Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks smashed 44 off 16 balls to take England to a thrilling four-wicket T20 World Cup win over New Zealand in Colombo that kept Pakistan’s slender semi-final hopes alive.
Astros vs. Nationals 2/27/2026 Spring Training Game Thread
Jose Altuve and Lance McCullers Jr. will each make their Grapefruit League debuts today.
The Houston Astros (1-4-1) take on the Washington Nationals (4-2-1) in Grapefruit League action.
RHP Lance McCullers Jr. is set to make his 2026 Grapefruit League debut. He made his return to the mound in 2025 after missing the entire 2023-24 seasons due to a right flexor tendon injury that required surgery. He worked around four IL stints to go 2-5 with a 6.51 ERA (40ER/55.1IP) and 9.92 SO/9IP through 16 games (13 starts).
TONIGHT’S POTENTIAL RELIEVERS: RHP Bryan Abreu, RHP Spencer Arrighetti, RHP Sam Carlson, RHP Hudson Leach.
Jake Meyers is a late scratch due to back spasms.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Friday, February 27, 5:05 p.m. CST
Location: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, Palm Beach, FL
TV: No Local Broadcast
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2
Quick Spring Recap: Jays Lose To Rays
Jays 5 Rays 6
The Jays are now 1-5 with a tie, this spring.
It wasn’t a good day for Eric Lauer. He went 1.2, allowed 3 hits, 3 earned, hit a batter, and gave up 3 earned. It is early, but if he wants a starting rotation spot, he should give up less runs than innings.
Other pitchers:
- Connor Larkin: Gave up 1 hit, 1 walk before getting the last out of the second inning. He had a
- Braydon Fisher: 2 hits, 1 earned on a home run, 1 strikeout in his inning.
- Mason Fluharty: 4 hits, 1 earned, 1 k in his inning.
- CJ Van Eyk: 3 innings, 1 hit, 2 walks 2 strikeouts. The star pitcher of the day.
- Jorge Alcala: 1 inning, 1 hit, 1 earned.
Hitters, starters:
- Nathan Lukes: 0 for 3, 2 strikeouts. .111 BA on the spring.
- Davis Schneider: 0 for 3, strikeout. .125.
- Addison Barger: for 3, strikeout. .000.
- Jesus Sanchez: o for 2, walk. .143.
- Eloy Jimenez: 0 for 2. .417.
- Leo Jimenez: 1 for 2, 1 RBI, 1 k. .333.
- CJ Stubbs: 0 for 1, k, hit by pitch. .333.
- Ben Cowles: 0 for 2. .000.
- Riley Tirotta: 0 for 2. .182.
Others:
- Jonatan Clase: 0 for 2, k. .000.
- Carlos Mendoza: walk.
- Yohendrick Pinango: 0 for 1. .125.
- Rafael Lantigua: 1 for 1, RBI. .556.
- RJ Schreck: 0 for 1. .200.
- Arjun Nimmala: 1 for 1, double, walk. .333.
- Geovanny Planchart: 0 for 2. .000.
- Josh Kasevich: 0 for 2. .444.
- Sean Keys: 1 for 2, k. .182.
I’d like to see the batters doing better.
Tomorrow, the Jays are doing the split squad thing. Some are traveling to Tampa to play the Yankees, with Jose Berrios starting. Some are staying in Dunedin, with Dylan Cease starting. The later will be on Sportsnet. The former is on YES, and we’ll be able to watch MLB TV.
MLB scores: Mets 14, Cardinals 3—Peralta’s perfect Mets start
The Mets decimated the Cardinals in a victory on the road in Jupiter this afternoon, and Freddy Peralta started his Mets tenure about as good as one would have hoped.
- Freddy Peralta threw 29 pitches in three perfect innings, collecting three strikeouts in his appearance.
- Devin Williams made his first appearance as well, going one inning and giving up one hit. That hit was a solo home run to top Cardinals prospect JJ Wetherholt.
- Justin Hagenman went three innings, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out four.
- Huascar Brazobán and Brett Banks each threw a scoreless inning to finish the game.
- MJ Melendez was the offensive star of the game, going 2-for-3, both hits being home runs and driving in four runs.
- AJ Ewing had another great appearance, going 2-for-2 with a home run, two RBI and a walk.
- Cristian Pache went 3-for-3 with a double, and he scored twice.
- Juan Soto went 1-for-3, hitting a double off Quinn Matthews.
- Austin Barnes went 1-for-3, hitting a two-run double.
- Kevin Parada went 1-for-1, driving in two runs and walking twice.
The Mets will be back in action tomorrow afternoon at 1:10 PM EST, taking on the Washington Nationals back at Clover Park. Tobias Myers will make his second appearance of the spring, and his first start. You can actually watch that game on television, as it’s being broadcast on SNY.
St. Louis Cardinals Game Recap – 2.27.26 – Mets at Cardinals
Recap disclaimer – this may be more a random observations list than a specific blow-by-blow of the game. Spring training results are unimportant, right? It’s the process, after all.
Game Recap
Juan Soto and the Mets take the Cardinals by an 14-3 score. Cardinals use 11 pitchers to cover 9 innings, giving up 3 HR along the way, coupled with 9 walks. Offensively, youngsters Wetherholt (HR), Church, Davis and Saggese (all doubles) contributed extra base hits.
Pre-Game Notes
From my wanderings around the back fields, looking at schedules, etc.
- Kind of a down day this morning at camp. Things will pick up later. I think this is day#3 for MiLB players, and there are lots of indoor meetings … As I write this, they are having an all-hands meeting that includes how to handle oneself on social media.
- MiLB pitchers on the rehab list are Moran, Santos, King, Dutkanych, Clarke
- Planning to get to sim game thrown by P. Graham along with live BP by Crossland and E. Young. Also of note, Dustin May is scheduled up for a sim game with Ivan catching. B. Holiday throws a rehab BP, so he is progressing.
- Urias makes his first game appearance today at second base. JJW at DH. Saggese indeed starts in CF. Q. Mathews to start, followed by Pushard and others. Rodriguez part of the group of MLB game backups.
- I try not to sweat the little details at the edge of the roster so early in camp, but I am rubbing my chin wondering who the backup 1B is really going to be, especially if Burly got hurt.
The Manager’s Corner (pre-game)
- May is on a personalized plan to ramp up to Opening Day. With some guidance from Cardinals on suggestions for prepping to go pole-to-pole.
- Talked a bit about Sags in OF a bit. What they look for, even if no balls are hit in his direction.
Game Observations
- Rough start in the first inning for Mathews. HBP, walks and general command issues lead to an early run. The stuff appears sharp but the command a bit flighty. It is still February, so no worries. The second inning was better, although the pitch count got a little high and Bedell needed to contribute a pitch to end the inning. Sharp third inning to finish his outing.
- Pushard relieves, greeted by a solo HR. Mets up 2-0. Church brings back a potential second HR in RF with those tricky wind currents out of the SE helping knock it down.
- Peralta looks sharp for the Mets (shocking, I know!). Followed by Devin Williams in the 4th. Wetherholt greets him with a first pitch HR to RF. The ends the shutout AND the no-hitter. A no doubter at 422 Ft. into the breeze.
- Pushard, Bruihl and Davila picked up the middle innings, with likewise middling results. Fernandez was very workmanlike.
- I though Soriano was sharp, but some serious infield hijinks created an unearned run. I believe each of the five players on the infield contributed to the misadventures. Tough inning. Learning points all around.
- Got to see a seventh inning rotation of batters that included Baez, Rodriguez and Chase. Got to wondering if we might see that again soon. They made some noise. There is some thump there.
- Hence got in 27 pitches. Some hard-hit balls resulted in a not great line of 3 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR. It’s good to see him pitching (healthy). Velo up around 96, but the common spring phenomenon of flighty command complicated his inning.
- Love finishes the ninth after Hales hits his limit.
The Manager’s corner (post-game)
- He liked JJWs approach. 422’ to CF off Williams cutter. Has good power, but not at the expense everything else (contact, all fields. etc.).
- Likes the flexibility Urias brings. Does little things well.
- On Dustin May, a plus. Good life to the pitches. In a good spot. Needs to figure out what the progression for him is.
Michigan Baseball vs San Diego preview
The Michigan Wolverines have faced a gauntlet so far this season in two weekend tournaments, and they have fared well. Michigan is 4-3, with three of those four wins coming against ranked teams. The Wolverines also won their opening weekend tournament in Surprise, Arizona, which was, well…a surprise.
Michigan wasn’t predicted to be great this year, but the results of the first two weekends are promising. The three losses have come to No. 19 Oregon State (in extra innings; the Wolverines beat the Beavers in their other matchup), No. 21 Florida State and Kansas State.
The Wolverines will once again be somewhere warm this weekend, as they will head to California to take on San Diego in a three-game series. Let’s take a closer look at this weekend’s matchup.
San Diego this season vs. last season
San Diego was one of the best teams in the WCC last year. The Toreros finished 28-30 overall record and a 19-5 conference record. They made it all the way to the WCC Championship with a spot in the NCAA Tournament on the line, but St. Mary’s ended up earning the auto bid.
The Toreros are off to a hot start in 2026, as they are 6-1 with wins against Charlotte (twice), Long Beach State, Utah, Creighton and San Diego State. The lone loss came against Charlotte.
San Diego’s record is impressive, but it has not been tested like Michigan has. The Toreros have zero ranked wins to Michigan’s three, so the difficult schedule the Wolverines started with could end up giving them an advantage.
Players to watch
Offensively, San Diego has three players who are hitting .300 or better so far, and all three have started all seven games. Outfielder Aden Howard is leading the way for the Toreros so far, as he is hitting .345 to start the year. He is 10-of-29 with one double, three triples, one home run and seven RBIs.
Catcher Jayden Lobliner is also having a hot start to the season, as he is 9-of-3o (.300) so far. He also has some pop in his bat, as three of his nine hits have been home runs. Lobliner can turn a mistake into runs very quickly. He has 10 RBIs on the year. Lastly, infielder Gabe Springer is hitting .300 as well. He has three doubles, one triple, one home run and six RBIs to start the season.
It’s hard to know what a pitching rotation will look like for a weekend series in college baseball, especially this early in the season. But Michigan will likely face Kyle Bade, Diego Gutierrez and Drake Frize, three guys that all have two starts under their belts this season.
Bade has been the best of them so far, tossing nine innings pitched and giving up three earned runs. Gutierrez has been solid as well, giving up four earned runs in 10 innings pitched. Frize has struggled a bit, as he has given up seven earned runs in nine innings pitched.
Overall, this will be another tough test for Michigan, but this is a winnable series. Programs out west are always solid, but the Wolverines have already notched a few impressive wins this season.
Series schedule
- Game 1: Friday 2/27 @ 9 p.m. ET, ESPN+
- Game 2: Saturday 2/28 @ 9 p.m. ET, ESPN+
- Game 3: Sunday 3/1 @ 4 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Looking ahead
Michigan will be out in California for a while, as the Wolverines have another series next weekend against Pepperdine. In between Pepperdine and San Diego, however, Michigan will have a mid-week clash against Cal State Northridge on Tuesday. The Matadors are 5-3 to begin the year with wins against Seattle (three times), St. Mary’s and Cal Baptist.
Friday Game Thread vs. The UC Irvine Anteaters
4pm CT on D1Baseball (and they’re trying to get $30 for it)
After a 6 game stretch of beating up on EMU, Marist, and Evansville, the Diamond Dores travel to the I Like Ike Live Like Lou Las Vegas College Classic (I have no idea what this refers to and I refuse to look it up), where yet another bullshit one time use streamer (this time something called D1 Baseball) is trying to take money ($30?!?!) from you after you already pay over $300 to ESPN to watch these damned regular season baseball games. Must be nice to live like Lou, but for the rest of us, these damned streaming sports tariffs are nickel and dime-ing (well, more $20 and $10-ing) us into the poor house.
At least FloSports pretends to do something for the rest of the month or year that you’ve purchased (though that something is basically college wrestling practices). This one? Just for this mini-tourney. I’ve had enough. You will get my $30 when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.
…anyway, though I highly suspect very few if not none of you will see any of these games, the Diamond Dores are about to face a bit of a test, as they go against UC Irvine Friday, Arizona Saturday, and Phil Knight’s own Faber College Sunday.
Knowledge is good.
While all three teams we will face are currently unranked, they are all traditionally good baseball teams. Will we continue mashing the ball against tougher competition, or will we return to the hot-and-cold play from the first series of the year? I’d like to tell you I’ll be able to see the answer, but I’ll likely just be checking in on the stat tracker and/or listening to the radio.
On the Mound
Friday @ 4:00pm on Yet Another Bullshit Single Use Streamer
Vanderbilt #39 Jr. RHP Connor “The Spice” Fennell (1-0; 3.48 ERA)
vs. UC Irvine #28 Jr. RHP Trevor “Why Don’t You Take a Seat Over There?” Hansen (2-0; 1.88 ERA)
The Lineup
*Will update when posted (unless, you know, I’m driving home).
See you in the comments, I guess.
What NBA players are “more name than game” at this point? (daily topic)
This topic is a little random, but I was somewhat inspired by various podcasts and articles that talk about players that aren’t what they used to be or haven’t lived up to our expectations. I don’t know if he’s the first to come up with this, but a common phrase that Keith Smith likes to use is “he’s more name than game at this point.”
The examples that I can think of off the top of my head are mostly older players that were once very good to great but Father Time has caught up with them. Guys like Brook Lopez, Joe Ingles, and Kevin Love. Some might put Al Horford in that category, but honestly I don’t want to. Actually, I think Nikola Vučević has been trending in this direction for a year or more.
Then there’s a similar type of player that maybe was ranked highly in the draft, showed some promise early on, or flashes in his career, but just haven’t panned out as anyone would have hoped. Sometimes related to injury, and sometimes just not panning out. Maybe that falls under the “bust” category, but not always. Think guys like DeAndre Ayton, Duncan Robinson, Dejounte Murray, or Jalen Green.
So who am I forgetting? Who would you call overrated or over the hill or whatever? Who’s more name than game these days?
Remember when the Sixers were allergic to shooting threes?
Tyrese Maxey’s ascension as the next superstar Sixers perimeter player continues to crystalize. On Thursday night in a win over the Miami Heat, the 25-year-old All-Star set the franchise record for made three-point shots, moving ahead of Allen Iverson’s total of 885. Maxey has his whole career in front of him, one that hopefully includes him wearing Sixers red, white and blue for the entirety of it. If all goes as well as Philadelphia hopes, the sharpshooting guard will make this an unbreakable record for the franchise.
The fact that Maxey was able to break this record so quickly into his NBA life is a testament to his skill when launching it up from deep, but also speaks to how weird and inept the Sixers franchise has been when it comes to three-point shooting and how long they were in the basketball Stone Age.
Iverson, who played before the NBA’s analytical and three-point revolution, was never a great shooter from deep. He shot just 30.9 percent from three during his decade-plus stint in Philly. He was just chucking them up while mixing in his crafty driving and ability to live at the free throw line as an undersized superhero.
Previously second in made threes was Robert Covington, initially a Process-era afterthought who carved out an 11-year NBA career. Those Sixers teams, after Sam Hinkie came to power and installed Brett Brown as head coach, finally caught up to the fact that three points are worth more than two. Novel idea! No one was hoisting more shots from beyond the arc during that time than Covington, who did so for some tremendously bad teams in addition to some pretty damn compelling ones.
Before that though? Before Hinkie, after years spent with Daryl Morey in Houston as the Rockets became the league’s most analytically inclined organization, came to Philly? It was as if the team was scared to shoot threes.
I became a full-on NBA nerd, consuming podcasts and all that, during Doug Collins’ tenure. Do you know how hard it was to be a 17-year-old basketball dork who was watching teams like San Antonio flourish, pushing the sport into the next generation, while the laughably irrelevant Sixers preached an offensive philosophy built around long-2s and general junk nonsense? Don’t even get me started on whatever they were doing when Eddie Jordan was running the show with his Princeton offense in 2010 too!
All the credit in the world to Maxey. Again, he should make this total skyrocket with any future Sixer unable to close in on it. I do hope, however, someone like VJ Edgecombe and whatever future role players that the team surrounds the backcourt duo with are up for the task of rewriting this sad record book as it stands currently.
Falcons dismiss assistant coach LaTroy Lewis, who has been named a suspect in a sexual assault case
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons dismissed assistant defensive line coach LaTroy Lewis on Friday, just hours before he was named as a suspect in a sexual assault case.
The dismissal came shortly after the Falcons said they were looking into allegations that surfaced on social media.
"We are aware of allegations regarding LaTroy Lewis," the Falcons said in a statement before making the move to fire Lewis. “We are in the process of gathering information and will have no further comment at this time.”
A direct message seeking comment was sent to Lewis on social media.
The allegations date to Lewis' time at the University of Michigan, where he served as a graduate assistant for the 2022 season before being promoted to assistant defensive line coach for the next two seasons.
“The Ann Arbor Police Department was just recently made aware of allegations regarding a sexual assault reported to have occurred on December 5, 2024,” Ann Arbor Police spokesman Chris Page said. "The suspect in this investigation is LaTroy Lewis.
“The AAPD Detective Bureau launched an immediate investigation into the incident. This investigation remains active and ongoing.”
Karen Truszkowski, the attorney of the woman accusing Lewis of sexual assault, said her client filed an incident report with Ann Arbor police and requested a protective order against Lewis.
The woman and Lewis connected on a dating app in July 2024, and she claims his behavior became aggressive via text message and phone calls, according to Truszkowski. They met for the first time at an Ann Arbor hotel in December 2024, when she told police Lewis that raped her, according to Truszkowski.
The Milford (Michigan) Police Department responded the next month to a 911 call from the woman's neighbors, who heard raised voices, according to Truszkowski. The attorney said her client and Lewis told the police that their argument was not physical.
Truszkowski said her client told Milford police that Lewis was a coach at Michigan, saying she didn't want to talk about it. She was afraid to tell the police at the time that Lewis had physically abused her, according to Truszkowski.
A request was sent to Ann Arbor Police to obtain the police report and protection order tied to the allegations against Lewis that were published on social media by podcast host Justin Spiro.
Lewis coached under former Michigan coaches Sherrone Moore and Jim Harbaugh. Moore was fired in December after having an inappropriate relationship with a staff member and charged with three crimes, including felony home invasion and stalking.
“As we have noted, the university launched an investigation of the circumstances and conduct leading to Sherrone Moore’s firing, as well as a broader culture review of the athletic department,” Michigan spokesman Paul Corliss said Friday. “We continue to urge anyone with relevant information to reach out to the law firm conducting the investigation.
“The work is ongoing, and we will be able to share more when it is completed.”
The 32-year-old Lewis, who is from Akron, Ohio, was a standout linebacker at Tennessee and played in two NFL games with the Houston Texans during the 2017 season.
Lewis was hired by the Falcons earlier this month after he spent the 2025 season as Toledo’s defensive line coach.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
NHL Rumors: Sharks Linked To Rangers Defenseman
It is not a secret that one of the San Jose Sharks' biggest needs right now is another defenseman to bolster their blueline. This is especially so when noting that they have several pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) defensemen, like Mario Ferraro, John Klingberg, Vincent Desharnais, and Timothy Liljegren.
The Sharks' right side, in particular, could use a boost. With this, the Sharks are continuing to be connected to one of the NHL's top right-shot defenseman trade candidates.
According to The Fourth Period, the Sharks are one of the teams interested in acquiring New York Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider.
This is not the first time that the Sharks have been connected to Schneider, and it makes sense given their need for another right-shot defenseman. If they acquired him from the Rangers, he would instantly become one of their top defenseman and likely would play in their top four because of it.
Schneider's age also makes him stand out as a likely fit for the Sharks. This is because he is still only 24 years old and could have the potential to improve with a much-needed fresh start.
Yet, with Schneider being a former first-round pick who is still in his mid-20s, it is likely that the Sharks will not be the only team interested in him. It will be interesting to see if San Jose can end up landing him from here.
Gambo: Devin Booker likely to return next week
According to Arizona Sports’ insider John Gambadoro, Phoenix Suns star guard Devin Booker is set to return to the lineup either on Tuesday or Thursday of next week against the Kings or Bulls.
This development arrives at a critical time for a team that’s been searching for offensive rhythm and a semblance of perimeter consistency. They get their engine back!
Booker’s return should hopefully allow Jalen Green to settle into the role we all envisioned him being in, rather than having to be “the guy”. In the last four games he’s missed, Phoenix has gone 1-3, and their offense has fallen off a cliff outside of last night’s game, which probably says more about the Lakers’ defense than the Suns’ offense.
Booker missed significant time previously this season, but with Brooks, Allen, Gillespie, and Goodwin available (mostly) during that stretch, it was easier to survive. Now, without Brooks, the margin for key guards being absent is razor-thin.
Gambadoro also noted that Jordan Goodwin is roughly a week behind Booker in his own recovery timeline.
As for Goodwin, his projected return being about a week behind offers another layer of reinforcement. His defensive edge and point-of-attack pressure have also been missed, particularly in matchups where Phoenix has struggled to contain dribble penetration.
The Next 6 Games
- March 3 @ Sacramento Kings
- March 5 vs Chicago Bulls
- March 6 vs New Orleans Pelicans
- March 8 vs Charlotte Hornets
- March 10 @ Milwaukee Bucks
- March 12 @ Indiana Pacers
They have an unusual number of days off as their next game isn’t until Tuesday, giving them time to reset and recover. The schedule lightens up, and they get their star back. It’s time to make up some ground!
Help is on the way, Suns fans.
Spring Training Game Thread: Texas Rangers at Chicago White Sox
Today the Texas Rangers are back to playing only one spring training game. That game will be played from Camelback Ranch in Glendale, AZ where the Rangers will take on the Chicago White Sox.
LHP MacKenzie Gore is set to take the mound for Texas opposite RHP Erick Fedde for Chicago.
Chicago has a radio and video feed for this one, otherwise you’ll have to follow along on Gameday. First pitch from Camelback Ranch is scheduled for 2:05 pm CT.
Go Rangers!
Game Threads: Rangers at White Sox (SS), White Sox (SS) at Brewers
The White Sox have three split-squad game days this spring, including the Prospect Breakout game vs. the Dodgers. And, lucky you, today is the first! There no Munetaka Murakami today for the Sox — or for any time in the near future, as he has departed to join Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic.
Leading off at 2:05 p.m. CT is the Camelback Ranch game, hosting Texas:
Old friend and apparent heir apparent to the No. 5 starter spot, Erik Fedde, gets his first look of the spring. The impressive Sam Antonacci gets another start, in the 6-spot, continuing to get a long early look from the Sox.
The game is on White Sox radio (WMVP-AM 1000) and also on something called CWS Video. I presumed that meant a webcast, but at the moment I’m not certain that’s so. But still THIS is the game with actual White Sox broadcast coverage, in some form.
Over in Phoenix, Sean Burke takes the ball for the second time this spring, hoping to stay perfect through his two or three frames:
Slugging star shortstop Tanner Murray takes the 6-spot in this one, as the two lineups for today are equally strong (or weak, depending on your take). This ballgame is a Cactus League ghost on the White Sox side, with only Gameday and Brewers radio to confirm its existence.
Dodgers vs. Giants game chat
The Dodgers look to make it a 7-0 start this spring, as they are on the road to take on the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium. Yoshinobu Yamamoto makes his final spring start against left-hander Robbie Ray.
FRIDAY GAME INFO
- Teams: Dodgers vs. Giants
- Ballpark: Scottsdale Stadium
- Time: 12:05 p.m. PT
- TV: SportsNet LA
- Radio:
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