Aaron Judge is on one of the most productive runs in MLB history
🏊♀️ Ledecky's on fire: A day after posting the second-best time ever in the women's 1,500-meter freestyle (15:24.51), Katie Ledecky posted her best 400-meter freestyle in nine years (3:56.46) to beat Canadian star Summer McIntosh at the Lauderdale Pro Swim Series.
🎾 Coco routs Iga: World No. 4 Coco Gauff dominated No. 2 Iga Świątek (6-1, 6-1) on clay to reach the Madrid Open final, where she'll face top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka.
⛳️ Clubhouse leader: Scottie Scheffler fired a 10-under 61 at the CJ Cup, one stroke off the course record, to take the early lead at his hometown event outside Dallas.
🏀 Sportsmanship Award: Celtics guard Jrue Holiday won his second Sportsmanship Award, becoming the fifth NBA player to earn the honor multiple times.
⚾️ Trout heads to IL: Mike Trout has been placed on the IL with a bone bruise in his knee. The Angels say it isn't serious, but it's fair to worry considering the three-time MVP has missed 383 games since 2021.
"He's playing a different game." That's how Yankees skipper Aaron Boone described Aaron Judge, who entered May leading the American League in batting average (.427), home runs (10) and RBIs (32).
The Year of Judge: It's hard to have a better April than Judge just had. It's also hard to have a better year. Here are his stats over his last 162 games (the length of a full season), dating back to April 27, 2024:
.369 BA
.494 OBP
.774 SLG
1.268 OPS
How good is that? The only other players in baseball history besides Judge to post an OPS that high over a 162-game stretch are Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth and Ted Williams, arguably the three best hitters in baseball history.
From Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz:
What Judge has accomplished, or rather, is accomplishing, can be described only as generational. He has elevated himself from a legend of his era to an all-time icon.
Through it all, Judge, ever meticulous, has stayed grounded in his process. Even when he wavered during the first month of 2024, he never overcorrected or panicked. He has an unshakable, fundamental faith in his ability. He knows how good he is, which allows him to keep things simple.
"Like I say, you just gotta go up there with confidence. No matter what." Judge told reporters after Wednesday's game when asked about how it felt to be hitting .427 this season. "I can't focus on results, you have to focus on the process."
Keep reading.
Jalen Brunson showed exactly why he won the NBA's Clutch Player of the Year Award with a masterful performance in the Knicks' closeout victory on Thursday in Detroit.
Detroit had New York on the ropes after going on a 20-2 run in the fourth quarter, but Brunson saved the day with eight of his 40 points in the final 2:23 to give the Knicks a 116-113 win.
His ankle-breaking, game-winning three with five seconds left earned a rare "double bang" from Mike Breen and sent the Knicks through to the second round, where the defending champion Celtics await.
Head up, Detroit: This was just the second playoff series in NBA history to have four straight games decided by three points or fewer (Celtics-Sixers in the 1981 ECF). The Pistons may be going home, but for the first time in a long time the future looks bright.
Meanwhile, out West… James Harden (28 points), Kawhi Leonard (27) and Norman Powell (24) led the Clippers to a 111-105 win over the Nuggets to force Game 7 tomorrow night in Denver.
Four NHL teams entered Thursday with a chance to force Game 7. Only the Avalanche got the job done, scoring four goals in the third period of a 7-4 comeback victory over the Stars.
Dallas took control in the second period with four goals, as Mikko Rantanen and Roope Hintz became the first teammates in NHL playoff history to each score four points in a period.
But Colorado's fortunes changed in the third when the Stars scored on themselves to give the Avs the lead before conceding two more goals that put the game on ice.
Looking ahead: History favors Dallas on Saturday, as Stars coach Pete DeBoer is 8-0 all-time in Game 7s while the Avalanche have lost six Game 7s in a row. But if this series has taught us anything, after watching these two teams trade blows in a six-game, 39-goal slugfest, it's that nothing is decided until the final horn sounds.
Elsewhere… The Maple Leafs, Golden Knights and Oilers closed things out in Game 6.
Maple Leafs 4, Senators 2: The Leafs improved to 5-0 in the playoffs against their Ontario neighbors. Next up: the reigning champion Panthers.
Golden Knights 3, Wild 2: Minnesota's nightmare continues, as the Wild have now lost nine straight playoff series* dating back to 2015. Next up for Vegas: the Oilers.
Oilers 6, Kings 4: Speaking of nightmares, LA should try facing someone else for a change as they've now been knocked out by Edmonton in the first round four years in a row.
*The Wild's last nine playoff series: Lost 4-0 to Chicago (2015, Second Round); lost 4-2 to Dallas (2016, First Round); lost 4-1 to St. Louis (2017, First Round); lost 4-1 to Winnipeg (2018, First Round); lost 3-1 to Vancouver (2020, Qualifying Round); lost 4-3 to Vegas (2021, First Round); lost 4-2 to St. Louis (2022, First Round); lost 4-2 to Dallas (2023, First Round); lost 4-2 to Vegas (2025, First Round).
Cycling's annual calendar features five so-called Monuments, considered the sport's most prestigious and challenging one-day races. Four of the five have been completed this season. Let's review.
🇧🇪 Liège-Bastogne-Liège: La Doyenne ("The Old Lady") was held on Sunday in Belgium's hilly Ardennes region, where reigning Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar won the 111th edition of the 157-mile race.
🇮🇹 Milan-Sanremo: La Classicissima di Primavera ("The Spring Classic") is the year's first Monument and also the longest, covering 185 coastal miles in northwest Italy. Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel won the 116th edition last month.
🇧🇪 Tour of Flanders: The Ronde van Vlaanderen (Dutch translation) is one of four "cobbled classics," marked by its numerous cobblestone sections. Pogačar captured the 109th edition in April, covering 167 miles in just under six hours.
🇫🇷 Paris-Roubaix: L'Enfer du Nord ("The Hell of the North") is considered the most brutal of the Monuments, stretching 161 miles through northern France and featuring its own fair share of cobblestone roads. Van der Poel won the 122nd edition last month, his third straight title here.
🇮🇹 Giro di Lombardia: La Classica Delle Foglie Morte ("Race of the Falling Leaves") is the only Monument held outside of spring. Pogačar hopes to defend his title (sensing a theme?) this October in the 119th edition of the 158-mile race through Italy's northern lakes region.
The Kentucky Derby is on Saturday at Churchill Downs (6:57pm ET, NBC), where 20 horses will compete in the 151st Run for the Roses, led by current favorite Journalism (7-2).
More to watch:
🏀 NBA: Rockets (2-3) at Warriors (Fri. 9pm, ESPN); Clippers (3-3) at Nuggets (Sat. 7:30pm, TNT) … Rockets-Warriors Game 7 is Sunday (if necessary).
🏒 NHL: Jets (3-2) at Blues (Fri. 8pm, TNT); Avalanche (3-3) at Stars (Sat. 8pm, ABC) … Jets-Blues Game 7 is on Sunday (if necessary).
🏁 F1: Miami Grand Prix (3:55pm ET, ABC) … South Florida hosts the first of three races in the U.S. this season.
⚾️ MLB: Padres at Pirates (Fri. 6:40pm, Apple); Cubs at Brewers (Fri. 8:10pm, Apple); Twins at Red Sox (Sat. 4:10pm, FS1); Dodgers at Braves (Sun. 7pm, ESPN)
⚽️ Premier League: Chelsea vs. Liverpool (Sun. 11:30am, Peacock) … The Blues are still fighting for a Champions League spot.
⛳️ Golf: PGA's CJ Cup (Fri-Sun, Golf/CBS); LPGA's Black Desert (Fri-Sun, Golf); LIV Korea (Fri-Sat, FS1)
🎾 Tennis: Madrid Open (Fri-Sun, Tennis) … Women's final on Saturday, men's final on Sunday.
Plus… NASCAR at Texas (Sun. 3:30pm, FS1); Grand Slam Track in Miami (Fri-Sun, Peacock); Fever vs. Brazil at the University of Iowa (Sun. 4pm, ESPN); Naoya Inoue vs. Ramon Cardenas in a Las Vegas title fight (Sun. 11pm, ESPN).
Journalism may be favored to win on Saturday, but bettors beware: No post-time favorite has won the Kentucky Derby since 2018.
Question: Which horse won in 2018?
Hint: He went on to win the Triple Crown.
Answer at the bottom.
Home plate umpire Nic Lentz made history on Wednesday in Tampa, calling the third perfect game of the Umpire Scorecards era (since 2015). The other two came three weeks ago (Mark Ripperger) and in Game 2 of the 2022 World Series (Pat Hoberg).
Trivia answer: Justify
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