The Kings’ 13th straight victory at home, a run that dates back to the regular
season, has given them a 3-2 lead in this Western Conference semifinal series.
Los Angeles, which was coming off back-to-back 2-1 losses in San Jose, will
look to finish off the Sharks on the road Sunday night.

Quick, who also blanked the Sharks in the series opener, earned his 27th
career playoff win, a new Kings record. He had been tied with Kelly Hrudey for
the most in club history.

The Kings got a late second-period goal from Anze Kopitar and third-period
tallies from Slava Voynov and Jeff Carter.

Antti Niemi stopped 26 shots for San Jose.

After making nine first-period saves, Niemi remained sharp between the pipes
as the Sharks were pinned in their own end early in the second frame.

In a one-minute span, he made a blocker save to foil defenseman Jake Muzzin’s
bid through traffic before gloving a shot by rearguard Robyn Regehr.

Later in the period, it was Quick’s turn to dazzle as he denied Patrick
Marleau twice from close range. At the conclusion of those sequence of saves,
Kyle Clifford went off for charging at 11:19.

Los Angeles followed up a successful kill with a fruitless power play when San
Jose defenseman Jason Demers was whistled for boarding shortly after the
penalty to Clifford had expired.

Niemi then made an impressive right-pad stop on Carter’s wraparound try at the
left post with about four minutes to go in the second.

Moments later, however, the Kings finally broke the scoreless deadlock.
Clifford ripped a one-timer from the right point into heavy traffic. The puck
was knocked down, creating a net-front scramble that resulted in Kopitar
poking the puck behind a prone Niemi from the left side of the crease with
1:52 remaining.

Los Angeles extended its lead 53 seconds into the third period. Trevor Lewis
bested San Jose captain Joe Thornton in an offensive zone faceoff, pushing the
puck back to Voynov, and the defenseman fired a wrister from the right point
past a screened Niemi.

Carter sealed the win with an empty-netter in the final minute after Mike
Richards won a puck battle.

Game Notes

Only once in eight previous occasions have the Kings lost a best-of-seven
series when up 3-2 … Los Angeles has won seven straight home playoff games
dating back to last year’s Cup run … Both teams were 0-for-3 on the power
play.

Miguel Cabrera had a two-run home run and drove in three while Fielder drove
in two runs for the Tigers, who have won three straight.

Detroit starter Rick Porcello surrendered five runs on 10 hits and a walk in
five frames. Joaquin Benoit (1-0) pitched a flawless eighth and Jose Valverde
was perfect in the ninth to notch his fifth save.

Josh Willingham had two home runs and four RBI while Joe Mauer and Brian
Dozier drove in a run apiece for the Twins, who have lost nine straight games.
Starter Scott Diamond gave up three runs on nine hits and a walk in 5 2/3
innings.

Cabrera’s two-run smash came with one out in the first.

However, in the second, Morneau hit a ground rule double and later scored on a
grounder by Dozier.

An inning later, Minnesota scored three runs. Pedro Florimon, Jamey Carroll
and Mauer connected on three straight singles, with Mauer plating Florimon.
Next was Willingham, who hammered a 1-1 pitch into the stands in left to give
the Twins a 5-2 lead.

In the fifth, Avisail Garcia and Infante knocked back-to-back two-out singles
and Torii Hunter drew a walk to load the bases. Cabrera’s infield single
scored Garcia, cutting the deficit to 5-3. Fielder, though, fouled out towards
third to end the rally.

Willingham’s second home run started the seventh for a 6-3 lead.

The Tigers responded in the bottom half. With Casey Fien pitching for
Minnesota, Infante singled to lead off and Cabrera walked. Brian Duensing came
in to relieve, but he gave up RBI singles to Fielder and Martinez.

Burton then replaced Duensing, but he allowed a double by Jhonny Peralta, who
scored Fielder to tie the game. Burton then hit Matt Tuiasosopo in the foot
to load the bases. However, he managed to get Brayan Pena and Andy Dirks to
foul out to stop the surge.

Game Notes

Cabrera has six home runs and 13 RBI over the last four games. He also scored
his 1,000th career run … Peralta was 2-for-5. He has hit safely in 30 of his
last 35 games and his .323 batting average leads among American League
shortstops… The Twins have allowed 51 first-inning runs this season.

Mark Trumbo belted a two-run shot while Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Chris
Iannetta all added solo blasts for the Angels, who eked out their fifth
straight victory after Ernesto Frieri gave up two runs in the ninth.

Ervin Santana (3-4) was denied win No. 100 by the team that traded him away
during the offseason. Santana spent his first eight seasons with the Angels
and was in a position to show up his former club eight years to the day he
earned his first career victory.

But the long ball spoiled an otherwise solid start for Santana, who served up
four homers while being charged with five runs on eight hits in 7 2/3 frames.

Detroit will have its first shot at advancing to the conference finals for the
first time since 2009 on Saturday as Game 5 will take place in Chicago.

Corey Crawford gave up just one goal on 26 shots for the Blackhawks, who
have dropped three straight games for the first time this season since taking
a 4-1 victory in Game 1.

Francona led the Red Sox to two World Series titles during his eight-year
stint as the club’s skipper. He was let go after Boston’s late-season collapse
in 2011 left them out of the playoffs.

The Indians pounded out 16 hits in the opener of a four-game series. Michael
Bourn and Yan Gomes knocked in two runs apiece, while Carlos Santana drew a
career-high four walks and scored three times.

Cleveland starter Zach McAllister (4-3) held the Red Sox to five hits. The
only blemish over his five-inning outing was a three-run homer by David Ortiz.

Ryan Dempster (2-5) lasted just three innings in the start for Boston. He
allowed four runs on five hits and four walks.

Toronto starter Brandon Morrow (2-3) allowed six runs on 10 hits while
striking out five over seven-plus innings.

Manny Machado hit three doubles and knocked in two runs for the Orioles, who
had a two-game winning streak snapped. Adam Jones, Nick Markakis and Chris
Davis all hit solo homers.

Baltimore starter Kevin Gausman (0-1), making his MLB debut, gave up four runs
on seven hits while striking out five over five innings. Gausman, the fourth
overall pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, went 2-4 with a 3.11 ERA in
eight starts with Double-A Bowie this season.

The Orioles scored a pair of runs in the third inning. Chris Dickerson and
Nate McLouth each singled before pulling off a double steal. Machado followed
with a two-run double to left.

Davis’ league-leading 15th homer in the fourth gave Baltimore a 3-0 edge.

Toronto responded with eight unanswered runs, starting with a pair of runs in
the bottom half of the fourth. Adam Lind led off with a double to right and
raced home on Arencibia’s double to left. Lawrie reached base on a bunt
single and Rasmus walked to load the bases with no outs. Bonifacio’s
sacrifice fly gave the Blue Jays a 4-3 lead. Gausman retired the next two
batters to prevent further damage.

Gausman, though, gave up a homer to Arencibia in the fifth. Lind hit a two-out
single and scored on Arencibia’s homer to left.

The Blue Jays broke things open in the sixth on Encarnacion’s grand slam. Troy
Patton issued consecutive two-out walks to Munenori Kawasaki and Melky
Cabrera. Pedro Strop came in from the bullpen and walked Jose Bautista to load
the bases. Encarnacion stepped to the plate and smacked Strop’s offering off
the left-field foul pole, making it an 8-3 contest.

The Orioles got one run back in the seventh. J.J. Hardy hit a ground-rule
doubled to left, moved to third when Dickerson flied out and scored on
Alexi Casilla’s sacrifice fly.

Markakis and Jones hit back-to-back homers in the eighth to cut the gap to
8-6.

The Blue Jays, though, created some distance again by scoring four runs in the
bottom half. Anthony Gose led off with a single and moved to second when
Bautista reached first on shortstop Hardy’s fielding error. With Encarnacion
batting, the ball got past Matt Wieters. The Baltimore catcher picked up the
ball and fired to second, which allowed Gose to try for home. Gose just beat
the tag at the plate.

Encarnacion and pinch-hitter Mark DeRosa walked to load the bases with no
outs. Toronto then scored three more runs on Arencibia’s groundout, Lawrie’s
base hit and Rasmus’ sacrifice fly.

Game Notes

Prior to Thursday’s game, the Orioles selected the contract of Gausman from
Bowie, optioned pitcher Jake Arrieta to Triple-A Norfolk and designated
pitcher Alex Burnett for assignment … Morrow improved to 4-3 lifetime
against Baltimore … Orioles manager Buck Showalter turned 57 on Thursday …
Gausman is the 11th different pitcher to start for Baltimore this year … The
Blue Jays announced Thursday that prospect Sean Nolin will start for the club
Friday against the Orioles.

Putnam, whose best finish on the Web.com Tour this season is a tie for second
at the South Georgia Classic, had a pair of eagles and four birdies during his
bogey-free round at El Bosque Golf Club.

Clodomiro Carranza, James Nitties, Jeff Klauk and Mathew Goggin share second
after opening-round 66s, while Wes Roach, Troy Merritt, Stephan Jaeger, Nick
Rousey and Manuel Merizalde are in the clubhouse at 5-under 67.

Of the handful of players who have yet to finish their opening rounds, Zack
Miller and Alex Aragon are the closest to the leaders at even par through 16
and 17 holes, respectively.

Putnam, seeking his second win on the circuit and first since the 2010 Utah
Championship, was spurred forward by two eagles in his first eight holes.

He played El Bosque’s opening par-5 in three deft shots, then picked up six
consecutive pars before eagling the next par-5, No. 8.

Momentum in hand, Putnam birdied the ninth, then turned the trick again at the
10th.

After a par on the 11th, Putnam added birdies on Nos. 12 and 17 to reach 8-
under. He parred the last to hit the clubhouse with the outright lead.

NOTES: Bhavik Patel recorded a double eagle on No. 8 … Benjamin Alvarado,
second on the Web.com Tour money list, is 2-under. He can surpass money leader
Edward Loar, who is not in the field this week, with a first or second-place
finish … Last year, Lee Williams posted rounds of 69-67-68-70 and won by a
single stroke over Paul Haley II. Williams, who won for the first time on the
Web.com Tour, is not be on hand to defend his title, as he earned his PGA Tour
card for 2013 by finishing 16th on the 2012 Web.com Tour money list.

Carl Hagelin, Derek Stepan and Brian Boyle also tallied for the Rangers, who
staved off elimination and avoided being swept for the first time since 2006.

Henrik Lundqvist came up with 36 saves to help New York force a Game 5 on
Saturday evening in Boston.

Nathan Horton, Torey Krug and Tyler Seguin found the back of the net for the
Bruins, who failed in their first attempt at reaching the conference finals
for the second time in the last three seasons.

Tuukka Rask made 28 saves in defeat.

Hamlin’s first pole this season came in March at Auto Club Speedway in
Fontana, Calif. He suffered a compression fracture in his lower back during an
accident on the final lap at Fontana and ended up missing the next four races
— Martinsville, Texas, Kansas and Richmond. Hamlin returned to his No. 11 JGR
Toyota earlier this month at Darlington, where he finished second to teammate
Matt Kenseth.

The top-eight finishers in qualifying surpassed the previous track record of
193.708 mph, set by Greg Biffle last October.

Kurt Busch continued his hot streak in qualifying by claiming the outside pole
with a lap at 195.221 mph. Busch won the pole at Darlington and qualified
second for last weekend’s all-star race at Charlotte.

Kenseth secured the third starting position, followed by Mark Martin and Clint
Bowyer.

Kasey Kahne, the defending race winner, Biffle, Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray and
Ryan Newman finished sixth through 10th, respectively, in qualifying.

Jimmie Johnson, who won the all-star race for a record fourth time, will start
12th in the 600-miler, one spot behind his teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Danica Patrick qualified 24th.

The club will make a corresponding roster move on Friday.

Utley is batting .272 with seven homers and 25 RBI through 44 games this
season.