Ross Lyon’s press conferences are typically a mix of battery and flattery. On any given day, you’ll get smart-arsery, hostility, humility, occasional mirth and genuine insight. Sometimes, he will provide a 10-minute explanation of how the game was won or lost. Sometimes, he’s playful and rhetorical. Sometimes, he’ll cock his head and look at the questioner like they have no business even being in the same room as him.
The St Kilda coach has been criticised for the way he responded to a set of perfectly reasonable questions in Adelaide last weekend. “Do you have a sense of where you’re at in the context of the season?” was one of them. He didn’t exactly react like Bob Hawke to Richard Carleton’s “impertinence” in 1983. But it was a typical Lyon response – part superciliousness, part drollery, part deflection. It was nothing, really. The journalist handled it well, and the coach didn’t cross the line.
Apr 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly reacts in the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
In the words of Jack Sommers, regression is a harsh mistress. And the past 2 games the Dbacks have played, there couldn’t have possibly been more regression. This game seemed like a game where absolutely nothing went the Dbacks way and everything the White Sox’s way. From baseballs getting stuck in Nolan Arrenado’s mitt, to inside the park home runs due to golden glover interference. The Dbacks could absolutely not catch a break in this game.
The starting rotation may have been a storyline of the early season, but the Dbacks have now allowed 12 runs in the previous 2 first innings. Merrill Kelly flat out stunk in this one allowing 4 ER in the first inning and 3 consecutive home runs to put the Dbacks into a 7 run deficit almost immediately.
The offense was able to come up with 5 runs tonight, however they should’ve come up with a lot more. Dbacks had leadoff hitters on base 6 of the 9 innings tonight, a 45.5% hard hit percentage and an xBA of .277. The White Sox defense seemed to be positioned perfectly all night to take hits away from the Arizona offense. It felt like almost every single inning there would be some base traffic followed by a diving catch in the outfield or a snared line drive by a White Sox infielder. Certainly a frustrating loss for the fans and the team, however with slightly better luck the score could’ve certainly been much closer.
About the only positive from tonight’s game may have been the the bullpen did a good job of holding the White Sox in check. They had to really shoulder the load tonight because of Kelly’s ineffectiveness, and they did a pretty good job of doing just that silencing the White Sox offense to mostly singles the rest of the game.
In addition, Ildemaro Vargas continued his hitting streak in this one with a 3-run home run in the 9th inning. This marks the 16th straight game he has hit safely in to begin the season. What an accomplishment!
As if this game wasn’t already lopsided enough against the Dbacks favor due to batted ball luck, things really got ridiculous in the 9th inning when a ball was hit down the 3rd base line that was clearly interfered with by the golden glover and the umpire team ruled that the play wasn’t reviewable despite the challenge by Torey Lovullo. This was the second time in the past 3 games a golden glover interfered with a ball in play. The official scoring came back as an inside the park home run. Clearly one of the most bizarre plays you will see and a clear head scratcher as to why that play wasn’t reviewable. Home plate umpire Doug Eddings had already had himself a game by not allowing several players to challenge ball strike calls, and then he didn’t allow Torey to challenge the clearly blown call by the 3rd base ump.
Obviously none of the above matters a whole lot when your starting pitcher allows 7 runs in the first 2 innings, however nothing much was going the Dbacks way tonight. There is still time to salvage this series to maintain their series winning streak, however it doesn’t appear as thought the White Sox are going to just roll over and just let them take it. The Dbacks are going to have to do a better job this season of playing when they have expectations on them to win, something this team has struggled with in previous seasons.
New jerseys of new, losing streaks of old. One was introduced, and another stayed the same on Tuesday night in Mizzou baseball’s 11-4 loss against SIUE at Taylor Stadium. After two straight SEC series, which have now accumulated to two sweeps and seven straight losses, Mizzou’s offensive struggles reached their compounding point, accumulating just five hits against the Cougars.
The Tigers started well from the plate, with a lead-off homer from Blaize Ward, his second over the last four games and of his freshman season as a Tiger. Missouri bats continued to slowly chip away at SIUE pitching, as catcher Juliomar Campos’ RBI double and an infield RBI single by Eric Maisonet gave the two Puerto Ricans with an RBI apiece and a 3-0 Missouri lead by the bottom of the fourth.
The main difference between SIUE and Mizzou? The Cougars’ offensive production wasn’t slow but surely, and it wasn’t spread out; it was condensed to just two innings of pure offensive devastation. A three-and-eight run slot in the sixth and eighth innings was too much to overcome for Kerrick Jackson’s squad, on a night where the debut of brand-new COMO jerseys and free admission aimed to set a more positive evening tone for the Tigers.
The visitors did exactly that from the sixth inning onward, scoring 10 runs against the Tigers’ bullpen, to the one run in response by Mizzou, which came on a Kam Durnin sac fly in the bottom of the sixth.
“[From an offensive standpoint] just not consistent and focused in what their approach needed to be,” Jackson said. “We had flashes and had a couple of guys that were consistent on the day with how they went about their business. But again, just getting anxious. The worst thing for us was Blaize hitting a home run in the first, and the reason why that was the worst is that that’s his second home run of the year. Everybody else after that thought I should hit a home run too.”
THE INFAMOUS EIGHTH
After the Cougars scrapped their way back from a 3-0 deficit, Kam Durnin’s sacrifice fly gave the Tigers a one-run lead. In the space of an inning, two in-game replays, and what felt like a slow-motion collapse, SIUE turned a one‑run deficit into an 11–4 lead before the Tigers recorded the third out.
An error on a routine grounder by Ward at second base resulted in Gage Franck reaching first. The inning grew more complicated from there for Tigers reliever Juan Villarreal, who didn’t end up earning any earned runs due to the error by Ward.
A passed ball moved Franck up, a balk pushed him to third, and suddenly, Juan Villarreal was working with a runner ninety feet away and no real margin for error. He walked Joshua Heyder, and SIUE brought the game even when Ethan Willoughby lifted a sacrifice fly to right.
Missouri still had a chance to settle things, but the Cougars kept stacking up runs. Mack Mitchell jumped ahead in the count against Villarreal and turned a 3–0 pitch into a two‑run homer that traveled well over the left field fence.
Brenden Fry followed with a double to right‑center, prompting a move to the bullpen, but the momentum didn’t shift. A pitching change by Jackson led to PJ Green didn’t stop pinch hitter Cooper Eggert from attacking the first pitch he saw and sent another two‑run shot out to right.
Even after the opening onslaught, Missouri couldn’t slow the inning down. A walk and a wild pitch set up another run when Daniel Gierer punched a single through the left side. Another wild pitch moved Gierer up a base, and a throwing error on a comebacker to Green brought in yet another unearned run.
By the time the Tigers finally recorded the third out, SIUE had turned a one‑run game into an 11–4 lead, fueled by a mix of hard contact, free bases, and defensive mistakes. A bullpen game for the Tigers rotation ultimately led to seven total pitchers being used, starting with Dane Bjorn and ending with a very sudden and devastating end in the infamous eighth.
“Guys come in and throw strikes, but you also need to execute pitches,” Jackson said. [SIUE] was aggressive. Their ball club was aggressive, and we threw pitches in the zone, and they attacked them. Hopefully, if anything, our guys are watching that thinking to swing the bat. If a guy’s coming in, he’s coming in to throw strikes, and if he’s gonna throw strikes, then you could be on time, that’s what they were.”
THE MENTAL ERRORS
What was going wrong for the Mizzou offense and defense was compounded by mental mistakes that drove the point home of Tuesday evening being one to forget for the Tigers. Two players, Isaiah Frost and Juliomar Campos, were sent to the bench mid-game by Jackson. Jamal George replaced Campos to begin the fourth, and Donovan Jordan replaced Frost to begin the ninth.
The common theme? Errors on the base-paths. After a Tyler Macon walk occurred in the bottom half of the second, Campos inexplicably wandered too far off of second base and was caught in between the baselines between third and second, thrown out at third, by Jose Fichera behind the plate.
Frost, after reaching base on a hit-by-pitch in the eighth, was doubled off at first base following a line drive hit by Eric Maisonet. Jackson was critical of both of these moments post-game when I asked about the thought process behind the two substitutions.
“[The subsitutions] were based on stupidity.” Jackson said. “You can’t just take off running when you’re Campos in a situation where we just drew a two out walk, where were you going? Isaiah Frost, we talk all the time about when a line drive is hit, you go back on a line drive. This is the second time that as a fifth year senior, he’s looked to advance, and you just can’t do bad things on the baseball field, and then think that you’re still going to have the opportunity to be out there. If you’re going to do that, then just come out and let me put somebody who is hopefully is a little bit more mentally locked in.”
UP NEXT
Missouri turns its attention back to Southeastern Conference play later this week. The Tigers stay home to open a three‑game series against No. 24 Arkansas on Thursday night at Taylor Stadium, with first pitch set for 7 p.m. The matchup begins another stretch of conference play where Mizzou will look to steady its bullpen and bounce back from its seven-game losing streak.
Apr 21, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Athletics second baseman Jeff McNeil (22) is greeted by Athletics third base coach Bobby Crosby (8) after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: John Froschauer-Imagn Images | John Froschauer-Imagn Images
Shohei Ohtani waits for his at-bat against the Giants in the fifth inning. (Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)
Four games ago, the Dodgers were on a pace to win 128 games. They would win the National League West by, what, 20 or 30 games?
Today, for the first time this season, the Dodgers do not own sole possession of first place in the NL West.
They are tied for first with their rivals: the San Diego Padres.
On a cold and intermittently rainy night in San Francisco, the Dodgers’ bats were cold, and most productive when not used. In a 3-1 loss to the Giants, the Dodgers scored their only run by bunching four walks in one hitless inning.
In the first inning, the Giants tagged Yoshinobu Yamamoto for three runs before he had recorded the second out. Yamamoto righted himself by retiring the next 11 batters he faced, but the Dodgers lost for the third time in four games.
The shine on the Dodgers’ most historic rivalry has faded, right along with the Giants. San Francisco has posted one winning record in the last nine seasons, and the chants of “Let’s Go Dodgers!” at Oracle Park were more spirited than the chants of “Beat L.A.!” until the last couple of innings.
The Dodgers collected three hits, never more than one in an inning. They had a prime chance to score in the seventh, when Alex Freeland walked and Shohei Ohtani singled to put the would-be tying runs on base with two out.
Kyle Tucker then struck out, for the third consecutive at-bat.
In 28 at-bats this season with runners in scoring position, Tucker is batting .214, with no extra-base hits.
The walk did extend Ohtani’s on-base streak to 53 games, tying Shawn Green for the longest in Los Angeles Dodgers history. The franchise record: 58, by Hall of Famer Duke Snider for the 1954 Brooklyn Dodgers.
Yamamoto finished his evening’s work by striking out the side. He completed seven innings for the second consecutive start, something he did not accomplish until September last season.
He was succeeded on the mound by Tanner Scott, whom manager Dave Roberts had said before the game might be the first choice in a save situation. In this situation, with the heart of the Giants’ order due up in the eighth inning and two left-handed hitters included, Roberts summoned the left-handed Scott.
Scott worked a scoreless inning, lowering his earned-run average to 0.93.
The first inning was ugly. The first batter singled, then advanced to second base on a throwing error by shortstop Hyeseong Kim. The second batter singled, the third batter walked, and the fourth batter singled home a run.
Casey Schmitt then hit a very catchable fly ball to left-center field, where left fielder Teoscar Hernández and center fielder Alex Call tried to catch it. Call did, but he slammed into Hernandez and tumbled to the ground. He did get up in time to return the ball to the infield, but the Giants scored a run on what was scored as a sacrifice fly, then another run on a dying fly ball that dropped just in front of Tucker for a single.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto had a shaky first inning but pitched well after that. (Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)
That put the Giants up 3-0 with one out, marking the first time in five starts this season that Yamamoto had given up more than two runs in a game. The next two outs were long outs, one to the warning track and one almost as far, balls that might have carried for extra-base hits on a warmer night. After throwing 26 pitches in that first inning, Yamamoto threw 28 over the next three.
In all, Yamamoto gave up six hits over seven innings, striking out seven. All of his first five starts have been quality starts; no other major league pitcher has more than four.
BOSTON — Giancarlo Stanton hit a solo homer in the second and added a two-run double as the New York Yankees extended their winning streak to four with a 4-0 win over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.
Stanton, who sat out a 7-0 win over Kansas City on Sunday after going 0-for-9 in his previous two games, drove in the first three runs for New York and gave starter Luis Gil all the offense he needed against the struggling Red Sox.
Gil (1-1) picked up his first win of the season holding Boston to just two hits as the Yankees outhit the Red Sox 10-4 and cruised to their major league-leading fifth shutout of the season. Cody Bellinger extended his hitting streak to nine straight with a single in the eighth and scored on Randal Grichuk’s double to center.
The Red Sox went without a hit from Marcelo Mayer's double in the second until Carlos Narváez singled in the eighth. Boston lost for the third time in four games.
Gil hadn’t gone more than five innings in either of his previous two starts. He went 6 1/3 on Tuesday with two strikeouts and three walks.
Stanton led off the second with a towering shot to left, driving a 1-0 slider from Connelly Early (1-1) over the Green Monster for his third homer of the season and New York’s 19th in the last eight games.
Stanton drove in two more in the sixth with a drive off the scoreboard in left-center, bringing in Amed Rosario and Aaron Judge after the Yankees led off the inning with back-to-back walks. Stanton was robbed of another hit in the eighth when Ceddanne Rafaela made a leaping catch at the center-field wall.
New York's Ben Rice, who had homered in four straight games, was 0-for-4 — striking out all four times.
Up next
Yankees LHP Max Fried (2-1, 2.97 ERA) faces Boston lefty Ranger Suarez (1-1, 3.22) in the second of the three-game series.
But that time was a few series ago, when at least some things were going right. After a huge home run from Francisco Lindor and a would-be Nolan McLean no-hitter evaporated into a 12th straight loss Tuesday, it is safe to say nothing is going right for the Mets anymore.
“It sucks,” Carlos Mendoza said.
No one will ever know how many times out of 10 this roster David Stearns assembled for Mendoza would start this badly. It is not hard to imagine a universe in which Bo Bichette started hot or Jorge Polanco slid in seamlessly or Brett Baty translated a promising spring into a big April or the return of Kodai Senga’s velocity led to the reemergence of an ace...and so on. But none of that happened in this universe, which has thus far proven to be home to several worst-case scenarios at once.
For example: In this universe, Devin Williams looks vulnerable to New York again, not inoculated against it. Tuesday night, with the game tied in the top of the ninth, the All-Star walked the first two hitters he faced. A bunt loaded the bases. A bouncer over third that would have been an easy out or two with the infield back hopped over the drawn-in left side and gave the Twins their first lead. Another walk doubled it for them. Williams blew a save in the Mets' last loss, which came to the Cubs at Wrigley on Sunday. The outing before that, he surrendered a grand slam.
“Honestly,” Williams said. “I would say all three outings were [caused by] something different.”
Maybe, given that Edwin Diaz needs elbow surgery, the Mets would have found themselves facing ninth-inning questions even if that part of their offseason had gone differently. But as things stand now, they must turn to Williams and other internal options for answers. No teams are selling yet. The Mets, who can rightfully assume they will not play this way forever, might not even know exactly what they should be buying. Because almost no one in their lineup is performing as intended.
Quite clearly, the Mets' biggest problem is their so-far relentless inability to sustain offensive pressure beyond a few innings a game. And in that way, Soto should help. The Mets have scored a total of 22 runs over the course of the streak, or 1.83 runs per game. Soto has 702 career RBI in 1,104 career games — or roughly .635 runs batted in per game. In other words, if Soto were to produce runs at his normal rate upon returning, he would increase the Mets' nightly run production by 33.3 percent.
Obviously, that math ignores some statistical nuance. Still, those numbers are illustrative: Soto can increase the Mets' offensive production dramatically. But even if he adds exactly six tenths of a run driven in per game, the Mets could then count on just fewer than 2.5 runs per game – at least if they keep scoring as rarely as they have during the streak. No other team in baseball is averaging fewer than 3.30 runs per game this season.
“We can’t wait for [Juan] to come back and do his thing. At the end of the day, I hope everybody doesn’t put all the pressure on him,” Lindor said Tuesday. “That would be a little unfair. But I know he’s going to help us a ton. He’s a top three-hitter in the league.”
The Mets had four hits Tuesday night, the fifth time during the streak they have been held to five or fewer. They own the lowest on-base percentage in baseball. Only two teams have hit fewer home runs. Maybe in other versions of this season, a lineup composed of these players would fare better than it has during the first month of this season, when everyone is struggling at once. Maybe, a recovery to a better offensive mean is inevitable.
But right now, it feels impossible. Soto is coming to help, but no one is coming to save them. There is, as Lindor put it, only one way for the 2026 Mets to end this spiral, let alone become the first team in history to lose 12 straight games and still make the postseason: “By winning.”
Apr 21, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) beats the tag of Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe (14) to score during the eighth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Patrick Corbin turned in a second pretty good start in a row today, giving the offence time to overcome a slow start. Jeff Hoffman continues to be disturbingly combustible, but the rest of the bullpen did good work. Louis Varland picked up his first MLB save, and you have to wonder whether he’ll start to get some more opportunities with the way he’s been dominating.
Amazingly, this was their first series win since sweeping Sacramento to open the season. They’ve dug a hole, but this little three game win streak hopefully represents the turning point.
We had a scoreless pitchers’ duel for the first half of tonight’s game. The Jays got runners in each of the first three innings against Jack Kochanowicz, but couldn’t score. Ernie Clement lined a single in the first, and Jesus Sanchez and Daulton Varsho singled in the second, while Kochanowicz hit Lukes in the third. A pair double plays helped erase all the runners, though. An Eloy Jimenez walk and Varsho’s second hit put a pair on in the fourth, but again they were stranded. Kahanowicz faced the minimum for the first time in the fifth.
Patrick Corbin, on the other hand, retired the first six Angels hitters before walking Vaughn Grissom to open the third. The Jays got their own double play, though, on a nice backhand flip by Clement and a strong turn by Andres Gimenez. Corbin again allowed no runners in the fourth.
Finally, Oswald Peraza broke up the no-hitter with one out in the fifth, on a grounder into left field. Nolan Schanuel followed with another single to put runners on the corners. That set the table for Grissom to break the stalemate with a sac fly to centre field, putting LA in front 1-0. Corbin then walked Logan O’Hoppe, but got a ground out to escape the jam.
Vlad reached on a throwing error after grounding to third with one out in the sixth. Sanchez pulled a grounder through the gap into right to advance him to third, putting them in the same position the Angels had been in in the previous half inning. And like the Angels, they got a sac fly to plate their first run. This one came courtesy of Eloy Jimenez and tied the game at one. Sam Bachman was called from the bullpen to take over for Kochanowicz. He got Varsho swinging to preserve the tie.
Spencer Miles took over in the bottom of the sixth, working a clean inning including a strikeout and a nifty bare-hand on a Mike Trout broken bat tapper back to the mound. Bachman remained in the game, taking care of business against the bottom third of the Jays order.
In the seventh, Gimenez made an amazing leaping grab on a broken bat liner by Jorge Soler for the first out. Peraza bunted for a single, prompting John Schneider to call on Mason Fluharty to face the lefty Schanuel. He got his man, and Brandon Valenzuela got Peraza at second to turn the strike-em-out-throw-em-out double play.
Drew Pomeranz took over for the eighth, and Schneider decided to get deep into his managerial bag to counter. Myles Straw pinch hit for Lukes and flew out to right, but Clement laced a double down the left field line. The Angels intentionally walked Guerrero to get to Lenyn Sosa, who was hitting for Sanchez. That proved to be a mistake, as Sosa doubled off the wall in right. Clement scored standing up, and Vlad narrowly beat the throw at the plate to put Toronto ahead 3-1. Davis Schneider came on to run for Sosa, and Jimenez hit a ground ball single to bring him around and increase the lead to three. I’ll admit using Straw to hit and Schneider to pinch run is not how I would have done it, but you can’t argue with the results. Tyler Rogers came on to protect the newly acquired lead, gettin his usual three easy ground outs.
Old friend Nick Sandlin pitched the ninth for the Angels and retired the Jays in order. In the bottom half, Jeff Hoffman had yet another meltdown. He struck out Zach Neto, but then Trout lined a single. Hoffman hit the next two batters to load the bases, then gave up a hard line single to Yoan Mondaca, plating one to make it 4-2. That finally prompted Schneider to give Louis Varland a chance to pick up his first major league save. It took him one pitch to get Schanuel to ground into a double play.
Jays of the Day: Varland (0.33), Sosa (0.31), Sanchez (0.12), Corbin (0.12)
Less So: Hoffman (-0.29), Okamoto (-0.18), Gimenez (-0.12)
It’s a day game tomorrow, with first pitch at 3:07pm ET. Eric Lauer (1-3, 7.13) will look to keep working his way back into form, while Jose Soriano (5-0, 0.28) looks to continue what’s been a breakout year for the Angels. After that it’s a travel day, with the Jays coming home to host the Guardians over the weekend.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 21: Teoscar Hernández #37 and Alex Call #12 of the Los Angeles Dodgers collide as Call catches a ball hit by Casey Schmitt #10 of the San Francisco Giants in the first inning at Oracle Park on April 21, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The highest-scoring team in the majors managed only three hits on Tuesday night at Oracle Park, and when the Giants scored three runs in the first inning that proved to be enough to beat the Dodgers 3-1 in the series opener in San Francisco.
Chaos reigned in the bottom of the first inning, beginning with Hyeseong Kim airmailing a throw from shortstop into the Giants dugout. Yoshinobu Yamamoto issued only his fourth walk of the season and loaded the bases before recording an out. All three runners scored during the four-hit frame, including on a sacrifice fly in which Teoscar Hernández collided with Alex Call, who started in center field with Andy Pages getting his first off day of the season (at least until pinch-hitting in the ninth.
But after that 26-pitch first inning, Yamamoto locked in, retiring 11 in a row and 16 out of 17 batters at one point, enough to get through seven innings without allowing another run, and on just 101 pitches to boot.
Yamamoto nearly gave up a fourth run thanks to a pair of two-out hits in the sixth, but Jung Hoo Lee’s mad dash around the bases in the rain was for naught, thrown out at home plate trying to score on a single.
Yamamoto followed this by striking out the side in the seventh inning, completing his night.
MLB teams through Monday had a .674 winning percentage when their starting pitcher completed at least six innings this season. The Dodgers are now 12-3 (.800) in those games after Tuesday’s loss. Two of the three losses are Yamamoto starts.
The Dodgers managed only one single off Landen Roupp, though they did make him work. He walked four batters in the fourth inning alone, though the Dodgers scored only once in the frame, which ended on a double play grounder by Call.
Roupp needed 106 pitches to complete five innings thanks in part to five walks, the most by any pitcher against the Dodgers this year. It might have been six walks, but Alex Freeland seemed allergic to challenging what appeared to a three-ball pitch outside the strike zone for the second time in three days. Roupp was able to limit the damage during his outing thanks to seven strikeouts.
It only took two batters after Roupp exited for a Dodger to reach second base on his own volition, thanks to a Teoscar Hernández one-out double into left field in the sixth inning. But Max Muncy struck out and Dalton Rushing flew out on the first pitch he saw to end that rare threat by the Dodgers on Tuesday.
Shohei Ohtani singled in the seventh inning, extending his on-base streak to 53 games, matching Shawn Green (2000) for the longest streak in Los Angeles Dodgers history. In modern franchise history (since 1900), only Duke Snider’s 58-game on-base streak in 1954 for Brooklyn is longer than Ohtani’s. It’s also the longest MLB on-base streak since Orlando Cabrera reached in 63 straight games for the Angels in 2006.
Ohtani’s single put another runner in scoring position, but Kyle Tucker struck out.
Los Angeles had the tying run either on base or at the plate in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, but was hitless in five at-bats with runners in scoring position on Tuesday, with three strikeouts.
Shohei Ohtani is back on the mound in the middle game of the series on Wednesday night (6:45 p.m.; SportsNet LA, MLB Network), with right-hander Tyler Mahle pitching for the Giants.
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - APRIL 21: Viktor Arvidsson #71 of the Boston Bruins celebrates his goal against the Buffalo Sabres during the second period in Game Two of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center on April 21, 2026 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Ben Ludeman/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
After the Bruins melted down in the last eight minutes of Game 1, Marco Sturm and several of the players cited a desire to learn from the experience and move forward for Game 2.
Tonight’s last seven minutes showed they learned a thing or two—but not quite enough to avoid nearly giving their fans a collective heart attack in the process.
After taking a 4-0 lead into the final half of the third period, the B’s held on down the stretch to skate out of Buffalo with a 4-2 win and a series even at a game apiece.
Viktor Arvidsson scored twice for the Bruins, while Pavel Zacha and Morgan Geekie added one goal each.
Jeremy Swayman was immense for the Bruins, making 34 saves, including 18 in the third period alone.
Buffalo scored twice in a span of 1:14 in the last few minutes of the third period, raising blood pressures across New England, but Swayman made a few more saves and the Bruins emerged with the win.
Exhale.
After a scoreless first period, Arvidsson got the scoring started five minutes into the second period to make it 1-0 Bruins.
Geekie doubled the lead ten minutes later, beating Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen with a hiiiiiiiiiiiiigh fly ball from center ice to make it 2-0 Bruins. As Judd Sirott said on NESN, “E-1” for Luukkonen.
Peyton Krebs would add another for Buffalo (with the goalie pulled) a little more than a minute later, making it 4-2 Bruins, as Sabres fans were thinking about another crazy comeback.
Buffalo would continue to push in the last five minutes, but the Bruins held on (for dear life, at times).
Bruins win, 4-2.
Game notes
Aren’t the playoffs fun? As a few of you said in the comments, that was probably the most nerve-wracking two-goal win I can remember for quite some time, especially given what happened at the end of Game 1.
Speaking of the playoffs, it was funny to see Buffalo getting really angry about a penalty call on Connor Timmins, only for the penalty to be as clear as day. “It’s the f***ing playoffs” generally doesn’t excuse a crosscheck to the neck, but maybe I’m just sensitive.
This game featured plenty of rough stuff, with Mark Kastelic fighting Logan Stanley (one of you fine commenters told us prior to the series this would happen at some point) and ten-minute misconducts for Nikita Zadorov, Andrew Peeke, Tage Thompson, and Zach Benson. In total, the game featured 94 penalty minutes, split evenly at 47 each for both teams.
The Sabres seemed to be seeking opportunities to “accidentally on purpose” make contact with Swayman, with Buffalo players running into the Bruins goalie multiple times in the first half of the first period alone. Something to file away, I guess, and something Zadorov noted postgame.
Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy had monster nights for the Bruins, skating 27:40 and 27:22, respectively. Some of that was due to the third period misconducts for Peeke and Zadorov, but it was also evidence of Sturm leaning on his two most dependable defenders.
Swayman grabbed the bull by the horns and told his coaches to call a timeout after the second Buffalo goal, something Sturm failed to do to stem the tide in Game 1.
After a bad game in Game 1, the Bruins got a much better performance from their second line tonight. Arvidsson’s two goals get the headlines (along with Zacha’s, though that was on the power play), but they were much more involved across the board (in a good way) than they were in Game 1.
Arvidsson’s first goal came via a backhand that beat Luukkonen. In the first period, Arvidsson skated onto a loose puck for a mini-breakaway after coming out of the penalty box. Because he was in tight, he elected to hold onto the puck and go forehand, only for Luukkonen to make the save. I can’t help but wonder if that was on his mind when he went backhand on the second opportunity.
Speaking of mini-breakaways, tonight saw a few more (mini or standard) for the B’s, coming on the heels of a few breakaway opportunities in Game 1. I’m not sure if the Bruins are a making a conscious effort to try to sneak behind the Buffalo D or if it’s a circumstantial thing.
While they didn’t end up on the scoresheet, the Bruins’ third line had another good night. Fraser Minten, Marat Khusnutdinov, and James Hagens were involved in a good way, creating a handful of half-decent chances and generally bringing positive energy. Hagens did take a stick foul penalty with nine minutes left in the third period, but I’d imagine Sturm won’t hold that against him when looking at the big picture.
Along with the aforementioned fight, Kastelic also had four shots on goal and won more than 71% of his face-offs. The Bruins had a much better face-off night in general, winning 36 out of the game’s 66 draws.
David Pastrnak had two assists tonight, giving him 1G-4A-5PTS in the first two games of this series. He’s now tied with Bobby Orr for eight in all-time franchise playoff scoring.
Game 3 will be at TD Garden on Thursday night. That game is slated for a 7 PM start (not 7:30), so plan accordingly.
The San Jose Sharks have been linked to Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly by insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Sharks general manager Mike Grier has been clear about his desire to improve on the blue line this offseason, but what would the long-time Maple Leaf bring to the Sharks?
In short, Rielly is an offensive defenseman who can help on the power play, although his offensive numbers have taken a considerable step backward under the current Maple Leafs head coach, Craig Berube. He’s not the type of defenseman who will help the Sharks keep the puck out of the net and improve their goals-against, which was third-worst in the league this past season.
Fit in the Lineup
At this stage in his career, it’s hard to imagine Rielly as a true number one defenseman. He can be a reliable option on the second pairing, but it seems that he’s struggled in a top-pair role for the Maple Leafs as of late.
Back in January, my colleague Adam Proteau wrote, “Rielly has clearly regressed this season. He's a team-worst minus-13 despite having 26 points in 42 games. You can chalk up some of that to averaging 21:55 of ice time, but compare that to McCabe, who is averaging 22:01 and is a plus-26 while chipping in 16 points, and you can see why Leafs fans have grown tired of Rielly's subpar defensive play.”
Rielly finished the season with 11 goals and 36 points while playing in 78 games for the Maple Leafs, his lowest total since the 2020-21 season when he had 35 points in 55 games. The one bright side for him offensively this season was his goal-scoring. 11 goals were the most that he’s scored since the 2018-19 season, when he hit the 20-goal plateau for the only time in his career.
Although Rielly has occasionally filled in on the penalty kill when necessary, he’s certainly not reliable enough in his own zone to be counted on regularly in that regard.
As a second-pairing puck-mover and power play specialist, he could be an effective player. If he’s used as a top-pairing player and given the most difficult defensive assignments, he’ll struggle mightily. Currently, that would leave Dmitry Orlov as the Sharks’ top defenseman if Rielly slotted into the second pairing; however, Grier will likely make additional moves that could move either of them down the lineup.
A Hefty Contract
The biggest concern with Rielly at this stage of his career will undoubtedly be his contract. He’s signed through the 2029-30 season with an average annual value of $7.5 million. The Sharks could undoubtedly handle that contract now, and the rising salary cap will help prevent it from becoming an issue later on down the line. With that being said, players like Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and quite a few others are going to be due for pay raises in the near future, which could quickly eat up cap space.
The main concern with an offensive defenseman in their early-to-mid 30s with a big contract is simply a fear of regression. Their legs can slow down at any moment, and they can lose a step without much warning. With that being said, Rielly is still a very quick player. His maximum skating speed during the 2025-26 season was 22.71 miles per hour, which puts him in the 87th percentile around the NHL.
Shooting Tendency and Leadership
One area in which Rielly has shown some regression over the years is his shot. While he’s never been known for having the hardest shot, his fastest shot during the 2025-26 season was 87.13 miles per hour, according to NHL Edge. That’s a reduction of four miles per hour from his fastest shot the season before, and 12 miles per hour slower than his all-time fastest recorded shot from the 2021-22 season. His average shot power is also below league average for a defenseman, and he has a tendency to pass on taking one-timers from the point.
On the other hand, Rielly has been a key member of the Maple Leafs’ leadership group for many years. It was often praised earlier in his career, and he’s been an alternate captain for Toronto since the 2016-17 season. As a result, he could be a good mentor for the Sharks’ young players, especially a young offensive defenseman like Sam Dickinson. He should also, on paper, fit the locker room culture that the Sharks have been building as of late.
Ultimately, like with every player, there are positives and negatives for the Sharks if they were to acquire Morgan Rielly. There’s the risk of his age, his contract, and his shot as well. On the other hand, he’s a leader who has maintained his footspeed to this point in his career and could help fill the role as a puck-moving defenseman, something the Sharks certainly need at this point. It remains to be seen if this is the type of move Mike Grier will pull the trigger on over the summer, but it certainly is an interesting idea to ponder at the very least.
DENVER, CO - APRIL 21: Relief pitcher Chase Dollander #32 of the Colorado Rockies looks on after walking in a run in the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field on April 21, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies get together, anything can happen, especially at Coors Field where games can quickly escalate into unruly slugfests.
That wasn’t the case tonight, however, when both teams’ pitching staffs silenced the opposing team’s offense in a game that can only be described as almost meticulous in its pitching.
In the end, however, the Padres managed to eke out a 1-0 run win to kick off the three-game series in what would be only the 12th 1-0 game in the history of Coors Field, and just the fourth time the Rockies were on the losing end of one. (It last happened in 2006, when it happened three times!)
A Rockies pitching clinic
Opener Jimmy Herget got the game off to a sparkling start by striking out the side (Ramón Laureano, Fernando Tatís Jr., and Jackson Merrill) on a tidy 14 pitches, 10 for strikes.
Chase Dollander took the mound in the second and was absolutely on fire with his slider and four-seamer especially effective.
In the third inning, Dollander struck out Laureano which began a string of six consecutive Ks until Miguel Andujar grounded out in the fifth. (For those keeping score at home, Germán Márquez set the Rockies record for consecutive strikeouts in 2018 with eight.)
The Padres did not have a player in scoring position until Jake Cronenberg hit a double in the sixth inning. And that’s when things got complicated for Dollander. Tatís Jr. hit a soft single, and then Dollander grazed Merrill, loading the bases for Manny Machado.
Dollander walked Machado on six pitches, and the Padres took a 1-0 lead.
He came back to strike out Xander Bogaerts, but the Rockies were down in a game that had seen little offense.
After allowing the run, Dollander returned to pitch the seventh inning and retired the side after hitting Fermín.
His final line was 6.0 IP giving up one run, earned, on three hits. He walked one and struck out nine on a career-high 102 pitches, 67 for strikes.
Currently, Dollander has a 2.88 ERA in 25 total innings.
Also worth noting, Dollander’s nine Ks ties the Rockies record for strikeouts by a reliever, which was set by Bruce Ruffin in 1993.
“He was great tonight. What a well-pitched ballgame on both sides of the ball,” manager Warren Schaefer said. “He looks like a completely different guy this year.”
The Rockies turned to the bullpen in the eighth when Juan Mejia entered the game. He allowed one hit, but no runs.
The ninth inning went to lefty Brennan Bernardino. After getting two quick outs, he allowed a two-out single to Andujar followed by a Fermín double — only the second Padres extra-base hit of the evening. With the count 2-2, Cronenworth took a pitch that was called a ball. Goodman was quick to tap his helmet, and the call was overturned.
In total, the Rockies pitching staff struck out 15 — the most strikeouts the Padres have recorded in a game this season. They issued only one walk and allowed one run (earned) on six hits.
A Padres pitching clinic, too
On the Padres side of Coors Field, starter Randy Vásquez was dealing. Although the Rockies were able to get players on base in every inning until the fifth, none of them managed to get past second base.
Vásquez went 7.0 IP giving up just three hits and no runs. He struck out three and did not issue a walk and now has a 1.88 ERA.
“Vásquez was awesome. It was the cutter,” Schaeffer said. “We just didn’t have an answer for it tonight.”
For the eighth inning, the Padres sent out Jason Adam, who easily handled the bottom of the Rockies order.
In an odd move, the Padres did not bring in stellar closer Mason Miller for the ninth. Instead, that duty fell to Adrian Morejon, who made quick work of the top three hitters.
A work-in-progress offense
On a low-scoring game when the Rockies needed offense, they could not figure out Randy Vásquez and fared no better against the Padres bullpen. They managed only three hits and were 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position.
Rockies hitters struck out eight times and had no walks. They did not manage a hit after Goodman’s single in the fourth inning.
That said, although no one likes losing, this was an encouraging showing for a rebuilding team.
One other note: In the postgame, Dollander gave a shoutout to Alon Leichman for his pitch calling.
Join us for Game 2 tomorrow night at 6:40. Walker Buehler will start for the Padres while Tomoyuki Sugano will take the mound for the Rockies.
A first-class fixture at North Sound’s Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in the Caribbean has been abandoned due to a dangerous pitch, with a player hospitalised after being struck on the helmet during the final delivery of the match.
Apr 21, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Viktor Arvidsson (71) takes a shot on goal during the first period against the Buffalo Sabres in game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Morgan Geekie bounced in a shot from beyond center as part of Boston’s three-goal second-period surge and the Bruins beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 to even their first-round playoff series at 1 on Tuesday night.
Viktor Arvidsson scored twice and Pavel Zacha also scored. David Pastrnak had two assists to give him five points in the series and tie Bobby Orr for eighth on the Bruins career playoff list with 92 points.
Jeremy Swayman stopped 32 shots, and this time Boston managed to not blow a multigoal third-period lead.
Bowen Byram and Peyton Krebs scored 1:14 apart to cut Boston’s lead to 4-2 with 4:52 remaining in regulation before being stymied by Swayman, who stopped the final eight shots he faced.
The Sabres opened the series with a 4-3 win in which they overcame a 2-0 third-period deficit by scoring four times in the final 7:58 of regulation on Sunday.
The series shifts to Boston for Game 3 on Thursday night.
Rather than carry over the momentum from Sunday, the Sabres gradually sagged due to spotty goaltending and an anemic power play.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen finished with 15 saves and was pulled after allowing Arvidsson’s second goal 16 seconds into the third period to put Boston up 4-0. Alex Lyon mopped up and finished stopping all seven shots he faced.
Luukkonen looked shaky on three of the four goals allowed.
Arvidsson opened the scoring 4:54 into the second period by beating Buffalo defender Mattias Samuelsson to a loose puck. He then drove in and beat Luukkonen through the legs after the goalie was late in getting his stick down.
Then came Geekie’s goal some 12 minutes later. From just outside the center line, the forward flipped a high backhander at the Buffalo net. Luukkonen came out of his crease in an attempt to glove it, only to have the puck bounce past him.
After Zacha redirected Pastrnak’s centering pass for a power-play goal with 1:50 left in the second period, Arvidsson scored by driving up the right wing and beating Luukkonen through the legs from 25 feet.
Buffalo’s power play continued to struggle in going 0-of-5 on Tuesday and 0-of-9 in two games. The drought extends into the season, after Buffalo closed 0-for-22 over its final seven games.
The Sabres are making their first playoff appearance after winning their first Atlantic Division title and snapping an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought.
With the city still buzzing from Buffalo’s stunning win in Game 1, Bills quarterback Josh Allen kicked things off by beating the drum to lead the “Let’s go, Buffalo!” chants. The new father, wearing the jersey of Sabres forward and occasional golf partner Alex Tuch, then chugged a can of beer before violently throwing it to the ground to a crescendo of cheers.
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 21: Caleb Durbin #5 of the Boston Red Sox throws down his helmet after striking out to end the seventh inning against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park on April 21, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One of the most unfortunate things about being an American sports fan is you’re relentlessly inundated with erectile dysfunction advertisements. Are you unable to perform like you used to? Having trouble getting it up? Not making enough hard contact?
The saving grace is these inquiries are generally quarantined to the commercial breaks. But lately, and especially tonight, the bottom half of every inning at Fenway Park is resembling one of these uncomfortable questionnaires.
The Red Sox didn’t just get shutout tonight. They were held to a mere two hits over 6.1 innings against Luis Gil, who entered the game with a 7.00 ERA and has stuff so underwhelming, even this lineup walked more times (three) than they struck out (twice). Not a single pitch thrown by a Yankee arm tonight registered higher than 96mph, and the Red Sox couldn’t do anything in the box. These are the games you’re supposed to post crooked numbers! If the Sox are getting shutout and frankly not coming close to scoring runs against this competition, what are they possibly going to look like when they start facing some real flamethrowers?
Accompanying this latest listless performance was an 0-7 effort with runners in scoring position, which now leaves Boston with a .159 batting average with runners in scoring position on this homestand.
Needless to say given the score, the bats once against failed to go deep, which means they’ve now hit just five home runs in their last 16 games. During this stretch, they’re more likely to score two runs or less in the game (seven times) than they are to hit a home run at any point in the game (five times).
The at bats were so terrible and widespread in this one, it’s not even worth dissecting any key moments because there weren’t any that stood out. It was just one never-ending conveyor belt of uninspiring and boring at bats. They were so bad they didn’t even create a key spot in the game to fail in.
On the mound, Connelly Early was mostly solid until the sixth inning when he lost command of the zone and walked three guys. The overall outing was a mixed bag, but with a normal offense, this would have been enough to make it a competitive game that likely would have been decided in a nail biter in the ninth.
Unfortunately, the impotency of this lineup is anything buy normal. Ask your front office if a power hitter is right for you.
Studs
No player is going in this category tonight, but we can give it to …
The Pitch Timer: Not only did it get this disaster class game over with in a reasonable amount of time, but it also provided a couple of the most interesting exchanges of the night (both involving Jose Caballero).
In the sixth inning, when Jack Anderson came in to relieve Connelly Early, Caballero successfully baited Anderson into a violation twice by waiting until the eight second mark (when you have to be ready and address the pitcher) to address Anderson. As a result, Anderson was early both times and got called for it.
But then, Anderson showed us a little something and came back to to strike out Caballero, including on a perfect pitch down and in on 3-2.
Not only has the pitch timer improved the game by tightening it back to where it was for the majority of last century, but it also provides some drama as teams push the edge.
Three Duds
It really should be the entire offense, but we’ll specifically give it to the three guys who never got on base.
Wilyer Abreu: 0-4 tonight, and his OPS has fallen from 1.101 to .796 over his last nine games.
Masataka Yoshida: 0-4, easily his worst day at the dish so far this season.
Strikeouts: 0-3 with two strikeouts. The only reason he wasn’t 0-4 like the others is because the lineup was so bad it didn’t get around to him again. He’s now hitting .155 with a .475 OPS on the season.
Play of the game:
There was this really sweet highlight reel catch from Ceddanne Rafaela tonight. It’s just too bad it happened late in this complete nothing game instead of to keep the score tied in the eighth or something like that.
Looking ahead to tomorrow, this offense gets to face Max Fried. I’ve been told it’s not possible to score negative runs in a baseball game, but if it is, these guys are going to find it soon.
