Brigham Young quarterback Jake Retzlaff has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman at his home, according to a civil lawsuit filed in Utah.

The alleged victim, identified as a Salt Lake County woman, reported Retzlaff ‘raped, strangled and bit’ her, according to Third District Court documents obtained by USA TODAY Sports. She is suing Retzlaff for alleged battery, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Retzlaff currently does not face any criminal charges.

Mark Baute, Retzlaff’s counsel, said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports his client is a ‘nice young man’ and “factually innocent.’

“Jake’s focus this year will be on football. We don’t try cases in the media, we will respect the process and establish Jake’s innocence through the judicial system,” Baute wrote.

“The university takes any allegation very seriously, following all processes and guidelines mandated by Title IX. Due to federal and university privacy laws and practices for students, the university will not be able to provide additional comment,” BYU said in a statement.

Jake Retzlaff lawsuit details

According to the suit, the woman and a friend went to Retzlaff’s apartment in November 2023 after connecting through social media a month prior. After playing video games, the woman’s friend left and she stayed with Retzlaff to watch a movie. The two began to kiss but the woman ‘did not want to do anything more,’ per the lawsuit.

Retzlaff allegedly ‘escalated the situation’ and began to touch the woman. She told him ‘no’ and ‘stop’ as he allegedly tried to touch her and told her to give him oral sex.

‘As the situation continued to escalate, Jane Doe A.G. reacted in a way that made Retzlaff angry. He started to shout at her, and she reached for her phone to call someone, but her phone was dead,’ the lawsuit reads.

The suit states the woman plugged her phone in and laid in bed as she waited for it to charge, and Retzlaff fell asleep. She tried to leave but he allegedly woke up and pushed her back down on the bed as he tried to kiss her. The lawsuit says Retzlaff then grabbed a condom and the woman again told him to ‘stop.’ He then allegedly bit her lip and began to have sex with the woman. She said she cried during the encounter and Retzlaff caused her to pass out.

Days afterward, the woman said she went to a hospital where a rape kit was performed and photos were taken of the visible bruises and cuts she had on her body. The incident was reported to the Provo Police Department, the suit states, but she did not share the name of her alleged abuser because ‘she was scared and in shock and not ready to confront him.’

After speaking to police, an officer reached out to the woman to ask for the abuser’s name because police reportedly had another complaint against a football player and authorities wanted to know if it was the same person. After she disclosed Retzlaff’s name, an officer allegedly ‘encouraged her to not do anything, because as they claimed, ‘sexual assault victims never get justice.”

The suits alleges Retzlaff ‘acted with the intent to cause harmful and offensive’ contacts with the woman.

‘A year and a half after the rape and strangulation, Jane Doe A.G. continues to experience extreme post-traumatic stress disorder and other trauma symptoms as she works to process what happened and move on,’ the suit reads.

The Provo Police Department said it has not been served a legal filing related to the suit, and records show it received a phone report in November 2023 from a woman who gave a similar account. Police said the woman was given opportunities to identify her abuser but she didn’t and the case was closed.

Provo Police also denied the claim its personnel discouraged the victim from proceeding with the case.

‘Because the civil suit does not identify the victim, we cannot be certain our police report is the same incident by the plaintiff, but it does seem likely given the information we have,’ the department said.

Who is Jake Retzlaff?

Retzlaff is entering his third year with the Cougars after transferring from Riverside City College in Southern California. Last season, Retzlaff started all 13 games for BYU as he led the team to a 9-0 start and a top-10 ranking in the coaches poll. The team finished the season 11-2, its most wins since the 2020 season.

Retzlaff is the first Jewish starting quarterback in the history of the university operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He threw for 2,947 yards with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions on the season, with an additional six rushing touchdowns.

This story has been updated with new information.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.

They didn’t face one another in the NBA playoffs until 1993, but the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers got acquainted really quickly after that.

The two franchises wound up playing six memorable playoff series against one another over an eight-season span, including two-consecutive matchups in the Eastern Conference finals in 1999 and 2000.

A quarter-century later, it’s Knicks vs. Pacers for a spot in the NBA Finals once again. The two teams begin their best-of-seven series with Game 1 on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, and it’ll rekindle one of the league’s great rivalries of the 1990s that’s suddenly been given new life with the rise of the Knicks under Jalen Brunson and the Pacers with Tyrese Haliburton the past two seasons.

The Pacers got the best of the Knicks in the 2024 Eastern Conference semifinals, blowing out New York in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. It was the eighth overall playoff series between the two, and the first to go to a Game 7 since the Pacers and Knicks did so in back-to-back years in 1994-1995.

The anticipation for this latest matchup has also triggered nostalgia for those classic battles between Reggie Miller and Patrick Ewing, and how the Knicks and Pacers turned into an NBA playoffs rivalry. Here are some of the best (or infamous) moments from Knicks vs. Pacers playoff series of the past ahead of the 2025 Eastern Conference finals:

Knicks vs. Pacers in NBA playoffs: Best rivalry moments

1993: John Starks headbutts Reggie Miller

The roots of the Knicks-Pacers rivalry can likely be traced back to this moment during Game 3 of the 1993 playoffs when New York and Indiana met in a best-of-five first-round series. Starks head-butted Miller in frustration, drawing the ire of teammates Charles Oakley and Ewing, and the Pacers came back to avoid a sweep. Though the Knicks won the series, 3-1, seeds had been planted.

1994: Reggie Miller vs. Spike Lee (but Patrick Ewing prevails)

Miller’s first big moment antagonizing Knicks’ fans came in Game 4 of the 1994 Eastern Conference finals. The Pacers star had 39 points, including 25 in the fourth quarter to spearhead a double-digit comeback that is remembered for Miller jawing with Knicks super fan Spike Lee courtside and putting his hands around his neck to symbolize New York choking the game away. The Knicks, however, won the series after Ewing put together perhaps the finest performance of his NBA career in Game 7, finishing with 24 points, 22 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 blocks.

1995: Reggie Miller’s 8 points in 9 seconds

The Knicks and Pacers met again in the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals and perhaps the defining moment of this playoff rivalry occurred in Game 1 when Miller scored eight points in nine seconds as New York improbably blew a late lead in front of a stunned Madison Square Garden crowd.

The series also featured Ewing hitting a game-winner in Game 5 with the Knicks facing a 3-1 series deficit, and then narrowly missing a game-winning layup at the buzzer in Game 7. The Knicks were never the same. The Pacers closed out them out at Madison Square Garden and Pat Riley left that offseason for the Miami Heat.

1998: Reggie Miller forces OT in Game 4

Ewing’s return from a serious wrist injury wasn’t enough for the Knicks after Miller scored 38 points and hit his latest Madison Square Garden dagger to force overtime in Game 4, right as it seemed as though New York was on the verge of evening the series. Indiana won Game 4 in overtime and then advanced to face Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the 1998 Eastern Conference finals.

1999: Larry Johnson’s 4-point play

Larry Johnson’s unlikely shot as he was fouled at the end of Game 3 of the Knicks’ 1999 Eastern Conference finals series against the Pacers helped offset the loss of Ewing in Game 2 to a partially torn Achilles and paved the way for New York’s return to the NBA Finals.

2000: Reggie Miller KOs Knicks for only NBA Finals trip

Miller and the Pacers finally made it to the NBA Finals by knocking out the Knicks at Madison Square Garden in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. Miller had 34 points in the clinching win.

‘I told the guys before the game,’ Miller said in his postgame interview with NBC, ‘if the league called you up and asked you, you only had to play one game and you could pick the spot where you would play and if you win that game, you can move on to the Finals, would you take it and where would you want to play? Everyone in unison said, ‘The Knicks’ and ‘The Garden.’ ‘

2013: Roy Hibbert blocks Carmelo Anthony in Game 6

The Knicks-Pacers rivalry was briefly reignited in 2013 when the two teams met in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Indiana won in six games – part of an ongoing stretch during which the Pacers have won five of the past six playoff matchups against New York – and Roy Hibbert punctuated the series win with an emphatic block on a Carmelo Anthony dunk attempt at the rim in the fourth quarter of Game 6.

May 2024: Andrew Nembhard’s Game 3 winner

The Knicks-Pacers rivalry really came to life again last year when the two teams battled over seven games in the 2024 Eastern Conference semifinals. The Knicks won Game 1, in part, thanks to an incorrect kicked ball violation in the final minute and the Pacers blew out New York at Madison Square Garden in Game 7. But the shot that perhaps swung the series occurred in Game 3, when Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard hit a contested stepback 3-pointer with 16 seconds left to give Indiana a lead it didn’t relinquish.

Watch Pacers vs. Knicks with Sling TV

June 2024: Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson appear on WWE Smackdown

The stage was set for this year’s rematch almost a year ago when Haliburton and Brunson got involved in a match between WWE superstars Logan Paul and LA Knight on the June 28, 2024 edition of WWE Smackdown at Madison Square Garden.

Haliburton played the role of heel, attempting to supply Paul with brass knuckles before Brunson intervened from his ringside seat. After Knight won the match, Brunson entered the ring with a chair during a standoff between the two wrestlers and Haliburton.

‘I’ll be back,’ Haliburton told the pro-Knicks crowd as he walked backstage.

Pacers vs. Knicks schedule: How to watch 2025 Eastern Conference finals

(all times Eastern; * – if necessary)

Game 1: Pacers at Knicks | Wednesday, May 21, 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV, Max, Sling TV
Game 2: Pacers at Knicks | Friday, May 23, 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV, Max, Sling TV
Game 3: Knicks at Pacers | Sunday, May 25, 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV, Max, Sling TV
Game 4: Knicks at Pacers | Tuesday, May 27, 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV, Max, Sling TV
Game 5: Pacers at Knicks | Thursday, May 29, 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV, Max, Sling TV*
Game 6: Knicks at Pacers | Saturday, May 31, 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV, Max, Sling TV*
Game 7: Pacers at Knicks | Monday, June 2, 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV, Max, Sling TV*

The ‘tush push’ ban is a divisive issue, from the locked doors of the NFL’s owners’ meeting outside Minneapolis, Minnesota this week to the local watering hole to the school lunchroom.

What shouldn’t be up for debate are the false pretenses under which the proposal failed to receive sufficient support Wednesday. The attempt to shove – not unlike a goal-line effort from the Philadelphia Eagles, the masterminds of the play – the ban through under the guise of player safety was the real flag on the play.

Filed Monday, the revised proposal from the Green Bay Packers called for a 10-yard penalty should another player push or pull the ball carrier. The official reason? “Player safety. Pace of play.”

Using player safety as a prop to ban the tush push was always disingenuous. And it’s why I’m glad Jason Kelce, the retired Eagles center turned media personality, was on the scene Wednesday at the Omni Viking Lakes Hotel to presumably plead his case in support of the play.

I don’t know exactly what Kelce said to the assembled group of owners and executives. Maybe it had no effect, perhaps his words completely swayed the room. But here’s what he told a group of reporters in the Eagles’ locker room during the 2023 season (after the Eagles defeated the Miami Dolphins in prime time) about the play that became known as the “Brotherly Shove.”  

“If you look across the league, it’s really not a high-injury play…I’d be interested to see what stats say about injuries on the play,” Kelce said. “It’s a very grueling play, but it’s so tight-quartered that it doesn’t allow for high impacts. So I don’t think that you’re going to see that many injuries on it.”

Kelce then knocked on the wooden panel in the locker behind him. The tush push isn’t without its bumps and bruises, Kelce said, with hands caught under bodies and ankles twisted. But at the height of the Eagles’ ‘tush push’ powers, he deeply believed the play wouldn’t lead to significant injuries.  

“I think the reality is that (injuries) are happening throughout the game,” Kelce said. “But there’s a lot of weight in there. There’s people on top of you.”

Even Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said he would support the ban if data showed the play wasn’t “very, very safe.”

“It’s a precision play … it’s very practiced. We devote a lot of resources to the tush push,” said Lurie, noting that Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts can squat 600 pounds.

He added: “If there were any injury concern, I’d be concerned.”

Thus far, no data from the league or teams has emerged publicly. Other than limited anecdotal evidence, there is none. And it’s why the player-safety angle of this all is a complete fallacy.  

Is the league talking about player safety when these guys are playing three games in 11 days, as many teams do each season? Or travel across the Atlantic Ocean?

Let’s acknowledge that there have been injuries on this type of play. The New York Giants, actually, experienced two injuries – center John Michael Schmitz and tight end Daniel Bellinger – during their failed rendition in October 2023 against the Seattle Seahawks. The Kansas City Chiefs hardly run quarterback sneaks with Patrick Mahomes after he suffered a knee injury during Week 7 of the 2019 season.

All of those teams lacked the Eagles’ expertise up front.

“Nobody practices it on Wednesday at the tempo it’s going to be in the game,” Kelce said. “Because we’ve had so many reps in the past two years on that play, we have a better breadth of knowledge of how to hit the nuances and all work in the same direction. I think it adds up. It might not seem like a lot, but each time you run it, you gain ‘OK, this is what happened on that one. If I do this, I can do that.’”

Defenders flying over the line like the Washington Commanders’ Frankie Luvu did during the NFC championship game is more dangerous. The sideshow that ensued then is one of the clearest reasons why the play has garnered so much attention this offseason, and if it becomes that much of a distraction, then maybe some policing of the play is warranted.

But don’t do it in the name of player safety. And this week, NFL owners managed to stay above that level of hypocrisy.

Circle the wagons around HBO Max for the 2025 training camp edition of ‘Hard Knocks,’ which will feature the Buffalo Bills and reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Josh Allen, the NFL announced at its league meeting May 21.

The training camp edition of ‘Hard Knocks’ premieres on Aug. 5 at 9 p.m. ET and airs on Tuesdays through Sept. 2. The five episodes will follow Allen, head coach Sean McDermott, general manager Brandon Beane ‘and an array of veteran and rookie players’ from St. John Fisher University in Pittsford, New York

‘Hard Knocks: In Season with the NFC East’ will debut in December and is the second season of the program, following the 2024 premiere that featured the AFC North. In 2025, the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Washington Commanders and the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles will be receiving the spotlight.

Familiar voice Liev Schreiber returns as the narrator of both series, which has received 19 Sports Emmy awards.

The Dallas Stars host the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in what figures to be a thrilling NHL playoff series.

The playoffs haven’t been easy for Dallas, which survived a seven-game battle with the Colorado Avalanche and then saw off the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets in six. Winger Mikko Rantanen, who came to the Stars at the trade deadline, leads all players with nine goals and 19 points, while goalie Jake Oettinger has stood tall despite facing 102 more shots than anyone else in these playoffs.

For Edmonton, everything may be coming together at a perfect moment. The Oilers were down 2-0 in the first round, but have since won eight of nine to eliminate the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have combined for 25 assists for a team that has weaponized its outstanding team speed to earn this shot at a Stanley Cup Final berth.

USA TODAY is providing live updates for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals between the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers. Follow along:

Stars-Oilers score: Tyler Seguin ties it up

Seguin steals the puck from Leon Draisaitl and beats Stuart Skinner on a breakaway at 15:22. That ends Seguin’s 10-game goal drought and is the first goal allowed by Skinner since Game 3 of the second round.

Stars-Oilers score: Leon Draisaitl goal lifts Edmonton

The Oilers always put Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl out after the team kills a penalty, and they connect for the opening goal. Draisaitl’s shot beats Jake Oettinger to the far side at 10:19. Oilers 1, Stars 0

Stars go on power play

Brett Kulak is called for hooking. Stars power play is clicking at 30.8%. Dallas didn’t get a power-play goal in his last year’s series against the Oilers. Edmonton kills it off. No shot attempts for Dallas.

Edmonton Oilers chance

Connor McDavid uses his speed to get around the Stars defense but is stopped by Jake Oettinger. The Stars goalie stops Zach Hyman’s rebound.

Game underway

Second year in a row these teams are meeting in the conference finals. Dallas going 12 forwards, six defensemen after going recently with 11 and 7.

Starting lines

Strength vs. strength. Edmonton starting the Connor McDavid line. Dallas countering with the Mikko Rantanen line.

What time is Stars vs. Oilers NHL playoff game?

Game 1 of the NHL’s Western Conference finals between the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers begins Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

How to watch Stars vs. Oilers NHL playoff game: TV, stream

Time: 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. local
Location: American Airlines Center (Dallas)
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+, Fubo

Watch Game 1 of the Stars-Oilers series on Fubo

Dallas Stars lineup

Edmonton Oilers lineup

Connor Brown taking warmups

Brown, a game-time decision, is listed as playing on the NHL roster report.

Goaltending matchup

Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner (2-3, 3.05 goals-against average, .884 save percentage) has back-to-back shutouts. Dallas’ Jake Oettinger (8-5, 2.47, .919) has won six consecutive home games.

Stars seek better power-play numbers this year

A big factor in the Oilers’ win in the 2024 Western Conference finals: Edmonton went 14-for-14 on the penalty kill vs. Dallas. The Stars, though, enter this year’s series with the top playoff power play (30.8%) among the four conference finals teams. Roope Hintz leads the way with three power-play goals. Mikko Rantanen, who was acquired at the trade deadline, and Thomas Harley are tied with six points on the power play.

Stars still deciding defense/forward split vs. Oilers

Coach Peter DeBoer said Wednesday morning he hadn’t decided whether he’ll stick with seven defensemen and 11 forwards in games against the Oilers. He did that in the last round when Miro Heiskanen returned from injury, so the defenseman didn’t have to play big minutes right away. Forward Mikko Rantanen got double-shifted.

Oilers’ Connor Brown is game-time decision

Oilers forward Connor Brown is a game-time decision, coach Kris Knoblauch said.

If Brown (undisclosed injury) can’t go, Viktor Arvidsson would get into Game 1 after missing the past two games.

“I have no hesitation to have him in the lineup,” Knoblauch said of Arvidsson.

Western Conference finals predictions

Predictions from USA TODAY staffers:

Jason Anderson: Stars in 6. Both teams have players lighting it up on the offensive end in the postseason. Mikko Rantanen has 19 points for Dallas, while Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have combined for 25 assists. It’s at the other end where each team has had issues, with Edmonton’s goalies combining for a .886 save percentage. The Stars have given up a whopping 408 shots in the playoffs, but Jake Oettinger has been up to the challenge, leading the league in some key underlying metrics for goaltenders. Expect plenty of goals in this series, but ultimately Dallas moves on.

Mike Brehm: Stars in 7. The Oilers are deeper than they were last season, but so are the Stars, with the additions of forwards Mikko Rantanen and Mikael Granlund. Defenseman Thomas Harley took a big jump when Miro Heiskanen was hurt, and now Heiskanen is back. This series will go the distance because Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm will return at some point. The Stars get the edge in the series finale because they’re at home, and coach Peter DeBoer is 9-0 in Game 7.

Jace Evans: Oilers in 6. Seeking to erase last season’s heartbreak, Edmonton has some team of destiny vibes. They looked completely on the ropes against the Kings in the first round only to rally in wild fashion and win six consecutive games after switching to Calvin Pickard in net. After Pickard was injured, Stuart Skinner got his job back and responded with two consecutive shutouts to oust the Golden Knights. You need some magic to win the Stanley Cup. It certainly feels like the Oilers have it. (And having Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl also helps.)

WASHINGTON — Spencer Strider climbed the mound in a major league game for the first time in 29 days, and just the second time in 13 months, and no, he was not wearing a cape.

There was no 10-gallon hat to signify a new sheriff in town, just a sleeveless dude on a chilly night aiming to fortify an Atlanta Braves roster that’s grown accustomed to not waiting around.

On this Tuesday night, Strider – a 20-game winner and 281-strikeout man just two seasons ago – was not particularly good. A month-long layoff after a right hamstring strain that followed a yearlong absence due to a second elbow reconstruction surgery will do that to a guy.

Yet it was not a particularly dire development that Strider had little command for his pitches early on, nor that his fastball averaged 95 mph, a half-tick slower than a month ago and 3 mph less than peak Strider of old.

No, Strider is not expected to be a savior. Nor is 2023 MVP Ronald Acuña Jr., who is expected back this weekend following a 12-month absence due to an ACL tear in his right knee.

See, the Braves are getting used to a by-any-means necessary ethos, which saved them from a slump-laden and injury-plagued 2024 season that ended with their seventh consecutive playoff berth, clinched on the final day of the season.

For their latest trick? How about starting the season 0-7, losing their key offseason acquisition to a PED suspension four games into the season and holding casting calls for both corner outfield spots as if they’re running a middle school play?

Yet the Braves continued workshopping solutions until they found a combination that works. If there’s a Braves Way that can define this period of sustained success, perhaps it’s the ability to take a punch – and find a way to counter.

“Being in organizations that expect to win, the biggest thing is even if your big guys are either not performing well or are hurt, no one feels sorry for themselves,” says Alex Verdugo, the former Yankee, Red Sox and Dodger signed off the unemployment line at the end of March to eventually solve their left field conundrum. “It’s having that next guy up, man. Having that mindset of constantly battling, whether it’s good at-bats, productive at-bats, getting guys over, the smaller things.

“As you do that, bigger results come from that and that’s what we’re seeing.”

Right now, the 24-24 Braves are a .500 team, but that doesn’t look too bad after seeing 0-7 and 5-13 next to their name in the standings. It is Atlanta, and so starting pitching has kept them above water even without Strider, with a National League-best 2.70 ERA led by burgeoning ace Spencer Schwellenbach.

But after two years of strange underperformance and unfortunate circumstance, the Braves remain irrepressible.

“They don’t let anything get ‘em down, I know that,” says manager Brian Snitker. “They don’t sit around and do the ‘Woe is me’ type thing. They just keep working and preparing and organizationally we did a good job in the depth.

“They seem to come together. I look at it as an opportunity for someone to do something really good. Fortunately, over the last few years, we’ve had guys do just that.”

Even if it takes a minute.

A dash of Dugie

Acuña’s loss could have spoiled each of the past two seasons. The Braves mixed and matched as best they could last year and won 89 games; this offseason, not wanting to rush Acuña’s return, they signed journeyman Bryan De La Cruz to hold things down.

And then Jurickson Profar got popped with an 80-game ban for a fertility drug.

De La Cruz and left fielder Jarred Kelenic did not rise to the occasion, to say the least. They needed just 39 combined games to produce negative-1 wins above replacement, and a quartet of left fielders before Verdugo joined the club combined for a .200/.268/.231 slash line.

Right field was almost as grim, with Kelenic’s .167/.231/.300 putridity earning the veteran a trip with De La Cruz to the minor leagues after just 23 games. Stuart Fairchild, old friend Eddie Rosario, hey, everyone come on down.

Yet Verdugo, with no spring training under his belt, made his debut April 18, batting leadoff with the club mired at 5-13, and for whatever reason, it was go time.

Atlanta won eight of 10 as Verdugo started 23 of the next 28 games; Eli White, a 31-year-old who’d received just 59 plate appearances the previous two seasons, settled into right and has produced a .783 OPS with 11 extra-base hits.

Whatever it takes.

“Dugie has come in and fit in very nicely,” says All-Star third baseman Austin Riley. “You always talk about a lineup with depth and being able to flip a lineup and get it to your middle of the order guys – and they’re doing that. Batting in the two hole, I feel like Eli’s on base a lot, Nick Allen’s on base a lot, Dugie’s on base a lot.”

Says Snitker: ‘Alex didn’t have spring training and he comes here, and it kind of coincided with us getting off the mat a little bit. When you get veteran guys like that, it helps. And you need that.”

Before April 18, Verdugo’s last game was Game 5 of the World Series, where he started in left field for the Yankees. But they turned the job over to rookie Jasson Dominguez, and everyone else decided they didn’t need his services.

But Profar’s suspension changed all that. And Verdugo appreciated a shot with yet another perennial power.

“This is a good organization and a team that just won it in ’21,” says Verdugo, 29. “They’re not too far out from being world champions, and I still feel like they hold themselves to a certain standard. A lot of guys here have contracts and have some stability, and it’s still cool to see them preparing and focusing on the things they should be to give themselves the best opportunity to win.

“All the big organizations I’ve been on, including this team, that’s what they do – they find a way to win that day.”

Not fade away

The Braves should want for very little very soon.

Acuña is hitting 420-foot home runs on his rehab assignment and should be back in time for the Braves’ return to Truist Field this weekend against San Diego. Strider beat him to it, though giving up four runs in 5 ⅓ innings – including a home run and two hit batters – was far from a glorious return for the notorious perfectionist.

“I take no joy,” he says Tuesday night, “in not giving us a chance.”

Still, he returns to a club well within the NL East race, with the rival Mets and Phillies confronting issues of their own. There’s still plenty to play for as the weather warms up and Strider presumably adds some more fuzz to his fastball.

“I think they were forced to acknowledge where they were, and obviously they weren’t happy with it and credit to them for remaining confident and seeking out solutions and trying to get better,” says Strider. “And you know, it takes time. It’s not like one day everything just magically got better for everybody. So that came from deliberate work.

“That’s an amazing testament to those guys and what they were able to do and where they put themselves now.”

With an MVP return just around the corner.

The Dallas Stars host the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in what figures to be a thrilling NHL playoff series.

The playoffs haven’t been easy for Dallas, which survived a seven-game battle with the Colorado Avalanche and then saw off the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets in six. Winger Mikko Rantanen, who came to the Stars at the trade deadline, leads all players with nine goals and 19 points, while goalie Jake Oettinger has stood tall despite facing 102 more shots than anyone else in these playoffs.

For Edmonton, everything may be coming together at a perfect moment. The Oilers were down 2-0 in the first round, but have since won eight of nine to eliminate the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have combined for 25 assists for a team that has weaponized its outstanding team speed to earn this shot at a Stanley Cup Final berth.

Here’s what to know about Game 1 of the Western Conference finals between the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers, including how to watch:

What time is Stars vs. Oilers NHL playoff game?

Game 1 of the NHL’s Western Conference finals between the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers begins Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

How to watch Stars vs. Oilers NHL playoff game: TV, stream

Time: 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. local
Location: American Airlines Center (Dallas)
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+, Fubo

Watch Game 1 of the Stars-Oilers series on Fubo

Stars still deciding defense/forward split vs. Oilers

Coach Peter DeBoer said Wednesday morning he hadn’t decided whether he’ll stick with seven defensemen and 11 forwards in games against the Oilers. He did that in the last round when Miro Heiskanen returned from injury, so the defenseman didn’t have to play big minutes right away. Forward Mikko Rantanen got double-shifted.

Oilers’ Connor Brown is game-time decision

Oilers forward Connor Brown is a game-time decision, coach Kris Knoblauch said.

If Brown (undisclosed injury) can’t go, Viktor Arvidsson would get into Game 1 after missing the past two games.

“I have no hesitation to have him in the lineup,” Knoblauch said of Arvidsson.

Western Conference finals predictions

Predictions from USA TODAY staffers:

Jason Anderson: Stars in 6. Both teams have players lighting it up on the offensive end in the postseason. Mikko Rantanen has 19 points for Dallas, while Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have combined for 25 assists. It’s at the other end where each team has had issues, with Edmonton’s goalies combining for a .886 save percentage. The Stars have given up a whopping 408 shots in the playoffs, but Jake Oettinger has been up to the challenge, leading the league in some key underlying metrics for goaltenders. Expect plenty of goals in this series, but ultimately Dallas moves on.

Mike Brehm: Stars in 7. The Oilers are deeper than they were last season, but so are the Stars, with the additions of forwards Mikko Rantanen and Mikael Granlund. Defenseman Thomas Harley took a big jump when Miro Heiskanen was hurt, and now Heiskanen is back. This series will go the distance because Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm will return at some point. The Stars get the edge in the series finale because they’re at home, and coach Peter DeBoer is 9-0 in Game 7.

Jace Evans: Oilers in 6. Seeking to erase last season’s heartbreak, Edmonton has some team of destiny vibes. They looked completely on the ropes against the Kings in the first round only to rally in wild fashion and win six consecutive games after switching to Calvin Pickard in net. After Pickard was injured, Stuart Skinner got his job back and responded with two consecutive shutouts to oust the Golden Knights. You need some magic to win the Stanley Cup. It certainly feels like the Oilers have it. (And having Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl also helps.)

A man now faces criminal charges for allegedly providing alcohol to an underage Pittsburgh Pirates fan who suffered major injuries after falling 21 feet from the stands during a Major League Baseball game at PNC Park last month.

The dramatic fall, captured on video, took place during the bottom of the seventh inning when Kavan Markwood, 20, tumbled over the railing in right field while celebrating Andrew McCutchen’s April 30 go-ahead double, USA TODAY previously reported..

His friend, Ethan H. Kirkwood, 21, was charged May 20 with two counts of furnishing liquor or malt beverage in connection to the incident, Allegheny County online criminal case records show.

Both men are from the city of McKeesport, a suburb about a 25-minute drive southeast of downtown Pittsburgh.

A video circulating on social media after the fall shows Markwood sitting in the front row of seats before he tumbled over the top rail and fell to the dirt below.

The fall took place from one of the highest stretches of seats in the outfield − the tallest fence in the outfield is right field at 21 feet, per the Pirates, in honor of Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, who wore the number and manned right field.

Hospitalized after the accident, in a May 7 interview Markwood told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review he had ‘broken everything.’

Context behind every viral moment: Sign up for USA TODAY’s Everyone’s Talking newsletter.

Did the Pittsburgh Pirate fan who fell survive?

Markwood was a 2022 graduate of South Allegheny High School, according to a South Allegheny School District spokesperson.

‘I can’t really sleep,’ he told TribLive.com. ‘I have a lot of back pain.”

According to an online fundraiser created by his girlfriend’s mom, Jennifer Phillip, she wrote Markwood broke his neck, clavicle, and back.

‘But he’s showing real strength, and we’re staying hopeful for a smooth recovery,’ Phillip wrote on the fundraising page on May 6.

As of May 21, the page had raised more than $67,000 to help Markwood.

The Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety previously reported the fall was ‘being treated as accidental.’

Friend charged for giving beer to fan who fell due in court in June

Kirkwood was not listed online as an inmate at the Allegheny County Jail on May 21.

It was not immediately known whether he had obtained legal counsel.

Kirkwood is slated to appear before a magistrate in District Court for a preliminary hearing on the charge on June 23, his case records show.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealu