Sports News Roundup: Inspired England outclass Norway; Hurricanes buy out Marleau

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Inspired England outclass Norway to make semi-finals

England marched into the women's World Cup semi-finals with an impressive 3-0 victory over demoralized Norway on Thursday, delivering their best performance of the tournament. Ellen White scored her fifth goal of the competition in between Jill Scott's opener and a Lucy Bronze screamer from the edge of the area as Phil Neville's side set up a mouth-watering clash with either holders the United States or hosts France.

Phillies torment Mets bullpen again with walk-off HR

Jean Segura's three-run walk-off homer capped a dramatic ninth-inning comeback by the host Philadelphia Phillies, who deepened the New York Mets' misery by completing a four-game sweep with a 6-3 win Thursday. The Phillies, who blew a 1-0 lead in the top of the ninth, trailed by at least two runs in all four games but took advantage of a Mets bullpen that gave up 17 runs in 10 innings during the series.

Hurricanes buy out Marleau; return to Sharks possible

The Carolina Hurricanes bought out the final year of forward Patrick Marleau's contract on Wednesday, making the 39-year-old an unrestricted free agent when the signing period begins Monday. Marleau was due $6.25 million in the final season of a three-year deal originally signed with the Maple Leafs. Toronto dealt the 21-year veteran to Carolina on Sunday in a salary dump, also sending a conditional first-round pick (top-10 protected in 2020, unprotected in 2021) and a 2020 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2020 sixth-rounder.

Gallo homers twice as Rangers sweep Tigers

Joey Gallo blasted a pair of solo homers, and the visiting Texas Rangers completed a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers with a 3-1 triumph on Thursday. Gallo has eight multi-homer games in his career, with the most recent having occurred Aug. 8 against the Seattle Mariners. He leads the Rangers with 19 homers this year.

USWNT coach Ellis: Rapinoe-Trump tiff won't affect team

An online squabble between U.S. women's national team co-captain Megan Rapinoe and President Donald Trump will not distract the team from its preparation for Friday's match against co-favorite France in the quarterfinals of the Women's World Cup, coach Jill Ellis said. Speaking Thursday in Paris, Ellis said her team is able to keep the focus on the highly anticipated matchup.

Arcia's homer lifts Brewers over Mariners

Orlando Arcia hit a three-run homer as the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the visiting Seattle Mariners 4-2 on Thursday afternoon to salvage the finale of a three-game interleague series. The Brewers ended the Mariners' three-game winning streak.

Rocketman Lashley defies low ranking to grab lead in Detroit

Nate Lashley defied his lowly world ranking and made the most of his late addition to the Rocket Mortgage Classic field as he grabbed a one-shot lead after the first round at the Detroit Golf Club on Thursday. The American world number 353, who failed to qualify for the inaugural tournament on Monday but was added to the field as an alternate, enjoyed a bogey-free, career-best nine-under 63.

Pirates' rout sends Astros to first home series loss

Corey Dickerson and Josh Bell each belted a two-run homer, and Joe Musgrove tossed six strong innings as the Pittsburgh Pirates handed the Houston Astros their first series loss at home with a 10-0 romp on Thursday afternoon. Rookie Kevin Newman launched a leadoff homer among his three hits to ignite a four-run first inning for the Pirates, who outscored Houston by a 24-2 margin to win the final two contests of the three-game series.

Report: LeBron to give Davis his No. 23 with Lakers

There apparently will be a new No. 23 in Los Angeles next NBA season. LeBron James is giving the number he's worn most of his career to Anthony Davis, who is set to officially become a member of the Lakers soon, Yahoo Sports reported Thursday, citing league sources.

Horse racing: Breeders' Cup to remain at Santa Anita despite horse deaths

The Breeders' Cup will be held as scheduled at Santa Anita Park in November despite the death of 30 horses at the track since December, the board overseeing the race said on Thursday. The idea of moving the race to Louisville's Churchill Downs had been floated recently but race officials said they were confident the owners of the Southern California track were taking the necessary steps to improve conditions.