FILE – A view of Lindquist Field in Ogden where the Ogden Raptors play. The picture was shared on the minor league baseball team’s Twitter account. SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — The Pioneer League is replacing extra innings with a tiebreaking home run derby. The independent partner league of Major League Baseball said Tuesday that tied games this season will be decided by each team designating a batter who will receive five pitches, and the team hitting the most long balls during the derby will receive the win. If the derby is tied after five swings each, another hitter will be selected for a sudden-death derby round. The league said the rule is designed “to avoid the excessive strain on our pitching staffs.” While Major League Baseball is behind experimental rule changes in the independent Atlantic League, it is not involved in the Pioneer League changes. Other Pioneer League rule changes involve: — Designated pinch hitter: Each team can use once per game a designated pinch hitter, who will bat for a player, but the original player may then return to his defensive position unless and until substituted. The designated pinch hitter may not subsequently return to the game. — Designated

Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns , left, defends as Utah Jazz’s Bojan Bogdanovic (44) attempts to shoot in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, April 26, 2021, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — D’Angelo Russell had a season-high seven 3-pointers and scored 27 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 11 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves rallied to beat the Utah Jazz 105-104 on Monday night. Mike Conley gave Utah a 104-103 lead with 6.4 seconds left, but Ricky Rubio found Russell for a layup on the ensuing possession. Conley then lost the ball in a scramble on the Jazz’s final possession as time expired. “We got the job done,” Towns said. “Our physicality was there. The discipline was there. Execution was there. The defensive effort keeping them to 104 points tonight. I think last game it was 98, I believe. You can’t ask for much more on the defensive end.” Minnesota, which started the day tied for the second-fewest wins in the NBA, handed the league-leading Jazz another loss. The Timberwolves (18-44) went 3-0 against Utah (44-17) this season. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it’s the first time in NBA history a team