Sports
Wild return from winning road trip to battle Lightning
Oct 22, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Minnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello (36) shoots the puck against the Florida Panthers during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Nearly 10 games into their new season, the Minnesota Wild find themselves in a battle at the top of the NHL’s Central Division.
Coach John Hynes’ club seems to be up to the task.
Following a lengthy and successful road trip, the Wild will open a three-game homestand when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning Friday night in Saint Paul, Minn.
The team’s recent seven-game road trip started in Winnipeg before stops in Missouri, Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania, battleground homes for some of the league’s top clubs.
One of the results of the 5-1-1 road trip was a solid 4-2 win in Tampa against the Lightning, completing a two-game sweep of the Sunshine State after Minnesota throttled the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers 5-1.
The lone pointless blemish on the trip was a 7-5 setback in Philadelphia to the struggling Flyers. Minnesota held a 4-3 lead in the final period before the home side, which produced 17 shots in the frame, tallied four times to rally for the victory.
In the finale in Pittsburgh, former Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury won for the second time this season in his 100th appearance for the Wild.
It was also his final game in the Steel City, where he won three Stanley Cups, and the 563rd victory, second-most in NHL history, of a Hall of Fame career.
“There was some extra motivation to get (Fleury) the win,” said Mats Zuccarello, alluding to the goalie’s 21st and final season.
Minnesota produced its first regulation win in Pittsburgh since Nov. 10, 2016, concluding a road trip that spanned 17 days.
“I just like the mindset we’re playing with, and we need to keep going in that direction,” Hynes said after beating the Lightning last Thursday in Tampa, the site of Fleury’s other victory.
In Denver Wednesday night to open a four-game road trip against exclusively Central competition, Tampa Bay jumped all over the Colorado Avalanche early and looked nothing offensively like a club that lost its best scorer ever.
After getting tallies from Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel and Conor Geekie in the game’s first 5:32, the Lightning added a second by Guentzel and Anthony Cirelli’s empty-netter for a convincing 5-2 win over the injury-plagued Avalanche.
That gave the Steven Stamkos-less Lightning a three-game winning streak and showed they still have a dangerous offense. They beat Colorado goalie Kaapo Kahkonen four times in 20 shots in his franchise debut.
Last season’s Art Ross Trophy winner with 144 points, his second time earning the award for the top points producer, Kucherov recorded a goal and two assists for his fifth multi-point game and 250th of his career.
The 31-year-old right winger surprised Kahkonen and Guentzel by slipping a pass back to the new forward as Kucherov zipped around the net, leading to an easy score as the goalie followed the Russian star instead of defending the open cage.
“That was just unbelievable, eyes-in-the-back-of-his-head (stuff),” said Guentzel, who has hit the net four times after a sluggish start.
Andrei Vasilevskiy was strong again in goal, allowing just two to get by on 35 shots to notch his third consecutive win and 299th of his outstanding career.
Cirelli’s potted his 99th all-time marker.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lenyn Sosa's late clutch hit lifts Jays over skidding Angels
Apr 21, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) beats the tag of Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe (14) to score during the eighth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Pinch hitter Lenyn Sosa drilled a tiebreaking two-run double during a three-run eighth inning to propel the Toronto Blue Jays to a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night at Anaheim, Calif.
Eloy Jimenez had two RBIs and Vladimir Guerrero scored twice for the Blue Jays, who defeated the Angels for the second straight night and matched their season best of three straight wins.
Ernie Clement and Daulton Varsho had two hits apiece for Toronto. Louie Varland entered to induce a game-ending double play with the bases loaded for his first career save.
Oswald Peraza had two hits and a run for the Angels, who had just five hits overall. Los Angeles has scored just six runs during a season-worst four-game losing streak.
Clement’s one-out double inside the left field line got the decisive uprising going against Drew Pomeranz (0-2) in the eighth. Guerrero was walked intentionally and Sosa came up and ripped a 1-1 fastball off the wall in right to give Toronto a 3-1 lead.
Jimenez followed with a ground single through the right side to score Clement.
Mason Fluharty (1-0) retired the final two batters of the seventh and Tyler Rogers worked a perfect eighth for Toronto.
Struggling closer Jeff Hoffman started the ninth and created a jam. He struck out Zach Neto to start the inning before allowing Mike Trout’s single to left and plunking Jo Adell on the right hand and Jorge Soler on the left elbow to load the bases.
Yoan Moncada then pinch-hit for Peraza and hit an RBI single to right to bring the Angels within 4-2 and end Hoffman’s night. Varland entered and got Nolan Schanuel to hit his first pitch on the ground to Toronto second baseman Clement, who began to turn the decisive double play with shortstop Andres Gimenez’s throw to first narrowly beating the diving Schanuel.
Toronto starter Patrick Corbin allowed one run and two hits over five innings. He struck out three and walked two.
Los Angeles starter Jack Kochanowicz gave up one run and five hits over 5 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out one.
The Angels moved ahead in the fifth when Peraza and Schanuel hit one-out singles and Vaughn Grissom followed with a sacrifice fly to score Peraza.
Toronto had a similar frame in the sixth when Guerrero and Jesus Sanchez had consecutive one-out singles and Jimenez plated Guerrero with a sacrifice fly.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Seeking elusive win, Austin FC tasked with slowing Quakes
Apr 19, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Jose Earthquakes forward Ousseni Bouda (7) runs with the ball against Los Angeles Football Club defender Eddie Segura (4) during the first period at BMO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn Images The San Jose Earthquakes are enjoying the best eight-match start in franchise history and coach Bruce Arena doesn’t want to hear any chatter about a letdown.
The destructive Earthquakes (7-1-0, 21 points) have outscored opponents 17-3 and look to inflict more damage when they host Austin FC on Wednesday night.
Austin FC (1-3-4, 7 points) is winless in their past six MLS matches (0-3-3).
“There are no trap games in this league,” Arena told reporters. “Any team can beat you on a given day in this league. We understand that. It’s going to be a difficult game on Wednesday. We played Austin last year and I think we split with them. … It’s going to be a difficult game.”
The teams split two regular-season matches last season while Austin also won a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal matchup. San Jose is 3-2-6 in 11 all-time MLS matches against Austin.
The Earthquakes are fresh off Sunday’s 4-1 pummeling of host Los Angeles FC. Ousseni Bouda posted a brace and has a team-best four goals.
Bouda is in his fifth season with San Jose. He sees a definitive change in this season’s squad after the Quakes missed the playoffs last season.
“I think it’s the culture we set for ourselves this year,” Bouda said. “I think everybody is all bought in. We’re taking it one game at a time. It’s only about eight games in right now, so there’s a lot of games left and we want to stay consistent and continue to get better throughout the season as well.”
Austin certainly would like to collect a much-needed victory. The club led late on Saturday before host Toronto FC tallied in the 88th minute to gain a 3-3 tie.
Austin coach Nico Estevez said one key is making sure his players aren’t intimidated by San Jose.
“You can’t be afraid,” Estevez said. “You have to go and be aggressive and you have to attack them. You have to find their weaknesses that every team has and minimize their strengths.”
Austin is winless in four road matches (0-2-2) but one of those was a 2-2 tie against Inter Miami and Lionel Messi on April 4.
That showing has Austin players feeling they can give the Earthquakes a battle.
“We’ve had good performances and shown we can play against top teams in the league,” forward CJ Fodrey said. “It’s about being confident throughout 90 (minutes) and turning those good performances into results.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Landen Roupp, Giants claim first matchup of season with Dodgers
Apr 21, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp (65) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images Landen Roupp outpitched Yoshinobu Yamamoto, San Francisco got RBI singles from Rafael Devers and Jung Hoo Lee in a three-run first inning, and the Giants held off the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1 in the opener of a three-game series Tuesday night.
Roupp (4-1) allowed just one run on one hit in five innings, then watched five relievers combine for four innings of shutout ball, helping the Giants open a six-game homestand with a win after a 4-5 trip.
Roupp struck out seven and walked five in his first career win over the Dodgers.
Seeking his first-ever victory over the Giants, Yamamoto (2-2) went seven innings, allowing six hits and three runs, all of which scored in the first. He walked two and fanned seven.
Willy Adames got the cold night rolling for San Francisco with an infield single, after which Luis Arraez singled and Matt Chapman walked to load the bases.
Each of the next three batters delivered single runs, with Devers’ single chasing home Adames, Casey Schmitt’s sacrifice fly scoring Arraez, and Lee’s single plating Chapman.
Roupp allowed a two-out single by Hyeseong Kim in the second but no other hits until a wild spate in the fourth. He walked four of the first five batters he faced that inning, including Kim with the bases loaded to force home Teoscar Hernandez.
The right-hander got out of the one-out jam by inducing a double play grounder off the bat of Alex Call.
The Dodgers got the potential tying run on the bases with two outs in the seventh before Erik Miller struck out Kyle Tucker to retain the 3-1 lead.
Ryan Walker worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his second save.
Ryan Borucki, Matt Gage and Keaton Winn also contributed to the three-hitter in the first meeting of the season between the longtime California rivals.
Lee was the only player in the game with multiple hits, a pair of singles. The Giants out-hit the visitors 6-3, with the Dodgers’ Hernandez stroking the game’s only extra-base hit, a double.
–Field Level Media
