LAS VEGAS (AP) — Kyle Larson won his second consecutive race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday to keep keep Chevrolet undefeated and give Hendrick Motorsports its second victory in the first three NASCAR Cup Series races of the season.

Larson won for the third time in his career at Las Vegas, where in 2021 he got his first win driving for Hendrick following a nearly yearlong suspension in 2020. Larson also won in the No. 5 Chevy at Las Vegas last October in the playoffs.

Larson held off Tyler Reddick for his 24th career Cup victory. In a Toyota for 23XI Racing, Reddick chased Larson for the final several laps but could never find enough room to make a move for the pass. Larson’s margin of victory was 0.441 seconds over Reddick.

“I knew Tyler was going to be the guy to beat from the first stage. He was really fast there,” Larson said. “Cool to get a win here at Vegas again. Back-to-back, swept all the stages again. Can’t ask for more than that.”

Reddick was extremely frustrated after finishing second and believed Larson as the leader controlled the race because of the rules of NASCAR’s new car.

“Kyle did a really good job there taking away pretty much every option I had there to close the gap,” Reddick said. “Second sucks, that is for sure. You have to run up front all day long, and when asked about what we need to do to get better, that’s the very thing, and we didn’t do it. We were pretty evenly matched, so I don’t know if there was anything that I really could’ve done to get around him.

“He would have had to make a big mistake or had some traffic kind of knock his wind around. It’s a solid effort for our team, that’s how we need to run, but I don’t like running second.”

Chevrolet also has wins this year by Larson teammate William Byron in the Daytona 500 and Daniel Suarez last week at Atlanta for Trackhouse Racing. Chevrolet has won eight of nine national series races to open the year.

Reigning NASCAR champion Ryan Blaney was third for Team Penske in a Ford, followed by Trackhouse driver Ross Chastain, Ty Gibbs in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing and Las Vegas native Noah Gragson was sixth in his best finish since joining Stewart-Haas Racing.

Martin Truex Jr. for JGR was seventh, followed by teammate Denny Hamlin, Penske driver and pole-sitter Joey Logano and Byron. Suarez, last week’s winner, was 11th.

Larson swept all three stages and led 181 of the 267 laps. The win made Larson the Cup Series points leader with an eight-point cushion over Blaney.

Chris Buescher penalty to come

Chris Buescher and RFK Racing are facing penalties after a tire fell off Buescher’s Ford early in the race.

“We lost the nut and lost half the wheel. I think the tire stayed up under the fender,” Buescher said. “It looks like the nut came off and something in the suspension actually cut the wheel in half.

The penalty will be the suspension of two crew members from Buescher’s team for the next two races.

Pennzoil 400 finishing order

1. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
2. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
3. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
4. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
5. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
6. Noah Gragson, No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
7. Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
8. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
9. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
10. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
11. Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
12. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
13. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
14. Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
15. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
16. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
17. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
18. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
19. Daniel Hemric, No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
20. Josh Berry, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
21. Chase Briscoe, No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
22. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
23. Ryan Preece, No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
24. Todd Gilliland, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford 
25. Michael McDowell, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford 
26. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
27. Justin Haley, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
28. Derek Kraus, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
29. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
30. Harrison Burton, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
31. Kaz Grala, No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
32. Corey Lajoie, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
33. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
34. JJ Yeley, No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet
35. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
36. Zane Smith, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
37. Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — There’s a new sheriff in town in San Francisco, and his name is manager Bob Melvin, who is requiring every person in the Giants dugout to stand on the field for the national anthem. 

It’s a drastic difference from the Gabe Kapler regime. He stopped being on the field for the national anthem in 2022 after the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, and kneeled in protest for several games in 2020 after the George Floyd killing. 

Yet, this has nothing to do with politics, Melvin insists. 

“Look, we’re a new team here, we got some good players here,’’ Melvin said Friday, “it’s more about letting the other side know that we’re ready to play. I want guys out here ready to go. There’s a personality to that. 

“It has nothing to do with whatever happened in the past or whatever, it’s just something I embrace.’ 

HOT STOVE UPDATES: MLB free agency: Ranking and tracking the top players available.

Melvin says he applied the same rules managing in Oakland and San Diego, too, and occasionally would have to crack down on his team if he noticed he wasn’t getting close to full participation. 

It’s not about patriotism, but assuring that everyone is out there together, from the players to the coaches to the bat boys. 

“You want your team ready to play and I want the other team to notice it, too,’’ Melvin said. “It’s as simple as that. They’re embracing it.” 

Caitlin Clark now stands alone.

The Iowa women’s basketball star became the most prolific scorer in NCAA Division I basketball history, surpassing former LSU guard Pete Maravich’s previous record of 3,667.

Clark was already an icon in sports, but now she has etched her name into history when she hit the free throw late in the second half to set the new standard.

It’s a moment that had the sports world buzzing. Here are some of the top reactions to Clark setting the record.

Nike drops a new ad spot to commemorate Caitlin Clark

In the minutes after Clark broke the record, this commercial from Nike aired on the FOX broadcast that was playing the game.

State Farm, another company Clark represents, also shared its praise for Clark.

Caitlin Clark’s (almost certain) future team congratulates her

Clark, who announced Thursday that she was declaring for the 2024 WNBA draft, is the presumptive No. 1 overall pick. The team with the top selection in the draft, the Indiana Fever, was quick to issue a quick congratulatory message.

The WNBA draft will take place April 15.

The other pro basketball team that plays in Indiana, the NBA’s Pacers, also joined in on the fun to congratulate Clark.

From one scoring legend to another

Lakers icon LeBron James, who on Saturday night became the first player in NBA history to eclipse 40,000 career points, posted a message to call Clark a ‘bucket.’

Trail blazer Billie Jean King calls Clark ‘indomitable’

Travis Scott wants a Caitlin Clark jersey

Rapper Travis Scott grabbed a courtside seat Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena to watch Clark break the record. He posted a message saying he’d be looking for a Clark No. 22 Iowa jersey.

Iowa claims Clark as the G.O.A.T.

The program Clark has played for didn’t need many characters; it simply called her ‘The Greatest of All Time.’

The WNBA and NBA join the chorus

The NBA also chimed in to congratulate Clark.

NCAA points out Clark’s greatness

The NCAA posted their message and shared a list of basketball records set by women that stand above the rest in both the men’s and women’s game.

Caitlin Clark is king.

The Iowa star broke Pete Maravich’s 54-year-old NCAA scoring record on Sunday with a free throw in the second quarter to put the Hawkeyes up 48-39 against Ohio State.

‘Pistol Pete’ Maravich scored 3,667 points in his career with LSU, which ended in 1970 before his Hall of Fame NBA career with the Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans-turned-Utah Jazz.

Last month, Clark broke the NCAA women’s scoring record against Michigan with a signature logo 3-pointer. Kelsey Plum previously held the record with 3,527 points during her time at Washington. Clark also broke Lynette Woodard’s record of 3,649 points from her playing days at Kansas before women’s college basketball was sanctioned by the NCAA.

Clark’s idol, former UConn star and four-time WNBA champion Maya Moore, was in attendance to witness her break Maravich’s record. Woodard was also in the building to show her support.

On Thursday, Clark declared for the WNBA draft. She is forgoing her optional fifth year and will most likely be drafted by the Indiana Fever, who hold the No. 1 overall pick.

NHL teams have less than a week to decide if they’re going to be a playoff hopeful or a trade deadline seller.

The Philadelphia Flyers potentially could be both.

General manager Danny Briere and president Keith Jones are committed to continue their rebuild, even though the team sits in a playoff spot in the first full year of the plan. That means they will listen to offers, and coach John Tortorella told reporters that he already has talked to the players who could be on the move if the return is right.

That list could include pending unrestricted free agent defensemen Sean Walker and Nick Seeler, an effective pairing. Seeler leads the league in blocked shots. Forward Scott Laughton, who’s tied for the league lead in short-handed points, also has been mentioned in trade rumors.

Here are some other players who could be on the move before the trade deadline — 3 p.m. ET on March 8:

TEAM NEEDS: What contenders could be looking at before the deadline

Pending unrestricted free agents

Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin ($4.95 million cap hit): He can produce offense and had a recent two-goal game. The Flames, who lost Johnny Gaudreau for nothing in the summer of 2022, don’t want that to happen again, even with the team close to a playoff spot. Plus moving him would give general manager Craig Conroy another chance to put his imprint on this team. He got a hefty return when trading Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks and a prospect and two picks in the Chris Tanev trade to the Dallas Stars.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel ($6 million): Guentzel is an elite scorer who can fetch a big price in the team’s bid to get younger. Sidney Crosby’s linemate is currently out with an injury.

Anaheim Ducks center Adam Henrique ($5.825 million): The top remaining UFA center is versatile and kills penalties.

Ottawa Senators winger Vladimir Tarasenko ($5 million): He’s familiar with being moved around the deadline, going to the New York Rangers last season and getting 21 points in 31 games. He won a Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019.

Arizona Coyotes winger Jason Zucker ($5.3 million): He plays with an edge and showed when he was in Pittsburgh that he can be a fit alongside top players.

Washington Capitals winger Anthony Mantha ($5.7 million): He was acquired at the 2021 deadline and went through some subpar seasons, but he just scored his 20th goal this season. The Capitals would have to retain some salary.

Chicago Blackhawks forward Tyler Johnson ($5 million): His playoff experience as a two-time Stanley Cup winner will be valuable.

Ducks defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin ($2.75 million): A penalty-killing defenseman who was moved before the 2022 trade deadline. Where he went: Maple Leafs

Buffalo Sabres forward Kyle Okposo ($2.5 million): The Sabres captain brings leadership and has an inexpensive cap hit.

Sabres defenseman Erik Johnson ($3.25 million): The depth defenseman is being held out of the lineup. He won a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022.

Players with term left on their deals

Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom ($6 million): He has two years left on his deal and would have to waive his no-movement clause, but he’s playing very well of late and would fetch a good return. Moving Markstrom would give Dustin Wolf an opportunity to take the net. But Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Flames might keep him this season.

Ducks forward Frank Vatrano ($3.65 million): The All-Star has topped 25 goals, has a reasonable cap hit and has a year left on his deal. GM Pat Verbeek could be busy over the next week.

Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich ($5.8 million): The Blues were sellers last season and have fallen out of a playoff spot in recent weeks. The five-time 20-goal scorer would draw interest and has a year left on his deal.

Senators defenseman Jakob Chychrun ($4.6 million): He could be available because of the emergence of defenseman Jake Sanderson in Ottawa. Chychrun can help a power play, is 25 and has a year left on his deal.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen ($3.85 million): The Canadiens seem set in net with Sam Montembault and Cayden Primeau. Allen would be a good addition for a team looking for an upgrade in its backup goalie position.

Despite how slowly the MLB free agent market has moved at times this offseason, there have still been a myriad of signings and trades that have shifted the MLB landscape. Whether it was Juan Soto being sent to the New York Yankees, Shohei Ohtani joining the Los Angeles Dodgers, or Corbin Burnes teaming up with Adley Rutschman in Baltimore, there are several former MVPs, Cy Young winners, and All-Stars who find themselves on new teams heading into 2024.

As we approach the start of the regular season though, the hype that surrounded each of these players’ signings may start to fade if they do not perform well during spring training. Although spring training is not the end-all, be-all when determining how well a player will perform during the regular season, struggles in March can sometimes dictate regression when the regular season comes around.

It certainly does not ease fans’ minds when the big name their team signed during the offseason has difficulties putting up numbers against players who have never played in the majors before. On the other hand, if a player shows out for their new team in spring training, it can create newfound confidence in a fanbase looking to improve upon their previous season.

With that said, here are how each of the biggest names of the offseason are faring so far during spring training.

DH Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers

In just seven at-bats in Dodger blue, Shohei Ohtani has already shown why he’s a $700 million man. Not only did Ohtani hit a home run in his first appearance of spring, but through appearances in three games, Ohtani has also gone 5-for-7 with a triple and that home run of course. He’s also walked twice. That’s good for a 2.207 OPS.

HOT STOVE UPDATES: MLB free agency: Ranking and tracking the top players available.

Ohtani has stated he wants to get in at least 50 ABs this spring, and the Dodgers seem intent on getting him to that figure. At this rate though, he might be too dangerous to get that many plate appearances.

SP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles Dodgers

Although Yamamoto has only made one appearance in the spring, he’s certainly made an impression on fans. Yamamoto pitched just two innings against the Texas Rangers. Still, his devastating splitter and fastball were on full display versus the reigning World Series champs.

Yamamoto showed out with two scoreless innings, surrendering only one hit, while striking out three. He was insanely efficient with his pitches too, needing just 19 to get through those innings, 16 of which he threw for strikes.

SP Corbin Burnes, Baltimore Orioles

Moving to someone who is not setting a great first impression, 2021 NL Cy Young winner, Corbin Burnes has pitched just 2.2 innings this spring but has surrendered four hits, including a home run, and three earned runs, good for a 10.13 ERA. On the bright side, Burnes doesn’t seem to have lost his strikeout material, as he has recorded five strikeouts thus far.

OF Juan Soto, New York Yankees

One of the first big moves of the offseason, Juan Soto has dazzled in his limited spring training at-bats thus far, recording six hits in nine at-bats, including three dingers.

Soto’s career-high in home runs is 35, but at Yankee Stadium, Soto could set new standards for himself. If spring training is any indication, Soto could earn AL MVP honors by July.

OF Joey Gallo, Washington Nationals

Hidden amongst all the other big names that have changed teams this offseason, two-time All-Star and Gold Glover Joey Gallo finds himself a member of the Washington Nationals this season. He’s not off to the greatest start in spring training though.

Gallo has just one hit in seven at-bats this spring, but has still struck out three times. Half of the outs he has recorded have come via punch out. In all fairness, Gallo has never done well in the batting average department during the spring, with a career .238 average in March. However, Gallo has historically done well with his power in spring training, with a career .499 prior to the regular season.

Gallo is known for being a streaky player, so his poor spring training shouldn’t concern Nats fans. That said, the last time Gallo hit under .200 in the spring was 2020, and he went on to slash .181/.301/.378 with an 87 OPS+ during the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

OF Teoscar Hernandez, Los Angeles Dodgers

2021 All-Star Teoscar Hernandez has seen the field a lot so far in spring training for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has 18 at-bats and six hits, three of which have been doubles. Hernandez could be in for arguably the best season of his career, surrounded by several great hitters in the Dodgers lineup, and spring training has shown no indication otherwise. Hernandez is slashing .333/.400/.500 through seven spring appearances.

OF Jung Hoo Lee, San Francisco Giants

The first of three big moves for the Giants so far this offseason, Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee has dominated spring training thus far to the tune of a .455/.500/.818 triple-slash. Lee has five hits in 11 ABs, with a double and home run to boot. He also has a stolen base under his belt as well.

OF Jorge Soler, San Francisco Giants

Despite being signed rather late in the offseason, Jorge Soler has still appeared in four games for the Giants already and has posted an uncharacteristically high batting average so far, recording five hits in 10 at-bats, all of which have been singles. Soler has also struck out only twice thus far. While the Giants obviously signed Soler because of the power he brings to the table, I’m sure the team would not mind a .280 average season if his power takes a dip.

SP Tyler Glasnow, Los Angeles Dodgers

Despite missing tons of time due to injury in his career, Glasnow has shown no signs of slowing down when healthy, and 2024 spring training is no exception. The former Pittsburgh Pirate and Tampa Bay Ray has looked sensational through 4.2 innings this spring, allowing only four hits and one earned run, good for a 1.93 ERA.

Glasnow’s control has been a little concerning as he has walked two batters in that time, but that is nothing compared to just six strikeouts. Sure, Glasnow is still striking out opponents at a rate of 11.57 per nine innings, but that is a far cry from the 16.57 and 16.88 marks he put up in 2021 and 2020 respectively, the last times he pitched during spring training at all.

OF Tyler O’Neill, Boston Red Sox

A former MVP candidate, Tyler O’Neill has not been able to replicate his incredible 2021 season. Many fans thought a change of scenery would be just what O’Neill needed to lean him back toward his 2021 prowess. Of course, O’Neill has yet to take an at-bat in Fenway as a member of the Red Sox, but his spring training numbers certainly aren’t easing fans’ concerns.

Through five games and 12 at-bats, O’Neill has just two hits and zero extra-base hits. O’Neill has been incredibly patient at the plate, having walked in three (20%) of his plate appearances, but he has still struck out four times. O’Neill has improved his walk rate in each of the last three seasons and could be on pace for a fourth, but unless he starts demonstrating the power he displayed in 2021, his strikeout rate is far too high to feel good about his 2024 outlook.

SP Luis Severino, New York Mets

Rumors have swirled of Luis Severino tipping his pitches for the Yankees in 2023. The Mets are hoping that to be the case, because if Severino can return to his 2022 form, he would be an excellent addition for the team.

So far in spring, Severino has been solid. Although he has only pitched two innings, he has yet to give up a hit or walk. He’s gone six up, six down. That said, he does only have one punch out in those innings. The sample size is small, but Severino looks very capable. Even during his struggles a year ago, Severino still boasted an average fastball of 96.6 miles per hour, his highest mark since 2018. There is certainly some gas left in the tank with Severino, who is still just 30 years old. If he can avoid tipping his pitches again and can stay healthy, the Mets may have gotten the steal of the offseason.

RP Craig Kimbrel, Baltimore Orioles

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before Phillies fans.

In just one inning with the Orioles, Kimbrel has already surrendered a run. In all fairness, it was a home run, which can be very luck-based, but it’s still not a great sign for a team that is looking to maintain their 3.55 bullpen ERA from a year ago (third-best in the American League).

Kimbrel will almost certainly start the season as the closer for the Orioles, which is a good or bad thing depending on who you ask. Although we are only two seasons removed from when Kimbrel posted a stellar 0.49 ERA with the Chicago Cubs in the first half of the 2021 season, he has since failed to record a season with a sub-3.00 ERA.

That said, Kimbrel’s struggles have been mostly overblown due to his poor 2023 NLCS. In reality, Kimbrel blew just five saves during the 2023 season, which ranked tied for the 25th-most in MLB. His 82 percent save percentage was also among the best in the league.

3B Eugenio Suarez, Arizona Diamondbacks

Once a back-to-back top-20 finisher for NL MVP, Eugenio Suarez has certainly fallen back to Earth since his remarkable 2018 and 2019 seasons. Suarez now finds himself a member of the reigning National League pennant winners and will look to provide value at third base, where the Diamondbacks recorded -1.9 WAR in 2023, according to Baseball-Reference, between Emmanuel Rivera, Josh Rojas, and Evan Longoria among others.

So far, Suarez has looked solid, recording two hits in six at-bats. Unfortunately for D-Backs fans, Suarez’s strikeout problems have not gone anywhere. Of the four outs he has made, Suarez has struck out three times. This shouldn’t be a shock considering Suarez led the American League in strikeouts in both 2023 and 2022, but for a team looking to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West, Suarez’s strikeouts could become a major issue in pivotal moments as the season progresses. If his power numbers continue to regress as well, this could turn out to be a poor deal for Arizona.

INDIANAPOLIS — A proud expression briefly flashes across John Harbaugh’s face.

Baltimore’s head coach listens as a reporter rattles off the names of his former assistants who are now spreading the gospel of the Ravens’ defensive philosophy all over the country. Mike Macdonald is doing it in Seattle and Jesse Minter in Los Angeles.

All things Ravens: Latest Baltimore Ravens news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Shaquille O’Neal and Angel Reese’s special bond was on display during LSU women’s basketball senior day ceremony on Sunday.

O’Neal, a Basketball Hall of Famer and former All-American with LSU in the early 1990s, escorted Reese and her mother onto the court at Sunday’s ceremony.

Last year’s NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player initially met Shaq at an LSU football game. Since then, the two LSU basketball stars have grown close, with O’Neal becoming a mentor to the young star.

After winning the NCAA championship last year, Reese said she got advice from Shaq about dealing with her newfound national recognition.

‘He just said, people are gonna hate me, people are not gonna like me, people are gonna feel some type of way because they wish they were me, they’re gonna judge me,’ she told USA TODAY in January.

She said at the time she planned to ask O’Neal to walk with her and her mother at senior day. He was there in Baton Rouge Sunday afternoon.

The No. 7 LSU Tigers defeated the Kentucky Wildcats in Sunday’s game, 77-56.

Is Shaq related to Angel Reese?

O’Neal and Reese are not related. The two have formed a very strong bond in recent years that led to Shaq’s presence at LSU’s senior day ceremony.

Angel Reese points per game

In 25 games this season, Reese is averaging 19 points and 13 rebounds per game while shooting at 49.5% efficiency from the floor.