The state-owned football team it’s OK to like (and proof that sportswashing works), Paris Saint-Germain booked their place in Bigger Cup final courtesy of a draw against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Like Shaun Murphy in Monday’s night’s thrilling denouement of the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre, the German champions didn’t do a great deal wrong and were similarly gracious in defeat despite their obvious disappointment. “The level of both teams was very, very high,” sighed Vincent Kompany as he ruminated on his team’s exit. “PSG have so much quality, they’ve probably been the best team in Europe in the last two years.” A team that is currently so good it was forced to replace deadweight no-marks such as Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and Neymar to finally shed their tag as Bigger Cup nearlymen and bottlers, the willingness of their replacements to do the dirty work of defending played no small part in helping PSG get over the line.
Doing some half-hearted/@rsed research of potential Bigger Vase finalists, Braga, I drifted into a section about the city’s famous old inhabitants. One of these was a 16th-century skeptic philosopher called Francisco Sanches, who claimed that nobody knows anything, particularly those who say they do. With a European campaign – that was helmed, briefly, by both Big Ange and Sean Dyche (et al) – potentially ending in an unlikely final, Forest seem to have proved old Fran-San’s point” – Andrew Boulton.
It’s interesting that Declan Rice thinks that Arsenal’s achievements can’t be underestimated (yesterday’s Football Daily). The only things that can’t be underestimated are things that are extremely small. Anything large can easily be underestimated” – Bob Cushion (and others).
Maybe Chester and Wrexham (yesterday’s Football Daily, full email edition) could go down the Forest/Derby route and rename the A483 to ‘Phil Parkinson Way’?” – Jim Hearson.
Am I the only one who saw this fine picture of Pep Guardiola and Jordan Pickford at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night and thought: ‘All this really needs is the addition of an ‘I’ and an ‘S’ to be perfect?’” – Adam Sherlock.
The teams for the final in Budapest are set. We look at how they got there and the factors that could determine the champion
Destination Budapest, where Paris Saint-Germain will attempt to be the first club apart from Real Madrid to win two consecutive European Cups since Milan in 1990. Vincent Kompany’s promise of “more” from Bayern Munich after a nine-goal first leg did not materialise. PSG offered a different proposition in Wednesday’s second leg; they put on a performance of defensive discipline, with their attacking players committed to closing down their opponents. Luis Enrique’s team never allowed the tie to spin from their control even if there were 33 shots in Munich compared to 22 in Paris.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia plays like an old-style winger, and set up Ousmane Dembélé’s goal, but he is also thoroughly modern in the way he presses hard and high. Bayern found space at a premium until Harry Kane’s late goal. Luis Enrique’s team is much the same as last season’s, sticking to the same formula. They are a year older but still flush with youth. The PSG project took many years and billions of euros to hit pay dirt but is now delivering the success that was dreamed of after the Qatari takeover in 2011.
Double Tour de France winner makes his debut when race begins on Friday and is the outstanding favourite for victory in Rome
Jonas Vingegaard’s bid to complete a rare Grand Tour grand slam by winning the 2026 Giro d’Italia begins in Bulgaria on Friday when the double Tour de France winner makes his debut in the Italian race.
Vingegaard, the winner of the 2022 and 2023 Tours de France, has been eclipsed by the achievements of Tadej Pogacar – winner this season of nine races in 11 days of racing – but is the outstanding favourite for victory in Rome on 31 May.
Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown and president of basketball operations Brad Stevens are both denying any rift between the two.
In fact, Brown says that if it were up to him, he'd be happy playing in Boston "for the next 10 years."
The status of the team's relationship with its leading scorer this season was called into question after Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady recently said on his podcast that Brown has a frustration that "lies deeply within the organization."
Brown hasn't been shy about expressing his frustrations publicly. He was fined $50,000 by the NBA earlier this week for comments he made about the officiating after the Celtics' season ended with a Game 7 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Stevens on Wednesday, May 6, refuted McGrady's allegations, saying the last conversation he had with Brown two days earlier was "nothing but positive."
Later that day, Brown echoed Stevens' remarks on his Twitch stream.
"I hate that our president of basketball operations even had to respond to this," he said. "Me and Brad have a great relationship. I love Boston. And if it was up to me I could play in Boston for the next 10 years."
The Celtics posted the second-best record in the East during the regular season, despite playing for an extended period without star guard Jayson Tatum, who was recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. Brown led the team in scoring with a career-high 28.7 points per game.
"Obviously, we're not satisfied with the result," the five-time All-Star said. "If it sounds like an excuse, it's not. But to fight and maneuver through adversity and grow, and galvanize with a bunch of guys and to have that mindset and approach, this was my favorite year."
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - MAY 06: Jonathan Aranda #8 of the Tampa Bay Rays rounds third base to score on an RBI double hit by Jonny DeLuca (not pictured) in the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Tropicana Field on May 06, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees broke their five-game winning streak on Wednesday, their offense finally getting stopped as Yankee Killer Nathan Eovaldi dominated them once again. Their last two losses both came at his hands, as he tossed seven shutout innings in their series in Texas before going eight strong with just an Aaron Judge solo shot blemishing his line in the Bronx.
The loss opens the door for the team’s rivals to have a rare chance to catch up with them, as they’ve lost just 3 of their last 18 games. Only one team taking the field was really within eyesight, and unfortunately they moved closer in that rear view mirror after taking advantage of the chance.
Tampa Bay Rays (24-12) 3, Toronto Blue Jays (16-21) 0
The Rays have also been red-hot, especially at home, and their home cooking kept going as they shut down the defending AL champs. Shane McClanahan pitched into the sixth inning, allowing just two hits and a walk against four strikeouts, and the rest of the Rays’ bullpen allowed just two hits the rest of the way to suffocate Toronto’s chances of ever starting a rally.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay struck in the fourth inning against Patrick Corbin. After Junior Caminero led off with a lineout, Jonathan Aranda walked to put a runner on ahead of Jonny DeLuca’s RBI double. Corbin got the second out to nearly keep it a minor scratch, but Chandler Simpson singled to right to score DeLuca and put up a crooked number in the inning. As it wound up, that would be all the damage that Tampa needed, but they got an insurance run in the eighth as Cedric Mullins singled and got moved around on a pair of grounders, eventually scoring on a throwing error from Ernie Clement.
Boston Red Sox (16-21) 4, Detroit Tigers (18-20) 0: Jack Flaherty had a rollercoaster of a day, striking out 10 batters in just five innings but allowing four runs (two earned) in the process. The two earned came in the third inning on an RBI double from Caleb Durbin and a sacrifice fly from Willson Contreras, while the two unearned came in the fourth after a grounder bounced off of Colt Keith into the corner in left field. Sonny Gray made his first start since April 20th and delivered five shutout on the other side, and the Sox bullpen prevented any hits from the Tigers bats to finish the sweep. Bad times in the Motor City, while Boston might feel a tad refreshed.
Cleveland Guardians (19-19) 3, Kansas City Royals (17-20) 1: Kansas City struck first, getting a sacrifice fly from Salvador Perez in the third inning, but it was all Cleveland the rest of the way. A leadoff walk and a single in the top of the fifth set up a double steal to put runners in scoring position with one out for Chase DeLauter, who drove them both home with a single to left field. The eighth saw them get some insurance, José Ramírez leading off with a walk and stealing second before eventually scoring on a groundout to third that bounced off of Maikel Garcia forcing Bobby Witt Jr. to field the ball.
Seattle Mariners (18-20) 3, Atlanta Braves (26-12) 1: Facing off against the team with the best record in baseball, the M’s managed a series victory in the rubber match thanks to six strong from Bryan Woo. It was the first time all year that Atlanta lost a series. Woo struck out nine batters and allowed just a single hit, walking two and giving up no runs. Martín Pérez did his best to match him, going 5.2 innings, but a double play ball in the third inning still brought home a run and Julio Rodríguez launched a solo shot in the fifth to give Seattle a 2-0 lead. Atlanta cut the deficit in half with a sacrifice fly in the eighth, but Seattle got it right back thanks to an RBI double from Cole Young.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 06: Xander Bogaerts #2 of the San Diego Padres runs to first base after hitting a two-run home run go over the wallagainst the San Francisco Giants in the eighth inning at Oracle Park on May 06, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ty France came in to pinch-hit in the top of the seventh inning and hit a two-out, two-run triple to score Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ramon Laureano to give the San Diego Padres a 3-1 lead over the San Francisco Giants. Xander Bogaerts, who entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning as a defensive substitution, added a two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to make the score 5-1 and the Padres went on to beat the Giants and win the series before returning home to Petco Park. San Diego only outhit San Francisco 6-3 and the Padres were 2-for-10 with RISP, while the Giants were held without an opportunity to hit with runners in scoring position.
Matt Waldron did not start the game, instead he followed Bradgley Rodriguez, who pitch one inning without allowing a run to open the game. Waldron came into the game in the bottom of the second inning and pitched five innings without allowing a walk. He finished his five innings with one run allowed on two hits with seven strikeouts. Adrian Morejon covered the seventh and eighth innings and allowed one hit with four strikeouts. Mason Miller was called on to get the final three outs in the ninth inning and he did just that while recording two strikeouts.
The Padres return to home today to host the St. Louis Cardinals at Petco Park at 7:10 p.m.
After four consecutive easy playoff wins, the Knicks needed some extra work to put away the Philadelphia 76ers in a 108-102 victory Game 2 victory on Wednesday night.
Playing without star center Joel Embiid, the 76ers gave the Knicks a battle.
New York withstood the absence of big man Mitchell Robinson, a weak three-point shooting night and foul trouble for Karl-Anthony Towns to pick up the win. A combined 70 points from Towns, Jalen Brunson, and OG Anunoby was a deciding factor in the victory, which gives the Knicks a 2-0 series lead.
Now, the series scene shifts to Philadelphia.
Let’s navigate through some keys ahead of the game on Friday night's Game 3.
Paint production
Through two games, the Knicks have dominated in close, outscoring Philadelphia 114-62 in the paint.
Interior points were a huge factor on Wednesday night.
New York won the paint scoring battle by a massive 56-30 margin, which helped make up for a cold shooting night. The Knicks shot 7-for-26 (26.9 percent) as a team from the three-point line. On nights when the three-ball isn't falling, dominating the paint can make up for it.
It was remarkable this happened even with Robinson out due to illness, and the Knicks only having nine offensive rebounds against the 76ers.
One main reason for finding easy scores around the basket is Towns. Having him operate as a playmaker out on the perimeter has opened up the paint for cutters. Towns had seven assists in Game 2, and has recorded at least six assists in each of the last five games.
If the Knicks can keep a healthy edge in interior scoring, it gives them a chance to win every game.
Pivotal injuries
While the Xs and Os are important, it’s the Jims and Joes on the floor who matter. Injuries will loom large in deciding how this series goes for both teams. Late in the fourth quarter of Game 2, Anunoby came up hobbling, and he was not available for the last two minutes and 30 seconds due to what seemed like a leg injury.
Postgame, Knicks head coach Mike Browndid not have an update on Anunoby’s status. It’s a gloomy ending to what was another marvelous night from Anunoby, who recorded 24 points, five rebounds and four steals.
Anunoby has been New York’s most consistent player during these eight playoff games and has made a great impact on both ends of the floor. He’s averaging 21.4 points and 7.5 rebounds during the postseason. It’s safe to say if he misses any time, that will have a significant effect on New York’s hopes to make a deep playoff run.
As mentioned before, Robinson missed the game with an illness. With Towns and Ariel Hukporti both picking up several fouls, the Knicks missed their rebounding center.
For Philadelphia, Embiid’s injury seems to be day-to-day, as he was ruled out earlier in the day before Game 2 with both hip and ankle injuries. Though he had trouble defending in Game 1, Embiid’s offense is valuable. The 76ers missed the big man’s ability to score and create offense in the half-court, especially during the fourth quarter, when they scored just 12 points on 4-for-19 from the floor.
Back in rhythm
If Anunoby is unavailable for the next game, the Knicks will need a group effort to replace his production. One player who could fill some of the void is Mikal Bridges. He’s averaged 19.7 points on 74 percent from the field over the last three games, including an effective 19 points and five rebounds in Game 2.
Bridges has also had the unenviable task of checking 76ers point guard Tyrese Maxey. He and the Knicks as a team did a solid job on Maxey in Game 2, holding him to just 9-for-23 shooting.
Bridges had been maligned for uneven play throughout his two seasons with the Knicks, and his disappointing first few games of this year’s postseason run, but it seems like he has pulled himself of the rut he was in.
Now, the Knicks will likely need Bridges to contribute even more on both ends.
It’s a headline that’s grammatically difficult to write. It’s a concept that’s rationally hard to stomach.
The Cincinnati Reds have lost back, to back, to back games to the Chicago Cubs to begin this four-game series, and they’ve been walked-off in all three of them. The last two of them have even come in extra-innings.
Wednesday’s will be the one that ends up the most difficult to stomach, at least for now. That’s assuming the depths to which this 6-game losing streak overall continues. After trailing early and often, the Reds got a standout performance from reliever Tejay Antone when they needed it most, the former fireballer back in the big leagues over two years after the most recent of his three Tommy John surgeries.
To say his inning had an ‘uplifting’ effect would be putting it mildly. There was pep in the step of the defense behind him, and it carried right over to their bats in the Top of the 9th inning. Spencer Steer socked a homer to lead the charge, JJ Bleday chipped in with a vital RBI single to tie the game, and Elly De La Cruz plated a pair with a sacrifice fly so deep into RF that it caused Seiya Suzuki to fall at the wall.
The Reds had roared back to claim a 6-4 lead, and they turned things over to their closer to close it out. Except, of course, closer Emilio Pagan had hurt his hamstring the previous night and been put on the shelf for at least a month, and instead Graham Ashcraft was summoned to do a job he’s got almost no experience doing before. He left a meaty pitch over the plate, Pete Crow-Armstrong lifted it to left-center, and it landed in the first row of the Wrigley Field stands for a game-tying homer…
A game-tying homer that would have literally only been a homer in Wrigley. Only Wrigley.
The Reds then failed to plate the Manfred Man in the Top of the 10th. Then, they walked the bases loaded intentionally in the Bottom of the 10th to set up more appealing matchups for pitcher Brock Burke only for Burke to then walk in the game’s winning run unintentionally and wrap things up.
Even after sleeping on the result, it’s hard to think this series of events won’t end up haunting the Reds over the course of the season. The NL Central is simply too good for it not to, and the Reds have already seen their electrifying (and razor’s edge) start to 2026 see them fall to 4th place within their own division thanks to this brutal run of form.
Something is going to need to change to bust them out of it. The sentiment surely seemed to suggest that would be Antone’s return, but not even that changed the tides. Getting Eugenio Suarez back soon may help, though it will also once again return the flaws and overlaps in the team’s roster construction.
The Reds are 20-17 on the season with over 3/4ths of the season left to play, yet the ship couldn’t possibly seem more leaky than it does right now.
It’s even tougher when you have to do it on a cold, windy night.
Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta knew exactly what he’d be facing going in, though, and he tired to stay as prepared and loose as possible throughout Wednesday’s outing.
“It was crazy weather,” he said postgame. “I knew what I was facing, though. I knew it was going to be a little crazy so between innings I was riding a bike to keep myself warm and ready to go.”
That resulted in Peralta gutting his way through five scoreless innings of work.
The Rockies did do a good job of making him battle, as he threw a total of 91 pitches on the night, but he held their offense in check and left with a big-advantage still in place.
Peralta only struck out one, but limited Colorado to four hits and a pair of walks.
“I think it was good,” he said. “I was hoping to get into the sixth inning, but it was crazy -- my pitch count was a little high, but other than that I thought it was pretty good.”
“He found a way,” Carlos Mendoza added. “On a day where they put fouled off tough pitches and put together good at-bats, he gave us five and kept us in the game -- he attacked even when he got behind, so it was a good outing.”
Peralta pitched well enough to earn his second Mets win, and his first since Opening Day against the Pirates.
“It feels really good,” he said. “It’s funny because [Luis] Torrens was just asking me like ‘how long have you been pitching without a win?’ And I told him it was Opening Day and he was surprised -- me too.”
New York has suddenly found its footing a bit following the brutal stretch of play, going home victorious in three straight games and locking up back-to-back series to open the road trip.
“This is what I expected,” Peralta said. “This is who we are, we have to keep it that way.”
Let’s run the table on a short slate with action throughout the day, starting in the afternoon. There are a few clear pitcher fades and favorable winds blowing out, making MLB player props ripe for the taking.
I want to take advantage of the wind blowing toward the short porch at Yankee Stadium, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. is a pull king. Kauffman Stadium also isn’t known as a hitter’s paradise, but 15-mph winds and Slade Cecconi could change that narrative this afternoon.
Here are my favorite MLB home run predictions for Thursday, May 7.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
Jazz Chisholm Jr.
+760
Bobby Witt Jr.
+452
Home run pick: Jazz Chisholm Jr. (+760)
I want a left-handed New York Yankees bat this afternoon with 9-mph winds blowing out to right field at Yankee Stadium. MacKenzie Gore is a lefty, but left-handed hitters are actually taking him deep at a higher rate than righties. He also carries the third-highest HR/FB rate among all starters on today’s slate.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. has already taken Gore deep in a small nine-at-bat sample. He homered Tuesday, and three of his 11 hits over the last 12 games have left the yard. His bat-tracking metrics are checking every box as well, ranking among the top Yankee hitters in BlastContact% while posting strong marks in swing speed, SqUpContact%, and Ideal Attack Angle.
There’s also a useful stat that measures attack direction — the horizontal angle the ball comes off the bat, essentially tracking pull vs. late contact — and Chisholm’s +8-degree mark points to heavy pull-side barrel contact that plays perfectly with the short porch and the wind.
The fair price for this +EV homer is around +580.
Time: 12:35 p.m. ET
Where to watch: YES, Rangers Sports Network
Home run pick: Bobby Witt Jr. (+452)
The wind is howling out to center at Kauffman Stadium at 15 mph, and Slade Cecconi is a great pitcher fade. The Cleveland Guardians starter has allowed five HRs over the last three starts and a whopping 26 hits over those 16 innings. His Ks are down, and the walks are up, leading to an increase in HR/9.
Bobby Witt Jr's fair price to go yard this afternoon is around +390. It's tough to go wrong with any of the big Kansas City bats today with this setting and matchup.
This is also a great spot to stack some HRRBI for the Royals, and there could be runs as KC starter Seth Lugo is coming off a season-high 103 pitches, and there might be three arms unavailable in the Royals' bullpen.
Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Royals.TV, Guardians.TV
Josh Inglis' 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 10-61, -9.41 units
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Apr 25, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford (2) steals second base against the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Despite their recent winning ways, the Phillies offense is still struggling to produce runs on a consistent basis. There hasn’t been much power to be found outside of Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, and Brandon Marsh is still the only other hitter who has been anything close to consistent.
Perhaps the Phillies should look to alternative methods to help boost their offense. In Rob Thomson’s time as manager, the Phillies stole the ninth most bases in baseball with 503. Bryson Stott had the most on the team over that span with 103. Trea Turner is second despite joining the team in 2023 with 88 steals. The team was mostly efficient at stealing too, only being caught 102 times, good for a success rate of around 80%.
However, the Phillies entering Wednesday were 19th in stolen bases this year with 21. Stott and Turner haven’t run often so far, combining for just nine steal attempts, but neither have been caught yet either. In addition to those two major threats from previous years, the Phillies also now employ another major stolen base threat in Justin Crawford. Crawford stole 46 bases last year while only being caught 11 times at Lehigh Valley, but so far in the majors he’s only swiped three bags and has already been caught twice. He has not quite found his footing yet as a base stealer in the majors.
Outside of those three, Brandon Marsh would be the next logical candidate. He’s swiped all three bags he’s attempted this season after swiping seven on eight attempts in 2025. J.T. Realmuto has been an underrated base stealing threat in years past and he totaled eight on ten attempts last year, but it’s likely the Phillies will not ask him to steal as often in order to preserve the 35-year-old catcher’s legs. Bryce Harper stole 12 bags last year while being thrown out twice but has already been thrown out once on three attempts this season.
So, should the Phillies attempt to steal mores bases? Is it a good way to try and find some offense? Or are they better off not running into outs with the few baserunners they actually have?
Miami Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez (3) pours gatorade onto Miami Marlins center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. (2) after sweeping the Atlanta Braves in the series on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, at loanDepot Park in Miami. (Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Well, they got the series loss out of the way. Not surprisingly, it came in a series where the games weren’t really managed with urgency on the pitching side. Now, the season standings are what they are, so I can get soft-pedaling things, though it’s not actually any more enjoyable to watch in the moment than if the standings were more dire. But, it’s not like the team’s first series loss was some kind of devastating blow.
Right now, getting swept also wouldn’t be a devastating blow. But, we also don’t know that the Braves will get swept any time soon. Do you think they will? If so, when? Who’s gonna achieve it?
The 2024 Braves didn’t get swept until early May… by the Dodgers… on a road trip to Seattle and Los Angeles… after losing a series to the Mariners.
The 2023 Braves actually got swept in late April by the Astros.
The 2022 Braves were never swept.
The 2021 Braves were swept in their first series of the year… as were the 2019 Braves. Both happened in Philadelphia.
The 2020 Braves were only swept in a two-game set in Games 19 and 20 of that shortened season. A funny thing there was that they were swept at Yankee Stadium, and then later that month, swept the Yankees in two games at home. The team only participated in one other sweep the rest of the way.
The 2018 team also lasted until early May, where they were swept at home by the Giants.
I keep telling you that there’s something special about this Cubs team.
Maybe if they keep pulling out wins like the one Wednesday night against the Reds, you’ll believe me. I almost have no words… oh, wait, I’ve got about 1,700 words to describe Wednesday’s amazing comeback win.
After the team had one of their worst innings of the entire season, blowing a two-run ninth-inning lead and … well, I’ll get to the rest of that… the Cubs tied the game up, got a solid scoreless inning from a pitcher who had just arrived and was only there because of yet another injury, then won the game on a walk-off walk issued to Michael Busch. The Cubs’ 7-6, 10-inning win was their eighth in a row and their 14th straight at Wrigley Field.
Caught your breath yet? Let’s rewind to the beginning of this bonkers game.
Colin Rea walked the first batter of the game, TJ Friedl. That almost never winds up being a good thing, and it wasn’t in this case, as Friedl moved to second when Rea threw a pickoff attempt away and scored on a single by JJ Bleday.
The Cubs wasted no time in taking the lead back. The first two Cubs in the first grounded out, then Alex Bregman singled.
Perspective: This was the Cubs’ 37th game of the year. Last year — when Happ hit 23 home runs — he hit his ninth in the team’s 75th game. The homer was the 182nd of his career, moving Happ ahead of Alfonso Soriano into 12th place on the franchise home run list. Next up: Hack Wilson, 190.
The Reds threatened in the third. Two singles put runners on first and third with nobody out. Rea struck out Bleday, then with the infield in, Busch made this good play [VIDEO].
Rea served up a home run ball to Matt McLain in the fifth to make the score 4-2. Rea was finally lifted with one out in the sixth after putting runners on by a walk and a single. He got one out on a ground ball, then Jacob Webb was summoned. Webb’s been pretty good lately and he got out of the inning with a pair of ground outs — the second, though, required this slick grab from Bregman [VIDEO].
The Cubs had a chance to extend the lead in the seventh. Pete Crow-Armstrong and Swanson began the inning with singles, but Nico Hoerner hit into a double play. Craig Counsell sent Matt Shaw up to bat against left-hander Sam Moll, but Terry Francona countered with Pierce Johnson, so Counsell sent Michael Conforto up to bat for Shaw. That’s something you used to see a lot, but not now with three-batter minimums and four-man benches.
Anyway, Conforto could not replicate his heroics of Monday; he grounded out to end the inning.
Phil Maton threw a 1-2-3 eighth. That’s good because, well, the Cubs need good relievers they can trust right now, what with all the injuries.
Tip o’ the cap there — that could have been a double or triple, instead it was a 402-foot out.
Then, the ninth. If I can be permitted to second-guess Counsell a bit, Webb had thrown only 14 pitches to record five outs. Perhaps he could have thrown the eighth and Maton the ninth. I agree with Counsell on not using Daniel Palencia on back-to-back days, yet, coming off his injury.
So it was Corbin Martin to try to save this game. Friends, you know he did not do that. He served up a leadoff homer to Spencer Steer, then allowed singles to Will Benson and pinch-hitter Tyler Stephenson. That was it for Martin, and Hoby Milner came on to protect what was now a one-run lead.
McLain attempted a bunt. Milner thought he had a play at third, and he might have, only he hesitated just for the tiniest moment and Benson was safe. Milner then struck out pinch-hitter Dane Myers, only to see Bleday hit a single, tying the game.
Suzuki made a nice grab, then fell down. What you can’t see on the clip is that he flipped the ball to PCA, whose throw was too late to prevent two runs from scoring on Elly De La Cruz’s sacrifice fly.
The four-run ninth was a disaster, one of the Cubs’ worst innings of 2026, as noted above.
Did that matter? No, it did not!
Busch led off and was called out on strikes on a pitch overturned on a challenge. Then Kelly singled.
With one out, the Cubs had a chance to walk it off in regulation, but Swanson popped up and Hoerner grounded out.
On to the 10th and Milner walked the first Reds hitter he faced. Now there are runners on first and second with nobody out. Trent Thornton was summoned. Raise your hand if you knew, when this day started, that Thornton would be pitching for the Cubs in this very high-leverage situation. (No, no you did not, he’s only there due to the injury to Matthew Boyd.)
Thornton did his job exceptionally well. He got Steer to hit into a double play. Pinch-runner Blake Dunn wound up on third, where he was stranded when Thornton got Benson to ground out. Thornton is 32 and signed a minor-league deal with the Cubs in January. He’s had some decent years in the past in Toronto and Seattle, and this outing, well, the Cubs need that “next man up” theory to hold and it did in this inning.
In the bottom of the 10th, Miguel Amaya was sent up to bat in the DH spot, for Conforto. Remember that Shaw had already been used, the only other bench bat was Nicky Lopez. Amaya was being sent up to sacrifice the placed runner (Nico), and he did so successfully. So now Hoerner’s on third with one out. The Reds chose to intentionally pass Bregman. Happ, though, struck out for the second out in the inning. The Reds then decided to intentionally pass Suzuki. You don’t see this sort of thing often in walk-off situations anymore; teams think it’s too big of a risk when, as was the case here, a walk ends the game.
Busch, who was the wak-off hero Tuesday, was the hitter. He ran a 3-0 count. One more ball and the Cubs win. The fourth pitch was close, and it appeared Busch had challenged — but the umpires didn’t allow it. Counsell came out for a discussion, but the game continued. As it turned out, the pitch was a strike, so the challenge wouldn’t have done anything. A very close pitch, but a strike:
Just can’t say enough about this team. Even with that awful ninth, you had the feeling that somehow, this Cubs team would come back and win, and so they did. From BCB’s JohnW53:
Last night’s win made Monday-Wednesday just the fourth time since 1901 that Cubs have had three straight walk-offs vs. the same team:
Aug. 16-18, 1932, vs Braves Aug. 28, 30 and 31, 1932 vs Giants Sept. 27-28, 1943 vs Giants (doubleheader on 28th).
They have had three straight walk-offs vs. different teams since then, most recently in 2009.
The injury to Boyd, noted above, will have some ripple effects, obviously. Javier Assad likely slots back into the rotation, and for now, Thornton takes his bullpen place. We’ll discuss over the next days and weeks where Jed Hoyer might go for starting pitching help. As for the pen, I’d think this game might be the end of Corbin Martin’s Cubs career — after starting out this year reasonably well (including a save against the Dodgers!), Martin’s last three outings have resulted in one total inning pitched, six hits, four walks, two home runs and six runs allowed for a 54.00 ERA. I’m not sure who the Cubs could add today to replace Martin — Ethan Roberts, currently on rehab assignment, threw an inning for Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday.
There will be more on WPA in Heroes and Goats at 10 a.m. CT, but check out this game’s chart (Bluesky link):
17 total wins 10 comeback wins 9 wins after allowing the first run 6 one-run wins 4 walkoff wins 4 wins after trailing in 8th or later 3 extra-inning wins
No other MLB team in the modern era has done all of that over any 20-game span. pic.twitter.com/65oRrdidb5
The Cubs now lead the NL Central by 3.5 games over the second-place Cardinals and five games over the Brewers, Reds and Pirates.
The Cubs will go for nine in a row, 15 straight at Wrigley, and a four-game sweep Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Shōta Imanaga will start for the Cubs and Rhett Lowder goes for the Reds. Game time is 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network (and MLB Network outside the Cubs and Reds market territories).
On April 27, the NBA announced its list of early entrants for June’s 2026 draft. Only that list was much smaller than in years past.
The total number announced in April sat at 71 players. That’s 33% lower than the 106 who filed last year — and nearly 80% lower than the all-time high of 353, set just five years ago in 2021.
The figure is so low that you have to go back to 2012 to find a year with fewer early entrants. In 2012, the NBA announced a list of 66 players. Since then, it never dipped below 75.
Until this year.
The drop is hardly unexplained. In July 2021, the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) era began, which allowed college players to earn money in amounts previously impossible.
Since then, the number of entrants into the NBA draft has steadily dwindled — every year since 2021 has seen the early entry list drop by at least 14%.
It’s also worth noting that a 2016 rule change by the NCAA allowed players to sign up for the draft, and then later withdraw and keep college eligibility. After that change, the number of early entrants rose sharply in the next five years to the 2021 figure of 353 players.
However, the NIL era has meant that some players can earn more by staying in school than they might as a late draft pick, two-way player or undrafted pro.
“For a lot of these players, it’s more money than they could make. Way more money than making a G League roster,” Brian Meehan, an economics professor at Berry College with a research interest in the economics behind NIL’s effects on draft prospects, told USA TODAY Sports. “Even if they’re on a two-way contract, staying in school and playing for a team with lots of collective money is more lucrative.”
A paper which Meehan co-authored, published in 2025 in the Journal of Sports Economics, found that 81% of draft-eligible prospects in The Athletic’s top 100 prospects list entered the draft in 2021, the final year before NIL deals took shape. By 2022, right after the start of the NIL era, the share dropped to 52%.
“If you forgo the eligibility and you go into the NBA draft and you’re undrafted, you don’t make a roster, or you’re a late second-round pick, and you don’t have a guaranteed contract. That’s a risky place to be for a person who maybe just completed a first or second year in a college program,” Meehan added.
The 2026 NBA draft will be held on June 23 and 24 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. If a player wants to retain their college eligibility, they’ll need to withdraw from the draft by May 27.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MAY 06: Starting pitcher Cole Ragans #55 of the Kansas City Royals throws a pitch against the Cleveland Guardians in the first inning at Kauffman Stadium on May 06, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Cole Ragans exited after just 3 innings, in last night’s 3-1 loss.
After just 58 pitches thrown across three innings, starter Cole Ragans exited the Royals’ 3-1 loss to the Guardians on Wednesday with left triceps and elbow soreness. He’ll undergo further testing and evaluation on Thursday to determine the severity and next steps.
Ragans said he felt tightness creep into the back of his left triceps and just above the elbow throughout the third inning. He got out of a jam that had runners on first and third with two outs with a popup to get him through his third scoreless frame, but when he got back in the dugout, he alerted the Royals’ coaching and training staff of the tightness.
“It got to a point where I didn’t feel like I needed to push it anymore,” Ragans said. “Talked to [pitching coach Brian] Sweeney and all of them, and figured that was the best decision.”
Carlos Estevez made his first rehab outing yesterday in Omaha… it didn’t go well.
Three batters into the outing with Triple-A Omaha, Estévez was exiting with shoulder discomfort, motioning to his right arm as a trainer came out for a mound visit.
Estévez was traveling back from Indianapolis, where the Storm Chasers were playing, on Wednesday. He’ll undergo further testing and evaluation on Thursday, manager Matt Quatraro said after the Royals’ 3-1 loss to the Guardians on Wednesday night.
He averaged 90 mph with his four-seam fastball on Wednesday – a pitch he averaged 95.9 mph with last season. His changeup registered at 81.2 mph, while his slider clocked in at an 81.4 mph on average.
Eric Cerantola, who made his MLB debut last night, was tabbed as a prospect with future closer potential.
Cerantola spent all of 2025 with Triple-A Omaha and found some success, posting a 4.04 ERA and 29.6 percent strikeout rate over 49 innings. He’s returned to the International League for this season and been even more dominant (1.42 ERA, 33.3 K%) and a big reason is that he took his slider — which was already his primary pitch, and a dominant one — and improved it by adding about five inches more drop and cutting some of the gloveside break. He’s thrown the slide piece 56.8 percent of the time, and opponents have a .069 average and 59.2 percent whiff rate against it. He also shows a mid-90s four-seamer.
“In high school, Hammond was a standout, two-way talent. As a pro, he’s hitting only—but he’s really hitting. He jumped straight to Low-A and has been one of the most productive players on his team and in the Carolina League overall. If he develops the way the Royals hope, he could be a true five-tool talent.”
Kevin O’Brien of Royals Keep talked about how the Royals have won the Isaac Collins/Nick Mears trade.
O’Brien also talks about the Royals starting rotation.
Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Bobby Witt Jr.
