BASEBALL
The Portland Sea Dogs opened a 12-game trip with a 3-2 Eastern League loss in 10 innings Tuesday night to the Erie SeaWolves in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Grant Witherspoon hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning to tie the game for Erie and drove in the winning run with a fielder’s choice grounder to second in the 10th inning.
Ceddanne Rafaela drove in both runs for the Sea Dogs, who had a two-game winning streak snapped. Rafaela had an RBI groundout in the first inning and a home run in the sixth.
BASKETBALL
NBA: Joel Embiid’s availability for the start of the Eastern Conference semifinals for the Philadelphia 76ers remains unknown because of a right knee injury. A source confirmed Embiid sprained his lateral collateral ligament. The recovery time for an LCL sprain is typically more than a week.
Embiid suffered the injury in the third quarter of Thursday’s 102-97 Game 3 victory over the Nets at the Barclays Center. While attempting to block Cam Johnson’s shot, Embiid became tangled up with Johnson and both players fell underneath the basket. The six-time All-Star remained in the game, finishing with 14 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks.
However, he complained about pain in the back of his knee after the game, and doctors noticed he had some swelling.
An MRI Friday in Philadelphia revealed Embiid had suffered a knee sprain. As a result, he was sidelined in Saturday’s Game 4 of the first-round series. And assuming the semifinals begin this upcoming Saturday, that would be nine days after the injury.
• Paolo Banchero was announced as the overwhelming winner of the top rookie award for this season, after the Orlando forward led all first-year players in scoring and helped the Magic improve from a 22-win last season to a 34-win club that contended for a play-in berth this season.
The former Duke standout averaged 20 points per game. He had 15 games of at least 25 points and 40 games of at least 20 points, both the most among rookies this season. And he won rookie of the month four times, each of those announcements only further indicating that he was ahead of the field.
Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder was second and Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz was third.
HORSE RACING
HALL OF FAME: Jockey Corey Nakatani and horses Arrogate, California Chrome and Songbird were elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in the contemporary category.
Jockey Fernando Toro was elected via the historic review committee. John W. Hanes II, Leonard W. Jerome and Stella F. Thayer were selected as Pillars of the Turf.
The class will be enshrined on Aug. 4 in Saratoga Springs, New York.
Arrogate, California Chrome and Songbird were elected in their first year of eligibility.
Nakatani won 3,909 races with purse earnings of $234,554,534 in a career that spanned from 1988-2018.
Arrogate had a 7-1-1- record from 11 starts and his earnings of $17,422,600 were a North American earnings record. He was trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert.
California Chrome had a record of 16-4-1 from 27 starts and earnings of $14,752,650. He was voted Horse of the Year in 2014, when he won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, and again in 2016. He was trained by Art Sherman.
Songbird had a record of 13-2-0 from 15 starts and earnings of $4,692,000. She earned Eclipse Awards for 2-year-old filly in 2015 and 3-year-old filly in 2016. She was trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer.
TENNIS
MADRID OPEN: Carlos Alcaraz gets another chance to defend a title at home in Spain, and move closer to regaining the No. 1 ranking.
After winning in Barcelona for a second year in a row last week, the 19-year-old Alcaraz stayed in Spain to try to repeat as Madrid Open champion and practically guarantee a return to the top of the rankings.
Daniil Medvedev will be his top challenger at the clay-court tournament after the withdrawals of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic because of injuries. Defending women’s champion Ons Jabeur also won’t play in Madrid this year because of an injury.
The second-ranked Alcaraz is chasing Djokovic for the No. 1 spot after having traded the top ranking with him three times this season. If he wins the title in Madrid, Alcaraz would only need to play one match in Rome to be back at No. 1. The Spaniard can also get back to the top by playing at least one match in Madrid and winning in Rome.
In the first round of the women’s draw, Ana Bogdan rallied to defeat Anna Bondar 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) in a match that lasted more than three hours. Sorana Cirstea beat American Lauren Davis 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, and Karolina Muchova defeated Anett Kontaveit 6-2, 6-2.
SOCCER
CHELSEA: Defender Reece James’ injury-hit campaign came to an early end after he was ruled out for the final few weeks of the season because of a hamstring problem.
Fitness issues have limited the England right back to just 16 starts in the Premier League this season.
His latest injury came during the loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals last week, Chelsea Manager Frank Lampard said. James completed the game against the European champions at Stamford Bridge but a scan revealed the extent of the problem.
TOTTENHAM: Tottenham’s players are offering to refund fans who traveled to watch the team get thrashed 6-1 by Newcastle in the Premier League.
The squad made the gesture two days after the team conceded five goals in the opening 21 minutes at St. James’ Park. The result ended up costing Cristian Stellini his job as interim manager, with the Italian’s departure announced on Monday.
The players said they wanted to reimburse the cost of the traveling fans’ match tickets.
“We know this does not change what happened on Sunday,” a Tottenham statement read, “and we will give everything to put things right, starting against Manchester United on Thursday evening when, again, your support will mean everything to us.
“Together — and only together — can we move things forward.”
Tottenham said the refund process would be completed within 24 hours.
WOMEN’S WORLD CUP: Fox will broadcast 29 of 64 Women’s World Cup games from Australia and New Zealand this summer on its main network, up from 22 of 52 matches in France during the 2019 tournament and 16 in 2015.
The main network will televise the opener between New Zealand vs Norway on July 20 at 3 a.m. all three first-round matches of the defending champion United States and all games from the quarterfinals on. The championship is Aug 20.
Thirty-five games will be on the FS1 cable network.
MLS: D.C. United defender Mohanad Jeahze is in custody in Sweden on suspicion of two counts of assault, Swedish prosecutors said.
Jeahze, who was born in Sweden and plays for Iraq’s national team, has been suspended by Major League Soccer pending an investigation by the league and Swedish authorities.
Jeahze, 26, was arrested on Saturday after the second of the alleged assaults, both of which took place in Stockholm, the Swedish Prosecution Authority said. He was on approved leave from D.C. United at the time of his arrest.
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