Kyle Schwarber has 21st 4-homer game in MLB, drives in Phillies-record 9 runs
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia slugger Kyle Schwarber hit four home runs Thursday night against Atlanta to become the fourth Phillies player and 21st major leaguer to accomplish the feat. Schwarber was 4 for 6 with a Phillies-record nine RBIs in the 19-4 victory. He took the outright National League homer lead with a career-high 49 and moved within one of Seattle’s Cal Raleigh for the major league lead. Schwarber leads the majors with a career-high 119 RBIs. Mike Schmidt was the last Philadelphia player to hit four homers in a game, doing at the Chicago Cubs in April 1976. Schwarber had the third four-homer game of the season, following Eugenio Suárez and Nick Kurtz.
Chiefs brace for Rashee Rice’s six-game suspension with deep wide receiver roster
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have prepared for Rashee Rice’s six-game suspension by keeping eight wide receivers on their roster. Rice pleaded guilty to charges related to a crash and received probation and jail time. The Chiefs believe they can handle his absence better than last season, when he was injured. JuJu Smith-Schuster has returned in excellent shape, and rookie Jalen Royals shows promise. Marquise Brown is also healthy after missing most of last season. General manager Brett Veach expressed confidence in their depth. The Chiefs aim to manage without Rice until his return on Oct.19.
Nerves and pressure get to Coco Gauff at the US Open before she wins again
NEW YORK (AP) — Coco Gauff kept wiping the tears welling in her eyes between points in her second-round match at the U.S. Open. She was trying to stay composed and trying to give herself a chance to win Thursday night. Gauff’s serving troubles were again an issue, just as they were two nights earlier, just as they’ve been for a while now. The two-time Grand Slam champion teamed up with a new coach recently to try to fix that aspect of her game, and while there clearly is still work to be done, Gauff did figure out how to stay in the tournament, beating Donna Vekic 7-6 (5), 6-2 in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift attend Nebraska-Cincinnati game after engagement
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift have made their first public appearance since announcing their engagement. They attended the Nebraska-Cincinnati game at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night. Kelce, a former Bearcats player, spent time on the field before joining Swift in a suite for the game. On Tuesday, the couple revealed their engagement on Instagram after dating for about two years. Swift’s publicist confirmed the engagement ring is an old mine brilliant-cut diamond. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Kelce’s brother, Jason, were also present at the game. The Chiefs are gearing up for their season-opener against the Chargers next Friday in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Deion Sanders calls for paying players who reach the playoff and Saban supports the proposal
Leave it to Deion Sanders to come up with an idea for the College Football Playoff that nobody has really mentioned yet: Pay the players for making the tournament, and pay them more when their teams win. If they do that, the Colorado coach said, then every player on a successful team would be making the same amount of money for the wins. Sanders and former Alabama coach Nick Saban talked to The Associated Press as part of their unveiling of a new Aflac commercial that rolls out this week.
South Florida routs No. 25 Boise State 34-7 for 1st win over Top 25 since since 2016
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Quarterback Byrum Brown ran for two touchdowns, Keshaun Singleton caught a 45-yard touchdown pass on a fake punt and South Florida routed No. 25 Boise State 34-7 on Thursday night in the opener for both teams. South Florida beat a Top 25 opponent for the first time since topping then-No. 22 Navy 52-45 on Oct. 28, 2016. The Bulls had lost 18 straight against ranked teams. Brown was 16 of 24 for 210 yards and added 43 yards on the ground. Singleton had five catches for 93 yards and a touchdown, while Chas Nimrod had three catches for 96 yards. Boise State’s Maddux Madsen was 25 of 46 for 225 yards with a touchdown pass to Chris Marshall.
Venus Williams wins a US Open women’s doubles match for the 1st time since 2014 — without Serena
NEW YORK (AP) — Venus Williams won a women’s doubles match at the U.S. Open for the first time in more than a decade. She and partner Leylah Fernandez beat the sixth-seeded pair of Lyudmyla Kichenok and Ellen Perez in straight sets. Getting loud cheers and a standing ovation from fans in a nearly full Louis Armstrong Stadium, Williams and Fernandez rallied from down 5-2 in the first set to win it in a tiebreaker. The wild-card duo of the 45-year-old American and 22-year-old Canadian are set to face Ulrikke Eikeri and Eri Hozumi in the second round.
So far, so good for Naomi Osaka and her new coach at the US Open
NEW YORK (AP) — Naomi Osaka is back in the third round of the U.S. Open for the first time since 2021, the year after she won her second championship at Flushing Meadows. She’s playing rather well at the moment, too, under the guidance of a new coach. Just don’t expect Osaka to weigh in on whether she feels as if she is ready to make another deep run at the place. Osaka eliminated American Hailey Baptiste 6-3, 6-1 in the second round in just 70 minutes Thursday. Other winners included Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner.
Fiery texts from Michael Jordan, NASCAR executives disclosed in NASCAR antitrust battle
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR and two teams, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, have clashed in federal court over antitrust allegations. The hearing on Thursday revealed heated exchanges, including expletive-laden emails and texts. Michael Jordan, co-owner of 23XI Racing, criticized teams that signed NASCAR’s new charter agreements last September. The dispute centers on charter agreements, which are like franchises in other sports. NASCAR claims the teams gave up their rights by not signing extensions. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell heard arguments about restoring the teams’ charter status. Jordan expressed willingness to go to trial for the sport’s betterment.