Rating: 2 Units

Sebastian Aho scored late in the third period and defenseman Ian Cole tallied 3:12 into overtime to lift Carolina to a 2-1 victory over New York in the series opener on Wednesday. Cole scored his second career NHL playoff goal after his wrist shot from above the right faceoff circle caromed off the stick of Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren and past Vezina Trophy finalist Igor Shesterkin. While the Hurricanes won Game 1 for the second straight series in these playoffs, the Rangers find themselves trailing after the opener for the second consecutive time. New York fell in triple overtime in Game 1 of its first-round series to Pittsburgh and overcame a 3-1 deficit in games to eliminate the Penguins.

Rating: 2 Units

After defeating the Seattle Mariners with a season-high 12-run, 16-hit performance on Thursday, the Boston Red Sox look to build upon that victory as the four-game series continues today. Michael Wacha (3-0, 1.38 ERA) is expected to come off the injured list to start for Boston. Consider that the Mariners are 8-15 on the road.

Rating: 2 Units

Cincinnati will start right-hander Luis Castillo (0-1, 5.59 ERA) today against Toronto left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu (0-0, 9.00). It will be Castillo's first career start against Toronto. Ryu has faced Cincinnati seven times in his career (all starts), each when he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers, going 4-2 with a 3.70 ERA. Toronto did not play on Thursday. The Blue Jays are averaging 3.68 runs per game, 10th in the American League entering Thursday.

Rating: 2 Units

In the series opener, St. Louis right-hander Adam Wainwright (4-3, 3.15 ERA) is scheduled to face Pittsburgh right-hander Zach Thompson (2-3, 5.47). Wainwright can't pull out a deed, but he nearly owns the Pirates. In 48 games, including 42 starts, against them, he is 22-7 with a 3.65 ERA. And the 40-year-old might be getting better with age against the Pirates. Wainwright comes into Friday with a 32-inning scoreless streak against Pittsburgh, dating to June 26, 2021. At PNC Park, site of this weekend's series, he has pitched 20 straight scoreless innings dating to Sept. 7, 2019. Last season, Wainwright compiled a 0.30 ERA in four starts against the Pirates. Then he blanked Pittsburgh over six innings in an Opening Day win this year.

Rating: 2 Units

After another impressive outing, Nestor Cortes was modest when asked about being one of the best pitchers in the game when he said: "I just try to do my part." Doing his part means owning the lowest earned run average in the majors and Cortes gets another chance at continuing his remarkable run tonight when the New York Yankees host the Chicago White Sox. Cortes (2-1, 1.35 ERA), who was New York's 36th-round pick in the 2013 draft, has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 16 straight starts to match teammate Luis Severino (2018) for the second-longest streak in team history. The record is 20 straight starts by Russ Ford (1910-1911). Cortes' last two starts are among the most impressive of his 23 career starts. On May 9, Cortes came within five outs of a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers and he followed it up Sunday afternoon by allowing one run and three hits in a career-high eight innings of a 5-1 win at Chicago.

Rating: 2 Units

The Tampa Bay Rays will look to continue their mastery of the host Baltimore Orioles when they open a three-game series today. The Rays opened the season with a three-game sweep of the visiting Orioles in St. Petersburg, Fla., after defeating Baltimore in 18 of the teams' 19 meetings last year, including going 9-0 at Camden Yards. Tampa Bay, which has won two in a row and five of its last seven games, will hand the ball to left-hander Jalen Beeks (1-0, 1.72 ERA), a reliever who will be making his first start of the season. Beeks has made nine appearances totaling 15 2/3 innings this season, including 1 2/3 innings against the Orioles. Beeks allowed two hits to go along with four strikeouts and a walk during an 8-0 win on April 10. The Orioles, who lost six straight games until defeating the Yankees, 9-6, on Thursday, will counter with right-hander Tyler Wells (1-3, 4.18 ERA). Wells allowed three runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and no walks over four innings in a 5-1 loss at Detroit on Sunday in his last start. Wells struggled mightily against the Rays earlier this season. He lasted just 1 2/3 innings in which he gave up four runs on three hits with two strikeouts and two walks in an 8-0 loss on April 10.