Worldwide Sports News
On 73 minutes a moment that Aston Villa will argue for a long time cost them the bumper prize of Champions League football next season and its lucrative cash injection of millions.
A weak Harry Maguire header had Altay Bayindir scrambling to collect. As he did, Morgan Rogers prodded the ball from his clutches – the goalkeeper did not have it under control – and the forward found the empty net.
Continue reading...Pennsylvania State Police say Julian Fleming was driving an ATV Friday evening when he and a passenger collided with a deer in Bradford County.
The passenger on the ATV, Alyssa Boyd, was killed in the crash Friday evening.
MacIver, Davidson help Athletics snap skid with MLB firsts originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Before Willie MacIver’s friends and family packed the stands for his MLB debut on Sunday at Sutter Health Park, the Athletics catcher woke up hoping his day would end with a Gatorade shower.
With the A’s riding an 11-game losing streak into their series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies, that dream might have seemed unlikely to some — but it came true after he played a key role in helping his team snap its season-long skid.
“It’s everything [I dreamed of] and more,” MacIver told Chris Caray and Dallas Braden on “A’s Cast” after delivering the game-winning RBI in his team’s 5-4 win over the Phillies. “Family here, friends, teammates, ex-teammates. It’s a dream come true. I can’t even put it into words.”
MacIver’s first hit of his MLB career gave the A’s a one-run lead in the eighth inning that they wouldn’t surrender, and then he secured the victory in the ninth by throwing out Philadelphia speedster Johan Rojas at second base.
And MacIver wasn’t alone in recording career milestones during the A’s win. First baseman Logan Davidson, who made his big-league debut Saturday night and went 0-for-1 after Nick Kurtz left the A’s loss with a hip injury, made an impact Sunday with two hits, two RBI, one run and a walk that jumpstarted the Green and Gold’s eighth-inning comeback.
Davidson and MacIver were part of several A’s call-ups earlier this week, a roster shakeup general manager Robert Forst hoped would help the team find ways to win. While it took a couple of games, it seems the newcomers are beginning to find their footing.
“Part of the talk we had in spring training was it’s going to take the whole army that was in the room,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay, who was ejected from Sunday’s game in the seventh inning, told reporters after the win. “These guys coming here … the energy, or just the change, and for them to contribute to the win today is huge.”
There was plenty of celebrating in the locker room after Sunday’s win, Kotsay said, pointing out the brotherhood in the clubhouse amid the team’s joy. It’s just one game, but it’s a long season — and this “army” with some new troops now knows it can overcome even the most daunting of challenges.
“It just shows the group, and the culture,” Kotsay said. “And they brought me in there, and they allowed me to be a part of it, right? So that’s special for me. There was no real message. It was just continue to focus on a new day, turning the page and being prepared to go out and to play your best baseball, and that’s what they did today.”
New York’s starting five is why they are down 0-2 in this series, they are -29 through two games against the Pacers with a -42.9 net rating and a 155.1 defensive rating.
That has led to calls for a stubborn Tom Thibodeau to shake things up, and it sounds like he will for Game 3, moving Mitchell Robinson into the starting five and Josh Hart to the bench. It's a change that has been speculated about, and Shams Charania of ESPN says Thibodeau is considering.
This would move New York toward a two-big lineup, reminiscent of how he thrived last season in Minnesota next to Rudy Gobert. The Knicks have a +10.2 net rating this postseason when Robinson and Towns share the court. The new starting five have played just seven minutes together so far this postseason.
When asked after Game 2 about possibly making a change, Thibodeau said, "We always look at everything." He has been slow to make a change despite the fact that this starting five — Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Hart, and Towns — has struggled throughout the playoffs (-50 through 14 games) and dating back to January.
Desperate times, however, can force even Thibodeau to make a change.
Whether it is enough down 0-2 in a series and heading to Indiana is another question, but it feels like something the Knicks need to do.
Lidl-Trek cyclist claims first Grand Tour stage win
Roglic falls five places to 10th in overall standings
Carlos Verona raced to a solo victory on stage 15 of the Giro d’Italia as Primoz Roglic lost more time on the pink jersey held by Isaac del Toro.
A day after Lidl-Trek lost their team leader, Giulio Ciccone, following a heavy crash, Verona delivered an outstanding response as he claimed his first career Grand Tour stage win – and only his second professional victory – at the age of 32.
Continue reading...The Mets (31-21) play the Los Angeles Dodgers(32-20) Sunday at 7:10 p.m. on ESPN.
Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...
DODGERS | METS |
|---|---|
Shohei Ohtani, DH | Francisco Lindor, SS |
Mookie Betts, SS | Mark Vientos, 3B |
Freddie Freeman, 1B | Juan Soto, RF |
Will Smith, C | Pete Alonso, 1B |
Teoscar Hernández, RF | Jeff McNeil, LF |
Max Muncy, 3B | Luis Torrens, C |
Andy Pages, CF | Jared Young, DH |
Michael Conforto, LF | Tyrone Taylor, CF |
Tommy Edman, 2B | Brett Baty, 2B |
To watch Mets games online via ESPN, you will need a subscription to a TV service provider or to ESPN+. This will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone browser, or via the ESPN App.
Nola tests himself a bit more on Sunday, discusses ankle injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Aaron Nola ran on Friday for the first time since being placed on the 15-day injured list a week prior with a right ankle sprain, and on Sunday he threw off flat ground at Sutter Health Park.
The Phillies had hoped to have Nola throw a bullpen session in Sacramento but soreness lingered in the ankle. They might have opted against it anyway after Zack Wheeler complained Friday about the mound feeling like cement on the field and in the bullpen at the minor-league park the A’s are temporarily calling home.
Nola hopes to throw his bullpen session Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park but it will depend on how he responds to Sunday.
“I hope so when we get back to Philly. Hopefully today goes well, tomorrow off, then hopefully Tuesday,” he said from the tiny visiting clubhouse two hours prior to first pitch of the Phillies’ series finale against the Athletics.
“Today, hopefully throwing goes well, do some stuff on the field, shuffles, light jog and see how it feels. It’s gradually getting better. I was a little bit sore yesterday just from doing more the day before, being on it a little bit more, putting more pressure on it. I do want to test it, for sure. Today will be a good test to see how it feels after today and after the flight, then hopefully get off the mound back in Philly.”
Manager Rob Thomson said earlier in the week that Nola would not require a rehab assignment if he missed only a couple of starts. But if he does miss more than two weeks, they would want to see him face hitters, even if it’s in live batting practice.
“I hope so,” Nola said of avoiding a rehab assignment. “That’s the best-case scenario. But I just honestly need to see how it feels off the mound first. Since I’m on the IL, I want to get it right and strong again. I want to be able to run, sprint without even having it be an issue.”
Nola did admit that he thought he’d be closer to returning by now.
“Yeah, for sure,” he said. “I’ve sprained my ankle before and I thought maybe a couple of starts and it would get better and it didn’t. It has taken a little bit longer than I thought.”
Taijuan Walker will start again in Nola’s rotation spot this week at home. The Phillies will start Ranger Suarez, Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez against the Braves, then Walker, Jesus Luzardo and Suarez against the Brewers.
The Phillies would love to get a healthy and effective Nola back soon but they’re in good shape rotation-wise even without him. The starting staff had a 1.82 ERA during the first eight games of the current nine-game winning streak and both Walker and Mick Abel have pitched well in spot starts.
Abel struck out nine over six scoreless innings in his MLB debut last Sunday against the Pirates, was sent down the following day and made his first start back at Triple A on Saturday. It was a good one. Abel allowed one earned run over six innings with four walks and nine strikeouts. He has a 1.45 ERA in his last five starts with the IronPigs.
This has been a huge development for the Phillies and their 2020 first-round pick.
“It really helps because you know you’ve got (Andrew) Painter coming and now you’ve got this other guy who showed it on a pretty big stage the other day,” Thomson said Sunday.
“He goes right back to Triple A and a lot of times you’ll see that guys who go back, they have an adrenaline dump and they don’t pitch well or stay focused, but he did. That’s a good sign.”
A stellar performance at the MCG that included five goals – and much more – helped put the Dees’ early-season rut in the rear-view mirror
Kozzie Pickett’s dad Kevin is an artist, a sculptor and perhaps incongruously, a stand-up comedian. He also designed the Demons’ Indigenous guernsey. His son sculpted the game to his will on Sunday, booting five goals, having a hand in many more and playing a major role in a 53-point trouncing of Sydney.
The little missile of muscle began to impose himself on the game at the MCG early in the second term – a burst out of a stoppage here, a rundown tackle there. Alan Jeans once said that Gary Ayres was “a good driver in heavy traffic” and the same could be said of Pickett, albeit in a completely different way. Ayres navigated traffic with minimum fuss, eyes in the back of his head and an imperious air. Pickett is more like a dragster in the way he explodes out of heavy congestion.
Continue reading...Here's what happened Friday in Mets Land, in case you missed it...
Batter relaxed about Jacob Bethell’s potential return after century against Zimbabwe with India and Australia to come
A Test match that began with England saying they wanted to be better at media interactions and show a touch more humility ended with the captain growling about his words being twisted. And they say a week is a long time in politics …
It was my question that sparked all this, as it happens. The day before the one-off Test against Zimbabwe, I asked Ben Stokes about Jacob Bethell, the conversations that surrounded his absence to play in the Indian Premier League, and whether, as the “incumbent No 3” who made such an impression in New Zealand, he would be “straight back in” for the series against India.
Continue reading...With each passing day, the likelihood of Mitch Marner hitting free agency on July 1 is increasing. He is the most high-profile pending unrestricted free agent set to hit the market and is one of the most talented players to do so in recent memory, perhaps ever.
Marner is a recently turned 28-year-old winger (May 5) who has averaged over 1.2 points per game (98-point pace) over the last five seasons, has been the most-utilized Toronto Maple Leafs forward on the penalty kill in that time, and was a Selke Trophy finalist in 2023.
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32 NHL clubs could benefit from adding Marner to their roster, and with the salary cap ceiling set to increase from $88 million in 2024-25 to $95.5 million in 2025-26, most of those clubs will have the cap space or flexibility to make room in their budget to sign him.
If Marner hits unrestricted free agency on July 1, nearly every NHL team will be calling agent Darren Ferris, inquiring about the cost to add. It could be a bidding war to the likes we haven’t seen in the NHL in several years, the last comparable unrestricted free agents being Johnny Gaudreau in 2022, Artemi Panarin in 2019, and John Tavares in 2018.
Every discussion on potential landing spots for Marner, should he hit free agency, seems to mention the Anaheim Ducks as a destination he could consider. He would be a franchise-altering acquisition for Anaheim and catapult them into relevancy after failing to qualify for the playoffs over the previous seven seasons.
Here’s what Anaheim could pitch to Marner, should the scenario arise:
The Ducks have one of the deepest and most potent U24 pipelines in the NHL and deploy a nightly lineup where eight of those U24 players are already assuming impact roles at every position on the ice.
Marner could join a forward core that includes four somewhat recent top-ten draft picks: Leo Carlsson (2nd overall in 2023), Mason McTavish (3rd in ’21), Cutter Gauthier (5th in ’22), and Trevor Zegras (9th in ’19). All four players have, at least, eclipsed the 20-goal and 40-point plateaus in their early careers.
On their blueline, the Ducks ice 2024-25 breakout star Jackson LaCombe as well as a pair of 2023 Defenseman of the Year award-winners in their respective CHL leagues: Olen Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov.
In net for the foreseeable future in Anaheim stands 24-year-old Czech goaltender Lukas Dostal, who has a career .902 SV% (league average) and has saved 7.3 goals above expected in his 121 career NHL games.
The Ducks are projected to enter the 2025 offseason with the third-most available cap space ($38.69 million), just behind the Columbus Blue Jackets ($40.41 million) and San Jose Sharks ($40.99 million).
Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek is reportedly nearing the end of his contract with the organization and has been given the green light by ownership to spend “what it takes” to fulfill the mandate of returning to the playoffs in 2026.
“We’re willing to make that investment into the team,” Ducks owner Henry Samueli said. “We’ve told the same thing to Pat. Going out looking for players, you will have the budget you need to make this a serious playoff team. You don’t have to pinch pennies anymore. Do what it takes to make us a contender.”
The Ducks have the capability to match or exceed any offer that comes Marner’s way in free agency and are even willing to spend to the salary cap ceiling.
“Potentially, if necessary,” Samueli continued. “He (Verbeek) is going to spend wisely. We’re not going to write stupid checks, but I told him, ‘Do what it takes to make this a really steady, perennial playoff contender and Stanley Cup contender down the road. And if that means signing big-name free agents, go for it.’ We told him, going forward, you will not be constrained by the budget.”
From the outside looking in, Toronto has substantial positives that come with playing for the league’s most popular team, in front of (arguably) the most passionate fans, and in the globe’s epicenter of hockey.
That fishbowl effect can have its drawbacks as well, as the temperature and discussion around Marner have swung heavily in both directions throughout his time as a Leaf.
In terms of climate, both actual and in hockey terms, Anaheim is as close to a polar opposite of Toronto as it gets in the NHL. On average, there are no more than three reporters (not under team employ) at each Ducks’ practice and morning skate, a stark contrast from the crowded daily media scrums in the Leafs’ locker room.
Orange County offers a lifestyle where, if desired, a player can “turn their brain off,” leave hockey at the rink to soak up needed family time, and decompress with some of the best weather on the planet, potentially at or near some of the world’s best beaches.
Ducks fans are passionate, and the media is talented, but the sheer volume of both is much less overwhelming than in the largest markets. Hockey, while ever-expanding, is much lower on the totem pole of everyday conversation, and if day-to-day anonymity is craved, it can be achieved as an NHL player in Southern California.
The Ducks hired Joel Quenneville as their new head coach on May 8 after a three and a half year period away from the game. He brings with him a substantial amount of baggage and the second-winningest coaching record in NHL history, including three Stanley Cups.
Quenneville is the epitome of a “player’s coach,” who ushered in the current era of speed and possession-based hockey utilized by all 32 NHL teams today. Players’ accounts of their time with him as their coach are overwhelmingly positive.
Ducks forward Frank Vatrano played for Quenneville as a member of the Florida Panthers during Quenneville’s time there (2019-2022).
“His aura when he's in the room, the energy. He wants you to have fun,” Ducks forward Frank Vatrano said when asked what Quenneville brings as a coach. “When you're having fun, it's more fun for everyone. On a day-to-day basis, he makes it really fun to come to the rink every day.
“You can be having a tough stretch as a team or individual, going through individual struggles. He knows how to lift you up and lift the team up at the right times. That’s what all players ask for as a coach is to obviously hold us accountable to the standards, and we go by that every single day, but he just knows how to do that at another level.”
Judging how he nurtured, valued, and accentuated players with unmatched skill like Patrick Kane, Artemi Panarin, and Jonathan Huberdeau on their rises to stardom in the NHL, one would be hard-pressed to find a more perfect player-coach fit than Marner-Quenneville.
The Anaheim Ducks made a significant jump in the NHL standings from 2023-24 to 2024-25, improving from a 59-point team to an 80-point team.
While a deeper dive into traditional and underlying numbers suggests that a sizable portion of that success can be attributed to goaltending, the team, as a whole, displayed a level of attention to detail and work ethic absent from Anaheim in several previous seasons.
“Players, they want to have success,” Quenneville said when he was hired. “They want to improve, they want accountability, (and) they want to see progress. I think they felt that over the course of the last few years that it’s there and that next challenge, or next step, is near.
“I think that everybody wants a push. The leadership, everybody can start taking a little more ownership in that collectively, across the board. It adds up, and I think that there’s big steps that can happen quickly.”
The mentioned young core will, in all likelihood, continue to improve, and in the environment the Ducks are building, they can fully realize their extraordinary potential en route to the ultimate goal of sustained success and competing for Stanley Cups.
The Ducks' contention window feels as inevitable as any and closer than others with similar potency.
The probability of Mitch Marner ever playing for the Anaheim Ducks remains slim, but if they were to pursue him, the Ducks have as good a pitch as any team in the NHL.
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Oil spill forces race to be restarted at Silverstone
Fabio Quartararo forced to retire while leading race
Marco Bezzecchi won a chaotic British Grand Prix for Aprilia’s first victory of the season in a race that was initially red flagged for an oil spill and riders crashed or retired while in the lead, including Fabio Quartararo.
The victory was a first for Aprilia since the Grand Prix of the Americas last April. LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco came second and Ducati’s Marc Márquez pipped Franco Morbidelli to finish third and extend his lead in the world championship. Both Alex Márquez and his brother Marc crashed while leading before the race was restarted for an oil spill while polesitter Quartararo took the lead at the second time of asking before being forced to retire due to an issue with his bike.
Continue reading...Ray solidifies himself as second Giants ace in win vs. Nationals originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
What’s better than one staff ace? Two.
That’s a luxury the Giants had at times last season, but have not had for an entire campaign since 2022.
The one-two punch of homegrown ace Logan Webb and two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell was lethal throughout the second half of the 2024 MLB season after the latter’s very rocky start to the year, but what veteran left-handed pitcher Robbie Ray (7-0, 2.56 ERA, 63 1/3 IP, 69 K), a Cy Young winner himself, is giving San Francisco early on this season, feels reminiscent of the elite left/righty tandem Webb had with now-New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón three years ago and Kevin Gausman during the franchise-best 107-win 2021 season.
Ray (W, 6 IP, 3 H, ER, 0 BB, 7 K) was excellent again in San Francisco’s 3-2 series-clinching win over the Washington Nationals on Sunday at Nationals Park as the Giants improved to 10-1 in games he starts this season.
“It’s great, and that’s what veteran guys do,” Melvin said postgame when asked about having innings-eaters Webb and Ray atop the rotation. “They’re used to going out there and doing that, they’re inspired to do it, it’s all they think about. Wins and losses are important to them, and typically when it’s important to you, you’re out there for a little bit longer.
“So to this point, both have been so good and Robbie’s sitting here 7-0 with a 2.56 [ERA] and didn’t walk anybody. And it’s important with a team like [the Nationals] that runs.”
While pitcher wins, even if they do hold less significance in today’s game, still might mean something to some veteran arms around the league, it’s the team victories that are the most important for Ray.
“I’m feeling really good. For me, it’s just going out one game at a time and giving my team a chance every time out,” Ray told reporters postgame. “I think that’s my goal, just keeping us in the ballgame. But it definitely feels good to be able to do that this consistently. Just looking to keep it rolling.”
Ray’s outing on Sunday was the eighth time in the last nine games that a Giants starter surrendered two or fewer runs on the mound. Ray was asked after the game if San Francisco’s rotation is feeding off one another’s success.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Ray said. “One guy goes six, seven innings, you want to do the same. I think the energy, the focus, the intent, it’s infectious and I think we’re just building off of each other. We’re just trying to go out there and do what we’re supposed to do as starting pitchers, and that’s set the tone.”
And set the tone they have.
The Giants’ struggling offense, however, hasn’t always capitalized.
In an article published on Sunday morning, Marco D’Amico from RG.org confirms that Montreal Canadiens’ right winger Ivan Demidov is staying in town this Summer. As we reported back then, the youngster took a week off once the Habs were eliminated and visited the Dominican Republic, but since May 16th, he’s been back to work.
D’Amico explains the 19-year-old Russian has elected to train in town this Summer, not just because he can do so under the close supervision of the Canadiens’ development staff (he was spotted training under the watchful eye of Adam Nicholas last week), but also because he wants to focus on learning the local languages.
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Clearly, he understands his market and intends to fit in by catering to fans, whether they are English or French-speaking. Now that he’s had a feel for the NHL and the market, Demidov is focusing on becoming a better professional on and off the ice, as his Summer plans reveal.
On May 29, we’ll know if he’s the winner of the KHL Rookie of the Year award, but whether he wins it or not, Demidov isn’t planning on going to the ceremony. This is yet further evidence that his mind is wholly focused on the future rather than basking in the glory of what he has accomplished in the last season.
So far, the young Russian has an excellent work ethic and enjoys working on his game as much as Lane Hutson. Perhaps the young defenseman won’t be the only one to attend all the optional skates next season. It will be interesting to see if Demidov can have the same impact in the NHL as in the KHL last season.
Most expect Hutson to be crowned Calder Trophy Winner for this past season, and if Demidov shines as much as he has in the small sample of games we’ve seen him in, he may just be in the Calder conversation next year too.
Photo Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
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