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José Ramírez homers on birthday to trigger 9-run inning as Guardians rout Rangers 9-2, sweep series

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:02:24 GMT

CLEVELAND (AP) — The baseball-shaped cake with three lit candles went unclaimed as José Ramírez skipped his postgame media availability.His party took place earlier.Ramírez homered on his 31st birthday to touch off Cleveland’s nine-run fourth inning, leading the Guardians to a 9-2 win and three-game sweep of the playoff-chasing Texas Rangers on Sunday.Ramírez connected off rookie Cody Bradford (4-2) leading off the fourth and the Guardians kept swinging away. They had a homer, two doubles and six singles in scoring nine runs with nine hits, both their highs for an inning this season.“We just kept getting hits and kept going,” Guardians manager Terry Francona said.There wasn’t much the Rangers could do.“We just got in one of those innings when we just couldn’t stop it,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “It’s a helpless feeling. What could go wrong, did.”The Rangers, in the thick of the AL West and wild-card races, came to Cleveland riding a six-game winning streak only to ...

Buffaloes hit meaty part of their schedule with swagger but minus injured two-way star Travis Hunter

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:02:24 GMT

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The No. 19 Colorado Buffaloes take a little more stagger but no less swagger into the meat of their schedule after surviving a double-overtime thriller in the Rocky Mountain Showdown that stretched into early Sunday.“Resilience,” coach Deion Sanders said when asked for his takeaway from the Buffaloes’ 43-35 win over three-TD underdog Colorado State, which nearly handed Coach Prime his first Power Five conference setback.“We showed that we would fight. We showed that we had no surrender or give-up in us,” Sanders said after watching sons Shedeur and Shilo shine in the Buffaloes’ win after falling behind by 11 points in the fourth quarter. “And that’s a lot for a team that’s fairly new, as you say, we just got together.”Sanders, who hastened the Buffaloes’ rise by scouring the transfer portal like no one before him, figures the scare the Rams put into his team should benefit the Buffaloes when they visit 10th-ranked Oregon (3-0) next weeke...

Gray lowers ERA to 2.84, helps Twins beat White Sox 4-0 to close on AL Central title

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:02:24 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Sonny Gray closed on Gerrit Cole for the AL ERA lead, Edouard Julien and Jorge Polanco homered and the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 4-0 on Sunday.Minnesota (79-71), nearing its third division title in five seasons, leads second-place Cleveland (72-78) by seven games with 12 games remaining.Gray (8-7) lowered his ERA from 2.96 to 2.84, just behind Cole, who leads the AL at 2.81 for the New York Yankees. Gray gave up five hits in seven innings, struck out six and walked none, ending a three-start winless streak. He allowed leadoff doubles in the fourth and six innings, then retired three straight both times.Griffin Jax and Emilio Pagán finished a six-hitter for Minnesota’s 11th shutout this season.Dylan Cease (7-8) allowed three runs, four hits and three walks in six innings. Chicago (57-93) has lost seven of nine, Julien hit a three-run homer in the fifth, his 14th home run this season, and Polanco added his 13th of the season against L...

Lukaku and Dybala play together for first time and help Roma crush Empoli 7-0

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:02:24 GMT

MILAN (AP) — Romelu Lukaku and Paulo Dybala looked a powerful partnership in their first match together as they helped Roma crush newly promoted Empoli 7-0 in Serie A on Sunday.Dybala netted twice and Lukaku scored his first goal in his second match since joining from Chelsea. Renato Sanches, Bryan Cristante and Gianluca Mancini and an own-goal from Alberto Grassi secured Roma’s first win of the season in style.Dybala had missed Roma’s last match against Milan — which was Lukaku’s debut — through injury. Empoli has now lost all four of its opening matches without scoring a goal.Jose Mourinho’s Roma got off to the best possible start when it was awarded a penalty almost immediately following a blatant handball by Empoli defender Sebastian Walukiewicz. Dybala struck it powerfully into the top left corner to give his side the lead with less than two minutes on the clock.Renato Sanches headed in a cross from fellow new signing Rasmus Kristensen six minutes later for his first goal for R...

England grind Japan down and cut loose late in second Rugby World Cup win

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:02:24 GMT

NICE, France (AP) — England first wore Japan down then scored a bizarre try and rolled to a 34-12 win and a second straight victory at the Rugby World Cup on Sunday.With Japan trailing only 13-12 nearing the hour mark, the odd try gave England breathing space. Flyhalf George Ford’s pass glanced off prop Will Stuart’s arm backwards and ricocheted forwards off prop Joe Marler’s mohawk into the grateful hands of captain Courtney Lawes who walked in between the posts. Ford’s conversion made it 20-12.Moments later, Japan cut through England’s defense but knocked on with the line in sight and momentum was lost. England’s third try soon followed, when Ford sent a clever crosskick from right to left and fullback Freddie Steward caught it and twisted into the corner.Good work from right winger Jonny May created space and the ball was quickly moved to the middle, where center Joe Marchant went over for the bonus-point fourth try.Coach Steve Borthwick’s England is not p...

Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs get past early mistakes to beat Jaguars, avoid 0-2 start

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:02:24 GMT

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes, including one to returning star Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs overcame three early turnovers to beat Jacksonville 17-9 on Sunday for their third victory against the Jaguars in 10 months.The Chiefs (1-1) won their eighth straight in the series and avoided becoming the first Super Bowl champions to start 0-2 since Denver in 1999.The Jaguars (1-1), who insisted all week they owed the Chiefs because of a loss in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs in January, pretty much no-showed in their home opener.Coach Doug Pederson’s team had another slow start, failed to capitalize on two of three turnovers and struggled to protect quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence threw incomplete on a fourth-and-12 play with 4:16 remaining in an eight-point game, and Kansas City didn’t let the Jaguars get the ball back.Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, making his season debut after ending his holdout and signing...

2,220 stairs: Volunteers at National Harbor honor New York firefighters lost in 9/11

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:02:24 GMT

On Sunday, firefighters and civilians alike climbed 110 flights of stairs at the Gaylord National Convention Center at National Harbor in Maryland to honor New York Firefighters lost at the twin towers on 9/11.The 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb is an annual event in multiple cities that supports the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. As each participant completed the 110 flights, or 2,220 steps, a single bell was rung with the name of a fallen hero read aloud.The 110 flights represents the floors of the twin towers that 343 New York firefighters were responding to when they were lost on 9/11.“Every single participant has a fallen firefighter from that day clipped to their chest,” said Prince George’s County Fire Chief Tiffany Green. “And so they’re climbing in memory of those individuals. I think there’s a somber remembrance that exists.”Maryland firefighters and civilians alike climbed 110 flights of stairs at the Gaylord National Conventi...

Auto collision kills 4 Greek rescue workers dispatched to flood-stricken Libya, health minister says

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:02:24 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Four Greek rescue workers dispatched to Libya following devastating flooding in the eastern city of Derna were killed in an automobile collision on Sunday, Libya’s health minister said. Some 11,300 people died when two dams collapsed during Mediterranean storm Daniel last week sending a wall of water gushing through the city, according to the Red Crescent aid group. A further 10,000 people are missing, presumed dead. Rescue workers from Greece, Turkey, Egypt and other countries have since flocked to the decimated port city to offer help.On Sunday, a bus carrying 19 Greek rescue workers collided with an oncoming vehicle carrying five Libyan nationals on the road between the cities of Benghazi and Derna, said health minister Othman Abduljaleel in a press conference. Three Libyans in the oncoming vehicle were also killed.Seven of the surviving Greek rescue workers were in critical condition, the minister said. In a parallel statement, the Greek Foreign Ministry ackno...

Broncos safety Kareem Jackson disqualified for hit in end zone

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:02:24 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Big-hitting Denver Broncos safety Kareem Jackson was disqualified Sunday in the second quarter for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Washington tight end Logan Thomas in the end zone.Thomas hauled in a 4-yard TD pass from Sam Howell before taking a blow from Jackson. Several Commanders took exception and confronted Jackson before being separated. The officials called Jackson for a personal foul after he launched himself at Thomas. Colorado star Travis Hunter taken to hospital during game after late hit vs CSU Thomas left the game and was being evaluated for a concussion.It's the second straight week where Jackson has drawn a flag for a hit. Last weekend, Las Vegas Raiders receiver Jakobi Meyers left on the game's final drive after taking a shot from Jackson that drew an unnecessary roughness call. Meyers was out this weekend with a concussion.The Broncos are thin at secondary after losing Caden Sterns in the season-opening loss to the Raiders when he tore his left patellar...

Celebrities among the crowd at the CU vs. CSU game

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:02:24 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Folsom Field was sold out and star-studded for Saturday's game between the Colorado Buffaloes and Colorado State Rams.The No. 19 Buffs took down the Rams 43-35 in a game that went into double overtime.Several NFL stars and even the Wu-Tang Clan were among the crowd in last week's home opener against Nebraska, and the celebrity line-up for this week was just as, if not more, impressive.Here's a list of some of the celebrities who came out to Folsom Field on Saturday.Dwayne 'The Rock' JohnsonIt's quite fitting that "The Rock" made an appearance in, of all places, Boulder, to attend "The Rock"-y Mountain Showdown.The A-list Hollywood star was photographed numerous times sporting a No. 2 Shedeur Sanders jersey.Lil WayneRapper Lil Wayne not only attended the matchup, but he performed as the Buffs took the field before the game. Colorado star Travis Hunter taken to hospital during game after late hit vs CSU Lil Wayne even wore a custom CU jersey during the game. The No....