LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 21: Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) dribbles the ball during the West First Round Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers game on April 21, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant is celebrating another successful season in the NBA with his 12th All-NBA honor of his career.
With his 12th All-NBA appearance, Durant joins an elite club of basketball greats, which includes:
Jerry West
Dolph Schayes
Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon
Dirk Nowitzki
Julius Erving
Bob Cousy
Shaquille O’Neal
Karl Malone
Tim Duncan
Kobe Bryant
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
LeBron James
Here’s a list of the All-NBA teams that the voters chose:
First: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, Cade Cunningham
In his first season with the Rockets, Durant averaged 26 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game in 78 appearances with the team. It’s the most Durant has played in a single season since the 2018-19 campaign, when he also had 78 appearances for the Golden State Warriors just before tearing his Achilles in that year’s NBA Finals.
To play that long and to still be at an All-NBA level this late into his career is extraordinary and the Rockets should not take that for granted.
While the Rockets may not have moved forward in their quest for a championship after bringing Durant in from a trade with the Phoenix Suns, having him on the roster makes them dangerous on any given night.
TDS community, how do you feel about Durant making the All-NBA team? Let us know in the comments section below.
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 25: Jalen Brunson #11 and Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks looks on during the game against the Atlanta Hawks during Round 1 Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 25, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson is celebrating his third consecutive All-NBA appointment, being named to the second team for a third straight year.
Here’s a look at how all the All-NBA teams shook out.
First: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, Cade Cunningham
Brunson was the final player named to the second team, receiving 49 second-team votes and 50 third-team votes. One voter left him off the ballot completely.
This season, Brunson averaged 26 points, 6.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting just under 37 percent from beyond the arc. Brunson did all of this while leading the Knicks to 53 victories and the third seed in the Eastern Conference. He has continued his All-NBA level throughout the postseason as the Knicks find themselves one win away from advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
Towns had a case to join Brunson on the All-NBA list, but the big man came up just short. He was the 17th-highest vote getter, with one second-team vote and 11 third-team votes. Towns averages 20.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, and three assists per game in his second season with the Knicks.
Posting & Toasting community, what do you make of the All-NBA teams? Should Brunson have made the First Team? Who was the biggest snub next to Towns? Chime off in the comments section below.
The Senators don’t have a lot of blue-chip prospects knocking on the NHL door right now. But one that will command plenty of attention at training camp this fall is former first-round pick Carter Yakemchuk.
After spending this past season with the Belleville Senators, the 20-year-old right-shot defenceman appears to be tracking exactly the way Ottawa hoped when they selected him seventh overall in the 2024 NHL Draft.
The question now is whether Yakemchuk has done enough to seriously challenge for an NHL roster spot next season.
Sens Nation with THN's Steve Warne discusses the recent report that the Sens may be interested in G Devon Levi.
The short answer is... maybe.
Yakemchuk’s first pro season was productive and encouraging, and he certainly has a penchant for good first impressions. In his first AHL season, he had 40 points in 54 games. In his first regular season and first Stanley Cup Playoff games, he had 2 points in each contest.
But his ability to create offense from the back end has never been in question. It was about learning the defensive side of the game and improving his skating.
“I thought it was definitely a big learning year for myself, but I thought overall improved throughout the year, so I was pretty happy with it,” Yakemchuk told broadcaster David Foote in an interview posted this week on B-Sens YouTube channel.
One of the biggest moments of his season came when he earned his first NHL recall and got the opportunity to make his NHL debut with Ottawa.
“I think I’d go with that for sure,” Yakemchuk said. “It was awesome. I mean to have my family there, and (for them) to be able to watch that game was awesome. Because obviously, without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. So just to share that moment with them, it was awesome.”
But making the awesome jump from first-year AHL player to full-time NHL player is never easy for young defencemen, especially on a Senators team that’s now in a legitimate playoff window, way past development mode.
After a 2-8 record in the past two playoffs, it won’t be enough to just make the playoffs next season, and head coach Travis Green will want more reliability and structure on the back end, not less.
That’s where Yakemchuk’s camp battle gets interesting.
His challenge will be proving he can defend consistently enough to earn Green’s trust. Yakemchuk acknowledged that his goal is to improve in all areas this summer, particularly his skating.
“I think skating for me is the biggest thing I want to improve on. Obviously to play in this league or in the NHL, you’ve got to be a good skater, so that’s something I’ll be working on in the summer.”
After Yakemchuk tore up the preseason in the fall of 2024 (7 points in 4 games), the Sens had to be tempted to keep him around. But for his own good, they didn’t want to rush him unnecessarily. If they made that decision again this fall, it might be partially for the team’s good as well.
At the same time, the right side of Ottawa’s blue line isn’t exactly locked down at the moment. If it stays that way, and Yakemchuk arrives at camp a little quicker and more polished defensively, there’s absolutely an opportunity there to win a job.
By Steve WarneThe Hockey News
This story was originally published at The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. Click on the latest headlines below to read the latest stories there:
One of the San Jose Sharks' pending unrestricted free agents has already gotten his plans for the 2026-27 season sorted out.
Defenseman Lucas Carlsson has signed with Djurgårdens IF of the Swedish Hockey League. His newly-signed contract with Djurgårdens runs for four seasons and upon expiration, he'll be 32 years old.
Carlsson spent the majority of his time in the Sharks organization with their American Hockey League affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, but he did play a few games at the NHL level as well.
During his two seasons as a member of the Sharks organization, Carlsson played 103 games for the Barracuda. From the blue line, he scored 22 goals and 49 points during that time.
Carlsson also played in 13 games at the NHL level for the Sharks, all of which came during the 2024-25 season. He scored a goal and had four points during his limited opportunities with the Sharks.
Prior to his NHL career, Carlsson played in the SHL for Brynäs IF. In his SHL career, he's appeared in 136 games, scored 14 goals, and tallied a total of 38 points. Given the nature of his contract, it's likely we've seen the last of Carlsson in North America.
Knicks wing OG Anunoby "got robbed" of the 2025-26 NBA All-Defensive First Team, coach Mike Brown said Sunday in Cleveland during a Zoom with reporters.
"I got one more thing before I'm taking off -- you guys can all print this," Brown, who made the case in early April, said at the end of his media availability. "Great players out there -- I'm not discounting anybody -- but freakin' OG got robbed. He should've been First Team All-Defense -- First Team All-Defense. The versatility that he brings to this team, we're a top five defensive team -- top five defensive team. OK?
"The versatility that he brings -- and everybody always says, 'Oh, you got KAT (Karl-Anthony Towns), you got Jalen (Brunson), blah, blah, blah.' The versatility that that guy brings to this team is off the charts, and I hope the voters get it next time around. I'm happy he's Second Team -- he deserves something -- but it was wrong."
"Freakin' OG got robbed. He should've been First Team All-Defense. I hope the voters get it right next time around. It was wrong."
Mike Brown ends his availability today by making the case for OG Anunoby to be First Team All-Defense 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/Z0HSYCirhf
Before Brown's statement, Anunoby said earlier in the video call that he was honored to be mentioned but "hoping" to make the First Team.
"It was cool to get the recognition, you know," Anunoby said. "... Second Team is cool. I was hoping I got First Team -- I thought I should've gotten First Team -- but Second Team is just as good."
Boston Celtics guard Derrick White, Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson, Oklahoma City Thunder center-forward Chet Holmgren, San Antonio Spurs forward-center Victor Wembanyama and Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert got the nod for the First Team.
"He's been tremendous, obviously, defensively," Brunson said of Anunoby. "And I think him being able to guard 1 through 5 on any given night has really been a big part of who we are and what we're allowed to do on defense because of him. ... Any publicity is good publicity, but I think he was well deserving of the First Team."
Anunoby made the cut for the Second Team with Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, Thunder guard Cason Wallace, Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes and Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo.
"There's a lot of great defenders in the league, so to be recognized as one of the 10 premier ones is really cool ... now just focus on the rest of the playoffs," Anunoby said.
Avalanche vs Golden Knights goal scorer predictions for Game 3
Player to score a goal
Odds
Nathan MacKinnon
+105
Brock Nelson
+335
Tomas Hertl
+350
💲Goal scorer parlay: Nathan MacKinnon, Brock Nelson, Tomas Hertl
+2000
Goal scorer pick: Nathan MacKinnon (+105)
I'm backing Nathan MacKinnon to have a strong volume game, and his shot output correlates strongly with his goal scoring. MacKinnon found the back of the net in 62% of his games when attempting seven shots or more this season, and he has attempted at least seven shots in five of his last six.
Focusing specifically on this matchup, MacKinnon has generated 45 shot attempts over five games against the Vegas Golden Knights this year — including 11- and nine-attempt performances while John Tortorella was behind the bench.
The Colorado Avalanche desperately need a win and will rely heavily on MacKinnon to lead the charge. That means a ton of offensive zone starts and extra ice time for the Rocket Richard winner. Bet him to find the net up to -111.
Goal scorer pick: Brock Nelson (+335)
Brock Nelson has scored just twice in the playoffs despite creating 24 scoring chances and 4.03 expected goals.
That is highly abnormal, as Nelson has scored more goals than expected in 11 consecutive years.
He is a consistently excellent finisher, and I want to buy the dip. Even with this cold stretch, Nelson has found the back of the net in 32% of all games this year. A +335 price tag implies a 23% chance of scoring.
I think the fair price is somewhere in the middle, and would back Nelson up to +270.
Goal scorer pick: Tomas Hertl (+350)
Tomas Hertl is not playing a lot at 5-on-5, but he's getting a steady dose of offensive zone starts, which helps him maximize his minutes.
Nobody on the Golden Knights has recorded more shot attempts, scoring chances, high-danger chances, or created more rebounds than Hertl in this series.
He is also skating on a talented top power-play unit, playing a net-front role and looking to pounce on loose pucks sprayed to the net.
Hertl's a big threat to an Avalanche team that hasn't gotten high-danger saves consistently since the first round. I'd back him to +310.
Avalanche vs Golden Knights anytime goal scorer parlay (+2000)
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.
The best of the best in the NBA have been honored.
The league announced its 2025-26 All-NBA selections Sunday, May 24, and a pair of players led the way with unanimous selections.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning, two-time consecutive Most Valuable Player, and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić were the only two players to receive 100 first-place votes.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama nearly made it three, but one panelist gave him a second-place vote.
A panel of 100 media members voted to select the All-NBA teams. Voters were asked to appoint five players to the first team, five to the second and five to the third. Then, the votes were tallied and added up and ranked in numerical order.
First-team votes were worth five points; second-team votes were worth three and third-team votes were worth one.
It’s a little strange to see the All-NBA Teams list and not see LeBron James on there. This is the first time in more than two decades that LeBron did not make an All-NBA Team (he didn't play the minimum 65 games to qualify for the ballot).\
Consider it another sign of the changing of the guard in the NBA. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama — the reigning MVP and Defensive Player of the Year — led the list of players to be named to an All-NBA Team. Those 15 players were announced on Sunday. Here is how the voting shook out:
All-NBA
First Team
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City) Nikola Jokic (Denver) Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio) Luka Doncic (Los Angeles Lakers) Cade Cunningham (Detroit)
Second Team
Jaylen Brown (Boston) Kawhi Leonard (LA Clippers) Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland) Kevin Durant (Houston) Jalen Brunson (New York)
Third Team
Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia) Jamal Murray (Denver) Jalen Duren (Detroit) Jalen Johnson (Atlanta) Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City)
The team was voted on by a panel of 100 media members.
Notes and thoughts on this vote:
• There was a pretty steep drop-off between the players who made All-NBA and those who didn't. Holmgren had the fewest points of any player on the teams, with 87 (eight second-team votes, 63 third-team votes). The next three players on that list (with their points): Portland's Deni Avdija (26), New York's Karl-Anthony Towns (14), and Toronto's Scottie Barnes (9).
• Avdija and Towns would have made the Third Team if Doncic and Cunningham had not been granted exceptions after falling short of the league's 65-game rule. Also, that would have bumped Brown and Leonard up to First Team.
• Kevin Durant makes history as the first player ever to make an All-NBA team with five different franchises.
• The only players to unanimously make the First team were Gilgous-Alexander and Jokic.
• Victor Wembanyama was not unanimous, he had 99 first-team votes and one for the second team.
• Notable players who did not meet the 65-game threshold to qualify for All-NBA (besides LeBron) include Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Edwards, and Stephen Curry.
Boston, MA - May 2: Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey reacts in the second quarter. The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers played in the first round of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden on May 2, 2026. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
From the 21st pick in the draft to one of the 15 best players in the league.
The NBA has announced their All-NBA teams for the 2025-26 season, revealing that Tyrese Maxey has been selected for the first time in his career. He joins Jalen Duren, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Johnson, and Jamal Murray for those honors.
Leading the league in minutes per game, Maxey averaged 28.3 points, 6.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.9 steals a night. He did so on 46.2/36.7/89.2% shooting splits, earning his second All-Star selection back in February. Maxey becomes the first Sixer to make an All-NBA team since Joel Embiid’s MVP year back in 2023 and the first non-Embiid Sixer to earn the honors since Ben Simmons in 2019-20.
Maxey’s spot on an All-NBA started to be penciled in at the very start of the season when Maxey came out of the gates hot, averaging 32 points per game over the first month and a half of the season. His production tailed off a bit as his workload caught up with him, and suffered a finger injury in March that put him in danger of missing the 65-game threshold for awards.
He returned a week early, clearing that benchmark by five games and navigating his team through the Play-In tournament as the Sixers again lost Embiid to a freak injury right before the playoffs.
Had his production been able to withstand his heavy workload, he only averaged a measly 26.5 points per game since the calendar flipped to 2026, there was definitely an argument for him to make second team. He was the leading third-team vote getter and received 36 votes for second-team.
A global media panel of 100 voters selected the 2025-26 Kia All-NBA Team.
This is also the first step in another leap Maxey can make, this one being financial. ESPN’s Bobby Marks has already run the numbers as Maxey will be eligible for the Super-Max extension in the 2027 offseason should he make an All-NBA team again next year.
All-NBA implications:
– Tyrese Maxey: Super max eligible next offseason but only if he earns All-NBA in 2026-27
– Jalen Duren: Eligible to negotiate up to 30% of the cap.
Four former members of the San Jose Sharks organization will compete in the American Hockey League's Western Conference Final, three currently play for the Colorado Eagles while there's one former Shark on the Chicago Wolves.
Starting with Colorado, Jacob MacDonald, Keaton Middleton, and Daniil Gushchin are all set to suit up in the Western Conference Final.
MacDonald originally joined the Sharks organization in the middle of the 2022-23 season as a part of the deal that sent Ryan Merkley and Matt Nieto to the Colorado Avalanche. Known for his ability to play both on the wing and on defense, MacDonald played 59 games for the Sharks across two seasons. He scored eight goals and had 15 points during his time with the team in teal. When his contract with the Sharks expired, he returned to the Avalanche organization, signing a two-year contract.
Middleton never suited up for the Sharks at the NHL level, spending his entire time as a member of the organization playing for the San Jose Barracuda, often alongside his older brother, Jacob Middleton. The younger Middleton spent two seasons with the Barracuda, playing 102 games with the Sharks' farm team. He scored 10 goals and has 26 total points during his time with the Barracuda before moving to the Colorado Avalanche organization for the 2020-21 season.
Last but not least, Gushchin, the Sharks' third round selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, spent parts of four seasons bouncing between the Barracuda and the Sharks. At the NHL level, he appeared in 18 games for the Sharks. During that time, he scored two goals and had five points. He was much more effective at the AHL level though, scoring 70 goals and 150 points in 182 games.
The Sharks traded Gushchin to the Avalanche this past summer, getting Oskar Olausson in return.
In the other locker room, there's just a single Sharks alumnus on the Chicago Wolves, Givani Smith. After spending parts of two seasons in the Bay Area, Smith was traded to the Colorado Avalanche alongside Mackenzie Blackwood ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.
During his time with the Sharks, Smith played in 42 games, registering a single goal and four points during that time. He also recorded 50 penalty minutes with the Sharks.
The AHL's Western Conference Final will kick off this Thursday as the Chicago Wolves visit the Eagles in Loveland, Colorado.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 14: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the first half of a game against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena on March 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Luka is joined by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, Victor Wembanyama and Cade Cunningham on the First Team.
Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson made the Second Team. Jalen Duren, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Johnson, Tyrese Maxey and Jamal Murray were on the Third Team.
Luka received 91 First Team votes and nine Second Team votes.
A global media panel of 100 voters selected the 2025-26 Kia All-NBA Team.
With LeBron James and Austin Reaves both failing to reach the 65-game threshold to be eligible, no other Lakers received All-NBA honors. Last year, the roles were reversed as LeBron was an All-NBA player and Luka was ineligible due to injury.
Luka had an incredible season that deserves to be celebrated. He made the All-Star team, representing the Lakers in the game for the first time in his career. He was the NBA’s scoring champion, averaging 33.5 points per game. He was also the only player to earn Western Conference Player of the Month honors multiple times this season, those coming in Januaryand March.
Only 10 players in NBA history have accomplished that feat. And that list includes players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan and Jerry West.
Now, Luka adds another All-NBA selection to his resume, making him just one of the 50-plus players to make the team six or more times.
Lewis Hamilton was thrilled with his second place at the Canadian Grand Prix in what he called “the greatest job in the world” after a great fight with his old adversary Max Verstappen and expressed how excited he was to be back in a wheel to wheel contest, enthused with his and his Ferrari team’s performance.
“I love this job it’s the greatest job in the world, I never take that for granted,” he said. “To have a good battle with Max finally, I’m really, really grateful. I am so, so happy. It’s good day of racing, overall, a solid weekend. I felt the whole team have done an amazing job.”
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MAY 22: An overall photo of the Frost Bank Center during the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Three of the 2026 NBA Western Conference Finals on MAY 22, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, 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 (Photos by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much. The rule against trolling also applies to members of this site that visit other fan sites.
Tonight’s game is almost a must-win game for the Silver and Black, as they need a victory tonight to avoid a trip to Oklahoma City on Tuesday night with elimination on the line. If anyone would have told me early in the season that the Spurs would be in the conference finals at the end of may with a chance to even up the series 2-2, I would have been ecstatic. But after watching the playoff run so far with the Spurs, I don’t want this to end yet. The Spurs need to keep extending the series until they can take it all the way to the Finals to meet a well-rested Knicks squad, who are murderizing the Cavs on the other side of the bracket.
Game 3 started out well for the home team, as the Spurs rushed out to a 15-0 lead, but unfortunately for the home team, the game isn’t over after the first 5 minutes, and they were thoroughly outplayed after the initial run and lost the game by 15. It was the first game where the Spurs weren’t just outschemed by a more experienced coach, but were neutralized by superior play of the opponent. I have been pretty critical of the physical play style of OKC, but that was not the reason the Spurs lost Game 3. The Thunder played with more energy and got an excellent effort up and down the roster as every player who hit the court made a significant contribution. For the Spurs, Wembanyama had a good but not great game, and the Spurs elite guard trio, struggling with injuries, couldn’t be dominant enough to make up for the lack of production from the San Antonio bench, who were bleeding points every minute they were on the court. If the Spurs want to avoid facing elimination on Tuesday, players like Keldon Johnson, Luke Kornet, and Carter Bryant will need to step up, and Julian Champagnie will need to hit some shots to relieve some of the defensive pressure on Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox.
The Spurs aren’t listing any players on the injury report, but both Fox and Harper have been dinged up, and won’t be at full speed tonight. They are going to go, and maybe that will inspire some of their teammates to help them to a win. Ajay Mitchell is out tonight, and Jalen Williams (hamstring) is listed as questionable. I doubt that JDub will play tonight, but if he does, he won’t be at full speed. With all that’s gone wrong in this series, the Silver and Black have a great opportunity for a win tonight to even up the series, and guarantee at another home game on Thursday in the Frost Arena. Let’s see the Spurs conquer adversity tonight, and give the fans another chance to cheer on their team. The Spurs have not lost three games in a row all season, and you definitely don’t want that to happen for the first time in the playoffs. LETS GO SPURS!
Game Prediction:
Carter Bryant has a breakout game and hits six three point shots as the Thunder are busy triple teaming Wembanyama.
San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma Thunder, Conference Championship Round, Game 4 May 24, 2026 | 7:00 PM CT Streaming: Peacock TV: NBC Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.
May 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Colorado Rockies Catcher Brett Sullivan (26) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the eighth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images | Anna Carrington-Imagn Images
After three close contests in the desert where the Colorado Rockies lost by just one run in two of them (and won by one in the other), the series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks went anything but according to plan. The Rockies were bullied for nine runs while failing to get anything going on offense. The one bright side was that the suffering was at least quick. This afternoon’s game clocked in at just two hours and 18 minutes, a tie for the third-quickest nine innings of the season so far.
Quintana struggles before leaving injured
Rockies starting pitcher José Quintana got off to a rough start this afternoon as the Diamondbacks got to him early. In the first inning Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll went back-to-back with extra-base hits and the Diamondbacks ended up scoring two runs. In the bottom of the second inning, Quintana gave up another three runs on two singles and two doubles.
Quintana recorded just one out in the second inning before further disaster struck. After giving up a two-run ground-rule double to Ketel Marte, Quintana left the game with Rockies training staff without attempting another pitch. His injury would be later described as left elbow discomfort.
Manager Warren Schaeffer stated after the game that Quintana had not been dealing with any discomfort prior to his start today. He said more information would follow over the next day or two.
The Rockies are currently in the midst of playing 16 straight games without a day off. The pitching staff has already been stretched thin as we have seen players like Zach Agnos pressed into starting duty. José Quintana leaving after just 1.1 innings spelled even more work for the bullpen.
Right-handed pitcher Blas Castañ0 is deserving of kudos, entering the game cold in the second inning to replace Quintana. Castañ0 ended up pitching a fairly solid 3.2 innings, giving up just one earned run on four hits and a hit batter. He also tallied three strikeouts.
Castaño has proved a valuable innings-eater after being claimed by the Rockies earlier this season. He has pitched a minimum of two innings in all three of his appearances so far, with today’s outing being his longest in a Rockies uniform.
Seth Halvorsen struggled to finish out his inning of work today. With two outs in sixth inning he gave up three straight hits—a double, a single, and a triple—that allowed the Diamondbacks to plate another two runs.
Halvorsen gave way to lefty Brennan Bernardino, who worked a clean seventh inning with two strikeouts before a position player took the mound in the eighth.
Catcher Brett Sullivan, who started today’s game behind the plate, moved to the mound and pitched a 1-2-3 inning. It was Sullivan’s second relief appearance of the year, the other of which happened on Tuesday against the Texas Rangers.
The offense went out not with a bang but with a whimper
Despite only striking out four times and drawing a handful of walks, the Rockies struggled to get anything going offensively with just one run on six hits.
The Rockies actually started both the first and second innings with a baserunner, only to have the following hitter ground into a double play to erase the advantage. Perhaps even more frustrating is that the Rockies had baserunners in every inning except the seventh and ninth. The lone run of the afternoon came in the eighth inning. Jake McCarthy led off the frame with a single, reaching second on a wild pitch and third on a groundout. He was then driven in on a sacrifice fly by Chad Stevens.
McCarthy was the only Rockies batter with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 on the afternoon. Troy Johnston and Kyle Karros were the only other members of the Rockies lineup to reach safely twice. Johnston went 1-for-2 with two walks while Karros went 1-for-2 with one walk.
Coming Up Next
The Rockies are heading to California to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. It will be their final series of this 16-game stretch before a much-needed day off. The series starts tomorrow evening with Emmet Sheehan on the mound for the Dodgers. The Rockies have not yet announced their plans for the game. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 PM MDT.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 24: Jacob Lopez #57 of the Athletics pitches against the San Diego Padres during the second inning at Petco Park on May 24, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The A’s lost the first two games of their weekend series against the Padres but managed to salvage the finale. They beat the Padres in the finale thanks to some early scoring and quality pitching all around, maintaining their AL West lead and heading home back to Sacramento on a winning note.
It didn’t take long for the scoring to get started in this one against San Diego ace Michael King. Leadoff man Carlos Cortes took the sixth pitch of the game and whacked it out to right-center field and over the wall for a solo home run to give the A’s the quick 1-0 lead just one batter into the game:
The Swingin’ A’s kept it up in the next frame when Zack Gelof worked a one-out walk and rookie center fielder Henry Bolte brought him home with a two-out RBI double:
Think the A’s were done there? Think again! Today’s starting shortstop Alika Williams, who only just arrived in a minor trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates last week, kept the line going as he snuck an RBI single through the left side to bring home Bolte and make it a 3-0 Athletics lead:
And he did it in front of his hometown crowd in San Diego! He surely had some friends and family in the stands for today’s contest, which marked his first start for the Athletics.
Another positive from the early innings was Nick Kurtz. Looking to extend his on-base streak, he got that out of the way in his second at-bat with a single, pushing him ahead of franchise great Rickey Henderson and putting him in a tie for second-most in franchise history:
That ties him with Jimmie Foxx for second-most in franchise history but that’s not the goal at this point. Only Mark McGuire stands ahead of him at this point with his 62-game on-base streak back in ‘95-’96. Only 15 to go until he ties him and it’s becoming a real possibility. How we feeling about his chances at this point, A’s fans?
The A’s got one more in the fourth thanks to some help from King. A double and two walks loaded the bases for the Athletics and a wild pitch brought home the team’s fourth run of the day. Another walk reloaded the bases and chased King from this contest. The Green & Gold couldn’t cash in more than the one run but at least the Padres’ starter was out of the game.
Meanwhile on the pitching side of things it was right-hander Luis Medina getting the start this afternoon, his first in a big league game since 2024. He’s been having a solid season in the bullpen up to today and evidently the team wanted to get him the ball to kick things off this afternoon.
Medina did his job but apparently he was only ever destined to be in there for a short stint. After just four outs manager Mark Kotsay elected to turn to lefty Jacob Lopez, ending Medina’s first start in two years after just 18 pitches.
Lopez seemed to thrive following an opener this afternoon. The left-hander pitched 4 2/3 innings this afternoon while only allowing one run via a Manny Machado sacrifice fly in the sixth. He also got some help from the defense behind him today as well:
The lefty ended his day after finishing the sixth, making way for the bullpen to maintain the three-run lead.
Jacob Lopez: 4 2/3 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 91 pitches
Does this outing earn Lopez another start/bulk appearance? Fellow lefty Gage Jump is on a roll and looking good in Triple-A but today may have pushed that decision down the road a bit. Should the team deiced to stick with Lopez one way or another, he’d be lined up to pitch next against the Yankees this coming weekend.
The A’s, always looking to pad their lead, added one on in the top of the ninth off a Sodey single, bringing home another run and pushing it to a 5-2 A’s lead:
Right-hander Justin Sterner replaced Lopez to start the seventh. He allowed a solo homer to Ty France but nothing else. Mark Leiter Jr. handled the eighth and had a scoreless outing, setting up Hogan Harris for the save. Back-to-back walks put the tying run up to the plate in the ninth, making Kotsay turn to Scott Barlow to get the final two outs against a pinch-hitting Nick Castellanos and Fernando Tatis Jr. Barlow struck Castellanos out then got Tatis to fly out, securing his first save of the season and the Athletics’ 27th win of the year.
A solid day from the bats all around as they collected 10 total hits plus seven walks. Six of the nine starters collected hits and two of the three drew walks (only Langeliers went 0-for today). The combination of Medina opening and Lopez acting as the bulk pitcher worked to perfection as the two combined for six innings of one-run ball. Sterner allowed that home run but it didn’t end up hurting as Leiter Jr. and Harris finished things off. A’s win, remain in first place, and return home on a winning note.
No off day tomorrow as the A’s head back to Sacramento. They’ll welcome the division-rival Mariners to town for three games that’ll be crucial for the Athletics to win. Right-hander Aaron Civale will kick things off for the A’s while the M’s will send Luis Castillo to the bump for the assignment. Gotta win these upcoming games against one of the biggest contenders for the AL West.
Nathan MacKinnon
Tomas Hertl
