Giants outfielder makes history with inside-the-park home run vs. Dodgers

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows A San Francisco Giants batter in a grey uniform swinging a bat with a Los Angeles Dodgers catcher in blue gear watching from behind, Image 2 shows A San Francisco Giants player yells in frustration while kneeling on the ground during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers

LOS ANGELES — Two nights after Eric Haase etched his name in the lore of the Giants’ rivalry with the Dodgers as the first San Francisco catcher to homer twice in one game at Dodger Stadium, his teammate made more history in the same venue.

Only, Jung Hoo Lee took the long way.

What looked like a bloop hit that landed on the warning track down the left-field line morphed into the first inside-the-park home run by a Giant inside their arch rivals’ ballpark, rounding the bases while Teoscar Hernandez gave chase as the ball careened away from him in the left-field corner.

San Francisco Giants right fielder Jung Hoo Lee (51) hits a two run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Giants outfielder dove across home plate as the throw from cutoff man Miguel Rojas sailed over catcher Dalton Rushing’s head, completing his 360-foot sprint around the base paths that tied the score at 2 in the fifth inning of the finale of the four-game series Thursday night.

That, however, proved to be the only highlight — and one of just two Giants hits — in a 5-2 loss, splitting the series two games apiece.

“It was fun. I mean, it was a meaningful moment because it tied the game,” manager Tony Vitello said. “[We] were doing anything to fight and get on base.”

Despite Hernandez’s misplay, there was no error assigned on the play, resulting in a rulebook inside-the-park home run — the first-ever by a Giant inside Dodger Stadium and the first by a San Francisco player since Patrick Bailey walked off the Phillies at Oracle Park last July.

“I got lucky, for sure,” Lee said through a team interpreter.

The Giants caught a break in more ways than one on the play.

Lee fought off a tough 0-2 fastball at the top of the zone from Emmet Sheehan with an inside-out swing that resulted in an exit velocity of only 73.2 mph. It would have been a difficult play to make on the fly, and when the ball bounced on the warning track dirt, it came up inches short of going into the stands, which would have put an end to the play and resulted in a ground-rule double.

San Francisco Giants right fielder Jung Hoo Lee (51) celebrates after hitting a two run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Instead, the ball bounced off the wall in foul territory and away from Hernandez toward the Dodgers’ bullpen. Hernandez recovered and made a strong throw to Rojas, but the relay was late and off-line.

Giants third base coach Hector Borg windmilled Lee home. Catcher Eric Haase, who started the play on first base, scored easily. Luis Arráez, who was standing on deck, laid prone on the ground, signaling to Lee to get down. The headfirst dive ended up only as an unnecessary flourish.

Lee showed more emotion than usual upon returning to the dugout, emphatically slapping hands with his teammates, a few of whom had poured out to greet him.

“I’m not one of those players that show a lot of emotion on the field,” Lee said. “But that two-run home run tied the game. It just came out from inside of me.”

The third-year outfielder from Korea displayed more fire earlier in the series, uppercutting the air with his right fist and letting out a yell after a two-RBI double in the Giants’ win Tuesday night.

“Jungy’s really come out of his shell I think the last couple months,” Vitello said. “Anytime you see him emotional, it’s pretty fun.”

The inside-the-parker was Lee’s third homer of any variety this season and the first time in his career — dating all the way back to youth ball, he said — that he recorded one in that fashion.

There hadn’t been an inside-the-parker from anyone at Dodger Stadium, let alone their chief rivals, since Nick Ahmed did it on May 9, 2018. The last Giants player to do it against the Dodgers came at Candlestick Park, all the way back in 1981, by Larry Herndon off Fernando Valenzuela.

The Little League-style home run resulted in the Giants’ only runs off Sheehan, who otherwise mostly breezed through six innings. Their only other hit came on an equally weak piece of contact — another bloop hit, a single that dropped into shallow left field off the bat of Rafael Devers.

“When [Sheehan] is mid-90s and it’s up in the zone, it’s a challenge to lay off,” Vitello said. “He combines it with a pretty good slider and a couple other pitches tonight. But it’s really about that combo. He was pretty good. We chased up and made him better.”

Sheehan also hit a batter and walked two, including the other run that came home to score on the play.

Hernandez, for his part, quickly made up for the defensive blunder with his bat.

The Dodgers’ slugger had already doubled twice when he came up for a third time and proceeded to reach second again — although it was later ruled a single — putting runners on second and third and knocking San Francisco starter Landen Roupp out of the game with one out in the sixth.

Two batters later, Hernandez came around to score on two-run single to right from pinch-hitter Alex Call, effectively negating Lee’s two-run homer and giving the Dodgers the lead again, 4-2.

“It definitely got us back into the game, for sure,” Roupp said. “I kind of feel bad about giving it up.”

Lemieux, Crosby Assert CHL Glory Atop All-Time List

Throughout the last several months, the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) has been counting down the top-50 players of the last 50 years who have played junior hockey in the Western Hockey League (WHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). 

On Thursday, they finally reached No. 1 - and it is none other than the greatest Pittsburgh Penguin of all time.

Franchise legend Mario Lemieux, a QMJHL alumnus from the Laval Voisins, was given top honors as the greatest CHL player of the last 50 years, eclipsing current Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby (Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL) at No. 2 and Wayne Gretzky (Peterborough Petes and Soo Greyhounds, OHL) at No. 3.

“I'm honored to be chosen among this group of great players," Lemieux said. "My time at Laval and in the QMJHL played a big role in preparing me for an NHL career. We all appreciate what the CHL has meant to Canadian hockey and the development of our players through the years.”

CHL President Dan MacKenzie had some high praise for Lemieux in an official press release from the CHL. 

“Mario Lemieux’s dominance with the Laval Voisins remains one of the defining achievements in CHL history,” MacKenzie said. “His 1983-84 season set a standard that has stood for more than 40 years, and the career that followed only strengthened his place among the greatest players our game has ever seen."

Team Canada Keeps Celebrini Captain Over CrosbyTeam Canada Keeps Celebrini Captain Over CrosbyMacklin Celebrini will remain Team Canada's captain for the World Championships.

The 1983-84 season that MacKenzie referenced was the greatest season in CHL history. Lemieux registered an astounding, unbeatable 282 points (133 goals, 149 assists) in only 70 games. In three QMJHL seasons with Laval, Lemieux registered a total of 247 goals and 562 points in 200 career games.

This preceded his all-time great NHL career that was, unfortunately, hampered by injuries, but in which he still managed to put up 690 goals and 1,723 points in only 915 NHL games. 

Crosby - who, at No. 2, gave the Penguins the top-two spots on the list - spent only two seasons with Rimouski, amassing 120 goals and 303 points in 121 games. He beat out Gretzky and Erie Otters (OHL) alumnus Connor McDavid at No. 4 on the list. 

Opinion: The Kyle Dubas GM Of The Year Snub Is InsaneOpinion: The Kyle Dubas GM Of The Year Snub Is InsaneIt's crazy that Kyle Dubas is not a finalist for the GM of the Year award after how well he did this past year.

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Every sentence in this recap sounds more absurd than the last: White Sox sweep Royals, push past .500

May 14, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami (5) jokes with third baseman Miguel Vargas (20) during the sixth inning at Rate Field.
Love in Bloom: Munetaka Murakami and Miguel Vargas revel in another White Sox win. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Yes indeed, get ready, because every sentence in this lede is going to sound more absurd than the last.

The Chicago White Sox have defeated the Kansas City Royals, 6-2. They swept the Royals in a three-game series. The win has put the White Sox record at 22-21. It has also strengthened the White Sox’s grip on an American League wild card spot. They are only one game back of the Guardians for the Central Division lead.

Sorry, I had to step away for a minute so I could laugh. White Sox baseball makes me happy! I’m writing that, and I don’t even have a traumatic brain injury!

The first inning defined the tenor of the entire game. We had a “Spiderman pointing at himself” pitching matchup between Kris Bubic and Anthony Kay, two lefthanders who lean on their offspeed stuff. They even land their plant foots on the same spot of the mound, as color man Steve Stone helpfully pointed out.

It didn’t come as a shock that both clubs also had the same plan of attack against their respective opposing pitcher: Make him live up in the zone, where they’re uncomfortable. The Royals had success early on. First, Maikel García hit a leadoff single. Then, that damned Bobby Witt Jr. waited on a changeup down-and-away that he smacked for a single, moving García to third.

Kay was up for the challenge (see what I did there?): He started living up in the zone, giving up a sacrifice fly to Lane Thomas before getting Salvador Pérez to chase a head-high fastball for a strikeout, then putting away Vinnie Pasquatino on three pitches to get out of the first inning with only the one earned run.

The bottom of the inning saw started well for Bubic, as he retired Chase Meidroth and Miguel Vargas. Next up was Munetaka Murakami. This matchup was a double-edged sword for Mune: On one hand, he had gone 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in his first game against Bubic. However, Murakami is finally getting to see some of these MLB pitchers a second time. It’s really quite impressive how well he’s done to this point in the season against a league full of strangers.

Familiarity was a good look on Mune, who drew a walk ahead of fledgling White Sox platoon bat Randal Grichuk. Grichuk spit on a two-strike pitch similar to what put out Vargas earlier in the inning — a high sweeper. His high offer rebuked, Bubic came down in the zone. Grichuk stayed back on the pitch and blasted it out of the ballpark. A one-run deficit flipped to a one-run lead, and Kay had the edge against Bubic in the battle of the high strike.

In the third inning, Kay had to contend with the middle of the Royals lineup. He collected two quick outs from Witt and No. 3 hitter Thomas, then forced second baseman Nick Loftin into an inning-ending fielder’s choice after Pérez muscled a slider off his hands for an ultimately harmless two-out single. And yeah, if I had my choice as a fielder, I’d probably take the force out on Pérez too.

The White Sox started the third off with a four-pitch walk by Meidroth before Vargas hit a single — waiting back on a changeup, of course. Murakami took his second walk to load the bases for Grichuk, who sliced a single into the outfield for his third and fourth runs batted in.

I have a confession to make: I took the garbage out between the top and bottom of the fourth inning, but I was a little late trudging up the stairs. When I got back to my TV, Luisangel Acuña had reached base. I guess I have to believe he got on base somehow, although without having seen it, I still have a hard time believing it. What isn’t in doubt is Acuña’s speed. He stole second base and then scored on Meidroth’s two-out single to expend the lead, 5-1.

As the Chicago bullpen began to stir, Anthony Kay worked a marvelous seven-pitch sixth inning to put the game to bed early. Kay gave up a triple to fellow lefty Kyle Isbel to open the seventh. He’d score on a García ground out induced by reliever Tyler Davis, putting Kay’s final line at 6 IP, 2 ER, 2 BB and 4 Ks. His six innings of work allowed Will Venable’s bullpen get some rest headed into the Crosstown series this weekend.

In the eighth inning, Sam Antonacci came off the bench to hit a double, as a little treat for the South Side fans in attendance. Antonacci came up limping into second, briefly giving everybody a heart attack, but he seemed fine as he completed his run on a Derek Hill single.

Antonacci’s run completed the scoring for the game, as first Davis and then Sean Newcomb closed the door. Regarding their performance, I bestow the highest compliment a bullpen arm can receive: Their innings were boring. And now the White Sox are better than .500 after Cinco de Mayo.

Bring on the Cubs.


Who was the MVP of Chicago’s 6-2 wipeout of K.C.?
 
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Who gets the Cold Cat in an otherwise stirring win?
 
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Calder Cup Playoffs: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Blows 3-0 Lead, Loses Game 2 In Overtime

For a while, it looked like the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were going to take a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-five series against the Springfield Thunderbirds on Thursday. 

They had a 3-0 lead going into the third period and a 3-1 lead with less than five minutes left in regulation before losing 4-3 in overtime. The Thunderbirds pulled the goalie twice to end the game, and Dillon Dube scored two 6-on-5 goals to pull his team even. 

Akil Thomas won the game for the Thunderbirds in overtime off a weird bounce. The puck missed the net on a rush, but still somehow ended up in the back of the net. 

Bill Zonnon opened the scoring for WBS in the first period with a great net-front play. He was there to clean up the loose puck after some beautiful puck movement from the power play. 

Tristan Broz made it 2-0 early in the second period off a great feed from Mikhail Ilyin. WBS held on to that lead for a good chunk of the middle frame until Avery Hayes made it a 3-0 game with less than two minutes left. 

Rutger McGroarty delivered one heck of a cross-ice pass to Hayes, who buried it past Thunderbirds goaltender Georgii Romanov.

WBS goaltender Sergei Murashov was outstanding once again in this game, despite allowing three goals in the third period and the game-winner in overtime. There wasn't much he could do on those and gave the Penguins a chance to win the game several times. 

Ultimately, the Thunderbirds found a way to come back and win, sending the series back to Springfield tied at one game apiece. 

Game 3 will be on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. ET. 


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Hurricanes Eastern Conference Final Schedule set—sort of

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 04: A general view prior to Game Two of the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Philadelphia Flyers at Lenovo Center on May 04, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Cato Cataldo/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Before the second round of the playoffs started, we were all on pins and needles as to when the Hurricanes would start their series against Philadelphia, all the while thinking “surely we’ll have a little bit of a heads up.”

The fact that the league announced the start of a playoff series less than 48 hours from Game One, the criticism they took for it, plus the NBA having an intricate outline available of what the schedule would be in an if/then format had people all across the NHL up in arms. Apparently they listened because almost immediately the NHL started doing the same thing—essentially announcing game times multiple days in advance and having every scenario covered so fans and teams could be ready for what would come next. This even affected the Canes, as they knew going into Game Four against Philly they would have played Game Five in Raleigh at 7 PM after the league initially called it TBA.

Once again the league seems to have decided it was time to be proactive instead of reactive.

On Thursday night, while the NFL was in the midst of their social media teams’ Super Bowl of publishing what their schedule would be, the NHL announced what the Conference Finals series would look like for both the East and the West, as well as which network was taking the broadcasts. Notably they did this during Game Five of the Buffalo/Montreal series, meaning they have accounted for the fact that the series could go all the way until Monday of next week.

The west is set and will start on Wednesday next week allowing for both teams to get a little bit of extra rest. In the East, should Montreal finish the job Saturday at home, they’ll get a day to celebrate, fly to Raleigh on Monday, and the series will kick off on Tuesday. Should Buffalo win on the road again—and right now there are three road wins to two in this series—Game Seven will be Monday Night, that winner will get one day to recover, fly to Raleigh on Wednesday, and the series starts Thursday with the Hurricanes going an incredible eleven days between playing a hockey game.

The format will be every other night for the Conference Finals, No extra days for traveling, and either way the Hurricanes will be the team that gets to play on Memorial Day.

With that, the US networks were also determined. ESPN decided to take the Presidents’ Trophy winners in Colorado over the chance of having Buffalo because of the risk they may be stuck with a Canadian team against a team that historically doesn’t perform well in the ratings. ESPN also has the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals this year, meaning that Carolina’s games will be going up against a series involving the New York Knicks.

That means that once again Carolina’s Eastern Conference Finals series will be broadcast nationally by TNT Sports on cable and available on HBO Max via the streaming app. For the first time this playoffs, the full A team of Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk, Brian Boucher, and Jackie Redmond will cover the Canes. As always, Mike Maniscalco and Tripp Tracy will have the call on the Hurricanes Radio Network for those who may want to hear the home town crew.

So Canes fans, if you want to start ASAP root for Montreal on Saturday. If you want them to get as much rest as possible and face a team worn through playing either thirteen or fourteen games root for Buffalo. Either way, the Playoffs are back in action next week.

Montreal completes dramatic OT comeback with face goal vs. Ottawa in PWHL Finals

The energy was sucked out of Place Bell in Game 1 in the 2026 PWHL Walter Cup Finals after Montreal's Laura Stacey went down as the Victoire trailed the Ottawa Charge 2-1 with 18 seconds remaining.

The moment galvanized the Victoire, and as the clock ticked down, Montreal rookie Nicole Gosling scored an equalizer with 2.1 seconds left to send the game to overtime. It not only marked the first playoff goal of Gosling's career, but the latest playoff goal scored in a regulation. And it couldn't have come at a better time for Montreal.

Stacey returned to the ice to start the extra period and gave her team a jolt of energy that Montreal rode all the way to the finish line. No. 1 Victoire went on to defeat No. 4 Charge 3-2 in overtime to take a 1-0 lead in the PWHL Finals. Abby Roque scored the overtime winner after the puck ricocheted off her face and into the goal.

"We play for the people around us. We play for (Laura) Stacey," said Roque, who finished with two goals in the dramatic comeback victory. "Shout-out to Nic (Gosling). Never say die. She went to that one and got us tied up. And honestly Maggie (Flaherty) saw me all the way in the back door. Lucky enough, it hits off my face and goes in."

Ottawa was in charge a majority of the game (no pun intended). Ottawa forward Rebecca Leslie opened scoring in the all-Canadian final with an unassisted goal in the second period after both teams were held scoreless in the first period. Leslie attempted an initial shot on goal, cleaned up the rebound and found the back of the net at the 16:56 mark to give the Charge a 1-0 lead.

Montreal settled in during the third period and Roque scored with 7:48 remaining in the game to tie it up, 1-1. The equalizer was assisted by Nadia Mattivi and Stacey, marking Roque's first goal of the postseason. Then Leslie scored again with 4:04 remaining on a Poulin turnover to put Ottawa back in the driver's seat.

It marked Leslie's fourth multi-goal game of the season.

Montreal's Stacey went down with 18.2 seconds remaining after being checked into the boards by Ottawa's Gabbie Hughes. Stacey immediately grabbed at her left leg and went down on the ice in pain as teammate Marie-Philip Poulin signaled for the training staff. Stacey was eventually helped to her feet and gingerly skated off the ice with the assistance of Poulin as the crowd chanted "Stacey."

Ottawa was seconds away from taking a 1-0 lead in their second consecutive PWHL Finals. Then the unthinkable happened and the momentum instantly switched. Montreal's Maureen Murphy and Poulin connected with Gosling, who got the puck past Ottawa's Gwyneth Philips to tie it up 2-2 with 2.1 seconds left.

"When (Stacey) goes down, everybody wants to push," Roque said. "We never thought, 'OK, it's over.' We still wanted to try to push and win and thank God for Nicole, but there's a lot of plays that went up to it... Everybody just wanted to at least give it one more shot and lucky enough it went in."

After the third period, Leslie said the conceded goal was a "tough" turn of events, but noted Ottawa is "good at battling back... we're just going to continue to build and go at the next one." However, Ottawa wasn't able to respond and fall 0-1 in the Finals after being two seconds away from stealing Game 1 on the road.

Roque, who's already sporting a black eye, said her first-ever face goal didn't hurt. "I was more just confused and then I saw it go on the net and I was like (celebrate)... First time for everything."

Montreal goalkeeper Ann-Renée Desbiens saved 23 of 25 shots in the victory. Ottawa's Philips was on the ice for the entirety of the game (62:29 minutes) and saved 23 of 26 shots on goal.

PWHL Walter Cup Finals schedule

  • Game 1: Montreal 3, Ottawa 2 (OT)
  • Game 2, Saturday, May 16: Ottawa at Montreal | 2 p.m. ET
  • Game 3, Monday, May 18: Montreal at Ottawa | 6 p.m. ET
  • Game 4, Wednesday, May 20: Montreal at Ottawa | 7 p.m. ET (if necessary)
  • Game 5: TBD (if necessary

Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Montreal completes dramatic OT comeback vs. Ottawa in Game 1 of PWHL Finals

Vanderbilt commit Aiden Ruiz could see his MLB draft ‘dream’ soon come true

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Aiden Ruiz, Image 2 shows Aiden Ruiz fields a ball during baseball practice at the Stony Brook School
Ruiz Stony Brook

Since Aiden Ruiz was 2 years old, his mom has had to battle with her little slugger to take off his baseball uniform, which he wore with pride after every Little League game.

“He would fight with me to take his cleats off,” Christina Ruiz told The Post. 

“I had to let him take a nap so I could get his cleats off, so he could go to bed.”

It was a clear foreshadowing that the Stony Brook School’s standout shortstop had a bright future on the diamond after senior year, as Ruiz has lots of noise around his name ahead of the 2026 MLB draft in July.

“That was always a dream,” said Ruiz, the 38th-ranked draft prospect by Major League Baseball.

“I’ve always had that self-confidence when I step on the field that I can turn the game around,” added the soon-to-be high school grad, who is 19 because of a double eighth-grade year due to COVID.

With ease for Ruiz 

Ruiz is no stranger to big moments and bigger personalities; the Vanderbilt commit won gold with Team USA in the World Championship and was named All-World shortstop in 2025, has played with the Yankees Area Code team, and trained with his “mentor,” Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor. 

“We always talk about fielding,” Ruiz said of getting to know Lindor. “It’s always cool to meet your heroes.” 

He’s also close pals with former teammate and University of Virginia ace Jayden Stroman, son of former Yankees and Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman, who had a stint at Stony Brook before transferring to play public school ball at Patchogue-Medford in 2025.

“That bond over the years, pushing each other to be better and learning the game together,” Ruiz said. “It definitely strengthened our friendship.”

He and Stroman have been on the same teams and in the opposite dugouts since they were both 12, and they’re eager to mix it up again in the NCAA one day — should Ruiz have to wait a bit to hear his name called for the bigs, that is.

Aiden Ruiz is a star shortstop at the Stony Brook School. Heather Khalifa for NY Post

“It would be sick. That’s definitely something we’ve talked about before.”

Heading for home 

Ruiz is next in a family lineage that treated baseball as second only to God in their Woodhaven, Queens, home. It’s there where he would field hard-hit balls meant for his older brother, Daniel, as a toddler.

“I had a bat and glove in my hand for as long as I could remember,” Ruiz said, adding that his whole family rooted for both the Yankees and Mets in the interest of watching good baseball.

His dad, Sam, played in the minors for the White Sox in the 1980s; Daniel played in college at Ohio Northern a decade ago; his sister, Alyssa, was a competitive high school softball player; and his mom was a longtime softball coach in the World’s Borough. 

Ruiz proudly wears No. 45, as Daniel and Alyssa did.

Aiden Ruiz ranked highly as a 2026 MLB Draft prospect. Heather Khalifa for NY Post

Most of all, Ruiz’s late grandfather, Sandalio, truly put the love for the game into Sam and Aiden since he left Puerto Rico for a new life in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, decades ago.  

“My dad was there for every single game since the sandlot,” said Sam, who also played second base and outfield in the Mets and Marlins systems but never reached the majors. 

Sandalio, who was also at each of Aiden’s games, predicted a brighter future for his grandson.

“My father would look at me and playfully say, ‘You know he’s better than you, right?’ ” Sam laughed.

Ruiz said losing his beloved grandfather and “the glue to our family” in middle school was the most difficult stretch he ever fought through. Sam added that he deeply regrets that Sandalio isn’t here to see his grandson’s promising days ahead.

Aiden Ruiz fields a ball during baseball practice at the Stony Brook School. Heather Khalifa for NY Post

Fortunately, dealing with the loss isn’t something Aiden had to do alone, as Sam was always there and gladly carried on the family tradition even years later. 

“He would drive up here every day this whole year to work out with me before practice,” Aiden said.

“Just being on the diamond with my dad, it was special. … We spent hours a day, every single day, on the field together,” he added of their years together.

The family is bursting with anticipation for the full-circle moment, hoping to receive good news in July rather than waiting for Ruiz’s next opportunity, which would come after his sophomore year with the Commodores. 

Hardly anybody is more excited than Ruiz’s grandma, Hilda, Sandalio’s longtime wife.

“She always said she’s holding on to watch me get drafted,” said Ruiz. “She’s my motivation to keep working hard and play the game.”

Kyle Schwarber’s MLB-leading 18th homer lifts Phillies past Red Sox 3-1

Philadelphia Phillies at Boston Red Sox

May 14, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) hits a two run home run during the eighth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Eric Canha/Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Kyle Schwarber hit his major league-leading 18th home run, a two-run shot that broke a scoreless tie in the eighth inning, and the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Boston Red Sox 3-1 on Thursday night.

Schwarber has seven homers in his last seven games, the first Phillies player to hit at least that many in a similar span since current teammate Trea Turner in 2023. Schwarber’s towering shot in this one cleared the visiting bullpen in right field and traveled an estimated 417 feet.

Bryson Stott added an insurance run later in the eighth on an infield hit on which he was initially called out, but it was overturned after the Phillies challenged.

Brad Keller (2-1) struck out two in one relief inning for the win and Jhoan Duran fanned the side in the ninth for his seventh save.

Wilyer Abreu’s RBI single in the eighth accounted for Boston’s lone run. The Red Sox wrapped up a homestand during which they dropped two of three in series against Tampa Bay and Philadelphia.

Boston reliever Tyler Samaniego (0-1) hadn’t allowed a homer in his first 13 career MLB games, spanning 15 innings, before getting taken deep by Schwarber, who also struck out three times.

Neither starter factored in the decision. Boston’s Ranger Suarez went 5 1/3 scoreless innings and struck out eight, while Philadelphia’s Jesus Luzardo fanned four in six scoreless innings. In his previous start, Luzardo was tagged for six runs in just three innings.

The start of the game was delayed by 22 minutes because of rain.

Up next

Phillies: Travel to Pittsburgh for a three-game series that begins Friday night. Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (2-3, 5.14) is scheduled to oppose Pirates RHP Braxton Ashcraft (2-2, 2.77).

Red Sox: Open a three-game series in Atlanta on Friday with LHP Connelly Early (3-2, 3.16) facing Braves RHP Spencer Strider (1-0, 2.89).

Grichuk powers White Sox past Royals 6-2 for their fifth straight win

MLB: Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox

May 14, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox left fielder Randal Grichuk (34) hits a two-run single against the Kansas City Royals during the third inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Kamil Krzaczynski/Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Randal Grichuk hit a two-run homer and drove in four runs to lead the Chicago White Sox to their fifth straight win, 6-2 over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday night.

Chase Meidroth had two hits and an RBI as the White Sox improved to 22-21 and moved over .500 this late in the season for the first time since 2022. Chicago, losers of 101 or more games in each of the last three seasons, are within one game of idle Cleveland for first place in the AL Central.

Anthony Kay (3-1) allowed two runs and six hits in six-plus innings as Chicago swept its third series this season and extended the Royals’ losing streak to four games.

Kay was relieved by Tyler Davis after Kyle Isbel tripled to lead off the seventh, then Sean Newcomb tossed a scoreless eighth and ninth for his first save.

Lane Thomas and Maikel Garcia drove in the Royals’ runs and Salvador Perez had two hits. Kris Bubic (3-2) allowed five runs and five hits with three walks over four innings.

Grichuk’s homer was his third in five games and came in his eighth game since signing a one-year, $1.25 million deal with the White Sox on May 4. He also has seven RBIs with Chicago. The 34-year-old outfielder started the season with the Yankees and elected free agency after New York designated him for assignment.

The Royals took a 1-0 lead on Thomas’ sacrifice fly in the first inning, but Grichuk lined his two-run shot in the bottom half.

Grichuk drove in two more runs in the third on a bases-loaded single. Meidroth’s RBI single in the fourth made it 5-1 for Chicago.

Up next

Royals: RHP Michael Wacha (4-2, 2.63) faces his original team, the Cardinals, and RHP Dustin May (3-4, 4.85) on Friday in St. Louis.

White Sox: RHP Sean Burke (2-3, 3.68) takes the mound against Cubs RHP Edward Cabrera (3-1, 3.88) when the crosstown rivals meet at Rate Field on Friday.

Suzuki, Evans cap 2nd-period surge, Canadiens beat Sabres 6-3 to take 3-2 lead in 2nd-round series

NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Montreal Canadiens at Buffalo Sabres

May 14, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Montréal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki (14) celebrates his goal with teammates during the second period against the Buffalo Sabres in game five of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

Timothy T. Ludwig/Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

Captain Nick Suzuki and Jake Evans scored 68 seconds apart late in the second period, and the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Buffalo Sabres 6-3 on Thursday night to take a 3-2 lead in their second-round playoff series.

Montreal surged with a three-goal second period, and never led until Evans swept a loose puck over the goal line behind Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to put the Canadiens up 4-3 with 3:45 remaining. Suzuki then scored 10 seconds into a power-play opportunity by converting Juraj Slafkovsky’s one-handed pass from the end boards and beating Luukkonen through the legs with a shot from the lower right circle.

Cole Caufield, Josh Anderson, Ivan Demidov and Alexandre Texier also scored for Montreal, which will host Game 6 on Saturday night. Jakub Dobes allowed three goals on the first four shots he faced before finishing with 33 saves.

Josh Doan, Jason Zucker and rookie Konsta Helenius, appearing in his second career playoff game, scored for Buffalo.

Luukkonen allowed five goals on 23 shots, and was pulled after two periods -- the second time he’s been yanked this postseason. Alex Lyon mopped up in allowing a goal on three shots. Lyon is potentially in line to regain the starting duties after losing the job following a 6-2 loss in Game 3.

The Sabres have dropped two of three at home in the series, and were coming off a 3-2 win at Montreal on Tuesday.

Montreal finally got much-needed production from its top line, with Suzuki (goal, two assists), Slafkovsky (three assists) and Caufield getting on the scoresheet. The trio had combined for four goals and five assists in the first four games of the series.

Star defenseman Lane Hutson, meantime, had two assists to give him six in four outings.

Montreal is one win from advancing to the semifinal round of the playoffs for the first time since the Covid pandemic altered 2021 playoffs. The Canadiens eventually reached the Stanley Cup Final and lost to Tampa Bay in five games.

Buffalo and Montreal combined for five goals in the first 10:15, including Doan and Texier scoring nine seconds apart. The surge was capped by Helenius putting Buffalo up 3-2 with a shot from the top of the right circle that sneaked in through Dobes’ legs.

The five goals were scored in a span of 8:15, which ranks 11th on the playoff list of fastest between two teams.

Buffalo’s deficiencies continue being exposed. After allowing 12 goals in six games of their first-round series against Boston, the Sabres have allowed 21 already to Montreal — and 19 in the past four.

Royals lose 6-2, swept by White Sox

May 14, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox left fielder Randal Grichuk (34) crosses home plate after hitting a two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

With tonight’s 6-2 loss, the Royals were swept by the White Sox for the first time in three years.

The Royals dominated the White Sox for the past couple of seasons, but that hasn’t been the case through the first seven games of 2026. The teams split their first series of the year, in Kansas City, before this sweep.

With the loss, the Royals fall to six games under .500 at 19-25 while the White Sox become only the second American League Central team with a winning record.

The Royals jumped to a quick 1-0 lead as Maikel Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. both singled to start the game with the former moving to third on the latter’s hit. Lane Thomas then drove in Garcia with a sacrifice fly. Salvador Perez, who ended the night 2-for-4, had an ugly strikeout for the second out. Nick Loftin then took one off the foot before Vinnie Pasquantino fanned to end the threat.

Kris Bubic takes the loss, falling to 3-2 on the year. He struggled through a 30-pitch first inning in which he only allowed one hit, but it happened to be a two-run home run by ex-Royal Randal Grichuk. Grichuk, already on his second team of 2026, was just getting started.

Bubic’s final line: four innings, five hits, five earned runs, three walks, and four strikeouts.

Chicago’s starting pitcher, Anthony Kay, gets the win, improving his record to 3-1 with two of those wins coming against the Royals. Both on Thursdays! Bully for me. Kay went six innings, allowed six hits and two earned runs while striking out four and walking two.

The White Sox put the game out of reach in the bottom of the third when Grichuk struck again, this time with a two-run single. It was his 17th career 4-RBI game. After retiring Jarred Kelenic, Bubic walked Chase Meidroth and allowed a single to Miguel Vargas before walking Munetaka Murakami, who recorded three tonight. Grichuk then poked one up the middle, scoring Meidroth and Vargas.

4-1, White Sox.

The Royals next threatened in the fifth inning when, with one out, Witt walked and Thomas singled. Then, naturally, Salvy grounded into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double-play. The heart of the order should not be considered rally killers, but here we are.

Meidroth drove in Luisangel Acuna in the fourth to enlarge Chicago’s lead to 5-1. The Royals scored another run in the top of the 7th. Kyle Isbel led off with a triple, forcing Kay from the game. Garcia brought him home on a groundout, but that would pretty much be it for Kansas City’s offense. Salvy singled in the eighth but was stranded at second. The Royals then went quietly in the ninth.

Final score: 6-2 White Sox.

Fumbled series. Last year, the Royals finished with a winning record in large part because they manhandled the White Sox, beating them in 10 of their 13 meetings. Sure, the White Sox improved over the offseason—hard not to when a team’s that bad—but the Royals supposedly also improved.

Ugly series, ugly outcomes, ugly four-game losing streak.

Now the Royals head back to Missouri but on the other side of the state to take on the surprising St. Louis Cardinals. After defeating the Nomadics earlier today, the Cardinals are 25-18, which would give them the third-best record in the American League, but since they play in the National League, they’re only third in their division.

The Royals look to former Cardinal Michael Wacha to stanch the bleeding.

Roque’s OT goal lifts Victoire to 3-1 win over Charge in Game 1 of Walter Cup Finals

LAVAL, Quebec (AP) — Abby Roque scored her second goal of the game 2:29 into overtime as the Montreal Victoire defeated the Ottawa Charge 3-2 in Game 1 of the Walter Cup Finals in the Professional Women’s Hockey League on Thursday night.

Maggie Flaherty’s point shot pinballed in the crease and hit Roque before going into the net.

Nicole Gosling scored the tying goal late for Montreal, and Ann-Renee Desbiens made 23 saves.

Rebecca Leslie scored both goals for the Charge, and Gwyneth Philips made 23 saves.

Montreal forced overtime with 2.1 seconds remaining in regulation. Marie-Philip Poulin threw the puck on net, and after Maureen Murphy’s attempt was blocked, Gosling made a sprawling attempt to put the puck past Philips.

The goal came with the extra attacker on for Montreal, and right after Victoire forward Laura Stacey left the game after a collision with Ottawa forward Gabbie Hughes that put the faceoff outside the Charge zone with 18 seconds remaining. Stacey returned to the game for overtime and earned an assist on the winning goal.

Ottawa came close to sealing the game when Brianne Jenner hit the outside of the post with Desbiens on the bench with less than two minutes remaining in the third period.

Leslie’s second goal of the game came with 4:04 remaining in the third period when she had the puck entering the zone and moved laterally to open the five-hole, beating Desbiens.

Montreal had 1:12 of a 5-on-3 power play early in the third period. The Victoire mustered one shot on goal on the advantage but their best chance came when Erin Ambrose’s shot rang off the post.

Game 2 is Saturday afternoon in Montreal.

___

AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

Canadiens goaltending steadies, Buffalo's falters as Montreal wins Game 5

The Colorado Avalancheturned momentum around in their last game with a goalie change.

The Montreal Canadiens showed on Thursday, March 14, that being patient with a goaltending performance can also be beneficial.

Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes gave up three goals on three consecutive shots in a wild first period and coach Martin St. Louis stuck with him. He steadied and stopped every shot afterward to lead the Canadiens to a 6-3 victory and a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven second-round series against the Buffalo Sabres.

And now the Sabres are the team concerned about their goaltending.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was pulled after two periods in which he gave up five goals on 23 shots. He was replaced by Alex Lyon.

Dobes, trailing 3-2, made a save on a Tage Thompson breakaway early in the second period. Luukkonen gave up goals to Josh Anderson, Jake Evans and Nick Suzuki to fall behind 5-3. The goalie allowed an Ivan Demidov shot to squeeze through his pads before Evans poked in the puck.

Lyon gave up a power play goal to Demidov, the first goal of the playoffs for the rookie of the year finalist.

Coach Lindy Ruff will have a goaltending decision to make for Game 6 in Montreal on Saturday night.

If the Sabres don't get better goaltending there, especially with Montreal's top players starting to connect, the Canadiens will head to the Eastern Conference finals against the Carolina Hurricanes.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sabres' goaltending falters as Canadiens win Game 5

Karl-Anthony Towns staring down tougher challenge — regardless of who Knicks face

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) looking for an opening as Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) defends in the 4th quarter, Image 2 shows Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley dribbling the ball while defended by Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren, Image 3 shows Tobias Harris of the Detroit Pistons shoots over Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers
Karl-Anthony Towns will have a difficult task for the Knicks in the next round of the playoffs.

More change is awaiting Karl-Anthony Towns. 

He’s already experienced significant change this postseason in his role in the offense.

In the Eastern Conference finals, there will be notable change in his matchup, regardless of whether it’s the Cavaliers — who are up 3-2 with the series heading back to Cleveland — or the Pistons. 

Towns primarily had the smaller Onyeka Okongwu guarding him in the first round and the hobbled Joel Embiid guarding him in the second round.

When it wasn’t Embiid, it was the past-his-prime Andre Drummond. 

There will be more talented defenders for Towns to deal with as the Knicks look to make their first finals appearance since 1999.

The Cavaliers and Pistons present different challenges. 

If it’s the Cavaliers, who are now favored to win their series, they have more finesse options in Evan Mobley — the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year — and Jarrett Allen.

Karl-Anthony Towns looks to pass during the Knicks’ May 8 game. Charles Wenzelberg

Both are lengthy and strong shot-blockers — they are second and third, respectively, in blocks per game (behind Victor Wembanyama) in the postseason.

Allen is at 2.0 blocks per game, while Mobley is at 1.8.

In the final regular-season matchup — an ugly 109-94 Knicks loss in February for which the Cavaliers had their current roster (with James Harden) — Towns was uninvolved in the offense.

He took just five shots and only recorded two assists.

He had five turnovers.

Evan Mobley defends during the Cavaliers’ May 11 game. AP

It came at a time when Towns’ usage — or lack thereof — was a central storyline. 

“No matter what we did, we either turned the ball over or we had a tough shot,” Brown said at the time regarding how to get Towns more involved. “We made some play calls [for Towns] tonight, but we didn’t generate anything from the calls that we made.”

That feels like a completely different universe. 

Karl-Anthony Towns looks to pass the ball during the Knicks’ May 6 game. Jason Szenes for the NY Post

Now, the Knicks don’t have to call plays for Towns as they are running their offense through him.

Their adjustment midway through the first round has been well documented — letting Towns facilitate from the elbow and having the four other players, notably Jalen Brunson, cut and set screens around him.

It’s been the biggest factor in unlocking the best version of the Knicks offense. 

In the regular season, Towns shot just 3-for-11 from the field with three turnovers when Mobley guarded him, per the NBA’s tracking stats.

When it was Allen, he went 5-for-10 with five turnovers.

They did a solid job of disrupting him and limiting his impact. 

But that was in the old system, when the ball was largely in Brunson’s hands and Towns had to wait for scoring opportunities.

The new system should help him better handle the defense of Mobley and Allen. 

They are excellent shot-blockers and rim protectors, but Towns will still have a height advantage on both. His ability to see and pass over his defender at the elbows is critical to this newfound system.

Towns is not asked to post up as much as he was, which allowed Mobley and Allen to use their shot-blocking acumen. 

Jalen Duren (0) defends during the Pistons’ May 5 game against the Cavaliers. Imagn Images

And Mobley and Allen are wiry and not particularly strong.

Two years ago in the first round, their lack of strength allowed the Knicks to torment them on the glass.

Jalen Duren, if it’s the Pistons, would be a whole different story.

He certainly isn’t finesse.

He would represent the brawn side of the spectrum. 

He is not the level of shot-blocker Mobley and Allen are.

But he is much stronger and denser.



He tries to bully opponents and make them feel his physicality.

He was a first-time All-Star and the anchor of what was an imposing defense in the regular season. 

But Duren has had a nightmarish postseason, potentially costing himself millions in the process.

In Game 5, he was benched for the entirety of the fourth quarter and overtime.

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Paul Reed and Isaiah Stewart, his backups, are similar in their bruising style.

That physicality was a big problem for Towns and the Knicks, who lost all three regular-season matchups in decisive fashion. After the second loss, Brown said, “They kicked our behind.” 

Towns, however, won’t be asked to overpower Duren — or Stewart or Reed — in the post, like in the regular season.

He will be dragging them out of their comfort zone, closer to the perimeter.

Mobley’s and Allen’s shot-blocking ability and Duren’s strength mean they are all best in the paint.

And since this Knicks offense took off, Towns has been primarily operating at the elbows and on the perimeter. 

They’ll present different types of challenges from what Towns experienced in the first two rounds.

They had success against Towns in the regular season.  

But that was the old Towns.

The new Towns is better positioned to win that battle. 

It’s become obvious just how important that is to the Knicks.

Montreal Victoire rally to defeat Ottawa Charge in Game 1 of PWHL Finals: Takeaways

Montreal Victoire rally to defeat Ottawa Charge in Game 1 of PWHL Finals: TakeawaysLAVAL, Que. – There weren’t a ton of positives for the Montreal Victoire in the final minutes of Thursday’s opening game of the PWHL Finals.

The top-ranked team trailed the Ottawa Charge 2-1, and while pressing for a tying goal with Ann-Renée Desbiens pulled for the extra attacker, Laura Stacey looked badly injured on a play along the boards.

The sight of a heart-and-soul player in agony on the ice, then being helped off it — by captain Marie-Philip Poulin, Stacey’s wife — was a shock. With 18 seconds remaining, there was the immediate question of how Montreal — which was about to be down 1-0 in the finals — could come back to win a Walter Cup with both Poulin and Stacey battling injuries.

Then things took an unexpected turn.

Poulin skated into the zone and placed a perfect puck into the middle of Gwyneth Philips’ crease that rookie defender Nicole Gosling hammered home with just 2.1 seconds left on the clock.

“It’s a group that certainly does care for each other and Pou did find another level in that moment,” said Montreal head coach Kori Cheverie. “Once the puck was pushed into the front of the net, I knew anything was possible, and honestly, I didn’t believe it. I got hit in the face with a stick, they jumped on the bench, I thought my ear was bleeding, I didn’t know what was going on.”

Nobody on the Victoire had any idea about Stacey’s status, either. Not until she jumped on the ice for a few laps at the start of overtime to a chorus of cheers.

Stacey was on the ice again, less than three minutes into overtime, hunting a puck down and helping to set up Abby Roque’s game-winner — her second of the night, which bounced in off her cage.

“When Stace goes down, everybody knew we wanted to put our best foot forward for her,” Roque said after the game. “Obviously, we wanted (to) try to score with those last couple seconds and it got it done.”

On her game-winner, Roque said she “saw the puck go right between my eyes,” and “it somehow went in.”

“It was quite the crazy last four minutes of play.”

It was the fifth straight game between Ottawa and Montreal in the playoffs that required overtime, dating back to last postseason. All four games in last year’s final between Ottawa and Minnesota also required overtime.

“Welcome to the Walter Cup Final,” said Ottawa coach Carla MacLeod. “That’s the reality. It’s hard-fought. It’s two elite teams. Nobody’s wanting to give an inch and everyone’s playing as hard as they can until every buzzer and whistle.

“There’s nowhere else on the planet we wanna be.”

The Victoire now have a 1-0 series lead in the PWHL’s first all-Canadian final. Game 2 of the best-of-five series is scheduled for Saturday afternoon (2 p.m. ET) back at Place Bell.

Ottawa’s strong start

The Charge were outshot by double digits in all four games of their semifinal series against the Boston Fleet. But they came out strong in the first period on Thursday, outshooting the Victoire 10-5 — the first time Ottawa put 10 pucks on net in a single period during this year’s playoffs.

The team did a nice job getting to the inside of the middle of the ice, with nearly all of those looks coming from between the faceoff dots. Once again, though, Desbiens was able to keep Montreal in the game, stopping all 10 shots.

A diving cross-crease save on Fanuza Kadirova, who has the co-lead in playoff scoring, was among the highlights. She also denied Ottawa captain Brianne Jenner’s breakaway chance in the latter half of the period.

It was the first time the Charge failed to score in the first period of the 2026 postseason. That’s all credit to Desbiens, who finished the game with 23 saves and a .920 save percentage.

“In big moments, she’s up to the task,” said Gosling. “She’s the best goalie in the world. I might be biased, but I’m going to say it.”

Leslie breaks through

For the second year in a row, it was Ottawa’s own Rebecca Leslie who opened the scoring in the PWHL Finals. Last year, against the Minnesota Frost, was a bit more of a pleasant surprise after a one-goal regular season campaign by Leslie, who spent two seasons between Toronto and Ottawa as a useful depth player.

A lot can change in a year, though. Leslie is now one of the breakout stars of the season, a legitimate top-line winger and Ottawa’s top goal scorer; only Minnesota’s Kelly Pannek (16) had more goals than Leslie (14) league-wide this season.

“The purpose that she brings to her practices and her training, she’s always looking for ways to get better, and I think I saw that training with her this summer,” Jenner said before the playoffs. “The way that she came into the season, the way that she was skating, the accuracy with her shot, so many pieces to her game were just so dialed in I think from the start of the season.”

A lot of that was on display on Leslie’s second-period goal.

Montreal defender Nadia Mattivi, who was signed to a 10-day contract on Thursday afternoon to make her playoff debut, failed to hold the line on a pass to the point and Leslie jumped on the loose puck and used her speed to lead a rush chance the other way for the Charge.

Leslie did well to wait out a sliding Erin Ambrose, and dragged the puck around Ambrose’s outreached stick to get an initial shot off. After Desbiens made the initial save, Leslie gathered her own rebound and scored with some chaos in the crease.

Leslie added a second goal, which looked like the game-winner, late in the third period.

Roque has her playoff moment

Initially, Montreal’s draft-day trade for Roque last year was a shocker. When the deal was announced, there were audible gasps throughout the crowd in Ottawa. But it didn’t take much thought to understand general manager Daniele Sauvageau’s vision.

Roque, 28, had built a reputation as the kind of player opponents hate to play against but would love to have on their team. She had some down years on the New York Sirens, and had yet to hit her ceiling in the PWHL. With a mix of skill and sandpaper, Roque also offered a style of hockey the Victoire had lacked in back-to-back first-round losses.

“That’s where I like to come alive,” Roque said in the offseason. “I want to compete. I show up in those moments and make it difficult on the other team.”

Finding a home on the top line with Stacey and Poulin, Roque hit career highs in goals (8) and points (22) this season and made her long-awaited postseason debut in the semifinals against Minnesota.

In the first round, Roque had three points in the first two games of the series and made her presence known in a physical — and highly penalized — series against the Frost.

On Thursday, Roque put her offensive ability on display, scoring Montreal’s first goal to tie the game late in the third period, with an incredible shot blocker side on Philips. And, of course, she was the overtime hero.

“This is the meaningful hockey that I want to play, that we all want to play,” Roque said after the game. “I’ve been so grateful to have this playoff run to be able to play in these big games. I mean they’re fun, they’re physical, they get heated. It’s the way hockey is meant to be played.”

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Montreal Victoire, Ottawa Charge, NHL, Women's Hockey

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