Braves first again after beating Nats
ATLANTA — Sean Newcomb pitched seven strong innings for his sixth straight win, leading the Atlanta Braves back into first place with a 4-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday night. In the opener of a four-game series between the top teams in the NL East, the Braves snapped Washington’s six-game winning streak and regained first place by a half-game over the Nationals. Newcomb (6-1) was roughed up by the Nationals in his season debut April 2. Since then, he’s 6-0 with a sparkling 2.16 ERA in 10 starts.
Anthony Rendon drove in in both Washington runs with a sacrifice fly in the first inning and an RBI single in the third. Newcomb was dominant the rest of the way, retiring 14 of 15 batters before he was lifted for a pinch hitter after a 1-2-3 seventh. He threw 93 pitches, 61 for strikes. The Braves went ahead for good in the third off Tanner Roark (2-5). Ozzie Albies led off with a single and Freddie Freeman followed with a double into the right-field corner, giving him a 13-game hitting streak. Bryce Harper’s throw back to the infield short-hopped Trea Turner, an error that allowed Albies to race home after he initially stopped at third. With two outs in the seventh, Ender Inciarte singled to left and came all the way around to score when Albies yanked another double down the rightfield line.
› NEW YORK — MLB teams spent a record $289 million on players picked in last year’s amateur draft, an increase of 7.2 percent from 2016. After an initial drop when restraints began in 2012, spending has climbed gradually. For the sixth straight year, no team exceeded its signing bonus pool by more than 5 percent — the level that triggers the loss of a firstround draft pick the following June. Spending dropped from $234 million in 2011 to $223 million in 2012, the first year in which teams were assigned signing bonus pools. The total fell to $221 million in 2013, and then climbed to $224 million in 2014, $249 million in 2015 and $269 million in 2016, according to figures compiled by Major League Baseball. Twenty-one of the 30 teams exceeded their signing bonus pools, including five that went exactly 5 percent over: Atlanta, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee, Tampa Bay and Toronto. Clubs incurred $5,046,000 in tax, led by Oakland ($407,325), Milwaukee ($390,900), Tampa Bay ($389,400), San Diego ($386,775) and Atlanta ($368,175). Teams exceeding their signing bonus pools by up to 5 percent pay a 75 percent tax on the overage.
SOCCER
› MADRID — At least as a coach, Zinedine Zidane is going out on top. After ending his playing career by headbutting an opponent in the 2006 World Cup final, Zidane is closing out his stint with Real Madrid with the fresh image of him lifting the Champions League trophy. Zidane made the surprise announcement that he was leaving Madrid on Thursday, less than a week after leading the team to its third straight Champions League title. “You have to know when to quit,” said the 45-year-old Zidane, who was Madrid’s coach for 2 1/2 seasons. “This is the right moment. I am a winner, and if I don’t see it clearly that we will keep winning, it’s time for a change.” It was an unexpected move after he led Madrid to nine championships: the three Champions League titles, one Spanish league title, one Spanish Super Cup, two UEFA Super Cups and two Club World Cups. Zidane also thrived as a player, including for Madrid (2001-06). He helped France win the 1998 World Cup, though his career ended after the 2006 World Cup final, when he was sent off in disgrace for headbutting defender Marco Materazzi before Italy won on penalty kicks.
SOFTBALL
› OKLAHOMA CITY — Aleshia Ocasio hit a three-run homer and pitched a complete game to help Florida defeat Georgia 11-3 in five innings Thursday night in their Women’s College World Series opener. Hannah Adams had two hits, including a solo home run, and Jordan Roberts had a two-run blast for the second-seeded Gators (56-9). Alyssa DiCarlo and Justice Milz homered for Georgia (48-12). DeCarlo, whose homer was her 21st of the season, had three hits. Georgia used four pitchers and didn’t get more than 2 1/3 innings from any of them.