CLEVELAND -- Jose Ramirez homered in his first three at-bats -- and from both sides of the plate -- to power the Cleveland Guardians to a 10-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night.

Ramirez connected for a solo shot in the first inning off Matt Dermody (0-1), belted a two-run shot -- his 200th career homer -- in the third and added another solo blast in the sixth when the Guardians hit for the cycle, had eight straight hits and scored five times.

Ramirez came up a second time in the sixth bidding for a rare four-homer game but struck out swinging. The four-time All-Star third baseman had another chance in the eighth but grounded to third.

It was Ramirez's first career three-homer game, and it was the seventh time in his career that he's hit a home run from both sides of the plate, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Ramirez also showed off some of his defensive prowess in the sixth by backhanding Justin Turner's hard shot and throwing off balance across the diamond to get Boston's third baseman while backpedaling in foul territory.

Will Brennan added a homer as the Guardians won the series and handed the Red Sox their fifth loss in six games.

Aaron Civale (2-1) had his second solid outing for Cleveland after spending 46 games on the injured list with an oblique strain.

The right-hander pitched five scoreless innings last week at Minnesota, and kept the Red Sox off the scoreboard until the fifth, when Reese McGuire hit a two-out RBI double.

Triston Casas chased Civale in the sixth with his seventh homer to pull Boston within 3-2.

But Cleveland, whose offense has awakened after a slow start, pounded former teammate Corey Kluber in the sixth. After Ramírez homered, Andres Gimenez hit a two-run double, Myles Straw hit an RBI triple and Brennan singled home a run as the Guardians opened an 8-2 lead.

Kluber, who was recently demoted to the bullpen, was tagged for seven runs and 11 hits in 3⅓ innings.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- The Nevada Senate adjourned Thursday without voting on a financing bill for a proposed $1.5 billion Las Vegas Strip stadium for the Oakland Athletics, extending the special legislative session into next week amid negotiations over whether to contribute $380 million in public funding to the project.

The measure can be amended by lawmakers, and if it passes the Senate it would still need approval from the Assembly before going to the desk of Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, who has expressed support for it. Both the state Senate and Assembly are adjourned until Monday.

In a hearing that began Wednesday and stretched into the early morning hours Thursday, lawmakers questioned tourism officials and a representative from a firm partnering with the ballclub about the feasibility and benefits of financing such a deal.

The A's reached an agreement with Bally's and Gaming & Leisure Properties on May 15 to build a potential 30,000-seat stadium on the 35-acre Tropicana hotel site along the Las Vegas Strip.

Public funds for the stadium would mainly come from $180 million in transferable tax credits and $120 million in county bonds. Backers have pledged that the creation of a special tax district around the stadium would generate enough money to pay off those bonds and interest. The plan would not directly raise taxes.

The A's would not owe property taxes for the publicly owned stadium. Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, would also contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

A's representatives and some tourism officials say a deal would further expand Las Vegas' developing sports scene and act as an economic engine, but a growing chorus of economists and some lawmakers warn that the project would bring minimal benefits for the hefty public price tag.

"I feel bad for RBC and the Canadian Open." 

That was Rory McIlroy Wednesday ahead of his RBC Canadian Open three-peat bid, because for the second straight year, the focus at the event hasn't been the golf itself. 

The 2022 RBC Canadian Open — which was being contested for the first time since 2019 due to COVID — ran concurrently with the inaugural LIV Golf event in London, essentially the first time in modern history a rival circuit was competing against the PGA Tour. That Thursday, the Tour suspended its 17 members who teed it up that week in the Saudi-backed league. 

Now, less than 365 days later, the Canadian Open is again being contested under a cloud of controversy in the sport, as on Tuesday the Tour announced it's joining forces with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which bankrolls LIV. It's a complete 180 from last year in Canada, when PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan vehemently denounced LIV on CBS during the final-round telecast, asking, "Have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour?"

"To think about what went on this time last year and then the bombshell that was dropped (this week)," McIlroy said, "I mean, RBC has been one of the biggest supporters of the PGA Tour over the last 10 years. ... having this stuff sort of dropped on you two years in a row is very unfair."

Matt Fitzpatrick, who won this year's RBC Heritage, added: "A lot of sympathy (for RBC). Obviously, arguably the best sponsor for the PGA Tour. ... I'm sure it was a tough one to take."

Last year, however, the tournament — and McIlroy — rose to the occasion. And though the Tour's stance has since completely flipped, the feeling surrounding this Canadian Open is eerily similar. 

The pre-tournament pressers the past two years weren't about the shape of a player's game or what they thought about the venue, but rather their thoughts on the state of the sport. In 2022, most were pledging their fealty to the Tour. A year later, players were reacting to the shocking news that once again changes the sport's landscape. 

"The most uncomfortable I've felt in the last 12 months was my press conference yesterday," McIlroy, one of the Tour's staunchest defenders, said Thursday about his pre-tournament presser in which he said he felt "like a sacrificial lamb."

Then, as players hit their opening tee shots in Toronto, the elephant in the room was again prevalent as ever. 

The focus in the media area after last year's first two rounds wasn't a player's performance, but mostly about LIV and the Tour's suspensions (McIlroy even called Monahan "transparent" — that didn't age well). 

As players walked into the interview area this Thursday, reactions to the developments over the last 48 hours were sandwiched into questions about the first 18 holes. McIlroy noted it was difficult to focus solely on golf at first. 

"(Justin Rose and I) started to get in a conversation walking down the first and we're like, 'No, let's stop this. Let's just focus on our golf and we'll say what we want to say when we get inside,'" McIlroy said. "So it was nice to play a round of golf and focus on something else for those five hours we were out there."

But as last year's tournament went on, the golf stole back the spotlight. McIlroy, the Tour's de facto spokesperson, held off Tony Finau, Justin Thomas, Sam Burns and Justin Rose, who had a chance at shooting sub-60. 

"That's as top-notch (a tournament) as you're going to get," McIlroy said afterward. "It was a pleasure to be a part of and I'll look back on this week and this, especially today, with very, very fond memories."

That sentiment still holds true — and the tournament is hoping for a repeat. 

"It was a year ago that we were running the return of the 2022 RBC Canadian Open to St. George's and we had some news and developments — and we had the greatest event in our history," Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum said Wednesday.  

"So we come back into 2023 and again some news that was unexpected and for us, we will continue to stay focused on running a great PGA Tour event, a great national championship and to welcome what we hope will be well north of 125,000 people on-site will be a spectacle to behold."

And the players teeing it up this week are determined to direct the focus back on the course as another contentious year in golf sits on the horizon. 

"There's been some crazy news this week and we still got to go out there and provide a good show," Canadian Taylor Pendrith said Thursday. "RBC's been a tremendous sponsor to the Tour for years and it kind of sucks that it happened to them last year as well. So, the importance now is on golf and providing everybody a great tournament."

TORONTO — Corey Conners shot a bogey-free 5-under 67 on Thursday to share the first-round lead at the RBC Canadian Open, the first PGA Tour event since its announcement of an alliance with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

Conners is seeking to become the tournament’s first Canadian winner in 69 years. Also at 67 were Aaron Rai, Justin Lower and Chesson Hadley.

Two-time defending champion Rory McIlroy opened with a 71 at Oakdale. Matt Fitzpatrick, who will seek to defend his U.S. Open title next week at Los Angeles Country Club, was one of nine players at 68.

At No. 29 in the world, Conners is the highest-ranked of 21 Canadians in the field. The last player from Canada to win the event was Pat Fletcher in 1954 at Point Grey in Vancouver.

Conners did not speak to reporters after his morning round because he was dealing with an urgent personal matter. His two PGA Tour victories both came at the Valero Texas Open, including this year.

“Really disciplined off the tee, we didn’t try to do too much,” said Danny Sahl, Conners’ caddie. “But he had tons of fairways, missed maybe a couple in the first cut.

“Corey’s just tee-to-green hitting greens in regulation, made some good putts, just strong all around.”

Mike Weir in 2008 was the last Canadian to lead after the first round. The 53-year-old Weir shot 72 Thursday in his 30th Canadian Open appearance.

“I think he’s experienced enough to know that it’s so early, that it doesn’t really mean much yet,” Weir said of Conners. “He just wants to, I’m sure, just keep doing what he’s doing.”

Canadians Mackenzie Hughes, Taylor Pendrith and Roger Sloan were among the group at 3 under.

“You can’t win it on Thursday, but you can lose it,” Hughes said. “So definitely nice to be in a good spot after Thursday but it’s going to take four quite nice rounds and some steady golf.”

McIlroy, an outspoken defender of the PGA Tour during its battle with LIV Golf, said in a pre-tournament news conference he felt like a “sacrificial lamb” after the Tour changed course and aligned itself with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. However, he also said Saudi investment in the tour was inevitable and that the deal could be good for the sport long-term.

“At the end of the day, this is business and my job is playing golf,” said McIlroy. “The more that I can focus on that and focus on the birdies and the bogeys instead of the stuff that’s happened in the boardroom, I’ll be much happier.”

An air quality advisory was in effect due to wildfires across Ontario and Quebec that have led to postponements of sporting events in the northeastern United States. There was some rain during the afternoon, but play was never delayed.

Italy will face Uruguay in the final of the 2023 Under-20 World Cup on Sunday after both teams won their semifinal matchups on Thursday in Buenos Aires.

Both matches took place Unico Diego Armando Maradona Stadium at La Plata, which will also host the final and third-place game.

Uruguay beat surprise last-four side Israel 1-0 earlier in the day before Simone Pafundi scored a spectacular free kick to hand Italy a late 2-1 win over South Korea and a first appearance in the U20 title game.

Cesare Casadei opened the scoring for Italy in the 14th minute, but the game was back on level terms shortly after when Lee Seung-Won converted a spot kick following a VAR decision that awarded South Korea a penalty.

With the game seemingly headed to extra time, Italy were handed a free kick just outside of the penalty area in the 86th minute and Pafundi curled an unstoppable free kick over the wall to hand his team a spot in the final.

Before the winner, both teams had squandered golden opportunities to get ahead, including one for Italy that required goal line review. The Italian lineup has been resurgent in the knockout rounds with wins over England and Colombia after placing third in its group.

In the first match of the day, Anderson Duarte scored the only goal of the match for Uruguay -- who reached the U20 final in 1997 and 2013 before losing -- from close range in the 61st minute from with one of the few opportunities either team had during the match.

Israel goalkeeper Tomer Zarfati deflected a shot by Alan Matturro and it hit his left post, but Duarte was quicker than the Israeli defenders to put the ball in the back of the net.

After the goal, Israel had few opportunities to equalize in the remaining 30 minutes.

Uruguay also reached tournament final in 1997 and 2013. The Celeste lost those to Argentina and France, respectively.

Israel, which is playing in the competition for the first time, will play the third-place match Sunday against South Korea.

Protests in Muslim-majority Indonesia against hosting the Israel team forced FIFA into a very late switch of venues, with Argentina stepping in late to stage the tournament.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.

Luis Suarez will not be joining his friend and former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, the Uruguayan striker said Thursday.

In a stunning announcement Wednesday, Messi revealed his intention to join the MLS club following the expiration of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain on June 30.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

Speculation immediately followed that Miami could look to surround Messi with some other familiar faces. Suarez, who was linked with a transfer to Miami before he left Europe to return to South America -- first with Uruguayan giants Nacional and then with Brazilian club Gremio -- was one of those tipped for a potential move.

But the 36-year-old, who spent six seasons alongside Messi at Barcelona, said his contract with Gremio means a move to Miami is not on the cards.

"This is false, it is impossible," Suarez told Uruguayan newspaper El Observador about the reports. "I am very happy at Gremio and I have a contract until 2024."

Suarez signed a two-year deal when he joined the Porto Alegre team in December 2022, subsequently scoring 11 goals and adding eight assists in 24 appearances.

Another former Messi teammate could be on his way to South Beach, however.

Sources told ESPN on Wednesday that Sergio Busquets has held talks with Inter Miami over a free transfer. The midfielder, who last month announced he will not renew his contract with Barcelona when it expires on June 30, is also in talks with Saudi Arabian sides Al Nassr and Al Hilal.

Sources added that Busquets' next club, save any late twists, is expected to come from one of those three.

MANCHESTER, England -- John Stones has been so good during Manchester City's charge toward the treble that during a party to celebrate winning the Premier League title, Kyle Walker grabbed the microphone and began singing the song dedicated to the England centre-back by the club's fans.

Walker belted out "Johnny, Johnny Stones" to the tune of Boney M's "Daddy Cool" in front of a packed dance floor at Manchester restaurant MNKY HSE before the rest of the crowd joined in.

Stones, thriving in a half-defender, half-midfielder role dreamt up by manager Pep Guardiola, has never been more popular. Along with 52-goal striker Erling Haaland and midfield genius Kevin De Bruyne, he will be one of the first names on the team sheet when Guardiola names his XI for the Champions League final against Inter Milan in Istanbul on Saturday. But it hasn't always been that way.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

Three years ago, in the summer of 2020, it looked like Stones might have to leave the Etihad Stadium. Struggling with fitness and form, he could barely get a game.

"It was probably one of the hardest times in my career," he tells ESPN. "I literally went back to firstly looking at myself, being super critical of myself and what I could do better on the football pitch, and then looking into every fine detail. Food, what food? Training, what training? What extras?

"I would go home and do work, even late at night, or straight after training. These small margins, put them all together to kind of break where I was at. It was a big learning curve for me."

The low point was the Champions League quarterfinal against Lyon -- delayed because of COVID-19 -- in August 2020. Stones was fit and Guardiola used a system incorporating three central defenders but instead picked 35-year-old Fernandinho and 19-year-old Eric Garcia. City crashed out after a shock 3-1 defeat in Lisbon and Stones was an unused substitute.

"I think it's not just that game," he says. "I think any game that you don't play, or feel maybe that you should be playing, every player feels like that when they don't play, especially here because we've got an incredible team, it's always difficult. I really do try to put a positive spin on that and use that to motivate me."

In the wake of the defeat to Lyon, Stones was linked with a return to Everton, the club he left to join City in a £47.5 million deal in 2016. Ruben Dias arrived from Benfica in a move worth more than £60m to further complicate his path into the first XI and, because of a chequered injury record, there were doubts about whether Guardiola and director of football Txiki Begiristain wanted to extend his contract.

Stones, though, insists that a move elsewhere was never on his mind.

"I never thought about that," he says. "I think as soon as you accept that or have that mindset then you have killed yourself. So no, I always wanted to stay; I have stayed and I absolutely love it. I wanted to prove to myself, I didn't say to anyone, 'It was because I want to prove to you.' I think, if anything, you have to prove to yourself first and foremost that you deserve to be here, you are good enough to be here, and what you bring to the team."

It's a decision that has paid off. Less than a year after warming the bench against Lyon, Stones was named in the PFA Team of the Year alongside Dias as City won another Premier League title. A few months later, he signed a new five-year contract that will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until at least 2026.

During the second half of this season, he played in a hybrid position that has required him to step out of defence and into midfield and then back again. He was so impressive in Saturday's FA Cup final against Manchester United that Jack Grealish labelled his performance "disgusting" in a postmatch interview. More than once, the blue half of Wembley sang "Johnny, Johnny Stones."

"People have always said from a young age that they can see me playing in midfield," he says. "I think I did, and still do, love playing as a centre-half and I've absolutely loved this role as well. I think I have shown myself that I'm able to do it. Maybe showing some attributes that I didn't know that I had, but the manager has seen [something] in me and ultimately I think I'm just trying to show what I can do in there, and show what the manager sees in me."

Stones will be asked to do it again Saturday at Istanbul's Ataturk Olympic Stadium when City take on Inter for a chance to win the Champions League for the first time and complete the treble. Guardiola's team are heavy favourites, but Stones has learned over the course of his career that nothing in football is guaranteed.

"Inter are in the Champions League final for a reason," he says. "They've got incredible players, we can all see that. How they played on a big occasion, in a derby game [against AC Milan] in the Champions League semifinal, is never easy. We know what we're up against, they are an incredible team, and I know I am going over and over but we have to be ourselves and focus on us."

Stones is trying not to look too far ahead but there is an acceptance, if only briefly, that lifting the trophy would represent quite the turnaround after the lows of 2020.

"Probably, yeah," he says with a smile. "For me personally, if I hopefully look back after Saturday, with a winner's medal. Yeah, it will be super sweet."

The Big 12 Conference is extending its reach into Mexico, announcing plans Thursday for men's and women's basketball games to be played in Mexico City late next year while also exploring a possible football bowl game in Monterrey.

"Mexico is a natural extension to the Big 12 footprint," commissioner Brett Yormark said Thursday. "Through Big 12 Mexico, our student-athletes will have the opportunity to compete in an international setting, and our conference will have the chance to showcase our brand across Mexico."

Kansas and Houston, as reported by ESPN on Wednesday, will play each other in men's and women's basketball at Mexico City's Arena CDMX in December 2024. After that, women's soccer teams and baseball teams from the Big 12 will participate in exhibitions against clubs from the region.

Plans for a football bowl game -- to potentially be played following the 2026 regular season -- has been targeted for Monterrey.

The Big 12 will expand from 10 to 14 schools on July 1 when BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston officially join the league. Those additions come a year before the departures of Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC.

Yormark discussed the Mexico strategy at Big 12 meetings in West Virginia last week, saying expansion remains a focus for the conference that is distributing a record $440 million of revenue among its 10 current schools for the 2022-23 academic year.

Yormark expressed to the league's leadership that the Mexico initiative will help deliver the league a natural extension into a local footprint in Mexico and give Big 12 athletes the experience in competing in another country, sources told ESPN.

In his first year as commissioner, Yormark brokered a six-year television extension with ESPN and Fox that has given the league stability, and negotiated the early exit of Oklahoma and Texas.

Five current or future Big 12 campuses -- Baylor, Houston, TCU, Texas and Texas Tech -- are located within 400 miles of Mexico. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have campus extensions in Mexico.

Along with hosting conference games across multiple sports, Big 12 Mexico will see the league execute a variety of community outreach programming, commercial partnerships, merchandise and activations. The league on Thursday said that will include partnering with notable musicians and artists and launching an influencer marketing campaign in the region.

The bowl game in Monterrey would be the second postseason one currently held outside the United States, joining the Bahamas Bowl in Nassau. Historically, there have been others, including the now-defunct International Bowl in Toronto that held its final game in 2010. The Bacardi Bowl was also played in Havana, Cuba, periodically over the previous century.

The league is still exploring business partners and a league pairing for the bowl game.

ESPN's Pete Thamel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Longtime Arizona Coyotes captain Shane Doan, who played for the franchise from 1995-2017, is joining the front office of the Toronto Maple Leafs, multiple reports said Thursday.

Doan's role with the Maple Leafs was not yet clear. He had taken a position with the Coyotes as chief hockey development officer in January 2021 but stepped away from the job in September 2022.

He joins Toronto shortly after the franchise hired Brad Treliving as its new general manager on May 31. Treliving previously held the same role with the Calgary Flames.

The Maple Leafs' most important offseason task is addressing the contract of former league MVP Auston Matthews, who is an Arizona native who grew up rooting for Doan's Coyotes teams.

In 21 seasons with the Coyotes franchise, dating to their final season as the original Winnipeg Jets, Doan played in 1,540 games and tallied 972 points (402 goals, 570 assists).

The architect behind the groundbreaking agreement that was announced Tuesday between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia covered a wide range of topics in an interview Thursday on "Golf Central".

Jimmy Dunne, the senior managing principal of investment bank Piper Sandler and vice chairman of the PGA Tour’s policy board, said the agreement with the PIF was needed to end the “animosity” and “divisive environment” that has controlled the game for the last year.

Dunne, who is also the president of Seminole Golf Club, was also asked about his previous comments regarding LIV Golf, the PIF and Saudi Arabia. Piper Sandler (formerly known as Sandler O’Neill & Partners) was located on the 104th floor of the south tower of the World Trade Center and lost 66 employees during the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

“Every day the first thing I think about is that, several times during the day, I think about it and the last thing I think about at night is that,” Dunne said. “That has not changed since that day and I’m not alone in that. I would guarantee you that every one of those family members has that same condition. It’s just a reality of how unbelievably sad and awful that day was.

“I am quite certain and have had conversations with a lot of knowledgeable people that the people that I’m dealing with [from the PIF] had nothing to do with [the Sept. 11 attacks]. And if someone can find someone that unequivocally was involved with it, I’ll kill him myself. We don’t have to wait around.”

The agreement with the PIF was quickly criticized by groups representing the families of 9/11 victims and an emotional Dunne said part of his motivation to bridge the divide in professional golf was driven by his experiences following the attacks.

“We need to come together as a people. We have too much divisiveness,” he said. “There’s a point in time when you have to say, ‘let’s try to get to know one another. Let’s try to understand, let’s try to demonstrate by example.’

“I believe that we should not run away from our differences and we should get to know each other and basically make it difficult so that the extreme, vicious, immoral aspects of the people of the world, we don’t have to have a family deal with what we dealt with 20-plus years ago. As awful as it was for me, it was way worse for other people. I can’t imagine if one of my children were involved. I have a real empathy but I’d like to do something about it … that starts with communicating.”

That communication began seven weeks ago and included four face-to-face meetings between Dunne, fellow policy board member Ed Herlihy and, eventually, Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley.

Dunne said the timing of the talks was important, given a recent ruling in the United Kingdom in favor of the DP World Tour enforcing its policies against players who joined LIV Golf, and the PGA Tour’s current financial stability.

“When the outreach occurred, we were in our strongest position so if there was anything that hurt the game of golf we could walk away,” Dunne said. “We felt very good from a sponsorship standpoint, from a television standpoint, from a legal standpoint, so that at this point in time it was the time to have a conversation.”

The talks between the two sides moved quickly and trust with the PIF’s governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, was crucial to the agreement.

“I thought it was important to visit with him [Al-Rumayyan] and get to know him and find out if there was something we could do together and unite the game,” Dunne said. “We worked as quickly as we could and as thoroughly as we could.”

One of the big concerns by many was that, with the alliance, the PIF would control the professional game. Dunne noted that in the agreement, Monahan would be CEO of the new entity and, therefore, be the leader.

"By definition, as much as I liked the people I dealt with, the game of golf is too important, the legacy of the PGA Tour is too important. The people that we have in place have too much experience that we have no desire, no need – there is no way on God’s green earth that we’re going to give up control," Dunne said.

Among the most pressing issues moving forward that an initial agreement has been reached, is how players who remained loyal to the PGA Tour are compensated for that loyalty and those who left for guaranteed paydays at LIV Golf are provided a path back to the PGA Tour and European circuit.

“We have to make sure that whatever it is that we finalize, that they feel good about their [the players who remained with the PGA Tour] decisions,” he said. “I think we can get there. I don’t think it’s going to be easy and I don’t think we’re all going to agree, but I think we can get there.”

What exactly that path back and the compensation looks like remains to be seen, and Dunne said he will remain involved in the process as the two sides work out the details of the new agreement.

“When all the issues are dealt with, some of the venom and some of the self-centered concerns, as we get through that and we come up with a methodology that people can reenter, when we establish what the criteria will be, there needs to be something that people that didn’t go [to LIV Golf], people that stayed with us, they need to feel good about it,” Dunne said. “I don’t want it to be so outrageously punitive in nature … I want to try to get a balance and make sure that while everyone’s needs are heard and felt that we do what’s right for the game.”