Posts

Posted on

Mets vs. Nationals: 5 things to watch and series predictions | Sept. 19-21

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Nationals play a three-game series at Citi Field starting on Friday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

5 things to watch

Is this an audition for Brandon Sproat?

Sproat, who gets the start on Friday night, has been impressive over his first two big league starts, allowing just three runs in 12.0 innings while walking four and striking out 10.

And he was unscored upon in his last outing, when he fired 6.0 innings of shutout ball against the Rangers at Citi Field.

If the Mets reach the postseason, the expectation is that Nolan McLean will be a lock to start one of the games in the Wild Card Series. The other start or two? That's up in the air.

Kodai Senga could possibly make a start, but he could also be left off a potential postseason roster. Meanwhile, David Peterson -- who was touched up for six runs on Wednesday -- has a 5.23 ERA in 65.1 innings spanning 12 starts in the second half of the season.

That potentially leaves a possible piggyback outing from Clay Holmes and Sean Manaea, and a start for Sproat as the other most sensible options in the Wild Card Series.

There's also the possibility Sproat could be used as a late-inning reliever, with the club badly in need of a reliable righty to help bridge the gap to Tyler Rogers and Edwin Diaz.

The Nolan McLean Show

McLean has been phenomenal since debuting, with a 1.19 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in 37.2 innings over six starts. He has allowed just 25 hits while walking 12 and striking out 40.

And what's been just as impressive as McLean's filthy arsenal has been his poise on the mound, his ability to pitch deep into games, and how he has quickly righted the ship and battled through outings where he doesn't have his best stuff.

He enters Saturday's start with a groundball rate of 62.9 percent and having allowed just one home run.

If things stay on track, McLean would possibly be lined up to pitch again next Thursday against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, which could theoretically set him up to pitch Game 1 of the Wild Card Series the following Tuesday -- should the Mets be there.

The Mets' offense should feast

The Nationals are a very bad baseball team.

They have the third-most losses in baseball (ahead of just the Rockies and White Sox), and have allowed the second-most runs in the majors (ahead of only the Rockies). The Nats also have the second-worst run differential in the sport, ahead of just the Rockies.

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field.
New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Put it all together and this should be a field day for a Mets offense that has been hit and miss this season -- but has looked better lately.

Cade Cavalli and Mitchell Parker are expected to get starts in this series, while MacKenzie Gore is not.

What's the plan for Sunday?

Manaea was placed on paternity leave before Thursday's game, meaning it's possible he won't be able to pitch on Sunday.

The expectation had been that he and Holmes would again piggyback.

Asked before Wednesday's game if Manaea could still pitch on Sunday, Carlos Mendoza was unsure, noting that if Manaea is able to throw while he's on leave that he could potentially be ready.

In a world where Manaea can't go on Sunday, the Mets might have to lean heavily on the bullpen behind Holmes. 

The out-of-town scoreboard

The Mets will enter play on Friday still leading the Diamondbacks, Giants, and Reds in the race for the third and final wild card spot in the National League.

As the Mets battle the Nats, here's what their closest competitors will be doing:

Diamondbacks: vs. Phillies for three games
Reds: vs. Cubs for four games
Giants: at Dodgers for four games

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Pete Alonso

Alonso has been heating up power-wise

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

Nolan McLean

It's McLean until proven otherwise

Which Nats player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?

CJ Abrams

Abrams is Washington's most formidable threat

Posted on

Giants' postseason hopes on life support after wasted chances in loss to Dodgers

Giants' postseason hopes on life support after wasted chances in loss to Dodgers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

LOS ANGELES — In their first draft under president of baseball operations Buster Posey, the Giants went out of their way to take contact hitters. A few weeks later, they took the same approach to the trade deadline.

The goal is to one day have more balance, to feature a lineup that includes free-swinging sluggers but also ancillary pieces that can keep a rally moving with a well-placed ball in play. The problem for the Giants is it might be years before the changes behind the scenes are seen on the field, and right now they still have a group that can seem stuck in the mud far too often. 

That’s never been more apparent than in the seventh inning Thursday.

After failing to score any of the six runners who drew a walk from Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Giants went walk, walk, strikeout, walk, walk, strikeout, strikeout in the seventh against right-handers Michael Kopech and Blake Treinen. With the game, and possibly their slim playoff hopes, on the line, nobody could put one in the gap, or find grass in front of an outfielder, or even hit a sacrifice fly. 

Nobody could do that all night, really. The lineup managed just one hit and wasted 10 walks and a stellar performance from Logan Webb, losing 2-1 and falling three games (plus the tiebreaker) behind the New York Mets with nine to go. 

“We put pressure on them. We just couldn’t get a hit,” manager Bob Melvin said. “That’s happened for us some this year. We certainly made their guys work, made their starter throw a lot of pitches, got him out after 5 1/3 and usually we do a little damage off the bullpen. We couldn’t do it other than drawing some walks and we couldn’t get a big hit.”

The lineup struck out 14 times, including six times in the last three innings. The two biggest ones came from two guys in the heart of the lineup. 

With the bases loaded in a 2-1 game, Willy Adames took a 2-2 sinker at the top of the zone that the Dodgers wanted. It was close, and the 3-2 pitch was just as close at the bottom of the zone. That one was called a strike as Adames protested. Matt Chapman then struck out swinging, stranding the three runners. 

“That’s why guys hit in the middle of the lineup. It just didn’t happen tonight,” Melvin said. “It’s frustrating. We had traffic all night long and you’d think we’d get one or two (home). Especially with Webby doing what he’s doing on the mound, we saw a lot of pitches and had a lot of traffic, but couldn’t get a hit, couldn’t get a big hit.”

Melvin called it a “Jekyll and Hyde” situation, and that’s really been the case the entire second half. The Giants were historically bad for several weeks and then turned into the best offense in baseball once everyone wrote them off. With a chance to catch the sliding Mets over the last week, they once again have gone silent. 

Incredibly, the Giants still might have found a way to win this one, but they gave a run away in the bottom of the sixth. With two in scoring position and one out, Mookie Betts hit a grounder to Adames, who threw a perfect strike to the plate. Patrick Bailey — who had the night’s only hit — dropped the ball as he tried to put down the tag. A Freddie Freeman single made it a two-run inning.

Bailey said there was no excuse. Webb made a good pitch and Adames made a great throw, he said. 

“I dropped the ball,” Bailey said, “Which is unacceptable.”

 That whole sequence from the bottom of the sixth through the top of the seventh wasted a bounceback performance from Webb, who allowed two runs — one earned — in seven innings and threw 103 pitches on a muggy night at Dodger Stadium. After throwing just eight sinkers last Saturday, he went back to his roots Thursday, firing sinkers and changeups at the Dodgers, who had just five hits of their own. 

“He was fantastic,” Melvin said. “He deserved to win that game.”

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Posted on

St. Louis Blues Open Training Camp With Motivation, New Additions To Blend In Searching For More

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- To no one’s surprise, Jim Montgomery saw some good, and some not-so-good to open St. Louis Blues training camp for the 2025-26 season.

The Blues coach, opening his first full camp after he was hired Nov. 25, 2024, and his coaching staff put two groups on the ice for the first time Thursday, will do so again Friday before opening preseason play Saturday against the Dallas Stars.

“Pretty good overall,” Montgomery said. “Intensity was good. Pace was slow in a couple of drills, but really good in other drills when we had to really battle each other. I liked the way our second and third effort is naturally being there on the first day. Execution was not where we would like it, but you kind of expect that on Day 1.”

Montgomery and the Blues went on an unprecedented run last year that saw the team reach the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in three seasons, highlighted by a franchise-record 12-game winning streak to get in as the second wild card before falling to the Winnipeg Jets in seven games of the first round.

“It’s great that ‘Monty’ is going to have a full training camp to get us ready,” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said as he enters his final season as GM. “I think one of the things you want to be careful against is when you finish as strong as you did, you think that that is going to be a natural carryover. One of the things you understand over time is like [Logan] Mailloux doesn’t care how we played, [Pius] Suter doesn’t care how we played, [Nick] Bjugstad doesn’t care how well we played at the end. We have to build our own team again. We have to start that foundation. There’s a lot of things that the players can remember and learn from from last year, but to think that they can replicate it by just showing up, hockey doesn’t work that way. The NHL doesn’t work that way. Just the understanding of when I look at the Central Division (and) how strong that is right now, we have to be ready to go at the start of the season. It’s going to be a battle every night. When you’re coming from behind, you can sneak up on teams. This year, hopefully we proved to some teams that we’re a capable opponent and we’ll get their best game and they’ll get ours and we’ll see how we fit.”

For Montgomery, he was able to adjust and implement on the fly in the middle of the season. How he gets to begin fresh, anew in putting in place what needs to transpire.

“Competing is going to be No. 1,” he said. “Playing with pace, being selfless, things that gave us a lot of success, but we need to ramp it up a couple levels. You’ve got to get off to a great start, so camp, if you don’t have a camp, you don’t get off to a good start. Today was a good Day 1. I expect them to be better tomorrow.”

Suter (two years, $8.25 million) and Bjugstad (two years, $3.75 million) were the top two free agent signings this past summer.

“Just the overall depth it gives us, right,” Montgomery said. “Both of them real smart, veteran players. You can tell already they understood how we want to play. They were making good, defensive plays and real good offensive support plays.”

Mailloux, a defenseman acquired from the Montreal Canadiens for Zack Bolduc, will get his first big chance to earn his way onto an NHL roster.

“He was known as an offensive defenseman; that’s what he’s been his whole career, and I can see the shot, I can see the instincts,” Montgomery said. “But what was really impressive was the defensive stick. He got his stick on a lot of pucks, ended a lot of plays, killed plays. That was nice to see.

“I think that’s what his role was last year was to work on that (defense) and you can tell. He’s a conscientious, good teammate because he got better. His stick, we watched clips of him and it was very evident in the American (Hockey) League that he was doing a real good job with his stick.”

And veteran Milan Lucic, invited in to camp on a PTO, comes with familiarity and a chance.

“He's got to win a job,” Montgomery said. “I know that sounds simple, but he's got to be good 200 feet, he's got to know what we're doing defensively. There was one rush drill where he took it wide and like that was NHL speed. He took it hard to the net. Those are things that we think, as a team, we need to be better at than last year and maybe he's someone that can help us.”

Added Blues captain Brayden Schenn on Lucic: “He’s a guy that you want on your team. He can control the bench, control the room. He’s a guy when you have on your team, guys know he’s out there. That’s an important guy you need in your locker room and on your team. I’m looking forward – I think we all are – to have him. Everyone speaks very highly of him. He’s a heck of a teammate.”

As the Blues begin their journey to the Oct. 9 season-opener against the Minnesota Wild at home, does Game 7 against the Jets still sting and should it serve as a motivator?

“I think it’s motivation because we don’t like the way we finished that game,” Montgomery said. “We didn’t advance, we should have advanced, but we’re not laboring it, we’re going to learn from it and we’re going to get better. That’s our mindset and starting off camp right now, we’re not thinking Game 7, we’re thinking about getting off to a great start this year.”

Blues Top Picks Getting Looks With High-End VeteransBlues Top Picks Getting Looks With High-End Veterans MARYLAND HEIGHTS. Mo. -- There’s a method to what the St. Louis Blues want to do with some of their young talent – especially first-round talent – that they’ve selected in the past few years. Young Rising Blues Forward: Young Rising Blues Forward: "I Want To Be A Top Player In This League One Day" MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Don’t mistake Dylan Holloway the wrong way. The St. Louis Blues forward is beyond grateful to be healthy and skating 100 percent for the first time since what turned out to be an ugly injury that derailed a fantastic first season in the Gateway City. Blues' Jake Neighbours Set To Miss First Three Days Of Training CampBlues' Jake Neighbours Set To Miss First Three Days Of Training CampSt. Louis Blues winger Jake Neighbours will miss the first three days of training camp to attend to a personal family matter. 'It's His Job to Lose,' Blues GM Doug Armstrong With A Straightforward Message To Logan Mailloux'It's His Job to Lose,' Blues GM Doug Armstrong With A Straightforward Message To Logan MaillouxThe St. Louis Blues' training camp has finally started, but prior to the first practices, GM Doug Armstrong spoke to the media, talking about several topics.
Posted on

Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Robertson looks a better bet for Merseyside derby, a fresh test for Bournemouth, protests at West Ham and more

It would be a surprise to see Arne Slot start Milos Kerkez against Everton, given the left-back’s struggles against Burnley last weekend. Kerkez was booked for diving and was lucky to avoid a second yellow after fouling Jaidon Anthony before being substituted for Andy Robertson after 38 minutes at Turf Moor. Surely Slot will not risk a similar performance in the cauldron of the Merseyside derby, especially with such a dependable option in Robertson and the tricky Iliman Ndiaye on the right wing for Everton? “It’s a massive jump [playing for Liverpool],” said the Scot as he came to the defence of Kerkez this week. “I came from Hull City, he’s come from Bournemouth, and it’s probably quite similar. He will be the starting left-back for Liverpool in the future and it’s up to me to push him this season and help him improve.” Kerkez is lucky to have such an experienced mentor, but may face a wait to get back into Slot’s starting XI after Robertson started against Atlético Madrid in midweek. Michael Butler

Continue reading...
Posted on

Kings Captain Anze Kopitar: 'This Is Going To Be My Last Year'

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar announced the 2025-26 season will be the last of his NHL career. 

“I’ve decided that this year is going to be my last year playing in the NHL,” Kopitar said in a press conference on Thursday.

The Kings captain made the announcement with his wife and two kids sitting next to him at the table. He said it’s time to be available for the family.

“These guys sitting here with me have been with me for the past 20-plus years,” he said. “Now, they deserve a husband and a dad to be home and present.”

The timing for Kopitar to hang up his skates fits with the remaining duration of his contract. This is the final year of a two-year contract he signed in July 2023, earning $7 million per season.

Anze Kopitar (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)

Since the Kings drafted Kopitar 11th overall in the 2005 draft, the Slovenian center has played 19 NHL seasons, soon to be 20. He's feeatured in more than 1,500 regular-season and playoff games, all for Los Angeles.

Kopitar will go down as one of the best Kings in franchise history, if not the best. He already leads the organization in games played (1,454) and assists (838). Furthermore, considering his consistency over the last few years, he’ll likely become the franchise’s point leader as he’s just 29 points behind Marcel Dionne’s 1,307.

Speaking of Kopitar’s consistency, in campaigns where the 38-year-old played at least 50 games, he has never scored fewer than 50 points. His career high came in the 2017-18 campaign when he scored 35 goals and 92 points. He finished seventh in the NHL for scoring that year, alongside Pittsburgh Penguins right winger Phil Kessel.

In addition to his scoring consistency, L.A.’s captain could be counted on to suit up for nearly every contest. In the last eight seasons, Kopitar has only missed four games across the regular season and post-season.

Kopitar has accomplished many great things in his long career. The highlight of it all would be his two Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014. To add to that hardware, he has two Selke Trophies, three Lady Byng Trophies and a Mark Messier Leadership Award.

Posted on

Rashford spoils Newcastle’s big night and insists: ‘I’m getting better at Barça’

  • England striker hits two stunning goals to beat Newcastle

  • He reveals he is ‘excited and motivated’ by move to Spain

Marcus Rashford believes he can finally fulfil his true potential at ­Barcelona after scoring two stunning Champions League goals in front of the watching England coach Thomas Tuchel at Newcastle on Thursday night.

The 27-year-old Manchester United loanee opened the scoring with a fine 58th-minute header before firing in the second goal from 20 yards. Rashford had done enough to ensure that, despite Anthony Gordon’s 90th-minute consolation, Eddie Howe’s side were beaten. “It is going good. I am obviously learning a lot,” Rashford said afterwards as he praised his new manager, Hansi Flick. “It is a new way of football, but I am enjoying it all and I think it is making me a better player.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Champions League roundup: Kairat Almaty’s long journey goes unrewarded

  • Kazakhstani side beaten 4-1 at Sporting

  • Frankfurt and Brugge enjoy victories

Kairat Almaty’s debut in the league phase of the Champions League was ruined by conceding three goals in four second-half minutes as Sporting ran out 4-1 winners at the Estádio José Alvalade.

The visitors from the city of Almaty in south-eastern Kazakhstan undertook the longest journey ever recorded between two clubs in Champions League history, and they struggled to find their rhythm in the first half. Sporting were handed a penalty after 21 minutes when Aleksandr Mrynskiy brought down Luis Suárez, but Morten Hjulmand’s spot kick was kept out by 18-year-old Kairat goalkeeper Sherhan Kalmurza.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Kings captain Anze Kopitar says he will retire at the end of the 2025-26 season

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 29, 2023: Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar.
Kings center Anze Kopitar warms up before a playoff game against the Edmonton Oilers at Crypto.com Arena on April 29, 2023. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Anze Kopitar, widely considered the greatest player in Kings franchise history and poised to become the team's all-time leading scorer, announced Thursday he will retire at the end of the 2025-26 season.

"I just felt this is the time, but saying that, I'm looking extremely forward to this next season," said Kopitar, who added the decision was rooted in spending more time with his family. "I still have a lot of motivation. I've got a lot of energy, a lot of desire to compete at the highest level."

Kopitar said he was confident his decision would hold — even if the Kings made it all the way to Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Final.

"My mind is made up. It was a hard decision," Kopitar said. "I want to get this out of the way now, to where I’m not a distraction for the team. ... I just felt that this is the best time."

Entering his 20th season with the Kings and the final year of his contract, the decision was somewhat expected from the 38-year-old team captain. He told KCAL News last month he was thinking about retirement and that it could be his last NHL season.

Kings general manager Ken Holland told NHL Network Radio in July that Kopitar indicated he wasn’t seeking a contract extension this summer and was intending to take things a “year at a time.”

Kopitar's announcement came only hours after Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw announced he would retire at the end of the season.

“Must have been something in the universe for us to decide to do it on the same day,” Kopitar said.

Kopitar’s Hall of Fame credentials have already been established. The greatest player ever from Slovenia, he helped lead the Kings to the franchise’s Stanley Cup victories in 2012 and 2014 as part of a core four that included Dustin Brown, Jonathan Quick and Drew Doughty.

Kings center Anze Kopitar celebrates with the Stanley Cup after the Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils.
Kings center Anze Kopitar celebrates with the Stanley Cup after the Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils to win the franchise's first title in 2012. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Kopitar is second all-time in franchise scoring, with 1,278 points in a franchise-leading 1,454 games played. He is 30 points away from breaking Marcel Dionne’s team record for most points (1,307). He ranks third all-time in franchise goals (440) behind Luc Robitaille (557) and Dionne (550) and leads in assists (838). He is a two-time Selke trophy winner (best defensive forward) and three-time Lady Byng trophy winner (gentlemanly play).

Ultimately, Kopitar's collective triumphs with the Kings have meant more to him than individual accolades.

"The fact that we were the first team to bring the Cup to L.A., it makes it special," he said. "And then to follow it up with another one, those are the core memories that you can’t just ignore, even sometimes when times were a little bit rough and we didn’t have a very competitive team.

"Those memories, and the guys around you that have won with you before, those are the reasons that I didn’t think about going anywhere else.”

Drafted 11th overall by the Kings in 2005, Kopitar made an immediate impact during his 2006-07 rookie season, finishing with 20 goals and 61 points for a downtrodden team that was in the middle of a six-year playoff drought.

Eventually, with Doughty joining the team in 2008 coupled with steady growth from Brown, Quick and Kopitar, the Kings returned to the playoffs in 2010 before capturing the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 2012.

Kopitar has stood out on a team that has had many greats, including NHL all-time leading scorer Wayne Gretzky.

“It’s really hard for me to sit here and say I’m the greatest King. That’s just not my personality. Far from it,” Kopitar told The Times’ Helene Elliott in 2023. “There’s been great Kings in this organization, with Marcel, Luc, Dave [Taylor], Wayne, Blakey [Rob Blake]. The list can go on for a little bit. Brownie. Individually, yes, but it’s about collective wins.”

Read more:Kings' Corey Perry to miss six to eight weeks after knee surgery

With Kopitar's decision, the biggest roster question facing the Kings remains whether they can re-sign Adrian Kempe to a long-term deal. Kempe, who has led the team in points the last two seasons, is in the final year of his contract.

The Kings open the preseason Sunday against the Ducks in the Empire Classic at Toyota Arena in Ontario. They begin the regular season against the Colorado Avalanche at Crypto.com Arena on Oct. 7.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Posted on

Blues Top Picks Getting Looks With High-End Veterans

MARYLAND HEIGHTS. Mo. -- There’s a method to what the St. Louis Blues want to do with some of their young talent – especially first-round talent – that they’ve selected in the past few years.

If those players feel they’re ready to break through and become NHL players, they are going to have to A) earn the job, and B) take a job from some else, already an established player.

So for the likes of Dalibor Dvorsky (first round, 2023, No. 10 overall), Otto Stenberg (first round, 2023, 25th overall), Theo Lindstein (first round, 2023, 29th overall), Adam Jiricek (first round, 2024, 16th overall), and Justin Carbonneau (first round, 2025, 19th overall), those players are being given opportunities with veteran, high-end players to see how they fit and fare.

“We want to give everybody the opportunity to play with NHL players, but we also want to give our NHL players and some of the younger ones especially the opportunity to make people better,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said after the first day of training camp. “It’s part of what we want to do as an organization is anytime someone comes into fold, comes into family, we’re going to try and make them better. You had a lot of two veterans with one young guy so that they could talk to them and communicate with them because they know the drills, they know how we want to play, they know our identity so that they can help the young guys you saw out there like Carbonneau and d-men as well.

“They’ve got to show that they can make plays at the NHL level and they’ve also got to show that they’re reliable, trustworthy without the puck, playing the right way, getting above pucks, reloading, knowing where your stick should be knowing where you should stop, all those little things that add to victories.”

On Thursday, Stenberg was skating with Robert Thomas and Jimmy Snuggerud; Dvorsky was with Pius Suter and Jordan Kyrou; Carbonneau was with Brayden Schenn and Dylan Holloway; Lindstein was paired with Justin Faulk, and Jiricek was paired with Philip Broberg.

And for Dvorsky, who is open to playing on the wing even though he’s a natural center, he was on Suter’s wing the first day.

“We felt that with the players we acquired in the summer that we got deep down the middle, so this is an opportunity to see the young man … he’s gifted,” Montgomery said of Dvorsky. “He scored two beautiful goals today. So offensively, he’s gifted. It’s easier to focus on what you’re good at as a winger than a center.”

Make no mistake about it. Management won’t hesitate to give one of these younger players a job out of camp – if they earn it.

“Well, we saw some of that in Minnesota,” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said of the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase, getting a leg up in seeing some of these players. “It’s going to be the hockey sense, it’s going to be the competitiveness in certain areas. My expectation is for Jim to have a very good training camp. A lot of battle drills, how they can compete in that. They’re going to get exhibition games. The way we’ve organized the first few days of training camp, we have two veteran players … Carbonneau’s with a good line. All these guys are with first-round picks, these guys that should have the skill level from when they were drafted and we’ll take a look at that with that group, but there’s always someone that pops up underneath that wants to get your attention too.

“Training camp is very important for a lot of guys this year. We have six exhibition games. We usually have a few more than that, so everyone’s going to have to put their best foot forward. If you’re not here on Oct. 9th doesn’t mean you’re not going to be here on Nov. 9th. It’s easy for me to say it’s up for people to accept, but we’re in this for the long haul of continuing to get better. Contracts won’t exclude you from being in the NHL if you’re good enough.”

Young Rising Blues Forward: Young Rising Blues Forward: "I Want To Be A Top Player In This League One Day" MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Don’t mistake Dylan Holloway the wrong way. The St. Louis Blues forward is beyond grateful to be healthy and skating 100 percent for the first time since what turned out to be an ugly injury that derailed a fantastic first season in the Gateway City. Blues' Jake Neighbours Set To Miss First Three Days Of Training CampBlues' Jake Neighbours Set To Miss First Three Days Of Training CampSt. Louis Blues winger Jake Neighbours will miss the first three days of training camp to attend to a personal family matter.
Posted on

Wild's Mats Zuccarello Will Be Out For "A Little While"

ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild opened training camp on Thursday and plenty of news came out of it. Kirill Kaprizov talked to the media for the first time since the recent reports and Wild general manager Bill Guerin did as well.

One piece of news that was a bit surprising was another injury. We knew defenseman Jonas Brodin could miss the start of the season and now Mats Zuccarello could join him.

Zuccarello, 38, was not on the ice for the start of the camp and questions started coming up. Before training camp even started the expectation was for Zuccarello to open the season on the top line with Kaprizov.

Guerin said that Zuccarello will be out for "a little while" when he spoke on Thursday. He did indicate that his injury is recent. As for the timetable?

"I don't want to say weeks, but yes," Guerin said. "I guess weeks."

He was then asked if Zuccarello could miss the start of the season and Guerin said he could be.

This has now opened the door for youngster Liam Ohgren to get a crack in the top six. The 21-year-old forward started training camp with Joel Eriksson Ek and Vladimir Tarasenko.

"It's huge. It's up to him to grab it," Guerin said on Ohgren's opportunity. "It's an incredible opportunity for him."

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Recent Minnesota Wild Stories

Minnesota Wild: What's New On The Kirill Kaprizov Contract ExtensionMinnesota Wild: What's New On The Kirill Kaprizov Contract ExtensionST. PAUL, Minn - Just about a week ago Kirill Kaprizov was offered a 8-year contract extension worth $128 million. He rejected the offer which would've made him the highest paid player in the NHL.

- Is It Time To Panic: Kirill Kaprizov Contract Extension Situation.

- Minnesota Wild Announce Helmet Sponsor For 2025-26 Season.

- Marc-Andre Fleury Signs Professional Tryout With The Pittsburgh Penguins.

- Former Minnesota Wild Forward Inducted Into U.S. Hockey Hall Of Fame.

- Former Minnesota Wild Defenseman Retires From NHL.

- Former Minnesota Wild Prospect Signs One-Year Deal With Columbus.

Posted on

Mets' Pete Alonso 'locked in' after fourth straight game with home run sets tone in series-deciding win

Mets first baseman Pete Alonso's fourth straight game with a home run set the tone for New York in Thursday's 6-1 victory against the Padres, a series-deciding result that saw manager Carlos Mendoza's group (79-74) take 2 of 3 from San Diego (83-70) and hold the NL wild card's third spot by at least two games with nine regular-season contests left.

"He's locked in," Mendoza said of Alonso, whose two-out solo shot to center field off Randy Vásquez in the first inning put the Mets on the board at 1-0. "And when he's doing things like that, he can carry a team. We know he's a streaky hitter. We've seen it when he gets cold. And then when he gets hot, man, he gets on one of those streaks that he's pretty dangerous. And right now, where we're at -- if we get that type of Pete Alonso, our offense obviously will benefit from it, of course."

Alonso, whose 1-for-2 afternoon at Citi Field included a third-inning walk and seventh-inning sacrifice fly that capped the Mets' 6-1 lead, is slashing .270/.345/.526 with 37 home runs and 121 RBI through 153 games.

"I mean, I'm just happy that I'm seeing stuff to hit in the middle of the zone," Alonso said. "With that being said, getting those pitches in the heart of the plate, not missing them, is big. I just want to keep having quality at-bats and stay in every pitch and just capitalize on mistakes."

With a trio of three-game series left on the regular-season schedule, led by this weekend's set against the Washington Nationals and Friday's 7:10 p.m. opener on SNY, Alonso appears to be rounding into form for the Mets' postseason push.

"You always want to play your best baseball at the end of the year," Alonso said. "And if we can continue to do that -- it's not about how you start, it's not about how things happen in the middle, it's about how you finish. If we keep continuing to stay within ourselves and do the best we can and execute, then we're going to be in a really good spot."

Posted on

Haaland with ‘monsters Ronaldo and Messi’ in Champions League 50 club, says Guardiola

  • Manchester City striker reaches mark in 49th game

  • Manager backs Norwegian to beat Ronaldo’s record

Pep Guardiola hailed Erling Haaland’s 50th Champions League goal in a record 49 games and stated he is now in the company of the “monsters Cristiano and Messi” in the competition’s all-time greatest scorers, as Manchester City beat Napoli 2-0 in the opening group match.

Haaland’s 56th-minute opener was his 12th in seven appearances for City and Norway, Jérémy Doku’s second clinching victory for Guardiola’s side. Haaland beat Ruud van Nistelrooy’s previous 62-appearance mark for 50 goals.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Mets Notes: Piggyback game saves bullpen for series clincher; Brandon Nimmo's home run

The Mets picked up a crucial 6-1 win over the San Diego Padres on Thursday, clinching a series victory and getting them closer to stamping their spot in the postseason.

While young starter Jonah Tong was dominant and the offense -- led by Brandon Nimmo's three-run homer -- led the way, it was the bullpen that stood out and helped seal the win and the series.

Often maligned for its inconsistencies, outside of closer Edwin Diaz, four arms -- including Diaz -- shut down a high-powered Padres lineup to just two hits in four shutout innings. Tyler Rogers, Brooks Raley, Gregory Soto and Diaz each pitched an inning with the closer -- having not pitched since Sunday -- picking up two strikeouts in a ho-hum 1-2-3 ninth.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was asked about the bullpen and whether the piggyback situation on Tuesday, which saw Clay Holmes start and pitch four innings and Sean Manaea finish off their win, pitching the final five innings, helped save the bullpen for Thursday's series finale.

"It always helps," he said. "When I’m trying to be aggressive, taking the ball from the starters, when you know you’re set up with the guys, you’re trying to piece it together. But it was good to see those guys get the job done. Rogers against the top of the lineup in the sixth, Raley, Soto, and then Sugar finishing it there. It was good to see. 

"We’re going to continue to rely on those guys, but yes, having the piggyback situation on Tuesday, not having to use any of those guys, puts you in situations like this where you’re able to win series."

Sep 18, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets left fielder Brandon Nimmo (9) hits a three run home run against the San Diego Padres during the third inning at Citi Field.
Sep 18, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets left fielder Brandon Nimmo (9) hits a three run home run against the San Diego Padres during the third inning at Citi Field. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Nimmo for three

The Padres had just tied the game at 1-1 when the Mets came up to bat in the bottom of the third. A Juan Soto groundout pushed across Francisco Lindor to give back the lead for the Mets. After Pete Alonso walked to put runners at the corners with one out, Padres manager Mike Shildt pulled starter Randy Vasquez for southpaw Wandy Peralta to face Nimmo.  

Peralta got ahead of Nimmo in the count, 1-2, when he threw an 87 mph changeup that rode in on the Mets outfielder. However, Nimmo pulled his hands in and got the barrel of the bat on the ball and launched it over the right-center field wall for a three-run shot. That blast put the Mets up for good and after the game, he spoke about his approach in that at-bat.

"[Peralta's] very tough on lefties, great relief pitcher for a long time now," Nimmo said. "Just trying to get a job done, find the barrel to the ball and usually the way you do that is by getting him in the strike zone, and I was able to do that there and get the job done with two strikes. Just trying to keep things simple…sometimes you come through, sometimes you don’t.

"You miss all the shots you don’t take. Trying to go up there with a good plan, and we were able to execute and do something big there and get more done than I went up there hoping for."

Nimmo's blast in the third was the 24th of the season, tying a career-high he set back in 2023. It's the seventh game this season that Nimmo has driven in three or more runs in a game and he has now hit safely in 25 of his last 31 starts.

Nimmo's outfield assist

Before his heroics at the plate, Nimmo made a pretty big play in the outfield.

Tong found himself in some early trouble in the first inning, giving up back-to-back one-out singles to Luis Arraez and Manny Machado. However, on Machado's hit, Nimmo threw to Lindor, who quickly pitched the ball to Jeff McNeil at second base to apply the tag on Machado, who was trying to stretch the hit into a double.

"Able to get Manny at second and putting the pressure back on them and not make it so easy with second and third there, it definitely does change momentum in a game," he said. "Glad to be a part of that, Francisco and Jeff executing the play, glad we can help out there."

Tong was able to get out of that jam by striking out Jackson Merrill to leave Arraez stranded at third base. The young right-hander was able to coast from there, allowing one unearned run through five innings and striking out a career-high eight batters.

Posted on

What we learned as Giants' offense struggles in demoralizing loss to Dodgers

What we learned as Giants' offense struggles in demoralizing loss to Dodgers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

LOS ANGELES — The Giants did not get any help before they took the field Thursday. The New York Mets won their afternoon game and the Cincinnati Reds got a shutout from ace Hunter Greene.

They did, however, get a few gifts once they took the field at Dodger Stadium. Yoshinobu Yamamoto walked six batters and a couple of Dodgers relievers combined for four free passes in an inning, but the Giants couldn’t capitalize. They had just one hit, losing 2-1 in what was a must-win game given how good Logan Webb was.

The Giants fell behind 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth, but right-hander Michael Kopech walked the first two batters of the seventh. After a strikeout, right-hander Blake Treinen entered and walked Heliot Ramos and Rafael Devers, pushing a run across.

A well-placed ball in play would have tied the game and anything in a gap would have given the Giants the lead, but Willy Adames went down looking and Matt Chapman struck out swinging.

The Giants drew double-digit walks at Dodger Stadium for the first time since July 19, 2002, but that game went 12 innings. On this night, the walks were clustered in seven innings but led to one run.

With the loss, the Giants are now four games behind the New York Mets if you include the tiebreaker. They have just nine games left in the season and probably need to win out to have a shot.

Digging Deep At Short

Adames had a really slow start defensively this season, but he has looked like an above-average shortstop for several months and he made two strong plays in the sixth inning Thursday. With runners on second and third, Adames made a perfect throw to the plate to cut down catcher Ben Rortvedt, but Patrick Bailey dropped it and the go-ahead run scored.

Later in the inning, with runners on first and third, Adames saved a run with an athletic play on a grounder to the hole at short.

Adames entered the night at two Outs Above Average, although he had to dig out of a huge hole. His March/April metrics were the second worst in a single month for a shortstop this season, but the Giants now feel pretty good about his ability to stay there for years to come.

That’s More Like It

Given the stakes, last Saturday’s loss at Oracle Park was one of the most disappointing days of Webb’s career. But he bounced back in a big way Thursday, keeping the Giants in the game even as the offense struggled to get anything going against Yoshinobu Yamamoto. After throwing just eight sinkers last weekend, Webb was his old self, throwing 32 of them.

Webb allowed two runs — only one earned — in seven innings and struck out five. He threw 103 pitches on a muggy night, but there was some bad luck in the only rally. The whole feel of that inning would have been different had the play at the plate been made.
Webb is now 4 1/3 innings away from becoming the first big leaguer this season to reach 200 innings. He got to 211 strikeouts on the season, moving two ahead of Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes.

Left on Left

The Dodgers brought in lefty Jack Dreyer to face Bryce Eldridge with the go-ahead run on second in the top of the sixth and manager Bob Melvin stuck with the rookie instead of pinch-hitting Wilmer Flores. It nearly paid off.
On a 2-2 pitch, Eldridge smoked a 102 mph line drive to right, but it was hit directly at Teoscar Hernandez. In two earlier at-bats against Yamamoto, Eldridge struck out. The rookie has had some solid at-bats through his first three starts in the big leagues, but is still looking for his first big league hit.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Posted on

Young Rising Blues Forward: "I Want To Be A Top Player In This League One Day"

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Don’t mistake Dylan Holloway the wrong way. The St. Louis Blues forward is beyond grateful to be healthy and skating 100 percent for the first time since what turned out to be an ugly injury that derailed a fantastic first season in the Gateway City.

But after putting up 63 points (26 goals, 37 assists) in 77 games in his first full NHL season after coming to the Blues via an offer sheet that was not matched by the Edmonton Oilers – along with defenseman Philip Broberg – in August of 2024, the 23-year-old first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft (No. 14 overall) feels like there’s more to be had.

Plenty more.

“I’ve got pretty lofty goals for myself,” Holloway said Thursday when the Blues opened training camp. “When you kind of set out to be a hockey player, you just want to make it to the NHL and now that I’ve been in the NHL for a bit, I want everything I can get. I’ve got some pretty lofty goals for myself. I want to be a top player in this league one day. It’s a goal that I know takes a lot of work, but something that I’m going to strive for.

“Last year I was fortunate enough to get some bounces and things were going in, but at the same time too, I felt pretty confident in my ability. After a big summer this summer, I feel even more confident. I’m excited to get things going and even prove it to myself and prove to everybody that I can be a top guy in this league.”

Holloway didn’t go as far as saying he wants to be a Connor McDavid or a Nathan MacKinnon or any of the other top-end echelon players in the NHL today, he just feels he can be among them. Some pretty lofty goals from what appears to be a very confident player, and why wouldn’t he be after things finally took off for him last season, given an opportunity in a full time role after 89 games over two seasons in limited roles with the Oilers.

But not only is there a team that’s motivated heading into a new season, there’s a player that’s also motivated, especially since he was rendered helpless and not being able to perform with his teammates in that excruciating seven-game series loss against the Winnipeg Jets in the Western Conference First Round.

“There’s not much I can do at that point. It sucked,” Holloway said. “You go all year, the team was working so hard to make the playoffs, we go on that really special run and it takes everybody. It was such a good environment in the room, a good vibe. To all of the sudden to not be a part of that was definitely a big shock and it sucked. You care so much throughout the year and you care so much come playoff time. To not be able to put your body on the line with the guys was tough, but I kind of had to come to peace with those terms and try to be a good teammate.”

It fell off the rails for Holloway April 3 in a 5-4 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The result was tearing the oblique off the hip bone. It required surgery and his season was essentially done in an instant.

“That was brutal, that sucked,” Holloway said. “I guess there’s no way to sugarcoat it. It was awful. I had to come to peace with the terms of not playing. The only way I could help out is just be a good teammate and support the boys. That’s what I tried to do.”

A fairytale season with a brutal ending, but now Holloway is 100 percent and looking as sharp as ever.

“It looks like he didn't even miss anything. It was good,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “His second and third effort, I think is contagious. He was really good today. It was a pleasant, pleasant day to see him back out there.”

Holloway opened camp skating with Brayden Schenn and 2025 first-round pick Justin Carbonneau looking to pick up where he left off.

“You always need guys with high work ethic and high compete levels, and he definitely has that,” Schenn said of Holloway. “Secondly, he’s dynamic, he’s a good skater, he’s a good puck-handler, he has a heck of a release and a shot.

“I think just the biggest thing with those guys if I even remember when I was young is like you get a chance early, maybe it doesn’t go the way you want in Edmonton and now you get a chance here and it’s a completely different slate with a new opportunity and new eyes on you, and he was able to take off and run with it. There’s pressure on all of us, but that’s part of pro sports. I don’t think we have to be hard on guys where they expect and demand a completely different Dylan Holloway. I think if he sticks to what he does and how he approaches his day to day and doesn’t worry about the results, worries about the day to day, he’s going to be totally fine.”

Holloway skated in a career-high 16:49 per game, getting top assignments the more the season went and earning the trust from the coaching staff. And for him to become one of those top-end league players, will come more opportunity.

“Potentially penalty killing for us, eat more minutes,” Montgomery said. “He has an iron lung. It doesn’t seem like he gets tired. He just keeps skating. He’s the Energizer Bunny out there. I guess for him, it’s developing his 200-foot game and continuing to evolve as a dynamic offensive player.”

Holloway has turned into an absolute bargain for the Blues when he signed a two-year, $4.58 million ($2.29 million average annual value) contract that has one year left on it, then can become a restricted free agent next summer.

The Blues know what they have, so don’t fret, he isn’t going anywhere.

“He and I talked last couple of days,” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. “He's in a great place physically. Mentally he's even in a better place. When I talked to he and Broberg about the whirlwind things they did last year, end of July they're Edmonton Oilers and then for a week they're NHL property and then they're St. Louis Blues. Then coming here and have to deal with the expectations: St. Louis overpaid, the other team should've kept them. There was all that debris that they had to deal with and for them to play as well as they did last year ... Holloway took it to a level of his draft position. He was a top pick and he played like a top pick, as Broberg did. If we're going to be a good team, Holloway has to replicate that, or very close to replicating that. Not just point wise. He's probably the hardest-working player we have in our organization right now. You come in here on a Sunday morning and you think you have the place to yourself and then you hear pucks clanking and he's in the shooting room. He's a hockey player, he loves it, he works extremely hard. His conditioning is off the charts. Better person than player, too. He's the full package of what you would want in an organization and we learned that after we got him. You don't know those things until you get them in the room. But he's a core piece of what we've got going and he wants to be a core piece, too.”

As for that next contract, Holloway said, “Honestly right now, I’m not too worried about it. I’m just focused on playing hockey. That’s one thing I’ll let Army and my agent kind of take care of. That’s why you’ve got an agent, they take care of that stuff and you just play hockey. That’s what I’m worried about.

“… I feel good. I was fortunate enough that the injury healed faster than I anticipated. I was able to get a good summer in and skating 100 percent and working out 100 percent. Trying to get better and not thinking about the oblique. I feel pretty good right now and just hope to keep it going.”

Blues' Jake Neighbours Set To Miss First Three Days Of Training CampBlues' Jake Neighbours Set To Miss First Three Days Of Training CampSt. Louis Blues winger Jake Neighbours will miss the first three days of training camp to attend to a personal family matter. 'It's His Job to Lose,' Blues GM Doug Armstrong With A Straightforward Message To Logan Mailloux'It's His Job to Lose,' Blues GM Doug Armstrong With A Straightforward Message To Logan MaillouxThe St. Louis Blues' training camp has finally started, but prior to the first practices, GM Doug Armstrong spoke to the media, talking about several topics. Armstrong Not Going Down Memory Lane In Final Year As GM Of St. Louis BluesArmstrong Not Going Down Memory Lane In Final Year As GM Of St. Louis Blues MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Doug Armstrong’s not looking for gifts; he’s not looking for accolades.