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The Squanderers

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – New York’s Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby each scored 29 points as the visiting Knicks pulled-off a 108-105 overtime victory against the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Monday night.

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The Knicks overcame a 20-point deficit in the third quarter and sealed the win when Mikal Bridges stole the ball from Jaylen Brown after Boston inbounded the ball with three seconds to play.

During the fourth quarter, Brunson tied the game at 89 with a 3-pointer and 91 on two free throws before giving the Knicks their first lead since the second. His 3-pointer put them up 94-91 with 4:07 to play, and his third triple of the period extended New York’s advantage to six points, but Boston responded with a 7-0 run to take a 98-97 lead.

It was 100-100 when Brunson missed a layup with two seconds left. After a timeout, Jayson Tatum missed a 3-point shot at the buzzer. The game went to overtime, where Anunoby’s dunk and foul shot and Bridges’ 3-pointer gave the Knicks the cushion they needed to finish the comeback.

Karl-Anthony Towns was in foul trouble for much of the game, but had 14 points and 13 rebounds in 31 minutes. Josh Hart had 14 points and 11 boards, and Bridges recorded eight points, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals while playing 51 of the possible 53 minutes.

Brown and Tatum each tossed in a team-high 23 points for Boston. Tatum also had 16 rebounds, and Derrick White put up 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Kristaps Porzingis was scoreless in 13 minutes during the first half and didn’t play in the final two quarters with what the Celtics called an “illness.” Boston’s Sam Hauser also went to the locker room with an ankle injury with 28.5 seconds remaining in the third quarter and didn’t return to the game.

Boston led 26-25 after one quarter and outscored New York by 15 in the second quarter to take a 61-45 halftime lead. The Celtics scored the final eight points in the first half. The Knicks were 8-of-19 from the free throw line in the half.

Towns was called for his fourth foul and went to the bench with 7:07 left in the third quarter, but the Knicks made a strong run without him. New York was within six points before Al Horford made a 3-pointer with 6.2 seconds remaining in the quarter that gave the Celtics an 84-75 lead entering the fourth.

Game 2 in the best-of-seven series will be played Wednesday in Boston.

–Field Level Media

Can Knicks Reverse the Curse?

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Celtics will be looking to remain unbeaten against the visiting New York Knicks this season when the teams meet in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Monday night.

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The Knicks lost each of their four regular-season games against the Celtics — and the first three losses came by at least 13 points. Boston also beat New York 119-117 in overtime April 8.

“Obviously, (we have to) play better than we did (against them) throughout the regular season,” said Knicks guard Jalen Brunson. “Be better, ready to do it from the jump, knowing it’s going to be a game of runs, knowing that they’re capable of doing a lot of great things.

“I feel like we played better in that (fourth) game. We adjusted from the first three times we played them, obviously still not getting it done, but definitely played better and competed better than the first three games. So that’s something we can look at and build off of.”

Six-time All-Star Jayson Tatum averaged 33.5 points on 53.5 percent shooting — 47.8 percent from 3-point territory — in the four regular-season games as Boston averaged 125 points per game against third-seeded New York, which advanced by beating Detroit in six games during the first round.

Twins Narrowly Defeat Sox

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Minnesota’s Byron Buxton homered and Twin Cities’ DH Ryan Jeffers added two hits and two RBIs to help the visiting Twins defeat the Boston Red Sox 5-4 on Sunday. Buxton hit his seventh home run of the season on the game’s first pitch, and Jeffers had a two-run single with two outs in the seventh that erased a 3-1 deficit.

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It remained 3-3 until Harrison Bader doubled against Justin Slaten (0-3) in the eighth inning. Carlos Correa scored on the play to give the Twins a 4-3 lead. Trevor Larnach followed with a single that drove in Bader to make it 5-3.

Boston’s Wilyer Abreu collected three hits, including a solo home run in the eighth inning that cut Minnesota’s lead to 5-4, but Jhoan Duran pitched a scoreless ninth to preserve the one-run lead and earn his fourth save.

Louis Varland got the win (2-3) for pitching one inning of scoreless relief. The victory gave Minnesota two wins in the three-game series.

Boston starter Garrett Crochet exited the mound after five innings (89 pitches). He gave up a run on four hits, walked two and struck out six.

Minnesota’s Chris Paddack also pitched the first five innings. He allowed three runs on five hits, walked two and recorded two strikeouts.

Carlos Narvaez gave the Red Sox a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second when his single drove in Abreu and Romy Gonzalez, both of whom singled earlier in the inning.

The Red Sox extended their lead to 3-1 in the third. Alex Bregman led off the inning with a walk, moved to third on Abreu’s single and scored on Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly.

The Twins tied the game in the seventh against reliever Garrett Whitlock. Jeffers’ two-run single drove in Bader and Christian Vazquez.

Correa had two hits in the victory. Boston received two hits from Ceddanne Rafaela.

–Field Level Media

Sovereignty in Front

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LOUISVILLE – Horse trainer Bill Mott looked like he was gliding on air as he made his way into the infield at Churchill Downs early Saturday evening. Just moments before, his horse Sovereignty won the Kentucky Derby.

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He displayed a beaming smile while working through the crowd of well-wishers to get to the winner’s circle with jockey Junior Alvarado, Godolphin LLC racing manager Michael Banahan and others connected to the winner of the 151st Run for the Roses.

Godolphin, a global racing giant, celebrated its first Derby win after 26 years of trying. It was the first win for Alvarado in the Derby or any Triple Crown race, and it was the second for Mott. However, he had good reason to treat this like his first.

Six years ago, the Kentucky Derby was in limbo for 22 minutes while stewards reviewed the race. Mott’s Country House finished second to Maximum Security, but he would be named the winner after Maximum Security was deemed to have interfered with other horses. The 2019 decision ranks as one of the most controversial outcomes in the century-and-a-half history of America’s biggest horse race.

That night, Mott called the outcome “bittersweet.” This time around, there was nothing bitter about it.

“This is better,” he told reporters Saturday. “I said afterwards I want to finish first, cross the line first.”

Red Sox Rally vs Twins

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Rafael Devers hit a key two-run single in the seventh inning as the Boston Red Sox rallied for five late runs to beat the visiting Minnesota Twins 6-1 in the opener of a three-game series Friday night.

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Boston’s Alex Bregman (2-for-4) and Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers hit solo homers in the early innings and the game remained a 1-1 stalemate until Devers (3-for-5) knocked the deciding hit past the dive of Twins second baseman Edouard Julien in the hole.

Also for the Red Sox, David Hamilton went 3-for-4, driving in a run and scoring two more after his final two at-bats.

Justin Wilson (1-0) earned the win in relief of starter Brayan Bello, who struck out five and allowed one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings. Greg Weissert and Liam Hendriks preserved the score with scoreless innings thereafter.

Boston first baseman Triston Casas was stretchered off the field with an apparent serious leg injury after an awkward landing on the first base bag in the second inning. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said afterward that Cases sustained a “significant knee injury” and was at the hospital.

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With Louie Varland (1-3) relieving Minnesota starter Joe Ryan following six innings of four-hit ball with one run allowed and eight strikeouts, Connor Wong and Hamilton knocked back-to-back singles to start Boston’s seventh. After Ceddanne Rafaela’s sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, Devers delivered the key hit.

Boston added on with three runs on five hits in the eighth. Trevor Story snuck a leadoff single up the middle and stole second before scoring on Romy Gonzalez’s double off the right-field wall.

Gonzalez followed with a theft of third and scored on Hamilton’s Green Monster-banging double. Jarren Duran knocked another RBI hit through the right side two batters later.

Bregman staked the Red Sox to a 1-0 lead when he socked a two-out homer out to center in the first, but the game quickly settled into a pitching duel from there, as Ryan did not allow another hit until the fifth.

Minnesota’s lone breakthrough against Bello was a Jeffers line-drive homer to lead off the third. The Boston righty induced a double play off the bat of Brooks Lee to erase a Byron Buxton single in the first and — similarly to his counterpart — allowed just one other hit besides the homer before the sixth.

The pitching duel continued well into the middle innings, with Boston squandering a two-on chance in the sixth. Devers hit a leadoff single before reaching third on Story’s two-out knock, but Ryan struck out Gonzalez to end the threat.

Crochet to Dish in Toronto

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TORONTO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet aims to improve on his last start when he faces the host Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series.

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The left-hander allowed four runs, five hits and a career-high five walks in five innings on Thursday in a 4-3 home loss to the Seattle Mariners.

Crochet took responsibility for the loss after the Mariners touched him for two runs in each of the first two innings.

“The game was the first two innings that I pitched,” he said. “That was really what lost us the game.”

The Blue Jays can look forward to Crochet reverting to a power pitcher from the beginning on Tuesday. He was trying to be a little too fine in the early innings against the Mariners.

“It became something where I was trying to pitch instead of just throwing,” he said after the start. “Once I started getting back to my roots and just being a power pitcher later in the game, the walks were still there, but I was at least able to get guys out.”

This will be the second time this season that Crochet (2-2, 1.95 ERA) will face the Blue Jays. He took his first loss of the season against them at Fenway Park on April 8 when he allowed four runs (one earned), five hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings. In four career outings (two starts) against Toronto, he is 2-1 with a 0.66 ERA in 13 2/3 innings.

He is expected to be opposed by right-hander Bowden Francis (2-3, 3.58) on Tuesday. Francis has not faced the Red Sox this season, but he has had success against them. He is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings over in five career games (two starts) against Boston.

The Red Sox are coming off a 13-3 road victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday. Kristian Campbell was 2-for-2 with four runs, a double, three walks, two RBIs and a stolen base in what manager Alex Cora described as “all-around probably one of his best, if not the best, game of the season.”

Campbell helped Boston take two of three from Cleveland.

The Blue Jays are returning from a 1-5 road trip after being swept 11-2 and 5-1 in a doubleheader by the New York Yankees on Sunday.

Toronto won the opener of the series 4-2 on Friday followed by a postponement on Saturday.

The Blue Jays’ lack of hitting with runners in scoring position was again a problem, going 2-for-17 over the doubleheader. They scored seven runs over the three games at New York. Before that, they totaled two runs and nine hits when they were swept in a three-game series against the Houston Astros.

Manager John Schneider knows what the Blue Jays must do better when they open their six-game homestand.

“Better at-bats with guys on base and taking advantage of mistakes,” Schneider said. “Things that we talk about all the time. … We know that we have the guys in there that can do it.”

Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho is expected to return soon from his minor league rehabilitation assignment. He started the season on the injured list after offseason right rotator cuff surgery.

Toronto recalled outfielder Jonatan Clase to be their 27th player for the doubleheader on Sunday and he was returned to return to Triple-A Buffalo later the same day.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox & Guardians: Let’s Play Two?

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CLEVELAND – Following a successful series against the leaders of the American League East, the Cleveland Guardians will take aim at the other storied franchise in that division. After rain postponed their series opener on Friday, the Guardians and visiting Boston Red Sox will play a split doubleheader today.

Cleveland extended its winning streak to five games by winning the first two contests of its series against the New York Yankees before falling 5-1 on Wednesday.

“Obviously, we want to win every single day,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said.

Cleveland is 11-4 after losing six of its first nine games of the season. The Guardians have won seven of the last nine meetings against the Red Sox.

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However, Boston’s scheduled Game 1 starter, right-hander Tanner Houck (0-2, 7.66 ERA), is 1-2 with a 2.37 ERA in nine career appearances (four starts) versus Cleveland.

Guardians star Jose Ramirez is 14-for-30 with five homers and 11 RBIs in his last seven home games against Boston. He is 2-for-13 against Houck, but one of those hits left the park.

After being roughed up for 12 runs (11 earned) and 10 hits over 2 1/3 innings at Tampa Bay on April 14, Houck yielded only a two-run homer in the first inning, two other hits with two walks and seven strikeouts over six frames of Boston’s 8-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

“Slowly just working your way through it and showing up each and every day with a good attitude, chipping away at it, is kind of the recipe for success,” Houck said.

The veteran will try to help Boston get back on track from dropping the final two contests of a three-game home set versus Seattle. Alex Bregman homered with two RBIs and had half of the team’s four hits in Thursday’s 4-3 loss.

Bregman is 7-for-14 with five RBIs in the last four games. He is batting .320 this season.

“He’s in a good spot. A great start,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.

In the nightcap on Saturday, the Red Sox will turn to Walker Buehler (3-1, 4.23 ERA), who allowed nine runs and 14 hits — including three homers — over 9 1/3 innings while splitting his first two starts as a member of the Red Sox. But he’s 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA in three starts since that rough opening.

The right-hander gave up three walks for a second straight start Monday against the Chicago White Sox on Patriots’ Day, but he permitted only four hits and a run while striking out nine in a season-high seven innings of a 4-2 victory.

Buehler has never faced the Guardians, who will start Ben Lively (1-2, 3.86 ERA) in Game 1. The right-hander yielded four hits and a walk through 5 1/3 innings of last Saturday’s 3-0 victory at Pittsburgh.

“That was Ben at his best,” Vogt said.

Lively usually has been at his best versus Boston, going 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in four career starts.

Boston star Rafael Devers is 0-for-15 over the last five games overall and 0-for-5 with two strikeouts versus Lively.

Touted prospect Doug Nikhazy is slated to make his major league debut while starting Game 2 for Cleveland. A second-round pick in 2021, the left-hander was 1-0 with a 3.44 ERA and fanned 22 in four 2025 starts for Triple-A Columbus.

 

Red Sox Head to Cleveland

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CLEVELAND – (Staff and Wire Service Report0 – Following a successful series against the leaders of the American League East, the Cleveland Guardians take aim at the other storied franchise in that division.

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Yet to lose a series at home, the Guardians open a three-game set Friday night against the visiting Boston Red Sox, who look to avoid their third straight defeat.

Despite losing 5-1 to the first-place New York Yankees on Wednesday, Cleveland took two of three in the home set, and sit 7-2 at home.

“Obviously, we want to win every single day,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said.

Cleveland had won five straight prior to Wednesday, and is 11-4 after losing six of its first nine contests. The Guardians have won seven of their last nine against the Red Sox.

However, scheduled Boston starter Tanner Houck (0-2, 7.66 ERA) has a 1.78 ERA while going 1-1 in four career starts versus Cleveland. The right-hander allowed two runs and eight hits over 15 innings of his two starts against the Guardians in 2024. Overall, Houck is 1-2 with a 2.37 ERA in nine appearances, four starts, against Cleveland.

Cleveland’s Steven Kwan, batting .364 in the last 13 games, is 2-for-7 with a pair of walks versus Hauck. Fellow Guardians star Jose Ramirez, 14-for-30 with five homers and 11 RBIs in his last seven home games versus Boston, is only 2-for-13 all-time against Houck, but one of those hits left the park.

Entering this contest, Houck looks to post back-to-back strong starts for the first time in 2025. After being roughed up for 12 runs — 11 earned — and 10 hits over 2 1/3 innings at Tampa Bay on April 14, Houck yielded only a first-inning, two-run homer to Matt Thaiss, two other hits with two walks and struck out seven over six innings of Boston’s 8-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

“I’ve been scuffling, even in spring training, with delivery stuff and just getting back on track, (but) slowly just working your way through it and showing up each and every day with a good attitude, chipping away at it, is kind of the recipe for success,” Houck said.

The veteran will try to help Boston get back on track after it dropped the final two of a three-game home set versus Seattle after winning six of seven. Alex Bregman homered, drove in a pair and produced half of the Red Sox’s four hits in Thursday’s 4-3 loss to the Mariners.

Bregman is 7-for-14 with five RBIs in the last four games, and batting .320 on the season.

Mariners Score Early, Sinks Sox

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Seattle Mariners scored twice in the first two innings and held on to post their second straight win, beating the host Boston Red Sox 4-3 on Thursday afternoon.

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Mitch Garver socked a two-RBI double while Leo Rivas and J.P. Crawford had two hits apiece for the Mariners, supporting a six-inning effort from starter Bryan Woo (3-1). The right-hander struck out eight while allowing just two runs, three hits and one walk.

Alex Bregman went 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs for Boston, which managed just one hit off four Seattle relievers and struck out a total of 12 times. Andres Munoz recorded his ninth save, working around a two-out walk to Triston Casas to strike out two in the ninth.

Boston ace Garrett Crochet (2-2) struck out nine over five innings but was charged with four runs on five hits and issued a career-high five walks. The left-hander threw 110 pitches.

The Mariners scored in the first inning for the fourth straight game as Garver knocked a two-out, two-run double to deep center that Boston’s Kristian Campbell misplayed off the Green Monster.

Bregman got the home team’s offense going with a solo homer out to left-center, making it a 2-1 game after the bottom of the first frame.

Seattle continued to threaten against Crochet in the second, loading the bases on a walk to Rivas sandwiched between hits by Ben Williamson and Crawford — the trio that combined for seven hits in an 8-5 Wednesday win. The next two batters brought home runs, as Dylan Moore hit a sacrifice fly and Julio Rodriguez registered an RBI groundout.

The Red Sox got a run closer when Jarren Duran hit a one-out double and scored on Bregman’s line-drive single into the left-field corner in the third. Woo then struck out two in a 1-2-3 fourth and did not allow a hit across his final three innings.

Crochet did not allow a run after the second, but he labored while stranding multiple runners in the fourth and fifth. Boston relievers Greg Weissert and Liam Hendriks worked around traffic in their innings, with Hendriks striking out Crawford to escape the seventh frame when he walked three — two after inducing a double play — and allowed a hit to Rivas.

After Bregman’s second RBI, the Red Sox were hitless until Carlos Narvaez led off the eighth with a solo homer out past the right-field foul pole — the first run allowed by Mariners reliever Gabe Speier all season.

Trent Thornton followed Speier with two outs, and second baseman Rivas tracked down a Bregman pop fly in shallow center to end the inning.

–Field Level Media

Jaylen Brown Delivers for Celtics

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media ) – Boston’s Jaylen Brown scored a game-high 36 points and the Boston Celtics overcame the absence of leading scorer Jayson Tatum to beat the visiting Orlando Magic, 109-100, Wednesday in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

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Brown was 12 of 19 from the field — including 5-of-7 from 3-point territory — grabbed 10 rebounds and had five assists. Kristaps Porzingis added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the second-seeded Celtics, who have a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Orlando used an 8-0 run to pull within five points early in the fourth quarter, but the Magic never got any closer.

Tatum, who averaged 26.8 points per game during the regular season, didn’t play in Game 2 because of a bone bruise. He was knocked to the floor while driving to the basket in the fourth quarter of Boston’s 103-86 Game 1 win on Sunday. Tatum returned to the game, but was listed as “doubtful” for Game 2 before the team’s final injury report officially ruled him out.

In his pregame press conference, Boston coach Joe Mazzulla called Tatum “day-to-day.” The Celtics went 8-2 during the regular season when Tatum didn’t play. Both losses came against Orlando.

The seventh-seeded Magic received 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists from Paulo Banchero. Franz Wagner finished with 25 points and Wendell Carter had 16.

Derrick White (17), Payton Pritchard (14) and Jrue Holiday (11) also scored in double figures for the Celtics, who won despite shooting 45.0 percent from the field.

The Celtics led 23-21 after one quarter and 50-47 at halftime. Boston had its largest lead of the game when Payton Pritchard connected on a 3-pointer that put the Celtics up 81-66 with 38.1 seconds remaining in the third quarter, but Orlando closed the quarter on a 5-0 spurt and trailed 71-61 entering the fourth.

The series shifts to Orlando for Game 3, which will be played Friday.