UCLA isn’t looking past its regional foes — Saint Mary’s, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Virginia Tech.

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This day in sports history

1946 — Two-year-old fillies Chakoora and Uleta become the first thoroughbreds to complete a transcontinental flight. They’re flown from New York to Inglewood by the American Air Express Corp., a 2,446-mile trip that lasts 20 hours due to bad weather.

1968 — European Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London: Bobby Charlton scores twice as Manchester United beats Benfica, 4-1; first English club to win the trophy.

1971 — Al Unser wins his second straight Indianapolis 500 with a record mark of 157.735 mph and finishes 22 seconds ahead of Peter Revson. The pace car, ridden by Eldon Palmer, crashes into the portable bleachers and injures 20 people.

1977 — A.J. Foyt becomes the first driver to win four Indianapolis 500s and Janet Guthrie becomes the first woman in the race. Guthrie is forced to drop out after 27 laps with mechanical problems.

1977 — Australian Sue Prell first female golfer to hit consecutive holes-in one; 13th and 14th holes at Chatswood Golf Club, Sydney.

1980 — Larry Bird beats out Magic Johnson for NBA rookie of year.

1983 — After three second-place finishes, Tom Sneva wins the Indianapolis 500 by 11 seconds over three-time champion Al Unser.

1985 — 29th European Cup: Juventus beats Liverpool 1-0 at Brussels.

1988 — Rick Mears overcomes an early one-lap deficit, then overpowers the rest of the field on the way to his third Indianapolis 500 victory. Mears gives team-owner Roger Penske an unprecedented seventh victory and fourth in five years.

1990 — Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker, the top two seeds, are bounced in the first round of the French Open by two European teenagers, the first time the top two men’s seeds are eliminated in the first round of a Grand Slam tournament. Edberg is swept easily in straight sets by 19-year-old Sergi Bruguera of Spain, and Becker loses to 18-year-old Yugoslav Goran Ivanisevic.

1991 — 35th European Cup: Red Star Belgrade beats Marseille (0-0, 5-3 on penalties) at Bari.

1993 — Wayne Gretzky’s overtime goal gives the Kings a 5-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Western Conference finals. The Kings become the first NHL team to play the full 21 games in the first three rounds.

1998 — Eighteen-year-old Marat Safin, ranked 116th in the world and playing in his first Grand Slam tournament, beats defending champion Gustavo Kuerten, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the second round of the French Open.

2005 — Dan Wheldon wins the Indianapolis 500 when Danica Patrick’s electrifying run falls short. Patrick is the first woman to lead at Indy, getting out front three separate times for a total of 19 laps. But Wheldon passes her with seven of the 200 laps to go and easily holds on.

2006 — Rafael Nadal passes Guillermo Vilas as the King of the clay courts and begins his pursuit of a second successive French Open trophy. Nadal earns his 54th consecutive win on clay, breaking the Open era record he shared with Vilas by beating Robin Soderling in straight sets in the first round at Roland Garros.

2011 — JR Hildebrand, one turn from winning the Indianapolis 500, skids high into the wall on the final turn and Dan Wheldon drives past to claim an improbable second Indy 500 win in his first race of the year.

2011 — Roger Federer sets another record by reaching the French Open quarterfinals, and Novak Djokovic closes in on a pair of his own. Federer extends his quarterfinal streak at major tournaments to 28 with a 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 victory over Stanislas Wawrinka. Djokovic maintains his perfect season to 41-0 and stretches his overall winning streak to 43 matches by beating Richard Gasquet of France 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.

2012 — Serena Williams loses in the first round of a major tournament for the first time, falling to Virginie Razzano of France 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3 at the French Open. Williams enters the day with a 46-0 record in first-round matches at Grand Slam tournaments.

2016 — Alexander Rossi wins the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500.

2017 — Tiger Woods is arrested and charged with driving under the influence in Jupiter, Fla.

2021 — UEFA Champions League Final, Porto: Kai Havertz scores just before halftime to give Chelsea a 1-0 win over Manchester City in an all-English final; Blues’ second CL title.

Compiled by the Associated Press

This day in baseball history

1916 — Christy Mathewson defeated the Boston Braves 3-0 for the New York Giants’ 17th consecutive road win.

1922 — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled organized baseball was primarily a sport and not a business, and therefore not subject to antitrust laws and interstate commerce regulations. The suit had been brought by the Federal League’s Baltimore franchise.

1928 — Bill Terry hit for the cycle to lead the New York Giants to a 12-5 win over Brooklyn at Ebbets Field. Terry became the first player in major league history to include a grand slam as part of the cycle.

1942 — New York’s Lefty Gomez, self-described as the worst-hitting pitcher in baseball, banged out four hits while pitching a 16-1 four-hitter against Washington.

1956 — Dale Long went hitless for the Pirates, ending his major league record streak of home runs in eight consecutive games. The Brooklyn Dodgers beat Pittsburgh, 10-1.

1965 — Philadelphia’s Richie Allen hit a 529-foot home run over the roof of Connie Mack Stadium off Chicago’s Larry Jackson in the Phillies’ 4-2 victory.

1976 — Houston’s Joe Niekro was the winning pitcher and hit a home run off his brother, Phil Niekro. The Astros beat the Atlanta Braves 4-1. It was the only home run hit by Joe in his 22-year major league career.

1990 — Oakland’s Rickey Henderson broke Ty Cobb’s 62-year-old American League stolen base record, but the Toronto Blue Jays still beat the Athletics 2-1. Henderson’s 893rd steal came in the sixth inning.

2000 — Oakland second baseman Randy Velarde turned the 10th unassisted triple play in regular-season history during a 4-1 loss to the New York Yankees. With runners on first and second in motion, Shane Spencer hit a line drive to Velarde who caught the ball, tagged out Jorge Posada (running from first) and stepped on second to beat Tino Martinez.

2002 — Roger Clemens recorded the 100th double-digit strikeout game of his career, fanning 11 in seven innings against Chicago. Nolan Ryan (215) and Randy Johnson (175) were the others to have 100 double-digit strikeout games.

2002 — In an article in Sports Illustrated former NL MVP Ken Caminiti stated that about 50% of current major league players used some form of steroids.

2003 — Colorado, behind Todd Helton’s three home runs and Ron Belliard’s five hits beat the visiting Dodgers 12-5. Helton added a single and drove in six runs.

2010 — Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay threw the 20th perfect game in major league history, beating the Florida Marlins 1-0. It was the first time in the modern era that there were a pair of perfect games in the same season. Halladay faced three Marlins pinch-hitters in the ninth. Mike Lamb led off with a long fly ball, Wes Helms struck out, and Ronny Paulino to hit a grounder to third for the 27th out. Halladay struck out 11 and went to either 3-1 or 3-2 counts seven times, twice in the game’s first three batters.

2013 — Chris Davis went 4 for 4 with two home runs, and the Baltimore Orioles overcame three homers by Ryan Zimmerman to beat the Washington Nationals 9-6.

2013 — Dioner Navarro had the first three-homer game of his career, connecting from both sides of the plate at Wrigley Field to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 9-3 win over the Chicago White Sox. Navarro drove in a career-high six runs and scored four times.

2014 — Diamondbacks pitcher Josh Collmenter faces the minimum 27 batters in spite of giving up three hits in a complete game shutout defeat of the Cincinnati Reds. The three Reds baserunners were erased on double plays.

2015 — Lewis-Clark State wins their 17th NAIA baseball title.

2021 — The Twins’ Josh Donaldson scored the two-millionth run in major league history.

2025 — Chris Sale becomes the fastest pitcher to reach 2,500 strikeouts, doing so in 2,026 innings, fewer than the 39 men who have preceded him to the mark.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Prediction: 3rd

It was the perfect season for Manchester City as they claimed their first league title in a decade – and in manager Andree Jeglertz’s debut campaign.

With no Champions League football to distract them, City were able to throw everything at the WSL title and they swept up the opposition.

They went on a 13-game winning streak between September and February and, at one point, had a 12-point lead over Chelsea.

They also kept key players Khadija Shaw and Vivianne Miedema fit, with the two scoring a combined 31 goals – half of the club’s overall tally.

With a squad packed with talent and depth, City will hope to compete on several fronts in Europe next year, but must replace Shaw, who looks set to leave.

UCLA captured its ticket to the Women’s College World Series, winning a best-of-three super regional over Central Florida with a 14-4 victory Saturday night at Easton Stadium. The Bruins also set a new NCAA record for WCWS appearances, reaching the double-elimination tournament in Oklahoma City 34 times.

Facing elimination, UCF threw five total pitchers at the Bruins’ lineup. None could silence UCLA’s bats.

While Megan Grant had another quiet night, working three walks, her presence in the box was enough to drive in a run. The right fielder worked a full count in the third inning. With the bases loaded, she hit a sac-fly to far right field. Only feet separated her from setting a new program career home-run record. The accolade still belongs to Stacey Nuveman (90 home runs).

A batter later, shortstop Aleena Garcia hit an RBI-single that bounced off the top of Evan’s glove to give UCLA the lead. Catcher Alexis Ramirez added a run to the momentum an inning later when she homered over the left field wall.

Meanwhile UCF’s starter Tori Payne consistently worked from behind the count and walked five batters. The righty’s pitch count topped 92 by the fifth inning. UCF coach Cindy Ball-Malone pulled Payne when she loaded the bases and gave up a run by hitting a pitcher.

Reliever Lena Elkins couldn’t work out of the jam without run damage. Ramirez doubled down the left field line, scoring two. The Bruins left two on base.

While UCLA didn’t fall behind after tying the score in the third inning, UCF challenged the Bruins’ ace Taylor Tinsley and the defense more than on Friday.

In the first, Tinsley left one bad pitch too far into the strike zone, and the Knights’ shortstop Aubrey Evans sent the ball flying over the center field wall. Tinsley then took a deep breath and continued. She struck out the next batter, and got a quick groundout to third base. When Tinsley ended the inning on a swinging strikeout, she ripped off her mask and screamed as her teammates poured out the dugout to give her high fives.

Tinsley held the Knights hitless until the fourth inning, where she gave up three singles. Kaniya Bragg saved the Bruins from any opposing runs when she trapped Sierra Humphreys’ single in the clay before it could reach the grass.

While Tinsley had struggled to find the zone that inning, she stranded the runners, striking out one batter and eliciting a groundout to short.

Her struggles to find the zone reappeared in the fifth, though she wasn’t the only one facing challenges. With two runners on the base, Ramirez tried to throw out a runner stealing second, but the ball slipped away from Bragg and trickled into the outfield grass. One runner scored and another advanced to third, later scoring on a foul out to left field.

Despite having two outs, Tinsley gave up two singles and an equal number of walks, loading the bases and giving up another run. Central Florida’s Coco Jaimes flew out to left to end the inning, but the Knights had scored three to close UCLA’s lead to 6-4.

UCF couldn’t enjoy the beginnings of a comeback for long. Garcia smashed a three-run homer over the right field wall in the sixth inning. Woolery tacked on an extra run on an RBI-double in the seventh and Garcia put the final nail in the coffin when she hit another three-run homer to nearly the same spot. Garcia’s seven RBIs are the most in a single game in program history. Bre Alejandre hit the final home run of the night, extending the Bruins’ single-season NCAA-record setting home run total to 200. With no one left to pitch, Ball-Malone put Payne back on the mound and she finished the game for the Knights.

Tinsley finished the game with 11 strikeouts, four earned runs, three walks and nine hits, marking her 24th complete game of the season and 32nd victory.

UCLA will play Alabama in the first game of the WCWS on Thursday.

Lopez quickly caught attention at Madrid, though her route to the top was not without major obstacles.

At just 11 years old she lost her mother to a brain tumour. When her mother’s condition worsened and her father practically lived at the hospital, Mellado and her Madrid team-mates helped Lopez get to training and kept her occupied.

From there, Lopez developed at remarkable speed. In 2019, she was named most valuable player at a La Liga-organised tournament for under-12s girls’ teams after scoring seven goals, including a hat-trick in the final.

She caught the eye by scoring 60 goals in 17 matches in the 2020-21 youth league, and began her journey through the country’s junior ranks.

In September 2021, Lopez became the youngest player to feature in Spain’s top flight when she came off the bench against Athletic Bilbao, aged 15 years and 42 days.

“Of course she had the ability – I always told her so,” Mellado said.

“I also pushed her hard, because if she really wanted it, she had to always give her best and she always did. She was one of the hardest-working and she never once complained.

“She knows what she wants – that’s very important, because it makes her strive every day to achieve it.”

In 2022, perennial Spanish champions Barcelona signed Lopez on her 16th birthday, and two months later she became the youngest debutant in the club’s professional history.

She did so wearing the number 30, the same shirt worn by Lionel Messi when he broke into the Barca first team.

That season Lopez became Barcelona’s youngest-ever Champions League debutant, male or female, and the youngest player ever to score in Liga F.

If fans were not already excited by her potential, they were in October that year when she was named MVP as Spain won the U17 World Cup in India.

Lopez made her senior Spain debut in February 2024, replacing national icon Jenni Hermoso during the Nations League semi-final. At 17 years, six months, and 27 days, she become her country’s youngest debutant.

A breakout 2024-25 campaign – during which she stepped in for the ill Aitana Bonmati to help Spain reach the final of Euro 2025 – led to her winning the Kopa Trophy for the best young player in the world.

After initially being used as a winger, Lopez is now largely used in a central role for club and country despite competition from the likes of Bonmati, Patri Guijarro and her idol Alexia Putellas.

A combination of intelligence, excellent technique and athleticism allows her to both score and create – she has contributed nine goals and nine assists in 26 Liga F games this season, 16 of them as a starter.

“She’s not afraid of anything and she tries everything. And I think that’s why, even in teams with so much talent, she’s starting to earn a place in the starting line-up,” Vidal said.

“As we say in Spain, she’s one of those footballers you buy a ticket to watch, because she enjoys the game and makes you enjoy it too.

“She’s just as extroverted on the pitch as she is off it.”

Petr Vlachovsky, ⁠a Czech women’s football club coach who filmed players in changing rooms, has been banned for life.

European football’s governing body says it has issued a lifetime ban ⁠to Petr Vlachovsky, ⁠a Czech women’s football coach who secretly filmed his players.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) said it had decided to ban Vlachovsky “from exercising any football-related activity for life” following an investigation into allegations of potential misconduct.

“The CEDB further decided to request FIFA to extend the abovementioned ban on a worldwide level and to order the Football Association of the Czech Republic to revoke Mr Petr Vlachovsky’s coaching licence,” the statement added.

Czech media reported that the coach was convicted in ⁠May 2025 and initially received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a five-year domestic coaching ban for filming FC Slovacko’s players in changing rooms, the youngest of ⁠whom was 17. According to the indictment cited by the Czech media, Vlachovsky confessed and expressed regret.

Vlachovsky had also previously served as coach of the Czech women’s Under-19 team.

“This is a deeply serious and distressing matter which came to light ⁠in 2023 and had a significant impact on our club, ⁠and above all on the players affected,” a spokesperson for FC Slovacko told the Reuters news agency.

“From the moment we became aware of the allegations, the club acted immediately, terminated its cooperation with the former coach, and ⁠cooperated with the relevant authorities.

“Throughout this process, the club has regarded itself as an injured party and has treated the ⁠matter with the utmost seriousness, sensitivity and respect for ⁠those affected.”

Football players’ union FIFPRO welcomed the ban as well as UEFA’s request for world football governing body FIFA to impose an international ban on Vlachovsky.

“This outcome sends a strong and necessary message that abusive and inappropriate behaviour has no place in football and ‌that ‌safeguarding the wellbeing of players must remain a priority at every level of the game,” FIFPRO added in a statement.

Wales’ skillset and depth of the player pool remain up for debate.

Interim attack coach Ashley Beck said: “If the skill level isn’t as good as it should be, it doesn’t matter what shapes you play.

“If we want to play an exciting brand of rugby and compete against the best, the skill development needs to be better.”

Beck’s view was echoed by former Wales fly-half James Hook who was among the Scrum V pundits on Sunday. He also questioned whether Wales’ players are putting in the extras to improve as individuals.

“Whether it’s working on your kicking for an hour a day, your throwing, your passing, your tackling – are these players doing that? I don’t know,” said Hook.

“From my experience, once the team session is finished, your individual job still needs to continue.”

Wales’ strength in depth was also discussed on the panel, with Wales clearly in need of some reinforcement at fly-half.

Lillicrap said: “People have been calling out Lleucu George saying it needs to change there, but ultimately who comes in? If you take her off the field what other tens have you got?”

“As a fly-half on an international stage, you’ve got to run this team, you can’t throw a youngster into that lion’s den.”

Last year, Arsenal won the Champions League but will be mere spectators when Barcelona and Lyon face off next Saturday (17:00 BST).

The Gunners reaching the semi-finals but were dispatched by the French giants in a one-sided second leg.

Chelsea went out a round before, to Arsenal, while Manchester United were seen off by Bayern Munich.

The Ballon d’Or will likely reflect this European balance.

Nominations come later in the summer but with no international tournaments this year, it will be enlightening to see which WSL players make the shortlist.

Nine made the top 30 last August – and that did not include anyone from Manchester City, for whom Khadija Shaw, Vivianne Miedema and Yui Hasegawa among others have staked huge claims.

Others such as Arsenal’s Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey, Chelsea’s Alyssa Thompson and Manchester United’s Jess Park have also all had exceptional seasons and may feature.

Yet when the biggest award is doled out, it is still likely to be dominated by players from elsewhere. After all, a Barcelona player has won each of the past five years

Perhaps until Champions League success becomes commonplace, the leading WSL clubs must accept second billing to Europe’s other heavyweights.

Having said that, with Georgia Stanway, Ona Batlle and even Alexia Putellas linked with switches to England this summer, the balance could flip sooner than expected.