Even his most ardent admirers may admit to a case of Scott Pendlebury fatigue right now. So let’s begin by getting a few words out of the way. Time. Space. Basketball. Saunas. Ice baths. Let’s also put aside some of the more tedious elements of the buildup to his record-breaking game – the gold-plated number, the multiple and lucrative costume changes, the signature wine range, the standing ovation at the 10-minute mark, and the discussion over whether he should have been rested or not.
Emotionally, technically and physically, Pendlebury has much in common with his fellow 400-gamers who gathered at the MCG this week. All of them were wily enough to avoid grievous harm on the field. All of them were temperamentally sound, and weren’t the type of personalities to let the outside noise seep in. And all of them avoided the kind of vices and distractions that can curtail sporting longevity.
Forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, the first round (15th overall) pick of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2024 NHL Draft, demonstrated a flair for the dramatic on Tuesday evening.
Brandsegg-Nygård came through for the Griffins in a do-or-die Game 3 against the Chicago Wolves, scoring the overtime game-winning goal in dramatic fashion.
He took the puck in the neutral zone, skated over the blue line and then dangled around Wolves defenseman Ronan Steely before beating goaltender Cayden Primeau with a backhand shot, giving Grand Rapids the 4-3 win.
— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) May 20, 2026
It was his fourth tally of the playoffs.
The Griffins are now 1/3 of the way toward winning the series, and they have no choice but to win two more consecutive games to remain alive in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Brandsegg-Nygård was one of three rookies to make the Red Wings' roster out of Training Camp and the pre-season in 2025-26, along with Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Emmitt Finnie; he played in 12 games and registered an assist before being returned to the Griffins.
Both Carter Mazur and John Leonard, both of whom played multiple games this season with the Red Wings, gave Grand Rapids a 2-0 lead in the first period. However, Chicago would knot the score courtesy of goals from Domenick Fensore and Justin Robidas before taking the lead in the second period after a tally from Felix Unger Sorum.
But Tyler Angle responded less than two minutes later with his first goal of the postseason, re-tying the game.
Picking up the win in net was Michal Postava, who made 17 saves and also picked up a secondary assist on Mazur's goal. Meanwhile, Primeau was strong for Chicago, making 42 saves.
Game 4 between the Griffins and Wolves is scheduled for Thursday evening at Allstate Arena.
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There are going to be a lot of interesting storylines surrounding the Pittsburgh Penguins in the summer of 2026.
For one, the NHL Draft is a little more than a month away, and that means draft boards and predictions are already making their rounds. The trade market will also be an intriguing point of emphasis, especially after Penguins' general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas's comments during his season-ending press conference. Also, Evgeni Malkin is still without a contract, meaning his future in Pittsburgh is still up-in-the-air.
But one of the quieter topics of discussion that is bound to surface at some point or another is the one involving extension talks with, arguably, the team's two best players.
Dubas did confirm in his presser that talks with extension-eligible players Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson are on the back-burner a bit as of now since the Penguins' priority is on the draft.
“They’re not eligible until Jul. 1, so it’s not been a front-burner topic for us," Dubas said. "I think with both of them, [it may be] something later in the summer as we get back in the fall.
"Sid is in a different category. I think most players start to get into their late 30s, and it tends to become a year-to-year thing. I don’t know if that’s how each of them will handle it. That’s just how most players handle it. We’ll discuss that as we get through the summer and into the fall, for sure. In Karl’s case, obviously, players voted him Team MVP. We’re very happy with him. And Sid is Sid.”
While a Crosby extension seems like a given as long as he wants to keep playing, a Karlsson extension is certainly no guarantee.
Karlsson, who turns 36 at the end of May, has one year remaining on his contract that pays him $11.5 million annually, with $10 million being paid out by the Penguins. He is coming off his best season in Pittsburgh, as he thrived under Dan Muse and the new coaching staff on both sides of the puck and wound up with 15 goals and 66 points in 75 regular season games.
Of course, teams should always tread carefully when it comes to extensions to players who will be 37 years old when the new deal would kick in. Even if the Penguins made tangible progress toward becoming a contender in 2025-26 by making the playoffs, Dubas admitted during his press conference that the team is still a "long way off" from being a contender the likes of the Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and more.
So, it's fair to wonder whether or not a Karlsson extension would fit their timeline. The Penguins could probably trade him for a pretty nice return this summer and use those assets to help acquire someone younger in the trade market.
However, there are a few things worth considering here:
This is the biggest point of emphasis. Karlsson entirely controls if he goes and where he goes, so any possibility of a potential trade would need to be cleared by him and his camp first.
In addition, the Penguins and Karlsson need to be aligned. If the Penguins want to trade Karlsson, that doesn't mean he wants to go, and if the Penguins want to keep Karlsson, that doesn't mean he wants to stay. He has expressed how much he likes playing in Pittsburgh, but the reality is that he'll be 36 years old and, still, without a Stanley Cup.
Would Karlsson want to go to a more surefire contender? Or do he and the Penguins mutually agree that they'll be able to legitimately contend if he signs on for another couple of seasons?
Apr 9, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson (65) passes the puck against the New Jersey Devils during the first period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Luther Schlaifer-Imagn Images
2. The Penguins do not have the right-side depth to effectively replace him
Yes, Harrison Brunicke is an intriguing prospect. He's an elite skater, but there is still a lot of rawness to his game that he needs to harness and refine a bit before hitting his stride in the NHL.
And he certainly won't be ready for top-four minutes at the start of next season, let alone top-pairing minutes. Kris Letang's game is declining, as he is not really an option on the top pairing, either, and is more than three years Karlsson's senior.
Beyond them? Well, Jack St. Ivany, who hasn't shown much promise in the last couple of years between a plethora of injuries, too, is the next guy on the depth chart, followed by Finn Harding - playing in his first full professional season in WBS - who is not only not quite NHL-ready but also someone with a pretty low NHL ceiling.
Even though the Penguins are almost certainly not tanking next season, even if they wanted to remove Karlsson and "tank," they can't even do that because they literally do not have the personnel who can take on his minutes as of now.
So, if Karlsson isn't extended, the Penguins need an immediate plan to replace him.
3. If the Penguins "go for it" on the trade market this summer, it makes sense to keep him around in the short-term
There's no way around it: The Penguins are a much better hockey team with Karlsson on it, and he was the single-most crucial player to their playoff berth this season.
It's becoming clearer that the Penguins intend to compete with Crosby still around. They plan to compete post-Crosby, too - hence why they're rebuliding the way they are - but if there is a real chance at building a true contender within the next two years because of bigger swings in the trade market, savvy drafting, good asset management, and smart free agent signings, then extending a bona fide No. 1 defenseman who played some of the best hockey of his NHL career last season seems like a worthwhile gamble.
Plus, it would give Brunicke - and, potentially, another young blueliner acquired in the trade market or in free agency - the opportunity to learn and grow under Karlsson and in roles that won't demand too much of them too quickly. So, really, a shorter-term Karlsson extension beyond next season does actually make a lot of sense for the Penguins, especially if they plan to improve, not regress.
While folks may have to wait a bit for an answer to the Karlsson extension conundrum - possibly even through the 2027 NHL trade deadline - it's clear that Dubas and the Penguins still see a lot of value in the three-time Norris Trophy winner, regardless of how they ultimately decide to channel that value.
May 19, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; General view behind home plate during the first inning between the Texas Rangers against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
When the Colorado Rockies welcomed the Texas Rangers to Coors Field for Game 2, their hope was to pick up where they left off after getting a Monday night win. After all, it was “Bark in the Park,” so the vibes (and the dogs!) were good.
However, by the time the game ended, there was nothing to be heard but howls of disappointment from the Rockies side of Coors Field as the Rangers racked up a decisive 10-0 win.
The hits, they kept coming — for the Rangers
The Rangers got on the board first after a rough first inning from opener Sammy Peralta.
He opened by walking Andrew McCutchen on four pitches and then hitting Brandon Nimmo. Ezequiel Duran hit a double to bring them home. After that, Peralta issued yet another walk, loading the bases with one out for Alejandro Osuna. After Peralta struck out Osuna, bulk reliever Tanner Gordon entered the game to get the final out, which he did with just one pitch.
Still, the Rockies were down two runs before even sending a batter to the plate. Worth noting is that the Rangers are 17-3 when scoring first, and that trend continued tonight.
In their half of the first, the Rockies did not get a hit. Adding to the bad news, Brenton Doyle left the game after attempting a diving catch with a left-side contusion.
E1: Rangers 2, Rockies 0
That would be as good as it got for Gordon with the Rangers hitting him hard for the rest of the game.
The second inning saw the Rockies falling further behind as a Nimmo RBI single scored Joc Pederson. Following that, Duran singled to bring home Nimmo, and then a Jake Burger single brought home Josh Jung. When the Rockies finally got the third out, the Rangers had a 5-0 lead.
Rockies pitchers had already issued three walks before the top of the second had ended.
Kumar Rocker took over pitching duties for the Rangers in the second inning and never looked back. Troy Johnston — the second hitter Rocker faced — hit a single, the Rockies’ first hit of the game. Tyler Freeman, fresh off paternity leave, followed that with another single, but the Rockies failed to capitalized.
E2: Rangers 5, Rockies 0
After a scoreless third inning, the Rangers got back to work in the fourth. They scored two more runs — seven runs on 10 hits with the game not yet half over.
Although Ezequiel Tovar walked in the bottom half of the inning, he was unable to advance.
E4: Rangers 7, Rockies 0
The hits kept coming in the fifth inning as Pederson scored his third hit despite entering the game in the second inning. Justin Foscue hit a sacrifice fly to bring him Evan Carter, and the score was 8-0 Rangers.
In contrast, the Rockies did not have a single baserunner in the fifth.
E5: Rangers 8, Rockies 0
This is a pretty grim game recap, so please enjoy this catch from Mickey Moniak in the sixth:
Also worth noting is that the Rockies got three outs on four pitches. The sixth was that rare inning when the Rangers failed to put a runner on base.
In the seventh inning, the Rangers scored again on a — stop me if you’ve heard this one before — Joc Pederson single that scored Danny Jansen. Pederson went 4-for-4 with one RBI.
The Rockies managed a baserunner in the bottom of the inning after a Johnston single, his second of the evening and the Rockies third hit, but they were unable to score.
E7: Rangers 9, Rockies 0
Seth Halvorsen entered the game in the eighth and promptly surrendered two hits, two walks, and a run.
Catcher Brett Sullivan was preparing to enter the game to relieve Halvorsen when Willi Castro caught two quick line-outs to end the inning.
E8: Rangers 10, Rockies 0
The Rockies sent Sullivan to pitch the ninth. Things were grim, but watching the Rockies turn a double play never gets old, and the Rockies turned a nice one to end the inning for Sullivan. (Unfortunately, no video was available.)
Ezequiel Tovar drew a two-out walk in the ninth — worth noting, he walked twice in this game. They were unable to score in the ninth.
E9: Rangers 10, Rockies 0
For the Rangers, this marked a season high in terms of hits (16) and runs (10). Add to that, an excellent performance from Kumar Rocker who absolutely muzzled the Rockies.
“The slider was devastating,” said manager Warren Schaeffer after the game.
On the flip side, it marked an offensive wasteland for the Rockies. They had just three hits and no runs. They walked three times and had and had seven Ks.
The Rockies pitching, it was not good
This will not go down as the best-pitched game in Rockies history.
Opener Sammy Peralta went 0.2 IP giving up two runs (both earned) on two hits. He also walked to and struck out one on 23 pitches. Tanner Gordon did his best, but the Rangers dinged him for hits throughout the game.
He went 6.1 IP, allowing seven runs (all earned) on 12 hits. He walked one and struck out five while throwing 81 pitches. Although Gordon was not effective on the mound, he saved the bullpen.
“The length was extremely valuable to us tonight, ” Schaeffer said.
The eighth inning went to Halvorsen, who struggled much as Gordon did. When the inning ended, he had thrown 25 pitches and allowed one run (earned) on two hits. He also walked two and did not strike out a hitter.
Sullivan pitched the ninth inning as the Rockies waved the white flag. He went one inning, allowed no hits or runs, and walked one.
“He’s willing to do it, and he saved the ‘pen,” Schaeffer said. “That was big for us and good job by Sullivan.”
Up Next
Join us tomorrow for the rubber match when Jack Leiter will face Kyle Freeland. First pitch is at 1:10.
It’s not often that the Mets score a bunch of runs in games started by Nolan McLean this season, but that’s exactly what they did on Tuesday night against the Washington Nationals after scoring five runs in the first two innings.
However, this time it was McLean who let his offense down after the right-hander allowed nine runs (six earned) in 5.2 innings. The six earned runs given up by McLean are a career-high and four of them came on one swing.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the second inning, James Wood attacked McLean’s first pitch sweeper and sent it deep to left center field, where the Mets couldn’t make a play on it, which resulted in an inside-the-park grand slam.
In fact, all three hits allowed by McLean in that second inning came on the first pitch. All three were on different pitches.
“They were ultra aggressive, especially that first time through,” manager Carlos Mendoza said about the Nationals. “… They were hacking first pitch, they were looking hard. The sinker, the cutter, 1-0 [count] and they were aggressive. Balls found holes, they attacked him.”
With how aggressive Washington’s hitters were, McLean found it difficult to make the necessary adjustments on his pitches because they wouldn’t allow him to get settled or find a rhythm.
“Sometimes it’s tough to make adjustments when they’re putting the first pitch in play on multiple different pitches,” McLean said. “… They were just up there pretty aggressive, so sometimes it’s tough to get to the adjustment as quick as normal.”
To make things more difficult for McLean, he clearly didn’t have his best stuff and had to battle with every pitch. On top of that, his fastball, which usually sits around 96 to 97 mph, was hovering around 94 mph for most of the night, perhaps due to the high heat and humidity.
It’s also possible the 45-minute rain delay at the start of the game threw off the right-hander.
“They made some pretty good swings on some decent pitches,” McLean said. “Obviously, I didn’t have my best stuff, but that’s no excuse for not going out there and competing better than I did.”
In the end, McLean went 5.2 innings before handing it off to Daniel Duarte, who saved the bullpen by finishing the game with 2.1 scoreless innings.
Still, it’s not the outing that McLean expects out of himself.
“Obviously, the bullpen’s been getting after it these last couple of days, but my job every time, whether we have a full bullpen or not, is to go out there and get at least seven, so I’m disappointed I didn’t do that,” he said.
But back to the biggest swing of the night, that inning actually began with McLean retiring the first two batters. A double kept the inning going, but after that McLean got ahead 0-2 to No. 8 hitter Drew Millas before hitting him with a curveball.
That mistake elongated the inning and proved costly as an infield single loaded the bases before Wood jumped the rookie.
“In that second inning there, with two outs, even after the double, the 0-2 hit by pitch was kinda like the killer there,” Mendoza said. “… The 0-2 hit by pitch ended up costing a lot in that inning. Overall, especially in those early innings, like I said, he wasn’t able to go to his secondary, make that adjustment… It was a battle for him.”
As someone who has made much of his devotion to science, Bryson DeChambeau isn’t foolish enough to fall for any old conspiracy theory. But he does believe the moon landings may not have been all they seemed. And that interdimensional beings may be visiting Earth.
The two-time major champion appeared this week on a podcast hosted by Katie Miller, the wife of White House senior adviser Stephen Miller. During the interview DeChambeau spoke about conspiracy theories, golf and his friendship with Donald Trump.
Iowa Cubs' James Triantos (4) swings at the ball on Friday, March 28, 2025, at Principal Park in Des Moines. | Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Right-hander Kaleb Wing was promoted from rookie ball ACL Cubs to Low-A Myrtle Beach.
Right-hander Luis A. Reyes went from the Pelicans down to Mesa.
If you want some more bad news, Iowa starter Connor Noland had to be carted off the mound in this game after he was hit in the ankle by a line drive comebacker. Noland’s line on the game was one run on four hits over 1.1 innings. Noland struck out two and walked one.
If you want some good news, Ryan Jensen relieved Noland, stranded two runners and went on to pitch 2.1 scoreless innings. Jensen allowed two hits and walked two while striking out four.
The loss went to Yacksel Rios, who pitched two innings of relief and gave up one run on two hits. Rios walked two and struck out two.
Iowa pitchers walked a season-high 13 batters. Memphis got two runs with bases-loaded walks and two on sacrifice flies.
Left fielder Justin Dean hit a solo home run in the eighth inning, his third on the year. Dean was 1 for 3 with a walk.
James Triantos tripled in a run in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the game 2-2. Triantos went 2 for 4.
Pedro Ramirez missed this game because of illness.
Nazier Mulé made his first start since returning from the Development List and got the loss. Mulé allowed one run on one hit over 1.1 innings. He walked four batters and struck out three.
Center fielder Kane Kepley was most of South Bend’s offense tonight as he hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning. It was Kepley’s second home run this year. Kepley went 1 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored.
Shortstop Ty Southisene continued to hit for average in South Bend. Tonight he went 3 for 5 with a stolen base. Southisene is hitting .373 over 13 games in the Midwest League.
Kepley’s three-run home run.
Them: You can't have a .490 OBP, lead the league in stolen bases, and hit bombs!
Pierce Coppola was terrific for the Birds even if his final line doesn’t completely show it. He no-hit the Cannon Ballers through five innings, although he did give up a run in the fourth inning on a walk, two stolen bases and a sac fly. He came out to pitch the sixth and exited after giving up a one-out walk and a single. Both of those runs scored off of reliever Mason McGwire, although to be honest, it was more an issue with the Pelicans defense than McGwire.
So Coppola ended up getting the loss after being charged with three runs on one hit over 5.1 innings. He walked three and struck out nine.
McGwire pitched 1.2 innings and allowed two hits and no runs of his own. He walked one and struck out one. But the two runs scored because of a high infield chopper that both shortstop Alexis Hernandez and third baseman Derniche Valdez just whiffed on, so it rolled into shallow left field for a double.
The only Pelicans run came on a single in the seventh inning by second baseman Jose Escobar. Escobar was 2 for 3 with a double.
Will Sanders made a rehab start in this game and got battered for five runs on six hits over 1.2 innings. Sanders struck out two and walked one. That’s not good, but as I always say, the only thing that matters about a rehab appearance is how the player feels afterwards. It’s about health, not results.
May 19, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) runs to first base after hitting a three-run home run in the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images
With Kris Bubic out with some elbow discomfort, the Kansas City Royals turned to ye olde “bullpen game” against the Boston Red Sox. While the bullpen held for most of the game, the Royals offense stayed sleepy and the Red Sox eventually did their damage, beating the Royals in a 7-1 slog.
Kansas City turned to Bailey Falter, whose ERA entering tonight’s game was an eye-watering 10.13. Falter did nothing to dispel the implication that his ERA suggested, immediately walking leadoff hitter Jarren Duran on four consecutive pitches.
Somewhat miraculously, Falter only gave up two runs in his two innings of work. A Willson Contreras single poked across one run in the first inning, and Falter escaped a bases loaded jam in the second inning while only allowing one run thanks to a Wilyer Abreu double play.
In the clubhouse, a visibly frustrated Falter answered the first question from our press corps simply and directly: “I haven’t been good since being acquired.” He took responsibility for not being good, but it sure doesn’t seem like he has any answers, unfortunately.
On the offensive side, the Royals drew blood quickly. Bobby Witt Jr. hit a bouncing single to opposite field. Salvador Perez—who was briefly possessed by Juan Soto during this game—challenged a strike call! At the plate! And won! And then walked! Lane Thomas then hit a hustle double (a questionable send, TBH, but that will be a theme) to tie the game at the time.
Then, one of the turning points happened. Against a tough lefty, Cags hit a dribbler to the right side. It sure seemed that he beat it out on replay. But New York upheld the call, making it two outs. It really should have been one, but a questionable call shouldn’t sink a whole team.
The Royals challenged this play at 1st and the Call had STAND.. what do you think? pic.twitter.com/zzqSDBFySN
Oh, we should mention Duran here. Duran walked in the first inning. He also walked in the second inning. He also was flying everywhere on defense. In the second inning, Vinnie Pasquantino struck out looking bad against Red Sox starter Ranger Suarez, a lefty. But Nick Loftin came up to bat and swatted a beautiful line drive.
But then, Duran made a hell of a diving play. Out.
In the third inning, Salvador “Juan Soto” Perez walked, again, his second walk in three innings. Now, he didn’t score, but if Salvy can draw some walks, he can mitigate his declining hit tool a bit. Notably, Salvy was in the third spot in the order. Perez was the DH tonight, and Carter “Salvador Perez” Jensen threw out Isiah Kiner-Falefah on a delightful, perfectly thrown ball to second base.
Duran continued his night in the fifth inning with a booming double. But Lane Thomas scooped up the ball quickly and rifled a throw to Witt, who unleashed a beautiful laser of his own to third base and cut Duran down. It was ruled a double, but you should know.
Amusingly, one of the Boston beat writers to my left confidently said “triple” as the ball sailed to center field. Well, welcome to Kansas City. Witt is in charge here, and the only triples allowed here are his own.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, more baserunning bad happened. Jensen hit a leadoff double, a ground ball just fair down the first base line. A Maikel Garcia line drive moved him to third base, but Garcia was thrown out at second base after the relay went home; he had slowed down at first base and almost belatedly decided he would do it. It looked odd at the moment.
After the game, Garcia—through a translator, which is not his standard practice—answered some questions. “We made too many mistakes running the bases,” he said. He elaborated that he wasn’t running hard out of the box, and that first base coach Damon Hollis sent him when the throw came in high. “Honestly, it was a mistake. Coach said ‘go,’ but he didn’t see me coming out of the box.” To be clear, I think that Garcia blamed himself, and interviews through translators always have a sort of margin for error. But it was interesting nonetheless.
Anyway, nobody scored. A fly ball from Witt was too shallow, and a blistered line drive from Perez wasn’t quite high enough to go over the fence, instead finding its way into, of course, Duran’s glove. Duran made a…questionable route, but a leaping catch looked very snazzy.
In the sixth inning, this seemed like a turning point in the game. After failing to push a run in scoring position across with one out, and with John Schreiber coming into the game, things seemed prime to fall apart.
Now, while it didn’t fall apart immediately, it did fall apart—it just took some time, with a baserunning farse detour along the way. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Thomas led off with a single. Cags struck out, but Starling Marte singled to put men on first and second…until Thomas got picked off at third base, the Royals’ second. A Vinnie line drive then ended the inning.
The pitching took a little bit to topple. I mentioned Schreiber—he actually pitched a clean sixth inning. Nick Mears struck out a pair in his two innings of work, giving up one run in the eighth inning off a Rafaela double and some productive out shenanigans. But it was the ninth inning where things really fell of the rails. Fresh from Triple-A Omaha, the Red Sox greeted reliever Eli Morgan with a flurry of hits. And then Duran, capping off an excellent game, smashed a three-run shot to expand Boston’s lead to 7-1. Red Sox social media called it a “dagger,” but let’s be real—the true dagger came three runs earlier.
In the ninth inning, the Royals were blessed with not needing to face Aroldis Chapman. It didn’t matter; lefty Jovani Moran might as well have been, as he mowed down Caglianone, Marte, and Pasquantino with three strikeouts.
A halfhearted chorus of boos percolated through the crowd. The game ended. The Royals fall to 20-29, but are not yet alone at the bottom of the division because the Detroit Tigers are inexplicably also 20-29. So it goes.
DENVER, CO - MAY 19: Kumar Rocker #80 of the Texas Rangers delivers a pitch in the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 19, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers scored a girthy ten runs while the Colorado Rockies scored no runs at all.
This one’ll do wonders for the ol’ Pythagorean W-L.
Maybe last night’s loss was the kick in the butt moment the Rangers needed as they came out tonight and immediately scored a couple of runs before turning to a opener to help ease Kumar Rocker into one of his best outings as a big leaguer.
The first inning has been among the biggest trouble areas for Texas this season as they have given up a lion’s share of their runs allowed in the first frame while not scoring much of their own in the game’s first inning. That has put the Rangers in a hole in an exorbitant number of contests, which has only hindered a lineup that has clearly been pressing.
Tonight however, it felt like an upset that Texas scored only two runs in the first inning as Ezequiel Duran doubled in a pair before the Rangers left ‘em loaded.
Meanwhile, in the bottom of the first, on Rocker’s usual day, manager Skip Schumaker decided to go with reliever Tyler Alexander for an inning with Rocker being among the biggest first inning-issues offender this season.
The plan worked swimmingly as not only did Alexander enter with a lead and pitch a scoreless frame, by the time Rocker took the mound to start the second inning, the Rangers had scored three more runs to give Rocker a 5-0 lead to work with.
Big lead Rocker was a hit to put it mildly. The righty ended up going all but the final out with 7.2 shutout innings while allowing just three hits and three of walks with seven strikeouts.
Meanwhile, the Rockies also went for an opener and it, uh, didn’t work out as well for them. Left-handed opener Sammy Peralta didn’t even make it out of his opening inning and once he left, Schumaker inserted left-handed hitting Joc Pederson in for leadoff man Andrew McCutchen and Pederson ended up with four hits in five at-bats.
Texas scored runs in six of the nine innings and every member of the lineup contributed at least a hit, walk, or run scored.
The Rangers reached double digits in runs scored for the first time this season as the season-high ten runs allowed them to tie up this series ahead of tomorrow’s finale.
Player of the Game: The lineup had a lot to like tonight. Aside from Pederson, Brandon Nimmo had three hits including the game’s lone home run. Duran had three hits and drove in a team-high four runs. Justin Foscue doubled in a run and walked. Jake Burger had a couple of hits, walked, and drove in a run.
But then again, it’s hard to ignore what Rocker accomplished. 7.2 innings of shutout relief on 103 bullpen-saving pitches. It goes down as a win but it was the ultimate save!
Up Next: The Rangers close out this series against the Rockies with a day game finale with RHP Jack Leiter expected to pitch for Texas opposite LHP Kyle Freeland for Colorado.
The Wednesday afternoon first pitch from Coors Field is scheduled for 2:10 pm CDT and will be viewable via the Rangers Sports Network.
May 19, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Mason Fluharty (68) pitches in the seventh inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Jays 4 Yankees 5
I don’t know…..
Dylan Cease was pitching great and the Jays got three runs in the fourth. All seemed good in the world.
In that fourth:
Daulton Varsho singled.
Kazuma Okamoto walked.
Yohendrick Piñango singled, and we had our first run.
Jesús Sánchez singled in the second run, nice line drive hit, but his follow through caught catcher Austin Wells in the head and there was a delay while they looked at him.
Andrés Giménez singled, scoring our third run. Unfortunately it ended there, Tyler Heineman popped out and George Springer ground out.
The long break seemed to affect Cease, he wasn’t great in the bottom of the fourth, giving up a couple of walks and a Ryan McMahon home run.
Cease gave up two more in the fifth, on a Ben Rice homer. 5 innings, 5 earned isn’t what we were hoping to see.
The bullpen did the job. Adam Macko (two outs), Chase Lee (one out, two walks), Mason Fluharty (one inning), Louis Varland (1 inning).
But we didn’t score again. We had chances:
In the seventh, Vlad was hit by pitch and Varsho singled but Okamoto ground out.
In the ninth, Giménez walked and Ernie Clement singled (have to admire that he came into the game since he was suffering from strep throat). But Springer lined one right at pitcher Camilo Doval, who managed to snag it. 90 mph and almost straight at his head (Baseball Savant has it at a .470 expected BA). Then Vlad lined one fairly deep to right-center (339 feet, I thought it was deeper when I first watched), but Trent Grisham made the catch (Baseball Savant says a .320 expected BA) that scored a run. Varsho beat out an infield single, putting runners on the corners. But Okamoto ground out and that was the game.
We had nine hits, and 3 walks, but again, no extra base hits, which seems to be the usual thing for out Jays.
Daulton went 4 for 5. No one else had more than one hit.
We had three guys in the lineup with batting average in the .100s, with Schneider’s .136 being the low mark. I don’t know how much more run way he has. You can tell he’s been bad, John had him bunt (and he did a good job of it). Heineman isn’t much better at .143.
Of note, the Yankees lost a challenge on a caught stealing call that the replay we saw made it look like he was easily safe. Aaron Boone was understandably upset.
And I always get irritated when announcers talk about how hard it will be for a pitcher when he sits a long and generally, when they come back for the next inning they are fine, but tonight was the time it came to pass that Clease (at least seemed) to be affected by the long inning.
Jays of the Day: Varsho (0.21 WPA), Clement (0.15) and Giménez (0.09).
Other Award: Cease (-0.36), Vlad (-0.18), Springer (-0.10), and Heineman (-0.10).
Tomorrow Trey Yesavage (1-1, 1.40) goes against Cam Schlittler (6-1, 1.35). The bullpen could use a big of a rest but Trey isn’t pitching deep into games.
The long break paid dividends for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Tuesday night after blowing a three-goal lead in Game 2 of their Atlantic Division Final series against the Springfield Thunderbirds last Thursday.
They were refreshed and ready to go from the opening puck drop, and were the better team in all three periods in Game 3. They had to hold on to their 2-1 win at the end of the third period, but they got the job done and are now one win away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Final.
Rutger McGroarty got things started with a shorthanded goal in the first period. He took a beautiful feed from Avery Hayes, who was everywhere in the game, and buried the puck blocker side with 19 seconds left in the opening frame.
— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 19, 2026
WBS kept that 1-0 lead for the entire second period before Bill Zonnon made it 2-0 at 5:58 of the third period. Zonnon took a nice pass from Boko Imama and also ripped the puck blocker side. It's Zonnon's third playoff goal in his third AHL game.
— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 20, 2026
The Thunderbirds got one back late in the third period, but weren't able to tie the game in the final seconds.
WBS goaltender Sergei Murashov had another outrageous performance, finishing with 27 saves on 28 shots. He now has a .942 save percentage in seven playoff games this season.
The Penguins can clinch a spot in the Eastern Conference Final with a win in Game 4 on Thursday. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. ET.
Apr 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera (48) hits a double against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eighth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Matthew Liberatore had another strong start, but another not strong ending as he pitched 4 solid innings, but he would not finish the 5th inning as the game got away from him. Fortunately, the Cardinals offense lead by JJ Wetherholt, Nolan Gorman, Alec Burleson and eventually Ivan Herrera picked him up beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-6, but it would take extra innings heroism to get it done.
The Cardinals would score first as Pedro Pagés walked and then JJ Wetherholt put a charge into a 2-1 pitch from Mitch Keller and deposit it in the left-center field greenery giving St. Louis a 2-0 lead.
The Cardinals would add a run to that lead in the bottom of the 4th inning as Alec Burleson singled followed by another single by Jordan Walker. Alec advanced to third on Jordan’s single. Nolan Gorman then hit into a double play, but Burleson scored giving St. Louis a 3-0 lead that wouldn’t last long.
The first few innings of Matthew Liberatore’s performance was impressive and that included a career-high 9 strikeouts. It was the 5th inning that would be his nemesis again. Lowe and Triolo singled to start the top of the 5th. Liberatore would get Davis to fly out to center for the 1st out, but then walked Gonzalez to load the bases. Matthew then unleashed a wild pitch that bounced off the backstop allowing Lowe to score from third base for the first Pirates run making it 3-1 Cardinals. Liberatore struck out Konnor Griffin, but then Bryan Reynolds doubled to left driving in both runners and tying the game 3-3. O’Neill Cruz would untie it with a single to score Reynolds and give the Pirates their first lead at 4-3. Gordon Graceffo was brought in by manager Oli Marmol and he was able to get Garcia out on a pop-out to first to end the inning. Matthew Liberatore’s final stat line for the night was 4 2/3 innings allowing 7 hits and 4 earned runs with 2 walks and that impressive strikeout total of 9.
The comeback Cardinals would so so again in the bottom of the 6th inning when Alec Burleson was hit by a pitch. After Jordan Walker popped out, the Pittsburgh Pirates made the fateful decision to remove Mitch Keller to go lefty-on-lefty bringing in Evan Fisk. Nolan Gorman made them pay by jacking a 437 foot homer into the right-center field seats giving the Cardinals the lead back at 5-4.
Gordon Graceffo pitched the Cardinals through the 6th inning keeping the game close and Ryne Stanek got 2 outs in the 7th inning while JoJo Romero closed out the Pirates for the final out in the top of the 7th inning and also pitched into the 8th inning for St. Louis.
The Cardinals squandered a chance to add an insurance run (or runs) to their lead in the bottom of the 7th inning when Thomas Saggese walked followed by a single from Pedro Pagés. Victor Scott II executed a picture-perfect sacrifice bunt to move Saggese to third and Pagés to second which brought up JJ Wetherholt. Unfortunately, Thomas Saggese would get caught leading off of third base and then falling down before being tagged out in a rundown. Wetherholt would then walk, but Ivan Herrera struck out to end the Cardinals 7th. Opportunity missed for St. Louis.
Kudos to Alec Burleson on two great achievements in the top of the 8th inning in what could be argued were game-savers. With one out and Garcia on first, Triolo hit a weak grounder to Alec Burleson who was well off of first base. JoJo Romero did not get a proper jump off of the mound to cover first, but Alec laid himself out and managed to get the tag on Triolo for the second out of the inning. Rodriguez would fly out to deep right-center to end the Pirates 8th inning. Then, in the bottom of the 8th inning, Alec would lead off the inning by tomahawking a ball into the right field bullpen giving St. Louis the insurance run they so badly needed making it 6-4 Cardinals. They would end up needing that additional run.
A rested Riley O’Brien was brought in to close out Pittsburgh in the top of the 9th inning. He would face the top of the Pirates order and it was not without some drama. Gonzalez would lead off the inning with a bloop single. Konnor Griffin was hit by a pitch which stood even though the Cardinals challenged the call and it appeared to hit the knob of the bat instead. Guess New York didn’t consider the video replay as clear and convincing enough to overturn it. That brought up the dangerous Bryan Reynolds as the potential go-ahead run at the plate. Riley O’Brien would bounce a ball in the dirt that hit Reynolds after getting him 2 strikes down loading the bases. Marcell Ozuna was the next man up and he kindly hit into a double play, but a run scored cutting the Cardinals lead to 6-5. O’Neill Cruz at the plate with the tying run in the form of Konnor Griffin on third base was next. O’Brien would again get ahead with 2 strikes before throwing 4 straight balls to put Cruz on as a potential go-ahead run. Spencer Horwitz pinch-hit for Garcia and promptly slapped a single to left field on the first pitch he saw to tie the game at 6-6.
The Cardinals bottom of the 9th meant they’d have to walk off the Pirates with the bottom of their order. Thomas Saggese struck out to start the St. Louis 9th. Pedro Pagés also whiffed for the second out. Victor Scott II lost his 3rd strike appeal to join the strikeout club ending the Cardinals 9th.
The first Cardinals hero in extra innings was George Soriano who did not allow Pittsburgh’s designated runner to score. He struck out Mangum and got Rodriguez to fly out to right field. The other Cardinals hero in the top of the 10th was Nolan Gorman who made a great play on a ground ball to his left and an equally great play by Alec Burleson to pick his throw out of the dirt for the final Pittsburgh out in the top of the 10th.
The heroes in the bottom of the 10th inning included JJ Wetherholt who singled to move designated runner Victor Scott II to third. Then, it was Ivan Herrera who would provide more than just a sacrifice fly crushing a walk-off 3-run home run into the Pirates bullpen giving St. Louis a huge 9-6 victory.
It’s game 2 of the St. Louis Cardinals barrage of games against NL Central rivals Wednesday as Michael McGreevy will try to dominate the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Bucs will counter with Carmen Mlodzinski on the mound for Pittsburgh. First pitch scheduled for 6:45pm at Busch Stadium and game viewable on Cardinals.tv.
May 19, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) delivers the ball against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Jacob Misiorowski hasn’t allowed a run since April 25.
The Miz extended his scoreless streak to four straight starts and 24 1/3 innings this evening, and this time the Brewers were able to hold the slim lead that he left the game with. A good thing, too, as the Brewers had plenty of chances to turn this one into a laugher early. While they let some of those chances go by the wayside, some scrappy early runs against starter Ben Brown (who has been excellent this year) and a big hit from Brice Turang late gave the Brewers the cushion they needed to survive a late rally by the Cubs.
The Brewers again got out to an early lead tonight. After Jackson Chourio struck out, Turang and William Contreras walked and singled to put runners on first and second. Brown struck out Yelich for out number two, but Garrett Mitchell came through with a big two-out hit on his bugaboo, the high fastball. Mitchell turned one around for an RBI single up the middle, and the Brewers led 1-0.
Could this be the equivalent of: "Happy learned how to putt, uh oh!"
Misiorowski got off to a somewhat shaky start when Nico Hoerner walked, and Michael Busch reached on a David Hamilton error. But Alex Bregman flew out to center, Ian Happ struck out looking, and Seiya Suzuki went down swinging on a 95-mph slider.
The second inning passed without much fanfare, but the Brewers were back at it in the third. Chourio and Turang led off the inning with back-to-back singles, and after a Contreras fielder’s choice, the Brewers had runners on first and third with one out. After another Yelich strikeout, Brown had a path out of the inning, but a wild pitch with Mitchell at the plate scored Chourio from third (it was Brown’s league-leading sixth wild pitch of the season). After a Mitchell walk and a mound visit, Jake Bauers jumped on a hanging first-pitch curveball and smacked it into right for another RBI single, extending Milwaukee’s lead to 3-0.
Misiorowski put up his second straight 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the third, and the Brewers again got off to a threatening start in the top of the fourth. Sal Frelick reached second base when Pete Crow-Armstrong inexplicably dropped a fly ball, and a patented David Hamilton bunt single put runners on the corners, which turned into runners on second and third when Hamilton stole second with Chourio at the plate. Brown battled back, though: Chourio and Turang both struck out, and Contreras hit a hard ground ball to third that turned into an out. The Cubs were teetering, but remained in the game.
Suzuki managed a two-out single — Chicago’s first of the game — in the bottom of the fourth, but that was all the Cubs got off of Miz, who struck out two more batters and added another inning to his scoreless streak. Yelich hit a double on a fly ball down the left-field line to start the fifth, but Brown wriggled off the hook again when Mitchell grounded out, Bauers struck out with Yelich standing on third, and Rengifo grounded out.
Dansby Swanson led off the bottom of the inning with a single, but PCA struck out, and Miguel Amaya grounded into a double play, with Bauers making a nice stretch on the back end. Milwaukee threatened again in the sixth, this time against reliever Jacob Webb, when Frelick singled to start things, but Hamilton failed to get a bunt down(!), and Chourio flied out. Turang singled with two outs, and Contreras put a charge into one, but it held up in center for Crow-Armstrong, and he made the catch for the third out.
Hoerner started the sixth with a swinging bunt for a single, but Misiorowski got the next three without much trouble. That capped another stellar outing for Misiorowski: he extended his scoreless inning streak to 24 innings, allowed just three hits (all singles) and one walk, and struck out eight (restoring sole possession of the league lead in strikeouts). His ERA is down to 1.89.
Caleb Thielbar was the Cubs’ new pitcher in the seventh, and he got through the inning with no damage beyond a two-out single from Bauers. Trevor Megill was the first man out of Milwaukee’s bullpen tonight, and he struck out Suzuki, got Moisés Ballesteros on a fly ball, and struck out Swanson after a bit of a battle.
The Brewers got a couple of important insurance runs in the top of the eighth. With one out, Hamilton walked. Chourio flew out for the second out, and Hamilton was safe stealing second, a call that stood after the Cubs challenged it. The stolen base didn’t matter, but the extra out did, as Turang got a fastball that got too much of the plate and blasted his seventh homer on a high fly ball to left-center, putting the Crew up 5-0.
Aaron Ashby replaced Megill in the bottom of the eighth, and things got hairy. PCA singled to start things, and Amaya followed with a ground-rule double into the ivy. A Hoerner single scored Crow-Armstrong and put runners on the corners. Busch was called out on strikes for the first out, and a wild pitch advanced Hoerner to second (though Amaya had to hold at third). Bregman struck out for the second out, but Happ walked, and Rengifo was unable to handle a hard grounder from Suzuki. Rengifo was at least able to keep it in the infield, and thus the Cubs only scored a run — Suzuki was credited with an infield single.
That was all for Ashby, though, as the go-ahead run came to the plate. Pat Murphy called for Chad Patrick from the Milwaukee bullpen, and Craig Counsell countered by pinch-hitting Michael Conforto for the initially announced pinch-hitter Matt Shaw (who was supposed to bat for Ballesteros). But Patrick did what he needed to do, and Conforto grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning. It wasn’t a fun inning for Brewers fans, but they came out of it hanging onto a three-run lead.
Phil Maton shut the Brewers down in the ninth. Abner Uribe came in for Patrick, and he nearly walked the leadoff (and nine-hole) hitter, Swanson, but he struck him out looking on a very close pitch that was upheld on review. After that, it was much easier: Crow-Armstrong grounded out, as did pinch-hitter Carson Kelly. The Brewers won 5-2.
In Misiorowski’s last start, the Brewers’ bullpen was unable to preserve his gem of an outing. Tonight, he did it again, and while Milwaukee flirted with disaster, they held on for a satisfying win. Miz was the big star, but Megill and Uribe both looked good, and Patrick came up with a clutch out. On the offensive side, Turang was the standout: he went 3-for-4 with two singles, a homer, a walk, two runs scored, and two RBIs. Every other Brewer starter contributed a hit (Bauers had two) except for Rengifo, while Yelich had the team’s only other extra-base hit with his double.
Milwaukee now leads the division, and they’ll try to preserve that lead by sweeping Chicago, a team that had won 15 straight home games coming into this series, tomorrow. It’s a good pitching matchup, with Kyle Harrison on the mound for the Brewers and Edward Cabrera for the Cubs. It’s a rare third straight night game on the north side, so catch that game at 6:40 p.m.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 25: Michael Soroka #99 of the Chicago Cubs pitches in a game against the New York Mets at Wrigley Field on September 25, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We’re all relaxing here at BCB After Dark: the heppest joint for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and join us. There’s no cover charge. The dress code is casual. There are still a few tables available. The show will start shortly. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
On Tuesday night, I don’t normally write about films. But I always have time for jazz and that time is now. You can skip ahead if you want.
We are continuing our celebration of Miles Davis in anticipation of the 100th anniversary of his birth on May 26. Every legend gets their start somewhere. For Miles, he left East St. Louis to go to the Juilliard School of Music in New York in 1944. There, Miles said the only class that taught him anything was music composition and the rest was a waste of time. His real education, according to Miles, came playing trumpet for Charlie Parker.
He soon dropped out of Juilliard to play with Parker full time. So here is the Charlie Parker Quintet in 1948 at a club in New York as broadcast on WMCA radio. Bird is on sax, of course, and Miles on trumpet. Al Haig on piano, Tommy Potter on bass and Max Roach on drums round out the quintet.
This is some pure bebop, music that Miles would soon leave behind.
Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.
I don’t have to tell you that the Cubs are in the market for starting pitching. I’m sure the front office is calling around right now, but teams are generally loath to start selling in May for a few reasons. One, most teams still harbor playoff hopes at the moment. Two, selling teams know that as they get closer to the deadline, there will be more bidders and more desperate bidders, which means they can probably get more for them later on. Yes, there’s always the chance that a player gets hurt (See Clay Holmes), but most teams are willing to take that risk.
Still, what if I told you that there is a starting pitcher who is having a great year and is on a one-year deal playing for a team with less than a 30 percent chance of making the postseason according to Fangraphs? What if I told you that the Cubs had said pitcher last year and let him walk over the winter? Would you want to get him back?
By this time, you know who I’m talking about. You likely knew when you saw the picture at the top of the article. The Cubs were desperate for starting pitching at the Trade Deadline last year and after striking out on several big names (none of whom ended up getting dealt), the Cubs acquired right-hander Michael Soroka from the Nationals. Then, as you no doubt remember, Soroka got hurt in his first start with the Cubs and missed the next six weeks. He rushed back to return before the end of the season, but that meant he didn’t have time to build up the arm strength to start. So what the Cubs ended up was two weeks of a middle reliever for two good prospects.
That’s always been the knock on Soroka: he can’t stay healthy. After being an All-Star in 2019, Soroka missed most of 2020, all of 2021 and 2022 and most of 2023 with multiple surgeries on his torn Achilles tendon that he kept on re-injuring. Once that finally healed, he missed much of 2023 with forearm inflammation. With the Cubs, he missed six weeks of 2025 with shoulder issues.
But this year, Soroka is healthy and having his best season since he was an All-Star in 2019. Soroka is 6-2 with a 3.49 ERA in nine starts for the Diamondbacks. His strikeout percentage is at a career high of 10.1 and his walk percentage is the lowest it’s been since 2019 at 2.57 percent. Except for one really bad start against the Brewers where he gave up eight runs in three innings, Soroka has gone five or more innings in all of his other eight starts. He’s allowed two of fewer runs in seven of those eight, or seven of nine starts overall. Basically, he’s been everything the Cubs had hoped he would be last year.
So would you be willing to roll the dice on Soroka again? To be clear, the Diamondbacks aren’t trading him right now. For one, their record at the moment is at .500 and they still have a 29 percent chance of making the playoffs per Fangraphs. But as May turns to June and July, Arizona could fall out of the playoff hunt and be looking to sell. Since Soroka is only on a one-year deal, the D-Backs would almost certainly be willing to trade him if they fall out of the Wild Card hunt. Since he’d only be a rental, I would imagine that the price for him in prospects would be similar to what the Cubs gave the Nats last year—two prospects in the lower half of the Cubs top 30.
Of course, the risk would be that the Cubs would trade for him and he’d injure himself again. Soroka has never demonstrated that he’s able to stay healthy for a long period of time. So were the Cubs to deal for him, they’d likely let him walk again at the end of the year. But the Cubs would just need to keep him healthy through October.
Soroka is also only 28 years old. I don’t know if that really makes a difference on a short-term rental, but maybe his body has matured now to the point where the constant injuries are a thing of the past. Many pitchers who do suffer injuries in their youth are able to stay healthy once they get older. Of course, some are just injury-prone and end up retiring early. There’s no way to know which one Soroka is.
So would you be willing to roll the dice on Michael Soroka again?
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