Sports News Roundup: Nick Pivetta outduels Jacob deGrom in 1-0 Red Sox win; Pens edge Caps in OT; both teams clinch playoff bids and more

Christian Vazquez had an RBI double in the second inning for the Red Sox, who swept the two-game interleague series. NHL roundup: Pens edge Caps in OT; both teams clinch playoff bids Jake Guentzel scored 2:11 into overtime and gave the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins a 5-4 victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night as both East Division rivals clinched playoff berths.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

MLB roundup: Nick Pivetta outduels Jacob deGrom in 1-0 Red Sox win

Nick Pivetta outdueled a history-seeking Jacob deGrom on Wednesday night, when the Boston right-hander tossed five scoreless innings, combined with three relievers on a two-hitter and earned the win as the visiting Red Sox edged the New York Mets 1-0. Christian Vazquez had an RBI double in the second inning for the Red Sox, who swept the two-game interleague series.

NHL roundup: Pens edge Caps in OT; both teams clinch playoff bids

Jake Guentzel scored 2:11 into overtime and gave the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins a 5-4 victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night as both East Division rivals clinched playoff berths. The two teams, who are tied for first in the division, claimed their postseason spots in tandem with the fifth-place New York Rangers' 4-0 loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday. For the Penguins, it marks their 15th consecutive playoff berth -- the longest active streak in North American sports leagues.

NBA roundup: Giannis Antetokounmpo exits Bucks' loss to Rockets

Kevin Porter Jr. scored a career-high 50 points and was one of three Houston players to post double-doubles as the Rockets upset the visiting Milwaukee Bucks 143-136 on Thursday. Milwaukee lost two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to a right ankle sprain early in the first quarter.

ATP roundup: Jan-Lennard Struff reaches Munich quarters

Seventh-seeded Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany reached the BMW Open quarterfinals for the fourth time with a 7-6 (3), 6-7 (0), 6-2 victory against countryman Dominik Koepfer on Thursday in Munich. Struff struck 11 aces and saved four of five break points in the two-hour, 39-minute match, setting up a match with No. 4 seed Filip Krajinovic of Serbia on Friday. Krajinovic made the final eight with a walkover win against Yannick Hanfmann of Germany.

Judo judge draws strength from heading historic Japanese fireworks firm

Akiko Amano, the sole Japanese judo referee at this year's Tokyo Olympics, has a full-time job that involves more heat and energy than a gold medal match: She is the first female head of a famed fireworks company whose history goes back 362 years. When the Kagiya company puts on a fireworks display, which can attract more than a million spectators, Amano oversees about 100 pyrotechnicians. Although the required skills are quite different from those of a judo judge, Amano says she draws strength from her work experience.

NBA roundup: Suns seal 1st playoff berth since 2010

The Phoenix Suns clinched their first playoff berth since the 2009-10 season with a 109-101 win over the visiting Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. Chris Paul scored 15 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, and he also had 10 assists. Phoenix is now two games ahead of the Clippers for second place in the Western Conference. The Utah Jazz lead the conference standings by a game over the Suns.

Golf-Park Inbee lights up Sentosa with sparkling 64 for LPGA lead

Former world number one Inbee Park hit a flawless eight-under-par 64 to take a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the HSBC Women's World Championship on Thursday as the LPGA returned to Asia for the first time in 18 months. The seven-times major winner, bidding for a third win in the tournament after 2015 and 2017 triumphs, snared eight birdies in sweltering conditions at Singapore's Sentosa course to top the leaderboard ahead of fellow South Korean Park Hee-young (65).

Japan says Olympics must not burden medical systems

The Olympics must not be a burden on medical systems, Japan's chief government spokesman said on Friday, amid worries that daily athlete testing will tax health resources already stressed in fighting a rebound of COVID-19 cases. The Games will be held in a manner that makes everyone feel safe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told reporters, responding to concerns raised by a nurses' union that the world's biggest sporting event will sap medical resources needed by the public.

NFL-Jaguars select quarterback Lawrence with top pick in quarterback-stacked NFL Draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first pick of the NFL Draft on Thursday in Cleveland, Ohio, as fans were welcomed back to the event a year after COVID-19 forced it to go a virtual format. The 21-year-old Lawrence, who finished as runner-up in voting for the Heisman Trophy awarded to college football's most outstanding player, was the consensus top pick for the struggling Jaguars, which went 1-and-15 last season.

MLB roundup: Yusei Kikuchi, Mariners edge Astros 1-0

Yusei Kikuchi allowed one hit in seven scoreless innings as the Seattle Mariners defeated the host Houston Astros 1-0 Thursday afternoon. The game's lone run scored on Taylor Trammell's homer leading off the third inning as the Mariners salvaged the finale of a four-game series. It was only Seattle's second victory in 21 games at Minute Maid Park since the start of the 2019 season.

(With inputs from agencies.)