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Sam Kerr says she’ll be available for Australia’s must-win Women’s World Cup game against Canada

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:39:11 GMT

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Star striker Sam Kerr expects to be available for Australia’s must-win Women’s World Cup game against Olympic champion Canada after missing the team’s first two group games because of a left calf muscle injury. Australia’s captain and all-time leading scorer has been the face of the promotional campaign for the World Cup being co-hosted in Australia and New Zealand but hasn’t yet started in the tournament. Kerr attended a news conference at the Matildas’ camp in Brisbane on Saturday to assure Australian supporters that she’s recovering.“I would love to tell you guys everything. It’s going to be down to the wire,” she said. “I’m definitely going to be available.”Asked again if she would be fit to play, Kerr responded “yes.”Kerr hurt her calf muscle in a practice session on the eve of Australia’s tournament-opening win over Ireland last week but it didn’t become public knowledge until an hour before kickoff when her name was missing from the team...

Tourist hotspot Rhodes burns as successive deadly heat waves ravage Greece

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:39:11 GMT

LINDOS, Greece (AP) — As tourists start to trickle back to the Greek island of Rhodes, some people are spending their vacation on empty beaches amongst charred trees and burnt land.The fires, spurred by a sweltering heat wave that blanketed the country, triggered a huge evacuation of residents and tourists on the island last weekend as forests burned for a week.As wildfires scorched the land, tourist and residents worked to extinguish fires by seaside resorts. By Friday, temperatures eased somewhat, and calmer winds helped firefighters contain the blazes.But the damage was already done.An inland nature reserve was damaged. The deserted island has been promised state support. Fires have been raging across Greece, including outside the capital Athens and in Rhodes, fueled by three consecutive heat waves. Five people have died in the fires, including two firefighter pilots. Temperatures pushed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).Climate change is making the world hotter and is ...

Ohtani homers in 3 straight at-bats over 2 games before being sidelined by cramps — again

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:39:11 GMT

TORONTO (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit his major league-leading 39th home run — for a streak of three homers in three at-bats over two games — before being sidelined due to cramping for a second consecutive game.Ohtani was replaced by pinch-hitter Michael Stefanic when his at-bat came up with the bases loaded in the ninth inning due to leg cramps. The Blue Jays beat the Angels 4-1 Friday.Los Angeles manager Phil Nevin said Ohtani was removed because of cramping in both of his calves.“We’ll evaluate it tomorrow when he gets up,” Nevin said. “It’s just cramping right now. It’s kind of in both legs. He’s done a lot of work the last two days and wasn’t able to go.”Ohtani homered twice in the second game of a doubleheader at Detroit on Thursday before leaving with cramps. He threw an eight-strikeout, one-hitter in the opener for his first career MLB shutout.The two-way superstar became the first player to throw a shutout in one game of a doubleheader and hit one homer — much less two — in the ...

Wisdom homers, Mancini has RBI single as Cubs beat Cardinals 3-2 for seventh straight win

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:39:11 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Patrick Wisdom homered and Trey Mancini had a tiebreaking RBI single to help the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 on Friday night.Drew Smyly (8-7) allowed just two hits in 4 1/3 effective innings in relief as the Cubs won their seventh straight game. It is their longest win streak since also winning seven in a row last Sept. 25-Oct. 2.Reliever Adbert Alzolay got the last four outs for his 12th save in 13 opportunities. He retired pinch-hitter Alec Burleson on a fly ball to deep center with a runner on third to end the game as Mike Tauchman reached over the fence to take away a potential game-winning home run.Lars Nootbaar homered twice for St. Louis, which has lost three of five.Wisdom hit his team-high 18th home run off Jordan Montgomery (6-9) in the fifth. Montgomery, a free agent at the end of the season and the subject of trade rumors, allowed three runs and five hits over six innings. Nootbaar hit his fourth leadoff homer of the season just three p...

Sabally records 1st triple-double in the Wings’ history; Storm ends 10-game skid

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:39:11 GMT

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Satou Sabally had 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for the first triple-double in Dallas franchise history and the Wings beat the short-handed Washington Mystics 90-62 Friday night.Arike Ogunbowale and Teaira McCowan each scored 18 points for Dallas (14-10) and Natasha Howard added 14 points, nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Awak Kuier scored 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting and Maddy Siegrist scored 10.Shatori Walker-Kimbrough led the Mystics (13-11) with 14 points. Brittney Sykes scored 12 with five steals and Natasha Cloud added 11 points.STORM 83, SKY 74CHICAGO (AP) — Ezi Magbegor had 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists, Gabby Williams added scored 17 points and Seattle snapped a franchise-record 10-game losing streak.Seattle (5-19) won for the first time in more than a month, dating to a 87-74 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on June 24. The Storm also ended their six-game road losing streak.Kahleah Copper led Chicago (10-14) with 17 poin...

NBA tells teams Lillard would honor contract in any trade, warns of discipline for saying otherwise

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:39:11 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA told teams Friday that Damian Lillard and his agent confirmed that the All-Star guard would honor his contract in any potential trade, despite the agent saying Lillard only wanted to be dealt to the Miami Heat.A memo sent to general managers and obtained by The Associated Press also warned that Lillard would be subject to discipline by the league if he or Aaron Goodwin make additional comments suggesting he won’t fully perform the requirements of his contract in the event of a trade.Lillard told the Portland Trail Blazers earlier this month he wanted to be traded and Goodwin subsequently made clear his preference was Miami. “Dame’s position won’t change,” Goodwin told AP on July 6. “This entire situation was about building an opportunity for Portland to win or giving him another opportunity that he wants, which is Miami.”The league said it interviewed Lillard and Goodwin, along with several teams with whom Goodwin spoke. Goodwin denied telling teams tha...

Kayla McBride scores 26, Diamond Miller adds 22 as Lynx beat Liberty

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:39:11 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Kayla McBride made 11 of 14 from the field and finished with 26 points, Diamond Miller scored 22 points and the Minnesota Lynx beat the New York Liberty 88-83 Friday night in the second of back-to-back games for both teams. The game, which was originally scheduled for June 7 — one of a handful of pro games that were postponed that night and subsequent dates — because of smoke from the Canadian wildfires blanketing New York and the Northeast. The Liberty played its fourth game in six days.Dorka Juhász scored 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Lynx. Minnesota (12-13), which lost its first six games of the season, has won three of its last four and eight of its last 12. New York (18-6) jumped to a 15-5 lead but the Lynx scored 19 of the next 21 points to take a seven-point lead early in the second quarter. Sabrina Ionescu hit a 3-pointer to give the Liberty a 36-35 lead with 3:30 left in the first half but Jessica Shepard converted a three-poi...

José Siri doubles, scores tiebreaking run to lift Rays past Astros, 4-3

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:39:11 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — Brandon Lowe hit a three-run homer early and José Siri doubled and scored the tiebreaking run in the ninth inning in the Tampa Bay Rays’ 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday night.The game was tied entering the ninth when Siri, who played for Houston last season, doubled to left field off Ryan Pressly (3-3) and moved to third on a sacrifice fly by Christian Bethancourt. The Rays took a 4-3 lead when Siri scored on a sacrifice fly by Yandy Díaz.Wander Franco singled after that before Pressly hit Luke Raley with a pitch. But Randy Arozarena popped out to leave them stranded.Pete Fairbanks walked Chas McCormick with one out in the ninth, but he was erased when pinch-hitter Yainer Díaz grounded into a force out. Fairbanks then struck out pinch-hitter Mauricio Dubon to get his 13th save.The victory was just Tampa Bay’s third in the last 11 games and the team’s sixth this month.Lowe’s three-run homer came in the first inning and Houston tied it on a two...

Video: Close call with gator during feeding

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:39:11 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- A close encounter was captured on video of a man nearly escaping an alligator attack after a missed feeding target. Video obtained by Petra NewlandGadea shows a man named Chad being instructed on feeding a turkey to a gator at the Colorado Gators Reptile Rescue and Education in Mosca. Chad missed the mark and slipped trying to get away from the approximately 12-foot gator. Woman alleges assault after confronting driver of car with dog inside on hot day The gator didn't see the turkey and immediately lunged toward Chad as he backed away and tried to get away. The trainer got to the gator quickly to stop it and allow Chad to get away. The trainer then directed the giant reptile back into the water where it found its food. "That's about the closest, that's about the closest we've had to losing a Chad yet, or a leg," the trainer said to the crowd.

Thieves steal $13K worth of merchandise from Boulder comic shop

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:39:11 GMT

BOULDER, Colo. (KDVR) --- A comic shop is looking to bounce back after two thieves made away with thousands of dollars worth of merchandise in an overnight break-in.  Wayne Winsett, the owner of Time Warp Comics in Boulder, said surveillance video captured the first thief shatter the front door with a hammer at about 3:30 a.m. on Friday, steal $13,000 worth of comics locked up in a glass counter and take off in a white vehicle. Then, Winsett said a second man, unrelated, saw the broken door and walked right in, making out with more than $250 in cash. "It’s a huge hit. That’s a lot of money. Thirteen-thousand dollars may not seem like a lot of money to people, but we’re a small mom-and-pop shop and it hurts,” Winsett said. “It hurts us all. Everyone who works here is affected by this.” Winsett said the first thief seemed to know exactly where to look and what to grab.   2 wanted in shooting that injured 3 women outside 7-Eleven “The first guy had definitely...