Sports

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    Power 96 Sports Update 7-3

    07/03/2024

    Albert Lea"s Legion baseball Team has their game against Rochester postponed due to weather. July 8th POWER 96 will bring you VFW baseball as Albert Lea takes on Mantorville at 4 pm.

    The Twins, coming off a 6-3 road trip, broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh and beat the Tigers, 5-3. Carlos Correa added the insurance run with his 10th home run of the season in the eighth. He ignited a changeup from Beau Brieske and lined it into the left field seats. The Twins bullpen preserved the lead with 3 2/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief as the Tiger were limited to five hits in the game and three of them came in one inning. Third baseman Royce Lewis was removed from Tuesday night"s game with tightness in his left groin, and the oft-injured budding star groused afterward about his prognosis.Lewis was replaced in the field for the top of the sixth inning. He had a two-run, two-out double in the third off Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, when he jogged into second base and felt like he couldn"t even run at half-speed.Lewis will undergo further testing today and is listed as day to day.

    Same two teams battle it out again tonight at Target Field with the Twins sending rookie David Festa to the mound. First pitch tonight is set for 7:10

    In spit of the Lynx coming up short last night against the NY Liberty 76-67, the Minnesota Lynx announced that Head Coach Cheryl Reeve was named WNBA's Coach of the Month and two of its players were named 2024 WNBA All-Stars.

    Forward Napheesa Collier and guard Kayla McBride will participate in the 2024 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game on July 20 in Phoenix.

    Team WNBA will face off against the USA Basketball Women's National Team. Collier will participate for the USA Basketball Women's National Team while McBride will play for Team WNBA.

    This is both Collier's and McBride's fourth time being named an All-Star.

    Power 96 Sports Update 7-2

    07/02/2024

    Albert Lea"s VFW baseball team took down Cannon Falls last night as heard here on POWER 96 8-2. A 4 run 5th inning helped Albert Lea put away Cannon Falls who scored 1 run in the first and 1 in the 5th. Today, weather permitting The Albert Lea Legion Team is set to take on Rochester at 6:30.

    Minnesota Wild General Manager and President of Hockey Operations Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has agreed to terms with eight players. Forward Travis Boyd has agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way contract that goes through the 2024-25 season. Defenseman Joseph Cecconi (seh-KOH-nee) has agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way contract for the 2024-25 season. Center Brendan Gaunce (GAWNS) has agreed to terms on a two-year, two-way contract that goes through the 2025-26 season. Goaltender Troy Grosenick has agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way contract for the 2024-25 season. Right wing Reese Johnson formerly of the Chicago Blackhawks has agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way contract for the 2024-25 season. Center Ben Jones has agreed to terms on a two-year, two-way contract ($775,000/$275,000 in 2024-25 and 2025-26) that goes through the 2025-26 season. And Center Devin Shore has agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way contract for the 2024-25 season.

    The Minnesota Twins are back home to take on the Detroit Tigers tonight at Target FieldSimeon Woods Richardson and his 3-1 record will take the mound or the Twins while the Tigers counter with 9-3 Tarik Skubal. First pitch tonight is slotted for 6:40.

    The 14-4 Minnesota Lynx are in action tonight on the East Coast as they take on the 16-3 NY Liberty. The Lynx will need their defense to shine against the Liberty, who are eager for revenge after the Lynx"s 94-89 victory in the Commissioner"s Cup final. Napheesa Collier"s recent performances have been stellar, averaging 22.7 points and 12 rebounds over the last three games. The Lynx previously dominated the Liberty 84-67 on May 25. Tipoff is set for 6 pm.

    Power 96 Sports Update 7-1

    07/01/2024

    Albert Lea VFW Baseball is on the ball diamond tonight taking on Cannon Falls. First pitch is scheduled for tonight at 6:00. Power 96 will have the game for you live.

    Trevor Larnach hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth inning to extend Minnesota"s home run streak to 19 games and lift the Twins to a 5-3 win over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday.Minnesota set a franchise record for consecutive games with a longball, but it took until the late innings. Larnach drove an 0-1 pitch from reliever Ryne Stanek (5-2) to right-center field for his eighth home run.Minnesota"s 19-game homer streak is the second-longest in the majors this season behind Baltimore"s 22-game run earlier in June. Larnach also had an RBI single in the first inning, before Austin Martin"s run-scoring double and Jose Miranda"s RBI single plated a pair in the fifth.The Twins took two of three to end Seattle"s run of winning series at home.Joe Ryan struck out 10 over 5 2/3 innings, his second time this season reaching double figures in strikeouts. Ryan allowed six hits and one earned run. Jhoan Durán pitched the ninth for his 12th save.After an off day today, the Twins return home to begin a series against Detroit on Tuesday with RHP Simeon Woods Richardson starting the opener.

    The Minnesota Wild  made qualifying offers to four restricted free agents, including defenseman Declan Chisolm, who was claimed off waivers from Winnipeg last season and is expected to be on the NHL blue line this season.Not among those qualified was forward Mason Shaw, who overcame four reconstructed knee surgeries to play 20 games with the Wild last season.The other three players to receive offers are forwards Graeme Clarke, Adam Raska and Sammy Walker. Clarke was acquired last week in a trade that sent prospect Adam Beckman to New Jersey. Qualifying offers are for one-year contracts.

    Power 96 Sports Update 6-28

    06/28/2024

    Byron Buxton had a three-run homer among his three hits and the Minnesota Twins beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-6 Thursday. Twins shortstop Carlos Correa left the game in the seventh inning after being hit by a pitch on the right wrist by Bryce Jarvis. X-rays were negative and the team listed him as day-to-day. After the game, Correa said he would be ready to play Friday. His hand went numb, he said, and immediately headed off the field. Correa was on base five times, with a single, two walks, catcher"s interference and a hit by pitch. Buxton, who hit his seventh homer of the season, also scored three times as the Twins scored all 13 of their runs between the second and fifth innings. Minnesota took two of three in the series and has won four of its last five. Arizona trailed 11-0 before scoring four runs off David Festa, who was making his major-league debut for Minnesota. He lasted five innings, giving up seven hits and five runs, walking one and striking out two. The Twins continue their west swing opening up a weekend series against Seattle tonight. First pitch is set for 8:40. Bailey Ober gets the start for the Twins.

    Elsewhere in the AL Central last night the Chicago White Sox defeated the Atlanta Braves 1-0. In a divisional showdown the Kansas City Royals took down the Guardians 2-1 and the Detroit Tigers fell to the Angels 5-0.

    The NBA draft wrapped up and the Minnesota Timberwolves had a very busy day making several trades which ultimately resulted in the team not picking a player. The moves helped free up a roster spot for the team and a couple million dollars in cap space.

    The Minnesota Lynx faced a harsh reality check in their 94-88 loss to the Dallas Wings, snapping their seven-game win streak. Lynx star Napheesa Collier did not hold back in her assessment of the game, blaming the team's defensive shortcomings. The loss came just two days after the Lynx celebrated their victory against the New York Liberty in the Commissioner's Cup, the WNBA's in-season tournament.

    Power 96 Sports Update 6-27

    06/27/2024

    The Albert Lea American Legion baseball team fell to Rochester last night at Hayek Field in a tightly played contest. The Albert Lea team put up 6 to Rochesters 7. Albert Lea fell behind 3-0 then took the lead 6-3 before Rochester rallied for the win. 

    Jose Miranda hit an early three-run double, Simeon Woods Richardson pitched effectively into the sixth inning and the Minnesota Twins beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-3 on Wednesday night.Miranda hit the first of two doubles in the second inning off Ryne Nelson (5-6) and the Twins piled on from there. Willi Castro hit a two-run homer, Trevor Lamach doubled twice and one of baseball"s best offenses banged out 14 hits, including eight for extra bases to bounce back from a 5-4 loss in the series opener. It was more than enough for Woods Richardson (3-1), who allowed three runs on four hits and struck out four with two walks in 5 1/3 innings.  RHP David Festa, Minnesota"s top pitching prospect, will pitch Thursday"s series finale after RHP Chris Paddack went on the injured list with right arm fatigue. First pitch today is scheduled for 2:40.

    The Minnesota Timberwolves traded into the lottery Wednesday for Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham in exchange for draft picks years down the road.  Minnesota dealt a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and agreed to a protected 2030 pick swap for the rights to Dillingham, whom the Spurs selected with the No. 8 pick. 

    The Timberwolves weren"t done making picks as  later in the night the Timberwolves used the 27th overall pick to select Guard Terrence Shannon Jr from Illionis.  Shannon Jr averaged 23 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists per game at Illinois last season. The Timberwolves won't have to wait as long to make their second round selection as they will have the tenth pick in the second round which is the 37th pick overall. The draft will resume this afternoon at 3:00 and can be seen on ESPN.  

    Power 96 Sports Update 6-27

    06/27/2024

    The Albert Lea American Legion baseball team fell to Rochester last night at Hayek Field in a tightly played contest. The Albert Lea team put up 6 to Rochesters 7. Albert Lea fell behind 3-0 then took the lead 6-3 before Rochester rallied for the win. 

    Jose Miranda hit an early three-run double, Simeon Woods Richardson pitched effectively into the sixth inning and the Minnesota Twins beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-3 on Wednesday night.Miranda hit the first of two doubles in the second inning off Ryne Nelson (5-6) and the Twins piled on from there. Willi Castro hit a two-run homer, Trevor Lamach doubled twice and one of baseball"s best offenses banged out 14 hits, including eight for extra bases to bounce back from a 5-4 loss in the series opener. It was more than enough for Woods Richardson (3-1), who allowed three runs on four hits and struck out four with two walks in 5 1/3 innings.  RHP David Festa, Minnesota"s top pitching prospect, will pitch Thursday"s series finale after RHP Chris Paddack went on the injured list with right arm fatigue. First pitch today is scheduled for 2:40.

    The Minnesota Timberwolves traded into the lottery Wednesday for Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham in exchange for draft picks years down the road.  Minnesota dealt a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and agreed to a protected 2030 pick swap for the rights to Dillingham, whom the Spurs selected with the No. 8 pick. 

    The Timberwolves weren"t done making picks as  later in the night the Timberwolves used the 27th overall pick to select Guard Terrence Shannon Jr from Illionis.  Shannon Jr averaged 23 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists per game at Illinois last season. The Timberwolves won't have to wait as long to make their second round selection as they will have the tenth pick in the second round which is the 37th pick overall. The draft will resume this afternoon at 3:00 and can be seen on ESPN.  

    Power 96 Sports Update 6-26

    06/26/2024

    Albert Lea Legion Baseball took down Owatonna 5-1. Albert Lea Pitcher Mike Olson pitched a complete game. Albert Lea will be in action again tonight when they take on Century at Hayek Field with first pitch scheduled for tonight at 6:00

    Ketel Marte hit a two-run homer in the first inning and drove in the go-ahead run with an infield hit in the seventh as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Minnesota Twins 5-4 on Tuesday night. Marte, leading the All-Star voting as the National League"s second baseman, hit his 16th homer off Joe Ryan, then beat out a slow roller to second with two out to break a 4-4 tie.Byron Buxton, led off the Twins" fifth with a home run to left-center.Ryan Jeffers tied the game with a three-run homer after a walk and an infield hit with one out in the seventh.Ryan went six innings, the 12th time in 16 starts he has gone at least that far this season, retiring 13 straight at one point. He gave up six hits and four runs, walked none and struck out five.

    RHP Chris Paddack was placed on the injured list with right arm fatigue. He had been scheduled to start Thursday"s game against the Diamondbacks. RHP Simeon Woods Richardson pitches for Minnesota tonight at 8:40.

    In the AL Central last night the Cleveland Guardians took down the Baltimore Orioles in a high scoring affair 10-8, the Detroit Tigers took down the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1, the Dodgers beat the White Sox 4-3 and the Kansas City Royals fell to Miami 2-1.

    Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx put the WNBA on notice that they are a championship caliber team.Bridget Carleton scored 23 points and Collier added 21 to help the Lynx win their first Commissioner"s Cup championship with a 94-89 victory over the New York Liberty.Collier, who also had six rebounds and three assists, won the game"s MVP award.

    Power 96 Sports Update 6-25

    06/25/2024

    The Arizona Diamondbacks host the Minnesota Twins to open a three-game series. Starter Joe Ryan (5-5, 3.13 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 95 strikeouts) will kick off the series tonight in the desert. The Twins will be looking to ride the success of Carlos Santana who has 12 doubles, 12 home runs and 38 RBI for the Twins and Royce Lewis who is 15-for-41 with two doubles, six home runs and eight RBI over his last 10 games. First pitch tonight is set for 8:40

    The Minnesota Timberwolves and head coach Chris Finch have agreed to a four-year contract extension.Finch has coached the Timberwolves for the past four years. This past season was his best yet, as Minnesota finished with the second-best regular season record in franchise history at 56–26 behind stars Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert. He was named the Western Conference team's coach in the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.The Timberwolves eventually advanced to the West finals, where they lost to the Dallas Mavericks in five games.

    For you WNBA fans, it"s time for the Commissioner's Cup Championship Game between the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty. Tonight, the Lynx play the Liberty at UBS Arena in Elmont, NY. The game will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Tipoff is set for 7 pm.

    For the first time in history, the Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup champions. Florida won a 2-1 Game 7 thriller on Monday night over the Edmonton Oilers to secure a 4-3 series victory in the Stanley Cup Final.Edmonton's Connor McDavid secured the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the entire Stanley Cup playoffs despite his team's loss. He's the sixth player in NHL history to win the award from a losing team.McDavid led the playoffs with 42 points and set an NHL record previously held by Wayne Gretzky with 34 playoff assists.

    Next up for the NHL is the draft, which will take place June 28th and 29th at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

    Power 96 Sports Update 6-25

    06/25/2024

    The Arizona Diamondbacks host the Minnesota Twins to open a three-game series. Starter Joe Ryan (5-5, 3.13 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 95 strikeouts) will kick off the series tonight in the desert. The Twins will be looking to ride the success of Carlos Santana who has 12 doubles, 12 home runs and 38 RBI for the Twins and Royce Lewis who is 15-for-41 with two doubles, six home runs and eight RBI over his last 10 games. First pitch tonight is set for 8:40

    The Minnesota Timberwolves and head coach Chris Finch have agreed to a four-year contract extension.Finch has coached the Timberwolves for the past four years. This past season was his best yet, as Minnesota finished with the second-best regular season record in franchise history at 56–26 behind stars Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert. He was named the Western Conference team's coach in the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.The Timberwolves eventually advanced to the West finals, where they lost to the Dallas Mavericks in five games.

    For you WNBA fans, it"s time for the Commissioner's Cup Championship Game between the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty. Tonight, the Lynx play the Liberty at UBS Arena in Elmont, NY. The game will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Tipoff is set for 7 pm.

    For the first time in history, the Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup champions. Florida won a 2-1 Game 7 thriller on Monday night over the Edmonton Oilers to secure a 4-3 series victory in the Stanley Cup Final.Edmonton's Connor McDavid secured the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the entire Stanley Cup playoffs despite his team's loss. He's the sixth player in NHL history to win the award from a losing team.McDavid led the playoffs with 42 points and set an NHL record previously held by Wayne Gretzky with 34 playoff assists.

    Next up for the NHL is the draft, which will take place June 28th and 29th at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

    Power 96 Sports Update 5-28

    05/28/2024

    Albert Lea Tiger sports from over the weekend saw the Tiger Boys Gold team take home the Big Nine Conference Championship. The team shot a score of 297. Second place Rochester Mayo shot a 305. The Tigers baseball will open up section play in a matchup against St. Peter at Hayek Field in Albert Lea on Wednesday. First pitch tomorrow is scheduled for 6 pm.

    Joe Ryan pitched seven smooth innings for the Minnesota Twins, who got a two-run homer by Jose Miranda and a three-run shot from Trevor Larnach before hanging on for a 6-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday in the opener of a four-game series.Ryan allowed one run and four singles while lowering his team-leading ERA to 2.96. The right-hander struck out nine and walked none, getting 15 swings and misses while topping his four-seam fastball out at 96.6 mph.Jose Miranda took Alec Marsh (4-2) deep to the bullpen beyond left-center in the third inning. Trevor Larnach hit a two-out fastball into the upper deck above right field in the fifth, a smash measured at 441 feet and 109.1 mph that gave the Twins a 5-0 lead.

    Twins: RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (1-0, 2.57 ERA) pitches the second game of the series. In two starts at home this season, he has allowed only two runs over 11 innings with 14 strikeouts. First pitch today is slotted for 6:40. The Dallas Mavericks look to clinch the Western Conference finals over the Minnesota Timberwolves in game four. The Mavericks won the last meeting to give them a 3-0 series lead with a 116-107 win on May 27 led by 33 points from Kyrie Irving, while Anthony Edwards scored 26 points for the Timberwolves. No team in NBA history has rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs. Tipoff is set for 7:30.

    In other NBA News, the Boston Celtics are already awaiting their next opponent after sweeping the Indiana Pacers 4 games to none to move on to the NBA Finals.

    Power 96 Sports Update 5-24

    05/24/2024

    Albert Lea Tiger sports, The Tigers baseball team won their game against St. Peter last night. The girls softball season came to an end last night in the section 2AAA Tournament when the Tigers were defeated by St. Peter 11-1. Today, boys golf is scheduled to take part in the Big 9 Tournament is Rochester if mother nature allows.

    After what was described as a rough film session, the Minnesota Timberwolves will try to even up their series against the Dallas Mavericks tonight in game 2 of the best of 7 series.

    During Game 2, the Mavericks expect the Timberwolves to take a high volume of 3-point attempts again. Coach Kidd emphasized the importance of continuing to protect the paint but acknowledged how challenging it can be given how many threats Minnesota has to account for. That game will get underway at 7:30 at the Target Center.

    The Texas Rangers have come to town with a sour taste in their mouths after losing yesterdays game against the Phillys 5-2. The Twins will open up a 3 game series against Texas tonight. The Twins will give the ball to Bailey Ober who comes into the matchup with a record of (4-2). The righty last pitched on Saturday against the Cleveland Guardians, when he threw four innings, allowing five earned runs while giving up eight hits. The Rangers are sending Urena to the mound to make his fourth start of the season. He is 1-3 with a 3.29 ERA and 24 strikeouts over 38 1/3 innings pitched. His most recent appearance came on Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels, when the righty went six innings, surrendering one earned run while giving up four hits. First pitch tonight is set for 6:10 at Target Field.

    In NHL action last night, it took 2 overtime periods before the Edmonton Oilers were able to knock off the Dallas Stars 3-2. Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored just 32 seconds into the second overtime period. Tyler Seguin had both goals for the Stars, who have lost Game 1 in their last seven playoff series since 2022. Game 2 will take place Saturday night.

    Tonight the Eastern Conference final will continue with the Florida Panthers looking to extend their series lead over the NY Rangers. Florida Leads the series one game to none. Faceoff tonight at Madison Square Garden is set for 7 pm.

    Power 96 Sports Update 5-23

    05/23/2024

    Albert Lea Tiger sports saw boys tennis eliminated from individual section play. Boys baseball with a big win over Northfield at Hayek Field in Albert Lea with the Tigers winning 5-3. Girls softball split their 2 games in section play in Mankato. The Tigers won their first game 7-1 against St. Peter. In game 2, the Tigers fell to Marshall losing 4-0. Section play continues today with Albert Lea again taking on St. Peter at 5 pm. The girls will advance with a win tonight. Today, boys and girls Track and Field will participate in the Big 9 Conference meet at Rochester Mayo. Boys baseball will take on St. Peter in St. Peter at 7 pm.

    The Dallas The Mavericks might not be the favorites in yet another series, but they stole home-court advantage from the Minnesota Timberwolves with this promising start. Kyrie Irving scored 24 of his 30 in the first half to lift the Mavericks to a 108-105 victory over the Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Wednesday night.Dallas had a 62-38 advantage in points in the paint to offset a 6-for-25 shooting performance from deep.Jaden McDaniels had his third straight 20-plus-point game with 24 points for the Wolves, but Anthony Edwards — who earned his first All-NBA selection prior to the game, on the second team — was stifled for 19 points in a team effort from the Mavericks. Karl-Anthony Towns needed a late burst to get to 16 points and finished 6 for 20 from the floor. Minnesota hosts Game 2 on Friday night.

    Carlos Correa hit a solo home run and made a diving play to prevent a game-tying run, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Washington Nationals 3-2 on Wednesday.Max Kepler also had a solo shot, doubled and scored a late run to win the game and series, which the Twins began by losing their seventh in a row. Minnesota starter Simeon Woods allowed three hits and a walk over 4 and 2/3 scoreless innings. After a travel day today, RHP Bailey Ober takes his turn Friday in the opener of a three-game series against Texas and seven-game home stand.

    Power 96 Sports Update 5-21

    05/21/2024

    Albert Lea Tiger sports Tiger baseball saw their game interrupted by mother nature last night in the 3rd inning when lightning moved into the Stewartville area. That game was called and will be resumed at a later date with the Tigers up 4-2. The Girls golf team played the 2nd big 9 conference tourney in Northfield. The Tigers finished in 8th place out of the 12 team field shooting 400. Northfield won the event and claimed the Big 9 conference title.

    Today, Tiger baseball is scheduled to face Austin at Hayek Field at 5 pm, but mother nature may have other plans for that matchup. Also on the docket for today, Tiger softball is scheduled to open up section play at Mankato"s Caswell Park tonight at 5 taking on St Peter. If there are any changes to the schedule Power 96 will let you know.

    Luis García Jr. homered and drove in three runs, Eddie Rosario also had three RBIs and the Washington Nationals snapped a five-game slide with a 12-3 victory over the struggling Minnesota Twins on Monday night.Jesse Winker hit a solo shot and Jacob Young delivered a two-run single during a four-run fifth inning off Twins starter Pablo López to help Washington pound out 14 hits and hand Minnesota its seventh straight defeat.The frustrated Twins held a players only meeting afterward, focused in part on correcting an offense that has scored only 12 runs in this slide. The Twins and the Nats will play again this evening. Twins RHP Joe Ryan will get the start. First pitch is set for 5:45

    Justin Jefferson was absent from Minnesota Vikings facilities on Monday amid contract negotiations and the start of voluntary offseason organized activities.The All-Pro receiver also missed voluntary offseason programs in 2023 while seeking a new deal. He reported to mandatory minicamp in June last year and played last season without coming to terms on an extension.

    Assuming Jefferson misses the rest of this month's voluntary programs, the focus around his negotiations will shift to Minnesota's mandatory minicamp that runs from June 4-6. Jefferson is approaching the last year of his five-year rookie contract and is due $19.7 million in 2024 on the fifth-year option exercised by the Vikings.

    The Philadelphia Eagles signed A.J. Brown to a three-year, $96 million contract with $84 million in guaranteed money in April, setting a new bar for wide receiver contracts that Jefferson will surely look to exceed.

    Power 96 Sports Update 5-20

    05/20/2024

    The Seniors may have graduated on Friday, but Albert Lea Tiger sports continues. Saturday Tiger baseball defeated Faribault 9-2. Today, girls golf will participate in the Big 9 Conference tournament in Northfield. Tiger baseball is on the road today taking on Stewartville tonight at 6:30

    Anthony Edwards overcame a slow start and the Timberwolves roared back from a 20-point second-half deficit to eliminate the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets 98-90 in a Game 7 Minnesota masterpiece on Sunday night.The Timberwolves overcame a 15-point halftime deficit — the largest comeback in a Game 7 in NBA playoff history — behind Edwards, who had just four points, no rebounds and three assists at halftime but finished with 16 points, eight boards and seven assists.The Wolves, who got 23 points each from Karl-Anthony Towns and Jaden McDaniels, advanced to the Western Conference finals for the first time in exactly 20 years. They"ll face the Dallas Mavericks beginning Wednesday night at Target Center.The Nuggets became the fifth consecutive defending champion to fail to reach the conference finals.

    Will Brennan hit a three-run homer off Jhoan Duran with two outs in a wild ninth inning, giving the Cleveland Guardians a 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.The inning appeared to be over one batter earlier when Andrés Giménez was called out at second while advancing on a wild pitch, but a crew-chief initiated video review ruled him safe. Josh Naylor was intentionally walked for Duran (0-2) to face Brennan. Brennan saw a first-pitch curveball and belted it over the wall in right, completing a three-game series sweep by the AL Central-leading Guardians. The Twins, who have lost a season-high six straight, were outscored 19-8 in the series at Progressive Field.

    Tonight, the Twins will open up a series against the Washington Nationals in Washington. RHP Pablo López faces Nationals LHP Mitchell Parker. First pitch tonight is slotted for 5:45

    Power 96 Sports Update 5-17

    05/17/2024

    Albert Lea Tiger sports saw the baseball team enjoy a win on senior recognition night downing Owatonna 2-0. Girls softball not quite as fortunate, dropping their matchup against the Huskies 6-4. Boys track in field came in second in their quad matchup just 1 point behind first place Maple River who finished with a team score of 107. Boys golf took 7th in the Owatonna invitational. Host, Owatonna finished 14th in the final position. Today, is graduation day for the Tigers, athletics will have the day off.

    Anthony Edwards scored 27 points to pull the Timberwolves out of their mid-series slump and deliver a flawless 115-70 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday to force a Game 7 in this roller-coaster matchup.Jaden McDaniels pitched in 21 points and lockdown defense, and Mike Conley had 13 points in his return from injury. Big men Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid combined for 38 rebounds and a relentless effort to keep NBA MVP Nikola Jokic to a relatively quiet 22 points.The Wolves posted the largest winning margin in a postseason game since 2015, when Chicago beat Milwaukee by 54 points in a first-round series clincher.The decisive game for a spot in the Western Conference finals is in Denver on Sunday night.

    Clarke Schmidt cruised to a career-long eight shutout innings and the New York Yankees finished a three-game sweep with a 5-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. Twins starter Joe Ryan (2-3) lasted 5 1/3 innings with four runs allowed on six hits and one walk while striking out five. Up next, RHP Simeon Woods Richardson takes the mound in Cleveland on Friday night to start a three-game series. RHP Triston McKenzie pitches for the Guardians.

    On the ice in the Stanley Cup Playoffs the New York Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference Final taking down the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 to win the series 4-2. The Vancouver Canucks defeated the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 to take a three games to two series lead.

    Power 96 Sports Update 5-16

    05/16/2024

    Albert Lea Tiger sports from yesterday Girls Softball fell to Northfield 18-7 and Tiger Boys Golf shot a 317 which was good for second place in their quad meet. Rochester Mayo won the meet shooting at 302. Today finds boys golf in Owatonna playing in an invitational at 1 pm. Clay target will compete in a match in Austin at 4:30. Boys track and field will take on multiple schools at NRHEG at 4:30. POWER 96 will bring you Tiger baseball at 5 pm as they host Owatonna. Some special guest announcers will join Christian Emory in the booth for that broadcast. Girls Softball will be in Owatonna to take on the Huskies at 5.

    Aaron Judge followed a 467-foot home run with three hard-hit doubles, driving in two runs for the New York Yankees in a 4-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night. Marcus Stroman (3-2) threw six scoreless innings for his first win in four starts, allowing only a double, a single and three walks as the Yankees kept up their decades-long dominance of the Twins. Twins starter Pablo López (4-3) surrendered a season-high 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings. He gave up three runs. Byron Buxton"s 12-game absence with inflammation in his right knee is about over. Buxton began a two-game rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday night, going 0 for 3 with two strikeouts. Yankees RHP Clarke Schmidt takes the mound this afternoon. RHP Joe Ryan gets the start for the Twins. Game time today is set for 12:10.

    Among the scheduling quirks NFL fans look for when the schedule is released each year is which teams have been scheduled to play three straight road games come the fall.There are four teams who have such stretches on their schedule during the 2024 season. The Bills, Browns, Bears, and Vikings will all find themselves on the road for three consecutive weeks.

    The Vikings will be away from US Bank Stadium for 3 weeks starting with a week 10 matchup with the Jaguars then the Titans and will end in Chicago with a week 12 matchup against division rival Bears.

    Power 96 Sports Update 5-15

    05/15/2024

    Albert Lea Tiger sports, saw Tiger Baseball fall 5-0 on the road against Rochester Mayo. Girls softball fell to Rochester Mayo 12-2. Today, Girls golf will play in an invitational at Lake City Jewel golf club at 2 pm. Boys golf will be part of a quad match at Rochester Eastwood Golf Course at 2:30. Girls softball will take on Northfield at the Hammer Complex on field 1 at 4 pm.

    In other area action, The Alden Conger boys golf team came in 3rd in their quad shooting a team score of 176. JWP won the quad with a score of 151. The Alden Conger girls took part in a triangular coming in 3rd.

    Giancarlo Stanton homered and Carlos Rodón overcame a shaky start and worked six-plus strong innings as the New York Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 5-1 on Tuesday night. The Yankees continue to thrive in Minnesota where they are 29-15 all-time at Target Field and boast the highest winning percentage of any opponent at the park. Rodón (4-2) allowed a leadoff home run to Ryan Jeffers in the bottom of the first inning and surrendered three hits in the frame. He gave up six hits overall and didn"t walk a batter, finishing with six strikeouts before being lifted following a leadoff single by Carlos Santana in the seventh. The 31-year-old left-hander had retired 11 in a row before Santana"s hit.Twins right-hander Chris Paddack (4-2), who had won three straight starts, surrendered a career high-tying 12 hits and five runs in five innings. Minnesota lost for just the fourth time in 21 games. RHP Pablo López starts the middle game of the three-game set today for Minnesota. New York will start RHP Marcus Stroman. First pitch is set for 6:40.

    \Anthony Edwards was seeing double everywhere he turned. All by design as the Denver Nuggets doubled the attention on Minnesota"s standout guard.By the end of the night, the Nuggets held Edwards to 18 points — 15 below his average in this series — in their 112-97 win over the Timberwolves on Tuesday night in Game 5.The Timberwolves were also missing Mike Conley, who was ruled out before the game with soreness in his right Achilles. Karl-Anthony Towns had a solid night despite appearing to tweak his left knee in the first half, finishing with 23 points. Rudy Gobert, too, who had 18 points and 11 rebounds. But by keeping Edwards in check on 5-of-15 shooting, the Nuggets limited the damage.Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, had 40 points on 15-of-22 shooting. He also had 13 assists and no turnovers. Game 6 is set for Thursday night at the Target Center for what is now a must win for the T-wolves. Tipoff is set for 7:30.

    Power 96 Sports Update 5-14

    05/14/2024

    Albert Lea Tiger sports, the Tigers Girls Golf team played a quad meet at Bridges Golf Club in Winona against Winona, John Marshall, and Mayo. Mayo won shooting a 369, JM shot a 387, Albert Lea finished with a 399, and Winona checked in with a 404. Tiger softball snatched the lead late in their 6-5 victory over Austin Monday. The game was tied at 5 going into the 6th when Keira Erickson singled, scoring one run and securing the W for the girls. Boys baseball with a dominating performance over Austin last night leaving town with an 11-1 win.

    Today the Tigers are right back to it starting with boys and girls track and field taking on Multiple schools at Mankato East as they participate in a triangular at 4:45. Baseball is on the road to take on Rochester Mayo at 5 pm. Softball right back in action too hosting Rochester Mayo at 5.

    The Minnesota Twins had the night off last night and they will take on the Yankees tonight. A good day for the AL Central last night the Detroit Tigers took down the Miami Marlins 6-5, the Cleveland Guardians shutout the Texas Rangers 7-0, the Kansas City Royals fell to the Seattle Mariners 6-2. The Chicago White Sox game against the Washington Nationals was postponed.

    In the NBA last night the Boston Celtics took down the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-102 to take a commanding three games to one lead in the series. Out west the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Dallas Mavericks 10-96 to even the series at two games a piece. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets will take to the court tonight for game five. The Series is currently tied; each team has won both games on the road.

    On the ice, the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the New York Rangers 4-1. The Rangers still lead the series three games to two as the series shifts back to Raleigh for game six. The Dallas Stars beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-1 and now lead the series 3-1.

    Power 96 Sports Update 5-13

    05/13/2024

    Albert Lea Tiger sports The Tiger softball team went 1-3 in the Jackson County Tournament. In the first game, the Tigers lost to Jackson county centennial 7-6. In the Second game Albert lea beat Worthington 5-4, and the Third game Albert lea lost to New York Mills 3-6. Today, girls golf is in Winona to face multiple schools. Tiger baseball this afternoon at 3:30 as the Tigers are in Austin to take on the Packers. The Softball team also in Austin getting underway at 3:30. Boys Track and field also in Austin for a matchup starting at 4:30.

    In other area action, Glenville Emmons/ Alden Conger softball had a tough time with Mabel Canton in double header action. GE-AC dropped game 1, 6-3 before finding themselves dismantled in a 4 inning game 2, 18-3.

    The Denver Nuggets were far from done after dropping the first two games of the Western Conference semifinals at home in humbling fashion.Nikola Jokic scored 16 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, and Aaron Gordon had 27 points on 11-for-12 shooting to propel the Nuggets to a series-tying 115-107 victory over the Timberwolves on Sunday night in Game 4. Anthony Edwards scored 44 points in another spectacular performance for Minnesota that set the franchise postseason record, shooting 16 for 25. But despite a 42-31 rebounding edge, the Wolves were beaten at their own game for the second straight time at home. The series goes back to Denver for Game 5 on Tuesday night.

    Carlos Santana hit a three-run home run, Bailey Ober matched his career high by striking out 10 over 6 1/3 shutout innings and the Minnesota Twins won for the 17th time in 20 games by beating the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 on Sunday.The Twins have won six consecutive series for the first time since September 2010.Santana homered for the third straight game north of the U.S. border, extending Minnesota"s streak of games in Toronto with at least one home run to 20. The Twins homered in 21 straight games at Kansas City between July 30, 1998, and Aug. 25, 2001.Max Kepler added a two-run double for the Twins, extending his career-best hitting streak to 14 games. After an off day today, RHP Chris Paddack will start Tuesday when the Twins return home for a three-game series against the Yankees. LHP Carlos Rodón will go for New York.

    Power 96 Sports Update 5-10

    05/10/2024

    Albert Lea Tiger sports from yesterday saw the Tiger baseball team taking 2 from Red Wing in a Double Header winning game 1 2-0 and taking game 2, 2-1. Tiger Softball split their double header against Red Wing dropping game 1 6-2 and winning game 2 5-4 in 9 innings. Boys tennis wrapped up their regular season at Rochester John Marshall. They will open up Big 9 play in Rochester Saturday. This afternoon, Tiger Boys Golf will participate in an invitational against Spring Lake Park at Green Lea Golf Course at 1 pm.

    Manny Margot highlighted a five-run first inning for Minnesota with a three-run double off Seattle ace Logan Gilbert, and the Twins coasted to an 11-1 victory over the Mariners to win their fifth consecutive series on Thursday afternoon.Pablo López (4-2) pitched into the seventh with a season-high 10 strikeouts to win his third straight start. Ryan Jeffers and Max Kepler each homered and drove in two runs, Jose Miranda scored three runs on two hits and Margot matched his career high with five RBIs for the Twins (22-15), who won for the 15th time in their last 17 games.López gave up one run on four hits without a walk in 6 1/3 innings, which included a slick catch by shortstop Willi Castro of a line drive that first glanced off the third baseman Miranda"s glove. Twins RHP Joe Ryan (1-2, 3.54 ERA) pitches on Friday night to open a three-game series at Toronto. Game time is set for 6:07

    Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns has won the NBA's top social justice award for his efforts in helping Minnesota restore voting rights to formerly incarcerated felons. The league announced Towns as the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Thursday. Towns and company will be in action tonight as they host the Denver Nuggets in 2nd round playoff action. The T-Wolves hold a 2 games to none advantage in the series.Tip-off tonight is set for 8:30.

    In other NBA Playoff Action Cleveland shocked Boston to tie the series at 1 game a piece winning 118-94. The Dallas Mavericks also held off Oklahoma City to even up their series with a 11-110 win.

    Power 96 Sports Update 5-9

    05/09/2024

    Tiger sports from last night Albert Lea Girls golf team played in the Northfield Invite at Willingers golf club. The Tigers placed 11 out of the 15 team field shooting a 402.   Wayzata won the AJ vote with a 328. Tiger Boys tied for second with Northfield and Rochester Century with a score of 305, and lost the tiebreaker to Northfield. River Falls won the match with a score of 300. Albert Lea Tiger sports today will find the Tiger baseball team in Red Wing for a Double Header at 4 pm. Tiger Softball will host Red Wing in another double header at 4 pm. Clay Target gets underway in Austin at 4:30. Boys tennis will face Rochester John Marshall in Rochester at 4:30.

    Twins pitcher Chris Paddack left the mound to a standing ovation from fans behind the Twins dugout. He allowed one run, which was an opposite-field homer to Mitch Garver, in 5? innings worth of work. He matched a season-high 10 strikeouts and his 99 pitches were the most he has thrown in a game since 2021 and the Twins downed the Mariners 6-3. Carlos Correa and Trevor Larnach bashed back-to-back 400-foot homers in the first inning. Correa connected on a curveball that floated over the middle of the plate, and Larnach followed two pitches later with a second-deck homer to right-center field. Pablo Lopez is scheduled to start for Minnesota today as the twins wrap up their 4 game series with Seattle. First pitch today is set for 12:10. After that the Twins head north of the border for a weekend series against the Blue Jays.

    In the AL Central last night the Cleveland Guardians took down the Detroit Tigers 5-4 in ten innings, the Kansas City Royals beat the Brewers 6-4 and the Chicago White Sox took down the Rays 4-1

    The New York Knicks took down the Indiana Pacers 130-121 and now lead the best of seven series two games to none. The series now shifts to Indiana for games three and four.

    NHL Playoff action yesterday saw Florida even the series against Boston at one game a piece winning 6-1. The Vancouver Canucks jumped out to a 1 game to one series lead after defeating the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 last night

    Power 96 Sports Update 5-8

    05/08/2024

    Albert Lea Tiger sports saw Girls softball fall to Faribault 7-2. Boys baseball was postponed due to poor field conditions. The Girls Golf Team played a triangular at the Owatonna Country Club against Owatona and Austin. The Tigers shot a 404. The Huskies won the tri with a score of 369, Austin finished second with a 385. in other area action Alden Conger boys gold finished second in their triangular against LCWM and St. Clair. LCWM shot a 168

    Today, Tiger girls golf will take on Multiple Schools at Willingers Golf Club as they participate in an invitational. The boys team will also participate in an invitation taking on Multiple Schools at Rochesters Eastwood Golf Course. Boys tennis will be on the road to face Northfield.

    Alden Conger finished with-184 while St. Clair shot a 194. The girls team also took second taking on the girls from the same schools.

    Josh Rojas and Ty France each hit an RBI single during Seattle"s four-run ninth inning, and the Mariners beat the Minnesota Twins 10-6 on Tuesday night.Cal Raleigh connected for a pinch-hit grand slam in the seventh for Seattle, which has won three of four. Minnesota reliever Jorge Alcala allowed four runs on four hits, issued two walks and threw a wild pitch during Seattle"s ninth-inning rally. The Twins have lost two of three after their 12-game winning streak. Ryan Jeffers hit a three-run homer in Minnesota"s four-run third. Jeffers reached base safely in a career high-tying 14th straight game.

    The San Jose Sharks will select first overall in June's NHL Draft after winning Tuesday night's draft lottery.The Sharks had an 18.5% chance to win the lottery and a 25.5% chance to win the No. 1 overall pick.The Minnesota Wild will have the 13th overall pick in the first round. The 2024 NHL Draft will take place June 28-29 at The Sphere in Las Vegas.

    Power 96 Sports Update 5-7

    05/07/2024

    Albert Lea Tiger sports saw the boys tennis team fall to Austin 7-0. Tiger softball was downed by Stewartville 7-3. Boys golf finished 4th at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine. With Albert Lea"s varsity players at the TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, The boys that typically play junior varsity got promoted to the varsity team for a conference match against Austin and Owatonna at Austin Country Club. The boys finished in 3rd place with a team score of 369. Tiger action today consists of Girls Golf participating in a triangular in Owatonna. Girls Track and field heads to Winona to be a part of the Section True Team meet at 2. Boys tennis will be in New Prague at 4:15. Tiger Baseball is at home to face the Faribault Falcons at Hayek Field at 5 pm. Girls softball will be in Faribault also at 5 pm.

    In other area action, The Alden Conger girls golf team came in second in their triangular. Madilia took home the top honors with a team score of 506 The Knights took second, shooting a 526.

    The Minnesota Timberwolves, led by Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, overpowered the Denver Nuggets on Monday night in a stunningly efficient 106-80 thrashing of the reigning but reeling NBA champions. The Wolves held Denver to an ugly 29-of-83 shooting night, and the most impressive thing about that was the absence of their best defender, 7-foot-1 center Rudy Gobert, who was back in Minneapolis for the birth of his son. Towns and Edwards both scored 27 points as the Wolves improved to 6-0 in the playoffs and gave themselves a chance to close out the fuming Nuggets with wins Friday night and Sunday in Minneapolis.

    Simeon Woods Richardson pitched six shutout innings of one-hit ball and the Minnesota Twins scored twice in the seventh to beat the Seattle Mariners 3-1 on Monday night in the opener of their four-game series. Minnesota rebounded quickly after its 12-game winning streak was snapped. Woods Richardson struck out a career-high eight and walked just one in his fifth major league start. He whiffed five of his first six batters and had seven strikeouts through three innings. The only hit allowed was a leadoff single by Mitch Garver in the third.Twins closer Jhoan Duran pitched the eighth, striking out Julio Rodríguez on three pitches to end the inning. Caleb Thielbar tossed a scoreless ninth for his third save. Tonight the Twins will send out RHP Bailey Ober, who has won his last three starts for the Twins. First pitch is set for 6:40.

    Power 96 Sports Update 5-6

    05/06/2024

    Albert Lea Tiger sports has a busy Monday schedule starting at noon with boys golf at TPC of the Twin Cities as the boys face multiple schools. Boys tennis will be in action hosting Austin at 2:30. And Tiger softball will be on the road taking on Stewartville at 5 pm.

    Ceddanne Rafaela hit the first Red Sox home run in seven games, Rafael Devers added another, and Boston ended Minnesota"s 12-game winning streak by beating the Twins 9-2 on Sunday.

    Ryan Jeffers homered and Trevor Larnach had an RBI single for Minnesota.The Twins" 12-game winning streak was tied for the second-longest in team history behind a 15-win run in June 1991, the last season Minnesota won the World Series.Tossing his team-high fifth quality start of the season, Joe Ryan (1-2) allowed four hits and three earned runs while striking out five. The Twins will start a four-game home series today with the Mariners. RHP Simeon Woods Richardson is the scheduled Twins starter against Seattle RHP Luis Castillo. First pitch is set for 6:40.

    Anthony Edwards scored a playoff career-high and franchise postseason-record 43 points, Naz Reid had 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets 106-99 in Game 1 of the second-round series Saturday night.Edwards was unstoppable in the first half, scoring 25 points, and Reid took over in the fourth quarter. Karl-Anthony Towns had 20 points despite dealing with foul trouble. The Timberwolves shot a blistering 71.1% from the floor in the second half.Game 2 is tonight night in Denver.

    Power 96 Sports Update 5-3

    05/03/2024

    Albert Lea Tiger sports has the weekend off. In area action from yesterday, the Lady Knights of Alden Congers golf team came in second in their match with St. Clair/Loyola. The Knights finished with a score of 249.

    The Minnesota Twins made a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

    The Diamondbacks acquired bullpen depth, trading for Minnesota Twins right-handed reliever Matt Bowman in exchange for cash considerations.Bowman, who is 32, had no record through 7 2/3 innings with six strikeouts and a 2.35 ERA in five games for the Twins this season.Speaking of the Twins, Tonight they open up a 3 game set against the Boston Red Sox at Target Field. First pitch tonight is set for 7:10.Twins fans are bracing for bad news after Byron Buxton exited Thursday's game against the White Sox with right knee soreness.

    Knee soreness for any regular player wouldn't sound alarm bells, but with Buxton, whose right knee has been problematic in his career, it's cause for concern. Especially when Twins manager Rocco Baldelli confirmed that Buxton would get an MRI done on his ailing joint. Losing Buxton for any amount of time would be bad news, but it might sting a bit more if he winds up on the injured list when the Twins are about to face the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 pitching staffs in 10 of the next 13 games. An injury update is expected later today.

    In NHL Playoff action from last night, The Toronto Maple Leafs have forced a game 7 with the Boston Bruins after winning last night 2-1. Tonight there are 2 potential elimination games as the Vancouver Canucks will look to knock out the Nashville Predators at 6 pm. The Defending champion Vegas Knights will attempt to stave off elimination against the Dallas Stars tonight at 9. The Stars hold a 3 games to 2 advantage in that series.

    In the NBA two eastern conference teams advanced to the next round as the Indiana Pacers eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks four games to two and the New York Knicks knocked out the 76ers four games to two as well.   

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