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Luis Robert Jr.'s walk-off blast caps Mets' 4-2 comeback win over Pirates in extra innings

The Mets rallied in the 11th inning to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2 on Saturday at Citi Field, as Luis Robert Jr. hit a three-run home run to end the game.

The Mets didn’t score until the 10th inning, but rallied twice in extra innings to pull out the win.

Here are the takeaways...

-Here’s how the Mets won it in the 11th: with the free runner at second, Marcus Semien drew a walk and then Robert Jr. jumped all over an 82-mph slider from lefty Hunter Barco, hitting it over the left field wall for the game-winner.

The Mets’ high-leverage relievers were essentially flawless on Saturday, but with the game in extra innings Luis Garcia and Richard Lovelady each gave up a run in the 10th and 11th innings.

-The Mets rallied in the bottom of the 10th inning to tie the score at 1-1, but missed a golden opportunity to win the game as Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Bo Bichette all failed to deliver the winning run from third base. to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 at Citi Field on Saturday, pushing their record to 2-0.

Luis Torrens had lined a single to left, tying the game at 1-1. Lindor grounded to second for a force out at the plate, then Soto got jammed on a fastball, and squibbed a ball slowly between the pitcher and the third base line. Barco made a nice play, getting to it and flipping it home to get another force out at the plate.

Bichette then flew out to right to end the inning.

For the day the Mets managed six hits, and Robert Jr.’s home run was their only extra-base hit. They went 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

-Bichette, who hit .381 last season w/RISP, had two big chances to change the game. He struck out with two outs in the eighth inning with the go-ahead run on third base at the time, looking bad chasing sliders down-and-in from Pirates’ lefty Gregory Soto.

And then in the 10th, with the bases loaded and two outs, he got under a 1-1 sweeper from Barco and flew out routinely to right.

-In his first appearance replacing Edwin Diaz as Mets closer, Devin Williams put up a zero in his first appearance as closer for the Mets, striking out Bryan Reynolds with runners at first and third to end the top of the ninth and keep the game tied at the time.

A line double by Jake Mangum and then a two-out walk to Ryan O’Hearn set up the Reynolds at-bat.

Williams got ahead of Reynolds 0-2 with two fastballs, one fouled off. After showing him his signature change-up, the air-bender, for a ball down, Williams beat Reynolds with a fastball for the swinging strikeout.

That finished up an outstanding day for the key relievers in the Mets’ bullpen, as Huascar Brazoban, Luke Weaver, and Brooks Raley all put up zeroes as well over the final 3.2 innings.

-David Peterson delivered a solid first start of the season. Despite allowing nine baserunners, on six hits, two walks, and a Bichette error, the lefthander held the Pirates scoreless over 5.1 innings as he made big pitches to get out of trouble in the fourth and fifth, and got relief help from Brazoban to escape the sixth.

For Peterson, it was a good sign as he looks to bounce back from his poor performance in the second half of last season, especially in September, after making the All-Star team with a strong first half.

Before Saturday’s game, Carlos Mendoza said he felt confident that Peterson’s slump was mostly the result of “hitting the wall” after throwing a career-high 165 innings.

Peterson’s biggest pitch was a 2-0 fastball, with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth inning, to Marcell Ozuna. Though the four-seamer was clocked at only 89 mph, Ozuna popped it up for an easy out.

Peterson’s velocity was down a bit throughout the game compared to last season. He was mostly 89-90 with his four-seamer, which averaged 92.3 mph last season.

Brazoban came on with runners at first and second in the sixth, and one out, and shut the door.

-Bichette made his first error at his new position of third base, fielding a routine ground ball from Reynolds in the fourth inning but then throwing high and wide of first base, as Polanco had to come off the base to catch the ball, too far off to tar the runner.

Bichette also made something of an unconventional play on a slow ground ball, positioning himself as he moved to his left so he could field the ball backhanded. It looked odd, but it put him in position to use his momentum to make a strong throw.

-Mitch Keller threw six shutout innings for the Pirates, allowing only three baserunners, all on singles.

Keller has historically been tough on the Mets. He came in with a 2.06 career ERA against them in six previous starts, though the ERA was higher, 3.46, in two starts at Citi Field.

Game MVP: Luis Robert Jr.

Duh. Robert Jr. is a gamble that so far is paying off in a big way, after coming over in a trade from the Chicago White Sox at a $20 million salary this season.

The Mets are convinced that if he can just stay healthy, he can put up a season as he did in 2023 when he was an AL All-Star.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets and Pirates wrap up their weekend series on Sunday. First pitch is set for 1:40 p.m.

Nolan McLean will make his 2026 debut, and he'll go against Carmen Miodzinski.

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SEE IT: Luis Robert Jr. blasts walk-off home run to lift Mets over Pirates in extra innings

It took the Mets 10 innings to get on the scoreboard, but the result was worth the wait for fans at Citi Field.

Luis Torrens tied the game at 1-1 with a bases-loaded single in his first at-bat of the season, but New York couldn't find a way to get another run in the frame.

The Pirates took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 11th inning, setting the stage for a walk-off win.

Luis Robert Jr. stepped up and became the hero, launching a three-run home run to left field to give the Mets a 4-2 win in 11 innings.

It's Robert's first HR with his new team, his fourth career walk-off, and second career walk-off home run.

 

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Bradish struggles, Orioles offense remains MIA in 4-1 loss to Twins

Mar 28, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (23) greeted by outfielder Trevor Larnach (9) after connecting on a two run home run during the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

The Orioles unveiled a 2026 slogan, to much self-paid fanfare, that says: Fly Different. Setting aside any grammatical quibbles with this particular slogan or motto, if the team is going to live up to it, they are going to have to do something better than what happened last year, whether this is to be described as different or differently. Their main problem two games into the season is that they are flying same. This continued on Saturday afternoon against the Twins as the O’s lost a 4-1 game for their first setback of 2026.

The most important thing there is to say about this game is that Orioles batters struck out 16 times. That’s twice as many strikeouts as they had in their Opening Day victory over Minnesota. Despite out-hitting the Twins, 5-4, the Orioles had just one hit with runners in scoring position and they ended up leaving a total of 11 men on base. The first seven spots in the starting lineup combined for just one hit in the game. All of these things create a tough environment to get a win, since they pretty much demand that everything else will go perfectly.

Saturday’s Orioles starting pitcher, Kyle Bradish, was not perfectly. We all want Bradish to be able to pick up where he left off from the 2023 season, before Tommy John surgery and rehab interrupted his career. In six starts after coming back last year, he showed that he might be able to do so. That did not continue on into today.

Bradish was not able to complete five innings in his first start of the season. He lost command of his elevated fastball as the game went along and it seemed that he was losing velocity as well. Only in time can we know if these are continual trends of concern. Bradish’s struggle was encapsulated when he allowed a two-run home run to Twins #8 hitter Royce Lewis. Don’t blow it against the #8 hitter! And yet, here we are. These two runs were the decisive ones in the game, and the only earned runs allowed by Bradish on the day.

There was also an unearned run against Bradish. This one was much less his fault. It started with Byron Buxton beating out a ground ball for an infield single. Jeremiah Jackson’s throw from the shortstop side of second base was initially ruled to be an out but overturned on replay. Buxton advanced to second base on a fly ball, showing the kind of disrespect a fast runner can afford to show Colton Cowser, who has not demonstrated accuracy with his arm.

Buxton made it to third base when Adley Rutschman attempted a back pick at second base and ended up throwing the ball into Buxton’s helmet. That was dumb. It cost the Orioles on the very next batter, when the speedy Buxton was able to score on a not-particularly-deep flyout to left field. This was the first Twins run of the game and erased what had been a 1-0 Orioles lead. Earlier in the game, the team cashed in on back-to-back hits by Cowser and Jackson to score the game’s first run. For the Orioles offense, this proved to be the only run.

When the Orioles offense largely struggled on Opening Day, that was, at least, against Joe Ryan, a guy who was pretty good a year ago. That easy excuse is not available for the Saturday loss. Minnesota’s Taj Bradley dropped a 5.05 ERA in the 2025 season and brought a 4.86 career ERA into the game. The O’s did a solid job early in the game of pushing up Bradley’s pitch count, and although they didn’t have much to show for it, and indeed struck out against him nine times, they chased him after only 4.1 innings.

Often, getting the starter out before the fifth inning is step one towards a good outcome. Unfortunately, this involves successfully executing later steps by doing good things against a team’s bullpen. The Orioles could not manage to do this. They had two hits for the rest of the game after Minnesota’s bullpen got involved. That sucks.

If you want to find a silver lining from the loss, that could be found in the major league debut of reliever Anthony Nunez. Acquired from the Mets last July, Nunez probably only made the Opening Day roster due to the injuries to Keegan Akin and Andrew Kittredge. Nunez looked great in the losing effort, pitching for two perfect innings while striking out three batters. I think that’s the first sign, but not the last, that he is ticketed for eventual higher-leverage innings.

With the press conference announcing Shane Baz’s contract extension earlier on Saturday drawing apparently the entire Orioles roster, this could have been a great chance for a fun win to leave everybody feeling good about the direction of the franchise. Instead, the Orioles turned in the kind of loss that they have authored all too many times since around the All-Star Break in the 2024 season.

It’s only one game out of 162, and it only feels so important because it is 50% of the games so far. But even in the one game that the Orioles won, the offense didn’t do much to make anybody feel like the problems have been solved.

Even so, the Orioles can get a season-opening series win on Sunday afternoon starting at a scheduled 1:35 Eastern. That will depend on Baz making a strong first impression on the organization after signing his new contract extension, and probably also on the offense doing something other than stinking against Twins #3 starter Bailey Ober. At least they aren’t the Giants, who got shut out two games in a row to start the season. That doesn’t make me feel much better.

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Penguins' Goaltending Prospect Breaks Two Wheeling Franchise Records

If there is one position the Pittsburgh Penguins have plenty of depth at, it's the goaltending position. 

And one of their prospects set a franchise record on Friday. 

Taylor Gauthier - starting goaltender for the Wheeling Nailers, Pittsburgh's ECHL affiliate - led the Nailers to a 4-0 win on Friday night against the Worcester Railers, which brings Wheeling's number to clinch a berth in the Kelly Cup playoffs down to one. With the win, Gauthier, 25, broke Wheeling's all-time franchise record for wins (67) and shutouts (10).

Wheeling will play Worcester again on Saturday, getting a chance to clinch with a win.

Gauthier began the 2025-26 season on injured reserve, but ever since his return to the lineup, he's been lights-out. In 29 games this season, he is 17-7-5 with a 1.94 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage. So far, this is Gauthier's third-consecutive ECHL season of boasting a save percentage of at least .923 - and he posted that save percentage in 2023-24, when he won ECHL Goaltender of the Year.

The 6-foot-2, 209-pound netminder signed a one-year, NHL entry-level contract with the Penguins on Mar. 7, which runs through the end of the 2025-26 season. The move shored up goaltending depth for the Penguins should they qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Crosby, Malkin Out; Penguins Call On McGroarty Ahead Of Saturday Matchup Against Dallas StarsCrosby, Malkin Out; Penguins Call On McGroarty Ahead Of Saturday Matchup Against Dallas StarsThe Pittsburgh Penguins will be without superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin against the Dallas Stars and turn to their young guns for reinforcement.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!    

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1-1 – Rangers survive blustery day to beat Phillies 5-4 in 10

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 28: Jake Burger #21 of the Texas Rangers drops the ball on an infield pop up during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies on March 28, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Texas Rangers scored five runs while the Philadelphia Phillies scored four runs in ten innings.

Never a doubt, right? Ha ha ha…

Corey Seager homered off Aaron Nola. So too did Jake Burger. That was a few hours ago. Feels like weeks.

Then Rangers got a nice spot start from the other other Jacob, Jacob Latz, after Jacob deGrom couldn’t pitch because he’s 38 years old and a strange pillow in a strange land can wreck your day.

Then Latz and four relievers held the Phillies to just one hit through two outs in the ninth inning.

Then Burger dropped his second popup on a play that would have ended the game with Texas enjoying a shutout.

Then former Rangers Adolis Garcia doubled in a run.

Then the Phillies tied it off Chris Martin.

Then the Rangers scored two runs in the tenth after being held off the board since the third inning.

Then someone I don’t think I’ve ever heard of in my life named Tyler Alexander squeaked through the tenth allowing just one run and the Rangers won a game that can only be described as peak Texas Rangers Baseball (TM).

I wonder if MLB knows it’s like 80 degrees in Arlington tomorrow and the Rangers have a retractable roof stadium.

Anyway, with the win, the Rangers avoided their first 0-2 start to begin a season since losing their first two games in Toronto back in 2022.

Player of the Game: Andrew McCutchen driving in Wyatt Langford for Texas’ non-Manfred Man run — proving to be the eventual winning run — in the tenth is now legally the only moment you’re allowed to remember from this game.

Up Next: The Rangers will close out their stint in Philly attempting to secure a series win in their first set of the year with LHP MacKenzie Gore expected to make his debut with Texas opposite LHP Jesús Luzardo for Philadelphia.

The lunch time first pitch from Citizens Bank Park is scheduled for 12:35 pm CT and you can watch it on the Rangers Sports Network.

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160 Games Left? That’s So Many Games! Rangers 5, Phillies 4

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 28: Jake Burger #21 of the Texas Rangers drops the ball on an infield pop up during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies on March 28, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

After eight innings of struggling to muster consistent at-bats against a variety of Texas Rangers pitchers, they woke up in the ninth because the final three outs are always the hardest ones to get.

With a three-nothing Rangers lead heading into the ninth, the Phillies had Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and Alec Bohm due up against left-hander Robert Garcia. Things looked even bleaker when Schwarber struck out looking and it didn’t feel better when Harper grounded a changeup to third baseman Josh Jung for out number two.

But there are 27 outs in baseball, not 26 and sometimes all a baseball team needs is some luck to start a rally. Bohm caught a changeup off the end of his bat that flared right in front of Nimmo for a two out single.

With Garcia still in the game, Rob Thomson called for Edmundo Sosa to hit for Bryson Stott to try and start a rally. Garcia missed his first three pitches outside of the strike zone but located a fastball to make it three and one. Sosa then geared up to swing no matter what but got a slider instead of the fastball he was hoping for. After fouling off two more sliders, he spat on an uncompetitive changeup to work a walk.

Chris Martin rushed in from the bullpen to face Adolis Garcia, who had the chance to make his mark against the team that non-tendered him in November.

The hardest out to get in baseball is the last one. Martin didn’t throw a great first pitch cutter over the middle of the plate but Garcia hit a mile-high pop-up. The game should be over but Jake Burger struggled to kind it for the second time of the day, neither of them even hitting his first base mitt.

With the count one and two, Garcia broke his bat on a hanging changeup but it was perfectly placed down the left field line for a one-run double that put two more runners in scoring position. Brandon Marsh slapped a two-strike changeup right past second baseman Josh Smith to force the game to extras.

Jhoan Duran came in for the tenth to try and keep the game tied with the ghost runner on second base. He got unlucky when Wyatt Langford hit a bloop shot right in front of Garcia for a knock but he spiked a curveball that went from the dirt to JT Realmuto’s face and past him for Brandon Nimmo to score.

With two outs, Andrew McCutchen, normally a short side platoon partner at this stage of his career, pulled a fastball right past a diving Trea Turner that make the game 5-3.

The Phillies once again had to claw back against a shaky bullpen. Otto Kemp hit for Justin Crawford with the left-hander Tyler Alexander on the mound, he took a pitch to his legs and walked down to first. It just wasn’t meant to be, however, Turner hit a pop-up, Schwarber went down looking right after missing a challenge, and Alec Bohm hit a pop up after Bryce Harper singled to right.

The day started well for the Phillies when Jacob deGrom was scratched because of neck stiffness. The news got even better when it became official that Garrett Stubbs cleared waivers and is going to AAA with the Iron Pigs.

Aaron Nola got the start in the second game of the season to split left-handers Cristopher Sánchez and Jesus Luzardo in the rotation. After recording the first two outs of the game, Corey Seager got the fastball he likes to sit first pitch and crushed it.

The Texas Rangers asked Jacob Latz to make an emergency start, likely not super stretched out, and to spend most of the game trying to mix and match the bullpen. The fastball sat roughly 92 mph today but he made it work because of how his slider worked against the Phillies’ left-handed hitters.

Kyle Schwarber went down swinging on one in the first and Brandon Marsh was just browsing in the second. Phillies hitters struggled to pick up his arsenal through four innings and Skip Schumaker pulled Latz right when his stuff and command started to diminish.

Aaron Nola’s command looked shaky at times but he was able to pitch around two walks in the second. The third inning is where troubled turned into results for the Rangers offense. Brandon Nimmo singled to open the inning then Jake Burger pulled a curveball barely down the left field line for a homer that might’ve put a dent in the foul pole.

It could’ve been worse for Nola. Wyatt Langford crushed a fastball right before that homer that is almost always an extra base hit. Justin Crawford read the 107 mph flyball like a book and timed his jump perfectly to haul in a fantastic grab.

Crawford has made a good first impression with the Phillies, picking up two hits on opening day, working a walk, and making that grab today.

Aaron Nola finished the day with five innings, striking out seven, and allowing three runs on two homers. There were some positives, he sat 90-93 for most of the day, which seems solid for him given the weather. He generated five whiffs with both his four-seam fastball and curveball. Nola will always struggle with the home run ball but there was some good in his outing.

There are 160 games to go, at least 1440 innings to play. There is a lot of baseball to play and hopefully most it isn’t as stressful as today.

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Brennan Othmann Expresses Excitement For Fresh Start With Flames

Danny Wild-Imagn Images
Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Brennan Othmann will appear in his first NHL game since being traded by the New York Rangers on Mar. 6 in exchange for Jacob Battaglia. 

The Flames called up Othmann from the Calgary Wranglers of the American Hockey League on Saturday, and he will play for the Flames on Saturday night against the Vancouver Canucks. 

Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury once thought highly of Othmann, given that he was his first draft pick as president and general manager of the Rangers.

Despite the high expectations placed on Othmann upon being drafted, his game never quite translated to the NHL level in New York, and his play was inconsistent in the American Hockey League as well.

The 23-year-old forward spent the past two seasons getting sent up and down from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL to the NHL, struggling to carve out a permanent role with the Rangers.

Over the past two seasons with the Rangers, Othmann has played a total of 39 NHL games, recording one goal, two assists, and three points.

Ahead of his Flames debut, Othmann reflected on his time with the Blueshirts and confirmed that he sought out a trade early on in the season, while expressing his excitement to get a fresh start in Calgary.

Rangers Inclined To Keep Dylan Garand Around As he Auditions For Potential Future Role Rangers Inclined To Keep Dylan Garand Around As he Auditions For Potential Future Role Dylan Garand may be auditioning to be the New York Rangers’ backup goaltender for the 2026-27 season.

“With the Rangers and that organization, I just never really got going, I just never really got an opportunity I felt like,” Othmann said. “They have a lot of high-end talent players at both right and left wing, so it was kind of hard to crack your way into that lineup over the last few years. 

“I thought it was time for a change and kind of made the decision at the start of the year and the process went on the whole season. Getting that call on the deadline day was obviously super exciting. It’s not like I didn’t want to play for the Rangers, I just wanted a fresh opportunity, fresh eyes, and a fresh organization to look at me.”

In 10 games with the Wranglers, Othmann has recorded five assists.

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Moses Itauma knocks out Jermaine Franklin with big uppercut in 5th round

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Moses Itauma delivered another devastating knockout by sending Jermaine Franklin Jr. to the canvas with a powerful uppercut in the fifth round of their heavyweight fight on Saturday.

Itauma (14-0, 12 KOs), who could soon be in line for a world title shot, staggered Franklin in the center of the ring and the referee waved the fight off as the American fell face first.

Franklin, who went the distance with former two-time world champion Anthony Joshua three years ago, had been billed as Itauma's toughest test yet.

The 21-year-old British southpaw had been dispatching opponents early — none of his previous nine opponents had made it through two rounds.

Franklin (24-3, 15 KOs) was knocked down in the third and ultimately made it to midway through the fifth at Co-op Live Arena. After the uppercut, Itauma threw one final right that seemed to graze the falling Franklin.

Itauma turned pro three years ago in a debut KO victory that lasted just 23 seconds.

The 32-year-old Franklin, a native of Saginaw, Michigan, had won his previous three bouts since his loss to Joshua in April 2023.

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AP boxing: https://apnews.com/boxing

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Luka Doncic suspended, will miss Wizards vs. Lakers game

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic has officially received a one-game suspension and will miss the team’s upcoming game against the Washington Wizards on Monday, March 30, the NBA announced Saturday night.

Doncic received his 16th technical foul of the season on March 27, during a game in which he led the Lakers to a 116-99 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena.

NBA rules indicate that a player or coach will automatically be suspended without pay for one game once they receive their 16th technical foul of the regular season. The player will be suspended for one regular season game for every two additional technical fouls that he receives.

Doncic nearly produced a double-double, finishing Friday's game with 41 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in 39 minutes of play.

Lakers coach JJ Redick indicated after the game that he did not see what initially happened and that the team would likely appeal it.

Doncic was seen pushing Nets forward Ziaire Williams, who then retaliated by swinging his arm back and hitting Doncic in the face. Williams received his fourth technical foul of the season and will not be suspended.

“He was in my face three times,” Doncic told reporters after the game. “I just wanted to get out of there. They said I pushed (Williams).”

Doncic had previously been called for a technical foul during a game against the Orlando Magic on Saturday, March 21. It would have been his 16th technical foul, but the NBA rescinded it, allowing him to avoid a suspension and play in the game against the Detroit Pistons on Monday, March 23.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Luka Doncic suspended for 16th technical foul, out for Wizards-Lakers

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2 Buffalo Sabres Make New Best Prospects List

The Hockey News' main site revealed players 11 to 20 for their latest top 100 NHL-affiliated prospect rankings. Two Buffalo Sabres prospects made this latest batch: forward Konsta Helenius and defenseman Radim Mrtka. 

Helenius was given the No. 12 spot by THN, and it makes sense when noting that he has a ton of potential. The 19-year-old forward has taken a nice step forward with his play this season in the AHL with the Rochester Americans. In 51 games this campaign with the AHL squad, he has recorded 18 goals, 32 assists, and 50 points.

Helenius also played in his first nine career NHL games earlier this season, where he had one goal and four points. With this, the 2024 first-round pick has already shown promise at the NHL level. 

As for Mrtka, he was given the No. 15 spot by THN. The 18-year-old defenseman played in 43 regular season games this season in the WHL with the Seattle Thunderbirds, where he had one goal and 34 points. He also played in four games earlier this season with the Amerks, posting one assist and seven points. 

Mrtka is a prospect with a lot of potential and should be an impactful defenseman at the NHL level later down the road. 

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David scores twice, Buchanan shown red as Canada battles back to tie Iceland 2-2

TORONTO (AP) — Jonathan David scored twice from the penalty spot in the second half before Tajon Buchanan was shown a red card as Canada battled back from a 2-0 deficit to salvage a 2-2 draw with Iceland in an international men’s soccer friendly on Saturday.

Buchanan was sent off in the 80th minute for an elbow to the head of Iceland midfielder Mikael Egill Ellertsson as the ball was rolling out of play.

The sequence marked the third straight game, and fourth time in the last eight, Canada has seen red.

“We’re physical, we play hard, but we’re not a dirty team,” said Canada coach Jesse Marsch, who disagreed with Buchanan’s dismissal. “I’m not worried about developing a reputation, but certainly cards like that can change momentum in tournaments.”

Orri Steinn Oskarsson had both goals for Iceland.

The 29th-ranked Canadians are preparing to co-host this summer’s World Cup with the United States and Mexico, while Iceland — No. 74 when FIFA’s last official list was released in mid-January — failed to qualify.

Oskarsson took advantage of a bad pass from Canadian centre back Kamal Miller before moving in alone and beating goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair in the ninth minute for a 1-0 lead.

The striker for Spanish club Real Sociedad doubled the advantage in the 21st after Ellertsson beat right back Niko Sigur to a ball in midfield. Oskarsson took a quick feed on the run and steadied himself before another nice finish.

Canada got one back in the 67th minute when David coolly buried a penalty after Buchanan was fouled by Ellertsson. The striker for Italian giants Juventus added his second of the afternoon from the spot in the 76th when substitute Daniel Jebbison was also taken down in the area before Buchanan was sent off.

Canada now turns its attention to Tuesday’s match against No. 47 Tunisia in another exhibition game with plenty on the line for players looking to secure roster spots or impress with the World Cup some 75 days away.

Canada opens its tournament June 12 in Toronto against the winner of a European playoff set for Tuesday between No. 13 Italy and No. 66 Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Canadians will then travel west to face Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24 at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver.

“Every moment we’re together right now is an opportunity to make a continued impression, a lasting impression,” Marsch said. “But I don’t want them to feel so much pressure on them. I want them to just continue to try to put to practice the things that we want to see.”

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

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Caissie's tie-breaking single in 8th lifts Marlins to 4-3 win over Rockies

MIAMI (AP) — Owen Caissie had three hits, including a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning and the Miami Marlins beat the Colorado Rockies 4-3 on Saturday.

Liam Hicks homered and drove in three runs, while Agustin Ramirez singled twice and walked for the Marlins.

Otto Lopez, who was hitless in first seven at-bats of the season, singled against Rockies reliever Jaden Hill (0-1) to start the eighth. López stole second and raced home when Caissie hit a line drive to centerfield.

Calvin Faucher (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth and Pete Fairbanks closed with a perfect ninth for his second save.

Hicks hit a two-run homer in the fifth that chased Colorado starter Michael Lorenzen and tied it at 3-all.

Pitching for his sixth club in 12 seasons, Lorenzen allowed seven hits, struck out four and hit two batters over 4 1/3 innings. The 34-year-old Lorenzen signed a free-agent deal with Colorado in the offseason.

Marlins starter Eury Pérez struck out eight in seven innings of three-run ball. Pérez gave up five hits and walked one.

Ezequiel Tovar’s two-run homer in the fourth put the Rockies ahead 3-1.

TJ Rumfield gave Colorado an early lead with a solo blast in the second.

The Marlins tied it on Hicks’ sacrifice fly in the third. Xavier Edwards hit a one-out single and advanced to third on Ramirez’s single. Hicks then drove in Edwards with a fly ball to deep right.

Miami loaded the bases against Lorenzen with two out in the second before he retired Graham Pauley on a groundout.

Saturday’s attendance of 10,160 at loanDepot park was a significant drop from the 32,459 that attended the opener.

Up next

José Quintana will start the series finale for the Rockies on Sunday against Max Meyer in the season debut for both starters.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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Lakers’ Luka Doncic suspended for 1 game by NBA after his 16th technical foul

NEW YORK (AP) — Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic was suspended one game without pay by the NBA for receiving his 16th technical foul of the season, the league announced Saturday.

Doncic, the NBA's scoring leader, got whistled for a double technical foul during the third quarter of the Lakers’ 116-99 victory over Brooklyn on Friday night.

The Nets’ Ziaire Williams was celebrating an offensive foul called against Doncic by gleefully screaming in Doncic’s personal space. When Doncic reached out to push Williams’ arm, Williams responded with a backhand swipe across Doncic’s face.

Under NBA rules, a player or coach is automatically suspended without pay for one game when he receives his 16th technical foul during the regular season. For every two additional technical fouls during that regular season, they will be automatically suspended without pay for an additional game.

Doncic, who scored 41 points against Brooklyn, will serve his suspension on Monday when the Lakers host the Washington Wizards.

“He was yelling in my face three times,” Doncic said after the game. “I just wanted to get out of there. It’s a double tech, of course. What can I say? I didn’t even talk. I just wanted to get out of there. (The referee) said my push was exaggerated, which (it) was obviously not. I don’t know what else to say.”

Officials reviewed the incident before issuing technical fouls to both players.

Doncic already had a technical rescinded last week after he was whistled for a verbal altercation with Orlando’s Goga Bitadze. The league didn’t announce why it was rescinded, but Doncic said Bitadze insulted his family in Serbian — and Bitadze denied it.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

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'The Gold and Blue is who I am': Ryan Johansen Reflects On Time With Predators Upon Retirement

It's been three years since Ryan Johansen donned a Nashville Predators jersey, but he said his time in Nashville meant "everything" to him.

"Nashville is me. It's who I am. It's the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life," Johansen said. "I met my wife here, I started a family here and I played most of my career here. We did awesome things here as a team. The memories are everlasting." 

On March 19, Johansen announced his retirement from the NHL after 14 seasons, seven of which were spent in Nashville. In his time as a Predator, Johansen recorded 362 points (110 goals and 252 assists) in 533 games played and 48 points (17 goals and 31 assists) in 61 playoff games.

During the Predators' game against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, Johansen will be honored for his time with the organization. 

Johansen debuted with the Predators on Jan. 8, 2016, against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver after being traded by the Columbus Blue Jackets. He remembers the moment vividly. 

"I knew I had to win that first face off cause Lavy (Peter Laviolette) told me that I was starting," Johansen said. "It was so much fun playing with Mike (Fisher), Shea (Weber), Pekks (Pekka Rinne), Jos (Roman Josi). You know those guys. They're the best humans in the world." 

His time in Nashville also included the Predators' run to the Stanley Cup Final, the first time the organization had gotten that far.

"I haven't thought of something that would top that (the 2017 SCF run)," Johansen said. "Coming home from practice, before games and just seeing my yard littered with 'Go, Preds, Go,' and 'Go 92' and the way this town rallied around each other and supported us." 

Apr 12, 2018; Nashville, TN, USA; Nashville Predators center Ryan Johansen (92) Nashville Predators left wing Viktor Arvidsson (33) Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg (9) and Nashville Predators right wing Craig Smith (15) celebrate after a power play goal during the second period against the Colorado Avalanche in game one of the first round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
Apr 12, 2018; Nashville, TN, USA; Nashville Predators center Ryan Johansen (92) Nashville Predators left wing Viktor Arvidsson (33) Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg (9) and Nashville Predators right wing Craig Smith (15) celebrate after a power play goal during the second period against the Colorado Avalanche in game one of the first round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

He also elaborated on his relationship with Fisher, whom he had the chance to reconnect with when Fisher came back into town this weekend. Johansen called Fisher the most important figure in his hockey career and one of the biggest in his life. Fisher even officiated Johansen's wedding. 

Johansen also expressed excitement to visit children at the local hospital and how the opportunity goes beyond the game. 

The biggest difference for Johansen in coming back to Nashville is that he won't be on the ice tonight, but is thrilled about the opportunity to watch the game as a fan. 

"With ending my career and going onto my new chapter, it's so exciting to be a fan again and cheer these guys on," Johansen said. "Now that things have calmed down a bit in my life a bit, I can't wait to show up here a lot more and be involved."

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Marlins 4, Rockies 3: Rumfield and Tovar both went yard, but soft contact sinks Rox

Mar 28, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Colorado Rockies first baseman TJ Rumfield (7) rounds second base after hitting a solo home run in the second inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The Rockies once again fell to the Marlins in a one-run game. This one was marred by a lot of soft contact and weird breaks on both sides of the ball. But there were also some offensive highlights from TJ Rumfield and Ezequiel Tovar, who both his home runs early.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough and they came on the losing end of another close one.

However, maybe you can take some solace in this:

Michael Lorenzen had a solid outing

Michael Lorenzen made his Rockies debut today and it was an up-and-down outing. He ended up going 4.1 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. He didn’t walk any batters, but all three runs were scored by Liam Hicks. The first one came on a sacrifice fly in the third, and the other two on a two-run second-deck homer in the fifth right before Lorenzen was lifted.

Overall, Lorenzen did induce a lot of weak contact, but there were a lot of weird breaks and hops that led to hits (more on that later). But he also pitched his 1000th career inning today, which is quite the accomplishment!

TJ Rumfield, come on down!

Rumfield made quite the impression during spring training, winning both the first base job outright and the Abby Greer Award for spring training MVP. And he has not yet shown signs of slowing down.

Yesterday, Rumfield made his MLB debut and recorded his first MLB hit in the ninth inning on a broken bat single. Today, he one-upped himself by hitting not only his own first-career home run in the second inning, but the Rockies’ first homer of the season:

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And he also made sure to show his versatility by making an outstanding defensive play the very next inning.

Tovar Time!

Tovar was feeling a little overshadowed, so he hit his own two-run home run in his next at-bat in the fourth to not only put the Rockies back on top of the Marlins, but also to give them a little insurance:

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Good, bad and weird breaks

The fourth inning got a little weird for the Rockies. First, Griffin Conine hit a single that bounced off the corner of second base and over Tovar’s head into center field. Then, two batters later, Graham Pauley singled after a desperation swing didn’t quite pull it foul. It bounced just in front of the third base bag, and Kyle Karros didn’t have a chance. Luckily, though, Lorenzen struck out Jakob Marsee to end the threat and complete that 1000th inning.

That said, the Rockies got a good break in the fifth when Edouard Julien hit a double — his first Rockies hit — and then Pérez attempted to pick him off, only to throw it to the right of the second baseman and into center field. Julien advanced to third, but unfortunately Hunter Goodman hit a fly ball to left to end the threat.

In the seventh, Karros hit a line drive to the third baseman. Luckily, it hit the ground first so he was able to leg it out and was marked safe at first, but there was a force at second to get pinch runner Ryan Ritter. And then Julien struck out to end the inning.

Ye Olde 7-6-3 double play

And in the bottom half of the inning, they turned a hugely unorthodox 7-6-3 double play. Augustín Ramírez had walked and Hicks hit a high fly ball to left, but then Ramírez attempted to steal second and overran the bag. And because of that, Tovar was able to pick him off on his way back to first.

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Unfortunately, though, the dagger came in the eighth on another single by Owen Caissie, who went 3-for-4 with the RBI to put the Marlins up 4-3. The rest, as they say, is history.

Up Next

The Rockies will look to avoid the sweep yesterday in South Beach before they head north of the border to take on the reigning AL-champion Toronto Blue Jays. José Quintana will face off against Max Miller.

First pitch is at 11:40am MT. See you then!

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