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Putting numerous women’s hockey accolades and a degree in psychiatry at Princeton behind her, Sarah Fillier is fully focused on her next career challenge: Being a difference-maker on a PWHL team in New York that struggled both on and off the ice.

A New York team lacking identity, offense and wins in its inaugural season selected the 24-year-old Canadian national team forward — and dubbed “a generational talent” by league scouts — with the No. 1 pick in the Professional Women’s Hockey League draft Monday night.

“I think it’s exciting. If you look at the talent New York has, I think they’ve built a really solid foundation,” Fillier said. “It’s an amazing sports city and the fans have been amazing this whole season. And I went to school just down the road, so it feels like a bit of a homecoming.”

From outside of Toronto, Fillier is a three-time Patty Kazmaier Award finalist and completed her four-year career at Princeton ranking sixth on the school list with 93 goals and fourth with 193 points in 120 games. Internationally, she won gold at the 2022 Beijing Games, where she finished second in the tournament with eight goals, and was also a member of three Canadian world championship teams.

General manager Pascal Daoust called it a privilege to have the opportunity to select Fillier.

“She’s faced so many good players. She played already against the best in the world with the best in the world. And she’s always outstanding facing them or playing with them,” Daoust said. “Very pleased to add her to our lineup for sure.”

In New York, she joins a team in transition under newly hired Colgate University coach Greg Fargo, in need of offensive talent beyond veteran Alex Carpenter and a franchise that struggled to attract fans after splitting home games between three sites.

“I’m excited to help build that solid foundation,” Fillier said. “And Greg Fargo’s been a tremendous coach. I’ve played against him for four years in the ECAC, and he’s always a tough coach to play against. So it’s exciting that I’m on his team now.”

A year after U.S. national team player Taylor Heise went first in the PWHL’s inaugural draft, Fillier topped a list of three Canadians chosen. Colgate’s Danielle Serdachny was selected second by Ottawa followed by defenseman Claire Thompson, who went third to defending champion Minnesota.

Thompson is returning to hockey after taking last season off to focus on her second year of studies at NYU.

“They always say absence makes the heart grow fonder. And so not being able to play this year has really reinvigorated my love for hockey,” said Thompson, who joins an elite Minnesota blueline that already includes U.S. veteran Lee Stecklein and Sophie Jaques, college hockey’s player of the year in 2023.

Minnesota’s picks were made by coach Ken Klee, who oversaw the draft after the PWHL stripped general manager Natalie Darwitz of her title Saturday.

Klee was questioned over the team’s decision to select Wisconsin forward Britta Curl with the ninth pick. Curl has drawn criticism from the women’s hockey and LGBTQ+ communities for supporting transphobic messaging on social media.

The criticism was evident on X, with dozens of posts criticizing the selection in response to the PWHL’s post announcing Minnesota picking Curl.

Klee defended Curl’s selection by saying he spoke to numerous coaches and players who knew Curl.

“I was told she’s a great teammate, a great person. She’s obviously a great player,” Klee said. “So, you know, for me, we have people in that community, and that obviously Mira making the selection for us, I think that speaks volumes for us.”

He was referring to assistant coach Mira Jalosuo, who is a lesbian.

The first Americans selected were forward Hannah Bilka, who went fourth to Boston, followed by defenseman Cayla Barnes to Montreal. Bilka, who is from Texas, and Barnes, from California, were teammates in helping Ohio State win a national championship in March.

It’s a homecoming for Bilka, who spent her first four college seasons at Boston College before transferring to Ohio State.

“I came to Ohio State to win a national championship and we got the job done,” she said. “So I couldn’t have written the script better. And this just tops it off.”

Overall, eight Ohio State players were selected in a draft capped by Buckeyes goalie Raygan Kirk selected by Toronto with the 42nd and final pick.

Meantime, Ohio State defenseman Lauren Bernard, who was selected 24th by Toronto, heard her name called from the stage by Buckeyes coach Nadine Muzerall.

Fargo’s senior class at Colgate had five players selected in the six-team, seven-round draft.

Toronto capped the first round with Canadian national team forward Julia Gosling being reunited with Team Canada GM Gina Kingsbury and coach Troy Ryan.

New York opened the second round by trading its pick to Boston, which used the No. 7 selection to choose the first European — Czech Republic defenseman Daniela Pejsova.

“It’s an honor to be even here and experience this in real life. Yeah, having a good time,” said the 21-year-old Pejsova, who has been playing professionally in Sweden. “It feels amazing. I can’t believe that it’s true.”

Overall, the U.S. led the way with 20 Americans selected versus 12 Canadians, plus Dara Greig, who is a dual citizen. Nine European players were selected, including the first from Russia, Ilona Markova, a 22-year-old who plays in the Russian women’s pro league and was selected 37th by Boston.

U.S. national team veteran forward Amanda Kessel went 41st to Montreal. Kessel is a three-time Olympian who took last year off to focus on her job as a special assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In an unusual twist, forward Abby Boreen was selected 17th overall by Montreal after she spent last season winning a title with Minnesota. Boreen was in this situation because she signed a reserve contract with Minnesota after not declaring for the draft last year.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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Padres slugger Machado gets 2,000th career hit

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Padres slugger Machado gets 2,000th career hit

SAN DIEGO — Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres got his 2,000th career hit Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks with a sharp single off the glove of diving shortstop Geraldo Perdomo.

The milestone hit came off Arizona starter Zac Gallen leading off the fourth inning. Machado received a standing ovation from the crowd at Petco Park, where he has been a fan favorite since he joined the Padres as a free agent in 2019.

The All-Star slugger singled to left field in the first inning for his 1,999th hit and then hit a solo home run in the eighth for his 2,0001st hit. The three-hit performance wasn’t enough to lift San Diego, however, as it fell 6-3.

Machado became the fifth active player and 297th all time to reach the milestone. He is the 12th player to have 350 homers and 2,000 hits by his age-32 season or younger.

“Literally, hat’s off. It’s quite an accomplishment,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said after the loss on 97.3 The Fan. “To have done it, as soon as he’s done it in his career, speaks volumes. … I’m so happy for him. He’s earned it all.”

Machado made his debut with Baltimore in 2012 and had 977 hits with the Orioles before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 18, 2018. He had 73 hits with the Dodgers before signing as a free agent with the Padres on Feb. 21, 2019.

He has 950 hits with the Padres, which ranks fifth on the franchise list. Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn had 3,141 in his 20-season career.

Machado was voted the starting third baseman for the National League All-Star team this season.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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2025 MLB Home Run Derby: Who is the slugger to beat?

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2025 MLB Home Run Derby: Who is the slugger to beat?

The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is starting to take shape.

Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. become the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He has since been followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals and Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins.

As the entrants are announced, we’ll add them to the running list below — and break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.

Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more


2025 home runs: 9 | Longest: 467 feet

Why he could win: Acuna has been crushing it since he returned to the lineup May 23 after knee surgery. Indeed, his numbers are even better than during his MVP season in 2023. It should help that he’ll be hitting in front of his home fans in Atlanta: Todd Frazier in Cincinnati in 2015 and Bryce Harper with the Nationals in 2018 rode the loud support to Derby titles. Acuna’s raw power should also translate well to the Derby: Among players with at least 500 at-bats since 2023, he has the longest average home run distance in the majors.

Why he might not: Will he run into Pete Alonso again? Acuna competed in the 2019 and 2022 contests, losing both times to Alonso by a single home run (in the semifinals in 2019 and in the first round in 2022). The home-field advantage can also perhaps be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first with 41 home runs but then tired out in the second round.


2025 home runs: 35 | Longest: 440 feet

Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, with 32 home runs, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.

Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.


2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 451 feet

Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.

Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.


2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet

Why he can win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.

Why he won’t: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.

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Pham homer ends Pirates’ 30-inning scoreless run

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Pham homer ends Pirates' 30-inning scoreless run

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Pittsburgh Pirates are back on the board after Tommy Pham‘s two-run home run in the third inning at Kansas City on Monday night ended a 30-inning scoreless streak.

The Pirates had been shut out in all three games at Seattle during their previous series.

However, they tallied another loss against the Royals, losing 9-3.

The scoreless streak included Sunday’s 1-0 loss to the Mariners in which Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes threw 10 strikeouts in five scoreless innings before the Pirates gave up a run in the bottom of the sixth.

Before beginning this nine-game trip with the sweep by the Mariners, the Pirates had blanked the St. Louis Cardinals in three consecutive home games. Their streak of playing in six straight shutouts matched the longest in major league history.

Pham, a 12-year veteran who is in his first season with the Pirates, bookended the scoreless skid with RBIs. He drove in a seventh-inning run with a groundout Wednesday during the 5-0 victory over the Cardinals.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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