MLB – Major League Baseball
Last Night
Philadelphia Phillies 3, Detroit Tigers 2
Chicago White Sox 6, New York Yankees 5 – Game 1
New York Yankees 3, Chicago White Sox 0 – Game 2
Los Angeles Angels 3, Chicago Cubs 1
Phillies 3, Tigers 2 – Wheeler, Clemens lead Phillies past Tigers 3-2 for 5th straight win
Zack Wheeler took a no-hitter into the eighth inning, Kody Clemens came through with a game-ending single and the Philadelphia Phillies rallied past the Detroit Tigers 3-2 for their fifth victory in a row. Brandon Marsh tied it in the ninth with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly for the defending NL champions. Nick Maton hit a go-ahead single in the top of the ninth after Tyler Nevin broke up Wheeler’s no-hit bid with one out in the eighth for the Tigers, who lost their sixth in a row and eighth in the last nine. The game originally was scheduled for Wednesday night but was postponed due to poor air quality caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires.
White Sox 6, Yankees 3/Yankees 3, White Sox 0 – Yanks blank White Sox 3-0 for doubleheader split
Randy Vásquez pitched two-hit ball into the sixth inning for his first major league win, Billy McKinney hit his first home run with the Yankees and New York beat the Chicago White Sox 3-0 for a doubleheader split. Chicago extended its winning streak to a season-high five games with a 6-5 victory in the opener, when Eloy Jiménez hit a go-ahead homer in the seventh off Michael King. Jake Burger had a two-run shot off Yankees starter Luis Severino before Luis Robert Jr. and Yoán Moncada also went deep against the right-hander. Gleyber Torres hit a two-run homer in Game 2.
Angels 3, Cubs 1 – Adell homers in return to majors as Angels beat Cubs 3-1 to complete series sweep
Jo Adell homered in his first game back in the majors, Reid Detmers finally posted his first victory of the season and the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Chicago Cubs 3-1 to complete their third series sweep of the season. It’s the first time the Angels, who have won four straight, have swept the Cubs in a three-game series. Trey Mancini had an RBI double for Chicago, swept for the fourth time this year. The Cubs have dropped four in a row and 10 of 14.
Tonight
Arizona (Kelly 7-3) at Detroit (Lorenzen 2-2), 6:40 p.m. News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 6:15
Miami (Pérez 3-1) at Chicago White Sox (Cease 3-3), 8:10 p.m.
Chicago Cubs (Stroman 6-4) at San Francisco (DeSclafani 4-5), 10:15 p.m.
NHL – 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Finals – (best of seven)
Last Night
Florida Panthers 3, Vegas Golden Knights 2 – OT (VGK leads 2-1)
Panthers 3, Golden Knights 2 – OT – Panthers rally, top Golden Knights 3-2 in OT in Game 3 of Stanley Cup final
Carter Verhaeghe scored 4:27 into overtime and the Florida Panthers pulled off some more postseason dramatics to beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night. Matthew Tkachuk tied it with 2:13 left in the third period for the Panthers, who got the franchise’s first title-series game win in seven tries. Florida had to fend off a power play to start overtime, and Verhaeghe got the winner from the slot to get the Panthers within 2-1 in the series. Game 4 is Saturday night. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 25 shots for Florida. Adin Hill made 20 saves for Vegas, but got beat on the only shot he faced in overtime.
Saturday
Vegas Golden Knights at Florida Panthers, 8:00 p.m. (VGK leads 2-1)
NHL – Blackhawks, Athanasiou agree to 2-year, $8.5 million contract
The rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks have locked in one of their top scorers, agreeing to a two-year, $8.5 million contract with forward Andreas Athanasiou. The 28-year-old Athanasiou tied for the team lead with 20 goals and ranked third with 40 points in his first season with Chicago. He matched career highs with four game-winning goals and three power-play goals. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Athanasiou has 125 goals and 111 assists in 459 games with Detroit, Edmonton, Los Angeles and Chicago. The Blackhawks went 26-49-7 and finished last in the Central Division.
WNBA – Women’s National Basketball Association
Tonight
Indiana Fever at Minnesota Lynx, 8:00 p.m.
Chicago Sky at Los Angeles Sparks, 10:00 p.m.
NBA – 2023 NBA Finals – (best of seven)
Tonight
Denver Nuggets at Miami Heat, 8:30 p.m. (DEN leads 2-1)
NBA – Heat still confident, Nuggets remain focused as NBA Finals reach Game 4
Jimmy Butler showed up in plush blue slippers Thursday for what was officially called practice. Kyle Lowry was trying to distract him during an interview session. Nikola Jokic continued to say how he doesn’t care about statistics. Jamal Murray talked about all the fun he’s having. At this point, there isn’t a lot of off-day, on-court work for the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat. Game 4 of the NBA Finals is Friday night in Miami. The Nuggets got a historic effort from Jokic and Murray to reclaim the lead in the series with a 109-94 win Wednesday night.
Horse Racing – Belmont Stakes could be affected if air quality doesn’t improve
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has warned that the Belmont Stakes could be canceled if air quality doesn’t improve. Racing at Belmont Park was called off on Thursday because of hazy, smoky conditions from wildfires in Canada. It was the second straight day that the bad air affected sports in the northeastern United States. In Major League Baseball, the Washington Nationals’ home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks was called off. The Belmont is the final leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown. Hochul says it could be scrapped if the air quality index exceeds 200. She says horses will have to undergo additional evaluations if the air is in the 150-200 range.
MLS – MLS hopes Messi will boost attendance, TV viewers and market share
After two decades competing against Real Madrid, Manchester United and Brazil, Lionel Messi will be going against the NFL, Major League Baseball and the NBA. Major League Soccer is hoping for a breakout boost to its television audience and market share after Messi joins Inter Miami next month. Following Pelé’s signing with the New York Cosmos in 1975 and David Beckham joining the LA Galaxy in 2007, Messi is expected to become the third supreme soccer evangelist in a nation where the sport has been playing catch-up for more than a century.
NFL – Minnesota Vikings releasing star running back Dalvin Cook for salary cap reasons
The Minnesota Vikings are parting ways with star running back Dalvin Cook for salary cap reasons. He has been informed he’ll be released, a person familiar with the team’s decision told The Associated Press. In six years with the Vikings, Cook reached third on the franchise all-time rushing list with 5,993 yards. He is coming off his fourth consecutive season surpassing the 1,000-yard rushing mark. Cook was scheduled to count more than $14.1 million against Minnesota’s salary cap. Cutting him will chop $9 million off the team’s cap charges for this year.
Tennis – Unseeded Muchova to face No. 1 Swiatek in French Open women’s final
No. 1 Iga Swiatek has moved closer to a second consecutive French Open championship by defeating Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-2, 7-6 (7) in the semifinals. The victory Thursday also assured Swiatek of keeping the No. 1 ranking after the tournament. The 22-year-old from Poland is trying to win her third title at Roland Garros and fourth major trophy overall. On Saturday, Swiatek will face unseeded Karolina Muchova, a 26-year-old from the Czech Republic, who advanced to her first Slam final with a 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 7-5 victory over No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning Australian Open champion.
NCAA – Swarbrick to step down as ND AD; NBC Sports’ Peter Bevacqua to take over
Jack Swarbrick will step down as Notre Dame’s athletic director next year after a 16-year run in which he helped the school maintain the football program’s independent status amid an unprecedented flurry of conference realignment. Notre Dame says NBC Sports chairman Pete Bevacqua will succeed Swarbrick. Bevacqua will join the university July 1 as a special assistant to the president for athletics before taking over the athletic department sometime in the first quarter of 2024.
NCAASB – Oklahoma wins third straight Women’s College World Series
Jordy Bahl threw three innings of perfect relief and Oklahoma won its third straight Women’s College World Series title and seventh overall, beating Florida State 3-1 for a two-game sweep. The Sooners finished 61-1 and extended their Division I-record win streak to 53 games. They have won six titles since 2013 after getting their first in 2000, all under coach Patty Gasso. Oklahoma’s only defeat was a 4-3 loss at Baylor on Feb. 19. The Sooners set a record for win percentage and have the fewest losses of any NCAA champion. They led the nation in runs per game, earned run average and batting average.
NCAAWBB – NCAA changes delay-of-game penalty in women’s hoops, adds rule on flopping
The NCAA is changing its penalty for delay-of-game violations in women’s basketball and adding a new rule on flopping. Players will no longer get charged a technical foul for certain delay-of-game violations, including the one Iowa star guard Caitlin Clark got called for in the Hawkeyes’ NCAA championship game loss to LSU. The All-American received a technical foul because she didn’t pass the ball to an official after a foul was called late in the third quarter. That was deemed to be a delay of game by the officials. Under the new rule, that play would have resulted in the team getting a technical foul and not Clark.
NCAAFB – NCAA panel approves stopping clock for first downs in Division III
The game clock will continue to stop for first downs in Division III for at least another year after the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Committee approved a recommendation from the Football Rules Committee. The biggest rule change this season in all other divisions will have the game clock continue to run when a first down is gained except in the last two minutes of either half. Previously, the clock stopped when a first down was gained and restarted on the referee’s signal. Division III administrators and coaches asked to hold off on implementation so they can see how it affects games in the upper divisions.
NCAAMBB – NCAA tweaks rules on block/charge calls in men’s basketball
The NCAA is tweaking how block/charge calls are made in men’s basketball. The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved rule changes that require a defender to be in position to draw a charge at the time the offensive player plants a foot to go airborne for a shot. If the defender arrives after the player has planted a foot, officials have been instructed to call a block when there’s contact. Defenders previously had to be in position to draw a charge before the offensive player went airborne. NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee members made the proposal after NCAA members complained that too many charges were being called on those types of plays.
NCAA – NCAA made a ‘big mistake’ by not setting up framework for NIL compensation
NCAA President Charlie Baker wants a federal law to regulate the way college athletes can be compensated for name, image and likeness that creates a registry of deals, agent certification and uniform contract standards. Baker hopes a bill can move through Congress in the fall before next year’s election cycle ramps up. If not, Baker says the NCAA has to be prepared to try to cleanup NIL on its own. Speaking at the Future of College Sports Summit in Washington, Baker says the previous NCAA leadership made a mistake in not trying to regulate NIL on its own.
MWL – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night
Wisconsin 4, West Michigan 1
Lake County 7, Great Lakes 2
South Bend 3, Lansing 1
Tonight
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at West Michigan Whitecaps, 6:35 p.m.
Lake County Captains at Great Lakes Loons, 7:05 p.m.
Lansing Lugnuts at South Bend Cubs, 7:05 p.m.
MHSAA – High School Sports
Yesterday
Girls Soccer – Regional Finals
Division 1 at Byron Center
Hudsonville 1, Portage Central 0
Today
Girls Soccer – Regional Finals
Division 2 at Vicksburg
Plainwell vs. Pinckney, 6:00 p.m.
Division 4 at Portage Northern
Our Lady of the Lake vs. Kalamazoo Christian, 6:30 p.m.
Boys Golf – State Finals (2 rounds)
Round 1
Division 1 at The Meadows, GVSU, 9:00 a.m.
Portage Central (team)
Division 2 at The Fortress, Frankenmuth, 9:00 a.m.
Gull Lake (team, Vicksburg (team), Jacob Marohn (Lakeshore @ 9:00 a.m.)
Division 3 at Forest Acres West, MSU, 9:00 a.m.
Carter Crist (Coloma @ 9:00 a.m.)
Division 3 at Bedford Valley, Frankenmuth, 9:00 a.m.
Luis Lorenz (Cassopolis @ 9:00 a.m.
Saturday
Baseball – Regional Finals/State Quarterfinals
Division 1 at Novi
Battle Creek Lakeview vs. Livonia Franklin, 10:00 a.m.
Novi vs. Hartland, 12:30 p.m.
Quarterfinals, 3:00 p.m.
Division 1 at Central Michigan University
Caledonia vs. Traverse City West, 10:00 a.m.
Mattawan vs. Cedar Springs, 12:30 p.m.
Quarterfinals, 3:00 p.m.
Division 2 at Kalamazoo College
Lakeshore vs. Grand Rapids Christian, 10:00 a.m.
Olivet vs. Hamilton, 12:30 p.m.
Quarterfinals, 3:00 p.m.
Division 3 at Cornerstone University, GR
Watervliet vs. Chesaning, 10:00 a.m.
Lansing Catholic vs. North Muskegon, 12:30 p.m.
Quarterfinals, 3:00 p.m.
Division 3 at Adrian College
Bridgman vs. Grass Lake, 10:00 a.m.
Ottawa Lake Whiteford vs. Lumen Christi, 12:30 p.m.
Quarterfinals, 3:00 p.m.
Division 4 at Jackson Lumen Christi
Decatur vs. Concord, 10:00 a.m.
Kal. Hackett vs. Petersburg-Summerfield, 12:00 p.m.
Quarterfinals, 2:00 p.m.
Softball – Regional Semis/Finals
Division 1 at Battle Creek Lakeview
Mattawan vs. Portage Central, 10:00 a.m.
Saline vs. Brownstone Woodhaven, 12:00 p.m.
Regional Championship, 2:00 p.m.
Division 2 at Berrien Springs
Hamilton vs. Wayland, 10:00 a.m.
Vicksburg vs. Edwardsburg, 12:30 p.m.
Regional Championship, 3:00 p.m.
Division 2 at Mason
Three Rivers vs. Lake Odessa Lakewood, 10:00 a.m.
Lansing Waverly vs. Parma Western, 12:00 p.m.
Regional Championship, 2:00 p.m.
Division 3 at Watervliet
Coloma vs. Buchanan, 10:00 a.m.
Bronson vs. Kalamazoo Christian, 12:00 p.m.
Regional Championship, 2:00 p.m.
Division 4 at Colon
River Valley vs. Decatur, 10:00 a.m.
Burr Oak vs. Mendon, 12:00 p.m.
Regional Championship, 2:00 p.m.
