Hot Button: Molina ties Bench in career hits by catcher ... Lehner starting over Fleury in Game 4?

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TRIPLE PLAY ENDS GAME
IN YANKEES WIN

Sunday, June 30: The Yankees ended theier 2-1 win over the Athletics Sunday in dramatic fashion, turning a 5-4-3 triple play to end the game.

Closer Aroldis Chapman had walked the first two batters in the bottom of the ninth, before getting A's catcher Sean Murphy to ground sharply to third baseman Gio Urshela, who was guarding the line. Urshela stepped on third then threw to DJ LeMahieu at second base, who turned and fired to Chris Gittens at first, edging Murphy by a half-step. It's the first walk-off triple play in Major League Baseball since 2009, and the Yankees' first since 1911.

This is the third triple play the Yankees have turned in the last 31 days — an MLB record for shortest time to turn three — and are one of just six teams to do it in one season during the modern era (2016 White Sox, 1979 Red Sox, 1965 Cubs, 1924 Red Sox, 1911 Tigers). 

My take: That's a rare feat. The Yankees are suddenly winning — six of their last seven — after that very sluggish start and are now just five games back of the Red Sox. This kind of play can keep the momentum going for sure. — Bob 

MOLINA SINGLE MOVES HIM
UP CATCHERS HIT LIST

Sunday, June 30: Yadier Molina had an RBI single in the fourht inning of Sunday's 9-1 win over the Braves, tying him with Johnny Bench for eighth all-time on number of career hits by a catcher (2,048). In his 18th season with the Cardinals, Molina is slashing .263/.309/.442 with seven home runs and 30 RBIs.

Bench, like most others on the all-time list, played multiple positions but was primarily a catcher during his career. Ivan Rodriguez is first all-time with 2,844, followed by Ted Simmons (2,472), Carlton Fisk (2,356), Jason Kendall (2,195) and Yogi Berra (2,150).

My take: That's a nice achievement XXX

DEBOER REFUSES TO CONFIRM
LEHNER STARTING GAME 4

Sunday, June 20: Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner was first off the ice in Sunday's gameday skate, indicating he will get the start over Marc-Andre Fleury. Head coach Peter DeBoer refused to confirm whether he was making the switch when asked in a pregame press conference, but all indications are Fleury will sit this one out.

Fleury's late-game gaffe Friday gave Montreal the tying goal and they went on the Canadiens went on to win in overtime. DeBoer believes he has two No. 1 goalies and he started Lehner in Game 1 of the division finals to give Fleury a rest after a seven-game opening series. Lehner lost that game, 7-1, and Fleury has had the net since.

My take: DeBoer was clearly frustrated to lose Game 3 and this is a chance to give Fleury rest, which he'll need if Lehner loses to go down 3-1. If Lehner wins, will Flower get his net back? — Bob

PULOCK PREVENTS LAST SECOND
GOAL, ISLES KNOT SERIES

Saturday, June 19: Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock saved a goal in the waning seconds of the third period as goaltender Semyon Varlamov was caught out of the net and Ryan McDonagh spun and attempted a backhander into an empty net. Pulock lunged to stop the shot and the Islanders won, 3-2, to tie the series at two games apiece.

The Islanders seemed to have the game well in hand, taking a 3-0 lead in the second period on goals by Josh Bailey, Mathew Barzal and Matt Martin in front of another raucous crowd at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. But the Lightning fought back with goals by Brayden Point — his twelfth of the playoffs — and Tyler Johnson less than three minutes apart early in the third period, setting up the game-ending drama.

FULL GAME HIGHLIGHTS

Game 5 is Monday night at Amalie Arena in Tampa.

My take: The Islanders played their best game of the series. This one's a toss-up now as the Bolts struggle to consistently solve the Isles' puzzle.

BILLS LOOKING AT STADIUM
OPTION NEAR EXISTING FIELD

Saturday, June 19: The Bills are looking to build a new stadium near its current home in Orchard Park, N.Y., a suburb of Buffalo about 10 miles from the center of downtown. The initial plan is for an open-air stadium that would have overhangs at the top to cover portions of the stands while leaving the field area exposed, similar to the Dolphins' Hard Rock Stadium. 

Assuming no delays or government interference, getting the necessary approvals, financing and construction is expected to take three to five years — so a 2024 to 2026 timeframe. The Bills current home, Highmark Stadium, has been in continuous use since 1973, making it the fourth-oldest in the National Football League behind Soldier Field in Chicago (1924), Lambeau Field in Green Bay (1957) and Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City (1972).

My take: The Bills have been looking to build a new stadium for at least 15 years, with no success. Most of their actions, though — threats to move to Batavia, N.Y., halfway between Buffao and Rochester; exploring a move to Toronto — have been ploys to get tax breaks and upgrades to their existing field. Anyone who's been to the newly renamed Highmark Stadium, knows it's in one of the worst locations for ingress and egress, so it's disappointing to hear the plan is to remain in that area instead of looking closer to downtown, particularly the revitalization happening along the Outer Harbor on Lake Erie and adjacent development of areas along the Buffalo River. — Bob

CANADIENS GET HUGE
BREAK, WIN IN OVERTIME

Saturday, June 19: The Golden Knights were on autopilot, cruising to a 2-1 win over the Canadiens with just under two minutes remaining when Marc-Andre Fleury mishandled a puck along the end boards, ricocheting out in front of the net to an unmarked Josh Anderson, who slid it into the goal to tie the game.

Anderson then won it for Montreal on a two-on-none at 12:53 of overtime, giving the Canadiens a two-games-to-one series lead in front of 3,500 home fans.

FULL GAME HIGHLIGHTS

Vegas had dominated the game, with heroics from Carey Price being the only reason the game was not a rout. Montreal entered the game without head coach Dominique Ducharme, who tested positive earlier Friday for COVID-19, and entered the third period with just eight shots on goal. The Canadiens made a push in the third with 13 shots on goal, but only a few were high-danger chances and Fleury was up to the task. However his late-game error gave the Montreal the opening it needed and now Vegas faces a series deficit with Game 4 Sunday in Montreal.

My take: I said earier in the week that Carey Price would steal a game, and he did in this one. Just an incredible performance. Fleury will need to rebound, and there's ample career evidence he will, but Vegas is now in something of a must-win situation Sunday. Play the way they did Friday and clean up a few mistakes and they'll be fine. If not, the Habs might eventually pull off another series upset. — Bob

MEXICO GETS ATTENDANCE AND
FINE PENALTIES OVER FAN SLURS

Friday, June 18: Mexico's men's national soccer team was sanctioned by FIFA, the sport's world governing body, for homophobic slurs chanted by its fans at soccer matches, most recently during the United States' victory during the inuagural CONCACAF Nations League final held in Denver, Colorado. FIFA told Mexico that its next two home games must be played without an fan attendance and fined the team the rough equivalent of $65,000 USD.

Mexico's fans have been in FIFA's crosshairs for some time, as the anti-gay chants have been prevalent since attendance at national team games around the globe have resumed. During the Nations League final, the referee twice stopped the game and the public-address announcer had to threaten fans that if the chants continued, the game would be suspended and the stadium emptied before the game would be allowed to resume finished. The chants were also heard in Mexico's semifinal match against Costa Rica.

My take: Good. There's no excuse for that type of behavior and eliminating attendance is a terrific punishment. Plus, they're on notice. If this behavior from their fans continues, I'd imagine the punbishments wil be justifiably more severe. — Bob

FANTASY FOOTBALL LOSER FORCED
TO SPEND TIME IN WAFFLE HOUSE

Friday, June 18: The consequences for losing a fantasy footbal league can be harsh for some. Mississippi journalist Lee Sanderlin lost his fantasy football league and was forced to spend 24 consecutive hours in a local Waffle House restaurant. The catch? He could reduce his time spent in the restaurant by one hour for every waffle eaten. Sanderlin documented his experience on Twitter (read this thread), eating nine waffles in fifteen hours, then claiming he would never eat another waffle as long as he lived.

My take: This is what happens when you take Carson Wentz first overall (OK, I really don't know what he did to lose, but that seemed like a reasonable guess). I've been in many fantasy leagues, but none ever had this kind of consequence for coming in last. Kind of clever, actually. Do you have any intersting consequences for you fantasy league losers? What restaurant punishment would you hate to endure? — Bob

HABS' DUCHARME HAS COVID-19,
WILL NOT COACH GAME 3

Friday, June 18: Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme has tested positive for COVID-19 and must quarantine, missing Friday's Game 3 against the Golden Knights. Montreal announced that assistant coach Luke Richardson will take over head coaching duties in Ducharme's absence. According to National Hockey League safety protocols, anyone testing positive must quarantine for 10 days, then test negative. If that is followed, Ducharme will miss the rest of the semifinal round, even if it extends to seven games. 

Earlier Friday, it was announced Ducharme was in quaratine following irregular results from a recent COVID-19 test. Ducharme's pregame press conference for Friday's Game 3 against the Golden Knights was canceled and the team is conducting more testing to determine whether or not Ducharme has contracted the virus. The team did announce that Ducharme received his second vaccine shot on June 9, but is five days short of being outside the protocol. The team will update Ducharme's status later Friday.

Ducharme became interim head coach after Monreal fired Claude Julien in February. In his short tenure, he's led Montreal into the playoffs, then upset the Maple Leafs and Jets to advance to the Stanley Cup semifinals.

My take: Not sure what testing inconsistencies are, unless one says positive and one says negative from the same sample. Here's hoping the Canadiens will have him behind the bench tonight, but if the Habs have shown one thing, they're a resilient bunch. — Bob

BOLTS HANG ON FOR
GAME 3 WIN OVER ISLES

Friday, June 18: Lightning forward Brayden Point scored with 20 seconds left in the second period, answering an Islanders goal from Cal Clutterbuck two-and-a-half minutes earlier, to give the Lightning a 2-1 lead, which they held through the final horn to take a two games to one semifinal series lead Thursday night at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New York.

FULL GAME HIGHLIGHTS

The Islanders came out strong in front of their boisterous home fans and dominated long stretches of the game, but the Lightning got excellent goaltending from Andrei Vasilevskiy — 27 saves on 28 shots — and Tampa Bay got effort goals from Yanni Gourde, who buried an amazing feed from Blake Coleman, and Point, who scored on a sweeping shot as he was checked to the ice in the slot. 

My take: The Islanders were physical and ramped up the interference, but the Lightning found a way, showing as they've done throughout the playoffs that they can beat a team any way it wants to play. The Isles absolutely need Game 4 — I don't see them beating this Bolts team three straight if they lose. — Bob 

ERIKSEN GETTING DEVICE
IMPLANTED ON HEART

Thursday, June 17: Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen, who had to be resuscitated on the pitch after collapsing during a EURO 2020 match last week, will have a defibrillator device, known as an ICD, implanted on his heart, which will shock his heart should it again arrest or fall into an irregular rhythm. Eriksen's case was reviewed by several doctors across the globe and all concurred on the course of action.

There was no mention about whether Eriksen could continue with his playing career. The accepted standard with ICD's is that the patient should avoid strenuous physical activity, but a lot of observational evidence has shown that highly conditioned athletes can compete without concern of causing arrhythmia.

My take: It seems like Eriksen will at least be able to resume a normal life. Whether he returns to soccer is irrelevant, though I put nothing past the modern athlete and medical science. — Bob

NADAL SKIPPING NEXT TWO
MAJOR TENNIS EVENTS

Thursday, June 17: Rafael Nadal has decided to skip the next two major tennis tournaments — Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics — to rest his body after plaing in three recent clay court tournaments, including the French Open, were he lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Novak Djokovic. 

In a series of tweets, the 35-year-old Spaniard cited the need to "listen to my body" and noted the short time gap between the French Open and Wimbledon — two weeks — is not enough for his body to recover between Grand Slam tournaments. He also tweeted that this is part of the process of extending his career. Nadal currently has 20 Grand Slam titles, tied with Roger Federer for most all-time, while Djokovic is hot on their heels with 19.

My take: What's to say? That's a crazy Grand Slam schedule — due to the pandemic — particularly coming off a series of clay-court events which, though softer than the other Grand Slam surfaces, are very difficult on the body. 

D-BACKS IN POOR COMPANY
AS ROAD WOES TIE RECORD

Thursday, June 17: The Diamondbacks lost their 22nd consecutive road game, 13-7, to the Giants Wednesday night, tying the 1963 Mets and 1943 Philadelphia Athletics for the most consecutive road losses in Major League Baseball history.

Like Tuesday night, when the streak appeared broken with a 7-0 lead over the Giants, Arizona got on the board first, with two first-inning runs. Also, like Tuesday, they could not hold the lead, though the Giants took the lead right back on Wednesday with a four-run first and never looked back, posting four more runs in the fourth and five in the fifth. 

With the worst record (20-49) in all of MLB, the Diamondbacks will take the field against the Giants Thursday at 3:45 ET, to try and avoid taking sole possession of the ignominious record. Staff ace Zac Gallen is returning from injury to prevent that, but the Arizona lineup will have to beat one of the National League's best, as the Giants counter with Kevin Gausman.

My take: Good grief, that's a lot of losses, but bad teams are bad teams — it's just a matter of small degrees between them. A Pirates fan can relate — their team owns the third-worst record in MLB by just 2.5 games above the D-Backs, they have just one more road win (10) than Arizona and they are the only team to currently have no wins in its last 10 games.

HABS BUILD EARLY LEAD, 
HOLD ON FOR GAME 2 WIN

Thursday, June 17: The Canadiens came out hard and fast against the Golden Knights Wednesday night, buiding a 3-0 lead in thesecond period and holdig on to win, 3-2, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

FULL GAME HIGHLIGHTS

The Canadiens pushed hard from the first puck drop, oustshooting Vegas 12-4 inthe first period to build a 2-0 lead on goals by Joel Armia and Tyler Toffoli. When Paul Byron scored late in the second period, it appeared Montreal had an insurmountable 3-0 lead, but a late second period tally by Alex Pietrangelo and another by Pietrangelo at 14:46 of the third made for some tense late moments for the Canadiens, who got a strong performance from Carey Price, who made 29 saves in the win, 16 in the thrid period alone. Game 3 is Friday night in Montreal.

My take: By the time Vegas took interest in this one, it was too late. They proved the better team the last two periods, but they were completely outclassed the first 30 minutes, and that proved enough ... that and a great performance from Price. — Bob