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San Jose Sharks Comeback Falls Short, Lose to Nashville Predators 6-3

The San Jose Sharks hosted the Nashville Predators in a game with massive playoff implications on Saturday night.

Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky deemed it “the most important game of the season,” and to be frank, that may be underselling it. It was likely the most important game in over half of a decade. 

The Predators were controlling the run of play early on, getting some quality shots on Yaroslav Askarov. 

Adam Gaudette took the first penalty of the night when he was called for hooking at 6:50 of the first period. The high-powered Nashville power play took advantage of their first power play, as Filip Forsberg was able to beat Askarov to make it 1-0. Forsberg then scored his second of the night off a rebound less than a minute and a half later.

At 11:49, Nashville captain Roman Josi went to the box for hooking Will Smith. The Sharks were unable to score on the man advantage, but Sam Dickinson made some smart plays at the blue line to keep the puck in the offensive zone. Moments after Josi’s penalty expired, Brady Skjei went to the box for hauling down Gaudette. 49 seconds into the man advantage, the power play was nullified due to an interference penalty on Dmitry Orlov. 

After Skjei was released from the penalty box, Steven Stamkos scored on the Predators’ abbreviated power play to make it a 3-0 hockey game. 

The Sharks had a very strong possession a few minutes into the second period, keeping the Predators trapped in their own zone and unable to make a line change. Unfortunately for the Sharks, an easy glove save for Juuse Saros allowed the Predators to get fresh legs on the ice. 

Askarov made a big glove save with 11:33 remaining in the second to keep his team’s hopes alive, as a four-goal deficit would almost certainly put the game out of reach. 

The amount of scrums increased exponentially around the halfway point of the game, with Askarov even going after Zachary L’Heureux at one point.

Skjei went back to the box with 5:54 remaining in the middle frame, giving the Sharks a lifeline. That lifeline would once again be nullified by a penalty; this time, Will Smith went to the box for slashing Josi behind the Nashville net.

Nick Leddy scored his first goal as a Shark to bring them within two with 4:11 remaining in the period. Stamkos and William Eklund had a bit of a wrestling match with a minute remaining in the period, causing the two to get coincidental minor penalties. Celebrini scored 42 seconds after the penalties, making it a one-goal game with just over 20 minutes left to play. 

Alex Wennberg set a new career-high in goals in the third period, when he made a highlight reel move to beat Saros and tie the game up at three goals apiece. 

The Predators started fighting back after the Sharks’ game-tying goal, forcing a few long shifts for the Sharks, but they were unable to break the deadlock for quite a while. Eventually, the Predators would regain the lead, though, as Ryan O’Reilly scored to make it 4-3 with 11:32 remaining in the third period. 

Roman Josi was called for delay of game with just 3:21 remaining in regulation. Tyson Jost had two quick chances to score a shorthanded goal on a breakaway, but both shots were denied by Askarov. Moments later, the Predators got their shorthanded goal though as Erik Haula beat Askarov to make it 5-3 and put the game out of reach for the Sharks.

Jost added an empty-net goal with 1:15 remaining to make it 6-3.

Tonight's game was undoubtedly a must-win for the Sharks, despite a valiant effort, they weren't able to get it done. As of now, the Sharks sit two points out of a playoff spot and their odds of a trip to the postseason have dropped tremendously. The Sharks and Predators will meet one more time this season, in Nashville. It'll be imperative that the Sharks get their two points back in that game. 

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Lakers vs. Mavericks Preview: What now for the purple and gold?

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 02: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Paycom Center on April 2, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Lakers (50-27) are back in action on Easter Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks (24-53) on the road.

L.A. looks to sweep the four-game season series against Dallas this season.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks

When: 4:30 p.m. PT, Apr 5

Where: American Airlines Center

Watch: NBC, Peacock

Just when the Lakers were playing their best basketball of the season, they experienced the worst possible scenario as soon as the Calendar turned April. Not only is Luka Dončić out for the foreseeable future now but so is Austin Reaves who will miss the remainder of the regular season.

When it rains, it indeed pours.

And just like that, the state of the Lakers feels more bleak than ever. With the playoffs beginning in less than two weeks, a championship now feels more out of reach for Los Angeles than ever before. Now, they’re left having to figure out what to do in the midst of all of this instead of gearing up for the most crucial time of the year.

The Lakers will have to do that starting Sunday when they face a lottery-bound Mavericks team that’s currently on a three-game losing streak. While it’s tempting to say that it’s just the Mavs and that this game is pretty much meaningless for them, it’s hard to do so knowing that the purple and gold’s faith now relies on 41-year-old LeBron James.

For as incredible as James still is, the superstar can’t carry this team by himself and without Dončić and Reaves, it’s hard to picture how this Lakers team can be competitive.

That said, they’re going to have to try and that means practicing the next man up mentality. Can Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, Deandre Ayton and the rest step up? They obviously won’t be able to fill the void that Dončić and Reaves left but at the very least, it would be nice to see if they can help keep this team competitive.

Note that the Mavericks may be in the middle of a three-game losing streak but their rookie Cooper Flagg is still playing at a high level. Flagg is coming off a 51-point performance and is surrounded with quality role players like Max Christie, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, Brandon Williams and Daniel Gafford. So this one isn’t by any means going to be a walk in the park.

For the first time ever this season, it feels as if the Lakers are very much the underdogs without two of their best players. On Sunday, we’ll get a first look at how they’ll be until the end of the regular season and into the playoffs.

Sigh.

Let’s see if there’s anything still worth being hopeful about for the purple and gold on Easter Sunday.

Notes and Updates

  • For the Lakers’ injury report, Luka Dončić (left hamstring strain), Austin Reaves (left oblique muscle strain) and Marcus Smart (right ankle contusion) are out.
  • Jared Vanderbilt (right calf soreness) is also listed on the report as questionable.
  • As for the Mavericks, Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery), Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery), Caleb Martin (right plantar fascia) are out.
  • Marvin Bagley III (left shoulder impingement) is probable while Tyler Smith (low back spasms) is questionable.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

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'I feel like myself': Mets' Mark Vientos rebounds from rough spring training with hot start to April

Mark Vientos slashed .057/.108/.171 with one home run and two RBI across 11 spring training games in February and March, but the Mets' 26-year-old corner infielder and designated hitter has been a different player since the calendar flipped to April.

He extended his hitting streak to four games with three knocks in Saturday's 9-0 win at the San Francisco Giants, continuing momentum from a two-hit, two-walk performance that sparked Friday's 10-3 victory.

"I feel like myself," Vientos said. "I feel good. I think the best part is just guys are going, had good day, all of us together. Clay (Holmes) pitched a heck of a game, and it was fun -- it was fun today."

Vientos had one hit in three at-bats across the Mets' March 28 and 31 games against the Pittsburgh Pirates and at the St. Louis Cardinals, respectively, before a 7-for-14 start to this month.

"It's good to see it," Mendoza said. "It's good to see it, especially after what he went through in spring training. We kept telling him, 'It's spring training. Keep hitting the ball hard. Keep controlling the strike zone.' As a human, as a competitor, they want to see results. It's just good to see him having the start he's having right now.

"He's a pretty important player for us. We're going to need him. If we can get some confidence early on, man, he's going to be an impactful player for us."

Batting fifth and starting at first base in a lineup that was without Juan Soto, whose day-to-day status leaves the Mets (5-4) relying on others to step up, Vientos sparked New York's pivotal second and fifth innings against the Giants (3-6).

The Mets' three-run second started when Vientos picked up Brett Baty's leadoff strikeout with a double to left field. Three frames later, Vientos' two-out single to right field scored Bo Bichette and padded the Mets' 5-0 lead before Tyrone Taylor's pinch-hit home run blew the doors open at 8-0.

"When you see him challenging pitches like that -- from the dugout, they look pretty close," Mendoza said of Vientos. "And then you look up on the board, it's like, 'Mark is seeing the ball really well here out of the hand.'

"What it follows is he's not missing pitches and he's recognizing, he's staying in the zone and not trying to do too much -- going the other way when he needs to, getting the head out when he needs to -- so he's in a good place right now."

Vientos, who hit his first home run of the early season in Thursday's 7-2 loss to the Giants, is slashing .471/.526/.765 with three RBI and two walks through six

"I'm focused on the process and focused on having good at-bats and letting the rest fall into place," Vientos said.

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Jo Adell robs three home runs as Angels defeat Seattle Mariners

Angels outfielder Jo Adell put on a show against the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium on April 4.

Adell denied the Mariners three home runs with incredible catches, including one that had him diving into the crowd near the foul pole at the top of the ninth inning.

His defense helped keep the Mariners off the board in what became a 1-0 victory for the Angels.

The weekend series is tied at one game apiece. The Angels and Mariners will play against each other on Sunday, April 5.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jo Adell robs three home runs as in Angels win over Mariners

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Blackhawks First-Round Pick Sacha Boisvert Has His First Career NHL Goal

It took a handful of games, but it finally happened for Sacha Boisvert. On Saturday night in Seattle, Boisvert scored his first career NHL goal. 

Boisvert is a very talented young player, but he's a little more raw than some of the other forwards who have come up in recent months. He brings a physical game, but he also has a lot of skill. That was on display with his goal, which capped off an excellent shift by the fourth line. 

Kevin Korchinski jumped up into the play to set up Boisvert, who didn't miss with this chance. Korchinski made an outstanding play in his 100th career game, and he's been noticeable in this most recent call-up. 

Landon Slaggett picked up the secondary assist on this goal scored by Boisvert. The two complement each other extremely well on the fourth line, which is what the Hawks are looking to build on in their final games. Being strong and skilled in the bottom six is important in the NHL. 

Boisvert was the 18th overall pick by the Blackhawks in the 2024 NHL Draft. He is a big part of their plans, and now he has his first goal behind him. Going forward, it's about establishing a role with the team in the long-term. 

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Jo Adell Shuts Out Mariners

Apr 4, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels right fielder Jo Adell (7) makes a catch against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Emerson Hancock gave up a home run to Zach Neto on the first batter he faced Saturday. It was the only run of the game.

The home run was the first hit Hancock allowed in 2026. He threw six no-hit innings with nine strikeouts last week against the Guardians in his season debut. He looked sharp in that outing, showing a lower arm slot and better “stuff” than he’d ever shown before. That made Saturday’s start against the Angels a surprisingly anticipated event: Could he look good in twice in a row?

The answer, as it turns out, was yes. Hancock pounded the zone with fastballs early and finished the day without a walk. He always seemed to be ahead, even as he expanded the zone with each turn through the order. The Angels matched Hancock’s aggression with aggression of their own, swinging at about 60% of his pitches. But they couldn’t quite figure him out, whiffing 28% of the time and striking out five times. They did tag a few balls here and there, but most of their contact was too low or too high to matter.

The game nearly unraveled on Hancock early. Neto lead off with the homer. Nolan Schanuel then shot a sinking liner into the left-center gap that Julio Rodríguez missed with a tumbling dive for a double. Schanuel advanced to third on a hard single from Jorge Soler. With two outs, Hancock threw a wild pitch that looked like it should score Schanuel, but Cal Raleigh made a nice play to scramble for the ball and fired to Hancock for the tag at home.

From there, Hancock settled in. He faced the minimum in four of the next five innings. He nearly made it through seven before a two out squibber from Jo Adell snuck through the infield; at 82 pitches, Dan Wilson turned to the pen. Perhaps most importantly, Hancock’s fastball velocity sort of held up: It was 96.1 mph in the first inning and 96.4 mph in the fourth inning. Now, it was 93.3 mph in the seventh when he exited, but given that dip used to happen in the second (or even midway through the first), I’d call that progress. 

Hancock’s final line was 6 2/3 innings, six hits, five strikeouts, no walks, 28% whiff rate, and a 31% hard hit rate. That’s not quite as good as his last outing, but if anything, I think it’s a better representation of what the good version of Hancock could potentially look like — unspectacular, efficient, solid.

None of that really mattered. Here’s highlight number one: 

And highlight number two: 

And highlight number three:

Cal Raleigh in the first inning, Josh Naylor in the eighth, and J.P. Crawford in the ninth each hit home runs that Adell, arguably the worst defensive outfielder in baseball, brought back from over the fence. The Mariners offense wasn’t great, striking out 10 times with a lot of weak contact. But those plays, in addition to two other nice plays from Josh Lowe and Oswald Peraza, kept them from scoring, or even really threatening.

And so there it is: A game recap about… Emerson Hancock pitching well and Jo Adell playing good defense. Whodathunk.

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Braves News: Atlanta falls to Michael Soroka, Owen Murphy, more

TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 21, 2026: Owen Murphy #91 of the Atlanta Braves throws a pitch during the first inning of a Spring Breakout game against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images

The Braves are hitting the ball pretty hard this season, but have had a number of barreled outs and haven’t always seen results from hitting the ball well. It does seem like some of this might be due to the balls being further deadened, as has seemingly been a trend over recent years. Some of it also has just been rotten luck, but it continues to be fairly outrageous both that the status and consistency of the single most important piece of equipment in the sport is a constant question and that it is not a bigger point of broad discussion.

Braves News

The Braves lost a game that they probably should have won against Michael Soroka and the Diamondbacks.

The Braves got some good prospect performances as minor league baseball kicked off, with Didier Fuentes and Owen Murphy highlighting the day on Friday.

MLB News

Mookie Betts exited the Dodgers’ game with back tightness and will get an MRI to assess the injury.

Mets’ Juan Soto is day to day with calf tightness.

The Tigers placed veteran pitcher Justin Verlander on the IL on a precautionary basis due to an injury to his hip.

The Blue Jays placed catcher Alejandro Kirk on the IL with a thumb fracture.

The Mets signed Braves Legend Luke Jackson to a minor league deal.

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Mark Vientos sparks two contagious scoring rallies as Mets shutout Giants

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Mark Vientos hits an RBI single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Image 2 shows New York Mets pinch hitter Tyrone Taylor (15) celebrates his three-run home run against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning at Oracle Park, Image 3 shows New York Mets starting pitcher Clay Holmes (35) delivers a pitch against the San Francisco Giants

SAN FRANCISCO — Mark Vientos is hardly guaranteed playing time and will have to earn many of his at-bats this season.

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Over the past four games he’s built up a decent amount of equity.

On Saturday, he had a second straight game of reaching base at least three times, helping lead a 9-0 rout of the Giants at Oracle Park.

The Mets hardly missed Juan Soto in winning their second straight. Soto, who departed Friday’s game in the first inning with a right calf strain that was deemed “minor” following an MRI, will rest until at least Tuesday — when a decision is likely on whether he will need an injured list stint.

Vientos is among those carrying the load. He was in the middle of two scoring rallies on this night and finished 3-for-5 in leading a 12-hit attack. Suddenly, the Mets scoring woes in six games that followed the season opener seem like 19th-century history.

“I think the best part is guys are going, we had a good day all of us together,” Vientos said. “Clay [Holmes] pitched a heck of a game, and it was fun today.”

Mark Vientos hits an RBI single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants. AP

It was just two weeks ago that Vientos was set to break camp with the team after going 2-for-35 (.057) in the Grapefruit League.

“We kept telling him in spring training, ‘Keep hitting the ball hard, keep controlling the strike zone,’” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “As a human, as a competitor, they want to see results. And it’s good to see him having the start that he’s having right now.”

Bolstering Vientos’ performance (he owns a 1.291 OPS) has been his respectable work at first base, a position he’s sharing as Jorge Polanco deals with left Achilles tendinitis.

Holmes handled much of the run prevention with seven shutout innings to follow the gem Nolan McLean produced a night earlier when the rookie carried a perfect game into the sixth before walking two batters and allowing a single.

New York Mets pinch hitter Tyrone Taylor (15) celebrates his three-run home run against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning at Oracle Park. D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Holmes allowed only three hits and walked two over the 90-pitch performance. It was a second straight strong outing for Holmes, who allowed two earned runs over 5 ²/₃ innings against the Cardinals on Monday.

“We have played a lot of extra-inning games, and the bullpen has been used a lot, so I was just trying to go fill it up,” Holmes said. “Go fill it up and once we got the lead see how many innings I could go to take some pressure off the guys.”

About the only semblance of trouble Holmes faced was in the second inning. Matt Chapman led off with an infield single, reaching second on Bo Bichette’s throwing error. But with help from Vientos, whose diving stop and toss to Holmes covering the bag produced the second out, Holmes kept a 3-0 lead intact.

New York Mets starting pitcher Clay Holmes (35) delivers a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning at Oracle Park. D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

“[Vientos] has been really good,” Holmes said referring to Vientos’ first base work. “He’s been putting in the work, we all see it as players. Just how badly he wants it.”

Carson Benge’s grounder to third base with the bases loaded in the second turned into two runs for the Mets. Chapman booted the ball before his throw to first baseman Jerar Encarnacion was mishandled for a second error on the play. Vientos and Jared Young raced home. The lead extended to 3-0 on Luis Torrens’ RBI groundout.

“We didn’t hit the ball out of the infield, but the fact we were able to put the ball in play there helped us,” Mendoza said. “Not only can we hit the ball out of the ballpark, but putting together some really good at-bats.”

Vientos doubled to begin the rally and Young walked before Semien’s infield single loaded the bases. It was the third straight game with at least one hit for Semien, who snapped an 0-for-20 drought Thursday.

Bichette’s RBI single in the fifth widened the lead to 4-0. Torrens singled leading off the inning and reached second on a groundout before Bichette delivered for a team-leading sixth RBI this season. Vientos, for his third hit in the game, stroked an RBI single in the inning to give the Mets their fifth run against Landon Roupp. After lefty Ryan Borucki entered, Tyrone Taylor was deployed as a pinch-hitter for Young and belted a three-run homer that buried the Giants in an 8-0 hole.

Taylor stroked an RBI single in the seventh that put the Mets ahead 9-0 following Brett Baty’s leadoff double.

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White Sox Minor League Update: April 4, 2026

PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 21: Billy Carlson #12 of the Chicago White Sox warms up prior to the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Billy Carlson helped spearhead a 12-run first inning and 19-run game for Kannapolis tonight. | (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Charlotte Knights at Nashville Sounds — Postponed due to weather
The Knights and Sounds will pick back up Sunday at 1:05 p.m. CT, and Saturday’s makeup will be announced at a later date.

Birmingham Barons 6, Knoxville Smokies 2 (Gameday Box)
The Birmingham Barons (1-1) scooped up their first win of the season Saturday, defeating their north side Double-A rivals, the Knoxville Smokies, 6-2. Both teams put up seven hits, though the Barons went 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position and scored two early in the game to provide a small amount of run support for righthander Connor McCullough.

The two-run cushion came from a two-run blast from Ryan Galanie on a 3-0 count in the top of the first, driving in Caden Connor who had gotten a base hit right before that. Center fielder Braden Montgomery had walked, but was caught stealing for the second out of the inning during Connor’s at-bat. Thankfully, the lost run wouldn’t mean anything in the end, and I don’t hate the aggressive attempt to get into scoring position super early in the game with no runs on the board — especially when Montgomery was safe more 67% of the time in 2025.

Taking one back in the bottom of the inning, McCullough worked through two outs quickly enough, but a double and single from Knoxville cut the lead in half, 2-1. The Smokies loaded the based back up after another base hit and a walk, but McCullough was able to force the ground out. That would be the only run he allowed in his three innings, and he ended up with four hits given up and struck out two batters.

The Barons bullpen stepped up big, allowing just one more run in the remaining six innings, with Jarold Rosado earning the win. He pitched a smooth fourth: One Smokie got a base hit, but all three outs were strikeouts.

Both Chase Watkins and Jackson Kelley made their first appearance in the White Sox organization, and though Watkins allowed a run, each recorded a hold. Kelly tossed for 1 2/3 innings without giving up a hit, his lone baserunner a walk in the bottom of the sixth.

Finally, the Good Guys added some more run support in the top of the seventh, as Jorge Corona kicked off the rally with a walk, just for Connor to drive two in a few batters later with two outs, 5-2. Jeral Perez came up to rip his second hit of the game for a double out to center, allowing Birmingham to score their sixth run before Galanie was thrown out at the plate. Worth a shot, I guess.

Unconventionally, Riley Gowens took over for the last two innings, and was nearly flawless while recording three strikeouts. Typically Gowens is a starter for Birmingham, but he flexed his versatility tonight in the “closer” spot despite the offense already taking care of business, and held down the 6-2 win.

Winston-Salem Dash at Bowling Green Hot Rods — Postponed due to weather

The Dash will play in a doubleheader against the Hot Rods on Sunday, April 5, with the first game beginning at 12:05 p.m. CT.

Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 19, Hill City Howlers 2 (Gameday Box)
Earning their first win of the season, the Cannon Ballers (1-2) absolutely dominated the Hill City Howlers (2-1), 19-2. The Kanny offense laid down the hammer right off the bat, dropping 12 runs in the bottom of the first inning. Yes, 12. You did read that right. Nearly batting all the way around the order twice in the inning, it also certainly helped that the Howlers walked six batters and hit two in the midst of the destruction.

The Ballers ultimately outhit the Howlers 15-5, but all 19 runs scored were earned, unfortunately for the Hill City pitching staff, who ended up striking out 13 but walking nine. Kannapolis put up seven extra-base hits, including four doubles and three homers, with four players driving in three runs apiece: Billy Carlson (2-for-4), Boston Smith (2-for-5), D’Angelo Tejada (1-for-5) and Ryan Galvan (2-for-3).

On the other side of the ball, the Kannapolis pitching staff allowed just five hits, two runs (one earned), three walks, and 11 strikeouts. Righthander Blaine Wynk opened the game for the Ballers, giving up one run on three hits, but by that point he really had to screw something up to blow a 12-run lead. Lefthander Trey Cooper came in for 2 1/3 innings after that and struck out four while walking two with one run scoring, but he ended up with the win as Kannapolis continued to run away with the game.

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Michigan beats Arizona 91-73, advances to title game vs UConn

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Michigan overpowered Arizona early and humbled the ’Cats all night long, turning the Final Four meeting billed as the Game of the Year into a 91-73 Wolverines highlight reel Saturday night.

Junior center Aday Mara scored a career-high 26 points and had nine rebounds, a dinged-up Yaxel Lendeborg had 11 points in 14 minutes and the Blue blew through their fifth straight March Madness opponent by double digits while becoming the first team to break 90 points five times in a single tournament.

Next up, a title matchup Monday against UConn, a 71-62 winner over Illinois in the early semifinal that was billed — wrongly — as the undercard to this battle of No. 1 seeds.

Michigan and Arizona came in with the nation’s top two defenses, a pair of top-five offenses and somewhere between eight and a dozen NBA stars between them.

But it was the Wolverines (36-3) who looked like pros, running to a double-digit lead only 5:31 into the contest, then swatting and slamming Arizona into oblivion.

Koa Peat had a quiet 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Big 12 champion Wildcats (36-3). They shot 6 for 17 from 3, 36% overall and had two assists and nine turnovers over a first half that ended with them trailing 48-32. Sparkplug Jaden Bradley got his fourth foul 94 seconds into the second half and finished with 13 points, most in extended garbage time.

Arizona’s only two losses before this were by four and by three back in February. They trailed by nine less than 2:30 into this one.

UCONN 71, ILLINOIS 62

UConn got another critical 3-pointer from Braylon Mullins and coach Dan Hurley’s Huskies are heading back to the national title game, beating Illinois in the Final Four as they seek their third championship in four seasons.

Tarris Reed Jr. had 17 points and 11 rebounds, while the fabulous freshman Mullins scored 15 for the Huskies (34-5), who rode strong inside play and tough defense to their 19th straight victory in the Sweet 16 or later rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

UConn will face Arizona or Michigan on Monday night as it seeks its seventh title, all since 1999, and third under Hurley, who would become the only active coach with more than two.

Mullins, whose buzzer-beating 3-pointer sent the Huskies past Duke and into the Final Four, hit a 3 with 52 seconds left that gave UConn a 66-59 lead.

Freshman Keaton Wagler had 20 points and eight rebounds to lead the Fighting Illini (28-9), who reached their first Final Four since losing the championship game to North Carolina in 2005.

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

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Clay Holmes' seven-inning statement, Mets' notable offensive breakouts highlight Saturday's 9-0 rout of Giants

The Mets won consecutive games for the first time since the team's season-opening victories March 26 and 28 at the Pittsburgh Pirates, taking a 2-1 lead in this weekend's four-game series at the San Francisco Giants with Saturday's 9-0 rout.

Takeaways

  1. Clay Holmes went a career-high-tying seven innings, matching the length of his June 1, 2025, start at the Colorado Rockies but delivering a better performance. He was solid in his first start of the 2026 campaign, last Monday's 4-2 win at the St. Louis Cardinals, and built on his season-opening start with arguably his best outing as a Met. He picked up where Nolan McLean left off from Friday's 10-3 win, allowing three hits while striking out four and walking two in seven scoreless innings.
    Holmes was not perfect, putting the leadoff runners on in the second and third innings before issuing a two-out walk to avoid a 1-2-3 fourth, but he kept the Giants (3-6) stranded across those frames while the Mets (5-4) held a 3-0 lead before entering his zone and getting stronger as the game progressed. Holmes (2-0, 1.42 ERA) threw 61 strikes on 90 pitches before Tobias Myers took the ball for the bullpen in the eighth and ninth innings.
  2. Bo Bichette is improving. After owning his "terrible" at-bats from the Mets' opening weekend last Sunday, he has looked more like himself with five hits in the past two games. Bichette followed Friday's 3-for-5 breakthrough with Saturday's 2-for-5 encore, driving in a run for the third straight game with a fifth-inning single to shallow center field that padded the Mets' 4-0 lead and sparked a five-run frame.
    After a 2-for-22 stretch across five appearances in March, April has been a breath of fresh air for Bichette, who is 7 for 19 with three RBI through four games.
  3. Mark Vientos is also trending up. His hit streak is up to four games, following Friday's 2-for-3 step in the right direction with a 3-for-5 breakthrough. Batting fifth and starting at first base, Vientos continued Bichette's fifth-inning momentum with an RBI single to right field that scored Bichette and extended the Mets' 5-0 lead.
    With or without Juan Soto, whose day-to-day status remains to be seen entering Sunday and beyond, the Mets need their big bats to step up. They got that Friday and Saturday in Bichette and Vientos, the latter of whom is 7 for 14 through four April games.
  4. Tyrone Taylor, who replaced Soto in Friday's game, came off the bench as a pinch-hit substitution for sixth-batting left fielder Jared Young and blew the game open for the Mets. Taylor's 2-for-3 night featured a three-run homer in the fifth inning that exploded the Mets' 8-0 advantage.
    He added to his damage with an RBI single in the seventh inning that scoredBrett Baty and polished off the Mets' 9-0 final. After an 0-for-4 Friday, Taylor filled Soto's void and then some as the Mets turned a 5-0 win into a 9-0 rout.

Who's the MVP?

Holmes, who retired seven straight from the fifth inning into the seventh and left no doubt on the mound as the Mets piled runs against the Giants.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets look to take the four-game set at the Giants in Sunday's 4:05 p.m. finale on SNY.

New York is set to start Kodai Senga (0-1, 3.00 ERA) while San Francisco goes with Logan Webb (1-1, 7.36 ERA).

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Avalanche beat Stars 2-0 to extend their edge in the Central Division race

DALLAS (AP) — Martin Necas broke a scoreless tie midway through the third period, Nathan MacKinnon added an empty-netter and the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche took a big step toward home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs with a 2-0 victory over the Dallas Stars on Saturday.

Scott Wedgewood made 17 saves against his former team for his third shutout of the season in the first meeting of these Central Division rivals not to go to a shootout. Dallas won two of those three.

The regulation win gave the Avalanche an eight-point edge over the Stars, who have five games remaining. Colorado has seven games to go.

The Stars won each of the postseason meetings with the Avs the past two seasons, and a second-round showdown could be looming this spring.

Dallas is headed toward an opening-round match with third-place Minnesota, which pulled within four points of the Stars with a 4-1 victory over Ottawa and has an extra game remaining.

While Wedgewood has a good chance to start in net for the Avalanche, the Stars went with Casey DeSmith, the backup to Jake Oettinger, in the final regular-season meeting. DeSmith made 20 stops.

Colorado was without star defenseman Cale Makar for a second straight game due to an upper-body injury, while fellow blueliner Brent Burns became the second player in NHL history to play in 1,000 consecutive games.

RANGERS 4, RED WINGS 1

NEW YORK (AP) — Failing to score until there were 32 seconds left and allowing a hat trick to Gabriel Perreault, Detroit lost an important game in its pursuit of a playoff spot in a defeat to New York.

With six games left, the Red Wings remain on the outside looking in as part of a competitive Eastern Conference race down the stretch. They are among a handful of teams fighting for the East’s second and final wild-card spot.

Detroit’s loss clinched a berth for the Buffalo Sabres, who ended the NHL’s longest postseason drought at 14 seasons. Though his teammates came up empty on scoring, goaltender John Gibson made some big saves among his 17, playing well in his 14th consecutive start.

Gibson allowed a deflection goal to Jaroslav Chmelar 13 minutes in, then one each to Perreault in the second and third periods. The first came from close range after a perfect pass from Mika Zibanejad and the second off the rush.

Perreault finished off his first career hat trick with an empty-netter with 1:44 left.

WILD 4, SENATORS 1

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Ryan Hartman scored twice to lead Minnesota to a win over Ottawa.

Jonas Brodin and Jake Middleton also scored for the Wild (43-21-12), and Jesper Wallstedt made 33 saves.

Linus Ullmark stopped 19 shots for the Senators (39-27-10). Drake Batherson scored for Ottawa.

Minnesota built a 3-0 lead through the first two periods and extended its advantage midway through the third on a great effort by Quinn Hughes. Hughes kept the puck in at the line, spun and found Middleton on the opposite side. Middleton fired through traffic for his second goal of the season.

Batherson spoiled Wallstedt’s shutout attempt with just over three minutes remaining in the game. Batherson then left the game, but returned after a brief absence.

The Wild capitalized on a Senators turnover late in the first that led to Hartman’s first goal of the game. Hartman scored his second of the game and 22nd of the season when Mats Zuccharello found him at the top of the slot and he beat Ullmark on the glove side at 15:31 of the second.

LIGHTNING 3, BRUINS 1

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Darren Raddysh broke a tie with 5:31 left and Tampa Bay beat Boston, hours after the Lightning secured a playoff spot.

The Atlantic Division-leading Lightning wrapped up the Eastern Conference postseason position with Detroit’s 4-1 loss at the New York Rangers in the afternoon. Boston holds the first wild-card spot in the East.

After assisting on defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous’ tying goal at 2:13 of the third, Raddysh put the Lightning ahead with a sharp-angle shot past goalie Jeremy Swayman from the right side on a break.

Nikita Kucherov added his 42nd goal of the season into an empty net, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 21 saves to help the Lightning finish a seven-game homestand 5-1-1.

Casey Mittelstadt scored for Boston in the second. Swayman stopped 20 shots as the Bruins lost their second straight on a four-game trip. They lost 2-1 at Florida on Thursday night.

PENGUINS 9, PANTHERS 4

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Evgeni Malkin had his 14th career hat trick and added an assist to become the 23rd player in NHL history to reach 1,400 career points, and Pittsburgh routed Florida to eliminate the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions from playoff contention.

The Panthers began the season hoping to become the first team since the New York Islanders of the early 1980s to win three straight championships. It never came close to happening as injuries and shaky play in net sent them tumbling to the bottom of the standings early in the season, a hole from which they never fully recovered.

While Florida will miss the playoffs for the first time in four years, Pittsburgh is inching toward a return to the postseason after three straight absences.

The Penguins strengthened their hold on second in the Metropolitan Division by blitzing the Panthers during the first half of the second period, pouring in four goals in less than 10 minutes.

Anthony Mantha broke a 2-2 tie with his 31st goal of the season just 1:51 into the second. Malkin then beat Sergei Bobrovsky twice in less than three minutes to create more than enough breathing room.

Erik Karlsson had a goal and three assists for Pittsburgh. Noel Acciari and Elmer Soderblom added a goal and an assist. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby picked up a pair of assists to move past Hall of Famer and childhood idol Steve Yzerman and into seventh place on the NHL’s career scoring list (1,756).

JETS 2, BLUE JACKETS 1

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Kyle Connor scored twice and Winnipeg overcame an early deficit to beat Columbus, keeping its playoff hopes alive and sending the Blue Jackets to their sixth straight loss.

Winnipeg moved to 78 points, a point out of the final wild-card spot in the crowded Western Conference.

Connor tied it with 1:46 left in the second period, and scored the winner with 9:02 left in the third. He has 36 goals this season. Mark Scheifele had his 59th and 60th assists, and Connor Hellebuyck made 15 saves.

Ivan Provorov scored for Columbus, which has lost four straight at home and remains outside the Eastern Conference wild-card picture. Jet Greaves stopped 23 shots.

Provorov scored on Columbus’ first shot 1:17 into the game. It was the Blue Jackets’ 57th goal by a defenseman this season, a franchise record.

Columbus then went more than 25 minutes without another shot as Winnipeg took control.

CAPITALS 6, SABRES 2

WASHINGTON (AP) — Aliaksei Protas had a goal and assist in his return from injury and Washington beat Buffalo.

Jakob Chychrun and Connor McMichael also had a goal and assist, and Dylan Strome, Ryan Leonard and Tom Wilson also scored for the Capitals, who have won four of their last five and moved within one point of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Rasmus Dahlin had a goal and assist, and Beck Malenstyn also scored for the Sabres, who clinched a playoff berth for the first time in an NHL-record 14 seasons but have dropped two in a row.

Washington had Buffalo on its heels early, scoring three goals in the first six minutes for a 3-0 lead.

Chychrun opened the scoring with a rebound off a shot from Alex Ovechkin in front, and 20 seconds later, Strome finished off a tic-tac-toe passing play to extend the lead. Just over two minutes later, McMichael picked up a rim from Chychrun off the boards and snuck it past Alex Lyon, ending Lyon’s night as Colten Ellis took over in net.

HURRICANES 4, ISLANDERS 3

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Seth Jarvis had two goals and an assist and Carolina beat New York for its fourth victory in five games.

Sebastian Aho broke a tie with a short-handed goal in the second period, Jackson Blake also scored and K’Andre Miller had two assists, and rookie Brandon Bussi made 13 saves to boost his season record to 29-6-1.

Marc Gatcomb, Max Shabanov and Anders Lee scored for the Islanders, They have a four-game losing streak for the first time this season. Ilya Sorokin made 36 saves in his 11th straight start.

Lee’ goal with 1:37 to play with the Islanders — third in the Metropolitan Division — going with an extra skater gave them a chance but they couldn’t break through again.

The Islanders had one-goal leads after Gatcomb scored in the first and Shabanov in the second. Shabanov was in his third game since the Olympic break and his first since March 13. He had been out with a lower-body injury and then missed games as a healthy scratch.

Aho’s go-ahead goal with 3:43 left in the second period gave the Hurricanes their sixth short-handed goal in nine games.

CANADIENS 4, DEVILS 3, SO

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Oliver Kapanen’s decisive goal in the shootout gave Montreal a win over New Jersey for its eighth straight win.

Kapanen scored on a wrist shot past Devils goalie Jake Allen in the fifth round of the shootout.

The win gave Montreal 100 points for the first time since the 2016-17 season when it accumulated 103 points.

Ivan Demidov, Lane Hutson and Jayden Struble scored for Montreal, and Jakub Dobes had 35 saves.

Timo Meier, Jack Hughes and Dawson Mercer scored for New Jersey and Allen stopped 26 shots.

Cole Caufield picked up two assists, but failed to notch his 50th goal for Montreal. Caufield will get another shot Sunday when these two teams face off again in Montreal. He is sitting at 49 goals.

Caufield is looking to be the first Montreal Canadiens player to score 50 goals in a season in more than three decades.

KINGS 7, MAPLE LEAFS 6, OT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Quinton Byfield scored 2:33 into overtime, Adrian Kempe had two goals and two assists, and Los Angeles beat Toronto.

Byfield finished off Artemi Panarin’s pass for his second goal of the game, securing a crucial win for the Kings, who set an NHL single-season record by playing their 31st game past regulation.

William Nylander missed his shot on a breakaway, leading to a three-on-two rush the other way where Byfield netted his 20th goal of the season.

With the win, Los Angeles moved into the second wild-card playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Panarin, Samuel Helenius and Alex Laferriere also scored for the Kings, and Darcy Kuemper made 14 saves.

Matthew Knies had two goals, and John Tavares, Easton Cowan, Steven Lorentz and Nicholas Robertson also scored for the Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll made 33 saves.

MAMMOTH 7, CANUCKS 4

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Clayton Keller had the third hat trick of his career and Utah Mammoth extended its winning streak to three games with a victory over Vancouver.

Keller’s first three-goal game of the season came on a disputed power-play score and two empty-net goal. His man-advantage goal at 7:04 of the second period came on the deflection of a point shot by Dylan Guenther that gave Utah a 3-2 lead. The goal was originally waived off due to his stick touching the puck above the cross bar. After a video review, the referee ruled the stick was at or below the cross bar.

Dylan Guenther and Lawson Crowse each had a goal and an assist for Utah, which continued to push for a Western Conference playoff spot. Kailer Yamamoto and Liam O’Brien, who was in the lineup after 18 games as a healthy scratch, also scored for the Mammoth, who won their fourth straight road game. Logan Cooley added two assists. Karel Vejmelka made 19 saves for Utah.

Linus Karlsson, playing in his 100th NHL game, scored twice for Vancouver. Marco Rossi and Jake DeBrusk added power-play goals and Filip Hronek had two assists. Nikita Tolopilo stopped 17 shots for the Canucks, who have one win in their last nine games.

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Biggest Final Four blowouts: Most lopsided victories in Men's NCAA Tournament history

INDIANAPOLIS — Michigan nearly made some history in the 2026 Final Four.

It was a total beatdown delivered by the Wolverines, who dominated Arizona 91-73 in the national semifinals to advance to the national championship game against Connecticut.

REQUIRED READING: Michigan vs Arizona basketball live updates, Final Four game score, highlights

A game that was expected to be a thriller between two of the best teams in the country was far from it, as Michigan blitzed the Wildcats right out of the gate. Arizona couldn't ever really recover as Michigan relentlessly built a lead that ballooned to 30 points at one point.

It's not often you see lopsided games on the biggest stage in college basketball, but it has happened before. But does Michigan's victory rank among the biggest Final Four blowouts in history?

Here's what to know:

Biggest Final Four blowouts

Here are the biggest blowouts in men's Final Four history:

Note: List begins when tournament expanded to 16 teams in 1951.

  • 1. 44 points: Villanova (95) vs. Oklahoma (51), 2016 Final Four
  • 2. 36 points: Princeton (118) vs. Wichita St. (82), 1965 third place game
  • T-3. 34 points: Cincinnati (80) vs. Oregon St. (46), NSF, 1963 Final Four
  • T-3. 34 points: Michigan St. (101) vs. Penn (67), 1979  Final Four
  • 5. 33 points: Kansas (94) vs. Marquette (61), 2003 Final Four 
  • 6. 32 points: UCLA (101) vs. Houston (69), 1968 Final Four
  • 7. 30 points: UNLV (103) vs. Duke (73), 1990 Final Four
  • 8. 27 points: Purdue (92) vs. North Carolina (65), 1969 Final Four
  • T-9. 26 points: Kansas (79) vs. Washington (53), 1953 Final Four
  • T-9. 26 points: Ohio State (95) vs. St. Joseph’s (69), 1961 Final Four

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biggest blowouts in Final Four history: Does Michigan win vs Arizona make list?

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Phillies 2, Rockies 1: Rox bats absent in another close game

Apr 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Chase Dollander (32) pitches during the fifth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Do you feel déjà vu?

As was often the case in the two series against the Miami Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays, the Colorado Rockies wasted wonderful pitching with atrocious hitting.

Strikeouts and men left on base loomed large, as the Rox had their chances only to come up just one run short as the Philadelphia Phillies take the series in Denver.

There’s even more déjà vu as the City of Brotherly Love continues to show no love to Colorado, with tonight’s win making the ninth straight over the Rockies for Philadelphia.

Saturday strategy switch-up

The Rockies entered Saturday with a clear approach to the game’s pitching, hinging on a clean outing from Brennan Bernardino before Chase Dollander would get the bulk of the innings.

Unfortunately, you know what they say about the best laid plans.

Bernardino had been efficient in his four appearances this season, giving up zero runs and walks heading into today’s start. Sadly, he had a shaky start, walking Trea Turner first and then giving up a broken bat RBI double to Kyle Schwarber.

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As expected, the Rockies were ready to turn to Chase Dollander early, getting him warmed up a few batters in. Not expected, however, was needing to use Jimmy Herget to get the final out of the inning after Bernardino walked Bryson Stott with Schwarber on third.

Given the looming matchups in the second inning, Warren Schaeffer would sit Dollander to try and get a few more outs from Herget.

Herget did indeed notch those, punching out Adolis Garcia to end the first and getting three straight outs in the second, limiting the damage to 1-0 going into the bottom of the inning.

Not ideal, but not catastrophic.

Dollander delivers

Dollander arrived as advertised, striking out Turner with a fireball. He sat Schwarber down on strikes right after that, ultimately tallying six impressive K’s on the night.

He gave up the one deciding run in his 4.1 innings pitched, but overall looked very effective and was able to work out of a few jams comfortably. He was the bright spot of the night, handing off a 2-1 game to Jaden Hill and giving the Rockies a chance.

Unfortunately, his performance did not receive any run support from the Rockies’ bats.

At least it was close?

Look, the bar is low right now.

Today wasn’t the 10-1 Home Opener drubbing. But it didn’t feel great either.

The Rockies are now 1-4 in one-run games. It felt like the game was right there, all the way down the stretch.

The Phillies would leave more men on than the Rockies, with nine LOB for Philadelphia and five LOB for Colorado. In good news, Colorado’s pitching was able to stave off a number of runs that would’ve been early nails in the coffin. In bad news, the Rockies probably only left five on because they couldn’t get them there in the first place.

Brett Sullivan looked solid today, as the only Rockies batter with more than one hit.

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Sullivan’s RBI single in the third would provide a glimmer of hope. Sadly, the bottom of the order was doing way too much of the heavy lifting, and it would not be enough.

A familiar issue

The Rockies have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad problem right now: strikeouts.

This marks the third straight game of double digit strikeouts. Not just “barely over nine” double digit either. 17 strikeouts against the Blue Jays on Wednesday. 15 more yesterday. 13 more tonight.

Several of those came on key moments, too.

Colorado had a chance in the seventh. With Ezequiel Tovar on second and Troy Johnston on first, Kyle Karros would go down swinging for the last out.

The game ended on a big ol’ dud as well. Willi Castro ended it all trying to check his swing but going around for the unlucky 13th game-ending strikeout.

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Up Next

The Phillies and Rockies will close out the series with a Sunday afternoon showdown at 1:10 p.m. Taijuan Walker and Tomoyuki Sugano, both decision-less in their respective starts this season, will take the mound. The Rockies will hope to keep the brooms locked away before the Houston Astros come to town.

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Buffalo Sabres Need To Bounce Back Big Time

The Buffalo Sabres had a tough game against the Washington Capitals on Saturday, as they lost by a 6-2 final score. This is after the Sabres fell to the Ottawa Senators by a 4-1 final score on Thursday. 

While the Sabres have officially earned their playoff spot and ended their postseason drought, this final stretch of the season is still very important for them. This is because they are currently fighting with both the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Canadiens for the top spot in the Atlantic Division standings. 

The Lightning are currently at the top of the Atlantic Division standings with 102 points, while the Sabres and Canadiens both have 100 points. However, the Canadiens now hold the second spot in the Atlantic, as they have a game in hand. The Habs also have won each of their last eight games, so they are getting red-hot at the right time. 

With all of this, there is no question that the Sabres need to bounce back immediately. This is especially so when noting that the Sabres' next contest is against the Lightning. It will be interesting to see if the Sabres can turn things back around and pick up a win against the Bolts on Monday from here.