Sports
Skidding Penguins focus on defense as upbeat Ducks visit
Dec 18, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan (right) talks with center Lars Eller (20) at the bench against the Minnesota Wild during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Pittsburgh won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images The Pittsburgh Penguins will try to avoid matching their longest losing streak under coach Mike Sullivan when they host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night.
The Penguins have dropped six in a row, getting outscored 27-13 in the process.
Sullivan, who’s in his 10th season with Pittsburgh, said there’s an assortment of factors leading to the downturn, but it begins with the decisions the Penguins are making with the puck.
“We put ourselves and our teammates in very difficult spots,” Sullivan said. “The first step in becoming a solid team defensively is managing the puck appropriately. Otherwise, you’re inviting easy offense.”
Indeed, Pittsburgh has allowed at least four goals in each of the past seven games and nine times in 11 contests this season.
“We’re giving up too much,” Pittsburgh forward Sidney Crosby said. “Can’t win consistently when you give up the quality of chances or the amount of goals that we’re giving up. We have to find a way to limit our mistakes. If we’re going to make them, they can’t be big ones.”
Sullivan said the Penguins need to start thinking defense first.
“We’re going to defend our way out of this,” he said. “We’re not going to score our way out of this. That’s what we’re trying to work at. For me, it starts with a mindset. It starts with an attitude. Your intentions need to be in the right place. When they are, now we have a chance to be better defensively.”
The Ducks enter the final game of their four-game road trip feeling confident after beating the New York Islanders 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Anaheim received another outstanding effort from goalie Lukas Dostal, who made 40 saves against the Islanders, the second time he has hit that mark this season.
He has also allowed two goals or fewer in four straight starts.
“He was terrific,” Anaheim coach Greg Cronin said. “We knew that they shot the puck a lot going into it. There’s certain teams in the league that have a certain style of hockey that invites a lot of shots. Lukas did a great job, and I thought we did a good job of blocking shots, too.”
One area that’s improving for the Ducks as the season unfolds is their power play.
They started the season 0-for-20 with the man-advantage and were 2-for-26 heading into Tuesday’s game. Anaheim then scored its first two goals on the power play before finishing 2-for-3 to improve to 13.8 percent this season.
“I think we’re just supporting each other (on the power play),” said Troy Terry, who scored the second power play goal – against New York. “Even when it goes off the rails a little bit, just knowing that you’ve got three or four on the battle, knowing where your releases are.”
Terry referred to the centering pass made by Mason McTavish that resulted in his goal and the tip-in goal by Leo Carlsson off a shot from Frank Vatrano that resulted in the other power-play tally.
“Loosened up the grip a little bit and gave us a little more confidence around the net,” Terry said.
Terry’s goal on Tuesday was the 100th of his career and extended his point streak to eight games (five goals, three assists).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Pirates use 3-run 10th to extend Brewers' losing streak
Apr 25, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn (29) scores a run during the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Bryan Reynolds singled in the go-ahead run to trigger a three-run 10th inning and lift the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates to a 6-3 victory over Milwaukee on Saturday, handing the Brewers their fourth consecutive loss.
Left-hander Angel Zerpa (0-2) started the 10th for Milwaukee. Pinch-hitter Marcell Ozuna drew a one-out walk. Nick Yorke ran for Ozuna and Reynolds singled to left, scoring automatic runner Henry Davis from second. Both runners advanced on a ground out. Grant Anderson relieved Zerpa, and Nick Gonzales delivered an RBI single to left, with Reynolds continuing home on a bobble by left fielder Greg Jones.
Yohan Ramirez kept the Brewers off the board in the 10th for his first save. Gregory Soto (2-0) delivered a scoreless ninth.
The Pirates snapped a 2-2 tie with a run in the sixth off starter Jacob Misiorowski. Ryan O’Hearn was hit by a pitch and Gonzales singled. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch and Spencer Horwitz followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2.
The Brewers tied it in the bottom half on Sal Frelick’s second sacrifice fly of the game. Jake Bauers and Tyler Black opened with consecutive singles, chasing starter Mitch Keller. Isaac Mattson replaced him, and Bauers advanced to third on a fielder’s choice. Frelick followed with a sacrifice fly to right.
The Pirates went in front 2-0 with two runs in the fourth. Reynolds was hit by a pitch to open the frame and O’Hearn singled. Reynolds took third on a fielder’s choice, and Horwitz followed with an RBI single. Konnor Griffin added a two-out RBI single, but the Pirates stranded runners at second and third.
Milwaukee countered with two in the bottom half. Bauers singled and continued to second on an error. Black doubled Bauers to third. Bauers scored and Black advanced to third on a ground out. Frelick tied it with a sacrifice fly to right.
Misiorowski struck out nine in six innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He also walked one, hit two batters, and had a wild pitch.
Keller allowed three runs on five hits in five-plus innings, striking out six and walking two.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Salvador Perez, Cole Ragans help Royals club Angels
Apr 25, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) slides into home to score a run during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Salvador Perez had three hits including a home run, Cole Ragans pitched six strong innings and the Kansas City Royals routed the visiting Los Angeles Angels 12-1 on Saturday night.
Nick Loftin had two hits and drove in four runs for the Royals, who go for their first series sweep of the season on Sunday. Kansas City has won three of four, scoring at least six runs in each game.
Ragans (1-4) allowed a run on five hits and struck out 11 batters without a walk. It was the third time this season Ragans went six innings and allowed one run or less.
Jo Adell homered and Vaughn Grissom had three hits for the Angels, who have lost six of seven.
Walbert Urena (0-3) lasted 3 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits. Los Angeles pitchers issued 10 walks, including two with the bases loaded.
Perez lined a homer to left leading off the second inning. Jac Caglianone walked, went to third on a single by Michael Massey and scored on a single by Loftin to make it 2-0.
In the third, Bobby Witt, Jr. doubled and Vinnie Pasquantino walked. Perez lined a single to left, scoring Witt and Isaac Collins walked to load the bases before Loftin walked, forcing in Pasquantino.
Adell homered to center leading off the fourth to pull the Angels within 4-1.
Loftin reached on an error leading off the sixth. Kyle Isbel singled and Carter Jensen walked to load the bases. With one out, Pasquantino walked, scoring Loftin.
The Royals broke it open with a three run seventh. Caglianone led off with a walk and Collins singled. Massey lined a single to left, scoring Caglianone. Loftin smacked a grounder that got past shortstop Zach Neto. Collins scored and Massey raced for third and came home on Neto’s throwing error to make it 8-1.
Loftin and Jensen hit two-run singles to make it 12-1 in the eighth.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees score late to break open close game against Astros
Apr 25, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Jose Caballero (72) celebrates with center fielder Trent Grisham (12) after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Austin Wells socked a leadoff home run to ignite a three-run seventh inning as the New York Yankees claimed a three-game series against the host Houston Astros with an 8-3 win on Saturday.
Wells’ second homer was the third of the game for the Yankees, who improved to 5-0 on their current nine-game road trip and have won eight straight overall. The Yankees were locked in a pitcher’s duel before Wells snapped a 2-2 tie by driving an inside fastball from Astros reliever Kai-Wei Teng (1-1) out to right field.
Teng faced only three batters before ceding the mound to left-hander Bennett Sousa, who was reinstated from the 15-day injured list and made his season debut. The Yankees made it a forgettable appearance for Sousa, who issued four walks, including two with the bases loaded.
Sousa walked Trent Grisham, Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr., with Bellinger and Chisholm forcing home Grisham and Ben Rice (who had singled) in succession to up the lead to 5-2.
Rice delivered a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the eighth that plated Ryan McMahon. Rice and Jose Caballero recorded three-hit games for the Yankees, with Caballero extending the lead to 2-1 in the fifth with his third homer, a solo shot to left off Astros starter Mike Burrows.
Burrows matched his career high of eight strikeouts while working five innings. He allowed five hits and issued three walks. Burrows surrendered a solo home run to Grisham, his fourth on the season, with one out in the third inning that enabled the Yankees to erase a 1-0 deficit.
The Astros grabbed that lead in the bottom of the first. Carlos Correa roped a leadoff double to left-center and scored when Isaac Paredes added an RBI single to left two batters later. Yankees starter Ryan Weathers immediately settled down and retired 11 consecutive batters after Paredes’ run-scoring hit.
Yainer Diaz opened the fifth with a single, but Weathers didn’t allow another run until Correa led off the sixth with his second homer, a 391-foot blast to left-center that tied the game at 2-2.
Weathers surrendered two runs on six hits with no walks and four strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings. Right-hander Fernando Cruz (2-0) earned the win in relief for the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Pirates use 3-run 10th to extend Brewers' losing streak
Salvador Perez, Cole Ragans help Royals club Angels
