The Astros have made the following roster moves:
*Effective today, OF Yordan Alvarez has been activated from the paternity list and C Martin Maldonado has been activated from the bereavement list.
*RHP Francis Martes has cleared outright waivers and has been subsequently outright assigned to Triple A Sugar Land (effective Sunday).
*RHP’s Ralph Garza, Jr. and Peter Solomon and C Garrett Stubbs have been optioned to Triple A Sugar Land, effective postgame Sunday.
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves:
Claimed RHP Jordan Weems off waivers from the Oakland A’s. Career stats
Designated LHP Ryan Buchter for assignment.
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers activated left-handed pitcher Scott Alexander from the 60-day injured list and optioned left-handed pitcher Garrett Cleavinger to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Alexander, 31, returns to the team after being out since May 3 with left shoulder inflammation. The southpaw appeared in 13 games prior to the injury, going 0-2 with a 2.31 ERA (3 ER/11.1 IP) and five strikeouts. The Santa Rosa, CA native has been in the Major Leagues for parts of seven seasons, going a combined 12-9 with a 3.13 ERA (70 ER/201.1 IP) and 157 strikeouts. He was originally acquired by the Dodgers in a three-way trade from the Kansas City Royals on January 4, 2018.
Cleavinger, 27, appeared in seven games since returning from the injured list on June 19, allowing one unearned run in 7.1 innings with six strikeouts. On the season, he is 2-3 with a 2.03 ERA (3 ER/13.1 IP) and 15 strikeouts in 15 games. He was acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies in the three-team trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and Phillies on December 20, 2020. He was originally drafted in the 3rd round of the 2015 First Year Player Draft by the Phillies out of the University of Oregon.
THREE HARD LAPS
* With Canadiens legends Yvan Cournoyer, Guy Lafleur and Patrick Roy in attendance at Bell Centre, Josh Anderson capped another multi-goal game with an overtime winner as Montreal evaded elimination.
* Cole Caufield collected an assist on the winning goal to record his third overtime point this postseason.
* The Canadiens and Lightning contested the 27th overtime game of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with Montreal improving to 6-1 past regulation this postseason.
MONTREAL EDGES TAMPA BAY IN OVERTIME TO FORCE GAME 5 AT AMALIE ARENA
Josh Anderson (2-0—2) scored the winner at 3:57 of overtime – after the Canadiens thwarted a four-minute Lightning power play that spanned into the extra frame – as Montreal kept its season alive and forced Game 5 in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, tomorrow in Tampa (8 p.m. ET on NBC, SN, TVAS, CBC).
* The Canadiens won in overtime when facing elimination in the Stanley Cup Final for the third time, following Game 5 victories in both 1954 (Ken Mosdell vs. Detroit Red Wings) and 1919 (Jack McDonald vs. Seattle Metropolitans). Overall, it was the 14th such victory by any club in NHL history and second in as many years against the Lightning – current Canadiens forward Corey Perry, then with the Stars, beat Andrei Vasilevskiy at 9:23 of the second overtime in Game 5 of the 2020 Final.
* Anderson, who also opened the scoring on Monday, capped a multi-goal outing with the overtime winner for the second time this postseason (also Game 3 of SCSF). He became the eighth player in franchise history to score multiple overtime goals in one playoff year and first since 1993, when Guy Carbonneau, John LeClair and Kirk Muller had two apiece.
* Anderson became the sixth player in NHL history to have at least two multi-goal games in one playoff year that each included an overtime goal and first since his current assistant coach Alexandre Burrows did so in 2011 (w/ VAN). The four other players to achieve the feat were Steve Payne in 1981 (w/ MNS), Esa Tikkanen in 1991 (w/ EDM), Joe Sakic in 1996 (w/ COL) and Joe Nieuwendyk in 1999 (w/ DAL).
CAUFIELD COMES UP CLUTCH ONCE AGAIN IN OVERTIME
After notching an assist on the game’s opening goal, Cole Caufield (0-2—2) collected the lone assist in overtime to become the youngest player in franchise history to record multiple points when facing elimination in the Stanley Cup Final.
* Caufield, who burst onto the NHL scene by scoring his first career regular-season goal in overtime on May 1, now has three overtime points this postseason (0-3—3). Caufield is the first rookie in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to record three overtime points in a single postseason.
* Caufield (20 years, 184 days) became the second-youngest player in NHL history to record multiple points in a game to help his team avoid elimination in the Stanley Cup Final. The only player younger than Caufield to record multiple points in a victory while facing elimination from the championship series was Bob Goldham (19 years, 337 days), who notched 1-1—2 for the Maple Leafs in Game 5 of the 1942 Final – the second of four straight victories for Toronto as it became the first team in NHL history to overcome a 3-0 series deficit to win in the Final.
* Caufield (4-8—12 in 19 GP) has 12 points in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which trails only Claude Lemieux in 1986 (10-6—16 in 20 GP) and Jacques Lemaire in 1968 (7-6—13 in 13 GP) for the most by a Canadiens rookie in a single postseason.
MORE OVERTIME GOODIES
The Canadiens and Lightning contested the 27th overtime game this postseason, one back of equaling the NHL record set in 1993, when Montreal won the Cup, and matched in 2020, when Tampa Bay won the championship.
* The Canadiens improved to 6-1 past regulation this postseason, marking the ninth time in NHL history that a team has claimed as many overtime victories in one playoff year.
* The Lightning, meanwhile, remain one victory from capturing a second straight Stanley Cup despite falling to 0-4 in overtime in 2021 – a far cry from their run last year in which they went 7-2 after regulation and played an NHL-record 221:14 of overtime. The last time a team won the Cup without any overtime victories was 1983 when the Islanders won without ever requiring extra time.
* It was the 94th overtime game in Stanley Cup Final history, with 34 involving Montreal (20-13-1) and fifth with Tampa Bay (2-3). Home teams improved to 41-50-3 (.436).
GAME 4 QUICK HITS
* The Canadiens won a potential elimination game in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1971, when they edged the Black Hawks in back-to-back contests to overcome a 3-2 series deficit and claim their 16th Stanley Cup (since 1917-18). Montreal owns an all-time record of 12-8 when facing elimination in the Final, including an 8-1 mark at home.
* The Canadiens’ victory marked the eighth instance in NHL history in which a team won Game 4 in a Stanley Cup Final after dropping each of the first three contests. Three of those clubs extended the series to at least six games.
* Nick Suzuki (2-1—3 in 3 GP), 21, had an assist and became the youngest player in franchise history to record a point in three straight games during a Stanley Cup Final. Pierre Mondou (22 years, 179 days) in 1978 (1-3—4 in 3 GP) and Maurice Richard (22 years, 253 days) in 1944 (5-2—7 in 4 GP) are the only other Canadiens to achieve the feat before age 23.
* Alexander Romanov, who made his first appearance since Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals, scored the first playoff goal of his NHL career. He became the fourth Canadiens player age 21 or younger with at least one goal this postseason, following Suzuki (7), Jesperi Kotkaniemi (5) and Cole Caufield (4).
* Montreal’s victory extends the Stanley Cup Final to at least five games, marking the 22nd consecutive postseason that the NHL’s championship series will not be a sweep.
There are now only four teams remaining in the battle for the UEFA Euro Cup 2020 crown. Spain, Italy, England and Denmark have advanced to the semifinals of the championship race and, after Wednesday, the final two candidates will be ready to fight it out for the title. Oddsmakers have their take on who will go all the way, with sports gambling on the Euro Cup taking on new legs as the big game draws nearer.
Spain, Italy Prepare For Battle
Spain had a difficult time getting this far, but overcame Switzerland last Friday to advance. They won on penalties to score their first appearance in a major soccer tournament semifinals since 2012, equaling their best-ever Euro goals score in the process. Despite an overwhelming winning record against Switzerland, having taken 22 of 23 games, Spain had difficulty securing the victory and it came down to the legwork of Mikel Oyarzabal, whose penalty kick proved to be the decisive point.
Italy was able to conquer Belgium to reach this point, taking a 2-1 win last Friday. It was the 15th consecutive Euro victory for the Italian squad, a new record for the competition. Previously, Germany set the bar at ten in 2012, even though, that same year, they would end up losing to Italy.
England and Denmark to Square Off
Denmark has reached the semifinals for the first time since 1992. They advance after taking down the Czech Republic 2-1 on Saturday, with both goals scored in the first half. The Danes would mount a strong defense in the second half, only allowing one miscue that resulted in a goal for the Czechs. From there, excellent clock management kept Denmark alive.
England should be in relatively good shape heading into its semifinal match against Denmark. The team didn’t have to expend a huge amount of energy this weekend, taking down Ukraine 4-0 as the English squad cruised to victory. They get a little extra time to plan their next moves, too, as England and Denmark don’t meet up until this Wednesday.
Oddsmakers Laying Down the Lines
Oddsmakers have determined who they like best for the upcoming semifinals and the choices probably won’t be too surprising. Italy and Spain will play this Tuesday in London’s Wembley Stadium and Italy is a slight favorite. Having said that, though, neither team is getting a tremendous amount of support on the lines. The moneyline for the game, according to Vegas Odds, leans toward Italy at +149, with Spain getting +181. The Over/Under sits at 2.5 goals (at +124), and this is promising to be a spectacular matchup for soccer fans, as well as gamblers, everywhere.
England and Denmark face each other a day later in the same stadium, but oddsmakers have a lot more faith in one of the teams to win the match. Perhaps because it’s back on its home turf, England is getting -151. That is a long way away from the +380 oddsmakers have assigned to Denmark. The Over/Under is now 2.5 (+122). England is also the favorite to take the championship, at +145. Italy is next in line, at a distant +210. Spain and Denmark take the final two spots, with Denmark seeing the longest odds at +950.
THREE HARD LAPS
* The Lightning enter Game 4 with the opportunity to earn the NHL’s first sweep in the Stanley Cup Final in 23 years.
* Brayden Point has made a habit of finding the score sheet in series-clinching games for the Lightning and can join rare company with another Cup-clinching goal.
* In order to win the Stanley Cup, the Canadiens will have to string together four straight wins, a feat they achieved already once during the 2021 postseason.
SWEEPS IN THE FINAL HAVE BEEN RARE IN RECENT YEARS
Tampa Bay is set to take to the ice tonight in search of the franchise’s third Stanley Cup and second in as many years. Should the Lightning hoist the Cup at Bell Centre in Game 4, they would become the first team in 23 years to sweep a Stanley Cup Final series – Detroit last did so in back-to-back years in 1997 and 1998.
* Since the Red Wings in 1998, only one franchise has even gone up 3-0 in the Final; the Kings achieved the feat in both 2012 and 2014 en route to capturing championships in six and five games, respectively.
* With a victory in Game 4, Tampa Bay can become the sixth defending Stanley Cup champion in the last 40 years to repeat with a sweep in the second of back-to-back Cup championships. Detroit (1998 vs. WSH), Pittsburgh (1992 vs. CHI), Edmonton (1988 vs. BOS) and NY Islanders (1982 vs. VAN & 1983 vs. EDM) all achieved the feat.
IT ISN’T EASY TO HOIST THE STANLEY CUP IN MONTREAL AS A VISITOR
The Lightning are in position to become just the third road team in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup in Montreal as the visiting team. In 1989, Lanny McDonald – who famously co-captained Calgary to his first career Stanley Cup in his final NHL game – helped the Flames defeat the Canadiens in Game 6 at the Montreal Forum. It marked the only time the franchise saw its opponent hoist the Cup in its own arena. Overall, the Canadiens are 7-1 on home ice when facing elimination in the Stanley Cup Final (.875).
* The other instance came in 1928 when the Rangers defeated the Montreal Maroons, also at the Forum, in a best-of-five series. That Stanley Cup Final also featured a prominent moment in League history, when 44-year-old New York coach Lester Patrick made a relief appearance in net for the team in Game 2.
IS ANOTHER CLINCHING GOAL ON THE HORIZON FOR BRAYDEN POINT?
Lightning forward Brayden Point is the NHL’s leading goal scorer in the Stanley Cup Playoffs over the last two postseasons, with 28 over a span of 44 games – 11 more than the next closest skater (Nathan MacKinnon: 17 in 25 GP w/ COL).
* Point, who scored the Cup-clinching goal in 2020 (Game 6), enters Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final having found the back of the net in two of the Lightning’s three series-clinching games during the 2021 postseason (2-0—2 in 3 GP) – including the series-clinching goal in the Second Round against the Hurricanes.
KUCHEROV, VASILEVSKIY ALSO AMONG LIGHTNING CATALYSTS
The Lightning have jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final while outscoring the Canadiens 14-5 over the opening three contests. The Lightning, who boast each of the top five point producers in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs led by Nikita Kucherov (8-24—32 in 21 GP), have scored the most goals through the opening three games of a Final since the Red Wings did so an equal amount of times through Games 1-3 in 1997 en route to sweeping the Flyers.
* While the Tampa Bay offense has been filling the net, Andrei Vasilevskiy has shined as the last line of defense with a 15-6 record in the 2021 postseason while ranking first in save percentage (.938) and shutouts (4). Overall, Vasilevskiy has a 48-28 record in the playoffs, where his winning percentage places him among a bevy of Hall of Fame netminders.
MONTREAL MUST MOUNT MONUMENTAL COMEBACK TO WIN STANLEY CUP
The Canadiens’ Stanley Cup hopes are contingent on the club collecting four consecutive wins to overcome a 3-0 series deficit, a rare but not unprecedented feat achieved just four times in NHL history including once in the Final.
A look back at the four teams which won a Stanley Cup Playoffs series after losing the first three games, with a current Canadiens forward playing a significant role in the most-recent instance:
1942 Stanley Cup Final (TOR 4, DET 3)
* Toronto rallied from deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 to edge Detroit in Game 4, kickstarting its winning streak which also included a 9-3 triumph in Game 5, a 3-0 shutout in Game 6 and a 3-1 victory in Game 7. Led by Don Metz (4-3—7) and Syl Apps (3-4—7) who had seven points apiece over the final four contests, the Maple Leafs’ comeback remains the only instance in the history of the NHL, NBA or MLB in which a team overcame a 3-0 series deficit in a best-of-seven in the final series to win a championship.
1975 Quarterfinals (NYI 4, PIT 3)
* Syl Apps Jr. scored the winner in Game 3 to put the Penguins up 3-0 in the series, but the Islanders reeled off four consecutive victories; capped by a 1-0 shutout in Game 7 where Glenn Resch made 30 saves in the series-clinching victory. New York captain Ed Westfall scored in each of the series’ final three contests, including the winner in Game 5 and the clincher with 5:18 remaining in regulation during the finale at Civic Arena.
2010 Conference Semifinals (PHI 4, BOS 3)
* Flyers forward Simon Gagne scored the overtime winner in Game 4 – the first of four straight Philadelphia victories, with two decided by a one-goal margin. Gagne had 3-1—4 over the series’ final three contests, including the clincher in the seventh-and-deciding game, as the Flyers also rallied from a 3-0 first-period deficit before winning Game 7.
2014 First Round (LAK 4, SJS 3)
* Kings rookie Tyler Toffoli tallied the winner in Game 4 and Game 5 to help his club stave off elimination and found the back of the net again in Game 7 as Los Angeles stunned San Jose en route to its second Stanley Cup in three years. Toffoli remains the only rookie in NHL history to score the winning goal in consecutive games while facing elimination in each contest and one of just 12 players to accomplish the feat in the League’s modern era (since 1943-44).
Lions forward joins LaLiga SmartBank side on loan for the 2021/22 season
ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando City SC has loaned forward Matheus Aiás to Spanish side Real Oviedo for the 2021/22 LaLiga SmartBank season. Real Oviedo, based in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain, begin their 2021/22 campaign in Spain’s second division on Aug. 15.
Aiás has made six appearances since joining the Club last year from Watford FC, scoring one goal in his home debut against Atlanta United on Oct. 28, a 4-1 win for the Lions. The Palmares Paulista, Brazil native joined Orlando in 2020 following two seasons with Mirandés of Spain’s Segunda División.
TRANSACTION: Orlando City Loans Matheus Aiás to Real Oviedo for the 2021/22 LaLiga SmartBank season.
OAKLAND, Calif. – The Oakland A’s placed designated hitter Mitch Moreland on the injured list and reinstated outfielder Stephen Piscotty from the 10-day IL, the club announced today.
Moreland was hitting .238 with six home runs and 22 RBI in 57 games with Oakland. He missed 11 games while on the injured list from May 15-26 with a rib injury. Moreland has started 40 games at designated hitter and is also 4-for-11 (.364) with two RBI as a pinch hitter.
Piscotty was batting .217 with four home runs and 11 RBI in 50 games when he was placed on the 10-day injured list June 19 retroactive to June 17 with a sprained left wrist. He was 9-for-27 (.333) over his final 12 games before going on the IL. Piscotty had a one-game rehab assignment with Low-A Stockton and went 0-for-4 in a start in right field yesterday against San Jose.
This morning, the Orioles made the following roster moves:
Reinstated RHP César Valdez from the 10-day Injured List (lower back strain).
Optioned RHP Isaac Mattson to Triple-A Norfolk.
Chris Mueller scores second goal of the year on the night
ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando City SC (6-2-3, 21 points) fell to the New York Red Bulls (5-5-1, 16 points) on Saturday night, dropping a 2-1 result at Exploria Stadium.
In what served as his 75th professional start, Chris Mueller found the back of the net for the second time in as many matches, with Mauricio Pereyra tying Mueller and Tesho Akindele for the team lead in assists on the finish with his fourth of the year.
City faces a quick turnaround, set to travel to the Windy City to take on Chicago Fire FC on Wednesday, July 7 at Soldier Field.
Head Coach Oscar Pareja:
“Obviously sad with the result, but with our heads very high with the effort of the players. We looked heavier today than the other games and I think that’s normal due to the frequency of the games that we have had in the last two weeks. We don’t want to use that as an excuse, but I want to recognize the effort of the players in a game that brought us too many things to deal with. We accept it, I think we need to move forward. It’s a quick turnaround with a game in the middle of the week, but I keep recognizing the effort of the players. The moments where we were not playing our best game, they [Red Bulls] were trying to get in in a different way. We found our equalizer and had a couple chances even to go ahead, but New York did a good job also. I think they [Red Bulls] wanted the result and in the end they got it.”
Scoring Recap:
6’ Cristian Casseres Jr. (Patryk Klimala, Fábio) – RBNY 1, ORL 0
The visitors struck early with Cristian Casseres bending a left-footed shot around goalkeeper Brandon Austin from just outside the penalty area.
59’ Chris Mueller (Mauricio Pereyra, Daryl Dike) – ORL 1, RBNY 1
City leveled with Daryl Dike picking the pocket of the Red Bulls’ defense and slotting a ball to Mauricio Pereyra who one-timed it to Chris Mueller to his left. Mueller then took a touch before rifling his shot into the top-right corner for the equalizer.
79’ Fábio (Patryk Klimala, Dru Yearwood) – RBNY 2, ORL 1
The Red Bulls regained the lead with Fábio Gomes running in behind the Lions backline before cutting the ball to his right foot and sending a finish into the bottom left corner of the net.
Match Notes:
Chris Mueller scored his second goal in as many matches on the night, contributing to the attack in the fourth-consecutive match with two goals and two assists through the last four contests.
Mauricio Pereyra registered his fourth assist of the year on the night, tying Mueller and Tesho Akindele for the team lead.
Daryl Dike notched his first assist of the year in what served as his 20th start in purple.
Kyle Smith tallied his 40th start as a Lion on the night. Captain Luis Nani tallied his 65th appearance for City in the match.
The Lions were forced into an early substitution in the match, with Rodrigo Schlegel entering the game in the 14th minute for Antonio Carlos. The appearance served as Schlegel’s first since May 22 against Toronto.
Head Coach Oscar Pareja made one change to his starting lineup from last Friday’s match at Inter Miami, with Chris Mueller earning the 75th professional start of his career on the night.
Next Match: The Lions face a quick turnaround, traveling to take on Chicago Fire FC on Wednesday, July 7 at Soldier Field. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET.
Teams
1
2
F
Orlando City SC
0
1
1
New York Red Bulls
1
1
2
Scoring Summary:
RBNY – Cristian Cásseres Jr. (Patryk Klimala, Fábio) 6’
ORL – Chris Mueller (Mauricio Pereyra, Daryl Dike) 59’
RBNY – Fábio (Patryk Klimala, Dru Yearwood) 79’
Misconduct Summary:
ORL – Júnior Urso (Yellow Card) 2’
RBNY – Kyle Duncan (Yellow Card) 22’
RBNY – Fábio (Yellow Card) 34’
ORL – Mauricio Pereyra (Yellow Card) 41’
RBNY – Dru Yearwood (Yellow Card) 57’
RBNY – Tom Barlow (Yellow Card) 90+6’
Lineups/Substitutions:
Orlando City SC – GK Brandon Austin; D Kyle Smith, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos (Rodrigo Schlegel 14’), Michael Halliday (Silvester van der Water 84’); M Chris Mueller (Tesho Akindele 84’), Júnior Urso (Uri Rosell 70’), Andrés Perea, Mauricio Pereyra (Benji Michel 70’); F Nani ©, Daryl Dike
Substitutes Not Used: GK Mason Stajduhar; M Joey DeZart, David Loera; F Alexander Alvarado
New York Red Bulls – GK Carlos Miguel Coronel; D Kyle Duncan, Thomas Edwards, Sean Nealis, John Tolkin; M Dru Yearwood (Omir Fernandez 80’), Wikelman Carmona (Frankie Amaya 56’), Cristian Casseres Jr., Sean Davis ©; F Fábio (Tom Barlow 90+2’), Patryk Klimala
Substitutes Not Used: GK Ryan Meara; D Amro Tarek, Jason Pendant; M Cameron Harper
Details of the Game:
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Weather: Cloudy
Date: July 3, 2021
Attendance: 19,009
Stats:
Possession:
ORL – 55%
RBNY – 45%
Shots:
ORL – 13
RBNY – 18
Saves:
ORL – 2
RBNY – 5
Fouls:
ORL – 11
RBNY – 17
Corners:
ORL – 4
RBNY – 4
Heineken Man of the Match: Chris Mueller
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