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Streaking Blue Jackets face tall task against NHL-best Jets

NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs at Winnipeg JetsOct 28, 2024; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor (81) skates away from Toronto Maple Leafs defensemen Simon Benoit (2) during the second period at Canada Life Centre. Mandatory Credit: Terrence Lee-Imagn Images

The Columbus Blue Jackets will try to extend their point streak to five games when they host the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night.

The Jets bounced back from their first loss of the season with a 6-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night.

In Columbus on Wednesday, Elvis Merzlikins made 26 saves for the Blue Jackets in a 2-0 win against the New York Islanders. It was his 11th career shutout.

Merzlikins also came within 27 seconds of a shutout on Monday before the Edmonton Oilers scored a power-play goal in a 6-1 Blue Jackets win. He has helped Columbus go 3-0-1 in its past four games.

“It feels really good to win the game right now,” Merzlikins said. “We just have to keep working as hard as we are working now. Just take it game-by-game, step-by-step, and move forward.”

Damon Severson and Justin Danforth scored for the Blue Jackets against New York. Danforth’s goal came during 6-on-5 play with 2:03 remaining.

“It’s great to get two points, obviously,” defenseman Ivan Provorov said. “Every time you win within the division, it’s a big step for your team. It was kind of a grinding game out there, a lot of hitting, a lot of battling, but we found a way to win and that’s a big improvement compared to last year.”

Blue Jackets Adam Fantilli, Mathieu Olivier and Kirill Marchenko each saw a three-game point streak end.

After concluding a three-game homestand Friday night, the Blue Jackets begin a five-game road trip Saturday at Washington.

As for the Jets, Kyle Connor had a goal and two assists in the first period, including his 500th NHL point, as Winnipeg defeated the Red Wings on Wednesday.

Playing against his hometown team, Connor moved to 502 points (252 goals, 250 assists) in 541 NHL games. He has 17 points (nine goals, eight assists) in a 10-game point streak, extending the longest season-opening run in franchise history.

“We’ve been hoping to keep Kyle as our little secret up here, but 500 points might be tough to hide,” Jets coach Scott Arniel said. “He’s off to a great start this year and he’s an elite player in this league.”

Winnipeg has won nine of 10 games to start the season thanks to the triumph in Detroit. Neal Pionk scored twice, Gabriel Vilardi had a goal and an assist and Connor Hellebuyck made 19 saves.

“I think that was a great response game,” Mark Scheifele said. “I thought we all stepped up. We obviously didn’t like our last one and that’s what good teams do.”

The only down note for the Jets was on the penalty kill. The Jets were a perfect 10-for-10 on the penalty kill in their past four games, but they gave up two power play goals to the Red Wings.

Injured Jets defenseman Ville Heinola (ankle surgery) and forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan (broken foot) have both started skating this week but are not traveling with the team.

–Field Level Media

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Josh Jung’s 2-run blast lifts Rangers past Athletics

MLB: Athletics at Texas RangersApr 25, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers catcher Danny Jansen (9) scores at home plate as Athletics catcher Austin Wynns (29) attempts to make the tag during the third inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Josh Jung hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning as the Texas Rangers beat the Athletics 4-3 on Saturday in Arlington, Texas.

Corey Seager had two hits and an RBI for Texas, which evened the three-game series after losing the opener 8-1 on Friday.

Rangers starter MacKenzie Gore allowed three runs on six hits with three walks and seven strikeouts over five innings. Cole Winn (2-1), Jalen Beeks and Jakob Junis each pitched a scoreless inning before left-hander Jacob Latz retired the Athletics in order in the ninth for his first save.

Shea Langeliers and Jacob Wilson had two hits apiece for the Athletics, who lost despite out-hitting the Rangers 7-5. The Athletics were 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position and fell back into a tie with the Rangers for first place in the American League West.

The Athletics claimed a 1-0 run in the second inning when Wilson doubled and scored on Darell Hernaiz’s two-out single.

Gore allowed two more runs in the third. With two on and no outs, Colby Thomas singled in a run before Tyler Soderstrom grounded out. Wilson followed with a sacrifice fly to score Nick Kurtz from third.

Texas answered with two runs in the third against Jeffrey Springs (3-2). The Rangers loaded the bases with no outs and pushed a run across on Brandon Nimmo’s sacrifice fly before Seager singled in a run with two outs.

Springs gave up four runs on five hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out four.

The Rangers pulled ahead on Jung’s two-run homer in the sixth. Seager hit a leadoff single and Jake Burger flied out before Jung deposited Springs’ 0-1 slider over the right-center field wall.

The 381-foot blast was Jung’s fourth homer of the season. After going 0-for-17 in March, Jung is batting .371 (26-for-70) with 14 RBIs in his last 20 games.

The Athletics put the tying run in scoring position with one out in the eighth on Carlos Cortes’ double, but Jeff McNeil and Austin Wynns each flied out to end the threat.

–Field Level Media

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Michael Lorenzen, double plays help Rockies top Mets

MLB: Colorado Rockies at New York MetsApr 24, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Michael Lorenzen (24) delivers a pitch during the third inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Michael Lorenzen tossed a season-high seven innings and earned the win Friday night for the visiting Colorado Rockies, who beat the New York Mets 4-3 in the opener of a three-game series.

Jake McCarthy laced the tiebreaking RBI double in the sixth while Troy Johnston had what proved to be the decisive two-run single an inning later for the Rockies, who improved to 11-16. Colorado didn’t win its 11th game last season until June 3, when it was 11-50.

TJ Rumfield hit into a run-scoring groundout in the fifth while Ezequiel Tovar finished with two hits.

Marcus Semien hit into a run-scoring double play in the second and Brett Baty delivered a two-run single in the eighth for the Mets, who had won two straight following a 12-game losing streak.

Baty, Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio had two hits apiece.

Lorenzen (2-2), who entered Friday with a 7.48 ERA and pitched beyond the fifth just once in his first five starts this season, gave up one run on seven hits and no walks while striking out three. He induced three double plays in his longest outing since last Sept. 19, when the right-hander tossed 7 2/3 innings for the Kansas City Royals in a 20-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Mets immediately rallied in the eighth against Jaden Hill, who gave up four singles, including Baty’s hit, while recording one out. But Antonio Senzatela entered and got Vientos to line into a double play.

The four double plays were the most for the Mets since they hit into four against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sept. 9, 2019.

Senzatela threw a perfect ninth to close out his second save.

Freddy Peralta (1-3) took the loss for the Mets after allowing two runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out eight over 5 2/3 innings.

–Field Level Media

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Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda each homer twice as Rays beat Twins

MLB: Minnesota Twins at Tampa Bay RaysApr 24, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays infielder Jonathan Aranda (8) celebrates a home run during the fourth inning against Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Pablo Robles-Imagn Images

Junior Caminero hit a pair of tape-measure home runs and drove in three runs and Jonathan Aranda also homered twice to lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a 6-2 victory over the visiting Minnesota Twins in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night.

It was the fifth career multi-homer game for Caminero, who has hit six home runs during a nine-game hitting streak.

Drew Rasmussen (2-0) picked up the win, allowing one run on five hits over six innings. He walked one and struck out six. Bryan Baker retired all three batters he faced in the ninth for his fifth save.

Brooks Lee homered and doubled in a 3-for-4 game and Royce Lewis also homered for Minnesota, which took its seventh loss in the last eight games

Taj Bradley (3-1), traded by Tampa Bay to Minnesota at the last year’s trade deadline for reliever Griffin Jax, allowed six runs on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings in his first start against the team that drafted him in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB Draft.

Bradley, who came into the contest third in the American League with a 1.63 ERA, allowed four homers after giving up none in his first five starts of the season.

Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a 450-foot blast over the batter’s eye in center field by Caminero, the longest home run of his career.

The Rays extended the lead to 2-0 in the third inning when Nick Fortes led off with a double, was moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Taylor Walls and scored on a groundout to first by Chandler Simpson.

Aranda led off the bottom of the fourth with a home run down the right field line to make it 3-0, but the Twins cut the lead to 3-1 in the fifth on Lee’s fourth home run.

Aranda led off the sixth with his second homer of the game and sixth of the season, a 414-foot drive deep into the bleachers in right to make it 4-1. Tampa Bay then broke the game open in the seventh when Caminero clubbed a two-run homer, this one a 435-foot drive off the batter’s eye in center, to extend the lead to 6-1.

Lewis ended the scoring with a leadoff homer down the left field line in the ninth off reliever Trevor Martin.

–Field Level Media

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