Panthers can move to the verge of winning the Stanley Cup again if they beat the Oilers in Game 4
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Leading the Stanley Cup Final 2-1, the Florida Panthers can move to the verge of a second consecutive championship if they beat the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 at home Thursday night.
The Panthers were upbeat and relaxed at their final full practice before the potential swing game, with players downplaying the gravity of the situation.
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New York Times
42 minutes ago
- New York Times
D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo says Justin Martinez will undergo Tommy John surgery
PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks already have lost a top starter to an elbow injury; on Friday, they lost a top reliever. Manager Torey Lovullo said Friday that Justin Martinez will have Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of the season. In Arizona's June 9 win over Seattle, Martinez called for a trainer after striking out two and walking a batter in the ninth inning. He was placed on the 15-day injured list with a strained ulnar collateral ligament. Advertisement This has become a theme for Arizona, which has struggled to find footing in the National League West. The Martinez news comes days after the Diamondbacks lost Corbin Burnes with a torn UCL. Arizona in December had signed the ace right-hander to anchor the rotation along with Zac Gallen, and also to help the Diamondbacks return to the postseason. He made 11 starts. 'Sometimes this game is extremely tough and unforgiving, and it can just rip you apart,' Lovullo said. 'The way I look at it is, I've got 26 kids out there that are playing every single day, and when you see one or in this case four or five or six — maybe even more, I don't know what the exact number is — go down and you have to pull them off the field, it's painful. … Yeah, I'm over it. I'm definitely over it.' In March, the Diamondbacks signed Martinez to a five-year deal worth $18 million with the expectation that he would play a prominent bullpen role until he was ready for the closer's job. After a decent start, Martinez in May went on the 15-day IL with a shoulder issue. He returned but struggled to return to form. In 17 games, the hard-throwing right-hander had a 4.11 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings. This marks the second time Martinez will have Tommy John surgery. He also had the procedure in 2021 as a minor leaguer. Lovullo has had to juggle his bullpen all season, mostly because of injuries. Arizona relievers entered Friday's game against San Diego with a 5.21 ERA, which ranked 14th in the National League. Veteran right-hander Shelby Miller has filled in as Arizona's closer when needed and pitched well. Before the season, the Diamondbacks lost left-hander Jordan Montgomery to Tommy John surgery. They also have gone without top relief pitcher A.J. Puk, out since April because of a flexor strain. Lovullo said Friday that Puk's pitching program has been paused and that the pitcher will soon visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles because of arm discomfort. Advertisement 'We got to exercise a lot of caution with usage of guys,'' said Lovullo, adding that the Diamondbacks aren't the only team to face such adversity. 'We've got to follow the protocols and the belief system that we have here with our medical team and really reinforce the thought that it's extremely important that these athletes have a breaking point and we can't get close to that.'
New York Times
43 minutes ago
- New York Times
Cubs lose pitchers' duel, but Cade Horton continues to show he's unafraid of the big moment
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His stuff plays in the strike zone, which is such an important thing for a young pitcher to feel. I look forward to giving him the ball next time.' Horton dropped his ERA on the season to 3.47 in seven games, and he's averaging more than five innings per outing. His strikeout rate (19 percent) probably needs to rise and likely will as he continues to get more experience. His low walk rate (5.2 percent) is incredibly impressive for such an inexperienced arm. Advertisement But Horton's bulldog mentality and ultra-competitiveness are what stand out to those around him. 'I think he has a great mentality,' Ian Happ said. 'He has a great mound presence and the right attitude for it. The ability to throw strikes and fill up the zone is super important. It allows him to get some length into games. He did a great job of just making them beat him. The stuff is really good. So the stuff will play as long as he's in the zone.' Horton has pitched in the College World Series. He made his big-league debut in New York against a talented Mets team, and his first start at Wrigley was at a packed house for the crosstown matchup against the Chicago White Sox. He has grown accustomed to these big moments and seems to relish them. 'It's fun,' Horton said. 'Iron sharpens iron. So just being able to compete against him was fun. Hopefully, we're doing it for a lot of years.' Horton knew he'd have to be on his game because runs would be hard to come by against Skenes. And that proved to be the case. The Cubs pushed Skenes' pitch count high and worked good at-bats, a small moral victory that signifies a good process. As with Tarik Skubal a week ago, Counsell was pleased with the at-bats against a top-tier pitcher. 'Frankly, even better,' Counsell said, comparing it to the game against the Detroit Tigers last Friday. 'You get him out after five innings. We did have some scoring opportunities. But they make it hard. You get some runners on, and it's still tough. We had some long at-bats in this case — maybe a little different than in Detroit. But you gotta get hits to win.' Against Skenes and the Pirates bullpen, the Cubs' bats couldn't come up with the big hit, going 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. In the fifth, with Happ on first and two outs, Kyle Tucker drove a double into the left-center-field gap. Happ was looking to score, but Oneil Cruz made a good throw to Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who made the relay to Henry Davis, and Happ was out easily at the plate. Advertisement 'The Tucker double, I thought they got a pretty good kick off the wall, and then the shortstop made a really nice play on the short-hop throw and made a nice throw,' Counsell said. 'Credit to their defense on that one.' Hitting with runners in scoring position can go in waves sometimes. On the season, the Cubs have the second-highest batting average and wRC+ in those situations, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers. In their last 10 games, they're hitting .164 with runners in scoring position. Those include games against Skenes, Skubal, MacKenzie Gore, Zack Wheeler, Jack Flaherty and Jesús Luzardo, all of whom are pitching incredibly well this season. And it's such a small sample that it shouldn't sway opinion about what this team can do. One good game can shift the narrative. One strong series and it's just a blip in a long season. Ultimately, the most important part of Friday's game, beyond the outcome, is the continued development of Horton. In a season in which the Cubs have a strong chance to not only make the postseason but also push deep into October, their primary weakness appears to be the rotation. But Horton is emerging as a key piece to the puzzle. There's a good chance some big moments will be coming for Horton this summer and even in the fall. The spotlight is certain to be on the rookie. 'I'm not scared of the moment,' Horton said. 'I love the moment.'
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Giants' Matt Chapman to start rehab for sprained hand in a week
LOS ANGELES — San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman can begin rehabbing his sprained right hand in a week. He visited Dr. Steven Shin in Los Angeles on Friday and was told he has to wear his splint until then, the team announced. The Giants were in town to open a three-game series at Dodger Stadium.
