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Mets Notes: Justin Verlander avoids injury in final spring tuneup

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:09 GMT

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The Mets will escape spring training with six healthy starting pitchers, which seems like an absolute wealth of arms compared to past years when the Mets were forced to open the season without some of their top pitchers. Only one marquee starter, left-hander Jose Quintana, will start the season on the injured list and one of those healthy arms will start the season in Triple-A.But for a brief moment on Sunday afternoon, it looked as though history would repeat itself when Justin Verlander was hit with not one, but two comebackers in the team’s final Grapefruit League game of the season. Verlander, the reigning Cy Young Award winner that signed a two-year, $87 million contract in December after Jacob deGrom bolted for the Texas Rangers, was hit above his ankle on one leg and on his calf on the other in the Mets’ 3-3 tie with the Miami Marlins at Clover Park. It was the third time this spring Verlander had been hit by a batted ball.However, the...

Nets fall in Orlando, 119-106, lose 6th in last 7

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:09 GMT

Every game counts, and the Nets just chalked one.On the second leg of a back-to-back, in a game with explicit playoff implications, the Nets ran out of gas at Orlando’s Amway Center and lost to the Magic, 119-106.It marked Brooklyn’s sixth loss in their last seven games following Saturday’s convincing victory over the Miami Heat.The Nets are now tied with the Heat (40-34) but retain their standing as the Eastern Conference’s sixth seed because they hold the tiebreaker, having swept Miami in the season series, 4-0.If only the Nets could say the same about the lottery-bound Magic, who own a bottom-six record in all of basketball.Head coach Jacque Vaughn emptied the bench with just under four minutes left in the fourth quarter, as the Magic led by 16 and responded to a flurry of futile Nets runs.It was a game the Nets lacked punch from the opening tipoff: Brooklyn built an early five-point lead thanks to Mikal Brides’ hot shooting, but Orlando’s abil...

Jalen Suggs returns in Magic’s win over Nets for 3rd consecutive victory

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:09 GMT

Second-year guard Jalen Suggs returned to the lineup Sunday as the Orlando Magic beat the Brooklyn Nets 119-106 at Amway Center to close out a three-game homestand.Suggs, who had missed the previous four games because of a concussion, is known for being a tenacious defender.But his offensive contributions stood out among a well-balanced Magic.Suggs had 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting in 24 minutes off the bench.“He constantly brings a level of defense for us that we’ve asked him to do,” coach Jamahl Mosley said pregame. “His on-ball [defense], being able to navigate through screens, making the ‘bell plays’ diving on the floor. That’s such a great thing he continues to do for us.”Second-year forward Franz Wagner was also available after suffering a sprained left ankle in Thursday’s win over the New York Knicks.Wagner, who finished with a season-high 10 rebounds to go with 19 points and 6 assists, was among eight Magic players who sco...

Mets mulling final roster decisions

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:09 GMT

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Less than 24 hours remain in spring training but that doesn’t mean the Mets are ready to release their Opening Day roster. More roster cuts were made Sunday so we know who won’t be on the 26-man roster come Thursday in Miami, but there are a few decisions the club still has to make.The Mets trimmed their roster by four Sunday afternoon, optioning infielder Danny Mendick and right-hander Jeff Brigham to Triple-A Syracuse, and assigning left-hander T.J. McFarland and right-hander Jimmy Yacabonis to minor league camp. The three pitchers had been in the mix for the eighth bullpen spot but by process of elimination, right-hander Dennis Santana is in line for that spot. Santana, who posted a 3.38 ERA with nine strikeouts over nine innings this spring, was a late addition to the spring roster as a waiver claim on March 17.The Mets see right-handers Tylor Megill and Elieser Hernandez as starters and manager Buck Showalter reiterated that Sunday befor...

MIAA Boys Hockey All-Star Game: Seniors show off stuff

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:09 GMT

CANTON — After going through the grind of a regular season, sometimes it can be a welcome change playing in a carefree exhibition.On Sunday, many of the Commonwealth’s premier athletes made the trip to Canton Ice House for the 2023 Mass. State High School Hockey Coaches Association Senior All-Star Game, each with hopes of closing their winter campaign in style.Let’s just say that the Bay State Conference participants came to play. Senior Nicholas Fasano notched a pair of goals, while his teammate Drew Coady sniped one himself as the Braintree duo propelled Team South during a wild 7-5 victory over Team North.“Lot of great players out there, lot of great kids,” said Team South and Silver Lake coach Dan Scott. “It’s almost the easiest coaching job you can have, because really, those kids already listen to instructions. They already know what to do. It’s pretty much about guiding them through the game. But it feels pretty good.”It didn’t necessarily take too long for fans to witness th...

4th person found dead in chocolate factory blast 

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:09 GMT

WEST READING, Pa. — A fourth person was confirmed dead and three people remained unaccounted for Sunday, two days after a powerful explosion at a chocolate factory shook a small town in Pennsylvania.West Reading Borough Chief of Police Wayne Holben confirmed the body of a fourth victim was found under debris early Sunday at the R.M. Palmer Co. plant in the borough of West Reading, about 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia.Holben asked for continued prayers from the community and vowed that rescuers and officials “will not rest until every single person affected by this tragedy has been accounted for” from the blast that occurred just before 5 p.m. Friday.Rescue crews have been using heat imaging equipment and dogs to search for possible survivors after the blast destroyed one building and damaged a neighboring building. Crews were now using heavy equipment to methodically and carefully pull debris from the site, Holben said.Borough Fire Chief Chad Moyer said Saturday nigh...

Patrick Beverley backs up his talk in return to Los Angeles as the Chicago Bulls overpower LeBron James and the Lakers

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:09 GMT

As he prepared to make his return to Los Angeles, Patrick Beverley swore he didn’t need any extra juice to face his former team.“It’ll be fun as hell,” Beverley said cheerfully after practice at the Galen Center a day before the game against the Lakers, citing “good relationships” forged with his teammates.“I’ve always been wired like every game was the most important. I don’t want to put too much on one game. First game was just as important as the last, whatever game you have next is the most important. That’s always been my mindset.”But on Sunday morning, Beverley took a slightly different tack, posting a picture of himself cradling a pack of Charmin toilet paper with a sly grin. The message felt clear — a shot at the Lakers for being too “soft” — even if it came by way of a branded sponsorship post.For his part, Beverley swore it was just an advertising spot he was supposed to upload weeks ...

Car slams into Roslindale porch, Boston Police investigating serious accident

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:09 GMT

A car slammed into a Roslindale porch on Sunday afternoon, sending two people to the hospital as Boston police investigate the serious accident.The crash happened at 3968 Washington St., in Roslindale, at around 5:03 p.m. on Sunday.Two pedestrians were possibly struck, according to a Boston Police spokesman.The accident led to BPD’s fatal accident reconstruction unit getting called to the scene, which means serious injuries were reported in the crash.Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | Boston Police seize 37 dirt bikes and mopeds, recover fentanyl and guns, and arrest 4 after ‘illegal drag racing’ investigation A Boston EMS spokesperson confirmed that Boston EMS responded to the crash.“Personnel treated and transported two individuals from the location,” the Boston EMS spokesperson added.Firefighters were seen checking out the building following the crash.

Jaylen Brown scores 41, receives standing ovation as Celtics rout Spurs

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:09 GMT

As well as they have played for most of the season, the Celtics have proven susceptible to losses to inferior opponents. They’ve lost to the Magic three times. More recently, they lost to the Rockets, the worst team in the Western Conference. Those defeats may be pivotal in the race for the No. 1 seed.But in returning home for the stretch run of the regular season, the Celtics have seemed to turn on their focus. They took care of business over the Pacers in their first game after a long road trip, which is routinely a more challenging game than lets on. On Sunday, they didn’t have Jayson Tatum, but that was hardly an excuse against the lottery-bound Spurs.After falling behind early, the Celtics went on a run and never looked back. Jaylen Brown scored 41 points with 13 rebounds, Malcolm Brogdon had 20 points and nine assists and Derrick White had 19 points on four 3-points against his former team. Not even another Marcus Smart ejection could rattle the Celtics as they cruised to an e...

What’s the Chicago White Sox plan for relief in late innings in the absence of closer Liam Hendriks?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:09 GMT

Kendall Graveman noticed something different with his performance Friday against the Oakland Athletics at Hohokam Stadium.“The first couple outings I had (this spring) were rough, I mean I found every barrel in Maricopa County,” the White Sox reliever joked . “The thing now, (I) got off some barrels (Friday), got some softer contact. Got some ground balls, which is my game.”Graveman pitched a scoreless ninth inning in the 12-0 victory, his first appearance with the team since returning from the World Baseball Classic.The right-hander is one of the late-inning options for the Sox in the absence of Liam Hendriks, who announced in January he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The Sox anticipate knowing more in the “coming days and weeks about a potential timeline” regarding their closer, according to general manager Rick Hahn.In the meantime, Sox manager Pedro Grifol recently said the plan in those situations is “going to be leveraging it...