If Thursday night’s home game with the Edmonton Elks has taken a back seat for the Saskatchewan Roughriders since late Saturday night, it’s understandable.

Jayden Dalke, a linebacker in his fifth year with the team, died after an auto accident at age 30. His car was driving the wrong way on a highway between Lumsden, Sask., and Regina when it hit another vehicle, whose driver also perished.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police reported that cannabis and alcohol were found inside Dalke’s vehicle. It’s also been revealed that Dalke stopped for gas in Lumsden and left without paying.

Saskatchewan canceled practice Sunday and briefly considered postponing the game but opted to play. The Roughriders were off last week after routing Hamilton 38-7 on July 12 to improve to 4-1.

How are players trying to focus on a game days after losing a team captain?

“Just be where your feet are,” said quarterback Trevor Harris. “You know, two things can be true at once. You can be focused on a goal that Dalke would want us to be focused on. And we can also mourn his loss.”

While Saskatchewan ping-pongs between readying for a game and mourning the loss of a teammate, Edmonton (5-1) makes the trip as the West leader. The Elks are coming off a 19-17 home win on Friday night over the BC Lions.

Defense was the primary reason for the result as Edmonton intercepted four passes from backup quarterback Chase Brice and converted those into 16 points. The Elks have pilfered 10 passes in the last three games and lead the league with 59 points off turnovers.

“It definitely feels good to get our offense back the ball and see those guys work because that’s a high powered offense,” said defensive back Kenneth Logan Jr. “Any chance we can get our hands on the ball and create a turnover, and create a spark for our team, that’s what we’re willing to do.”

If recent form holds, expect a close game. Last year’s season series saw the teams split two games with Saskatchewan winning 21-18 at home and Edmonton prevailing 27-25 in the Alberta rematch.

–Field Level Media

Jonquel Jones sank one of two free throws with 3.4 seconds left as the New York Liberty made a dramatic fourth-quarter rally to edge the Chicago Sky 95-94 on Wednesday night in Brooklyn.

Jones’ free throw capped a wild final minute for the Liberty (15-12), who trailed the Sky by eight with 58 seconds left. Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu made a long three with 56 seconds left, then another with 27 seconds to go to make it a two-point game, 93-91.

After Ionescu’s second three, teammate Breanna Stewart was called for a foul on Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot, but Vandersloot made only one of two free throws with 26 seconds to go in regulation. Ionescu then drove to the basket, scored and was fouled with 15 seconds to play. She made her free throw to tie the game at 94.

Chicago had time to set up and Vandersloot fired a pass to Kamilla Cardoso inside, but Cardoso’s layup rolled off and Cardoso was whistled for a foul grabbing at Jones for the rebound.

The Sky (9-18) have now lost their last two games in the final seconds after losing to the host Atlanta Dream on Jordin Canada’s buzzer-beating layup on Sunday. Chicago led by as many as 12 points on Wednesday.

Ionescu finished with a team-high 29 points and made five threes. Jones, hampered with foul trouble most of the night, finished with 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Stewart totaled 20 points and nine boards.

Sky rookie Sydney Taylor was magnificent in the loss, finishing with a career-high 31. Vandersloot added 14 and Cardoso 10.

In the first half, the Liberty achieved the unusual circumstance of leading after the first bucket of the half, and leading after the last, but with Chicago ahead the whole way in between.

After the Liberty took a 2-0 lead, Chicago seized control and led 12-5 after a long three by Taylor with 7:23 remaining in the quarter. Chicago carried a 32-26 advantage after one.

The Sky went on a 6-0 run midway through the second quarter with Azura Stevens converting a pair of free throws for a 46-39 lead with 2:54 left, matching the biggest lead of the first half.

With Jones on the bench with three fouls, things looked bad for the Liberty, but they dominated the last three minutes of the half. Han Xu, Jones’ replacement, scored inside, then Stewart put back her own miss.

Rebekah Gardner scored on a putback with 52 seconds left to pull the Liberty to 46-45, then Ionescu drained a long three to give New York a 48-46 halftime lead.

–Field Level Media

Max Fried pitched five innings in a stellar return from the injured list and Jasson Dominguez hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the seventh inning on Wednesday night as the New York Yankees recorded a 2-0 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates in Game 2 of a split doubleheader.

New York won for the seventh time in 10 games after allowing two runs in the 10th inning in a 5-3 Game 1 loss on Wednesday afternoon. The Yankees avoided getting swept at home in a doubleheader for the first time since May 22, 2022, against the Chicago White Sox.

After throwing just 52 pitches in his only rehab start, Fried was not fully stretched in his first major league start since May 13.

Fried struck out seven and walked one in his 57-pitch outing. The left-hander threw seven different pitches, averaged 96 mph with his four-seam fastball and retired the final 12 batters he faced.

Fried allowed a single to Nick Gonzales to start his outing but left fielder Cody Bellinger made a strong throw to second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. to stop him from stretching it into a double. The only other runner Fried allowed was a walk to rookie Esmerlyn Valdez to start the second.

The left-hander wound up with a no-decision because the Yankees did little against Pittsburgh starter Bubba Chandler, who allowed two hits in 6 1/3 innings. Chandler struck out five and walked one before the Yankees pieced together two runs against Brandon Eisert (2-2)

Chandler was lifted after retiring Paul Goldschmidt to start the seventh. Bellinger followed with a walk and raced home on Dominguez’s double to the left field corner.

On the next pitch, Anthony Volpe followed with a double to left for a 2-0 lead as Dominguez beat left fielder Bryan Reynolds’ throw.

After Fried’s outing ended, Angel Chivilli pitched a scoreless sixth and exited after an infield hit by Jared Triolo. Paul Blackburn (3-1) stranded two runners in the seventh and continued his emergence as a high-leverage reliever by tossing two innings.

Will Warren, who was scheduled to start before Tuesday’s game was rained out, put two on in the ninth before Tim Hill retired Ryan O’Hearn to secure his fifth career save and first since 2021.

–Field Level Media