Jordyn Holland of South Haven High School Softball is our WSJM Sports Van Buren/Cass Student Athlete of the Week for the week of May 2, 2021.

In doubleheaders against Kalamazoo Central and Hartford, and in three games at the Otsego Tournament, Grace went a combined 10 for 23 at the plate (.434 avg.) including two doubles, five RBIs, and four stolen bases. In the field at second base, she played error free in every inning of all seven games.

Jordyn is also a member of the South Haven Volleyball and Basketball teams. In the classroom, she carries a 3.4 grade point average.

Jordyn is the daughter of Joseph and Kelly Holland of South Haven.

Catch Jordyn’s conversation with Phil McDonald below…

 

 

MLB – Major League Baseball

Last Night

Detroit Tigers 4, Kansas City Royals 3

Chicago White Sox 4, Minnesota Twins 2

Cubs were off

Tigers 4, Royals 3 – Tigers beat Royals 4-3, KC's skid reaches 11 games

Michael Fulmer shut down Kansas City’s ninth-inning rally for his second save, and the Detroit Tigers’ won 4-3 to extend the Royals’ losing streak to 11 games. Detroit led 4-1 entering the ninth, but Kansas City scored twice of Gregory Soto on a groundout by Carlos Santana and an RBI single from Salvador Perez. Fulmer relieved Soto and got a popout from Jorge Soler and struck out Andrew Benintendi swinging to end it. The Royals led the AL Central at the start of this skid but are now 16-20.

White Sox 4, Twins 2 – White Sox beat Twins 4-2, stretch winning streak to 6

Tim Anderson and Jake Lamb homered, Billy Hamilton made a leaping catch at the wall to end a bases-loaded threat and the Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 4-2 for their sixth straight win. Lance Lynn struck out nine in five innings for Chicago, which has won seven of eight while sweeping two straight series. Liam Hendriks retired the last five Minnesota batters for his seventh save in nine chances. Max Kepler homered for the Twins, who have lost four straight and eight of nine to fall 10 games behind the AL Central leaders.

Today

Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox, 3:10 p.m. – Game 1

Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox, 8:10 p.m. – Game 2

Chicago Cubs at Detroit Tigers, 7:10 p.m.               94.9 WSJM/103.7 Cosy-FM 6:50

MLB – ESPN, MLB agree to 7-year rights extension through 2028

ESPN could be rewarded with additional playoff games under its new deal with Major League Baseball. Walt Disney Company and MLB announced a seven-year extension of their rights agreement Thursday. ESPN has aired games since 1990 and the new deal means that will continue until at least 2028. ESPN will exclusively air 30 regular-season games, with 25 taking place on Sunday nights. The other five will include a broadcast on opening day. ESPN also retains the rights to the Home Run Derby, which takes place the night before the All-Star Game.

NBA – National Basketball Association

Last Night

Chicago Bulls 114, Toronto Raptors 102

Milwaukee Bucks 142, Indiana Pacers 133

Bulls 114, Raptors 102 – LaVine, Markkanen lead Bulls past Raptors, 114-102

Zach LaVine scored 24 points, Lauri Markkanen added 20 and the Chicago Bulls beat the short-handed Toronto Raptors 114-102. The Bulls pulled within two games of idle Washington with two remaining for 10th place in the Eastern Conference and the final play-in spot. They led by 24 in the third quarter, with the Raptors holding out their best players, and came away with the win despite a big effort by Stanley Johnson. LaVine scored 16 in the second half. Markkanen made six 3-pointers — one shy of his season high. Johnson led Toronto with a career-high 35 points.

Bucks 142, Pacers 133 – Antetokounmpo, Bucks roll past short-handed Pacers, 142-133

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 40 points, 15 rebounds and six assists and the Milwaukee Bucks wore down the short-handed Indiana Pacers in a 142-133 victory Thursday night. Indiana dressed just 10 players due to injuries and didn’t have a defensive answer for Antetokounmpo, the two-time NBA MVP who made 14 of 18 shots from the field — six on uncontested dunks — and hit 11 of 16 free throws. The Bucks moved within a game of the Brooklyn Nets for the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 playoff seed. Justin Holiday led the Pacers with 26 points.

Tonight

Denver Nuggets at Detroit Pistons, 8:00 p.m.

NFL – Bears coach Nagy going remote for minicamp

Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy will participate virtually in the team’s rookie minicamp this weekend rather than in ...

A daily local and regional update from WSJM Sports...

 

MLB – Major League Baseball

Last Night

Detroit Tigers 4, Kansas City Royals 2

Chicago White Sox 13, Minnesota Twins 8

Cleveland Indians 2, Chicago Cubs 1 – 10 Innings

Tigers 4, Royals 2 – Cabrera becomes Venezuelan hit king, Tigers beat Royals

Miguel Cabrera drove in two runs and surpassed Omar Vizquel for the most major league hits by a Venezuelan player, leading the Detroit Tigers past the slumping Kansas City Royals 4-2. Cabrera’s two RBI singles gave him 2,878, one more than Vizquel, who played his last game in 2012. Kansas City lost its 10th straight, the Royals’ longest skid since they dropped 10 in a row from March 31-April 11, 2019. Casey Mize allowed two runs on three hits and two walks in six innings to get the win. Gregory Soto worked the ninth for his fourth save.

White Sox 13, Twins 8 – Vaughn hits 1st HR, White Sox top Twins 13-8, win 5th in row

Rookie Andrew Vaughn hit his first career home run, Yasmani Grandal connected for the second straight day and the Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 13-8 for their fifth win in a row. José Abreu drove in three runs and Billy Hamilton matched his career high with four hits and also scored three times. The White Sox have won six of seven, boosting the best record in the majors to 21-13. Nelson Cruz hit his ninth homer for the Twins, who have dropped three straight and seven of eight. Josh Donaldson drove in three runs.

Indians 2, Cubs 1 – F/10 – Amed Rosario's hit in 10th gives Indians 2-1 win over Cubs

Amed Rosario’s bases-loaded single with two outs in the 10th inning gave the Cleveland Indians a 2-1 win over the Chicago Cubs. Rosario drove in Cleveland’s first run with a sixth-inning double. In the 10th, he singled to right on a 1-1 pitch from Keegan Thompson, giving the Indians a sweep of the two-game series. Chicago threatened in every inning except the eighth but finished 1 for 15 with runners in scoring position and stranded 15 baserunners. Joc Pederson drove in the Cubs’ only run with a double in the sixth.

Today

Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers, 1:10 p.m.                94.9 WSJM/103.7 Cosy-FM 12:50

Minnesota Twins at Chicago White Sox, 2:10 p.m.

Cubs are off

NBA – National Basketball Association

Tonight

Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers, 7:00 p.m.

Toronto Raptors at Chicago Bulls, 8:00 p.m.

NBA – Pistons extending Casey through 2023-24 season

The Detroit Pistons have agreed to a contract extension with coach Dwane Casey through the 2023-24 season. Casey is wrapping up his third season with the rebuilding Pistons, who at 20-50 have the second-worst record in the NBA. Detroit is at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, but the Pistons do have some young players who have shown promise, such as rookies Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart. Detroit has completely overhauled its roster since the start of 2020, parting ways with Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond and several other players who received significant playing time.

NBA – Documents: Firefighters could be fired for Bryant photos

Court documents say two Los Angeles County firefighters could be fired and a third suspended after first responders took and shared graphic photos from the site of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his teenage daughter and seven others. The documents were filed Monday as part of widow Vanessa Bryant’s federal lawsuit against Los Angeles County that alleges invasion of privacy. Kobe Bryant and the others were killed Jan. 26, 2020, when the helicopter they were aboard crashed. Vanessa Bryant’s attorneys allege two firefighters had taken photos of the bodies that “served no business necessity." They sent them to a third firefighter, who showed them to others.

NFL – Bucs to kick off season vs Cowboys

A daily local and regional update from WSJM Sports...

 

A daily local and regional update from WSJM Sports...

 

NHL – National Hockey League

Last Night

Dallas Stars 5, Chicago Blackhawks 4 – OT

Stars 5, Blackhawks 4 – OT – Robertson lifts Stars to 5-4 overtime win against Blackhawks

Jason Robertson scored 4:30 into overtime, and the Dallas Stars rallied to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-4 in the final game of the season for each team. Miro Heiskanen had a goal and an assist for Dallas, which had dropped six of seven. Joe Pavelski, Jason Dickinson and Joel Kiviranta also scored, and Jake Oettinger made 19 saves. The Stars controlled play for most of the night, finishing with a 50-23 advantage in shots on goal. But they trailed 4-2 before Kiviranta and Dickinson scored 1:54 apart midway through the third.

NHL – NHL's Canadian teams likely to keep COVID-19 protocols

The NHL eased some of its COVID-19 health and safety protocols over the weekend for clubs that have been fully vaccinated. But because of the decidedly slower rollout of vaccines in Canada, franchises there won’t be enjoying the same freedoms as some of their U.S.-based counterparts anytime soon as the Stanley Cup playoffs loom. The changes include loosened restrictions on indoor and outdoor dining, testing frequency, mask wearing and quarantine requirements. Only teams that have had a second dose will be deemed fully vaccinated in the eyes of the NHL.

NBA – National Basketball Association

Last Night

Indiana Pacers 111, Cleveland Cavaliers 102

Pacers 111, Cavaliers 102 – Pacers beat Cavaliers 111-102, move into ninth place in East

Domantas Sabonis amassed 21 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists as the Indiana Pacers strengthened their hold on a play-in tournament spot with a 111-102 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Kelan Martin scored a career-high 25 points and Caris LeVert had 20 points and 10 assists for the Pacers, who moved one-half game ahead of Washington into ninth in the Eastern Conference. Collin Sexton scored 25 points for the Cavaliers in their 11th straight loss, matching the eighth-longest skid in team history. Cleveland dressed nine players with nine others out with injuries, including starters Kevin Love and Darius Garland.

Tonight

Minnesota Timberwolves at Detroit Pistons, 7:00 p.m.

Brooklyn Nets at Chicago Bulls, 8:00 p.m.

Philadelphia 76ers at Indiana Pacers, 8:00 p.m.

NBA – Westbrook breaks Robinson’s NBA triple-double record

Russell Westbrook has set the NBA record with his 182nd triple-double, surpassing the mark set by Oscar Robertson in 1974.  The 32-year-old Westbrook is in his 13th season overall and his first with the Washington Wizards. Westbrook has recorded a triple-double in each of Washington’s last five games, three of them before the start of the fourth quarter. He has 36 this season.

NBA – NBA ref diagnosed with cancer, will miss rest of season

Veteran NBA referee Tony Brown has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and will miss the rest of the season. The NBA says the 54-year-old has been undergoing treatment since his diagnosis last month. Brown worked his first NBA Finals last season. He has officiated 1,109 regular-season games, 35 playoff games and the 2018 All-Star Game in his 19 seasons as an NBA official.

MLB – Major League Baseball

Today

Chicago Cubs at Cleveland Indians, 6:10 p.m.

Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers, 7:10 p.m.                 94.9 WSJM/103.7 Cosy-FM 6:50

Minnesota Twins at Chicago White Sox, 8:10 p.m.

Horse Racing – Bob Baffert no stranger to failed drug tests by his horses

Trainer Bob Baffert is used to making history. The Hall of Famer could make some unwanted history if Medina Spirit becomes only the second Kentucky Derby winner to be disqualified for a failed drug test. Baffert announced that Medina Spirit tested positive for the steroid be...

MLB – Major League Baseball

Yesterday

Pittsburgh Pirates 6, Chicago Cubs 5

Chicago White Sox 9, Kansas City Royals 3

Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers, PPD

Pirates 6, Cubs 5 – Anderson solid, Pirates hold on, end Cubs' 5-game win string

Tyler Anderson pitched eight solid innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates held off the Cubs in ninth 6-5, ending Chicago’s five-game winning streak. Wilmer Difo had three hits and drove in three runs as the Pirates won for just the third time in their last 20 games at Wrigley Field. Held to two runs and four hits by Anderson, the Cubs made it close in the ninth. Chicago scored three times before pinch-hitter Javier Báez grounded out with a runner on second to end it.

White Sox 9, Royals 3 – Mercedes carries White Sox over Royals 9-3 to complete sweep

Yermin Mercedes and Jose Abreu had three RBI’s each to help the Chicago White Sox beat Kansas City 9-3, finishing off a three-game sweep and handing the Royals their eight consecutive loss. The Royals went winless on its seven-game homestand. They opened the homestand up 1½ games in the division but leave their friendly confides back 3½ games. They were swept by the Indians earlier in the week. The White Sox have beaten the Royals 10 straight times on the road. The last team to do that was Oakland from 2003-2006 when they beat the Royals 12 consecutive times in Kansas City.

Twins at Tigers, PPD – Twins and Tigers rained out, doubleheader on July 16

The Minnesota Twins’ series finale against the Detroit Tigers was postponed because of rain. The game will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader on July 16, what originally had been scheduled as a night game between the teams at Comerica Park.

Today

Cubs, Tigers, and White Sox are off

NBA – National Basketball Association

Last Night

Chicago Bulls 108, Detroit Pistons 96

Bulls 108, Pistons 96 – Vucevic's double-double, LaVine's 30 lead Bulls over Pistons

Nikola Vucevic had 29 points and 16 rebounds and the Chicago Bulls kept their play-in chances alive with an 108-94 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Zach LaVine scored 30 points as the Bulls moved within 2 1/2 games of the Indiana Pacers for the last Eastern Conference play-in spot. Chicago had lost five of six. Detroit lost for the ninth time in 11 games and played without leading scorer Jerami Grant and point guard Cory Joseph. Rookies Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart combined for 60 points and 21 rebounds.

Tonight

Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers, 7:30 p.m.

NHL – National Hockey League

Last Night

Chicago Blackhawks 4, Dallas Stars 2                    Blackhawks and Red Wings seasons are now over.

Blackhawks 4, Stars 2 – Blackhawks beat Stars 4-2 in fans' return to United Center

Alex DeBrincat scored two more goals, Kevin Lankinen made 37 saves and the Chicago Blackhawks welcomed fans back to the United Center with a 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars. Chicago hosted a crowd of 3,820 for its first home game with fans in almost 14 months. It was the last U.S.-based NHL team to open its doors to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two of the biggest cheers of the night were for DeBrincat, who extended his goal-scoring streak to six in a row.

Tonight

Dallas Stars at Chicago Blackhawks, 8:00 p.m.

NASCAR – Truex gets third win of year

Martin Truex Jr. powered his way around Darlington Raceway, sweeping both stages and leading the final 105 laps in Sunday’s victory. Kyle Larson cut into Truex’s often large lead over the final 30 laps and came as close as two car-lengths down the stretch. But the Joe Gibbs Racing driver held him off for his third victory of the season. Truex is the only multi-race winner on the Cup circuit this season.

Lynea Slayback of Lakeshore High School Track is the WSJM Sports Berrien County Student Athlete of the Week for the week of April 25, 2021.

In a meet against St. Joe and Portage Northern, Lynea won the Long Jump with a new Lakeshore school record mark of 18’1”. She won the 100 Meter Hurdles as well with a new school record time of :15.26. Lynea also won the 300 Meter Hurdles and ran a leg for the 1600 Meter Relay team.

Lynea is also a member of the Lakeshore Diversity Club. In the classroom, she carries a 3.94 grade point average.

Lynea is the daughter of David and Renee Slayback of Stevensville.

Other finalists for the week were Andrew Chisek of Watervliet Baseball, Karly Klaer of St. Joe Track, Sophia Lozmack of Buchanan Softball, Macey Springer of River Valley Softball, and Jamier Palmer of Brandywine Baseball.

Catch Phil McDonald's conversation with Lynea below...

 

Elli Stender of Gobles High School Track is our WSJM Sports Van Buren/Cass Student Athlete of the Week for the week of April 25, 2021.

In the Tigers’ meet against Lawton, Elli won the Discus with a toss of 102’9”, won the Shot Put with a throw of 29’08”, and placed third in the High Jump with a mark of 4’0”. Elli currently stands in second place in the state in Division 4 in the Discus.

Elli is also a member of the National Honor Society and plans to play volleyball next season. In the classroom, she carries a 3.87 grade point average.

Elli is the daughter of Erica and Theodore Stender of Gobles.

Other finalists for the week were Taylor Holland of South Haven Softball and Aaron Boyer of South Haven Baseball.

Catch Elli’s conversation with Phil McDonald below…