Deadspin | Clayton Keller’s OT goal caps Mammoth’s rally past Oilers  Apr 7, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Mammoth left wing Michael Carcone (53) shoots the puck against Edmonton Oilers defenseman Connor Murphy (5) during the first period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images   Clayton Keller scored the game-winning goal in overtime as the Utah Mammoth rallied to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 6-5 on Tuesday night.  The Mammoth went on the power play 25 seconds into overtime, and Keller scored on a snap shot that went over Tristan Jarry’s shoulder and into the net.  Nick Schmaltz scored twice, and Alex Kerfoot had a goal and an assist for the Mammoth (41-30-6, 88 points), who have won four straight games, and defeated the Oilers for the first time since the 2023-24 season. Sean Durzi, Michael Carcone, and Dylan Guenther each had two assists. Karel Vejmelka made 21 saves and gave up three first-period goals.  Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist, and Jarry made 25 saves for the Oilers (39-29-10, 88 points), who have lost two straight.  JJ Peterka put Utah ahead 1-0 at 1:53 of the first period. Ian Cole faked a shot on goal before setting Peterka up with a cross-ice pass, and the German winger scored on a slap shot from one knee.  Curtis Lazar tied the game 11 seconds later. Adam Henrique set up the goal on an odd-man rush, and Lazar’s backhanded shot beat Vejmelka five-hole.  McDavid put Edmonton ahead 2-1 at 8:56. The Oilers were on the power play when No. 97 eluded three Mammoth players to tuck the puck between Vejmelka’s right skate and the post. Jarry tallied the secondary assist on the goal.   Ryan Nugent-Hopkins made it 3-1 at 14:43 when Kasperi Kapanen set him on the rush, and he scored on a snap shot.  Schmaltz trimmed the deficit to 3-2 at 10:28 of the second period. Clayton Keller set Schmaltz up with a backhand pass, and he scored on a slap shot through traffic.  Logan Cooley tied the game 3-3 at 15:19 after Guenther set him up for a slap shot. Edmonton took the lead back 4-3 at 16:06 when Vasily Podkolzin backed up to Vejmelka and scored on a no-look backhanded shot.  Schmaltz’s second goal tied it 4-4 at 19:24 on a snap shot set up by John Marino.  Colton Dach put the Oilers ahead 5-4 at 2:09 of the third period when he scored on his own rebound.  Kerfoot tied the game 5-5 at 12:56 when he tipped Durzi’s shot past Jarry’s skate.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Clayton #Kellers #goal #caps #Mammoths #rally #Oilers

Deadspin | Clayton Keller’s OT goal caps Mammoth’s rally past Oilers
Deadspin | Clayton Keller’s OT goal caps Mammoth’s rally past Oilers  Apr 7, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Mammoth left wing Michael Carcone (53) shoots the puck against Edmonton Oilers defenseman Connor Murphy (5) during the first period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images   Clayton Keller scored the game-winning goal in overtime as the Utah Mammoth rallied to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 6-5 on Tuesday night.  The Mammoth went on the power play 25 seconds into overtime, and Keller scored on a snap shot that went over Tristan Jarry’s shoulder and into the net.  Nick Schmaltz scored twice, and Alex Kerfoot had a goal and an assist for the Mammoth (41-30-6, 88 points), who have won four straight games, and defeated the Oilers for the first time since the 2023-24 season. Sean Durzi, Michael Carcone, and Dylan Guenther each had two assists. Karel Vejmelka made 21 saves and gave up three first-period goals.  Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist, and Jarry made 25 saves for the Oilers (39-29-10, 88 points), who have lost two straight.  JJ Peterka put Utah ahead 1-0 at 1:53 of the first period. Ian Cole faked a shot on goal before setting Peterka up with a cross-ice pass, and the German winger scored on a slap shot from one knee.  Curtis Lazar tied the game 11 seconds later. Adam Henrique set up the goal on an odd-man rush, and Lazar’s backhanded shot beat Vejmelka five-hole.  McDavid put Edmonton ahead 2-1 at 8:56. The Oilers were on the power play when No. 97 eluded three Mammoth players to tuck the puck between Vejmelka’s right skate and the post. Jarry tallied the secondary assist on the goal.   Ryan Nugent-Hopkins made it 3-1 at 14:43 when Kasperi Kapanen set him on the rush, and he scored on a snap shot.  Schmaltz trimmed the deficit to 3-2 at 10:28 of the second period. Clayton Keller set Schmaltz up with a backhand pass, and he scored on a slap shot through traffic.  Logan Cooley tied the game 3-3 at 15:19 after Guenther set him up for a slap shot. Edmonton took the lead back 4-3 at 16:06 when Vasily Podkolzin backed up to Vejmelka and scored on a no-look backhanded shot.  Schmaltz’s second goal tied it 4-4 at 19:24 on a snap shot set up by John Marino.  Colton Dach put the Oilers ahead 5-4 at 2:09 of the third period when he scored on his own rebound.  Kerfoot tied the game 5-5 at 12:56 when he tipped Durzi’s shot past Jarry’s skate.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Clayton #Kellers #goal #caps #Mammoths #rally #OilersApr 7, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Mammoth left wing Michael Carcone (53) shoots the puck against Edmonton Oilers defenseman Connor Murphy (5) during the first period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Clayton Keller scored the game-winning goal in overtime as the Utah Mammoth rallied to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 6-5 on Tuesday night.

The Mammoth went on the power play 25 seconds into overtime, and Keller scored on a snap shot that went over Tristan Jarry’s shoulder and into the net.

Nick Schmaltz scored twice, and Alex Kerfoot had a goal and an assist for the Mammoth (41-30-6, 88 points), who have won four straight games, and defeated the Oilers for the first time since the 2023-24 season. Sean Durzi, Michael Carcone, and Dylan Guenther each had two assists. Karel Vejmelka made 21 saves and gave up three first-period goals.

Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist, and Jarry made 25 saves for the Oilers (39-29-10, 88 points), who have lost two straight.

JJ Peterka put Utah ahead 1-0 at 1:53 of the first period. Ian Cole faked a shot on goal before setting Peterka up with a cross-ice pass, and the German winger scored on a slap shot from one knee.

Curtis Lazar tied the game 11 seconds later. Adam Henrique set up the goal on an odd-man rush, and Lazar’s backhanded shot beat Vejmelka five-hole.


McDavid put Edmonton ahead 2-1 at 8:56. The Oilers were on the power play when No. 97 eluded three Mammoth players to tuck the puck between Vejmelka’s right skate and the post. Jarry tallied the secondary assist on the goal.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins made it 3-1 at 14:43 when Kasperi Kapanen set him on the rush, and he scored on a snap shot.

Schmaltz trimmed the deficit to 3-2 at 10:28 of the second period. Clayton Keller set Schmaltz up with a backhand pass, and he scored on a slap shot through traffic.

Logan Cooley tied the game 3-3 at 15:19 after Guenther set him up for a slap shot. Edmonton took the lead back 4-3 at 16:06 when Vasily Podkolzin backed up to Vejmelka and scored on a no-look backhanded shot.

Schmaltz’s second goal tied it 4-4 at 19:24 on a snap shot set up by John Marino.

Colton Dach put the Oilers ahead 5-4 at 2:09 of the third period when he scored on his own rebound.

Kerfoot tied the game 5-5 at 12:56 when he tipped Durzi’s shot past Jarry’s skate.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Clayton #Kellers #goal #caps #Mammoths #rally #Oilers

Apr 7, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Mammoth left wing Michael Carcone (53) shoots the puck against Edmonton Oilers defenseman Connor Murphy (5) during the first period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Clayton Keller scored the game-winning goal in overtime as the Utah Mammoth rallied to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 6-5 on Tuesday night.

The Mammoth went on the power play 25 seconds into overtime, and Keller scored on a snap shot that went over Tristan Jarry’s shoulder and into the net.

Nick Schmaltz scored twice, and Alex Kerfoot had a goal and an assist for the Mammoth (41-30-6, 88 points), who have won four straight games, and defeated the Oilers for the first time since the 2023-24 season. Sean Durzi, Michael Carcone, and Dylan Guenther each had two assists. Karel Vejmelka made 21 saves and gave up three first-period goals.

Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist, and Jarry made 25 saves for the Oilers (39-29-10, 88 points), who have lost two straight.

JJ Peterka put Utah ahead 1-0 at 1:53 of the first period. Ian Cole faked a shot on goal before setting Peterka up with a cross-ice pass, and the German winger scored on a slap shot from one knee.

Curtis Lazar tied the game 11 seconds later. Adam Henrique set up the goal on an odd-man rush, and Lazar’s backhanded shot beat Vejmelka five-hole.

McDavid put Edmonton ahead 2-1 at 8:56. The Oilers were on the power play when No. 97 eluded three Mammoth players to tuck the puck between Vejmelka’s right skate and the post. Jarry tallied the secondary assist on the goal.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins made it 3-1 at 14:43 when Kasperi Kapanen set him on the rush, and he scored on a snap shot.

Schmaltz trimmed the deficit to 3-2 at 10:28 of the second period. Clayton Keller set Schmaltz up with a backhand pass, and he scored on a slap shot through traffic.

Logan Cooley tied the game 3-3 at 15:19 after Guenther set him up for a slap shot. Edmonton took the lead back 4-3 at 16:06 when Vasily Podkolzin backed up to Vejmelka and scored on a no-look backhanded shot.

Schmaltz’s second goal tied it 4-4 at 19:24 on a snap shot set up by John Marino.

Colton Dach put the Oilers ahead 5-4 at 2:09 of the third period when he scored on his own rebound.

Kerfoot tied the game 5-5 at 12:56 when he tipped Durzi’s shot past Jarry’s skate.

–Field Level Media

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DC vs GT IPL 2026: Gujarat Titans holds its nerve to edge out Delhi Capitals in last over thriller <div id="content-body-70839830" itemprop="articleBody"><p>High tension permeated the cool air at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Wednesday as Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans engaged in a high-scoring cliffhanger in the Indian Premier League. Twists and turns unfolded at breakneck speed, but Shubman Gill’s Titans prevailed by one run in the end. In response to GT’s 210 for four, Capitals finished on 209 for eight.  </p><p>With two runs required off the final ball, David Miller swung hard at a short ball by Prasidh Krishna. But he failed to make contact, and as he and Kuldeep Yadav scampered for a single, the latter was found short at the striker’s end after wicketkeeper Jos Buttler hit the stumps. Off the penultimate ball, Miller had pulled Prasidh towards fine-leg and had an easy run on offer, but he chose to stay at his end and face the final ball. Miller may rue that decision in hindsight. </p><p>For GT, Rashid Khan was sensational with figures of 4-0-17-3. Gill, Buttler and Washington Sundar also played their roles with fine half-centuries earlier in the evening.    </p><p><b>ALSO READ: <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/ipl/kartik-tyagi-kkr-vs-lsg-ipl-2026-kolkata-knight-riders-dwayne-bravo-bowler-stats-cricket-news/article70839203.ece" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">KKR vs LSG, IPL 2026: Tyagi credits Kolkata Knight Riders mentor Bravo for helping him manage pressure</a></b></p><p>That DC came this close was down to K.L. Rahul’s 92 and Miller’s late heroics. The hosts appeared to have run out of steam with 36 runs to get off the last two overs and four wickets in hand. But Miller, having retired hurt at the start of the 14th over due to a hand injury before coming back in the 17th over, hadn’t resigned to that idea. The southpaw walloped Mohammed Siraj for two sixes and a four in the penultimate over, whittling down the requirement to 13 off six balls.</p><p>In a game where runs were aplenty, Rashid lent a decisive hand with crucial strikes. The ace Afghanistan leggie had Nitish Rana caught at long-off thanks to an excellent grab by B. Sai Sudharsan in the 10th over, and then cleaned up the in-form Sameer Rizvi with a masterful wrong ’un.  </p><p>A little later, Axar Patel became Rashid’s third victim of the night. It eventually condemned DC to defeat by the narrowest of margins.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 08, 2026</p></div> #IPL #Gujarat #Titans #holds #nerve #edge #Delhi #Capitals #thriller

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FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026, Round 9: Vaishali beats Divya to go joint-top, Sindarov held to second straight draw <div id="content-body-70839680" itemprop="articleBody"><p>R. Vaishali beat compatriot Divya Deshmukh to move into joint lead with Zhu Jiner after Round 9 of the ongoing FIDE Candidates on Wednesday.</p><p>Zhu Jiner defeated Kateryna Lagno.</p><p>Vaishali capitalised on Divya’s central misjudgement, with a decisive seventh-rank invasion proving the difference.</p><p>Divya overcommitted with Nd3, conceding central control and creating a pawn weakness rather than a strength. Moves such as Rxc6 and Bc7 allowed Vaishali to activate her queen and rooks, taking control of the open files and diagonals.</p><p>From 28. Rb1 to Rb7, Vaishali invaded the seventh rank, targeted weak pawns and, with Divya reduced to seconds on the clock, forced a resignation.</p><p>In another key result, R. Praggnanandhaa pressed Wei Yi, particularly with move 32. Nd6, a strong move that put pressure on Black’s structure.</p><p><b>ALSO READ: <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/chess/fide-candidates-2026-live-updates-round-9-boards-praggnandhaa-divya-vaishali-live/article70838180.ece" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Highlights from Round 9 on Wednesday</a></b></p><p>It gave Praggnanandhaa more active pieces, and he followed it up with 35. Rxe4, a double attack that opened lines and targeted multiple weaknesses at once. Despite the activity, there was no decisive pawn break, while Wei Yi consolidated well and kept his king relatively safe.</p><p>Praggnanandhaa continued probing with moves such as Rc3, Rc7 and Nd6, but Wei Yi had sufficient coordination to neutralise the threats as the game ended in a draw.</p><p>Elsewhere, table-topper Javokhir Sindarov endured his second successive draw after letting a winning position slip against Matthias Bluebaum.</p><p>Anish Giri defeated Fabiano Caruana, and Andrey Esipenko held Hikaru Nakamura to a draw.</p><p>In the women’s section, Anna Muzychuk drew with Tan Zhongyi, while Aleksandra Goryachkina drew with Bibisara Assaubayeva.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 08, 2026</p></div> #FIDE #Candidates #Tournament #Vaishali #beats #Divya #jointtop #Sindarov #held #straight #draw

Italy’s Yemaneberhan Crippa won the Paris marathon on Sunday, while Ethiopia’s Shure Demise claimed victory in the women’s category in a new course record.

The Ethiopian-born Crippa, 29, clocked a personal best of 2hr 05min 16sec for the win in the French capital.

Bayelign Teshager of Ethiopia finished second, just five seconds off Crippa, with Kenya’s Sila Kiptoo rounding off the podium (2:05:26).

The women’s race saw 30-year-old Demise smash the course record by more than a minute.

She won in 2:18:33, ahead of compatriot Misgane Alemayehu (2:19:06) and Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai (2:19:18).

Published on Apr 12, 2026

#Paris #Marathon #Yemaneberhan #Crippa #Shure #Demise #claim #victories">Paris Marathon: Yemaneberhan Crippa, Shure Demise claim victories  Italy’s Yemaneberhan Crippa won the Paris marathon on Sunday, while Ethiopia’s Shure Demise claimed victory in the women’s category in a new course record.The Ethiopian-born Crippa, 29, clocked a personal best of 2hr 05min 16sec for the win in the French capital.Bayelign Teshager of Ethiopia finished second, just five seconds off Crippa, with Kenya’s Sila Kiptoo rounding off the podium (2:05:26).The women’s race saw 30-year-old Demise smash the course record by more than a minute.She won in 2:18:33, ahead of compatriot Misgane Alemayehu (2:19:06) and Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai (2:19:18).Published on Apr 12, 2026  #Paris #Marathon #Yemaneberhan #Crippa #Shure #Demise #claim #victories

Deadspin | Athletics finding reasons to celebrate while Mets looking for answers  Apr 11, 2026; New York City, New York, USA;  Athletics left fielder Tyler Soderstrom (21) circles third base after hitting a two-run home run in the third inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images   The Athletics went viral with a new home run celebration Saturday as they locked up a winning road trip to New York.  The mood is decidedly more downbeat for the New York Mets.  The visiting Athletics will look to complete a three-game sweep of the reeling Mets Sunday afternoon when the teams close out an interleague series.  Aaron Civale (1-0, 2.70 ERA) is slated to start for the Athletics against Freddy Peralta (1-0, 4.80) in a battle of right-handers.  Tyler Soderstrom hit two homers Saturday for the Athletics, who held off a late Mets rally to record an 11-6 victory.  The win was the fourth consecutive for the Athletics, who have trailed at the end of an inning just once in their last 33 frames dating back to Wednesday’s 3-2 win over the New York Yankees.  Bo Bichette’s RBI single in the first inning put the Mets ahead Saturday, but the Athletics went ahead for good in the second, when Denzel Clarke drew a bases-loaded walk and Lawrence Butler hit into a run-scoring fielder’s choice.  The real fun for the Athletics began in the third, when Soderstrom hit a two-run homer — the club’s first round-tripper since April 5.  Upon reaching the dugout, Butler presented Soderstrom with a gold elephant chain. Pitcher Luis Severino, who was on the Mets when they turned Grimace and Jose Iglesias’ song “OMG” into rallying cries during their run to the National League Championship Series in 2024, then placed a leather elephant mask atop Soderstrom’s head.  The Athletics repeated the ritual twice more Saturday, when Carlos Cortes hit a three-run shot in the second and when Soderstrom went deep again for a three-run homer in the eighth.  The necklace and mask will surely be in the visiting dugout Sunday when the Athletics attempt to conclude their most successful road trip in more than four years.   The Athletics haven’t lost one game or fewer on a road trip of six games or longer since Sept. 14-19, 2021, when the then-Oakland Athletics went 5-1 against the Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Angels.  “We’re playing really good baseball against really good teams,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. “We’ve got a chance to obviously sweep a series in New York, which says a lot about the team and the confidence that they have.”  The Mets appeared to be bursting with confidence during a four-game winning streak from April 3-7 that was constructed almost entirely without slugging outfielder Juan Soto, who suffered a strained right calf in the first inning of a 10-3 win over the San Francisco Giants on April 3. Soto is expected to miss up to three weeks.  But the Mets have scored just nine runs in four consecutive losses to the Arizona Diamondbacks — who won the final two games of a three-game series — and the Athletics.  New York had only four extra-base hits in the first four games of the homestand before Saturday, when Bichette, Francisco Alvarez and Jorge Polanco all homered.  Shortstop Francisco Lindor, the Mets’ longest-tenured position player, has yet to record an RBI this season but committed two mental mistakes against the Athletics. Lindor was caught off third base on teammate Jared Young’s grounder to first in the sixth inning of Friday’s 4-0 loss before he failed to cover second on Butler’s potential double-play grounder to second in the second inning Saturday.  “We’re better than that and we’ve got to fix it,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “And we will.”  Neither Peralta nor Civale factored into the decision in their previous starts last Tuesday. Peralta allowed three runs over 4 2/3 innings in the Mets’ 4-3, 10-inning win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, while Civale gave up one run over five innings as the Athletics fell to the New York Yankees 5-3.  Peralta is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in three career games (two starts) against the Athletics. Civale is 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA in three games (two starts) against the Mets.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Athletics #finding #reasons #celebrate #Mets #answersApr 11, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Athletics left fielder Tyler Soderstrom (21) circles third base after hitting a two-run home run in the third inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Athletics went viral with a new home run celebration Saturday as they locked up a winning road trip to New York.

The mood is decidedly more downbeat for the New York Mets.

The visiting Athletics will look to complete a three-game sweep of the reeling Mets Sunday afternoon when the teams close out an interleague series.

Aaron Civale (1-0, 2.70 ERA) is slated to start for the Athletics against Freddy Peralta (1-0, 4.80) in a battle of right-handers.

Tyler Soderstrom hit two homers Saturday for the Athletics, who held off a late Mets rally to record an 11-6 victory.

The win was the fourth consecutive for the Athletics, who have trailed at the end of an inning just once in their last 33 frames dating back to Wednesday’s 3-2 win over the New York Yankees.

Bo Bichette’s RBI single in the first inning put the Mets ahead Saturday, but the Athletics went ahead for good in the second, when Denzel Clarke drew a bases-loaded walk and Lawrence Butler hit into a run-scoring fielder’s choice.

The real fun for the Athletics began in the third, when Soderstrom hit a two-run homer — the club’s first round-tripper since April 5.

Upon reaching the dugout, Butler presented Soderstrom with a gold elephant chain. Pitcher Luis Severino, who was on the Mets when they turned Grimace and Jose Iglesias’ song “OMG” into rallying cries during their run to the National League Championship Series in 2024, then placed a leather elephant mask atop Soderstrom’s head.

The Athletics repeated the ritual twice more Saturday, when Carlos Cortes hit a three-run shot in the second and when Soderstrom went deep again for a three-run homer in the eighth.


The necklace and mask will surely be in the visiting dugout Sunday when the Athletics attempt to conclude their most successful road trip in more than four years.

The Athletics haven’t lost one game or fewer on a road trip of six games or longer since Sept. 14-19, 2021, when the then-Oakland Athletics went 5-1 against the Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Angels.

“We’re playing really good baseball against really good teams,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. “We’ve got a chance to obviously sweep a series in New York, which says a lot about the team and the confidence that they have.”

The Mets appeared to be bursting with confidence during a four-game winning streak from April 3-7 that was constructed almost entirely without slugging outfielder Juan Soto, who suffered a strained right calf in the first inning of a 10-3 win over the San Francisco Giants on April 3. Soto is expected to miss up to three weeks.

But the Mets have scored just nine runs in four consecutive losses to the Arizona Diamondbacks — who won the final two games of a three-game series — and the Athletics.

New York had only four extra-base hits in the first four games of the homestand before Saturday, when Bichette, Francisco Alvarez and Jorge Polanco all homered.

Shortstop Francisco Lindor, the Mets’ longest-tenured position player, has yet to record an RBI this season but committed two mental mistakes against the Athletics. Lindor was caught off third base on teammate Jared Young’s grounder to first in the sixth inning of Friday’s 4-0 loss before he failed to cover second on Butler’s potential double-play grounder to second in the second inning Saturday.

“We’re better than that and we’ve got to fix it,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “And we will.”

Neither Peralta nor Civale factored into the decision in their previous starts last Tuesday. Peralta allowed three runs over 4 2/3 innings in the Mets’ 4-3, 10-inning win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, while Civale gave up one run over five innings as the Athletics fell to the New York Yankees 5-3.

Peralta is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in three career games (two starts) against the Athletics. Civale is 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA in three games (two starts) against the Mets.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Athletics #finding #reasons #celebrate #Mets #answers">Deadspin | Athletics finding reasons to celebrate while Mets looking for answers  Apr 11, 2026; New York City, New York, USA;  Athletics left fielder Tyler Soderstrom (21) circles third base after hitting a two-run home run in the third inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images   The Athletics went viral with a new home run celebration Saturday as they locked up a winning road trip to New York.  The mood is decidedly more downbeat for the New York Mets.  The visiting Athletics will look to complete a three-game sweep of the reeling Mets Sunday afternoon when the teams close out an interleague series.  Aaron Civale (1-0, 2.70 ERA) is slated to start for the Athletics against Freddy Peralta (1-0, 4.80) in a battle of right-handers.  Tyler Soderstrom hit two homers Saturday for the Athletics, who held off a late Mets rally to record an 11-6 victory.  The win was the fourth consecutive for the Athletics, who have trailed at the end of an inning just once in their last 33 frames dating back to Wednesday’s 3-2 win over the New York Yankees.  Bo Bichette’s RBI single in the first inning put the Mets ahead Saturday, but the Athletics went ahead for good in the second, when Denzel Clarke drew a bases-loaded walk and Lawrence Butler hit into a run-scoring fielder’s choice.  The real fun for the Athletics began in the third, when Soderstrom hit a two-run homer — the club’s first round-tripper since April 5.  Upon reaching the dugout, Butler presented Soderstrom with a gold elephant chain. Pitcher Luis Severino, who was on the Mets when they turned Grimace and Jose Iglesias’ song “OMG” into rallying cries during their run to the National League Championship Series in 2024, then placed a leather elephant mask atop Soderstrom’s head.  The Athletics repeated the ritual twice more Saturday, when Carlos Cortes hit a three-run shot in the second and when Soderstrom went deep again for a three-run homer in the eighth.  The necklace and mask will surely be in the visiting dugout Sunday when the Athletics attempt to conclude their most successful road trip in more than four years.   The Athletics haven’t lost one game or fewer on a road trip of six games or longer since Sept. 14-19, 2021, when the then-Oakland Athletics went 5-1 against the Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Angels.  “We’re playing really good baseball against really good teams,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. “We’ve got a chance to obviously sweep a series in New York, which says a lot about the team and the confidence that they have.”  The Mets appeared to be bursting with confidence during a four-game winning streak from April 3-7 that was constructed almost entirely without slugging outfielder Juan Soto, who suffered a strained right calf in the first inning of a 10-3 win over the San Francisco Giants on April 3. Soto is expected to miss up to three weeks.  But the Mets have scored just nine runs in four consecutive losses to the Arizona Diamondbacks — who won the final two games of a three-game series — and the Athletics.  New York had only four extra-base hits in the first four games of the homestand before Saturday, when Bichette, Francisco Alvarez and Jorge Polanco all homered.  Shortstop Francisco Lindor, the Mets’ longest-tenured position player, has yet to record an RBI this season but committed two mental mistakes against the Athletics. Lindor was caught off third base on teammate Jared Young’s grounder to first in the sixth inning of Friday’s 4-0 loss before he failed to cover second on Butler’s potential double-play grounder to second in the second inning Saturday.  “We’re better than that and we’ve got to fix it,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “And we will.”  Neither Peralta nor Civale factored into the decision in their previous starts last Tuesday. Peralta allowed three runs over 4 2/3 innings in the Mets’ 4-3, 10-inning win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, while Civale gave up one run over five innings as the Athletics fell to the New York Yankees 5-3.  Peralta is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in three career games (two starts) against the Athletics. Civale is 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA in three games (two starts) against the Mets.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Athletics #finding #reasons #celebrate #Mets #answers

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