Sports
Timbers hope to stop road skid at Minnesota
Apr 11, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Timbers forward Kristoffer Velde (99) waits for a corner kick during the second half against Los Angeles FC at Providence Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images The Portland Timbers might be the more desperate team. The Minnesota United could be the more fatigued team.
The clubs meet Saturday night at Saint Paul, Minn.
Following Saturday’s match, Portland (2-4-1, 7 points) travels to San Diego and Salt Lake. The Timbers are 0-3-0 in road matches.
“It’s a group of fixtures we have to pick up points,” coach Phil Neville said. “We have to develop a different type of mentality. We’re going to have to dig in. We’re going to have to get victories. We’re going to have to get results.”
Portland became the first team this season to score on LAFC in last week’s 2-1 victory. That might be a spark that can lead to more consistent results.
“We’re gaining and building some leaders in the group,” Neville said. “Results help the confidence and belief, but also having the trust of your teammates.”
Portland gave up three goals in both of its last two outings away from home.
Minnesota (3-2-2, 11 points) has won its last two MLS games by 2-1 scores, including last Saturday at San Diego. But the Loons had a midweek detour from MLS play, edging host Sacramento Republic in 12 rounds of penalty kicks. That came with a revised lineup, though a few of the regulars were on the field.
The Loons plan to work new player combinations into the lineup in upcoming games.
“There’s going to be the opportunity for us to balance the minutes out across the squad,” Minnesota coach Cameron Knowles said. “Being able to stretch some guys that haven’t played a lot of minutes that we might be calling on in the next week or two.”
With four goals, Kelvin Yeboah is the only Minnesota player with more than one goal this year as he has half of the team’s eight goals. Kristoffer Velde has scored three goals to lead Portland.
The Timbers might have to wait to determine the availability of forward Alexander Aravena, who trained on the side this week.
“I think he’s going to be OK,” Neville said. “He felt something tight (in his thigh). But he felt a lot better (Thursday).”
Meanwhile, the Timbers are preparing for chilly conditions.
“It’s going to be cold,” Neville said. “You think about pitch conditions … It’s probably perfect for football, that’s the view of a lot of those players who are used to playing in those temperatures.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
NHL roundup: Flyers win Game 1 of in-state playoff series vs. Penguins
Apr 18, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim (6) celebrates his goal with the Flyers bench against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Porter Martone scored a timely goal late for the Philadelphia Flyers, who skated away with a 3-2 road victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins to take a 1-0 lead in their best-of-seven, first-round playoff series on Saturday night.
Martone, a 19-year-old playing in his 10th NHL game, scored an insurance goal to make it 3-1 with 2:37 left in the Battle of Pennsylvania rivalry series. That proved crucial when the Penguins’ Bryan Rust found the net with 1:01 left.
Travis Sanheim and Jamie Drysdale also scored for Philadelphia in the franchise’s first playoff game in six years. The Flyers got 15 saves from Dan Vladar in his playoff debut, including one on a point-blank shot from Anthony Mantha in the closing seconds.
Evgeni Malkin scored his 68th postseason goal for the Penguins and assisted on Rust’s goal. Stuart Skinner made 17 saves. Game 2 is Monday in Pittsburgh.
Wild 6, Stars 1
Matt Boldy had two goals and an assist for visiting Minnesota in a win against Dallas in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series.
Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists, Joel Eriksson Ek scored twice, Ryan Hartman had a goal and an assist and Mats Zuccarello had three assists for the Wild, who are trying to win their first playoff series since 2015 after getting eliminated in the opening round eight times since then. Rookie Jesper Wallstedt got the start and made 27 saves.
Jason Robertson scored and Jake Oettinger made 23 saves for Dallas, which lost Game 1 of its first-round series 5-1 against the Colorado Avalanche last season before rebounding and eventually reaching the Western Conference finals. Game 2 is Monday in Dallas.
Hurricanes 2, Senators 0
Frederik Andersen made 22 saves and Logan Stankoven had a goal and an assist as Carolina overcame a slow start to defeat Ottawa in the opener of the first-round series in Raleigh, N.C.
Andersen recorded his sixth career playoff shutout after not having any in 35 regular-season starts this season. Taylor Hall also scored and Jackson Blake had two assists for the Hurricanes.
Linus Ullmark made 27 saves for the Senators, who saw 13 of their 22 shots on goal come in the third period but were unable to get on the board, even with a late power-play opportunity. Game 2 is Monday in Raleigh.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Padres halt Angels' scorching offense, even series
Apr 18, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) runs after hitting a RBI single during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images Fernando Tatis Jr. had two hits and two RBIs and Mason Miller struck out two en route to his seventh save to lead the San Diego Padres to a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night in Anaheim.
Ramon Laureano also drove in two runs, Jake Cronenworth scored a run and reached base four times with a single, two walks and a hit by a pitch and Freddy Fermin scored twice for San Diego, which won for the 12th time in its last 14 games.
Adrian Morejon (2-0) delivered 1 1/3 innings of hitless relief while Miller pitched around a leadoff single by Yoan Moncada and a walk to Vaughn Grissom in the ninth to extend his scoreless streak to 31 2/3 innings dating back to Aug. 6, 2025.
Zach Neto and Mike Trout each doubled and Nolan Schanuel had an RBI single for Los Angeles, which finished with just six hits. Ryan Zeferjahn (1-1) allowed two runs on three hits and two walks in one inning immediately after Yusei Kikuchi wrapped his scoreless six-inning start for Los Angeles.
Kikuchi allowed four hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch, striking out eight.
The Angels, who entered the contest having hit 16 home runs while scoring 49 runs in their previous six games, managed just two hits over 5 2/3 innings against San Diego starter German Marquez.
However, they nearly took a 1-0 lead in the second. Moncada led off the inning with a deep drive to right-center that Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill made a highlight-reel grab on, reaching above the fence to deny Moncada of a home run. It was the third time this season that Merrill robbed a batter of a home run.
The Padres took a 2-0 lead in the eighth inning against Zeferjahn, who walked Fermin and Cronenworth on eight straight balls to open the inning. Laureano then grounded a single to center to drive in Fermin, and Tatis followed with a slow roller into shallow right to drive in Cronenworth.
Los Angeles cut the lead to 2-1 in the eighth on Schanuel’s single, driving in Logan O’Hoppe who had singled and advanced to second on a single by Adam Frazier.
San Diego then added a pair of insurance runs in the ninth on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Laureano followed by an RBI single from Tatis.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braylon Mullins passes on NBA draft, staying at UConn
Apr 6, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) controls the ball against Michigan Wolverines guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (11) during the second half in the national championship of the Final Four of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament between the and the Michigan Wolverines at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images UConn’s sharp-shooting wing Braylon Mullins announced Saturday on social media that he is passing on entering the NBA draft and returning to the Huskies for his sophomore season.
Mullins, regarded as a first-round and possible lottery pick in the 2026 draft in June, made the announcement on Instagram on his 20th birthday.
The slender 6-foot-6 Mullins, a five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American out of Greenfield, Ind., was a unanimous pick for the Big East All-Freshman Team after averaging 12.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 33 games after missing the first six with an ankle injury. He started 29 of UConn’s final 30 games.
His 72 3-pointers were second most for a freshman in UConn history. He shot 33.5% (72 of 215), with his most famous the shot of the NCAA Tournament.
Mullins’ 35-footer with 0.3 seconds left beat Duke 73-72 in the Elite Eight, sending UConn to the Final Four. The Huskies (34-6) later lost 69-63 to No. 1 Michigan in the national championship game.
Earlier on Saturday, rising sophomore Nikolas Khamenia announced he was transferring from Duke. The 6-foot-8 wing joins a squad returning Mullins and point guard Silas Demary Jr., wing Jayden Ross, transfer Najai Hines (Seton Hall) and incoming freshmen Colben Landrew and Junior County.
UConn is waiting on guard Solo Ball to announce his plans and has lost forward Jaylin Stewart and center Eric Reibe to the transfer portal.
–Field Level Media
NHL roundup: Flyers win Game 1 of in-state playoff series vs. Penguins
Padres halt Angels' scorching offense, even series
