To learn how to win on a consistent basis, the Arizona Diamondbacks had to figure out how to lose

Barcelona have confirmed they will investigate claims of racist abuse towards Vinicius Junior during El Clasico.

Jalen Ramsey caught a game-sealing interception to help stifle Las Vegas’ fourth-quarter comeback, and the Miami Dolphins overcame three turnovers to hold off the Raiders 20-13

Eddie Howe has insisted the weather which delayed Newcastle’s arrival in Italy will not derail their Champions League adventure. The club’s latest European mission hardly got off to the most auspicious of starts when, having been given special dispensation to train on Tyneside on Monday morning rather than at the San Siro later in the day, they remained on the ground for more than two hours. However, speaking at a press conference which finally got under way at around 9pm local time when it had initially been scheduled for 7pm, Howe was adamant preparations for a tough opening encounter with AC Milan would not be hampered as a result. He said: “It’s just part and parcel of the job that we do. It’s not out of the normal that that can happen. This was a weather problem, but we’ve been in similar situations. “It’s something we’re used to, although it’s a slightly later arrival time than we would have liked for the players. It’s no big deal though.” Howe and his players were due to leave Tyneside at around 2.30pm, but eventually took off closer to 5pm and, as the media gathered at the stadium to await the 45-year-old and former Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali, a plane-tracking app suggested they were still somewhere above France. They finally made it to the stadium at around 9pm, with article 73 of governing body UEFA’s regulations stating: “Press conferences must start between 1200 and 2000 local time. Exceptions to these timings must be agreed in advance with UEFA.” However, the PA news agency understands a first offence is likely to be met with a warning rather than more stringent punishment. Had Newcastle arrived on time, they would have done so in torrential rain as thunderclouds gathered over the Italian city as a sultry day drew to a close. It’s something we’re used to, although it’s a slightly later arrival time than we would have liked for the players. It’s no big deal though Eddie Howe Tuesday night’s game, which will be played 26 years and two days after the Magpies famously beat Barcelona 3-2 in the same tournament, comes more than two decades after their last appearance in Europe’s premier club competition. For Howe, it will be the first Champions League game he has attended, and one he is relishing against a side which suffered a 5-1 derby drubbing at the hands of neighbours Inter on Saturday. He said: “I’ve never attended one. I’ve always been too busy working to take one in. But it’s not something I’ve given any thought to. It’s a game of football. “Yes, it will be a very proud moment for me. I think it will be a very proud moment for everyone connected with Newcastle to be back in the Champions League after a long period away. “But it is a game of football and I think that’s just how we have to approach it. Yes, it’s a special game and we have to be at our best. There are slight differences in terms of where we’ve travelled, but the game will be the same and it will be a very difficult one. The club’s last fixture in the competition, a 2-0 home defeat by Barcelona in March 2003, saw the likes of Shay Given, Kieron Dyer and Alan Shearer go up against Frank de Boer, Xavi and Patrick Kluivert. This time around £53million summer signing Tonali, a semi-finalist with Milan last season, will be part of a new generation trying to write a new chapter in the club’s history. The Italy international said: “It will be the most thrilling feeling to come out into the stadium packed with people again. “They let me live my dream here at AC Milan, but now I come back as a rival. I will have a lot of feelings tomorrow. “Everything happened so fast with the transfer, I was overwhelmed at first, but I have come across a wonderful team, wonderful staff and play for people who love football. The people of Newcastle will help anyone.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live KP’s World Cup preview and Tyson Fury’s new arrival – Monday’s sporting social England netball star Chelsea Pitman announces international retirement Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino understands Thiago Silva’s frustration

A look at ticket prices for the 2023 World Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers.

Anthony Joshua has a complicated legacy, but an incomplete one. The Olympic gold medalist was the darling of British boxing, before a few underwhelming performances and results confirmed sneaking suspicions that he was not the combatant many hoped he was, but now he is intent on proving that he is more of a boxer than a brand. Deontay Wilder’s legacy is altogether simpler. The American is probably the hardest hitter that boxing has ever seen, harnessing hellish power but not the technical abilities to win his biggest fights – a trilogy of bouts with Tyson Fury. Now, Joshua and Wilder face the riskiest proposition of their careers: a clash years in the making. It is the boxing equivalent of a high-wire walk at 1,300 feet, with no harness to save you. One wrong move and either heavyweight’s legacy would be irrevocably changed. The bout, planned for Saudi Arabia in January, is not only the most explosive prospective fight in all of boxing, but also one of the most alluring. There is an argument that fans crave this match-up more than Joshua vs Fury, which looks ever more likely to be an imbalanced affair, and Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk, which would be a display of sporting mastery but might lack the brutal edge that viewers seek. In one corner: Joshua, a former two-time unified world champion with a record of 26-3 (23 knockouts); in the other: Wilder, a former WBC champion whose record stands at 43-2-1 (42 KOs). Joshua, 33, and Wilder, 37, are two of the most devastating punchers in their division, but while “AJ” is technically sounder, the “Bronze Bomber” has an unfaltering to his cause – a commitment that could prove decisive. Joshua once had that same conviction, but it has wavered in the wake of his trio of losses. Since being stunned by that Andy Ruiz Jr TKO in 2019, Joshua has appeared gun shy, save for his knockout of Kubrat Pulev. This change was evident in his back-to-back points defeats by Usyk, in his decision win against Jermaine Franklin in April, and even in his victory over Robert Helenius on Saturday. Prior to knocking out the Finn in the seventh round, Joshua told his coach Derrick James, “It’s hard to find the right hand,” though the Briton was reaching for that shot rather hesitantly. Of course, Helenius was a short-notice replacement for a much more familiar foe, Dillian Whyte, so Joshua was right not to rush, but there is a feeling that he could have found the finish earlier. Even so, it does not matter that it did not come as quickly as it did for Wilder against Helenius, when the American clubbed the 39-year-old out of consciousness in Round 1 in October. What matters more is that Joshua’s tentative forward and lateral movement would leave him dangerously exposed against Wilder, who has dropped every single man he has fought. “You can’t stand there jabbing against Wilder, it doesn’t work against Wilder,” David Haye said on Saturday, although it should be said that Joshua used that shot well at the O2 Arena. Wilder’s coach Malik Scott, meanwhile, had this to say: “I know that [Joshua] only has three or four rounds in the ring with Deontay Wilder before he gets knocked out. AJ wants to overthink and sit back and play that game, and we’re not gonna allow that. Deontay’s coming to send him to the next dimension, and that’s his intention. When he’s not punching at you, he’s punching through you. The difference is the violent aspect; Deontay is way more violent with his hips and bad-intention punches than AJ will ever be.” That may be a biased analysis, but that does not mean it is wrong. There is a serious risk that Joshua would not see the fourth round of a meeting with Wilder, unless he can take confidence from his own, beautiful finish of Helenius and rediscover the nasty edge that poked out on occasion during his come-up. When Joshua sensed the end against Whyte in 2015, he could not help but grin and wind up his compatriot by pretending to wind up his right hand. Joshua would need not only to be vindictive against Wilder, but proactive. Wilder has the ability to end that fight early, but so does Joshua. Wilder’s chin has held up largely well in his 46 professional fights, and it took volume of output for Fury to stop him in 2020; however, Fury relied on his growing punching power to defeat Wilder in 2021, and the “Gypsy King” cannot pulverise opponents like Joshua can. If Joshua could bring himself to close the range against Wilder, avoiding the American’s looping shots and taking a direct approach – defending by attacking – he would have a good chance. Yet he must also beware the kind of sneaky, short attack with which Wilder transported Helenius to a different universe – a punch with no pull-back, which looked innocuous in the moment. James’s gameplan would be crucial for Joshua, whose mentality would also determine the pattern of the fight – and maybe its outcome. Joshua can beat Wilder, the question is whether he would be brave enough to. Read More Anthony Joshua must sort out his boxing life as Deontay Wilder superfight looms Deontay Wilder’s coach reveals American’s reaction to Anthony Joshua knockout Anthony Joshua takes swig of Conor McGregor’s Irish stout after Helenius knockout Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder in January? Key questions answered Deontay Wilder’s coach reveals American’s reaction to Anthony Joshua knockout The sporting weekend in pictures

West Indies lost its first three wickets with only 17 on the scoreboard and never recovered as India won the final one-day international by the huge margin of 200 runs to clinch the three-match series 2-1

Christian Walker hit a pair of two-run homers, the second in the eighth inning lifting the Arizona Diamondbacks past the Colorado Rockies in a 9-7 victory Wednesday

On the heels of a second straight national football championship, Georgia has given athletic director Josh Brooks a contract extension that ties him to the Bulldogs through at least 2029

Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson says Corey Perry will be away from the team for the foreseeable future

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Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers is accused of gambling on Cyclone sports events, including a football game, and has been charged with tampering with records related to an Iowa Criminal Division investigation into sports gambling