Washington State guard Cedric Coward, who intended on transferring to Duke, will instead keep his name in the 2025 NBA draft, he told ESPN on Saturday.
A true Met moment? Juan Soto might've finally delivered it
The Mets never needed the kind of validation about Juan Soto that a big night like Saturday might bring, though maybe a few of their more angsty fans did. The team believed its superstar slugger was always going to be okay, and way more than that. Whatever his transition to being a Met has been, it’ll ultimately be manageable.
It’s certainly easy to believe it all when the ball is screaming off Soto’s bat the way it was in the Mets’ 5-2 victory over the Dodgers at Citi Field. While left-hander David Peterson was the pitching star, Soto delivered a key two-run double that gave New York the lead for good, part of a hard-hit-fest that evened the must-see series with Los Angeles. Soto smacked four balls with an exit velocity of at least 102 mph.
Was the tiebreaking double his True Met Moment (trademark pending)? Who knows. Maybe he doesn’t even need one. Soto may not be off to the kind of start that prompts odes in his first year as a Met, but perhaps he’s getting there.
“That was awesome,” said Peterson (3-2), who allowed two runs in 7.2 innings, the longest start by a Met this season. “[Soto] works his butt off and I think for him to be able to get that [double] should only give him confidence... I think every guy on this team believes in who he is as a player.”
Soto, who finished 2-for-5, snapped a 0-for-10 skid with a third-inning single. The double ended a streak of 11 consecutive games without an extra-base hit, the second-longest such streak in his brilliant career. He’s now reached base multiple times in a game 30 times, fourth-most in MLB this season. No wonder he has a .370 on-base percentage and a .792 OPS.
In the first inning, Soto mashed a 396-foot out to deep center, run down by Tommy Edman. On a hot summer night, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza opined, that ball “is way out.” Not, however, when it’s 61 degrees at first pitch in late May.
“This guy has been very unlucky,” Mendoza said. “I feel like every time there’s runners on base, there’s a 110, 115 [mph exit velocity] at somebody. It was good to see him finally get the results... We wanted it. He wanted it. And it’s just good to see.”
There was a vigorous ovation for Soto afterward. That was nice, considering all the speculation and discourse that has swirled around the $765-million star since he’s moved from the Bronx to Queens.
Some have concentrated so hard on theories about whether he misses his Yankees mates or is mad at where he’s hitting in the Mets' lineup, that they’ve forgotten he’s a 26-year-old who changed companies amid mammoth expectations. Plenty of other stars -- Francisco Lindor among them -- have struggled in their first year in a new gig.
But dealing with those sorts of worries is what the money’s for, as Don Draper might’ve told Soto.
For his part, Soto says, “I don’t listen to any of that." A reference to the outside cacophony about the start to his Mets career. “I’m focused on what I’m doing here.”
He ranks 13th in both average exit velocity and hard-hit percentage. If some of his hard liners have ended in opposing gloves, “I just call it baseball,” Soto said. “Just gotta live with it… You just gotta keep moving forward, no matter what.”
He did acknowledge that his double, which came against Dodger starter Tony Gonsolin with the bases loaded, felt good. Especially when he saw it hit the base of the wall in right-center.
“You see one landing, it always feels good,” Soto said.
Entering the night, Soto was one of the worst qualified hitters in baseball with runners in scoring position. He still is, afterward, though the double obviously helped. There’s plenty of time left in the season, too.
The Mets believe his numbers will change and, eventually, soar. And the conversation about their new star will be very different as the season goes on.
“I know the player,” Mendoza said. “I know how he handles adversity. Look, there’s a big-time track record there. So for us to worry about him? Not really. I mean, he’s too good and we know sooner rather than later, the results are going to be there. He keeps hitting the ball hard. He's Juan Soto."
Edwards, Timberwolves strike back with 143-101 win to cut Thunder’s West finals lead to 2-1
MINNEAPOLIS — Anthony Edwards had 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists in just three quarters to lead the re-energized Minnesota Timberwolves in a 143-101 victory over Oklahoma City on Saturday night in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals that cut the Thunder’s lead in the series to 2-1.
Julius Randle added 24 points and rookie Terrence Shannon Jr. had 15 points in 13 minutes to highlight a big boost from the bench for the Wolves, who caused all kinds of cracks in the Thunder’s NBA -best defense after struggling to solve it in the two lopsided losses on the road.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had just 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting with four turnovers, subbed out with a 38-point deficit and 4:25 to go in the third quarter as Thunder coach Mark Daigneault conceded on a night when his team was never closer than 22 points after early in the second quarter.
Game 4 is in Minneapolis on Monday night.
The travel north and venue shift triggered a sharp drop in shooting for the Thunder, who made exactly half of their attempts from the floor over the first two games and went just 12 for 40 in the first half on Saturday.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the newly minted NBA MVP, went more than 13 minutes of game time between baskets while the Target Center crowd loudly booed him on every touch and taunted him at the line with the chant, “Free throw merchant!” in a nod to the popular notion he draws an inordinate amount of fouls.
The Thunder fully expected a strong response from the Wolves after opening the series with two lopsided wins. This was a bone-jarring counterpunch from the opening tip that kept the crowd roaring all the way through the finish, without any of the half-quarter meltdowns that doomed them in Oklahoma City.
Randle, who had his first off night of this postseason in a Game 2 performance so disjointed he was benched for the fourth quarter, had his fire back — and his signature fadeaway.
Edwards rediscovered his 3-point shot, going 5 for 8 after shooting just 1 of 9 in Game 2. He gave the quick-handed, ball-pressuring Thunder a taste of what it’s like to play against themselves with a couple of relentless of loose balls he turned into breakaway dunks.
Outscored 69-37 in the third quarter over the first two games, the Wolves didn’t even leave the door open a crack for the Thunder to start a second-half comeback. Edwards, tightly guarded by Isaiah Joe in the corner, found enough space to drive along the baseline and spin an up-and-under reverse layup off the glass for a 79-52 lead.
Phillies make massive plays in 9th, 10th and 11th to extend streak with crazy win
Phillies make massive plays in 9th, 10th and 11th to extend streak with crazy win originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Even after receiving their shortest start in nearly two weeks on a night when they knew they’d be without their top two relievers, the Phillies found a way again, tying the A’s in the ninth inning, throwing the would-be walk-off run out at the plate in the bottom of the 10th and extending their winning streak to nine games with a wild 9-6 win in 11 innings.
Kyle Schwarber delivered the game-winning hit, a two-run double down the right-field line with one out in the 11th. A’s first baseman Logan Davidson obstructed his path to second base and Schwarber alertly hustled all the way to third, immediately motioning to umpire Bill Miller, who awarded him third base. Schwarber then chugged his way home and clapped his hands hard in celebration after barely beating CJ Alexander’s throw home from right field.
“It was electric,” said Max Kepler, who obliterated a 101.4 mph from A’s closer Mason Miller to tie the game in the top of the ninth.
It only reached the 11th because of Brandon Marsh’s outfield assist after the A’s loaded the bases with nobody out in the 10th. Brent Rooker hit a ball to medium center field and Marsh played it perfectly, camping under it with momentum toward the plate to nail Davidson. It was a rough big-league debut for Davidson, who suffered the trifecta of being thrown out at the plate, interfering with Schwarber on the basepaths and making the final out of the game within the span of 45 minutes.
“The suspense was building up,” Marsh said when asked if the flyball to him seemed to move in slow motion.
Neither Kepler nor Marsh were in the lineup to begin the game. The A’s started lefty Jeffrey Springs so the Phillies countered with Weston Wilson and Johan Rojas. Kepler and Marsh pinch-hit for them in the seventh inning and both reached base before their later heroics.
“I told Marsh specifically that we have an opportunity here to turn this baseball game around and we did,” Kepler said. “Kinda right before we went into the game, just like, here we go, let’s make a change here. He did it on defense with a nasty throw. Everyone contributed from every angle.”
The Phillies are 34-19, three games ahead of the Mets in the NL East and a game better than the Tigers for the best record in MLB.
They had to pull out all the stops becase they were without Jordan Romano and Matt Strahm, who both pitched Thursday and Friday. Manager Rob Thomson hadn’t used a reliever three days in a row since September 20-22, 2023 (Jeff Hoffman and Craig Kimbrel) but did so with Orion Kerkering on Saturday against the A’s. The difference was that Kerkering had thrown only one pitch Thursday and four on Friday whereas Romano and Strahm had full workloads.
Thomson used six relievers after pulling starter Cristopher Sanchez, who didn’t have command, with two outs in the fifth. The bullpen combined to allow two earned runs over 6⅓ innings, a terrific job given the circumstances.
The save went to Max Lazar, the last man in the bullpen who had never before appeared in a high-leverage situation in the major leagues. The 25-year-old right-hander began last season at Double A, pitched well enough to earn brief call-ups to the majors in August and September and was recalled again Monday when the Phillies optioned Mick Abel back to Triple A.
Lazar was the last man left in the ‘pen Saturday night and did his job with a scoreless 11th inning. The save was the first of his big-league career.
“The three-run lead definitely helped,” Lazar said. “Just trying to follow the guys in front of me. I knew we had some guys down so other guys had to step up. It was a back-and-forth game so just trying to stay locked in every moment.”
These nine straight wins for the Phillies have come against the Pirates, Rockies and A’s. The Pirates and Rockies have been the worst two offenses in baseball and the A’s have lost 11 consecutive games. But you play who’s on your schedule that day and the Phillies have had help from everyone on the roster to put this run together.
“Most people probably thought we were done in the ninth with Miller coming in,” Thomson said. “So many things happened in extra innings, it’s just hard to explain.”
It’s a short turnaround to Sunday afternoon when the Phillies go for their 10th straight win, third straight sweep and an undefeated road trip.
Panthers push Hurricanes to brink with dominant 6-2 victory in Game 3
The Florida Panthers are one win away from a return trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
Florida played a strong defensive game, limiting the Carolina Hurricanes offensive opportunities and skating to a stingy 6-2 victory in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final.
Carolina got off to a better start than they had in either of the previous games, outshooting Florida 4-2 in the opening minutes.
It didn’t stop the Panthers from scoring the first goal of the game for the third time this series.
Niko Mikkola collected the puck at the side of Carolina’s net and sent a pass toward Sasha Barkov on the doorstep.
The puck went off the skate of Dmitry Orlov and past Pytor Kochetkov to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead at the 12:07 mark.
After Carolina logged four shots in the game’s first 6:30, Florida held them without a shot on goal for 10:01 of game time.
With just over three minutes left in the period, Eetu Luostarinen was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for boarding after he hit Jackson Blake into the boards.
Florida was able to kill off 4:52 of the penalty before Jerperi Kotkaniemi was called for cross checking Seth Jones to wipe out the final seconds of the man advantage.
During the extended power play, the Cats and Canes each logged the same amount of shots on goal: two.
Arguably the save of the game came by Sergei Bobrovsky about midway through the second period.
With Carolina coming on an odd-man rush, Bobrovsky slid to his right and got his blocker on a one-timer by Logan Stankoven to keep the Hurricanes off the scoreboard a little bit longer.
Speaking of Stankoven, he jumped on a rebound with Carolina on the power play late in the period and beat Bobrovsky to tie the game at one.
Early in the third period, just after a Florida power play expired, Jesper Boqvist sent the fans inside Amerant Bank Arena into a frenzy.
He carried the puck over the blue line, turned Dmitry Orlov inside out with an outside-inside move and slid the puck under Kochetkov to put the Panthers back in front 2-1 just 89 seconds into the final frame.
The frenzy got even louder about six minutes later when Mikkola came down the left side of the ice and wired a wrist shot over Kochetkov’s glove to double Florida’s lead.
Just 30 seconds later, Sasha Barkov added a fourth goal after making a great move to his backhand, putting the Panthers up by three in what felt like the blink of an eye.
He wasn’t done there.
Barkov scored again, this time on a shot that went off Shayne Gostisbehere’s stick, just 2:36 later to push Florida’s lead to 5-1.
Brad Marchand got in on the fun a mere 66 seconds later, finishing off a great feed from Anton Lundell, giving the Panthers a five-goal lead.
Seth Jarvis added a power play goal for Carolina with 8:59 to go, but at that point it was way too little, too late.
On to Game 4.
QUICK THOUGHTS
Mikkola had one point through the first two rounds of the playoffs, but he’s got at least one point in each of the three games against Carolina.
He left the game during the third period after taking an awkward tumble into the boards behind Florida’s net.
Evan Rodrigues is riding a four-game point streak, logging seven assists during the run.
Barkov also has points in each of his past four games, with three goals and four assists.
Boqvist has two goals and two assists over his past three games.
Aaron Ekblad has points in three straight games, picking up an assist on Boqvist’s goal.
Matthew Tkachuk logged a pair of assists, giving him five points over a three-game point streak.
LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA
Important Panthers Forward Ejected From Game 3 For Boarding
Charles Barkley 'Hates' Seth Jones For This Hilarious Reason
3 Panthers Who Need Big Performances In Game 3 vs. Hurricanes
Sam Reinhart out for Game 3 of Eastern Conference Final
Panthers return home for Game 3 of Eastern Conference Final after two convincing wins in Carolina
Photo caption: May 24, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven (22) takes a shot on goal as Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) makes a save during the second period in game three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Mets Prospect Roundup: Blade Tidwell, Dom Hamel have strong outings with Triple-A Syracuse
Mets pitching prospect Blade Tidwell has been great since returning to Triple-A Syracuse after his major league debut in St. Louis earlier this month, and Saturday's performance was no different.
Tidwell threw 85 pitches (57 strikes) across 6.2 innings in the first game of a doubleheader against Rochester (Nationals' affiliate) on Saturday. The young right-hander was one out away from pitching the complete seven innings, but made one mistake.
Pitching against Andrew Pinckney with a 3-0 lead, Tidwell threw a 3-2 slider that was running in on the right-hander, but Pinckney launched it 381 feet for a three-run shot. Tidwell was done after that longball, leaving the game tied.
In all, Tidwell allowed three runs on five hits, one walk and two strikeouts.
In three starts since returning to Triple-A, Tidwell has allowed four runs across 15 innings.
Ronny Mauricio continued his hot hitting with Syracuse, going 1-for-3 with an RBI and two strikeouts in the first game of the doubleheader. He started at third base but did not play in the nightcap.
Mauricio extended his hitting streak to four games, collecting eight hits in that span.
Drew Gilbert, however, played both games. He went 0-for-2 with a walk, run and an RBI on a sac fly in the first game. He then went hitless in five at-bats in Game 2, but did score a run.
Dom Hamel did not start Game 2 of the doubleheader but did come on in long relief, throwing 52 pitches (33 strikes) across three shutout innings. Hamel did not allow a hit, but walked two while striking out two.
The 26-year-old continued his recent streak of dominant pitching with Syracuse. Including Saturday's outing, Hamel has allowed just one run over his last 6.2 innings (three appearances). In eight Triple-A appearances (five starts), he's pitched to a 4.01 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP.
Juan Soto delivers go-ahead double in Mets' 5-2 win over Dodgers
David Peterson threw the most innings in a game by a Mets starter so far this season and his teammates delivered several big hits with runners in scoring position -- including a key blow by Juan Soto -- in a 5-2 win over the Dodgers on Saturday night at Citi Field.
The victory evened up the NLCS rematch, with the teams set for a rubber game in primetime on Sunday night. The Mets are now 31-21 overall, including an MLB-best 18-6 at home.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Peterson is just the second Mets starter to throw at least seven innings in a game this season. The first was Kodai Senga, who threw seven shutout frames against the Athletics in Sacramento back on April 13. Peterson was particularly rough on the Dodgers’ brand-name hitters. He struck out the mighty Shohei Ohtani three times and got him on a flyout in his other at-bat.
Freddie Freeman was also 0-for-3 against Peterson, and Mookie Betts went 1-for-3 against the lefty. Freeman and Ohtani entered the game ranked first and second in the National League in both OPS and slugging percentage. Freeman also held the NL lead in batting average and on-base percentage. When Peterson came out of the game after fanning Ohtani for the second out of the eighth inning, most of the 41,332 fans in the stands stood up and gave him a loud ovation. He waved his glove toward the crowd as he neared the dugout.
-- Down 2-1 in the fourth, the Mets took the lead, scoring three runs, and Soto had a tie-breaking two-run double. Luis Torrens led off the inning with a single and, two outs later, Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin walked both Brett Baty and Francisco Lindor on four pitches, loading the bases.
Starling Marte checked his swing and hit a soft grounder toward the middle, but the Dodgers couldn't turn it into an out and a run scored. Soto followed with a 108.3 mph drive to the base of the right-center field wall, knocking in two runs. The inning ended when Marte was thrown out trying to score on Soto’s double.
-- Mets manager Carlos Mendoza called on Edwin Díaz for a four-out save, and the closer caught Betts looking at strike three to end the eighth. In the ninth, he struck out Teoscar Hernández and Freeman, and got Andy Pages to ground out. Díaz is now 11-for-11 in save opportunities this season.
-- The Mets were 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position, a refreshing change. They've struggled with runners in scoring position this season, though they had the 10th-most at-bats with RISP entering Saturday, indicating that they’ve been creating traffic on the basepaths.
But they entered play ranked 29th in MLB in batting average with RISP (.213), behind only the 16-35 White Sox. The Mets had been especially spotty lately, going 10-for-66 (.152) over their previous seven games.
-- The Dodgers took a 2-0 lead in the second inning, thanks to soft contact against Peterson and, perhaps, a missed call by umpires. With one out, Pages flared a single in front of Soto in right and then Tommy Edman was hit by a pitch. Kiké Hernández hit a single up the middle to score Pages and send Edman to third. Dalton Rushing followed by hitting a ball into the ground that hit him in the shin and bounced into fair territory.
By rule, it could’ve been declared a foul ball by umpires, but it wasn't called. Torrens sprang from behind the plate to field the ball and threw to first for the second out, but Edman scampered home. The play wasn't reviewable, so Rushing got an RBI and the Dodgers had their second run.
-- The Mets scored their first run of the game in the second, and with two outs. Jared Young, starting at designated hitter after being called up from Triple-A Syracuse, was hit by a pitch and Tyrone Taylor singled to left. Baty, whose offense has really picked up, then delivered an RBI single to right. In the eighth, Baty -- batting ninth in the order -- smacked an RBI double to push the Mets' lead to 5-2.
-- Apart from the key double, Soto smashed a deep drive to center in his first at-bat that traveled 396 feet and was clocked at 102.5 mph off the bat. According to MLB’s Statcast, the drive had an expected batting average of .790, but it was caught by Edman. In Soto’s second at-bat, he thought he had checked his swing on a 3-1 pitch and walked. But his cut was ruled a swing. He followed with a ground-ball single up the middle that was clocked at 102.2 mph. In the seventh inning, Soto flew out to left. In the eighth, he grounded out with the bases loaded.
Game MVP: David Peterson
Peterson, who gave up two runs and five hits across 7.2 innings, struck out seven and walked two. A night after the Mets used eight relievers in a messy and dramatic 13-inning loss, the left-hander was masterful in giving them crucial length. He induced four double-play grounders, which helped him get deep into the game. He threw 99 pitches (59 strikes) and lowered his season ERA to 2.79.
Highlights
Brett Baty with an RBI single to put the Mets on the board!
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 24, 2025
(via @Mets) pic.twitter.com/Zf7N0pDt1B
Two-run double for Juan Soto gives the Mets the lead! 🔥
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 25, 2025
(via @Mets) pic.twitter.com/maexTFopu6
Brett Baty again! An RBI double adds to the Mets lead!
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 25, 2025
Baty is 3 for 3 on the day with 2 RBI’s 🔥
(via @Mets) pic.twitter.com/TlWDVGcz91
What's next
The Mets (31-21) will play the rubber game of their series against the Dodgers on Sunday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m.
Kodai Senga (4-3, 1.43 ERA) is slated to take the mound opposite Landon Knack (2-1, 6.17 ERA).
Juan Soto makes overtaxed Dodgers pitching staff pay in Mets victory
It had been more than two weeks since Juan Soto, the only man in baseball with a richer contract than Shohei Ohtani, had recorded an extra-base hit for the New York Mets.
In the bottom of the fourth inning Saturday night at Citi Field, however, Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin provided him the perfect opportunity to get back on track.
After a solid opening three innings for Gonsolin, who was making an all-important start for the Dodgers a night after their 13-inning marathon victory in the series opener, the right-hander had made a mess for himself in the fourth.
With two outs, he issued back-to-back four-pitch walks to load the bases. The Dodgers’ early one-run lead then disappeared when Starling Marte reached on a half-swing infield single.
Read more:Teoscar Hernández and Dodgers defeat Mets in 13 innings, but pitching issues loom large
That brought up Soto, who had underperformed through much of his first two months in Queens after signing a $765-million mega-contract with the Mets. Gonsolin got ahead 1-and-2 in the count, before narrowly missing with a slider. He tried to come back with his trademark splitter. But Soto was all over it, crushing a two-run double that proved to be the decisive blow in New York’s 5-2 victory over the Dodgers.
“At the outset, I was pretty optimistic, getting a 2-0 lead,” manager Dave Roberts said. “And then there was that [fourth inning] where he sort of lost command, had two outs and the back-to-back walks. ... And obviously the big hit from Soto with two outs. He just couldn't kind of limit damage right there.”
In what likely will be a preview of what’s to come for the Dodgers (32-20) over a grueling portion of their schedule in the next month, the team’s fate Saturday was almost entirely reliant upon the performance of their starter.
On Friday night, their already overworked bullpen had been gassed again by their extra-inning gantlet. And though they won that game, and freshened up their pitching staff by calling up Bobby Miller on Saturday for some extra length, Roberts had his hands tied as Gonsolin started to lose command.
Over his first three innings against the Mets (31-21), Gonsolin had been fine, giving up one run in a two-out rally in the second by skirting more danger in the third by dialing up an inning-ending double-play with runners on the corners.
The fourth was a different story.
Luis Torrens led with a single. Tyrone Taylor clobbered a fly ball that seemed like a no-doubter off the bat before dying in a stiff breeze at the left-field warning track. Then, Gonsolin became erratic, throwing eight consecutive balls to Brett Baty and Francisco Lindor to load the bases for the heart of the Mets' order.
“Very upset with the walks,” Gonsolin said. “Don't walk those guys, potentially that inning looks a lot different. Just need to attack guys."
Read more:'It’s reimagining team travel.' Why the Dodgers are using two planes on road trips this year
Maybe on a night the Dodgers' bullpen was fresh, Roberts could have considered summoning a lefty to face Soto once Gonsolin began floundering. But after using seven of his eight relievers the previous night, he had no choice but to leave Gonsolin in as the four-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger came to the plate.
Five pitches later, Soto changed the game — sending Citi Field into euphoria with his go-ahead double that banged high off the wall in right center, the inning only ending when Marte was thrown out at home trying to score from first as the trail runner.
“Thought I executed a slider really well there,” Gonsolin said of a two-strike offering that Soto didn’t bite on. “He's got a really good eye. Barely missed.
“Then yeah, the splitter, thought it was a solid one, just elevated it. And he didn’t miss it.”
Gonsolin did return to the mound and completed the fifth, saving at least one inning that otherwise would have fallen upon the Dodgers’ bullpen. Miller also contributed two innings at the end, giving up one run in the eighth and getting out of a bases-loaded jam.
But on the other side, Mets starter David Peterson had no trouble going deep, using sharp command with his sinker, seven strikeouts and three double plays to get through 7 ⅔ innings of two-run ball.
“There wasn’t much offensive energy tonight, as far as how we were swinging, the at-bats we were taking,” Roberts said. “So to try to chase and use leverage guys in a down game, it just didn’t make any sense for me.”
So goes things for the Dodgers right now; ever mindful of their MLB-leading bullpen workload, and needing better production from their starters than what Gonsolin provided.
Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yankees Notes: Offense produces 10-pack of runs at Coors Field, Max Fried continues to make history
It didn't take long for the Yankees to shrug off Friday's humiliating loss to the historically awful Rockies. They corrected those wrongs by resembling the far superior team less than 24 hours later.
Those who visited Coors Field with hopes of witnessing a two-game winning streak from one of the worst clubs ever assembled in MLB's modern era were disappointed. Reality set back in on Saturday, as the Yankees produced a mammoth 10-run inning en route to a 13-1 drubbing of the lowly Rockies.
With the score knotted at 1-1 entering the fifth, New York proceeded to send 14 batters to the plate, and the offensive eruption featured seven hits, three walks, and one error. Ironically, the monstrous rally ended with a strikeout of Aaron Judge, who drew first blood just 10 pitches into the game with his 18th home run of the season.
Each player in the Yankees' lineup registered a hit, and the trio of Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, and DJ LeMahieu logged three knocks apiece. New York totalled a season-high 21 hits, and the fifth-inning barrage also marked the Yankees' first season with multiple 10-run frames since 2009.
"It just started to snowball. We had a few games here where the offense had been held down," Yankees manager Aaron Boonetold reporters after the win. "To have a breakout inning like that was really good to see. Just a lot of really outstanding at-bats that inning. Today was just a really good example of a snowball inning... Coming off four or five days where we hadn't scored a bunch, to break out like that, was nice."
Pitching to the Max
While only one-third of the season is in the books, Max Fried has been earning every penny of the record-breaking contract he signed in free agency this past offseason. The veteran lefty once again resembled an ace, completing 7.1 innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts and two pickoffs. He also lowered his season ERA to a league-best 1.29 and threw an economical 83 pitches.
Fried also made some history of his own. According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, the southpaw's laudable ERA is the lowest by a Yankee in his first 11 starts of a season since earned runs became an official stat, back in 1913. The immense pressure to lead New York's rotation with Gerrit Cole sidelined for all of 2025 hasn't fazed Fried. The pinstripes clearly aren't too heavy for him.
"The elements are different [at Coors Field]. It's more about making pitches and making sure you're executing those pitches," Fried explained. "Because the ones that hang and are left over the plate really can beat you. It's really about making sure you're staying on top of it... We're in a good position to win games, that's all I can really control. Everything else is nice, but for me, when I take the ball, I really just want us to win. That's been my main goal."
Langs also noted that Fried -- who now owns an AL-best seven wins -- has the fourth-lowest ERA for a pitcher through their first 11 starts with a new franchise over the last 30 seasons. His next challenge will come against the reigning champion Dodgers at Chavez Ravine next weekend.
Striking Gold against lefties
Goldschmidt's placement atop the Yankees' lineup on Saturday was calculated and predictable. Entering the game, the veteran first baseman had a stellar .538 average with nine extra-base hits against left-handers this season (48 plate appearances), and the Rockies' starter was -- surprise! -- southpaw Kyle Freeland.
In the leadoff spot, Goldschmidt went 3-for-4 with an RBI single, two runs scored, and a walk. His season average now sits at .344 -- third-best in the majors -- and a change of scenery has undoubtedly rejuvenated the 37-year-old slugger.
"I know the last couple games we hadn't scored that much. I feel like yesterday we had a lot of chances," Goldschmidt said. "Same thing today, those first few innings, we had a bunch of people on base and then some double plays. So I think the mindset is, just continue to have good at-bats and know there could be a big inning or a lot of small innings. Fortunate to get all of those runs there."
Hurricanes Rookie Avoids Major Injury Following Dirty Hit In Game 3
The Carolina Hurricanes couldn't have possibly drawn up a worse series than what's happening to them in the Eastern Conference Final currently.
They're down 2-0 to the Florida Panthers, getting embarrassed in back-to-back games at home and are also missing two of their regular defensemen to boot.
They then gave up essentially an own-goal to open Game 3 and now to make matters worse, it seems like they're going to be without impressive rookie Jackson Blake after the 21-year-old absorbed a brutal hit toward the end of the first period.
As Blake was going to retrieve a puck in the Carolina end, Florida forward Eetu Luostarinen hooked the rookie and as he was slipping, finished him head first into the glass.
Luostarinen received a five-minute penalty and the boot from the game for this hit on Jackson Blake
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) May 25, 2025
pic.twitter.com/RbUhI2GivR
Blake was down on the ice for a long time after the hit holding his head and bleeding from the forehead. He was eventually able to skate off the ice under his own power and went straight to the Canes locker room.
After reviewing the play, Luostarinen was also given a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for the hit.
The Canes trail 1-0 after one period and will have 1:59 of power play time remaining to start the second.
UPDATE: Jackson Blake returned for the second period.
Be sure to check out the Carolina Hurricanes 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Hub for all postseason stories!
Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
Australian 19-year-old Maya Joint wins first WTA title ahead of French Open
Joint outplays Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian 6-3, 6-2 in Rabat final
New world No 53 to play compatriot Ajla Tomljanovic in Paris
Australian tennis has been given a major boost on the eve of the French Open after Maya Joint was crowned a WTA tour title winner in Morocco at the age of just 19.
Joint collapsed to the clay in joy in Rabat on Saturdayafter outplaying Romanian Jaqueline Cristian 6-3, 6-2 in the Morocco Open final.
Continue reading...Stokes slams ‘agenda’ against centurion as England star stuns with unbelievable one-handed catch
Ben Stokes came to the defence of Ollie Pope by saying the vice-captain’s century against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge had answered an “agenda” against the Surrey batsman.
Yankees' offense erupts for 10 runs in fifth inning en route to 13-1 win over Rockies
The Yankees' offense erupted for 13 runs and a season-high 21 hits, thanks to a 10-run fifth inning, in their 13-1 rout of the Rockies in Colorado on Saturday afternoon.
Saturday marked the second time the Yankees have produced a 10-plus run inning this season (May 6). It's also the first time that's happened multiple times in one season since 2009.
Here are the takeaways...
-After homering in his first game at Coors Field, Aaron Judge gave the Denver crowd an encore with a solo shot in the first inning. Judge went the other way, 405 feet off of Kyle Freeland for his 18th homer of the season.
Aside from the Judge blast, the Yankees' offense just couldn't get much going, leaving runners on base and grounding into double plays. But that changed in the fifth. Austin Wells hit a leadoff single, which was followed by Oswald Peraza's double that scored the Yankees' catcher. Trent Grisham then hit a chopper at the plate and Freeland made a poor throw that got by the first baseman, which allowed Peraza to score.
Cody Bellinger drove in the third run of the inning with a sacrifice fly after Judge was intentionally walked to load the bases. Anthony Volpe singled up the middle that hit second base and bounced off the second baseman's glove. Jasson Dominguez hit a sacrifice fly that scored Judge, Wells doubled to score two, Paul Goldschmidt hit an RBI single and Grisham capped off the 10-run inning with a two-run double.
After 10 runs on seven hits, three walks, and one error, the inning mercifully ended on a Judge strikeout. The Yanks sent up 14 batters in the fifth.
-After scoring just two runs on five hits in Friday's loss, the Yankees' offense came to play. Every starter registered at least one hit, with Goldschmidt, Bellinger, Volpe and DJ LeMahieu picking up three knocks apiece. Even J.C. Escarra and Pablo Reyes picked up hits in mop-up duty.
Bellinger got the series opener off after his 15-game hitting streak was snapped on Thursday. Back in the lineup, the veteran outfielder hit a double in his first at-bat and finished 2-for-4. Judge went 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout and his season batting average dipped to .395.
-The run support was more than enough for Max Fried. The southpaw got through the Rockies' lineup with relative ease, scattering six hits and a walk while allowing just one run. Fried was very economical, throwing just 77 pitches entering the eighth inning. After a strikeout on six pitches to start the inning, manager Aaron Boone pulled his ace.
Fried allowed just one run on six hits and one walk across 7.1 innings (83 pitches/57 strikes), while striking out seven. An impressive line, considering he was pitching at Coors Field and the number of long innings he had to sit on the bench for. He's lowered his MLB-low ERA to 1.29.
He also picked off two runners at first base, increasing his AL lead to six pickoffs this season.
-Ian Hamilton, who allowed eight runs over his last six appearances, was brought in to finish the game. The right-hander allowed two hits and struck out three batters over the 1.2 innings.
Game MVP: Max Fried
The entire Yankees offense could have been the MVP. But Fried not only mowed down the Rockies and got the team their first win in the series, he gave the bullpen a breather.
Highlights
Aaron Judge gets the Yankees on the board with his 18th homer of the year!
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 24, 2025
(via @Yankees) pic.twitter.com/biQoWlky6n
A Peraza RBI double brings in Wells and the Yankees retake the lead! pic.twitter.com/HYuxO3x0Qj
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 24, 2025
Yankees are piling it on in the 5th inning 🔥
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 24, 2025
Seven runs including this 2-RBI double from Austin Wells!
pic.twitter.com/5ey5DU4qUH
Every Yankees starter now has a hit today against the Rockies 👏 pic.twitter.com/p4NHM1W7Je
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 24, 2025
What's next
The Yankees finish off their three-game set at Coors Field on Sunday afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for 3:10 p.m.
RHP Will Warren (3-2, 4.05 ERA) gets the start for New York, and will be opposed by the Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (1-8, 6.34 ERA).
Cowboys 5x Pro Bowler, Red River hero ranked among Top 25 CFB players of 2000s
Golden Knights Reportedly In Two-Team Race For KHL Star Forward
With the team pressed to the salary cap, Vegas Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon continues to find unique ways to add skilled forwards to his lineup and could be doing so again with KHL star Maxim Shabanov.
According to a report by Marco D'Amico of RG Media, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Golden Knights are in a "two-horse race" to sign KHL star forward Shabanov.
The 24-year-old forward was dominant with Traktor Chelyabinsk, scoring 23 goals and 67 points in 65 games, ranking third in points among all players in the KHL. Although he's considered undersized, listed at just 5'8, 157 lbs, it hasn't affected his ability to create offence, displaying his skill set during the playoffs, recording 10 goals and 20 points in 21 games, losing in the Gagarin Cup finals.
Shabanov, this year's big little KHL free agent has finished his KHL season.
— Jack Manning (@NHLJackManning) May 21, 2025
The fight to sign him to an NHL deal starts today (it likely started last year, but shhhh.)pic.twitter.com/crvAILu3Gq
“Maybe I'll think about it, maybe not. I've said before that all my thoughts were focused on having a successful season with Traktor. I don’t read what people write about me or listen to what they say,” Shabanov commented before the final.
Across four seasons in the KHL, Shabanov registered 67 goals and 150 points in 207 games. With Russian forwards Ivan Barbashev and Pavel Dorofeyev on the Golden Knights roster, they could be a factor in swaying Shabanov to sign with the Golden Knights.
Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.