Sports

DETROIT — Justin Verlander grabbed the bill of his cap two times as he faced home plate, acknowledging a warm welcome from fans in Detroit, then had to whip his head around twice toward the outfield as the Tigers sent pitches over the right-field wall.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Rookie Brett Sullivan hit his first home run and had his first four RBIs, and Juan Soto hit a three-run double to make up for a baserunning blunder that cost Xander Bogaerts a club-record on-base streak as the San Diego Padres beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-1 Wednesday to take two of three.

ADA — Cole Zaferakis and Grace Honigfordhave been selected as the Ohio Northern athletic department’s Polar Bear of the Month award winners for April.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — This time last year, Tim Yakteen wasn’t giving much away.

CINCINNATI — Jordan Battle was on Bengals special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons’ mind for well over a month before the NFL Draft.

NEW YORK (AP) — Josh Naylor hit a two-run single and Mike Zunino drew a go-ahead, bases-loaded walk in a three-run, ninth-inning rally that lifted the Cleveland Guardians over the reeling New York Yankees 3-2 on Monday night.

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Martin Truex Jr. grew up in New Jersey wanting to follow his dad into racing. Martin Truex, though, mostly raced on free weekends when he wasn’t running Sea Watch International, which harvests and processes clam products.

SOFTBALL

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Esteury Ruiz singled in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Oakland Athletics beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 on Sunday to end their nine-game home losing streak.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Curry scored a playoff career-high 50 points and answered time and again to will the defending champions on in their quest for a repeat, Kevon Looney grabbed 21 rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors advanced to the Western Conference semifinals by beating the Sacramento Kings 120-100 in Sunday’s winner-take-all Game 7.