Larson was in the spotlight after the team owner Chip Ganassi allowed him to go to Iowa to compete in the Knoxville Nationals on Saturday. He finished second at the sprint-car event before returning to Brooklyn, Mich., to earn his third Cup Series victory of the season.
BASEBALL
No Structural Damage to Harper’s Knee
The Washington Nationals said that outfielder Bryce Harper had a “significant” bone bruise in his left knee but had no ligament damage, and General Manager Mike Rizzo said he hoped that Harper might return this season.
Harper injured his knee when he slipped on first base during the first inning of a rain-delayed home game against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night. Rizzo said Sunday that a magnetic resonance imaging examination afterward had showed no structural damage.
Rizzo said there was no timetable for Harper’s return. The team placed him on the 10-day disabled list and activated outfielder Michael Taylor.
Harper, the 2015 National League most valuable player, is having another stellar season for the N.L. East-leading Nationals, hitting .326, with 29 home runs and 87 R.B.I.
STANTON STAYS HOT Giancarlo Stanton homered for a fourth straight game, hitting his 42nd of the year to tie Miami’s season record, and the Marlins swept the Colorado Rockies for the first time since 2006 with a 5-3 victory at home.
CARDINALS’ STREAK ENDS R. A. Dickey held St. Louis to one run in seven innings, Brandon Phillips hit a two-run homer, and the Atlanta Braves halted the Cardinals’ season-high eight-game winning streak, 6-3, at Busch Stadium.
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ASTROS HALT SKID Dallas Keuchel took a shutout into the sixth inning, Jose Altuve homered, and American-League-leading Houston ended its longest skid of the season at five games, beating the Texas Rangers, 2-1, on the road.
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PRO FOOTBALL
Newton Begins Throwing Again
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton threw passes for the first time in two weeks as the team wrapped up its training camp in Spartanburg, S.C.
Newton, who is undergoing rehabilitation for soreness in his right shoulder related to rotator-cuff surgery he had in March, participated in red-zone drills but did not throw long passes.
It was unclear whether Newton would participate in this week’s scrimmages with the Tennessee Titans or play in the Panthers’ preseason game at Tennessee on Saturday.
UNCERTAINTY FOR LUCK The Indianapolis Colts’ owner, Jim Irsay, said it was still uncertain whether his star quarterback, Andrew Luck, would be ready for the season opener on Sept. 10 at the Los Angeles Rams.
Irsay said the team is still limiting how hard Luck is throwing while he recovers from surgery to repair a partly torn labrum in his right shoulder.
SOCCER
Tottenham Takes Control After Ejection
Visiting Tottenham capitalized on Jonjo Shelvey’s ejection to beat Newcastle, 2-0, in their Premier League opener, with Dele Alli and Ben Davies scoring in the final half-hour.
Shelvey stepped on the right foot of Alli, who was sitting on the ground, after a free kick had been awarded in the 48th minute.
Tottenham then took charge of the match as Alli slid in at the far post to steer in a cross from Christian Eriksen in the 61st minute.
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MANCHESTER UNITED OFF TO A FAST START Romelu Lukaku scored twice and Paul Pogba hit a late long-range goal as host Manchester United shut out West Ham, 4-0, in the teams’ Premier League season opener.
NEYMAR SCORES IN DEBUT Neymar did not disappoint in his first game for Paris St.-Germain, recording a goal and an assist in a French league win at Guingamp, 3-0.
Neymar, who joined P.S.G. from Barcelona for a record 222 million euros ($263 million), set up Edinson Cavani in the 62nd minute, and Cavani returned the favor in the 82nd.
PRO BASKETBALL
Liberty’s 20-0 Run Is Too Much for Sparks
Tina Charles scored 21 points, and the host Liberty scored 20 straight points in the second quarter, their biggest run of the season, as they pounded the Los Angeles Sparks, 83-69, for a third straight win.