India have rested pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for this week’s one-off Test against Afghanistan, opening the door for up to three fresh faces to make their international debut.
Shohei Ohtani tosses six scoreless innings in shutout win over D-backs
Shohei Ohtani continued to dazzle on the mound, and the Dodgers gave him plenty of early run support as they shut out the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-0 on Wednesday.
The Dodgers started the scoring with a two-run home run for a second consecutive game, this time being Kyle Tucker launching his first home run since May 4 to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning.
Freddie Freeman added another pair of RBI on an opposite-field single in the top of the third to make it a 4-0 lead. Freeman added another hit in the seventh inning and is now 5-15 (.333 average) with a home run and five RBI over the three games at Chase Field this week. Max Muncy drove home Freeman with a single up the middle to give the Dodgers their first three-run inning of the series and make it a five-run lead.
While the Dodgers didn’t score in the top of the fourth, they continued to make Zac Gallen earn every out. Gallen had tossed just six pitches in the first inning and 20 combined over his first two innings, but he combined for 70 pitches over his next three innings— 32, 24 and 14 pitches respectively. Gallen has now allowed nine runs (eight earned runs) over nine innings against the Dodgers this season.
As for Shohei Ohtani on the mound, he was perfect against the Diamondbacks lineup the first time around while racking up three strikeouts. He was one out away from 10 straight hitless innings since last week, but Gabriel Moreno spoiled the no-hit bid with a two-out, two-strike double down the right field line to give Arizona their first hit. Ohtani got out of the jam by getting Nolan Arenado to ground out.
Ohtani faced the most trouble on the mound in the bottom of the sixth inning, as he allowed a walk and a single to Tommy Troy and Geraldo Perdomo respectively to put two men on base for the first time on the night. Ohtani quickly got out of the jam, getting Corbin Carroll to ground into an inning-ending double play to give the two-way superstar another quality start.
Ohtani has now allowed just two hits and one run while striking out 13 over his last two starts, while Wednesday marked the fifth scoreless start of the year. Ohtani now lowers his ERA on the year to 0.74, the best among all starting pitchers with at least 60 innings.
While Ohtani dazzled on the mound, he reached base five times on a pair of walks and three singles. After May 11, Ohtani’s batting average stood at just .233, but since May 12, Ohtani has multiple hits in 11 of his last 19 games, raising his season average to .301.
Kyle Tucker added a pair of singles to accompany his two-run home run, giving him his first three-hit game since May 17 against the Angels.
Alex Freeland has been hitting well since being called back up from Triple-A, as he collected three hits and added two RBI on a single in the top of the seventh to make it a 7-0 Dodger lead. Freeland is now 6-17 (.353 average) with a home run and four RBI in six games back at the big league level.
With the San Diego Padres dropping their series against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Dodgers division lead now grows to seven games. The Dodgers now join the Atlanta Braves as the only two teams in baseball with at least 40 wins on the year.
Game particulars
- Home runs— Kyle Tucker (5)
- WP— Shohei Ohtani (6-2): 6 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
- LP— Zac Gallen (3-5): 5 IP, 8 hits, 5 runs (4 earned runs), 2 walks, 1 strikeout
Up next
The Dodgers look to take the series as they wrap things up in Arizona on Thursday (6:40 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA) before heading back home for a three-game set against the Angels. Justin Wrobleski faces Ryne Nelson.
Who is Samad Taylor, the Padres’ latest minor league call-up?
After a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in the series opener, the San Diego Padres designated Nick Castellanos for assignment. They called up Samad Taylor from the Triple-A affiliate, the El Paso Chihuahuas.
No buzz, no headlines, but Taylor deserves the opportunity, as he is tearing up the minors. Before his call-up, he was hitting .319/.406/.500 with seven HR and 25 RBI in 51 games.
Castellanos failed to produce
The Castellanos decision brings a sigh of relief to the Friar Faithful. He was expected to hit for average and drive in runs, but neither happened as the organization hoped. Castellanos struggled, as he batted .191/.221/.339 in 39 games.
His career numbers (.270/.319/.462 with 24 HR and 88 RBI) suggested he could have a bounce-back season with the Padres. The organization should have taken a closer look at the significant production drop-off in Castellanos’ final season with the Phillies. Hitting .250/.294/.400 with 17 HR and 72 RBI in 147 games did not merit keeping his questionable outfield glove in the lineup.
Who is Samad Taylor, and what is his role with the Padres
The Cleveland Guardians drafted Taylor in the 10th round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He played in the Toronto Blue Jays organization before making his major league debut with the Kansas City Royals in 2023. Taylor also played in the majors with the Seattle Mariners in 2024-25. In January, he signed as a minor league free agent with the Friars.
The Padres consider Taylor a versatile player, as his primary position is second base, but he can play the other infield positions and all three outfield spots. Plus, the organization believes the 27-year-old Corona, Calif. native can become an important late-inning base-stealing threat off the bench. Taylor has 282 stolen bases in 883 minor league games.
The Friars’ lineup has too many holes to wait for Castellanos to get hot at the plate. The fit was never right.
Out goes the former slugger, and in comes Taylor.
Knicks fans turn NYC into street party after Game 1 Finals win over Spurs
The New York Knicks provided their fans with something to cheer about after taking Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals from the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, April 3.
The Knicks beat the Spurs 105-95 and extended their postseason win streak to 12 consecutive games. It's a franchise record.
The first two games of the series will take place in San Antonio, but that didn't stop Knicks fans from having a watch party, taking in the game at Madison Square Garden.
MSG IS GOING OFF RIGHT NOW 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️ pic.twitter.com/1mw3f2EPMy
— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 4, 2026
Knicks star Jalen Brunson scored 19 of his 30 points in the second half and helped the Knicks outscore the Spurs 11-0 in the final 2:15 of the game.
With the Knicks taking the 1-0 lead in the series, New York is now three wins away from securing its first NBA championship in 53 years.
Here's how fans celebrated the victory on Wednesday:
Knicks fans crowd New York streets after Game 1
THE NBA FINALS PARTY ON 7TH AVENUE HAS OFFICIALLY STARTED. 🎉
— ESPN New York (@ESPNNewYork) June 4, 2026
Knicks fans are taking over the streets after a Game 1 win in the Finals. pic.twitter.com/uhcI5bi98X
It is a SCENE outside The Garden right now! pic.twitter.com/b9CEAuVoTX
— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) June 4, 2026
The amount of Knicks fans watching the NBA Finals from outside Madison Square Garden for game 1 pic.twitter.com/Z8OzmQGNaB
— Omar Jimenez (@OmarJimenez) June 4, 2026
Outside of Madison Square Garden after the Knicks win Game 1!!! #NBAFinalspic.twitter.com/lh9d5LtucZ
— joey (@joeycreighton) June 4, 2026
Knicks fans as well as Alex Monaco are built for this! 💪😤@NYKnicks | @Alex__Monaco | #AlwaysKnickspic.twitter.com/Q1NmdpPhiO
— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) June 4, 2026
Scene outside MSG as Knicks win Game 1 #newyorkknickspic.twitter.com/9RfuCa8RSd
— Charlotte Carroll (@charlottecrrll) June 4, 2026
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Knicks fans ignite New York City after Game 1 Finals win
Karl-Anthony Towns credits late mother for sense of 'calm' in NBA Finals debut
Karl-Anthony Towns had some extra inspiration behind his stellar performance that helped lead the New York Knicks to a comeback win in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
After Towns scored 18 points with 12 rebounds on Wednesday night, he said he felt the presence of his late mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, who died in 2020.
In an interview on ESPN's "Inside the NBA" studio show, Kenny Smith asked Towns what it felt like to play in his first NBA Finals.
"I don't know what it was, but I just felt a calm and a peace that had to be coming from the woman above," Towns said. "I felt really confident about today, I felt good. I felt like a kid. It was just fun out here. This is something that as a kid, you always dream about. You always just hope to be an NBA player, let alone to be in the NBA Finals. All day, it was just a weird feeling. It felt like I was a kid getting ready to go play in my Saturday AAU games."
He continued, "And in a way, I felt like I was seeing her in the stands. It was fun. And it was really comforting because Game 1 of the NBA Finals, you're told how the pressure's gonna be and everything is. I don't know. It felt like a certain presence was here that was very comforting and very loving."
Who was Karl-Anthony Towns' mom?
Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, better known as Jackie, died in April 2020 of complications resulting from COVID-19. She was 59.
Shortly after her death, Towns posted an emotional YouTube video detailing his mom's monthlong battle with the virus, which had her placed on a ventilator and in a medically induced coma.
Towns had a close bond with his mom, who he described as his biggest supporter throughout his basketball career. He's continued to speak openly about his grief in the years since and has become an advocate for mental health.
Towns' comments after Game 1 of the Finals are further evidence that Cruz-Towns is never far from his mind.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Karl-Anthony Towns honors late mother in NBA Finals debut
Knicks’ Jalen Brunson shakes off slow start, injury scares to play hero in NBA Finals Game 1 win
They call him captain clutch for a reason.
Jalen Brunson has stepped up and delivered for the Knicks whenever they’ve needed him over the years, and that was again the case in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night.
The three-time All-Star point guard overcame a quiet start and a couple of injury scares to push New York past the Spurs with one of his signature scoring barrages down the stretch.
“He was huge for us,” Mike Brown said. “He did what MVP candidates are supposed to do -- we just put the ball in his hands and he got the job done for us.”
Brunson recorded just three first quarter points, missing his next six shots and turning the ball over twice after drilling a three for the first bucket of the game.
He was then forced to the locker room after appearing to injure his right knee when San Antonio’s Harrison Barnes fell on him late in the quarter.
The guard limped to the bench before heading back to the locker room.
Brunson was able to return minutes into the second but then had another scare, as he limped to the bench again after appearing to injure his ankle after he was stepped on by Luke Kornet.
He showed no ill effects after a timeout, though, getting going with three straight buckets.
“You never know what the extent of an injury is,” Josh Hart said. “I knew once he got back in, he would get some blood flowing and I wasn’t worried about it.”
“He’s just tough,” Mikal Bridges added. “That’s really it, nothing else.”
Brunson had just six points in the third quarter but then found his rhythm once again, coming off the bench in a back-and-forth tie game just five minutes into the fourth.
He immediately pushed the Knicks back in front with a personal 8-0 run.
The Spurs responded right back with Victor Wembanyama leading the way, but Brunson counterpunched with one last splurge to put New York’s 12th straight win away.
The former Clutch Player of the Year went 5-for-9 from the field in the frame, scoring 13 of his game-high 30 points to help steal the Game 1 victory on the road.
“He’s our captain for a reason,” Landry Shamet said. “He’s not afraid of the moment.”
“That’s what MVPs are supposed to do,” Brown added. “We put the ball in his hands, we said we were going to live and die with him, and he just went and got it done for us.”
Alabama Baseball Host St Johns For A Trip To The World Series
The Alabama Crimson Tide will host the St Johns Red Storm this weekend with a trip to Omaha for the College World Series on the line. The Tide swept through the Tuscaloosa Regional to advance while the Red Storm worked their way through the Tallahassee Regional as a four seed, beating host Florida State twice. The Super’s are a best 2-3 series and the teams will play Saturday at 8 p.m. CT, Sunday at 2 p.m. CT, and at to be determined time in the if necessary game on Monday. The Tide will host a Super Regional for the first time since 2006 and will playing to reach the College World Series for the first time since 1997. The Johnnies have a long baseball history, having been to six College World Series and have 28 Regional appearances. SJU last reached Omaha in 1980. Alabama has a record of 40-19 while St Johns is 36-24 after starting the season 1-10.
St Johns is on an eight game winning streak after sweeping through the Big East Tournament and the Tallahassee Regional. The Storm carries a team batting average of .282 with a .420 slugging percentage, a .380 on base percentage with 54 home runs, 102 doubles, have stolen 92 bases in 120 attempts, 272 walks, 69 hit batters, with 414 strikeouts. Defensively SJU has committed only 49 errors for a .978 fielding percentage.
Individual Offense Leaders:
*Jayder Raifstanger- third baseman-.336 average, 16 doubles, 5 triples, 49 RBI
*Jon LeGrande-centerfield-.329 average, 6 home runs, 45 RBI, 14 doubles, 27-40 stolen bases
*Shaun McMillian-first baseman-.318 average, 10 home runs, 43 RBI, 10 doubles
*Lewis Rodriguez-left fielder-.303 average, 16 stolen bases
*Adam Agresti-catcher-.290 average, 14 doubles, 19 home runs, 54 RBI, .621 slugging percentage, 9-9 stolen bases
On the mound the Red Storm has an ERA of 5.36 over 527 innings pitched and have allowed 546 hits and a batting average of .268 against. The staff has 433 strikeouts against 241 walks.
Individual Pitching Leaders:
*Liam O’Leary-RHP-16 starts 8-4, 3.25 ERA, 105 innings, 95 hits allowed, .240 average against, 28 walks, 74 strikeouts
*Evan Chaffee-LHP- Alabama transfer- 16 starts, 8-4, 4.85 ERA, 81.1 innings, 88 hits allowed, .276 average against, 32 walks, 83 strikeouts
*Ian Mowart-RHP- 15 games, 11 starts, 2-5 5.36 ERA, 50 innings, 56 hits, .283 average against, 21 walks, 34 strikeouts
*Jack Nestler- RHP- 19 games, 2-0, 2 saves, 3.06 ERA, 47 innings, 40 hits allowed, .227 average against, 20 walks, 35 strikeouts
*Evan Hoeckele-RHP-19 games, 2 starts, 4-0, 7 saves, 3.26 ERA, 38.2 innings, 33 hits allowed, .236 average against, 11 walks, 42 strikeouts
St Johns is on a roll, and can’t be taken lightly. However the Tide is a favorite in the series for a reason, and should be able to take care of business and earn that long awaited return to the Mecca of college baseball in Omaha. We will look at Alabama’s leaders on tomorrow.
Roll Tide
Bama Baseball Fever, Catch It!
Braves News: AJ Smith-Shawver injury news, series win, more
The Braves continue to win and are now 42-20. Not only do they continue to win, but they continue to win without many of their best players available. They have the best record in baseball and should see Drake Baldwin return towards the middle of the month, who was having a down-ballot MVP-caliber season, and should be getting rotation reinforcements back from injury perhaps as soon as July. The potential insertions of Hurston Waldrep, AJ Smith-Shawver, and later Spencer Schwellenbach into the rotation could also free up Grant Holmes to add some strength to the bullpen, rather than providing serviceable rotation depth. Other injuries can always happen, of course, but this team is set up quite well for the coming months.
Braves News
AJ Smith-Shawver is just behind Hurston Waldrep in his recovery from Tommy John and should start his rehab assignment soon.
Matt Powers previewed the Braves’ intriguing DSL roster down on the farm, with some interesting names especially on the hitting side.
The Braves clinched another series win with a 7-2 win on Wednesday and have a chance for a sweep behind Chris Sale at home on Thursday.
MLB News
Toronto traded for former top prospect Simeon Woods Richardson, as he has struggled to establish himself as more than a back-end starter in MLB.
Diamondbacks’ starter Corbin Burnes has a strained teres major and will miss the bulk of the remainder of the season.
Phillies’ top prospect Aidan Miller will miss about two weeks after receiving a minor back surgery.
Muse Falls Short Of Jack Adams Win
It was a magical 2025-26 season for new head coach Dan Muse and the Pittsburgh Penguins, as the team made the playoffs against all odds and were, legitimately, one of the league's best offenses.
As such, Muse was rewarded when he was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award for NHL Coach of the Year.
And, unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be this time around.
On Wednesday, Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper was named the winner of the 2026 Jack Adams award, earning 226 points. Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff (223 points) was the runner-up, while Muse was third behind the other two with 199 points.
According to NHL PR, the race between the three candidates was the closest it has been since 1983-84, when the balloting results were first published for folks to see.
Muse, 43, was a first-year NHL head coach for the Penguins, and he quickly became popular with his players, who lauded his communication skills and tireless work ethic all year long. He led the team to a 41-25-16 record (98 points), and Pittsburgh reached the postseason for the first time in four years.
The Penguins' 98 points tied a franchise record for the most points earned by the team during a coach's first season behind the bench.
Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
Tony Santillan implodes again in 5-2 Reds loss to Royals
I feel for Tony Santillan at the moment. He’s been such a vital part of the Cincinnati Reds bullpen, when healthy, for several years now, but it’s undeniable that he’s been struggling for weeks now to no avail.
Problem is, the more he struggles, the more that’s still being asked of him. Simultaneous with his foibles have come the injuries to Emilio Pagan, Pierce Johnson, and Graham Ashcraft, as well as the latest derailment of Connor Phillips. In other words, opportunities keep falling on his lap based on his reputation at a time when he, like so many relievers before him, needed just a bit more time to work things out.
The Cincinnati Reds have been worse for it, sadly. There just aren’t enough other good options down there to whom Terry Francona can turn.
Cincinnati clawed their way back to a 2-2 tie against the Kansas City Royals thanks to a late 2-run homer by Blake Dunn, a swing that leveled the score after Chase Burns turned in yet another stellar start (6.0 IP, 2 ER, 9 K). The problem, though, is that the more that was asked of Cincinnati’s beleaguered bullpen, the worse things got.
I hate to pile on Santillan here, but the facts are what they are now. In 23.0 IP this season, he’s pitched to a 6.65 ERA while yielding an impossible nine homers in that time. Seven of those dingers have come since May 5th alone. Yet here the Reds were in the 9th inning of a game against a club that was just 23-38 on the season coming in with Santillan on the mound with the game on the line, and things once again simply collapsed in real time.
Short of swinging a major deal for an entirely new bullpen, I’m not sure exactly where the Reds go from here. We saw in April how vital a fully-functioning Cincinnati bullpen was going to be for the way this roster was built, with thin margins and wins in close games paramount given their lack of obvious ways to win games in blowouts. Now, we’re seeing just how penalized the roster building can be when banking on such thin margins, as the relievers of the Reds are seemingly just out of relief right now.
Thursday is a day off, and Sunday will see Rhett Lowder return to the starting unit. I just wonder whether or not either will be enough of a jolt to get this thing back on track with so many key arms still weeks away from rejoining the roster at any strength, let alone full.
Old school cool
Since franchise legend Buster Posey took over as president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants, he’s preached one thing. Well, he’s preached many things, but one has stood taller than the rest: pitching and defense.
Pitching and defense, just as the ballpark was built for.
Pitching and defense, just as they leaned on during their dynastic run that Posey was at the helm of.
Pitching and defense, just as they did in The Good Ol’ Days.
Pitching and defense and pitching and defense and pitching and defense and juuuust enough hitting to prop it all up.
You can say it hasn’t worked, as evidenced by the fact that they entered Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers with the worst record in the National League. Or you can say that it simply hasn’t actually been executed, as evidenced by the fact that the Giants, in the last year and a half, have made no efforts to add to their bullpen, have made only the most meager efforts to improve their rotation, have traded the best defensive player in the sport, and have invested nearly half a billion dollars in a trio of sluggers, only one of which has ever won a Gold Glove.
But on Wednesday, it worked. For one glorious day, the Giants won as the prophecy foretold: with pitching and defense. Pitching and defense and just enough offense to keep you from pulling your hair out and pleading with Posey to trade Logan Webb simply to free him from this cursed existence.
Webb took the mound for his second start since returning from the Injured List, and it was clear early on that this was our first 2026 glimpse of the real Webb, the one who has earned Cy Young votes in each of the last four seasons, as opposed to the one sporting a 4.82 ERA when the game began.
He opened the first inning with a four-pitch strikeout of former MVP Christian Yelich, staying in the strike zone on all four pitches. He followed it up with his signature groundout (courtesy of Andrew Vaughn), and a flyout from Brice Turang.
The second inning? Groundout, lineout, strikeout No. 2.
The third? Groundout, groundout, groundout. 13 pitches, 10 strikes, 3 grounders. Vintage Webb.
He opened the fourth by striking out Yelich, again, and getting Vaughn to ground out, again.
And then came the first moment that made it feel like the game could be special. A moment that felt like it could be A Moment. With two outs, Turang chopped one sharply down the third base line. Matt Chapman, shifted over against the lefty hitter, ranged back towards third, plucked the ball out of the air, and threw across his body while falling across the third base line.
A perfect strike to Rafael Devers. A third out in the inning. A 12th out for Logan Webb in as many attempts.
It wasn’t quite Gregor Blanco diving to keep Matt Cain’s perfect game afloat, or even Hunter Pence awkwardly sliding to preserve Tim Lincecum’s first no-hitter. But it was the type of play that makes you feel like something special is brewing; like the baseball deities who have firmly abandoned the Giants this year have remembered the team’s existence.
With that, the watch was on. Once you make it past the fourth inning and the first defensive gem, suddenly the (admittedly still very slim) chance of no-hitter becomes worth paying attention to.
There was just one issue. The Giants offense had proven incapable of supporting Webb. And try as you may, you couldn’t shake the image of the Giants ace carrying a perfect game into the ninth inning, knowing that the 27th out wouldn’t bring a celebration, but instead a 10th inning.
Lefty Robert Gasser, in just his third appearance of the year, had kept San Francisco’s hitters off the bases in the first and second innings. The third had provided the sort of Giants-esque rally that makes you resell those tickets you bought a few months ago. The kind of rally we’ve grown far too comfortable with over the last decade.
It began when Bryce Eldridge reached first on a swinging bunt that traveled that magical distance where both Gasser and catcher William Contreras could have gotten it, but each decided to say “no, you first” until the moment was lost (even at that, the moment was only barely lost, as Eldridge was only ruled safe after the Giants challenged the call). The fortune continued when Daniel Susac hit what felt like a double play off the bat, but was just far enough away from shortstop David Hamilton to ricochet off his glove and trickle into left field.
Just like that, the Giants had two runners on, with no outs. After Victor Bericoto struck out, Casey Schmitt ripped one up the middle. It had RBI single written all over it, but Hamilton dove behind the bag to knock the ball down, holding the Giants’ top hitter to an infield single, and loading the bases.
With less than two outs. Their kryptonite. And indeed, Devers meagerly popped out, and Luis Arráez hit an inning-ending grounder.
They tried again in the fourth, when Jung Hoo Lee lifted a one-out soft liner to the outfield (extending his hitting streak to 11 games), and Eldridge drew a two-out walk. But no dice. It would be that kind of day.
Until the fifth inning.
Just three pitches after Chapman’s defensive heroics, Gasser threw a get-it-in sinker in a 2-0 count to Bericoto. The pitch was on the outer half of the plate and the Giants’ rookie, as he does so well, used that to his advantage, inside-outing it all the way over the right field wall for the first home run of his career.
It’s always special to reflect on what it took for a player to get where they got when such a monumental moment occurs. The 24-year old Bericoto signed with the Giants on July 2, 2018, almost a full eight years ago. It was the same day that the Giants signed Marco Luciano and Luis Matos. He played 569 games in the Minor Leagues before getting his chance. He hit 78 home runs in the Minor Leagues before getting to hit one in the Majors.
And he sure made it count.
With the lead firmly in hand, and visions of the most brutal Caining in history now pushed from our imaginations, Webb got back to work in the fifth. He struck out Contreras, then got Jake Bauers to ground out (in a 3-0 count, no less), and got Garrett Mitchell to lazily fly one to left field.
The perfect game followed him to the sixth inning, where it finally met its match. Facing Sal Frelick to open the inning, Webb missed the zone on three straight pitches. Frelick, unwilling to make the mistake that Bauers had, forced Webb to throw three straight strikes, and while Webb happily obliged for the first two, the third time was not the charm. Frelick took his free jog to first base, and we switched over from perfecto watch to no-no watch.
Even with the tying run lurking, Webb was game. As Frelick took off for second, Webb worked a grounder out of Luis Rengifo for out No. 1. Hamilton grounded out for the out No. 2, as Frelick moved to third. And there at third, 90 feet away from tying the game, he would stay, as Webb worked his third ground ball of the inning, this time from Yelich.
And so the no-hitter followed Webb into the seventh inning, where Vaughn led off with a flyout.
Finally, in a 1-2 count, Turang — the hitter whom Chapman had robbed of a hit — had seen enough. Webb threw a perfect two-strike pitch, whipping a backdoor sweeper below the zone and off the plate. Turang, in Sandovalian fashion, cared not for the location, and golfed it just over the head of a leaping Willy Adames for Milwaukee’s first hit of the game.
History was off the table, but excellence was not. After a brief flirtation with disappointment, Webb tightened his belt and got back to work, getting Contreras to fly out and Bauers to ground out.
With that, his night was over. It was, after all, just his second game since his injury, and with the chance of a no-hitter no longer there, 95 pitches was enough for Tony Vitello to, rightly, decide that it was bullpen time.
But first, an interlude for the Giants to once again age you in double time. This time it was Arráez hitting a one-out single, and Lee with a two-out knock. There was no blown situational hitting attempt this time around, but with the Giants clinging to a 1-0 lead, it felt equal parts fitting and indefensible that they couldn’t give Webb a cushion before handing things over to a bullpen known for implosions.
So the hard way would have to work. And the Giants treated us all to a little dose of torture.
Erik Miller took the mound for the eighth, and promptly gave up a leadoff single to Jackson Chourio. After the gift of all gifts — a popped-up bunt by Blake Perkins — Miller issued a four-pitch walk to Rengifo, moving the tying run into scoring position with just one out.
Vitello, who has developed a bit of a habit for leaving relievers in until all four wheels come careening off, instead of making a switch after the first one exits the vehicle, was decisive this time around, promptly removing Miller and turning to Keaton Winn. Four pitches later, Winn had induced an inning-ending double play from the bat of Gary Sánchez.
But that wasn’t quite enough drama given the circumstances. The Giants were still in prime position to lose the game, and squander not just the best Webb start of the year, but one of the best of his career. It would have been very fitting for the season, so you wouldn’t really even be able to blame them.
And so it felt as though we were headed that way when Winn gave up a leadoff double to Yelich in the ninth. The Brewers had the tying run in scoring position, and the walk-off run at the plate, and they still had all three outs to play with.
A grounder by Vaughn supplied the first out, but moved Yelich to third. It was unclear whether that was the good news or the bad news.
Winn, who appears primed to take over the closer spot that multiple relievers have abandoned this year, showed his merit for the role in striking out Turang, a left-handed hitter who has a .991 OPS against righties this year (Susac deserves an assist for the strikeout, as he sensationally plucked a would-be wild pitch out of the air after it collided with the dirt in front of the plate).
With the sacrifice no longer in play, Winn settled in to face Contreras, needing an out in any old way. Three pitches and one ground ball later, the game was over. The very cool and memorable game, I might add.
Pitching and defense. Pitching and defense and pitching and defense and pitching and defense and juuuuust enough offense to make it all work.
Logan Webb and Matt Chapman and Logan Webb and Daniel Susac and Logan Webb and Keaton Winn and Logan Webb and juuuuuust enough Victor Bericoto.
Sometimes it works just as it should.
Calder Cup Playoffs: Rutger McGroarty's Late Goal Lifts Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Over Toronto In Game 4
For a small period of time, it looked like Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Toronto Marlies was destined for overtime, but Rutger McGroarty had other ideas.
With the game knotted at three, McGroarty intercepted a pass from Easton Cowan and then beat Marlies goaltender Artur Akhtyamov through the wickets to give WBS a 4-3 lead with 2:59 left in the third period.
He made sure to give everyone one heck of a celebration after scoring that goal. McGroarty now has two goals and five points in his last five games.
GOALL. Rutger McGroarty steals it and goes five-hole on Artur Akhtyamov to put #WBSPens back in front with 2:59 left in the 3rd period.
— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) June 4, 2026
Points in five straight games for McGroarty (2G-3A). @InsideAHLHockeypic.twitter.com/wTqB6pLxWY
It was a huge moment for McGroarty and it's exactly what Penguins fans should want to see from one of the top prospects in the system. McGroarty's game-winning goal tied the series up at two, forcing a Game 6 back in WBS on Sunday evening.
The Penguins showed a lot of grit and determination in winning this game. They got off to a slow start in the first period and goaltender Sergei Murashov made matters worse when he misplayed a puck behind his cage and it popped back in front for an easy shorthanded goal for the Marlies.
The Marlies made it 2-0 later in the period and had all of the momentum going into the middle frame. However, the Penguins woke up and got right back into the game when Scooter Brickey fired a shot from the point, beating Akhtyamov just 3:14 into the second period.
GOAL. Scooter Brickey? Joona Koppanen? 2-1 game.
— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) June 4, 2026
Looks like Joona Koppanen & a Toronto defender at the net-front double-deflect Scooter Brickey's shot to get #WBSPens on the board early in the 2nd period.
Brickey led them down the bench, credited as his goal.@InsideAHLHockeypic.twitter.com/bA1MKLd8ap
Chase Pietila tied the game for the Penguins with a shot from the point a little less than six minutes after Brickey's goal before Gabe Klassen gave them the lead with 51 seconds left in the period.
Owen Pickering dumped the puck deep from the blue line before Ville Koivunen fired a gorgeous pass to the front of the net and the puck was knocked in by Klassen.
KLASS PUTS US UP LATE IN THE SECOND pic.twitter.com/lX3LqNk6fz
— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) June 4, 2026
WBS tried to hang on to the 3-2 lead in the third period, but Toronto tied it with 6:56 left in regulation. Murashov initially made a save before he was interfered with, and Luke Haymes scored. The play was originally ruled no goal due to goalie interference, but the refs huddled and ruled it a good goal.
Here's the play:
Referees converge and rule this is a good goal with 6:56 left in regulation, tying the game at 3-3.
— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) June 4, 2026
Luke Haymes gets the goal after a siege in Sergei Murashov's crease. @InsideAHLHockeypic.twitter.com/QCRS8sUNYS
Unlike the NHL, goaltender interference cannot be reviewed by video in the AHL.
It was a bizarre call, but the Penguins weren't phased by it, and it ultimately led to McGroarty's game-winner.
It was awesome seeing some of the depth players like Brickey and Pietila step up to help the top prospects in this game. If you want to win a title, you need your depth players to make a difference at times.
The Penguins are now 5-1 on the road in the Calder Cup Playoffs and all four games in this series have been won by the road team.
A win on Friday would give the Penguins a 3-2 lead in the series and a chance to advance to the Calder Cup Final in Game 6 on Sunday.
Puck drop for Game 5 on Friday is set for 7 p.m. ET.
Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
Bullpen, Late Rally Lift A’s to 10-Inning Win Over the Cubs
The Athletics battled the Chicago Cubs in the second game of this three-game midweek series. The road-warrior A’s took an early lead and then gave it up. Up 4-2 for most of the night, it looked like the Cubs would hold on to even up the series. Yet, the A’s came back in the eighth to tie and wound up winning 5-4 in ten innings.
A’s Score Right Away
Athletics’ right fielder Carlos Cortes led off with an infield single and first baseman Nick Kurtz walked against Cubs’ starting pitcher Collin Rea. On consecutive ground balls by catcher Shea Langeliers and left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, the Cubs attempted to turn double plays, but both runners beat the relay throws to first. Cortes scored on Soderstrom’s groundout, giving the A’s a 1–0 lead.
Jeffrey Springs kept momentum on the A’s side with a scoreless bottom of the first inning. The A’s added another run in the second. With one out, third baseman Zack Gelof doubled, extending his hitting streak to eight games. He scored on shortstop Alika Williams’ two-out RBI single.
Cubs Roar Back
The Cubs immediately got one back. After making a nice catch in the top of the inning, right-fielder Seiya Suzuki led off the bottom of the second with his eighth home run of the season, a solo blast to the left field bleachers. That was Springs’ 13th home run allowed this season. He wiggled out of trouble following Dansby Swanson’s one-out double, keeping his team’s lead intact.
Chicago took the lead the next inning on center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong’s two-run home run to right-center field, his eighth of the season. The blast came after Soderstrom’s defensive misread on a line drive that turned into a double for Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner.
Through three innings, Jeffrey Springs again struggled with a familiar issue—giving up too many home runs, which has been a recurring problem during his ongoing winless streak. Meanwhile, Rea completed a second straight scoreless inning for the hosts in the top of the fourth, preserving their slim lead.
The Cubs scored their fourth run in the fourth inning. Ian Happ doubled, and Michael Busch followed with an RBI triple. Cortes misplayed both hits in right field, especially the triple.
Athletics manager Mark Kotsay pulled Springs after 3 2/3 innings. The A’s starter allowed four runs on seven hits, with those two home runs doing most of the damage, although he was not helped by the poor outfield defense behind him. A’s right-handed reliever Joel Kuhnel came in and got Nico Hoerner to end the threat, escaping a two-on, two-out jam.
Bullpen Time
Kuhnel and left-hander Jose Suarez each turned in 1 1/3 scoreless relief appearances out of the A’s bullpen, keeping the team’s deficit at two.
With one out in the sixth, the Cubs went to their bullpen, pulling Rea from the game despite the starter allowing only two runs on four hits on just 69 pitches. Left-handed reliever Hoby Milner got the final two outs of that inning. In the seventh, right-handed reliever Jacob Webb held the A’s to one hit.
A’s Tie The Game!
Cubs’ left-handed reliever Caleb Thielbar entered to pitch the eighth. Kotsay countered by bringing Colby Thomas off the bench to pinch hit for Cortes. Thomas, who crushes left-handers, delivered by hitting his second home run of the year, a solo blast crushed deep to the left field bleachers.
Langeliers lined a double to the left-center gap with one out, positioning himself as the game-tying run. Soderstrom followed with a hit down the right field line, scoring Langeliers to tie the game. The A’s left fielder tried stretching that hit into a double. Suzuki made a nice throw to nab Soderstrom at second.
The next batter, designated hitter Brent Rooker hit a long single to center. If Soderstrom had stopped at first, he would have likely made it to third with one out on that hit, putting the visitors in prime position to take the lead. Alas, A’s center fielder Lawrence Butler failed again, hitting an inning-ending line out after fouling off multiple potential ball four pitches.
Athletics hard-throwing right-hander Luis Medina pitched the bottom of the eighth, walking Alex Bregman to start the inning before inducing a double play from Seiya Suzuki. He gave up Happ’s two-out double, but then struck out Swanson to keep the game tied.
The A’s went down in order in the ninth against Cubs’ closer Daniel Palencia. Chicago did the same in the last of the ninth as A’s reliever Hogan Harris sent this game to extra innings.
Extra Innings!
Athletics pinch-hitter Jonah Heim led off the tenth with a groundout to first, advancing the ghost-runner Williams to third. Kurtz singled to left, scoring Williams to give the A’s their first lead since the third.
Right-hander Justin Sterner pitched the tenth for the A’s, seeking the save. Hoerner led off with a fly out, advancing the Cubs’ ghost runner to third. Sterner struck out Crow-Armstrong for a big second out and then retired Bregman to end the game and seal the Athletics comeback series-clinching victory.
The series ends tomorrow evening, same time, same place. The Athletics will send right-hander J.T. Ginn to the mound as they go for the series-sweep at Wrigley. The Cubs will counter with left-hander Shota Imanaga.
Knicks 105, Spurs 95: Scenes from Josh Hart powering the Game 1 win
In December’s Emirates Cup Final, New York fell behind by 11 to the Spurs before rallying to win the fourth quarter 35-19 and steal the victory.
Tonight in Game One of the NBA Finals, the Knicks were considered the underdogs. All the talk was about the Spurs—how they’re the second youngest team to play in the Finals (after the 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers); how they came in with a 6-0 record in Finals Game Ones; how you can’t spell VICTORY with “Victor.” The one-sidedness of it all was obnoxious.
Well, guess what? The Knickerbockers heard none of that noise. They arrived with two streaks on the line: 53 games without a championship, and an 11-game win streak. Through the first six minutes, they were rolling, but then the shots stopped falling and gradually the Spurs racked up a 14-point lead in the third quarter. And just like in the Cup Final, New York rallied in the fourth frame, limited the Spurs to 19 points, and took the win, 105-95.
Jalen Brunson drew first blood with a triple, Victor Wembanyama answered with a long two, and they were off to the races. We knew the sweat-mop crew would be busy tonight. The Knicks started at the same pace that made Cleveland so dizzy, and San Antonio struggled to keep up and keep their composure. While the home team missed eight of their first 11 shots, the visitors converted half of theirs and seized a seven-point lead. Inside, Wemby played difficult defense, as usual, but Karl-Anthony Towns was unafraid to drive against him.
Meanwhile, Josh Hart was a rebounding machine, hauling in five over his first six minutes. By the end of the game, Josh would have three points on 1-of-5 shooting. Which looks bad. But run your eye across the statline and let the truth reveal itself: 14 rebounds, six assists, four steals, a block, and a team-high +22 in his 27 minutes. His relentless energy rescued this game from the loss column.
After a hot start, the Knicks’ shooting cooled, and too many one-and-dones allowed the Spurs to chip away. Dylan Harper, San Antonio’s terrific rookie, picked off a Brunson pass and scored five straight points, and the Spurs went on a 20-3 run while Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, and Deuce McBride covered for Towns, Hart, and Bridges.
Around the two-minute mark, Harrison Barnes rolled into Brunson’s knee. Cap briefly turned to the bench, looking like he might exit. He didn’t—and Harper hunted him for his 10th point of the game. When coach Mike Brown called a timeout, Jalen retreated to the locker room. That capped a rough quarter for the captain, who had his jersey pulled and was mauled (without a whistle) time and again. Thankfully, due to a brief burst at the end, New York cut its deficit at quarter’s end to 27-19.
In the second period, the Knicks crept back and pushed their way ahead, especially when Wemby sat.
At the eight-minute mark, Brunson returned and New York reduced the differential to one. Two minutes later, Luke Kornet stomped on his ankle, and back to the bench he limped. He raged at Scott “The Extender” Foster as he went. With four-ish minutes on the clock, it was a Brunson floater in traffic (capping eight straight points) that gave them the lead again.
The score see-sawed from there. Bridges and Harper traded two-pointers, and Shamet and Keldon Johnson swapped treys. Jose Alvarado saw more floor time with Brunson needing rest, and he scored seven points in as many minutes, plus grabbed four boards and a steal. Good stuff, Jose! A fellow Brooklyn boy, he talked quite a bit of trash with Julian Champagnie, who had 15 points in the half on 5-of-6 shooting from deep.
The score was tight until Fox stole from Brunson for a pick-six and Champagnie swished from deep. Unable to close the quarter strong, New York went into halftime on the wrong side of 55-48.
The Knicks were fortunate the game was that close, frankly. Despite slightly better shooting and dominating the paint (26-18), they gave away too many easy points. The Spurs made more threes (+3), attempted more free throws (+9), committed fewer turnovers (five to New York’s eight), and owned a 14-2 edge in fast-break points. Turns out, the Spurs are more fleet-footed than Cleveland. Champagnie led all scorers with 15 points, and Brunson had 11 for New York.
Both teams played solid defense, but more crappy shooting by New York (Brunson was 5-of-16 and counting, Towns was 3-of-9) allowed the Spurs to start on an 8-2 run. We’d start to panic if tonight’s lead tracker didn’t so closely resemble the NBA Cup game’s. (Okay, with so many shots rimming out and so few fouls being called, we’ll admit to a slight twinge of nervousness.)
Little was going right. Mikal Bridges, who had made all 19 of his free throws in the playoffs, missed from the line. Wemby subbed out, and New York cooked up eight unanswered points, cutting the gap to six. Through seven-ish minutes in the quarter, they shot 1-of-9 with Wemby on the floor; while he sat, they made all four shots. One clear advantage was Towns. The home team had no answer for him with Victor out. Thanks to a KAT putback plus a foul, our heroes were close to tying the score—and they did after a Wemby offensive foul led to Brunson magic at the other end.
Frost Bank Center shook with chants of MVP! when Brunson stepped to the charity stripe, and the adage holds true: Wherever you go, you’ll find Knicks fans. The French delight slammed an authoritative dunk late, but McBride swished his second bomb of the game as the quarter wound down to knot the score at 76.
Early in the fourth, my friend observed that Wemby had shot the same number of free throws as the entire Knicks team (10). Weird, no? Anyway, Anunoby was inconsistent through three quarters but scored eight points to give the good guys a brief four-point advantage. The Spurs weren’t folding up yet, though. Devin Vassell laid out Shamet under the rim (no call) and tipped in a layup to tie the score again with seven-plus minutes left.
Out of a timeout, the Knicks scored eight unanswered, all by Brunson. KAT was on the bench during that stretch, with Robinson fighting hard with Wemby for position in the paint. Following a couple of Knicks misses, Victor swished a three-pointer around the five-minute mark, and Brown decided it was time to reintroduce Towns to this fracas. While New York missed four shots in a row, Wemby shot a mess of free throws to regain a one-point lead heading into the final two minutes.
More Hart rebounds—he’s at 14 and counting by this point—kept the ball alive. It swung to Brunson, who swished from the corner, and two Bridges free throws made it 99-95. With under a minute left, Josh stripped Wemby around the three-point line, resulting in a dagger jumper by Jalen. 101-95.
Victor missed from 27 feet, and Fox fouled Anunoby, who added two more points. 103-95. With 21 seconds left, Fox lost the ball out of bounds. That, plus two more freebies for OG, was the final nail in the coffin.
Brunson closed the books with 30 points, shooting 12-of-31 and 2-0f-9 from deep. He was clobbered all night, yet shot just four free throws and came up big when the Knicks needed him most. Captain Clutch, indeed.
Up Next
Professor Miranda is typing up his recap for you. Meanwhile, the Knicks hang around San Antonio to play Game Two on Friday. Rest up, Knickerbockers.
Spurs rookie Dylan Harper makes NBA Finals history despite Game 1 loss to Knicks
Playing in his first NBA Finals on Wednesday night, it didn't take long for San Antonio Spurs rookie Dylan Harper to make an impact.
Although the Spurs lost Game 1 to the New York Knicks, 105-95, Harper delivered an impressive 16-point performance off the bench and set a pair of records in the process.
Harper, the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft who turned 20 in March, became the youngest player in Finals history to score at least 10 points in a game. Harper has now scored 251 points during the 2026 playoffs, passing David Robinson's 243 points for most points in a single postseason by a Spurs rookie.
Right from Game 1's opening tip, Harper played with a poise and intensity that belied his inexperience on the NBA's biggest stage. In the first quarter, he shot a perfect 3-for-3 from the field and scored 10 points in just six minutes. According to ESPN Research, it was the most points by a rookie in the first quarter of Game 1 of the Finals since the play-by-play era started in 1998.
Harper's early scoring outburst helped the Spurs end the first quarter up 27-19, the only quarter in which they outscored the Knicks.
The only other Spurs rookie besides Harper to score double figures in a Finals game is Manu Ginobili, who did it three times in 2003.
Magic Johnson holds the rookie record for most points scored in an NBA Finals game, which he set in 1980 when he scored 42 points and delivered the Los Angeles Lakers the championship with a decisive Game 6 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dylan Harper stats: Spurs rookie sets records in NBA Finals debut