A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark are unanimous choices for WNBA AP Player and Rookie of the Year

MONTREAL – Josef Martinez and Caden Clark scored as CF Montreal defeated Chicago Fire FC 2-0 for a crucial Major League Soccer win on Saturday.

Martinez opened the scoring in the 21st minute to put Montreal ahead before Clark buried the insurance-marker in the 74th before an announced 19,619 spectators at Saputo Stadium.

Nathan Saliba, Kwadwo Opoku and captain Samuel Piette added assists as Montreal (8-12-10) extended its unbeaten run to three games (2-0-1) amid a late push to reach the MLS playoffs.

Montreal entered the match 13th in the Eastern Conference standings with 31 points, but only two behind Philadelphia Union, which occupied the second wild-card spot in ninth. Laurent Courtois’ squad has four games remaining in the regular season.

Chicago (7-16-8) began the day in 14th with 29 points and one more game played than Montreal, but failed to threaten goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois until late in the match.

Meanwhile, Montreal created offence with long passes in behind Chicago’s back line throughout the match.

In the second minute, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty broke in down the right wing before playing a dangerous ball into the box for Martinez, who swung and missed on his attempt.

Martinez later just barely stayed onside to score his team-leading seventh of the season. The veteran striker corralled a long ball from Nathan Saliba into the box before slicing a half-volley past Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady.

In the 37th minute, Bryce Duke went on the counter-attack with numbers, but kept the ball instead of laying a through ball to Martinez and ultimately sailed his outside shot over the crossbar.

Chicago played cautiously, content holding the ball without pushing forward through 45 minutes. Montreal led the shot attempts five to one.

Montreal was back on the attack early in the second half as Piette found Caden Clark on the left side of the box. Clark danced around a sliding Chicago defender Arnaud Souquet, but kicked his Grade A opportunity over the net.

Clark later got on the board with his second goal in three games. Opoku, who entered in the 72nd minute as a substitute, took a pass from Piette before finding Clark in alone. Clark showed poise with a cheeky chip over Brady to give Montreal the comfortable lead.

Substitute Matias Coccaro nearly made it 3-0 in the 85th when he was sent on a breakaway, but Brady came out to challenge and stopped his attempt.

Sirois had a busy end to the match as Chicago pressed for a goal in the final minutes. He turned away a header from Thomas Barlow at the centre of the box, a dangerous shot by Souquet streaking down the right wing and a header by Tobias Salquist in the dying minutes.

NOTES

Montreal defender Raheem Edwards reached 10,000 minutes in MLS at the 23-minute mark. In 10 seasons, the journeyman has played for Montreal (twice), Toronto FC, Chicago, Minnesota United FC, Los Angeles FC and L.A. Galaxy, totalling eight goals and 28 assists. … Fire winger Ariel Lassiter returned to Saputo Stadium after being traded from Montreal to Chicago on Aug. 14. The Costa Rica international had three goals and seven assists in Montreal this season. … Fire top scorer Hugo Cuypers missed his second game after the birth of his son.

UP NEXT

Montreal: Hosts the San Jose Earthquakes next Saturday.

Chicago: Hosts Toronto FC next Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

WINNIPEG – Jesper Wallstedt left a lot Jets hopefuls shaking their heads on Saturday night.

The Minnesota goalie stopped 38 of 40 shots as the Wild whipped Winnipeg 5-2 in an NHL pre-season game.

Ben Jones, Jakub Lauko, Graeme Clarke, Daemon Hunt and Caeden Bankier scored for Minnesota.

Colby Barlow and Colin Miller replied for Winnipeg.

Kaapo Kahkonen made 23 saves on 28 shots for Winnipeg at the Canada Life Centre.

As per a typically sloppy pre-season game, there were a myriad of turnovers, many of which led to Wild chances and-or goals.

Barlow scored with 46 seconds left on setup from Brayden Yager.

Jones gave the Wild a 5-1 lead early in the third period. He stole the puck from Mason Shaw behind the net and slipped the puck past Kahkonen for an unassisted marker.

Minnesota was close to making it 5-1 but Kahkonen stopped Cameron Crotty on a breakaway with the final seconds of the second period ticking away. The Jets actually outshot Minnesota 29-17 through the first 40 minutes.

The Wild took a 4-0 lead when Lauko blocked a Miller shot at the Minnesota blue line, then raced up the ice with a breakaway. He finished it off by beating Kahkonen cleanly with a wrist shot.

Minnesota upped the score to 3-1 almost midway through the middle frame. Clarke’s shot deflected off a Jet near the front of the net and past Kahkonen. Declan Chisholm assisted.

The Jets finally got on the scoreboard when Miller beat Wallstedt with a wrister from the point with 1:03 left in the opening frame to pull within 2-1. Vladislav Namestnikov assisted.

The Wild had taken a 2-0 first-period lead, converting a pair of power plays. With Hayden Fleury off for tripping, Hunt beat Kahkonen with a slapshot from the blue line. Luke Toporowski and Ryder Ritchie assisted.

Minnesota had opened the scoring on the power play. With Alex Iafallo off for slashing, Bankier pounced on a puck that had bounced off Elias Salomonsson’s skate and beat Kahkonen from in front of the net for an unassisted goal.

The Jets outshot Minnesota 10-5 in the first period with Mason Appleton getting off the most dangerous shot.

NOTES

Finnish defenceman Ville Heinola suffered a setback when it was discovered that an infection had set in where he had had surgery on an ankle fractured during last season’s pre-season. He may require another surgery. That will be updated next week. … Winnipeg’s Fleury reportedly played despite his wife giving birth to a son on Friday night. The defenceman who played for the Tampa Bay Lightning last season, was signed as a free agent the past summer. … The Jets held a moment of silence for Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, who were killed by a reportedly drunken driver while cycling.

UP NEXT

Jets: Visit the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday afternoon.

Wild: Visit the Dallas Stars on Wednesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jonathan Aranda homered for the second consecutive game, helping Taj Bradley and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 on Saturday.

Aranda connected for a two-run shot in the third inning against Yariel Rodríguez (1-7), giving Tampa Bay a 3-0 lead. He also went deep in a 1-0 victory over Toronto on Friday night. Five of Aranda’s nine career homers have come against the Blue Jays.

“I get excited about him, man,” Bradley said, “When I played with him in triple-A, you give him enough playing time he’s going to go on a run. He’s doing it now.”

Bradley (7-11) pitched five innings of one-run ball in his first win since July 25. The right-hander, who struck out four and walked two, was 0-7 with a 7.88 ERA in his previous nine starts.

“I was really proud that he got through the fifth inning,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said after Bradley threw 103 pitches, 67 for strikes. “That’s a lot of pitches through five innings.”

Drew Rasmussen struck out three over two perfect innings to get his first save.

Rodríguez gave up four hits and walked three in four innings. He also struck out three in his 20th start in his first season in the majors.

The Cuban right-hander agreed to a $32 million, five-year deal in February.

“I think it’s been a successful year for him in terms of routines, innings and understanding how this whole thing works out at the big-league level,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “It’s been cool to watch. There’s still a long way to go but the innings he has gotten in have been huge for him.”

The Blue Jays threatened in each of the first three innings but failed to score. They went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position after they went 0-for-7 in those situations on Friday.

Alejandro Kirk extended his career-high hitting streak to 14 games with an RBI triple in the seventh for Toronto. It was the catcher’s first career three-base hit.

Kirk got the ball he hit for the triple.

The Blue Jays scored their first run on Spencer Horwitz’s infield single in front of home plate in the fifth.

Ben Rortvedt had six hits in his previous 63 at-bats (. 095) before putting the Rays ahead 1-0 on a second-inning RBI single.

Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 3-for-5 and is hitting .324. The third baseman overran Yandy Díaz’s pop-up infield single in the seventh, but the Rays’ leadoff hitter was left stranded at first base.

Guerrero has 20 three-hit games this season.

UP NEXT

Rays RHP Shane Baz (3-3. 3.21 ERA) starts Sunday against Toronto. Baz has gone five or more innings and allowed three hits or fewer in a team-record five consecutive starts.

The Blue Jays have not announced their starter, but former Rays LHP Ryan Yarbrough (5-2, 3.36 ERA) could get the call.

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AP MLB:

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