NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Nico Hischier scored his second goal of the game on the power play with 1:45 left in overtime to give the New Jersey Devils a 4-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night.
The Devils trailed 3-2 after two periods, but Dawson Mercer scored a short-handed goal with 7:32 left in the third period to tie it at 3-3, setting the stage for Hischier's winner.
Connor Brown also had a short-handed goal for the Devils and Nico Daws made 27 saves.
Michael Amadio, Shane Pinto on the power play, and Fabian Zetterlund all scored in a roughly seven-minute span of the second period for the Senators, who had their four game win streak snapped.
Drake Batherson had an assist on Pinto's goal to move into 10th place on the franchise's career scoring list with 363 points. Marian Hossa is ninth with 390. Daniel Alfredsson is first with 1,108 career points with the team.
James Reimer made 26 saves for the Senators.
Hischier gave the Devils a 1-0 lead 5:12 into the game and also had an assist on Mercer's goal. Jack Hughes had two assists for the Devils including one on Hischier's winner.
Up next
Senators: Host Toronto on Wednesday night to end the regular season.
Devils: Play at Boston on Tuesday night to end the regular season.
TORONTO (AP) — RJ Barrett scored 26 points, Scottie Barnes had 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists for his ninth career triple-double, and the Toronto Raptors clinched their first playoff berth in four seasons by beating the Brooklyn Nets 136-101 on Sunday in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Atlanta’s loss to Miami and Orlando’s loss at Boston gave Toronto the fifth seed in the East and a first-round matchup with fourth-seeded Cleveland.
The Raptors and Hawks both finished 46-36 but Toronto swept the season series 4-0.
Toronto went 3-0 against the Cavaliers this season but the teams haven’t played since Nov. 24.
Barnes shot 8 for 11 in his third triple-double of the season. He’s the first player in Raptors history to have three triple-doubles in multiple seasons.
Brandon Ingram scored 25 points, Ja’Kobe Walter and Jakob Poeltl each had 11 and AJ Lawson had 10 points as the Raptors posted their best record since going 48-34 and placing fifth in the East in 2021-22. That season also saw Toronto’s most recent playoff appearance, a six-game defeat to Philadelphia in the first round.
Tyson Etienne led the Nets with 20 points, E.J. Liddell scored 17 points, Chaney Johnson had 16 points and 13 rebounds and Ben Saraf scored 15 points.
Brooklyn (20-62) lost three straight to finish their worst season since posting the same record in 2016-17.
The Nets, who went 26-56 last season, have lost four consecutive season finales.
The Nets were without 10 players due to injury, a group that included Nic Claxton (sprained finger), Noah Clowney (left ankle), Egor Demin (left foot), Josh Minot (left ankle), Michael Porter Jr. (left hamstring) and Ziaire Williams (left foot).
Up next
Toronto will be on the road at Cleveland next weekend to begin the playoffs.
NEW YORK (AP) — Nick Suzuki had a goal and an assist to pass the 100-point mark for the season and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Islanders 4-1 on Sunday, eliminating New York from playoff contention.
Ivan Demidov, Alex Newhook and Zachary Bolduc also scored for Montreal, which continues its push for home-ice advantage in the opening round and a potential Atlantic Division title. Jacob Fowler made 30 saves, and defenseman Lane Hutson added three assists.
Casey Cizikas scored for New York and Ilya Sorokin stopped 18 shots but the Islanders lost for the sixth time in their last seven games to fall out of postseason contention.
Montreal broke the game open late in the second period, scoring three goals in a 55-second span.
Suzuki opened the scoring with his 29th goal of the season, reaching the 100-point mark for the first time in his career.
Demidov made it 2-0 just 28 seconds later, finishing a one-timer off Suzuki’s feed on the power play. It was Suzuki’s 72nd assist.
Newhook capped the surge at 16:51 of the second with a wrist shot on a two-on-one rush.
Cizikas redirected a shot from Scott Mayfield to spoil Fowler’s shutout bid midway through the third period.
Up next
Canadiens: Visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night in their regular-season finale.
Islanders: Host the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night to conclude the regular season.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 12: Tyrese Proctor #24 of the Cleveland Cavaliers passes around Leaky Black #14 of the Washington Wizards during the fourth quarter at Rocket Arena on April 12, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: The Cavaliers defeated the Wizards 130-117. User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Nae’Qwan Tomlin scored 26 points, Tyrese Proctor added 22 off the bench, and the Cleveland Cavaliers wrapped up the regular season with a 130-117 victory over the visiting Washington Wizards. With nearly every starter sitting out the finale to prepare for the postseason, Cleveland’s bench and G League players paced the team to its 52nd win.
Jamir Watkins, Bub Carrington, and former Cleveland Charge guard Sharife Cooper all scored over 20 points for the Wizards, who end another pitiful season on a 10-game losing streak. They have the worst record in the NBA, securing yet another high lottery pick in the upcoming draft.
For the Cavs, who had already secured home court for at least the first round of the playoffs, the stakes were relatively low — but not completely zero. Jaylon Tyson, who figures to have a prominent role in the playoff rotation, had 18 points, six rebounds, and three assists on 6-16 shooting. The stat line wasn’t as important as what was seen on court, which was a confident player. Tyson had missed time with an injury, so to hit some threes and see the ball go through the net is important for a young player’s mentality.
Max Strus had 10 points in his final tune-up before the playoffs, where he too will be relied upon for wing minutes in the postseason. Strus has had big games and several clunkers since his return from a broken foot, and tonight’s effort would fall squarely in the middle tier. In 17 minutes, he had 10 points and five rebounds on 4-9 shooting (1-6 from deep).
The rest of this game can be chalked up to evaluating how the young talent looked in regular minutes. Tyrese Proctor did not disappoint with a near triple-double, pouring in 22 points, 11 rebounds (which led the team), and eight assists in 34 minutes of court time. He also drilled half of his three-point attempts, which is good to see, but he had seven turnovers, which is expected and part of being a young point guard. Overall, it was a good game for the former Duke Blue Devil, who has had flashes all season. Just not consistent minutes.
Riley Minix, Olivier Sarr (whose brother Alex plays for Washington), and Tristan Enaruna represent the G League guys, and they played with the typical intensity and effort that is expected of players trying to make it in the NBA. They all scored in double figures, combined for six steals, and were positives when on the court. The Cavs pride themselves on being a good pipeline of talent from the G League to The Association, and there was plenty of that on display tonight.
The Cavs would never say they have nothing to play for, but this game was as close to that label as possible. They have the four-seed locked up and will officially be playing the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs. The good news is they do maintain home court advantage. The bad news is they have not beaten the Raptors this season, but the postseason is a different ballgame. Oh, and the Cavs did not have James Harden in any of those games.
The Bucks went 32-50 this season, in large part due to Giannis Antetokounmpo playing in just 36 games because of an assortment of injuries. Beyond that, Rivers never connected with this roster and did not elevate it during his two-and-a-half seasons as coach, going 97-103 in the role.
Rivers had hinted at an exit before, and prior to Sunday's game, Rivers sounded like someone with one foot out the door. Here are some pregame quotes, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
"I'm not gonna announce anything. But I gotta go to grandparents day on the 21st. There's another grandparents day on the 24th. I have something on my schedule right now that I need to do and I'm looking forward to doing...
"I don't ever use that R-word (retirement) because you never know. I don't want to be Ali and keep coming back. But yeah, it is (an emotional day)."
Rivers had one year and about $8 million remaining on his contract with the Bucks, which the team is going to eat, according to Charania. There had been reports that the Bucks might slide him into a front office role rather than pay him to go away.
Rivers has been an NBA head coach every year since the 1999-2000 season when he was in Orlando — a season he was named Coach of the Year. In his more than a quarter of a century on the bench, Rovers has gone 1,194-866, a 58% winning percentage. He coached the 2008 Boston Celtics to the title.
Don't be surprised to see Rivers on your television next season, part of the broadcast team for NBA games with one of the league's network partners.
ELMONT, NEW YORK - APRIL 12: Nick Suzuki #14 of the Montréal Canadiens celebrates his goal and 100th point of the season at 15:46 of the second period against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on April 12, 2026 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Just over a month ago, the New York Islanders were comfortably in a playoff spot. Even after a rough road trip out to California, a concerning stretch for sure, it still didn’t seem like the season was in any real peril. And then…
Everyone else in the Metro started surging while the Islanders floundered, going 7-10 to this point, including losing 6 of their last 7 games. The scoring went cold, while the defense fell apart and Ilya Sorokin started to look mortal, his Vezina bid likely slipping away in the process.
And all of that led to Patrick Roy’s dismissal. Mathieu Darche brought in Peter DeBoer with eyes towards next season. If everything worked out, he’d right the ship, go 4-0 in these games, and the Isles would earn a playoff bid in Matthew Schaefer’s first season.
That didn’t happen, though, and now Darche, DeBoer, and the Islanders will have a long offseason to start to set this team up for long-term success. That will probably be without some long time Islanders, but with an aging core and young talent along the way (Bridgeport made the AHL playoffs!), it’s time to make some difficult decisions.
Anthony Duclair came into the lineup for Ondrej Palat, and hopefully that was a hint that Palat won’t be part of this team going forward.
The Islanders went to an early power play after Josh Anderson was called for high sticking Carson Soucy, but unsurprisingly, they couldn’t convert on the power play. Jacob Fowler made a good save on Kyle MacLean after the power play expired.
Mat Barzal put a shot off Fowler’s mask, which was the other big chance for the Islanders that period.
Then, Emil Heineman was called for tripping Ivan Demidov, and on that power play, Juraj Slafkovsky whiffed in front of an empty net, and Ilya Sorokin made a big save on Nick Suzuki, the sharpest he’s looked in a few games now.
Second Period
Anthony Duclair shot the puck high over the net while pressured in front.
Scott Mayfield was boarded by Arber Xhekaj, with no call for that. Brayden Schenn came in on Xhekaj, and both of them got roughing penalties. Neither team converted on the 4 on 4, but Mayfield left the game after that hit.
He did return a few minutes later.
Anderson got a breakaway but missed high.
Nick Suzuki then scored to make it 1-0 for the Canadiens. On that play, Matthew Schaefer took a four minute double minor for high sticking, so the Canadiens also picked up a two-minute power play after that as well. And on that power play, Demidov made it 2-0.
And then Alex Newhook made it 3-0 less than 30 seconds later.
Xhekaj was called for roughing, sending the Islanders to the power play, which would continue on into the third period.
Third Period
The Canadiens killed that power play despite one good look from the Islanders.
With 11 minutes left, Casey Cizikas tipped a Mayfield shot past Fowler to make it 3-1.
That gave the Islanders some life, but they couldn’t get anything past Fowler before pulling Sorokin for the extra skater. They couldn’t convert with the net empty, and then Zack Bolduc scored late with Sorokin back in to make it 4-1.
Up Next
Next, the New York Islanders will host the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, April 14, the last game of the season and Fan Appreciation Night. All eyes will be on whether Matthew Schaefer will break Brian Leetch’s rookie scoring record.
Vancouver Canucks forward Curtis Douglas has scored his first ever NHL goal, tying the game up by a score of 1–1 against the Anaheim Ducks. This is the forward’s third career NHL point, as he has also put up two assists through 41 games during the 2025–26 season.
This is Douglas’ first NHL season, with the forward having made his NHL debut on October 9 against the Ottawa Senators. He scored his first career NHL point on November 12 against the New York Rangers and followed that up with an assist against the Florida Panthers the game after. His goal tonight is his first point as a member of the Canucks.
Douglas was the Canucks’ lone acquisition on NHL Trade Deadline day. Including tonight, the forward has played in 12 games with the Canucks as well as 29 with the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier on in the season.
Douglas' first career NHL goal also marked a career milestone for another Canuck. Defenceman Kirill Kudryavtsev, who was called-up by Vancouver yesterday, tallied his first NHL point with an assist on the 1-1 goal.
After tonight, Vancouver will play in their final home game of the season against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night at 7:00 pm PT.
Mar 30, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vancouver Canucks center Curtis Douglas (42) warms up before a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
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With Boston beating Orlando, Miami beating Atlanta, and Toronto beating Brooklyn on Sunday, New York is officially set to meet the Hawks in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
Atlanta played the Knicks tough during their regular season matchups.
While New York took the series 2-1, the two victories were three point games and the loss was by 12.
The latest meeting was earlier this week, when New York hung on to end the Hawks’ 13-game home winning streak.
This will be the fourth time that they face-off in the playoffs.
The most recent one was when Trae Young and the Hawks eliminated New York in five games in 2021.
Now with Young out of town and a much different roster, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks will look to flip the script.
ELMONT, NY -- The New York Islanders have been eliminated from playoff contention following their 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.
After a scoreless first period, the Islanders allowed three goals in 55 seconds to go down 3-0, the last of the three coming at 16:51 of the middle frame.
Casey Cizikas did score at 8:45 of the second period after he deflected a Scott Mayfield point shot to stop the Islanders from being shut out for a second straight night after falling 3-0 to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon.
Zachary Bolduc scored with 13.2 seconds to play for the 4-1 final.
With the loss, the Islanders have now missed the playoffs for a second straight season.
The last time that happened was in 2016-17 and 2017-18, the last two seasons of the Garth Snow-Doug Weight Era.
The Islanders, who conclude their season on Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes, are 1-2-0 through their first three games under new head coach Pete DeBoer.
The Knicks closed the regular season with a 110-96 loss to the Charolette Hornets on Sunday night.
Here are the takeaways...
- The Knicks opted to sit out their key contributors with their spot/seed in the playoffs already locked up. Mikal Bridges still received the start to keep the NBA's longest active consecutive games streak alive (now at 638), but he committed an intentional foul to be subbed out after just 23 seconds.
Bridges, Miles McBride, Jose Alvarado, Mohamed Diawara, and Ariel Hukporti was the starting five.
- McBride dressed as he works to find his footing heading into the playoffs, and he finally showed flashes of his old form in the early going. The backup guard was New York's most effective scorer all night, leading the team with 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field and four threes.
- New York saw plenty of other positives from their depth filling out the starting lineup throughout the night. Alvarado was everywhere with a final line of 13-5-6, Hukporti dominated the boards with a season-high eight, and Diawara tied his career-high with five assists.
- Jeremy Sochan and Kevin McCullar Jr. also put together strong showings off the bench. Sochan provided a spark in the third quarter and finished with 10 points, five rebounds, and four assists. McCullar knocked down 6-of-11 attempts from the field to set a new career-high, 14 points.
- LaMelo Ball led the way for Charolette with five threes, seven rebounds, and six assists. Coby White had himself a night off the bench, chipping in 19 points off the bench, and Kon Knueppel finished his stellar rookie campaign with three threes and 19 points of his own.
- Despite being a bit overmatched, the Knicks' backups continued to show fight throughout the night. They were able to cut the deficit back down to eight points at one point early in the third quarter, but ultimately saw that stretched back out in the closing minutes of the final frame.
- New York finishes the regular season 53-29, good enough for third place in the Eastern Conference.
What's next
The Knicks kick off the postseason and the quest for their third NBA title.
Apr 12, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Tyrese Proctor (24) drives to the basket against Washington Wizards guard Sharife Cooper (13) during the first half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
That’s a wrap. The Cleveland Cavaliers ended the 2025-26 regular season with a win over the Washington Wizards. Let’s get to the grades.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Jaylon Tyson
18 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
Tyson looked like the kid who decided to show up on Senior Skip Day. He overachieved all season, ending the year both as the biggest surprise and the most entertaining part of the year, in my opinion.
Sarr has a solid game. He showcased great agility and touch for his height, but at 27 years old, I’m not sure how much more development we should expect from him. His thinner frame makes him vulnerable against NBA-sized frontcourts. Still, he’s a fun player to watch and easy to root for.
Grade: B-
Craig Porter Jr.
7 points, 4 assists, 7 rebounds, 1 block
Porter capped off his season with another all-around performance. His weak-side block in the first half was a highlight.
I’m optimistic about Proctor’s future. He’s got all of the skills you want in a modern guard. A smooth jumper and good defensive instincts.
Six turnovers are the only thing stopping me from giving him the A+ for this near-triple-double performance.
Grade: A
Nae’Qwan Tomlin
26 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists
Tomlin, as we’ve come to expect, was shot out of a cannon tonight. He rebounded his own miss three times in one possession and took a borderline heat-check three-pointer after hitting back-to-back jumpers in the first half. For the record, Tomlin is shooting 20% from downtown this season. His unbridled enthusiasm is something I have no choice but to respect.
Grade: A+
Max Strus
10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
We don’t get many opportunities to watch Strus handle the ball with volume. Tonight, he had the ball in his hands a ton — and it was a nice reminder of how skilled NBA players are. Strus unleashed a few shifty moves, bringing the ball up the floor, and it’s always fun to see someone take on a slightly different role for a night.
Grade: C+
Tristan Enaruna
15 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
Enaruna can impact games with his size and physcality. He was a positive presence on both sides of the ball as a result. However, his lack of an outside shot will put a ceiling on him for the foreseeable future.
Grade: B+
Larry Nance Jr.
10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block
Nance got one final run this season with the youngings. He’s been playing more recently, and could be someone to watch as a ‘break glass’ option in the playoffs — even if it’s clear that he’s lost a step or two over the years.
Grade: B–
Rylie Minix
12 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 block
Minix nailed a one-legged jumper early in this game. He then proceeded to make hustle play after hustle play on defense. That’s enough for me, take your degree and have a great summer.
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic will start for the Denver Nuggets in their regular-season finale against San Antonio on Sunday night for his 65th game played to qualify for NBA awards.
Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama is sitting out the game after reaching eligibility in his previous game.
Jokic has played in 64 games and was listed as questionable with an injured right wrist.
Denver needs a victory over the Spurs on Sunday to secure the third seed in the Western Conference. A Nuggets loss, coupled with a win by the Los Angeles Lakers, would drop the Nuggets to fourth and move the Lakers to third.
The NBA requires players to participate in 65 games to be eligible for MVP, All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Jokic must play at least 15 minutes against San Antonio to be eligible.
The NBA allows two exemptions of 15 to 19:59 minutes played to count as an official game. Jokic has one exemption remaining.
“Yeah, he’ll play the first half,” Denver coach David Adelman said. “Then we’ll reconvene at halftime and see where he’s at, where the game’s at. It’s what the rules provide. So we’ll follow the rules.”
Jokic, who won MVP in 2021, 2022 and 2024, has been named to the All-NBA Team in seven of his 11 seasons.
Wembanyama competed in 64 regular-season games in addition to the NBA Cup Final, which does not count toward regular-season record or statistics, but does qualify as a game played.
Wembanyama suffered a left rib contusion and missed the second half of Monday's 115-102 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers. He returned Friday to post 40 points and 13 rebounds in 26:13 minutes against Dallas.
He was listed as questionable due to injury management and was ruled out after the Spurs' afternoon walkthrough.
“Yeah, he’s doing well, but just a little sore and felt it was the appropriate decision,” San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson said. “He was probably, to be honest, the closest call of the group, but just right in that kind of in between.”
Spurs guard Stephon Castle was upgraded to available after missing the past two games with a left foot soreness.
Apr 12, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso (25) hits an RBI double during the fifth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Sunday afternoon in Baltimore. A pleasant breeze swirled around the baked brick of Camden Yards, carrying the warm tang of Old Bay seasoning. One would be forgiven if the pleasant atmosphere suggested a sedate affair, a leisurely stroll of a game.
The Giants had gone down in order at the top of the inning against Orioles starter Cade Povich, and after Pete Alonso swung heavily over a 1-1 change-up, their offense appeared about to do the same against Adrian Houser. And it’d carry on like that: quick at-bats, quick outs, quick innings… The two teams accumulating zeroes on the scoreboard with the competitive edge of an Easter egg hunt. One of those pleasant spring days in which nothing is expected, nothing needs to be fought for, or figured out quite yet. A day spent squinting up into the bright sun. A day in which a squirrel runs across the outfield. A day in which a leaf blower can be heard in the distance.
At least, it was supposed to be one of those days. Alonso whiffed at a 1-1 change-up, putting him in a 1-2 hole with two outs, and the inning felt over. One down. On to the next one.
Perhaps that sounds naive to say considering Alonso’ resume, but the slugger had moved down the coast for $155 million pocketed over 5 years and was off to the characteristically slow start for a player coming off free agency. He had been hitless in the first two games of the series, batting .167 with a .521 OPS so far on the season. He was getting settled, finding his footing, getting comfortable — he wasn’t yet a threat. Again, down in a 1-2 count, with the way Alonso has been struggling, the inning should’ve been over.
But then he took a pitch he wasn’t supposed to take.
Alonso had called time, found his breath and settled himself, and took a 1-2 sinker off the plate for a ball. No, the fastball wasn’t the most tantalizing offering, but the pitch’s location, paired with its back-door movement, was meant to tease. It was supposed to keep him in swing-mode, keep him defensive. Instead, Alonso let the pitch go, and it brought him back into the count. Maybe the players or fans weren’t completely cognizant of this the moment, but in retrospect, that was when the pastel-colored afternoon turned for the Giants.
Houser spun an excellent 2-2 curveball that dropped out of the zone, and Alonso just let it go. A great, disciplined take that brought the count full. He then fought off another breaking ball before spitting on another sinker that came ’round just off the plate. Ball 4.
Should catcher Daniel Susac have challenged that call? According to the MLB Gameday and Baseball Savant zone, the ball looks like it may be a hair’s width from the corner, but those might not line-up with the stadium’s ABS zone. Still those are not the kind of dicey decisions you want to have to make in the 1st inning…and on a Sunday no less!
Instead of a casual start to the game, Alonso’s walk made things stressful, and Houser didn’t handle it well. Two pitches later, Samuel Basallo (another scuffling big man) put the Orioles up for good.
Disciplined at-bats from Baltimore hitters and clutch contact extended innings when it mattered most. The third strike, the third out proved elusive for Giants arms. 5 of the Orioles’ 6 runs on the day came with San Francisco pitching an out away from shutting down a frame.
Another 2-run rally in the 5th against Houser similarly started with the bases empty and two outs already recorded. An innocuous single off the bat of Henderson kept the inning going. Down 0-2, Taylor Ward refused to bite at two pitches off the plate before flipping an inside fastball into right field for another single. And with runners on the corners, down 2-strikes again, Alonso dug out a curveball and pulled it into the left field corner for a two-run gut punch.
The Orioles offense refused to go with the casual flow seemingly promised. This was not a day of rest, but a day of work. Every at-bat became an opportunity to assert themself on their opponent. The line-up worked 5 walks to go along with their 11 hits and struck out only 7 times. Houser and subsequent relievers weren’t getting exposed on mistakes necessarily, either. Decent pitches were being spoiledby solid takes or contact-oriented swings.
(Synonyms for the verb spoil: thwart… ruin… upset… scupper… scotch… vitiate… muller… )
With a runner on second in the 6th, Coby Mayo thwarted a well-pocketed 2-2 slider from Ryan Walker. The spun bloop off a choked-up bat scored Baltimore’s fifth run, vitiating Walker’s chances of putting up a scoreless frame. In the 7th with two outs, Colton Cowser’s 2-out infield single off Erik Miller was hit just weakly enough to plate another run and scuppering the Giants chances of a comeback.
The stubborn Orioles order was in stark contrast to the Giants’ offensive exploits against southpaw starter Cade Povich. While the line-up has been somewhat decent against left-handed pitching (117 wRC+, 6th in MLB) their Kryptonite has been 4-seam fastballs. Their collective 88 wRC+ against the straight heater is the worst in the league — and unfortunately, it’s a pitch Povich, and frankly a lot of other pitchers — likes to throw. The optics didn’t look great from the outset, then the early hole from the Basallo homer really put the line-up on the back foot. Resilience would not be the word I’d use to describe the make-up of these hitters. A lead has proved definitive against these Giants so far. They’ve only won one game this season when scoring second and that was only because the Mets got to hit first in their 7-2 win back on April 2nd.
Povich retired the first 12 batters he faced in order, and he did it pretty fast. A lot of chased fastballs, flinched-at curves. A bushel of pop-ups. He fanned 5 with 0 walks over 6.2 innings pitched. 4 of the 5 knocks he allowed were singles. Heliot Ramos’s two out double in the 7th was the first extra base hit he allowed and ended up chasing him from the game.
Daniel Susac continued to be a bright spot in his third start of the season. He threw out Colton Cowser from his knees to complete a strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out double play in the 2nd. He’d record the only RBI against Povich with a 2-out punch up the middle in the 5th that at the time cut Baltimore’s lead in half. Batting clean-up and serving as the designated hitter for the fourth straight game, Casey Schmitt logged a 3-for-4 night of loud contact. His lead-off single in the 5th put Povich in the stretch for the first time and ultimately set-up the team’s first run, while his 9th inning solo shot gave him his fourth extra base hit of the series. Since the “catch the f***ing ball game” (7-1 loss to SD on 4/1), Schmitt has hit safely in each of his five starts, including three 3-hit games.
San Francisco had their chances to close-out at-bats, close-out innings, and ultimately, close out this Baltimore series but couldn’t find a way to firmly shut the door. Now they’re 6-10 with more road series coming this week in Cincinnati and Washington.
All the sport’s heavy hitters were in Adelaide this week – leaking, lurking and long lunching – before some excellent football broke out
Gather Round began with lavish lunches, intriguing matchups and a South Australian premier who lobbied for it, nurtured it and who very much now owns it. Politically, culturally and geographically, South Australia remains an excellent fit. But it always feels like the footy industry is on one big sell for the week, and this year’s version didn’t quite reach the heights of the previous three.
A lot of that was due to the weather, which was atrocious at times. With two mismatches earlier on Sunday, Gather Round was crying out for a decent match to close things out. Heading into half-time, the Port Adelaide-St Kilda game was trundling along, the rain was pissing down and it loomed as the sort of contest Ross Lyon would put to sleep and the rest of us would never speak of again.
