JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 826

MILWAUKEE — On April 24, Paul Skenes retired the first 20 Milwaukee Brewers batters at American Family Field before surrendering a two-out single in the seventh, and the Pittsburgh Pirates won 6-0. Skenes completed seven innings with seven strikeouts, while Konnor Griffin hit his first major-league home run on his 20th birthday.

Pittsburgh improved to 15-11 on the season and 5-2 against the NL Central; the Pirates have split their past 13 games. Skenes averaged about 97-98 mph on his four-seam and sinker and used his splitter roughly 30% of the time, and he publicly praised Griffin after Griffin's homer.

Los Angeles: The Chicago Cubs placed left-hander Caleb Thielbar on the 15-day injured list Friday with a left hamstring strain after he was removed following one batter faced Thursday; the club also transferred right-hander Porter Hodge to the 60-day IL and designated infielder Scott Kingery for assignment. They called up Vince Velasquez and added Nicky Lopez to the 40-man roster.

Chicago: The moves provide immediate roster flexibility for Friday's series opener, following the team's 6-4 win over the Dodgers and 10th straight victory; Lopez rejoined the major-league roster and Hodge's placement follows his ongoing recovery from Tommy John surgery, while the club will monitor Thielbar's recovery through the coming week.

Houston — Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton left Friday night's game against the Houston Astros in the sixth inning because of tightness in his right lower leg. Stanton had recorded an RBI single earlier in the sixth, and later rounded third on a J.C. Escarra single to the left-field wall but held up and was unable to score with three batters remaining in the inning. After speaking with a trainer on the field, Stanton walked off and was replaced in the lineup by Randal Grichuk.

He is hitting .256 this season with three home runs and 14 RBIs in 24 games so far.

South Miami-Dade, Florida — Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office deputies responded Friday evening to reports of shots fired near Southwest 282nd Street and Southwest 125th Avenue, where they found a 17-year-old, later identified as Trashawn Foster, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound; paramedics transported the teen to Jackson South Medical Center, where he later died.

Investigators recovered a firearm and multiple shell casings at the scene and stopped a dark-colored vehicle based on a tip, detaining two adults who were later released without charges; officials said an exchange of gunfire may have occurred and urged the public this week to submit tips to Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers, with anonymity and a possible reward available.

Arlington, Texas. The Oakland Athletics hit three solo homers in the top of the first inning and went on to defeat the Texas Rangers 8-1 on Friday, with Carlos Cortes launching two home runs and Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom adding first-inning blasts to set the tone.

The quick scoring surge changed the game's momentum and left the Rangers trailing early; Luis Severino allowed one run over 6 2/3 innings, while Nathan Eovaldi surrendered six runs in six innings. Statcast recorded Kurtz’s 417-foot, 115.9-mph homer, and Elias confirmed the A’s first-inning three-homer sequence as a franchise first, moving Oakland into sole possession of the AL West.

PHILADELPHIA — A wave of disappointed fans poured out of Xfinity Mobile Arena after the Philadelphia 76ers lost a tightly contested Game 3 on Friday night, the outcome slipping away in the final seconds. Supporters described a thrilling contest until the last minute, with attendees criticizing officiating and late fouls as turning points. The Sixers had returned to South Philadelphia with momentum after stealing a win in Boston earlier in the week; the Celtics led much of the first half but Philadelphia battled back and kept the game close through the final buzzer. Joel Embiid missed the game while recovering from an emergency appendectomy two weeks earlier, and fans expressed hope he could return for Game 4.

The night began on a celebratory note when newly drafted Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon rang the pregame bell while wearing a Tyrese Maxey jersey. Xfinity Mobile Arena is expected to be packed Saturday for the Flyers' Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at 8 p.m., and the Sixers return to the court Sunday at 7 p.m.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. The Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night, with Isaac Collins driving in two runs and Noah Cameron allowing three runs over 6 1/3 innings in a 5-3 win, and followed by a 12-1 rout on Saturday night when Cole Ragans struck out 11 and Nick Loftin drove in four.

KANSAS CITY reports the Royals recorded their 14th and 15th quality starts of the season, while Los Angeles saw Yusei Kikuchi surrender five runs in a fourth inning, raising his ERA to 6.21; the Angels lost six of seven games, and catcher Logan O'Hoppe sustained a left wrist injury during the trip.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military launched a strike Friday on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people, U.S. Southern Command said. Southern Command posted a video on X showing a vessel afloat before an explosion left it ablaze and said the target lay along known smuggling routes. The military did not provide evidence in the post that the boat carried narcotics.

The strike is part of a campaign that has persisted since early September, in which the United States has destroyed alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters and the Caribbean Sea; officials say the operations have killed at least 183 people. Rights groups and experts have renewed questions about the legality and transparency of the attacks because the military has not publicly produced evidence that targeted vessels carried drugs. The campaign began as the U.S. built up its largest regional military presence in generations and preceded a January raid that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was taken to New York on drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty. President Donald Trump has described the effort as an "armed conflict" with cartels and has defended the strikes as necessary to stem the flow of drugs into the United States.

Houston — The Los Angeles Lakers rallied to defeat the Houston Rockets 112-108 in overtime on Friday night, erasing a six-point deficit in the final 30 seconds to force extra time. LeBron James scored 29 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and provided six assists, and he hit the tying three-pointer with 13 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime.

Los Angeles now holds a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series and can close out the matchup in Game 4 on Sunday night in Houston. Coach JJ Redick stressed the need to remain desperate; reports noted the Rockets were missing a key player, and the result shifts pressure to Houston to make tactical adjustments before the next game.

TALLADEGA, Ala. On Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway, NASCAR majority owner Jim France stepped down as chief executive officer and appointed Steve O'Donnell as his successor; France will remain chairman and retain his majority ownership stake. Ben Kennedy was promoted to chief operating officer, and O'Donnell becomes the first CEO from outside the France family.

Charlotte, N.C., this week, the leadership change follows O'Donnell's more-than-three-decade tenure at NASCAR, including his promotion to president in March 2025. The transition comes after 2025 revenue-sharing negotiations that produced an antitrust suit and a December settlement granting teams permanent charters; immediate next steps include O'Donnell taking operational control and engaging with teams and sponsors.