BASEBALL

Tyler Dearden and Elih Marrero hit RBI singles in the second inning and Bryan Mata pitched six strong innings for the Portland Sea Dogs in a 3-1 Eastern League win Thursday night against the Richmond Fightin Phils in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Mata allowed an unearned run in the first inning, but Portland answered with two runs in the second and another in the third, as Wilyer Abreu drove in David Hamilton with a sacrifice fly.

Mata struck out seven, walked three and gave up four hits as the Sea Dogs regained a half-game lead over Somerset in the Northeast Division’s second-half standings.

LITTLE LEAGUE: The family of a 12-year-old Little League World Series player from Utah who sustained a head injury after falling from the top bunk of his bed at the dormitory complex said that he has been moved from intensive care and is able to sit up, eat and walk with support.

Easton Oliverson, a pitcher and outfielder for the Snow Canyon team out of Santa Clara, Utah, suffered the injury Monday and was listed in critical condition Tuesday.

But according to a post Thursday on an Instagram account the family set up to share updates, he is now back in a standard hospital room and can communicate with his parents, Jace and Nancy, and other family members.

The Santa Clara team, for which Jace Oliverson also serves as an assistant coach, was the first from Utah to make the Little League World Series. It is representing the Mountain Region and is scheduled to play its first game Friday against the Nolensville, Tennessee, team representing the Southeast Region.

BASKETBALL

WNBA: Jonquel Jones had 19 points and eight rebounds, Alyssa Thomas added 15 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists and the Connecticut Sun beat the Dallas Wings 93-68 in Game 1 of their first-round series at Uncasville, Connecticut.

Third-seeded Connecticut pulled away in the third quarter, scoring 13 straight points to build a 64-45 lead. The sixth-seeded Wings went five-plus minutes without a field goal in the third quarter, and the Sun closed the quarter on a 17-5 run for an 18-point lead.

Game 2 of the best-of-three series is Sunday in Connecticut.

AUTO RACING

NASCAR: Kurt Busch will miss the final two races of the Cup Series regular season, the driver of the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing announced on social media.

The former Cup champion was injured in a crash during the final round of qualifying at Pocono in late July and has missed four races, suffering from concussion-like symptoms. Ty Gibbs has been filling in for Busch and will continue to do so at Watkins Glen on Sunday and in the regular-season finale at Daytona the following week.

Busch said he hoped to be cleared to compete when the playoffs begin in September at Darlington. He is one of 15 drivers with a victory this season, winning at Kansas Speedway in May, and has been granted him a medical waiver that will allow him to qualify for the playoffs despite missing so many races.

HOCKEY

NHL: Nazem Kadri is going to the Calgary Flames, leaving the Colorado Avalanche after helping them win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2001.

Calgary announced a $49 million, seven-year contract, meaning Kadri will count $7 million against the salary cap through 2029. The move came shortly after the Flames traded forward Sean Monahan to the Montreal Canadiens to free up space under the salary cap.

Kadri, who turns 32 on Oct. 6, set career highs with 59 assists and 87 points in 71 games this past season.

• Montreal Canadiens General Manager Kent Hughes said news about Carey Price’s knee is “discouraging” and that the star goaltender might not play this season.

After helping the Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup final in 2021, the 35-year-old Price underwent knee surgery last summer and played only five games late in the season. Hughes said that Price likely needs another surgery.

Price has four years left on his contract at $31.25 million total.

TENNIS

WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN: American Madison Keys upset No. 1 Iga Swiatek 6-3, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals in Mason, Ohio.

Swiatek, a two-time Grand Slam champion, hasn’t gotten past the round of 16 in four tournaments since winning the French Open in June.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova advanced with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-0 win over 2022 Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur.

In the men’s draw, No. 1 Daniil Medvedev reached the quarterfinals with a 7-5, 7-5 win over Denis Shapovalov, and 11th-seeded Taylor Fritz edged sixth-seeded Andrey Rublev, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 7-5.

GOLF

EUROPE: Jessica Korda made three eagles in an 11-under 61 that equaled a Ladies European Tour record and gave her a five-shot lead after the first round of the Aramco Team Series in Sotogrande, Spain.

Manon De Roey of Belgium and Pia Babnik of Slovenia were in a tie for second. Nelly Korda, Jessica’s sister, was tied for fourth despite a double bogey 7 on the sixth hole.

• Louis de Jager shot an 8-under 64 to equal the course record and take a one-shot lead over two-time champion Thomas Pieters after the opening round of the Czech Masters in Vysoky Ujezd, Czech Republic.