SPORTS DIGEST

BASEBALL

The free-scoring Atlanta Braves continued their impressive form with a 12-3 victory over the New York Mets. Ronald Acuna Jr, Brian Mccann and Ozzie Albies all scored home runs as the Braves followed up their 15-1 mauling of Philadelphia with another big win. Atlanta have now won 10 of their last 11 matches and edged further clear of Philadelphia at the top of the National League East division after the Phillies’ clash with Washington was postponed due to inclement weather. The Boston Red Sox are also in fine form, making it six wins on the bounce with a 2-0 victory over American League Central leaders Minnesota. The Twins boast the best winning percentage in the MLB, but Red Sox pitcher Rick Porcello, who allowed just four hits over seven innings while striking out eight, helped Boston emerge victorious. The shutout saw Minnesota’s run of scoring a home run in 20 successive games come to an end, just two short of matching Colorado’s alltime record.

At the other end of the form spectrum, Baltimore slumped to a sixth consecutive loss after going down 3-2 to Oakland.

The AL East-leading New York Yankees made it a hat-trick of wins with a 3-0 victory over Tampa Bay while there were also shut-out victories for San Diego and St Louis, who defeated Milwaukee 2-0 and Miami 5-0 respectively.

In other games, the Los Angeles Angels saw off Toronto 10-5 - thanks largely to a seven-run second inning – as city rivals the Dodgers lost 3-2 to San Francisco, while Kansas City downed Seattle 6-4 and Texas were 7-2 victors over Cleveland. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: Atlanta Braves 12 New York Mets 3, Cincinnati Reds 3 Houston Astros 2, Los Angeles Dodgers 2 San Francisco Giants 3, Minnesota Twins 0 Boston Red Sox 2, New York Yankees 3 Tampa Bay Rays 0, Oakland Athletics 3 Baltimore Orioles 2, San Diego Padres 2 Milwaukee Brewers 0, Seattle Mariners 4 Kansas City Royals 6, St Louis Cardinals 5 Miami Marlins 0, Texas Rangers 7 Cleveland Indians 2, Toronto Blue Jays 5 LA Angels 10, Washington Nationals P Philadelphia Phillies P.

TENNIS

WTA NATURE VALLEY CLASSIC (Birmingham) 1st rd: (8) Julia Goerges (Ger) bt Dayana Yastremska (Ukr) 3-6 6-4 6-3, Petra Martic (Cro) bt Ekaterina Alexandrova (Rus) 6-3 7-5, Kristyna Pliskova (Cze) bt Viktoriya Tomova (Bul) 6-3 6-4, Jelena Ostapenko (Lat) bt Iga Swiatek (Pol) 6-0 6-2, Yulia Putintseva (Kaz) bt Harriet Dart (Gbr) 6-1 6-4, (1) Naomi Osaka (Jpn) bt Maria Sakkari (Gre) 6-1 4-6 6-3.

ATP NOVENTI OPEN HALLE (Germany)

1st rd: Sergiy Stakhovsky (Ukr) bt Rudolf Molleker (Ger) 3-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-2, Andreas Seppi (Ita) bt Mats Moraing (Ger) 6-4 7-6 (7-4), Richard Gasquet (Fra) bt Peter Gojowczyk (Ger) 6-3 6-4, (1) Roger Federer (Swi) bt John Millman (Aus) 7-6 (7-1) 6-3, (7) Roberto Bautista Agut (Spa) bt Taylor Harry Fritz (USA) 7-6(12-10) 6-0, (4) Borna Coric (Cro) bt Jaume Munar (Spa) 7-6 (7-2) 6-3, Jo-wilfried Tsonga (Fra) bt Benoit Paire (Fra) 6-4 7-5, Matteo Berrettini (Ita) bt (6) Nikoloz Basilashvili (Geo) 6-4 6-4, Jan-lennard Struff (Ger) bt Laslo Djere (Ser) 6-4 6-4, David Goffin (Bel) bt (8) Guido Pella (Arg) 6-1 6-1.

WTA MALLORCA OPEN (Spain)

1st rd: Ons Jabeur (Tun) bt Kaja Juvan (Slo) 7-5 7-6 (7-5), (2) Anastasija Sevastova (Lat) bt Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 6-3 7-6 (7-5), Samantha Stosur (Aus) bt Saisai Zheng (Chn) 6-4 7-5, Shelby Rogers (USA) bt Shuai Zhang (Chn) 6-2 6-2, (6) Caroline Garcia (Fra) bt Victoria Azarenka (Blr) 1-6 6-4 7-5, (5) Amanda Anisimova (USA) bt Tereza Martincova (Cze) 3-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-4, Maria Sharapova (Rus) bt Viktoria Kuzmova (Svk) 7-6 (10-8) 6-0, Paula Badosa Gibert (Spa) bt Alison Riske (USA) 6-7 (2-7) 7-5 7-5, Alize Cornet (Fra) bt Sara Sorribes Tormo (Spa) 6-0 6-1, (1) Angelique Kerber (Ger) bt Ysaline Bonaventure (Bel) 7-5 4-6 6-2