BROOKLYN, Mich. – Denny Hamlin inched ahead of William Byron on the final turn and nosed out the rookie at the finish line, winning Saturday in the closest NASCAR Xfinity race at Michigan International Speedway since the advent of electronic scoring in the series.
It was Hamlin’s 16th career Xfinity victory and first in three starts this year, but the 19-year-old Byron made him earn it. Byron led after a restart with two laps remaining, but Hamlin pressured him the rest of the way, and the Cup Series veteran eventually prevailed by 0.012 seconds in his No. 20 Toyota.
Elliott Sadler finished third behind Hamlin and Byron and took over the series lead from Justin Allgaier.
Pole winner Kyle Busch went spinning just seconds into the race after contact with Brad Keselowski.
MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Twins have signed shortstop Royce Lewis, the first overall pick in the draft this week.
The 18-year-old Lewis put his signature on the contract Saturday during a news conference at Target Field.
Lewis was the 2017 Gatorade Player of the Year for California, where he starred at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano in Orange County. In 2016, Lewis won the Most Valuable Player award at the Under Armour All-American Game at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
Lewis will start his professional career with Minnesota’s rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate in Fort Myers, Florida.
Major League Baseball’s recommended slot value for his bonus was $7.77 million, but the Twins were expecting to sign him for less than that for more money in the pool for later picks.
OMAHA, Neb. – Pitcher-first baseman Brendan McKay of Louisville has won the Dick Howser Trophy as the top player in college baseball.
McKay, the fourth overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft, was honored at a ceremony Saturday by the Howser Trophy committee and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
The pitcher-first baseman from Darlington, Pennsylvania, was chosen national player of the year by Collegiate Baseball newspaper and Baseball America, and a three-time winner of the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award.
McKay, who will be the starting pitcher in Louisville’s College World Series game against Texas A&M on Sunday, is 10-3 with a 2.34 ERA and 140 strikeouts in 104 innings. He’s batting .343 with 17 home runs and 56 RBI.
GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Arizona Coyotes have traded longtime starting goaltender Mike Smith to the Calgary Flames.
Arizona received a conditional 2018 third-round pick, defensive prospect Brandon Hickey, and the rights to pending unrestricted goaltender Chad Johnson. The teams announced the trade Saturday prior to the NHL’s trade freeze for the Vegas expansion draft.
Smith, 35, has been the Coyotes’ starter for the past six seasons and helped them reach the 2012 Western Conference final. Last season he was 19-26-9 with a 2.92 goals-against average and .914 save percentage.
In 11 seasons with the Coyotes, Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning, Smith has a 2.70 GAA and .913 save percentage. He has two years remaining on his contract at a salary-cap hit of $5.67 million.
ANAHEIM, Calif. – Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Kesler has undergone hip surgery that will keep the Selke Trophy finalist away from full hockey activity for 12 weeks.
The 32-year-old Kesler had surgery last week, the Ducks announced Saturday.
Kesler had bone fragments removed during a general cleaning of his hip. The Ducks will begin training camp in approximately three months.
Kesler had 22 goals and 36 assists during the regular season, but he managed just one goal in 17 playoff games while Anaheim advanced to the Western Conference finals.
The 13-year NHL veteran is a finalist for the trophy awarded to the NHL’s top defensive forward next week. Kesler won the award in 2011.
The Ducks also signed forward Nic Kerdiles to a one-year, $650,000 contract extension.
WETZLAR, Germany – Tyron Zeuge retained his WBA super middleweight title by unanimous decision over Paul Smith of England on Saturday.
All three judges awarded it 119-108 in favor of the unbeaten German, who had the better of every round bar one in what was an unspectacular bout.
Zeuge limited his attacks to short but effective bursts and hit back on the counter any time Smith advanced, which was limited.
The seventh round was indicative of the bout as a whole. Smith tried pushing forward but Zeuge stayed elusive and punctured the challenger’s defense with blows that counted.
The eleventh was Smith’s best as he rocked Zeuge with a huge right but it was too little, too late, as Zeuge resumed control, even knocking the challenger to the canvas before the final bell.
Zeuge, trained by former two-time world champion Juergen Braehmer, improved to 21-0-1 (11 KOs), while Smith dropped to 38-7 (22 KOs).
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Lexi Thompson shot a 64 on Saturday on the Blythefield layout reduced to a par of 69 because of flooding, giving her a one-stroke lead in the Meijer LPGA Classic.
The fifth hole was played as a par 3 instead of a par 5 because of the flooding from overnight rain.
Coming off a playoff loss to Ariya Jutanugarn last week in Canada, Thompson had six birdies and a bogey to reach 15-under 196.
Brooke Henderson, the leader after each of the first two rounds, had a 67 to drop into a tie for second with Lee-Anne Pace (61), Sung Hyun Park (62) and Jenny Shin (63).
Hyo Joo Kim (65) was 12 under, and Lydia Ko (64), Michelle Wie (64), Moriya Jutanugarn (67) and Carlota Ciganda (68) followed at 11 under. Ko dropped to No. 2 in the world Monday after an 85-week run at the top. The top-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn, Moriya Jutanugarn’s younger sister, was 9 under after a 64.
Thompson won the Kingsmill Championship last month in Virginia for her eighth LPGA Tour title after losing the ANA Inspiration in a playoff after being penalized four strokes for a rules violation reported by a television viewer.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Nemanja Nikolic and Luis Solignac scored and the Chicago Fire handed the New England Revolution their first home loss of the season, 2-1 on Saturday night.
Nikolic scored his MLS-leading 13th goal in the 18th minute, beating an offside trap and, after having his initial shot blocked by goalie Cody Cropper, firing in the rebound.
Three quick passes found Solignac in front of the goal as he finished from close range in the 61st for his fourth goal.
New England scored in the 70th when Juan Agudelo kept the ball alive with a header off a cross with Antonio Mlinar Delamea then heading in the ball for his first MLS goal.
New England, which outshot Chicago 24-8, spent the remaining minutes on the attack but failed to get the equalizer despite several frantic moments in front of Chicago’s net.
New England (5-6-5) had five wins and two draws at home before the loss. Chicago (9-3-4) is unbeaten in eight matches.