Ilia Malinin from the United States competes during the men's short program at the Figure Skating World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Pirates ace

gets chased

NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Skenes thought he could get out of a jam in the first inning on opening day.

He never got the chance.

After giving up five runs and getting only two outs Thursday in an 11-7 loss at the New York Mets, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner got the hook from manager Don Kelly after throwing just 37 pitches. It was by far the shortest of his 56 major league starts.

The 23-year-old allowed four hits and issued two walks, including one to leadoff hitter Francisco Lindor. Skenes also hit a batter with a pitch.

Malinin

rebounds

PRAGUE (AP) — Ilia Malinin bounced back from misfiring at the Milan Cortina Olympics by leading after the short program at the figure skating world championships on Thursday.

With a new haircut, Malinin showcased all that the spectators expected from the defending two-time world champion at O2 Arena.

He will go to Saturday’s free skate with a massive lead of more than nine points after a personal-best 111.29 score in the short program. Adam Siao Him Fa of France is second. Aleksandr Selevko of Estonia has surprised to be third.

Olympic pairs bronze medalists Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany claimed their first gold in the pairs competition.

Hawks cool

off Pistons

DETROIT (AP) — CJ McCollum scored 27 points, making the tiebreaking three-point play in overtime, and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Detroit Pistons 130-129 on Wednesday night. Jalen Johnson also had 27 points and came close to another triple-double, finishing with 12 assists and eight rebounds.

The surging Hawks improved to 15-2 since the All-Star break, best in the Eastern Conference, snapped Detroit’s four-game winning streak. Jalen Duren had 26 points and 14 rebounds for the Pistons, who lost for the first time since All-Star Cade Cunningham sustained a collapsed left lung.

Tobias Harris scored 22 points and Daniss Jenkins had 19 points and 10 assists.

Blazers

rout Bucks

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Scoot Henderson had 23 points and the Portland Trail Blazers routed the Milwaukee Bucks 130-99 as Giannis Antetokounmpo remained sidelined with a left knee injury.

Jerami Grant and Deni Avdija each had 18 points and Donovan Clingan added 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Blazers, who have already clinched a play-in spot. Portland has won five of their last six games.

Ryan Rollins had a career-high 36 points for the fading Bucks, who have lost 12 of their last 15 games, including four of five since sitting 10-time All-Star Antetokounmpo because of his injury.

Nationals

blitz Cubs

CHICAGO (AP) — Brady House, Joey Wiemer and Jacob Young homered for Washington on opening day, and the Nationals beat Alex Bregman and the Chicago Cubs 10-4 on Thursday for manager Blake Butera’s first win with the team.

CJ Abrams hit a tiebreaking two-run single during Washington’s six-run fourth inning on a blustery, overcast afternoon at Wrigley Field. Andrés Chaparro had two hits and scored a run.

WNBA plans

expansion

(AP) — The WNBA will hold an expansion draft for its new franchises in Portland and Toronto on April 3, the league announced Wednesday.

A coin toss will be held Friday, with the winning franchise getting to choose either the first pick in the expansion draft or the No. 6 pick in the college draft on April 13. Whichever team doesn’t get the sixth pick in the college draft will choose seventh.

The rules for the expansion draft were announced a day after the league’s Board of Governors ratified the new collective bargaining agreement that was reached last week.

The expansion draft will have two rounds, with up to six picks for each team in each round. The teams will alternate picks, with the team that picks second in the first round going first in the next round.