MLB-SCHEDULE
Five game matinee schedule
UNDATED (AP) — There are five games being played in Major League Baseball this afternoon.
In the lone American League game, the Orioles and Rays put the finishing touches on their rain-shortened series in Baltimore.
In the National League, the Pirates and Reds conclude their series in Cincinnati, the Brewers and Cardinals do the same in Milwaukee and the Mets and Diamondbacks close things out in Arizona.
In interleague play, in a makeup of a game rained out last night, the Cubs are playing the Yankees in New York this afternoon. The second game of what is now a day-night twin bill will be played this evening.
NHL PLAYOFFS-SCHEDULE
Three games to start the post season
UNDATED (AP) — The Stanley Cup playoffs start this evening with three games.
In Pittsburgh, the Penguins face off with Columbus in the opening game of their best of seven affair. The Pens owned the Blue Jackets during the regular season, winning all five games played by a combined score of 16-8. In the Jackets, the Pens are facing a team that has never won a playoff game since entering the league in 2000.
In Anaheim, the Ducks are playing host to the Dallas Stars. The Ducks are coming off their best regular season ever as they won 54 games in clinching the Pacific Division and the Western Conference titles. For Dallas, this is the first playoff appearance for the franchise since 2008. The Stars won two of the three games they played with the Ducks this season.
And in Tampa, the Lightning are hosting Montreal in their opening game. During the season, the Lightning won three of the four games they played with the Canadiens. It was a close series of games however as three of them went to overtime.
NBA-SCHEDULE
End of regular season tonight
UNDATED (AP) — The NBA puts the finishing touches on the regular season tonight with 15 games. All of the division and conference titles have been determined so the teams which have qualified for post-season play are just going to be fine-tuning things.
A check of the standings shows Indiana and San Antonio as the top-seeds in the East and West with the Spurs owning the best overall record and home court advantage.
The division winners are Toronto in the Atlantic, Miami in the Southeast, the Pacers in the Central, the Spurs in the Southwest, Oklahoma City in the Northwest and the Clippers in the Pacific.
The playoffs begin this Saturday.
GOLF-PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Players Championship changes to 3-hole playoff
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The Players Championship is changing its playoff format this year to a three-hole aggregate playoff involving the closing stretch at the TPC Sawgrass.
PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem announced the new format Wednesday.
The Players Championship previously was a sudden-death playoff that began on the par-3 17th hole, famous for having an island green. Starting this year, a playoff would take place on the par-5 16th hole, the 17th, and the par-4 18th. If players are still tied, it would go to sudden death starting on the 17th.
The Players Championship is May 8-11. It becomes the only regular PGA Tour event to use a playoff format that is not sudden death.
