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Nashville Predators vs. New York Islanders: Live Game Thread

The Nashville Predators (27-42-8, 62 points) look to avoid a seventh straight loss when they host the New York Islanders (36-34-7, 78 points) Tuesday at Bridgestone Arena.

Nashville is coming off a 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday, while the Islanders' last game was a 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals that saw Alexander Ovechkin score his 895th career goal to break Wayne Gretzky's NHL record.

Jonathan Marchessault, Nashville Predators

How the Predators Lined Up vs. New York

Bunting-O'Reilly-Evangelista
Forsberg-Stamkos-L'Heureux
Vrana-Svechkov-Marchessault
Smith-McCarron-Wood

Skjei-Blankenburg
Del Gaizo-Barron
Englund-Oesterle

Annunen
Saros

Extra: Sissons (WTW)
IR: Lauzon, Wilsby, Josi

Jonathan Marchessault, who missed Nashville's last four games with an upper-body injury, returns to the lineup against the Islanders.

Matthew Wood, the Predators' first-round pick (No. 15 overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft, will appear in his second NHL game after making his debut with Nashville Sunday against the Montreal Canadiens.

The Predators announced prior to Tuesday's game that forward Kieffer Bellows and defenseman Spencer Stastney had been reassigned to the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals.

Predators vs. Islanders: Live Updates

First Period (NSH 2, NYI 2)

The Islanders took an early 1-0 lead when Simon Holmstrom deflected a Ryan Pulock shot from the top of the right circle past Justus Annunen at the 4:16 mark.

Ryan O'Reilly cleaned up a rebound on a Michael Bunting shot in front of the Islanders' net for a quick Nashville response at the 6:44 mark to tie the game at 1-1.

O'Reilly's goal was his 18th of the season and the 300th of his career. 

Filip Forsberg gave the Predators their first lead of the game five minutes later with his 30th goal of the season – an unassisted shot from the top of the left circle at the 11:45 mark.

The tally gave Forsberg the fifth 30-goal season of his career, the most by a single player in franchise history. 

Bo Horvat deflected an Adam Pelech shot past Annunen to tie it up for the Islanders at the 16:12 mark.

The Predators and Islanders carried a 2-2 tie into the first intermission, with the shots 12-8 in favor of Nashville.

Second Period (NSH 4, NYI 4)

New York retook the lead on Holmstrom's second goal of the night early in the second period. Holmstrom received a pass in front of the net from Jean-Gabriel Pageau and roofed a shot that beat Annunen to put the Islanders on top, 3-2.

Nashville once again had the answer, this time on the power play. A Tony DeAngelo holding penalty gave the Predators their first chance on the man advantage, and Steven Stamkos made it count with a clapper from the top of the left circle to tie the game at 3-3.

New York took the lead once again at the 12:09 mark of the second period when Maxim Tsyplakov lifted the puck over Annunen's left shoulder to give the Islanders their fourth goal on 10 shots.

It took just over a minute for the Predators to tie it back up, as Michael McCarron deflected a Brady Skjei shot and punched in his own rebound at the 13:25 mark of the period to make it 4-4.

Third Period (NSH 4, NYI 4)

Marcus Hogberg replaced Ilya Sorokin in goal for the Islanders at the start of the third period.

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Pete Alonso powers Mets offense in 10-5 win over Marlins

Pete Alonso had two of the Mets' 13 hits and drove in four runs as New York defeated the Miami Marlins, 10-5, on Tuesday afternoon at Citi Field.

It was a cold, blustery afternoon in Flushing, and the wind would affect the game on both sides. But it wasn't enough to derail the Mets, who won their sixth game in a row.

Here are the takeaways...

-The elements played a role in Clay Holmes' rough first inning. Xavier Edwards hit a flyball to right field, but the 25-plus mph winds carried it towards the line and out of reach of Juan Soto, a ball the outfielder didn't have a chance at grabbing. But the closer-turned-starter didn't do himself any favors, walking back-to-back batters after getting two outs to load the bases. Liam Hicks slapped an opposite-field single to left field, plating two.

After the shaky first, Holmes settled in, striking out five straight batters, including striking out the side in the fourth on just 10 pitches. Holmes left after allowing two runners in the sixth after throwing 87 pitches (56 strikes).

Huascar Brazoban was the first arm out of the bullpen, which entered Tuesday with an MLB-best 1.19 ERA, but the right-hander allowed Holmes' two inherited runners to score. One came off a Derek Hill two-run homer that went 398 feet over the right-center field wall. Tyrone Taylor seemed to have a beat on it, but the wind seemingly carried it over the wall.

Holmes' day was done after allowing four runs on five hits and three walks over 5.1 innings. His 10 strikeouts are a career high and the most by a Mets starter this season.

-Alonso continued his hot start to the season on Tuesday. The slugger went 2-for-4 with a walk and drove in four runs. The big hit for the right-hander came in the sixth. With one out, the Marlins elected to intentionally walk Soto to load the bases and pitch to Alonso with a right-hander. Alonso drove a double into the gap and cleared the bases.

-Francisco Lindoralso continued his hot hitting, leading off with a solo shot that went 391 feet into the upper deck in right field. It's the shortstop's fifth consecutive game with a leadoff hit, the first home run this season. It was his 21st career leadoff home run (third as a Met).

Lindor added a sac fly to drive in his second run of the game and finished 1-for-4 with two runs scored. He also extended his hitting streak to seven games.

-The wind also made an impact in the third. With Soto on first, Alonso hit a fly ball to right field that the wind took. The ball kept carrying toward the line when it landed just out of the reach of a diving Kyle Stowers in fair territory. The ball bounced away from the Marlins and hit the netting along the first base side. Soto, who was running with two outs and a full count, scored easily to tie the game 2-2.

-Brandon Nimmo would give the Mets the lead with a two-run double in the fifth with the bases loaded. Nimmo, who couldn't come up with a big hit in Monday's game, came through after driving a first-pitch sweeper from Calvin Faucher over the plate. Starling Marte would tack on two more runs with a bloop single to right field that the wind, again, drove away from a diving Otto Lopez.

-Taylor got the start for the second consecutive game and although he went hitless in five at-bats, he was a victim of some tough luck. With the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth, Taylor drove a pitch into deep center field, but Hill, running at full speed, dove with full extension to steal a double from Taylor.

Soto extended his on-base streak to 11 games with his third-inning single. Soto finished 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs.

-Aside from Brazoban, the Mets bullpen was great. The combination of A.J. Minter, Danny Young and Reed Garrett kept the Marlins hitless in 2.0 innings.

Game MVP: Pete Alonso

While Holmes was great on the mound, Alonso's bases-clearing double put the stake in the Marlins' coffin.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets look for their second consecutive series sweep when they host the Marlins at Citi Field. First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m.

Tylor Megill (2-0, 0.87 ERA) will take the mound with the Mets lineup taking on Max Meyer (0-1, 3.09 ERA).

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Rojas, Sosa explain the defensive mistake that cost Wheeler and Phillies

Rojas, Sosa explain the defensive mistake that cost Wheeler and Phillies originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

ATLANTA — It’s impossible to know how the Phillies’ series opener would have played out if not for a crucial defensive gaffe, but it cost Zack Wheeler three runs and may have cost them a game in a 7-5 loss to the Braves.

Rob Thomson started Johan Rojas in center field and Edmundo Sosa in left Tuesday against left-hander Chris Sale. It was Sosa’s first career start in the outfield and in his first defensive chance in the opening frame, he leaped over the wall to rob Marcell Ozuna of a home run.

But the Phillies’ inexperienced outfield arrangement more than offset the robbery an inning later when Rojas and Sosa didn’t communicate properly and let a routine flyball drop gently in front of Rojas for an Austin Riley “double.” Wheeler had retired the batter before and after Riley, but the mental error extended the inning for Sean Murphy to eventually hit a three-run homer.

If it was any combination of Brandon Marsh, Max Kepler and Rojas out there, the play likely would have been made. Sale is an extremely difficult matchup for most lefties and Sosa started the season 11-for-20, which is why Thomson gave him the nod.

The mistake came down to a misunderstanding. Sosa pursued Riley’s flyball aggressively but then yelled “you, you, you,” to Rojas, letting him know the ball was his. Rojas seemed to think Sosa was calling him off. It was the center fielder’s ball either way and Rojas was accountable postgame.

“I have to catch that ball,” he said. “That’s my responsibility over there. I have to catch it. There’s no excuse.”

Both Rojas and Sosa were disappointed that the play negatively affected Wheeler’s line and extended the third inning. The game wasn’t decided that early, but the extra pitches and stress added up for Wheeler, who was pulled by Thomson after putting four straight men on base in the bottom of the sixth.

“We missed that play and Wheels was having a great game,” Sosa said. “This is the big leagues, we have to make that play all the time, it doesn’t matter if it’s the first play of the game, last play of the game, the inning or the score, we’ve got to execute all those plays.

“We went to the dugout and had a conversation. (Rojas) just told me to try not to call those balls beforehand with that much anticipation because sometimes with all the noise from the crowd, you cannot hear what your teammates are saying. We discussed maybe not calling the ball so early until you really know that you have it.

“I think I went too quick for the ball too. At one point I was calling for the ball to be his but all the confusion with the noise, we couldn’t communicate clearly.”

The Phillies still came right back after Murphy’s three-run shot, just like they did over the weekend to the Dodgers. They scored three in the third thanks to a two-run triple by Kyle Schwarber, who also homered in the fifth.

But Wheeler was unable to navigate through the bottom of the sixth, in large part because of tough at-bats from bottom-of-the-order hitters Jarred Kelenic and Orlando Arcia.

“I was mad at myself for not bearing down because you take pride in that type of stuff,” Wheeler said. “Not being able to bear down and get out of that (third) inning unscathed, that made me mad also.

“Things like that happen, you’ve got to keep the focus. I’ve been doing it for a while now and stuff like that’s happened over my career. So you kind of take pride as a pitcher in, all right, I’m going to get us out of this. And it just didn’t happen tonight.”

The Braves took the lead and won it in the seventh when Orion Kerkering couldn’t find his command. Kerkering’s first four appearances had been scoreless, and regardless of this result he’s probably already leapfrogged the struggling Jordan Romano in the Phillies’ bullpen hierarchy.

Most assumed Tuesday’s series opener would be a pitchers’ duel between Chris Sale and Wheeler, the National League Cy Young winner and runner-up from a season ago. Sale didn’t have much, though, failing to make it out of the fifth inning. He was victimized by Schwarber and Nick Castellanos in particular. Combined, they went 6-for-6 off him with a homer, triple and two doubles.

Facing a lefty all four times, Schwarber reached base in every plate appearance with a single, triple, 462-foot homer and walk. The adjustment he made ahead of 2024 to try to use more of the field against lefties was real and the impact has been astonishing. Schwarber was a .204 lifetime hitter against lefties entering 2024, his age-31 season. Since last Opening Day, he’s ripped southpaws to the tune of .316/.423/.547.

He hasn’t just made himself passable against same-handed pitching, he’s turned into one of the biggest threats in baseball. Already this season, Schwarber is 8-for-17 vs. lefties with five extra-base hits. And Sale, with those long arms and legs and low arm slot, is as funky as it gets.

Aside from Schwarber and Castellanos, though, the rest of the Phillies’ lineup was 3-for-29 on Tuesday with one walk and no extra-base hits. The 6 through 9 hitters, so productive through nine games, went 0-for-15.

Tuesday began a stretch of 16 games in 16 days for the Phils so they’ll have to be careful with not only their starting pitchers but also the relievers after five straight close games decided by one or two runs.

Wednesday’s assignment belongs to Taijuan Walker, who will try to build upon his best start in two years.

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Penguins V. Blackhawks Preview: Forward Recalled, Pens Look For Rematch Win

Apr 6, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Ryan Donato (8) takes a shot on goal past Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Conor Timmins (20) against goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (39) during the third period at United Center. (Talia Sprague-Imagn Images)

As has been the case for much of the season, Pittsburgh Penguins players keep dropping like flies.

And yet another injury has forced their hand for a call-up situation.

With forwards Philip Tomasino (concussion) and Blake Lizotte (lower-body injury) both out of the lineup for Tuesday's rematch tilt against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Penguins recalled forward Matt Nieto from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) on an emergency basis.

Nieto - who was waived by Pittsburgh on Feb. 26 and subsequently re-assigned to WBS - has a goal and three points with the Penguins this season. In 15 games with WBS, he has three goals and seven points. He skated with fourth line during the morning skate Tuesday alongside Joona Koppanen and Noel Acciari. 

Penguins Eliminated From Playoff Contention In 3-1 Loss To Blackhawks Penguins Eliminated From Playoff Contention In 3-1 Loss To Blackhawks Unfortunately for the Pittsburgh Penguins, they will be hitting the links early for the third consecutive season.

"He's a great pro," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "A terrific person, a great pro. He understands that he has a professionalism about him. He's been around the game a long time. He understands that he brings the right intentions, the right effort, the right energy, whether he's here or he's in Wilkes-Barre. He's handled it extremely well."

He will try to help the Penguins get revenge on Chicago from Sunday's 3-1 loss, which officially eliminated Pittsburgh from the playoffs for the third consecutive season. The team knows they need much more energy from the jump if they are going to come out on top in this one.

"We didn't have our best game when we played them last time," forward Rickard Rakell said. "Fortunately, we have the chance to redeem ourselves tonight, and that should just be enough motivation for us to put a better game on the ice."

He also acknowledged the mindset that the group needs to have the rest of the way, given the fact that they are officially out of the race.

"We play for each other," Rakell said. "You're in this organization, and you've got to play with some pride... just do everything you can to play your best game every night."

Tristan Jarry will get the start in goal Tuesday, as Alex Nedeljkovic faced Chicago Sunday and turned in a pretty good effort, stopping 28 of 30 shots faced. In his last start, Jarry stopped 21 of 24 shots in a 5-3 win against the Dallas Stars, and he's 5-3-2 in his last 10 games. 

Crosby's Hat Trick Powers Penguins 5-3 Win Over StarsCrosby's Hat Trick Powers Penguins 5-3 Win Over StarsThere is a certain NHL winger about to break Wayne Gretzky's goal record who is - rightfully - garnering a ton of attention across the league.

Here is the rest of the starting lineup for the Penguins:

Rutger McGroarty - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust
Rickard Rakell - Evgeni Malkin - Ville Koivunen
Connor Dewar - Kevin Hayes - Danton Heinen
Matt Nieto - Joona Koppanen - Noel Acciari

Matt Grzelcyk - Kris Letang
Conor Timmins - Erik Karlsson
Ryan Graves - Ryan Shea

Entering Tuesday's game, Rakell and Rust are both sitting on career-highs in goals, with 34 and 28, respectively. Sidney Crosby is also riding a 13-game home point streak, which is the second-longest active such streak in the NHL.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!  

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To no one's surprise, Steph bounces back in Warriors' rout of Suns

To no one's surprise, Steph bounces back in Warriors' rout of Suns originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Unpredictability is one of the beauties of sports. There’s no telling what’s going to happen next, despite what the data suggests. Isn’t that what makes Warriors star Steph Curry so special, too? 

Even though his father, Dell, played 16 years in the NBA, there wasn’t a script written for Steph’s Hollywood story. His father’s alma mater Virginia Tech didn’t want him. Neither did any big college. Or five other teams in the 2009 NBA Draft, including the Minnesota Timberwolves in both their chances. 

An undersized guard who joined the Warriors looking closer to a freshman in high school than an NBA rookie beat what the data said long ago. But his play in the Warriors’ blowout 133-95 win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday at PHX Arena was oh so predictable. 

History said so, as did knowing how Curry the creature operates. 

Curry has been held to single digits twice during the 2024-25 NBA season. Rookie Jaylen Wells and the Memphis Grizzlies smothered him on Dec. 19 when Curry only scored two points in a 41-point loss, where he missed all six of his 3-point attempts and seven shots overall. Curry’s response was scorching the Minnesota Timberwolves for 31 points, going 10 of 21 from the field and 7 of 16 on threes. 

In the fourth quarter of that 10-point win, Curry tapped into pure savage mode. Stopping him wasn’t an option on the menu. Curry scored 13 points for the quarter, but 11 in a flurry that lasted one minute and 29 seconds of game time. 

The second time was Sunday when a combination of Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks, Fred VanVleet and the Houston Rockets’ bully-ball defensive game plan held Curry to three points, making one of his eight 3-point attempts and missing both 2-pointers he tried. 

Within the first five minutes Tuesday, Curry had surpassed the total points he scored the previous game. The bounce-back is real. Curry didn’t take a shot in the first six-plus minutes of the game and then scored 13 points in the next four minutes and 40 seconds. At halftime he was up to 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting. At the 3:30 mark of the third quarter, his night was done with the Warriors up by 32 points. 

Curry in 26 minutes scored 25 points. He was a plus-31 with nine rebounds and six assists, and shot 9 of 17 overall, as well as 3 of 9 on threes.

“I loved how Draymond [Green], Steph [Curry] and Jimmy [Butler] and our vets really established the tone,” coach Steve Kerr said. “Even before the game started at shootaround, they were locked in and it showed right from the onset.”

There wasn’t a Thompson twin or Dillon The Villain or a VanVleet on the floor. Not a Tari Eason, too. 

The Warriors picked on any defender they wanted from Phoenix’s 27th-ranked defensive rating, 23 slots below Houston. All Bradley Beal could do was laugh when Curry hit him with his famed look-away 3-pointer in the first quarter. 

But this is what Curry does. 

When the Warriors got crushed by the Cleveland Cavaliers one game after a big win over the Celtics in Boston, Curry responded with 36 points in a statement win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. After scoring just 10 points on 2-of-13 shooting in a loss to the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 23, he dropped 38 points and made eight threes against the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas. He closed 2024 with a clunker of 11 points in another loss to the Cavs, and then opened 2025 with 30 points and eight threes to smack the Philadelphia 76ers. 

The game prior to him making 56 points appear in front of the Orlando Magic, Curry only scored 15. One week ago he gave the Grizzlies 52 points, a game after scoring 13 while the Warriors had zero problems playing the San Antonio Spurs. 

Every all-time great has something special the eye can’t see. It lives inside, not only in heart and head but as the central nervous system to the soul. A game that doesn’t live up to Curry’s standards fuels that invisible super power. 

Enjoying the party from the bench, Curry was filled with laughs, cheers and maybe even a yawn or two as he earned the extra rest a 38-point victory rewards him with. The way he moved – slicing, dicing, draining shots and dishing alley-oops – told the real story of Steph before the barrage was on.

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Championship roundup: Burnley slip from summit after being held at Derby

  • Sheffield United third after home defeat by Millwall
  • Sunderland seal playoff place with draw at Norwich

Burnley were knocked off the top of the Championship on goal difference after yet another goalless draw – their 12th of the season – against Derby.

On a night of more twists and turns, the third side in the automatic promotion chase, Sheffield United, slipped to third after a 1-0 home defeat against Millwall.

Continue reading...
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Panthers Want To Face Maple Leafs? That Hunch Disrespects The Division Leaders

John Tavares and Oliver Ekman-Larsson congratulate Anthony Stolarz after a win against the Florida Panthers on April 2. (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)

The defending Stanley Cup-champion Florida Panthers are resting some veteran players despite falling behind the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Panthers, which lost their last five games, are six points behind the Atlantic Division-leading Maple Leafs and four behind the Lightning. The Ottawa Senators, which sit in the first wild-card spot, are only two points behind Florida.

This has all led to the suggestion that the Panthers would be better off sinking in the Atlantic to set up a first-round series with the Maple Leafs instead of facing the Lightning, which won Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 and improved from last season.

From this writer’s perspective, we think that’s inaccurate and disrespectful to a Maple Leafs team currently sitting second in the Eastern Conference and fifth in the NHL.

Yes, the Maple Leafs have a pattern of early exits in the playoffs. A similar thing can be said about the Colorado Avalanche, which didn’t make it out of the second round in 10 post-seasons between 2002-03 and 2020-21 before they won a Cup in 2021-22. The Leafs, meanwhile, are at 11 straight post-seasons without a Conference final appearance.

Eventually, many teams figure out how to win in the post-season. This year's Leafs could well be one of those teams.

Let’s remember, the Maple Leafs have two above-average goalies in Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll, the best defense corps in recent franchise history, a “Core Four” of star forwards that remains very dangerous and a Cup-winning coach in Craig Berube. 

Of course, like every team, the Leafs are flawed, but assuming they will fall on their face again is ill-advised. The stakes are sky-high for Toronto, but that pressure could power them to finally produce a lengthy playoff run this year.

Even with the Panthers’ injuries factored in, the way they’re playing right now – going 3-6-1 in their last 10 games and 4-8-1 since March 8 – makes us think some teams should hope they avoid the Leafs and instead play the Panthers when the playoffs kick off. It's not easy to just flip a switch when the post-season begins, and we think Florida could be in trouble if and when they get back to full strength.

As for the Maple Leafs, if they face the Senators or Montreal Canadiens in the first round, they should and will be favored to win that series. 

Toronto isn’t a lock to go far this year, but the notion that teams should be maneuvering to set up a series against the Leafs is bordering on preposterous. The Leafs are a very good team with something to prove – and anyone betting against them is playing with Blue and White fire.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

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Former Mets, Yankees relief pitcher Octavio Dotel dies in DR roof collapse

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Octavio Dotel, who pitched for 13 major league teams in a 15-year career and won a world championship with the St. Louis Cardinals, was among the dead after a roof collapsed at a nightclub in his native Dominican Republic where he was attending a merengue concert. He was 51.

Officials initially said Dotel was rescued from the debris and transported to a hospital, but spokesman Satosky Terrero from the Professional Baseball League of the Dominican Republic confirmed to The Associated Press that Dotel died later Tuesday.

At least 58 people died and 160 were injured after the collapse at the Jet Set nightclub, officials said. Tony Blanco, who played one MLB season and eight years professionally in Japan, also died following the collapse, Terrero said.

Dotel signed with the New York Mets in 1993 as an amateur free agent and made his major league debut in 1999. A starter early in his career, he turned into a reliable and, at times, dominant reliever while appearing in 758 games from 1999-2013.

When he took the mound for the Detroit Tigers on April 7, 2012, he set the record playing for the most major league teams at 13. Edwin Jackson broke the record in 2019 when he pitched for his 14th team.

The Mets held a moment of silence for Dotel before their game Tuesday against Miami, and a Dominican flag was shown on the video scoreboard.

Dotel’s best years were with the Houston Astros in the early 2000s. He was a setup man for star closer Billy Wagner, making 302 appearances and posting a 3.25 ERA in four-plus seasons. He was the fifth of six pitchers to combine on a no-hitter against the New York Yankees in 2003. The next year, he was part of the three-way trade that brought Carlos Beltran to the Astros.

Dotel pitched for nine teams before he landed with the Cardinals, who acquired him from Toronto at the 2011 trade deadline. He appeared in 12 postseason games, including five in the World Series against Texas.

In 2013, he pitched on the Dominican Republic team that won the World Baseball Classic with an 8-0 record.

Dotel finished his major league career with 1,143 strikeouts in 951 innings, a magnificent rate of 10.8 per nine innings. He had a career 59-50 record, 109 saves and 3.78 ERA.

In 2019, Dotel and ex-major leaguer Luis Castillo were among 18 people taken into custody during a large U.S. and Dominican law enforcement operation against drug trafficking and money laundering. Dotel and Castillo were released when a Dominican magistrate judge found insufficient evidence to connect them to the operation.

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Giants' quiet bats squander another win-worthy pitching performance

Giants' quiet bats squander another win-worthy pitching performance originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — It wasn’t that difficult for the Giants to tip their caps on Monday night. Hunter Greene is one of the most electric starting pitchers in baseball, and he was simply overpowering in the first game of the series. 

It’s a bit harder to tip your cap a second straight night, though. 

Nick Lodolo wasn’t quite as efficient as Greene, but he was nearly as good. The lefty pitched six shutout innings and the Giants did nothing against the Cincinnati Reds’ bullpen, falling 1-0 in their second straight shutout. 

The 18 scoreless innings came on the heels of a seven-game winning streak and guaranteed the Giants’ first series loss of the 2025 MLB season. 

“It was a tough night last night, and then the first few innings [tonight] don’t go well and they make some pretty good plays in the field. I don’t want to say you start pressing, but you probably start to do a little too much and end up getting shut out two nights in a row,” manager Bob Melvin said. “[Heliot] Ramos’ ball looks like it’s going over his head, and he makes a great play in right field. We just couldn’t do enough. Four hits is not going to do it. 

“They only walked one guy, so we really didn’t have a lot of traffic on the bases to do too much with. I thought we had a pretty good approach. I think we knew what Lodolo was going to do based on last time — he pitched in a little bit more — but we just couldn’t get anything going.”

The best scoring chance came in the fifth, when Ramos hit a 353-foot fly ball to deep right with the tying run on third. Right fielder Jake Fraley made a tumbling catch on the warning track, and the Giants went down relatively quietly from there. There was so little offense that the game lasted just two hours and five minutes.

That was nothing new for the Reds, who have played in four of MLB’s six 1-0 games this season. They lead the majors in starters’ ERA (2.52), but the Giants just about matched them the last two nights. 

A night after Logan Webb’s spectacular outing, Landen Roupp went a career-high six innings and allowed just one run. Hayden Birdsong followed with three sharp relief innings that were punctuated by a pair of strikeouts with an insurance run on third. Birdsong has thrown seven shutout innings out of the bullpen thus far. 

“He’s pitching his tail off,” Roupp said. “I’m super happy for him for taking over that role and learning it super quick.”

Roupp dealt with some odd travel before his first start of the year, but on Tuesday he looked like the pitcher who edged Birdsong for a rotation job in the spring. That was the silver lining for the Giants, along with two hits apiece from Casey Schmitt and Sam Huff, both of whom had been hitless entering the night. 

The problem was that those were the only four hits for the Giants, who are still waiting for some regulars to get going. At the top of the list is Willy Adames, who struck out three times and saw his OPS drop to .489. Melvin said he isn’t worried about a shortstop with such a strong track record, and he noted that Adames still has found a way to drive in some runs early on.

There were none of them Tuesday, when the Giants wore their new City Connects for the first time. After going 30-16 in the previous version, it was a quiet debut for the black, purple and orange jerseys. 

“It’s tough to waste two really good pitching performances in the last couple of nights,” Melvin said. “We’re back at it tomorrow and hopefully the offense is better.”

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Octavio Dotel, who once held record of pitching for 13 major league teams, dies in DR roof collapse

MLB: Texas Rangers at Detroit Tigers

April 22, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Octavio Dotel (20) against the Texas Rangers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-Imagn Images

Andrew Weber-Imagn Images

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Octavio Dotel, who pitched for 13 major league teams in a 15-year career and won a world championship with the St. Louis Cardinals, was among the dead after a roof collapsed at a nightclub in his native Dominican Republic where he was attending a merengue concert. He was 51.

Officials initially said Dotel was rescued from the debris and transported to a hospital, but spokesman Satosky Terrero from the Professional Baseball League of the Dominican Republic confirmed to The Associated Press that Dotel died later Tuesday.

At least 58 people died and 160 were injured after the collapse at the Jet Set nightclub, officials said. Tony Blanco, who played one MLB season and eight years professionally in Japan, also died following the collapse, Terrero said.

Dotel signed with the New York Mets in 1993 as an amateur free agent and made his major league debut in 1999. A starter early in his career, he turned into a reliable and at times dominant reliever while appearing in 758 games from 1999-2013.

When he took the mound for the Detroit Tigers on April 7, 2012, he set the record playing for the most major league teams at 13. Edwin Jackson broke the record in 2019 when he pitched for his 14th team.

The Mets held a moment of silence for Dotel before their game Tuesday against Miami, and a Dominican flag was shown on the video scoreboard.

Dotel’s best years were with the Houston Astros in the early 2000s. He was a setup man for star closer Billy Wagner, making 302 appearances and posting a 3.25 ERA in four-plus seasons. He was the fifth of six pitchers to combine on a no-hitter against the New York Yankees in 2003. The next year, he was part of the three-way trade that brought Carlos Beltran to the Astros.

Dotel pitched for nine teams before he landed with the Cardinals, who acquired him from Toronto at the 2011 trade deadline. He appeared in 12 postseason games, including five in the World Series against Texas.

In 2013, he pitched on the Dominican Republic team that won the World Baseball Classic with an 8-0 record.

Dotel finished his major league career with 1,143 strikeouts in 951 innings, a magnificent rate of 10.8 per nine innings. He had a career 59-50 record, 109 saves and 3.78 ERA.

In 2019, Dotel and ex-major leaguer Luis Castillo were among 18 people taken into custody during a large U.S. and Dominican law enforcement operation against drug trafficking and money laundering. Dotel and Castillo were released when a Dominican magistrate judge found insufficient evidence to connect them to the operation.

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Flyers Cut Olle Lycksell Again; Long-Term Future In Doubt?

Flyers winger Olle Lycksell has a shot saved by Stars goalie Jake Oettinger. (Photo: Jerome Miron, Imagn Images)

The Philadelphia Flyers cut and subsequently assigned Olle Lycksell to the AHL after he cleared waivers Tuesday, officially ending his time in the NHL this season.

Because the Flyers already used their fourth and final post-trade deadline call-up on rookie goalie Aleksei Kolosov, Lycksell, 25, cannot return to the NHL this season barring an injury that creates an "emergency" situation that prevents the Flyers from dressing 12 forwards.

Lycksell hadn't played for the Flyers since featuring in a 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators on March 31 despite having assists in each of the two games prior to that.

But, as a pending free agent and a "prospect" who turns 26 years old before the start of next season, Lycksell was running out of time.

His most recent stint with the Flyers was an audition, either for the Flyers themselves or for other NHL teams, and the Flyers have decided to cut that short despite there being just five games remaining and being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.

This fate was not for a lack of opportunity, either, as Lycksell played up and down the lineup in various roles and situations.

According to Natural Stat Trick, the Flyers' most common line combinations including Lycksell at 5-on-5 were the following:

Olle Lycksell, Sean Couturier, and Matvei Michkov; Nick Deslauriers, Rodrigo Abols, and Olle Lycksell, and Olle Lycksell, Ryan Poehling, and Bobby Brink.

The line with Couturier and Michkov did not produce a single goal and was not on the ice for a goal against in 32:02 together, but the line with Deslauriers and Abols was out-attempted 27-25, out-scored 3-1, and out-chanced 17-13.

Curiously, the line with Lycksell, Poehling, and Brink was the best of the three, out-attempting opponents 18-15, out-scoring opponents 2-0, and narrowly out-chancing opponents 8-7.

It is worth noting, of course, that Poehling has five goals and seven points in his last five games and seven goals and 10 points in his last 10 games.

The 26-year-old former first-round pick is arguably the hottest player on the Flyers since the middle of March.

In respect to their similar ages, the difference between Lycksell and Poehling is ultimately that former first-round picks have to prove they can't play, while later draft picks like Lycksell have to prove that they can.

Based on this latest roster move, Lycksell has not proved to the Flyers that he can, at least consistently enough, leading to what could very well be the end of his Flyers career.

From the Flyers' perspective, it might make sense to offer Lycksell a contract in free agency and keep him around as a prospective 13th or 14th forward whom they can depend on in a pinch, particularly in case of injury.

From Lycksell's perspective, if the Swede is determined to make the NHL permanently, he could find a better opportunity to do so elsewhere.

The Flyers' top-nine is already stocked with players like Michkov, Brink, Owen Tippett, Tyson Foerster, and Travis Konecny, leaving little opportunity to carve out a role other than one as a fourth-line grinder.

Standing at just 5-foot-11 and 176 pounds, the odds are against Lycksell making a career out of such a role, especially this late in his development.

The good news is that, in the interim, Lycksell will join a Lehigh Valley Phantoms team that just clinched its third playoff berth in as many years.

With 17 goals and 41 points in 40 games with the Phantoms this season, Lycksell is the AHL club's leading scorer and ranks third on the team in goals, trailing only Jacob Gaucher and Alexis Gendron, who have scored 20 times apiece.

A strong Calder Cup playoff campaign could go a long way for Lycksell, who will be a Group-6 unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He'll be free to stay with the Flyers, if he wants, or choose another team, on Day 1 of free agency on July 1.

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What we learned as Steph Curry scores 25 points to fuel Warriors' win over Suns

What we learned as Steph Curry scores 25 points to fuel Warriors' win over Suns originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

Nothing cures a one-game hangover quite like a compliant opponent.

Taking full advantage of the mostly indifferent Phoenix Suns, without star forward Kevin Durant, the Warriors rolled to a 133-95 rout Tuesday night and remain in sixth place in the gridlocked Western Conference playoff race.

Golden State (47-32) still is looking up at the No. 4-seeded Los Angeles Clippers (47-32), who beat the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday and hold the tiebreaker over the Warriors. The Denver Nuggets, who fired coach Michael Malone on Tuesday, are the No. 5 seed also with a 47-32 record.

The Memphis Grizzlies, also 47-32, are the No. 7 seed, as the Warriors hold the tiebreaker. The Minnesota Timberwolves (46-33) lost on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks and trail Golden State by one game.

Seven Warriors scored in double figures, led by 25 points from Stephen Curry and 22 from Brandin Podziemski. Golden State took the lead three minutes into the game and never were threatened over the final 45 minutes.

So decisive was this one that Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green played each played only 20 minutes.

The Suns (35-44) lost their seventh consecutive game and look, for all intents and purposes, like a team playing only by request of the schedule.

Here are three takeaways as Golden State follows a frustrating loss to Houston with a demolition of the Suns in the desert:

Steph bounces back

After the results of Curry’s last game, scoring three points on 1-of-10 shooting in a loss to the Rockets, the Suns surely knew a storm was coming.

And they got it. All of it.

Freed from the 7-foot wingspan and grappling defense of Houston’s Amen Thompson, Curry blistered anyone the Suns threw at him. He wasted no time, making his first three shots – two triples and a free throw – in 71 seconds and dropping 13 points in nine first-quarter minutes. Golden State’s 37-24 lead after one quarter set a tone that never wavered.

Curry’s 25 points came on 9-of-17 shooting from the field, including 3-of-9 from distance. He added nine rebounds and six assists, finishing plus-31 over 25 minutes.

Perhaps best of all for Golden State was that Curry took a seat on the bench with 3:30 left in the third quarter and sat for the rest of the game.

He had done enough to put a bounce-back game in the books, to the delight of the Warriors.

Steph’s running mate keeps cooking

No member of the Warriors, decorated vets or surging youths, has delivered a more pleasantly surprising stretch of offense than Podziemski. He brought it again on this night.

The second-year NBA guard was productive and efficient, scoring his 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, including 4-of-6 beyond the arc. This was his fourth consecutive game with at least four triples.

Podziemski, over his previous five games, averaged 21.6 points, with 55.6-percent shooting from the field, including an astonishing 57.5 percent from distance. He also averaged 6.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists in the five games.

Podziemski is the seventh player to share the backcourt with Curry this season, following Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody, De’Anthony Melton, Lindy Waters III, Buddy Hield and Dennis Schröeder. Golden State was 0-3 with the Curry-Podziemski backcourt before Butler arrived, but has since won 15 of 16 together.

Crashing the glass

After losing the rebounding battle in each of their last two games, the Warriors recovered to post their most decisive advantage on the glass in three weeks.

Golden State outrebounded Phoenix 57-41, with Gui Santos grabbing nine rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench, joining Curry as a co-leader in that category. Center Trayce Jackson-Davis, getting playing time in the absence of Quinten Post (illness), grabbed eight rebounds in 19 minutes.

The last time the Warriors dominated the glass to such an extent was on March 18 in Milwaukee, where they managed a 52-34 advantage in a 104-93 victory over the Bucks.

And, yes, rebounds tend to come easier when the opponent is reluctant to do the dirty work that comes with going to war in the paint.

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