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Rarely before has a group of players faced such a short turnaround from an IPL straight into a Test match in England but that is the challenge facing players from both India and Australia ahead of the World Test Championship final at the Oval with former Australia all-format allrounder Shane Watson describing the transition period as "extreme".
Modern players are used to jumping from format to format without much time but most of India's team are facing an unprecedented turnaround between the IPL and a Test in England with Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami playing in the IPL final last Monday, leaving them just over a week to prepare for the WTC final starting on Wednesday. It is marginally more time than what New Zealand's Trent Boult had last English summer when he played the IPL final on May 29 and played in a Test against England at Lord's just four days later.
Australia's Cameron Green played the IPL Qualifier for Mumbai in Chennai on May 26 and flew home to Perth in Western Australia for the briefest of pitstops to see his partner, having not been home since January, before flying to London ahead of Australia's first training session in Beckenham last Thursday. He has just five training sessions to acclimatise having never played first-class cricket in England before.

Watson is well-versed on switching between formats at short notice having been part of the IPL in 2013 and 2015 before playing in both Ashes series, albeit with longer lead-in times. He urged the players facing the same challenge to push themselves in the nets to get acclimatised to the Dukes ball after two months of T20 cricket in completely different conditions in India.

"There's no doubt that this transition period for the guys I think is going to have to be extreme," Watson told ESPNCricinfo. "Get as much volume as they possibly can facing new balls, trying to get the nets as spiced up as possible.

"That's the only way you can get your game back into hitting the ball under your eyes. Yes, you need that positive, aggressive intent but still understanding what balls you can score off and what balls are higher risk."

Gill, Jadeja and Shami along with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and R Ashwin played in the last WTC final in England in June 2021 following the IPL. However, the postponement of the 2021 IPL on May 2 gave them more than a month to prepare, albeit with significant Covid challenges.

Many of India's players also toured England after IPL seasons in 2014, 2018, and 2022 but had significantly more time to prepare on each occasion with the tours starting in July or August.

Like Watson, Warner and Steven Smith played in the 2013 and 2015 Ashes after playing in the IPL. But they also had a lot more time to prepare and even played first-class matches in England before the first Test of those series. In 2015 they played a two-Test series in the West Indies between the IPL and the Ashes. Warner and Smith also played in the IPL in 2019 and then had the 50-over World Cup in England prior to the Ashes.

Watson believes there can be no wasted moments in the training days the players have.

"I didn't have that quick a turnaround," Watson said. "It was always a challenge. Whether it's going into a winter Ashes series or whether it's going from a T20 series in Australia, flying and playing a Test match pretty much straight away, it is a big challenge.

"The thing you've got to understand is what you really need to work on if you've only got a couple of days.

"For me, the biggest thing came down to most importantly my defence. I ended up having to just work on facing the moving ball, making sure I was batting against bowlers with the moving ball or was getting throws against the moving ball and then just making sure I was locking in with my defence. Also just starting to get your head around leaving the ball again. What are the danger areas, more so the lines that bowlers would bowl and especially. The biggest challenge for all these guys and to Cameron Green is going to be around the Dukes ball because it swings so consistently.

"That's where having a couple of tour matches, in particular, to get used to the ball just consistently swinging and doing something is what you really need to get your head around it. So for these guys having such a quick turnaround and not having a tour match, it's going to be a huge challenge. Just to be able to get your game plan really locked in and then be able to do it ball after ball for a longer period of time."

Bowling workloads are also a major issue that may challenge India more than Australia. Hazlewood has already been withdrawn given his compromised preparation but Australia's other four quicks in Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Michael Neser have had long lead times to build up their red-ball bowling loads with Neser playing five first-class games for Glamorgan.

Both Green and India's bowlers do not have the same luxury and face a similar, albeit slightly less farcical challenge to what Boult faced last year.

"My body was always a challenge building up workloads at the best of times," Watson said. "Going from T20 cricket intensity with not a lot of fatigue compared to having to try and get your body up and get used to bowling a bit more with fatigue, that was always a challenge for me anyway. So I was always very careful and tried to map it out as much as I could.

"But obviously it's a really quick turnaround for a few of the bowlers in particular. Again, it's going to be sink or swim. They've got no choice. They've just got to throw themselves into it and hope that their bodies can hold up and the captains are able to manage the bowlers who are going into playing this Test without a lot of work under their belt."

Alex Malcolm is an Associate Editor at ESPNcricinfo

Former pitcher, Giants manager Craig dies at 93

Published in Baseball
Sunday, 04 June 2023 22:46

NEW YORK -- Roger Craig, who pitched for three championship teams during his major league career and then managed the San Francisco Giants to the 1989 World Series that was interrupted by a massive earthquake, has died. He was 93.

A spokesperson for the Giants said the team was informed by a family member that Craig died Sunday in San Diego following a short illness.

"We have lost a legendary member of our Giants family," Giants president and chief executive officer Larry Baer said in a statement. "Roger was beloved by players, coaches, front office staff and fans. He was a father figure to many and his optimism and wisdom resulted in some of the most memorable seasons in our history."

Craig was a rookie on the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers club that won the franchise's first title. He had a terrific season for the 1959 Los Angeles Dodgers, who beat the Chicago White Sox in the World Series. And he made 39 appearances for the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals squad that topped the New York Yankees for the championship.

The 6-foot-4 right-hander also pitched for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies during his 12-year career, finishing 74-98 with a 3.83 ERA and 19 saves.

After his playing days were done, Craig became a renowned pitching coach for the San Diego Padres, Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers. He was on manager Sparky Anderson's staff with the 1984 Tigers, who opened 35-5 and won the World Series. Craig was credited with teaching the split-finger fastball to Hall of Fame starter Jack Morris and 1986 National League Cy Young Award winner Mike Scott.

Craig's first job as a big league manager came with the Padres in 1978. He guided them to a 15-win improvement from the previous year and the first winning record in team history at 84-78. But he was fired after going 68-93 in 1979.

He was hired by the Giants in September 1985 and managed them through 1992, winning NL West titles in 1987 and 1989.

San Francisco beat the Chicago Cubs in the 1989 playoffs to capture its first NL pennant in 27 years, but the Giants were swept by the Oakland Athletics in a World Series billed as the Battle of the Bay.

Just before Game 3 was scheduled to begin at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on Oct. 17, 1989, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake rocked Northern California, killing 67 people and causing more than $5 billion in damage.

The game was postponed and the World Series resumed 10 days later, with the A's completing a four-game sweep of Craig and his Giants.

He finished with a 738-737 record as a major league manager, including 586-566 for San Francisco.

Craig was born Feb. 17, 1930, in Durham, North Carolina, and attended North Carolina State. The Giants said he is survived by his wife, Carolyn; his four children, Sherri Paschelke, Roger Craig Jr., Teresa Hanvey and Vikki Dancan; seven grandchildren; and 14 great grandchildren.

Rose Zhang has plenty of trophies, but this latest one came with a check. And a nice one, at that.

Zhang won the Mizuho Americas Open in her professional debut, claiming $412,500 for her maiden LPGA victory. Here's a look at how the purse was paid out to those who made the cut at Liberty National.

Finish

Player

Score

  Earnings

1

Rose Zhang

-9

$412,500

2

Jennifer Kupcho

-9

$256,544

3

Hae Ran Ryu

-8

$186,104

T4

Ayaka Furue

-7

$118,217

T4

Eun-Hee Ji

-7

$118,217

T4

Aditi Ashok

-7

$118,217

T7

Ashleigh Buhai

-6

$70,463

T7

Leona Maguire

-6

$70,463

T7

Yuka Saso

-6

$70,463

T10

Danielle Kang

-5

$52,904

T10

Stephanie Kyriacou

-5

$52,904

T10

Atthaya Thitikul

-5

$52,904

T13

Madelene Sagstrom

-4

$42,136

T13

Jin Young Ko

-4

$42,136

T13

Minjee Lee

-4

$42,136

T13

Cheyenne Knight

-4

$42,136

T17

Jenny Shin

-3

$34,271

T17

Anna Nordqvist

-3

$34,271

T17

Emily Kristine Pedersen

-3

$34,271

T17

Esther Henseleit

-3

$34,271

T21

Andrea Lee

-2

$28,443

T21

Charley Hull

-2

$28,443

T21

Yan Liu

-2

$28,443

T21

Carlota Ciganda

-2

$28,443

T21

Angel Yin

-2

$28,443

T21

Sei Young Kim

-2

$28,443

T27

Lauren Coughlin

-1

$22,543

T27

Mariajo Uribe

-1

$22,543

T27

Mel Reid

-1

$22,543

T27

Megan Khang

-1

$22,543

T27

Maja Stark

-1

$22,543

T27

Jaravee Boonchant

-1

$22,543

T33

Georgia Hall

E

$17,651

T33

Yuna Nishimura

E

$17,651

T33

Nasa Hataoka

E

$17,651

T33

Alison Lee

E

$17,651

T33

Brooke M. Henderson

E

$17,651

T33

Lydia Ko

E

$17,651

T39

Lucy Li

+1

$14,327

T39

Ruoning Yin

+1

$14,327

T39

Marina Alex

+1

$14,327

T39

Chella Choi

+1

$14,327

T43

Allisen Corpuz

+3

$11,751

T43

In Kyung Kim

+3

$11,751

T43

Nanna Koerstz Madsen

+3

$11,751

T43

Perrine Delacour

+3

$11,751

T43

Bronte Law

+3

$11,751

T43

Grace Kim

+3

$11,751

T49

Albane Valenzuela

+4

$9,579

T49

Stephanie Meadow

+4

$9,579

T49

Amy Yang

+4

$9,579

T49

Emma Talley

+4

$9,579

T49

Maddie Szeryk

+4

$9,579

T54

Pornanong Phatlum

+5

$8,427

T54

Gaby Lopez

+5

$8,427

T54

Jasmine Suwannapura

+5

$8,427

57

Frida Kinhult

+6

$7,866

58

Sarah Schmelzel

+7

$7,584

T59

Sung Hyun Park

+8

$7,164

T59

Lauren Hartlage

+8

$7,164

61

Hyo Joon Jang

+10

$6,883

62

Wichanee Meechai

+11

$6,741

Leon beats LAFC to win club's first CCL title

Published in Soccer
Sunday, 04 June 2023 21:32

Leon beat LAFC 1-0 in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions League final at BMO Stadium on Sunday to win its first-ever continental title by a final of 3-1 on aggregate.

LAFC came into the match trailing 2-1 from the first leg in Leon, looking to overturn that deficit and make it back-to-back Champions League title for MLS after Seattle Sounders FC beat beat Pumas in last year's final.

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

But despite a good showing in the opening 20 minutes, the hosts found themselves behind when Ivan Moreno broke down the right flank and picked out Lucas Di Yorio in the center of the area to beat John McCarthy with a first-time shot.

From there on Leon had the better of possession and chances on goal, easily passing its way through LAFC's experimental five-man backline, which looked disorganized and confused in the opening 45 minutes.

Happy to concede possession, Leon did well to absorb pressure in a compact 4-2-3-1 formation that focused on quickly winning the ball back. With little trouble against an LAFC attack that only hit the target once in the first half, Leon manager Nicolas Larcamon and his roster headed into the break with a 3-1 aggregate lead.

LAFC manager Carlos Bocanegra put Jose Cifuentes on for Giorgio Chiellini at half-time and pulled Carlos Vela, who'd been largely ineffective throughout, in the 64th minute as the home side continued to try to find a way back into the game.

Shortly before 70 minutes, Lucas Romero clashed heads with Aaron Long, who was attempting to head a loose ball in from the top of the six-yard box with both players requiring attention on the field from their teams' medical staff.

Moreno was able to play on, but LAFC was forced to bring Denil Maldonado on for Long, who left the pitch holding a towel to his head with the assistance of two team staff.

In all, Bocanegra made six changes to his team in the second, but it was to no avail as Leon continued to frustrate the 2022 MLS Cup champions and saw out 10 minutes of second-half stoppage time to earn a historic win for the club.

The result earns Leon a spot in next year's Club World Cup, which will be held from Dec. 12-22 in Saudi Arabia. Leon also earned an automatic bid to the expanded 32-team Club World Cup that begins in 2025.

With Leon finishing the 2023 Clausura in sixth place and making an early exit from the play-in round of the postseason, Larcamon has found a way to close out his first season with the club on a very positive note. Taking charge of Leon late in 2022, the 38-year-old Argentine coach is widely regarded as one of the more promising managerial names in the region.

LAFC will now carry on with its 2023 MLS season at against Atlanta United on Wednesday. With a 7W-4D-1L record, the southern California club currently sits third in the Western Conference standings.

Both LAFC and Leon, as well as the rest of all teams from MLS and Liga MX, will enter the expanded 2023 edition of the Leagues Cup tournament in July. Running from July 21 through Aug. 19. The international competition will provide three teams with invitations to the next CCL tournament that will be reformatted next year.

Beginning in 2024, the CCL will increase from 16 teams to 27. Since the start of the reimagined Champions League era of the competition in 2008, Liga MX clubs have won all but one edition of the tournament.

Heat rain 3s in Denver, storm back to tie Finals

Published in Basketball
Sunday, 04 June 2023 21:12

DENVER -- Gabe Vincent scored 23 points, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo each had 21 and the Miami Heat evened up the NBA Finals by overcoming a monster effort from Nikola Jokic to beat the Denver Nuggets 111-108 in Game 2 on Sunday night.

Max Strus scored 14 and Duncan Robinson had 10 for the Heat, who had a big early lead, then were down by as many as 15 before reclaiming the lead in the fourth. Miami outscored Denver 36-25 in the final period, erasing an eight-point deficit going into the final frame.

And even then, they had to dig deep to finish it off.

Jokic scored 41 points and was 16 of 28 from the floor, the last of those shots -- a 4-footer with 36 seconds left to get the Nuggets within three.

Denver elected not to foul on the ensuing Miami possession. Butler missed a 3, and with a chance to tie, Jamal Murray missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Murray had 18 points and 10 assists for Denver, while Aaron Gordon had 12 points, and Bruce Brown scored 11.

Game 3 is Wednesday in Miami. Denver had been 11-0 with a double-digit lead in the playoffs.

Strus, who was 0 for 10 in Game 1, had four 3-pointers in the first quarter of Game 2. Butler made a jumper with 4:56 left in the opening quarter to put Miami up 21-10, tying the second-biggest lead any opponent had built in Denver so far in these playoffs.

In a flash, it was gone -- and then some.

The Nuggets outscored Miami 32-11 over the next 9 minutes, turning the double-digit deficit into a double-digit lead thanks to an absolute 3-point barrage.

In a 70-second span early in the second quarter, Denver got four 3s -- more points than Miami got in that entire 9-minute stretch -- and they came from four different players: Bruce Brown, Jeff Green, Murray and Gordon.

Murray had five straight points to end the flurry, and Denver led 44-32 when it was over. The Heat managed to close the gap to 57-51 by the half. And from there, the fight was on. Miami didn't let Denver get away -- then found a way in the fourth.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Two-time NCAA champion Rose Zhang became the first LPGA Tour winner in her pro debut in 72 years, capturing the Mizuho Americas Open with a par on the second hole in a playoff against Jennifer Kupcho on Sunday.

The last female player to win as a pro in her debut was Beverly Hanson, who edged Babe Zaharias to take the Eastern Open in 1951.

Zhang shot a 2-over 74 in the final round and squandered a chance to win the event on the 72nd when she missed an 8-foot par saver after making at least a half dozen clutch saves in a gritty final round performance.

The much-heralded 20-year-old from Stanford made a nearly identical 8-footer on No. 18 at Liberty National on the first playoff hole. Kupcho, who won an NCAA title at Wake Forest in 2018 and had a final round 69, also made a par.

Both players hit the fairway on No. 18 on the second playoff hole, but Zhang hit her approach from the fairway within 10 feet. Kupcho was short on her approach, her first putt went just over the back edge of the green and her second putt just missed. That left Zhang with a two-putt par to win.

Zhang held her face in disbelief after the winning putt fell and was then mobbed and presented with bouquets of roses.

Zhang, who is seen as the most-hyped player to join the tour since Michelle Wie in 2009, did not have a birdie in her final round and finished at 9-under 279 on the course with the New York City skyline as a backdrop.

South Korean rookie Hae Ran Ryu (70) was third at 8 under. Aditi Ashok of India, Ayaka Furue of Japan and Eun-Hee Ji of South Korea were at 7 under. Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa, Leona Maguire of Ireland and Yuka Saso of Japan finished at 6 under, three shot behind the leaders.

Zhang turned pro last week after the NCAAs and much was expected right away. She was the top-ranked women’s amateur for 141 weeks and won every big women’s amateur event: the U.S. Women’s Amateur, the U.S. Junior Girls, the NCAAs and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

The victory was worth $412,500, and it also earned Zhang an offer of LPGA Tour membership. She confirmed on Golf Central Sunday night that she will, unsurprisingly, accept.

It wasn’t easy.

Rose Zhang hopped in a golf cart and headed back to the tee at the par-4 18th for a second playoff hole against Jennifer Kupcho at the Mizuho Americas Open.

The 18th hadn’t been kind to the budding superstar on Sunday; she bogeyed it in regulation and had to make a clutch putt on the first extra hole to stay in it.

For the first time in three tries she found the fairway, but was left with 180 yards for her approach. Kupcho had just 146 and appeared to be in the driver’s seat.

That changed with one swing.

Zhang took the headcover off a hybrid and took dead-aim, curling an approach inside 10 feet on her 20th hole of the day. Kupcho, with an 8-iron in hand, came up well short of the pin and then putted off the green.

When Kupcho failed to secure par, Zhang only needed to two-putt for victory, and she did just that. It was a fitting conclusion. Zhang, who started the round with a two-shot lead, didn't make a birdie on Sunday. Not one; 16 pars and two bogeys for a 74, then two more pars in the playoff.

And yet, as it has been for more than a year, the final moment belonged to her.

The 20-year-old quickly found herself holding a bouquet of roses as she was engulfed by close friends who watched from just off the back of the green. In her first start as a professional, Zhang was a winner, becoming the first woman to accomplish that feat since Beverly Hanson in 1951.

Just 13 days removed from winning her second consecutive individual national championship at Stanford, Zhang was overwhelmed after securing the victory, fighting back tears as she smiled ear-to-ear in her post-round interview.

It was a whirlwind week for Zhang, who had all eyes squarely fixed on her after an amateur career in which she held the No. 1 ranking for 141 weeks, the most all time.

After opening in 2-under 70, Zhang said she was trying to keep everything in perspective and be realistic.

Fair enough.

After climbing further up the leaderboard with a 69 in the second round, she said there were no expectations for the weekend and she just wanted to learn what it means to be in one of the lead groups as a professional.

Smart. Lot of golf to be played.

Saturday’s bogey-free, 6-under 66 changed everything. It sent her to bed with a two-shot lead at Liberty National less than two weeks after her Cardinal teammates doused her with water at Grayhawk in celebration of another title.

Still, she spoke of learning as she processed the idea of playing in the final group Sunday, but admitted she was proud of the way she had handled herself with so much golf to close out her collegiate career and all the media responsibilities that come with being Rose Zhang.

Then came Sunday.

With temperatures in the 60s and a north breeze blowing through Jersey City, Zhang set out to make history, as she did so many times as an amateur.

For most of the day, it felt as if she was stuck in neutral. She failed to make a birdie in the final round, but only Kupcho – who shot 3-under 69 – put real pressure on Zhang late in the round.

The end result was yet another trophy for Zhang, but it’s so much more than just another victory.

It’s an announcement to the world that the talent she displayed in college will transition to the professional ranks.

It’s the ability to accept full membership on the LPGA, which makes her eligible for this year’s Solheim Cup in Spain.

It’s also the arrival of a new star in women’s professional golf. A star that – if social media is any indication – has a drove of fans behind her.

Zhang’s early career is somewhat unique in women’s golf.

When it comes to the elite of the elite, many players forego college and head straight to the professional ranks.

Zhang’s playing competitor on Sunday, Atthaya Thitikul, is just two months older than Zhang and already ascended to No. 1 in the world after a stellar rookie season on the LPGA.

Seven players have won major championships on the women’s side before turning 20. Zhang celebrated her 20th birthday on May 24.

This in no way diminishes Zhang’s accomplishment.

In fact, you could argue that it makes it all the more special.

By dominating in college, she made herself a household name prior to ever teeing it up as a professional.

Golf fans watched as she hoisted the trophy at Grayhawk two years in a row, becoming the first woman to ever win the individual national championship twice.

They watched as she faltered at Augusta National before composing herself to win in a playoff, much the way she did Sunday overlooking the New York City skyline.

The final chapter of Zhang’s professional career won’t be written for a long time, but the book has one hell of an intro.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- Two-time NCAA champion Rose Zhang became the first player in 72 years to win on the LPGA Tour in her pro debut, capturing the Mizuho Americas Open with a par on the second playoff hole against Jennifer Kupcho on Sunday.

Zhang arrived on the LPGA with the most fanfare since Michelle Wie West in 2005, and Zhang delivered in the shadow of the Big Apple. She went from NCAA champion to LPGA champion in a span of 13 days.

The last woman to win as a pro in her debut was Beverly Hanson, who edged Babe Zaharias to take the Eastern Open in 1951.

Zhang shot a 2-over 74 in the final round and squandered a chance to win in regulation when she missed an 8-foot par putt after making at least a half-dozen clutch saves in a gritty final-round performance.

The much-heralded 20-year-old from Stanford made a nearly identical 8-footer on No. 18 at Liberty National on the first playoff hole. Kupcho, who won an NCAA title at Wake Forest in 2018 and had a final round 69, also made a par.

Both players hit the fairway on No. 18 on the second playoff hole, but Zhang hit her approach from the fairway within 10 feet. Kupcho was short on her approach, her first putt went just over the back edge of the green and her second putt just missed. That left Zhang with two putts for the win.

Zhang held her face in disbelief after the winning putt fell as players celebrated with her by giving her red roses, similar to when she won the Augusta National Women's Amateur.

"What is happening? I just can't believe it," she said in a TV interview. "It was just last week that I won NCAAs with my teammates, and to turn pro and come out here, it's just been amazing."

Zhang, who was playing on a sponsor exemption, did not have a birdie in her final round and finished at 9-under 279.

"This golf course is rough; I really got a bit of everything. Got a taste of the pressure, got a taste of the wind and I tried to stay composed, as always," Zhang said. "I knew that golf was just a grind and you really have to dig deep, so that's what I did, once again."

South Korean rookie Hae Ran Ryu (70) was third at 8 under.

Aditi Ashok of India, Ayaka Furue of Japan and Eun-Hee Ji of South Korea were at 7 under. Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa, Leona Maguire of Ireland and Yuka Saso of Japan finished at 6 under, 3 shots behind the leaders.

Zhang turned pro last week after the NCAAs, and much was expected right away. She was the top-ranked women's amateur for 141 weeks and won every big women's amateur event -- the U.S. Women's Amateur, the U.S. Junior Girls, the NCAAs and the Augusta National Women's Amateur.

"Incredible few weeks for Rose Zhang, defends her NCAA title and then wins in her Pro debut. Go card!" tweeted golf superstar Tiger Woods, who also attended Stanford.

The victory was worth $412,500, and it also earned Zhang an automatic LPGA Tour membership.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Ozuna removed for not hustling in Braves' victory

Published in Baseball
Sunday, 04 June 2023 19:47

PHOENIX -- Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna was removed from Sunday's game for not hustling after hitting a drive to deep center field, manager Brian Snitker confirmed after the game.

In the fourth inning of the Braves' 8-5 victory over the host Arizona Diamondbacks, Ozuna smashed a Zac Gallen offering to deep center. He ended up on first base, settling for a 415-foot single because Ozuna stood at home plate and watched the ball reach its destination instead of running right after contact.

Instead of hitting the seats, the ball hit an overhang just below the line for a home run. Snitker then replaced him with Sean Murphy in the sixth inning.

"I guarantee he feels worse than I do for having to take him out," Snitker said.

A two-time All-Star, Ozuna, 32, is hitting .227 with 11 home runs and 23 RBIs in 44 games this season. In 11 seasons with the Miami Marlins (2013-17), St. Louis Cardinals (2018-19) and Braves, Ozuna is a .267 hitter with 207 homers and 699 RBIs in 1,207 games.

Ozuna, who has had some legal trouble off the field, is in the third year of a four-year, $65 million contract he signed before the 2021 season.

Murphy went 0-for-3 after replacing Ozuna.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

U.S. run at U20 WC ends with loss to Uruguay

Published in Soccer
Sunday, 04 June 2023 17:33

Uruguay and South Korea advanced to the semifinals of the Under-20 World Cup on Sunday.

The South Americans beat the United States 2-0 in Santiago del Estero, dominating the match from start to finish. The Asian team, runner-up in the last U20 World Cup in 2019 to Ukraine, secured its spot with a 1-0 victory against Nigeria thanks to a goal in extra time.

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

Uruguay will take on Israel on Thursday, the same day South Korea will face Italy for a place in the final.

South Korea scored the only goal of their match in the fifth minute of extra time. The header by Seok-Hyun Choi was one of the few chances either team had during the encounter.

Uruguay opened the scoring in the 21st minute after a counter-attack put Anderson Duarte in front of an empty goal. The Uruguayans doubled their lead in the 56th minute through an own goal by Joshua Wynder.

The United States did not concede any goals in their first four matches in the tournament.

"That's life. If you don't have enough, you don't win," U.S. coach Mikey Varas told the official broadcaster after the match. "They fought, they have what they had and they had a great tournament here."

Uruguay coach Marcelo Brioli agreed that the first goal of the match came when the U.S. team was dominating.

"The first minutes of the match were hard, but our team's maturity made the difference," Brioli said.

None of the four teams left in the tournament has ever won it. Uruguay was runner up in 1997 and 2013. Israel is playing in the U20 World Cup for the first time.

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WSL: Everton down L'pool in derby, Man Utd win

WSL: Everton down L'pool in derby, Man Utd win

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsEverton claimed a famous 1-0 victory in the last ever Women's Super...

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Basketball

Hornets' Ball fined $100K for using anti-gay term

Hornets' Ball fined $100K for using anti-gay term

EmailPrintCharlotte Hornets star guard LaMelo Ball was fined $100,000 after using an anti-gay term d...

Wolves' Edwards fined $35K for obscene gesture

Wolves' Edwards fined $35K for obscene gesture

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMinnesota Timberwolves All-Star guard Anthony Edwards was fined $35...

Baseball

Ex-Reds manager Bell joins Blue Jays' front office

Ex-Reds manager Bell joins Blue Jays' front office

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsTORONTO -- The Toronto Blue Jays hired former Cincinnati Reds manag...

Ferrara, who won 2 titles with Dodgers, dies at 84

Ferrara, who won 2 titles with Dodgers, dies at 84

EmailPrintFormer outfielder Al "The Bull" Ferrara died Friday, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced. He...

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