Shohei Ohtani’s quest for Cy Young Award begins with 6 shutout innings as Dodgers beat Guardians

LOS ANGELES (AP) —Shohei Ohtanigot started on his bid to win aCy Young Award— just about the only major prize to elude him — with six shutout innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers in his first outing on the mound this season.

Guardians Dodgers Baseball

At the plate, the two-way superstar went 1 for 3 with two walks and a strikeout Tuesday night in a rainy4-1 winover the Cleveland Guardians.

The Dodgers have been waiting to see a full-time, two-way version of Ohtani since he joined them on a $700 million, 10-year deal before the 2024 season. He didn't pitch that year while recovering from a second major elbow surgery in September 2023 while with the Los Angeles Angels.

Last season, the team took a methodical approach to his return to the mound. Ohtani was 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 47 innings over 14 starts. His fastball averaged a career-high 98.4 mph.

"Last year, I felt good," Ohtani said through a translator. "But this year I do feel a lot more loose and easy pitching overall. Looking back at today's outing specifically, that wasn't necessarily the case. So that's something I want to work on. But compared to last season I felt more loose and easy."

Ohtani was limited to two spring training starts for the Dodgers because he played — but didn't pitch — for Japan in theWorld Baseball Classic.

Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts has noticed Ohtani is more critical of himself as a pitcher than a hitter.

"He's never going to be satisfied," Roberts said. "There's always something that he can improve on or get better at and that's what fuels him."

Ohtani has thrown 22 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings in the regular season, dating to Aug. 27, 2025, against Cincinnati — the longest shutout streak of his career. He bettered his previous high of 21 2/3 innings set in June 2022 with the Angels.

"If he's able to do it the whole year, that's just a huge boost to our pitching staff," third baseman Max Muncy said. "I expect nothing short of almost a Cy Young out of him."

"I think he's got enough pressure already," Muncy said, "but it doesn't seem to faze him at all."

The only hit Ohtani allowed was a two-out double by Rhys Hoskins in the fourth. The right-hander struck out six and walked three.

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He was even successful on his first ABS challenge.

Ohtani retired his first seven batters before walking Gabriel Arias in the third. With two outs, he walked Steven Kwan to put runners on first and second. Ohtani had a 1-1 count on CJ Kayfus when he challenged a ball call. It was overturned, putting Ohtani ahead 1-2 in the count, and he got Kayfus on a swinging strike with his next pitch to end the third.

Heavy drizzle picked up over Ohtani's last couple of innings. The grounds crew groomed the front slope of the mound, specifically his landing spot, after he issued his third walk with two outs in the sixth. He used a metal tool to dislodge dirt from the bottom of his spikes. Ohtani then retired Hoskins with one pitch to end the inning.

"He's unflappable," Roberts said.

Offensively, Ohtani has yet to break out in his first five games. The four-time MVP is batting .167 with no home runs and no RBIs. He had 55 homers in 2025.

He extended his on-base streak to 36 games, tying the longest of his career.

"I've been able to get on base and that's a good thing," Ohtani said. "But on pitches that I should be making impact I'm not quite able to do that to the extent that I should be able to. That's the part that I'm not quite happy about."

Observing Ohtani's work habits on a daily basis has convinced Muncy that his first love is pitching.

"He's really bought into everything with pitching — his mechanics, how to attack hitters. He just focuses on it so much. You can really, really tell he loves it," Muncy said.

Roberts said Ohtani will get six days' rest before his next start.

"I believe the team should be prioritizing Yoshinobu (Yamamoto), (Tyler) Glasnow and (Blake) Snell when he's back," Ohtani said. "So I think it's easy to kind of fit me into that schedule whenever the team feels that's a good thing. What's most important is that we're all healthy in October."

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April 01, 2026

Shohei Ohtani’s quest for Cy Young Award begins with 6 shutout innings as Dodgers beat Guardians

LOS ANGELES (AP) —Shohei Ohtanigot started on his bid to win aCy Young Award— just about the only major prize to elude hi...

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Italy's latest World Cup failure labeled ‘3rd apocalypse.’ It's the new norm for the 4-time champion

ROME (AP) — The first time was considered a fluke. The second was treated as a crisis. Now, withItaly failing to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, it has become almost expected for theonce-proud soccer nation.

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The four-time champion'spenalty shootout loss to 66th-ranked Bosnia and Herzegovina in the qualifying playoffs comes after the Azzurri were eliminated at the same stage bySwedenahead of the 2018 World Cup and byNorth Macedoniain 2022.

A front-page editorial in the Gazzetta dello Sport on Wednesday labeled the latest ouster "The third apocalypse," noting "there's no longer a feeling of shock or an unexpected catastrophe. It's becoming the norm."

The issues in Italian soccer extend beyond the national team.

The last Italian club to win the Champions League was Inter Milan in 2010; while in this season's continental competition, all four Italian clubs were eliminated before the quarterfinals.

"It's like we're not ready for the big match. We're not ready when it matters … when you need to give that extra … when you have the pressure on," Salvatore Corso, a 34-year-old Italian who works in a tech startup, said after watching the Italy defeat at a pub in Rome on Tuesday.

National team neglected

Between the every-four-years failures, the national team gets neglected.

One Italy coach after another has lobbied unsuccessfully for more training camps outside the pre-set FIFA international breaks.

Under pressure from TV rights holders, Serie A consistently refuses to move up matches to give national team players more time to rest before Italy games — as evidenced when a Fiorentina-Inter Milan game featuring multiple Azzurri was held on the Sunday night before the training camp opened for these playoffs hours later on a Monday.

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Coaches don't want the Italy job

With the failures piling up, Italy's revered coaches don't appear to want the national team job.

Roberto Mancini left his position in charge of the Azzurri before the 2024 European Championship to take over Saudi Arabia's national team.

Gian Piero Ventura, who directed Italy during the defeat to Sweden in 2017, never coached a major club.

When Luciano Spalletti was fired after Italy lost its opening qualifier to Norway last year, Claudio Ranieri turned down an offer to replace him and the much less experienced Gennaro Gattuso was hired instead.

Italian soccer federation president Gabriele Gravina is still holding onto his job after also surviving the qualifying elimination for the 2022 World Cup.

"Next week we will make much deeper reflections on the situation," Gravina said, hinting that he could call for a new election for the country's top soccer position. "There are a lot of evaluations to consider."

Associated Press writer David Biller contributed to this report.

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April 01, 2026

Italy's latest World Cup failure labeled ‘3rd apocalypse.’ It's the new norm for the 4-time champion

ROME (AP) — The first time was considered a fluke. The second was treated as a crisis. Now, withItaly failing to qualify ...

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Spain coach Luis de la Fuente condemns xenophobia after fans' anti-Muslim chants against Egypt

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The coach of Spain's national soccer team has condemned "xenophobic or racist attitudes" after fans repeatedly made anti-Muslim chants during a game against Egypt.

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Luis de la Fuente was speaking after fans made chants mocking Muslims during Tuesday's friendly game, part of Spain's preparations for theWorld Cup.

"I feel total and absolute repulsion towards any xenophobic or racist attitudes. They are intolerable," de la Fuente said after the game, which was a 0-0 draw.

Egypt is a majority-Muslim country and Spain's star player Lamine Yamal is also Muslim.

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Spain is due to play Saudi Arabia at the World Cup, and also faces Cape Verde and Uruguay in Group H of the48-team tournament. Egypt has games against Belgium, New Zealand and Iran in Group G.

Spain was hosting Egypt for the game, which had originally been expected to be played in Qatar before the region was affected by the Iran war. A "Finalissima" game there between South American champion Argentina andEuropean champion Spainwascanceledafter they couldn't agree to reschedule.

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April 01, 2026

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente condemns xenophobia after fans' anti-Muslim chants against Egypt

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The coach of Spain's national soccer team has condemned "xenophobic or racist attitudes...

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Hiker's dog lost in a wild New Zealand forest rescued by helicopter after strangers fund search

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — When a hiker fell from a 55-meter (180-foot) waterfall in wild New Zealand bush, rescuers were forced to evacuate the badly hurt woman without her dog, which couldn't be found. After strangers raised thousands of dollars for a search, border collie Molly was flown to safety by a helicopter pilot who was determined to reunite pet and owner.

New Zealand Dog Rescue

A week earlier, an emergency rescue helicopter found the woman with bruises and lacerations after a fall at a rocky spot at the waterfall on the South Island's West Coast. She was airlifted on March 24 but they were forced to leave without her pet.

Molly was bedraggled and hungry when she was found Tuesday, just a few meters from the spot where the hiker had been lucky to survive.

"I contacted her in hospital and said I'd go for a look for it," said Matt Newton, the owner-operator of Precision Helicopters New Zealand, which is based at Hokitika Gorge near the Arahura River where Molly went missing. "I went and looked for the dog several times and no avail."

Unwilling to give up, Newton and his family launched a fundraiser to pay for more flying hours and advanced search gear. Offers of help and donations poured in, with strangers pledging more than 11,000 New Zealand dollars ($6,300) for a search.

It was enough to fund three more hours in a helicopter using thermal imaging equipment. On Tuesday, Newton took to the skies with a veterinary nurse, volunteer searchers and a dog named Bingo in a renewed search for Molly.

"We struck jackpot within about an hour," he said. "As we made our way up the river, we could see the dog in the thermal and then we could visually see it."

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There had been no sign of Molly at the waterfall when Newton previously searched the spot, he said. It wasn't clear if the dog had also fallen from the waterfall or if she had eventually made her way to the spot where her injured owner landed.

The helicopter dropped low enough for a volunteer to disembark with the rescue dog Bingo to help coax Molly to safety and keep her calm.

Newton thought the dog had survived by eating feral animals during her week in the wilderness.

"She knew what we were up to, I think," he said. "She behaved real well. She didn't run away and she was pleased to be rescued."

The dog was in "surprisingly good condition", the pilot said. He sent word back to the helicopter base, where other volunteers waited to take turns in the search. "Instead we just had a big barbecue and all had a cuddle with Molly."

Hours after the dog's rescue, her owner, still battered from her fall, arrived for a tearful reunion.

"I think that'll speed up her healing process somewhat," Newton said. "Having your dog back, that's for sure."

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April 01, 2026

Hiker's dog lost in a wild New Zealand forest rescued by helicopter after strangers fund search

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — When a hiker fell from a 55-meter (180-foot) waterfall in wild New Zealand bush, rescuers ...

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Lost dog reunited with owner one week after she fell down a waterfall

When Jessica Johnston fell 180 feet down a waterfall in New Zealand, she was lucky to survive. She got even luckier a week later, when a helicopter crew found her missing dog Molly,shivering and alone, in the wilderness.

Molly, a border collie, had been hiking with Johnston across mountainous terrain in a remote area of the Arahura Valley on the west coast of the country's South Island. Johnston had been posting photos to Facebook of their adventures, camping and traversing snowy mountain peaks.

However, when Johnston lost her footing atop a waterfall on March 24, she became separated from Molly. Rescuers arrived to take Johnston to hospital, but her loyal companion was nowhere to be seen.

News of the missing dog quickly spread in New Zealand and by Sunday thousands of dollars had been raised through a crowdfunding campaign by a helicopter company that offered to look for her.

"HUGE thank you to so many people who have donated to get a search underway for Molly the dog," Precision Helicopters posted to its Facebook page. "Plan is to first search Tuesday in fine weather conditions with some sophisticated thermal imagery tech coming over from (Christchurch) and a good team of Volunteers."

Enough money had been raised for three hours of flight time. And within that window, they miraculously found her, wet and cold, at the base of the waterfall.

"MOLLY HAS BEEN FOUND!!" they posted to Facebook.

Video showed a soaked Molly among a pile of rocks as a crewman picked her up and carried her to the helicopter.

On landing, Molly ran towards her owner in excitement as a visibly emotional Johnston, impeded by a cast on her right arm, slowly lowered herself to the ground to embrace the canine.

"She's been (through) a bloody rough week. But with both of us back home I can add this adventure to the list," Johnston wrote on her Facebook page Tuesday, adding: "Still a great trip before our lives got turned upside (down)."

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Pilot Matt Newton said the mission to rescue Molly had been challenging and that the crew had tried to find the dog earlier, from the air.

"We'd been in the area on three occasions looking for her, with no luck," he said.

The team then realized they needed better equipment, so they turned to a thermal imaging camera.

"Once we got the right people on board with that gear, and the perfect day for it, we hit the jackpot," he recalled.

Newton believed Molly had survived by eating small animals, possibly possums – marsupials considered a pest in New Zealand.

He said Molly was already playing fetch with the crew as soon as she arrived at the helicopter base.

"She was in pretty good nick, a little bit subdued, but I think she looked like she knew she was being rescued," he said.

Now that Molly is home, he wished Johnston the best.

"I think she'll heal a lot better having the dog by her side," he said.

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Lost dog reunited with owner one week after she fell down a waterfall

When Jessica Johnston fell 180 feet down a waterfall in New Zealand, she was lucky to survive. She got even luckier a wee...

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Is China positioning itself to become a US-Iran peace broker?

As thewar in the Gulfcareens into its second month, dragging down theglobal economywith no off-ramp in sight, questions are deepening around what role China – a global heavyweight and diplomatic partner to Iran – is willing to play.

China'spotential role was in the spotlight this week after Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar visited Beijing Tuesday for talks with its top diplomat Wang Yi – a meeting that comes as Islamabad has stepped up to position itself as a peace broker in the conflict.

In a statement on "restoring peace" released Tuesday, both countries called for an "immediate ceasefire," peace talks "as soon as possible," and a lasting, UN-backed peace.

"China and Pakistan support the relevant parties in initiating talks," the two sides said in their five-point initiative released after what Islamabad described as "hours of engagement" between Dar and Wang.

The initiative is Beijing's most thoroughly articulated view to date on how the conflict should be resolved. It also calls for the securing of shipping lanes; an end to attacks on civilians and non-military targets; and safeguarding the sovereignty and security of both Iran and the Gulf states.

But that position, expressed in broad strokes, also raises questions about what concrete steps Beijing would take in a future peace process. How deeply it is willing to get involved in a conflict playing out in a volatile region where it's balancing relationships with partners on both sides?

Official Pakistani sources have told CNN that one of the things that Dar was likely to discuss while in China was the possibility that Beijing works as a guarantor to ensure a peace agreement.

Two Pakistani sources also confirmed that while a four-way meeting between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan was underway in Islamabad earlier this week, Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari held meetings at the Chinese embassy to discuss the ongoing regional situation.

The spokesperson of the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to respond to queries on Tuesday regarding discussions with China, stating that these talks are too "sensitive and nuanced" for MOFA to make any statements on assumptions. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNN.

Iran has given mixed signals. President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday said that the country was ready to stop fighting under certain conditions, "especially the necessary guarantees to prevent a recurrence of aggression," according to Iranian state media. At the same time, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran is prepared for "at least six months" of war.

Pakistan hasoffered to hold talksbetween its neighbor Iran and the US, leveraging its position as a power with stable ties to both. Dar's trip to China on Tuesday was at Wang's invitation, according to statements from both foreign ministries.

A guarantor?

Even as Beijing positions itself as a voice for peace and a responsible player in a conflict that's roiling the global economy, it's likely to tread carefully.

"China has every incentive to showcase its diplomatic mediation," said Tong Zhao, a senior fellow with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "It wants the world to see a contrast: while the United States generates turmoil and chaos, China positions itself as a force for de-escalation, stability, and peace."

"What Beijing is actually willing to contribute materially, however, is another matter," he added.

This isn't China's first effort at casting itself as a peacemaker in international conflicts.

Beijing hosted talks following border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia last year. It has also offered multi-point proposals on ending the war in Ukraine – though to limited effect, with critics saying those efforts were more an exercise in polishing China's image than sincere attempts at conciliation.

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When it comes to the current conflict, Chinese strategists may see upsides to a preoccupied US that is damaging its global credibility with an economically disastrous war, even as Beijing is concerned about the ramifications for its export-driven economy.

Beijing is also highly unlikely to accept any kind of guarantor role that would require it to contribute military assets or assurances to back peace. Added to that, it is widely seen as having limited sway on security matters in the Middle East.

It's not clear what such an arrangement would entail. A diplomatic source privy to the four-way talks in Islamabad told CNN it was raised as the four countries involved were exploring different ways "to bridge the gaps between the different stakeholders in a creative way."

Such an arrangement would fall out of step with China's wariness towards military tie-ups. Beijing would also be acutely wary of any agreement that would require it to monitor and punish ceasefire violations – especially one that could potentially pull it into conflict with the US.

While China maintains a decades-old mutual defense treaty with North Korea, it has traditionally eschewed alliances and called for a revamp of the US-led model of international security.

"To be sure, as China's hard and soft power grow, there is increasing internal debate about whether Beijing should deploy its capabilities more proactively to expand global influence and consolidate its status as a leading power. Even so, Iran is an unlikely arena for such an investment," said Zhao.

Peace broker?

China has walked a careful diplomatic line over the more than four weeks of war in the Gulf, calling for a ceasefire and conducting a raft of meetings and talks on the issue. But it has also been clear about where it thinks the impetus to end the conflict – and its global economic ramifications – should lie.

"The one who tied the bell must be the one to untie it," China's Middle East envoy Zhai Jun said last week, in a clear reference to the US and Israel, when asked about the circumstances under which a ceasefire could be reached.

Chinese analysts also reflect an acute awareness from Beijing of the entrenched challenges in resolving a conflict where the two sides have little trust and much animosity.

"China has asked the two sides for immediate ceasefire, but I doubt any side would actually listen to such kind of advice at this stage. For the United States, it is already caught in the dilemma that it has to muddle through, and for Iran, they need a revenge that at least could save some face," said Senior Col. (ret) Zhou Bo, senior fellow at Tsinghua University's Center for International Security and Strategy in Beijing.

China may now not take a role in peace talks since Pakistan has already taken up that position, he added.

Beijing did play a key part in brokering a rapprochement between Iran and longtime rival Saudi Arabia in 2023. And Chinese leader Xi Jinping's alternative vision for international security includes Beijing as a mediator.

China's relationships with the key players in this conflict, including both Iran and the US, as well as Pakistan, could help it with access to all sides in peace talks, according Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University in Beijing.

But China is also weighing up the implications of its diplomacy for its own priorities, in particular US President Donald Trump's expected visit to China this May and other upcoming diplomacy expected between the two leaders this year.

China could look to play a role as part of a goodwill gesture to the US, but it's also been wary of the war straining that relationship.

"We don't want to have Iran or any other phenomenon to damage this trust," said Renmin University's Wang, referring to the upcoming diplomatic exchanges.

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April 01, 2026

Is China positioning itself to become a US-Iran peace broker?

As thewar in the Gulfcareens into its second month, dragging down theglobal economywith no off-ramp in sight, questions a...

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Oilers’ Ingram celebrates birthday with 27-save shutout, 3-0 win against Kraken

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Connor Ingram celebrated his 29th birthday Tuesday by making 27 saves for his second shutout of the season as the Edmonton Oilers extended their winning streak to four games by beating the Seattle Kraken 3-0.

Kraken Oilers Hockey

Max Jones, Kasperi Kapanen and Connor McDavid scored for the Oilers who have won six of their last eight.

Edmonton moved two points back of Pacific Division-leading Anaheim and three points up on third place Vegas. The Oilers are now 28-5-5 when scoring first this season.

The Kraken have lost six of their last seven and remain two points out of a wild-card playoff position.

Philipp Grubauer made 21 stops for Seattle.

Bobby McMann, who leads Seattle in goals and points since coming over in a deadline trade with Toronto — seven goals, four assists in eight games — had his goal scoring streak stopped at three games. He had a chance to match the second-longest goal streak in franchise history.

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McDavid extended his goal streak to five games. He leads the NHL in goals since Dec. 1 with 32. The Oilers captain in now one point back of Dale Hawerchuk for the third-most points by a player before age 30. Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux are first and second on that lofty list.

Edmonton has been a regular pest for Seattle, as no team has recorded more victories over the Kraken than the Oilers. Edmonton came into the contest with a 14-4-0 record all-time against Seattle including going 7-1-0 at home and had outscored them 76-50.

Up next

Kraken: Host the Utah Mammoth on Thursday.

Oilers: Host the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.

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March 31, 2026

Oilers’ Ingram celebrates birthday with 27-save shutout, 3-0 win against Kraken

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Connor Ingram celebrated his 29th birthday Tuesday by making 27 saves for his second shutout of ...

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