May 3, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) goes for a loose ball against Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) during the first half of game seven in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Eight years of building led to the most expensive roster in the league that traded for a 36-year-old former All-Star at the deadline just to save this season. Dropping this game would’ve been an indictment of every decision the front office made that led to this point, as well as the players who once again got bounced in the playoffs by a lower-seeded team.
However, judgment day has been cancelled. Or at the very least, it’s been put off for at least a week.
It wasn’t pretty in the first half, but a strong response in the second half was enough to close out a plucky Raptors team in seven games, 114-102. It should’ve never gotten to this point, but the Cavs did what they needed to grab a win. And at this point, that’s all that matters.
As has been the case throughout most of this series, the Cavs started poorly. Jarrett Allen missed a wide-open dunk on Cleveland’s first offensive possession. That set the tone for what became a disastrous first quarter.
Toronto was once again the aggressor. They jumped out to an early 10-point lead behind seven early points from certified Cavalier killer Jamal Shead.
This continued in the second quarter.
Toronto held a nine-point advantage with 2:41 left in the first half, but the Cavs erased it just before the break. A 11-2 run, capped off by a Jaylon Tyson triple, evened things up and gave Cleveland momentum for the first time all evening.
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That carried over into the third quarter. The Cavs registered the first nine points of the second half. In total, the Cavs had a 20-2 run that flipped a nine-point deficit into a nine-point advantage.
Evan Mobley picked up his fourth foul just four minutes into the half. That meant that the Cavs would have to rely on Jarrett Allen for likely the remainder of the third quarter.
However, what looked like a lifeline for a Raptors team that was losing momentum was actually the final nail in the coffin for their season.
Allen, who’s been much maligned for not showing up in the biggest moments, put the game away. He was the best player on either team all night — that showed up most in the third quarter. He single-handedly squashed the Raptors’ hopes every time they had something positive going their way.
Defensively, Allen was everywhere. He shut down seemingly every drive to the basket by providing great contests without fouling and was there to clean up the glass when Toronto missed.
Offensively, Allen dominated the paint in all the ways you want him to. He forcefully attacked the basket every time he had a runway to do so. And when another Cavalier had the audacity to take a shot, Allen was there to clean up the mess if they missed.
In the end, he registered 14 points and 10 rebounds in the third quarter with five coming on the offensive end in the third quarter. By contrast, the Raptors as a team had just 19 points and eight rebounds in the third.
Allen’s efforts allowed the Cavs to win the third 38-19.
The Raptors didn’t roll over in the fourth. They cut what was a 22-point deficit to 11, but they weren’t able to get closer than that.
Allen led the way with 22 points and 19 rebounds on 7-11 shooting in what was an all-around team effort.
Cleveland received positive contributions from nearly everyone who stepped on the floor. Sam Merrill poured in 13 points on 3-7 outside shooting. Max Strus provided hustle and grit, which led to him leading the team in plus/minus by being a +20. Jaylon Tyson supplied great energy on both ends and hit some momentum-changing shots.
These contributions were much needed on a night when the Cavs’ backcourt wasn’t the best version of themselves.
Donovan Mitchell was held to 22 points or less for the fourth time this series. He had 22 on 9-20 shooting.
James Harden kept the offense on schedule and did a good job of taking care of the ball. However, he didn’t have his most efficient day shooting as he went 3-9 from the field. Nearly all 18 of his points came at the free-throw line, where he went 11-13.
Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett led the way once again for Toronto. Barnes paced the team with 24 points on 8-14 shooting to go along with six assists. Barrett put in 23 points and six assists in the loss.
The win keeps the season alive. They’ll head to take on the 60-win Detroit Pistons, led by former Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, in the second round. That series starts in Detroit on Tuesday at 7 PM.
Well, it’s finally happened. The San Francisco Giants have backed into the perfect opportunity to recall their top hitting prospect, left-handed hitting DH/1B Bryce Eldridge, along with one of their more intriguing ones, right-handed hitting C/3B/1B/DH Jesús Rodríguez. It’s desperation season already for the Giants and we’re all about to find out if these youngsters will sink or swim.
Buster Posey didn’t have very many levers to pull to try to improve a moribund lineup, but Eldridge’s .963 OPS in 30 games and Rodríguez’s .840 in 24 games for Triple-A Sacramento are solid. It’s also the obvious move at this point, as the chances of the team making the postseason seem to be on the verge of transitioning from “probably not” to “longshot.” They need more and better contact, more on base-ability, and, of course, more power. In theory, both players check all three boxes.
Eldridge is 5th in the PCL for batting average (.333), Rodríguez is 7th (.330).
Eldridge is 2nd in OBP (.445), Jesús Rodríguez is 15th (.400)
Eldridge’s OBP is 5th, Rodríguez’s is 20th.
Of course, they’re not without their flaws. Our managing editor, Brady, doesn’t feel that Eldridge is quite ready at this point for a very simple reason: a 30% strikeout rate. It is the result of plenty of swing and miss in his game (22nd percentile in Whiff rate). The rest of his Statcast profile reminds of Rafael Devers, too. Plenty of swing and miss in the strike zone. Does that make this recall premature? Probably. But the Giants are desperate. And the fans ought to be, too. At this point we’re watching a really bad Marvel movie and only some random cameos are going to rescue the feeling of wasted effort investing in this team. The Giants will be playing at home against the Padres, who will be throwing three straight right-handed starters and, as a staff, are middle of the pack in terms of strikeouts per game. So, Eldridge is getting a nice setup.
Rodríguez doesn’t make consistently hard contact (33% Hard Hit rate — 32nd percentile) despite making lots of it (90% zone contact rate — 89th percentile). It also remains to be seen just how versatile he is as a catcher and corner infielder and whether or not Tony Vitello will deploy him in that way (he can just ask Christian Koss what good being a Swiss Army Player has done him).
This might be a downbeat post about what should be some exciting news. On the one hand, the Giants have two promising prospects to call up; but, on the other hand, those players will be expected to give a team filled with All-Star veterans a season-saving transfusion of talent. It’s far from the front office’s plan they devised in the offseason, but maybe the ones being made out of necessity will prove better in the long run than these best laid ones through which we’re presently suffering.
A day later, he became a one-man rally for the team.
“I think the work behind the scenes is for sure showing these past two days,” Vientos said after smashing a pair of two-run homers in the Mets’ 5-1 victory over the Angels on Sunday. “I have been seeing the ball great all season. I think I have been just missing stuff, and I didn’t miss those two pitches today.”
Vientos’ homer in the fourth following Carson Benge’s walk gave the Mets a 2-1 lead.
In the eighth, Benge doubled in a run before Vientos again went deep.
Mark Vientos connects on a home run during the Mets’ May 3 win. AP
The outburst was welcomed by a slumping player and team.
Vientos entered the day with a .650 OPS and had not homered since April 18.
He’s become a regular in the lineup due to the Mets’ mounting casualties.
“We have seen that,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We haven’t seen that in a while, but when [Vientos] gets hot, he can carry a team. That’s the power and the hitting that he’s capable of, and I am glad he came through for us today.”
The start time of Monday’s game in Colorado has been moved up three hours to 5:40 p.m. ET due to weather concerns.
Mendoza indicated the plan is to utilize David Peterson in a relief role behind an opener Monday against the Rockies.
The lefty Peterson returned from the bullpen to a starter’s role last Wednesday and struggled against the Nationals, allowing seven earned runs over 3 ²/₃ innings.
Peterson did not pitch during the Rockies’ three-game sweep of the Mets just over a week ago.
There were 24 NHL teams at the start of the 1992-93 season. When Gary Bettman took over as commissioner of the National Hockey League in early 1993, he had a vision. He wanted to bring hockey to non-traditional markets, and he wanted those teams to experience great success.
It didn’t happen overnight– for years, poor management and low attendance made these teams the punchline of every joke around the league– but Bettman’s dream has finally become a reality. There are 32 teams in the NHL, 10 of which are based in non-traditional markets. And as for success, five of the last six Stanley Cup Champions have hailed from non-traditional markets.
The Vegas Golden Knights were perhaps the greatest of Bettman’s many accomplishments. He’d long since wanted to put an NHL team in Las Vegas, and finally got his wish in 2016. The team’s success speaks for itself– they made the playoffs in their first season, and won the Stanley Cup in their sixth.
In 2026, the Golden Knights are no longer the new kids on the block. In 2024, the Arizona Coyotes relocated to Salt Lake City; now, all eyes are on the Utah Mammoth.
In a poetic turn of events, the Golden Knights drew the Mammoth in Utah’s first-ever postseason run. Ultimately, the Golden Knights proved they’re still the team to beat, eliminating their opponent in six games. But in those six games, the Mammoth made their mark, impressing the Golden Knights with their play and their fans.
“It was a really cool experience playing there; it was a pretty rowdy building,” said defenseman Noah Hanifin. “I think it’s good for the league. It’s good for the game, and there’s a bright future there.”
“It was a lot of fun playing in Utah,” agreed forward Brett Howden. “The crowd is so good. They’re really into the game, which is really fun… And their stands, they’re really over top of you, so you can really feel them. But yeah, it was really cool. It was fun.”
As many teams do during the postseason, the Delta Center provided every Mammoth fan with a rally towel, and the resulting scenes were electric.
“Me and Keegan [Kolesar] both said it kind of reminded us of the Winnipeg series,” Howden said. “When we played there, they had the White Out, and they all had the white towels. So, it kind of had the same vibe.”
Following the series win, several Golden Knights players acknowledged how much they enjoyed getting to experience a team’s first postseason run. They also drew comparisons between Utah and Vegas’ early days.
“It was awesome, it was really cool to see,” said Noah Hanifin. “I remember when Vegas [entered the league], and just what a cool environment it was to play in, and how much pride and passion the fans had, and I felt the same way in Utah.”
Brett Howden also compared playing in Salt Lake City to the times when he played in Vegas as a visitor.
“When I wasn’t with Vegas, we’d come to play here, and it was just so much fun,” he said. “Like, the crowd was so engaged, and it made it a lot of fun as an away team.
“It’s even better as a home team playing here,” Howden added with a wry smile.
The Golden Knights will visit one of the first non-traditional hockey markets in the Second Round. The Anaheim Ducks, who entered the league in 1993, are back in the postseason for the first time since 2017. Southern California hasn’t exactly become an arctic tundra in the 33 years since the Ducks entered the league– but that means very little, as is the case in Vegas.
“I’ve seen some of the games in Anaheim, and it looks like they’ve got a great crowd,” said Howden.
GLENDALE, AZ - MARCH 16: Kyle Karros #80 of the Colorado Rockies signs autographs prior to the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch on Sunday, March 16, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Another Sunday afternoon home game for the Colorado Rockies meant another autograph Sunday, where fans can head down to the first-base side to get pre-game signatures from a handful of Rockies. This has been a fan favorite for many years at Coors, drawing lines that extend up the rows and into the concourse.
I partook in some autograph Sundays over the years when I was younger. (I’ve still got a Clint Barmes signed hat in my collection.) In recent years, I’ve really enjoyed getting a Mystery Bag during the Rockies’ Wives Charity Night and seeing whose autographed baseball I’d find.
I’ve got a few most-cherished autographs from over the years:
Having the same last name, my favorite player when I was a six-years-old Rockies die-hard was Neifi Perez. I was able to meet him before a game to get a signed ball, which blew young me away.
While I don’t seek out and ask for autographs as much now that I’m older (there’s something about crossing the threshold where you’re suddenly older than your favorite team’s prospects), I saw Germán Márquez practicing during my first trip to Scottsdale a few years ago, and I had him sign my spring training souvenir ball to mark the occasion.
Finally, one of my family’s prized possessions is a signed photo of the iconic Todd Helton picture from the 2007 Rocktober NLCS win that was gifted to my dad from a boss. This is technically his, so I can’t necessarily claim it as something that I own. But, to be fair, I think it’s cool enough that the whole family can be in awe of it.
So whether it was a ball you got signed yourself, something that was passed down to you, an autographed jersey you bought, something from one of history’s greats or a current favorite, or a signature on a random item because it’s all you had during a chance encounter, what’s your favorite baseball autograph in your collection?
Or, if you’re not so into autographs, what’s your favorite piece of baseball memorabilia you own?
DETROIT, MI - MAY 03: Texas Rangers Evan Carter (32) bunts a pitch foul during the game between Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers on May 3, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI (Photo by Allan Dranberg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Texas Rangers scored one run but the Detroit Tigers scored seven runs.
Looks like I picked the right day to not be subscribed to the 20th different service that MLB has shoved exclusive games on.
The Rangers had a guy striking out everyone and perfect into the fifth inning against a team going with a bullpen game and still got blown out.
After winning the first game of this series, the Rangers scored two runs combined in the next two games to kick off this road trip with a series loss.
Player of the Game: I don’t care that it says Jack Leiter allowed five runs in this game. Sorry, Jack.
Up Next: The Rangers take tomorrow off to cancel their streaming service trials before beginning a series against the Yankees at The Bronx on Tuesday evening.
May 3, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson (20) celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Texas Rangers in the fifth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
The Detroit Tigers bullpen put together a really impressive game as six different relievers handled the Rangers without much trouble. Meanwhile, Spencer Torkelson supplied some power, and a parade of soft hits that found holes helped them pile up the runs and win this series two games to one on Sunday night.
The Tigers have a penchant for making a series of odd but ultimately inconsequential moves, and we got an interesting set on Sunday before this game got underway. Zack Short was added to the 40-man roster, RHP Grant Holman was designated for assignment, Short was called up, and Jace Jung was sent back to Triple-A Toledo. Explanation? I’m not sure I have one for you.
Gleyber Torres is day-to-day with what sounds like a minor oblique strain, so the Tigers need help at second base, but Jace Jung has always been a second baseman and only recently switched to playing mostly first base. If he can’t play second base, it’s hard to explain why he wasn’t the one DFA’d, particularly as the pitching staff being banged up is a bigger concern, but these were choices, and they were made. So Zack Short is here to mostly ride the bench for a few days while Torres tries to get his side loosened up. Zach McKinstry is healthy and should be back any day now, and a pitcher they liked enough to claim three weeks ago in Grant Holman was cut loose, soon to be followed by Shorty again.
Meanwhile, the Tigers would go with a bullpen game in Casey Mize’s regular spot, with left-hander Tyler Holton leading the way. And Hao-Yu Lee started at second base.
Tyler Holton has been shaky early on this season, but he actually has a bit more velocity than usual, sitting 91-92 mph more consistently. Brandon Nimmo greeted him with a single up the middle to start the game, but Andrew McCutcheon flew out shallowly to Wenceel Pérez in right field. Holton spun four straight well located sweepers in to Corey Seager and struck him out. That was nice to see, and that was also the end of Holton’s outing. Having faced the tough left-handed Seager, he gave way to right-hander Brenan Hanifee. Pitching chaos is back for an encore, though probably a short one.
Hanifee got ahead of Josh Jung 0-2, but then a sinker up got slapped to right field for a single. He got ahead of Jake Burger 0-2 as well, and this time finished him off with a good slider for strike three.
Jack Leiter was on the mound for Texas, and he quickly popped out Kevin McGonigle on a first pitch fastball, continuing a peculiar trend with McGonigle the last few games, and punched out a scuffing Matt Vierling, and then Colt Keith as well.
Hanifee got the left-handed Evan Carter to ground out to Keith at third. Hanifee got ahead of Duran with good sinkers, and then got a groundout to McGonigle for the second out. A good changeup to the left-handed hitting Josh Smith got a weak flyout to end the inning as Brant Hurter started getting loose. So the lynchpin of the strategy at this point appeared to be getting a left-handed reliever in against Corey Seager, and otherwise just play it by ear.
Young Mr. Leiter, son of Al, of course, was looking about the best I’ve seen him to start this one, and that didn’t bode well for the Tigers early on. He bullied his way trhough Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson, and Kerry Carpenter with a mix of well located 98 mph heaters and good sliders and curveballs.
Hanifee quickly got catcher Kyle Higashioka to fly out, and then gave way to Brant Hurter as the top of the Rangers order came up for the second time with Nimmo and Seager both hitting left-handed with McCutcheon between them. Hurter dispatched Nimmo with well located sinker up for a called strike three. Hurter threw his sweeper and changeup for strikes against McCutcheon, keeping the sinker out of the zone. In a 2-2 count, a sinker up got a pop-up to Lee at second base. So far, the plan was going according to, err, the plan.
Leiter continued to function as a precision buzzsaw in the third. Pérez grounded out, and Lee whiffed at 99 just off the outer edge after falling behind in the count. Jake Rogers lifted a routine fly ball, and it was on to the fourth. A tendency to hang breaking balls has hurt Leiter’s numbers early this season, but there was no sign of that yet and he was getting ahead in count after count early on, retiring all nine Tigers the first time through the order.
That’s fine though, we have Brant Hurter. The big lefty carved up Seager on three pitches, whiffing him on a sweeper for the strikeout. Jung popped out to Torkelson down the right field line. Hurter was hitting all his spots as well, getting a pair of whiffs on good changeups from Burger. The meat patty in question fought off another changeup, and took a fourseamer up and away from a 1-2 count. Hurter missed with a sweeper, and then got a routine grounder to third for the final out.
Leiter finally missed with strike one to McGonigle, but worked back ahead in the count. Kevin missed a meatball of a curve right down the middle and fouled it off. Eventually, a high fastball got a weak fly out to retire McGonigle. Vierling got ahead 2-1, but grounded out on a slider down and away. Keith got a first pitch ball, but Leiter dropped a changeup on the inside corner down. Keith blew a challenge on that and was wrong, and eventually lined out to center field. 12 up, 12 down.
Hurter remained up to the challenge, quickly getting a soft grounder from Carter to start the fifth. McGonigle made a nice play charging that one to get the out. Two more good pitches got Duran on a roller than McGonigle again read and reacted to perfectly to get the speedy baserunner. Smith singled to right field with two outs. Hurter missed up and away with two sinkers against Higashioka, and walked the catcher on four straight pitches. This was the first trouble for either side in the game. Hurter missed with a sweeper against Nimmo, and that was five straight balls from the big lefty. Ricky Vanasco was warming, but the Tigers wanted Hurter to get through Nimmo, McCutcheon, and Seager again, ideally. Hurter fell behind 2-1, but a good sinker got a soft tapper back to Hurter, and he tossed to Torkelson to escape the jam.
Leiter finally showed a sign of weakness, walking Riley Greene on four straight pitches to lose the perfect game attempt. You can’t show weakness around a Tigers. Ok, frankly it doesn’t matter what you do if a Tiger is coming after you, but I digress…Two fastballs for strikes to Torkelson followed, but you remember what I said earlier about the occasional mistake hanger? Leiter hung a slider up in the zone 0-2, and Torkelson crushed it to left for a two-run shot. 2-0 Tigers.
Carpenter struck out, and McCutcheon made a great play on a drive from Pérez to right. Lee fouled off a pair of fastballs to fall behind 0-2, and a slider down and away got the whiff. Still, the Tigers had one hit but it was the one that counted in this one so far.
McCutcheon singled up the middle on a first pitch sinker to start the sixth. That brought up Seager, with Vanasco ready to take over afterwards. Hurter got ahead 0-2 and got a grounder to Torkelson who turned a slick 3-6-3 double play, and that was well as Vanasco has only a handful of major league innings with the Dodgers and Tigers. Really nice throw to second from Tork on that one. Hurter finished with three innings of scoreless ball and a fine job overall.
Vanasco is a long-strider with big extension, sitting 94-95 mph with a pretty average fastball, but he packs a really good power curve and a quality changeup. He got Smith to ground one to McGonigle’s left, but the shortstop threw it away despite having plenty of time. Would Vanasco crumble? No, he got ahead of Burger and then was supposed to throw a fastball up and away. Instead, he sprayed a 95 mph heater under Burger’s hands and got the whiff anyway. Nicely done. Vanasco still hasn’t given up a run this year.
Leiter got up 0-2 on Jake Rogers, but the Tigers catcher smoked a line drive to center field. Carter dove and missed on it and the ball rolled deep toward the wall as Rogers cruised around to third with a triple. Leiter got ahead of McGonigle 0-2 as well, but Leiter hung a changeup and Kevin did Kevin things, lining an RBI single to right field. 3-0 Tigers. Viering took a called strike three. Keith chopped one back to Leiter and he made a nice barehanded play to barely throw out the Tigers’ third baseman. Riley Greene grounded out, and we were on to the seventh.
Vanasco got Carter on a routine flyout to open the seventh, but Duran reached out and flicked a curveball on the outer edge just fair down the left field line for a double. Vanasco walked Smith, and then yanked a fastball that Rogers couldn’t quite corral, advancing the runners to second and third. Fortunately, he bounced back with a pair of well located fastballs to Highashioka, and eventually got a nubber down to Torkelson for the second out, though Duran scored. So it was a 2-1 game, and Kyle Finnegan was warmed up, but Vanasco stayed soft against Nimmo and got a foul tip into the glove with a nice changeup for strike three. 3-1 Tigers. There was nothing hard hit, and Vanasco struck out two while collecting four outs. Perfectly fine return to the major leagues for him.
Leiter was at 81 pitches coming out to start the bottom of the seventh. Torkelson battled him through a long at-bat eventually struck out. Carpenter watched Leiter shift to soft stuff and was ready for a first pitch changeup, flicking a little line drive single to right field. Leiter missed with three straight to Pérez, but grounded one to first on a play that Burger bobbled, but then recovered to get the out. Leiter was now at 95 pitches as Hao-Yu Lee dug into the batter’s box. Lee got behind 0-2, but took a pair of balls and then chopped one off of Smith’s glove at second and into right field for an RBI single. 4-1 Tigers.
That was it for Leiter, as old friend Todd the Painter, aka Tyler Alexander took over. Impressive stuff from Leiter, but he still just has that little flaw of a budding ace who sometimes goes a little haywire at the first sign of adversity. Still, he punched out 10 Tigers, and there were at best three hard hit balls all night. Nice job by the Tigers of battling him and coming through on their few opportunities.
Jake Rogers and Alexander nodded to one another as old battery mates. Jake then dumped a bloop single into right field as Lee raced from first to third. Kevin McGonigle pulled a bouncer down the right field line and over Burger for an RBI single. McGonigle feels like he’s in a tiny slump the last few games and it’s still 1 or 2 hits and an RBI or two every night. Ridiculous.
Rogers purposefully made a big turn around third base, attracting Burger’s attentions, and the Rangers bought it, throwing to third, where they really had no shot. Rogers was easily back safe, and McGonigle adroitly understood the assignment, sprinting to second base. That cost the Rangers a run, as Matt Vierling floated a dying quail into shallow right center field and just out of Carter’s reach. Both runs scored, and suddenly it was 7-1 after Colt Keith grounded out to end the inning.
You know what they say, if you can’t hit it really hard, hit it really soft. This principle applied to the whole inning.
Kyle Finnegan struck out a pinch-hitting Alejandro Osuna to start the eighth. Corey Seager singled, but Jung grounded into a force of Seager at second, escaping a double play only after challenging the call at first base successfully. Burger flew out to Vierling in center to end the frame.
Gavin Collyer took over from Alexander in the bottom of the eighth, whiffing Greene on a cutter to start things off and then striking out Torkelson as well. Carpenter fought off a slew of two strike pitches and worked the count full, but eventually popped out on the infield to send this to the ninth.
Burch Smith took over to close this out, and got Carter to fly out to Greene to start the inning. Matt Vierling made a nice diving play on a Duran sinking line drive for the second out. Josh Smith hit a little flare to left and Greene had to go to the ground and it rattled in and out of his glove for a single. Smith regrouped and got Higashioka on a groundout to Lee to put this one away.
The Tigers are 18-17, tied with Cleveland for the divisional lead. They’ll welcome in the Boston Red Sox for a set starting on Monday night. The entire AL Central is currently bunched within three games of one another.
We’d like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the Detroit Pistons who rallied back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Orlando Magic in a dominant 116-94 victory at Little Caesar’s Arena on Sunday afternoon. Heck of a comeback as the Pistons advance to the second round.
ST. LOUIS — For the last two weeks, the Dodgers hadn’t felt good.
Both at the plate and behind the scenes.
Starting with last month’s trip to Denver, the club’s lineup had been in a rut, averaging barely four runs per game during a 5-9 skid that derailed their hot start to the season. Over that same period, a nasty bug had been going around the clubhouse, impacting up to 90% of the roster in the estimation of one team staff member.
Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott helped the team snap a four-game losing streak Sunday. Getty Images
Slumps and sicknesses, of course, are inevitable realities of a grueling six-month season.
Rarely, however, do teams so severely endure both at the same time.
“I know this doesn’t quantify anything, and no one will care,” veteran third baseman Max Muncy said earlier this weekend, “but for me, one of the side effects when everyone’s feeling bad is, the team doesn’t have the same joy when we show up every day.”
Which meant, as the losses piled up and the search for offense lingered, laughter and levity seemed equally short in supply.
“You have to conserve your energy, so you don’t have the same shenanigans going on in the clubhouse,” noted Muncy, who was so sick during the team’s recent homestand that he had to leave one game early and wear a heavy jacket in the dugout to regulate his body temperature.
“When you take out any of that joy that comes from being around everybody, it has a negative effect on people.”
Finally, on Sunday, such vibes began to shift.
The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani reacts after getting hit by a pitch Sunday against the Cardinals. Getty Images
The day started with a telling observation from manager Dave Roberts, who noticed an upbeat atmosphere around the clubhouse ahead of what he described as a “gut check” game.
“I think that there’s a sense of pride that our guys have, that they understand that enough’s enough,” Roberts said before first pitch.
“I think we were just trying to over-caffeinate this morning,” first baseman Freddie Freeman joked later. “I’m glad our aura was a little different this morning. But we try to be the same every day.”
The Dodgers made one intentional change for Sunday, debuting a new drop-kick celebration whenever they reached base.
Several veteran players were coy about the origin of the new move –– which may or may not have been inspired by something backup catcher Dalton Rushing did at the end of the previous night’s game (when he frustratedly kicked out his leg upon returning to the dugout following a game-ending strikeout).
Either way, the message it was intended to send was clear:
“We needed to kick away the negativity,” one player quipped.
That wasn’t the only lighthearted aspect of Sunday’s much-needed victory.
While the Dodgers didn’t exactly break out at the plate, they did enough to warrant a postgame media scrum with one of their top hitters. Thus, reporters initially approached Muncy in the clubhouse for an interview –– only for him to pin the task on Freeman instead.
“Freddie’s coming,” Muncy said with a laugh, before going into the dining room to drag Freeman out for the cameras. “Here he is.”
In the other corner of the locker room, Emmet Sheehan began cracking up as starting pitcher Justin Wrobleski was asked about his uniquely dominant start –– including a question about whether he realized he had failed to record any strikeouts in his scoreless six-inning outing.
“I mean, yeah,” Wrobleski said with a smirk and a shrug. “I had a lot of two-strike counts, and then they kept putting it in play. So I was like, ‘All right, I’ll take the out.’”
In much the same way, the Dodgers will happily take Sunday’s win, as well.
Their hope is that it will mark a small-but-important step toward getting back on track after the struggles of the last few weeks. All the better if it reignites the joy that had been missing on and off the field.
“Offensively, we just haven’t been very good the last week,” Freeman said. “Just call a spade a spade sometimes. There’s no way to sugarcoat it … But no one’s worried in here. And it’s good to get a win on a day game, salvage a series and hopefully start a better streak tomorrow.”
“You just have to bow your neck and find a way to win,” Roberts echoed. “Doesn’t matter how good or bad it looks, we needed a win today. So [now] we can have a happy flight.”
KNOXVILLE, TN - APRIL 01: Carter Trice #29 of the Knoxville Smokies poses for a photo during the Knoxville Smokies photo day at Tennessee Smokies Stadium on Wednesday, April 1, 2026 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Randy Sartin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Jordan Wicks had a rough start in a rehab assignment. He took the loss after giving up six runs on nine hits over 3.2 innings. The positive news is that he struck out four and walked just one and 50 of his 75 pitches were strikes.
The also-rehabbing Ethan Roberts threw the ninth inning without allowing a run or a hit. He issued a one out walk, but picked the runner off first. Roberts did not strike anyone out.
For the third-straight game, DH Kevin Alcántara homered. It was a solo home run in the eighth inning and was his league-leading 12th overall. Alcántara was 1 for 5.
Second baseman Pedro Ramírez went 3 for 5 with an RBI double in the sixth inning and he knocked home another one with a single in the seventh.
Right fielder Justin Dean went 1 for 2 with two walks and three runs scored. He also had an RBI single in the seventh.
Frankie Scalzo Jr. went two innings as the opener. He allowed two hits but no walks and he struck out three.
Nick Dean threw the next 4.2 innings and got the win. Dean surrendered four hits. He struck out six and walked no one.
Marino Santy relieved Dean after he gave up back-to-back two out singles in the seventh. Santy got out of that jam with a strikeout and then retired the side in order in the eighth.
Luis Rujano pitched the ninth inning and got the save. He allowed a leadoff single, but nothing else. He did not strike anyone out.
Right fielder Carter Trice led off the game with a solo home run. The Smokies only managed one more hit the rest of the game, but that was enough. It was Trice’s second home run this year. He was 1 for 4.
The wind was howling out in South Bend today, but starter Jackson Brockett was only around for part of the first inning of it. Brockett allowed two home runs in the first inning and was pulled after giving up five runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning. The saving grace there for Brockett was that only one of the five runs was earned.
The loss, however, went to Nate Spears, who gave up three runs on four hits over the next 3.1 innings. Just one of the four hits was a home run. Spears walked two and struck out five.
Right fielder Kade Snell connected in the third inning with a man on for his second home run of the season. Snell went 2 for 5 with three total runs batted in.
Third baseman Cole Mathis then went back-to-back with Snell for his first South Bend home run and his eighth overall. Mathis went 2 for 5. He scored twice and drove in two.
In the sixth inning, first baseman Cameron Sisneros hit a two-run home run that I think still hasn’t landed. Sisneros went 1 for 4 with a walk. He now has four home runs this season.
Shortstop Ty Southisene went 3 for 6 with a two-run double in his High-A debut. Southisene scored one run and had three total RBI.
Birds starter Luis A. Reyes failed to retire a batter. He allowed one hit, walked three and hit one batter. All five runners came around to score, three after he left the game.
Noah Edders relieved Reyes with the bases loaded and no outs in the first. He let all three runners in, but he steadied the ship by going 4.2 innings and allowing no runs of his own. Edders surrendered two hits and issued three walks. He struck out five.
Third baseman Derniche Valdez got the Pelicans on the board with a solo home run in the third inning. It was his third of the season. Valdez went 1 for 4.
First baseman Michael Carico went 2 for 4 with a walk and a two-run double.
Shortstop Alexis Hernandez was 2 for 5 and scored on the Carico double.
TAMPA, Fla. — Alex Newhook broke a tie with 8:53 left and the Montreal Canadiens outlasted the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Game 7 on Sunday night to end the thrilling first-round series.
The Canadiens will face the Buffalo Sabres in the second round after finishing off their first series victory since losing the Stanley Cup Final to Tampa Bay in 2021. Game 1 is Wednesday night in Buffalo.
Rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes made 28 saves and Nick Suzuki got his first goal of the series for Montreal.
Each game of the series was decided by one goal and four went to overtime. The score was tied or within one goal for all but six minutes in the seven games.
The Lightning were eliminated in the first round for the fourth straight season after falling two wins short of a Stanley Cup three-peat in 2022.
Tampa Bay’s tough defense held the Canadiens without a shot for nearly 27 minutes from the first period into the third and just four through two periods. Brandon Hagel made an outstanding, sliding stick save with an open net in the final minute but the Lightning couldn’t get the tying goal during a 6-on-5 and 6-on-4 for the final six seconds.
Montreal got a couple lucky bounces to score twice on its first eight shots on goal and finished with only nine.
After Lane Hutson fired a slap shot that went wide and bounced back out, Newhook skated backhanded the puck out of the air and in off Andrei Vasilevskiy’s pad and his backside.
Playing in front of their 461st consecutive sellout crowd and hundreds more fans watching from Thunder Alley outside Benchmark International Arena, the Lightning lost for the 11th time in their last 13 playoff games at home, including three times in this series.
The Canadiens didn’t have a shot on net in the second period despite two power-play chances. They became the first team to have zero shots in a playoff period since Pittsburgh in Game 1 of the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals against Nashville.
Dominic James tipped in Charle-Edouard D’Astous’ one-timer from just inside the blue line to tie it at 1 on a power play in the second period.
Suzuki opened the scoring 1:21 left in the first. After scoring 29 goals in the regular season, Suzuki needed a lucky bounce to get one. His redirection of Kaiden Guhle’s slap shot was heading wide but the puck hit Lightning defenseman J.J. Moser and went in.
Montreal’s Martin St. Louis, a Hockey Hall of Famer whose No. 26 is retired by the Lightning, became the fifth player to appear in a Game 7 for a team and coach against them in another.
Another name can be added to the long list of candidates interviewed for the Vancouver Canucks' open general manager job. In a post on social media, TSN's Darren Dreger wrote, "Former Ottawa Senators GM, Pierre Dorion was in Vancouver last week and has interviewed for the Canucks GM vacancy." Dorion has not been listed with an organization since 2023, when he was let go by the Ottawa Senators.
Dorion has plenty of experience as an NHL executive. He served as the Senators' GM from 2016-2023, and before that, was with Ottawa in different capacities since 2007. Dorion also spent time as a scout with both the New York Rangers and the Montréal Canadiens since 1994.
Under Dorion's leadership, the Senators posted a regular-season record of 225-261-59. During that time, Ottawa made the playoffs once, which was in 2017. Some notable draft picks made during Dorion's time as GM include Tim Stützle, Jake Sanderson and Brady Tkachuk.
May 9, 2016; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion attends a press conference to introduce Guy Boucher as the new head coach of the Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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While the Minnesota Timberwolves have listed Anthony Edwards as “questionable” for Game 1 against the San Antonio Spurs, a logical mind doubts the superstar will return just yet.
These Timberwolves vs. Spurs predictions and NBA picks understand Minnesota needs to adjust its approach regardless of Edwards’ availability on Monday, May 4.
Timberwolves vs Spurs Game 1 prediction
Timberwolves vs Spurs best bet: Rudy Gobert Under 10.5 rebounds (+102)
Gobert faced Victor Wembanyama only once this season, but he only played 29 minutes in that 104-103 Timberwolves win despite not being in foul trouble.
Wembanyama can camp out in the paint on defense when Gobert is in the game, stifling any Minnesota drives.
Without their two best shooters, the Timberwolves need some space inside. Expect more five-out lineups from Minnesota with Julius Randle as the primary defender on Wembanyama.
Quite possibly the biggest X-factor in this series — aside from when Anthony Edwards can return from a hyperextended knee and bone bruise that currently has him officially considered somewhere between week-to-week and questionable — may be how Julius Randle shoots from beyond the arc.
If Gobert’s minutes need to be limited to draw Wembanyama out of the paint, thus obviously impacting Gobert’s scoring as well as his rebounding, then Randle hitting some 3-pointers will best pull Wembanyama out of the paint. But Randle is a streaky shooter. From Feb. 1 to the end of the regular season, he shot 27.3% from deep.
Do not bet on Randle’s shooting until he proves it in this series. But he will get that chance, and he should play plenty of minutes to rack up rebounds.
Timberwolves vs Spurs SGP
Rudy Gobert Under 10.5 rebounds
Rudy Gobert Under 8.5 points
Julius Randle Over 6.5 rebounds
Timberwolves vs Spurs odds for Game 1
Spread: Timberwolves +13.5 | Spurs -13.5
Moneyline: Timberwolves +500 | Spurs -700
Over/Under: Over 216.5 | Under 216.5
Timberwolves vs Spurs betting trend to know
Both the Timberwolves and the Spurs were considered “Under” teams this season, Minnesota cashing Unders in 49 of now 88 games (55.75%) while San Antonio did so in 51 of 87 games (58.6%). Find more NBA betting trends for Timberwolves vs. Spurs.
How to watch Timberwolves vs Spurs Game 1
Location
Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
Date
Monday, May 4, 2026
Tip-off
9:30 p.m. ET
TV
Peacock/NBC
Timberwolves vs Spurs latest injuries
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His first came in the top of the fourth when he demolished a 2-0 Jack Kochanowicz sinker 427 feet to the rock pile in center to give the Mets a 2-1 advantage.
Vientos joked postgame that he liked that one better.
“I got all of it, hit it pretty good,” he said.
The second one was also a big one for the Mets, though, as it helped extend the lead and put the game away for good in the top of the eighth.
Vientos jumped on a 2-1 Nick Sandlin sinker at the top of the zone, ripping it 103.3 mph over the left-field fence.
It was the sixth multi-homer game of Vientos’ career.
“I was just trying to put together good at-bats,” he said. “I know when I’m on and I’m feeling good that I’m a game-changer especially with the bat, and I got the job done today.”
And it wasn’t just today, as Vientos has been swinging a much-better bat of late.
The slugger has turned things around very nicely at the plate -- hitting .275 with two doubles, three homers, seven RBI, and a .891 OPS over his last 12 games.
“I feel good,” he said. “I like the at-bats I’ve taken the past few days, I just want to keep on it, keep putting good at-bats together, and just take it into this series in Colorado.”
With all of the Mets’ injuries, this would be the perfect time for him to catch fire.
“We’ve seen it when he’s going, when he’s driving the ball,” Carlos Mendoza said. “We haven’t seen it in a while, but when he gets hot he can carry a team -- that’s the power and the hitter he’s capable of, he came through today.”
It’s no longer just a crazy idea – Clay Holmes is a bona fide starting pitcher for the New York Mets.
After another stellar outing against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday in which he went 6.2 innings while allowing one run on four hits and three walks in the Mets’ 5-1 win, Holmes is now 4-2 with a 1.69 ERA (0.98 WHIP) in seven starts.
That’s more than simply a good beginning to the season, Holmes is pitching himself into the Cy Young award conversation and it’s time people everywhere took notice.
“It’s unbelievable,” said manager Carlos Mendoza about his right-hander’s performance. “We saw it again today. That first inning was a battle after the first couple of guys get on and he’s up to like 30-something pitches, [but] before you know it he’s able to get to those middle innings.
“[He] kept making pitches and for him to go back out for the seventh, he’s just on another level right now physically, mentally.”
It’s true, Sunday’s outing didn’t start out the best for Holmes who walked the first two batters he faced as part of a 27-pitch first inning. But after giving up a run four batters into the game, Holmes turned it on and settled in nicely, not only holding the Angels scoreless the rest of the way, but keeping his pitch count low enough to go deep into the game.
After the game, Mendoza marveled at the former reliever’s ascension into ace starting pitcher.
“The way he’s making adjustments in games, the way he’s using his pitches, trusting the defense when he needs to… overall from Clay, solid,” the skipper said.
Over his last three starts, Holmes has allowed three earned runs over 19.2 innings and has gone at least six innings in all of them. Twice already this season Holmes has pitched seven innings after achieving that just once in 2025.
Holmes’ 1.69 ERA is the fourth-lowest in the majors and his 42.2 innings pitched this season is top-10, wildly impressive for a guy who made the switch from reliever to starter just last year.
Holmes credits his success with the “confidence and trust” of his sinker, the pitch that made him so effective as a late-inning reliever in his career and why David Stearns believed he could make the transition to the rotation in the first place.
While the sinker is his bread and butter and the pitch he throws 49 percent of the time, according to Baseball Savant, Holmes knew he would have to expand his arsenal to more than just one pitch, which he did.
Mixing in a sweeper, changeup, cutter, curveball and four-seamer, Holmes has options up there. However, instead of shying away from his sinker this season and abandoning what makes him so special just because his role has changed, the right-hander has embraced who he is and is using it to his advantage.
“I think for me there’s kind of a comfort thing and I feel like – you know the trust with the sinker was always there, but I feel like, especially now I just feel like there’s a lot of confidence and trust with the sinker,” he said. “That’s who I was as a reliever and I knew that was who I would be as a starter, but I felt like I kinda had the confidence and the trust of the sinker and when I have that I feel like I’m able to pitch off of it and really feel like myself and pitch with some confidence.”
Now in his second year as a full-time starter, Holmes knows the ropes a bit more and rather than learning how to be a starting pitcher and focusing on superfluous things, he can dial it in on what kind of starter he wants to be.
So who does Holmes want to be? Someone who unapologetically throws his greatest weapon, the sinker, nearly half of the time.
“I knew I would have to expand the arsenal, it wouldn’t be all sinkers, but with that, I’m not gonna say distracted but you know there has to be some kind of widening of the arsenal and so there’s focus there,” he said. “And I think more than anything this year is just the confidence with the sinker, like I can still pitch off this and it’s more of a mentality thing, just kind of attacking with the sinker.
“That’s kind of what I had as a reliever and it’s not so much, okay let me get ahead with the sinker or kind of use it to set up something else, it’s like here’s the sinker. So I think just getting back to that mentality with it has kind of just helped the life and the finish to it and I think it’s just been helpful so far this year.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 07: Rui Hachimura #28 of the Los Angeles Lakers controls the ball against Cason Wallace #22 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second half at Crypto.com Arena on April 07, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. 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. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There shouldn’t be any similar remarks from the Lakers this round, though, because, according to Lakers head coach JJ Redick, the Thunder don’t foul.
“You’re talking about a team that’s top five in every category that’s disruptive-based — steals, blocks, turnovers, forced, all that stuff,” Redick said after Sunday’s practice. “And they don’t foul. They somehow do all of that without fouling, which is one of the most remarkable things I think in NBA history.”
Add that to the keys of the game: the Thunder don’t foul.
No need to be concerned with how aggressive Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander is as an on-ball defender or his push-offs offensively. Don’t worry about Luguentz Dort committing a dirty play and putting a Lakers player at risk with a move that belongs in AEW, not the NBA. They don’t foul.
Jokić and Thunder get HEATED after Lu Dort flagrant 😳
Don’t expect any Redick crashouts during this series. He will remain as cool as the other side of the pillow, since he wouldn’t be asking for a call when there isn’t one to make.
“They don’t foul,” Redick said. “The whistles aren’t gonna be there. So, it’s like, you accept that going in, they don’t foul.”
Given that the NBA is a copycat league, maybe other teams should try defending without fouling. Why foul when you can just play elite defense and clamp other teams down without reaching in or making illegal contact on an offensive player?
It’s going to be an uphill battle for the Lakers, who haven’t quite adopted the strategy of not fouling yet. Hopefully, they’ll be able to take some notes in this series.
COVERS INTEL: