After failing to reach the final at February's inaugural Four Nations Face-Off, Team Sweden head coach Sam Hallam will get another chance at international glory at this month's World Hockey Championship.
However, the same opportunity was not extended to his top two goalies from that tournament.
Following their NHL teams' recent eliminations, Ottawa Senators goalie Linus Ullmark and former Senator goalie Filip Gustavsson, now with Minnesota, both contacted Team Sweden, hoping to represent their country again. Both offers were politely rejected.
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"I stand behind it 100 percent that it was the right decision," Hallam said. "We talk about pros and cons and guesses. (Goaltending) wasn't a position I was prepared to gamble with. I'm very comfortable with how we handled the situation and with the goalkeepers we have."
At a glance, it looks like Ullmark was beaten out by three goalies: Jacob Markstrom, Samuel Ersson, and Arvid Soderblom, who are all a little light on Vezina Trophies. But timing was a factor as well.
Last Saturday, during the Senators’ final media availability, when Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch asked him about it, Ullmark admitted he was disappointed.
"It would have been a great opportunity to play for Team Sweden obviously back home in Stockholm,” Ullmark said. “So, I’m let down about that whole situation. I really wish that I had the opportunity to do that and put the national team jersey on now, especially when we didn’t make it to the second round.
“But that’s the decision that they’ve made. There's nothing I can go about and change. It’s just something that they have to own up to.”
Frankly, it does seem a little odd to leave the 2023 Vezina Trophy winner off the team. And it's not like Ullmark can be judged harshly for his 4 Nations performance. Coming off injury, he didn't start any of the three games. His only action was coming in cold after Gustavsson was yanked midway through the second game.
However, with the top 16 NHL teams competing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the availability of goalies from those rosters is uncertain — their teams could go deep, or the players could get injured. By choosing Ersson (Philadelphia) and Soderblom (Chicago), both from non-playoff teams, Sweden ensured stability and availability in goal.
Beyond that, the Swedes did leave space for one wild card: a goalie from an NHL team eliminated in the first round. As it turned out, there were three excellent options — Ullmark, Gustavsson, and New Jersey's Jacob Markstrom. If Sweden had known all three goalies would lose in the playoffs, they might have acted differently.
Markstrom had missed the Four Nations tournament due to injury, so he may have been Sweden’s preferred option all along. Meanwhile, cutting Ersson or Soderblom at the last second after they had committed to play for their country would have set a poor tone for the future. It's already hard enough for national programs to convince NHL players to play in the event.
“A lot happens in the playoffs, there can be both injuries and them winning their hockey games," Hallam told Expressen. "So that is why we really wanted to be safe with having two in place, then we hoped to spice it up with a really good goalie, and that is what happened.”
For Ullmark, if Sweden truly believed he was a lesser goalie than all three of the netminders they took, that might qualify as a snub. But this was just a timing thing, and there's zero shame in losing out to Markstrom. Not only is Markstrom an elite NHL goalie, but his season ended two days earlier than Ottawa's, making him the proverbial bird in the hand for Sweden.
"I have full respect for Linus' feelings of probably being damn angry at me for making the decision, and very disappointed," Hallam said. "It's part of the game, and I think his statements are transparent and good."
You'd have to believe that Ullmark remains very much on Sweden's radar for the Winter Olympics in February when the NHL shuts down and timing isn't an issue for anyone.
“Immediately
after the end of his NHL season, Tim publicly stated that he would
like to join us,” said Christian Künast, manager of the
German team. “We are pleased that we have now calmly resolved all
the formalities and that he will be joining us. We would like to take
this opportunity to thank the Ottawa Senators, from whom we have
already received approval for his participation, and we look forward
to Tim’s
arrival here in Herning.”
“We
are, of course, delighted that Tim, a very high-quality player, is
joining us and will further strengthen our team for the tournament,”
said German coach Harold Kreis. “He demonstrated his strengths in
the past NHL season and delivered a great season with the Senators.
We had a very good and detailed conversation during our NHL trip,
during which he reiterated his intention to join us. It’s all the
more pleasing that his participation in the World Championship is now
working out.”
Stützle
becomes
the fourth
active NHLer on this year’s German team (see roster below).
To
make room for Stützle,
Marcel
Noebels, a former Philadelphia
Flyers prospect who is a veteran of eight World Championships and
a silver medalist from the 2018 Winter Olympics, was cut from the
team. That reduces the contingent on the team from DEL champion
Eisbären
Berlin to six.
Germany’s
first game is on Saturday afternoon against Hungary, although Stützle
probably
won’t play until at least Germany’s third game on Tuesday against
Norway.
It was a wild ride of a season for the Montreal Canadiens this past season and that was true for goaltending as well. What started as a Samuel Montembeault and Cayden Primeau partnership became a solo gig before Montembeault was partnered with rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes. Let’s look at the Habs’ goaltending this past season.
When Kent Hughes elected to trade Jake Allen to the New Jersey Devils towards the end of the 2023-24 season and after signing Montembeault to a three-year contract extension worth $9.45 M, the message was clear: he was now the number one.
The Becancour native had never played more than 41 games, but this year, he played in 62 games and, for the first time in his career, reached the 30-win plateau. He had a career year with a 31-24-7 record, a 2.80 goals-against average, and a .902 save percentage.
It wasn’t a perfect year, though, and there is plenty of room for improvement. For instance, he must learn to shut the door when the Canadiens have just scored a big goal. Nothing kills momentum like conceding a goal when you just scored one, which happened quite a few times this season.
Furthermore, towards the end of the regular season, he was too often beaten by shots from far out that should have been stopped; perhaps, like the rest of the team, he was learning to deal with the nerves brought on by the magnitude of the moment.
Still, he made significant progress this season, and without him, there would have been no playoffs. In an ideal world, he wouldn’t have seen as much action. If all goes according to plan, the Canadiens should be able to share the workload more evenly next season. He gets a B for his performances in 2024-25.
Cayden Primeau
After showing positive signs during the 2023-24 season, Primeau had what could be appropriately categorized as a fall from grace. He was often in the net when the Canadiens suffered some of their more lopsided losses of the season. By the time he was sent down to the Laval Rocket after the Christmas break, his save percentage had fallen to just .836 while his GAA stood at 4.70, the worst amongst goaltenders who had played at least nine games.
Ultimately, he only played 11 games with the Canadiens, down from 23 the year before. In 2023-24, his GAA stood at 2.99 and his SP .910. He seemed to be losing the net behind him; his positioning and balance were wrong. With no safety net and not being the third goaltender this year, his performance came crashing down. For years now, we’ve been saying his development was affected by the lack of playing time in the Covid season, but the pandemic is over, and everyday activities have resumed.
What’s puzzling, however, is that once he was demoted to the AHL, he became an entirely different goaltender. In 26 games with the Rocket, he had a 21-2-2 record, a 1.96 GAA, and a .927 SP.
The look Joshua Roy gave Cayden Primeau before hugging him? Now that's hockey happiness!
At this stage, one must wonder if he has what it takes to play in the NHL. He was, after all, a seventh-round pick, and the way he was able to right the ship in the lower league is surprising. If it is an issue with handling pressure, that’s far from ideal for a goaltender. Being the last line of defence does come with a considerable chunk of pressure, and that’s in any NHL market.
His contract will expire at the end of the AHL playoffs, and Kent Hughes will undoubtedly have to ponder what to do with the restricted free agent. Let him go? Keep him in the AHL in a partnership with Jacob Fowler?
His performance with the Canadiens would have earned him a failing grade, but his spectacular bounce back with the Rocket brings him up to a C-.
Jakub Dobes
His arrival after the Christmas break was a breath of fresh air, and his start was nothing short of extraordinary. He won his first five games, including a shutout win over the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers, and was playing fearlessly.
He’s far from technically sound, and his positioning can be off at times, but he’s a fighter in the net, and he’ll do whatever he needs to reach that piece of vulcanized rubber. As a result, his saves often look spectacular and are crowd pleasers. His confidence and bravado in the net are interesting to see. He stands his ground and has an active stick when players try to disturb him.
In 16 games, he had a 7-4-3 record, a 2.74 GAA, and a .909 SP. While he went through a dry spell after his five consecutive wins, he bounced back nicely before the end of the season and was ready to take over when Montembeault went down to injury in the playoffs.
In three postseason games, he was 1-2-0 with a 2.91 GAA and a .881 SP. The lack of experience was apparent a few times, and his hesitation resulted in a couple of goals, but overall, given the circumstances, it would have been hard to ask for more from him.
For now, at least, it looks like the backup role will be his to lose at next camp unless, of course, Hughes has a secret plan we’re not yet privy to. It’s a small sample, but I give him a B minus for what he showed this season.
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Ed Barnard and Zen Malik celebrated centuries as Warwickshire put up a first-innings total of 665 against Surrey
When Abbas played for Hampshire his trousers always used to be slightly too short. The Notts kitman/woman seems to have measured his legs correctly. A magical slip of a man. At the other end Brett Hutton is an old fashioned, underrated, broad of beam tricksy English seamer. A pleasing combination and not easy to face on this pitch.
And there is Abbas’s first wicket for Notts! Gubbins a 13-ball duck. Hants 31-2.
Then Astros manager A.J. Hinch holds the championship trophy after Game 7 of the 2017 World Series victory over the Dodgers. Houston later was found to be stealing signs and communicating with batters before pitches by banging a trash can in the dugout. (Associated Press)
For a Dodgers fan like me, the story of the 2017 World Series is a wound that will never heal. In his article, Bill Shaikin suggests that A.J. Hinch deserves the asterisk removed from his name for the taint of the cheating scandal because he was a minor player and has owned his part in what happened.
Maybe I can be big enough to forgive Hinch, but as far as removing the asterisk I don’t think so. He witnessed the cheating in his dugout and did nothing to stop it. But I can never forgive Rob Manfred for the fact that in his finite wisdom he decided that the 2017 World Series trophy should remain in Houston. There is plenty of evidence that the cheating changed the results of that Series. And what about the $4,000 I spent on World Series tickets in ’17 hoping to fulfill my son’s lifelong dream of seeing his beloved Dodgers win the championship on the field at Chavez Ravine?
The commissioner spit on the integrity of the sport my son and I love. That will never be forgiven.
Larry Weiner Culver City
I read "Coach sheds an asterisk from '17 scandal" by Bill Shaikin. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch should never shed that asterisk. I would love to see the Dodgers face the Tigers in the 2025 World Series and sweep them. Just because "Hinch said he was wrong" in not doing anything to stop the 2017 Astros from cheating does not exonerate him.
Vaughn Hardenberg Westwood
Where was the foresight?
So, let me get this straight. Professional athletes who depend upon their vision for success don't actually go routinely for a complete vision exam? After 10 years, Kiké Hernández "discovered" he had an astigmatism. Now Max Muncy "discovers" he has one too? Shouldn't comprehensive eye exams be required of every batter and fielder? What is the Dodgers' medical team doing here?
Mike Schaller Temple City
Making moves
Attention Dylan Hernández! Cannot agree. No time to panic, just yet. Leave Shohei Ohtani alone in his DH status. Dodgers are correct in letting him ease into his pitching until after the All-Star break. We still have plenty of decent arms to carry the load until then.
Aside from the first three quarters of an NBA game, the most meaningless stats in sports are baseball standings from April to July!
Marty Zweben Palos Verdes Estates
The Dodgers continue to find ways to successfully fill holes in pitching, hitting and fielding. The latest arrival, Hyeseong Kim, has demonstrated potential with the bat and in the field. Perhaps, Dave Roberts may want to think about moving him to third base.
Mark Mallinger Malibu
Entering Friday’s game against Arizona, the two players who primarily bat at or near the bottom of the Dodgers' lineup (and ahead of Shohei Ohtani starting from his second at bat) were hitting .188 and .135. Although not even a quarter of the season has been played, strong consideration should be given by the Dodgers to making changes at the bottom of the lineup, and/or to moving Ohtani to second or third in the order, so that his batting talents can be maximized.
Ken Feldman Tarzana
Split decision
When do you suppose our major universities will wise up to the notion of serving as a free farm club for the NFL and NBA? Nothing about today’s college sports serves the mission of an education institution, so they should decide not to participate in the transfer portal or provide a conduit for NIL money. Schools should return to the days when students could have a part-time job to support them, commitments to sports programs should be for the season only, and nothing more than scholarships provided, if that. Then we would have student-athletes instead of shopping vagabonds.
It sickens me to see where drafted students have been to three or four colleges for their “education.” Major college programs should be divorced from universities and serve just as club teams unrelated to education.
Larry Nelson Pacific Palisades
Back to the drawing board
It is no surprise that the Lakers and the Clippers have been eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs since both followed the same game plan for building a team. Modern championship-caliber teams are built from the ground up starting with drafting players and by trading for young players who are still on affordable contracts. The Lakers and Clippers started with buying expensive free-agent stars and trading for stars that left them with insufficient money to fill out their rosters and insufficient draft picks to grow from within. Will they never learn?
Richard Raffalow Valley Glen
Lakers first round — gone.
Kings first round — gone.
Clippers first round — gone.
It's time for Dodger baseball.
Dave Snyder Grand Terrace
Now that the Lakers/Clippers seasons are over, it’s time for some real basketball — the WNBA.
David Marshall Santa Monica
Time is not running out
Things you can do during the last two minutes of an NBA playoff game:
—your taxes
—write a book
—learn a new language
—watch every round of the NFL draft
Andy Bernstein Santa Monica
The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.
Pat Riley doesn’t seem to have many regrets about how Jimmy Butler’s Miami Heat tenure ended.
The Heat president addressed the media for the first time since Miami’s 2024-25 NBA season ended after it was swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs, and admitted the team’s tumultuous contract dispute with Butler, which involved multiple suspensions before the star forward eventfully was traded to the Warriors on Feb. 5, negatively impacted the team.
“There’s no doubt that what happened with Jimmy had a tremendous impact on our team,” Riley told reporters. “There’s no doubt about it. The buck stops with me. I’ll take that hit if you want it.”
Butler’s relationship with the Heat soured after Riley refused to give the 35-year-old the contract extension he desired, a decision Riley stands by to this day.
“No, I’m not going to apologize for saying no on the contract extension when we didn’t have to,” Riley said. “And I don’t think I should. I will always say that to the players, if I was coaching, ‘Keep your mouth shut, and I’ll see you next training camp.’ And you get back on the court.”
Before Butler was dealt to Golden State, his remaining contract with the Heat included a $52.4-million player option for the 2025-26 campaign, with no guarantees past next season. Butler immediately signed a two-year, $121 million contract extension with the Warriors, keeping him under contract through the 2026-27 season.
Even though the Heat and the Warriors’ seasons went in completely different directions after the blockbuster trade, with Golden State having immediate success with Butler, Riley wishes the six-time All-Star well, even if the feeling might not be mutual.
“It’s over. It’s done. I wish him well,” Riley added. “Good luck to him and I hope deep down in his heart somewhere, he wishes us well too.”
After defeating the young Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, the Warriors, who currently are without Steph Curry (hamstring strain) in their Western Conference semifinal series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, are relying on Butler now more than ever.
Canada
is set to begin the IIHF World Championship on Saturday against
Slovenia with an all-NHL lineup.
It
didn’t look like that a week ago when several junior-aged and
European-based players were in the lineup. However, in what THN’s
Adam
Proteau described as “The Sidney Crosby Effect,” once the
Pittsburgh Penguins superstar declared his intention to play in his
third career World Championship on Sunday,
he was soon followed by Nathan MacKinnon and Marc-André
Fleury. Since then, Stanley Cup first-round casualties Jared Spurgeon, Mike Matheson, Jordan Binnington, Brayden Schenn and Phillip
Danault have joined the team.
The
only non-NHLer
remaining on the roster is Dylan
Garland of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, who is getting the start in the opener against Slovenia but, once Fleury and Binnington get over their jet lag, will likely be relegated to third-goalie status.
A
similar thing happened back in 2015, the last time Crosby played in a
World Championship. Canada’s roster was looking run-of-the-mill
that spring until Crosby said yes after the Penguins missed the
playoffs. By the time Canada took the ice for its first game, the
team included the likes of Taylor Hall, Matt Duchene, Claude Giroux,
Jason
Spezza, Jordan Eberle, Tyler
Seguin, Dan
Hamhuis
and Brent Burns. It also included MacKinnon, Schenn and Ryan
O’Reilly,
who are all back this year.
That
Canadian team started with a 6-1
win over Latvia, finished with a 6-1 win over Russia in the final,
and
ran the table with a perfect 10-0 record in that tournament, winning
every game in regulation time and outscoring its opponents 66-15.
Since
then, no team has managed a perfect record at the Worlds. We’ll soon see how far this roster can take the team.
Forwards:
Macklin Celebrini (San
Jose Sharks), Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh
Penguins), Will Cuylle (New York
Rangers), Phillip Danault (Los
Angeles Kings), Adam Fantilli (Columbus
Blue Jackets), Tyson Foerster (Philadelphia
Flyers), Barrett Hayton (Utah
HC), Bo Horvat (New
York Islanders), Kent Johnson (Columbus
Blue Jackets), Travis Konecny (Philadelphia
Flyers), Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado
Avalanche), Ryan O’Reilly (Nashville
Predators), Brayden Schenn (St. Louis
Blues).
Michael Porter Jr and Aaron Gordon were also part of Denver's championship team in 2023 [Getty Images]
The Denver Nuggets pulled away in overtime to take a 2-1 lead in thebest-of-sevenNBA play-offsemi-finalagainst the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder are the top seed in the Western Conference and were narrowly in front for most of the contest before hosts Denver claimed a 113-104 win
There were no more than three points between the teams throughout the fourth quarter until the Thunder edged into a 102-99 lead inside the final two minutes.
Aaron Gordon's three-pointer with 27 seconds remaining took the game into overtime, when the Nuggets' experience told as the 2023 champions went on an 11-2 run in the additional five minutes.
Jamal Murray led fourth seed Denver with 27 points while Gordon added 22 and Michael Porter Jr 21.
"They tested us all night but it was a good team win," said Murray.
"We've been together for years so we knew what we had. We believe in each other and we're going to need more of it."
Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic missed 17 of his 25 shots for Denver - who also host game four on Sunday - but claimed 20 points and 16 rebounds.
Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the favourite for this season's MVP award, missed 15 of 22 to finish with 18 points, while Jalen Williams led Oklahoma City with 32.
Top seed Cleveland pull a game back
In the Eastern Conference semi-finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers' best-of-seven series with the Indiana Pacers is also 2-1 after the Cavs pulled a game back.
After losing the first two games at home, top seed Cleveland bounced back with Donovan Mitchell scoring 43 points in a 126-104 win in Indianapolis.
The Cavs outscored Indiana 34-13 in the second quarter to open up a 66-45 lead at half-time, and they stayed clear to give themselves a chance to tie the series in Indianapolis on Sunday.
Max Strus added 20 points for Cleveland while Jarrett Allen claimed 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley added 18 points and 13 rebounds after missing game two with an ankle problem.
"Down 2-0, it's kind of now or never," said Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson. "They showed a lot of fortitude."
Indiana's Bennedict Mathurin scored 23 points off the bench while Pascal Siakam added 18.
Pacers key man Tyrese Haliburton was limited to just four points as he was two-of-eight shooting.
"Haliburton had a rough game," said Rick Carlisle, coach of the fourth-seeded Pacers.
"I have to do more to get him in better positions to have better shots."
The Cubs came into this weekend series with the Mets as one of the hottest offensive teams in the National League.
Chicago is in the top three of almost every offensive category, including batting average (third), home runs (second), hits (first), runs batted in (first) and stolen bases (first), so it was going to be a challenge for Clay Holmes, Friday's starter, to keep them in check. But that's exactly what the veteran right-hander did, helping the Mets defeat the high-powered Cubs, 7-2.
“He was really good," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of Holmes' performance. “On a day that the sinker had a lot of movement. It was windy and the ball was moving a lot."
As the Mets skipper pointed out, the cold and windy conditions at Citi Field were not conducive to Holmes' signature sinker. So much so that catcher Francisco Alvarez told him in the dugout after the first inning that the pitch was moving more than normal. Mendoza jokingly told Alvarez that he better find a way to keep it around the plate, and Holmes credited his backstop for being "on top of it" throughout the game.
"The sinker felt good today. There was some really good movement on it," Holmes said. "Those days, it’s a matter of trusting it... Try not to force it and trust that the movement is going to be there, and that’s what we did today. Used the slider effectively, used the sweeper effectively. Got some big outs behind the count and when we were ahead, was able to make some pitches."
Holmes' sinker, along with his array of other pitches, allowed him to go six innings, allowing just one run on three hits, three walks and striking out five batters.
"He went to the changeup when he needed to, went to the breaking ball when he needed to," Mendoza said. "Made it look easy on a night when it wasn’t the best conditions for his pitch repertoire. And he found a way."
Holmes came into Friday's start not having allowed a home run this season. That would change on Kyle Tucker's fourth-inning solo shot, the only blemish on Holmes' ledger on this night. But the Cubs just couldn't get rallies going against the former closer and Holmes was asked after the game how he was able to keep Chicago down.
"Trusting my strengths. When my sinker is right, there’s a lot of outs with it," he said. "They’re one of the best teams in the NL. Times like that, it’s about not trying to do too much, trusting your stuff, and see where you’re out.
"Was able to put some pressure early with the sinker. Movement was good, and was able to pitch off that. That’s been the backbone of my career. Was able to show up today."
Friday was Holmes' second consecutive quality start and his third in four games. In that span, he's 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA.
Holmes says the key to going deeper in games this season has been to "trust in the contact" while trusting his defense behind him.
"I can get into spurts where I nibble too much and overthink some things," he said. "Just throw my pitches in the zone and trust the defense. I’ve been able to settle into that. It’s allowed me to get into better counts, earlier contact, and go deep into games."
When the Mets signed Holmes this offseason to be a starter after years of being an All-Star closer, it was a risk but one that is so far paying off for both parties. Friday is another example of that, with Holmes throwing a career-high 93 pitches and giving the Mets some length heading into the meat of this weekend series.
Holmes credits the program that he is on, which has allowed his body to adapt and build off of each outing. And he'll need that program as it's likely Holmes' next start will come on regular rest. It will be the first time he'll be pitching on four days rest this season, but Holmes says while his the amount of pitches he throws in his bullpen sessions, which won't change, may differ, he feels he'll be ready.
"I’m in a good spot for it, and I’m ready to roll," he said.
May 9, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) celebrates his three point score with forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) in the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder during game three of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
It was a rough night for the men who will finish one-two in the MVP voting:
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 18 points on 7-of-22 shooting, plus he struggled down the stretch (but he did have 13 rebounds).
• Nikola Jokic shot 8-of-25, including 0-of-10 from 3, on his way to 20 points and eight turnovers (but he did have 16 rebounds).
The difference was Denver’s role players stepped up, starting with Aaron Gordon, who scored 17 points and hit the clutch 3-pointer that forced overtime.
In overtime it was all Nuggets, who started the extra frame on a 7-0 run and never looked back, getting the 113-104 win.
The Nuggets lead the series 2-1 with a critical Game 4 on Sunday night in Denver.
It wasn’t just Gordon who stepped up on Jokic’s off night. Jamal Murray led Denver with 27 points, while Michael Porter Jr. had a clutch 21. In critical moments, the Nuggets can always fall back on the Murray/Jokic pick-and-roll, and good things just happen from that.
More than just scoring, the Nuggets got stops down the stretch, with Oklahoma City scoring just two points in overtime. Part of that was the inexperience of the Thunder, who hunted mismatches and tried to run isolations off of them, but ultimately, that led to them being stagnant on offense and not getting enough ball movement. When they did get the chance, the Thunder just missed.
That happened all night. As a team, Oklahoma City shot just 38.5%, and they were 9-of-35 (25.7%) from 3. Chet Holmgren was 1-of-6 from beyond the arc, as was Gilgeous-Alexander. The one bright spot for the Thunder was Jalen Williams, who scored 32 points on 11-of-21 and was impressive all night.
The stories of this game were the Thunder’s cold shooting again, and the championship execution of the Nuggets down the stretch. Denver looked like the team that had been there before.
Oklahoma City needs to get its shots falling and execute better down the stretch Sunday in Game 4 or the Thunder may be in a hole too deep to climb out of.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani celebrates immediately after hitting a three-run home run in the ninth inning of the Dodgers' 14-11 comeback win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Friday night. (Darryl Webb / Associated Press)
The roof was open. The air was hot. And in a stadium already known as a hitter’s paradise, the Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks teed off on each other in a Chase Field classic.
There were lead changes and sudden momentum shifts. Line-drive rockets and towering no-doubt blasts. The ejection of Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior, and a last-gasp ninth-inning comeback from their offense.
With two on and one out with the score tied in the ninth, Ohtani turned a riveting early May night into one of the most memorable games of his Dodger career, launching a go-ahead three-run home run that lifted the Dodgers to a 14-11 win.
As far as storybook moments in the regular season go, Friday’s ending had everything.
By the ninth inning, the reigning National League MVP already hit two doubles as part of the Dodgers’ early onslaught, one that helped them build a five-run lead in the third inning they would later squander by surrendering eight unanswered scores.
But in the ninth, a leadoff infield single from Freddie Freeman was followed by consecutive run-scoring doubles from Andy Pages and Kiké Hernández, trimming what was an 11-8 deficit to 11-10. Max Muncy got the score knotted, knocking a single to right. Then, when Michael Conforto got hit with a pitch with one out, the Diamondbacks faced a decision.
Arizona could have intentionally walked Ohtani, a move that would have loaded the bases but also set up a force out at every bag. Instead, they replaced closer Kevin Ginkel with sidearm right-hander Ryan Thompson, hoping his funky delivery could keep Ohtani off balance.
He couldn’t, throwing a 1-and-2 splitter that stayed up over the middle. The sound alone off Ohtani’s bat left no doubt about where it would land.
Even before first pitch, Friday had the makings of a high-scoring affair.
Eduardo Rodríguez, the veteran left-hander who two years ago blocked an agreed-upon deadline day trade from Detroit to the Dodgers, entered the night with a 5.92 ERA and was facing a right-handed-heavy Dodgers lineup, with slumping lefty sluggers Muncy and Conforto dropped to the bench.
Roki Sasaki, meanwhile, was pitching on five days of rest (as opposed to six) for the first time in his career. He was throwing in a dry Arizona climate that can often influence the execution of breaking pitches. And, as a result, there was added importance on a fastball that has disappointed so far this season, averaging well below the triple-digit readings he was hoping to rediscover this season while generating few whiffs or much soft contact.
Right from the jump, the Diamondbacks took advantage.
While Rodríguez gave up one run in the first inning after a leadoff double from Ohtani, Sasaki was ambushed for three. In a 2-and-1 count, Ketel Marte got a middle-middle heater that he sent curling around the right-field foul pole for a solo home run. Then, after Josh Naylor doubled on a four-seamer that clocked in at just 92.8 mph, Eugenio Suárez launched an outer-edge fastball the other way for a two-run blast.
The homers were the fifth and sixth that Sasaki has given up in his last five outings. All of them have come against his fastball, a pitch that has yielded a lot of hard contact while getting very little swing-and-miss — including no whiffs Friday.
The Dodgers (26-13) had an answer of their own in the second, tying the game on Hernández’s sixth home run of the year and Ohtani’s second double in as many innings.
Then, in the third, they seemingly took control of the game, exploding for five runs on four hits and three walks while sending 11 batters to the plate — in an inning where the three outs were recorded by Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freeman no less.
Before ending the inning with a strikeout in his second at-bat of the third, Freeman helped get it started by roping a double down the line to put two runners in scoring position. Pages followed that up with a two-run single to left. Hernández and Miguel Rojas came up next and loaded the bases with a single and a walk. Still with no one out, James Outman hit the ground ball Arizona (20-19) was looking for, but an errant throw to the plate instead allowed two more runs to score. Betts later tacked on a sacrifice fly.
That should’ve been enough for the Dodgers, carrying the ensuing 8-3 lead into the fourth.
But on this night, no lead was ever truly safe.
Sasaki was pulled after issuing a leadoff walk in the fifth, the lead having been trimmed to 8-4 at that point. His replacement, Anthony Banda, failed to stem a turning tide.
Within three batters, the Diamondbacks had the bases loaded. With two outs in the inning, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. swung big at a down-and-in sinker. Banda turned to watch it fly for a tying grand slam, evening the score at 8-8.
Arizona's Lourdes Gurriel Jr., left, pumps is fist after hitting a grand slam off Dodgers reliever Anthony Banda, right, during the fifth inning Friday. (Darryl Webb / Associated Press)
The Diamondbacks' go-ahead run scored amid more contentious circumstances, as right-hander Luis García tried to escape another bases-loaded, two-out jam he inherited from Banda in the sixth.
In a full count with Suarez, he threw a high sweeper that appeared to catch the top of the strike zone. Home plate umpire Jeremie Rehak, however, ruled it a ball that walked in a run. After the inning, Prior was ejected for arguing from the dugout.
In the eighth, it was the Diamondbacks turn to seemingly put the game out of reach, hitting back to back home runs off Alex Vesia for an 11-8 lead.
But, once again, no lead on this night proved to be safe.
Especially not once the Dodgers got Ohtani back up to the plate.
Jasson Dominguez smashed three of the Yankees' four home runs and Will Warren had the best start of his career, as New York beat the Athletics, 10-2, on Friday night in West Sacramento.
Here are the takeaways..
-The Yankees offense could not capitalize on a fast start. Aaron Judge -- after having his 38-game on-base streak snapped on Wednesday -- started a new streak with a first-pitch double off the left-field wall that put Trent Grisham (who reached on a walk) to third with no outs. But Ben Rice (popout), Paul Goldschmidt (groundout to the pitcher) and Jasson Dominguez (strikeout) could not get the runners home.
They couldn't get it done in the second inning either. With runners on second and third with two outs, Grisham popped out to end the threat.
New York figured out the solution to their clutch-hitting problems: hit home runs. Goldschmidt (417 feet) and Dominguez (398 feet) would go back-to-back with two outs in the third to put the Yanks up 2-0. But that wouldn't be the end of the homers.
-Dominguez would have himself a day at the plate. In addition to his solo homer, he would go yard a second time in the seventh, this time from the right side. The Martian took a Hogan Harris curveball 431 feet over the center field wall. The young outfielder finished 3-for-4 with seven RBI and had his first multi-homer game as a big leaguer, and his seventh-inning longball was his first from the right side.
His at-bat in the eighth with the bases loaded saw him launch his first career grand slam. He also became the youngest player in Yankees history to have a three-homer game.
-Warren was dealing early. He struck out four in his first three innings. The young right-hander wouldn't allow his first base runner (walk) until one out in the fourth inning. After a single, Warren would pitch out of the jam by striking out Shea Langeliers and JJ Bleday in succession. After that, Warren was in cruise control, pitching into the sixth inning when he allowed a leadoff double. Warren settled down, getting the next three batters out and pitching through six innings for the first time in his big league career.
Warren would pitch into the eighth inning, but it was noticeable he was out of gas. He was pulled after allowing back-to-back singles with one out. One of his runners would come around to score after Mark Leiter Jr. came in, but the book was closed on Warren's night pretty quickly.
The young hurler pitched 7.1 innings (87 pitches/59 strikes), allowing one run on four hits, one walk and striking out seven batters.
-There was an odd series of events in the fifth that could have cost the Yankees a run. With men on first and second, and one out, Goldschmidt lofted a ball into shallow left-center field. Bleday clearly trapped the ball and Grisham ran home, but Rice was called out at second on the force because the third base umpire ruled Bleday had caught it, and he went back to first. After a lengthy discussion, the umps ruled it a trap, but sent Grisham back to third and Rice to second.
Dominguez would get Grisham home anyway with a sac fly.
-Every Yankee in the starting lineup -- aside from Grisham -- had at least one hit with Rice (2-5), Dominguez (4-3), Goldschmidt (2-4), J.C. Escarra (2-4) and Jorbit Vivas (2-5) picking up multi-hit games. Judge finished 1-for-4 with a walk as his batting average dipped to .396, the first time he was batting under .400 since April 22.
Game MVP: Jasson Dominguez
Hitting three homers and driving in seven runs will get you this honor 99.9 percent of the time. (Kudos to Warren, though)
