There's no other way to put it: Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos and manager John Gibbons are under immense pressure to win and win now … and there may be no tomorrow if they don't.
The Blue Jays sit in last place in the American League East with a record of 19-26, 5 1/2 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.
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Maryland is one of the favorites to win the 2016 men's basketball national championship, according to a Las Vegas sportsbook, only one year removed from joining the Big Ten from the ACC.
The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has the Terps pegged as a 7-1 co-favorite to win the title, along withKentucky and North Carolina. Kansasis next at 12-1, followed by Iowa State(15-1) and defending champion Duke(18-1).
Maryland reached the NCAA round of 32 before losing to West Virginia in March, finishing with a 28-7 record (14-4 Big Ten). But Maryland returns a national player of the year candidate in sophomore guard Melo Trimble (16.2 PPG, 3.0 APG) and top rebounder Jake Layman (5.8 RPG) and added the No. 2 center in the ESPN 100 rankings in 6-foot-10 Diamond Stone and Duke senior transfer wing Rasheed Sulaimon. The Terps opened at 10-1 and moved to 7-1 with the addition of Sulaimon.
The Terrapins will be the preseason favorite to win the Big Ten and a candidate with North Carolina and Kansas, likely, for the No. 1 preseason ranking. Maryland will play at North Carolina in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, face nearby rivalGeorgetown in the Dave Gavitt Tipoff Games between the Big Ten and Big East and face UConn in the Jimmy V Classic in New York City in the Terps' highest-profile nonconference games.
Maryland last won the national title in 2002 under Hall of Fame coach Gary Williams.
Coach Mark Turgeon, who replaced Williams, took over at Maryland in 2011, and the trip to the NCAA tournament in March was Turgeon's first with the Terps. He led Texas A&M to the NCAA tournament in all four seasons he spent in College Station and took Wichita State to the Sweet 16 in 2006.
California, with its elite recruiting class led by Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb, has seen the biggest improvement in its odds. The Bears were 100-1 when the SuperBook opened its college basketball odds April 20. The Bears are now 50-1.
Florida, with the loss of coach Billy Donovan, saw its odds fall from 40-1 to 100-1. Donovan left to coach the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA. Florida hired former Louisiana Tech coach Mike White as Donovan's replacement.
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Is there such thing as a big series in baseball during May?
If there is, the San Francisco Giants just delivered a message to the Los Angeles Dodgers: Don't forget about us.
A week ago, the Giants were scuffling along at 17-18, while the Dodgers were riding one of the hottest offenses in the history of the game and looking like they'd run away with the division title, even with some injuries to the pitching staff.
The Giants won three in a row in Cincinnati heading into this three-game series and then did this:
Tim Hudson and four relievers combined for a 2-0 shutout.
Tim Lincecum and three relievers combined for a 4-0 shutout.
Madison Bumgarner and four relievers combined for a 4-0 shutout.
The NL West race is officially on, as the Giants improved to 7-2 against their rivals in 2015 and are now just 1 1/2 games behind the Dodgers. It was just the 10th time since 1914 the Giants spun three consecutive shutouts, although it's the second time this season. (They also had four consecutive shutouts from June 25-June 28, 2012, with three of those coming against the Dodgers.)
The Dodgers went 0-for-17 with runners in scoring position in the series but the exclamation point was Bumgarner crushing a Clayton Kershaw fastball over the left-field fence on Thursday for the first run of the game, and the only run Bumgarner would need. It was the first home run Kershaw had ever allowed to an opposing pitcher, and if you're into elaborate psychological interpretation, you can say this: Kershaw has the Cy Young Awards, but Bumgarner is Kershaw's daddy.
The two aces have faced off three times this season and the Giants won all three games. Kershaw pitched well enough, allowing eight runs over 20.1 innings, but Bumgarner was a little better, with just three runs allowed in 20.1 innings. That will set up the popular narrative that Bumgarner is the better pitcher than Kershaw, and it's certainly fun debate fodder for sports talk radio and TV shows because it pits the numbers folks versus the "Bumgarner has three rings" group.
The more interesting narrative, however, is how this sets up the rest of the season. Dodgers fans can point to the fact that the Giants held a 10-game lead in the division last June 10 only to see the Dodgers catch them and pull away in the final two weeks to win the division by a comfortable six games. That's simply a reminder that it's a long season and we're just a quarter of the way into it. Even with the return of Hunter Pence and the strong start that suggests this night be a new and improved Lincecum from the past three seasons, the Dodgers remain the big favorite to win the division. Before Thursday's game, FanGraphs projected the Dodgers to finish with 94 wins, the Giants with 84. Baseball Prospectus had the Dodgers at 96 wins, the Giants at 87.
In terms of odds, that means both sites give the Dodgers an 80 percent chance of winning the division. Why such a big edge? For starters, based on the underlying numbers, the Dodgers have been the better team, as seen in their season run differential of plus-48 compared to the Giants' plus-10. The FanGraphs projection system isn't buying Lincecum's hot start (2.08 ERA) but is buying the Dodgers' offense to keep playing at a high level. Carlos Frias and Mike Bolsingerare currently filling in the rotation after the season-ending injuries to Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu, and while they don't have much of a track record in the majors, they project to post similar numbers to Lincecum and Chris Heston or Matt Cain (when he comes back).
Oh ... and Kershaw is certainly projected to pitch much better than a guy with a 4.32 ERA.
If we look at three big keys for each team, I'd consider these:
Dodgers
1. The back of the rotation. Even if Frias and Bolsinger are projected to be adequate, they still have to prove that's the case. Expect the Dodgers to add a veteran starter at some point. The Cole Hamels and Johnny Cueto rumors will ramp up in July, but the Dodgers want to keep their top prospects. Look for a guy like Aaron Harang, currently pitching well for the Phillies.
2. Jimmy Rollins. He's been the one offensive player who has struggled, hitting .192/.274/.336. Improvement from him the rest of the way will help counterbalance some of the expected drop in numbers from guys like Adrian Gonzalez, Joc Pederson and Justin Turner.
3. Kershaw has to get on a roll. The Dodgers were 94-68 last year -- 23-4 when Kershaw started. They've already lost five games he started this season. The Dodgers look like a better all-around team so far in 2015; everything just hasn't gone right when Kershaw pitched like it did in 2014.
Giants
1. Need to find a solution for third base. It's not Casey McGehee, hitting .190 with two home runs. I'm not sure it's Matt Duffy, who has had some clutch hits but is really more of a utility type. If you start Duffy on a regular basis, that's four guys in the lineup -- Duffy, Joe Panik, Angel Pagan and Nori Aoki -- without much power.
2. Lincecum has continue to pitch well. They need that solid No. 2 to counter the Dodgers' Zack Greinke. You can't count on Cain, who might not be back until the All-Star break, or Jake Peavy, still sidelined with back issues.
3. Brandon Crawford, MVP candidate. He's been the unsung hero so far, hitting .303/.391/.515 with six home runs and 27 RBIs. With his defense, that's made him one of the best players in the league. If he continues at something close to that pace, he gives the Giants that third offensive weapon alongside Pence andBuster Posey.
Prediction: Kershaw soon goes on a roll. The Dodgers win the division by five games. And, hopefully, we get another Kershaw-Bumgarner showdown in the postseason.
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CHICAGO -- Instead of letting the past determine their future, the Anaheim Ducks revealed an inner fortitude that now has them halfway to a berth in the Stanley Cup finals.
Less than 48 hours after a crushing triple-overtime defeat in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, the Ducks turned up in one of the loudest, most difficult buildings to play in and came away with a 2-1 victory that gives them a 2-1 series lead.
It was not particularly pretty at times.
The Ducks seemed to fall into a potentially destructive shell in the third period as they tried to nurse a one-goal lead across the finish line, relying on netminderFrederik Andersen to come up huge -- again -- as Chicago outshot Anaheim 10-5 in the third period.
And the pace was well off the dazzling to and fro that dominated the epic clash in Game 2.
But when it mattered most on Thursday night, the Ducks proved they were made of sterner stuff than could be deflated by a triple-overtime loss. And the battle-tested Blackhawks revealed that perhaps winning a game in triple overtime can be as taxing as losing one.
“I know a lot of people in here tried to keep things as simple as we possibly could,” said Anaheim defenseman Cam Fowler, who had one of his strongest games of the playoffs in Game 3. "It’s never easy when you lose in three overtimes and you have a 3 1/2-hour flight here. I think there’s a lot of things that went into it, but I’m really proud of our guys for how we battled tonight. It took everyone out there, everyone contributed. So we’ll enjoy it tonight, but we have to make sure we improve for Saturday."
Fowler earned a secondary assist on Simon Despres' game-winning goal with 54.2 seconds left in the second period.
Despres slipped down the right side and blasted a low one-timer past Chicago netminder Corey Crawford and helped erase the memory of Tuesday’s gut-wrenching loss.
"I kind of took that night to just digest everything mentally, but when we came to the rink the next day we knew what we were up against," Fowler said. "We knew we had to start preparing for this game because the more you dwell on a loss like that it’s not going to do anything good for your group. I thought our resiliency was great tonight. It’s not easy to come in here and beat a great team like Chicago, especially at home."
While so much attention had been focused on the Ducks, how would they respond? Was Game 2 the kind of loss that sends a team off the rails for good? It turned out the Blackhawks were the ones out of sync.
It began with a couple of curious lineup changes as Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville added Kris Versteeg and Joakim Nordstrom in place of Antoine Vermette, a top trade-deadline acquisition for the Hawks, and Finnish rookieTeuvo Teravainen. The two new players combined for zero points and two shots on goal.
Quenneville insisted neither Teravainen nor Vermette was injured.
"We just wanted to get some fresh legs in there," Quenneville said.
Whether the lineup changes contributed to the Blackhawks' inability to get anything going offensively for much of the night -- they have scored just five times in three games and just three of those have come at even strength –- is impossible to tell, but if Quenneville was looking for a spark from the changes, it did not appear.
Not surprisingly, both teams were a bit gassed after Game 2, so it was a measure of the Ducks’ maturity that in spite of getting into penalty trouble, they didn't let the game get turned the opposite way and were outstanding playing down a man.
The Ducks were 5-for-5 on the penalty kill, including a double-minor for high sticking assessed to Jakob Silfverberg less than a minute after Patrick Maroongave the Ducks a 1-0 lead by deflecting a hard Hampus Lindholm shot past Crawford.
The other side of this coin, of course, is that the Blackhawks could not capitalize on these opportunities.
It was an uncharacteristic failure for a team that has forged a reputation as winners and champions by seizing these kinds of moments every spring.
"Had a lot of chances there, especially in the first period. Would have been nice to capitalize. Didn’t happen," said Patrick Sharp, who has yet to record a point in this series. "We’ll look at it in the next 24 hours and have an answer for you."
"Frustrating to the point that we lost. Frustrating because we had some opportunities, whether it was a power play or different chances and stuff to get ourselves back in the game," added Patrick Kane, who earned his first goal (and first point) of the series with a deft backhand after an ugly Anaheim turnover in the final minute of the first period.
"Other than that, we knew this was going to be a tough series, we knew this was a tough team. It’s tough to lose, especially at home. We’ve got to regroup here and make sure we’re ready for the next one."
The first part of this series has been about punch-counterpunch.
The Blackhawks responded after a 4-1 loss in Game 1 with a clutch triple-overtime win that knocked the Ducks from the ranks of the unbeaten at home in the playoffs. Now the Ducks have upped the ante by handing Chicago its first home playoff loss this spring.
"Two really good, experienced teams that know what it takes to win, no matter what building they’re in," Versteeg said.
"There’s no panic in here. We understand what we need to do. It’s a big game the next game to make it a best of three."
Would anyone be surprised if that’s exactly what happened on Saturday night?
Of course not.
But there is this: Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau, who kept his lineup intact even though he hinted at possible changes earlier in the day Thursday, was asked in the morning how he thought his team would respond after the disappointment of Game 2.
He candidly said he could only know that with a crystal ball.
After the game was completed, though, Boudreau said he’d learned only what he already knew about his squad.
"Well, I think it told me what I know, is that they're a great character team. This was a character win," Boudreau said. "For a tired group, it was a really good game for us.
"The will on this team, I've said all year from day one, you could see it in training camp, you could see it in the preseason games. You guys would talk to me and say there's a different aura about this group. We haven't won anything, but there is a resiliency that's as good as most."
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It’s a bit unfair to new Philadelphia Flyers coach Dave Hakstol, but you couldn't help but make comparisons to college coaches in other sports when his hiring was announced: highly successful guys who have tried to make the jump to the professional game from college and ultimately failed.
Nick Saban is one of the best college football coaches of all time and he didn’t find success in the NFL.
Bobby Petrino once tried his luck in the NFL after dominant seasons at Louisville and didn't make it through an entire season in Atlanta. Steve Spurrier is a college legend and the best he could manage with the Redskins was a pair of third-place finishes.
Rick Pitino seesawed back and forth between the NBA and college before settling in at Louisville. John Calipari was fired by the Nets after a 3-17 start in 1998 and has been much more successful at Kentucky.
Remember Jerry Tarkanian’s time with the San Antonio Spurs? No? That’s OK -- it was only a 20-game stretch in which he won just nine games.
Sure, there are success stories sprinkled in there, but more often than not, the high-profile coaches tend to end up back in college where they enjoyed the most success.
Which brings us back to Hakstol. Not only did Ron Hextall choose a non-traditional path in hiring a college coach -- he hired one who is known for his intensity. This is a direct, no-nonsense guy who sounds like he’s got a little Mike Babcock in him.
It raises another red flag: Will an intense coaching style that works for 19-year-old college kids also work for professional hockey players earning millions of dollars?
The only way to find out was to ask guys who have been on both sides of that equation.
St. Louis Blues forward Chris Porter played four seasons at the University of North Dakota. He’s also played in 173 games with the Blues.
When he woke up and saw the news of Hakstol’s hiring, he sent a congratulatory text to his old coach.
“I told my wife, ‘This is so awesome for him,’” Porter said. “I’m really excited for him.”
Porter agreed that Hakstol is a coach who keeps his players accountable and has high expectations of his players. But he also sees a guy who gives and earns the respect of his players -- something he expects will happen in Philadelphia.
“He’s not afraid to pat you on the back for the little things – taking a hit to make a play, blocking a shot,” Porter said. “I agree he is tough but in the same sense, I think his players love playing for him. You know what you’re going to get every day when you go to the rink. ... Players know that as long as they play hard and put their best foot forward, mistakes are going to happen. He understands that. That’s a great quality in a coach.”
The reason Porter sees Hakstol succeeding at the NHL level is the same reason he succeeded in college. He makes players better. No matter how much a player is earning or how big the ego, if they see improvement in their own game, they’re willing to listen.
Hakstol consistently got the most out of his players at North Dakota and it’s that success in developing hockey players that Porter sees translating well to the NHL.
“Going to the next level, there are guys with big contracts and things like that, but he’s a guy who can push you and push what you have that makes you a better player based on your responsibilities to the team,” Porter said. “That’s why guys go the extra mile for him. I know sometimes, you get a coach you don’t like – for whom you wouldn’t do things throughout the game or series that you would do for a guy you respect behind the bench. Guys do that for him.”
Carolina Hurricanes forward Brad Malone agreed.
“He’s very serious, he’s very on point and focused on what he’s doing,” Malone said. “He approaches everything with the utmost professionalism.”
He’s a coach who listens to his players and he does it with the same intensity in which he coaches, Malone added. When you’re talking with him, he’s never distracted or interrupting.
He listens. He takes in the feedback.
Yes, he’s demanding, but there’s an open door that players know can be utilized. They also appreciate the way he treats their families and the way he’s close with his family.
“You see him with his wife and kids away from the rink, and he’s a great man as well,” Malone said. “He did a good job of having that balance and showing that.”
Calgary assistant general manager Brad Pascall played with Hakstol at North Dakota. He lived with him in college. They were in each other’s wedding.
His view is admittedly biased, but one thing that stood out to him was the way Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews spoke about Hakstol. Leaders can spot other leaders. They can also see through those who aren’t sincere.
Toews raved about his time with Hakstol when he’d chat with Pascall.
“Back in my days at Hockey Canada, Jonathan Toews -- who came through North Dakota -- I would sit and talk to him and he couldn’t say enough about Dave and what he meant to him and helping him along,” Pascall said. “I’m confident in Dave’s ability to coach. Looking at [Jake] Voracek, [Claude] Giroux, [Wayne] Simmonds, [Steve] Mason – guys who are stars in the league, to me communicating with those guys is not an issue.”
Getting vouched by Toews will go a long way with those guys. So if that’s not the challenge, what is?
Coyotes coach Dave Tippett’s time at UND didn’t overlap with Hakstol’s, but they both have summer places near Detroit Lakes in Minnesota. They participated in enough alumni events through the years that they’ve gotten to know each other quite well.
“He’s a methodical guy. He’ll spend a lot of time doing his homework, talking to people, making sure he’s well-prepared going in,” Tippett said. “He’s very thoughtful in what he does and how he wants his team to play.”
It’s not relating to players or anything systematically that Tippett sees as the biggest challenge in Hakstol’s transition from the college game to the NHL. It’s managing the schedule.
Hakstol’s UND team played in 42 games last season. In the NHL, that’ll get you to about the All-Star break.
“In the NHL, it’s three or four games in a week. In college, you have a whole week to plan what you’re going to do,” Tippett said. “It’s just like in a game, there’s momentum swings. In your schedule, there’s momentum swings. There’s going to be times when you have a lull in the schedule and you can get in a good practice block. And there are times in the NHL schedule where you can’t find a way to win and the next night you’re starting back-to-backs against the top teams in the division. It’s an all-encompassing thing.”
“It’s just the pure travel and schedule, that’s the biggest challenge he’s going to face,” Pascall added. “I don’t see him having any issues behind the bench in situations or preparation. To me, it’s going from a 46-game schedule to an 82-game schedule and planning things out. But I would have the fullest confidence in his ability to adapt.”
There will be a learning curve. Flyers general manager Ron Hextall knew that coming in. He passed on experienced coaches to make this hire, something that will be quickly noted if it doesn’t pan out.
That’s the risk and it’s a big one. There were coaches available who already know how to manage an NHL schedule. There were coaches available who know what it takes to balance the grind of an 82-game season and then win in the playoffs.
Hextall and those who know Hakstol well believe it was a risk worth taking, simply because of his ability to get the most out of everyone on the roster.
“He made me work for everything I got,” Malone said. “He molded me into the player I am. Without him, I wouldn’t be playing where I’m playing or have done what I’m able to do. He stuck behind me, pushed me and believed in me.”
Now, Hextall is doing the same with him.
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