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Locked On Giants – Daily Podcast On The San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants' 2023 season has been a wild roller coaster ride. The Giants struggled at first, then became red hot, then became ice cold, and now, in the last six days, they've been hot again. With 16 SF Giants games remaining in the regular season, fans have questions: Daniel: Taking a more balanced question here, a rose and a thorn. What is your rose for the season, something positive to take away no matter what happens, and a negative thorn, again no matter what happens (even if the Giants go on to make a deep playoff run somehow)? DP: Who is worthy of keeping on the offense for next year? LaMonte Wade Jr., J.D. Davis, Austin Slater, and Mike Yastrzemski (injuries) had very good first halves but have disappeared in the last few months. Joc Pederson and Brandon Crawford can't come back. Juan: Kind of far away but how many guys do you see getting non tendered at the end of the year? Yaz? JD? Vinnie: You are now King. What three moves would you make to make the SF Giants more competitive in 2024? Kyle: Where is the on-field leadership? Brian: Why does ownership love Farhan Zaidi and Kapler Gabe Kapler, and this uninspired and boring brand of baseball that the majority of the fans can't stand? Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:
Locked On Giants – Daily Podcast On The San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants' offensive collapse since late June has been historic and profound. At about the midway point of the season, Giants position players were riding high. Players like J.D. Davis and LaMonte Wade Jr. looked deserving of being All-Stars. Joc Pederson was mashing as usual. Pretty much the whole position player mix was rolling—and then every came to a screeching halt. With the exception of Wilmer Flores, somewhat hilariously, the SF Giants' offense has been atrocious pretty much across the board. Has pitching and defense played a role in the collapse? Not really, as the Giants' ERA has been about the same throughout the whole season in terms of where it ranks. They're about 10th overall, 10th through June 24, and 10th after June 25. And the SF Giants' defense has actually been a somewhat surprising positive for a team that was awful defensively last year. The Giants' playoffs odds haven't been this low since early-ish May. FanGraphs estimates the Giants' playoff odds at around 36%. The bad news is that they were as high as 67% just four days ago(!). The good news is absolutely no one would be surprised to see a hitter with a .360 batting average get a hit in a random at-bat, and that's what we're talking about here. Only 24 games remain, and the Giants must start playing better right here, right now. Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:
Nick Cellini and Chris Dimino talk everything Atlanta Sports, the National Sports picture and the current (and WAY back when) in pop culture! Get the latest and your fill of Atlanta Braves, Georgia Bulldogs, Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Hawks daily from two "Southern" Yankees daily Mon-Fri from 11a-2p! The 11AM Hour of Cellini & Dimino is sponsored by Hayes Chrysler Dodge Jeep & Ram Twitter Question of the Day Braves Daily Headline presented by Prometheus by Dr. Malik On Campus presented by Subaru of Gwinnett High School Football History made in Georgia Drive Around the Sports World presented by Marietta Toyota See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nick Cellini and Chris Dimino talk everything Atlanta Sports, the National Sports picture and the current (and WAY back when) in pop culture! Get the latest and your fill of Atlanta Braves, Georgia Bulldogs, Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Hawks daily from two "Southern" Yankees daily Mon-Fri from 11a-2p! The 11AM Hour of Cellini & Dimino is sponsored by Hayes Chrysler Dodge Jeep & Ram Twitter Question of the Day Braves Daily Headline presented by Prometheus by Dr. Malik On Campus presented by Subaru of Gwinnett High School Football History made in Georgia Drive Around the Sports World presented by Marietta Toyota See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nick Cellini and Chris Dimino talk everything Atlanta Sports, the National Sports picture and the current (and WAY back when) in pop culture! Get the latest and your fill of Atlanta Braves, Georgia Bulldogs, Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Hawks daily from two "Southern" Yankees daily Mon-Fri from 11a-2p! The 11AM Hour of Cellini & Dimino is sponsored by Hayes Chrysler Dodge Jeep & Ram Twitter Question of the Day Braves Daily Headline presented by Prometheus by Dr. Malik On Campus presented by Subaru of Gwinnett High School Football History made in Georgia Drive Around the Sports World presented by Marietta Toyota See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Locked On Giants – Daily Podcast On The San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants followed up an energizing win with yet another lifeless loss. The Giants' offensive funk has been persistent and profound. Even when the SF Giants show signs of coming out of it, they have another game like yesterday in which they scored only one run—again. Some of the pitching hasn't been much better. Home run-allowing machine Ross Stripling continued to serve up taters like it was his job. Several of Farhan Zaidi's moves haven't panned out in recent years, starting with the decision to let Kevin Gausman leave. Instead, they brought back Alex Wood, Anthony DeSclafani, Stripling, Sean Manaea, and Carlos Rodón. Rodón was great but left after a year and Manaea is showing signs of life, but otherwise it's looking like a rough collection of signings, particularly when Gausman wanted to return but SF didn't make him an offer. There was some controversy about Gabe Kapler seemingly making opposite moves with Wade Meckler in the span of three days. In the first game of the series, Kap let Meckler hit agianst a lefty with the bases loaded when Heliot Ramos was an option to pinch hit. In the series finale, he pinch hit Slater for Meckler with the bases loaded down by five runs. While this stirred some emotions, Slater is clearly a superior option against a lefty compared to Ramos (or, probably, Meckler) and so the decision was justifyable. The one argument that holds weight is that Joc Pederson was on deck and there was only one out. So Meckler could hit for himself (and hope to stay out of a double play) and Slater could hit for Joc. Slater's recent struggles don't matter much compared to his recent and prolonged stretch of excellence as a pinch hitter and vs. LHP in general. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Ibotta Download the free Ibotta app and use code MLB for $5 off when you register. eBay Motors For parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit. eBay Motors dot com. Let's ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. Bunches Download the Bunches App today and when you do, our friends at Bunches have featured the LOCKED ON MLB Bunch in the “Discover” tab. Find the Locked On MLB bunch HERE. Nutrafol Take the first step to visibly thicker, healthier hair. For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners ten dollars off your first month's subscription and free shipping when you go to Nutrafol.com/men and enter the promo code LOCKEDONMLB. Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase. FanDuel Make Every Moment More. Right now, when you bet on a Super Bowl Winner, you can GET BONUS BETS EVERY TIME THEY WIN IN THE REGULAR SEASON! FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON. Sleeper Download the Sleeper app and use promo code LOCKEDON and you'll get up to a $100 match on your first deposit. Terms and conditions apply. See Sleeper's Terms of Use for details. Currently operational in over 30 states. Check out Sleeper today! FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Locked On Giants – Daily Podcast On The San Francisco Giants
We don't need to look at numbers to tell us that the San Francisco Giants' offense has been dreadful for weeks. But in this case, a look at the numbers is warranted. The Giants have a .272 wOBA since June 25, the worst mark in MLB by a lot. However, their expected wOBA, based on strikeouts, walks, and quality of contact, is much, much higher. Their xwOBA is .306, which is not great by any stretch. But it is, however, 34 points higher than their actual wOBA. And that 34-point gap is double the next closest team. In other words, the Giants have been the unluckiest offense in MLB for six-plus weeks by two times. Several veteran SF Giants players have fallen victim to bad luck. Joc Pederson, Brandon Crawford, LaMonte Wade Jr., Michael Conforto, Austin Slater, and Mike Yastrzemski all have well below average results since June 25, but above average expected numbers. If we think back on some of the balls they've hit that have been caught, it's not hard to recall the frequent moments of poor fortune. Given all this, the Giants are lucky to have stayed afloat with such poor results offensively. Despite being by far the majors' worst offense over this span, the SF Giants have gone 18-20, which is far from disastrous. Their odds of winning the division have fallen drastically, but they're still in strong position to make the playoffs as a wild card team. Finally, one under-the-radar factor that could draw Shohei Ohtani to the San Francisco Giants is discussed. Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:
During our show today, the Giants made a trade for AJ Pollock and Mark Mathias from the Mariners for our favorite "player to be named later." Other than that, the Giants have less than 24 hours to pull off additional trades, and this one certainly doesn't move the needle with an aging 35-year-old Pollock hitting under .200 on the year and currently on the IL. What is surprising, is despite the 6-game losing streak, the Giants won 4 of 5 and have the third best record in the NL, hold the first wild card spot, and are only 2 games behind the Dodgers. That's a great position to be in. That said, we looked forward to August and what lies ahead is gonna be tough with two series against the Braves, and series against the Rays, Phillies, and Reds. Lots of winning teams coming up, but the Giants have to stay at or above .500 to keep in the race. It's gonna be an interesting month.www.torturecast.comfacebook.com/torturecast@torturecast
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. may have won this year's Home Run Derby, but Eno and Al are wondering why he has been hitting fewer homers so far in 2023. They also look at some takeaways from this week's All-Star Game, including lower velocity for several pitchers and Jordan Romano's back issues. Eno and Al also do a midseason recap of the top-15 starting pitchers in Roto value and try to better understand some enigmatic players, like Bryce Elder, Ha-Seong Kim and Joc Pederson. Rundown 1:05 What's going on with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s home run power? 4:34 All-Star Game takeaways 18:46 Reviewing the top 15 Roto starting pitchers 27:46 A few All-Star break news items 42:04 First-half enigmas Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris Follow Al on Twitter: @almelchiorBB e-mail: ratesandbarrels@theathletic.com Subscribe to The Athletic at $2/month for the first year: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Subscribe to the Rates & Barrels YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
San Francisco Giants outfielders, Mitch Haniger, Michael Conforto & Joc Pederson said hello during spring training before the start of this season!Joc Pederson shared which surprising musical artist he's been listening to lately a long with new comers, Mitch Haniger & Michael Conforto, who both reflected on their journeys to the big leagues!For videos of these interviews:Michael Conforto - https://youtu.be/n4titTxR3AgMitch Haniger - https://youtu.be/LD0J-RHD3usJoc Pederson - https://youtu.be/aBIvweFJmWEFor more exclusive content, follow the Jim on Base Show on social media (Twitter/Instagram/TikTok): @JimonBaseShow
Locked On Giants – Daily Podcast On The San Francisco Giants
The midway point of the 2023 MLB season is just three games away; after this large of a sample size, how should we evaluate the San Francisco Giants' offseason? The Giants' offseason was largely defined by the players they didn't sign, from Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa to Carlos Rodón. The Giants did bring back Joc Pederson and bring in Michael Conforto, Mitch Haniger, Sean Manaea, Ross Stripling, Taylor Rogers, and Luke Jackson. Those players have been a mixed bag. None have truly been great, with the exception of perhaps Rogers, and several have been big disappointments. But speaking of big disappointments, check out Carlos Correa's abysmal numbers or consider the fact that Rodón has yet to throw a pitch for the Yankees due to injuries. The trade deadline is approaching; what are the Giants' needs? It's pretty clear the Giants could use some starting pitching. What would it take to land Marcus Stroman? What about Dylan Cease? Is Shohei Ohtani available, and does he makes sense for the SF Giants? Will the Giants trade Joey Bart? So many questions to consider and we'll have our answers soon enough. Is it sustainable for the Giants to be doing so many bullpen games? First response would be that they aren't really "bullpen games" in the typical sense. Think of these games as being started by an opener, and then the "long reliever" or "bulk guy" who follows is essentially the starting pitcher, but he takes down the middle innings instead of the first many innings. The team is certainly cognizant of how this might affect their staff. Alex Cobb's imminent return to the Giants' rotation helps, and it seems clear that the Giants' biggest need at the trade deadline would be starting pitching. Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:
Murph and Mac go all in on Luis Matos and his first career home run, Joc Pederson comparing himself to Lightning McQueen, and Blake Sabol's base running error on today's Big HitSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Murph and Mac go all in on Luis Matos and his first career home run, Joc Pederson comparing himself to Lightning McQueen, and Blake Sabol's base running error on today's Big HitSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the Deep – Happy Pride Month! Jordan (@BuntSingles) and Shwebsi (@shwebsi) chat about how Ryan O'Hearn might be the first elite "cash considerations" hitter, Bryan Woo being the newest fun toy from the Mariners pitching factory, and more deep league value adds. Timestamps: Intro (0:16) Deep Dive - Ryan O'Hearn (6:38) Deep Dive - Griffin Canning (16:15) Team-by-team breakdown of
In the Deep – Happy Pride Month! Jordan (@BuntSingles) and Shwebsi (@shwebsi) chat about how Ryan O'Hearn might be the first elite "cash considerations" hitter, Bryan Woo being the newest fun toy from the Mariners pitching factory, and more deep league value adds. Timestamps: Intro (0:16) Deep Dive - Ryan O'Hearn (6:38) Deep Dive - Griffin Canning (16:15) Team-by-team breakdown of
Joc Pederson joins Papa & Lund to discuss the recent hot streak of the Giants heading into a huge series against the DbacksSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Joc Pederson joins Papa & Lund to discuss the recent hot streak of the Giants heading into a huge series against the DbacksSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Markus "The Waterboy" Boucher recaps the Giants second straight walk-off win over the San Diego Padre's and the rookies Luis Matos, Patrick Bailey & Casey Schmitt setting the table for Joc Pederson's walk-off walk!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
So are we looking at a Reds vs. Giants NLCS? The Giants have won 9 straight and playing mistake free ball, setting up back to back walk off wins highlighted by Joc Pederson's epic at bat. Meanwhile the Reds have made it 10 straight with TJ Friedl slugging the way today and the Cincinnati speed putting Colorado on their heels. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Birddogs Go to birddogs.com/lockedonmlb and they'll throw in a free custom birddogs Yeti-style tumbler with every order. eBay Motors For parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit. eBay Motors dot com. Let's ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase. FanDuel Make Every Moment More. Don't miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
Locked On Giants – Daily Podcast On The San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants just can't be stopped right now. Even when it looks like the Giants are going to lose, they're finding a way to come back and win. That's been the case in two straight games against the Padres, with the Giants falling behind early but coming back in the late innings to win. Last night, the SF Giants' winning rally was started by Luis Matos, who continued to show excellent plate discipline and drew a walk. Patrick Bailey continued to show poise beyond his years as he rocketed a single to left. Casey Schmitt, of all people, drew a walk against Josh Hader. And after David Villar struck out, Joc Pederson drew a very tough left-on-left walk against Hader to literally 'walk' off the Padres. The unsung heroes in the Giants' comebacks were their rookie pitchers Tristan Beck (last night) and Keaton Winn (on the previous night). The Giants have used their pitching staff in a non-traditional way—to great effect. The SF Giants probably don't win either game if Winn and Beck don't take down a combined eight innings of one run ball. The San Francisco Giants' bullpen has been elite lately, and taking down more innings than any other team. Finally, the Giants had one great development on the health front and one bad development. J.D. Davis, who is more than deserving of being an All-Star this year, returned to the starting lineup at third base for the first time since spraining his ankle in St. Louis. LaMonte Wade Jr., on the other hand, was a late scratch with side tightness and will have an MRI today. Hopefully it's nothing serious, because Wade is also clearly deserving of an All-Star nod this season as well. Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:
In the Deep – Happy Pride Month! Jordan (@BuntSingles) and Shwebsi (@shwebsi) chat about Jesús Sánchez's super-odd batted ball profile, Joey Wiemer's improving plate discipline, and more deep league value adds. Timestamps: Intro (0:16) Deep Dive - Michael A Taylor (4:30) Deep Dive - Griffin Canning (15:35) Team-by-team breakdown of
In the Deep – Happy Pride Month! Jordan (@BuntSingles) and Shwebsi (@shwebsi) chat about Jesús Sánchez's super-odd batted ball profile, Joey Wiemer's improving plate discipline, and more deep league value adds. Timestamps: Intro (0:16) Deep Dive - Michael A Taylor (4:30) Deep Dive - Griffin Canning (15:35) Team-by-team breakdown of
(02:10) – Francisco Alvarez continue to shine with the Mets(04:00) – D.J. makes the case for why Joc Pederson is a worthwhile pickup(05:35) – Michael Taylor should be a mainstay in the Twins lineup and a solid source of steals(07:30) – Christian Encarnacion-Strand looks to be the next top Reds prospect to be called up to the big leagues now as he looks is another top(time) – Pitchers to monitor: Dean Kremer in Baltimore and Scott McGough out of the bullpen in Arizona, Tarik Skubal as a stash coming off injury and Griffin Canning(time) – Who do you believe in more: Rangers or Diamondbacks?
6-12 Murph and Mac discuss the good vibes from Oracle Park on Sunday as Crawford took the mound and Joc Pederson recorded another slash hit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
MLB – Major League Baseball Yesterday Arizona Diamondbacks 7, Detroit Tigers 5 Miami Marlins 6, Chicago White Sox 5 San Francisco Giants 13, Chicago Cubs 3 D-Backs 7, Tigers 5 – Diamondbacks score 4 in 9th, beat Tigers for 5th straight win, Detroit’s 9th loss in row Christian Walker hit a go-ahead double with two outs in a four-run ninth inning, and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat Detroit 7-5 for a three-game sweep that extended the Tigers’ losing streak to nine games. Detroit led 5-2 in the eighth before Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s RBI grounder. Carroll hit an RBI single in the ninth, and Walker hit an RBI double, with the go-ahead run scoring on left fielder Kerry Carpenter’s error. Geraldo Perdomo followed with a run-scoring single. Marlins 6, White Sox 5 – De La Cruz hits 2-run double as Miami Marlins rally past Chicago White Sox 6-5 Bryan De La Cruz hit a two-run double in Miami’s three-run ninth inning, and the Marlins beat the Chicago White Sox 6-5. Jorge Soler hit two of Miami’s four solo homers, helping the Marlins rally for the victory in the rubber game of the weekend set. Garrett Cooper and Jean Segura also connected. It was Miami’s fifth comeback win in its last seven games and No. 20 on the season. Miami scored five times in the ninth inning of a 5-1 victory on Saturday. The Marlins won for the 8th time in 9 games overall. They’re off to their best start since they also were 37-29 in 2004. Giants 13, Cubs 3 – Pederson, Estrada homer, SS Crawford pitches as Giants rout Cubs 13-3 Joc Pederson and Thairo Estrada each hit two-run homers and drove in four runs as the San Francisco Giants built a six-run lead through five innings and rolled to a 13-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. Blake Sabol added two hits and two RBIs for a Giants offense that banged out 15 hits less than 24 hours after being no-hit for 7 2/3 innings by Chicago’s Kyle Hendricks in a 4-0 loss. San Francisco used John Brebbia as an opener for the second consecutive game. Tristan Beck pitched two innings and earned the win for San Francisco. Gold Glove shortstop Brandon Crawford came off the bench to get the final three outs for the Giants. Yan Gomes had two hits for the Cubs. Tonight Atlanta (Morton 5-6) at Detroit (TBD), 6:40 p.m. News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 6:15 White Sox and Cubs are off MLB – White Sox closer Liam Hendriks sidelined by elbow inflammation White Sox closer Liam Hendriks has been sidelined by elbow inflammation after he missed the start of the season while he recovered from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Hendriks was placed on the 15-day injured list before the team’s 6-5 loss to the Miami Marlins. Left-hander Tanner Banks was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte. Hendriks made his major league return from cancer when he pitched an inning against the Los Angeles Angels on May 29. The 34-year-old right-hander is 2-0 with a save and a 5.40 ERA in five appearances this year. NBA – 2023 NBA Finals – (best of seven) Tonight Game 5 Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets, 8:30 p.m. (DEN leads 3-1) NBA – Nuggets try to avoid letdown with 1 win to go for team’s first title Everything from the history books to the way they’ve played through most of the postseason suggests the Denver Nuggets are on the verge of capturing their first NBA title in 47 years in the league. The goal now for Denver is to avoid a letdown against the Miami Heat in what will be the first title-clinching opportunity in franchise history. The Nuggets are trying to keep their minds on hoops, not that trophy, and the mission could be helped by the fact that Miami’s only win in this series came a week ago in Denver. Also, the Heat have won seven road games during the postseason. NBA – Conor McGregor knocks out Heat mascot in bizarre promotion at NBA Finals Former UFC champion Conor McGregor knocked out the Miami Heat mascot in a midgame bit that went wrong. The man who plays “Burnie,” briefly sought medical attention Friday night after taking two punches from McGregor during a third-quarter stoppage of Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Heat and the Denver Nuggets. The Heat said Saturday that the employee wearing the flame costume, who was not identified, received pain medication and was resting at home. NHL – 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Finals – (best of seven) Tuesday Game 5 Florida Panthers at Vegas Golden Knights, 8:00 p.m. (VGK leads 3-1) NHL – Golden Knights try not to think of Stanley Cup returning to Vegas on verge of title The Vegas Golden Knights left Florida on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup. The trophy will be in the building the next time they play. That’s back at home in Game 5 of the final on Tuesday night against the Panthers. But the immediate task at hand for players and coaches is not to dwell on how close they are to the franchise’s first title. The Golden Knights have shown all playoffs and throughout this series that they are championship-worthy. NHL – Status of Tkachuk is biggest question facing Panthers down 3-1 in Cup Final The status of leading scorer Matthew Tkachuk is the biggest question facing the Florida Panthers down 3-1 to Vegas in the Stanley Cup Final. Tkachuk left for a stretch during the third period of Game 4 because of an undisclosed injury. Coach Paul Maurice said any of his injured players would be treated before and after flying to Las Vegas for Game 5. Florida would make history by becoming the first team in 81 years to erase a 3-1 deficit in the final. Women’s National Basketball Association Yesterday Las Vegas Aces 93, Chicago Sky 80 Phoenix Mercury 85, Indiana Fever 82 Aces 93, Sky 80 – Wilson has 21 points, 10 rebounds as Aces cruise to 93-80 win over Sky A’ja Wilson had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Chelsea Gray added 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting and the Las Vegas Aces beat the Chicago Sky 93-80. Kelsey Plum had 16 points and Jackie Young scored 14 for Las Vegas. Marina Mabrey led Chicago with 20 points. Kahleah Copper scored 18 points and Dana Evans added 10 points and eight assists. Mercury 85, Fever 82 – Griner, Cunningham lead fourth-quarter rally, Mercury defeat Fever 85-82 Brittney Griner scored 29 points, Sophie Cunningham scored 11 of her 13 points in the fourth quarter, and the Phoenix Mercury defeated the Indiana Fever 85-82. Indiana built a 67-59 lead entering the fourth quarter before Cunningham hit two 3-pointers to spark a game-tying 8-0 run. NaLyssa Smith scored five straight points for Indiana and the Fever led 77-72 near the five-minute mark, she also finished with 29 points. WNBA –Mercury make travel ‘adjustments’ following airport incident with Griner Phoenix Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard says the WNBA team will adjust its travel plans following Saturday’s incident in the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Nygaard would not say what changes will be made, citing league policy and safety concerns about the team’s future road trips. Brittney Griner’s teammates say they were startled when a “social media figure” confronted Griner at the airport. Airport officials eventually escorted the team’s players to a different room with more privacy. The league says it approved charter flights to all road games this season for the All-Star after she returned from detainment in Russia. Golf – Nick Taylor wins Canadian Open, first Canadian champion since 1954 Nick Taylor became the first Canadian in 69 years to win his national open, holing a 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth playoff hole to beat Tommy Fleetwood in the RBC Canadian Open. Taylor tossed his putter into the air and jumped into the arms of his caddie after the longest made putt of his PGA Tour career. Fellow Canadian players Mike Weir, Corey Conners and Adam Hadwin were among those who ran out to the green to congratulate him. Hadwin was tackled on the green by a security guard. The last player from Canada to win the Canadian Open was Pat Fletcher in 1954 at Point Grey in Vancouver. Tennis – Djokovic wins his 23rd Grand Slam title by beating Ruud in the French Open final Novak Djokovic has won his men’s-record 23rd Grand Slam title with a 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5 victory over Casper Ruud in the French Open final. Djokovic broke a tie with Rafael Nadal for the most major singles trophies in the history of men’s tennis. Nadal is a 14-time champion at Roland Garros who missed the tournament because he is injured. Djokovic adds to the French Open titles he earned in 2016 and 2021. He is the only man with at least three titles from each major. He also won 10 trophies at the Australian Open, seven at Wimbledon and three at the U.S. Open. NASCAR – Martin Truex Jr. surges to 4th career Sonoma Raceway victory Martin Truex Jr. has won at Sonoma Raceway for the fourth time. He passed Chase Elliott for the lead after a late restart and held off Kyle Busch for his second NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season. Truex confidently drove his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to another victory on the hilly road course at the base of Northern California wine country, where he also won in 2013, 2018 and 2019. Only Jeff Gordon with five has more victories at Sonoma than Truex, who earned the 33rd win of his Cup career and his second in the last six races. NCAAFB – Michigan to face USC and UCLA in Big Ten’s new schedule rotation in 2024 Southern California and UCLA will both face Michigan during their first season as members of the Big Ten Conference in 2024. Next year will be the first season with 16 teams and no divisional format as the top two teams will qualify for the conference championship game. Big Ten teams will continue to play nine conference games. The Crosstown Showdown between USC and UCLA is one of 11 protected rivalries to guarantee it continues every year. MWL – Midwest League Baseball Last Night Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at West Michigan Whitecaps, PPD, Rain Lake County Captains at Great Lakes Loons, PPD Rain Lansing Lugnuts at South Bend Cubs, PPD, Rain Tonight No games tonight MHSAA – High School Sports Saturday Baseball – Regional Finals/State Quarterfinals Division 1 at Novi Battle Creek Lakeview 5, Livonia Franklin 4 Novi 4, Hartland 0 Quarterfinal Novi 12, Battle Creek Lakeview 2 Division 1 at Central Michigan University Traverse City West 6, Caledonia 2 Mattawan 12, Cedar Springs 0 Quarterfinal Mattawan 5, Traverse City West 0 -Mattawan will face Novia in semifinals Thursday at Michigan State University at 11:30 a.m. Division 2 at Kalamazoo College Grand Rapids Christian 8, Lakeshore 2 Olivet 3, Hamilton 1 Quarterfinal Grand Rapids Christian 12, Olivet 2 Division 3 at Cornerstone University, GR Watervliet 5, Chesaning 1 Lansing Catholic 7, North Muskegon 0 Quarterfinal Lansing Catholic 6, Watervliet 4 Division 3 at Adrian College Bridgman 4, Grass Lake 3 Ottawa Lake Whiteford 5, Jackson Lumen Christi 2 Quarterfinal Bridgman 4, Ottawa Lake Whiteford 3 – 9 inn. -Bridgman will face Standish Sterling in semifinals Thursday at Michigan State University at 5:30 p.m. Division 4 at Jackson Lumen Christi Decatur 11, Concord 4 Kal. Hackett 8, Petersburg-Summerfield 6 Quarterfinal Kalamazoo Hackett 7, Decatur 0 -Kalamazoo Hackett will face Beal City in semifinals Friday at Michigan State University at 2:30 p.m. Softball – Regional Semis/Finals Division 1 at Battle Creek Lakeview Portage Central 6, Mattawan 5 Brownstone Woodhaven 4, Saline 0 Regional Championship Brownstone Woodhaven 10, Portage Central 0 Division 2 at Berrien Springs Hamilton 4, Wayland 2 Vicksburg 9, Edwardsburg 4 Regional Championship Vicksburg 4, Hamilton 1 -Vicksburg will face Parma Western in quarterfinals Tuesday at Kalamazoo College at 4:00 p.m. Division 2 at Mason Three Rivers 6, Lake Odessa Lakewood 4 Parma Western 4, Lansing Waverly 2 Regional Championship Parma Western 3, Three Rivers 2 Division 3 at Watervliet Buchanan 13, Coloma 0 Kalamazoo Christian 11, Bronson 1 Regional Championship Buchanan 7, Kalamazoo Christian 1 -Buchanan will face Ravenna in quarterfinals Tuesday at Cornerstone University (GR) at 4:00 p.m. Division 4 at Colon River Valley 6, Decatur 5 Mendon 3, Burr Oak 1 Regional Championship Mendon 8, River Valley 7 -Mendon will face Fowler in quarterfinals Tuesday at Albion College at 5:30 p.m.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
MLB – Major League Baseball Yesterday Arizona Diamondbacks 7, Detroit Tigers 5 Miami Marlins 6, Chicago White Sox 5 San Francisco Giants 13, Chicago Cubs 3 D-Backs 7, Tigers 5 – Diamondbacks score 4 in 9th, beat Tigers for 5th straight win, Detroit’s 9th loss in row Christian Walker hit a go-ahead double with two outs in a four-run ninth inning, and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat Detroit 7-5 for a three-game sweep that extended the Tigers’ losing streak to nine games. Detroit led 5-2 in the eighth before Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s RBI grounder. Carroll hit an RBI single in the ninth, and Walker hit an RBI double, with the go-ahead run scoring on left fielder Kerry Carpenter’s error. Geraldo Perdomo followed with a run-scoring single. Marlins 6, White Sox 5 – De La Cruz hits 2-run double as Miami Marlins rally past Chicago White Sox 6-5 Bryan De La Cruz hit a two-run double in Miami’s three-run ninth inning, and the Marlins beat the Chicago White Sox 6-5. Jorge Soler hit two of Miami’s four solo homers, helping the Marlins rally for the victory in the rubber game of the weekend set. Garrett Cooper and Jean Segura also connected. It was Miami’s fifth comeback win in its last seven games and No. 20 on the season. Miami scored five times in the ninth inning of a 5-1 victory on Saturday. The Marlins won for the 8th time in 9 games overall. They’re off to their best start since they also were 37-29 in 2004. Giants 13, Cubs 3 – Pederson, Estrada homer, SS Crawford pitches as Giants rout Cubs 13-3 Joc Pederson and Thairo Estrada each hit two-run homers and drove in four runs as the San Francisco Giants built a six-run lead through five innings and rolled to a 13-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. Blake Sabol added two hits and two RBIs for a Giants offense that banged out 15 hits less than 24 hours after being no-hit for 7 2/3 innings by Chicago’s Kyle Hendricks in a 4-0 loss. San Francisco used John Brebbia as an opener for the second consecutive game. Tristan Beck pitched two innings and earned the win for San Francisco. Gold Glove shortstop Brandon Crawford came off the bench to get the final three outs for the Giants. Yan Gomes had two hits for the Cubs. Tonight Atlanta (Morton 5-6) at Detroit (TBD), 6:40 p.m. News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 6:15 White Sox and Cubs are off MLB – White Sox closer Liam Hendriks sidelined by elbow inflammation White Sox closer Liam Hendriks has been sidelined by elbow inflammation after he missed the start of the season while he recovered from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Hendriks was placed on the 15-day injured list before the team’s 6-5 loss to the Miami Marlins. Left-hander Tanner Banks was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte. Hendriks made his major league return from cancer when he pitched an inning against the Los Angeles Angels on May 29. The 34-year-old right-hander is 2-0 with a save and a 5.40 ERA in five appearances this year. NBA – 2023 NBA Finals – (best of seven) Tonight Game 5 Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets, 8:30 p.m. (DEN leads 3-1) NBA – Nuggets try to avoid letdown with 1 win to go for team’s first title Everything from the history books to the way they’ve played through most of the postseason suggests the Denver Nuggets are on the verge of capturing their first NBA title in 47 years in the league. The goal now for Denver is to avoid a letdown against the Miami Heat in what will be the first title-clinching opportunity in franchise history. The Nuggets are trying to keep their minds on hoops, not that trophy, and the mission could be helped by the fact that Miami’s only win in this series came a week ago in Denver. Also, the Heat have won seven road games during the postseason. NBA – Conor McGregor knocks out Heat mascot in bizarre promotion at NBA Finals Former UFC champion Conor McGregor knocked out the Miami Heat mascot in a midgame bit that went wrong. The man who plays “Burnie,” briefly sought medical attention Friday night after taking two punches from McGregor during a third-quarter stoppage of Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Heat and the Denver Nuggets. The Heat said Saturday that the employee wearing the flame costume, who was not identified, received pain medication and was resting at home. NHL – 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Finals – (best of seven) Tuesday Game 5 Florida Panthers at Vegas Golden Knights, 8:00 p.m. (VGK leads 3-1) NHL – Golden Knights try not to think of Stanley Cup returning to Vegas on verge of title The Vegas Golden Knights left Florida on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup. The trophy will be in the building the next time they play. That’s back at home in Game 5 of the final on Tuesday night against the Panthers. But the immediate task at hand for players and coaches is not to dwell on how close they are to the franchise’s first title. The Golden Knights have shown all playoffs and throughout this series that they are championship-worthy. NHL – Status of Tkachuk is biggest question facing Panthers down 3-1 in Cup Final The status of leading scorer Matthew Tkachuk is the biggest question facing the Florida Panthers down 3-1 to Vegas in the Stanley Cup Final. Tkachuk left for a stretch during the third period of Game 4 because of an undisclosed injury. Coach Paul Maurice said any of his injured players would be treated before and after flying to Las Vegas for Game 5. Florida would make history by becoming the first team in 81 years to erase a 3-1 deficit in the final. Women’s National Basketball Association Yesterday Las Vegas Aces 93, Chicago Sky 80 Phoenix Mercury 85, Indiana Fever 82 Aces 93, Sky 80 – Wilson has 21 points, 10 rebounds as Aces cruise to 93-80 win over Sky A’ja Wilson had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Chelsea Gray added 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting and the Las Vegas Aces beat the Chicago Sky 93-80. Kelsey Plum had 16 points and Jackie Young scored 14 for Las Vegas. Marina Mabrey led Chicago with 20 points. Kahleah Copper scored 18 points and Dana Evans added 10 points and eight assists. Mercury 85, Fever 82 – Griner, Cunningham lead fourth-quarter rally, Mercury defeat Fever 85-82 Brittney Griner scored 29 points, Sophie Cunningham scored 11 of her 13 points in the fourth quarter, and the Phoenix Mercury defeated the Indiana Fever 85-82. Indiana built a 67-59 lead entering the fourth quarter before Cunningham hit two 3-pointers to spark a game-tying 8-0 run. NaLyssa Smith scored five straight points for Indiana and the Fever led 77-72 near the five-minute mark, she also finished with 29 points. WNBA –Mercury make travel ‘adjustments’ following airport incident with Griner Phoenix Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard says the WNBA team will adjust its travel plans following Saturday’s incident in the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Nygaard would not say what changes will be made, citing league policy and safety concerns about the team’s future road trips. Brittney Griner’s teammates say they were startled when a “social media figure” confronted Griner at the airport. Airport officials eventually escorted the team’s players to a different room with more privacy. The league says it approved charter flights to all road games this season for the All-Star after she returned from detainment in Russia. Golf – Nick Taylor wins Canadian Open, first Canadian champion since 1954 Nick Taylor became the first Canadian in 69 years to win his national open, holing a 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth playoff hole to beat Tommy Fleetwood in the RBC Canadian Open. Taylor tossed his putter into the air and jumped into the arms of his caddie after the longest made putt of his PGA Tour career. Fellow Canadian players Mike Weir, Corey Conners and Adam Hadwin were among those who ran out to the green to congratulate him. Hadwin was tackled on the green by a security guard. The last player from Canada to win the Canadian Open was Pat Fletcher in 1954 at Point Grey in Vancouver. Tennis – Djokovic wins his 23rd Grand Slam title by beating Ruud in the French Open final Novak Djokovic has won his men’s-record 23rd Grand Slam title with a 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5 victory over Casper Ruud in the French Open final. Djokovic broke a tie with Rafael Nadal for the most major singles trophies in the history of men’s tennis. Nadal is a 14-time champion at Roland Garros who missed the tournament because he is injured. Djokovic adds to the French Open titles he earned in 2016 and 2021. He is the only man with at least three titles from each major. He also won 10 trophies at the Australian Open, seven at Wimbledon and three at the U.S. Open. NASCAR – Martin Truex Jr. surges to 4th career Sonoma Raceway victory Martin Truex Jr. has won at Sonoma Raceway for the fourth time. He passed Chase Elliott for the lead after a late restart and held off Kyle Busch for his second NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season. Truex confidently drove his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to another victory on the hilly road course at the base of Northern California wine country, where he also won in 2013, 2018 and 2019. Only Jeff Gordon with five has more victories at Sonoma than Truex, who earned the 33rd win of his Cup career and his second in the last six races. NCAAFB – Michigan to face USC and UCLA in Big Ten’s new schedule rotation in 2024 Southern California and UCLA will both face Michigan during their first season as members of the Big Ten Conference in 2024. Next year will be the first season with 16 teams and no divisional format as the top two teams will qualify for the conference championship game. Big Ten teams will continue to play nine conference games. The Crosstown Showdown between USC and UCLA is one of 11 protected rivalries to guarantee it continues every year. MWL – Midwest League Baseball Last Night Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at West Michigan Whitecaps, PPD, Rain Lake County Captains at Great Lakes Loons, PPD Rain Lansing Lugnuts at South Bend Cubs, PPD, Rain Tonight No games tonight MHSAA – High School Sports Saturday Baseball – Regional Finals/State Quarterfinals Division 1 at Novi Battle Creek Lakeview 5, Livonia Franklin 4 Novi 4, Hartland 0 Quarterfinal Novi 12, Battle Creek Lakeview 2 Division 1 at Central Michigan University Traverse City West 6, Caledonia 2 Mattawan 12, Cedar Springs 0 Quarterfinal Mattawan 5, Traverse City West 0 -Mattawan will face Novia in semifinals Thursday at Michigan State University at 11:30 a.m. Division 2 at Kalamazoo College Grand Rapids Christian 8, Lakeshore 2 Olivet 3, Hamilton 1 Quarterfinal Grand Rapids Christian 12, Olivet 2 Division 3 at Cornerstone University, GR Watervliet 5, Chesaning 1 Lansing Catholic 7, North Muskegon 0 Quarterfinal Lansing Catholic 6, Watervliet 4 Division 3 at Adrian College Bridgman 4, Grass Lake 3 Ottawa Lake Whiteford 5, Jackson Lumen Christi 2 Quarterfinal Bridgman 4, Ottawa Lake Whiteford 3 – 9 inn. -Bridgman will face Standish Sterling in semifinals Thursday at Michigan State University at 5:30 p.m. Division 4 at Jackson Lumen Christi Decatur 11, Concord 4 Kal. Hackett 8, Petersburg-Summerfield 6 Quarterfinal Kalamazoo Hackett 7, Decatur 0 -Kalamazoo Hackett will face Beal City in semifinals Friday at Michigan State University at 2:30 p.m. Softball – Regional Semis/Finals Division 1 at Battle Creek Lakeview Portage Central 6, Mattawan 5 Brownstone Woodhaven 4, Saline 0 Regional Championship Brownstone Woodhaven 10, Portage Central 0 Division 2 at Berrien Springs Hamilton 4, Wayland 2 Vicksburg 9, Edwardsburg 4 Regional Championship Vicksburg 4, Hamilton 1 -Vicksburg will face Parma Western in quarterfinals Tuesday at Kalamazoo College at 4:00 p.m. Division 2 at Mason Three Rivers 6, Lake Odessa Lakewood 4 Parma Western 4, Lansing Waverly 2 Regional Championship Parma Western 3, Three Rivers 2 Division 3 at Watervliet Buchanan 13, Coloma 0 Kalamazoo Christian 11, Bronson 1 Regional Championship Buchanan 7, Kalamazoo Christian 1 -Buchanan will face Ravenna in quarterfinals Tuesday at Cornerstone University (GR) at 4:00 p.m. Division 4 at Colon River Valley 6, Decatur 5 Mendon 3, Burr Oak 1 Regional Championship Mendon 8, River Valley 7 -Mendon will face Fowler in quarterfinals Tuesday at Albion College at 5:30 p.m.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
MLB – Major League Baseball Yesterday Arizona Diamondbacks 7, Detroit Tigers 5 Miami Marlins 6, Chicago White Sox 5 San Francisco Giants 13, Chicago Cubs 3 D-Backs 7, Tigers 5 – Diamondbacks score 4 in 9th, beat Tigers for 5th straight win, Detroit’s 9th loss in row Christian Walker hit a go-ahead double with two outs in a four-run ninth inning, and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat Detroit 7-5 for a three-game sweep that extended the Tigers’ losing streak to nine games. Detroit led 5-2 in the eighth before Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s RBI grounder. Carroll hit an RBI single in the ninth, and Walker hit an RBI double, with the go-ahead run scoring on left fielder Kerry Carpenter’s error. Geraldo Perdomo followed with a run-scoring single. Marlins 6, White Sox 5 – De La Cruz hits 2-run double as Miami Marlins rally past Chicago White Sox 6-5 Bryan De La Cruz hit a two-run double in Miami’s three-run ninth inning, and the Marlins beat the Chicago White Sox 6-5. Jorge Soler hit two of Miami’s four solo homers, helping the Marlins rally for the victory in the rubber game of the weekend set. Garrett Cooper and Jean Segura also connected. It was Miami’s fifth comeback win in its last seven games and No. 20 on the season. Miami scored five times in the ninth inning of a 5-1 victory on Saturday. The Marlins won for the 8th time in 9 games overall. They’re off to their best start since they also were 37-29 in 2004. Giants 13, Cubs 3 – Pederson, Estrada homer, SS Crawford pitches as Giants rout Cubs 13-3 Joc Pederson and Thairo Estrada each hit two-run homers and drove in four runs as the San Francisco Giants built a six-run lead through five innings and rolled to a 13-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. Blake Sabol added two hits and two RBIs for a Giants offense that banged out 15 hits less than 24 hours after being no-hit for 7 2/3 innings by Chicago’s Kyle Hendricks in a 4-0 loss. San Francisco used John Brebbia as an opener for the second consecutive game. Tristan Beck pitched two innings and earned the win for San Francisco. Gold Glove shortstop Brandon Crawford came off the bench to get the final three outs for the Giants. Yan Gomes had two hits for the Cubs. Tonight Atlanta (Morton 5-6) at Detroit (TBD), 6:40 p.m. News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 6:15 White Sox and Cubs are off MLB – White Sox closer Liam Hendriks sidelined by elbow inflammation White Sox closer Liam Hendriks has been sidelined by elbow inflammation after he missed the start of the season while he recovered from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Hendriks was placed on the 15-day injured list before the team’s 6-5 loss to the Miami Marlins. Left-hander Tanner Banks was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte. Hendriks made his major league return from cancer when he pitched an inning against the Los Angeles Angels on May 29. The 34-year-old right-hander is 2-0 with a save and a 5.40 ERA in five appearances this year. NBA – 2023 NBA Finals – (best of seven) Tonight Game 5 Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets, 8:30 p.m. (DEN leads 3-1) NBA – Nuggets try to avoid letdown with 1 win to go for team’s first title Everything from the history books to the way they’ve played through most of the postseason suggests the Denver Nuggets are on the verge of capturing their first NBA title in 47 years in the league. The goal now for Denver is to avoid a letdown against the Miami Heat in what will be the first title-clinching opportunity in franchise history. The Nuggets are trying to keep their minds on hoops, not that trophy, and the mission could be helped by the fact that Miami’s only win in this series came a week ago in Denver. Also, the Heat have won seven road games during the postseason. NBA – Conor McGregor knocks out Heat mascot in bizarre promotion at NBA Finals Former UFC champion Conor McGregor knocked out the Miami Heat mascot in a midgame bit that went wrong. The man who plays “Burnie,” briefly sought medical attention Friday night after taking two punches from McGregor during a third-quarter stoppage of Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Heat and the Denver Nuggets. The Heat said Saturday that the employee wearing the flame costume, who was not identified, received pain medication and was resting at home. NHL – 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Finals – (best of seven) Tuesday Game 5 Florida Panthers at Vegas Golden Knights, 8:00 p.m. (VGK leads 3-1) NHL – Golden Knights try not to think of Stanley Cup returning to Vegas on verge of title The Vegas Golden Knights left Florida on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup. The trophy will be in the building the next time they play. That’s back at home in Game 5 of the final on Tuesday night against the Panthers. But the immediate task at hand for players and coaches is not to dwell on how close they are to the franchise’s first title. The Golden Knights have shown all playoffs and throughout this series that they are championship-worthy. NHL – Status of Tkachuk is biggest question facing Panthers down 3-1 in Cup Final The status of leading scorer Matthew Tkachuk is the biggest question facing the Florida Panthers down 3-1 to Vegas in the Stanley Cup Final. Tkachuk left for a stretch during the third period of Game 4 because of an undisclosed injury. Coach Paul Maurice said any of his injured players would be treated before and after flying to Las Vegas for Game 5. Florida would make history by becoming the first team in 81 years to erase a 3-1 deficit in the final. Women’s National Basketball Association Yesterday Las Vegas Aces 93, Chicago Sky 80 Phoenix Mercury 85, Indiana Fever 82 Aces 93, Sky 80 – Wilson has 21 points, 10 rebounds as Aces cruise to 93-80 win over Sky A’ja Wilson had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Chelsea Gray added 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting and the Las Vegas Aces beat the Chicago Sky 93-80. Kelsey Plum had 16 points and Jackie Young scored 14 for Las Vegas. Marina Mabrey led Chicago with 20 points. Kahleah Copper scored 18 points and Dana Evans added 10 points and eight assists. Mercury 85, Fever 82 – Griner, Cunningham lead fourth-quarter rally, Mercury defeat Fever 85-82 Brittney Griner scored 29 points, Sophie Cunningham scored 11 of her 13 points in the fourth quarter, and the Phoenix Mercury defeated the Indiana Fever 85-82. Indiana built a 67-59 lead entering the fourth quarter before Cunningham hit two 3-pointers to spark a game-tying 8-0 run. NaLyssa Smith scored five straight points for Indiana and the Fever led 77-72 near the five-minute mark, she also finished with 29 points. WNBA –Mercury make travel ‘adjustments’ following airport incident with Griner Phoenix Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard says the WNBA team will adjust its travel plans following Saturday’s incident in the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Nygaard would not say what changes will be made, citing league policy and safety concerns about the team’s future road trips. Brittney Griner’s teammates say they were startled when a “social media figure” confronted Griner at the airport. Airport officials eventually escorted the team’s players to a different room with more privacy. The league says it approved charter flights to all road games this season for the All-Star after she returned from detainment in Russia. Golf – Nick Taylor wins Canadian Open, first Canadian champion since 1954 Nick Taylor became the first Canadian in 69 years to win his national open, holing a 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth playoff hole to beat Tommy Fleetwood in the RBC Canadian Open. Taylor tossed his putter into the air and jumped into the arms of his caddie after the longest made putt of his PGA Tour career. Fellow Canadian players Mike Weir, Corey Conners and Adam Hadwin were among those who ran out to the green to congratulate him. Hadwin was tackled on the green by a security guard. The last player from Canada to win the Canadian Open was Pat Fletcher in 1954 at Point Grey in Vancouver. Tennis – Djokovic wins his 23rd Grand Slam title by beating Ruud in the French Open final Novak Djokovic has won his men’s-record 23rd Grand Slam title with a 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5 victory over Casper Ruud in the French Open final. Djokovic broke a tie with Rafael Nadal for the most major singles trophies in the history of men’s tennis. Nadal is a 14-time champion at Roland Garros who missed the tournament because he is injured. Djokovic adds to the French Open titles he earned in 2016 and 2021. He is the only man with at least three titles from each major. He also won 10 trophies at the Australian Open, seven at Wimbledon and three at the U.S. Open. NASCAR – Martin Truex Jr. surges to 4th career Sonoma Raceway victory Martin Truex Jr. has won at Sonoma Raceway for the fourth time. He passed Chase Elliott for the lead after a late restart and held off Kyle Busch for his second NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season. Truex confidently drove his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to another victory on the hilly road course at the base of Northern California wine country, where he also won in 2013, 2018 and 2019. Only Jeff Gordon with five has more victories at Sonoma than Truex, who earned the 33rd win of his Cup career and his second in the last six races. NCAAFB – Michigan to face USC and UCLA in Big Ten’s new schedule rotation in 2024 Southern California and UCLA will both face Michigan during their first season as members of the Big Ten Conference in 2024. Next year will be the first season with 16 teams and no divisional format as the top two teams will qualify for the conference championship game. Big Ten teams will continue to play nine conference games. The Crosstown Showdown between USC and UCLA is one of 11 protected rivalries to guarantee it continues every year. MWL – Midwest League Baseball Last Night Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at West Michigan Whitecaps, PPD, Rain Lake County Captains at Great Lakes Loons, PPD Rain Lansing Lugnuts at South Bend Cubs, PPD, Rain Tonight No games tonight MHSAA – High School Sports Saturday Baseball – Regional Finals/State Quarterfinals Division 1 at Novi Battle Creek Lakeview 5, Livonia Franklin 4 Novi 4, Hartland 0 Quarterfinal Novi 12, Battle Creek Lakeview 2 Division 1 at Central Michigan University Traverse City West 6, Caledonia 2 Mattawan 12, Cedar Springs 0 Quarterfinal Mattawan 5, Traverse City West 0 -Mattawan will face Novia in semifinals Thursday at Michigan State University at 11:30 a.m. Division 2 at Kalamazoo College Grand Rapids Christian 8, Lakeshore 2 Olivet 3, Hamilton 1 Quarterfinal Grand Rapids Christian 12, Olivet 2 Division 3 at Cornerstone University, GR Watervliet 5, Chesaning 1 Lansing Catholic 7, North Muskegon 0 Quarterfinal Lansing Catholic 6, Watervliet 4 Division 3 at Adrian College Bridgman 4, Grass Lake 3 Ottawa Lake Whiteford 5, Jackson Lumen Christi 2 Quarterfinal Bridgman 4, Ottawa Lake Whiteford 3 – 9 inn. -Bridgman will face Standish Sterling in semifinals Thursday at Michigan State University at 5:30 p.m. Division 4 at Jackson Lumen Christi Decatur 11, Concord 4 Kal. Hackett 8, Petersburg-Summerfield 6 Quarterfinal Kalamazoo Hackett 7, Decatur 0 -Kalamazoo Hackett will face Beal City in semifinals Friday at Michigan State University at 2:30 p.m. Softball – Regional Semis/Finals Division 1 at Battle Creek Lakeview Portage Central 6, Mattawan 5 Brownstone Woodhaven 4, Saline 0 Regional Championship Brownstone Woodhaven 10, Portage Central 0 Division 2 at Berrien Springs Hamilton 4, Wayland 2 Vicksburg 9, Edwardsburg 4 Regional Championship Vicksburg 4, Hamilton 1 -Vicksburg will face Parma Western in quarterfinals Tuesday at Kalamazoo College at 4:00 p.m. Division 2 at Mason Three Rivers 6, Lake Odessa Lakewood 4 Parma Western 4, Lansing Waverly 2 Regional Championship Parma Western 3, Three Rivers 2 Division 3 at Watervliet Buchanan 13, Coloma 0 Kalamazoo Christian 11, Bronson 1 Regional Championship Buchanan 7, Kalamazoo Christian 1 -Buchanan will face Ravenna in quarterfinals Tuesday at Cornerstone University (GR) at 4:00 p.m. Division 4 at Colon River Valley 6, Decatur 5 Mendon 3, Burr Oak 1 Regional Championship Mendon 8, River Valley 7 -Mendon will face Fowler in quarterfinals Tuesday at Albion College at 5:30 p.m.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
MLB – Major League Baseball Yesterday Arizona Diamondbacks 7, Detroit Tigers 5 Miami Marlins 6, Chicago White Sox 5 San Francisco Giants 13, Chicago Cubs 3 D-Backs 7, Tigers 5 – Diamondbacks score 4 in 9th, beat Tigers for 5th straight win, Detroit’s 9th loss in row Christian Walker hit a go-ahead double with two outs in a four-run ninth inning, and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat Detroit 7-5 for a three-game sweep that extended the Tigers’ losing streak to nine games. Detroit led 5-2 in the eighth before Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s RBI grounder. Carroll hit an RBI single in the ninth, and Walker hit an RBI double, with the go-ahead run scoring on left fielder Kerry Carpenter’s error. Geraldo Perdomo followed with a run-scoring single. Marlins 6, White Sox 5 – De La Cruz hits 2-run double as Miami Marlins rally past Chicago White Sox 6-5 Bryan De La Cruz hit a two-run double in Miami’s three-run ninth inning, and the Marlins beat the Chicago White Sox 6-5. Jorge Soler hit two of Miami’s four solo homers, helping the Marlins rally for the victory in the rubber game of the weekend set. Garrett Cooper and Jean Segura also connected. It was Miami’s fifth comeback win in its last seven games and No. 20 on the season. Miami scored five times in the ninth inning of a 5-1 victory on Saturday. The Marlins won for the 8th time in 9 games overall. They’re off to their best start since they also were 37-29 in 2004. Giants 13, Cubs 3 – Pederson, Estrada homer, SS Crawford pitches as Giants rout Cubs 13-3 Joc Pederson and Thairo Estrada each hit two-run homers and drove in four runs as the San Francisco Giants built a six-run lead through five innings and rolled to a 13-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. Blake Sabol added two hits and two RBIs for a Giants offense that banged out 15 hits less than 24 hours after being no-hit for 7 2/3 innings by Chicago’s Kyle Hendricks in a 4-0 loss. San Francisco used John Brebbia as an opener for the second consecutive game. Tristan Beck pitched two innings and earned the win for San Francisco. Gold Glove shortstop Brandon Crawford came off the bench to get the final three outs for the Giants. Yan Gomes had two hits for the Cubs. Tonight Atlanta (Morton 5-6) at Detroit (TBD), 6:40 p.m. News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 6:15 White Sox and Cubs are off MLB – White Sox closer Liam Hendriks sidelined by elbow inflammation White Sox closer Liam Hendriks has been sidelined by elbow inflammation after he missed the start of the season while he recovered from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Hendriks was placed on the 15-day injured list before the team’s 6-5 loss to the Miami Marlins. Left-hander Tanner Banks was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte. Hendriks made his major league return from cancer when he pitched an inning against the Los Angeles Angels on May 29. The 34-year-old right-hander is 2-0 with a save and a 5.40 ERA in five appearances this year. NBA – 2023 NBA Finals – (best of seven) Tonight Game 5 Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets, 8:30 p.m. (DEN leads 3-1) NBA – Nuggets try to avoid letdown with 1 win to go for team’s first title Everything from the history books to the way they’ve played through most of the postseason suggests the Denver Nuggets are on the verge of capturing their first NBA title in 47 years in the league. The goal now for Denver is to avoid a letdown against the Miami Heat in what will be the first title-clinching opportunity in franchise history. The Nuggets are trying to keep their minds on hoops, not that trophy, and the mission could be helped by the fact that Miami’s only win in this series came a week ago in Denver. Also, the Heat have won seven road games during the postseason. NBA – Conor McGregor knocks out Heat mascot in bizarre promotion at NBA Finals Former UFC champion Conor McGregor knocked out the Miami Heat mascot in a midgame bit that went wrong. The man who plays “Burnie,” briefly sought medical attention Friday night after taking two punches from McGregor during a third-quarter stoppage of Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Heat and the Denver Nuggets. The Heat said Saturday that the employee wearing the flame costume, who was not identified, received pain medication and was resting at home. NHL – 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Finals – (best of seven) Tuesday Game 5 Florida Panthers at Vegas Golden Knights, 8:00 p.m. (VGK leads 3-1) NHL – Golden Knights try not to think of Stanley Cup returning to Vegas on verge of title The Vegas Golden Knights left Florida on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup. The trophy will be in the building the next time they play. That’s back at home in Game 5 of the final on Tuesday night against the Panthers. But the immediate task at hand for players and coaches is not to dwell on how close they are to the franchise’s first title. The Golden Knights have shown all playoffs and throughout this series that they are championship-worthy. NHL – Status of Tkachuk is biggest question facing Panthers down 3-1 in Cup Final The status of leading scorer Matthew Tkachuk is the biggest question facing the Florida Panthers down 3-1 to Vegas in the Stanley Cup Final. Tkachuk left for a stretch during the third period of Game 4 because of an undisclosed injury. Coach Paul Maurice said any of his injured players would be treated before and after flying to Las Vegas for Game 5. Florida would make history by becoming the first team in 81 years to erase a 3-1 deficit in the final. Women’s National Basketball Association Yesterday Las Vegas Aces 93, Chicago Sky 80 Phoenix Mercury 85, Indiana Fever 82 Aces 93, Sky 80 – Wilson has 21 points, 10 rebounds as Aces cruise to 93-80 win over Sky A’ja Wilson had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Chelsea Gray added 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting and the Las Vegas Aces beat the Chicago Sky 93-80. Kelsey Plum had 16 points and Jackie Young scored 14 for Las Vegas. Marina Mabrey led Chicago with 20 points. Kahleah Copper scored 18 points and Dana Evans added 10 points and eight assists. Mercury 85, Fever 82 – Griner, Cunningham lead fourth-quarter rally, Mercury defeat Fever 85-82 Brittney Griner scored 29 points, Sophie Cunningham scored 11 of her 13 points in the fourth quarter, and the Phoenix Mercury defeated the Indiana Fever 85-82. Indiana built a 67-59 lead entering the fourth quarter before Cunningham hit two 3-pointers to spark a game-tying 8-0 run. NaLyssa Smith scored five straight points for Indiana and the Fever led 77-72 near the five-minute mark, she also finished with 29 points. WNBA –Mercury make travel ‘adjustments’ following airport incident with Griner Phoenix Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard says the WNBA team will adjust its travel plans following Saturday’s incident in the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Nygaard would not say what changes will be made, citing league policy and safety concerns about the team’s future road trips. Brittney Griner’s teammates say they were startled when a “social media figure” confronted Griner at the airport. Airport officials eventually escorted the team’s players to a different room with more privacy. The league says it approved charter flights to all road games this season for the All-Star after she returned from detainment in Russia. Golf – Nick Taylor wins Canadian Open, first Canadian champion since 1954 Nick Taylor became the first Canadian in 69 years to win his national open, holing a 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth playoff hole to beat Tommy Fleetwood in the RBC Canadian Open. Taylor tossed his putter into the air and jumped into the arms of his caddie after the longest made putt of his PGA Tour career. Fellow Canadian players Mike Weir, Corey Conners and Adam Hadwin were among those who ran out to the green to congratulate him. Hadwin was tackled on the green by a security guard. The last player from Canada to win the Canadian Open was Pat Fletcher in 1954 at Point Grey in Vancouver. Tennis – Djokovic wins his 23rd Grand Slam title by beating Ruud in the French Open final Novak Djokovic has won his men’s-record 23rd Grand Slam title with a 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5 victory over Casper Ruud in the French Open final. Djokovic broke a tie with Rafael Nadal for the most major singles trophies in the history of men’s tennis. Nadal is a 14-time champion at Roland Garros who missed the tournament because he is injured. Djokovic adds to the French Open titles he earned in 2016 and 2021. He is the only man with at least three titles from each major. He also won 10 trophies at the Australian Open, seven at Wimbledon and three at the U.S. Open. NASCAR – Martin Truex Jr. surges to 4th career Sonoma Raceway victory Martin Truex Jr. has won at Sonoma Raceway for the fourth time. He passed Chase Elliott for the lead after a late restart and held off Kyle Busch for his second NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season. Truex confidently drove his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to another victory on the hilly road course at the base of Northern California wine country, where he also won in 2013, 2018 and 2019. Only Jeff Gordon with five has more victories at Sonoma than Truex, who earned the 33rd win of his Cup career and his second in the last six races. NCAAFB – Michigan to face USC and UCLA in Big Ten’s new schedule rotation in 2024 Southern California and UCLA will both face Michigan during their first season as members of the Big Ten Conference in 2024. Next year will be the first season with 16 teams and no divisional format as the top two teams will qualify for the conference championship game. Big Ten teams will continue to play nine conference games. The Crosstown Showdown between USC and UCLA is one of 11 protected rivalries to guarantee it continues every year. MWL – Midwest League Baseball Last Night Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at West Michigan Whitecaps, PPD, Rain Lake County Captains at Great Lakes Loons, PPD Rain Lansing Lugnuts at South Bend Cubs, PPD, Rain Tonight No games tonight MHSAA – High School Sports Saturday Baseball – Regional Finals/State Quarterfinals Division 1 at Novi Battle Creek Lakeview 5, Livonia Franklin 4 Novi 4, Hartland 0 Quarterfinal Novi 12, Battle Creek Lakeview 2 Division 1 at Central Michigan University Traverse City West 6, Caledonia 2 Mattawan 12, Cedar Springs 0 Quarterfinal Mattawan 5, Traverse City West 0 -Mattawan will face Novia in semifinals Thursday at Michigan State University at 11:30 a.m. Division 2 at Kalamazoo College Grand Rapids Christian 8, Lakeshore 2 Olivet 3, Hamilton 1 Quarterfinal Grand Rapids Christian 12, Olivet 2 Division 3 at Cornerstone University, GR Watervliet 5, Chesaning 1 Lansing Catholic 7, North Muskegon 0 Quarterfinal Lansing Catholic 6, Watervliet 4 Division 3 at Adrian College Bridgman 4, Grass Lake 3 Ottawa Lake Whiteford 5, Jackson Lumen Christi 2 Quarterfinal Bridgman 4, Ottawa Lake Whiteford 3 – 9 inn. -Bridgman will face Standish Sterling in semifinals Thursday at Michigan State University at 5:30 p.m. Division 4 at Jackson Lumen Christi Decatur 11, Concord 4 Kal. Hackett 8, Petersburg-Summerfield 6 Quarterfinal Kalamazoo Hackett 7, Decatur 0 -Kalamazoo Hackett will face Beal City in semifinals Friday at Michigan State University at 2:30 p.m. Softball – Regional Semis/Finals Division 1 at Battle Creek Lakeview Portage Central 6, Mattawan 5 Brownstone Woodhaven 4, Saline 0 Regional Championship Brownstone Woodhaven 10, Portage Central 0 Division 2 at Berrien Springs Hamilton 4, Wayland 2 Vicksburg 9, Edwardsburg 4 Regional Championship Vicksburg 4, Hamilton 1 -Vicksburg will face Parma Western in quarterfinals Tuesday at Kalamazoo College at 4:00 p.m. Division 2 at Mason Three Rivers 6, Lake Odessa Lakewood 4 Parma Western 4, Lansing Waverly 2 Regional Championship Parma Western 3, Three Rivers 2 Division 3 at Watervliet Buchanan 13, Coloma 0 Kalamazoo Christian 11, Bronson 1 Regional Championship Buchanan 7, Kalamazoo Christian 1 -Buchanan will face Ravenna in quarterfinals Tuesday at Cornerstone University (GR) at 4:00 p.m. Division 4 at Colon River Valley 6, Decatur 5 Mendon 3, Burr Oak 1 Regional Championship Mendon 8, River Valley 7 -Mendon will face Fowler in quarterfinals Tuesday at Albion College at 5:30 p.m.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.