On Thursday, Logan Webb made sure the rivalry left a mark on LA’s catcher, who stirred up controversy earlier in the series when cameras appeared to show him saying ‘F— him’ while San Francisco outfielder Jung Hoo Lee sat at home plate, injured, after being thrown out.
Whether it was well-placed retribution or merely a wild pitch, Rushing, 25, will have a baseball-sized bruise on his midsection to remember the latest series in the 136-year-old rivalry.
Dalton Rushing already left his mark on the Giants-Dodgers rivalry. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectWhether it was well-placed retribution or merely a wild pitch, Rushing, 25, will have a baseball-sized bruise on his midsection to remember the latest series in the 136-year-old rivalry. Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
Trailing 3-0 in the sixth inning, Webb squared up Rushing with a 93 mph fastball to the ribs. The 1-0 offering was so far inside the left-handed batter’s box that Rushing’s attempt to jump out of the way kept him in the path of the pitch. Judging by his reaction, it didn’t feel good.
After wearing the pitch for a few moments, Rushing angrily flipped his bat as he took his base.
Great job by Logan Webb sending a message to Dalton Rushing while trailing by 3 runs pic.twitter.com/KLck2IVKaB
Despite the circumstances, there was no sign that Webb intended to do anything more than brush Rushing back off the plate. Giants catcher Patrick Bailey set up high and inside but was forced to quickly adjust his target after the pitch left Webb’s hand.
Rushing, for his part, said the moment in Tuesday’s series opener that went viral was misinterpreted. Lee left the game after the play but was back in the lineup the next day. Nevertheless, Lee told reporters that Rushing reached out through teammate Hyesong Kim, who is friends with Lee, to smooth over any misunderstandings.
Still, only 63 games into his career, Rushing has shown a knack for generating headlines for more than his seven home runs in 29 at-bats to begin this season. Before the Dodgers arrived in San Francisco, Rushing suggested the Rockies might have been up to something “a little fishy” because the Rockies were having so much first-pitch success in the 9-6 loss.
Under new manager Tony Vitello, the Giants haven’t shied away from controversy, either. Reliever Erik Miller was caught on camera directing his own four-letter words toward the Reds after finishing a win that included a benches-clearing incident.
The Dodgers have dominated the Giants on the field in recent years.
But maybe this is the kind of new blood the rivalry needs.
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England legend Kevin Pietersen has reignited his long-running feud with former national teammate Sir Alastair Cook, declaring his opinion on Jacob Bethell IPL’s involvement “doesn’t matter at all”.
The Denver Nuggets face the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series. The teams split the first two games in Denver and the series’ next two games will be in Minneapolis. Nuggets starting forward Aaron Gordon will miss the game with a calf strain.
How to watch Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Game 1:Nuggets 116, Timberwolves 105 Game 2:Timberwolves 119, Nuggets 114 Game 3: Thu., April 23, at Minnesota (9:30 p.m., Prime Video) Game 4: Sat., April 25, at Minnesota (8:30 p.m., ABC) *Game 5: Mon., April 27, at Denver (TBD) *Game 6: Thu., April 30, at Minnesota (TBD) *Game 7: Sat., May 2, at Denver (TBD)
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 18:Dean Kremer #64 of the Baltimore Orioles looks on during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Saturday, April 18, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Sean Finucane/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Even on their off day, the Orioles managed to find a way to put a player on the injured list. The team placed starting pitcher Dean Kremer on the 15-day injured list with an announced right quad strain. As a corresponding move, pitcher Brandon Young was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk.
Kremer was the guy on turn to start tomorrow’s game against the Red Sox, so that’s wiped right out by this injury. Young is now set to start the game instead. The roster maneuvering is neat enough. The 27-year-old Young was no good in 12 starts a year ago, though he made a nice first 2026 impression with a five-inning spot start against the White Sox back on April 6. Young allowed two hits while keeping Chicago off the board in that game.
Since this move was announced on the off day, there was not an immediate media availability to give an indication of how severe the team believes the injury to be and how long Kremer might be out. The move is retroactive to April 20. Kremer can be brought back 15 days after that.
This is assuming that Kremer is healthy and ready to go. There was no indication that he might be hurt when he delivered a delightful mid-game interview on MASN earlier in the week. It’s more tough luck for a guy who was shuffled to the minors to begin this season and didn’t get recalled even when Zach Eflin went down with a torn UCL. Kremer only got to make two starts before his own trip to the injured list. He allowed five earned runs in 11 innings, a 4.09 ERA. That is almost perfectly in line with the full season ERAs from 2023, 2024, and 2025.
There are a number of injured Orioles about whom we could get updates from manager Craig Albernaz on Friday. The team certainly knows what was on Jackson Holliday’s wrist MRI by now. There could be updates on any of the relievers Keegan Akin, Dietrich Enns, and Andrew Kittredge. There might be an update or even news regarding Tyler O’Neill’s progression in returning from a concussion.
With Young arriving to replace Kremer, the Orioles also set their remaining starters for the weekend. Trevor Rogers is set to pitch on Saturday, with Kyle Bradish pitching on Sunday. The team has used the off day Thursday to give those guys an extra day of rest. If they had wanted to, they could have skipped Kremer’s turn and had Rogers and Bradish pitch on regular rest on Friday and Saturday.
The Denver Nuggets are facing an injury issue to one of their key players.
Power forward Aaron Gordon, a versatile playmaker and defender, appeared on the injury report with left calf tightness.
It’s yet another injury Gordon is having to contend with this season, after he sat most of the year with hamstring and calf issues. Either way, Gordon is a crucial part of Denver’s offense, as a ball-handling big who can create for others, as a spot-up 3-point shooter, and as a lob threat from the dunker’s spot.
Gordon is also a steady defensive presence down low who offers some rim protection capability. Against an aggressive Timberwolves team that likes to drive the ball and get to the paint with Anthony Edwards, any Gordon absence would come as a blow to the Nuggets, who lost Game 2 on Monday, April 20, leaving the series tied at one game apiece.
Here’s everything you need to know about Aaron Gordon’s status for Game 3.
Is Aaron Gordon playing tonight?
According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Gordon will not play Thursday, April 23 in Game 3 of Denver’s first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. On the latest injury report, however, Gordon was still listed as questionable.
Aaron Gordon stats
In 36 games this season, Gordon averaged 16.2 points on 49.7% shooting, 5.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He also shot 38.9% from 3-point range.
The Philadelphia Flyers, for now, appear to have avoided an injury scare with goalie Dan Vladar as they look to finish off the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Vladar, 28, has been the Flyers' MVP so far, posting a perfect 3-0-0 record with a .946 save percentage, 1.33 GAA, and one shutout.
As of now, the Flyers and head coach Rick Tocchet don't appear to be too concerned about their starting goalie's injury and subsequent absence from practice, and he was going to be kept off the ice anyway.
"It's more of a maintenance day. He was probably going to be off anyways, but he's a little banged up," Tocchet said to reporters after Thursday's practice. "Feels better today. That's all the information I really have."
Vladar suffered the apparent injury when a Penguins player landed on him in the crease, pulling the blocker off his hand in the process.
After a brief hold-your-breath moment with trainer Tommy Alva, Vladar ultimately carried on and finished Game 3, though he wasn't made available to speak with the media after the game.
Fortunately, the Flyers won't play again until Saturday night, so the Czech netminder will be afforded one more day of rest and recovery before it's showtime again.
If Vladar cannot play, the Flyers will presumably turn to Sam Ersson, who would be backed up by No. 3 goalie Aleksei Kolosov.
NORTH PORT, FL- FEBRUARY 22: JR Ritchie #92 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during a spring training game against the Minnesota Twins on February 22, 2026 at CoolToday Park in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Coming into today’s matchup, the Braves were coming off of a strong win but one where the bullpen was taxed after Didier Fuentes was removed after three innings – just a single day after Reynaldo Lopez struggled through a little more than an inning of work.
The Braves were looking for a hero – enter Battery Power No. 2 prospect JR Ritchie, who did just that. He not only limited the No. 2 offense in the league to just five hits and two runs but also giving the team much needed length as he navigated through seven innings while making a bit of franchise history.
JR Ritchie today became the first pitcher in franchise history to complete at least 7.0 innings while allowing no more than two runs and striking out at least seven in his major league debut. pic.twitter.com/4LBrBgX3We
What’s so impressive about JR Ritchie this season is that there is no formulaic recipe for success. If we take a look at his last start in Gwinnett (6IP 3H 0R 3BB 8K), Ritchie struggled with his fastball and slider command, his changeup was a non-factor against left handed hitters so he focused on his curveball and used it to not just get ahead, but put away hitters. This ability to recognize that a certain pitch isn’t working, and being able lean on another one shows maturity beyond his age and I’m sure was a reason that led to the Braves promoting him.
While Ritchie may not have a stand alone elite pitch – his ability to use any of his six at any point in time allows him to stay in control and lean on what is working best and we saw that immediately. After a grooved four-seam pitch that was deposited in the stands by James Wood, Ritchie immediately leaned on his curveball and changeup to quickly retire Luis García Jr., and regain composure on the mound. This confidence in being able to throw any of his pitches at any times allows JR Ritchie to be the one in command on the mound, allowing for good sequencing as long as the command is there. JR used the same pitch at least two times in a row just twelve times this game – again showing confidence not just his catcher and their game plan, but also in himself.
While his four-seam isn’t the strongest pitch, with an IVB of 13.9” and coming in around 94 MPH, his ability to command it in the upper third of the zone, as well as to all the quadrants is a great strength. Once he establishes that, he’s able to then either go with his slider or changeup, depending on the handedness of the hitters, before ultimately deploying his plus curveball that had a 43% whiff rate today. Let me say that another way – nearly half of the curveballs he threw (25) were swung at and missed. As if that weren’t enough, his changeup showed average to plus, and he also threw in a cutter (7), and sinker (4).
The best thing to happen out of today was that this kind of performance is absolutely repeatable for the young pitcher. There was nothing that stuck out from today’s game – this is exactly who JR Ritchie is as a pitcher. Nothing elite, but four good offerings, and two more (cutter, sinker) he can use when the occasion rises. JR lives in and around the zone with all six pitches, making for uncomfortable at bats because hitters can’t truly key in on a single pitch in any single at bat. He’s able to locate nearly each pitch to every single quadrant not allowing hitters to really hone in on a single pitch, in a single location. His ability to do that exact thing leads this author to say, hopefully this is the beginning of a very illustrious career for JR Ritchie.
Not exactly the way you’d want to win a game, but wins are wins. The Cubs blew leads of 6-2 and 7-6, but walked off the Phillies 8-7 in the 10th inning on Dansby Swanson’s bases-loaded hit. The Cubs have now won nine consecutive games and, at 16-9, are tied for first place in the NL Central with the Reds, who were idle Thursday.
Unfortunately, this good news is tempered by yet another pitching injury. Caleb Thielbar left the game after allowing a leadoff homer to Adolis Garcia in the ninth. Here’s the Thielbar news:
Thielbar left with left hamstring tightness, accd to Counsell.
So that’s probably an IL stint and who do the Cubs have left that they can call on? I’d guess Ben Brown will close games now, but the Cubs have to find someone to replace Thielbar on the active roster.
Anyway, that’s a topic for tomorrow. Let’s rewind to the beginning of this wild game, played on a gorgeous spring afternoon at Wrigley Field.
The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the second on a solo homer by Brandon Marsh. The Cubs got that run back in the bottom of the inning. Carson Kelly led off with a double and took third on a single by Michael Busch.
That’s all the Cubs got in that inning, after they loaded the bases on singles by Matt Shaw and Miguel Amaya. Nico Hoerner hit into a force play at the plate and Alex Bregman popped up.
Leaving baserunners was going to be a Cubs theme again in this game.
The Cubs took the lead in the third. With one out, Seiya Suzuki and Kelly singled.
The Cubs got two more baserunners after the homer, singles by Swanson and Shaw, but stranded both runners. The Phillies got to within 4-2 in the fourth on a single by Bryce Harper, who advanced to second on a ground out and scored on a single by Marsh.
Ian Happ with his 7th home run of the season and 2nd to reach Waveland !! Was shorted on distance with the 429 estimation … Would have passed the yellow building on the fly at 450ft if not intercepted by my glove 😉 Cubs lead Phillies 5-2 in the 5th at Wrigley Field. pic.twitter.com/V5jdeS0azi
I put a check mark on my scorecard whenever there’s a really good defensive play. My cards this week have check marks all over them. Today, I made six of them for Cubs defensive plays.
The Cubs made it 6-2 in the sixth. Happ hit an infield single with one out and went to second on a single by Suzuki. Kelly was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
That lead looked pretty safe with Cabrera cruising. He allowed just three hits and two runs through six, and unfortunately, one bad defensive play led to a pair of Phillies runs in the seventh. With one out, Marsh homered for the second time to make it 6-3. A single by Bryson Stott and double by Alec Bohm put runners on second and third. Then Bregman made an uncharacteristic throwing error, allowing a run to score. and another one crossed the plate on a sac fly to make it 6-5, the last two runs unearned.
Cabrera had a nice game against a tough opponent, and the Cubs really teed off on Cristopher Sánchez, iwth 12 hits and two home runs off him, and six runs charged to Sánchez, the most he’s allowed in a game since last August.
The Cubs still led by a run when Hoby Milner entered to throw the eighth. Milner’s been very good, but not this time. He issued a one-out walk to Harper, who was forced at second. But then Milner walked Marsh, and Jacob Webb entered the game. Webb gave up an RBI single to pinch-hitter Edmundo Sosa, tying the game, then gave up the third walk of the inning, loading the bases.
Webb struck out Justin Crawford to preserve the tie at 6-6.
You could tell something was wrong right away, possibly Thielbar landed wrong. As noted above, it’s “hamstring tightness,” which you do not want to get worse. I suppose we’ll get an update later today or tomorrow.
Martin then walked Kyle Schwarber, but got the next three hitters, including a strikeout of Marsh, to end the inning.
The Cubs got a one-out double by Moisés Ballesteros in the ninth (his second double of the game, man, that guy can hit!). He went to third on a ground out. The Phillies intentionally passed Bregman, but Happ flied to right to send the game to extras.
Javier Assad, playing whatever role the Cubs now need him to, entered to throw the 10th. He retired the Phillies 1-2-3 on only seven pitches, giving the Cubs a walkoff chance.
Happ was the placed runner. Suzuki was intentionally passed, the Phillies hoping Kelly would hit into a double play. Instead, he blooped a single to center, loading the bases with nobody out.
History was made with this walk-off win, per BCB’s JohnW53:
According to my extensive research, including checking contemporary newspapers of all games that the Cubs won by four or fewer runs before 1901, this was the Cubs’ 1,000th regular-season walk-off win since 1876, first year of the National League.
It was their 959th at home. They had 41 on the road back when the home team did not always bat first.
This was No. 902 of the Modern Era and No. 797 at Wrigley Field.
Not the way you’d have drawn it up, but a win is a win. Still, going 5-for-18 with RISP and leaving 17 runners on base isn’t going to win you too many games. Fortunately, the Cubs pulled this one out — and have won nine in a row with a whole bunch of leverage relievers injured. Hopefully, whatever’s up with Thielbar won’t be too serious.
The Cubs will head west for a tough road trip to Los Angeles and San Diego. The Dodgers just lost two of three to the Giants, so they’ll likely not be in such a great mood when the series opener happens at Dodger Stadium on Friday. Jameson Taillon will start for the Cubs and Emmet Sheehan goes for L.A. Game time Friday is 9:15 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Apple TV (how to watch).
Apr 22, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets designated hitter Juan Soto (22) is tagged out at second base by Minnesota Twins shortstop Brooks Lee (22) after being picked off first base during the eighth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
First Pitch (CT):6:10 PM TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN/830 WCCO/102.9 The Wolf /Audacy App Know Yo’ Foe: Amazin’ Avenue
The Mets were able to break their cursed 12-game losing streak yesterday, but the Twins still have a chance to take the series and put the Mets right back where they were at the start of this series: last place. Ace Joe Ryan is on the mound for Minnesota while New York will counter with Christian Scott, making his season debut.
Scott missed all of 2025 and most of 2024 with a torn UCL, but was a top 100 prospect prior to 2024. Prior to his injury, Scott’s sweeper was among the best in the minor leagues, but after missing nearly two calendar years, no one really knows how his pitches will play against MLB competition. Tommy John surgery isn’t the career killer it once was, but it typically still takes some time to get a feel for your pitches after returning. We’ll see if the Twins can capitalize tonight.
A few notable lineup changes:
Matt Wallner is out of the lineup vs a righty for the second time in the past four games. Austin Martin gets the start in his place.
Francisco Lindor was placed on the IL after leaving last night’s game with calf tightness. A big blow after just getting Juan Soto off the IL yesterday.
The next time the sports betting gods deal out a bad beat, just think of those who backed Kevin Durant to clear his points prop in Game 2 of this opening-round series.
Durant came out hot, dropping 20 points in the first half with the Over 23.5 looking well within reach before managing just three more the rest of the way.
It was a rough night for the “it’s rigged” crowd, and the backlash was swift, with criticism pouring in over his second-half fade and growing doubts about Houston’s chances after falling behind 0-2.
Our Lakers vs. Rockets predictions know all too well that Durant is fueled by drama and my NBA picks are buying low on one of the great postseason performers in NBA history for Friday, April 24.
Lakers vs Rockets prediction
Lakers vs Rockets best bet: Kevin Durant Over 23.5 points (-115)
Kevin Durant started Game 2 hitting 6-of-7 from the field and cashing in all seven of his free throws. After the halftime break, he was 1-for-5 shooting and went 1-of-2 from the charity stripe, drawing aggressive attention from the Los Angeles Lakers’ defense.
Afterwards, as reporters gushed over the Lakers’ defensive game plan, LeBron James was hesitant to celebrate the success on KD, knowing what was coming.
“That just makes him even madder going into Game 3,” James warned the media.
Forgotten in all the shit talk directed at Durant is that he was a game-time decision for Tuesday’s tilt after sitting out Game 1 with a knee contusion and playing his first contest since April 10.
Now, with the series swinging to Houston, Durant has extra days to strengthen that knee as well as drink in all the hate from the mainstream media. And when asked about how he should have dealt with the constant double teams from Los Angeles, Durant’s solution was to attack.
“I’m trying to make passes… But I feel like I’ve got to shoot more of those and put my teammates in better positions,” Durant told reporters.
That was his plan before the playoffs, when he exploded for more than 27 points on 54.4% shooting over his final 13 outings, leading the Houston Rockets to a 10-3 SU mark in those games. He topped 23.5 points in all but two of those showings.
The 12 FGAs in Game 2 tied his lowest shot total during that run and if Durant is a man of his word, he’ll get up at least his usual 17 attempts in Game 3. Projections sit as high as 28 points for a guy who’s averaged more than 29 points in the playoffs throughout his career.
Lakers vs Rockets same-game parlay
The Rockets may win this one but the spread seems out of whack considering how well the Lakers are playing right now. I expect some offensive adjustments from Houston but don’t have it winning by 10 points.
The Lakers have gotten some great performances from their role players and Rui Hachimura has been quietly consistent through two games. He’s shooting a collective 11-for-20 from the field (5-for-10 on 3-pointers), doesn’t shrink on the road, and is projected for as many as 15 points in Game 3.
Lakers vs Rockets SGP
Lakers +9.5
Kevin Durant Over 23.5 points
Rui Hachimura Over 13.5 points
Our "from downtown" SGP: Get your GOAT
LeBron knows what’s coming from KD in Game 3. This could be the GOAT on GOAT battle we’ve been waiting for in this series. The Lakers keep it closer than oddsmakers expect, while the Rockets’ offense will finally find its way and top this ultra-low total.
Lakers vs Rockets SGP
Lakers +9.5
Over 205.5
Kevin Durant Over 23.5 points
LeBron James Over 24.5 points
Lakers vs Rockets odds for Game 3
Spread: Los Angeles +9.5 | Houston -9.5
Moneyline: Los Angeles +320 | Houston -400
Over/Under: Over 205.5 | Under 205.5
Lakers vs Rockets betting trend to know
NBA playoff totals of 206 points or lower have produced a 21-14 Over/Under record the past three postseasons (60% Overs). Find more NBA betting trends for Lakers vs. Rockets.
How to watch Lakers vs Rockets Game 3
Location
Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Date
Friday, April 24, 2026
Tip-off
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
Prime Video
Lakers vs Rockets latest injuries
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NEW YORK (AP) — All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor was put on a the 10-day injured list by the New York Mets on Thursday, a day after straining his left calf, and manager Carlos Mendoza said “he’s going to be down for quite a bit here.”
Lindor was hurt Wednesday when the Mets beat Minnesota 3-2 and stopped a 12-game losing streak, their longest since 2002. Left fielder Juan Soto returned from a strained right calf that had sidelined him since April 3 and went 1 for 3 with a walk. Soto had missed 15 games.
Lindor labored around the bases while scoring from first on Francisco Alvarez’s one-out double. An MRI Thursday determined the strain was more severe than Soto’s.
“We knew right away with Juan that it was kind of the best-case scenario. He was going to be on the short side of things,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I don’t think we’re dealing with the same thing here.”
“One of those things where you start running and you know that your body’s not 100%” Lindor said. “Once I passed third base, I felt something. And after that, I knew that I’ve got something in my lower leg.”
Lindor grimaced as he rounded third and paused for a moment. He beat the relay throw with a feet-first slide.
“I was in pain,” Lindor said. “But you’ve got to score.”
Asked if he thought he would return this season, Lindor said “100%” and repeated it for emphasis.
“This kills me, not being on the field but I trust the trainers and I know they have good care here,” Lindor said. “I’ll be back I’ll be back. Hopefully sooner rather than later.”
This is just the third big league IL stint for Lindor, who missed the first 19 games of the 2019 season with Cleveland due to a right calf strain. He was sidelined 36 games in 2021, his first season with the Mets — due to a right oblique strain.
Lindor had elbow surgery following last season and missed most of spring training after surgery on his left hamate bone.
Bo Bichette moved to shortstop from third base for Thursday’s series finale against the Twins. The Mets recalled Ronny Mauricio from Triple-A Syracuse to take Lindor’s roster spot and plan to give him regular playing time at shortstop while Bichette continues to get used to playing third.
Mauricio, a longtime prospect who has struggled to reignite his career after missing the 2024 season with a knee injury, hit five homers in his last five games for Syracuse, including three on Tuesday.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 23: Jeremiyah Love of Notre Dame arrives prior to the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With two hours until the 2026 NFL Draft gets underway, there are a bevy of rumors flying around not just about your Arizona Cardinals, but about a number of teams heading into the draft.
Let’s check out the latest rumors and how that could impact the Cardinals.
The #AZCardinals will be staring at Jeremiyah Love vs. a trade back. Shades of 2023 when the #Texans came up to 3 for Will Anderson. Fascinating pivot point tonight. As for the #Titans, they feel good about a cluster of players so sliding back and still getting one is tempting. https://t.co/8sMipckoLd
The smoke on the Arizona Cardinals taking Jeremiyah Love continues to build, and the reality seems to be, if they do not get a deal they love, they will take the Notre Dame running back at three.
FWIW, I believe the Arizona Cardinals will trade pick #3 tonight, regardless of the pass rusher available.
I think there's a good chance the parameters of a deal are already done.
If they end up making the pick, I believe it will be Jeremiyah Love.
If they can't trade down, the Cardinals are right now who the league thinks for Jeremiyah Love."@PSchrags on the latest with Arizona at pick #3. pic.twitter.com/8SuJZx6fvA
This would probably be the best thing for the Cardinals. In DJ’s mock draft he has the Cardinals going down to eight and the Saints giving up their 2027 first round pick as well.
Brian Baldinger just said on NFL Network that he believes that the #Commanders will trade up for RB Jeremiyah Love 👀
Are the Cardinals doing a good enough job convincing people they will take Love that now teams are calling to check-in?
“Do the Cardinals feel like they need to leapfrog the Jets at pick #33?”@RapSheet with the very latest on QB Ty Simpson ahead of the NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/H3ahygOU7Q
Are the Jets and others doing a good job of making the Cardinals feel like they need to overpay for a quarterback?
"There have been teams calling, trying to come up. If the Cardinals can get the right price, they would move out of three."@AdamSchefter on the #AZCardinals. 👀
SAN FRANCISCO — There’s no such thing as a “must-win” game in late April. Especially not for a team like the Dodgers, who entered Thursday with the second-best record in the majors at 16-8.
Still, after the Dodgers lost four of their previous five and faced a potential sweep at the hands of the Giants, LA manager Dave Roberts did his best to conjure some renewed urgency.
“We got to win today,” he said before the club’s series finale at Oracle Park.
Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow allowed one hit and struck out nine in eight innings Thursday against the Giants. AP
And in a 3-0 victory, that attitude was evident — both in the way Roberts managed and the way his team played.
On Thursday morning, Roberts shuffled his lineup, moving the slumping Kyle Tucker down the batting order. He also bypassed the temptation to give Shohei Ohtani a day off, despite his six-inning pitching start the night before. Roberts’ hope was that such moves would kick-start a recently scuffling season and salvage something from the end of a road trip in which the team had already clinched a losing overall record.
“I do think that it’ll turn,” Roberts said.
It did, just enough.
Though the Dodgers (17-8) didn’t exactly break out at the plate Thursday, Tyler Glasnow made sure they didn’t really need to, dominating over eight scoreless innings in one of his best starts with the team.
The lineup, meanwhile, manufactured offense when needed, tagging Giants ace Logan Webb with three runs over seven innings.
“Across the board,” Roberts said, “just a well-played baseball game.”
Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott handled the team’s first save opportunity since closer Edwin Diaz went on the injured list. AP
In both their rallies, the Dodgers relied on aggressive baserunning and improved situational at-bats.
In the second inning, Max Muncy walked, stayed out of a potential double play by running on a full-count pitch Andy Pages hit on the ground, then scored on Dalton Rushing’s RBI single.
In the fourth, Tucker snapped out of his slump by hitting a leadoff double. Muncy also doubled in the next at-bat to bring him home. Then Muncy scored on an aggressive send from third base coach Dino Ebel, who wisely tested Heliot Ramos’ weak arm in left field on an RBI single from Hyeseong Kim.
From there, Glasnow went into cruise control while protecting the 3-0 lead. After working around a walk in the first inning, he faced the minimum over the next seven frames, finishing with nine strikeouts and only one hit allowed (which was erased on a double-play ball) in what was the third scoreless eight-inning start in his MLB career.
And in the ninth, Tanner Scott handled the Dodgers’ first save opportunity since closer Edwin Díaz went on the injured list — ensuring that, on a day Roberts felt the Dodgers had to win, they did.
What it means
The Dodgers only went 3-4 on this Denver/San Francisco road trip but at least finished it with some confidence.
They are now one win behind the Braves for the most victories in the majors. They also denied the Giants (11-14) what would have been their first sweep in this rivalry matchup since 2023.
The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman (center) and teammates celebrate the victory Thursday in San Francisco. AP
Who’s hot
Glasnow, who has looked increasingly impressive with each start this season.
On Thursday, the right-hander relied heavily on a sinker he has slowly reincorporated into his arsenal since coming to Los Angeles three years ago. He used the pitch almost half the time. It accounted for six of his 16 total whiffs.
“Some days the four-seam works, some days the two-seam works,” Glasnow said. “It’s just having another option to go to … It just [gives opposing batters] so much to cover. And then I can play my slider and my curveball off of those. So it’s really helped me out a lot.”
Indeed, Glasnow also mixed in the rest of his arsenal to effect against the Giants, retiring the final 14 batters he faced while matching his season high for strikeouts.
His ERA is now 2.45, after allowing just one run in 17 innings over two starts on this trip.
His only real regret Thursday? Not pushing to go for a first career complete game with his pitch count only at 105.
“I feel like I should have fought a little harder,” he joked. “But, yeah, that’s fine. I know we have a good ‘pen.”
Who’s not
Tucker got himself out of this category by going 2-for-4. A couple guys hitting in front of him, however, did not.
Teoscar Hernández suffered an 0-for-4 performance Thursday, punctuating a dreadful 2-for-24 showing on this road trip. His batting average is now down to .244.
Ohtani also failed to get aboard for a second straight contest, following his 53-game on-base streak. He struck out twice in an 0-for-5 that dropped his season average to .245.
“He’s expanding down,” Roberts said of Ohtani. “It’s just really hard to slug on balls at the bottom of the zone, and that’s what he’s doing. If we can get him back at the belt and swing at those balls, you’ll see the production.”
Up next
There’s no off day for the Dodgers this week. They return home Friday to open a weekend series with the Cubs, continuing a stretch of 13 games in a row. Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 5.85 ERA) will start against right-hander Jameson Taillon (1-1, 3.97 ERA).
It's often said that in a best-of-seven series, you're never really in trouble until you lose a game at home. But it can also be said that if you're down 0-2, it forces you to go 4-1 in the final five games.
That second statement sounds a lot like trouble.
But if there's a team this season that's shown the resilience needed to pull that off, it's the Ottawa Senators.
The series shifts to Ottawa for Game 3 on Thursday night, where the crowd will be loud, and their All Heart, AllIn rally towels will be waving.
The Senators announced at their game day skate that they've swapped out a pair of their depth defensemen for Game 3.
Tyler Kleven is well enough to play after taking an early-April puck to the face in a game against the Buffalo Sabres. After skating for almost a week now, he'll take Dennis Gilbert's spot while Ottawa native Cam Crotty plays in his first NHL playoff game, subbing in for Lassi Thomson.
Here's the Senators' projected lineup:
Brady Tkachuk -- Tim Stutzle -- Drake Batherson
Ridly Greig -- Dylan Cozens -- Claude Giroux
Warren Foegele -- Shane Pinto -- Mike Amadio
Nick Cousins -- Lars Eller -- Fabian Zetterlund
Jake Sanderson -- Nikolas Matinpalo
Thomas Chabot -- Jordan Spence
Tyler Kleven -- Cameron Crotty
Linus Ullmark
James Reimer
If Ottawa gets a lead, this alignment probably won't change much. If Carolina gets the lead and the Sens are suddenly staring at the possibility of being down 0-3 in the series, then everything is on the table, including a very short bench.
Because a loss will all but end their season. NHL teams that take a 3-0 series lead have a tidy 209-4 record.
As a sidebar, if you're going to the game, there's a decent chance that Sens veteran Claude Giroux or one of his kids put the towel on your seat.
All hands on deck!
The Giroux’s and their teammates came out and helped fill the stands with #Sens@FullscriptHQ rally towels for tonight’s game!
Feb 11, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher Christian Scott (46) pitches during spring training. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Mets lineup
Bo Bichette – 3B Juan Soto – DH Francisco Alvarez – C Luis Robert – CF Brett Baty – RF Mark Vientos – 1B Marcus Semien – 2B Ronny Mauricio – SS Carson Benge – LF
Christian Scott – RHP
Twins lineup
Byron Buxton – CF Trevor Larnach – LF Josh Bell – DH Ryan Jeffers – C Kody Clemens – 1B Austin Martin – RF Luke Keaschall – 2B Brooks Lee – SS Tristan Gray – 3B
Joe Ryan – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 7:10 PM EDT TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
