The Sportsletter - Cup of Ice ❄️

BY JEFF YODER & MARISSA KASCH

JUN. 23, 2022  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  REFER  |  WEB VIEW

Good Morning,

We're one Avalanche win away from pulling out the Cup, and the NBA Draft takes center stage tonight. Plenty of highlights from MLB and the College World Series keep baseball at the forefront, and today's Underdog features Matt Fitzpatrick after his first major victory (bottom of today's newsletter).

Letter Rip!

STANLEY CUP FINALS 🏆

Avs on the Brink After Game 4 Thriller

Photo: Eliot J. Schechter / Getty Images

Avalanche Within Reach of Stanley Cup After Kadri’s Game 4 Overtime Winner (3-2, OT)

The three-peat is looking grim. After the Lightning bounced back in Game 3, the Bolts held a 2-1 lead heading into the third period of Game 4 with a chance to even the series. Instead, Andrew Cogliano netted the game-tying goal before Nazem Kadri flipped the game-winner at 12:02 in the extra frame to give the Avalanche the win (3-2, OT) and a 3-1 series lead. Kadri’s game-winning moment was a bizarre finish as the puck got tucked in the top of the net. No one saw the goal for a few seconds until a delayed celebration required a review.

Goaltender Darcy Kuemper’s 37 saves held the Avs stifle the Lightning offense, and Colorado now heads back home with three chances to win their first Stanley Cup since 2001. The Avs are 15-3 in the postseason, and a title looks inevitable.

Fun Fact: Game 4 marked the Avs' ninth comeback win this postseason -- that's one shy of the NHL playoff record. 

Watch: Avs Win Game 4 on Kadri’s OT Winner (3-2, OT)

Stanley Cup Finals Schedule

Gm 5: Lightning at Avalanche (Fri. 8:00 pm ET)

Additional Storylines

ESPN: What We Learned in Avs’ Game 4 Win

Yahoo! Sports: Kadri Returns, Scores OT Winner to Move Avalanche Within Win of Stanley Cup

NBA

Draft Night Preview

Photo: Mitchell Layton / Getty Images

The Sportsletter’s NBA Mock Draft | 8:00 pm ET (ESPN)

Draft day has arrived in the NBA, and I’m giving my take on tonight’s picks. The 2022 NBA Draft has a decisive top-4, but a free-for-all could commence in the remaining lottery picks. Tonight’s broadcast begins at 8:00 pm ET (ESPN), and it’ll decide the future of your team. Here’s who I think gets picked in tonight’s top-10, including a surprise at the top and a trade at picks 4 and 6 due to Jaden Ivey’s desire to stay in the midwest.

The Sportsletter’s NBA Mock Draft

1. Magic: F Jabari Smith (Auburn)

2. Thunder: F Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga)

3. Rockets: F Paolo Banchero (Duke)

4. Pacers: G Jaden Ivey (Purdue) *TRADE

5. Pistons: F Keegan Murray (Iowa)

6. Kings: G Benedict Mathurin (Arizona) *TRADE

7. Blazers: G Dyson Daniels (G League)

8. Pelicans: F Ochai Agbaji (Kansas)

9. Spurs: C Mark Williams (Duke)

10. Wizards: G Johnny Davis (Wisconsin)

NBA Draft: Tonight (8:00 pm ET, ESPN)

Additional Storylines

SI: NBA Draft Notebook: Latest Buzz & Intel

The Ringer: 2022 NBA Draft Guide (Player Profiles)

B/R: Final 2022 NBA Mock Draft

MLB

A Historic 2-Game Sho

Photo: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images

Shohei Ohtani Follows Up 8-RBI Night With Career-High 13 Strikeouts

One night after Shohei Ohtani had himself a 2-HR, 8-RBI night in a loss to the Royals, the Angels’ two-way star took to the mound for another record-setting night. Ohtani tossed a career-high 13 strikeouts over eight scoreless innings in a 5-0 win. In the process, he became the first player in MLB history to follow-up an 8-RBI night with 10-or-more Ks the following day. Only one player has ever achieve those two feats in a career (Tony Cloninger, 1966), let alone on back-to-back nights. The Ohtani record book continues to be written, and the Angels have won four of their last six after a historic losing skid.

Watch: Ohtani Makes History With 13 Strikeouts

MLB Quick-Hitters

Hays Hits for Cycle: Orioles CF Austin Hays needed just four at-bats to register the league’s third cycle of the month on Wednesday. He hit 3/4 of the cycle before a rain delay that put it in jeopardy, but a sixth-inning double secured it in a 7-0 win over the Nationals.

Guardians 1st in AL Central: A four-run comeback gave the Cleveland Guardians an 11-10 win over the Twins on Wednesday in a battle for first place in the AL Central. Minnesota (38-32) led the division for most of the early season, but Cleveland (36-28) is on top.

Judge’s 2-HR Night: Aaron Judge blasted two homers to give the Yankees a 5-4 win over the Rays, and give himself 27 home runs for the season. He tied Babe Ruth as the only Yankees in franchise history with six multi-homer games in a season, and it’s only June 23.

🎥 OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

⚾️ College World Series

Oklahoma def. #5 Texas A&M (5-1)

OU Advances to CWS Finals

Arkansas def. Ole Miss (3-2)

Semifinals Tied 1-1

Elimination Game: Tonight (4:00 pm ET)

⚽️ MLS: Red Bulls Dominate NYCFC (3-0)

The U.S. Open Cup in the MLS featured an all-New York battle on Wednesday that saw NY Red Bulls shut out NYCFC (3-0) with a trio of second-half goals. They’ll face Sporting KC in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals.

THE STORYLINES

⛳️ PGA Pumps the Purse

The PGA Tour announced the addition of multiple $20 million tournaments in 2023. The move comes in an attempt to combat LIV Golf with players continuing to jump ship. Will these big-time purses be enough to stem the tide of departures? (CBS Sports)

🏈 What’s Next for Deshaun Watson

Deshaun Watson has settled in 20 of the 24 lawsuits… Here’s what’s next for the Browns quarterback, including possible punishments, and where things stand from all angles in his civil cases. (Sports Illustrated)

🏀 Steph Curry’s Legacy Debate

The Warriors star owned these Finals much like he’s owned the NBA for the past decade. After carrying Golden State to its fourth title in eight years—and winning the elusive Finals MVP—Curry has silenced even his most ardent critics. (The Ringer)

📰 THE HEADLINES

• Congress Issues Subpeona for Commanders Owner Daniel Snyder to Testify in Investigation (B/R)
• Florida Panthers Hire Paul Maurice as Next Head Coach (Yahoo! Sports)
• Open Championship Will Allow LIV Players to Compete (Yahoo! Sports)
• Fans at Brewers-Nationals Game Perform CPR to Save a Man’s Life (USA Today)
• Ravens LB Jaylon Ferguson Dies at Age 26 (CBS Sports)

• Blazers Acquire Jerami Grant From Pistons for 2025 1st-Round Pick (ESPN)

• Former Ravens DT Tony Siragusa Dies at Age 55 (SI)

Support The Sportsletter Team

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Product Manager: Matthew Cahill

Lead Designer: Joe Stella

Technical Lead: Kevin Lonergan

The Fitzmagic of Golf?

Photo: David Cannon / Getty Images

How Matt Fitzpatrick Defied the Odds to Win His 1st Major (By Marissa Kasch)

At 5’10 and 155 pounds, Matt Fitzpatrick wasn’t exactly the favorite to win the U.S. Open. In fact, he opened at +5000 odds to win last July. He cut these odds in half this year, with +2500 odds to win before the first day of the tournament this year. Though his odds vastly improved, he was still a dark horse to win the U.S. Open in the world of sports betting.

As his round continued at The Country Club in Brookline, his odds only got better as he showed the world what he was capable of. Fitzpatrick, sorry Fitzmagic’s, unique stature hardly inhibited him at Brookline, which was especially evident during his last round where he drove the green on a par 4, putted for eagle on a par 5, and hit 17 greens in regulation. The best part of it all is that he made all of this look effortless.

I used to play golf pretty competitively myself, and in my best rounds there was always one common denominator. People would approach me after my round and told me that my play looked relaxed and effortless. And they were absolutely right. When I was hitting the ball the farthest and sticking pins the closest, my swing felt effortless and my game felt calm.

Despite his shorter stature and thinner frame, Fitzpatrick stood like a giant at Brookline as he effortlessly climbed the leaderboard.

Though there are several factors that determine distance, most golfers know that the name of the game is swing speed rather than pure strength. Obviously, Fitzpatrick isn’t flexing huge muscles beneath his polo, but his U.S. Open win shows how little that matters when your club head speed averages 117 mph off the tee.

Rory McIlroy, one of the most consistent tour players this year, mimics Fitzpatrick’s build, weighing in at 160 pounds and standing at 5’9. His average club head speed off the tee is 122 mph, and the results speak for themselves. Rory extended a special congratulations to Fitzpatrick after his victory, commending him on his dedication to improve his swing speed over the past few years.

Believe it or not, just three years ago, he lingered outside the top 100 in the PGA for swing speed, averaging 112 mph. This was clearly unsatisfactory for Fitzpatrick, which prompted him to purchase a $350 training aid, called The Stack. In a press conference following his U.S. Open victory, he credited his success to The Stack, which increased his speed nearly 5 mph, allowing him to hit the ball farther. 

The Stack works by putting different weights at the end of a standard-length club in order to change the total mass, center of gravity, and inertia of the club with the goal being to increase swing speed in various club conditions. The Stack System also comes equipped with an app, complete with artificial intelligence in order to tailor the perfect regimen for the golfer in question.

Part of Fitzpatrick’s success can certainly be attributed to The Stack (do I sense an endorsement coming?), but the rest can be credited to his meticulous practice regime. He tracks every Stack session in his app, analyzing each individual swing. He’s kept a record of each shot he hits in a spreadsheet since he was 15, including when he plays a round with friends. Now that’s dedication. 

Fitzpatrick’s dedication and faith in The Stack isn’t the only thing that sets him apart from competitors. He actually takes an unorthodox approach to a number of specifics in golf. There wasn’t much opportunity to see Fitzpatrick’s short game aside from putting this weekend, considering the fact that he hit 17 greens in regulation during his final round, the day he got the most coverage.

However, if you did manage to catch a glimpse of his short game last weekend, you’d see that he chips cross-handed, which is not something you see very often. In the interest of what you probably did see, he also putts with the flagstick in unlike most other tour players. Clearly, leaving the flagstick in hasn’t negatively affected his putting performance. Lastly, in a pleasantly surprising fashion, Fitzpatrick does not dilly-dally. He just gets up there and as the tagline of The Sportsletter reads, “Letter Rip!”. Even on hole 18 of his final round, perhaps his most crucial shot of the weekend, he stepped into the fairway bunker and wasted no time swinging the club. Of course, he faded the 9-iron perfectly and stuck it 18 feet from the hole. 

There were many things that could be confused as fate or divine intervention for Fitzpatrick this weekend. The most prominent of these was probably where he and his family stayed during their time in Brookline. Will Fulton, the chairman at The Country Club for the U.S. Open offered his house to the Fitzpatrick family for a second time. The first was when Fitzpatrick won the U.S. Amateur at The Country Club in 2013. By the way, the only other male golfer to win the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open at the same course was Jack Nicklaus. So, I’d say he’s already in pretty elite company after winning his first major.

Staying with the same person in the same place may have been construed as “good juju” to some. But make no mistake, he didn’t need a good luck charm or superstition to win the U.S. Open: Fitzpatrick is creating his own magic. His work ethic and meticulous dedication to improving his game is what led him to his first major win, and the way he’s playing, I’d say it’s the first of many.

Did Someone Forward You This Email? Subscribe Here
Feedback? Contact Our Editor: Jeff@TheSportsletter.com
Not Loving The Letter? Unsubscribe
Follow us on Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Copyright © 2022 The Sportsletter
717 Market Street, San Francisco, CA, 94103