ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 15: Drake Baldwin #30 of the Atlanta Braves reacts as he rounds third base after hitting a solo homer in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Truist Park on May 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, I’m not going to say the “Mauricio Dubon leads off against lefties” experiment is over, but whatever the case may be, it’s at least on hiatus for tonight’s game against Payton Tolle and the Red Sox:
Austin Riley is back hitting cleanup, and Michael Harris II has dropped to sixth. These all sort make sense if you think the lineup as responding to semi-recent trends as Riley has hit pretty well over the last two weeks, while Dubon and Harris have been okay at best in that span. The bottom of the lineup is what it is, for another day. The Braves find ways to keep winning anyway.
This will be Riley’s first time hitting cleanup since April 23; with this start, he will once again take over the mantle of “has hit cleanup for the Braves in 2026 most often” which he currently shares with Matt Olson. The Braves have used 32 different batting orders in 45 games so far; this game will make it 33 in 46.
The Red Sox will deploy a lineup pretty similar to the one the Braves experience last night, except that Mickey Gasper is catching, such that Carlos Narvaez is pushed to the bench in favor of Masataka Yoshida starting at DH. When you look at the Statcast game preview above, you can see why the Red Sox have struggled to plate runs, as only Gasper, Wilyer Abreu, and Willson Contreras have any semblance of good batting inputs.
This is also a novel Red Sox lineup, and the second time that Gasper will start behind the plate.
Gasper, Yoshida, and Durbin have not faced Bryce Elder in their respective careers; the other six guys in the Red Sox lineup have, but none have double-digit PAs in the matchup. The collective line is a .162 wOBA and .191 xwOBA in 26 PAs, which really isn’t anything at all.
Nobody in the Braves’ lineup has faced Tolle before, which makes sense given that the youngster hasn’t pitched much in the majors and hasn’t yet faced the Braves. Elder has faced the Red Sox just once before — a game last year where he gave up a three-run double to Trevor Story in the first, and the game ended 3-1 with no runs scoring beyond the first inning.
We could go through this game play by play and try to deeply analyze it, but they’ve lost six in a row. For the third straight game, the offense looked completely outmatched by a pitcher who has never shown the ability to dominate a lineup. So let’s just hit some highlights and then try to enjoy our Saturday evenings, shall we?
Noah Cameron pitched his second quality start of the year. He did it by drastically reducing his cutter and slider usage. Mostly, he did this in favor of his fastball, though he threw a few more changeups than he had averaged this year, too. His curveball percentage remained roughly the same. The new arm angle has improved his fastball shape, so leaning on it was probably a smart idea, and it mostly worked, at least for today.
Matt Strahm hit the IL after landing awkwardly in a couple of his pitches yesterday. That was convenient for the Royals because they had to activate Bailey Falter from his rehab assignment today. Bailey pitched the final two innings of the game in relief, and, well, it wasn’t pretty. He got out of his first inning of work facing only three batters, but ended up giving up a run in the second on a pair of hits and a walk. It was the kind of outing where if you had faith in the guy before, you’d want to see him go again, but if you thought he was trash before, he did nothing to change your mind.
Vinnie Pasquantino did collect a two-out RBI single in the top of the fifth, which was nice to see. Jac Caglianone also hit a mammoth home run in the top of the ninth. It’s always fun to see Jac hammer one.
The Royals will attempt to avoid their second winless road trip of the year tomorrow afternoon. Stephen Kolek (6.75 ERA) will get his third start for KC this year and start a new quality start streak. Andre Pallante (4.46 ERA) will go for the Cardinals. The game starts at 1:15 Central, and, as has been the case all weekend, will be free on MLB.TV, along with almost every other game as part of Rivalry Weekend.
NEW YORK (AP) — New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes’ broken leg should heal in time for him to pitch again for the team during the final two months of this season.
Holmes’ right fibula was fractured by a 111.1 mph comebacker off the bat of the Yankees’ Spencer Jones during the Mets’ 5-2 loss on Friday night.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said the leg will need six to eight weeks to heal and the 33-year-old right-hander will need a spring training-type ramp-up, usually about six weeks.
“Yes, definitely we’ll see him this season,” Mendoza said.
Holmes is 4-4 with a 2.39 ERA for the Mets, who began Saturday last in the NL East at 18-26 despite starting the season with baseball’s highest payroll. He was placed on the 15-day injured list by the Mets, who recalled right-hander Joey Gerber from Triple-A Syracuse.
Holmes joined shortstop Francisco Lindor, catcher Francisco Alvarez, first baseman Jorge Polanco and center fielder Luis Robert Jr. on the IL along with ineffective starting pitcher Kodai Senga and backups Ronny Mauricio and Jared Young.
“Not going to lie. Last night was tough. We’ve been hit a lot this year with a lot of superstars, with a lot of key players, but yesterday felt different.” Mendoza said. “It’s a combination of a lot of things, not only the injuries, but what Clay means to this team not only on the field, but off the field: the competitor, the person, the human, what it means to that clubhouse and what it means to the team in their rotation. So that’s why yesterday felt different.”
May 15, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A group of shirtless fans cheer from their seats during the eleventh inning of a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
If the St. Louis Cardinals season becomes something truly special later this year, you can look back to this weekend and recognize that this was that moment when the team and their fans kickstarted it all. The “Tarps Off Terrace” returned to Busch Stadium Saturday and the team responded with another victory over the overwhelmed Kansas City Royals.
Let’s start with a nod to Kyle Leahy who gave the St. Louis Cardinals one of his best starts of the year. You can tell that he’s starting to understand his vast arsenal of pitches and how that works as a starter instead of a middle reliever. Kyle pitched 6 strong innings allowing just 5 hits and 1 earned run. While he only struck out 2 and walked 3, he pitched himself out of a big bases-loaded jam in the top of the 2nd inning after he allowed 2 singles and a walk without allowing a run.
The Cardinals were the first on the board Saturday playing small ball in the bottom of the 1st inning. After Ivan Herrera hit a ground rule double into the seats down the first base line, Jordan Walker singled to left and then Herrera scored on a sacrifice fly by Alec Burleson making it 1-0 Cardinals. The Royals would tie the game in the top of the 5th inning when Maikel Garcia doubled into the left field corner and scored two batters later when Pasquantino singled evening the game 1-1.
The Cardinals would not wait long to untie the game as they rallied in the bottom of the 5th inning starting with a Thomas Saggese single followed by a hustle double from Nathan Church which advanced Saggese to third base. Victor Scott II grounded into a fielder’s choice to first base, but the throw home was not quick enough to get Saggese who scored with a evasive slide giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead which pleased the “tarps off terrace” group aka the Stephen F. Austin State University Lumberjacks baseball team. Masyn Winn followed that outburst with a sacrifice fly to score Nathan Church making it 3-1 Cardinals.
The “Tarps Off Terrace” was made possible by Manager Oli Marmol who picked up the cost of 1,500 tickets for both Saturday and Sunday’s games as he said they helped rally the team Friday night to an extra innings victory.
A fired up Gordon Graceffo pitched a clean top of the 7th inning only allowing a double to Isbel on a ball that was misjudged by Nathan Church. No harm done, though, as the Royals were unable to get him home. Justin Bruihl was chosen as the 8th inning guy tasked with keeping the Royals from making a game of it and he was successful with a drama-free effort.
The Cardinals would add to their lead in the bottom of the 8th inning when Victor Scott II singled to center. Masyn Winn reached on a fielder’s choice, but reached second on an errant throw by the pitcher Bailey Falter. Ivan Herrera then reached on a walk. After Jordan Walker flied out to left-center, Alec Burleson singled to left scoring Winn making it 4-1 Cardinals. Ivan Herrera could have scored on a throw that flew over third base into left field, but he seemed unaware that the ball was not still on the infield.
George Soriano was brought in to close out the game, but gave up a home run to Jac Caglianone cutting into the Cardinals lead 4-2. After Collins singled to center, the Kansas City Royals were allowed to bring the tying run up to the plate. Unfortunately (for them), that tying run potential turned into a game-ending double play.
Performances of note include two hits from both Nathan Church and Victor Scott II. Thomas Saggese did a fine job subbing for JJ Wetherholt who was given his first day off in as long as I can remember contributing a hit and solid defense at second base.
The Cardinals will try to sweep the Royals on Sunday as Andre Pallante will get the start for St. Louis. Kansas City will send Stephen Kolek to the mound. First pitch scheduled for 1:15pm central time in Busch Stadium.
CUBS vs. SOX: The Cubs now are 78-75 in all games against the Sox, including 13-2 in the last four seasons. But they are only 22-33 in the first games of series. They have won the last four openers and six of seven; before that, they were just 16-32! The Cubs are 28-27 in second games, including 13-14 on the road. They are 16-8 in second games after winning first games but 6-7 after winning openers on the South Side. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
SATURDAY IN THE PARK: The Cubs are 3-3 on Saturdays so far this season. They were 20-7 last year. They are 0-2 on Saturdays on the road, having lost to the Dodgers at Los Angeles, 12-4, on April 25 and at Texas, 6-0, a week ago. Both games snapped 10-game winning streaks. The two losses so far are as many as the Cubs had all of last season, when they 11-2 on Saturdays on the road. Both losses were at Cincinnati, the first on May 24 and the second on Sept. 20, in their final Saturday away from home. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
HAPP-ENINGS: Ian Happ, last 13 games since May 2: .279/.446/.558 (12-for-43) with a double, a triple, three home runs, 13 walks and 14 runs scored.
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: The Cubs sweep a doubleheader from the Padres, 9-8 and 6-4. In the first game, Jim Hickman hit a two-run walk-off homer in the 10th inning after San Diego had scored a run in the top of the 10th. The second game was suspended for darkness in the seventh inning at 6:29 p.m. and completed Aug. 4, the first suspended game after the specific rule for suspending games for darkness at Wrigley Field had been instituted in 1969. It happened 55 years ago today, Sunday, May 16, 1971.
Jameson Taillon threw well in his most recent start, Sunday at Texas, allowing only one run in 5.1 innings. Best of all, he didn’t give up a long ball in that game, just the second time this year he’s done that.
Taillon did not face the Sox last year. Thus many of the current Sox batters have never faced him. Andrew Benintendi has homered off him previously.
Keep the ball in the yard, Jamo.
Davis Martin has suddenly become one of the better pitchers in the American League, with a 1.62 ERA and just two home runs in 50 innings. He’s got a good walk rate (just 5.2 percent). All of this is a vast improvement over last year — Martin’s current 2.6 bWAR is already more than the 1.5 bWAR he posted for all of 2025.
Martin has never faced the Cubs and only a few current Cubs have just a handful of plate appearances against him. Hopefully there’s a good scouting report.
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The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
The Mets skipper did say surgery isn't on the table and has been told they should expect Holmes back with the team this season.
"He’s going to be down for quite a bit here," Mendoza said. "But we should see him [this season]."
How long it will take for Holmes to rejoin the rotation is not known. However, Mendoza did say that Holmes won't start a throwing program until the fracture has healed, which could take 6-to-8 weeks. Holmes will then have to ramp up in a manner similar to spring training.
While there's a silver lining to the news, Mendoza was candid when asked what the impact of Holmes' injury means to the locker room.
"We've been hit a lot this year with a lot of our superstars with a lot of key players, but yesterday felt different," Mendoza said.
As SNY's John Harper documented after Friday's 5-2 loss, a sense of shock could be felt in the clubhouse after the Holmes injury news was divulged. The only player to speak after the game was Juan Soto, who spoke glowingly of Holmes.
Holmes is set to speak to the media prior to Sunday's series finale.
Tobias Myers an option, but there's a catch
As the Mets consider their options to replace Holmes in the rotation, Myers seems like a likely candidate.
Myers has starting experience, 32 career starts, but has been used as the long man in the Mets bullpen. However, his performance of late has seen him be used in more high-leverage situations. Still, Mendoza said the team is considering transitioning Myers into the rotation.
"He’s on the table. That’s one of the names that we are considering," Mendoza said of Myers.
Mendoza, however, did say it would be difficult to do. With the way he's been used in the bullpen and getting him stretched out to be a starter will take some time. The Mets hope they can do that in games, but that comes with its own potential pitfalls.
As the Mets skipper says, they may want to push Myers to 35-40 pitches during a game, but if he struggles or the Mets are trying to protect a lead, they may have to pull the plug on Myers sooner than they want.
As for Myers, he told SNY's Chelsea Janes on Friday that no one had approached him about replacing Holmes since the injury happened, but confirmed that he's not stretched out enough that he can start.
“At the moment, I’m [not stretched out to where I could start]. Maybe 35, 40 pitches,” Myers told Janes.
Myers last pitched in the Subway Series opener, where he tossed 25 pitches. The last time he's thrown in the 35-40 pitch range was back on May 2, when he tossed 36 pitches across 2.2 innings. His season-high is 40 pitches (April 23).
"I don’t think there’s an ideal [way to stretch Myers out], to be honest with you," Mendoza said when asked.
So if Myers is the guy to take Holmes' spot, it seems the process of stretching him out will be in the bigs.
Other options
Aside from Myers, the Mets have plenty of other in-organization options in the bigs and the minors.
When Kodai Senga's or Sean Manaea's names were brought up, Mendoza said that Senga will not be in the mix for at least this turn through the order. Senga is in Florida and will throw a bullpen with multiple ups down in PSL.
Manaea is in a better spot than Senga, but the southpaw -- like Myers -- has been used in the bullpen. The 34-year-old is more stretched out, but hasn't thrown more than 20 pitches in his last two appearances.
"When you look at the usage and pitch count, how many pitches can we ask him?" Mendoza said of Manaea. "He’s also in the conversation. We saw a better outing from here the last time. Attacking hitters, getting swing and misses. Trusting the pitches in the strike zone."
The legendary radio voice of the Mets, Howie Rose, asked Mendoza specifically whether Jonah Tong or Jack Wenninger are options, Mendoza didn't dismiss the idea.
"Everything’s on the table here. All the names you mentioned are being discussed, but we don’t want to get too far ahead," Mendoza said. "We still have to get through today, tomorrow…we’ll go from there."
Tong and Wenninger pose interesting cases to be called up. Tong has big league experience last season, but he struggled then and has had an up-and-down season with Triple-A this year.
Tong lasted just 1.2 innings and allowed seven runs (six earned) in his last start on Thursday. His ERA has ballooned to 5.68.
Wenninger, on the other hand, has been dominant. In seven Triple-A starts, he's pitched to a 1.08 ERA and has not allowed a run in his last three starts (16.2 innings). He's also allowed just seven hits. His control can be iffy (seven walks in his last three starts), but he has struck out 19 batters in that span.
After Freddy Peralta pitches Sunday, the Mets only have Christian Scott penciled in to make their start, which will be Monday. From there, anything is possible.
May 16, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers center fielder Matt Vierling (8) is tagged out by Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Andres Gimenez (0) trying to steal second in the second inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Blue Jays 2 Tigers 1 (10 innings)
Jays, I clearly asked for more than two runs today.
But…..we won.
I hate bullpen days……but they seem to work. The Jays game up just one run, on seven hits, with 14 strikeouts. It is tough to argue with success. The Jays used six pitchers:
Mason Fluharty got the first four outs, allowing one hit, struck out three of five batters he faced.
Spencer Miles was the bulk guy, going 3.2 innings, allowing two hits, with two walks and five strikeouts.
Brandon Fisher gave up the only run again the Jays, a solo home run by Matt Vierlingin the sixth inning, getting two strikeouts.
Tommy Nance pitched a quick seventh, with no base runners and a strikeout.
Tyler Rogers gave up a hit and got a strikeout in the eighth.
Louis Varland pitched the ninth and tenth (I was surprised when he came back out in the 10th, after throwing 20 pitches in the ninth). He ended up throwing 26 pitches, and didn’t allow the Manfred Man to score, giving up two hits, with two strikeout in his two innings.
Offensively? We did almost nothing. Yohendrick Piñango hit his first MLB home run in the seventh inning, to tied the game at one. He was 2 for 4.
And then, in the 10th, after Kazuma Okamoto ground out (without moving Vlad (playing Manfred Man) up to third. But then Daulton Varsho singled Vlad home. After that, Myles Straw popped out to center and Lenyn Sosa doubled (but Varsho couldn’t score). After that Ernie Clement hit a soft fly out on the first pitch (a ball that couldn’t have been more than three inches off the ground.
When we couldn’t score that second run, I was sure we were looking at another loss. But, with Zack Short on second, Varland got Jake Rogers to ground out. Then Kevin McGonigle ground out (moving Short to third). And Dillon Dingle (can you imagine going to school with that name?) struck out swinging at another pitch that was closer to the ground than the strike zone.
As mentioned, the Jays got five hits, Piñango and Varsho two each. And Sosa that double in the tenth. And we only had one walk. Yes, we were very lucky to win.
I did start thinking that Okamoto maybe should move a few inches up in the strike zone.
There were some good defensive moments or at least some interesting defensive moments:
Okamoto, going after a foul pop up, had the ball bounce out of his glove, up and to his right and he made a nice bare-handed catch.
In the ninth, with two on and one out, Sosa fielded a ground ball to his left at second, but instead of going for the easy play at first, threw to second to force the runner. I was watching at the bar and I may have yelled something that shouldn’t be yelled in public. He made the play, so I guess that was good, but he too an unnecessary chance throwing to the shortstop who had the baserunner coming in at the same time. Many things could have gone wrong, but they didn’t.
Tyler Heineman threw out Matt Vierling trying to steal second in the second inning. Nice throw.
Davis Schneider’s batting average is now under .140. He challenged a strike call and was wrong, and ending up striking out.
Jays of the Day: Varsho (0.34 WPA), Varland (0.34),Miles (0.23, I’m all for stretching him out to become a strarter),Piñango (0.16), Rogers (0.11) and Nance (0.09)
Other Award: Vlad (-0.14 for an 0 for 4, he did score the winning run), Springer (-0.13, for an 0 for 4, 1 k), Sánchez (-0.10, 0 for 3, 2 k), Sosa (-0.9, for an 1 for 4, double), Giménez (-0.9, 0 for 3) and Fisher (-0.12).
Tomorrow we have game three of this series. Kevin Gausman (2-3, 3.86) starts with a depleted bullpen behind him, and Jack Flaherty (0-4. 5.73) are the starts. Please score more than 2 runs, Blue Jays.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - MAY 10: Jacob deGrom #48 of the Texas Rangers throws a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the second inning at Globe Life Field on May 10, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for May 16, 2026: starting pitchers are Jacob deGrom for the Rangers and Kai-Wei Teng for the Astros.
Texas plays the Astros in Houston again tonight, and will valiantly try to get more than one hit this time. Corey Seager is out of the lineup due to back spasms.
The lineup:
Pederson — DH
Nimmo — RF
Jung — 3B
Carter — CF
Duran — SS
Osuna — LF
Burger — 1B
Jansen — C
Foscue — 2B
6:10 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -150 favorites.
Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves ended their playoff run with Friday night’s 139-109 loss to the Spurs.Photograph: Abbie Parr/AP
The Minnesota Timberwolves are out of the NBA playoffs. It’s a miracle it took this long. In their first-round series against the Denver Nuggets, they saw two starters and another key reserve suffer significant injuries. The Nuggets entered the series on a 12-game winning streak and were favored from the jump. After somehow winning that series in six games, finding Denver’s weak points and pummeling them until they broke, the Wolves met an even more daunting opponent in the San Antonio Spurs. Though they’d have been forgiven for tiredly accepting a sweep, the Wolves swiped Game 1 on the Spurs’ home floor, then a close Game 4 at home. After that, the tank finally ran empty. But even in the losses – including Friday night’s in Game 6 – the Wolves found ways to frighten. They’d go down 18-3 and then tie the game by the end of the first quarter. They’d tighten a 29-point deficit to 12 entering half-time. The tenacity and spite they played with was a finite resource, but at times this postseason it was potent enough to convince me otherwise.
The Wolves were not the deepest team in these playoffs, nor the most consistent. They may lie closer to the bottom of those categories than the top. After their elimination, coach Chris Finch and players alike admitted they’d failed to take the regular season seriously enough, failing to set themselves up well for the high-stakes games of April and May. (My old teachers probably shared a similar sense of disappointment in me before finals.) And yet this odd bunch regularly play some of the most soulful basketball in the NBA. Anthony Edwards can take over a game at any time, either by shooting deep threes or acrobatic layups. French albatross Rudy Gobert anchors the defense, which the team plays with astonishing vigor at its best. The best athletes are sometimes so clinical that they produce a rather emotionless watching experience, but certain passages of Timberwolves basketball inspire in me feelings of pure glee.
The Wolves are also mercifully resistant to caring about how others perceive them. A segment from a news conference after Game 2 against Denver played out like a scene from The Office. Edwards chose the phrase “beat that shit” to describe his aspirational rebounding performance, making teammate Julius Randle dissolve into giggles. During the Nuggets series, Wolves forward Jaden McDaniels announced the team’s plan: they would go right at the opposition, attacking the rim, because Denver’s players were “all bad defenders”. McDaniels then proceeded to list several Nuggets, including those who are generally considered good defenders. (Naturally, he wore a black hoodie while delivering this quote, hood up.) At the end of Game 4, McDaniels hit a layup with two seconds left, the Wolves’ lead already safe, which angered the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić into sprinting down the court to get in McDaniels’s face with a vigor rarely seen in his defensive efforts. McDaniels simply laughed, untroubled by the seething 6ft 11in man-mountain. Then he coolly scored 32 points in Game 6, the best performance of anyone that night, to close out the series.
Nikola Jokic sprints after Jaden McDaniels layup highlights
Even against the Spurs, the Wolves showed their cunning. After losing the opener, the Spurs took the next two games and appeared in full control. “I’m built for this,” an elated Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs’ irreplaceable 7ft 4in dynamo, said of the challenging physicality of the playoffs. “I love this more than anything else.” Just as everyone was talking about Wemby’s implacable calm, his God-given mindset, the Wolves made him snap. In Game 4, McDaniels and Naz Reid picked and poked away at Wemby’s inflatable-bendy-man body until the typically calm Frenchman nailed Reid in the face with a vicious elbow. Wemby was ejected, and in his absence the Wolves secured a narrow win. “Today is Mother’s Day,” Edwards said after the game, his mother having died in 2015. “I couldn’t lose this game for her.” As for Reid, don’t worry about his neck. “Pain is weakness leaving the body,” he declared, to chuckles from his teammates.
It’s a small tragedy that the Wolves almost certainly won’t win a championship without drastic changes to their roster. The Oklahoma City Thunder, who eliminated the Wolves en route to winning the Larry O’Brien last year, are primed to begin a dynasty. The Spurs are young and have almost no playoff experience; they may already be good enough to win the title this year, but they’re still nowhere near their final form. In those transcendent moments when the Wolves are operating with full intensity in sync with one another, they can match those teams. But they can’t do it over the course of a seven-game series. Talk now will turn to trading Randle, who could rarely get his offense going during these playoffs.
Still, the Wolves’ legacy as an occasionally brilliant motley crew who delight in upset victories is a good one. Very few analysts picked them to beat the Nuggets this year, or the Lakers in last year’s playoffs, or the Nuggets the year before that, but the Wolves won all those series. Though they don’t have the silverware to show for it, they’re as responsible for injecting entertainment into the playoffs as any other team. I look forward to furiously defending their honor when NBA fans of the 2040s blame them for not going deeper into the playoffs during this era.
The Wolves’ run ending here is probably for the best. Oklahoma City are waiting in the next round, and since December, it’s been clear that only the Spurs are capable of asking the Thunder potentially unanswerable questions. The entire season has been building towards that dialogue spread over a series, and now we’ll get to see it. I’ll relish those games when they come, but for now, I’m sad I won’t get to watch the playoff Wolves again until next year.
Apr 22, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize (12) throws a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Casey Mize returned in fine form in this one, but the Detroit Tigers remain hamstrung offensively. The Toronto Blue Jays are having similar issues, but they pulled this one out in the tenth against Tyler Holton, and Louis Varland closed out the Tigers to even the series at a game apiece on Saturday afternoon.
Saturday’s matchup featured a sight for sore eyes, as Casey Mize returned to the bump after a few weeks out with a minor groin strain. The Tigers need him, and plenty of other players, back in action. Mize settled in pretty nicely in the top of the first. George Springer grounded out, and after Yohendrick Piñango reached on a swinging bunt, Mize got Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to ground to Hao-Yu Lee at third, and Lee started a double play to end the inning.
Lefty Mason Fluharty was on the mound for the Blue Jays as the opener, prompting AJ Hinch to bat Hao-Yu Lee third, playing third base, in order to get his a bat against the southpaw. Kevin McGonigle’s rough stretch continued with a soft fly out to start things off. Dillon Dingler was the DH in this one, and he and Hao-Yu Lee had trouble with Fluharty’s extreme angle to the plate, taking called strike threes.
Mize whiffed Kazumo Okamoto for the first out of the second, and Dalton Varsho lined out sharply to center. Jesus Sanchez dug in and he too struck out over a splitter, shooting Mize some looks at he accepted his fate.
Matt Vierling led off the bottom half with a single back up the middle. Riley Greene was rung up on a pretty tough checked swing call. That was the end of Fluharty’s job with Greene dispatched, and John Schneider took the ball and gave it to Spencer Miles as the bulk guy. Spencer Torkelson whiffed on a mistake slider at the top of the zone. As Zach McKinstry fell behind 1-2, Vierling broke for second but didn’t get the best jump and was cut down by Tyler Heineman.
Mize went through the Blue Jays 7-8-9 in order to start the third inning. We’ve seen him a little sharper this year, but for his first start back he really didn’t look like he’d missed a beat.
Zach McKinstry flared a single into right field to start the bottom half. Wenceel Perez flew out, and Jake Rogers struck out. McGonigle pulled a single that moved McKinstry to third with two outs. Dillon Dingler followed by drawing a walk to load the bases, and Hinch turned to Gage Workman to pinch-hit for Lee instead of Colt Keith. It didn’t work out, as Workman chased a flurry of breaking balls and struck out.
Mize started the fourth with a nasty slider to punch George Springer. Piñango flew out and Guerrero’s struggles continued as he popped out to Torkelson to end the frame. The Tigers weren’t dialing in on Miles’ breaking stuff yet, and Vierling and Greene grounded out to start the bottom half. Torkelson missed a curveball over the middle for strike three, and it was on to the fifth.
Okamoto lifted a fly ball out to Riley Greene to start the inning. Varsho got a splitter that hung up over the middle of the plate first pitch and drilled a double to right field to give the Blue Jays their first threat in the game. Mize turned from splitters in the first at-bat against Sanchez, to sliders in this one and carved him up. Lenyn Sosa popped out to Workman to strand Varsho as Mize continued to look very good.
The Tigers weren’t having any luck against Miles. A pop-up from McKinstry to Okamoto saw the third baseman juggle the ball and then snatch it out of the air bare-handed. Wenceel Pérez’s struggles continued with a ground out to Okamoto. Pérez is striking out just 13.5 percent of the time and somehow cannot buy a hit this year. Jake Rogers came to the plate with a more cagey plan and stayed patient until Miles walked him. Miles stayed heavily breaking ball against McGonigle, bouncing one that got away from Heineman as Rogers scampered to second base. In a 1-2 count, Miles tried a front door swingback sinker and got a called strike three, but it was a ball and McGonigle correctly challenged it. He then swung over a curveball for strike three anyway.
After trying to be patient early on and getting chopped up by Mize’s splitter, the Blue Jays started swinging earlier through the middle of the game, but all it did was make for quick innings. Andrés Giménez flew out down the left field line as Greene made a fine sliding catch in foul territory. Heineman popped out, and Springer flew out, and Mize was through six scoreless with a pitch count at 71.
However, with Mize back off the IL with no rehab work, the Tigers didn’t want to push him too far, and so that was it for him, and it was a heck of a return to action. 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 4 K. Mize got 10 whiffs on 42 swings, with the slider and splitter accounting for eight of those. With that, Mize’s ERA drops to 2.43 on the year, with a FIP of 2.67. The breakout year continues.
However, Spencer Miles day was done. RHP Braydon Fisher took over to face Dingler, Workman, and Vierling in the bottom of the sixth. On a 2-1 pitch, a called strike was challenged correctly by Dingler to get to 3-1 instead, but he ultimately grounded out. Workman struck out, but Vierling got an 0-1 slider over the middle and lined it into the Tigers’ bullpen for a 1-0 lead. Greene struck out on a slider, and we were onto the seventh with the Tigers up a run.
Of course, trying to take it easy on Mize meant that the Tigers bullpen would have to collect nine outs to win. Instead, Kyle Finnegan took over and immediately gave up a solo shot to Piñango, the first of his young career, on a first pitch splitter that carried just inside the right field foul pole. 1-1 game. Guerrero Jr. grounded out, and Okamoto flew out to Pérez. Finnegan walked the dangerous Varsho to put one on and Jesus Sanchez at the dish, but the right-hander got ahead 0-2 and Sanchez bounced out harnlessly to second.
Right-hander Tommy Nance took over for the Blue Jays in the bottom of the seventh and quickly dispatched Torkelson on a swinging strike three. McKinstry grounded one to Guerrero ranging toward second base, and the first baseman couldn’t hit the moving target that was Nance covering the bag. McKinstry reached, and Pérez worked ahead in the count. A couple of breaking balls evened the count at 2-2, and Pérez’s troubles with contact continued as he popped out to Heineman at home plate. With Jake Rogers down 0-1, McKinstry tried to steal second on a breaking ball thrown for strike two, but he was cut down by Heineman pretty easily, and we were onto the eighth.
Connor Seabold returned from the injured list yesterday, with Ricky Vanasco optioned to Toledo, and Seabold took over in the eighth from Finnegan. Lenyn Sosa grounded out to McGonigle to start things off. Giménez also grounded out to McGonigle. Davis Schneider pinch-hit for Heineman. A 1-1 fastball away was called a strike. Schneider challenged it incorrectly, leaving it 1-2 and the Blue Jays down to one challenge. A good fastball blew Schneider away to wrap up a brisk inning from Seabold. Welcome back, Connor.
Tyler Rogers, the closest thing to a submariner we seem to have left in the game, took over for the Blue Jays and punched out Rogers. McGonigle striped a hard ground ball just fair down the left field line for a single, but a nice play from Piñango prevented him from taking second. Dingler popped out to Okamoto at third, and Workman grounded out to Sosa to send us to the ninth.
As he did last night, Hinch turned to Kenley Jansen to hold the Blue Jays in place. The veteran closer got Springer to pop out in foul territory, with Gage Workman coming all the way over to the railing of the Tigers’ dugout to haul it in. Jansen tied Piñango in knots with a high, inside cut fastball for a whiff. That left it up to Guerrero, and the big man’s struggles contiinued as Jansen got in on him with a cutter a bit and he grounded out on a nice lunging play from McGonigle. Jansen is finally putting together consistent innings, which is a plus.
And so, it was walkoff time again, hopefully.
It wouldn’t be easy against hard-throwing Louis Varland. Vierling started it off with a ground out. Varland was firing 98-99 mph darts and got ahead of Riley Greene 0-2. Varland missed twice with soft stuff trying to get him to chase, and Greene eventually lined a single to left field. For some reason, Varland wasn’t trusting his fastball, and lollypopped a 2-2 slider over the middle. Torkelson was shortened up properly, and just lined a single up the middle. McKinstry stepped in, and surprisingly Hinch didn’t pinch hit Colt Keith. McKinstry grounded one to Sosa, who forced Torkelson at second while Greene took third. And finally it was Colt Keith time, hitting for Pérez.
Varland dropped in a knuckle curve for a first pitch strike, and then Keith chased a changeup well away. Another changeup bounced on the plate and Keith whiffed. The ball got away from Brandon Valenzuela, who replaced Heineman at catcher, but he was able to pounce on it and throw Keith out in time. On to the 10th.
Tyler Holton took over with Guerrero Jr. starting on second and this is where the lack of a lefty with better strikeout ability makes this situation a tough fit for the Tigers’ pen. Zack Short entered as the second baseman, taking over for Keith for defensive reasons. The Blue Jays were swinging away on the road, and Okamoto grounded one deep to third base, but Workman’s arm was plenty. The main reason for Holton was to try and control Varsho, but he couldn’t. Varsho lined a sinker back into center field for an RBI single, and a 2-1 Blue Jays lead.
Myles Straw pinch-hit for Sanchez to get the platoon matchup but flew out to McKinstry in right. Holton threw a cutter well down first pitch, and Sosa just golfed it to left field for a double. Greene was able to get the ball in to prevent Varsho scoring, but the situation was grim as Ernie Clement pinch-hit for Giménez. He lifted a harmless fly ball to left for the final out, but the Tigers now had to answer back.
With Short at second, Jake Rogers started things off, breaking his bat and grounding out to Clement at shortstop with Short unable to advance. McGonigle grounded a Varland offering to Guerrero at first for the second out, and Dingler chased a knuckle curve down for strike three to end it.
The Tigers pitched and defended well in this one, and it’s encouraging to see that on back-to-back days considering how they’ve been tracking. Still not enough production coming out of this lineup though, particularly in the power department.
WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA - MAY 15, 2026: Natty the new mascot for the Washington Nationals plays with chew toys on the field during batting practice prior to an interleague game against the Baltimore Orioles at Nationals Park on May 15, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. The Nationals beat the Orioles, 3-2. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Last night was tense at the end, but the Nats pulled out the win thanks to Daylen Lile and solid pitching. Now they will have a chance to get back to .500. The last 15 times they were in this position, they have come up short. Hopefully, the 16th time can be the charm.
The Nats are rolling out a lefty heavy lineup against Chris Bassitt. Jose Tena will get the start at third base and hit third. Nasim Nunez will be back in the lineup at second base. Jorbit Vivas stays in the lineup as the DH. Keibert Ruiz will get the nod behind the plate in this one. Cade Cavalli will be the man on the mound as the Nats attempt to reach that .500 milestone.
The O’s are only making one change to their lineup. Leody Taveras will be in center field over Colton Cowser. Other than that we are seeing the same O’s squad as last night. Gunnar Henderson had a couple hits last night, so hopefully that is not the start of an explosion for the O’s struggling star. Veteran right hander Chris Bassitt will be on the mound this afternoon.
This is a big game for the Nats. Not only is it a chance to get to that .500 mark, it is also a chance to get a series win over the O’s. The crowd was great last night and it should be packed again today. Hopefully the boys put together another good performance. Follow along down below in the comments and let’s go Nats.
KANSAS CITY, MO - APRIL 22: Chris Bassitt #40 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Tanner Gatlin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Where to watch: MASN/MASN+ or FS1 (National)
Probable pitchers: RHP Chris Bassitt (3-2, 5.21 ERA, 26 K) vs. RHP Cade Cavalli (1-2, 4.02 ERA, 44 K)
After an incredibly unlucky night for the offense on Friday, the Orioles look to even this season’s first Battle of the Beltways series tonight in DC. Most of Birdland doesn’t want to hear luck as an excuse for another Orioles’ loss, but it was an undeniable part of last night’s 3-2 loss in the District. Baltimore put up a staggering 16 hard-hit balls against Zack Littell and the Nationals’ bullpen—only to be rewarded with six hits and two runs.
Strikeouts and clutch hitting were still ever-present problems for Baltimore in the loss. The O’s struck out 10 times to raise their season total to 414—the fourth-worst mark in baseball. The Birds also went 1-f0r-6 with RISP, as they failed to raise their mediocre season average of .246 with runners on second or third (16th in MLB). Still, their frequency of quality contact would have yielded more runs on a different night and possibly have helped the O’s steal Game 1.
Baltimore will look to right those offensive wrongs tonight against a relatively unknown opposing pitcher. The Nats send 2020 1st-round pick Cade Cavalli to the mound, looking to limit the talented-but-inconsistent Orioles order. The 27-year-old right-hander made his debut in 2022, but only has 20 Major League appearances since then, thanks to two separate Tommy John surgeries.
The Orioles will want to attack Cavalli early and sit on the Oklahoma natives’ big fastball. Cavalli is averaging just 4.5 IP per start this season, and has only completed 5+ innings in four of his starts. The 6’4” righty’s best pitch this year has been his changeup vs. lefties, but his fastball has been hit so hard that it’s hard for him to set up the offspeed pitch. Left-handed batters are hitting .525 with a .750 slugging percentage against the four-seamer that sits in the upper 90s but has below-average movement.
Opposing Cavalli is the frustratingly inconsistent Chris Bassitt. The 37-year-old right-hander has four starts this season in which he has allowed one or fewer earned runs. In his other four starts, he’s allowed 19 combined earned runs and an opponent batting average of .382.
Despite his inconsistent nature, the Orioles seem to win a lot with Bassitt on the mound. Baltimore has won six straight Bassitt starts while scoring an average of 6.8 runs/game in those outings. Bassitt has made two career starts in Nationals Park, both in 2022 with the Mets. The now-Orioles right-hander dominated in those outings, tossing 13 combined shutout innings, while limiting Washington to nine hits and striking out 12. In 21 career innings vs. the Nats, Bassitt has yet to allow a run.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 15: Clay Holmes #35 of the New York Mets walks off the mound after pitching during the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at Citi Field on May 15, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets officially placed starter Clay Holmes on the 15-day IL after suffering a fractured fibula in last night’s game against the Yankees. To take his place on the roster, the Mets called up right-handed reliever Joey Gerber from Triple-A to take his spot on the roster.
Holmes suffered the fractured fibula in the fourth inning after taking a comebacker off the bat of Spencer Jones. The ball was hit 111.1 mph off the bat and led to a visit from Carlos Mendoza and the trainer. Holmes was able to stay in the game for the fifth inning, which seems improbable now given the diagnosis. Mendoza didn’t mince words after the game, saying that the team’s de facto ace and ERA leader “be down for a long time”.
The team has not yet given a timeline for Holmes’ return to action, though it seems safe to say it would come after the All-Star Break. The team won’t need a replacement starter until Wednesday’s game against the Nationals. Until then, they will roll with Huascar Brazobán (as an opener) and David Peterson as the bulk arm today, Freddy Peralta in tomorrow’s series finale, Christian Scott on Monday, and Nolan McLean on Tuesday.
The options to replace Holmes in the rotation include moving Tobias Myers or Sean Manaea from the bullpen to the rotation, or exploring some of the young arms in Triple-A, including Jack Wenninger, Zach Thornton, and Jonah Tong. For now, they will go with Gerber, who will likely stick around until Tuesday. Gerber, who was acquired in a trade with the Rays over the offseason, has made one appearance for New York this season. In that relief appearance, he tossed two scoreless innings, recording five of his six outs via the strikeout. He walked one and allowed two hits.
It's looking more and more likely that OG Anunoby will be ready to return when the Knicks start the Eastern Conference Finals next week after going through another full round of practice Saturday.
Anunoby, who has missed the final two games of the 76ers series due to a right hamstring injury sustained late in the Knicks' Game 2 win, got through a full practice on consecutive days and told the media afterwards, including the Associated Press' Brian Mahoney, that he feels good.
“It didn’t feel as bad as the past when it happened,” Anunoby said. “So knowing that, just trying to improve it day by day.”
Anunoby isn't a stranger to injuries, but this particular strain seemed less severe from the start. SNY's Ian Begley reported last week that the strain was "minor" and there was optimism Anunoby would be back sooner rather than later.
The Knicks listed Anunoby as questionable for both Game 3 and 4, but the forward's services were not needed as New York handled their business in completing the four-game sweep of the Sixers. Now, with the series between the Cavaliers and Pistons going the distance, wrapping up on Sunday, Anunoby and the Knicks will have until Tuesday before Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals begins.
“I think everyone’s excited for the games to start, so just letting the other series play out,” Anunoby said. “So if it was tomorrow — it’s going to be Tuesday now — just be ready whenever it is.”
“He’s been back and he looks good to me,” Mikal Bridges said. “So I think maybe the crowd, maybe the fans and media worried a little bit more, but I know how OG works and how his body is, so I think he’ll be all right.”
Anunoby is averaging 21.4 points in the postseason while shooting 61.9 percent, including 53.8 percent from three-point range. He's also been the team's best defender and overall best player through the first two rounds of the postseason. They'll need Anunoby's production and defense to go up against either Cleveland or Detroit if they hope to make it to the NBA Finals for the first time in almost three decades.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 30: The sneakers worn by Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 30, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
