Sports
Spring training roundup: Red Sox build big lead, hold off Rays
Feb 26, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story (10) hits a double in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images Boston pitching dominated early and the Red Sox held on for a 7-5 victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Bays on Thursday in Fort Myers, Fla.
The Rays trailed 7-0 in the fourth inning but brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth follow an RBI triple by Marshall Toole.
Red Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet started the game and pitched two scoreless innings before Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the third and right-hander Greg Weissert sailed through the fourth to get the win.
Boston scored all seven runs in the fourth but no earned runs were charged to T.J. Nichols before he exited after getting only two outs. The Red Sox rally began with third baseman Andruw Monasterio reaching on second baseman Ben Williamson’s error, which allowed Caleb Durbin to score and Kristian Campbell to advance to second.
Red Sox right-hander Devin Sweet secured the save, allowing two hits, a run and striking out two in the ninth.
Toole had a pair of hits for the Rays. Shortstop Trevor Story drove in two runs for the Red Sox in a seven-run fourth inning.
Orioles 6, Tigers 5
Jordan Sanchez laced a single up the middle past a drawn-in infield to plate the winning run in walk-off fashion against lefty Carlos Pena at Sarasota, Fla., to keep the Tigers winless in seven games this spring.
Sanchez, 20, entered the game in the No. 9 spot in Baltimore’s order, replacing second baseman Jeremiah Jackson, who had two hits, as did first baseman Pete Alonso. Tyler O’Neill was 3-for-3 with a home run in the first inning to boost his batting average to .778.
The Tigers powered up after falling behind 5-2. Eduardo Valenica golfed a two-run homer to left in the sixth and Carson Rucker’s solo homer in the seventh — both off of Baltimore’s Trey Gibson — tied it at 5.
Baltimore had 15 hits and stranded seven of the Tigers’ nine runners who reached scoring position.
Sanchez scored Aron Estrada in the ninth when he caught up with a Pena fastball and knifed the game-winner past a diving Jack Penney at short.
Detroit’s winless record includes two ties.
Mets 5, Astros 0
Nolan McLean pitched four scoreless innings with six strikeouts and the Mets used home runs by Tyrone Taylor and Marcus Semien to cruise past punchless Houston in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Right-hander Robert Stock relieved McLean in the fifth and fanned six batters in three innings.
The Astros were held to two hits, struck out 15 times in 28 at-bats and only one of the team’s non-starters — outfielder Anthony Huezo walked — reached base.
Taylor roped a two-run shot to center in the second and Semien, who was 2-for-3, followed with his first homer in a Mets uniform to left-center off of Bryan King. King replaced lefty Steven Okert, who took the loss allowing three runs and a walk in one inning.
Yankees 7, Braves 3
Left-handed slugger Spencer Jones blasted a solo home run out of George Steinbrenner Field and the Yankees powered their way past the Braves in Tampa, Fla.
The Yankees jumped in front 5-0 in the bottom of the first inning and five of their eight hits were for extra bases.
New York’s homers came from Jones, Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm, who began the barrage of Braves veteran right-hander Carlos Carrasco with a two-run blast in the first inning. Jones cleared the bleachers and went windshield shopping in the parking lot outside the park in right-center field.
Ben Gamel homered for the second time this spring for Atlanta, and center fielder Jose Azocar had two hits. Carrasco allowed five runs in 1 2/3 innings.
Elmer Rodriguez was the winning pitcher for the Yankees with four strikeouts and two runs allowed in three innings.
Phillies 7, Nationals 3
Bryce Harper drove in two and scored a run, leading the Phillies past the Nationals in Clearwater, Fla.
Philadelphia busted it open with a four-run third, breaking a 1-1 tie with a home run from designated hitter Kehden Hettiger to left center. Bryson Stott, who homered in the first, reached in front of Harper and scored on a double to the right field corner. Harper came around on a single by catcher Garrett Stubbs.
Washington right-hander Gus Varland allowed four runs in two-thirds of an inning but was relieved before finishing the third inning.
Nationals first baseman Andres Chaparro yanked a two-run home run inside the left field foul pole to cut the lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth.
Harper made it 6-3 with a sacrifice fly in the fifth, knocking in Hettiger.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Flyers aim to take 2-0 lead over rival Penguins
Apr 18, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (80) makes a save against Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Anthony Mantha (39) during the third period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images The Philadelphia Flyers got the best of the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1, but both teams understand that the Keystone State rivals are likely headed for a long series.
The Flyers aim to take a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Penguins when the teams match up Monday in Pittsburgh.
In Saturday’s series opener, Philadelphia posted a 3-2 victory behind third-period goals from Travis Sanheim and Porter Martone. Sanheim, one of the team’s veteran players, scored the go-ahead goal midway through the final session before Martone added an insurance tally with 2:37 remaining.
Martone’s goal proved to be critical as Bryan Rust scored with 1:01 to play. However, Philadelphia goaltender Dan Vladar stayed firm down the stretch as the Flyers held on.
“I think I understand the level that’s needed to play in the playoffs,” said Sanheim, who helped keep Sidney Crosby off the scoreboard. “I understand the challenge ahead and my job, playing against top guys.”
Crosby and Sanheim received penalties late in the third period – Crosby for slashing and Sanheim for cross-checking – that forced both key players off the ice for the final stretch.
“That’s going to be part of a series,” Crosby said. “I think we’ve got to stay out of it a little bit more and trust that when they do it and try to start it up, that they’re going to get penalized for it. But that’s more something I think they’re looking to do. We’ve got to stay out of it and trust they’ll be undisciplined.”
Jamie Drysdale also scored for Philadelphia, while Rasmus Ristolainen notched a pair of assists. The headline, though, was Martone with the game-winning goal in his postseason debut.
“Everyone’s been great,” said the 19-year-old Martone, the sixth pick in the 2025 draft. “I think we were all pretty excited going into this game, being able to play in the playoffs. For me, it’s my 10th NHL game. It’s pretty special, and it’s an opportunity you can’t pass up.”
Philadelphia is in the postseason for the first time since 2020, while Pittsburgh is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2022. The Penguins certainly don’t want to go down 2-0 in the series before heading across the state for Games 3 and 4.
“(The Flyers) make it hard,” Pittsburgh coach Dan Muse said. “I think that’s part of their game. They’ve been doing that for a while. … They can make it difficult. I think we got away from things that worked. Part of that is the intensity. Everything is ramped up here in the playoffs.”
Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin was a force in Game 1 with a goal and an assist. He has 68 goals and 114 assists in 178 career playoff games.
“We played good all year long,” Malkin said. “We know how we play and we just, like, maybe nervous too much or we want (it) too much. We just (weren’t) thinking a little bit, I think.”
The Flyers are expecting a crisper overall effort by the Penguins in Sunday’s affair.
“We did a good job, but we know they’re going to respond,” Philadelphia captain Sean Couturier said. “We know they’re going to come hard next game. We’ve got to keep respecting their skill and just be prepared.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Best College Basketball Transfer Portal Players Still Available
Dec 6, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) dribbles the ball during the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images The college basketball portal window has lived up to expectations so far, as long as your expectations were pure chaos.
Approximately a third of all Division-I players — what was projected to be over 3,000 players — have entered the portal.
Louisville landed the top portal player, Kansas big Flory Bidunga, to anchor the elite class of transfers it is assembling.
But there is still plenty of talent available in the portal, which is set to close for entries early next week.
Here’s a look at the best players remaining in the portal:
Milan Momcilovic
Ranked by On3, 247Sports and ESPN as the best transfer still available, Momcilovic is coming off an exceptional shooting season at Iowa State.
In his third season with the Cyclones, the 6-foot-8 forward saw his shooting percentages jump up significantly, making 50.6% of his shots and a nation-leading 48.7% of his 3-pointers.
Mind you, that perimeter performance wasn’t in a small sample size. He finished the season with 136 made threes, ranking fifth nationally with 3.7 made shots outside the arc per game.
Momcilovic also entered his name in the NBA draft. But considering he’s not considered a first-round pick, it’s entirely possible he returns for his senior season at some school and immediately gives their offense a big shooting boost.
John Blackwell
Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) passes against the High Point Panthers during the first half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images Similar to Momcilovic, Blackwell has been a gradual bloomer in college basketball at Wisconsin.
He went from 8.0 points as a freshman to 15.8 as a sophomore and, most recently, 19.1 points per game this season for the Badgers. The 6-foot-4 guard also made his impact in a number of ways with 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game, making 43% of his shots and 38.9% of his 3-pointers.
With a finalist list of Alabama, Arizona, Duke, Louisville, Illinois and UCLA, that shows the caliber of teams in on Blackwell coming off his second straight strong season in Madison.
Juke Harris
Harris exploded onto the scene at Wake Forest this past season.
He jumped up from 6.1 points per game as a freshman to 21.4 as a sophomore, good for third-most in the ACC.
Harris was only a 33.2% perimeter shooter, but made 44.4% of his total shots, showing his ability as a slasher and jumpshooter. He also led the Demon Deacons in rebounds (6.5 per game) as a 6-foot-7 guard.
He’s reportedly receiving interest from a number of top teams in the portal, including defending champs Michigan, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Massamba Diop
Arizona State Sun Devils center Massamba Diop (35) battles for position with Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (15) on Nov. 14, 2025, at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe. Arizona State didn’t have a very good 2025-26 season, finishing 17-16 and seeing head coach Bobby Hurley fired after the season.
But one thing the Sun Devils did have going for them was an exceptional season from freshman big Massamba Diop, who unfortunately for them and new coach Randy Bennett entered the portal after the season.
The 7-foot-1 native of Senegal finished second on the team in scoring (13.6 ppg) and rebounding (5.8). He was also second in the Big 12 in blocks (2.1) behind Bidunga.
A 30.8% 3-point shooter in a small sample size (8 of 26) and a 56.9% shooter from the floor, Diop showed his well-rounded ability which could make him a star on a better team next season.
Sports
Celtics storm to early lead, roll past 76ers in series opener
Apr 19, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) controls the ball while Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) defends in the first half during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images Jaylen Brown scored a game-high 26 points and Jayson Tatum added 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Boston Celtics to a 123-91 victory over the visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
Sam Hauser made 4 of 6 attempts from 3-point range and added 12 points for second-seeded Boston, which never trailed in the game.
Seventh-seeded Philadelphia received 21 points with eight assists from Tyrese Maxey and 17 from Paul George. Kelly Oubre finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.
The 76ers shot 38.9% from the floor, including 4 of 23 (17.4%) from 3-point territory. No Philadelphia player made more than one 3-pointer.
Philadelphia also committed 15 turnovers, which helped Boston hold a 22-3 edge in points off turnovers.
Boston center Neemias Queta was in foul trouble for much of the game, but scored 13 points in 15 minutes of playing time.
Boston had an early double-digit lead after a Tatum jumper ended an 11-1 spurt that put the Celtics up 17-7. Philadelphia was 6 of 21 (28.6%) from the field — 1 of 9 from 3-point range — in the opening quarter and trailed 33-18 after the opening 12 minutes.
The Celtics stretched their lead to 23 points in the second quarter and held a 64-46 halftime lead. Tatum scored 21 of his 25 points in the opening half.
After the 76ers trimmed their deficit to 15 midway through the third, Boston went on a 10-0 to extend its lead 83-58. The Celtics led by as many as 26 later in the quarter and had a 95-71 advantage entering the fourth. Brown scored 16 of his 26 points in the third.
The Celtics held a 107-75 lead following a Payton Pritchard layup with 9:03 to play. Boston led by as many as 35 later in the fourth.
Game 2 in the series will be Tuesday night in Boston.
–Field Level Media
Flyers aim to take 2-0 lead over rival Penguins
Best College Basketball Transfer Portal Players Still Available
