BOSTON (AP) — Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice considered it a good omen when the fire alarm went off at the team hotel on Friday afternoon, just as he was settling in for a pregame nap. “In my career, the number of times that something got messed up at the hotel … it’s like a guaranteed win,” Maurice said after a 2-1 victory over Boston earned the Panthers a spot in the Eastern Conference finals. “I said, ‘If this holds true, I guarantee we’re winning today.’" Maurice's superstition held tru
CLEVELAND (AP) — Following a one-run loss, Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli was having a hard time processing what had just happened to his ballclub. This one was tough on the Twins. “There was some stuff going on today,” Baldelli said. Several questionable pitch calls and a confusing rule violation tripped up the Twins, who dropped their fourth straight game Friday night, 3-2 as the Cleveland Guardians got a home run in the eighth inning from José Ramírez after Minnesota reliever Jhoan Duran go
NEW YORK (AP) — Every now and then, New York Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes looks to catch a hitter off guard with a funky delivery. Sometimes he hesitates on the rubber in the middle of his windup and turns his back to the batter like a corkscrew — maybe even faking a throw — before finally firing home. Other times, he starts all of a sudden with an old-fashioned quick pitch to the plate. Cortes' creativity often delights the Yankee Stadium crowd, especially if it throws off a hitter's timin