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Panthers Knot Series at 1-All

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SUNRISE – (Staff and wire Service Report) – Florida team captain Aleksander Barkov collected two goals and two assists to fuel the Panthers to a 6-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

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Sam Reinhart notched four assists and defenseman Brandon Montour scored a goal and set up two others to help the Panthers even the best-of-seven series with the Bruins at one victory apiece. Game 3 is Friday in Boston.

Fourth-liner Steven Lorentz, Eetu Luostarinen and defenseman Gustav Forsling also scored for Florida, which recorded six consecutive goals in a playoff game for the first time in franchise history. Sergei Bobrovsky made 14 saves in the win.

Jeremy Swayman, who turned aside 19 of 23 shots, yielded more than two goals for the first time in eight games this postseason. Linus Ullmark made eight saves in relief and Charlie Coyle scored a goal in the first period for the Bruins.

An unmarked Lorentz deftly deflected Montour’s shot from the point past Swayman to forge a 1-1 tie at 1:56 of the second period. The goal was the second of the playoffs for Lorentz, who had one tally in 38 games during the regular season.

Barkov gave the Panthers a 2-1 lead just under eight minutes later after gaining inside position on Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy and cleaning up a rebound off a shot from Reinhart.

Forsling doubled the advantage after he dropped to a knee while blasting a shot past Swayman with two seconds remaining in the second period.

A turnover deep in Boston’s zone allowed Barkov to feed Luostarinen at the back post for an easy conversion and a 4-1 lead for the Panthers at 1:28 of the third period.

Barkov forced a turnover at the blue line and beat Ullmark at 10:52 of the third before feeding Montour at the doorstep just 66 seconds later. Barkov has four goals in his past three games.

Boston’s swarming forecheck resulted in Florida committing a turnover in its defensive end, leading to the game’s first goal with 7:48 remaining in the first period. Pavel Zacha executed a give-and-go with captain Brad Marchand before the latter backhanded a goal-mouth feed that Coyle converted for his first goal of the postseason.

–Field Level Media

Sox Snap Twins Win Streak

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MINNEAPOLIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela and Rafael Devers hit two-run home runs and the Red Sox pulled away for a 9-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday afternoon in Minnesota.

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Vaughn Grissom and Dominic Smith added two-run doubles for Boston, which avoided a three-game sweep in the series finale. Rob Refsnyder had an RBI double.

Ryan Jeffers hit a solo home run for the Twins, whose 12-game winning streak ended. Trevor Larnach went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Minnesota lost for the first time since falling at home on April 21 against the Detroit Tigers. The 12-game winning streak was the Twins’ longest since a franchise-best 15-game streak in 1991.

Red Sox left-hander Brennan Bernardino (1-1) earned the win out of the bullpen after recording the final two outs of the fifth inning. Minnesota starter Joe Ryan (1-2) gave up three runs on four hits in six innings.

Rays 7, Mets 6 (10 innings)

Jonny DeLuca’s walk-off, two-run triple in extra innings propelled Tampa Bay to a win and a series sweep of New York in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Jake Diekman (1-1) allowed two runs (one earned) on one hit in the extra inning for New York, which has lost three straight and five of its past seven. The Mets had gone ahead 6-5 in the top of the 10th, as Harrison Bader scored when Brandon Nimmo reached on a missed-catch error by first baseman Yandy Diaz.

Randy Arozarena tied it at 5-5 for the Rays in the ninth with a two-out solo home run to left-center field. Rays reliever Erasmo Ramirez (1-0) got the win.

Dodgers 5, Braves 1

Shohei Ohtani hit two home runs, Teoscar Hernandez also went deep and left-hander James Paxton pitched into the seventh inning as host Los Angeles finished off a three-game sweep of Atlanta.

Paxton (4-0) gave up a run on five hits in 6 2/3 innings, with three strikeouts and two walks.

Marcell Ozuna hit a home run and Max Fried (2-1) gave up four runs on four hits over seven innings after delivering a complete-game shutout and six no-hit innings in his previous two starts.

Yankees 5, Tigers 2 (8 innings)

Juan Soto hit a go-ahead, three-run double in the seventh and host New York completed a three-game series sweep by defeating Detroit in a game that was called early due to rain.

Aaron Judge homered one day after his first career ejection. Oswaldo Cabrera added two hits and an RBI. Yankees starter Nestor Cortes was charged with two runs and three hits in 6 1/3 innings while recording nine strikeouts, and Victor Gonzalez (2-1) picked up the win in relief.

Detroit starter Tarik Skubal struck out a career-high 12 in six innings while allowing two runs and six hits. Spencer Torkelson had two doubles and an RBI to lead the Tigers’ offense. Shelby Miller (3-4), Detroit’s second pitcher, took the loss.

Nationals 11, Blue Jays 8

Eddie Rosario’s seventh-inning two-run homer broke an 8-8 tie and host Washington went on to beat Toronto.

Luis Garcia Jr. had four hits, including a home run, and drove in four runs while Jesse Winker had a three-run homer and a double for the Nationals, who took two of three games from Toronto.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a grand slam for the Blue Jays, who have lost four of their past five. Alek Manoah, making his first start in the majors since last August, was given a 6-1 lead but could not hold it. He went four innings, allowing seven runs (six earned) on six hits.

Pirates 5, Rockies 3

Oneil Cruz doubled and hit a two-run homer as Pittsburgh rallied from an early deficit to edge visiting Colorado in the rubber match of a three-game series.

Rowdy Tellez, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Jack Suwinski each drove in a run for Pittsburgh, which trailed 3-0 after two innings. Pirates starter Bailey Falter allowed three runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings before Luis L. Ortiz (2-1) followed with 1 2/3 perfect innings.

Jacob Stallings and Sean Bouchard hit back-to-back home runs in the second inning for the Rockies. Bouchard, Elias Diaz and Brendan Rodgers each had two hits.

Guardians 4, Angels 1

Jose Ramirez hit a slump-busting, go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth, then scored two innings later on Josh Naylor’s home run as Cleveland downed visiting Los Angeles.

Mired in an 0-for-19 drought, Ramirez crushed the 10th pitch of his at-bat against Los Angeles starter Griffin Canning (1-4) well over the right-center-field wall to put Cleveland ahead 2-1. It was the sixth homer of the season for Ramirez.

Cole Tucker had a pair of hits for Los Angeles, which has dropped 13 of its past 16 and fell to 3-25 at Cleveland since the start of the 2015 season.

Mariners 5, Astros 4

Cal Raleigh slugged a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning as Seattle rallied to knock off host Houston in the rubber match of a three-game series, claiming its sixth consecutive series win.

Raleigh homered for the second time in as many games, drilling a sinker from Astros closer Josh Hader (1-3) for his eighth home run of the year. The Mariners rallied from a 4-3 deficit after coughing up a three-run lead. Andres Munoz (2-2) recorded the final four outs to secure the victory.

Kyle Tucker and Jon Singleton hit two-run homers for the Astros. Singleton and Jose Altuve had two hits apiece.

Rangers 3, Royals 2 (10 innings)

Nathaniel Lowe delivered a 10th-inning RBI single, lifting visiting Texas to a victory over Kansas City.

The Rangers rallied with single tallies in the eighth and ninth to tie the game at 2-2. With one out in the top of the 10th, Lowe lined a 1-2 pitch into center field to score Leody Taveras with the go-ahead run, completing the come-from-behind win.

The Royals grabbed a 2-0 lead, as their first four hits went for extra bases against Texas starter Jon Gray. Bobby Witt Jr. tripled and scored on Vinnie Pasquantino’s sacrifice fly in the first to open the scoring. With two outs in the third, Witt and Pasquantino hit consecutive doubles.

White Sox 5, Cardinals 1

Paul DeJong had two doubles, two runs and an RBI against his old team as visiting Chicago defeated St. Louis.

Eloy Jimenez hit a solo homer and Bryan Ramos got his first career RBI for the White Sox, who won two of three games to earn their second series victory of the season.

Willson Contreras hit a solo home run for the Cardinals, who mustered just four hits while losing for the fourth time in five games.

Cubs 5, Brewers 0

Nico Hoerner sparked a three-run fifth inning to break a scoreless stalemate while Javier Assad pitched six shutout innings in Chicago’s victory over visiting Milwaukee.

Dansby Swanson added his fourth home run of the season as the Cubs took the three-game series 2-1. Assad (3-0) gave up just four hits and three walks, striking out four.

Milwaukee only had five hits on the afternoon as Chicago posted its third shutout win of the year. Brewers starter Freddy Peralta (3-1) was pulled after five innings. He allowed three runs on three hits, with five strikeouts and six walks.

Marlins 12, Athletics 3

Nick Gordon collected two singles, a double and a home run, drove in three runs and scored twice as Miami avoided an interleague series sweep at the hands of host Oakland.

Jazz Chisholm Jr., Bryan De La Cruz, Jesus Sanchez and Christian Bethancourt all scored a pair of runs for the Marlins, who rebounded from a 20-4 shellacking by the streaking A’s one day earlier. Burch Smith (2-0), who worked a scoreless fifth in relief of Sixto Sanchez, was credited with the win.

Gordon’s homer capped a four-run first against Athletics starter Joe Boyle (2-5), who completed the inning but then left because of back soreness. Boyle set up the big frame by walking the first three batters of the game, throwing nine straight balls in one stretch.

Diamondbacks 11, Padres 4

Jake McCarthy went 3-for-4 with three runs as Arizona topped San Diego in Phoenix to avoid being swept in a three-game series.

McCarthy was one of five Diamondbacks to drive in two runs, with Ketel Marte and Joc Pederson contributing two-run home runs. Arizona had lost eight of its past 11, while San Diego had a four-game winning streak snapped.

The Padres’ Jackson Merrill hit a two-run homer for his second long ball of his rookie season. Luis Arraez went 1-for-5 in his second game with San Diego.

Orioles 11, Reds 1

Dean Kremer allowed just one hit over six scoreless innings as visiting Baltimore completed a three-game sweep of punchless Cincinnati.

Kremer (3-2) was the latest Orioles pitcher to blank an anemic Cincinnati offense, allowing only a sharp single in the fifth, followed by a walk, to win his third straight start. Baltimore’s Anthony Santander belted his third career grand slam, had three hits and drove in five, while Jordan Westburg and Ryan McKenna added homers.

For the second straight contest, the Reds avoided a shutout in the ninth and have scored a total of just eight runs in losing five straight games.

Phillies 5, Giants 4

Bryce Harper hit a three-run home run and J.T. Realmuto had three hits to lead Philadelphia to a win over visiting San Francisco.

Alec Bohm doubled in the seventh inning to extend his hitting streak to 18 games for the Phillies, who won their fifth straight game and are 9-1 over their past 10. Philadelphia has won the first three contests of the four-game series and owns the best record in baseball at 24-11.

Thairo Estrada smacked a two-run homer for the Giants, who have lost five of their past six games. San Francisco ace Logan Webb (3-3) allowed five runs (four earned) and six hits over four innings.

–Field Level Media

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

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

 

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

NHL Bruins: “Not Again”

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TORONTO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Toronto’s William Nylander scored in the second and third periods as the Maple Leafs earned a 2-1 win over the visiting Boston Bruins on Thursday to even their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at three victories apiece. Game 7 is set for Saturday night in Boston.

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Nylander broke the game’s long scoreless deadlock with 54.8 seconds left in the second before doubling Toronto’s lead on a breakaway with 2:13 to go in regulation. Morgan Rielly assisted on both goals.

Before netting his first goal, Nylander had been on a 13-game scoring drought dating back to the regular season.

Joseph Woll stopped 22 of the 23 shots he faced in his second straight start for the Maple Leafs, coming within 0.1 seconds of a shutout. He recorded 12 saves in the second period alone.

Morgan Geekie scored just before the final buzzer and Jeremy Swayman made 24 saves for the Bruins, who will play a first-round Game 7 after surrendering a 3-1 series lead for the second straight season.

Last year, the Bruins, who posted the NHL’s best record in the regular season, were ousted by the Florida Panthers in the opening round of the postseason.

Toronto played a tight game in the first period of a second straight game, holding a 12-1 shot advantage. Boston’s lone shot came on a Jake DeBrusk short-handed try at the 11:38 mark.

The Bruins’ penalty kill remained strong in the early going, especially when it was tasked with combating David Pastrnak’s double-minor penalty for high-sticking just 1:10 into the second. The hosts managed only two shots during the four-minute sequence.

Nylander’s go-ahead goal gave Toronto its first second-intermission lead of the series.

After Nylander was not called for a hit from behind on Boston defenseman Mason Lohrei that was followed by an immediate icing, Nylander curled at the right point, moved back into the circle and fired a wrist shot that deflected off a body in front and past a screened Swayman.

With a 1-0 lead, Woll thwarted one of Boston’s most dangerous stretches just before the 7:00 mark of the third. After Brad Marchand could not handle Geekie’s pass through to the crease, the Toronto netminder withstood a flurry and covered up two Charlie Coyle chances from tight range.

Just over a minute after Swayman stopped a Max Domi breakaway, a chip-out and Matthew Knies feed led to Nylander jumping ahead for a backhand finish that doubled the Toronto lead with 2:13 left in regulation.

Geekie knocked home the Bruins’ goal in the crease in the final tenth of a second.

–Field Level Media

Slye and the Patriots Family

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FOXBOROUGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Kicker Joey Slye agreed to terms on a contract with the New England Patriots, said multiple reports Thursday. Slye, who was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Tuesday, is expected to provide competition for Chad Ryland in New England.

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Ryland, 24, made just 64 percent of his field-goal attempts (16 of 25) during his rookie season for the Patriots. He was selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Slye didn’t spend long in Jacksonville, as he signed with the club on March 18.

Slye, 28, converted 19 of 24 field goals and 32 of 35 extra points in 17 games for the Washington Commanders last season. He has made 82.3 percent of his field goals and just 88.5 percent of his PATs across five seasons with four teams.

–Field Level Media

Sox Face Giants Today for Series Sweep

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox seek their fifth straight win and an Interleague sweep when they host the San Francisco Giants in the finale of a three-game series this afternoon.

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Continued outstanding pitching and timely hitting helped the Red Sox post 4-0 and 6-2 wins to begin the series, allowing just a total of nine hits.

“We expect to be consistent,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “I know that every single night, we feel very comfortable where we’re going to be pitching-wise. Obviously, the numbers speak for themselves. But for me, this is not because of what we did in April. I felt very comfortable in spring training.”

On Wednesday, Kutter Crawford threw a career-high seven innings, while Connor Wong was 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored.

Dominic Smith also recorded an RBI single in his Red Sox debut on the same day he was activated after he opted out of his deal with Tampa Bay. Garrett Cooper, formerly of the Chicago Cubs, made his first Boston appearance on Tuesday.

“We expect these two guys to help us,” Cora said. “They can slow down the game, they’re gonna hit the ball the other way. It was great to add them to the roster.”

The Red Sox also acquired infielder Zack Short from the New York Mets on Wednesday afternoon. Cora expects him to be activated before the series finale and be in the starting lineup.

Boston turns to right-hander Josh Winckowski (1-1, 3.50 ERA), who is scheduled to make his third straight start after seven relief appearances to begin the season. He is 0-0 with a 3.38 ERA in two appearances (no starts) against San Francisco.

This series marks the first for the Giants at Fenway since 2019, which was Yastrzemski’s rookie year.

“To be able to come back again and have a little bit more clarity of where I’m at in life and be able to be a little more comfortable, it’s nice,” he said.

Tom Murphy hit his first home run of the season in the third inning Wednesday.

–Field Level Media

PGA Tour: Spieth Headlines CJ CUP

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McKINNEY, TEXAS – It’s back to Texas for the fourth PGA Tour event of the season. This time, it’s THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson to be held in the northern suburbs of Dallas, past Plano and not too far from Frisco.

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TPC Craig Ranch will host THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson for the fourth time, honoring the legacy of the tournament namesake, Byron Nelson, the first PGA TOUR event to be named in honor of a professional golfer. Nelson had 52 career PGA TOUR wins, and took a record – 18 titles with 11 straight – in 1945.

Last year, 2,021 birdies were recorded at TPC Craig Ranch course, the third most of any course on TOUR last season with the most: 2,094/El Cardonal at Diamante/World Wide Technology Championship).

This season, the field includes:

  • Seven of the top 30 in the FedExCup standings, led by No. 9 Byeong Hun An
  • 10 of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking, led by No. 20 Jordan Spieth
  • Four past champions (Adam Scott/2008, Sung Kang/2019, K.H. Lee/2021-22, JasonDay/2010, 2023)
  • 61 PGA TOUR winners
  • Four PLAYERS Championship winners
  • Six major champions, led by Jordan Spieth (3)

Jason Day, the popular 13-time PGA TOUR winner, snapped a winless streak of 105 starts since the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship with his victory at the Byron Nelson back in 2023. Day, who won his maiden TOUR title at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson in 2010, became the seventh player in tournament history with multiple titles and seeks to become the fifth back-to-back champion (Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, K.H. Lee).

This week, the CJ Group ambassadors in the field include: Sungjae Im, Si Woo Kim, two-time CJ CUP Byron Nelson champion K.H. Lee and 16-year-old Kris Kim, who received a sponsor exemption and will make his PGA TOUR debut.

THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson | Tournament Facts

COURSE: TPC Craig Ranch, McKinney, Texas

YARDS/PAR: 7,414 yards/Par 72

ARCHITECT: Tom Weiskopf

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $9,500,000/$1,71,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Jason Day

PAST RESULTS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup

BYRON NELSON ORGANIZATION: (link)

How to Watch | THE CJ CUP | Byron Nelson

Thursday, May 2, 2024 – All Times Eastern

  • 7:45am to 7:00pm – ESPN+ Streaming
  • 1:00pm to 7:00pm – PGA Tour Radio online and on Sirius XM Radio
  • 4:00pm to 7:00pm – Golf Channel and Peacock Network Streaming

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM Radio will have live radio coverage of the Byron Nelson with Thursday and Friday broadcasts from 1:00pm to 7:00pm (ET). PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92 or online via PGATourCom.

How to Watch: In case of changes, visit: (PGATourCom)