The World Athletics Championships in Budapest guarantee nine days of unforgettable experiences

In less than three months, the highly anticipated 2023 World Athletics Championships will kick off in Budapest. Athletes from around the globe are already preparing for this year’s most significant event, where they will compete for medals and world records in 49 events spanning from August 19th to August 27th. Let’s take a look at the highlights of the World Championships schedule.

At the end of the summer, all eyes will be on Budapest as it hosts the greatest sporting event of the year. The magnificent National Athletics Centre, purpose-built for the World Championships, will serve as the main venue, accommodating up to 35,000 spectators who will cheer on the athletic superheroes. On the opening day, three finals will take place, followed by at least four finals each day for the next eight days. Tickets and packages can be purchased at https://tickets.wabudapest23.com/.

Within the historic centre of Budapest, six events will unfold. On August 19th, the men’s 20km race walking event will take place, followed by the women’s 20km competition the following day. The 35km race is scheduled for the morning of August 24th. As the World Championships reach their conclusion, the marathoners will grace the streets of Budapest, a UNESCO World Heritage site, on the final weekend. The women’s 42,195m race will be held on August 26th, followed by the men’s race on August 27th.

Attending these street events is an absolute must to witness firsthand the breathtaking speed of the world’s top race walkers and runners. Admission is free, and the World Championships organisers have arranged a variety of accompanying activities at Heroes’ Square. Don’t miss the chance to catch a glimpse of one of the biggest stars of the event, Kimberly García. The Peruvian athlete will be vying for victory in both the 20km and 35km races.

Inside the stadium, on the opening day of August 19th, iconic figures like Ryan Crouser, Nafissatou Thiam, Pawel Fajdek and Faith Kipyegon will dazzle the crowd at the National Athletics Centre. The four superheroes will be featured in the morning session, along with the other four morning sessions, at an affordable entrance fee of just HUF3,000 (~8 USD). With the men’s shot put final taking place on the first evening, Budapest may witness the setting of a world record right from the start. The women’s 10,000m final is also poised to be an exhilarating event, and medals will be awarded in the 4x400m mixed relay. Furthermore, the world’s fastest men will make their debuts, with Marcell Jacobs and Fred Kerley stepping onto the track for the men’s 100m.

One of the most thrilling events will take place on the evening of August 20th, featuring the semi-finals and final of the men’s 100m. In the women’s long jump final, Ivana Vuleta and Malaika Mihambo will once again face off, while Pawel Fajdek will strive for his sixth World Championship gold medal in the men’s hammer throw final. Hungary’s own Bence Halász will be aiming to secure his country’s first-ever World Championship title. Additionally, the women’s heptathlon will reach its conclusion, where Nafi Thiam might face a strong challenge from two young competitors, Adrianna Sulek and Anna Hall. Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who is perhaps eyeing a triple victory, will face the 1500m semi-final and the 10,000m final in quick succession during this evening.

On Monday, August 21st, the world’s fastest women sprinters will take the stage. Based on her performances earlier in the season, Sha’Carri Richardson seems poised to pose a significant challenge to Jamaican superstars Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah, and Shericka Jackson in the 100m. Grant Holloway could also defend his title in the 110m hurdles on the same day. Furthermore, you can witness sensational athletes like Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Femke Bol, Katie Moon, Karsten Warholm, Kristjan Ceh, and Pedro Pichardo for as low as 6,900 HUF (~17 USD) during the night.

On day 4 of the World Championships, Gianmarco Tamberi and Mutaz Essa Barshim will embark on another adventure together in the men’s high jump final. Lamecha Girma might even surprise Soufiane El Bakkali in the final of the 3000m steeplechase. The battle between Valarie Allman and Sandra Perkovic will also be a thrilling event, and the women’s 1500m final could showcase the talents of Laura Muir alongside Faith Kipyegon.

On Wednesday, August 23rd, the morning session will introduce the much-anticipated appearance of Mondo Duplantis, perhaps the biggest star in the sport today, with tickets available for just 3000 HUF (~8 USD). The 200m heats will once again feature the world’s best sprinters, including Noah Lyles and Erriyon Knighton. The rising stars of the women’s 800m, Athing Mu, Keely Hodgkinson, and Mary Moraa, will also make their debut in Budapest, while last year’s standout young athlete Adriana Világos will participate in the women’s javelin qualification.

On Wednesday night, everything will be set for a Scandinavian fiesta: two Norwegian stars, Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Karsten Warholm, will be the favourites to compete on the Mondo surface, famously known as the “red carpet of world records.” In the women’s pole vault final, Finland’s Wilma Murto might provide a surprise. The women’s 400m final should also be captivating, especially if both McLaughlin-Levrone and Bol decide to test their skills without hurdles in Budapest.

On the evening of August 24th, Miltiadis Tentoglou will fight for his last missing big title, while the semi-finals of the women’s and men’s 200m and men’s 800m respectively – promising nine thrilling races, where the biggest stars will face fierce competition. Anita Wlodarczyk may make a triumphant return to the top in the women’s hammer throw final after last year’s injury. This is the day when Jasmine Camacho-Quinn can seek redemption against Tobi Amusan, who defeated her with a world record last year. It will also be intriguing to see if Wayde Van Niekerk can achieve something remarkable in the men’s 400m final. If that’s not enough, the evening could be capped off by the athletics’ new queen, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, in the 400m hurdles final.

On August 25th and 26th, the men’s decathlon will take centre stage, with Damian Warner aiming to secure the elusive world title in Budapest after his dramatic injury in Oregon last year. On Friday evening, Yulimar Rojas will grace the show with her presence, and missing her jumps would be a mistake, just as the women’s and men’s 200m finals will provide an exciting narrative.

On Saturday evening, August 26th, the men’s pole vault final will be held, and Mondo Duplantis is poised for another remarkable jump, explaining why tickets are already scarce! The men’s decathlon will conclude, there will be finals in the 4x100m relay, preliminary races in the 4x400m relay, and Chase Ealey’s performance in the women’s shot put final will be worth watching. The women’s 5000m final should also be a thrilling event, with Letesenbet Gidey, Sifan Hassan, Gudaf Tsegay, and other stars yet to be determined, but intense competition is guaranteed.

On the final evening of the World Championships, August 27th, we will be Witness the Wonder of the variety of athletics. There will, of course, only be finals, precisely seven of them. Middle and long-distance running, throwing, jumping, hurdles, and relays—this evening has something for everyone who enjoys more than just sprints in athletics. The most anticipated moments on the track will be the duels between Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Joshua Cheptegei (men’s 5000m) and Athing Mu and Keely Hodgkinson (women’s 800m). The finals of the men’s javelin and women’s high jump will also be fantastic, as well as the men’s and women’s 4x400m relay finals, which will bring the World Championships to a close, with the latter featuring Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and an exceptional American relay team.

As mentioned earlier, the five morning programs are available for a flat fee of 3000 HUF (~8 USD). For the evening programs, ticket prices on weekdays range from 17 USD for the cheapest to 47 USD for the most expensive. On the weekend evenings, tickets range from 22 USD to 57 USD. Additionally, there are three different packages available: one for the two days of the opening weekend (Firestarter package), another for the last three days of the World Champs (Crown package), and a full World Champs package (Superhero package).

Price for individual ticket – on weekdays:

Category 1: 47 USD

Category 2: 35 USD

Category 3: 22 USD

Category 4: 17 USD

Price for individual ticket – on weekends:

Category 1: 57 USD

Category 2: 45 USD

Category 3: 32 USD

Category 4: 22 USD

Ticket packages:

Firestarter package – 19-20 August, 2 days, first weekend

Category 1: 116 USD

Category 2: 94 USD

Category 3: 71 USD

Category 4: 53 USD

Crown package – 25-26-27 August, 3 days, incl. last weekend

Category 1: 168 USD

Category 2: 134 USD

Category 3: 100 USD

Category 4: 73 USD

Superheroes package – 19-27 August, every session of the WCH

Category 1: 410 USD

Category 2: 320 USD

Category 3: 230 USD

Category 4: 174 USD

Over 170,000 tickets have already been sold for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. It’s recommended to purchase your tickets or packages as soon as possible through https://tickets.wabudapest23.com/ to secure the best seats and Witness the Wonder!

Spain and Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta has said he is leaving Japanese club Vissel Kobe after five years due to a lack of playing time, but said he does not yet wish to retire.

Iniesta, who won the World Cup with Spain in 2010 and four Champions League titles and nine La Liga championships with Barca, brushed back tears on Thursday as he announced he was leaving.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

The midfielder, 39, has made just three substitute appearances so far this season but said he planned to keep playing, although did not specify where.

When asked at a news conference where his next club will be, Iniesta said: "I have to tell you the truth, I don't know.

"I want to keep playing football. I feel like I am capable of still playing. But as this chapter closes, we'll see what's possible. I want to finish my career on the pitch playing, and this is what I'm hoping to do."

After finishing his long tenure at Barcelona, Iniesta joined the Japanese club in 2018 on a three-year deal, and prolonged his stay with a two-year extension.

His last game for the club is expected to be at home on July 1. Vissel Kobe are top of the J-League after 14 rounds.

"It's a very emotional day after so many years," he added. "I tried to give my best on and off the pitch. I am very proud of that."

Iniesta famously scored the winning goal in extra time at the 2010 World Cup final in a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands for Spain's only World Cup title.

The veteran midfielder described going to Japan as one of the best decisions of his life, repeatedly saying "thank you" to the club, the fans, and to his fellow players.

"I was made to feel welcome here from the first day," he said.

SUNRISE, Florida -- Matthew Tkachuk's third game-winning goal of this postseason came with just 4.9 seconds left and delivered the eighth-seeded Florida Panthers to their first Stanley Cup Final in 27 years.

With their 4-3 victory Wednesday night, the Panthers completed a four-game sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals -- Florida's first playoff series sweep in franchise history. The Panthers, who scraped into the postseason as a wild card, will now make their second Cup Final appearance, and first since 1996. They await the winner of the Vegas Golden Knights-Dallas Stars series.

Regardless of who that next opponent is, Tkachuk is determined for Florida enjoy the ride.

"It's going to be the best few weeks of our lives hopefully," he said. "We talked about that in the room. It's something we're all really excited for."

Tkachuk's clutch score, which came on a Florida power play, was his second of the night.

"We're lucky to have Chucky on our side," said Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. "He's been great all playoffs. We're just lucky to have him."

"Who else, right?" added Aaron Ekblad. "What he's done (this season) is unexplainable."

"Everyone sees what he's doing on the ice," said captain Aleksander Barkov. "But what he does off the ice (to prepare) is eye-opening."

NHL senior vice president Brian Jennings was the one tasked with presenting the Prince of Wales Trophy. Some teams touch it. Some don't. There was no hesitation on Tkachuk's part to touch it.

"We're not the type of team that's going to be superstitious," he said, referring to past tradition where players won't hoist any trophy until the Cup itself. "We earned that thing. We did it the hard way."

The Panthers gave themselves a chance to close out the Hurricanes after earning a 1-0 victory in Monday's Game 3, powered by a 32-save shutout from Sergei Bobrovsky. Florida's netminder was stellar again Wednesday with 36 saves. Frederik Andersen stopped 21 shots at the other end to give Carolina a chance at extending the series.

Florida was in control early in Game 4, taking a 1-0 lead just 41 seconds into the first period when Anthony Duclair slipped a puck past Andersen amid a mad scramble in front of Carolina's net.

That was just the start of a nightmare stretch for the Hurricanes.

Right after Duclair scored, Panthers forward Sam Bennett laid a massive check on Carolina defenseman Jaccob Slavin as he played the puck behind his net. Slavin hit his head against the boards and was later ruled out with an upper-body injury. He told reporters after the game he was OK and thought the Bennett check was clean. The Hurricanes would also lose forward Stefan Noesen to an upper-body injury.

"When you look back at this, it's tough to get far without your top players," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said of his team losing key personnel. "But I can't ask for more out of this group than what we got."

Tkachuk gave Florida a 2-0 advantage on the power play when Sebastian Aho went to the box for interference, the first time -- in nearly 14 periods of play to that point -- that a team had a two-goal lead in this series. Every bit of action came with the score tied or someone up by one in the first 272 minutes (including all the overtimes) of the series.

The Hurricanes, in need of a boost, got one when Paul Stastny pushed a puck under a sprawled-out Bobrovsky. That was the first even-strength goal a Carolina forward had scored against Florida and halted Bobrovsky's save streak -- going back to Game 2 -- at 72.

Florida carried a 2-1 lead into the second period, but Carolina didn't waste time evening the score when Teuvo Teravainen tallied his first playoff goal minutes into the middle frame.

The Panthers took the lead back with a goal from Ryan Lomberg off a tic-tac-toe play from fourth-line teammates Marc Staal and Colin White. Florida held a 3-2 advantage in the third period and defended it against a desperate Carolina team trying to keep its season alive.

Searching for the equalizer, Carolina had a critical power-play opportunity midway through the third that turned up four shots on Bobrovsky but no goal. It wasn't until late in the third period, with just under 4 minutes to play, that Jesper Fast solved Bobrovsky again with a quick strike from in front to tie the score at 3.

A late tripping call on Carolina captain Jordan Staal gave Florida a power-play chance with 57 seconds remaining in regulation. Tkachuk beat Andersen with 4.9 seconds on the clock. Brind'Amour challenged the play over goaltender interference, but Tkachuk's goal stood to punch Florida's ticket to the Cup Final.

It was a tough pill for Brind'Amour and his team to swallow, seeing their promising 113-point regular season end with such a thud.

"Did we deserve better?" Brind'Amour wondered after the loss. "I think so. That's the unfortunate part of this. (Everyone) will look back and say you got swept. That's not what happened. I watched the game. I'm there. We're in the game. It could have been four games the other way."

Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.

The Florida Panthers are bound for the Stanley Cup Final.

Just as we all predicted.

(Kidding.)

In reality, Florida's trajectory this season reads like the plot of a classic Disney movie, a tale of plucky underdogs fueled by self-belief slaying dragons and beating the odds en route to unexpected victory. And with all the main characters aligned to make it happen.

Anti-hero Matthew Tkachuk has been the polarizing, productive face of the Panthers' playoff run.

Quiet, unassuming Sergei Bobrovsky is enjoying a career Renaissance as Florida's backbone in net.

Breakout star Brandon Montour has brought swagger to the blue line.

Franchise veterans Aleksander Barkov and Aaron Ekblad have stepped up to help Florida (finally) reach its potential.

And role players from Carter Verhaeghe to Sam Bennett to Sam Reinhart have rounded out the Panthers' cast with robust contributions.

The Panthers have made for great theater. They'll be fascinating -- and fun -- to watch in the upcoming Cup Final. Let's dive into exactly what Florida has done so well to become the darling of the NHL postseason.

(More than) happy to be here

Florida's greatest superpower might be the element of surprise.

Let's back up: The Panthers were bottom-dwellers in the Atlantic Division for about two-thirds of the regular season. General manager Bill Zito stood pat at the trade deadline anyway, professing his faith in the already assembled group. It was a gutsy -- and seemingly questionable -- decision.

Fast-forward a few months and Zito is a finalist for GM of the Year honors. Clearly his gamble paid off. Florida went all-out down the stretch to push past Pittsburgh at the 11th hour and secure the Eastern Conference's eighth and final playoff seed.

Their reward? A first-round meeting with the Boston Bruins, who had the best regular season in league history. Florida was unfazed and won the series, 4-3. Next came the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Florida sent them packing, 4-1. By the time the Panthers matched up with Carolina in the Eastern Conference finals, they looked fully unstoppable and sent the Hurricanes home with a series sweep.

The Panthers haven't been weighed down by outside pressure. Heck, they weren't even the betting favorite in any game until they led Carolina 2-0 in the East finals. If Florida found that disrespectful, it never showed. The Panthers are having too good a time to care.

"Why play in this situation if you can't have fun with it?" mused Tkachuk ahead of Game 3 against the Hurricanes. "There's no panic in our game. It's just so much fun coming to the rink every day."

Every team wants to "ignore the noise" and truly tune out its critics. Florida has successfully done it. The Panthers aren't burdened by history. They are uniquely themselves. That ability to live in -- and embrace -- the moment should only continue driving Florida.

The maturation of Matthew Tkachuk

If you missed it when Matthew Tkachuk was in Calgary, the forward has grown a great deal since being pegged by some as a simple pest.

He may be a pest, but he's actually a multifaceted one.

Tkachuk's refusal to sign a long-term deal with the Flames last summer facilitated his being traded to Florida in July for Jonathan Huberdeau, the Panthers' leading scorer in 2021-22, and top-four defenseman MacKenzie Weegar. Risky? Perhaps. But the Panthers made the move pay off.

Tkachuk drove Florida's offense throughout a tumultuous regular season with a 40-goal, 109-point effort (ranking seventh in the NHL). He took center stage in willing the Panthers into the race for the final playoff spot with a late-season burst, leaning into the us-against-the-world mentality.

And he wasn't hurting Florida by taking bad penalties or stirring the pot; Tkachuk was too busy putting pucks in the net.

He's done that all postseason, and no goal was bigger than his game-winner with 4.9 seconds remaining in Game 4 that finished off Carolina and put the Panthers in the Cup Final. Tkachuk has nine goals and 21 points in 16 games, including the overtime winners in Games 1 and 2 against the Hurricanes. And sure, Tkachuk has been called for a penalty or two along the way, but he's also been a dominating presence up front at times and come up with the required big plays. That's what Florida has needed most from its Hart Trophy candidate.

Bobrovsky is back

He wasn't Florida's first choice as postseason starter. But Sergei Bobrovsky didn't let that stop him from being the team's finisher.

When the Panthers' $10 million-a-year man in net went down with an illness in March, backup Alex Lyon took over the crease and went on an improbable 6-1-1 run that aided Florida in capturing that coveted postseason spot. Naturally, coach Paul Maurice tapped Lyon to start the Panthers' series against Boston.

The journeyman went 1-1 into Game 3, when he gave up five goals on 30 shots and was replaced late in the third period by Bobrovsky. Maurice returned to Bobrovsky for Game 4, a loss for the Panthers, but stuck with the veteran anyway.

Bobrovsky then rang up three straight wins to end the series with Boston on a high note. He improved further in the second round, holding Toronto's vaunted offense to only two goals per game. Bobrovsky became a real virtuoso in the conference finals, recalling his seasons in Columbus as a two-time Vezina Trophy winner while stymying Carolina's shooters to the point of open frustration after a 1-0 blanking in Game 3. (Jesperi Kotkaniemi breaking his stick against a dressing room wall, anyone?)

Now Bobrovsky carries his impressive 11-2 postseason record, .935 save percentage and 2.21 goals-against average into his first Cup finals appearance. There's no doubt Bobrovsky being on his game will be a huge factor for Florida.

Montour the minute-eater

It was critical enough for the Panthers' chances that Brandon Montour craft a career-best regular season with 16 goals and 73 points.

Where the defenseman caught everyone's attention, though was in logging 57:56 in Florida's four-overtime victory in Game 1 against Carolina. That's no small feat, and it spoke to the importance of Montour's performance throughout the season -- and his overall evolution.

Montour was previously a solid depth contributor whose best points total (37) came last year. That he would have a mammoth season in 2022-23 was far from preordained.

Montour has maintained his success throughout the Panthers' postseason run, stabilizing the back end with a nightly dose of large minutes (averaging nearly 28 per game) and adding enough offensive contributions (six goals and nine points) to make Florida's back end a real threat.

Speaking of the Panthers' defensemen, their willingness to block shots in the series against Carolina was an undeniable difference-maker. In the first three games alone, Florida's defense was credited with more than 30 blocked shots, and several came in the waning minutes of the 1-0 Game 3 win that put the Hurricanes in a stranglehold.

Pulling their weight for the Panthers

Aleksander Barkov has spent his whole 10-year career in Florida. Aaron Ekblad has been with the Panthers for all nine of his NHL seasons.

They have experienced regular-season success (including as President's Trophy winners last season), but it has not translated to long postseason runs.

Until now.

Barkov and Ekblad have provided Florida with veteran savvy and maybe even a little perspective. They've been through the wringer with this franchise. They've answered the questions and wondered about the future. This is their time to enjoy the spoils.

These Panthers aren't one-dimensional or overly reliant on a single aspect of their game. Florida rolls deep.

Ekblad has been a lynchpin on the blue line, bringing consistency and the same sort of stabilization Montour offers back there. Barkov has scored four goals and 14 points in his first 15 playoff games. Then there are the guys who don't grab as many headlines.

Carter Verhaeghe is coming off an unheralded 42-goal regular season and has kept scoring timely goals in the playoffs, with three game-winners. Sam Reinhart has batted in two game-winners of his own. Sam Bennett has continuously aced his role as the ultimate set-up man.

And the list goes on.

Florida has beaten three teams that put too much stock into their so-called "best" players. The Panthers don't require such designations. Florida operates more like an orchestra, where every instrument finds its moment to shine.

The Panthers are making beautiful music that way.

BEIJING -- Former Houston Rockets star Yao Ming has stepped down as head of China's struggling national basketball league.

An eight-time NBA All-Star, Yao had been leading efforts to commercialize the top-tier 20-team Chinese Basketball Association Management Company since his appointment in 2017.

A notice on the CBA's website thanked Yao for his service. It gave no indication of the reason behind Yao's departure other than that the board of directors had determined it was time for new leadership.

Yao was one of the first Chinese athletes to become an international household name when the Rockets drafted him with the first pick in 2002. The 7-foot-6 center played eight seasons in the NBA before retiring in 2011, citing chronic injuries.

Allegations of corruption have dogged the CBA in recent years. Two teams, the Jiangsu Dragons and Shanghai Sharks, were ejected from the league finals last month after being found to have engaged in unsporting conduct over a series of turnovers that resulted in a come-from-behind win by the Sharks.

The outcome was judged as suspicious, and resulted in a swift investigation and punishments for both teams. Managers and coaching staff from each team have been barred from the league for up to five years.

China's basketball and football leagues have drawn foreign talent and commercial endorsements, but are weighted down by uncertain ownership lineups and the influence of government. Some officials have been placed under investigation for taking bribes and other forms of corruption.

Yao's replacement is veteran sports journalist Xu Jicheng, who served on committees bidding for and overseeing management of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and last year's Winter Games.

Basketball remains enormously popular in China, largely because of Yao's storied NBA career. That's despite a year-long ban on NBA games being shown in the country after a team executive angered Beijing with remarks supporting Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout homered in the same game for the 26th time, leading the Los Angeles Angels to their fourth straight win and a sweep of the Boston Red Sox with a 7-3 victory Wednesday night.

"It's pretty cool when we go deep twice," Trout said. "Good things happen. ... (The Red Sox) beat us three out of four when we played them out there (in Boston), so it's good to get a little sweep."

Rookie Zach Neto hit a three-run homer during the Angels' four-run second inning and added a double in his first three-hit game for Los Angeles, which has won six of seven overall.

The Angels' MVP duo came through in the early innings. Ohtani connected in the third for his team-leading 12th homer, taking James Paxton to the opposite field with his fourth shot in 10 days. The pitch was 3.74 feet above the ground, making it the second-highest pitch on which Ohtani has ever homered.

"That's big power right there," Angels manager Phil Nevin said before referencing the overcast, cool weather patterns known as May Gray or June Gloom at this time of the year in Southern California. "The ball wasn't really carrying very well tonight, (so) to go the other way with the air the way it is right now (is impressive)."

Trout followed in the fourth with a two-run shot off Nick Pivetta, matching Ohtani's season total with his fourth homer in seven days. The three-time AL MVP also passed Joe DiMaggio with his 362nd career homer.

"You can just feel the excitement in the dugout, and how excited the fans are" when Ohtani and Trout go deep, Angels starter Tyler Anderson said.

The Angels are now 4-0 this season when Ohtani and Trout homer in the same game, something that has happened 26 times since Ohtani joined the Angels in 2018. That's the third-most by teammates in that span, trailing only Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy (33) and Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton (28), according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Anderson yielded five hits and one run over six innings for his first win in eight starts. The veteran left-hander had seven straight no-decisions since his debut for Los Angeles on April 2, but he improved his ERA to 3.14 in his last five starts after a rocky beginning to his Angels career.

Los Angeles went up 4-0 in the second inning on Gio Urshela's RBI flyout followed by Neto's third career homer. The 22-year-old rookie has firmly seized the starting job at shortstop since his major league debut in Boston last month, providing stellar defense and steadily improving offense.

"You can see how comfortable I'm feeling," Neto said. "I'm about to go out there, have fun and be myself."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The young, retooled Buffalo Sabres can rely on Kyle Okposo's veteran presence for at least one more season after the team captain signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract on Wednesday.

The 35-year-old's re-signing was anticipated after both the player and team expressed mutual interest in his return once Buffalo's season ended last month.

Okposo was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after completing a seven-year, $42 million contract, and gets an opportunity to continue leading a team finally showing signs of being competitive.

Despite extending an NHL-worst playoff drought to a 12th season, the Sabres fell two points short of making the playoffs and finished with 42 wins and 91 points -- their most since last making the playoffs in 2011.

"I'm extremely proud to be a part of this group and to see how far we've come. We've become a team," Okposo said after Buffalo was eliminated with two games left. "And that's the first time in a long time that I think we can say that about our squad here.

"It was extremely gratifying in a way, but at the same time extremely disappointing with how it ended."

Okposo was credited for providing guidance and serving as the voice of a team that began the season with the NHL's youngest roster. He was appointed captain to start this season after serving as an alternate in 2021-22 when Buffalo stripped Jack Eichel of the captaincy before finally trading him to Vegas.

Where other players wanted out of Buffalo because of the Sabres' losing track record, Okposo expressed a desire to stay because of the promise he saw in a team that features young and up-and-coming stars such as Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power.

Okposo had 11 goals and 28 points in 75 games while playing more of a checking line roll. His best season in Buffalo came two years ago, when he had 21 goals -- his fourth 20-goal season -- and 45 points.

From Minnesota, Okposo spent his first nine seasons with the New York Islanders before signing with Buffalo in free agency in July 2016. At the time, Okposo viewed the Eichel-led Sabres as becoming contenders.

Though the team never played to its potential, Okposo eventually adopted Buffalo as a permanent home.

He's continued playing despite having his career nearly sidetracked by several injury scares.

Okposo endured a rash of concussions, experiencing four over a three-year stretch from 2017-19. It's a span that included such severe concussion-related symptoms that he spent nearly a week in Buffalo General Hospital's Neuro Surgical ICU after he began losing weight and experienced difficulty sleeping following a routine hit in practice.

SUNRISE, Florida -- Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin left Wednesday's Eastern Conference finals Game 4 early in the first period after taking a high hit from Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett.

Slavin was later ruled out for the game with an upper-body injury.

Slavin was playing the puck behind his own net when Bennett laid a massive check on the Hurricanes' top blueliner, who subsequently hit his head on the boards while falling to the ice. Slavin attempted to stand but struggled regaining his balance. He was eventually helped off the ice and escorted to the Carolina locker room by a trainer.

There was no penalty called on Bennett for the hit. However, ensuring reaction from Slavin's teammates -- slashing by Brent Burns and cross-checking by Jordan Martinook -- put Florida on a power play.

Carolina was already down 1-0 when Slavin went out, after Anthony Duclair scored 41 seconds into the first period. Carolina trails Florida 3-0 in the best-of-seven series and is facing elimination in Game 4.

Slavin has been a playmaker for the Hurricanes all season and has two goals and six points in 14 playoff games. He is averaging 24 minutes in ice time during the postseason.

Hurricanes forward Stefan Noesen also left the bench during the first period, though no update was provided on his status.