Sports
Panthers hope to end homestand on high vs. Pens
Jan 2, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) looks to pass the puck against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-Imagn Images The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers close out what has been a disappointing five-game homestand on Friday night when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins in Sunrise, Fla.
It will be the second game of a back-to-back set for Florida, which lost 3-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. The Panthers slipped to 1-3-0 on their homestand, having taken back-to-back 4-0 losses to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens before defeating the New York Rangers 5-3 on Monday.
The setback against the Hurricanes especially was painful because the Panthers wasted a brilliant goaltending performance by Sergei Bobrovsky.
The 36-year-old veteran gave up a goal to Brent Burns just 35 seconds into the game but then stopped 36 shots in a row before Jaccob Slavin scored a controversial game-winner with 7:30 remaining.
Slavin’s goal came after Carolina’s Jesperi Kotkaniemi crashed into Bobrovsky. Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk then came in and pinned Kotkaniemi to the ice. A shot by Sean Walker then bounced off Bobrovsky and Kotkaniemi, both in the crease, straight to Slavin, who fired in a wrist shot from the left circle for the game-winner.
Bobrovsky, who finished with 37 saves on 39 shots, pleaded with officials that the goal should be disallowed for goalie interference. However, the goal was allowed to stand because it was ruled that Tkachuk wouldn’t let Kotkaniemi out of the crease following the collision with Bobrovsky.
“It (stinks),” Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling told the Miami Herald. “Bob had an unreal game, and then to see that goal, whatever. We’re not going to complain about it, but it is what it is.”
Florida coach Paul Maurice decided not to challenge for goaltender interference.
“The referee announced his decision at the time he called the goal,” Maurice said. “He felt the player had been held in, so there was no point in the challenge.”
Martin Necas sealed the win for Carolina with an empty-netter in the final minute.
“Bob’s a good pro,” Maurice said. “He’s had a lot of nights where he’s been the difference for us. Tough one tonight for him, but he played very well so he gets to come to the rink proud (Friday.”
Pittsburgh comes in off a 4-2 defeat to the Detroit Red Wings on New Year’s Eve, its 13th loss in 19 road games (6-10-3).
Forward Drew O’Connor scored both goals for the Penguins, his second career two-goal game. He also tallied twice in the Penguins’ 7-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 23, 2021. O’Connor also ended a 32-game goal drought by increasing his season total to five.
“I told him before the game that his last game was the best he had played in months,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. “I said if he continued to play like that, he was going to score, so I was happy that he was able to break through.”
This will be the second of three regular-season meetings between the teams. The Penguins, despite blowing a three-goal lead in the third period, won the first matchup 5-4 on an overtime goal by Bryan Rust on Dec. 3 in Pittsburgh.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mariners place INF Will Wilson (thumb) on 10-day injured list
Apr 25, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Will Wilson (7) reacts after hitting a two home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images The Seattle Mariners placed infielder Will Wilson on the 10-day injured list on Saturday because of a fractured left thumb.
The move was retroactive to Thursday. In a corresponding move, the Mariners recalled catcher Jhonny Pereda from Triple-A Tacoma.
Wilson, 27, played in two games and hit .200 (1-for-5) with a home run in his first at-bat for the Mariners in an 11-9 win on April 25 against the host St. Louis Cardinals. He may have been injured on Wednesday when he went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout in his second game this season, a 5-3 road victory over the Minnesota Twins.
The Los Angeles Angels selected Wilson in the first round (15th overall) of the 2019 MLB Draft out of North Carolina State.
Wilson, a second and third baseman, made his major league debut in 2025 with the Cleveland Guardians and batted .192 (15-for-78) with two RBIs and four doubles in 34 games. He signed as a free agent with Seattle in January.
Pereda, 30, has a career batting average of .241 with eight RBIs in 48 games with the Miami Marlins (2024), Athletics (2025) and Minnesota Twins (2025).
In other moves on Saturday, Seattle optioned left-hander Josh Simpson, 28, to Tacoma and selected right-hander Nick Davila, 27, from Double-A Arkansas.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Sean Burke stifles Padres, lifts White Sox to fifth straight win
May 2, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Sean Burke (59) throws a pitch during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images Sean Burke tossed six scoreless innings Saturday night and the visiting Chicago White Sox stretched their winning streak to five with a 4-0 blanking of the San Diego Padres.
Burke (2-2) allowed only four hits and a walk while fanning eight, including Xander Bogaerts three times. Three relievers finished up, with Seranthony Dominguez getting the last two outs for his eighth save in 10 chances, as Chicago wrapped up its first series win over San Diego since 2022.
The Padres filled the bases with no outs in the ninth when Jackson Merrill beat out an infield single followed by walks to Manny Machado and Bogaerts. Grant Taylor slipped a called third strike past Gavin Sheets before Dominguez came in to retire Miguel Andujar on a shallow fly ball and strike out Luis Campusano.
Michael King (3-2) yielded seven hits and four runs over six-plus innings. King walked three and struck out five as the Padres dropped their fourth straight game.
Burke and King matched each other pitch-for-pitch through the first five innings. But the White Sox struck in the sixth when Tristan Peters drew a one-out walk and Andrew Benintendi legged out an infield single.
After Munetaka Murakami moved the runners up 90 feet with a groundout, Miguel Vargas looped a liner into short right field, scoring Peters and Benintendi for the only runs Chicago needed.
But the White Sox added on with two more runs in the seventh. Chase Meidroth singled and reached third on Sam Antonacci’s double, then scored on Edgar Quero’s single that knocked out King. Peters then capped the scoring with a safety squeeze bunt that plated Antonacci.
The Padres’ best scoring chances against Burke came in the second and fifth innings. Sheets walked and Andujar singled with one out in the second. But Burke stiffened, fanning Campusano and inducing a groundout from Jake Cronenworth.
In the fifth, Andujar led off with a single and Cronenworth singled with one out. However, Ramon Laureano flew out and Burke blew away Fernando Tatis Jr. on three pitches to quash the threat.
The Padres were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, stranding eight runners.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Sporting KC snap losing streak with draw vs. Sounders
May 2, 2026; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; Sporting Kansas City forward Dejan Joveljic (9) celebrates toward fans after scoring against the Seattle Sounders FC during the first half of the match at Children’s Mercy Park. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Dejan Joveljic scored his fifth goal of the season and Sporting Kansas City salvaged a 1-1 draw against the Seattle Sounders on Saturday afternoon to snap a six-match losing streak.
Joveljic’s 18th-minute tally halted a 351-minute scoreless stretch across all competitions for Sporting (1-7-2, 5 points), which has still won only twice in its last 23 MLS matches dating back to last July.
Paul Rothrock scored his fourth goal of the season early as Seattle (6-1-2, 20 points) saw its league win streak halted at three but extended its league unbeaten run to seven.
The visitors held 61% of the possession and outshot the hosts 27-11 but were punished for an uncharacteristic mistake by American World Cup hopeful Cristian Roldan.
Rothrock put the visitors in front two minutes into the match.
Alex Roldan got up the right and played an early diagonal ball from midfield toward Jesus Ferreira in the center channel.
Either Ferreira, his defender or both players deflected the ball, and Rothrock was first to the redirection on the left side of the penalty, where he guided a first-time finish across Stefan Cleveland’s body and inside the far-right post.
Joveljic leveled 16 minutes later.
As Seattle tried to play out of the back against Kansas City’s creeping pressure, Cristian Roldan badly mis-hit a backpass that appeared intended for his goalkeeper.
Joveljic reacted to reach it at the top of the penalty arc and drove a low, first-time finish through goalkeeper Andrew Thomas and over the line.
Both teams had chances to win it after halftime despite Seattle’s possession dominance.
Sounders striker Danny Musovski flashed a promising header over the goal in the 57th minute, and in the 65th, Seattle substitute Paul Arriola saw his strike from a dangerous position on the left blocked accidentally by teammate Albert Rusnak.
In the 70th minute, Cleveland recovered from his own bobble on the initial attempt to make a double save of Kalani Kossa-Rienzi and Musovski.
On the other end, Thomas thwarted Joveljic in the 82nd minute and Taylor Calheira on a difficult, spinning effort inside the box in the 85th.
–Field Level Media
Mariners place INF Will Wilson (thumb) on 10-day injured list
Sean Burke stifles Padres, lifts White Sox to fifth straight win
