CHICAGO (AP) — Roman Kantserov is joining the Chicago Blackhawks after a record-breaking season in the Kontinental Hockey League.
The Blackhawks announced on Thursday that they had agreed to a three-year contract with the 21-year-old Russian winger, a second-round pick in the 2023 draft. The entry-level deal carries a $1,075,000 salary cap hit.
Kantserov, listed at 5-foot-9 and 176 pounds, led the KHL with 36 goals in 63 games this season with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. He also had four goals and four assists in 15 postseason games.
Kantserov's 36 goals and 64 points were the highest single-season totals for a player under the age of 22 in KHL history.
The addition of Kantserov is a significant move for a franchise looking to climb out of a lengthy rebuilding project. Chicago also has the No. 4 pick in the upcoming NHL draft.
The Blackhawks went 29-39-14 this year, an 11-point improvement on the previous season and still nowhere near playoff contention. They have finished No. 31 in the NHL each of the last three years.
The franchise has made just one postseason appearance since 2017, and that was the expanded playoff format after the 2019-20 season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
But that almost didn't happen. He seriously contemplated retirement, according to ESPN.
Although he never went through with the decision, there have been multiple instances where retirement has crossed his mind, per ESPN.
ESPN says he discussed retirement for the first time in June 2025, about a month after the Warriors lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals in five games, losing star Stephen Curry to injury in the process.
"My wife and I have been talking about it a lot," Kerr told ESPN's Wright Thompson then. "I have a year left on my contract. Maybe one more season. Maybe two. When Steph Curry and Draymond Green leave, the franchise deserves a clean start. We are one injury from completely falling apart."
That's nearly what happened during the 2025-26 campaign. The huge blow was losing Jimmy Butler to a torn ACL in January, especially as the team was starting to roll.
Even before then, retirement had crossed Kerr's mind. The Warriors lost an overtime game to the Toronto Raptors, a contest they led for most of the game. The loss didn't sit well with Kerr.
"I think things have run out here," he said. "It's just time to move on. For me and for them. I'm probably being too emotional after yet another close loss, but it's probably true. ... We will commiserate and drink beer and watch the game on our computers and complain about all the dumb plays we made."
That loss was in late December. Golden State turned into one of the better teams through January until Butler got hurt. About a week and a half later, they lost Curry for 27 straight games to runner's knee.
The battered Warriors scraped their way to the 10th seed, somehow finding themselves still in NBA Play-In contention, as the season drew to a close. Even then, Kerr said he had his mind made up on calling it quits after the season, before the Warriors played a March 25 game against the Nets.
He told ESPN's Thompson that he spoke with his wife, Margot, at the time and they both agreed that the 2025-26 season would be his last. All Kerr wanted was a classy ending.
Critics wrote them off and said the dynasty was over. Their demeanor changed when Curry returned at the end of the season and they went into the NBA Play-In Tournament against the Los Angeles Clippers.
It was a fight and, in the end, Curry's heroics saved the day, reminding Kerr of what he'd be walking away from.
The atmosphere of the game, the postseason environment and the story of Golden State's season – that contest was gratifying for the Warriors and the thought of their once-existent dynasty.
"For one night, we're us," Kerr said. "We are champions again."
It was after that game he told Thompson in a whisper, "I'm not leaving." According to Thompson, Kerr also received a text from his wife, too, that read "You're not leaving."
The Warriors lost the next Play-In game to the Phoenix Suns, and Kerr shared a moment with Curry and Draymond Green. After the game, he said: "I still love coaching, but I get it. These jobs all have an expiration date. There's a run that happens, and when the run ends, sometimes it's time for new blood and new ideas and all that."
He met with team owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. over weeks of discussion until a deal was ultimately reached. All sides agreed that there is still a competitive fire and they look forward to the upcoming season.
"We're thrilled that Steve's tenure with the Warriors will continue," Dunleavy said in a news release. "His impact on our franchise has been enormous, well beyond the championships and incredible on-court success. The character and leadership that he exudes each day helps set the tone for what we hope our franchise represents both now and in the future."
And despite considering retirement, Kerr said he's grateful for the opportunity to remain the Warriors coach.
"This organization has meant so much to me for the last 12 years − from ownership to our players, our staff and our fans − and it's an incredible privilege to be a part of something so special," Kerr said in a news release. "I'm excited to keep competing with this group."
Already down a starting defenseman, the Vegas Golden Knights found themselves without another mainstay on the back end early in Game 5 after Brayden McNabb was ejected for his hit on Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Poehling. Poehling left the game following the hit and did not return.
Following the game, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety issued a one-game suspension for the hit. This is McNabb’s first suspension in his 14-year career.
Ducks coach Joel Quenneville confirmed that Poehling won’t be available for Game 6.
“You never want to see anyone get hurt,” said defenseman Rasmus Andersson. “I hope Ryan is okay over there.
The Golden Knights empathized with McNabb, too. He’s one tough customer and is annually among the team leaders in hits, but he’s far from a dirty player.
“He’d like to be out there with us,” said forward Keegan Kolesar. “I’ve been in that position. You feel gutted, putting the team in that situation, in a 5-minute major, and then down a guy early… We got through that 5-minute major with only [allowing Anaheim] one goal, I think that’s a win.
“The year we won, I took a 5-minute major in Edmonton,” Kolesar continued. “I felt pretty gutted. Thankfully, we won, and I just went around and hugged everyone. You feel awful during those moments, and having good teammates is what picks you up from that.”
The Golden Knights never shy away from facing adversity, and they do so because of how close they are with each other. Coaches and players alike rave about the strength and resilience in the locker room, as well as the tight-knit bonds among the players.
“It’s just what we do as a team: we pick each other up,” said Kolesar. “I think we just wanted to rally around each other.”
As a result of McNabb’s ejection, Ben Hutton and Dylan Coghlan stepped into elevated roles in Game 5. Their importance will carry over into Game 6 as the Golden Knights look to play a potential series-clinching game without their long-time alternate captain.
“Losing Nabber, he’s one of the leaders, if not the leader, on the back end. It’s time for other players to step up,” said Rasmus Andersson following Game 5. “I thought Hutty and Cogs did an unbelievable job. They gave us really good minutes, and I thought they were as steady as it comes.
“That’s what we need in the playoffs,” finished Andersson. “We need people to step up when their opportunity is called.”
When asked, Keegan Kolesar said that, while the group continues to rally around each other, there is no emphasis on winning for McNabb.
“It’s not like he died, or anything,” he joked. “We wanted to rally around each other, not just him alone.”
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 11: Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff of the Detroit Pistons looks on during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 11, 2026 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
At the start of the series, there was discussion about Donovan Mitchell not getting to the foul line enough. In the second half of the series, the discussion turned to Pistons’ head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, bemoaning the free-throw disparity between the two teams.
Bickerstaff believed that his team was on the wrong end of a few missed calls down the stretch, including a possible loose-ball foul on Jarrett Allen in the closing seconds of regulation.
“[Allen] fouled Ausar [Thompson],” Bickerstaff said postgame. “It’s clear. He trips him when he’s going for a loose ball. End of game situation, that’s tough.”
If it had been called a foul, the Pistons would’ve been awarded two free throws in the final second to break what was a tie game.
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“During live play, both players were going for the ball and there was incidental contact with the legs with no player having possession of the ball,” Brothers said.
He then confirmed that a foul shouldn’t have been called when asked to clarify.
“No, there was no incidental contact on the play,” Brothers said. “The play will be reviewed by the league office tomorrow and will be posted in the L2M (Last Two Minute Report).”
Well, the Last Two Minute Report is out, and it backs up Brother’s statements. This wasn’t a foul.
“Allen (CLE) and Thompson (DET) legally step to the same spot while pursuing the loose ball [before either player has possession], and both lose their balance from the marginal contact.”
Additionally, the report states that there were no missed calls in the final two minutes of either regulation or overtime of Game 5.
One of the other controversial calls from the end of overtime was a foul called on Paul Reed against James Harden with 24 seconds left in overtime. Harden was drifting out of bounds, but a foul was called before he went out.
In the moment, the Pistons argued that he went out of bounds before the foul, but the Last Two Minute Report stated that Harden remained “in bounds with possession of the ball prior to the illegal contact. by Reed.” As a result, Harden was awarded two free throws.
May 14, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Kyle Harrison (52) has a mound visit with catcher Gary Sanchez (99) in the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Milwaukee jumped all over San Diego starter Griffin Canning early, scoring three runs in each of the first two innings, and Kyle Harrison turned in another gem to deliver a 7-1 victory. After taking two of three from the Padres, the Brewers have now won six of their last seven games.
Canning started the bottom of the first inning with a strikeout of Jackson Chourio, then completely fell apart, walking the next four batters to bring home the Brewers’ first run. With just one out, the Padres had already sent Ron Marinaccio to warm up in the bullpen. Luis Rengifo came to the plate with the bases still loaded, worked the count to 3-2, and grounded a two-run single into right field to give the Brewers an early 3-0 lead.
Canning stayed in the game and managed to retire Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick without allowing another run. He came back out for the second inning and allowed a single to David Hamilton on his second pitch, then threw the ball away on a pick-off attempt. The speedy Hamilton ended up on third, and after Chourio flew out Turang doubled into the gap in left-center to knock him in.
At this point, Marinaccio was ready, but Padres manager Craig Stammen left Canning in to face William Contreras, who hit an infield pop-up, and Gary Sánchez, who smoked another double into the same gap to bring Hamilton home. Andrew Vaughn singled to score Sánchez, and that would be all for Canning.
We have six runs and we're still in the second inning…
After Canning exited, each team was only able to manage a single run, so the game ended with a score of Brewers 7, Padres 1. Milwaukee scored again in the fourth on a Vaughn double and Rengifo single, while San Diego got their lone run in the ninth inning.
The Brewers’ pitching staff — led by Harrison — didn’t allow a single earned run all game. Harrison delivered a beauty, allowing just five hits and no walks over five shutout innings while striking out seven. He got into a couple jams, but rebounded each time to escape without allowing a run.
Milwaukee is now 6-2 when Harrison starts, and he still hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any outing this season. His off-speed stuff looked great, his fastball touched 98 mph, and he now has a 2.09 ERA on the season. For a Brewers team built around young pitching, Harrison has quickly become a dependable presence in the rotation and continues to put up elite numbers.
Also, for all the (justified) talk about the Brewers needing more production out of the left side of the infield, Luis Rengifo has been playing better and better. Rengifo was great this series — he now has seven hits in his last three games and has made a couple nice plays at third base. David Hamilton isn’t ever going to hit twenty home runs, but he’s gotten his on-base percentage up to .327 and leads the league in bunt base hits. When those two guys are contributing, the Brewers’ offense looks even better.
First pitch for tomorrow’s series opener against the Twins is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. Joe Ryan will go for Minnesota, while the Brewers have yet to announce a starter.
May 13, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley (4) dunks on Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) in the first half during game five of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
DETROIT — Trading Darius Garland for James Harden was as much a bet on this current group as it was on Harden. Specifically, it was a gamble on Evan Mobley being good enough to handle postseason pressure right now, not in three or four years.
In Game 5, he showed that he was ready for the challenge.
Mobley dominated the paint in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Game 5 victory over the Detroit Pistons, but they made him earn it. The new cut he sported near his left eye afterward was proof of that.
Defense has been Mobley’s calling card since he came into the league. That proved accurate again as he continually deterred shots at the rim down the stretch and overtime, while also outplaying opposing All-Star center Jalen Duren to the point that Pistons’ head coach J.B. Bickerstaff decided to close with Paul Reed instead.
Offensively, Mobley’s seven points to close the fourth quarter will get the headlines. He hit a clutch triple and two free throws to tie the game in regulation. Both are areas he’s struggled with throughout the regular season.
More than that, his decision-making was what kept the Cavs’ offense afloat on a night Detroit was selling out to stop Donovan Mitchell and Harden.
Bickerstaff has had an up-close look at the best and worst versions of Cleveland’s core group. He knows from first-hand experience how the Cavs’ offense can bog down when you trap the guards and force the bigs to beat you in the short roll. After all, that’s the strategy the New York Knicks used against him back in 2023.
Back then, Mobley wasn’t ready for the moment. He was simultaneously sped up to the point he wasn’t making the right decisions, but also wasn’t moving quickly enough to capitalize on the mismatch blitzing the ball handler brings. This led to an underwhelming playoff debut.
Three playoff runs later has proven to be a different story.
Bickerstaff deployed the same strategy that Tom Thibodeau used against his group three years earlier, but it didn’t work this time.
In Game 5, Mobley continually made the right play whenever he was asked to create in the short roll by reading the defense and correctly getting the ball to where the help defense was coming from.
There was a decisiveness with Mobley’s rolls that made him difficult to guard. He attacked the rim with a purpose, but also kept his eyes up to see what the defense was presenting him. When the backline defender stepped up, he found Jarrett Allen three times for easy baskets around the rim.
This evolution is where head coach Kenny Atkinson has seen Mobley make strides this season.
“That’s been a big part of his development piece,” Atkinson said of Mobley’s playmaking. “Getting him to make the right reads, helping him make the right rights. I think he’s getting better at it.”
This season has been a journey for Mobley as a playmaker. The Cavs started the year trying to run the offense through him. That experiment didn’t go well, as he often got stuck dribbling the ball too much below the free-throw line and wasn’t able to adjust when the help defense came.
The coaching staff responded by scaling his usage back after a short experiment. Even though the results didn’t pay off right away, you’re seeing the fruits of going through that struggle now.
“You rewind to the beginning of the year, it was probably more head down scoring and maybe not finding that balance,” Atkinson said. “Some of that was intentional, but I think he’s gotten to a nice equilibrium where he’s aggressive to score, but can read the geography of the court. [He] can read the swarms. We call them swarms. They swarm, and you’ve got to find windows.”
Mobley was continuously finding the windows to the point of picking up a team-high eight assists in the win.
Making the right read also requires you to call your own number when the situation calls for it. When the Pistons’ defenders stayed home and forced Mobley to beat them as a shooter, he confidently took those shots by canning two crucial triples when the “swarms” went away from him.
Mobley is one of the most difficult players to judge.
On one hand, the flaws in his game — self-creation, dribbling, lack of strength — are obvious and can be frustrating to watch. On the other hand, what makes him elite are the more underappreciated skills that he’s mastered so well, such as defense, finishing well at the rim, and being a good secondary playmaker. Mobley is considerably better than the loudest detractors would lead you to believe, but also not as skilled as you’d like from a number one franchise player — at least not yet. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t win with him if he’s in the right context, as the Cavs are showing right now.
The Cavs have been in a weird spot as a team. They’ve tried to thread the needle between winning now and having the longest runway possible. That’s how you’ve gotten a two-timeline approach between Mobley (24-years-old) and Mitchell (29). Moving a 26-year-old, two-time All-Star for a point guard a decade his senior committed them to one path. This team is trying to win now in a two to three-year window.
For that to happen, Mobley needs to play like an All-NBA caliber player in the postseason. When he has, as was the case in Game 5, the Cavs look like a team that very well could come out of the Eastern Conference.
Reps like the ones Mobley got in Detroit, where he’s consistently making the right play and coming up big in the crunch, is only going to help him when he’s called upon to do so again.
“Just boost his confidence to another level,” Harden said about Mobley’s performance. “He’s versatile, he can protect the rim, he can generate steals, he can do a little bit of everything defensively and offensively. … With an opportunity to present yourself, he’s available. Tonight, he came up big for us.”
CINCINNATI, OHIO - MAY 14: JJ Bleday #22 of the Cincinnati Reds celebrates after hitting a 2RBI home run in the 7th inning against the Washington Nationals at Great American Ball Park on May 14, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds offense needed a blowout in the worst of ways, and boy, did it ever get one on Thursday in Great American Ball Park.
After having dropped a pair of regrettable games to the rebuilding Washington Nationals to already clinch losing yet another home series, the Reds exploded against Nats starter Foster Griffin – a lefty, at that – in a 15-1 thumping that felt like a lot of pent up aggression being unloaded on the baseballs.
JJ Bleday led the charge with a breakout game that Reds fans won’t soon forget. He slugged a pair of homers, including a huge 3-run one off the lefty Griffin, and later added an RBI single that left him with a 3 for 5 day with 2 dingers, 2 runs scored, and a blistering 6 RBI. Scooping him up off the non-tender heap and watching him develop immediately into an offensive force is the kind of thing that makes you think of one Scooter Gennett, though I do certainly hope a) I’m not getting too far ahead of myself and b) Bleday isn’t going to completely obliviate after just two good years.
Anyway, that was more than enough offense on the day given that ace Chase Burns was on the bump for the Reds. He delivered once again, firing another 6.0 IP of scoreless ball, this time with 7 K against just a pair of scattered hits and pair of walks. He needed 95 pitches to clear that, did so with ease, and turned the ball over to his bullpen with the game in-hand and a tidy 1.87 ERA on the season next to his name.
He’s a bona-fide ace, and he just made the 17th start of his big league career.
The Reds played add-on late after Joey Wiemer was summoned from the outfield to pitch, but that should only slightly diminish the contributions of Dane Myers (3-run dinger off Wiemer), Ke’Bryan Hayes (his second of an actual 2-hit game!), et al. It was a textbook get-right game, one that the Reds can hopefully channel as they take their talents up north to Cleveland for a weekend series against the Guardians.
A potential blockbuster is brewing ahead of this year's NHL Draft, and the Winnipeg Jets may find themselves at the center of it.
According to multiple reports from The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta over the past couple of days, the San Jose Sharks are seriously considering trading the second overall pick they recently acquired.
The reasoning, per those reports, stems from San Jose's belief that they are already well-stocked at forward, making the selection of another high-end offensive prospect at second overall less of a priority than addressing other areas of need. The pick is widely expected to land on either Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg or, should he slide one spot, consensus top prospect Gavin McKenna.
David Pagnotta: Re Sharks 2nd overall pick: They're so deep up front...I think there might be more of a willingness to explore...in terms of moving down a little bit; they definitely want to address their D core - Sekeres & Price (5/11)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) May 14, 2026
The news has apparently turned heads around the league and while no deals have materialized, unconfirmed reports suggest several teams have expressed interest in trading up to second overall, with the Jets among those in the mix alongside the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames and New York Rangers.
The appeal for Winnipeg is obvious as both Stenberg and McKenna project as game-breaking talents at the NHL level, and either one could conceivably make an immediate impact, potentially slotting into the Jets' opening night lineup from day one. For a team navigating a pivotal stretch of its rebuild and looking to add star power, the opportunity to land a generational prospect is difficult to ignore.
The challenge, of course, is the price as the Jets currently hold the eighth overall pick, and moving up six spots to second overall for a player of this caliber would not come cheap. High picks are rarely moved in the NHL, and any deal with San Jose would almost certainly require a significant package of assets heading back to the Bay Area. What that package looks like, and whether Cheveldayoff is willing to pay it, remains to be seen.
For now it is a situation worth monitoring closely, and one that could dramatically reshape the direction of the Jets franchise depending on how the next few weeks unfold.
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VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The Vancouver Canucks promoted Ryan Johnson to general manager on Thursday and said Daniel and Henrik Sedin will share the role of president of hockey operations.
Rutherford said the search for general manager involved more than 15 candidates. The list reportedly included former Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion, Boston Bruins assistant general manager Evan Gold and former Maple Leafs special adviser Shane Doan.
Johnson, a 49-year-old former NHL center from Thunder Bay, Ontario, first joined the Canucks’ front office in 2013 and was named assistant general manager in 2024. He played 13 seasons in the NHL, splitting his time with the Canucks, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks.
He will be joined in the front office by the Sedins, the Swedish twins who Johnson played with in Vancouver before later working alongside them in developing the franchise’s young talent.
The Sedins played 17 seasons together for the Canucks, including the team’s run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, where Vancouver lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games.
Henrik Sedin served as Vancouver’s captain from 2010-18 and still leads the franchise in games played (1,330), assists (830) and points (1,070). He won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP in 2010.
Daniel Sedin is the franchise-leader in goals (393), power-play goals (138) and game-winning goals (86).
The Hall of Fame forwards retired in 2018, then rejoined the Canucks as special advisers to the general manager in June 2021. They moved into player development roles the following spring.
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 7: Jake McCarthy #31 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates after his eighth inning grand slam home run against the New York Mets at Coors Field on May 7, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“We have to be better than this.”
I don’t know if Torey said this phrase the past week. Probably not.
Difference with previous seasons, in my opinion, is that this team was never bound for play-offs. The starting pitching has become worse over the years, with several big signings not living up to the money they signed for and an ace that never became one and does not seem to bounce back. Apart from the one in shackles.
The last time we had a decent bullpen is almost a decade ago. Ever since it is a patchwork, but an ugly one. Yes, many big money signings do not pan out, but there are also other big money signings that do pan out.
The batting lineup was terrific over the past seasons, and the Diamondbacks did not seize the opportunity to bank on it. With several sluggers gone, there is not much left.
The Diamondbacks cannot do better than this. Lovullo said “we will be fine” after the series against Texas. What is fine? A .500 team? Probably. I had them pegged below .500 at the beginning of the season, so .500 would be fine, I guess. A disappointment none the less. A lost season once again.
Whenever you feel down, at least you always have the Colorado Rockies to cheer yourself up.
No news in Colorado.
Maybe you don’t remember, but the Colorado Rockies made a change in their front office the past off-season. The son of owner Dick Monfort became team president, former Diamondback general manager Josh Byrnes came over from the Dodgers and was made general manager, though he will report to new president of baseball operations Paul Podesta, who came over from the NFL Cleveland Browns with a big thank you from Deshaun Watson.
They didn’t do much, as expected. They let starting pitcher Germán Márquez go, he signed with the Padres. Instead they signed a trio of starting pitchers to a one year contract: Michael Lorenzen, Jose Quintana and Tomoyuki Sugano. The batting lineup saw Thairo Estrada and Orlando Arcia leave, instead Willi Castro was signed to two-year contract, while the Rockies also traded for our Jake McCarthy, infielder Edouard Julien from the Twins and first baseman TJ Rumfield from the Yankees. On paper, you could say the Rockies became better, though it is hard to believe they could be anything worse than the 43-win team from 2025.
Manager Warren Schaeffer is allowed to continue to let the Rockies do whatever they want to do on the field.
It is easy to laugh about the Rockies, but they are not that far behind the Diamondbacks, at the moment: 3.5 games. Since May 4 the Diamondbacks have a batting line of .184/.281/.290, which is just 1 WRC better than the last placed batters of the San Diego Padres over the same time period. The Rockies are not that much better, by the way, with a .235/.291/.394 batting line.
Since May 1, the Rockies are 3-8, but have been able to get some runs in. At the moment of writing they are wrapping up a series against the Pirates, and scored 6 off Mitch Keller in 5.2 innings, who got the win in his matchup before that against the Diamondbacks, when we couldn’t muster more than 2 runs off him over 6 innings.
So, yeah, you could say that the doctor’s prescription is to take a trip to Denver, get some fresh air and get better, though given the state of the Diamondbacks, you might wonder if the Rockies are able to take advantage and make things look even worse for Arizona.
One to gladly do so will be Jake McCarthy, who obviously is enjoying a fine season so far in Denver. His .288/.356/.500 batting line and 129 OPS+ is one of the best on his team. Especially the past two weeks McCarthy has been on fire with a 217 WRC+. Jake is taking more walks and hitting the ball a lot harder than he did in Arizona. His BABIP is similar to that of two seasons ago, so it isn’t that surprising that McCarthy is enjoying success in Colorado. It is a bounce-back season like he did two years ago. Painful though that it is happening in Colorado, especially with the hindsight of having Alek Thomas designated for assignment recently.
Matchups.
Game #1 Fri 05/15 6:40 PM MST, Merrill Kelly (ARI) vs Kyle Freeland (COL).
The strike-percentage is still bollocks and BABIP said Merrill Kelly was lucky against what is probably the worst team in the MLB right now. But, we will take those 7 innings and 1 run against to have ourselves think that Kelly will become the mainstay once again. He really needs to improve his command though.
Thankfully, Merrill will go up against Kyle Freeland. Freeland had a great start of the season, but injured his shoulder before a start against the Padres on April 12. He hasn’t been himself since returning from a stint on the injury list and got knocked around against Reds, Braves and Phillies (16 earned runs in 14.1 innings).
Freeland has faced the Diamondbacks 22 times in his career, with a lifetime 5.94 ERA and 4-9 win-loss record, though his stats at Coors Field are better against the Diamondbacks than at Chase Field. Last time he pitched against the Diamondbacks was in 2024, at Coors, and Freeland got a no-decision, giving up 4 runs in 5 innings.
Kelly saw the Rockies twice last season, and got a win in both of his matchups, one at Chase (7 shutout innings) and one at Coors (6 innings of 3 run ball). In total, he has faced the Rockies 17 times, taking 9 wins and 3 losses. With a 4.12 ERA in 9 games, with 5 wins, you could say he performs well in Colorado’s thin air environment.
Game #2 Sat 05/16 7:10 PM MST, Eduardo Rodríguez (ARI) vs Tomoyuki Sugano (COL).
Last time I wrote about Eduardo Rodríguez, I was a bit bullish on his recent performances back then. He continued to deliver two gems after that, against the Pirates and Mets. With just 1 earned run over his past two games, 15.1 innings, there isn’t much to criticise, although it is obvious he won’t be able to deliver such a performance game after game unless he becomes Eduardei Rohtani.
Sugano is an unfamiliar face for the Snakes, as he has never faced the Diamondbacks before in his career. That makes sense as this is only the second season for the 36-year old Japanese pitcher in the MLB. Last season he was a back-end starter for the Baltimore Orioles.
Sugano was performing very well until recently, but lost his latest two matchups, giving up 9 runs in 10.1 innings against Phillies and Mets. According to statcast he has the staggering amount of 7 different pitches: 4-seamer, split finger, cutter, sinker, slider, sweeper and curveball. All that off-speed and breaking ball arsenal is to hide a weak fastball collection (his 4-FB averages below 93 mph). Sugano has good command and hardly walks a batter.
Game #3 Sun 05/17 1:10 PM MST, Michael Soroka (ARI) vs Michael Lorenzen (COL).
After the stinker against Milwaukee, Soroka pitched well against Pittsburgh and Texas and you could fairly say that he is de facto our top of the rotation, together with Eduardo Rodriguez. Who would have thought that at the beginning of the season? Soroka has faced the Rockies just once in his career and that was last season. At Coors Field he pitched 6 innings and gave up 3 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks. Despite striking out 9, he had to settle with a loss.
Michael Lorenzen has huge arms and therefore deserves to be on the Expendables. Ever since leaving Cincinatti, he has been mildly successful as a starting pitcher for several teams, last season in Kansas. With the Royals he pitched against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field and delivered 7 painful shutout innings, mowing 7 snakes down and snatching a win.
This season he has struggled, though seems to have been somewhat unlucky, although how unlucky can you really be when the lineup of two of the worst teams (Astros and Mets) scored 14 runs off you in less than 8 innings? Lorenzen has good control, but his command is off this season. He averages 94 mph on his fastball and also handles a changeup (normally his best pitch), sinker, curve, cutter, sweeper and slider.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 03: Starting pitcher Ranger Suarez #55 of the Boston Red Sox throws against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Fenway Park on May 03, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TV: NESN
First Pitch: 6:45 p.m. ET
The Red Sox send their main pitching acquisition to the mound in search of a series win (weather permitting) Thursday night. Ranger Suarez faces the Philadelphia Phillies for the first time. He also makes his first start since leaving his last outing with hamstring tightness on May 3 against the Houston Astros.
Here’s who the Red Sox will send to the plate Thursday night.
The Phillies counter with Jesus Luzardo. Philadelphia’s current lefty has had a remarkably unlucky start to 2026 with a 5.77 ERA despite just a 2.95 FIP.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 14: Zebby Matthews #52 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the second inning at Target Field on May 14, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another Thursday of Blog Lord game coverage, another coveted reverse jinx. I fixed Kody Clemens a couple weeks ago, and now hopefully the same can be said for Zebby Matthews after he delivered the best start of his career.
This Miami lineup is sneakily talented, but you wouldn’t know it if you only watched this series opener (Ober 89 pitch Maddux) and closer. Matthews cruised through the seven innings, allowing just four hits and one walk while racking up five strikeouts and nine roundball outs. For a guy with home run issues like Zebby, that last number is particularly encouraging.
The only real threat the Marlins put together came in the very first inning. Back-to-back singles from Liam Hicks and Otto Lopez put two runners on for the middle of the lineup, but Matthews quickly retired the next two batters to escape the jam. From there, everything was on cruise control. Following the two first inning singles, Zebby retired 19 of 22 batters he faced and not a single one reached second base. All said and done: seven shutout innings on just 83 pitches. That’s how you save the bullpen after last night’s SWR disaster-class.
On the offensive side, things got off to an inauspicious start for the hometown nine. The first three Twins batters reached base to load ‘em up with no outs, but lefty Braxton Garrett struck out Josh Bell, Victor Caratini, and Luke Keaschall for a good old fashioned Twins NOBLETIGER.
The first three batters reached AGAIN to start the second, but Austin Martin made sure not to waste it this time. A ground rule double broke the seal and plated the first two Twins run of the afternoon. Bell and Caratini each redeemed themselves in the inning as well, with a Bell double scoring two more and a well-placed groundout allowing Minnesota’s fifth run of the inning to come in. 5-0 Twins after two.
A James Outman RBI single scored one more for the good guys in the third, but things went very quiet for the bats until the eighth inning after Miami finally scratched one across home. After 13 straight Twins outs, Luke Keaschall hit a one-out single. A two out walk brought up Outman, who again delivered an RBI hit, this time a double that scored Keaschall and Ryan Kreidler. Austin Martin followed with his second hit of the day for good measure to make it 9-1.
Game, series, match. We’ll see you tomorrow night for the border battle with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Thanks to the relative mid-ness of the entire American League outside of Tampa and New York, the Twins (at 20-24) sit just 3.5 games out of the division and 1.5 games out of a wild card spot a quarter of the way to the season. The competition is talented and won’t stay down forever, but the bullpen has been significantly better in recent weeks with some young additions and the Twins are right in the thick of things. Better yet, the team should start looking even better over the next few weeks as Taj Bradley, Mick Abel, Cole Sands, and Alan Roden start to work their ways back. Plus, they have 4-5 top 100 prospects on the doorstep that still should contribute at some point this season.
Greatest Twin of All Time Ryan Kreidler: 2-3, BB, 2 R
Austin Martin: 2-4, R, 2B, BB, R, 3 RBI
James Outman???: 2-3, 2B, BB, 2 R, 3 RBI
DUDS
No duds Twins win!!!!
One small dud for Matt Wallner for getting demoted but the past two times that’s happened he’s come back and been the Twins’ best hitter. Let’s do that a third time.
Comment of the game goes to SooFoo for correctly identifying the Byron Buxton injury cause.
STREAKING THE WRONG WAY: If the Cubs lose tonight, they will match their longest losing streak, five games, immediately after any of their 26 winning streaks of at least 10 games since 1901. They lost five straight after winning 10, May 6-17, 1917, and after winning 11, July 25-Aug. 4, 1944. They also lost four in a row after winning 13, May 5-19, 1928. Then they won three, lost, won and lost, for a record of 4-6 starting with the loss that snapped the winning streak. They were 3-7 in the next 10 in 1917 and 2-8 in 1944. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TRYING TO AVOID THE SWEEP: The Cubs last were swept in three games at Atlanta on Sept. 26-28, 2023. They won the finale in 2024 to avoid a sweep, then lost the first and won twice last year. The Cubs have been swept in 12 three-games series and one four-game series at Atlanta. This is their 189th series there. The Cubs lost the first two games, then won the third, of eight series, and lost the first three, then won the fourth, twice. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
WHERE ARE THE BATS?: The Cubs have made no more than five hits in each of their last four games. Since 1901, they had three streaks of five games, in 1955, 1981 and June 16-20, 2021. They had a six-game streak May 4-12, 1961. The current streak is their 14th of four since 1901 and their fifth since 1955. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Ron Santo’s sixth-inning homer broke a 2-2 tie and the Cubs held on to defeat the Padres 3-2 at Wrigley Field. Milt Pappas threw a complete game and the contest ran just one hour, 55 minutes. It happened 55 years ago today, Friday, May 14, 1971.
Ben Brown threw exceptionally well last Friday against the Rangers, throwing four no-hit innings, with 31 strikes in 46 pitches, allowing just one walk.
He’ll likely be allowed to go a bit farther tonight, though I wouldn’t expect more than maybe 65 pitches or so, with Javier Assad still available to back him up.
Brown made two relief appearances against the Braves last year totaling 2.1 innings, with one hit, two walks and two runs allowed, with five strikeouts.
Chris Sale has always been a very good MLB starter — when he’s healthy. That was the case in 2024 when he won the NL Cy Young Award. Last year he made just 20 starts, but still was a 4 bWAR pitcher.
This year, he’s been exceptional in eight starts, with a 2.20 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 49 innings. Last year he started against the Cubs Sept. 10, 2025 in Atlanta and allowed seven hits and three runs in five innings. Carson Kelly homered against him. Alex Bregman is 6-for-24 with two homers against Sale.
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The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
One of the quieter but more meaningful decisions facing Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff this off-season centers on the future of goaltender Eric Comrie, who is set to hit free agency and whose return is far from guaranteed.
The 30-year-old Edmonton native has become a genuine fan favorite since returning for his third stint with the organization that originally drafted him in the second round of the 2013 NHL Draft.
After bouncing around the league with stops in Detroit, New Jersey and Buffalo, Comrie found his way back to Winnipeg and has brought a dependable presence and a likeable personality to the backup role. This past season, however, the numbers were difficult to overlook.
Comrie finished with a 12-11-1 record, a 3.13 goals-against average and an .890 save percentage across 25 games, figures that fall well short of what a contending team ideally wants from its backup behind a Vezina-caliber starter like Connor Hellebuyck.
The Jets are not without internal options like goaltender Thomas Milic made his NHL debut this past season and has shown genuine promise throughout his development, giving the organization reason to believe he could be ready to take on a larger role in the not-too-distant future.
Domenic DiVincentiis is another name in the pipeline, though his numbers have been inconsistent, and the question of whether he can stabilize his game enough to function as a reliable NHL-level backup remains unanswered for now.
Should Cheveldayoff choose to look outside the organization, the free agent market could offer some intriguing alternatives. Names like Stuart Skinner, Connor Ingram and Vitek Vanecek could all potentially be available and may offer stronger statistical profiles than what Comrie produced this past season.
It will not headline the Jets' off-season, but the decision of who backs up Hellebuyck next year carries real weight for a team that views itself as a legitimate contender. Cheveldayoff will need to weigh loyalty, cost, and capability as he determines whether Comrie remains part of the plan or whether it is time to turn the page.
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LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 08: Members of the Philadelphia Phillies meet on the mound in the sixth inning during Game Three of the National League Division Series presented by Booking.com between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, October 8, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Phillies wrap up the series against a former friend. Here are the lineups, let’s discuss.
