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Right-hander Ryan Johnson made the Los Angeles Angels‘ Opening Day roster and will debut in the major leagues without having played a single minor league game.

Johnson, who is 22 and was drafted in the second round last year, signed for $1.75 million but did not pitch after throwing 106 innings in his junior season at Dallas Baptist. Once he debuts — Johnson is expected to work out of the bullpen — he would be the first player to skip the minor leagues entirely since Garrett Crochet, who joined the Chicago White Sox in 2020, when the minor league season was canceled because of COVID-19.

Johnson will be only the third player since 2001 to play in the big leagues without a minor league appearance, joining Crochet and right-hander Mike Leake (2010). Since the implementation of the draft in 1965, only 23 players before Johnson have been moved straight to the big leagues.

The Angels’ bullpen currently includes veteran closer Kenley Jansen, hard-throwing Ben Joyce and right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn, who in a dozen games last year as a rookie posted a 2.12 ERA. With a fastball that has touched 100 mph and a hard slider upon which he relies, Johnson won the job with a stellar spring in which he struck out 10 and walked just one over 11⅓ innings, with a 3.97 ERA.

The aggressiveness in promoting Johnson aligns with the Angels’ organizational philosophy that has seen players rocket through the system. First baseman Nolan Schanuel made his major league debut just 40 days after the Angels took him with the 11th pick in the 2023 draft. Shortstop Zach Neto played only 44 games for the Angels before his April 15, 2023, promotion. Second baseman Christian Moore, Los Angeles’ first-round pick last year, spent 23 games at Double-A to end the 2024 season.

At 6-foot-6 and with a funky, high-energy delivery and elite deception, Johnson struck out 151 batters and walked 14 for Dallas Baptist and won Conference USA Player of the Year. Johnson is the 10th-best prospect in the Angels’ organization, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel’s farm system rankings.

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Beck throws 4 INTs as Louisville stuns No. 2 Miami

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Beck throws 4 INTs as Louisville stuns No. 2 Miami

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miller Moss threw two touchdown passes to Chris Bell and ran for a score, Louisville intercepted four of Miami star Carson Beck‘s passes and the Cardinals got one of the most significant wins in their history by topping the second-ranked Hurricanes 24-21 on Friday night.

Louisville (5-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) got touchdowns on its first two drives for a quick 14-0 lead, and the Hurricanes (5-1, 1-1) trailed the rest of the way.

Louisville also snapped Miami’s 10-game home winning streak. The last team to win at Miami? That was Louisville, in 2023.

The Hurricanes were in field goal range, but Louisville’s T.J. Capers intercepted Beck’s pass at the 30 with 32 seconds left to seal the win.

Moss completed 23 of 37 passes for 248 yards, and Isaac Brown ran for 113 yards on 15 carries for Louisville. Bell had nine catches for 136 yards, his TD grabs going for 35 and 36 yards.

Beck completed 25 of 35 passes for 271 yards for Miami. The Hurricanes had little success rushing the ball, generating only 63 yards on 24 carries against a Louisville team that came into the night with the No. 1 defense in the ACC.

Louisville came into the game 1-8 against teams ranked Nos. 1 or 2 in the AP poll. The win was over then-No. 2 Florida State, a 63-20 romp in 2016.

On the road, there had never been a night like this for the Cardinals. They were 0-18 against Top 10 teams in true road games before Friday. Most of them weren’t even close: Louisville dropped those games by an average of 26.3 points.

Miami got to 14-10 at the half and trailed 17-13 going into the fourth, but Moss’ 36-yard scoring grab with 13:27 remaining gave the Cardinals a two-score lead again. Beck — who threw two interceptions in the first half — had another picked off on the ensuing drive with 7:50 remaining, but Miami got the ball right back on a fumble.

Malachi Toney scored on a 12-yard run one play after the fumble, then threw a 2-point conversion pass himself and Miami was right back in it — down 24-21. But the Hurricanes got no closer.

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Clemson QB Klubnik’s status still iffy; streak at risk

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Clemson QB Klubnik's status still iffy; streak at risk

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik remains questionable for the Tigers against SMU on Saturday, with his 34-game starting streak in peril.

Klubnik status isn’t expected to be known until game time, per ESPN sources on Friday, as there’s a general feeling of pessimism over his availability after injuring his ankle against Boston College last week.

Klubnik has endured an up-and-down season for Clemson, but the injury comes in the wake of strong play in decisive victories over North Carolina and Boston College.

If he’s unable to play, Clemson redshirt sophomore Christopher Vizzina will get his first career start. He has completed seven passes this season in three games and 26 in his career. In 48 attempts, he has thrown one interception and no touchdowns.

Clemson is 3-3 on the season but has gathered some momentum with consecutive blowouts of UNC (38-10) and BC (41-10).

Clemson is also uncertain about the status of left tackle Tristan Leigh, who is considered questionable for the game. If Leigh can’t go, Clemson is expected to start Brayden Jacobs, a freshman who is the son of longtime NFL player Brandon Jacobs.

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Ovechkin gets 898th goal, Caps win 4th straight

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Ovechkin gets 898th goal, Caps win 4th straight

WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin scored for the first time this season, Dylan Strome added two goals and the Washington Capitals beat the Minnesota Wild 5-1 on Friday night for their fourth straight victory.

Ovechkin’s third-period shot pinged off the left post and in, and the crowd roared its approval when the counter above one corner of the ice was flipped to 898, his new career total. The NHL’s career leader in goals also had an assist as part of a dominant showing at home for Washington.

Logan Thompson allowed only ex-Capital Marcus Johansson‘s tally in the second. That tied it at 1, but Aliaksei Protas answered 31 seconds later.

Minnesota entered the game with the league’s top power play, having scored on 10 of 21 opportunities. But the Capitals took only two penalties and killed both. Washington finished with a 45-15 edge in shots.

Ovechkin passed up a good shooting opportunity from the right side, instead finding Strome for an easy tap-in to open the scoring in the first. Washington failed to score on a double-minor penalty on Minnesota’s Jake Middleton in the second. Then, Johansson beat Thompson with a wrist shot with 3:13 to play in that period.

That snapped a streak in which the previous nine Minnesota goals had come on the power play, and it was just the third five-on-five score allowed by Washington this season.

The Capitals answered quickly with Protas’ fourth goal this season. The 6-foot-6 forward was left open to the left of the goal. With teammate Connor McMichael on the opposite side of the crease, Protas sent the puck toward the net, and it slipped past goalie Filip Gustavsson.

Ovechkin’s goal in the third came immediately after Strome won a faceoff to him in the offensive zone. Then, Strome knocked in a rebound to make it 4-1. Tom Wilson added a power-play goal with 1:57 remaining.

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