Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

Boston’s Braves

by

BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) -Boston DH Rafael Devers’ leadoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning capped the Red Sox come back from five runs down to beat the visiting Atlanta Braves 7-6 on Saturday night at Fenway Park.

Embed from Getty Images

After Boston’s Aroldis Chapman (3-2) worked around two baserunners to strike out the side in the top half of the ninth, Devers — who finished 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored — clubbed a 2-1 curveball into the right-center field bullpen off Pierce Johnson (1-1) for his first career game-winning homer.

The third baseman turned designated hitter, Devers finished 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored as the Red Sox won the second of a three-game series.

Boston had scored twice and tallied three hits in both the seventh and eighth innings to whittle down from a 6-2 deficit. Jarren Duran finished with four RBIs, including two on a game-tying single to right with two outs in the eighth.

In the seventh, Ceddanne Rafaela’s leadoff double down the left-field line began a stretch of three Boston hits in four batters to cut its deficit to 6-4. Devers’ opposite-field single and Alex Bregman’s wall-ball double plated runs.

Consecutive one-out hits by Abraham Toro (double) and Carlos Narvaez (single) set up Duran’s game-tying knock an inning later.

Earliers, Atlanta’s Matt Olson and Marcell Ozuna hit back-to-back homers in the first and Drake Baldwin added a two-run shot in the third for a 5-0 advantage for Atlanta, which was held scoreless after the fourth against four relief pitchers.

The Braves wasted little time getting to Boston starter Lucas Giolito as Austin Riley drew a one-out walk and scored on Olson’s two-run homer out to the bullpen in center in the first inning. Ozuna made it back-to-back jacks and a 3-0 Atlanta lead in the next at-bat, depositing a line-drive solo shot to deep left and completely out of the ballpark.

Another one-out walk helped Atlanta extend its lead to 5-0 in the third. After Ozuna drew a free pass, Baldwin hit a towering two-run homer inside Pesky’s Pole in right that was upheld on review.

Braves starter Grant Holmes set aside the first seven Red Sox he faced before a one-out walk to Narvaez in the third. Duran’s two-run homer to straightaway center got Boston on the board two batters later.

The Atlanta starter limited the hosts’ damage to two third-inning runs, inducing an inning-ending fly ball after allowing a Devers double and walking Bregman.

In the fourth, the Braves got a run back on Riley’s two-out single that dropped into shallow left. Eli White hit a leadoff single and stole second to help set up the RBI opportunity and a 6-2 lead.

–Field Level Media

PGA: Scheffler Surges Ahead

by

CHARLOTTE – (Wire Service Report) Golf’s reigning Player of the Year, Scottie Scheffler, broke out from of a logjam of leaders with a brilliant finish to seize a three-stroke lead as the cream rose to the top in the third round at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club.

Embed from Getty Images

On a day when strong, capricious winds tested the patience, judgment and execution of the game’s best, Scheffler rose to the challenge with a 6-under-par 65 that was little short of brilliant under the circumstances.

The world number one and two-time Masters champion posted an 11-under 202 total with one round remaining, while Alex Noren vaulted into second place with a similarly barnstorming finish for a 66.

The Swede, who birdied four of the final five holes, was alone on 8-under.

Davis Riley (67) and J.T. Poston (68) were four shots behind in a tie for third.

Scheffler was far from perfect, accruing three bogeys, but he more than made up for those blemishes with seven birdies and a brilliant eagle at the driveable par-four 14th, where he hit his tee shot to inside three feet.

He added birdies at the 15th, 17th and 18th holes to stamp himself as a hot favorite for a third major title.

Only a few holes earlier, five players had been tied for the lead.

“I hung in really well today,” Scheffler said. “I just battled really hard. Did a good job of staying patient and hit some nice shots. I definitely struck the ball a lot better today than the last couple of days.”

While Scheffler will clearly be the man to beat on Sunday, Noren, 42, cannot be totally discounted.

He holed a 30-foot bunker shot at the 15th, then an eight-footer at the 17th followed by a 15-footer at the last.

This is just his second start back since missing more than seven months with a severe hamstring tendon injury.

“Today was probably the best scoring day I’ve ever had,” he said. “I had so many bunker shots that kept me in the game.”

Noren said he had enjoyed time with his family during his enforced absence, but was delighted to be back in action.

“It’s good to take a break sometimes. It’s also great to be back with a purpose in life again,” he said.

Halfway leader Jhonattan Vegas of Venezuela fell into a tie for fifth with a bogey on Hole 18, leaving him at 2 over on the day, alongside South Korea’s Si Woo Kim (71) and Spain’s Jon Rahm (67).

Masters champion Rory McIlroy continued his struggles with a 72 to trail by 13 shots.

Even a 50-foot putt he holed for par at his 16th hole did not raise a smile.

Earlier, the start of the third round was delayed due to lightning in the Charlotte area. The round was slated to begin in twosomes at 8:15 a.m. ET. Instead, officials regrouped the players in threesomes and play began off the first and 10th tees at 11.43 a.m.

No Repeat, Just Surrender

by

NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – No Boston Celtics team has repeated as NBA champions since the great Bill Russell led the immortal Celtics clubs of 1968-69. On sure thing: the 2024-25 Celtics are not immortal, they proved to be human. Human with flaws. Humans subject to injury and fatigue.

YouTube player

New York’s incredible guard Jalen Brunson and team mainstay OG Anunoby each scored 23 points as the Knicks reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000 by steamrolling the visiting Boston Celtics 119-81 on Friday in Game 6 of their semifinal series at a raucous Madison Square Garden.

Knicks forward Mikal Bridges had 22 points and All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 points and 12 rebounds for third-seeded New York, which led by as many as 41 points. The Knicks wrapped up the best-of-seven series with the largest winning playoff margin in the OG franchise history.

In doing so, the Knicks proved they just might be championship material, but the upstart Indiana Pacers stand in their way. The Eastern Conference Finals begin Wednesday in New York.

NY’s Josh Hart contributed 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists to record New York’s first postseason triple-double since the legendary Walt Frazier accomplished the feat in 1972. Frazier and his teammate, Bill Bradley, were in attendance  for the Game 6 victory.

Defending NBA champion Boston was led by Jaylen Brown, who had 20 points, six rebounds and six assists before fouling out late in the third quarter. The Celtics were again short-handed after losing star Jayson Tatum to a ruptured right Achilles during Game 4 on Monday.

New York shot 46.2 percent from the field, including 16 of 46 (34.8 percent) from 3-point range. The Knicks held a 55-36 rebounding advantage.

Payton Pritchard scored 11 points and Al Horford added 10 for Boston, which shot 36 percent and was 12 of 41 (29.3 percent) from 3-point range.

The score was tied at 16 before the Knicks began pulling away.

New York led 26-20 at the end of the first quarter and then opened the second with a 16-4 surge to open up an 18-point lead midway through the period.

After Boston’s Luke Kornet interrupted the burst with a three-point play, the Knicks rattled off 16 of the next 21 points to take a 58-32 lead on a putback dunk by Miles “Deuce” McBride with 1:31 left.

McBride buried a 3-pointer as time expired in the half for a 64-37 lead at the break. That marked New York’s largest halftime advantage at the break since leading the Los Angeles Lakers 69-42 in Game 7 of the 1970 Finals, won by the Knicks.

The contest was effectively over when Brown fouled out with 2:50 left in the third quarter and Boston down by 33. Anunoby poured it on with consecutive 3-pointers to end a 10-0 push as the margin went above 40 at 92-51 with 1:51 remaining in the third.

Embed from Getty Images

By that time, Knicks fans were taking over the blocks surrounding Madison Square Garden, rejoicing in the fact it’s been a quarter Century since the Knicks advanced to the NBA ECF or NBA Finals (1999 loss to Spurs). It’s been 52 years since the Knicks won an NBA title and Bradley and Frazier are the only remaining starters from that great Knickerbockers team, as center Willis Reed, forward Dave DeBusschere passed away long ago, and shooting guard Dick Barnett just died this month.

Maybe the ghosts of Madison Square Garden have caught up to the famous ghosts of Boston Garden?

Only time will tell.

–Field Level Media

Sox Slide vs Sale

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Atlanta’s 1B Matt Olson and C Sean Murphy hit back-to-back home runs in the third inning, and Chris Sale’s seven innings of one-run ball made them stand up as the visiting Atlanta Braves defeated the Boston Red Sox 4-2 on Friday night.

Embed from Getty Images

The home runs were part of 2-for-4 nights for both Olson and Murphy in the opener of a three-game series.

Sale (2-3) struck out eight and allowed just five hits and two walks en route to winning his second straight outing against the Red Sox since being traded away in 2023.

Daysbel Hernandez and Raisel Iglesias closed out the game, though the latter allowed a Trevor Story RBI single before recording his eighth save.

Jarren Duran (triple) and Nick Sogard were both 2-for-3, but Boston managed just six total hits and were unable to take advantage of a seven-inning start from Garrett Crochet (4-3). The Red Sox finished 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

The Braves have won four of five, while the Red Sox are on a four-game skid.

Crochet struck out the side on 11 pitches in a dominant first inning, but Atlanta struck for back-to-back solo homers to start the second. Olson and Murphy both went deep over the Green Monster to a near-identical spot in left-center field.

Boston left runners on base in each of the first three innings, including a waste of Jarren Duran’s one-out triple into the right field corner in the third. After Sale struck out Alex Bregman looking, Murphy caught Rafael Devers (walk) attempting to steal second base.

Crochet settled into his outing after allowing the two homers, facing the minimum from the third through sixth innings. In the seventh, the Red Sox southpaw allowed three consecutive one-out singles to Olson, Murphy and Ozzie Albies, but struck out two to escape a bases-loaded jam.

Devers was the first of three Boston men to be retired on the basepaths, as Duran was also caught stealing in the sixth and Sogard ended the seventh getting cut down trying to stretch a single into a double.

The Red Sox did cut into their deficit to start the seventh, though, when Refsnyder lined a leadoff homer into the Green Monster seats in left.

Walks doomed Boston in the top of the ninth, as the bullpen duo of Liam Hendriks and Brennan Bernardino combined to issue five. Two of them forced in key insurance runs to increase the visitors’ lead to 4-1.

–Field Level Media

PGA Championship: All Vegas

by

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

CHARLOTTE – We’re 36 holes into the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow and Jhonattan Vegas still leads. Even the guys in Vegas didn’t have that one.

Embed from Getty Images

With rounds of 64-70, Vegas has consecutive under-par rounds for first time in 17 major championship starts (46 rounds). This is his seventh second-round lead/co-lead on the PGA TOUR but stands only 1-for-6 to date (2011 American Express) in converting to a “Dub.” His most recent 36- hole lead came at the 2019 John Deere Classic (T37)

Vegas became the 16th player to hold the outright lead after the first and second rounds of a PGA Championship, with six of those going on to win. The most recent: Xander Schauffele/2024).

Over the many years, the PGA Championship has had only five wire-to-wire winners (outright lead after each round), with Brooks Koepka (2019) the most recent.

Vegas is the first Venezuelan to hold the lead/co-lead in a major championship.

International players have won 14 of the first 22 events this season.

Alex Smalley (T7/-4) became the last player in the field following Sahith Theegala’s WD on Wednesday b/c of a neck injury.

Notables to Miss the Cut at (+1) include: Jordan Speith, Sepp Straka, Shane Lowry, Ludvig Åberg, Justin Thomas, Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Reed, Sungjae Im, Jason Day, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka, and Dustin Johnson, among many others.

PGA Championship Leaderboard | After 36 Holes

1 Jhonattan Vegas 64 70 134 (-8)

T2 Matthieu Pavon 71 65 136 (-6)

T2 Matt Fitzpatrick 68 68 136 (-6)

T2 Si Woo Kim 72 64 136 (-6)

T5 Max Homa 73 64 137 (-5)

T5 Scottie Scheffler 69 68 137 (-5)

Full Leaderboard: (PGATourCom)

Celtics: Alive and Well

by

NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – It appears it wasn’t mentioned to the Boston Celtics that they were supposed to go away quietly in the wake of Jayson Tatum’s devastating and season-ending Achilles injury.

YouTube player

The Celtics were loud and boisterous while facing elimination and won in dominant fashion Wednesday. Now, they have the opportunity to even the Eastern Conference semifinals at three games apiece when they visit the Knicks on Friday night in New York.

Tatum’s serious injury in Game 4 inspired Boston, which delivered a 127-102 home-court rout in Game 5.

The Celtics are 10-2 without Tatum this season, including 2-0 in the playoffs.

“It’s easy to kind of write things off,” Boston co-star Jaylen Brown said. “Obviously, unfortunate what happened to J.T., but we’ve still got basketball to be played. I believe in this group. Don’t count us out just yet.”

The lopsided Game 5 victory transfers the pressure to the Knicks, who need to wrap up the series Friday to avoid a Game 7 in Boston on Monday.

New York star Jalen Brunson could feel the urgency after his club was outscored by 25 points in the second half.

He also made it clear the Knicks didn’t relax due to Tatum’s misfortune.

“No, not at all. Yes, they are missing a big piece, but they are a well-oiled machine that has been in situations where they’ve played without him, and they’ve played well,” Brunson said. “We need to understand that and trust the game plan and play to win. It’s as simple as that.”

Brunson scored 22 points in Game 5 before fouling out with 7:19 left to play. Josh Hart led the team with 24 points and made five of nine 3-point attempts.

But the Knicks shot just 35.8 percent from the field with OG Anunoby (1-for-12, six points) and Mikal Bridges (4-for-14, 9 points) both having poor shooting outings.

“We’ve got to play desperate,” Bridges said. “I don’t think we did that,”

Meanwhile, the Celtics had six players score in double digits. Derrick White knocked down seven 3-pointers while scoring 34 points and Brown had 26 points with 12 assists and eight rebounds.

Kristaps Porzingis didn’t play in the second half due to ongoing issues with a viral illness. He had one point and one rebound in 12 first-half minutes. Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said Porzingis was having trouble breathing.

His departure proved to be a stroke of good luck as journeyman Luke Kornet stepped up in the second half and finished with 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting, nine rebounds and seven blocked shots. The rejections were two shy of the franchise postseason record set by Robert Williams III a the 2021 first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets.

“I feel like it was just trying to make plays,” Kornet said. “Obviously, our season’s on the line, so I’m just trying to have a lot of energy, make plays. I feel like it was everybody. I feel like everybody stepped up and we were very connected and very aggressive and forceful and, obviously, did our job for the day. Now we have to get up and do it again, and it’ll require different things on Friday.”

Regardless of who Boston has on the floor, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau will be studying intently to make the right adjustments.

“They have a lot of shooting on the floor, that’s going to remain the same,” Thibodeau said. “The thing about their team is they are a great defensive team as well. We can’t be slow getting back and you can’t give open shots to them. We have to be closer with our close-outs and be better with our communication.”

Though New York still holds the series lead, Boston carries the momentum as it attempts to win its second straight elimination game.

“We did what was necessary to do and what we needed to do to get it back to New York,” Mazzulla said. “You don’t get to pick the test that you have, you pick how you respond to them.”

–Field Level Media

Friday Night at The Fens

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – A battle of ace left-handers is on tap for Friday night as Garrett Crochet’s Boston Red Sox face old friend Chris Sale and the Atlanta Braves in the opener of a three-game weekend series in Boston.

Embed from Getty Images

“It’s going to be a fun night,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.. “Obviously, hate to face Chris, but it’s what we have. I think it’s going to be a special night for him coming back to Fenway to pitch and I know Garrett is excited about it, too.”

Crochet (4-2, 1.93 ERA) was hard on his own performance after the first few starts of his Red Sox career, but he has returned to his ace-level form of late while allowing just four runs across his last three starts.

On Saturday, the 26-year-old Crochet scattered seven hits and struck out nine across seven innings of one-run ball in a 10-1 win at Kansas City, ending the Royals’ seven-game win streak.

“You saw the punch-outs. I think the action of his pitches were better than the last few starts. He gave us more than enough,” Cora said. “That’s what he’s here for.”

Boston will be looking for another streak breaking performance from Crochet after losing back-to-back one-run games — 10-9 (11 innings) on Tuesday and 6-5 on Wednesday — at the end of a road series sweep by the Detroit Tigers.

The Red Sox have taken five of their last seven losses by one run and are just 4-12 in such games this season. After a leaping Wilyer Abreu assisted on Ceddanne Rafaela’s catch to rob a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning, the Tigers walked off for the second straight night on Wednesday.

“We’re definitely underperforming what we think we can do,” relief pitcher Liam Hendriks said. “There have been a lot of games we think we should have been able to take. Now, it’s a matter of turning those games we’re not supposed to win into wins. That’ll flip the script.”

With the Chicago White Sox, Crochet’s first and only career start against Atlanta was on April 2, 2024. He earned the win after allowing just one run in seven innings, striking out eight.

The Braves arrive in Boston having taken three of four in their previous series against their National League East rival Washington Nationals, including a 5-2 Thursday win.

Rookies were the story for Atlanta as it wrapped up the series, as catcher Drake Baldwin went 3-for-4 with an RBI and AJ Smith-Shawver allowed just one unearned run in six innings.

“That’s the cool thing about this, when you can develop guys and they come up,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “You’re proud of those guys when they can handle themselves like this, and they’re both handling it great.”

After spending 2017-23 in Boston, Sale (1-3, 3.97 ERA) makes his second start against the Red Sox since he was traded away in December 2023. He struck out 10 in six scoreless innings in a 5-0 home win on May 8, 2024.

For his entire career, Sale is 3-1 with a 1.99 ERA in 11 appearances (six starts) against Boston.

Sale struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings on Sunday at Pittsburgh after fanning 10 in each of his two prior starts.

Those outings have been crucial as the Braves pitch without Spencer Strider, who is expected back from a right hamstring injury next week at Washington. Fellow starter Bryce Elder was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett after Thursday’s game.

“We got three more days now in this 17-game run (without an off day) and you need good starts so you’re not doing the roster gymnastics and all that kind of stuff,” Snitker said. “Starters have been a key to this little stretch we’re in.”

–Field Level Media

Patriots DT Barmore Cleared

by

FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – New England Patriots starting defensive tackle Christian Barmore told local reporters that he’s been cleared for football activities and expects to play in the team’s season opener.

Embed from Getty Images

Barmore, 25, was limited to four games last season while experiencing blood clots. He said he’s been a full participant in the team’s offseason workout program.

“Yeah. That’s the goal,” Barmore said of playing in Week 1. “I just have to keep following the medical team. But everything is looking really (good).”

Patriots first-year head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters at the NFL’s annual meeting on March 31 that he could tell by Barmore’s “energy and presence” that he was feeling better.

Barmore, taken by the Patriots in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, missed the first 10 games last season before playing in the next four. He then missed the rest of the season due to a recurrence of the blood clots.

In 48 career games (11 starts), Barmore has 13.5 sacks, 139 tackles, 33 quarterback hits and one forced fumble. He signed four-year, $83 million contract extension with the franchise on April 29, 2024.

Blazers Not in Knight’s Future

by

PORTLAND – (Wire service Report) – Nike founder and chairman emeritus Phil Knight believes it’s too late in the game for him to buy an NBA franchise. Knight, 87, issued a statement citing his age as a primary roadblock to purchasing the Portland Trail Blazers. The team is on the market and being sold by the estate of Microsoft legend Paul Allen.

Embed from Getty Images

“Five years ago, when I was a younger man, I had a great interest in being a part of the Portland Trail Blazers franchise. However, at my current age, I can confirm that I no longer have interest in acquiring the team,” Knight said in a statement issued by Nike.

Allen owned the Seattle Seahawks (NFL), the Blazers and a 25 percent stake in the Seattle Sounders (MLS) when he died at age 65 from non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2018.

Allen bought the Blazers in 1988 for $70 million and the franchise has a valuation of more than $3.5 billion, according to Sportico. The Boston Celtics recently sold for $6.1 billion.

The Seahawks and the minority stake in the Sounders are not for sale, according to the trust’s announcement of plans to sell the NBA franchise.

His sister, Jody Allen, is the acting governor of the Blazers and executor for the Paul G. Allen Trust. Jody Allen declined Knight’s offer — made in partnership with Los Angeles Dodgers minority owner Alan Smolinsky — to buy the Blazers for more than $2 billion in 2022, according to reports.

Paul Allen’s will directs the existing trust “to eventually sell his sports holdings and direct all estate proceeds to philanthropy.”

–Field Level Media

PGA Championship Today

by

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

CHARLOTTE – Quail Hollow Club will host the PGA Championship for the second time. The previous PGA tournament was back in 2017, and it was won by Justin Thomas.

The field is headlined by 49 of the Top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, with only Billy Horschelmissing because of hip surgery. The players are headlined by World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, No. 2 Rory McIlroy, No. 3 Xander Schauffele, No. 4 Collin Morikawa and No. 5 Justin Thomas.

International players have won 14 of the first 22 events this season: Hideki Matsuyama/Japan, Nick Taylor/Canada, Sepp Straka/Austria/twice, Rory McIlroy/Northern Ireland/three times, Thomas Detry/Belgium, Ludvig Åberg/Sweden, Karl Vilips/Australia, Viktor Hovland/Norway, Min Woo Lee/Australia, Garrick Higgo/South Africa, Ryan Fox/New Zealand.

Quail Hollow certainly plays to McIlroy. The reigning 2025 Masters Tournament champion and World No. 2 is a four-time winner at Quail Hollow Club, winning the Carolina’s Truist Championship in 2010, 2015, 2021 and 2024.

The 2025 PGA Championship | Tournament Facts

COURSE: Quail Hollow Country Club (Charlotte, NC)

ARCHITECT: George Cobb

YARDS/PAR: 7,626 yards/Par 71

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: TBA

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Xander Schauffele

PAST RESULTS: (link)

OVERVIEW: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 750

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup

OFFICIAL SITE: (PGA Championship) – (Official Tournament Site)

PGA Championship | Field, Updates and Tee Times

Field: (link)