Aaron Judge becomes fastest to 350 homers, doing so in 1,088 games, bettering Mark McGwire’s 1,280

NEW YORK >> Aaron Judge didn’t just become the fastest player to hit 350 home runs, he did it in 192 fewer games than Mark McGwire.

“I just think he’s playing in a different league,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after Judge’s ninth-inning drive in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

Judge homered to right-center on a high 0-2 fastball from Brad Keller, a two-run shot a couple of rows into the right-center field seats.

He reached 350 in his 1,088th game. McGwire hit No. 350 in his 1,280th game, against Detroit’s Brian Moehle on June 2, 1997, bettering Harmon Killebrew in his 1,319th game.

“Big Mac did a lot of great things in this game, and he’s definitely a legend,” Judge said.

Judge, who turned 33 in April, debuted with the Yankees at age 24 in 2016. The two-time AL MVP also doubled twice and is hitting a major league-leading .358 with 35 homers and 81 RBIs.

“Would have been great if we got a win today,” Judge said. “I’ve been surrounded by a lot of great teammates, been on some good teams, so they really put me in the best position to go out there and perform at my best.”

McGwire finished in 2001 at age 38 with 583 homers, currently 11th on the career list. He admitted in 2010 he used performance-enhancing drugs and has been denied entry to baseball’s Hall of Fame.

The One Where Iga Swiatek Got A Hug from Courteney Cox After Winning Wimbledon

LONDON >> Call this episode of Iga Swiatek’s marvelous tennis career “The One Where Iga Swiatek Got A Hug from Courteney Cox After Winning Wimbledon.”

Swiatek is a huge fan of the TV sitcom “Friends,” and actress Courteney Cox — who played Monica Geller on the show — was at Centre Court on Saturday when the Polish star’s 6-0, 6-0 victory over Amanda Anisimova earned her a championship at the All England Club and sixth Grand Slam title overall.

When the match ended, Swiatek went into the stands for celebratory embraces, including one from Cox.

Shortly before the start of last year’s French Open, Swiatek hit some tennis balls for fun with the actress.

Then, after Swiatek won that tournament for the fourth time, she wore custom-made white sneakers that her shoe sponsor stenciled with the words, “ The One Where She Wins Her Fifth Grand Slam “ in all capital letters, a nod to the way the names of “Friends” were titled.

Poland beats Denmark for first ever Women’s Euro win

LUCERNE, Switzerland >> Natalia Padilla scored one goal and set up the others for Poland’s first ever Women’s European Championship win, 3-2 over Denmark in their final group game on Saturday.

Poland is appearing in the tournament for the first time and the Spanish-born Padilla got the country’s first ever goal when she opened the scoring in the 13th minute, pouncing on a rebound to fire past Maja Bay Østergaard after Ewa Pajor’s initial effort was blocked at the right post.

“We waited a long time for it,” Poland coach Nina Patalon told UEFA. “We wanted to score that one goal, and we scored three. Today I am so proud of my girls and just so, so happy.”

Padilla followed her goal by crossing for Pajor to head in the second in the 20th.

Denmark pulled one back through Janni Thomsen before the hour-mark when Kinga Szemik let her long-range effort slip through her fingers.

Martyna Wiankowska scored Poland’s third against the run of play in the 76th when Padilla’s attempted shot from Pajor’s cross turned into a layoff for the substitute to fire in off the underside of the crossbar.

Sweden crushes Germany at the Euros for first time and tops group

ZURICH >> Sweden put down a statement 4-1 win over Germany at the Women’s European Championship on Saturday and secured a potentially easier route to the final.

The record eight-time champion was dominated, although Sweden’s task was made easier after Germany forward Carlotta Wamser was sent off — barely half an hour in — for swatting a ball away from the goal-line with her arm.

By that point Sweden was up 2-1 after goals from Stina Blackstenius and teenager Smilla Holmberg canceled Jule Brand’s early opener for Germany.

Fridolina Rolfö calmly slotted the penalty after Wamser’s red card and substitute Lina Hurtig wrapped up the scoring late on to cap a miserable night for Germany, which conceded four goals for the first time in any Euro match, including qualifiers.

It was the first time Sweden beat Germany at the Euros and ensured it topped Group C with maximum points and avoided the possibility of facing World Cup champion and Euro 2025 favorite Spain in the semifinals.

Sweden will face the runner-up of Group D in the quarterfinals, with Germany facing the team that tops that group. That will be France, England or the Netherlands.

— The Associated Press

France has six points and plays the Netherlands, which has three points along with defending champion England. England plays Wales, also on Sunday.

Germany and Sweden had already qualified for the knockout stages but the match was decisive for top spot in the group, with a draw being enough for Sweden thanks to a better goal difference.

There were four good chances in the opening five minutes and Germany took the lead in the seventh minute when Brand ran onto a smart throughball from Wamser and fired in.

It was the first goal Sweden conceded in the tournament but it recovered from that setback just five minutes later. A rapid counterattack saw Blackstenius collect the ball near the halfway line and race into the area before slotting calmly past Ann-Katrin Berger.

Sweden led in somewhat fortunate circumstances in the 25th. Holmberg sprinted down the right and into the area and was tackled by Germany defender Sarai Linder, who inadvertently kicked the ball off the Swedish teen’s shin and it ricocheted into the net.

It was a first international goal for the 18-year-old Holmberg, who recently graduated from high school.

Matters swiftly went from bad to worse for Germany when Wamser was shown a straight red card for blocking a shot by Rolfö with her arm.

Wamser was in the team in place of Giulia Gwinn, and the injured Germany captain put her arm around the young defender when she left the pitch in tears.

Rolfö dispatched the penalty into the bottom left corner.

Sweden’s attack was relentless in the first half but, with the result seemingly decided, it slacked off after the break, although Hurtig tapped in another in the 80th.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer