Spieth has two-shot lead
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — One swing put Jordan Spieth closer than ever to ending a long and mystifying slump, and yet it also served as a reminder that he still has a long road ahead at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Two shots behind with three holes to play Saturday, Spieth holed out with an 8-iron from 160 yards for an eagle on the 16th hole, the start of a stunning turnaround that sent him to a 1-under-par 71 and a twoshot lead going into the final round. Daniel Berger helped out by going from a share of the lead to two shots behind when his tee shot on the par-5 18th was out of bounds by mere inches and led to a double bogey. “It’s a good lesson to learn for tomorrow, how quickly things can change out here,” Spieth said. The timing was ideal for Spieth, who has been without a victory worldwide in his last 79 events since he won the 2017 British Open. Spieth was at 13-under 203 through 54 holes with plenty of contenders right behind. Berger had a 72 and was two shots behind. Patrick Cantlay, whose third round began with such promise when he hit to eight feet for an eagle, birdied the 18th for a 70 and joined Berger in second place, along with Tom Hoge (68) and Russell Knox (69). This is the second straight week Spieth has had at least a share of the lead. A week ago in the Phoenix Open, he couldn’t make any putts and closed with a 72 to finish two shots behind.
TENNIS
› MELBOURNE, Australia — Daniil Medvedev finally worked out how to a win a five-setter. All by himself. The fourth-seeded Medvedev was 0-6 in Grand Slam matches that went to five sets, and his Australian Open third-round match against No. 28-seeded Filip Krajinovic looked like it was going all the way. After some angry outbursts from an increasingly animated and chatty Medvedev directed at his box in an otherwise empty Rod Laver Arena — fans have been banned as a COVID-19 precaution — his coach, Gilles Cervara, got up and left. “He said just before leaving that he’s sure I’m going to win the match. He’s going to leave me alone to be more calm,” Medvedev explained in his on-court TV interview after Saturday’s 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-0 win. “It was a good thing to do. Luckily, I won.” Some pundits, including John McEnroe, are tipping the 25-year-old Russian to make his major breakthrough in Australia. Medvedev, on a 17-match winning streak that includes titles at the 2020 season-ending ATP Finals, said while that’s nice to hear, he’s got a long way to go. He’ll have to face unseeded Mackenzie McDonald of the United States next.
BASEBALL
› NEW YORK — St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty and Atlanta Braves pitcher Mike Soroka won their salary arbitration cases Saturday, when Tampa Bay Rays reliever Ryan Yarbrough lost. Flaherty was awarded a raise from from $604,500 to $3.9 million by arbitrators Walt De Treux, Howard Edelman and Steven Wolf, who heard arguments Feb. 5. The Cardinals had submitted $3 million. Soroka was given a raise from $583,500 to $2.8 million by arbitrators Margaret Brogan, Robert Herzog and Frederic Horowitz, who heard arguments Friday. The Braves had argued for $2.1 million. Yarbrough received a raise from $578,500 to $2.3 million from arbitrators Jules Bloch, Mark Burstein and Allen Ponak rather than his request for $3.1 million. Players and teams have split six decisions. The New York Mets defeated third baseman and outfielder J.D. Davis, the Baltimore Orioles beat outfielder Anthony Santander, and first baseman Ji-Man Choi defeated the Rays. Four players remain scheduled for hearings next week: Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes, Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ, San Francisco second baseman Donovan Solano and Atlanta shortstop Dansby Swanson. Soroka, 23, was 0-1 with a 3.95 ERA in three starts last year, when his season ended when he tore his right Achilles’ tendon while pitching against the Mets on Aug. 3. Soroka had surgery four days later and hopes to be ready for opening day.