Sports
Avalanche defensemen in spotlight ahead of tilt with Blackhawks
Jan 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews (7) during the third period against the Florida Panthers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Colorado Avalanche blueliners aren’t growing defensive about their recent offensive surge — they simply remain adamant about an aim to stop goals before scoring them.
Still, the fact is the two-way tendencies of Avalanche defensemen have helped the club to a 7-0-1 run in the past eight games entering Wednesday’s visit to the struggling Chicago Blackhawks.
Devon Toews continued the trend Monday, contributing two goals and an assist during a 3-1 home win against the Florida Panthers. Two games before that, Toews scored the game-winner on another three-point night and Cale Makar added two goals in a 6-5 overtime win over Buffalo.
“I don’t think our guys necessarily care about points back there,” Toews said. “It’s about contributing offensively and being able to create time and space for our forwards and get them the puck in dangerous areas as well.
“So if we’re able to contribute on the score sheets, that’s great. But at the end of the day, we’re defenders first.”
Chicago, meanwhile, will welcome offense from any corner. The Blackhawks have an NHL-low 28 points and have been outscored 35-18 while losing six of seven.
Friday’s 4-2 victory against Montreal seemed promising for Chicago after three straight four-goal losses. While Tyler Bertuzzi gave the Blackhawks an early lead against the visiting New York Rangers on Sunday, Chicago ultimately surrendered five straight goals in a 6-2 defeat.
“It’s just a lot of dominoes that don’t go our way,” the Blackhawks’ Wyatt Kaiser said. “(We’re) still trying to figure it out.”
Coach Anders Sorensen called the club’s puck management “unacceptable.” He added: “Then we get stuck in our own zone because we’re tired and we can’t get out. … Nothing good comes out of that.”
Kaiser gave the Blackhawks a bright spot with his first goal in career game No. 71, on his 155th shot attempt.
Otherwise, the most consistent member of the attack has been leading scorer Connor Bedard, the reigning NHL Rookie of the Year.
Bedard enters Wednesday on a career-best seven game point streak in which he has three goals and six assists. Each helper has come on a Bertuzzi goal.
“As we play (together) more, we know where each other is going to be,” Bertuzzi said. “I’ve just got to find open ice, and I know he’s going to make good plays.”
Colorado has scored multiple goals in each game during its recent run apart from one, a 2-1 shootout loss to Montreal on Saturday. Forward Mikko Rantanen has been a constant over that span, collecting nine goals and 14 assists during a 14-game point streak.
“He’s been playing hard, the last handful of games especially,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “His competitiveness is skating, and then when he gets in puck-protection, that’s the way we need him to play. And usually offense follows that.”
Nathan MacKinnon has a goal and 15 assists during an eight-game point streak for the Avalanche, who lost 5-2 to visiting Chicago on Oct. 28. Ryan Donato scored twice to help Chicago stop a four-game skid while ending Colorado’s five-game winning streak.
The teams are set to meet twice over the final five weeks of the season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cubs LHP Matthew Boyd injures knee playing with his children, put on IL
May 3, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd (16) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images Chicago Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd hurt his left meniscus while playing with his children at home on Wednesday morning and was placed on the 15-day injured list.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that Boyd had an MRI that revealed the knee injury and the pitcher will require surgery. The move was retroactive to Monday.
“It’s kind of unexplainable,” Counsell said. “Kind of an innocent, going down to the ground and getting back up.
“He woke up this morning a healthy player,” the manager added. “He’s just trying to process it and get all the information from the doctors to figure out what’s next.”
Counsell said the timetable for Boyd’s return will be determined after the surgery, but the team expects him to play again this season.
Boyd, 35, was on the IL from April 2-21 because of a left biceps strain. He is 2-1 with a 6.00 ERA, six walks and 31 strikeouts in 24 innings over five starts this season.
An All-Star for Chicago in 2025, Boyd is 62-78 with a 4.61 ERA in 218 career appearances (204) starts for the Toronto Blue Jays (2015), Detroit Tigers (2015-21, 2023), Seattle Mariners (2022), Cleveland Guardians (2024) and Cubs.
In a corresponding move, Chicago selected the contract of right-handed reliever Trent Thornton from Triple-A Iowa. They also designated lefty Charlie Barnes for assignment to clear room on the 40-man roster for Thornton. Righty Yacksel Rios was sent outright to Iowa.
Thornton, 32, is 0-0 with a 3.18 ERA in 5 2/3 innings over four games (one start) with Iowa this season. He has a career record of 14-19 with a 4.38 in seven seasons for the Toronto Blue Jays (2019-23) and Seattle Mariners (2023-25).
The Cubs already have starting pitchers Justin Steele (left elbow) and Cade Horton (right elbow) on the injured list.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rangers ace Nathan Eovaldi halts Yankees' five-game streak
May 6, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Nathan Eovaldi pitched eight stellar innings and was backed by two early homers as the visiting Texas Rangers quieted the New York Yankees in a 6-1 victory on Wednesday night.
After pitching seven innings in last Wednesday’s 3-0 home win over the Yankees, Eovaldi (4-4) struck out a season-high eight and walked none for the second time this season. The veteran right-hander allowed just three hits, including Aaron Judge’s major league-leading 15th homer in the sixth that snapped his scoreless string at 13 innings.
The Rangers scored more than five runs for the seventh time this season and ended a three-game losing streak by racing out to a six-run lead through four innings against New York’s Will Warren (4-1).
Corey Seager homered three batters into the contest and Evan Carter hit a two-run shot in the third. Seager added an RBI single after going 4-for-31 in his previous eight contests and not getting an RBI in his previous nine.
Ezequiel Duran contributed an RBI double and a bases-loaded sacrifice fly as Texas finished with more than five runs for the first time since April 23 against Pittsburgh.
Eovaldi made the lead stand up with ease. He often recorded quick outs and threw 72 of 101 pitches for strikes.
Eovaldi completed eight innings for the 16th time in his career and fourth time against the Yankees, whom he pitched for in 2015 and 2016. Jacob Latz pitched the ninth as the Rangers held the Yankees to five baserunners.
Judge hit his 12th homer in his past 23 games, but the Yankees saw a five-game winning streak stopped and lost for the third time in their past 18 games. New York scored 46 times in the previous five games, but finished with fewer than two runs for the fifth time this season.
Warren often fell behind hitters and was tagged for season highs of six runs on seven hits in four innings. Warren did get seven strikeouts, but he walked three as he threw first-pitch strikes to just 12 of 22 hitters.
Seager opened the scoring by lifting a 3-0 fastball into the right field seats and Texas added three in the third. After Duran’s double to left-center, Carter hit a 2-1 sweeper off the facing of the second deck in right for a 4-0 lead.
Following Duran’s sacrifice fly in the fourth, Seager made it 6-0 by lining a single to center.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees to honor late broadcaster John Sterling with uniform patch
May 4, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees wear “JS” stitched on their hats honoring radio play-by-play announcer John Sterling during the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images The New York Yankees will honor longtime radio announcer John Sterling, who died on Monday at the age of 87, with a patch on their uniforms for the reminder of the season.
The Yankees will continue to wear caps with the initials “JS” on the back through May 17. The team will switch to the patch as their tribute to Sterling on May 18, when the Yankees’ next homestand begins.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone approves of the tribute.
“I think it’s appropriate, certainly,” Boone told the New York Times after the Yanks’ 7-4 victory over the Texas Rangers. “(I’m) glad we’ll be able to honor his legacy throughout the rest of the season.”
The patch will feature Sterling’s name, as well as a microphone with the Yankee logo on a pinstriped background.
Sterling passed away from complications of heart failure on Monday, the Times reported. Sterling was honored prior to Monday’s game with a ceremony that featured a moment of silence and a video of some of Sterling’s most iconic radio calls.
After Monday’s game, Sterling’s signature call of “Thuuuuuuuuuuh Yankees WIN!” was played over the PA system at Yankee Stadium, followed by Frank Sinatra’s “Theme from New York, New York.”
Both manager Boone and Yankees captain Aaron Judge called for making that combo a permanent tradition. But Sterling’s call was not part of Tuesday’s post-game victory celebration, and it was unclear if the team intends to continue it, the Times reported.
Count Jazz Chisholm Jr. among those who feel the patch is a good way to honor Sterling this season.
“He was here for a long time,” said Chisholm. “He represented the Yankees well. We all, in our childhood, have that John Sterling call rising in our ears. I think it’s pretty cool that we, as a team and organization, get to recognize him for all the great things that he’s done here.”
–Field Level Media
Cubs LHP Matthew Boyd injures knee playing with his children, put on IL
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