It was the second straight strong performance by Lackey, who missed all last season following Tommy John elbow surgery. Last Sunday he gave up one hit and one unearned run in six innings of a 5-1 win at Minnesota. He left that game after a three-hour rain delay.

After a 44-minute delay before Friday’s game, Lackey (3-4) struck out eight, walked three and gave up an unearned run while pitching through a steady rain. He allowed only two of the 25 batters he faced to hit the ball out of the infield.

Francona, let go by Boston after the 2011 season, got a standing ovation after the first inning during a video tribute on the center-field scoreboard. But he didn’t have to leave the visiting dugout during the game because all of Cleveland’s pitching changes came at the start of an inning.

In eight years as manager, Francona led the Red Sox to two World Series championships. In his first year as Cleveland’s manager, he has the Indians in first place in the AL Central after they went 68-94 last season.

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

NEW YORK (AP) — Chris Kreider steered in a pass from Rick Nash 7:03 into overtime, and the New York Rangers stayed alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.

New York, which erased 2-0 and 3-2 deficits in the critical Game 4 matchup in the Eastern Conference semifinals, still trails the series 3-1.

The Rangers will need to win again on Saturday in Boston to force a Game 6 back in Madison Square Garden.

The Rangers, who were outshot 40-32, won a faceoff deep in their zone, and Nash rushed the puck up ice. He stopped above the right circle and fed a hard pass in front that Kreider skated into and tipped past Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask for his first goal of the playoffs.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

David Ortiz delivered a two-run single in the first off Hector Santiago (1-3), and the Red Sox backed Buchholz with several neat defensive plays on the way to their sixth win in eight games.

Jonny Gomes made a sliding catch on Paul Konerko‘s line drive to left with two on to end the first. Jacoby Ellsbury raced to the center-field warning track to snag Alexei Ramirez‘s liner with a runner on and two out in the fifth to preserve a 2-1 lead.

Jeff Keppinger hit a two-run homer off Felix Doubront (3-2) in the fifth. Alex Rios extended his career-high hitting streak to 16 with a single and RBI double, and the White Sox won for the sixth time in eight games. They’ll try to complete the sweep against Clay Buchholz on Wednesday.

Quintana (3-1) was simply terrific.

The left-hander struck out five and walked two, and he had the fans thinking they just might be witnessing something special. The roars from the stands grew louder with each out as the game wore on, right until Ortiz’s bat shattered on a bloop single to center with one out in the seventh.

Boston leads the best-of-seven series 3-0 and can advance to the conference finals as early as Thursday at Madison Square Garden. Only three teams in NHL history have rallied from an 0-3 hole to advance.

The Bruins trailed 1-0 heading into the third, but defenseman Johnny Boychuk tied it at 3:10 of the period with his fourth of the playoffs. The Rangers hadn’t lost in regulation when leading after two periods since Feb. 4, 2010.

Boston thought it had grabbed the lead seconds before Paille actually scored when a shot deflected off the mask of Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, popped up in the air and landed on the goal line. Lundqvist couldn’t find it before Paille swooped in from behind the net and poked in the puck.

Taylor Pyatt had made it 1-0 in the second period for the Rangers, who were outscored 8-4 in two losses at Boston to begin the series. New York had won nine straight games at home, including three in the playoffs against Washington in the first round.

Lundqvist was sharp until the third period and finished with 32 saves. Tuukka Rask stopped 23 shots in the win.

The Rangers again failed to get their power play on track, failing in both of their chances and dropping to 0-for-10 in the series. New York has only two power-play goals in 38 opportunities during these playoffs.

Despite being outshot 14-5 in the second period, the Rangers carried a 1-0 lead into the third.

Boychuk was credited with the tying goal after the puck appeared to deflect into the net off Rangers defenseman John Moore.

The game turned rougher moments later when New York forward Chris Kreider was struck under his visor by the stick of Boston’s Tyler Seguin, who was following through on a shot just inside the blue line. Seguin was then clipped in the exchange by the stick of Rangers defenseman Steve Eminger.

Shortly after, Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron had a cut over his eye that left his white jersey bloodstained. No penalties were called on any of the plays.

New York took just its second lead of the series 3:53 into the second period when Pyatt deflected in a shot by defenseman Ryan McDonagh that was fired from the blue line shortly after the Rangers’ second failed power play of the night expired.

New York hasn’t lost in regulation when leading after two periods since Feb. 4, 2010, (86-0-6). The Rangers were 16-0 in those situations during this regular season.

Lundqvist was again the reason why.

He was especially sharp in the second, making a pad stop on Seguin 6 1-2 minutes in, stretching across to knock away a drive by rookie defenseman Torey Krug — who scored in each of the first two games of the series — and then bringing the crowd to its feet with a lunging glove snare of Gregory Campbell‘s slap shot from the left circle with 8:24 remaining.

That got the Bruins even in shots (15-15) before they outshot New York 8-1 the rest of the second.

The Rangers got off to a sluggish start after losing the opening faceoff, and didn’t mount any kind of early surge fueled by the excited home crowd. New York didn’t get possession of the puck in the first minute and didn’t carry it into the Boston end until 1:35 had elapsed.

But the Rangers picked up their play soon after and built a 6-1 edge in shots, including scoring opportunities on Rask. New York earned the first power play of the night, however it was as ineffective as it has been throughout the postseason.

Rangers captain Ryan Callahan took what appeared to be an elbow from hulking Bruins captain Zdeno Chara when they came together along the boards deep in the Boston end. Callahan clipped Chara in the face with his stick, causing a cut on the bridge of the defenseman’s nose.

The tide turned back to the Bruins’ favor just before the midway point in the period, starting with a partial breakaway after New York turned over the puck at the Boston blue line. Chris Kelly raced ahead with the puck and was stopped in tight by Lundqvist when he tried a backhanded shot.

Shawn Thornton was also denied when he came in alone on Lundqvist with 8:46 left in the period, and Jaromir Jagr couldn’t score, either, when he got a pair of whacks at the puck that the New York goalie turned aside.

The Bruins’ surge gave them an 8-7 edge in shots, but Boston finished the period trailing 11-9.

Game notes
A moment of silence was held before the national anthem in honor of the victims of Monday’s tornado in Oklahoma. … Wayne Gretzky and Sting were among the celebrities in the crowd. … The Rangers didn’t yield a power-play chance for the second straight home game.

(Image Courtesy: MGN Online)

NEW YORK (AP) — ESPN says that it is cutting its workforce.

The sports media giant said in a statement Tuesday: “We are implementing changes across the company to enhance our continued growth while smartly managing costs.” The company would not say how many jobs are being eliminated, but they include unfilled positions.

ESPN has about 7,000 employees worldwide, with about 4,000 at its headquarters in Bristol, Conn. The vast majority work behind the scenes.

This is the latest in a series of recent job cuts at several Disney divisions. ESPN specifically has seen costs increase with skyrocketing prices for the broadcasting rights to live sports.

Alejandro De Aza and Alexei Ramirez added consecutive RBI doubles in the second as Chicago took advantage of an ineffective Lester (6-1) to earn its fifth win in seven games in the opener of an eight-game homestand. The White Sox scored each of their runs with two outs.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a two-run homer for the Red Sox, who had won five in a row. Saltalamacchia made a bid for a second two-run shot, but Dayan Viciedo brought in his drive on the warning track in left-center with the White Sox clinging to a 6-4 lead in the seventh.

Doctors put new plates in to repair the previously broken left forearam.

The estimated timetable for recovery is around 10 weeks, assuming there are no setbacks.

Gronkowski originally broke the arm Nov. 18 in a game against the Indianapolis Colts. He returned to action on Dec. 30 in the regular-season finale, then broke the forearm again in the AFC divisional round of the playoffs on Jan. 13 against the Houston Texans.

The forearm surgery may not be the only procedure Gronkowski has this offseason. He will also visit noted spine specialist Robert Watkins in California in three to four weeks to decide whether he needs back surgery, a source told Schefter.

Gronkwoski recently had an MRI on his back to further inspect a disk injury he sustained last season.

Information from ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter and ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss contributed to this report.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson has been arrested on charges that he violated probation stemming from an altercation with his now ex-wife, TV reality star Evelyn Lozada.

Johnson was jailed Monday morning by a Broward County judge and later released after posting $1,000 bail. Another hearing was set for June 3. An arrest warrant was issued earlier this month when Johnson failed to meet his probation officer.

The six-time Pro Bowl player formerly known as Chad Ochocinco is serving a year of probation after Lozada said he head-butted her during an argument last August. She quickly filed for divorce. They had been married only since July 4.

Johnson was released by the Miami Dolphins after the incident. He also played for the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots.

Lozada is on the “Basketball Wives” TV show.

KENT, Wash. (AP) — Kent police say Boston Celtics basketball player Terrence Williams was arrested Sunday and accused of brandishing a gun at the mother of his 10-year-old son during a visitation exchange.

He was booked into the King County Jail in Seattle early Monday for investigation of an assault charge, with a court appearance expected later in the day.

Det. Melanie Frasier says the woman called police about 1 p.m. Sunday and said she had been threatened with a gun. Williams had left the scene but was later arrested. No one was injured.

Police are withholding other details while the case is under investigation.

The 25-year-old Williams is a three-year pro who grew up in Seattle and played for Louisville in college.

Boychuk put a 40-foot shot from the right inside the near post for his third playoff goal to make it 3-2 at 12:08. Brad Marchand, whose overtime goal won the opener, and Milan Lucic stretched the Bruins’ lead in the final period.

Boston never trailed as rookie Torey Krug scored the first goal before Ryan Callahan tied it. Gregory Campbell made it 2-1, and New York pulled even again on Rick Nash’s goal.

Games 3 and 4 of the best-of-seven series will be played in New York on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.

New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist, last year’s Vezina Trophy winner, had his second straight tough game after posting consecutive shutouts in Games 6 and 7 of the first round against the Washington Capitals when the Rangers faced elimination.

Tuukka Rask was solid again for Boston, stopping 35 shots.

Marchand scored on a similar play to the one that gave Boston a 3-2 overtime win on Thursday night.

On Sunday, Patrice Bergeron carried the puck through the neutral zone along the right side, while Marchand raced toward the net. Bergeron skated deep into the Rangers zone and then passed the puck across the crease to Marchand, who was waiting to tip it past Lundqvist for his second playoff goal.

Lucic made it 5-2 at 12:39 of the third. He skated into the New York end and gave the puck to David Krejci, who was stopped by Lundqvist, but Lucic converted the rebound.

Krug scored his second goal of the series and second of his two-game NHL postseason career to put Boston ahead 1-0 at 5:28 of the first period. Krug fired a shot from just inside the left circle that sailed through a screen and got between Lundqvist’s pads.

New York tied it less than three minutes later when Callahan intercepted Marchand’s pass at the Boston blue line and skated up the left side while outmaneuvering defenseman Dougie Hamilton. Callahan cut across the front of the crease and scored into the open right side of the net.

The Bruins took another short-lived lead when Campbell got his first goal of the playoffs at 2:24 of the second period. Krug’s 45-foot shot from the left hit the left skate of Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi in front and went to Campbell, who beat Lundqvist.

That lead lasted less than a minute as Nash scored at 3:20 with a 10-foot shot from the slot over Rask’s right shoulder. It was Nash’s first goal in his nine playoff games this year after leading the Rangers with 21 goals during the regular season.

NOTES: Lundqvist has started New York’s last 29 games against Boston. … The Bruins played their second straight game without injured veteran defensemen Andrew Ference, Dennis Seidenberg and Wade Redden. … A Bruins defenseman got a goal or an assist on each of the team’s goals. … The margin of victory was more than two goals for just the second time in 26 games between the Rangers and Bruins. … In their nine playoff games, the Rangers have scored just twice on 35 power plays. They are 0-for-7 against the Bruins

Dustin Pedroia had two hits, two walks and an RBI, extending his hitting streak to 10 games. Daniel Nava also went deep for the Red Sox, who have won four straight following a slide in which they had lost 10 of 14.

Scott Diamond (3-4) gave up six runs on eight hits and walked three in 4 1-3 innings for the Twins, who have lost four in a row to fall into last place in the AL Central. Pedro Florimon had two hits and two RBIs and Joe Mauer extended his hitting streak to 15 games with two hits.

Craig Breslow (1-0) pitched 1 2-3 innings of scoreless relief for the win. Ortiz also had a single and a walk, raising his batting average to .362 in a game that lasted 3 hours, 53 minutes.

Twins general manager Terry Ryan has long been one of the most respected executives in the game. But one of his biggest mistakes came in 2002 when he released Ortiz, who had just appeared to start putting things together in his sixth big league season. The move is still haunting Ryan and the Twins 11 years later.

Ortiz signed with the Red Sox, and promptly blossomed into one of the most feared hitters in the American League, a central figure in Boston’s two World Series championships and the kind of slugger the Twins have been searching for ever since. He wears No. 34 in honor of the late Kirby Puckett and seems to take particular delight in hammering his former team.

Ortiz is 19 for 37 with five homers and 16 RBIs at Target Field.

Diamond labored from the start, falling behind 3-0 after 19 pitches. Ortiz jumped on a flat slider and drove it into the seats in right-center field for his sixth homer of the season.

Red Sox starter Ryan Dempster wasn’t much better. He walked four hitters in the second and third innings to load the bases in both frames, but the right-hander got Mauer to chase a breaking ball down and away to escape in the second and then got Aaron Hicks to fly out to deep right field to end the third.

Dempster needed a staggering 127 pitches to get through just 4 2-3 innings. He gave up five runs on eight hits and walked six.

Down 7-5 in the sixth, the Twins loaded the bases again. But Pedroia made a nifty over-the-shoulder catch in shallow right field, then whirled and easily threw out Ryan Doumit at home on a major base-running blunder.

Ortiz and Nava busted the game open with two-run homers in the seventh, giving Ortiz his 40th career multi-homer game.

NOTES: The Red Sox played without OFs Shane Victorino and Stephen Drew because of back injuries. Farrell said both were hopeful of playing on Sunday. … Mauer returned to the lineup after missing Friday night with a stiff back. … Diamond and Dempster were facing each other for the second time this season, becoming the first pair of Canadian starters to meet more than once in a season since at least 1920, according to the Red Sox. … The Twins will send LHP Pedro Hernandez (2-0, 5.79) to the mound on Sunday for the finale against Boston RHP John Lackey (1-4, 4.05). Lackey is looking to bounce back from a poor start against Tampa Bay, when he gave up five runs in 4 1-3 innings.

New England (3-4-4), unbeaten in four of its last five games, took a 1-0 lead in the 51st minute on Fagundez’s goal. Off a give-and-go from Clyde Simms at the top of the box, Fagundez weaved through Houston’s defenders and sent a shot inside the far post from the penalty area.

The lead was extended to 2-0 in the 84th on an own goal. After Chris Tierney’s shot was deflected by Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall, Adam Moffat headed it up, but Juan Agudelo gained possession outside the left goalkeeper’s box. Agudelo’s shot deflected off Ricardo Clark and got over the end line before Moffat could clear it again.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

Oxbow led from start to finish. It was the sixth Preakness victory for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas and 15th Triple Crown win, the most in horse racing history.

“I get paid to spoil dreams,” Lukas said in an interview with NBC moments after the race. “Unfortunately we go over here and you can’t mail `em in. It’s a different surface and a different time. You gotta line `em up and win `em.

Orb finished fourth. The Kentucky Derby winner was a 3-5 favorite in Saturday’s race, but he became another casualty of starting on the rail in the Preakness. Since 1950, only two horses have won the middle jewel of the Triple Crown from the No. 1 post position.

Orb’s five-race winning streak ended on an overcast, windy day at Pimlico Race Course. The brown colt had not lost since Nov. 24.

Oxbow was coming off a sixth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, where he made a move for the lead in the final turn but faded.

In the Preakness, Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens took control at the outset and never relinquished the advantage, winning this race for the third time in his career.

Oxbow covered the 1 3/16th miles in 1:57.54. He went off as a 15-1 underdog and paid $32.80, $12 and $8.80.

Itsmyluckyday finished second and paid $7.80 and $5. Mylute paid $5.20 to show.

Mylute, with Rosie Napravnik in the saddle, came in fifth in the Kentucky Derby. Racing at the track where she earned her first career victory, Napravnik was attempting to become the first female jockey to win the Preakness.

Lukas had three entrants in the nine-horse race. Titletown Five and Will Take Charge did not finish in the money, but the 77-year-old Hall of Fame trainer nevertheless made it to the winner’s circle.

Oxbow bested Itsmyluckyday by 1 3/4 lenths.

For Lukas, the victory broke a tie with “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons for most Triple Crown wins.

It meant a lot to Stevens, too.

“It’s so special,” the jockey said. “Wayne, he supported me. Put me on my first Triple Crown winner. A lot of people were trying to get me off. He was the first guy to call me up and said `I’m going to have a colt for you. His name is Oxbow.’”

Stevens added, “Wayne is like a brother, coach, a father figure to me.”

Stevens almost couldn’t believe how well it went.

“We came in here with a lot of confidence,” he said. “When I hit the half-mile pole, I told myself `Are you kidding me?’ `Is this happening?’”

The Red Sox have won three straight after losing 10 of their previous 14 games, while the Twins have lost three in a row after winning six of nine.

Twins reliever Josh Roenicke (1-1) gave up a single and a walk to open the 10th. After a sacrifice bunt, Stephen Drew was intentionally walked to load the bases. Then Gomes sent a drive to center field, where Aaron Hicks caught the ball but double-clutched on his throw and didn’t have a chance to get the speedy Dustin Pedroia.

Alex Wilson (1-0) picked up the victory by getting the last out of the ninth, and Koji Uehara threw a perfect 10th for his first save.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (falconsahl.com) – The Springfield Falcons (3-5) saw their postseason run come to an end on Friday night in a 5-2 loss to the Syracuse Crunch (7-0) at the War Memorial Arena.

The Falcons were swept by the Crunch in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semifinals, bringing a season to an end that saw Springfield set multiple franchise marks, including the best record in team history.

The Crunch will move on in the 2013 Calder Cup Playoffs to face the either the Providence Bruins or the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Eastern Conference Final.

Springfield faced an uphill climb throughout Game 4, as Syracuse struck twice in the first period to grab command of the contest.

J.T. Wyman gained possession of a puck along the end boards, fed Philip-Michael Devos, and darted to the front of the net. Wyman took a feed from Devos, and jammed his second chance past Falcons goaltender Curtis McElhinney at 6:04, as the Crunch held a 1-0 edge.

Vladislav Namestnikov sped through the neutral zone and flew to the net to start the Crunch’s second scoring play. After arriving at the goal, Namestnikov’s shot was slowed by McElhinney, but Mark Barberio charged the cage and tapped in a loose puck at 7:32, as Syracuse upped its lead to 2-0.

Springfield, which was shut out by Syracuse goaltender Cedrick Desjardins in Game 3 on Wednesday, broke through in the second period to draw to within one.

Ryan Craig, with the Falcons working on a power play, tipped a David Savard blue-line shot past Desjardins just five seconds into the man advantage at 3:38, making it 2-1.

Syracuse gained momentum back, scoring to go up by two again later in the period.

Wyman, who had a chance in the opening 10 seconds of the game before connecting later in the first, capitalized on another opportunity by snapping a wrister over McElhinney’s glove from the left circle on a two-on-one rush. His goal increased Syracuse’s cushion to 3-1 at 17:20.

The Falcons refused to go down without a fight, and Andrew Joudrey’s goal at 8:35 of the third gave the club hope in what would prove to be the final period of the year. Boone Jenner’s shot from the top of the crease was stopped by Desjardins, but Joudrey whacked the rebound in to narrow the gap to 3-2.

Matt Taormina converted moments after keeping the puck in at the blue line to provide the Crunch with breathing room. His shot from the high slot soared by McElhinney’s stick at 9:45, as Syracuse added to its lead, 4-2.

With McElhinney on the bench for the extra attacker, Dan Sexton sealed it all with an empty-net goal from center ice at 18:01, as the Crunch won Game 4, 5-2, and the series, 4-0.

McElhinney (3-5) battled through 39 shots, allowing four goals. Desjardins (7-0) made 28 saves on 30 attempts, as Syracuse won for the seventh-consecutive time to begin the playoffs.

Springfield had advanced in the postseason to face Syracuse after defeating the Manchester Monarchs in the best-of-five Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, 3-1. Cody Bass became the third player in AHL history to score overtime goals in back-to-back contests of a playoff series by registering the winning tallies in Games 1 and 2 of that series. The Falcons moved on in the postseason when Nick Drazenovic ended Game 4 in sudden death on the road, as Springfield became the second team in AHL history to win three overtime decisions in a best-of-five series.

The Falcons, whose record in the regular season of 45-22-5-4 was the best in franchise history in terms of points percentage (.651), put together a campaign not seen in their first 18 years.

Springfield finished the season a franchise-record 23 games above .500, and tied the club mark of victories in one year of 45, initially set in 1997-98. The Falcons lost 22 games in regulation, matching the team low from 1995-96.

With the consistent goaltending of McElhinney and a strong defensive core, the Falcons allowed the fewest goals in one season of 186, shattering the previous club valley of 215 from 1995-96. McElhinney led the AHL with nine shutouts, the most by a goaltender in one season in the 70-year history of AHL hockey in Springfield.

Springfield was playing in the AHL’s Conference Semifinals for the third time in franchise history, and first since 1997…The Falcons were led in scoring during the series at three points by Craig (2g-1a), Jenner (1g-2a), and Nick Holden (0g-3a). Jenner and Savard each posted two goals and three assists for five points to top Springfield in the postseason…Bryan Helmer made his 2013 postseason debut and skated in his AHL-record 159th Calder Cup Playoff game…Dalton Smith made his professional playoff debut

(Image Courtesy: FOX Sports Florida)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WGGB) — One Florida girl got quite the surprise Thursday night at the final game in a three-game series between the Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that 9-year-old Alayna Adams went to Tropicana Field Thursday night to throw out the first pitch.

Little did she know that the catcher at home plate wasn’t just any ball player.

Thanks to an elaborate plan put together by the Rays and the USO, they had arranged for Adams’ father, Lt. Col. William Adams, to be that catcher.

Adams had just returned from a yearlong tour of duty in Afghanistan, and his daughter had no idea he was home.

After throwing the ball from the mound, the Lt. Col. removed his mask, much to the amazement of Alayna, and she ran to home plate, and gave her father a long hug, set to the roars for the crowd.