Canada advanced past the first round of the World Baseball Classic for the first time, beating Cuba 7-2 Wednesday in a winner-take-all game at San Juan, Puerto Rico, behind Abraham Toro's homer and Otto Lopez's two-run single.
Brothers Bo Naylor and Josh Naylor drove in runs, Owen Caissie had two RBIs and reliever James Paxton struck out six over 2 2/3 scoreless innings for Canada (3-1), which eliminated the Cubans (2-2) and won Group A over Puerto Rico (3-1). Cuba was knocked out in the first round for the first time.
Canada and Puerto Rico will play quarterfinals in Houston this weekend.
Cuba finished with three errors, and left fielder Ariel Martinez allowed Toro’s catchable fly starting the seventh to fall for a double. The Canadians broke open the game with a three-run sixth inning that included a dropped popup, a foul pop that fell, a wild pickoff throw and a catcher's interference call on Andrys Perez, whose passed ball led to Canada's first run.
Later Wednesday, Mexico and Italy were to play at Houston in a Group B game that will determine whether the U.S. advances.
Cuba escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first when Matt Davidson hit an inning-ending popout off loser Livan Moinelo, but Canada went ahead in the third on Caissie's sacrifice fly. Toro homered in the fifth on a splitter from Yariel Rodríguez, a 420-foot drive to right.
Cuba scored in the bottom half on Yoelkis Guibert's run-scoring groundout off winner Cal Quantrill, who allowed an unearned run and two hits over five innings.
Canada opened a 3-1 lead in the sixth on Bo Naylor's RBI double.
Martinez drove in a run in the bottom half with his third hit and Josh Naylor had an RBI single in the seventh on a soft fly to left that popped up of the glove of Martinez, who tried for a sliding catch.
Cuba went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position. Adam Macko escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth when Yiddi Cappe swung over a curveball and James Paxton struck out Moncada in the seventh to leave runners at the corners.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 22: Tatsuya Imai #45 of the Houston Astros looks on prior to a spring training game against the St. Louis Cardinals at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 22, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tatsuya Imai said a small adjustment has helped him find more velocity this spring:
The Astros' Tatsuya Imai explained a small change he made that helped him find more velocity (fastball hit 98.5 mph) in another impressive spring start https://t.co/I7yap0zkYR via @houstonchron
SP Cristian Javier will be away from the team for a few days due to a personal matter:
Pitcher Cristian Javier, expected to be part of starting rotation, will be out of spring training for a few days because of a personal matter. https://t.co/Bc97Ep6KiB
Good stuff from Lance McCullers Jr. breaking down his outing and where he stands with Opening Day a little more than two weeks away pic.twitter.com/1DUAMzDDCe
Stephen Curry has missed 15 games due to patella-femoral pain syndrome/bone bruising — commonly called runner's knee — and in that stretch the Warriors have gone 5-10 and slid to ninth in the Western Conference. Golden State needs its best player back.
That's not happening for another 10 days, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater. That means Curry will miss at least another five games and return — at the earliest — with a dozen games left in the season. The next five games Curry will miss are mostly tough ones, including at New York on Sunday as part of NBC's Sunday Night Basketball broadcast.
It's not just Curry who is out, Jimmy Butler is done for the season after tearing his ACL, leaving the Warriors struggling for consistent shot creation during this stretch.
Curry, 37, still looks elite when he does get on the court, averaging 27.2 points and 4.8 assists a game, shooting 39.1% from 3-point range. His gravity to draw defenders is still what makes Golden State's offense work, and without him things get stuck in the mud.
Which is what Warriors fans are going to see for another five games, at least.
TAMPA, FL - MARCH 6: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees warms up before the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 6, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Spring training rolls on tonight as the Yankees host the Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
The Yankees send Cam Schlittler to the bump for his second appearance of the spring. Schlittler was brilliant in his first outing after being delayed by back inflammation and a lat issue, striking out four batters in 2.1 innings of work. Rust, injury, or caution aside, Schlittler still hit 99 mph with his four-seamer while throwing 39 pitches. Predict Cam’s final pitch count tonight in the comments for a shoutout in the recap.
Toronto is scheduled to send left-hander Eric Lauer to the mound. Lauer went 9–2 for the Blue Jays last season, making 15 starts and appearing in 28 games. He enters tonight looking to improve his early spring numbers, which have been rough in the early going.
On the offensive side, let’s pay special attention to how Jasson Randal Grichuk handles the lefty. With so many regulars scattered across World Baseball Classic rosters, the Yankees have been able to give extended looks to younger and fringe players this spring. Those extra opportunities are starting to disappear, though, as Jazz Chisholm Jr. and José Caballero have returned to camp from their respective national teams and find themselves in the lineup tonight.
How to Watch
Location: George M. Steinbrenner Field — Tampa, FL
First pitch: 6:35 p.m. EDT
TV broadcast: YES Network, Sportsnet 360, MLB Network (out-of-market)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jamichael Stillwell had 17 points and 15 rebounds, Riley Kugel added 15 points, and eighth-seeded UCF rallied to beat ninth-seeded Cincinnati 66-65 in overtime on Thursday and advance to the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament.
John Bol scored 13 points for the Knights (21-10), who trailed by as many as 12 in regulation, then watched as the Bearcats' Jalen Celestine missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds left in overtime to earn a date with top-ranked Arizona on Thursday.
Moustapha Thiam had 18 points and 16 boards to lead the Bearcats (18-15). Day Day Thomas had all of their seven points in overtime and finished with 15, while Celestine had 11 points and Keyshuan Tillery finished with 10.
The Knights won despite going 3 of 24 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Cincinnati had taken control with about 10 minutes to go, when Thomas was fouled by Kugel about 30 feet from the basket and the shot-clock running out. His two free throws gave the Bearcats a 46-37 lead, and Stillwell immediately picked up his fourth foul at the other end, sending the Knights' best rebounder to the bench.
UCF still faced a 58-50 hole with about two minutes to go when Stillwell hit a soft jumper in the lane. Cincinnati proceeded to turn the ball over on three straight possessions, and Kugel's driving layup tied the game 58-all with a minute to go.
The Bearcats had the final shot of regulation, but Thiam didn't appear to realize the clock was about to expire. Cincinnati coach Wes Miller frantically called timeout from the bench, but there was only 0.8 seconds left — time enough for an airballed 3-point try.
Up next
The Knights lost their only game to the top-seeded Wildcats in mid-January.
Cincinnati must hope a first-round win over Utah in the Big 12 tourney will get it off the NCAA Tournament bubble on Sunday.
For as hard as it is to make the NCAA Tournament, it’s really easy to take yourself out of it.
Auburn, one of the most polarizing March Madness bubble candidates, was on the brink of kissing its chances goodbye in the opening round of the SEC tournament. The Tigers were shaken by Mississippi State in the first half with a 10-point deficit, not looking remotely close to a unit that should hear its name called on Selection Sunday.
But to their credit, Auburn recovered and played like its life was on the line. It was a night-and-day performance coming out of halftime with a dominant final 20 minutes to avoid the upset and advance.
Projected to miss the tournament in the latest USA TODAY Sports Bracketology, It’s not a win that will drastically move the 17-15 Tigers into the field. Yet, it wouldn’t be possible without it.
Auburn is as confusing as it comes. You can argue why it should be in with some major wins and tough schedule, or shouldn’t be in with all of the losses. No matter which way you lean, everyone could agree it needs to impress in the SEC tournament. A Quad 3 loss and Auburn would’ve surely been out of consideration. Instead, there is hope.
The work is far from over since a win over the Bulldogs doesn’t move the needle much. However, what’s ahead surely will.
Auburn now has one of the biggest bubble games of the season in the second round against Tennessee. A win over the Volunteers would be monumental and could alter the projected field completely. Advancing to the quarterfinals against Vanderbilt and winning that could silence the critics.
But it has to get Step 1 done first and beat Tennessee. Auburn got a second life to keep its tournament hopes alive, and it cannot waste it as it leads the tournament watch winners and losers from Wednesday’s action.
March Madness bubble winners
NC State
A team trending in the wrong direction, NC State ended the regular season with four straight losses with a couple of ranked beatdowns and bad losses. The Wolfpack weren’t in danger of missing the tournament, but needed to show something to not fall into a possible No. 11 seed situation.
Against Pittsburgh in the ACC tournament second round, early it looked like a devastating Quad 3 loss was on the horizon. However, Will Wade’s offense kept pace and used a strong second half start to avoid the collapse.
It’s not an impressive victory, but one NC State needed to calm the waters. Now there really won’t be a worry for Selection Sunday, and it can just focus on moving up the seed line. It gets a chance against Virginia in the quarterfinals.
March Madness bubble losers
Cincinnati
The late push for Cincinnati all came crashing down with a stunning collapse that all but keeps the Bearcats out of the NCAA Tournament.
Up by eight with just over two minutes left, Cincinnati looked like it was closing in on a major victory over Central Florida. Then came the shocker. It couldn’t stop turning the ball over and it allowed UCF to tie the score and send it to overtime. The Bearcats were rattled and couldn’t regroup in the extra period, with UCF ending the last seven minutes on a 15-6 run to win.
It’s a devastating outcome as seven wins in nine games brought Cincinnati into the conversation for a bid. In the First Four out, it needed the win to keep trending up. Now the season ends in missing the tournament for the sixth straight season.
SMU
Get ready for a couple of stressful days, SMU, since it was unable to boost its resume in the ACC tournament.
After finally ending a four-game skid with an opening round victory over Syracuse on Tuesday, the Mustangs needed more and had a chance against Louisville. For the majority of the day, SMU looked like it could take down the Cardinals and get a massive victory. However, it didn’t score in the final two and a half minutes and Louisville powered through for the win.
SMU is one of the last four in, but can now only hope no other team steals bids and pushes them down the line. Had the Mustangs won, they could have secured their selection. It’s a miserable feeling being unable to do anything about it, but it’s the price to pay for having such a rough end to the season.
Federico Valverde scored one of the great Champions League hat-tricks to give Real a huge advantage going into next week’s second leg
The Atari-esque sprites of Manchester City get the ball rolling. The famous old pile might not be sold out, but it is noisy.
The teams are out! Real Madrid in their meringue whites, Manchester City in a green top with jet-set geometric squiggles all over it, and a chip embedded within the City crest that, if you were to wave a newfangled “smart electric telecommunications device” over it, unlocks a slew of bonus features for Pele’s Soccer on the Atari 2600EA Sports FC 26. This is the sort of news that will either excite you or make you feel so very old and useless. Latest score: Excited 0-1 Old & Useless.
Peoria, AZ - February 23: Freddy Fermin #54 of the San Diego Padres runs to home plate during a spring training game against the Milwaukee Brewers on February 23, 2026 in Peoria, AZ. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images) | K.C. Alfred
It wasn’t noticeable at the start of spring games but as the first couple weeks went on, the at-bats were adding up to a change in the hitting approach for the Friars. There has been a lot less chasing outside the zone for many of the regulars. Even the minor league depth players have had more quality at-bats.
It might surprise many to hear that catcher Freddy Fermin has more loud contact than any other regular currently on the San Diego Padres roster. Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. left too early to be a significant part of this discussion, but they have both distinguished themselves with the Dominican Republic World Baseball Classic team, making frequent loud contact while away.
Not only are these guys hitting the ball and hitting it hard, but they are also barreling up the ball much earlier than in previous spring progressions. Fermin is hitting .421/.421/.684 with a 1.105 OPS. He’s a bit of an outlier in that he has not walked at all in his 19 at-bats, but he has only struck out twice and has eight RBI.
Jake Cronenworth, in his 21 at-bats, is hitting .375/.444/.625 with a 1.069 OPS. He has one strikeout and three walks while hitting his homer to the opposite field for the first time in his career. The numbers aren’t reliable in the spring; we all know of players that killed it in Spring Training and were never heard from again. But the thing that stands out as you look at the regular lineup players, as well as most of the bench competitors, is that there are quality at-bats all over the team.
On base skills
1B/DH Gavin Sheets has struggled so far and is only hitting .200 but his OBP is .429 with eight walks in his 20 at-bats. Of all the regulars, the lowest OBP on the team is OF Ramon Laureano, who is hitting .386 but with a .318 OBP due to only having one walk and 10 strikeouts in his 21 at-bats. The other free swinger on the team, Jackson Merrill, is hitting .296 with a .345 OBP.
If you are curious, new Padre 1B/DH/OF Nick Castellanos has more walks than strikeouts (5/4) and is hitting .280 with a .419 OBP.
Bench competition
For those competing for bench/depth positions, the lowest OBP is Mason McCoy at .241 and he is followed by Bryce Johnson at .303. The best all-around performance so far belongs to Ty France with 27 at-bats and a .370/.433/.519 line with four doubles and five RBI. He has walked twice and struck out four times.
France is closely followed by Jose Miranda, who has tattooed the ball all spring. His batting average is slightly less at .367 with a .441 OBP and .600 slug. His OPS is the best of those in competition for a bench spot with 1.041 which is second on the team to, wait for it, Cronenworth at 1.069.
The eye test
I haven’t gone deep diving into strike zone analysis for the spring at-bats, but my eyes tell me the Padres, throughout the line up, have been much more disciplined this spring in sticking to the pitches in the zone. That might not be as true for the free-swingers like Merrill, Tatis Jr. and Laureano. But even they have shown more ability to lay off pitches out of the zone.
Driving the pitches that they are swinging at is also a highlight of the spring so far. Everyone except Sheets has at least one double, Cronenworth and Laureano have a triple each. Some of the long-ball numbers can be accounted for due to conditions in Arizona, especially when the wind is blowing out, but the exit velocities show the players are hitting the ball hard and with frequency.
Exit Velocity trends
Machado and Tatis Jr. frequently have the highest EV numbers on the team, Tatis had a 110.2 mph drive before he left for the WBC. In their absence, Campusano has a 108.4 mph hit, Sheets has one at 109 mph and Fermin has a 107.6 mph missile. Lots of outs and hits register mid to high 90s and low 100s consistently.
Offensive approach is the key
The sample size is small, and it is Arizona, but I like what I am seeing with this offense in the spring. The ballparks will be bigger with different conditions once the season begins in earnest. The cold early spring air through much of the country will definitely affect the end result.
While I hate to mention it, the Padres would do well to follow the example of the evil empire to the North. They don’t chase out of the zone often. They make solid, barrel on the ball contact in the zone. If new hitting coach Steven Souza Jr. has achieved anything in this young baseball season, it seems to be that the Padres are spitting on more pitches outside the zone and concentrating on driving the ball all over the field.
The K-rates are down, and extra-base hits are up. The frequency of working at-bats into long ordeals for the pitcher, often seeing eight to 12 pitch at-bats, is really noticeable. Being pesky, fouling off borderline pitches, taking walks and barreling up pitches in the zone is the offense I have been hoping to see for this team. They have been pretty successful at it this spring. Time will tell if they can carry that over into the regular season.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Milan Momcilovic scored 21 points, Joshua Jefferson had 20 points and 12 rebounds, and seventh-ranked Iowa State trounced turnover-prone Arizona State 91-42 on Wednesday in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament.
Blake Buchanan added 17 points and Tamin Lipsey had 11 for the fifth-seeded Cyclones (26-6), who beat the No. 14 seed Sun Devils (17-16) for the second time in less than a week while advancing to play No. 16 Texas Tech in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
His contract expires soon and every indication has been that the Sun Devils are ready to move on.
Iowa State was so thoroughly dominant that it had built a 45-16 lead by halftime. The decisive blow was an 18-0 run late in the first half, when the Sun Devils earned two of their three technicals on a single disastrous trip down court.
NO. 24 LOUISVILLE 62, SMU 58
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Ryan Conwell hit two key shots in the final 1:17 and finished with 16 points as Louisville battled back to beat SMU and advance to the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament quarterfinals.
Adrian Wooley added 14 points and Isaac McKneely had 10 for the Cardinals (23-9), who’ll face Miami on Thursday.
Jarron Pierre Jr. had 17 points and Jaden Toombs added 13 points and nine rebounds for SMU (20-13), which led by six in the second half before Louisville stormed back behind three inside baskets from Vangelis Zougris.
After a defensive struggle in the first half ended in a 26-all tie, SMU built its biggest lead at 41-35 on back-to-back 3s by Sam Walters and Pierre from the same spot in right corner.
The Mustangs, playing their second game in two days, appeared content to patiently work time off the shot clock, extending every possession and shortening the game.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Kevin Overton scored 22 points, including 15 in the second half, as No. 12 seed Auburn rallied past No. 13 seed Mississippi State 77-61 on Wednesday in the first round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament.
The win helps Auburn’s NCAA Tournament chances under first-year coach Steven Pearl. The Tigers entered the SEC Tournament on the bubble after finishing as the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament on their way to the Final Four a year ago.
Auburn (17-15) erased a 33-30 halftime deficit and dominated after the break, outscoring Mississippi State 47-28.
Overton led the charge with six 3-pointers and five assists as Auburn found its rhythm from the perimeter in the second half. KeShawn Murphy added 15 points and nine rebounds, while Keyshawn Hall finished with 14 points and Tahaad Pettiford contributed 11.
Mississippi State (13-19) saw its streak of three straight NCAA Tournament appearances come to an end.
Josh Hubbard finished with 22 points on 8-of-25 shooting for the Bulldogs. Jayden Epps added 14.
The Tigers gradually took control midway through the second half as Overton connected on consecutive 3-pointers to turn a tight game into a multi-possession lead. Auburn pushed the margin into double digits down the stretch.
Up next
Auburn faces No. 5 seed Tennessee on Thursday in the second round.
Dec 21, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier (25) carries the ball as Arizona Cardinals cornerback Jaden Davis (26) defends during the first half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Happy opening day of free agency one and all.
The Arizona Cardinals heading into the 2026 Free Agency period have the following that should become official today when allowed:
OT Matt Pryor one-year deal
QB Gardner Minshew one-year deal
WR Kendrick Bourne two-year deal
G Isaac Seumalo three-year deal
RB Tyler Allgeier two-year deal
DL Roy Lopez two-year deal
Along with the moves that we know are official because they were re-signings for the team:
DT L.J. Collier one-year deal
P Blake Gillikin one-year deal
K Chad Ryland one-year deal
All of that and we are looking at the Cardinals still needing help at linebacker, offensive line, defensive line and probably the quarterback position.
However, the last one will probably not be addressed until 2027, which is fun to know that the team is looking at another tank job, the third in four seasons with Monti Ossenfort at the helm.
Let’s hope for some exciting movement today.
Arizona Cardinals bring back Bam Knight on one-year deal
CHICAGO (AP) — Zoom Diallo had 22 points and 11 assists and scored the go-ahead basket in overtime as Washington defeated USC 83-79 in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday.
The 12th-seeded Huskies (16-16) will take on fifth-seeded Ohio State in a quarterfinal on Thursday.
Diallo scored 15 points over the second half and overtime despite staying on the floor after picking up his fourth foul with nearly 13 minutes left in regulation. Quimari Peterson made five 3-pointers for his 15 points and Wesley Yates III also scored 15. Hannes Steinbach, who scored 24 and 22 points in Washington's two regular-season wins over the Trojans, finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Kam Woods scored 24 points with seven assists for the 14th-seeded Trojans (18-14), who lost their eighth straight. Jacob Cofie added 14 points, Jordan Marsh had 13 and Ezra Ausar and Ryan Cornish 10 each.
Diallo’s bucket with 2:18 left in overtime gave the Huskies the lead and Peterson added a 3-pointer with a minute to go. Woods completed a three-point play to get the Trojans within a point and forced a turnover by Diallo with 24.2 seconds left. But Woods missed on a drive and fouled Diallo, who made two free throws for an 82-79 lead. USC called timeout with eight seconds remaining but Marsh missed an awkward 3 and Hannes Steinbach made 1 of 2 free throws.
USC led by as many 13 in the second half then Washington went on a 20-4 run to go up 64-61 with six minutes left in regulation. The game was tied at 71 with a minute left but Diallo and Woods missed jumpers on their teams' final possessions.
Up next
Washington beat Ohio State at home 81-74 on Jan. 11.
BODO, Norway (AP) — The Champions League’s Cinderella club Bodø/Glimt wrote another chapter Wednesday in its fairytale run through the competition.
The homely Norwegian club won 3-0 against Sporting Lisbon in the first leg of a round-of-16 clash at its tiny Aspmyra Stadium.
Sporting became the latest favored team to travel far north and struggle inside the Arctic Circle this year.
Manchester City and Inter Milan were each beaten 3-1 on the artificial turf field since Bodø/Glimt began the year looking sure to fall short of reaching the knockout rounds.
It is now a remarkable five straight wins in the Champions League — all during the offseason in Norway. The country's domestic league does not start until this weekend.
Bodø/Glimt led in the 32nd minute when Sondre Brunstad Fet scored with a penalty kick, deceiving Sporting goalkeeper Rui Silva who dived right as the ball went low to his left.
Ole Blomberg added a second in first-half stoppage time, sliding in a low shot after the ball bounced through to him.
Center forward Kasper Høgh added a third in the 71st being strong in the goalmouth to connect with Jens Petter Hauge’s hard-driven low cross. It was Høgh's fifth goal in the five-win streak.
None of the goalscorers has even played for their national team. Fet at age 29 and the 25-year-old Blomberg are yet to be selected for Norway which is soon going to its first World Cup in a generation.
Høgh, also 25, has not been picked for Denmark, which is in a World Cup qualifying playoffs bracket this month.
The team from the Norwegian Sea fishing town would be the most unlikely Champions League quarterfinalist of recent years. APOEL from Cyprus reached the last eight in 2012 and was beaten by Real Madrid.
The winner after the return game in Lisbon next Tuesday will advance to play either Arsenal or Bayer Leverkusen who drew 1-1 Wednesday in the first leg in Germany.
The entire population of Bodø, just 55,000 people, could all fit inside Arsenal’s stadium.
The Golden State Warriors have lost three consecutive games and 10 of 15 since All-Star guard Stephen Curry went down with a right knee injury.
The team, for at least the short term, will continue to be without the 37 year old.
Golden State issued an update indicating that Curry was reevaluated Wednesday, March 11 for patella-femoral pain syndrome/bone bruising in the injured knee. The Warriors said Curry continues to “make good progress” and that he has been going through individual on-court workouts, which will intensify over the coming days as he improves. Golden State added that Curry will be reevaluated in 10 days.
Curry suffered the injury Jan. 30 in a contest against the Pistons and has missed the following 15 games.
What does Stephen Curry’s injury mean for the Warriors?
It’s a continued blow for the Warriors, who are in danger of falling outside of the play-in picture. Golden State is currently 32-33 and in ninth place in the Western Conference.
The team, and the offense in particular, has struggled significantly in Curry’s 15-game absence. Over that span, the Warriors rank 21st in offensive rating, generating 111.7 points per 100 possessions.
Curry’s injury compounds what has been a tough season for Golden State. The Warriors have also been without forward Jimmy Butler (torn anterior cruciate ligament) since Jan. 19, and new addition Kristaps Porziņģis has made just three appearances for the team.
The Warriors only have 17 games remaining in the 2025-26 regular season, but the good news is that the No. 11 seed in the West, the Grizzlies, are well behind the play-in picture, currently 8 ½ games back of Golden State. Four teams, the ones finishing from seeds No. 7 through 10, are the ones that qualify for the Play-In Tournament.
For Golden State to have any chance to make some noise in the play-in — and the playoffs, if they qualify — it will need Curry to be fully healthy, so taking a measured approach with his health makes perfect sense.
Curry, though, thrives on off-ball movement and is one of the hardest-working players in the NBA who travels a significant distance in an average game, so his playing style is not without its toll.
Stephen Cury stats
In 39 appearances this season, Curry is averaging a team-high 27.2 points per game on 46.8% shooting. Curry has also recorded 4.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 11: Cade Cavalli #24 of the Washington Nationals throws a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning of a spring training game at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 11, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After being named the Opening Day starter this morning, Cade Cavalli took the ball for the Nats in their Grapefruit League showdown with the Cardinals. He only went three innings in this one, but he looked impressive. Cavalli did not allow a hit and struck out two Cardinals, setting the tone for a strong afternoon for Nats pitchers.
Opening day starter Cade Cavalli getting ready to go for his start against the Cardinals this afternoon pic.twitter.com/8sS0uRooSq
Following his start, I actually got the chance to talk to Cade in the clubhouse. Cavalli said he was “Super honored” to be named the Opening Day starter. After missing two seasons due to injury, this was clearly a big moment for the 27 year old right hander. He told Jessica Camerato of MLB.com that the first person he called was his wife, before quickly texting the rest of his family.
Finding out he was the Opening Day starter was probably the highlight of Cavalli’s day, but he still had to go out and execute in the game. A big part of the success he had today was the sweeper, which he used 25% of the time, and half the time against right handed hitters.
Cavalli told me that he thinks the pitch will be “really good to righties and we can sprinkle it in to lefties to show them a different shape off of the curveball”. Last season, right handed hitters batted over .380 against Cavalli, and he is looking to change that. He said that, “Most hitters know I have a north to south curveball. If I can show something horizontal to them, I think it can help”.
Overall, it was a great day for Cavalli, who has faced a lot of trials and tribulations over the past few years. Now he is on the other side of that, and ready to be the high end starting pitcher the Nats envisioned when they drafted him in the first round.
Another pitcher who threw the ball well today was Brad Lord. He went three innings, allowing only one run. Lord was getting a ton of ground balls with his sinker. His changeup also looked great against left handed pitchers. Yesterday, he mentioned that he tweaked his grip on that pitch, and it looked nasty, particularly against Nolan Gorman, who swung through two of them.
Brad Lord was telling me about how he tweaked his changeup grip when he talked yesterday. He made Nolan Gorman look silly on back to back changeups to get a strikeout
Despite the solid outing, Lord was still not satisfied with himself. Manager Blake Butera said Lord was “Frustrated because in that last inning he has two outs with nobody on, and then he walks a guy who ends up scoring”. Lord is typically an even-keeled guy, who Butera described as quiet, but he could tell that the end to his outing bothered him.
On the offensive side of things, the Nats did not light up the score board, but did enough to win. One guy who is starting to heat up is Daylen Lile. At the beginning of the spring, he looked a bit rusty, but he has been finding his swing over the past week.
Daylen Lile started this spring slow but he is heating up as we close in on Opening Day
Butera figured this is what would happen, adding that “sometimes we get too caught up in stats during Spring Training”. Given the fact that the games do not count, and the whole point of this process is to get ready for the season, this is a take I agree with, though I can be guilty of falling into that trap at times. One thing that Butera does value is hitters finding their timing. He told me that, “sometimes it takes hitters a couple weeks to get their timing down. I think Daylen is just getting going now and he looks like Daylen”.
I think his point about timing is something to really consider. These guys can train as much as they want in the offseason, but there is no substitute for in-game reps. Sometimes pure hitters like Lile just need time to find that perfect swing. It seems like Lile has found it, and that is great for the Nats. He was such a spark for them in the second half.
The Nats got a lot of production from their first basemen as well in this game. Andres Chaparro got a hit, and hit the ball hard a couple times. Also, Abimelec Ortiz ripped a 110 MPH RBI double to give the Nats the lead. Ortiz started the spring slowly, but looks like he may be finding his footing.
Manager Blake Butera admitted the club has not settled on a starter at first base. He said that “At first base in general, we are pretty open minded on how this is going to work”. It also sounds like the Nats will experiment with a few different options throughout the season. He made sure to emphasize that the situation will be fluid and just because a guy starts the season at first base, it does not mean he will be the guy for all 162.
Overall, it was a nice and clean performance for the Nats. It has also been awesome to get all this access and get thoughts from the players and coaches. The Nats have been winning a lot this spring, but as we know, these games do not count. However, it seems like there is a good vibe to this group and we are seeing that manifest on the field.
