Skubal's 1st complete game and 5-run 4th inning help Tigers beat Guardians and avoid 4-game sweep
DETROIT (AP) — Tarik Skubal gave up two hits and matched a career high with 13 strikeouts in his first professional complete game, Zach McKinstry had a two-run homer in a five-run fourth inning and the Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Guardians 5-0 Sunday to avoid a four-game sweep.
The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner was perfect through five innings and finished with a nearly flawless performance. He had a baserunner for the first time after Will Wilson doubled on the second pitch of the sixth.
Skubal (5-2) gave up only one more hit and hit one batter with a pitch in a masterful, 94-pitch outing that included just 22 balls. It was the eighth complete game in the major leagues this season and fifth individual shutout.
Logan Allen (2-3) allowed a season-high five runs — four earned — five hits and four walks over 3 2/3 innings.
Justyn-Henry Malloy hit a leadoff single and scored on McKinstry's third homer. Javier Báez followed with a double and came home on Gleyber Torres' double. Allen's throwing error allowed Detroit to take a 5-0 lead.
Cleveland kept leadoff hitter Steven Kwan out of the lineup for the first time this season. First baseman Carlos Santana was scratched with tightness in his left leg.
Key moment
McKinstry provided a much-needed homer for a team that lost the first three games in the series against the defending AL Central champions who eliminated them in their AL Division Series.
Key statSkubal became the first in franchise history to have 10-plus strikeouts in four straight home games.
Up next
Detroit RHP Keider Montero (1-1, 5.28) and San Francisco RHP Hayden Birdsong (2-0, 1.91) are the probable pitchers in their series opener at Comerica Park on Monday afternoon before Cleveland starts a homestand with RHP Gavin Williams (4-2, 3.94) and RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (5-3, 1.86) scheduled to start.
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New York Times
32 minutes ago
- New York Times
Penguins coach Dan Muse has the job. Now he has to take control
PITTSBURGH — In August 2017, I stood in Mike Sullivan's backyard about an hour southeast of Boston and asked him a simple question. How did you win the Stanley Cup again? In 2016, the Penguins had the best team. It would have been something if that team didn't win the Cup. By 2017, they were exhausted, and Kris Letang was out for the postseason with an injury. So, how did they do it? Advertisement Sullivan took the cigar out of his mouth. 'Because we had nothing but alpha males,' he responded. 'That's how you win Cups.' I always found his response amusing, and not because he was wrong. Sullivan himself is the ultimate alpha male, and the coaches who have gotten the most out of the Penguins in modern times have had that personality. Michel Therrien largely made the Penguins great. His personality eventually rubbed the Penguins the wrong way, but, though he didn't get his name on the Stanley Cup, he expedited a young core into a championship-caliber team. He was so tough that he publicly called his team soft. Sullivan propelled the Penguins to their greatest heights, turning them into back-to-back champions. He didn't get them to the top of the mountain by being gentle. Dan Bylsma won the Cup, so I'm taking nothing away from him. But he didn't get the most out of the Penguins while Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Letang were in their prime because he was too nice. He ultimately didn't challenge them enough. Mike Johnston? He had the Penguins doing yoga. You know how that went. Enter Dan Muse, largely an unknown in Pittsburgh. I don't know much about his personality. I've not met the man. I've spoken with a few people who know him. The consensus is that he's a kind, good coach. But what kind of backbone does he have? I'm not asking because I'm skeptical. He'll need one. You might say that he doesn't necessarily need to be an alpha male because he was brought in to prioritize young players, not aging stars. It's a fair point. But the Big Three are still here. Erik Karlsson is still here. The Penguins, in the short term, have a real problem. It's easy to say they should tank for Gavin McKenna. But that's a loser's mindset, and, even if you tank for him, you probably won't get him. Plus, if you start drifting toward the bottom of the standings, there's a real chance you'll just become stuck like the Detroit Red Wings, or the San Jose Sharks, or the Chicago Blackhawks, or the Anaheim Ducks over the past five or six years. Advertisement Ideally, the Penguins will continue collecting future assets and develop them quickly over the next couple of years. Crosby will stay great. Malkin will have a successful farewell tour next season. Letang will successfully and happily transition into a lesser role. A coach will finally get through to Karlsson, and those incomparable offensive instincts will finally exceed all of the mistakes he's made with the Penguins. Rutger McGroarty will keep getting better. Ville Koivunen, too. None of these things will happen with a soft coach behind the bench. Crosby loves to be coached. He loves it. He doesn't like being told how great he is, nor does he like having a coach who will bow to him because he's Sidney Crosby. Sullivan used to call Crosby into his office and break down facets of his game that could be better. Crosby relished it. The two used to have healthy arguments about which linemates were best for Crosby. Is Muse going to handle Crosby similarly? He should. No one loves being challenged more than Malkin. During a slump in his second season, Malkin was called into Therrien's office. Therrien pulled out a newspaper, highlighted the league's top scorers, and asked Malkin why he wasn't at the top of the list. Malkin went on a tear. When he goes on one of his infamous drive-by defensive-zone coverages, swooping through the defensive zone without making any hard stops, will Malkin hear about it from Muse? It's a tough call. He's probably retiring after next season. He's a franchise icon. He's one of Crosby's best friends. If you're a new coach and you lose Malkin's trust, you risk losing Crosby, too. Then again, if you don't stand up to Malkin, you won't get the most out of him. It's a delicate line. If you were to give Sullivan truth serum, he'd tell you he loves Letang. I bet he wouldn't tell you he loved coaching him. Advertisement Karlsson? Oh boy. I imagine he's one of hockey's most frustrating players to coach. Coaching young players is said to be Muse's strength, so I'll assume he has a pretty good feel for getting the most out of the Penguins' prospects. Then again, he's never been an NHL head coach while doing so. Every personality is different, but being soft on young players isn't necessarily the way to go. The young guys are what matter, and this hire proves it. But what about the short term? What about this coming season? It's easy to assume the Penguins won't be good, but why settle for that? You don't hire a new coach for the explicit reason of stinking for the next couple of years. There is no competitive spirit in that — no nobility. The Penguins would love to surprise everyone next season while marinating all of those first- and second-round draft picks who are on the way. They don't have to stink forever. They don't have to tank for McKenna. They're allowed to organically get better immediately. There's no law against it. It should be their goal. Maybe it's a long shot, but it's worth trying. They won't get there with a pushover behind the bench. If the Big Three are to go out with anything other than a whimper, they need to play better next season. (Crosby was great, but Malkin and Letang decidedly were not.) The young guys need to exceed expectations. There needs to be a harmonious fusion of excellence between old and young. Muse might well be a wonderful teacher. That's important. But the same things were once said about Johnston. Muse better coach Crosby, not admire him. And he better hold Malkin, Letang and Karlsson accountable. They'll walk all over him if he doesn't. Young players will be watching. Muse will earn everybody's respect by putting the veterans in their place. The ultimate goal here is for the new generation of Penguins coming to the NHL to learn from Crosby — to merge with him and create something special before he skates away from the game. Teaching them how to tank won't do that. They need to come together, absorb a fresh message and be on the same page. That only happens with this collection of players if a no-nonsense coach sets the standard from the start.
Associated Press
32 minutes ago
- Associated Press
The Comeback Playoffs: There have been 10 rallies from 15 points or more down in this NBA postseason
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Welcome to the Comeback Playoffs, led by the Indiana Pacers. Indiana's rally from 15 points down in Game 1 of the NBA Finals was the 10th such comeback — from 15 or more — in this season's playoffs. The Pacers and Tyrese Haliburton are responsible for five of those comebacks; the rest of the league, combined, have the other five. Since the NBA began keeping track of such things in 1997, there has never been a postseason with more 15-point comebacks or more by a single team than the Pacers have pulled off this spring. Dallas had four comebacks from 15 points or more in the 2003 playoffs, and as a whole, the league saw nine of these games in the 2021 playoffs. But never five by one team, or 10 in one postseason since these things began getting charted — until now. A breakdown of the moments: Game 1, NBA Finals: Pacers down 15 Indiana — which looked doomed by turnovers all night — trailed by 15 points with just under 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter and took its only lead of the game on a jumper by Tyrese Haliburton with 0.3 seconds remaining to steal Game 1 of the finals over the Thunder. Final score: Indiana 111, Oklahoma City 110. Game 3, East finals: Knicks down 20 This time, the Pacers had it happen to them. Indiana led by 20 points with 3:20 left in the second quarter, only to get outscored 71-45 the rest of the way. Jalen Brunson's jumper with 1:17 left put New York up for good and the Knicks prevailed, 106-100. Game 1, East finals: Pacers down 17 This game felt very over, especially when Karl-Anthony Towns made a 3-pointer for a 17-point New York lead with 6:26 left. Ha. The Pacers were still down 14 with 2:40 remaining, went on an incredible 20-6 run to tie the game — Haliburton's jumper hit the back of the rim, went about 17 feet in the air, and bounced in to force overtime — and the Pacers won 138-135. Game 5, East semifinals: Pacers down 19 Indiana closed out the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of this series, rallying from a 19-point hole that had been dug early in the second quarter. The Pacers got within four by halftime, took the lead midway through the third and kept it the rest of the way in what became a 114-105 win. Game 2, East semifinals: Knicks down 20 This game on May 7 marked the third consecutive day that a road team in the East semifinals erased what was exactly a 20-point deficit. Boston led 73-53 late in the third quarter, and New York outscored the Celtics 38-17 in the final 14 minutes. Brunson gave the Knicks their last lead on two free throws with 12.7 seconds left and New York escaped, 91-90. Game 2, East semifinals: Pacers down 20 Max Strus' dunk with 6:51 left in the third quarter put Cleveland up 81-61. and the Cavaliers kept their double-digit lead into the fourth quarter. Cleveland was up 119-112 with 48 seconds left; Indiana scored the final eight points and Haliburton's 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining sealed a 120-119 stunner of a win. Game 1, East semifinals: Knicks down 20 Again, Boston led by 20 midway through the third quarter. The Knicks were undeterred. Brunson's 3-pointer with 4:07 left put New York on top, the start of what became a back-and-forth finish until OG Anunoby's dunk with 3:25 left in overtime put the Knicks up for good. Final score: Knicks 108, Celtics 105. Game 5, East quarterfinals: Pacers down 20 Milwaukee, playing to keep its season alive and without injured guard Damian Lillard (torn Achilles), roared out to a 33-13 lead early in the second quarter. Indiana kept chipping away, and a great back-and-forth battle after halftime was sealed when Haliburton made a layup with 1.4 seconds left for a 119-118 series-clinching win. Game 3, West quarterfinals: Thunder down 29 The biggest comeback of these playoffs still belongs to Oklahoma City, which was down 69-40 in Memphis in Game 3 of those teams' Western Conference first-round series. But Ja Morant got hurt and left the game, and without their guard the Grizzlies couldn't hold the lead. Oklahoma City outscored Memphis by 35 in the game's final 27 minutes to win 114-108. Game 1, West quarterfinals: Nuggets down 15 Little did we know that this game on Day 1 of the playoffs, April 19, was a harbinger of what awaited the rest of the way. Denver trailed the Los Angeles Clippers 51-36 midway through the second quarter, but recovered for a 112-110 win behind 29 points from Nikola Jokic. ___ AP NBA:
Forbes
37 minutes ago
- Forbes
The 8 Horses Competing In The 2025 Belmont Stakes
Horse racing's Triple Crown is down to the final jewel and of the eight horses running the Belmont Stakes at the race's temporary home of the Saratoga Race Course, Sovereignty and Journalism demand the most attention. It's all for good reason. Sovereignty surprised Journalism with a victory at the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, but skipped the Preakness at Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course—and a shot at a Triple Crown—opening the door for Journalism to capture the second race in the Triple Crown. Now the two are set to go head-to-head once again, even if six other horses join the fray in search of a prestigious win. The June 7 race, with a post time of 7:04 p.m. EST, will be run in Saratoga instead of at the traditional home of Belmont Park, but the New York Racing Association says the New Belmont Park will be ready to again host the Belmont Stakes in 2026, offering a revamped and modernized take on horse racing that will feature a new five-story structure. The change for this year, though, is about more than location. It also shortens the race's length. The Belmont Stakes is typically run at 1-1/2 miles, but the smaller Saratoga track requires shortening the race to 1-1/4 miles to not place the start on a turn. The 10 furlongs is the same as what is run at the Kentucky Derby—the Preakness is slightly shorter at 9.5 furlongs—making the typically longer Belmont Stakes a near-direct Kentucky Derby repeat for the Sovereignty-Journalism rematch. Let's explore the eight horses in the field in order of starting position. Trainer: Chad Brown Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. Sire: Quality Road Odds: 14/1 It was a long road to New York for Hill Road. The horse began his racing career in Ireland but then moved to Chad Brown's New York barn. In his last start, Hill Road won the nine-furlong Grade 3 Peter Pan, a traditional local prep race for the Belmont Stakes. Trainer: Bill Mott Jockey: Junior Alvarade Sire: Into Mischief Odds: 7/2 The Kentucky Derby 1-1/2-length win over Journalism on May 3 brought Sovereignty into the limelight. The come-from-behind victory on the sloppy track showed the horse could handle the length, his second race at that distance. Now the Godolphin-owned horse preps to increase the $3.6 million lifetime earnings with a pressure-filled start in New York. Trainer: Bob Baffert Jockey: Mike Smith Sire: Authentic Odds: 7/1 Rodriguez won the Grade 2 Wood Memorial in April at the nearby Aqueduct Racetrack without blinders and earned a spot in the starting field at the Kentucky Derby. Rodriquez was a scratch, though, due to a foot issue, forcing the bob Baffert-trained horse to instead focus on the Belmont Stakes. Trainer: Todd Pletcher Jockey: Luis Seaz Sire: Curlin Odds: 23/1 Uncaged knows Saratoga, having run his first race on the track there last summer. He also ran in the Grade 3 Peter Pan, where he came in sixth, well behind Hill Road. He's the longest shot in the field. Trainer: Todd Pletcher Jockey: John Velazquez Sire: Justify Odds: 13/1 The second Todd Pletcher-trained horse in the field, Crudo has Triple Crown pedigree as the son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify. With celebrity chef Bobby Flay part of the ownership team, the relatively untested horse will have his longest race of his career at Saratoga. Trainer: John Shirreffs Jockey: Flavien Prat Sire: McKinzie Odds: 3/1 Baeza has been in the mix with some of the biggest names in racing this year. Baeza was closely beat in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby by Journalism and finished third in the Kentucky Derby. It's no surprise, then, that Baeza is just behind the two favorites in the discussion for the Belmont Stakes. Trainer: Michael McCarthy Jockey: Umberto Rispoli Sire: Curlin Odds: 6/5 Journalism was the favorite heading into the Kentucky Derby after four consecutive wins before the May race but was bested by Sovereignty. Journalism captured the Preakness two weeks later with a half-length victory over Gosger. The 1-2-3 Kentucky Derby finish of Sovereignty, Journalism and Baeza will certainly give fans something to watch at Saratoga. Trainer: Jamie Osborne Jockey: Saffie Osborne Sire: Honor A.P. Odds: 17/1 Heart of Honor made his debut in the United States with a fifth-place finish in the Preakness. The British-bred horse struggled with pace during the race but has since had more time in America preparing for the Belmont Stakes, led by the father-daughter trainer-jockey duo.
