Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer left Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Twins in the third inning when he was hit on the left foot by a pitch from Connor Prielipp.

Springer went down in pain after he was hit by an 88.2 mph slider and was replaced by pinch runner Jesus Sanchez.

Springer, who led off the game with a line drive out to center field, had just returned this week from the injured list after he fractured his left big toe on a foul ball April 11.

In 18 games this season, Springer is batting .212 with two home runs and seven RBIs. In 1,462 career games, he is a .266 hitter with 295 home runs and 803 RBIs over 13 seasons for the Houston Astros (2014-20) and Blue Jays.

–Field Level Media

With how even the teams are and how close their head-to-head showdown has been, it is appropriate the Tampa Bay Lightning will play host to the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday in a Game 7 of their Eastern Conference first-round Stanley Cup playoff series.

After both clubs finished the regular season with 106 points, the Lightning and Canadiens have both scored the same number of goals (14), both won twice in overtime and both won two of three road games in the first six instalments of the series.

“I’m 14 years in the league and I’ve been in a number of Game 7s. Some that I can be man enough today to say we weren’t as good as the other team and some we were as good as the other team,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “This one here … it’s so even, special teams, goaltending, everything. To win this, you’ve got to have a special game against the other team.”

The winner will face the Buffalo Sabres in the next round.

The teams face a challenging encore after a thrilling 1-0 Lightning victory in overtime of Game 6. Both goaltenders were sensational while the clubs traded scoring chances before Tampa’s Gage Goncalves scored his first career playoff overtime winner.

Now, a new chapter beckons. Not only does Tampa Bay have home-ice advantage, but also the upper-hand with its experience. Many core Lightning players have won multiple Stanley Cup titles, including the 2021 championship when the Lightning beat the Canadiens in the Final.

“This is what we all dream about,” Lightning forward Jake Guentzel said. “I’m fortunate to have played in a couple and there’s nothing better. Especially at home, it’s going to be an electric atmosphere. I can’t wait.”

The Canadiens, who went through a rebuild right after that run to the final, boast a more youthful lineup, and one that headed into the season knowing a brighter future for the franchise is still ahead.

However, after pushing the Eastern Conference first-round series to the distance, the attitude has become about making a mark now. All six games have been decided by one goal as the Canadiens have shown they are worthy opponents for the more-heralded Lightning.

“We’re not here for a ribbon. We want to move on,” coach Martin St. Louis said on Saturday before his team headed to Florida. “We worked to get to this spot. Playing Tampa in the first round, you know you’re gonna need everything and we’ve delivered that. It’s a good spot to be in. I think the guys have enjoyed the process and are hungry to keep moving forward.”

A major task for the Canadiens will be regrouping. Montreal was staring at a golden chance to advance but could not find the winning goal.

Even in overtime, the Canadiens failed to convert on a power play just before the winner. Turning the page, instead of spending time think of a missed opportunity, will be a big key.

“It’s hard to close out a series. I’ve never been in this position. A lot of guys haven’t been in this position,” said Montreal defenseman Lane Hutson. “It would have been cool to do it at home, but we have another chance to do it in Tampa.”

–Field Level Media

Injury-plagued Toronto FC saw their depth tested but managed to hand the visiting San Jose Earthquakes their first draw of the season with a 1-1 scoreline on a chilly Saturday afternoon.

Preston Judd equaled his career-high seven goals when he tied the match for the league-leading Earthquakes (9-1-1, 28 points) in the early going. The draw comes a week after Toronto (3-3-5, 14 points) had a nine-match unbeaten run snapped with a loss to Atlanta United.

Daniel Salloi opened the scoring in the 2nd minute. A well-timed overlapping run from Raheem Edwards drew defender Benji Kikanovic away from the streaking Salloi, allowing the Hungarian international to curl it into the corner.

An outstretched Judd scored the equalizer in the 13th minute off a perfectly placed Niko Tsakiris set piece, the result of an Alonso Coello foul just outside the home team’s box. Judd was unmarked as he poked it past a helpless Luka Gavran.

An Emilio Aristizabal attempt in the 55th minute was deflected and cleared away by a sprawling Daniel. A late offside flag chalked off what looked to be a brace for Judd ten minutes later.

On his back, San Jose center-back Reid Roberts cleared a ball off the line after Salloi chipped the goalkeeper in the 86th minute. Officials took a lengthy look at the replay to ensure the ball had not crossed the line.

Toronto’s miserable injury luck continued, with center-back Lazar Stefanovic being forced off at the half with an apparent lower-body injury. A flood of academy players were forced to fill gaping injury holes on their bench, including defender Micah Chisholm, who made his league debut in Stefanovic’s place.

For the visitors, April MLS Player of the Month Timo Werner was absent after subbing off with a hamstring injury in their Tuesday U.S. Open Cup fixture. Tsakiris came off in the second half with an apparent quad injury.

The match marked the first meeting between the two teams in more than three years. Three of their last four encounters have ended in draws.

–Field Level Media