IMPACT PLAYER
Jordan Luplow, Diamondbacks
The Arizona outfielder, batting only .169 for the season, belted a pair of home runs to stake the D-Backs to an early lead.
BY THE NUMBERS
5 Balls hit Friday with an exit velocity of more than 106 mph — four of them by Byron Buxton
7 Runs allowed by Devin Smeltzer (one unearned), the first time in his seven 2022 starts he had allowed more than three.
19 Home runs hit by Buxton this season, second behind Aaron Judge for the major-league lead
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Wolves
Hungry Wolves devour Nuggets with defense for 2-0 series lead
The 106-80 victory over Denver in Game 2 — featuring excellent defense without defensive ace Rudy Gobert in the lineup — was not an aberration. The Timberwolves had been building toward this night for several years.
Vikings
Mailbag: Where McCarthy ranked on Vikings QB draft list and more
General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said he had to get "a little bit more aggressive" than intended to draft J.J. McCarthy, the fifth QB selected at No. 10 overall. But the Vikings eyed a trade up to No. 3, too.
Sports
Toronto treads lightly, choosing 4th-place Minnesota over 3rd-place Boston as PWHL playoff opponent
Having the option of choosing their playoff opponent wasn't taken lightly by the staff and players of the Professional Women's Hockey League's Toronto franchise for clinching first-place in the standings.
Wolves
Ten clutch points: After Wolves win, Charles Barkley says series 'a wrap'
The Western Conference semifinal series comes back to Minnesota with the Wolves leading 2-0.
Wolves
Souhan: Right now, the Wolves are the best team in the NBA
Dominant playoff performances by the Wolves, including a 106-80 blowout win at Denver in Game 2 on Monday night, hint at a championship pedigree.
