NBA:
In the NBA The Golden State Warriors are in the finals for the first time since 1975 after closing out the Western Conference finals in a 104-90 triumph over the Houston Rockets in five games – setting up a battle with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the NBA title.
NHL:
There will be a Game 7 in each of the NHL's conference finals. The Chicago Blackhawks are heading back to Anaheim after scoring three times in the second period of a 5-2 victory over the Ducks in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals.
The New York Rangers will host the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals tomorrow night in New York.
The San Jose Sharks have settled on a new coach. A person familiar with the search says the team will introduce former Florida and New Jersey bench boss Peter DeBoer (deh-BOHR') later this week. DeBoer guided the Devils to the 2012 Stanley Cup finals but was fired last December after going 205-183-70 with the team. He would replace Todd McLellan, who was let go after compiling 311-163-66 mark with three division titles and six playoff appearances in seven seasons with San Jose.
MLB:
In baseball, in the American League, Alex Rodriguez hit a three-run homer to break Lou Gehrig's American League record for RBIs, and the New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 Wednesday to finish a three-game sweep., Minnesota swept Boston winning the final game of the series 6-4, and Baltimore slid past Houston 5-4.
In the National League, the New York Mets shut out the Phillies 7-0 to complete a three-game sweep, and it was Pittsburgh over Miami 5-2.
In interleague play, San Diego just past the Angels, 5-4.
In other major league action:
— Bryce Harper is tied with Nelson Cruz for the major league home run lead after smacking his 18th in Washington's 3-0 shutout of the Cubs in Chicago. Winning pitcher Max Scherzer struck out 13 while giving up just five hits in seven innings.
— A throwing error by catcher Jordan Pacheco allowed Matt Carpenter to score the winning run in the bottom of the ninth, sending the Cardinals past Arizona 4-3 in St. Louis. Jason Heyward tied the game with a solo shot in the ninth and Kolten Wong went deep in the Redbirds' fourth consecutive win.
— Cameron Maybin homered in the third inning before Atlanta scored twice in the eighth to beat the Dodgers 3-2 in Los Angeles. Nick Markakis (mahr-KAY'-kihs) doubled home the eventual winning run to make a winner of Alex Wood, who held the Dodgers to a run and seven hits in seven innings to help the Braves avoid a three-game sweep.
— Yoenis Cespedes (yoh-EH'-nehs SEHS'-peh-dehs) snapped a scoreless tie with a three-run homer in the fifth inning before Detroit held off Oakland 3-2. Six Tigers pitchers combined for a six-hitter.
— Ryan Vogelsong won his third straight start by yielding just a run in six innings of San Francisco's 3-1 win at Milwaukee. Joe Panik hit a two-run homer to help the Giants complete a three-game sweep and earn the 11th victory in their last 13 games.
— Carlos Santana launched a three-run homer that capped an eight-run third in Cleveland's 12-3 rout of Texas. Lonnie Chisenhall had three hits and three RBIs to help the Indians end the Rangers' seven-game winning streak.
— Cincinnati lost for the 10th time in 11 games as Nolan Arenado (ar-eh-NAH'-doh) socked a three-run homer in the first inning to put Colorado ahead to stay in a 6-4 decision over the Reds. Charlie Blackmon added a two-run homer to back Kyle Kendrick, who carried a 6-1 lead into the eighth before tiring.
— Jung Ho Kang delivered a two-run single while the Pirates scored five times in the seventh to earn their sixth straight win, 5-2 over Miami. Gerrit Cole surrendered homers by Justin Bour and Christian Yelich before notching his seventh win, scattering seven hits in as many innings.
— The White Sox blew a 3-0 lead before Adam LaRoche singled home the tiebreaking run in the 10th inning to send Chicago past Toronto 5-3. Jose Abreu (ah-BRAY'-oo) was 3-for-5 with a two-run double to help the White Sox win for just the second time in nine games.
— Will Middlebrooks hit a two-run homer and an RBI double to lead San Diego's offense in a 5-4 win over the Angels. Andrew Cashner gave up three runs in seven innings to win for just the second time in nine decisions.
FIFA
ZURICH (AP) — Soccer's governing body received plenty of red cards on Wednesday. Law enforcement officials pulled FIFA (FEE'-fuh) executives from a luxury Swiss hotel to face racketeering charges, while regional offices in Miami were raided. Swiss officials also invaded FIFA headquarters, seizing records and computers to investigate whether the decisions to award World Cups to Russia and Qatar were rigged.
The raids and charges are part of an attack spearheaded by the U.S. government, which accuses FIFA of deep-seated and brazen corruption in soccer's global governing body.
Scandals and rumors of corruption have dogged FIFA throughout the 17-year reign of its President Sepp Blatter, although he was not named in either investigation. He is scheduled to stand Friday for re-election to a fifth, four-year term, and the organization said the vote would go ahead as planned, despite the latest turmoil.
In Miami, FBI and IRS agents carried computers and boxes out of the headquarters of CONCACAF, the governing body of North and Central America and the Caribbean, whose past and current presidents are among 14 defendants under indictment for corruption.
Swiss police arrested seven soccer officials at the request of American prosecutors and threatened them with extradition to the United States. Four other soccer and marketing officials agreed to plead guilty.
Meanwhile, Blatter has canceled another speaking engagement as he avoids appearing in public for a second day.
FIFA says Blatter will not give a scheduled speech to open today's session of a soccer medical conference in a Zurich hotel.
Blatter skipped two meetings of continental soccer organizations on Wednesday. He typically would attend those ahead of Friday's meeting.
NFL:
NFL defensive lineman Ray McDonald has been arrested for the second time in three days, this time for violating a restraining order by being at a residence in Santa Clara. The restraining order was issued after an earlier domestic violence incident in Santa Clara on Memorial Day. In that incident, he allegedly broke down a bedroom door to get to his ex-fiancee and their infant. He was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence and child endangerment, but was free on bail. The Chicago Bears released the lineman Monday following that arrest.
FRENCH OPEN
Women's third seed Simona Halep (HAH'-lehp) has become the biggest upset victim so far at the French Open, falling to Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 7-5, 6-1 in the second round.
Winners on the women's side on Wednesday include second seed Maria Sharapova, seventh seed Ana Ivanovic (ee-VAH'-noh-vihch), No. 8 Carla Suarez Navarro and No. 9 Ekaterina Makarova. Men's second seed Roger Federer won his second-round match, as did fourth seed Tomas Berdych (bur-DEEK') and No. 5 Kei Nishikori (kay nee-shee-KOHR'-ee).
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
