• The Canadian Press

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 33 points lead Thunder past Pelicans 124-92 as OKC takes a 2-0 lead

    OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Just a few days ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder looked like a young team struggling through their first playoff game together. On Wednesday night, they looked like grizzled playoff veterans. Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points and the top-seeded Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans 124-92 to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series. Gilgeous-Alexander, from Hamilton, said the Thunder remained focused instead of worrying about outsi

  • The Canadian Press

    Kopitar's OT winner lifts Kings to 5-4 win over Oilers, even series at 1-1

    EDMONTON — Anze Kopitar scored the overtime winner and had a pair of assists as the Los Angeles Kings knocked off the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 to tie their opening-round playoff series 1-1 on Wednesday. Kopitar scored just 2:07 into overtime after a weird bounce gave him a lane up the centre of the ice and he beat Stuart Skinner high to the glove side. Adrian Kempe, with a pair of goals, Drew Doughty and Kevin Fiala also scored for Los Angeles, which is looking for revenge after being knocked out in

  • Yahoo Sports

    Code red: Heat had extra fuel against Celtics in Game 2, even series with fiery win

    This was supposed to be the league's most lopsided series. Miami's talent gap against the 64-win Celtics seemed insurmountable. Oh, how the tables have turned.

  • The Canadian Press

    Cubs reliever Luke Little forced to change his glove because of white in American flag patch

    CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Cubs reliever Luke Little said he had to change his glove before he entered Wednesday night's 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros because of an American flag patch. Manager Craig Counsell went to insert Little with one out in the seventh inning. But as the 6-foot-8 left-hander went through the usual check by umpires for pitchers coming into the game, he was told he had to swap out his glove. “The issue was the American flag was on his glove,” Counsell said. “Pitchers' glov

  • The Canadian Press

    Defending champion Golden Knights beat Stars 3-1 to take 2-0 series lead home to Vegas

    DALLAS (AP) — Noah Hanifin broke a tie with an unassisted goal late in the second period and the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights beat the top-seeded Dallas Stars 3-1 on Wednesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round series. Hanifin was one of the three trade-deadline acquisitions for the Knights, the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Jonathan Marchessault scored his second goal of the series, and his franchise-record 36th in the postseason while appearing in all 90 of Vegas'

  • The Canadian Press

    Alec Marsh and 4 relievers combined for a 6-hitter as the Royals beat the Blue Jays 3-2

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Alec Marsh and four relievers combined for a six-hitter as the Kansas City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 Wednesday night. Maikel Garcia and Salvador Perez each had two hits and an RBI for Kansas City, which bounced back from a loss in the series opener on Monday to win two straight. “That’s Royals baseball," said Bobby Witt Jr., who is batting .350 during a five-game hitting streak. "We've got to keep doing that. Get on the base paths. Be aggressive. Make things h

  • The Canadian Press

    Mrazova's shootout winner lifts PWHL Ottawa to critical 3-2 victory over Boston

    OTTAWA — Despite an off night, Ottawa found a way to pull out a victory on Wednesday. After missing the world championship and Ottawa's last home game due to injury, Katerina Mrazova made an impressive return scoring the shootout winner in a 3-2 victory over Boston in Professional Women’s Hockey League action. Mrazova scored on both her shootout attempts and Emerance Maschmeyer stopped Hilary Knight to seal the hard-fought victory. The win allowed Ottawa to remain in control as it battles Boston

  • The Canadian Press

    García and Carter hit back-to-back homers and Rangers beat Mariners 5-1

    ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Adolis García and Evan Carter hit Texas’ first back-to-back home runs this season in the fourth inning and the Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 5-1 on Wednesday night. García’s team-high seventh homer barely cleared the wall in straight-away center field and tipped off the glove of Julio Rodríguez. García stood near first base apparently thinking Rodríguez made the catch until he saw the center fielder walk toward the infield, turn and look over the fence. Carter hit a t

  • The Canadian Press

    Xander Bogaerts has season-high 3 hits, Padres beat Rockies 5-2

    DENVER (AP) — Xander Bogaerts had a season-high three hits, Matt Waldron gave up one run in six innings and the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 5-2 on Wednesday night. Ha-Seong Kim and Jackson Merrill had two RBIs to help the Padres beat the Rockies for the 11th time in their past 14 meetings. Kim had two hits, including a bloop double to right field that drove in the game’s first two runs and spurred a four-run first inning. Waldron (1-2) rebounded from his worst outing of the season

  • The Canadian Press

    Montreal cruises past New York 5-2 to clinch PWHL post-season berth

    MONTREAL — Kristin O'Neill had a goal and an assist in helping lead Montreal to a 5-2 win over New York and clinch a playoff berth in the Professional Women's Hockey League on Wednesday. The victory moved Montreal (9-3-5-5) into a tie for first place with Toronto, with each team having 38 points and Toronto having a game in hand. On the other hand, the loss eliminated New York from playoff contention in the six-team league. Catherine Daoust, Catherine Dubois, Laura Stacey and Mélodie Daoust, wit

  • The Canadian Press

    Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu shut down at least another week due to swelling in his right foot

    NEW YORK (AP) — New York Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu will be shut down for at least another week after an MRI and CT scan showed continued swelling in his fractured right foot Wednesday. The 35-year-old two-time batting champion underwent testing after leaving his first minor league injury rehabilitation game with Double-A Somerset in the second inning Tuesday night due to soreness in his right foot, which he fractured on a foul ball during a spring training game on March 16. Before exitin

  • The Canadian Press

    Rangers star Corey Seager hit by pitch, leaves game because of shin contusion

    ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas shortstop Corey Seager left the Rangers’ game against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night following the seventh inning because of a left shin contusion after being hit by a pitch in the inning. The 2023 World Series MVP was struck on the back leg by an 0-2 pitch from reliever Austin Voth that bounced in the dirt in front of the plate. Seager was attended to by the medical staff after taking first base and remained in the game for the rest of the inning. Seager m

  • The Canadian Press

    Lars Nootbaar drives in two in a victory over the Diamondbacks

    ST. LOUIS (AP) — Lars Nootbaar drove in two runs and Kyle Gibson pitched six effective innings, lifting the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the finale of three-game series on Wednesday. It was the first win in a series finale this season for the Cardinals. In his 299th start, Gibson (2-2) allowed one run and five hits. Gibson struck out six and walked two. Three relievers finished up for St. Louis. Former Cardinal Jordan Montgomery (1-1) went seven innings i

  • The Canadian Press

    Toronto FC puts semi-pro Simcoe County to the sword in Canadian Championship play

    TORONTO — After putting semi-pro Simcoe County Rovers FC to the sword in a 5-0 win Wednesday in Canadian Championship preliminary-round play, Toronto FC coach John Herdman wanted more. "We were looking at the record," he said, referencing Toronto's 6-1 cup win over Montreal in June 2009. "So the target was to hit seven," he added. "We fell short. (I'm) disappointed. We probably could have had a few in the second half but the 'keeper (Rimi Olatunji). To be fair, he made some great saves … He stoo

  • The Canadian Press

    Heat set franchise playoff record with 23 3-pointers in Game 2 against Celtics

    BOSTON (AP) — The Miami Heat set a franchise record for 3-pointers in a playoff game Wednesday night, connecting for 23 in their 111-101 Game 2 playoff victory over the Boston Celtics. Jaime Jaquez Jr. connected on Miami’s 21st 3 of the game with 5:37 left in the fourth quarter, setting the new mark. For the game, Miami shot 23 of 43 from beyond the arc. The performance broke Miami’s previous mark of 20, set May 22, 2021, at Milwaukee. It was one short of the Heat record for 3s in any game, whic

  • The Canadian Press

    Dansby Swanson homers as the short-handed Cubs beat the struggling Astros 4-3

    CHICAGO (AP) — Dansby Swanson hit a three-run homer during Chicago's four-run first inning and the short-handed Cubs beat the Houston Astros 4-3 on Wednesday night. Playing without Cody Bellinger, Chicago used Swanson's big swing and a solid start by Jameson Taillon to earn its second straight win. It will try to sweep the three-game set against the struggling Astros on Thursday. Taillon (2-0) allowed two runs, one earned, and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out four and wal

  • The Canadian Press

    Twins' Castro hits birthday homer, lifts Minnesota to 6-3 win over White Sox

    MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Willi Castro hit a 3-run home run on his 27th birthday and Joe Ryan pitched six innings for his first win of the year as the Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 6-3 Wednesday. Castro’s homer capped a four-run second inning against Chicago left-hander Garrett Crochet. It was his second career home run on his birthday and it drove in Austin Martin and Christian Vásquez. Ryan (1-1) had a pair of three-strikeout innings, but also allowed solo homers in the third to Kevin Pi

  • The Canadian Press

    Michael Harris II hits an RBI double in the 10th inning to lift Braves past Marlins 4-3

    ATLANTA (AP) — Michael Harris II doubled home Ronald Acuña Jr. in the 10th inning and the Atlanta Braves edged the Miami Marlins 4-3 after blowing a two-run lead in the ninth Wednesday night to complete a three-game sweep. A.J. Minter (4-1) struck out Jazz Chisolm Jr. with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the 10th to earn the win for the Braves, who have won nine of their last 10. The Marlins had tied it in the ninth with two runs off Braves closer Raisel Iglesias, who blew his first

  • The Canadian Press

    Santiago Espinal has 3 RBIs, Fernando Cruz pitches out of another jam and Reds beat Phillies 7-4

    CINCINNATI (AP) — Santiago Espinal had three RBIs, reliever Fernando Cruz pitched out a jam in the seventh inning and the Cincinnati Reds held on for a 7-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night. Will Benson had a solo homer in the third inning. Espinal singled home two as part of a four-run sixth and drove in another with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Reds starter Nick Lodolo went five innings, allowing three runs and six hits while striking out four and walking three. For the

  • The Canadian Press

    Aaron Judge homers 1 pitch after Joe Boyle is called for a balk as Yanks top A's 7-3

    NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer in the first inning after Oakland starting pitcher Joe Boyle was called for a balk on the previous pitch and the New York Yankees beat the Athletics 7-3 on Wednesday night. Anthony Rizzo and Juan Soto also homered as the Yankees won for the fifth time in seven games and improved to 10-1 in their last 11 in the Bronx against Oakland. Judge appeared to take a called third strike and was headed back to the dugout, but Boyle (1-4) was charged with a ba

  • Yahoo Sports

    NBA playoffs: Heat even series vs. Celtics with franchise record in 3-pointers, Thunder dominate Pelicans

    The Thunder did No. 1 seed things. The Celtics not so much.

  • The Canadian Press

    Shohei Ohtani has 3 doubles, Landon Knack get 1st victory as Dodgers rout Nationals 11-2

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Shohei Ohtani had three doubles to improve his major league-leading batting average to .371, rookie Landon Knack got his first victory and the Los Angeles Dodgers routed the Washington Nationals 11-2 on Wednesday night. The Dodgers had a season-high 20 hits en route to their third straight victory, with Mookie Betts and Will Smith each having four hits and Andy Pages homering. Nick Senzel homered for Washington. The Nationals didn’t have a baserunner after the second inning. Oh

  • The Canadian Press

    Mead hits 1st homer of the season and Rays beat Tigers 7-5 to avoid the 3-game sweep

    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla, (AP) — Curtis Mead hit his first home run of the season and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Detroit Tigers 7-5 on Wednesay night to avoid a three-game sweep. Ben Rortvedt collected his second RBI of the game with a single and scored on Mead's two-run drive off Will Vest (1-1) that put the Rays ahead 7-5 in the sixth inning. It was Mead's first homer since Sept. 22. Tampa Bay had lost three in row and five of seven. The Tigers completed a six-game trip at 4-2 and are 10-4 on the

  • The Canadian Press

    Contreras has 3 hits as Brewers take advantage of sloppy inning by Pirates in 3-2 victory

    PITTSBURGH (AP) — William Contreras had three hits and the Milwaukee Brewers used one big inning to edge the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 on Wednesday night. The Brewers took advantage of a sloppy second inning by the Pirates to turn an error, two walks and two hit batters and an RBI single by Contreras into three runs. Sal Frelick had two hits for Milwaukee, which snapped a two-game skid. Bryan Hudson (2-1) worked 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Joel Payamps overcame a pair of errors in the ninth

  • The Canadian Press

    Royals' Alec Marsh hit on throwing arm by line drive, leaves in 5th against Blue Jays

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Royals right-hander Alec Marsh was hit on his throwing arm by a line drive, forcing him to leave in the fifth inning against Toronto on Wednesday night. After Marsh (3-0) pitched four scoreless innings, Addison Barger hit a 91-mph fastball back up the middle leading off the fifth. After being struck, Marsh picked up the ball and threw to first to retire Barger. The Royals said Marsh had a forearm contusion. Angel Zerpa took over for Marsh on the mound. ___ AP