NHL | Penguins notebook: Recent history in Game 2 no comfort to Penguins

The Blue Jackets bench looks on while fans revel in the Penguins’ win on Wednesday. The Jackets will try to even the series tonight at the Consol Energy Center.

PITTSBURGH — A win over the Blue Jackets tonight would put the Pittsburgh Penguins up 2-0 in their first-round series as it shifts to Nationwide Arena for Games 3 and 4. But only once in their past seven playoff series have the Penguins won their first two home games, despite being the higher seed in all of them. Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2009, the Penguins are 4-3 in Game 1s and 2-5 in Game 2s. The only series in which they took a 2-0 lead was against Ottawa in an Eastern Conference semifinal last spring that Pittsburgh won 4-1.

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NHL: Umberger's love for Penguins in the past

Blue Jackets left wing R.J. Umberger

R.J. Umberger never could have imagined this. Growing up in the Pittsburgh suburb of Plum, a black-and-gold clad Umberger would leap from his sofa with chants of “Let’s Go Pens!” when the Penguins were winning, not just games but Stanley Cups.

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NHL | Penguins notebook: Bylsma unhappy with Letang’s errors in Game 1

PITTSBURGH — Penguins defenseman Kris Letang said he made a mistake and hurt his team by slashing Blue Jackets rookie Boone Jenner in response to a hit late in the second period on Wednesday in the opener of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series.

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Blue Jays 3, Indians 2: Bullpen fails to protect lead for Justin Masterson

Moises Sierra of the Blue Jays congratulates Colby Rasmus, who scored in the fourth inning.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Yan Gomes took the blame. For the Indians, there was plenty to go around. Cleveland's catcher had a costly throwing error in the seventh inning that helped Toronto score two runs, and the Indians rallied in the ninth but lost 3-2 to the Blue Jays yesterday night.

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Reds 4, Cubs 1: Alfredo Simon shines as fill-in starter again

Reds starter Alfredo Simon has allowed two earned runs on 13 hits in 21 innings this season.

CHICAGO (AP) — For the Cincinnati Reds, there was no better place to open a 10-game trip than Wrigley Field. Alfredo Simon lowered his ERA to 0.86, and the Reds beat the Chicago Cubs 4-1 yesterday for their 16th win in their last 17 games at the Friendly Confines.

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Around baseball: Aaron Harang leaves no-hitter after 7

Braves 6, Mets 0: Aaron Harang threw no-hit ball for seven innings but was pulled after 121 pitches, and reliever Luis Avilan gave up David Wright’s two-out single in the eighth as Atlanta beat host New York last night.

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Around the NBA: Silver discusses changing draft age

Even as the NBA prepares for a draft that could be headlined by freshmen, commissioner Adam Silver remains committed to keeping them in college.

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Sports report: Tulsa hires Haith to replace Manning as coach

Mulching Miller: Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller, right, and receiver Corey Smith spruce up Buckeye Grove south of Ohio Stadium yesterday afternoon. Players from the Scarlet team were assigned to work in the grove after losing to the Gray in last week’s spring game. Miller did not play in the game as he recovers from shoulder surgery, but he was assigned to the Scarlet team.

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Blue Jackets notebook: Spirited workout may get Nick Foligno back on ice early

Blue Jackets left wing Nick Foligno, right, has been out the past two weeks because of a knee injury.

A day after ruling him out of Game 2 of a first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards watched left wing Nick Foligno push the pace of practice yesterday and reconsidered his decision.

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Mud Hens 5, Clippers 3: Josh Tomlin shows command in solid outing

Twenty months later, the right elbow reconstruction surgery has gone from a headline to a footnote in the pitching life of Josh Tomlin.

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Sports report: Browns sign former Bengals fullback Pressley

The Cleveland Browns signed fullback Chris Pressley, a potential lead blocker to open holes for new running back Ben Tate.

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