Update on the latest sports
APNBA-PLAY-IN GAMES
James and Curry renew rivalry in West play-in game
UNDATED (AP) — LeBron James and Steph Curry are used to meeting in the spring with an NBA championship up for grabs. The stakes will be much different when they face each other Wednesday night. They’ll only be vying for a playoff spot.
James and the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers host Curry’s eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors in a Western Conference play-in tournament game.
Curry this season became the oldest scoring champion since Michael Jordan won the scoring title in 1998. James has played in only four games since originally suffering a sprained right ankle on March 20.
The Memphis Grizzlies came into the season hoping to speed up the rebuilding process for the NBA’s second-youngest team by reaching the playoffs. Now they can take the next step toward achieving that goal by beating the San Antonio Spurs in Wednesday’s other play-in game. The winner will play either the Lakers or Warriors on Friday night to earn the No. 8 seed and a spot in best-of-seven first-round series with top-seeded Utah.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Veteran goalies getting their shot in Stanley Cup playoffs
UNDATED (AP) — Veteran goaltenders are getting their shot in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Washington has the postseason’s oldest goalie with 39-year-old Craig Anderson. He has battled 2014 Vezina (VEH’-zih-nuh) Trophy winner Tuukka Rask of Boston in their best-of-seven series entering tonight’s Game 3. The teams split the first two games in Washington.
Edmonton is hoping 39-year-old Mike Smith can make an impact in the opener against Winnipeg, which features reigning Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck (HEHL’-eh-buhk).
In the day’s other playoff games, the Colorado Avalanche go for a 2-0 lead on the St. Louis Blues. The Carolina Hurricanes will try to do the same against Nashville.
Wednesday’s schedule also includes one game that isn’t a playoff: Vancouver at Calgary.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Streaking Padres expect to have Hosmer back, and maybe Tatis
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The streaking San Diego Padres expect to have first baseman Eric Hosmer back Wednesday and possibly shortstop Fernando Tatis (tah-TEES’) Jr. as well when they host Colorado. Padres manager Jayce Tingler said Hosmer has been cleared to rejoin the team and Tatis will be evaluated today to see if he passes COVID-19 protocols.
Tingler said earlier he hopes right fielder Wil Myers can be activated this weekend. They were among five players placed on the injured list last week. Tatis and Myers tested positive, while Hosmer, Jurickson Profar and Jorge Mateo went on the IL for contact tracing. Profar and Mateo were activated Monday night.
The Padres are riding a five-game winning streak and have won eight of nine. San Diego has 26 wins, tied with San Francisco for most in the majors.
In other highlights of the Wednesday schedule:
— Corey Kluber takes the mound at the Texas Rangers’ retractable roof stadium for the second time, this time starting against them for the New York Yankees. The two-time AL Cy Young Award winner threw just one inning in his only season with the Rangers, tearing a muscle in his shoulder during a start last July in the third game played in the $1.2 billion stadium. The injury didn’t require surgery, but ended his season. That scoreless inning cost the Rangers $18.5 million — his $17.5 million salary after they got him in a December 2019 trade from Cleveland, and the $1 million buyout of an $18.5 million club option for this season. Kluber then signed an $11 million free-agent deal with the Yankees, and is 3-2 with a 3.48 ERA in eight starts.
— Gleyber Torres could be back in the New York Yankees’ lineup against Texas, a week after the fully vaccinated shortstop tested positive for COVID-19. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday that Torres had been cleared by Major League Baseball’s joint committee and was already en route to Texas to rejoin the team. He could potentially be activated Wednesday. Torres was the only player among nine total positives within the Yankees traveling party since last week, which included three coaches and five staffers. Boone said Torres is the only one in that group cleared to return.
— With four Cy Young Awards between them, Max Scherzer starts for the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field against Jake Arrieta and the Chicago Cubs. First baseman Anthony Rizzo exited Tuesday night’s game for the Cubs because of tightness in his lower back.
— Two-way star Shohei Ohtani (SHOH’-hay oh-TAH’-nee) makes his sixth pitching start of the season when the Angels face Aaron Civale (sih-VAH’-lee) and the Indians. Ohtani hit his major league-leading 14th home run during Tuesday night’s 6-5 loss to Cleveland, connecting for the third straight day. Los Angeles will again be without three-time AL MVP Mike Trout, who was placed on the injured list with a strained right calf. Trout could be sidelined past the All-Star break after getting hurt on the bases Monday night. He is expected to miss six to eight weeks.
— Christian Yelich is back with the Milwaukee Brewers after the star outfielder was activated from the injured list Tuesday and played just his second major league game in five weeks. The 2018 NL MVP was the designated hitter when Milwaukee opened a two-game interleague series in Kansas City. Yelich played nine games to start the season before leaving with stiffness in his lower back on April 11 in St. Louis. He tried to return May 3 in Philadelphia but played just one game before going back on the injured list.
— Kevin Gausman pitches for the NL West-leading Giants in Cincinnati against left-hander Wade Miley (4-3, 3.69), who threw a no-hitter on May 7 but lasted only three innings in his most recent start Friday. San Francisco has won the first two of the four-game set.
— A riled-up Twins team hosts the White Sox again in a series between AL Central rivals that’s turned a little testy. Minnesota reliever Tyler Duffey was ejected Tuesday night after throwing behind the legs of Chicago rookie Yermín Mercedes. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli also was tossed by plate umpire Jim Reynolds. Mercedes got Minnesota’s attention when he homered on a 3-0 pitch from infielder Willians Astudillo in the ninth inning of Chicago’s 16-4 victory Monday night, sparking the latest debate about baseball’s unwritten etiquette rules. White Sox manager Tony La Russa said Mercedes made a mistake, and the Hall of Fame skipper apologized to the Twins.
