New York Post - 19 May 2024

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com51 INSTRUCTIONS: Find as many words as you can by linking letters up, down, side-to-side and diagonally, writing words on a blank sheet of paper. You may only use each letter box once within a single word. Play with a friend and compare word finds, crossing out common words. R YOUR BOGGLE RATING R BOGGLE POINT SCALE BG P HE A MI U W OOG L S K BOGGLE is a trademark of Hasbro, Inc. 2024 Hasbro, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. All Rights Reserved. By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek R 5-19-24 R 151+ = Champ 101-150 = Expert 61 -100 = Pro 31 - 60 = Gamer 21 - 30 = Rookie 11 - 20 = Amateur 0 - 10 = Try again 3 letters = 1 point 4 letters = 2 points 5 letters = 3 points 6 letters = 4 points 7 letters = 6 points 8 letters = 10 points 9+ letters = 15 points Boggle BrainBusters Bonus We put special brain-busting words into the puzzle grid. Can you find them? R Find AT LEAST EIGHT FLOWERS in the grid of letters. ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ BONUS Complete the crossword puzzle by How to play looking at the clues and unscrambling the answers. When the puzzle is complete, unscramble the circled letters to solve the BONUS. by David L. Hoyt Sunday Puzzle J U M B L E R ACROSS CLUE ANSWER DOWN CLUE ANSWER 1. Testimonial 2. California's state tree 6. Fire ____ 3. Boyfriend 8. Building covering 4. Parched 11. Delinquency, nonpayment 7. Grain, composition 9. Emergency ____ 5. Copy 12. Orange ____ 10. From a great distance T U I B T E R R W O D E O D N YA D R H T E B U A R O F O S I Y H R T T X T E I M I T T I A E L U A F D T E R X U T T E E B R H E E S T R FA A 2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC. & Hoyt Designs. All Rights Reserved TM 5-19-241 4 5 7 10 9 11 12 68 2 3 CLUE: The ____ ____ ____ weighs about 450,000 pounds. All Sunday puzzle answers are on Page 58 FARMERS MARKETS SOLUTION: 10 LETTERS © 2024 Andrews McMeel Syndication www.wonderword.com P E A N U T B U T T E R R E D N E V A L O R E B M U C U C A N T A L O U P E I E T A E C U D O R P W A T E R M E L O N M T S N S P I N A C H R M A E R C E C I O E P R S E P A R G A R O D N E V S A B N R B O S B R E H C R E V T K I A L N L A Y E C O P Y V T O L O A A L U S E O U D T R O R R E O E D M B C O C P S T P E E I R O E E R G N S L E S E O D S T Y B C L Y K G T M A J E B E M R R P E U R E R I A I A Z C E G R I A C A R Y T C L R E B E E N E L A O R S I C I D A L E E R W A G S O L B C R O L E N F B E R L W I O N G T Y B C E N R L G L I L Y P E E E L I P O A O B J A N A C E P H O E I J S F A L C L W A G A R D E N S P C W I R Q I T A I A R E P P E P T O R R A C E P U L S N R A D I S H S E R F R U I T U R A U U T P I C K L E S U G A R A P S A Z S A S M A L L B U S I N E S S E I R R E H C First read the list of words, then look at the puzzle. The words are in all directions - vertically, horizontally, diagonally, backward. Circle each letter of a word found and strike it off the list. The letters are often used more than once, so do not cross them out. It’s best to find the big words first. When you find all the words listed in the clues, you’ll have a number of letters left over that spell out the Wonderword. Apple, Apricot, Asparagus, Bakery, Blueberries, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cake, Candle, Canopy, Cantaloupe, Cards, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery, Cherries, Cookies, Corn, Crops, Cucumber, Eggplant, Flowers, Fresh, Fruit, Garden, Garlic, Grapes, Grocery, Herbs, Homemade, Ice Cream, Jam, Jelly, Jewelry, Lavender, Lemonade, Lettuce, Mason Jar, Olive Oil, Oregano, Peanut Butter, Pecan, Pepper, Pickles, Pie, Pottery, Preserves, Pretzel, Produce, Radish, Raspberry, Ripe, Sauce, Sell, Small Business, Spinach, Spring, Squash, Strawberries, Sustainability, Table, Tractor, Vendor, Watermelon, Zucchini Wonderword 8 6 10 2 9 1 3 2 6 12 1 5 11 8 5 1 10 7 3 4 6 3 2 6 12 8 4 11 5 9 12 2 6 4 7 10 10 12 2 4 7 11 9 1 2 8 3 3 7 11 4 6 10 12 Super Su Doku

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com 52 Snaps By Maude Campbell, Tori Schneebaum & Donna Grace melaniecmusic/Instagram Thecelebrityfinder/MEGA Getty Images sabrinacarpenter/Instagram

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com53 Katy Perry takes advantage of “American Idol’s” Disney Night to dress up as Cinderella. Sunday Break lucyliu/Instagram ABCGC ImagesMarion Curtis / Starpix for Focus Features

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com 54 Emily Ratajkowski fashionably watches over son Sylvester, 3, during her offhours. Snaps SplashNews.com Getty Images for Amazon emrata/Instagram KIERAN / SplashNews.com

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com55 Sunday Break Getty Images for Gucci jlo/Instagram GC Images haileybieber/Instagram juliannemoore/Instagram

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com 56 late show Stephen Colbert 11:35 p.m. / CBS Monday: Sarah Paulson (above), Paul Scheer Tuesday: Billie Eilish Wednesday: Anya Taylor-Joy, Doug Emhoff Late Night Seth Meyers 12:35 a.m. / NBC Monday: Daniel Radcliffe (above), Neal Brennan Tuesday: Kirsten Dunst, Sean Casey, Ryan Dempster Wednesday: Liev Schreiber, Busy Philipps Watch What Happens Live 10 p.m. / Bravo Monday: Shay Mitchell, Julia Fox (above) Tuesday: Michelle Buteau, Jesse Lally Wednesday: Gail Simmons, Tom Colicchio, Kristen Kish Look Who's Talking This Week's Guests Sunday May 19, 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 2 2 2 2024 PGA Champ Live. 60 Minutes The Equalizer: Shattered Tracker: The Storm CSI: Vegas: Tunnel Vision CBS 2 News at 11PM (11:35)CBS 2 News 4 WNBC 4 4 4 NBC Nightly News Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018, Fantasy): Newt Scamander must stop Gellert Grindelwald’s evil plan. Eddie Redmayne. PG-13 aaa Dateline NBC: Deep in the Woods (R) News 4 New York at 11 News4 NY 5 WNYW 5 5 5 UFL Football Live. Next Level Chef: Picture Perfect (R) The Simpsons Krapopolis: Remedial The Great North Bob’s Burgers The 10 O’Clock News Sports Extra In Depth: Basketball Raw Travel 7 WABC 7 7 7 ABC World News America’s Funniest Home Videos American Idol: 718 (Grand Finale): Jon Bon Jovi mentors the three finalists as they perform one last time. Eyewitness News at 11 9 WWOR 9 9 9 Chicago P.D.: Captive Chicago P.D.: Chasing Monsters Family Feud (R) Family Feud (R) Family Feud (R) Family Feud (R) Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family 11 WPIX 11 11 11 Paid Program The Proposal (2009, Comedy): Publisher from Canada forces assistant to marry her to avoid deportation. Sandra Bullock. PG-13 aaa The Conners PIX11 News at Ten with Kaity Tong PIX11 Sports Nation Yankees Nation 13 WNET 13 13 13 Through Our Eyes Tell Me More (R) American Masters: Joe Papp in Five Acts (R) MaryLand Guilt: Let Them Come Nina: Holding On Too Tight 21 WLIW 21 21 21 PBS News Metro (R) America (R) Metro (R) America (R) Foreigner Double Vision Foreigner Collagen Diet (R) Collagen 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: Rock and Place NCIS: Crescent City NCIS: Crescent II NCIS: Page Not Found NCIS: Alleged 41 WXTV 41 6 41 (6:00) Juego de voces Fútbol Fútbol Liga MX: Monterrey vs Cruz Azul. Directo. 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 Inside The Point CBS News Sunday Morning Paid Judge Judy Paid Women Of Wrestling A&E 46 46 181 WWE Rivals WWE Rivals: Ric Flair (R) WWE Rivals Biography: WWE (10:01) Hells Angels (11:04) WWE Rivals (R) AMC 54 43 231 Twister (1996, Action) Helen Hunt. PG-13 aac Interview with Vampire (10:10) Interview Vamp. (11:20) Interview Vamp. BET 37 54 270 Taxi (2004) Queen Latifah. Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016, Comedy) Ice Cube. PG-13 aac Martin Martin Martin BBCAM 71 101 189 Croc Dundee II (1988) aa Smokey and the Bandit (1977) Burt Reynolds. PG aaa (9:45) Smokey and the Bandit II (1980, Comedy) Burt Reynolds. aa BRAVO 18 44 185 Housewives Real Housewives (R) Real Housewives Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard Real Housewives of New Jersey (R) CNBC 15 24 102 Shark Tank Shark Tank Shark Tank Shark Tank Shark Tank Shark Tank 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 The Office The Office The Office The Office The Office The Office The Office The Office The Office The Office The Office DIS 49 31 250 Kiff (R) Kiff (R) Kiff (R) The Jungle Book (2016) Neel Sethi. aaa Big City (R) Big City (R) Big City (R) Big City (R) Big City (R) DSC 66 27 120 Naked and Afraid XL: Proving Grounds Naked and Afraid XL: The Badlands Bite Back (10:06) Expedition Hell (11:12) Naked and Afraid E! 24 51 196 Traitors (7:03) The Traitors: A Game of Death (8:25) The Traitors (9:47) The Traitors: One Final Hurdle Sex & City ESPN 28 36 70 Baseball MLB Baseball SportsCenter Live. SportsCenter Live. ESPN2 29 35 74 (6:00) College Softball: Teams TBA College Softball: Teams TBA College Softball: Teams TBA 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 Beat Bobby Beat Bobby Beat Bobby Ciao House: Welcome to Puglia! Alex vs America (R) Beat Bobby Beat Bobby FREFRM 38 49 199 National Treasure (2004) Nicolas Cage. (8:15) National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007, Comedy) Nicolas Cage. PG aaa Red Sparrow (2018) R aaa FS1 400 99 83 NASCAR Cup NASCAR RaceDay Live. NASCAR Cup Series: All-Star Race Live. NHRA Drag Racing: Chicago Finals Taped. FX 10 40 53 (4:00) Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021, Action) Tom Holland, Zendaya. PG-13 aaac Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) HALL 191 240 Everything Guiding Emily (2023, Drama) Sarah Drew. When Calls the Heart Falling for Vermont (2017, Romance) Julie Gonzalo. HGTV 64 98 165 Married to Home Town (R) Home Town: Unfinished (9:01) Home Town Hunters Hunters (R) Hunters (R) Hunters (R) HIST 40 47 128 The Booze The Mega-Brands (R) The Mega-Brands (R) The Mega-Brands That Disney: Now in Stores Food Built: Supermarket ID 23 171 123 Scary (R) Very Scary People (R) Evil Lives Here (R) Surviving a Serial Killer 48 Hours on ID 48 Hours on ID (R) LIFE 62 45 140 (6:00) The Bad Guardian (2024, Thriller) The Ice Rink Murders (2024) NR Vanished: Searching for My Sister (2021) Tatyana Ali. 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 NWSL Live. MSG Shorts MSG Shorts NWSL Soccer Replay. The Juice The Juice NWSL Soccer Replay. MSG Plus 48 88 80 (12:00) FanDuel Racing Live. Fight Sports: One 3 United Fight World Poker World Poker MSNBC 14 23 103 The Sunday Ayman (R) Ayman Turning Point: Georgia 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 New Wish SpongeBob SpongeBob Friends Friends Friends Friends Friends Friends OWN 173 180 145 (6:00) 20/20 20/20 on OWN: Switched 20/20 on OWN: Switched 20/20 on OWN (R) 20/20 on OWN: Manhunt 20/20 on OWN (R) PARMT 36 56 54 Bar Rescue Bar Rescue (R) Bar Rescue (R) Bar Rescue (R) Bar Rescue: From Camo Bar Rescue (R) SNY 26 60 77 New York UConn Undefeated: 1995 UConn Undefeated: 2002 Broadway Boxing Replay. Sports Live. Sports Live. SYFY 17 48 180 (6:48) Fast & Furious (2009, Action) Vin Diesel, Paul Walker. aaa (9:03) Fast Five (2011, Action) Vin Diesel, Paul Walker. PG-13 aaa TBS 8 39 52 (5:30) The Meg (2018, Thriller) aac Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang The Meg (2018) aac TCM 82 41 230 (5:45) Some Like It Hot (1959, Comedy) The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) Art Carney. aaa Little Shop of Horrors (1986, Musical) Rick Moranis. TLC 52 28 139 (6:00) 90 Day Fiancé: Happily (R) 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?: Couples Grim MILF Manor: Not Into You (11:05) 90 Day Fiancé TNT 3 37 51 Captain Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017, Action) Chris Pratt. PG-13 aaa (9:45) Dune (2021, Action) Rebecca Ferguson. PG-13 aaa TVLAND 85 34 241 Mike Mike Mike Men Men Men Men Men Men Seinfeld Seinfeld USA 16 38 50 SVU: Debt Law & Order: SVU: Raw Law & Order: SVU Law & Order: SVU: Smut Law & Order: SVU: Users Law & Order: SVU VH1 19 52 217 (6:00) Bruce Almighty (2003, Comedy) Little Man (2006, Comedy) Marlon Wayans. PG-13 ac The Single Moms Club (2014, Comedy) Nia Long. a WE 59 42 149 Law & Ordr Law & Order: Hot Pursuit Law & Order: Thrill Law & Order: Expert Law & Order: Empire Law & Order: Refuge, P1 YES 53 89 76 History of Forbes Yankees CenterStage: Paul Simon Yankeeography MLB Baseball Replay. HBO 511 301 400 (6:39) The Iron Claw (2023, Drama) Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White. The Sympathizer Jinx Life Deaths Robert Last Week Sympathiz. MAX 531 371 420 (6:19) Line of Duty (2013, Action) R ac Aliens (1986, Science Fiction) Sigourney Weaver. R Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant (2009) aac MGM Plus 595 395 (6:50) Terminator Genisys (2015, Action) Arnold Schwarzenegger. Beacon 23 Billy the Kid (R) Beacon 23 Creed III PARSHO 551 321 365 Gentleman (7:15) A Gentleman A Gentleman in Moscow The Chi A Gentleman in Moscow The Chi SP = Spectrum, C = Cablevision, F = FiOS Movies Sports New STREAM IT OR SKIP IT? DECIDER.COM We'll help you decide! SCAN THE CODE TO GET OUR NEWSLETTERS ON WHAT TO WATCH

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com57 Sunday Break TV 8 things to watch this week By Karen Kemmerle W HO says nice guys (or girls) finish last? “Deal Or No Deal Island” star Jordan Fowler made history on Monday night by winning $1.23 million, the largest amount of money in “Deal or No Deal’”s storied history. Fowler won over fans with her positive attitude, physical prowess, sweet nature, and her ability to stay above the fray in the battle between the Island’s most powerful alliances. “It’s a very active strategy,” said Fowler. “People count getting along with people as super easy. It’s not easy.” Also driving Fowler forward in the game was her desire to start a family with her husband. Fowler has PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), a hormone disorder and leading cause of infertility. She suffered a devastating miscarriage before going to Banker’s Island. Now happily pregnant, Fowler can look back at that difficult time in her life. As a longtime fan of “Deal or No Deal,” Fowler was the perfect player to face off against Banker (and EP) Howie Mandel in the gripping final game. Fowler spoke to DECIDER over Zoom to chat about her big win, her pregnancy, and her game strategy. DECIDER: You accomplished everything you set out to achieve on “Deal Or No Deal Island,” including taking home the most money in “Deal Or No Deal” history. What’s it like to be the winner? JORDAN FOWLER: Unbelievable. I’m still processing it. Looking back, I really did give it my all. Step one was just to get on the show, and then I was like, ”Can I really do this?” These people are legit. I didn’t recognize Boston Rob at first, but I knew who he was, which was so funny in retrospect. I started to doubt myself. Two or three excursions in, I thought, “I stand just as good a chance as anyone else. I can really do this.” So, to be standing there at the end…I’ve never cried so much in the span of a few days. It was just one thing after another from top four to the top two to the final excursion to the face off with Howie to winning $1.23 million. I’m so humbled and so, so grateful. Jordan, I teared up when I saw that you were pregnant. What’s it been like to share your story of fertility issues with audiences? I’m so glad I did it. At the beginning of the show, I wondered if I would feel comfortable and ready. I had a late term miscarriage right before we left to go to the Banker’s Island. I was just so disconnected with myself and so discouraged. I pride myself on my health and my physicality, but I just felt hopeless. It was a gift to be able to go on the show and have an opportunity to process all of that and to reconnect with myself. That’s why that final excursion meant so much to me, because it was like finally, I’m back in control. It was just the perfect way to sum up a wild journey. Then, to have the messages of support coming in from women with PCOS or from those who have also experienced loss gave me hope too. I needed those stories. It’s because of other women sharing their stories that I was comfortable enough to go on the show in the first place. The fact that my personal story is helping people is more than I could have ever imagined. Not only did you take home the most money in “Deal or No Deal” history, you also got to meet the Banker face to face. What was it like to face Banker Howie? Banker Howie is on another level. He was so sassy, I couldn’t believe it. The game is stressful enough, but then you add his bickering back and forth? [laughs] But, it was so fun. We were all having a great time. It was so real and surreal at the same time. Nothing was scripted. No one told us what to say or what to do. And for me to be the one up there; I still can’t believe it. I’m speechless. 3 Race to Survive: New Zealand Monday 11 p.m./USA Using their survival skills and intuition, nine teams compete to navigate a hundred miles of New Zealand’s harshest terrain for the chance to win $500,000. 6South Park: The End Of Obesity Friday, Paramount+ The advent of new weight loss drugs has a huge impact on everyone in South Park. When Cartman (right) is denied access to the life-changing medicine, the kids jump into action. Jordan Fowler won the largest prize in “Deal Or No Deal” history: $1.23 million. 8 GAGA Chromatica Ball Saturday 8 p.m. / HBO Filmed live in LA, this immersive experience sees the Lady Gaga (left), the Queen of Pop, perform iconic tracks for an audience of over 50,000 fans. 7 ATLAS Friday, Netflix Jennifer Lopez (below), Sterling K. Brown, and Simu Liu star in a dystopian sci-fi adventure set in a future where an AI robot soldier wants to destroy humanity in order to end war forever. 4 Red Nose Day: Cheers to Ten Years Thursday 8 p.m. / NBC The star-studded special will look back at the hilarious, inspirational and unforgettable moments of NBC’s Red Nose Day programming and the life-changing impact of the campaign’s first 10 years. Monty Brinton/NBC 5JEOPARDY! MASTERS Wednesday 8 p.m., ABC Ken Jennings (left) hosts the final round of “Jeopardy! Masters,” in which the top “Jeopardy!” champions compete for $500,000 and the Trebek Trophy. 2 THE KARDASHIANS Thursday, Hulu The Kardashians are back for a new season full of family drama. Season 5 will show Kim Kardashian (right) entering her “actress era,” while Kourtney Kardashian experiences a high-risk pregnancy, and Khloe Kardashian enjoys life after making amends with Tristan Thompson. Boss Fight Jordan Fowler (right) faced off against banker Howie Mandel on “Deal Or No Deal Island.”

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com 58 Very Easy #6,553 Difficult #6,343 2 3 1 4 7 8 9 5 6 6 4 8 9 2 5 1 7 3 5 7 9 6 1 3 4 8 2 3 5 4 8 9 1 2 6 7 9 2 7 5 6 4 3 1 8 8 1 6 2 3 7 5 4 9 4 6 5 3 8 2 7 9 1 7 9 2 1 5 6 8 3 4 1 8 3 7 4 9 6 2 5 9 7 2 5 6 8 1 4 3 4 6 1 9 2 3 7 8 5 5 8 3 1 7 4 6 9 2 1 4 9 7 3 2 8 5 6 6 3 8 4 5 9 2 1 7 2 5 7 8 1 6 9 3 4 7 9 5 6 4 1 3 2 8 3 1 4 2 8 7 5 6 9 8 2 6 3 9 5 4 7 1 1 3 8 9 6 4 7 5 2 2 6 5 1 3 7 8 9 4 9 7 4 8 5 2 6 3 1 4 2 3 7 8 1 5 6 9 7 1 6 4 9 5 3 2 8 5 8 9 3 2 6 1 4 7 8 5 1 2 4 3 9 7 6 3 9 2 6 7 8 4 1 5 6 4 7 5 1 9 2 8 3 Challenging #451 7 9 3 1 8 11 12 4 5 6 2 10 4 8 11 5 6 10 2 9 1 12 3 7 2 6 10 12 1 3 7 5 11 9 4 8 5 1 9 11 10 12 8 7 3 4 6 2 10 7 4 3 2 9 5 6 12 8 11 1 8 12 2 6 3 1 4 11 7 10 9 5 9 5 7 8 12 2 11 3 4 1 10 6 3 11 1 4 7 6 9 10 8 2 5 12 6 10 12 2 4 5 1 8 9 3 7 11 12 4 6 9 5 7 10 1 2 11 8 3 1 3 8 7 11 4 6 2 10 5 12 9 11 2 5 10 9 8 3 12 6 7 1 4 Kakuro #451 8 4 7 9 8 7 5 2 9 7 3 1 2 4 7 1 9 4 8 8 6 3 6 1 9 8 6 7 1 5 3 9 3 1 1 2 8 8 9 8 7 9 9 5 9 4 1 7 1 9 7 2 8 4 9 2 5 1 Sunday Crossword Super Su Doku Kakuro KEN KEN Jumble Boggle Brain Busters Bonus Sunday Word Force Wonderword answer: VEGETABLES ANSWERS: 1A-Tribute 6A-Hydrant 8A-Roof 9A-Exit 11A-Default 12A-Sherbet 2D-Redwood 3D-Beau 4D-Thirsty 5D-Imitate 7D-Texture 10D-Afar B-Statue of Liberty Sunday Break puzzles answers ROSE, IRIS, DAISY, TULIP, LILAC, PEONY, DAHLIA, ORCHID antic canto claim coati colon comma inlay laity linty loamy loony malty manic manly minty molto talon tonal tonic Su Doku _taurus (April 21-May 21) Make the most of the Sun's final few hours in your sign to smooth over any cracks that have developed in close relationships in recent weeks. You have been rather intense of late and your relentless attitude may have put a strain on a friendship or two. `gemini (May 22-June 21) The good times are about to return and in a matter of days you will have forgotten about recent setbacks as you set your sights on a glorious future. The Sun's move into your sign means that your ambitions will soar over the next four weeks. acancer (June 22-July 23) You are holding on to something that you no longer need. Identify what that something is and then make plans to get rid of it. It may once have been useful to you but now it is tying you to the past and preventing you from moving ahead. bleo (July 24-Aug. 23) It's not like you to have doubts but something is nagging at your mind and risks holding you back. As the Sun moves into a more positive area of your chart this week you can and you must adopt a more upbeat way of thinking. cvirgo (Aug. 24-Sept. 23) It does not matter how big your ambitions may be you still need to get from where you are now to where you want to end up. That means you must be more radical in your thinking and more assertive in how you deal with the world. dlibra (Sept. 24-Oct. 23) If the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence then by all means leap over it. With the Sun about to move into the most adventurous area of your chart you are assured the softness of landings as you hit the ground running. escorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) If someone offers you something for nothing today you will, of course, be suspicious, but the planets indicate they are not trying to trick you. Think about their offer by all means but don't wait too long to accept or it could be withdrawn. fsagittarius (Nov. 23 - Dec. 21) No matter how dull life has been of late it will liven up very soon. The Sun's move into your opposite sign will bring the kind of challenges you enjoy, the kind that test you to the limit. You love nothing more than proving you are the best. gcapricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 20) Although the Sun is about to leave the most dynamic area of your chart other influences will continue to inspire you. Artistic activities will remain under excellent stars for several weeks to come, so use your talents to create something of lasting value. haquarius (Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) Although recent weeks have been mainly about keeping other people happy the cosmic tide is turning fast and in a matter of days you will be doing more of the things that you really enjoy. Don't be afraid to follow your instincts and act on impulse. ipisces (Feb. 20-Mar. 20) It may seem as if something you have been trying to do is now a lost cause but the planets indicate if you keep at it a little longer a breakthrough will arrive and all the thought and effort you put in will finally be worth it. ^aries (March 21-April 20) You may possess a good sense of humor but not everyone thinks that your practical jokes are funny, so be careful who you annoy over the next few days. Most importantly, avoid making fun of people in positions of authority - or the joke could be on you. birthday sunday Neptune's influence on your birthday will encourage you to get involved in activities that benefit other people. Not only will your efforts be good for friends and colleagues and loved ones but they will be good for you as well. Altruism elevates the soul. Sally Brompton Daily Horoscope Discover more about yourself and what the future holds at SallyBrompton.com

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com59 THE WEEK’S WINNERS LOSERS DOW JONES INDUSTRIALS Signs of a robust economy powered the blue-chip index to close above the key 40,000 level for the first time despite high interest rates. RENAISSANCE TECHNOLOGIES Hedge fund firm founded by the late Jim Simons bought a big stake in GameStop before last week’s meme stock rally, pocketing millions of dollars. WALMART Quarterly sales at the nation’s largest retailer were better than expected as wealthy shoppers flocked to stores. RED LOBSTER Casual dining chain closes at least 50 restaurants, blindsiding workers, and a bankruptcy filing is imminent. JOE KAHN New York Times staffers slam Gary Lady’s executive editor for an “unwillingness to tolerate dissent” after he made comments scolding young journalists. PARAMOUNT GLOBAL Shares of Shari Redstone’s media company plunged after a report said Sony is rethinking its $26 billion bid. PostBusiness T he fight against antisemitism may soon get a powerful and deep-pocketed ally: Blackstone chief Steve Schwarzman. The private equity titan, worth approximately $40 billion, has been discussing with various people his concern about the anti-Israeli protests at Yale, his alma mater, and the broader attacks against Jews around the country, people close to him tell The Post. He is said to be weighing using his clout (and his very thick wallet) to fund a counteroffensive, these people said. “Steve is Jewish and has always been worried about the rise of anti­- semitism but he has now seen enough and wants to fight back,” said one person with knowledge of the matter. Schwarzman’s discussions about funding efforts to combat antisemitism have yet to be reported and they’re in the early conceptual ­stages, I am told. But he is contemplating something more sweeping, these people said, something that sets the stage for a national discussion to show that antisemitism is a real problem for the country, not just something taking hold with a lunatic fringe at many top universities. A spokeswoman for Schwarzman would not provide specifics. “Like many, he’s been thinking about ways to support the fight against antisemitism,” she said. Schwarzman’s entry into the fray would be a significant development in the pushback against the bizarre last vestiges of Hamas from the Gaza city of Rafah have recently been condemned by the president, top officials and much of the Democratic Party worried about alienating lefty base voters during a close 2024 presidential election. Political appeasement This political appeasement at the expense of Israel may push Schwarzman, a Republican, back into Trump’s camp, I am told. As reported in this column, he has yet to say whether he will get behind the former president in the 2024 contest because of Trump’s 2020 election denialism. Unfortunately, Wall Street and most corporate moguls have gone silent about the antisemitic fervor, aside from Bill Ackman of the Pershing Square Capital hedge fund and Marc Rowan, CEO of Apollo Management, another major PE firm. Rowan is a graduate of Penn and led an effort to oust its boardof-trustees chair, Scott Bok, and president Liz Magill for allegedly tepid responses to Jew hatred on campus. Ackman is a Harvard graduate and pushed for the dismissal of the university’s recently defenestrated president. Claudine Gay, over similar concerns. Yes, Schwarzman would be a formidable adversary to the leftists backed by their set of favorite billionaires, including, as The Post has reported, former hedge trader ­George Soros, who never seems to turn down a chance to fund radical endeavors. But don’t kid yourself. Any attempt by Schwarzman or anyone to deprogram antisemitism from our cultural institutions will be an uphill battle. What people like Schwarzman, Ackman and Rowan fail to real­ize is their own, albeit unintended, culpability in campus radicalism. Over the years, they’ve donated tens of millions of dollars to these elite universities, which in turn took the money to hire leftist professors who degrade the teaching of Western civilization and promote anti-Americanism in their core curriculum. That has turned all cultural institutions, not just universities, over to radicals. The result has been a brainwashing of students and swaths of the public; antisemitism becomes a byproduct of this cultural rot since Israel is our staunch ally and is regarded as an oppressor of Arabs, despite years of being attacked by its neighbors and terrorists serving as proxies for enemies such as Iran. That said, it’s never too late to fight. Let’s hope Schwarzman starts sooner rather than later. Charles Gasparino is the author of forthcoming book “Go Woke, Go Broke: The Inside Story on the Radicalization of Corporate America” spectacle of leftist protesters taking to the streets and college campuses to celebrate Hamas’ brutality and condemn Israel’s sovereign right to defend itself against annihilation. And, he is no stranger to philanthropy, as evidenced by so many landmarks, including here in NYC, that bear his name. Consider: He’s donated $150 million to his Ivy League school; Yale’s Schwarzman Center is the university’s opulent cultural and academic common ground. That’s not all. In 2008, he gifted another $100 million to renovate the New York Public Library. But as Yale turned into a hotbed of anti-Semitic, pro-Hamas protests, the Schwarzman Center became the focal point. Leftist students and teachers set up an encampment there after the terrorist group’s brutal Oct. 7 attack that killed approximately 1,200 Israelis at a kibbutz and a music festival near Gaza. Just a few weeks ago, during another melee at Yale, a Jewish student was stabbed in the eye by a protester wielding a Palestinian flag. Over at the library, its flagship Stephen A. Schwarzman building was defaced by pro-Hamas graffiti, including handprints in blood-red covering Schwarzman’s name on the façade that commemorates his donation. The Post has reported that the public library is now spending $75 million to clean up the mess. Aside from allowing these antiIsrael protests to fester at Yale and other college campuses, another issue that has many Wall Street supporters of Israel angst-ridden is that the demonstrations, as bizarre as they are, now appear to be influencing Biden administration policy. Israel’s military efforts to remove the $$ fight in war vs. hate Invest guru makes plans Reuters Charles Gasparino Aghast at antisemitism Blackstone chief Steve Schwarzman, seeing the rise of open campus hatred toward Jews, is said to be considering a counteroffensive — and is mulling leaning back to Donald Trump due in part to President Biden’s political appeasement at the expense of Israel’s safety.

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com 60               Part Time – Early AM | Easy and Fun! Newspaper Delivery Drivers Wanted Be your own boss! Deliver newspapers close to home for just a couple of hours each day and make over $1000.00 monthly… plus bonus… Really! • Just a few hours each morning • 7 days (or less) … done by 6am! • Must have a reliable vehicle Start making $$$ tonight! Routes available near where you live!!! BROOKLYN, BRONX, QUEENS To Apply – Text: “PCFCASH” 617-207-6350 or Call 1-800-515-8000 Walk-ins Welcome 2 am - 4 am 909 Essex St., Brooklyn NY 11208 4220 Vireo Ave, Bronx NY 10470 48-02 31st Place Long Island City NY 11101 GENERAL HELP WANTED PROJECT MANAGER - (FORTE CONSTRUCTION CORP in Suffolk County, NY) Project mgmt, eng’g, QC, negotiate, mentor, payment requisition, subcontractor approvals, design, quality mgmt, & compliance. Use of Six sigma tools. Salary: $125798 /yr Reqd: Bachelor in Mech Eng’g + 2 yrs exp in rel project eng’g jobs. Travel to various NYC Metro area job sites at least 40%/week. Must have SST 60 hrs cert & OSHA 30 hrs cert. Mail res to 1770 Motor Parkway, Islandia, NY 11749Attn: Stephanie Hudson. PROJECT ENGINEER - (FORTE CONSTRUCTION CORP in Suffolk County, NY. Utilize Primavera P6 for project scheduling, Excel for cost estimates. Coordinate subcontractors, ensure compliance, manage documentation, optimize resources, Salary: $101,587 to 110k /yr . Req: MS in Industrial Eng’g, Project Mgmt or Construction Mgmt. Travel to various to NYC Metro area job site at least 40% per week. Mail res to 1770 Motor Parkway Islandia, NY Attn: Stephanie Hudson. Kettle Finance of Manhattan seeks a FT Lead Front-End Engineer ($83k p.a.) to architect efficient & reusable front-end systems that drive complex web applications;, omplete medium to large features (each w/many tasks) independently w/o guidance, identify & drive changes as needed for assigned codebase, produce area a/o systems, identify & resolve performance & scalability issues. Must have Bach in CompSci/Engg,6 mos as Software Engg, & exp utilizing AWS CDK, CloudFormation, Kotlin, Java, Groovy, JUnit, AWS Lambdas, API Gateway, DynamoDB, SNS, SQS & CloudAuth &in setting up metric dashboards to track operation status of services. Fax resumes to 866-849- 7714. Project Engineers (Staten Island, NY) – Desn & devlp constructn projct engg docs incl shop drawings & design mixes. Req MS in Civil Engg or Constructn Engg & Mgmt + skills & knowldg in AutoCAD, Change orders, Cost/Quantty Estimatns, OSHA compliance, Constructn Mgmt, Bluebeam Revu, Revit. $115k~$117k /yr. Send rés w/code GOM003 to HR, Perfetto Enterprises, 2074 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10302. Mechanical Engineer (Freeport, NY): Conduct vibration/finite element analysis, dsgn, validate automation production system w/ knowl of mechanical dsgn. Review preliminary mold dsgn, prep mold trial reports w/ knowl of automatic optical inspection system. Dsgn, Prgm servo/ 6-axis robot for post molding operation, integrate robot system w/ visual guidance system using fusion 360, Matlab, AutoCAD. Dsgn, procure, & implmt new components on robot systems. Provide technical engg info, trouble shooting. MS in Mechanical Engg. + rltd exp w/ knowl of plastic part dsgn. Pay: $88,670. Contact Anna Young Associates at [email protected] Teacher of Crimean Tatar Language (Brooklyn, NY) Job Duties: Instruct students in Crimean Tatar language using various teaching methods & monitor performance to make suggestions for improvements. Adapt teaching methods & instructional materials to meet students’ varying needs & interests. Plan lessons & prep materials for class activities. Conduct classes & workshops to teach topics & skills in Crimean Tatar language. Organize & supv recreational activities to promote Crimean Tatar culture. Fluency in spoken & written Crimean Tatar language reqd. Bach Deg in Education, Linguistics, Philology, or closely rltd field or US Equiv. F/T position (40 hrs /wk). Salary Range: $83,346 - $90,000 /yr. Mail Your Resume To: AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CRIMEAN TURKS, INC., Attn: Nariman Asanov, 4509 NEW UTRECHT AVE, BROOKLYN, NY 11219 Corporate Development & Investment Associate (NY, NY). Identify investment opportunities & dvlp acquisition strategy. Bachelor’s Deg in Economics, Bus Admin, Finance, or rltd & 24 mos of rltd work exp OR Master’s Deg in Economics, Bus Admin, Finance, or rltd reqd. Salary $112,715-$190,000. Resume: Passkey, Inc., 50 Hudson Yards, 68th FL, NY, NY 10001 Accounts Payable Coordinator IFG Corp New York, NY Job Duties:Generate wire payments daily & set up wire accts for vendors; Exec bank acct reconciliation for multi divisions;Perform invoice & general-ledger data entry; ensure proper documentation & manage financial records in anticipation of yearly audit & reconciliation;Perform AP aging analysis to detect late payments or inaccurate financ reporting;Exec cash flow managem for optimization; determine best timing of payments;Perform dupl payments analysis to identify issues in booking AP vouchers;Communic any AP payments related issues to import depts;Assist controller w ad hoc financ report by reflecting payment status of invoices at month end. Minimum Requirements:Master Degree in Accounting;Proficiency in Vlookup function & pivot tables in MS Excel;Resume to :APPAREL81@ GMAIL.COM Accountant Resp. for acct, adt, tax, consulting & other tasks. Process tax. Prepare tax rtn. Improve profits. Adt fin. stmt, perform fin. analysis & budgeting. Res. & interpr. law & regulation. Reqs: Bachelor’s in acct or rel. Knwl. Of data mgmt., econ, fin. planning, tax law. Trustworthy Accounting & Tax Services, Inc., 39-01 Main St, #610, Flushing, NY 11354. Medical Assistant: Greet and log in patients, record medical history, vital statistics, test results in medical records and complete insurance forms. Prepare and administer medications as directed by a physician. Change dressings on wounds, schedule appointments, order medical, lab, office supplies etc. Typing 60 WPM, High school diploma or equivalent required. Must be available to work on the weekends. Apply by mail, FH Medical Care, 41-C W. Merrick Road, Suite 3, Valley Stream, NY 11580. Home Health Aide. Monitor health status of indiv w/ disabilities or illness, & address their health-rltd needs, such as changing bandages, dressing wounds, or administering med. Wk is perf’d under direction of offsite or intermittent onsite licensed nursing staff. Provide assistance w/ routine healthcare tasks or activities of daily living, such as feeding, bathing, toileting, or ambulation .Help w/ tasks such as prep’g meals, doing light housekeeping, & doing laundry depending on patient’s abilities. Req. HS Diploma & 2 yrs. exp. as Certified Home Health Aide. Req. NYS Home Health Aide Cert. $37,939/yr. Send resume to: Ideal Home Health Inc., 2617 East 16th St, 2nd Fl, Brooklyn, NY 11235. Housekeeper(2), New York, NY, M-F 8am-5pm, F/T, no trng, 1yr exp, sal. $50835 neg. clean,sweep,mop, vacuum,change linens fax Res: 631- 732-3554, Attn: Vanessa or mail CVC HR LLC, 10 East 92nd St. NY, NY 10128 Landscaping & Groundskeeping Workers (multiple positions), Mattituck, NY: Follow planned landscaping designs to det where to lay sod, sow grass, or plant flowers or foliage. Use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers, axes. Main or repair tools, equip, or struct, such as bldgs, greenhouses, fences, benches, using hand/power tools. Prune/trim trees, shrubs, hedges, using shears, pruners, chain saws. Mix & spray, spread fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides onto grass, shrubs, trees, using hand/automatic sprayers/ spreaders. Mail resumes to Octavio Landscaping Inc, 17905 Main Road, Mattituck, NY 11952. Meat Supervisor. Brooklyn, NY. $51,938/yr. Supervise, train, & coordinate activities of 2 meat clerks; Inspect supplies, equipment, & work area to ensure cleanliness, safety, & conformance to kashrut standards. Req: 2yrs work exp job duties; Knowledge of kashrut, meat cuts & tools. Send resume: Job#3, SIG Meat LLC, 285 Lee Ave Brooklyn NY 11206 Rockland Recovery requires Exec. Asst. for West Nyack, NY office; Business,Commerce assoc deg. or related; $34.44/yr email resume to [email protected] Admerasia Inc., NYC seeks Integrated Media Planner. Req. MS in mass comm. integrated marketing or related fields. Salary $76877/yr. Mail resume to 520 W 27 St, Rm 601, NYC 10001 American Century Investment Management seeks Sustainable Research Analyst in New York, NY to perform daily execution on research pipeline across equity and fixed-income strategies using proprietary ESG research and assessment tools and third-party data providers. Requirements: bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Finance, Economics, or related and 1 year of work experience. Demonstrated ability with ESG risk issues and financial materiality, Bloomberg Terminal, and third-party ESG data platforms. Work from home available within a commuting distance. Resumes to D. Bloss at Debbie_Bloss@americancentury. com. For NY-based candidates, salary range is $ 100,000 - $110,000. Actual offers based on various factors including location, skills, experience, and relevant education and/or training. Eligible for cash incentive providing the potential to earn more. Equal Opportunity Employer. Business Law & Litigation AttorneyNew York: Under Sr. Attorney supervision, manage int’l. & local litigation cases; draft motions, pleadings, & petitions; communicate w/ int’l clients. $241,571/YR. J.D.+Bar Admission to NY, NJ, & Federal District Courts (NY Eastern & Southern, & NJ)+Chinese (Mandarin) Req. Send ltr/res to Seiden Law LLP, 322 8th Ave., #1200, New York, NY 10001 ATTN: HR. DATA SCIENTIST (Manhattan), Michael J Fox Foundation. Implement automation opportunities across reporting dashboards, provides analytical support, managing BI system & partnering w/ various teams to optimize data-driven mktg campaign. Use BI tools such as Domo, Tableau or Power BI; Excel, SQL; Phyton or R. Salary range $108,306 to122,000/yr. Req; MS in Bus Analytics, Statistics, Data Science or closely rel major + 1 yr exp. in Data Analysis, Data Science or Bus intelligence occupations. Send res to: [email protected]. Business Manager- Port Washington, NY- assist CEO in bus. operations by mkt research, identifying new biz opportunities, recommending biz decisions, formulating strategies, etc; manage finance, review sales reports, manage cross-functional teams, foster collaborative & highperformance work envrmt, etc. $72,779/yr. BA in biz admin, biz mgmt, or equivalent + 2 yrs exp in same or similar position. Send cv to Autel US, 36 Harbor Park Dr, Port Washington, NY 11050 Director of Operations (New York, NY) sought by Design Communications Firm to direct the studies of architectural design, oversee architectural accounts, and participate in all project management activities, including administration and accounting, and acting as chief of staff to provide oversight, design direction, creative controls, and leadership, as well as the facilitation of design and development work, to ensure client requirements are met. U.S. Master’s Degree + 3M exp. in an architectural or management related position. Salary: $124,000.00/year. No travel or lang. fluency req. Please send resumes by postal mail only to: Amir Karimpour, Director, Alden Studios LLC DBA Alden Studios, 491 Broadway, Unit 4, New York, NY 10012. Litigation Legal Assistant-Bayside: Under attorney supervision, conduct legal research, prepare legal docs; client interviews, & discovery process. Associate’s in Paralegal/Law+ Fluent Korean. $59,987/YR. Send ltr/ res to Law Offices of Kim & Cha, LLP 210-08 Northern Blvd, #4, Bayside, NY 11361 ATTN: MGR. Manager, Imports & Distribution (NY, NY): Source perishable foods in Singapore & other foreign mkts for import; oversee storage & distribution to gourmet restaurants & shops throughout the U.S. Travel 4-5 times /month domestically and 3-4 times/ yr internationally. Reqs: 4 yrs exp. as Fine Foods Mgr or similar. Salary: $104,998/yr. Mail CV & references to Chris Poron at Plantin I Kavari, 9 E. 47 St., Ste 3, NY, NY 10017. Senior Lead Monitoring Engineer (NY, NY): Monitor & analyze CBTC systems’ performance, incl train control, signaling, communication, & associated s/ware; identify & address performance issues, anomalies, & deviations from expected system behavior; dvlp plans to optimize system efficiency, reliability, safety, & passenger exp; conduct site inspections to identify defects, malfunctions, & deviations from system reqmts; doc & report identified issues to the dsgn & dvlpmt teams, ensuring accurate & timely defect resolution; perform impact analysis of the effects of defects on system performance, safety, & operational efficiency; provide technical expertise & support to dsgn, dvlpmt, & field teams throughout CBTC system lifecycle; address interdisciplinary engg issues & ensure system integration & compatibility. Participate in dsgn reviews, testing activities, & system integration efforts to validate & optimize system performance; contribute to dvlpmt & refinement of engg stds, best practices, & guidelines related to CBTC systems; provide recommendations based on data analysis to improve system performance, reliability, & safety; & provide communicate w/ stakeholders by addressing inquiries, providing updates, & ensuring alignment between technical teams & project objectives. Must have a Bachelor’s Deg in Electrical Engg, or rltd, or foreign equiv, plus 5 yrs as Monitoring Engineer, Test & Commissioning Engineer, or Systems Verification & Validation Engineer or Mgr, for railway systems. Must have 3 yrs exp working w/ CBTC signaling, I2S specs, & project engg; Splunk, Wireshark decryptor, & .bat Batch files; & TCP/IP & UDP n/works. Regular travel to client sites reqd in various states in US. Site visits range from 1-3 mos, depending on project. Salary range $131,290 - $140,000/yr. E-mail CVs to IKOS Consulting, Inc., Attn. Madeleine Philpott, Int’l Recruitment, Email: [email protected] Head of Marketing Communications, Advertising. Plan, direct, or coordinate internal communications, external communications, & PR. Req. 4 yrs exp in job or 4 yrs exp as Sr. Communications Spec., PR & Content Mgr. or rel. occup. Any suitable combo of educ, training &/or exp is acceptable. Jobsite: New York, NY. Wage range: $203,500/yr to $362,450/yr. Send resume ref#21154 to K. Finnsson, Activision Blizzard Media LLC, 1001 E. Hillsdale Blvd, #550, Foster City, CA 94404. Designer – New York, NY: Create concepts, design and update layouts of advertisements, packaging, labels, logos and other promotional images for a fashion jewelry and apparel store. Associate in Graphic Design or a related design field req’d. $51,626/ yr. Send ltr/res to Blindreason Inc. 258 Elizabeth St., New York, NY 10012, Attn: HR. Gallery Manager (NY, NY) Plan & direct daily gallery operations, manage exhibitions, promote artwork, manage staff, engage w/ visitors & buyers, facilitate sales. Set & manage budgets, review fin’ls & performance data. Bachelor’s deg reqd. $73k/yr. Mail resume: Hunter Dunbar Projects Ltd.; 524 W 24th St, NY, NY 10011. EMPLOYMENT FINANCIAL EDUCATION FINANCIAL ENGINEERING GENERAL HELP WANTED HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING 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 American Express, Mastercard, Visa, 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

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com R MLS 61 EAST W L D Pts GF GA Inter Miami CF 9 2 4 31 36 20 Cincinnati 9 2 3 30 19 11 NYCFC 7 5 2 23 18 16 Red Bulls 6 3 5 23 25 21 Toronto FC 7 6 1 22 21 20 Charlotte FC 6 5 3 21 14 13 Columbus 5 2 6 21 19 13 Philadelphia 4 4 5 17 25 21 D.C. United 4 5 5 17 20 24 Orlando City 4 5 4 16 15 20 Nashville 3 4 6 15 17 20 Atlanta 3 6 4 13 17 16 CF Montréal 3 7 3 12 17 31 Chicago 2 8 4 10 13 26 New England 2 9 1 7 9 25 WEST W L D Pts GF GA Real Salt Lake 8 2 4 28 27 14 Minnesota United 7 2 3 24 21 14 Austin FC 6 4 4 22 19 17 LA Galaxy 5 2 7 22 25 21 Los Angeles FC 6 4 3 21 24 19 Colorado 6 5 3 21 24 23 Vancouver 5 4 4 19 19 15 Houston 5 5 3 18 12 13 St Louis City 3 3 7 16 19 20 Seattle FC 3 6 5 14 16 17 Portland 3 7 4 13 26 29 FC Dallas 3 6 3 12 13 17 Sporting K.C. 2 6 5 11 21 24 San Jose 3 10 1 10 22 33 Note: 3 pts. for win, 1 for tie Saturday NYCFC 2, Red Bulls 1 Atlanta 1, Nashville 1 LA Galaxy 0, Charlotte FC 0 Cincinnati 3, St Louis City 1 Philadelphia 3, New England 0 Toronto FC 5, CF Montréal 1 Miami 1, D.C. United 0 Austin FC 3, Sporting K.C. 2 Columbus 3, Chicago 1 FC Dallas 1, Houston 1 Minnesota 2, Portland 1 Salt Lake 5, Colorado 3 Orlando City 1, San Jose 0 Vancouver 1, Seattle FC 1 Saturday, May 25 NYCFC at New England, 7:30pm Miami at Vancouver, 6pm Los Angeles FC at Atlanta, 7:30pm Philadelphia at Charlotte FC, 7:30pm Chicago at D.C. United, 7:30pm Nashville at CF Montréal, 7:30pm Columbus at Orlando City, 7:30pm Cincinnati at Toronto FC, 7:30pm Salt Lake at FC Dallas, 8:30pm Seattle FC at St Louis City, 8:30pm Minnesota at Colorado, 9:30pm Houston at LA Galaxy, 10:30pm Sporting K.C. at Portland, 10:30pm Austin FC at San Jose, 10:30pm Wednesday, May 29 Charlotte FC at Red Bulls, 7:30pm Nashville at Cincinnati, 7:30pm New England at Columbus, 7:30pm Atlanta at Miami, 7:30pm D.C. United at CF Montréal, 7:30pm Toronto FC at Philadelphia, 7:30pm Portland at Austin FC, 8:30pm Orlando City at Chicago, 8:30pm Colorado at Houston, 8:30pm Vancouver at Sporting K.C., 8:30pm FC Dallas at LA Galaxy, 10:30pm Minnesota at Los Angeles FC, 10:30pm Salt Lake at Seattle FC, 10:30pm Soccer German Bundesliga Borussia Dortmund 4, SV Darmstadt 98 FC Union Berlin 2, SC Freiburg 1 Bayer Leverkusen 2, Augsburg 1 Eintracht Frankfurt 2, RB Leipzig 2 Mainz 3, VfL Wolfsburg 1 TSG Hoffenheim 4, Bayern Munichv 2 Werdr Bremen 4, VfL Bochum 1 Stuttgart 4, Borussia Monchengladbach 0 FC Heidenheim 1846 4, FC Cologne 1 Italian Serie A Torino 3, AC Milan 1 Atalanta 2, Lecce 0 Mexican Liga MX-2nd Leg American vs. Guadalajara, (n) Scottish Premiership Celtic 3, St. Mirren 2 Dundee 1, Kilmarnock 1 Heart of Midlothian 3, Rangers 3 Spanish LaLiga Alaves 1, Getafe 0 English Women’s Super League Arsenal 5, Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Manchester City 2, Aston Vila 1 Everton 4, Bristol City 0 Liverpool 4, Leicester City 0 Chelsea 6, Manchester United 0 Tottenham Hotspur 3, West Ham United 1 Portuguese Primeira Liga FC Porto 1, Braga 0 Guimares 3, Arouca 1 Boavista 2, Vizela 2 Estrela 1, Gil Vicente 0 Portimonense 3, SC Farense 1 Moreirense 2, Estoril 1 Sporting CP 3, GD Chaves 0 Saudi Pro League Al Hazem 1, Al Riyadh 1 Al Taawoun 1, Al Shabab 0 Al Ahli 5, Abha 1 Australian A-League Men- 2nd Leg Melbourne Victory 2, Wellington Phoenix 1 (Melbourne advance 2-1 on aggregate) Sydney FC 0, Central Coast Mariners 0 FT (Central Coast advance 2-1 on aggregate) NWSL W L T Pts GF GA Kansas City 6 0 4 22 25 15 Washington 7 3 0 21 22 14 Orlando 6 0 3 21 15 7 Portland 6 3 1 19 23 14 Chicago 5 3 1 16 14 12 North Carolina 5 5 0 15 13 11 Gotham FC 3 2 3 12 6 6 San Diego 3 4 2 11 9 9 Angel City 3 5 1 10 11 16 Louisville 1 2 6 9 14 12 Bay FC 3 7 0 9 15 21 Houston 2 5 3 9 8 18 Seattle 2 6 1 7 7 14 Utah Royals FC 1 8 1 4 6 19 NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie. Saturday Washington 4, Angel City 2 Louisville 3, Kansas City 3, tie Sunday Chicago at Gotham FC, 5pm Orlando at Seattle, 6pm Thursday San Diego at Angel City, 10pm Friday Portland at Orlando, 7pm Seattle at Washington, 7:30pm North Carolina at Houston, 8pm Gotham FC at Bay FC, 10pm Saturday, May 25 Louisville at Chicago, 7:30pm Kansas City at Utah Royals FC, 10pm Tennis Internazionali BNL d'Italia At Foro Italico; Rome; Purse: Euro4,791,105; Surface: Red clay; Italico (seedings in parentheses): Women's Singles - Championship Iga Swiatek (1), Poland, def. Aryna Sabalenka (2), Belarus, 6-2, 6-3. Men's Doubles - Semifinals Mate Pavic, Croatia, and Marcelo Arevalo-Gonzalez, El Salvador, def. Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, Italy, 6-2, 7-6 (5). Marcel Granollers, Spain, and Horacio Zeballos (1), Argentina, def. Alexander Bublik, Kazakhstan, and Ben Shelton, United States, 6-4, 6-4. By Mike Puma MIAMI — Adrian Houser is buried in the Mets’ bullpen, but not forgotten. The beleaguered righthander, who was removed from the rotation in recent weeks because of persistent struggles, will return to a starting role Tuesday in Cleveland, as a sixth starter for the club, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. Houser was scheduled to start last Wednesday in Philadelphia, but after he warmed up twice in the bullpen the previous day, was removed from consideration. The Mets instead recalled Joey Lucchesi for the start, in which Houser was used in relief. In eight appearances this season (six as a starter), Houser has pitched to a 7.44 ERA. Sean Manaea is the Mets’ scheduled starter for Sunday, with Tylor Megill set for removal from the injured list the following day to start against the Guardians. Carlos Quintana is scheduled for the series finale Wednesday in Cleveland. ➤Brandon Nimmo returned from a stomach bug that sidelined him for two days, but lower-body cramping forced his departure from the Mets’ 10-9 loss to the Marlins in 10 innings. Tyrone Taylor, who had entered the game as a pinchrunner for J.D. Martinez in the top of the ninth, remained in the game as the left fielder. Nimmo’s spot in the batting order arose in the 10th and the Mets used DJ Stewart to hit for the pitcher (the DH spot was lost when Taylor entered to play defense). Stewart struck out. ➤Kodai Senga is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Sunday, according to Mendoza, as the Mets await the right-hander’s giving his approval to begin a minorleague rehab assignment. On Thursday, president of baseball operations David Stearns indicated there was optimism Senga had found a comfort level with his mechanics that would encourage him to move forward in his rehab. Houser gets start Tuesday METS NOTES Information Management Specialist (Brooklyn, NY): Conduct business data analytics, project cost estimating to advise on project bidding/ business dvlpmt. Dsgn/implmt scalable central d/base system integrated & synchronized w/ project mgmt systems using SQL, Tableau, to support project bidding, budgeting & fin’l process w/ knowl of finance & operations mgmt. MS + 1 yr rltd exp. Pay $117,750/Yr. Contact ProH Development at [email protected] Music Director (Flushing, NY) Preside as main director over musical prgms & oversee production of music for the worship & other church activities; & organize & coord musical events by deciding theme & selecting music. A Bach deg in Music or rltd field reqd. Proffered Salary $36,670.00. Resume to The Korean American Presbyterian Church of Queens, 143-17 Franklin Ave, Flushing, NY 11355 attn: Senior Pastor Marketing Specialist – Flushing, NY: Research market conditions for the retail banking industry; identify target customers and collect data on customer preferences; assess rival businesses on offered services, financial products, and customer satisfaction; and measure effectiveness of marketing and report to the management in aiding them to create marketing plans. Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or a related field. $56,784/yr. Send ltr/res to Hana Bank USA, National Association, 201 Main St., Fort Lee, NJ 07024. Attn: Haemi Kim. Public Relations Specialist. Conceptualize and execute successful integrated communications strategies, with an understanding of data analysis technologies and market research tools in order to support communities in New York City in preserving their historic neighborhoods, buildings and public spaces. Utilizing understanding of visual design principles, craft engaging stories using journalistic principles; Build relations with elected officials and the media. Design communications materials using Adobe Creative Suite; analyze public data to understand audiences across New York City from a demographic, psychographic, and behavioral perspectives; conduct interviews and take photographs for articles. Req’s Masters Deg in any Public Relations, Journalism, Communications or Business. 40 hrs/wk (9am-5pm-MonFri). Job loc New York, NY. Send resume to Historic Districts Council, 232 East 11th Street, New York, NY 10003 and specify Job#2024PRS. EOE. Chef, Japanese Specialty (NY, NY): Prep, season & cook a variety of Japanese cuisine per restaurant menu, such as Okonomiyaki, Yakimeshi, Rice Balls, Yaki Udon/Soba. Plan menu. Estimate food consumption. Portion & garnish dishes. 2 yr exp. Pay: $44,720/Yr. Contact Tomi New York, Inc. at [email protected] Head Cook. Create menus & specials that offer unique blend of flavors to cater to diverse palates. Oversee food prep’n process; ensure quality & var. Supervise or coord activs of cooks, kitchen staff, or any workers engaged in food prep’n process. Train & instruct cooks or other workers in prep’g, cooking, garnishing, or presenting food. Ensure authentic, on-trend, & precisely executed culinary standards & techniques. Be fully in charge of planning orders of equip or ingredients accord’g to identified shortages. Req High School Diploma & min 5 yrs exp as Cook or in rltd field. At least 1 cert in culinary arts or rltd field. $91,000/yr. Send resume to: DJB Restaurant Corp., 825 Surf Ave, 2nd Fl, Brooklyn, NY 11224. Restaurants General Manager needed to plan & coordinate front of house activities of all restaurants located within the company’s NYC Financial Dist. location. Salary: $101,130.00/yr. Req. 4 yrs of exp in the job offered or as Floor Manager, Asst. Manager or closely rel. Rel exp must incl: Exp mgmt of personnel, incl hiring, training, and firing; & mgmt of banking and accounting functions, & mgmt of both fullservice and quick service Italian Restaurant. Resumes: Attn: Niki Shah, Eataly NY LLC, 43 West 23rd Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10010. Ref #103 Sales Representative: 1 yr wrk exp. High School or equiv req’d. Wage $40,600/yr + commissions. Send resume to [email protected]. Queensboro Toyota, Woodside, NY 11377. Software Developer (10 positions) (NY, NY) Duties: Dsgn, dvlp, implmt, maintain, & test bus. functions & web applics using a variety of lang, tools, methodologies, & technologies. Dvlp, create, & modify general comp. applics s/ware or specialized utility prgms, analyze user needs, dvlp s/ware solutions, & dsgn s/ware or customize s/ware for client use to optimize operational efficiency. Bachelor’s deg in comp sci or any rltd science major, $89,500/yr, Send Res.: Takeo Tech LLC, 264 W 40th St., Ste 503, NY, NY 10018. Engineering Consultant - Senior Quality Engineer (NY, NY) Dvlpg & verifying dsgn docs & determining project resources; consulting on electrical & civil construction & installations after inspection; reviewing & consulting on project plans, items & inputs, installation & maintenance manuals, & resolving techn’l issues; reviewing drawings, issuing & following-up on NCRs, & recommending modifications; conducting Qlty Assurance & Control, monitoring progress, & ensuring compliance w/ client & techn’l specs, & federal, state, & local laws; Authorizing work stoppages. Reqs a Master’s Deg in Civil Engg, Electrical Engg, or similar, plus 2 yrs exp as a Qlty Engineer for railway projects, & 18 mos of Sched’g, Estimation, Subcontractor Coord’n, CWPs, Dsgn Mgmt, Docs Control & Mgmt; conducting Testing & Commissioning, Internal/External Audits, Material Audit, Special & Hold Point Inspections, NCRs, QWPs, Qtrly Assessments, Mthly Qlty Reports; & of using ProjectWise, ClearQuest, SharePoint, Asite, Plantswift, Bluebeam, MS Office, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, STAAD Pro, Primavera P6, & MS Project. Regular travel to client sites reqd in various US states, ranging from 1-3 mos, depending on project. Salary is $90,293 - $120,000 per yr. E-mail CVs to IKOS Consulting, Inc., Attn. Madeleine Philpott, International Recruitment, [email protected]. Java Full Stack Developer, Brooklyn, NY. Develop full-stack applications with necessary technologies to support electrical products/services, collaborate with electrical engineering teams, develop/maintain web-based user interfaces and back-end services for electrical products, services, troubleshoot and resolve software defects and issues, ensure scalable, secure application, ensure software meets functional and non-functional requirements, thoroughly tested. Maintain existing software applications, provide technical support to electrical engineering team and endusers. Required: Master’s degree in Computer Science/Computer Engineering/Electrical Engineering plus 2 years of experience or Bachelor’s and 5 years of post-baccalaureate progressive experience. Salary from $169,229.00 to $169,229.00/yr. Mail resume/cvr letter to Galaxy Electric Corp, 161 Bay 11th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Attn: Steljan Barolli. Database Architect, needed by Cyber Consulting Inc., Plainview, NY to dvlp, dsgn, systs integrate, test, maint oltp, olap, nosql & cloud dtbases & training to end users. Knowl of dtbase admin & hands on exp req’d in oltp, olap, nosql & cloud dtbases. $168,854/yr. Send resume to Cyber Consulting, Inc, 605 Old Country Rd, Plainview, NY 11803. COLLECTIBLES BUYING BASEBALL CARDS And All Other Sports Cards, Cert. Memorabilia & Graded Vintage Cards. Prefer Pre-1980 Paying Top Dollar $$$ small or large collections Call Henry 917-273-2353 PET PLACE DOGS MALTESE PUPPIES Adorable males and females, toy or teacup sizes, shots and papers. Call 718-306-4136 SHIH-TZU PUPPIES Beautiful Males & Females Price to $ell Call 718-306-4136 YORKIE PUPPIES ADORABLE, pure bred, toy & teacup sizes. Call 718-306-4136 PROFESSIONAL RESTAURANT & HOSPITALITY RESTAURANT & HOSPITALITY TECH CAREERS SALES MERCHANDISE Want it sold? Sell it in the Classifieds Email [email protected] TECH CAREERS EMPLOYMENT

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com 62 AL Standings East W L Pct. GB *WGB L10 Streak Home Away Yankees 32 15 .681 — — 8-2 W-6 15-6 17-9 Baltimore 28 15 .651 2 +5 6-4 L-1 16-10 12-5 Tampa Bay 25 22 .532 7 — 6-4 W-4 14-12 11-10 Boston 22 24 .478 9½ 2½ 3-7 L-4 10-13 12-11 Toronto 19 25 .432 11½ 4½ 3-7 L-3 9-11 10-14 Central W L Pct. GB *WGB L10 Streak Home Away Cleveland 29 17 .630 — — 6-4 W-2 14-6 15-11 Kansas City 28 19 .596 1½ +3 7-3 W-2 17-8 11-11 Minnesota 24 21 .533 4½ — 4-6 L-5 11-11 13-10 Detroit 23 22 .511 5½ 1 5-5 W-2 10-13 13-9 Chicago 14 32 .304 15 10½ 6-4 L-2 10-14 4-18 West W L Pct. GB *WGB L10 Streak Home Away Seattle 25 21 .543 — — 5-5 W-1 15-10 10-11 Texas 24 23 .511 1½ 1 3-7 W-1 12-12 12-11 Houston 20 26 .435 5 4½ 8-2 L-1 12-13 8-13 Oakland 19 29 .396 7 6½ 1-9 L-7 10-13 9-16 Los Angeles 17 29 .370 8 7½ 4-6 L-1 6-16 11-13 *WGB: Games behind third-place team in wild-card race Saturday Yankees 6, White Sox 1 Tampa Bay 5, Toronto 4 Seattle 4, Baltimore 3 Cleveland 11, Minnesota 4 Kansas City 5, Oakland 3 Milwaukee 4, Houston 2 St. Louis 7, Boston 2 Texas 3, L.A. Angels 2, 13 inn. Detroit 8, Arizona 3 Sunday White Sox at Yankees, 1:35 Boston at St. Louis, 1:05 Seattle at Baltimore, 1:35 Tampa Bay at Toronto, 1:37 Minnesota at Cleveland, 1:40 Milwaukee at Houston, 2:10 Oakland at Kansas City, 2:10 L.A. Angels at Texas, 2:35 Detroit at Arizona, 4:10 Monday Mets at Cleveland, 6:10 Seattle at Yankees, 7:05 White Sox at Toronto, 3:07 Minnesota at Washington, 6:45 Boston at Tampa Bay, 6:50 Detroit at Kansas City, 7:40 Baltimore at St. Louis, 7:45 L.A. Angels at Houston, 8:10 NL Standings East W L Pct. GB *WGB L10 Streak Home Away Philadelphia 33 14 .702 — — 7-3 W-2 18-8 15-6 Atlanta 26 15 .634 4 +6 6-4 L-2 15-6 11-9 Washington 20 24 .455 11½ 1½ 3-7 L-4 7-10 13-14 Mets 20 25 .444 12 2 3-7 L-2 10-14 10-11 Miami 15 32 .319 18 8 5-5 W-4 8-17 7-15 Central W L Pct. GB *WGB L10 Streak Home Away Milwaukee 27 18 .600 — — 6-4 W-1 12-9 15-9 Chicago 26 21 .553 2 +3 4-6 W-1 14-8 12-13 Pittsburgh 21 26 .447 7 2 4-6 L-1 9-12 12-14 St. Louis 20 25 .444 7 2 5-5 W-2 8-11 12-14 Cincinnati 19 27 .413 8½ 3½ 3-7 L-2 9-13 10-14 West W L Pct. GB *WGB L10 Streak Home Away Los Angeles 31 17 .646 — — 6-4 W-2 17-9 14-8 San Diego 23 24 .489 7½ — 5-5 W-1 10-16 13-8 San Francisco 22 25 .468 8½ 1 6-4 W-3 14-10 8-15 Arizona 21 25 .457 9 1½ 5-5 L-2 11-13 10-12 Colorado 15 30 .333 14½ 7 7-3 L-2 9-12 6-18 *WGB: Games behind third-place team in wild-card race Saturday Miami 10, Mets 9, 10 inn. Cubs 1, Pittsburgh 0 San Francisco 14, Colorado 4 Philadelphia 4, Washington 3, 10 inn. Milwaukee 4, Houston 2 St. Louis 7, Boston 2 Detroit 8, Arizona 3 L.A. Dodgers 4, Cincinnati 0 San Diego at Atlanta, ppd. Sunday Mets at Miami, 1:40 Boston at St. Louis, 1:05 Washington at Philadelphia, 1:35 Milwaukee at Houston, 2:10 Pittsburgh at Cubs, 2:20 Colorado at San Francisco, 4:05 Cincinnati at L.A. Dodgers, 4:10 Detroit at Arizona, 4:10 San Diego at Atlanta, 7:10 Monday Mets at Cleveland, 6:10 San Diego at Atlanta, 12:20, 1st gm. San Diego at Atlanta, 6:20, 2nd gm. Milwaukee at Miami, 6:40 Minnesota at Washington, 6:45 Baltimore at St. Louis, 7:45 Arizona at L.A. Dodgers, 10:10 Yankees 6, White Sox 1 Chicago AB R H BI BB SO Avg Pham cf 4 1 2 0 0 1 .346 Sheets rf 4 0 2 0 0 1 .244 Vaughn 1b 4 0 0 0 0 3 .207 Jiménez dh 4 0 1 0 0 1 .218 Benintendi lf 4 0 1 1 0 1 .196 DeJong ss 3 0 0 0 1 2 .236 Lee c 4 0 0 0 0 3 .291 Lopez 2b 3 0 0 0 0 2 .195 Mendick 3b 3 0 0 0 0 2 .217 Totals 33 1 6 1 1 16 Yankees AB R H BI BB SO Avg Volpe ss 5 0 1 0 0 1 .270 Soto rf 4 2 4 3 1 0 .317 Judge cf 4 0 1 0 1 3 .266 Verdugo lf 4 1 0 0 0 2 .244 Stanton dh 3 1 2 2 1 0 .258 Rizzo 1b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .250 Torres 2b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .218 Trevino c 4 1 1 1 0 1 .286 Berti 3b 2 1 0 0 2 0 .250 Totals 34 6 9 6 5 11 Chicago 100 000 000 — 1 6 1 Yankees 221 010 00x — 6 9 0 E: DeJong (7). LOB: Chicago 6, New York 9. 2B: Benintendi (5), Pham (6), Stanton (8), Volpe (7). HR: Soto 2 (11), off Keller; Trevino (5), off Keller; Stanton (11), off Keller. RBIs: Benintendi (15), Soto 3 (37), Stanton 2 (26), Trevino (15). RISP: Chicago 1 for 5; New York 1 for 8. Runners moved up: Volpe. Chicago IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Keller, L, 0-2 4.0 7 6 5 1 4 84 4.86 Soroka 4.0 2 0 0 4 7 82 5.85 Yankees IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Gil, W, 5-1 6.0 5 1 1 1 14 98 2.39 Burdi 2.0 1 0 0 0 2 28 1.04 Santana 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 6 4.34 T: 2:29. A: 43,194 (47,309). Cubs 1, Pirates 0 Pittsburgh AB R H BI BB SO Avg McCutchen dh 3 0 0 0 1 1 .208 Reynolds lf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .254 Joe 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .288 Olivares rf 4 0 1 0 0 2 .237 Suwinski rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .168 Gonzales 2b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .233 Triolo 3b 3 0 1 0 0 2 .204 Bart c 3 0 1 0 0 0 .235 Taylor cf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .216 Williams ss 3 0 0 0 0 2 .232 Totals 31 0 4 0 1 12 Chicago AB R H BI BB SO Avg Wisdom 1b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .289 Amaya c 0 0 0 0 0 0 .187 Suzuki rf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .270 Bellinger cf 4 1 2 0 0 1 .264 Morel 3b 3 0 1 1 1 0 .217 Tauchman dh 3 0 0 0 0 1 .257 Happ lf 2 0 0 0 1 0 .213 Madrigal 2b 3 0 1 0 0 0 .227 Mastrobuoni ss 3 0 0 0 0 0 .135 Gomes c 2 0 0 0 0 0 .182 Busch ph-1b 0 0 0 0 1 0 .250 Totals 28 1 5 1 3 3 Pittsburgh 000 000 000 — 0 4 0 Chicago 000 000 001 — 1 5 0 One out when winning run scored. LOB: Pittsburgh 5, Chicago 5. 2B: Bellinger (6). RBIs: Morel (32). RISP: Pittsburgh 0 for 1; Chicago 1 for 3. DP: Pittsburgh 1 (Williams, Gonzales, Joe). Pittsburgh IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Falter 7.2 3 0 0 2 2 83 3.53 Holderman 0.1 0 0 0 1 1 9 0.73 Bednar, L, 2-3 0.1 2 1 1 0 0 13 8.31 Chicago IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Imanaga 7.0 4 0 0 1 7 88 0.84 Leiter 1.0 0 0 0 0 3 16 0.95 Neris, W, 4-0 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 12 2.65 T: 2:10. A: 39,857 (41,363). Giants 14, Rockies 4 Colorado AB R H BI BB SO Avg Tovar ss 5 1 2 1 0 1 .282 Rodgers dh-2b 4 0 2 0 1 0 .268 McMahon 3b 4 1 1 0 1 0 .308 Montero 1b 4 0 1 2 1 1 .228 Doyle cf 4 1 1 0 0 2 .273 Bouchard rf 3 0 0 0 0 2 .222 Cave ph-rf 1 0 1 0 0 0 .273 Beck lf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .220 Goodman c 4 1 2 1 0 0 .160 Trejo 2b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .071 Blackmon ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .237 Mears p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Kinley p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Totals 37 4 10 4 3 10 San Francisco AB R H BI BB SO Avg Soler dh 5 1 3 2 0 0 .219 Estrada 2b 4 2 2 2 0 1 .256 Flores 1b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .202 Wade ph-1b 2 1 1 0 0 0 .315 Chapman 3b 4 4 4 0 1 0 .236 Matos cf 5 2 3 6 0 0 .385 Ramos lf 5 1 2 2 0 1 .297 Luciano ss 4 2 2 0 1 1 .333 Yastrzemski rf 4 0 0 0 1 3 .225 Casali c 2 1 1 2 2 0 .500 Totals 38 14 18 14 5 7 Colorado 003 001 000 — 4 10 1 San Francisco 321 001 16x —14 18 1 E: Bouchard (2), Ty.Rogers (1). LOB: Colorado 9, San Francisco 7. 2B: Goodman (1), Chapman 2 (12), Luciano 2 (2), Soler 2 (6), Matos (3), Estrada (9), Ramos (3). HR: Matos (2), off Blach. RBIs: Tovar (19), Montero 2 (17), Goodman (5), Matos 6 (17), Soler 2 (10), Estrada 2 (26), Ramos 2 (7), Casali 2 (2). SB: Chapman (5), Doyle (9), Goodman (1). SF: Estrada. S: Casali. Runners left in scoring position: Colorado 4 (Doyle, Montero, Tovar, Trejo); San Francisco 4 (Wade, Yastrzemski, Flores, Ramos). RISP: Colorado 3 for 14; San Francisco 9 for 19. Colorado IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Blach, L, 1-2 3.0 7 6 6 1 3 64 5.14 Lambert 2.0 2 1 1 2 0 34 7.09 Lawrence 2.0 3 1 0 0 3 28 3.93 Mears 0.2 5 6 6 2 1 42 7.36 Kinley 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 1 8.27 San Francisco IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Harrison, W, 4-1 5.0 5 3 3 2 4 79 3.60 Walker, H, 6 1.0 2 1 1 0 2 19 2.62 Miller, H, 8 1.0 2 0 0 0 3 18 4.50 Ty.Rogers 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 12 2.49 Ta.Rogers 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 17 3.86 T: 2:47. A: 31,098 (41,915). Rays 5, Blue Jays 4 Tampa Bay AB R H BI BB SO Avg Díaz 1b 3 1 3 0 2 0 .263 Arozarena lf 5 0 1 0 0 2 .162 H.Ramírez dh 3 1 0 0 0 0 .262 Aranda ph-dh 2 0 0 0 0 0 .200 Paredes 3b 4 0 2 0 0 2 .308 Palacios pr-2b 1 1 1 0 0 0 .265 DeLuca rf 4 2 1 2 1 0 .300 Rosario 2b-3b 5 0 2 2 0 2 .302 Caballero ss 3 0 2 1 1 1 .261 Jackson c 4 0 0 0 0 1 .042 Siri cf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .168 Totals 38 5 12 5 4 10 Toronto AB R H BI BB SO Avg Schneider 2b 5 1 2 0 0 1 .267 Varsho lf 4 1 1 2 0 0 .212 Guerrero 1b 4 1 3 1 0 0 .280 Bichette ss 3 0 0 0 0 0 .217 Turner dh 4 0 0 0 0 2 .231 Springer rf 4 0 1 1 0 0 .197 Jansen c 4 0 2 0 0 1 .313 Biggio 3b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .198 Kiner-Falefa ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .261 Kiermaier cf 3 1 1 0 0 1 .230 Clement ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .247 Totals 36 4 10 4 0 5 Tampa Bay 000 003 020 — 5 12 1 Toronto 000 130 000 — 4 10 1 E: Siri (4), Jansen (3). LOB: Tampa Bay 10, Toronto 6. 2B: Paredes (7), Caballero (8), Schneider (9), Guerrero (7), Jansen (8), Varsho (9). HR: DeLuca (2), off Pearson. RBIs: Rosario 2 (20), Caballero (14), DeLuca 2 (12), Springer (7), Varsho 2 (21), Guerrero (20). SB: DeLuca (3), H.Ramírez (5). Runners left in scoring position: Tampa Bay 5 (Jackson, Arozarena 2, Rosario 2); Toronto 5 (Bichette, Jansen 2, Biggio 2). RISP: Tampa Bay 2 for 11; Toronto 3 for 12. Tampa Bay IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Eflin 6.0 9 4 4 0 3 75 4.12 E.Ramírez, W, 3-0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 11 4.50 Adam, H, 10 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 18 1.29 Cleavinger, S, 3-3 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 14 1.45 Toronto IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Gausman 6.0 8 3 3 1 6 102 4.89 García, H, 7 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 19 0.50 Pearson, L, 0- 1, BS, 1-2 0.0 3 2 2 1 0 21 6.00 Richards 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 16 2.70 Mayza 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 14 6.28 T: 2:42. A: 34,416 (39,150). Marlins 10, Mets 9, 10 inn. Mets AB R H BI BB SO Avg Lindor ss 5 1 0 1 0 1 .190 Alonso 1b 6 0 2 0 0 1 .230 Nimmo lf 4 3 1 0 0 0 .216 Díaz p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Diekman p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Stewart ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .203 López p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Martinez dh 5 0 2 2 0 1 .315 Taylor pr-lf 1 1 0 0 0 0 .253 Vientos 3b 4 1 2 1 1 1 .333 Marte rf 4 1 3 1 0 0 .266 Bader cf 5 1 1 2 0 2 .273 McNeil 2b 4 1 2 2 1 0 .239 Nido c 5 0 2 0 0 0 .232 Totals 44 9 15 9 2 7 Miami AB R H BI BB SO Avg Chisholm cf 5 3 3 3 0 0 .260 De La Cruz dh 5 1 2 0 0 1 .261 Bell 1b 5 1 3 4 0 0 .229 J.Sánchez rf 4 1 0 0 1 2 .224 Burger 3b 5 0 0 0 0 1 .178 Bethancourt c 0 1 0 0 0 0 .132 Gordon lf 4 1 2 1 1 0 .235 Lopez 2b 5 1 2 2 0 1 .283 Bruján ss 3 1 1 0 1 0 .267 Fortes c 3 0 0 0 0 1 .153 Rivera ph-3b 1 0 0 0 0 0 .200 Totals 40 10 13 10 3 6 Mets 200 140 002 0 — 9 15 0 Miami 011 000 304 1 —10 13 1 One out when winning run scored. E: Bruján (7). LOB: New York 11, Miami 6. 2B: Vientos (2), Nimmo (8), Martinez (5), Marte (7), Gordon (4), Lopez (3), Bruján (6). HR: Chisholm (6), off Severino; Bell (6), off Díaz. RBIs: Martinez 2 (9), Vientos (4), Lindor (22), Bader 2 (10), McNeil 2 (10), Marte (16), Gordon (17), Chisholm 3 (24), Lopez 2 (9), Bell 4 (24). SB: McNeil (3), Bader (6). RISP: New York 7 for 21; Miami 6 for 13. Mets IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Severino 6.2 6 5 5 3 3 95 3.48 R.Garrett, H, 4 0.1 2 0 0 0 0 7 0.78 Ottavino, H, 8 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 6 2.95 Díaz 0.1 4 4 4 0 0 15 5.50 Diekman 0.2 0 0 0 0 2 12 3.07 López, L, 1-1 0.1 1 1 0 0 0 5 2.49 Miami IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA B.Garrett 4.1 7 6 6 1 5 90 10.24 Cronin 1.2 4 1 1 0 0 22 1.64 Maldonado 2.0 1 0 0 0 0 25 3.75 Faucher 0.2 3 2 2 1 1 29 3.31 Nardi 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 11 6.11 T.Scott, W, 3-4 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 13 1.89 T: 3:09. A: 15,304 (37,446). Guardians 11, Twins 4 Minnesota AB R H BI BB SO Avg Jeffers dh 4 0 1 0 0 3 .274 Kirilloff lf 1 0 0 0 0 1 .205 Correa ss 2 0 1 0 1 0 .268 Julien 2b 1 0 0 0 0 0 .216 Castro lf-p 4 1 1 0 0 1 .260 Miranda 3b 4 1 1 0 0 0 .274 Buxton cf 4 1 1 1 0 1 .250 Margot rf 4 0 3 0 0 1 .195 Santana 1b 4 1 1 0 0 1 .204 Farmer 2b-ss 4 0 1 2 0 2 .160 Vázquez c 4 0 0 0 0 0 .163 Totals 36 4 10 3 1 10 Cleveland AB R H BI BB SO Avg Freeman cf 4 3 4 3 1 0 .221 Giménez 2b 5 1 3 2 0 0 .276 Arias 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .216 Ramírez 3b 5 1 3 3 0 0 .258 Florial lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .189 J.Naylor 1b 4 0 1 1 0 0 .256 Avila p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Fry lf-3b 2 2 0 0 2 1 .325 Brennan rf 5 1 1 1 0 2 .231 Manzardo dh-1b 4 0 1 1 0 0 .161 B.Naylor c 3 1 1 0 1 1 .175 Rocchio ss 4 2 2 0 0 1 .218 Totals 36 11 16 11 4 5 Minnesota 000 000 004 — 4 10 1 Cleveland 202 120 40x —11 16 2 E: Castro (3), Arias (5), Brennan (2). LOB: Minnesota 6, Cleveland 7. 2B: Farmer (7), Ramírez (7), Freeman (7), Manzardo (2). HR: Ramírez (11), off Ober. RBIs: Buxton (12), Farmer 2 (9), Ramírez 3 (41), J.Naylor (34), Freeman 3 (16), Brennan (15), Manzardo (1), Giménez 2 (25). SB: Freeman (6), Fry (2). SF: J.Naylor. . RISP: Minnesota 3 for 8; Cleveland 6 for 11. Minnesota IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Ober, L, 4-2 4.0 8 5 5 1 4 91 4.40 Funderburk 2.0 4 2 2 2 0 38 4.98 Jackson 1.0 4 4 4 1 1 34 7.25 Castro 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 9 0.00 Cleveland IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Allen, W, 5-2 6.0 5 0 0 1 7 89 4.91 Sandlin 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 14 2.45 Hentges 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 8 0.00 Avila 1.0 4 4 3 0 2 40 5.68 T: 2:45. A: 35,545 (34,788). Phillies 4, Nationals 3, 10 inn. Washington AB R H BI BB SO Avg Abrams ss 5 1 3 1 0 1 .271 Vargas 2b 5 0 3 0 0 0 .320 Meneses dh 5 0 1 1 0 3 .219 Senzel 3b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .202 Adams c 4 0 1 0 0 2 .232 Nuñez pr 0 1 0 0 0 0 .000 K.Ruiz c 0 0 0 0 0 0 .147 Gallo 1b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .123 Robles rf 3 0 0 0 0 2 .091 Rosario ph-rf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .178 Winker lf 4 0 1 1 0 2 .224 Young cf 4 1 1 0 0 1 .262 Totals 38 3 11 3 0 12 Philadelphia AB R H BI BB SO Avg Schwarber dh 1 0 0 0 4 0 .216 Merrifield pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .188 Realmuto c 5 0 1 0 0 0 .275 Harper 1b 4 1 1 1 0 1 .263 Bohm 3b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .329 Stott 2b-ss 4 1 1 1 0 0 .280 Castellanos rf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .194 Sosa ss 2 0 0 0 0 0 .296 Clemens ph-2b 2 1 2 1 0 0 .304 Pache lf 2 0 0 0 0 1 .194 Marsh ph-lf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .244 Rojas cf 4 1 1 0 0 1 .228 Totals 34 4 7 3 4 4 Washington 100 010 001 0 — 3 11 2 Philadelphia 000 100 101 1 — 4 7 0 Two outs when winning run scored. E: Garcia (1), Rosario (2). LOB: Washington 7, Philadelphia 7. 2B: Senzel (3), Vargas (9). HR: Stott (5), off Gore; Clemens (3), off Finnegan. RBIs: Meneses (22), Abrams (21), Winker (19), Stott (29), Clemens (8), Harper (33). SB: Harper (3), Winker (5). SF: Harper. RISP: Washington 2 for 14; Philadelphia 1 for 8. DP: Washington 2 (Vargas, Gallo; Senzel, Vargas, Gallo); Philadelphia 2 (Bohm, Stott, Harper; Stott, Sosa, Harper). Washington IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Gore 6.1 3 2 2 3 3 93 3.30 Floro 0.2 2 0 0 0 0 18 0.40 Garcia 0.2 1 0 0 0 1 11 5.40 Harvey 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 3 2.38 Finnegan, L, 1-3, BS, 13-15 1.2 1 2 1 1 0 17 1.89 Philadelphia IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Sánchez 7.0 8 2 2 0 8 92 3.31 Strahm 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 18 0.95 Kerkering 1.0 2 1 1 0 1 24 1.98 Soto, W, 1-1 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 11 5.79 T: 2:52. A: 43,112 (42,901). Royals 5, Athletics 3 Oakland AB R H BI BB SO Avg Toro 3b 4 1 2 0 1 0 .298 Bleday cf 5 0 1 0 0 2 .241 Rooker dh 5 0 2 1 0 3 .277 Langeliers c 4 0 1 0 0 1 .223 Soderstrom 1b 3 0 0 0 0 2 .280 Nevin ph-rf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .229 Gelof 2b 4 1 1 0 0 2 .183 Brown rf 3 1 1 2 0 1 .179 Davis ph-1b 1 0 0 0 0 0 .191 Schuemann ss 4 0 2 0 0 0 .235 Ruiz lf 3 0 0 0 0 2 .200 McCann ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 .333 Harris pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .128 Totals 38 3 11 3 1 13 Kansas City AB R H BI BB SO Avg Garcia 3b 4 2 2 0 0 1 .243 Witt ss 4 1 1 0 0 0 .290 Pasquantino 1b 4 0 1 1 0 0 .231 Perez c 4 0 1 2 0 1 .333 Massey dh 4 1 2 0 0 0 .270 Velázquez rf 4 0 2 1 0 1 .228 Blanco pr-rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .293 Melendez lf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .182 Frazier 2b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .187 Isbel cf 3 1 1 1 0 0 .218 Totals 34 5 11 5 0 4 Oakland 020 000 100 — 3 11 0 Kansas City 200 011 10x — 5 11 1 E: Witt (4). LOB: Oakland 9, Kansas City 5. 2B: Gelof (3), Langeliers (7), Melendez (8), Garcia (10), Massey (5). HR: Brown (4), off Lugo; Isbel (4), off Erceg. RBIs: Brown 2 (11), Rooker (29), Perez 2 (36), Pasquantino (26), Velázquez (12), Isbel (12). RISP: Oakland 2 for 8; Kansas City 3 for 8. DP: Oakland 1 (Schuemann, Soderstrom); Kansas City 1 (Pasquantino). Oakland IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Stripling, L, 1-8 5.0 9 4 4 0 2 87 5.19 McFarland 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 6 4.26 Erceg 1.0 1 1 1 0 1 16 3.50 Kelly 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 11 2.88 Kansas City IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Lugo, W, 7-1 5.2 6 2 2 1 10 96 1.79 Schreiber, H, 11 1.1 3 1 1 0 0 24 1.27 Zerpa, H, 7 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 9 1.47 McArthur, S, 11-14 1.0 2 0 0 0 2 17 4.35 T: 2:19. A: 22,014 (38,427).

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com63 ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S QUESTION: CALIFORNIA ANGELS SUBMIT QUESTIONS TO: [email protected] POP QUIZ Question, from Rich Ackerman of CBS Sports Radio and Fox Sports: Which NBA superstar of the era gets thrown out of a game at Madison Square Garden for fighting with Kramer and Spike Lee in a 1997 episode of “Seinfeld”? NBA Playoffs Best-of-7 Eastern Conference Semifinals Knicks vs. Indiana Series tied, 3-3 Game 1: Knicks 121, Indiana 117 Game 2: Knicks 130, Indiana 121 Game 3: Indiana 111, Knicks 106 Game 4: Indiana 121, Knicks 89 Game 5: Knicks 121, Indiana 91 Game 6: Indiana 116, Knicks 103 Sun.: at Knicks, 3:30pm Boston vs. Cleveland Boston wins series, 4-1 Game 1: Boston,120, Cleveland 96 Game 2: Cleveland 118, Boston 94 Game 3: Boston 106, Cleveland 93 Game 4: Boston 109, Cleveland 102 Game 5: Boston, 113, Cleveland 98 Western Conference Semifinals Oklahoma City vs. Dallas Dallas wins leads, 4-2 Game 1: Oklahoma City 117, Dallas 95 Game 2: Dallas 119, Oklahoma City 110 Game 3: Dallas 105, Oklahoma City 101 Game 4: Oklahoma City 100, Dallas 96 Game 5: Dallas 104, Oklahoma City 92 Game 6: Dallas 117, Oklahoma City 116 Minnesota vs. Denver Series tied, 3-3 Game 1: Minnesota 106, Denver 99 Game 2: Minnesota 106, Denver 80 Game 3: Denver 117, Minnesota 90 Game 4: Denver 115, Minnesota 107 Game 5: Denver 112, Minnesota 97 Game 6: Minnesota 115, Denver 70 Sun., May 19: at Denver, 8pm NHL Playoffs Best-of-7 Eastern Conference Semifinals Rangers vs. Carolina Rangers wins series, 4-2 Game 1: Rangers 4, Carolina 3 Game 2: Rangers 4, Carolina 3, 2 OT Game 3: Rangers 3, Carolina 2, OT Game 4: Carolina 4, Rangers 3 Game 5: Carolina 4, Rangers 1 Game 6: Rangers 5, Carolina 3 Boston vs. Florida Florida wins series, 4-2 Game 1: Boston 5, Florida 1 Game 2: Florida 6, Boston 1 Game 3: Florida 6, Boston 2 Game 4: Florida 3, Boston 2 Game 5: Boston 2, Florida 1 Game 6: Florida 2, Boston 1 Western Conference Semifinals Colorado vs. Dallas Dallas wins series, 4-2 Game 1: Colorado 4, Dallas 3, OT Game 2: Dallas 5, Colorado 3 Game 3: Dallas 4, Colorado 1 Game 4: Dallas 5, Colorado 1 Game 5: Colorado 5, Dallas 3 Game 6: Dallas 2, Colorado 1, 2 OT Edmonton vs. Vancouver Series tied, 3-3 Game 1: Vancouver 5, Edmonton 4 Game 2: Edmonton 4, Vancouver 3, OT Game 3: Vancouver 4, Edmonton 3 Game 4: Edmonton 3, Vancouver 2 Game 5: Vancouver 3, Edmonton 2 Game 6: Edmonton, 5, Vancouver 1 Mon.: at Vancouver, 9pm Brewers 4, Astros 2 Milwaukee AB R H BI BB SO Avg Turang 2b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .304 Contreras c 4 1 1 3 0 1 .350 Yelich dh 3 0 0 0 1 0 .324 Adames ss 4 0 0 0 0 0 .244 Bauers 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .231 Ortiz 3b 4 1 1 0 0 0 .294 Frelick rf 3 1 0 0 1 0 .247 Chourio lf 3 1 2 0 1 0 .226 Perkins cf 2 0 1 1 0 0 .214 Totals 31 4 6 4 3 3 Houston AB R H BI BB SO Avg Altuve 2b 4 0 1 0 0 2 .310 Tucker rf 2 0 0 0 2 1 .284 Alvarez dh 4 0 1 0 0 1 .253 Bregman 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .223 Peña ss 4 0 1 0 0 0 .324 Singleton 1b 4 0 1 0 0 2 .222 Diaz c 4 0 0 0 0 1 .259 Meyers cf 4 2 3 1 0 1 .286 Dubón lf 3 0 1 1 0 0 .283 Caratini ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .271 Totals 34 2 8 2 2 9 Milwaukee 000 040 000 — 4 6 0 Houston 001 010 000 — 2 8 0 LOB: Milwaukee 4, Houston 7. 2B: Turang (11), Peña (7). HR: Contreras (7), off Verlander; Meyers (5), off Wilson. RBIs: Perkins (14), Contreras 3 (37), Dubón (17), Meyers (16). SB: Tucker (7), Yelich (4), Turang (17). SF: Perkins. RISP: Milwaukee 1 for 6; Houston 1 for 6. DP: Houston 1 (Altuve, Peña, Singleton). Milwaukee IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Wilson 4.2 5 2 2 1 3 58 2.79 Milner, W, 2-0 1.1 1 0 0 0 1 13 1.66 Peguero, H, 6 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 10 3.15 Hudson, H, 6 1.0 1 0 0 1 1 21 0.71 Megill, S, 6-6 1.0 1 0 0 0 3 16 1.54 Houston IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Verlander, L, 2-2 4.2 4 4 4 2 3 98 3.97 Martinez 2.1 2 0 0 1 0 33 2.39 Mushinski 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 23 7.50 T: 2:30. A: 34,212 (41,000). Mariners 4, Orioles 3 Seattle AB R H BI BB SO Avg Rojas 2b 3 0 0 0 2 1 .311 Rodríguez cf 5 1 2 0 0 3 .269 Raleigh c 4 1 1 1 0 1 .227 Garver dh 4 0 0 0 0 2 .171 Raley lf 4 1 1 0 0 0 .274 Moore ss 3 1 2 1 0 0 .234 Canzone rf 1 0 0 0 1 0 .237 Haniger ph-rf 2 0 0 1 0 0 .216 France 1b 4 0 1 1 0 1 .237 L.Urías 3b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .143 Totals 33 4 7 4 4 9 Baltimore AB R H BI BB SO Avg Henderson ss 3 1 1 1 2 0 .265 Rutschman c 5 0 0 0 0 3 .309 O'Hearn 1b 4 0 1 1 0 0 .290 Santander dh 4 0 0 0 0 0 .210 Westburg 3b 3 1 1 0 1 1 .296 Cowser rf 1 0 0 0 3 0 .261 Hays lf 3 0 0 1 0 1 .140 Mullins cf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .185 Mateo 2b 3 1 2 0 0 0 .260 Stowers ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .200 Totals 31 3 6 3 6 6 Seattle 000 000 220 — 4 7 0 Baltimore 011 000 001 — 3 6 0 LOB: Seattle 7, Baltimore 8. 2B: Moore 2 (8), France (7), Raleigh (4), Mateo (8). 3B: Westburg (3). HR: Henderson (14), off Muñoz. RBIs: Haniger (22), France (15), Raleigh (25), Moore (15), Hays (4), O'Hearn (14), Henderson (30). SB: Mateo (6). CS: Rojas (2). SF: Hays. RISP: Seattle 2 for 11; Baltimore 1 for 6. DP: Seattle 1 (Moore, Rojas, France); Baltimore 1 (Rutschman, Mateo, Rutschman). Seattle IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Castillo 6.0 4 2 2 4 2 89 3.28 Speier 0.1 1 0 0 1 0 16 3.29 Stanek, W, 2-0 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 8 4.20 Thornton, H, 4 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 20 2.37 Muñoz, S, 8-9 1.0 1 1 1 0 2 19 1.86 Baltimore IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Rodriguez 6.0 1 0 0 3 7 82 3.15 Coulombe, H, 9 0.1 2 2 2 0 0 10 3.18 Suárez, BS, 0-1 0.2 1 0 0 0 0 15 1.90 Cano, L, 2-2 0.1 2 2 2 0 0 5 2.95 Pérez 1.2 1 0 0 1 2 32 5.62 T: 2:45. A: 19,286 (45,971). Cardinals 7, Red Sox 2 Boston AB R H BI BB SO Avg Duran lf 4 1 1 0 0 1 .273 Abreu rf 2 0 0 0 1 0 .260 Refsnyder ph-rf 1 0 1 1 0 0 .345 Wong c 4 0 0 0 0 0 .349 Devers 3b 4 1 1 1 0 1 .284 O'Neill dh 4 0 1 0 0 1 .254 Smith 1b 4 0 0 0 0 3 .174 Grissom 2b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .149 Hamilton ss 2 0 1 0 0 0 .236 González ph-ss 1 0 1 0 0 0 .333 Rafaela cf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .197 Totals 32 2 6 2 1 7 St. Louis AB R H BI BB SO Avg Donovan lf 4 1 1 0 1 0 .233 Nootbaar rf-cf 5 0 2 2 0 1 .217 Goldschmidt 1b 5 0 1 0 0 2 .213 Arenado 3b 3 1 2 0 1 0 .275 Burleson dh 4 1 2 0 0 0 .293 Herrera c 4 1 1 1 0 1 .284 Gorman 2b 4 2 2 2 0 2 .201 Winn ss 3 1 1 1 0 0 .281 Siani cf 1 0 1 0 1 0 .230 Carlson ph-rf 2 0 1 0 0 1 .091 Totals 35 7 14 6 3 7 Boston 000 100 010 — 2 6 2 St. Louis 010 000 15x — 7 14 1 E: Bernardino (1), Refsnyder (1), Gorman (3). LOB: Boston 4, St. Louis 8. 2B: Hamilton (3), Refsnyder (6). HR: Devers (8), off Mikolas; Gorman (7), off K.Crawford. RBIs: Devers (19), Refsnyder (10), Gorman 2 (18), Nootbaar 2 (16), Herrera (15), Winn (11). SB: Abreu (6). CS: Siani (2). SF: Winn. RISP: Boston 0 for 6; St. Louis 3 for 8. DP: St. Louis 1 (Winn, Goldschmidt). Boston IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA K.Crawford 5.2 6 1 1 2 5 99 2.17 Bernardino 1.0 2 1 1 1 1 21 0.89 Slaten, L, 2-2 1.0 5 5 4 0 1 26 3.38 Kelly 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 18 1.54 St. Louis IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Mikolas 5.0 2 1 1 1 4 79 5.77 King 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 6 2.70 Kittredge 1.0 0 0 0 0 3 14 2.41 Romero, W, 1-0 1.0 3 1 1 0 0 16 1.54 Leahy 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 9 5.06 T: 2:40. A: 40,690 (44,494). PGA Tour Schedule April 18-21 — Corales Puntacana Championship (Billy Horschel) April 18-22 — RBC Heritage (Scottie Scheffler) April 25-28 — Zurich Classic of New Orleans (Tied) May 2-5 — THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson (Taylor Pendrith) May 9-12 — Myrtle Beach Classic (Chris Gotterup) May 9-12 — Wells Fargo Championship (Rory McIlroy) May 16-19 — PGA Championship, Louisville, Ky. May 23-26 — Charles Schwab Challenge, Fort Worth, Texas May 30-June 2 — RBC Canadian Open, Hamilton, Ontario June 6-9 — the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, Dublin, Ohio June 13-16 — U.S. Open, Pinehurst, N.C. June 20-23 — Travelers Championship, Cromwell, Conn. June 27-30 — Rocket Mortgage Classic, Detroit July 4-7 — John Deere Classic, Silvis, Ill. July 11-14 — Genesis Scottish Open, Gullane, United Kingdom July 11-14 — Kentucky Championship, Nicholasville, Ky. July 18-21 — Barracuda Championship, Truckee, Calif. July 18-21 — The Open Championship, Troon, United Kingdom July 25-28 — 3M Open, Blaine, Minn. Aug. 8-11 — Wyndham Championship, Greensboro, N.C. Aug. 15-18 — FedEx St. Jude Championship, Memphis, Tenn. Aug. 22-25 — BMW Championship, Castle Rock, Colo. Aug. 29-Sept. 1 — TOUR Championship, Atlanta Sept. 12-15 — Fortinet Championship, Napa, Calif. NBA Playoffs- Game 6 Mavericks 117, Thunder 116 Oklahoma City Min FG FT O-Rb A PF Pts Dort 32:11 3-10 3-3 0-3 1 5 11 Jal.Williams 37:00 8-16 3-3 2-9 8 1 22 Holmgren 34:30 9-15 2-2 0-3 1 5 21 GilgeousAlexander 42:42 14-25 4-7 0-3 8 3 36 Joe 29:05 4-7 0-0 1-3 3 0 11 Wallace 24:24 2-8 0-0 0-0 1 4 5 Jay.Williams 18:24 2-5 1-2 0-2 2 1 6 Giddey 10:29 1-3 0-0 3-4 1 1 2 Wiggins 7:43 0-2 0-0 0-3 0 0 0 K.Williams 3:30 1-1 0-0 1-1 0 0 2 Totals 240:00 44-92 13-17 7-31 25 20 116 Percentages: FG .478, FT .765. 3-point goals: 15-41, .366 (Gilgeous-Alexander 4-5, Joe 3-4, Jal.Williams 3-5, Dort 2-7, Jay.Williams 1-4, Wallace 1-6, Holmgren 1-7, Wiggins 0-1, Giddey 0-2). Team rebounds: 14. Team turnovers: 2. Blocked shots: 5 (Gilgeous-Alexander 2, Jal.Williams, Jay.Williams, Wallace). Turnovers: 8 (Holmgren 3, Dort 2, Wallace 2, Giddey). Steals: 10 (Dort 3, Holmgren 2, Jal.Williams 2, Jay.Williams, Joe, Wallace). Technicals: None. Dallas Min FG FT O-Rb A PF Pts Jones Jr. 40:21 8-13 2-2 3-4 2 3 22 Washington 29:30 2-6 3-5 1-5 2 5 9 Gafford 18:30 4-7 2-4 4-7 1 0 10 Doncic 44:43 9-15 7-7 0-10 10 4 29 Irving 42:22 9-23 0-0 0-2 3 3 22 Lively II 29:30 5-6 2-3 4-15 3 4 12 Green 18:34 2-4 1-2 0-2 1 1 6 Hardy 10:37 2-6 0-1 1-1 3 2 5 Hardaway Jr. 5:51 1-2 0-0 1-1 0 1 2 Totals 240:00 42-82 17-24 14-47 25 23 117 Percentages: FG .512, FT .708. 3-point goals: 16-34, .471 (Doncic 4-6, Jones Jr. 4-6, Irving 4-10, Washington 2-5, Green 1-3, Hardy 1-3, Hardaway Jr. 0-1). Team rebounds: 7. Team turnovers: 1. Blocked shots: 4 (Gafford, Hardaway Jr., Jones Jr., Lively II). Turnovers: 17 (Doncic 7, Irving 4, Jones Jr. 2, Lively II 2, Gafford, Hardy). Steals: 5 (Doncic 2, Green, Jones Jr., Lively II). Technicals: Doncic, 10:12 second. Oklahoma City 30 34 26 26—116 Dallas 23 25 35 34—117 A: 20,555 (19,200). NHL Playoffs- Game 6 Oilers 5, Canucks 1 Vancouver 1 0 0 — 1 Edmonton 1 2 2 — 5 First Period: 1, Edmonton, Holloway 3 (Bouchard, Draisaitl), 8:18. 2, Vancouver, Hoglander 1 (Hronek, Pettersson), 10:03. Second Period: 3, Edmonton, Hyman 10 (Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid), 7:14. 4, Edmonton, Bouchard 5 (NugentHopkins, McDavid), 11:20. Third Period: 5, Edmonton, NugentHopkins 3 (Bouchard, McDavid), 3:25. 6, Edmonton, Kane 4 (Draisaitl), 13:04. Shots on Goal: Vancouver 4-5-6—15. Edmonton 4-14-9—27. Power-play opportunities: Vancouver 0 of 4; Edmonton 0 of 3. Goalies: Vancouver, Silovs 5-4-0 (27 shots-22 saves). Edmonton, Skinner 6- 3-0 (15-14). A: 18,347 (18,641). T: 2:37. Rangers 3, Angels 2, 13 inn. Los Angeles AB R H BI BB SO Avg Schanuel 1b 5 0 0 0 1 0 .226 Rengifo 3b 6 0 0 0 0 2 .307 Ward lf 6 1 2 1 0 2 .275 Calhoun dh 5 0 0 0 0 0 .333 O'Hoppe c 4 0 0 0 1 2 .259 Moniak cf 5 0 1 0 0 2 .186 Adell rf 3 1 1 1 2 1 .250 Guillorme 2b 5 0 0 0 0 0 .261 Neto ss 5 0 1 0 0 3 .253 Totals 44 2 5 2 4 12 Texas AB R H BI BB SO Avg Semien 2b 4 1 0 0 2 1 .270 Seager ss 4 0 2 0 2 0 .244 Lowe 1b 4 0 0 2 0 3 .274 A.García rf 5 1 1 1 0 2 .251 Heim dh-c 5 0 0 0 0 0 .267 Grossman lf 1 0 0 0 1 0 .100 Carter ph-lf 2 0 0 0 1 1 .211 Smith 3b 5 0 1 0 0 1 .277 Knizner c 3 0 0 0 0 0 .122 Jankowski ph-cf 2 1 1 0 0 0 .254 Taveras cf 3 0 0 0 1 0 .243 Robertson p-p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Rodríguez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Duran ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 .286 Totals 39 3 6 3 7 8 Los Angeles 000 100 100 000 0 — 2 5 0 Texas 000 001 010 000 1 — 3 6 1 One out when winning run scored. E: Ureña (1). LOB: Los Angeles 11, Texas 12. 2B: Neto (10), Ward (9). HR: Ward (10), off Ureña; Adell (8), off Leclerc; A.García (11), off Sandoval. RBIs: Ward (28), Adell (21), A.García (35), Lowe 2 (14). SB: Moniak (2), Adell (8). SF: Lowe. RISP: Los Angeles 0 for 18; Texas 2 for 12. Los Angeles IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Sandoval 6.0 3 1 1 3 5 99 4.59 Cimber, H, 6 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 19 3.79 L.García, BS, 1-2 1.0 1 1 1 1 0 17 5.40 Strickland 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 14 2.37 Estévez 2.0 1 0 0 1 2 24 4.91 Fulmer, L, 0-2 1.1 1 1 0 2 0 25 2.21 Texas IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Ureña 6.0 4 1 1 1 3 101 3.29 Leclerc 1.0 1 1 1 1 1 25 6.75 Hernández 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 15 2.89 Yates 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 16 0.98 Robertson 2.0 0 0 0 0 3 25 2.28 Rodríguez, W, 1-0 2.0 0 0 0 1 1 24 6.32 T: 3:44. A: 36,457 (40,000). Tigers 8, Diamondbacks 3 Detroit AB R H BI BB SO Avg Greene lf 6 1 2 0 0 1 .248 Canha dh 4 1 1 0 1 1 .247 Pérez cf-rf 4 1 2 4 0 0 .300 Carpenter rf 3 0 0 0 0 2 .270 Vierling ph-cf 1 0 0 0 1 0 .262 Urshela 3b 5 1 3 1 0 0 .290 Keith 2b 4 0 0 0 1 2 .190 Torkelson 1b 5 1 1 0 0 3 .226 Báez ss 5 2 4 1 0 1 .207 Kelly c 4 1 2 2 0 1 .232 Totals 41 8 15 8 3 11 Arizona AB R H BI BB SO Avg Carroll cf 4 1 1 0 0 0 .189 Marte 2b 4 1 1 1 0 2 .287 Pederson dh 3 0 1 1 0 1 .297 Grichuk ph-dh 1 1 1 0 0 0 .288 Walker 1b 3 0 0 0 1 2 .255 Smith rf 3 0 1 0 0 1 .257 Gurriel ph-lf 1 0 1 1 0 0 .230 Suárez 3b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .211 Moreno c 3 0 1 0 1 2 .239 McCarthy lf-rf 3 0 0 0 1 0 .274 Newman ss 4 0 1 0 0 1 .253 Totals 33 3 8 3 3 11 Detroit 000 000 620 — 8 15 0 Arizona 000 002 010 — 3 8 0 LOB: Detroit 11, Arizona 6. 2B: Urshela 2 (4), Báez 2 (8), Greene (8), Kelly (2). 3B: Pérez 2 (4), Carroll (1), Marte (2). RBIs: Báez (19), Kelly 2 (9), Pérez 4 (13), Urshela (7), Marte (25), Pederson (10), Gurriel (26). SF: Pérez. RISP: Detroit 6 for 18; Arizona 2 for 11. LIDP: McCarthy. DP: Detroit 2 (Báez; Keith, Báez, Torkelson). Detroit IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Flaherty, W, 1-3 6.0 5 2 2 2 9 98 3.79 Lange 1.0 1 0 0 1 0 15 2.70 Chafin 0.2 2 1 0 0 1 11 3.68 Brieske 1.1 0 0 0 0 1 17 0.00 Arizona IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Gallen, L, 5-3 6.2 7 3 3 0 10 98 3.02 Mantiply 0.0 2 3 3 1 0 5 4.67 Martinez 0.1 1 0 0 1 0 16 0.69 Ginkel 1.0 4 2 2 0 0 26 4.91 Jarvis 1.0 1 0 0 1 1 25 4.56 T: 2:51. A: 35,826 (48,359). Dodgers 4, Reds 0 Cincinnati AB R H BI BB SO Avg Benson cf 4 0 1 0 0 2 .193 De La Cruz ss 4 0 0 0 0 2 .264 Ford dh 4 0 0 0 0 2 .175 Steer 1b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .224 Stephenson c 3 0 0 0 0 1 .266 Fraley rf 3 0 1 0 0 1 .286 Candelario 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .226 India 2b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .224 Hurtubise lf 3 0 1 0 0 0 .143 Totals 30 0 3 0 0 11 Los Angeles AB R H BI BB SO Avg Ohtani dh 4 0 0 0 0 0 .350 Freeman 1b 3 2 2 1 1 0 .295 Smith c 4 0 0 0 0 2 .307 T.Hernández rf 3 1 1 1 1 1 .245 Pages cf 4 0 1 1 0 1 .266 Lux 2b 4 0 1 1 0 1 .200 K.Hernández 3b 2 0 0 0 1 1 .220 Vargas lf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Taylor lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .083 Rojas ss 3 1 1 0 0 1 .258 Totals 30 4 6 4 3 8 Cincinnati 000 000 000 — 0 3 0 Los Angeles 000 210 01x — 4 6 0 LOB: Cincinnati 3, Los Angeles 5. 2B: Rojas (6), Freeman (13). 3B: Fraley (1). RBIs: Pages (14), Lux (12), Freeman (25), T.Hernández (37). RISP: Cincinnati 0 for 2; Los Angeles 3 for 10. Cincinnati IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Ashcraft, L, 3-3 5.0 3 3 3 3 5 106 4.25 Spiers 3.0 3 1 1 0 3 34 5.14 Los Angeles IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Buehler, W, 1-1 6.0 3 0 0 0 7 78 4.05 Grove, H, 5 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 11 5.18 Hudson, H, 8 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 15 2.84 Feyereisen 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 13 6.00 T: 2:07. A: 49,239 (56,000). UFL USFL CONFERENCE W L T Pct PF PA Birmingham 8 0 0 1.000 236 143 Michigan 6 2 0 .750 183 147 Memphis 1 7 0 .125 148 242 Houston 1 7 0 .125 124 188 XFL CONFERENCE W L T Pct PF PA St. Louis 5 2 0 .714 199 133 San Antonio 5 2 0 .714 142 116 DC 3 4 0 .429 121 172 Arlington 1 6 0 .143 164 176 Saturday Michigan 24, Memphis 18 Birmingham 35, Houston 28 Sunday, May 19 DC at St. Louis, 12pm Arlington at San Antonio, 4pm WNBA East W L Pct. GB Liberty 3 0 1.000 — Connecticut 2 0 1.000 ½ Atlanta 1 1 .500 1½ Chicago 1 1 .500 1½ Washington 0 2 .000 2½ Indiana 0 3 .000 3 West W L Pct. GB Las Vegas 2 0 1.000 — Minnesota 2 0 1.000 — Phoenix 1 1 .500 1 Dallas 1 1 .500 1 Los Angeles 0 2 .000 2 Seattle 0 2 .000 2 Saturday Liberty 91, Indiana 80 Chicago 83, Dallas 74 Phoenix 88, Atlanta 85 Las Vegas 89, Los Angeles 82 Sunday Seattle at Washington, 3pm Monday Seattle at Liberty, 7pm Connecticut at Indiana, 7pm Tuesday Dallas at Atlanta, 7:30pm Phoenix at Las Vegas, 10pm Washington at Los Angeles, 10pm

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com 64 Pitching Form (Game time) 2024 '24 vs OPP CAREER LAST 3 STARTS W-L ERA *REC W-L ERA vs OPP W-L IP ERA White Sox Flexen (R) 2-3 4.46 2-5 0-0 6.75 0-0 1-0 15.2 3.45 Yankees Rodón (L) (1:35pm) 4-2 3.31 6-3 0-0 0.00 0-0 2-1 16.1 4.96 Mets Manaea (L) 2-1 3.05 5-3 0-0 0.00 0-1 1-0 17.0 2.65 Marlins Sánchez (R) (1:40pm) 0-1 5.96 2-2 0-0 0.00 0-0 0-0 12.2 4.97 Red Sox Pivetta (R) 1-2 3.48 2-2 0-0 0.00 2-1 1-1 14.2 4.30 Cardinals Liberatore (L) (1:05pm) 1-1 4.56 1-1 0-0 0.00 0-0 0-1 11.1 7.94 Brewers Rea (R) 3-1 3.45 6-2 1-0 0.00 1-0 1-1 16.2 3.78 Astros Arrighetti (R) (2:10pm) 1-4 7.52 2-4 0-0 0.00 0-0 1-1 15.2 5.17 Tigers Manning (R) 0-1 4.37 2-2 0-0 0.00 0-0 0-1 17.0 5.82 D'Backs Montgomery (L) (4:10pm) 2-2 4.76 3-2 0-0 3.00 1-1 1-1 15.1 6.46 Mariners Kirby (R) 4-3 3.58 4-5 0-1 1.17 1-2 1-1 18.0 2.50 Orioles Kremer (R) (1:35pm) 3-3 3.72 4-4 0-0 3.86 0-0 2-1 18.2 2.41 Rays Civale (R) 2-3 5.83 4-5 1-0 1.50 2-2 0-1 14.1 7.53 Blue Jays Manoah (R) (1:37pm) 0-1 4.91 0-2 0-0 0.00 4-4 0-2 15.0 6.00 Twins Paddack (R) 4-2 4.89 6-2 0-0 0.00 0-0 2-1 16.1 3.31 Guardians Bibee (R) (1:40pm) 2-1 4.34 8-1 1-0 1.69 1-0 0-1 14.1 6.28 Athletics Sears (L) 3-2 3.96 4-5 0-0 0.00 0-0 2-0 17.0 2.65 Royals Singer (R) (2:10pm) 3-2 2.84 6-3 0-1 11.25 0-3 1-1 16.1 3.31 Angels Soriano (R) 1-4 3.72 2-5 0-0 0.00 0-0 1-0 16.0 2.25 Rangers Lorenzen (R) (2:35pm) 2-2 3.75 2-4 1-1 4.91 1-1 0-1 19.0 3.32 Nationals Williams (R) 4-0 1.94 7-1 0-0 0.00 2-4 2-0 15.0 0.60 Phillies Nola (R) (1:35pm) 5-2 3.10 7-2 1-0 0.00 8-8 1-1 18.2 2.89 Pirates Keller (R) 4-3 3.93 5-4 2-0 4.61 4-4 2-1 20.0 1.80 Cubs Taillon (R) (2:20pm) 3-1 1.61 4-1 1-0 4.50 1-1 1-1 17.1 1.56 Rockies Hudson (R) 1-6 6.13 2-6 0-1 9.82 3-1 1-2 15.0 5.40 Giants Hicks (R) (4:05pm) 3-1 2.44 4-5 1-0 5.40 2-1 1-1 14.0 4.50 Reds Greene (R) 2-2 3.27 2-7 0-0 0.00 0-2 1-0 17.2 2.55 Dodgers Yamamoto (R) (4:10pm) 4-1 3.21 5-4 0-0 0.00 0-0 2-0 19.2 2.75 Padres Vásquez (R) 0-2 6.32 0-4 0-1 5.40 0-1 0-1 10.2 8.44 Braves López (R) (7:10pm) 2-1 1.34 5-2 0-0 0.00 0-0 0-1 15.1 2.35 * REC: Won-lost record of pitcher's team in games he has started. ACTION ACTION Sports Shorts BOXING: Usyk beats Fury to win title Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision on Sunday to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years. at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Usyk (22-0) added Fury’s WBC title to his own WBA, IBF and IBO belts with a spectacular late rally highlighted by a ninth-round knockdown in a back-andforth bout between two previously unbeaten heavyweight champs. Two judges favored Usyk, 115-112 and 114-113, while the third gave it to Fury, 114-113. It was the 6-foot-9 Fury’s (34-1-1) first loss. The 37-year-old Usyk is the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis held the honor for five months in 1999 and 2000. NHL: Oilers force Game 7 Evan Bouchard and Ryan NugentHopkins each had a goal and two assists, Connor McDavid added three assists and the Oilers beat the Canucks 5-1 on Saturday night in Edmonton, Alberta to avoid elimination and force a deciding Game 7 in their second-round playoff series. Game 7 is Monday night in Vancouver, with the winner advancing to face Dallas in the Western Conference final. MLB: Cubs win it in the 9th Christopher Morel singled in Cody Bellinger with one out in the ninth to give the Cubs a 1-0 win over the Pirates in Chicago. l In Philadelphia, Bryce Harper hit a game-winning sacrifice fly in the 10th inning after Kody Clemens tied it with a home run with two outs in the ninth, lifting the Phillies to a 4-3 victory over the Nationals. l In Toronto, Jonny DeLuca hit a goahead home run in the eighth inning, and the Rays overcame a four-run deficit to beat the Blue Jays, 5-4, for their fourth straight win and 11th in 15 games. l In Kansas City, Mo., Seth Lugo struck out 10 and earned his American Leagueleading seventh victory as the Royals beat the Athletics, 5-3. l In Baltimore, Cal Raleigh and Dylan Moore hit RBI doubles in the eighth inning, capping a comeback that gave the Mariners a 4-3 victory over the Orioles. l Major League Baseball is expected to investigate former Angels player David Fletcher for gambling on sports with a bookmaker who also took bets from Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. GOLF: Korda takes third round lead Nelly Korda fired a 7-under 65 to take a two-stroke lead entering the final round of the Mizuho Americas Open in Jersey City. The solid round puts Korda in position to win for the sixth time in her past seven tournaments. ETC.: Aces sponsors investigated The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is providing a $100,000 annual sponsorship to each Aces player for this season and 2025. The WNBA is investigating whether the sponsorships are allowed. l Simone Biles began her bid for a third Olympic team looking as dominant as ever at the U.S. Classic in Hartford, Conn., as the 27-year-old posted an allaround score of 59.500, nearly two points clear of runner-up Shilese Jones. TOP PLAY Don’t pay ‘must-win tax’ By Michael Leboff actionnetwork.com The winner of the 2023-24 Premier League will be decided on the final day of the season. All 10 matches this weekend will kick off at 11 a.m. Sunday, but the focus will be on two: Arsenal vs. Everton and Manchester City vs. West Ham United. The odds suggest Arsenal and Man City should take care of business (Arsenal is -650 to win and City is -1050), but those numbers seem to be egregiously inflated because of the situation. It’s a classic “must-win tax.” I would suggest there is value fading both teams. In Arsenal’s case, I think if this match was played in February and not on the last weekend of the season, there is no way Everton would be 16/1 to win. The Toffees boast a top-five defense in terms of expected goals and big scoring chances allowed. They’re tough to beat, and with all the pressure on Arsenal, I wouldn’t be shocked if this match is up for grabs late into the contest. West Ham also can give City issues, but the Hammers are hopeless defensively. So instead of backing the Hammers to win, I’ll take a punt on them to score first. THE PLAYS: Everton (16/1) and West Ham first goal (+425). Michael Leboff handicaps soccer for Action Network. STITCHES Take Manaea, Mets in Miami A portal turned peep show between New York and Dublin was shut down due to “inappropriate behavior.” You ain’t seen nothing yet. If the Knicks get knocked off in Game 7 on Sunday, keep the kiddies away from that portal between New York and Indiana. Took our talents to South Beach on Saturday. The Mets play in Miami again Sunday, and we are sticking with them. Sean Manaea has lost once after eight starts and has been fairly consistent. He’s allowed five runs over his past 21 ¹/₃ innings. Sixto Sanchez makes another spot start for the Fish. Sixto had appeared in 11 games, making four starts and has surrendered 15 runs on 28 hits over his past 22 ²/₃ innings. Play $50 on the Mets. -$ Truly amazin’. The Mets were up 9-5, but Edwin “Master of Disaster” Diaz blew the save. The Fish went on to beat the Mutts, 10-9. Truly amazin’. Down -786 apollocreeds. [email protected] The Line Powered by Updated lines at BetMGM.com MLB Sunday Favorite Money Line Underdog YANKEES $245-305 White Sox Mets $124-148 MARLINS CARDINALS -105-105 Red Sox ORIOLES $120-142 Mariners PHILLIES $195-238 Nationals Rays -102-118 BLUE JAYS GUARDIANS $105-125 Twins ROYALS $145-175 Athletics ASTROS $120-142 Brewers CUBS -102-118 Pirates RANGERS $136-162 Angels GIANTS $160-192 Rockies D’BACKS $130-155 Tigers DODGERS OFF Reds BRAVES OFF Padres NBA Sunday- 2nd Round Favorite PTS (O/U) Underdog KNICKS 2.5 (208.5) Pacers NUGGETS 4.5 (197.5) Timberwolves Home Teams IN CAPS NHL Monday-2nd Round Favorite Money Line Underdog Oilers $120-145 CANUCKS Wednesday- Conference Final RANGERS -110-110 Panthers UFL Week 8-Sunday Favorite PTS (O/U) Underdog ST. LOUIS 6 (43.5) D.c. SAN ANTONIO 2 (45.5) Arlington NFL Week 1- Thursday, Sept. 6 Favorite PTS (O/U) Underdog CHIEFS 3 (47.5) Ravens

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com65 ACTION ACTION BET SMART By Nick Sterling actionnetwork.com It’s All-Star Sunday for the NASCAR Cup Series, as the best drivers aim to win the marquee event at North Wilkesboro Speedway. It’s the second straight year North Wilkesboro, N.C., has hosted the AllStar Race. Last season, Kyle Larson dominated to score his third career victory in this event. FanDuel lists Denny Hamlin (+550), William Byron (+600) and Christopher Bell (+750) as the favorites. There are no points on the line, so everyone should be aggressive in Sunday’s winner-take-all race. Here’s who I’m backing: William Byron to win (+625, BetMGM) Byron doesn’t have a great track record in the All-Star Race, as he’s never finished better than seventh in five starts. I expect that to change in a big way. Byron has been one of the drivers to beat in 2024. He opened the season with a Daytona 500 victory, leading the Cup Series with three wins. It’s important to note his most recent victory came at Martinsville. That’s the closest comparison to North Wilkesboro, as it’s a short-flat track. Byron also took part in a tire test at North Wilkesboro in March. That test should give him an advantage over the field. His speed on shortflat tracks in 2024 makes him a top contender. Chase Elliott to win (10/1, BetMGM) There hasn’t been a more consistent driver in 2024 than Elliott, who has a series-best 9.8 average finish and enters the All-Star Race with five top-five finishes in seven races. Elliott is another driver who has been fast on short-flat tracks this season. He had a pair of solid performances before finishing third at Martinsville. Despite not winning, he had the fastest total speed ranking. He scored a fifth-place finish in last year’s All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro. That came not long after he returned from a leg injury. Elliott is in a much better place compared to last season. He should challenge Byron and other top contenders for his second career All-Star Race victory. Joey Logano top-3 finish (+260, betMGM) It’s been a rough season for Logano, as the two-time champion is below the playoff cutline. Perhaps an exhibition race will bring out his best as he looks to build confidence. If there’s any solace for the 2024 season, it’s that Logano has run well in the past two races on short-flat tracks. He scored a runner-up finish at Richmond and finished sixth at Martinsville. Logano had a strong run in last year’s All-Star Race, but a pit road penalty cost him what likely would’ve been a topfive finish. Like Byron, Logano took part in March’s tire test at North Wilkesboro. That’ll be a big boost for a potential topthree finish. Tyler Reddick over Christopher Bell (+115, DraftKings) We’re looking at a pair of Toyota drivers for my favorite matchup of the week. Bell is a big favorite, but I like Reddick for the All-Star Race. Bell had a great start to 2024, but he has been irrelevant over the past six weeks. He led six laps and produced one finish better than 13th in that stretch. Reddick was the car to beat last week at Darlington before suffering a flat tire. It should have been his fourth top-five in the past six races. Reddick was much faster in last year’s All-Star Race and this year’s Martinville race. Take the value with the better driver. Nick Sterling analyzes NASCAR for Action Network. chase the action: Chase Elliott’s odds to win the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, N.C., on Sunday, 10/1 at BetMGM, make him a good gamble. Gett Images Odds & Ends NBA PLAYOFFS Sunday Pacers at Knicks, Game 7 FULL-GAME MONEYLINE ODDS Knicks -130 Pacers +110 1ST-HALF SPREAD ODDS Knicks -0.5 -115 Pacers +0.5 -105 1ST-HALF TOTAL ODDS Over 107.5 -105 Under 107.5 -115 1ST-HALF MONEYLINE ODDS Knicks -125 Pacers +105 FIRST FIELD GOAL ODDS Jalen Brunson +450 Pascal Siakam +525 Myles Turner +550 Tyrese Haliburton +700 Josh Hart +850 Andrew Nembhard +850 Miles McBride +900 Donte DiVincenzo +900 Aaron Nesmith +1050 Isaiah Hartenstein 12/1 First field goals in series — Game 1 Brunson (+425); Game 2 Nembhard (+625); Game 3 Hart (+850); Game 4 Hartenstein (+1150); Game 5 Nesmith (11/1); Game 6 Haliburton (+650) POINTS O/U Jalen Brunson 35.5 Pascal Siakam 21.5 Tyrese Haliburton 18.5 Donte DiVincenzo 17.5 Myles Turner 15.5 Miles McBride 14.5 Josh Hart 12.5 T.J. McConnell 10.5 Alec Burks 10.5 JALEN BRUNSON PROPS ODDS To score 30+ points -400 To score 35+ points -125 To score 40+ points +210 To score 45+ points +500 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS Rangers vs. Panthers series odds TO WIN SERIES ODDS Rangers +120 Panthers -145 SERIES LENGTH ODDS 4 games +550 5 games +270 6 games +195 7 games +200 EXACT SERIES RESULT ODDS Rangers in 4 16/1 Rangers in 5 +650 Rangers in 6 +600 Rangers in 7 +450 Panthers in 4 10/1 Panthers in 5 +550 Panthers in 6 +380 Panthers in 7 +500 Wed., May 29 Saturday Today D.C. United 7:30 Apple TV+ New England Revolution 7:30 Apple TV+ Chicago Red Stars 5:00 MSGSN Home Team Lineups HOME AWAY TODAY May 19 MON May 20 TUE May 21 WED May 22 THU May 23 FRI May 24 SAT May 25 White Sox 1:35 YES WFAN 660 AM/ 101.9 FM Sea. 7:05 YES WFAN Sea. 7:05 YES WFAN Sea. 7:05 Prime Video WFAN Sea. 12:35 YES WFAN S.D. 9:40 YES WFAN S.D. 9:40 YES WFAN Miami 1:40 PIX11 WCBS 880 AM Clev. 6:10 SNY WCBS Clev. 6:10 SNY WCBS Clev. 1:10 SNY WCBS NO GAME S.F. 7:10 SNY WCBS S.F. 1:40 PIX11 WCBS Indiana 3:30 ABC ESPN 98.7 FM NO GAME TBD NO GAME TBD NO GAME TBD NO GAME NO GAME NO GAME Fla. 8:00 ESPN ESPN NO GAME Fla. 8:00 ESPN ESPN TBD NO GAME Sea. 7:00 MY9 NO GAME NO GAME Chi. 7:00 MY9 Prime Video NO GAME Minn. 1:00 CBS Today's Sports on the Air NBA 3:30p.m. Pacers at Knicks, Game 7 ABC, ESPN (98.7 FM) Playoffs 8 p.m. Timberwolves at Nuggets, Game 7 TNT MLB 1:30 p.m. Mariners at Orioles MLBN 1:35 p.m. White Sox at Yankees YES, WFAN (660 AM/101.9 FM) 1:40 p.m. Mets at Marlins PIX11, WCBS (880 AM) 4:30 p.m. Tigers at Diamondbacks (in progress) MLBN 7 p.m. Padres at Braves ESPN Soccer 11 a.m. Premier League: West Ham United at Manchester City NBC 11 a.m. Premier League: Everton at Arsenal USA 11 a.m. Premier League: Manchester United at Brighton & Hove Albion CNBC 11 a.m. Premier League: AFC Bournemouth at Chelsea Golf 5 p.m. NWSL: Chicago Red Stars at Gotham FC MSGSN Golf 6 a.m. Ladies European Tour: The Amundi German Masters, Final Round Golf 10 a.m. The PGA Championship, Final Round ESPN 1 p.m. The PGA Championship, Final Round CBS 3 p.m. LPGA Tour: The Mizuho Americas Open, Final Round Golf Football Noon UFL: D.C. at St. Louis ABC 4 p.m. UFL: Arlington at San Antonio Fox Tennis 6 a.m. ATP: Italian Open Doubles Final; ATP: Geneva, ATP Lyon, WTA Strasbourg, WTA Rabat: Early Rounds Tennis 11 a.m. Italian Open: ATP Singles Final Tennis Auto Racing 8:55 a.m. F1: Italian Grand Prix ESPN2 10 a.m. FIM Motocross: The MX2 CBSSN 11 a.m. FIM Motocross: The MXGP CBSSN 3 p.m. NTT IndyCar Series: Indianapolis 500, Qualifying-Day 2 NBC 5:30 p.m. NASCAR Cup Series: The NASCAR All-Star Open FS1 8 p.m. NASCAR Cup Series: The NASCAR All-Star Race FS1 Hockey 10 a.m. IIHF World Championship Group Stage: United States vs. Kazakhstan NHLN 2 p.m. IIHF World Championship Group Stage: Switzerland vs. Canada NHLN College Noon Quarterfinal: Denver vs. Syracuse ESPNU Lacrosse 2:30 p.m. Quarterfinal: Virginia vs. Johns Hopkins ESPNU Horse Noon FanDuel Racing MSGSN Racing 12:30 p.m. America's Day at the Races FS2 Track and Field 2 p.m. IAAF World Athletics Diamond League: The Meeting International Mohammed VI d’Athlétisme de Rabat CNBC

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com 66 ACTION ACTION l1 1 mile; $102,000; alw; 3up Chad Brown runs 1-2 in the opener. Who's on top? ARTORIUS ran home a close 3rd this level/distance off the layoff. Winner 2nd off the shelf with Irad up. AGGREGATION Runnerup 3 straight here this winter/spring. Made 3 other starts at Aqueduct, all wins. PERFORM makes his 4YO debut for McGaughey. Went 2 for 5 last year including a W in 125k at Laurel. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds 1 Artorius(L),122 I Ortiz, Jr 3-3-4 C Brown 6-5 2 Alternate Reality(L),122 R Maragh 5-3-6 Chatterpaul 10-1 3 Aggregation(L),122 M Franco 2-2-2 C Brown 9-5 4 Perform(L),122 D Davis 5-6-1 McGaughey III 8-1 5 Power Seeker(L),122 J Lezcano 5-2-6 Rice 3-1 l2 1 mile; $38,000; mdn clm($30,000); 3up We watched JANSSEN finish 2nd and WATCH HILL about 4 lengths back in 4th when they raced here in April. Janssen has been 2nd best last 3. Watch Hill placed 2nd previous start and runs the rematch with 1st time lasix. WAFLR is 0 for 12 after a flat 5th. Runnerup 3 straight in the winter. ARCO AUGUSTA was 3rd between Janssen and Watch Hill at 17-1. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds 1 Arco Augusta(L),118 L Luzzi 2-3-3 Begg 4-1 2 Solo Rye'd(L),118 J Gomez 4-11-5 Donk 15-1 3 Janssen(L),118 L Rivera, Jr 2-2-2 Lakeman 5-2 4 Compute It(L),118 D Davis 7-4-3 Ryerson 8-1 5 Savage Spirit(L),118 T McCarthy 3-2-3 De Paz 6-1 6 Waflr(L),125 E Ruiz 5-3-2 Donk 9-2 7 Watch Hill(M),125 R Vazquez 4-2-5 Maker 3-1 8 Triple Word Score(L),111 F Martinez 5-6-4 Bernardini 30-1 l3 1 mile(T); $100,000; alw; 3up(f) Bad start, good finish for STARTUP MENTALITY. Broke last of 7, picked off horses and missed by a nose. Moves forward, same distance. Irad picks up the Tampa invader for Chad Brown. BON ADIEU Sloppy wireto-wire winner in January. Again if we're off turf. LADY BETH makes seasonal debut for Brown. 1 for 1 on dirt. 0 for 3 on turf, all with stakes company. NO SHOW SAMMY JO races off the layoff as well. Stretched to a mile and won at 2nd asking last June. We will wait. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds 1 Startup Mentality(L),124 I Ortiz, Jr 2-7-3 C Brown 6-5 2 Masterof the Tunes(L),124 D Davis 6-1-3 Lee 8-1 3 Vino Rouge(M),118 J Velazquez 6-2-1 A Dutrow 6-1 4 Sweet Dutchess(L),124 J Rosario 9-4-2 Walden 12-1 5 No Show Sammy Jo(L),124 F Prat 1-4-x Motion 4-1 6 Lady Beth(L),124 M Franco 5-5-3 C Brown 5-2 7 Run Devil(L),124 D Davis 1-5-2 Potts 4-1 8 Bon Adieu(L),119 F Martinez 7-2-1 Rodriguez 8-5 9 Belle of the Ball(L),124 J Lezcano 1-2-2 Rice 7-2 l4 1 1/8 miles; $100,000; alw; 3up Another furlong for MISTICAL CURLIN. Late run to get 3rd moving a mile last out. Gate-to-wire winner this distance at Saratoga last summer under Alvarado. REDDINGTON raced wide, finished 10th well back of top pick. The loss snapped a 3 race winning streak. PADDINGTON races off the layoff for Rice. 2 for 6 last year. 2 for 3 at this distance. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds 1 Seeking Unity(L),124 R Maragh 1-2-4 Rodriguez 4-1 2 Grandpa's Kid(L),124 T McCarthy 6-1-3 Persaud 6-1 3 Reddington(L),124 J Gomez 10-1-1 Barker 4-1 4 Mistical Curlin(L),124 J Alvarado 3-7-2 Rodriguez 6-5 5 Paddington(L),124 J Lezcano 9-6-3 Rice 5-1 6 Bless America(M),126 F Prat 11-1-3 Garber 8-1 l5 6 fur(T); $45,000; mdn clm($40,000); 3up(f) Dancing with STARLIGHT DANCER. Debuted midpack in her one-ndone last October. Moves lower for Nevin off the layoff. 1st time lasix; Irad a good sign. STRONG PLAY West Coast sired filly debuts for Rice/Lezcano if we're off turf. JUSTHEART reported home 6th of 9 in a vanilla opener last month. Moves to the grass for Bruce Brown. Wildcard value. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds 1 Learning to Fly,118 J Castellano 7-11-x Brion 6-1 2 My Kinda Mischief(L),118 R Maragh 10-9-10 C Martin 12-1 3 Our Reward(L),124 J Gomez 6-2-5 B Brown 10-1 4 Justheart(L),118 R Vazquez 6-x-x B Brown 12-1 5 My Cara Mia Mine(L),124 E Cancel 6-7-8 Friedman 8-1 6 Superstarsusan(M),118 L Luzzi 6-4-9 Duggan 4-1 7 Realta(M),118 E Ruiz 8-x-x Levine 15-1 8 Outta the Cloud(M),124 T McCarthy 5-4-3 Quick 10-1 9 Luminate(M),118 L Rivera, Jr x-x-x Terranova 8-1 10 Starlight Dancer(M),118 I Ortiz, Jr 5-x-x Nevin 5-2 11 Bossy Jeans(M),118 T McCarthy 3-5-8 Maker 3-1 12 Holder Close(M),118 L Luzzi 5-4-11 Ferraro 10-1 13 Play Free Bird(M),118 J Alvarado 6-6-4 Contessa 15-1 14 Adult Entertainer(L),118 O Hrndz Mreno 7-10-x Ferraro 30-1 15 Fit as a Fiddle(L),118 M Franco 8-x-x Morley 8-1 16 Strong Play(M),118 J Lezcano x-x-x Rice 5-2 l6 6 fur; $65,000; alw; 3up Took KANT BEAT THE ROCK and we both got beat by a length. Moves back to the dirt for Jacobson. Missed by 3 lengths after missing the break, last dirt start. AWESOME CITY brings a modest 2 race win streak from Tampa. Moves higher for Potts who gets Davis to ride. GIANTS FIRE was 2nd behind GOOD REUNION. Giants Fire raced wide as the 6-5 fave. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds 1 a-Awesome City(L),125 D Davis 1-1-3 Potts 3-1 2 Giant's Fire(L),123 L Luzzi 2-4-8 Terranova 6-1 3 Lookin' Super(L),123 L Rivera, Jr 6-1-4 Nevin 8-1 1A a-High Heat(L),125 I Ortiz, Jr 5-2-4 Noda 3-1 4 Rider's Special(L),123 M Franco 4-4-6 Atras 7-2 5 Good Reunion(L),125 J Gomez 1-1-4 Nevin 6-1 6 Play(L),125 J Lezcano 1-5-5 Rice 7-2 7 Kant Beat the Rock(L),125 R Vazquez 3-4-6 Jacobson 9-2 l7 6 fur; $70,000; clm($40,000); 4up VICTORIOUS WAVE ran 4th behind CHUCK WILLIS who was 3rd when they met in February. They both won next out. Victorious Wave the better value. SECRET RULES is 1 for 14 at the distance. Finished 4th last 4 starts. Gets a piece racing off the Rice claim. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds 2 Joking Way(L),118 L Rivera, Jr 2-5-3 Romero 12-1 3 Notable Bob(CHI)(M),118 E Ruiz 6-x-x Arenas 30-1 4 I Got No Munny(L),118 R Vazquez 2-3-5 Maker 10-1 5 Secret Rules(L),118 J Lezcano 4-4-4 Rice 6-1 6 Lost in Rome(L),120 I Ortiz, Jr 3-1-6 Atras 4-1 1 a-Emerald Forest(L),118 D Davis 6-4-2 Potts 3-1 7 Valenzan Day(L),118 J Gomez 5-1-2 Nevin 15-1 8 Nolo Contesto(L),118 J Rosario 4-3-8 Abreu 8-1 9 Cowan(L),118 T McCarthy 6-2-6 Jacobson 10-1 1A a-Chuck Willis(IRE)(L),120 L Luzzi 1-3-1 Potts 3-1 10 Victorious Wave(L),118 M Franco 1-4-8 Englehart 6-1 11 Sagamore Mischief(L),118 E Cancel 3-4-5 Barrera 12-1 l8 6 fur(T); $150,000; Paradise Creek; 3YO Sprinting on the turf in the Paradise Creek. DEVIL IN DISGUISE was a last to 1st winner debuting on the dirt at Gulfstream. How will he do on the grass, same distance. We're in. Irad rides for Friedman. SKETCH Irishbred made US debut at Churchill and rallied to be 5th after breaking last of 12. May move forward, 2nd start in the states. APOLLO TEN is the only twotime turf winner in the group. FELTRINELLI enters off a front running maiden breaker (3rd start). Franco may have him on the lead at a price. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds 1 Works for Me,118 D Davis 6-4-1 Lee 8-1 2 Feltrinelli,118 M Franco 1-3-3 Friedman 8-1 3 Mattingly,120 T McCarthy 5-4-2 Orseno 8-1 4 Sketch(IRE),118 F Prat 5-x-x Murphy 5-2 5 Apollo Ten,118 J Rosario 1-4-1 Clement 3-1 6 Devil in Disguise,118 I Ortiz, Jr 1-x-x Friedman 4-1 7 Laser Sharp,118 L Rivera, Jr 1-2-2 Terranova 20-1 8 Summer in Adriane,118 J Velazquez 4-10-3 Morley 12-1 9 Smokey Smokey,118 R Vazquez 2-6-1 Maker 12-1 l9 1 1/16 miles(T); $90,000; mdn; 3up COAST ALONG was coasting on a commanding lead but gave way late. Hangs on 2nd off the layoff for McGaughey. JOHN THE BEER MAN was a fast closing 2nd at Keeneland. Chad Brown gives him another 1/16 to get there. Franco on...blinkers on. Brown also saddles 1st time starter VESTING. Prat rides the Irish bred gelding for Klaravich. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds 2 Vintage Vino,118 E Cancel x-x-x Rice 20-1 3 John the Beer Man(L),118 M Franco 2-5-x C Brown 5-2 1 a-Vesting(IRE)(M),118 F Prat x-x-x C Brown 9-2 4 Cuando(L),118 J Castellano 2-4-2 Levine 12-1 5 Coast Along(L),125 J Lezcano 2-5-2 McGaughey III 6-1 6 Then(M),118 J Alvarado x-x-x Mott 10-1 7 Garden Leave(L),118 D Davis 7-x-x McGaughey III 15-1 8 Storm Ready(L),125 I Ortiz, Jr 6-x-x Pletcher 5-1 9 Egypt(L),125 R Vazquez 4-6-2 De Paz 30-1 10 Parkway(L),125 J Velazquez 7-7-3 Mott 15-1 11 Fly Right(L),125 J Rosario 4-5-4 Abreu 12-1 12 John the Baptist(L),118 T McCarthy 2-x-x Hennig 20-1 13 Direct Channel(L),118 J Velazquez x-x-x R Dutrow 12-1 14 Glint(L),118 R Maragh 8-7-3 Ribaudo 10-1 15 Prairie Dunes(L),125 Rider TBA 4-3-5 Mott 3-1 1A a-Sequential(L),118 Rider TBA 5-x-x C Brown 9-2 Post Time: 1:05 p.m. [email protected] Lock of the Day Startup Mentality (3rd) Lock Record: 4 for 10 (40%) Belmont at the Big A Analysis by Vic Cangialosi Meet Record: 25/100 $155.70 PLAY OF THE DAY The Taco Lady (11-1) raced between horses and never looked comfortable. We were uncomfortable when she finished up the track. Loss of -$30. Two bets to close out the week. Play $10 win and place on Victorious Wave in Race 7 and Coast Along in Race 9. — Vic Cangialosi Golf PGA Championship At Valhalla GC; Louisville, Ky.; Purse: $17.5 million; Yardage: 7,609; Par: 71 Third Round Collin Morikawa ....... 66-65-67 198 -15 Xander Schauffele ... 62-68-68 198 -15 Sahith Theegala........ 65-67-67 199 -14 Bryson DeChambeau.. 68-65-67 200 -13 Viktor Hovland, ........ 68-66-66 200 -13 Shane Lowry ............. 69-69-62 200 -13 Robert Macintyre ..... 66-69-66 201 -12 Justin Rose ............... 70-67-64 201 -12 Dean Burmester........ 69-65-68 202 -11 Thomas Detry ........... 66-67-70 203 -10 Austin Eckroat ......... 67-67-69 203 -10 Harris English ........... 68-67-68 203 -10 Tony Finau ................ 65-69-69 203 -10 Lee Hodges ............... 71-65-67 203 -10 Justin Thoma ............ 69-67-67 203 -10 Keegan Bradley ........ 69-67-68 204 -9 Lucas Herbert ........... 69-67-68 204 -9 Taylor Moore ............ 67-68-69 204 -9 Russell Henley .......... 70-69-66 205 -8 Tom Kim .................... 66-71-68 205 -8 Hideki Matsuyama .. 70-65-70 205 -8 Rory McIlroy ............. 66-71-68 205 -8 Jordan Spieth............ 69-69-67 205 -8 Ryo Hisatsune........... 71-68-67 206 -7 Mark Hubbard .......... 65-68-73 206 -7 Aaron Rai................... 68-68-70 206 -7 Scottie Scheffler ...... 67-66-73 206 -7 Matt Wallace ............ 70-65-71 206 -7 Zac Blair ................... 73-66-68 207 -6 Jason Day .................. 71-67-69 207 -6 Doug Ghim................. 69-68-70 207 -6 Tom Hoge.................. 66-73-68 207 -6 Max Homa ................. 68-70-69 207 -6 Billy Horschel ........... 69-69-69 207 -6 Ben Kohles ................ 67-73-67 207 -6 Maverick McNealy ... 66-72-69 207 -6 Alex Noren................. 67-70-70 207 -6 Corey Conners .......... 70-71-67 208 -5 Brice Garnett ............ 72-67-69 208 -5 Brian Harman ........... 72-68-68 208 -5 Tyrrell Hatton ........... 71-69-68 208 -5 Martin Kaymer.......... 68-72-68 208 -5 Kurt Kitayama .......... 68-70-70 208 -5 Min Woo Lee ............. 72-66-70 208 -5 Cameron Smith ........ 68-70-70 208 -5 Will Zalatoris ............ 71-68-69 208 -5 Alexander Bjork........ 71-67-71 209 -4 Lucas Glover ............. 71-68-70 209 -4 Nicolai Hojgaard....... 70-71-68 209 -4 Brooks Koepka ......... 67-68-74 209 -4 Thorbjorn Olesen ..... 69-71-69 209 -4 Braden Shattuck ...... 71-70-68 209 -4 Adam Svensson ........ 70-69-70 209 -4 Byeong Hun An ......... 71-67-72 210 -3 Tommy Fleetwood ... 72-69-69 210 -3 Rickie Fowler ............ 72-69-69 210 -3 Joaquin Niemann...... 73-68-69 210 -3 Patrick Reed.............. 69-70-71 210 -3 Cameron Young ....... 69-71-70 210 -3 Patrick Cantlay ........ 70-68-73 211 -2 Luke Donald .............. 70-69-72 211 -2 Talor Gooch .............. 71-70-70 211 -2 Adam Hadwin ........... 68-72-71 211 -2 Stephan Jaeger......... 70-71-70 211 -2 Grayson Murray........ 72-68-71 211 -2 Jesper Svensson....... 68-71-72 211 -2 Erik Van Rooyen ....... 72-68-71 211 -2 Gary Woodland ........ 71-69-71 211 -2 Ryan Fox.................... 72-68-72 212 -1 Dustin Johnson ......... 73-68-71 212 -1 Seonghyeon Kim ...... 69-72-71 212 -1 Andrew Putnam ....... 68-72-72 212 -1 Rasmus Hojgaard ..... 68-72-73 213 E Jordan L. Smith ......... 70-71-72 213 E Sebastian Soderberg 73-67-74 214 +1 Brendon Todd .......... 70-70-74 214 +1 Jeremy Wells............. 69-71-75 215 +2 Alejandro Tosti ......... 68-69-79 216 +3 LPGA Tour- Mizuho Americas Open At Liberty National; Jersey City, N.J.; Purse: $3 million; Yardage: 6,675; Par: 72 Third Round Nelly Korda ............... 70-68-65 203 -13 Hannah Green........... 71-71-63 205 -11 Ayaka Furue.............. 70-69-67 206 -10 Gabriela Ruffels........ 68-70-68 206 -10 Pajaree Anannarukarn........... 74-65-68 207 -9 Jennifer Kupcho........ 69-71-67 207 -9 Sophia Popov............ 71-69-67 207 -9 Ariya Jutanugarn...... 70-68-70 208 -8 Moriya Jutanugarn... 69-70-69 208 -8 Sei Young Kim........... 72-70-66 208 -8 Somi Lee.................... 66-71-71 208 -8 Andrea Lee................ 68-71-69 208 -8 Xiyu Lin...................... 69-72-67 208 -8 Bianca Pagdanganan 68-74-66 208 -8 Ashleigh Buhai.......... 69-70-70 209 -7 MinJi Kang................. 75-65-69 209 -7 Bailey Tardy.............. 75-67-67 209 -7 Patty Tavatanakit..... 69-72-68 209 -7 Atthaya Thitikul........ 70-65-74 209 -7 In Gee Chun............... 71-71-68 210 -6 Lauren Coughlin ....... 73-68-69 210 -6 Nasa Hataoka ........... 74-69-67 210 -6 Yuna Nishimura ........ 70-69-71 210 -6 Jenny Shin ................. 69-73-68 210 -6 FIRST-1 mile; $28,000; wcl($14,000); 3up 4 Gun Mstro (Lzcno) 9.20 4.00 3.20 1 Union Lights (Davis) 3.40 2.40 3 Strong Light (Maragh) 3.30 • $1 Exacta (4-1) $12.70 • $0.1 Superfecta (4- 1-3-2) $20.07 • $0.5 Trifecta (4-1-3) $30.37 Exacta picked by Vic C SECOND-1 mile; $38,000; md cl($30,0); 3upf 5 Ten Ten (Gomez) 2.90 2.30 2.10 3 Dancing Liana (Davis) 3.90 3.10 2 Sendera (Carmouche) 2.90 • $1 Daily Double (4-5) $9.20 • $1 Exacta (5- 3) $8.30 • $1 Quinella (3-5) $6.20 • $0.1 Superfecta (5-3-2-1) $5.32 • $0.5 Trifecta (5- 3-2) $11.80 Double picked by Vic C THIRD-6½ fur; $37,000; clm($25,000); 3up 6 Quck Hmmr (Dvs) 6.80 3.00 2.20 4 Paschal Moon (Cancel) 3.30 2.40 1 Beary Funny (Carmouche) 2.10 Scr: Majestic Arc • $1 Consolation Pick 3 (4-5-2) $7.30 • $1 Pick 3 (4-5-6) $20.70 • $1 Daily Double (5-6) $4.75 • $1 Exacta (6-4) $7.60 • $0.1 Superfecta (6-4-1-3) $3.07 • $0.5 Trifecta (6- 4-1) $6.30 • $1 Consolation Double (5-2) $1.45 FOURTH-6½ fur; $75,000; mdn spl wt; 3up 6 Vettriano (Franco) 7.00 4.60 2.30 5 He Has It All (Davis) 10.20 3.70 4 Schlomo (Lezcano) 2.10 • $1 Consolation Pick 3 (5-2-6) $5.70 • $1 Pick 3 (5-6-6) $13.90 • $1 Daily Double (6-6) $9.70 • $1 Exacta (6-5) $24.20 • $1 Quinella (5-6) $19.30 • $0.1 Superfecta (6-5-4-7) $13.45 • $0.5 Trifecta (6-5-4) $20.37 FIFTH-6 fur; $85,000; alc opt cl($45,000); 3up 2 Twnty Sx Blck (Frnc) 7.90 4.00 3.10 4 Works for Me (McCrthy) 5.00 3.90 3 City Mischief (Davis) 3.20 Scr: Market Alert • $1 Pick 3 (6-6-2) $27.25 • $0.5 Pick 4 (5-6-6- 2) $25.25 • $0.5 Pick 5 (4-5-6-6-2) $151.75 • $1 Daily Double (6-2) $13.90 • $1 Exacta (2-4) $14.40 • $0.1 Superfecta (2-4-3-10) $14.75 • $0.5 Trifecta (2-4-3) $21.50 Winner picked by Vic C SIXTH-1 mile 1 fur; $65,000; alw; 3up 7 Surfc to Ar (Gomz) 23.20 10.60 6.50 1 Strmng Chrm (McCrthy) 9.90 6.10 5 Night Effect (Ramsay) 4.50 • $1 Pick 3 (6-2-7) $206.25 • $1 Daily Double (2-7) $56.25 • $1 Exacta (7-1) $99.00 • $0.1 Superfecta (7-1-5-3) $195.10 • $0.5 Trifecta (7-1-5) $234.50 SEVENTH-1 mile; $55,000; clm($25,000); 4up 5 Khafre (Davis) 6.60 3.30 2.70 4 Digital (Lezcano) 4.10 2.70 2 Six Percent (Franco) 2.80 Scr: Rocket and Roll • $1 Pick 3 (2-7-5) $167.25 • $1 Daily Double (7-5) $41.75 • $1 Exacta (5-4) $15.50 • $0.1 Superfecta (5-4-2-1) $20.72 • $0.5 Trifecta (5- 4-2) $23.37 EIGHTH-1 mile; $100,000; alc; 3up 2 Ruse (Ramsay) 12.00 5.40 3.80 7 Operaton Torch (Alvrdo) 5.60 3.70 3 Torigo (Carmouche) 4.20 Scr: Paddington, Grandpa's Kid, Seeking Unity, Reddington, Ramblin' Wreck • $1 Pick 3 (7-5-2) $259.50 • $0.5 Pick 4 (2-7- 5-2) $620.75 • $0.5 Pick 5 (6-2-7-5-2) $2278.50 • $1 Daily Double (5-2) $13.70 • $1 Exacta (2- 7) $27.25 • $0.1 Superfecta (2-7-3-1) $132.00 • $0.5 Trifecta (2-7-3) $75.12 NINTH-6½ fur; $175,000; Vagrancy; 4up(f) 5 Lev No Trc (Lzcno) 19.60 6.40 4.10 2 Big Pond (Alvarado) 3.00 2.30 1 Hot Fudge (Carmouche) 2.90 • $1 Pick 3 (5-2-5) $160.75 • $1 Daily Double (2-5) $55.50 • $1 Exacta (5-2) $21.80 • $0.1 Superfecta (5-2-1-6) $22.97 • $0.5 Trifecta (5- 2-1) $38.62 TENTH-6 fur; $80,000; alc; 3up (f&m) 11 Wknd Rgs (McCrthy) 12.60 7.10 4.30 6 Fancypants Julan (Cncel) 19.80 11.60 1 Linarite (Gomez) 4.50 Scr: Latest Edition, Ghostbustin, City Blocks, U Should B Dancing, Scarlet's Dream, Astonesthrowaway • $1 Grand Slam (2/4/5-2/3/7-1/2/5-11) $44.75 • $1 Pick 3 (2-5-11) $339.00 • $1 Daily Double (5-11) $98.00 • $1 Exacta (11-6) $110.50 • $0.1 Superfecta (11-6-1-10) $728.80 • $0.5 Trifecta (11-6-1) $335.25 ELEVENTH-1 1/16 mile; $90,000; mdn; 3up(f) 5 Chntlly Rod (Cncl) 10.20 5.10 2.50 9 Oper de Rvl (FR) (Frnco) 4.60 2.90 1 Justdeny (Carmouche) 2.30 Scr: Greatest Gift, Goodnight My Angel, True Myth, Maturity Date, Big Beautiful (IRE) • $1 Pick 6 (7-5-2-5-11-5) $5190.50 • $1 Pick 3 (5-11-5) $538.50 • $0.5 Pick 4 (2-5-11-5) $1259.25 • $0.5 Pick 5 (5-2-5-11-5) $6332.50 • $1 Daily Double (11-5) $44.00 • $1 Exacta (5- 9) $22.00 • $0.1 Superfecta (5-9-1-7) $24.15 • $0.5 Trifecta (5-9-1) $24.00 • $1 Pick 6 (7-5-2- 5-11-5) $5190.50 • $1 Daily Double (11-5) $44.00 • $1 Exacta (5-9) $22.00 • $0.1 Show (5-9-1-7) $24.15 • $0.5 Trifecta (5-9-1) $24.00 Aqueduct Results

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com67 B RENT Rooker was an All-Star in 2023 (even if it felt like an “everyone gets a trophy” moment just so the A’s had a representative), a season in which he hit .246 with 30 homers, 69 RBIs, 61 runs and a .817 OPS. (He also struck out 172 times, but more on that later.) R o o k e r started this year slowly, hitting .206 w i t h f i v e homers, 13 RBIs, 31 strikeouts and a .769 OPS in March-April. This month has been a totally different ballgame with the 29-year-old hitting .377 with five homers, 15 RBIs, 13 runs and 1.186 OPS in 14 games. (Those numbers looked even better before going 1-for-12 in three games before Friday.) This hot stretch made Rooker the most added player in ESPN leagues over the past week, which begs the question: Is he for real or is he just another hot power hitter who will disappear from fantasy relevancy before you have the chance to see if he is available in your league? Among players with a minimum of 130 plate appearances, Rooker entered Friday tied with six others for the fourthmost homers, and ranked fifth in slugging percentage, 24th in RBIs, 30th in on-base percentage, 33rd in average and was in the top 50 in walk percentage. His Statcast page shows a ton of red, as he ranks in the top 8 percent of the majors in exit velocity and maximum exit velocity, and the top 2 percent in xSLG. He is in the top 3 percent in WOBA and the top 4 percent in xWOBA. He also is in the 85th percentile in hard-hit rate and the 93rd percentile in barrel percentage. His contact numbers have improved, too. Despite all that, though, there are concerns this hot stretch is nothing more than another streak from a power hitter who has a Cal Raleigh with a better average vibe. (In 2023, Raleigh hit .218 with 30 homers, 75 RBIs, 78 runs, a 10.7 percent walk rate and 34.7 percent strikeout rate in 145 games. Rooker hit .246 with 30 homers, 69 RBIs, 61 runs, a 9.3 percent walk rate and 32.7 percent strikeout rate in 137 games. Raleigh and Rooker entered Friday with 10 homers, 21 runs and similar walk and strikeout rates.) Rooker’s 31.4 percent strikeout rate is the 14th-worst in the majors, and that is going to make him virtually unusable at times (hitting in a weak A’s lineup doesn’t help either). And, i t’s h a p - p e n e d before. Ro o k e r started out hot in April 2023, hitting .353 with nine homers, 22 RBIs, 16 strikeouts and a 1.245 OPS in 22 games. Over his next 56 games, he hit .208 with seven homers, 22 RBIs, 76 strikeouts (35.3 percent of his plate appearances) and a .672 OPS. He hit .198 in May and .191 in June. Over his final 115 games, he hit .228 with 156 strikeouts (35.5 percent). During this hot stretch to kick off the month, he also had a .417 BABIP, which is not sustainable. But you didn’t need Roto Rage to tell you Rooker, a career .238 hitter, is not going to hit like this the rest of the way. Here is what you need to know: If you have Rooker on your roster, now is the best time to test the trade market. Or just ride out his hot streak. If he isn’t on your roster, and he is available in your league, and you need a power boost, Rooker will give you what you need (and he won’t completely Raleigh your average). He has legit power. But, you should make sure your squad has the proper depth for the inevitable cold stretch — because he will go cold. [email protected] Rook or hook? D ON’T look now, but it seems Major League Baseball perfected the flux capacitor, got themselves a DeLorean and went back to the 1980s, when stolen bases were all the rage. This past week, Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz stole his 30th base through just 44 games and joined an impressive club that features such greats as Rickey Henderson, Tim Raines and Vince Coleman. If you made that seemingly bold move to pick him in the second round of your fantasy baseball drafts this year, you’re elated. If not, you probably need some help finding stolen bases on your waiver wire. De La Cruz has been a beast, and we’re seeing plenty of other stars deliver — from Bobby Witt Jr. to Shohei Ohtani. But acquiring any of them in a trade probably will cost you more than what you want to pay. Yet over the past week, we’ve seen a number of active base-stealers ready to help your cause. Few fantasy managers are enamored with rostering players from the Nationals, but they have been one of the top teams for stolen bases all year long. In fact, they have the secondhighest stolen base attempts in the majors and one of the top success rates. If Jacob Young is somehow available, lock him down immediately. But if not, take a look at a returning outfielder Lane Thomas or third baseman Trey Lipscomb. They have 21 steals between the two of them. If the Nationals are going to continue running like this, then these two, alongside infielder Luis Garcia Jr. should be rostered. You cannot ignore the recent surge by Rockies outfielder Brenton Doyle — who had four over a six-game span.With eight steals on the year, he is going to have the green light whenever he gets on-base. People also keep adding and dropping Rays second baseman Jose Caballero. The Rays are a top-five team in stolen-base attempts, and Caballero keeps running. Stream in the stolen bases when you can, and don’t stop until your team sits atop the category standings. You can thank me in October. By HOWARD BENDER Don’t stand still on steals Reese Olson SP, Tigers Though he has not picked up a win, he owns a 0.47 ERA and .097 opponents’ average over his past three starts, and 1.21 ERA and .159 opponents’ average over his past six. Max Kepler OF, Twins In his first 22 games since returning from the IL, he is hitting .375 with three homers, 17 RBIs, 13 runs, a stolen base and a 1.050 OPS. Garrett Crochet SP, White Sox Won his first three starts this month while maintaining a 0.53 ERA, 23-3 strikeout-walk rate and .177 opponents’ average. Abraham Toro 1B/2B/3B, Athletics At least one hit in 16 of his past 20 games — going 28-for-77 (.364) with two homers, nine RBIs, 14 runs and a .955 OPS in that span. BIG HITS TEAM NAME OF THE WEEK Rhys Witherspoon ● After going 0-for-27 with 10 strikeouts in his first seven games this month, Paul Goldschmidt responded by hitting .304 with two homers, four RBIs and .925 OPS in his next five. ● Reid Detmers has not won since April 12, and has allowed 27 runs (26 earned), 35 hits and 11 walks over his past five starts — in which he is 0-4 with a 8.46 ERA, .307 opponents’ average and .941 OPS. ● Washington closer Kyle Finnegan has allowed two hits over his past 12 appearances while going 1-0 with nine saves in nine chances and limiting opponents to a .056 average. He entered Friday tied with Ryan Helsley for the league-lead in saves (13) and was available in more than 45 percent of ESPN leagues. Submit team names to: @NYPost_Roto Cedric Mullins OF, Orioles Entered Friday with two hits in his first 30 at-bats (.067) this month with no homers or runs, one RBI, 13 strikeouts and a .197 OPS. He was 7-for-64 (.109) with 19 strikeouts in 20 games since April 20. Sonny Gray SP, Cardinals Allowed 15 hits and 11 earned runs in his past two starts to go along with four homers, a .326 opponents’ average and 1.068 OPS. Jake Burger 3B, Marlins Struggled mightily in his first nine games off the IL, going 3-for-34 (.088) with no homers or RBIs, 10 strikeouts and a .176 OPS. Lance Lynn SP, Cardinals Allowed 14 runs (12 earned) in his first three starts (14²/₃ innings) this month, going 0-2 with a 7.36 ERA and .298 opponents’ average. IINNSSAANNI ITY TY INSANNI Y TY NINSSSAAANNNIITITTYY FANTASY INI F INSANITY ININSSAANNIITTYY ByJARAD WILK A’s slugger hot right now, but he’ll cool off 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 CHECK SWINGS Getty Images Brent Rooker

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com 68 By Andrew Crane When the Liberty’s offense clicked last season, 3-pointers were at the crux of that success. Sabrina Ionescu set a WNBA record with 128 baskets from beyond the arc. They came within one made shot of tying the league’s single-game record of 18 on four occasions. For the first two games of 2024, the Liberty struggled to replicate that. They connected on a combined 16 3s. But during their 91-80 victory against the Fever in Saturday’s home opener, they unlocked that element of their offense with 12 made 3-pointers in the first half and 15 in total — with Ionescu hitting four, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton hitting three and the Liberty’s other three starters hitting two each. “I think Indiana, they saw us missing a lot in the first two games and they decided probably to clog the paint up a little bit,” Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello said. “We got some wide-open looks. We got some great shooters. You can miss some shots in one game, but I think over the course [of the season], we’re not going to.” After Caitlin Clark connected on her first 3-pointer of the game to give the Fever a one-point lead, Jonquel Jones responded with one at the other end of the court. Then, after Laney-Hamilton stole possession, Courtney Vandersloot drained another 3 just 10 seconds later. The Liberty, which shot 29 percent from beyond the arc in their first two games, never trailed again and finished the opening 20 minutes shooting 66.7 percent on 3s. ➤ With all of the buzz surrounding Clark playing a game in New York City for the first time, the Liberty set a WNBA record by generating more than $2 million in revenue from tickets for Saturday’s game, according to the Associated Press. Indiana, whether at home or on the road, has played in front of a sellout crowd for all three of Clark’s games to start her rookie season, and that reached Barclays Center for the Liberty’s home opener. “I think that obviously the buzz and just the eyes that Caitlin has brought from Iowa to the WNBA is gonna be a collective win for all,” Stewart said. “And now that she’s a part of our league … even though we’re competing against each other, we’re making sure that we’re continuing to lift up this league together.” A barrage of 3s turns it around I T WAS less than an hour before the first game she would ever play in New York City, this one in Brooklyn at Barclays Center, and young girls squealed for her to sign their No. 22 jerseys, their posters, their magazines, their anything and everything. Caitlin Clark, chewing gum and smiling, made her way down the row, stopping to sign as many items as she could, stressing security guards as she did, before retreating to the visiting locker room for a game against the Liberty. On the court moments earlier, Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager of “Today With Hoda & Jenna” interviewed Clark and came away gushing about her. “Even just to be here in general is amazing,” Bush Hager told The Post. “We were told this is gonna be the mostwatched WNBA game ever in history. Caitlin was lovely, but same with all of the players we met today.” New York welcomed Caitlin Clark with open arms. Even as the enemy. “You know what’s interesting about Caitlin,” Hoda began, “she’s focused, you feel it, but she has a sense of delight, of the fun of the game. It shows in everything that she’s doing. She said she got off to a rocky start but she’s remembering like, this is fun, and I think that’s was one of the most charming things about her.” Added Jenna: “And by the way, that’s what we want our girls to know, right, like our kids to know. That sports should be about fun.” Clark encountered rabid Liberty fans waving white towels. This was, after all, the sold-out Liberty home opener. But a roar nevertheless went up when she was introduced with her Indiana Fever teammates. And the roar accompanied her made 3s and layups. “I thought the atmosphere was incredible,” Clark said after Liberty 91, Fever 80. “There were definitely a lot of young girls here today which was a lot of fun to see, but the Liberty definitely deserves this crowd, they’ve been incredible over the course of the last few seasons, and they’re gonna be incredible this year, so it was fun to play here in Steve Serby NYC gets its first in-person look at LIBERTY NOTES ON GUARD: Caitlin Clark and Fever teammate Temi Fagbenle defend Breanna Stewart, who led the Liberty with 24 points in their 91-80 victory on Saturday at Barclays Center. By Andrew Crane It would’ve been impossible for the Liberty to nearly eliminate Caitlin Clark’s impact two games in a row. This is Clark. This is what she does. For four years at Iowa — and for years to follow in the WNBA — the No. 1 overall pick dictated — and will continue to dictate — games with her step-back shot, her logo 3-pointers and her assists. Clark, playing her first game in New York City, produced the best game of her young professional career Saturday with 22 points, eight assists and six rebounds. But the Liberty still built an early 20-point lead and cruised to a 91-80 win in front of a sellout crowd of 17,735 at their Barclays Center opener, securing their first 3-0 start since 2021 and just their second since 2007. “When you come into this league and you’re a No. 1 pick, everyone’s gonna know where you are on the court at all times,” said Breanna Stewart, who led the Liberty with 24 points. “... We know she’s a great player. Just trying to do whatever we can to make it tough.” The Liberty, in their first matchup with Clark, found a way to mitigate her success by using Betnijah Laney-Hamiltion to shadow Clark. With the ball. Without the ball. Wherever she went. Laney-Hamiltion said she just focused on video from Clark’s WNBA preseason games and opener — not all the way back to Iowa — to prepare, and when Clark watched film from Thursday, she noticed faceguarding continued even when she didn’t have possession. That, she thought, was just part of the adjustment and figuring that defensive approach actually benefited the Fever. And at the start, it worked. She collected 10 points and three assists in a strong first quarter, and her first LIBERTY 91 FEVER 80

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com69 Arms are acing all the tests By Greg Joyce The Yankees’ rotation has been a strength all season, but it is on some kind of roll over the past week. After Luis Gil’s 14-strikeout, six-inning performance in Saturday’s 6-1 win over the White Sox, Yankees starters have allowed just two earned runs over their last six games and 39 innings — good for an ERA of 0.46. “It’s really cool to see those guys out there grinding every day and doing what they’re doing,” Juan Soto said. “There’s a reason why we’re in first place. They’ve been commanding the team the right way, they’ve been helping the offense when the offense is off and when the offense is on, too. They’ve been great day in and day out. I think they’re a huge part.” Across their last six games — two starts from Gil and one from Nestor Cortes, Clarke Schmidt, Marcus Stroman and Carlos Rodon — Yankees starters have tossed at least six innings each and allowed a total of three runs. It marks only the third time in franchise history Yankees starters have accomplished the feat and the first time since Ron Guidry (two starts), Phil Niekro (two starts), Ray Fontenot and Shane Rawley did it in 1984. “They’re doing a good job,” catcher Jose Trevino said. “All of them are pumped. I think they’re throwing the ball really well right now.” ➤Trevino’s line-drive home run in the second inning, which gave the Yankees a 3-1 lead, was his fifth in 28 games this season, surpassing the four he hit in 55 games last year. He is batting .348 with a .947 OPS over his last 22 games. … Giancarlo Stanton homered for the second straight game and added an RBI double to almost the exact same location in right-center field, just a few feet lower and off the wall. He has homered in three of his last four games. … Anthony Volpe doubled in the sixth inning to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, a career high. ➤DJ LeMahieu and Tommy Kahnle are set to play in rehab games on Sunday with Double-A Somerset. For Kahnle, it will be his fifth appearance and could be his last before rejoining the Yankees. For LeMahieu, it will be his second game after playing three innings Friday. ➤The Yankees transferred Oswald Peraza’s rehab assignment to Triple-A Scranton/WilkesBarre on Saturday. [email protected] YANKS NOTES New York for the first time and play in front of this environment.” On Celiberty Row, tennis legend Billie Jean King was greeted with a standing ovation when they showed her on the scoreboard midway through the first quarter. South Carolina national champion coach Dawn Staley, who defeated Clark and lowa in the final, received a rousing cheer in the second quarter. Clark found herself stranded on Clark Island. No Kate Martin, no Gabbie Marshall, no Hannah Stuelke, no Sydney Affolter alongside her anymore. Only teammates who haven’t learned how to play with her yet. Only teammates she is learning on the fly. All the while learning how to cut harder and playing with better pace against more physical, experienced WNBA players who shadow her relentlessly the way Betnijah Laney-Hamilton often did Saturday. “Everybody’s all over me, they’re hounding me 94 feet, I’m being trapped on every ball screen, getting blocked on every stagger screen,” said Clark, who scored 22 points on 9-for-17 shooting, 4-for-10 from 3, with eight assists and six rebounds. She had 10 of her team’s first 19 points, 15 at halftime. She even sprinted back to deflect a pass out of bounds following her errant pass on the other end. She was forced out of bounds. She committed eight turnovers. Nobody’s perfect. It was nevertheless the best she has looked in her three-game professional career. She makes the right play most of the time — her passing is forever elite — but she can only elevate her surrounding cast so much. A couple of times she forced an errant logo 3. A 29-foot 3 at the start of the second half wowed the crowd. Someone asked what a game like this might do for her confidence. “Honestly, like, I never feel like I’m ever in a shooting slump, like, they either go in or they don’t. I don’t lose my confidence, like, I never thought that until you said that, but thanks for letting me know,” she said with a laugh. A 12-year-old named Valentina wore a No. 22 jersey. “I’m a Caitlin Clark fan because she does really good and she’s a really good role model to look up to,” she said. This was Valentina’s first WNBA game. She plays basketball. “When I see Caitlin Clark play, it makes me want to work harder and do better,” she said. Aleina, 8, carried an “I (heart) Caitlin Clark” poster. “She’s a really good basketball player, and I can maybe learn from her when I grow up,” she said. Give them Liberty. And give them Caitlin. [email protected] WNBA hoops sensation Clark rebounds, but one-woman show no match for mighty Libs THE MAIN EVENT: Fans flocked to Brooklyn on Saturday for the Liberty’s home opener and to see Fever star Caitlin Clark, who signed autographs before going up for a basket over Jonquel Jones (left). Michelle Farsi (2) 3-pointer gave the Fever a onepoint lead midway through the frame. Later, Clark was doubled when she started to execute a step-back 3, and she dished a pass underneath for an easy basket. Laney-Hamilton was still tasked with defending her. It was still tough for Clark to create space. But she found some offensive rhythm, hitting 33- and 29- foot 3s. “I think just playing with better pace,” Clark said, “and that’s kind of a learning thing. It’s not something I always had to do at Iowa. But in the league, like, everybody’s all over me. They’re hounding me 94 feet.” By that point, though, the Liberty had already built a commanding lead. Jonquel Jones finished with her second straight double-double — and 100th of her career. The Liberty connected on 15 3s, three shy of the WNBA record. This was the type of result that was supposed to happen, though. The Liberty are built to win now. They have the established stars. The superteam. Their last game at Barclays Center was a loss to the Aces in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals, when Courtney Vandersloot missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would’ve sent the series to a winner-take-all Game 5. One of these days and one of these years, the Fever will be able to capitalize on Clark’s presence, on her talent, on the buzz that accompanies her at every arena. Signs were scattered across Barclays Center. She weaved through a handful of fans pregame and inked autographs. Clark said it was an “incredible” environment. But the Fever are taking the path that the Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces used — with No. 1 picks in two and three consecutive years, respectively — to construct a title-winning roster. Seattle took Lauren Jackson in 2001, Sue Bird in 2002 and won the title in 2004. The Aces took Kelsey Plum in 2017, A’ja Wilson in 2018 and Jackie Young in 2019 and are vying for a three-peat this season. “I think the media needs to give her a little bit of grace and time to develop into a player,” Jones said of Clark. “She’s learning every game she’s out there, and obviously her impact on this league is gonna be tremendous and only grow as she matures. But just give her some time, man.” The Fever have the blueprint to follow. They have the core pieces — Aliyah Boston, the No. 1 pick in 2023, and Clark — in place. It’ll just take games and weeks and maybe even months to mesh together, and the Liberty benefited from that twice in the first week of their season. [email protected]

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com 70 By Stephen Whyno BALTIMORE — D. Wayne Lukas worked his way to Seize the Grey after his horse won the Preakness Stakes, and he kept getting interrupted by well-wishes offering congratulations. “I think they’re trying to get rid of me,” Lukas said. “They probably want me to retire. I don’t think that’ll happen.” Not when the 88-year-old Hall of Fame trainer keeps winning big-time races. Seize the Grey ended Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan’s Triple Crown bid Saturday by going wire-to-wire to win the Preakness — giving Lukas his seventh victory in the race, one short of the record held by good friend Bob Baffert. “I’m only one behind him. I warned him already,” Lukas said. “It never gets old at this level, and I love the competition. I love to get in here with the rest of them.” The strapping grey colt took advantage of the muddy track just as Lukas hoped he would, pulling off the upset in a second consecutive impressive start two weeks after romping in a race on the Derby undercard at Churchill Downs. Going off at 9-1 as one of the longest shots on the board, Seize the Grey moved to the lead immediately out of the starting gate and never looked back, finishing in 1:56.82. “I thought his action down the backside was beautiful, and I knew that he was handling the track,” Lukas said. “I said, ‘Watch out, he’s not going to quit.’ ” Mystik Dan finished second in the field of eight horses running in the $2 million, 1 3/16-mile race. After falling short of going back to back following his win by a nose in the Kentucky Derby, it would be a surprise if he runs in the Belmont Stakes on June 8 at Saratoga Race Course. “My colt’s a fantastic colt and proud of him,” trainer Kenny McPeek said. “It just wasn’t his day, but he’ll live to race again.” Seize the Grey was a surprise Preakness winner facing tougher competition than in the Pat Day Mile on May 4. Though given the Lukas connection, it should never be a surprise when one of his horses is covered in a blanket of Black-Eyed Susan flowers. No one in the race’s 149-year history has saddled more horses in the Preakness than Lukas with 48 since debuting in 1980 and winning that one with Codex. He had two in this time, with Just Steel finishing fifth, but Seize the Grey — owned by 2,570 people involved in the MyRacehorse group — delivered the victory. Seize the Grey paid $21.60 to win, $8.40 to place and $4.40 to show. Mystik Dan paid $4.20 and $2.80, while thirdplace Catching Freedom paid $3.20 to show. Baffert, who was looking for a record-extending ninth Preakness victory, was supposed to have two horses in the field, but morning line favorite Muth was scratched earlier in the week because of a fever. Baffert’s Imagination finished seventh. Muth’s absence made Mystik Dan the 2-1 favorite, but he and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. could not replicate their perfect Derby trip to win that race’s first threeway photo finish since 1947. Instead, Jaime Torres rode Seize the Grey to a win in his first Triple Crown race of any kind, just two years after starting to ride. This was the last Preakness held at Pimlico Race Course as it stands before demolition begins on the historic but deteriorating track, which will still hold the 150th running of it next year mid-construction. That process is already well underway at Belmont Park, which is why the final leg of the Triple Crown is happening at Saratoga for the first time and is being shortened to 1 ¹/₄ miles because of the shape of the track. — AP FOSSIL FUELED: Seize the Grey, the No. 6 horse on the left with jockey Jaime Torres up, went wire-to-wire to win the 149th Preakness on Saturday afternoon in Baltimore. It was the seventh victory in the Preakness for 88-year-old trainer D. Wayne Lukas (inset). Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, on the right in green and white silks, finished second. AP (2) D. Wayne Lukas

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com71 Bakrar’s goal propels NYCFC past Red Bulls PREAKNESS STAKES 13/16 miles; $5,000,000; 3YO Time: 23.4, 47.1, 1:11.4, 1:37.2, 1:56.4 Winner: Seize the Gray; Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas Horse PP St ¹/₄ ¹/₂ ³/₄ str Fin. Jockey Odds Seize The Grey 5 3 1 1 1 1 1 Torres 9.80 Mystic Dan 4 1 4 3 2 2 2 Hernandez 2.40 Catching Freedom 3 2 5 5 5 3 3 Prat 3.70 Tuscan Gold 7 8 6 6 6 4 4 Gaffalione 4.40 Just Steel 6 7 3 3 4 4 5 Rosario 10.40 Uncle Heavy 2 4 7 7 8 7 6 Ortiz 7.80 Imagination 8 5 2 2 2 5 7 Dettori 4.20 Mugatu 1 6 8 8 7 8 8 Bravo 17.80 Off: 7:05 Start good, won driving. Scr: Muth Payouts 6 - Seize The Grey$21.608.40 4.40 5 - Mystic Dan 4.20 2.80 3 -Catching Freedom 3.20 $1 Exacta (6-5) $59,70 $0.50 Trifecta (6-5-3) $91.85 $0.10 Superfecta (6-5-8-3) $74.90 By Christian Arnold It had been 16 games dating back to last season since New York City Football Club forward Mounsef Bakrar last scored a goal. But Bakrar picked the biggest moment of the young NYCFC season to snap his scoring drought in the 64th minute of a tie game with the club’s biggest rival, the New York Red Bulls. The goal helped lift NYCFC to a 2-1 win on Saturday night at Citi Field and pulled them even in the Eastern Conference standings with the Red Bulls. “It’s a really good feeling,” defender James Sands said about the win that capped off a threewin week for NYCFC. “The Red Bulls are obviously doing very well this season. … To cap off a three-game week with nine points is a really good feeling.” The go-ahead goal developed off a spectacular display of passing by NYCFC as Hannes Wolf moved the ball to Tayvon Gray after shaking a defender. Gray dribbled the ball along the edge of the box before finding Bakrar, who quickly directed the ball past Red Bulls keeper Carlos Coronel. The moment of joy was evident on Bakrar’s face. He celebrated by running over to NYCFC head coach Nick Cushing and jumping into his arms before other members of the team’s coach staff and his teammates joined in the celebration. “Just thank you,” Bakrar revealed he said to his coach at that moment. “I was so happy. I didn’t even think what to say. I just wanted to thank him a lot because he always believed in me.” But Cushing didn’t feel that any thanks was necessary from the Algerian striker. “He has worked incredibly hard to get to our football club and make the step into MLS,” Cushing said. “I watch him every day working incredibly hard to refine his ability. Never once did I think he wouldn’t score.” The victory capped an impressive week for NYCFC, which picked up its third straight win, and snapped a two-game winning streak for the Red Bulls, who had entered the match in third place in the Eastern Conference just three points in front of their Big Apple rival. NYCFC opened the scoring in the match’s third minute off Wolf’s second goal of the season when he faked out a Red Bulls defender and then buried a laser of a shot past Coronel. The skilled goal started when NYCFC attacker Malachi Jones went streaking up the far side of the field and, under pressure, managed to send a cross to Wolf who was standing in the center of the box. Wolf got Red Bulls midfielder Daniel Edelman to bite on a fake shot and booted the ball past the diving keeper. But a dominant first half was undone in the closing moments. The Red Bulls evened the score in stoppage time thanks to a defensive miscue by NYCFC and a blast from Cameron Harper from outside the penalty area. Harper dribbled the ball a few steps before firing a shot that went just out of the reach of NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese, hit off the crossbar, and went down into the net for the equalizer. Saturday’s NYCFC win was also the first time in more than a year that they have managed to beat the Red Bulls in a Hudson River Derby showdown, and it marked the first time the teams had played one another at Citi Field. [email protected] NYCFC 2 Red Bulls 1 MLS MOUNSEF BAKRAR

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com 72 By Paul Schwartz When he introduces himself to his new teammates, Dante Miller always lists three distinct parts of his personal journey. He is from what he describes as a “small town’’ — Rockingham, N.C. He went to Columbia for four years. He then played, briefly, at South Carolina. It is after he recounts his college résumé that the inevitable reactions emerge. “You tell them about Columbia, and they automatically assume you’re super smart and these different type of things,’’ Miller told The Post recently, “and then you say ‘South Carolina’ and they go, ‘Oh.’’ So you get the best of both worlds when it comes to that.’’ There is little about Miller that is typical. He is a rookie, but not the usual rookie in that he is 24 years old. He thought he could play for the Gamecocks for two seasons, but that turned out not to be the case. He was not allowed to enter the 2024 draft. Most of his college career was spent on the Upper West Side of Manhattan — Morningside Heights, to be exact — and that is not a place that spawns much talent flow into the NFL. Miller is a long shot to stick with the Giants, a short (5-foot-9) but not small (200 pounds) running back who was signed April 5. Perhaps the new kickoff rules give him an edge. The Giants took Tyrone Tracy Jr. in the fifth round of the draft, and Tracy, like Miller, is also an older rookie at 24. Devin Singletary was signed to fill the starting void at the position created when Saquon Barkley moved on to the Eagles. Gary Brightwell, Eric Gray and Jashaun Corbin return from the 2023 roster. Miller is going to have to get busy and impress a whole bunch of coaches to carve a spot for himself on the depth chart or the practice squad. If he does, it will be shocking to some, but not to him. “No doubt in my mind I can play at this level,’’ he said. “Not even a doubt.’’ Miller out of high school committed to play at James Madison, but he decommitted and decided to go to Columbia — at the time explaining he wanted to make a decision based on the next 40 years and not the next four years of his life. In 26 games at Columbia, Miller ran for 1,281 yards and six touchdowns. Along the way, he learned how to deal with a completely new environment that he called “a world-changer.’’ He had to get used to seeing so many people all the time. He took a 45-minute bus ride every day to practice, from 116th Street to 218th Street. “And if you wanted to take the subway, you could do that,’’ Miller said. “But freshman year you weren’t taking the subway, for sure.’’ City life agreed with him during his three years living on campus and a senior year in an apartment on 109th Street. A selfdescribed foodie, he enjoyed dining out and walks and bike rides in Central Park. Miller graduated with a degree in sociology and received his Masters in sports management. He is only a few classes away from his MBA. As a freshman, his first college touchdown was an 83-yard breakout against Central Connecticut State. A teammate, linebacker Jalen Williams, was impressed. “Dang, Turbo!’’ he exclaimed. Running backs coach Joe D’Orazio embraced the nickname. “Lil’ Turbo’’ was born. As a graduate transfer, Miller walked on at South Carolina in 2022, with him and the school believing he had two years of eligibility remaining. In six games, he had six rushing attempts for 38 yards. As it turned out, because his 2020 season at Columbia was canceled by COVID, he had only one year of eligibility at South Carolina. The NCAA took so long to determine Miller was ineligible to play in 2023 that the news came after the deadline to declare for the 2023 draft. Essentially, he was already technically a free agent, thus could not be included in the 2024 draft. He was undeterred. “You look at the film and you see an explosive person,’’ Miller said. “Wherever I go, that’s what I bring to the table, I bring explosive plays, because that’s the name of my game.’’ Miller can squat about 700 pounds, and at South Carolina’s Pro Day he ripped off a 4.27 40-yard dash and completed 28 reps on the 225-pound bench press — faster and more powerful than any running back at the 2024 NFL scouting combine. No wonder he still goes by “Turbo’’ — the “Lil’ ‘’ prefix has been dropped. “You can say the size thing, but you won’t find a back that’s bigger than me that’s stronger than me, because I’m strong. I’m very strong.’’ [email protected] gap year: Running back Dante Miller transferred from Columbia to South Carolina during his college career. He missed the 2023 draft because the NCAA determined he was ineligible to declare By Schuyler Dixon DALLAS — P.J. Washington Jr. made two free throws before an intentional miss with 2.5 seconds left, lifting the Mavericks to a 117-116 victory over the Thunder on Saturday night and into the Western Conference finals for the second time in three seasons. Washington was fouled by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on a 3-point attempt after Chet Holmgren put the Thunder in front 116-115 with a dunk on an assist from his star guard with 20 seconds remaining. Luka Doncic, who had 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his fourth triple-double this postseason, worked his way to the basket in the final seconds before passing to Washington in the corner. Washington pump-faked to get Gilgeous-Alexander in the air and the whistle blew as the shot fell short. Oklahoma City challenged the ball, but replay showed Gilgeous-Alexander making contact with Washington’s arm as he went up to shoot. After making the first two free throws to put Dallas in front, Washington missed on purpose with the Thunder out of timeout after the challenge. Holmgren passed to Jalen Williams, whose desperation shot from well behind half court wasn’t close. “If it was a clear-as-day foul, I obviously wouldn’t have challenged it and held the timeout,” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. “Even if you advance the ball with 2.5 seconds at a deficit, your chances are very low.” The Mavericks wrapped up the series in Game 6 at home against the topseeded Thunder, just as they did in the first round against the Clippers. Dallas trailed by 17 points in the third quarter. “Being down 17 in a closeout game isn’t a position you want to be in,” said Kyrie Irving, who improved to 14-0 in closeout games in his career. “But that’s where we found ourselves. We had to respond the way we’ve been responding all season.” Dallas will start the West finals at the Denver-Minnesota winner on Wednesday night. The Mavs lost to eventual champ Golden State in five games in the 2022 West finals, Doncic’s first trip that far. The final sequence capped a riveting fourth quarter with five lead changes and two ties in the final five minutes after the Thunder led for all but one minute until then. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 36 points, his most in the playoffs this season, while Jalen Williams had 22 points, nine rebounds and eight assists and Holmgren scored 21. — AP Triple-double by Doncic helps Mavs KO Thunder Mavericks 117 Thunder 116 Boxscore Page 63

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com73 I N JUNE of last season, the Mets engaged in another attempt at signing Pete Alonso longterm. An offer was made through his then agency, Apex Baseball, at seven years for $158 million. The Mets baseball operations, at that point led by GM Billy Eppler, were trying to do a multiyear deal with Alonso that would include his final arbitration season in 2024 then six more years. The bid was influenced by the eight-year, $168 million extension fellow first baseman Matt Olson had signed with the Braves before the 2022 season. The difference is that Olson signed two years before free agency. Alonso would have just one year until free agency. So the Mets offer reflected the final seven seasons at $153 million of Olson’s pact — what would have been his age-29 walk year at $21 million plus six freeagent years at $132 million. Alonso would be 29 in his walk year, so he would be topping Olson’s total from that age forward. The offer also was designed to be enticing because it was worth more in “current value” than the six-year, $162 million f r e e - a g e n t pact that Freddie Freeman signed with the Dodgers. The Players Assoc iat ion c a l c u l a t e d that deal at about $148 million in current value due to heavy deferrals. Alonso’s lead agent then, Adam Karon, had a policy when he represented the Mets first baseman not to talk to reporters about any negotiating details and refused comment when contacted. But I heard the sides never got close to a deal. And, without that extension and with the Mets underachieving into non-contention, the club did discuss Alonso in July trade talks, notably with the Cubs. When David Stearns took over as president of baseball operations after last season, he quickly removed Alonso from trade discussions. At the Winter Meetings, I asked executives from two teams I thought should be in that market why they perceived it was not open. They pretty much mimicked each other: 1. Stearns did not want to begin his tenure by infuriating fans by trading such a popular player when ... 2. He knew he would receive less for Alonso for just one year rather than one-plus, from the previous July when the Eppler administration had been underwhelmed by the July offers. 3. The guesstimation that the return would not be all that different if the Mets were out of the race this July and wanted to try to trade Alonso as they would have been in the offseason. Also, Steve Cohen has never seemed overly enamored with the fan negativity that would come from trading Alonso. Stearns said via text, “Nothing really to add on this one other than what I’ve publicly stated.” Both Stearns and Cohen have said they would like to sign Alonso long-term. Besides Eppler to Stearns, the other substantial change in this saga was that late last season Alonso decided to hire Scott Boras as his representative. Boras is a central player in the major storylines hovering over the New York teams this season. Alonso might not have been in play at the last Winter Meetings, but an elite hitter was dealt — Juan Soto to the Yankees. And Soto also is in his walk year and repped by Boras, whose history is to generally take his best players into free agency. Appearing on Jack Curry’s “Yankees News and Views” podcast, Hal Steinbrenner indicated he would like to discuss an extension for Soto in-season. In a text message, Boras wrote, “Always happy to talk to Hal.” But it is hard to envision what the Yanks could offer in, say, July that would keep Soto-Boras from coming this far and not seeing what open bidding would net. Soto rejected a 15-year, $440 million extension from the Nationals prior to being traded to the Padres during the 2022 season. In the two seasons since, he is in the midst of pocketing $54 million, including $31 million this year from the Yankees. It was why he could reject Washington: Soto knew he would make life-changing money in his two remaining arbitration seasons. Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million record contract calculates with his huge deferrals to $46.08 million annually for luxury-tax purposes. If the Yanks offered Soto a straight $47 million per for 12 seasons for a $564 million total, does that get it done? I have never suggested a contract, by the way, that Boras has not thought way too low, and I suspect here he would say why should Soto take a contract through his age-37 season when Aaron Judge goes to 39 — among other things? Conversely, it is $564 million, which Steinbrenner might think is crazy, too. And you wonder just how many teams — as special and as young as Soto is — would play in that realm? One possibility is Cohen’s Mets, especially if Alonso were to go elsewhere — and maybe with Cohen’s largesse he would do both. In a phone conversation, Boras did not have to oversell Soto, who has assimilated to the Yankees spectacularly. Boras simply said, “I would just use the word ‘special.’” Boras used many more words on Alonso. He knows that he is going to fight an industry turn away from the $200 million-plus mega-contracts for first basemen such as Miguel Cabrera, Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder that all aged poorly. It is a rejection of the limited athlete, corner position player in their 30s (Alonso turns 30 in December). Boras rejected the comps to Olson and Paul Goldschmidt (five years, $130 million) because those were extensions, and to Freeman because Freeman was two years older than Alonso in reaching free agency. “The market for consistent 40-homer, durable, infield-capable, true middle-of-the-lineup sluggers is the question.” Boras said. “Note there are none available in free agency and none coming [in the next few years]. Plus, he’s New York proven, which is an unanswered question for many others — not Pete. It’s elite-level durability and production at a prime age [29], which is simply something most MLB teams do not possess. They will covet the opportunity to have free-agent access to such talent.” Alonso has hit at least 40 homers three times, tied with Nolan Arenado for the most among active players. Of the other eight active who have done it at least twice, six are in the midst of longterm contracts, and the others are J.D. Martinez, who turns 37 in August, and Joey Gallo, who is Joey Gallo. Alonso leads the majors in homers since arriving in 2019 with 202 (going into the weekend) followed by Aaron Judge (185), Kyle Schwarber (183) and Olson (182). He has played the third-most games (727) in that time behind Marcus Semien (745) and Freeman (743). Will Alonso reach 40 homers for a fourth time, which would give him one more than every other Met in history combined? Will Soto match Judge and win the MVP in his walk year? It is part of the season within the New York season — the storylines that hover over the year. [email protected] Joel Sherman Hardball PAVING PETE’S PATH Road to Alonso’s Amazin’ future still under construction Getty Images

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com 74 M IAMI — The Mets have an Edwin Diaz problem, and they have no choice but to remove the man they consistently and rightly call “one of the game’s best closers” out of his customary closer role, at least for today. Timmy Trumpet will have to be playing for a middle reliever or mop-up guy, at least for now. Diaz admitted two things after blowing a four-run, ninth-inning lead in the Mets’ heartbreaking 10-9, 10-inning defeat to the fire-selling Marlins that cast a pall over the clubhouse: 1. His confidence is shaken. 2. Confidence is the main ingredient for any successful player. Diaz was unquestionably the game’s best closer in 2022, when he earned his record $105 million contract. But after missing last season with a knee injury suffered on this very loanDepot Park mound, he’s returned with a multitude of issues that have led to a stunning succession of blown games and gut-wrenching defeats. If the Mets hit a low point in their disappointing start — they are at a season-worst five games under .500 at 20-25 following a second straight defeat to the worst-in-MLB Marlins — Diaz couldn’t get much lower. The consummate pro was composed while conducting difficult post-game interviews, but he bowed his head and fought tears when Francisco Lindor and Sean Red-Foley kindly came over to console him. Minutes earlier, Diaz didn’t mince words when he admitted he’s having a confidence issue, which should come as no surprise following a string of five games that included three blown saves — and this one that was so bad it didn’t even qualify as a blown save since he entered with a monster lead. “I can’t lie,” Diaz said. “My confidence, I feel right now, is down.” While a demotion doesn’t usually inspire confidence, the Mets have no choice but to find softer spots in games for Diaz, whose ERA is 5.50. Manager Carlos Mendoza was asked whether removing Diaz as closer was the next step, and Mendoza only said that he would need to talk to his coaches and Diaz first. Mendoza said he considers him “our closer.” That apparently goes no matter what’s decided for now, and that’s fair. “He’s still our closer, and he will get through it,” Mendoza asserted. “He’s too good a pitcher.” That’s very likely true. But for now, the Mets can afford no more blowups. They need to give Diaz a respite from the rigors of baseball’s toughest job. Back on the mound where he hurt his knee while celebrating a World Baseball Classic win for Puerto Rico, Diaz experienced the biggest pitching nightmare of a career that had some very high highs and real lows before he established himself as the game’s best two years ago. Diaz allowed a double and two singles among four batters before surrendering a bomb of a home run to straight-away center field by Josh Bell. By now, there’s no more pretending everything will be all right, no more guessing he can still approximate the magic of 2022 that seems so far away. Ever since he got back on the Major League mound this year, he’s looked off, especially compared to the dominance of two years ago. His fastball command was an issue earlier, and so was the velocity. (He was regularly throwing 97 mph, two or three ticks from his all-world year, though he hit 99 Saturday.) This time, it was the slider, which Mendoza suggested didn’t have the requisite bite and acted more like a cutter. Diaz said the issue was location. He wanted to get his slider down, but they were all up. And they were hit. By his own account, three of the four hits — including the fateful homer — came on sliders. All it took was five batters for the Marlins to tie the score before they won it in the 10th inning. The Mets have a number of issues, even beyond Diaz, now. They include: n Francisco Lindor, the $341M man, who was moved to the leadoff spot, was the only Met who failed to register a hit and is batting .190. n Jeff McNeil entered the weekend in the bottom one percent of all MLB hitters in barrel percentage according to Baseball Savant (although he did gather two hits Saturday out of his new No. 8 hole.) n While the Mets have an upgraded offense with J.D. Martinez the DH now and Mark Vientos at least a semi regular, heading into Saturday they still ranked in the bottom half of almost every hitting category, including 25th in on-base percentage (.305), 24th in slugging percentage (.362) and 22nd in OPS (.666) Diaz is unquestionably the issue of the day now, though. The one saving grace (no pun intended) is that the Mets have a decent bullpen, with Reed Garrett, Jorge Lopez and Adam Ottavino all pitching well. Even with Brooks Raley and Drew Smith out, and Diaz needing a breather, their overall pen situation is salvageable, assuming it isn’t too late. The belief here, too, is that Diaz will figure it out. The man works, and he promises to “keep working.” He just can’t work out of the closer role for now. [email protected] It’s time to give Edwin the hook, at least for now Jon Heyman By MIKE PUMA MIAMI — The Mets have one giant Edwin Diaz headache. Never mind that the All-Star closer isn’t anything close to peak 2022 form, he’s suddenly become a liability whose trustworthiness to finish games is questionable. After blowing consecutive save opportunities against the Phillies, the right-hander was given a non-save situation Saturday and proceeded to allow four runs that tied the game before Otto Lopez’s RBI single against Jorge Lopez in the 10th inning buried the Mets in their 10-9 loss to the Marlins at loanDepot park. Josh Bell’s three-run homer to center field against Diaz tied it, 9-9, in the ninth after the Marlins had scored earlier in the inning on Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s RBI single. Diaz, who got only one out in the inning and allowed four runs on four hits, owns a 5.50 ERA in 18 appearances this season after missing last year to rehab from surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his right knee. Diaz tore the tendon during a celebration on this same field, with Team Puerto Rico at the World Baseball Classic. After speaking to reporters Saturday, an emotional Diaz fought tears as he was consoled at his locker by Francisco Lindor. “My confidence is down right now,” Diaz said. “I am making pitches and throwing strikes. I’m trying to do my best to help the team to win and right now I’m not in that capacity.” The Mets lost their second straight to a team that began the day with MLB’s worst record. Manager Carlos Mendoza’s next big decision will be whether to keep Diaz in the Marlins10 Mets 9 10 innings Box, Page 62

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com75 closer’s role or move an option such as Reed Garrett or Adam Ottavino into that spot. “It’s one of those where I have got to talk to the coaching staff and have got to talk to Edwin,” Mendoza said. “Whether we want to find him some softer spots to kind of get him going … he is still our closer and he will get through it. He’s too good of a pitcher for him to continue to struggle for a long time.” Diaz’s previous troubles were with his fastball. On this day, his slider was “all over the place,” according to Mendoza, who noted that Diaz hit 99 mph with his four-seam fastball. Bell jumped on a first-pitch slider and hit it 428 feet into the shrubbery behind the center-field fence. “I thought he didn’t hit it that hard,” Diaz said. “But that ball kept flying.” Diaz has allowed five homers in 18 innings this season. Included is one he surrendered Monday to Bryson Stott in the ninth inning before the Mets lost to the Phillies in extra innings. “When you have one of the best closers in the game going through what he’s going through it comes down to the confidence level,” Mendoza said. “Right now, you can tell he’s putting pressure on himself because he’s not getting results, but we will continue to work with him and get through it.” On a day Lindor and Brandon Nimmo flip-flopped in the batting order, maybe the most notable performance came from Jeff McNeil, who delivered a rare multiple-hit game and even stole a base for the Mets. McNeil, stuck in a slump that had pushed his OPS to .614, reached base three times and went 2-for-4 with two RBIs as part of the team’s 15-hit attack. Every Mets starter had at least one hit except Lindor (0-for-5), who moved to the leadoff spot with Nimmo shifted to third. McNeil was 3-for-26 (.115) over his previous eight games. On Saturday, he contributed to scoring rallies in the fourth and fifth innings. Luis Severino pitched into the seventh inning, getting two outs in that final frame before Reed Garrett replaced him. Severino allowed five runs on six hits and three walks with three strikeouts on a day he displayed some of his best heat this season, averaging 96.6 mph with his four-seam fastball. The Marlins chased Severino in the seventh on Lopez’s RBI double and Chisholm’s run-scoring single. Garrett entered and surrendered two hits, including an RBI single by Bell that sliced the Mets’ lead to 7-5. J.D. Martinez and Starling Marte each stroked an RBI double in the ninth to give the Mets a four-run cushion that ultimately wasn’t enough for Diaz. “Usually, we are happy in here and having some fun,” Severino said. “But a game like that, we have to think about what we did and try to be better.” [email protected] Not again! Mets closer Edwin Diaz hangs his head as he leaves the mound after giving up four runs to the Marlins during the ninth inning Saturday at LoanDepot Park. His team went on to fall, 10-9, in the 10th inning after his third straight appearance in which he surrendered runs to an NL East rival. USA TODAY Sports UP NEXT MONDAY: at Guardians, 6:10 p.m., SNY, WCBS RHP Tylor Megill vs. RHP Ben Lively TUESDAY: at Guardians, 6:10 p.m., SNY, WCBS RHP Adrian Houser vs. RHP Carlos Carrasco 2024 stats: 2-1, 3.05 ERA Career vs. MIA: 0-1, 5.40 Last start: Mon., vs. PHI; 6 IP, 1 ER, 6 K LHP Sean Manaea PITCH BREAKDOWN 37% Sinker 17% Change 15% Fastball 2024 stats: 0-1, 5.96 ERA Career vs. NYM: First start Last start: Mon., at DET; 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER RHP Sixto Sanchez PITCH BREAKDOWN 34% Cutter 31% Change 29% Fastball INJURY REPORT n Kodai Senga is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Sunday in his rehab from a right shoulder strain n Drew Smith (shoulder) is expected to throw a bullpen session Monday. at Marlins Sunday, 1:40 p.m., PIX11, WCBS (880 AM) ON DECK By MIKE PUMA MIAMI — In search of a cure to the Mets’ disappointing offensive output, manager Carlos Mendoza presented two of his highest-profile players an idea after Friday’s loss. Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo were both on board with Mendoza’s plan, which was implemented Saturday as they switched places in the batting order. The slumping Lindor moved into the leadoff spot and Nimmo to third, bringing a new look to a lineup that had been shut out twice in four games entering Saturday’s 10-9, 10-inning loss to the Marlins and has largely underperformed this season. Mendoza spoke to Nimmo early in spring training to gauge his receptiveness to moving in the batting order — which would allow the Mets to place a stolen-base threat atop the order — but resisted changing the alignment because of concerns about replacing Nimmo’s on-base percentage. But now with the Mets reeling, an experimentation seemed necessary. “Having two guys that care so much about the team and will do whatever it takes to get this team rolling means a lot,” Mendoza said. “When I approached Francisco last night and told him what I was thinking, there was no hesitation. It was the same thing with Nimmo. … ‘Whatever you feel is going to help us, we’re on board.’ “I want [Lindor] to get on base and put pressure on the pitchers with the way he runs the bases. I like Nimmo’s at-bats with runners in scoring position.” Nimmo, who returned from a stomach bug that sidelined him for two games, went 1-for-4 with three runs scored while raising his batting after one point to .216. Though he possesses above-average speed, Nimmo has never developed into a base-stealing threat in his career. But Nimmo’s surge in power the past two seasons has transformed him into a potential middle-of-the-order presence. “He’s a complete hitter,” Mendoza said. “He’s not only hitting for power, but the way he controls the strike zone in the atbats with runners in scoring position, it helps.” Lindor, who went 1-for-5 with a strikeout and an RBI, started slowly this season and had a brief upturn but has disappointed offensively. Through Saturday, he’s batting .190 with seven homers and 22 RBIs. He also has six stolen bases. “I just want to help the team,” Lindor said, referring to the move to leadoff. “Hopefully, it’s the start of something that is going to help us trend in the right direction and just stick to that. Ultimately, it comes down to winning. I don’t care where we hit.” Swap moves Lindor to top of the order, Nimmo No. 3

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com 76 By Greg Joyce For a stretch of eight games over the past week, Juan Soto looked merely human. He spent Saturday afternoon looking more like Juan Soto while supporting his pitcher, who did not look mortal, either. Soto crushed a pair of home runs in a four-hit game and Luis Gil struck out a career-high 14 in a dazzling performance as the Yankees cruised to their sixth straight win with a 6-1 drubbing of the White Sox in The Bronx. On a day when Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Trevino also homered, the Yankees (32-15) were led by their two stud 25-year-olds to clinch a 12th series victory in their first 15 chances for the sixth time in franchise history. “It was a fun day,” Soto said after going 4-for-4 with a walk, three RBIs and his first multihomer game as a Yankee. “More than happy to get the win and see Gil doing his thing.” During his six innings of work, Gil at one point fanned seven straight batters and ended up striking out nine of the final 10 batters he faced. The righthander overpowered the lowly White Sox (14-32) with a fastball that hit 100 mph and a changeup that routinely fooled hitters, lowering his ERA to 2.39 in nine starts as Gerrit Cole’s injury replacement. “He has the stuff to do that, so it doesn’t surprise me,” Trevino said. “He’s just got to keep attacking the zone like that with everything.” Gil’s gem, which broke Orlando Hernandez’s Yankees rookie record for strikeouts in a game, continued a suffocating stretch for the rotation. Yankees starters have allowed just two earned runs over their past six starts (spanning 39 innings), fueling the club’s season-high winning streak. Soto — 144 days younger than Gil — made sure the emerging starter had plenty of run support, clobbering 854 feet in home runs. The star right fielder had been quiet of late, batting 4-for-31 in his last eight games before Saturday, but busted out of it in a big way. Friday afternoon, Soto was out on the field to work on his swing in early batting practice. He went out that night and was 1-for-4 with a double and two hard-hit outs, which manager Aaron Boone called a “prelude” to Saturday. “Trying to find that feeling again where I was hitting the ball in the first month,” Soto said. “Getting that feeling back and just get that confidence back on.” Asked if he found that feeling, Soto grinned and sheepishly replied, “I think so.” He now has 11 home runs on the year, joining Aaron Judge (12) and Stanton (11) to form a three-headed monster. Both of Soto’s home runs Saturday were absolute no-doubters to right field off White Sox righthander Brad Keller. The first one tied the game in the bottom of the first inning, before his second blast made it 6-1 in the fifth inning. In between, he added an RBI single in the second inning that put the Yankees up 4-1. Gil’s only trouble came in the first inning when he threw 29 pitches and gave up an early run on some soft contact. He didn’t feel as comfortable with his fastball in the opening frame, but locked it in after that and went on cruise control while mowing down the White Sox. Gil’s 14 strikeouts tied the MLB high for a single game this season as he became just the 11th pitcher in franchise history to fan at least 14 in a game, the first one to do it since Cole in 2022. Of course, if not for Cole’s injury, Gil would have opened the season in Triple-A. Instead, he pounced on the opportunity and has spent the time since impressing the Yankees with his maturation and increased focus, allowing him to co-star with Soto on a day like Saturday. “It’s really nice to see a guy like that, seeing that electric fastball 98-99, it’s incredible,” Soto said. “He’s just unbelievable.” [email protected] Yankees 6 White Sox 1 Boxscore Page 62 INJURY REPORT UP NEXT MONDAY: vs. Mariners, 7:05 p.m., YES, WFAN TBD vs. TBD TUESDAY: vs. Mariners, 7:05 p.m., YES, WFAN TBD vs. TBD 2024 stats: 4-2, 3.31 ERA Career vs. CWS: First start Last start: Tue., at MIN 6 IP, 1 ER, 6 K LHP Carlos Rodon PITCH BREAKDOWN 55% Fastball 24% Slider 10% Cutter 2024 stats: 2-3, 4.46 ERA Career vs. NYY: 0-0, 6.00 ERA Last start: Tue., vs. WAS 4.2 IP, 7 H, 3 ER RHP Chris Flexen PITCH BREAKDOWN 39% Fastball 23% Cutter 15% Change vs. White Sox Sunday, 1:35 p.m., YES, WFAN (660 AM, 101.9 FM) ON DECK n Gerrit Cole (elbow nerve inflammation) threw a 40-pitch bullpen session Saturday, his first one that simulated two innings. If he recovers well, he face live BP early next week. n Tommy Kahnle (shoulder) is set to make his fifth rehab appearance Sunday with Double-A Somerset, which could be his last before rejoining the Yankees. Soto homers twice, Gil fans 14 as Yankees put beatdown on Chisox Cole could face live batting practice next week By Greg Joyce Gerrit Cole is starting to feel the itch as he continues to build his rehab workload. The Yankees ace took his latest step Saturday, throwing a 40-pitch bullpen session that was the equivalent of two innings after his first four sessions involved just one. Cole threw 20 pitches, sat for a few minutes and then threw 20 more, with Oswaldo Cabrera and Jahmai Jones standing in without swinging. Assuming he recovers well from Saturday, Cole’s next step could be facing hitters in live batting practice for the first time since he was shut down in March with elbow nerve inflammation and edema. “That’s certainly a possibility early next week,” Cole told The Post. The reigning AL Cy Young winner did not want to get too far ahead of himself — he still has a ways to go and more boxes to check off before he could return by late June or early July — but his excitement about his progress and how he has been feeling physically was evident. “Today was a really good day,” Cole said. “Today was a lot of fun. Got a couple stand-ins in. Was able to bump the [velocity] a little bit.” After a session in which his fastball velocity sat in the low 90s and he threw all his pitches, Cole indicated things were beginning to feel more real as he ups his workload. “It’s starting to come,” he said. Pitching coach Matt Blake said he can sense Cole starting to champ at the bit. Blake said the next step would either be facing hitters or repeating the two-up bullpen session, depending on how Cole bounces back from Saturday. More Yankees / Page 69

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com77 Righty reminiscent of El Duque in ’98 I t IS forgotten to time that the Yankees did not pursue Orlando Hernandez with the fervor that they had his half-brother, Livan, in 1996. And that Hideki Irabu was greeted with way more fanfare in 1997 than El Duque would be a year later. After all, Hernandez had been banned from Cuban baseball because authorities were worried he would defect like Livan. Thus, El Duque had not pitched for more than a year when the Yankees signed him in March 1998 to a four-year, $6.6 million contract. It is why, when he finally did arrive two months into what already was feeling like a magical season, Hernandez became kind of a gift out of nowhere. He was poised in a way that Irabu was not. He possessed a bevy of pitches and arm angles. He helped make an exceptional team historic. He threw out the first pitch Saturday and then watched as another gift out of nowhere named Luis Gil broke his Yankee rookie strikeout record with 14, topping the 13 that Hernandez produced on Aug. 13, 1998. It all felt magical in a season beginning to have that pinstriped tinge. And when I saw El Duque outside the Yankee clubhouse after they had won their sixth straight, 6-1 over the White Sox, he unsolicitedly offered: “Wow, Luis Gil, he’s special.” Indeed. There are many reasons why the Yankees are an AL-best 32-15. They are a machine performing at a high level in every area. On Saturday, for example, there seemed to be no discernible difference between where Yankees batting practice ended and White Sox starter Brad Keller began. He faced 21 batters in four innings and 10 smashed the ball 100 mph or harder. Three were by Juan Soto, who had two of the Yankees’ four homers and an RBI single. Oh, by the way, Soto is four months younger than Gil. Two came via Giancarlo Stanton, whose revival tour produced a double and a homer and, thus, a fourth straight two-hit game. Nick Burdi and Dennis Santana combined to retire nine of 10 batters to drive the second-best pen ERA down to 2.54. But let’s not forget how the Yankees and every one of their fans felt on March 16 when it was announced that Gerrit Cole was being shut down with elbow pain. Or even after the “good news” that it was just nerve irritation, but that the ace would miss a minimum of two months and likely more. Cole was viewed as the club’s most indispensable player, such was the concern about the health and/or temperament of the other rotation members. That group, though, has been brilliant. Gil, Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt and Marcus Stroman comprise the lone rotation in the majors that has five players qualified for the ERA title — and each member’s ERA-plus is 110 or better. The rotation’s 3.00 ERA is third-best in the majors. But here is the thing — Gil is the gift from nowhere. He did not pitch last season after Tommy John surgery. He left the Yankees and vowed to return a better version, notably improving his strength. He was part of the first Yankee cutdown in spring on March 3. But he redoubled his efforts to prove he belonged. Scouts gushed with each spring outing. Still, the bar was low to replace Cole. Except he has basically been Cole. In winning the Cy Young last year, Cole had a 2.63 ERA. Gil is at 2.39. He is second in the majors in batting average against (.154) and fifth in strikeouts per nine innings (11.39). And if there is one quality he seems to share with Hernandez, it is an unflappable nature. Andrew Benintendi hit an excuse-me, check-swing RBI double with two outs in the first and then Paul DeJong walked to load the bases. Pitching coach Matt Blake came out to remind Gil to stay in his mechanics. Jose Trevino reasserted that Gil was throwing the ball great. Anthony Rizzo served as hype man to pump up the righty. The Twins had traded Gil as a 19-yearold in March 2018 for spare outfielder Jake Cave because they believed he was a twopitch pitcher (fastball/slider) with control problems or the profile of a reliever. But part of Gil’s determination to improve has been to add a high-end changeup, and the pitch whisperer, Trevino, called for it four straight times against Korey Lee before Gil froze the White Sox catcher with 97 mph to escape the bases-loaded conundrum. Want signs of not flustering? That dropped opponents to 2-for-27 this year against Gil with runners in scoring position. Want signs of continuing growth? After the first inning, Gil had just one more three-ball count and no walks. He threw a first-pitch strike to 12 of 18 hitters between the second and sixth innings and got ahead 0-2 or 1-2 on 10, plus struck out seven straight from the fourth to sixth innings. That helped the Yankees hold an opponent to one run or fewer for a fifth straight game — tied for the longest streak by the team since six in a row from Sept. 24-30, 1978, when the Yankees were finishing off one of the greatest comebacks ever. This club is playing from in front, leading the AL East. There are many reasons why. None bigger than the gift from nowhere named Luis Gil. [email protected] Joel Sherman BIG EFFORTS IN THE BRONX: Juan Soto discards his bat after hitting a solo home run during the first inning Saturday. The slugger went 4-for-4 on the day while Luis Gil (inset) struck out 14 — breaking Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez’s team rookie record of 13. Robert Sabo (2)

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com 78 9 76-1313. Hard for some of us to forget that number. Some recall it with a thin, crooked smile and perhaps a short shake of the head, while others must awaken to it in a trembling sweat. That was the number of Sports Phone — for better, worse, richer or poorer and in sickness and in health. It was the stop locals made to get the very latest — as in “incoming!” — news, scores, Sports Phone Quiz and, most significantly, to check their gambling action. Sports Phone was pay radio, 10 cents a shot. The authors of a wonder-filled new book on the operation and the operators estimate that in 1979 Sports Phone was part of a system that received 271 million calls at an average revenue of 6 cents per call that netted the phone company over $16 million. The authors of “976-1313: How Sports Phone Launched Careers and Broke New Ground,” (Press Pass Chronicles, 450 pages) are Sports Phone alum Howie Karpin, now a noted senior official scorer of local MLB games, and sportswriter/statistician Scott Orgera. Put simply, not until the cell phone explosion that began 35 years ago was there a more immediate option for immediate info than Sports Phone — oddly enough inspired in some part by the “Dial Santa” sell of the 1960s. It seemed as if Sports Phone played a recurring role in my life on Saturday nights, when we were most likely to be dining out with close friends — two of whom I knew to be seriously afflicted with sports gambling mental disorders. At these dinners, one or both of my friends would often excuse themselves then disappear. Urinary tract infections? “Where do they keep going?” was the frequent question from the wives. I knew. They were headed for a pay phone to track their action, especially on Saturdays around 7 p.m., as late afternoon college football and basketball scores accumulated. One of those close friends, on the verge of suicide having lost his business to gambling, sought help and is now in full recovery. He made it. The other is in the wind — his home, family, career and presumably his mind lost to missed free throws and goal line fumbles. And I knew another — a kid fresh out of college — would make five-time or $25 bets then spend 2 bucks in dimes calling Sports Phone. The book is replete with anecdotes, incidents and accidents. Sports Phone is where young, perspiring sports broadcasters and sports production gizmo savants made their entry-level premieres for entry-level peanuts. John Giannone, now an MSG Network regular after sports-writing gigs at The Post and News, made his baby bones at Sports Phone. In the book he recalls this: “I was volunteered for a Toys ‘R’ Us promo we were making because I had easily the highest-pitched voice. “I went onto the booth and said, ‘Hi, boys and girls, this is Geoffrey the Giraffe from Toys ‘R’ Us. Visit me at the Willowbrook Mall this coming Saturday!’ “And I’m like, wow, I’m getting paid $7 an hour to be Geoffrey the Giraffe.” And Orgera and Karpin recall that a very young Kenny Albert “owned” the Sports Phone “Quickie Quiz” as he was so often correct. The names that traveled to and through Sports Phone are a roster of those who hustled their ways in and then up: Nets radio voice Chris Carrino, Rich Ackerman, hockey savant Jim Cerny, ESPN’s Linda Cohn, radio regular Pat Harris, horse-racing maven Mike Farrell, Gordon Damer, Jack Curry, Don La Greca, SNY/Mets Gary Cohen, FDNY Captain Tony Matteo, Fox’s Brian Kilmeade, WFAN’s Peter Schwartz, Chris Russo’s SiriuxXM producer/sidekick Steve Torre and the ever-present “King Wally” — Mike Walczewski, soon to become the longtime courtside public announcer at Knicks games. There’s even a chapter, including copies of legal documents, that led to the conviction of noted Lufthansa caper thief and mobster Henry Hill (portrayed by Ray Liotta in the 1990 classic movie “Goodfellas”) based in part on 1978 calls to Sports Phone. Then there were the rude awakenings, such as the one told by Sports Phone alum Charlie DeNatale when dispatched to spring training to gather players’ sound bytes. Upon approaching Reggie Jackson and asking for a minute of his time, DeNatale took one for the Sports Phone team as he was treated to all the legendary sweetness in one of Jackson’s candy bars with, “Why the f--- would I want to talk to you?” “976-1313” — drop a few dimes to read it. Good stuff. Last week Mets’ radio man Keith Raad said Mets fans gave a “tongue-in-cheek” cheer to a reliever for finally throwing a strike. Always in search of the derivation of expressions, I looked into tongue-in-cheek to find that it may have been first read in French, in the 1740s, as an expression of contempt and sarcasm. In the next century it was taken as an act that “suppressed mirth or laughter.” Best one of the week, though, was Bryce Harper, out as he’s “under the weather.” That came from the large wooden days when sickly sailors and passengers were sent below decks to recover, thus were placed “under the weather.” ➤Famous hippie days and beyond FM DJ Dick Summer died last week at 89. Anyone remember weekend nights playing Summer’s “Mouth vs. Ear,” a clean, pleasant and engrossing quiz show for the thoughtful? [email protected] Clichés get old-school Serena to sully ESPYs ESPN’s relentlessly antithetical grasp and presentation of sports continues to challenge intelligent fans to pander with the network from the discomfort of their own homes. >>>>> Last week the Disney network proudly announced that this year’s ESPY’s — a sports awards show stuck in backward since its debut — will be hosted by Serena Williams. That’s right, the easily disliked Serena Williams — known as a rotten winner, a worse loser; a vulgar, threatening tantrumtosser and self-entitled presence whose departures from tournaments please those assigned to please her. All of the above ESPN has for years ignored, excused, rationalized or even applauded as evidence of her admirable character, only evidence to the contrary available. Thus she’s perfect for what ESPN is and what the ESPY’s have been allowed to become. Perhaps she can present the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award — named for the humanitarian who publicly belittled gentleman champ Floyd Patterson, racially mocked Joe Frazier as a “gorilla” and popularized name-calling and trash talk for generations of kids to mimic. Williams, also portrayed by ESPN as a courageous social activist, clammed up when ESPN fired Doug Adler for the hideous lie that he called her sister, Venus, “a gorilla” when he had so clearly admired her “guerilla” tactics. The Williams Sisters allowed an innocent man to be ruined for life, destroyed as a racist based on an abundantly bogus claim. Small wonder the sleeping woke at ESPN have so transparently encouraged the network to become a paradise self-destroyed. EQUAL TIME Phil Mushnick This is Sports Phone! We’ve got scores galore!

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com79 By Mark Cannizzaro LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In the end, maybe Scottie Scheffler was simply gassed after his stressful Friday. The world’s No. 1 ranked player shot a 2-over-par 73 in Saturday’s third round of the PGA Championship — one day after his controversial arrest — and fell out of contention at 7-under, seven shots out of the tournament lead. For Scheffler, it was his first round over par after posting 42 consecutive rounds of par or better and not shooting over par all season. “It was a tough day,’’ he said. “I got off to a tough start. Way too many mistakes. I’m obviously pretty frustrated with the result. I definitely did not feel like myself today. Yesterday happened, and I did my best to recover from it. “This morning was definitely not my usual routine for a round. I came out here hoping to have a good round and didn’t get it done. I’ll come back again tomorrow.” At the very least, this week was going to test Scheffler’s concentration and patented unflappability. The PGA, after all, was his first tournament in a month, and the week after his wife, Meredith, gave birth to their first child, Bennett, on May 8. Then came Scheffler’s stunning arrest on his way onto the Valhalla grounds early Friday morning, an incident he called a “big misunderstanding’’ that “will be handled quickly.’’ Adding to that stress is this: Following Scheffler’s second round Friday, his caddie, Ted Scott, one of the rocks on his team, left town to attend his daughter’s high school graduation, leaving the world’s No. 1 player with a replacement caddie. Replacing Scott — who’s been on Scheffler’s bag for all of his wins, including his two Masters victories — was Brad Payne. Payne is the PGA Tour chaplain, who happens to have done some caddying on the PGA Tour with Paul Stankowski, and is a close friend of Scheffler’s. Scott was expected back late Saturday in time to be back on the bag for Sunday’s final round. “That’s something we talked about from the beginning of our relationship was family always comes first, and it’s the same thing for me as it is for my caddie,’’ Scheffler said before the tournament. “It was a pretty easy decision. He told me at the beginning of this year that that was the date that it was, so I got a backup caddie lined up.” Payne, who played college golf at Pepperdine, joined Scheffler during his warm-up Friday after Scheffler arrived. He was with him after his round on the practice range and on his bag during the Saturday round. Whether having a different caddie was a big difference, Scheffler struggled early in his third round. Saturday was actually the kind of round you might have expected out of Scheffler on Friday in the aftermath of his arrest and jail saga. Scheffler, completely out of character, came undone on the front nine of his third round. He double-bogeyed the second hole after hitting his tee shot into a bunker and following it with a poor second shot from sand. He then bogeyed the par-3 third. It got worse on the fourth hole, a short drivable par-4 that players have been eating for lunch this week. Scheffler hit his tee shot far left, across a cart path and on the wrong side of a fence. That forced him to take a penalty drop, and on his third shot Scheffler chunked his chip, leaving it in the rough well short of the green. His second chip, his fourth shot, ran some 10 feet past the hole, and he made that putt to save bogey. But the damage was done. In a span of four holes, Scheffler went from beginning his round at 9-under and three shots out of the lead to 5-under and seven shots off the lead. From there, he spent the day trying to play catch-up. falling back: Scottie Scheffler and replacement caddie Brad Payne assess things on the sixth green Saturday. Payne subbed for Scheffler’s regular caddie, Ted Scott, who was attending his daughter’s high school graduation. Getty Images By Mark Cannizzaro LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The local hero isn’t out of it. Justin Thomas, the Louisville native who’s being figuratively carried around Valhalla by the roars of the home crowd, is 10-under par entering Sunday’s final round, five shots out of the lead after shooting 67 on Saturday. “It’s been more enjoyable than anything I really thought or could have imagined,’’ Thomas said of playing in front of home crowds. “I mean, I’m very, very excited for [Sunday], and it should be a lot of fun. But I’m pretty bummed that the week is almost over. Just enjoy [Sunday] as much as I can and see what happens. “I feel like I have done the most important part of putting myself at least within striking distance, and I’m going to need a really good front nine [Sunday] to work my way in the mix. I feel like I’m fully capable of that of how I’m playing, and it would be nice to have a chance there on the back nine.’’ Thomas came from seven shots back entering the final round of the 2022 PGA at Southern Hills to win his second Wanamaker Trophy, defeating Will Zalatoris in a playoff. So, he knows it’s possible. ➤A year ago, Michael Block captivated the golf world as a club pro making big noise in the PGA Championship. Block finished his magical week tied for 15th, and that got him into this year’s field. He missed the cut Friday. Two club pros among the 21 who started the tournament, though, made the cut and are playing the weekend — Braden Shattuck and Jeremy Wells. This is just the third time in the past 15 years that multiple club pros made the cut. Rob Labritz, from Glen Arbor, Mich., Marty Jertson and Ryan Vermeer did it in 2019 at Bethpage Black. Ben Cook and Brad Marek did it in 2021 at Kiawah Island. Shattuck, the director of instruction at Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Pa., made the cut after missing last year in his first PGA Championship appearance. He’s an amazing story, having had to rebuild his swing due to a car accident in 2019, herniating two disks in his back and being unable to swing a golf club for two years. Shattuck won the 2023 PGA Professional Championship to play at Oak Hill, missing the cut. “That’s something you take a lot of pride in,” Shattuck said of making his first PGA cut. “It’s nice to represent the PGA of America out here.” He played his third round with S.H. Kim and Stephan Jaeger. Wells, who was 2-under to start the day, is the director of player development at Cypress Lake Golf Club in Fort Myers, Fla. He finished his second round Saturday morning after play was suspended due to darkness Friday. “We woke our kids up at 4:30 to get to the golf course,” Wells said. “We were in blankets in the clubhouse. Yeah, didn’t sleep very well but it wasn’t the first time I felt that way. Fortunately, I got to play 8 and 9 this morning, which are kind of normal holes here. But even still, I knew I was going to have to stand over a couple 3-footers.” ➤Entering Saturday, Scottie Scheffler had shot even-par or better in each of his past 42 official rounds on the PGA Tour. That’s 10 rounds shy of Tiger Woods’ record of 52. ➤Englishman Justin Rose, who shot up the leaderboard Saturday, has had great success in the PGA despite not having won it. The 43-year-old Rose finished tied for ninth last year at Oak Hill, tied for 13th in 2022 at Southern Hills, tied or eight in 2021 at Kiawah Island and was ninth in 2020 at Harding Park. Over the past 40 years, just two players had five consecutive top-15 finishes at the PGA Championship: Brooks Koepka (six in a row, 2014-19) and Jason Day (five, 2013-17). Thomas enjoying some home-club treatment PGA NOTES

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com 80 By Mark Cannizzaro LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It’s fitting that Valhalla Golf Club is just a 20-minute drive from Churchill Downs, where the Kentucky Derby was run a couple of weeks ago. Sunday’s final round of the PGA Championship will resemble a horse race of the highest order, with some of the thoroughbreds of the sport at the starting gate with a serious chance to win. Xander Schauffele, who’s had piece of the lead after all three rounds, is tied with Collin Morikawa at the top at 15-under par. Schauffele shot a 3-under 68 in Saturday’s third round and Morikawa shot 67. They’re one shot better than Sahith Theegala, who’s 14-under after shooting 67, and two shots clear of Shane Lowry (62), Viktor Hovland (66) and Bryson DeChambeau (67). Justin Rose (64 on Saturday) and Robert McIntyre (66) are three shots off the lead at 12-under. Gentlemen, start your engines. Sorry, wrong sport. Either way, Sunday is almost guaranteed to be a barn burner here in horse country. “There’s blood in the water,’’ Schauffele said, referencing that he was certain players would be coming after him Saturday, as they did. Schauffele, who hasn’t won since 2022 and is seeking his first major championship despite playing extremely well in them during his career, called Sunday “another Sunday,’’ as if he was trying to talk himself into not feeling the nerves in the gravity of the moment. Schauffele is one week removed from looking like he was going to go wire-to-wire and win the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow … only to have it ripped from him by a remarkable Rory McIlroy final round. Asked if he’d rather be the player chasing on a Sunday or the player being chased, Schauffele said, “You want the lead. Against these guys, you want as many shots as you can possibly take, no matter how nervewracking it can be.’’ Schauffele leaked a couple of those precious strokes away on the 15th hole Saturday with a damaging double bogey that turned into a three-shot swing with Morikawa carding birdie on the hole to take the lead at 14-under at the time. Morikawa is seeking his third career major championship, having won the 2020 PGA and the 2021 British Open. Like Schauffele, though, he’ll walk to the first tee with demons he’ll need to put to rest. Morikawa was in contention at the Masters last month, with a real chance to win, and he shot 74 in the final round with debilitating double bogeys on Nos. 9 and 11. He conceded afterward that he got “greedy’’ on 11 trying to hit the green and rinsing his ball in Rae’s Creek instead of playing it more conservatively. “I’m going to tap in to just kind of that mental state I’ve been in, not only those two [wins in majors], but in other tournaments I’ve played well in,’’ Morikawa said. “Tomorrow is just going to put everything I have out there and see how it plays out.’’ Morikawa sounded a lot like Schauffele when he talked about his plan for Sunday. “I’ve just got to be focused on myself,’’ he said. “Look, I’ve played against all these guys. It’s not like any of these guys are new. They all have their accolades within themselves, and really anyone can go low. Everything that I’ve gone through over the past couple years, I’m ready for these moments. A month ago, I felt like I was ready. Made a couple errors. Tomorrow, hopefully, we’re not.’’ Hovland, who was overwhelmed by Koepka last year at Oak Hill, called having another chance at the Wanamaker Trophy a year later “exciting.’’ “Obviously, this is one of the big four that we try to win,’’ Hovland, seeking his first major, said. “It’s cool history, cool trophy. Everything about it is super special.’’ The 15th hole was pivotal late on Saturday. Theegala chipped in for birdie on 15. Schauffele doubled it while Morikawa birdied it. Theegala said he’ll enter Sunday with “no expectations.’’ “Try to have fun,’’ he said. “You never know how many chances you’re going to get. There’s a bunch of guys that are just absolute world-beaters [with] major championships ahead of me and behind me. I’ll be nervous, and it’s going to be great to embrace those nerves because it’s a feeling you don’t get often.’’ DeChambeau, who put an exclamation point on his round with a chip-in for eagle on the 18th hole, is also embracing the moment. “Exhilarating,’’ was DeChambeau’s description of the shot. “I haven’t felt like that in a long time. The only other time I felt like it was when I shot 58 at Greenbrier last year. That was pretty exciting there. I was pretty pumped. I’ve got a good chance.’’ A lot of guys have a good chance, which makes this a can’t-miss race to watch. The PGA Championship Valhalla Golf Club Louisville, Ky. THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD Xander Schauffele -15 Collin Morikawa -15 Sahith Theegala -14 Shane Lowry -13 Viktor Hovland -13 Bryson DeChambeau -13 Justin Rose -12 Robert MacIntyre -12 Notables Justin Thomas -10 Tony Finau -10 Jordan Spieth -8 Rory McIlroy -8 Scottie Scheffler -7 Brooks Koepka -4 Rickie Fowler -3 Patrick Cantlay -2 Dustin Johnson -1 ON THE AIR 10 a.m.-1 p.m., ESPN; 1-7 p.m., CBS (Additional coverage on ESPN+) FORE-CAST 89 degrees, Mostly sunny 9 pct. chance of rain Winds: NNE 7 mph Xander Schauffele AP

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com81 RIDE THE WAVE: Justin Rose congratulates Shane Lowry, who shot a 62 to rocket up the leaderboard, as Rose shot a 64 in the third round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla on Saturday. AP L OUISVILLE, Ky. — Moving day is real. It’s not just some cute, gimmicky saying the PGA Tour came up with as a marketing slogan. It’s real. So, too, is two players playing well in the game group and feeding off each other. Ask Shane Lowry and Justin Rose. Lowry began his third round of the PGA Championship on Saturday at Valhalla tied for 29th and eight shots out of the 36-hole lead. He teed off 1 hour and 39 minutes before the last, lead group. Then he went out and moved up the leaderboard like some of the great horses have on the inside rail at nearby Churchill Downs in Kentucky Derbies past. Lowry, the 37-year-old Irishman, shot 9-under-par 62 and flirted with history, staring at a makeable birdie putt on 18 for a 61, a number that’s never been posted in major championship history. By day’s end, Lowry stood at 13-under par, just two shots behind leaders Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa, in his pursuit of a second career major to go along with his 2019 British Open triumph at Portrush. Alongside Lowry in his threesome was Rose, who shot a 7-under-par 64 to get to 12-under par and in great position to win his second career major championship, to go along with his 2013 U.S. Open win at Merion. Aussie Jason Day was the third wheel in the group. He shot a 2-under-par 69 on Saturday and walked off the course looking as if he’d just been mugged. Thursday and Friday’s first and second rounds are for making the cut, securing weekend tee times and positioning. Saturday’s third round is “moving day.’’ Lowry and Rose moved. Boy, did they move. “I enjoyed every minute of it, obviously,’’ Lowry said. “Probably the most disappointed anyone can ever be shooting 62. I knew what was at stake.’’ The fateful final putt? “I just really wanted to hole it — probably too much,’’ Lowry said. “I kind of stood back and allowed myself to enjoy the moment. It was a pretty cool moment to have. It would have been a pretty cool moment to kind of seal the deal and do it. [I] just didn’t hit the ball hard enough. I had it on a good read and just broke away from the hole.’’ Then, Lowry added, “Look, I went out there with a job to do today, and my job was to try to get myself back in the tournament, and I definitely did that.’’ So, too did Rose, who joked afterward that his round was “pretty average compared to Shane.’’ “I had a weird feeling I was going to shoot 61 today,’’ Rose said. “I kind of felt like it was on. There was good energy out there. You feed off the crowd, too. Crowd were getting interested in the day. They could see me going well. They could see Shane going well. “Once you got a sniff of the leaderboard, the intensity kind of goes up. It keeps you focused and keeps you hungry and keeps pushing you forward.’’ Lowry said his goal entering the day was simple. “I thought if I could get to double digits, that was my plan,’’ he said. “If I could shoot 65, I felt like I’d be there [though] I’d obviously need another at least 65 [Sunday] if I did that. That’s what I wanted to do, but obviously a few better is nice.’’ Both Rose and Lowry are seeking their second career major championship, and they’ll still be coming from behind Sunday as they were on Saturday, but much closer to the lead. “I Still believe in myself, I still believe that I have these opportunities in me [to win] majors for sure,’’ Rose said. “Obviously, you come here the start of every major championship and you know what it means to win one of these,’’ Lowry said. “I’ve been fortunate to do it before. To win one is pretty good, but to win multiple, you’re kind of a bit of a different level. It would mean a lot to me tomorrow.’’ Both players were 5-under-par through the first seven holes and on the move. Same as they’ll have to be on Sunday. “Today was a lot of fun,’’ Rose said. “It felt like we got off to the dream start. Shane and I had the exact same scorecard the first seven holes — we both were 5-under and rolling, and definitely quite aware that making some progress up the leaderboard. “It was,’’ Rose added, “the classic moving day, and job well done.’’ Understatement alert. Mark Cannizzaro Lowry, Rose flirt with history on moving day DRIVE TO WIN: Shane Lowry just missed a record 61 third round on Saturday but missed a makeable birdie on the 18th hole. Getty Images

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com 82 I t’s been a while for a lot of us, so we can be forgiven around these parts if we’d forgotten how excruciating serious postseasons runs can be. And how essential that anguish is to enjoying the ride in full. The Rangers are only halfway there. We don’t know how this all works itself out. But we remember now that these postseasons are defined every bit as much by their punishments as by their payoffs. If you are a Rangers fan, there were all kinds of dark thoughts you were fighting off as the third period began Thursday night in Raleigh, N.C. Suddenly the ’75 Penguins were in play, and the ’04 Yankees, and a few others, that private and pitiable club of teams that surrendered 3-0 leads in best-of-sevens. Suddenly a team that had inspired such rare fearlessness in its fans for seven straight games was inflicting torture on them for a third straight. Until … Chris Kreider. And Kreider again. And Kreider again. And then the empty-netter that wrapped a bow around this funhouse of a hockey night, that sealed a 5-3 win in the game and a 4-2 win in the series, with a couple of free days to let the Bruins and Panthers beat themselves up some more. Maybe this will be as good as it gets for the Rangers. Maybe in two weeks this will all just be a tease. But if it isn’t, if there’s a parade in our future sometime in late June, a million hockey fans basking in the glow of a championship, you will remember Thursday night: the despair, followed by the delight; the grimness, followed by the glee. That’s an integral part of these pathways, after all. Rare are the teams that steamroll their way to the Canyon of Heroes. Would Mets fans have enjoyed 1986 as much if they hadn’t had to endure the 16-inning water torture of Game 6 against the Astros, then the Houdini-like escape in Game 6 against the Red Sox? Probably. But the fact they had to withstand those moments of dread makes the memory — and the retelling of those memories — all the richer. Same with Knicks fans who braved two long nights of waiting to see if Willis Reed would really be able to give it a go in Game 7 against the Lakers in 1970. Same with Rangers fans, who endured a string of character tests in ’94 — the comeback in Game 6 against the Devils, overcoming Valeri Zelepukin’s goal with 7.7 seconds left in regulation in Game 7, blowing Game 5 and 6 in the Final against Vancouver — before carrying the Cup. The Jets always have the wonder of Super Bowl III, but that wouldn’t have been possible without a forever Joe Namath drive capped by a forever Namath strike to Don Maynard in the end zone, bringing them back against the Raiders, late, in the AFL Championship game. The Giants played a splendid game in beating Buffalo in Super Bowl XXV, but never would’ve even gotten on a plane bound for Tampa if not for an improbable, last-second comeback against the Niners a week earlier in San Francisco. Even dynasties require a little spilled blood among the faithful. The 1998 Yankees — as perfect a team as has ever been assembled — had a queasy moment, Game 4 of the ALCS in Cleveland, trailing 2-1 in games, the home team loading the bases with two outs in the first. Then Jim Thome hit a blast off Orlando Hernandez that each of the 44,981 believed was ticketed for the right-field stands and a quick 4-1 Cleveland lead. The ball died on the warning track. And the Yankees survived their crucible. And though the Islanders have a well-earned reputation for being cold-blooded closers during their early-’80s reign, their run nearly ended much faster. In the ’82 opening round, Game 5 against the Penguins, they trailed 3-1 with 5 ¹/₂ minutes left in the third when Mike McEwen and John Tonelli scored to force overtime, and Tonelli added the game winner. It was the only time in that fouryear stretch they faced an elimination game. Without it, they never would’ve reached their shelf in the history books. And look, sometimes — most times — there is no pay out. Sometimes pain is just pain. Sometimes Adam Wainwright drops a perfect curveball on you. Sometimes Flipper Anderson catches the ball. Sometimes Luis Gonzalez plops one over the drawn-in infield. Maybe there’s an imperfect — or even cruel — ending waiting on the Rangers. But maybe not. Steve Sachs: Definitely one for the ages Thursday. Interesting how they’re drawing the parallels to ’94, and there are many. But the difference is that there’s no Messier, with multiple Cups already, leading the way. Getting to the finals, and winning a Cup, we’re going to need Panarin and Zibanejad along with Kreider to lead the way to a place they haven’t been. Vac: Though that’s true, I’d also point out that there was a time Mark Messier hadn’t ever won a Cup either … until he did. Stuart Schimmel: Until further notice, they will be known as “The Mehts,” as no team is any more meh than they are. Vac: Maybe in addition to having alternate jerseys, teams should have alternate nicknames, too. And this would be a good one. @CoachToop: Alec Burks — what a professional is all about! Great seeing him get after it. Knicks are going to need him the rest of the way. Vac: The most stunning development of the postseason was Game 5, the Garden buzzing with anticipation, Deuce-style, and not dread every time he lined up a 3. JR Roberts: Tom Thibodeau is Pat Riley without the fax machine. Vac: For those keeping score at home, that’s actually a compliment! EVERY SUNDAY MIKE VACCARO RESPONDS TO READERS’ QUESTIONS AT [email protected] AND @MIKEVACC ON X Mike Vaccaro [email protected] OPEN MIKE The good news: Edwin Diaz (below) is back! The bad news: Apparently he returned from 2019, and not 2022. ➤ I know this doesn’t put me in the same room with a lot of the cool kids, but I loved “Unfrosted.” If it’s not exactly “Citizen Kane,” it did made me laugh for 90 straight minutes, and there’s something to be said for that. ➤ The Giants’ new uniforms look like what would happen if the two Rock ’Em/Sock ’Em Robots collided at full speed. ➤ It took some negotiating, but I finally found a bartender at the hotel bar in Indianapolis to switch one of the 30 or so TVs away from Caitlin Clark just in time to see Chris Kreider do a little Messier-ing on Thursday night. what a relief! It’s not a lot of fun for fans, or players, to sweat out close games or series in the playoffs. But when a team runs into a rough path, like the Rangers almost blowing a 3-0 series lead on the Hurricanes, when they win, it feels that much better. USA TODAY Sports

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com83 Former Rangers captain Dave Maloney, now an analyst for the team’s ESPN radio broadcasts and also contributes to the MSG Network’s television coverage, takes a timeout for some Stanley Cup playoffs Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby. Q: Do you see similarities to the ’94 team? A: I do. It’s tough to say because as time would go on, Mike Richter’s a U.S. Hall of Famer, Brian Leetch is a Hall of Famer, Mark Messier’s a Hall of Famer, Glenn Anderson’s a Hall of Famer. And you look at [the current] team and you go, “All right, they got a chance with [Igor] Shesterkin, there’s a chance with [Adam] Fox, there’s a chance with [Artemi] Panarin.” If it was left up to the Ranger fans, it could be [Chris] Kreider or maybe the local phenomenon [Matt] Rempe (laugh), he might be a Hall of Famer according to the locals. I do think that this team is a little deeper when it comes to talent. The game has changed, the athlete has changed even from ’94, but I do think there’s more talent. Now is there an Adam Graves? Is that Kreider? Maybe. Is there a Messier? Is that [Jacob] Trouba? Maybe. But it’s tough to compare because those guys actually won it, right? This is more of a group too that’s grown together. That team was taken apart basically at the trade deadline. I think this team is a little more talented, a little deeper skilled. Q: What do you like best about this Rangers team? A: I just really like how they just manage the next game, the next shift, the next period. I remember talking to Peter Laviolette when he was introduced to the media, how he said the attitude was starting today. Q: What is it about Laviolette that has enabled his voice to resonate with this group? A: From my observation, I just think the way he treats people, the way he treats men, the way he treats the families. He’s a real people person. And he’s loyal. Q: Who could be an unsung hero? A: How about Kaapo Kakko? I just think he’s had a hard time figuring out his role, and that line is really effective. But they need a little more offense from them, and I think he’s the guy that has the skill set to be the difference. Q: The Florida Panthers? A: When we were in there at New Year’s, I thought they were the best team in the East. Their top players, they play hard like Carolina, but they have more skill. There’s not a fault line in their lineup. ... I would give the nod to Shesterkin in net, but that’s not a big ole heavy nod. [Sergei] Bobrovsky can play. When you get down to the final four or the final two, boy it becomes a bit of a grindfest. I don’t think it’ll be high scoring. Q: Who scares you? A: [Aleksander] Barkov, [Matthew] Tkachuk, [Sam] Reinhart, [Aaron] Ekblad, [Brandon] Montour, [Sam] Bennett. ... They play as hard as Carolina, but they have a bigger bite. They’re mean. They’ve got some guys that’ll chew your arm off to make a play. They also have guys that have the skill to make a play. Q: How big will home-ice advantage be for the Rangers? A: In a Game 7 at home with Shesterkin, regardless of who they’re playing, I like the Rangers’ chances because of the home ice. If you ask the Rangers in ‘94 how important was Game 7 at the Garden against Vancouver, I think they’d all say pretty damn important. Q: What does it mean to you being the youngest captain in Rangers history? A: It’s a tag that that’s how I get introduced and get recognized as. ... It’s really neat. I can’t believe that after all these years that is still something that I get identified with, and it means a lot to have been part of the history of this franchise, and it means a lot that at one point I was thought to be in the position of Jake Trouba or Mark Messier, or whoever. That’s a great honor. Q: Describe the 1979 semifinal win over the Islanders. A: What comes to mind is how innocent we were and how much fun we had. ’79 was a magical mystery tour. J.D. [John Davidson] was unbelievable. ... Anders Hedberg scored late in Game 5 out at the Coliseum. ... Gresh [Ron Greschner] and [Don] Murdoch score in Game 6. And I remember the headline to The Post: “Rangers whoop it up at Studio 54” (laugh). That might have been our Stanley Cup. Q: Describe losing the Cup Final to the Canadiens. A: Just how abruptly it ends. I’ll never forget flying back on the plane from Montreal going, “Oh man, that’s it?” There was a certain emptiness, that you got there, and all the work ... Q: Three dinner guests? A: Winston Churchill, Muhammad Ali, Willie Nelson. Q: Favorite movie? A: “Shawshank Redemption.” Q: Favorite actor? A: Tom Hanks. Q: Favorite actress? A: Meryl Streep. Q: Favorite singer/entertainer? A: Bob Seger. Q: Favorite meal? A: Peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat. Q: Describe the love affair between the Rangers and Rangers fans. A: Hockey is a very passionate sport. You don’t really realize how passionate it is until you either played it or had a child play it. It’s as simple as it’s the one sport where you go to a locker room and you get dressed together when you’re 6. ... You throw in the innateness of a New Yorker ... this is an emotional city, sometimes you gotta grind it out and get to work. And I just think it’s a perfect match. Q: You would tell Rangers fans that this team is capable of winning the Cup? A: Yes. I would say there’s every reason to believe they have a legitimate shot as any of the teams that are left. If they don’t win, will it be fate? Probably. Because I do think they’re gonna play well enough to give themselves a chance. Q: Your message to fans? A: First of all, stay tuned. And secondly don’t give up irregardless of where you sense this team may be in a game, in a period. Don’t quit on them. Because they have not shown any quit on themselves. MALONEYDave MALON SERBY’S SUNDAY Q&A WITH ... Getty Images FLORIDA PANTHERS NEW YORK RANGERS

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com 84 FLORIDA PANTHERS NEW YORK RANGERS T here is hockey and there are the Rangers. They are preceded around these parts by only the Yankees and Giants. In two years it will be a century. They are a legacy team. But that’s part of the issue, isn’t it? The legacy every Rangers team inherits is 1994, the way that Rangers teams leading up to that exception to the rule inherited the legacy of 1940. The legacy can become a burden. The weight of all those seasons gone wrong can crush teams. It took 54 years last time. It is at 30 now. But what I have learned, and learned again this week, is that the 2023-24 Rangers do not feel weighed down by franchise history. They are not running away from the narrative. Indeed, they are cherishing the opportunity to party like 1994. They want to stand side by side with the team that is etched in the city’s fabric for all time. Mark Messier was loud about the mission when he arrived from Edmonton in 1991. This team’s captain, Jacob Trouba, keeps it more quiet. But in the flush of his team’s emotional Game 6 victory in Carolina on Thursday, you could hear echoes, maybe faint ones but nevertheless, of No. 11 coming out of No. 8’s mouth. “Everyone is aware of history, but I think you can say the same thing about the last team that won the Stanley Cup here, I think there was a bit of a drought,” Trouba told The Post in Raleigh, N.C., after Chris Kreider’s all-time third period. “They took it on and they won. “Someone’s got to do it. You can wait around all day for someone to do it, or you can step up and be that next team. We want to be that team.” The Rangers are preparing for a head-on collision in the conference final with the Puddy Tats of Florida, who are ferocious as opposed to the Candy Canes of Carolina’s relentlessness. This best-of-seven that opens at the Garden on Wednesday will feature high-end hockey. It will be best-on-best. And this will represent the Rangers’ second appearance in the conference final in three years and fifth over the past 13 postseasons beginning with 2012. There is only one other team in the league to advance to the NHL’s final four that many times — Tampa Bay, a conference finalist seven times over that stretch. Of course, the Lightning have a pair of Stanley Cups to show for their success. Of course, the Rangers have none for their failure. I mean, that’s what it is, right? A failure and not a success when you haven’t won in decades again? That’s kind of what the 15-4 record in potential elimination games from 2012-15 reflects, right? It’s kind of like looking into a fun-house mirror. Success would mandate that a numeral smaller than “4” appear on Larry Brooks

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com85 By Dan Martin The last time the Rangers faced the Panthers, their minds were already on the playoffs. After a pair of losses to the top team in the Atlantic, the Rangers broke through at the Garden with a 4-3, shootout win over Florida on March 23. And Vincent Trocheck already saw a series like the upcoming Eastern Conference Final on the horizon. “Two of the better teams in the East,’’ Trocheck said at the time. “These games are huge late in the season. [They] get you geared up for the playoffs. This is the style of hockey that we’re going to need to play. It goes a long way when you’re able to beat these teams.” Now, the Rangers have to do it again, as Florida advanced to the Eastern Conference Final for a second straight season. A year ago, the Panthers beat the Hurricanes to advance to the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to Vegas. Following Friday night’s win, head coach Paul Maurice said, “I think we’re a much better team than when we came in here last year on personnel and experience.” Both teams will soon find out, with Game 1 set for Wednesday night at MSG. Saturday, before his team left Boston to head home to Florida prior to the start of the series, Maurice called this Rangers squad “the best team in the league.” “Just very, very fast, [a] very talented team,” Maurice said. “Dynamic off the rush. They’ve got all the spots. They’re the best team in the league. They’ve got the goaltending, [their] forwards and back end are big and strong, and the forwards are very skilled.” The Rangers are coming off a regular season in which they won the Presidents’ Trophy with a veteran head coach in Peter Laviolette who won a Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006. Maurice has coached in the league even longer than Laviolette and has the most regular-season wins of any coach to have never won a Cup. The two teams have met in the playoffs only once, in 1997, when Florida beat the Rangers in the first round in five games. This time, a trip to the Cup Final is at stake, and the Panthers are coming off a series in which they won all three road games in Boston — including Friday’s series clincher — so they don’t figure to be daunted by the Madison Square Garden crowd. “It’s playoff hockey in New York,’’ Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk said Friday. “It’s a dream. MSG on the road is my favorite rink to play in, just because of the history and everything that has to do with the city of New York.” [email protected] Playoff-tested Panthers are big challenge FLORIDA PANTHERS NEW YORK RANGERS the back end of the equation. The Rangers won the first seven of this tournament, lost Game 4 then pulled a collective no-show in Game 5 at the Garden that seemed as if the team had packed its 30-year drought into 60 minutes. It was like a lot of January and February. It kind of felt like a lot more than that. It felt like it was about everything that had come before it. The Panthers failed to clinch at home against Boston in Game 5, and Dallas failed to clinch at home against Colorado in Game 5 (before both clinching on the road the following match), but there are Rorschach tests all around the Rangers, and when folks saw this Game 5 at the Garden on Tuesday, they could swear they were seeing Games 4, 5 and 7 of last year’s debacle against New Jersey. The Rangers, rather than the Canes, seemed on the verge of extinction in advance of Game 6. They’d lost two potential clinchers. They were being reminded of their history at every opportunity. But it never got to the inside. It never infiltrated the hug, I mean, huddle. “I think I might be somewhat aware of it,” head coach Peter Laviolette said when asked about the history that confronts his team. “Having not been here, I can only tell you the story of what’s gone on this year, what we’ve seen this year from this group. “But understanding a little bit of that history, I’m pretty honest with what I see in a game, and I thought we played a pretty good game in Game 4 and were way off the mark in Game 5. At that point, maybe what you’re saying can sneak it or slide in. “But instead, when we had our backs against the wall going into that third period, the players in that room delivered against a pretty good hockey team.” There is trust within this team. They have earned a fair measure of trust, as well. Institutionally, the franchise has not earned the benefit of the doubt. But this team has. It did all season. The 2023-24 Rangers are not prisoners of their past. I asked Mika Zibanejad, a Ranger since 2016 and second in seniority only to Kreider, if he did feel burdened by the weight of history, and he answered the way Adam Graves or Steve Larmer or Brian Leetch would have back in their day. “Obviously you see it, you hear people talk about it, but I don’t think it’s a burden, it’s more of a motivation to want to experience what they did,” No. 93 said in speaking directly to 1994. “Seeing all the videos, seeing everything, just hearing people talk about it ... “Everyone knows where they were at that moment — what they were doing, what they were eating, what they were drinking [when the Rangers won the Cup]. So it’s something that everyone in here wants to experience. “We know it’s a hard road to get there, a long way still, but it’s definitely motivation for us.” There is hockey and there are the Rangers. They count in this city. They are an Original Six. They are a legacy team. The 2023-24 Rangers are determined to create a legacy of their own. lbrooks @nypost .com EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL Wed.: at Rangers, 8 p.m., ESPN Fri.: at Rangers, 8 p.m., ESPN May 26: at Panthers, 3 p.m., ABC May 28: at Panthers, 8 p.m., ESPN May 30*: at Rangers, 8 p.m., ESPN June 1*: at Panthers, 8 p.m., ABC June 3*: at Rangers, 8 p.m., ESPN * if necessary Rangers vs. Panthers Obviously you see it, you hear people talk about it, but I don’t think it’s a burden, it’s more of a motivation to want to experience what they did. — Mika Zibanejad (right) on the 1994 Rangers GETTING WARMER: Rangers players shook hands with members of the Hurricanes after winning the series in six games. Two more series victories and they will hoist the Stanley Cup like Mark Messier did 30 years earlier (left). Jason Szenes; Getty Images N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com 86 INDIANA PACERS NEW YORK KNICKS By PETER BOTTE Oh gee, or a sentiment far saltier, the Knicks sure could use OG Anunoby right about now. With Josh Hart joining the growing list of injured rotation regulars, Anunoby is going to try to play in Sunday’s Game 7 against the Pacers after missing the past four games with a hamstring injury suffered in Game 2 against the Pacers. Both Anuboby and Hart (abdominal strain) were listed as questionable Saturday on the official injury report the Knicks submitted to the NBA. ESPN had reported Saturday that Anunoby already had been ruled out for Game 7, but a source said the twoway wing will go through a closed walk-through before the 3:30 p.m. tip-off before it’s determined whether he will play. The Knicks have posted a massive .839 winning percentage (26-5, playoffs included) with Anunoby in the lineup this season, which would extrapolate to 68.8 wins over an 82- game slate if maintained. The 26-year-old Anunoby easily was the boldest trade acquisition of Leon Rose’s tenure as team president, but the 2023 All-Defensive team selection hasn’t been able to shake his preceding reputation of often being unavailable since the lateDecember trade that sent former first-round picks RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to the Raptors. Anunoby has been listed as day-today for more than 10 days since suffering his latest injury, and that was after he’d also missed 32 games in two stints due to an elbow issue that required surgery in February. Anunoby averaged roughly 59 appearances over his previous five seasons with Toronto; he also was unavailable for the Raptors’ postseason championship run in 2019 due to an appendectomy. He clearly was hobbled right away by this hamstring issue after a drive to the basket in Game 2. The Knicks are facing their most important home game in nearly three decades, their first Game 7 at MSG since the Patrick Ewing finger-roll loss against Indiana in 1995. Anunoby has not spoken to the media since he was injured. Thibodeau only has issued minor updates, such as a resumption of “light workouts” before Game 5 earlier this week in New York. After Friday’s game, a tight-lipped Thibodeau said Anunoby’s status was “whatever medical says,” but when asked what “medical” has told him, he responded only with “he’s day-to-day.” Even if he doesn’t play Sunday, if the Knicks win, it’s still a possibility that Anunoby could be back to open the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics on Tuesday in Boston. Either way, the organization must decide this summer whether to lavish a long-term contract on Anunoby, who can become an unrestricted free agent if he declines a 2024-25 option worth $19.9 million by the June 24 deadline. Assuming he opts out, the Knicks can offer him the most money while using his Bird Rights to exceed the salary cap. Last summer, Anunoby notably broke ties with Klutch Sports to join CAA — Rose’s former agency — and one of his listed reps is Sam Rose, Leon’s son. Walk-through to see if OG can play in Game 7

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com87 By BRIAN LEWIS Heart and soul. Heart of the team. All the various plays and puns on Josh Hart’s surname have rung true all season. Now he’ll try to gut through the Knicks’ latest injury and save their postseason. Hart is very much in doubt for Sunday’s decisive Eastern Conference semifinal Game 7 at the Garden with an injury that forced him out of Game 6. He didn’t speak to reporters Friday and was officially listed Saturday afternoon as questionable with a strained abdominal. “Knowing him, he’ll do whatever to play,” Isaiah Hartenstein said. “If his leg’s not falling off, he’ll do whatever to play.” For the Knicks, seeing their iron man finally break down was both shocking Friday and scary for Sunday. Already injury-riddled, they can’t afford to lose another body, much less the most reliable one they have. Hart has played in 93 of 94 possible games for the Knicks this season, and logged four complete games already in the postseason — including a 53-minute master class in Game 5 of the first round against Philadelphia and back-to-back 48- minute efforts to open this second-round series against Indiana. His 142 rebounds tied Nikola Jokic for first in the playoffs, and his 511 minutes logged — including 144 straight at one point — lead all players by a huge margin. But will Hart log any more? If he’s absent or compromised, it could force Alec Burks and Jericho Sims into duty. “I would assume he’s going to play,” Jalen Brunson said. “It’s Game 7.” The injury occurred fighting for a rebound less than midway through the first quarter Friday. Hart asked out and went back to stretch, putting heating pads on the left side of his abdomen. Trainers put kinesio-style tape on him and he went back in, only to finally ask out for good with 9:53 left in the game. Hart managed to pull down eight boards, but he was clearly compromised. He usually plays marathon minutes at a sprinter’s pace, and, at just 6-foot-4, guarded Pascal Siakam. He’s even shot 40 percent from deep after struggling all season from behind the arc. But Hart wasn’t his active aggressive self Friday. With the Knicks already forced to play small without Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby, Indiana targeted a compromised Hart. They shot 14-of-20 against him as the primary defender, per ESPN. With Miles McBride already thrust into the lineup due to Anunoby’s injury, Precious Achiuwa would likely start at power forward if Hart can’t play. That would move Burks and Sims into a seven-man rotation. “Him asking out is not a good sign,” McBride said. “But I think he’ll bounce back.” [email protected] Hart’s status up in air with ailing abdominal Gut punch: Josh Hart is officially listed as questionable for Game 7 with an abdominal strain. Jason Szenes INDIANA PACERS NEW YORK KNICKS Testing, testing: Knicks two-way threat OG Anunoby, who suffered a hamstring injury during Game 2 against the Pacers, is listed as questionable for Sunday’s winner-take-all contest. A source said the starting wing will go through a walk-through before the 3:30 p.m. tipoff despite a report that he has already been ruled out. N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg By STEFAN BONDY It could be Obi’s Revenge. Roughly a year after his heated argument with Tom Thibodeau in Miami and getting traded for peanuts to Indiana, Obi Toppin is returning to MSG as a player the depleted Knicks could’ve used and with a chance to eliminate his former team before hitting free agency. The 26-year-old forward has been a strong presence off the bench for the Pacers, averaging an efficient 11 points on 60.5 percent shooting while intermittently supplying the series with between-the-legs breakaway jams. Once a Knicks fan favorite for those same moves in orange and blue, Toppin has been mostly booed lightly during his appearances this series at MSG. The three-year stint and subsequent breakup, after all, wasn’t totally harmonious. After being drafted eighth by the Knicks in 2020 — four spots ahead of his Indiana teammate, Tyrese Haliburton — Toppin was supposed to represent the team’s power forward of the future. Instead, Julius Randle unexpectedly emerged as an All-Star and Toppin was relegated to inconsistent reserve minutes. A boiling point was reached during last year’s Eastern Conference semis when Toppin and Thibodeau engaged in a heated altercation after Game 4 in Miami. The context was a long frustration from Toppin over his role. After he was dealt for a couple of future second-round picks, Toppin was hopeful for more consistency with the Pacers. He also had a chance to boost his value as a 2024 restricted free agent. “It’s nothing personal,” Toppin told The Post a few months after the trade. “It’s just the business side of things. Obviously, I was upset at times but you got to get past that. “It’s definitely super hard,” added Toppin about being pulled from games quickly by Thibodeau because of mistakes. “For me, being in the game, being in live games, it’s easier to say you can mess up on something and get better from it than it would be in practice. If you don’t play, you don’t get through your mistakes and you don’t learn.” Toppin was also pulled from the Pacers’ starting lineup during the regular season, but finished with career highs in minutes (21.1), points (10.3), fieldgoal percentage (57.3 percent) and rebounds (3.9). More relevant to the Knicks’ current conundrum, Toppin was healthy while playing 82 games. He’s part of a bench that is outscoring New York’s in the series by a wide margin. With the Knicks so shorthanded — especially with Randle out, plus Josh Hart and OG Anunoby listed as questionable — Toppin would’ve probably played heavy minutes if he stuck around. He’s trying to eliminate the Knicks instead. [email protected] Obi’s chance to come out on Top’

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com 88 INDIANA PACERS NEW YORK KNICKS I t’s NOT a fair thing to ask under any circumstances. For one thing, it’s pretty obvious that there’s still something wrong with Jalen Brunson’s foot. For another, there isn’t a soul alive who’ll be under the pinwheel roof at Madison Square Garden who’ll be unaware of the Indiana Pacers’ game plan for stealing Game 7 Sunday, which goes something like this: 1. Blitz Brunson. 2. Swarm Brunson. 3. Harass Brunson. 4. Pick Brunson up 94 feet. 5. Double-team Brunson. 5A. Triple-team Brunson. 6. Hit Brunson as often as you can get away with it. 7. Knock Brunson down as often as you can get away with it. 8. STOP BRUNSON. Such would be the case anyway, because this is who Brunson is now, as we reach the second half of May. He is the decider. He is the decoder. Basketball is a wonderful game because it can be, at the same time, both remarkably complex and painfully simple. And here’s the simple part: It is Brunson, more than any other player on either side, who can determine the outcome of Game 7. We have seen, plenty, what he has in him when the Knicks need it most. That’s the version we see more often. If that’s the version who takes the court at the Garden just past 3:30, there’s an awfully good chance the Knicks will be playing a basketball game in Boston on Tuesday night, despite it all. But we have also seen, as this series has progressed, that through sheer repetition and familiarity, the Pacers have occasionally unlocked the secret of how to slow Brunson: by focusing all of their energies — and all of their basketball players — on Brunson. By bleeding half the shot clock dry by the time the Knicks offense can set up. By making Brunson work so hard to create difficult shots that he sometimes misses routine ones. And above all else: force someone else to beat us. And the hard truth is this: As this series has ground along, there are fewer and fewer options for the Knicks to identify as that someone else. OG Anunoby staggered off the court in Game 2 with a hamstring strain. Josh Hart spent most of Game 6 looking just about as physically uncomfortable as a basketball player can look. Deuce McBride and Donte DiVincenzo have been lights out at points in this series; they’ve also scuffled some. The Knicks are not a one-man team. But Sunday afternoon, they will be a one-man band, with Brunson needing to play an awful lot of instruments: scoring, passing, controlling tempo, taking his inevitable charge or two. And, most of all, serving as the Knicks’ spirit animal, their soul, their inspiration. That’s a lot to ask of one player, especially in an elimination game. It’s not going to be easy. But, as Jimmy Dugan might say if Tom Thibodeau asked him to join his coaching staff for the day Sunday afternoon: “If it was easy, then everyone would hear ‘M! V! P!’ chants at the foul line.” “They adjust,” Brunson said late Friday night after the Pacers had sent this series back to New York with a 116-103 win in Game 6. “They try to make things difficult. And I have to adjust as well. Show me different looks and I have to do a better job of reading it. I just can’t be what I was for the first 40 minutes of the game.” Again, a hard truth: If Brunson is what he was for the first 40 minutes of that game, then it’s the Pacers — who undoubtedly packed for a longer trip than just a day and half — who will be rolling the dice against the Celtics in the East Finals. There’s no escaping that. And, with the state of the Knicks’ health right now, just being average — or slightly above — might bring the same result. Hart will try to play through the abdominal strain that had him doubled over most of Friday. Anunoby was upgraded to “questionable” for Game 7. If they can go, Brunson will have some company. If not … The best who have ever played for the Knicks have always found a way to save the very best of themselves for the most necessary moments. In 1970, with the Knicks teetering in the first round of the playoffs against Baltimore, Willis Reed posted a 36-point, 36-rebound masterpiece in pivotal Game 5 that might be remembered as the best game a Knick ever played — if not for the 36- point, 19-assist, seven-rebound tour de force Clyde Frazier delivered against the Lakers a few weeks later in Game 7 of the Finals. In 1984, on the loudest night at the Garden between the early ’70s and the mid-’90s, Bernard King dropped 44 on the Celtics, refusing to let the Knicks lose, insisting the Celtics beat them in Game 7 before marching on to the title. And in ’94, in his finest of many fine hours as a Knick, Patrick Ewing’s follow-jam sealed a win for the Knicks in Game 7 of the East Finals, capping a brilliant 24-point, 22-rebound game against the Pacers. Knicks fans remember those numbers like they remember the Pledge of Allegiance. That’s what’s on the table for Brunson on Sunday. That’s the company he can keep. It won’t be easy. Its doubtful he’d want it any other way. [email protected] Jalen has enormous task that would cement him in Knicks’ history books Mike Vaccaro BANG FOR THE BUCK: Jalen Brunson has had to deal with an exceptionally physical Pacers defense that is throwing everything into stopping him at all costs. N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com89 INDIANA PACERS NEW YORK KNICKS LEAVE IT TO ME: With the Knicks ravaged by injury, Jalen Brunson will have to do it himself in Game 7. That could require a performance for the ages, writes The Post’s Mike Vaccaro. N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg Captain Clutch Jalen Brunson and the Knicks face their first elimination game of this year’s playoffs when they host the Pacers for Game 7 of this Eastern Conference semifinals series at the Garden on Sunday. The Post’s Zach Braziller takes a look at how Brunson has performed in his career in each of his elimination games: MAY 12, 2023 Brunson scores nearly half of the Knicks’ points in a season-ending 96-92 loss to the Heat in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. He pours in 41 points on 14 of 22 shooting, but his turnover with 16.2 seconds left and the Knicks trailing by two ends a memorable first season in the orange and blue. In typical Brunson fashion, he faults himself for the loss despite his extraordinary individual effort. MAY 10, 2023 Brunson keeps the Knicks’ season alive, scoring 38 points to go along with nine rebounds and seven assists in a Game 5, 112-103 victory over the Heat at the Garden. He plays all 48 minutes in the masterful performance. MAY 26, 2022 Brunson’s breakout postseason ends on a low note. He shoots just 3 of 10 and manages just 10 points as the Warriors end the Mavericks’ season in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals, 120-110. It would be his last game in a Dallas uniform. MAY 15, 2022 The Mavericks blast the Suns in Game 7, 123-90, and Brunson shines. He scores 24 points on 11 of 19 shooting in the one-sided road victory. MAY 12, 2022 Trailing the Suns 3-2 in the Western Conference semifinals, Brunson helps the Mavs force Game 7 by scoring 18 points and adding three steals in a 113-86 blowout win. BOARD ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: Isaiah Hartenstein battles for a rebound with the Pacers’ Myles Turner as the Knicks lost the battle on the boards, 47-35, in Game 6 on Friday. Jason Szenes By Peter Botte The Knicks have held a sizable rebounding edge in their three wins at home during the second round, and they have conceded that advantage in each of their three losses in Indiana. Tom Thibodeau’s injury-decimated team likely will need that trend to continue Sunday in Game 7 at the Garden for a chance to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. The Pacers responded to coach Rick Carlisle’s profane pleas to “go rebound the f--king ball” after the Knicks had annihilated his team 53-29 on the glass in Game 5 by outscoring them 62-38 in the paint and winning the rebounding battle by 12 (47-35) in Friday’s series-tying Game 6 victory. “Well, they went hard. We knew they would, coming off last game, and that’s what it’s about,” Thibodeau said after the game. “I think the force, you’ve got to be ready for that in a game like this. “Back against the wall, you’re gonna get urgency and desperation and you’ve gotta match that intensity, and you’ve gotta keep doing it. I like the way we started the game, but we didn’t sustain it.” The Knicks will have to correct that issue without or, at least, with a compromised Josh Hart, their leading playoff rebounder (11.8 per game) who has been listed as questionable with an abdominal strain suffered in Game 6. In their first three wins at the Garden, the Knicks have outrebounded Indiana 137-95, an average of 45.7 to 31.7. Conversely, the Pacers have controlled the glass in their three home wins by a 141-119 (47.0-39.7) margin. “Just being physical. They responded kind of how we responded in [Game 5],” Isaiah Hartenstein said. “I mean, I think they shot like 15 more percent. There were a couple [of rebounds] that we should have got, for sure. “We just have to get easier looks, but at the end of the day there were some possessions where we should have got those 50/50 balls.” Added guard Donte DiVincenzo: “Loose balls, secondchance rebounds, I think you listen to them over the last couple of days, and that was a point of emphasis for them, attacking the glass, getting loose balls, just playing a little bit with more grit. And that’s exactly what they did. You have to give them credit. They were coming home. They feed off the energy, the crowd, and now we look at it and that’s what we have to do on Sunday.” [email protected] Game 7 up for grabs on glass

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com 90 INDIANA PACERS NEW YORK KNICKS T hey call it the best two words in sports, but “Game 7” sometimes can be classified as “last best chance.” Just ask Tom Thibodeau. Thirteen years ago, he guided the Bulls to the conference finals with the youngest MVP in NBA history and a ceiling seemingly higher than the Sears Tower. They were destined for a postJordan golden era, until Derrick Rose’s knee buckled against the Sixers. LeBron James also formed a super-team in South Beach. Stuff happens. Thibodeau never got to the conference finals again. Sunday’s Game 7 against the Pacers will be his closest. Unless he wins. Then he’s a conference finalist for the first time since Barack Obama’s inaugural term. “You’re not gonna win just because you’re at home,” the Knicks coach said Friday night, on the heels of a disappointing Game 6 defeat in Indy, “you have to put the work into it and we have to play well.” The Knicks’ franchise? They should benefit from the advantages of playing in the NBA’s biggest market, but haven’t advanced to the third round since the Clinton administration. In the Knicks’ case, a lot of bad stuff happened — too much to recap. And though this iteration seems to have its house in order, there are no guarantees of upward trajectories continuing. Take the Sixers, for example. Their “Process” fumbled without a conference finals appearance. Or check on the Hawks, Jazz and Grizzlies. They went from the “next big thing” to out of the playoffs within a year or two. The Knicks, despite readymade injury excuses, aren’t operating with house money Sunday — at least not in the grand or historical sense. The implications are too massive to toss a Game 7 loss aside as, “Oh well, they had too many injuries and they’ll be back next year.” All five of their current starters — Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, Isaiah Hartenstein, Miles McBride — had career-best seasons, and the Knicks can only hope, without guarantee, that those players duplicate such production next season. The worst-case scenario, as predicted by Draymond Green, is a dramatic fall off. “It’ll probably be another 15 years of misery, and we’ll all sit around and laugh at Knicks fans with their delusion, because Stefan Bondy Adding to Knicks’ Game 7 pressure, there’s no guarantee of a return trip anytime soon It’s been a long time coming Sunday’s Game 7 against the Pacers will mark the Knicks’ first since 2000. The Post takes a look at some of their most memorable: 2000 EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: KNICKS 83, HEAT 82 For the fourth straight year, the Knicks and Heat meet in the postseason and the series goes the distance. This time, the Knicks prevail for the third consecutive year, winning in Miami by a point. Latrell Sprewell’s 24 points lead the Knicks, but it’s Patrick Ewing’s dunk with just over a minute left that gives them the lead for good. 1997 EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: HEAT 101, KNICKS 90 The Knicks seem headed for another showdown with Michael Jordan and the Bulls before blowing a 3-1 series lead to the Heat, lowlighted by a Game 5 brawl in Miami. In Game 7, the Knicks are without Larry Johnson and John Starks, who left the bench during that fracas, and are overwhelmed by Hardaway (38 points). 1995 EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: PACERS 97, KNICKS 95 The Knicks’ most recent Game 7 at the Garden ends in crushing fashion, with a missed Ewing finger roll at the buzzer that would’ve forced overtime. Reggie Miller is the hero for the Pacers, scoring 29 points, after his eight points in nine seconds allowed Indiana to steal Game 1. 1994 NBA FINALS: ROCKETS 90, KNICKS 84 The John Starks Game. The Knicks guard shoots 2-for-18 from the field and 0-for-11 from 3-point range in a six-point loss to the Rockets. Hakeem Olajuwon gets the better of Ewing, notching 25 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks. 1994 EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: KNICKS 94, PACERS 90 One of the games that made Ewing’s Hall of Fame legacy. In 44 memorable minutes, he sends the Knicks back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1973, producing 24 points, 22 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks. His put-back dunk on a Starks miss with 26.9 seconds remaining is the game-winner. 1973 EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: KNICKS 94, CELTICS 78 For the first time, the Celtics lose a Game 7 at home at Boston Garden, as Walt Frazier leads the eventual NBA champion Knicks to a dominant 16-point road victory with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Boston had won eight straight Game 7s on the parquet floor before this stunning result. 1970 NBA FINALS: KNICKS 113, LAKERS 99 Captain and league MVP Willis Reed, suffering from a torn muscle in his right thigh, is a surprise starter, limping onto the floor and hitting two early jumpers to inspire his teammates. Frazier takes it the rest of the way, producing a brilliant 36-point, 19-assist, seven-rebound effort to lead the Knicks to their first NBA title. 1951 NBA FINALS: ROYALS 79, KNICKS 75 The Knicks remain one of just four teams in NBA history to trail 3-0 in a series and force a Game 7. They can’t complete the comeback, though, as Rochester’s Arnie Risen overwhelms them with 24 points and 13 rebounds. — Zach Braziller N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg AP

New York Post, Sunday, May 19, 2024 nypost.com91 INDIANA PACERS NEW YORK KNICKS Siakam one of few Pacers experienced with do-or-die spots By Brian Lewis Game 7. “The best two words in sports,” Indiana’s Aaron Nesmith said. For the Pacers and Knicks, they’re the two words that will decide their Eastern Conference semifinal Sunday afternoon at the Garden. Each team has held serve at home in this series, but the few veterans in Indiana’s locker room have tried to impress upon this young team to expect the unexpected, and focus on the work. “It’s the ultimate game. And it’s a great opportunity,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “This team has been through a lot of new experiences over the last 3 ½ weeks, and this will be another new one. So we’ll do everything possible to get them ready. But in Game 7s, it comes down to compete level and how well you’re tied together.” Indiana acquired Pascal Siakam in a trade from Toronto for moments like Sunday in the sold-out Garden. The veteran forward played in a pair of Eastern Conference semifinal Game 7s already, beating Philadelphia en route to the 2019 title and losing to Boston the next year. “It’s gritty. Both teams are going to play hard. It’s going to be hard,” said Siakam, who could take advantage of an injured Josh Hart (abdomen) on Sunday. “It’s a lot of things that’s going to happen, and as long as you stay focused within the game plan and play with energy, the hardestplaying team usually wins these games. “It’s going to take everything. A lot of crazy stuff’s going to happen, just got to stay within what we do, and as long as you come into the game with pure energy and playing as hard as you can, stay together. That’s the most important. … We’ve just got to manage it, stay together. That’s the main thing that I’ll be preaching to the guys is just bring your energy and bring everything.” T.J. McConnell seconded that message. The diminutive guard was on the other end of Siakam’s 2019 Game 7 victory, with Philadelphia as he helplessly watched Kawhi Leonard’s iconic shot bounce up and in. Sometimes the margin can be that razor-thin. “It’s one of those things where the team that exerts the most energy and plays to exhaustion comes out on top, and it’s win or go home,” McConnell said. “It’s something every player plays for, a Game 7, and excited for the opportunity. But we have to be more dialed in than any of us have ever been before. “They know that if you’re not playing to absolute exhaustion in this next game, why even go? And that’s got to be the mindset from everyone here.” Nesmith has drawn the assignment of guarding Jalen Brunson, with help off the bench from McConnell. After logging a total of two minutes in Boston’s Game 7s two years ago in the conference semis and finals, he’s relishing his first legitimate chance to shine on the big stage. “Everybody here is excited for it. It’s a lot of people’s first Game 7,” Nesmith said. “It’s my first real one … so it’s gonna be a lot of fun.” [email protected] that’s just what happens,” the four-time champion said last week. The hyperbole of Green’s take aside, there are elements either out of the Knicks’ control or too difficult to predict moving forward. Free agency, the trade market and draft are, more often than not, crapshoots. What the Knicks can control is the result Sunday afternoon. They fought with ferocity for the second-seed, earned it, and got their big Game 7 at home. “It’s what you live for. It’s why you sign with the Knicks,” DiVincenzo said. “Come home, play in front of the Garden, Game 7. It’s gonna be rocking, and that’s what we love.” MSG has indeed been kind to the Knicks, where they’re 5-1 in the playoffs. But to reiterate the rarity and importance of Sunday’s opportunity, they haven’t hosted a Game 7 since 1995. And they haven’t closed out a playoff series at home in a quarter of a century. The best Game 7 Knicks performance was much longer before that — in 1970, “The Willis Reed Tunnel Game” — and the triple-double catalyst of that night isn’t worried about all the injuries currently plaguing the team. “I kind of view it like our destiny,” Clyde Frazier told The Post. “No matter who goes down, somebody steps up. So I’m riding with that. Like Game 7 [of the 1970 NBA Finals] — when we played the Lakers. If we played them two days after that, I don’t think we would’ve won. That night was our night. “Willis came out, they got psyched out, the crowd went crazy, I had my game. It just all fell in place. I’m kind of thinking that way with the Knicks.” As Knicks fans understand, the opportunity for aligning stars doesn’t happen very often. And neither do conference finals appearances. Even with a decimated roster and a potentially compromised Hart, the Knicks can’t let this one slip away. [email protected] EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS Game 1: Knicks 121, Pacers 117 Game 2: Knicks 130, Pacers 121 Game 3: Pacers 111, Knicks 106 Game 4: Pacers 121, Knicks 89 Game 5: Knicks 121, Pacers 91 Game 6: Pacers 116, Knicks 103 Series tied, 3-3 Sunday: at Knicks, 3:30 p.m., ABC Knicks vs. Pacers THEY’RE DUE: It’s been 30 years since the Knicks last won a Game 7 at the Garden, when Patrick Ewing’s dunk on June 5, 1994, helped beat the Pacers in the conference finals. AP PASCAL SIAKAM Won a Game 7 in 2019.

In elimination game vs. Pacers, Knicks need Garden magic, & Brunson to be a ... s N.Y. Post photo illustration PAGES 76-77, 69 PAGES 74-75 TH WONDER T W 7 In elimination game S USports N D AY MAY 19, 2024 PAGES 86-87 HART — AND OG! — BOTH QUESTIONABLE PACERS at KNICKS GAME 7 l TODAY l 3:30 l ESPN Series tied, 3-3 It has been 30 years since the Garden has enjoyed a Game 7 victory by the Knicks. Star Jalen Brunson can bring back that magic with a win today, when his Knicks aim to oust the Pacers in the conference semifinals. PAGES 91-86 JOY OF SIX EDWIN AGONY À[)91925|lj;dj:]À {X\/\m\v\?