Sports
Avalanche pull off late comeback, stun Sabres in OT
Jan 2, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) celebrates his goal with center Nathan MacKinnon (29) in the second period against the Buffalo Sabres at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Devon Toews scored 48 seconds into overtime, and the Colorado Avalanche rallied to beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-5 in Denver on Thursday night.
It was the second time this season Colorado overcame a big deficit to beat the Sabres. The Avalanche trailed 4-0 after one period in Buffalo on Dec. 3 and won 5-4, and Colorado was down 3-0 after one period and trailed 5-3 in the third on Thursday night.
Jonathan Drouin sent the game into overtime when he scored with 7.7 seconds left. Toews ended it when he got a breakaway and beat Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to extend the Avalanche’s winning streak to six games.
Toews also had two assists, Cale Makar scored two goals, Mikko Rantanen and Drouin each had a goal and an assist, Ross Colton provided a goal and Nathan MacKinnon had three assists for Colorado. The Avalanche prevailed despite losing goaltender Scott Wedgewood to injury.
Wedgewood was hurt 1:27 into the third period when Zach Benson was battling with Colorado’s Parker Kelly near the net and fell into Wedgewood’s right leg. The goalie went down inside his net, play continued and Benson scored moments later to give Buffalo a 4-2 lead.
Wedgewood was helped off the ice after making 14 on 18 shots. He was replaced by Mackenzie Blackwood, who turned away two of the three shots he faced.
Jason Zucker recorded his third career hat trick and also added an assist, Benson and Bowen Byram also scored, Tage Thompson had three assists and Luukkonen made 23 saves for Buffalo.
Zucker scored twice and Byram had a goal to give the Sabres a 3-0 lead midway through the second period.
Makar’s goal at 14:58 of the second made it 3-1, and Colton cut it to 3-2 just 1:05 into the third, but Benson scored 22 seconds later to restore the two-goal margin.
Rantanen’s goal at 4:17 on a power play and made it 4-3 before Zucker netted his third goal at 16:09 to complete his first hat trick of the season.
Makar scored again at 17:34 with Blackwood off for an extra skater to make it 5-4. Blackwood came off again and Drouin tied it with a slap shot at 19:52.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Sean Burke stifles Padres, lifts White Sox to fifth straight win
May 2, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Sean Burke (59) throws a pitch during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images Sean Burke tossed six scoreless innings Saturday night and the visiting Chicago White Sox stretched their winning streak to five with a 4-0 blanking of the San Diego Padres.
Burke (2-2) allowed only four hits and a walk while fanning eight, including Xander Bogaerts three times. Three relievers finished up, with Seranthony Dominguez getting the last two outs for his eighth save in 10 chances, as Chicago wrapped up its first series win over San Diego since 2022.
The Padres filled the bases with no outs in the ninth when Jackson Merrill beat out an infield single followed by walks to Manny Machado and Bogaerts. Grant Taylor slipped a called third strike past Gavin Sheets before Dominguez came in to retire Miguel Andujar on a shallow fly ball and strike out Luis Campusano.
Michael King (3-2) yielded seven hits and four runs over six-plus innings. King walked three and struck out five as the Padres dropped their fourth straight game.
Burke and King matched each other pitch-for-pitch through the first five innings. But the White Sox struck in the sixth when Tristan Peters drew a one-out walk and Andrew Benintendi legged out an infield single.
After Munetaka Murakami moved the runners up 90 feet with a groundout, Miguel Vargas looped a liner into short right field, scoring Peters and Benintendi for the only runs Chicago needed.
But the White Sox added on with two more runs in the seventh. Chase Meidroth singled and reached third on Sam Antonacci’s double, then scored on Edgar Quero’s single that knocked out King. Peters then capped the scoring with a safety squeeze bunt that plated Antonacci.
The Padres’ best scoring chances against Burke came in the second and fifth innings. Sheets walked and Andujar singled with one out in the second. But Burke stiffened, fanning Campusano and inducing a groundout from Jake Cronenworth.
In the fifth, Andujar led off with a single and Cronenworth singled with one out. However, Ramon Laureano flew out and Burke blew away Fernando Tatis Jr. on three pitches to quash the threat.
The Padres were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, stranding eight runners.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Sporting KC snap losing streak with draw vs. Sounders
May 2, 2026; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; Sporting Kansas City forward Dejan Joveljic (9) celebrates toward fans after scoring against the Seattle Sounders FC during the first half of the match at Children’s Mercy Park. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Dejan Joveljic scored his fifth goal of the season and Sporting Kansas City salvaged a 1-1 draw against the Seattle Sounders on Saturday afternoon to snap a six-match losing streak.
Joveljic’s 18th-minute tally halted a 351-minute scoreless stretch across all competitions for Sporting (1-7-2, 5 points), which has still won only twice in its last 23 MLS matches dating back to last July.
Paul Rothrock scored his fourth goal of the season early as Seattle (6-1-2, 20 points) saw its league win streak halted at three but extended its league unbeaten run to seven.
The visitors held 61% of the possession and outshot the hosts 27-11 but were punished for an uncharacteristic mistake by American World Cup hopeful Cristian Roldan.
Rothrock put the visitors in front two minutes into the match.
Alex Roldan got up the right and played an early diagonal ball from midfield toward Jesus Ferreira in the center channel.
Either Ferreira, his defender or both players deflected the ball, and Rothrock was first to the redirection on the left side of the penalty, where he guided a first-time finish across Stefan Cleveland’s body and inside the far-right post.
Joveljic leveled 16 minutes later.
As Seattle tried to play out of the back against Kansas City’s creeping pressure, Cristian Roldan badly mis-hit a backpass that appeared intended for his goalkeeper.
Joveljic reacted to reach it at the top of the penalty arc and drove a low, first-time finish through goalkeeper Andrew Thomas and over the line.
Both teams had chances to win it after halftime despite Seattle’s possession dominance.
Sounders striker Danny Musovski flashed a promising header over the goal in the 57th minute, and in the 65th, Seattle substitute Paul Arriola saw his strike from a dangerous position on the left blocked accidentally by teammate Albert Rusnak.
In the 70th minute, Cleveland recovered from his own bobble on the initial attempt to make a double save of Kalani Kossa-Rienzi and Musovski.
On the other end, Thomas thwarted Joveljic in the 82nd minute and Taylor Calheira on a difficult, spinning effort inside the box in the 85th.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves RF Ronald Acuna Jr. (hamstring) set for MRI
May 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. left Saturday’s 9-1 win over the host Colorado Rockies with left hamstring tightness and will have an MRI, Atlanta manager Walt Weiss told reporters after the game.
Acuna grabbed at his hamstring and pulled up when attempting to run out a grounder he hit in the second inning in Denver. He limped off the field under his own power after being examined by the team’s medical staff.
The 2023 National League MVP, Acuna is hitting .252 with two homers and nine RBIs in 34 games. He led off the game with a single and scored when Drake Baldwin followed with a home run.
Acuna was replaced in right field by Eli White, who is hitting .196 with two homers and eight RBIs in 20 games.
–Field Level Media
