Latest news with #NBAFINALS


Los Angeles Times
5 hours ago
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
The Sports Report: Max Muncy, Tanner Scott are key to Dodgers' victory
From Jack Harris: It was a night of redemption at Dodger Stadium. For the struggling home team, its recently beleaguered closer and its enigmatic third baseman most of all. In a 6-5 win against the New York Mets on Tuesday, Max Muncy atoned for a costly fifth-inning error with a two-home run performance, including a game-tying blast in the bottom of the ninth. Left-hander Tanner Scott snapped out of his recent funk, throwing a scoreless 10th inning a night after taking a loss in the same situation. And after two consecutive frustrating defeats, the Dodgers finally bounced back on Freddie Freeman's walk-off double in the bottom of the 10th; earning a win that kept them in sole possession of first place in the National League West, and chased a few demons for both Scott and Muncy in the process. 'We needed every bit of it,' manager Dave Roberts said. 'It's good to see the resilience from a lot of our guys.' Continue reading here Dodgers star Freddie Freeman's family appreciated kind gesture from slain Baldwin Park officer Shigeo Nagashima, Japanese baseball legend with ties to the Dodgers, dies at 89 Judge orders woman who accused ex-Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer of sexual assault to pay damages by default Dodgers box score MLB scores MLB standings All Times Pacific NBA FINALS Oklahoma City vs. Indiana Thursday at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., ABCSunday at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m., ABCWed., June 11 at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABCFriday, June 13 at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABCMonday, June 16 at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., ABC*Thursday, June 19 at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABC*Sunday, June 22 at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m., ABC* *if necessary Automatic runner Zach Neto scored on Taylor Ward's bases-loaded double-play groundout to lift the Angels to a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox in 10 innings on Tuesday night. Nolan Schanuel had two RBIs and Neto added two hits and an RBI to give the Angels consecutive wins for the first time since capping an eight-game win streak on May 23. Kenley Jansen (1-2) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up the win a night after getting a save and Reid Detmers got his first save. Continue reading here Angels box score MLB scores MLB standings From Gary Klein: Puka Nacua is using organized team activities to hone his craft and prepare for his third NFL season. But the Rams' star receiver also recently took time to help others prepare to avoid potential health challenges. Nacua last week returned from a trip to Samoa, where he and his mother joined medical professionals from Utah Valley University to provide testing, clinics and education about diabetes. Nacua said his father, who died when Nacua was a youngster, experienced complications from the disease. So the opportunity to travel with his mother to his maternal grandmother's village was 'kind of a full-circle moment' for his family, Nacua said Tuesday. 'To be able to go and improve the situation in the homeland was something sweet,' Nacua said after the team went through a workout. Continue reading here From Kevin Baxter: It doesn't seem that long ago that Christen Press was helping the national team to consecutive World Cup titles. She was unstoppable then, a key cog in the greatest women's soccer team in history. Yet she played her 155th and final match for the U.S. in the Tokyo Olympics. It doesn't seem that long ago that Press, just 18 days removed from those Olympics, became the first player signed by expansion club Angel City. She was bringing the NWSL to her hometown and was being rewarded with what was then the richest contract in league history. Yet she's started just 10 games since then, losing most of the last three seasons to a stubborn anterior cruciate ligament injury that took four surgeries to repair. Press eventually will be inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame, but she isn't ready for that trip just yet. If her body isn't always willing, her mind and her heart are still keen on the sport, so Press makes her most valuable contributions now in the quiet of the locker room. Continue reading here From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Already slated to be the first venue in the world to host events from three different Olympic Summer Games, the Coliseum will help break new ground for the Paralympics in 2028. The iconic stadium is at the center of the first Paralympic Games in L.A. as it hosts the para track and field competition, LA28 announced Tuesday in an updated venue plan that placed 23 disciplines into their future Paralympic homes. 'This is a momentous occasion for the city of Los Angeles,' para swimmer and Inglewood native Jamal Hill said in an interview with The Times. 'Being a native Los Angeleno, you always hear about this melting pot of Los Angeles and many times, that melting pot, the default is to really thinking like, ethnic or racial or even cultural based. … I think it's really, really beautiful and inclusive now that that melting pot is really starting to cover ability.' Continue reading here All times Pacific STANLEY CUP FINALS Edmonton vs. FloridaWednesday at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNTFriday at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNTMonday at Florida, 5 p.m., TNTThursday, June 12 at Florida, 5 p.m., TNTSaturday, June 14 at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNT*Tuesday, June 17 at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT*Friday, June 20 at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNT* * If necessary 1870 — Ed Brown becomes the first Black jockey to win the Belmont Stakes, with Kingfisher. 1927 — The United States wins the first Ryder Cup golf tournament by beating Britain 9½-2½. 1932 — Faireno, ridden by Tommy Malley, wins the Belmont Stakes by 1½ lengths over Osculator. Burgoo King, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, doesn't race. 1966 — Ameroid, ridden by Bill Boland, wins the Belmont Stakes by 2½ lengths over Buffle. Kauai King, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, finishes fourth. 1974 — NFL grants franchise to Seattle Seahawks. 1984 — 1960 champion Arnold Palmer fails to qualify for the US Open Golf Championship for the first time in 32 years. 1987 — Danny Harris defeats Edwin Moses in the 400 hurdles at a meet in Madrid, ending the longest winning streak in track and field. Moses, had won 122 consecutive races dating to Aug. 26, 1977. 1988 — West Germany's Steffi Graf beats 17-year-old Natalia Zvereva of the Soviet Union in 32 minutes with a 6-0, 6-0 victory to win the French Open for the second straight year. 1990 — Penn State is voted into the Big Ten. The school becomes the 11th member of the league and first addition to the Midwest-based conference since Michigan State in 1949. 1994 — Haile Gebrselassie becomes the first Ethiopian to set a world track record with a time of 12:56.96 in the men's 5,000 meters at Hengelo, Netherlands. 1998 — Harut Karapetyan of the Galaxy scores three goals in five minutes for the fastest hat trick in MLS history in an 8-1 rout of the Dallas Burn. The seven-goal margin sets an MLS record. 2005 — Justine Henin-Hardenne beats a rattled and fumbling Mary Pierce 6-1, 6-1 to win the French Open, capping a comeback from a blood virus with her fourth Grand Slam title and her second at Roland Garros. 2005 — Eddie Castro sets a North American record for most wins by a jockey in one day at one track, winning nine races on the 13-race card at Miami's Calder Race Course. 2008 — The Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup for the fourth time in 11 seasons with a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 . 2011 — Li Na becomes the first Chinese — man or woman — to win a Grand Slam singles title. She beats Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 7-6 (0) in the French Open final for her fifth career title and first on clay. 2016 — Garbine Muguruza wins her first Grand Slam title by beating defending champion Serena Williams 7-5, 6-4 at the French Open, denying the American her record-equaling 22nd major trophy. 1940 — The Pirates beat the Boston Bees 14-2 in the first night game at Pittsburgh's Forbes Field. 1940 — The St. Louis Cardinals play their first night game at Sportsman's Park, defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers 10-1. 1951 — Pittsburgh's Gus Bell hit for the cycle to lead the Pirates to a 12-4 victory over the Phillies at Philadelphia. 1964 — Sandy Koufax pitched his third no-hitter, striking out 12, as the Dodgers beat the Phillies 3-0 in Philadelphia. 1968 — Don Drysdale of the Dodgers blanked the Pirates 5-0 for his sixth straight shutout en route to a record 58 2-3 scoreless innings. 1972 — A major league record eight shutouts were pitched in 16 major league games: five in the American League, three in the National League. The Oakland Athletics swept a pair from the Baltimore Orioles by identical 2-0 scores. 1974 — The game between the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium was forfeited to Texas. Umpire Nestor Chylak had problems with fans all night on 10-cent beer night. The crowd got out of control when Cleveland tied the score 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth. 1989 — Toronto beats Boston 13-11 in 12 innings after trailing 10-0 after six. Red Sox starter Mike Smithson threw six scoreless innings before leaving in the seventh because of a foot blister. The Jays then scored two in the seventh, four in the eighth and five in the ninth and two more in the 11th on Junior Felix's home run. It was the biggest lead the Red Sox have blown and their 12th consecutive loss to the Blue Jays at Fenway Park. 1990 — Ramon Martinez struck out 18 and pitched a three-hitter, sending the Dodgers past the Atlanta Braves 6-0. 1996 — Pamela Davis pitched one inning of scoreless relief and got the win in a minor league exhibition game. She is believed to be the first woman to pitch for a major league farm club under the current minor league system. The 21-year-old right-hander pitched for the Jacksonville Suns, a double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, against the Australian Olympic team. 2000 — Esteban Yan of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays becomes the 77th major league player to hit a home run in his first at bat, but just the fourth American League pitcher and the first since the Angels' Don Rose in 1972, the year before the designated hitter rule took the bat out of AL pitchers' hands. 2005 — Rafael Palmeiro and Melvin Mora each hit grand slams to help Baltimore rally for a 14-7 win over Detroit. 2007 — Mark Ellis hit for the cycle and Eric Chavez had a two-out homer in the 11th inning to lift Oakland to a 5-4 win over Boston. 2009 — Randy Johnson became the 24th major league pitcher to win 300 games by leading San Francisco to a 5-1 victory over the Washington Nationals in the first game of a doubleheader. 2012 — Mike Scioscia of the Angels became the ninth manager in AL history to manage 2,000 games with one club. The Mariners beat the Angels 8-6. 2018 — In a doubleheader with the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees OF Aaron Judge sets a record by striking out eight times. 2019 — San Francisco Giant Manager Bruce Bochy wins his 1,000th game as the manager of the Giants with a 9-3 victory over the New York Mets. 2022 — The rule preventing position players from pitching in a close game is invoked for the first time when Crew chief C.B. Bucknor objects to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts calling on OF Zach McKinstry to pitch the 9th inning against the Mets with his team trailing, 9-4. The rule, adopted before the 2020 season but not implemented until this year due to the upheavals caused by the coronavirus pandemic, states that a team cannot use a position player on the mound unless there is a difference of six or more runs between the two teams. Roberts is thus forced to use a real pitcher, Evan Phillips, to pitch the final inning. Compiled by the Associated Press That concludes today's newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you'd like to see, email me at To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.


Fox Sports
10 hours ago
- General
- Fox Sports
Thunder open NBA Finals against the Pacers
Associated Press Indiana Pacers (50-32, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (68-14, first in the Western Conference) Oklahoma City; Thursday, 8:30 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Thunder -9.5; over/under is 231 NBA FINALS: Thunder host first series matchup BOTTOM LINE: The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Indiana Pacers in game one of the NBA Finals. Oklahoma City went 2-0 against Indiana during the regular season. The Thunder won the last regular season matchup 132-111 on Sunday, March 30 led by 33 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, while Tyrese Haliburton scored 18 points for the Pacers. The Thunder are 36-6 on their home court. Oklahoma City ranks sixth in the league averaging 14.5 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 37.4% from downtown. Isaiah Joe leads the team averaging 2.6 makes while shooting 41.2% from 3-point range. The Pacers have gone 21-20 away from home. Indiana has a 22-15 record against opponents over .500. The Thunder are shooting 48.2% from the field this season, 0.8 percentage points higher than the 47.4% the Pacers allow to opponents. The Pacers average 13.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.3 fewer makes per game than the Thunder allow. TOP PERFORMERS: Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.7 points, 6.4 assists and 1.7 steals for the Thunder. Jalen Williams is averaging 20.1 points over the last 10 games. Myles Turner is scoring 15.6 points per game and averaging 6.5 rebounds for the Pacers. Pascal Siakam is averaging 22.1 points and 5.4 rebounds over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 7-3, averaging 112.5 points, 43.7 rebounds, 24.4 assists, 10.5 steals and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 46.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.1 points per game. Pacers: 7-3, averaging 116.8 points, 38.3 rebounds, 26.9 assists, 7.9 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.9 points. INJURIES: Thunder: Nikola Topic: out for season (acl). Pacers: Isaiah Jackson: out for season (calf), Jarace Walker: out (ankle). ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. recommended


Winnipeg Free Press
10 hours ago
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Thunder open NBA Finals against the Pacers
Indiana Pacers (50-32, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (68-14, first in the Western Conference) Oklahoma City; Thursday, 8:30 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Thunder -9.5; over/under is 231 NBA FINALS: Thunder host first series matchup BOTTOM LINE: The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Indiana Pacers in game one of the NBA Finals. Oklahoma City went 2-0 against Indiana during the regular season. The Thunder won the last regular season matchup 132-111 on Sunday, March 30 led by 33 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, while Tyrese Haliburton scored 18 points for the Pacers. The Thunder are 36-6 on their home court. Oklahoma City ranks sixth in the league averaging 14.5 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 37.4% from downtown. Isaiah Joe leads the team averaging 2.6 makes while shooting 41.2% from 3-point range. The Pacers have gone 21-20 away from home. Indiana has a 22-15 record against opponents over .500. The Thunder are shooting 48.2% from the field this season, 0.8 percentage points higher than the 47.4% the Pacers allow to opponents. The Pacers average 13.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.3 fewer makes per game than the Thunder allow. TOP PERFORMERS: Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.7 points, 6.4 assists and 1.7 steals for the Thunder. Jalen Williams is averaging 20.1 points over the last 10 games. Myles Turner is scoring 15.6 points per game and averaging 6.5 rebounds for the Pacers. Pascal Siakam is averaging 22.1 points and 5.4 rebounds over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 7-3, averaging 112.5 points, 43.7 rebounds, 24.4 assists, 10.5 steals and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 46.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.1 points per game. Pacers: 7-3, averaging 116.8 points, 38.3 rebounds, 26.9 assists, 7.9 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.9 points. INJURIES: Thunder: Nikola Topic: out for season (acl). Pacers: Isaiah Jackson: out for season (calf), Jarace Walker: out (ankle). ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.


USA Today
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Tom Thibodeau fired by New York Knicks: Ben Stiller, NBA react to stunning move
Tom Thibodeau fired by New York Knicks: Ben Stiller, NBA react to stunning move Show Caption Hide Caption Pacers and Thunder NBA Finals is better than it's 'small-market' billing USA TODAY Sports' Jeff Zillgitt breaks down the star-studded NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder. Sports Pulse The New York Knicks fired coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday, and the decision was stunning if only because it came on the heels of the franchise's first run to the Eastern Conference finals in 25 years. The Knicks announced Thibodeau's dismissal just three days after their 2025 NBA playoffs ended against the Indiana Pacers ‒ and less than a year after he reportedly agreed to a three-year contract extension to remain in New York. Thibodeau's tenure with the Knicks lasted five seasons, culminating with consecutive 50-win campaigns for the first time since Pat Riley and Patrick Ewing were the stars at Madison Square Garden in the 1990s. "Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans. This pursuit led us to the difficult decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we've decided to move in another direction," Knicks president Leon Rose said in a statement announcing Thibodeau's firing. 2025 NBA FINALS: Thunder vs. Pacers predictions, picks, odds Thibodeau's coaching style could be controversial because of how much he played his starters, but the results were unlike anything the Knicks had experienced in decades. New York won playoff series in three-straight seasons under Thibodeau, and the franchise hadn't been to the conference finals since 2000. Thibodeau, 67, previously served as the head coach for the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves. His .579 career winning percentage is the highest by any coach without an NBA Finals appearance (minimum 300 games coached), according to ESPN. Given all that, there was a wide range of reactions to the Knicks' decision to fire Thibodeau among team supporters and NBA observers across the country. Some expressed appreciation, both for Thibodeau's tenure and the championship goals that convinced the front office to move on from him. Others warned the Knicks are taking a major risk in getting rid of their best coaching hire in years. Here's a breakdown of some of the most insightful and interesting comments made in the wake of Thibodeau's time as the Knicks' coach coming to an end on Tuesday: New York Knicks fire Tom Thibodeau: Ben Stiller, NBA reactions


Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
The Sports Report: It's bad news, good news for UCLA
From Tim Willert: UCLA's run at the Women's College World Series ended Sunday, two innings after Bruins slugger Megan Grant extended it. Laura Mealer's bases-loaded, walk-off single to right field in the bottom of the ninth propelled Tennessee to a 5-4 win and a semifinal meeting with Texas at 9 a.m. PDT Monday. The Volunteers (47-16) did what UCLA couldn't in the ninth: deliver with the bases loaded. The Bruins got singles from Savannah Pola and Jordan Woolery followed by an intentional walk to Grant. But Alexis Ramirez grounded out to first to end the inning. Taylor Pannell hit a deep fly to left field to lead off Tennessee's half of the ninth, a ball that caromed off Rylee Slimp's glove and hit the white padding on the top of the wall but didn't leave the field. The play was reviewed and ruled a double. Mealer, who knocked in two runs in the first inning to give the Volunteers an early 2-0 lead, delivered again, this time on a 2-2 pitch from Taylor Tinsley, who came on in relief of UCLA starter Kaitlyn Terry. 'Just a great battle to the end,' UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. 'I could not be more proud. Period. Just the ability for us to be able to fight, the ability for us to come back, the epic [rally], just down to the last pitch ... there's something about what UCLA softball can do, with your backs against the wall and just rising to the occasion creates some amazing memories.' Continue reading here All Times Pacific Conference finals Western Conference No. 1 Oklahoma City vs. No. 6 Minnesotaat Oklahoma City 114, Minnesota 88 (box score)at Oklahoma City 118, Minnesota 103 (box score)at Minnesota 143, Oklahoma City 101 (box score)Oklahoma City 128, at Minnesota 126 (box score)at Oklahoma City 124, Minnesota 94 (box score) Eastern Conference No. 3 New York vs. No. 4 IndianaIndiana 138, at New York 135 (OT) (box score)Indiana 114, at New York 109 (box score)New York 106, at Indiana 100 (box score)at Indiana 130, New York 121 (box score)at New York 111, Indiana 94 (box score)at Indiana 125, New York 108 (box score) NBA FINALS West No. 1 Oklahoma City vs. Indiana Thursday at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., ABCSunday, June 8 at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m., ABCWed., June 11 at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABCFriday, June 13 at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABCMonday, June 16 at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., ABC*Thursday, June 19 at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABC*Sunday, June 22 at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m., ABC* *if necessary From Jack Harris: Dave Roberts downplayed the easy narrative on Sunday afternoon. 'No,' he said when asked if his Dodgers had the New York Yankees' proverbial number, having followed up their defeat of the Bronx Bombers in last year's World Series with two impressive wins to start this weekend's rematch at Dodger Stadium. 'I think we've had their number the last two nights,' Roberts said, 'but today's a different day.' Was it ever. Twenty-four hours after a total annihilation of the Yankees in a 16-run rout on Saturday, the Dodgers suffered the kind of setback that has so often plagued them this season, squandering the chance to build further momentum in a 7-3 loss that prevented a series sweep. Continue reading here Going bananas: Why Savannah Bananas tickets cost more than a Dodgers-Yankees rematch Hernández: How Japan media track down Ohtani's home-run balls Dodgers box score MLB scores MLB standings José Ramírez homered during a three-run fourth inning, Gavin Williams gave up only one hit in 6⅔ innings and the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Angels 4-2 on Sunday. Ramírez extended Cleveland's lead to 2-0 when he connected on a slider from Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz (3-7) and put it into the stands in right-center for his team-leading 11th homer to lead off the fourth. Nolan Jones added a two-run single with the bases loaded for the other runs in the inning as the Guardians took two of three games in the weekend series. Continue reading here Angels box score MLB scores MLB standings From Benjamin Royer: UCLA baseball is one step closer to earning a trip to Omaha. The Bruins continued to roll in every facet of the game in the Los Angeles Regional final, scoring early and trusting their bullpen to defeat UC Irvine 8-5 on Sunday night. The Bruins advance to the super regionals of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019 and will host the Texas San Antonio at Jackie Robinson Stadium this week. UTSA defeated Texas 7-4 in the Austin Regional final, taking down the national second-seed Longhorns to advance to its first-ever super regional. If UCLA beats UTSA, it'll advance to the College World Series in Omaha for the first time since 2013. Continue reading here From Shotgun Spratling: USC baseball wanted to be aggressive knowing it was entering a hostile environment, playing in front of a sold-out crowd of 4,347 at Goss Stadium. The Trojans tried to set the tone early. Instead, it backfired, costing them early opportunities, early momentum and ultimately Sunday night's matchup in a 14-1 loss to Oregon State in the Corvallis Regional final. USC has a chance for redemption Monday as Oregon State's win forces a winner-take-all regional final at 3 p.m. PDT (ESPNU). Continue reading here From Benjamin Royer: In the game early Sunday that advanced UC Irvine to the Sunday night game against UCLA.... Under threat of elimination, UC Irvine's bats emerged once again. Bringing the power for a second straight game, the Anteaters connected for five home runs Sunday, eliminating Arizona State 11-6 in the Los Angeles Regional of the NCAA baseball tournament. Needing to win four straight games to advance to the super regionals after losing to Arizona State on Friday, UC Irvine is halfway to its goal. Alonso Reyes — who had just one home run in 2025 entering Sunday's game — ripped a two-run home run off of Sun Devils starter Derek Schaefer in the fourth inning. Later in the inning, after Arizona State coach Willie Bloomquist went with Lucas Kelly out of the bullpen, Chase Call cleared the batter's eye in dead center field for a two-run home run to give the Anteaters a 6-1 lead. Continue reading here From Anthony De Leon: Sunday's matchup between the Sparks and Phoenix Mercury felt like déjà vu. When the Sparks faced Phoenix last month, the game ended with a failed Sparks comeback. In a twist of fate, Sunday's comeback belonged to Phoenix. Unable to stay ahead after building an 18-point lead, the Sparks fell 85-80 to the Mercury at Arena for their third consecutive loss. As with the first meeting, the third quarter proved to be the Sparks' undoing. After scoring just seven points in the third quarter of their loss to Phoenix on May 21, the Sparks were outscored 24-9 in the third Sunday. Continue reading here Sparks box score WNBA standings We asked readers of of our Sports Report and USC newsletters: Could a smoother path to the College Football Playoff be worth losing the USC-Notre Dame rivalry? After 1,154 votes, Yes, 17.6%No, 82.4% All times Pacific STANLEY CUP FINALS P3 Edmonton vs. A3 FloridaWednesday at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNTFriday, June 6 at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNTMonday, June 9 at Florida, 5 p.m., TNTThursday, June 12 at Florida, 5 p.m., TNTSaturday, June 14 at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNT*Tuesday, June 17 at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT*Friday, June 20 at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNT* * If necessary 1896 — Hastings, ridden by H. Griffin, edges Handspring by a neck to capture the Belmont Stakes. 1908 — Royal Tourist, ridden by Eddie Dugan, posts a four-length victory over Live Wire in the Preakness Stakes. 1909 — Joe Madden, ridden by Eddie Dugan, wins the Belmont Stakes by eight lengths over Wise Mason. 1935 — French Championships Men's Tennis: Englishman Fred Perry wins his only French title, beating Gottfried von Cramm of Germany 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. 1947 — After a six-year layoff, 13-year-old Honey Cloud wins the second race at Aqueduct. His jockey, Clarence Minner, takes his first ride in 10 years. 1962 — French Championships Women's Tennis: In an all-Australian final Margaret Smith beats doubles partner Lesley Turner 6-3, 3-6, 7-5. 1971 — European Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London: Ajax beats Panathinaikos, 2-0; Dutch champions begin 3-year period of domination. 1985 — Nancy Lopez beats Alice Miller by eight strokes to win the LPGA championship. 1991 — Andrettis finish 1-2-3 in the Miller 200 at Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway in Milwaukee. Mario Andretti finishes third, his son Michael wins the race and his nephew John finished second. 1996 — Annika Sorenstam closes with a 4-under 66 to win her second consecutive U.S. Women's Open. Sorenstam's 8-under 272 is the best ever in the Open. 2002 — Annika Sorenstam matches the LPGA record for margin of victory in a 54-hole event while winning the inaugural Kellogg-Keebler Classic. Sorenstam finishes at 21-under 195 to win by 11 strokes. 2005 — Jockey Russell Baze records his 9,000th career victory aboard Queen of the Hunt in the eighth race at Golden Gate Fields. 2007 — Daniel Gibson scores a career-high 31 points as Cleveland beats Detroit 98-82 to advance to the NBA Finals. The Cavaliers are the third team to come back from an 0-2 deficit in a conference finals, joining the 1971 Baltimore Bullets and 1993 Chicago Bulls. 2008 — Pittsburgh outlasts Detroit 4-3 in three overtimes of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals. Petr Sykora scores at 9:57 of the third overtime ending the fifth-longest finals game in NHL history. 2011 — Dirk Nowitzki makes the tie-breaking layup with 3.6 seconds left, and the Dallas Mavericks roar back from 15 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Miami Heat 95-93 and tie the NBA finals at one game apiece. The Mavs outscore the Heat 22-5 down the stretch and pull off the biggest comeback win in an NBA finals since 1992. 2019 — US Open Women's Golf, CC of Charleston: Lee Jeong-eun of South Korea wins her first major title; beats runners-up Lexi Thompson, Agel Yin and Ryu So-yeon by 2 strokes. 1928 — Les Bell of the Boston Braves hit three home runs and a triple at Braves Field, but the Cincinnati Reds came away with a 20-12 triumph. 1928 — The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1. All the runs came from three pinch-hit home runs. 1941 — Lou Gehrig died in New York at age 37. 1949 — The Philadelphia Phillies hit five homers in the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds. Andy Seminick hit two and Del Ennis, Willie Jones, and Schoolboy Rowe hit one apiece. Seminick had homered earlier in the game. 1959 — The Baltimore Orioles-Chicago White Sox game at Comiskey Park was delayed for nearly half an hour as a swarm of gnats overcame the field. Groundskeepers tried using bug sprays and torches, but the gnats wouldn't budge. A postgame fireworks display was brought in from center field and a smoke bomb was attached to the framework. The gnats left and the Orioles defeated the White Sox, 3-2. 1990 — Randy Johnson pitched the first no-hitter in the Seattle Mariners' history as he beat the Detroit Tigers 2-0. The 6-foot-10 left-hander, walked six and struck out eight while pitching the first no-hitter at the Kingdome, which opened for baseball in 1977. 1996 — Houston starter Darryl Kile tied the modern major league record by hitting four batters in a 2-0 loss at St. Louis, and the first to do it in the NL since Moe Drabowsky in 1957. 2000 — Tampa Bay's Fred McGriff hit his 400th career home run, but the Devil Rays lost to the Mets 5-3. 2000 — Rick Aguilera of the Chicago Cubs became the 13th pitcher with 300 saves in a 2-0 win over Detroit. Aguilera reached the mark in 614 career appearances, third quickest. 2002 — Philadelphia pitcher Robert Person drove in seven runs with a grand slam and a three-run homer in an 18-3 win over Montreal. Person had just come off the disabled list and collected his first win of the season. 2005 — Kansas City completed a sweep of the New York Yankees with a 5-2 victory. The Royals, who have the worst record and second-lowest payroll in the major leagues, finished their first three-game sweep of the Yankees at home in 15 years. 2009 — Dan Uggla of the Marlins became the fastest second baseman to 100 homers in Florida's 10-3 win over Milwaukee. Uggla's two-run shot in the bottom of the second came in his 502nd game as a second baseman, beating Alfonso Soriano to 100 by 34 games. 2010 — Ken Griffey Jr. announces his retirement after 22 seasons in the major leagues. Hitting only .184 in part-time duty for the Mariners, he retires with 630 career home runs and six seasons of 40 or more homers. Most of his career was spent with Seattle and the Cincinnati Reds. 2010 — Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers lost his bid for a perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning on a call that first base umpire Jim Joyce later admitted he blew. First baseman Miguel Cabrera cleanly fielded Jason Donald's grounder to his right and made an accurate throw to Galarraga covering the bag. The ball was there in time, and all of Comerica Park was ready to celebrate the 3-0 win over Cleveland, until Joyce emphatically signaled safe. 2011 — Aubrey Huff hit three home runs and matched his career best with six RBIs and the San Francisco Giants posted a 12-7 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Huff hit two-run homers in the fourth and ninth and a solo shot in the seventh. 2015 — In a memorable major league debut, Rangers 3B Joey Gallo hits a two-run homer in his second at-bat on the way to collecting 3 hits and 4 RBIs in leading Texas to a 15-2 beating of the White Sox. 2017 — Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers records his 2,000th career strikeout. 2018 — Jacob deGrom matches a career high set just two weeks earlier by racking up 13 strikeouts in 7 innings in a start against the Cubs. Compiled by the Associated Press That concludes today's newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you'd like to see, email me at To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.