A pair of Mets southpaws were back in action with Low-A St. Lucie on Sunday afternoon as they continue working their way back from respective injuries.
A.J. Minter and Nate Lavender took the mound for their second appearance.
Minter again cruised his way through a perfect inning of work, throwing just seven pitches and striking out a batter in the top of the seventh.
He used his full arsenal and topped out at 94 mph on his fastball.
Lavender was also effective, striking out one as well as he worked around a single in a scoreless inning of his own.
He touched 93, but mainly sat around 92 mph on his fastball.
The pair have now combined to allow just one hit while striking out five in two appearances back with St. Lucie.
Both are expected to require lengthy minor league rehab stints.
Minter is returning from a season-ending lat injury suffered early on last year, but is expected to play a significant role in New York’s bullpen when he returns.
Lavender is still progressing his way back from Tommy John surgery, and will likely start the year down in Syracuse but figures to make his major league debut at some point.
The 26-year-old pitched to a 2.98 ERA across three levels in his last healthy campaign.
Putting the two of them alongside fellow lefty Brooks Raley in the Mets' bullpen could allow Carlos Mendoza to be agressive and creative with his usage.
Openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli hit half-centuries to lay the foundations for Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 18-run win over Mumbai Indians in a high-profile IPL clash on Sunday.
The late-season roster shuffle continues. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust and Parker Wotherspoon all dress for this game after sitting out yesterday. Noel Acciari, Anthony Mantha, Ryan Shea and Connor Clifton all rotate out with official ‘undisclosed day-to-day injuries’.
Ovechkin and the Pens’ crew get a pregame faceoff. No official announcements or anything but it sure looks like a lot of signs pointing to this being it for the Great 8.
Dylan Strome gets himself kicked out of the opening faceoff so that Ovechkin can line up for a faceoff against Crosby. The Penguin captain wins it cleanly and the game is on.
The improved Penguins surpass yesterday’s one shot in the first period very easily. Karlsson draws the first power play of the game but Pittsburgh doesn’t score.
Crosby takes a penalty late in the period. The Capitals cash in quickly, Ovechkin makes a pass down to Justin Sourdif that gets tipped off the crossbar and then Sourdif finished it off by tapping the puck into the empty net. But wait, a coach’s challenge for offsides and Ilya Protas was very clearly a step ahead of the play at the blueline wipes out the goal.
The first ends with no goals that count, the Pens were better in the earlier parts of the start, the Capitals came on stronger as play went along.
Second period
Washington starts the second still on the power play, Pittsburgh kills it off.
Both teams skate back and forth, the Caps score for real this time. Trevor van Riemsdyk pokes at a puck in the crease about three times, it finally gets over the line. 1-0 Washington with 7:36 to go in the period.
The Pens wake up a little, Logan Thompson denies Tommy Novak on a great chance from in front off a pass from Rickard Rakell, then Novak is sprung for a breakaway but lets the puck slide off his stick to negate a scoring chance. Pittsburgh gets their second power play of the game soon after. Erik Karlsson slams a slap shot off Tom Wilson’s foot, otherwise nothing happening.
The Caps take a 1-0 lead into the last frame.
Third period
The Pens get their chance to pin the Caps in their zone for a long time, their pinch fails and the Caps go the other way on a 2-on-1 where forward Egor Chinakhov is the last player back. Next up, Connor McMichael scores, beating Skinner on backhand deke. 2-0 with just 4:10 to go.
Pittsburgh pulls the goalie with over 3 minutes to play, apparently wanting Ovechkin to get career goal No. 930 to send the people home happy. Ovechkin gets the assist to spring McMichael into space and score on the unguarded cage. 3-0 game.
Some thoughts
I think the Penguins really missed the mark with the decisions of playing/sitting players before the playoffs. Namely, how are you going to hold all the star players and key players out from ‘fan appreciation day’ to play them on the road the next day? Awful. And why play them at all today? Ovechkin nailed Letang, Karlsson took a high-stick and Rust blocked an Ovechkin shot in the foot in the first period alone. If you’re going to rest them, then go all the way and rest them all weekend. If you’re going to play them in games after being clinched then it shouldn’t have been today.
That said, it is what it is. Not like it’s wise to put hockey players on the shelf for 10 days and pick right up for the playoffs. Rotating almost every key player out either today or yesterday (besides Rakell, Chinakhov, Novak, Girard and maybe Brazeau if giving him the honor of being a ‘key player’) is a nice boost at this time of year to pick a spot for a day off for the crew.
Crosby/Ovechkin head to head 100 times. 56 wins for Crosby, point battle is 127-103 (48 goals, 79 assists for Crosby, 53 goals and 50 assists for Ovechkin).
Not too much going on in this game, Skinner was pretty good, Thompson was great. Everyone else was just kinda there. The game had an odd feel to it almost as a wake for the career of Ovechkin hanging over all of the proceedings.
The Pens wrap up the regular season on Tuesday night in St. Louis.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 26: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks plays against the Charlotte Hornets during their game at Spectrum Center on March 26, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Knicks (53*-28) close their regular season Sunday night at Madison Square Garden against the Hornets (43-38), with New York locked into the East’s No. 3 seed and Charlotte still battling for home-court advantage in the Play-In. The Knicks enter on a five-game winning streak, but have little to gain by exerting too much effort today. Charlotte has been hot for a while, behind the breakout of rookie Kon Knueppel and improved play from Brandon Miller.
Tip-off is 6 pm EST on MSG Network. This is your game thread. This is At the Hive. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Be cool, but not cold; chill, but not chilly. And go Knicks!
* Should be one more, but NBA Cups are Adam Silver’s paper mache projects.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 12: James Wood #29 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with teammate Luis García Jr. #2 after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on April 12, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a 1-5 home stand, the Nationals got off the mat in a big way with a sweep in Milwaukee. The Nats looked like the better team throughout the weekend series against a team that won 97 games last year and dominated the Nats in the season series. This was actually the Nats first sweep in Milwaukee since all the way back in 2006.
That, folks, is the Nationals' first sweep in Milwaukee since June 2-4, 2006. The winning pitchers in that series: Ramon Ortiz, Bill Bray and Tony Armas Jr.
This game showcased who the Nats have been so far. The starting pitching was decent, if homer prone. The bullpen gave fans heart problems and the offense was electric. That is who the Nats have been so far. It is a great watch for neutral fans, even if it is stressful for Nats fans.
The Nats offense got off to a slow start in this one. Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff retired the first nine Nats he faced. However, James Wood got the party started in the top of the fourth with a majestic pull side homer. We are used to seeing Wood go backside, but on this pitch he got his hands inside and powered a ball into the upper deck.
After his sluggish start, Wood has woken up in a big way. His OPS is now over 1.000 and Wood has 5 homers and 14 RBI’s from the leadoff spot. When Wood is seeing the ball well, there are few players as scary as him at the plate. After that homer, the Brewers mostly pitched around Wood, even intentionally walking him once.
On the mound, Zack Littell was solid when he was not giving up home runs. He went five innings, allowing three runs, all on solo homers. Home runs have always been an issue for Littell, but he did not let the solo shots bother him too much.
Heading into the 7th, it was 3-2 Brewers, but the Nats offense woke up. They had a huge top of the 7th once Woodruff departed. Abner Uribe is one of the most underrated relievers in the league, but he was no match for this offense.
This was a true rally, where the Nats were stringing hits together. Jacob Young started things off with a double that turned into three bases with an outfield error. Then Jose Tena delivered a huge pinch hit knock to drive him in.
After Nasim Nunez made the second out, the Nats offense went into over drive. Curtis Mead made the Brewers pay for walking Wood by driving in the go-ahead run. Then, the Nats got another run in after they executed a steal of home on a first and third play. That was a play they could never get right last year, but they have done it right twice this season.
Just playing good offensive baseball has been the name of the game. The base running was not good yesterday, but it was fixed in this game. The broadcast made a comment about how Corey Ray said he was up all night upset after the base running mistakes. It is clear those got fixed, which you love to see.
However, this would not be a Nats game without a bullpen meltdown. After Ken Waldichuk got two outs in the 7th, he suffered an arm injury with the count 2-0 on the third batter. Unfortunately, Cole Henry was not able to pick him up. He walked that batter and then the guy after that. After falling behind Gary Sanchez, he left a cutter over the plate, which the veteran destroyed.
This could have demoralized the Nats offense, but there is no quit in this group. The offense just keeps coming in waves and they are getting production from throughout the lineup.
Keibert Ruiz was the hero in this one. He replaced Drew Millas, who was pinch hit for. Then, in the 8th inning, he got a chance to deliver with men on second and third with one out. For a second straight game, the Nats catcher delivered with a massive hit up the middle to give the good guys the lead.
Ruiz’s overall offensive numbers have not been great, but he has delivered in clutch situations on a couple of occasions. His ability to put the bat on the ball serves him well with runners in scoring position. The Nats have not gotten outstanding play from their catchers, but Ruiz has certainly been the better of the two.
The game still felt totally up for grabs with the Nats bullpen having to get six more outs. However, PJ Poulin and Gus Varland finished off the Brewers in shockingly easy fashion. They retired six straight and closed the door on this one to give the Nats the sweep.
It was Varland’s first career save, and he stepped up with Clayton Beeter unavailable. When Varland is on his game, his stuff looks really crisp. The consistency is not always there, but I am bullish on him.
This was a huge statement series for the Nats, who improved to 7-8. They head to Pittsburgh to face a young and hungry Pirates squad for four games. It will not be easy, but if anyone could solve this Pirates pitching staff led by Paul Skenes, it would be these scrappy Nats.
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 07: Derek Jeter is seen on the field during a game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Texas Longhorns at Michigan Stadium on September 07, 2024 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s Sunday once more, and you know what that means — it’s time for our weekly social media roundup! The third week of the season has seen the Yankees hit their first real snag of the season, as they dropped four of five games, including three straight, to cap off their first home stand of the season. Despite these hiccups on the field, however, the social media game remained strong. What was the team up to this week? Let’s find out!
Congrats, Derek!
It is a great pleasure for me to remind the world that Dan Hurley and the University of Connecticut lost the Men’s NCAA National Championship last Monday. Why does that matter? Well, as a Villanova alumnus, I think that’s all that matters, but for those of you seeking a Yankees connection, Derek Jeter is a Michigan fan.
Despite their losses this week, the Yankees still had a couple of game belts to give out. First, we had Giancarlo Stanton earn the belt last Saturday for his work as a speed demon en route to the Easter Vigil victory over the Miami Marlins.
This past Friday, the Scranton RailRiders had a rain delay, and decided to take this picture of Spencer Jones hanging with the clubhouse crew. Except, I’m going to be honest with you, my eyes do not at all go to Spencer Jones or the clubhouse crew in this picture; rather, the more I look, the more absurdity I see.
🌧️ Sooooo, Game Two with the @DurhamBulls is starting in a rain delay. But, here’s Spencer Jones currently hanging in the dugout with our hardworking clubhouse crew.
Yankees 2022 legend Matt Carpenter posted a highlight of him pitching in youth baseball this week and, uh, I certainly sympathize with him on that hop.
Over the weekend, the Seattle Mariners unveiled a statue of Ichiro Suzuki outside their stadium, and, uh, broke it during the unveiling. Ichiro, quickwitted as always, immediately joked that he “didn’t think Mariano would come out here and break the bat,” to which the Yankees replied on Twitter:
All these years later, and Mo is still breaking bats.
It's been a frustrating past five days for the Yankees, who have not only dropped all five of their games, but have also scored a combined 13 runs (2.6 runs per game).
In Sunday's 5-4 loss to Tampa Bay, which secured a three-game sweep for the Rays, the Yankees scored four runs, but two came two came in the ninth inning, and it was too little, too late.
And while it's still early, sure, and the Yankees are still over .500 at 8-7, offensive inconsistency has been a trend.
"Guys are having some tough at-bats, but I think we just need to simplify some things at the plate," said Aaron Judge, who hit a two-run homer in the ninth but is still hitting at just a .218 clip for the season. "We’re trying to hit every single pitch we see up there and kind of getting ourselves in some bad counts and some bad situations. So I just think as a group, we simplify some things and refine our approach a little bit, hunt the pitch that we’re looking for and kind of pass the baton, and I think we’ll be in a better spot.
"It’s tough, but it’s our job. We’ve got to go out there and take care of business."
Rays starter Drew Rasmussen allowed just one Yankees hit, a Jazz Chisholm Jr. double, over his 6.0 shutout innings, striking out seven Yankees without a walk.
"He’s a good pitcher, mixes up his cutter shape, plays with his slider shape," said Ryan McMahon, who went 1-for-4. "It’s good stuff, so sometimes you’ve gotta just tip your cap. He had good stuff today and we weren’t able to figure him out."
It's no secret that McMahon has been struggling in a big way this season, as he's now hitting .114 on the campaign. Despite all the Yankees' issues on Sunday, McMahon had a chance to tie the game with a runner on third and two outs, but he grounded out to first base on one pitch to end the game.
McMahon said that he's "working every single day" to get on the right track, and he's not concerned with the team's early offensive problems.
"I hate to use this cliché, but literally that’s baseball," he said. "We’re going to get going, we’re not worried about it. We’ve just go to start doing it."
And the Yankees' captain shared a similar statement, saying the Yankees need to flush this game immediately as they head back home for the start of a seven-game homestand, which starts on Monday night with the first of four against the Los Angeles Angeles.
"It’s baseball. We’ve just got to show up the next day and re-right the ship," Judge said. "You’ve got to have a short memory and move on to the next one. It’s tough, but that game’s over with. Move on to the next one."
Apr 12, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Brayan Bello (66) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
The Red Sox have only six wins this season. We’re not dealing with a large sample size. Still, today felt like the “easiest” win of the season. The offense jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a home run off the bat of Willson Contreras and never looked back. They were up 3-0 when Jordan Walker hit his seventh home run of the season to get a run for the Cardinals, but the Red Sox added four more in the fourth inning, and two more in the ninth. They didn’t need innings from Garrett Whitlock or Aroldis Chapman in a win for only the second time this season.
Brayan Bello also had his best game of the season, throwing 6 2/3 innings while allowing two runs. It was a different game plan from the righty, who went with a sinker-heavy approach. He kept the ball down frequently, moved it from side to side, and got six outs on balls in play with the pitch. As a result of the high-sinker use, he hardly spun the ball at all. He threw nine sweepers and six curveballs. He didn’t have a feel for either pitch at the beginning of the game, but when he located them near the zone, the results were positive. He’s been through so many iterations of his breaking pitches that I’m not confident he’ll ever consistently locate them, and strikeouts will be hard to find without spin, but on his day, he can be effective. It was a great building block for Bello, who will get the Tigers in his next start. They handed the ball to Danny Coulombe and Zack Kelly in relief of Bello, who held the Cardinals to one run, giving the Red Sox a 9-3 victory.
If the Red Sox win every series for the rest of the season, they’ll win the World Series. The record still doesn’t look great at 6-8, but stacking series wins will slowly get them back over 0.500. They’ve won two in a row now and head to Minnesota to face the Twins, who don’t have their best starters lined up. Just keep winning series, mix in a sweep now and again, and you’ll look up one day with the standings much easier to stomach.
Three Studs
Willson Contreras (4-5, 3 RBI)
Contreras’ two-run home run opened the scoring. He added a single in the fourth inning for another RBI. He also played fantastic defense at first base all afternoon, when he was busy thanks to a groundball-heavy day from the pitching staff.
Trevor Story (4-5, 2 RBI)
A ninth-inning double gave the Red Sox some breathing room. When Story gets hot, he gets red hot. Hopefully, it continues into Minnesota and beyond.
Brayan Bello
See above
Three Duds
Roman Anthony (0-5)
An 0 for day for Anthony, who’s now 1 for his last 16. Just growing pains, nothing to see here.
Technology
It was a rough day for NESN and NESN360 customers. I’ll leave it at that.
My MLB App
It’s telling me the Yankees have lost five straight. That can’t be right. Right?
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 08: Ryan Mountcastle #6 of the Baltimore Orioles looks on against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Rate Field on April 08, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jayden Mack/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One way that the 2026 Orioles season continues to emulate the 2025 one is the way that injury news is a daily feature. Following Sunday’s 6-2 win over the Giants, O’s manager Craig Albernaz provided updates on three players who have recently had issues pop up: Ryan Mountcastle, Tyler O’Neill, and Adley Rutschman.
O’Neill was the surprise addition to the list of injured on Sunday when the team placed him on the concussion injured list, which has only a 7-day minimum stay instead of the usual 10. The Orioles had been saying O’Neill was out of the lineup for previous games due to an illness.
Albernaz said that due to O’Neill’s illness, he got dehydrated and fainted on Thursday, hitting his head on the fall and apparently suffering a concussion in the process. O’Neill’s roster spot was, at least temporarily, taken by Johnathan Rodriguez, acquired from the Guardians in a minor transaction back on March 29.
The team had also been awaiting MRI results for Mountcastle and Rutschman. Albernaz did not give the exact diagnosis on Rutschman’s left ankle inflammation, just calling the results “encouraging” and indicating that Rutschman’s stay on the injured list may be a short one. This is a story that I’ve heard before and the first injury update does not always prove to be the final situation, so we’ll see how that plays out. Rutschman was placed on the 10-day injured list yesterday. He’s got a little more time to wait. If he does have a short IL stint, the team may not have him do a rehab assignment.
For Mountcastle, the diagnosis is a broken fourth metatarsal on his left foot. This was apparently suffered during his run on the bases in Saturday’s game. At this moment, he’s not on the injured list and Albernaz didn’t say whether Mountcastle would be placed on the IL. They might see how he responds to “try to play through it after a little rest,” or they might take an easy excuse to place him on the IL. It’s not like there are a ton of good options to replace him at Norfolk.
The Orioles now have 12 players on the injured list and if Mountcastle goes on too, that’ll make 13. It’s a lot of injuries. Despite all of this, the team is in a three-way tie atop the AL East with its 8-7 record. The daily injury updates may be familiar from 2025, but the team managing to stay afloat while absorbing all of the injuries? That’s something new. Hopefully they can keep that going.
The Flyers have a clearer picture of how they can clinch their first playoff berth since the 2019-20 season.
With the Blue Jackets’ 3-2 regulation loss Sunday night to the Bruins, the Flyers can punch their ticket to the postseason if they win one of their final two games. Their magic number is two points, so a pair of overtime/shootout losses would also do the trick.
Their first chance will come Monday when they host Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP). They then welcome the Canadiens on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
The Flyers can also make the playoffs if they pick up one point over their last two games and the Blue Jackets beat the Capitals on Tuesday night. But their easiest way to get in is to win one more game.
The Flyers (41-27-12) hold the final playoff spot (third place) in the Metropolitan Division with 94 points. Two points in some fashion over the next two days would put them at 96, a total the Capitals, Blue Jackets and Islanders can’t reach.
The Capitals (42-30-9) have 93 points and can finish with a max of 95. They blanked the Penguins, 3-0, Sunday afternoon.
The Blue Jackets (40-29-12) have 92 points and can finish with a max of 94. They host the Capitals in the regular-season finale for both clubs.
The Islanders (43-33-5) were eliminated from the race Sunday with a 4-1 loss to the Canadiens.
Apr 12, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Geraldo Perdomo (2) breaks his bat against the Philadelphia Phillies in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
After a mostly ugly series at San Francisco, a return home to play the Arizona Diamondbacks should have helped get the Phillies back on track. But the ugly play largely continued against Arizona, and a slew of self-imposed mistakes caused the Phillies to lose the game – and the series – on Sunday by a score of 4-3.
The game had a strange vibe from the start when Andrew Painter was scratched from the start by a migraine. Zach Pop got the start in his place, and gave up one run in two innings, partly due to a throwing error by Brandon Marsh.
The Phillies’ offense didn’t do much early on in the game against veteran righthander Zac Gallen. Bryce Harper hit into a double play in the first, and Rafael Marchan flew out with two on, two out in the second. In the fourth, Harper led off with a single but was thrown out at second on an ill-advised attempt to make it a double.
The Phillies got a lift when Painter’s headache cleared up and he was able to enter the game in the third inning. He gave them five strong innings, giving up just one run in five innings. And that one run was partly due to Adolis Garcia playing a single into a double, and Trea Turner unable to catch up to a blooper past the infield.
The Phillies have done this “fun” bit this series where they only score in one inning of each game. And apparently, they chose the sixth on Sunday. Justin Crawford led off with a double, and then Turner hit a shot to right that replay showed just cleared the fence for a two-run home run.
When Marsh’s ensuing single gave the Phillies runners at the corners with nobody out, and it looked like they were on the verge of a big inning.
In came reliever Jonathan Loaisiga, and that pitching change served to kill the Phillies’ momentum. With the infield in, Harper went on contact on Brandon Marsh’s ground ball to second base (why?) and was easily cut down. Garcia then popped up, and then Alec Bohm lined out to end the threat.
The Phillies called upon Jose Alvarado for the eighth. Most of the focus has been on how bad some of the Phillies’ hitters have been, but Alvarado has been pretty shaky in his own right. He gave up a leadoff single, and after a strong play by Marchan got the runner for a fielder’s choice at second, a stolen base and single by Jose Fernandez tied the game up.
Jonathan Bowlan relieved Alvarado and was not any better. He walked the first batter he faced and then surrendered a go-ahead single to Adrian Del Castillo.
The Phillies looked like they might respond by actually scoring in a second inning of the game. Harper led off the eighth with a walk, and Marsh singled to put runners on the corners with nobody out. But Diamondbacks reliever Kevin Ginkel overpowered Stott for a strikeout, and then the Phillies showed exactly what it looks like when a team is playing poorly.
Marsh attempted to steal second and didn’t seem to realize that Garcia (0-10 in the series) had popped the ball up. He was easily doubled off first base to end the threat.
That probably didn’t matter because Alec Bohm was the next batter, and I’m not sure if he could hit the ball off a tee at the moment. (Hitless in his last 17 at bats.) He struck out to start the ninth, Marchan followed with a pop up, and Justin Crawford ended things with an ABS-reviewed strike three on the very edge of the zone.
The Phillies are clearly not playing well right now. Maybe they’re all trying too hard, or maybe this is just one of those “we can’t get out of our own way” funks that teams go through during a long season. The homestand will continue on Monday against the Cubs, and hopefully the Phillies will get their act together and start playing winning baseball.
DETROIT, MI - JANUARY 17: Ausar Thompson #9 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket during the game against the Indiana Pacers on January 17, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
From 68 losses to 60 wins in two years. That is what is on the line tonight for the Detroit Pistons in their regular-season finale against the Indiana Pacers. Detroit could become just the third team in franchise history to reach 60 wins, and one of just three this season, joining the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
Standing in their way, hypothetically, will be the Indiana Pacers. But not the actual Indiana Pacers. The JV Indiana Pacers. You see, the Pacers have zero interest in winning this meaningless game that will formally conclude their gap year without injured star Tyrese Haliburton. A win puts them in a tie with the Brooklyn Nets, with a coin flip deciding both teams’ fates in the all-important NBA Draft Lottery. The Pacers are going to be sure it doesn’t come to that.
The following players will not be suiting up for the Pacers tonight:
Johnny Furphy
Tyrese Haliburton
TJ McConnell
Andrew Nembhard
Aaron Nesmith
Ben Sheppard
Pascal Siakam
Jarace Walker
Ivica Zubac
The projected opening lineup for the Pacers has started 67 total games. In their careers. That is fewer games than Duncan Robinson and Ausar Thompson have started this season. It’s also fewer than Jalen Duren has started this season, but Detroit’s big man is taking this game off to rest.
Game Vitals
When: 6 p.m. ET Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit (RIP) Odds: Pistons -14
Projected Lineups
Detroit Pistons (59-22)
Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Paul Reed
Indiana Pacers (19-62)
Quentin Jackson, Ethan Thompson, Jalen Slawson, Kobe Brown, Micah Potter
Apr 12, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Gary Sanchez (99) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers found themselves on the wrong side of a few late-inning rallies by the Nationals on Sunday afternoon, as Washington put up six runs against Milwaukee’s bullpen to pick up a sweep and extend the Brewer losing streak to five.
Brandon Woodruff started the afternoon out looking fantastic, setting the top of the Washington lineup down in order with a pair of strikeouts. Brice Turang started the bottom of the inning with a single, but would be wiped out on a force out from Christian Yelich, who just beat out the throw to first upon review. The lead baserunner would go for naught, though, as Garrett Mitchell followed with a three-pitch strikeout to end the inning.
Both teams then traded 1-2-3 innings until Turang slugged a two-out homer into Milwaukee’s bullpen in the bottom of the third to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead after three.
James Wood responded right away in the top of the fourth, hitting a solo shot of his own for the Nationals’ first hit and first run. The Nats wouldn’t stop there, though as Luis García Jr. reached on a fielding error by Jake Bauers at first before moving to third on a Daylen Lile double and scoring on a CJ Abrams sac fly, putting Washington up 2-1.
The Brewers knotted it back up in the bottom of the inning with another solo shot, this time from Jake Bauers. Woodruff worked around a single and a walk in the fifth to keep the game even at 2-2, and Turang would give Milwaukee the lead right back in the bottom of the inning with his second solo homer of the day, this time to right-center.
Two batters later, though, Gary Sánchez entered as a pinch-hitter for Yelich in an unexpected move. He would pop up, and it was reported by Sophia Minnaert just an inning later that Yelich exited with left hamstring tightness. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more, but hopefully it was just a precautionary move.
After the two teams traded scoreless half-innings in the sixth, things quickly went awry when Abner Uribe took over for Woodruff in the seventh.
Jacob Young started things off with a double into the gap, and after a misplay by Mitchell off the wall, Young coasted into third. Uribe was able to get the next hitter to pop out, but pinch-hitter José Tena got a single through the pulled-in infield to tie it up at 3-3 with still just one out.
Uribe got the next batter, Nasim Nuñez, to line out, and Pat Murphy opted to replace Uribe with lefty Angel Zerpa with the lefty Wood at the plate. After a wild pitch moved Tena up to second, Wood would reach on a walk. Another pinch-hitter, Curtis Mead, entered to face Zerpa, and he dumped a single into center to score the go-ahead run and put runners at the corners with two outs.
Now at 4-3, the Nationals looked to extend the lead with a delayed steal of home, as Mead took off for second and Wood went home on the throw. The throw home was late, but home plate umpire Carlos Torres inexplicably called Wood out. Upon review, it was very clear that Wood beat the throw, and the call was overturned to give Washington a 5-3 lead. Brady House followed with another RBI single to make it 6-3 before the inning was all said and done, and Milwaukee’s offense would have to dig itself out of a hole in the final three frames.
Ken Waldichuk, who had already pitched a scoreless sixth, came back out and got two quick outs. During Turang’s plate appearance, however, Waldichuk fell into a 2-0 hole and, on the second ball, he came up grimacing and clenching his throwing arm. Not a good sign.
Waldichuk was immediately removed, and his replacement, Cole Henry, proceeded to walk Turang, walk Contreras, and fall into another 2-0 hole against Sánchez, the second ball of which was overturned upon a Sánchez-initated review. The next pitch, a cutter near the bottom of the zone, promptly found a home in the left-field bleachers as Sánchez gave the Crew some life and tied the game at 6-6.
PJ Poulin took over for Henry and gave up a single to Mitchell before retiring Bauers to end the inning. It was a long, high-scoring inning, as the Nationals put up four runs before Milwaukee’s three runs to tie it — brand-new ballgame with just two innings left in regulation.
Zerpa remained in for the eighth, but he continued to struggle, giving up back-to-back singles to Abrams and Young to put runners at the corners with one out. Jorbit Vivas followed with a sac bunt that moved Young to second but didn’t score Abrams from third, as Zerpa was pulled in favor of Aaron Ashby.
Ashby got Keibert Ruiz into a 1-1 count before Ruiz was able to fight off a pitch below the zone for a single up the middle, scoring both runners and allowing Ruiz to move to second on the throw. Ashby was able to set the next two hitters down, but the damage was done with Washington now ahead 8-6.
The Brewers went down in order in the bottom of the inning, and Jake Woodford worked around a pair of singles in the ninth to keep the deficit at two.
Former Brewer Gus Varland came on for his first career save opportunity with the Nats up by two, and he made quick work of Joey Ortiz, Turang, and Contreras with a strikeout, groundout, and flyout, respectively, locking up the game and series sweep for Washington.
Woodruff got a quality start with six innings of work, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk while striking out six. Uribe and Zerpa both got roughed up, as Uribe allowed two runs and Zerpa gave up four. Ashby and Woodford both had scoreless afternoons for the bullpen.
Offensively, the Brewers once again got all of their runs via the long ball, with Turang slugging a pair of solo shots, Bauers adding a solo homer, and Sánchez hitting the big game-tying three-run shot that gave Milwaukee some late life. Turang led the squad with three hits and a walk today, while Bauers was the only other player with multiple hits.
It was another rough series for the Brewers after they lost two of three in Boston to begin the week, and they’re now in the midst of a five-game skid. They’ll get another off day on Monday to try to shake off the boogeyman before welcoming the reigning AL Champion Toronto Blue Jays to town for three games beginning on Tuesday night. First pitch in that one is set for 6:40 p.m., with Jacob Misiorowski slated to face Kevin Gausman.
The fate of the Detroit Red Wings was sealed on Saturday evening with their regulation loss to the New Jersey Devils, confirming that they would miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a 10th consecutive season.
However, there are still two games left on their regular season schedule before they break for the offseason, starting with a tilt against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday evening, followed by their finale against the Florida Panthers, both on the road.
Before those matchups take place, the Red Wings have announced an emergency call-up from the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, who initially made the roster out of Training Camp, has been called up.
UPDATE: The #RedWings have recalled Michael Brandsegg-Nygard from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions. pic.twitter.com/80HStaHnQf
Brandsegg-Nygård, whom the Red Wings selected in the first round (14th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft, played in 12 games in the NHL this season, registering an assist.
He's been a key contributor to the Griffins this season, who became the first AHL club in decades to clinch a playoff spot in February.
In 58 games played with the Griffins, he's tallied 20 goals with 24 assists, and also has posted an impressive plus-19 rating.
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BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 12: Samuel Basallo #29 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with Pete Alonso #25 bases after hitting a two run home run against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 12, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A stellar start by Cade Povich, supported by key contributions at the plate from the previously slumping Pete Alonso and Samuel Basallo, led the Orioles to a 6-2 win at Camden Yards on Sunday afternoon. They have now won five of six and are tied for first place in the AL East.
This was the peak version of Povich. The lefty pounded the strike zone, mixed pitches, and limited damage. That combination allowed him to put together one of the best outings of his big league career. Over 6.2 innings, Povich allowed just one run on five hits, no walks, and five strikeouts. Not a bad way to celebrate your 26th birthday.
That one run came in the fifth inning. Casey Schmitt opened the frame with a single, moved to second on a ground out, and then eventually scored on a two-out single. But credit to Povich for keeping things right there. He got Jerar Encarnacion to fly out and conclude the inning. That’s all they would manage against the starter.
Most would have expected O’s manager Craig Albernaz to pull Povich after that. He had gone through the order twice, was in the position to get a win, and he was exiting on a relative high. Instead, Albernaz stuck with him through the sixth inning. Then, he let him start the seventh, and even stayed with him after a lead-off single. Povich rewarded him with a double play before a double from Heliot Ramos pushed Albernaz to finally make a change. He went with Anthony Nunez, who made quick work of Daniel Susace to wrap up the inning.
This felt like a significant performance from Povich. There is pressure on him to perform and become the preferred rotation understudy, in front of guys like Brandon Young, Albert Suárez, or even Trey Gibson this year. There is more work to be done before the lefty can actually cement himself into that role, but his first 12.1 innings of the year are good steps in that direction.
What helped Albernaz make the decision to stick with Povich as long as he did was an Orioles offense that felt more threatening today.
The scoring for the O’s started early. After Pete Alonso worked a two-out walk in the bottom of the first inning, Samuel Basallo gave the good guys a 2-0 lead with a line drive home run to left-center field, his second long ball of the season.
It took until the fifth inning for the Baltimore bats to come back alive. Gunnar Henderson got the two-out rally going with a single into right field. Taylor Ward did the same, scooting Henderson over to third base in the process. Then it was Alonso that broke his cold streak, yanking a two-bagger down the third base line to drive in both runners and make it 4-1 Orioles.
They added on to that lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Leody Taveras set the table with an inning-opening double to right field. He then sprinted home on a Coby Mayo flare into shallow center, giving the Birds a 5-1 advantage.
The Orioles’ final run of the day came home in the seventh inning. Back-to-back singles from Ward and Alonso got the inning going. A one-out walk for the newly promoted Johnathan Rodríguez loaded the bases. Following a strikeout by Taveras, Colton Cowser knocked in Ward with a bouncer that got past the pitcher and became an infield hit.
This was a complete performance from the Orioles lineup. They collected 11 hits, walked five times, and struck out seven times. All but one starter had a hit. Key contributions from Alonso and Basallo in the middle of the lineup made a world of difference. That duo was responsible for four of the six RBI on the day.
Because Povich tossed 6.2 big innings, the bullpen only had to record seven outs. Nunez got the first one, and then Tyler Wells handled the final six. Wells did give up a solo homer to Casey Schmitt, who had three of San Francisco’s seven hits, but the reliever was otherwise fine. Most crucially, the Orioles didn’t have to use any of Rico Garcia, Grant Wolfram, or Ryan Helsley, who seem to be becoming the squad’s high-leverage arms of the moment. That’s important during this stretch without an off day.
The American League is a jumble of mediocre teams right now, and the Orioles are included. Their win today, paired with a Yankees loss to the Rays, means that those three are tied for first in the East at 8-7. Not bad for a team that seemed to be falling apart in Pittsburgh last weekend. Baseball is funny like that.
The O’s will welcome the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Yard for a three-game set beginning on Monday. First pitch is set for 6:35, though we do not yet know who will be throwing that pitch for the O’s. Speculation suggests that it will be Dean Kremer. We shall see.
Most Birdland Player – April 12, 2026
Leave a comment down below with your vote for the “Most Birdland Player” in the Orioles 6-2 win. You can pick whomever you would like, but here are a few worthy nominees:
Cade Povich (win, 6.2 innings, one run, five hits, no walks, five strikeouts)
Pete Alonso (2-for-4, double, two RBI, walk, breaking out of his slump)
Samuel Basallo (1-for-3, two-run homer, walk, breaking out of HIS slump)
