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Juan Soto homers again, Mets' bullpen holds down Royals in 3-1 win

Juan Soto's home run was enough for the Mets and the bullpen in their 3-1 win over the Royals on Saturday afternoon in Kansas City.

-With Michael Lorenzen (illness) scratched, the Royals went with a bullpen game but Carlos Mendoza decided to keep the same lineup he originally had, and it was just good enough on this day.

The Mets' bullpen allowed just two walks across four scoreless innings to clinch the series against the Royals.

Here are the takeaways...

- Soto started at DH after fouling a ball off his thigh in Friday's win. It's the 22nd start at DH for the slugger, so he acted like a DH and blasted his 23rd homer of the season in the fourth, putting the Mets up 2-0. Soto's blast went 435 feet at 106.6 mph into the fountain in right center field.

Soto tied his career-high home runs in the first half, which he did a season ago with the Yankees.

- After Soto's homer, 15 straight Mets were retired by Royals pitching until Brandon Nimmo drew a two-out walk in the eighth. New York wouldn't get another hit until Pete Alonso's one-out double in the ninth that Jeff McNeil -- starting in right for Soto -- drove home with a two-out single to give the Mets a 3-1 lead.

- Francisco Lindor stole his 200th career base just before Soto's homer. He becomes just the third MLB player to reach 200 home runs and 200 stolen bases (Derek Jeter and Jimmy Rollins).

- Mark Vientos broke out in a big way on Friday with his go-ahead, bases-clearing double. And he continued the good vibes with a 1-for-3 day, extending his hitting streak to three games.

- Frankie Montas was on the mound and was effective against an anemic Royals lineup. He pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and retiring 15 of 16 batters at one point. However, Montas gave up back-to-back doubles to lead off the sixth and that was it for Mendoza. The Mets skipper brought in Reed Garrett, who pitched a clean inning on Friday, to try and keep the Mets' lead.

After a Garrett throwing error trying to pick off Jonathan India at second, allowing the infielder to move to third, the Mets reliever got Bobby Witt Jr. to hit a shallow fly ball and Vinnie Pasquantino to ground out to Alonso. All-Star Maikel Garcia then hit a line drive but right atMcNeil in right field to get out of the inning.

Montas threw 83 pitches (55 strikes), allowing one run on four hits, now walks and striking out five batters through his five-plus innings.

Chris Devenski was handed the seventh inning and didn't have as smooth a frame. Devenski faced runners on first and second (walk, HBP) with one out. Luisangel Acuna made a good play at second to get the runner at second, and Devenski forced a 4-1 groundout to get out of trouble.

Edwin Diaz was handed the eighth and after Witt Jr. reached on a one-out walk, the 2024 AL MVP runner-up seemingly stole second base. Like last night, the Mets challenged the safe call and the same result occurred. Witt was deemed out and Diaz got out of the inning unscathed following a strikeout of Pasquantino.

Diaz, in his second inning of work, got the Royals in order to end the game.

Game MVP: Mets bullpen

The bullpen was great. From Garrett's Houdini act in the sixth, to Diaz's two-inning save, the relievers delivered.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets and Royals wrap up their three-game set and the first half of the season on Sunday. First pitch is set for 2:10 p.m. on SNY.

Clay Holmes (8-4, 3.29 ERA) will start with Sean Manaea making his season debut set to pitch after. The Royals will send LHP Noah Cameron (3-4, 2.56 ERA).

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Brent Rooker flexes All-Star pedigree in Athletics' bounce-back win vs. Blue Jays

Brent Rooker flexes All-Star pedigree in Athletics' bounce-back win vs. Blue Jays originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Brent Rooker will be participating in the 2025 MLB All-Star festivities in a couple days, and the Athletics slugger made sure to remind the MLB world why during his team’s 4-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday night at Sutter Health Park.

Rooker delivered three of the A’s four RBI on the night, with his thunderous bat providing the two most decisive offensive moments of the game for his team.

With the A’s trailing 2-1 in the third inning, Rooker roped a double down into right field off Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman, tying the game after facing an early deficit.

Rooker delivered the game’s decisive blow in the fifth inning, launching a towering two-run home run over the left field wall, breaking a 2-2 tie and giving the Athletics a lead they wouldn’t relenquish.

It was Rooker’s 20th home run of the 2025 MLB season, and provided a glimpse into the kind of power that earned the slugger an invite to participate in the Home Run Derby on Monday night in Atlanta.

“Impacting the game like that is fun,” Rooker told Jenny Cavnar and Dallas Braden on “A’s Cast” following Saturday’s win. “I’ve been looking for a big swing for a few games now and was finally able to get one. So, helping us get a win tonight is always enjoyable.”

A day after nearly pulling off an incredible come-back win, the A’s delivered a one-run victory of their own, with a chance to take the series and gain invaluable momentum heading into the all-star break by beating Toronto on Sunday afternoon.

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Shohei Ohtani's solid start sets the tone as Dodgers defeat Giants to end losing streak

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani follows through on his pitch to a San Francisco Giants.
Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani delivers during a 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Saturday afternoon. (Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)

Once upon a time, Shohei Ohtani wasn’t expected to start pitching this season until after the All-Star break, if not later.

In hindsight, how much more dire things would be for the Dodgers had they ultimately stuck to that initially conservative plan.

Needing a spark, a jolt or just some shred of momentum Saturday to break a season-long seven-game losing streak, the Dodgers got it from Ohtani, who opened their skid-halting 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants with the best performance of his return to pitching yet.

Read more:Dodgers coach Dino Ebel's eldest son learned lessons from the pros

Still managing a limited workload as he builds up following a second career Tommy John surgery, Ohtani only pitched three innings — the first time he’d gone even that far in his five pitching starts this season.

And in the box score, it was bulk man Emmet Sheehan who was credited with the win, following Ohtani with 4 ⅓ innings of one-run ball to end the Dodgers’ longest losing streak since September 2017.

But on a day the Dodgers were looking for a tone-setter, and waiting for one of their superstar talents to take the reins, Ohtani delivered another scoreless outing on the mound, giving up one hit and one walk while striking out four.

"Overall a very efficient outing,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “Three innings today. I was glad that I was able to prevent runs and we were able to keep the lead throughout the game."

The first inning was Ohtani’s most impressive. He opened with seven straight fastballs to strike out Mike Yastrzemski (on a 99 mph heater) and Heliot Ramos (on another that blazed in at 99.9 mph). Rafael Devers came up next and waved at a couple sliders, also going down swinging in what was Ohtani’s second consecutive inning (going back to a start against the Houston Astros last week) in which he struck out the side.

“Especially when it’s a team that is chasing us, playing good baseball, to come out there and punch out the side, it was big,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It does set the tone.”

The two-way star wobbled ever so briefly in the second, walking Jung Hoo Lee on four pitches with two outs. But, in one of the more impressive developments of his return to pitching over the last month, Ohtani adjusted quickly, executing a perfect sweeper/fastball combination on the inside part of the plate to jam Casey Schmitt for the inning’s third out.

"He threw a lot of fastballs to start his outing and kind of recognized that, 'Hey, we've got 'em on one side of the ball. Let's kind of flip the script on 'em a little bit,’” catcher Dalton Rushing said. “That's what he did.”

Having thrown only 23 pitches at that point, Ohtani got the green light to pitch into the third inning for the first time this year. The inning started with a pop-out from Dominic Smith. Patrick Bailey froze for a called third strike on a slider. And after Yastrzemski lined a single, Ohtani induced a can of corn to center from Ramos to complete his 36-pitch outing.

"It's kind of the standard,” Rushing said. “When he goes out there, that's what we expect of him, and I'm sure that's what he expects of himself. ... He went out there, he gave us three strong innings, allowed us to get a lead early, and we rode it out and was able to pull one out."

In nine total innings this season, Ohtani has yielded just one run, five hits and two walks while striking out 10.

There’s still a ways to go before he’s built up for full-length pitching starts. But every early indicator is that his potential as a starting pitcher remains among the league’s elite.

“Obviously, early on, we were planning on him not pitching with us until [he had] more of a higher buildup, as far as four or five innings,” Roberts said. “But his anxiousness to get back on a big-league mound kind of prompted [an earlier return]. And then from that point on, it’s been pretty deliberate.

“I think it’s also been helpful for Shohei to kind of dip his toe in the water, as far as logging some innings going into the break,” Roberts added, “and having somewhat of a foundation going out through the second half.”

Dodgers pitcher Emmet Sheehan delivers during the seventh inning against the Giants on Saturday.
Dodgers pitcher Emmet Sheehan delivers during the seventh inning against the Giants on Saturday. (Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)

The Dodgers, of course, will remain cautious with Ohtani’s workload (especially if he continues to scuffle at the plate, with his 0-for-4 performance Saturday dropping his batting average to .205 since he began pitching on June 16).

But there’s no denying the outsized influence of his arm, which has given the Dodgers (57-39) a tangible lift.

"It's getting more normal, which is crazy,” Roberts said before Saturday’s game, having barely gotten over watching Ohtani splash a home run into McCovey’s Cove the night before. “I don't see Barry Bonds pitching the day after he hit a ball into the ocean. It's crazy. Yeah, it's not commonplace. Pretty exciting."

Saturday’s win wouldn’t have been possible without Sheehan, either, with the 25-year-old right-hander coming off his own Tommy John surgery following Ohtani’s scoreless start with a string of zeroes himself.

Read more:Shohei Ohtani has top-selling MLB jersey so far this season. Two other Dodgers rank in top four

After walking two of his first three batters, Sheehan retired the next 12 he faced before the Giants (52-44) finally got to him in the eighth, loading the bases on two singles and a walk to knock him out of the game.

But by then, the Dodgers had already built a 2-0 lead — with both runs scored by Michael Conforto, who led a quiet day from the Dodgers' lineup with three hits.

And after reliever Alex Vesia came on and limited the damage to only one run, closer Tanner Scott slammed the door in the ninth; securing a much-needed save, and a long-awaited Dodgers win.

“It's good to finally put a W on the board,” Ohtani said. “I hope that this is the beginning of a bunch of wins to come."

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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How Mets prospects Jonah Tong, Carson Benge fared at 2025 MLB All-Star Futures Game

All-Star festivities have officially begun!

We are still two days away from the break kicking off, but MLB held the annual All-Star Futures Game on Saturday afternoon in Atlanta. 

Two of the Mets’ top up-and-coming prospects were among the young talent on hand. 

Right-hander Jonah Tong was the second pitcher of the afternoon for the National League, and he looked as filthy as ever.

He dropped a breaking ball to win an eight-pitch battle with Seattle's Harry Ford, got Detroit's Josue Briceño to line out to short, then closed his inning with a groundout from Rangers prospect Sebastian Walcott. 

Tong threw 19 pitches (11 strikes) and he topped out at 97 mph with the fastball. 

"I felt good out there," he told SNY's Michelle Margaux postgame. "The bullpen walk I'd never done before so I was trying to keep it a steady pace, so I'm glad that went well and I thought I'd have more butterflies, but it felt natural to be out there."

The 22-year-old has been nothing short of spectacular this season -- pitching to a 1.83 ERA and 0.92 WHIP while striking out a minor league-leading 125 batters across 15 outings with Double-A Binghamton. 

He certainly seems to be knocking on the door of a call-up to Syracuse.

Carson Benge, the Mets' 2024 first-round pick, was also in attendance, and while he didn’t receive the start for the National League, he did play the last two innings in left field.

Benge laced one 301 feet the other way during his lone at-bat, but it found the glove of the left fielder.

"It was fun being able to meet everyone," he told SNY postgame. "Seeing Jonah out there and all of the competitive ball from some of the top talent in the minor leagues, it was just a really cool experience."

The outfielder has absolutely shined in his first full season since transitioning to strictly a position player. 

He raked his way through the pitching-friendly confines of Brooklyn and has picked up right where he left off thus far in Double-A -- hitting .302 with three doubles, two homers, and a .956 OPS over his first 13 games. 

With these two headlining a talented Mets farm system, the future is certainly looking bright in the Big Apple.  

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Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. impresses during 2025 MLB All-Star Futures Game

George Lombard Jr. was the Yankees’ lone rep at this year’s All-Star Futures Game. 

“It’s awesome to be here, it’s an honor,” the young infielder said pregame. “Being able to get here and represent that logo, represent the Yankees -- all the guys I’ve played with and the coaches that’ve helped me is an awesome experience.”

Lombard Jr. slotted into the nine spot as he received the start at second base for the American League. 

He saw just two plate appearances, but certainly was able to make his mark. 

The 20-year-old drew a one-out walk in the top of the third, and immediately advanced his way into scoring position with a stolen base while mic’d up on the MLB Network broadcast. 

After moving to third on an infield single, he got a terrific jump on contact and scored the opening run of the game on a groundout right back to the pitcher.

Two innings later, Lombard Jr. laced a leadoff double off the left field fence, but he ended up being stranded there this time around, as the next three batters were retired easily. 

He was finally retired to end the top of the seventh, lining out sharply to shallow center.

Lombard Jr. finished the day 1-for-2 with a double, a stolen base, a walk, and a run scored. 

"It was a great experience, a lot of fun," he said postgame. "It was cool just being out there with the guys and being with the guys in the field and getting to face some of them, it was just an all around good day."

The former first-round pick was able to get off to a tremendous start this season, quickly raking his way through High-A Hudson Valley before receiving the call-up to the next level. 

He has struggled a but following the promotion, but is settling in along the way.

“It’s been good so far,” Lombard Jr. said. “Some small adjustments, a couple of tweaks here and there, but I’m just going out there and playing baseball -- the last few weeks I’ve finally started to hit my stride and feel comfortable.”

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Could Detroit Target Pending Free Agent Martin Necas?

Insider reports indicate the Avalanche feeling forward Martin Necas may not re-sign and could look to deal him.

The 2026 NHL Free Agent class has the potential to be the biggest in league history with some of the biggest names up for grabs. Barring a similar event to this year where all the top players re-sign, we could see a major shake up within the league.

Most hockey fans look to biggest names like Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Artemi Panarin among others on the block and salivate at the idea of their team nabbing one of the league's best. 

For Detroit fans, there's a name to look out for in the bunch that could be a potential option for the Red Wings in Colorado's Martin Necas. The 26-year-old winger has grown into a solid 70-80 point producer with upside to grow even further. His large frame at 6-foot-2 and nearly 200 pounds have led some, like Spittin' Chiclets Ryan Whitney, to describe his play as a 'horse on skates' as he is extremely hard to move.

As the 12th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, the pressure has been on Necas to perform and he has in some of the biggest moments. With 13 points through 18 playoff games in 2019 or five points through Colorado's seven-game series with the Dallas Stars this past postseason, Necas has shown he can make an impact when the team needs him and could help elevate a cup contender or on a rising team like the Red Wings.

  Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

He is currently entering the final year of his two-year bridge deal with a very friendly $6.5 million cap hit. Detroit could easily move prospects and picks to an Avalanche team that has relatively sold off the boat in terms of assets to keep them competitive. This became evident when Colorado recently traded off depth forwards in Miles Wood and Charlie Coyle to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a prospect and two draft picks. 

Selling off a player on an expiring deal like Necas, who could help Colorado massively improve their draft capital and prospect pool in a trade makes a lot of sense. The Red Wings would be able to compensate better than most and as they have plenty of high-end prospects that they would be able to give up for a young impact player like Necas.

There's been some insider reports indicating the Avalanche being worried about the chance of Necas not wanting to re-sign and test the market. Detroit would be able to get a top-six winger that would require some moving around as they already have Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat on the right wing. However, he would be an instant boost on offence and they could keep around for several years as he's so young. 

Necas's next contract with the growing cap could be in the neighborhood of anywhere between $8-9 million per season which would fit into Detroit's budget. Necas could prove to be very happy where he is with some of the best players in the world in Colorado or he could have a chance to play a big role with a team that should be contending in the coming years like Detroit. 

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Bohm exits early against Padres with rib cage contusion

Bohm exits early against Padres with rib cage contusion originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm left Saturday’s game against the Padres in the third inning with a left rib cage contusion.

Bohm was hit by a pitch in the second inning and later came in to score a run on J.T. Realmuto’s RBI double. He took the first pitch of his at-bat into the ribs on a 92-mile an hour sinker by San Diego Padres’ Yu Darvish.

Bohm batted once more in the third but then was replaced in the field by Edmundo Sosa.

Rob Thomson said postgame that his third baseman was pretty sore. They will check on Bohm Sunday ahead of the final game before the All-Star break but manager Rob Thomson seems to think he won’t be in the lineup.

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3 observations after Sixers come back vs. Hornets but fall just short of summer win

3 observations after Sixers come back vs. Hornets but fall just short of summer win  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers stormed back into the game but couldn’t secure a first Las Vegas summer league victory on Saturday night. 

Despite the Sixers’ comeback effort, the Hornets pulled out a 96-94 win.  

Judah Mintz had 24 points, five rebounds and four assists. Dominick Barlow put up 19 points, nine rebounds and three steals. 

VJ Edgecombe (left thumb sprain) remained out. The rookie is “progressing in his recovery and will continue his on-court workouts over the next two days,” a Sixers official said. 

Now 0-2 in Las Vegas, the Sixers will play the Wizards on Tuesday night. Here are observations on their loss to the Hornets: 

Pros and cons from Bona 

Adem Bona faced off with rookie Charlotte center Ryan Kalkbrenner and was especially active in his first stint. Overall, Bona brought exceptional energy and effort as usual. 

He made a great defensive play early when he smothered Kalkbrenner on the perimeter and ripped the ball from his hands. A minute or so later, Bona leapt high to reject Sion James at the rim. 

The 22-year-old was not at all mistake-free, though. He committed three first-quarter turnovers, including a travel in the post and a moving screen. Bona has progressed considerably on offense since becoming a Sixer, but it’s clear he still needs to work on polishing his fundamentals. Regardless of role, it’s always important to be reliable with the basics. 

Bona ended the night with eight points, six rebounds, three blocks, two steals and two assists in 21 minutes.

Discovering some offense

Rookie shooting guard Hunter Sallis posted eight points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks in his first summer start. He had multiple shots blocked and has unsurprisingly seemed to be early in the process of adjusting to professional size and physicality. 

As a team, the Sixers again had a rough time trying to generate offense early without Edgecombe. They fell behind 12-3 on a Tidjane Salaun and-one layup and trailed by 15 points late in the first quarter. 

The Sixers eventually found regular baskets.

Barlow had a bright stretch in the second quarter, converting a couple of put-back buckets and turning a steal into a fast-break slam. Mintz was in the middle of a Sixers run late in the second, nailing a corner three-pointer and hitting a mid-range jumper that cut the Hornets’ lead to 48-38. 

Sixers make Hornets sweat

Justin Edwards’ cold shooting persisted. After going 2 for 6 from the floor in the Sixers’ Vegas opener, Edwards missed his first six field goals Saturday.

Even with Edwards misfiring, the Sixers managed to make a serious comeback and competed well. Johni Broome drained two pick-and-pop threes in the third quarter. 

Edwards finally got a jumper to drop in the third and also threw down an and-one dunk off of a slick give and go with Bona. 

The Sixers sustained their comeback in the fourth quarter and Barlow played a key part. He cut sharply to the hoop and jammed home an alley-oop dunk courtesy of a Broome dish. Barlow’s three gave the Sixers an 80-79 edge.

Charlotte regained the lead on a KJ Simpson jumper with 1:03 left and just about held off the Sixers.

After Liam McNeeley split two free throws with 4.4 seconds to go, Mintz raced up the floor in search of a game-tying hoop. Kalkbrenner denied him, blocking Mintz’s pull-up attempt and ensuring the Hornets didn’t need overtime.

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3 observations after Sixers come back vs. Hornets but fall just short of summer win

3 observations after Sixers come back vs. Hornets but fall just short of summer win  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers stormed back into the game but couldn’t secure a first Las Vegas summer league victory on Saturday night. 

Despite the Sixers’ comeback effort, the Hornets pulled out a 96-94 win.  

Judah Mintz had 24 points, five rebounds and four assists. Dominick Barlow put up 19 points, nine rebounds and three steals. 

VJ Edgecombe (left thumb sprain) remained out. The rookie is “progressing in his recovery and will continue his on-court workouts over the next two days,” a Sixers official said. 

Now 0-2 in Las Vegas, the Sixers will play the Wizards on Tuesday night. Here are observations on their loss to the Hornets: 

Pros and cons from Bona 

Adem Bona faced off with rookie Charlotte center Ryan Kalkbrenner and was especially active in his first stint. Overall, Bona brought exceptional energy and effort as usual. 

He made a great defensive play early when he smothered Kalkbrenner on the perimeter and ripped the ball from his hands. A minute or so later, Bona leapt high to reject Sion James at the rim. 

The 22-year-old was not at all mistake-free, though. He committed three first-quarter turnovers, including a travel in the post and a moving screen. Bona has progressed considerably on offense since becoming a Sixer, but it’s clear he still needs to work on polishing his fundamentals. Regardless of role, it’s always important to be reliable with the basics. 

Bona ended the night with eight points, six rebounds, three blocks, two steals and two assists in 21 minutes.

Discovering some offense

Rookie shooting guard Hunter Sallis posted eight points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks in his first summer start. He had multiple shots blocked and has unsurprisingly seemed to be early in the process of adjusting to professional size and physicality. 

As a team, the Sixers again had a rough time trying to generate offense early without Edgecombe. They fell behind 12-3 on a Tidjane Salaun and-one layup and trailed by 15 points late in the first quarter. 

The Sixers eventually found regular baskets.

Barlow had a bright stretch in the second quarter, converting a couple of put-back buckets and turning a steal into a fast-break slam. Mintz was in the middle of a Sixers run late in the second, nailing a corner three-pointer and hitting a mid-range jumper that cut the Hornets’ lead to 48-38. 

Sixers make Hornets sweat

Justin Edwards’ cold shooting persisted. After going 2 for 6 from the floor in the Sixers’ Vegas opener, Edwards missed his first six field goals Saturday.

Even with Edwards misfiring, the Sixers managed to make a serious comeback and competed well. Johni Broome drained two pick-and-pop threes in the third quarter. 

Edwards finally got a jumper to drop in the third and also threw down an and-one dunk off of a slick give and go with Bona. 

The Sixers sustained their comeback in the fourth quarter and Barlow played a key part. He cut sharply to the hoop and jammed home an alley-oop dunk courtesy of a Broome dish. Barlow’s three gave the Sixers an 80-79 edge.

Charlotte regained the lead on a KJ Simpson jumper with 1:03 left and just about held off the Sixers.

After Liam McNeeley split two free throws with 4.4 seconds to go, Mintz raced up the floor in search of a game-tying hoop. Kalkbrenner denied him, blocking Mintz’s pull-up attempt and ensuring the Hornets didn’t need overtime.

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Where Are They Now? Profiling Formr Predators Goalie Tomas Voukoun

Mar 28, 2006; Glendale, AZ, USA; Nashville Predators goalie (29) Tomas Vokoun against the Phoenix Coyotes at Glendale Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Copyright Rick Scuteri

Tomas Vokoun won over 300 games as a goaltender in 15 NHL seasons, one of only 40 to achieve that mark in league history.

The Czech Republic native played for the Predators from 1998-2007, when he was traded to the Florida Panthers. Before Juuse Saros and Pekka Rinne, Vokoun established himself as the Preds’ franchise's go-to goaltender after the club selected him in the 1998 NHL Expansion Draft.

Nothing in life comes easy, and that was certainly the case for Vokoun. The Montreal Canadiens chose him in the ninth round (226th overall) of the 1994 NHL Draft.

After coming to North America at age 19, Vokoun spoke no English. Far from home, he struggled to adjust to a new culture while getting accustomed to the North American style of hockey.

Vokoun played his first professional season with the Wheeling Thunderbirds of the ECHL in the 1995-96 season. Despite the obstacles, he went 20-10-2 during the regular season, leading the Thunderbirds to an opening-round sweep over Columbus in the playoffs.

Thanks to the support of his teammates and coaches during his lone season in Wheeling, Vokoun’s English-speaking skills improved, and he began thriving off the ice as well.

“It wasn’t easy leaving my home as such a young age,” Vokoun told The Hockey News in December 2024 following his induction into the Wheeling Hockey Hall of Fame. “Everything was new for me, and the first few months were hard, but my teammates were very supportive.”

Vokoun’s NHL debut with the Canadiens was rockey, to say the least. He made a relief appearance against the Philadelphia Flyers on Feb. 6, 1997, giving up four goals on 14 shots in one period.

Montreal exposed Vokoun in the 1998 NHL Expansion Draft. He played 37 games during the Preds’ inaugural season and split time between them and the Milwaukee Admirals until 2000. He eventually established himself with the Predators after they traded Mike Dunham to the New York Rangers in 2002.

Vokoun notched 161 victories with the Predators, then a franchise record. He recorded the first post-season shutout in team history in Game 4 of Nashville’s first-round series against the Detroit Red Wings in 2004.

Even though Detroit prevailed in the series, Vokoun made 41 saves in that game. He earned his first of two trips to the NHL All-Star Game that season and notched 34 wins to guide Nashville to its first playoff berth.

During the lockout of 2004-05, Vokoun played 19 games in Finland. In 2005-06, he had an NHL career-high 36 wins before his season was cut short after being diagnosed with a blood-clotting issue in his pelvis that sidelined him during the post-season.

After being cleared following the season, a broken thumb limited Vokoun to 44 games in 2006-07. The Predators traded him to the Florida Panthers in June.

Vokoun spent four seasons with the Panthers before finishing his NHL career with the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins. His career spanned over 700 games with five different teams.

Currently, the 49-year-old Vokoun resides near Boca Raton, Fla. While he’s no longer active in professional hockey, he still spends time mentoring young goaltenders.

Long after his playing career ended, Vokoun can still look back with fond remembrance and feel blessed to have played at the sport’s highest level.

“I lived my dream, I played hockey for a living,” he said. “Anytime you can take something you picked when you were five years old and get paid for it… If you play hockey and your goal is not to play in the NHL, then there’s really no reason to play. It was a privilege, and I’m grateful.”

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Aaron Judge's home run, two doubles not enough as Yankees fall to Cubs, 5-2

The Yankees’ bats were shut down as Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd dealt eight scoreless innings, before a ninth-inning rally came up just short as Chicago managed a 5-2 win on a sunny Saturday afternoon in The Bronx.

The scheduled pitchers’ duel between two southpaws never materialized as Yanks starterMax Fried lasted just three ineffectual innings before he was forced out due to a blister on his left index finger.

Aaron Judgenotched a milestone home run in a 3-for-4 day, butNew York saw its five-game winning streak snapped as they fell to 53-42. Chicago improved to 56-39.

Here are the takeaways...

- “The one thing we’ve been able to count on is Max being an ace. He’s been everything we could have hoped for,” Aaron Boone said before the game. Apparently, the manager stating the obvious was seen by the baseball gods as some sort of transgression. They settled the score in the form of tough luck for the starter before the blister ended his day after surrendering four runs (three earned) on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts, which saw his ERA jump to 2.43.

Fried was clearly in discomfort from the start and was seen shaking his left hand on multiple occasions as he struggled for command and a grip on the baseball. He threw just 39 strikes out of 73 pitches (53.4 percent).

In the game’s first at-bat, Nico Hoerner roped a triple to center (100.2 mph off the bat). Fried limited the damage to one run and pitched out of a two-on and two-out situation in the second before the wheels came off in the third.

It started with Kyle Tucker’s single to left and Seiya Suzuki just keeping it fair down the left field line for a double. And then Fried had some tough luck as Carson Kelly's soft liner to third kicked off Oswald Peraza's glove for an RBI hit.

A weak pop-up on the infield set up a double-play ball to third that should have ended the inning, but Peraza's throw to second took Jazz Chisholm Jr. out of rhythm, and the second baseman's throw to first went way over Paul Goldschmidt's head into the protective netting. A single up the middle made it 4-0 before he managed to get out of the inning.

- Judge was the lone Yankee to make anything happen off Boyd, lining a two-out double in the fourth and a one-out ground-rule double in the seventh. The rest of the bombers went a combined 2-for-24, with the other hits being a swinging bunt from Chisholm to lead off the fifth and Anthony Volpe’s one-out single in the eighth.

That isn't to say there weren't some loud outs: Volpe smacked a liner 110.4 mph off the bat (.720 xBA) and Judge rocketed a ball deep into the left-center gap (109.3 mph) in the first, but Pete Crow-Armstrong ranged over and made a leaping catch at the wall for a 409-foot out. It would have been a homer in 23 other big league parks, including Wrigley Field.

- In the ninth against Cubs reliever Brad Keller, Cody Bellinger extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a one-out double to left before Judge launched a 388-foot home run to right (105.5 mph) for his 350th career homer. He is now the fastest player to hit that milestone, needing just 1,088 games. He pushed his average to .358 and his OPS to 1.204 on the season as he looks to repeat as AL MVP.

Keller then plunked Giancarlo Stanton on the arms, and the Cubs brought in Daniel Palencia. The hard-throwing closer snuffed out any hope by getting Chisholm swinging on a 101 mph fastball and Trent Grisham to ground out to third to end it.

- The Yanks' bullpen retired 12 straight Cubs to keep the Yanks in the ballgame as Ian Hamilton (two innings, two strikeouts on 18 pitches), Scott Effross (one inning on seven pitches), and Jonathan Loaisiga (one inning, one strikeout on 14 pitches) combined to get to the eighth. 

But in his second frame, Loaisiga was stung for a home run to left on a 0-2 curveball of Kelly’s bat. The dinger was the seventh he's allowed this year in 23.1 innings over 22 appearances.

Tim Hill needed four pitches to get three outs in the eighth, and JT Brubaker allowed a hit and a walk in a scoreless, 15-pitch ninth.

- Grisham, struggling with a nagging hamstring, went 0-for-4 at the plate, including grounding into a double play. He was able to make a running grab deep in the left-center gap in the sixth inning. 

Game MVP: Matthew Boyd

The NL All-Star needed just 85 pitches to get 24 outs, allowing just four hits and no walks with six strikeouts as his ERA fell to 2.34 on the season.

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees conclude the first half of the 2025 campaign on Sunday with a 1:35 p.m. first pitch in The Bronx.

Right-hander Will Warren (4.70 ERA, 1.400 WHIP in 90 innings) gets the ball for the home team against lefty Shota Imanaga (2.80 ERA, 0.984 WHIP in 61 innings).

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The Hockey News' Vancouver Canucks Mailbag: Prospects, Pettersson & More

Welcome to this edition of The Hockey News' Vancouver Canucks Mailbag. In this series, we answer your questions about what is going on with the Canucks. In this article, we take a look at prospects, Elias Pettersson & more. 

Where Does Räty Fit Into Next Year's Lineup?

Aatu Räty's position in the lineup depends on whether Vancouver upgrades their second-line center position. While Räty could fill the third-line center role, I believe the best place for him next season is on the fourth line. Ultimately, playing him on the fourth line for a season would let him adjust to the NHL, as he has only played a total of 48 career games over the past three seasons.

Based on Räty's ability to win faceoffs, I also believe he could help on the penalty kill. When the Canucks start a penalty kill, he could be sent out to win the faceoff, and then skate off once the puck is cleared. Even if he loses the draw, Räty's defending is good enough that he could stay on the ice while shorthanded and not be a detriment to his team. 

Will Elias Pettersson Hit 100 Points Next Season?

The conversation surrounding center Elias Pettersson has dominated on social media this off-season. While some may have lost faith in the former Calder Trophy winner, it appears that Pettersson is fully healthy and ready to prove the doubters wrong in 2025-26. In short, he is Vancouver's most important forward and needs to have a strong year if the Canucks have eyes on a spot in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

While we know that Pettersson can reach the 100-point mark in a season, I don't think he will hit it this coming season. What I do think happens is that he records between 90 and 95 points while being a contender for the Selke Trophy. Pettersson will also be named to Team Sweden for the 2026 Winter Olympics, where he will have a better performance than he did at last year's 4 Nations Face-Off.

Could Kirby Dach Be A 2C Fit For The Canucks?

Kirby Dach is an interesting player. Drafted third overall in 2019, the Montréal Canadiens center is still looking for his breakout season. Dach has also dealt with injuries throughout his entire NHL career, which has limited him to just 59 games over the past two seasons. 

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While their play styles are different, Dach and Filip Chytil are in a similar situation. Both are seen more as third-line centers who can possibly make the jump to the second line if needed. Based on his career so far, I don't believe Dach would be a fix for the second-line center problem.  

Thoughts On Wilson Björck?

Wilson Björck is an intriguing prospect. He lit up the J20 this past season with 67 points in 43 games and is on Team Sweden's radar for the 2026 World Juniors. Björck is also a very versatile forward as he can play both on the wing and down the middle. 

During Development Camp, Björck was one of the players who stood out. The 19-year-old is very calm when the puck is on his stick, which allows him to deliver accurate passes to teammates in scoring positions. Set to join Colorado College next season, spending some time at the NCAA level should help him adjust to the North American ice surface before he makes the jump to the pro level. 

Which Prospects From The 2025 NHL Draft Are You Most Excited About?

The Canucks added six interesting prospects in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. While the organization got good value on their later-round picks, the most exciting prospects are their first two selections, Braeden Cootes and Alexei Medvedev. Both have already signed their entry-level contracts and are headed back to the CHL next season. 

Cootes projects as a middle center at the NHL level, while Medvedev has the potential to be Vancouver's starter one day. Both have high compete levels and were standouts at this year's Development Camp. Both will also be players to watch this September, both at the prospect games against the Seattle Kraken and during Training Camp. 

Braeden Cootes at Vancouver Canucks Development Camp (Photo Credit: Kaja Antic/THN)  

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Canadiens Won’t Sign Kuznetsov

Kent Hughes has been very active this season so far. he pulled off the most significant trade when he managed to pry defenseman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders, surprised everyone when he acquired Zach Bolduc, and made some depth signings. However, he still didn’t manage to address another area of need for the Montreal Canadiens, the elusive second-line center.

The free agency market was thin, but when Jonathan Toews signed with the Winnipeg Jets, Matt Duchene re-signed with the Dallas Stars, and Mikael Granlund joined the Anaheim Ducks, it got even thinner. As Jeff Gorton said in his media availability before the draft, when something’s going on in the league and someone becomes available, the Canadiens know about it and assess the suitability of the player for their team, and that’s probably exactly what they did with Evgeny Kuznetsov.

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On Friday, his agent, Shumi Babaev, revealed that he had spoken with the Canadiens since the pivot would have liked to play in Montreal with former teammate Ivan Demidov in the KHL with SKA St. Petersburg. Even though he would have wanted to join the Habs, Babaev was told there just wasn’t room for him with the Tricolore.

While the Russian pivot is said to be highly motivated for his NHL comeback, he hasn’t played in the best league in the world since the 2023-24 season, when he put up 24 points in 63 games split between the Washington Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes. The player was plagued by personal issues and spent some time in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance program.

He then signed a new contract with the Canes, but ultimately, the agreement was terminated, and he signed a four-year deal with SKA in the KHL, but both parties agreed to terminate the contract at the end of the first season. There were no details released as to the reason for the termination, but it's likely the Canadiens conducted due diligence by leveraging Nick Bobrov’s contacts in Russia. The Habs had a good channel of communication with SKA, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they reached out to get some inside information.

While Kuznetsov could have been a good fit with Demidov, there is no doubt a reason why the Canadiens decided to tell his agent that there just wasn’t room for him, even though the Tricolore is lacking depth at center right now.

It’s looking increasingly likely that Kirby Dach will get yet another kick at the second line can. The Canadiens are probably hoping that youngsters Owen Beck and Oliver Kapanen will come to camp all guns blazing and light a fire under the 24-year-old who will be playing the last year of his contract.

Photo credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

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Mets' Dedniel Núñez to undergo Tommy John surgery

The worst-case scenario for Mets reliever Dedniel Núñez has come to pass.

Núñez will undergo Tommy John surgery, manager Carlos Mendoza announced before Saturday's game against the Royals in Kansas City.

"Unfortunate. You feel for the guy. He gave it a try," Mendoza said. "It’s something he dealt with last year, missed the rest of the season. Rehabbed the whole year, worked extremely hard. Put himself in a position where he came in healthy in spring training and went through Triple-A. When we started to see that version of Núñez, for him to go down is unfortunate. We wish him the best, a quick recovery, and we’ll be praying for him."

It is the second such surgery Núñez will undergo in his career (2021). The Mets skipper said the procedure will be done next week and was unsure if it's the traditional Tommy John surgery or the internal brace surgery that comes with a shorter recovery time.

As Mendoza alluded to, the timing of Núñez's injury is unfortunate. After dominating in 2024, Núñez was placed on the IL in late July with a pronator strain. He returned to make one appearance in August before going down with right forearm tightness. 

This year, Núñez struggled after beginning the season on the IL. The right-hander was optioned to Triple-A, but when he was recalled to the team in late June, Núñez was much more effective. In five appearances since returning to the Mets bullpen, Núñez allowed just two runs over 6.0 innings pitched.

The Mets placed Núñez on the IL back on July 3 with an elbow sprain and did not rule out the surgery, but the procedure will knock the 29-year-old out for the rest of the 2025 season and potentially next year.

Juan Soto DHing

Mendoza penciled in Soto as the DH for Saturday's game and was asked for the reason. The Mets skipper said it was just to give his outfielder a breather after he fouled a pitch off his thigh in Friday's win.

"Just fouled it off [his thigh], got tight," Mendoza explained. "Went up to him yesterday before I put in Acuna to see if he can finish the game. And then he went deep. It’s one of those that happens throughout the year."

After Friday's homer, Soto is now hitting .328/.473/.687 with 14 home runs, five doubles, 29 RBI, 35 runs scored, and 35 walks over his last 39 games.

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Phillies activate All-Star bonus for Sanchez after MLB omitted him from honor

Phillies activate All-Star bonus for Sanchez after MLB omitted him from honor originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

SAN DIEGO – There has been a lot of life in the Phillies clubhouse the last couple of days in San Diego and it doesn’t really have to do with the way the team is playing. It has to do with the All-Star Game which will take place Tuesday in Atlanta’s Truist Park.

The subject has been the omission of pitchers Ranger Suarez and Christopher Sanchez from the National League team. The talk, sometimes borderline yelling, has mostly been over the fact that those two aren’t going.

No one had bad things to say about Milwaukee Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski, who was added to the team after just five starts, nor that Chicago Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd was granted a spot on Friday night. It was more of a protection of teammates. Shortstop Trea Turner, himself snubbed, was the most animated debater of the subject.

Suarez admitted Friday that he was contacted by the league to join the game but that he decided to decline the offer in order to rest and get ready for the remainder of the season. Earlier, Zack Wheeler had let the league know that he also was not going to take his spot on the NL roster.

Sanchez, who will start the series finale against the Padres on Sunday, talked about where things are with him. 

“Personally I did not (receive a call from the league), but (president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski) and Thoms (manager Rob Thomson) they did receive a call about it and they handled it the best way possible,” Sanchez said. “My teammates and my team are showing support and the front office as well has been supporting so much that they decided to, even though I’m not officially a part of the game, they’ve decided to activate the bonus clause that gets me a bonus for making the All-Star team. They decided to inform me that way and that just shows the overall support I’m receiving.”

That move by the front office goes a heck of a long way not only towards Sanchez, but to the rest of the team to see the backing of the big-wigs.

“It just means a lot. That’s why I love everybody here, I love everybody on this team,” added Sanchez. “We’re one. We’re playing for one team and it just feels like we’re one, one big group. Everyone knows that I’m an All-Star here.

“They’ve showed it by supporting me here, all my teammates. The league knows it, too. I’ve got to pitch tomorrow. By doing that I’m most likely out of being able to pitch for the game. Any other scenario where I’m not pitching tomorrow I think that I would be going to the All-Star game.”

Crazy to think with Wheeler and Suarez pulling out and Sanchez not getting asked that this Phillies starting rotation, which has been so terrific all season long, will not be represented.

“That’s what they do,” Thomson said of his team voicing their displeasure. “They stick up for each other, they support each other and that’s the sign of a good team. We all think (Sanchez) is an All-Star. It’s just the fact that he’s pitching on Sunday. We think he’s an All-Star. His teammates do, the entire organization does and I think that’s why (owner John Middleton) and Dave acted that way.”

Order switch

Thomson went with his usual left-handed heavy lineup on Saturday against Padres starter Yu Darvish. But there was a slight change as Bryson Stott was moved up to the sixth spot in the order and Max Kepler dropped to the eight hole. Kepler is just eight for his last 47.

“Just to take a little heat off Kep,” Thomson said for his reasoning. “He’s been coming up with a lot of situations with runners on base and it seems like he was grinding a little bit. Just want him to relax a little bit. He’s gotten through some really good stretches where you think he’s taking off and looks like the guy we signed in spring training. And there’s other times where he’s been smothering the ball. Just getting out in front too much and looks like he’s trying to do too much.

“But it’s not over, yet. We’ve got a lot more games to go. Things can change. I think between him and (Otto) Kemp, Kep and Kemp, I think we’re in a pretty good spot.”

Nola update

Aaron Nola continued his rehabbing from a rib fracture by throwing 41 pitches Thursday. Thomson is very pleased with the progress of Nola, who last pitched on May 14. “He’ll throw another batting practice on Tuesday, join us after the break and throw another BP on Saturday. If all goes well.”

Should be fun to see how the back of the rotation shakes out in the “second half” as Nola appears on track to return, the club has not committed to anything when it comes to prospect Andrew Painter, and Mick Abel just had a very good outing in Lehigh Valley the other night. Stay tuned.

Homer drought

The date was May 21 of this year, and the Phillies won 9-5 in Colorado. What does that matter? Well it just so happens to be the last time catcher J.T. Realmuto hit a home run for the team. Thomson was asked if he had any concerns in that area surrounding the 34-year-old Realmuto.

“I think his at-bats have been really good lately,” said Thomson. “The last couple of weeks anyways. Home runs will come. Just hasn’t happened, yet. They’ll come, I’m sure.” Realmuto has hit in seven of his last eight games, four of them being multi hit games. During that span he is 13-for-33 (.394).