BASEBALL
Major League Baseball asked a federal mediator to intervene in stalled labor negotiations that likely will put off the start of spring training.
On the 64th day of a lockout, MLB Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem asked Thursday for the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to enter the dispute.
The players’ association must agree for the conciliation service to enter talks. The union declined to comment, and its lawyers were expected to consult with players.
There was little movement in the last negotiating session on Tuesday, leaving almost no hope spring training workouts will start as scheduled on Feb. 16. Baseball’s ninth work stoppage, its first since 1995, will soon threaten opening day on March 31.
HOCKEY
ECHL: Zach Malatesta scored 6:20 into overtime to give the Maine Mariners a 2-1 win over the Trois-Rivières Lions in Trois-Rivières, Quebec.
Callum Booth made 47 saves for Maine, which tied the game early in the second period on a goal by Nick Master.
NHL: Pat Verbeek is the new general manager of the Anaheim Ducks.
The Ducks announced that Verbeek will replace Bob Murray, who resigned Nov. 10 and entered a treatment program for alcohol abuse amid allegations of misconduct.
Verbeek spent the past three seasons as the Detroit Red Wings’ assistant general manager under Steve Yzerman. Verbeek worked the previous nine seasons for Yzerman with the Tampa Bay Lightning as their assistant general manager and director of player personnel.
Verbeek played nearly two decades in the NHL, earning two All-Star selections and winning the Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1999.
GOLF
ASIAN TOUR: Dustin Johnson’s bid for a third victory at the Saudi International began with him shooting 5-under 65, leaving him three strokes off the lead held by Matteo Manassero after the first round.
Johnson is one of a slew of high-profile players from the PGA Tour and European tour who accepted big appearance fees to play in Saudi Arabia. He’s looking to back up his titles from 2019 and last year. He also finished second in 2020.
LPGA: Marina Alex closed with a birdie on the par-5 18th for a 7-under 65 and a share of the first-round lead with Nasa Hataoka in the windy LPGA Drive On Championship at Fort Myers, Florida.
PGA: Tom Hoge made the last of six straight birdies at Pebble Beach with a 40-foot putt on the eighth hole for a 9-under 63 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Pebble Beach, California.
He had a one-shot lead over Seamus Power, who birdied his last four holes at Spyglass Hill, traditionally the toughest of the three courses.
Jonas Blixt had a 7-under 64 on the Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula.
TENNIS
INJURY: Dominic Thiem, the 2020 U.S. Open champion, has delayed his comeback and now plans to make his return at Indian Wells in March.
Thiem hasn’t played since June because of a wrist injury and was unable to defend his title at Flushing Meadows last year. He had been planning to play at the Cordoba Open this week but was forced to pull out after feeling pain in the knuckles on his right hand.
Thiem announced he has also withdrawn from three upcoming tournaments in Argentina, Brazil and Chile.
LAVER CUP: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal say they will play in the next edition of the Laver Cup.
Federer, who has been sidelined since July because of an injured knee, and Nadal, fresh off earning his men’s record 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, said in a statement they will represent Team Europe in London on Sept. 23-25.
This will be the fifth Laver Cup. Neither Federer nor Nadal took part in 2021.
BASKETBALL
WNBA: The Phoenix Mercury acquired Diamond DeShields from the Chicago Sky as part of a three-team deal that also sent Bria Hartley to the Indiana Fever.
Indiana received the seventh pick in this year’s draft from Chicago and the Sky’s first-round choice next year. Chicago got Julia Allemand from Indiana as well as Phoenix’s first-round pick next season.
DeShields helped the Sky win the WNBA championship last year and has averaged 13.2 points and 4.3 rebounds in her career.
SOCCER
AFRICAN CUP: Liverpool teammates Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane – two of African football’s leading forwards – will be facing off as rivals for the continental title.
Salah didn’t even get a chance to take a penalty for Egypt in a 3-1 shootout victory over Cameroon in the semifinals after the hosts failed to score three times from the spot.
Egypt Coach Carlos Queiroz was sent off late in regulation and will be banned from the Sunday’s final against Senegal.
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