April 8, 2026 4:27 am
Fernando Mendoza, expected to go first overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, will watch the NFL draft with family and friends in Miami, someone with knowledge of the quarterback’s plans said Tuesday. That person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Mendoza hasn’t made his plans public. The draft will take place in Pittsburgh starting on April 23, and many top players will be there to receive congratulations and a hug from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. But players, even those who are drafted first, sometimes prefer to watch from a different location.
April 8, 2026 4:30 am
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Rory McIlroy thought winning the Masters was one of the greatest days of his career. Returning as the champion is also pretty sweet. He has been taking what amounts to a victory lap ahead of the Masters. And then he gets back to the golf in time for the opening round on Thursday. McIlroy says a weight has been lifted off his shoulders by finally getting that green jacket in his 17th attempt. He expects a difficult test this week, with a forecast for hot and dry weather. McIlroy is trying to become only the fourth back-to-back winner at Augusta National.
April 7, 2026 4:24 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Germán Márquez combined with two relievers on a seven-hit shutout for his first win with San Diego, and the Padres ended the Pittsburgh Pirates’ five-game winning streak with a 5-0 victory. Nick Castellanos hit the first of San Diego’s four RBI doubles. Jackson Merrill, Jake Cronenworth and Ramón Laureano each had a run-scoring double as well to help the Padres win their third straight. Márquez pitched five innings, allowing six hits and one walk on 92 pitches. Ron Marinaccio and David Morgan each worked two innings to finish San Diego’s second shutout this season. Pirates rookie Bubba Chandler threw 83 pitches over 4 1/3 innings. He gave up three runs, five hits and four walks.
April 7, 2026 4:25 am
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — High-scoring Michigan had to get down and dirty to dig out the national title, making only two 3-pointers all night but still muscling its way to a 69-63 victory over stingy, stubborn UConn. Elliot Cadeau led the Wolverines with 19 points, including the team’s first 3, which came 7:04 into the second half. The second, from freshman Trey McKenney, came with 1:50 left and felt like a dagger, giving the Wolverines a nine-point lead. UConn fought to the finish in a game that had a 1950s feel. Alex Karaban scored 17 points for UConn, which was denied in its bid for a third title in four seasons.
April 7, 2026 4:26 am
The New Jersey Devils are parting ways with general manager Tom Fitzgerald in an abrupt late-season change of direction for a team that is set to miss the playoffs. Co-owner David Blitzer announced Monday that a decision had been made for Fitzgerald to leave the organization. Fitzgerald had been in charge of hockey operations since January 2020 and was responsible for building much of the core of the roster. New Jersey reached the playoffs just twice in the past five seasons.
April 6, 2026 4:37 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ryan O’Hearn homered and matched a career high with four RBIs as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-2 to sweep a three-game series and extend their winning streak to five. O’Hearn hit a two-run homer in the first inning and a two-run double in a four-run second. Oneil Cruz made it 8-1 with a two-run homer in the sixth. He also singled home a run in the second. That was plenty of support for Braxton Ashcraft, who allowed one run in six innings. He had a career-high eight strikeouts and no walks. Orioles starter Chris Bassitt was roughed up for six runs in two innings.
April 6, 2026 4:34 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rickard Rakell scored twice, Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Florida Panthers 5-2 on Sunday. The teams faced off Saturday night and the Penguins beat them 9-4, eliminating the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions from playoff contention. Pittsburgh’s Arturs Silovs stopped 29 shots after tandem mate Stuart Skinner was ruled out with an upper-body injury.
April 6, 2026 4:38 am
PHOENIX (AP) — Gabriela Jaquez scored 21 points, Lauren Betts added 16 and UCLA routed South Carolina 79-51 Sunday to win its first NCAA championship in women’s basketball. The near-record lopsided victory completed the Bruins’ journey through this year’s March Madness that started following a loss to UConn in last season’s Final Four. The Bruins ran through their opponents this season with their only loss coming in November, to Texas in a Thanksgiving tournament. UCLA (37-1) was led by Betts and her fellow seniors and graduate students, like Jaquez _ who played all four years with the Bruins. She also had 10 rebounds and five assists in front of her brother Jaime, who plays for the Miami Heat and flew in to attend the game to watch his alma mater win.
April 6, 2026 4:40 am
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — There’s a dynasty brewing in college basketball. And UConn can cement that status by overcoming a Michigan powerhouse that is racking up historically impressive numbers, hoping itself to go down as one of the sport’s greatest teams. Those are the stakes in Monday night’s title game between the Huskies and Wolverines. UConn is trying to become the first program since John Wooden’s UCLA behemoth of the 1960s and ’70s to win three championships over a four-season span, while Michigan is trying to cap off a March Madness string of dominance, the likes of which were last seen by the very UConn program that won the title in 2023 and ’24.
April 6, 2026 4:41 am
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — J.J. Spaun delivered two crucial shots to secure a win at the Valero Texas Open. He finished with a 5-under 67, marking his first title since last summer’s U.S. Open. Spaun’s victory at TPC San Antonio was his second, but unlike four years ago, he already has a spot at Augusta National. This win was significant as he hadn’t finished in the top 20 in seven starts this year. Robert MacIntyre led much of the tournament but finished second. Spaun’s birdie and eagle on the 16th and 17th holes were key to his victory.
