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Archives for May 4, 2024

Pastrnak Comes Through for Bruins

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s David Pastrnak scored 1:54 into overtime as the Bruins beat the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 on Saturday night in Game 7 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

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Pastrnak raced up the right wing and scored off the carom of defenseman Hampus Lindholm’s lob off the corner boards, tucking a backhander between the left post and the skate of Toronto goaltender Ilya Samsonov (29 saves).

Lindholm finished with a goal and an assist, tallying Boston’s only marker in regulation just 1:21 after Toronto’s William Nylander opened the scoring at 9:01 of the third period.

Jeremy Swayman made 30 saves for Boston, which has now won seven consecutive playoff series against Toronto dating back to 1969 and will meet the Florida Panthers in the second round.

Game 1 of the Bruins’ next series is set for Monday night in Sunrise, Fla.

Samsonov got the start since Joseph Woll did not dress due to an undisclosed injury sustained in Game 6. Nearly midway through the third, Toronto scored the go-ahead goal off an in-zone sequence. After Boston defenseman Brandon Carlo slipped and lost the puck in the corner, Auston Matthews — who returned from a two-game absence (illness) — picked it up and dished it to an open Nylander for him to deposit into the back of the net.

The hosts wasted little time responding. Justin Brazeau’s backhand from the bottom of the right circle deflected over the net, but Lindholm got the puck on the opposite wing and flicked it in off the right post.

Boston combined for just three first-period shots in Games 5 and 6, but it got off to a much better start on Saturday, outshooting the Maple Leafs 11-9 through the first 20 minutes of action.

However, Toronto picked up the pace in the second, recording 12 shots to the Bruins’ seven.

Following a scoreless Boston power play, Toronto’s first and only man advantage — stemming from a Charlie Coyle cross-check at 4:36 of the second — resulted in strong pressure. The Bruins completed the kill, with Tyler Bertuzzi putting a shot on goal just as the power play was coming to an end.

Another key Swayman save came on Connor Dewar’s short-handed breakaway with 8:35 left in the period.

–Field Level Media

It’s Mystik “Derby” Dan in Front

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LOUISVILLE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Mystik Dan, with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. aboard, won the 150th Kentucky Derby on Saturday in a three-way photo finish, edging Sierra Leone and Forever Young at Churchill Downs in Kentucky.

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Mystik Dan, which started out of the No. 3 post, squeezed through on the rail on the final turn, led throughout the stretch and just held off a charging Sierra Leone and Forever Young by a nose at the wire. Catching Freedom finished fourth.

At 18-1, Hernandez was able to capture his first Kentucky Derby after a short wait for the result to become official. Sierra Leone, the second favorite at 9-2, was ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, while Forever Young, the third favorite at 6-1, had Ryusei Sakai aboard.

Derby favorite Fierceness, at 3-1, finished 15th in the 20-horse field.

The second leg of the Triple Crown takes place May 18 with the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. The final leg is June 8 in the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY.

There have been 13 Triple Crown winners, with Justify the last in 2018.

–Field Level Media

PGA Tour: Furyk and “Fluff” Part Ways

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McKINNEY (Texas) – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Caddie Mike “Fluff” Cowan and Jim Furyk have parted ways amicably after 25 years together. Cowan, who was on the bag for Tiger Woods in the late 1990s, is returning to the PGA Tour.

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Cowan is working with Taiwanese pro C.T. Pan at this week’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Texas.

“It’s hard to part ways after 25 years,” Cowan said, per USA Today’s Golfweek. “Sometimes the right thing to do is staring you right in the face and you’ve got to have the guys to do it.”

Furyk, 53, and Cowan have worked together since the 1999 Masters.

The timing of the move for Cowan is based on simple economics, as Furyk has been sidelined with injuries over the past two years. His best finish in three starts on the Champions Tour this season is a T33 at the Hoag Classic in March.

“We play for $2 million. They play for $8, $20, $25 million,” Furyk wrote in a text to Golfweek. “I knew it was a good opportunity for him, and C.T. has been playing pretty good. (Fluff) was hesitant. Because he’s a great person at heart. But I pushed and we both knew it was best for him and his family.”

Pan, 32, has earned $674,187 so far this season, compared to $19,464 for Furyk.

Furyk’s son, Tanner, is scheduled to caddie for the 2003 U.S. Open champion at three to four events this summer.

Red Sox Face Red Hot Twins

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MINNEAPOLIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Minnesota Twins are riding an 11-game winning streak, the longest in the big leagues this season. Going into this afternoon’s rematch with the Boston Red Sox in Minnesota, Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers called the streak “amazing.”

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“Being able to put on a show for these fans every single night is cool,” Jeffers told the Twins’ TV audience after Minnesota’s 5-2 win in the series opener on Friday night. “This season is a long, grueling season, so to be able to rattle off 11 straight is pretty awesome.”

Jeffers and Eduoard Julien drove in two runs apiece on Friday, and five Twins pitchers held Boston to four hits. It was the second straight loss for Boston, which had won its previous four.

“It’s one of those that you’ve just got to keep battling and keep working, and hopefully (Saturday) we have a better one,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.

The Red Sox will have to find a way to grind out a win during a bullpen game.

Left-hander Brennan Bernardino (0-1, 0.73 ERA) is expected to make his second start, but he will be limited in terms of workload. In 11 appearances this season, he has not pitched more than two innings in a game.

Several other Red Sox relievers could chip in an inning or two. It typically would be right-hander Brayan Bello’s turn in the starting rotation, but he is on the injured list with tightness in his back.

Knowing the bullpen game was upcoming, Cora said he was grateful to need only two pitchers on Friday. Right-hander Tanner Houck started and went six innings, and reliever Naoyuki Uwasawa covered the next two innings.

“He was excellent,” Cora said of Houck. “We needed him to go deep into the game, coming from (Thursday’s) game and (Saturday) knowing where we’re at with a bullpen game.

“That’s what the good ones do. When you need innings, he goes out there, and it’s not like he just gave us innings. He gave us a chance to win.”

Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez (2-2, 4.83 ERA) is set to make his seventh start of the season. Lopez is looking for back-to-back wins after defeating the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.

In one career start against the Red Sox, Lopez is 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA. He gave up five runs (four earned) on six hits in 5 2/3 innings last June, and he walked three and struck out nine.

Jeffers said one key to the Twins’ winning streak has been late-inning offense. Each game has provided an opportunity for someone else in the lineup to come through, he said.

On Friday, the Twins scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to build on their 1-0 lead.

“We’ve been doing a really good job staying in there,” Jeffers said. “Whether we’re down or if it’s an even game going late, we feel like (our offense) can come from anybody. Feeding off the energy in this stadium (on Friday night) really pushed us through.”

–Field Level Media

 

Clark Scores 21 in First WNBA Game

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ARLINGTON – In her first action as a professional, Iowa’s sensational collegiate star Caitlin Clark did not disappoint as the recently drafted WNBA rookie scored 21 points for the Indiana Fever in a 79-76 preseason loss to the host Dallas Wings on Friday.

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Clark, the No. 1 pick in last month’s WNBA draft, scored 11 of her team’s first 19 points and scored 16 in the first half. The NCAA’s all-time leading scorer finished 6-of-15 shooting from the floor, including 5 of 13 from 3-point range, while adding three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

“My biggest goal coming into tonight was to continue to be myself, play aggressive,” said Clark, who missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would’ve sent the game to overtime. “I thought that’s what I did. I think there’s a lot to be proud of.”

Despite playing on the road, Clark was cheered throughout the game, including an ovation when she was introduced as a starter. She hit her first two shot attempts, both 3-pointers, and hit four of eight 3-point attempts in the first half.

The Fever play one more preseason game Thursday against the visiting Atlanta Dream before opening the regular season on the road against the Connecticut Sun on May 14.

“There’s a lot of good to take away from it. At the same time, it’s a preseason game, so don’t get too disappointed by it,” Clark said. “Just go back and watch the film, learn from it, and get ready for our next one.”

–Field Level Media

PGA Tour: Third Round at CJ CUP

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McKINNEY, TEXAS – PGA TOUR rookie Jake Knapp shot (64-64) over the opening two rounds, becoming the third player to shoot 64 or better in first two rounds of THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. The others? Scottie Scheffler/64-64/2023, Tiger Woods/64-64/1997). Pretty good company to keep.

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Knapp, the 2024 Mexico Open at Vidanta winner, seeks to become the first rookie to win twice on TOUR in the same season since Xander Schauffele(2017 Greenbrier Classic, 2017 TOUR Championship).

After equaling his career low round on TOUR with a bogey-free 8-under (63), 18-hole leader Matt Wallace (T2/-13) carded a 5-under (66). The 2023 Corales Puntacana Championship winner and four-time winner on the DP World Tour is making his second start at this event (MC/73-73/2022).

At 16 years, 7 months, 3 days, Kris Kim (T36/-7) became the youngest player to make a cut on the PGA TOUR since Kyle Suppa at the 2015 Sony Open in Hawaii and youngest in tournament history with the previous being Jordan Spieth in 2010.

The top five FedEx Cup points earners from the Corales Puntacana Championship, Zurich Classic of New Orleans, and THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson will earn spots in the Wells Fargo Championship via the Aon Swing 5, while the Top 10 players in the FedEx Cup standings not otherwise exempt through THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson will qualify via the Aon Next 10.

Aon Swing 5:

  1. Billy Horschel — 300.000
  2. Matt Wallace T2 247.85
  3. Troy Merritt T2 247.116
  4. Chad Ramey MC 167.167
  5. Kelly Kraft 4 165.531

Spieth, the world No. 20 and Dallas native (MC/-4), missed the cut for the second time in 12 appearances (MC/2017). Other notables to miss the cut (at -6) include: Thomas Detry, Matt Kuchar, Robert McIntyre and Kevin Eisner.

CJ CUP Byron Nelson Leaderboard | Round 2

1 Jake Knapp 64 64 128 (-14)

T2 Troy Merritt 67 62 129 (-13)

T2 Matt Wallace 63 66 129 (-13)

4 Kelly Kraft 64 66 130 (-12)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

Twins Down Sox for 11-Straight

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MINNEAPOLIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) Edouard Julien and Ryan Jeffers drove in two runs apiece, and the Minnesota Twins held on for a 5-2 win over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night in Minneapolis.

Willi Castro went 2-for-3 with a double for Minnesota, which won its 11th game in a row. The Twins have not lost since April 21 against the Detroit Tigers.

Rafael Devers went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs to lead Boston. Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran recorded the only other hits for the Red Sox.

Twins right-hander Chris Paddack (3-1) allowed two hits in six scoreless innings. He walked one and struck out six. Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck (3-3) gave up four runs on six hits in six-plus innings. He walked two and struck out five.

Dodgers 4, Braves 3 (11 innings)

Rookie Andy Pages capped his first career four-hit performance with a game-ending single in the 11th inning as Los Angeles walked away with a victory over visiting Atlanta in the opener of a three-game series.

Teoscar Hernandez hit a home run, Shohei Ohtani drove in a run in the 10th and Gavin Stone went five strong innings as the Dodgers improved to 8-2 since going 3-6 on their previous homestand while losing all three series. Michael Grove (1-1) picked up the win for the Dodgers with a scoreless 11th.

Austin Riley and Ronald Acuna Jr. hit home runs and right-hander Charlie Morton gave up two runs on five hits over six innings as the Braves lost for the fourth time in their last six games and fell to 1-3 on a six-game West Coast road trip.

Brewers 3, Cubs 1

Willy Adames headlined a three-run rally with a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth as Milwaukee beat host Chicago in the opener of a three-game series.

Brice Turang went 2-for-4 for the Brewers, who pushed their winning streak to three games.

Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ and Michael Busch each had two hits as Chicago’s offensive struggles continued. The Cubs have averaged just 2.4 runs over their past seven games.

Phillies 4, Giants 3

Brandon Marsh drove in two runs, Alec Bohm extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a run-scoring single, and Philadelphia opened a four-game series against visiting San Francisco with a win.

Trea Turner had two hits before exiting with left hamstring soreness for Philadelphia, which won its third straight and improved to a season-best 11 games over .500 at 22-11. Aaron Nola allowed two runs and four hits over four innings before yielding to Matt Strahm (2-0), Seranthony Dominguez, Orion Kerkering and Jeff Hoffman. Jose Alvarado worked around a leadoff single in the ninth for his sixth save.

San Francisco went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and lost for the third time in its last four games. The Giants have scored a total of 19 runs over their last eight games.

Yankees 2, Tigers 1

Anthony Rizzo hit a walk-off single with nobody out in the ninth inning as host New York rallied past Detroit.

On the verge of being shut out for the sixth time this season, the Yankees earned their first walk-off win of the season thanks to rallying against Detroit closer Jason Foley (2-1), who blew his first save of the season.

Riley Green went 3-for-4 for the Tigers, who were held to five hits and saw their two-game win streak come to an end.

Rays 10, Mets 8

Harold Ramirez and Amed Rosario each went 3-for-5 for Tampa Bay, which scored five times in the third inning in a win against visiting New York in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Shawn Armstrong (1-1) came on in relief in the fifth inning, allowing two hits and striking out two in 1 1/3 innings. Jason Adam allowed one run on two hits in the ninth for his second save of the season.

Mets starter Jose Quintana (1-3) allowed eight runs on 10 hits in 2 2/3 innings. He struck out two and walked one.

Athletics 3, Marlins 1

Miami kicked off the post-Luis Arraez era with a whimper, accumulating just seven hits off JP Sears and three relievers as host Oakland opened a three-game interleague series with a victory.

Arraez, the defending National League batting champion, was scratched from the lineup minutes before the first pitch, reportedly having been dealt to the San Diego Padres for four prospects. Miami then saw a three-game winning streak end when Brent Rooker smacked a two-run homer, Sears worked 6 1/3 shutout innings and the A’s recorded a season-best fifth straight win.

Rooker’s homer came off Miami starter Ryan Weathers (2-3), who dueled Sears into the last of the fourth before allowing his first hit of the game — a single by Abraham Toro. Rooker followed with his sixth homer of the season. Weathers was pulled after six innings, having allowed three runs and five hits. He struck out five and didn’t walk anyone.

Nationals 9, Blue Jays 3

Pinch hitter Luis Garcia Jr. hit a three-run home run in a four-run seventh and Washington defeated visiting Toronto.

Beginning a five-game homestand, the Nationals overcame a 3-0 deficit to take the opener of a three-game series.

The Blue Jays, who began a five-game road trip, have lost three games in a row and eight of their past 10.

Orioles 3, Reds 0

Cole Irvin extended his scoreless innings streak by allowing just two hits over 6 1/3 innings, combining with three relievers as Baltimore shut out Cincinnati in the opener of a three-game interleague series.

Adley Rutschman snapped a scoreless tie with a seventh-inning RBI double and scored on a homer by Ryan O’Hearn as the Orioles won for the fourth time in five games. The Reds have lost three straight and six of eight.

Irvin (3-1) walked none and struck out four. He hasn’t allowed a run in his last 20 innings dating back to the fourth inning of an April 15 start. Reds starter Hunter Greene gave up five hits and four walks while striking out five over 5 2/3 innings. He has thrown 14 2/3 straight scoreless innings dating back to April 22.

Rockies 3, Pirates 2

Ryan McMahon homered to spark a three-run sixth inning, Cal Quantrill pitched strongly into the eighth and Colorado beat host Pittsburgh.

Colorado snapped a five-game skid and ended a string that saw it set a major league record by trailing at some point in each of their first 31 games. McMahon, Ezequiel Tovar, Elias Diaz and Jacob Stallings finished with two hits each for Colorado. Quantrill (1-3) gave up three hits, struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter in 7 2/3 innings.

Oneil Cruz homered and Jared Triolo had two hits for Pittsburgh, which has lost five in a row and eight of nine. The Rockies managed just five singles against Pirates starter Martin Perez (1-2) through five innings but broke out in the sixth. McMahon led off with his fifth home run, a 445-foot shot into the Allegheny River beyond the seats in right field.

Angels 6, Guardians 0

Jose Soriano threw six stellar innings to continue his road dominance and Mickey Moniak launched a three-run homer as visiting Los Angeles beat Cleveland.

Nolan Schanuel homered for one of his three hits, and Willie Calhoun also had three in his season debut for the Angels, who won for just the third time in 14 games. Soriano (1-4), who allowed five hits and a walk, has yielded one earned run over 17 innings of his three 2024 road starts.

Los Angeles roughed up Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee (2-1) for all six runs, plus eight hits allowed, in five innings. Steven Kwan had two hits for the AL Central-leading Guardians, who have lost two straight and are 3-6 since winning five in a row.

Astros 5, Mariners 3

Jose Altuve deposited a perfect bunt single down the third base line with two outs in the seventh inning, the lone run-scoring hit of a four-run frame that lifted Houston to a victory over visiting Seattle.

Trailing 3-1 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Astros recorded five walks, two singles and a sacrifice fly to forge ahead. Astros closer Josh Hader recorded his third save with a pair of strikeouts in the ninth.

The Mariners forged their lead with a pair of homers off Astros starter Ronel Blanco, who worked six innings and allowed three runs on five hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Jorge Polanco smoked a two-out, solo shot to right-center in the third and Dylan Moore ripped a two-run blast in the fifth.

Royals 7, Rangers 1

Salvador Perez and Hunter Renfroe homered as host Kansas City rallied past Texas.

With one out in the fifth, Renfroe belted Michael Lorenzen’s slider down the left-field line for his third homer of the year to tie the score 1-1. Then Kansas City scored six times in the seventh, capped by Perez’s three-run homer. Reliever John Schreiber (3-0) allowed two hits and two walks in the seventh but escaped damage by striking out Marcus Semien with the bases loaded to end the inning.

In the third inning, Semien hit a two-out double and Corey Seager followed with a single to left, scoring the first run of the game. Seager had two of the Rangers’ seven hits. Losing pitcher Cole Winn (0-1) gave up four runs on four hits in one-third of an inning.

Cardinals 3, White Sox 0

Sonny Gray, JoJo Romero and Ryan Helsley combined for a three-hitter as St. Louis blanked visiting Chicago.

Gray (4-1) allowed those three hits in seven innings. He struck out six and walked one while lowering his season ERA to 0.89 in 30 1/3 innings. Romero handled the White Sox in the eighth inning, and Helsley closed out the ninth for his 11th save.

Nolan Arenado drove in three runs with two doubles and Willson Contreras went 3-for-3 with a walk, a steal and two runs for St. Louis. Brad Keller (0-1) allowed three runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings for the White Sox, who lost for the 11th time in 14 games.

Padres 7, Diamondbacks 1

Fernando Tatis Jr. homered and drove in three runs, Dylan Cease pitched 6 2/3 innings and San Diego opened a three-game weekend series with a win over Arizona in Phoenix.

Tatis collected three hits and scored twice, while Jake Cronenworth and Manny Machado also slugged homers as San Diego won its third straight game. The Padres finished with 12 hits and scored at least six runs for the fourth time in five games. Cease (4-2) allowed three hits and one run with no walks and eight strikeouts.

Slade Cecconi (1-2) retired the first nine batters he faced for Arizona but was hit hard his second time through the order. He was removed after Tatis’ RBI single in the fifth made it 5-0. Cecconi gave up six runs on five hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings, striking out four.

–Field Level Media