Two fans died on Thursday before the start of a Copa Libertadores match between the host Colo Colo and Fortaleza of Brazil near Santiago's estadio Monumental, a local prosecutor said.

According to authorities, a group of fans attempted to force their way into the stadium and tore down one of the venue's protective fences. The victims were reportedly trapped beneath them.

Later, the match was suspended at the 70-minute mark, with the score level at 0-0, when a group of local fans started a protest by throwing objects onto the pitch. It was unclear whether the protests were related to the fan deaths before the match.

The Eastern Flagrancy Prosecutor, Francisco Morales said that a group of fans tried to access the estadio Monumental through the Casa Alba, a building adjacent to the venue and the police tried to prevent them from entering.

"A stampede ensued, resulting in the collapse of a fence," Morales said. "We are currently investigating whether a police vehicle was involved in the death."

Authorities said one of the persons died at the scene and the other at a nearby medical clinic.

Match later suspended Later, the match between Colo Colo and Fortaleza was suspended at the 70-minute mark, with the score level at 0-0, when a group of local fans started a protest by throwing objects onto the pitch. It was unclear whether the protests were related to the fan deaths before the match.

The Fortaleza players ran for cover in the locker room, while the Colo Colo players, led by captain Esteban Pavez and Arturo Vidal, tried to calm the fans.

The refereeing team, led by Uruguayan Gustavo Tejera, informed the players that the match had been stopped, and all the players went to the locker room. Later, it was announced that the match was officially suspended.

"CONMEBOL deeply regrets the death of two fans near the estadio Monumental before the start of the match between Colo Colo and Fortaleza," the governing body of football in South America said.

"We express our sincere condolences to their families and loved ones."

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has said the club have put a lot of "effort" into extending Mohamed Salah's contract but admitted he has been confident for some time negotiations were heading in the "right direction."

Salah was set to be out of contract this summer, but Liverpool confirmed on Friday the Egypt international has now extended his stay on Merseyside until the summer of 2027.

Discussions have been taking place for several months, with sporting director Richard Hughes overseeing negotiations with Salah's agent, Ramy Abbas Issa.

"I'm happy, of course," Slot said. "He's shown at this club for so many years in a row now how much value he has for the team and for the club. We're very happy he's extended for two more years and hopefully he can show on Sunday [against West Ham United] how important he has been for the whole season for us.

"Relief? For the fans I think so. It's no surprise to you I knew a bit better how the contract situation went over the course of the whole season.

"Maybe for the fans it was a pleasant surprise. I knew a bit longer things were heading in the right direction.

"It is a big compliment to Richard Hughes because Mo Salah, as a free agent, can go to any club he wants to. But he stayed at our club and that's also a compliment for Richard."

On the role he played in keeping Salah at Liverpool, Slot added: "I'm part of that process but I don't think I deserve the compliments. I think first of all it's Mo's choice and his agent's choice what he wants. Second of all, the club - - FSG, Richard, Michael Edwards -- they put a lot of effort into him extending.

"Effort mostly means money! But also not only money. What it might tell you as well is that it's not only a good season this season. We want to make a very good season next season as well and I think Mo is convinced we have a fairly good chance to do so."

Bern confirmed 27-year-old American star Maher had been in touch after the divisive dance to say "haters are gonna hate" and was full of support for the pair.

Bristol prop Bern had done something similar with England fans after the win against Italy in York which also went viral., external

She has no regrets over her recent TikTok efforts, remaining professional in her preparation for games and eager to grow the women's game before a home Rugby World Cup in August.

"It is a new landscape and we are moulding it for ourselves," Bern said.

"We can decide as female rugby players what this space looks like. It doesn't have to look a certain way, and if you don't like what I do then you don't have to watch it or comment. You can scroll past.

"There are a lot of people out there who do enjoy it and there were a lot of positive comments. For every negative one there are three or four nice comments."

Maher can play at centre or on the wing and won a bronze medal in sevens for the United States at the Paris Olympics last summer.

She scored four tries in seven games during a three-month spell at the Bears and has recently been included in USA's XVs player pool for this year, while continuing her successful social media career.

The World Cup marks the first time Maher could feature in competition for the United States in XVs since 2021, as she aims to be involved in the opening game against England at Sunderland's Stadium of Light in August.

"Ilona is so humble and works incredibly hard. Everything you see on social media is her and she is a brilliant icon for not only our sport but women in general," Bern added.

"If I can be a tiny bit like her then that would be amazing.

"She is doing so much for our sport. She needs to be out there pushing rugby into other people's faces.

"She is destined for bigger and better things. I would love her to come back to Bristol and play in our Prem, but I think she has got a bigger job to do."

If Liverpool's narrow derby victory over Everton last week had some supporters reaching for the champagne, before Sunday's shock 3-2 defeat away to Fulham in the Premier League ensured that, for now, it remains firmly on ice.

Though second-placed Arsenal's drab 1-1 draw with Everton on Saturday diminished the impact of Liverpool's second league defeat of the season, the error-strewn display at Craven Cottage served as a sobering reminder that, while the runaway leaders have one hand on the trophy, there is still work to do.

Arne Slot's side are 11 points clear at the summit and, with just seven games left to play, it would take an unprecedented collapse for them to surrender the title from here. But while it's testament to the strength of Liverpool's overall body of work that they boast such a commanding lead, their aura of infallibility has undeniably been dented in recent weeks. Sunday's loss in the capital marked a third defeat in four games in all competitions.

The fact that one of those defeats came via a penalty shootout against an impressive Paris Saint-Germain side in the Champions League and another against a Newcastle United team vying to end their club's 70-year trophy drought in the Carabao Cup final offers some mitigation.

Liverpool were unlucky against PSG and, after an energy-sapping 120 minutes, struggled to match Newcastle's hunger and tenacity a few days later. Against Fulham, though, Liverpool were the architects of their own downfall. They conceded three goals in the space of 14 first-half minutes, after taking an early lead through Alexis Mac Allister's wonder strike, before Luis Díaz got one back in the second half.

"I think there is no reason for us to be complacent," Slot in his news conference afterward. "We are not No. 1 at the moment because we win every game with a margin of three or four goals ... That's not the way it is for us, so we are fully aware of the fact we have to compete for seven more games."

Slot and his players may be just a handful of games away from cementing their place in the annals of Liverpool history, but the coming weeks promise to be instructive, both in terms of shaping the wider narrative around their campaign and dictating whose position might be under threat at Anfield next season.

What's gone wrong?

Liverpool have had an exceptional season, but recent results have given credence to the view in some quarters that the team are far from the finished article. After losing just one game in 27 in all competitions before January, Slot's side have been beaten six times in 22 since the turn of the year, although two of those defeats (away to PSV Eindhoven in the league phase of the Champions League and Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semifinals) ultimately proved of little consequence.

Fatigue has been mooted as one potential reason for Liverpool's drop-off, though Slot dismissed this suggestion after the loss at Craven Cottage. According to Opta, only 10 outfield players in the Premier League have started all 31 games this season, three of whom play for Liverpool: Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch.

For Gravenberch, in particular, there is some weight to the argument that an increased workload has taken its toll in recent weeks. The 22-year-old has played 2,657 minutes in the league, more than double the 1,120 he clocked up in 2023-24. That his midfielder deputy, Wataru Endo, has yet to start a league game is reflective of Slot's tendency to rely on a relatively small crop of players.

While it might be too simplistic to blame weary legs for Liverpool's downturn in form, a degree of mental fatigue seems to have crept in for some. After all, barring the lesser-spotted Federico Chiesa, this is the same group of players who saw their season implode in spectacular fashion under Jurgen Klopp a year ago. Perhaps some of the calamitous individual errors against Fulham were born from a bout of end-of-season nerves. If so, this is something Slot and his players must nip in the bud quickly, as they can't afford to let the ghosts of last season return to haunt them in the coming weeks.

It is also no coincidence that Liverpool's dip has coincided with a rare barren spell in front of goal for Salah. The Egypt international has enjoyed one of the great individual Premier League seasons, registering a mightily impressive 27 goals and 17 assists, and has contributed to a whopping 61% of Liverpool's 72 league goals. But he has gone without scoring in his last four games in all competitions and his last league goals were a brace of penalties against strugglers Southampton in early March.

While Diogo Jota scored a fine winner in the Merseyside derby and Díaz was impactful as a substitute against Fulham, Liverpool's attacking play is far less convincing when Salah's influence wanes. Slot must hope his talisman is able to get back to his best between now and the end of the campaign.

What do Liverpool need to do in the summer?

Despite Liverpool having dominated in the Premier League, this summer promises to be one of the busiest in years at Anfield.

The first, and perhaps most important piece of business has been done with Salah signing a new contract, ending a months-long saga over his future. Next, Liverpool must establish the futures of their other out-of-contract stars: Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. While a source has told ESPN that Real Madrid are confident of landing Alexander-Arnold on a free transfer, there remains optimism on Merseyside that Van Dijk will commit.

Assuming that's how the situation plays out, Liverpool will need to dip into the market for a right-back to provide competition for the 21-year-old Conor Bradley. The Northern Ireland international has proved a capable deputy for Alexander-Arnold since his breakthrough last season and has the quality to establish himself as Slot's first choice. But his injury record -- coupled with a lack of experience at elite level -- means it would be a risk not to bolster that position.

On the opposite flank, the need to freshen up at left-back is glaring. Andrew Robertson has been a tremendous servant for the club since joining for 8 million from Hull City in 2017, but he has struggled for form this term. The Scotland captain's catalogue of errors in the buildup to Fulham's second goal were emblematic of his difficult campaign, while back-up Kostas Tsimikas is not viewed as a long-term solution and may be tempted to leave in search of regular minutes.

AFC Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez has been heavily linked with a 40m move to Anfield and, at 21, aligns well with Liverpool's traditional recruitment policy of signing young players who already have a significant wealth of high-level experience. Ajax defender Jorrel Hato, 19, also fits that profile and is capable of playing as both a full-back and a central defender, while his transfer is valued at around 30m.

At the other end of the pitch, Liverpool's forward line is also in need of surgery. Darwin Núñez has endured another turbulent campaign and, after three seasons at Anfield, looks no closer to developing into the prolific No. 9 the club hoped he would become when they spent an initial 64m to sign him from Benfica in the summer of 2022.

Jota is a more natural goal scorer, but he too has looked some way off his best this season and his continued injury struggles often leave Liverpool in need of someone to take up the mantle as first-choice center forward. Of course, Slot's side will not be the only team in the market for a striker, and the likes of Newcastle's Alexander Isak, Napoli's Victor Osimhen (on loan at Galatasaray) and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko will come at a premium of between 70m-150m. But they might be able to recoup some money from the possible exit of Núñez to Saudi Arabia or elsewhere.

While the club are unlikely to sign more than three or four new players, it would be shrewd for Liverpool to recruit a midfielder to help lighten the load on Gravenberch. And the Reds have not signed a center-back since Ibrahima Konaté in 2021, so could benefit from a reshuffle there too, even if Van Dijk stays on.

Considering this squad is likely to be crowned champions of England in the not-too-distant future, it's clear there is still plenty of room for improvement. For now, though, Liverpool's focus must be on returning to winning ways -- starting with this weekend's visit of West Ham United to Anfield. Anything less than three points against Graham Potter's side and there will be concerns that the Reds' slight malaise is descending into a mini-crisis which could leave scars that even a summer of good transfer business can't fix.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has signed a new contract at Anfield, ending a monthslong saga over the Egypt international's future with the Merseyside club.

Salah, whose previous deal was set to expire this summer, had repeatedly suggested that this could be his final season at Liverpool. However, the 32-year-old has now committed himself to Arne Slot's side, signing a two-year deal that will keep him at the club until at least 2027.

Discussions have been taking place for several months, with sporting director Richard Hughes overseeing negotiations with Salah's agent, Ramy Abbas Issa.

Recent reports had suggested Salah -- who is Liverpool's highest-paid player -- had agreed to reduce his salary in order to remain at Anfield; however, a source told ESPN that a pay cut was never on the agenda for either party.

"Of course I'm very excited," he said. "We have a great team now. Before also we had a great team. But I signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football.

"It's great, I had my best years here. I played eight years, hopefully it's going to be 10. Enjoying my life here, enjoying my football. I had the best years in my career.

"I would like to say to [the fans], I am very, very happy to be here. I signed here because I believe we can win a lot of big trophies together. Keep supporting us and we'll give it our best, and hopefully in the future we're going to win more trophies."

Salah joined Liverpool from Roma in summer 2017 and has since cemented himself as one of the best forwards in world football.

He has made close to 400 appearances for the club, winning seven major honors, including the Premier League and Champions League. This season, Salah has scored 32 goals in 45 appearances in all competitions -- including 27 Premier League goals.

Salah has been the driving force behind Liverpool's pursuit of the club's 20th league title this term. His brace in the win over Southampton in March took him to third on the club's all-time scorers list.

He becomes the first of Liverpool's three out-of-contract players to sign a new deal, with the futures of Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold still uncertain.

Liverpool captain Van Dijk is also expected to commit to a new deal at Anfield, with the defender revealing last week that "progress" had been made in negations.

The 2025 Masters is underway and, after an eventful first 18 holes, a packed leaderboard at the top features three former winners including Scottie Scheffler, who is searching for his third green jacket in four years.

As the page turns to Friday, here is what we're keeping an eye on.

Can Justin Rose hang on to the lead?

The English golfer has experienced this start before, but he's hoping for a different ending Sunday.

It is the fifth time Rose has held the first-round lead at the Masters, the most in tournament history. It's the eighth time he has led or co-led in any round at Augusta National Golf Club, the most of any player who hasn't won a green jacket.

"I feel like I've played well enough to win this tournament," Rose said. "I just feel like I don't have the jacket to prove it. I feel like, no, it's a compliment. I've played a lot of good rounds of golf here. Got a lot of crystal, which is obviously always nice. But yeah, you know, ultimately, you want to be [the] last man standing on Sunday."

Rose, 44, has put himself in contention to be that if he plays well over the last 54 holes. He was unable to win the previous four times he held the first-round lead:

-- In 2004, the 23-year-old Rose had a 2-stroke lead after both the first and second rounds. But then he fell apart with a 9-over 81 that included nine bogeys Saturday. It was the worst third-round score by a 36-hole leader at the Masters in more than 25 years. He tied for 22nd at 2 over, 11 strokes behind winner Phil Mickelson.

-- Rose was tied for the first round lead with Brett Wetterich at 3 under in 2007. Over the last 54 holes, Rose was 7 over in cold and windy conditions. He was in the hunt until the end and trailed eventual winner Zach Johnson by one stroke after making birdies on Nos. 14 and 16 in the final round. But a double-bogey on the 17th hole dropped Rose into a tie for fifth at 4 over.

-- The next year, Rose and Trevor Immelman finished the first round atop the leaderboard at 4 under. Rose fell out of contention after posting a 6-over 78 in the second round. He carded a triple-bogey 8 at the long 15th after pitching into the water in front of the green. Rose was 11 over in the final three rounds and tied for 36th at 7 over.

-- In the 2021 Masters, Rose was 9 under in his final 11 holes of the first round to open a 4-shot lead over Brian Harman and Hideki Matsuyama. It was the fourth time Rose had led or co-led after the first round, tying Jack Nicklaus for the Masters record. Once again, Rose couldn't get it done on the weekend. He had a 1-shot lead after the second round and trailed Matsuyama by four after the third. Rose finished solo seventh at 5 under, five shots behind Matsuyama.

Can Rose get it done this year? He is a two-time runner-up at the Masters, losing to Jordan Spieth in 2015 and Sergio Garcia in 2017, so he knows all too well what it will take to slip on a green jacket Sunday.

Rose will have many of the world's best golfers -- Scottie Scheffler (-4), Ludvig Åberg (-3), Bryson DeChambeau (-3) and others -- chasing him.

"A little bit of Lady Luck here and there is always the difference here at times," Rose said. "But I've had my luck on occasion and been a champion. But you've got to be playing the golf to keep creating those opportunities, and obviously the only way to do that is to get your name on the leaderboard. I definitely don't shy away from it." -- Mark Schlabach

Does Rory McIlroy still have a chance?

It seemed as if McIlroy had all the momentum in the world. After countless slow starts at Augusta, the four-time major winner appeared to have broken the code. He was 4-under through 14 holes and had just hit the perfect drive on the par-5 15th. His long iron shot landed on the green and trickled off the back, leaving him a tricky, but straightforward, chip.

But as soon as McIlroy made contact, he appeared to wince. He had carried the ball too far and, as it started to roll past the pin, the crowd begged for the ball to sit. It didn't and trickled into the water. McIlroy made the long, arduous walk across the bridge to the drop zone and made double bogey. Momentum gone.

"The green is new so it gets a little bit firmer than some of the other ones," said Ludvig Åberg, one of McIlroy's playing partners. "But obviously, you're playing with fire when you're messing with that front, especially with a short pin. That chip from long isn't easy, either."

Another sloppy chip and a three-putt on 17 produced a second double bogey and a quick mistake turned into a disastrous finish. On the 14th, McIlroy had been tied with Scottie Scheffler who shot a 4-under 68 in the morning wave and, suddenly, after going 4-over on his last four holes, he was even par -- four shots behind Scheffler and eight shots behind the leader, Justin Rose.

McIlroy declined to speak to the media after his round and headed straight to the range.

Even though McIlroy has had strong finishes at Augusta before, the slow starts have been his Achilles heel and impossible to overcome. In his past seven first rounds at the Masters, McIlroy has broken par only once. Moreover, 18 of the past 19 Masters winners have been within four shots of the lead after Round 1. McIlroy was four shots back on 14; now he's eight back.

If this is the year McIlroy finally puts on the green jacket, as many expected, it will take a monumental effort. The four-time major winner will need to start making up ground right away Friday morning. If there's a silver lining in Thursday's efforts, it is that McIlroy drove the ball well and, aside from 15 and 17, played steady golf. But as this course often shows -- and as McIlroy knows all too well -- one crucial mistake can be too much to overcome. -- Paolo Uggetti

Which LIV players made a strong start in the first major of the year?

Even though 2023 Masters champion Jon Rahm had yet another tough round at Augusta National on Thursday, shooting 3-over par and showing plenty of frustration, five other LIV Golf members found themselves in the top 11 after one round.

Sixteen total players are at 1-under par and tied for 11th place, including Cameron Smith, 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed and two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson. Bryson DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton both shot 3-under rounds of 69 and are tied for fifth place. Joaquín Niemann, a three-time winner this year, is at even par and tied for 27th place.

"It's just so hard," said Hatton, who seemed mildly pleased with his round. "It's like, you love being here and it's very special, but at any moment you can just hit a shot, and it just does your head in. I just need to keep hitting perfect shots."

Hatton had his best finish ever at Augusta last year (T-9), and reminded reporters Thursday that he said at the time that he needed to drive it better to improve at this course. On Thursday, Hatton hit 11 of 14 fairways. Mission accomplished.

DeChambeau also hit 11 fairways in the first round and put together a strong round after his best finish came last year (T-4). Afterward, however, DeChambeau wasn't totally pleased with his performance and, to no one's surprise, headed to the range to work on his swing under the lights. No one hit more range balls during the lead-up to the tournament this week than him.

"I want to steer that ship in the right direction. I feel like I've got a golf swing that is favorable right now; it's just not dialed in like I want it to be," he said. "I need to work on that a little bit and get comfortable for tomorrow."

Reed, for his part, was pleased with his swing, but it was his putter that gave him headaches. He hit all but one fairway and missed five greens in regulation, but he lost over half a stroke to the field with the putter in his hands, per Data Golf.

"Ballstriking wasn't a problem," Reed said. "The flatstick is on vacation and needs to kind of show up. It needs to get on a flight and meet me here."

Despite a round of 75, Rahm -- who threw his driver on the ninth hole and looked ready to snap it half -- said he feels ready to make a charge Friday.

"I'm confident," Rahm said. "It's a very difficult golf course. It's going to get harder. If I can get off to a good start, post a round in the 60s tomorrow, then the weekend could be a new story." -- Uggetti

Who has work to do Friday?

The top 50 scores and ties will make the 36-hole cut at the Masters (there is no 10-shot rule), and there were 62 golfers with scores of 2 over or better after 18 holes. Data Golf's predictive model had the following projected cuts after the first round: 2 over (18.5%), 3 over (39.5%) and 4 over (29.6%).

There are several big names who need to play well Friday to stick around for the weekend: Will Zalatoris (2 over), Keegan Bradley (2 over), Max Homa (2 over), Dustin Johnson (2 over), Patrick Cantlay (2 over), Brooks Koepka (2 over), Phil Mickelson (3 over), Tony Finau (3 over), Jon Rahm (3 over), Wyndham Clark (4 over), Adam Scott (5 over) and Russell Henley (7 over).

Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, made the cut in the previous 15 Masters, last missing the weekend in 2009.

Lucas Glover, who struggled through a round of 6-over 78, wasn't in much of a mood to talk Thursday.

Asked to describe the course conditions, Glover said: "The course was perfect."

Asked to describe his round, he replied: "Awful."

Asked what he would need to do to turn his game around Friday, Glover said: "Not doing anything I did today." -- Schlabach

What about the weather for Friday?

Even after taking on about an inch of rain Monday, which wiped out most of the day's practice rounds, Augusta National's greens and fairways were firm and fast in the first round.

"It's hard out there. It's tough," said Brian Harman, who gutted out a 1-under 71 with 4 birdies, 1 bogey and a double-bogey. "The greens are super firm in some spots. It's just so tricky on that back nine, it's hard to get good looks.

"You've got to hit perfect shots to get good looks, and it's just Augusta, man. It's a bear. I always say, for me I think it's the hardest place we play all year. Just the way it's matured. The par-5s for me on the back nine, I can't really go for. End up with these tricky little wedges. It's just hard -- start to finish."

Another round of showers and potentially thunderstorms is forecast overnight Friday with a cold front passing through Augusta. There's an 80% chance of precipitation and showers are expected to end between 6 and 9 a.m. ET on Friday. About two-tenths to four-tenths of rain might fall.

The forecast for the weekend is good with sunny skies and temperatures in the high 60s to low 70s predicted.

"Fingers crossed the rain stays away," said England's Tyrrell Hatton, who carded a 3-under 69 in the first round. "The course is in great shape. The greens are, for a Thursday, pretty rapid already and pretty firm in places. I imagine if the rain stays away then the scoring has the potential to get a little bit worse. That just shows how hard it is around here." -- Schlabach

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Ja Morant got in trouble again for aiming an imaginary gun to celebrate 3-pointers, so he has gone to a different make-believe violent way to mark a long-distance shot.

The Memphis Grizzlies leading scorer, who was fined $75,000 recently for mimicking pointing a long gun after a basket from outside the arc, acted like he was pulling a pin and tossing a grenade in Thursday night's 141-125 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Morant, who was 5-of-13 from 3-point range, in some cases even covered his ears after the windmill-like hurl of the invisible explosive.

"That's my celebration now until somebody else has a problem with it, and I'll find another one," Morant said after Thursday's shootaround.

The league handed down the $75,000 fine on April 4 after Morant twice made what was considered an "inappropriate" imaginary gun-aiming gesture on the court. He was previously warned by the league office that this gesture could be interpreted in a negative light.

The gestures that drew the fine were made by Morant during the Grizzlies' 110-108 victory over the Miami Heat on April 3, but it first drew the league's attention in an April 1 home game against the Golden State Warriors.

That led to the investigation and the warning before Morant did it again against Miami.

The fine was the culmination of several questionable incidents involving firearms. Morant was suspended for 25 games at the start of the 2023-24 season after he was seen on video waving a gun in a car. He previously was suspended eight games after he was seen with a gun in a Denver-area nightspot.

"I wasn't surprised," Morant said of the latest fine, "just for showing people what's pretty much been evident for the last two years."

Teammate Vince Williams Jr. wasn't really surprised by the change in celebration, adding, "I would have went to that, too."

"It's good for him," Williams said. "He gets to save his money. Anything that benefits him saving his money, I'm all for it, honestly."

But the grenade celebration drew criticism from the TNT studio crew Thursday night. Kenny Smith noted that Morant "has a history that maybe he shouldn't be doing that."

Shaquille O'Neal added: "He knows what he's doing because y'all are going to keep talking about it."

As for Charles Barkley, he said the happiest person might be former Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins, fired March 28 because "he ain't got to deal with this immature stuff."

WASHINGTON -- The Capitals wrapped up the top spot in the Eastern Conference in a 5-4 shootout win over the Carolina Hurricanes while celebrating new goals king Alex Ovechkin at Capital One Arena for the first time since he made history.

Ovechkin, who assisted on a goal in the win Thursday, was treated to a pregame ceremony for scoring his 895th career goal to break Wayne Gretzky's NHL record on Sunday at the New York Islanders. The arena introduced Ovechkin before showing the crowd a video of the historic goal and fans were able to cheer the Capitals legend for the first time at home.

Ovechkin and his family were then presented with a series of gifts, including an engraved gold stick commemorating breaking the goal record and a six-foot sculptural painting of a puck with his image on it. The ceremony ended with a team photo before players from the Hurricanes lined up to shake Ovechkin's hand one-by-one.

In the game that followed, Pierre-Luc Dubois scored the shootout winner after the Capitals rallied from a 2-0 deficit, then blew a 4-2 lead with Carolina's Jordan Martinook and Seth Jarvis scoring in the third period to tie it. That came after Washington's scoring spree in the second, with Dylan Strome, Nic Dowd and Tom Wilson all putting goals past Frederik Andersen.

Dubois also scored in regulation, while Charlie Lindgren made 31 saves and stayed in the game after a nasty collision seven minutes in on Carolina's second goal.

The Hurricanes, who are locked into second place in the Metropolitan Division and a first-round matchup against New Jersey, managed to get to overtime but lost their fourth in a row. Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake also scored, and Andersen allowed four goals on 28 shots in regulation.

Brandon Duhaime and Jalen Chatfield dropped the gloves early to settle a score from the teams' game last week. The Capitals were unhappy with Chatfield's takedown of Connor McMichael at the end of their fight.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

It's Week 2 of the 2025 MLB season, and while our top three teams are holding firm from Week 1, we have some big jumps shaking up the top 10.

Juan Soto and the New York Mets crack the top five this week (in the process, passing Aaron Judge and the torpedo-bat-powered New York Yankees), while Kyle Tucker's Chicago Cubs rocket all the way from No. 14 to No. 6. The San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox are also new members of the single-digit club.

It hasn't been anywhere near as fun in Atlanta, though, as the Braves have fallen from No. 2 in our preseason rankings to No. 11 in Week 1, and now to No. 15 in Week 2.

Our expert panel has combined to rank every team based on a combination of what we've seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts Jesse Rogers, Bradford Doolittle and David Schoenfield to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.

Week 1 | Preseason rankings

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

Record: 10-4
Previous ranking: 1

Three losses in a row? Say it ain't so. The Dodgers have been dominant at home in the early going, but they've been average on the road as, once again, their pitching depth is being tested. Lefty Justin Wrobleski gave up eight runs Tuesday, one day after the staff gave up six, leading to back-to-back defeats to the Nationals. With Blake Snell and others down while Clayton Kershaw works his way back, the Dodgers feel a little short on the mound. Their offense will have to carry the day -- and it will -- but Los Angeles, even after a win on Wednesday, finds itself in an unfamiliar place: with the third-best record in its division. -- Rogers

2. Philadelphia Phillies

Record: 8-3
Previous ranking: 2

It might be strange to suggest that a 32-year-old DH coming off a three-year stretch during which he has averaged 44 homers is breaking out. But in the early going, Kyle Schwarber is going as well as he ever has. Over the Phillies' first 10 games, Schwarber clubbed five homers, was leading the NL with a 248 OPS+ and was tied with Shohei Ohtani for the highest average exit velocity in the majors. What really stands out as possibly different for Schwarber is his improved contact rate. His strikeout rate (20%) is 8.5% lower than 2024, when he matched his career average (28.5%) in that category. According to Statcast, Schwarber's rate of squaring up pitches has leaped from the 30th percentile to the 89th. -- Doolittle

3. San Diego Padres

Record: 10-3
Previous ranking: 3

San Diego finally lost a game after playing on the road for the first time this past weekend in frigid Chicago. Despite a series loss, the arrow is still pointing up for the Padres, who boast the third-lowest ERA in baseball during the opening weeks of the season. Their bullpen is even better, ranking second in ERA with a stellar 1.78 mark entering Wednesday. Even without Tanner Scott, it's as nasty as ever, as righties Jason Adam and Jeremiah Estrada have been nearly untouchable. The same can be said of closer Robert Suarez, as well as a couple of other back-end guys. It has propelled San Diego to a fast start. -- Rogers

4. New York Mets

Record: 8-4
Previous ranking: 8

Francisco Lindor is off to a tepid start, but as his 11th big league season gets rolling, he's starting to hit some impressive career counting numbers. Lindor reached the 1,500-hit mark this week, spurring a few articles wondering if he was destined to become baseball's next 3,000-hit guy. That pursuit is a long way into the future, but Lindor, 31, is the youngest of the 24 active players with at least 1,500 career hits. Next up for Lindor is a milestone homer. After getting on the board in that column with a shot against the Marlins on Tuesday, Lindor now sits at 249 career dingers. -- Doolittle

5. New York Yankees

Record: 7-5
Previous ranking: 4

The Yankees didn't fare well in two near-freezing games in Detroit to begin that series, losing 6-2 in a contest with a game-time temperature of 38 degrees Monday and then losing 5-0 in 34-degree weather Tuesday. Both games were moved up from evening starts to afternoon starts because of the cold. At least in the second game they can chalk it up to facing Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. Meanwhile, with Clarke Schmidt making a good first rehab start, the Yankees expect him to join the rotation next week, bumping either Will Warren (6.00 ERA in two starts) or Carlos Carrasco (7.71 ERA in three appearances). Carrasco served up three home runs in Tuesday's shutout loss, but Warren has options remaining. -- Schoenfield

6. Chicago Cubs

Record: 9-6
Previous ranking: 14

Walks and stolen bases have been the name of the game for the Cubs, who boast one of the best offenses in the league. They're resembling some of manager Craig Counsell's teams in Milwaukee, not relying on slug as much as on speed and defense. It has come in handy so far at frigid Wrigley Field, where they won series against the warm-weather-based San Diego Padres and the domed Texas Rangers. The Cubs have scored seven or more runs in half their games, handing their bullpen big leads. That might be necessary more often than not, as closer games have resulted in some poor high-leverage performances at the back end. Chicago's vibe this season will be at the plate. -- Rogers

7. Texas Rangers

Record: 9-4
Previous ranking: 6

The Rangers started 8-4 despite being outscored by 12 runs during those games. Texas won its first five one-run games, plus its only two-run game, to create that early disparity. Of course, there are two ways to view the disconnect. The Rangers are sitting pretty in the standings despite a slumping offense that has hit under .200 as a group. Thus, the close wins are buying the Rangers some time until the batsmen get going. The cynical way to look at it is that the differential is a harbinger of impending doom. The real answer, as ever, is probably somewhere in the middle, but one way or another, the Rangers are going to need to score more runs. -- Doolittle

8. San Francisco Giants

Record: 9-3
Previous ranking: 12

Wilmer Flores has four home runs in fewer than 40 at-bats after hitting four last year in 214 at-bats. His return from last season's knee injury could be a nice boost for the Giants as he went deep 23 times in 2023 and has produced several .800 OPS seasons including a career-high .863 two years ago. Quietly, he has put together a nice latter half of his career, hitting 60 home runs over a three-season span in San Francisco, which isn't always the easiest place to go deep. -- Rogers

9. Boston Red Sox

Record: 6-7
Previous ranking: 13

After his historic slow start, Rafael Devers turned things around -- as did the entire Boston lineup in a three-game sweep of the Cardinals in which the Red Sox scored 36 runs and bashed out 45 hits. Including the final game of the Baltimore series, the Red Sox scored 44 runs in four games. Devers went 7-for-11 with a home run, four walks and just one strikeout against St. Louis. Alex Bregman also broke out of his slow start, going 9-for-18 with 2 home runs, 5 doubles and 10 RBIs in a four-game stretch. -- Schoenfield

10. Arizona Diamondbacks

Record: 7-6
Previous ranking: 5

The loss of Ketel Marte was felt at the plate for Arizona, which is behind the eight ball a little in a strong NL West. Marte's hamstring strain came just after the D-backs signed him to a new six-year, $116.5 million contract, which should have him retiring in the desert. He was part of a string of recent player extensions by Arizona as it tries to position itself as a destination -- with both a good team and the lure of the Phoenix area. Pitcher Corbin Burnes signed there partly because he lives in Scottsdale year-round. More and more players are doing the same, giving the D-backs a leg up -- if they can take advantage of it. -- Rogers

11. Baltimore Orioles

Record: 5-8
Previous ranking: 7

The outfield defense has been a little shaky, drawing the frustration of manager Brandon Hyde. On Sunday, Jorge Mateo, subbing for Cedric Mullins, misplayed a Bobby Witt Jr. line drive, which would have made it two outs with nobody on. Instead, the Royals went on to score three runs. On Friday, Tyler O'Neill threw to second base on a blooper -- allowing Witt to score from first base and giving Vinnie Pasquantino a three-run single. "We've had three times now where he's thrown the ball to the wrong base," Hyde said. "You've got Bobby Witt on first base and the ball drops like that, Tyler understands that ball needs to go to the plate." -- Schoenfield

12. Detroit Tigers

Record: 7-5
Previous ranking: 17

After getting swept by the Dodgers to begin the season, the Tigers responded with a series victory in Seattle, a sweep of the White Sox and another series win over the Yankees. Spencer Torkelson's third home run of 2025 on Tuesday got the Tigers going, the first of three home runs in the fourth inning. He finished 2-for-4 in the game, raising his season line to .310/.408/.643. He has been a huge lift for a lineup that needs that middle-of-the-order power hitter, but it's worth noting that his strikeout rate remains very high at 32.7%. -- Schoenfield

13. Houston Astros

Record: 5-7
Previous ranking: 10

Houston fans unhappy with the Astros' offseason plan got plenty of fuel for their fire during the first full week of the season when the Players of the Week were ex-Astros Kyle Tucker (NL) and Alex Bregman (AL). Even that would be fine -- good for them! -- but that coincided with what has been a brutal start for the Houston offense. Over their first 11 games, the Astros scored just 32 runs. Meanwhile, between them, Tucker and Bregman created 30 runs during that span for their new teams. Their replacements in Houston -- Isaac Paredes and Cam Smith -- had combined for five. Ouch. -- Doolittle

14. Kansas City Royals

Record: 6-6
Previous ranking: 15

The ace lefty for the Royals so far has been ... no, not Cole Ragans, but Kris Bubic. He allowed just one run in winning his first two starts, striking out an impressive 16 batters in 12 innings. The last time Bubic was starting was in April 2023, when he made three starts before undergoing Tommy John surgery (and before that he had a 5.58 ERA as a starter in 2022). He returned last season, making all 27 appearances in relief. While his fastball averages just 92.2 mph, he has generated a high whiff rate through the two starts at 34%. If he can keep that going with his fastball, he could be a surprise breakout pitcher. -- Schoenfield

15. Atlanta Braves

Record: 2-9
Previous ranking: 11

It's been a stunningly bad start for Atlanta as the Braves now try to stack up a little good news. Getting home to Truist Park was a good start. Getting in the win column helped. The second win, a 7-5 victory against NL East rival Philadelphia, featured a homer and four RBIs from catcher Sean Murphy in his first game back from the IL. Spencer Strider is due to make another rehab start in the minors after getting his pitch count up to 75 his last time out. And while there's still no clear timeline for the return of Ronald Acuna Jr., we might see him back in a few weeks. All good news. The Braves certainly need it. -- Doolittle

16. Tampa Bay Rays

Record: 5-6
Previous ranking: 9

If the Rays have any chance at making a playoff run, they'll need Yandy Diaz and Junior Caminero to hit, and so far neither has -- in the Rays' first nine games the two combined for no home runs, three RBIs and a .197 average. Caminero's ability is obvious: His bat speed is as good as it gets (100th percentile) and he has elite contact ability -- but he didn't barrel up a single baseball in those opening nine games. It's been a similar story for Diaz, the 2023 AL batting champ. Like Caminero, he had just four strikeouts through nine games but hasn't done any damage. Indeed, the Rays had just five home runs, three from Brandon Lowe. -- Schoenfield

17. Toronto Blue Jays

Record: 8-5
Previous ranking: 20

The big news of the week was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. agreeing to a 14-year, $500 million extension that will go down as one of the biggest moments in Blue Jays history. Maybe Guerrero saw that "0" in the home run column and figured he'd better sign now. The deal, the third largest in MLB history behind the contracts for Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani, shatters the previous record in Blue Jays history, George Springer's $150 million deal signed as a free agent. No doubt, Toronto's inability to land Soto or Ohtani made the front office likely go higher than it was comfortable with, but keeping the homegrown star was generally acknowledged as something the franchise had to do. Now Guerrero just needs to hit like he did in 2024, when he was worth 6.2 WAR. -- Schoenfield

18. Milwaukee Brewers

Record: 7-5
Previous ranking: 24

Milwaukee began to right the ship after a bad start, thanks in part to young Jackson Chourio. He had a big week, hitting over .380 with three home runs. Chourio might end the year as the most dangerous hitter in a Brewers lineup that still employs Christian Yelich and William Contreras. He's just 21 years old, but like Padres star Jackson Merrill, he plays older than his age or experience level. Industry insiders believe it won't be long before Chourio will be the guy in Milwaukee. -- Rogers

19. Seattle Mariners

Record: 5-8
Previous ranking: 16

Righty Logan Gilbert has been drawing raves over his start, building on 2024 when he finished sixth in AL Cy Young balloting. Through three starts, Gilbert is leading the league in WHIP (0.623) and strikeouts (25) while posting a 2.55 ERA and 2.22 FIP. Gilbert has ramped up the use of his elite splitter, throwing it about a quarter of the time so far after sitting around 13% last season. You can't blame him: Hitters are hitting .000/.025/.000 against the splitter so far. Alas, Gilbert's luck in the W-L category has not improved. After going 9-12 in 2024, Gilbert is 0-1 in 2025 despite his dominance. -- Doolittle

20. Cincinnati Reds

Record: 5-8
Previous ranking: 18

Hunter Greene is picking up where he left off last season, when he made his first All-Star team. Greene pitched a gem Monday in San Francisco, nearly getting the complete-game shutout. He settled for 8 innings, striking out seven while giving up four hits and a walk. Through three starts, Greene has 23 K's to just three free passes, while pitching five innings, then seven, then Monday's near CG. He has turned into the ace the Reds thought they were getting when they drafted him second overall in 2017. -- Rogers

21. Los Angeles Angels

Record: 7-4
Previous ranking: 22

Break up the Angels! The Halos have hovered around first place in the AL West over the past week despite a run differential that was break-even through Tuesday. The good news: Every other team in the division was well into the red. Kyren Paris, a surprise member of the Angels' opening day roster, has been a revelation. The 23-year-old entered the season 10-for-91 with a lone homer during his sporadic big league time. During his first nine outings of 2025, Paris went 9-for-21 with three homers and a jaw-dropping 1.491 OPS. He has bounced between second base and center field so far for manager Ron Washington, and while he's not going to stay this hot, Paris has emerged as a player to watch during the early going. -- Doolittle

22. Cleveland Guardians

Record: 5-6
Previous ranking: 21

The season-opening nine-game road trip was certainly a disappointment at 3-6, and the concern to begin the season was the primary culprit: The starting rotation went 1-5 with a 6.70 ERA while averaging less than five innings per start. Overall, the rotation recorded just 26 strikeouts in 43 innings, although the Guardians did play the Royals and Padres, two of the best contact teams in the majors. The rotation did rank in the middle of the pack in this area in 2024 (14th in the majors), so let's mark this inability to miss bats as something to watch for now. -- Schoenfield

23. St. Louis Cardinals

Record: 5-7
Previous ranking: 19

Starter Miles Mikolas saw his ERA jump from 3.38 to 11.25 after a disastrous outing in Boston over the weekend. He gave up 11 hits in just 2 innings en route to an 18-7 loss for St. Louis. Mikolas isn't exactly a guy who misses bats, but the past several years have been hard to fathom after a decent start to his Cardinals career. As recently as 2022, he gave up 170 hits in 202 innings pitched. Not bad. But since then it has been more hits than innings -- by a wide margin. In 2023, he served up 226 hits in 201 innings, then last year gave up 194 hits in 171 innings. With his contract up after this year, will St. Louis find any takers at the deadline, and will he waive his no-trade clause? -- Rogers

24. Minnesota Twins

Record: 4-8
Previous ranking: 25

In starting 3-7, the Twins hit just .199, but maybe the biggest problem has been the lack of innings the rotation has delivered. Just twice in those 10 games did a starter record an out in the sixth inning. Yes, it's early, and pitch counts will be ultraconservative, but even by 2025 standards, you need to get more from your starters. The bullpen picked up Sunday's loss, however, when Griffin Jax allowed the tying runs in the ninth inning against Houston and then Louis Varland got the loss in the 10th (it was Varland's fourth appearance in six days, although Jax was well rested). Manager Rocco Baldelli's frustration boiled over in Monday's loss to the Royals, when he was ejected arguing a pitch clock violation called on Simeon Woods Richardson (which gave a walk to the batter). -- Schoenfield

25. Athletics

Record: 5-8
Previous ranking: 23

First baseman Tyler Soderstrom has looked like one of the AL's breakout hitters during the early going. Soderstrom stroked six homers over the Athletics' first 12 games, a span in which he led the league in dingers, slugging and OPS+. While Sutter Health Park had baseball's second-highest collective slugging percentage during that time, behind Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Soderstrom's power surge wasn't a bandbox illusion. Four of his long balls came during the Athletics' opening road trip. With rookie Jacob Wilson also off to a blistering start, the Athletics might be looking at a potent lineup if and when Brent Rooker approaches something close to his 2024 level. -- Doolittle

26. Washington Nationals

Record: 5-7
Previous ranking: 27

The Nats have gotten exciting starts from some of their foundational young players such as James Wood, MacKenzie Gore and Mitchell Parker. On the flip side, Dylan Crews' slow career start has continued into this season. Through his first 10 outings, Crews managed just five singles and a walk over 37 plate appearances, leaving him with a minus-12 OPS+. And, yes, you apparently can get into the negative in that metric. Crews' career line stands at .200/.260/.303 for a 61 OPS+. A slow start is still just a start, but the Nationals need Crews to show some positive signs, or a little more Triple-A polish might be required. -- Doolittle

27. Pittsburgh Pirates

Record: 5-8
Previous ranking: 28

Pittsburgh pushed its team batting average over .200 this week, but how long will it stay there? The Pirates' inability to provide offense for a decent pitching staff continues to be an annual trend. The elder statesman -- Andrew McCutchen -- is off to a good start, but none of their young guys are producing. As of Tuesday, no player had more than two home runs, while guys like Oneil Cruz (.211) and Bryan Reynolds (.191) were struggling mightily. Ke'Bryan Hayes showed some signs of life last week, but the Pirates are going to need a lot more at the plate in order to stay afloat. -- Rogers

28. Miami Marlins

Record: 6-6
Previous ranking: 26

First-timer Clayton McCullough is learning quickly about the scrutiny that goes with being a big league manager. McCullough caught heck from, among others, the Mets' broadcast crew for a sequence during Miami's loss on Tuesday. With the Mets leading 6-5 in the sixth, there was one out, runners on first and third and Juan Soto coming to the plate. McCullough ordered an intentional pass, loading the bases for Pete Alonso. Presumably, the aim was to set up a double play ... except McCullough then ordered the infield and the outfield in. Center fielder Derek Hill was playing just 271 feet from the plate. Alonso then clubbed a bases-clearing double to left center. Welcome to the spotlight, skipper. -- Doolittle

29. Colorado Rockies

Record: 2-9
Previous ranking: 30

This year's youth movement has begun in Colorado, where the team called up 2020 first-rounder Zac Veen this week. Veen, 23, earned his promotion after going 12-for-31 to start the season at Triple-A Albuquerque. After a series of injuries over the past couple of years, Veen pulled off a rare feat in 2024: playing at every level of the Rockies organization, even getting 10 plate appearances in the rookie league. But that was all just to get him ready for his moment at Coors Field, where he went 1-for-4 in his debut on Tuesday. -- Rogers

30. Chicago White Sox

Record: 2-9
Previous ranking: 29

One bright spot has been veteran starter Martin Perez. In a rotation that began the season with a combined 40 MLB starts aside from Perez, the 34-year-old lefty has allowed just four hits and one run over 12 innings across two starts. Granted, the two starts came on cold days against the Twins at home and at Detroit, but at least Perez has given the rotation some early stability. Perez is on a one-year deal with a $10 million mutual option for 2026, so if he continues to pitch well, you will certainly hear his name in trade rumors. -- Schoenfield