LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 14: Goaltender Frederik Andersen #31 and left wing Nikolaj Ehlers #27 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrate winning the Stanley Cup and their Danish background after game six of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes on June 14, 2026 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Matthew Bolt/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Defenseman John Carlson, whose rights the Carolina Hurricanes made a trade for with their final pick during the NHL Entry Draft on Saturday, ended up signing with the Tampa Bay Lighting. After all the rumors about the starting price for him being $10 million times two, or more, he ended up signing for $8.5 million AAV for two years.
Things like this usually work out for the best and he might have worked out well in Carolina, but maybe he wouldn’t have. Bottom line, the Canes probably matched that offer and he chose Tampa. So be it.
In other big news, Frederik Andersen signed a one year deal with the Edmonton Oilers. Andersen had a tremendous playoffs for the Hurricanes this postseason until he got hurt in Game two of the Finals. He had a rough regular season and overall had an up and down career with Carolina.
In the five years with the Canes, he posted a .906 save percentage, but the last two seasons he was at .874 and .899. He started 51 games in year one in Carolina, but then started 33, 16, 22, and 35 after that due to a variety of injuries or issues. His base salary in Edmonton is $1 million with another $1.8 million in performance bonuses.
Andersen was the consummate professional, was always open to the media, and was a great teammate in the room. He will be missed.
There were several other signings yesterday, you can check them out here as well as who is still available.
While they lost Carlson and Zach Werenski has taken himself out of trade talks, the Canes still have work to do.
Will they be able to re-sign Nikishin or will they trade him? Are they still kicking the tires on Connor Hellebuyck? Do they have another trick up their sleeves?
Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek speaks to the media during his 2025-26 exit interview.
The Ducks were quite active on the first day of free agency, although the signings they made weren't exactly ones of great magnitude. After deciding to let all of their pending unrestricted free agents––aside from A.J. Greer––walk and head to free agency, the Ducks watched as Radko Gudas, Jacob Trouba, Ross Johnston, Jeff Viel and John Carlson all signed with new teams. Meanwhile, they were making some signs of their own.
Note: The signing of A.J. Greer is omitted from this list because his deal was reportedly finalized on Tuesday.
Judd Caulfield, F - $875,000 x 2 years
Their first signing of the day was inking Caulfield to a two-year, two-way contract. Caulfield had played the 2025-26 season on an AHL-only deal, spending the entire season with the San Diego Gulls. He was originally acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in March 2023 and has been in the Ducks organization ever since. The contract is a nice reward for Caulfield, who is coming off of his best season as a professional. A big, physical forward, Caulfield spent most of the season playing alongside Nathan Gaucher as part of the Gulls' de facto checking line. With uncertainty in the Ducks' bottom-6, Caulfield could be given the chance to compete for an NHL roster spot this fall.
Nick Jensen, D - $2.25 million x 2 years
Jensen signed a two-year contract with an AAV of $2.25 million. At 35, he automatically becomes the elder statesman on the right side of Anaheim's defense following the departures of Carlson, Trouba and Gudas. Jensen has played almost 700 NHL games and spent the last two seasons with the Ottawa Senators after coming over in the Jakob Chychrun trade. He did not participate in the Senators' playoff run this past season after suffering a torn meniscus in mid-March, which required surgery. It's unlikely that Jensen will slot in on the top defensive pairing alongside Jackson LaCombe, with him better suited for either the second or third pair.
Jett Woo, D - $875,000 x 2 years
Woo was drafted in the second round of the 2018 draft by the Vancouver Canucks and spent the last nine seasons in the organization before being traded this past March to the San Jose Barracuda. He helped the Abbotsford Canucks win the Calder Cup in 2025 and has played in 300 AHL games, but has yet to make his NHL debut. He is still just 25 (turns 26 on July 27) and may get the chance to break through, now that the Ducks' defensive depth on the right side looks a bit thin.
Corey Schueneman, D - $875,000 x 2 years
Schueneman was one of many players who signed a two-way deal with the Ducks on the first day of free agency. Undrafted out of Western Michigan University, he has bounced around the NHL and AHL since making his professional debut in 2019. He has played over 400 AHL games and can chip in offensively when needed. With Tyson Hinds expected to be with the Ducks on a full-time basis, Schueneman provides another steady veteran for the Gulls to lean on.
James Hamblin, F - $875,000 x 2 years
Outside of a stint in Sweden during the COVID-shortened season, Hamblin had spent his entire professional career in the Edmonton Oilers' system. He had NHL stints with the Oilers during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, but has not been back since. Hamblin had been one of the Bakersfield Condors' alternate captains for the past three seasons and put up 40+ point seasons in the past two seasons. Capable of playing both center and wing, he could be an adequate depth scorer for the Gulls.
Jeff Malott, F - $1.85 million x 3 years
Malott won't have to travel far, joining the Ducks from the division rival Los Angeles Kings. He made his NHL debut during the 2021-22 season with the Winnipeg Jets, but had to wait until 2024-25 to get another shot, where he broke through with the Kings. He played in 58 games this past season, putting up nine points. Offense comes secondary for Malott, who prides himself on being a physical and gritty player. His game is similar to that of Viel, who got a nice pay bump in the deal he signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Malott is coming in to fill the role of his namesake and will likely slot in on the fourth line alongside Tim Washe.
Laurent Brossoit, G - $1.1 million x 1 year
Brossoit is coming in with the expectation that he will fill the role that Ville Husso did at the start of last season: Provide consistent goaltending in the AHL while at the same time being prepared for a call-up to the NHL in the event of an injury. It's been a tough road back to the NHL for Brossoit, who missed the entire 2024-25 season after undergoing hip surgery. He appeared in 26 AHL games this past season, splitting time with the Rockford IceHogs and the Barracuda after a midseason trade. He also played in one game for the San Jose Sharks, his first in 696 days. With Brossoit in the fold, the Gulls now have him, Damian Clara and Tomáš Suchánek battling for the starter's net.
Travis Mitchell, D - $850,000 x 1 year
Mitchell had been with the New York Islanders for the past four seasons, mostly playing for the Bridgeport Islanders in the AHL. He did make his NHL debut this past season and played in nine games, with his first NHL goal coming against the Ducks, funnily enough. At 6-foot-4, Mitchell is now one of the tallest defensemen in the Ducks' system. The left side is a bit more crowded than the right, but Mitchell should provide another strong addition to the left side of the Gulls' defense, if anything, along with Schueneman and budding prospect Stian Solberg.
The opening day of NHL free agency began with a report that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski had vetoed a trade.
The day continued with Werenski and general manager Don Waddell putting out statements that the Norris Trophy winner wanted to stay in Columbus and try to end a six-season playoff drought.
The day also began with the champion Carolina Hurricanes holding the rights to John Carlson after acquiring them at the draft. It ended with the defenseman signing with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Frederik Andersen and Sergei Bobrovsky are headed to teams that need better goaltending to get them to the top.
Bobrovsky got the better deal, signing for three years and $21 million with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He's coming off his worst season but had led the Florida Panthers to championships in 2024 and 2025 and Toronto is counting on that pedigree.
In addition to getting Bobrovsky, the Maple Leafs remade their bottom six with Jack Roslovic, Nick Paul, Colton Sissons and Teddy Blueger. Add in No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna and new general John Chayka is putting his imprint on the team.
Utah Mammoth
They landed Vincent Trocheck in a trade and signed Anders Lee, adding them to an already impressive forward group.
Washington Capitals
They already made a splash before free agency by trading for Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou. Then they added former Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner in free agency. Defenseman Vincent Desharnais will help them with injured Rasmus Sandin expected to be out 6-9 months after April knee surgery.
Salary cap problems caused them to trade Pavel Dorofeyev at the draft. The same issue prevented them from finding an adequate replacement. Victor Olofsson, a three-time 20-goal scorer, was their signing, but he had only 15 goals when he played in Vegas in 2024-25. They also traded popular Keegan Kolesar for draft picks. They did re-sign Rasmus Andersson and gave an extension to fellow defenseman Jeremy Lauzon.
Dallas Stars
Dallas was the team that Werenski reportedly turned down. Thomas Harley's name leaked out as going the other way. Does that cause problems? The Stars still have to re-sign leading scorer Jason Robertson and they lost promising Mavrik Bourque, trading him because of cap concerns.
Minnesota Wild
They're still looking for an upgrade at center. They decided to move on from Mats Zuccarello, who worked well with Kirill Kaprizov. He signed a one-year, bonus-laden deal with the Kings. Minnesota native Anders Lee chose Utah. General manager Bill Guerin said the team won't panic because it didn't get what it wanted on the first day.
Jul 1, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics catcher Jonah Heim (15) rounds the bases after hitting a one run home run during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
The Dodgers opted for a bullpen game on Wednesday, and the decision backfired as the A’s took the finale by a final score of 7-1, snapping the Dodgers’ four-game winning streak.
The Dodgers had no problem scoring early against the A’s over the first two games, and it appeared that way again as the Dodgers loaded the bases against J.T. Ginn in the top of the first inning. Tommy Edman, fresh off a four-hit, four RBI game, couldn’t come through as the Dodgers left them loaded.
While Ginn faced six hitters and tossed 29 pitches in the first inning, Jack Dreyer had a much easier time over his lone inning of work, striking out the side in a perfect bottom of the first.
Miguel Rojas tried to kickstart something in the top of the second with a single against Ginn. Chuckie Robinson popped up a bunt attempt for the second out, and Shohei Ohtani grounded out right to Nick Kurtz. The A’s needed one pitch from Charlie Barnes to take the lead, as Jonah Heim clobbered a 444 foot home run to make it a 1-0 lead.
Freddie Freeman ensured that the deficit was short-lived, as he socked a home run to right field to tie the game at 1. The Dodgers would put two more on base in the top of the third, but couldn’t add to the lead, giving the team six runners left on base over the first three innings.
The Athletics quickly rallied against Barnes to begin the bottom of the fourth inning, as Heim worked a leadoff walk before Joshua Kuroda-Grauer’s double put both men in scoring position. A groundout from Lawrence Butler gave the A’s the lead, and Henry Bolte brought the lead to two runs on a single up the middle.
The A’s continued to tee off on Barnes as Shea Langeliers led off the bottom of the fifth inning with his 20th home run of the season, becoming the first American League catcher to reach the 20 home run plateau this season. Nick Kurtz promptly followed with a base hit to right, and Colby Thomas continued his torrid stretch against the Dodgers with an RBI double. Heim tallied his second RBI of the game to give the A’s a three-run inning and a five-run lead.
All the Dodgers could muster against Ginn after the third inning was a walk to Kyle Tucker, giving him three on the game, as the right-hander faced the minimum over his final three innings of work. The Dodgers wouldn’t get another hit until a Max Muncy double against Luis Medina with two outs in the top of the eighth inning. Tucker would add another free pass following the Muncy double, marking the first time he walked four times in a single game.
The A’s tacked on another run against Barnes as Alika Williams drilled a home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to extend the lead to six.
Mookie Betts was a late scratch on Wednesday, and Miguel Rojas was given a second consecutive start. Rojas was the only hitter in the starting lineup with multiple hits.
Game particulars
Home runs— Jonah Heim (8), Shea Langeliers (20), Alika Williams (2); Freddie Freeman (14)
The Dodgers return back home as they begin a four-game series with the San Diego Padres beginning Thursday (7:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Roki Sasaki faces Randy Vásquez.
The newly promoted players are settling in for the San Diego Padres’ minor league affiliates. Lake Elsinore is adapting to the loss of multiple high-output offensive players and one of their two best pitchers. They still managed to win two games in their six-game series.
After electing free agency after being designated for assignment by the Friars, Nick Solak re-signed a minor league deal with the Padres, returning to El Paso on June 26.
The Fort Wayne TinCaps should benefit from an infusion of offensive talent; they split their series this past week after working the new players into the lineup. Newly promoted starter Winyer Chourio picked up where he left off with the Storm.
Catcher Ethan Salas, who has been on the injured list this past week with a minor oblique strain, was activated and should play soon.
Salas and Fort Wayne’s lefty starter, Kash Mayfield, were both named to the All-Star Futures Game on the Sunday of All-Star weekend (July 12).
El Paso Chihuahuas (36-45 record, 4th in PCL East)
Infielder Pablo Reyes, 32, took the lead offensively while Nick Solak was gone from the team. With Solak returning, he has the top qualifying batting average at .321 and a .493 slug. Reyes leads in OBP with .408. Centerfielder Carlos Rodriguez leads the team with 45 RBI.
Rehabbing pitcher Germán Márquez made four starts for El Paso, with the most recent on June 17. He went five innings and has only appeared twice since then, both in relief. In those 2.1 innings he has struggled. Overall, he has 17.2 innings pitched with a 3.57 ERA. He ends his rehab stint on Friday and must be activated back onto the Padres roster or designated for assignment.
Reliever Andrew Moore, who the Padres acquired at the last trade deadline for Connor Joe, has appeared in two games for El Paso since his promotion from San Antonio. He has 3.2 innings pitched without allowing a run.
San Antonio Missions (33-42 record, 5th in Texas League South)
The Missions quickly had a new player lead them offensively with the promotion of outfielder Jake Cunningham. In his first six games, Cunningham is hitting .346/.370/.692 with a double, a triple, two homers, and five RBI. Undoubtedly, the league will adjust and these numbers will drop but it is highly encouraging that the former Baltimore Orioles prospect is getting off to a fast start.
Catcher Ethan Salas has cooled somewhat over the past month and just returned from an injury but is hitting .277/.347/.427 with 17 extra-base hits (seven homers) and 33 RBI. Outfielder Tirso Ornelas leads the team with 11 home runs and 34 RBI.
Starter Jhony Brito has four starts for 18.1 innings pitched and a 1.96 ERA. The organization looks to be slow-playing his buildup back to the rotation. Lefty starter Jagger Haynes has had multiple effective starts in June and has improved his ERA to 4.24 after a shaky start to the season. He has 72 strikeouts to 34 walks in 80.2 innings pitched.
Newly arrived reliever Tucker Musgrove has 2.2 innings with no runs allowed. Reliever Josh Mallitz also struggled to begin the season but has become a higher-leverage arm for the Missions. He carries a 4.94 ERA.
Fort Wayne TinCaps (33-43 record, 4th in Midwest League East)
Outfielder Alex McCoy has had to make multiple adjustments over the first half of the season after the league has learned to exploit his offensive weaknesses. He has had some slumps that show the pitchers finding the holes in his swing. Each time, he has adjusted and started hitting again for the TinCaps. McCoy currently is second in batting average at .269 and leads in slug at .496. He has 12 homers and 41 RBI, both leading the team.
Outfielder Kasen Wells leads with a .419 OBP with 38 walks to 57 strikeouts. Wells does not feature power and is mostly a singles hitter with a .287 batting average.
Lefty starter Kash Mayfield, just named to the Futures Game with Ethan Salas, has a 3.22 ERA in 44.2 innings in his 12 starts. He will be limited in his innings pitched as he only threw 60.2 innings last season. Starter Abraham Parra has had some clunkers in his 54.2 innings pitched with a 5.93 ERA, but leads the team with 54 strikeouts. Mayfield has 53 strikeouts.
New arrival Ryan Och has eight appearances and 11.2 innings in relief with a 0.77 ERA.
Lake Elsinore Storm (41-34 record, 1st in California League South)
Catcher Alcides Hernandez, a Venezuelan signed out of the international class in 2023, is 21 years old and began the season in the ACL. He now leads with a .313 average in his seven games with the team.
Outfielder George Bilecki, drafted in the 12th round of the 2025 draft, has a .372 OBP despite only hitting .212. Newly promoted infielder Dawson Willis has played in 12 games for the Storm after his promotion from the ACL and is hitting .295/.347/.500 with three doubles, two homers, and 11 RBI.
Right-handed starter Jesus Castro, who just turned 19, has a 3.52 ERA in 13 games started and 53.2 innings pitched. He leads the team with 61 strikeouts to 20 walks. With the promotion of Winyer Chourio to Fort Wayne, Castro inherits the top spot in the rotation.
Reliever Javier Chacon was promoted to Fort Wayne, and the TinCaps will need to have their relief corps step up after losing two of their best pitchers.
ACL Padres (24-19 record, 3rd in West)
Outfielder Eddson Martinez, who came from the DSL Gold team a week ago, is hitting .333/.500/.500 in his six games. Infielder Luis De Leon leads the team with a .297 average. Catcher Jhohan Downer has a .430 OBP with 22 walks and 20 hits in 30 games.
The pitching for the ACL team has struggled to limit runs. Their offense has led to their victories. Righty Cameron Nohos has six starts in his 10 appearances and 29.2 innings pitched. He has a 7.28 ERA with 50 strikeouts to 18 walks. Command and consistency are routinely an issue with pitchers at this level and Nohos is no exception, but he shows potential.
DSL Padres Gold and Brown
The Gold team continues to dominate with a 17-4 record, easily topping the Northwest Division. The pitching features many arms with good stuff but high ERA’s. The offense has multiple hitters sitting over .300 with shortstop Joniel Hernandez having a .329/.433/.506 line with 24 RBI. Two players lead with 3 homers and the team features doubles as their dominant extra-base hits.
The Brown team has a 5-15 record, last in the West Division. Both offense and pitching have had issues overall, with minimal power in the lineup (two home runs for the team).
Infielder Endy Rios has a .333 average and 13 RBI, both tops on the team.
The pitchers, both starters and relievers, have limited innings and reliever Gensy Aquino has a 3.38 ERA in 5.1 innings. Starter Yojansky Perez has a 3.68 ERA in 14.2 innings to lead the team.
When the Vegas Golden Knights traded two-time leading goal scorer Pavel Dorofeyev to the New York Rangers, they knew they would have to replace his production. Because they aren’t exactly flush with cash— which is part of the reason they traded Dorofeyev in the first place— finding a flashy replacement just wasn’t in the cards.
Instead, the Golden Knights got the most bang for their buck and ended up opting for a cost-friendly reunion. On Wednesday, they signed old friend Victor Olofsson to a one-year contract worth $1,638,330.
Olofsson, a sniper who will be 31 by the time the season starts, played 56 games for the Golden Knights in 2024-25. He made the most of every opportunity, scoring 15 goals— six of which came on the power play— and added 14 assists. He also added two goals and two assists in nine postseason games.
As a left-shot with a lethal one-timer, Olofsson could slot into Dorofeyev’s old spot on the power play. He’s one of the only pure goal scorers on the team, and has certainly had success there in the past. He established chemistry with both William Karlsson and Tomáš Hertl during his first stint with the Golden Knights, but after this postseason, separating Karlsson from Brett Howden and Mitch Marner feels counterintuitive. So, at 5-on-5, Olofsson will likely reunite with Hertl on the third line.
“We wanted to add someone who has a history of being able to score goals, which Victor does,” said Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon when he met with the media on Wednesday. “We had him, so we know the player. We liked more about his game, then and now, than just the fact that he’s a shooter, but he does bring that skill set to our team. He was responsible, and he’s a smart player. So I think that he’ll find a good spot in our lineup.”
DENVER, CO - JULY 1: Mickey Moniak #22 of the Colorado Rockies hits a single in the third inning against the Miami Marlins at Coors Field on July 1, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Sometimes it takes persistence when fishing after a couple of days of disappointment. The Colorado Rockies found plenty to be happy about as they routed the Miami Marlins 6-3. The win snaps an eight-game losing streak for the Rockies and now puts them in position to aim for a series split on Thursday.
Freeland goes fishin’
For the first time since April 7, Kyle Freeland has earned a win.
Looking to be a stopper against the Marlins, Freeland came through on his end for another solid outing. Historically good against Miami in his career, Freeland was able to combat the contact-oriented offense of the Fish for five innings.
From the get-go, it was clear Freeland had good command of his pitches and was spinning them well. His first time through the order, he collected four strikeouts while allowing just one hit and one walk. The knuckle-curve proved to be his best pitch once again, as it generated 55% of his 13 whiffs on the night.
The Marlins got on the board in the fourth inning after Liam Hicks singled and Heriberto Hernández doubled to put runners on second and third with one out. Javier Sanoja then connected on a sinker that was left over the plate for a two-run triple that put Miami up 2-1 at the time. Freeland bounced back quickly, stranding Sanoja on third by striking out Kyle Stowers and getting Leo Jiménez to line out.
Freeland then worked around a pair of one-out singles in the fifth inning thanks to another strikeout and groundout. His night was over after throwing 85 pitches, having allowed just two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts and just one walk.
Mickey, you blow my mind
The talk of the offense for the night was the performance of Mickey Moniak. Still shaking off some bad habits after returning from the injured list, Moniak had a home run on Tuesday night and got right back to work tonight. In his first at-bat of the game, Moniak blasted a 96 mph fastball over the plate to center field for his 14th home run of the season to give the Rockies a 1-0 lead.
In the third inning, Moniak then lined a ball into right field for a two-out double, but he got stranded at second base. His next at-bat came in the fifth inning, where he delivered a two-out two-run triple to give the Rockies a 3-2 lead.
Unfortunately, Moniak was unable to get the single he needed for the cycle when he stepped up to the plate in the seventh inning, as he ended up flying out to left field in foul territory. He ended the night 3-for-4 with three RBI.
Fifth inning rally
Facing the formidable Max Meyer for Miami, the Rockies ended up scoring six runs, tying a season-high for him. After Moniak’s home run in the first, the Rockies were silenced until the bottom of the fifth inning.
Troy Johnston led off the inning with a single, followed by a hard-hit ball from Kyle Karros that was deemed an error as it deflected off of Sanoja at second base. Ezequiel Tovar then dropped a bunt, which resulted in a throw to third base. Johnston was initially called safe, which would have loaded the bases, but a replay challenge by Miami overturned it for the first out. Jake McCarthy then grounded out to first base for the second out, putting runners on first and second, setting the stage for Moniak’s triple.
Hunter Goodman then joined in on the fun with a two-run home run to left field to put the Rockies up 5-2. It was his 27th of the year, tying Larry Walker for the most home runs before the All-Star break in franchise history. It also had a 45-degree launch angle, which is tied for the second-highest in franchise history during the Statcast era.
Meyer’s night ended after the sixth inning, having given up just one earned run, while allowing six hits and striking out five while walking none. He was efficient with eight groundouts and generated 13 whiffs, thanks largely in part to his sweeper. It was the first loss for Meyer as he was 9-0 entering the game.
Tacking on for Karros
The Rockies weren’t able to do much else against the Marlins’ bullpen, but Karros led off the seventh inning with a towering home run to center field to extend the Rockies’ lead 6-3.
Karros ended the night 1-for-3 with two runs scored and has continued the success he found in June. The Rockies as a whole had seven hits, including three home runs, while striking out just six times. They didn’t manage to draw a walk and went 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
The pen holds the line
After Freeland left the game, Juan Mejia fired two solid innings, Jimmy Herget a quick eighth, and Brennan Bernardino locked down the save in the ninth.
Mejia had the most eventful night as he worked two innings. He allowed the only hit of the night from the bullpen in the seventh inning. Pinch-hitter Joe Mack hit an inside-the-park home run on a ball that deflected off the center field wall for their third run of the game. Fortunately, Mejia bounced back nicely to keep things stable and move the line for the pen.
The pitching staff ended up allowing just two walks as a whole while striking out 11 Marlins hitters.
Up next
The Rockies and Marlins close out the four-game set at 1:10 pm MDT tomorrow. Michael Lorenzen (3-9, 6.83 ERA) will take the hill for the Rockies while the Marlins have yet to announce a starter.
Fullback has been in good form ahead of Nations Championship
James Slipper out of retirement as replacement loosehead prop
Jock Campbell will start at fullback in his first Test since late 2022 when Australia take on Ireland in their first Nations Championship Test on Saturday.
Campbell played the last of his four Tests in Australia’s first ever loss to Italy in Florence in 2022, but had an impressive season in Super Rugby.
CLEVELAND, OH - JULY 01: Winston Santos #47 of the Texas Rangers pitches during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Wednesday, July 1, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Sean Finucane/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Guardians 9, Rangers 4
All good things must come to an end.
The six game winning streak was a good thing, but it is no more.
It was fun while it lasted though, no?
A 7-3 road trip. No one can complain about that, right?
Well, actually, they probably can.
People will complain about anything.
Probably even this post-game thoughts post.
Ultimately teams have to lose, of course.
Teams don’t keep winning forever.
So you get a game like this, sometimes closer, sometimes more of a blowout.
MacKenzie Gore gave up five runs in the second inning. That’s a novel change from giving up runs in the first inning.
He didn’t give up any other runs in his five innings of work.
Maybe we could call a mulligan on that inning.
Winston Santos made his major league debut, finally. Hopefully he will have many more innings with the Rangers.
Corey Seager going on the injured list put a damper on things before the game started. That puts a monkey in the wrench, as John McClain said.
Everything seems just very slightly out of focus right now. Seager and Wyatt Langford on the injured list, Brandon Nimmo being out, guys like Ezequiel Duran getting three hits and Elias Diaz hitting home runs.
Like the fumbling about around .500 and still being a contender because of the motleyness of the American League and the injuries and the collection of not guys you’d expect to be playing or carrying heavy playing responsibilities and the like all combining to smudge the reality of the season.
Things slightly askew. A river that runs uphill. The dog that didn’t bark.
It is back to Arlington on Thursday. Back to life, back to reality…
MacKenzie Gore hit 97.1 mph with his fastball, averaging 95.5 mph. Cole Winn reached 96.4 mph with his fastball. Winston Santos’s fastball touched 98.6 mph.
Elias Diaz had a 105.8 mph home run. Ezequiel Duran had a 103.4 mph single.
Kessler is White, as are the Lakers' backcourt duo, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
The lineup triggered jokes of "Snowtime," a reference to "Showtime" when the fast-paced Lakers were led by Black stars such as Magic Johnson and Kareem Adbul-Jabbar.
But the Lakers' new projected starting lineup also fueled strong opinions, such as the one shared by ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, regarding the team's makeup in a league that is more than 70% Black.
"The Los Angeles Lakers think they going with a bunch of White dudes," he said on the Stephen A. Smith Show Wednesday, July 1. "Your three top players are White dudes? Really? This ain't golf. This ain't baseball. Hell, it ain't even soccer. What y'all think this is? Basketball. …
"You ain't going anywhere being led by three White dudes in today's generation of basketball."
3 WHITE DUDES?! The Lakers Really Think THIS Can Win a Championship?
Kenyon Martin, a former No. 1 NBA draft pick who played in the league from 2000 to 2015, also chimed in on how the Lakers will fare with three White players in the starting lineup.
"Y'all lose in the first round (of the playoffs) either way it goes," Martin said on the Gilbert Arenas sport talk show, Gil’s Arena. "You play four White boys, you ain't gonna beat nobody … I want to know what team has been successful with that many on one roster."
On July 1, the Lakers also signed power forward and center Sandro Mamukelashvili, according to ESPN. Depending on on what the Lakers do with Rui Hachimura and other free agents, Mamukelashvili could emerge as a potential fourth White player in the starting lineup.
Two White NBA Finals MVPs in past 40 years
Debate over the role of race in NBA success has often led to tensions in a league that is drastically different than the overall U.S. population, which identifies as 57% White, according to Census estimates.
Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets' White, Serbian center, won back-to-back NBA MVPs in 2021 and 2022 and was named NBA Finals MVP in 2023, a year when he finished second to Philadelphia 76ers Center Joel Embiid in MVP voting.
Since the turn of the century, Jokic, Steve Nash (2005, 2006) and Dirk Nowitzki (2007) are White players to be named league MVP. Larry Bird (1984-86) was the last White NBA MVP prior to Nash.
Jokic and Nowitzki (2011) are the only White players to be named NBA Finals MVP since Bird won the award in 1984 and 1986.
For its part, the NBA has leaned into issues of social justice and cultural inclusion, a fact that Commissioner Adam Silver addressed in a 2016 interview. "I do feel a particular obligation to focus on the African-American community in that we have a league that is roughly 75 percent African-American," Silver told Andscape. "And I feel part of the obligation comes from the history of this league that I've inherited."
Talk of race, Lakers roster talk triggers backlash
On X, Smith came under attack for allegations of racism.
Wrote one commenter, "Now, if a white journalist said the EXACT same thing about BLACK players, Stephen A Smith would accuse the journalist of racial bias. When do we stop with the identity politics?"
Another commenter wrote, "Skin color don’t win championships, skill does. Stephen A. race-baiting again. Garbage take."
Wrote yet another, "Mr Smith, your race card is showing."
Martin’s comments led to some pushback from Rashad McCants, a former NBA player and co-host on Arenas' show who pointed to the Utah Jazz teams that in the 2000s had a starting lineup featuring two White players, Andrei Kirlenko and Mehmet Okur, with Matt Harping, another key contributor, coming off the bench. Those teams went to the Western Conference Finals once and a the Western Conference semifinals twice.
But more people cited the Boston Celtics, who won the 1986 NBA title. The team's starting lineup included three White players: Larry Bird, Danny Ainge and Kevin McHale.
Jun 25, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) watches the action from the dugout against the Houston Astros in the seventh inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
I think it’s time to chat again about Eric Hartman. The Braves’ now top prospect completed a 20 HR, 30 SB season on July 1st, through 71 games of his season. He was also ranked the 25th prospect in all of baseball by Baseball America and it’s getting easier every day to see him in the top 10 by the offseason. This is simply a hugely valuable prospect coming from a 20th round pick just two years ago and the back end of the organizational top 30 as recently as March. While he’s only at high-A (probably not for long) and still has work to do on his game, he has rapidly become a potential superstar on the position-player side for an organization that desperately needed talent on that hitting side and has got it this year from not only Hartman.
The Vegas Golden Knights entered the offseason with a decision to make regarding their goaltending.
Akira Schmid, who led the team in starts, wins, save percentage, and shutouts, was a pending Restricted Free Agent. And to keep him, the Golden Knights wouldn’t just have to come to terms with him on a new contract— they’d also have to move out one of the other goaltenders on their roster. would have to move out one of the other goaltenders on their roster.
Because Schmid led the team in every statistic, questions arose about Adin Hill and his future in Las Vegas. Hill backstopped the Golden Knights to their first Stanley Cup just three years ago, but after a down year in which he posted a career-worst .871 save percentage, his value has never been lower.
Moving Hill would be complicated, as he has a 10-team no-trade list. But he’s set to make $6.25 million for the next five seasons, and the Golden Knights are always looking to shed salary.
It seemed like the Golden Knights answered all of the questions about the direction they’d take with their goaltending when they traded Schmid to the Florida Panthers on Monday. And if there were any remaining doubts, general manager Kelly McCrimmon left no room for interpretation when he spoke with the media following day one of Free Agency.
“My opinion is that you need two good goalies,” said McCrimmon on Wednesday. “You set out on September 1st, and if you’re hoping to play in the Stanley Cup Final, you’re going to play 104, 105 hockey games. You need two goaltenders to get through that.
“I think we have a great tandem,” McCrimmon continued. “I think Adin is gonna bounce back; I think he’s a good goalie who had a tough season. We need him to revert to form, and we expect that he will. Carter made a great impression, getting us straight to the Stanley Cup Final. So, I think we’re in good shape at that position.”
When the Winnipeg Jets selected Ville Heinola with the 20th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, they believed they had landed one of the game's brightest young defencemen.
On Wednesday, that chapter officially came to an end as the unrestricted free agent officially locked in on a one-year, one-way contract with the Vegas Golden Knights. Thus ending a seven-year tenure in Winnipeg that never came anywhere near close to matching the promise of its beginning.
Photo by Kirby Lee/USA Today
For the Golden Knights, it's a low-risk opportunity to uncover untapped potential. For the Jets, it's another reminder of a development story that never quite made sense.
The most puzzling part of Heinola's career in Winnipeg is that the organization initially appeared completely sold on him.
As an 18-year-old, Heinola not only cracked the Jets' opening-night roster in 2019, but immediately became a trusted contributor. He averaged nearly 20 minutes per game during his first eight NHL contests, saw power-play time and produced five points. Along the way, he became the first player born in the 21st century to record both an NHL point and an NHL goal.
At that point it was a diamond found in the rough, a needle in a haystack. Likely something that was looking to be a long-term NHL fit between the player and the Jets.
But like Sami Niku and others before him, things just didn't seem to work out between the player and the Jets.
Despite repeatedly demonstrating his offensive instincts and puck-moving ability, Heinola never received another extended opportunity in Winnipeg. He bounced between the Jets and Manitoba Moose, where he consistently produced at nearly a point every other game from the blueline, only to find himself back in the minors or watching from the press box whenever the NHL roster became healthy.
The Jets didn't simply prioritize established veterans over Heinola. They routinely found opportunities for others.
Whether it was Logan Stanley, Colin Miller, Haydn Fleury or a revolving cast of depth defencemen, Winnipeg continually leaned toward experience or size while Heinola waited for another chance that just didn't come his way.
To be fair, circumstances weren't always on the organization's side.
Just as Heinola appeared poised to finally secure a full-time role entering the 2023-24 season, disaster struck. A fractured ankle suffered during training camp required surgery and wiped out what many believed would be his breakthrough campaign. Complications during his recovery only delayed his return further.
Those injuries undoubtedly altered his trajectory, but they don't explain why a player who looked NHL-ready at 18 finished his Jets career with just 58 regular-season games.
Yes, read that again: 58 NHL games over his seven years in town.
When he was first called into action, the Jets trusted him enough to play nearly 20 minutes a night. Years later, after dominating stretches in the American Hockey League and gaining additional experience, those same opportunities never materialized again. It seemed as though Heinola's leash actually became shorter, not longer with experience/age.
Perhaps Heinola simply wasn't destined to become the top-four defenceman many projected on draft day.
That's entirely possible. But that's also what makes this story frustrating for the team, managerial staff, coaches, fans and the player himself. The Jets never truly found out.
Rather than giving their former first-round pick 40 or 50 consecutive NHL games to determine exactly what they had, Heinola spent years in hockey's version of limbo—too good for the American Hockey League, yet never trusted long enough in the National Hockey League to establish himself.
In all fairness, Heinola was a press box regular, despite his clear talents. Now it is Vegas' turn to figure out his place.
The Golden Knights have built a reputation for identifying overlooked talent and putting players in positions to succeed. At 25 years old, Heinola still possesses the skating, vision and puck-moving ability that made him a first-round selection. If he finds a regular role, few around the league will be surprised. He has always lacked size, but really hasn't made that an issue anywhere - except for its perceived issue in Winnipeg.
If Heinola carves out a meaningful NHL career in Vegas, the conversation won't simply be about a player who needed a change of scenery. It will instead be about a talented first-round pick whose greatest opportunity never came with the team that drafted him.
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 01: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates hitting a solo home run in the third inning during the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Truist Park on July 1, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hello, July. Hello, elusive win No. 50. Hello and safe travels to Mexico, English World Cup fan contingent. Braves Country, there was a lot to like about tonight’s 5-1 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals.
But first, the wink heard ‘round the world.
The offense would eventually come alive late after being pretty dormant (again), but for seven whole innings, the Braves’ lead was courtesy of Ozzie Albies. Ozzie is more than worthy of being this year’s starting second baseman for the NL at the All-Star game. Our petit sparkplug deserves the world.
Ozzie was doing it all himself versus starter Michael McGreevy, starting with an RBI double in the first to drive in Drake Baldwin. We don’t talk about what else happened there because Ozzie then made up for it with a go-ahead solo homer in the third inning to make it 2-1 Braves.
And thus the score would stay for the majority of the game.
This was a sorely needed outing for Reynaldo López. He was fired up as he left the mound for the final time tonight, and rightfully so. Giving us a sense of deja vu, he had yet another shaky first inning. He gave up a ground rule double to Iván Herrera, who would come home to score on a Jordan Walker single. But he held the Cardinals to those two hits in his five innings of work. The only other baserunner allowed was JJ Wetherholt, who worked a walk in the top of the third. The velocity returned, the locations were better, and he ended the night with six strikeouts. It was a beautiful glimpse of the Reynaldo we’ve been missing.
And thankfully, we can appreciate the outing all the more since they didn’t succumb to the temptation of having him go back out for the sixth after throwing 69 pitches. The call to the bullpen was to bring in the D’s: Didier Fuentes was sandwiched between our two lefty Dylans, and all three threw perfect innings to preserve the slim one-run lead.
Michael McGreevy got Chris Sale’d by his offense: pitching a quality start, but being charged with the loss. He departed after six innings of two-run ball and was followed by Max Rajcic, who worked around two walks to keep the score 2-1. But reliever Justin Bruihl was not so lucky. Facing the top of the order, he walked Drake Baldwin and Ozzie reached on a fielding error by Blaze Jordan. Matt Olson’s flyout allowed Baldwin to advance to third. Michael Harris II then came through with an RBI single for a much-needed insurance run.
Gordon Graceffo came in to get the remaining two outs and immediately allowed an inherited run to score as Mauricio Dubón hit a sacrifice bunt sans the sacrifice. Cue the Ozzie wink.
Dominic Smith wanted in on the action and singled to right, but Jordan Walker made an unbelievable throw to cut down Harris II at the plate. This allowed Dubie to get to third.
Friends, rejoice. Your eyes do not deceive you – that’s is Austin Riley at the plate in the highlight below. And he does hit an RBI single to make it 5-1 Braves.
While it was no longer a save situation in the ninth, he was up, so Raisel Iglesias jogged out and promptly slammed the door. Braves, and I cannot emphasize this enough, win.
Maybe the problem really was June… only time will tell. In addition to a month-opening victory, López’s great start and the bullpen usage here means they were able to stay away from Hurston Waldrep, who could make the start in tomorrow’s rubber match / series finale. But that’s a tomorrow problem. For tonight, just enjoy this win. We really needed it.
