Midday Recap: How Sweep It Is!

Okay, we know.  That expression has been used many times before, by much better writers.

But we can't help but be excited after the Mets swept all games of the Subway Series for the first time since interleague play began in 1997.  After all, this was a Mets squad who had only swept one other opponent all season long - and that was a technicality because the series was shortened by one game because of snow in Minneapolis.

Marlon Byrd got the Mets on the board in the 2nd after his home run help bring Lucas Duda home.  Robinson Cano countered with a solo shot that halved the deficit.

The Mets were able to add insurance in the 8th inning when Joba Chamberlain came in relief, and allowed Omar Quintanilla, who was called up to replace the injured Ruben Tejada, and David Wright to advance on a wild pitch.  John Buck's single allowed Quintanilla to score.

Bobby Parnell came in for the bottom of the 9th inning and was able to down the Yankees, 1-2-3, as the Mets win 3-1 to win all four games of the 2013 Subway Series, and give the Mets their first five game win streak since the stretch of May 5th-9th last year when they accumulated wins against the Diamondbacks and Phillies.

The win also backs up a fine performance from Dillon Gee, who fanned a career-best 12 on his way to allowing just one run on 4 hits during his 7 1/3rd innings pitched.


The New Look New York Yankees
Not to be removed from this sweep is that the Yankees are still without core components of their offense.  Derek Jeter and A-Rod are gone, and so too are Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkillis.  The latter of the two were rehabbing with the Trenton Thunder, the Yankees AA farm team, and are due back on the Yankees lineup as they begin a weekend series against the Boston Red Sox, the first series between these two clubs since the Boston Marathon bombings back in April.

Statstically Speaking
The New York Mets are now 4-0 this season at American League Parks, where two of their three best run scores have come.  The Mets scored 16 at Target Field in Minneapolis, and 9 the other day at Yankee Stadium.  The Mets will try to continue this streak next month when they visit U.S. Cellular Field, home of the Chicago White Sox.  Dating back to last year's sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays down in Florida, the Mets have won 7 straight at American League ballparks.

Can the Streak continue?
The Mets will push for their first six game win streak since April 2011, when they travel to Miami for their second trip to Marlins Park this season.  Shaun Marcum, who pitched the best he has pitched all year when the Mets began their streak against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, will be fighting for his first win of the season.  In the no-decision on Sunday, Marcum struck out 12 as he pitched 7 innings, giving up 2 runs on 4 hits.

The Mets will contend with Jacob Turner, who makes his season debut today.  In 10 starts with New Orleans, the Marlins AAA team, he has a 3-4 record, striking out 35 while giving up 35 runs, 28 of them earned.  His last Major League start was against the Mets, on October 2nd last year.  He struck out 4 in 7 2/3rd innings pitched, and gave up 3 hits.  The Mets were able to come back against the bullpen in that game, earning Turner a no-decision, as the Marlins won the game in the 11th inning.

Radio Coverage: 6:30PM on 1230 FOX Sports Radio
TV Coverage: 7:00PM on SNY

Mets give Hefner his first win!

He didn't even last an inning.

Coming off a game against the Tampa Bay Rays where he allowed 4 runs in 7 2/3rd innings pitched, David Phelps allowed that same number in only 1/3rd innings as the New York Mets score 5 in the 1st on their way to the 9-4 win against the New York Yankees.

The win gives Jeremy Hefner his first win of the season.  Hefner struck out 5, allowing 3 runs on 9 hits in his 6 innings pitched as the Mets provided their starting pitcher with some offensive support.

Lucas Duda, Marlon Byrd and Ike Davis all drove in two runs, and Davis, Daniel Murphy and John Buck all had 2 hits as the Mets poured it on for 12 hits against the Yankees.

Brennan Boesch went 3 for 4 with 2 runs batted in for the Yankees, including a solo shot to right field in the 4th inning that got the Yankees on the board.

Tonight: The Mets conclude the 2013 Subway Series with one final game at Yankee Stadium.  He's 0-2 in 14 innings pitched against the Yankees, allowing an earned run average of 4.50.  Of the current Yankees lineup, Robinson Cano is 2 for 6 with two RBIs against Gee in the last 5 years, and Lyle Overbay is 1 for 4.

For the Yankees, Vidal Nuno will be on the mound.  Nuno is 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA, and is coming off his latest start in Tampa Bay where he allowed 5 hits in 6 innings, earning 2 runs against his ledger.

Radio Coverage: 1230 FOX Sports Radio - Pregame: 6:25PM; Game: 7:05PM
TV Coverage: YES, WCWN Channel 45 (Cable Channel 15) - 7:00PM

More Recap: Peltz remains hard to touch, Kings remain in the hunt

Charlie Peltz remains hard to touch as the Queensbury Spartans rolled past the Troy Flying Horses on Tuesday.  Peltz, coming off a one-hitter that ended his streak of three straight no-hitters, allowed only three hits as the Queensbury Spartans move onto the next round after their 2-0 win.

Meanwhile, the Argyle Scots, on the brink of elimination, fired two runs in the bottom of the 7th inning to force extra innings in their game against Germantown.  After both teams fail to score in the 8th, Germantown punched their ticket into today's Sectional Semifinal with a 10-run ninth inning.  The Scots had no real answer, and fell in 9 innings 18-9.

According to The Post-Star's Pete Tobey, Argyle was missing their top two starting hurlers as they were out of town for the holiday weekend, resulting in the Scots going with their #3, Vikki Genovese.

Michael Goulding | MCT

And the Kings continue their Stanley Cup defense after winning Game 7 at the Staples Center.  Jonathan Quick needed some amazing saves, including this extended grab with just over 5 minutes left, as the Los Angeles Kings win their way to the Western Conference Finals 3-2 over the San Jose Sharks.  Justin Williams scored both goals for the Kings, the first coming on the power play early in the 2nd Period, then followed up with his second four minutes later.

The Kings will face either the Chicago Blackhawks or the Detroit Red Wings in the Conference Finals.  Chicago and Detroit will settle who'll play the Los Angeles Kings in their Game 7 tonight at the United Center in Chicago.

Finally, LeBron James fouls out as the Indiana Pacers ties the series after their 99-92 win last night.  James scored 24 points for the Miami Heat, and Mario Chalmers scored 20.  Roy Hibbert had a double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Pacers.

Game 5 is tomorrow night.

Finally, North Country Sports Radio would like to wish our local athletes the best of luck as they compete in Sectionals (Baseball/Softball) and Regionals (Lacrosse).  We'd love to report soon on your team winning, so if you're a coach or a player, let us know how your team fared!

Midday Recap: Mariano's mortal, after all.

Ron Antonelli, Robert Sabo | New York Daily News

Mariano Rivera threw out both the first and last pitches last night at Citi Field.

He, however, enjoyed that first pitch better.

His last pitch was a 90 M.P.H. cutter to Lucas Duda which Duda struck over to right field to bring David Wright home for the game-winner as the Mets swept the two games at Citi Field in the 2013 Subway Series with a 2-1 win.

Rivera, who came on with a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 9th, failed to save the game for the first time in 19 opportunities this season. He failed to retire a batter, as Daniel Murphy reached on a ground-rule double to lead off the inning.  Then David Wright singled in Daniel Murphy, reaching 2nd on the throw to home to set up the at-bat with Lucas Duda.

It was Mariano's 3rd career blown save against the Mets, and the first time in his storied career which he failed to record a single out prior to blowing a save.

It also saved Matt Harvey from his first loss of the season.  Harvey threw 8 innings, striking out 10 while giving up only 1 run on 6 hits. Hiroki Kuroda pitched fantastically for the Yankees, throwing 7 innings, giving up only 4 hits and not allowing a single run.

Rivera was charged with the loss, and Scott Rice, who relieved Harvey for the 9th inning, earns his 3rd win of the season.  The Mets now have won three straight, all in comeback fashion.

The Subway Series now shifts over to the Bronx for a pair of games at Yankee Stadium.  Jeremy Hefner (0-5, 4.76) will take the mound, hoping to finally break a string where the Mets fail to win a post-Harvey start.  Hefner struck out 7 against the Atlanta Braves over the weekend in a no-decision, giving up two earned runs in his 6 innings pitched.  For the Yankees, David Phelps (3-2, 3.88) will go on the mound.  He had offensive help as he won his last start against the Tampa Bay Rays despite giving up 4 runs and striking out only 3 in his 6 2/3rd innings pitched.

Radio Coverage: 6:25PM Pregame; 7:05PM First Pitch - 1230 FOX Sports Radio, WMML
TV Coverage: 7:00PM - SNY, YES

Midday Recap: Round 1 goes to the Mets

@MistaJRMoore

Under the new interleague schedule, this week has been dubbed "Rivalry Week", where yearly interleague combatants face each other for four games, 2 at home and 2 away.

For the Mets, that means 4 games against their cross-town rivals, the New York Yankees.  The Yankees have been surprising many this year, plagued by injuries yet tied for the top spot in the American League East.  The Mets, looking for something that can turn their season around, are trying to build from a national-TV win against the Braves on Sunday.

Jonathan Niese pitched well in his last start, but had the misfortune of a David Wright error in the 1st inning that ultimately led to three runs as he took the loss without being charged an earned run.  And in the 1st inning it appeared that Niese was in his early-season form as he triple-K'd the side.

Phil Hughes escaped a David Wright triple when Lucas Duda grounded out to 1st.

In the top 2nd, Niese got into trouble as he loaded the bases on a Lyle Overbay walk, but got some help from his fielders when Chris Stewart grounded into a double play to end the threat.

It looked like the 6th inning was going to be the Mets undoing, as Niese surrendered a lead-off triple to Brett Gardner, and then saw Jayson Nix bring him home for the 1-0 Yankees lead.  In the bottom half, Daniel Murphy had the chance to bring Niese home, but got robbed when Gardner's glove went over the wall to take away what would be a 2-run homer, ending the inning still 1-0 in favor of the Bronx.

The Mets needed to go further, and David Wright was able to accomplish this with his lead-off homer in the bottom 7th that tied the game.

After the Yankees grounded into a double-play in the top of the 8th, the Mets took advantage in the bottom half, setting up runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out after Chris Stewart let a pitch go past him.  Mike Baxter ran home on a Ruben Tejada grounder, but didn't make it fully to home plate before Stewart was able to apply the tag, ruling him out.

Then came Daniel Murphy.  He took the 3-1 offering from David Robertson to center field, scoring Jordany Valdespin for the go-ahead run.  The Mets had the chance to tack on more with Lucas Duda at the plate with the bases loaded, but a strikeout brought the threat to an end.

In the 9th, Bobby Parnell earned his 8th save of the season, striking out two and getting Travis Hafner to pop out to end the game.

Niese struck out 4 and gave up the lone run in the 6th as he picked up his 3rd no-decision of the season.  Brandon Lyon was given credit for the win, having pitched the 8th inning.  It was his 2nd win of the season as he improved his ERA to 3.66.  David Robertson was given the loss, his first of the season.

Subway Series Round 2: The final of the two at Citi Field comes tonight as the Mets send Matt Harvey to the mound.  Harvey was roughed for 4 runs in 6 1/3rd innings against the Reds last week, which blossomed his ERA to 1.93.  The Mets will face Hiroki Kuroda, who will be looking for much better after getting yanked in the 3rd inning against the Baltimore Orioles, allowing 5 runs on 8 hits, two being home runs.  Prior to that, the last time Kuroda failed to make 5 innings was in his season debut against the Boston Red Sox on April 3rd.

Radio Coverage: 6:30PM - WMML 1230 FOX Sports Radio
Television Coverage: 7:00PM - WRGB CBS 6; SNY; ESPN (in some markets, blacked out in NY)

Midday Recap: Ike!

John Munson | The Star-Ledger/nj.com

Hopefully this is the beginning of a change for the Mets 1B.

Davis broke a 2-2 tie in the 8th inning with a two-run single that powered the Mets over the Braves in the series-finale at Citi Field, 4-2. 

The hit came at the right time.

With a demotion to Las Vegas looming, Ike's hit came before a national audience on Sunday Night Baseball.  He was on base three times, twice on a hit and once on a walk.  He finished what John Buck started in the 8th, and helped preserve a fantastic pitching performance from Shaun Marcum.

Marcum pitched 7 innings, striking out 12.  He allowed 4 hits and gave up two runs, both of them  when Dan Uggla took Marcum's 100th pitch deep.

Bobby Parnell came in for his 7th save of the season, striking out 2 in the 9th inning.

Subway Series: Major League Baseball kicks off their "rivalry week" as the Mets welcome their cross-town rivals, the New York Yankees, for the start of a home-and-home series.  Matt Harvey fans will keep an eye on Tuesday's game as he faces Hiroki Kuroda, but on Monday it will be Jonathan Niese vs. Phil Hughes.

Broadcast Schedule:
- Monday: Yankees at Mets - Pregame: 6:30PM; First Pitch: 7:10PM.  TV: WRGB CBS-6; Radio: WMML 1230 FOX Sports Radio
- Tuesday: Yankees at Mets - Pregame: 6:30PM; First Pitch: 7:10PM.  TV: WRGB CBS-6; Radio: WMML 1230 FOX Sports Radio
- Wednesday: Mets at Yankees - Pregame: 6:25PM; First Pitch: 7:05PM.  Radio: WMML 1230 FOX Sports Radio
- Thursday: Mets at Yankees - Pregame: 6:25PM; First Pitch: 7:05PM.  TV: WCWN CW-15; Radio: WMML 1230 FOX Sports Radio
Remember: We've got the Mets all season long on 1230 FOX Sports Radio.

Now, before we go today, we remind you to thank all those men and women who have bravely served for our country, past and present.  Happy Memorial Day!

Midday Recap: Peltz allows a hit; Rangers finally win in OT.

No NBA, No Mets, No Yankees.  A quiet day for sports, but still things to talk about.

Lori Van Buren | Albany Times Union

Well, Charlie Peltz allows his first hit in 25 2/3rd innings yesterday.  After hurling three straight no-hitters, the Queensbury Spartans ace continued his no hit streak into the 3rd inning, where he retired the first two batters before running into Julian Gallup of the Amsterdam Rugged Rams.  Gallup sent a liner to left field, ending the no-hit streak.  He is the only player to score a hit against Peltz in the last 4 games, as the rest of the Rugged Rams went hitless as Queensbury rolls into the Class A Sectional Semifinals with their 11-0 victory.

I'M BACK
It's a happy return for Terry Francona as the Cleveland Indians defeat the Boston Red Sox 12-3 in a game where every starter for the Indians recorded a hit.  Drew Stubbs put the Indians on the board in the 2nd inning with his first of three RBIs, and Mark Reynolds brought two home in the 3rd.  But the big damage came in the 6th inning as the Indians plated 6 to help give Zach McAllister his 4th win of the season.  Ryan Dempster didn't make it past the 3rd inning, giving up four runs on 5 hits as the Boston bullpen got a lot of work on Thursday.

FINALLY IT HAPPENED TO ME...
The Rangers finally win in overtime.  After going 0-3 in the extra frame in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the New York Rangers prevent elimination with Chris Kreider's goal at 7:03 in the overtime.  It was Boston's first loss in overtime, which includes that epic comeback and overtime win in Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

It wasn't easy for the Rangers.  Outshot 12-4, the Rangers were lucky to escape in a scoreless tie.  After Tyler Seguin broke a 2-2 tie in the 3rd Period, the Rangers fans rejoiced as Brian Boyle scored on the Power Play.

Before the game, the Rangers stirred the rumor pot with the healthy scratch of Brad Richards.  It's widely speculated that the Rangers may be done using his services and will be looking for a different suitor for Richards come the 2013-14 season.

Game 5 is this Saturday, in Boston. (5:30pm, NBC Sports Network)

DETROIT ROCK CITY
The Detroit Red Wings have the chance to clinch a spot in the Western Conference Finals in prime time on Saturday after their 2-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.  Jimmy Howard earns the shutout after stopping all 28 of the Blackhawks shots.  Jakob Kindl put the Red Wings on the board midway through the 2nd period with his power play goal, and Daniel Cleary cleared the zone and fired into the empty net for the insurance late in the 3rd Period.

It's the only time this season that the Chicago Blackhawks have failed to score a goal, both regular season and playoffs.

Armed with a 3-1 series lead, the Detroit Red Wings look to finish off the Blackhawks at the United Center, Saturday night at 8PM. (NBC, locally NewsChannel13)

HOME
The home team wins again as the Los Angeles Kings take a 3-2 series lead after their 3-0 win over the San Jose Sharks late last night.  Anze Kopitar put the Kings on the board late in the 2nd Period, and Slana Voynov scored less than a minute into the 3rd Period.  Jeff Carter sealed it with the empty-netter

Jonathan Quick earns the shutout after stopping all 24 shots he faced.

So far, through 5 games, the home team has won every game in the series.  Game 6's in San Jose, to be played this Sunday.

THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD
After being swept by the Cincinnati Reds, the Mets try to rebound.  But rebounding will be difficult as the Mets begin a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves tonight.  It's the first of what will be 8 straight night games, including a home-and-home series against the New York Yankees starting Memorial Day.

Jeremy Hefner is on the mound for the Mets, trying to come back from his last start where he allowed 4 runs on 5 hits in 4 innings pitched.  The Mets will face Kris Medlen, who did a decent job of silencing the Los Angeles Dodgers in his last start.  The California-born pitcher threw 7 innings, allowing two hits and only one earned run.

Radio coverage begins on 1230 FOX Sports at 6:30PM tonight.

Midday Recap: "See You In Pittsburgh"

If you blinked, you missed it.

Ottawa Senators coach Paul MacLean was very brief in his post-game conference following the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-3 victory in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Eastern Semifinals.

He stated at the podium, which his conference lasted all of 13 seconds, that 7-3 was enough said, and "See you in Pittsburgh", where he vowed his team would come to play.

The Ottawa Senators led at the end of the first period 2-1, but then Pittsburgh bounced back with what would become 6 unanswered goals as they take a 3-1 series lead back to Pittsburgh.

FIRESTARTER
LeBron James and the Miami Heat are up 1-0 in their best of 7 series against the Indiana Pacers after their overtime win 103-102.  LeBron James caught the inbound pass with 2.2 seconds left in overtime, attacked the basket, and layed the ball in for the game-winner.

He finished the game with a triple-double, scoring 30, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing for 10 assists.  Dwayne Wade contributed with 19 points before fouling out, and Chris Bosh scored 17.

Paul George, who was responsible for tying the game to send it to overtime for the Indiana Pacers, scored 27 points as he went 10/11 from the charity stripe.  David West contributed with 26 points and Roy Hibbert scored 19.

Game 2 is Friday (8PM, TNT).

IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME...
The Mets would love to rewind the clock and play the bottom of the 8th inning over again.  Tied 4-4 with the Cincinnati Reds.  Given the gift of Zack Cozart's throwing error, the Mets had Marlon Byrd at 1st with 1 out.  Ike Davis patiently earned a walk, setting up 1st and 2nd, and the chance for John Buck to bring home the go-ahead run.

John Buck, who has had offensive woes of late, grounded into a double play, ending the inning.

In the top of the 9th, Bobby Parnell gave up the first runs he has allowed in May, as he gave up a lead-off double to Shin-Soo Choo.  Then he intentionally walked to Joey Votto, hoping to set up a double play.

Brandon Phillips, who already made the Mets pay earlier, did it again as his double brought home the go-ahead run.  Another intentional walk loaded the bases, which came back to haunt Parnell and the Mets when Todd Frazier brought home Votto and Phillips.

Finally, Parnell got his double-play ball, as Jack Hannahan ended the Reds 9th with the damage already done.

Juan Lagares ended the game when he struck out swinging.

Matt Harvey saw his ERA jump up to 1.93 as he allowed 4 runs, all earned in 6 1/3rds innings.  Harvey, who lost an appeal earlier in the day hoping to have one of the earned runs taken off his ledger from the past game in Chicago, struck out 6 and gave up 9 hits.  Thanks to Daniel Murphy and Rick Ankiel, the Mets were able to save Harvey from his first loss of the season with their hits in the 7th inning.

Bobby Parnell took the loss for the Mets.


HERO
Jose Bautista played the hero role well for the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday.  He homered in the bottom of the 9th inning to tie the game against the Tampa Bay Rays, then in the 10th inning, his single brought home Colby Rasmus for the walk-off.

The win helps back a decent Mark Buehrle start.  Buehrle, who has been roughed up for 5 or more runs in 6 of his 10 starts this season, pitched 7 innings, giving up only two runs on 4 hits.  He struck out 6.  Aaron Loup earned the win for the Blue Jays.


HISTORY IN THE MAKING
A state High School record could be set today when the Queensbury Spartans take on the Amsterdam Rugged Rams at Queensbury High, as Charlie Peltz looks to be the first pitcher to throw four consecutive no-hitters in known New York State High School Baseball history.

He hurled no-hitters against the Glens Falls Indians, the South Glens Falls Bulldogs, and, most recently, the Hudson Falls Tigers.

The last pitcher to go 3 straight games without allowing a hit was Ryan Dunford, who in 2003 pulled that feat (including a perfect game) for Bishop Timon-St. Jude.  In his fourth start, Dunford went 6 2/3rd innings, allowing a hit prior to the final out.

First pitch is scheduled for 4PM at Queensbury High School, weather permitting.

Bad night for New York

L to R: Nick Wass | Associated Press | Bruce Bennett | Seth Wenig | Associated Press

In the course of an hour, three New York teams fell on Wednesday.

In Baltimore, Nate McLouth took the third pitch he was offered out of play as the Baltimore Orioles walked off with a 3-2 victory over the Yankees.  The Orioles went deep for all three runs, including two off Phil Hughes, who went 6 innings, giving up five hits and the two runs off the homers.  Vidal Nuno, who pitched to McLouth, took the loss.

Meanwhile, at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers scored the first goal for the first time this series when Taylor Pyatt lit the lamp nearly 4 minutes into the second period.  But Boston swarmed back, outplaying the Rangers in the 3rd Period, getting the equalizer three minutes into the period on Johnny Boychuk's 4th of the playoffs.  With less than four minutes to play, Henrik Lundqvist made a save, but then the rebound came to Daniel Paille, who was able to bury it for the game-winning goal that gives the Boston Bruins a commanding 3-0 series lead.

Over in Queens, the Cincinnati Reds took advantage of a David Wright fielding error in the 1st inning to score two runs en route to their 4-0 victory over the New York Mets.  Todd Frazier hit a grounder that went through Wright's legs and into left field, scoring Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips.  They'd tack on one more run with a walk to Devin Mesoraco in the inning.  Mesoraco would cap the scoring with a solo home run in the top of the 9th inning.  

Jonathan Niese was charged with the loss, but not charged with any runs that crossed home plate in the 1st because of the Wright error.  He struck out 7 and allowed five hits in 6 innings pitched.

HARVEY TIME

This afternoon, Matt Harvey gets his third straight day game appearance as the series against the Reds wrap up.  Harvey broke four straight no-decisions with a solid effort against the Cubs last weekend.  Radio Coverage: 1230 FOX Sports, 12:30pm

CYCLING

Mike Trout became the youngest player in American League history to hit for the cycle after his home run in the 8th inning padded the Los Angeles Angels lead to 12-0.  He is the 6th Angel in franchise history to hit for the cycle, and replaces Alex Rodriguez for the youngest in the American League.  

NHL Weekend Recap

GAME 2: Ottawa 3, PITTSBURGH 4 (Pittsburgh leads series 2-0)
Sidney Crosby had a hat trick as the Pittsburgh Penguins survived a rally from the Ottawa Senators to win 4-3.

Crosby's third tally made the score 3-1 in the 2nd period, but then the Senators quickly got one back with Colin Greening's 2nd of the playoffs only 40 seconds after Crosby's tally.  Brenden Morrow's goal at 8:04 in the 2nd Period would give Pittsburgh much-needed insurance, as Jean-Gabriel Pageau's 4th of the playoffs at 2:01 in the 3rd Period narrowed the gap to 1.

GAME 2: DETROIT 4, Chicago 1 (Series tied, 1-1)
Patrick Kane put the Blackhawks up 1-0 in the 1st Period, but that was it for their scoring.

4 unanswered goals from the Red Wings helped to even their series with the Chicago Blackhawks as they won 4-1.  Damien Brunner's goal early in the 2nd Period tied the score, and the Red Wings took the lead on Brendan Smith's score.

GAME 3: Los Angeles 1, SAN JOSE 2 (OT) (Los Angeles leads series 2-1)
Logan Couture pretty much told the Los Angeles Kings, "If you're going to give us a power play in overtime, we're going to make you pay."

And that's exactly what happened as the San Jose Sharks took advantage of a 5 on 3 in overtime to set up Couture's power play goal only 89 seconds into the extra frame.

Robyn Regehr had just returned from his hooking call as the Sharks were still pressuring, still enjoying the man advantage on Trevor Lewis's goaltender interference.

GAME 2: New York 2, BOSTON 5 (Boston leads series 2-0)
For 32 minutes, the Rangers were able to stay on even terms with the Boston Bruins.  Ryan Callahan scored to rebut a Torey Krug goal 2 1/2 minutes earlier.  And Rick Nash finally earned himself a goal to answer Gregory Campbell's goal a minute earlier.

But when Johnny Boychuk scored 12:08 in the 2nd Period, the Rangers no longer had any answers.  The Bruins got two more goals from Brad Marchand and Milan Lucic to seal the victory.

GAME 3: Pittsburgh 1, OTTAWA 2 (2OT) (Pittsburgh leads series 2-1)
With a minute left to play, the Pittsburgh Penguins looked like they were about to go up 3-0 in the series, with the chance to sweep on Wednesday.  But Daniel Alfredsson had other plans, scoring with 29 seconds left, shorthanded, to force overtime.

After a scoreless first overtime, Colin Greening was able to find the back of the net as the Ottawa Senators halved the Penguins series lead.

Midday Recap: Murphy Murph and the Funky Bunch!

Charles Cherny | AP

Daniel Murphy's bat is helping to save the Mets.

His home run in the 8th inning gave the Mets the first lead of the day, and continued his hitting streak, now at 8 games.  The bullpen did their end, retiring 12 straight batters to earn Scott Rice his first win of the season, and earn the Mets their first series win at Wrigley Field since 2007.

But Daniel Murphy was an assistant, too.  Juan Lagares hit his first Major League home run in the 7th inning; a two run shot that tied the game.  Knowing of the significance of the first Major League home run, Murphy went out and talked to the Cubs bat boy, who retrieved the ball from the bullpen.

The Mets return home to Citi Field after a 3-4 Midwest trip, and will host the Cincinnati Reds.  They will face Johnny Cueto, who started the season with three appearances before being placed on the 15-day Disabled List.  The Mets send Shaun Marcum on the mound, who lost his last start but pitched the best so far this season.  It was the first time Marcum pitched beyond the 5th inning, going 6 2/3rds and giving up two runs on a day the Mets bats were not working.

Radio Coverage: 6:30PM, 1230 FOX Sports Radio

Midday Recap: That's.... between the cushions!

The New York Mets/St. Louis Cardinals game was not the smoothest game played, but left plenty of interesting moments.

In the 6th inning, Daniel Murphy hit a ball to right field that went into a seam in the fence and out of play for a ground-rule double.  He would later score on David Wright's 7th double of the season.

Then in the 7th inning, Rick Ankiel gets awarded 2nd base after umpires ruled that someone touched the ball as it bounced against the stands for a ground-rule double.  This was a gift for two reasons, as first Rick Ankiel would have been tagged out trying to stretch his hit into a double, and upon further review, nobody actually touched the ball.  This would not come back to haunt the Cardinals, as David Wright would line out to end the inning with the bases loaded, stranding Ankiel and company.

After trading runs in the 8th, the Mets closed the game with Bobby Parnell delivering a 12-pitch save, as they broke their 6 game losing streak with the 5-2 victory.

In-depth: Yesterday's live blog of the game.

Today the Mets begin a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs, all under the sunlight at Wrigley Field.  The first of the three features Matt Harvey's first-ever trip to Wrigley, pitching against Edwin Jackson.  Jackson is 1-5 this season, but earned that win his last time out as he pitched 5 1/3rd innings against the Washington Nationals.

REUNITED

MLB Advanced Media

The Boston Red Sox won 4-3, but the most talked about moment occurred before the game where a father and daughter were reunited.

The father, Army Lieutenant Colonel William Adams, was deployed in Afghanistan.  The daughter was notified by the USO about the first pitch opportunity.  When on the field, an image of her father showed on the screens, and after she threw the first pitch, the masked catcher took off his mask to identify himself as her father.  She ran up, hugged him and the reunited two enjoyed the game together.

It's a great moment in which words does it no justice.  So watch the video.

MOMENTUM KILLER
The New York Rangers entered the 3rd Period with a lot of momentum, thanks to Ryan McDonagh's goal that came with 1.3 seconds left in the 2nd Period.  They used that momentum to earn them a second goal, coming from the stick of Derek Stepan.

But the Boston Bruins stopped that momentum before it was able to blossom into anything bigger, as Torey Krug tied the game on a power play goal two minutes later.  After a crossbar hit, the Rangers and Bruins went to overtime tied 2-2.

In overtime, the Bruins dominated, with most of the play occurring on the Rangers side of the ice.  Brad Marchand brought the TD Garden crowd home happy as he took a feed from Patrice Bergeron and buried it behind Henrik Lundqvist for the game-winner.

Game 2 is on Sunday, at 3 PM - TV Coverage: WNYT Channel 13

HIGH TIDE, LOW TIDE
Momentum shifted three times in the Sharks/Kings game.  The first two goals were scored by the Kings, followed up with three from the San Jose Sharks as they took a 3-2 lead deep in the 3rd Period.  Then, with less than two minutes to play, Dustin Brown took advantage of a 5-on-3 power play to tie the game. Still on the power play, the Kings made the Sharks pay for their penalties as Trevor Lewis scored 21 seconds later, as the Kings take a 2-0 series lead to the HP Pavilion.

Game 3 is Saturday night at 9PM - TV Coverage: NBC Sports Network

KNICKS SURVIVE
The New York Knicks live to play another game as they beat the Indiana Pacers 85-75. Carmelo Anthony scored 28 points on 12/28 shooting, and saw contributions from J.R. Smith and Chris Copeland.  Paul George scored 23 points for the Pacers as the series shifts back to Indiana for Game 6.

Game 6 is Saturday at 8PM.

Out west, the Golden State Warriors are done for the season after losing Game 6 to the San Antonio Spurs 94-82.  Tim Duncan scored 19 points for the Spurs, and Kawhi Leonard had a double-double, scoring 16 points with 10 boards, as the Spurs will play the Memphis Grizzlies, who won their series against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.

UFC ON 1230 FOX SPORTS
The UFC is on FX tomorrow night, and 1230 FOX Sports Radio will be simulcasting the bouts live on the radio.  Coverage begins at 9PM and continues after the fights with the UFC Post-Fight Report.  So if you can't watch the fights, we've got them on the radio for you.

Find out more about tomorrow's fight card and join us beginning at 9PM.

LIVE BLOG: New York Mets at St. Louis Cardinals, 5/16 1:45PM ET

New York Mets vs. St. Louis Cardinals

We're trying something different today

Follow along with today's Mets game against the St. Louis Cardinals.  First, for instant updates, follow us on Twitter (@WMML1230), and for more in-depth coverage, keep refreshing this blog.

All Things Hockey: Playoffs

LOW ATTENDANCE, HIGH FRUSTRATION
Syracuse Crunch owner Howard Dolgon blasted the city of Syracuse following the Crunch 3-0 win over the Springfield Falcons.

He was unhappy that only 3,200 showed up for their Eastern Conference Semifinal game where the Crunch took a commanding 3-0 lead, despite the fact that the game was actually the 2nd best attendance of the 4 games played.  Only Wilkes-Barre/Scranton drew more fans, at nearly 3,800.

Oklahoma City drew the worst, at just under 1,800, and Grand Rapids saw 2,700 pass the turnstiles for their game.  Grand Rapids numbers aren't surprising, as they were going up against their parent club's (Detroit) Game 1.

SPEAKING OF...

Associated Press

Speaking of the Red Wings, they're down 0-1 in the series as they lost Game 1 to the Chicago Blackhawks. Johnny Oduya broke a 1-1 tie in the 3rd Period after the Blackhawks had tremendous pressure in the Red Wings zone.  Marcus Kruger then added insurance, then the Blackhawks had to defend the Red Wings attempts to narrow the gap, including a shot from Damien Brunner that hit the crossbar, came down, and was swept away by Brent Seabrook before it could cross the line.  Patrick Sharp added the empty-netter at the end, as CBC announcer Bob Cole uttered, "This is it, baby.  Right here."

The Blackhawks won 4-1, and will try to take a 2-0 series lead Saturday afternoon at 1PM in Chicago.

RANGERS/BRUINS

CSN New England

Tonight kicks off the fourth and final of the Quarterfinal series in the NHL, as the Rangers and Bruins take on each other at the TD Garden in Boston.  The Bruins are unbeaten in regulation against the Rangers this year in the regular season in three tries, but suffered an overtime and a shootout loss.  Both teams needed 7 games in order to come to this pairing.  Boston came back from a 4-1 deficit, including two goals in the final 90 seconds, as they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime.  The Rangers had an easier Game 7, winning over the Washington Capitals 5-0.

It should be a good series, as it may come down to which goaltender has the better save percentage.  Tuukka Rask has a .923 save percentage, and has a Goals Allowed Average of 2.49. Henrik Lundqvist has a better save and GAA, at .947 save percentage and Goals Allowed Average of 1.65, and is working on a 120 minute shutout streak after shutting the Caps out in both Games 6 and 7.

PREDICTION: Rangers win series in 6 games.

Midday Recap 5/15: Beltran's Revenge against the Mets

Jeff Robertson | AP

METS:
Carlos Beltran must have loved rubbing it in last night.  After all, it was his hit that was ruled foul that helped preserve Johan Santana's no-hit bid on June 1st last year.

That's why his three-run shot in the 5th inning that gave the Cardinals the 9-0 lead must have felt so sweet.  It was his 10th of the year as the Cardinals roughed up Dillon Gee and the New York Mets, 10-4.  Gee went 4 innings and was held accountable for 5 of the 6 runs scored against him.

John Gast didn't dazzle in his debut, giving up 4 runs, all of them in the 6th inning, but had the offensive support needed for his first major league win.

Things get tougher for the Mets in the next two games as they face the two hot pitchers from this past weekend.  Tonight, it's Shelby Miller, who comes in having retired his last 27 batters.  Shaun Marcum will be on the mound for the Mets, hoping to go past the 5th inning for the first time this season.  Radio Coverage: 7:35PM, 1230 FOX Sports Radio. 

Then tomorrow the Mets play a day game against Adam Wainwright, who had a complete game shutout facing the Rockies last Saturday.  The Rockies were only able to get three base runners, two via hits and 1 via walk.  The Mets will send Jonathan Niese, who is looking to get back to his early-season form after giving up 8 runs against the Pirates.  Radio Coverage: 1:05PM, 1230 FOX Sports Radio.

NHL:
EVENLY
Evgeni Malkin and the Pittsburgh Penguins felt tested in their first round series against the New York Islanders.  They applied that testing as they looked good both even strength and on the power play as they took the early 1-0 series lead over the Ottawa Senators following their 4-1 win.  Malkin scored the go-ahead goal at 12:15 in the 1st Period, and capped the scoring with a Pascal Dupuis shortie in the 3rd Period.

A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
The San Jose Sharks suffered their first loss of the playoffs with a 2-0 shutout against the Los Angeles Kings.    Slava Voynov put the Kings on the board with 13 seconds left in the 1st Period, and Mike Richards added insurance in the 2nd Period.  Jonathan Quick stopped all 35 shots he faced to earn 1st Star honors.

NBA:
BLOCK PARTY
Stephen Curry got smothered as the Golden State Warriors lost control of the game in the 2nd half, giving the San Antonio Spurs a 3-2 series lead after their 109-91 win on Tuesday.  Curry went 4/14 from the field, turning the ball over 4 times and only put 9 points on the scoreboard as the Spurs concentrated their defense on him.  Harrison Barnes shot 10/18 as he led the Warriors with 25 points, and started a block party with Spurs Danny Green at the end of the 2nd Quarter.

Tony Parker led the Spurs with 25 points as they travel west to Oakland for Game 6 tomorrow night.

Meanwhile, in the East, the New York Knicks got off to a slow start, going 0/6 from beyond the arch as Indiana Pacers started with a 11-3 run en route to a 93-82 win.  Carmelo Anthony shot 9/23 from the field, scoring a team-high 24 points before fouling out.  George Hill led the Pacers with 26 points as they take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS:
HOCKEY SCHEDULE PIECES
Thanks to the Bethlehem Eagles (@BCEaglesPuck on Twitter), we know a few pieces of the upcoming 2013-14 hockey season schedule.  Glens Falls will host the Eagles on December 13th at the Glens Falls Rec Center, and the Queensbury Spartans will travel down to Bethlehem on December 20th.  The puzzle should be complete in the coming weeks, but it's good to get small pieces to the puzzle now.

Once we see the full puzzle, we'll let you know here.

Midday Recap: No lead is safe

What a difference an hour makes...

Midday Recap: Game 7 excitement...

Maybe there is.   Maybe there isn't.  But you have to feel that the phrase Game 7 brings more excitement than any other phrase out there?

NBA fans were treated to one Game 7 in the first round, as the Brooklyn Nets and the Chicago Bulls needed 7 games to determine that the Bulls would be the Heat's next opponent.  Hockey fans get triple the excitement, as three first rounds now need 7 games to determine who moves on.

One of them was last night, as the Detroit Red Wings advanced to the 2nd round after they beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2.  Henrik Zetterberg scored the first goal for the Red Wings, who now will face the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2nd Round.

The other two are tonight, as the Rangers were able to hold off the Washington Capitals, thanks to Derick Brassard's goal that came in the 2nd Period.  Henrik Lundqvist stopped all 27 shots he faced as the Rangers forced the 7th game after their 1-0 victory.  And the Toronto Maple Leafs earned their first home victory over the Bruins since 1959 thanks to their 2-1 victory last night.

BUC YEAH
The Pittsburgh Pirates take three of the four games in the series thanks to their 3-2 victory on Sunday.  Matt Harvey didn't pitch his best, but keeps his name off the loss ledger after going 7 innings, allowing 5 hits and 2 earned runs.  The third run came against Scott Rice, who replaced Harvey in the 8th inning.

The Mets will try to bounce back, but will have to try against a hot pitching crew in the St. Louis Cardinals.  After retiring 27 in a row on Friday in a one-hitter, starting pitching proceeded to retire the following 13 before a walk was issued in the 5th inning.  The Mets will have to contend with those two in this series: Shelby Miller on Wednesday night, then Adam Wainwright on Thursday afternoon.  But tonight, Jeremy Hefner takes the ball and will search for his first win.  He will oppose Lance Lynn, who struck out 8 but allowed 2 runs as the Cardinals fell to the Chicago Cubs in his last start.  Radio Coverage: 6:30PM, 1230 FOX Sports Radio.

Pirates 7, Mets 3 - FINAL

The New York Mets fell to the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3 at Citi Field.

Like several other games, the Mets rallied in the 9th.  The main problem this time was that the gap was too far to reach.

The Mets can blame two three-run innings, one in the 2nd and one in the 5th, for their undoing tonight.

It was another troubling start for Shaun Marcum, who receives his third loss of the season after going 4 2/3rds innings and earning 6 runs as his E.R.A. jumps to 8.59 on the season.

The Mets return to play the Pirates on Saturday, with Jonathan Niese taking the mound.  First pitch is scheduled for 1:10PM, with pregame coverage on 1230 FOX Sports starting at 12:30PM.

Midday Recap: Let's Walk it off again

Jim McIssac | Newsday

For the second time in three days, Mike Baxter is the hero of New York.  This time, extra innings wasn't needed to find this out.

The New York Mets took advantage of a Marlon Byrd lead-off single in the bottom of the 9th inning by sacrificing him to 2nd base on an Andrew Brown bunt, then Mike Baxter brought the magic touch again with a single that brought Byrd home to end the game.

It was the third time in a row that a Mets win at Citi Field was determined by a walk-off.  Baxter was the hero in the bottom of the 10th against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, and the Mets walked off after coming back against the Los Angeles Dodgers last month with a Jordany Valdespin grand slam.

PROTESTED GAME
The Los Angeles Angels played last night's game against the Houston Astros under protest for awhile after a questionable pitching change in the 7th inning.  With runners on 1st and 2nd, Houston Astros manager Bo Porter signaled a pitching change, and brought Wesley Wright in to replace Paul Clemens.  However, Mike Scioscia countered with a pinch hitter, Luis Jiminez.  Not liking that pitching match-up, Porter went back to the bullpen before Clemens threw a single pitch.

This brought the protest, as Scioscia argued that there is no rule that allows the Astros to change pitchers without throwing a pitch unless it's under extreme circumstances, under approval of the umpire crew.

The Angels later rescinded their protest, and rallied in the 8th inning to beat the Astros 6-5.

LOST ISLAND
What a difference a different city makes.  The New York Islanders, who looked like they were getting comfortable in their series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, now find themselves in trouble as they got blanked in Pittsburgh, 4-0.

Pittsburgh now leads the series, three games to two, as the series shifts back to the island for Game 6.

Tomas Vokoun, who started in place of Marc-Andre Fleury, stopped all 31 shots he faced as the Islanders had a tough time finding offense all game.

ELIMINATED
The Montreal Canadiens were 23 seconds away from tying the series 2-2.  Instead, they became the first team to be eliminated from the Eastern Conference after losing Game 5, 6-1, to the Ottawa Senators.  Cory Conacher scored two goals for the Senators, and Curtis Anderson stopped 34 of the 35 shots he faced.

The Sens wait to see who their opponent will be, as it could be any of the teams except for the Islanders in the next round.

The Minnesota Wild are also eliminated on Thursday after their 5-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.  Marian Hossa scored two goals for the Blackhawks, who knows their 2nd Round opponent will either be the San Jose Sharks or the Detroit Red Wings.

HOLLYWOOD CLOSING
Even though we're in the midst of one of the biggest seasonal events in horse racing, the Triple Crown, there are still reminders about the overall state of racing in the country.  Hollywood Park announced yesterday that after 75 years of racing, they will cease racing after the conclusion of their fall meet, on December 22nd, and will be torn down to make room for business development.  There's no word what will become of the 4 months of racing hosted at Hollywood Park a year, as it's possible Santa Anita will take the extra days, similarly to what happened with Golden Gate after Bay Meadows folded years ago.  Or perhaps Del Mar will expand their summer meet.  Andrew Champagne talks more about Hollywood's closing in his column in The Saratogian, and is worth the read.

SPORTS ON THE RADIO
Tonight the Mets continue their 4 game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Shaun Marcum will be looking for his first win, and to relax his swelling E.R.A. that sits at 7.20.  He only survived 4 1/3rds innings against the Braves last time out, surrendering 3 runs on 6 hits.  He'll oppose Wandy Rodriguez, who is 2-2 this season and saw his E.R.A. jump from 0.56 after he kept the Braves scoreless in 7 innings for his 2nd win of the season in mid-April to 3.91 when he allowed 7 runs on 6 hits in 3 2/3rds innings against the Milwaukee Brewers.  Radio Coverage: 6:30PM; 1230 FOX Sports Radio

On Saturday, Jonathan Niese will try to calm down from his 4 inning nightmare in Atlanta where he allowed 7 runs.  He'll be facing Francisco Liriano, who makes his Pittsburgh debut.  The Mets celebrate Banner Day on Saturday, which was moved from Sunday, May 26th once it was announced that the game would be moved to a night game to accommodate ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball coverage.  Radio Coverage: 12:30PM; 1230 FOX Sports Radio

On Sunday, the Mets wrap things up with Matt Harvey on the mound.  He'll be looking to finally earn a win after three no-decisions when the Mets face Jeanmar Gomez.  Gomez has a 2-0 record and a 2.38 E.R.A., shutting out the Seattle Mariners in his last start in 5 innings pitched.  However, that 5 inning game was his longest outing of the season, only one other time did he make it onto the field for the 5th inning.  If the Mets can find a way to abuse the bullpen in the upcoming two games, that may put more pressure on Gomez to play longer.  Radio Coverage: 12:30PM; 1230 FOX Sports Radio

Free Hockey all around... except at MSG.

Robert Sabo | New York Daily News

NO FREE HOCKEY IN THE GARDEN
Three of the four games last night went to overtime.  The only one that didn't was the Capitals/Rangers game, where the Rangers took advantage of a Jason Chimera Interference call at the end of the 2nd Period with Dan Girardi's power play goal 59 seconds into the 3rd that broke a 2-2 tie.  Derek Stepan would give the Rangers insurance 5 minutes later.  It was much-needed insurance as the Caps would close the gap to 1 with Mathieu Perreault's goal with 12:29 left to play.  Unlike the game on Monday where the Rangers had to survive a power play plus pulled goalie, the final minute was less-stressful as the Rangers would hold on for the 4-3 win that evens their series.

ENDING IT WITH A HATTIE
North of the border, the Boston Bruins spotted the Maple Leafs a two-goal lead, but came back with three straight goals to take a 3-2 lead in the 2nd Period, capped with David Krejci's power play goal.  Clarke MacArthure would tie the game, and after a scoreless 3rd Period, the two teams would play extra hockey.

After quality chances by both the Bruins and Maple Leafs, Krejci ends the game with his 3rd goal of the game, beating James Reimer as the Bruins take a 3-1 series lead back to Boston.

KING ME
After the first two games, it was looking like the Los Angeles Kings were going to end their cup defense in the 1st round.  Down 2-0, the Kings looked forward to a return to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4.  After winning both games to even the series, the Kings saw Game 5 as a chance to step in front of the Blues.

The Kings struck early in the 2nd and 3rd Periods, netting goals from Jeff Carter less than a minute into the periods.  But the Blues had answers for both of them, including Alex Pietrangelo, who scored off the faceoff with less than a minute to play.  In overtime, Slava Voynov netted the game-winner for the Kings, as they take a 3-2 lead back to Los Angeles for Game 6.

In over in Anaheim, the Ducks take a 3-2 lead back to Detroit after Nick Bonino fired into a mostly-open net to win their game over the Red Wings in overtime.

TECHNICAL PROBLEMS
It's quickly looking like the Chicago/Miami series in the NBA Playoffs is going to be the NBA's equivalent to the Montreal/Ottawa series in the NHL Playoffs.  9 Technical Fouls were handed out in Game 2 on Wednesday, with the first recipient being Dwayne Wade, who didn't like the shove he got from a Bulls guard, so he threw the basketball.  That was only the beginning, as by the end of the game, Lebron James, Mario Chalmers of the Heat joined Wade on that list, and so too did Taj Gibson (twice), Joakim Noah (twice), Nate Robinson and Marquis Teague of the Bulls.

As far as the game went, the Heat ran away with the game in the 2nd half as the Heat outscored the Bulls 60-37 as they evened the series with the 115-78 win.  Ray Allen led the Heat with 21 points, and James followed it up with 19.

INSTANT DOUBLE

Bob Melvin disputes the call | Mark Duncan - AP

Instant Replay didn't help Skipper Bob Melvin of the Oakland A's.  In the top of the 9th inning, with his team down by 1, Adam Rosales hit a ball deep that bounced back onto the playing field and he was credited with a double.  Upon further review, it appeared that the ball hit a railing that was just above the yellow line that indicates a home run.  However, umpires saw differently and after a replay, ruled a double.  That sent Melvin out to argue, and he and the Oakland A's were unable to bring Rosales home.

Not a lot of room today to talk about the Mets, who lost to the Chicago White Sox 6-3.  Jeremy Hefner's now 0-4 this season, and wasn't thrilled with his start after Alejandro De Aza took him deep on the fourth pitch of the game.  The Mets will try to bounce back as they start a four-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight. Radio Coverage: 6:30PM on 1230 FOX Sports Radio

Midday Recap: A great night on the island

Adam Hunger | Reuters

The New York Mets didn't need a lot of offense on Tuesday night, especially with ace Matt Harvey on the mound.

All they needed was 1 run.  They got that run thanks to Mike Baxter, whose RBI single in the 10th inning gave the Mets the win to back up the best performance we've seen from Matt Harvey to date.  He fanned 12 in 9 innings of work on his way to a 1-hitter, which that lone hit was an infield single from Alex Rios that beat the throw of Ruben Tejada with 2 outs in the top of the 7th.

Bobby Parnell preserved the shutout with 2 strikeouts of his own, as he earned the win being the pitcher of record on the mound in the 10th inning.  He's 3-0 for the season.

TONIGHT'S OUTLOOK
The 2nd of the mini-series against the Chicago White Sox kicks off at 7:10PM as Jeremy Hefner takes the mound for the Mets.  Hefner has looked good in his last two starts as his ERA has lowered from 7.04 after he faced the Washington Nationals to the 4.34 it sits at now.  But for his good effort, he has yet to earn a win, as Los Angeles won the game in the 9th inning against the bullpen, and Miami was able to come back for their walk-off his last start when he pitched into the 9th.

The Mets will have to face Jake Peavy, who has a 3-1 record and is coming back after missing his last start due to back spasms.  His last time out, Peavy struck out 6 as the White Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays. His last start against the National League East, however, didn't fare as well, as he gave up 6 runs in 5 1/3rds innings of work.  Radio Coverage: 1230 FOX Sports Radio, 6:30PM

ISLE HAVE ANOTHER
Goaltending was not essential in Game 4 between the New York Islanders and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

10 goals in all were scored, and the Islanders crowd roared loudly as the Islanders have suddenly tied the series at 2-2 against the number one team in the east, the Pittsburgh Penguins.  John Tavares came up big midway through the third period as he settled a 4-4 tie and gave the Islanders the lead.  Then with less than 90 seconds left, Casey Cizikas added insurance as Marc-Andrew Fleury had to retreat back to the net, trying to come off the ice for the extra attacker.

For a team that for 70 minutes in the series looked like they didn't belong, the Islanders find themselves back on even terms, and could return to Uniondale with the chance to win the series on Saturday if they can take Game 5 in Pittsburgh on Thursday.

SHARK-BIT
It was not a good series for the Vancouver Canucks.  Troubles scoring, troubles with starting goaltenders, the Canucks were looking anything to help save their season.  In the 3rd Period, that help came by the two Alexes, Alexandre Burrows and Alexander Edler, whose goals gave the Canucks the 3-2 lead with under 9 minutes to play.  For four and a half minutes, it was looking like Vancouver was going to see another game, but then came Joe Pavelski, whose shot beat Schenider with 4:27 left to play to force overtime.

After a 3-on-1 that ringed the post, the Sharks clinched the series about 3 minutes later with Patrick Marleau's goal that beat Schenider with traffic in front.

As the National Hockey League bases 2nd round matchups based on seeds and not on 2/7-3/6 brackets, the San Jose Sharks will have to wait and see how the rest of the Western Conference 1st Round plays out.

UNOCCUPIED BOX
After Sunday's Montreal/Ottawa game brought 236 minutes worth of penalties and 9 game misconducts, it's a little surprising to see that Tuesday's Game 4 only brought 8 minutes of penalties, all in the first 40 minutes of the game.

In the game, it was looking like the Canadiens were going to even the series until Cory Conacher, last year's American Hockey League MVP with the Calder Cup winning Norfolk Admirals, tied the game at 2-2 with 23 seconds left to play.

In overtime, Kyle Turris ended things quickly as he gives the Sens a 3-1 series lead with the chance to clinch it at Montreal on Thursday.

In the other game played on Tuesday, the Chicago Blackhawks have the chance to clinch their series at home after the 3-0 win against the Minnesota Wild.

KNICKED
The New York Knicks shot 49% from the field, had 3 times fewer turnovers than the Indiana Pacers, and saw 32 points from Carmelo Anthony as the Knicks evened the series 105-79.  Oh, yeah, the Knicks outscored the Pacers 33-13 in the 4th Quarter in the victory.  Paul George led the Pacers with 20 points.

SPORTS ON THE RADIO
Tonight: Chicago White Sox vs. New York Mets - 6:30PM on 1230 FOX Sports Radio
Mets are off on Thursday.

Danger Averted

Rangers celebrate after a goal: The Journal News | Getty Images
Red Wings celebrate Brunner's OT winner: Tanya Moutaliaz | M Live
Los Angeles skates with the puck en route to 4-3 victory: AP

For  three teams, a victory on Monday keeps them from the brink of elimination.  For two of these three teams, a victory evens the series and ensures it will go at least 6 games.  The other team was trying to prevent an 0-3 hole.

That team was the Rangers, who needed the energy of playing in front of the Madison Square Garden crowd to help them find the back of the net, which was a real issue in the first two games.  After scoring the 4th from Derek Stepan, the Rangers needed every ounce of the crowd's cheer to help them through the final 1:54 of the game, which they had to face shorthanded, plus the pulled Branden Holtby made a 6-on-4 situation for the Capitals.  When the final horn sounded, the Caps had failed to find the back of the net, and the Rangers would prevail 4-3 to cut the Caps series lead to 2-1.

The Red Wings needed a Pavel Datsyuk shot that hit the water bottle and bounced out of the net to tie their game against the Anaheim Ducks.  Datsyuk's goal came right after a review was needed to verify that a previous Red Wing shot didn't cross the goal line.  The goal tied the game 2-2, and brought overtime.  After some good Anaheim chances, Gustav Nyquist was able to dance around Anaheim defenders on a pass, and was able to fling it towards Jonas Hiller.  He was able to block the first shot, but the rebound ended up right on Damien Brunner, who was able to shoot it into a mostly-open net for the game-winner that evened their series at 2 games a piece.

Over in Los Angeles, the Kings rebounded from an early 2-0 deficit to tie the game heading into the 1st intermission.  After T.J. Oshie regained the lead for the Blues in the 2nd Period, the Kings used back-to-back goals in 76 seconds span to take a 4-3 lead, which they were able to hold onto for the win.  Anze Kopitar scored the first of those two goals, and Justin Williams netted the game-winning goal at 8:30 in the 3rd Period.

In the other game in the NHL last night, the Boston Bruins took a 2-1 lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first game that Toronto has hosted in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2004.  The Bruins won 5-2.

FIREWORKS TONIGHT?

The game of the night tonight has to be the Montreal Canadiens at the Ottawa Senators.  After Sunday's game left the benches bare and players ejected left and right, it'll be interesting to see what hostilities remain.  But for the Montreal Canadiens, there's the extra pressure of keeping the series under control, and even though Game 5 is in Montreal, the Canadiens don't want to give the Senators the possibility of clinching the series on their ice.  They'd rather do the opposite and clinch in Game 6 at Ottawa.  

For both of these storylines, the first 10 minutes will be most critical.  Who will make the first move?  Will the Canadiens immediately start with their fists or will they try to gather some goals first?  Will Ottawa use the home crowd to its advantage?  TV Coverage: 7:00, CNBC

In addition to this, the Islanders need to extend their series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, who with a win tonight will have the possibility of clinching the series on home ice in Game 5.  (TV Coverage: 7:00, NBC Sports Network, MSG+)  Chicago is looking to take a 3-1 series lead back to home ice against the Minnesota Wild tonight (TV Coverage: 9:30, NBC Sports Network), and the San Jose Sharks can be the first team admitted to the 2nd Round if they can sweep the Vancouver Canucks on home ice. (TV Coverage: 10:00, CNBC)

RANGER HARVEY

Matt Harvey was among the attended crowd at Madison Square Garden on Monday, and will be at Citi Field tonight as he pitches against the Chicago White Sox.  The White Sox come to town after rallying to beat the Kansas City Royals 2-1 in 11 innings, blowing a save chance from Greg Holland.  The two game series against the Chicago White Sox will be a first for the White Sox, as they have never played a game against the Mets in Queens.  The last time these two teams met was in July, 2002, when the White Sox won two of the three games in that series.

The Mets will look to rebound from its loss to the Braves on Sunday, blowing a chance to earn a rare sweep in Atlanta.  The White Sox have had a tough season of their own, and will look to Hector Santiago tonight.  Santiago struck out 6 en route to a 3-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on May 2nd, pitching 5 1/3rds.  Radio Coverage: 6:30PM, 1230 FOX Sports R adio

BULL-IED

Is it really a surprise that the Chicago Bulls defeated the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals?  After all the Bulls were the team responsible for ending the Heat's long 27 game win streak.  Then the Bulls brought an end to the Knicks win streak, at 13 games.   Nate Robinson scored 27 points and dished it 9 times for the Bulls, and Jimmy Butler added 21 points.  The NBA's MVP, Lebron James, scored 24 points, assisting 7 times and gathering 8 rebounds.  But James did not earn a lot of support from the rest of the Heat, as Dwayne Wade was the only other player in double-figures, scoring 14.

Emanuel Ginobili's three with 1.2 seconds left in the 2nd overtime gave the San Antonio Spurs the 129-127 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of their Western Conference Semifinals.  Tony Parker scored 28 for the Spurs, and Tim Duncan and Gary Neal both had double-doubles.  Stephen Curry scored 44 for the Warriors, and led all players with just under 58 minutes of on-court time.

SPORTS ON THE RADIO

Tonight - Chicago White Sox at New York Mets - 7:10PM, 1230 FOX Sports Radio

Tomorrow - Chicago White Sox at New York Mets - 7:10 PM, 1230 FOX Sports Radio

Midday Recap - The Brawl Heard Across Canada

@joshmcconnell

You had to figure after Ryan White and Guillaume Latendresse took double-minors after the final horn on Friday that Sunday's Game 3 between the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators was going to be a wild and potentially violent affair.

After 9 game misconducts, 232 penalty minutes, and 7 goals later, we're seeing just how wild this all-Canada series can be.

Ottawa won the game 6-1 to build a 2-1 series lead over the Canadiens, but what will be remembered most is the 3rd period, when tensions grew and was unleashed just after Kyle Turris made the score 4-1 with 13 minutes left to play.  All ten on the ice dropped gloves and threw punches, earning 5 minute fighting majors plus game misconducts for those who droppped after the initial combatants.  By the time the midway mark of the 3rd Period came around, both benches were bare, as you see above, with only 5 skaters per team remaining after the 5 out on the ice (not including goaltenders).

Shortly after the game, fans took to Twitter as many complained about the tactics produced by the Canadiens, but also the timeout taken by the Ottawa Senators with about 15 seconds left in the game.

IN OTHER HOCKEY PLAYOFF NEWS
For the first 70 minutes of the New York Islanders series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, they looked like they didn't belong in the field of 16, getting completely outplayed on all levels.  Then something clicked.  The Islanders started playing well, allowing them to win their 2nd game to tie the series.  Then in Game 3, bouncing back from a 4-2 deficit, the Islanders would force overtime.  But Sidney Crosby would have the last laugh, drawing a penalty that would lead to the game-winning Power Play Goal.

Out west, Jason Zucker helped the Minnesota Wild climb back into the series with their 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.  And despite sitting Roberto Luongo for Cory Schneider, the Vancouver Canucks find themselves in a 3-0 series hole after losing 5-2 to the San Jose Sharks.  Schneider looked uncomfortable, allowing all 5 goals on 28 shots before being pulled for Luongo.

NBA QUARTERS
David West scored 20 as the Indiana Pacers took advantage of a good 2nd and 3rd Quarter to beat the New York Knicks 102-95.  The Knicks shot 43% from the field, including an icy 10/28 from Carmelo Anthony, who led the Knicks with 28 points.  Raymond Felton scored 18.  Meanwhile, Oklahoma City squeezed through for the 1-0 lead after their 93-91 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.  The two Kevins led the Barrons in scoring, as Durant scored 35 and Martin scored 25.

METS SPLIT AGAINST THE BRAVES
After Saturday's rain-out, the Mets were hoping to continue the momentum they carried to victory on Friday.  With John Niese on the mound, was looking possible for the sweep.  But the sweep was not meant to be, as the Braves plated 5 in the 3rd, chasing Niese out in the bottom 5th, and the Mets fell 9-4.  David Wright continued hitting well, hitting a 2-run home run in the 4th inning that helped comped two of the runs given up in the half-inning prior.  With the win, the Braves and Mets split the rain-shortened series, which the postponed game will be made up on June 18th at 1:10p.m. as a part of a split doubleheader.

The Mets are off today as they await an interleague visit by the Chicago White Sox at Citi Field.

Midday Recap: A First Since 1956.

NBA

The borough of Brooklyn will host a Game 7 for the first time since the Brooklyn Dodgers went to a 7th game against the Yankees in 1956, as the Brooklyn Nets won 95-92 to set up a Saturday night decisive Game 7 at the Barclay Center (Sat, 8PM, TNT).  Deron Williams had a double-double, scoring 17 with 11 assists.  Marco Belinelli scored 22 for the Bulls.  By the way, the Yankees won that Game 7.

GOLDEN POWER
The Golden State Warriors are onto the 2nd round after their 92-88 win over the Denver Nuggets.  Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 22 points and 8 assists in a game where turnovers could have sunk the Warriors.  The Warriors turned the ball over 19 times compared to the Denver Nuggets 7, but made up for it going 23/24 from the free throw line.  The Warriors are in the 2nd round for the first time since 2007, and will face the San Antonio Spurs.  The Warriors look to advance past the 2nd round for the first time since 1975, when they won the championship.

COMBINING FORCES
It's good to see that Spa Catholic and Bishop Gibbons are in talks of combining their football programs so they can field a team for the upcoming 2013 season.  Last season, the Golden Knights came in with a short roster, as we noted when they traveled up to Warrensburg in Week 3, and had to forfeit their 4th game against Cambridge because of injuries.  The deal isn't official as the other coaches have to vote on the measure, but Section 2 chairman Gary VanDerzee doesn't anticipate there being any problems.

Speaking of high school football, we'll be coming out with our 2013 Football Broadcast Schedule soon!

COMEBACK TIME
The Detroit Red Wings even the series against the Anaheim Ducks, but not in the way you probably thought they did if you went to bed before Midnight last night.  The Red Wings led 4-1 at 20 seconds into the 3rd Period, thanks to Johan Franzen's 2nd goal of the game.  So some probably turned the TV off and went to bed safely thinking the Red Wings were going to easily even the series.  But then Anaheim came back, with goals from Ryan Getzlaf (7:50, 3rd), former Syracuse Crunch threat Kyle Palmeieri (12:31, 3rd), and then capped with Bobby Ryan's tying goal with 2:22 left in the 3rd.  So instead of a decisive game for the Red Wings, we were looking at overtime.

Overtime was settled quickly, as Gustav Nyquist wristed one past Jonas Hiller 1:21 into the extra time.

ONE-SIDED PLAY
The Ottawa Senators lead 1 game to none in their best-of-7 against the Montreal Canadiens after the 4-2 win at the Bell Centre in Montreal.  The Senators scored the lone goal in the 1st period, then relinquished the lead in the 2nd Period as the Canadiens scored twice, and then scored three goals in the 3rd.  Since teams change sides each period, that means all goals were scored on one side of the rink.  If you were watching on TV, all 6 goals were scored on the right side of the ice, unfortunately for those paying for seats on the left side.

The game was physical, explosive, and neither team looked as if they are going to be a dominating force in the series, which should make for an interesting Game 2 tonight in Montreal.

SILKY CLAY?
Boston's Clay Buchholz is the first pitcher to 6 wins, but his play has raised some eyebrows.  Namely, Toronto Blue Jays broadcasters who during their broadcast accused Buccholz and relief pitcher Junichi Tazawa of putting an illegal substance on their forearms.  According to Buccholz, the substance is rosin.

BRAVE JOURNEY

MLB

The Mets begin a three-game stretch against the Atlanta Braves tonight,  with Shaun Marcum taking the mound for the Mets.  Marcum, who was the losing pitcher in the 15-inning marathon in Miami on Monday night, will try to get his first win against an Atlanta team that has cooled down some since their 10-game win streak in mid-April.  On the other side, Mike Minor got roughed some against the Detroit Tigers, allowing 6 runs in 6 2/3rd innings.  Radio Coverage: 1230 FOX Sports Radio WMML, 6:50PM.

NHL Playoffs Preview: Rangers/Caps; Sens/Canadiens

Two more series gets under way Thursday night as teams continue
fighting for the Stanley Cup.

The battle for the Stanley Cup continues as the New York Rangers start their series against the Washington Capitals, and the Ottawa Senators head to Montreal to face the Canadiens.  These are the last two series to start in the quest for 16 wins.

(E6) New York Rangers vs. (E3) Washington Capitals
Game 1 - Tonight, 7:30PM - TV: NBC Sports Network; MSG
Season Series: NYR: 2-0-1; WSH: 0-2-1

The Rangers scored once in the 2nd and again in the 3rd as they beat the Capitals in their first meeting this season 2-1.  Carl Hagelin's 6th tied the game, and Derek Stepan scored 4:25 in the 3rd to give the Rangers the victory.

In the second meeting, Steve Olesky's 1st career goal gave the Capitals the early lead, but the Rangers would answer back with four.  Derek Stepan tied the game with his deflection, Brian Boyle put the Rangers ahead with his goal on the delayed penalty, and Ryan Callahan scored on the ensuing power play.  Brad Richards would score with less than two minutes to play to give the Rangers the 4-1 victory.

In the final meeting, at MSG, the Capitals connected for an early two goal lead, and like their other two games, the Rangers came storming back, tying it on Derek Stepan's 9th goal on the Power Play.  The 2-2 tie would continue through the 1st and 2nd intermissions, and both teams would fail to score in the 3rd Period or overtime.  In the shootout, the Capitals were able to win it in the 4th round on Nicklas Backstrom's goal.

The Capitals come from the weak Southeast Division, but comes with firepower.  Not much of an impact in the first two games against the Rangers, Alex Ovechkin scored the 2nd of the Capitals goals in the 3rd game, plus netting a shootout goal.  He has warmed up over the course of the season and should be considered a dangerous threat anytime he's on the ice.  That's not to say that the Rangers don't have threats of their own, namely Rick Nash, Ryan Callahan and Derek Stepan, but that the Rangers need to tend extra care when he possesses the puck.

This is easily one of those series that could go all 7 games, and that's something the National Broadcasting Company would love, especially in the heart of sweeps.

OUR PREDICTION: New York Rangers wins the series, 4-3.

(E7) Ottawa Senators vs. (E2) Montreal Canadiens
Game 1 - Tonight, 7:00PM - TV: CNBC
Season Series: OTT: 2-1-1; MTL: 2-1-1

The first meeting of these two teams featured some near-misses, a couple of waved-off goals, and intensity that followed these two teams whenever they met up in the future.  Daniel Alfredsson netted his first of the season to break the 1-1 deadlock in the 2nd Period, and the Senators kept rolling in the goals behind some impressive saves from Craig Anderson as the Sens won 5-1.

The second meeting saw all its scoring early.  Jakob Silfverberg came off the bench and went in unguarded to give the Senators the early 1-0 lead over a minute into the game.  But the Canadiens got it back a minute later, and then Erik Cole's goal later in the 1st Period put Montreal up for good, 2-1.

That was the last game to be settled within 60 minutes.  In the 3rd game, Dave Dziurzynski, who has been known to score a few goals against the Adirondack Phantoms as a former Binghamton Senator, put Ottawa on the board first, in his 2nd of 2 goals he would score this season.  Andrei Markov would tie it for the Canadiens in the closing seconds of the 2nd Period.

After a scoreless 3rd Period and overtime, the Sens would win the shootout, 2-1.

The final meeting between these Canadian rivals went to another shootout, but not before Ottawa was able to come back from a 3-1 deficit.  Daniel Alfredsson scored with 1.5 seconds left in the 2nd Period on the Power Play in a goal that needed to be verified first, and Patrick Wiercioch tied the game in the 3rd with his 3rd goal of the season.

But the Canadiens earned the extra point, winning the shootout 2-1.

This is another series that could easily go 7 games.  Special Team play could make the difference between who moves onto the 2nd round and who returns home.  But like how the National Broadcasting Company would love a 7-game series between the Rangers and the Capitals, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation would love the same here.

OUR PREDICTION: Montreal wins the series, 4-3.