Columbus Clippers Travis Bazzana (12) throws the ball to first base during home opener at Huntington Park on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
George Valera also reached base safely three times, going 2-for-3 with a double and a walk while Angel Genao went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk.
Starting pitcher Austin Peteson allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 5.1 innings.
The bullpen was terrific. Daniel Espino struck out two in 0.2 scoreless innings. Will Dion pitched 2.0 scoreless frames and Jake Miller struck out two in a scoreless frame.
Thursday was a pitching duel between Khal Stephen and former Guardians prospect Alex Clemmey. Clemmey struck out 11 batters, but made one mistake, an RBI double to Alfonsin Rosario, who went 1-for-2 with two walks and three stolen bases. No one else reached base safely twice.
Stephen was excellent, tossing 5.0 scoreless innings with five hits allowed while striking out four and walking one.
Adam Tulloch added a scoreless inning while Carter Rustad pitched 2.0 scoreless frames out of relief and Magnus Ellerts finished off the shutout with a scoreless inning to earn his second save.
Lake County once again got excellent hitting and pitching in another blowout of Lansing. Something appears to be in the water east of the Captains lately.
Leading the way was Dean Curley, who went 2-for-3 with a grand slam and a walk.
WE'RE FEELING GRAND!! 💣
Dean Curley blasts a grand slam to left field to give the Captains a six-run lead! pic.twitter.com/R1deAB9o34
No one had an extra base hit, but Steven Cruz went 2-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base while scoring two of the three runs for the ACL Guardians on Thursday.
Starting pitcher Edelvis Perez allowed one run in 4.0 innings on three hits. He danced around five walks while striking out four.
May 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Ezequiel Duran (20) reacts with second baseman Justin Foscue (14) after the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Grant also writes that the Rangers have a golden opportunity this weekend against the crappy Angels.
MLB Pipeline lists a pleasantly surprising prospect from every team, and I have indeed been pleasantly surprised with the Rangers pick.
And finally former Ranger Marcus Semien is the coverboy of Jim Bowden’s piece on struggling MLB veterans. Woof.
That’s all for this morning. The Rangers start up a series against the lowly Angels at the weirdly specific time of 8:38 tonight. Jacob deGrom pitches for Texas.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 18: Colton Cowser #17 of the Baltimore Orioles looks on during the fourth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on April 18, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
You know your team’s season is going badly when … Oh, here’s a surefire one: in-organization fights start to erupt about why the team is playing badly.
One erupted this week, as beloved MASN broadcaster and former pitcher Ben McDonald unleashed an on-air rant about the O’s overreliance on analytics. Following the O’s 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, McDonald vented as follows:
We can talk about analytics and what could happen and what should happen if you hit the ball hard. But … I don’t care if you hit it hard and you hit it to somebody. You’re out. I don’t care how hard you throw ball four. I don’t care what your spin rate was on your breaking ball if you bounce it three feet in front of home plate. I don’t care. What I care about is, do you make plays? Do you make pitches? Do you get hits when it matters? And that’s what the Orioles are struggling to do right now. … So, all this nonsense is eyewash to me about this analytical stuff. You either do or you don’t. And right now, the Orioles don’t.
It would appear Big Ben has a point. The Orioles (21-29) entered today tied for the second-highest average exit velocity in MLB (90 mph), but their offense ranked just 17th, scoring 4.3 runs per game. Adding insult to injury, the first-place Rays (33-15), who swept Baltimore this week in three games, own the sport’s lowest average exit velo, sitting at 87.6 mph.
This is not a totally new story. Last season, the Orioles were a thoroughgoing offensive disappointment, expected to contend but ultimately finishing tied for 24th in MLB in batting average (.235), 21st in OPS (.699), and 24th in runs scored (677). Injuries played a real role: Jordan Westburg, Adley Rutschman, Colton Cowser, Ryan Mountcastle, Heston Kjerstad and Tyler O’Neill each missed fifty games or more, the latter earning himself the nickname “General Soreness.”
The organization didn’t just sit and take these body blows: instead, they took action (a pun!)—namely by firing the entire hitting staff. Coaches Sherman Johnson and Tommy Joseph were shown the door, and with new manager Craig Albernaz came Dustin Lind as lead hitting coach, who brought experience building the Giants’ and Phillies’ hitting programs.
Have these showy moves made much difference? The truth is: not really, at least not yet. Last season, the Birds hit .235 with a 42.2% hard-hit rate and a 24.2% strikeout rate. This season, they’re hitting .233 with a 42.5% hard-hit rate and a 24.7% strikeout rate. (Cue the Spiderman meme here.) If anything, they’re swinging for the fences a bit more and the contact is slightly worse.
Broken down by pitch type, the pattern becomes easy to see. Against fastballs, the Orioles own a .266 average, .379 wOBA, and a hard-hit rate of nearly 50% of balls in play. All are above average. They’re better, too, than in 2025, when the Birds hit heaters to the tune of a .244 average, .334 wOBA, and 49% hard-hit rate.
The trouble, like the old saying goes, is with the curve. As of early May, pointed out a Baltimore Sports and Life piece (appropriately titled “At some point, someone’s gotta hit a curveball”), the O’s were hitting just .182 with a .250 wOBA and a 35.4% strikeout rate (league average is 29%)—among the worst numbers in baseball. (Last season, those numbers were .206, .272 and 32.1%, so the team is now appreciably worse.) That shouldn’t be surprising given some garish individual performances you already know about: Colton Cowser has two hits off a breaking ball all year; Coby Mayo boasts a 41% strikeout rate against curveballs.
Is it the exit velocities? I’m not sure. What I can say is that exit velocity does not correlate with offensive excellence—otherwise, the Mets and the Red Sox would be contenders this year. For that matter, these five teams are the best at hitting curveballs: LAD, SEA, CLE, PHI, MIL. In exit velocity, Philadelphia ranks fourth, LAD fifth, Seattle eighth, Milwaukee 28th and Cleveland 29th. I’m no statistician, but I think it seems like average exit velocity and hitting curveballs should have nothing to do with each other. I don’t know. But I do think the Orioles should start to give press conferences explaining why they’re so bad at hitting curveballs.
One more trend that sticks out: the terrible splits against lefties. Last year the team batting average splits against lefty/righty starters were .230/.236. This year, it’s .210/.240. That’s pretty bad. The main offenders: Leody Taveras (.156 BA against LHP), Colton Cowser (.200), Gunnar Henderson (.211) and Jeremiah Jackson (.231).
Which brings us back to Ben McDonald. He’s right that hard-hit rates and spin rates don’t matter if you’re not producing. He’s right, too, to question whether there’s too much of an emphasis on hitting the ball hard, which seemingly has little to do with offensive excellence in general.
But it seems like the curveball problems are a different thing, and so are the roster construction problems that explain why this team is so outmatched by lefties, and why the young draft classes aren’t popping like other youngsters like Bobby Witt Jr., Corbin Carroll, and Konnor Griffin.
Can all the Orioles’ struggles be laid at the feet of GM Mike Elias, wondered Steve Melewski the other day. No, he said, given the bad injury luck and underperformance. Can they be laid on the coaches? I’m inclined to think that yes, in part.
But regrettably, it feels like the blame has to go around: players, coaches, scouts, management. Losing in myriad ways, in such convincing fashion, is unfortunately a team job.
When the first two games are split in a best-of-seven series, the third game often can be pivotal. The Game 3 winner has won 78.4% of the series. In the 2026 playoffs, teams up 2-1 are 4-4.
In best-of-seven conference finals tied 1-1, the Game 3 winner has won 38 of 54 times (70.4%). The Spurs have won their past two playoff series this season after being tied 1-1 and then winning Game 3.
The Thunder are 13-2 in best-of-seven series with a 2-1 lead (and 7-19 when trailing dropping two of the first three games in a series).
This marks the first time since 2022 that a conference finals series has been tied 1-1.
See below for additional information on the Spurs-Thunder game and how to watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs on NBC and Peacock.
Announcing team: Mike Tirico (play by play), Reggie Miller (analyst), Jamal Crawford(analyst), Zora Stephenson (courtside reporter) and Ashley ShahAhmadi(courtside reporter).
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs game preview:
With their Game 2 win, the Thunder are now 8-0 afer a loss during the last two playoff seasons.
Oklahoma City could again be dealing without star Jalen Williams, who played only 7 minutes in Game 2 before aggravating a left hamstring injury (he missed 26 games in the regular season with an injured right hamstring).
The Thunder are 45-10 without Williams this season (6-0 in the playoffs).
After proclaiming himself healthy from missing three weeks, Williams had played 37 minutes (second most this season) and led the Thunder with 26 points in Game 1's double-overtime loss. He reportedly underwent an MRI on Thursday and is considered day-to-day.
"He's going to get checked out," Oklahoma City head coach Mark Daigneault said. "I don't deal in hypotheticals, especially when doctors are involved... We'll see where he's at. We'll update him accordingly."
Ajay Mitchell also was hurt near the end of Game 2 but is expected to play in Game 3.
The Spurs also are dealing with myriad injury woes.
Starting point guard De’Aaron Fox missed the first two games with right ankle soreness and was replaced by rookie Dylan Harper, who had 24 pts, 11 rebounds, six assists and seven steals in the Game 1 win. The 20-year-old started Game 2 but left with a right hamstring injury in the third quarter.
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said he had “no update” on the availability of Harper, who reportedly underwent an MRI on Thursday.
The next man up with both guards out in the second half was Jordan McLaughlin, a 5-11 guard, who stayed on the bench over the 58 minutes of Game 1. McLaughlin hasn’t played more than 10 minutes in a playoff game since 2023.
How to watch the Western Conference Finals on NBC and Peacock:
NBC Sports will present the San Antonio Spurs vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. All games will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock. Here is the series schedule:
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At the juncture Pittsburgh Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby has reached in his storied NHL career, it's inevitable that he is going to be asked a whole lot about his future and how long he intends to keep playing the sport he loves.
After all, Father Time is undefeated, right?
Well, that's the case for most athletes. Sports are a young man's game, and it's only a matter of time before the end comes calling. Legs start to give out. Basic conditioning becomes harder and harder. Performance begins to dwindle. The pace of the game suddenly starts to feel faster than you remember, with things happening at a speed you can no longer keep up with.
Yet none of that is happening for Crosby, at least, not yet. And in an exclusive interview with The Athletic's Josh Yohe on Thursday at the IIHF World Championship in Switzerland, he made sure to clarify on his comments from locker cleanout day earlier this month about going "year-to-year" that this season - the final season of his current two-year contract - will not be his last playing in the NHL.
"It's pretty obvious why I would just go year-to-year with the contracts," Crosby told Yohe. "At the end of the day, I'm just going to do what's best for the team. It's got nothing to do with how long I want to play. It's not like that at all."
He added: "I definitely want to keep playing for as many years as possible."
Not only is that music straight to the ears of Penguins' fans and hockey fans everywhere, it's also a statement that Crosby believes he has a whole lot more left in the tank.
Simply put, he isn't built like other hockey players, like other athletes. When his legs start to give out, when the conditioning gets harder, when performance isn't up to par, and when the pace appears to be catching up, he always finds ways to reinvent himself and maintain the separation between he and the Hockey Reaper.
Right now, Crosby - who will turn 39 this summer - has 654 goals and 1,761 points in 1,420 career NHL games. He is currently sitting at seventh all-time in NHL points, and assuming he is healthy in 2026-27, he should surpass both Marcel Dionne (sixth) at 1,771 and Ron Franis (fifth) at 1,798. And with at least a 90-point season, he will also surpass Gordie Howe (fourth) at 1,850.
Wayne Gretzky is the only player in NHL history - and the guy at the top of the list - to have hit 2,000 points.
If 2026-27 is, indeed, not Crosby's final season playing in the NHL - which, he's adamant it won't be - that means with one more season above point-per-game, he'll be at 1,844 points. And it would be his 22nd consecutive season accomplishing the feat.
In order to reach 2,000 points, Crosby would need to average 79.6 points in the next three seasons to get there. Should he remain healthy and at point-per-game or higher? He will get there sometime during that third season, which would be his age 41 season.
And you know what? All of that sounds pretty attainable.
The fact of the matter is that the longer Crosby keeps playing, the closer he gets to that historic mark. The longer he keeps playing, he only keeps proving that he isn't slowing down in any kind of remarkable way. He is designed for longevity, and he has delivered on that design for 21 years already.
"Sidney Crosby is our Tom Brady and our LeBron James..
I was on the ice with him when he was 14 years old and I could see how good he was then..
If Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell continue to play with Crosby through at least next season, and, possibly, the last two years of their contracts, they're each good for at least 20-plus goals and 60-plus points, and that's probably on the low end of things when considering their goals-per-game and points-per-game production over the last two seasons mostly spent alongside Crosby.
And, if they don't continue to play with Crosby, that probably means someone like Egor Chinakhov - who had 18 goals and 36 points in 43 games with the Penguins last season - would flank him, and possibly, even a new face who is younger and NHL-established.
Either way, the point is that Crosby won't have any shortage of talent to play with for his final years in hockey, and that should only lend more to him being able to reach the 2,000 point milestone -- even when he starts to drop off. Because, let's face it: Crosby, like everyone, is eventually going to hit a bit of a wall. His defense has already declined quite a bit, but there will come a day when the offense is what it used to be, either.
Even still, it feels not just dirty but plain incorrect to suggest that he's all of a sudden going to see his production cut in half within the next three years. It feels like he is the type of player who is going to decline gradually rather than steeply. But in that hypothetical scenario where Crosby does fall off drastically in that second or third year?
Well, he would only need to average 59.75 points over the next four years to reach 2,000. Again, that seems attainable, even with a falloff.
So, while we sit back and enjoy what's left of Crosby's career, it's likely that we'll see him chasing a feat of all-time greatness that has only, once before, been realized. After all, he is one of the best to ever do it already -- so why put a cap on greatness?
It was just the fourth time in James’ career – and the earliest in the playoffs – a team that had him on the roster was swept in James’ 19 appearances in the postseason.
How James saw it, the Lakers didn’t lose the series to the defending NBA champions because they didn’t match the Thunder’s physicality. Or weren’t prepared.
LeBron James and the Lakers were swept 4-0 by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals. Getty Images
They simply didn’t match the Thunder in talent.
“I have the passion and the [aspiration] to host the Larry O’Brien Trophy up every single year, but also have a realization of what particular team I have been a part of in that particular year,” James said during the latest episode of his “Mind The Game” podcast, which he co-hosts with NBA legend Steve Nash. “And understanding this year, we fought and we played to the maximum ability of our team. But ultimately, if we’re being completely honest, we were out-talented.”
“We were not outworked,” James said. “They didn’t out-physical us. They didn’t outsmart us. I feel like we were just out-talent[ed] by OKC. At the end of the day, we failed in talent. OKC just possessed so much more talent than us. You could tip your cap to them in understanding that.”
James said the Lakers ‘failed in talent’ when it came to matching up with the Thunder. Getty Images
With Doncic sidelined and star guard Austin Reaves out for the Lakers’ first four games of the playoffs because of a strained oblique, James led the Lakers to a six-game first round playoff series victory over the Rockets.
The Rockets were without their leading scorer, Kevin Durant, for five of the six games in the series.
James averaged 23.2 points, 8.3 assists, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals in the first round against the Rockets.
“For our team to win a playoff series, that was a huge accomplishment,” James said. “Obviously my aspirations [are] much bigger than just one playoff series. I’ve won a lot of playoff series and one is never enough. But under the circumstances of what our team went through and what we were going through at that time: AR did come back and was able to play some good basketball like the last few games, but he was still trying to find his rhythm. Obviously, we never got Luka back.
“But for our ball club, under the circumstances that it was in, to win a playoff series in the Western Conference, I give a lot of respect and a lot of kudos to our guys and to our coaching staff of mentally, physically preparing us for that matchup. It was a pretty good season.”
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MINNEAPOLIS - APRIL 22: Liz Phair performs at First Avenue Nightclub in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 22, 1995. (Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hickory starter Aidan Deakins struck out four in six innings, allowing one homer and two runs.
Paulino Santana homered. Yolfran Castillo had a hit and a stolen base. Marcos Torres was 2 for 4 with a double. Josh Springer had a hit and a walk.
Hub City starter J’Briell Easley struck out seven and walked one in three shutout, no hit innings. Brock Porter struck out three and walked two in 4.1 IP, allowing one run. Joey Danielson struck out one and walked one in 1.1 scoreless innings.
Paxton Kling doubled. Gleider Figuereo had a pair of hits and a stolen base. Malcolm Moore and Yeison Morrobel each had a hit.
Dalton Pence started for Frisco, allowing three runs in 5.1 IP, striking out five. Ryan Lobus struck out two and walked two in 1.1 IP, allowing one run. Bryan Magdaleno walked two and struck out one in 0.1 IP, allowing one run.
Round Rock starter David Davalillo struggled with his command again, walking five and throwing a wild pitch in five innings, striking out four and allowing two runs. Luis Curvelo walked one, struck out one and gave up two runs in an inning. Alexis Diaz struck out one and walked one in a scoreless inning. Ryan Brasier struck out two in 1.1 scoreless innings. Emiliano Teodo struck out one in 1.2 IP without allowing a run.
Aaron Zavala doubled twice. Cam Cauley had a hit and two stolen bases.
Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees host the Rays at Yankee Stadium for a three-game series starting Friday...
5 things to watch
Cole returns
The biggest event going into this series is the return of Gerrit Cole.
This will be the first time Cole pitches in an MLB game since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, and he can give the rotation a spark. With Max Fried on the IL and Carlos Rodon still finding his way back to form from his own IL stint, Cole can set the tone for the weekend.
Cole made six starts in the minors between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A and has been solid. He pitched to a 4.66 ERA, but what was most encouraging was Cole's final rehab start. Pitching in Triple-A, Cole allowed one run on six hits and one walk across 5.1 innings and struck out six -- and his velocity was nearing 100 mph.
Bottom of the order woes
This has been a persistent problem for most of the season, but especially of late with Jose Caballero on the IL.
The bottom of the Yankees order has been a black hole. Anthony Volpe, Ryan McMahon and Austin Wells are a combined 10-for-63 with one home run and six RBI in their last seven games.
Wells, especially, has struggled. He's in a 2-for-22 rut with one walk and 11 strikeouts. He is slugging just .252 this season and has only three home runs in 38 games.
J.C. Escarra hasn't been much better as a catching option, but manager Aaron Boone may make the position a true platoon this weekend. Escarra started Thursday's series finale with the Blue Jays and two of the four games in the series.
Jose Caballero and Anthony Volpe
Caballero is adamant that he'll need the minimum 10 days before be reactivated from the IL, and gives the club an interesting choice to make. Will the Yanks option Volpe back to the minors? Boone said that shortstop was Caballero's when he returned but Volpe's play has raised the question of whether it's worth keeping him on the roster.
Apr 13, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Jose Caballero (72) follows through on a two run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the second inning at Yankee Stadium / John Jones-Imagn Images
Since his call-up, Volpe is slashing .217/.400/.304 with an OPS of .704. While he hasn't gone yard, his plate discipline looks much improved over last season and his defense has impressed.
Volpe does not have the versatility that Caballero does, and if the Yankees are looking for some offense from the left side of the infield, there's a world where Volpe stays at short and Caballero starts at third base. Caballero has played 83 games at the hot corner, and could be a nice right-handed complement to the left-handed hitting McMahon.
Judge in a slump
Playing under the radar in recent days is Aaron Judge. The two-time MVP has just four hits in his last seven games with no home runs -- he hasn't homered in his last 10 games. In the four-game series against the Blue Jays, Judge went 1-for-15 with no extra-base hits and eight strikeouts.
The offense goes as Judge goes and they'll need him against a Rays staff that entered Friday's game sixth in MLB with a 3.57 ERA.
Here's who the Yankees are expected to face this weekend:
Nick Martinez: 1.51 ERA
Drew Rasmussen: 3.19 ERA
Shane McClanahan: 2.82 ERA
All three starters have been awesome to start the season, and Judge needs to get going to help a lineup that is not getting anything from the bottom of the order.
Clawing back into AL East contention
The Yankees enter the three-game series 4.5 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East.
This weekend is also important for potential tiebreaker situations later in the season. The Rays swept a three-game series in Tampa back in mid-April, so the Yanks want to try and even up the season series. Considering the head-to-head with the Blue Jays last season cost the Yankees the division, they'll want to avoid a similar fate.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Ben Rice
The young slugger continues his tear.
Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?
Gerrit Cole
Even not knowing who the Yankees will deploy on Saturday and Sunday, Cole is rested and will be impressive against the AL East rivals.
Which Rays player will be a thorn in the Yankees' side?
Junior Caminero
Caminero is the best player on the team and it'll be difficult to get him out this weekend.
On Thursday night, the Carolina Hurricanes suffered their first loss of these 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, falling 6-2 to the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Rod Brind'Amour's team got "Caned."
When the Hurricanes dictate play, as has been more the norm, they can make every team in the league look helpless.
Islanders fans have seen it time and time again, whether in the regular season or the playoffs.
Back on Apr. 4, the Hurricanes outshot the Islanders 40-16 in what became Patrick Roy's final game behind their bench.
Despite the 4-3 score, the Islanders spent most of the night on their side of the red line and blue line, getting outshot 13-4 in the first period and 18-2 in the second period before pushing in the third as they tried to erase what was a 3-2 deficit before Sebastian Aho made it 4-2 at the 24-second mark of the third period.
But, Thursday night showed the other side of Carolina.
The Hurricanes could not stop the relentless forechecking of Montreal, with every mistake they made ending up in the back of their net.
Starting goaltender Frederik Andersen, who had not allowed more than two goals in a game in what was a perfect 8-0 start to the postseason for him and Carolina, allowed two goals on the first four shots he faced, allowing four goals in the opening 11:28.
After the first period, the Hurricanes were trailing 4-1 and outshot 14-13 before a solid second-period rebound, outscoring Montreal 1-0 in the middle frame and outshooting them 11-3.
But, then came the third period.
Juraj Slafkovsky scored twice, the last of the two into the empty net in a period in which both teams weren't shooting too much.
While shots were 6-2 in favor of Montreal, the Hurricanes were held without a shot for 18:38.
When the Hurricanes are humming, they are incredibly hard to beat, but they clearly weren't ready for the pace that Montreal has been playing with and paid the price.
And Islanders fans probably enjoyed every second of it.
Some problems have multiple solutions. Other problems have no solution, and that’s why competing hypothetical solutions seem viable to different people.
It’s hard to say which of those two types of problems the Houston Rockets have right now.
The two 2025-26 NBA Western Conference Finalists are lightyears ahead of Houston. Some fans are waving the white flag. Others are annoyed by the white flag that’s blocking their view. Everybody thinks they know what the team ought to do.
It all comes back to “the window”. It’s the ubiquitous metaphor used to describe a team’s title odds in terms of both probability and duration. As it stands, the Rockets have an extremely narrow title window that stands to be open for a long time. The two prevailing solutions to the problem (the problem being that this team has no chance to beat the Thunder or Spurs short of major injuries) are to either widen the window at the expense of length or lengthen the window’s openness at the expense of width.
Let’s simplify. Forget the window. The Rockets are not in the same league as the Thunder or the Spurs. They can either acquire a superstar that might put them in that league, or acquire assets that might keep them just outside of that league for a long enough time to capitalize on some luck (re: major injuries).
What is the solution?
Rockets’ superstar pursuits could be in vain
Firstly, we need to look at the available options. The Rockets cannot manifest a superstar player. Is the right guy even available?
Donovan Mitchell? Pass. Small guard. It would be more prudent from an asset management perspective to see how Sheppard develops. Mitchell and Fred VanVleet in the same backcourt should be a non-starter. Mitchell doesn’t even get the Rockets in the same zip code as the Thunder or Spurs.
Jaylen Brown? A bit more tempting. There are still reservations. Running Amen Thompson as the nominal two guard (while he functions as a wing) allows the Rockets to lean into size. If you bump him to the three to put Brown at the two, now you’re 6’6″ at the two and 6’7″ at the three. Now, you’re not especially large with 6’10″ish Alperen Sengun in the middle.
Is being big the be-all, end-all? Not in general, but for the Rockets, it might be. Ime Udoka wants them to bash and bruise their way to the top. Whether you think he’s an inmate running an asylum or…a warden?… There’s some logic in that approach. The Rockets are extremely unlikely to build the most talented team in the NBA by virtue of the fact that Victor Wembanyama is one of one, and so are the Thunder. Realistically, that’s the entire premise of this article.
Now, if Thompson can continue to develop as a point guard, there’s some appeal here. A Thompson/Brown backcourt is the biggest in the league. That said, based on what we saw in 2025-26, the safe money isn’t necessarily on Thompson as a long-term point guard.
It should also be noted that Brown doesn’t solve many of Houston’s pressing problems. Ball-handling is his biggest weakness. There’s a world where acquiring Brown improves the Rockets’ championship equity while building on their identity. There are likely more worlds where that move gets Houston into the Conference Finals once, only to get stomped by whichever of the aforementioned powerhouses didn’t suffer a major injury.
Take every word written about Brown, apply it to Kawhi Leonard, and then add that he’s old and will probably get hurt. Pass.
Then, there’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Entire manifestos have been written on the issue. Let’s keep this brief. Antetokounmpo is comfortably the best player the Rockets could acquire this summer. His inability to shoot makes him a tough sell alongside Thompson (or Sengun, but he’d presumably be in the Antetokounmpo deal).
You could acquire him and then also flip Thompson. For argument’s sake, let’s say you turn Thompson into Trey Murphy III. Let’s say you sign Brook Lopez (yes, I know he’s very old) so that Antetokounmpo has his stretch five.
Fred VanVleet / Trey Murphy III / Kevin Durant / Giannis Antetokounmpo / Brook Lopez. That team can compete with anyone. That’s a real title window.
Yet, it’s probably, shockingly, still not enough to beat the Thunder or Spurs. It could be. It’s feasible. But it won’t make the Rockets the 2026-27 presumptive title favorites. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. It’s defensible.
It’s the second-best (possible) solution to this (possibly unsolvable) problem.
The Rockets should prioritize the future
I think the smarter move is to continue to build towards the future while fielding competitive teams. The Rockets have the luxury to do that with so many of their future first-round picks coming from other teams.
That doesn’t mean complacency. The Rockets could give the current iteration one more year to see what they can accomplish with VanVleet and Steven Adams back in the fold, or not. Let’s say they do. It seems like they want to.
If the fit issues between Sengun, Thompson, and Sheppard persist, you don’t need to go all in on a sub-top-ten superstar. You trade one of these guys (hint: It’s Sengun, because he’s the one that presents fit issues with both) for a lesser, better-fitting veteran and assets. You keep drafting.
At a minimum, you can build a team that’s a playoff fixture for a decade. That’s not the fantasy most of us lived in before now. The Rockets are picking in the lottery for time immemorial. It’s a foolproof way to build a dynasty!
No, it’s not. Such a method does not exist. As it turns out, even being a playoff fixture for a long stretch is something. There are NBA teams that have not been in that position for a long time.
Here’s the secret: Sometimes, those teams do actually win NBA championships! The ’04 Pistons. The ’11 Mavericks. The ’19 Raptors (who did make a major trade, but spent much longer than the Rockets have with a sub-championship core).
The calculus is basically this: Instead of buying one lottery ticket with a $10 million payout and a 0.000000342% chance of winning, buy ten tickets with a $1 million payout and a 0.05% chance of winning. No, you’re probably not winning either way, but giving yourself a larger number of chances maximizes the odds.
Of course, we can’t quantify NBA title odds as precisely. If you’re reading this and thinking the hypothetical Giannis and Trey Murphy III lineup has better odds than I’m suggesting, fair enough. Ultimately, there’s no singular, clear-cut solution to the problem:
Two slumping teams meet tonight at Camden Yards as the Detroit Tigers visit the Baltimore Orioles for the first of a three-game set. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET.
My Tigers vs. Orioles predictions are targeting Baltimore to hand Detroit their seventh straight loss behind Chris Bassitt's excellence at home.
Who will win Tigers vs Orioles today: Orioles moneyline (-126)
Detroit Tigers SP Jack Flahertysports a poor 5.70 ERA, with a 14.1% walk rate, through 10 starts — and opponents are hitting .295 against him when he's on the road.
The Baltimore Orioles lineup has also had success vs. the righty, hitting .308 across 26 at-bats. Pete Alonso alone is 3-for-6.
As for the O's, Chris Bassitt gets the baseball, and he's compiled a 2.91 ERA across four appearances at home. To put that into perspective, his ERA sits above eight on the road.
The Tigers are struggling immensely at the dish right now, scoring just eight runs in their previous series with the Guardians.
Tigers vs Orioles Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-106)
It's rarely high-scoring when the Tigers and Orioles clash. Six of the last seven meetings have comfortably cashed the Under.
Detroit and Baltimore have both hit the Under in seven of their last 10.
While the pitching matchup could mean offense, I'm focused on Bassitt's impressive form at Camden Yards.
He's looked like a completely different pitcher in front of the O's faithful, and he's coming up against a Tigers lineup that looks utterly hopeless at the moment.
Detroit ranks 28th in the big leagues in runs scored, while the O's are 16th.
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 15-11, +4.72 units
Over/Under bets: 15-11, +2.09 units
Tigers vs Orioles odds
Moneyline: Tigers +117 | Orioles -122
Run line: Tigers +1.5 (-178) | Orioles -1.5 (+170)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+104) | Under 8.5 (-108)
Tigers vs Orioles trend
The Orioles have hit the Under in 10 of their last 13 games (+7.70 Units / 54% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Tigers vs. Orioles.
How to watch Tigers vs Orioles and game info
Location
Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD
Date
Friday, May 22, 2026
First pitch
7:15 p.m. ET
TV
Apple TV
Tigers starting pitcher
Jack Flaherty (0-5, 5.77 ERA)
Orioles starting pitcher
Chris Bassitt (3-3, 5.44 ERA)
Tigers vs Orioles latest injuries
Tigers vs Orioles weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
“One of the things that we’ve got to figure out is how to have more of an impact at the rim, and I think we do need to add to our team to do that,” Stevens said.
Translation: The Celtics will be in the market for big men this summer.
What form that frontcourt pursuit takes is unclear. If Boston wants the most talented big man on the market, it could pursue Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, whom Milwaukee has made available via trade. But a deal for the two-time NBA MVP almost certainly would require the Celtics to part with superstar Jaylen Brown.
On a new episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix made the case for Boston keeping the Brown-Jayson Tatum duo intact in its pursuit of a big man.
“I don’t think there’s a need to reinvent the wheel here,” Mannix told host Chris Forsberg. “We’re two years removed from winning a championship in Boston, and we’re coming off the most improbable season that I can remember, where your second star (Brown) played like a first-level star.
“So, I think the focus should be on adding to where this team has the most glaring weaknesses, and that is the frontcourt.”
With Nikola Vucevic set to hit unrestricted free agency, the Celtics’ frontcourt currently includes Neemias Queta, Luka Garza and 2025 draft pick Amari Williams. Boston could look to upgrade that group via trade, where it can use a $27.7 million traded player exception created by the Vucevic-Anfernee Simons deal to acquire a big man without having to match salaries. (We explored a few potential TPE options here.)
If the Celtics prefer the free-agent route, they could utilize the taxpayer midlevel exception, which is valued around $15 million. And while this year’s free agent class is relatively thin on big men, there’s one intriguing name in that group: ex-Celtic Robert Williams III.
“You know who’s the one free agent outside of LeBron (James) who was talked about the most when I was in Chicago last week (for the 2026 NBA Scouting Combine and Draft Lottery)? You know who that player is? It was (Robert Williams),” ESPN’s Bobby Marks told Forsberg on Celtics Talk.
“Is he a guy who’s going to play 70 games and give you 30 minutes a night? No. He played 59 games in Portland, 22 minutes (per game). He basically is a specialist as far as what he can do for you, whether that’s protect(ing) the rim, points in the paint.”
The biggest red flag with Williams is his health. He appeared in just 26 games total for the Trail Blazers between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons before appearing in 59 games this past season. He’s never played more than 61 games in a season (2021-22 with the Celtics) and will turn 29 years old in October.
Williams can be a difference-maker when he’s on the court, though: He averaged 6.7 points, a career-high 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game for Portland this season and tallied double-digit points in four of the Blazers’ five first-round playoff games against the San Antonio Spurs while holding his own against Victor Wembanyama on the defensive end.
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) May 21, 2026
Williams should draw interest from a handful of teams that need big men. But if his next contract is below $15 million per year, the Celtics may want to at least explore reuniting with Time Lord as a frontcourt depth piece while maintaining their ability to make other moves elsewhere.
“He’s in a perfect world for a lot of teams out there: Atlanta, the Lakers, some of those other teams,” Marks added. “But I think that’s a priority for you as somebody from a free agent standpoint — if you can do that, it would be in a perfect world, you get another year of development from some of your younger players.
“You’re going to have two picks (in the 2026 NBA Draft), 27 and 40. Is there an opportunity to move up in the draft? Are you content staying there? So, I do think there’s some optionality as far as some of the trimming around the edges without making a bold type move.”
Williams obviously would come with risk, and his addition alone wouldn’t constitute a successful offseason. But for a team that clearly needs frontcourt help, Time Lord is a known quantity who is worth considering as the Celtics look ahead to the summer.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 20: Andy Pages #44 of the Los Angeles Dodgers bats during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on May 20, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Over the course of the first 50 games of the season, Andy Pages has emerged as the most dynamic player within the Dodgers offense. Among a lineup with a trio at the top that has combined for nine World Series rings and six MVPs, Pages has been one of the main leaders in terms of counting stats and averages on the team.
Pages may have struggled over the six games on this current road trip— .231 average vs. Angels, .091 average vs. Padres— he managed to have plenty of highlight plays defensively on Saturday and had arguably the most competitive at-bat for the Dodgers this year against Mason Miller on Tuesday.
Justin Wrobleski, who started against the Angels on Saturday, shared his reaction to Pages robbing a hit against Nolan Schanuel to get him out of the inning, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com. Freddie Freeman also gave his thoughts on Pages’ battle against Miller on Tuesday that gave the Dodgers the deciding run over the Padres.
Justin Wrobleski, after Pages laid out for a jaw-dropping catch that saved a run on Saturday night: “I thought it was a hit, and then I thought he might get there and then I was like, “Oh he’s going to try.’ And then he dove and he caught it, and I was like, ‘That was the coolest thing ever.'”
Freddie Freeman, after Pages’ epic nine-pitch at-bat against vaunted Padres closer Mason Miller on Tuesday night: “It was one of the greatest at-bats I’ve ever seen in person, and I’ve been playing a long time. That at-bat was incredible. … To hit 95 [mph] is hard, to hit 100 is even harder, to hit 102 is even probably the hardest thing to do, and to foul off 102s back to back, sliders at 87, 88 — one of the best at-bats I’ve ever seen.”
While Miller has been one of the best relievers in all of baseball this year, Pages simply views him as a “pitcher who throws hard.”
“He’s a good pitcher, but to me, he’s simply a pitcher who throws hard, and if you’re able to get on time against him, you can do damage against him.”
Links
Shohei Ohtani was in the lineup during a start day on Wednesday for the first time since April 8 against the Toronto Blue Jays, and he delivered by tossing five shutout innings after beginning the game with a leadoff home run on the very first pitch.
There is still no concrete long-term plan as to how Dave Roberts will decide whether Ohtani will be in the lineup when he pitches or not, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
“I think he understands that it’s fluid,” Roberts said. “I don’t think that there is one model. It should be a read and react thing. I don’t know how the week is going to look after this off day.
“I could change my mind and have him not hit in his next outing, but that’s more on workload and how he feels.”
Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register has a very insightful piece about Justin Wrobleski’s path from struggling at Clemson University, toiling between Triple-A and the big leagues the past two years, to becoming one of the best young starters in baseball today.
May 15, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Nick Gonzales (3) in the batting cage before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The Pirates were initially seen as failures in the offseason when they weren’t able to add a player to be their everyday third baseman. The Ke’Bryan Hayes trade that the team made at the deadline in 2025 left more questions than answers and admittedly I thought the Pirates were foolish to trade Hayes away in the first place. I’m happy now to eat crow and admit that the gamble to this point has paid off, and Nick Gonzales has been a welcomed presence at the hot corner.
Gonzales overall has put together a nice campaign in the early parts of the 2026 season. It was fortuitous for Gonzales that Jared Triolo landed on the injured list at the beginning of April with right knee injury, but the former has made the most of his opportunities as a starter. This year the New Mexico State product is hitting .319/.379/.363 with a .741 OPS. Gonzales has scored 21 runs of his own and has batted in 21 as well with 51 total hits at this point in the season. Gonzales is also hitting .364 with runners in scoring position.
Not only is Gonzales proving to be a valued asset for Pittsburgh, he’s shown that the Pirates sticking with the core of defenders that they have was the smart move. While a long term upgrade at the position could still be on the horizon, the interim has worked out just fine. As a matter of fact, Gonzales has the highest WAR amongst all other qualified National League Central third baseman.
Just Nick Gonzales things. His 2nd RBI of the night.
Considering he is essentially serving as a replacement for Hayes, it’s incredible how much better Gonzales has been performing in comparison to the former Bucco. Gonzales’ 1.2 WAR on the season speaks volumes within the division, especially considering the fact that Hayes’ has a lowly -0.2 WAR with an ugly .142/.195/.225 slash line. Gonzales is also outperforming Alex Bergman who has a 0.8 WAR, Nolan Gorman who has a 0.5 WAR and Luis Rengifo who has a -0.5 WAR.
To put it plainly, Gonzales contributes to winning baseball games. Despite the fact that the Pirates sit at fourth in the tightly contested NL Central, their 26-24 record has been a major improvement from how the team looked last year. Gonzales doesn’t provide a ton of pop at the plate, but he is a sure contact hitter, and having him in the lineup more consistently has contributed to more scoring opportunities.
Gonzales is back to splitting time with Jared Triolo at third base now that he’s healthy, but manager Don Kelly has stuck with the hot bat for the most part since the latter’s return. Both make meaningful contributions to the team, but Gonzales is having a special year at the plate and really affects winning for this Pittsburgh ball club in a way that Triolo has not been able to to this point.
Kurt Helin
COVERS INTEL: Flaherty has a 
