Reuters Sports News Summary
Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
Koepka comfortable to be in chasing pack at Masters
Brooks Koepka relinquished his share of the Masters lead on Saturday but the American is not about to panic given the increased self-belief that helped him bag two of the last three majors. On a day when Augusta National, which had been softened by rain earlier in the week, was yielding low scores Koepka could only muster a three-under-par 69 that left him alone in fourth place and three shots back of leader Francesco Molinari.
Molinari and Woods renew majors battle for Green Jacket
Francesco Molinari surged two shots clear at the top of the Masters leaderboard on Saturday to set up another final round showdown with Tiger Woods for a major title. It has been an almost flawless Masters for Molinari, who has carded just a single bogey through three rounds. The Italian turned in another error-free effort in Saturday's third round, signing for a six-under 66 to top the leaderboard at 13-under.
Motor racing: Hamilton wins Formula One's 1,000th race
Lewis Hamilton won the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday to retake the overall lead from Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas in Formula One's 1,000th world championship race. Bottas, who had started on pole but lost out to five times world champion Hamilton into the first corner, finished second for his team's third one-two finish in as many races this season.
NBA roundup: Magic upset Raptors on Augustin's 3
D.J. Augustin scored the final five points of the game, including a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds left, as the Orlando Magic upset the host Toronto Raptors 104-101 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first-round series Saturday. The Magic, the seventh seed in the East, won their first playoff game since their most recent postseason appearance in 2012. The Raptors, the second seed, fell to 2-14 all time in series-opening games.
NBA notebook: Kings reportedly to hire Walton as head coach
Luke Walton and the Kings have agreed to a multi-year contract to make him Sacramento's next coach, The Athletic reported. Walton met with Kings general manager Vlade Divac on Saturday, and The Athletic's Sam Amick reported the two had reached agreement on a deal that is expected to run through the 2022-23 season.
NHL roundup: Caps beat Hurricanes in OT, take 2-0 series lead
Defenseman Brooks Orpik scored 1:48 into overtime to give the Washington Capitals a 4-3 victory over the visiting Carolina Hurricanes in Game 2 of an Eastern Conference first-round series Saturday afternoon. The Capitals have a 2-0 lead in this series, which shifts to Carolina for the next two games, starting Monday. Orpik's game-winner was just his fourth goal in 151 NHL playoff games.
MLB notebook: O's Davis ends 0-for-54 streak
Chris Davis can breathe a sigh of relief. The Baltimore Orioles slugger singled home two runs with the bases loaded in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday to end a record streak for a position player of 54 at-bats without a hit. Davis would later add the go-ahead double in the fifth inning, an RBI forceout in the sixth and a double in the eighth as part of a 9-5 Orioles win. He ended the day 3-for-5 with four RBIs.
Poirier defeats Holloway at exhilarating UFC 236
The championships on the line at UFC 236 on Saturday night were just of the interim variety, but the competitors in both bouts put in Fight of the Year-caliber performances nonetheless. Dustin Poirier (25-5) of Lafayette, La., won the interim lightweight belt in the main event at Atlanta's State Farm Arena, defeating current UFC featherweight titleholder Max Holloway (20-4) of Waianae, Hawaii, via unanimous decision.
MLB roundup: Davis finally breaks out as Orioles win
Chris Davis had three hits and four RBIs to end his record skid with a flourish as the Baltimore Orioles snapped a four-game losing streak with a 9-5 win over the host Boston Red Sox on Saturday. Davis, who entered the contest hitless in his last 54 at-bats dating to last season, hit a two-run single in the first inning to end his hitting drought. He added a tiebreaking double in the fifth inning and another double in the eighth, his first three-hit game since Aug. 28.
MLB roundup: Giants outlast Rockies in 18 innings
Brandon Belt opened the 18th inning with a double, and he slid home on Erik Kratz's bases-loaded ground ball one out later, giving the San Francisco Giants a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies in a game that started on Friday night and ended on Saturday morning. The win was the Giants' second in two games in the four-game series and gave them their first winning streak of the season. Colorado, which led 2-0 but did not score in the final 14 innings, dropped its seventh straight.
