Sports
Maple Leafs host Islanders in home-and-home set
Dec 21, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Islanders forward Bo Horvat (14) tries to control the puck against Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Jake McCabe (22) during the second period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images The New York Islanders will have something to prove to their coach when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday afternoon.
Islanders coach Patrick Roy criticized his team’s effort in a 3-2 road loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday following a 6-3 home win over the Penguins the day before.
Roy emphasized the difference in the two games.
“I didn’t think we competed the way we are capable of,” Roy said. “(Saturday) we were quick on those loose pucks. We were sharp. We executed much better than we did (Sunday). And we were more at the net, as well. If you want to score on your shot, you better be a good shooter. If not, you’re going to have to drive the net.”
Roy did not like the way his team responded when Pittsburgh took a 2-0 lead early in the second period.
“I just felt like after we gave up that second goal, we were not mentally strong enough,” Roy said. “It’s just a goal. We were down two — two goals is nothing in this league. We proved it.”
Pittsburgh led 3-0 in the third period before Anders Lee and Bo Horvat scored for New York to make the score look respectable.
“With seven minutes (remaining), we pull the goalie, we score one, five minutes, we score another,” Roy said. “You could come back in those games. And sometimes, I feel we don’t believe enough in that.”
The Islanders already have a win in Toronto this season, 6-3 on Dec. 21. Each team has dropped two of three since.
Toronto lost 5-2 at home on Saturday to the Washington Capitals. The Maple Leafs were playing their fourth straight game without Auston Matthews (upper-body injury).
Matthews did participate in most of Monday’s practice but left early and coach Craig Berube said that he will not play on Tuesday.
“He did a good job in practice today, I thought, and I think he feels pretty good,” Berube said. “So, we’ll go from there.”
Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (illness) did not practice.
After the loss on Saturday, Berube said: “Probably three mistakes in the game that we made and it went in our net. We played a pretty hard game, lot of opportunities, we didn’t finish.”
Washington scored on its only power play while Toronto was 0-for-2 with the man advantage.
“We certainly had chances, had looks,” said John Tavares, who scored once for Toronto. “We were on the wrong side of it on special teams today. It’s just small margins, execution at times. We have to execute defensively and when we create offense, we have to find ways to break them down and beat their goaltender.”
Washington goaltender Logan Thompson made two big saves on William Nylander in the first period.
“I had some great scoring chances and didn’t capitalize so that’s probably one of the reasons why, (we lost),” Nylander said.
Horvat, who had a goal and two assists in the win at Toronto, stressed the need for consistency from the Islanders.
“Right now, this win one, lose one thing is not going to do us any favors here going forward,” he said. “If we’re going to continue to do this, we’re not going to move up the standings. It’s on us in here to get the ball rolling.”
The teams will play again Thursday when the Maple Leafs will be the visitors.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rangers open homestand with victory over Pirates
Apr 21, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson (3) celebrates with catcher Danny Jansen (9) after scoring a run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the second inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Kumar Rocker allowed one run on four hits over a season-high six innings and the Texas Rangers began a nine-game homestand with a 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday.
Rocker (1-1) walked one and struck out five for Texas, which returned home after playing 16 of its first 22 games on the road. Cole Winn, Jacob Latz and Jakob Junis each pitched a scoreless inning in relief.
Jake Mangum and Nick Gonzales had two hits apiece for the Pirates, who have lost three of their last five.
Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when leadoff hitter Oneil Cruz singled, stole second, moved to third on an error, and scored on Ryan O’Hearn’s single up the middle.
Texas moved ahead with two runs in the second against Carmen Mlodzinski (1-1), who had not allowed an earned run in his last 13 innings.
Joc Pederson singled to begin the inning, went to third on Josh Jung’s double to center, and scored on Evan Carter’s single. After Danny Jansen struck out, Jung scored from third on Josh Smith’s sacrifice fly.
The Pirates put two runners on with two outs in the fifth, but Rocker escaped unscathed when Carter reached over the center-field wall to rob Cruz of a three-run homer.
Texas tacked on three runs and knocked Mlodzinski out of the game in the fifth. Smith hit a leadoff double, moved to third on Brandon Nimmo’s fly out, and scored on Ezequiel Duran’s double.
Wilber Dotel replaced Mlodzinski after Corey Seager delivered an RBI single to center. Jake Burger greeted Dotel with a single and Joc Pederson walked to load the bases before Seager scored on Jung’s force out.
Mlodzinski allowed five runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings while throwing a season-high 93 pitches. He walked two and struck out six.
Mangum singled with one out in the seventh and was stranded after Konnor Griffin flied out and Henry Davis fanned on three pitches.
Texas left fielder Wyatt Langford exited the game in the fifth inning with right forearm tightness and was replaced by Duran.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Royals take advantage of Orioles' wild pitches, snap 8-game skid
Apr 21, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (11) slides into home to score a run against Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) during the fifth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Maikel Garcia scored on a wild pitch in the ninth inning and the Kansas City Royals snapped their eight-game losing streak with 6-5 win over the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday.
Ryan Helsey (0-2) walked Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. to open the ninth of the 5-5 contest. The runners reached second and third on a wild pitch, and Garcia darted home to score the winner on another wild one pitch from Helsey — his second of the inning and Baltimore’s fourth of the game — that bounced onto the infield grass.
Kyle Isbel had three hits and Michael Massey clubbed a tying solo homer in the eighth for the Royals, who overcame an early 3-0 hole for their first win since April 11.
Lucas Erceg (1-1) pitched one scoreless inning as Kansas City evened the three-game set heading into the Wednesday afternoon finale.
Adley Rutschman came off the 10-day injured list to hit a two-run go-ahead homer in the eighth for the Orioles, who have lost six of eight.
Kansas City’s Kris Bubic opened the second inning by allowing a single to Jeremiah Jackson and a walk to Weston Watson. With one out, Coby Mayo sent a drive well into the left field seats for a 3-0 Baltimore lead.
Those were only runs yielded by Bubic over 6 1/3 innings. He permitted five hits and three walks while striking out three.
Kansas City got a run back in the bottom of the second. Carter Jensen doubled, went to third on Shane Baz’s wild pitch and scored via a sacrifice fly by Massey.
The Royals tied the contest in the fifth. Isbel doubled and scored on a single by Garcia, who eventually came home courtesy of Vinnie Pasquantino’s sacrifice fly.
Kansas City took the lead in the seventh when Isbel doubled down the left line, went to third on another Baz wild pitch and scored on Witt’s sacrifice fly to right.
The Orioles regained the lead in the eighth. Rutschman, with a man aboard, barely cleared the left-center-field wall off Matt Strahm to make it 5-4 with his first homer of the season.
Massey’s towering homer leading off the bottom of the eighth was first hit allowed by Baltimore’s Rico Garcia in 12 appearances this year.
Baz yielded four runs and eight hits over 6 1/3 innings. He fanned four and walked two.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Scoot Henderson stars as Victor Wembanyama ails; Blazers tie Spurs 1-1
Apr 21, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (0) reacts after scoring a three point basket during the second half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images Scoot Henderson poured in a season-best 31 points as the visiting Portland Trail Blazers came back from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to outlast the shorthanded San Antonio Spurs 106-103 on Tuesday in Game 2 of the teams’ first round Western Conference playoff series.
The Trail Blazers evened the best-of-seven series at 1-1 with Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday, respectively, in Portland.
The contest and perhaps even the series changed complexions at the 8:57 mark of the second period with the Trail Blazers up 34-32. San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama hit his face on the floor during a drive to the basket, leaving him dazed enough to struggle getting to his feet before jogging off the floor to the locker room. He was ruled out for the rest of the game with concussion protocol.
ESPN later reported that Wembanyama has been diagnosed with a concussion, leaving his status in question for Game 3. He is scheduled for further testing Wednesday.
The Spurs carried a one-point lead into the fourth quarter but reeled off the first 13 points of the final period to build their advantage to 93-79. The Trail Blazers roared back to take the lead via a 7-0 run capped by a Jrue Holiday layup with 2:02 left.
Robert Williams III skied for a putback dunk that pushed Portland’s lead to 104-101 with 12 seconds remaining. Devin Vassell hit two free throws with 10.4 seconds left to draw to within a point before Toumani Camara answered with a pair from the charity stripe with 5.4 seconds to play.
Vassell had a chance to tie the game with a corner 3-pointer with 2 seconds left but the shot went in and out before falling to the floor, allowing the Trail Blazers to steal home court advantage in the series.
Holiday finished with 16 points for Portland, with Deni Avdija adding 14, Williams hitting for 11, Camara tallying 10 and Donovan Clingan taking 11 rebounds.
Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 18 points. De’Aaron Fox had 17, Vassell added 16 points and 12 rebounds and Dylan Harper and Luke Kornet scored 10 each.
Castle’s eight straight points fueled a 13-2 run that netted the Spurs a 28-27 advantage at the end of the first period.
Portland took advantage of Wembanyama’s absence to build a 40-34 lead with 6:45 to play in the second quarter. The Spurs responded with another surge, scoring 13 of the ensuing 15 points to go up 47-42. A three-point play and then a pair of free throws by Avdija allowed the Trail Blazers to tie the score 57-all at the break.
Henderson led all scorers with 19 points before halftime with Avdija adding a dozen for Portland. Castle’s 12 points paced the Spurs in the first half.
–Field Level Media
Rangers open homestand with victory over Pirates
Royals take advantage of Orioles' wild pitches, snap 8-game skid
