Sports
U.S. not satisfied, Sweden hopeful entering 4 Nations round-robin finale
Feb 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team United States forward Brady Tkachuk (7) plays the puck against Team Canada in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images BOSTON — As the only team with two regulation wins, the United States has already clinched a spot in the championship game of the 4 Nations Face-Off.
But that does not mean Monday night’s round-robin finale with Sweden will be just an exhibition.
“I guess it can be easy to get complacent, but I don’t even think it’s going to get in our mind that we’re happy with where we’re at,” U.S. forward Brady Tkachuk said. “We know what our goal has been right from the start, and I don’t think we’re going to stop until we get it.”
The Americans beat Finland 6-1 and Canada 3-1 in Montreal to begin the tournament. In the latter game on Saturday, they set an immediate physical tone and finished off the victory with three unanswered goals.
Among others, Jake Guentzel has risen to the occasion in his first international competition, scoring a tournament-best three goals and matching teammate Zach Werenski with four points. The first-year Tampa Bay Lightning forward tallied twice against Canada.
“Jake is a high-stakes player,” said U.S. coach Mike Sullivan, who coached Guentzel in Pittsburgh from 2016-24. “He plays his very best when it means the most and I don’t think there’s a stage big enough for him. … I’m not surprised at all.”
There is no question that the U.S. has a talent-rich lineup, but Werenski — who is in the midst of a career year for the Columbus Blue Jackets — is one player helping to lead a young defensive averaging just 26 years of age.
Since rostering six initial players last summer, Sullivan stressed the importance of strong play at the back end.
“As talented as this team is, it’s hard to win a championship if you’re not willing and committed to play defense. We know this group is capable of scoring goals,” Sullivan said. “Our challenge is to become a team and make sure we’re committed to playing the game the right way. … For me, that gives us the opportunity to act on our talent.”
The U.S. saw forward Matthew Tkachuk leave Saturday’s game in the third period due to a lower-body injury. There was no update on his status.
Sweden is out to finish round-robin play on a positive note after losing 4-3 overtime contests to Canada and Finland on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively.
Its odds of reaching the final are the longest, although Canada or Finland dropping a point in Monday’s opener leaves it a glimmer of hope. Sweden’s only path is to defeat the U.S. and have Canada-Finland go to overtime.
“It’s not great,” forward William Nylander said of Sweden’s tournament hopes entering the games in Boston. “We have two overtime losses in two games so, I mean, we just better regroup here and play the game against (the U.S.), go win and hopefully the scores go our way.”
Results aside, defenseman Erik Karlsson knows that his team has more to give.
“I don’t think (Saturday) we played as good as we were hoping to,” Karlsson said. “I don’t think that we reached the standards that we have set on ourselves in that room.”
While the Americans have ridden Connor Hellebuyck in net for the first two games, Filip Gustavsson was pulled from Saturday’s first period against Finland due to illness. Linus Ullmark, a former Boston Bruin, entered in relief.
Gustavsson was “feeling a bit under the weather,” according to Sweden coach Sam Hallam.
The starter for Monday has yet to be determined.
Tre Kronor has an active defense during the tournament. Lucas Raymond leads the team with three points, all assists. Karlsson, Rasmus Dahlin and Jonas Brodin have all scored goals from the blue line.
All that is missing now, though, is a victory.
“It should be tight, it is tight, we are very disappointed not being the winning team,” Hallam said after Saturday’s game.
–Joshua Kummins, Field Level Media
Sports
Tyrone Taylor cracks 3-run shot to spark Mets over Dodgers
Jul 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets center fielder Tyrone Taylor (28) reacts after hitting a three-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images Tyrone Taylor’s go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning propelled the New York Mets to an 8-3 victory on Sunday over the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers.
The veteran outfielder greeted reliever Evan Phillips with a 405-foot blast into the left field seats for his eighth homer of the season and fifth since July 4. It doubled as the Mets’ first hit since the first.
Marcus Semien, a defensive replacement in the seventh, added another three-run shot to cap a four-run seventh for the Mets as they snapped a three-game skid.
Four relievers combined to limit the Dodgers to three singles and one hit by pitch over the final five innings. Cionel Perez (4-3) pitched two perfect innings and struck out three.
Los Angeles’ bullpen did not match the Mets. Jack Dreyer walked two batters in the sixth and got only one out before being replaced by Phillips (0-2), who allowed a homer for the fourth time in his last five appearances. Will Klein gave up four runs in the seventh on two hits and two walks.
The first three Mets batters got hits off Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan, with leadoff hitter A.J. Green doubling and scoring on Francisco Lindor’s single. Bo Bichette (2-for-4) followed with another base hit. After that, Sheehan allowed just two walks and one hit batsman while fanning five over five innings.
Los Angeles scored twice in the third off Mets starter Freddy Peralta. Eliezer Alfonzo hit a leadoff double. After an out and an Andy Pages walk, Freddy Freeman doubled home Alfonzo. Max Muncy’s groundout made it 2-1.
Freeman finished 2-for-4 for his fourth straight multi-hit game. Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernandez also went 2-for-4.
Peralta needed 93 pitches to get through four innings. He gave up six hits, three runs (two earned) and two walks while striking out three.
The Dodgers, who saw their four-game winning streak end, loaded the bases off Luke Weaver with two out in the eighth. However, Weaver made a great play on a Hernandez dribbler between the mound and third base to end the threat.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Michael Massey's blast lifts Royals over Tigers
Jul 26, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Kansas City Royals center fielder Lane Thomas (15) hits a home run in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Michael Massey hit a two-out, two-run homer in the eighth inning and the visiting Kansas City Royals hung on for a 5-4 win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
Massey’s eighth homer made a winner of Nate Pearson (2-0), who was making his Royals debut after being acquired in a trade with Houston. Steven Cruz survived a ninth-inning jam to record his second save.
Lane Thomas had a solo homer and Luke Maile added an RBI double as the Royals salvaged a split of the four-game series.
Dillon Dingler had two hits and drove in two runs for Detroit.
Kansas City took a 2-0 lead in the first. Leadoff hitter Thomas hit a 3-2 pitch to the opposite field that just cleared the wall. The Royals then scratched out an unearned run. Nick Loftin singled and Salvador Perez was hit by a pitch. Valdez retired the next two batters before walking Isaac Collins to load the bases.
Second baseman Hao-Yu Lee then bobbled Tyler Tolbert’s grounder, allowing Loftin to score.
The Royals made it 3-0 in the fourth. Tolbert drew a one-out walk and Maile followed with a double down the left field line to knock him in.
Detroit took a 4-3 lead in the fifth. Lee led off with a double and Colt Keith walked. Kevin McGonigle singled to load the bases. After Gleyber Torres struck out, Avila was removed for Matt Strahm. Riley Greene hit a bouncer up the middle that got by second baseman Andrew Velazquez for an error. Two runs scored and Greene raced all the way to second. Dingler then knocked in McGonigle and Greene with a single up the middle.
Collins had a bloop single off Drew Sommers with one out in the eighth. Sommers (0-1) struck out the next batter but Massey took advantage of a hanging slider and deposited over the right field wall to give his club a 5-4 advantage.
Detroit had two runners on with no one out in the ninth as Lee walked and Keith singled. Cruz then recorded two strikeouts, sandwiching a popout, to end the contest.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers pound Rockies 11-2
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) throws during the first inning of their game against the Colorado Rockies Sunday, July 26, 2026 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Jacob Misiorowski retired the first 14 batters he faced and finished with 12 strikeouts, Andrew Vaughn homered and the host Milwaukee Brewers beat the Colorado Rockies 11-2 on Sunday.
Jackson Chourio, Joey Ortiz, Luis Lara, Cooper Pratt and Jake Bauers had two hits apiece for Milwaukee, which broke open a close game in the sixth inning to win the series.
Misiorowski struck out seven in a row to start the game and 12 of the first 13 batters he faced with pitches consistently above 100 mph. Cole Carrigg ended the bid for a perfect game with an opposite-field homer to left.
Willi Castro was hit by a pitch before Misiorowski got Troy Johnston to ground out to end the inning — and his afternoon. Misiorowski (11-4) allowed one run on one hit and didn’t walk a batter in his five innings.
Carrigg’s home run was his fifth of the season and Castro hit a solo home run in the seventh for the Rockies, who finished with five hits and fanned 15 times.
Chourio led off the bottom of the first with the first of his two doubles and scored on Brice Turang’s single. One out later, William Contreras doubled to put runners on second and third, Turang scored on a Freeland wild pitch and Contreras came home on a groundout.
Freeland (2-10) settled in, giving up just two hits over the next four innings before Vaughn led off the sixth with his fourth home run. Freeland left after a one-out walk to Bauers, having allowed five runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings.
The Brewers added on against Colorado’s bullpen.
Bauers stole second and Jimmy Herget walked Gary Sanchez ahead of three straight doubles. Lara brought home Bauers with the first two-bagger, Pratt made it 7-1 with a two-run double and Ortiz put runners on second and third with the next double.
Pratt capped the inning when he scored on a groundout.
After Castro’s 10th home run, Sanchez and Lara had RBI doubles in the bottom of the seventh and Vaughn a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
–Field Level Media
Tyrone Taylor cracks 3-run shot to spark Mets over Dodgers
Michael Massey's blast lifts Royals over Tigers
