New York Post - 5 May 2024

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 51 Sunday Break ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA Lily Collins / Instagram Penelope Cruz / Instagram Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency / SplashNews.com Lily Collins tours Rome’s Colosseum and reveals her Netflix show, “Emily in Paris,” is moving to Italy for the upcoming season.

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 52 Snaps Getty Images TheImageDirect.com Noah K. Murray-NY Post Rita Ora / Instagram Rita Ora makes an eyecatching face as she promotes “The Masked Singer,” where she’s a judge.

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 53 Sunday Break WavyPeter / SplashNews.com Getty Images MEGASalma Hayek / Instagram Kate Upton (left) and Candice Swanepoel ditch their pants and ride Segways for a modeling gig in Miami.

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 54 LOOK WHO'S TALKING THIS WEEK'S GUESTS THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT 11:35 p.m./ CBS Monday: Ethan Hawke, Cedric The Entertainer Tuesday: Tiffany Haddish (above), Meredith Scardino Wednesday: Jen Psaki WATCH WHAT HAPPENS LIVE 3:30 a.m. / Bravo Monday: Charli XCX, Joe Manganiello Tuesday: Tom Sandoval (above), Jax Taylor Wednesday: Casey Wilson, Jessica St. Clair LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS 12:35 a.m./ NBC Monday: John Oliver Tuesday: Joel Edgerton, Lily Gladstone (above), Cole Escola Wednesday: Jennifer Connelly, Amy Ray, Emily Saliers Sunday May 5, 2024 Evening SP C F 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 10:30pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 2 WCBS 222 News 60 Minutes The Equalizer: Condemned Tracker: Beyond the Campus Walls CSI: Vegas: The Artist is Present CBS 2 News at 11PM (11:35)CBS 2 News 4 WNBC 444 NBC Nightly News Weakest Link: I Feel Like You’re Trolling Me (R) The Voice: The Playoffs, Part 2 (R) Dateline NBC: Before the Storm (R) News 4 New York at 11 News4 NY 5 WNYW 555 UFL Football Live. Next Level Chef: Squad Goals (R) The Simpsons Krapopolis: Olive Oil The Great North Grimsburg The 10 O’Clock News Sports Extra In Depth Raw Travel 7 WABC 777 ABC World News America’s Funniest Home Videos American Idol: 716 (Adele Night) (10:01) Jeopardy! Masters: Games 1 & 2 (R) Eyewitness News at 11 9 WWOR 999 (6:00)Chicago P.D. Chicago P.D.: Promise Family Feud (R) Family Feud (R) Family Feud (R) Family Feud (R) Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family: Fizbo Modern Family 11 WPIX 11 11 11 Paid Program Walk the Line (2005, Drama): A young boy rises to country music stardom while battling personal obstacles. Joaquin Phoenix. PG-13 aaac PIX11 News at Ten with Kaity Tong PIX11 Sports Nation Yankees Nation 13 WNET 13 13 13 The Legacy List Manhattan Theatre Club, A Home for Artists Call the Midwife: Episode 8 MaryLand Guilt: You Can Take The Boy Out of Leith Nina: In Her Image 21 WLIW 21 21 21 PBS News Great Performances (R) Johnny Mathis - Wonderful, Wonderful The Nitty Gritty Dirt (R) Demystifying Detox (R) 25 WNYE 25 22 25 (5:30) TBA GZero Profiles (R) On Story Day’s Work Her B Idea Neighbor Voyager Feet Confucius Was a Foodie 31 WPXN 31 3 531 (6:00) NCIS NCIS: Too Many Cooks NCIS: Bridges NCIS: Big Rig NCIS: Evil Eye NCIS: Old Wounds 41 WXTV 41 6 41 Noticiero Juego de voces De noche pero sin sueño Aquí y ahora Noticias Noticiero 47 WNJU 47 16 12 Noticias La Casa de los Famosos (7:58) La Casa de los Famosos: Part 2 Pica y se extiende Noticiero Noticias (R) 55 WLNY 55 10 10 (6:00) ET In Focus The Point CBS News Sunday Morning Paid Judge Judy Paid Women Of Wrestling A&E 46 46 181 WWE Rivals WWE Rivals (R) WWE Rivals: John Cena WWE’s Most Wanted (10:01) Hells Angels (11:04) WWE Rivals (R) AMC 54 43 231 (6:00) Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995, Action) Bruce Willis. R aaa Parish: A Good Man Parish: A Good Man (R) Hard Vengeance (1995) R BET 37 54 270 Tyler Perry’s A Madea Fam (2019) ac Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection (2012, Comedy) Tyler Perry. PG-13 aa Martin Martin BBCAM 71 101 189 (5:00) The Goonies (1985) Weird Science (1985, Comedy) Anthony Michael Hall. The Goonies (1985, Adventure) Sean Astin. PG aaa BRAVO 18 44 185 Housewives Real Housewives (R) Real Housewives Martha Vineyard WatchWhat Real Housewives of New Jersey (R) CNBC 15 24 102 Unlocked World Athletics Relays: Nassau, Bahamas Taped. Cities of Success (R) Cities of (R) CNN 78 25 100 Newsroom CNN Newsroom The Whole Story with How It Really Happened How It Really Happened The Whole Story with (R) COM 45 50 190 Grown Ups Grown Ups 2 (2013, Comedy) Adam Sandler. aa South Park South Park South Park DIS 49 31 250 Big City (R) Big City (R) Big City (R) Mulan (1998, Family) Ming-Na Wen. G Miraculous Miraculous Miraculous Miraculous Miraculous DSC 66 27 120 Nkd & Afrd Naked and Afraid (R) Naked and Afraid (9:05) Naked and Afraid: No Safety in Numbers (R) (11:05) Naked and Afraid E! 24 51 196 Half-Blood Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010, Adventure) Daniel Radcliffe. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) ESPN 28 36 70 Baseball MLB Baseball: San Francisco Giants at Philadelphia Phillies. Live. SportsCenter Live. SportsCenter Live. ESPN2 29 35 74 X Games World X Games Top ESPN Flashback UFC Unleashed: Welcome to the Suga Show (R) 30 for 30 FBN 43 106 117 Cops Cops Cops Cops Cops Cops Cops Cops Cops Cops Cops FNC 44 26 118 Fox Report The Big Weekend Show Life, Liberty & Levin Sunday Night Weekend Show (R) Life, Liberty & Levin (R) FOOD 50 97 164 Grocery (R) 24 in 24: Last Chef (R) 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing: Risk Taking Wildcard Kitchen (R) Beat Bobby Beat Bobby FREFRM 38 49 199 Haunted aa Encanto (2021, Adventure) Stephanie Beatriz. PG aaa (9:10) Cruella (2021, Comedy) Emma Stone, Emma Thompson. PG-13 aaa FS1 400 99 83 MLS Soccer: Los Angeles Galaxy at Seattle Sounders FC. Live. UFL Football: San Antonio Brahmas at D.C. Defenders from Audi Field. Taped. FX 10 40 53 (4:00) Black Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) Benedict Cumberbatch. aaa Marvel’s The Avengers (2012) Robert Downey Jr. HALL 191 240 Lifelong Roadhouse Romance (2021) Lauren Alaina. When Calls the Heart Fourth Down and Love (2023) Pascale Hutton. HGTV 64 98 165 Home Town Home Town (R) Home Town (9:01) Home Town Hunters Hunters (R) Hunters (R) Hunters (R) HIST 40 47 128 (6:00) The Food That Built America (R) The Mega-Brands That The Mega-Brands That (10:03) Disney: Animated (11:05) The Mega-Brands ID 23 171 123 Evil Here Evil Lives Here (R) Evil Lives Here (R) Surviving a Serial Killer (10:15) 48 Hours on ID (11:15) 48 Hours on ID (R) LIFE 62 45 140 A Deadly Threat to My Family (2024) My Life is on the Line (2024) NR Left for Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story (2021) MeTV 33 33 3 Collector M*A*S*H M*A*S*H Family Family Family Family Ed Sullivan Burnett Van Dyke Van Dyke MSG 27 87 78 (6:00) Fight MSG Shorts MSG Shorts Athletes Unlimited Women’s Pro Basketball Replay. Athletes Unlimited Women Replay. MSG Plus 48 88 80 FanDuel Lights Out Xtreme Fighting: LXF15 Taped. World Poker Tour Replay. World Poker Tour Replay. MSNBC 14 23 103 The Sunday Ayman (R) Ayman Prime Weekend (R) Inside With Jen Psaki (R) Ayman (R) MTV 20 53 210 Ridiculous Ridiculous Ridiculous Ridiculous Ridiculous Ridiculous Ridiculous Ridiculous Ridiculous Ridiculous Ridiculous NATGEO 65 162 121 Wick. Tuna Wicked Tuna (R) Wicked Tuna (R) Wicked Tuna Drain the Oceans Wicked Tuna (R) NICK 6 121 252 SpongeBob SpongeBob SpongeBob SpongeBob SpongeBob Friends Friends Friends Friends Friends Friends OWN 173 180 145 (6:00) 20/20 20/20 on OWN (R) 20/20 on OWN (R) 20/20 on OWN (R) 20/20 on OWN (R) 20/20 on OWN (R) PARMT 36 56 54 Bar Rescue Bar Rescue: Outta Touch Bar Rescue (R) Bar Rescue (R) Bar Rescue Bar Rescue: On the River SNY 26 60 77 (6:00) Gary, Broadway Boxing Broadway Boxing Sports Sports SYFY 17 48 180 (5:00) Star Trek (2009) (7:45) The Mummy (1999, Adventure) Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz. PG-13 aaa Air Force One (1997) Harrison Ford. aac TBS 8 39 52 (6:02) Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983, Adventure) Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang TCM 82 41 230 (5:30) Gypsy (1962, Musical) NR aaa The Big Trail (1930, Western) John Wayne. NR aac (10:15) White Heat (1949, Crime) James Cagney. aaac TLC 52 28 139 90 Day Fiancé: Happily: Dumped Me 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?: 3 Blind Wives MILF Manor: MILFA Mia 90 Day Fiancé: Happily TNT 3 37 51 Ocean’s 8 Pitch Perfect (2012, Comedy) Anna Kendrick. PG-13 aaa Pitch Perfect 3 (2017, Comedy) Anna Kendrick. aac Pitch Perf TVLAND 85 34 241 Mike Mike Mike Men Men Men Men Men Men Seinfeld Seinfeld USA 16 38 50 (6:00) SVU Law & Order: SVU Law & Order: SVU Law & Order: SVU Law & Order: SVU Law & Order: SVU VH1 19 52 217 (5:30) Taxi (1998, Action) Samy Naceri. The Color Purple (1985, Drama) Whoopi Goldberg. PG-13 aaac Jamie Foxx WE 59 42 149 S.W.A.T. 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New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 55 Sunday Break TV 8 THINGS TO WATCH THIS WEEK By RAVEN BRUNNER B efore landing the lead role in the Peacock series adaptation of the best-selling novel “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” by Heather Morris, Jonah Hauer-King was familiar with the material. He read the book, which is a fictional story based on the real-life experiences of Holocaust survivors, when it was released in 2018, and noted that it sparked a phenomenon in the United Kingdom. The limited series follows Lali Sokolov as he falls in love with another prisoner Gita Furman (Anna Próchniak) while imprisoned at Auschwitz in 1942, his assignment as a tattooist at the concentration camp, and the survivor guilt he suffered following the Holocaust. Hauer-King, who shot to fame after starring in the 2023 remake of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” stars as the prison-bound version of Lali in the show. The series, which premieres all six episodes on May 2 on Peacock in the US and Sky Atlantic in the United Kingdom, stars Harvey Keitel as an older version of Hauer-King’s character Lali, who interacts closely with Melanie Lynskey‘s Heather Morris. At the heart of the series is the relationship between Lali and Gita, who later wed in real life after surviving the horrors at Auschwitz. The “Ashes in the Snow” actor calls their relationship the “most important” one in Lali’s story and the reason why the series stands out from other Holocaust dramas. “The fact that they were able to find someone in this place is so extraordinary. It really drew me in because it seems so implausible in many ways. The more I’ve learned about it and understood the story and where they were at, I think a lot of their love for each other was about finding something to believe in, finding a purpose, and finding any kind of meaning, which is very difficult at that time. They became each other’s beacon.” He continued, “The fact that [Lali] was even able to perceive giving love in that environment and receiving love as well, was an act of defiance. Ultimately, I think it humanized both of them. So much of that camp was about trying to strip people of that identity and dehumanize them.” Hauer-King had nothing but kind things to express about his co-star Anna Próchniak, saying that he had felt “very comfortable” acting opposite her Gita. “When you’re doing those types of scenes, any kind of love scene, but particularly in this story, and also scenes of such a horrific nature, you need to feel really safe and held by your partner because you’re having to be so vulnerable and having to go to such a dark place. I found her very easy to be around. She’s a brilliant actor and very present, as well. The chemistry came easy.” He partially credits his connection with Próchniak, and the other cast members, for helping him decompress after filming intense sequences. “The best way for me to serve the story and to honor Lali was to bring as much professionalism and focus as I could. I think all the cast and crew felt like we had a job to do. But it would have been naive to think that it wasn’t going to profoundly affect us day in and day out.” “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” is streaming on Peacock. 3LIVE FROM E! 2024 MET GALA Monday at 6 p.m. on E! Tune into the Garden of Time-themed Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This year’s Gala is co-chaired by Bad Bunny, Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, and Chris Hemsworth. 6MOTHER OF THE BRIDE Thursday, Netflix Lana’s (Brooke Shields) daughter Emma returns from abroad to reveal she’s getting married in less than a month. But the whirlwind wedding takes a turn for the worst when Lana learns the man who captured Emma’s heart is related to the man who broke her’s years ago. “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” is based on the bestselling novel written by Heather Morris. HOLOCAUST LOVE STORY 8DOCTOR WHO Friday at 7 p.m., Disney+ The “Doctor Who” Christmas special “The Church On Ruby Road” airs on Disney+ along with two new episodes to launch the start of Ncuti Gatwa’s run as the Fifteenth Doctor. 7THE IRON CLAW Friday, Max Grab the tissues. Starring Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White, “The Iron Claw” chronicles the tragic story of the Von Erich brothers who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the 80s. 4OMG FASHUN Monday at 9 p.m. on E! “Uncut Gems” star Julia Fox hosts a new fashion reality show on E! that challenges designers to upend traditional style conventions and redefine cool. Fox will judge the designers alongside celebrity stylist Law Roach and a guest judge. 5BODKIN Thursday, Netflix, SERIES PREMIERE A dark comedy about a crew of podcasters who set out to investigate the mysterious disappearance of three strangers in an idyllic, coastal Irish town. But they soon discover a story much bigger and weirder than they could have ever imagined. Jonah Hauer-King and Anna Próchniak star in the new Peacock series, “The Tattooist of Auschwitz.” 2THE ROAST OF TOM BRADY Sunday, 8 p.m. on Netflix. Kevin Hart hosts Netflix’s first-ever live roast starring NFL Hall of Famer Tom Brady. Comedians Jeff Ross, Bert Kreischer, and Tom Segura will present, along with quarterback Drew Bledsoe and other surprise guests.

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 56 Very Easy #6,539 Difcult #6,329 528163974 317429586 469578312 284317695 673952148 195846723 931285467 752694831 846731259 369241587 821756394 547398261 692183475 173465928 485972136 238614759 754839612 916527843 345718926 198632547 276495318 629571483 817324659 534986172 753849261 482163795 961257834 Challenging #449 11 4 1 10 7 8 9 2 3 5 6 12 6 8 9 3 5 4 12 11 7 1 10 2 2 7 12 5 6 3 10 1 4 11 8 9 1 11 10 8 12 5 7 4 2 6 9 3 9 3 7 6 8 2 11 10 5 12 1 4 12 5 2 4 3 1 6 9 10 8 7 11 5 9 6 2 10 11 3 8 1 4 12 7 8 10 11 7 4 12 1 6 9 3 2 5 4 12 3 1 9 7 2 5 6 10 11 8 10 1 4 12 11 9 5 7 8 2 3 6 3 2 5 9 1 6 8 12 11 7 4 10 7 6 8 11 2 10 4 3 12 9 5 1 Kakuro #449 769 134 7895 8492 59 14 84 4823 461 26 92 341 9738 21 21 12 1326 2351 241 124 Sunday Crossword Super Su Doku Kakuro KEN KEN Jumble Boggle Brain Busters Bonus Sunday Word Force Wonderword answer: INTELLIGENT ANSWERS: 1A-Several 6A-Utensil 8A-Coal 9A-Calm 11A-Trailed 12A-Honesty 2D-Elegant 3D-Easy 4D-Succeed 5D-Bermuda 7D-Leaflet 10D-Lane B-Calvin Coolidge Sunday Break puzzles answers FIG, DATE, LIME, PEAR, LEMON, PEACH, CHERRY, NECTARINE chime chine chute clime cumin cutie ethic ileum inlet lithe lumen lunch mince mulch munch niche tench thine tunic uncle unite unlit unmet untie until utile Su Doku _TAURUS (April 21-May 21) A Sun-Saturn link early in the week means you must be intensely practical in everything you do. Family and financial matters are more likely to go well if you refuse to tell lies about your current situation - which probably isn't as bad as you fear. `GEMINI (May 22-June 21) It won't be long before the cosmic picture changes in your favor but for now you must accept that other people's needs must come ahead of your own. Be patient and look forward to the day when you no longer have to please anyone but yourself. aCANCER (June 22-July 23) Some people see doom and gloom around every corner but you don't have to be so negative about life. Yes, what's been happening lately is of major concern but the planets indicate it is also part of a bigger and better plan. You must believe that. bLEO (July 24-Aug. 23) If you make a promise to someone in a position of authority there is no way you will be able to back out of it, so make sure you can deliver and make sure that if they ask more of you later on you can deliver on that too. cVIRGO (Aug. 24-Sept. 23) Listen carefully to what a friend or colleague has to tell you because there will be wisdom in their words. You may or may not choose to act on their advice but something they say will take root in your mind and help you to thrive. dLIBRA (Sept. 24-Oct. 23) The composed way you go about your business has been noted by people in positions of power and it won't be long before you are rewarded in some way. Keep doing what you are doing and keep doing it well if you want to stand out from the crowd. eSCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Small efforts will yield big results over the next few days, especially if you focus on the kind of creative activities that come naturally to you. Why push yourself harder than you have to when the winds of the universe are at your back? fSAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 - Dec. 21) You can get through a huge amount of work in record quick time this week, but you can also get other people to do most of that work for you. Your powers of persuasion are so strong at the moment that no one wants to say no to you. gCAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 20) Arrange your schedule carefully over the next few days because you won't have time to see everyone you want to see and do everything you want to do. Don't feel bad if you have to turn some people down - you can make it up to them later on. hAQUARIUS (Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) You must control your emotions over the coming week. There will no doubt be moments when you feel justified in ranting at people who have let you down but what's the point if it makes the situation worse? And the planets warn that it will. iPISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20) Saturn in your sign links with the Sun this week, which means you will have some serious issues on your mind and won't be interested in idle gossip. You are under no obligation to waste your time on people whose outlook on life is annoyingly superficial. ^ARIES (March 21-April 20) You need to be brutally honest over the next few days, both with other people and with yourself. If you try to pretend that something is going well when clearly it isn't you could do immeasurable harm. Tell the truth at all times, even if it hurts. BIRTHDAY SUNDAY Many things will fall into place over the coming 12 months and looking back you will wonder how on earth you managed to get so worked up about so many insignificant things. Have no doubt: life is good and it's about to get even better! Sally Brompton Daily Horoscope DISCOVER MORE ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS AT SALLYBROMPTON.COM

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 57 THE WEEK’S WINNERS LOSERS TIM COOK Apple boss announced a stock buyback of $110 billion — the largest in US history — and shares rallied despite a big decline in quarterly iPhone sales. AMAZON An AI boom powered cloudcomputing growth and helped the e-commerce giant deliver record first-quarter revenue. DOMINO’S PIZZA Chain bucks inflation’s bite as a revamped loyalty program and advertising on Uber Eats led to a 20% jump in profit. BOB BAKISH Paramount CEO ousted after reportedly clashing with Shari Redstone, and media conglomerate’s future is up in the air as deal talks swirl. ROB MARCIANO ABC News weatherman fired a year after temporarily being sidelined for “anger management issues,” sources told The Post. STARBUCKS Shares plunge as java giant warned of weaker sales this year due to inflation-battered customers cutting back. H IGHER education’s descent into madness has led me to ask a simple but important question: Who exactly is financing instruction in what is so obviously a mass indoctrination of so many of the nation’s (allegedly) best and brightest collegeaged students at our top schools? Sorry, pure ideology pushing left-wing academic bias of the core curriculum only gets you so far in explaining the gross spectacle now unfolding daily on the nation’s campuses, the rank antisemitism, Jewish students being harassed and the creepy justification of Hamas’ butchering innocents all coming out of the mouths of people who are supposed to be our future leaders. There must be a money incentive that first rationalized antiAmericanism and anti-Israel racism in the college classroom and radicalized so many students into believing Israel is somehow at fault for defending itself against the barbarism of Oct. 7. Word on the Street And for that, I turned to many of my contacts on Wall Street, executives who both know about money and graduated from the same elite schools at the center of the tumult. They offer an interesting roadmap to the brainwashing and various funding sources of the disgrace we’re witnessing. Yes, there is big-money funding this type of instruction — one that de-emphasizes Western Civ and verted axis of evil. So that got him digging into the school’s source of funding. Gottesman points out to me that Arab countries have been major contributors to the foreign service school. In fact, the school has a campus in Qatar, the very country where the Hamas leadership resides and plotted the deadly and vicious Oct. 7 attack that all these students are celebrating. Following course In January, as the world was still grappling with the brutality of the massacre, Georgetown’s Qatar campus bizarrely featured a symposium titled “Israel’s War on Palestinians: Gaza as Epicenter.” Or maybe not so bizarrely given that tens of millions of dollars from Qatar have flowed into Georgetown since 2015, according to the US Department of Education website. A school flack said: “We strongly condemn antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, and hatred of any kind in our community . . . Our campus in Qatar has helped educate more than 800 students from around the world in international affairs.” Yet it’s not just foreign money but money from US sources that continues to pour into these schools, according to my sources. Look at the make-up of the board of trustees of our top schools — the main conduit for college fundraising — and you see a preponderance of Wall Street types. For years, they have looked away from the radicalization at our elite colleges while they financed through endowment contributions the instruction and expansion of courses that teach a false narrative about the evils of capitalism, and the systemic racism of America and Israel. They still are despite the recent upheaval that seems to grow by the day. For every Robert Kraft, Marc Rowan and Bill Ackman — billionaire Ivy League grads thoroughly disgusted with what their contributions to Columbia, Penn and Harvard have financed — too many others continue to throw their money at these schools. Attorney Marc Kasowitz has been suing universities like Columbia, Harvard and Penn for violating the civil rights of Jewish students who are the daily targets of abuse and threats. He has seen this cowardice firsthand as he seeks support for his litigation. “These are people worth hundreds of millions, even billions of dollars, and some won’t step up. It’s unbelievable,” Kasowitz said. PostBusiness extols anti-American and Jew-hating instruction by leftist and even Marxist professors — and it isn’t just Soros-related, as The Post has documented. It comes from some frightening and surprising places, both foreign and domestic. Let’s start with the foreign. Norbert Gottesman is a hedge-fund manager and a graduate of Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. He recalls his experience with anti-American and anti-Israeli indoctrination at Georgetown University, an elite college started by Jesuit priests in our nation’s Capital, no less. Gottesman is the son of Jewish immigrants who escaped the old Soviet Union. They sought the American dream for their son and his pathway through an elite university. Georgetown and its foreign services school is considered among the best in the business. It trains diplomats and business types running major trading desks and multinational companies. Bill Clinton is a graduate; Madeleine Albright taught there. It also has been training students to hate Israel, Gottesman told me. “They were teaching us so much nonsense, like American imperialism caused all the territorial conflicts in the Middle East,” Gottesman said. “I was the only Jewish student in many of my classes and felt very uncomfortable because the message was simple: The US foreign policy needs to be more pro-Arab in order to force Israel to give land back.” Gottesman graduated in 1998, which gives you some insight into how long our top universities like Georgetown have been inculcating students with a leftist interpretation of history putting Israel at the center of academia’s perTO THE BITTER ENDOW Who funds lefty ed? Charles Gasparino ZUMA Press Wire; Getty Images; Dr. Eli David / X Doctorate of indoctrinate Protests rage on campuses across the country at top universities — like Harvard (above), Columbia (right & top right) and UCLA (below) — inspired by decades of indoctrination at the schools teaching an antiAmerica and antiIsrael leftist doctrine.

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 58 By BRIDGET REILLY After an offseason flooded with superteam chatter as a result of their additions, Gotham FC relied on their returning star Saturday night. Gotham secured their second win of the season despite another quiet offensive showing, holding on for a 1-0 victory against the visiting North Carolina Courage at Red Bull Stadium. Star forward Lynn Williams, healthy after a thigh injury forced her out of the first three games of the season, delivered quickly, putting in a rebound of an Ella Stevens shot in the 11th minute for the game’s lone goal. “I’m just so proud of us for getting that goal,” said Williams, who played for the Courage from 2017-21 and won two NWSL championships with them. “I’m proud of myself on a personal note. I feel like I’ve been wanting this goal so bad. So, I’m happy it went in. … It’s been really nice to finally get 90 minutes under my belt. Nobody wants to be injured.” Ann-Katrin Berger, acquired from Chelsea in April, started a second straight game and made five saves to preserve the win. Her best stop came in the 27th minute when the Courage’s Narumi Miura fired a shot wide left that Berger knocked away with a diving save. After Jenna Nighswonger stole a breakaway from the Courage’s Ashley Sanchez up the middle, Gotham maneuvered the ball back up field where Stevens found an opening for a shot that was blocked but bounced in favor of Williams, who finished for her first goal of the season. Williams paces Gotham FC Associated Press FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi scored a goal and had five assists as Inter Miami trounced the Red Bulls, 6-2, on Saturday night. Messi, who earned the MLS Player of the Month Award for April, has scored and assisted in six consecutive league matches. Luis Suárez had three goals and Matias Rojas scored twice as Inter Miami got six unanswered goals to come back from a 1-0 deficit at halftime. Messi and Suárez have a league-leading 10 goals each, helping keep Inter Miami (7-2-3, 24 points) atop the Eastern Conference. The win extended Miami’s unbeaten string to six. The streak began after a 4-0 loss on April 20, in which Messi did not play because of an injury. Miami began the rout with Rojas’ equalizer in the 48th minute. Messi centered a pass to Rojas whose left-footed shot landed under the crossbar. Suárez then fed a charging Messi with a touch pass to beat Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel with a shot from 15 yards. Rojas made it 3-1 with his second goal in the 62nd minute on an assist from Messi. Messi then contributed on former Barcelona teammate Suárez’s first goal in the 69th minute. Messi leads pounding of Red Bulls Senior Auditor (New York, NY) Watson Rice LLP – Provide audit services to clients; perform risk assessment, controls evaluation, audit testing, & fieldwork review. F/S review, & issue resolution; Use US GAAP & GAAS, Excel, Word, Caseware, Quickbooks. BS in Acct’ng + 2 yrs. auditing exp. Salary: $67912 to 72k/yr. Email res to: [email protected]. Preparation Cook – New York, NY: Prepare a variety of foods, including meats, vegetables and desserts by washing, peeling and cutting for cooking and serving. igh school diploma reµ’d. $ÎÎ,2nå/yr. Send ltr/ res to fiy Green Corner nc. Î Clinton St., New York, NY 1ååå2. Attn: Amine Sadki. General fianager needed for NYC talian upscale restaurant to plan & coordinate the front of house activities. Salary: $1å1,1Îå/yr. Reµ. 2 yrs of exp in the ob off or as Restaurant fianager, Floor fianager or closely rel at a full-service restaurant. Rel exp must incl: Exp mgmt of personnel, incl hiring, training, and firing; & mgmt of banking and accounting functions, Resumes: Attn: /. Leo, Eighty /hird and First LLC d/b/a Felice nÎ, 9xå /hird Ave., Ste xåå, New York, NY 1åå22. Ref ›1å2 Auto Glass fiechanic. Reµuirements: igh School iploma plus 2 years progressive experience. Range $xnffi- $6åffi per year. Cfl Auto Glass nc., Staten sland, NY. Resume to [email protected] Server – New York, NY: /ake orders and collect payments from patrons at a fried chicken restaurant and bar; serve foods and beverages; resolve complaints or ensure their satisfaction. igh school diploma reµ’d. $ÎÎ,2nå/yr. Send ltr/res to Pelicana ffi nc., 6{1 1åth Ave., New York, NY 1ååÎ6. Attn: un Sup Lim. Pet Groomer BffiLYN NY F// 6 mos exp to dlver cstmer svce to pet owners. Provide cosmet care for pets. $ÎÎ,1Î{/YR. Resume to Brooklyn Pet Spa Î17 Flatbush Ave BffiLYN NY 11217 Attn: fir Leite Nanny, Briarcliff fianor family. fiail resume to: fl. Brandel, 12{ Quinn Road, Briarcliff fianor, NY 1åx1å irector of fiusic fiinistries wanted by church in Bayside, NY. $6x,91x.åå /yr. Reµd fiaster of fiusic. Send resume w/ cover letter: /he Siloam Reformed Church of N.Y., Îx2x Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11Î61. F//- Bristal @ Westbury, NY -fiaintenance Supv. - Run co upkeep & ensuring comp. w saf. stds. fing wk ords, dev. wk sched. Res for keep of all main inv & suppl. Reµ. S ip or Eµuiv. &b 2 yrs exp. in ob or as fiain. Work, flanitor or rel. Email res to [email protected] Sal-xå,xnå yr Pro Form Physical /herapy, PC. needs two (2) physical therapist assistants (P/As) in Bronx, NY; P/A Associate eg. and NY State P/A license; email resume to [email protected]» Proect Architectural rafter - Reside ntial/Commercial (NY, NY) - raft & revise surveys & construction plans using CA. Plan & dvlp architectural residential/commercial proects. Reµmts: fiaster’s deg in Architecture. Course of study must incl ntegrated Bldg System, esign { ntegrated Context & Envrmtl control. 6 mos of exp in offered role or as flr. raftsman, Architectural sgnr or rltd role producing exterior rendering for architecture proects; dvlpg dsgns, prgms analysis, & ãoning analysis based on the most recent research findings on climate, typology, & context; bldg the massing & detailed Î models in architecture s/ware using Rhino, Sketchup & Revit; & supv’g on-site construction. Salary: $69,{Îå. fiail Resume to Fischer+fiakooi Architects, PLLC, Attn: PAåå1, 2x9 W Îåth St, Ste {å1, NY, NY 1ååå1. "ffice Associate (LC, NY): Communicate w/ customers, staff & others to collect orders, answer inµuiries, distribute info, & handle concerns; Examine records, files, & other materials to gather data for reµuests; Run office Supply; Complete banking transactions, basic bookkeeping, & the collection, counting, & distribution of money; Coord across depts; Create, save, & edit data & other info; fiaintain & update d/base, mailing, inventory, & file systems using either manual labor or a computer; Set up apptmts, manage calendars, & finish work schedules. Reµd: Bachelor’s deg or Foreign Eµuiv (graduate coursework). Salary: ${x,{69; fiail Resume: Crescent Car & Limo nc, Î7å1 Crescent St, LC, NY 111å1 Production fianager (Bronx, NY) sought by /omoe Food Services, nc., to oversee bus. activities dedicated to the wholesale & distribution of flapanese & other specialty meat products, incl flapanese wagyu cuts, & special shabu shabu, suki yaki & yaki niku specialty cuts. Formulate policies & procedures for expanding new customer mkts, increase sales & profit margin, etc. Reµs Bachelor’s (or foreign eµuiv) deg in Econ, figmt, or rltd & 2 yrs of work exp in the ob offd. Salary: $1å9,åÎn.2{/yr. Email resume at info@ tomoefoodnyc.com Attn: fiiho omma, "ffice fianager Sr. Growth fiarketing fianagers needed F// in New York, NY to develop effective creative strategy for digital advertising by building partnerships with influencers, overseeing content production process, and managing paid media by buying across multiple customer acµuisition channels including, /ik/ok, You/ube, Snapchat. Bachelor’s in Business or fiarketing plus Six (6) months experience as Growth fiarketing fianager reµuired. fiaximum annual salary of $117ffi. fiail resume to CE" of Breuer Premium Pet Food Company, nc. d/b/a Spot & /ango at 91 Long Ridge Road, Bedford, NY, 1åxå6. Supply Chain fianager (NY, NY) for flB Cocoa, nc. to plan & manage logistic, warehouse, transportation & customer services. Reµs Bachelor’s deg in Supply Chain figmt, Logistics, "perations or rltd field of study, & Î yrs exp in any ob title/occupation/position involving Supply chain mgmt rltd to Cocoa ndustry. Exp specified must incl Î yrs exp w/ each of the following: logistics & planning; delivery of cocoa beans & products; working w/ the FCC & CfiAA contract rules; Strategic sourcing from cocoa bean origin countries & supplier diversity; inventory mgmt of commodities & deliveries to the /erminal fiarket; Commodities ERP systems; contract mgmt & contract negotiation; freight mkts & rate negotiation w/ shipping liners; & fiS "ffice /ools incl word, excel, power point, outlook. /elecommuting permitted up to 2 days/wk. Reµs up to 2å¯ domestic & int’l travel. Salary: $1Îå,n{7 to $1xå,ååå/yr. /o apply send resume to recruitment-my@bcocoa. com & ref flob /itle Supply Chain fianager Executive irector - Ronald S. Lauder mpact nitiative. vlp new flewish educ’l initiatives. Prep manuals to train instructors at flewish ay Schools. vlp cutting edge mental health resources & protocols for students & teachers at flewish ay Schools. Partner w/ flewish day schools & funders in pilot cities to dvlp targeted & strategic solutions for transforming enrollment traectories & creating a thriving flewish educ’l syst. Collab w/ local leaders, thinkers, & expert consultants to formulate bold strats & implmnt datadriven methodologies. Work closely w/ ea pilot city to test, study, & iterate strats. Provide customiãed sppt to pilot cities. Cultivate partnerships & secure broad buy-in by recruiting local funders & leaders to sppt initiative. fianage partner city data collection structures to facilitate resource, idea, & solution-sharing among pilot partners. Reµ Bachelor’s in Psychology & Î yrs exp in nonprofit prgm & pro dvlpmnt. $nx,ååå-${xå,ååå/yr. Send resume to: RSL nvestments  Corporation, 767 Fifth Ave, Ste {2åå, New York, NY 1å1xÎ. Environmental Compliance Specialist (Farmingdale, NY) Prep, review, & update envrmt’l recommendation reports. fionitor progress of envrmt’l improvement prgms. Ensure & maintain Co. envrmt’l & regulatory compliance w/ regs. vlp site-specific health & safety protocols. /rack waste mgmt activities. nteract w/ mgmt. vlp proposed proect obectives & targets, & report. Bachelor’s deg is reµd. 2 yrs exp in the ob or as a figr in textile industry is reµd. {å hrs/wk, & $6x,91x/yr. Send resume to /aleh Gasimov, President, fiat Sporting Goods LLC at /aleh@ matsportinggoods.us. Fashion esigner (NY, NY) - F//. Work as fashion dsgnr for outerwear co. Create & modify fashion dsgn as needed. Assisting the dsgn team in researching & dvlpg new outerwear dsgns, considering the latest fashion trends, customer preferences, & mkt demands. Collaborating w/the dsgn team to create techn’l sketches & detailed specs for new outerwear styles, incl measurements, materials, & construction details. Assisting in sourcing & selecting appropriate fabrics, trims, & hardware for the outerwear collection. Assisting in creating & organiãing dsgn presentations, incl mood boards, color palettes, & fabric swatches. $x{,{96.åå/ yr. Bachelor’s deg in fashion dsgn, dsgn or closely rltd. fiail resume to: fiystic, nc., Attn: aley Libby, R at {6Î 7th Ave., 12th FL, NY, NY 1åå1n. Law Clerk: (Bronx, NY) Assist attys w/ personal inury (P) cases & Real Estate litigation & appeals. Conduct reviews of medical records & communicate w/ healthcare providers & insurance co.’s to gather evidence. Use e-discovery platforms for doc review for P litigation & settlement talks. Research legal d/bases, incl Westlaw & LexisNexis & perform P case-mgmt & legal research tasks. Salary: $6å,ååå.åå - $6x,ååå.åå/ annum. Bach in Law, Pre-law, Legal Admin or Crim flustice & 1 yr exp. in ob or 1 yr legal research, legal analysis, & legal doc prep’n exp. oyle & Broumand, LLP, Attn: eddyeh Broumand, Î1x{ Albany Crescent, Fl Î, Bronx, NY 1å{6Î. esigner, nterior Structure & ecoration – New York, NY: Plan and execute variety of interior renovations for a deli store, including menu and catering display boards, food display cases, and all other store’s seasonal interior proects; ensure that the store’s interior design supports the brand image of the store. Bachelor’s in nterior esign, or a related field reµ’d. ${x,926/yr. Send res/ltr to {n Rockefeller Corp., {n W {nth St., New York, NY 1ååÎ6. Attn: Byung o Lee. "perations Research Analyst for 6aynerfiedia, LLC in NY, NY: Analyãe complex data & investigate any integration issues by using mathematical & analytical methods & through building complex µueries. Reµs: fistr’s + 2 yrs exp. $n7,19{-$11x,ååå/ yr. Send resume via email to: hiring@ vaynermedia.com Ref. flob  ffiS Graphic esigner – New York, NY: Create concepts and design layouts for editing, updating and publishing books for a book publisher of communication design. Bachelor in Graphic esign with working knowledge in Adobe Photoshop, llustrator, nesign, nesign PS, After Effect, Sketch and Figma program reµ’d. $x1,626/yr. Send ltr/res to Graphis nc. În9 xth Ave., Suite 11åx, New York, NY 11å16, Attn: R Coordinator. fiarketing Strategist  (Retail) - New York, NY: esg digital mktg cmpgn & cond in-depth market res to idetify new market opptrs & consum prefer to supprt cmpgn creats. fiA deg. Fash. fierchent. & Retail figt or Fash esign. fi/h 1yr exp. wrkg util tools llustrator, Photoshop, Advance SE", Google Analytics, Sµuarespace, Shopify, Basil, Canva, Excel, Lightroom, & Retail Pro. {åhrs p/w, fi-F 9am-xpm. Slry:$76,n77-$nå,ååå p/y. /o be consid, pls e-mail resume, cover letter, Gonãalo Gomeã at gonã alo.gomeã@clic.com at flaav nc. dba Clic Gallery, 2{1 Centre St, 7th Fl, NY, NY 1åå1Î. Ref›2å22åÎÎ9. Executive Secretary for nsurance Business-Bayside: Under President supervision, provide high-level admin support; undertake research; correspondence mgmt., coordinate schedule. 2 YRS Work Exp. as Executive Secretary+Fluent ffiorean. $9{,9Î1/YR. Send ltr/res to Solomon Agency Corp. 217-å{ Northern Blvd, Bayside, NY 11Î61 A//N: R. flob: New York Licensed Lawyer Anderson & Anderson (New York) LLP, office located at Îå Wall Street, Fl nth, New York, NY. No traveling reµuired. uties: Cover all phases of civil litigation and transactional work. Email resume, transcript, writing sample, proof of NY state bar license, and two letters of recommendation to [email protected]. Cook, Riverhead, NY (fiultiple Positions): nspect & clean food prep areas, such as eµuip & work surfaces, or serving areas to ensure safe & sanitary food-handling pract. Plan & price menu items. Prep foods: /acosChicken, Beef, Chorião, Cecina & Sausage; Seafood Soup, Beef tail stew & /res Leches Cakes. fiust know how to cook & prep food with South & Central American Flavors & Spices. fiail resume to El eli Chapin, ÎåÎ "sborne Ave, Riverhead, NY 119å1. Seneca nsurance Co seeks eveloper (New York, NY or remote in US). evelop range of software apps. Build apps, update software and add features per customer reµs. BS in Comp Sci, nfo /ech, or rltd. 1 yr exp with C›, .Net, and Web evelopment. Ability with: version control/ source code management systems; relational databases; flavaScript and web technologies; ""P, data structures, algorithms, design patterns and software development lifecycle; Agile and Waterfall frameworks. Less than 1å¯ national travel for meetings. Salary: $n9,2xÎ to $1ån,2xå. Resumes to Rfiirah@ senecainsurance.com. ata Engineers (NY, NY) – esn & devlp data mgmt s/w apps. Reµ fiS in CS, ata Sci, Businss Analytcs, or ata Analytcs + skills & knowldg in Python, AWS, SQL, /ableau, ata fiining. Reµ 1åå¯ travel to unanticptd client locatns in US. Allow telecommtg. $1{2.6kH$1xxk/yr. Email rjs to R, fiitchell/fiartin at 66åå{@itmmi.com Nanny – NY NY - F// 6 mos exp to prvd chldcare in a prvt household. $Î26x6/YR. Resume to { W {Îrd St Ste Îåx NY NY 1ååÎ6 Attn: Family Shah BUYING BASEBALL CARDS And All "ther Sports Cards, Cert. fiemorabilia & Graded 6intage Cards. Prefer Pre-19nå Paying /op ollar $$$ small or large collections Call enry 917-27Î-2ÎxÎ PET PLACE DOGS fiAL/ESE *U**IES Adorable males and females, toy or teacup siães, shots and papers. Call 71n-Îå6-{1Î6 SI‡/<U *U**IES Beautiful fiales & Females Price to $ell Call 71n-Îå6-{1Î6 Y"RffiIE *U**IES A"RABLE, pure bred, toy & teacup siães. Call 71n-Îå6-{1Î6 EMPLOYMENT MERCHANDISE PROFESSIONAL TECH CAREERS GENERAL HELP WANTED FINANCIAL COLLECTIBLES The New York Post reserves the right to edit, reclassify, reject or cancel an ad at any time. We can only give appropriate credit, not to exceed the cost of the ad, for one insertion. We are not liable for complete omissions. Any discrepancies must be brought to our attention within 30 days of the first day the ad runs, in order to receive consideration for credit. PLACE AN AD Email: [email protected] DEADLINES We Accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, checks and money orders Monday: Friday 2:30PM Tuesday: Monday 2:30PM Wednesday: Tuesday 2:30PM Thursday: Wednesday 2:30PM Friday: Thursday 2:30PM Saturday: Friday 2:30PM Sunday: Friday 2:30PM Mon @Work: Friday 2:30PM HEALTHCARE RESTAURANT & HOSPITALITY

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 59 Golf LIV Golf Singapore At Sentosa Golf Club; Singapore; Purse: $20 million; Yardage: 7,406; Par: 71; Second Round Brooks Koepka................. 66-64 130 -12 Matthew Wolff................. 68-65 133 -9 Adrian Meronk ................. 67-66 133 -9 Thomas Pieters................ 66-67 133 -9 Abraham Ancer................ 66-67 133 -9 Talor Gooch...................... 68-66 134 -8 Marc Leishman ................ 67-67 134 -8 Lucas Herbert .................. 67-67 134 -8 Cameron Tringale............ 66-68 134 -8 Martin Kaymer................. 66-69 135 -7 Sebastian Munoz ............. 65-70 135 -7 Cameron Smith................ 71-65 136 -6 Scott Vincent ................... 70-66 136 -6 Tyrrell Hatton................... 68-68 136 -6 Kieran Vincent ................. 68-68 136 -6 Louis Oosthuizen ............. 67-69 136 -6 Joaquin Niemannn........... 67-69 136 -6 Eugenio Chacarra ............ 67-69 136 -6 Kevin Na ........................... 66-70 136 -6 Sergio Garcia ................... 69-68 137 -5 Jon Rahm .......................... 69-68 137 -5 Dustin Johnson................. 67-70 137 -5 Dean Burmester............... 67-70 137 -5 Harold Varner III .............. 71-67 138 -4 Ian Poulter........................ 70-68 138 -4 Richard Bland................... 70-68 138 -4 Bryson DeChambeau....... 73-66 139 -3 Patrick Reed..................... 71-68 139 -3 Anirban Lahiri .................. 70-69 139 -3 Peter Uihlein .................... 69-70 139 -3 Phil Mickelson.................. 72-68 140 -2 Charl Schwartzel ............. 70-70 140 -2 David Puig ........................ 70-70 140 -2 Paul Casey........................ 69-71 140 -2 Jason Kokrak.................... 69-71 141 -2 Henrik Stenson ................ 73-68 141 -1 Kalle Samooja .................. 72-69 141 -1 Branden Grace ................. 69-72 141 -1 Graeme McDowell ........... 68-73 141 -1 Charles Howell III ............ 76-66 142 E Matt Jones........................ 74-68 142 E Carlos Ortiz ...................... 72-70 142 E Caleb Surratt.................... 72-70 142 E Lee Westwood ................. 71-71 142 E Brendan Steele ................ 68-74 142 E Anthony Kim .................... 69-75 144 +2 Hudson Swafford............. 73-72 145 +3 Jinichiro Kozuma ............. 73-72 145 +3 Mito Pereira ..................... 76-70 146 +4 Sam Horsfield .................. 71-75 146 +4 Andy Ogletree.................. 77-71 148 +6 Pat Perez .......................... 72-76 148 +6 Danny Lee......................... 72-76 148 +6 Bubba Watson.................. 71-77 148 +6 PGA Tour- The CJ CUP Byron Nelson At TPC Craig Ranch; McKinney, Texas; Purse: $9.5 million; Yardage: 7,414; Par: 71 Third Round Taylor Pendrith......... 64-67-63 194 -19 Jake Knapp................ 64-64-67 195 -18 Ben Kohles ................ 65-66-65 196 -17 Matt Wallace ............ 63-66-67 196 -17 Kelly Kraft ................. 64-66-68 198 -15 Alex Noren................. 64-68-66 198 -15 Byeong Hun An ......... 66-67-66 199 -14 Troy Merritt .............. 67-62-70 199 -14 Kevin Tway................ 69-66-64 199 -14 Vince Whaley............ 70-63-66 199 -14 Nick Dunlap............... 66-67-67 200 -13 Ben Griffin ................. 69-64-67 200 -13 Stephan Jaeger......... 66-68-66 200 -13 Zach Johnson............ 66-67-67 200 -13 Sung Kang ................. 68-68-64 200 -13 Si Woo Kim................ 68-65-67 200 -13 Seonghyeon Kim ...... 68-64-68 200 -13 Min Woo Lee ............. 66-68-66 200 -13 Keith Mitchell ........... 66-65-69 200 -13 Aaron Rai................... 67-65-68 200 -13 Daniel Berger ............ 67-67-67 201 -12 Chris Gotterup .......... 67-69-65 201 -12 Patton Kizzire ........... 69-66-66 201 -12 Justin Lower.............. 66-69-66 201 -12 Andrew Novak .......... 68-67-66 201 -12 Adam Schenk............ 66-67-68 201 -12 Alex Smalley ............. 65-69-67 201 -12 Aaron Baddeley ........ 68-67-67 202 -11 Jorge Campillo.......... 68-65-69 202 -11 Nicolas Echavarria ... 67-68-67 202 -11 Luke List .................... 67-69-66 202 -11 Maverick McNealy ... 67-67-68 202 -11 Adam Scott ............... 69-65-68 202 -11 Taiga Semikawa ....... 64-68-70 202 -11 Rafael Campos.......... 67-67-69 203 -10 Kevin Dougherty....... 66-68-69 203 -10 Adrien Dumont De Chassart .................... 67-67-69 203 -10 Ryo Hisatsune........... 70-65-68 203 -10 Mark Hubbard........... 71-65-67 203 -10 Davis Riley................. 64-67-72 203 -10 Dylan Wu ................... 67-69-67 203 -10 Austin Cook............... 67-67-70 204 -9 Harrison Endycott .... 67-66-71 204 -9 Tom Hoge.................. 68-67-69 204 -9 Kyoung-Hoon Lee..... 66-67-71 204 -9 Ryan McCormick ...... 67-69-68 204 -9 Max McGreevy.......... 67-66-71 204 -9 Henrik Norlander...... 68-68-68 204 -9 David Skinns ............. 65-69-70 204 -9 Carson Young ........... 67-69-68 204 -9 Champions Tour- Insperity Invitational At Tournament Course; The Woodlands, Texas; Purse: $2.7 million; Yardage: 7,002; Par: 72 Completion of First Round Scott Dunlap..................... 65-70 135 -9 Stuart Appleby................. 69-67 136 -8 Joe Durant ........................ 68-68 136 -8 Steven Aiker..................... 68-69 137 -7 Thongchai Jaidee............. 66-71 137 -7 ACTION ACTION l1 1 mile; $100,000; alw; 3YO Irad Ortiz is back and we have him sweeping the early Pick Three. SPEED RUNNER ran 6th in both the Withers and a 100k at Laurel. Moves lower and wins the opener for Pletcher. 1st time lasix. Todd can run 1-2 with THATS MONEY. He's 2 for 2 after scoring gamely at this distance. Will be kept honest on the lead by Dutrow's JD FACTOR. Broke maiden handily, gate to wire, on his 4th attempt. DOC SULLIVAN ran 2nd in the Gander then again in a stallion stake. And Chad Browns PROPRIETARY TRADE was 7th in the Bay Shore after winning 2 back. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds 1 Doc Sullivan(L),122 J Castellano 2-2-1 Miceli 2-1 2 J D Factor(L),120 J Gomez 1-3-2 R Dutrow 6-1 3 That's Money(L),122 K Carmouche 1-1-x Pletcher 9-5 4 Speed Runner(M),118 I Ortiz, Jr 6-6-1 Pletcher 7-2 5 Proprietary Trade(L),120 M Franco 7-1-5 C Brown 7-2 l2 1 1/16 miles(T); $100,000; alw; 3YO(f) On the turf to back-end the double. OVERSUBSCRIBED debuted with a W at Tampa. Stretch runner is well spotted, same distance for Chad Brown. MACANGA was a close 5th than a distant 7th in a pair of Grade 3's at Gulfstream. AGRA is 0 for 2 on grass but 3rd with similar, this distance on dirt. Alvarado rides for Mott. TINA BALLERINA went dirt to turf and graduated, this distance. Abreu has her competitively spotted. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds 1 Bertrille,118 L Rivera, Jr 1-9-6 B Brown 15-1 2 Surprenant Cocca(M),118 M Franco 6-1-3 Motion 8-1 3 Macanga(M),118 J Velazquez 7-5-1 R Dutrow 3-1 4 Tina Ballerina(L),122 J Castellano 1-7-7 Abreu 9-2 5 Agra(L),118 J Alvarado 3-1-5 Mott 5-1 6 Bernietakescharge(M),118 T McCarthy 2-3-2 Schettino 8-1 7 Oversubscribed(GB)(L),122 I Ortiz, Jr 1-x-x C Brown 8-5 8 Blenheim Baby(L),120 J Lezcano 2-10-1 Rice 7-2 l3 6 fur(T); $150,000; License Fee; 4up(f) The 1st of 2 stakes on the card is the License Fee. DONTLOOKBACKATALL placed 2nd in the Glen Cove here last October. Resurfaced at Gulfstream in March and got beat a neck. Clement gets Irad to seal the deal. HOT FUDGE MTO. 2 for 2 over the wet. RISK FREE is 0 for 3 on turf after losing by 2 3/4 at this distance. Tough spot to earn lawn degree and she will be priced accordingly. GAL IN A RUSH moves to a stake off back-to-back wins last summer. May need a race. And LADY MILAGRO is 2 for 2 over the Aqueduct lawn. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds 1 Risk Free,118 J Gomez 4-4-6 DeLauro 15-1 2 Gal in a Rush,118 F Prat 1-1-2 Clement 5-2 3 Lady Milagro,122 L Rivera, Jr 7-1-4 C Martin 3-1 4 Dontlookbackatall,118 I Ortiz, Jr 2-2-1 Clement 8-5 5 Honey Pants,124 M Franco 2-1-5 Thomas 5-2 6 Hot Fudge,122 K Carmouche 5-1-1 Rice 4-5 7 Everyoneloveslinda,118 E Cancel 1-2-2 Rice 5-2 l4 7 fur; $28,000; clm($16,000); 3up A FREEZE POP to kick-start the Pick 5. Moves lower to make seasonal debut for Falcone. Ran 3rd twice prior to the layoff. Franco a good sign. YOUBETTERBEJOKING was 3rd last pair as well. At Aqueduct in April. Runnerup at this level in January. THANK YOU JON Claimed by Begg after a disappointing 9th as fave. Irad makes us look. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds 1 a-Deputy Connect(L),123 L Luzzi 5-3-7 Rice 2-1 2 My Man Woody(L),120 E Ruiz 1-6-4 B Brown 20-1 3 Thank You Jon(L),123 I Ortiz, Jr 9-4-5 Begg 5-2 4 Flashy Alex(L),123 S Camacho, Jr 2-6-8 Persaud 20-1 5 Bargaining Power(L),118 A Bocachica 3-5-6 Potts 10-1 6 Opportunity Set(L),123 J Gomez 8-8-6 Rodriguez 12-1 1A a-YoubetterbejokingL,123 J Lezcano 3-3-6 Rice 2-1 7 Midnight Express(L),125 R Maragh 4-5-1 Rodriguez 6-1 8 Freeze Pop(L),123 M Franco 3-3-5 Falcone 3-1 l5 6 fur; $85,000; alw; 3up(f) Big run from LITTLE LINZEE. Won by 5 widening lengths after losing to True Empress in February. Ready for rematch. Maragh rides for Schettino. JACKSONS DIXIE and TRUE EMPRESS ran home 1-2 in March. Jacksons Dixie ran again and finished up the track after stretching to 7 furlongs. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds 1 Jackson's Dixie(L),125 J Lezcano 8-1-1 Rice 5-2 2 Harlan's Bond(L),123 J Gomez 2-3-3 Donk 9-2 3 Tempermental(L),121 I Ortiz, Jr 4-3-2 Englehart 3-1 4 True Empress(L),123 L Rivera, Jr 2-1-2 C Martin 9-2 5 My First Love(L),116 A Bocachica 5-2-6 Potts 15-1 6 Little Linzee(L),123 R Maragh 1-5-6 Schettino 4-1 7 Backed by Gold(L),121 S Camacho, Jr 1-5-5 Quick 8-1 l6 6 1/2 fur; $39,000; clm($25,000); 3up Dancing with SINFUL DANCER if the M/L sticks. Turf to dirt and lower 2nd off the layoff for Figueroa. Midpack with allowance last dirt start. TWELTH MAN races 2nd off the shelf as well. Close 3rd at this level last month. Note: 1 for 15 at the Big A. BAD LARRY was 5th with comparable then 3rd after sliding lower. Bocachica rides for Potts; blinkers on. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds 1 Midnight Worker(L),123 D Grisals Rave 3-4-5 Persaud 15-1 2 Face Abarrio(L),123 A Adorno 6-3-3 Atras 9-2 3 Bad Larry(L),120 A Bocachica 3-5-3 Potts 6-1 4 Winning Connection(L),123 I Ortiz, Jr 7-7-4 Noda 4-1 5 Sinful Dancer(L),123 T McCarthy 12-4-7 Figueroa 8-1 6 Inspeightoftrainer(L),123 K Carmouche 7-2-6 Maker 8-1 7 Feathers Road(L),123 J Lezcano 7-4-1 Rice 9-2 8 Twelth Man(L),123 R Maragh 3-5-2 Nevin 5-2 l7 6 fur; $150,000; Gold Fever; 3YO Caught midstretch after building a 4 length lead in the Bay Shore, MAXIMUS MERIDIUS cuts back to 6 furlongs in the Gold Fever. Rider change to Rosario. DONCHO won his first 2 starts then stretched to 7/8 and finished 4th of 7 in the Lafayette at Keeneland. Rebound in cards. BILLAL moves to a stake off an optional claiming win at Keeneland. ELIMINATE was 3rd behind top pick in the Bay Shore. IRIDESCENT has hit the board 6 of 7 on dirt. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds 1 Buccherino,120 L Rivera, Jr 1-6-1 Velazquez 15-1 2 Iridescent,118 M Franco 3-2-2 Jacobson 10-1 3 Doncho,118 J Torres 4-1-1 Lovell 5-2 4 Billal,118 J Alvarado 1-4-8 Mott 3-1 5 Yo Yo Candy,124 A Castillo 6-5-10 Velazquez 20-1 6 Eliminate,118 I Ortiz, Jr 3-9-1 Pletcher 6-1 7 Pirate,118 J Velazquez 4-3-1 Pletcher 5-1 8 Maximus Meridius,118 J Rosario 2-4-1 Reid 7-2 l8 6 fur; $55,000; clm($25,000); 4up The speedy CHUCK WILLIS has won 3 of 4 here this winter/spring. Irad again. AMUNDSUN edged similar by a 1/2 length. Can he run down top pick? MR PHIL has been 3rd best, last three starts. Again? DOTS DOLLAR has landed in the money 8 of 11 at Aqueduct. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds 2 Bourbon's Hope(L),118 M Olver 6-7-3 Jones 20-1 1 a-Clem Labine(L),118 J Gomez 1-5-4 Jacobson 5-1 3 Chuck Willis(IRE)(L),123 I Ortiz, Jr 1-3-1 Potts 2-1 1A a-Mr Phil(L),118 S Camacho, Jr 3-3-3 Jacobson 5-1 4 Cash Now(L),118 A Castillo 11-3-2 Sanchz-Pinero 30-1 5 Dot's Dollar(L),113 A Bocachica 2-3-7 Potts 6-1 6 Bronx Bomber(L),118 M Franco 3-3-2 Kantarmaci 10-1 7 Morning Cup(L),118 R Maragh 1-1-4 Belsoeur 12-1 8 Chateau(L),118 L Rivera, Jr 4-1-1 Rodriguez 6-1 9 Amundson(L),120 F Prat 1-5-2 Kantarmaci 3-1 Post Time: 1:05 p.m. [email protected] Lock of the Day Dontlookbackatall (3rd) Lock Record: 1 for 3 (33%) Belmont at the Big A Analysis by Vic Cangialosi Meet Record: 6/28 $34.90 PLAY OF THE DAY Miss Lao (9-2) flashed speed in her grass debut but gave way mid-stretch. Loss of -$30. Two bets on Sunday. Play $30 to win on Dontlookbackatall in Race 3 and $4 across the board on Sinful Dancer in Race 6. — Vic Cangialosi FIRST-1 1/16 mile; $90,000; mdn; 3up (f&m) 1 Spaliday (Cancel) 5.00 2.80 2.40 2 Postve Crry (IRE) (Frnco) 2.60 2.20 6 Just the Sky (Carmouche) 3.00 • $1 Exacta (1-2) $6.10 • $0.1 Superfecta (1- 2-6-5) $3.60 • $0.5 Trifecta (1-2-6) $10.45 Winner picked by Vic C SECOND-1 mile; $100,000; alw; 3YO F 4 Atmn Evnng (Frnc) 6.40 3.30 2.90 3 Camera (Carmouche) 3.00 2.70 2 Play Good Pay Good (Cancel) 3.50 • $1 Daily Double (1-4) $11.40 • $1 Exacta (4- 3) $8.20 • $1 Quinella (3-4) $4.30 • $0.1 Superfecta (4-3-2-5) $7.67 • $0.5 Trifecta (4- 3-2) $17.75 Quinella picked by Vic C THIRD-1 mile; $78,000; clm($50,000); 4up 5 Gntlmn Jo (Cstllo) 6.60 3.30 2.70 3 Magnola Mdnght (Frnco) 3.10 2.30 6 Lord Captain (Lezcano) 2.60 Scr: Alternate Reality, Bold Endeavor • $1 Pick 3 (1-4-5) $48.75 • $1 Daily Double (4-5) $13.70 • $1 Exacta (5-3) $12.50 • $0.1 Superfecta (5-3-6-2) $9.97 • $0.5 Trifecta (5- 3-6) $19.50 FOURTH-1 mile; $65,000; st alc($50,000); 3up 2 Mghty Atls (Frnco) 3.80 2.60 2.10 1 Lucency (Gomez) 3.20 2.10 3 Debate (Lezcano) 2.10 Scr: Nineteen Oysters • $1 Pick 3 (4-5-2) $37.00 • $1 Daily Double (5-2) $10.20 • $1 Exacta (2-1) $8.00 • $1 Quinella (1-2) $5.60 • $0.1 Superfecta (2-1-3- 4) $2.27 • $0.5 Trifecta (2-1-3) $4.90 FIFTH-1 1/16 mile; $65,000; alw; 3up 4 Mrcle Mke (Cncel) 6.30 4.10 3.20 9 Vctors Valant (McCrthy) 6.20 4.70 5 Addicted to You (Carmouche) 9.90 Scr: Harvard • $1 Pick 3 (5-2-4) $48.25 • $0.5 Pick 4 (4-5- 2/5-4/10) $83.37 • $0.5 Pick 5 (1-4-5-2/5-4/10) $298.00 • $1 Daily Double (2-4) $6.10 • $1 Exacta (4-9) $21.50 • $0.1 Superfecta (4-9-5- 6) $161.45 • $0.5 Trifecta (4-9-5) $159.25 SIXTH-1 mile; $100,000; alc; 3up 5 Cascais (Franco) 5.70 2.70 2.40 3 Drke's Pssge (Crmouch) 2.70 2.50 1 Hero's Medal (Lezcano) 4.20 Scr: Aztec • $1 Pick 3 (2-4-5) $28.25 • $1 Daily Double (4-5) $12.10 • $1 Exacta (5-3) $5.10 • $0.1 Superfecta (5-3-1-2) $3.17 • $0.5 Trifecta (5- 3-1) $6.65 SEVENTH-6½ fur; $42,000; clm($16,000); 4up 6 Poppy's Prd (Luzz) 20.00 8.60 6.20 9 Heir Port (Gomez) 8.40 5.00 7 Predicted (HernandezMoreno) 6.60 Scr: Clem Labine, Good Juju, Red D G P • $1 Pick 3 (4-5-6) $103.00 • $1 Daily Double (5-6) $27.75 • $1 Exacta (6-9) $35.75 • $0.1 Superfecta (6-9-7-5) $159.15 • $0.5 Trifecta (6-9-7) $237.25 EIGHTH-1 ¹/8m; $200,000; Fort Marcy; 4up 1 Mstr Pc (CHI) (Dvs) 7.00 2.70 2.10 5 Ottomn Flet (GB) (Mulln) 2.10 2.10 6 Pioneering Spirit (Lezcano) 2.10 Scr: Exact Estimate, Atone, Siege of Boston • $1 Pick 3 (5-6-1) $115.50 • $0.5 Pick 4 (4/10- 5-6-1) $290.75 • $0.5 Pick 5 (2/5-4/10-5-6-1) $877.50 • $1 Daily Double (6-1) $38.00 • $1 Exacta (1-5) $7.40 • $0.1 Superfecta (1-5-6-3) $1.84 • $0.5 Trifecta (1-5-6) $8.10 NINTH-6 fur; $150,000; Elusive Quality; 4up 5 Dncng Buck (Frnc) 8.50 4.50 3.50 6 Amercn Monrch (Lzcno) 4.90 3.50 7 Alogon (Carmouche) 5.30 • $1 Pick 3 (6-1-5) $159.50 • $1 Daily Double (1-5) $21.20 • $1 Exacta (5-6) $29.50 • $0.1 Superfecta (5-6-7-1) $172.65 • $0.5 Trifecta (5-6-7) $73.37 Winner picked by Vic C TENTH-1 mile; $200,000; Ruffian; 4up (f&m) 4 Sl f n Angl (McCrthy) 51.00 9.60 5.10 1 Randomized (Franco) 2.10 2.10 6 Shidabhuti (Davis) 2.80 Scr: Traverse • $1 Grand Slam (6/7/9-1/2/4/5/6/8-5/6/7-4) $415.50 • $1 Pick 3 (1-5-4) $581.50 • $1 Daily Double (5-4) $97.75 • $1 Exacta (4-1) $64.50 • $0.1 Superfecta (4-1-6-3) $106.20 • $0.5 Trifecta (4-1-6) $124.62 • $1 Pick 3 (1-5-4) $581.50 • $1 Daily Double (5-4) $97.75 • $1 Exacta (4-1) $64.50 • $0.1 Show (4-1-6-3) $106.20 • $0.5 Trifecta (4-1-6) $124.62 • $1 Place Pick 9 (6/7/9-1/2/4/5/6/8-5/6/7-4) $415.50 ELEVENTH-1 1/16 mile; $75,000; mdn; 3up(f) 2 Bxd Wn (Crmuch) 7.60 3.90 3.30 9 Addagirl Addie (Luzzi) 32.60 13.80 10 Lu's Redemption (Ramsay) 5.50 Scr: Lil' Hayadoin, Splashy, La Fiere, Alittlebitnaughty • $1 Pick 6 (5-6-1-5-4-2) pays $502.50 • $1 Pick 6 (5-6-1-5-4-2) $60099.00 • $1 Pick 3 (5-4- 2) $565.00 • $0.5 Pick 4 (1-5-4-2) $1290.00 • $0.5 Pick 5 (6-1-5-4-2) $11647.00 • $1 Daily Double (4-2) $105.00 • $1 Exacta (2-9) $252.50 • $0.1 Superfecta (2-9-10-3) $3500.35 • $0.5 Trifecta (2-9-10) $1039.50 • $1 Pick 3 (5-4-2) $565.00 • $0.5 Pick 4 (1-5-4-2) $1290.00 • $0.5 Pick 5 (6-1-5-4-2) $11647.00 • $1 Pick 6 (5-6-1- 5-4-2) $502.50 • $1 Pick 6 (5-6-1-5-4-2) $60099.00 • $1 Daily Double (4-2) $105.00 • $1 Exacta (2-9) $252.50 • $0.1 Show (2-9-10-3) $3500.35 • $0.5 Trifecta (2-9-10) $1039.50 Aqueduct Results

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 60 AL Standings East W L Pct. GB *WGB L10 Streak Home Away Baltimore 22 11 .667 — — 7-3 W-3 12-7 10-4 Yankees 22 13 .629 1 +1½ 5-5 W-2 10-5 12-8 Boston 18 16 .529 4½ 2 5-5 L-3 7-9 11-7 Tampa Bay 16 18 .471 6½ 4 4-6 W-2 10-9 6-9 Toronto 16 18 .471 6½ 4 3-7 W-1 8-7 8-11 Central W L Pct. GB *WGB L10 Streak Home Away Cleveland 21 12 .636 — — 4-6 W-1 9-5 12-7 Minnesota 19 13 .594 1½ — 10-0 W-12 8-6 11-7 Kansas City 20 14 .588 1½ — 6-4 L-1 13-6 7-8 Detroit 18 15 .545 3 1½ 5-5 L-2 8-9 10-6 Chicago 7 26 .212 14 12½ 4-6 W-1 5-12 2-14 West W L Pct. GB *WGB L10 Streak Home Away Seattle 18 15 .545 — — 6-4 W-1 11-8 7-7 Texas 18 16 .529 ½ 2 6-4 W-1 10-9 8-7 Oakland 17 17 .500 1½ 3 8-2 W-6 9-9 8-8 Houston 12 21 .364 6 7½ 5-5 L-1 7-11 5-10 Los Angeles 12 21 .364 6 7½ 3-7 L-1 4-11 8-10 *WGB: Games behind third-place team in wild-card race Saturday Yankees 5, Detroit 3 Tampa Bay 3, Mets 1 Minnesota 3, Boston 1 White Sox 6, St. Louis 5, 10 inn. Oakland 20, Miami 4 Toronto 6, Washington 3 Cleveland 7, L.A. Angels 1 Baltimore 2, Cincinnati 1 Seattle 5, Houston 0 Texas 15, Kansas City 4 Sunday Detroit at Yankees, 1:35 Mets at Tampa Bay, 1:40 Toronto at Washington, 1:35 L.A. Angels at Cleveland, 1:40 Boston at Minnesota, 2:10 Seattle at Houston, 2:10 Texas at Kansas City, 2:10 White Sox at St. Louis, 2:15 Miami at Oakland, 4:07 Baltimore at Cincinnati, 4:10 Monday Detroit at Cleveland, 6:10 L.A. Angels at Pittsburgh, 6:40 White Sox at Tampa Bay, 6:50 Milwaukee at Kansas City, 7:40 Seattle at Minnesota, 7:40 Texas at Oakland, 9:40 NL Standings East W L Pct. GB *WGB L10 Streak Home Away Philadelphia 23 11 .676 — — 8-2 W-4 12-6 11-5 Atlanta 20 11 .645 1½ +4½ 5-5 L-2 11-4 9-7 Mets 16 17 .485 6½ ½ 4-6 L-2 9-10 7-7 Washington 16 17 .485 6½ ½ 6-4 L-1 5-9 11-8 Miami 9 26 .257 14½ 8½ 3-7 L-2 5-15 4-11 Central W L Pct. GB *WGB L10 Streak Home Away Milwaukee 20 12 .625 — — 6-4 L-1 7-7 13-5 Chicago 20 14 .588 1 +3 5-5 W-1 11-4 9-10 Cincinnati 16 17 .485 4½ ½ 3-7 L-4 9-9 7-8 St. Louis 15 18 .455 5½ 1½ 5-5 L-1 6-8 9-10 Pittsburgh 15 19 .441 6 2 2-8 W-1 6-8 9-11 West W L Pct. GB *WGB L10 Streak Home Away Los Angeles 22 13 .629 — — 8-2 W-3 11-8 11-5 San Diego 18 18 .500 4½ — 5-5 W-4 8-12 10-6 San Francisco 15 19 .441 6½ 2 4-6 L-2 9-7 6-12 Arizona 14 20 .412 7½ 3 3-7 L-3 8-10 6-10 Colorado 8 25 .242 13 8½ 3-7 L-1 5-10 3-15 *WGB: Games behind third-place team in wild-card race Saturday Tampa Bay 3, Mets 1 Cubs 6, Milwaukee 5 White Sox 6, St. Louis 5, 10 inn. Pittsburgh 1, Colorado 0 Oakland 20, Miami 4 Toronto 6, Washington 3 Baltimore 2, Cincinnati 1 Philadelphia 14, San Francisco 3 San Diego 13, Arizona 1 L.A. Dodgers 11, Atlanta 2 Sunday Mets at Tampa Bay, 1:40 Colorado at Pittsburgh, 1:35 Toronto at Washington, 1:35 White Sox at St. Louis, 2:15 Milwaukee at Cubs, 2:20 Miami at Oakland, 4:07 Atlanta at L.A. Dodgers, 4:10 Baltimore at Cincinnati, 4:10 San Diego at Arizona, 4:10 San Francisco at Philadelphia, 7:10 Monday Mets at St. Louis, 7:45 San Francisco at Philadelphia, 4:05 L.A. Angels at Pittsburgh, 6:40 Milwaukee at Kansas City, 7:40 San Diego at Cubs, 7:40 Miami at L.A. Dodgers, 10:10 Yankees 5, Tigers 3 Detroit AB R H BI BB SO Avg Greene lf 3 1 1 1 0 2 .276 Canha dh 4 0 0 0 0 2 .255 Pérez cf 4 1 2 0 0 2 .302 Carpenter rf 2 0 0 0 1 1 .260 Vierling 3b 4 1 2 1 0 2 .289 Keith 2b 1 0 0 1 0 0 .155 Ibáñez ph-2b 2 0 1 0 0 1 .333 Torkelson 1b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .205 McKinstry ss 4 0 1 0 0 1 .216 Kelly c 3 0 0 0 0 1 .176 Totals 31 3 7 3 1 14 Yankees AB R H BI BB SO Avg Volpe ss 3 1 0 0 1 1 .258 Soto rf 4 1 1 0 0 0 .318 Judge cf 4 2 2 1 0 2 .209 Grisham cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .071 Verdugo lf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .270 Stanton dh 4 0 1 1 0 1 .225 Rizzo 1b 4 1 2 3 0 0 .263 Torres 2b 4 0 1 0 0 2 .221 Trevino c 3 0 1 0 0 0 .281 Cabrera 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .239 Totals 33 5 9 5 1 8 Detroit 100 200 000 — 3 7 0 Yankees 104 000 00x — 5 9 0 LOB: Detroit 5, New York 5. 2B: Judge (7). 3B: Vierling (2). HR: Greene (8), off Schmidt; Rizzo (6), off Mize. RBIs: Greene (16), Vierling (11), Keith (8), Stanton (18), Judge (19), Rizzo 3 (20). SF: Keith. Runners left in scoring position: Detroit 1 (Torkelson); New York 2 (Volpe, Rizzo). RISP: Detroit 0 for 2; New York 3 for 9. Detroit IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Mize, L, 1-1 5.1 9 5 5 1 6 93 3.98 Holton 1.2 0 0 0 0 2 23 4.80 Vest 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 11 4.40 Yankees IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Schmidt, W, 3-1 5.0 4 3 3 0 7 91 3.50 Ferguson, H, 6 0.1 1 0 0 1 1 20 4.15 Weaver, H, 3 2.1 1 0 0 0 4 38 2.86 Holmes, S, 11-12 1.1 1 0 0 0 2 15 0.00 T: 2:34. A: 45,017 (47,309). Twins 3, Red Sox 1 Boston AB R H BI BB SO Avg Ja.Duran cf 2 0 0 0 1 0 .257 Refsnyder ph-rf 0 0 0 0 1 0 .343 Devers 3b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .286 O'Neill lf 4 1 1 0 0 3 .292 Abreu rf-cf 4 0 2 1 0 2 .307 Wong c 4 0 1 0 0 2 .346 Smith dh 4 0 2 0 0 0 .250 Cooper 1b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .077 Hamilton 2b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .214 Rafaela ss 3 0 1 0 0 1 .198 McGuire ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .250 Totals 33 1 8 1 3 12 Minnesota AB R H BI BB SO Avg Jeffers dh 4 0 1 0 0 1 .296 Miranda 3b 3 1 1 0 0 0 .300 Farmer 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .136 Castro lf-cf 4 1 2 0 0 1 .290 Correa ss 3 0 0 2 0 1 .255 Kepler rf 4 1 2 1 0 1 .273 Santana 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .178 Vázquez c 4 0 1 0 0 1 .215 A.Martin cf 2 0 1 0 0 1 .231 Kirilloff ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .244 Margot lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .182 Julien 2b 2 0 0 0 1 1 .218 Totals 31 3 8 3 1 8 Boston 100 000 000 — 1 8 0 Minnesota 100 101 00x — 3 8 0 LOB: Boston 8, Minnesota 7. 2B: O'Neill (3), Jeffers (10). HR: Kepler (2), off Booser. RBIs: Abreu (13), Correa 2 (7), Kepler (11). SB: Hamilton (3), A.Martin (3), Castro (4). SF: Correa. DP: Minnesota 1 (Santana, Correa, Santana). Boston IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Bernardino 1.0 1 1 0 0 1 12 0.68 Weissert 2.0 1 0 0 0 3 29 1.20 Booser, L, 0-1 1.1 2 1 1 0 2 22 3.86 Slaten 1.2 3 1 1 0 1 29 0.95 Anderson 2.0 1 0 0 1 1 35 4.86 Minnesota IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA López, W, 3-2 6.0 5 1 1 1 8 99 4.30 Alcala, H, 2 0.2 2 0 0 1 0 21 0.00 Okert, H, 2 0.1 0 0 0 1 1 14 3.38 Jh.Duran, H, 1 1.0 1 0 0 0 2 15 0.00 Sands, S, 2-3 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 9 2.93 T: 2:34. A: 23,587 (38,544). Cubs 6, Brewers 5 Milwaukee AB R H BI BB SO Avg Frelick rf 4 0 2 0 1 1 .252 Contreras c 5 0 1 1 0 1 .336 Black dh 5 0 0 0 0 3 .200 Adames ss 5 0 0 0 0 2 .266 Turang 2b 3 0 0 0 1 0 .308 Hoskins 1b 3 1 1 0 1 1 .231 Dunn 3b 4 1 1 1 0 1 .232 Perkins cf 3 2 1 2 1 1 .267 Chourio lf 4 1 2 0 0 1 .223 Totals 36 5 8 4 4 11 Chicago AB R H BI BB SO Avg Hoerner 2b 4 1 2 1 0 0 .286 Tauchman rf 3 1 0 0 1 1 .267 Happ lf 3 1 2 0 1 1 .233 Morel 3b 3 1 1 2 1 2 .213 Madrigal 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .195 Busch 1b 4 1 1 1 0 0 .270 Swanson ss 3 0 0 0 1 1 .218 Wisdom dh 4 1 2 2 0 1 .250 Crow-Armstrong cf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .226 Amaya c 4 0 0 0 0 1 .197 Totals 32 6 8 6 4 9 Milwaukee 000 000 401 — 5 8 0 Chicago 202 001 01x — 6 8 2 E: Hoerner (6), Tauchman (1). LOB: Milwaukee 8, Chicago 6. 2B: Frelick (4). 3B: Dunn (2), Busch (1). HR: Perkins (4), off Thompson; Hoerner (1), off Myers; Morel (7), off Myers; Wisdom (1), off Vieira. RBIs: Dunn (6), Perkins 2 (13), Contreras (27), Hoerner (8), Busch (18), Morel 2 (20), Wisdom 2 (6). SB: Wisdom (2). RISP: Milwaukee 2 for 9; Chicago 1 for 9. Milwaukee IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Myers, L, 0-2 3.0 3 4 4 4 2 62 6.23 Koenig 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 11 0.93 Milner 1.0 1 0 0 0 2 17 2.70 Vieira 1.0 2 1 1 0 2 18 5.17 Hudson 2.0 2 1 1 0 2 26 0.93 Chicago IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Taillon, W, 3-0 6.0 2 0 0 2 7 99 1.12 Thompson 0.0 3 4 3 1 0 16 3.38 Leiter, H, 7 2.0 1 0 0 0 3 20 0.59 Neris, S, 6-7 1.0 2 1 1 1 1 22 3.46 Blue Jays 6, Nationals 3 T: 2:30. A: 40,505 (41,363). Toronto AB R H BI BB SO Avg Springer rf 5 1 1 0 0 0 .205 Varsho lf 4 0 2 0 1 0 .238 Guerrero 1b 5 1 1 0 0 0 .231 Turner 3b 4 1 1 1 0 2 .294 Clement 3b 0 0 0 0 1 0 .273 Bichette ss 3 1 1 0 0 1 .202 Kiner-Falefa ss 2 0 0 0 0 1 .247 Vogelbach dh 5 0 0 1 0 1 .107 Jansen c 3 1 2 1 1 0 .306 Biggio 2b 4 0 0 0 0 3 .205 Kiermaier cf 4 1 1 2 0 1 .197 Totals 39 6 9 5 3 9 Washington AB R H BI BB SO Avg Abrams ss 4 0 2 1 0 0 .287 Senzel 3b 5 0 1 1 0 3 .246 L.García 2b 4 0 2 1 1 2 .309 Meneses dh 4 0 0 0 1 1 .221 Winker lf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .241 Ruiz c 4 0 0 0 0 0 .145 Rosario rf 3 1 1 0 1 2 .096 Call cf 3 1 0 0 0 2 .313 Lipscomb 1b 2 1 0 0 2 1 .253 Totals 33 3 6 3 5 13 Toronto 400 000 020 — 6 9 1 Washington 000 000 201 — 3 6 4 E: Richards (1), Senzel 2 (2), Lipscomb (5), L.García (1). LOB: Toronto 9, Washington 10. 2B: Jansen (5). HR: Kiermaier (1), off Law. RBIs: Turner (16), Vogelbach (2), Jansen (4), Kiermaier 2 (5), Abrams (19), Senzel (11), L.García (15). SB: Rosario (3), Abrams (8). SF: Abrams. Runners left in scoring position: Toronto 5 (Kiner-Falefa 2, Kiermaier 2, Vogelbach); Washington 6 (Rosario, Meneses 2, Lipscomb, L.García, Winker). RISP: Toronto 3 for 12; Washington 2 for 11. Toronto IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Gausman, W, 2-3 5.1 3 0 0 2 8 112 3.78 Little 1.0 0 1 1 1 2 1510.80 Pearson 0.1 1 1 1 1 0 18 4.76 Mayza, H, 5 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 5 6.17 Richards 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 12 3.45 Romano 1.0 2 1 1 1 1 25 4.05 Washington IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Irvin, L, 2-3 5.0 5 4 0 1 4 107 3.72 Weems 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 18 4.26 Law 2.0 4 2 2 0 3 29 3.43 Rainey 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 18 9.00 T: 2:59. A: 22,836 (41,376). Pirates 1, Rockies 0 Colorado AB R H BI BB SO Avg Tovar ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 .258 Doyle cf 3 0 0 0 0 3 .288 McMahon 3b 3 0 0 0 0 2 .311 Díaz c 3 0 1 0 0 0 .301 Montero 1b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .208 Blackmon dh 3 0 0 0 0 0 .212 Rodgers 2b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .230 Cave rf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .212 Beck lf 3 0 0 0 0 2 .167 Totals 28 0 1 0 0 11 Pittsburgh AB R H BI BB SO Avg McCutchen dh 4 0 1 0 0 0 .182 Reynolds lf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .235 Hayes 3b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .254 Joe 1b 3 1 2 0 1 0 .292 Olivares rf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .200 Grandal c 4 0 1 0 0 0 .250 Triolo 2b 1 0 0 0 3 1 .225 Cruz ss 3 0 0 0 1 2 .234 Taylor cf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .238 Suwinski ph 1 0 1 1 0 0 .172 Totals 31 1 6 1 5 7 Colorado 000 000 000 — 0 1 0 Pittsburgh 000 000 001 — 1 6 0 Two outs when winning run scored. LOB: Colorado 1, Pittsburgh 9. 2B: Díaz (6), Hayes (7). RBIs: Suwinski (9). Runners left in scoring position: Colorado 1 (Rodgers); Pittsburgh 2 (Olivares, Cruz). RISP: Colorado 0 for 3; Pittsburgh 1 for 5. Colorado IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Gomber 6.0 4 0 0 2 3 88 3.79 Vodnik 2.0 0 0 0 1 3 37 2.29 Mears, L, 0-3 0.2 2 1 1 2 1 22 6.08 Pittsburgh IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Jones 7.0 1 0 0 0 10 96 2.63 Holderman 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 9 1.04 Bednar, W, 2-2 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 1010.50 T: 2:13. A: 24,149 (38,753). White Sox 6, Cardinals 5 10 inn. Chicago AB R H BI BB SO Avg Lopez 2b 5 1 1 0 0 3 .207 Pham cf-rf 4 1 1 1 1 0 .323 Sheets 1b 2 1 1 1 1 0 .260 Vaughn ph-1b 2 0 0 0 0 1 .193 Jiménez dh 3 1 1 1 1 0 .230 Benintendi lf 5 1 1 0 0 1 .195 Grossman rf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .200 Ramos 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Lee c 4 0 2 2 0 0 .271 DeJong ss 4 0 1 0 0 1 .210 Shewmake 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .140 b-Ortega ph-cf 1 1 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 37 6 8 5 3 8 St. Louis AB R H BI BB SO Avg Donovan lf 5 1 1 2 0 0 .214 Contreras c 2 1 0 0 3 1 .276 Goldschmidt 1b 5 0 0 0 0 2 .215 Arenado 3b 3 1 3 3 2 0 .296 Burleson dh-rf 5 0 0 0 0 1 .244 Nootbaar rf-cf 5 0 0 0 0 1 .162 Winn ss 5 0 0 0 0 1 .264 Gorman 2b 2 1 0 0 2 1 .182 Herrera ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .220 Siani cf 3 1 1 0 0 1 .191 Fermín ph 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333 Fernandez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Totals 36 5 5 5 7 9 Chicago 200 102 000 1 — 6 8 0 St. Louis 000 050 000 0 — 5 5 1 E: Gorman (2). LOB: Chicago 6, St. Louis 10. 2B: Sheets (8), Lee (3), Donovan (7). HR: Arenado (2), off Fedde. RBIs: Sheets (12), Jiménez (10), Lee 2 (8), Pham (3), Donovan 2 (18), Arenado 3 (19). SB: Fermín (1). CS: Lee (1). SF: Jiménez. RISP: Chicago 3 for 11; St. Louis 3 for 13. Chicago IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Fedde 4.1 4 5 5 5 2 91 3.46 Hill 2.0 0 0 0 0 1 25 3.38 Wilson 0.2 0 0 0 0 2 11 3.21 Leone 0.0 0 0 0 1 0 5 6.75 Leasure 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 6 2.77 Kopech, W, 1-3 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 21 4.15 Brebbia, H, 2 0.2 1 0 0 0 2 19 4.50 Banks, S, 1-2 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 4 5.65 St. Louis IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Lynn 5.0 4 5 4 3 4 94 3.28 Kittredge, BS, 0-1 2.0 1 0 0 0 2 27 0.64 Romero 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 15 1.53 Helsley 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 11 1.50 Fernandez, L, 0-1 1.0 2 1 0 0 0 19 2.70 T: 3:12. A: 38,559 (44,494). Guardians 7, Angels 1 Los Angeles AB R H BI BB SO Avg Schanuel 1b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .242 Adrianza 3b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .182 Ward lf 3 0 2 0 0 1 .280 Tucker ph-lf 1 0 0 0 0 1 .333 Calhoun dh 4 0 1 0 0 1 .500 Drury 2b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .169 O'Hoppe c 2 0 0 0 0 1 .260 Thaiss c 2 0 0 0 0 0 .250 Adell rf 2 1 0 0 1 0 .265 Pillar ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .200 Moniak cf 2 0 0 0 1 0 .159 Neto ss 3 0 1 1 0 0 .232 Totals 31 1 4 1 3 8 Cleveland AB R H BI BB SO Avg Kwan lf 1 0 0 0 1 0 .353 Arias lf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .250 Brennan lf 1 0 1 0 0 0 .253 Rocchio ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 .213 Ramírez 3b 3 1 0 0 1 0 .227 Fry 1b 3 1 1 0 1 1 .327 Laureano rf 3 1 1 1 1 2 .161 Giménez 2b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .270 Freeman cf 3 2 1 0 1 0 .194 B.Naylor dh 4 1 1 4 0 2 .183 Hedges c 3 1 1 2 0 1 .133 Totals 30 7 6 7 5 8 Los Angeles 000 010 000 — 1 4 0 Cleveland 020 104 00x — 7 6 1 E: Rocchio (3). LOB: Los Angeles 6, Cleveland 4. 2B: Calhoun (2). HR: Hedges (1), off Detmers; Laureano (1), off Detmers; B.Naylor (3), off Detmers. RBIs: Neto (12), Hedges 2 (5), Laureano (4), B.Naylor 4 (9). SB: Adell (6), Neto (5). CS: Ward (3). RISP: Los Angeles 1 for 7; Cleveland 1 for 5. Runners moved up: Drury, Thaiss. Los Angeles IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Detmers, L, 3-3 5.2 5 7 7 4 7 95 4.24 Strickland 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2.77 Fulmer 2.0 1 0 0 1 1 35 3.21 Cleveland IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Lively, W, 1-1 6.0 4 1 1 3 5 85 2.08 Sandlin 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 11 2.20 Smith 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 15 2.30 Barlow 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 17 2.76 T: 2:15. A: 26,292 (34,788). Rays 3, Mets 1 Mets AB R H BI BB SO Avg Nimmo lf 4 1 1 0 0 0 .218 Marte rf 3 0 2 1 1 1 .275 Lindor ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 .202 Alonso 1b 3 0 0 0 1 2 .214 Martinez dh 4 0 1 0 0 1 .267 McNeil 2b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .239 Bader cf 3 0 1 0 1 1 .283 Baty 3b 4 0 1 0 0 2 .270 Nido c 3 0 0 0 0 1 .200 Stewart ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .196 Totals 32 1 6 1 4 10 Tampa Bay AB R H BI BB SO Avg Y.Díaz 1b 4 1 2 0 0 0 .227 Palacios 2b 3 1 1 0 1 0 .311 Paredes 3b 3 1 2 1 1 0 .293 Arozarena lf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .140 Ramírez dh 3 0 0 0 0 2 .263 henton ph-dh 0 0 0 1 1 0 .171 Caballero ss 3 0 0 1 1 1 .269 Rortvedt c 3 0 2 0 0 0 .351 Rosario pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .309 Jackson c 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 DeLuca rf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .143 Siri cf 3 0 0 0 0 2 .180 Totals 30 3 7 3 4 9 Mets 100 000 000 — 1 6 2 Tampa Bay 100 000 02x — 3 7 0 walked for H.Ramírez in the 8th. b-grounded out for Nido in the 9th. 1-ran for Rortvedt in the 7th. E: Nido 2 (2). LOB: New York 8, Tampa Bay 7. 2B: Nimmo (7), Palacios (3). RBIs: Marte (15), Paredes (18), Shenton (3), Caballero (13). SB: Bader (5), Marte (7). CS: Bader (2). RISP: New York 1 for 10; Tampa Bay 2 for 8. DP: New York 1 (Baty, McNeil, Alonso); Tampa Bay 1 (Rortvedt, Caballero, Rortvedt). Mets IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Scott 6.2 5 1 1 1 6 94 1.35 Garrett 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 5 0.53 Ottavino, L, 1-1 0.2 2 2 2 2 1 35 2.92 Reid-Foley 0.1 0 0 0 1 1 11 0.00 Tampa Bay IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Littell 6.0 6 1 1 0 7 87 3.00 Cleavinger 1.0 0 0 0 1 3 19 2.19 Adam, W, 2-0 1.0 0 0 0 2 0 21 1.69 Maton, S, 1-3 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 19 6.39 T: 2:51. A: 18,968 (25,025).

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 61 ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S QUESTION: BO BELINSKY SUBMIT QUESTIONS TO: [email protected] POP QUIZ Question, from Gary Mintz of South Huntington: He recorded the last out of the 1980 World Series victory, and he appeared as himself in a 1999 episode of “Everybody Loves Raymond” as an alumnus of a second championship team. Name him. NWSL W L T Pts GF GA Kansas City 5 0 1 16 20 11 Orlando 4 0 3 15 13 7 Washington 5 3 0 15 16 11 Portland 4 3 1 13 17 14 North Carolina 4 4 0 12 12 10 Chicago 3 3 1 10 9 10 Angel City 3 3 1 10 9 11 Louisville 1 0 5 8 10 6 Gotham FC 2 2 2 8 45 San Diego 2 3 1 7 5 6 Seattle 2 5 0 6 7 10 Bay FC 2 5 0 6 12 17 Houston 1 3 2 5 6 14 Utah Royals FC 1 5 1 4 5 13 NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie. Saturday Gotham FC 1, North Carolina 0 Portland 2, Washington 1 Sunday Kansas City at Houston, 1pm Louisville at Orlando, 6pm Chicago at Bay FC, 8pm Wednesday Gotham FC at Houston, 8pm Utah Royals FC at San Diego, 10pm Kansas City at Seattle, 10pm Friday, May 10 Washington at Louisville, 8pm Saturday, May 11 Bay FC at Orlando, 7:30pm Seattle at Portland, 10pm NBA Playoffs FIRST ROUND Best-of-7; x-if necessary Eastern Conference Cleveland vs. Orlando Series tied, 3-3 Game 1: Cleveland 97, Orlando 83 Game 2 Cleveland 96, Orlando 86 Game 3: Orlando 121, Cleveland 83 Game 4: Orlando 112, Cleveland 89 Game 5: Cleveland 104, Orlando 103 Game 6: Orlando 103, Cleveland 96 Sun., Game 7: at Cleveland, 1pm Eastern Conference Semifinals Knicks vs. Indiana Mon.:: at Knicks, 7:30 p.m. Wed.: at Knicks, 8pm Fri.:: at Indiana, 7pm Sun.: at Indiana, 3:30 p.m. x-Tue., May 14: at Knicks, TBD x-Fri., May 17: at Indiana, TBD x-Sun., May 19: at Knicks, TBD Boston vs. Cleveland/Orlando Tue.: at Boston, 7pm Thu.: at Boston, 7pm Sat.: at Clev./Orl, 8:30 p.m. Mon,: at Clev./Orl., 7pm x-Wed., May 15: at Boston, TBD x-Fri., May 17: Clev./Orl., TBD May 19: at Boston, 1 p.m. Western Conference Semifinals Oklahoma City vs. Dallas Tue.: at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m. Thu.: at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m. Sat.: at Dallas, 3:30 p.m. Mon.: May 13: at Dallas, 9:30 p.m. x-Wed., May 15: at Oklahoma City, TBA x-Sat., May 18: at Dallas, 8:30pm x-Mon., May 20: at Oklahoma City, 8:30pm Denver vs. Minnesota Minnesota leads series, 1-0 Game 1: Minnesota 106,, Denver 99 Mon: at Denver, 10pm Fri.: at Minnesota, 9:30 p.m. Sun.: at Minnesota, 8pm x-Tue., May 14: at Denver, TBD x-Thu., May 16: at Minnesota, 8:30pm x-Sun., May 19: at Denver, TBD FINALS Best-of-7; x-if necessary TBD vs. TBD June 6: at Team TBD, TBA June 9: at Team TBD, TBA June 12: at Team TBD, TBA June 14: at Team TBD, TBA x-Mon., June 17: at Team TBD, TBA x-Thu., June 20: at Team TBD, TBA x-Sun., June 23: at Team TBD, TBA NBA Playoffs-Game 1 T’wolves 106, Nuggets 99 Minnesota Min FG FT O-Rb A PF Pts McDaniels 39:08 0-7 0-0 3-8 1 1 0 Towns 30:49 8-13 2-4 0-4 3 5 20 Gobert 35:17 3-6 0-0 1-13 3 4 6 Conley 31:06 5-8 1-1 0-4 10 3 14 Edwards 42:14 17-29 6-6 2-7 3 1 43 Reid 23:07 7-11 0-1 1-4 3 0 16 AlexanderWalker 22:40 2-6 0-0 0-0 0 2 5 Anderson 12:14 1-1 0-0 0-2 1 4 2 Morris 3:24 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Totals 240:00 43-82 9-12 7-42 24 20 106 Percentages: FG .524, FT .750. 3-point goals: 11-27, .407 (Conley 3-4, Edwards 3- 7, Reid 2-4, Towns 2-4, Alexander-Walker 1-5, Morris 0-1, McDaniels 0-2). Team rebounds: 5. Team turnovers: None. Blocked shots: 6 (Gobert 3, Edwards 2, McDaniels). Turnovers: 14 (Conley 4, Alexander-Walker 3, Reid 3, Anderson, Edwards, McDaniels, Towns). Steals: 4 (Conley, Edwards, Gobert, Reid). Technicals: Edwards, 1:15 third. Denver Min FG FT O-Rb A PF Pts Gordon 32:33 4-6 1-3 1-3 6 4 9 Porter Jr. 40:05 6-13 4-6 0-6 1 1 20 Jokic 40:56 11-25 8-8 1-8 9 4 32 CaldwellPope 37:26 2-4 0-0 0-2 3 2 6 Murray 34:17 6-14 3-3 0-1 4 4 17 Braun 19:00 3-5 0-0 0-2 0 0 7 Holiday 16:29 1-3 0-0 0-5 0 0 3 Jackson 13:43 2-3 0-0 1-3 1 1 5 Watson 5:30 0-2 0-0 0-4 0 2 0 Totals 240:00 35-75 16-20 3-34 24 18 99 Percentages: FG .467, FT .800. 3-point goals: 13-31, .419 (Porter Jr. 4-7, Caldwell-Pope 2-4, Murray 2-4, Jokic 2- 9, Braun 1-1, Jackson 1-1, Holiday 1-3, Gordon 0-1, Watson 0-1). Team rebounds: 5. Team turnovers: None. Blocked shots: 2 (Caldwell-Pope, Porter Jr.). Turnovers: 12 (Jokic 7, Porter Jr. 2, Caldwell-Pope, Gordon, Murray). Steals: 12 (Jokic 3, Porter Jr. 3, CaldwellPope 2, Gordon 2, Holiday, Jackson). Technicals: None. Minnesota 23 17 33 33—106 Denver 25 19 27 28— 99 A: 19,915 (19,520). Orioles 2, Reds 1 Baltimore AB R H BI BB SO Avg Henderson ss 3 0 1 0 1 1 .280 Rutschman dh 4 1 3 1 0 0 .321 Mountcastle 1b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .293 Santander rf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .200 Westburg 3b 4 0 0 0 0 3 .289 Mateo 2b 4 1 1 1 0 1 .265 Mullins cf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .206 McCann c 4 0 0 0 0 3 .218 McKenna lf 2 0 0 0 0 1 .400 Cowser ph-lf 1 0 0 0 0 1 .274 Totals 34 2 7 2 1 13 Cincinnati AB R H BI BB SO Avg India 2b 3 0 2 0 1 0 .225 Thompson pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .111 De La Cruz ss 4 0 0 0 0 3 .278 Steer lf 4 0 1 1 0 0 .246 Stephenson c 3 0 0 0 1 1 .211 EncarnacionStrand 1b 4 0 1 0 0 2 .193 Candelario dh 4 0 1 0 0 1 .190 Espinal 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .176 Benson rf 2 0 0 0 0 1 .200 Maile ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .156 Martini rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .184 Fairchild cf 2 0 0 0 0 1 .179 Fraley ph 1 1 1 0 0 0 .295 Totals 31 1 6 1 2 10 Baltimore 000 110 000 — 2 7 0 Cincinnati 000 000 001 — 1 6 0 LOB: Baltimore 6, Cincinnati 5. 2B: Mullins (3), India (3). HR: Mateo (2), off Abbott; Rutschman (5), off Abbott. RBIs: Mateo (4), Rutschman (20), Steer (23). SB: Steer (9). RISP: Baltimore 0 for 6; Cincinnati 1 for 5. DP: Baltimore 1 (Henderson, Mountcastle). Baltimore IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Means, W, 1-0 7.0 3 0 0 0 8 85 0.00 Pérez, H, 2 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 9 6.00 Kimbrel, H, 1 0.1 2 1 1 1 1 18 3.55 Cano, S, 1-2 0.2 0 0 0 1 1 14 2.08 Cincinnati IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Abbott, L, 1-4 5.0 7 2 2 0 8 84 3.32 Martinez 2.0 0 0 0 1 2 23 5.10 Sims 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 8 6.10 Moll 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 16 0.00 T: 2:22. A: 33,202 (43,891). Mariners 5, Astros 0 Seattle AB R H BI BB SO Avg Moore ss 3 0 0 0 2 1 .194 Rodríguez cf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .269 Polanco 2b 5 1 2 0 0 0 .193 Garver dh 5 0 2 1 0 2 .152 France 1b 4 2 2 0 0 0 .255 Haniger rf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .212 Raleigh c 4 1 1 2 0 1 .210 Urías 3b 4 1 1 1 0 1 .154 Haggerty lf 3 0 0 0 1 0 .000 Totals 36 5 10 4 3 6 Houston AB R H BI BB SO Avg Altuve 2b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .338 Tucker rf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .274 Alvarez lf 3 0 2 0 1 1 .256 Bregman 3b 2 0 0 0 2 0 .200 Peña ss 3 0 1 0 0 1 .325 Diaz dh 3 0 0 0 0 1 .283 Singleton 1b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .241 Loperfido cf 2 0 0 0 1 0 .308 Caratini c 3 0 0 0 0 0 .262 Totals 27 0 3 0 4 7 Seattle 010 112 000 — 5 10 0 Houston 000 000 000 — 0 3 1 E: Singleton (1). LOB: Seattle 8, Houston 4. 2B: Polanco (1), Garver 2 (6). HR: Urías (3), off Valdez; Raleigh (7), off Valdez. RBIs: Garver (8), Urías (8), Raleigh 2 (15). SB: Haggerty (1). RISP: Seattle 2 for 13; Houston 0 for 2. DP: Seattle 3 (Urías, Polanco, France; Urías, Polanco, France; Moore, France); Houston 2 (Altuve, Peña, Singleton; Peña, Altuve, Singleton). Seattle IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Gilbert, W, 3-0 8.0 2 0 0 4 6 96 1.69 Saucedo 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 10 2.25 Houston IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Valdez, L, 1-1 5.1 9 5 5 1 3 91 3.97 Scott 0.2 0 0 0 1 2 15 1.88 Bielak 3.0 1 0 0 1 1 31 4.96 T: 2:25. A: 34,205 (41,000). Phillies 14, Giants 3 San Francisco AB R H BI BB SO Avg Slater rf-lf 3 0 1 0 1 1 .121 Estrada 2b 5 1 3 1 0 1 .254 Lee cf 5 0 1 0 0 1 .246 Flores 1b 5 1 1 2 0 0 .234 Chapman 3b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .221 Soler dh 2 0 0 0 0 0 .202 Wade ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .333 Yastrzemski rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .227 Murphy c 1 0 0 0 0 1 .118 Sabol c 3 0 2 0 0 0 .667 Fitzgerald lf-p 3 0 0 0 1 2 .286 Ahmed ss 4 1 1 0 0 1 .242 Totals 35 3 10 3 3 8 Philadelphia AB R H BI BB SO Avg Schwarber dh 5 1 2 2 1 0 .212 Realmuto c 3 2 1 0 2 0 .241 Stubbs c 1 0 0 0 0 0 .150 Harper 1b 3 2 1 0 2 2 .234 Clemens 1b 1 0 0 0 0 0 .400 Bohm 3b 1 2 1 1 0 0 .364 Merrifield ph-3b 2 1 1 1 1 1 .250 Marsh lf 4 0 1 1 1 0 .265 Castellanos rf 4 2 1 1 0 0 .183 Pache ph-rf 0 0 0 0 1 0 .118 Stott 2b 3 2 2 2 2 0 .240 Sosa ss 4 1 1 1 0 0 .280 Rojas cf 5 1 1 2 0 1 .228 Totals 36 14 12 11 10 4 San Francisco 001 020 000 — 3 10 2 Philadelphia 540 004 10x —14 12 1 E: Sabol (1), Chapman (6), Merrifield (1). LOB: San Francisco 10, Philadelphia 10. 2B: Ahmed (4). 3B: Realmuto (1). HR: Flores (1), off Suárez; Merrifield (2), off Miller. RBIs: Estrada (17), Flores 2 (12), Bohm (32), Marsh (20), Stott 2 (16), Rojas 2 (8), Castellanos (10), Sosa (3), Schwarber 2 (21), Merrifield (3). RISP: San Francisco 4 for 10; Philadelphia 6 for 17. San Francisco IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Winn, L, 3-4 0.2 4 5 5 2 0 39 4.41 White 2.1 4 4 4 4 0 6511.81 Rodríguez 2.1 2 4 1 2 2 48 3.86 Jackson 0.2 1 0 0 0 1 13 5.40 Miller 1.0 1 1 1 2 1 19 5.06 Fitzgerald 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.00 Philadelphia IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Suárez, W, 6-0 6.0 7 3 3 1 6 94 1.72 Ruiz 2.0 2 0 0 2 1 33 0.00 Domínguez 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 11 8.03 T: 3:01. A: 42,610 (42,901). Rangers 15, Royals 4 Texas AB R H BI BB SO Avg Semien 2b 6 2 2 1 0 1 .259 Seager ss 5 1 1 0 0 0 .228 b-Duran ph 1 0 1 1 0 0 .229 Wendzel 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .118 Lowe 1b 6 2 4 2 0 0 .333 García dh 4 0 1 2 0 0 .289 Carter rf-lf 4 3 2 2 1 2 .236 J.Smith 3b-ss 4 1 1 1 1 2 .302 Langford lf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .224 Jankowski lf-rf 2 2 1 2 0 0 .241 Heim c 3 2 2 0 2 0 .275 Knizner c 0 0 0 0 0 0 .133 Taveras cf 5 2 2 1 0 0 .233 Totals 43 15 17 12 4 5 Kansas City AB R H BI BB SO Avg Garcia 3b 5 0 2 0 0 0 .241 Witt ss 2 1 0 0 2 0 .313 Blanco ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .208 Pasquantino 1b 4 0 1 1 0 0 .225 Perez c 4 0 0 0 0 2 .339 Massey 2b 4 2 3 0 0 0 .295 Velázquez dh 4 1 1 0 0 0 .217 Melendez lf 2 0 0 0 0 1 .173 Hampson ph-lf 2 0 1 1 0 1 .222 Renfroe rf 4 0 1 2 0 1 .159 Isbel cf 3 0 0 0 1 1 .223 Totals 35 4 9 4 3 6 Texas 103 300 305 —15 17 0 Kansas City 000 021 010 — 4 9 1 E: Perez (1). LOB: Texas 6, Kansas City 7. 2B: Lowe (3), Taveras (6), Velázquez (6), Garcia (6), Massey (3). 3B: Carter (2), J.Smith (1). RBIs: García 2 (27), Carter 2 (14), Lowe 2 (4), Jankowski 2 (5), J.Smith (15), Taveras (5), Semien (22), Duran (3), Renfroe 2 (13), Pasquantino (16), Hampson (2). SB: Witt (11), Jankowski (1). SF: García. Runners left in scoring position: Texas 3 (Taveras, Carter 2); Kansas City 4 (Pasquantino, Hampson 2, Garcia). RISP: Texas 7 for 14; Kansas City 3 for 9. Texas IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Dunning 4.2 4 2 2 1 4 79 4.10 Sborz, W, 1-0 1.0 2 1 1 1 1 33 1.69 Latz, H, 4 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 6 2.81 Leclerc 1.0 1 0 0 1 0 21 5.54 Hernández 2.0 2 1 1 0 0 24 2.08 Kansas City IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Wacha, L, 1-4 3.2 9 7 7 1 3 77 5.50 Duffey 1.1 1 0 0 0 2 20 1.80 W.Smith 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 10 9.58 Selby 2.0 2 3 2 2 0 40 6.00 Sauer 1.0 5 5 5 1 0 28 5.84 Athletics 20, Marlins 4 T: 2:50. A: 26,002 (38,427). Miami AB R H BI BB SO Avg Chisholm cf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .226 Myers ph-cf 1 1 0 0 1 1 .400 De La Cruz lf 4 1 2 2 0 1 .262 Bell dh 2 0 1 0 0 0 .186 Bethancourt ph-dh 2 0 0 0 0 0 .026 Bride 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .143 J.Sánchez rf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .232 Gordon 2b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .167 Anderson ss 2 0 0 0 0 0 .219 Lopez 3b 1 1 1 0 1 0 .278 Bruján 3b-ss 4 0 1 1 0 0 .294 Rivera 1b-p 4 0 0 0 0 1 .205 Fortes c 3 1 1 1 0 0 .141 Totals 33 4 7 4 2 4 Oakland AB R H BI BB SO Avg Ruiz lf 3 1 1 1 0 0 .262 Brown lf 2 0 0 0 0 1 .180 Nevin rf-1b 3 1 0 0 3 1 .302 Toro 2b 5 3 2 2 0 0 .280 Rooker dh 4 2 3 5 1 0 .240 McCann ph-dh 1 1 1 0 0 0 .381 Davis 1b 4 1 2 0 0 0 .207 Butler ph-rf 2 1 1 1 0 0 .193 Langeliers c 5 3 3 3 0 1 .186 Hernaiz ss 6 2 3 1 0 0 .190 Bleday cf 5 2 3 4 1 0 .252 Harris 3b 5 3 2 3 1 0 .250 Totals 45 20 21 20 6 3 Miami 000 001 021 — 4 7 1 Oakland 02 (10) 102 14x —20 21 1 E: Bruján (5), Gordon (0), Ruiz (1). LOB: Miami 4, Oakland 10. 2B: J.Sánchez (1), Lopez (1), Bruján (4), Bleday (8). 3B: Langeliers (1). HR: Fortes (1), off Blackburn; De La Cruz (6), off Jiménez; Rooker (7), off Rogers; Bleday (4), off Rogers; Rooker (8), off McCaughan; Harris 2 (2), off McCaughan; Langeliers (7), off Rivera. RBIs: Fortes (5), De La Cruz 2 (18), Bruján (4), Hernaiz (3), Ruiz (7), Rooker 5 (20), Bleday 4 (13), Toro 2 (13), Harris 3 (3), Butler (6), Langeliers 3 (16).RISP: Miami 2 for 7; Oakland 7 for 14. Miami IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Rogers, L, 0-5 2.1 8 8 8 3 1 78 6.15 McCaughan 4.2 9 8 8 3 2 8715.43 Rivera 1.0 4 4 4 0 0 2036.00 Oakland IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Blackburn, W, 3-1 7.0 4 1 1 1 3 105 3.00 Jiménez 1.0 1 2 2 1 1 23 3.95 Muller 1.0 2 1 1 0 0 12 2.61 T: 2:43. A: 7,809 (46,847). Tennis Mutua Madrid Open At Caja Magica; Madrid; Purse: Euro7,877,020; Surface: Red clay; Saturday (seedings in parentheses): Men's Doubles - Championship Jordan Thompson, Australia, and Sebastian Korda, United States, def. Ariel Behar, Uruguay, and Adam Pavlasek, Czech Republic, 6-3, 7-6 (7). WTA L'Open 35 De Saint-Malo At Tennis Club J.A Saint-Malo; SaintMalo, France; Purse: $100,000; Surface: Red clay; Saturday (seedings in parentheses): Women's Singles - Semifinals Chloe Paquet, France, def. Celine Naef, Switzerland, 6-3, 6-4. Lois Boisson, France, def. Alize Cornet (8), France, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. Soccer English Premier League Arsenal 3, AFC Bournemouth 0 Brentford 0, Fulham 0 Newcastle United 4, Burnley 1 Nottingham Forest 3, Sheffield United 1 Manchester City 5, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 English League Championship Birmingham City 1, Norwich City 0 Queens Park Rangers 2, Coventry City 1 Ipswich Town 2, Huddersfield Town 1 Southamption 2, Leeds United 1 Blackburn Rovers 2, Leicester City 0 Middlesbrough 3, Watford 1 Plymouth Argyle 1, Hull City 0 Rotherham United 5, Cardiff City 2 Stoke City 4, Bristol City 0 Sheffield Wednesday 2, Sunderland 0 Millwall 1, Swansea City 0 West Bromwich Albion 3, Preston North End 0 Spanish LaLiga Real Sociedad 2, Las Palmas 0 Real Madrid 3, Cadiz 0 Girona 4, Barcelona 2 Atletico, Madrid 1, Mallorca 0 French Ligue Le Havre 3, Strasbourg 1 AS Monaco 4, Clermont Foot 1 Stade de Rennais 3, Metz 2 Brest 0, Nantes 0 German Bundesliga Borrussia Dortmund 5, FC Augsburg 1 Vfl Wolfsburg 3, SV Darmstadt ‘98 0 Werder Bremen 2, Borussia Monchengladbach 2 Vfl Stuttgart 3, Bayern Munich 1 FC Cologne 0, SC Freiburg 0 Italian Serie A AC Monza 2, Lazio 2 Sassuolo 1, Inter Milan 0 Portuguese Primeira Liga FC Porto 3, GD Chaves 0 Boavista 1, Gil Vicente 1 Rio Ave 2, Guimaraes 1 Sporting CP 3, Portimonense 0 Scottish Premiership Celtic 3, Heart of Midlothian 0 Aberdeen 1, St Johnstone 1 St Mirren 3, Dundee 1 Motherwell 4, Livingston 1 Ross County 2, Hibernian 1 English Women’s Super League Everton 2, Tottenham 2 Aston Villa 1, Brighton & Hove Albion 0 Padres 13, D’backs 1 San Diego AB R H BI BB SO Avg Arraez dh 6 2 4 1 0 0 .667 Tatis rf 5 1 1 0 0 2 .245 Wade lf 1 0 1 0 0 0 .258 Cronenworth 1b 6 0 2 0 0 1 .281 Machado 3b 4 1 2 3 0 0 .258 Rosario ph-3b 1 0 0 0 0 1 .250 Profar lf 4 2 3 2 0 0 .347 Azocar lf-rf 0 0 0 0 1 0 .300 Bogaerts 2b 5 2 1 0 0 2 .216 Merrill cf 4 2 2 1 0 0 .277 Campusano c 4 2 1 2 1 0 .266 Kim ss 5 1 1 4 0 0 .211 Totals 45 13 18 13 2 6 Arizona AB R H BI BB SO Avg McCarthy rf-lf 3 0 1 0 1 0 .286 Gurriel lf 3 0 1 0 0 0 .241 Grichuk rf 1 0 0 0 0 1 .267 Marte 2b 3 0 1 0 0 0 .308 Smith 1b 1 0 0 0 0 1 .190 Walker 1b 3 0 1 0 0 0 .270 Newman 2b 1 1 1 0 0 0 .173 Pederson dh 4 0 0 0 0 0 .300 Suárez 3b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .230 Moreno c 4 0 2 1 0 0 .241 Carroll cf 4 0 1 0 0 2 .194 Alexander ss 3 0 0 0 0 2 .286 Totals 33 1 8 1 2 7 San Diego 100 200 802 —13 18 0 Arizona 000 000 001 — 1 8 1 E: Alexander (4). LOB: San Diego 8, Arizona 7. 2B: Arraez (1), Machado (5), Bogaerts (5), Campusano (8), Wade (2). HR: Profar (5), off Hughes; Kim (5), off Jarvis. RBIs: Machado 3 (21), Campusano 2 (19), Arraez (1), Profar 2 (23), Merrill (14), Kim 4 (21), Moreno (14). SB: Profar (2). S: Merrill. RISP: San Diego 7 for 17; Arizona 1 for 5. San Diego IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA King, W, 3-3 6.0 6 0 0 0 3 91 4.29 De Los Santos 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 11 1.98 Morejon 1.0 0 0 0 1 3 20 2.38 Kolek 1.0 2 1 1 1 1 26 3.78 Arizona IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Pfaadt, L, 1-2 6.0 10 5 3 0 4 89 4.61 Hughes 0.1 4 4 4 0 0 1813.50 Jarvis 1.2 1 2 2 2 1 35 4.95 McGough 1.0 3 2 2 0 1 22 6.75 T: 2:50. A: 39,661 (48,359). Dodgers 11, Braves 2 Atlanta AB R H BI BB SO Avg Acuña rf 4 1 3 0 0 0 .274 Albies 2b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .309 Riley 3b 4 0 1 1 0 1 .242 Olson 1b 2 0 0 0 2 1 .195 Ozuna dh 4 0 0 0 0 2 .299 d'Arnaud c 3 1 1 0 0 2 .269 Williams ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Harris cf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .278 Arcia ss 3 0 1 1 0 0 .270 b-Guillorme ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .150 Kelenic lf 3 0 0 0 0 2 .278 Totals 33 2 6 2 2 12 Los Angeles AB R H BI BB SO Avg Betts ss 4 1 1 2 1 0 .360 Ohtani dh 5 2 3 2 0 1 .345 Freeman 1b 5 0 3 1 0 0 .300 Smith c 4 1 1 1 1 1 .347 Muncy 3b 5 3 4 4 0 0 .262 T.Hernández lf 4 0 1 0 1 1 .252 Pages rf 5 2 2 1 0 2 .338 Outman cf 3 1 0 0 2 2 .165 Lux 2b 4 1 1 0 0 0 .193 Totals 39 11 16 11 5 7 Atlanta 000 100 100 — 2 6 0 Los Angeles 021 400 31x —11 16 0 LOB: Atlanta 6, Los Angeles 9. 2B: Arcia (10), Acuña (6), d'Arnaud (8). 3B: Freeman (1). HR: Muncy (6), off Elder; Ohtani (8), off Elder; Pages (4), off Elder; Muncy (7), off Matzek; Muncy (8), off Stephens. RBIs: Riley (18), Arcia (11), Muncy 4 (22), Ohtani 2 (22), Pages (12), Freeman (20), Smith (26), Betts 2 (27). SB: Acuña (14). RISP: Atlanta 1 for 10; Los Angeles 4 for 10. Runners moved up: Harris, Arcia, Riley, Lux. Atlanta IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Elder, L, 1-1 3.1 7 7 7 4 4 71 5.28 Lee 2.2 3 0 0 0 3 38 1.62 Matzek 0.2 2 3 3 1 0 23 9.90 Stephens 1.1 4 1 1 0 0 21 6.75 Los Angeles IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Glasnow, W, 6-1 7.0 5 2 2 1 10 96 2.70 Varland 1.0 1 0 0 1 0 21 3.00 Feyereisen 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 1413.50 T: 2:24. A: 44,474 (56,000). Ai}i` C…ˆ` ALÕÃiÀ *>ÌÃß Dœ˜>` C>«œã㜠ˆÃ Di>` Allegedly committed domestic violence freµuently also. Allegedly was racist, homophobic, abusive and volatile. Allegedly a small, unhappy, angry person through his life and to the last day. OBITUARIES

R New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 62 ACTION ACTION TOP PLAY Bet on Skubal vs. Bombers By TANNER McGRATH actionnetwork.com This is my favorite starting pitching matchup of the young 2024 MLB season. Tarik Skubal and Nestor Cortes were two pitchers I was exceedingly high on entering the year, and both have exceeded expectations in the early going. That said, I’m still much higher on Skubal. Detroit’s 27-year-old southpaw has evolved into the AL Cy Young frontrunner, posting a 1.72 ERA and 25 percent strikeout-minus-walk rate across his first six outings. His four-seam fastball and slider are above-average pitches by the Stuff+ model (113 and 109, respectively). And his changeup is nearly unhittable, inducing a whopping 27 percent swinging-strike rate while allowing a meager .250 wOBA. Cortes is an excellent pitcher, but projection systems place his season-long ERA and FIP around 4.00 while projecting Skubal in the low 3.00s, giving the Tigers a nearly run-sized advantage on the mound. The Yankees have the offensive advantage (114 wRC+ to 92), but it’s less pronounced in a lefty-against-lefty matchup (100 wRC+ to 95). Ultimately, the Tigers are an elite team with Skubal on the mound, hence their 5-1 record in his starts this season. THE PLAY: Tigers, +105. Tanner McGrath analyzes MLB for Action Network. STITCHES Mets for Cinco de Stitches The Mets’ pitching has been shakier than a chihuahua standing on a block of ice. However Luis Severino has been solid in four of his past five starts. He pitches at Tampa Bay after tossing a one-hit, eight-inning gem against the Cubbies. The Rays seem to have lost their sting and have been mediocre at home. On the other hand, Ryan Pepiot has been sharp, permitting just eight hits and two runs in his past 18 innings. Let’s go Mets for $50. -$ En Fuego! We bet the phlaming-hot Phillies, and they chased Giants’ starter Keaton Winn after just two-thirds of an inning. Philly scored two touchdowns in a romp, 14-3. Then the Guards completed our double play. Ben “Saturday Night” Lively pitched six innings, Cleveland hit three homers and beat the Angels, 7-1. Looked like Resilience would complete our trifecta, but he finished sixth of 20 at 31-1. Jalapeno hot. Down -335 seattleslews. [email protected] SPORTS SHORTS MLB: Twins win 12th straight game Pablo López struck out eight in six strong innings, Max Kepler homered and the Twins extended their winning streak to 12 games with a 3-1 win over the Red Sox on Saturday in Minneapolis. The Twins have the longest winning streak in the majors this season. lIn Los Angeles, Max Muncy had the first three home run game of his career along with four RBIs, Shohei Ohtani homered along with getting three hits and the Dodgers rolled to an 11-2 victory over the Braves. lIn Philadelphia, Ranger Suárez pitched six strong innings and the Phillies routed the Giants 14-3 to win their 15th out of their last 18 and lead the majors in victories with 23. l In Phoenix, Luis Arraez had four hits and an RBI in his first game after being traded from Miami, and the Padres scored eight runs in the seventh inning as they defeated the Diamonbacks 16-1. l In Chicago, Christopher Morel hit his third homer in as many games as the Cubs beat the Brewers 6-5. l In Cincinnati, John Means pitched seven shutout innings in his season debut and the Orioles beat the Reds 2-1. l In Houston, Logan Gilbert threw eight dominant innings, and the Mariners beat the Astros 5-0, l In Pittsburgh, Jack Suwinski lined a pinch-hit, walk-off single to lift the Pirates to a 1-0 win over the Rockies. NBA: Lue wants to remain with Clips Tyronn Lue said he wants to be coach of the Clippers for the long term and declined to address directly speculation that the Lakers would target him in their search after firing Darvin Ham. Lue was asked about his future and the talk of the Lakers after Dallas ended the Clippers season with a 114-101 victory in Game 6 of a first-round series Friday. l Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber will be sidelined indefinitely after sustaining a dislocated right shoulder during Friday night’s series-clinching victory over the Clippers, according to published reports. l The NBA has fined Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell $25,000 for verbally abusing a game official shortly after the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Nuggets on Monday in a 108-106 loss in Denver. GOLF: Koepka takes LIV lead Brooks Koepka, looking for his fourth victory on the LIV Golf circuit, shot a 7-under 64 to lead by three strokes after the second round in Singapore. Four players were three strokes behind: Abraham Ancer (67), Matthew Wolff (65), Thomas Pieters (67) and Adrian Meronk (66). l In McKinney, Texas, Taylor Pendrith chipped in twice for consecutive eagles to kick-start an 8-under 63 for a one-shot lead over second-round leader Jake Knapp at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. UFC: Pantoja defends title Alexandre Pantoja successfully defended his flyweight championship for the second time, turning away Australian challenger Steve Erceg with a unanimous decision victory in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro at UFC 301. Pitching Form (Game time) 2024 '23 vs OPP CAREER LAST 3 STARTS W-L ERA *REC W-L ERA vs OPP W-L IP ERA Tigers Skubal (L) 4-0 1.72 5-1 0-1 3.00 1-2 2-0 19.1 1.40 Yankees Cortes (L) (1:35pm) 1-3 3.86 2-5 0-0 0.00 0-0 0-2 20.0 3.15ta Mets Severino (R) 2-2 2.31 2-4 — — 8-3 1-1 20.0 1.80 Rays Pepiot (R) (1:40pm) 3-2 3.12 3-3 — — 0-0 2-0 18.0 1.00 Blue Jays Manoah (R) — — — — —— ——— Nationals Gore (L) (1:35pm) 2-3 3.19 2-4 1-0 1.80 1-0 0-3 15.0 3.60 White Sox Crochet (L) 1-4 5.97 1-6 — — — 0-2 12.0 10.50 Cardinals Gibson (R) (2:15pm) 2-2 3.79 3-3 0-1 10.24 9-6 1-0 19.0 1.42 Marlins Sánchez (R) 0-1 8.36 1-1 0-0 0.00 0-0 0-0 6.2 10.80 Athletics Boyle (R) (4:07pm) 2-4 6.08 2-4 0-0 0.00 0-0 1-2 14.0 6.43 Orioles Kremer (R) 2-2 4.19 3-3 0-0 0.00 0-1 2-1 18.0 3.50 Reds Lodolo (L) (4:10pm) 3-0 1.88 4-0 0-0 0.00 0-0 2-0 18.1 2.45 Angels Canning (R) 1-3 7.45 2-4 0-1 5.06 0-1 1-1 15.1 5.28 Guardians Carrasco (R) (1:40pm) 1-2 6.58 2-4 0-1 27.00 1-0 1-1 14.2 9.20 Red Sox Criswell (R) 2-1 1.65 3-0 0-0 0.00 0-0 2-0 14.0 1.29 Twins Ryan (R) (2:10pm) 1-1 3.38 4-2 2-0 1.80 3-1 1-0 17.1 4.15 Mariners Miller (R) 3-2 2.04 4-2 2-1 2.20 2-1 1-1 17.0 2.12 Astros Brown (R) (2:10pm) 0-4 9.78 1-5 0-2 17.47 0-2 0-2 15.1 6.46 Rangers Gray (R) 1-1 2.48 3-3 0-0 0.00 1-1 1-0 18.2 1.45 Royals TBD (2:10pm) — — — — — — ——— Rockies Feltner (R) 1-2 5.13 2-4 0-0 0.00 0-0 0-1 17.1 6.75 Pirates Falter (L) (1:35pm) 2-2 4.22 4-2 0-0 0.00 0-1 1-2 17.0 4.24 Brewers Peralta (R) 3-0 3.21 6-0 0-0 5.06 5-1 1-0 16.0 3.94 Cubs Assad (R) (2:20pm) 2-0 1.97 3-3 0-1 9.00 0-1 0-0 15.1 1.76 Braves Fried (L) 2-0 4.02 5-1 1-0 0.00 3-2 1-0 20.0 1.35 Dodgers Paxton (L) (4:10pm) 3-0 3.51 4-1 0-0 0.00 0-0 1-0 14.2 4.91 Padres Waldron (R) 1-3 4.36 1-5 0-1 9.00 0-1 1-2 16.2 5.40 D'Backs Nelson (R) (4:10pm) 1-2 4.60 1-3 0-1 9.69 1-2 1-1 13.0 2.77 Giants Webb (R) 3-2 2.98 4-3 0-0 0.00 0-0 2-1 18.2 1.93 Phillies Walker (R) (7:10pm) 1-0 8.53 1-0 0-0 9.53 3-3 1-1 19.1 5.59 * REC: Won-lost record of pitcher's team in games he has started. The Line Powered by Updated lines at BetMGM.com MLB Sunday Favorite Money Line Underdog YANKEES $105-125 Tigers RAYS $110-130 Mets PIRATES $142-170 Rockies Blue Jays $110-130 NATIONALS GUARDIANS $110-130 Angels TWINS $145-175 Red Sox Brewers $102-122 CUBS ASTROS $100-120 Mariners ATHLETICS $105-125 Marlins D’BACKS $105-125 Padres Braves $100-120 DODGERS REDS $100-120 Orioles Giants -105-115 PHILLIES CARDINALS $152-180 White Sox ROYALS OFF Rangers Home Teams In CAPS NHL Sunday Favorite Money Line Underdog 2nd Round Hurricanes -105-115 RANGERS Oilers $115-135 CANUCKS 1st Round STARS $125-150 Golden Knights NBA Sunday- 1st Round Favorite PTS (O/U) Underdog CAVALIERS 3.5 (195.5) Magic Monday- 2nd Round KNICKS 6 (216.5) Pacers NUGGETS 5.5 (208.5) Timberwolves Tuesday- 2nd Round THUNDER 3 (215) Mavericks UFL Sunday- Week 6 Favorite PTS (O/U) Underdog MICHIGAN 4 (42.5) Arlington San Antonio 1.5 (43) D.C.

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 63 ACTION ACTION Saturday Today Wednesday New England Revolution 7:30 Apple TV+ Colorado Rapids 4:00 Apple TV+ Houston Dash 8:00 MSGSN Home Team Lineups HOME AWAY TODAY May 5 MON May 6 TUE May 7 WED May 8 THU May 9 FRI May 10 SAT May 11 Detroit 1:35 YES WFAN 660 AM/ 101.9 FM NO GAME Hou. 7:05 YES WFAN Hou. 7:05 Prime Video WFAN Hou. 5:05 YES WFAN T.B. 6:50 YES WFAN T.B. 4:10 YES WFAN Tampa Bay 1:40 SNY WCBS 880 AM St. L. 7:45 SNY WCBS St. L. 7:45 SNY WCBS St. L. 1:15 SNY WCBS NO GAME Atl. 7:10 SNY WCBS Atl. 4:10 SNY FS1 WCBS NO GAME Ind. 7:30 TNT ESPN NO GAME Ind. 8:00 TNT ESPN NO GAME Ind. 7:00 ESPN ESPN NO GAME Carolina 4:00 ESPN ESPN 98.7 FM NO GAME Car. TBD ESPN ESPN TBD Car. TBD TNT ESPN TBD Car. TBD TNT ESPN NO GAME NO GAME (Exh.) Chi. 8:00 NO GAME (Exh.) Conn. 7:00 NO GAME NO GAME Today's Sports on the Air NHL Playoffs 4 p.m. Hurricanes at Rangers, Game 1 ESPN, ESPN (98.7 FM) 7:30 p.m. Golden Knights at Stars Game 7 TBS MLB 1:30 p.m. Angels at Guardians MLBN 1:35 p.m. Tigers at Yankees YES, WFAN (660 AM/101.9 FM) 1:40 p.m. Mets at Rays SNY, WCBS (880 AM) 4:30 p.m. Orioles at Reds (in progress) MLBN 7 p.m. Giants at Phillies ESPN NBA Playoffs 1 p.m. Magic at Cavaliers, Game 7 ABC Soccer 9 a.m. EPL: Aston Villa at Brighton & Hove Albion USA 9 a.m. FAWSL: Arsenal at Manchester City CBSSN 1 p.m. NWSL: Kansas City at Houston CBS 4 p.m. Colorado Rapids at NYCFC Apple TV+ 6:30 p.m. LA Galaxy at Seattle Sounders FC FS1 Golf 1 p.m. PGA: CJ CUP Byron Nelson, Final Round Golf 1 p.m. LIV League: Final Round PIX11 3 p.m. Champions: Insperity Invitational, Final Round Golf 3 p.m. PGA: CJ CUP Byron Nelson, Final Round CBS Football 1 p.m. UFL: Arlington at Michigan Fox 4 p.m. UFL: San Antonio at D.C. Fox Auto Racing 3 p.m. NASCAR Cup Series: AdventHealth 400 FS1 3:30 p.m. F1: The Miami Grand Prix ABC 4 p.m. AMA Supercross Series: Round 16 NBC Tennis 12:30 p.m. Madrid Open: ATP Singles Final Tennis Hockey 7 a.m. IIHF U-18 World Championship Bronze Medal Game: Sweden vs. Slovakia NHLN 11 a.m. IIHF U-18 World Championship Gold Medal Game: United States vs. Canada NHLN Lacrosse 10 a.m. America East Women's Final: Binghamton at Albany ESPNU Noon Ivy League Final: Penn vs. Princeton ESPNU Noon ACC Final: Notre Dame vs. Duke ACCN Noon Patriot League Final: Boston University at Lehigh CBSSN 3 p.m. NLL Semifinal: San Diego at Albany, Game 2 ESPNU 5:30 p.m. NLL Semifinal: Toronto at Buffalo, Game 2 ESPNU 9 p.m. NCAA Women's Lacrosse Selection Show ESPN2 9:30 p.m. NCAA Men's Lacrosse Selection Show ESPN2 College 1 p.m. Texas A&M at Florida ESPN2 Softball 4 p.m. Oklahoma State at Oklahoma ESPN2 Track and Field 7 p.m. World Athletics Relays: Day 2 - Finals CNBC Horse Noon FanDuel Racing MSGSN Racing 2 p.m. America's Day at the Races FS2 ODDS & ENDS NHL Hurricanes-Rangers Series odds SERIES WINNER ODDS Hurricanes -155 Rangers +130 EXACT RESULT ODDS Hurricanes in 6 +400 Rangers in 7 +450 Hurricanes in 7 +500 Hurricanes in 5 +550 Rangers in 6 +600 Rangers in 5 +700 Hurricanes in 4 +900 Rangers in 4 14/1 MOST HITS ODDS Rangers -275 Hurricanes +200 MOST BLOCKED SHOTS ODDS Rangers -225 Hurricanes +170 SERIES POINTS LEADER ODDS Artemi Panarin +250 Jake Guentzel +275 Sebastian Aho +375 Adam Fox 11/1 Chris Kreider 16/1 Vincent Trocheck 16/1 Andrei Svechnikov 18/1 Mika Zibanejad 20/1 Seth Jarvis 20/1 Teuvo Teravainen 40/1 Martin Necas 40/1 Alexis Lafreniere 66/1 SERIES HITS LEADER ODDS Jordan Staal +300 Matt Rempe +450 Jacob Trouba +500 Barclay Goodrow 10/1 Braden Schneider 11/1 Vincent Trocheck 12/1 K’Andre Miller 14/1 Seth Jarvis 18/1 Andrei Svechnikov 18/1 Dmitry Orlov 18/1 Will Cuylle 20/1 Sunday, Game 1 ANYTIME GOAL ODDS Artemi Panarin +160 Chris Kreider +190 Jake Guentzel +200 Sebastian Aho +210 Mika Zibanejad +220 Vincent Trocheck +220 Martin Necas +250 Seth Jarvis +290 POWER-PLAY GOALS ODDS Over 1.5 +180 Under 1.5 -225 FIRST TO 3 GOALS ODDS Hurricanes +135 Rangers +140 Neither +270 SAVES TOTAL Igor Shesterkin 28.5 BET SMART Rangers as dogs have bark & bite By SEAN TREPPEDI actionnetwork.com Time flies when the stakes to win are high. It’s been 706 days since the Rangers defeated the Hurricanes in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinal in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was the surprise run that propped back open the Rangers’ window for Cup contention, ending an expedited rebuild. The young Rangers core had all to gain and nothing to lose then, feeding it a tablespoon of playoff hockey’s arduous nature. That age of innocence is now long over as expectations are quite the reverse for the Presidents’ Trophy winners. The Rangers carry the poundage of these expectations with them into another postseason test against the stingy Hurricanes, who are the gatekeepers of the Eastern Conference in the eyes of oddsmakers these days. The Canes remain the market consensus favorites to win the Stanley Cup heading into Game 1’s puck drop at MSG, with odds as low as +360 at FanDuel. The perception is this: If you can beat the Hurricanes, the sky’s the limit. So in other words, you can thank Gary Bettman for the Rangers playing “the boss level” one round early in his controversial playoff format. This might just be the most extreme example of a premature matchup that I can think of since the change was installed in 2013-14. Nonetheless, Rod Brind’Amour has built up Carolina’s revered reputation brick-by-brick over the course of the past five seasons, appearing in two conference finals and two semifinals. Remember where the Rangers were back in 2018-19? I suppose it feels as though this Hurricanes bunch has paid its dues while the Rangers are still new kids on the block. Narratives aside, you can argue the complex style of hockey that the Canes use to stump everyone at five-on-five. They led the regular season in puck possession at even strength and have continued that trend through their swift first round series advancement against the Islanders. But the Islanders weren’t much of a benchmark for anything and neither were the Capitals in their four-game faceplant against the Rangers. New York took the regular season series against Carolina, 2-1, with neither team eclipsing 30 shots on goal in any of those games. The Rangers labored their way to those two victories both by onegoal deficits while only going 1-for-7 on their power play. Winning without relying on special teams is a circumstance the Rangers are prepared for — it’s a necessity against a Hurricanes club that doesn’t take many penalties then traps you otherwise by clogging the ice. Ironically, in the one game the Rangers did lose to the Canes by an off-kilter score of 6-1 on Jan. 2, they dominated at five-on-five and forced more than double the amount of turnovers. That was a night Igor Shesterkin likely still wants back — and the way he’s played thereafter, he’s primed to do so. Shesterkin is ranked No. 3 overall in goals saved above expected (4.4) and is top five in save percentage through the playoffs, allowing just three goals against 31 high-danger scoring chances. Frederik Anderson had his moments in goal against the Islanders, but he wasn’t nearly as consistent through a couple of games where his defense gave him the night off. Carolina prides itself on depth and is strong inside the circles, but the Rangers have emerged as a team with faceoff success and punch from their bottom-six forward group. They won more than 55 percent of faceoffs in the first round, while the fourth line pumped out timely goals with six combined points. You need to mirror the Hurricanes if you want to beat them. It might make for a blinking contest that won’t sound many goal horns, but if there is one team that’s rehearsed the task at hand, it’s Peter Laviolette’s Rangers. Besides, when was the last time you can recall the top overall seed of the playoffs priced as an underdog? In that sense, I suppose Bettman cut us all a bargain. Sean Treppedi analyzes the NHL for Action Network. Jason Szenes Igor Shesterkin

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 64 NOT TO be cruel or cold, but what difference does it make? By now, you know at least as well as I that NFL pregame studio shows are not only a colossal waste of our time, it hardly matters if the panelists include Jo Jo the Dog Boy, Caligula Jones and Estes Kefauver, we wouldn’t spend 10 seconds watching if it weren’t followed by an NFL game. Last week, Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason, after more than 20 years each with CBS, were given the heave-ho, and will be replaced with former QB Matt Ryan and superstar pass rusher J.J. Watt. And so what? Neither will add a single viewer outside of their loved ones — not as long as a kickoff follows. Same thing with Simms and Esiason from the day they first took a seat in CBS’s studio. That studio, during the Simms and Esiason years, has undergone all sorts of costly cosmetic improvements and even makeovers — none of which has been worth a darn to viewers. The contents of the studio show — all of them, on every NFL-affiliated studio show — have been the same: redundant, uncreative, “Who do you like in the Chiefs-Lions game? Right here on CBS, followed by ‘60 Minutes,’ ” and, unless forced belly laughs count, humorless. Naturally, the NFL must at all times be protected from any thumbs-down opinions, as if Roger Goodell might otherwise refuse to cash billions of dollars in TV money checks. The sympathetic figure in this latest purge is Simms. Esiason was an unwise hire to begin with — as he was frequently tongue-tied, lost for adjectives, adverbs and useful insights. He can now continue his role as Weekday Boomer, ditching his gentlemanly CBS facade to concentrate on being a childish name-caller and crude morning drive WFAN co-host who seeks to attract listeners who should by then be seated in their fifth-grade homerooms. (Esiason never did apologize for mocking ex-Knicks exec Donnie Walsh for being relegated to a wheelchair following surgery.) Simms was another story. Twentysix years ago, when CBS plucked him from the fumble-fingered clutches of ESPN and NBC, I would have believed that he would become the nation’s most valued NFL on-site analyst. Working with Jim Nantz, Simms didn’t hesitate to place us ahead of both CBS and the NFL. He’d often debunk stats, work behind the scenes to eliminate stupid graphics, put the knock on players who risked penalties and games with selfish play, and questioned the practicality of ever-changing rules — including “get it right” replay rules that too often got it wrong. Simms was always prepared, thus always gave us his best, candid shot. He even solidified a good-faith relationship by practicing the forbidden: telling us he was wrong. “See right there in the replay? I was wrong.” Imagine that! But then something happened, something from the deep inside that carried to the far outside. Simms suddenly became a transparently cautious, see-no-evil, speak-no-evil, smiling NFL spokesman/shill and panderer — what Nantz had become. Perhaps the most disgusting nationally televised game in NFL history, the 2016 Bengals-Steelers AFC wild-card game in which both teams and their coaches traded chances to lose by allowing their players to act like violent, unhinged convicts. The in-game “influencers” included such luminaries as Vontaze Burfect, Adam “Pacman” Jones and a willing sideline participant in Steelers assistant coach Joey Porter. The game was won, 18-16 by Pittsburgh — actually lost by Cincy — with a short field goal after the Bengals were hit with consecutive unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Nantz and Simms, who were previously silent throughout what was a senselessly brutal game, finally spoke up after the late-game nadir erupted, and even then much too lightly. I knew then that Simms had changed. And the next season CBS changed him, assigning him to Devil’s Island — the studio show, where in the end he’d be seen with Esiason sadly selecting Over/Unders in service to CBS’s sportsbook advertisers. CBS replaced him with Tony Romo, signing him for a hideously senseless $180 million. I could have saved CBS $180 million by telling Simms — ordering him — to resume his days as a No. 1 analyst by being better, different, special. But I’m sure that at $180 million, you, as did CBS, much prefer Romo call a game than Phil Simms. So do the hokey pokey and turn yourself around. MOB MENTALITIES come in many forms. If I told you a joke, one on one, and you responded by hollering “Wooo!” in my face, I’d think you’re nuts. A good joke should emit laughter, not “Woooo!!” Yet a standup comedian when concluding a joke to a larger audience often will hear a group “Wooo!” instead of genuine laughter. Perhaps that’s to show the comic as well as the rest of the audience that you get it. Now Knicks in-house fans have to get busy finding a Pacer they can chant vulgarities at. Funny, we’ve never seen or heard an individual spectator begin a “F–k fill-in-theblank!” chant. That guy would usually be avoided like an open sore. But if you can find three or four bright lights to begin chanting “F–k Embiid,” eight or nine thousand more will soon follow. It takes more than one village idiot to make a village. ➤Reader Michael Duncan: “In the early 1970s, A’s owner Charlie Finley suggested that all MLB players become free agents after every season. He was laughed out of the room. “So, in your wildest dreams, did you ever think that this would be implemented into college sports?” Heck, I used to think that you had to be able to read and write to be enrolled in any college, let alone be granted a full scholarship among other perks. Not looking good for the good guys. [email protected] Next target for vulgar NY fans? LATERAL OPTION Replacing Simms, Esiason will change nothing at CBS EQUAL TIME Phil Mushnick Getty Images Not you too, Joe? Girardi OKs Soto’s slow-go around bases FOR CRYING out loud, now Joe Girardi, a YES Yankees commentator, is telling us “truth” that we and most likely he doesn’t believe. Thursday, the Yankees’ Juan Soto did what he always has throughout his three-team, seven-season career: He hit a ball deep. Then stylishly lingered near the plate to see if it would be a home run, or, in this case, perhaps, a foul ball. It was neither. As Soto jogged toward first, the ball banged against the left-field wall then along the wall toward center. An inside-the-park number? Perhaps! But Soto, benched by the Nationals for not hustling, was too late to run. He had to settle for a no-throw triple. Asked about this by Michael Kay, Girardi not only excused Soto for his indefensible standard minimalism, he rationalized it as not a matter of Soto not hustling but as “a bad read.” Huh. Is a bad read anything like a bad guess? Is a bad read, whatever that means, a legit defense for not running to first? Would Girardi as a manager accepted such an excuse? “Why were you on first instead of second?” “Bad read.” “Oh, then I’m good with that.”

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com R 65 NHL Playoffs FIRST ROUND Best-of-7; x-if necessary Eastern Conference Boston vs. Toronto Boston wins series, 4-3 Game 1: Boston 5, Toronto 1 Game 2: Toronto 3, Boston 2 Game 3: Boston 4, Toronto 2 Game 4: Boston 3, Toronto 1 Game 5: Toronto 2, Boston 1, OT Game 6: Toronto 2, Boston 1 Game 7: Boston 2, Toronto 1, OT Western Conference Vegas vs. Dallas Series tied, 3-3 Game 1: Vegas 4, Dallas 3 Game 2: Vegas 3, Dallas 1 Game 3: Dallas 3, Vegas 2, OT Game 4: Dallas 4, Vegas 2 Game 5: Dallas 3, Vegas 2 Game 6: Vegas 2, Dallas 0 Sun.: at Dallas, 7:30pm SECOND ROUND Best-of-7; x-if necessary Eastern Conference Rangers vs. Carolina Sun: at Rangers, 4pm Tues.: at Rangers, TBD Thu.: at Carolina, TBD Sat., May 11: at Carolina, TBD Mon., May 13: at Rangers, TBD Thu., May 16: at Carolina, TBD Sat., May 18: at Rangers, TBD Florida vs. Boston Mon.: at Florida, 8pm Wed.: at Florida, TBD Fri.: at Boston, TBD Sun., May 12: at Boston, TBD Tues., May 14: at Florida, TBD Fri., May 17: at Boston, TBD Sun., May 19: at Florida, TBD NHL Playoffs, Game 7 Bruins 2, Maple Leafs 1, OT Toronto 0 0 1 0— 1 Boston 0 0 1 1— 2 First Period: None. Penalties: None. Second Period: None. Penalties: Liljegren, TOR (Tripping), 2:09; Coyle, BOS (Cross Checking), 4:36; Knies, TOR (Hooking), 10:06. Third Period: 1, Toronto, Nylander 3 (Bertuzzi, Matthews), 9:01. 2, Boston, Lindholm 1 (van Riemsdyk, Brazeau), 10:22. Penalties: None. Overtime: 3, Boston, Pastrnak 3 (Carlo, Lindholm), 1:54. Penalties: None. Shots on Goal: Toronto 9-12-8-2—31. Boston 11-7-10-3—31. Power-play opportunities: Toronto 0 of 1; Boston 0 of 2. Goalies: Toronto, Samsonov 1-4-0 (31 shots-29 saves). Boston, Swayman 4-2- 0 (31-30). A: 17,850 (17,565). T: 3:00. Referees: Eric Furlatt, Kelly Sutherland. Linesmen: Matt MacPherson, Jonny Murray. UFL USFL CONFERENCE W L T Pct PF PA Birmingham 6 0 0 1.000 171 89 Michigan 3 2 0 .600 109 93 Memphis 1 5 0 .167 107 171 Houston 1 5 0 .167 84 138 XFL CONFERENCE W L T Pct PF PA St. Louis 5 1 0 .833 173 103 San Antonio 4 1 0 .800 115 86 DC 2 3 0 .400 94 138 Arlington 0 5 0 .000 90 125 Saturday Birmingham 39, Memphis 21 St. Louis 22, Houston 8 Sunday Arlington at Michigan, 1pm San Antonio at DC, 4pm Saturday, May 11 Memphis at Arlington, 1pm St. Louis at Birmingham, 4pm Sunday, May 12 Michigan at DC, 12pm San Antonio at Houston, 3pm Bruins eliminate Maple Leafs on Pastrnak’s OT goal Associated Press BOSTON — David Pastrnak scored on a feed from Hampus Lindholm 1:54 into overtime and the Bruins beat the Maple Leafs 2-1 in Game 7 on Saturday night to clinch their first-round series and advance in the NHL playoffs. Jeremy Swayman finished with 30 saves and Lindholm had the tying goal in regulation to help the Bruins avoid losing their second straight first-round series after holding a 3-1 lead. They have now defeated the rival Maple Leafs in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs three times in the last seven years. Boston will meet the Panthers, who upset the Bruins in seven games in the first round last year and spoiled a season in which they posted records for the most wins and points in a season in NHL history. Game 1 is set for Monday night in Florida. The Panthers have been resting since Tuesday, when they eliminated Tampa Bay in five games. William Nylander scored and Auston Matthews had an assist in his return from a two-game absence for the Maple Leafs, who are now 0-6 in Game 7s since the 2013 conference quarterfinals. They are 0-4 on the road in those games — all in Boston. Matthews missed Games 5 and 6 with an undisclosed ailment. Ilya Samsonov started in goal for the first time since Game 4 and finished with 29 saves. BRUINS 2 MAPLE LEAFS 1 OT MLS EAST W L D Pts GF GA Inter Miami CF 7 2 3 24 32 18 Cincinnati 6 2 3 21 13 9 Toronto FC 6 4 1 19 14 14 Red Bulls 4 2 5 17 16 16 Columbus 3 1 6 15 12 9 NYCFC 4 4 2 14 11 10 Charlotte FC 4 5 2 14 12 13 Philadelphia 3 2 5 14 19 16 D.C. United 3 3 5 14 16 17 Atlanta 3 4 3 12 14 11 CF Montréal 3 4 3 12 13 20 Nashville 2 3 5 11 14 18 Chicago 2 5 4 10 11 19 Orlando City 2 5 3 9 11 18 New England 2 7 1 7 7 18 WEST W L D Pts GF GA Real Salt Lake 6 2 3 21 18 9 Minn. United 6 2 2 20 17 11 Vancouver 5 2 3 18 18 10 LA Galaxy 5 2 3 18 21 17 Austin FC 4 3 4 16 14 13 Colorado 4 3 3 15 16 15 Los Angeles FC 4 4 3 15 19 19 Houston 4 4 2 14 9 10 St Louis City 2 1 7 13 15 14 Sporting K.C. 2 4 5 11 18 19 Portland 2 5 4 10 20 23 Seattle FC 2 5 3 9 13 13 FC Dallas 2 6 2 8 10 15 San Jose 2 8 1 7 17 26 Note: 3 pts. for win, 1 for tie Saturday Miami 6, Red Bulls 2 Minnesota 2, Atlanta 1 Charlotte FC 2, Portland 0 Philadelphia 2, D.C. United 2 Cincinnati 1, Orlando City 0 San Jose 3, Los Angeles FC 1 Toronto FC 3, FC Dallas 1 St Louis City 0, Houston 0 Nashville 4, CF Montréal 1 New England 1, Chicago 0 Salt Lake 1, Sporting K.C. 0 Austin FC 0, Vancouver 0 Sunday Colorado at NYCFC, 4pm LA Galaxy at Seattle FC, 6:45pm Saturday, May 11 New England at Red Bulls, 7:30pm NYCFC at Toronto FC, 7:30pm D.C. United at Atlanta, 7:30pm Nashville at Charlotte FC, 7:30pm Miami at CF Montréal, 7:30pm Orlando City at Philadelphia, 7:30pm Cincinnati at Columbus, 7:45pm Austin FC at FC Dallas, 8:30pm Houston at Sporting K.C., 8:30pm Chicago at St Louis City, 8:30pm San Jose at Colorado, 9:30pm Salt Lake at LA Galaxy, 10:30pm Vancouver at Los Angeles FC, 10:30pm Sunday, May 12 Seattle FC at Portland, 4:45pm Wednesday, May 15 Red Bulls at D.C. United, 7:30pm NYCFC at Philadelphia, 7:30pm Atlanta at Cincinnati, 7:30pm Columbus at CF Montréal, 7:30pm Miami at Orlando City, 7:30pm Houston at Austin FC, 8:30pm Charlotte FC at Chicago, 8:30pm LA Galaxy at Minnesota, 8:30pm Toronto FC at Nashville, 8:30pm Los Angeles FC at St Louis City, 8:30pm Vancouver at Colorado, 9:30pm Seattle FC at Salt Lake, 9:30pm San Jose at Portland, 10:30pm

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 66 By RYAN DUNLEAVY The Jets adhered so strictly to the Green Bay Model of Quarterback Development that they even drafted another Jordan to learn underneath Aaron Rodgers. To be fair, it’s more coincidence than anything else that Jordan Travis — a fifth-round pick by the Jets in last week’s draft — shares the same first name as Jordan Love, who was brilliant for the Packers last season after spending his first three years behind Rodgers on their bench. Travis — who will begin as a third-stringer with time to recover from a gruesome injury — imagines in his future a day of inheriting the reins from Rodgers, too. “I do think about that a lot,” Travis said Saturday after rookie minicamp concluded, “but right now I’m just focused on where my feet are — getting healthy, getting everybody around me better, being a great teammate.” But does he believe that he can start in this league? “100 percent,” Travis said confidently. As five other quarterbacks whom the Jets are less invested in threw passes over the last two days, Travis stood off to the side gripping a football and pump-faking throws. He rode the exercise bike during other parts of practice as he continues to rehab the broken leg he suffered at Florida State last November. “I’m just thankful to have a ball in my hand again and a helmet on my head,” Travis said. “Watching those guys throw, I love seeing guys compete.” But the struggle between staying patient and giving into competitive instincts is constant. “I got in the stretch lines [Friday] and they pulled me out,” Travis quipped. “I’m trying to get out there.” Travis won his final 17 collegiate starts and was the 2023 ACC Player of the Year after throwing 20 touchdowns and two interceptions. He never would’ve been available with the No. 171 pick had he entered the draft healthy, especially if he altered the outcome of Michigan’s winning the College Football Playoff. “We feel like he’s kind of a ball of clay,” head coach Robert Saleh said. “The style of college, its tremendous schemes, but they’re more tailor-made to what they can and can’t do rulewise. Footwork and throwing motion, and just being able to process and work in an NFL offense — getting under center, controlling the huddle — there are so many things that we feel like we can build on [his] athleticism.” Saleh’s hope is that Travis is ready to practice by training camp in late July. “I’m just trying to get ready as fast as possible,” Travis said. “Obviously, that’s the goal, but I want to be 100 percent, too.” Former Florida State receiver Keon Coleman — who was drafted by the Bills with the first pick of the second round — said Travis “was the best quarterback in the country, despite who just got drafted” during an appearance on the “RG3 and The Ones” podcast with former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III. He crossed AFC East rivalry lines to show respect to Travis. “The leader I am, I’m just the same person every day,” Travis said. “Consistent in everything I do. A guy that works hard, never late for anything, treats everybody with respect.” Jets general manager Joe Douglas said before the draft that he wants to build a “quarterback factory” like the Packers did by drafting, developing and trading future starting quarterbacks Mark Brunell, Matt Hasselbeck and Aaron Brooks during Brett Favre’s tenure, and later having Rodgers waiting behind Favre much like Love ultimately succeeded Rodgers. Favre (2008) and Rodgers (2023) both moved on to the Jets. Travis fits the bill of high-upside value pick. “I love adversity,” Travis said. “I love waking up every single day and having to make a choice. It just makes the story a whole lot cooler. There’s never been a doubt in my mind.” The plan is for Travis to learn under Rodgers and Tyrod Taylor — who influenced Baker Mayfield and Justin Herbert as rookies — and complete his comeback story down the road. “I’ll watch every little thing that they do,” Travis said. “I’m going to ask a lot of questions, for sure. You have two great quarterbacks ahead of you and I’ve been looking up to them for a long time, so having the opportunity to pick their brains every day, seeing how they treat their teammates, how they carry themselves off and on the field, I look forward to.” [email protected] By RYAN DUNLEAVY Isaiah Davis wasn’t included on a list of the nation’s 247 best running backs in the 2020 college football recruiting class. He is nowhere to be found among the state of Missouri’s 65 highest-ranked recruits that same year. But Davis’ name always will be next to pick No. 173 in the 2024 NFL Draft after the Jets chose the former South Dakota State star — not any of his peers who once earned more recruiting stars from 247Sports — in the fifth round. “It’s a dream come true being here. I always had a goal in mind to play in the NFL,” said Davis, whose only other college scholarship offer was to play linebacker at Missouri Southern State. “I never [had] doubt in myself. Part of this whole journey, I feel like the reason why I’ve come as far as I have is I’ve always had [doubters] that’s made me be so much hungrier.” The Jets drafted two running backs — fourthrounder Braelon Allen is the other — one year after using a fifth-round pick on Israel Abanikanda. The pecking order behind starter Breece Hall — whom Davis met Saturday in the locker room before the final day of rookie minicamp — is wide open. Davis led FCS players with 1,578 rushing yards last season. He scored 51 touchdowns in 46 career games. He became a workhorse with 485 carries over the last two seasons but swatted away a question about fresh legs. “After these last couple months training,” Davis said, “my body is the best it’s ever felt.” Head coach Robert Saleh pointed to Davis as one of a handful of rookies whose physicality could become a “contagious trait that permeates throughout the entire building.” “That’s the standard you’ve got to live by, play the game by,” Davis said. “I’ve always played the game with physicality.” ➤First-round pick OT Olu Fashanu (quad strain) was limited to some movement drills with a trainer at the start of practice. Third-round pick WR Malachi Corley ran through the foot ladder and jogged under some deep throws from a staffer. ➤Seventh-round pick S Jaylen Key — the last pick of the draft — has embraced people around the Jets’ facility and back home in Florida calling him “Mr. Irrelevant.” “It’s something you get used to quick,” Key said. “I like it.” 5th-round RB Davis squarely on map, at last JETS NOTES UNDER CONSTRUCTION: Jets quarterback Jordan Travis can’t do much while recovering from a broken leg sustained at the end of last season at Florida State, but Jets coach Robert Saleh believes Travis has tools on which the Jets can build. Bill Kostroun

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 67 By GREG JOYCE It was just 15 pitches, all fastballs, but they came off the mound, which made it a significant step for Gerrit Cole on his road back to the Yankees. There are still many more steps to come in his rehab process, but Cole was excited about throwing his first bullpen session Saturday since he was shut down in March with nerve inflammation and edema in his right elbow. “This is a good day for me today,” Cole said after the session in which he reported averaging 89 mph and throwing 13 of his 15 pitches for strikes. “I was fired up this morning when I came in. I’ve just been missing it, so it’s nice to be back on the mound.” Cole’s next step, he said, would be determined based on how he recovered in the coming days. “Obviously it’s a progression off the mound, but I got to see how the next 48 hours go before I decide when I’m going to get off the mound again,” the reigning AL Cy Young winner said. Cole and the Yankees have repeatedly declined to put a timetable on when he might return to the rotation. The closest thing to a time frame is acknowledging that Cole would need the equivalent of spring training — around six weeks — for his buildup, though typically when pitchers arrive at camp they are further along in their throwing progression than Cole is now. At this point, mid-June would be the earliest Cole could be ready to pitch in the big leagues, though July might be more likely, with the Yankees insisting they will not rush the $324 million right-hander. Assuming he recovers well from Saturday, he will still need to throw multiple bullpen sessions — ramping up in pitch count, pitch type and intensity — before facing hitters in live batting practice multiple times then going out on a rehab assignment. Asked on Saturday where he would fall on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being gameready, Cole guessed “somewhere under 5.” “I enjoyed today,” he said. “This is the most taste I’ve had in a while, so I definitely miss it. It’s a good step.” Though Cole still has a ways to go before actually pitching in games, the Yankees will be patiently waiting for him. “I think everyone in this room understands Gerrit, who he is, how much he loves what he does and obviously how good he is at it,” manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s another step along the way to getting him back. Glad we were able to get to this point today. Onward and upward.” [email protected] ‘A good day’ as Cole throws off the mound By BRIDGET REILLY The WNBA has been given an opportunity to capitalize on a momentum shift in women’s basketball thanks to the entertaining and record-breaking draft class of Catilin Clark, Kamilla Cardoso, Angel Reese, Cameron Brink and others. The Liberty is excited to be a part of this new enthusiasm as the season begins while still keeping the league in check. On Friday night, returning and new fans were unable to watch the pro debuts of Reese and Cardoso because their preseason game wasn’t available via WNBA League Pass. That was until a fan inside the stadium pulled out her cell phone and started a live stream on X that collected over 800,000 views across almost two hours to help other fans watch the game. The WNBA, which has had trouble marketing players from college to the pros, incorrectly displayed on the League Pass app that every preseason game would be available to watch. The league later apologized in a post on X, but was met with only criticisms from fans. “I mean, it sucks,” Sabrina Ionescu said at the Liberty’s Media Day on Saturday, which included an open practice attended by about 2,000 fans. “I think representation of every team is important. ... Hopefully, the league can fix that because I think they dropped the ball on that part and hopefully they have a great explanation as to why that wasn’t televised. But hats off to the person that just figured it out.” Jonquel Jones, a native of the Bahamas, is familiar with such issues. The Liberty star center has mentioned several times her family’s trouble with streaming her games from home while paying for League Pass. Being so close to Florida, they are still considered in a blackout area for an East Coast game while not being within the United States. “You can’t build consistency if you don’t have a consistent schedule, right? The WNBA is the only professional league of the bigger professional leagues that makes their fans work so hard just to watch a game,” Jones explained. “You know you’re gonna watch ‘Monday Night Football.’ You know when football games are gonna come on. You know when NBA games are gonna come on. It’s a playoff game, nine times out of 10, the NBA game is going to be on TNT.” On the other hand, the livestream numbers led Breanna Stewart to yelp, “What?!” “It means people want to watch,” said the former MVP, who was recently marketed by the league in a commercial. “Making sure as many of these games are being able to be watched as possible.” Head coach Sandy Brondello believes these new stars, along with the rivalry narratives that carry over from college and already exist within the league, including the Liberty’s own against the Aces, will hopefully draw more eyes. She wanted to watch Cardoso and Reese on Friday night but tuned in for the debut of Clark, who “hit the ground running” and “just had a different jersey on, really.” “That’s exciting for the league,” Brondello said. “We have the opportunity to continue to grow this league. It’s the best basketball players in the world and the visibility that we have on it, it’s an opportunity for us to go to the next level.” [email protected] GETTING READY: Breanna Stewart goes in for a layup during an open practice that was part of the Liberty’s media day Saturday at Barclays Center. An estimated 2,000 fans turned out to watch. Michelle Farsi/New York Post

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 68 INDIANA PACERS NEW YORK KNICKS Brunson, Haliburton friends due to Team USA By PETER BOTTE Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton became fast friends as teammates last summer with Team USA, but that will get pushed aside when the two AllStar point guards clash in the Eastern Conference semifinals beginning Monday night at the Garden. “Great player. Didn’t really know him until — like, I knew of him, we met a couple of times — but we didn’t really become friends until last summer,” Brunson said Saturday. “Great guy, great family. He became one of my friends, obviously through that [experience at the FIBA World Cup], and I have all the respect in the world for him and the way he plays the game. He goes out there and plays the right way and does what he needs to do.” Haliburton, who was named to the 2024 Olympic roster last month while Brunson was not, registered a career-best 23 assists against the Knicks on Dec. 30. “Literally the first call I had after we made the playoffs was a FaceTime with Jalen,” Haliburton told reporters Saturday in Indiana. “So we’re pretty good friends, but it’s competition and fully excited to play against those guys.” With Brunson, Hart and fellow Villanova alum Mikal Bridges on last summer’s FIBA squad, Haliburton joked that he served as “the substitute Donte,” referring to Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo, another former Wildcat. “I kind of got roped into that group,” Haliburton said. “It was fun, we have a group chat that we talk in all the time, those are good friends of mine. So I’m excited for all the shenanigans of who Josh Hart is as a human being, and just excited to play against those guys.” ➤Thibodeau said there were no new injuries to report after the first round aside from Julius Randle (shoulder) and Bojan Bogdanovic (foot). KNICKS NOTES Scouts: Controlling pace will be key to series By BRIAN LEWIS If Indiana is going to pull off a second-round upset against the Knicks, the Pacers’ best chance will be … pace. “That’s the path for the Pacers, to get out and play fast and make it in the 110-to-118 range,” one Eastern Conference scout told The Post. “Play fast,” another scout laughed. “They have to play fast. I mean, that’s their whole shtick. “If Indiana is taking the ball out of the basket, walking it up, that’s the Knicks’ advantage. So if the Knicks continue to play good team basketball and they’re scoring, then that’s going to be advantage New York. … The play-fast thing just sticks out; that’s the essential element.” The Pacers led the league in scoring and were second in pace behind Tyrese Haliburton. They cracked 100 points in every game but one. But the playoffs are different, held to 94 and 92 in the two games they lost in their six-game series win against Milwaukee, a team with glaring defensive deficiencies. The Knicks, on the other hand, are defensively dominant. “[The Pacers] like to play fast, and [the Knicks] need to deal with [Haliburton]. Who is going to be the guy to guard him? He’s a big, long point guard. That’ll be a problem,” ex-76ers scout Michael VandeGarde told The Post. “[But] the Knicks control pace well. I don’t think the Knicks want to play in the 110s, 120s. I don’t think that’s [Tom] Thibodeau. I don’t think that’s Jalen Brunson. “They want to grind it out and they’re super good at grinding it out.” CHANGE OF SCENERY: After being dealt by the Knicks to the Pacers last summer, Obi Toppin responded by averaging career highs in points (10.3), rebounds (3.9), assists (1.6), and minutes (21.1). USA TODAY Sports By ZACH BRAZILLER Obi Toppin is doing his best not to make more out of facing his former team on the big stage. Yes, it will be exciting returning home to play the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, but the team’s former first-round pick isn’t looking at it as a personal battle. “I feel like I’m preparing myself just like I did for Milwaukee,” Toppin said Saturday, referring to the first-round series the Pacers won in six games. “Just locking into everything the coaches are telling us to do offensively and defensively, and playing my role.” The Knicks traded Toppin, who attended Ossining High School in Westchester and starred at Dayton, last summer for a pair of future secondround picks. He responded with a solid season in Indiana. The athletic, high-flying 6-foot-9 Toppin averaged career highs in points (10.3), rebounds (3.9), assists (1.6) and minutes (21.1). He also shot a personal best 40.3 percent from 3-point range and is coming off of a stellar 21-point, eight-rebound performance in the closeout victory over the Bucks. Toppin started 28 games for the Pacers, but has become a key part of their second unit, which was his role with the Knicks for three years. “We always thought he was a good player,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I don’t think anything has changed. Very athletic, runs the floor great, shoots the ball, can score the ball. He’s always been able to score. Like I said, we loved having him. He was in a situation here where he’s playing behind Julius [Randle]. So that was the story behind that.” Randle, out for the season following shoulder surgery, will be a bystander for the series. This will also be a family affair of sorts for Toppin. His younger brother, Jacob, is on the Knicks, although he doesn’t get on the court much, if at all. Jacob appeared in nine games with the Knicks this year. So that should make it an easy decision for his parents, Roni and Obadiah, when it comes to who to root for. “Jacob’s not playing, so probably me,” Obi said with a smile. [email protected]

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 69 WHEN you think of the Oakland Pathetics ... sorry, Athletics ... you might think of a team that won 110 games — over the past two seasons. You might think of a team that entered Friday hitting a league-worst .207, with one player hitting above .264 and nine below .200. Or a team with a starting rotation that was 7-14 with a 4.82 ERA and 1.413 WHIP. You don’t necessarily think of a 6-foot-5 flamethrowing closer who was the most added reliever in ESPN leagues this week and was one of the five most added players overall. Since allowing two earned runs and walking one in his first appearance of the season March 30, Mason Miller has dominated opponents. In his past 11 appearances (47 batters faced), he pitched 13 ¹/₃ scoreless innings while allowing just four hits and issuing three free passes. Opponents hit .091 with a .285 OPS and 28 strikeouts (59.6 percent of the batters faced) in that span. Oh, he was also 8-for-8 in save opportunities during that stretch. According to Statcast, Miller ranks in the top 9 percent of the league in exit velocity (85.5), the top 7 in maximum exit velocity (102.6 mph) and the top 3 in WOBA. He is in the top 1 percent in xBA (.086), xSLG (.134), xWOBA (.138), hard-hit percentage (19), strikeout rate (53.7 percent) and xERA (0.80). In fact, the only categories he isn’t ranked near the top in are walk rate (7.4) and groundball rate (38.1 percent). Among relievers, Miller ranks first in strikeouts per nine (18.21), second in swingingstrike rate (21.9 percent), 20th in opponents average (.140), 16th in WHIP (0.77) and 22nd in ERA (1.26). Opponents are also making contact just 54.6 percent of the time against him and just 35.9 percent of the time when pitches are outside the strike zone. Miller is doing this with, for the most part, just two pitches. He is dominating with his fastball — which averages 100.7 mph, according to Statcast, and tops out at a ridiculous 104.2 mph. Opponents are hitting .185 against his heater (.112 xBA) with 16 strikeouts, .563 OPS and 25.6 swinging-strike rate. He also has a 48.6 percent whiff rate with the pitch, which he uses 57.6 percent of the time. Amazingly, he may be even more dominant with his slider. Opponents are hitting .087 (.056 xBA) against it with a 54.2 percent strikeout rate, 4.2 percent walk rate, 48.6 percent whiff rate and 17.2 percent swinging-strike rate. Even more amazing: There are no signs in any of his underlying numbers that would indicate what he is doing is unsustainable. It is quite the opposite. His xERA, FIP (minus-0.07), xFIP (0.90) and BABIP (.330) all point to him being slightly better than he already has been, if that is possible. Oh, and he still is available in close to 35 percent of ESPN leagues (and 15 percent at Yahoo). That being said, Miller is in high demand, and maybe you want to cash in while his stock is soaring. Maybe you can find a trade partner and get a buylow candidate like Julio Rodriguez, Austin Riley or other struggling studs for a package that included Miller. (Roto Rage is not advocating you trade the hulking 25-year-old, just merely pointing out that this may be an ideal time to get a huge return for him.) Otherwise, keep Miller on your squad — he is only going to get better, as long as he stays healthy (that feels like a natural disclaimer that should follow an endorsement for any pitcher nowadays — especially one who regularly throws 104 mph). [email protected] W hi k f h Flame game ONE OF the biggest misconceptions in fantasy baseball is that you cannot find quality players on bad teams. We often see it more prevalent in the world of closers, but it also rears its ugly head when speaking about offensive players stuck on bottom-feeding clubs. The White Sox, Athletics, Rockies, Marlins and Nationals are five of the worst teams, but if you look closely, there are still a few diamonds in the rough to be found. As many can attest, the stolen base category continues to be a linchpin for most fantasy baseball leagues. Locking it down now, as best you can, is paramount — not only for your place in the standings, but for your positioning in trade talks further down the road. Nationals center fielder Jacob Young has six stolen bases over his past six games and is still available in more than 85 percent of leagues at ESPN and Yahoo. Young has not been at the forefront of fantasy managers’ minds as the Nationals continue to lose games and have a minus-16 run differential. But with Lane Thomas on the injured list, Young has seen plenty of opportunities, and he’s taking full advantage. Even with the impending return of Thomas and likely promotion of prospect James Wood, Young is expected to remain in the lineup thanks to his glove and range in the outfield. As we witness veteran decline in third basemen such as Nolan Arenado and Alex Bregman, you may want to turn your attention to 26-year-old Tyler Nevin of the Athletics, who is putting off 2023 Brent Rooker vibes right now. Nevin has been given the opportunity to play every day and accrue full-time atbats between third base and the outfield, and he has not disappointed. If you’re looking for an edge, you need to be the Garth Brooks of fantasy baseball and sing the praises of your friends in low places. By HOWARD BENDER Swipe SBs from gutter Alec Bohm 1B/3B, Phillies Carried a 15-game hit streak into Friday night, going 29-for-60 (.483) with three homers, 20 RBIs, 11 runs and a 1.315 OPS in that span. Jon Gray SP, Rangers After allowing five earned runs in his first start, he allowed four over his next six appearances while going 1-1 with a 1.24 ERA, 33 strikeouts and a .194 opponents average. Luis Rengifo 2B/3B/SS/OF, Angels Available in 50 percent of ESPN leagues, he is hitting .327 with a .903 OPS and seven stolen bases over his past 17 games before Friday. Nick Lodolo SP, Reds Striking out 11.6 per nine innings in his first four starts while limiting opponents to a .177 average. He already has picked up three wins. BIG HITS TEAM NAME OF THE WEEK Down Whit the Sickness ● Austin Riley followed an 11-game hit streak, in which he hit .333 with a .947 from April 6-17, by going 7-for-45 (.156) with no homers, 14 strikeouts and a .469 OPS in 12 games before Friday. Six of his seven hits during that stretch were singles. He is a great buy-low candidate. ● After going 16-for-38 (.421) with two homers, eight RBIs, eight runs, a stolen bases and 1.121 OPS, Jurickson Profar was the most added player in ESPN leagues as of Friday morning. ● Who was the second-most added player? That would be Minnesota backstop Ryan Jeffers, who went 13-for33 (.394) with two homers, seven RBIs, seven runs, a stolen base and 1.185 OPS in his past 10 games. Submit team names to: @NYPost_Roto Ronald Acuna Jr. OF, Braves Entered the weekend having not homered since April 17. In 12 games since, he hit .192 with 18 strikeouts and a .534 OPS. Adrian Houser SP, Mets Has no wins this season and is 0-3 with a 9.51 ERA, 13-17 strikeout-walk rate and .306 opponents average in his past five starts. Randy Arozarena OF, Rays Entered Friday with just five hits in his previous 59 at-bats (.085) while striking out 22 times with a .334 OPS. Mitch Keller SP, Pirates Given up a homer in each of his last four starts, and is 0-2 with a 6.19 ERA, .254 opponents average and .817 OPS over his last three. Has allowed four earned runs in four of his seven outings. IINNSSAANNI ITY TY IINNSSAANI Y I NINNSSS AAANNNIITI TT YY FANTASY II NI F INSANITY INSANITY ININNSSAANNIITTYY ByJARAD WILK Fireballing closer is a Grade A’s fantasy asset Grade A’s fantasy asset Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy baseball news and advice. BIG WHIFFS USA TODAY Sports CHECK SWINGS Mason Miller

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 70 By MARK W. SANCHEZ ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Entering Saturday, nothing was promised to Christian Scott, who took a major league mound for the first time without an assured second start. It was as if the Mets’ best pitching prospect tried, with one night, to prove he could do everything. Scott could battle. He could sail. He could pitch to soft contact, and he could turn to filth to generate swings that made major league hitters look amateur. A large part of the future of the Mets took the stage and made a case to never leave it. “Oh yeah, he’ll get another one,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of Scott, who dazzled in just about every way imaginable and earned his way to at least another turn through the rotation. The only thing he couldn’t do was hit, his offense letting him down in a 3-1 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field. The Mets (16-17) never found the big hit they needed, going 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. They were burned by a pair of bases-loaded walks in the eighth, first by the previously excellent Adam Ottavino and then Sean ReidFoley. Wasted was a brilliant play from Francisco Lindor, who had gotten the inning’s second out with a force at home plate on a backhanded stab and fadeaway throw to the plate. Mendoza’s group, which has dropped nine of 13 and is below .500 for the first time since April 14, has a questionable present but a future that suddenly looks brighter. Pitching in front of an estimated 50 family and friends — plus a sizable portion of the 7 Line Army, which cheered him on from warm-ups to his walk off the mound — Scott first survived and then thrived. The 24-year-old Floridian twirled 6 2/3 innings of onerun ball, both efficient and excellent for a rotation that has needed both. But before he was terrific, he had to prove he was tough. The first three batters Scott faced reached on a single, double and single that gave the Rays a run and runners on the corners before he could blink. Just about every eye in the Mets’ organization was trained on Scott to see how he would handle the moment. “I was just trying to see how he was reacting, and he looked so calm,” said Scott’s catcher, Tomas Nido. “All right, let’s see what we got with him,” was going through Mendoza’s mind. They were looking for signs of jitters. They never found them. On pitch 18, he reached back and threw a fastball by Randy Arozarena to record his first out. Pitch 19 got him two outs, Harold Ramirez bouncing into a double play started and smoothly handled by Brett Baty. Perhaps it helped Scott relax, but that would presuppose he had been tight. By MARK W. SANCHEZ ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Adam Ottavino has been as untouchable as any pitcher in baseball. He proved “human,” as Mets manager Carlos Mendoza put it, at a poorly timed moment. Ottavino allowed his first hit and first run since April 4, which allowed the Rays to escape with a 3-1 win at Tropicana Field on Saturday, when Christian Scott’s brilliant debut was spoiled. The 38-year-old Ottavino took the mound in the eighth inning of a tie game having been the most reliable pitcher on the club and arguably in the league. In his previous nine games, a span that began all the way back on April 5, he had pitched 9 2/3 innings of nohit, no-run, two-walk ball with 17 strikeouts. And his first batter, Jose Siri, struck out on three pitches. But Yandy Diaz’s single into center ended Ottavino’s streak and began a headache of an inning. Ottavino walked Richie Palacios — “inexcusable,” Ottavino said of the base on balls — and Isaac Paredes reached on an infield single that was chopped over Ottavino’s head to load the bases. Francisco Lindor saved Ottavino for one batter: Randy Arozarena’s ground ball cleared a shifted-in Brett Baty, but Lindor backhanded the ball at the back of the dirt and launched a fadeaway throw home to get the runner at home for the second out. “Unbelievable,” said Ottavino, who couldn’t escape the inning. ➤After several injuries and several roster moves, the Mets’ bullpen is down to a single lefty. Jake Diekman is the sole southpaw with Brooks Raley and Triple-A option Nate Lavender hurt and Danny Young optioned Saturday. Sizzling Ottavino slips up METS NOTES RAYS 3 METS 1 Box score Page 60 Promising prospect shines in debut

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 71 What has stood out about Scott — beyond his excellent stuff and command — is an ability to act cool under pressure. “A lot of people told me I’d have trouble sleeping [Friday night],” Scott said with a smile. “I slept like a baby.” After escaping the jam, a fired-up Scott walked off the mound, appeared to settle in and showed off the kind of stuff that has made him so tantalizing. After those three straight reached to begin the game, Scott retired the next 12 batters he saw. There was the three-pitch strikeout of Jose Caballero, who swung through sweepers that he couldn’t reach. The same sweeper made Arozarena look silly, unable to hold up on strike three. Scott struck out six while allowing five hits — just two after the first — on the night. “I know my stuff plays here,” said Scott, who induced 18 swings-and-misses, the most by a Mets pitcher this season. He didn’t encounter trouble again until the fifth, when a fielder’s choice, a steal of second and an error brought a runner to third base in a 1-1 game. But Scott rose with the moment, turning again to the sweeper to punch out Jose Siri. Scott was pulled with two outs and a runner on first in the seventh inning, and the Coconut Creek native walked off the mound to a standing ovation in what qualified as a personal home game and a team road game. Reed Garrett stranded the runner, but the Rays broke through an inning later. The Mets’ clubhouse was quiet afterward, disappointment in a loss and in spoiling a rookie’s gem. The night will be remembered, though, for the first 6 2/3 innings. “As good as advertised,” Nido said. “He belongs.” [email protected] THE KID’S ALL RIGHT: Christian Scott, the Florida native making his big-league debut for the Mets in St. Petersburg, Fla., lasted well into the seventh inning while allowing just one run and scattering five hits, but Brandon Nimmo (inset) and the rest of the lineup could muster little offense in a 3-1 defeat Saturday night. Getty Images; USA TODAY Sports By MARK W. SANCHEZ ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Adrian Houser has been in this spot before, having served as a reliever particularly in his early years with the Brewers. But the Mets’ new bullpen arm — for an undetermined amount of time — has never struggled like this. “This is probably the toughest stretch that I’ve been through in my career so far,” Houser said before the Mets played the Rays at Tropicana Field on Saturday, a day after he learned of his demotion. “So just got to keep putting in the work every day and keep battling back.” The veteran righty has been sent to the bullpen for the next turn through the rotation and will be available as soon as Monday after his latest dud Thursday. Houser owns an 8.16 ERA through six games and was squeezed out of a rotation that welcomed top prospect Christian Scott, who debuted Saturday. The Mets have an off day Thursday, after which they will decide whether Houser should be reinserted into the rotation as a sixth starter or remain in the pen. Manager Carlos Mendoza said there will be “a lot” of factors that factor into the decision — from the status of the bullpen to the schedule and assuredly how each rotation member is performing — but Houser probably will have to fix what is wrong before he returns as a successful starter. He has said his arm path had gotten long, which threw off his command. He believes he is improving. “I just had a bullpen [session] today,” Houser said. “It was really good. It felt a lot better. Like I said after my last outing, it was a step forward. Today was definitely another step forward, and we’re getting where we need to be.” Houser, a solid back-ofthe-rotation starter for the Brewers since establishing himself in 2019, has walked 6.28 batters per nine innings, a spike from last year’s 2.75 mark. He remains confident he can right himself. “Obviously, disappointed in myself,” the 31-year-old said. “No one to blame but myself for not getting the job done. But there’s still a job to be done.” The job, at least for the moment, will be as an arm that can pitch an inning or provide length. Houser said he was not informed about a specific bullpen niche but said he would be ready when called upon. “Keep staying with the routine, looking at videos, seeing where we’re off,” Houser said. “Seeing what we need to do and fix.” SELL THIS HOUSE’: Adrian Houser, owner of an 8.16 ERA, was removed from the Mets rotation. Noah K. Murray By GREG JOYCE Luke Weaver is quietly emerging as the newest weapon in the Yankees bullpen. The right-hander gave the Yankees 2 ¹/3 scoreless innings of relief Saturday in a 5-3 win over the Tigers, helping bridge the gap to closer Clay Holmes. Weaver has now thrown 11 ¹/3 consecutive innings without allowing a run, striking out 14 and walking just one during that span. “Man, he’s been huge for us,” manager Aaron Boone said. “I feel like he’s throwing the ball incredibly well. His fastball has really ticked up in this role. He’s been 95-98 [mph] even at times with that four-seam fastball, the cutter and then the really good changeup to go with it and pounding the zone. He’s somebody we have a lot of confidence in. “Excited about the way he’s throwing the ball and the role he’s carving out for himself down there.” Weaver signed with the Yankees over the offseason to provide some starting depth, but broke camp as the long man in the bullpen and has quickly established a role for himself as a multi-inning threat. “I feel like I’ve come into my own,” Weaver said. “I’m getting comfortable and feeling confident and those two things are merging.” On Saturday, Weaver entered in the sixth inning of a 5-3 game with one out and runners on first and second. He struck out pinch-hitter Andy Ibáñez and then got a fly out to end the threat. He cruised through a perfect seventh inning before going back out for the eighth and sandwiching a pair of strikeouts around a single. ➤The Yankees activated Jon Berti from the injured list before Saturday’s game and designated Taylor Trammell for assignment. Weaver creating believers YANKS INJURY REPORT NOTES n Kodai Senga was expected to face hitters for the second time since suffering his right shoulder capsule strain. Senga was set to throw at Citi Field, Carlos Mendoza said. n David Peterson came through well after his second rehab start with Low-A St. Lucie. The lefty, recovering from offseason hip surgery, threw 41 pitches in three scoreless innings. UP NEXT MONDAY: at Cardinals, 7:45 p.m., SNY, WCBS LHP Sean Manaea vs. RHP Kyle Gibson TUESDAY: at Cardinals, 7:45 p.m., SNY, WCBS RHP Jose Butto vs. RHP Miles Mikolas 2024 stats: 2-2, 2.31 ERA Career vs. TB: 8-3, 3.33 ERA Last start: Mon., vs. CHC 8 IP, 1 ER, 1 H RHP Luis Severino PITCH BREAKDOWN 42% Fastball 16% Sinker 13% Cutter 2024 stats: 3-2, 3.12 ERA Career vs. NYM: First start Last start: Mon., at MIL 6 IP, 0 ER, 7 K RHP Ryan Pepiot PITCH BREAKDOWN 52% Fastball 27% Slider 19% Change Sunday, 1:40 p.m., SNY, WCB ON DECK: at Rays but Amazin’s bats fail him

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 72 INJURY REPORT UP NEXT TUESDAY: vs. Astros, 7:05 p.m., YES, WFAN TBD vs. TBD WED. vs. Astros, 7:05 p.m., Amazon Prime, WFAN TBD vs. TBD 2024 stats: 1-3, 3.86 ERA Career vs. DET: 0-0, 4.50 ERA Last start: Tue., at BAL; 6 IP, 8 H, 4 ER LHP Nestor Cortes PITCH BREAKDOWN 50% Fastball 30% Cutter 12% Sweeper 2024 stats: 4-0, 1.72ERA Career vs. NYY: 1-2, 3.60 ERA Last start: April 28, vs. KC; 7 IP, 1 ER, 6 K LHP Tarik Skubal PITCH BREAKDOWN 30% Fastball 26% Change 23% Sinker vs. Tigers Sunday, 1:35 p.m., YES, WFAN (660 AM; 101.9 FM) ON DECK n Gerrit Cole (elbow nerve inflammation) threw a 15-pitch bullpen session Saturday, his first since being shut down in March. He planned to see how he recovers over the next 48 hours before determining when he will throw from the mound again. n Utilityman Jon Berti (left groin strain) was activated off the injured list Saturday after a three-week stint on the shelf. Rizzo blast helps turn around scuffling offense to top Tigers By GREG JOYCE In one inning — and with one swing — Saturday, the Yankees scored more than they had in any full game in almost a week. A day after playing hero in the bottom of the ninth inning with a walk-off single, Anthony Rizzo delivered a three-run home run that capped off a four-run frame and lifted the Yankees to a 5-3 win over the Tigers in The Bronx. Before Saturday, the Yankees (22-13) had not scored more than two runs in any game since racking up 15 last Sunday in Milwaukee. Rizzo changed that with one big swing before the Yankees’ bullpen — keyed by 2 ¹/3 innings from Luke Weaver and a four-out save from Clay Holmes — locked down the win by extending its scoreless streak to 16 ¹/3 innings. “Today was excellent,” manager Aaron Boone said. “That’s Rizz right there. … Obviously that’s the difference in the game right there. But a lot of good atbats that set that up.” Aaron Judge was in the middle of both of the Yankees’ rallies before he was ejected in the seventh inning. He briefly expressed his displeasure with a called third strike and was hit with a quick ejection, the first of his career, from home plate umpire Ryan Blakney. “I know it got the boys fired up a little bit,” said Clarke Schmidt, who was solid while giving up three runs over five innings. Weaver and Holmes helped make sure the two-run lead stood and the Yankees would not need Judge’s spot in the order to come up again. Holmes recorded his second straight save of more than three outs after earning a five-out save on Wednesday in Baltimore. He has now thrown 16 innings without allowing an earned run to start the season. Judge singled in the first inning and eventually scored on Giancarlo Stanton’s bullet single over the right fielder’s head to tie the game, 1-1. Then in the third inning, Anthony Volpe led off with a walk and Juan Soto singled off righthander Casey Mize before Judge pulled a double to left field for the 2-1 lead. “When the middle of the order can get on base and get things rolling, this offense flows way better,” Judge said. Rizzo came up next and clobbered an inside fastball to right field for the three-run shot. It marked his fifth home run in the last 12 games. “I think with the team coming out in the first and scoring a run, just the way we came out offensively was nice,” Rizzo said. “To add on is always nice.” The Yankees had been starved recently for a big hit like Rizzo’s. He delivered the walk-off single in the ninth inning Friday, after the Yankees had been shut out for eight innings, and then came up big again with two runners on Saturday to make it a 5-1 game. “Just stringing good ABs together,” Boone said. “A lot of good things happening there in an inning where we were finally able to put together a crooked number, which was nice and gave us a little breathing room.” For the second straight start, Schmidt gave up a leadoff home run in the first inning, this one to Riley Greene. But the right-hander settled in from there, striking out six through the first three innings. The Tigers got to him again in the fourth inning, which Wenceel Perez led off with a single and scored on a triple by Matt Vierling. Colt Keith then drove in Vierling on a sacrifice fly that pulled the Tigers within 5-3 before Schmidt got out of the inning. “My other stuff was really, really good and the sinker wasn’t good,” Schmidt said. “I think we did a good job adjusting the game plan. Stuff like that happens. Sometimes you’re going to show up and you don’t have a certain pitch or you might not feel great and you have to make adjustments. So I thought we did an overall really good job of that.” [email protected] YANKEES 5 TIGERS 3 Boxscore Page 60 More Yankees / Pages 71, 67

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 73 Judge tossed for first time By GREG JOYCE Aaron Judge collected a pair of hits Saturday, then got hit with the first ejection of his career. The Yankees’ captain got a quick hook in the bottom of the seventh inning, after he was called out on strikes, glanced quickly back at home plate umpire Ryan Blakney and expressed his displeasure while walking back to the dugout. Once Blakney tossed Judge from the game — TV replays and field microphones appeared to show Judge saying, “That’s bulls--t, you’ve been bulls--t all game” — the center fielder came back to get his money’s worth, although still in a somewhat measured argument. Manager Aaron Boone hopped out of the dugout to defend Judge, at times holding him back during his back-and-forth with Blakney. “Very surprised,” Judge said after the Yankees’ 5-3 win over the Tigers. “Especially a 5-3 game, late in the game, battling 3-2 count, kind of walking away saying my piece. “I’ve said a lot worse. I usually try not to make a scene in situations like that. So little surprised walking away that happened.” The 6-foot-7 slugger is no stranger to having low strikes called against him — though this one was a 3-2 fastball that may have just barely clipped the outside edge of the zone — but he rarely shows much outward frustration with umpires. Boone and Anthony Rizzo both cited Judge’s reputation in saying that Judge should not have gotten tossed so quickly. “Judgey says very little usually, very respectfully, walking away,” Boone said. “Come on, man. Let’s go.” “You know these guys, you know the umpires and what you can and cannot say,” Rizzo said. “As much as we get animated because we’re competing and want to be great, there’s a line that you get to and if you cross it, it warrants an ejection. I just don’t think Aaron got to that point.” Blakney was not made available to a pool reporter, but crew chief Alan Porter (who said Blakney had not told him what Judge said) indicated Judge crossed the line. “Apparently Aaron did not agree with the pitch and said something that you shouldn’t have said and he was ejected,” Porter said. “We do what we can to keep guys in the game but he said something he shouldn’t have said.” Judge said he has “a lot of respect” for Blakney and the job umpires do, but was upset about the way the ejection happened — as he was walking back to the dugout — and that it was late in a close game. “It’s the heat of the moment, 3-2 count, I think it’s a ball, disagree with the call,” Judge said. “So to be facing the dugout walking away and get tossed — I didn’t even see myself get tossed. I think it was the crowd reaction what I heard, so I kind of assumed at that point.” Soto the perfect Yank, with one ma$$ive issue J UAN Soto is the almost perfect Yankee, talented and tough, not to mention 25. He’s getting on base at an astonishing rate, hitting tape-measure homers and at times carrying the marquee club. Soto does and says everything right, and he usually says it with a smile. He’s obviously having fun here, unless he’s as good an actor as hitter. He especially loves the Bleacher Creatures’ roll call. It’s all good so far. There’s just that one small negative, which almost everyone knows. And that is that as a free agent after the season, he might be a short-timer. So naturally, I tried to clear up that one lingering, little question in the two minutes I had with him Saturday before Soto had to hurry off to his pregame hitters meeting. (Personally, I’m not sure he needs a hitters meeting now, but I didn’t question it.) I had just enough time to pose the $64,000 question (really, the $500 million question in this case): Does he want to stay in pinstripes? No surprise, I’d have almost as good a chance to solve world peace. Too soon to say, Soto said. “I mean, right now I’m still learning the team. You cannot tell from one month into the season,” Soto said before the Yankees’ 5-3 win over the Tigers. “You’ve got to see how it’s going to be all the way until the season ends.” Which only shows Soto knows how to deflect a question as well as take a pitch. It’s the percentage play not to show his hand, which we all know is a winning one, anyway. In any case, he can’t hide the fun he’s having here. Beloved late Padres owner Peter Seidler before taking ill sought to make him a lifetime Padre last summer, as The Post reported, but unlike with those all-time underachieving 2023 Padres, it’s plainly obvious he fits beautifully in The Bronx. “I’ve really enjoyed it,” Soto said. “It’s been a great experience. It’s a great group of guys. We all feel comfortable playing for each other. It’s feeling great so far.” If he’s upset about having to do most of the lineup’s heavy lifting so far, he isn’t saying. The early MVP front-runner leads a team with two former MVPs in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, walks, hits, runs, home runs, RBIs — almost everything but strikeouts. But he isn’t making judgments about having to boost the underperforming, nameheavy group. “At the end of the day, I don’t feel that way. I feel like we’re all doing our jobs,” Soto said. “It’s just some guys, they haven’t gotten the balls to land yet.” As for The Decision, it’s fine he needs time. That only makes sense since he wasn’t prepared to commit to the Nationals after 3 ½ years there, which included a World Series championship. Word was the AAV (average annual value) of the Nats’ no-deferral $440M, 15- year offer of just over $29M was a tad light. The Nats being in some flux at the time — the team was for sale then — was said to be another issue. Yes, this is a guy who can afford to consider carefully. Even superstars oftentimes get to free agency and find the market limited, but that shouldn’t be true for Soto since he has many prime years left. Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the most coveted free-agent pitcher ever last winter when every team that could afford him showed interest and six made $300M-plus offers to a pitcher who’d never thrown a pitch in an MLB game. Yamamoto has a lot going for him: a dynamic pitch mix (the curveball and splitter are both elite) a 98 mph fastball, poise, athleticism and competitiveness. But of course, the No. 1 selling point was his age. He’s 25, same as Soto. Players just don’t hit free agency at that age. Alex Rodriguez did, and he doubled the record contract for any North American team sport with his $252M Rangers deal in 2000 (Kevin Garnett’s $126M had been the record), which also included the first-ever opt-out, which are now handed out like candy. Bryce Harper did, too, and despite a sub-2 WAR his walk year, still got a record deal for dollars and years at $330M for 13 years. A few may play as well as Soto. But practically no one has played this better than Soto. He appears positioned to double the A-Rod deal and set the record for biggest contract ever, depending how it’s counted. While two-way, international superstar Shohei Ohtani received $700M, with 97 percent deferred for a decade at no interest, his contract is valued at about $460M by the union (and perhaps less than that, depending on how well the Dodgers-owning, equity-savvy Guggenheim Partners invest it.) That Ohtani deal is a record for total dollars. But Soto appears ready to set a record for real value. So far, Soto is only deferring his answer to the big question. [email protected] Jon Heyman TIME TO GO: Aaron Judge gets tossed by Ryan Blakney after barely arguing a called third strike. USA TODAY Sports

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 74 WHEN APRIL ended last year, 11 of the 12 eventual playoff teams were either in postseason slots or tied for one. So, yes, it is early. Maybe all we have is a snapshot. After all, the realities of the long season were revealed by the one team last year in a playof spot when April concluded who did not actually make the playoffs. That was the Pirates, who, at 20-9, had the second-best record in the majors and followed that by going 56-77, the second-worst record in the majors. Thus, we have seen too little to etch anything in marble beyond the fact the Dodgers are going to run away with the NL West. But we have seen enough not to ignore. And if the first five weeks of this year are an indicator as last year was, we have potential for a season of upheaval. Going into this weekend, for example, the only AL playoff team from 2023 in postseason position this year was the Orioles — though the Twins and defending champion Rangers were lurking close enough to change the picture quickly. If this is going to be a chaos campaign, part of it is that the long-dormant Central divisions in both leagues are showing life, because it is not like the Yankees potentially returning to the playoffs would be a stunner. But it is mainly because of a combination of pitching injuries and yet the continued dominance of the pitchers who remain. Is it possible the Astros, Rangers and Rays are just trying to navigate through too many rotation injuries. Houston has not had a pitch thrown yet this season by Luis Garcia, Lance McCullers Jr. or Jose Urquidy. Justin Verlander missed 22 days on the IL, Framber Valdez 21, and Cristian Javier is approaching three weeks and counting. For Texas, Jacob deGrom, Tyler Mahle and Max Scherzer have yet to start, and Scherzer was on a rehab assignment from surgery for a herniated disc when he had to be shut down again by a thumb injury. Michael Lorenezen was on the IL for 18 days. Cody Bradford, who was doing so well in helping to cover up injury, has missed three weeks already with a lower back ailment, and current ace Nathan Eovaldi left his Thursday start with groin tightness. For the Rays, they know they will be without ace Shane McClanahan all season after Tommy John surgery, and Shane Baz, Taj Bradley, Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs have yet to pitch — Baz and Bradley are due back soon, Rasmussen and Springs not until later in the season, at best. Now, in some cases — like Garcia and McCullers, and deGrom, Mahle and Scherzer — teams knew that they would be without starters for long stretches. But it is add-ons now who begin to push organizations toward the tipping point. Poor starting pitching almost always results in overtaxing bullpens. The Rays were fifth in overall ERA last season and the Astros eighth. This year (all stats heading into the weekend), they were 25th and 26th. The top five in team ERA were the Red Sox, Mariners, Yankees, Royals and Tigers. Those were four of the five new AL playoff teams plus the surprising Red Sox. The other new current entrant who would join the Orioles was the Guardians, who were eighth overall in ERA and sixth in the AL behind the MLB top five. Beyond the starters already listed with the Astros, Rangers and Rays, here is a not complete list of pitchers yet to throw a pitch in 2024: Sandy Alcantara, Daniel Bard, Felix Bautista, Matt Brash, Walker Buehler, Alex Cobb, Gerritt Cole, Braxton Garrett, Lucas Giolito, Tony Gonsolin, Clayton Kershaw, German Marquez, Dustin May, Eury Perez, Robbie Ray, Eduardo Rodriguez, Kodai Senga, Devin Williams and Brandon Woodruff. And Shane Bieber, Kyle Bradish, Jhoan Duran and Justin Steele have hardly pitched. Into-the-void recent relievers Jordan Hicks, Reynaldo Lopez and Seth Lugo are top-seven in ERA. And the only pitchers in the top 20 of ERA to receive even a single Cy Young vote in their careers were Jose Berrios, Luis Severino and Zack Wheeler. You would think with so many big arms missing in action and so many having to fill in from the chorus to replace them that offense would go up. Instead, the league batting average of .239 was the second lowest of the Live Ball Era (since 1920). The .695 OPS was the lowest since 1989. How do you get disturbance in the force field? Here is a partial list of players who are down a minimum of 250 OPS points from last season: Ronald Acuna Jr., Randy Arozarena, Bo Bichette, Alex Bregman, Corbin Carroll, Yandy Diaz, Aaron Judge, Matt Olson and Corey Seager. The Braves’ lineup is still powerful enough to be leading the majors in scoring (5.41 runs per game) despite the slides of Acuna and Olson, who finished first and fourth for NL MVP last year. The Rays’ lineup (3.75, 23rd in MLB) is not, with Arozarena and Diaz this far off. Now, again, it is early. Do you really believe in the Tigers, who are tied with the Angels for the longest playoff drought (since 2014), or the Royals, who are tied with the Pirates (since 2015) for the next longest? Kansas City lost 106 games last year. In the Live Ball Era, the 2023 A’s (112 losses) and Royals became the 45th and 46th teams to lose at least 106 times. Of those, just four followed with a winning record. The best was the 87-75 Orioles of 1989, whose 1988 predecessor lost its first 21 games and 107 times in all. The most famous (or infamous) was the 83-79 A’s of 1980, whose manager Billy Martin had five starters all work at least 211 innings and produce 93 complete games. We can forget about that kind of disturbance this year, considering that there were just 35 complete games league-wide last season and just six so far this year. Yet, with all the arm protection, pitching injuries continue to be staggering. But so is the pitching that fills in — often throwing it so hard and with so much spin as to court the next wave of injuries. It is a long season. Maybe we have just a small sample size. Or maybe we have the conditions in place for a chaotic season in which many of the best pitchers never throw, yet many of the best hitters never hit well, and it all leads to a bunch of postseason surprises. [email protected] Joel Sherman Hardball Competing factors could make this MLB season wildly unpredictable WHAT NOW? Injuries to players like (from left) Luis Garcia, Max Schezer, Gerrit Cole and Shane McClanahan are contributing to what looks like will be a terribly unpredictable season. N.Y. Post photo illustration

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 75 IT GETS NO BETTOR THAN THIS: Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., has everything on the first Saturday in May: wagering, fashion, and celebrity — including Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (left, middle) — and the Sport of Kings. The venerable track held the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday evening. USA TODAY Sports ((4); AP (2); Getty Images In honor of all nurses, for whom care is a calling

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 76 By BETH HARRIS LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The 150th Kentucky Derby produced one of the most dramatic finishes in its storied history — three noses at the wire. Mystik Dan desperately fought to hang on with two challengers coming to him in the closing strides. He did, too, after a delay of several minutes while the closest three-horse photo finish since 1947 was sorted out. That year, Jet Pilot won by a head over Phalanx, who was another head in front of Faultless. This one was much tighter. Mystik Dan, an 18-1 shot, edged Sierra Leone by a nose, with Forever Young another nose back in third on Saturday. Sierra Leone was the most expensive horse in the race at $2.3 million. Long shots Track Phantom and Just Steel led the field through the early going, with 3-1 favorite Fierceness racing three-wide just off the leaders. At the top of the stretch, everything changed. Track Phantom drifted off the rail, opening a hole that Hernandez squeezed Mystik Dan through, and the bay colt suddenly found another gear. He quickly opened up a daylight advantage on the field. “When he shot through that spot, he was able to cut the corner and I asked him to go for it,” Hernandez said. “He shot off and I’m like, ‘Oh man, I’ve got a big chance to win the Kentucky Derby.’” To Mystik Dan’s outside, Sierra Leone and Forever Young took up the chase in the middle of the track. As Mystik Dan sped along the rail, Sierra Leone lugged in and bumped Forever Young three times in the stretch, but jockey Ryusei Sakai didn’t claim foul. Mystik Dan got so close to the rail that Hernandez’s boot struck it. “But I think we can buy another pair of boots,” he said. The winner’s share of the record $5 million purse was $3.1 million, with the jockey and trainer typically earning 10 percent each. “Just a brilliant, brilliant, brilliant jockey and ride,” McPeek said. “Brian is one of the most underrated jockeys, but not anymore, right?” Sierra Leone, the second choice at 9-2 odds, and Forever Young from Japan came up just short at the wire in front of 156,710 at Churchill Downs, the largest crowd since 2018. “You get beat a nose in the Kentucky Derby, it’s a tough one,” said Chad Brown, trainer of Sierra Leone. “But I’m so proud of the horse.” It was just the 10th Kentucky Derby decided by a nose — the closest margin in horse racing — and the first since Grindstone edged Cavonnier to wear the garland of red roses in 1996. The crowd waited several minutes in the heat and humidity as the result was reviewed by the stewards and declared official. “The longest few minutes of my life,” Hernandez said, after he and Mystik Dan walked in circles while the stunning result was settled. “To see your number flash up to win the Derby, I don’t think it will sink in for a while.” Fierceness finished 15th in the field of 20 3-year-olds. Owner Mike Repole is 0-for-8 in the derby. He had the favorite in 2011 with Uncle Mo, who was scratched the day before the race with an illness. Last year, Forte was scratched the morning of the race as the favorite with a bruised foot. Mystik Dan ran 1 ¹/ 4 miles over a fast track in 2:03.34 and paid $39.22, $16.32 and $10. Hernandez and trainer Kenny McPeek had teamed for a wire-to-wire win in the Kentucky Oaks for fillies on Friday with Thorpedo Anna. McPeek is the first trainer to sweep both races since Ben Jones in 1952. McPeek’s only other victory in a Triple Crown race was also a shocker: 70-1 Sarava won the 2002 Belmont Stakes — the biggest upset in that race’s history. The colt spoiled the Triple Crown bid of War Emblem. The winning owners are cousins Lance and Brent Gasaway and Daniel Hamby III, all from Arkansas. They bred Mystik Dan. “We’ve done it with what I call working-class horse,” McPeek said, explaining the colt’s sire and dam weren’t big names. Sharilyn Gasaway, Brent’s wife, said, “It is surreal for sure. We feel like we’re just ordinary people and we’ve got an amazing horse.” Sierra Leone returned $6.54 and $4.64. Forever Young was another nose back in third and paid $5.58 to show. Catching Freedom was fourth, followed by T O Password of Japan, Resilience, Stronghold, Honor Marie and Endlessly. Dornoch was 10th and then came Track Phantom, West Saratoga, Domestic Product, Epic Ride, Fierceness, Society Man, Just Steel, Grand Mo the First, Catalytic and Just a Touch. — AP DOWN TO THE WIRE! Mystik Dan, the bay colt on the far right, under jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. found a trip-saving route on the rail and were rewarded, winning the Kentucky Derby by a nose — only the 10th time that has happened — on Saturday at Churchill Downs. Sierra Leone, the No. 2 horse, was second and Forever Young, between Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone, was third. AP (2) KENTUCKY DERBY 1¹/₄ miles; $5,000,000; 3YO Time: 22.4, 46.3, 1:11.1, 1:37.2, 2:03.1 Winner: Mystik Dan; Trainer: Kenny McPeek Horse PP ¹/₄ ¹/₂ ³/₄ ml str Fin. Jockey Odds Mystik Dan 3 8 6 4 1 1 1 Hernandez 18.61 Sierra Leone 2 18 17 16 8 3 2 Gaffalione 4.79 Forever Young 10 16 16 15 7 2 3 Sakai 7.03 Catching Freedom 4 15 13 13 6 5 4 Prat 8.47 T O Password 9 17 18 18 11 7 5 Takayanagi 48.20 Resilience 18 7 8 8 2 4 6 Alvarado 31.85 Stronghold 17 5 4 6 4 6 7 Fresu 35.55 Honor Marie 7 19 20 20 10 8 8 Curtis 14.90 Endlessly 13 20 19 19 15 15 9 Rispoli 48.83 Dornoch 1 13 12 14 13 12 10 Saez 22.91 Track Phantom 11 1 1 1 3 9 11 Rosario 41.58 West Saratoga 12 6 7 7 14 14 12 Castanon 22.93 Domestic Product 14 14 14 12 17 17 13 I Ortiz 24.17 Epic Ride 20 4 5 5 9 13 14 Beschizza 47.57 Fierceness 16 3 3 3 5 10 15 Velazquez 3.21 Society Man 19 9 11 11 16 11 16 Dettori 47.41 Just Steel 6 2 2 2 12 16 17 Asmussen 21.27 Grand Mo The First 15 12 15 17 19 18 18 Jaramillo 49.32 Catalytic 5 10 9 10 20 20 19 J Ortiz 34.82 Just A Touch 8 11 10 9 18 19 20 Geroux 11.57 Scr: Encino Prices 3 Mystic Dan $39.22 16.32 10.00 2 Sierra Leone 6.54 4.64 11 Forever Young 5.58 $2 Exacta (3-2) $258.56 $0.50 Trifecta (3-2-11) $556.92 $1 Superfecta (3-2-11-4) $8,254.07

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 77 Brilliant rebuild has the Pacers dreaming of title By BRIAN LEWIS It was a scary leap of faith when Indiana finally took the plunge into a rebuild. It’s brought the Pacers here — into the second round against the Knicks, their first Eastern Conference semifinal in a decade. And they’re not content. “You talk about getting to the playoffs, and it’s like in college when you have a really good team and you talk about getting to the Final Four. And then all of a sudden, just getting to the Final Four is where your expectation was, you’ve got to think bigger than that,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “I’ve said for two years now we’re a franchise with big dreams. And we don’t know exactly where this is going to go from here ... [but] you have to have big dreams and aspirations to continue to grow and to continue to push yourself.” Those dreams required letting go of their delusions. Rebuild is a four-letter word in the NBA, but the Pacers president Kevin Pritchard and general manager Chad Buchanan acknowledged that’s exactly what they needed. At the 2022 trade deadline the Pacers dealt big man Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento for Tyrese Haliburton. The following summer it was Malcom Brogdon to Boston for Aaron Nesmith and picks. They kept adding pieces to holdovers Myles Turner and TJ McConnell, and they quickly went from rebuild to build faster than even they could’ve hoped. “This has been great. Look, when we had to basically squash this thing 2 ¹/2 years ago and start over, when you start using the ‘R’ word, it can get ugly. There are teams that were rebuilding for nine years,” Carlisle said. “Kevin and Chad struck gold with Tyrese and it turned out to be a great trade for Sacramento. And then the Nesmith trade was another important piece. “The [Obi] Toppin acquisition was big; then we had to figure out which guys were the guys to stay. Myles and TJ were obvious, and then [Andrew] Nembhard in the second round, [got Pascal] Siakam in the deal in late January ... it’s been super fun with this group. When you work with a guy like Tyrese Haliburton on a day-to-day basis, there’s nothing better.” Except winning with a guy like Haliburton. The point guard showed not just ability, but leadership very quickly. Instead of continuing to tank the Pacers pivoted to finding winning pieces to put around him. Cue the additions of ex-Knick Toppin, Nembhard, and — now that they’d become a winning team — former champ Siakam to try and become a contending one. “One of the reasons we acquired Pascal Siakam was to have a chance not only to get to the playoffs,” Carlisle said, “but to advance in the playoffs.” And now try to advance through the Knicks. “I’ve seen the highs and lows of this, and I know the fans have seen the highs and lows of this over the past 10 years. To finally get a little bit of fruit of your labor with this is incredible,” said Turner, adding, “We still have a lot of work to do.” [email protected] THE OLD GUARD: T.J. McConnell, defending Damian Lillard during the first round of the playoffs, is one of the holdovers who has thrived amid the Pacers’ rebuild that began when Domantas Sabonis was dealt for guard Tyrese Haliburton in 2022. USA TODAY Sports

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 78 INDIANA PACERS NEW YORK KNICKS RICK ROLE By PETER BOTTE In what turned out to be Rick Carlisle’s final game as head coach of the Mavericks in 2021, Jalen Brunson played 10 minutes off the bench in a Game 7 loss to the Clippers in the opening round of the playoffs. Brunson insisted Saturday that he needs no added motivation as the Knicks prepare to square off Monday against Carlisle and the Pacers in Game 1 at the Garden, but ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon, who covered him in Dallas, said on the Hoop Collective podcast, “I can assure you this: [Brunson] remembers getting essentially benched in that series.” The Knicks’ emerging superstar wouldn’t bite when asked Saturday about that scenario involving Carlisle, who led the Pacers to a 47-35 record in the regular season and a first-round elimination of the Bucks. “In all honesty, I said this last time, you’re in the playoffs now, there is no extra motivation,” Brunson said after practice in Tarrytown. “It is what it is. The past is the past. Rick welcomed me into the league and helped me become the player [I am today] and helped me grow from Day 1. “Coaches got to make decisions that better suit their teams. Whatever happened, happened, and we’re moving forward from there.” Brunson’s role expanded with the Mavericks the following season under Jason Kidd, and he averaged 34.9 minutes in 18 postseason games in 2022 before signing with the Knicks as a free agent that summer. The former Villanova star finished fourth in the NBA with 28.7 points during the regular season in his second season in New York, and he upped those numbers to an NBA-best 35.5 points per game in the Knicks’ six-game elimination of the Sixers in the first round. It marked the second straight year since Brunson’s arrival that the Knicks have advanced in the postseason, and the first time that has happened since they won nine consecutive first-round series from 1992-2000. “Jalen Brunson is a guy you would never bet against,” Carlisle told reporters Saturday in Indiana. “You just don’t bet against that guy. I don’t know if anybody saw this coming, what he’s achieved for two years now, but if you know him and you know his character, you’re not surprised. You’re not shocked.” According to Carlisle, he visited with Brunson at Villanova before he was drafted by the Mavericks in the second round in 2018, adding that he asked multiple people associated with the program who was the greatest player in school history. “Right down the line, everybody responded the same thing, Jalen Brunson,” Carlisle said. “So there’s a program that’s got three national championships and he was a big part of two of those. He’s very special, he was great to work with in Dallas for I think it was three years. “Just professional, great character, great basketball, great respect and love for the game. You cannot say enough great things about him and what he’s accomplished. He’s obviously a highly skilled player, but he’s got an indomitable will to accomplish what naysayers don’t think he can do. He’s just one of those kinds of guys. You have to respect what he’s doing.” Brunson, who will go headto-head with All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton in this series, posted 35.7 points per game in three appearances this season against the Pacers. “The last two times we played him he had 40 in one game and 39 in the other. He’s leading the playoffs in scoring average,” Carlisle said. “It’s pretty obvious that he established a very high level during the season, and he’s maintained and/or exceeded it in the postseason, and that’s hard to do.” [email protected] START AND END: Rick Carlisle (right) was Jalen Brunson’s first NBA coach with the Mavericks. Carlisle, now the Pacers coach, played Brunson all of 10 minutes in what turned out to be his final game as the Mavericks’ coach. USA TODAY Sports; AP

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 79 INDIANA PACERS NEW YORK KNICKS EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS Mon.: at Knicks, 7:30 p.m., TNT Wed.: at Knicks, 8 p.m., TNT Fri.: at Pacers, 7 p.m., ESPN May 12: at Pacers, 3:30 p.m., ABC May 14*: at Knicks, TBD, TNT May 17*: at Pacers, TBD, ESPN May 19*: at Knicks, TBD, TBD * if necessary Knicks vs. Pacers By ZACH BRAZILLER The Raptors didn’t reach the playoffs this year, but that doesn’t mean the team north of the border isn’t impacting the postseason. Their two former forwards, OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam, will play pivotal roles in the upcoming Eastern Conference semifinal between the Knicks and the Pacers. Both were dealt to prior to the trading deadline, and now the two friends and former teammates will meet up with so much on the line. “Yeah, it’ll be weird,” Anunoby said Saturday. “I never played against him. He’s always been my teammate, so it’ll be weird, but it’ll be cool, I’m sure. He’s looking forward to it, too.” Both made an impact in their new homes. Since acquiring the 6-foot-7 Anunoby on Dec. 30, the Knicks went 24-5, including their opening-round playoff series victory over the 76ers, when he plays. Anunoby averaged 15.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in the series, in addition to playing his trademark lockdown defense. The 6-8 Siakam was terrific in the Pacers’ series victory over the Bucks, posting 22.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists, and became a major part of Indiana’s top-ranked offense after coming over in a Jan. 17 trade. This will be new for both of them. Even during scrimmages in practice with the Raptors, they rarely guarded one another because they were often on the same team. “I know some stuff,” Anunoby said. “He’s a great player. I think everyone knows that. … He’s made a big impact. Plays both ends. Can score, he can rebound, he can pass. He can do everything.” Slowing down the Pacers will be challenging. They averaged a league-high 123.3 points during the regular season and were second in offensive rating (120.5). Indiana won two of three regular-season meetings over the Knicks, and averaged 123.3 points in those contests. Anunoby, however, didn’t play in any of those games. “Obviously, having him will make a difference,” Jalen Brunson said. “I’m excited, he’s healthy. I’m excited he’s back with us. It’s going to be a great matchup.” The Knicks figure to use Anunoby in a lot of different ways. He won’t just be defending his former teammate. He figures to guard Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton as well. Against the 76ers, he went from hounding Tyrese Maxey on the perimeter to Joel Embiid in the paint. That’s what has made Anunoby so valuable to the Knicks: his versatility at both ends of the floor. The Knicks’ success since his arrival speaks for itself. “I mean, he can do things on the court that are kind of hard to teach,” Brunson said. “Obviously, having the athleticism, the length, to cover ground the way he does is remarkable. I think he has the confidence as well just because he’s done it so many times.” [email protected] Butler calls out Knicks in expletive-laden rant By ZACH BRAZILLER Last year, Jimmy Butler sent Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks home, and the Heat’s superstar wing wanted to do it again. In a video that went viral on social media, Butler took shots at the Knicks, Josh Hart and Thibodeau — along with the Celtics. “If I was playing, Boston would be at home,” said Butler, who missed the Heat’s opening-round playoff loss to the Celtics with a sprained right MCL. “New York damn sure would be f---ing at home.” The interviewer then brought up Josh Hart. “F--- that mean to me? Josh Hart? C’mon man,” said Butler, a six-time All-Star who played for Thibodeau with the Bulls and Timberwolves. “I love Thibs, but I don’t want Thibs. Thibs, I love you baby, but I want to beat you to a pulp. You want me. I don’t want you. It’s like a one-sided relationship. You in love with me and I love you but I’m not in love with you, you know what I’m saying.” Last year, Butler and the Heat eliminated the Knicks in six games in the Eastern Conference semifinals and went all the way to the NBA Finals as the eighth seed. They didn’t have the same luck this year after finishing in the same spot. Butler thinks if he had been healthy, it would’ve been a different story. Standout Heat guard Terry Rozier was also injured for the loss to the Celtics. The Knicks, meanwhile, are preparing to face the Pacers in the second round, looking to reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000. [email protected] YOU AGAIN?! Former Raptors OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam will meet up in the second round of the playoffs as key players on the Knicks and Pacers, respectively. Getty Images More Knicks / Page 68 BUTLER

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 80 WELL, we’ve reached Day 3 in our wait for the renewal of Knicks-Pacers, so the best way we can properly utilize this space this week is to provide a primer on just why the Pacers and the Knicks are so unforgettable. Let’s do it chronologically: 1. May 4, 1993: Pacers 116, Knicks 93 The Knicks had won two hardfought games at home, playing as the No. 1 seed for the first time since 1970. The Pacers, at 41-41, had finished 19 games behind the Knicks. And the Knicks seemed poised for a sweep at Market Square Arena, up 55-49 at the half. But early in the third, Reggie Miller began goading John Starks, and Starks was easily goad-able. With 8:48 left, Starks put the Knicks up two, Miller said something, and Starks headbutted him, drawing an ejection. The Pacers outscored the Knicks 59-34 the rest of the way. 2. June 1, 1994: Pacers 93, Knicks 86 The Knicks led after three, 80-69, and seemed ready to cruise to a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. Then Reggie went berserk, nailing 3 after 3, and to make matters more interesting, he got involved in some verbal jousting with Spike Lee, capped by Miller flashing the choke sign. And thus was a New York villain officially born. 3. June 3, 1994: Knicks 98, Pacers 91 Two days later, with Lee sitting courtside in Indiana, the Knicks kept their season alive, assisted by Miller. Trailing by one late in the game, Miller had two free throws to give Indiana the lead and possibly shove the Knicks into the abyss. But he missed one of two, Derek Harper hit a huge 3, and the Knicks survived. 4. June 5, 1994: Knicks 94, Pacers 90. Two days after that, the Knicks trailed by four at the half and by 90-89 with 30 seconds to go when Starks drove, missed a layup, and Ewing followed with the dunk that put the Knicks in the NBA Finals for the first time in 21 years. 5. May 7, 1995: Pacers 107, Knicks 105 We heard a whole lot about this one last week. Down by six with 18.7 seconds left, Miller hit a 3, recovered the ball after a bad throw in, hurried back behind the line and buried another 3. Starks had a chance to end the madness but blew two free throws, and on the rebound Miller was fouled and made two free throws. 6. May 17, 1995: Knicks 96, Pacers 95 Down 3-1 and down a point after a late Byron Scott 3, Ewing drove to the basket, maybe (lol) took an extra step and at the buzzer saved the Knicks’ season. 7. May 19, 1995: Knicks 92, Pacers 82 For the second straight year, the Knicks ruined a Market Square clinching party, outscoring the Pacers 27-13 in a decisive third quarter to force Game 7. 8. May 21, 1995: Pacers 97, Knicks 95 The Finger Roll Game. What else needs to be said? 9. May 10, 1998: Pacers 118, Knicks 107 (OT) This was a house-money game for the Knicks, who’d already stunned the Heat in the first round and welcomed Ewing back after missing five months with a wrist injury. But the Knicks were one stop away from forging a 2-2 tie with the heavily favored Pacers in Game 4, up three late. Rik Smits went for a quick two and missed, Chris Mullin won a scramble for the rebound and … well, of course Reggie hit a game-tying 3 to force OT. And that was that. 10. June 1, 1999: Pacers 88, Knicks 86 The Knicks had already stolen Game 1, and Ewing lofted a goodlooking 16-footer at the buzzer of this one that barely missed. What nobody knew in the moment was Ewing was playing on a damaged Achilles that would end his season and hinder the rest of his career. 11. June 5, 1999: Knicks 92, Pacers 91 The Knicks trailed 91-88 with 5 seconds to go. Then Larry Johnson made a 3, was fouled, made the free throw and some of the 19,763 people who were there that day still don’t hear right. 12. June 11, 1999: Knicks 90, Pacers 82 For one of the few times, Miller came up small in a big spot, shooting 3-for-17 and 1-for-8 from 3 as the Garden serenaded him all across the fourth quarter, and the Knicks advanced to the NBA Finals. 13. May 23, 2000: Knicks 91, Pacers 89 The last gasp of the Ewing Era Knicks came with Ewing sitting out Game 4 of the Eastern finals. Johnson dropped 25 and the Knicks tied the series 2-2 14. June 2, 2000: Pacers 93, Knicks 80 Reggie’s playoff swan song at MSG was a keeper, 34 points and 5-for-7 from 3 eliminating the Knicks in Game 6 after the teams entered the fourth tied at 62. 15. May 18, 2013: Pacers 106, Knicks 99 The Knicks were up 92-90 when Carmelo Anthony rose for a poster dunk over Roy Hibbert. Instead it was Hibbert who did the posterizing, the Pacers scored 16 of the final 23 points and ousted the Knicks in Game 6 of the East semis. Rich Nash: I really don’t think the Pacers have any idea what they are in for. Rick Carlisle is a terrific coach who will make things interesting. At the end of the day, they don’t have enough to match up with this team. Knicks in five. Vac: I just think it’s a great time to be alive, with so many New Yorkers not necessarily waiting for the sky to fall. (Yet.) Joe Nicoletti: Joel Embiid is at the top of the list of all-time bigs for shooting and scoring for three quarters. Unlike Russell, Reed, Ewing, Olajuwon and Jokic, he gets nowhere near lists that include integrity, leadership and effort. Vac: The 76ers need Embiid to commit to getting fit this summer. They don’t need him biding his time with Team USA. And should tell him that. @JohnWil33368589: I think it’s pretty obvious that if Embiid wasn’t hurt, the Sixers sweep. The Knicks are better without Randle and starting both Hart and OG. @MikeVacc: I suppose it will come as little surprise to you, dear readers, that his X bio defines him thusly: “Philly sports diehard.” Stewart Summers: The Yankees hired a former MIT physicist to join their analytics department. Perhaps Nike should consider hiring an MIT physicist to design their next batch of MLB uniforms. Vac: Please? EVERY SUNDAY MIKE VACCARO RESPONDS TO READERS’ QUESTIONS AT [email protected] AND @MIKEVACC ON X Mike Vaccaro [email protected] OPEN MIKE WE MEET AGAIN! I AM FULLY aware that you don’t come here seeking advice on either gambling or ice hockey, which is probably wise, but I do think its remarkable that the Rangers are slight underdogs to the Hurricanes in this series. ➤ Yep. Sure looks like it’ll take Caitlin Clark a while to adjust to the WNBA. She scored 21 points and had five 3s in her exhibition debut, which is sure to make Diana Taurasi more than a little salty. ➤ Godspeed Danny Castellano, who covered the Mets for many years for the Newark StarLedger, who was an early mentor of mine when I started writing baseball in earnest, and who was among the gentlest souls I’ve ever met. ➤ I think Michael Douglas is just superb playing Benjamin Franklin, and it only took a few episodes before I stopped waiting for him to whisper to some haughty Frenchman that “greed is good.” AN HISTORIC PACE: Knicks legend Patrick Ewing battles with Pacers enemy Reggie Miller for a rebound in Game 5 of the 1995 conference semifinals, one of many memorable clashes between the teams.Bob Olen

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 81 Sports announcer extraordinaire Kenny Albert — who calls Rangers and Knicks games along with other major sports — takes a time out to huddle with Post columnist Steve Serby for some NHL and NBA playoffs Q&A. Q: Is it realistic for Rangers fans to dream of winning the Stanley Cup? A: Definitely realistic. It’s not going to be easy. As Howie Rose said in ’94, “There’s one more hill to climb,” well the Rangers have three more hills to climb, but it should definitely be realistic. That’s their goal, and I think the fans who have watched the team all year long would certainly agree that the Cup is realistic. ... The city and the Garden would just explode if it were to happen again this year 30 years later. Q: You’ve said the Rangers have no holes. A: Tremendous goaltending, in my opinion, the best group of defensemen one through six in the league, two All-Star lines, great depth. [Team president] Chris Drury’s done a terrific job, Peter Laviolette was the perfect coach for this team. I’ve been so impressed with the style that he implemented right from Game 1, and then throughout the season, the personnel changes, the tweaks, the in-game adjustments ... The 30th anniversary of ’94, a lot of the stars are aligning with the Rangers, Knicks, the eclipse, O.J., etc. Carolina is well-coached. ... All eight teams remaining in the playoffs feel like they all have a legitimate shot. I think the Rangers have the edge in goal, Carolina’s had some injury issues there, although Frederik Andersen played very well in the series against the Islanders. Q: You were at the Garden when the Rangers won the Cup in ’94. A: I’ll never forget how electric the Garden was that night. .... I was up right in front of the blue seats calling the games on the NHL Radio Network with Sherry Ross. Game 5, the Rangers had a three-games-to-one lead. I wound up meeting my wife that night after the game. If the Rangers had won the Cup in Game 5 ... we would not have met. Q: And when the horn went off ? A: My call was, “Say goodbye to the ghosts of 1940, the New York Rangers have won the Stanley Cup!” That’s certainly at the top of my list as far as memorable games, memorable calls — along with the 2018 Olympics, the women’s gold medal game which went to a shootout in South Korea, the United States beat Canada. ... Called the 2021 and ’23 Stanley Cup Final on TV in the U.S., the first one for NBC, the most recent for TNT. The Jose Bautista call that I get asked about more than any other. Q: What do you think of KnicksPacers? A: It’s remarkable what the Knicks were able to do without their entire starting front court for such a long period this year. Jalen Brunson, one of the great free-agent signings of all time, I think not only in the NBA but all sports. Tom Thibodeau’s done a masterful coaching job during his four seasons with the team. Leon Rose made some terrific deals. ... Some great matchups, unbelievable storylines, Obi Toppin coming back to play against the Knicks. ... When you look back to ’94, the Knicks played the Pacers that year as well, so just another one of those coincidences 30 years later. Q: What is the key to the series? A: Slowing down [Tyrese] Haliburton, [Pascal] Siakam’s a guy with a lot of playoff experience. ... But from a Knicks standpoint, it’s just incredible to watch what Brunson’s been able to do, carry this team, Josh Hart playing just about every minute of every game, and I think OG Anunoby has certainly been that X factor. Q: Describe the Anunoby trade. A: He’s the perfect Tom Thibodeau-type player. It’s all about the team. It’s not about him. And you can say that about Brunson and Hart, and so many of the other guys on the roster. I know when he first came over, Clyde [Frazier] talked about the [Dave] DeBusschere trade and some of the similarities and how much that meant to his team and probably to a couple of championships, when you talk to some of the old Knicks from the ’70s, they do make that comparison to when their Knicks traded for DeBusschere. Q: How was villain Reggie Miller received at the Garden? A: He really did embrace it, and Spike [Lee] is such a passionate fan. I think it just adds to the mystique. Basketball, unlike hockey, there are no boards, there’s no boundary, the fans are right there. Q: You were there when Reggie Miller gave the choke sign. A: I was up in the stands. ... I just remember the intensity, the craziness of so many points being scored in such a short period of time. Q: What has it been like for you being the son of Marv Albert? A: It’s been great. I never knew anything different, right? I would get to go to all these games, and I would bring friends, and then I started to do the stats for him. It was an unbelievable learning experience. I guess it’s somewhat poetic that when I was born, he was actually traveling back from a Rangers game in Montreal. I was three months premature, so they weren’t expecting me. He landed at LaGuardia, and was actually paged in the airport to go right to Lenox Hill Hospital. I was 1 pound, 15 ounces, and went down to 1 pound, 8 ounces after I was born. I had a twin brother that didn’t survive. I was in an incubator for over two months. I was born a week before the current MSG opened. It kind of came full circle, once my kids [daughters Amanda and Sydney] were born, I had somewhat of a similar schedule, traveling around the country, not being around that much on weekends. Q: How would you compare your style with your father’s style? A: You know it’s funny, some people tell me that I have a similar style and sound pretty similar, others say there’s really no similarity. I never really tried to base a style off of any one play-by-play broadcaster in particular. Never really have had a catch phrase so to speak. Obviously he’s so well known for the “Yes!” call on basketball, Q: Describe meeting Taylor Swift at the Garden. A: She was sitting two seats over, and it was 2014. ... My statistician John Labombarda from Elias, he was sitting right next to her, and she went to get up, and he said to her, “My kids would kill me if I didn’t ask you to take a picture.” So she took a picture with John, and then that kind of left the door open, and I asked her if she would mind. The thing I remember is she was so gracious, she actually took each of our phones, I guess she had the angle that she liked being photographed at, so she actually took the phone from me and she took the selfie of the two of us together. Q: What is the best baseball team you ever saw? A: Those Yankee teams from ’96 to 2000, but in particular the ’98 team. Q: Best football team? A: You’d probably have to say the Patriots the year they went undefeated in the [2007] regular season, even though they didn’t win it all. Q: Best hockey team? A: The last three dynasties — the late-’70s Canadiens, the early-’80s Islanders and the mid- ’80s Oilers. Q: Best basketball team? A: I’d have to say those Bulls teams during the Jordan years. Q: Three dinner guests? A: Would love to have one more with my close friends Tony Siragusa and Richard Lewis ... together. They were both so quick-witted, they were the life of every party. Q: A third dinner guest? A: Vin Scully, to narrate the dinner conversation. ALBERT Kenny SERBY’S SUNDAY Q&A UNDAY Q&A WITH ... Getty Images

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 82 I F only you could merge the Islanders’ structure, character and experience with the Devils’ skill and youth, you would have one unit capable of contending for the Stanley Cup instead of two teams that combined for one playoff victory this spring. It worked for the Golden Seals and North Stars, didn’t it? By the way, don’t answer that question. The Islanders have gotten all of five home playoff games in three seasons since the move to Belmont Park, and that’s not close enough to be considered even a qualified success. That’s nonsense after 41 years. Sure enough, the move coincided with the pandemic, which is not what you want, but there’s more to it than that. For at about the same time, the hierarchy made the decision to double down on a group that took advantage of unique circumstances to advance to the Cup semis in both seasons reformatted for the pandemic but never won more than five playoff games following a standard 82-game season. In this case, of course, the hierarchy consists of Lou Lamoriello, and what has baffled me about his tenure on the Island is the way he has been willing to grant elongated contracts to players who never won when he did not do that in New Jersey for players who won repeatedly. The Islanders are an admirable group that starts ahead with Patrick Roy behind the bench. But they are not built for speed, they are not built for skill, they are not quite built for the NHL of the 2020s. The core, much of which was in place as far back as 2016, has gone as far as it can. Yes, it is time to move on from consummate pros Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck, two forwards who are so responsible for the team’s blue-collar identity. But there is more for Lamoriello to do in addition to organic pruning. The Islanders need to change the conversation. They need to become more electric and more dynamic. It would be a pretty good idea, I think, for Lamoriello to be in on Carolina impending free agent Jake Guentzel when the market opens on July 1, but the team’s construction needs to change. Unless for some unknown reason Anders Lee wants to leave, there seems little chance the club would move the captain, who has two years remaining on his contract at an annual $7 million cap hit that includes a 15-team, notrade list. That seems impossible. Bo Horvat has a full no-move, Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock have full notrades, and Mat Barzal is a no-trade clause in and of himself. Same for Noah Dobson. Probably the same applies to J-G Pageau but for less sanguine reasons, the center still with two years remaining on his deal at $5M per. If Lamoriello is going to change the dynamic, the guy to sacrifice is 32-year-old Brock Nelson, who has been nothing but an exemplary Islander and representative of the franchise over his 11 seasons. The 6-foot-4 center backed up 37- and 36-goal seasons with 34 this year, recorded four points (2-2) in the Carolina series and should have value as a fullseason rental before his contract with a $6M cap hit expires at the end of the season. Moving Nelson allows Barzal and Horvat to play the middle. It creates additional cap space. And it changes the dynamic. That is a requirement. It doesn’t matter whether or not Lamoriello and the Islanders have been looking back the last few years, the NHL has been gaining on them. Same old, same old that wasn’t quite good enough before surely isn’t going to be good enough going forward. ➤You’ve got to hand it to the Sabres, right, 13 straight years out of the playoffs and they go back to the guy who was behind the bench when this all started in the first place, romanticizing a 16- year era in which they did not win the Stanley Cup with Lindy Ruff. Five of Ruff’s last seven teams did not make the playoffs. Makes perfect sense. To no one. ➤Back when the Kraken were hiring their first coach, David Quinn was in the mix until the end when GM Ron Francis went with Dave Hakstol. The job is vacant in the aftermath of Hakstol’s dismissal but I’m not sure that going 41-98-25 in two seasons at San Jose is going to be a particular selling point for Quinn, even if everyone knows he was given essentially the equivalent of an AHL roster by his alleged good buddy, Sharks GM Mike Grier. ➤Kyle Dubas, just another guy with a GM’s job, put out this statement after not renewing the contract of assistant coach Todd Reirden, who had been on Mike Sullivan’s staff in Pittsburgh for four years: “Mike Sullivan and I have spent time over the past two weeks evaluating the coaching staff, and although these decisions are never easy, we agree that this change was in the best interest of the team moving forward.” Thing is, no one with whom I have spoken believes that Sullivan agrees in the slightest with his boss, who, for a second straight summer of intrigue, might not be his boss next season if the coach’s tenure ends... But Dubas might want to check with his boss on that. Man by the name of Sidney Crosby. And in New Jersey, GM Tom Fitzgerald will no doubt be monitoring these proceedings. ➤The way it turned out, I’ve got to think that Ron DeSantis must have been in charge of John Tortorella’s campaign for the Jack Adams as coach of the year. Connor Hellebuyck in the playoffs this year was kind of like Clayton Kershaw in a lot of playoffs, don’t you think? ➤Finally, I see that Hall & Oates broke up after all these years, and that reminds me that Walt Tkaczuk and Bill Fairbairn no longer play on the same line. [email protected] TIME TO EVOLVE ODD MAN OUT? Center Brock Nelson figures a potential trade chip if the Islanders are to reconfigure and allow Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat to man the middle. Noah K. Murray Larry Brooks Slap Shots

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 83 CAROLINA HURRICANES NEW YORK RANGERS By MOLLIE WALKER Nobody benefited from the Rangers sweeping the Capitals in the first round more than Adam Fox. The 26-year-old defenseman rejoined the Blueshirts on the ice for practice Saturday after he took the previous five days to recuperate. Even though the Rangers didn’t practice for three of the five days this past week, Fox was not on the ice with the team for the days that they did — Wednesday and Thursday — due to what the team described as “maintenance” purposes. Just in time to adequately prepare for Game 1 against the Hurricanes on Sunday at Madison Square Garden, however, there was Fox back in his usual spot alongside Ryan Lindgren. “I’m good to go,” he said. “I think any time you get some extra rest and [time to] recover, other guys have had maintenance days, I think just having that extra time off is important. Just took a couple days to rest up a bit.” Fox took a bit of a beating in the Rangers’ seriesclinching victory over the Capitals in Game 4 last Sunday. Getting put in a headlock by Tom Wilson in the moments after Vincent Trocheck’s power-play goal at the end of the first period was one thing, but when he collided with Capitals defenseman Nick Jensen, flashes of Fox’s stint on long-term injured reserve earlier this season came flooding back. “He got a piece of me,” the 2021 Norris Trophywinning blueliner quipped. Fox was sidelined for 10 straight games in November after suffering a lowerbody injury from an eerily similar knee-on-knee collision with the Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho. Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette said Fox had no restrictions in practice Saturday, which means all signs point to the Jericho, N.Y., native being available for Game 1. Fox and Lindgren logged the second-most minutes of the Rangers’ D-pairs in Round 1, finishing with 49:12, behind only the 57:49 posted by K’Andre Miller and Braden Schneider. During five-on-five play, they were on the ice for two Rangers goals and zero against, according to Natural Stat Trick. “I think I was just kind of following, talking with the trainers and coaches, what was best,” Fox said of his recovery. “Around this time of year, if you could get some extra rest, it’s important. I was fully ready to practice [Saturday]. It’s nice to get out there and skate before the game.” Fox back on ice after some ‘maintenance’ By ETHAN SEARS It’s been a while since Jack Roslovic has been in this position. Six years, to be exact, since he played in the second round of the playoffs as a rookie for the Winnipeg Jets — young enough to believe it could be a yearly occurrence. That Winnipeg side that reached the Western Conference Finals, in retrospect, had a lot of Rangers in its DNA. Jacob Trouba was there. So were Blake Wheeler and Roslovic and Andrew Copp, a pivotal part of New York’s run to the Eastern Finals two seasons ago. Roslovic made it back to the playoffs for the next two seasons with the Jets, but Winnipeg’s only time making it past the first round came after it dealt him to Columbus in a 2021 deal for Pierre-Luc Dubois. “My four years in Columbus, we never made it,” Roslovic said Saturday before the Rangers faced Carolina to open the second round. “I always tended to look back on my time in Winnipeg, the times we were able to make it, you do so much learning. So much learning about your team, how a team is ran, about myself. “It’s the preparation for me, I think I’ve noticed more than anything. It’s fun to be here, it’s a great opportunity, just trying to seize the moment.” Preparation was a motif of Roslovic’s post-practice session with reporters. Since the postseason started, he’s gotten a little more out of practices, out of days off. And it showed in the first-round sweep against Washington, in which the 27- year-old played some of his better hockey since becoming a Ranger in a deadline deal with the Blue Jackets. “He was excellent in the first round,” coach Peter Laviolette said. “The speed that he’s playing the game, the puck on his stick, the ability to shift and create, especially with the players he’s playing with [Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad] has been very good. It’s been very noticeable in the first round.” In four games against Washington, Roslovic scored nearly as many goals (two) as he had in 19 regular-season matches with the Blueshirts (three). Scoring, however, was not the only area in which his game elevated. Roslovic was that little bit harder on pucks, winning more battles and displaying more chemistry with Kreider and Zibanejad. When it was put to him that his game was a bit more noticeable over these last couple of weeks, he did not dispute the idea. “Maybe just back in playoff action,” Roslovic said. “Brings out a piece of me that maybe I haven’t shown. Maybe something like that.” [email protected] Learning curve I THINK I CAN FLY: Jack Roslovic goes headlong over the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin while scoring an empty-net goal in Game 4 of the Rangers’ opening-series win. Getty Images

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 84 MATCHUPS The Rangers and Hurricanes are set to square off in the second round of the playoffs for the second time in three years. A rematch of sorts, but more of a heavyweight clash than anything else, this is bound to be a tug-of-war series in an ongoing battle for supremacy in the Metropolitan Division. One could argue the Stanley Cup playoffs truly begin Sunday for each of these teams, after the Rangers swept the Capitals in four games and the Hurricanes soundly defeated the Islanders in five in Round 1. The regular season saw the Rangers flex on Carolina, topping the division for 175 consecutive days and taking two of their three meetings. The Blueshirts have come a long way since 2022, when they became the first team to defeat the Hurricanes on the road in the playoffs with a dominant Game 7 victory in Raleigh. The same can be said for the Hurricanes, who are one of the favorites to hoist Lord Stanley next month. The Post’s Mollie Walker takes a look at how the teams match up: GOALTENDING Igor Shesterkin was dissatisfied with his 1.75 goals-against average and .931 save percentage in Round 1, which should tell you all you need to know about the Rangers star netminder. Though he wasn’t tested nearly as much as he probably will be in this series, Shesterkin locked down when he had to and served as one of the club’s most consistent players. A finalist for the Masterton Trophy, awareded for perseverance and sportsmaship, Frederik Andersen won four of his first five games of the season before doctors diagnosed him with a blood clotting issue, which sidelined the Canes goalie for 50 games. He went 9-1-0 with three shutouts when he returned to punctuate an individual story any team would rally behind. Round 1, however, saw Andersen surrender three goals in three of his team’s five games against the Isles for a 2.25 GAA and a .912 save percentage. The Rangers’ stable of offensive talent should pose an even bigger challenge. EDGE: Rangers DEFENSE The Hurricanes are one of the tightest checking teams in the NHL, boasting a deep blue line and a signature style of play that doesn’t leave much room for offensive creativity. Finishing with the lowest shots against average in the regular season at 25.6, Carolina can disrupt most team’s flow. Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns make for an elite two-way top pairing, but an injury has put Carolina’s second duo in jeopardy. Hurricanes president and general manager Don Wandell said they hope to have Brett Pesce, who missed the last three games of Round 1 with a lowerbody injury, but it’s possible the Rangers will see ex-Blueshirts Brady Skjei and Tony DeAngelo as the Canes’ next pair. Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox, as well as the Erik Gustafsson-Jacob Trouba duo, weren’t on for a single goal against in Round 1, while the K’Andre Miller-Braden Schneider pairing logged the most time on ice. The Rangers are deep on defense, as well, but their inconsistencies as a team, especially when defending oddman rushes, is what gives the Canes an edge here. EDGE: Hurricanes FORWARDS There’s no denying that the Hurricanes have firepower, but the Rangers probably have more starpower. Mika Zibanejad has looked like a dynamic No. 1 center this postseason, and Artemi Panarin already has made more of an impact than he did last year. Vincent Trocheck now touches every part of the Rangers’ game, after playing with the Hurricanes the last time these THE POST’S PREDICTION LARRY BROOKS: This is a second-round heavyweight bout between the clubs with the best and third-best records in the league. Carolina is relentless, fast, skilled and presents a serious challenge. But the Rangers are deep, poised, structured and dialed in. RANGERS IN 6 MARK CANNIZZARO: Transition from the tight Washington series to a matchup with the more free-skating Hurricanes may liberate the Rangers, whose skill players will prefer more skating room. Rangers’ four-line depth and Igor Shesterkin in net will be the difference in this series. RANGERS IN 6 MOLLIE WALKER: The Hurricanes could be one of the toughest teams and one of the most evenly matched opponents the Rangers face this postseason. If they play to their strengths, bring their best effort and stay levelheaded through the expected highs and lows of this series, however, the Rangers should prevail. RANGERS IN 7 476 (8) 485 (6) ASSISTS 65 (4) 67 (3) PPG 26.4 (3) 26.9 (2) PP PCT. 2,580 (12) 2,733 (3) SHOTS 10.8 (9) 10.1 (15) SHOT PCT. CAROLINA HURRICANES NEW YORK RANGERS 763 (17) 693 (10) TEAM PIM MATHE TALE OF THE TAPE Regular-season statistics 3.39 (NHL RK: 7) 3.38 (NHL RK: 8) GF/G Vincent Trocheck Igor Shesterkin USA TODAY Sports (2); Jason Szenes Artemi Panarin

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 85 two teams met in the playoffs. The Rangers’ 3.75 goals-per-game average in the regular season was just a bit under the Hurricanes’ 3.80, but the Blueshirts’ forward group is arguably more formidable with other impactful skaters like Chris Kreider, Alexis Lafreniere and Jimmy Vesey. The rise of Seth Jarvis has been a riveting occurrence for the Hurricanes, who also picked up gamechanging players in Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jake Guentzel at this year’s trade deadline. Andrei Svechnikov is back this postseason after missing last year’s with a knee injury, while Sebastian Aho remains a consistent presence down the middle. EDGE: Rangers SPECIAL TEAMS The Hurricanes are the only team that had better power-play and penalty-kill numbers than the Rangers this regular season, but both clubs finished among the NHL’s top three in both categories. That’s why this category can truly swing either way. The Rangers’ third-ranked power play (26.4 percent), and their third-ranked penalty kill (84.5) was only rivaled by the Hurricanes’ second-best manadvantage percentage (26.9) and No. 1 penalty kill (86.4). EDGE: Even COACHING This might be Peter Laviolette’s first year with the Rangers, but the veteran coach has done wonders for the club’s compete level, structure and the little details in their game. The team has really bought into his way, and it resulted in the most successful regular season in franchise history, as well as a quick first round. Rod Brind’Amour is so important to the Hurricanes that the status of his next contract is making headlines in the middle of the playoffs. For six straight seasons, the former Stanley Cup-winning Canes captain has led his team to the postseason. Laviolette and Brind’Amour won a Stanley Cup together for Carolina in 2006, when the former was in just his fourth year as a NHL head coach and the latter was his captain. Their mutual respect has been evident and should make for a riveting coaching battle. EDGE: Even CAROLINA HURRICANES NEW YORK RANGERS 2,419 (10) 2,101 (1) OPP. SHOTS .912 (6) .905 (12) SAVE PCT. 84.5 (3) 86.4 (1) PK PCT. 2.76 (7) 2.57 (4) GA/G Jake Guentzel Frederik Andersen Sebastian Aho Getty Images (3) AFTER yet another extended break between games for the Rangers, they’ll begin keeping score for real again Sunday at the Garden, where their Eastern Conference second-round series begins with Game 1 against the Hurricanes. And, when the teams shift to Raleigh, N.C. for Games 3 and 4 later this week, the scoreboard at PNC Arena also will record the score of the games and the series. As this showdown between the two top teams in the Metropolitan Division unfolds, there will also be an invisible scoreboard keeping tabs on how the players the teams acquired at the trading deadline are affecting the outcome of the series. As the deadline approached in March, there was chatter around the NHL about the Hurricanes, Rangers and other teams having interest in landing Pittsburgh forward Jake Guentzel, an eight-time 20- goal scorer, including four times with 30 or more and twice with 40. The Penguins were selling and, in the end, their asking price — believed to be draft picks and a regular starter such as Kaapo Kakko — was more than Rangers general manager Chris Drury was even considering paying. Carolina, however, went for it. The Hurricanes, going all-in, sent forward Michael Bunting and several key prospects to Pittsburgh with hopes that Guentzel would become the piece that pushes them to a second Stanley Cup in franchise history. That bold move the Hurricanes made and the Rangers didn’t makes up a compelling subplot to this series. What if Guentzel is the best player on the ice and becomes the linchpin to a Carolina series win over the Rangers? If that becomes the case, then it cannot help but raise the question about whether Rangers cost themselves a chance at winning their first Cup in 30 years by not going all-in for Guentzel. Will the Rangers’ decision not to pay the price and protect their current and future assets end up costing them in a season in which they won the Presidents’ Trophy and are a favorite to win the Cup? The early returns on Guentzel have been impressive. He assimilated quickly and seamlessly with Carolina, scoring eight goals and dishing out 17 assists for 25 points in his 17 regular-season games with the Canes. And, in the fivegame, opening-series win over the Islanders, he had a goal and three assists. “He was that same player in Pittsburgh,’’ Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said of Guentzel on Saturday after practice. “He’s a highend player, he finds areas, he finds ice. He’s got a way of contributing offensively that’s made him a top offensive player on any team that he’s been on. All he did was change the color of his jersey.’’ So, too, did Evgeny Kuznetsov, who Carolina also acquired at the deadline from the Capitals. Kuznetsov, who played for Laviolette in Washington, had two goals and five assists in his 20 regular-season games and scored two goals and had two assists in the series win over the Islanders. But it’s Guentzel who should be the Rangers’ top concern among the newcomers because he adds so much firepower as a complement to leading-scorer Sebastian Aho. “He’s a cerebral player who knows how to get open and puts up points and is a guy you’ve got to be aware of when he’s on the ice,’’ Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey said. Instead of paying the price for Guentzel, the Rangers acquired Jack Roslovic from Columbus and put him on the line alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. They, too, acquired Alex Wennberg from Seattle and paired him on a line with Kakko and rookie Will Cuylle. Laviolette on Saturday praised Roslovic’s play, particularly pointing to his improvement in the postseason. “He’s come here and provided what we’re looking for,’’ the Rangers coach said. [email protected] Trade impact to be judged Mark Cannizzaro

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 86 CAROLINA HURRICANES NEW YORK RANGERS Rangers somehow not favored, ready for real battle vs. Canes By MOLLIE WALKER By every stretch of the betting world that has taken over the sports landscape, the Rangers are grossly underestimated as they embark on their second-round series against the Hurricanes. And for what? Because there always has to be an underdog? Because the analytics say so? The absurdity and disrespect of the lopsided odds — -155 for the Hurricanes to the Rangers’ +130 on the series, according to BetMGM — should not be dignified with acknowledgment. If there’s a genuine belief that the Rangers don’t have just as good a chance of winning this series as the Hurricanes do, then attention has not been properly paid to the Blueshirts this season. Is it going to be an uptick in competition? For both teams, yes. Is it going to take the best version of each club to decide who prevails? For both teams, probably, yes. Is the disparity between these teams large enough to go with what the money-mongers in Vegas tell you to? Save your cash. It’s all inconsequential at the end of the day, since the Rangers have been betting on themselves for nearly seven months. A 2023-24 season résumé that already features 175 consecutive days atop the Metropolitan Division, the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Presidents’ Trophy and a first-round sweep have surely made it easier to do so. “We just always try to keep a level head through it all,” rookie Will Cuylle told The Post after the Rangers’ final day of practice before the series opener Sunday at Madison Square Garden. In second round, T HIS is McEnroe and Borg in the second round at Wimbledon. This is a matchup that comes at least a series too soon in the Stanley Cup playoffs. This is a heavyweight battle between teams with the best and third-best records in the NHL that comes already as an early-spring delight. These are the 114-point Rangers and 111-point Hurricanes in Game 1 of Round 2 at the Garden on late Sunday afternoon in yet another test for the Presidents’ Trophy winners that has overcome every challenge they have been confronted with for going on seven months. The Carolina organization probably thinks victory is its birthright here in the sixth year of a program under head coach Rod Brind’Amour in which the club has won a total of seven playoff rounds while creating an identifiable brand and style of constant puck pressure across the 200x85 and an offense based on attempt volume while shuttling everything to the net. The Canes are poised. But you know when the Canes were also poised? It was on March 12, when the Rangers were in Raleigh, leading Carolina by two points with both teams having 18 games to go. The Blueshirts were on the second night of a back-to-back and without Matt Rempe, serving the first of his four-game suspension for having Larry Brooks A STORM BREWING: Captain Jacob Trouba and the Rangers, who had the NHL’s best record, will take aim at the Hurricanes, who had the third-best mark, in a second-round series that feels like it’s coming a round too early. The Rangers were 2-1 against Carolina this season, including a 2-1 win in November when rookie Will Cuylle scored the game-winner (right). Robert Sabo (2)

New York Post, Sunday, May 5, 2024 nypost.com 87 CAROLINA HURRICANES NEW YORK RANGERS “Whether we won three straight or maybe we weren’t playing great, guys would know and would always make sure we’re working on specific things. Everything throughout the regular season was leading up to the playoffs and this has to be a certain way by the time you get to the playoffs. “We never really got too caught up in winning streaks or stuff like that because it was more gameto-game, how we were playing, whether it was a win or loss.” Team mindset could ultimately play a factor in this series considering that both clubs’ strengths match up fairly equally. The Hurricanes were the only team in the NHL to post better special teams numbers than the Rangers this season, but it’s an area where the Rangers excelled just a bit more in Round 1 in comparison to the Hurricanes. It’s true, the Rangers’ stars were their stars and their strengths were their strengths in the first round against the Capitals, but it’s going to take a lot more. Carolina wasn’t able to capitalize on the break in game action as much as the Rangers were in terms of recovery. Canes head coach Rod Brind’Amour announced Brett Pesce (lowerbody injury) will not travel to New York for Games 1 and 2, but president and general manager Don Waddell said they hope to have the 29-year-old defenseman available at some point in the series. That means the Rangers will see their former teammate, Tony DeAngelo, who played in the final three games of the Islanders series. But still no Jesper Fast, the beloved former Blueshirt who injured a muscle in his neck during the Canes’ regular-season finale and is expected to miss the remainder of the postseason. It’s these kinds of points that can’t be reflected in betting odds. The favorite doesn’t always win. That’s why it’s always measured in probability. “It gets harder and harder just by the playoff process,” head coach Peter Laviolette. “It gets harder and harder because the competition goes up. We’re coming off a pretty good year and we’re facing a team that had a couple points less than us. They’re a good hockey team and they’ve done a lot of things well. There’s a lot of reasons why it becomes harder and more challenging to own the game, own what you want to do inside the game. That’s the beauty of the playoffs.” [email protected] EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS Sunday: at Rangers, 4 p.m., ESPN Tuesday: at Rangers, TBD, ESPN Thursday: at Hurricanes, TBD, TNT Saturday: at Hurricanes, TBD, TNT May 13*: at Rangers, TBD May 16*: at Hurricanes, TBD May 18*: at Rangers, TBD * if necessary Hurricanes vs. Rangers Blueshirts confident in first-rate showdown caught Jonas Siegenthaler with an elbow in the head the previous night. Carolina had been chasing the Rangers since the last week of October. This was the chance to do it. The final score of the game was 1-0. It was 1-0 Rangers, on Adam Fox’s goal in the final minute of the first period. The Canes didn’t catch the Rangers that night. They never caught them at all. And though there most certainly is a line of demarcation between the regular season and the playoffs — and just as surely between the first and second rounds of the tournament — the Blueshirts’ litany of 2023-24 achievements has emboldened the team. Carolina is very good, but guess what, so are the Rangers, and, respectfully and within context, they kind of know it. There is nothing, but nothing, wrong with that. “I think one of the biggest things we’ve talked about is not being satisfied but realizing that we have accomplished a lot this year,” K’Andre Miller told The Post. “I think winning the league, winning our division, being the first team out of the first round, there are a number of things that we did first this year. “That’s kind of the built-in standard of how we’ve grown this year and the competitive nature here around the rink. I think that’s the biggest thing.” Carolina is relentless. They bring a heavy forecheck on essentially every possession that puts constant pressure on the defense to make a good first pass and on the five-man unit to protect the front. Again, on March 12, the Canes had 59 attempts at five-on-five, but only 24 on net as the Blueshirts blocked 23. The Rangers defended that night and they defended against Washington in their first-round sweep. They do not panic under duress. Their poise reminds me of the 2011-12 Black-and-Blueshirts team that always seemed comfortable in its own end even while being Corsi-d to death the way it happens to this club from time to time. “We defend pretty hard and are confident in the way we play in our end,” Jimmy Vesey said. “The 82- game season is a grind and you can’t finish on top if you don’t defend or if you don’t play with attitude.” The series is going to be about the effervescent Artemi Panarin, made for this time and place. It’s going to be about Igor Shesterkin, having a cash-register tournament in advance of his summer contract negotiations. Does anyone know what a cash register is these days? Maybe the franchise goaltender is having a bitcoin playoffs. It’s going to be about Mika Zibanejad, saving his 2023-24 best for this and the narrative about being matched up against Jordan Staal. It’s going to be about Fox, six months-plus after taking the kneeon-knee from the Canes’ Sebastian Aho, back on the ice with the team Saturday after taking a leg-on-leg from Nick Jensen in Sunday’s Game 4. It’s going to be about elite specialty teams on both sides, where during the season, the Rangers were ranked in the top three on both the power play (26.4 percent) and penalty kill (84.5) for the first time since 1993-94 — third in each — but somehow Carolina finished ahead in both, second on the PP at 26.9, first on the PK at 86.4. Good on the specialty teams isn’t going to be good enough in this round. And it’s going to be on the impact created by Rempe, who never got a game against Carolina during the year and who is supposed to be too slow for the Canes, except the Rangers have won the last 13 games in which No. 73 has played and are 18-2-1 overall with him in the lineup, and so I think it’s probably OK. It’s the team with the best record in the league against the team with the third-best record in the league. This could be a matchup for the middle of June but instead it is a matchup for the first week in May. It’s go time. Go time for the Rangers. [email protected]

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