Mets’ Juan Soto joins exclusive club after picking up 1,000th career hit

It didn't take long for Juan Soto to make history on Thursday night.

The star outfielder lined a two out single off Braves right-hander Spencer Strider in the top of the first -- giving him 1,000 hits in his big-league career.

Soto is one of just 84 players to reach the feat at age 26 or younger.

He joins Mickey Mantle and Mel Ott as the only three players in MLB history with at least 1,000 hits, 200 homers, and 700 walks before the age of 27.

The first 564 knocks of Soto's career came with the Nationals -- he picked up 199 more while with Padres, added 166 with the Yankees, and now has 66 during the first year of his historic deal with the Mets.

Pacers force Game 7 with 108-91 rout of Thunder in NBA Finals

Pacers force Game 7 with 108-91 rout of Thunder in NBA Finals originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Indiana has forced the two best words in sports.

With their backs against the wall at home, the Pacers crushed the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-91 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals Thursday, facing a winner-takes-all scenario in Game 7.

The game was close after one, but Indiana used a 36-17 differential in the second quarter to pull away, followed by a 26-18 advantage in the third. The Pacers led by as much as 31, but saw the final score get cut into by the Thunder in garbage time.

Tyrese Haliburton played through a calf strain that’s typically a multi-week injury and recorded 14 points and five assists in 23 minutes, while shooting 5 of 12 from the field and 3 of 7 from deep. The blowout score provided Haliburton some extra key minutes of rest.

Obi Toppin led Indiana in scoring with 20 points off the bench, mainly helping keep the cushion safe in the fourth quarter. Backup point guard T.J. McConnell played 24 minutes off the bench and added 12 points on 6 of 12 shooting.

Haliburton was aided in the starting lineup by Andrew Nembhard’s 17 points, as the shooting guard maximized his touches on 5 of 7 shooting overall, with a 3 of 5 clip from deep. Pascal Siakam shot 6 of 14 overall for 16 points and 13 rebounds. The only Indiana starter who did not reach double figures was center Myles Turner, who had three points on a 1 of 9 clip from the field.

Oklahoma City’s star duo of league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and possible Finals MVP candidate Jalen Williams were kept in check. Gilgeous-Alexander was held to 21 points on 7 of 15 shooting with 7 of 8 free throws, four rebounds and two assists, while turning the rock over eight times. Williams mustered 16 points on 6 of 13 shooting.

Chet Holmgren, the Thunder’s star big man, had it even worse with just four points on 2 of 9 shooting and six rebounds. Oklahoma City also shot just 8 of 30 from downtown, a clip of 26.7%. Indiana wasn’t explosive at 35.7%, but had the volume edge with 15 of 42 makes.

That’s also before mentioning Indiana’s 68% free-throw rate on 25 attempts, while the Thunder had 80.8% on 26 attempts. The Thunder also turned it over 10 more times than Indiana (21 to 11), with OKC conceding 19 points off mistakes to the Pacers’ 13.

With both teams vying for their first ever NBA championship, everything is on the line in the final game of the season.

Game 7 in Oklahoma City is set for Sunday at 8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT.

Pacers force Game 7 with 108-91 rout of Thunder in NBA Finals

Pacers force Game 7 with 108-91 rout of Thunder in NBA Finals originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Indiana has forced the two best words in sports.

With their backs against the wall at home, the Pacers crushed the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-91 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals Thursday, facing a winner-takes-all scenario in Game 7.

The game was close after one, but Indiana used a 36-17 differential in the second quarter to pull away, followed by a 26-18 advantage in the third. The Pacers led by as much as 31, but saw the final score get cut into by the Thunder in garbage time.

Tyrese Haliburton played through a calf strain that’s typically a multi-week injury and recorded 14 points and five assists in 23 minutes, while shooting 5 of 12 from the field and 3 of 7 from deep. The blowout score provided Haliburton some extra key minutes of rest.

Obi Toppin led Indiana in scoring with 20 points off the bench, mainly helping keep the cushion safe in the fourth quarter. Backup point guard T.J. McConnell played 24 minutes off the bench and added 12 points on 6 of 12 shooting.

Haliburton was aided in the starting lineup by Andrew Nembhard’s 17 points, as the shooting guard maximized his touches on 5 of 7 shooting overall, with a 3 of 5 clip from deep. Pascal Siakam shot 6 of 14 overall for 16 points and 13 rebounds. The only Indiana starter who did not reach double figures was center Myles Turner, who had three points on a 1 of 9 clip from the field.

Oklahoma City’s star duo of league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and possible Finals MVP candidate Jalen Williams were kept in check. Gilgeous-Alexander was held to 21 points on 7 of 15 shooting with 7 of 8 free throws, four rebounds and two assists, while turning the rock over eight times. Williams mustered 16 points on 6 of 13 shooting.

Chet Holmgren, the Thunder’s star big man, had it even worse with just four points on 2 of 9 shooting and six rebounds. Oklahoma City also shot just 8 of 30 from downtown, a clip of 26.7%. Indiana wasn’t explosive at 35.7%, but had the volume edge with 15 of 42 makes.

That’s also before mentioning Indiana’s 68% free-throw rate on 25 attempts, while the Thunder had 80.8% on 26 attempts. The Thunder also turned it over 10 more times than Indiana (21 to 11), with OKC conceding 19 points off mistakes to the Pacers’ 13.

With both teams vying for their first ever NBA championship, everything is on the line in the final game of the season.

Game 7 in Oklahoma City is set for Sunday at 8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT.

Avalanche Training Facility Schedule Alludes to Upcoming Prospect Development Camp Dates

While official dates for the 2025 Colorado Avalanche Prospect Development Camp have yet to be announced, a quick glance at the uploaded schedule for Family Sports Center, the training facility for the Avalanche, tells us that we can perhaps expect to see the prospects hit the ice at the beginning of July.

FSC has blocked out significant ice time for July 1-3, and while the blocks themselves don't clarify anything more than that the times are designated for the team, conclusions can be drawn that this will be for the upcoming camp.

  • Tuesday, July 1st: 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Mountain Time (Avalanche Rink)
  • Wednesday, July 2nd: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Mountain Time (Avalanche Rink)
  • Thursday, July 3rd: 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Mountain Time (Avalanche Rink)
  • Thursday, July 3rd: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Mountain Time (Fix It 24/7 Rink)

It's also worth noting that the Avalanche also have ice time booked on the Avalanche Rink on Monday, June 30th, from 1:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m..

Taylor Makar, Oskar Olausson, Marek Hejduk, Cooper Gay, Nikita Prishchepov, and Sean Behrens were among notable attendees at 2024's team development camp. Forward Prishchepov, a 2024 7th-round draft pick, made his NHL debut in November of 2024 with the Avalanche. Forward Makar, brother of Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, debuted in his first professional game with the Colorado Eagles late this past season, following the completion of his season with the University of Maine.


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Yankees finally resemble offense of old to break losing streak: 'Definitely feels good hearing the music again'

All the Yankees needed to snap a season-long losing skid and break out at the plate was a scorching hot afternoon featuring a pair of bookended rain delays. Just the usual remedy for an alarming cold streak.

While their performance wasn't exactly pretty, the Yankees couldn't have cared less about style points on Thursday in the Bronx. What mattered most was securing a long-craved win, and they did just that by outmuscling the Angels, 7-3, in their four-game series finale. They also prevented their old playoff nemesis from pulling off their first-ever four-game road sweep at Yankee Stadium.

The six-game slide, which saw the Yankees hit a measly .155 with 59 strikeouts and go a confounding 30 straight innings without scoring, didn't encapsulate their entire season by any means. They entered Thursday with the highest OPS in the AL, and ranked third across the majors in runs scored.

So, the awakening was inevitable, even though it took a week for the bats to connect. The Yankees' winning formula consisted of 12 hits -- two of which were home runs from Trent Grisham and Paul Goldschmidt -- all nine starters reaching base, and four runs driven in with two outs. Call it welcomed pop and production, from top to bottom.

"Obviously, these last few games haven't gone our way. Today was good, but we've got to keep going," Goldschmidt said after the win. "It's a long season. A long season when you're playing well, a long season when you're losing a few games in a row. We understand that. So, we've done a good job just taking it day by day. Today was a good example of that."

The "no style points" mentality can apply to the performance from Carlos Rodón. While the southpaw served up a season-high three home runs to the Angels, they were all of the solo variety, and the early run support allowed him to complete six innings and earn the quality start. He stuck out seven and walked one across 92 pitches, and his ERA now sits at 3.10.

"Three solo shots, obviously I want to be in a better place with those pitches," Rodón said. "So there's stuff to work on this week and be better at. But all in all, we won the game, so that's the big part... I thought they swung it great, I thought we played some great baseball. Props to the bullpen for shutting it down when I came out."

The Yankees' week-long stench was one for the books. They were shut out in three straight games for just the seventh time in franchise history. For the first time since 1908 -- yes, 1908 -- they scored seven runs or fewer with six-plus losses across a seven-game span (h/t Katie Sharp).

But the Yankees finally showed signs of life on Thursday, and with the last-place Orioles arriving in town for a three-game set this weekend, hopes of a winning streak can re-enter the brains of players and fans.

"It definitely feels good hearing the music again and coming out with a W," said Cody Bellinger, who collected a team-high three hits. "Carlos and the bullpen did a great job of minimizing them. For us, we got to come do our job and score some runs."

Diamondbacks put catcher Gabriel Moreno on 10-day IL with right-hand contusion

TORONTO (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks put catcher Gabriel Moreno on the 10-day injured list Thursday because of a contusion on his right hand.

The move is retroactive to June 16.

Arizona selected catcher Aramis Garcia from Triple-A Reno. To make room on the 40-man roster, right-hander Christian Montes De Oca (back/elbow) was transferred to the 60-day IL.

Outfielder Corbin Carroll was not in the starting lineup for Thursday’s series finale against the Blue Jays. Carroll left Wednesday’s 8-1 loss in the eighth inning after being hit on the left hand by a pitch. X-rays did not reveal a fracture.

Manager Torey Lovullo said Carroll asked to play Thursday, but Lovullo preferred to rest the 2023 NL Rookie of the Year. Carroll is batting .255 with 20 home runs and 44 RBIs.

Former Blue Jays outfielder Randal Grichuk started in right field for the Diamondbacks on Thursday.

Moreno was scratched from the lineup Tuesday after injuring his hand during batting practice. He did not play on Wednesday.

Moreno is batting .270 with five home runs and 20 RBIs in 53 games.

Now in his third season with the Diamondbacks, Moreno was acquired from Toronto following the 2022 season, along with outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., in a trade that sent outfielder Daulton Varsho to the Blue Jays.

Shohei Ohtani will pitch for the Dodgers against the Nationals on Sunday

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani will next pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday against the Washington Nationals.

The two-way superstar made his mound debut for the Dodgers on Monday against the San Diego Padres, throwing one inning and allowing one run and two hits. He also batted leadoff as the designated hitter and had two hits.

Ohtani faced Padres sluggers Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado in his 28-pitch outing.

The Dodgers conclude their four-game series with San Diego on Thursday night, looking for a sweep and their sixth straight victory overall.

Ohtani underwent Tommy John surgery after the 2023 season while with the Los Angeles Angels and missed all of the 2024 season after which he signed a $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers.

Royals top prospect Jac Caglianone goes deep twice at Texas for his 1st big league homers

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jac Caglianone went deep twice for his first two homers in the big leagues as the Kansas City Royals beat the Texas Rangers 4-1 on Thursday.

The 22-year-old prospect won lefty-lefty matchups both times a day after sitting out in the majors for the first time in part because of a left-handed starter for Texas.

Both of Caglianone’s homers led off innings. He pulled a 95.5 mph fastball from Jacob Latz into the Texas Rangers bullpen in right-center field, the 387-foot shot giving the Royals a 3-0 lead in the second. The second was on the first pitch from Robert Garcia in the ninth, a 439-footer over that same bullpen.

The sixth overall pick in last year’s amateur draft out of Florida, Caglianone went 0 for 5 in his big league debut at St. Louis on June 3. His average was at .196 after going 0 for 4 in the opener of a series at Texas and sitting out the second game.

Caglianone, who played his first six games on the road before making his home debut against the New York Yankees, swung at Latz’s 2-2 pitch above the strike zone, and pointed toward center field. He made the same gesture after crushing a slider from Garcia.

The 6-foot-5 Caglianone hit 15 homers in 50 games combined with Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha before getting called up.

Phillies place Aaron Nola on 60-day IL, call up Buddy Kennedy and send Weston Wilson to Triple-A

MIAMI (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies moved right-hander Aaron Nola to the 60-day injured list on Thursday, a week after he injured his ribcage while trying to work himself back from a sprained right ankle.

Nola had been out since early May with the ankle injury. He experienced stiffness in his right side last week in Toronto that wiped out a planned session against live batters, and an MRI showed a stress reaction in his right ribcage.

Nola, who is in the second season of a seven-year, $172 million contract, is 105-86 with a 3.78 ERA in 11 seasons with the Phillies, making six straight opening day starts from 2018-23. He was 1-7 with a 6.16 ERA in nine starts this year before injuring his ankle on May 8 during pregame agility drills.

The Phillies selected the contract of infielder Buddy Kennedy from Triple-A Lehigh Valley before Thursday’s game against the Miami Marlins and optioned infielder/outfielder Weston Wilson to the IronPigs.

Kennedy, 26, is batting .283 with eight homers and 40 RBIs in 61 games for Lehigh Valley this season and was the International League Player of the Month for May. In 54 major league games over three seasons with the Diamondbacks, Tigers and Phillies, he has batted .203 with two homers and 19 RBIs.

Wilson batted .194 with one home run and 4 RBIs in 22 games for the Phillies this season.

Frankie Montas likely to join Mets’ starting rotation next week vs. Braves

The Mets have come to a decision with Frankie Montas

Discussions are still being had but manager Carlos Mendoza revealed prior to Thursday’s finale against the Braves that there's a good chance the right-hander will join the big-league rotation sometime next week. 

Montas, of course, has been sidelined since spring training with a right lat strain. 

After a long recovery process he was finally able to jump back into game action but things haven’t quite gone as planned -- as he’s been roughed up across six outings with Triple-A and High-A Brooklyn.

His latest minor league appearance came on Wednesday with Syracuse -- he started well but ultimately faltered off, allowing five runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out two over five innings. 

That brought his ERA up to an ugly 13.17 over just 13.2 innings of work. 

With no time left on his rehab assignment and a need for healthy arms in the rotation though, the Mets have decided to insert him into the mix to make his team debut next week against the Braves. 

"I'm not gonna lie, he got hit around," Mendoza said. "Look we've seen it before where guys in spring training struggle and get hit around, then once you put them in a big-league game under the lights with a gameplan and making adjustments they flip the switch.

"He's had success so far at this level so hopefully that's the case here with a guy who basically treated this rehab process as spring training and he got hit around -- but again, we believe in the player and we're going to give him a chance."

Brilliant Lionel Messi free-kick leads Inter Miami past Porto at Club World Cup

  • Argentine’s 68th free-kick goal secures three points for Miami

  • Win is MLS’s first in expanded Club World Cup

  • Palmeiras tops Al Ahly in other Group A match

Lionel Messi connected on a free kick in the 54th minute to propel Inter Miami to a 2-1 victory over FC Porto in a Group A match of the Fifa Club World Cup on Thursday afternoon.

After Porto struck first on Samu Aghehowa’s penalty kick in the eighth minute, Marcelo Weigandt assisted on Telasco Segovia’s game-tying goal in the 47th.

Continue reading...

Two Former Minnesota Wild Players Win Stanley Cup

Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (7) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images.

For the second consecutive season, the Florida Panthers have won the Stanley Cup. It also is the second year that former Minnesota Wild defenseman Dmitry Kulikov has won the Cup. 

Kulikov, 34, played in 80 games during the 2021-22 season for the Wild. He recorded seven goals and 24 points that year and was a plus-23.

The 6-foot-1 defender only played in only two playoff games for the Wild that season and was a minus-4. He was traded to the Anaheim Ducks for future considerations. 

He eventually made his way to the Panthers where he has been the last two seasons. 

Former Wild forward Nico Sturm was traded to the Panthers for their cup run this season. It is the second time in his career that Sturm has won the cup. 

Sturm, 30, spent the first four years of his NHL career with the Wild after going undrafted. He recorded 20 goals, 16 assists, 36 points, and 118 hits in 111 games with the Wild.

The 6-foot-3 center played in eight playoff games for the Panthers this year. He has won two Stanley Cups since the Wild moved on from him in 2022.

With Dallas Cap-Strapped, It's Time For Penguins To Get Aggressive

Jan 11, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Dallas Stars forward Mavrik Bourque (22) skates during the warmup period before a game against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

On Thursday, the Dallas Stars announced that they extended veteran forward Matt Duchene to a four-year, $18 million deal.

Duchene, 34, scored 30 goals and was at point-per-game last season, and he is very clearly still a key piece of Dallas's win-now competitive window. However, Duchene's signing puts Dallas just $455,000 under the salary cap - as of now - heading into next season with just nine forwards, six defensemen, and two goaltenders signed to their roster.

Dallas is in some serious cap trouble, and they will have to offload some contracts in order to not only sign enough players to fill their roster, but also to bring back more pending-unrestricted and restricted free agents that they are interested in keeping.

Enter the Pittsburgh Penguins.  

Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas mentioned in his season-ending press conference that he would, potentially, look to the RFA trade-then-sign market - as well as just the trade market in general - to acquire young talent. 

Pittsburgh has some trade assets to surrender. And Dallas may have a few players who fit the bill.

The most obvious candidate here is 23-year-old up-and-coming center Mavrik Bourque.

Should The Penguins Target Dallas Stars' RFA Forward?Should The Penguins Target Dallas Stars' RFA Forward?Ahead of the NHL Draft and free agency, the Pittsburgh Penguins - in addition to hiring a new head coach - figure to be busy.

A first-round pick (30th overall) by Dallas in 2020, Bourque registered 11 goals and 25 points in 73 games last season - which was his rookie year - in a limited role. Prior to cracking the NHL roster, Bourque had a fantastic 2023-24 campaign with the AHL's Texas Stars, putting up 26 goals and 77 points in 71 games. In two full seasons with Texas, he recorded 46 goals and 124 points.

Bourque is the exact kind of player that the Penguins should be seeking out to build out youth on their roster - especially because they need center depth. He's a playmaker by nature, is a good passer, and has a sneaky good shot that should lead to consistent production at the NHL level.

Because of the Stars' cap situation, Bourque could become a casualty to a team like the Penguins, who may be willing to take on a salary dump - someone like defenseman Matt Dumba - if Bourque is part of the return. In addition, bringing back somewhat of a wild card in Bourque - who was a healthy scratch for most of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs - would simply occupy precious cap space, even if only a little, that the Stars simply don't have.

Stars in Tough Cap Situation After Signing Veteran ForwardStars in Tough Cap Situation After Signing Veteran ForwardThe Dallas Stars have announced that they will be re-signing Matt Duchene.

This is a realistic target for Dubas and the Penguins, and they should pursue Bourque pretty aggressively. The Penguins also are in desperate need of bodies on their blue line, so taking on Dumba would actually benefit them roster-wise.

But if the Penguins want to shoot even bigger? If he does, indeed, become available on the market, Dubas should be doing everything he can to take a swing at star forward Jason Robertson.

Robertson, 25, has been one of the league's premiere goal-scorers for the past several years. His best season came in 2022-23, when he notched 46 goals and 109 points to go along with a plus-37. He is dangerous on the power play, he has high-end puck skills, he has a deceptive release, and he is a bigger body at 6-foot-3 - which are all things the Penguins will be looking to add.

With Robertson's Name Out There, Could Penguins Swing Blockbuster Trade?With Robertson's Name Out There, Could Penguins Swing Blockbuster Trade?With both the NHL Draft and free agency on the horizon, trade speculation is running rampant in hockey circles at the moment.

He is a pending-RFA in 2026, so the challenge for the Penguins - should they somehow land him - would be to sell the rebuild-on-the-fly in order to extend him long-term. Many would argue that the Penguins are not in the right position to be targeting guys like Robertson right now, and - while that's generally true - he's not a player any team, even Pittsburgh, should pass on given the chance to acquire him.

In order to land Robertson, of course, there would be a steep price. This likely starts with winger Rickard Rakell - who matched Robertson's goal total last season - as well as a first-round pick and a higher-end, near-NHL-ready prospect.

But it's a price they should be willing to pay if they truly want to execute a rebuild on-the-fly and have someone long-term who can help bridge the contention gap.

Whether they go the very realistic route of trying to acquire Bourque or try to swing big if Robertson truly becomes available, Dallas is a team that Dubas should have on speed dial in the coming days and weeks.

Report: Penguins, Kings Having Trade ConversationsReport: Penguins, Kings Having Trade ConversationsIt has been abundantly clear for quite a while now that three Pittsburgh Penguins are very much on the trade market.

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Featured image credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images