Sports
Last-place clubs clash as Jazz face Wizards
Mar 2, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Kyle Filipowski (22) moves the ball against New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images The bottom feeders of each conference square off in the nation’s capital on Wednesday, when the Washington Wizards host the Utah Jazz.
Washington’s 11-49 mark is the NBA’s worst, and having lost eight of its last 10, the team sits firmly in control of receiving the best odds to win the NBA draft lottery in May.
Jordan Poole, the Wizards’ leading scorer at 21 points per game, has missed the last two games with a hyperextended elbow, while Malcolm Brogdon (12.7 ppg) hasn’t suited up since Feb. 10 as he deals with a sprained left ankle.
Missing its top two offensive threats, Washington suffered a 106-90 loss to the Miami Heat on Monday, in which it shot 36.9 percent from the field and mustered just 12 second-quarter points.
“We just didn’t have that zip or sharpness to our game tonight,” Wizards head coach Brian Keefe said postgame. “We missed some easy layups early that I thought would have helped us. We weren’t sharp on either end. Our defense wasn’t physical; we weren’t in the passing lanes like we should’ve been.”
Washington newcomer Khris Middleton led the team with 16 points and is averaging 12 points per game in five contests since being acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Utah is havine one of the worst seasons in its 51-year history and will miss out on its third straight postseason. The Jazz are coming off a nine-game homestand that predated the All-Star break. After losing six of nine, Utah is set to play its first road game since Feb. 10.
Last time out, the Jazz fell to the visiting Detroit Pistons 134-106 on Monday in a contest that wasn’t competitive by the end of the first quarter. Utah led by a point midway through the quarter, but after a 14-0 Detroit run, the Jazz’s deficit was never in single digits. Utah turned the ball over 28 times, one off its season high.
“The deciding factor in the game was turnovers,” Jazz head coach Will Hardy said. “We had 18 at halftime and 28 for the game. It’s really hard to win if we can’t take care of the ball. We did not do a good job of fighting for our space, and we did not do a good job of playing in straight lines. You put yourself in a really bad spot when you do that.”
One bright spot was the play of Utah rookie Kyle Filipowski, who finished with a career-high 25 points and four made 3-pointers.
“I think the work that Kyle has done on his shooting is showing itself,” Hardy said. “Kyle developing his perimeter shot has changed how he’s guarded. It’s really good for our team, and it’s really good for Kyle.”
Filipowski is averaging 16 points and 10.7 rebounds over his last three games. Lauri Markkanen, who leads Utah with 19.3 points per game, has missed five straight contests with a back injury. No. 2 scorer John Collins (18.6 ppg) missed his second straight game Monday with a back injury.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Royals' Cole Ragans leave game with triceps, elbow soreness
Apr 26, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Cole Ragans (55) pitches during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Kansas City starting pitcher Cole Ragans left the Royals’ Wednesday game against the Cleveland Guardians after the third inning due to left triceps and elbow soreness, the team announced.
Ragans gave up no runs and a hit while striking out four and walking two. He threw 58 pitches. He is 1-4 with a 4.84 ERA in eight starts this season, with 45 strikeouts and 23 walks in 35 1/3 innings.
An All-Star in 2024, Ragans, 28, was drafted in the first round in 2016 by the Texas Rangers. He was traded to Kansas City in 2023 in a deal that sent closer Aroldis Champman to Texas.
Ragans is 22-24 overall in his career with a 3.76 ERA in 91 appearances (74 starts).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Healthy Sonny Gray pitches Red Sox to sweep of Tigers
May 6, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray (54) delivers in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images Sonny Gray pitched five scoreless innings in his return to action and the visiting Boston Red Sox completed a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers with a 4-0 victory on Wednesday night.
Gray (3-1) came off the injured list and gave up four hits while recording two strikeouts. Gray strained his right hamstring in a start last month against the Tigers.
Tyler Samaniego struck out three in two innings. Zack Kelly and Greg Weissert each pitched an inning to complete the shutout.
Masataka Yoshida had two hits and scored a run. Caleb Durbin supplied an RBI double.
Detroit starter Jack Flaherty (0-3) gave up four runs, two earned, in five innings while recording a season-high 10 strikeouts. Riley Greene led the offense with two hits.
Flaherty struck out the first five batters he faced. The Tigers threatened in the bottom of the inning as Greene led off with a double and Zach McKinstry and Spencer Torkelson drew two-out walks. Jace Jung, just recalled from Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday, then hit a sinking liner that right fielder Wilyer Abreu snared with a sliding grab.
Boston took the lead in the third. Marcelo Mayer reached on an infield hit and Flaherty hit Carlos Narvaez with a pitch. Durbin then smacked a double to left, scoring Mayer. One out later, Willson Contreras hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Narvaez.
Detroit had a pair of baserunners in the bottom of the inning as Matt Vierling and Greene hit singles. Dillon Dingler flied out to center, ending the threat.
The Red Sox pushed their lead to 4-0 in the fourth. Masataka Yoshida had a one-out single and Ceddanne Rafaela drew a walk. With two out, third baseman Colt Keith made an error on a Narvaez grounder, allowing both runners to score.
In the seventh, Boston loaded the bases on three walks by Drew Anderson.
Brant Hurter retired the next two batters on a strikeout and groundout to leave the runners stranded.
Kelly issued two one-out walks in the eighth, then struck out Greene and Dingler.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Sabres' power play tallies twice to topple Canadiens in Game 1
May 6, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram (4) celebrates his goal with teammates during the second period against the Montréal Canadiens in game one of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images Ryan McLeod and defenseman Bowen Byram each converted on the power play to lift the host Buffalo Sabres to a 4-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference second-round series.
Buffalo went 2-for-3 with the man advantage after going 1-for-46 on the power play over its previous 13 games.
By scoring his fourth goal, Byram matched the franchise record for most in a postseason by a defenseman set by Mike Ramsey (1983) and equaled by Jason Woolley (1999) and Alexei Zhitnik (1999).
McLeod and Josh Doan each collected a goal and an assist. Jordan Greenway also tallied and Alex Lyon made 26 saves for the Sabres, who host Game 2 on Friday.
Selke Trophy finalist Nick Suzuki scored a power-play goal, Kirby Dach also tallied and Jakub Dobes turned aside 12 shots for the Canadiens.
Montreal defenseman Lane Hutson hit the post in his bid to open the scoring early in the first period. He then lost his footing and the puck at his own blue line, leading to a 3-on-1 opportunity and Zach Benson feeding Doan on the doorstep for an easy conversion at 4:31 of the period.
McLeod converted from a sharp angle along the goal line to give Buffalo a 2-0 lead with 6:34 remaining in the first period.
Suzuki answered at left post to halve the deficit with 45 seconds to play in the first period, but Greenway regained the two-goal advantage at 3:32 of the second. He unleashed a shot from above the left circle that caromed off Dobes’ glove and into the net. Tyson Kozak drove to the net to provide a bit of a screen on the play.
The Sabres made it 4-1 at 9:01 of the second. McLeod knocked down a Canadiens’ clearing attempt, allowing Byram to collect the puck and use a screen from Doan to wrist a shot past Dobes.
Dach used a second effort to chip the puck from a sharp angle past Lyon to trim Montreal’s deficit to 4-2 with 3:29 remaining in the second period.
The Canadiens outshot the Sabres 11-1 in the third period, but could not get any closer.
–Field Level Media
Royals' Cole Ragans leave game with triceps, elbow soreness
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