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Former Wallabies star Jordan Petaia signs NFL deal with LA Chargers

  • Ex-rugby union player impresses Chargers at IPP trial in US
  • ‘A great career move for him,’ says Super Bowl winner Jordan Mailata

Former rugby union international Jordan Petaia is a step closer to realising a long-held dream of playing in the NFL after signing with the Los Angeles Chargers as a tight end.

Petaia, who earned 31 caps for the Wallabies, turned his back on union late last year after being handed a prized spot on the league’s international player pathway (IPP) programme.

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Ovechkin scores his 892nd career goal. He needs 2 to tie Gretzky and 3 to break the NHL record

NHL: Washington Capitals at Carolina Hurricanes

Apr 2, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) clebrates his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

James Guillory-Imagn Images

RALEIGH, N.C. — Alex Ovechkin moved three goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record after scoring the 892nd of his career in the Washington Capitals’ game at the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night.

Ovechkin beat Frederik Andersen on a 5-on-3 power-play with 34.5 seconds left in the second period. He now has 10 goals in 13 career games against Andersen, 53 overall in the 92 games he has faced Carolina and 32 in 46 games in Raleigh, which is the most of any visiting player.

Commissioner Gary Bettman, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis and Ovechkin's wife, Nastya, were in attendance for No. 892, sitting together in a suite.

The 39-year-old Russian has 39 goals this season and is one way from reaching 40 for a 14th time - also the most in league history - despite missing 16 games because of a broken left fibula.

The Eastern Conference-leading Capitals have seven more games left this season. Ovechkin is on pace to pass Gretzky’s mark of 894, which long seemed unapproachable, before the playoffs begin.

Because it is only a regular-season record, Ovechkin’s pursuit would need to continue in October if he does not score two or more the rest of the way this month.

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Kristian Campbell agrees to $60 million, 8-year deal with Red Sox, less than a week after debut

BALTIMORE — Kristian Campbell agreed to a $60 million, eight-year contract with the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, less than a week after his major league debut.

Campbell agreed to the deal with just six days of major league service time. Boston struck a big-money deal with a rookie for the second straight year following a $50 million, eight-year contract last April with outfielder/infielder Ceddanne Rafaela, who started 2024 with 35 days of service.

“I know we have a really good team and a really good system," Campbell said. “It's a winning culture, a winning organization. ... Winning people, in the city of Boston. That made the decision fairly easy.”

Campbell gets a $2 million signing bonus, half payable within 60 days of the contract’s approval by Major League Baseball and half next Jan. 15. He receives salaries of $1 million this year, $2 million in 2026, $3 million in 2027, $4 million in 2028, $6 million in 2029, $9 million in 2030, $13 million in 2031 and $16 million in 2032. The deal includes a $19 million team option for 2033 with a $4 million buyout and a $21 million team option for 2034 with no buyout.

Salaries for 2031-34 can escalate based on accomplishment in the immediately preceding season: $200,000 for making the All-Star team, $2 million for winning an MVP award, $1 million for finishing second or third in the voting, $500,000 for fourth or fifth, and $250,000 for sixth through 10th.

A 22-year-old infielder and outfielder, Campbell made his big league debut March 27 as Boston's youngest opening day starter at second since Reggie Smith. He entered Wednesday hitting .375 (6 for 16) with two doubles, one homer, two RBIs and four walks.

“They developed me from day one, as soon as I got drafted. They've been working with me every day,” Campbell said. “I've learned something new every day. They've helped me become the player I am today. So it means a lot to me that I'm with the Red Sox for a long time.”

Campbell's new deal supersedes a one-year contract paying the $760,000 minimum while in the major leagues.

“I've just got to worry about baseball now. Everything that's happened is life-changing for sure," he said. “I'm looking forward to just playing baseball now, winning games.”

Campbell's contract comes the same week the Red Sox agreed to a $170 million, six-year contract with ace left-hander Garrett Crochet, whom Boston acquired in an offseason trade from the Chicago White Sox.

“We're building something really good,” Campbell said. “We have a lot of great players. ... Going in the right direction for sure.”

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Pete Alonso's clutch power fueling Mets' lineup amid struggles: 'We don't give up'

If anyone in the Mets' lineup was grappling with early-season pressure to come up clutch at the plate against the division-rival Marlins this week, ample relief was provided by Pete Alonso.

The veteran slugger, who broke Monday's game wide open with a mammoth grand slam, played the role of hero again on Wednesday, delivering a game-tying home run in the eighth inning that helped propel New York to a thrilling 6-5 road win over Miami in 11 innings.

Perhaps the moment couldn't have belonged to anyone but Alonso. Before the eighth began and the dramatic nine-pitch at-bat developed, he'd produced two hits -- a pair of doubles -- that also made up half of the Mets' hit total. Alonso was simply dialed in, and the 415-foot three-run shot to dead center off Marlins reliever Calvin Faucher reaffirmed the impression.

"I'm just happy I was able to come through for the team right there. Today was obviously a really important game for us," Alonso said after the game. "I'm just looking to get a good pitch to hit over the middle of the plate. Thankfully for me, I was fighting off some really tough pitches there. He came at me with his best stuff. He located some good ones, especially early in the count. I was able to stay under control and let the ball show up where I wanted it to."

With two monster swings, Alonso ignited a spark that the Mets desperately needed. Entering the rubber game at loanDepot Park, they were hitting a collective .179 through five games, with a measly .125 (4-for-32) average with runners in scoring position. The hitting woes were still apparent on Wednesday -- defensive miscues also piled up -- but Alonso's bat bailed them out. He channeled the comeback energy that defined the Mets' exciting 2024 turnaround and postseason run.

"There's a lot of guys from last year that know how to do that. This is a talented bunch," Alonso said. "For us, we never think we're out of any game. That's one of the great characteristics about this club. That's just a testament to the character of every single one of these guys. We don't give up until the last out's made."

It won't be long until Alonso officially stamps himself as the Mets' king slugger -- he's now 15 homers of tying David Wright for the most long balls in franchise history.

In the meantime, Alonso is enjoying a strong start to a prove-it season with heightened expectations. He's slashing .286/.423/.667 with a team-high four extra-base hits and eight RBI in 21 at-bats.

"When he's doing that, getting the barrel and making contact, we know the power is real," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of Alonso. "First at-bat today, smoked a ball in the gap. Then that homer in the eighth was pretty impressive. You see him take walks, laying off some tough pitches. When things are going his way, that's what we see."

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Reeling Panthers drop third straight game, falling 3-2 in Toronto

Apr 2, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34), Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (77) and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) battle to get to a loose puck during the first period at Scotiabank Arena. (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)

It’s been a tough week for the Florida Panthers.

For the first time since late November, the Panthers have lost three straight games, capped off by Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The big news that came down before the game was that Panthers Captain Sasha Barkov would be out due to an upper-body injury.

During the first period, the Cats and Leafs combined to put 18 shots on Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz, but the former teammates stopped each and every one of them, keeping the game scoreless after 20 minutes.

It didn’t stay that way very long.

Deep in Toronto’s zone, Seth Jones carried the puck toward the blue line before starting a quick passing play that led to the game’s first goal.

The puck went from Jones to San Bennett to Sam Reinhart to Gus Forsling, who snapped a one-timer that beat Stolarz over the glove to give Florida a 1-0 lead.

Toronto tied the game about 10 minutes later after capitalizing on a broken rush play.

After getting into Florida’s end, William Nylander found the puck in the left circle and fired a shot toward the net that was deflected by John Tavares on the doorstep to knot the score at one.

A Mitch Marner one-timer gave Toronto a 2-1 lead with 9:10 to go in the third period on a sequence that saw Bobrovsky made several great saves moments before the goal was scored.

Marner then made an excellent pass to send Matthew Knies on a breakaway less than five minutes later to extend Toronto’s lead to 3-1.

Reinhart cut the Leafs’ lead in half with 2:38 to go, sniping a power play goal over a screened Stolarz’s blocker.

That’s as close as the Cats would get.

On to Ottawa.

QUICK THOUGHTS

Bobrovsky played in his 750th career game.

Forsling’s goal was his first in 16 games.

Bennett’s assist on Forsling’s goal gave him five points over his past six outings.

Reinhart has now logged six goals and 14 points over his past 13 games.

Jones has his first three-game point streak since joining the Panthers and picking up an assist on Reinhart’s goal.

He also has points in five of his past seven games.

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Carlos Rodon struggles early, Yankees' bats show up too late in 4-3 loss to Diamondbacks

The Yankees' bats were kept in check by Zac Gallen, picking up just three hits against the right-hander before the offense woke up late in their 4-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on a cold, windy night in The Bronx on Wednesday.

Here are the takeaways...

-Carlos Rodon's second start of the season wasn't as good as his first, but if you tuned in for the first couple of innings, you'd be surprised by how well the southpaw recovered.

In the first, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. smashed a 94.2 mph fastball up in the zone that went into the second deck in left field. In the second, Rodon had some tough luck, reaching for a groundball up the middle that, if he let go, could have been a double play. Instead, everyone was safe. Arizona would caash in with a sac fly to push their lead to 3-0, and then Ketel Marte -- who signed a big extension earlier in the day -- gave the D-backs a four-run lead with a two-out, seeing-eye single.

After that, Rodon was cruising. He wound up completing six innings, allowing the four runs on three hits and four walks with five strikeouts. Impressive, considering how poorly Rodon pitched.

-But even if Rodon allowed just one run, it wouldn't have mattered, considering how well Gallen pitched. The Arizona right-hander entered Wednesday with two career starts against the Yankees, and he was dominant. He hadn't allowed a run in 12 innings against the Bombers, and he continued his dominance.

Gallen got into trouble just once in this game, which came in the second inning after a Jazz Chisholm Jr. single and Austin Wells double, but Jasson Dominguez and Ben Rice struck out swinging on knuckle curves. The Yankees struck out seven times on Gallens' knuckle curve and 13 times in total against him. Gallen allowed just three hits in 6.2 innings (101 pitches/64 strikes) without allowing a walk.

-Even when Gallen was out of the game, the Yankees struggled. Joe Mantiply pitched a perfect inning and Ryan Thompson got an out before he allowed back-to-back singles in the top of the ninth. Arizona went to AJ Puk to close out the game, but the southpaw allowed a first-pitch homer to Anthony Volpe to cut their lead to 4-3. The comeback bid ended when Wells and Dominguez went down in order.

It was Volpe's fourth home run of the season and he had just one of the team's six hits. Cody Bellinger (1-4), Aaron Judge (1-4) and Wells (2-4) were the only players to register a hit.

Arizona's lineup wasn't much better -- they produced just three hits against Rodon. Yoendrys Gomez allowed three walks while striking out one in three innings of work.

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees and Diamondbacks complete their three-game series on Thursday. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.

Carlos Carrasco will make his first start with the Yankees, opposing veteran Merrill Kelly.

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Knicks run out of gas in second half, fall to Cavaliers, 124-105

The Knicks saw a 34-point second-half swing doom them in their 124-105 loss to the Cavaliers in Cleveland.

The loss broke a streak of 71 consecutive wins when they were up by 15-plus points in a game.

Here are the takeaways...

-The last time these two teams met, the Cavaliers took it to New York in the form of a 142-105 beatdown back in February. It was a different story on Wednesday but ultimately the same result.

The Knicks, coming off the second of a back-to-back, were ready to shoot from the jump, as their first nine field goals (that also came on nine assists) helped them climb to a strong 11-point lead midway through the opening period. They took advantage of sloppy possessions from the Cavs, scoring 10 of their 34 first-quarter points on four turnovers.

Coming off a game-high 27 points against the Sixers on Tuesday, winger OG Anunoby set the team’s torrid first-half pace with contributions as a scorer and facilitator. At the half, Anunoby led all scorers with 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting, and a team-high five assists.

Karl-Anthony Towns, who missed Tuesday's game with knee soreness, dropped seven points but pulled down seven boards on Wednesday. Josh Hart helped Anunoby in the scoring department, posting 12 points on 5 of 11 shooting (2-for-6 from three) to go along with two rebounds and two assists.

-The Knicks enjoyed a double-digit lead for most of the first half, but the Cavaliers made a late push in the second quarter to cut the Knicks' lead to 60-53 at halftime. Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 11 points, while De'Andre Hunter scored 10 points off the bench.

-The second half didn't start off great for the Knicks. Anunoby picked up his fourth foul early on and had to sit, and the Cavs took advantage by taking the lead with seven minutes remaining in the third on the back of Mitchell, who scored nine points in the frame. A 7-0 run for New York was fueled by a Precious Achiuwa steal that resulted in a clear-path foul, but Cleveland answered with an 8-0 run of its own to take a 91-85 lead heading into the fourth.

-The Knicks' defense began to fade as the fourth quarter went on, as Cleveland would get to the basket with extra passes with ease and open threes were aplenty. The Cleveland bigs took it to the Knicks, cutting to the basket and getting offensive rebounds. New York was out-rebounded 44-39, and turned the ball over 14 times to Cleveland's 13.

Anunoby scored just four points in the second half after his hot start.

Towns (25), Hart (19), Mikal Bridges (8) and Delon Wright (7) rounded out the scoring for the Knicks' starters. Achiuwa (13) led the scoring for the bench. Landry Shamet, after making six threes on Tuesday, hit just one in his five-point performance.

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks (48-28) enjoy a few days off before they travel to Atlanta to take on the Hawks for a 3 p.m. tip on Saturday.

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Toronto Maple Leafs On The Cusp Of Longest Active Playoff Streak – But The Pressure Is Higher Than Ever

Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares (Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images)

The Toronto Maple Leafs are on the cusp of standing alone with the longest active NHL playoff streak.

Toronto can clinch a playoff spot for the ninth straight season on Wednesday night, while it’s a matter of time before the Eastern Conference’s last place team, the Boston Bruins, are eliminated from contention. Both clubs are currently tied for the longest streak at eight seasons.

In the most important sense, the Leafs’ streak of playoff appearances doesn’t mean much besides the fact that the pressure to win at least a couple of rounds is higher than ever. They’ve only won one playoff round in eight seasons. 

Not only that, but since 2016-17, the Leafs have the 15th-most playoff wins and the 15th-most playoff games played. This is a stark reminder of how many chances the Buds have blown.

Toronto’s active playoff streak is an emotional double-edged sword for Leafs fans. Most of them remember the lean years, when the Buds didn’t make the playoffs in 10 of 11 seasons beginning in 2005-06. So, having playoff games for what will be nine straight years now is far preferable to the alternative of no playoff games.

Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews Logs More PK Minutes, But At What Cost?Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews Logs More PK Minutes, But At What Cost?Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews hasn’t scored as many goals this year, but he has a significant career high elsewhere.

However, if the Maple Leafs do get eliminated in the first or second round of this year’s post-season – or even if they win two playoff series and then get unceremoniously swept in the Eastern final – there will be no moral victories.

There won’t be any more excuses that will satisfy Leafs fans if they don’t excel in the playoffs under all that pressure. There will be no more press conferences where Leafs brass talks about patience and the learning process. Those days are long over. 

The only thing Leafs fans will want is turnover. If that means saying goodbye to pending Leafs UFAs Mitch Marner and John Tavares, Leafs fans may say, “so be it.” This should be the team's last chance at running it back with the same core in hopes that things eventually improve because they already changed the coach, and they changed the GM two years ago.

It’s no wonder that the stakes are sky-high for the Buds this spring. They may win the highly competitive Atlantic Division, but imagine the fallout if they follow up with a first-round loss to the Ottawa Senators or Montreal Canadiens. Or imagine the blowback if the Leafs get out of Round 1, only to be demolished by the defending Cup-champion Florida Panthers or Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 2. The mushroom cloud of anger and frustration that could envelop the franchise will return bigger than usual.

So, while it will be a slight moral victory if the Leafs extend the longest active playoff streak and win the division for the first 82-game season since the 1999-2000 campaign, it won’t matter one iota if Toronto doesn’t reward its customers with a serious playoff run. 

They’ve shown encouraging signs of grinding out wins and playing playoff-style hockey this season, so it’s about time they take advantage of it in the post-season. Otherwise, all these years of getting into the playoffs will amount to a Blue-And-White hill of beans.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

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Why the LA Kings Are Built to Upset the Western Confrence’s Top Teams

© Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

As it stands now, the Los Angeles Kings are still battling with the Edmonton Oilers to hold onto that second seed in the Pacific division. They will face them in two critical games this month, which will be key to ending up with the second seed and having a home-ice advantage against them in their likely first-round matchup.  

But for now, the Los Angeles Kings aren't favorites entering the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they're becoming one of the West's most feared underdogs. LA can pull off a deep playoff upset with their rich defensive corps, elite goaltending, and a system designed for playoff hockey.

A Tale of Two Teams: Struggles vs. the East, Dominance in the West

While the Kings have struggled against the league's top of the Eastern Conference (19-9-4), despite their impressive record, they've split a lot of their games against the top teams in the conference, including the Tampa Bay Lightnings, Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils and—most recently losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs —they've flipped the script in their last two games. Their response? Scoring a combined 12 goals against the San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets in back-to-back dominating performances.

But what's most important is that they're  3-0 vs. the Central Division-leading Jets this year. Winnipeg, one of the best Stanley Cup hopefuls, hasn't been able to penetrate LA's solid defensive system and grinding play. This means the Kings can compete with the best in the West—even if their record against Eastern Conference opponents is a little suspect.

Again, it'll be about matchups come playoff time, which could favor the Kings depending on who they play in the first round. The good thing for the Kings is that they won't have to play both the Stars or Avalanche in the postseason because those two will play it out in the first round, leaving either one of those teams, the Jets or maybe the Golden Knights. 

Defensive Structure and Goal Tending: The Kings' Greatest Strengths

LA's defense-oriented strategy is built for playoff play. They grind the tempo, tire opponents on the boards, and limit high-danger chances. 

Drew Doughty captains a defense that neutralizes visiting stars, especially when facing offense-first teams such as Edmonton or Dallas. Doughty is a future hall-of-famer playing extremely high in his career, including this season, when he became the first Kings' defenceman in history to hit 1,200 games. 

The Kings possess one of the league's top penalty-killing units, a weapon system against foes who employ the power play as a means of scoring (aka Jets, Stars, and Golden Knights).

Balanced Scoring: Beyond Kopitar & Kempe

While Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe remain chief offense drivers, LA depth scoring has been the biggest X-factor down the stretch. 

Kevin Fiala, Trevor Moore, and Quinton Byfield have delivered, offering the Kings numerous lines of threat to score from.

Adding Andrei Kuzmenko and Warren Foegele in the second half of the season threw even more gasoline on the fire of the scoring lineup. We see a lot of teams who make deals in the second half of the season, leading them to make deep playoff runs and even win the Stanley Cup because of the chemistry and depth they bring right away to the franchise. 

The Kings have had three or more goals in four of their last six games, so they are clicking and peaking at the right time, getting their offense hot at the perfect time.

Matchup Nightmare for the West's Top Teams

The Kings possess the right prescription to fight against some of the West's most significant dangers. 

Edmonton Oilers: LA has faced the Oilers in back-to-back-to-back playoffs and possesses the defense system that can slow up Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. If they get them again, the Kings' ability to play a grinding, physical style of hockey might enrage Edmonton's speed.

Dallas Stars: Dallas is one of the best Western Conference teams, but the Kings' structured play and hard forecheck can shut down their transition. LA also won the season series against Dallas 2-1, including their recent win in February when they went to overtime tied 4-4 and scored the game-winning goal. 

Winnipeg Jets: We saw the defensive clinic the Kings put on the Jets a few days ago, sweeping the season series 3-0. In all games, the King's defense has held the number 3 ranked offensive Jets team to one goal in all three meetings, showcasing the level to which the Kings can amp up their defense. 

Final Take: LA's Playoff Formula is Coming Together

With their recent success against Western Conference teams, top-notch penalty killing, and a physical, disciplined brand of hockey, the Kings have everything it takes to make life miserable for the top contenders. While they've struggled against the East, the fact that they're 3-0 against Winnipeg, one of the top teams in the West, is all it takes to prove that they're more than capable of upsetting a favorite.

In an open-ice hockey conference where grinding is the word, LA's ability to grind down teams makes them the biggest wild card of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

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Mets deliver pair of late rallies in 6-5 extra-inning win over Marlins

The Mets wrapped up their season-opening road trip with much-needed momentum, rallying late to defeat the Miami Marlins in 11 innings, 6-5, on Wednesday night at loanDepot Park.

Here are the takeaways...

-- It didn't take long for the Mets to draw first blood. After a one-out single from Juan Soto in the first inning, Pete Alonso smacked a double to the right-center field gap to give them a 1-0 lead. With the stadium's retractable roof open, the wind kept a few deep flies from going over the fence, and Mark Vientos was a victim in the second when his loud shot to left-center surprisingly didn't reach the warning track.

-- Clay Holmes struggled with command in his first start of the season, and the issues unfortunately made the trip to Miami. While he threw first-pitch strikes to 10 of the first 12 batters, he fell behind in counts and ran into trouble. His third inning could've been far worse, though -- the Marlins loaded the bases with no outs and only scored twice. An errant throw home from Vientos on a grounder extended that jam.

-- The fourth inning went smoothly for Holmes, as he sent the Marlins down in order on 11 pitches. But the newly-converted starter wasn't allowed to complete the fifth. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza took the ball with two runners on and two outs, marking Holmes' second straight outing that lasted 4.2 innings. He allowed one earned run on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts (85 pitches).

-- The Mets couldn't inflict damage on Marlins starter Connor Gillispie, who completed five innings with six strikeouts. Alonso was the only one who found success -- his pair of doubles were half of their hits against the right-hander.

-- Sloppy defense returned in the seventh inning when reliever A.J. Minter balked a runner over to third after allowing a leadoff double. Moments later, another grounder to Vientos went awry. By misjudging a high chopper that was assumed foul, the Marlins scored their third run and the batter reached first on an infield single. Ryne Stanek also gave up an inherited run, bumping Miami's lead to 4-1.

-- Just when it looked like the Mets didn't have a late rally in their bones, they conveniently defied expectations. Luis Torrens led off the eighth with a pinch-hit single, and Francisco Lindor then advanced him to third with a much-needed single to right. A fielder's choice grounder from Soto left Torrens dead at home, but Alonso eventually played the role of hero once again, crushing a game-tying, three-run homer to center.

-- The drama found its way into the bottom half of the eighth when closer Edwin Diaz entered the tied game. After allowing an infield single, a stolen base, and a wild pitch, a Marlins run seemed inevitable. But a Griffin Conine grounder to second resulted in a bang-bang play at home when Torrens tagged out Xavier Edwards on a throw from Brett Baty. Initially ruled safe, a Mets challenge overturned the call. A scoreless ninth sent the game into extra innings.

-- New York was unable to cash a run in the 10th with runners on the corners and no outs, but the offense came through in the 11th. With the bases juiced and no outs, Jesse Winker drew a four-pitch walk to give the Mets a 5-4 lead. Then, Vientos hit a grounder to shortstop that was booted, allowing Alonso to score and all runners to advance. Miami managed to stop the bleeding by inducing a double-play grounder and flyout.

-- Following two shutout innings of relief from Jose Butto, the Mets called upon Danny Young to begin the 11th. He walked his first batter and struck out his second, and then Huascar Brazobán entered with the task of cleaning up the mess. He luckily did just that, closing the door with a flyout and strikeout.

-- On a personal level, the game was memorable for Mets catcher Hayden Senger, who doubled to right-center in the fifth for his first big league hit. A pretty cool story for the 27-year-old rookie -- he was taken in the 24th round of the 2018 draft and made the Opening Day roster after playing 402 games in the team's minor league system.

Game MVP: Pete Alonso

Alonso broke open Monday's game with a mammoth grand slam, and his three-run shot on Wednesday once again provided relief to a Mets lineup that was struggling to find a rhythm and deliver a clutch hit. The veteran slugger is now hitting .286 with eight RBI in 21 at-bats.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets (3-3) will spend Thursday's off day settling back into the New York area and preparing for Friday's highly-anticipated home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays at 3:10 p.m.

Tylor Megill is slated to make his second start of the season, opposite Kevin Gausman on SNY.

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Maryland’s Buzz Williams confident in school’s commitment as he takes over basketball program

Whatever misgivings Kevin Willard may have had about coaching basketball at Maryland, Buzz Williams' arrival shows the job is still pretty enticing. In Williams, the Terrapins hired an experienced replacement who has had some success in highly competitive leagues. “Relative to what I thought was important on the commitment going forward, on what is needed to be successful at the highest level, there was never any question from (Maryland) on the commitment for us, me, the staff, NIL, the players, the resources,” Williams said.

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Iván Herrera becomes first Cardinals catcher with three-homer game in win over Angels

ST. LOUIS (AP) — When Iván Herrera was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals out of Panama, he was excited to join an organization that featured one of his idols, Yadier Molina.

On Wednesday, Herrera accomplished something that Molina, Hall of Famer Ted Simmons or any other catcher in the Cardinals’ 123-year history hadn’t done, hitting three homers in St. Louis’ 12-5 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

“In sports, I think this is the best moment of my career,” Herrera said. “I’ve never hit three home runs in my career. Just doing it here in the big leagues to get us tied, to keep us going, it’s a feeling I can’t share right now.”

Herrera hit a solo homer in the fourth inning off Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi. He took Kikuchi deep again in the sixth, a two-run shot that gave the Cardinals a 3-1 lead.

Herrera then made history in the eighth when he hit a 2-0 pitch from Brock Burke 425 feet into the third deck of the left-field stands for a three-run homer. He finished 3 for 4 with a walk and six RBIs.

“It’s amazing doing something that’s never been done before,” Herrera said. “Growing up, I didn’t have any money or anything. Being able to accomplish these things, it means a lot for me, for my family, for my country. We don’t have that many people in the big leagues, but the people that get there do good things, so I’m just trying to keep it that way.”

The 24-year-old is the fifth-youngest catcher in major league history to hit three homers in a game, and his 12 total bases broke the franchise record for a catcher of 10 that was last achieved by teammate Willson Contreras in 2024.

“That’s amazing,” Contreras said. “I think when you hit three homers in a game for the first time for a team, and, also, you help the team to win, I think it’s the most important thing.”

Herrera has not played a full season in the majors since making his debut on May 25, 2022, a week before his 22nd birthday. He’s the Cardinals’ regular catcher this season after the team moved Contreras to first base.

“He’s a confident kid, regardless of how it’s going,” manager Oliver Marmol said. “He’s hit his whole career, and he’s doing it against some of the best here. No one knows what that ceiling looks like, but it’s high.”