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Royal bats shine on a dreary night, beat Minnesota 13-9

KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 30: Kyle Isbel #28 of the Kansas City Royals takes the field prior to the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Monday, March 30, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Mikayla Schlosser/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

The bottom third of the Kansas City lineup has taken care of business for the second consecutive game, but in much more spectacular fashion tonight. Scoring started in the second with two out and no one on when Jac Caglianone hit a 110.1 mph rocket to center for a double. Collins hit the next ball 110.9 mph to top Jac and bring him home on another double followed by a Kyle Isbel RBI single. He then stole second and Maikel Garcia hit a hard to field ball off of Brooks Lee’s glove at short to score the third run on the inning. That was just the beginning.

Another run scored in the 3rd on a popup to third by India that the fog hid from Royce Lewis.

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And another came the next inning after Cags, Collins, and Isbel all reached again and Garcia hit a sac fly. The rain really got going as KC batted 11 in the 6th. Walks, HBPs, errors, and a Jonathan India grand slam brought seven more runs and a $25,000 Sonic Slam winner. The rest of the game was hampered significantly by the weather but without any extended stoppage of play. At 12-1, it looked like the Royals would cruise to victory.

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Jac, Isaac, and Kyle combined to go 8 of 11 with a BB and HBP reaching base in all but 3 of their 14 plate appearances. Isbel tacked a solo shot on in the 7th to finish the dominant performance off for the bottom of the order. All of the starting 9 at least reached base with Carter Jensen sneaking a single in during the 8th to join in on the fun, but it was the back of the lineup that carried the load today.

On the pitching side, Noah Cameron was very sharp to begin the night, especially the first two innings. He through a first pitch strike to each of the first six Minnesota batters but did seem to lose some command in the 4th and 5th innings. He got through that 5th despite giving up a lot of hard contact and was pulled with a final line of 5IP, 4H, 1BB, 1ER, and 5K and the win. That is a solid start to his sophomore campaign.

Daniel Lynch, Alex Lange, and Brady Falter all struggled to find the zone a bit with Lynch giving up 3 runs in the 7th, Lange 2 in the 8th before Cruz came in and finished the inning, and Falter 3 in the 9th. There were a lot of walks and hit batters from both teams due to the wet baseballs, so I would not read too much into their less than spectacular performances. It did make the game look closer than it felt and even ended up in a save situation that brought in Lucas Erceg to seal the deal.

There were also a ton of ABS challenges, 9 out of 11 were overturned and the Royals only went one for two. Since the game was not very close, none of these mattered all that much in the end. Still, it was a busy day for the new system and a very high success rate.

In the end, the Royals move to 3-2 on the year. They are above .500 and going for sweep against the Twins tomorrow. There is a bit more rain in the forecast again and that 1:00 pm start time is definitely in jeopardy.

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Guardians win the Dodgers series

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 01: Gavin Williams #32 of the Cleveland Guardians throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium on April 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Gavin Williams was unbelievable today. I could end the recap right here and pretty adequately sum up the events of tonight’s rubber match. He was in full control of the game for basically all seven innings. This performance from Gavin vindicates all of us loyal Gavin Williams believers who truly know that this domination is what he can do every single time he takes the mound. I have no notes for his performance which, if you’ve read any of my articles before, is rare. He had every single pitch working for him, and completely silenced the best lineup in baseball. He kept his fastball in the upper half, and sequenced it beautifully with his cutter & breaking pitches. He was getting his sinker to jump into the outer-third against righties all night. He was getting chase, and generated 16 (SIXTEEN) swings and misses. Truly a spectacular performance from him. This is exactly what I want him to do (within reason) every night. This performance showcases exactly why he can be not just a Cy Young finalist, but a legitimate contender to win it. Just look at this beautiful chart (obtained from the lovely Thomas Nestico, @TJStats on X, as always).

To the offense! Daniel Schneemann got the fun started with a true do-it-yourself run. He doubled, then stole third and, on a throwing error from Will Smith, waltzed home. Arias followed that up with a missile to center.

It was more-or-less quiet until the 8th, when our sleeping giant finally woke up.

(By the way, why on EARTH did Dave Roberts bring in a lefty for Jose? With Manzardo right behind him, why would you pitch to the guy who notoriously nukes lefties. I get it’s Tanner Scott, but why even take the risk?)

Anywho, Shawn Armstrong got himself into some trouble in the 8th, giving up a single and double to Hernandez and Pages, respectfully. He struck out Alex Freeland for the second out, and was then replaced by Erik Sabrowski to face Shohei Ohtani. Erik Sabrowski, if you weren’t already aware, is an unbelievable talent. On the majority of teams in MLB, he would be their best reliever. He came in and got Ohtani out on three pitches, two of which were out of the zone.

For reference, Sabrowski has generated whiffs on 46.2% of pitches this year (per @TJStats). FOURTY-SIX. Insanity. He’s a monster.

Cade Smith came on in the 9th and, well, wasn’t as sterling as is expected of him. Gave up back to back barrels to Freddie Freeman and Will Smith. Freeman’s, unfortunately, left the park. That was the Dodgers’ only run tonight. Cade has been a little iffy to start the year, but hopefully he gets back on track when the team comes back to Cleveland on Friday.

If you haven’t already (and are able), get tickets to watch the Guardians this homestand. Among the highlights: Opening Day festivities on Friday, Chase DeLauter’s (regular season) Cleveland debut, and last, but not least, Jose has a chance to sit atop the Guardians’ franchise games played leaderboard on Monday if he plays every game. A lot to watch for, so please turn out.

By the way, 4-3 against two World Series contenders to start the year.

Pretty good.

See you on Opening Day!

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Jalen Brunson-less Knicks grind out win over lowly Grizzlies to end skid

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows OG Anunoby drives on Walter Clayton Jr. in the second half of the Knicks' 130-119 win over the Grizzlies on April 1, 2026 in Memphis, Image 2 shows Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 20 points to go along with 11 rebounds and 11 assists, goes up for a layup during the Knicks' win over the Grizzlies

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Technically, the Knicks fulfilled Josh Hart’s “must-win” decree.

But it wasn’t exactly the cakewalk it appeared after a historically dominant first quarter, as the Knicks needed to overcome slumping second-half stretches in Wednesday’s 130-119 victory over the tanktastic Grizzlies.

Without a resting Jalen Brunson, the Knicks tied a franchise record with 48 points in the opening quarter. It left the impression they were ready to breeze in Memphis, but the Knicks cooled off considerably in the second half — allowing the lead to dwindle to three in the third quarter — and coach Mike Brown was forced to run his starters until the final buzzer.

OG Anunoby drives on Walter Clayton Jr. in the second half of the Knicks’ 130-119 win over the Grizzlies on April 1, 2026 in Memphis. AP

“It was good. We were sharing the ball, all that stuff. I think defensively we could’ve been better, still gave up a lot of points,” Mikal Bridges said. “Offensively, we were sharing the ball, moving well. But defensively, we could’ve done better.”

Bridges was active with 24 points. OG Anunoby led the way with 25 points and 13 boards. Karl-Anthony Towns collected his fourth career triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, benefiting from being the focal point of the offense in his 30 minutes.

The effort was far from perfect, but the baseline of a victory was achieved after a three-game losing streak and a humiliating defeat a day prior in Houston.

The vibes in the locker room postgame were positive, a contrast to the night prior when Towns, clearly frustrated, uncharacteristically left without talking to the media.

“It was a group effort to regroup,” Towns said Tuesday.

Immediately after that loss to the Rockets, Hart, the team’s leader and spokesman, declared the Memphis matchup a “must-win.”

Mikal Bridges, who scored 24 points, goes up for a layup during the Knicks’ win over the Grizzlies. Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

And the Knicks responded exquisitely from tipoff with that powerful first quarter.

Everybody ate. In the opening 12 minutes, the Knicks shot a ridiculous 81 percent — going 5-for-5 from deep — while collecting 14 assists. Nine Knicks scored in the first quarter.

Six of them had at least five points.

They led by 18 after that opening period, then by 17 at the break.

But the Grizzlies responded in the third quarter — attacking the Knicks and hitting their 3-pointers.

It meant Anunoby had to carry the Knicks to victory with 17 points in the fourth quarter.

“I was shooting the same shots [as the previous three quarters], but they were just going in,” Anunoby said.

It was an impressive offensive statistical performance across the board, which will inevitably lead to pundit chatter that the Knicks play faster and freer without Brunson.

Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 20 points to go along with 11 rebounds and 11 assists, goes up for a layup during the Knicks’ win over the Grizzlies. NBAE via Getty Images

But context matters. The Knicks (49-28) were playing the miserable Grizzlies (25-51), who are among the NBA’s preeminent tankers and deployed a lineup of G-Leaguers.

Ja Morant, Zach Edey, Santi Aldama Ty Jerome, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jaylen Wells were all out with injuries.

Brandon Clarke, who was also an injury DNP, was reportedly arrested in Arkansas on Wednesday on charges of trafficking a controlled substance.

The Grizzlies starters included two rookies (Cedric Coward, Javon Small), two former second-round picks (GG Jackson and Cam Spencer) and a player who started on a two-way contract this season (Olivier-Maxence Prosper).

They also had three players in the rotation Wednesday on 10-day contracts.

It was their 15th loss in their last 17 games.

The Knicks?

They’re still third in the East — 2 ½ games behind the Celtics for No. 2, and 1 ½ games clear of the Cavaliers at No. 4.

They’ve also won 10 straight against teams with losing records. Conversely, they’ve dropped five straight to opponents with winning records, including that blowout Tuesday in Houston that had Hart sounding alarms in the postgame locker room.

“We’re not going in the right direction,” said Hart, who had just five points in Wednesday’s win in 25 minutes. “We’re not trending upwards. So we got to figure it out. … Got another one (on Wednesday in Memphis). That’s a must-win for us.”

Coach Mike Brown appreciated the sense of urgency. “It’s good to have that mindset,” he said. His team responded well in Memphis, but only in the bookends of a win.

“I’m still not happy about us in the second half not locked in and them making a run,” Bridges said. “They play hard. A good young team. But I think it’s unacceptable for us.”

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Williams outpitches Yamamoto, and Ramírez hits 1st homer of season as Guardians top Dodgers 4-1

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gavin Williams struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings, outpitching World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and José Ramírez hit his first home run of the season to lead the Cleveland Guardians past the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 on Wednesday.

Gabriel Arias also went deep for the Guardians, who took two of three games in the series from the two-time defending champions.

Williams (1-1) walked three and allowed only two hits, both singles by Andy Pages. Freddie Freeman homered off Cade Smith with two outs in the ninth, spoiling Cleveland's shutout bid.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

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Knicks 130, Grizzlies 119: “Dang is that stat right? Only 20 rebounds for the grizz”

MEMPHIS, TN - APRIL 1: Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on April 1, 2026 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Last night in Houston, the Knicks (49*-28) lost their third straight game, all on the road. It was possibly the least entertaining game we’ve watched all season, and New York played out of sync all night. Tonight, in the second of a back-to-back, they had a prime opportunity to regain their confidence against a Grizzlies team (25-51) that has seven players out with season-ending injuries and no active center. Mostly, the game went as expected, with the Knicks taking a 22-point first-half lead. Memphis shot well (51% from the field, 44% from deep), but New York shot better (55% and 41%), owned the glass (49-20) and the paint (66-44). Despite a dip late in the third quarter, New York held on to win it, 130-119.

Quoth JustMissedOut2001, “Dang is that stat right? Only 20 rebounds for the grizz.” According to the talking heads after the game, 20 rebounds was the fewest ever for a Knicks opponent. It helps when the tallest guy on the other team is 6’9” in heels.

With Jalen Brunson resting a sore right ankle, Jose Alvarado (15 PTS, 4 AST, 4 TO, 2 STL) got his second start as a Knick. Memphis started rookie shooting guard Cedric Coward (15 PTS), the 11th pick in last summer’s draft, and four other dudes, at least one of whom is on a two-way contract.

Karl-Anthony Towns attacked the rim, wisely, as the undersized Grizzlies had no equal in their front court. He finished the night with a triple-double of 20 points, 11 rebounds, and a career-tying 11 assists—and he did it in 29 minutes. Bridges had a very efficient night, too, tallying 24 points on 9-of-15 from the field. And OG Anunoby delivered an excellent performance, with 25 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks, and a steal in his 40 minutes.

In fact, all our heroes were sizzling, missing just two of their first 15 shots while hitting a perfect five from downtown (Hart, Bridges, Alvarado, Kolek, and Shamet). They also had 11 assists on their first 13 makes, with Josh Hart (5 PTS, 6 RBS, 6 AST, 25 MIN) and Kat combining for seven dimes in the quarter.

Just gonna drop this here….

Midway through the period, coach Mike Brown subbed in Tyler Kolek (9 PTS, 7 AST, 0 TO, 19 min), Jordan Clarkson (8 PTS), and Landry Shamet (13 PTS, 2 STL), back after missing five games with a right knee bone bruise. Landry showed no signs of being hindered, knocking down three of five from deep tonight.

Late in the first quarter, Ariel Hukporti (7 PTS, 6 RBS, 12 MIN) replaced Towns. His rust showed, but Huk could teach Mitchell Robinson (out due to the back-to-back) something about shooting free throws. Coach Brown would name Hukporti the Defensive Player of the Game.

An 11-0 run in the fading minutes helped to pad their lead, and after a Cam Spencer (10 PTS) triple and Tyler Burton (10 PTS) adding two of his own, Shamet canned a corner three in the final seconds to give the visitors a 48-30 lead. That’s a season-high for any quarter of the season for the Knickerbockers.

To start the second quarter, Brown stayed with Kolek and inserted rookie Mohamed Diawara (4 pTS, 5 MIN) into the mix. The tall Frenchman made the most of his minutes, with two quick scores and a steal. Not to be overlooked, Towns continued to have the biggest impact with multiple dunks, putbacks, and strong rebounding, while Bridges added efficient scoring, including a step-back three and driving plays. Hart and Alvarado contributed key assists, steals, and timely buckets, and with the lead reaching 22, this game became a glorified scrimmage.

Memphis got sporadic production from G. G. Jackson (20 PTS, 8-of-12 FG) and Coward, but struggled with turnovers and chasing down loose balls. For the half, New York outrebounded them 21-6! The Grizzlies could never close the gap. Score at intermission: 79-62. That’s the first-half season-high for our heroes.

Through two quarters, the Knicks shot a ridiculous 71% from the field (29-for-41) and 70% from three (7-for-10) while the visitors scraped by at 56% and 45%. What’s easy to miss amid all the buckets is New York’s dominance of the paint (40-20) and the boards (8-2 offensive). The Grizzlies hadn’t led once. Bridges topped all first-half scorers with 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting. KAT was on his way to a triple-double. Three Bears had 10 points (Walter Clayton, Jr., Jackson, and Burton).

The Grizzlies opened the third frame on a 14-6 run, cutting the Knicks’ lead from 17 to nine. Jackson scored or assisted on nine of those points. With three minutes left, a Shamet turnover and an Adama Bal triple cut the differential to three. Too close for comfort, but it would get no smaller.

The Knicks went on a 14-3 run across the end of the third and start of the fourth quarter, turning a three-point game into a 14-point lead. The Grizzlies had three turnovers and made just one shot during this stretch. The key was execution and extra possessions: Anunoby crashing the glass and protecting the rim, Bridges knocking down a three, and Towns dishing a run of assists.

From there, OG put it away with a pair of late threes, while Towns cleaned the glass and kept piling up his assist total. Fairly easy win, as it should have been.

Up Next

New York heads home to face the Bulls on Friday. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

Box Score

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Dodgers confident their bats will come alive soon despite series loss to Guardians

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani walks away after striking out during the eighth.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani walks back to the dugout after striking out in the eighth inning of a 4-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Sure, it’s very early. Maybe that’s why all Dodgers’ batters seem to be hitting is the snooze button — snoozing and, on Wednesday, losing 4-1 to the Cleveland Guardians.

Only Andy Pages has looked alert in the Dodgers’ super-imposing lineup, which would have been shut out before a crowd of 45,556 at Dodger Stadium if not for Freddie Freeman’s two-out home run in the ninth inning.

Before Freeman’s 407-foot blast, Pages had the only two hits off Guardians starter Gavin Williams. Cleveland’s 6-foot-6 right-hander had Dodgers hitters scuffling for seven innings, striking out 10 as the Guardians won for the second time in the three-game series.

Read more:Shohei Ohtani battles through the rain to throw a one-hit gem in Dodgers' win

Otherwise, the Dodgers only seriously threatened when reliever Shawn Armstrong was on the mound in the eighth inning and they got runners on second and third, as Pages doubled over Teoscar Hernández, who had singled.

But then Shohei Ohtani struck out on three pitches to end the inning.

A day off and a road trip are now just what Doc ordered: manager Dave Roberts suggested a day to reset and some hostile crowds in Washington and then Toronto, where the Dodgers won last season's epic, seven-game World Series against the Blue Jays, could help get his club’s juices flowing.

Freeman, too, said he’s confident the Dodgers will wake up soon.

“Our offense is inevitable,” said Freeman, smiling as though amused by the puzzle baseball has delivered Dodgers hitters to start a season in which they’re trying to three-peat as World Series champions.

“Hopefully, maybe tomorrow, with an off-day, the coldness will go away and we'll heat up.”

Despite struggling at the plate, the Dodgers are 4-2 to start the season, “so that's a good thing,” Roberts said.

And their pitchers have given up only 17 runs, with an ERA of 2.83 that ranks fourth best in baseball. “We’re pitching well,” Roberts added. “So that’s a really good thing.”

“But yeah,” he acknowledged. “It's obviously a very talented lineup, and right now, it just seems like a lot of guys are in-between.”

They’ve struck out 44 times and walked 17. They’ve scored only 23 runs — 19th among MLB’s 30 teams. And they’ve consistently been plagued by slow starts, digging themselves a too-familiar hole again by falling behind 2-0 for the fifth time in six games.

But this time, they couldn’t conjure up clutch hits to help them climb out of it — including not by Ohtani, who is three for 18 with seven walks and no extra-base hits.

Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers during the first inning Wednesday against the Guardians.
Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers during the first inning Wednesday against the Guardians. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

After telling reporters Tuesday night he felt his swing was “a little off,” Ohtani took a rare on-field batting practice Wednesday — just as he had before his epic three-home run game that he also pitched and struck out 10 to close out last season’s NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Watching home runs fly through the fresh air didn’t prove an effective remedy this time, though.

After Ohtani’s first-inning walk — which extended his overall on-base streak to 37 games — the Dodgers’ sensational leadoff man went 0 for 3 at the plate, including being called out on a challenge that resulted in a double play in the sixth inning.

“I was a little surprised because he doesn't do that very often,” Roberts said. “I think he was looking for some feel, the flight of the baseball. Sometimes when he doesn't feel well, he likes to change up his routine and get on the field and see the flight. So, yeah, I was surprised.

“[And he] took a walk, but had a couple other tough at-bats.”

That was the story of the game — and of the season so far for the Dodgers.

The Guardians scored twice in the third inning on miscues by Yoshinobu Yamamoto and catcher Will Smith. Daniel Schneemann hit a leadoff double to right field, got a good jump, stole third base and then jogged home after Smith’s errant throw wound up in left field. Yamamoto then let Gabriel Arias get hold of a curveball for a 407-foot home run to straightaway center field.

But those were the only runs Cleveland scored against Yamamoto, whose start was historic because it made the Dodgers the first team in MLB history to start three consecutive Japanese-born pitchers. Yamamoto followed Roki Sasaki and Ohtani, who pitched Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

And in six innings, Yamamoto gave up four hits, struck out two, walked a batter and hit Angel Martínez.

Read more:C.B. Bucknor's week gets worse: Umpire leaves game with injury days after ABS and replay reversed his calls

Yamamoto (1-1) didn't have his typical pinpoint command, but he did enough, Roberts said. “He gave us six innings, gave up two runs, so obviously gave us a chance to win the game.”

But yet again, Yamamoto didn't get help from his friends. Ranking in the bottom five in run support last season, the Dodgers couldn’t drum up runs for their ace of aces, either.

Williams, conversely, was pin-prick sharp, confounding the Dodgers (4-2) with the exception of Pages, the Dodgers' No. 8 hitter, who finished 3-3 to improve to nine for 21 on this young season.

The Guardians (4-3) extended the lead to 4-0 in the eighth inning, when José Ramírez hit a two-run home run off Tanner Scott.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Gavin Williams dominates Dodgers’ offense

Apr 1, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) looks on before an at bat during the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

A pitcher with such a glaringly high walk rate as Gavin Williams had last season and in his first start is someone who’s playing with fire—while that may eventually prove costly, one only gets to that point if they have the quality stuff to back it up, and that showed as the Guardians beat the Dodgers 4-1. The Guardians’ starting pitcher landed his four-seamer in the zone routinely enough to take full advantage of two outstanding breaking balls; his sweeper and curveball combined to induce 12 whiffs on 20 swings, and for seven innings, he imposed his will against this star-studded attack. Apart from Andy Pages, who seemed to have his number, Dodger hitters went 0 for 18 against Williams.

The Dodgers wouldn’t get an at-bat with a runner in scoring position until the sixth inning, the only frame in which they really challenged Williams. The bottom of the order put two on with no one out ahead of Shohei Ohtani. Only there was no room for even a bit of drama, as the reigning back-to-back NL MVP hit into a rally-killing double play and was subsequently followed by a lazy flyout from Kyle Tucker.

This deflating offensive display overshadowed and ultimately squandered a good performance from Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Robotic-esque is the term that comes to mind when watching Yamamoto, and it makes all the sense in the world that he would start the season in that manner. His fastball command wasn’t particularly great, only earning one called strike on the pitch, and that didn’t even stop him from delivering another ace-caliber performance. It wasn’t his fault; Williams was magnificent.

Yamamoto relied heavily on his cutter to left-handers and kept the Guardians at bay for his second quality start, allowing fewer than one base runner per inning. At the top of the third, Davis Schneeman hit a double and quickly came around to score after a throwing error from Will Smith as he tried to steal third. It wouldn’t have mattered much, considering the following hitter went deep as Gabriel Arias was waiting for a 3-1 ball and crushed it out to center. With a 35-degree launch angle, Arias made the most of this early start to be able to get it over the wall for a ball that maybe wouldn’t travel as much at night. Funny enough, facing a Chase DeLauter-less Guardians lineup, Yamamoto completely shut down the top five in their order. All of Cleveland’s four hits came from the bottom four in their lineup.

Before the Dodgers offense could get a crack at the Guardians bullpen to try and close this 2-0 deficit, Cleveland doubled their lead with their second two-run shot of the evening. Tanner Scott came in the game specifically to face José Ramírez and couldn’t put him away despite an 0-2 count, eventually coughing up a long ball down the left-field line. Repeating the scenario of the sixth inning, once again the Dodgers got a couple of men on ahead of Ohtani, but he was quickly dismissed by the left-hander Eric Sabrowski, striking out on three pitches. A solo shot from Freddie Freeman with two outs in the ninth simply helped the Dodgers avoid the shutout.

Wednesday particulars

Home runs: Gabriel Arias (1), José Ramírez (1) & Freddie Freeman (1)

WP — Gavin Williams (1-1): 6 IP, 1 hit, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts

LP — Yoshinobu Yamamoto (1-1): 6 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts

Up next

The Dodgers hit the road for the first time in 2026, with their first stop in Washington for the Nationals’ home opener. It’ll be a very early start for the West Coasters, as these two teams meet up on Friday at 10:05 AM (PT). While the Dodgers have yet to announce their starter, if they follow this early-season schedule, it’ll be Emmet Sheehan taking the mound.

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Knicks close out four-game road trip with wire-to-wire win over Grizzlies

The Knicks salvaged their four-game road trip with a convincing 130-119 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night to snap a three-game losing streak.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Without top scoring threat Jalen Brunson in the game due to right ankle soreness, New York needed its other players to step up and make some shots and make shots they did. It was an all-out team effort in the first quarter with the Knicks putting up 48 points in the opening 12 minutes of the game, the most points they've scored in any quarter this season. 

-- Nine players saw the court in the first quarter and all nine made at least one field goal, including Ariel Hukporti, who saw extended minutes for the first time since March 13 against the Indiana Pacers. 

 Mikal Bridges led the way by going 3-for-3 from the field and drilling his only three-point attempt. But it wasn't just Bridges as New York shot 81 percent from the field in the first and 100 percent from downtown (5-for-5). They also didn't miss from the free-throw line, going 9-for-9.

-- Overall, the Knicks missed just four shots in the opening frame and were getting anything they wanted offensively. Still, it wasn’t their best defensive effort as they allowed the Grizzlies to score 30 points.

-- The second quarter saw more of the same as Bridges continued his scoring barrage with Karl-Anthony Towns also heavily involved. New York wasn't able to keep up its first-quarter field-goal percentage in the second, but it still shot 71 percent from the field (70 percent from three) going into halftime and still didn't miss from the charity stripe (14-for-14). Along with the starters, it also got some nice contributions from Tyler Kolek and Landry Shamet.

-- Given their ridiculous offensive production, the Knicks outrebounded Memphis 21-6 at the break and had more offensive rebounds (eight) than the Grizzlies had total rebounds. Regardless, Memphis shot a more than respectable 56 percent from the field in the first half and had 62 points at halftime, even outscoring New York 32-31 in the second quarter. Of course, it was outshone by the Knicks' 79 points and 17-point lead at the half.

-- What felt like a clear and obvious win for New York for the entirety of the first half came crashing back down to Earth in the third quarter when the Grizzlies just kept chipping away and made it a game, relying on players like GG Jackson II, who led his team with 20 points, and Javon Small. 

After an Adama Bal three-pointer with 2:48 left in the quarter made it 90-87, what was once a Knicks lead as large as 22 points was shriveled to three points. 

-- The near total collapse by New York came from turnovers, continued bad defense and not having a player to defer to to put an end to a run. That changed in the fourth quarter when OG Anunoby put the team on his back and killed any thought the Grizzlies may have had to come back and win the game.

-- Entering the fourth quarter with just eight points, Anunoby scored 17 in the final frame, in which the Knicks needed every bit of it as Memphis continued to apply pressure. Anunoby finished with a game-high 25 points and led everybody with 13 rebounds.

-- Meanwhile, Towns had a triple-double (20-11-11) and Bridges finished with 24 points in Brunson's absence. New York's bench had a good game, scoring 41 points and dishing out 11 assists (seven via Kolek). 

Game MVP: OG Anunoby

Even though KAT finished with a triple-double, Anunoby made some big shots when it looked like the Knicks might blow their massive lead and had a double-double in his own right.

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks return home for a Friday night showdown with the Chicago Bulls starting at 7:30 p.m.

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Portland fined $100,000, two executives suspended for illegal pre-draft contact with Yang Hansen

The Portland Trail Blazers have been fined $100,000, and two of their assistant general managers — Sergi Oliva and Mike Schmitz — have been suspended for two weeks without pay, all for making illegal pre-draft contact with Yang Hansen in December of 2023, the NBA announced.

The Trail Blazers released this statement (via Sean Highkin of the must-read Rose Garden Report):

"When this was brought to our attention the Portland Trail Blazers self reported to the NBA. The team cooperated fully with the investigation and accept the league's determination."

Hansen was a surprise No. 16 pick of the Trail Blazers last June, and when asked about the unexpected selection at the time, the Trail Blazers responded they had been watching him closely for years. Apparently, that's true. The 20-year-old, 7'1" center out of China has been compared to Nikola Jokic because he has a similar skill set in many ways, including being a gifted passer.

Hansen has shown flashes of that skill set but has a lot of development — both physically and with his game — before he is ready for rotation NBA minutes. Hansen has shown more of that potential with the Rip City Remix — Portland's G League affiliate — where, in 14 games, he has averaged 17.1 points and 9.1 rebounds. He has played in 41 Trail Blazers games but is averaging just 7.2 minutes and 2.3 points per game.

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Celtics ride dominant first quarter to 147-129 win over Heat

MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 01: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics drives against Pelle Larsson #9 of the Miami Heat during the second quarter of the game at Kaseya Center on April 01, 2026 in Miami, Florida. 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 Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Celtics scored 53 first quarter points in route to a 147-129 point win over the rival Miami Heat. It was a night that included a 43 point game from Jaylen Brown, a triple-double from Jayson Tatum and 15 point and 10 rebound game from Neemias Queta.

The Celtics had everyone available, outside of Nikola Vucevic for this one. Vucevic did go through a workout today in Miami at shoot around.

The Celtics started Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta. Norman Powell was out for the Heat who started Davion Mitchell, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, Pelle Larson and Bam Adebayo.

It was a hot start for Jaylen Brown who scored the Celtics first 11 points.

There wasn’t a ton of defense in the first 6 minutes of the game as the teams were tied at 21 at the first timeout. The Celtics were struggling to guard Bam Adebayo, who had 11 points, 2 rebounds (both offensive boards) and 1 assist early in the game.

It was a monster Sam Hauser quarter as he had 17 points shooting 6/6 from the field and 5/5 from three.

The Celtics led Miami 53-33 at the end of the first quarter. It was a dominant first quarter for Boston, they shot 71% from the field and 73% from three, making 11 threes. They ended the quarter on a 32-9 run as well.

Jaylen Brown had 20 points (the most by a Celtics in the first quarter this season) along with the previously mentioned 17 from Hauser.

53 points is the most first quarter points for the Celtics in franchise history.

Jordan Walsh was the 9th Celtic off of the bench, Hugo Gonzalez had been filling that role for a while now.

After a slow start, the Celtics defense really clicked in. After giving up 30 points in the first 7:16 of the game, they hunkered down on that side, giving up 21 points over the next 12 minutes of game action.

The Celtics cooled off a bit in the second quarter and did not score 100 points. They did score 80, however, and led Miami 80-57 at halftime. Brown led the team with 24 points while Hauser had 17 and Jayson Tatum had 13 points and 12 rebounds.

The third quarter was another hot start for Brown as he scored 8 straight points as the Celtics opened up a 26 point lead.

The rest of the third quarter didn’t go well for the Celtics. They didn’t get nearly enough stops in the quarter and the Heat were able to cut the lead to 10 with 45 points in the period. Just unacceptable stuff from the defense.

The Celtics led the Heat 112-102 at the end of three quarters. Jaylen Brown was dominating the game with 36 points.

Early in the fourth quarter, Jayson Tatum recored a triple-double and then a step back three put the Celtics back up 16. Tatum finished the game with 25 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists.

The Heat made a push but the closest they got was 9. The Celtic won the game 147-129. Jaylen Brown finished with 43 points, Sam Hauser had 23 points and Neemias Queta had 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The Celtics 58% from the field and 48% from three while the Heat shot 46% from the field and 51% from three. Boston’s next game is Friday night in Milwaukee against the Bucks at 8 EST.

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Thursday's Time Schedule

All Times EDT

Thursday, April 2

MLB

Minnesota at Kansas City, 2:10 p.m.

Atlanta at Arizona, 9:40 p.m.

N.Y. Mets at San Francisco, 9:45 p.m.

NBA

Minnesota at Detroit, 7 p.m.

Phoenix at Charlotte, 7 p.m.

L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m.

Cleveland at Golden State, 10 p.m.

New Orleans at Portland, 10 p.m.

San Antonio at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

NHL

Boston at Florida, 7 p.m.

Buffalo at Ottawa, 7 p.m.

Columbus at Carolina, 7 p.m.

Detroit at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Montreal at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

Washington at New Jersey, 7:30 p.m.

Vancouver at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

Winnipeg at Dallas, 8 p.m.

Chicago at Edmonton, 9 p.m.

Calgary at Vegas, 10 p.m.

Toronto at San Jose, 10 p.m.

Utah at Seattle, 10 p.m.

Nashville at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

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Sheppard scores 27 points on a career-high 9 3s in the Rockets' win over the the Bucks

HOUSTON (AP) — Reed Sheppard scored 27 points on a career-high nine 3-pointers, Alperen Sengun added 25 points and the Houston Rockets beat the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks 119-113 on Wednesday night for their fourth straight victory.

Kevin Durant finished with 19 points and nine assists, Amen Thompson had 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists and Jabari Smith Jr. scored 12 points for the Rockets. They shot 47% from the field, going 18 of 42 on 3-pointers.

Houston had 30 assists on 41 field goals and forced the Bucks into 15 turnovers that they converted into 18 points.

Ousmane Dieng had a career-high 36 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists for Milwaukee. Cormac Ryan had a season-high 25 points, Pete Nance added a career-high 23. AJ Green had 15 points and eight rebounds.

The Bucks shot 47% and were 17 of 40 on 3-pointers. They made 10 3-pointers in the third as they cut Houston’s 20-point lead to seven by the end of the quarter.

Gary Trent Jr. exited with a hip contusion with 4 1/2 minutes left in the first after hitting the ground hard while diving for a loose ball at midcourt. He walked to the locker room holding his right side. Trent’s exit left the Bucks with seven available players after Ryan Rollins was ruled out with a right hip strain.

Down 112-100 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the fourth, the Bucks reeled off eight straight to close within four on two free throws by Dieng. Sengun made two free throws to push the lead to six with 1:06 remaining.

After the teams traded baskets, Jericho Sims made 1 of 2 free throws, but after the Bucks stole the ball, Ryan missed a 3-pointer. Houston got the rebound, and Sengun made 1 of 2 free throws with 16 seconds left to push the lead back to six.

Up next

Bucks: Host Boston on Friday night.

Rockets: Host Utah on Friday night.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

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Sarah Fillier gets her 1st PWHL hat trick in overtime to help the Sirens beat the Frost 4-3 in OT

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Sarah Fillier scored two goals 14 seconds apart in the third period and she completed her first PWHL hat trick in overtime as the New York Sirens ended a four-game skid with a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Frost on Wednesday night.

New York (8-1-3-12) won at the Prudential Center for the first time since March 8 when Fillier had two goals and three points.

Minnesota (11-3-4-6) has lost three straight games for the first time this season.

The Sirens fell behind 1-0 just 16 seconds into the game as Taylor Heise scored on the first shot of the game.

Minnesota forward Grace Zumwinkle scored the only goal of the second period and she added another 44 seconds into the third for a 3-1 lead. Five of her 11 goals this season have come against New York.

Fillier started the comeback by jumping out of the penalty box, intercepting the puck and scoring on a breakaway to get within 3-2 with 7:40 to go. Then she sent in a rebound to tie it seconds later.

In overtime, Fillier received a centering pass from Maja Nylén Persson and flicked it over the glove of Maddie Rooney for her seventh goal in the last six games.

Minnesota had won the three previous meetings with New York this season. Zumwinkle scored twice when the teams met in the Denver Takeover Tour game in March. She has seven points in four games against the Sirens this season.

Up next

Minnesota returns home to play the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Saturday.

New York will host the first PWHL game at Madison Square Garden on Saturday against the Seattle Torrent. The Sirens announced the game is sold out, with an arena capacity of more than 18,000.

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

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Rapid Recap: Rockets 119, Bucks 113

HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 1: Ousmane Dieng #21 of the Milwaukee Bucks dribbles the ball during the game against the Houston Rockets on April 1, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

In what might just be the Milwaukee Bucks’ best game of the season, they go down to the Houston Rockets 119-113 with just seven players for most of the night (and all of the senior players sitting). Ousmane Dieng announced himself on the NBA stage, leading the Bucks with 36 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds. The Rockets were led by Reed Sheppard, who had 27 points.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

The Bucks suited up EIGHT for this one. Jericho Sims understood the assignment and picked up two fouls in under a minute. Kevin Durant was the main figure early as the Rockets staked out a 10-5 lead. Houston continued to grow their lead, with Reed Sheppard knocking down a couple treys. Perhaps sensing his relative stature, Ousmane Dieng upped his usage, to ill effect. But despite sporting a bench of Andre Jackson Jr., Cormac Ryan, and Alex Antetokounmpo—and losing Gary Trent Jr. to injury to boot—the Bucks parlayed some truly grotesque push shots into a run of inspired YMCA pickup basketball. They ended the frame on an eight-point run to stem the bleeding at 27-20 Rockets.

Houston continued to have a problem in the second, and that problem was offense. That was at least partly to the Bucks’ credit, including some 2-3 zone that the Rockets couldn’t capitalize on from deep. Against all odds, Ime Udoka called a timeout as Milwaukee whittled Houston’s lead to 3. Sadly, Houston (specifically Sheppard) started to make shots again, staking out a healthier lead. Ous continued to call his own number, though this time to better effect (including a sick slam). Josh Okogie injected some well-needed verve into the Rockets as they reclaimed a double-digit advantage. But a couple buckets from Cormac Ryan kept the Bucks in orbit. After an early 15-point deficit, Milwaukee ended the half down a more respectable 54-44.

The Rockets quickly extended their lead to around 15 out of the locker room, with their starters sharing the load equally, leading 72-55 at the 6:42 mark; their size was obviously their biggest advantage against the miniature Bucks lineup. But from there, Milwaukee really took it to the Rockets with an inspired rest of the quarter, headlined by Cormac Ryan and AJ Green. Ryan and Green nailed nine of their 11 tries from deep. Some were just off great ball movement, but others were tough jumpers coming off DHO actions. The Rockets’ clogged-toilet offence even reared its ugly head against the Bucks’ third-strong unit, leaving them trailing by only seven, 85-78, after three.

The Bucks forced several tough shots to open the fourth, but the Rockets just made them (Alperen Sengun, in particular). Still, Milwaukee wasn’t going anywhere, with Ousmane Dieng notching a new career-high of 23 points following consecutive buckets—Houston up 93-87 at the 8:33 mark. The Rockets were able to run out on the fast break a few times after that, getting their lead back up to double digits. Cormac Ryan wasn’t going out without a fight, though, getting fouled by KD on a three and then driving the lane for a nice filayyyy; Rockets up 102-94 at the halfway mark. Houston would increase their lead to 12, but it was halved in short order after threes from Nance and Green with just 2:40 to go! Fast forward a few minutes, Dieng nailed a step-back jumper for his 36th point, and the Bucks were just down four with 54 seconds left. Unfortunately, the Rockets made just enough plays to win, but what an inspired performance from the Bucks. Wow.

Stat That Stood Out

Somehow, the Bucks (with their tiny lineup) got more O-boards (15) than the Rockets (12).

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Sixers Bell Ringer: Paul George fuels Sixers win in DC

WASHINGTON, DC -  APRIL 1: Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket as Will Riley #27 of the Washington Wizards plays defense during the game on April 1, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:

Tyrese Maxey – 22.5
VJ Edgecombe – 12
Joel Embiid – 10.5
Paul George – 7
Justin Edwards – 4
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 4
Quentin Grimes – 3
Jared McCain :’( – 3
Dominick Barlow – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
MarJon Beauchamp – 2
Adem Bona – 1
Cam Payne – 1
Jabari Walker – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

The 76ers are back in the win column as they push to avoid the play-in following a 153-131 victory over the Washington Wizards.

The Sixers came out hot offensively, but left a ton to be desired in terms of defensive effort for most of the first half. Against a tanking Wizards team, giving up 71 points in the first half is inexcusable, even with Joel Embiid missing the game due to illness.

They would eventually pull themselves out of the mud in the third quarter, but allowed the Wizards to creep back into it in the fourth, requiring Nick Nurse to put the starters back in.

We saw strong offensive showings from Tyrese Maxey (28 points, nine assists) and VJ Edgecombe (23 points, 10 assists), as well as some two-way flashes for Adem Bona, but our Bell Ringer tonight was pivotal in ensuring a Sixers win on both ends of the floor.

Paul George: 39 points, 15-of-22 FG, 6-of-12 3PT, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 0 turnovers

Paul George came out of the gates scorching, putting up 14 points through the first 10 minutes of action. He opened scoring with a midrange jumper and immediately found his touch from that distance, nailing another one off a Bona offensive rebound. He would also nab a couple steals to give the Sixers an early double-digit lead. His hot start would travel behind the arc as well with a beautiful step-back three over Tristan Vukcevic.

In the midst of the Wizards’ second-quarter run, George helped bring the Sixers back into it late in the frame with a flurry of shots from midrange and deep. He concluded the period with another step-back three to give the Sixers the lead and to bring him to 24 points at halftime.

In the third, George opened up scoring with a corner three, assisted a Bona cutting dunk, and nailed another three to bring his total up to 30. The Sixers gained some ground through the offense of Maxey, but this sequence from George helped put the nail in the Wizards’ coffin, despite it still being the third quarter.

His consistent energy was contagious for his teammates, and his leadership continues to be a key force for Edgecombe’s development.

George finished with a season-high 39 points, his highest total since April 7, 2024, when he put up 39 points against the Cavaliers as a member of the Clippers. Even with the stint in the fourth, the Sixers were unable to get him 40.