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…

 

 

 

 

This week on The Coaches, we talked Bridgman Softball, Lakeshore Boys' Golf, and Lakeshore Girls' track, and recapped the Rotary Track Meet...

 

 

 

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

 

NBA – National Basketball Association

Last Night

Chicago Bulls 120, Charlotte Hornets 99

Detroit Pistons 111, Memphis Grizzlies 97

Indiana Pacers 133, Atlanta Hawks 126

Bulls 120, Hornets 99 – Bulls complete sweep of Hornets in LaVine's return, 120-99

Nikola Vucevic had 29 points and 14 rebounds, and the Chicago Bulls breezed past the Charlotte Hornets 120-99 with Zach LaVine back on the floor. LaVine returned from an 11-game absence due to the league’s health and safety protocols and scored 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting for the Bulls. Chicago remained 3 1/2 games behind Washington for the final spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament. P.J. Washington led the Hornets with 24 points on six 3-pointers. Malik Monk added 20 points off the bench for the Hornets.

Pistons 111, Grizzlies 97 – Pistons snap skid with 111-97 win over Grizzlies

Wayne Ellington and Cory Joseph scored 18 points apiece to help the Detroit Pistons snap a four-game losing streak with a 111-97 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies dropped a half-game behind Golden State for eighth place in the Western Conference, failing to take advantage of the matchup against a Detroit team with more than a few absences. The Pistons still have the second-worst record in the NBA, but they’re just a half-game behind Minnesota. Oklahoma City, Orlando and Cleveland aren’t far ahead of Detroit either.

Pacers 133, Hawks 126 – LeVert's late burst helps Pacers beat Hawks 133-126

Caris LeVert scored 31 points, including nine in the final 2:17, and the Indiana Pacers awoke from a recent funk with a 133-126 home victory over the Atlanta Hawks. LeVert also had 12 assists for his first double-double since being acquired by the Pacers in January. All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis scored 30 points on 12-of-14 shooting with nine assists. The Hawks missed potential game-tying 3s on two late possessions before the Pacers pulled away. Indiana had dropped four of five, including one of the season’s ugliest losses Wednesday in which the team managed just 93 points at home against Sacramento’s league-worst defense. Trae Young led the Hawks with 30 points and 10 assists.

Tonight

Boston Celtics at Chicago Bulls, 7:30 p.m.

MLB – Major League Baseball

Yesterday

Boston Red Sox 12, Detroit Tigers 9

Cubs and White Sox were off

Red Sox 12, Tigers 9 – Cordero snaps slump, Red Sox hold on to beat Tigers 12-9

The Boston Red Sox held on after blowing three previous leads to beat the Tigers 12-9. Franchy Cordero came off the bench with three hits to snap an 0-for-25 slump, then brought home the game-winning run in the eighth with the help of Detroit’s fourth error. The Red Sox led 4-1, 5-4 and 8-7 before falling behind 9-8 and rallying one last time, scoring four runs in the eighth. Rafael Devers drove in three runs on a pair of singles. But the Red Sox third baseman also committed two errors. Matt Andriese earned the win despite giving up the lead in the eighth.

Today

Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs, 2:20 p.m.

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

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

MLB – Pujols cut by Angels

The Los Angeles Angels are dropping a Hall of Fame candidate. Albert Pujols has been designated for assignment, abruptly ending the 41-year-old superstar slugger’s decade with his second major league team. Pujols is fifth in major league history with 667 career homers, and 13th with 3,253 hits. The oldest active player in the majors is batting just .198 this season with five homers and 12 RBIs. Pujols joined the Angels in late 2011 after 11 successful seasons with the Cardinals.

NHL – National Hockey League

Last Night

Chicago Blackhawks 2,

A local and regional update from WSJM Sports...

 

MLB – Major League Baseball

Yesterday

Detroit Tigers 6, Boston Red Sox 5 – 10 Innings

Cincinnati Reds 1, Chicago White Sox – 10 Innings

Chicago Cubs 6, Los Angeles Dodgers 5 – 11 Innings

Tigers 6, Red Sox 5 – F/10 – Candelario homers as Tigers beat Red Sox 6-5 in 10 innings

Jeimer Candelario hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the 10th inning, and the Detroit Tigers held off the Boston Red Sox for a 6-5 victory. Robbie Grossman began the Detroit 10th on second and advanced to third on Jonathan Schoop’s leadoff single. Candelario then went deep against Garrett Whitlock, sending a drive to right for his third homer. Boston got two back in the bottom half. Marwin Gonzalez singled in Xander Bogaerts and eventually came around to score on an error on second baseman Willi Castro. But Michael Fulmer retired Bobby Dalbec and Kiké Hernández for his first career save.

Reds 1, White Sox 0 – F/10 – Votto breaks thumb as Reds beat White Sox 1-0 in 10 innings

Cincinnati’s Joey Votto fractured his left thumb during a 10-inning, 1-0 win over the Chicago White Sox. Votto was hit by a Dallas Keuchel pitch in the fourth inning. Votto remained in the game, but in the sixth was replaced at first base by Kyle Farmer. Votto is not expected to need surgery but could miss up to a month. Jesse Winker hit a winning single in the 10th inning after Chicago’s Leury García was caught stealing in the top half.

Cubs 6, Dodgers 5 – F/11 – Rizzo hits winning single in 11th, Cubs beat Dodgers 6-5

Anthony Rizzo capped a two-run 11th inning with an RBI single, and the Chicago Cubs beat the struggling Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 to complete a three-game sweep. Chicago’s Matt Duffy tied it when he drove in Willson Contreras with a two-out single against Garrett Cleavinger. Duffy stole third and pinch-hitter Tony Wolters walked before Rizzo singled on a sharp grounder to left. He was mobbed by teammates as he ran off the field. The Dodgers lost for the 13th time in 17 games.

Today

Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox, 1:10 p.m.           94.9 WSJM/103.7 Cosy-FM 12:50

White Sox at Cubs are off

MLB – La Russa's extra-inning gaffe stings White Sox in loss

Hall of Famer manager Tony La Russa's second stint with the Chicago White Sox is off to a bumpy start. And a decision during a 1-0 loss at Cincinnati will only raise more doubts about whether he is the right person for the job. La Russa acknowledged he was unaware of a rule that would have allowed him to use José Abreu as the automatic runner at second base rather than closer Liam Hendriks in the 10th inning. La Russa says ““I’ll re-read that situation.” The pandemic rule states the runner must be the batter preceding that inning’s leadoff hitter, but there is an exception if it would be the pitcher.

MLB – Cubs' reliever Strop opts for free agency

Cubs reliever Pedro Strop has opted for free agency after spending most of the season at Chicago’s alternate site. The 35-year-old Strop was a key member of the Cubs' bullpen from 2013 to 2019 before signing with Cincinnati prior to the 2020 season. He was released by the Reds in August and agreed to minor league deal with the Cubs a few days later, though he did not pitch in the majors again last season. He returned to the Cubs on a minor league deal in February and made two appearances before being returned to the team’s alternate site in South Bend, Indiana, on April 17.

MLB – O's Means throws MLB's 3rd no-hitter of season, tops M's 6-0

John Means threw the major leagues’ third no-hitter this season and came within a wild pitch on a third strike of a perfect game, pitching the Baltimore Orioles over the Seattle Mariners 6-0. Means struck out 12 and walked none. Seattle’s runner was Sam Haggerty after he struck out swinging on a curveball in the dirt on a 1-2 count with one outs...

Lakeshore senior JJ Bushu signed a letter of intent to continue his athletic and academic careers at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phil McDonald talked with JJ after his signing.  Catch their conversation below...