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Yamamoto, Ohtani deliver in return to Japan, Dodgers beat the Cubs 4-1 in season opener

TOKYO (AP) — Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw five strong innings, Shohei Ohtani had two hits and scored twice and the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 4-1 in Major League Baseball’s season opener at the Tokyo Dome. Playing in front of their home country, Yamamoto and Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga both pitched well in the first all-Japanese starting pitching matchup on opening day in MLB history. Imanaga threw four scoreless innings. Ohtani finished 2 of 5 at the plate, including a double in the ninth.

Japanese baseball looks about the same, but the food and the vibe are different

TOKYO (AP) — The jammed sellout at the Tokyo Dome as the Dodgers and Cubs opened their regular season had a different vibe than the usual MLB game. Baseball in Japan — the game is called ’yakyu” (field ball) in Japanese — carries more of a rock-concert vibe than its American cousin. And with Shohei Ohtani teasing fans for a week in Tokyo as the two-game series approached, it’s a true spectacle. Young women carry beer kegs on their backs, drawing a cold draft while you’re seated watching the game. Fans are clearly more animated. Even elderly men come with a glove — just in case.

Rory McIlroy wins and Masters expectations rise

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Winning The Players Championship gave Rory McIlroy so much he doesn’t need. The $4.5 million payoff went to a player closing in on $100 million for his career. All the exemptions he already has. Winning also comes with higher expectations at the Masters. He doesn’t need those, either. That’s what happens when a player of his talent goes 11 years without a major and the Masters is the one keeping him from the career Grand Slam. But the wins at Sawgrass and Pebble Beach indicate that McIlroy is a more complete player. Now it’s a matter of staying the course.

The Rise of the SEC: How a league known for the gridiron became became kings of college basketball

The SEC was the best conference in basketball all season, landing a record 14 teams in the 68-team NCAA Tournament. It has the overall No. 1 seed in Auburn, another No. 1 seed in Florida, and four more schools are among the top four of their respective region. So how did a league once known only for the gridiron become so dominant on the hardwood? It began with the hiring of Greg Sankey as the SEC commissioner. He implored schools to invest in their programs, hire the right coaches and pay them well, and take advantage of the transfer portal and NIL money.

The Thunder and Cavaliers lead the conferences by big margins. They’re playing for something more

The East is a runaway. The West is a bigger runaway. And the NBA hasn’t seen anything quite like this in nearly 40 years. While all the attention is on your NCAA brackets this week, it’s safe to go ahead and pencil in Cleveland as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and Oklahoma City as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. It’s not mathematically certain yet, but let’s face it, neither of those teams are going to get caught.

Dodgers’ star Freeman scratched from lineup with left rib discomfort before opening day vs. Cubs

TOKYO (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman was scratched from the starting lineup with left rib discomfort before the season opener against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night at the Tokyo Dome. Freeman was originally in the lineup, batting third and playing first base. The eight-time All-Star hit .282 with 22 homers and 89 RBIs last season. The Dodgers shuffled the lineup without Freeman, moving Kike Hernandez to first base and putting Michael Conforto in left field.

Rory McIlroy takes drama out of playoff to win The Players and build momentum to the Masters

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Rory McIlroy has won The Players Championship in a three-hole playoff against J.J. Spaun that lacked any real drama. McIlroy blasted a drive down the 16th fairway to set up a birdie. And then Spaun sailed over the island green on the par-3 17th and into the water for a triple bogey. McIlroy is the eighth multiple winner of the PGA Tour’s premier championship. It’s also the first time in his career he has won twice early in the season before the Masters. It was the first Monday finish in three years because of a four-hour rain delay on Sunday.

This small-town team in Sweden was a women’s soccer powerhouse. Then Europe’s big clubs took over

UMEA, Sweden (AP) — A transformation of women’s soccer in Europe is well under way. The elite, big-money clubs already established in the men’s game such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea have begun pouring money, resources and extra focus into their women’s teams and are taking over. Umea and Turbine Potsdam, European champions only 20 years ago, are among the unfashionable relics of yesteryear who know they can no longer compete. But they seem OK with that and are adjusting to a new reality in a changing financial landscape as women’s soccer grows. Umea sporting director Jorgen Crovin says “I’m not in the least envious because these clubs are at a different level than we can ever achieve now.”

Messi out of World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil due to adductor injury

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Lionel Messi will miss Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil over the next eight days because of an injury to his adductor. The 37-year-old Messi was not included in the 25-man squad announced on Monday by coach Lionel Scaloni. Later Monday, Inter Miami said Messi — the reigning Major League Soccer MVP — underwent an MRI “to assess the extent of the discomfort in his adductor region,” an injury that the team said occurred in Sunday’s win over Atlanta United. Argentina leads South America and will visit second-place Uruguay on Friday and host fifth-place Brazil four days later in Buenos Aires.

NCAA agrees to lift name, image and likeness recruitment ban

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The NCAA will abandon a rule that stopped athletes from negotiating potentially lucrative endorsement deals before enrolling in a specific college, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti says as he announced a proposed settlement in a lawsuit over the policy. Skrmetti announced the deal Monday. He and a handful of attorneys general had sued the NCAA over its name, image and likeness recruiting ban, arguing the rule violated antitrust laws. The settlement must still be approved by a federal judge. The agreement, if approved by the court, will allow college athletes to negotiate compensation for name, image and likeness deals before enrolling in a specific school.