Saturday Sports: Bombers Win, NFL Round-Up, NHL Trade

Kenny Lawler caught a 10-yard pass in the end zone with 19 seconds remaining as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers avoided a Hamilton Tiger-Cats comeback with a 26-23 victory on Friday.

The Blue Bombers (5-6) extended their win streak to three games in front of a sold-out crowd of 32,343 at Princess Auto Stadium, while the Tiger-Cats (2-9) dropped their fourth game in row.

Hamilton trailed 16-3 at halftime, but a pair of Greg Bell rushing touchdowns helped the visitors hold a 23-19 lead with 1:48 left in the CFL contest.

A Ticats’ illegal contact penalty kept the Blue Bombers’ winning drive alive.

Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros completed 18 of 36 pass attempts for 177 yards with three interceptions.

Bo Levi Mitchell was 14-of-28 passing for 220 yards with no interceptions or TDs for Hamilton.

Blue Bombers rookie linebacker Michael Ayers picked up a fumbled ball after a punt and ran 27 yards for a touchdown. Sergio Castillo connected on field goals from 43, 18, 41 and 45 yards, and made two converts.

Winnipeg running back Brady Oliveira had 120 yards off 18 carries. Hamilton receiver Tim White hauled in seven catches for 134 yards.

Marc Liegghio booted field goals from 27, 50 and 45 yards for Hamilton, but missed a 45-yard attempt. He was good on his convert.

• The BC Lions will be aiming to snap a four-game slide when they visit the surging Ottawa Redblacks in CFL action Saturday. The 5-and-5 Lions also hope that a full week of practice for quarterback Nathan Rourke will help him regain the form that made the Canadian a league star in 2022. The 6-2-and-1 Redblacks are second in the East Division, five points back of the front-running Montreal Alouettes.

NHL

The San Jose Sharks have acquired prized goaltending prospect Yaroslav Askarov from Nashville in a deal that sends a 2025 first-round pick to the Predators. The Sharks will send Vegas’ first-round pick acquired in the deal that sent Tomas Hertl to the Golden Knights, along with forward David Edstrom and goalie Magnus Chrona to Nashville for Askarov, a 2025 third-round pick and forward Nolan Burke.

The 22-year-old Askarov had reportedly asked for a trade with his path to a starting role in Nashville blocked by Juuse Saros, and San Jose jumped at the opportunity to add a potential top young goalie to a franchise sorely lacking one.

The Sharks immediately signed Askarov to a two-year extension worth $4 million to keep him under contract through the 2026-27 season.

“We’re very confident that he’s going to be a number 1 (goalie),” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said. “You don’t have too many chances to add players like this with this calibre in this position. It’s the hardest position to draft and develop and to find and to be able to get someone like this in our group, we’re really excited.”

The deal gives Nashville three first-round picks in 2025, having previously acquired one from Tampa Bay in 2023 for Tanner Jeannot.

MLB

• The Toronto Blue Jays will be looking to make it three in a row when they face the Los Angeles Angels this afternoon at Rogers Centre. The Jays opened the four-game series on Thursday with a 5-3 win, then rallied last night with two home runs in the ninth inning to edge the Angels 5-4. Right-hander Bowden Francis will be on the mound for the Jays, while the Angels counter with right-hander Carson Fulmer.
• Shohei Ohtani hit a game-winning grand slam in the ninth inning last night for his 40th home run after earlier stealing his 40th base, lifting the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-3 victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. Ohtani became the fastest player in Major League Baseball history and sixth ever to hit 40 homers and steal 40 bases in a season. He’s also the first Dodger to accomplish the feat.

NFL PRESEASON

ATLANTA (AP) — Trevor Lawrence tuned up for the regular season by guiding two long touchdown drives against a bunch of Atlanta players fighting for jobs, and the Jacksonville Jaguars blew away the Falcons 31-0 in the preseason finale Friday night.

Lawrence completed 8 of 10 passes for 91 yards, including scoring passes of 6 and 5 yards to tight end Evan Engram, before calling it a night.

The Jaguars made it look easy, which wasn’t at all surprising because the Falcons didn’t play any of their starters. Many of their top backups also watched from the sideline — most notably rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr., the No. 8 pick in the draft.

BUCCANEERS 24, DOLPHINS 14

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — It took Baker Mayfield one series to show Tampa Bay everything they wanted to see from him in a preseason-closing victory over Miami Dolphins.

The 29-year-old quarterback who resurrected his career while leading the Bucs to the playoffs last season moved his team 70 yards in seven plays after the opening kickoff, setting up Rachaad White’s 4-yard touchdown run with a 28-yard completion to rookie Jalen McMillan.

Like Mayfield, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa played one series this preaseason after leading the NFL in passing yardage in 2023. The fifth-year pro, who signed a four-year, $212 million extension in the offseason, completed all five of his passes for 51 yards and a touchdown in Miami’s second preseason outing.

49ERS 24, RAIDERS 24

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Brock Purdy was efficient in completing 9 of 12 passes for 96 yards, but also threw a red-zone interception as San Francisco concluded their preseason with a tie with Las Vegas.

Daniel Carlson’s 43-yard field goal with 16 seconds left pulled the Raiders (0-2-1) even with the 49ers (1-1-1). Joshua Dobbs’ 10-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Cowing late in the third quarter put the 49ers ahead 24-21.

Each team took an opposite approach to the game with the regular season two weeks away. The 49ers played most of their starters in the first quarter and the Raiders went with backups auditioning for roster spots in Las Vegas or another NFL team.

(Canadian Press)