MOTOR SPORTS
Zilisch secures a close one
Connor Zilisch held off JR Motorsports teammate Shane van Gisbergen in the closing laps to win Saturday's NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Sonoma Raceway for his fourth career victory. The two battled 1-2 for nearly the entire 79-lapper in Wine Country, the duo combining to lead all but nine laps and trading blows throughout the first two stages. Zilisch took the lead under caution after Stage 2 and never surrendered it, but van Gisbergen didn't make it easy. He used his bumper multiple times in the final two laps and made a last-ditch effort on Zilisch entering the final turn, a hairpin corner before heading back to the start-finish line. However, Zilisch had better positioning on the inside to win the dash back to the finish. Zilisch's Northern California triumph ended a streak of three consecutive national series road-course victories for SVG, who won the Cup Series race in Mexico City and swept the weekend in Chicago. William Sawalich finished third, notching his best career Xfinity Series finish.
BOXING
Stevenson defeats Zepeda
Shakur Stevenson remained undefeated and defended his WBC lightweight title with a dominant performance in the first boxing card held on the grounds of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, beating William Zepeda by unanimous decision Saturday night. One judge favored Stevenson 119-109, while the other two had it 118-110 for the 2016 Olympic silver medalist. Stevenson (24-0) won just before Edgar Berlanga and Hamzah Sheeraz fought in the final bout of the night in Louis Armstrong Stadium, the No. 2 venue at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. But it was a main event-level performance from Stevenson and the first wide victory of the night after the previous two bouts were close right to the finish. Zepeda (33-1) landed a left hand shortly after the opening bell that drew a smile from the champion, and he was able to get inside a number of times to unload a series of shots at Stevenson. But he was often powerless to stop the flurries that were coming back at him from Stevenson's hand speed that is up at the top of boxing.
Taylor remains champion
Katie Taylor beat Amanda Serrano for the third time, winning a majority decision on Friday night to remain the undisputed 140-pound champion. Taylor won by scores of 97-93 on two judges' cards, while the third had it even at 95-95. It was the third consecutive narrow decision between the two, after Taylor won a split decision in their first bout and a narrow unanimous decision in the rematch. Back in Madison Square Garden, site of their first bout, Taylor improved to 25-1 in a fight that perhaps wasn't as exciting as their first two, but once again was almost too close to call. Serrano (47-4-1) never really hurt Taylor this time, the expected final fight between the two, the way she did a couple times in the previous fights, and held her hands over her eyes when the first score announced was the even card, perhaps knowing already then she hadn't done enough to pull it out. The Associated Press scored it 95-95.
FOOTBALL
Former Cardinals LT dies
Luis Sharpe, a three-time Pro Bowl selection at left tackle for the Cardinals during the franchise's time in both St. Louis and Arizona, has died. He was 65. The Cardinals confirmed Sharpe's death through his family, a team spokesman said Saturday. Sharpe's wife, Tameka Williams-Sharpe, also posted about her husband's passing on social media. The 6-5, 275-pound Sharpe played all 13 of his NFL seasons with the Cardinals, spanning from 1982 to 1994. He made three consecutive Pro Bowls from 1987 to 1989 and was a second-team All-Pro selection in 1988 and 1990. Sharpe was born in Havana and played in college at UCLA. He started all 189 games he played in the NFL and was one of the team's best players during their transition from St. Louis to Arizona in 1988.
TENNIS
British duo takes doubles title
Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool became the first all-British pair in 89 years to win the men's Wimbledon doubles title by defeating Rinky Hijikata and David Pel 6-2, 7-6 (3) Saturday on Centre Court. They are the first all-British winners of the title since Pat Hughes and Raymond Tuckey in 1936. "When you say it, it sounds incredible," Glasspool said when that year was cited in an on-court interview. It makes for a perfect grass-court season for the pair, who also won the titles at Queen's and Eastbourne in the run-up to Wimbledon. Those performances had raised expectations on the fifth-seeded duo going into Wimbledon, and they lived up to the hype. It was the first Grand Slam final for Cash and Glasspool.
GOLF
ISCO tournament suspended
Paul Peterson had a one-stroke lead with three holes to play Saturday night when third-round play in the lightning-delayed ISCO Championship was suspended because of darkness. Play at Hurstbourne Country Club in Louisville, Ky., was suspended twice for a total of about three hours during the afternoon in the opposite-field PGA Tour event also sanctioned by the European tour. Peterson was 5 under for the round and 10 under overall. The 37-year-old PGA Tour rookie stopped playing after hitting his second shot to 30 feet on the par-4 16th. He is making his 20th career PGA Tour start.
BASEBALL
Dobbins out with torn ACL
Boston Red Sox right-hander Hunter Dobbins said on Saturday he knew his season was probably over when he felt a familiar feeling in his knee. He was right. Dobbins was diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, his second ACL tear in his right knee. "Yeah. I've torn my ACL in this knee before and it was the same feeling," he said, standing in the middle of Boston's clubhouse with a red sleeve on his right leg. "Kind of some denial went into it, tried to go through that warm-up pitch, felt the same sensation again so, at that point, I knew what it was." Dobbins tore the same ACL playing high school football. Covering first base in the second inning of Boston's 5-4 walk-off win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night, the 25-year-old Dobbins stepped awkwardly and limped after recording an out by making a catch on a throw from first baseman Abraham Toro.
Braves place Riley on IL
The Atlanta Braves placed two-time All-Star third baseman Austin Riley on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a strained right abdomen. Riley was lifted for a pinch hitter in the fourth inning of the Braves' 6-5 win at St. Louis on Friday night. He said he first noticed discomfort while fielding a Pedro Pages bunt in the second inning, and it got worse on a Willson Contreras groundout in the third. Riley is hitting .274 this season and entered Saturday ranked third in the NL with 104 hits, behind Trea Turner and Manny Machado.
Fraley returns to Reds' roster
Cincinnati Reds right fielder Jake Fraley was activated from the 10-day injured list on Saturday. He had injured his right shoulder while trying to make a diving catch June 23 against the New York Yankees. An MRI revealed a partially torn labrum that will eventually require surgery. Fraley received a cortisone shot and will try to play through it for the rest of the season.