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Brown, Pack combine for 44 points, lead Oklahoma 88-85 past Texas in OT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Nijel Pack scored 23 points, Xzayvier Brown added 21 points, and Oklahoma beat Texas 88-85 in overtime in the final regular season game of the season for the two Southeastern Conference sides.

Pack was 7 of 14 from the field and 3 of 7 behind the arc. He scored nine points during a 14-2 second-half run that turned a tie game into a 12-point lead for the Sooners (17-14, 7-11) with fewer than seven minutes remaining. Brown was 8-of-18 shooting with four steals and led with 12 in the first half. Tae Davis added 14 points and nine rebounds.

The Longhorns (18-13, 9-9) held a 40-36 lead at halftime. They were led by Jordan Pope's 30 points on an inefficient 8-of-25 shooting but was 7 of 18 from behind the arc. Dailyn Swain added 18 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and three steals. Tramon Mark had 17 points. Matas Vokietaitis had 14 points and six rebounds.

The Sooners led by six with 36 seconds to go in regulation, but fouled Mark twice, including on a 3-point attempt that followed a turnover. Mark made all five free throws to make it a one-point game with 15 seconds left.

A pair of free throws from Davis put the Sooners up three. But Brown fouled Pope on a 3-point attempt, and Pope made all three free throws to tie the game and send it to overtime.

Pope had five in overtime and Mark three for the Longhorns, but Derrion Reid's five points for the Sooners, including a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left, put the game out of reach.

Texas lost four of their final five games to finish as the No. 10 seed in the SEC tournament.

Up next

Oklahoma will head to the SEC tournament as the 11 seed to face No. 14 seed South Carolina in the first round on Wednesday.

Texas faces No. 15 seed Mississippi on Wednesday. ___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Final Score: Warriors lose to Thunder 104-97 in Oklahoma City

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MARCH 7: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball in front of Brandin Podziemski #2 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Paycom Center on March 7, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Joshua Gateley/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Golden State Warriors lost to the reigning defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder tonight on the road, 104-97. They also missed seven free throws, egads!

You can sit with that math however you want. But here’s what I refuse to let that number erase: a shorthanded Golden State team, without Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, walked into the building that is currently the most dangerous home court in the Western Conference and made the best team in basketball sweat for 48 minutes.

That counts for something.

Gui Santos dropped a career-high 22 points and 11 rebounds on the best defensive roster in the conference. Draymond Green shot 6-of-10, hit four threes, and looked like a man who has been here before because he absolutely has. Brandin Podziemski ran the offense with 17 points and 6 assists against one turnover, the kind of quiet competence that championship rosters are built around. The Warriors outrebounded the Thunder 47-42. They generated 28 assists. They even won the turnover battle -3 against OKC’s pesky defense. The Dubs came back from double digits down in the third quarter and made it a genuine game when nobody outside the locker room expected them to.

The missed free throws hurt. Going 11-of-18 from the line against a Thunder team that went 23-of-24 from the charity stripe is the difference between a loss and a moment Dub Nation would have talked about for weeks. But I’ve watched this franchise long enough to know the difference between a team that is broken and a team that is building toward something through the fire. Tonight looked like the latter. The fight was real. The competitiveness was real. The youth on this roster absorbing a playoff-caliber environment against a 50-win team, without their stars, and still finding a way to make the fourth quarter interesting? That is something to build on.

Oklahoma City earned their 50th win. They are legitimate contenders to go back-to-back and tonight confirmed it again. But the Warriors made them work for every possession, and when Curry gets back, when this group remembers what full strength feels like, tonight will be one of those games they point to.

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Sixers Bell Ringer: Second-half woes and a late collision mar trip to Atlanta

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 7: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on March 7, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 22
Joel Embiid – 9
VJ Edgecombe – 9
Paul George – 6
Jared McCain :’( – 3
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 3
Dominick Barlow – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
Jabari Walker – 1
MarJon Beauchamp – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

Well, the shorthanded Sixers put forth a much more spirited effort than recent blowout defeats to Boston and San Antonio, but the usual third quarter woes reared their ugly head, and Philadelphia moved down into Play-In Tournament territory with a 125-116 loss to Atlanta. With the win by the Hawks, they completed the season sweep of the Sixers, which could come into play as a tiebreaker later with the two clubs bunched together in the standings. More crucially, Tyrese Maxey suffered a collision in the closing seconds of the game, suffering what looked to be an injury to his shooting hand, with later reporting revealing something may have happened to his finger.

It goes without saying, but with Philadelphia already missing several starters due to injury and suspension, losing Maxey for any significant period of time would be a true cause to panic. We’ll cross that doomsday bridge if and when we come to it. For now, let’s focus on the positives from Saturday’s defeat with our Bell Ringer nominees.

Tyrese Maxey: 31 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, 5 turnovers

ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 7: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on March 7, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Early on, Maxey looked like a guy determined to put the team on his back Greg Jennings-style, scoring 15 points in the opening quarter and 22 overall in the first half. In addition to his usual self-creation off the dribble, the Sixers did a nice job working Tyrese off the ball, getting him a couple open looks from three and running him off screens to allow him to start running downhill towards the basket. Maxey made great reads with the ball in his hand, finding Kelly Oubre with an over-the-shoulder cross-court pass for a triple, and finding a rolling Adem Bona down the lane for a bucket. He also made some key defensive plays, showing active hands at the top of the zone to force a couple steals. Hopefully, all’s relatively well with the hand/finger, and we’ll be seeing Tyrese right back among the Bell Ringer options real soon.

Quentin Grimes: 26 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers

ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 7: Quentin Grimes #5 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on March 7, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

After slumping for a few games, Grimes had his second straight positive game on the offensive end, this time getting going from beyond the arc with a trio of triples. He also displayed an aggressive attacking mentality, finishing through contact around the rim on numerous occasions; his seven free-throw attempts marked his third-highest total on the season. Grimes got chippy with Onyeka Okongwu as the pair each got the better end of each other on some forays by Quentin to the cup. It was great to see some fire from Grimes and keep carving in there to great success. I really enjoyed their little tete-a-tetes in the painted area. With so many absences, the Sixers need contributions from everybody, and this was a really nice performance from Grimes.

Kelly Oubre Jr.: 24 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 5 turnovers

ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 7: Kelly Oubre Jr. #9 of the Philadelphia 76ers passes the ball during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on March 7, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Kelly Oubre returned from missing a couple games due to illness and certainly looked more rested than drained in stepping back on the court. It was a solid all-around performance from Oubre. He hit Adem Bona perfectly down the lane with a pass out of the pick-and-roll for a dunk (remember when four assists seemed like a pipe dream from Kelly?). He clean picked Jalen Johnson’s pocket on one play, leading to a run-out bucket for Maxey, and he worked hard on the offensive glass — three o-boards all led to second-chance points. At his heart, though, Kelly gets buckets, and he did so very efficiently Saturday, shooting 10-of-15 from the field, including 3-of-5 from three. In particular, I liked when he recognized his size advantage against the defender, and muscled his way into the lane to can some short jumpers. Great to have you back, Kelly; the team certainly needs you.

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The Kings Defeat Feels The Same

Another game where it felt like the Kings were in control against the Montreal Canadiens falls just short of their grasp. 

The Los Angeles Kings  (25-23-14) appeared to be in control early and for the entire game, but couldn't close the door on the Canadiens, surrendering two quick third-period goals in a 4-3 loss on Saturday night. 

Despite dominating the opening period, outshooting the visiting team 16-1, the Kings watched another game in which they held a late lead and let it slip away in the final minutes, as the Canadeins capitalized on the power play and a momentum shift to steal this game. 

The Kings did play much better on 5-on-5 tonight, generating good looks on offense, and played much better on defense, until it counted. It is a tough loss to walk away from, but a learning experience under the new interim head coach, DJ Smith, who has this team playing much better. 

Kings Control the First Period

Los Angeles came out flying in front of their home crowd, completely tilting the ice in the opening frame, peppering Montreal goaltender Jakub Dobes with 16 shots while allowing just one.

The defensive pressure paid off in the opening frame with the captain, Anze Kopitar, opening the scoring for Los Angeles. Kopitar finished a sequence set up by Adrian Kempe and Artemi Panarin at 5:48 of the first period to give the Kings the early 1-0 advantage. 

Artemi Panarin helped drive the play throughout the period, consistently creating chances and keeping the Canadiens pinned to their zone. 

Even with the overwhelming shot advantage, Los Angeles left the door open by scoring just once, something that would come back to haunt them later. It felt like the margin should've been bigger for Los Angeles heading into the second period, but Dobes did a good job limiting the Kings from extending the game to a 2-0 lead. 

The Kings thought they had a goal with Samuel Helenius, who thought he had scored to extend the lead to 2-0, but the call would stand as a goalie interference. LA decided not to challenge the call and move on to the next play.   

Canadiens Push Back in the Second

Montreal found its footing in the second period and quickly erased the Kings' lead. 

Forward Jake Evans tied the game at 1-1, and Taylor Ward felt he was cross-checked into Kuemper, which affected the play. Los Angeles declared it would not challenge again and continued to play after taking a timeout to talk things over.

The Canadiens then grabbed the lead at 4:19 of the period when Juraj Slafkovsky finished a play created by Nick Suzuki and Alexandre Carrier. Slafkovsky finished the night with two goals, one assist, and three points, one of the key contributors to the Candiens' comeback win. 

Los Angeles answered shortly after. Newly acquired forward Scott Laughton tied the game 2-2 at 2:29 of the second period, burying a chance set up by rookie Jared Wright and defenseman Brandt Clarke. 

Laughton was just the third skater in the last 15 years to record a goal in his first LA Kings game after being traded to the franchise (Sean Durzi on Nov. 24, 2021, and Carl Grundstrom on March 9, 2019). Overall, he is the 68th skater in team history to score in their team debut. 

The teams headed into the final period tied 2-2, looking like it would end in a dogfight. 

Laferriere Gives Kings the Lead

Los Angeles regained the lead early in the third off the faceoff win,  Alex Laferriere capitalized on a rebound created by Clarke’s point shot.

At this point in the clutch, with LA outplaying the Candiens throughout the whole game and taking a 3-2 lead, it looked like this goal could help them escape with this win. 

Montreal Scores Twice in Under a Minute

Instead of holding on and playing clutch defense, Los Angeles once again folded in crunchtime. 

After a penalty was called on the Kings, the Canadiens struck on their first power play goal of the game, with Slafkovsky scoring his second goal of the game to tie the game 3-3 for Montreal. 

Just over a minute later, Nick Suzuki gave the Canadiens back their lead, who were also great tonight, finishing with one goal, two assists, and three points to help lead the comeback win for Montreal. 

The comeback stunned the Kings and left them shell-shocked after having the game in their hands. 

Panarin, Kempe, and Kopitar continue to dominate in their line, showcasing elite offense, but once again, it wasn't enough because of penalty kills, face-offs, and defensive breakdowns in the clutch. 

If there is an underlying issue that the Kings are facing and the biggest recurring theme in their losses this season— and even in some of their wins — it’s these challenges closing out games when it gets close, we saw it happen in the playoffs last year when they had that meltdown, blowing the 2-0 series lead, it looks like the Kings haven't gotten over that series loss yet. 

Final Thoughts

And ultimately, it hasn't changed because we've been seeing the same story all season long. When it looks like Los Angeles gets off to a big start, everyone already knows how it will end, losing the game in crunch time.

Even with the Kings being the far better team tonight, outplaying the Canadiens, it still came down to the wire, where Los Angeles has shown no ability to win when it gets there. 

Both the numbers on the statsheet and on-ice production showed that Los Angeles was the better team tonight, outshooting the visiting team 39-23 and controlling large stretches of the game, but defensive breakdowns and the costly third-period penalty proved decisive.

You have to give credit to the Canadiens for not giving up, and goaltender Dobes for turning aside 36 shots, and the forwards Suzuki and Slafkovsky for coming up big in the clutch to help make this comeback possible.  

The loss will definitely sting because, under head coach DJ Smith, Los Angeles looks much better and more organized on ice, especially in terms of effort. But tonight, a brief lapse late in the third period erased all the effort they put in for 60 minutes. 

Instead of walking away with a statement win, Los Angeles has to leave with yet another result that has been ailing them all season long. 

The Kings' next match will be on Monday, March 9, at 4:00 PM EST, where they will begin their five-game road trip against the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

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Knack and Treinen struggle in loss to the Rockies

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 4: Blake Treinen #49 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws a pitch in the seventh inning during a World Baseball Classic exhibition game against Team Mexico at Camelback Ranch on March 4, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Despite allowing only one hit in three innings of work, Landon Knack was unable to keep the Rockies off the board in what ultimately became a 6-4 loss to the Rockies. More important than the result, Knack struggled with an aspect of a starter ’game he ought to navigate well in order to have the desired impact. The young right-hander didn’t make the most out of allowing only one hit in three innings of work, done in by the Rockies small-ball game—one that works particularly well with a speedster like Jake McCarthy at the top of the batting order.

In the first inning, a walk was all it took for Colorado to get on the board, with McCarthy stealing back-to-back bases in order to score on a simple sacrifice fly. A couple of frames later, a ground rule double and a pair of sac-flies got Colorado on the board once again. Knack, who had a 1.394 WHIP last season, needs to do a better job of stranding runners and controlling the running game if he is to compete at even a decent level, much less a high one.

Sadly, Knack, who has multiple youngsters ahead of him in the pecking order for innings on this staff, wasn’t even the most disappointing Dodger pitcher of the evening, a distinction that belonged to Blake Treinen. Severely underwhelming in 2025, particularly in the postseason, Treinen came into this season on the final year of his deal, looking to bounce back to the form that made him one of the more dependable relievers of this team not so long ago. After a couple of scoreless outings in spring, the veteran got roughed up by the Rockies, who hung a four-spot on him in the sixth without the need of a single extra-base hit. On the flip side, there wasn’t a lot of hard contact to go around, so for now, we chalk it up to an isolated, unfortunate incident, even if the downward trend was cause for concern well before spring got underway.

For a game with 10 runs scored, neither offense looked particularly potent, with them combining for only three extra-base hits in the whole game—responsible for the Dodgers only one, Andy Pages continued his terrific showing this spring, now 7 for 20 in eight games. The first five hitters in the batting order all got three at bats with each of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández, and Max Muncy going 1 for 3. Both in the eighth and ninth innings, the Dodgers had the tying run in scoring position, but failed to capitalize once all the starters had left the game.

Up next, the Dodgers will go to Mesa to face the Athletics with a couple of left-handers taking the ball—Justin Wrobleski for Los Angeles and Jacob López for the A’s.

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Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, Andrew Thomas lead Sounders to 1-0 victory over Sporting KC

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Defender Kalani Kossa-Rienzi scored two minutes into the second half and Andrew Thomas made it stand up as the Seattle Sounders edged Sporting Kansas City 1-0 on Saturday night.

Kossa-Rienzi subbed in for Yéimar Gomez Andrade in the 23rd minute before scoring in the 47th to give the Sounders the lead. Jesús Ferreira notched his third assist in three matches and his 39th in 198 career appearances. Kossa-Rienzi found the net for the first time this season after scoring three times in 22 appearances as a rookie last year.

Thomas finished with five saves in posting his second clean sheet of the season and his fifth in 15 career starts for the Sounders (2-1-0).

Roman Bürki stopped three shots in his 92nd start, all with St. Louis City. Thomas had three saves and Bürki two in the scoreless first half.

First-year coach Yoann Damet is still searching for his first victory with St. Louis City (0-2-1). Damet spent three seasons as an assistant under former Columbus Crew head man Wilfried Nancy.

Seattle bounced back from losing a fifth straight road opener — 2-1 to Real Salt Lake — and improved to 6-1-0 all time versus St. Louis City.

Up next

St. Louis: At Los Angeles FC on Saturday.

Seattle: At San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday in the third of five straight road matches for the Sounders.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer

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Golden Knights Set To Celebrate Women’s History Month At Sunday’s Game Against Oilers

The Vegas Golden Knights will spotlight Women’s History Month on Sunday night when they host the Edmonton Oilers at T-Mobile Arena, turning the matchup into a celebration of women making an impact both in hockey and throughout the Las Vegas community.

Fans arriving early can add a little gold to their game-day look, with complimentary hair tinsel and face gems available outside on Toshiba Plaza. Inside the arena, supporters will also have the chance to share their appreciation by filling out “The Woman Who Inspires Me” signs on the concourse near Sections 11 and 12.

The team will also roll out several Women’s History Month–themed items for fans looking to take something home, including canvas tote bags and specialty pucks available at The Arsenal at City National Arena and The Armory at T-Mobile Arena.

Before puck drop, Miss Nevada Abigail Bachman will ring the ceremonial pregame siren. Bachman serves as the executive director of Nevada Miss Amazing, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering girls and women with disabilities. She’s also part of the Autism Cares Advisory Committee in Las Vegas and works closely with Best Buddies of Nevada.

Throughout the night, the arena atmosphere will lean into the celebration. The Golden Belles and Vegas Vivas will perform during the game, while Knight Club will feature a female DJ during the second intermission. Fans in attendance could also find themselves taking part in the 5-Prize Frenzy, where prizes created by female artists will be up for grabs.

The Golden Knights will also use the evening to recognize women who have made a difference in the local community, including the presentation of a Women’s Business Award.

During the first intermission, the spotlight will shift to the ice as two all-girls youth teams face off in the Mites at Knight showcase — a moment that reflects the growing presence of girls in hockey.

Off the ice, the organization is also hosting several VGK youth hockey players who are interested in sports careers. The girls will spend time shadowing women working across departments in the Golden Knights’ business operations, getting a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to work in professional sports.

Overall, the night is designed to celebrate the women helping shape the game, the community, and the future of hockey.

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Arvidsson’s breakaway winner lifts Bruins past Capitals for a 12th straight home win

Viktor Arvidsson scored the go-ahead goal on a breakaway 4:28 into the third period and the Boston Bruins beat the Washington Capitals 3-1 on Saturday for their 12th straight home victory.

Pavel Zacha also scored for the Bruins, who have their longest home win streak since a 14-gamer during their 2022-23 season when they set an NHL record with 65 victories. Jeremy Swayman made 22 saves and Elias Lindholm added an empty-netter.

Arvidsson scored the winner by slipping a wrister over goalie Logan Thompson’s left pad after taking a short backhand pass from Casey Mittelstadt.

Aliaksei Protas scored for Washington, which lost its third straight. The teams meet again in Washington on March 14.

It was the Capitals’ first game since trading longtime defenseman John Carlson to Anaheim before Friday’s trade deadline. He was with the team for nearly 17 seasons and it affected the locker room.

The Bruins haven’t lost at TD Garden in 2026; since a 6-2 loss to Montreal on Dec. 23rd.

DEVILS 6, RANGERS 3

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jack Hughes had a hat trick and an assist, Nico Hischier scored the go-ahead goal, and New Jersey beat New York for its fourth straight win.

Hischier scored a power-play goal at 8:05 of the third — his team-leading 21st — to give the Devils a 4-3 lead before Hughes scored twice, including one into an empty net, for his fourth career hat trick.

Jesper Bratt and Dawson Mercer also scored for the Devils, who are nine points out of a playoff spot. Bratt and Connor Brown had two assists each and Jacob Markstrom made 17 saves.

Will Borgen, Vladislav Gavrikov and Will Cuylle scored for the last-place Rangers, who were coming off a 6-2 home win over Toronto on Thursday. New York is 4-12-3 since winning the Winter Classic over Florida on Jan. 2.

SABRES 3, PREDATORS 2

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Tage Thompson and Jason Zucker scored less than two minutes apart in the second period and Buffalo held on to win its sixth game in a row, beating Nashville.

Josh Doan scored 16 seconds into the third period for a 3-1 lead and Alex Lyon made 23 saves for Buffalo, which played the first of a five-game homestand and has now earned a point in 13 of its last 15 games.

Thompson extended his point streak to a career-best 10 games (six goals, five assists) with his goal with 7:21 to play in the second period. Zucker made it 2-1 with 5:43 to play in the period.

Zachary L’Heureux scored his first goal of the season to give the Predators a 1-0 lead at 1:17 of the second period and Matthew Wood added a power-play goal with less than four minutes to play to pull Nashville within 3-2. Juuse Saros made 21 saves.

With an assist on L’Heureux’s goal, Nashville’s Jonathan Marchessault now has 300 career NHL assists.

The Sabres are now 29-2-0 this season when they have the lead after two periods.

FLYERS 4, PENGUINS 3, SO

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Trevor Zegras scored the only goal of the shootout to help Philadelphia defeat Pittsburgh.

Owen Tippett, Alex Bump and Denver Barkey scored for the Flyers, and Dan Vladar stopped 20 shots.

Tommy Novak, Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson scored for the Penguins, and Stuart Skinner stopped 12 shots a day after Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin was suspended for five games. The Penguins were also without captain Sidney Crosby, who is out for a minimum of four weeks because of a lower-body injury.

Tippett scored his 20th goal of the season less than a minute after Novak opened the scoring for the Penguins. It marked Tippett’s fourth consecutive season with at least 20 goals.

Bump scored in his NHL debut to tie the game at 2. With his family in the stands, he scored short side after a no-look pass from Nikita Grebenkin just over a minute after Rackell put the Penguins ahead 2-1 early in the second period.

Karlsson scored a minute later, and Barkley scored midway through the second to even the score at 3.

CANADIENS 4, KINGS 3

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Juraj Slafkovsky scored his second goal 49 seconds before he set up captain Nick Suzuki for the tiebreaker with 4:33 to play, leading Montreal's rally for a victory over Los Angeles.

Jake Evans also scored and Jakub Dobes made 35 saves for the Canadiens, who salvaged the final stop of their three-game California road trip with a late surge led by their offensive stars.

Shortly after Slafkovsky tied it on Montreal’s only power play, Cole Caufield forced a turnover that went from Slafkovsky to Suzuki for a one-timer that slipped underneath Darcy Kuemper’s arm.

Montreal had its NHL-leading 20th comeback victory one night after making a late rally — and then blowing a lead — in a wild 6-5 loss to Anaheim.

LIGHTNING 5, MAPLE LEAFS 2

TORONTO (AP) — Nikita Kucherov had three assists in a four-goal first period and added another in the third to give him 100 points on the season as Tampa Bay cruised past listless Toronto.

Jake Guentzel and Brandon Hagel, with a goal and an assist each, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Ryan McDonagh and the newly reacquired Corey Perry scored for Tampa Bay, which snapped a four-game slide.

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 27 saves. Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli added two assists.

Matias Maccelli and Nick Robertson scored for Toronto. Anthony Stolarz stopped 28 shots.

The Maple Leafs, who started the night eight points back of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot and were booed off the ice, have dropped seven straight since returning from the NHL’s Olympic break.

Tampa Bay tops the East and the Atlantic Division with 82 points, which put them 17 clear of Saturday’s opponent.

Toronto captain Auston Matthews, who hit the post in the third period on a shot that glanced off Vasilevskiy, has now gone 11 games without scoring, and has just one goal in his last 15 games.

MAMMOTH 5, BLUE JACKETS 4, OT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Logan Cooley scored his second goal of the game at 2:08 of overtime and Utah overcame Columbus’ tying third-period burst to win its third straight victory.

Clayton Keller broke free on the right side in the 3-on-3 overtime, slipping a cross-ice feed through traffic to Cooley.

Utah holds the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The Mammoth ended Columbus’ three-game winning streak and left the Blue Jackets two points out of the East’s final wild card.

Michael Carcone had a goal and an assist for Utah. Kevin Stenlund and Dylan Guenther also scored, and Alexander Kerfoot had two assists. Karel Vejmelka made 27 saves.

Damon Severson, Mathieu Olivier, Adam Fantilli and Mason Marchment each had a goal and an assist for Columbus. Kirill Marchenko had two assists to extend his points streak to four games, and Charlie Coyle added two assists to push his streak to five games. Elvis Merzlikins made 18 saves.

Stenlund broke a 2-2 tie three minutes into the third, and Cooley made it 4-2 on a breakaway 1:54 later.

JETS 3, CANUCKS 2, OT

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Josh Morrissey scored 1:49 into overtime to become the highest-scoring defenseman in franchise history, lifting Winnipeg to a victory over NHL-worst Vancouver.

The winning goal by Morrissey, who missed the last five games after being injured while playing for Canada at the Milan Cortina Olympics, gave him 417 career points to surpass Dustin Byfuglien for the Jets record. He tied the mark with an assist on Gabriel Vilardi’s tying goal.

Mark Scheifele also scored in regulation and had two assists and Connor Hellebuyck made 21 saves for the Jets, who extended their points streak to six games.

Linus Karlsson had a goal and an assist and Liam Ohgren also scored for the Canucks, who have lost 11 of 13. Kevin Lankinen stopped 32 shots for Vancouver, which beat Chicago on Friday night to end a seven-game skid that started in January.

SENATORS 7, KRAKEN 4

SEATTLE (AP) — Shane Pinto had a goal and two assists in Ottawa’s four-goal spree in the first and second periods in a win over Seattle.

Linus Ulmark made 17 saves to help Ottawa improve to 3-1 on a five-game trip. The Senators are four points behind Boston for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Seattle has lost two in a row and four of its past six. It holds the second wild card in the West after San Jose’s overtime loss to the New York Islanders.

Tyler Kleven, Dylan Cozens and Michael Amadio also scored after Jacob Melanson gave Seattle an early lead.

After Eeli Tolvanen scored for Seattle to cut it to 4-2 late in the second, Warren Foegele, Tim Stutzle, and Brady Tkachuk pushed Ottawa’s lead to five in the third.

Matty Beniers and Brandon Montour had late goals for the Kraken. Joey Daccord made 29 savss for Seattle.

ISLANDERS 2, SHARKS 1, OT

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Bo Horvat scored with 39.6 seconds left in overtime, lifting New York to a win over San Jose.

Tony DeAngelo also had a goal and Ilya Sorokin made 30 saves for New York, which snapped a two-game skid and improved to 9-0 this season in overtime. It was also the Islanders’ second win over the Sharks this season.

Macklin Celebrini scored his 32 goal of the season for the Sharks, who also lost in overtime against St. Louis on Friday. Yaroslav Askarov had 32 saves.

Brayden Schenn made his debut for the Islanders after being acquired from the Blues at the trade deadline for forward Jonathan Drouin, a goaltending prospect and first- and third-round picks in the draft this year. He had one shot and a blocked shot in 20 shifts and 17:26 of ice time.

Both teams had early goals before the game hit a scoring lull.

After Celebrini’s goal 33 seconds into the second period tied it at 1, the teams went nearly 44 minutes without scoring.

FLAMES 5, HURRICANES 4

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Joel Farabee scored twice and had an assist to lead Calgary to a victory over Carolina.

Morgan Frost had a goal and two assists for the Flames, who snapped a four-game winless skid. Ryan Strome had a goal and an assist in his debut for Calgary, and Blake Coleman also had a goal and an assist. Dustin Wolf made 25 saves.

Seth Jarvis had a goal and two assists for the Eastern Conference-leading Hurricanes, who lost in regulation for just the second time in their last 16 games (12-2-2). Sean Walker, Alexander Nikishin and Andrei Svechnikov also scored for Carolina.

Brandon Bussi stopped 20 shots, but his nine-game franchise record-tying winning streak ended.

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Clay Holmes shines for Team USA in World Baseball Classic debut

United States pitcher Clay Holmes (35) throws a pitch against Great Britain.
United States pitcher Clay Holmes (35) throws a pitch against Great Britain during the fourth inning at Daikin Park.

Mets starter Clay Holmes had himself a dazzling World Baseball Classic debut for Team USA on Saturday night.

While coming in relief for reigning American League Cy Young champion Tarik Skubal during the Untited States’s’ 9-1 blowout win over Great Britain in Group B pool play, Holmes, 32, threw three scoreless innings and struck out six batters.

The Mets right-hander also struck out five Great Britain hitters in a row across the fourth and fifth innings.

Clay Holmes throws a pitch during the fourth inning of the United States’ 9-1 blowout win at Daikin Park on March 7, 2026. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Saturday’s game was Holmes’ first appearance in the WBC, with the two-time All-Star previously telling reporters that he was ready to represent his country.

“I feel ready,” Holmes told reporters earlier this month, according to MLB.com. “Whether you know you’re in spring training facing a big league lineup or you’re going to face another team in the WBC, you’re trying to get outs, and you’re doing the best you can.”

After initially being held scoreless for the first four innings, Team USA erupted for five runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth and never looked back.

Following Holmes, Yankees closer David Bednar came in and threw a scoreless seventh inning, striking out two.

Great Britain did start the game hot, however, with outfielder Nate Eaton taking Skubal deep on the first pitch of the game and Trayce Thompson robbing Will Smith of a homer in the second, but Team USA rolled after that.

After losing in heartbreaking fashion to Japan in the 2023 WBC, Team USA came back stronger than ever for this year’s tournament, with manager Mark DeRosa assembling a star-studded team this time around.

“Not only can we talk about players, but our coaching staff, too,” Team USA captain Aaron Judge told reporters on Monday, according to The Athletic. “We’ve got All-Stars, Silver Sluggers, World Series champs, [pitching coach Andy] Pettitte, one of the best postseason pitchers ever.

“It’s just some of the best baseball players that ever played the game in one room, so it was pretty cool to get a chance to address them and talk with them. That’s what I kind of started out with: It’s just an honor to be here in front of you and be wearing the same uniform as you guys.”

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Anders Dreyer, rookie Duran Ferree lead San Diego past Sporting KC 1-0 in third straight shutout win

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Anders Dreyer scored late in the first half and rookie teenager Duran Ferree posted his third straight clean sheet to begin the season, leading San Diego FC to a 1-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night.

Dreyer used assists from Onni Valakari and 19-year-old Luca Bombino in the 39th minute to score for the second time this season. Valakari notched his second assist after collecting 11 last year, his first in the league. Bombino's first of the season comes after he had four assists in 26 appearances as a rookie last year.

Dreyer became the second fastest to reach 20 goals and 20 assists in regular-season play in league history last week, needing 36 matches. Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi set the record at 26. Dreyer is the reigning newcomer of the year.

Ferree, 19, saved three shots for San Diego (3-0-0), which has outscored its opponents 8-0.

John Pulskamp finished with four saves for Sporting KC (0-2-1). He made a save on a penalty kick by the Columbus Crew's Wessam Abou Ali in the 87th minute to preserve a 2-2 draw last week.

Mikey Vargas has San Diego off to another hot start after his club finished first during the Western Conference regular season as an expansion side last year.

Up next

San Diego: At FC Dallas on Saturday.

Sporting KC: At Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday.

___

AP soccer: htAtps://apnews.com/soccer

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Will Warren left solid Yankees spring outing with one critique

New York Yankees pitcher Will Warren #98 throwing a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Will Warren throws a pitch for the Yankees during his March 1 Grapefruit League outing.

Observations from Yankees spring training Saturday:

Good Will Warren

Despite saying his “stuff wasn’t as sharp” later in his outing as he wanted, Will Warren threw four solid innings and gave up just an unearned run in a 50-pitch outing.

Will Warren throws a pitch for the Yankees during his March 1 Grapefruit League outing. Getty Images

No-show on ‘O’

The Yankees left most of their main players — the ones who aren’t in the WBC — back in Tampa.

But the lineup that faced the Nationals didn’t impress, putting up just three hits — all singles.

Caught my eye

Washington right-hander Josiah Gray missed all of last season after July 2024 Tommy John surgery.

The New Rochelle native and Yankees fan appears to be all the way back, with three scoreless innings against the Yankees.

Sunday’s schedule

The Yankees continue their East Coast (of Florida) road trip with a game against the Mets at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie with offseason addition Ryan Weathers on the mound. 

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Rapid Recap: Bucks 113, Jazz 99

MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 7: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks drives to the basket during the game against the Utah Jazz on March 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images). | NBAE via Getty Images

In the first half of a weekend back-to-back at Fiserv Forum, the Milwaukee Bucks snapped a four-game losing streak, taking out perhaps the most unabashed tankers in NBA history, the Utah Jazz. In his most extensive action since returning Monday from a calf strain (27 minutes), Giannis Antetokounmpo poured in a game-high 27 for the victors. Keyonte George paced the visitors with 22.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

A jumbo starting lineup, including Ousmane Dieng and Kyle Kuzma, began this one on a 10-3 run. Giannis’ initial shift was his longest since January at just under eight minutes, and in that time, he got to the line seven times. It was 23-8 when he subbed out at 4:35, but the second unit couldn’t extend what was then a 13-2 run any further. In fact, Milwaukee didn’t score a point for over three-and-a-half minutes as Giannis sat, though Utah couldn’t get closer than 10. They’re that bad: the Bucks went ice cold, and all the Jazz managed was five points. With a quarter in the books, it was 24-13 Bucks. Gripping stuff.

The Jazz finally started to find nylon in the opening stages of the second, amid the Bucks’ continued offensive struggles. A 10-2 Utah run made it a two-point game just over three minutes in, and Giannis re-entered perhaps sooner than anticipated. Still, the Milwaukee offense remained sluggish as Utah tied it at 35 just past the midpoint. It wasn’t until the last three minutes that they strung together some makes and re-established the double-digit lead, ironically after Giannis checked back out. The home team went to the locker room ahead 51-44.

Much like in their Wednesday defeat, the Bucks opened the second half poorly. Two early turnovers shrank the Bucks’ halftime advantage to one, and thanks to early foul trouble, they barely managed to stay in front—by no more than six—for the next few minutes. Once Giannis exited, Utah grabbed their first lead of the game inside the five-minute mark. Basket-trading followed, including AJ Green’s first three of the night (he had been 0/4 overall prior), then another shortly after. That, plus a Jericho Sims fastbreak dunk, seemed to break Milwaukee out of it a bit. Closing the period on a 9-2 run, they led 83-76 through three.

Bobby Portis took matters into his own hands with a pair of early buckets as the Bucks soon went up 11. He even added a block to his six quick points. That bought some more time for Giannis, who was reinserted with 7:30 left, up six. Utah closed within one, though, and it appeared the usual Jazz tanking mass exodus wasn’t coming. Giannis went to work with a personal 6-0 run, but Milwaukee struggled to stop Utah on the other end without fouling. It was 97-95 inside five minutes, but then the Bucks finally got serious and put the game away as the Jazz misfired just enough. They finished on a 16-4 run.

Stat That Stood Out

The Bucks were just brutal at the line, and it made this game a lot closer than it needed to be: 16/28 at the charity stripe is just 57.1%. Until Giannis made a few as they made their closing run, Milwaukee was under 50% for the game.

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Morrissey scores OT winner in return to set Jets' points mark for defensemen in 3-2 win over Canucks

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Josh Morrissey scored 1:49 into overtime to become the highest-scoring defenseman in franchise history, lifting the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-2 victory over the NHL-worst Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.

The winning goal by Morrissey, who missed the last five games after being injured while playing for Canada at the Milan Cortina Olympics, gave him 417 career points to surpass Dustin Byfuglien for the Jets record. He tied the mark with an assist on Gabriel Vilardi's tying goal.

Mark Scheifele also scored in regulation and had two assists and Connor Hellebuyck made 21 saves for the Jets, who extended their points streak to six games.

Linus Karlsson had a goal and an assist and Liam Ohgren also scored for the Canucks, who have lost 11 of 13. Kevin Lankinen stopped 32 shots for Vancouver, which beat Chicago on Friday night to end a seven-game skid that started in January.

With Winnipeg trailing 2-1 in the third period, Vilardi scored his 24th goal of the season at the 15:12 mark to tie it. Vilardi scored a goal in all three matchups against the Canucks this season, all victories for the Jets.

Winnipeg improved to 9-2-0 in its last 11 against Vancouver.

Up next

Canucks: Host Ottawa on Monday.

Jets: Host Anaheim on Tuesday.

—

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

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Some clarity halfway through spring camp

The midway point through Spring Training brings a little more clarity to the roster competitions going on in camp for the San Diego Padres with almost three weeks to go. The scores of the games don’t matter; the games often include minor league players that will never see a major league roster. Even the performances by the veterans are not too important as it is the process that is the focus in spring.

Everyone is working on stuff. Hitters are refining approaches and tweaks to their mechanics. Pitchers are working on new pitches, grips, sequences and building stamina. Despite all of that, it is still possible to impress the coaching staff if you are a non-roster invitee or minor league prospect. There are many factors that go into making the final roster decisions at the end of camp and some of those decisions are made easy by performances.

Randy Vasquez

When camp opened in February, manager Craig Stammen sent a message to starter Randy Vasquez. You have to earn your spot on this staff; nothing is a given. It appears Vasquez took that challenge to heart and has been impressive. His fastball velocity is averaging 2.2 mph higher than last season, and he is using it a lot more. The whiff percentage has gone from 16% to 27.3% in his appearances so far. Last year, of his seven-pitch mix, he had a stuff+ rating of 100 or more for his cutter, sweeper, curveball and slider. This spring, his stuff+ is 100 or more for all of his pitches.

In the 4.2 innings pitched in his two starts, Vasquez has allowed one hit with five strikeouts and three walks and no runs allowed. The exhibition against Great Britain on March 4 featured the first start for Joe Musgrove in his return from Tommy John. Vasquez came on in the fourth inning and pitched four shutout innings, allowing one hit and three strikeouts with no walks. That is a drastic contrast to watching him in past seasons, where his nickname was “Strandy Vasquez” with his penchant for getting out of messes he created for himself.

The Padres staff has expressed excitement with his performance so far and Vasquez has no worries if he can keep this up.

Fifth rotation spot

Triston McKenzie will not be in the rotation. The velocity is impressive but the control and command are everywhere. No one can fix that in three weeks.

Marco Gonzales has improved from the start of camp, but his competition is pushing him to the back of the line due to his low velocity compared to the other starter options.

JP Sears has improved his velocity (up to 94 mph on his fastball) but the command of his pitches has not been consistent. If he is to compete, he must improve his location on all his pitches.

Germán Márquez has also improved as the number of starts have increased. His fastball in the mid-90s is used about half the time and he mixes in his knuckle curve, slider, sinker and changeup. Only his curve has a stuff+ of 100 or more and the rest are below average.

Walker Buehler has a seven-pitch mix with a fastball that currently hits 94 mph. His stuff+ is better on his secondary pitches and his only appearance for the Padres showed a starter that knows how to pitch. If he improves over the course of the rest of the games, it will be hard to imagine the other starters beating him.

The last starter spot will continue to be competitive until late in spring. An improvement in performance and execution could significantly affect the final decision. As things stand now, Buehler seems to be the frontrunner but that can change. There has been no clarity on what happens with the veterans who don’t make the roster. The opt-out rules and contract details aren’t totally clear, and those details could be part of the final decision.

First base and DH

The competition for the platoon partner for Gavin Sheets at first base and DH seems to have concluded with both Miguel Andujar and Nick Castellanos showing major league performances in spring games. Castellanos can play corner outfield and DH but spent his offseason working at first base. Despite learning a new position, Castellanos has looked comfortable and made some good plays. There have also been enough misplays to allow him to learn and get coaching and mentoring from those around him. Offensively, his 21 at-bats feature a home run, two doubles and six RBI with a .333 average and 1.011 OPS

Andujar, who can also play third base and left field, has had 21 at-bats with a double, two homers and three RBI. He is hitting .381 with a 1.233 OPS. Although spring stats mean very little, seeing them both make good contact and have good at-bats is encouraging for improving the production in the last half of the lineup.

Infield/Outfield depth

Sung-Mun Song looks good in infield drills, showing athleticism and excellent defense. He has played mostly third base so far this spring. He debuted at shortstop in the game on March 5, making a good play with quick reactions and a strong throw. He also hit a home run 430 feet with an exit velocity of 105 mph on a 95-mph fastball. Watching his hits so far this spring, hitting velocity hasn’t been an issue.

Unfortunately, he came out of that game with soreness in his right oblique. That is the same side he injured before camp began and is now day-to-day. Depending on his progress, there could be some competition for infield depth as infielder Ty France has impressed this spring. In his 24 at-bats, France has three doubles and five RBI while playing strong defense at first base. If the Padres test him at third base and second base in coming games, it could be a sign that he has a chance for the roster.

Coming into spring, most everyone figured Bryce Johnson had a lock on the fourth outfield job. He played well last year and is a defensive plus at all three outfield positions. It’s possible that may not be the case. Johnson has options remaining and there are multiple players in camp who have experience in the outfield. Castellanos and Andujar are infielders who have played the corner outfield spots. Gavin Sheets has also seen time. The real issue is the backup for Jackson Merrill in centerfield and only Ramon Laureano has been able to fill in. That isn’t a great fit, but Johnson could be called up in case of a longer-term issue.

It will be interesting to see if there is a true fourth outfielder on the roster when camp breaks.

Bullpen

The only clarity to come with this battle is that Bryan Hoeing appears to have a significant injury and may not be in the conversation at all. The team has been suspiciously quiet about details regarding his status. The only report is elbow soreness, and he is exploring second and third opinions on his options. None of that sounds good and it is possible surgery would be what is being debated.

The surprise has been the rise of Logan Gillaspie as an option for the long role. His velocity is also up from previous years and there looks to be more movement on his pitches as well. The 3.2 innings pitched so far have been over two games with one hit and six strikeouts. Nick Pivetta is backing off from his start on Sunday and Gillaspie will start in his place.

The final decision for the bullpen will probably come down to the last days of camp, unless there are further injuries. Fingers crossed that the performances will continue to make it hard on the Padres staff to make those final decisions.

Catcher

The start of his tenure as the new manager featured Craig Stammen naming Luis Campusano as his back-up catcher. He left no doubt he was counting on Campusano to win the job this spring. So far, Campusano has looked good behind the plate. He is noticeably more engaged with the pitchers, and his work seems a lot more focused. Although his throws were a bit off to start, his last couple have been on target and crisp.

Unfortunately, his offense hasn’t kicked in yet. It seems obvious that might lag behind if he is dedicating most of early camp to the pitchers and his defense. Watching for more offense as the games go on and we get closer to the regular season would relieve some anxiety among fans who have never seen a consistent Campusano in a Padres uniform.

If positive vibes and confidence from the manager have any effect, then Campusano should begin to bloom soon. If you buy into the theory that 80 percent of baseball is mental, then having confidence in a player and giving him all the opportunities should bring out the best in him. I continue to hope that Stammen supporting and encouraging Campusano will unlock the player we haven’t seen yet.

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Enmanuel de Jesus punches out eight in dominant WBC performance

Detroit Tigers pitcher Enmanuel De Jesus throws at live batting practice during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Saturday night was supposed to be about Tarik Skubal, at least from a Tigers fans’ perspective. The best pitcher in baseball had a perfectly fine short outing for Team USA against Team Britain, but it was southpaw Enmanuel de Jesus who put on a show. Taking on Team Israel, which does feature a few major league caliber hitters, the southpaw struck out seven of the first 14 hitters he saw in perfect fashion. A triple and a single in the fifth allowed a run before de Jesus punched out his eighth hitter of the night to wrap up five stellar innings. Team Venezuela went on to win 11-3 on homers from Eugenio Suarez and a pair of blasts from Luiz Arraez.

Granted, outside of Harrison Bader, Team Israel is composed of Triple-A caliber hitters. But considering how well de Jesus has pitched all spring, it wasn’t surprising to see him absolutely dominate in the spotlight. His fourseam and sinker command was outstanding, and he was working cutters and changeups just off the edges with a lot of precision. It reminded me of watching prime Jose Quintana out there.

De Jesus has 6 1/3 scoreless innings for the Tigers already in Grapefruit League play with an excellent strikeout to walk ratio. He signed a minor league deal worth a potential $1.3M if he makes the Tigers’ major league roster this offseason. After pitching well in the KBO the past few seasons, the lefty’s command of his 93-94 mph fourseam-sinker combination, cutter, and changeup, have all looked very good so far. It’s not the kind of arsenal that screams frontline MLB starter, but as long as his command is this good, it’s going to be hard to keep him off the Opening Day roster with a straight face.

The Tigers might prefer to keep him stretched out, but with Keider Montero and Ty Madden already optioned to minor league camp, there’s really no need. We also don’t know the specifics of de Jesus’s minor league contract. If he has an opt-out date if not called up to the major leagues, the Tigers are probably best served by taking him on Opening Day and optioning Brant Hurter. Let’s just say that Hurter needs to get it going in a real hurry or he’ll be tuning up with the Toledo Mud Hens while de Jesus occupies the longman/lefty role in the Tigers’ bullpen.

It’s easier to pitch well early in camp before the major league hitters are ramped up and clicking on all cylinders, but just watching the stuff and command, it’s obvious this isn’t just a fluke run. De Jesus pitched very well and really learned his craft overseas, and it looks like the Tigers are set to benefit so far this spring.

As for Skubal, he was only scheduled to throw 55 pitches or so, as he’s put his emphasis on preparing for the regular season. He surrendered a first pitch home run to Red Sox infielder Nate Eaton before getting into full Skubal mode and punching out five hitters in three innings of work. Team USA leads 7-1 in the seventh inning as of this writing.