preview Page 7 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Surging Braves set to open series against 'grinding' Phillies
The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies are trending in opposite directions heading into their first matchup of the season Friday.,The visiting Braves have won three series in a row, taking two of three from the Los Angeles Angels, Cleveland Guardians and Miami Marlins over the last two weeks. ...

Offenses for Mets, Cubs trending in opposite directions entering series
The New York Mets are mired in their worst offensive slump in almost a decade -- just in time to meet the Chicago Cubs, who are in the midst of a much-needed lineup revival.,The Mets will look to snap a lengthy skid Friday afternoon when they visit the Cubs in the opener of a three-game series betwe...

Kraken close out disappointing season while Avs prep for playoffs
Nothing is on the line for either team when the Seattle Kraken wrap up a disappointing season on Thursday night at the Colorado Avalanche in Denver.,Seattle (34-36-11, 79 points) has been eliminated from the playoffs for the fourth time in its five-year existence after cratering late in the season. ...

Finding ways to win, Padres face another challenge in Mariners' pitching
San Diego Padres' first-year manager Craig Stammen can explain his team's five-run, ninth-inning rally Wednesday night that produced a 7-6 win over the visiting Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.,"Just a never-say-die mentality," he said. "We just battled and came away with the crazy victory.",That stre...

Guardians try to turn out of skid at Orioles' expense
The World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers are the only team that has yet to lose consecutive games this season. The Cleveland Guardians were on the list until dropping two in a row to the St. Louis Cardinals.,Cleveland will attempt to reverse course on Thursday when it hosts the Baltimore Oriole...

Struggling White Sox going with youth against Rays
With 12 losses in their first 18 games, including three by shutout, the Chicago White Sox's season prospects could be starting to flutter.,Chicago still maintains high hopes, though, for the fruits of its farm system. Attempting to avoid a three-game sweep by the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday,...

Jays' Patrick Corbin, Brewers' Brandon Sproat on hunt for first win
The visiting Toronto Blue Jays and the Milwaukee Brewers each will start a pitcher seeking his first victory with a new team on Thursday in the rubber match of the three-game series.,Left-hander Patrick Corbin (0-0, 9.00 ERA) gets the nod for the Blue Jays, while Milwaukee counters with right-hander...

Playoff-bound Kings out to improve positioning vs. Flames
The Los Angeles Kings have a playoff spot assured entering their final regular-season contest, a visit to the Calgary Flames on Thursday night.,What has not been decided is whether the Kings (35-26-20, 90 points) will finish third in the Pacific Division or be a Western Conference wild-card team. Th...

Stars, Sabres meet on stellar runs ahead of playoffs
The Buffalo Sabres wrap up the regular season Wednesday at the Dallas Stars, and for the first time since the 2010-11 season, the regular-season finale will not be Buffalo's last game.,Coach Lindy Ruff's team has been one of the NHL's hottest over the past four months, winning 39 out of 52 games sin...

Opposite trajectories landed Magic, Sixers in faceoff for No. 7 seed
The Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic took different paths to the same record this season.,On Wednesday night, they'll be occupied with the same high-stakes task when the 76ers host the Magic in an Eastern Conference play-in tournament game.,Both teams finished 45-37 during the regular season, bu...

Kings within range of higher seed as they face lowly Canucks
After clinching a Stanley Cup playoff spot, the Los Angeles Kings will look to track down the top wild-card seed in the Western Conference when they face the host Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.,Quinton Byfield scored twice, while Alex Laferriere and Trevor Moore each scored and added an assist ...

Playoff-bound Mammoth seek winning touch against Jets
The Utah Mammoth will try to get back in the win column when they host the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.,This is the third and final game between these Central Division rivals this season. The Mammoth won the two previous meetings, 3-2 in Winnipeg on Oct. 26 and 4-3 on Dec. 21 in Salt Lake City.,U...

Mets standout Nolan McLean takes on league-best Dodgers
Baseball's best team will encounter one of the game's hottest young pitchers when the Los Angeles Dodgers face a test from New York Mets right-hander Nolan McLean on Tuesday.,In 11 career starts going back to last season, McLean has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 10 of them, including all three...

Blazers out to end playoff drought, face Suns in play-in round
Phoenix coach Jordan Ott is confident regarding the host Suns' mindset entering their play-in tournament game against the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday.,"We'll be juiced and ready to rock," Ott said as the Suns look to return to the postseason after missing out last year.,Trail Blazers ...

White Sox prospect Noah Schultz set for MLB debut vs. Rays
Fresh off their first three-game sweep of the New York Yankees in five years, the Tampa Bay Rays will look to reverse recent struggles against the host Chicago White Sox in the opener of a three-game set on Tuesday.,Chicago has gone 4-2 against Tampa Bay in each of the past two seasons after the Ray...

Bruins bid to solidify No. 1 wild-card spot in finale vs. Devils
The Boston Bruins are looking to do more than tune up for the Stanley Cup playoffs when they host the New Jersey Devils in the regular-season finale for both teams Tuesday night.,After clinching a playoff berth on Saturday, Boston (44-27-10, 98 points) broke out of a 0-3-2 skid Sunday with a 3-2 win...

Golden Knights look to continue momentum vs. Jets
The Vegas Golden Knights clinched a Stanley Cup playoff berth for the eighth time in their nine years of existence with a 3-2 overtime win over Colorado on Saturday. But don't look for John Tortorella's team to take the foot off the pedal in their final two regular-season contests.,Vegas (37-26-17, ...

Avalanche, Oilers persisting through litany of injuries
The Colorado Avalanche clinched the Central Division and the NHL's top overall seed. Now they are having a say in who is the other division winner in the Western Conference.,Colorado (52-16-11, 115 points) completes back-to-back games against Pacific Division contenders when it plays at the Edmonton...

Sabres seeking two more wins, starting with Blackhawks Monday
With two games remaining in the regular season, the playoff-bound Buffalo Sabres can finish anywhere from first to third in a stacked Atlantic Division.,Fortunately for the Sabres, they control the equation entering Monday's visit to the slumping Chicago Blackhawks.,With three points this week, Buff...

Wild hope to banish recent funk as they take on Blues
Central Division foes square off one final time this season when the playoff-bound Minnesota Wild visit the St. Louis Blues on Monday night.,This is the third and final regular-season matchup between these teams. They have split the season series so far, with the Wild winning 5-0 in St. Louis back i...