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Ronaldo exits last World Cup with ‘clear conscience’ after loss to Spain

National Sports

ARLINGTON, Texas — Cristiano Ronaldo walked off the pitch after his final World Cup match for Portugal with a stoic look on his face and only the slightest hint of emotion. There was a brief wave to acknowledge cheering fans, and the same feeling he has had after past losses. “Sad — it’s normal after being eliminated like this,” said Ronaldo, who briefly shielded his eyes with his right hand after the match. The sixth and final World Cup for the 41-year-old superstar ended with a 1-0 loss to border rival Spain in a round of 16 game on Monday. “I’ve given everything, ...

Twins’ Buxton relishes in the fun of baseball

National Sports

MINNEAPOLIS — Each of the three All-Star selections of Byron Buxton’s major league career has naturally brought him a deep sense of appreciation. This one was undoubtedly the most satisfying. Voted in as a starter by fan balloting for the first time, Buxton reveled in the fact that he landed on the American League squad with Minnesota Twins teammate Joe Ryan for the second straight summer. Playing on market-value contracts for a team in transition with a bottom-third payroll that conducted a big selloff before the deadline last year, Buxton and Ryan have been prominently ...

Leonard getting ‘fresh start’ at YSU in final college season

Local Sports

YOUNGSTOWN — When Jada Leonard entered the transfer portal after the end of last season, she was looking for a fresh start for her final season of eligibility. At the time, Leonard was dealing with a bit of uncertainty after a coaching change at Cleveland State and she wasn’t sure if she ...

Stevens says Brown trade was about cap flexibility

National Sports

BOSTON — Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and team owner Bill Chisholm want to make one thing clear: The decision to trade perennial All-Star Jaylen Brown wasn’t arrived at lightly. But from their perspective, it was necessary to give the franchise the flexibility it needs to compete with the changing landscape of an NBA in which managing the team’s balance sheet will be more important than retaining multiple homegrown stars with pricey contracts. That said, Stevens said Monday that he is fully aware of the criticism that surrounds Boston’s front office ...

Wood’s grand slam helps power Nationals to 12-11 win over Astros

National Sports

WASHINGTON — James Wood hit a grand slam in the fifth inning and the Washington Nationals overcame a five-run deficit and held off the Houston Astros 12-11 in the opener of a three-game series Monday night. CJ Abrams and Curtis Mead each homered and drove in three runs as part of three-hit games for Washington. Nasim Nunez also had three hits and his major league-leading 33rd stolen base. Jose Altuve, Yainer Diaz and Brice Matthews homered for Houston. Mead led off the fifth with a go-ahead home run for the Nationals, who then loaded the bases to chase Astros starter Mike Burrows ...

Ovechkin unsure if this is his last season

National Sports

WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin is returning for a 22nd season with the Washington Capitals. Will this be the final act of his illustrious career? “I don’t know,” he said. “We’ll see.” The NHL’s career leader in goals didn’t formally commit to returning in 2026-27 until ...