Apr 30, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks catcher James McCann (8) throws a pitch in the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
If you had told me before the series that James McCann would throw out runners in two of the three games, that would have told you all you needed to know about how it would go for the Diamondbacks.
Arizona’s starting pitching skid continued on Thursday, as the once red-hot Michael Soroka unraveled against Milwaukee’s pesky offense. Soroka allowed eight earned runs in just four innings, and the D-backs dropped the rubber game of the series, 13-1.
Soroka entered the day with a sparkling 2.60 ERA but left with it ballooned to 4.70. His velocity was down nearly a full tick, and his trademark slurve wasn’t generating the usual swing-and-miss. The clunker put the D-backs in a deep hole early — they trailed 6-0 by the third inning. If this team wants to remain competitive, the starting rotation is going to need to make an adjustment, and it has to happen quickly.
Offensively, Arizona couldn’t generate much of anything. Being down by six runs in the third inning is mentally daunting, and it showed. Hitters started pressing, trying to do too much instead of staying within themselves.
The lone bright spot was once again Ildemaro Vargas (sorry, not Bonds), who collected two hits and extended his hitting streak to 26 games dating back to last season. That ties him with Paul Goldschmidt for the second-longest streak in franchise history.
What stung the most in this series was how the D-backs got beat at their own game. When Arizona is at its best, it wins by applying constant pressure on offense, playing airtight defense, and getting solid pitching. Prior to Ryne Nelson’s blow-up start, the rotation had posted a collective 3.40 ERA, and the bullpen had looked better than expected. There were warning signs that the staff might have been slightly overperforming relative to the underlying metrics, but it’s safe to say no D-backs fan saw things unraveling this badly, this fast.
The Diamondbacks now head to Chicago to face the Cubs and their potent offense at the historic confines of Wrigley Field. Given how well Chicago’s lineup has been swinging the bats this season, this upcoming series could get ugly quickly if the starting pitching doesn’t figure things out in a hurry.
The Knicks' 140 points are the most in a postseason game in franchise history, but the dominating performance goes beyond that. New York built the largest halftime lead in NBA Playoff history (47) and then had the biggest lead in a playoff game in the play-by-play era (61).
And the coaches and players of the Knicks would tell you, it happened on both ends of the floor.
"We had to keep them off the glass and keep them off transition," coach Mike Brown said of the game. "Our guys did a good job of that tonight. Eight fastbreak points, 11 offensive rebounds…14 second chance points. It’s a good night for the two key areas we’ve been talking about the whole series."
"Most importantly, it shows us what we're capable of defensively," Jalen Brunson said of the performance. "I think that's really important. We still have a long road to travel and staying locked in, and knowing what we’re capable of is important."
The Knicks defense held Atlanta to 38 percent shooting (26 percent from three) for the game, collecting 16 steals, six blocks and forcing 19 turnovers in the process.
What got the Knicks started was a terrific first quarter. They outscored the Hawks 40-15, shooting 70 percent from the field compared to Atlanta's 38 percent, but that defensive intensity shone. They forced eight turnovers and stole seven passes.
It was a type of play you see from a team that is trying to stave off elimination, not look to clinch a series. But that's what made Thursday night effective for the Knicks, they utilized that "desperate" mindset early on.
"Our mindset is to go out there and play desperate," Mikal Bridges said. "They’re a really good team, good coach and couldn't let them get confidence, especially at home. Go out there and play desperate."
"Everybody was locked in on the task at hand," Josh Hart said of the start. "We were locked in, man...we were focused on having a great attention to detail, coming out and closing the game out. That’s how we approached the game from the start and set the tone.”
The Knicks' first quarter was tremendous, but it bled into the second frame. New York went out to a 63-11 run from 8:10 in the first quarter to 4:39 in the second quarter.
That helped them go into halftime with a 47-point lead and build that to 61 points in the third quarter.
"It’s hard to replicate, duplicate. However, you want to say it. But our guys, their connectiveness right now is off the charts," Brown said. "When you lock in to the detail and you’re connected like that, when you’re as talented and versatile as that group, you have a chance to do that."
"It speaks volumes about our team," said Karl-Anthony Towns, who posted his second triple-double of the series on Thursday. "When we’re locked in, playing close to our vest, we’re really really good. It’s about finding that version of us consistently in a seven-game series. Tapping into that version of us more often than not."
The Knicks will hope to take this momentum into the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where they'll meet either the Celtics or 76ers for another seven-game series.
Whoever they wind up facing, the Knicks know what they are capable of and are now looking forward to the next round.
"It shows the kind of team that we are, what we can be," Hart said of the dominant win. "We knew we kinda gave two games away, so we wanted to come out and close out the series today. And build off of it."
Smokies infielder Jefferson Rojas (2) misses the ball during a Knoxville Smokies game against the Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on April 10, 2026. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Arizona Complex League starts on Saturday, so there’s some movement in anticipation of that. The Iowa Cubs also got some (probably) temporary reinforcements.
Right-hander Vince Velazquez has elected free agency.
Right-hander Jace Beck was promoted to Triple-A Iowa from Double-A Knoxville.
Outfielder Jeury Ramirez was promoted from the Dominican Summer League Cubs-Red to Iowa.
Outfielder Freiker Betencourt was promoted from DSL Cubs-Red to Iowa.
Right-hander Jubrayker Salaya moved from DSL Cubs-Red to Iowa.
Right-hander Ben Johnson was demoted to High-A South Bend from Knoxville.
Second baseman Darlyn De Leon was promoted to Low-A Myrtle Beach from the ACL Cubs.
Outfielder Derik Alcantara was sent down to Mesa from Myrtle Beach.
Please note that the Cubs did not fly those players out of the Dominican Republic and send them to Iowa. They were in Arizona to be activated for Saturday’s season opener for Mesa and the Cubs just sent them to Iowa to fill out their roster. Presumably they will soon be sent back down to Mesa. None of those DSL players played for Iowa tonight.
It wasn’t a bad start for Charlie Barnes, but he got the loss as Iowa couldn’t score. Barnes’ final line was three runs on just two hits over five innings. He did walk three and hit one batter while striking out four.
Luke Little, Ethan Roberts and Tyler Beede all threw one inning of relief without allowing a hit or a run. Roberts retired the side in order in the seventh, striking out one. He somehow took 23 pitches to get those three batters out. Fifteen were strikes.
The I-Cubs outhit the Saints 8 to 2, but were outscored 3 to 1. First baseman Jonathon Long singled home third baseman James Triantos in the eighth inning. Both players were 2 for 4.
Long’s RBI single was pretty much it for the highlights for Iowa.
Grant Kipp started game one and took the loss after he allowed one run in the first inning and two more in the second. Kipp’s final line was three runs on four hits over 1.2 innings. Kipp walked three and struck out two.
Knoxville only had two hits in game one. Center fielder Jordan Nwogu was 0 for 1 with two walks and he scored the only Smokies run of the game on an Owen Ayers sac fly in the sixth.
Shortstop Jefferson Rojas was 1 for 3 with a double.
Three pitchers combined on a two-hitter in game two. Starter Dawson Netz pitched four innings and allowed no runs and one hit. Netz struck out seven and walked just one.
Luis Rujano threw the next two innings and got the win because Netz only went four innings. Rujano gave up one run on hit—a double by the first batter he faced in the fifth. Rujano struck out one and walked no one.
Vince Reilly retired the side in order in the seventh. He struck out one.
Third baseman Jefferson Rojas was 2 for 5 with an RBI double.
First baseman Edgar Alvarez went 2 for 4 with one run scored.
Second baseman Ed Howard was 2 for 4 with an RBi single in the second inning. He also scored on the Rojas double.
Center fielder Jordan Nwogu was a perfect 1 for 1 with three walks. He was also hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for an RBI. Nwogu also scored one run.
Koen Moreno started and got the loss. Moreno surrendered four runs on seven hits over 4.2 innings. Moreno struck out five and walked on.
Leonel Espinoza came into the game when Reginald Preciado left the game after getting hit by a pitch. Espinoza went 2 for 2 with a double and a solo home run in the eighth. It was his second home run this year.
Edwardo Melendez started and went four innings, allowing just one unearned run on one hit. Melendez struck out four and walked just one.
The win went to Victor Zarraga because Melendez didn’t go five. Zarraga relieved Melendez and pitched 3.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits. Zarraga did walk three and struck out six.
Braylon Myers pitched the final 1.2 innings and got his first career save. Myers did not allow a run or a hit, but he did walk two while striking out three.
The Pelicans scored all four runs in the second inning.
Center fielder Alexey Lumpuy went 2 for 4 with a two-run double.
First baseman Michael Carico was 2 for 4 and scored one run.
Left fielder Eli Lovich was 2 for 4 and scored one run.
The night after reader holycow8498 pointed out that right fielder Josiah Hartshorn had a 21-game on-base streak to start his professional career, Hartshorn was 0 for 4, snapping the streak.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 30: Byron Buxton #25 of the Minnesota Twins celebrates against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 30, 2026 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Twins finally found the solution to their bullpen: just score enough that they can’t ruin it. Byron Buxton did everything he could, and this time, the rest of the lineup was able to deliver the key hits they’ve been lacking these past two weeks.
It was a pitcher’s duel early, with both teams only getting two baserunners through the first three innings. I wouldn’t say either Bailey Ober or Toronto starter Kevin Gausman had their best stuff, but the vets were mixing pitches and keeping opposing batters off balance.
I’ll focus the rest of this recap on the lineup, who deserve their flowers, but I want to again give a shoutout to Ober who keeps finding ways to get things done. What he’s doing is completely unprecedented in the modern game, which makes me skeptical he can keep it up, but he keeps delivering solid start after solid start. His average fastball velocity of 88 MPH is the slowest in the game by a healthy margin. The average four seamer from a righty averages 95.1 MPH. His strikeouts are down, his walks are up, but by golly he just keeps posting quality starts. I’ll take whatever we can get at this point.
Despite Ober’s wizardry, Daulton Varsho and the Jays finally struck in the fourth inning with a solo shot off of Ober. But for the first time in weeks, the Twins were ready to respond.
Trevor Larnach got the Twins their first non-Buxton leadoff baserunner. And then future All-Star Ryan Jeffers took command of the game. Jeffers fought off a bunch of tough pitches and finally got a fastball down the heart of the plate on pitch number 8. He gave the Jays’ bullpen a little souvenir for their troubles. 2-1 Twins.
Since we all can see the future, we know the Twins technically didn’t need another run but given the state of literally every single reliever in the organization, no one watching was comfortable with a one run lead. Luckily, we have the aforementioned Buxton, who is quite good at bashing baseballs. Buck’s solo dong in the sixth inning was his eighth of the season, all of which have come in the past two weeks. Safe to say we’re in the midst of another patented Buxton hot streak. Austin Martin plated one more in the frame with a clutch, two-out single.
Just to really cover their bases, Buxton got one final rally going in the 8th. A Buck single and a throwing error (largely caused by Buck’s speed) put two on for Josh Bell, who was able to deliver a clutch, two-run single of his own. Walks to Austin Martin and Kody Clemens left them juiced for Luke Keaschall, who brought in one final insurance run on a sac fly. With a six run lead, the lineup decided that the bullpen could (probably) handle it from there.
Twins win!
STUDS
Byron Buxton: 3-4, 1 HR, 1 2B, 2 R, 1 RBI
Ryan Jeffers: Go-ahead 2 run dong
Bailey Ober: 6 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K
The bullpen!: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 BB
DUDS
NO DUDS TWINS WIN!!!
Comment of the game goes to Zach for being the real winner tonight.
The Twins close out April at 14-18, but are just two games back of the AL Central. They are also one of just five teams in the American League with a positive run differential, alongside the Tigers, Yankees, Mariners, and Rangers. The bullpen makes it extraordinarily hard to believe, but the Twins are still very much in this race with the first full month of the season in the books.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber hit a tying double with two outs in the ninth inning, Alec Bohm delivered with his glove and bat in the 10th, and the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the San Francisco Giants 6-5 on Thursday night to sweep their split doubleheader.
Philadelphia trailed in the ninth inning of both games before rallying for two walk-off wins on the same day for the first time since July 24, 1998, a pair of 12-inning victories against the Florida Marlins.
Schwarber homered in the first inning of each game. Trea Turner launched a leadoff shot on Adrian Houser’s first pitch in the nightcap, and Schwarber followed with a 446-foot drive to right-center for his 11th homer this season.
Jung Hoo Lee put the Giants ahead 5-4 in the ninth with a two-out RBI single against José Alvarado, but pinch-hitter Brandon Marsh doubled off Keaton Winn to open the bottom half. Garrett Stubbs walked and Turner grounded into a double play before Schwarber, who was 4 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, doubled to right field on a full-count splitter.
San Francisco had runners at the corners with none out in the 10th when Game 1 winner Chase Shugart (2-0), the seventh pitcher used by the Phillies in a bullpen game, struck out Matt Chapman. Bohm then made a diving grab of Luis Arraez’s line drive to third base, and Casey Schmitt flied out.
In the bottom half, Bryson Stott’s sacrifice bunt moved automatic runner Adolis García from second to third. Bohm, batting .151 this year, won it with a sacrifice fly to center against Matt Gage (2-1).
After sweeping the three-game series, the Phillies (12-19) are 3-0 since interim manager Don Mattingly took over after Rob Thomson was fired Tuesday. Philadelphia won the doubleheader opener 3-2 when Stott’s tying triple keyed a two-run rally in the ninth.
Shugart became the first big league pitcher to win both games of a doubleheader since Minnesota’s Brian Duensing at the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 9, 2013. The previous Phillies pitcher to accomplish the feat was Terry Adams at Cincinnati on Sept. 21, 2002.
Arraez tied it 4-all with a two-run single in the seventh, following a 24-minute rain delay in the sixth.
Up next
Giants LHP Robbie Ray (2-3, 2.70 ERA) pitches Friday at Tampa Bay.
Philadelphia begins a four-game series in Miami, with RHP Zack Wheeler (0-1, 3.60) tentatively scheduled for Friday night.
As time wound down in the play-in round and it was clear Philadelphia was about to advance to the playoffs, the 76ers faithful chanted "We Want Boston." Celtics fans were ready. As Boston celebrated its Game 4 win in this series, its fans mocked Philadelphia fans chanting "We Want Boston."
Be careful messing with the basketball gods, they are fickle.
There will be a Game 7 in Boston on Sunday — and the 76ers fans returned the favor, again changing "We Want Boston" at the end of their Game 6 win Thursday.
For the second game in a row, the 76ers played strong perimeter defense (holding Boston to 12-of-41, 29.3%, from 3-point range), plus got 30 points from an aggressive Tyrese Maxey, and had another strong outing from Joel Embiid in just his third game back from an appendectomy.
Philadelphia picked up a comfortable Game 6 win, 106-93, forcing a Game 7 on Saturday back in Boston.
For a couple of games now, the 76ers have done a good job of playing classic playoff basketball — they hunted mismatches for their stars in Maxey, Embiid and Paul George. The result was George scoring 23 on Thursday night, including going 5-of-9 from 3-point range, while Embiid finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
On the flip side, Boston is playing slower than they want (or need to), missing their 3s, and their stars — Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown — have not been able to take advantage of mismatches, or when Embiid is in drop coverage. The ball has stuck for them for the last couple of games. Brown finished the night with 18 points on 7-of-17 shooting, while Tatum had a more efficient 17 points on 13 shots, with 11 rebounds. Payton Pritchard had 14 off the bench for Boston. Boston led after one quarter, 23-20, behind nine points and nine boards from Tatum. Then, in the second quarter, Maxey woke up. Philadelphia led by nine at the half, 58-49, thanks to Maxey, who scored 13 in the second quarter and 21 in the half. He was doing it from everywhere, shooting 4-of-7 in the paint and 3-of-3 from beyond the arc in the first half. Also in the second quarter, VJ Edgecombe did this.
However, the real difference in the first half was the 76ers' active perimeter defense, which chased the Celtics off the line — Boston went 6-of-15 from 3, but were 12-of-23 inside the arc and had nine turnovers.
In the face of that pressure, Jaylen Brown dominated the ball and it ground things down. He had five turnovers, wasn't consistently finding teammates, and on the other end he got back-cut multiple times.
In the third quarter, it was more of the same, and the 76ers started to pull away, leading by as many as 21.
Down 23 with 10 minutes left in the game, a frustrated Joe Mazzulla rolled out a Ron Harper Jr., Scheierman, Luka Garza, Jordan Walsh, and Pritchard lineup — and it worked. At first. They went on a 9-0 run and cut the lead down to 14 because the bench unit played fast and moved the ball, something the starters were not doing.
However, Maxey and the starters restored order and that was the ballgame.
Apr 30, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) showers infielder Alec Bohm (28) after the game against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Seven straight splitters to Kyle Schwarber before he ripped a two-out, game-tying double that eventually led to another Philly win in 10 innings — the first time an MLB team has walked-off twice in a doubleheader in 22 years.
April 30th was really really so close to being a pretty dang good day. Two ball games, two leads in the 9th. 19 innings packed with some promising Giants baseball that ultimately has to get dumped into the toilet bowl and flushed.
This was so close to being a joyous, insightful recap about a 5-4 win, rather than an incoherent rant about a 6-5 palm-to-the-face loss. I still want to salvage something from the wreckage. Anything, really. Look, see, the offense was kind-a doing their job. 5 total runs scored. They erased a two-run deficit twice to put themselves in position to win in the 9th inning. Luis Arraez and Jung Hoo Lee each came through with clutch 2-out RBIs. The line-up out-hit the Phillies 13 to 9 and walked 5 times. A Giants batter hit with a runner in scoring position in seven of 10 innings. Two sacrifice flies!
All silver linings that as I sit here at my desk really really tired after a day of teaching and an evening of watching gut-punching baseball and a later-evening of writing with another day of teaching looming in the morning, I realize are not silver linings at all — rather instruments of torture.
There is no sunshine behind clouds. All clouds do is piss rain, postpone games and delay the inevitable. Spring has sprung a leak. Two deficits erased, more like two blown leads, aided by free bases, conviction-less offerings, and 2-out RBIs handed-out by relievers. 18 baserunners, 15 at-bats with a runner in scoring position, and all the offense could manage was two run-scoring hits with two sacrifice flies. All those opportunities lost. Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, and Matt Chapman all struck out twice each. Heliot Ramos followed his 3-hit afternoon with a 4 K evening.
And not to harp on this — but seven splitters in a row? Did we learn nothing from Ryan Walker’s stubbornness? And why was Keaton Winn even pitching to Schwarber in the first place? Schwarber had hit two homers on the day, and San Francisco arms had yet to get him out in the game. Winn had already thrown 1.2 innings and gave up a lead-off double in the 9th. Lefty Matt Gage was up in the bullpen. Instead of going for the left-on-left match-up, manager Tony Vitello stayed put, and the Winn-Bailey battery waffled between wanting to pitch to the slugger or not. The first two pitches were nowhere near the zone, then his splitters started creeping into bashin’ range, keeping Schwarber at the plate — which was the last place the Giants wanted him to be. Would it have been better to put the winning run on base, and face Bryce Harper? Was the thinking that the splitter had the best chance of eliciting chase, or poor contact, or keeping a ball in play on the ground? But there’s a point where an off-speed isn’t off speed anymore, and by the last one Winn threw, Schwarber was well-timed to it, got down on one knee and golfed it into right.
And why didn’t Drew Gilbert score from second on Ramos’s single in the 10th?
The ball ricocheted off Bryson Stott’s glove and rolled into no man’s land in shallow center — Gilbert would’ve scored easily, but third base coach Hector Borg decided to hold him at third. Did Borg lose track of the ball? Did he throw the stop sign up too early? Add ‘em to the list of exasperating questions!
During the postgame wrap, Ron Wotus referred to this as “a broken play” in which the action goes awry and the normal functions of a play get thrown out the window. Though it was possible Borg didn’t see the ball, Wotus — who knows a thing or two about coaching third — figured he threw up the stop sign with an abundance of caution. He had to make a split-second decision. There were no outs, the 2-3-4 hitters were due up. Wonky things happen on wonky plays, why risk getting thrown out at home? Turns out the Giants didn’t have the luxury of those precautions. Chapman struck out on a sinker out over the plate, Luis Arraez lined out…and that was basically the game.
So maybe Borg’s stop sign made some baseball sense — it’s just this team that doesn’t make baseball sense.
With the offense being so hit-or-miss, hot-or-cold, nothing feels guaranteed. Playing it safe doesn’t work. Scrap that philosophy, load up at the buffet, grab what ya can carry off the sale rack, take the money and run. Runners at the corners and nobody out is just as much a crap shoot as two-out and runner on second. Luis Arraez can dump an 0-2 change-up into right, or he can slap a liner right into the outstretched glove of Alec Bohm. Or if it’s Willy Adames at the plate, he can strike out on three pitches or four.
But we should’ve known it was going to end this way. Omens of disappointment announced themselves from the very beginning.
Trea Turner and Schwarber were up front about what was in store for Giants fans with back-to-back homers in the 1st inning off Adrian Houser.
While I’m glad, deep down…somewhere, that the Giants made things a little more interesting, my Thursday evening would’ve certainly been much simpler if that early 2-0 score held. Houser would’ve been the story, and what I wrote before the late-inning meltdown would’ve been much more relevant.
I already had a headline too: “Burning Down the Houser.” Great stuff. This is what I wrote.
Adrian Houser is made of straw and sticks. He’s been structurally unsound up on the hill, blown down by the slightest huff and puff from an opposing offense. The mound is nothing more than shifting sand beneath his feet, ground impossible to put one’s faith in. Houser entered Thursday’s start with a 7.36 ERA over his first five starts of the 2026 season, with a -10 Pitching Run Value. He had given up at least 4 earned runs in all but his first start and was still looking for answers to his 11-hit, 8-run thrashing by the Marlins when he took the mound in Philadelphia. Tipping pitches? Sure, man, maybe…or based on the first pitch solo shot by Trea Turner, it’s less that he’s tipping, and more that he’s just throwing. Throwing the baseball has really just not worked for Houser this past month. It’s time to tear down, to restructure and rebuild — if that fact wasn’t clear beforehand, it became obvious after Kyle Schwarber chased Turner’s solo shot with an absolute tank to deep right center.
Two batters into the game, two runs already in. Burn it all down, and Houser did. Right in the middle of the diamond, he burst into flames, becoming engulfed in a cleansing fire, and was reduced to ashes. Like a phoenix, he reformed in front of our eyes. A new man with gritted teeth, and a hardened, Clint Eastwood visage of determination. Or something like that. Houser didn’t become Dirty Harry, but he started getting hitters out. Batters no longer felt lucky to face him. A front door sinker froze Bryce Harper at the top of the zone. Two groundouts stranded Justin Crawford in the 2nd after his one-out triple that missed another solo home run by a couple of feet. The next Phillies hit off Houser wouldn’t come until two outs in the 5th. After walks to Schwarber and Harper in the 3rd, he got Adolis Garcia to ground into an inning-ending double play, then made a nice recovery play after taking a comebacker off his hip as part of an 8-pitch 4th. He dropped a wicked 0-2 curveball on Garrett Stubbs for the second out in the 5th before Turner punched a single up the middle, chasing Houser from the hill, before coming around to score three batters later.
The 4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 HR isn’t quite a .44 magnum of a pitching line, but considering how poorly Houser has pitched, and how poorly his afternoon started, those particular results are a decent step forward. He held the line long enough for the Giants offense to piece themselves back into the game. The third run earned was hardly his fault considering Turner essentially walked around the bases with Ryan Borucki on the hill.
At just 68 pitches, and it being Philadelphia’s first hit since the 2nd, it did seem like a quick trigger by Vitello. Then again, take a moment to think about it, and the decision was pretty understandable. Don’t be swayed by recency bias. Houser pitched well for three innings. Did we truly believe he had been rebuilt, or reborn? Did we want to see him face off against Schwarber for a third time if the homer in the first still hadn’t returned to earth? And with lefty specialist Ryan Borucki, why give Houser more rope to potentially trip himself on? The button was there, rosy red and flashing, and Vitello punched it. Many of us would have.
Having not pitched in six days, Borucki was well-rested and well-rusted. He was holding the baseball but didn’t seem to be in control against Philadelphia’s power lefties. With count leverage, Schwarber flipped a hustle double to left field. Harper then walked on four pitches to bring up the right-hander Adolis Garcia, who sawed a 3-2 slider into left for a 2-run single to regain the lead.
Soon after a passing spring shower relieved itself over south Philly postponing the game for half-an-hour. Some Giants fans may have preferred it if the grounds crew had just kept the tarp on the field and called the game then.
Apr 30, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto (7) prepares for the at bat of Minnesota Twins second baseman Luke Keaschall (15) in the second inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
Blue Jays 1 Twins 7
That was awful in a lot of ways.
The offense was sad, just six hits, only one an extra base hit, Daulton Varsho’s fourth of the season. It was good to see, because he’s looked lost at the plate. George Springer had two singles. Vlad, Clement, and Valenzuela had one single each. And we had only three walks.
Kevin Gausman wasn’t the Kevin Gausman we’ve seen up until now this year. 5.2 innings, 4 earned, 2 home runs against, 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. I don’t know if it was the cool weather, or that it was just his turn not to be great.
They made two errors in the eighth inning (when it was 4-1 and you could squint and say they still had a chance:
With a runner on first (Byron Buxton) and one out, Ryan Jeffers popped one up to the third base side of the mound. Vlad called it, he shouldn’t have. Being fair, it was likely on the first base side of the mound when he called it, but Kazuma should have called him off when he saw it was much closer to him. Anyway, Vlad stumbled on the mound and the ball fell. Okamoto picked it up and threw to second, where they could have got the force on Buxton, but rushed and threw wide. It ended up with runners on second and third.
Then Josh Bell singled and Davis Schneider threw it in, Andres Gimenez cut it off and threw it…..somewhere, well towards second but it went by Clements at second and two runs scored.
I guess the bullpen was pretty good:
Tommy Nancy got four outs, three strikeouts.
Mason Fluharty was the one the unlucky one to be on the mound when we forgot how to play defense. But he did give up two walks and two hits (one of them was that popup that I think I could have caught, but the one after that hit near the top of the wall in left. He only got one out.
Joe Mantiply got the last two outs.
No Jays of the Day.
Other Award: Gausman (-.17) and Jesus Sanchez (-.09) and lets give one to Vlad, Okamoto and Gimenez for their “defense”, though their offense was bad too.
Tomorrow we have game two. Hopefully the Jays will actually play. It is an 8:00 start time. Patrick Corbin (0-0, 3.72 ERA) starts for the Jays. Simeon Woods Richardson (0-4, 6.30) starts for the Twins.
ATLANTA — OG Anunoby scored 29 points in 27 minutes, Karl-Anthony Towns had his second triple-double of the series and the New York Knicks had their biggest playoff victory in franchise history, overwhelming and eliminating the Atlanta Hawks 140-89 in Game 6 on Thursday night.
The Knicks broke several NBA records by halftime. Their 40-15 lead at the end of the first quarter marked the largest of the shot clock era. Their 47-point halftime lead was the biggest in playoff history.
New York’s 51-point win tied for the sixth-largest margin of victory in NBA postseason history.
Dyson Daniels and Mitchell Robinson were ejected after fighting following a pair of free throws from Anunoby that gave the Knicks a 50-point lead in the second quarter.
The Knicks exceeded 100 points with 8:21 remaining in the third quarter. New York’s starters were done for the night with 2:45 remaining in the third.
Anunoby scored 26 of his points in the first half. Mikal Bridges finished with 24. Towns, five days after becoming the fourth Knicks player with a playoff triple-double, had 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Hawks were 12 for 39 from the field in the first half and 4 for 18 from 3-point range. Atlanta had 14 turnovers in the first half.
Jalen Johnson led the Hawks with 21 points. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, CJ McCollum and Jonathan Kuminga each had 11 points.
The Knicks will face the winner of the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers series in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
DENVER, CO - APRIL 21: Chase Dollander #32 of the Colorado Rockies walks off the field in the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field on April 21, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The time to close the opening chapter of 2026 is finally upon us.
It’s safe to say that April was much kinder to the Colorado Rockies this year than in the previous couple of seasons. Dating back to 2017, here’s how the Rockies’ record fared in April:
2017: 16-10
2018: 14-13
2019: 11-15
2021: 9-17
2022: 12-9 [Season started April 8 due to lockout]
2023: 7-20
2024: 6-19
2025: 4-22
As we can see, a 13-14 record is a staggering improvement over the previous three seasons in which the Rockies lost 100 or more games. If they can hover around this sort of result per month throughout the season, getting under 100 losses is well within reach. Either way, the Rockies are off to a much better start than in years past.
A major reason for that is that multiple players have come out of the gate strong, almost surprisingly so, while others have struggled to find their footing. As games progress into May, we’re likely to see some players start to cool off a little bit or start to heat up. Still, the performances of players like Chase Dollander and Tomoyuki Sugano on the pitching side of things, or Mickey Moniak and Troy Johnston on the offensive side, have made this a fun team to root for so far.
With a chance to advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs, the Knicks didn't mess around in the slightest, dismantling the Atlanta Hawks in a historic 140-89 win on Thursday night.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Things couldn't have started better for New York, which was off and running after Jalen Brunson drilled a three-pointer on the first possession of the game. A minute later, OG Anunoby slammed one home and the Knicks were up 5-0 early. Both players would end up being critical for New York.
The only hiccup of the entire game for the Knicks came when the Hawks quickly retaliated with a 9-0 run to go up by four points and looking quite formidable in a win-or-go-home situation. Turns out, that little spurt would be the best offense Atlanta would have all night. From there, New York simply took over and ended the quarter with a ridiculous 35-6 run.
-- Leading the charge was Anunoby, who scored or assisted on five straight possessions starting with that early dunk to put the Knicks back in front. He led all scorers in the opening quarter with 14 points, just one point less than what the Hawks put up as a team.
Brunson also had a big first quarter with nine points and five assists, finding multiple open guys, including Mikal Bridges, who broke out of an offensive slump in the series with eight points after 12 minutes. He scored the final basket before the end of the first quarter, which put New York up 40-15.
-- With such a commanding lead after one quarter, the only question was whether the Knicks would allow the Hawks to fight back and make it a game. The answer was a resounding no. Instead, New York kept its foot on the gas and continued its total destruction of Atlanta in the second quarter by beginning the period on a 10-1 run.
-- The Knicks were getting any look they wanted from outside and made the Hawks pay when they drove to the paint by scoring easy layups, dunks or going to the free throw line and drilling them. Anunoby and Bridges were at the forefront of the offensive onslaught, while Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns also got in the mix, with Towns doing all of his damage from the line (10-for-10).
On the other side, Atlanta still couldn't get anything to fall and went into the locker room with a season-low 36 points at halftime and was down by an insurmountable 47 points after New York dropped another 43 points in the quarter. The only downside for the Knicks was the ejection of Mitchell Robinson (along with Dyson Daniels), but they would be fine without him.
-- With the game wrapped up after just two quarters, the second half flew by as the Hawks waved the white flag. New York, meanwhile, kept up the intensity and continued to pick them apart. Following Anunoby's incredible first half, Bridges took the baton in the third quarter and fully broke out, finishing with 24 points on 10-for-12 from the floor.
-- Also impressive in the second half was Towns, who, for the second straight game, showed off his passing abilities and dished out 10 assists for yet another triple-double after scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. He also added three steals and a block in just 28 minutes. His double-digit assists were the most on the team, with Brunson not far behind with eight.
Speaking of Brunson, it wasn't his best shooting night, particularly from deep (1-for-6), but the point guard finished with 17 points and made his teammates around him better. None benefitted more than Anunoby, who led all scorers with 29 points on 11-for-14 from the field and 4-for-6 from deep. Anunoby did it all with seven rebounds, four steals, two assists and a block.
-- New York unloaded its bench in the fourth quarter and every single player got on the board. The Knicks shot 58.8 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from three-point range. They also outrebounded the Hawks, 46-35, and had 16 steals on the night.
Game MVP: OG Anunoby
His play in the first half helped propel the Knicks to their incredible lead that sealed their series win.
Apr 30, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) is defended by New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado (5) in the second quarter during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Hawks were back at home for Game 6 to face the New York Knicks in a win-or-go-home situation. The last two games have not been the best for the Hawks, and they found themselves in a position where they have to play some of their best basketball if they want to stay alive.
The Hawks got on the board with this nice pass for Jalen Johnson that led to a dunk.
It was a good start for the Hawks, but the Knicks started to find a rhythm on offense. Several turnovers also hurt the Hawks, and the Knicks got in transition and scored.
The Hawks tried to stop the bleeding, and Johnson found Mouhamed Gueye for this lob.
Things didn’t get any better for the Hawks in the first, as the turnovers continued to pile up. The Knicks took advantage and they put their foot on the gas to give themselves a 25-point lead going into the second.
It got worse for the Hawks in the second, and couldn’t generate much offense at all. On the other hand, it felt like the Knicks were getting whatever they wanted.
The emotions started to come out for the Hawks, and Dyson Daniels found himself tangled up with Mitchell Robinson midway through the quarter, which took a while for both sides to cool down. Daniels and Robinson both received technicals and were ejected from the game.
It was another 40-point quarter for the Knicks, and the Hawks trailed 83-36 going into halftime.
The third quarter was probably the Hawks’ best of the night, but it didn’t matter because the score was already out of control. Johnson led the way with eight points, but the bench played most of the quarter. The Hawks trailed 117-64 going into the fourth.
The starters came out to begin the fourth, but after a while, the end of the bench played out the remainder of the game.
Though it was a rough way to end the season, the Hawks still have to be proud of the year they had, despite the many changes on tbhe team.
The next stop for the Hawks will be the lottery, where they have a chance to get a top pick in the draft.
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 23: Atlanta Braves groundsman Ed Mangan clad in a tuxedo hoses down the infield prior to the start of the Braves game 23 September against the Montreal Expos at Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Mangan and his fellow grounds crew and stadium ushers wore tuxedos to commemorate the final regular season game to be held at Fulton County Stadium. The stadium will be torn down as the Braves move to the Olympic Stadium next year. AFP PHOTO Doug COLLIER (Photo credit should read DOUG COLLIER/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
During Thursday’s game against the Detroit Tigers, the Atlanta Braves shared the news that Ed Mangan, Vice President of Field Operations, was retiring after more than 35 years with the organization.
While the news might seem innocuous to those whose fandom of the Braves began after his tenure started in Atlanta, his immediate impact to the literal on-the-field product played a significant role in Atlanta resurgence in the early 1990s.
After more than 35 years of dedication to the game, the Atlanta Braves proudly celebrate the retirement of Vice President of Field Operations Ed Mangan. Since joining the organization in 1990, Ed has set the standard for excellence in field operations, playing a vital role in… pic.twitter.com/3t7AQ8l1zy
When John Schuerholtz joined the Atlanta Braves as General Manager in 1990, replacing Bobby Cox who shifted to the managerial role after leading a re-build of the organization’s farm system, one of Schuerholtz’s first moves was bringing in Mangan as groundskeeper from the Kansas City Royals to improve the playing surface at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.
Prior to Mangan’s arrival, Atlanta’s home stadium was notorious for its poor playing condition – something made worse each August as it was also home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons until 1992.
To help the team’s young starting pitchers, Schuerholz brought in middle infielder Rafael Belliard, first baseman Sid Bream and third baseman Terry Pendelton to improve the team’s infield defense. But, it was Mangan’s ability to drastically improve the playing surface that helped him gain acclaim and notoriety as the Braves road their worst-to-first 1991 season all the way to Game 7 of the World Series.
The Atlanta Braves proudly honor Vice President of Field Operations Ed Mangan on his retirement after 35 years of dedicated service.
Since joining the organization in 1990, Ed has set the standard for excellence in field operations, contributing to countless games, unforgettable… pic.twitter.com/3eOaw4P4qV
Since Mangan took over duties caring for the Braves home field, the team has call three different stadiums home, including Atlanta’s current home of Truist Park. Although there were a few times when the team had a few minor challenging stadium field conditions – early 2016 being one example – the Braves benefited from having one of the better playing surfaces in baseball for most of the last four decades.
Mangan’s career also including working dozens of Super Bowls in addition to his duties with the Braves.
Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag has been fined a quarter of his match fee for vaping in the dressing room during a game, the Indian Premier League said Thursday.
Apr 30, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
A bullpen game. A rain delay. A rainbow stretching over the ballpark, and two walk-offs in the same day. This was a weird one, and ultimately a happy one. All is well that ends well, and, like today’s first affair, this ended well.
Tim Mayza got the ball first for the Phillies, walking one, but putting the other three Giants away. Adrian Houser, starting for San Francisco, would have a bit of a rockier start. The first pitch he threw, a sinker to Trea Turner, ended up in the middle of the plate, and then over the fence. His next three pitches, offered to Kyle Schwarber, fared a bit better, in that they did not join their fallen brethren in the Valhalla of the cheap seats. But the one after— a slider that caught too much of the plate— ended up over the fence, too.
Nolan Hoffman took over for Mayza in the top of the third, quickly accruing two outs, then loading the bases on a pair of singles and a walk. He slipped past the danger by inducing a fly out.
Alec Bohm had a rough frame in the top of the fourth, though not through error or carelessness; just the bad fortune to be where a pair of Giants were, despite their team’s name, playing small ball. Eric Haase singled on a ball that pulled Bohm just far enough that a play couldn’t be made in time, and Logan Gilbert hit a chopper that a charging Bohm couldn’t pull in, putting runners at the corners. The San Franciscans plated their first run on a Heliot Ramos sacrifice fly. One inning later, now facing Jonathan Bowlan, they plated their second, also via sac fly, set up by a Casey Schmitt triple that bounced off the wall and got away from Justin Crawford. A mighty throw from Schwarber almost put Schmitt out; the sort of play that impresses, even as it exists only in the memory and not the box score.
The Phillies chased Houser in the bottom of the fifth, as Turner singled with two outs. His replacement, Ryan Borucki, then had the unenviable task of facing Schwarber and Bryce Harper with a runner on. The former doubled, the latter walked, and the bases were loaded for Adolis García. He worked a 3-1 count, then made the mistake of failing to challenge a miscalled pitch that would’ve been the fourth ball. But some mistakes work out: because he didn’t take the free pass, he remained at the plate to smack a slider to left, scoring two.
But the ABS gods, insulted by García’s refusal of their kind offering, wept, their tears taking the form of a chill rain drenching the Bank. Bowlan, struggling to control the wet ball, walked Jung Hoo Lee to open the sixth on five pitches; a rain delay ensued soon after. After the rain dried up, a rainbow appeared over Philadelphia. Those who kept their eyes on the skies were treated to a much happier sight than those who kept their eyes on the field. Trevor Richards took over after the break, getting two outs but also loading the bases via double and walk. That brought Luis Arraez to the plate. He is not precisely who you hope to see when a single base hit separates you from a lost lead. Arraez did what he does, singling to right to tie the game.
Richards did not break under the pressure, staying in the game and pitching a 1-2-3 seventh. He allowed a one-out single to Drew Gilbert in the eighth, and was replaced with Brad Keller, who ensured that Gilbert remained exactly where he was. García worked a walk to open the Phillies’ half of the eighth, and was advanced to second by a sacrifice bunt from Bryson Stott, then to third by a little chopper from Bohm. He was stranded there when Justin Crawford flew out to left.
Keller returned for the ninth, starting things off with the rare achievement of striking out Arraez. He plunked Schmitt with a pitch, and was pulled for José Alvarado. Alvarado gave up a single to Rafael Devers, putting runners on the corners. He struck out Willy Adames, but gave up a single up the middle to Jung Hoo Lee, giving the Giants the lead. A walk issued to Patrick Bailey loaded the bases, but Alvarado exited the frame without further damage.
The Phillies thus entered the bottom of the ninth hoping to get their second walk-off of the day. Brandon Marsh was called in as a pinch hitter and made Mattingly’s move pay off, smacking a fastball to center-left for a leadoff double. Garrett Stubbs joined him on the basepaths via the free pass. The good start turned sour quickly as Turner grounded into a double play, putting Marsh 90 feet from tying the game and the Phillies one out away from losing it. The Giants could’ve granted Schwarber an intentional walk; they decided to test him. He decided to double to right and tie it. The San Franciscans, thus suitably chastened, quietly granted Harper first base, then let García take his turn. He took a ball deep, and as it sailed through the Philadelphia night it seemed every bit as beautiful as the rainbow that traced the same arc just hours earlier. But the rainbow ended in a Giant glove (regulation-sized) , and we went to extras.
Chase Shugart took to the mound, allowing a leadoff single that glanced off Stott and into center. He struck out Matt Chapman, then allowed a hard liner to Luis Arraez. But a perfect dive from Bohm turned the would-be go ahead single into an out, and a flyout kept the game tied, as the Phillies once more hoped to go two for two on walk-offs.
Matt Gage was tasked with stifling those hopes. Stott bunted García to third, and Bohm stepped into the box as the would-be hero. Few children play-act a walk-off sacrifice fly in their backyards. But adults can take joy in a job well done, even when it’s a humble one. Bohm hit the ball to center, not deep, but deep enough to send García, and all the fans, home.
The Phillies are 12-19. They return to action tomorrow against the Marlins in Miami.
