SPORTS SHORTS

MLB: Braves tie Mets for first place

Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a pair of solo home runs and the Braves beat the Nationals 8-2 in Washington on Tuesday night for their fourth straight win and tied the Mets for first place in the NL East. The Braves are guaranteed the No. 2 playoff seed in the NL if they finish ahead of the Mets.

In Milwaukee, Paul Goldschmidt had two RBIs and the Cardinals clinched the NL Central title for the first time since 2019 by beating the Brewers 6-2. The Brewers remain 1 ¹/₂ games behind the Phillies for the final NL wild-card spot after the Cubs defeated Philadelphia 2-1 in Chicago.

In Cleveland, Harold Ramirez’s two-run double with two outs in the 11th inning gave the Rays a 6-5 win over the Guardians. That helped the Rays tighten the AL wild-card race and ended the Guardians’ seven-game winning streak.

NFL: Garrett released from hospital

Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett was released from a hospital late Monday night after he was injured when he rolled over his Porsche while driving on a rural road following practice. Garrett suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the one-car wreck. The extent of Garrett’s injuries is not yet known, and it’s unclear if the All-Pro will play Sunday against the Falcons.

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is heading to New York for a second opinion on his sprained ankle suffered Sunday during a 37-26 loss to the Ravens, NFL Network reported.

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said he plans to play Thursday night at Cincinnati

despite dealing with back and ankle injuries suffered during the team’s 21-19 win Sunday over the Bills.

All-time Packers sacks leader Clay Matthews confirmed to multiple reporters during a promotional tour that he has unofficially retired from the NFL.

SOCCER: U.S. draws with Saudi Arabia

The U.S. played a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia at Murcia, Spain, that was somewhere between unimpressive and alarming in the American’s last tuneup match before the World Cup in November. After managing no shots on goal Friday in a 2-0 loss to No. 24 Japan, the U.S. got just two against the 53rd-ranked Saudis.

Lionel Messi scored two goals in the second half and was twice accosted by fans running on the field as Argentina extended its unbeaten streak to 35 matches over three years by beating Jamaica 3-0 at Red Bull Arena in its next-to-last World Cup warmup match.

NBA: Ball says he can’t run, jump

Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball said he can’t run at full speed or jump and still experiences pain in his left knee walking up stairs. Ball is scheduled for surgery in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The team said last week he would undergo an arthroscopic debridement and be re-evaluated in four to six weeks.

NHL: Tavares out 3 weeks

Maple Leafs captain John Tavares will miss the start of the regular season with an oblique injury. The veteran center will be at out at least three weeks, head coach Sheldon Keefe said. Toronto’s season opener will be Oct. 12 at Montreal.