Yasiel Puig may be staring down a 15-year prison sentence, but the former major leaguer can still hit.
Puig is playing in the Canadian Baseball League for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and on Sunday, in a game against the Kitchener Panthers, he hit a pair of home runs.
The former big leaguer hit a two-out, three-run home run into deep left field in the bottom of the second inning to break a 1-1 tie.
Former MLB star Yasiel Puig hits his second home run for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday. @BaseballQuotes1/X
Puig pointed to the sky as he crossed home plate after trotting around the basepaths.
The 35-year-old slugger followed it up with a solo home run in the fifth inning.
Puig took a 2-1 pitch into left field, into a park area far from the ballfield, where the semi-pro baseball game he was taking part in was.
Puig signed with the Maple Leafs of the Canadian Baseball League late last month and Sunday was his first game with the semi-pro team.
All of this occurred 20 days out from a sentencing hearing slated for May 26 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles.
Former MLB star Yasiel Puig rounds the bases after hitting his second home run for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday. @BaseballQuotes1/X
The charges stemmed from an interview with investigators that took place on Jan. 27, 2022.
He is potentially facing 15 years in jail, though he could receive a more lenient sentence for the situation.
Puig had played seven seasons in Major League Baseball, spending six of those seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers and playing for Cincinnati and Cleveland in his final year.
Yasiel Puig #66 of the Cleveland Indians looks on during the fourth inning of the MLB game between the Cleveland Indians and the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on September 09, 2019 in Anaheim, California. Getty ImagesFormer MLB star Yasiel Puig celebrates one of his two home runs for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday. @BaseballQuotes1/X
During his time in the majors, he was named to the MLB All-Star Game in 2014.
Puig hit .277 in 3,376 plate appearances, while recording 132 home runs and 415 RBIs.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MAY 02: Andy Ibanez #77 of the New York Mets during warm up before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 02, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The New York Mets came into their season finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks with the hopes of winning their third straight series, but errors and a struggling lineup led to a 5-1 loss Sunday in Arizona. The Mets were no-hit through five 1/3 innings by left-handed Diamondbacks starter Eduardo Rodriguez while registering a season-high three errors.
Rodriguez stymied New York’s lineup for the second time this season, giving up one run across eight 1/3 innings pitched, an even better outing than he had at Citi Field on April 9 when he allowed one run over six innings. Rodriguez came out for the ninth inning but was pulled after giving up a bloop single to Mark Vientos. The Mets were unable to rally after the Vientos single against reliever Juan Morillo.
New York managed just four hits while Andy Ibanez committed two errors after getting the start at third base, with both errors being on throws to first. His first errant throw came in the fourth inning with two outs on a play that should have helped Mets pitcher David Peterson escape the inning. Peterson was still able to get out of the fourth without giving up a run after Ryan Waldschmidt hit into a fielder’s choice.
Ibanez’s second error came in the sixth inning, where the Diamondbacks put the game on ice. Illdemaro Vargas reached on the error, then three straight two-out hits by Jorge Barrosa, Waldschmidt, and Ketel Marte added three runs and put Arizona up 5-1. Peterson had a throwing error of his own in the fifth inning to contribute to a sloppy day for New York.
Whether the defense was firing on all cylinders or not, the lineup couldn’t get any traction against Rodriguez, who perhaps wishes he could pitch against the Mets every time out. Bo Bichette came into the game with a .400 average and two home runs in 17 plate appearances against Rodriguez, but went 0 for 3 with a walk. Juan Soto had the same stat line as Bichette as six Mets starters went hitless.
With the offense no-showing once again for the last-place Mets, the game was essentially lost in the second inning when Arizona scored two runs. Huascar Brazobán got the start out of the bullpen and immediately struggled with command in his brief appearance. He gave up a leadoff walk to Marte, which was followed by a sacrifice bunt by Corbin Carroll. A groundout from Geraldo Perdomo and a pop-out from Adrian Del Castillo help Brazobán escape. Back out for the second, he walked Vargas and Nolan Arenado before being replaced by Tobias Myers. With two runners on and nobody out, Myers immediately gave up a two-run double to Waldschmidt. Myers was able to limit any further damage in the second inning, but the Mets’ lineup was in a hole they never escaped from.
Peterson replaced Myers in the third inning, pitching five innings with zero earned runs thanks to the Ibanez errors. This is the fourth game the Mets have elected to bring Peterson in mid-game rather than start, and all four times seemed to have helped Peterson’s consistency. He’s given up three earned runs across 16 innings pitched in those situations.
Unable to get anything going against Rodriguez, Carson Benge finally broke through with a soft single to left field in the sixth inning. Luis Torrens followed it up with a double to the right corner that scored the speedy Benge. Soto flied out to advance Torrens before Bichette drew a walk. Austin Slater hit a groundout to first base to end the inning and strand Torrens. Semien drew a walk in the seventh inning and Torrens singled in the eighth, but New York couldn’t get either runner home.
The Mets are off Monday, before beginning a six-game homestand against the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees.
Big Mets winner: Luis Torrens, +15% WPA Big Mets loser: Austin Slater -16% WPA Mets pitchers: -20% WPA Mets hitters: -30% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Luis Torrens RBI double in the sixth, +14.5% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Ryan Waldschmidt RBI double in the second, +17.5 WPA
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 08: JJ Wetherholt #26 of the St. Louis Cardinals runs toward home plate to score on an error by Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres during the fifth inning at Petco Park on May 08, 2026 in San Diego, California. Four runs scored on the play. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s hard to believe that the season is through its first quarter already. And the Cardinals are good! We all love the Cardinals of course, but it’s far more enjoyable when they are winning baseball games and we don’t just have to rely on the development of young players to satiate our baseball sweet tooth.
We convened the Redbird Rundown crew and dished out first quarter grades with Joe Roderick from STL Sports Central. It was a good way to take stock of the team from a broad overview.
We covered Walker’s ascendancy, Wetherholt metronomic performance, praised runners going from first to third, and mostly buried the pitching staff — with some exceptions!
Give it a listen if audio is your thing. And, you know how the internet works, it would be great if you’d subscribe. It helps others find our show!
Lakers star Austin Reaves, left, talks with coach JJ Redick during the Lakers' loss in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
In their darkest playoff hour, Lakers coach JJ Redick advised his players during practice Sunday to take the same mental approach for the win-or-go-home Game 4 that they've used since the first day of training camp.
The Lakers trail the Oklahoma City Thunder 3-0 in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series. The Lakers must beat the Thunder at Crypto.com Arena on Monday night or their season is over.
"Our first slide that we put up in training camp was [to] win the day,” Redick said. “Today was a quick offensive review and then just going over some stuff defensively. Got to win today and we got to win tomorrow. We know what we're facing being down 3-0. So it's just more of a mindset check than anything else."
No NBA team has ever come back to win a series when trailing 3-0, with those teams holding a 161-0 record.
Redick was asked what his team’s mood was like at practice.
"These guys are good,” he said.
Redick then was asked what his squad has shown him that gives him hope the Lakers can still win.
“Affirmation,” he responded.
Even after losing three games by an average of 19.6 points per game, the Lakers still cling to some hope.
Rui Hachimura has been on what Redick called a “heater” from three-point range. He has made 57.1% of his threes and has shot 54.1% from the floor in the series, averaging 18.3 points per game.
Hachimura thought back to the Lakers’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets and how they had a commanding 3-0 lead. But the Rockets fought back to make the series 3-2 before the Lakers closed out the series.
"It’s crazy, but I think that’s the mentality we need," Hachimura said. "I think it’s one at a time. I think especially with this type of team, you can't really make mistakes. ... We have to keep the same energy the whole game. That’s the only way we can win. So, we know what we do."
Lakers star LeBron James plays against the Thunder in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals on Saturday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
What they need to do is play better in the third quarter. The Lakers have been outscored 92-61 in the third quarter by the Thunder.
“I feel like every game we're getting closer,” Hachimura said. “Especially last night ... apparently we had the best offensive game of the series, even the playoffs. I think we had really good looks, great looks. But I think defensively we, especially in the third quarter, we kind of slowed down. I don't know [if] we got burned out or we got tired, whatever.
"So, I think our focus is like how we play in the first half we have to do in the whole game. ... That's going to be our goal."
The Lakers have managed to slow down Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander by having Marcus Smart guard him and putting constant double teams on the reigning NBA most valuable player.
Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 21.0 points per game in the series, far below the 31.1 points he averaged during the regular season. He’s averaging 5.7 assists per game, which is below his 6.6 during the regular season, and he’s shooting 45.8%, which is below his 55.3% for the season. He’s averaging four turnovers in the series as well.
But Chet Holmgren, who is averaging a double-double in the series at 21.3 points per game and 10.0 rebounds, has been a handful for the Lakers. Ajay Mitchell is averaging 20.7 points per game and 6.6 assists.
That’s why the Lakers are on the verge of seeing their season end. The Lakers have faced adversity all season, but Game 4 will be the ultimate test.
"Being on the Lakers, you feel like your back’s against the wall every game,” Redick said. “So I think the whole season has prepared us to be in a position where we're in the second round of the Western Conference and being in the mix with a great basketball team."
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — The Ottawa Charge are returning to the Walter Cup Final for a second straight season.
Michela Cava scored at 1:12 of the second overtime to lead Ottawa to a 4-3 win over the Boston Fleet, winning the best-of-five semifinal series in four games.
Ottawa lost last year’s final to the Minnesota Frost.
The Charge will meet the winner of the Montreal Victoire-Frost series, which will be decided with Monday’s Game 5.
Sarah Wozniewicz, Rebecca Leslie and Brooke Hobson also scored for Ottawa. Goaltender Gwyneth Philips made 43 saves.
Shay Maloney, Megan Keller and Sophie Shirley scored for the Fleet. Aerin Frankel made 29 saves.
After losing the first game, Ottawa went on to win the next three. Boston had not lost three straight games all season.
Cava redirected a Katerina Mrazova shot for the winning goal.
The two teams combined for five goals in the second to tie the game 3-3 after 40 minutes.
Ottawa took a 2-0 lead early in the period. Jenner fired a sharp-angle shot from below the goal-line that deflected off Leslie’s skate as she battled to the crease. The play was reviewed, but the goal stood.
The Fleet then scored three straight in a span of 1:33 to take a 3-2 lead.
Joel Embiid pretty much begged 76ers fans not to sell their tickets and to show up for the home games during their second round matchup with the Knicks.
The team tried its best to keep New Yorkers from being able to acquire them, as well.
The organization went as far as donating tickets to local community groups in an effort to keep Knicks fans out.
Spoiler alert: It didn’t work.
“I used to think Philly was a sports town, I don’t know anymore,” Josh Hart said after the Knicks defeated the Sixers to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The orange and blue faithful absolutely dominated Xfinity Mobile Arena in Game 3, and it was even worse with a chance to close the series out on Sunday for Game 4.
New York fans once again showed up and showed out.
Cheers were so loud when the Knicks were welcomed to the court pregame that if you weren’t looking you would've thought the home team was being introduced.
And those cheers only grew louder and louder as the Knicks jumped out to commanding double-digit advantage behind a historic three-point shooting opening quarter.
“It’s one of the coolest things in the world hearing Knicks fans take over opposing arenas,” Jalen Brunson said.
They exploded again after Mitchell Robinson knocked both of his free throws when Philly turned to the Hack-A-Mitch strategy in an effort to slow things down late in the second quarter.
Minutes later, a contingent of Knicks fans behind the basket were shown holding up pictures of Robinson’s posterization of Joel Embiid as the big man attempted free throws on the other end.
And with the hometown fans making their way towards the exits, chants of ‘Knicks in 4’ and ‘Let’s Go Knicks’ rang throughout the area down the stretch in the blowout victory.
Philly sounded like MSG West, once again.
“I got a lot of respect for you, Knicks fans,” Mike Brown said.
“When you can take over a 'sports town,' that gives the guys so much confidence,” Hart said. “JB, myself, Mikal [Bridges] have ties here so it never felt like a road game, and they made sure to echo that.”
To Dave Roberts, the roster crunch facing the Dodgers might be a good problem to have.
But the situation still presents a problem.
The good news for the club: Mookie Betts is set to be activated from the injured list Monday, making his awaited return from an oblique strain that has sidelined him for more than a month.
Mookie Betts is set to be activated from the injured list Monday, forcing a “tough decision” with roster. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
And on the eve of that decision Sunday, no easy answer had yet emerged.
“It’s a potential tough conversation,” Roberts acknowledged, saying the club had yet to finalize its choice. “I could make a case for all the guys we’re considering.”
The three candidates for the chopping block have been obvious for a while: infielders Alex Freeland, Hyeseong Kim and Santiago Espinal.
Each of them, though, still offers value to the club.
A big caveat to start with: Espinal has easily been the worst performer of the three, batting .188 in extremely limited playing time (his 32 at-bats are the fewest among members of the Opening Day roster). But, the former All-Star utilityman is also the only one of the three without any minor-league options, meaning that he would have to be designated for assignment and exposed to waivers if he were demoted from the active roster.
Kim and Freeland, on the other hand, could simply be optioned to Triple-A, which would allow the Dodgers to preserve more organizational depth.
Another factor: When Betts returns, playing time will be limited for whoever stays with the club.
The Dodgers will still have a platoon opening at second base — at least until Tommy Edman makes his own IL return after missing the start of the year recovering from ankle surgery (he is still at least several weeks away and was transferred to the 60-day IL this week).
But where Kim and Freeland have started regularly over the last month, getting valuable at-bats as young players continuing to develop offensively, one or both of them could see their at-bats severely cut.
Thus, the Dodgers could opt to keep Espinal — a veteran who wouldn’t be as impacted by minimal opportunities — and send one of Kim or Freeland back to Triple-A to continue to play every day.
That would be easier to do, of course, if both players weren’t contributing in the way they have been lately.
Kim, who was sent to Triple-A the last time the Dodgers had to make a similar decision at the end of spring training, entered Sunday hitting over .300 since being called back up when Betts first got hurt. He has also accomplished the primary goal the Dodgers had for him after his up-and-down rookie season in 2025, cutting his strikeout rate from 30.6% last year to 18.3% this year.
“I think that he’s done a much better job of controlling the strike zone,” Roberts said. “He’s got the ability to put the bat on the ball, get hits, steal bases, play good defense. And I think he’s done all that.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts faces a difficult roster decision when Mookie Betts is activated. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Freeland, however, has flashed a similar skill set while heating up at the plate in recent weeks.
After hitting .190 over his first 14 games this year, the switch-hitting former third-round draft pick entered Sunday with a .288 average over his last 18 games, improving his plate discipline and quality of contact.
Also of note: When the Dodgers picked Freeland over Kim for their final Opening Day roster spot, Roberts said there was “nothing left for [Freeland] to prove” at the Triple-A level, where he had spent much of the previous two campaigns.
Before Sunday’s game — in which Kim and Freeland once again offered little separation, going a combined 0-for-7 with five strikeouts on a day the whole offense struggled — Roberts said there could be enough playing time to go around to warrant keeping both upon Betts’ return. Read between the lines of his comments, though, and it certainly didn’t seem like the organization views that scenario as ideal.
Then again, none of the three players in question has exactly deserved to be cut from the roster.
One of them will have to be, anyway.
“Obviously, we’ve got a tough decision,” Roberts said. “All of the options, potentially for the corresponding move, these guys have done a great job and served a very good purpose for our club.”
Tyrese Maxey – 23.5 VJ Edgecombe – 16 Joel Embiid – 14.5 Paul George – 10 Kelly Oubre Jr. – 6 Justin Edwards – 4 Dominick Barlow – 3 Andre Drummond – 3 Quentin Grimes – 3 Jared McCain – 3 MarJon Beauchamp – 2 Adem Bona – 1 Porter Martone – 1 Cam Payne – 1 Jabari Walker – 1 Trendon Watford – 1 15th roster spot – 1
Well, it’s over.
The Philadelphia 76ers season comes to a close in the second round of the playoffs, with the New York Knicks completing their 4-0 sweep of the Sixers on their floor. Well, it sounded like the Knicks’ floor, but it was technically the Sixers’.
Game 4 was about as bad as it could get. The Sixers were already down more than 20 points by the close of the first frame. It just never even looked like a competitive contest. The Knicks had 81 points by halftime, holding a 24-point advantage. The Sixers players might have packed for Cancun during the break. New York sweeps Philadelphia, in Philadelphia, with a 144-114 final score in Game 4. If you are looking for a recap of the game for some sick reason, we have you covered here.
I think the reality is that we all knew this was how it would end, with a whimper. The same way this team has gone out year after year. Knocking out the Boston Celtics was nice along the way, and kudos to the players for making that happen in spite of the organizational management this season… but reality always sinks in at some point: this is not a contending team. They never were really expected to be contenders this season, but this is the harsh result of the fact that they really just aren’t. We knew it before the season even started and the organization’s front office all but confirmed it at the trade deadline.
This is where that gets you. Sure, you made the second round when you really weren’t expected to… but does it matter when this is how it ends? If nothing changes going forward?
But I digress. There will be plenty of time for all the post-mortem chatter.
For the final time of the 2025-26 season, let’s get to the Bell Ringer.
The Sixers fans
<p>(Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)</p><br> | Getty Images
The Sixers fans are going to get criticized after the crowd distribution at Game 4, with a large majority of the crowd at Xfinity Mobile Arena donning Knicks gear. I don’t think that will be fair criticism by any means.
After years of stagnation, frustrating injuries, the same roster construction issues never being resolved, the trade deadline “strategy” (if you can even call it that) this February… Even after all of that, the Philadelphia fans showed up for the end of the regular season fight to the Play-In Tournament. They showed up all regular season, through the highs and lows. They showed for that Play-In Tournament game that sent the Sixers to the actual playoffs. They showed up in the first round, and even a bit for Game 3 of this second round despite incredibly high prices to get a seat at the game.
So no, I do not blame the Philadelphia fans for not showing up for Game 4. It would have meant giving $400 per ticket to an organization that has spit in their faces just to then watch a Sixers team get immediately outplayed into a more than 25-point deficit. The only one that put in any perceivable effort was Joel Embiid, who was actively battling through his entire body being in pain throughout. Sorry, that’s just not worth the price of admission.
If this Flyers’ run (and the cheers following their elimination) has taught us anything about the fans of Philadelphia, it’s that they are just looking for something to cheer about. Effort and heart from the organization and the team. This wasn’t that. One of the many ways in which the Sixers are not the Flyers, despite having similar playoff runs on paper these past few weeks.
All of that is to say that there’s only one candidate for the final Bell Ringer of the 2025-26 season: you. You, the fans that find a way to keep being interested in and supporting this team even when it’s been really hard to. You, the fans that keep reading and commenting on our work here at Liberty Ballers even when it would be totally reasonable to be checked-out on all things Sixers. You, the sicko Philly fan that keeps caring even when all evidence tries to convince you not to.
You are the only ones worthy of the Bell Ringer here. We appreciate you.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 09: Ajay Mitchell #25 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket against Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the fourth quarter in Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on May 09, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In what’s become a far too familiar script, the Lakers fell to the Thunder in Saturday’s Game 3 and now trail 3-0. A deficit that’s never been overcome in NBA history. LA’s season is now on the brink of ending on Monday as they attempt to extend the series back to Oklahoma City in Game 4.
In Groundhog Day fashion, the purple and gold led at halftime and held momentum going into the break. It was a two-point advantage in Game 3 after a one-point advantage in Game 2. The Thunder, though, play a complete game, and it takes 48 focused minutes to even keep it close.
The ugly third quarter reared its head again, as OKC used a 33-20 period to turn a deficit into another blowout win, leading by as much as 27 and revealing just how far these two teams are from one another.
Their physicality and aggression wear on opponents, eventually breaking the Lakers’ spirit in each game. After a few back-and-forth baskets, with a tied game at 63, OKC broke out a 15-2 run.
The reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, gets the most attention, understandably, but the Lakers’ killer in this series continues to be guard Ajay Mitchell. The third quarter on Saturday was no different.
Mitchell finished 3-3 from the field with nine points, three assists and zero turnovers in the game-changing third. He hit an early three on the wing to begin the quarter, but where he’s really killed the LA is on straight-line drives, as shown below.
Watch as he runs an action with Isaiah Hartenstein and attacks the basket with a floater that settles in.
His shot puts OKC up seven, with a timeout by head coach J.J. Redick to follow.
The explosive guard finished 10-17 from the field for 24 points, ten assists with zero turnovers. He averaged over 20 for the series with 6.7 assists, burning the Lakers on any overhelp against SGA or taking over in the minutes he sat.
Labeled as the deepest team in the league going into the playoffs, OKC leveraged that all series, including in the third. They have an unending supply of quality role players to plug and play.
Shooting just 6-18 on 3-pointers in the first half, they hit 5-9 in the third, including two massive ones from sharp shooter Isaiah Joe. What looked like a strong defensive possession with closeouts led to a huge basket, quickly taking a five-point lead to eight in the clip below.
On the Lakers’ offensive end, after 57 points at halftime, they mustered just 20 in the third quarter. The Thunder adjusted and increased their physicality on the Lakers’ main ball handlers.
Austin Reaves had eight assists at halftime, getting going downhill and finding teammates either on skip passes or at the basket. OKC shut off those passing windows in the third. Watch below as LeBron James runs a ball screen at the top of the key and swings it over to Reaves in the corner.
No advantage is created as all the Thunder are in the correct defensive position on the floor. Reaves attacks the on-ball pressure from Mitchell looking to score, but is shut off at the rim by Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren. A mid-air pass is quickly stolen for one of his three turnovers in the quarter.
A few possessions later, LeBron and Reaves run their patented middle ball screen action. Mitchell gets a hand on the pocket pass to disrupt the play. Watch below as LeBron quickly looks to fling the ball to Jaxson Hayes and turns it over.
“The turnovers, I think we had five of them in the third,” Redick said postgame. “I think all of them led to them getting fast-break transition baskets. I don’t know what it ended up being, but at one point, they were 11-17 from three in the second half. You’re not getting stops, it’s harder to score.”
LeBron and Reaves combined to go just 1-5 in the third quarter with four turnovers. It’s not enough against a team you need to play perfectly against to just keep it close, let alone steal a win.
The competitive first halves in this series and the constant shots of the bench, with superstar Luka Dončić looking on helplessly, can spark interest in what this matchup would look like in a different situation.
But the reality is that LA has lost the third quarter 92-61 in this series through Game 3 with an average margin of victory of 20 points per game. No matter how you spin it, these teams are nowhere close to each other, and a long summer awaits.
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 10: Chicago White Sox catcher Drew Romo (36) celebrates after hitting a double during a regular season MLB game between the Seattle Mariners and the Chicago White Sox on May 10, 2026, at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Eduard Bazardo yielded the two runs the Chicago White Sox needed to beat the Seattle Mariners today. His 1-2 breaking ball to veteran OF Randal Grichuk floated over the heart of the plate like a miscategorized deluxe roll of conveyer belt sushi on the cheapest designated plate. Grichuk’s solo shot tied things at 1-1 in the 8th inning, and a sinker doubled to the right field wall by Drew Romo set Chicago in go-ahead position with nobody out.
It did not have to be this way.
The Mariners are in a challenging position. Their lineup is now ostensibly full health, missing only Victor Robles from their Opening Day roster to health issues. The group as constructed is an imposing one, with five above-average hitters at the top and four more (against righties) looming in the back half. On the bench, Connor Joe has delivered well, including two hits this afternoon that placed him in scoring position twice in late innings with less than two outs.
And yet, this good lineup got nearly blanked today. White Sox righty Davis Martin is no slouch, grazing on innings a season ago in his first serious run as a big leaguer for a 4.10/4.64 ERA/FIP in 142.2 frames. He’s been even better this year, albeit seeming to outpitch his stuff in a way that’s not immediately obvious. But after the first inning, where Julio Rodríguez blistered a 110.5 mph double and Randy Arozarena knocked him in with another sharp single, Seattle settled into a familiar malaise to the previous evening.
Brendan Donovan and Cal Raleigh, both recently returned from injuries, struck a few balls sharply, but for Donovan it was on the ground at a defender, and Raleigh it was yanked foul. Timing still off, injury-impacted, the outcome unmistakable. Seattle’s roster is a well-stacked series of hitters in theory, which has inconsistently been in alignment in their heat. It’s meant running out Raleigh in his worst slump as a big leaguer in the top of the order, and Donovan now in similar stead by happenstance for his first few games back.
This is the conundrum. To run out their top bats consistently while mired in these doldrums is to replicate the difficulties of the season’s earliest days, where Raleigh, Rodríguez, and Josh Naylor couldn’t find a store with hits still in stock, much less afford to purchase one. The alternative is trickier, however. To shunt Raleigh, Donovan, or whichever player is at issue in a given stretch is to say it’s likelier a less-talented player will outperform them, or even to say the player is not as talented as believed at the season’s outset. The latter option is most daunting, because it would cast more serious doubt on the club’s ultimate capacity to rebound from this mediocre first month and a half.
Today, however, they cast themselves into these questions. Without an offense that can muster more than a run on consecutive nights, they’ll lose outings like Saturday, where Luis Castillo continued to struggle, but they’ll also lose gems like today, which could have easily been a celebration of the best Logan Gilbert start in 2026. Not merely excellent, Gilbert was almost flawless, yielding just a single hit in 6.0 shutout frames, punching out nine, and excitingly showcasing the best slider he’s mustered since at least 2025. Seven whiffs and a couple called strikes on the pitch is a great thing to see, but so too was seeing Gilbert ride the bottom third and shadow of the plate with the pitch. Pulled with 87 pitches after six, it was in many ways a highly-efficient appearance by Gilbert to boot. Would that it’d been enough.
Seattle lost this game in the first inning, not getting to Martin after Julio and Randy cracked the seal, as Cal and Luke Raley each punched out. They did it again in the seventh, spoiling Joe’s leadoff double with a flaccid trio of plate appearances. Buoyed in a shaky bottom of the seventh by a stellar bit of glovework by Cole Young, whose shining play was also matched by a great dashing play from Julio Rodríguez earlier in the afternoon. The defensive moment of memory, however, came in that 8th. A softly hit blooper was well-tracked by Randy Arozarena in left field, but a full sprint catch gave way to an airmailed throw that, on target, seemed near-certain to nab Romo at the plate.
You won’t be receiving a video embed here. It would be illustrative, but if you’ve not seen the throw then it won’t add anything to your experience. I promise. Think about a tie game, a poor throw, and a one-run loss. If you can envision it, nod and clear it from your mind. The best hope is that the Mariners can do the same. They’ll try to reset with another four-game set against the Houston Astros, which balanced their ship for a time back in April.
After a miserable season in Indiana, Pacers fans had hoped to get some reprieve in the 2026 NBA Draft, as their team finished with the second-worst record and would surely be picking high.
The basketball gods had other ideas on Sunday when the league hosted the NBA draft lottery and the Pacers saw their name called for the No. 5 pick. The problem was that the team traded that pick to the Clippers for Ivica Zubac and only made the pick top-four protected.
The reaction was swift after the Pacers (19-63) were perceived to have tanked their season in order to get a high draft pick, only to see that go by the wayside. They started the day with a 52.1 percent chance at a top-four pick.
President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard of the Indiana Pacers NBAE via Getty Images
Team president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard even took to social media to apologize on Sunday afternoon after the draft lottery.
“I’m really sorry to all our fans,” Pritchard wrote on X. “I own taking this risk. Surprised it came up 5th after this year. I thought we were due some luck. But please remember – this team deserved a starting center to compete with the best teams next year. We have always been resilient.”
While some praised Prtichard for owning the circumstance the Pacers now find themselves in after winning just 19 games last season, others were not as merciful.
“You lose Myles Turner and add Zubac. You lose [Benedict] Mathurin and the number 5 pick with absolutely nothing in return. This is why fans are upset, for a center who not even a top 5 center in the NBA. Who trades their future away for Ivan Zubac???” one user wrote.
“Pacers really traded a top pick in this generational draft for “‘ivica zubac,’” another person chimed in.
An overall view of the signage during the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery on May 10, 2026 NBAE via Getty Images
“If I were a Pacers fan and my team traded away a top 5 pick for Ivica Zubac in the middle of a tanking season I would be beyond devastated,” a third person said on X.
There should be some solace in the fact that the Pacers aren’t likely to repeat the poor nature of their 2025-26 campaign next season and they will have star Tyrese Haliburton back from a torn right Achilles after leading the team to the NBA Finals last season.
SAN DIEGO, CA - MAY 10: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals bats during the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Sunday, May 10, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals got a positive if not spectacular start from Kyle Leahy on Sunday, but it was Jordan Walker’s Mother’s Day moonshot that helped the Cardinals nearly beat the San Diego Padres. Almost.
If you just look strictly at the numbers, Kyle Leahy really did have a solid start on Sunday. While his bottom of the 1st inning was a bit nerve-racking, he was able to escape without allowing a run and ended up pitching the Cardinals into the 5th inning. His overall stat line was 5 full innings allowing no runs, on just 2 hits with 5 strikeouts and 4 walks. It was the walks that made a few innings uncomfortable, but job well done, Kyle. He made a crucial play in the bottom of the 5th inning when he nabbed a ball up the middle as it ended up in his glove after traveling between his legs before tossing it to Alec Burleson for the final out of the inning.
The big highlight of the game was Jordan Walker as he worked a 2-1 count in his favor against Walker Buehler before he launched a ball off of the upper deck railing of the Western Metal Supply Company building. Suffice it to say that none of those fans at that level expected to get that close to a baseball today, but Jordan gave it a high launch angle 425 foot ride. The look on Walker Buehler’s face when he saw where the ball landed is priceless.
Manager Oli Marmol turned to his bullpen in the 6th inning as Ryne Stanek was the first man up. He got off to a great start thanks in part to the fact that San Diego wasted all of their ABS challenges in the 2nd inning. Stanek shut down the Padres 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 6th inning.
JoJo Romero was given the bottom of the 7th inning task and he kept the Padres bats silent. He stayed in the game to start the bottom of the 8th inning, but was relieved by George Soriano with 1 out. He unfortunately brought up the tying run to the plate when he promptly walked Fernando Tatis Jr. on 4 straight pitches before facing the dangerous Manny Machado. Soriano fortunately struck out Machado and got Sheets out on a soft groundout to second to end the bottom of the 8th.
Riley O’Brien was brought in to shut down San Diego in the bottom of the 9th inning. A save would have given him his 12th of the season which is appropriate as that would tie San Diego Padres Mason Miller for the Major League lead. That unfortunately did not happen. It began with an innocent-looking bloop single to center by Xander Boegaerts. O’Brien was able to get Andujar and France to strike out, but Nick Castellanos connected on a 2-out, 2 strike pitch and send it over the left field wall to tie the game 2-2. Riley got Laureano to strike out to send the game into extras.
The Cardinals could accomplish nothing in the top of the 10th inning stranding the extra innings runner Burleson as Walker and Gorman struck out. Masyn Winn walked, but Fermin popped out to end the Cardinals 10th leaving the game tied 2-2.
Gordon Graceffo was brought in to keep the Padres off the board. After intentionally walking Merrill to put runners on 1st and 2nd to set up a double play, Gordon nearly hit Tatis Jr., but the ball glanced off of his bat for a strike. Tatis Jr. would eventually walk to load the bases bringing up Manny Machado. He unfortunately hit a sacrifice fly just deep enough to right center where Jordan Walker was unable to throw out the runner at the plate giving San Diego a 3-2 victory.
The Cardinals will have a quiet travel day Monday to cruise up the California coast to Sacramento before their late Tuesday night game against the city-less Athletics who are currently in first place in their division. Andre Pallante is scheduled to get the start for St. Louis. First pitch scheduled for 8:40pm central time Tuesday night.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MAY 09: A.J. Hinch #14 of the Detroit Tigers watches batting practice prior to a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on May 09, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Detroit Tigers (18-22) vs. Kansas City Royals (19-21)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 08: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs blocks a shot by Naz Reid #11 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter in Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Target Center on May 08, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much. The rule against trolling also applies to members of this site that visit other fan sites, especially sites of the opposing team. Be polite and don’t insult your hosts.
Happy Mother’s day everyone. The Spur took back home court advantage on Friday night in Minnesota with Victor Wembenyama taking over the game, both at the star, and more importantly, at the end, where he was able to control the game despite picking up his fifth foul with 6 minutes left in the game. Both teams depended heavily on their superstar player, with Antony Edwards 32 points almost matching Wemby’s 39.
Tonight would be a great time for the Spurs to get a bigger contribution from the rest of the cast. De’Aaron Fox and Julian Champagnie made plays in clutch time, and Harper was a calming influence, but a whole team effort would reduce the anxiety of the Spurs fan base if they can put together a winning effort tonight. The Spurs would take a 3-1 series lead in the series with a win, and teams that lead 3-1 have gone on to win 95% of the time in 6 game series in NBA history. This year, 3-1 leaders have won 60% of the time, with both the Sixers and Pistons beating the odds to back to win three straight games and take their first round series, so a 3-1 deficit is not a death sentence, but it certainly is a tough spot to be in.
I think veteran players like Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell will find their shooting touch tonight in their ninth career playoff games. This could be another Game 2 style blowout, or it could be a tough toe to toe battle like games 1 and 3. Chris Finch is annoying, but he seems to be good at motivating his team and making adjustments. The Spurs have to be ready for something new tonight, and be able to adapt. Winning on the road is always difficult, and the arena will be loud tonight. Mitch might rely more on Carter Bryant, who seems to be improving game by game. If the starters can provide a dominant performance for the first three quarters, the Spurs can unleash Jordan McLaughlin on Minnesota late and make this a fun night for fans of the Silver and Black. GO SPURS GO!!
Game Prediction:
Jordan McLaughlin gets his first playoff triple double.
San Antonio Spurs at Minnesota Timberwolves, Second Round, Game 4 May 10, 2026 | 6:30 PM CT Streaming: Peacock TV: NBC Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 10: Jorge Mateo #2 and Michael Harris II #23 score on a double by Mauricio Dubón #14 of the Atlanta Braves during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on May 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In the “he can’t keep getting away with this” starter battle, it was Bryce Elder who came out on top as the winning pitcher.
With some drama, I must say upfront. But even though Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski outlasted Elder, you’d take Elder’s final line every day.
This was a fascinating pitching duel: both Elder and Wrobleski had streaks of setting down 10+ batters in efficient and dominant ways. But the Braves managed to get to Wrobleski in a big second inning.
Matt Olson made the first out in the second, but an Austin Riley single and Michael Harris II bunt (!) put runners on for Eli White’s RBI single to make it 1-0, Braves. Sean Murphy’s forceout put runners at the corners, followed by Jorge Mateo working a walk. That set the table for the Mauricio Dubón special: a bases clearing double to make it 4-0.
Unfortunately, Wrobleski settled down after that and earned a shot to pitch a complete game. He and Elder would trade off throwing up zeroes for the next several innings.
Bryce was cruising. The vibes were good. Cy Young jokes were being made. He got two outs in the bottom of the sixth and then just… couldn’t find the zone suddenly, issuing three straight walks to load the bases. Walt Weiss prompted Murphy to chat with him on the mound a little to stall and give the bullpen more time to get ready. Things we love to see: Weiss going to Robert Suarez here in the sixth. Max Muncy worked a tense full count. Eli White, absolutely disregarding his body and physical safety, went full speed into the wall. He careened off of it. Robert Suarez held both arms up in cautious celebration. But we shouldn’t have doubted – you can’t spell elite without Eli. The inning was over.
Eli would take his next at bat but come out of the game – we await more news on his status.
The next few scoring plays would feature the long ball. Drake Baldwin’s homer in the top of the eighth was the first allowed by Wrobleski this year and made it 5-0. Tyler Kinley came in to pitch the eighth and allowed a two-run homer to Muncy to make it 5-2. Matt Olson was not about to get a Golden Sombrero here on Mother’s Day. His 14th homer of the year and Mateo’s RBI single to drive in Yaz (who wore one on the earhole, yikes) got those two runs back. Wrobleski was lifted one out shy of a complete game after hitting Yaz with pitch #100.
Bryce Elder lowered his ERA to 1.81, and Wrobleski’s went from 1.25 to 2.42.
Despite the five run cushion, Raisel Iglesias came in to finish this one out and exorcise some Mother’s Day demons. He worked a perfect ninth to secure the series win and close the book on a 6-3 West Coast road trip. Have a happy flight home, boys.
