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Jen Pawol breaks MLB’s gender barrier as the first female umpire to work a regular-season game

ATLANTA (AP) — Jen Pawol has made history as the first female umpire to work a regular-season game in the major leagues. Pawol worked as the first base umpire for Saturday’s first game of a split doubleheader between the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins. She made her first call in the third inning. Pawol worked third base in the second game of the doubleheader and will be in the spotlight when she calls pitches behind the plate in Sunday’s final game of the series. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough and Braves bench coach Walt Weiss greeted Pawol when lineups were exchanged at home plate.

Mariano Rivera tears Achilles in Yankees Old-Timers’ Day game and needs surgery

NEW YORK (AP) — Mariano Rivera has torn his Achilles while chasing a flyball at the New York Yankees’ Old-Timers’ Day game. His agent, Fern Cuza, says the 55-year-old closer, baseball’s career leader in saves, will have surgery within a week. Rivera had singled off former teammate Andy Pettitte before the injury occurred during an at-bat by Willie Randolph. The Yankees brought back the Old-Timers’ Day game for the first time since 2019. Rivera, a Hall of Famer, was playing in the event for the second time. He became the first unanimous pick for the Hall of Fame in 2019 after helping the Yankees win five World Series titles.

Pete Alonso hits 252nd home run to match Darryl Strawberry for Mets record

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Pete Alonso has hit his 252nd career home run, tying the New York Mets record held by Darryl Strawberry for 37 years. The 30-year-old Alonso connected against Milwaukee Brewers starter Tobias Myers leading off the second inning Saturday night for his 26th homer this season, giving the Mets a 1-0 lead. It was Alonso’s fourth homer in eight games, since he went deep Aug. 1 against San Francisco to end an 0-for-19 slump. A homegrown star who was drafted by the Mets in 2016, Alonso broke into the big leagues with a bang in 2019, hitting 53 home runs to set a major league rookie record and establish a franchise high for a single season.

Lions’ Morice Norris shares good news after he was taken off field in ambulance

DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Lions safety Morice Norris says in a social media post he’s OK after being taken off the field in an ambulance late in a preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons. Norris thanked people for their support in the post on Saturday. He was in stable condition late Friday night after he was attended to for about 20 minutes and taken to an Atlanta hospital. The 24-year-old Norris was hurt with 14:50 left in the preseason game after hitting Falcons running back Nathan Carter. Detroit coach Dan Campbell and Atlanta coach Raheem Morris made a decision to not finish the game.

Jaguars’ Cam Little hits a 70-yard field goal in an exhibition game against the Steelers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jacksonville’s Cam Little made a 70-yard field goal to end the first half against Pittsburgh on Saturday night, a kick that would have broken the NFL record had it happened during the regular season. Little and the Jaguars celebrated widely as the half ended with the Steelers leading 14-9. Rookie sensation Travis Hunter was one of the first to greet him on the field, body-bumped each other in midair. Baltimore’s Justin Tucker holds the NFL mark, having made a 66-yarder at Detroit in 2021.

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski won’t commit to Shedeur Sanders’ role next week after strong debut

CLEVELAND (AP) — Browns coach Kevin Stefanski hasn’t decided if Shedeur Sanders will work with the first-team offense after his impressive NFL debut. Sanders played nearly three quarters in Friday’s 30-10 win over the Panthers, completing 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Despite being the fourth-string QB, Sanders made a strong case for more opportunities. The Browns’ next practice is Monday, with joint workouts with the Philadelphia Eagles later in the week. Sanders remains patient, focusing on performing well when given the chance.

Tommy Fleetwood clings to 1-shot lead in Memphis as Scottie Scheffler lurks

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Tommy Fleetwood takes a one-shot lead into the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship as he goes for his first PGA Tour title. Saturday was a reminder that it won’t be easy. Fleetwood had a double bogey on the third hole that became a three-shot swing when Justin Rose made birdie. He rebuilt his lead to three shots only for a two-shot swing at the end when Rose made a short birdie and Fleetwood made bogey. Fleetwood shot 69. Not only is Rose one shot behind, but world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler shot 65 and was two back.

J.J. McCarthy leads scoring drive in brief return for Vikings

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — J.J. McCarthy’s return to the Minnesota Vikings was short but solid. The quarterback, who missed his rookie season due to a knee injury, led a scoring drive in a 20-10 victory over the Houston Texans on Saturday. He completed 4 of 7 passes for 30 yards, helping set up a 48-yard field goal. This performance came nearly a year after his injury in last year’s preseason opener. With Sam Darnold now with the Seattle Seahawks, head coach Kevin O’Connell has handed the offense to McCarthy. The home crowd gave him a warm welcome as he took the field.

White Sox celebrate showman Bill Veeck with wedding, 50-foot hot dog, petting zoo at ballgame

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox threw a party that would have made Bill Veeck proud. The White Sox celebrated their quirky former owner with Bill Veeck Night on Saturday by bringing back some of the stunts, tricks and exhibitions that added to the lore of the legendary showman and Hall of Famer. There was a pregame petting zoo and a roving circus with — what else? — a clown to entertain fans entering Rate Field. There was ice sculpting on the concourse in the outfield and a chance to get a photo taken with a 50-foot hot dog, along with an offer of free haircuts. The first 15,000 fans received a Veeck bobblehead, and postgame fireworks were planned.

Shilo Sanders makes his presence felt in his debut with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Shilo Sanders quickly made his presence felt in first NFL preseason game. Sanders creeped up to the line of scrimmage, blitzed untouched and hit Brandon Allen, driving him to the ground just after he threw the ball away. A night after his younger brother had an impressive debut for the Cleveland Browns as the starting quarterback, Shilo Sanders got a clean shot at the QB in Tampa Bay’s game against the Tennessee Titans on Saturday night. Signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent out of Colorado where he played with his brother for their Hall of Fame dad, Deion Sanders, Shilo Sanders is battling for a roster spot in a crowded defensive backfield.