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world hockey championship with a 4-2 win over newcomer Britain on Saturday.

The 18-year-old Bedard, coming off a great rookie NHL season with the Chicago Blackhawks, scored twice in a four-minute span of the second period to put the Group A game in Prague out of reach.

“It was a good first game, but we want to keep improving and be on a steady incline of progress throughout the tournament, and we are looking forward to continuing to play games here,” Bedard said.

Canada had to rally from a goal down despite outshooting Britain 12-3 in the opening period and 34-15 overall.

“(Britain) was really committed and blocked a lot of shots,” Canada head coach André Tourigny said. “They work really hard, and in this tournament it can be hard to generate offence. That is why any team can win games here. Tomorrow we need to continue to get better, because this tournament is all about which team can improve the most.”

Liam Kirk put Britain a 1-0 ahead on a power play eight minutes into the game, but the lead lasted just 30 seconds as Michael Bunting found the back of the net from the point to tie it 1-1.

“I had some time and space, and I knew I could get a good shot off,” Bunting said. “I saw (Nick) Paul standing in front of the net, and he is a big guy, but it kind of went right by him and I was happy to see it go in.”

Brandon Hagel put the defending champions ahead 5:45 into the second period with a shot high into the roof of the net.

Then it was Bedard’s turn. 

The teenager beat goaltender Jackson Whistle (30 saves) midway through the frame for his first goal at the senior worlds, scooping up a rebound to reward Canada for sustained pressure in Britain’s end. 

He made it 4-1 minutes later after Nick Paul fed him with a perfect pass.

Ben O’Connor scored in the third period for Britain when he beat Canada goaltender Joel Hofer, who made 13 saves.

Bedard is a finalist for this year’s Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year after putting up a team- and rookie-leading 61 points (22 goals, 39 assists) with Chicago despite missing 14 games with a broken jaw.

Canada next plays Denmark on Sunday. Denmark opened with a 5-1 win over Austria behind two goals and an assist from forward Joachim Blichfeld.

“We know Denmark is a good team and they are going to play hard tomorrow, so we need to be ready for that,” Bedard said.

In Group A’s other game, Roman Cervenka scored twice as host Czechia came back from 3-1 down to overcome Norway 6-3 for its second straight win.

In Group B in the city of Ostrava, the United States rebounded from a 5-2 loss to Sweden by routing last year’s runner-up Germany 6-1 at the ice hockey world championship on Saturday.

Johnny Gaudreau and Michael Kesselring each had a goal and an assist, and captain Brady Tkatchuk, Luke Hughes, Trevor Zegras and Michael Eyssimont added goals in a Group B game in Ostrava.

Goaltender Alex Lyon stopped all 14 German shots he faced before he was substituted for Trey Augustine 3:27 into the middle period due to an injury. Augustine made 11 saves.

Earleir, Kazakhstan defeated France 3-1 in their opening game.

Another newcomer in the top division, Poland, took last year’s bronze medallist Latvia to overtime before falling 5-4. Latvia captain and former Ottawa Senator Kaspars Daugavins had two goals, including the winner, and an assist.

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The fortunes of multiple NBA franchises will change on Sunday when the NBA Draft Lottery takes place and unlike last year, when teams were vying to win the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, there’s no consensus No. 1 choice.

French forwards Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr, along with National Champions Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle are among a handful of prospects in contention for the top spot in this year’s draft. Meaning, as the 14 teams in the lottery find out what order they’ll be in, they’ll also have to start mapping out how the other squads evaluate the talent.

Add in the fact a couple of franchises could lose their draft pick depending on how the lottery balls shake out, and it’s setting up to be a night filled with intrigue.

In anticipation of the Draft Lottery, here’s everything you need to know.

How the Draft Lottery works

There’s plenty of minutia surrounding the actual process of the lottery balls and how they get drawn but the most important thing to know is that the drawing is only done to determine the first four picks in the draft. The remaining lottery teams then get positioned in inverse order of their 2023-24 regular season records.

Here’s the minutia. Fourteen ping-pong balls numbered 1 through 14 are placed in a lottery machine equalling 1,001 possible combinations. Prior to the lottery 1,000 of the 1,001 combinations are assigned amongst the 14 participating teams. Four balls get drawn to determine the chosen combination and the order in which they get selected doesn’t matter.

All 14 numbered balls are then placed into the lottery machine and mixed, and then one is selected. The balls are then re-mixed and the process repeats until four numbered balls are drawn. The team that has been assigned that combination receives the No. 1 pick. The same process is repeated for picks two through four.

Odds to land the No. 1 pick

Teams eligible for the Draft Lottery are the 14 that missed the NBA playoffs. The final odds were determined following the conclusion of the regular season to settle tie-breakers between identical records. Keep in mind, the lottery ensures the team with the worst record (Detroit Pistons) can finish no lower than the fifth pick.

Here are the finalized pre-draft odds:

1. Detroit Pistons: 14%, 140 combinations
2. Washington Wizards: 14%, 140 combinations
3. Charlotte Hornets: 13.3%, 133 combinations
4. Portland Trail Blazers: 13.2%, 132 combinations
5. San Antonio Spurs: 10.5%, 105 combinations
6. Toronto Raptors: 9%, 90 combinations
7. Memphis Grizzlies: 7.5%, 75 combinations
8. Utah Jazz: 6%, 60 combinations
9. Houston Rockets (via Brooklyn): 4.5%, 45 combinations
10. Atlanta Hawks: 3%, 30 combinations
11. Chicago Bulls: 2%, 20 combinations
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Houston): 1.5%, 15 combinations
13. Sacramento Kings: 0.8%, 8 combinations
14. Golden State Warriors: 0.7%, 7 combinations

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Teams at risk of losing their pick

Aside from having to navigate the usual uncertainties of the lottery, four teams are hoping for additional favour from the basketball gods in order to keep their picks in this year’s draft.

The Toronto Raptors finished with a 25-57 record and subsequently have the sixth-best pre-lottery odds of landing the No. 1 pick. A top prospect joining a now-rebuilding core would be an ideal consolation for the tumultuous season Toronto just had, however, they owe the San Antonio Spurs a top-six protected pick for the deal to acquire Jakob Poeltl.

If the Raptors end up with one of picks 7-14 the selection goes to the Spurs, but if they land between 1-6 they keep the pick and the conditional selection gets conveyed to 2025. Toronto has a nine per cent chance of landing the No. 1 pick, 37.2 per cent odds of slotting into the top four and a 45.8 per cent shot of staying in the top six and keeping their pick.

Meanwhile, Utah are at (very minimal) risk of losing their selection to division rival Oklahoma City, after finishing with a 31-51 record. In 2021 the Jazz sent Derrick Favours to the Thunder in a salary-dumping move and included a 2024 top-10 protected pick to sweeten the deal. Utah is No. 8 (pre-lottery) and needs to remain in the top 10 to keep their pick this year. If they stay, the conditional pick conveys to 2025, but if they fall out they pay up.

Thankfully for Jazz fans, they have a 99.5 per cent chance of remaining in the top 10 for the 2024 draft.

If somehow they do fall below No. 10 and lose the selection, it would add another first-round pick to OKC’s already full treasure chest of draft capital. The No. 1 seed Thunder potentially have seven first-round picks over the next two seasons. Bravo, general manager Sam Presti.

Speaking of which, even though it’s highly unlikely Oklahoma City cashes in on Utah’s pick this year they have another potential lottery pick courtesy of Houston. When the Thunder traded franchise icon Russell Westbrook to the Rockets for Chris Paul in 2019, Houston included a top-four protected first-round pick.

The Rockets are at No. 9 (pre-lottery) and have a 7.2 per cent chance of staying in the top four and keeping their selection. If they don’t, they hand the draft pick to OKC who could end up walking away with two lottery picks this year despite finishing with a 57-25 record, tied for the best in the Western Conference. Again, bravo Presti.

Houston won’t need to sweat losing that pick too much though as they’ll have Brooklyn’s pick (unprotected) thanks to the James Harden trade from 2021. The Nets pick has 20.2 per cent odds of landing in the top four and a 79.7 per cent chance of sticking in the 9-12 range.

Then there are the 2022 champion Warriors who currently sit at No. 14 (pre-lottery) and could lose their pick to the Portland Trailblazers. How that came to be is a bit of a journey. Golden State sent longtime veteran Andre Iguodala to Memphis in 2019 to shed salary and included a top-four protected pick to make it happen. The Grizzlies then sent that pick to the Celtics as part of the Marcus Smart acquisition in 2023, which Boston promptly flipped as part of a package to get Jrue Holiday from the Blazers not long after.

All of which equates to the Warriors now owing the Trail Blazers their pick unless they finish in the top four. Golden State fans shouldn’t hold their breath as they’ll need a mathematical miracle since they only have a 3.4 per cent chance of moving into the top four.

Every draft is riddled with uncertainty, whether it be the talent being evaluated or teams hoping the odds land in their favour. Then there’s the added complexity that many experts have written off this draft class as the weakest since 2013.

It leaves basketball fans with plenty of questions, eagerly awaiting answers.

Keep in mind, even as infamous as the 2013 class was, having a lone All-Star in Victor Oladipo produced from the lottery, there are always diamonds in the rough. That was the year Milwaukee selected two-time MVP, champion and finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo with the 15th overall pick.

Teams and draft analysts can lament this class like they’ve done in years past but there will be NBA calibre talent produced from this crop. It’ll be on the franchises to do the work and find out who those players will be.

At the very least, Sunday will be the first falling domino towards getting clarity. Once those lottery balls shake out, let the questions fly. Because on June 27th when the 2024 NBA Draft takes place, we’ll start getting some answers.

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TORONTO — The Blue Jays signed Aaron Sanchez to a minor-league deal earlier this week, bringing back a pitcher who was once an integral piece in the organization. However, Sanchez is years removed from his days as an impact right-hander and because of that, the move largely fell under the radar.

Simeon Woods Richardson heard about the signing, though.

The Minnesota Twins right-hander built a relationship with Sanchez during their time together in triple-A. Woods Richardson spent most of last season with the St. Paul Saints while Sanchez spent the first half of the campaign with the Twins’ affiliate before he was released in late July.

“He’s a great clubhouse guy,” Woods Richardson said. “High-energy guy who’s been around the block for a while. So, I just kind of picked his brain a little bit and talked about some things and what helped him through his career.”

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Sanchez, a first-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2010, was a heralded prospect in the organization’s system. He broke into the big-leagues as a reliever in 2014 and spent some time in the rotation the next year before winning the American League ERA title in 2016. He posted a 3.00 ERA across 30 starts and 192 innings that season, fronting the starting staff for a Blue Jays club that advanced to the AL Championship Series.

That represented the pinnacle of Sanchez’s career, which has been derailed by blister issues and a 2019 surgery on his throwing shoulder. The Blue Jays dealt the right-hander to the Houston Astros ahead of the ’19 trade deadline and he’s since bounced around the majors, pitching for the San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals and Twins.

Sanchez didn’t appear in the majors in 2023, but posted a 5.54 ERA over 22 games between St. Paul and Reno, the triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The 31-year-old Sanchez was a free agent over the winter and into the beginning of this season before the Blue Jays took a flier on him. The best-case scenario would include him becoming a serviceable option for a club that has taken several recent hits to its starting pitch depth.

“A little bit of a Fountain of Youth,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider when asked what he wanted to see out of Sanchez during the right-hander’s first start for the triple-A Buffalo Bisons on Friday.

“We all know Sanchie. I know him really well and think the world of him. Haven’t spoken to him yet — I’ll probably do it after he pitches [Friday] — but I want to see where his stuff is and I want to see strikes, really, and kind of go from there.”

Sanchez didn’t deliver on that end against the Worcester Red Sox and was roughed up for six runs on five hits and three walks over four innings. His fastball averaged 90.2 m.p.h. and he generated just one whiff on 26 swings while throwing just 53 per cent strikes (35 out of 66 pitches).

Sanchez obviously has some ways to go before he could be in a position to potentially help the major-league club, but the Blue Jays are expected to give the right-hander some time to find his footing.

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Woods Richardson spent plenty of time with Sanchez last year and says the veteran was generous with doling out advice.

“Just be yourself, attack the strike zone and be confident with everything you throw,” says Woods Richardson of what stood out from those conversations. “He had a mentality that strike one is the best pitch in baseball.”

The two also spoke about the rough road Sanchez has had to travel because of his injuries and the 23-year-old Woods Richardson walked away impressed.

“Anybody who goes through that type of hardship has to be strong mentally,” said Woods Richardson. “I think he’s one of those guys that definitely has the mental strength to be in this game a long time. He loves the game. He’s very competitive. That competitive nature is still in him and he’s a dog.”

The two also chatted about their time in the Blue Jays organization. Woods Richardson, of course, was traded to the club in the 2019 deal that sent Marcus Stroman to the New York Mets and, in 2021, he was flipped to the Twins along with Austin Martin in exchange for Jose Berrios.

Woods Richardson will face the Blue Jays in Saturday’s afternoon contest at Rogers Centre but says there’s no extra motivation for him in facing the team that traded him.

“At the end of the day, it’s a business,” he said. “This game’s a business, so I’m just going out there with my game plan, attacking the hitters. It’s a normal day, a normal game.”

The right-hander has been excellent over his four starts this season, posting a 1.74 ERA and 1.86 FIP with 21 strikeouts across 20.2 innings. Woods Richardson attributes his success to his off-season work to lower his arm slot, which has allowed him to be more efficient and “be more of an athlete” on the mound.

Not lost on him, though, are the discussions from his time with Sanchez.

“I had to [treat] him with respect,” said Woods Richardson. “He’s been around the block way longer than me. He clearly knows some things, just from experience alone. So, sitting down [with him], it’s close your mouth, open your ears and just listen.”

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Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand is unlikely to return to Game 3 against the Florida Panthers after he suffered an upper-body injury, the team announced.

The forward did not return to the bench to start the third period and it’s unclear when he sustained the injury.

In the first period, he took a heavy hit from Panthers forward Sam Bennett, which sent him shoulder-first into the boards. He rose slowly from the ice and spoke with trainers on the bench briefly, but returned to the game.

In nine games this post-season, Marchand has three goals and 10 points, including two assists this series.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Two-time defending champion Steve Stricker birdied the final two holes for a 7-under 65 and a one-shot lead over Ernie Els on Friday after the second round of the Regions Tradition, the first of five PGA Tour Champions majors.

Stricker, who has won three of the last four times at Greystone, had four birdies and a pair of bogeys over the first six holes before overtaking Els at the end. A six-time winner last year, he’s seeking his first this season and got his wish of being in the final group for what he predicted “should be a fun weekend.”

Stricker said he’s not dwelling on the chance for a three-peat.

“I enjoy it here. I feel good going around here,” he said. “I’m just trying to, you know, that old cliche of just taking one shot, one hole at a time kind of thing. So continue that with (Saturday).”

A World Golf Hall of Famer, Els shot a 68 in the second round. He was part of a six-way tie for first upon Round 1’s completion earlier in the day after play was halted because of bad weather Thursday.

Els had four birdies and still hasn’t had a bogey over the first 36 holes to stay up with Stricker.

“Steve Stricker is obviously the king around here at the moment,” Els said. “He’s won three or four times. He’s got the tournament record so probably playing with him (Saturday) so I need to keep the pace up with Steve and try and make him work hard for this one. He’s always got a lot of momentum on this course, but at least we’re heading in a good direction.”

Steve Flesch, who had one bogey, moved to 10 under with a birdie on 18 for a 69. He is a four-time winner on the 50-and-over circuit but hasn’t finished better than 25th in seven events this year.

“I tried to be patient with how the year has been going on, but the golf hasn’t been as bad as maybe where I am on the Schwab Cup list indicates,” said Flesch, who came in ranked 65th. “So maybe this will be a nice kickstart for me to get my year going a little bit, but I’m just I’m just glad I’ve kind of played two decent rounds and heading into the weekend with a chance.”

Charlie Wi and Padraig Harrington were 9 under. Wi shot a 69, making two bogeys on par 5s but closing on No. 18 with his fifth birdie of the round. The South Korean has two runner-up finishes but no victories in 33 PGA Tour Champions events.

Harrington had a more up and down day, overcoming four bogeys for a 70.

Kenny Perry (71) and Marco Dawson (70) were four shots back.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Chris Gotterup birdied the final final four holes and six of the last eight for a 7-under 64 and a one-stroke lead over Robert MacIntyre on Friday after the second round of the PGA Tour’s inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic.

After making two birdies and and a bogey on the front nine at Dunes Golf & Beach Club, Gotterup played the back nine in 6-under 30 in windy conditions. He made a 50-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th and a 17-footer from the fringe on the par-4 18th.

“Really just executing shots pretty solidly down the stretch there,” said Gotterup, the 24-year-old former University of Oklahoma player who is winless on the PGA Tour. “It got pretty windy, so definitely a good finish.”

Making his 27th PGA Tour start, Gotterup had the lowest score of his career to lead for the first time after a round. He had a 12-under 130 total on the tree-lined, seaside layout.

“It’s a little tricky when you’ve got the wind going on some cross-wind holes, but I definitely can take advantage on a couple holes with some length,” Gotterup said. “Obviously, you’ve got to hit it straight to do that.”

MacIntyre, the Scot who helped Europe win the Ryder Cup last year, had a 67. He was tied for the first-round lead with Beau Hossler after a 64.

“It’s been really good,” said MacIntyre, also seeking his first tour victory. “I think it’s difficult to back up a good round yesterday. Felt like I done that really well.”

Jorge Campillo of Spain had his second 66 to get to 10 under. Hossler (69), Alex Smalley (65), Davis Thompson (68) and Alistair Docherty (68) were 9 under.

Blades Brown became the second 16-year-old in two weeks to make the cut, shooting 72-67. Last week, Kris Kim advanced to the weekend in the Byron Nelson.

“For me, I was like, OK, I can either make the cut or do homework tomorrow and feel bad about myself,” Brown said. “After I made that putt on 9, that little two-inch putt, I was like,Yes. I can go chill by the beach, I can do whatever.’ I’m so stoked.”

Brown, from Nashville, Tennessee, is high school sophomore. His mother, Rhonda Blades Brown, played two seasons in the WNBA.

The tournament is being held opposite the Wells Fargo Championship. a signature event in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Myrtle Beach winner will get a spot in the PGA Championship next week, but not in the Masters or a guaranteed spot in the remaining two $20 million signature events.

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SEATTLE — Seattle Mariners right-hander Matt Brash, one of the top relievers in the American League last season, underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this week and will miss the entire 2024 season, Seattle general manager Justin Hollander said Friday.

The native of Kingston, Ont. had not pitched in the majors this season after experiencing discomfort in his elbow during spring training. He initially attempted to rehab the injury without the need for surgery, but last month experienced a setback just before going out on a rehab assignment.

Hollander said after meeting with Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, the decision was made to have the surgery on Wednesday.

“To have his season go away like this stinks for him. Stinks for us,” Hollander said. “Probably one of the most popular players in the organization among his teammates, among staff members.”

Hollander said Brash had a partial tear in the posterior area of the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow, an area of the ligament that’s difficult to rehabilitate without surgery. Brash was able to pitch without issue despite the tear until he started to experience pain while throwing last month.

Hollander said the hope is Brash could be back pitching for the Mariners sometime in late spring or early summer of next season. Meister also placed a brace in Brash’s elbow in the hope of speeding up the UCL recovery. The brace is separate from the internal brace surgery the likes of Spencer Strider have undergone to repair elbow issues.

Brash led all of baseball with 78 appearances last season and posted a 9-4 record with a 3.04 ERA. He struck out 107 batters in 70 2/3 innings, often using a wipe out slider that’s made him one of the more difficult relievers to face.

Brash started his career with Seattle in 2022 as a starter before transitioning to the bullpen. He has appeared in 117 games over the previous two seasons and is the latest name to join the growing list of players sidelined by elbow issues this year, including Strider, Cleveland’s Shane Bieber, the New York Yankees’ Jonathan Loáisiga, Miami’s Eury Pérez and Oakland’s Trevor Gott.

“I would put him up as one of the top relievers in the league,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “It’s probably the most unique breaking ball. It’s the breaking ball everybody talks about in the league; Matt Brash’s slider. It’s just a wipe out pitch. When you don’t have a weapon like that you have to manipulate through a bullpen a little differently. He’s a great security blanket to have when you map out a plan each night.”

The Mariners have been without two of their top relievers since spring training. Brash was sidelined with his elbow issues and Gregory Santos has been out due to a lat strain. Hollander said Santos had a small setback in his recovery, and after a brief break has resumed throwing out to about 90 feet. But the setback means it will likely be July before Santos pitches in a game for the Mariners.

While the news on pitchers was mixed, the Mariners could be close to getting two position players back. Outfielder Dominic Canzone (shoulder) is expected to start a rehab assignment with triple-A Tacoma on Saturday, while shortstop J.P. Crawford (oblique) is likely to start a rehab assignment either this weekend or early next week.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Xander Schauffele has been a mainstay near the top of the leaderboard most of the year. Now he’s hoping to close the door.

Schauffele shot a 4-under 67 on Friday after opening with a 64, leaving him at 11-under 131 and four shots ahead of Rory McIlroy and Jason Day heading into the weekend at the Wells Fargo Championship.

Taylor Moore and Sungjae Im were five strokes back at 6 under.

The 30-year-old Schauffele has seven top 10 finishes this season, but no wins. He’s looking to snap a winless streak that dates to July 2022 at the Genesis Scottish Open.

“I’ve had a few knocks on the door and I just tell myself to keep knocking,” Schauffele said.

Schauffele said the drought is something he’s always thinking about, but added that the toughest part is just to stay in the present.

“You just have to recognize the situation you are in, and realize that you are playing some good golf and just get out of your own way at times,” Schauffele said.

Corey Connors of Listowel, Ont., and Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., were tied for seventh at 4 under. Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., is tied for 20th at 2 under, and Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., are tied for 33rd at even par. Mackenzie Hughes of Hamilton, Ont., is tied for 45th at 2 over.

Schauffele’s was locked in most of the day.

He hit 15 greens and his only hiccup came when he made bogey on the 18th hole while he was trying to rush to finish his round and beat a storm that would suspend play for about an hour. Play eventually did resume, but Schauffele feared he would have to get up early to play a shot or two and then wait several hours to play his third round on Saturday.

“It’s stupid to say, but I’d rather take the 5 at this point after hitting such a bad chip versus waking up super early and having to reset your day,” Schauffele said. “It’s all good.”

McIlroy entered the day three shots behind Schauffele, but managed to lose ground despite not making a bogey. McIlroy finished with a 68. He had several opportunities to put the pressure on Schauffele, but missed a few makeable putts.

Still, the star from Northern Ireland walked away feeling good about his play.

“Felt like I probably could have squeezed a couple more out of the round, but anytime you can go around this golf course bogey free it’s always going to be a decent day,” said McIlroy, who teamed with Shane Lowry to win the Zurich Classic two weeks ago.

The world’s No. 2-ranked player has had some spectacular weekend performances before at Quail Hollow, including a club-record 61 in 2015. He closed with a 62 in 2010 to win his first PGA Tour title.

He said he will lean on those as he sets his sights on catching Schauffele.

“Anytime you’re playing a golf course where you’ve shot some really low scores, you know that it’s out there,” McIlroy said. “The golf course is playing a lot differently this week than it played in 2010 and 2015, but I know if I get it going around here I can make some birdies and chase him down.”

McIlroy is the only three-time winner of the event, and said the course simply suits his game well because it allows him to take advantage of his distance off the tee.

“I’ve had so many good memories here, I just feel positive vibes,” McIlroy said. “I feel good about myself when I’m walking around here.”

Day also had a 67. The Australian has struggled of late, with only one top-25 finish in his last six events.

“I’ve had a run over the last month and a half, two months where it’s just been kind of poor play, poor hitting,” Day said. “I’ve been losing a ton of strokes to the field approach to green, not necessarily on the driver. It’s weird, it’s kind of strange to drive it decently well and to hit it poor coming into the greens.”

Max Homa, the only player other than McIlroy with multiple wins at the Wells Fargo Championship, was eight shots behind after a 70. Justin Thomas also was 3 under after a 71.

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Aaron Sanchez didn’t have a great deal of success in his return to the Toronto Blue Jays organization on Friday.

Starting for the triple-A Buffalo Bisons, the right-hander gave up six runs on five hits in four innings against the visiting Worcester Red Sox. He walked three and didn’t record a strikeout. Sanchez threw 66 pitches, 35 for strikes.

Brandon Eisert replaced Sanchez in the fifth, with the Bisons trailing 6-3.

The 31-year-old Sanchez was signed to a minor-league deal by the Jays earlier this week to help the organization’s depth amidst several injuries.

After a scoreless first, Sanchez gave up five runs in the second.

Niko Kavadas hit a solo homer off Sanchez in the third to make it 6-0.

Sanchez pitched for Toronto from 2014 to 2019 after being picked 34th overall by the Blue Jays in the 2010 MLB Draft. In his six years with the Jays, he finished with a 32-33 record while pitching to a 3.96 ERA in 571.0 innings pitched. He made 92 starts and 174 appearances for the team.

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He earned the only All-Star nod of his career in 2016 and finished seventh in Cy Young voting after carrying a league-leading 3.00 ERA in 192.0 innings pitched for the Blue Jays. Sanchez was a key member of teams that advanced to the ALCS in 2015 and ’16.

In his final years in Toronto, he dealt with various hand injuries, limiting his production and he was subsequently traded to the Houston Astros in 2019 as part of a package for outfielder Derek Fisher.

His latest stop was in the minor leagues with the Minnesota Twins and Arizona Diamondbacks last season. He made 22 appearances in triple-A, starting 20 games but finished the year with a rough 5.54 ERA in 89.1 innings.

He last made a major-league appearance in 2022 with the Twins, pitching in eight games and starting three. He finished the year with a 4.71 ERA and became a free agent after the season.

All in all, Sanchez has a career 38-38 record and 4.16 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 541 strikeouts across eight major league seasons.

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INDIANAPOLIS — New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson started Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers on Friday night despite having a sore right foot.

The All-Star is averaging a league-high 35.6 points in the postseason, leading the Knicks to a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Brunson was injured late in the first quarter Wednesday night but returned in the second half and helped the Knicks rally for a 130-122 victory.

Brunson is irreplaceable for the severely short-handed Knicks. He totalled 72 points and 12 assists in the first two games against Indiana.

New York already had ruled out forward OG Anunoby with an injured left hamstring and it’s unclear if he’ll be available for Sunday’s Game 4. He left Wednesday’s game in the third quarter and did not return.

“OG did travel with us,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said, noting Anunoby came along in part to continue getting treatment. “If you get nicked up in the game, your rehab is basically your game, so you get treatment three times a day and just keep working at that.”

New York forwards Bojan Bogdanovic (left foot) and Julius Randle (right shoulder) and center Mitchell Robinson (left ankle) are out for the rest of the playoffs.

Two-time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton started Game 3 for the Pacers. He had been listed as questionable with back spasms.

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The Florida Panthers will get a boost up front on Friday.

Forward Sam Bennett will return to the lineup for Game 3 of the team’s second-round series against the Boston Bruins on Friday.

Bennett has been out of the lineup since taking a shot off his left hand from teammate Brandon Montour during Game 2 of the Panthers’ opening-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

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The 27-year-old native of Holland Landing, Ont., recorded 20 goals and 41 points in 69 games during the regular season.

Bennett replaces Nick Cousins.

Meanwhile, Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman will make his eighth consecutive start. He was replaced by Linus Ullmark after giving up four goals in a 6-1 loss in Game 2.

The second-round series is tied at 1-1. Watch Game 3 live on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+, starting at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.

Yusei Kikuchi heads to the hill as the Toronto Blue Jays open a three-game home series against the red-hot Minnesota Twins on Friday night. Watch live on Sportsnet One and Sportsnet+, and follow on our MLB live tracker.

The Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers are even 1-1 as their second-round series heads north to Beantown for Game 3 Friday night. Watch live on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.

Toronto aims for a 2-0 series lead over Minnesota in PWHL playoff action Friday night. The matchup between Toronto and Minnesota starts at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.

TORONTO — The Minnesota Twins and their lucky sausage have gone international.

The bagged summer sausage that the red-hot Twins have been carrying for good luck made it across the Canadian border for Friday’s series-opening game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Twins posted a photo on social media depicting the sausage on the observation deck of Toronto’s CN Tower.

Hitting coach David Popkins cooked up the sausage superstition last month, grabbing an unopened summer sausage from a table in the clubhouse and encouraging his players to tap it before at-bats.

The sausage has already been on one Twins road trip, double-sealed in a plastic bag and stuffed into a shoe.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said the sausage made the trip with the team, but wouldn’t spill the beans on how the well-traveled piece of meat made it over the border into Canada.

“I wasn’t in charge of the sausage; I will not be in charge of the sausage,” Baldelli said before Friday’s game.

The Twins have won 15 of 17, taking their past five series. Minnesota is 22-15 overall, 1 1/2 games behind first-place Cleveland in the AL Central.

Baldelli had previously said the Twins would ditch the meat after their winning streak ended at 12 games with a loss to Boston on Sunday. But, the sausage stuck around through a home series against the Seattle Mariners in which the Twins won three of four.

The Twins are no stranger to unique home-run celebrations. Last season, they brought a fishing vest and toy fishing pole to the dugout, a nod to the state’s 10,000 lakes.

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