Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 5-24-23.
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I’m back. Back to a Mon-Wed-Fri publishing schedule minus holidays.
A note about Monday, when I said the PGA Championship wasn’t a PGA event. It’s put on by the PGA of America, but is not a PGA Tour event.
Each of the four conference finals between the NBA and the NHL won’t be sweeps, as Boston staved off elimination in Miami in Game 4 against the Heat last night. Still it’s likely Miami and Denver will play in the NBA Finals; the Nuggets are already in. The Finals don’t start until…checks calendar…June 1, then if the series goes seven days it will take EIGHTEEN days.
Florida’s already up 3-0 on Carolina, and Vegas flat out embarrassed Dallas 4-0 at home to take a 3-0 series lead last night. And the Stars will be without their captain Jamie Benn for this indefensible cross check on Mark Stone.
And it wasn’t just the Stars players that were embarrassing. Officials actually sent the teams to the locker room early late in the second period because of garbage being thrown on the ice, and Vegas players were pelted with popcorn heading out for the third. Norm Green sucks amirite?
Twins’ Bullpen the Problem in 4-3 Loss
The back end of the Twins’ bullpen had been the only guarantee this season beyond their top three starters. But Jorge Lopez has faltered big time, including allowing a two-run home run to Michael Conforto in the seventh to put the Giants up for good in their 4-3 win at Target Field. Lopez didn’t allow an earned run in April, but his ERA is 4.00 in May.
And he wasn’t the only culprit. Jovani Moran and Brock Stewart each walked in an inherited runner after Sonny Gray began to tire in the sixth. Gray was staked to a 3-0 lead thanks to a two-run Byron Buxton homer and a solo shot from Michael A. Taylor. The Twins simply can’t get anything going outside of home runs. They just can’t manufacture runs. All four of their runs in this series have come via the home run.
The Giants are an average team (literally at 24-24) and they’ve taken no prisoners with the Twins.
Minnesota (just a game over .500 now) has lost six of eight heading into today’s noon series finale. Joe Ryan and his 6-1 record and 2.55 ERA toe the rubber trying to stop this slide. And this weekend? Toronto, which scored 20 runs last night against the best team in MLB, comes to town.
Lynx Blow 19-Point Lead to Atlanta
You won’t see many WNBA games this season where the same team scores 30 points in one quarter and 10 in another. But that was the Lynx last night, dropping to 0-2 in an 83-77 home loss to the Atlanta Dream.
Minnesota raced out to a 30-19 lead after one. But an eight-point lead to begin the fourth (it was once 19 points) was quickly decimated; the Dream outscored the Lynx 24-10 in the last quarter. Napheesa Collier did as much as she could, scoring 20 points. None of the other Lynx starters managed double figures.
The Lynx is off until hosting Connecticut on June 1.
Loons Lose in U.S. Open Cup Round of 16
Not a game that counted in the regular season, but the Loons dropped a 3-0 decision to the Houston Dynamo last night in the round of 16 of the U.S. Open Cup. They return to MLS play Saturday hosting Real Salt Lake at 7:30. The Loons are out of the U.S. Open Cup.
Aurura Begins Second Season Tonight
The Minnesota Aurora, the pre professional women’s soccer team that plays at the Vikings’ practice facility in Eagan, begins their second season tonight. The Aurora advanced to the league final last year. It’s my goal to get out to a game this season. It’s a great organization with great people. They host Rochester tonight.
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