Cards’ Goldschmidt wins NL MVP award

First baseman Paul Goldschmidt of the Cardinals won the National League MVP award Thursday night, taking the coveted trophy for the first time after a couple of close calls earlier in his career.

Goldschmidt received 22 of 30 first-place votes and eight seconds for 380 points from a Baseball Writers’ Association of America panel.

Padres third baseman Manny Machado was second.

The 35-year-old Goldschmidt batted .317 with 35 homes, 115 RBIs and a league-leading .981 OPS this season. He also topped the league in slugging percentage (.578).

The seven-time All-Star was runner-up for NL MVP in 2013 and 2015, then finished third in 2017 — all with the Diamondbacks.

This past season, the Cardinals went 93-69 and won their second division title in the last four years.

The AL MVP award was announced later Thursday night after this edition went to print.

Golf: Cole Hammer shot an opening-round 8-under 64 to take a one-shot lead at the PGA Tour’s RSM Classic in St. Simons Island, Ga. ... U.S. Open champ Matt Fitzpatrick shot an opening-round 7-under 65 to share a one-stroke lead with fellow Brit Tyrrell Hatton at the European Tour’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai . ... New Zealand’s Lydia Ko shot an opening-round 7-under 65 to take a one-shot lead at the LPGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship in Naples, Fla.

NBA: Hillary Cauthen, a psychologist who worked for the Spurs, settled her lawsuit against the team and former player Josh Primo over allegations he had exposed himself to her multiple times in private sessions. Details of the settlement weren’t disclosed.

NFL: The Bills’ home game against the Browns on Sunday is being relocated to Detroit due to a winter storm with lake effect snow expected to hit western New York.