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After missing the past nine games with a strained right calf, Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant returned to action, starting Game 5 of the NBA Finals. However, Durant's return was cut short when he reinjured his calf early in the second quarter.
The Warriors led Toronto 39-34 with 9 minutes, 46 seconds left in the first half at the time of the injury. Durant scored 11 points in the first quarter and made all three of his 3-pointer attempts.
The Toronto Raptors crowd chanted "KD, KD" as Durant was helped back to the locker room, and Durant's fellow pro players sent their well-wishes to the Warriors star on Twitter.
Even with all the things @KDTrey5 has done. This is the most fan(ed) out I've been. He knew he wasn't right but he wanted to be there for his brothers. That's sports! That's love!
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) June 11, 2019
Nooooo...HATE TO SEE THAT SH*T!!!
— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) June 11, 2019
MAJOR RESPECT for KD wanting to rush back and try to help his team win a Championship... Get Back Healthy Bro??
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) June 11, 2019
Payers up for the big bro KD. God got you!
— Victor Oladipo (@VicOladipo) June 11, 2019
????
Praying for you bro ??? @KDTrey5
— Marvin Bagley III (@MB3FIVE) June 11, 2019
Respect @KDTrey5
— Enes Kanter (@Enes_Kanter) June 11, 2019
Get well brother ?
??
— Jusuf Nurkić (@bosnianbeast27) June 11, 2019
Why are they cheering for his injury? Come on man #Disguting
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) June 11, 2019
No matter what team or players you support... l hope everyone recognizes that what KD tried to do today for the Warriors was more than courageous. ?
— Chiney Ogwumike (@Chiney321) June 11, 2019
Prayers up for @KDTrey5 HATE to see that. Respect him for putting it all on the line and going for it. REAL
— Tyus Jones (@1Tyus) June 11, 2019
Praying for you brother! @KDTrey5
— Allonzo Trier (@ISO_ZO) June 11, 2019
S/O to KD for giving it all. Champ mentality
— Evan Fournier (@EvanFourmizz) June 11, 2019
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ATLANTA -- Pittsburgh right-hander Joe Musgrove and Atlanta third baseman Josh Donaldson have been ejected from Monday night's game between the Pirates and Braves for triggering a benches-clearing confrontation.
Pirates manager Clint Hurdle also was ejected by plate umpire Brian Gorman for arguing the decision to toss Musgrove in the Braves' 13-7 win.
With two outs in the first inning, Musgrove's pitch grazed Donaldson's jersey. As Donaldson headed to first base, he exchanged words with Musgrove and took a few steps toward the mound before Pirates catcher Elias Diaz intervened.
Donaldson shoved Diaz. That prompted players from both dugouts and bullpens to spill onto the field. No punches were thrown, and the field was quickly cleared.
The ejections followed a brief huddle by the umpires.
Pirates right-hander Jameson Taillon, who is on the 60-day injured list with a flexor tendon strain, tweeted his displeasure of the decision to toss Musgrove.
Ump Show. @MLB, Clean it up. Joe prepares harder than anyone, and you just took away his start day. No accountability. The pen is messed up for the series now. Guys will get sent down because they will have to eat these innings. Unbelievable.
— Jameson Taillon (@JTaillon19) June 10, 2019
Right-hander Alex McRae replaced Musgrove. Johan Camargo replaced Donaldson.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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PHILADELPHIA -- The Arizona Diamondbacks got to play Home Run Derby in Philly.
The Diamondbacks hit three straight home runs to open the game and finished with a team-record eight in a 13-8 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in a homer-happy game on Monday night.
Scott Kingery hit two of Philadelphia's five home runs for the combined MLB record of 13 homers in one game.
On most nights, five would be enough to win a game. But not this one in steamy Philly, where the Diamondbacks turned it into extended batting practice.
Jarrod Dyson, Ketel Marte and David Peralta hit the dinger, tater and long ball all in a row off Jerad Eickhoff in the first inning to get the record romp rolling . Eduardo Escobar became the first Diamondback to homer from different sides of the plate in consecutive innings. Ildemaro Vargas also homered twice, Alex Avila went deep and the Diamondbacks made the Citizens Bank Park outfield seats the place to be for a souvenir.
Well, at least for the fans who wanted one -- an angry Phillie fanatic hurled one homer back on the field.
Eickhoff (3-4) allowed two more two-run homers before he was chased in the fourth inning and the Diamondbacks up 7-3. The Diamondbacks hit two more homers in the fifth to set a club record with seven in one game.
Eickhoff allowed five hits in three-plus inning -- all the hits homers, and Arizona won its fifth straight game.
Dyson hit the first pitch of the game to right field for his fourth homer of the season. Marte followed with his 16th home run on a drive to right. Peralta finished the long-ball barrage when he went deep to center for his ninth homer before most fans had settled into their soggy seats following a 30-minute rain delay.
It was the first time a team had hit three straight home runs to begin the first inning since the Diamondbacks did it on July 21, 2017, at home against Washington ace Max Scherzer.
Eickhoff gave up two-run shots in the fourth to Eduardo Escobar and Alex Avila. Eickhoff failed to retire a batter in the fourth when he was yanked by manager Gabe Kapler. Eickhoff has allowed 16 home runs this season in 57 1/3 innings and he became the first pitcher in franchise history to surrender three straight homers to start the game.
Escobar hit his second of the game , a solo shot to left, in the fifth off reliever Ranger Suarez. Vargas also added a solo shot in the inning off Suarez for the record seventh home run of the game. Vargas put the exclamation point on the extended batting practice with a two-run homer in the ninth off Austin Davis.
The Diamondbacks had hit six homers in a game six times in franchise history, the last coming June 1, 2018, against the Marlins.
Jean Segura homered in the second inning off Diamondbacks starter Taylor Clarke (3 1/3 innings) and the Phillies tied It 3-all until the Diamondbacks blew the game open with a four-run fourth. Kingery had his first career multi-homer game. Rhys Hoskins and Jay Bruce each hit solo shots in the ninth. Four other NL games had a combined 11 homers for the previous record.
Arizona could do more than go deep. Escobar added an RBI double in the sixth to make it 11-4 and give him five RBI and give the win to reliever Zack Godley (3-4) after 3 2/3 innings of scoreless ball.
Arizona connected a day after the Nationals hit four home runs in a row in the eighth inning at San Diego. The D-backs are the first team in baseball history to hit eight home runs in a game and surrender eight (March 28 vs. the Dodgers) in the same season.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Diamondbacks: RF Adam Jones returned to the lineup after he missed the last four games with a right hamstring injury.
Phillies: OF Roman Quinn and RHP Edubray Ramos will started rehab assignments with Class A Clearwater. Quinn has been on the injured list since April 25 with a right groin strain. ... RHP Seranthony Dominguez will visit Dr. James Andrews this week for a second opinion on his injured right elbow. He could need Tommy John surgery. "Honestly, I'm hoping for a miracle," he said.
MINOR DEAL
The Phillies acquired international signing bonus slots from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for RHP Tom Eshelman. Eshelman was the 2017 Paul Owens Award winner, given annually to the best pitcher in the Phillies minor league system.
RECORD DEAL
The Reds hold the NL record for homers in a game with nine in 1999 and Toronto hit 10 in a game in 1987 for the MLB mark.
UP NEXT
The Phillies send RHP Jake Arrieta (5-5, 4.29 ERA) to the mound against RHP Jon Duplantier (1-0, 3.27) on Tuesday in the second game of the three-game set.
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David Ortiz helped his adopted city recover from the Boston Marathon bombings. Now the Boston Red Sox are calling on their fans to reciprocate for their beloved Big Papi.
"We all remember in 2013 when we needed David Ortiz the most, he was there for us,'' team president Sam Kennedy said Monday, a day after the longtime slugger was wounded in a nightclub shooting in his native Dominican Republic. "So it's appropriate and expected that his community would rally behind David when he needs us most.''
Ortiz, 43, was shot at a club in Santo Domingo. A team of surgeons operated on Ortiz for six hours and repaired damage done by the bullet to both intestines and his liver. They also had to remove Ortiz's gallbladder to work on the liver, though the gallbladder itself was not damaged.
"I didn't sleep very well last night,'' said Red Sox special assistant Jason Varitek, who was Ortiz's teammate for nearly a decade. "I don't think anybody did.''
The shooting occurred during Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final and stole the city's attention from the Bruins' victory, as fans and former teammates stayed up into the morning hoping for information on Ortiz's condition. Longtime rivals turned to social media to offer their best wishes, and former Dominican president Leonel Fernandez visited Ortiz in the hospital.
"It shocked us to the core,'' Kennedy said. "It was jarring, stunning and, frankly, terrifying. It was a horrific incident. Our focus right now is exclusively to focus on his health and well-being [and] to get David back here in Boston.''
1:06
Cora can't wait to have Ortiz back
Red Sox manager Alex Cora says, "There's life. There's more important things than the Red Sox," when considering the shooting of David Ortiz.
The Red Sox sent an air ambulance to the Dominican Republic to transport Ortiz to Boston, where he will continue his treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital. The plane landed Monday night while the Red Sox were playing the Texas Rangers.
The team asked fans to observe a moment of reflection shortly before Monday night's 4-3 loss to the Rangers at Fenway Park and posted a message on the videoboard: "We send our love to David Ortiz.'' In the sixth inning, fans broke out into cheers of "Papi!'' and cheered when pictures of fans in his No. 34 jersey were shown on the scoreboard.
Chris Sale, who started Monday's game for the Red Sox, said afterward that things felt a little different given the situation with Ortiz.
"Obviously, we're thinking about him," Price said. "We had a meeting before the game about it. He's as much a part of this team as anybody's ever been. Yesterday was a tough day and today too. I'm glad he's doing well and in good hands. Just hoping for the best and trying to get some wins for him. I know that'll make him happy, that's for sure."
"I just hope when he gets here that everything is fine, and we can see the big man here again with us and filling our room with joy,'' manager Alex Cora said. "He's bigger than life.''
A 10-time All-Star and the MVP of the 2013 World Series, Ortiz is one of the most productive -- and popular -- players in Red Sox history. He led the once-cursed franchise to three championships and retired in 2016 with a total of 541 home runs, 17th-most in baseball history.
"Somebody just asked me what my favorite memory was. And it's not all the home runs and game-winning hits that he's had and the World Series,'' Red Sox pitcher Rick Porcello said. "It's how he embraces everyone in a room. Just that imposing, loving figure that makes everyone feel special. That's something that you don't see a lot. That's what separates him, for me.''
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Varitek on Ortiz: He's 'a great human being'
Former Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek becomes emotional talking about David Ortiz and is very complimentary of his former teammate.
Ortiz further endeared himself to local fans when he went to the Fenway Park mound after the attacks at the marathon finish line and proclaimed, "This is our f---ing city!"
"Everyone knows what he was able to do on the field,'' said longtime New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, who is now a Miami Marlins owner. "What he has meant to the community -- not only in Boston but in the Dominican -- this is a guy who is beloved throughout the sport and throughout sports in general.''
"He's obviously an icon on the Mount Rushmore in the city of Boston athletes, but he is 'the guy' in the Dominican Republic,'' Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero said. "He's more famous than any president. When people think of the Dominican Republic, they think David Ortiz, they think of Pedro Martinez.''
Albert Pujols, who has been close with Ortiz for years and also hails from the Dominican Republic, said the legendary slugger means "everything" in their native country.
"As a player, as a fellow Dominican, you don't see that. People really respect players over there, down in the DR," Pujols said. "It's just unfortunate. He was, I guess, in the wrong spot at the wrong time."
Said Mets second baseman Robinson Cano, another fellow Dominican: "[Ortiz is] an idol for all of us.''
Martinez joined his countrymen in offering prayers for Ortiz on social media Sunday night.
I'm at peace knowing you out of danger; you a strong man Compai, can't wait to hear your voice. My thoughts and prayers are with you, see you soon.
— Pedro Martinez (@45PedroMartinez) June 10, 2019
Me siento tranquilo de saber que estás fuera de peligro, usted es fuerte Compai, ya quiero oírle la voz. Orando, nos vemos pronto pic.twitter.com/jdSnNsM7eI
Red Sox starter David Price played with Ortiz in his last season and said the Boston icon embraced him with open arms.
"I didn't want it to be anything about me and him. I wanted it to be all about him. And he didn't want it to be all about him. He wanted it to be about us as a team. So I've got nothing but love and respect for Big Papi, and he's well aware of that," Price said.
Mookie Betts echoed that sentiment Monday, saying that Ortiz made him feel welcome and at home in his rookie year.
"I can't speak for other people, but for me, he's like a big brother and a dad at the same time," Betts said.
The outpouring of support for Ortiz extended beyond his former teammates on Monday. President Barack Obama and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady were among those who sent well wishes.
Six years ago, David Ortiz's spirit and resolve helped us all begin to heal from the Boston Marathon bombing. Today, I want to join many others in wishing him a speedy recovery of his own. Get well soon, Papi. pic.twitter.com/9orpBgnVI5
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 10, 2019
Papi defines Boston Strong... get well soon my friend!!! pic.twitter.com/QFFJ4nvQnU
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) June 10, 2019
The Red Sox retired Ortiz's No. 34 in 2017, less than a year after he retired, and a street outside the ballpark was renamed in his honor. He remains connected with the ballclub in a role that includes mentoring players, recruiting free agents and making special appearances.
ESPN's Alden Gonzalez and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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LEXINGTON, N.C. – Kaulig Racing has unveiled its throwback scheme for the Sports Clips Haircuts VFW 200 at Darlington Raceway on Aug. 31.
Raybestos, a world-renowned brake parts producer, will sponsor No. 11 Chevy, piloted by Justin Haley. Kaulig Racing’s inspiration for the scheme came from Jeff Burton’s No. 8 car from his rookie Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Seriesseason in 1994, as well as 1995, where he earned three top-five and five top-10 finishes.
Kaulig Racing will also be paying tribute to Chief Financial Officer of Kaulig Racing, Bob Kaulig, who previously worked as the Vice President of Sales for Raybestos from 1985-2008.
“Using the Raybestos paint scheme from Jeff’s (Burton) rookie year was a no-brainer for us,” said Kaulig Racing President Chris Rice. “Our CFO, Bob, who happens to be Matt Kaulig’s father, worked for Raybestos for 23 years, so we thought this was the perfect way to pay homage to him. We really appreciate both Jeff and Raybestos® for giving us the opportunity to use this special paint scheme and give a special surprise to Bob.”
From 1998 to 2010, the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award was one of the well-respected and highly sought-after end-of-season NASCAR awards. The award celebrated young drivers and their teams by recognizing their phenomenal efforts during the formative early phase of their careers.
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BATAVIA, Ohio – The stars of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will return to action June 13-15 for three events at three different venues, across three states.
The weekend will ignite on Thursday, June 13, with a visit to Fayetteville (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Thursday’s Dunn-Benson Ford Wayne Gray Sr. Memorial – Presented by GETSCO will be a complete program of: Miller Welders Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and a 50-lap, $10,000-to-win feature for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.
The festivities at Fayetteville Motor Speedway will begin with pit gates opening at 3 p.m., followed by general admission gates at 4 p.m. A drivers meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. with hot laps slated for 7:30 p.m. The Renegades, Modifieds, FMS Late Models, and Legends will also be in competition on Thursday, June 13.
The weekend will continue in Gaffney, S.C., where the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will visit Cherokee Speedway on Friday, June 14. A full program is on tap for the 21st Annual Grassy Smith Memorial – highlighted by a 50-lap, $12,000-to-win main event.
At Cherokee Speedway, the pit gates will open at 2 p.m. and general admission gates will open 3 p.m. The drivers meeting is set for 7 p.m., followed by hot laps at 7:30 p.m. In addition to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, the 602 Late Models, 604 Late Models, Modifieds, and Thunder Bomber divisions will also be in action.
Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn. will host the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series on Saturday, June 15, to cap off the three-race escapade. The annual event, a Father’s Day weekend special, now dubbed the Big Daddy 60, will have the 60-lap main event paying a record $15,000-to-win.
On Saturday, the pit and general admission gates will open at Noon. A driver’s meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. with hot laps to follow at 7:30 p.m. The Limited Late Models and Sportsman will serve as support divisions at Smoky Mountain Speedway.
Jonathan Davenport continues to lead the Lucas Oil championship standings heading into the weekend. Earl Pearson Jr. currently trails Davenport by 345 points. Tyler Erb is third. Devin Moran and Josh Richards round out the top five in championship standings.
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GLENDORA, Calif. – E3 Spark Plugs recently extended its partnership with NHRA as the official spark plug and official ignition products of NHRA.
E3 Spark Plugs has been involved with NHRA racing across all platforms including the sponsorship of the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by J&A Service. E3-powered cars have won over 150 NHRA national events and eight national championships in the past three years.
“The old saying, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’ sums up E3’s NHRA experience,” said Rob Fisher, E3 vice president of motorsports. “It’s a tent-pole marketing program that delivers year in and year out, so when the opportunity to extend our relationship through the 2024 season was presented it was an easy decision to move ahead. Extending our relationship another 3 years beyond the current contract underscores our sincere commitment to the NHRA racers, crews and fans.”
“E3 has been a great partner for NHRA and their most recent extension speaks to the strength of this relationship,” said Brad Gerber, NHRA vice president and chief development officer. “We appreciate E3’s continued support and dedication to the future growth of NHRA drag racing.”
The renewal will continue to build upon the partnership and will continue to allow E3 the opportunity to incorporate the official logo in advertising, promotions, point-of-purchase materials and on packaging for each designated product.
On site, E3 will enjoy presence at all NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events including signage, inflatables, and advertising through NHRA’s multimedia outlets, and commercial inventory in the FOX Sports broadcasts. E3 Spark Plugs are available at over 25,000 retail outlets across the country, while the ignition products line is available at Summit, Performance Bodies, Jegs, and other fine specialty performance retailers.
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BELLEVILLE, Ill. – The most electric week of the year for POWRi Racing is only a few days away.
Scheduled for five nights of racing at five different tracks, the sixth annual Illinois Speedweek runs from Wednesday, June 12 through Sunday, June 16 with appearances at Belle-Clair Speedway, Fayette County Speedway, Jacksonville Speedway, Macon Speedway and Lincoln Speedway.
Hosting the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League and the POWRi Engler Machine & Tool Outlaw Micro League for all five nights, fans will be treated to a thrilling week of wheel-to-wheel action.
It all begins on Wednesday with a trip to Belle-Clair Speedway in Belleville, Ill. A high-paced, high-intensity fifth-mile bullring, Belle-Clair has been the site of many memorable and iconic moments in POWRi history. Most recently, Austin Brown conquered a May visit to Belle-Clair. Tanner Thorson enters as the defending Speedweek Midget winner at Belle-Clair.
The show moves on to Fayette County Speedway on Thursday for the second round. A quarter-mile facility located in Brownstown, Ill., last year’s Speedweek Midget race at Fayette County offered a slidejob city affair with Thorson topping Tanner Carrick and Logan Seavey.
On Friday night, June 14, the third round of Illinois Speedweek takes POWRi to the Jacksonville Speedway. Known for gnarly cushions against the fence, three-story sliders and action from front-to-back, the Jacksonville, Ill., quarter-mile has given fans plenty remarkable races over the years.
Macon Speedway is the scene for the Saturday showing as the fourth round of Speedweek goes to the shortest track on the schedule. A tiny, yet enticing fifth-mile in Macon, Ill., Macon always offers a unique challenge to the Midgets and Micros with a narrow, high-banked surface that creates nail-biting side-by-side battles.
A pair of championships will be on the line at Lincoln Speedway on Sunday as the fifth and final round of Speedweek will conclude a big week. A small quarter-mile in Lincoln, Ill., Lincoln Speedway has hosted several championship deciding races, including the 2017 race when Seavey won his first POWRi National Midget feature over Michael Pickens.
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Has anyone ever won three consecutive U.S. Opens? Just one man
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Golf
Monday, 10 June 2019 04:19

Brooks Koepka is striving for his third consecutive U.S. Open title, having won the last two editions at Erin Hills and Shinnecock Hills.
He is the sixth player to successfully defend his U.S. Open title. But has anyone ever done it three times in a row?
One man: Willie Anderson.
The Scotsman captured the U.S. Open in 1903, ’04 and ’05. None had done it before (with the U.S. Open beginning in 1895) and none have done it since.
Anderson first won the U.S. Open in 1901 at Myopia Hunt Club (Massachusetts) and then again in ’03 at Baltusrol Golf Club (New Jersey)
Anderson led after each of the first three rounds on Baltusrol’s original Old Course but was tied with fellow Scotsman Dave Brown after 72 holes. Anderson then defeated Brown, 82-84, in an 18-hole playoff.
Anderson defended his title in 1904 at Glen View Club (Illinois), shooting 72 in the final round to turn a one-shot deficit into a five-shot victory.
The U.S. Open returned to Myopia in 1905 and Anderson prevailed again. He was six back after an opening 81, but clawed to within one stroke through three rounds. He shot 77 in the final round, which was good enough for a two-stroke triumph.
The run came to an end in 1906, when Scotland’s Alex Smith won by seven shots at Onwentsia Club (Illinois). Anderson co-led after the first round, but steadily slipped over the next three, ultimately into a fifth-place showing.
Here’s how the remaining back-to-back U.S. Open champions fared in their three-peat bids:
- John McDermott (1911-12): Eighth in 1913
- Bobby Jones (1929-30): Retired after 1930 season
- Ralph Guldahl (1937-38): T-7 in 1939
- Ben Hogan (1950-51): Third in 1952
- Curtis Strange (1988-89): T-21 in 1990
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