Sports
Avalanche on verge of grinding out defensive-minded sweep of Kings
Apr 23, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) looks on as the puck gets past Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood (41) for a goal by Los Angeles Kings right wing Adrian Kempe (9) during the third period of game three of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images The Colorado Avalanche are one game away from a sweep as they prepare to face the Los Angeles Kings on the road for Game 4 of their Western Conference first-round series Sunday.
However, don’t mistake the chance for a sweep as the Avalanche dominating the Kings. The first two games in Denver were 2-1 games, and in Game 2, the Avalanche needed a goal from Gabriel Landeskog with 3:35 left in regulation to force overtime.
Thursday’s Game 3 in Los Angeles was another tight affair that Colorado pulled out 4-2 thanks to a Brock Nelson’s empty-netter sealing the win with 2:18 left.
Colorado will likely be down a key player Sunday. Sturdy defenseman Josh Manson took a hit from Joel Edmundson with about 90 seconds in the first period Thursday. He tried to play in the second period, but exited for good with 12 minutes left in the period.
On Saturday, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar told reporters that Manson was still sore and unlikely to play Sunday.
Manson has two assists in the series, including a helper on Landeskog’s Game 3 goal. Both Manson and fellow blueliner Devon Toews share the lead in assists for Colorado in the series.
Forward Artturi Lehkonen leads Colorado with three points on two goals and an assist. He scored a short-handed goal with less than 13 minutes left in Thursday’s game to give the Avalanche a 3-1 lead.
On Friday, Kings coach D.J. Smith told reporters there would be some changes to the lineup. However, Smith said there would not be any drastic moves, with maybe a couple new faces and possibly reconfiguring the top two lines.
“Honestly, they get a bounce on the first goal,” Smith said. “If we get a bounce, we’re sitting here with a different story. So, I think you got to stick with what you’re doing. You just got to do it better, longer and harder.”
The Kings, who scored the fourth-fewest goals (220) in the regular season, have been led by Artemi Panarin. The forward acquired in early February from the New York Rangers has two of the team’s four goals in the series. He shares the lead in points with Alex Laferriere, who has three assists.
The closeness of the games should not come as a surprise. Colorado, which allowed the fewest goals (197), and Los Angeles, which allowed the seventh-fewest (238), are in one of only two first-round series that feature both teams ranked in the top seven in goals allowed.
Colorado also led the league in goals scored (298). However, Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas and Cale Makar, who all averaged better than a point per game in the regular season, have so far been held to just three points combined in the series. Makar, a defenseman, has the only goal amongst the trio.
Each playoff series presents a different challenge, Bednar told reporters Saturday. This series has put the defense to the test, which he said it has passed, but the coach said the Avalanche’s best game this series could be yet to come.
“For all we know, if you’re fortunate to move on, this can be the best defending team that we play in the whole entire playoffs,” he said. “You have to be prepared to hit the ground running and play the way you need to play right away without having any lapses.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Alexander Zverev holds strong to remain perfect in Madrid openers
Mar 27, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Alexander Zverev of Germany reacts after missing a shot against against Jannik Sinner of Italy in the semi-finals of the men’s singles at the Miami Open at the Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images Second-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany maintained his composure to nab a three-set win to keep up his perfect record in opening round matches at the Mutua Madrid Open by taking down Argentina’s Mariano Navone 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 on Saturday.
The two-time Madrid Open winner improved to 9-0 in his first match at the tournament after receiving a first round bye. Zverev converted 4 of 8 break point attempts and had 22 winners to Navone’s six.
“It’s definitely a different type of tournament here,” Zverev said when asked about the high-altitude conditions. “I love it. You either love it or hate it, kind of, because there is no in between. Everything is a bit faster, the ball bounces higher, the serve is maybe a bit more effective. So you either love it or hate it. Winning the tournament twice here, of course I hope to add some more titles to that. I enjoy playing here.”
With the win, Zverev has a date in the round of 32 with France’s Terence Atmane, who beat his fellow countrymen Ugo Humbert, the No. 30 seed, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5) earlier in the day.
Also advancing was defending champion and No. 12 seed Casper Ruud of Norway with his 6-0, 6-1 win over Spaniard Jaume Munar. Rudd maintained his serve without being broken and forced Munar into 17 unforced errors.
No. 3 seed and 2024 finalist Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada advanced past Lithuanian qualifier Vilius Gaubas 6-3, 6-4. Auger-Aliassime never faced a break point behind his dominant serve that yielded seven aces.
Facing off against Auger-Aliassime will be Belgium’s Alexander Blockx, who upset American and No. 28 Brandon Nakashima 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. The other big upset of the day was Paraguay’s Adolfo Daniel Vallejo beating 17-seed Learner Tien 6-4, 6-3. This was Daniel Vallejo’s first ever win over a top 75 opponent.
Vallejo will take on No. 10 Flavio Cobolli of Italy. He beat Argentinian Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-7 (7), 6-1, 6-4.
In the other three-set match, seventh-seeded Daniil Medvedev held strong against Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-4.
In two-set action on the day, No. 13 Karen Khachanov of Russia took down Australia’s Adam Walton 6-2, 6-3; No. 16 Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina outdueled German Yannick Hanfmann 6-1, 7-5; No. 18 Luciano Darderi of Italy bested Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-1, 6-3; Spain’s No. 20-seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina beat fellow countrymen Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-3 and No. 23 Jakub Mensik of Czechia got past qualifier Martin Damm 6-3, 6-4.
Spanish qualifier Daniel Merida upset No. 26 Corentin Moutet of France 6-3, 6-4; Norwegian qualifier Nicolai Budkov Kjaer dominated No. 31 Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-2, 6-1 and Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas got the best of No. 8 Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan 6-2, 7-5.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mariners top Cardinals for 3rd straight win
Apr 25, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Will Wilson (7) reacts after hitting a two home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Leo Rivas’ tie-breaking, two-run single in the ninth inning propelled the Seattle Mariners to an 11-9 victory over the host St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday afternoon.
Julio Rodriguez, Will Wilson and Cole Young homered for the Mariners, who posted their third straight victory and sent the Cardinals to their third loss in a row.
For St. Louis, Nathan Church hit two home runs and JJ Wetherholt, Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages also went deep.
Mariners reliever Matt Brash (2-0) earned the victory and Andres Munoz worked the ninth for his fifth save.
Cardinals closer Riley O’Brien (3-1) allowed two runs and four hits in one inning in taking the loss.
J.P. Crawford reached on a bunt single with one out in the ninth, Mitch Garver walked, and Young was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Rivas lined the next pitch up the middle for two RBIs to break a 9-9 deadlock.
Seattle had tied the game in the eighth. Garver and Young led off with singles and advanced on Rivas’ sacrifice bunt. The Mariners called on Connor Joe to pinch hit, and the Cardinals countered with O’Brien. Joe lined a two-run single to right to make it 9-9.
The Mariners took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Cal Raleigh singled, and Rodriguez followed with a blast into the third deck in left field.
The Cardinals tied it in the bottom of the frame as Wetherholt lined the second pitch over the wall in right field and Herrera hit the next out to left-center.
Seattle regained the lead in the second as Garver led off with an infield single and, an out later, Wilson went deep to left. It was the first career homer for Wilson, who was making his Mariners debut at third base with former Cardinal Brendan Donovan on the 10-day injured list (left groin strain).
Church homered to right-center with one out in the bottom of the second to pull the Cardinals to 4-3.
St. Louis took the lead with four runs in the third. Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman singled to left, and Masyn Winn hit a run-scoring single to right. Church’s sacrifice fly to center scored Gorman with the go-ahead run. Pages followed with a two-run shot just inside the left-field foul pole to make it 7-4.
The Mariners tied the score with single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth.
Young led off the fourth with a homer to right.
In the fifth, Rodriguez singled and stole second. He advanced to third on Josh Naylor’s groundout and scored on Randy Arozarena’s sacrifice fly.
Church robbed Garver of a home run with a leaping catch at the left-field wall leading off the sixth. Young followed with a double and tied it at 7-all on pinch hitter Dominic Canzone’s single up the middle.
The Cardinals regained the lead in the seventh as Winn singled with one out and Church went deep to right-center.
–Field Level Media
Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo lasted just three innings and gave up seven runs on nine hits, including four homers
Cardinals lefty Matthew Liberatore allowed five runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings, with three homers.
Sports
Blue Jays hold on to get one back from Guardians
Apr 25, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto (7) hits a home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the fourth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images Kevin Gausman pitched an effective 6 2/3 innings, Kazuma Okamoto homered and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Cleveland Guardians 5-3 on Saturday afternoon.
Gausman (2-1) allowed two runs, six hits and no walks with three strikeouts.
Louis Varland allowed one run on two singles and a double in the ninth to pick up his second save.
Andres Gimenez keyed a three-run sixth with a two-run double to help the Blue Jays gain a split of the first two games of the three-game series.
David Fry hit a solo homer for the Guardians.
Cleveland scored once in the third against Gausman. Juan Brito led off with a double to left, took third on a groundout and scored on Brayan Rocchio’s groundout to shortstop.
Okamoto led off the home fourth with a home run to center on a 1-1 fastball against Joey Cantillo (1-1).
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led off the sixth with a single to right, stole second and took third on Okamoto’s single to left. Matt Festa replaced Cantillo. With one out, Daulton Varsho’s grounder to second squirted past Brito for an RBI single. Gimenez blooped a two-run double down the left-field line.
Cantillo allowed three runs, six hits and one walk while striking out four in five-plus innings.
Cleveland got one run back when Fry hit a first-pitch slider to left with one out for his first homer of the season. Mason Fluharty replaced Gausman with two outs in the seventh.
Toronto loaded the bases with none out in the seventh against Peyton Pallette when Myles Straw and Ernie Clement singled and Guerrero walked. Okamoto walked to force in the only run of the inning.
Cleveland rallied in the ninth against Varland. Rhys Hoskins and George Valera singled with one out. Pinch hitter Kyle Manzardo stroked an RBI double to left. Brito walked to load the bases before Varland struck out the next two batters.
Cleveland’s Steven Kwan was a late scratch with a stiff neck.
Toronto put Nathan Lukes on the injured list with a strained left hamstring. Outfielder Yohendrick Pinango was promoted from Triple-A Buffalo.
–Field Level Media
Alexander Zverev holds strong to remain perfect in Madrid openers
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