MILWAUKEE (AP) — Rhys Hoskins, Jake Bauers and Joey Ortiz all homered to cool off Sonny Gray as the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the slumping St. Louis Cardinals 7-1. The Cardinals suffered their fifth straight loss as they opened a four-game series with the NL Central-leading Brewers. William Contreras and Christian Yelich each went 3 of 4 for the Brewers. Milwaukee scored six runs off Gray during his five-inning stint. Gray entered the game with an 0.89 ERA through five starts. The series continues tonight. Pregame at 6:35pm. First pitch at 7:10pm on AM1240 & 96.5FM.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Left-handed pitcher Robert Gasser is expected to make his MLB debut when Milwaukee takes on the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday. The Brewers acquired Gasser along with outfielder Eury Pérez and pitcher Dinelson Lamet in the 2022 trade that sent star closer Josh Hader to the San Diego Padres. Gasser is the only player in that group who remains in Milwaukee’s organization. Gasser is feeling fine now after dealing with bone spurs in his throwing elbow during spring training.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Manny Margot highlighted a five-run first inning for Minnesota with a three-run double off Seattle ace Logan Gilbert, and the Twins beat the Mariners 11-1 to win their fifth consecutive series. Pablo López pitched into the seventh with a season-high 10 strikeouts to win his third straight start. Ryan Jeffers and Max Kepler each homered and drove in two runs and Margot matched his career high with five RBIs as the Twins won for the 15th time in 17 games. Gilbert gave up eight runs for his most since he was a rookie in 2021.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks guard Patrick Beverley has been suspended four games without pay to begin next season for his actions during and after the final game of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series with the Indiana Pacers. The NBA announced the suspension Thursday and said Beverley was getting punished for “forcefully throwing a basketball multiple times at spectators and an inappropriate interaction with a reporter during media availability.” The suspension comes one day after Indianapolis police said they were investigating an “NBA player and citizen” altercation that happened during that May 2 game without mentioning anyone by name.
NEW YORK (AP) — Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns was named the recipient of the NBA’s social justice award. Towns was one of five finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy. It was created in 2021 to honor a player for pursuit of social justice while upholding the values of equality, respect and inclusion. The other finalists were Miami’s Bam Adebayo, New Orleans’ C.J. McCollum, Oklahoma City’s Lindy Waters III and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Russell Westbrook. All 30 teams nominate one player for the award. It’s chosen by a committee led by the Hall of Fame member Abdul-Jabbar, league executives and social justice leaders.
BOSTON (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points and Evan Mobley had 21 points and 10 rebounds to help the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the top-seeded Boston Celtics 118-94 and tie their second-round playoff series at one game apiece. Two nights after losing by 25, the Cavaliers seized the lead in the third quarter and answered with a blowout of their own. Mitchell scored 16 in the third. Jayson Tatum scored 25 for Boston, and Jaylen Brown added 19 points. The series moves to Cleveland for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday, with a return trip to Boston for Game 5 on Wednesday.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Luka Doncic had 29 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, and the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-110 to even their Western Conference semifinals series at one win apiece. The Thunder held Doncic to 19 points on 6-for-19 shooting in Game 1. He bounced back and made 11 of 21 field goals in Game 2. P.J. Washington added 29 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavericks. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 33 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists and Jalen Williams added 20 points for the Thunder. Oklahoma City lost for the first time in the postseason.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Artemi Panarin redirected a pass between his legs at the crease to beat Pyotr Kochetkov just 1:43 into overtime and the New York Rangers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 on Thursday night to take a 3-0 lead in the second-round playoff series. Panarin scored after Carolina defenseman Dmitry Orlov lost control of a puck in the corner in the defensive zone. Vincent Trocheck collected it on the right side and sent it toward the crease to Panarin, who tipped the puck behind him as defenseman Jalen Chatfield tried to push him away from the crease. The puck slipped under the right elbow and past the ribs of Kochetkov. The Rangers can complete the sweep in Game 4 here Saturday night.
DALLAS (AP) — Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen scored two power-play goals, Roope Hintz had a goal and three assists and the Stars beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-3 in Game 2 on Thursday night to even the second-round Western Conference series. Tyler Seguin got his first goal this postseason on a short-hander at the end of a 3-on-1 breakaway for the Stars that put them up 4-0 late in the second period. Esa Lindell added an empty-netter with 20 seconds left. Jake Oettinger had 28 saves for Dallas. Joel Kiviranta, Brandon Duhaime and Valeri Nichushkin scored in the third period for the Avalanche.