Parker Kelly scores 2 as Avalanche beat Flames 4-2 to move to 7-0-1 in last 8 games
CALGARY, Alberta — Parker Kelly scored twice and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Calgary Flames 4-2 on Friday night.
Ryan Lindgren and Valeri Nichushkin also scored for Colorado, which has points in eight straight (7-0-1). The Avalanche moved within three points of the Dallas Stars for second place in the Central Division. Scott Wedgewood had 22 saves.
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New York Times
24 minutes ago
- New York Times
One difference-making trade for each NL team in the wild-card race
The National League wild-card race differs from the American League's, with the former having more teams on the outside looking in. The Nationals, Marlins, Pirates and Rockies are all at least 10 games out of the race and should be considered definite sellers at the trade deadline. With seven of the remaining eight NL teams entering Tuesday in wild-card position or within 2 1/2 games of a spot, deadline moves could prove to be the difference down the stretch. The Giants have already made what will be this year's biggest deadline move by adding Rafael Devers' impact bat. That deal puts added pressure on other NL wild-card contenders to follow suit and try to make meaningful trades by July 31 to separate themselves for the final two months of the regular season. Last week, I suggested a potential trade for each of the 10 teams in the AL wild-card race. Now, it's the NL's turn. Here is one difference-making trade proposal for each of the seven teams in the thick of the NL wild-card chase. (Atlanta, still six games out, is not included here.) The Mets are going to be in a dogfight all season with the Phillies, and in their rear-view mirror, the Braves could start creeping closer and closer. To prevail in the NL East, the Mets need to improve their bullpen depth at the deadline. In this trade proposal, they would land the Rockies' two best high-leverage relievers, Bird and Halvorsen. Bird has had the better season statistically (2.06 ERA in 33 appearances, 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings), but Halvorsen has more upside, and with the help of the Mets' pitching and analytics departments, might develop into an impact closer in time. Bird, 29, is under team control through 2028; Halvorsen, 25, through 2030. Advertisement In return, the Rockies get a future everyday outfielder in Gilbert, who can play all three outfield positions. He has 18- to 22-home run power and the ability to be a table-setter (.356 OBP in his minor-league career). The Mets acquired Gilbert from Houston two years ago in the Justin Verlander deadline trade. The 24-year-old has batted .230/.343/.376 this season, mostly at Triple A. In addition, the Rockies would get Suero, 21, an offensive catcher who can also play first base and left field. The Rockies need to start trading relievers for future everyday position players. The Giants already won the trade deadline with their move for Devers, but why stop there? Now, the goal should be to add depth to their bullpen. Acquiring Finnegan, 33, would make a lot of sense. He has a 2.93 ERA over 28 appearances and 18 saves, but also five blown saves, which is tied for the major-league lead. He will be a free agent after this season. In return, the Nationals would acquire two left-handed starting pitching prospects. Whitman, 23, has logged a 5.56 ERA over 13 starts with 62 strikeouts in 56 2/3 innings this season at Double A. Bresnahan, 19, has a 3.33 ERA with 59 strikeouts over 46 innings in Low A. The Athletic's Keith Law ranked Whitman and Bresnahan fifth and 14th, respectively, in the Giants' farm system earlier this year. The Brewers are not getting much offensive production from the left side of their infield with shortstop Joey Ortiz or third baseman Caleb Durbin, so it could be worth taking a chance on McMahon, who had a slow start but has slugged .542 in June. McMahon, 30, is making $12 million this season and is owed $32 million over the next two years. Advertisement The Rockies would have to pay down the contract significantly to move McMahon, but if they had a chance to get Adams, they would have to make the deal. The former 12th-round pick has a .424 on-base percentage over four minor-league seasons (1,159 plate appearances). He has an .899 OPS this year at Double A with 13 doubles, 11 homers and 10 steals. Adams, 21, was recently placed on the injured list with a shoulder contusion suffered in a collision at the plate. This is the type of trade the Rockies need to make to get younger and start turning over the roster. The Cardinals have stuck in the wild-card race, but this would be a deal for the future. They would acquire McGonigle, an elite prospect who can flat-out hit and can play any infield position. The 20-year-old is clearly one of Detroit's top-three prospects. The Cardinals could play McGonigle at second base or third base long term — wherever they feel he fits best. The only reason the Tigers would consider making this deal is if they felt Arenado would be a difference-maker at third base, both offensively and defensively. More importantly, they'd add Helsley, an impact closer to go along with high-leverage relievers Will Vest and Tommy Kahnle — a strong trio, especially in the playoffs. Of course, to make this deal happen, Arenado would have to waive his no-trade clause and the Cardinals would have to pay down his contract significantly. But even if St. Louis had to pay the entire freight, it would be worth it to land McGonigle. Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller is always ready to swing big and never afraid to trade his top prospects, so why not roll the dice again? Over his past four starts, Alcantara has begun to pitch more like the former Cy Young Award winner he is. He's logged a 2.74 ERA in that span, with 19 strikeouts and five walks, after struggling with command earlier in the season. To acquire three postseasons of club control with Alcantara's contract, the Padres might be willing to give up their top two prospects, De Vries and Salas. In addition, they'd have to include Cruz and Nett, two of their best pitching prospects. The Marlins are not shopping Alcantara, but this is the type of trade offer they would have to accept given the potential long-term benefits for the club. It's a steep price for the Padres, but if he's moved, Alcantara will be the best pitcher traded at the deadline. Dylan Cease and Michael King will be eligible for free agency after this season, so adding Alcantara would assure San Diego of an ace to lead its rotation into next year. Alcantara is signed through 2026 and has a $21 million team option for 2027. The Reds could use another power bat in the middle of their lineup and O'Hearn, an impending free agent, would be a solid fit. He is slashing .305/.387/.480 with 10 homers and 29 RBIs in 256 plate appearances. In return, the Orioles would get a power arm with triple-digit velocity (Petty); a solid southpaw prospect who has struck out 62 in 47 2/3 innings at High A this season (Serwinowski); and a 20-year-old shortstop prospect with second-round pedigree who has batted .275/.388/.442 this season in Low A. Advertisement This trade would be a short-term win for the Reds and a long-term win for the Orioles. If they start to fade, the Diamondbacks probably should be selling, given their significant injuries and key impending free agents (Josh Naylor, Eugenio Suárez, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly). But the D-Backs are only 2 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot and their president of baseball operations, Mike Hazen, made it clear on my SiriusXM radio show that they plan to be 'buyers of pitching' at this year's trade deadline. Therefore, perhaps a trade to acquire Anderson makes some sense. Anderson, 35, has a 4.56 ERA over 15 starts, and he, too, will be a free agent in the fall. He posted a 3.81 ERA over 179 1/3 innings last season. In return, the Angels would get Chalas and Angelo, two minor-league starters who have struggled this season, with ERAs north of 5.00, but are considered top-35 type organizational prospects. However, keep in mind the Angels would be shedding the remainder of Anderson's $13 million annual salary in this transaction too. (Top photo of Ryan Helsley: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
New York Times
6 hours ago
- New York Times
Nique Clifford's path to the NBA Draft is becoming a rarity: The mid-major star who stayed
Nique Clifford calls himself a 'dying breed.' The history of basketball features plenty of success stories like his — players who stuck with a mid-major, were rewarded as high draft picks and turned into great pros — a list that includes the likes of Steph Curry, Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and Pascal Siakam. But will the sport's future have many more of those stories? Advertisement If those current NBA stars went through college just a few years later, they would have had to deal with the temptation of a bigger payday to transfer to another school. When Clifford, who broke out as a true senior at Colorado State after three years as a role player at Colorado, decided to return to college after mixed feedback during the NBA Draft process, he had options. High-major schools let his agents know that they were interested, and Clifford said multiple schools offered at least $1 million. Colorado State could not match or even come close to it, but Clifford never hesitated. 'It was not about the money,' he said. 'It was moreso a long-term investment. I knew, going back to CSU, I was going to be in a great situation. I was going to be around a great staff and great people that I love being around every day and continue to grow with them. 'I've been on the other side of things where you're not in a good situation, necessarily, so I didn't want to risk doing that for some extra change.' Now Clifford, who is expected to be a first-round pick in this week's NBA Draft with a chance to sneak into the lottery, could be one of the last of his kind. Sam Vecenie's latest mock draft for The Athletic projects 13 players who transferred up to higher-level Division I basketball programs during their college career. (Clifford is one of just three projected first-rounders to finish their college careers outside of the traditional high-major conferences: the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 or Big East.) That is the new pathway for most mid-major stars: Develop at a smaller school, emerge as a star, transfer up and get paid, show your talent on that stage and get drafted. That last step doesn't always come to fruition. Transferring brings an element of uncertainty that Clifford did not want to risk. And his bet on himself already feels like an exception to the rule that money drives everything in the race to the top of the basketball world. Clifford was far from the NBA's radar in March 2023, when he entered the transfer portal after three seasons at Colorado. He became a starter midway through his sophomore season, but the Derrick White/Spencer Dinwiddie-esque creator role coaches initially pitched to him never materialized. 'I wanted to finish out my career there and be loyal, but in terms of getting to where I wanted to be, it just wasn't going to happen there,' he said. Advertisement Clifford was more of a 3-and-D wing, spending most offensive possessions in the corner. The problem was his 3-point percentage dipped to a career-worst 28.8 percent his junior season. 'There wasn't a lot of 3,' said Colorado State head coach Ali Farokhmanesh, who was promoted from an assistant role this spring. 'It was only D.' Farokhmanesh had recruited Clifford out of high school and saw him then as more of a point guard: 'He made plays that other kids didn't see.' Farokhmanesh was Clifford's first call, two minutes after his name showed up in the NCAA transfer portal. Clifford, who is originally from Colorado Springs, wanted to get out of the state to start over, but former CSU coach Niko Medved and Farokhmanesh's belief in his game and vision for what he could become was the perfect marriage. When Clifford arrived in the summer of 2023, Farokhmanesh implemented a developmental plan that started with addressing his shot. 'There was some mechanical stuff that he had to work on,' Farokhmanesh said. 'His feet were not good. They weren't strong. The follow-through wasn't consistent, and the rotation of the ball wasn't consistent.' Clifford was also apprehensive when he got open looks, opting instead to drive during summer pickup games. 'You could tell he was a little broken,' Medved said. Clifford slowly started to play more like he had in high school. It helped that point guard Isaiah Stevens told him his teammates wanted him to take those open shots, make or miss. The 2023-24 Rams got off to a 9-0 start, including wins over No. 8 Creighton and Clifford's former team, Colorado. Clifford scored double figures in seven of those games. In Medved's motion offense, which involves all five players reading and reacting to the defense, Clifford played instinctively and quit overthinking. Advertisement 'He really did an unbelievable job of just kind of giving himself over to what we were asking him to do,' Medved said. Clifford more than doubled his scoring average (12.2), doubled his assists (3.0), nearly doubled his rebounding (7.6) and shot career-best numbers inside the arc (59.7) and from deep (37.7). The Rams made the NCAA Tournament after a one-year absence, and Clifford started appearing on draft boards. But when the feedback wasn't quite what he wanted, Clifford decided to return for a fifth season and see what it was like to be the face of a program. Before every game, Farokhmanesh handed Clifford a notecard with a message: Mask on. 'You would invite him over to babysit your kids, and he'd put them to bed and then clean your house after too,' Farokhmanesh said. 'He's salt of the earth.' But Farokhmanesh wanted Clifford to be more of a killer on the court, creating an alter ego more aligned with the Joker tattoo on his left forearm. In his first season with the Rams, Clifford mostly blended in: Despite his pro potential, he had only the fourth-highest usage rate on the team. Last season, the Rams needed Clifford to take the most shots, facilitate, rebound and be the team's best defender. Clifford arrived early before practice every day to work with Farokhmanesh, stayed after practice for more work and returned at night to work out on his own. The personal results followed at the beginning of his final college season, but the Rams got off to a shaky 6-5 start. It would have been easy to point fingers, especially when Clifford started to hear from the doubters. 'Even family and friends were telling us we were trash,' Clifford said. 'I'm not going to say his name, but one of my uncles, he was just like, 'Man, y'all are not very good. I'm a not a big believer. I'm not a fan of the point guard. You're just having to do too much and too much on your plate. Y'all aren't going to be very good.'' Advertisement 'There was no panic,' Medved said. 'Nique was unbelievable, because as a coach, you're like, 'All right, this kid's coming back. Obviously, he wants to go play in the NBA. Is he just going to worry about himself, right?' And he did the opposite. He was just so consumed with what our team needed to do on both ends of the floor, how he could help us and just the way he modeled that every day for our guys, he did everything and anything I ever asked him to do.' The Rams ended the regular season on a seven-game winning streak, capped by a win in front of a sold-out crowd at Boise State with the No. 2 seed in the Mountain West tournament on the line. Clifford scored 36 points on only 18 shots. 'That might go down as the best regular-season performance ever at CSU,' Medved said. Clifford was just as good in the conference tournament, averaging 25 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists to help the Rams secure an NCAA Tournament bid. Then, CSU upset sixth-seeded Memphis in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. A buzzer-beater by Maryland's Derik Queen stopped the Rams from being the only mid-major to make the Sweet 16. In Clifford's final college game, he put up another stellar line: 21 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal. Clifford was one of the most valuable players in the country, finishing sixth in KenPom's Player of the Year standings. He enters this NBA Draft with no doubt that he can make an impact in the pros. 'I think the thing that gets lost in this, not just to make it at the next level, but to have an opportunity to stay at the next level,' Medved said. 'So much of it is mental and emotional. … Can you handle the drive? Do you really believe? You almost have to have an irrational confidence in yourself that you can succeed at the highest level. And that's really hard sometimes for people to be honest with themselves. 'I think that was a big part of it for Nique. It was so new to him. He'd come out on the scene, and he needed another year. And, man, this year you just saw what he did for us. Obviously, his play on the court, but also his leadership, just how much more confident and comfortable he was with his game and himself. And that's why he's in the position he's in.' Will there be another Clifford? Nine players from the Mountain West who earned all-Mountain West or honorable mention honors this spring will be back in college basketball next season. Only three (Utah State's Mason Falslev, San Diego State's Miles Byrd and Magoon Gwath) remained with their 2024-25 school. The other six transferred to high-major programs. Advertisement From outside the high-major leagues, only two players attended the NBA Draft combine and returned to school: Byrd and UAB product Yaxel Lendeborg, who transferred to Michigan. It's rare now for an all-league player outside of college hoops' top five leagues to stay put. San Diego State, which made the national title game three years ago, is more high-major-ish, but even the Aztecs have felt the shift. Three members of the SDSU core that made the 2023 national title game finished their careers elsewhere. 'It's super rare (to stay). I felt it this spring,' said Farokhmanesh, who lost point guard Kyan Evans to North Carolina in April. 'It's also really rare to make the NBA, too.' Clifford has no regrets, even about his three years at Colorado. He also has a message for those players who will one day be in his shoes and have the chance to transfer up. 'If the feedback is they want you to go to a bigger school and play better competition, maybe I can see why you would transfer and go up to a big school,' Clifford said. 'But if you're already in a great situation and could risk your stock by going somewhere else just for some money, I would definitely not recommend that. I would definitely stay a part of the culture that you helped build and have a sense of loyalty to that college of the people that helped you get to where you were at. You know you're gonna grow and you're going to get better with those people, because they've helped you get to that point.'
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Rockies host the Dodgers to begin 3-game series
Los Angeles Dodgers (48-31, first in the NL West) vs. Colorado Rockies (18-60, fifth in the NL West) Denver; Tuesday, 8:40 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Dodgers: TBD; Rockies: German Marquez (3-8, 6.11 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, 50 strikeouts) Advertisement BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Dodgers -234, Rockies +191; over/under is 11 1/2 runs BOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Rockies host the Los Angeles Dodgers to open a three-game series. Colorado has an 18-60 record overall and an 8-29 record at home. The Rockies have a 7-44 record in games when they have allowed at least one home run. Los Angeles has an 18-17 record in road games and a 48-31 record overall. The Dodgers are 18-4 in games when they did not give up a home run. The teams play Tuesday for the fourth time this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Hunter Goodman has 17 doubles, three triples and 14 home runs for the Rockies. Thairo Estrada is 13 for 44 with three doubles and a home run over the past 10 games. Advertisement Will Smith leads the Dodgers with a .328 batting average, and has 15 doubles, a triple, nine home runs, 36 walks and 42 RBIs. Andy Pages is 12 for 35 with four home runs and 12 RBIs over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Rockies: 5-5, .260 batting average, 4.94 ERA, outscored by one run Dodgers: 7-3, .258 batting average, 4.90 ERA, outscored opponents by 10 runs INJURIES: Rockies: Thairo Estrada: day-to-day (hand), Ryan Feltner: 60-Day IL (back), Kyle Freeland: 15-Day IL (back), Ezequiel Tovar: 10-Day IL (oblique), Tanner Gordon: 15-Day IL (oblique), Kris Bryant: 60-Day IL (lumbar), Jeff Criswell: 60-Day IL (elbow) Advertisement Dodgers: Roki Sasaki: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Tony Gonsolin: 60-Day IL (elbow), Luis Garcia: 15-Day IL (adductor), Tyler Glasnow: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Evan Phillips: 60-Day IL (forearm), Blake Snell: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Blake Treinen: 60-Day IL (forearm), Edgardo Henriquez: 60-Day IL (foot), Kyle Hurt: 60-Day IL (elbow), Michael Grove: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Brusdar Graterol: 60-Day IL (shoulder), River Ryan: 60-Day IL (elbow), Gavin Stone: 60-Day IL (shoulder) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
