Sports

Apr. 15—Jose Altuve spoiled pitch after pitch from Pierce Johnson as the crowd at Minute Maid Park built from a simmer to something more. Johnson spun six curveballs that did not put Altuve away. The Atlanta right-hander tried a seventh. Altuve punched it up the middle for a two-out single.

Seth Lugo continued his torrid start with the Kansas City Royals on Monday night in Chicago. Prior to Monday’s game, Lugo had pitched to a 1.45 ERA through three starts.

STILLWATER -- Ponca City soccer teams’ foray into Stillwater turned out to be a losing situation Friday. Both teams came away with a defeat.

Apr. 14—NEW ORLEANS — There was a feeling of déjà vu in the Lakers’ 124-108 regular-season finale victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday at Smoothie King Center — in which the Lakers clinched eighth place in the Western Conference standings.

Apr. 13—Oklahoma will celebrate its successes no matter the situation, but as Alyssa Brito rounded the bases on Saturday afternoon it clearly meant a little bit more than usual.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The NBA entered Sunday’s regular- season finale with a heightened level of intrigue with 15 out of 20 seeds still undetermined for the rapidly approaching postseason. That mystery factor didn’t apply for the Mavericks, who’d already clinched the fifth seed, so their one-sided 135-86 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder was a game with little significance outside of the development of their young players.

MIDWEST CITY -- In Friday action in the BIll Tipton Classic at Carl Albert High School, the Ponca City Wildcats easily defeated Del City, but then dropped a contest to Putnam City North. Ponca City pummeled Del City 21-3 in the first Friday game.

The New York Mets honored longtime pitcher Dwight “Doc” Gooden on Sunday. The club retired his No. 16 jersey in a special onfield ceremony before the Mets played host to the Kansas City Royals at Citi Field.

Apr. 14—PHOENIX — In the instances in which the Cardinals applied a bit of pressure on their former prospect and current Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen, the right-hander made key pitches that kept them frustrated and out of the scoring column on Sunday afternoon.