GOLF
Pan starts strong in Dallas
Taiwan’ C.T. Pan on Thursday enjoyed a share of 13th after the first round of the AT&T Byron Nelson in Dallas, carding a five-under-par 66. Last month’s RBC Heritage winner was three off the pace from leader Denny McCarthy of the US, who surged up the leaderboard with five straight birdies from the sixth hole onward. Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, playing as an amateur on a sponsor’s exemption, created some early excitement with an eagle, but ultimately fumbled away his round to finish with a five-over 76.
BASEBALL
Pujols hits 2,000 RBIs
Albert Pujols on Thursday recorded his 2,000th career RBI with a solo home run in the third inning of the Los Angeles Angels’ game against the Detroit Tigers. Pujols is only the third player in MLB history to reach the mark, joining Alex Rodriguez (2,086) and Hank Aaron (2,297). Tigers pitcher Ryan Carpenter threw Pujols a fastball, which the slugger blasted into the right-field seats during the Angels’ 13-0 win. He received an ovation from the crowd at Detroit’s Comerica Park. “He’s one of the greatest hitters ever to walk the planet, without question,” Angels manager Brad Ausmus said. “For about 10 years, he was the best.”
BASEBALL
Hat ‘tar’ no sticking point
Whatever was smeared under Seattle pitcher Yusei Kikuchi’s hat on Wednesday, it has not turned into a sticky situation for the Mariners, New York Yankees or MLB. A day after a dark substance was spotted under the bill of Kikuchi’s cap in a win at Yankee Stadium — possibly illegal pine tar — all sides kept cool. The MLB issued no penalty or even a statement on the matter. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that his team looked at the tape and even though he “had thoughts about it,” he would not make them public. Pitchers across the majors are known to use a bit of pine tar to get a better grip and hitters are generally OK with it, preferring that balls are thrown with control. For the most part, pitchers keep the sticky substance out of sight. Crew chief Dana DeMuth said that the umpires did not see the blotch under Kikuchi’s cap and no one on either side mentioned it during the game. “Nobody said a thing,” DeMuth said. “He wasn’t doing anything suspicious. In fact, he kept getting a new ball and he’d throw the old one out toward the Yankees dugout. It wasn’t like he was trying to hide anything.” Kikuchi held the Yankees to three hits in 7-2/3 innings.
BASEBALL
Players skip Trump visit
US President Donald Trump on Thursday welcomed the World Series champions Boston Red Sox to the White House, but about a dozen players of color and the manager skipped the visit to protest his policies, leaving a mostly white delegation. Red Sox manager Alex Cora was among the members who chose not to take part in the event, which the White House Web site briefly advertised in the morning as a visit by the “Boston Red Socks,” while an e-mail dubbed them the “World Cup Series” champions. Cora cited the Trump administration’s handling of the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in his native Puerto Rico for his decision. Without Cora, the team were led by three white executives, and half of their starting lineup was missing.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely