The Toronto Blue Jays have reinstated C Danny Jansen from the 10-day injured list (right hamstring strain) and he will be active for today’s game. To make room on the active roster, C Riley Adams has been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo.
PREVIEW: Orlando City Returns Home to Face the New York Red Bulls
Lions aim to make it four-straight wins on Saturday
ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando City SC (6-1-3, 21 points) returns to Exploria Stadium this weekend, set to take on the New York Red Bulls (4-5-1, 13 points) on Saturday, July 3. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX35 PLUS, with coverage set to begin at 7 p.m. ET.
The match, presented by Rasmussen University, will also be available to stream locally on LionNation TV, while being transmitted on 96.9 The Game in English and Acción 97.9FM, 810AM in Spanish. Tickets are available online or by calling (855) ORL-CITY.
“Another game and certainly a good rival too that gave us some difficulties when we played at their place. [It’s] a great opportunity for us to keep adding points, but most importantly getting involved players that have not been with us lately,” Head Coach Oscar Pareja said. “About the [New York] Red Bulls, we know their ways and I’m sure they know ours. We’re aiming to, as always, to be protagonists of the game and be aggressive and a team who is aiming to score goals in the way that we have and bring the victory again. We’re getting ready, but we know the opposition and we know as well that it’s not going to be an easy game.”
After stringing together a nine-point week in a busy stretch of three matches in seven days, the Lions will look for their fourth-consecutive victory since returning from the international break. The side’s last and only defeat of the season thus far came against Saturday’s opposition at Red Bull Arena on May 29.
City’s most recent fixture resulted in a come-from-behind 2-1 victory at intrastate foes Inter Miami CF last Friday. Gonzalo Higuaín gave the home side the lead in the 67th minute, only to be answered six minutes later from a first-time volley from Chris Mueller off a Nani cross. The captain then took matters into his own hands in the 81st with a game-winning strike from outside the area for his sixth goal of the season.
Nani’s six goals on the year are good for the team lead, followed by Tesho Akindele with three. Mueller and Akindele share the team high in assists on the year, each with four.
The Red Bulls last took the pitch this past Sunday, battling to a scoreless-draw at Atlanta United FC. Carlos Miguel Coronel registered three saves in the match en route to his fourth clean sheet of the season, tied with the Lions’ Pedro Gallese and four other goalkeepers for the league lead.
Caden Clark leads the Red Bulls with four goals this season, set to be transferred to Bundesliga side RB Leipzig upon conclusion of the 2020 MLS campaign it was announced last week. Fábio Gomes Netto leads the team in assists with five this year.
Following Saturday’s match, the Lions head back out on the road for a midweek matchup at Chicago Fire FC on Wednesday, July 7 in an 8 p.m. ET kickoff at Soldier Field.
THREE POINTS: Houston Dynamo FC host FC Cincinnati prior to three-game road trip
NEED TO KNOW:
Urruti has scored four goals in the last five games for Houston
Dynamo unbeaten in last three games and hold 3-0-2 record at BBVA Stadium this season
BBVA Stadium to host first full-capacity Dynamo game since Feb. 29, 2020
HOUSTON – Houston Dynamo FC return to BBVA Stadium on Saturday to host FC Cincinnati in the first full-capacity match in EaDo since Feb. 29, 2020. Saturday’s match is also the first meeting between both teams at BBVA Stadium.
Houston enters the match with three consecutive draws following the 1-1 tie at Real Salt Lake on Saturday. Maxi Urruti scored his sixth goal of the season and he is currently tied for fourth in the Golden Boot race. The Argentine forward surpassed his goal tally for the last two seasons and needs six more goals to match his regular season career high of 12 goals, which came in 2017 with FC Dallas.
Fafa Picault will be eligible for Saturday’s match after serving a one-match suspension for yellow card accumulation. Midfielder Matias Vera will miss the match due to yellow card accumulation after his caution in Saturday’s 1-1 draw in Utah. The Dynamo will also miss Darwin Ceren and Ari Lassiter who reported to international duty prior to the Concacaf Gold Cup.
FC Cincinnati defeated Houston 3-2 at Nippert Stadium on July 6, 2019 in the first game between the two sides. Saturday’s match will also mark the return of Geoff Cameron to Houston. The 35-year-old was transferred to Stoke City in the summer of 2012 after five seasons in Houston. Cameron represented Houston at the 2009 and 2011 MLS All-Star Game and was named to the 2009 Best XI.
Cincinnati have won three of their last five games and enter Saturday’s game with two consecutive victories on the road. Allan Cruz and Luciano Acosta scored for Cincinnati in their 2-0 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday.
Houston travel to the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday to face Seattle Sounders FC prior to the international break for the Gold Cup. The Dynamo return to league play on July 20 against the Vancouver Whitecaps in Sandy, Utah.
WHO: Houston Dynamo FC vs. FC Cincinnati
WHEN: Saturday, July 3 – 7:30 p.m. CT
TV: QuestTexas ch. 55 (Glenn Davis, Eddie Robinson and Cindy Burbano)
RADIO: Spanish: TUDN Radio Houston 1010 AM (Daniel Mejia and Lester Gretsch )
Here are three key points ahead of Saturday’s game:
DYNAMO NAVIGATE INTERNATIONAL WINDOW: Five Houston Dynamo FC players will report to international duty in the coming days to prepare for the Concacaf Gold Cup. Midfielder Darwin Ceren (El Salvador) and forward Ari Lassiter (Costa Rica) reported earlier this week and will miss Saturday’s game. Maynor Figueroa (Honduras), Boniek Garcia (Honduras) and Tyler Pasher (Canada) will be available for selection on Saturday and that will likely be their final match with the team prior to the beginning of the tournament on July 10. Houston will look to Sam Junqua, Mateo Bajamich and Alejandro Fuenmayor for more minutes as the Dynamo navigate up to five games without the quintet competing in the Gold Cup.
URRUTI KEEPS PACE FOR GOLDEN BOOT: Maxi Urruti has found the back of the net four times in the last five games for the Dynamo. Houston has a 3-0-0 record at home when Urruti scores and a 3-1-2 record when the Argentine finds the back of the net this season. Urruti has the second most shots on target this season with 17 and 0.63 goals per 90 minutes. The forward needs seven goals to surpass his all-time high of 12 goals in 2017 with FC Dallas.
CINCINNATI FIND FORM AWAY FROM HOME: FC Cincinnati have won three games this season, all on the road and enter Saturday’s game with back-to-back victories away from TQL Stadium. Jaap Stam’s squad faced a challenging start to the regular season posting a 1-3-1 record in the first five games of the campaign. Cincinatti was outscored 10-2 in the first three games of the season. The Orange and Blue took to keep pace with the rest of the Eastern Conference and currently sit three points shy for a share of the seventh spot in the table.
NHL Morning Skate: Stanley Cup Final Edition – July 3, 2021
THREE HARD LAPS
* The Stanley Cup will be in the building Monday night after the defending-champion Lightning pulled ahead 3-0 in the Final – just the third time in the last 22 years that a team has done so.
* Victor Hedman found the score sheet twice in a span of 95 seconds to post his 20th career multi-point game in the postseason and join a list that includes nine Hall of Famers.
* Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy continued their dominant postseasons to push the Lightning within one victory of becoming the ninth different franchise to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS MOVE WITHIN ONE WIN OF REPEAT
Victor Hedman (1-1—2) notched two points in a span of 1:35 to ignite the Lightning offense, giving them a 2-0 advantage before the game was four minutes old and spurring them to a 3-0 series lead and within one victory of a second straight Stanley Cup.
* This marks just the third Stanley Cup Final in the last 22 years in which a team has taken a 3-0 series lead. The Lightning and Kings are the only teams to do so in that span, with Los Angeles achieving the feat in both 2012 and 2014 en route to six- and five-game victories, respectively.
* The Lightning are the 13th defending Stanley Cup champions to take a 3-0 series lead in the Final and first since the 1998 Red Wings. They also are the second team to pull ahead 3-0 against Montreal in the Stanley Cup Final, following Detroit in 1952. Only one team in NHL history has overcome a 3-0 series deficit to win in the Stanley Cup Final – the 1942 Maple Leafs.
* Tampa Bay is within one victory of becoming the ninth different franchise to repeat as Stanley Cup champions thanks in large part to an offense that has seen them score 14 goals through three games.
* Hedman scored Tampa Bay’s franchise record-setting 22nd power-play goal of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs to complete the 20th multi-point game of his postseason career, the most among active defensemen. Only 10 defensemen in NHL history – including nine members of the Hockey Hall of Fame – have had as many multi-point playoff games with a single franchise.
KUCHEROV ADDS TWO MORE POINTS TO PROLIFIC PLAYOFF TOTALS
Nikita Kucherov (1-1—2) posted the 36th multi-point game of his playoff career – and ninth this year – to increase his lead to nine points atop the 2021 playoff scoring list (8-24—32 in 21 GP). Kucherov now has 66 points over the last two playoff years, tied with Wayne Gretzky (25-41—66 from 1985 to 1986) for the fifth most over two consecutive postseasons in NHL history.
* Kucherov has recorded multiple points in nearly one-third of his career postseason appearances (32.4%; 36 of 111 GP) and moved into a tie with Patrick Kane for the fourth most such performances among active players.
* Kucherov (44-83—127 in 111 GP) tied Patrick Marleau (72-55—127 in 195 GP) for sixth place in terms of career playoff points among active players and also matched Ryan Getzlaf (83) for the fourth most postseason assists among that group.
VASILEVSKIY HAS MONTREAL’S NUMBER YET AGAIN
Andrei Vasilevskiy allowed more than one goal for the first time this series but managed to claim his 11th consecutive victory against Montreal dating to Feb. 24, 2018 (regular season and playoffs combined). He became the third goaltender in NHL history to win at least 11 consecutive appearances against Montreal, following Turk Broda (12 GP from Dec. 9, 1939 to Jan. 23, 1941) and Alec Connell (12 GP from Feb. 28, 1925 to Feb. 22, 1927).
DID YOU KNOW?
Jan Rutta opened the scoring for Tampa Bay just 1:52 into the contest with his second career postseason goal to become the first player in NHL history to score a regular-season or playoff tally in the month of July. Regarding the list below, in cases of multiple games starting at the same time, the tiebreaker was given to the earliest elapsed time.
Minnesota Wild Signs Forward Joel Eriksson Ek to an Eight-Year Contract
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has signed forward Joel Eriksson Ek to an eight-year, $42 million contract ($5.25 million AAV) that goes through the 2028-29 season.
Eriksson Ek, 24 (1/29/97), recorded a career-high 30 points (19-11=30) in 56 games during the 2020-21 season. The 6-foot-3, 208-pound native of Karlstad, Sweden, also set career highs in goals, plus/minus rating (+16) and in TOI/game (17:03). He led the Wild in faceoffs won (395), ranked second in hits (105), third in goals and shots (119), fourth in plus/minus rating and fifth in scoring. The left-shot forward tallied a career-high seven-game point streak (4-3=7) from April 17-29, tied for the longest point streak by a Wild player last season. He also recorded consecutive multi-point games for the first time in his career Jan. 20-22 and was one of three players to skate in every game. Eriksson Ek ranked T-1st on the Wild in playoff goals (2) and scoring (3) in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games, including his first career playoff game-winning goal (OT) on May 16 at Vegas.
Eriksson Ek owns 96 points (43-53=96), nine GWG, 88 PIM, 472 hits and 158 blocked shots in 266 career NHL contests during five seasons with Minnesota (2016-21). He has recorded five points (3-2=5) in 19 career Stanley Cup Playoff matches.
Minnesota selected Eriksson Ek in the first round (20th overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Dundon assumes full ownership of Hurricanes
Majority owner completes purchase of remaining franchise shares
RALEIGH, NC – Don Waddell, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that Tom Dundon has completed the purchase of all remaining minority shares of the team. The transaction was unanimously approved by the NHL’s Board of Governors and now Dundon owns 100 percent of franchise.
“We are fortunate to have a passionate fan base that supports what we believe is a team that can compete every year for the Stanley Cup.” said Tom Dundon. “That is the only option.”
Dundon, 49, has been the chief executive officer, owner and governor of the Carolina Hurricanes since acquiring a majority stake in the franchise on Jan. 12, 2018. The Hurricanes have qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of Dundon’s three full seasons as owner, marking the first time the team has participated in the postseason in three consecutive years since arriving in North Carolina.
Today’s transactions mark the first time that Peter Karmanos Jr. has not owned at least a minority share of the Hurricanes franchise since he first acquired the Hartford Whalers on June 28, 1994. Karmanos, a 2015 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, relocated the Whalers to North Carolina in 1997 and was principal owner and chief executive officer when the team captured the Stanley Cup in 2006.
“Pete has had a tremendous impact on the sport of hockey in the United States since the 1970s,” said Dundon. “His vision laid the groundwork for the success we now enjoy in Raleigh, and his legacy will always remain a part of this organization.
“We are also grateful for the efforts of the Hurricanes Holdings minority investors who provided important support to the franchise over the years.”
Blue Jays roster moves
The Toronto Blue Jays have made the following roster moves:
- RHP Tyler Chatwood has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a neck strain.
- RHP Patrick Murphy has been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo.
- LHP Nick Allgeyer has been recalled from Triple-A Buffalo and will be active for tonight’s game.
· RHP Anthony Castro has been recalled from Triple-A Buffalo and will be active for tonight’s game.
Dodgers recall RHP Brusdar Graterol
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers recalled right-handed pitcher Brusdar Graterol from Triple-A Oklahoma City to replace right-handed pitcher Trevor Bauer on the active roster.
Graterol, 22, has appeared in three games for the Dodgers this season, allowing three runs in 1.1 innings with one strikeout. The right-hander was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on June 4 and appeared in 11 games, going 2-1 with a 6.10 ERA (7 ER/10.1 IP) and 11 strikeouts. The Venezuelan native helped the Dodgers win their first World Championship in 32 years by going 1-2 with a 3.09 ERA (8 ER/23.1 IP) in 23 games last season, including one save and a 3.52 ERA (3 ER/7.2 IP) in nine playoff games. He was originally acquired by the Dodgers from the Minnesota Twins on February 10, 2020 along with Luke Raley in exchange for Kenta Maeda and minor league Jair Camargo.
Mets acquire LHP Anthony Banda
FLUSHING, N.Y., – The New York Mets today announced the team has acquired left-handed pitcher Anthony Banda from San Francisco in exchange for minor league infielder Will Toffey. Banda will report to Syracuse (AAA).
Banda, 27, has pitched in parts of four major league seasons for Arizona (2017) and Tampa Bay (2018-2020), posting a 4-3 record and a 5.96 ERA (34 earned runs/51.1 innings) in 18 games (five starts). He has spent the entire 2021 season with Sacramento (AAA), going 3-2 with a 6.86 ERA (30 earned runs/39.1 innings). In 161 career minor league games (134 starts), the southpaw is 49-43 with a 4.05 ERA (342 earned runs/759.1 innings).
Banda was the Brewers’ 10th-round pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft and spent the first three seasons of his pro career in Milwaukee’s system before being traded to Arizona in 2015. He made his major league debut with the D-backs in 2017 and was dealt to Tampa Bay in 2018. He was acquired by the Giants at the trade deadline last season.
Toffey, 26, was acquired by the Mets in 2018 in a trade with Oakland for right-hander Jeurys Familia. He was batting .178 (18-101) with six home runs in 34 games for Binghamton (AA) this season.
White Sox make four roster moves
CHICAGO – Prior to tonight’s series opener at Detroit, the Chicago White Sox made the following four roster moves:
- Recalled INF Jake Burger from Class AAA Charlotte;
- Reinstated OF Adam Eaton from the 10-day injured list;
- Optioned RHP Zack Burdi to Charlotte;
- Optioned C/DH Yermín Mercedes to Charlotte.
Burger, 25, is hitting .322/.368/.596 (55-171) with 15 doubles, 10 home runs, 36 RBI and 29 runs scored over 42 games with Charlotte this season. He was named on Wednesday to the American League team for the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game on July 11 at Colorado’s Coors Field.
Burger, 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, originally was selected by the Sox in the first round (No. 11 overall) of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of Missouri State. He joins Tim Anderson (2013), Carlos Rodón (2014), Zack Collins (2016), Andrew Vaughn (2019) and Garrett Crochet (2020) as White Sox first-rounders on the active roster. Burdi (2016) and Nick Madrigal (2018, currently on injured list) are other first-rounders who have played with the Sox in 2021.
Burger, who has no major-league experience, will wear uniform No. 30.
Eaton, 32, was placed on the injured list on June 17 (retroactive to June 15) with a strained right hamstring. He is batting .195 (34-174) with seven doubles, two triples, five home runs, 27 RBI and 30 runs scored over 54 games in 2021.
Burdi, 26, is 0-0 with a 5.00 ERA (5 ER/9.0 IP) and six strikeouts in six relief appearances over four stints with the White Sox in 2021.
Mercedes, 28, is batting .271/.328/.404 (65-240) with seven home runs, 37 RBI and 26 runs scored over 68 games this season, his first in the major leagues.
