Senga’s first start goes well, but Mets waste it

Mar 31, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) pitches against St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Kodai Senga’s first start of the season went well, but the Mets’ lineup was lifeless as the team lost 3-0 to the lowly Cardinals tonight in St. Louis.

It’s hard to come out of seeing your team get shut out by an unimpressive cast of pitchers, but let’s start with the positive. Senga continued to hit the high-90s with his fastball, and he struck out nine and walked three in six innings of work. Officially, he gave up two earned runs, but even those were not entirely his fault.

Luis Robert Jr. came to the Mets as a sure-thing great defender in center field who’s struggled to stay healthy and was coming off back-to-back disappointing years at the plate. He’s been a hot hitter to start his Mets tenure, but the noteworthy defense in center was notably missing in the bottom of the third tonight. Victor Scott II led off the inning with a well-struck ball to center, but it was one that a good defender should’ve caught.

Instead, Robert Jr. misread it, and Scott wound up on second base with a double as a result. On an ensuing single to center by JJ Wetherholt, Robert Jr. missed the cutoff man as Scott stopped at third, allowing Wetherholt to advance to second unnecessarily. Iván Herrera then doubled to left field to plate both of those runners.

That was effectively when the game ended. Despite the fact that they were facing a starting pitcher who had a 5.31 ERA last year and a bullpen that included Ryne Stanek, the Mets mustered up just three hits in total. Their best chance at scoring came in the top of the sixth, as Juan Soto smoked a double to begin the inning and was followed by Bo Bichette drawing a walk.

But Robert Jr. flew out to center, and Jared Young lined out to shortstop. Bichette didn’t get the best read on that line drive, and he was doubled off first.

Carlos Mendoza opted to turn the game over to Richard Lovelady in the bottom of the seventh, and while you can feel for the person for having been designated for assignment by the same team so many times over the past year, you can’t help but wonder why the Mets have a payroll that far exceeds $300 million but continue to acquire and roster a pitcher like him.

Lovelady served up a solo home run to Ramón Urias to lead off his first frame. If there was a silver lining in this game, it was the fact that Lovelady didn’t give up any more runs and soaked up the eighth inning, too, to keep the rest of the Mets’ bullpen fresh.

And if you’re looking to end this recap on an upbeat note, well, the Mets have a chance to win the series in St. Louis tomorrow at 1:15 PM EDT with Freddy Peralta on the mound. Here’s hoping they can score for him.

SB Nation GameThreads

Amazin’ Avenue
Viva El Birdos

Box scores

MLB.com
ESPN

Win Probability Added

FanGraphs win probability graph for Mets-Cardinals on 2026-03-31

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Juan Soto, +7.2% WPA
Big Mets loser: Jared Young, -17.6% WPA
Mets pitchers: -3.1% WPA
Mets hitters: -46.9% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Juan Soto doubles to start the sixth, +8.1% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Jared Young lines into a double play in the sixth, -15.4% WPA

Sluggish Red Wings Falter Again Early, Lose 5-1 To Penguins

Follow Michael Whitaker On X

The Detroit Red Wings used all the right kind of words and phrases following their 5-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.

Alex DeBrincat called their slow start "unacceptable". Lucas Raymond said they needed to play "with more desperation". 

Those words rang hollow on Tuesday evening against the Pittsburgh Penguins, who raced out to a 3-0 lead and a 14-5 shots advantage in the opening 20 minutes of play en route to a 5-1 win at PPG Paints Arena. 

Once again, the Red Wings were plagued by a slow start against an opponent that, like the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers, had played the previous night. 

The Penguins scored barely four minutes into the game on their first shot of the night, courtesy of Rickard Rakell.

Former Red Wings forward Anthony Mantha haunted his old team minutes later by increasing the lead to 2-0, giving him 30 goals in a season for the first time in his career. Egor Chinakhov then gave Pittsburgh a 3-0 advantage late in the frame. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest newsgame-day coverage, and player features

Image

For the second straight game, goaltender John Gibson was pulled in favor of Cam Talbot, who played the final 40 minutes.  

While team captain Dylan Larkin scored on a rebound at 3:17 of the second period, Pittsburgh kept them off the scoresheet the rest of the way and later went up 4-1 thanks to Justin Brazeau. 

A tally from Noel Acciari would cap the scoring for the Penguins in the third period. 

The Red Wings entered March well aware of their struggles during the month in past seasons and said all the right things about delivering a different result this time around.

Just like their words after the loss to Philadelphia on Saturday, their actions didn't match what they ultimately delivered on the ice. 

The Red Wings have eight games remaining on their schedule. While there is still a path to the playoffs, their margin of error continues to shrink. 

Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!

Image

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Cubs BCB After Dark: Do the Cubs need to deal Matt Shaw?

Mar 30, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pinch hitter Matt Shaw (6) hits a single against the Los Angeles Angels during the fifth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

It’s Tuesday night here at BCB After Dark: the hippest hangout for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the cold. We’ve got a fire going in here. There’s no cover charge. We can check your coat for you. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last night I asked you who will lead the Cubs in home runs this year and I stupidly forgot to include Seiya Suzuki as an option. In any case, 60 percent of you picked Michael Busch. Fourteen percent of you picked “other,” which I assume meant Suzuki.

Here’s the part where we listen to jazz. I don’t normally do movie stuff on Tuesday nights, so just enjoy the tunes.


Tonight we’re featuring vibraphonist Sasha Berliner at SFJazz this past December. She’s joined by Tristan Cappel on tenor sax and flute, Javier Santiago on keyboards, Giulio Xavier Cetto on bass and the drummer is Myles Martin.

This is “Did You Get It?”


Welcome back to everyone who skips the music.

The natural position for Matt Shaw is second base. Can he play other positions? Sure. But he’s going to be most valuable at second base.

This is a problem for Shaw and the Cubs now that they have signed Nico Hoerner for the next six years. Hoerner is not moving off of second base. Third base, where Shaw played last year, is occupied by Alex Bregman for the next six years. So unless you think Shaw can be a corner outfielder, the Cubs are looking at keeping Shaw as a utility player until he reaches free agency if they don’t trade him first.

At this time last year, Shaw was a Top 50 prospect in all of baseball. After one year in the majors, he still has some of that top prospect sheen. He was the Cubs starting third baseman last year and while his overall numbers weren’t great, they were much better in the second half after he got adjusted to the majors. His defense at third base was good. Baseball Reference and Fangraphs had very different evaluations of his overall WAR (3.1 on BR and 1.5 on Fangraphs) but even if you go by the lower value, a 23-year-old who was worth a win and a half usually has a promising future.

But it doesn’t look like Shaw has a promising future with the Cubs. They’re trying him out in right field and while there isn’t enough of a sample size to draw any conclusions from the stats, Shaw isn’t passing the eye test out there. Maybe he gets better. But is Shaw’s best value as a corner outfielder?

I would argue that it isn’t. Even if Shaw learns to play a decent outfield, I don’t think he’s going to hit like a corner outfielder hits. Shaw profiles as an above-average hitter as a second baseman. I think he’s a below-average hitter as a left or right fielder.

So the answer appears to be to trade Shaw. However, the Cubs had a major weakness last season: their bench. Shaw is a huge upgrade over Jon Berti, Vidal Bruján and everyone else whom the Cubs used as a backup infielder last season. Even Willi Castro, who turned into a pumpkin right after the trade deadline.

So it would seem that the Cubs could really use Shaw this year to shore up their bench. The problem with that is that the longer Shaw plays as a utility player, the less his value on the trade market gets. Sure, some top 50 prospects end up as utility infielders (Iowa Cub Scott Kingery is one), but if another team thinks that Shaw can be their starting second baseman for the next five years, maybe it’s better to trade him now, even if the Cubs have to accept 75 cents on the dollar for him.

So how urgent is the need to trade Matt Shaw? Should the Cubs try to get a deal done as soon as possible, or should they wait until the offseason? That way the Cubs would have Shaw ready to step in for any injuries during the season and there might be a bigger market in the winter. On the other hand, there might be teams looking to dump players who are approaching free agency whom the Cubs could get for Shaw now who would not be available in the winter. No, I don’t think the Tigers are trading Tarik Skubal unless they completely fall out of playoff contention, but there might be other quality players whom teams would deal for Shaw.

Or maybe you think the Cubs should keep Shaw for next season. Maybe you think he can hit and field well enough to be a quality corner outfielder. Maybe you just want to keep him around as a utility super-sub.

If you think the Cubs should trade Shaw as soon as possible, just vote “by the trade deadline.” Most teams aren’t willing to make deals before June, but you never know when a team might suffer an injury that Shaw be the answer for.

Thanks for stopping by tonight. We’ve enjoyed hosting you. Please get home safely. Tell your friends about us. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow for more BCB After Dark.

Islanders drop both games of back-to-back after 4-3 loss to Sabres

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Bowen Byram flipped a long shot into an empty net with 1:43 remaining to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.

The Sabres became the NHL’s 11th franchise to reach 2,000 wins — and the first team not added in the league’s first expansion in 1967 when the NHL went from six teams to 12. Buffalo joined in the second wave of expansion, joining the NHL with Vancouver in 1970.

Jack Quinn and Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist, and Peyton Krebs also scored for the Sabres, who reached 100 points for the 10th time in franchise history and first since finishing with 100 in 2009-10. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 25 saves for the Sabres.

Brayden Schenn, Calum Ritchie and Anders Lee scored, and Bo Horvat added three assists for the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves.

Some three minutes after Lee tied the game at 2, Krebs scored with 3:01 left.

Alex Tuch set it up by circling the Islanders net and feeding Krebs in front for a one-timer.

And Bowen Byram sealed it by flipping a long shot into an empty net with 1:43 remaining.

Schenn scored with 1 second left, bringing the Islanders within 1.

Up next

Islanders: Host Philadelphia on Friday.

Sabres: Visit Ottawa on Thursday.

Blue Jays 5, Rockies 1: Wasted on the way

Mar 31, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) runs to first base on an RBI bases loaded walk scoring catcher Tyler Heineman in the fifth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Last night, with the series opener, the Colorado Rockies soundly defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in a 14-5 onslaught. In Game 2, the Rockies hit some bad luck and (again) couldn’t seem to get the offense working (again). Add to that a seventh inning that put the Rockies on the back foot.

They ended up ceding the second game to the Blue Jays, 5-1.

More bad luck for Ryan Feltner

The game was fairly uneventful — a bit of a pitchers’ duel between Ryan Feltner and Max Scherzer — until the bottom of the third inning when Feltner was injured on a 106 mph comebacker from Andrés Giménez.

The injury was diagnosed as a “right glute contusion.”

After finishing the inning, he was removed from the game.

Before his exit, Felter looked excellent. He left the game with 3.0 IP, giving up one hit and striking out four on 47 pitches. Given Feltner’s history of injuries in 2025, any potential derailment of his season is reason for concern.

Although there was some traffic on the base paths, the game remained scoreless through four innings.

Manager Warren Schaeffer said of Feltner after the game, “I think we avoided something bad there” since Feltner’s hip tightened up after the contact and prevented him from re-entering the game.

According to Feltner, his hip “just stiffened up,” and he expects to make his next start.

The bullpen takes over

Juan Mejia entered in the fourth. He gave up hits to Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and Kazuma Okamoto before pulling off this nifty double play.

However, Mejia was not so fortunate in the fifth where he loaded the bases before handing the ball over to Jaden Hill, who promptly game up an RBI single to Jesús Sánchez, making the score 1-0 Blue Jays.

He then walked Guerrero Jr with the bases loaded, making the score 2-0 Blue Jays. Following that, Hill struck out Okamoto and Lukes with the bases loaded.

In addition, the Blue Jays had used both of their challenges by the end of the fifth inning.

Hunter Goodman enters the chat

The Rockies certainly had their chances early in this game, courtesy of singles from T.J. Rumfield and Brenton Doyle, but neither were able to score.

That all changed in the sixth when the Rockies got on the board after Hunter Goodman hit his first home run of the season, a gorgeous second-decker (435 ft, 110.9 mph).

Scherzer’s evening was done after tossing 6.0 innings. He allowed four hits and one run (earned), walking one and striking out four and the Blue Jays leading 2-1.

Rumfield led off the seventh with a single (sensing a theme here) and made it to second on a wild pitch before being picked off at second and ending the inning.

Blue Jays feather their nest in the seventh

Zach Agnos came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and gave up three singles that led to the Blue Jays taking a 3-1 lead on a Okamoto RBI. Nathan Lukes followed that with another RBI single, and the score was 4-1 Blue Jays. Ernie Clement followed that with a double, and it was 5-1.

Signs of life late, but it’s not enough

With two outs, Jake McCarthy hit a double in the eighth inning, but, again, the Rockies were unable to bring him home.

Old friend Jeff Hoffman entered to close the game, and surrendered a single to Ezequiel Tovar, but, once again, the Rockies were unable to capitalize.

Final score: Blue Jays 5, Rockies 1

Notable numbers

The Rockies finished the evening with one run on seven hits. They walked once and struck out six times (a notable improvement from last season). They were 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and left five runners on base.

In addition, it was a long night for the bullpen:

  • Mejia: 1.1 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs (earned), 1 BB, 0 K
  • Hill: 0.2 IP, 1 hits, 0 runs, 1 BB, 2 K
  • Bernadino: 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 BB, 1 K
  • Agnos: 2.0 IP, 7 hits, 3 runs, 1 BB, 3 K

“I’m extremely proud of our ‘pen,” Schaeffer said. “We’ve asked a lot of them this season.”

Looking ahead

Join us tomorrow at 11:07 am when the Rockies will win their series against the Blue Jays. They will need length from starting pitcher Kyle Freeland given the usage of the bullpen tonight.

See you then.


Join the conversation!

Sign up for a user account and get:

  • Fewer ads
  • Create community posts
  • Comment on articles, community posts
  • Rec comments, community posts
  • New, improved notifications system!

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Byram's empty-netter stands as winner to lift Sabres past Islanders 4-3

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Bowen Byram flipped a long shot into an empty net with 1:43 remaining to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.

The Sabres became the NHL’s 11th franchise to reach 2,000 wins — and the first team not added in the league’s first expansion in 1967 when the NHL went from six teams to 12. Buffalo joined in the second wave of expansion joining the NHL with Vancouver in 1970.

Jack Quinn and Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist, and Peyton Krebs also scored for the Sabres, who reached 100 points for the 10th time in franchise history and first since finishing with 100 in 2009-10. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 25 saves for the Sabres.

Brayden Schenn, Calum Ritchie and Anders Lee scored, and Bo Horvat added three assists for the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves.

Some three minutes after Lee tied the game at 2, Krebs scored with 3:01 left.

Alex Tuch set it up by circling the Islanders net and feeding Krebs in front for a one-timer.

And Bowen Byram sealed it by flipping a long shot into an empty net with 1:43 remaining.

Schenn scored with 1 second left, bringing the Islanders within 1.

Right off the faceoff to start the third period, Lee and Sam Carrick fought. While Carrick threw punches with his right hand, his left arm was tied up in Lee's jersey at an awkward angle. As Carrick spun and was taken down to the ice, he landed hard. He remained down in obvious pain before leaving for the locker room.

Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff confirmed after the game Carrick injured his left arm in the fight.

Up next

Islanders: Host Philadelphia on Friday.

Sabres: Visit Ottawa on Thursday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Sam Konstas axed from Cricket Australia’s contract list for busy 2026-27 season

  • Batter pays for poor form since fearless Boxing Day knock in 2024

  • Brendan Doggett earns spot on 21-man list after Ashes Test debut

Australia’s Ashes-winning players have been rewarded with contracts for a bumper 2026-27 cricket season, but there was no room on the 21-man list for Sam Konstas and Glenn Maxwell.

Paceman Brendan Doggett, who made his full international debut against England in November’s opening Ashes Test in Perth, earned his first national contract, while opener Jake Weatherald, who played all five Tests last summer, retained his upgraded contract despite averaging just 22.33 during the series.

Continue reading...

Goalie fight! Jacob Markstrom, Igor Shesterkin fight in Devils vs. Rangers

It's been a season to forget for the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils.

The Broadway Blueshirts are the worst team in the Eastern Conference, already eliminated from playoff contention, and the Devils are well on their way to missing the playoffs as well. But fans taking in Tuesday night's rivalry matchup at least got one good memory from this campaign: a goalie fight.

Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin and Devils netminder Jacob Markstrom threw down on March 31 during a heated moment in the third period between the teams.

It was a pretty good scrap all in all, with Shesterkin — the 2021-22 Vezina Trophy winner — in particular unleashing a good flurry of punches.

Hilariously, as a result of the fight, the goaltenders ended up with the most penalty minutes of any players on the night with 7 each (5 for fighting and 2 minutes for leaving the crease). Their penalties were served by Timo Meier (Devils) and Conor Sheary (Rangers).

The Rangers won the game, 4-1.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jacob Markstrom, Igor Shesterkin get in goalie fight in Devils-Rangers

Ivan Herrera’s Bat Wakes Up, Pallante Sharp as Cardinals Beat Mets 3-0

ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MARCH 31: Ivan Herrera #48 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a two-RBI double against the New York Mets in the third inning at Busch Stadium on March 31, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Andre Pallante pitched 5 strong innings and received offensive support from Ivan Herrera, JJ Wetherholt and Ramón Urías as the St. Louis Cardinals shutout the New York Mets 3-0 at Busch Stadium Tuesday night.

It’s hard to overstate how good Andre Pallante looked as his pitches were down with great movement as he only allowed 3 hits over 5 innings. Kodai Senga was impressive for the Mets, but the Cardinals got all the runs they needed in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Ivan Herrera found his swing and drove in JJ Wetherholt and Victor Scott II who both had 2 hits Tuesday night.

The Cardinals had a few defensive gems, too, with Masyn Winn helping Pallante get out of a 5th inning jam when the Mets had runners on 1st and 3rd with only one out when he was able to double up the Mets when he snagged a line drive and rifled the ball back to first.

The Cardinals added an insurance run in the bottom of the 7th when Ramón Urías crushed a 403 foot home run into the left field stands.

The St. Louis Cardinals bullpen was solid tonight as Andre Pallante was supported by Gordon Graceffo who was just called up from Memphis in place of Matt Pushard who was sent to the IL. Ryan Stanek and JoJo Romero kept the Mets off the scoreboard and Riley O’Brien closed out the game in the 9th. The Cardinals are now 3-2 on the season and will try to take the series against the Mets in a Wednesday afternoon game at Busch Stadium starting at 12:15pm . Matthew Liberatore is expected to get his second start of the season while Freddy Peralta is expected to take the mound for the Mets.

Shane McClanahan’s return dampened by strong Brewers bats: Rays 2, Brewers 6

Mar 31, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan (18) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

It has been a long time since we’ve seen a start from Shane McClanahan. Since August 2, 2023, in fact. But the former All-Star has dealt with bad hand after bad hand in terms of injury, and his path back to the majors hasn’t been an easy one. Tonight, all eyes were on the mound as McClanahan made his triumphant return to the bump, and everyone wanted to see if he still had the same goods he once did. Meanwhile, much has been made of the Brewers’ offseat efforts to bolster their rotation, potentially at the hindrance of other positions (Gary Sanchez taking reps at first? What is this, Moneyball?) It would be an interesting outing to test McClanahan’s mettle. The Brewers, meanwhile, had Brandon Woodruff, who was reliable and efficient in 12 games for the Brewers last year after also missing the enitre 2024 season due to injury.

The Rays wasted little time getting on the board, as Jonathan Aranda hit a one-out home run.

The ABS system then turned around and bit the Rays a little as catcher William Contreras challenged a call and it was overturned, ultimately resulting in Junior Caminero striking out. The Rays would need to settle for the one run as they turned things over to McClanahan and his big moment. Shane didn’t miss a beat, looking like he’d never left his role as an All-Star starter, someone the Rays believed in enough to let him debut in the postseason. He took the Brewers out in order in the home half.

In the top of the second the Rays went 1-2-3. Heading into the bottom of the inning, McClanahan had his first wobble, giving up a one-out walk to Gary Sanchez. He got right back in the swing of it, though, getting the next two outs to end the inning.

Heading into the top of the third, Chandler Simpson challenged a strike call and lost, but then singled to get on base anyway. With one out, Simpson stole second, but two outs followed to leave the baserunner stranded. Nice to see Simpson already in midseason form with the basepath hustle, though. Bottom of the third and the Brewers once again went three-up, three-down.

After nearly putting two Brewers players into the dugout chasing down a high pop-up in foul territory, Caminero hit a single to kick off the fourth. RIP Junior Caminero’s bat. Alas, three outs then followed, once again leaving a baserunner stranded. Thankfully, McClanahan continued to show excellent command in the bottom of the fourth, getting through the Brewers in order.

Nick Fortes decided to lend his starting pitcher a hand in the top of the fifth with a leadoff home run to put the Rays up 2-0. Three outs followed, but we love a man who recognizes the necessity of insurance runs.

In the bottom of the fourth, Gary Sanchez took a leadoff walk, his second walk of the night. With one out, Brandon Lockridge singled, and from that point, McClanahan kind of lost his mojo. Joey Ortiz walked, and then Brice Turang singled. Gary Sanchez got home, but Turang had been caught in a rundown and there was some contention over whether or not Turang actually got tagged out at second. After a review, it was ruled that Turang was safe at second keeping the inning going and probably taking three years off Kevin Cash’s life. The Rays all had to return to the field because everyone had assumed it was an out. The safe call also meant that a run across home by Ortiz after the tagout was now a scoring run, putting the Brewers in the lead. McClanahan’s night was also done. His final line was 4 2/3 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER (Ortiz was counted as an error to Cedric Mullins), 3 BB, 4 K on 79 innings. Not how you’d like to see a really solid start from McClanahan end, but overall there was plenty to like from his return. Cole Sulser came out of the pen to get the final out of the inning.

Woodruff’s night was also done after five innings, as Jared Koenig came out of the Brewers’ pen. Jake Fraley got a two-out single, but the Rays couldn’t capitalize on the baserunner once again. Things just got worse in the bottom of the inning as Gary “Still Not a Good First Base Choice” Sanchez hit a solo home run to center to extend the Brewers’ lead to 4-2. Jake Bauers then singled, and stole second. Lockridge hit a long double to score Bauers. Sal Frelick singled to put runners on the corners. Sulser did finally manage to get out of the inning but the Brewers were up 5-2.

Grant Anderson was in next for the Brewers in the seventh. With two outs, Simpson legged out a strong triple, but it wasn’t enough to give the Rays the edge, as a strikeout then ended the inning. In the home half, Yoendrys Gómez came in and gave up a leadoff walk to Turang. Turang then stole second. Gomez got two outs then intentionally walked Christian Yelich. Despite an attempt from the Brewers to challenge a stike call, the call on the field was upheld to strike out a pinch-hitting Garrett Mitchell and end the inning. No additional damage done despite having two runners aboard.

Abner Uribe came in for the Brewers in the top of the eighth. He gave up a two-out walk to Caminero. Fraley then singled to put runners on the corners. The Rays brought in Richie Palacios to pinch-hit, and he pinch flied-out instead. Things didn’t get much better in the home half when Jake Bauers hit a leadoff home run. Three outs followed, but the damage was really done by that point.

Angel Zerpa was the next Brewers pitcher up in the ninth, hoping to finish things off. He got the first two outs, but a pinch-hitting Ryan Vilade got a walk. It wasn’t enough for the Rays to stage a comeback, though, and the final out came around to end the inning.

Final: Brewers 6, Rays 2

Kodai Senga's nine-strikeout start goes to waste as Mets shut out by Cardinals

Kodai Senga struck out nine batters while throwing a hard fastball, but the Mets managed just three hits in a 3-0 loss to the Cardinals on Tuesday night in St. Louis.

New York (3-2) batters did manage four walks, but left six men on base and went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. St. Louis (3-2) faired slightly better with six hits and four walks but was held to 2-for-11 with RISP and left seven on base.

Here are the takeaways...

- Senga burned in 98 mph fastballs with his first two pitches of the game, a big jump from last season when his average heater clocked in at 94.7 mph. Senga got into some trouble with a leadoff single and walk sandwiching a strikeout on the "ghost" fork, but avoided any damage as he deftly fielded his position on MasynWinn’s bunt attempt and made a funky-but-on-target throw to third.

There were more heaters in the second, as Senga blew 99 mph fastballs past Jordan Walker and Nathan Church and a 98 mph one past Ramon Urias to strikeout the side on 13 pitches.

A couple of mistakes from Luis Robert Jr. put Senga in a pickle in the third. The centerfielder misjudged a liner for a double over his head, and on JJ Wetherholt’s sharp single, threw all the way home, and two were in scoring position. The extra base proved costly as Iván Herrera smoked a hanging slider (107.4 mph) for a two-run double off the wall in left.

After an eight-pitch 1-2-3 fourth with another strikeout, Senga issued back-to-back two-out walks, the first involved Herrera winning two challenges on balls well out of the zone that umpire Hunter Wendelstedt called strikes. Pinching coach Justin Willard's visit worked as he notched a scoreless, 26-pitch frame.

Senga closed his account by striking out the side, two swinging and one looking. His final line: 6.0 innings, two runs on four hits and three walks with nine strikeouts on 92 pitches (56 strikes). He got 16 whiffs on 46 swings and posted a 28.3 called strike plus whiff rate. For the night, he averaged 97.4 mph on his 36 fastballs (up 2.7 mph from last season), and that velocity stayed consistent through the night, with his last pitch being a 98 mph heater.

- Juan Soto ripped a 3-2 pitch into center for a single with one down in the first (110.8 mph off the bat), and started the sixth by smashing a low fastball off the wall in right for a double (109.3 mph) against Cards’ starter Andre Pallante. He went down swinging in the eighth to finish 2-for-4.

- Robert Jr., looking to atone for his defensive miscues, hit the ball hard with runners on first and second and nobody out in the sixth against reliever GordonGraceffo, but it went for a 374-foot out to center. He finished 0-for-3 with a walk.

- Jared Young had an RBI chance in his first at-bat with runners on first and second and two outs in the first, but he struck out swinging on three pitches. After singling up the middle with one out in the fourth, he got another RBI chance with runners on the corners in the sixth, but his soft liner turned into an inning-ending double play as Bo Bichette was cut down at first on a strong throw from Winn. He finished 1-for-4.

- Francisco Lindor worked his sixth walk of the young season with one out in the third but finished 0-for-3 with three groundouts.

- Bichette, with a runner on second, grounded out to third on a 3-0 hack to end the third. He went 0-for-3 with a walk and has started the year 2-for-22.

- Marcus Semien went down swinging on a slider in the dirt in his first at-bat. He finished 0-for-2 with a walk, as he’s struggled at the plate to start the year (2-for-16).

- Carson Benge, who had two hits on Monday, grounded out to short in each of his first two times and struck out swinging to finish 0-for-3.

- Luis Torrens made his first impact behind the plate with an apt challenge leading to a strikeout to start the bottom of the second. He went down swinging his first at-bat and drove one to the gap in left center, but Church ran it down. Torrens finished 0-for-2 as Francisco Alvarez pinch-hit for him in the seventh and flied out to the warning track in right-center to end the inning. Alvarez is now 0-for-27 as a pinch-hitter in his career.

- Mark Vientos made his first start of the season as the DH after getting just one at-bat in the first four games and went 0-for-2 before being lifted for a pinch-hitter to start the seventh, with Brett Baty grounding out to first in his spot against ex-Met Ryne Stanek. Baty bounced out to end the game, going 0-for-2.

- Richard Lovelady allowed a home run to Ramon Urias on a sweeper to start the seventh. A single and one-out intentional walk put two more on, but he escaped without any further damage, thanks to Young making a great diving stop on a smashed ball down the first base line that would've gone for extra bases. Lovelady, pitching for the third time in four days, added a 1-2-3 eighth with a second strikeout of the night.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets look to grab the series in Wednesday's matinee with Freddy Peralta making his second start against Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore in the 1:15 p.m. start on SNY.

Islanders fall to Sabres for second straight loss in tough blow in tight playoff race

An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows Peyton Krebs celebrates after scoring a key goal on Ilya Sorokin during the third period of the Islanders' 4-3 loss to the Sabres on March 31, 2026 in Buffalo

BUFFALO — This was always going to be about the response. About how the Islanders rebounded less than 24 hours after allowing eight goals against the Penguins and dropping a critical game in the playoff race.

This was always going to be about Ilya Sorokin, when Patrick Roy — after leaving the door open for a David Rittich start Monday night — went back to his star goaltender and trusted him because, as he said pregame, it worked in the past.

And while Sorokin kept them in a game where they struggled to generate much offensively, they dropped a second consecutive match with a 4-3 defeat against the Sabres.

Peyton Krebs celebrates after scoring a key goal on Ilya Sorokin during the third period of the Islanders’ 4-3 loss to the Sabres on March 31, 2026 in Buffalo. NHLI via Getty Images

Cal Ritchie extended his point streak to a career-best five games with a goal, Anders Lee gave the Islanders life with a late goal to tie the game and Matthew Schaefer set the record for points by an Islanders rookie defenseman with an assist, but then they surrendered the decisive tally.

“Sorokin’s always at his best,” Schaefer said. “I mean, we gotta help him. He’s always the best, but we gotta help him — and a lot of those chances and a lot of those goals, we can’t let those pucks go through to the sweet spot down the middle. And he’s not gonna always be able to stand on his head for us. So we gotta help him.”

Still, the Islanders received some help in the playoff chase.

The Red Wings (86 points) lost. The Flyers (86 points) lost. The Blue Jackets (88 points) and Senators (86 points) dropped their matches, too.

So as the Islanders packed up at KeyBank Center and departed for Long Island, they occupied third place in the Metropolitan Division with 89 points.

Ilya Sorokin makes one of his 29 saves in the Islanders’ road loss to the Sabres. Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

But in the one game the Islanders could control, everything shifted for good with 3:01 remaining, when Peyton Krebs deposited a pass from Alex Tuch past Sorokin for the game-winning goal.

Brayden Schenn brought the Islanders within one with a second remaining after Buffalo’s empty-net goal, but they didn’t have any time to generate an equalizer.



A chaotic few minutes earlier in the frame — Sam Carrick fought Lee for his hit on Josh Norris in the second and then exited with the help of a trainer, then Carson Soucy committed a hooking penalty — ended with Tage Thompson ripping a shot from the slot on the power play.

There wasn’t much Sorokin could do. The Islanders left the Sabres’ best player wide open with space. And Thompson made the unit pay.

Anders Lee celebrates with teammates after scoring a third period goal during the Islanders’ road loss to the Sabres. NHLI via Getty Images

That caused the Islanders to lose any momentum they had gained back with a power-play goal of their own in the second period.

Ritchie knocked in a pass from Schenn to tie game at 1 with 2:03 left, erasing an advantage that Buffalo had carried since Jack Quinn veered into the Islanders zone with the man advantage in the first period and sent a shot past Sorokin.

But really, the Islanders were only in that position to tie the game because of Sorokin.

They didn’t manage a high-danger chance in the opening 20 minutes and had just two through two frames, per Natural Stat Trick. Lee couldn’t capitalize on a penalty shot, as he couldn’t tuck his backhand shot past Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Cal Ritchie scores a goal on Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen during the Islanders’ road loss to the Sabres. NHLI via Getty Images

In a fitting end to the first period, Schaefer, long before his record-setting 57th point, had a chance to step into a shot from the point, but he whiffed on it.

“I mean, we played a playoff hockey-type game,” Roy said. “It was a hard-fought game, and I thought both teams had some good looks and both teams played well defensively.”

It all, by the end of an eventual third, added up to another disappointing loss, one that won’t crush the Islanders’ playoff hopes but one that certainly won’t boost them, either.

It only makes a back-to-back at the end of the week — against the Flyers and Hurricanes — even more important. That’s what happens when four key points are left on the table.

“It’s a game we need,” Schenn said of Friday, “and we know it.”

Buffalo Sabres Forward Keeps Building On Career Year

The Buffalo Sabres picked up a hard-fought 4-3 win over the New York Islanders on Tuesday night. With this, the Sabres have improved to a 46-21-8 record and now have 100 points on the season. 

Peyton Krebs certainly played a role in Buffalo's win, as he scored a goal at the 16:59 mark of the third period to give the Sabres a 3-2 lead. Bowen Byram would then score an empty-net goal to give the Sabres a 4-2 lead before Brayden Schenn with one second left for the Islanders. 

With this goal, Krebs has now reached a new career high with 11 goals in 74 games this season. This comes after he already hit new career bests with 25 assists and 35 points this season with the Sabres. The 6-foot forward had 10 goals, 18 assists, and 28 points in 81 games during the 2024-25 season. 

When looking at the secondary offensive production that Krebs has been giving the Sabres this season, there is no question that he has been making a positive impact for the Sabres. This is especially so when noting that he has also been giving the Sabres plenty of grit, as evidenced by his 173 hits on the year.

Overall, it has been a very solid year for Krebs, and it will be interesting to see how he builds on it from here. 

Iowa Cubs Wrap: I-Cubs blow it in the 9th in Louisville

Hayden Cantrelle
Hayden Cantrelle | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cubs have released a ton of players over the weekend as they clear the rosters and we prepare for the start of the rest of the minor league season. I hope I’m getting all of them here.

RHP Tyler Beede

RHP Walker Powell

RHP Ben Heller

RHP Dominic Hambley

RHP Joel Sierra

RHP Ronny Lopez

RHP Sam Thoresen

RHP Nick Hull

RHP Edward Castillo

LHP Chase Watkins

OF Parker Chavers

SS Christopher Paciolla

SS Jaylen Palmer

3B Albert Gutierrez

There were also a few players released who never made it out of the Dominican Summer League, RHP Johansel Javier and LHP Darlin Ventura.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were hit over the head by the Louisville Bats (Reds), 8-7.

For only the third time in his career, Riley Martin got the start tonight. Martin pitched well, allowing just one run on three hits over three innings. He struck out three and walked two. The one run came on a solo home run by JJ Bleday, as the ball was flying out of Louisville Slugger Field. Somewhat appropriately.

Vince Velazquez threw the next three innings and he got knocked around for four runs, three earned, on two hits over three innings. Velazquez walked three, struck out two and gave up a solo home run.

Collin Snider came in to get the final out of the eighth inning and he did that, striking out Garrett Hampson. But after the Cubs took a 7-5 lead in the top of the ninth, Snider got rocked in the bottom of the ninth. He allowed a two-run home run to Edwin Arroyo and a walk-off solo home run to Rece Hinds.

The final line on Snider was three runs on three hits over two-thirds of an inning. He struck out two

Third baseman Hayden Cantrelle hit a two-run home run in the top of the ninth to give Iowa a temporary lead. Cantrelle went 3 for 4 with a double, the home run and three total RBI. Cantrelle also stole two bases. He scored twice.

Left fielder Justin Dean led off the top of the first inning with a home run to put Iowa up early. Dean went 1 for 3 with two walks.

Later in the first inning, right fielder Kevin Alcántara hit a solo home run, his second on the young season. Alcántara went 2 for 4 with a double and the homer. He scored twice.

Center fielder Chas McCormick was 2 for 4 with a run batted in.

Catcher Christian Bethancourt went 2 for 4 with a double. He scored on Cantrelle’s home run in the top of the ninth.

Here’s Dean’s home run to lead off the game.

The Jaguar’s solo shot.

RBI double for Cantrelle.

Cantrelle’s go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth.

Insider Update Brings Hope After Scary Cale Makar Injury Exit

Following a dominant 9–2 victory over the Calgary Flames, concern quickly shifted among Colorado Avalanche fans toward the status of star defenseman Cale Makar.

Makar recorded three assists in the win, including the primary helper on Nathan MacKinnon’s power-play goal late in the second period. However, the defenseman absorbed a hit from Flames forward Adam Klapka with 5:28 remaining in the frame and did not return for the third period, marking the end of his night.

Head coach Jared Bednar confirmed post-game that Makar is dealing with an upper-body injury but declined to provide a specific timeline for his return.

Medical insight from Dr. Harjas Grewal suggests the injury could involve a separated shoulder at worst. Encouragingly, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun reported that the injury is not believed to be serious, with the expectation that Makar may miss a handful of games to ensure full health ahead of the postseason. ESPN's Emily Kaplan also echoed the same sentiment.

With just six games remaining in the regular season, it appears increasingly likely the Avalanche will proceed cautiously, prioritizing Makar’s recovery in preparation for the playoffs, which begin April 18.

Makar's Impact Remains Significant

The potential absence of Makar, even in the short term, underscores his importance to Colorado’s success. Widely regarded as one of the NHL’s premier defensemen, Makar combines elite offensive production with strong two-way play.

Entering Monday’s contest, he had compiled 20 goals and 72 points in 71 games. On March 28, he became the fourth-fastest defenseman in league history to reach the 500-point milestone. His recent body of work includes back-to-back 90-point seasons and a 30-goal campaign in 2024–25, while 2025–26 marks his third consecutive 20-goal season and fourth overall.

Avalanche Eye Presidents’ Trophy

As of March 31, the Colorado Avalanche hold the NHL’s top record at 73-49-14, maintaining an eight-point cushion over the Dallas Stars.

With the regular season winding down and the Stanley Cup Playoffs on the horizon, Colorado remains firmly positioned to secure the Presidents’ Trophy, further solidifying its status as a leading contender for the Stanley Cup.

Image