June 8, 2021 3:54 am
UNDATED (AP) – Mathew Barzal scored one power-play goal and assisted on another, and Semyon Varlamov stopped 40 shots to give the New York Islanders a 5-4 victory over the Boston Bruins and a 3-2 lead in their second-round playoff series. The Islanders have won two in a row to take their first lead in the series. They can advance to the Stanley Cup semifinals in Game 6 at home Wednesday. Kyle Palmieri, Josh Bailey and Jordan Eberle all scored in the second period, when the Islanders opened a 4-2 lead. Brock Nelson made it 5-2 just two minutes into the third after Jeremy Swayman replaced Tuukka Rask in the Bruins goal.
And in other Monday NHL playoff action: Tyler Toffoli scored at 1:39 of overtime to lift the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets and a four-game sweep of their second-round playoff series. Erik Gustafsson and Artturi Lehkonen scored in regulation for Montreal, which has won seven straight playoff games since trailing Toronto 3-1 in the opening round. Toffoli also had an assist. Carey Price made 14 saves. Montreal awaits the winner of the Colorado-Vegas series, which is tied 2-2. Game 5 is tonight in Denver. Rookie defenseman Logan Stanley had two goals for Winnipeg
June 7, 2021 3:55 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Sandy Alcantara cruised through eight innings, ending the Miami Marlins’ longest losing streak in six years at eight games with a 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Jesus Aguilar hit a long solo home run and added a sacrifice fly for Miami. Alcantara gave up one run and six hits, striking out six. The right-hander allowed a leadoff double to Adam Frazier in the eighth, but retired the next three batters to finish his outing. The Marlins last lost eight straight in 2015.
June 7, 2021 3:53 am
DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) – Patrick Cantlay is the Memorial winner again on a Sunday filled with drama. But it did not include Jon Rahm. Cantlay made a 12-foot par putt on the first playoff hole to beat Collin Morikawa. Some 24 hours earlier, Cantlay was six shots behind Rahm, who looked like a runaway winner. No sooner had Rahm finished that he was notified of a positive test for the coronavirus and he was knocked out of the tournament. That left Cantlay and Morikawa tied for the lead. It stayed that way much of the final round until Cantlay got him at the end.
June 6, 2021 7:36 am
PITTSBURGH — Jacob Stallings hit a game-ending single in the 12th inning that lifted the Pittsburgh Pirates over Miami 8-7 on Saturday and extended the Marlins’ longest losing streak in six years to eight games. Automatic runner Adam Frazier advanced to third on Ke’Bryan Hayes’ flyout leading off the 12th against Adam Cimber (1-2). Bryan Reynolds was intentionally walked, and Stallings lined a single to center. Stallings now has five game-ending hits in his career and two this season. He hit an extra-inning home run against Milwaukee last month and a three-run double in the eighth against Miami on Thursday. Jesús Aguilar tied the score at 6 with an RBI single off Richard Rodriguez, who blew a save for the second time in nine chances. Miami’s Isan Díaz and Pittsburgh’s Gregory Polanco hit sacrifice flies in the 10th. Clay Holmes (2-0) pitched a perfect 12th. Pittsburgh trailed 5-2 before a four-run eighth helped by pitcher Anthony Bender’s error. Bender relieved Bass and forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk to Kevin Newman, then hit Ka’ai Tom with a pitch. With the bases loaded and two outs, pinch-hitter Michel Perez hit a soft ground ball to the right of Aguilar at first. He tossed to the pitcher, but Bender missed the ball. Polanco scored from third and Kevin Newman from second.
June 6, 2021 1:57 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin has had surgery on his right knee and will not be available when the team reports for training camp in September. The team made the announcement Friday but did not provide specifics on when Malkin underwent the procedure or the nature of the surgery. Malkin injured the knee in a collision against Boston on March 16. He missed seven weeks before returning to appear for the final four games of the regular season. Malkin aggravated the injury before the first round of the playoffs. The Russian star sat out Games 1 and 2 against the New York Islanders but did have a goal and four assists in four games during Pittsburgh’s first-round exit.
June 6, 2021 1:43 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Favorite Essential Quality won the Belmont Stakes to give trainer Brad Cox his first win a Triple Crown race. He could get another from the Kentucky Derby if Bob Baffert-trained Medina Spirit is disqualified. Essential Quality passed early leader Hot Rod Charlie around the final turn and held on to win the 1 1/2-mile $1 million race. Hot Rod Charlie was second, Preakness winner Rombauer third and Known Agenda fourth. The race was run without any horses from Baffert. New York suspended Baffert indefinitely after Medina Spirit failed a post-Derby drug test.
June 5, 2021 3:58 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Rookie Ke’Bryan Hayes homered for the second game in a row since being activated from the injured list and drove in three runs to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 9-2 victory over the Miami Marlins. Hayes hit a two-run home run in the first inning and an RBI single during a five-run sixth that broke the game open. He connected Thursday in his first game after missing two months with a sprained left wrist. NL hits leader Adam Frazier had two hits, two RBIs and three runs scored for Pittsburgh. Miami, which lost its seventh straight game, got two doubles from rookie Jose Devers.
June 3, 2021 3:44 am
SOFTBALL–CLICK for WPIAL Brackets— Bethel Park’s Sandra Soltes homered twice, including a first-inning grand slam, and drove in eight runs leading the Blackhawks to their first-ever WPIAL softball championship, downing Canon-McMillan, 9-2, in Thursday’s title game. Canon-McMillan hadn’t been to the finals since losing the 2014 title tilt. Bethel Park had lost its three previous championship game appearances (1981, 1987, 1994). Both teams had already qualified for the state playoffs which begin Monday.
West Greene (1A) pounded Union, 17-2, in four innings, winning their fifth straight WPIAL title. The Pioneers join Sto-Rox (2000-2004) and Hempfield (2015-2019) as the only teams to win five consecutive WPIAL softball championships.
BASEBALL–CLICK for WPIAL Brackets— Brock Wallace scored twice, Jake Orr and Austin Beattie combined on a five-hitter as McGuffey downed Avonworth, 2-1, taking third place in WPIAL Class 3A. With the win, the Highlanders secured their first-ever PIAA playoff berth. McGuffey will travel into District 10 to play Hickory, the D10 champion.
Jack Lutte scored one run and drove in the other as Peters Township edged West Allegheny, 2-1, taking third place in Class 5A. Sam Miller got the win, holding WA to one run and three hits in five innings. Tucker Ferris threw two shutout innings to pick up the save. Both have already clinched PIAA berths. Carmichaels lost to Serra, 7-2, Tuesday evening but the Mikes already had their state berth in hand. Jeff-Morgan lost to Eden Christian, 9-2, ending the Mikes’ season.
WPIAL Championships at California University’s Lilley Field
Thursday, June 3
Bethel Park, 9, Canon-McMillan 2
PIAA First Round
Monday, June 7 (broadcasts, sites & times to be announced)
5A Peters Township vs. D6 champion Central Mountain, likely at Bald Eagle High School
3A McGuffey vs. D10 champion Hickory, likely at Slippery Rock University
2A Carmichaels vs. D9 champion Johnsonburg
6A Canon-McMillan vs. D6 champion Mifflin County, likely at Penn State University
1A West Greene vs. District 5 runner-up (Meyersdale/Shade loser)
June 4, 2021 3:49 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Jacob Stallings hit a three-run double in the eighth inning, lifting the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-3 victory over the Miami Marlins. Trailing 3-2, the Pirates loaded the bases with two outs on a single by NL hits leader Adam Frazier and walks to Bryan Reynolds and Gregory Polanco. Stallings then doubled to left against Dylan Floro, sending the Marlins to their season-high sixth consecutive loss. Reynolds also homered for the Pirates, who stopped a three-game slide. Rookie Ke’Bryan Hayes, fresh off the injured list, had two hits.
June 4, 2021 3:51 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Boston Bruins have taken a two-games-to-one lead in the Stanley Cup second-round series, while the Carolina Hurricanes have climbed within 2-1 in their series. Brad Marchand scored 3:36 into overtime to give the Bruins a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders. The Bruins went ahead, 1-0 on Craig Smith’s goal 5:52 into the contest. Boston maintained the lead until Mat Barzal notched his first goal of the postseason, beating Tuukka Rask with 5:26 left in regulation. Rask stopped Barzal on a point-blank shot early in OT and finished with 28 saves.
Semyon Varlamov handled 39 shots for the Islanders, who will host Game 4 on Saturday.
In Tampa, Carolina blew a 2-0 lead before Jordan Staal netted a power-play goal 5:57 into the extra session to give the Hurricanes a 3-2 victory. It was Staal’s fifth goal of the playoffs and left the home team 0-3 in the series. Brett Pesce and Sebastian Aho scored 2:25 apart early in the second period, but Brayden Point tallied 77 seconds later before setting up Alex Killorn’s goal late in the second. Petr Mrazek stopped 35 shots in his first appearance of the postseason. Game 4 is Saturday.
