Sports
Kraken test Lightning's perfect record in Seattle as wild-card race heats up
Mar 14, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Seattle Kraken forward Bobby McMann (74) scores on Vancouver Canucks goalie Nikita Tolopilo (60) in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images For the Seattle Kraken to be effective, they need to have four lines rolling.
They showed that again Sunday when their third and fourth lines did most of the damage in a 6-2 victory against Florida, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.
The Kraken, who moved past San Jose into the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, seek their third consecutive victory when they play host to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.
“We need everybody. That’s the way it’s going to be,” Kraken coach Lane Lambert said. “And certainly we needed everybody on a second night of a back-to-back with a rested team here waiting for us. … Our fourth line stepped up and got us going with some energy, so huge (win) for us. But we’re a four-line hockey team, and that’s what we need out of them.”
Kaapo Kakko scored a goal and added two assists while Berkly Catton, Ben Meyers, Ryan Winterton, newly acquired Bobby McMann and defenseman Jamie Oleksiak each contributed a goal and an assist. Kakko and Catton play on the Kraken’s third line with Meyers and Winterton on the fourth. Those two lines combined for all three of Seattle’s first-period goals Sunday.
“A good start is something we need, and we talked about it (pregame),” Kakko said. “Freddy (Gaudreau’s) line got us going early. Our line has been playing together for a while now. We are feeling a lot more where each other are on the ice.”
McMann has three goals and two assists in his first two games with the Kraken after being acquired from Toronto at the NHL’s trade deadline. He had to wait more than a week for his Seattle debut due to visa issues.
“Right now, where we’re at (in the playoff race), whenever someone comes in the lineup, whether it’s via trade or changing the rotation, you’re looking for a spark,” Kraken general manager Jason Botterill said. “Bobby certainly provided our team with a spark. He did the things we talked about at the trade deadline: His size, his speed, getting to the net, just with his shot and his physicality, getting his body in there. That’s what he’s delivered.”
The Lightning have gone 3-7-0 since the Olympic break, including a 4-2 loss Saturday at home against Carolina that dropped them into second place in the Atlantic Division.
Tampa Bay allowed two first-period goals Saturday, then struck twice in the second to tie the score before giving up two more in the third.
“I just thought we had a terrible start, you can’t give that up,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “We turned it into a 40-minute game and you’re down 2-0 with two periods (left). I thought we did a great job coming back and gave ourselves every chance to win that game.”
Former Kraken Yanni Gourde scored one of Tampa Bay’s goals.
“We’ve got to be more effective and get back to moving the puck (quickly),” Gourde said. “When we do that I think we’re a good team. We’ve done more of it the last two games, but we’ve got to keep bearing down and trusting the process.”
Tampa Bay is opening a four-game trip that will include stops in Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary. The Lightning are 7-0-1 all-time against the Kraken, including 4-0-0 in Seattle.
–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
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