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NHL roundup: Top-seeded Avs sweep Kings in Anze Kopitar's farewell

NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Colorado Avalanche at Los Angeles KingsApr 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nicolas Roy (10) is greeted by teammates after scoring during the third period in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images

Nathan MacKinnon scored two goals and added an assist for the Colorado Avalanche, who finished off the host Los Angeles Kings with a 5-1 victory Sunday to sweep the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series.

MacKinnon, who led the NHL with 53 goals in the regular season, got his first goals of the postseason. Cale Makar, Nicolas Roy and Devon Toews also scored for the Avalanche, while Gabriel Landeskog added two assists. Scott Wedgewood made 24 saves for the Avalanche, who will advance to play the winner of the Dallas Stars-Minnesota Wild series that’s tied 2-2.

Joel Edmundson registered his first goal of the series for the Kings, with assists coming from Adrian Kempe and Alex Laferriere. Anton Forsberg stopped 27 of 31 shots. With their season on the brink, the Kings pulled Forsberg with 5:48 remaining. MacKinnon finished the scoring 20 seconds later.

The loss was the final game for Kings captain Anze Kopitar, who previously announced his plans to retire after this season. As the game neared its end, Kings fans chanted their thanks to Kopitar, who played 20 seasons for Los Angeles and led the franchise to two Stanley Cups.

Ducks 4, Oilers 3 (OT)

Ryan Poehling scored the winning goal to give the host Anaheim an overtime victory over Edmonton and put the Ducks one win away from advancing in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Cutter Gauthier, Mikael Granlund and Jeffery Viel also scored for Anaheim in the comeback victory that has it up 3-1 in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series. Defensemen John Carlson and Jackson Lacombe each had two assists and Lukas Dostal made 24 saves.

The Oilers’ Evan Bouchard notched a goal and an assist, Kasperi Kapanen and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each scored a goal, while Connor McDavid collected two assists, his 50th multi-point performance in 100 career playoff games. Tristan Jarry stopped 34 shots in his first start of this year’s playoffs.

Lightning 3, Canadiens 2

Brandon Hagel scored his second goal of the game with 4:53 remaining in the third period to lift Tampa Bay to a win over the Canadiens in Montreal.

The Lightning rallied from a 2-0 second-period deficit to even their Eastern Conference first-round series at two games apiece. Jake Guentzel had a goal and an assist, Kucherov and J.J. Moser each had two assists and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 16 saves for the Lightning.

Zachary Bolduc and Cole Caufield scored for the Canadiens and Jakob Dobes made 17 saves.

Sabres 6, Bruins 1

Visiting Buffalo ripped off a four-goal first period and never looked back en route to a Game 4 win over Boston and a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

Peyton Krebs, Josh Doan, Bowen Byram and Alex Tuch all notched a goal and an assist, while Zach Benson and Beck Malenstyn also scored for the Sabres, who rang up a 3-0 lead less than 10 minutes into the game. Alex Lyon made 23 saves and held a shutout until Boston’s lone goal by Sean Kuraly with 40 seconds left in the third.

The Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman allowed six goals on 29 shots before Joonas Korpisalo entered in relief for the final 13:19.

–Field Level Media

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White Sox add veteran RHP Luis Castillo, send 3 players to Mariners

Jul 28, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA;  Seattle Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo (58) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn ImagesJul 28, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo (58) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images

The Chicago White Sox bolstered their pitching staff by acquiring three-time All-Star right-hander Luis Castillo from the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night.

The Mariners receive right-handed reliever Seranthony Dominguez, outfielder Nolan Jones, Chicago’s No. 15 prospect in minor league catcher Boston Smith and conditional cash considerations. The White Sox will pay the remainder of Castillo’s salary, according to multiple reports, which is about $30 million guaranteed from now through the 2027 season.

Castillo is in the fourth year of a five-year, $108 million contract with a $25 million vesting option for 2028. He is having his worst season at 3-9 with a 5.06 ERA in 20 games (17 starts). The 33-year-old has recorded 32 walks and 86 strikeouts in 99 2/3 innings.

For his career, Castillo is 87-93 with a 3.65 ERA, 485 walks and 1,579 strikeouts in 1,510 1/3 innings over 263 regular-season games (260 starts) for the Cincinnati Reds (2017-22) and Mariners (2022-26).

He was selected to the All-Star Game with the Reds (2019, 2022) and the Mariners (2023) — finishing fifth in the American League Cy Young Award voting that season.

Castillo is 2-3 with a 2.25 ERA in 28 innings over six postseason games (five starts) — experience lacking in Chicago’s other starters.

Dominguez, 31, is 4-3 with 12 saves, a 4.10 ERA, 23 walks and 45 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings over 42 relief appearances in his first season with the White Sox.

He has a career record of 27-26 with 52 saves, a 3.57 ERA in 343 1/3 innings over 364 relief appearances. He has pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies (2018-19, 2021-24), Baltimore Orioles (2024-25), Toronto Blue Jays (2025) and White Sox. He went 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA in 12 appearances during the Blue Jays’ playoff run last season.

Jones, 28, is batting .247 with 30 home runs and 137 RBIs in 349 games with Cleveland (2022, 2025) and the Colorado Rockies (2023-24). Jones was batting a combined .257 with 14 homers and 59 RBIs in 90 games with the Guardians’ and White Sox’s Triple-A affiliates this year.

Cleveland selected Jones in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He was traded to the White Sox for $250,000 in bonus pool money and cash considerations on June 11.

Smith, 23, has played 78 games in the White Sox’s minor league system from Single-A to High-A to Double-A this season and batted .291 with 22 homers and 58 RBIs.

The Washington Nationals picked Smith in the sixth round of the 2025 draft out of Wright State.

–Field Level Media

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Brewers claim best record in baseball with late rally past Angels

Aug 1, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA;  Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Jake Bauers (9) is greeted by left fielder Jackson Chourio (11) in the dugout after hitting a home run during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn ImagesAug 1, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Jake Bauers (9) is greeted by left fielder Jackson Chourio (11) in the dugout after hitting a home run during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Brice Turang drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and Jake Bauers homered for the second straight game to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night in Anaheim, Calif.

Jackson Chourio doubled and scored a run and William Contreras also doubled for Milwaukee, which moved atop the major league standings at 69-41, a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Chad Patrick (6-4) struck out five and gave up one hit over two shutout innings to pick up the win in relief. Trevor Megill pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his 18th save.

Mike Trout went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored and Jorge Soler doubled and drove in a run for Los Angeles, which lost its fifth straight game.

Samy Natera Jr. (1-1) picked up the loss, allowing one run on two hits in two innings with four strikeouts. Natera was the third of four pitchers used by the Angels, who elected to go with a bullpen game after scheduled starter Jose Soriano, the subject of trade rumors, was scratched a few hours before the game.

Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Trout singled and scored on Soler’s bloop double down the left field line.

Bauers, who hit a three-run homer to highlight a five-run fifth inning in Milwaukee’s 6-2 victory in Friday’s series opener, tied the game in the fourth inning with his 20th home run, a 401-foot line drive into the bleachers in right-center.

The Brewers took a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning when Chourio lined a double over the head of left fielder Jose Siri and scored on a bloop single to center by Turang.

Milwaukee added an insurance run in the ninth against Kirby Yates when Garrett Mitchell walked with two outs, stole second and scored on a softly hit groundball single to center by Cooper Pratt.

Brewers starter Robert Gasser allowed one run on four hits over five innings, striking out six and walking two. Angels replacement starter Brent Suter walked three and struck out one in two no-hit innings.

–Field Level Media

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Walk-filled third inning helps Pirates beat Reds, snap 4-game skid

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (9) tags out Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez (55) on his way to second in the third inning between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Saturday, August 1, 2026.Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (9) tags out Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez (55) on his way to second in the third inning between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Saturday, August 1, 2026.

Pittsburgh starter Braxton Ashcraft threw five solid innings and Jake Mangum had two hits and a run to lift the visiting Pirates to a 4-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.

Ashcraft (11-4) allowed one run on two hits with one walk and five strikeouts before a 106-minute weather delay preceded the bottom of the sixth inning.

Bryan Reynolds, Esmerlyn Valdez, Nick Gonzales and Henry Davis finished with an RBI apiece for the Pirates, who snapped a four-game losing streak.

Gregory Soto pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his 14th save. Three Pittsburgh pitchers combined to hold Cincinnati to three hits. The Pirates recorded six hits.

Pittsburgh took a 3-0 lead in the third despite collecting only one hit. Davis drew a leadoff walk from starter Andrew Abbott (5-7), then Mangum singled and Brandon Lowe coaxed a walk to load the bases. Reynolds and Valdez drew consecutive bases-loaded walks to make it 2-0.

Gonzales followed with a fielder’s choice to plate Brandon Lowe and give the Pirates a three-run lead. As a steady rain fell throughout the inning, the grounds crew briefly tended to the mound.

Cincinnati got on the board in the fifth when Jose Trevino opened the frame with an opposite-field homer to right.

The Pirates extended their advantage to 4-1 in the sixth when Davis feathered an RBI single into shallow center, just beyond the reach of a diving TJ Friedl.

The Reds, who were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, threatened in the fourth. Sal Stewart was hit by a pitch before being forced out at second on JJ Bleday’s fielder’s choice. Nathaniel Lowe singled to center and, after Noelvi Marte popped out, Bleday advanced to third when no one covered second on Ashcraft’s pickoff attempt. But Eugenio Suarez struck out to end the inning.

Elly De La Cruz lined a rocket to center to open the eighth, but Mangum chased it down and made a leaping catch.

Abbott allowed three runs on three hits while matching a season high with five walks over five innings. He struck out one.

–Field Level Media

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