June 16, 2025 2:10 am
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — J.J. Spaun turned a sloppy mess of a U.S. Open at wet and nasty Oakmont into a thing of beauty at the end Sunday with two stunning shots that carried him to his first major championship. First came his driver on the 314-yard 17th hole onto the green for a birdie that gave him the lead. Needing two putts from 65 feet on the 18th to win, he finished his storybook Open by holing the longest putt all week at Oakmont for birdie and a 2-over 72. That made him the only player to finish under par at 1-under 279. It gave him a two-shot victory over Robert MacIntyre of Scotland. And it made Spaun, the 36-year-old Californian who resembles the late Pittsburgh Steelers great Franco Harris, a major champion in only his second U.S. Open. “I never thought I would be here holding this trophy,” said Spaun, who finished last year at No. 119 in the world with only one PGA Tour title in his career. “I always had aspirations and dreams. I never knew what my ceiling was. I’m just trying to be the best golfer I can be.” (Photo: AP)
June 16, 2025 2:13 am
CHICAGO (AP) — Ian Happ hit a game-ending single in the 10th inning, and the Chicago Cubs edged the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 on Sunday. The Cubs used a double steal to put runners on second and third in the 10th against David Bednar (1-5). Jon Berti struck out swinging for the first out, but Happ followed with a liner to right, delighting the crowd of 40,162 at Wrigley Field. The NL Central leaders won three of four against the last-place Pirates. Every game was a one-run contest. Dansby Swanson and Michael Busch each had two hits for Chicago. Swanson and Seiya Suzuki each drove in a run. Chris Flexen (4-0) pitched a 1-2-3 10th for the win, completing a four-hitter. Spencer Horwitz had two hits and drove in a run for the Pirates. Alexander Canario had a run-scoring groundout. Each team scored two runs in the first. Horwitz singled in Oneil Cruz for the game’s first run, and Swanson tied it at 2 with an RBI single in the bottom half. Colin Rea pitched six innings of four-hit ball for the Cubs. He struck out four and walked one. Pittsburgh right-hander Mitch Keller surrendered three hits in six innings. Keller lowered his ERA to 4.08 on the season, but he is winless in his last 14 starts.
June 16, 2025 4:33 am
BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox have traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in a blockbuster deal. The Giants sent right-hander Jordan Hicks, lefty Kyle Harrison, outfield prospect James Tibbs III and minor league righty Jose Bello to the Red Sox for the 28-year-old designated hitter, who had bristled at his demotion from third base this year. Devers is one of baseball’s most feared sluggers. He is batting .272 with 15 homers and 58 RBIs in 73 games after he connected for a solo drive in Boston’s 2-0 victory over the New York Yankees.
June 16, 2025 4:35 am
Coach Kris Knoblauch is not sure whether Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard will start in goal for the Edmonton Oilers when they face elimination in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers. The defending champion Panthers have no such uncertainty at the most important position in hockey. Sergei Bobrovsky has been in net for 63 playoff games in a row going back to the first round in 2023, and Tuesday night is expected to be his 64th. That consistency is a big reason Florida is on the cusp of a second consecutive title, while Edmonton stares down another summer of questions.
June 14, 2025 7:32 am
CHICAGO (AP) — Dansby Swanson homered, Matthew Boyd pitched six sharp innings and the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1. Swanson connected against Ryan Borucki with two out in the sixth inning, giving Chicago a 2-1 lead with a solo drive into the bleachers in left-center. It was his 13th homer of the season. Swanson struck out swinging against Mike Burrows in his first two at-bats of the afternoon. But Burrows departed after retiring Seiya Suzuki on a popup to first for the first out of the sixth. Andrew McCutchen went deep for last-place Pittsburgh, which had won six of eight.
June 14, 2025 7:27 am
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — Sam Burns has the lead in the U.S. Open on a rain-soaked Oakmont course and faces his biggest test. The 28-year-old from Louisiana has never contended in 20 previous majors. He shot a 69 with a late birdie and a great lag putt for par. That gives him a one-shot lead over Adam Scott. The Australian shot a 67 to finish one shot behind. Scott is the only player in top 10 who has won a major. J.J. Spaun shot 69 and also was one back. Viktor Hovland was the other survivor to par. He was three back.
June 14, 2025 3:59 am
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — Sam Burns avoided the late meltdown that cost him in the first round of the U.S. Open. He had a 65 and has a one-shot lead at Oakmont. Best of all he was long gone before the calamity set in at Oakmont. It was a long day with rounds approaching six hours. And it was a wild finish. Rory McIlroy threw a club and smashed a tee marker. Phil Mickelson missed the cut with a pair of double bogeys in what might be his final U.S. Open. Scottie Scheffler couldn’t find a fairway and was seven shots behind.
June 14, 2025 3:56 am
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — Phil Mickelson’s 34th appearance at the U.S. Open was short-lived. The six-time runner-up shot a second straight 4-over 74 to miss the cut at Oakmont by a stroke. There’s a chance Mickelson may never compete at the one major championship his resume is missing again. Mickelson’s five-year exemption into the U.S. Open he received for winning the 2021 PGA Championship is expiring. The USGA could offer him an exemption next year when the tournament heads to Shinnecock, one of several avenues of possibility for Mickelson to return. The six-time major champion isn’t saying. He declined to speak to reporters after his round.
June 14, 2025 1:37 am
CHICAGO (AP) — Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning to help the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Chicago Cubs 2-1. The Pirates loaded the bases in the 10th on Ke’Bryan Hayes’ infield single and a walk to Henry Davis. Kiner-Falefa then drove in Adam Frazier with a flyball to left off Drew Pomeranz. Kiner-Falefa also threw out Ian Happ when he attempted to score from first on Kyle Tucker’s two-out double in the fifth inning. Dennis Santana got five outs for the win, and David Bednar worked a perfect 10th for his 10th save. Pirates ace Paul Skenes struck out five in five scoreless innings.
June 12, 2025 4:32 am
CHICAGO (AP) — Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning, Seiya Suzuki added a solo shot in the sixth, and the Chicago Cubs held on for a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon (7-3) went 6 1/3 innings against his former team, which drafted him No. 2 overall in 2010. He allowed two earned runs on four hits and struck out seven batters. Ryan Pressly pitched the ninth for his fifth save. The Pirates scored a pair of runs in the seventh with an RBI single from Adam Frazier and a bases-loaded walk by Jared Triolo. Andrew Heaney took the loss.
