Tucker’s 8th-inning single lifts Dodgers past Diamondbacks 5-4 on Wor…

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kyle Tucker singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, lifting the Dodgers over the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4 on Friday night after Los Angeles players received their World Series rings.

Edwin Diaz earned his first save in his Dodgers debut.

Tucker, who joined the team on a $240 million deal in the offseason, contributed for the second straight game. He had his first hit and first RBI in an 8-2 comeback win in the season opener.

Alex Freeland, whose home run gave the Dodgers their first lead in the third, doubled off Kevin Ginkel (0-1). He moved to third on Shohei Ohtani's groundout to second and scored on Tucker's hit to right field.

Diaz had fans on their feet as the former New York Mets reliever entered to Timmy Trumpet's “Narcos.” A trumpeter wearing a Dodgers jersey tooted away. Diaz converted 28 of 31 save chances last season before the Dodgers lured him away with a $69 million, three-year deal.

Diaz erased Carlos Santana on a swinging strikeout. He walked Alek Thomas, who stole second. Jordan Lawler took a called third strike and Diaz retired Ketel Marte on a groundout to shortstop to end it.

Edgardo Henriquez (1-0) got the win in relief, striking out Nolan Arenado in the eighth inning. Arenado struck out four times total.

The Dodgers took a 4-2 lead on Mookie Betts' three-run homer and Freeland's solo shot off Ryne Nelson in the third.

The D-backs led 2-0 on Marte's homer in the second and Thomas' RBI double in the first off Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan.

Up next

Arizona LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (9-9, 5.02 ERA) starts Saturday's series finale against RHP Tyler Glasnow (4-3, 3.19).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

The Oklahoma City Thunder got back in the win column on Friday, beating the Chicago Bulls 131-113 to maintain their grip on first place in the NBA Western Conference.

Two days after their 12-game winning streak was halted by the Boston Celtics, the defending champions Thunder were again on the ropes against the visiting Bulls.

Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander connected on just eight of 24 shots for the Thunder, who trailed by eight late in the third quarter but unleashed a furious 22-0 scoring run to turn it into a blowout.

Cason Wallace added 21 points for Oklahoma City.

Jalen Williams scored 18 and Ajay Mitchell and Isaiah Joe added 15 apiece off the bench for the Thunder, who were without All-Star Chet Holmgren who sat out with a bruised hip.

It was a key win for the Thunder, who came into the contest with a two-game lead over the San Antonio Spurs for top spot and home court advantage in the Western Conference playoffs.

Collin Sexton scored 22 points and Tre Jones added 21 for the Bulls.

In Boston, the Celtics shook off a sluggish start against the high-flying Hawks to triumph 109-102.

The Hawks, who had won nine of their last 10 games, led by as many as 16 in the first quarter.

But Payton Pritchard's 36 points off the bench and 26 points and 12 rebounds from Jayson Tatum led the hosts' fightback on a night when Jaylen Brown was sidelined by Achilles tendinitis.

It was Tatum's highest-scoring performance since he made his season debut this month after recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in last year's playoffs.

He scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to help the Celtics seal the comeback and maintain their slim advantage over the New York Knicks for second place in the Eastern Conference.

The Los Angeles Clippers, jostling for position in the play-in tournament, got a scare against the league-worst Indiana Pacers.

But Kawhi Leonard drilled a game-winning basket with less than a second remaining in a 114-113 victory.

Leonard finished with 28 points and eight rebounds and Darius Garland scored 30 for the Clippers.

Denver star Nikola Jokic delivered another monster triple-double, his 31st of the season, in the Nuggets' 135-129 victory over the Utah Jazz.

Jokic tallied 33 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists and point guard Jamal Murray added 31 points and 14 assists to help the Nuggets tighten their hold on fourth place in the West.

- Doncic shines -

The third-placed Los Angeles Lakers, fueled by 41 points from Luka Doncic, beat the lowly Brooklyn Nets 116-99.

Doncic could be facing a one-game suspension after being whistled for his 16th technical foul of the season after tangling with Nets forward Ziaire Williams in the third quarter.

A player's 16th technical triggers an automatic one-game ban, something Doncic had already avoided after his last technical foul -- in a victory over Orlando last weekend -- was rescinded upon league office review.

The Golden State Warriors, fueled by 28 points from Kristaps Porzingis, got a morale-boosting 131-126 victory over the Washington Wizards despite the continued absence of superstar Stephen Curry.

Curry missed his 24th straight game with a nagging knee injury, and the Warriors said before the contest that he'll miss at least one more -- against Denver on Sunday -- before being re-evaluated next week.

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There has been no shortage of incredible late-game heroics in both this year men’s and women’s March Madness, but it’ll be hard to come up with anything better than what Duke guard Ashlon Jackson pulled off to send the Blue Devils to their first Elite 8 in 13 years.

Down 85-84 to LSU with 2.6 seconds left, Jackson received the inbound pass from Jordan Wood, got LSU star Flau’jae Johnson to bite on her shot fake, and put up a three-pointer with about a second before the clock hit triple zeroes. The ball circled around the rim three times before dropping through the net for a dagger that’s as thrilling for Duke as it was agonizing for Kim Mulkey and her squad. You truly have to see it to believe it:

Jackson’s shot was not just iconic, it was redemptive. Kara Lawson’s team was up 84-75 with under 3:30 to play in the fourth quarter, only for LSU to rattle off 10 straight to take the lead in the closing seconds. Clinging to an 84-83 lead with :18 to go, the usually reliable Jackson missed two free throws that would’ve given Duke a three-point lead. LSU’s Mikaylah Williams capitalized with go-ahead free throws at the other end, but after the Tigers failed to secure the rebound on Taina Mair’s corner three, Jackson seized her big moment to keep Duke’s season (and her collegiate career) alive.

This was also a bit of apt and sweet revenge for Duke, who were once 3-6 after losing by 16 at home to LSU way back in December. They’ve since gone 24-2, won the ACC regular season and conference tournament, and have their sights set on reaching their first Final Four since 2006. Their final hurdle to clear to get to Phoenix and the national semifinals is No. 1 seed UCLA on Sunday afternoon in Sacramento.

TORONTO — As the lights were turned off at Rogers Centre during Friday’s pre-game ceremony, Kevin Gausman was forced to warm up in the dark. It’s a tough task for any pitcher, so Alejandro Kirk wasn’t too worried when the right-hander fired two fastballs in the dirt.

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“When the lights went on again, he was fine,” Kirk said with a grin.

The Toronto Blue Jays catcher had a sense in the bullpen that Gausman brought his A-stuff to this opening-day assignment. His fastball command and velocity were there, while the splitter looked exceptionally sharp.

Kirk felt it would translate into the game, and that’s exactly what played out during the Blue Jays’ dramatic 3-2 win over the Athletics.

Gausman authored a record-setting performance in front of a buoyant 42,728 crowd that rode the emotions of Jeff Hoffman’s blown save and Andres Gimenez’s subsequent walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth.

“I heard him say that it felt like we never left here,” Daulton Varsho said of Gausman. “And honestly, it looked like he never left. Nothing changed for him.”

Gausman’s previous appearance at Rogers Centre came in Game 6 of the World Series, when he held the Dodgers to three runs over six innings. And while Friday allowed the Blue Jays to finally move on from that heartbreaking Fall Classic, the pre-game ceremony featured a video tribute to the 2025 team along with an unveiling of the American League championship banner.

“I looked at the banner,” said Gausman. “But I didn’t really watch the video. I felt like I couldn’t. I had to stay locked in.”

Locked in he certainly was.

Gausman opened the game by striking out the side on 15 pitches. Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers went down swinging on nasty splitters and when Gausman punched out Tyler Soderstrom on a high fastball to end the frame, he pumped his fist and let out a strong show of emotion.

“Honestly, I was more fired up because I threw the pitch right where I wanted to throw it,” said Gausman. “More often than not, when I get fired up is when I execute the pitch that I wanted. I wanted to throw the fastball up and in and I did.

“(But) swing and miss to punch out the side on opening day?” he added. “Yeah, I was pretty fired up.”

The 13-year veteran, who was pitching in his first opening day with the Blue Jays and third of his career, was perfect through three innings. He was completely overwhelming the talented A’s lineup and by that point had thrown 28 strikes against just nine balls.

It was vintage Gausman, pitching north and south, pairing high fastballs with splitters down in the zone. His only mistake, though, came in the fourth inning, when Langeliers opened the game’s scoring by launching a 3-1 pitch into the bullpen in left field.

“I only threw one change up and it was the home run,” said Gausman with a wry smile. “So, I’ll reevaluate that pitch going forward.”

Other than the homer, Gausman was perfect over his six frames. He tossed 83 pitches (60 strikes) and struck out 11 batters to set a new opening day record for the Blue Jays. The right-hander generated 17 whiffs (10 with his splitter) and featured a fastball that sat at 94.7 m.p.h. and topped out at 96.8 m.p.h.

“The way he pitched in the playoffs is what I saw from him today,” said Kirk. “He was just out there competing, making pitches.”

Gausman, who’s in the final campaign of his five-year deal, was an integral contributor during the Blue Jays’ post-season run, compiling a 2.93 ERA over 30.2 innings. Manager John Schneider said recently that handing the ball to Gausman on opening day was a “no-brainer” because the 35-year-old could be trusted to keep his cool and navigate all the hoopla associated with it.

“He’s so mellow,” Schneider said. “He did a tremendous job of being normal. Days like today, you just have to be normal.”

Schneider alluded to Gausman warming up in the dark and the right-hander admitted that he wasn’t fazed by it. He noted that during Friday night games at Rogers Centre last season, the lights would go off as a City Connect hype video played in the stadium, and so he’d experienced this a few times before.

“It can throw you off a little bit,” said Gausman. “But, at the same time, you gotta find a way to lock it in.”

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Less than five minutes to the off. Poor, cash-strapped F1 has not been able to update the season graphic to remove Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, or else is leaving them on out of solidarity.

Bernie Collins on Sky is analysing the theoretical best times of the top 10, and there are no surprises on the notional front row, with Russell 0.021 behind Antonelli. But there is more than half a second back to Leclerc in third, leading the Ferrari + McLaren quartet, and Verstappen is in 10th, behind Liam Lawson, who a year ago was demoted from Red Bull to Racing Bulls for this race after struggling in the role of the Dutchman’s sidekick.