Darvish Struggles as Astros Take World Series Lead
The Houston Astros hosted their first World Series game in 12 years on Friday night and it didn't take them long to show up in front of their home crowd. The Astros jumped on Los Angeles Dodgers starter Yu Darvish early, taking a 2-1 World Series lead with a 5-3 win at Minute Maid Park. Darvish lasted just 1.2 innings, allowing four runs, all of which came in the second inning, in what was the shortest outing of his career. It was the first time that he did not last at least three innings, and was also the first time he did not strike out a batter in a major league start. Yuli Gurriel went deep to begin the second inning rally, while Marwin Gonzalez, Brian McCann, and Alex Bregman all drove in runs to knock Darvish out of the game. There was some controversy within the rally, as Gurriel was seen racially mocking Darvish in the dugout, which Astros manager A.J. Hinch said his player is "remorseful" for doing. Lance McCullers Jr. pitched into the sixth inning, striking out four while allowing all three runs. After that, Brad Peacock came in for a 3.2-inning save, which was the first save of his career. He struck out four and walked just one while closing things out. Houston will send Charlie Morton to the hill on Saturday night, as they look to extend their series lead in Game 4 against Alex Wood and the Dodgers.
Durant, Warriors Rally Past Wizards in Testy Game
The Golden State Warriors played host to what many experts believe could be the biggest threat to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference, and that's the Washington Wizards. That Wizards were able to build a 14-point lead at halftime, but the Warriors came together to rally past the Wizards for a 120-117 victory at Oracle Arena. The loss was the second of this west coast trip for the Wizards, who lost Bradley Beal late in the first half. Beal and Draymond Green were ejected after getting tied up and getting into a scuffle under the net. Green came out of the pile with a torn up uniform, but no other major injuries or ejections took place. Durant would then lead the rally for the defending champs, putting up 31 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists on the night. Steph Curry contributed 20 points, eight assists, and five rebounds for Golden State, who trailed by as many as 18 in the game. The deficit was 10 heading into the fourth quarter, but Klay Thompson hit two early three-pointers to cut it to four quickly. The other half of the Splash Brothers finished with 18 points in the win. Washington dropped to 3-2 with the tough loss, and will continue their road trip against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. The Warriors, now 4-2, stay home to host the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
Golden Knights Continue Hot Start With Impressive Win
The Las Vegas Golden Knights continue to turn heads early on this season with their numerous records broken as an expansion team in its inaugural season. They are currently rolling on the best start by an expansion team in NHL history, as rookie Oscar Dansk got his third win in his third career game, leading Vegas past the Colorado Avalanche, 7-0. The win is their fifth in a row, which improves them to 8-1-0 on the season, as they finished off their second homestand of the year. During their first homestand, they won six of seven to begin their franchise's history. Their five-game winning streak is tied for the longest by a team in its first season, joining the New York Rangers in 1926-27 and the Edmonton Oilers in 1979-80. The 23-year-old Dansk made 32 saves in his second career start, improving his save percentage to .960. On the other end of the ice, the Golden Knights got seven goals from seven players, including James Neal recording his seventh tally of the year. David Perron, Oscar Lindberg, Cody Eakin, Jonathan Marchessault, Erik Haula, and William Carrier all found the back of the net. All seven goals came against Semyon Varlamov, who gave it up on 21 shots for Colorado. Las Vegas will now go on a six-game, Eastern Conference road trip, which will begin in New York against the Islanders on Monday. The Avalanche will return home Saturday night to host the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Houston Astros hosted their first World Series game in 12 years on Friday night and it didn't take them long to show up in front of their home crowd. The Astros jumped on Los Angeles Dodgers starter Yu Darvish early, taking a 2-1 World Series lead with a 5-3 win at Minute Maid Park. Darvish lasted just 1.2 innings, allowing four runs, all of which came in the second inning, in what was the shortest outing of his career. It was the first time that he did not last at least three innings, and was also the first time he did not strike out a batter in a major league start. Yuli Gurriel went deep to begin the second inning rally, while Marwin Gonzalez, Brian McCann, and Alex Bregman all drove in runs to knock Darvish out of the game. There was some controversy within the rally, as Gurriel was seen racially mocking Darvish in the dugout, which Astros manager A.J. Hinch said his player is "remorseful" for doing. Lance McCullers Jr. pitched into the sixth inning, striking out four while allowing all three runs. After that, Brad Peacock came in for a 3.2-inning save, which was the first save of his career. He struck out four and walked just one while closing things out. Houston will send Charlie Morton to the hill on Saturday night, as they look to extend their series lead in Game 4 against Alex Wood and the Dodgers.
Durant, Warriors Rally Past Wizards in Testy Game
The Golden State Warriors played host to what many experts believe could be the biggest threat to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference, and that's the Washington Wizards. That Wizards were able to build a 14-point lead at halftime, but the Warriors came together to rally past the Wizards for a 120-117 victory at Oracle Arena. The loss was the second of this west coast trip for the Wizards, who lost Bradley Beal late in the first half. Beal and Draymond Green were ejected after getting tied up and getting into a scuffle under the net. Green came out of the pile with a torn up uniform, but no other major injuries or ejections took place. Durant would then lead the rally for the defending champs, putting up 31 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists on the night. Steph Curry contributed 20 points, eight assists, and five rebounds for Golden State, who trailed by as many as 18 in the game. The deficit was 10 heading into the fourth quarter, but Klay Thompson hit two early three-pointers to cut it to four quickly. The other half of the Splash Brothers finished with 18 points in the win. Washington dropped to 3-2 with the tough loss, and will continue their road trip against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. The Warriors, now 4-2, stay home to host the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
Golden Knights Continue Hot Start With Impressive Win
The Las Vegas Golden Knights continue to turn heads early on this season with their numerous records broken as an expansion team in its inaugural season. They are currently rolling on the best start by an expansion team in NHL history, as rookie Oscar Dansk got his third win in his third career game, leading Vegas past the Colorado Avalanche, 7-0. The win is their fifth in a row, which improves them to 8-1-0 on the season, as they finished off their second homestand of the year. During their first homestand, they won six of seven to begin their franchise's history. Their five-game winning streak is tied for the longest by a team in its first season, joining the New York Rangers in 1926-27 and the Edmonton Oilers in 1979-80. The 23-year-old Dansk made 32 saves in his second career start, improving his save percentage to .960. On the other end of the ice, the Golden Knights got seven goals from seven players, including James Neal recording his seventh tally of the year. David Perron, Oscar Lindberg, Cody Eakin, Jonathan Marchessault, Erik Haula, and William Carrier all found the back of the net. All seven goals came against Semyon Varlamov, who gave it up on 21 shots for Colorado. Las Vegas will now go on a six-game, Eastern Conference road trip, which will begin in New York against the Islanders on Monday. The Avalanche will return home Saturday night to host the Chicago Blackhawks.
