MILWAUKEE (AP) — William Contreras went 3 for 5 with four RBIs and hit one of Milwaukee’s five homers off Martín Pérez in the Brewers’ 10-2 blowout of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The NL Central-leading Brewers won two of three from the Pirates before beginning a season-long, nine-game trip Friday at Houston. Gary Sánchez, Sal Frelick, Joey Ortiz and Jackson Chourio also homered off Pérez. The Brewers tied a franchise record for homers off a single pitcher in one game. Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen went 3 for 4, homered and scored both the Pirates’ runs.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Aaron Judge followed a 467-foot home run with three hard-hit doubles and drove in two runs for the New York Yankees in a 4-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Marcus Stroman threw six scoreless innings for his first win in four starts as the Yankees kept up their decades-long dominance of the Twins. The Yankees have outscored the Twins 9-1 and outhit them 26-11 in winning the first two games of the series. They improved to 118-44 against them since 2002. That’s the best record by any major league club against any intraleague opponent over that 23-season span.
BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 113-98 to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the third straight season. Al Horford added 22 points, 15 rebounds and six of Boston’s 19 3-pointers to post their third consecutive win of the series and earn a 4-1 win. The Cavaliers played shorthanded without star Donovan Mitchell (calf), center Jarrett Allen (rib) and key reserve Caris LeVert (knee). Cleveland stayed close and pulled within 88-85 early in the fourth. Boston then went on a 13-2 run to take a 101-87 lead. Evan Mobley scored a playoff career high 33 points. Marcus Morris Sr. had five 3-pointers and finished with 25 points.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 31 points in a triple-double to help the Dallas Mavericks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 104-92 and take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series. He made 12 of 22 field goals and had 11 assists and 10 rebounds in Game 5 for his sixth career playoff triple-double. Derrick Jones Jr. scored 19 points and P.J. Washington added 10 points and 10 rebounds for Dallas. The Mavericks can advance to the Western Conference Finals with a win Saturday at home. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the top-seeded Thunder.
DALLAS (AP) — Colorado defenseman Cale Makar scored two goals, the second after Casey Mittelstadt’s go-ahead tally in the third period and the Avalanche beat top-seeded Dallas 5-3 in Game 5. The Avs snapped their three-game losing streak and extended the second-round Western Conference Series. Game 6 is Friday night in Colorado. Mittelstadt scored just 1:12 into the third period to make it 3-2. Maker added an unassisted goal about three minutes later. Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev had 23 saves. Stars goalie Jake Oettinger stopped 22 shots. Joe Pavelski had his first goal of these playoffs for the Stars. Miro Heiskanen and rookie Logan Stankoven scored the other Dallas goals, and Jason Robertson had two assists.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Claire Butorac scored early in the second overtime to give Minnesota a 1-0 win over Toronto on Wednesday night to force a decisive fifth game in the semifinal series. The home team has won each game with Game 5 back in Toronto on Friday. The winner between top-seeded Toronto and fourth-seed Minnesota will face third-seeded Boston for the inaugural PWHL championship. Butorac cashed in on a loose puck in front of the net 4:27 into the second overtime. Sophie Jaques dumped the puck from the point behind the net where Liz Schepers got the bounce off the boards and redirected it backwards, through her legs. The puck bounced off the side of the net and out front for Butorac to clean up.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kervin Arriaga scored in the 80th minute for his second goal in two games and Minnesota United tied the LA Galaxy 2-2 on Wednesday night. Minnesota (6-2-3) had won three consecutive matches, with three game-winning goals from 23-year-old Tani Oluwaseyi. Only five different players in MLS history have scored a game-winning goal in four straight. Los Angeles (5-2-6) is winless in its last four games. Bongokuhle Hlongwane opened the scoring for Minnesota in the 30th when he settled a deflected corner kick and sent it off the crossbar. A video replay confirmed it crossed the goal line. Arriaga tied it at 2-all by heading in Joseph Rosales’ corner kick at the back post.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Doug Gottlieb believes he can effectively balance coaching Green Bay basketball and hosting a national sports radio show. Gottlieb discussed his new arrangement during his introductory news conference as the longtime broadcaster moves into the coaching ranks. Gottlieb acknowledged the possibility he might have to give up his radio show eventually if it becomes apparent his two jobs can’t coexist. But he added that he believes the combination should work out well. He noted that his radio platform could help him promote Green Bay.
