Sports
Kraken rout Panthers to move past Sharks into playoff position
Mar 15, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Kraken center Chandler Stephenson (9) plays the puck during the first period against the Florida Panthers at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images Kaapo Kakko had a goal and two assists and Bobby McMann added one of each in his home debut as the Seattle Kraken routed the Florida Panthers 6-2 Sunday night.
Berkly Catton, Ben Meyers, Ryan Winterton and Jamie Oleksiak had a goal and an assist apiece and goaltender Joey Daccord made 23 saves for Seattle, which won its second game in a row. The Kraken moved past San Jose and into the second and final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, although the Sharks have a game in hand.
Vinnie Hinostroza and Eetu Luostarinen scored for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Goalie Daniil Tarasov stopped 19 of 25 shots.
The Kraken, who snapped a four-game skid with a 5-2 victory Saturday in Vancouver as McMann tallied twice in his first game since being acquired from Toronto, outshot Florida 13-10 in the first period while taking a 3-1 lead.
Seattle opened the scoring at 5:28, with Freddie Gaudreau’s shot from the top of the right faceoff circle deflecting off Meyers at the far post and over the goal line.
Catton made it 2-0 at 11:52, lifting a rebound over a fallen Tarasov after he saved Kakko’s initial attempt. It snapped an 11-game goalless drought for Catton, the eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft.
The Panthers got on the board just 15 seconds later as Hinostroza and Luke Kunin passed the puck back and forth on a 2-on-1 rush before Hinostroza beat Daccord before the goalie could get across the crease.
The Kraken restored their two-goal lead at 18:24 as Meyers’ shot from the slot ricocheted off the right post, hit Winterton in the chest and the puck fell to the ice just outside the left post, where Winterton batted it in.
Kakko scored at 3:20 of the second to make it 4-1. He took a pass at the goal line on the right wing, wheeled around the top of the crease and stuffed the puck part Tarasov without being challenged.
McMann scored a power-play goal on a wrist shot from the slot at 10:07 of the third after taking a pass from Kakko.
McMann set up Oleksiak for a tip-in at 14:37 to make it 6-1.
Luostarinen scored on a rebound at 19:58 to complete the scoring.
Panthers forward Sam Reinhart, who scored the overtime winner Thursday in a 2-1 victory against visiting Columbus, didn’t make the trip due to an undisclosed injury.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. exits vs. White Sox with hamstring tightness
May 31, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) hits a solo home run against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Atlanta Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. exited Tuesday’s game at the Chicago White Sox in the fourth inning after sustaining an apparent left leg injury.
The team later described Acuna’s ailment as hamstring tightness.
While attempting to leg out an infield single, Acuna pulled up and hobbled past first base and then off the field into the locker room after appearing to sustain the injury on his final step before reaching the bag.
He was replaced in right field and atop the lineup by Eli White.
Acuna, the 2018 National League Rookie of the Year and 2023 NL MVP, missed 14 games earlier this season due to a hamstring strain while similarly trying to leg out an infield hit. He saw his 2021 and 2024 seasons end prematurely due to torn ACLs.
The five-time All-Star entered the day hitting .254 with seven homers and 22 RBIs in 52 games. He’s a career .287 hitter with 193 homers and 481 RBIs over 869 games across nine seasons with Atlanta.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Freddie Freeman posts 2,500th hit in 10-run 7th as Dodgers drub Pirates
Jun 9, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) hits an RBI single to record his twenty-five hundred MLB career hit against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Freddie Freeman recorded his 2,500th career hit, Andy Pages drove in three runs and Shohei Ohtani drove in two more during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 10-run seventh inning, which propelled them to a 12-3 win over the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.
In the seventh, Pages hit a two-run home run off Pirates reliever Wilber Dotel (1-1) and a sacrifice fly off Brandan Bidois. Ohtani hit an RBI double against Dotel, then Bidois walked him with the bases loaded to force in another run.
Freeman’s milestone came on an RBI single up the middle off Bidois to score Alex Freeland and cap the scoring in the inning.
Every Dodger in the starting lineup scored in the inning as the visitors sent 15 batters to the plate.
Paul Skenes started for the Pirates, who lost their fourth in a row, and gave up two runs on six hits and two walks and struck out seven over six innings.
Skenes retired Ohtani all three times he faced him, including a strikeout in the third.
Dotel allowed six runs (five earned) on five hits and one walk without recording an out. The Pirates needed 68 pitches and used three relievers until Mookie Betts lined out to left against Dennis Santana to end the seventh.
Dotel had allowed two runs in his first 16 2/3 career innings before Tuesday.
The first nine Dodgers reached safely until Dalton Rushing struck out in his second at-bat of the seventh. Rushing started behind the plate for the third consecutive game with Will Smith still dealing with neck stiffness.
Max Muncy finished with three hits and an RBI while Freeman, Betts, Freeland and Santiago Espinal each had two of Los Angeles’ 15 hits.
In the sixth, Will Klein (2-2) relieved starter Eric Lauer, who gave up two runs on back-to-back home runs by Bryan Reynolds and Ryan O’Hearn with two outs in the first. Lauer struck out five and allowed three hits and no walks before Klein struck out three over 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Pittsburgh infielder Tyler Callihan made his first career pitching appearance and threw a scoreless ninth.
Oneil Cruz was a late scratch for the Pirates as he continues to deal with left hand discomfort.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Freddie Freeman posts 2,500th hit in 10-run 7th; Dodgers drub Pirates
Jun 9, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) hits an RBI single to record his twenty-five hundred MLB career hit against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Freddie Freeman recorded his 2,500th career hit, Andy Pages drove in three runs and Shohei Ohtani drove in two more during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 10-run seventh inning, which propelled them to a 12-3 win over the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.
In the seventh, Pages hit a two-run home run off Pirates reliever Wilber Dotel (1-1) and a sacrifice fly off Brandan Bidois. Ohtani hit an RBI double against Dotel, then Bidois walked him with the bases loaded to force in another run.
Freeman’s milestone came on an RBI single up the middle off Bidois to score Alex Freeland and cap the scoring in the inning.
Every Dodger in the starting lineup scored in the inning as the visitors sent 15 batters to the plate.
Paul Skenes started for the Pirates, who lost their fourth in a row, and gave up two runs on six hits and two walks and struck out seven over six innings.
Skenes retired Ohtani all three times he faced him, including a strikeout in the third.
Dotel allowed six runs (five earned) on five hits and one walk without recording an out. The Pirates needed 68 pitches and used three relievers until Mookie Betts lined out to left against Dennis Santana to end the seventh.
Dotel had allowed two runs in his first 16 2/3 career innings before Tuesday.
The first nine Dodgers reached safely until Dalton Rushing struck out in his second at-bat of the seventh. Rushing started behind the plate for the third consecutive game with Will Smith still dealing with neck stiffness.
Max Muncy finished with three hits and an RBI while Freeman, Betts, Freeland and Santiago Espinal each had two of Los Angeles’ 15 hits.
In the sixth, Will Klein (2-2) relieved starter Eric Lauer, who gave up two runs on back-to-back home runs by Bryan Reynolds and Ryan O’Hearn with two outs in the first. Lauer struck out five and allowed three hits and no walks before Klein struck out three over 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Pittsburgh infielder Tyler Callihan made his first career pitching appearance and threw a scoreless ninth.
Oneil Cruz was a late scratch for the Pirates as he continues to deal with left hand discomfort.
–Field Level Media
Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. exits vs. White Sox with hamstring tightness
Freddie Freeman posts 2,500th hit in 10-run 7th as Dodgers drub Pirates
