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Red Sox re-negotiated contract with new reliever Danny Coulombe over concerns with physical

Danny Coulombe #54 of the Texas Rangers throws a pitch during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on September 28, 2025 in Cleveland,
Danny Coulombe #54 of the Texas Rangers throws a pitch during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on September 28, 2025 in Cleveland.

The Red Sox re-negotiated a deal with lefty Danny Coulombe after an issue with his physical popped up. 

Multiple outlets reported that the veteran pitcher and the organization had originally agreed to a one-year deal for $2.25 million that included $750,000 in incentives. 

The reworked deal now pays him $1 million, along with an active roster bonus that gets Coulombe to $2.25 million as well as the $750,000 related to incentives, The Athletic reported. 

Coulombe, 36, is coming off a 2025 season where he pitched for the Rangers and Twins. 

He registered a 2.30 ERA while striking out 43 batters in as many innings. 

Neither the club nor the player’s representative has addressed the issue publicly. The initial reports did not indicate what was flagged in the physical to lead to the contract change.

Danny Coulombe of the Texas Rangers throws a pitch during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on September 28, 2025 in Cleveland. Diamond Images/Getty Images

Coulombe was out for three months in 2024 after he had surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow, and in 2025, he was out a month early in the season due to a forearm extensor strain. 

He also missed a part of the end of the year due to shoulder fatigue. 

When he arrived at camp this spring, he told reporters that he was healthy. 

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Danny Coulombe (54) throws a pitch in the bottom of the fifth inning during the MLB game between the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros on September 16, 2026 at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

“As you get older, it just gets a little harder to get warm in the morning,” Coulombe said. “But I feel good now. I feel healthy, and this is a good [Red Sox] bullpen.”

Coulombe has pitched 11 years in the major leagues, spending time with the Dodgers, A’s, Twins, Orioles and Rangers.

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Rookie Cole Hutson Shines As Capitals Hand Snake-Bitten Senators A Damaging Defeat

Rookie Cole Hutson scored in his first NHL game to help the Washington Capitals defeat the Ottawa Senators 4–1 on Wednesday night. The loss means the Senators remain five points out of a playoff spot, trailing the two wild-card holders, the Boston Bruins and the Detroit Red Wings.

Hutson signed a three-year entry-level contract with Washington on Sunday after completing his second season at Boston University. He looked like a carbon copy of his brother, Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens.

At the other end of the age spectrum, 40-year-old Alex Ovechkin opened the scoring in the second period. With that goal, Ovechkin reached the 25-goal mark for the 20th time in his career, tying the NHL record held by Gordie Howe. He outraced a flat-footed Ridly Greig to the net and redirected a Rasmus Sandin pass past Linus Ullmark to break a scoreless tie 8:09 into the middle frame.

Seconds later, Nick Cousins broke free on a partial breakaway and beat Logan Thompson between the legs, but as the puck trickled toward the goal, it took a sharp right turn and hit the post.

It summed up a frustrating night, one of several posts the Sens hit during the game, as the Senators generated more than enough chances to take control earlier. Their shooters simply couldn't put the puck in the net.

Late in the second, with the Senators caught on a long shift, Tom Wilson beat Ullmark from a bad angle on the short side to make it 2–0. With Ottawa struggling to finish, it was a terribly timed weak goal, but Ullmark helped to make up for it with a terrific pad save on a Ryan Leonard breakaway in the third.

The Senators pulled their goalie early for the extra attacker, and it paid off with 2:41 to play when Tim Stützle scored his 31st goal, redirecting a pass from Claude Giroux. But the hope was short-lived. Less than a minute later, Aliaksei Protas scored into the empty net, then Hutson added another empty-netter for his first NHL goal to put the game out of reach.

The Senators outshot the Capitals 35–25 on the night, and will now need to regroup quickly for another important matchup. They host the New York Islanders Thursday night at Canadian Tire Centre.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

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Brown scores 32, Tatum adds double-double as Celtics top Warriors 120-99

BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 23 of his 32 points in the first half and the Boston Celtics rolled to a 120-99 win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night.

Jayson Tatum added 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who have won three straight.

It was Tatum’s fifth time scoring at least 20 points in the six games he’s played since making his season debut following Achilles tendon surgery. It also marked his third double-double.

Golden State cut a 21-point third-quarter deficit to 11 early in the fourth, but Boston responded with a 17-6 run to push the lead back to 22 with just more than five minutes to play.

Gary Payton II and Pat Spencer both had 14 points to lead the Warriors, who have lost six of seven. They are 6-13 since star guard Stephen Curry was sidelined with a right knee injury. Draymond Green and Gui Santos scored 13 apiece.

Kristaps Porzingis, who played for the first time in TD Garden since winning a championship with Boston to cap the 2023-24 season, finished with 11 points and five rebounds.

THUNDER 121, NETS 92

NEW YORK (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 points and Oklahoma City beat Brooklyn for their 10th straight win.

Gilgeous-Alexander was 8 of 9 from the field and was subbed out with 4:28 remaining in the third quarter with the Thunder leading by 38. The reigning NBA MVP extended his NBA-record of 62 consecutive road games with at least 20 points.

Jared McCain had 26 points and Aaron Wiggins finished 17 for the Thunder, who led by as many as 42 and never trailed in the second game of a back-to-back.

Jalen Wilson had 15 points off the bench and rookie Nolan Traore was the lone starter in double figures with 13 for the Nets, who have lost their last five games and 15 of 17. Leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. (ankle) missed his fourth straight game.

Oklahoma City shot 53% from the field and 40% from long distance to improve to a league-best 25-8 on the road.

TRAIL BLAZERS 127, PACERS 119

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Deni Avdija scored 23 of his 32 points in the first half Wednesday night and Donovan Clingan added a career-high 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to help Portland hold off hard-charging Indiana.

Portland won the for the third time in four games as the 10th-seeded Trail Blazers close in on clinching a Western Conference play-in spot in what figures to be a wide-open postseason.

Indiana extended the longest losing streak in its NBA franchise history to 15 games. The Pacers’ last win came Feb. 11.

Avdija also had 11 rebounds for Portland, which matched its highest-scoring half of the season with 79 points in the first two quarters. Clingan was 3 of 5 on 3-pointers and had two blocks.

Ivica Zubac led the injury-riddled Pacers with 18 points. Jalen Slawson had 17 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.

RAPTORS 139, BULLS 109

CHICAGO (AP) — RJ Barrett scored 23 points, Brandon Ingram had 18 and Toronto pounded Chicago for their third consecutive win.

Toronto shot 57% (48 for 84) from the field and put seven players in double figures in the opener of a five-game trip. Scottie Barnes had 18 points and seven rebounds, and Ja’Kobe Walter also scored 18.

The Raptors led by as many as 38 while completing a sweep of their three-game season series against the Bulls.

Matas Buzelis scored 19 points for Chicago, which lost for the third time in four games. Collin Sexton had 14 in his return from a left leg injury.

Bulls guard Josh Giddey was held to nine points, three assists and no rebounds. The 23-year-old Giddey had been on a tear, posting five triple-doubles while averaging 19 points, 12 assists and 11.7 rebounds over his previous seven games.

PELICANS 124, CLIPPERS 109

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Saddiq Bey scored 25 points, Trey Murphy added 23 and New Orleans overcame an early 18-point hole to beat Los Angeles.

Dejounte Murray had 17 points and 11 assists, while Zion Williamson and rookie Derrick Queen each scored 14 for the Pelicans, who received a standing ovation as the final seconds wound down on their sixth straight victory at home and ninth win in their past 13 games overall

Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points and John Collins added 18 for the Clippers, who dropped a game below .500 (34-35), but maintained a tenuous hold on the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference standings, a half-game ahead of Portland.

Bey hit five of 10 3-point shots to help New Orleans go 16 of 37 (43.2%) from deep. The Pelicans also made 20 of 21 free throws, with Queen making all nine of his.

Pelicans rookie guard Jeremiah Fears chipped in 11 points off the bench.

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Devils Defeat Rangers, Bratt Hits 500 Point Milestone

Jesper Bratt reached 500 NHL points, and Connor Brown and Jack Hughes each had three points in the New Jersey Devils 6-3 victory over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.

“Always fun coming to the Garden and playing here,” Jack Hughes told NJD.TV. “Unreal atmosphere, unreal rink, unreal fans, a lot of Devils fans here tonight. Always just really fun coming here and playing."

On their second shot of the game, the Rangers opened the scoring off a snap shot from defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov.

Nico Hischier scored the Devils' first goal at the 16:14 mark while Gabe Perreault was in the penalty box serving a holding penalty. Brown and Bratt assisted on the power play goal.

With 4:43 remaining in the first period, Arseny Gritsyuk gave New Jersey a 2-1 lead. It was the rookie's 13th goal of the season, which is currently tied for the 10th most among first-year players.

Within the first minute of the second period, New York tied the game at 2-2 as Jacob Markstrom allowed goals on back-to-back shots. Mika Zibanejad celebrated his 28th goal of the season and 17th career goal against New Jersey.

Brown gives New Jersey a 3-2 lead with eight minutes remaining in the middle frame. It marked the Devils' second power play goal of the night. Jack Hughes and Hischier were credited with the assists.

© Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
© Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Timo Meier extended the Devils' lead to 4-2 early in the third period. Paul Cotter, who scored the game-winning goal in New Jersey’s last game, picked up the lone assist.

Conor Sheary scored the Rangers' third goal of the game at the 10:19 mark of the final frame, but three minutes later, Jack Hughes scored to get the Devils ' two-goal lead back. Entering the game, Hughes had 14 points in 12 career games at Madison Square Garden.

Jesper Bratt scored New Jersey’s final goal of the night with 3:38 remaining in regulation. Jack Hughes picked up his third point of the night, earning an assist on the goal. Per Leo Scaglione Jr. of MSG Networks, “Jack has 35 points against the Rangers since 2019. His 20 goals and 35 points against the Rangers are the most of all NHL players since 2019.”

The Devils will hit the road for the next four games with stops in Washington, D.C., Dallas, Nashville, and Carolina. New Jersey will face the Washington Capitals on Friday at 7:00 p.m. at Capital One Arena.

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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Jack Hughes and Connor Brown lead the Devils past the Rangers, 6-3

NEW YORK (AP) — Jack Hughes and Connor Brown each had goal and two assists to help the New Jersey Devils beat the New York Rangers 6-3 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory.

The Devils are 10 points behind Boston and Detroit for the two Eastern Conference wild-card spots. They opened a five-game trip after going 5-2 on a homestand.

Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt each had a goal an assist for New Jersey, and Arseny Gritsyuk and Timo Meier also scored. Jacob Markstrom made 14 saves.

Vladislav Gavrikov, Mika Zibanejad and Conor Sheary scored for New York. Jonathan Quick stopped 33 shots.

Last in the East, the Rangers have lost two straight after winning four in a row.

HURRICANES 6, PENGUINS 5, OT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sean Walker scored with 28.3 seconds left in overtime as Carolina beat Pittsburgh, spoiling Sidney Crosby’s return to the Penguins’ lineup.

Jackson Blake had a goal and two assists, Logan Stankoven, Taylor Hall and Walker each had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes. Jordan Martinook and K’Andre Miller also scored and Nikolaj Ehlers finished with three assists. Frederik Andersen made 30 saves.

Erik Karlsson had two goals and an assist, Crosby added a goal and an assist, and Bryan Rust and Ben Kindel also scored for Pittsburgh. Stuart Skinner stopped 38 shots in the second matchup in nine nights between the top teams in the Metropolitan Division that went beyond regulation.

Pittsburgh completed a 2-1-2 trip that began with last week’s 5-4 shootout loss to the Eastern Conference- and Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes.

CAPITALS 4, SENATORS 1

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Ovechkin scored his 922nd goal and Cole Hutson scored his first to lead Washington past Ottawa.

Ovechkin is a goal shy of 1,000 — if his 77 postseason tallies are included.

The Capitals are still six points out of a playoff spot with time running out, but this was an encouraging night for the franchise. Hutson made his NHL debut less than a week after the end of his season at Boston University, and the 19-year-old defenseman showed off his smooth skating and stickhandling throughout the night, finally scoring into an empty net with 25.7 seconds remaining.

It was the 40-year-old Ovechkin who opened the scoring in the second period when Rasmus Sandin’s pass bounced off his right skate past goalie Linus Ullmark. That momentarily gave Ovechkin sole possession of the team lead in goals this season with 25, but then Tom Wilson beat Ullmark later in the period for his 25th.

Ovechkin has led the Caps in goals in all 20 seasons of his career, sharing the top spot only once — with T.J. Oshie in 2016-17.

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Utah Jazz vs Minnesota Timberwolves recap and final score: Ice Brice not enough for cruel Minnesota weather

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MARCH 18: Brice Sensabaugh #28 of the Utah Jazz goes up for a shot against Donte DiVincenzo #0 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter at Target Center on March 18, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Minnesota Timberwolves are truly an epiphany in basketball. Before tonight the Wolves had lost four of their last six games. Despite being one of the most marketable and successful teams in their history, the regular season has always seemed like a red herring for what they actually are.

Case in point them being 12th in offensive rating, 11th in defensive rating and 11th in net rating.

Utah on the other hand, seem like they’re always a Will Hardy temper tantrum away from a blowout win against any opponent. There was no sarcasm in that sentence — Utah always happens to find themselves in a close finish against their opponents during this post-ASG period.

But alas, the Jazz were all business tonight for Tanking and Co™. A calm and orthodox 147-111 loss was what Jazz fans were treated to on the last leg of their West Coast road trip. Wolves had a grip on Utah all game, a combination of turnovers, poor interior defense and an Ayo Dosunmu takeover all played a part.

With only a single glance at the injury report, the Jazz were ready to make their report in Minnesota just for league formalities. There was no intention to play the game of basketball.

Minus Anthony Edwards with right knee inflammation, the Wolves were in full-force in their push over the 5th-seeded Nuggets to battle it out in an excruciatingly difficult matchup against the powerhouse Jazz. There was intention to play the game of basketball.

Utah came out of the gates with the hot hand; every Jazz fan across the globe pinched the bridge of their nose as they were probably expecting Utah to fight tooth and nail for an agonising and close loss. Perfectly normal for the Jazz to knock down 3-4 of their three-pointers in the first two minutes. Additionally, it is completely normal for the Wolves to shoot 4-5 from the field during the same period.

Hardy has his business outfit on. No intentions of losing this one, using the services of Kevin Love and John Konchar — don’t worry Svi, you’ll get to play someday.

It was all Wolves from that point on. Minnesota went on a 20-5 run between the 3:02 and 6:38 mark in the first quarter, led by Julius Randle’s 16 points and 4 steals at the half. Old friend Rudy Gobert poured in 12 points and 11 rebounds on a perfect 6-6 from the field.

They held a 26-7 advantage in fastbreak points despite the Jazz not having that far of a disadvantage in fastbreak possessions. Wolves generated 8 steals while committing 9 turnovers, while Utah collected 10 turnovers.

On the brighter side of the St. Paddy’s Day rainbow, it was none other than ‘Ice Brice’ Sensabaugh to record 23 points and 3 boards on 10-17 shooting on a chilling 35-degree day in Minneapolis. Ace Bailey scored 12 on 4-7 three-point shooting.

The Timberwolves then took away our small pot of gold; a further 21-9 run in the third quarter was enough to put the cork back on the lid. They shot 80% from the floor during that period whilst hitting 4 triples. Gobert scored seven points, Utah recorded an additional four turnovers, totalling to 18 turnovers for the Jazz through three quarters.

On yet another 11-3 run by Minnesota in the final frame, Ayo Dosunmu scored or assisted in 8 points as Utah turned it over three times. And right on cue, it was none other than Jinglin’ Joe Ingles to make an appearance on the basketball court once the Jazz were down by 38. Hold up, and he had back-to-back buckets? Well, that makes this night just a tad more bearable, as if it were bearable at all beforehand.

I will say this, if there was a listing of players who could break the absurd 83-point night by ███ ███████, I’d guarantee Brice isn’t too far down the list. When he has the hot hand, everything is going down in flames. The former Buckeye recorded his second 40+ point performance this season, finishing with 41 points, 4 boards on 17-31 shooting.

Hardy had high praise for Ace Bailey before tonight, calling him “incredibly unselfish. For somebody that was as highly touted as he was… He doesn’t carry himself where he thinks he’s not getting enough…”

And tonight he responded with calm 17 points, 2 boards and 2 assists on 6-13 shooting. Nothing too flashy, but he’s dialled in his three-point shooting compared to how he fared earlier in the season. Over the last five games, he’s shot 20-42 (47.6%) from beyond the arc.

Up Next

Utah is back home on their turf in Salt Lake City to welcome the Milwaukee Bucks tomorrow night, March 19th, at 5 PM MST.

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Potential No. 1 pick Darryn Peterson opens up about cramping; teams not worried about effort, love of game

Darryn Peterson, by nature, isn't a terribly public person. That's not a bad thing — Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan and others have had Hall of Fame NBA careers while taking extra steps to maintain their privacy.

However, that limited communication can become an issue when the waters get rough — and they were rough for Peterson this season at Kansas. He's missed 11 games — some to a sprained ankle, others because of a couple of illnesses — and then there were the early exits that drew a lot of attention. Multiple times, Peterson checked himself out of games because of cramping concerns, including against BYU and the other potential No. 1 pick, AJ Dybantsa — Peterson was dominant in the first half but left early in the third quarter. He has yo-yo'ed in and out of the lineup all season.

Peterson nor his family talked about any of it. They were private. The problem is, the Internet abhors a vacuum. So do media talking heads. That empty space gets filled with speculation and commentary from people on the outside looking in. In this case, it led people to question Peterson: If availability is the best ability, should NBA teams trust him? Does he love the game?

NBA teams are not worried.

The scouts and team officials NBC Sports has spoken with in recent weeks about Peterson still remember the guy who was clearly the top player in an elite class coming into this season. Those same executives acknowledge that, for stretches of the season, he has not looked as explosive as he did a year ago, but to a man, they said, "We want to see the medicals" (he will undergo a full medical workup at the NBA Draft Combine). Teams are being patient until then, with an expectation that this is not a long-term issue. Many said in the games where Peterson has looked healthy, he has looked like the No. 1 pick.

Peterson has the chance to answer those questions and his critics on the court in the NCAA Tournament, which starts Friday for Kansas against Cal Baptist.

Peterson also answered questions about all of it speaking to the media about his season.

The cramping issues started a week after Kansas coach Bill Self's "boot camp" before traditional practices began at Kansas (a week of intense conditioning Self does every year). Peterson was fine throughout camp, but a week later at a traditional practice, he suffered intense full-body cramps for 45 minutes. The pain was intense, he was taken to the hospital and given two IV bags of fluid. His quote, via CJ Moore of The Athletic, was telling.

"It was a traumatic experience," Peterson said.

After that, when he would start to feel cramping during games, he would take himself out to prevent what he had experienced before. The cramping, the injuries and illnesses have slowed Peterson this season, something he admitted to The Athletic.

"I'm still getting in shape," Peterson said. "I haven't played as many minutes, so you probably tell that by the shots that I'm missing. A lot of easy shots that I usually make, I miss now. I've missed a lot of games, so people have a lot more games than me, so I'm still adjusting."

Peterson's struggles have opened the door for Dybantsa to potentially be the No. 1 pick, and several teams have the BYU star atop their boards right now, league sources told NBC Sports. It may come down to which way the lottery ping-pong balls bounce and which team gets the No. 1 pick. A scout put it this way to The Athletic.

"Everything that's going on with Darryn not playing well and not shooting it well during this time, it is definitely leaning people into AJ at one is a real conversation," the scout said. "AJ, what he's been doing at his size, is different. But all this stuff that now is being made public that we knew, a lot of people in the media had said he doesn't love the game, he's not competitive and that other bulls***, we knew was all crap. But who goes No. 1 is a conversation now."

Peterson can start to change that conversation with how he plays in the NCAA Tournament, which, for the Jayhawks, begins Friday when Kansas faces California Baptist in San Diego.

For teams, the medical and individual workouts will matter more. They know Peterson's game and his potential. It would be nice to see it on college basketball's biggest stage, however.

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Joe Musgrove’s injury setback may force Padres to pursue Lucas Giolito

Free agent starting Pitcher Lucas Giolito (Photo by Joe Sullivan/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

You hate when speculation becomes reality, as San Diego Padres Joe Musgrove will begin the 2026 season on the injured list. Not good news with Opening Day being a week away. 

The Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager, A.J. Preller is in a bind with his starting rotation needing an immediate reinforcement. Suddenly, the Friars have concerns about where the innings will come from the rotation besides Michael King, Nick Pivetta and Randy Vasquez. Unfortunately, the free agent market has dwindled to one intriguing option… Lucas Giolito.

Giolito is a dependable starter

Giolito posted a 3.41 ERA in 26 starts with the Boston Red Sox last season. He can pick up the slack, but the Padres better act fast because Giolito’s market should heat up before Spring Training ends. Several teams are expected to pursue him.

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The San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves have been identified as potential destinations for Giolito. Both teams, like the Friars, are searching for starting pitching depth. His addition would be a tremendous depth piece to any team’s 40-man roster.

Adding a proven starter like Giolito will keep the rotation stable until the injured starters can return. His pitching style does fit the confines of Petco Park. He is a fly-ball pitcher who struggles with giving up home runs. However, the marine layer off the bay during night games should keep those drives inside the ballpark. 

Padres have been searching for SP depth all offseason

It does not hurt to add more depth to the organization, as the Padres signed experienced starter Griffin Canning before the start of Spring Training. He will not be available until May, as Canning is recovering from a torn left Achilles tendon suffered last June. 

The right-hander has been recently throwing off the mound and fully participating in fielding drills. Canning has confirmed no discomfort, but the recovery process is in the early stages. 

Also, the Friars brought in other starting pitching candidates on minor league deals. German Marquez and Marco Gonzales had trouble finding consistency on the mound in Spring Training games. Marquez has a 12.15 ERA in three outings, while Gonzales was hit hard in a recent appearance against the Texas Rangers. 

Arm injuries are part of baseball; adding a proven starter like Giolito could be the difference in keeping the Padres in playoff contention.

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Messi nets 900th goal, but Nashville dumps Inter Miami from Champions Cup with 1-1 draw

  • Cristian Espinoza goal leads Nashville to quarter-finals

  • Messi’s milestone the highlight for Inter Miami

  • Match was Miami’s last at Chase Stadium before move

Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi reached a milestone, but Nashville SC got a ticket to the next round of the Concacaf Champions Cup.

In a 1-1 draw, Messi got the 900th goal of his career, but a second-half striker from Nashville’s Cristian Espinoza sent Inter Miami packing on away goals after the second leg of their round of 16 matchup on Wednesday night.

Continue reading...
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WBC in the rearview for Nolan McLean, the regular season on the road ahead for the Mets | The Mets Pod

On the latest episode of The Mets Pod, Connor Rogers and Joe DeMayo put the wraps on the World Baseball Classic, welcome Nolan McLean back to the Mets, and dive into the team's final roster decisions. 

Leading off, Connor and Joe look back at the WBC and toward what it can be in the future, then turn their full focus back to the Mets and the battles for the final bullpen and bench spots. 

The guys also study the state of Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, and the starting rotation, go Down on the Farm to preview this year's Spring Breakout Game, and answer Mailbag questions about Ryan Clifford, Mark Vientos, and prospect Zach Thornton.

Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Kelly Pannek scores 2 goals to tie the PWHL lead with 11 and the Frost shut out the Charge 5-0

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Grace Zumwinkle and Kelly Pannek scored 11 seconds apart during a four-goal first period and the Minnesota Frost routed the Ottawa Charge 5-0 on Wednesday night.

Minnesota (10-3-3-4) has won four straight games — the last three by scoring at least four goals. The Frost sit tied atop the league standing with the Boston Fleet at 39 points apiece.

Taylor Heise opened the scoring 27 seconds into the game — the second fastest goal in the PWHL this season — when she angled a shot from the corner that deflected off the stick and skate of goaltender Gwyneth Philips. Heise has goals in four straight games — the longest goal streak of the PWHL season.

Zumwinkle scored her ninth goal of the season and Pannek added her first goal of the game for a 3-0 lead to chase Philips. Pannek added her 11th goal of the season — to tie the league lead — late in the second period to cap the scoring.

Kaitlyn O’Donohoe scored her first PWHL goal — in her 16th game with Minnesota — by knocking in her own rebound.

Minnesota goaltender Maddie Rooney recorded the fifth shutout of her career — first this season — for her 20th career win.

Kendra Woodland made her PWHL debut in relief of Philips.

Ottawa (5-6-1-9) has alternated wins and losses in its last 10 games. The Charge had won two straight games against the Frost, most recently 5-2 on Jan. 3.

Up next

Ottawa hosts Montreal on Sunday.

Minnesota travels to face Vancouver on Saturday.

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

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San Francisco Giants Offseason Review

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Mar 16, 2026; Miami, FL, United States; Venezuela first baseman Luis Arraez (2) watches his RBI single in the seventh inning against Italy during a semifinal game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Introduction:

Continuing our NL West offseason reviews, having already looked at the Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Diego Padres in prior weeks, we turn our attention today to the San Francisco Giants.

2025 Season Overview/Recap

On June 13th, the San Francisco Giants were 41-29 and tied for first place in the NL West with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Two days later, GM Buster Posey swung a trade with the Boston Red Sox for the disgruntled Rafael Devers to bolster their roster. However, the Giants would do so badly over the course of the next month and half that they’d pivot to being sellers at the trade deadline. Ultimately the Giants would finish with an 81-81 record in 2025, finishing third in the NL West. Although they got off to a promising start through the first half of the season, this proved to be a very mediocre Giants squad, especially compared to the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. They weren’t as bad the last place Colorado Rockies, but they also weren’t particularly good either, much like the 2025 Arizona Diamondbacks, who they finished two games ahead of.

Notable acquisitions:
OF Harrison Bader (2 yr, $20.5M) 
1B/2B Luis Arraez (1 yr, $12M) 
SP Tyler Mahle (1 yr, $10M) 
SP Adrian Houser (2 yr, $22M, 2028 option) 
RP Sam Hentges (1 yr, $1.4M) 
RP Jason Foley (1 yr, $2M) 
OF Will Brennan (Split Contract 400k in MILB, 900k in MLB. ) 

Notable subtractions:
SP Justin Verlander (Tigers)
C Andrew Knizner (Mariners)

Offseason Summary and Review

Let me put this as politely as possible, I am not a fan of the Giants offseason. This was a mediocre roster to begin with entering the offseason, and I don’t think any of these moves improve the team enough to push them into serious contention. Harrison Bader has only been an above average hitter in four out of the nine seasons he’s played at the MLB level. His baserunning has declined into the negative the last two season, while his defense is only slightly above average at best.

Luis Arraez may have once won the batting title back in 2023 his .354 batting average, but that appears to have been the peak of his career. The career high 3.4 fWAR he posted that season fell to 1.1 fWAR in 2024, and then fell even further down to just 0.9 fWAR in 2025. Arraez has never brought much else to the table other than an empty batting average, and that lofty .354 average from 2023 fell to .324 in 2024, then it catered even further to a career low of .289 in 2025. $12m would be a great deal for a 3.5 WAR player, but Arraez clearly isn’t that guy and he’s unlikely to replicate that success again. (There’s also the question of how good of a fit Arraez is for Oracle Park, but I digress…)

I like the Tyler Mahle signing the most out of all the deals the Giants made over the winter. Mahle seems to be healthy for the first time in years after having his 2023 season end in Tommy John Surgery. While I don’t think he’s going to return to form and match the 180 IP and 4.9 bWAR he put up in 2021, I do think he is a definite upgrade to the Giants rotation if he can stay healthy.

Adrian Houser is coming off a career best 3.3 bWAR, with his previous career high being the 2.0 bWAR back in 2019. In between those two seasons Houser has been maddeningly inconsistent, putting up negative WAR just as often as he has been able to provide positive WAR. Needless to say, I like this signing a lot less than I like the Mahle signing

Neither Sam Hentges nor Jason Foley have pitched in the Major Leagues since 2024, and both are currently on the Giants Injured List. Hentges is currently working his way back and has just now began throwing against live batters, while Foley likely won’t be coming off the IL until June at the earliest. Both are low risk deals with decent upside, though I think Foley is unlikely to provide much value to the Giants at all.

Will Brennan is coming off of TJ surgery AND a groin surgery, with the latter being a lingering issue apparently. Brennan hasn’t proven himself to be an everyday player, but if he manages to figure it out and breakout with the Giants, he’s under team control until the 2030 season.

This may not seem that different from what the Padres or Dodgers did, but neither the Dodgers nor Padres needed to move the needle as much as the Giants this offseason. The upside offered by each of these players seems very limited even in the best case scenarios, though there is some upside with all of these players. The two things that keeps this slipping any lower than a D+ grade is that these are all reasonable contracts, with no egregious overpays, and at least they did something.

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Purple Row After Dark: Which Rockie(s) should have a higher national profile?

MIAMI, FL - MARCH 14: Ezequiel Tovar #14 of team Venezuela makes a throw to first during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Quarterfinals game presented by Capital One between Team Venezuela and Team Japan at loanDepot park on Saturday, March 14, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Here’s a question: Which Colorado Rockie (or Rockies) do we appreciate that should receive more attention?

Look, we’re the Colorado Rockies Sickos [complimentary]. We knew that Brenton Doyle was an elite outfielder before most of baseball figured it out.

But who are some of the players on the roster (or on the farm) that you think more people should be talking about?

Me, I’m going with Ezequiel Tovar. We’ve been aware of his game since he was called up, but after having a stellar World Baseball Classic — including being named to the 2026 Classic All-Tournament Team — more fans are becoming aware of just how good he is (if he’ll stop chasing those outside breaking balls).

Let us know in the comments, Purple Row Night Owls!

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

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Brent Headrick works in and out of jam as quest to make Yankees bullpen continues

New York Yankees pitcher Brent Headrick #47 pitching in the 5th inning.
New York Yankees pitcher Brent Headrick

Observations from Yankees spring training on Wednesday.

Cruz-ing On Back

Fernando Cruz made his return from pitching for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, tossing a scoreless inning with two strikeouts.

Yankees pitcher Brent Headrick Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

Head-y Stuff

Lefty Brent Headrick worked himself into a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning with two singles and a walk, but got out of it unscathed with a ground ball on his 30th pitch of the frame.

Caught My Eye

Giancarlo Stanton shook off a foul ball that bounced into his gut to stay in the box and smoke a 112.4 mph bullet that died on the warning track (the wind was blowing in).

The veteran DH also lined out at 104.1 mph earlier in the game but picked up his only hit on a chopper that squeezed through the open right side.

Thursday’s Schedule

The Yankees have split-squad action, with Max Fried getting the start at home against the Orioles and Ryan Weathers heading on the road to face the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla.

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Happy Birthday To Ken Daniels, The No. 1 Ranked NHL Commentator!

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He's been the voice of Detroit Red Wings hockey for nearly three decades now, and generations of fans can't imagine broadcasts without him. 

Ken Daniels, who has overseen some of the greatest players and moments in Red Wings history, celebrates his birthday today. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

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He and his beloved longtime broadcast partner Mickey Redmond have often been ranked at the top by fans in NHL commentator rankings, and it's well deserved! 

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