Reuters Sports News Summary

The Minnesota Twins secured a 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals with a walk-off grand slam from Kody Clemens in the ninth inning.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

MLB roundup: Twins' Kody Clemens beats Royals with walk-off slam

Kody Clemens launched a walk-off grand slam to lift the Minnesota Twins to ​an improbable 4-3 victory over the visiting Kansas City Royals on Thursday afternoon in Minneapolis. Minnesota won despite being ​held without a hit until the seventh inning. Lucas Erceg took over for Noah ‌Cameron ​in the ninth and got two outs before hitting Ryan Jeffers with a pitch and allowing Royce Lewis' single. Josh Bell walked to load the bases before the Royals turned to Matt Strahm (3-4), who hung an 0-2 slider to Clemens, leading to the 407-foot blast to right-center.

Soccer-Defiant FIFA doubles down on private investment plan, says 'nobody is selling football'

FIFA said on Friday it would push ahead with consultations on ‌a plan to bring private investment into the World Cup and its other tournaments, after Europe's football federation threatened a boycott and other regional confederations issued stinging rebukes of the plan. Switzerland-based FIFA said "incorrect media reports" had disrupted its planned consultation process but it would press on.

Tennis-Djokovic returns to Cincinnati seeking edge in pursuit of record 25th Grand Slam

With the U.S. Open approaching, Novak Djokovic's return to the Cincinnati Open tune-up highlights the challenge facing the 39-year-old as he seeks to preserve his body while building match sharpness to claim a record 25th Grand Slam ‌title. Since capturing the U.S. Open trophy in 2023, Djokovic has watched Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner seize control of men's tennis, with the young duo sharing 10 of the last 11 Grand Slam titles and frustrating the Serb's pursuit of more history.

Dodgers ‌keep rolling, top Mariners for another series win

Dalton Rushing hit a three-run homer, Mookie Betts added a two-run double and the Los Angeles Dodgers earned a 6-2 victory over the visiting Seattle Mariners on Thursday to win their fourth consecutive series since the All-Star break. Roki Sasaki (5-5) gave up two runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings with three walks and seven strikeouts as the Dodgers improved to 24-5 against the Mariners since 2012. Sasaki has a 1.50 ERA through three starts after the break.

Basketball-Storm co-owner fined and suspended by WNBA after confrontation with fans

Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton has been fined and suspended from attending the ⁠team's next five ​home matches after an exchange with two fans during Tuesday's game with ⁠the Indiana Fever, the WNBA confirmed to Reuters on Thursday. According to multiple reports, Keaton berated two teenage girls who brought signs into Climate Pledge Arena supporting Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who voiced her support for barring transgender athletes from women's and girls' sports in an ESPN article published last week.

Dodgers hold Shohei Ohtani (knee soreness) out of ⁠lineup

In what was called a precautionary move, the Los Angeles Dodgers held Shohei Ohtani out of the starting lineup for their Thursday game against the visiting Seattle Mariners due to left knee soreness. The lineup change was sparked when Ohtani reported increased knee discomfort during pregame treatment.

Soccer-CONCACAF rejects FIFA World ​Cup Stake sale proposal, Mexico says it will review plan

CONCACAF rejected FIFA's World Cup stake sale proposal during a meeting on Thursday but stopped short of following UEFA's plan to boycott the global showcase, while the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) said it ⁠would study the proposal before deciding its position. The regional bloc for North America, Central America and the Caribbean said its 41 member associations expressed "deep concerns" about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, a short deadline and the absence of any review or approval by relevant FIFA governance bodies.

WTA roundup: Jessica Pegula charges into Washington quarterfinals

Top-seeded Jessica Pegula ⁠overcame ​a slow start and produced a 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 win over Poland's Magdalena Frech on Thursday in the second round of the Mubadala DC Open in Washington. Pegula came through in the match's key moments, converting five break opportunities and saving 5 of 7 break points on her own serve.

Soccer-UEFA to boycott World Cup and FIFA tournaments over stake sale plans

European soccer's governing body UEFA and its 55 member nations on Thursday voted to boycott all FIFA tournaments in what could be a knockout blow to the global ⁠soccer organisation's proposal to sell a stake in the World Cup to external investors. In a statement that pulled no punches, Europe presented a united front to FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, whose proposal this week blindsided regional confederations and caused uproar just weeks after the ⁠World Cup staged in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

ATP roundup: Ben Shelton ⁠rallies to reach DC quarterfinals

Second-seeded Ben Shelton showed his resolve on Thursday, rallying for a 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-4 victory over France's Ugo Humbert to advance to the quarterfinals of the Mubadala DC Open in Washington. Shelton hit just 62.2% of his first serves but navigated his serve well regardless, winning 70.4% of his service points overall and getting broken just once in six chances. With the ‌win, the top-ranked American (No. 8 in the world) ‌is through to his eighth tour-level quarterfinal of the season, third-most among ATP competitors. He'll face Chile's Alejandro Tabilo, who beat Terence Atmane ​of France 6-3, 7-6 (6), for a spot in the semifinals.