Scott Podsednik starred in another win, but this day 2006 marked the last day the White Sox would sit alone in first place. | (Photo by Chuck Rydlewski/Getty Images)
1929 White Sox outfielder Art “The Great” Shires (Shires, by the way, gave himself that nickname) and manager Lena Blackburne got into a fistfight in the clubhouse over Shires choosing to wear a red felt hat during pregame warmups.
Blackburne knocked Shires out cold.
1941 In a game in New York, White Sox pitcher Eddie Smith allowed a hit to Yankee great Joe DiMaggio. It would be the first hit in DiMaggio’s record-setting, 56-game hitting streak.
Chicago won the game, 13-1.
1951 As a testament to the managerial genius of Sox skipper Paul Richards, it had been 30 years since the league saw a move like this.
In the ninth inning of a game in Boston with the White Sox winning, 7-6, relief pitcher Harry Dorish was removed in favor of Billy Pierce to face the left-handed hitting Ted Williams — only Dorishwasn’t removed from the game, he was moved to third base! Pierceretired Williams on a pop-up, then was taken out of the game to return Dorish back to the mound. Boston eventually tied the game, but the White Sox would have the last laugh, winning 9-7 in 11 innings.
The victory marked the start of a 14-game win streak, with 11 of the wins coming on the road. By May 30, after sweeping the St. Louis Browns, the Sox record stood at 26-9.
Also on this day, pitcher Saul Rogovin came to the White Sox in a brilliant trade that helped the White Sox to their first first-division finish (fourth) in eight seasons and best record (81-73-1) in 31 years. Chicago sent Bob Cain to Detroit for Rogovin, who started 26 games, finished 17, had three shutouts and finished one, for an MLB-best 2.78 ERA and 5.0 WAR.
1954 With a 7-6, come-from-behind win over the Philadelphia Athletics at Comiskey Park, the White Sox secured the franchise’s 4,000th win. It was catcher Carl Sawatski’s single with two outs in the ninth inning that won the game. That year, the Sox went 94-60-1 … and still finished 17 games back of pennant-winning Cleveland!
1988 It is an obscure record, and one that probably will never be broken.
Outfielder Dave Gallagher was picked up over the winter by the White Sox after being released by the Mariners, and was called up to the club the day before. Playing in only his second game in a White Sox uniform, Gallagher hit a walk-off home run in the 11th inning to beat the Blue Jays, 6-5, at Comiskey Park. The blast came off of Toronto’s sidewinder, Mark Eichhorn. It wasn’t just Gallagher’s first MLB home run, it remains the White Sox record for fewest games played before hitting a walk-off home run.
1996 The White Sox easily handled the Brewers in Milwaukee, 20-8. The Sox scored 20 — which remains in a tie for the fifth-most runs in a single game in franchise history — yet only hit two home runs. Frank Thomas had one of them, and knocked in six runs on the night. Harold Baines and Robin Ventura both had three RBIs as well.
2006 This was not how the defending world champs were supposed to play their follow-up season, but a 7-3 win at Minnesota would mark the final day the White Sox would be alone and in first place in the AL Central.
Really, the entire 2006 season wasn’t as much about anything the White Sox did wrong — they ended up 90-72, and would have made the postseason as a wild card team under the current system — but what the Twins (96-66) and Tigers (95-67) did right. The White Sox were as many as 27 games better than .500 (56-29) as late as July 6, but the ALC was just too good in 2006.
On this day, the offense was driven by just four players who each had three hits: Scott Podsednik, Chris Widger, Joe Crede and Rob Mackowiak, providing all but one of the Chisox’s safeties on the day. Podsednik stole a base and also clocked his first home run since his walk-off in the 2005 World Series, and Widger and Crede joined him in the homer parade. Freddy García was the beneficiary of the onslaught, throwing 6 2/3 innings to improve to 6-1 on the season.
Apr 28, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) celebrates with New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger (35) after hitting a home run during the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
A little over a month ago, while casually scrolling social media, I was hit with the Fanatics advertisement for the Yankees “Black Out Jersey” and I found myself scrambling to see if there was breaking news that the Yankees had announced an alternate jersey. To my satisfaction I found that this was not a new jersey (pun intended) for the Yankees, but instead, not to my satisfaction, another cash grab by Fanatics.
Oh, how I assumed that the jump scare and dismay from thinking the Yankees would announce an alternate jersey was over. Then came April 22nd and The Athletic article when it came to light that “some” players were pushing for alternate jerseys.
More specifically players asked for a road alternate. Additionally, it came to light that Major League Baseball approved the Yankees” “Spring Training Navy Blues,“ if you will, for official game use prior to the 2025 season.
Most fans at this point have declared themselves in the no change camp or have allowed themselves to picture their favorite players in different ideas of a Yankees alternate jersey. Andrew Mearns ran a PSA poll back on April 22nd when the story broke.
About three-fifths of voters preferred no changes and sticking to the home pinstripes and road grays to avoid changing tradition. The poll numbers then saw about an even split on one-fifth each way liking the navy option or a yes but a different version of an alternate.
Credit where credit is due, this is not a new a new story or topic. Going all the way back to 2016, we can find an article by former editor Jason Cohen asking, “Is it time for the Yankees to change their uniforms?” and laying out several different options.
Truthfully, the Players Weekend jerseys and throwbacks from 2017-19 really sparked and fueled the debate amongst fans. Even back in 2019, my colleague Josh Diemert declared “The Yankees should ditch the road gray uniform…sometimes.”
Up until 2023, I would have considered myself in the majority of fans wanting no changes to the powerful, prideful pinstripes and by association the road grays. However, since the Yankees debuted the Starr Insurance patch on July 21st of that year, I have found my position changing. Captain Aaron Judge raised the same point.
Since that “small change,” we have seen another step from tradition each year. In 2024 the Yankees removed the white piping and border on the road grays. Then the 2025 season was the first in almost 50 years that we saw Yankees with beards. I fear the slippery slope mentioned by so many in the comments that would start if the Yankees adopted an alternate jersey has already gone full y=mx+b.
Now that we are at the crossroads of a new generations of player’s wants, and corporate greed smart business practices, I feel it is time to accept the Yankees will play in alternate jerseys 2026 or 2027. After playing in those jerseys, the organization and sponsors will see a boost in sales of said jerseys and then decide they should capitalize on additional alternate jerseys in the future.
The low-hanging option on the clothesline would be to develop a City Connect jersey for the Yankees. The only clubs missing MLB City Connect jerseys are them and the “in-between hometowns” Athletics. I assume the A’s are waiting until their first season or two in Vegas to launch their City Connect jerseys.
After looking through some old ideas, and some options posted by you all on the poll, I was questioning: What if there was a way for the Yankees to create a City Connect jersey without ever playing a game in the Bronx out of those beautiful pinstripes?
Then the idea hit me. The Yankees could do a City Connect jersey and do it in the biggest brother way possible. Here is my thesis: The New York Yankees should develop a City Connect jersey that they only wear in Queens and dub them the Kings of New York edition.
Of course I have an idea for design, but we can get into that in a second. Think about having an “alternate home jersey” to “connect” your city that you only roll out a few times a year at your neighbor’s actual home — essentially a Subway Series jersey for the Yankees. The perfect pinstripes can remain forever in the Bronx as an unchanged tradition, but also gives our players what they asked for and in the big bright New York lights to boot.
OK, if you are still here and want my idea, thank you. Shoutout to possible burner account, Never Forget, who dropped a 9/11 concept and brunog39 whose rules I liked though I did not follow all of them. There have been a lot of people better at design, AI, and Photoshop than me who have given redesign a shot over the years. My idea makes one change.
Instead of being gray, make the road jerseys liberty green. No other changes. Leave the navy New York and numbers the same, just forget to take pennies out of your pocket and wash the road jerseys.
For the less color inclined, liberty green is the color that Aaron Judge started wearing on his accessories, shoes, and the like late during the 2024 season. This color is inspired by the Statue of Liberty, and her oxidized copper.
Since then, several players have started to wear it or a similar color. Cody Bellinger features it on his elbow guard and Jasson Domínguez often wears batting gloves in the color.
I know many have debated players using this color or would have strong opinions about adopting it officially … but let’s look at some pros and compromises. This would make one of the City’s most identifiable colors the Yankees’ official alternate, and further deepen the connection between the Yankees interlocking NY and NYC.
Judge and company have already given the color their stamp of approval by using and continuing to use it. Connection to the City, check. Player approval, check.
The visual appeal could be sold two ways. One, it would be very pleasing to see a wave of this color in opposing stadiums to take the City on the road as fans. The color and the navy words/numbers would also look nice over hoodies in October. Two, if you hate the idea, at least the small change in color hue could be blamed on the Mets and their low-quality cameras and light bulbs at Citi Field.
To truly keep tradition alive fans who are anti-these jerseys could pop the TV over to black and white and have the Yankees’ road grays jerseys back in just a few clicks of the button! Again, under this idea these are only worn a few times a year and only during the games at Citi Field.
Honestly, part of my idea that is more important than the jersey itself is that I think $1 of each of any potential alternate jerseys sold each year should be matched by the Yankees and donated to the City. I’m not going to get political, but using “The City’s Jersey” to make the City better for fans/non-fans alike was all I kept coming back to when trying to think of a way to truly make me want an alternate jersey.
At the end of the day, I still understand why many Yankees fans will never want to see an alternate jersey and honestly, I still have not fully convinced myself that I want one either. Tradition matters. The pinstripes matter. However, one trip to your local sporting goods store shows things are changing, and if alternate jerseys are eventually coming anyway, the Yankees might as well do it in a way that preserves the pinstripes, embraces the rivalry, and reminds the Mets who will always run baseball in New York.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - MAY 13: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket against Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first quarter in Game Five of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 13, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. 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 Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today marks five days without Knicks basketball, as a week-long wait to determine their opponent in the Eastern Conference Finals slowly draws to an end. Whether it’s tonight in Cleveland or Sunday in Detroit, the Knicks will know their opponents soon enough.
But who should Knicks fans want to face with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line? Well, with a massive Game 6 just hours away, let’s break down the pros and cons of both potential opponents as we creep closer to the Knicks finally getting back on the hardwood.
Why they should want the Pistons:
✅ Lack of ballhandlers around Cade Cunningham: The worst-kept secret around Detroit’s offense is their lack of creating offense when Cunningham sits or doesn’t have the ball in his hands. St. John’s product Daniss Jenkins has served as the team’s secondary ballhandler, but has been extremely inconsistent. There have been times when, if Cunningham is held under wraps and is turning the ball over, their offense grinds to a halt.
✅ Limited 3-point shooting: The Knicks’ defense has been one of the best in basketball since late January, but they’ve still struggled in one key metric. Defending the perimeter has been a massive problem all season long, and they’ve allowed teams to grill them from beyond the arc many times, including the Pistons themselves. That said, the law of averages seems to suggest that a team that was 17th in 3pt% and 29th in 3pa per game isn’t much of a threat behind the arc.
They’ve actually shot it pretty well overall in this series against Cleveland, but they continue to attempt under 30 per game. A team shooting 10/25 from three is less impactful than a team shooting 14/35, even if both are 40%, so the Knicks won’t have to worry about Celtics-esque barrages even on good shooting nights.
✅ Jalen Duren’s struggles: You know what’s interesting? Of the 12 games Duren has missed this season, three of them were against the Knicks, so he hasn’t played them since Game 6 of last year’s first-round matchup. Even though we didn’t see him live, he put up an All-NBA caliber season and truly emerged as one of the league’s premier centers.
And then the playoffs started. For some unbelievable reason, he’s been utterly putrid through 12 games, averaging just 10.1 points and 8.3 rebounds on 50% from the field, all massive drops from the regular season. He’s looked timid at the rim and is getting benched late in games for Paul Reed. Unless he can find something in the next two games, you’ll be looking at Detroit’s second-best player entering the series as a startled mess of himself, giving Cade even less help.
✅ Cade’s turnover woes: Speaking of Cade, he cannot stop turning it over. The Knicks thrived off turning over Tyrese Maxey and the Sixers in the four-game sweep in the second round and they suddenly face someone who’s rewriting the record books with turnovers.
In Cunningham’s 18 career playoff games, he’s averaging over five turnovers a night. He’s had three games of at least eight turnovers, five games of at least seven turnovers, and nine games of at least six turnovers. He’s never had a game with fewer than three, and his playmaking impact is similarly diminished as his assist-to-turnover ratio plummets. On a team with not many secondary scorers and playmakers, the scrutiny on the head of the snake becomes all the more focused.
Why they shouldn’t want the Pistons:
🚫 Regular-season struggles: The regular season does not matter in the playoffs; we know this from years of trial and error, but it’s at least a datapoint ahead of any series. The Pistons went 3-0 with a +84 point differential in three meetings with the Knicks this season. For about 10 out of those 12 quarters, it looked like a contender playing a G-League team. The Knicks’ offense, which was 4th best in the sport all season long, was held to 90, 80, and 111 points in three meetings.
Of course, these meetings took place between January 1 and February 20. These teams are very different from what they were in that snapshot of the season, and there are injury factors on both sides. That said, the Pistons would enter this series with a feeling of “we punked these guys all year long” rather than the feeling of last year’s defeat.
🚫 No home court advantage: If the Knicks played the Cavs, they’d get to play four out of seven games at the World’s Most Famous Arena, a place where they’re 34-11. If they played Detroit, they’d have to travel to Little Caesars Arena for a true road game, not like we saw in Atlanta and Philly.
🚫 Ausar Thompson and a hellacious defense: What makes the Pistons an extremely tough team to play is the utter devastation of their defense. Their bigs play physical, they have guards and wings who are willing defenders, and, of course, they have Ausar Thompson. There are not many players in the NBA that I think can properly stick with Jalen Brunson, but the Thompson twins are two of them. No team gave this offense more fits than Detroit this season.
🚫 Revenge factor: Despite dominating the Knicks in the regular season, the Pistons will have a sour taste in their mouths after losing an incredibly competitive first-round series a year ago to a very similar Knicks team. We saw these guys play with a level of fire and desire that you rarely see in the regular season during the three meetings, and with a spot in the NBA Finals on the line, I cannot imagine the intensity would drop one bit.
Why they should want the Cavaliers:
✅ Lack of a Brunson stopper: Jalen Brunson would rather be guarded by another VJ Edgecombe or Kelly Oubre Jr. than by Dyson Daniels. The Cavs have Dean Wade and Max Strus as their primary options to guard the Knicks’ captain, and while both are bigger and more formidable than Edgecombe, they lack the level of sheer smothering that Ausar can give. The key to winning any series is a great series from Brunson, and he’s more likely to do that against Cleveland’s defense.
✅ Overall defensive concerns: Donovan Mitchell and James Harden aren’t two abysmal defenders, but both are relatively small and will be hunted by the likes of Brunson and a hopefully healthy OG Anunoby on switches. Cleveland isn’t the most stout defensively, even if they roster a former Defensive Player of the Year winner.
✅ Turnovers: No team has been more turnover-prone than Cleveland in this postseason (well, except the Lakers) with 16.6 a game. They’re also allowing a playoff-high 22.1 PPG off turnovers, something that plays directly into the hands of a Knicks team that has feasted off turnovers (18.6 points off 14.6 opponent turnovers).
With the on-and-off nature of Mitchell and Harden in this postseason, it seems like there will always be one of them to target and turn over to get easy points in transition.
✅ Mitchell Robinson: Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley are still recovering from the PR hit from how Robinson victimized them in the postseason three years ago and both have been heavily scrutinized whenever they underperform in the playoffs since.
With Mobley being shockingly absent on the boards over the last few games even with Duren’s disappearing act, you have to imagine Mike Brown is licking his chops at the possibility of deploying Karl-Anthony Towns and Robinson together against Cleveland’s double big lineup.
✅ Home court advantage: No matter if the series ends tonight or on Sunday, the Cavs will have to travel to New York to play just two days later. If they close it out tonight, they’d have to do so with an even shorter turnaround, playing at 3:30 on Sunday.
Why they shouldn’t want the Cavaliers:
🚫 More creation and scoring: Cunningham is the only guy on Detroit who can create his own offense, something it makes their offense easier to gameplan against. With Cleveland, they have two perennial All-NBA guards who are both capable of scoring 30 on any given night and will absolutely look to hunt a Brunson mismatch at any opportunity.
🚫 Challenging defensive assignment: How would you manage to match the starting five with Cleveland’s? Sure, you put Mikal Bridges on Spida, Anunoby on Harden, and KAT on Allen, but after that?
Is Josh Hart able to stick Evan Mobley and impact him the way he did Jalen Johnson? Are we sure Brunson against Strus or Wade won’t lead to problems? Against a team like this, the lineups may need to be more flexible. Could Robinson start?
🚫 Significantly more shooting: Duncan Robinson, Kevin Huerter, and Javonte Green are the biggest perimeter threats for Detroit. When you compare that to Harden, Mitchell, Jaylon Tyson, Sam Merrill, and Strus/Wade for Cleveland, it’s a significant difference. They can grill you with both volume and efficiency.
Game 6 between the Cavaliers and Pistons is set for 7 p.m. ET in Cleveland, with the Cavs holding a 3-2 series lead.
EL SEGUNDO, CA - OCTOBER 08: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball during the all access practice on October 08, 2025 at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
With the Lakers having a new majority owner in Mark Walter, change has been happening quickly in Los Angeles.
Beyond these hirings, changes are also coming in the form of relocation and renovations. The South Bay Lakers are moving to the Coachella Valley so they can have their own stadium and no longer play G League games at the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo.
This not only gives the G League team more resources but also opens up the Lakers’ practice facility to accommodate some much-needed upgrades.
During his exit interview, Lakers President of Basketball Operations, Rob Pelinka, outlined what these changes will be and when they’ll be taking place.
“As you guys saw, our G League team is relocating to a brand new, beautiful, 10,000-seat arena in Coachella Valley,” Pelinka said. “What that does in our building is it opens up all of this space and we actually have a space in the back where, working in collaboration with some of the Dodgers folks, we’re bringing in a biomechanics lab, new movements labs, a recovery lab.
“Those things are super expensive to do and super thoughtful but we’re doing the planning with Lon [Rosen] and his team around that and that construction is going to happen this offseason. They’re going to be redoing aspects of the court as well. It’s a full rebuild and retool and it’s adding to the great things that are already here which have led to success but elevating and bringing it to the next level. So, ongoing process that we’ll be doing throughout the offseason, probably hopefully culminating in and around the Summer League in Vegas.”
It seems that Walter is copying his Dodgers playbook and making sure the Lakers have everything they could possibly need to play their best.
The Dodgers are considered one of the best-run franchises in baseball, and part of the reason is that they spend heavily to win in the margins. The Lakers can’t fully emulate the Dodgers because the NBA has a salary cap, but it’s good to see the organization investing in its practice facility this way.
These kinds of upgrades were unlikely under the previous regime, but now that Walter is in charge, he’s spending the way every fan hopes their owner would.
The downside of the G League affiliate moving to Coachella Valley is that they’ll no longer be working in the same building as the Lakers. That means that the synergy they had with the main team will be weakened.
Overall, though, this is a win-win for the organization. Both the main team and the G League affiliate will have larger facilities and state-of-the-art equipment to be the best versions of themselves.
These changes aren’t the splashiest ones that fans care about, but everything matters, and winning in the margins is how good organizations become great and remain dominant.
The Countdown - Mar. 20 2026 - Vol. 79 Issue 9 - Jared Clinton
THERE ARE GREY-BEARDED springtime warriors – and then there’s Corey Perry.
For the past 20 years, Perry has been a playoff fixture. Debuting in the post-season in 2006 as a member of the Ducks, he helped Anaheim to a Stanley Cup the following season. Since then, only three campaigns have passed without Perry in the post-season conversation.
In recent years, in particular, Perry has become a focal point. He’s been to the Cup final – on the losing side – in five of the past six seasons. What began with surprising runs to consecutive finals with the Dallas Stars and Montreal Canadiens turned into a failed attempt at helping the Tampa Bay Lightning three-peat in 2022 before back-to-back heartbreaks with the Edmonton Oilers.
Last spring, he surpassed Mark Messier for third on the all-time playoff games played ledger, and Perry’s 237 playoff games are tops among active players. Put another way: Perry has seen more playoff action than the totality of the Philadelphia Flyers’ roster. However, he will still need at least two more playoff runs if he hopes to chase down Hall of Famers Chris Chelios (266) and Nicklas Lidstrom (263) on the all-time list.
Still, Perry’s playoff resume is padded enough that simply acquiring him helped the Lightning leap into the second spot on our Countdown, which explores the collective playoff experience on the roster of each NHL club.
*All totals are based on NHL rosters as of March 9 and include players on LTIR who have or might play this season
1 FLORIDA PANTHERS
1,510 GAMES PLAYED
Ten Cats were present for all three Cup final runs, totalling 659 games. They alone would rank 20th on this list.
2 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
1,506 GAMES PLAYED
Ryan McDonagh and Victor Hedman have 366 games. The rest of the ‘D’? 115. There’s a chasm in experience.
3 VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
1,336 GAMES PLAYED
He’s a forgotten man, but Brandon Saad sits above all but three Golden Knights with 111 career post-season outings.
4 DALLAS STARS
1,313 GAMES PLAYED
Sauna culture is strong in Dallas. Among active Finns, Stars have four of the five most tenured playoff performers.
5 COLORADO AVALANCHE
1,276 GAMES PLAYED
At 135 games, no active player has more playoff experience without a Cup ring than beloved blueliner Brent Burns.
6 CAROLINA HURRICANES
1,184 GAMES PLAYED
Jordan Staal leads in playoff games. Surprisingly, next in line isn’t a top talent but depth guy William Carrier.
7 EDMONTON OILERS
1,161 GAMES PLAYED
Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and ‘RNH’ have played in every single Oilers playoff game since 2016-17.
8 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
1,102 GAMES PLAYED
A deep run could see Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin cross the 200-game mark. Unlikely, but it’s not impossible.
9 MINNESOTA WILD
975 GAMES PLAYED
Marcus Johansson and Vladimir Tarasenko have more individual playoff games than Wild do as a franchise.
10 NEW YORK ISLANDERS
948 GAMES PLAYED
The rapid turnaround has been guided by Matthew Schaefer. He’ll be among a few Isles making playoff debuts.
11 WINNIPEG JETS
940 GAMES PLAYED
Stark reminder that experience isn’t everything. Veteran-laden Jets took nosedive after 2025 Presidents’ Trophy.
12 LOS ANGELES KINGS
887 GAMES PLAYED
Caught between buying and selling, Kings exited the deadline with a more inexperienced outfit than they had prior.
13 SEATTLE KRAKEN
813 GAMES PLAYED
Collective push up the rankings could be in the offing, as Kraken battle for franchise’s second trip to post-season.
14 TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
812 GAMES PLAYED
On a star-studded roster, bottom-six plugger Calle Jarnkrok is the Leafs’ clubhouse leader in playoff appearances.
15 SAN JOSE SHARKS
770 GAMES PLAYED
Of the 24 players on the roster post-deadline, exactly half have never seen a second of big-league playoff action.
16 NASHVILLE PREDATORS
769 GAMES PLAYED
Other than Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg, no Preds skater has played more than eight playoff games with Nashville.
17 ANAHEIM DUCKS
686 GAMES PLAYED
The stunning deadline addition of John Carlson boosted the back end and gave Ducks title-winning experience.
18 DETROIT RED WINGS
678 GAMES PLAYED
The lone homegrown Red Wing with playoff games to his name is Dylan Larkin. He played five in 2016.
19 WASHINGTON CAPITALS
665 GAMES PLAYED
Ryan Leonard had only celebrated his third birthday by the time Alex Ovechkin played his first post-season game.
20 NEW YORK RANGERS
654 GAMES PLAYED
Pending reset and possible off-season clear out could see Rangers move a great number of battle-tested talents.
21 BOSTON BRUINS
651 GAMES PLAYED
Franchise has had 13 players reach 100 playoff games. Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak will be next to hit mark.
22 NEW JERSEY DEVILS
631 GAMES PLAYED
The current core – Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt and Hughes brothers – has combined to play merely 56 playoff games.
23 UTAH MAMMOTH
597 GAMES PLAYED
Utah overjoyed with MacKenzie Weegar acquisition, but Mammoth lost 65 games of playoff experience in the deal.
24 OTTAWA SENATORS
539 GAMES PLAYED
For a dozen Sens, their lone playoff experience is last year’s six-game first-round defeat at hands of rival Leafs.
Are Blues primed to plummet down this list? As talk of teardown persists, vultures circle St. Louis’ top talents.
26 COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
532 GAMES PLAYED
Charlie Coyle debuted 12 years after the Jackets. He’s played three times as many playoff games as the franchise.
27 MONTREAL CANADIENS
472 GAMES PLAYED
With Phillip Danault returning, six of the Habs’ skaters were present for the stunning run to bubble final in 2021.
28 CALGARY FLAMES
457 GAMES PLAYED
Whether you call it a retool, rebuild or ‘rebiggle,’ the message is clear: Calgary plans to overhaul roster to right the ship.
29 VANCOUVER CANUCKS
418 GAMES PLAYED
Hard to believe Elias Pettersson’s playoff resume is just 30 games. The question is: will he play another in Vancouver?
30 BUFFALO SABRES
387 GAMES PLAYED
Last Sabres draft picks to skate in playoff games for Buffalo? Tyler Myers, now 36, and recent retiree Tyler Ennis.
31 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
372 GAMES PLAYED
Though Teuvo Teravainen won a Cup as a Hawk, the bulk of his post-season play came during his time in Carolina.
32 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
208 GAMES PLAYED
The franchise’s reset is such that waiver-wire add Luke Glendening, at 50 games, is the most playoff-tested Flyer.
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Holloway, 24, gave Canada a 3-2 lead in the second period on a short side wrister from the high slot after Sweden had tied the game after falling behind 2-0:
Holloway, who skated on a line with Blues Stanley Cup champion and Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly, who also scored, and Gabriel Vilardi (Winnipeg Jets), finished the game with three shots on goal and a plus-1 in 12:35 of ice time.
Blues center Robert Thomas assisted on Canada's first goal scored by John Tavares (Toronto Maple Leafs) in the first period:
Thomas, who centered a line with Tavares and Dylan Cozens (Ottawa Senators), played 12:27 and was a plus-1 with two shots on goal.
Oskar Sundqvist was Sweden's third line center and played 16:24 with a shot on goal and a munis-2.
Love Harenstam, a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, was the extra goalie and did not suit up.
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UPDATE: Added a +190 anytime goal scorer pick & who will win prediction!
The Montreal Canadiens can advance to Round 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a win over the Buffalo Sabres tonight.
My top Sabres vs. Canadiens predictions and NHL picks expect Montreal star Lane Hutson to play a pivotal role in sending Buffalo packing in Game 6 on Saturday, May 16.
Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. ET from the Bell Centre in Montreal, with the game airing on Sportsnet and ABC.
Sabres vs Canadiens Game 6 prediction tonight
Who will win Sabres vs Canadiens Game 6?
Canadiens: The Canadiens have flipped the script and posted a 55.2 expected goals percentage to outscore the Sabres 19-9 in the past three games, and Montreal has also been better on both special teams.
With Buffalo searching for answers between the pipes, I’m expecting the Habs to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Final.
Sabres vs Canadiens best bet: Lane Hutson Over 1.5 shots (-125)
Montreal Canadiens star defenseman Lane Hutson has been held to just a pair of shots despite recording 11 attempts over the past three games, and that 18.2% conversion rate is miles behind his 38.3% mark through the first nine games of the postseason.
In addition to Hutson’s overall 66 attempts pacing the club during the playoffs, his 44 offensive-zone starts and 51.0 Corsi for percentage at five-on-five also lead the Habs.
With Montreal having the last-change advantage on home ice, I’m anticipating head coach Martin St. Louis to find even more opportunities to deploy his go-to defenseman in prime offensive situations.
Montreal has also been the better team on both special teams, while outscoring Buffalo 19-9 and generating 55.2% of the expected goals percentage the past three games.
Turning to rising Montreal star Ivan Demidov, he’s marked the scoresheet in four of the past five games with a 58.7 xGF% at five-on-five for the series.
Sabres vs Canadiens SGP
Canadiens moneyline
Ivan Demidov Over 0.5 points
Lane Hutson Over 1.5 shots
Sabres vs Canadiens Game 6 goal scorer pick
Juraj Slafkovsky (+190)
With just a single goal and a 3.7 shooting percentage across his past 11 games, Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky is ripe to find the back of the net in Game 6.
In addition to the obvious positive regression coming to his SH%, Slafkovsky has also paced the Habs with 5.08 expected goals, 35 scoring chances, and 18 high-danger scoring chances during the 11-game stretch.
Montreal has won 17 of its last 25 games (+8.10 Units / 26% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Sabres vs. Canadiens.
How to watch Sabres vs Canadiens Game 6
Location
Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
Date
Saturday, May 16, 2026
Puck drop
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
Sportsnet, ABC
Sabres vs Canadiens latest injuries
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SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 08: JJ Wetherholt #26 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates after scoring a run 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
The Cardinals have missed the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, suffering losing seasons in two of those years. After losing 84 games last year, they traded away veterans Willson Contreras, Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, and Sonny Gray. They now have the second-youngest lineup and fourth-youngest pitching staff, and have gotten off to a great start, winning 11 of their last 16.
Kansas City Royals (19-25) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (25-18) at Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
By most offensive metrics, the Cardinals are nearly identical to the Royals, hitting .240/.321/.390 as a team, yet they have scored half a run more per game. JJ Wetherholt is a frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, although he is hitting just .213/.327/.277 this month. Not only has he starred offensively, he is among the top players defensively, by Outs Above Average.
After years of disappointment, former first round pick Jordan Walker has turned a corner as is seventh in baseball with a 166 wRC+. Shortstop Masyn Winn is hitting .343/.400/.457 against lefties. Lefty Victor Scott II is hitting just .125 in 85 plate appearances against righties.
Michael Wacha starts the opener for the Royals. He has never lost to the team that made him a first round pick in 2012, going 4-0 with a 2.76 ERA in five career starts against the Cardinals. The Cardinals signed Dustin May last winter, and after two rough starts to begin the year, he has a 2.55 ERA over his last six starts. Opponents are hitting .302 against his 97 mph fastball, but he has a 31.4 percent whiff rate on his sweeper.
Noah Cameron has given up 20 runs in 25 innings over his last five starts. Kyle Leahy made 61 relief appearances for the Cardinals last year, with a 3.07 ERA. he tossed five shutout innings, allowing just two hits, but four walks against the Padres in his last start.
Andre Pallante had a 5.31 ERA last year in 31 starts, the fourth-highest among qualified starters. He relies a lot on a sinker/slider/curve combo that helps him net a 55.7 percent groundball rate. Vinnie Pasquantino is just 1-for-11 against him in their career matchups.
The Cardinals’ bullpen has a 4.70 ERA, fifth-worst in baseball. Riley O’Brien made a career-high 31 appearances last year at age 30, and now leads the National League with 13 saves, although he has three blown saves. He throws a hard sinking fastball that generates a 61 percent groundball rate. Kansas City native Ryne Stanek joins the Cardinals bullpen with a 98 mph fastball. JoJo Romero has a reverse split, with leftie shitting .233/.303/.433 against him.
The Cardinals have a young, hungry team with a lot to prove, and Busch Stadium is always a difficult place to play. The Cards have been surprisingly mediocre at home – they’ve split their first 20 games there – but the Royals have been a dreadful road team. The Royals will need to show they can win away from Kauffman Stadium and stop the bleeding after a dreadful sweep in Chicago.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 09: Spencer Strider #99 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, May 9, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After a positive series hosting the Cubs, the Braves hope to get off to a good start in game 1 hosting the Red Sox. Spencer Strider starts for the Braves, hoping to continue his strong start in LA. The Red Sox will counter with Connelly Early.
The Red Sox have not had a great start to the season, emphasized by them cleaning house in their coaching staff. They are sitting in last place in the AL East at 18-24, with injury and performance issues abound. They rank 16th in MLB batting fWAR and 19th in pitching, though they are tied for the lead with the Cubs in fielding. This is a series the Braves should win at home and winning the first game always makes things easier.
Strider had a rough go of it at Coors Field after looking quite good in his last couple of rehab starts. He then came out and struck out 8 batters over 6.0 scoreless innings against the Dodgers, walking only 2. His fastball looked good at 96.5 MPH and good life, with his slider working and his curveball and changeup mixed in with effectiveness. Let’s hope that the Coors experience was an altitude-induced aberration and that version of Spencer Strider we saw in LA last weekend is the new normal.
Connelly Early is a fun name, but has also been a highly-touted prospect and has been a solid major-league starter in his short career. The 24-year-old lefty has a 3.28 FIP and 3.70 xFIP over 62.0 career MLB innings, with 9.87 K/9 and 3.19 BB/9. He struck out nearly 12 batters per 9 innings in the minors, but that walk rate is about in line with his minor league number, as he is also a solid ground-ball pitcher. Early features a six-pitch mix with average velocity, but good extension and movement on everything except for his slider. He throws his lively four-seamer a third of the time, with a good changeup and sinker each making up another 20% of his pitches and the slider, a sweeper, and curveball mixed in the rest of the time. Early has the looks of a good middle-rotation starter, despite his poor contact quality allowed so far this season. The Braves’ lineup is weird against lefties right now, as it is a pretty lefty-heavy lineup without Ronald Acuna, but Drake Baldwin absolutely rakes against lefties so far in his career and Ozzie gets to bat righty, which is always a good thing.
This game is heavily dependent on which version of Spencer Strider shows up, although Early is a quality arm to face for the Braves’ offense.
The White Sox are over .500 this late in the season for the first time since 2022. Thus, the Cubs should not underestimate them. They might not be a great team, but they are certainly improved over what they were the last couple of years.
For more on the White Sox, here’s Chrystal O’Keefe, managing editor of our SB Nation White Sox site South Side Sox.
The White Sox have had a surprising start with their young core. As I write this, they sit in second place in the American League Central, just one game back from first place. They have stayed competitive in close games and have been able to come back from behind, especially in later innings. Had you told me the White Sox were down 5-1 in the third inning just last season, I would’ve assumed the game was over. But this year, an at-bat from Munetaka Murakami, Colson Montgomery, or Miguel Vargas can easily put them back in the game.
As far as pitching goes, the Cubs will see all right-handers this series in Sean Burke (3.68 ERA), our ace, Davis Martin (1.62 ERA), and a consistent veteran, Erick Fedde (3.77 ERA). The bullpen can be shaky, but it seems to be coming together as the season progresses.
The aforementioned home run hitters can certainly be a threat, but a few unsuspecting players can also be ones to watch, such as Chase Meidroth, Derek Hill and his clutch late-inning heroics, and rookie catcher Drew Romo.
Fun facts
The Cubs and White Sox have played the most evenly divided of all interleague matchups involving geographic rivals. The Cubs have won 77 games; the White Sox, 75. Oddly, the Cubs are 39-37 on the South Side, while each team has won 38 games at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs have dominated the Sox the past three seasons, winning 11 of 13 games, including both as the visiting team in 2023 and 2024, then two of three last year.
Today’s game will be the 603rd of all kinds between the teams. The Cubs are 283-307-12, a winning percentage of .480.
The Cubs are 2-4 vs. the Sox in the World Series and 204-228-12 in exhibition games, including 60-91-3 in the City Series from 1903-42, 25-26 in pre-season games in Chicago, 103-89-7 in pre-season games elsewhere and 16-22 in exhibition and benefit games played during the regular season.
In all games in Chicago, the Cubs are 180-218-5, .453.
(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Probable pitching matchups
Friday: Edward Cabrera, RHP (3-1, 3.88 ERA, 1.317 WHIP, 4.25 FIP) vs. Sean Burke, RHP (2-3, 3.68 ERA, 1.091 WHIP, 3.83 FIP)
Friday: 6:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, also CHSN and WCIU-Ch. 26 (Sox announcers)
Saturday: 6:10 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, also CHSN and WCIU-Ch. 26 (Sox announcers)
Sunday: 1:10 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, also CHSN and WCIU-Ch. 26 (Sox announcers)
Prediction
Well. The Cubs have won 13 of the last 15 meetings between these two teams.
But that time frame includes three 100+ loss Sox teams. They are better than that now. However, they are just 4-8 vs. teams currently over .500, and that implies the Cubs can win two of three.
So that’s my prediction. Two of three.
Up next
The Cubs return to Wrigley Field for a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers beginning Monday evening.
GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — OG Anunoby fully practiced with the New York Knicks on Friday for the first time since injuring his hamstring, moving them closer to having their starting lineup intact for the Eastern Conference finals.
The starting forward missed the final two games of the Knicks' second-round sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers after straining his right hamstring late in Game 2. He took part in some of practice when the Knicks returned on Wednesday, but sat out the portions when they went full speed.
But coach Mike Brown said Anunoby did everything with the team on Friday.
The Knicks would host Game 1 of the East finals on Sunday if Cleveland beats Detroit in Game 6 on Friday night. If that series goes the distance, Anunoby wouldn't have to be ready until Tuesday.
Anunoby is averaging 21.4 points per game in the postseason while shooting 61.9% from the field and 53.8% from 3-point range.
May 6, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2), San Diego Padres left fielder Jackson Merrill (middle), and San Diego Padres second baseman Fernando Tatis Jr. (right) celebrate the San Diego Padres victory over the San Francisco Giantsat Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images | Scott Marshall-Imagn Images
We’ve entered into a bizarro world where a series against the Astros can be viewed as a “get right” series for the Mariners. Back in April, the four-game sweep of Houston pushed Seattle to a game under .500 and 1.5 games back in the AL West. This latest series win in Houston pushed Seattle to a game under .500 and one game back in the AL West. The M’s will have to find a way to keep this momentum going without Cal Raleigh in the lineup which makes their margin for error much thinner than it already was.
Somehow, the Padres have been keeping the Dodgers honest in the NL West. Sure, Los Angeles has struggled a bit, especially recently, but San Diego has also been one of the luckiest teams in baseball this year. The Friars have outperformed their Pythagorean record and BaseRuns record by four games, the second largest gap in baseball behind the Rays. It hasn’t been all luck — the team’s bullpen is elite, helping them close out close games — but the lineup has been the clutchiest in baseball by a pretty wide margin.
After sweeping the Mariners in San Diego back in April, the Padres are in the driver’s seat to win the 2026 edition of the Vedder Cup. Should the Mariners manage to sweep the Padres this weekend, tying the season series, the first tiebreaker to determine the Cup winner is run differential — San Diego won that previous series by a combined seven runs. The second tiebreaker is EV (short for Exit Velocity and Eddie Vedder) – the team with the highest exit velocity recorded on a hit will win the Vedder Cup. Dominic Canzone’s 114.1 mph double currently holds the lead should that second tiebreaker come into play.
Player
Position
Bats
PA
K%
BB%
ISO
wRC+
Jackson Merrill
CF
L
176
25.0%
8.5%
0.127
80
Fernando Tatis Jr.
2B
R
180
25.0%
10.0%
0.045
78
Manny Machado
3B
R
172
22.1%
12.2%
0.150
81
Miguel Andujar
DH
R
118
19.5%
2.5%
0.193
126
Xander Bogaerts
SS
R
169
16.6%
10.1%
0.158
117
Gavin Sheets
1B
L
128
20.3%
7.0%
0.229
112
Nick Castellanos
RF
R
90
28.9%
4.4%
0.129
55
Ramón Laureano
LF
R
159
31.4%
10.1%
0.164
94
Freddy Fermin
C
R
86
19.8%
9.3%
0.054
50
The Padres lineup was supposed to run through their quartet of stars: Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Jackson Merrill. Thus far, only Bogaerts has been above league average; he’s currently running a 117 wRC+, his highest mark since 2023, his first season in San Diego. The biggest mystery is what happened to Tatis’s power; he hasn’t hit a home run yet this season despite maintaining excellent contact quality on his batted balls. Maybe he’s taken his new role as a part-time second baseman too seriously, turning himself into a light-hitting middle infielder.
Randy Vásquez has spent the last few seasons as a reliable, innings-eating back-end starter for the Padres. Between 2023 and ‘24, he had the lowest strikeout rate among all qualified starters, though his ERA was a decent 4.27. All of a sudden, he’s throwing two ticks harder this year and he’s more than doubled his strikeout rate. The extra oomph on his pitches is obviously great, but it’s particularly helpful for Vásquez because of his seven-pitch repertoire. Discerning which of those seven pitches is heading towards the plate is a lot easier when you only have to worry about a 93 mph fastball rather than 95 mph heat. With the threat of a true, bat-missing heater in his back pocket, his entire arsenal becomes more effective because he has so many looks he can present to the batter.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Lucas Giolito (2025)
145
19.7%
9.1%
9.3%
37.8%
3.41
4.17
Logan Gilbert
50
25.5%
4.9%
14.3%
37.7%
3.78
3.90
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
44.7%
52.1%
93.3
82
73
109
0.387
Changeup
18.3%
26.9%
81.7
107
86
138
0.299
Curveball
1.2%
5.8%
78.6
106
Slider
35.8%
15.1%
86.0
96
97
111
0.310
With injuries ravaging their starting rotation, the Padres signed Lucas Giolito a few weeks ago with the hope that he’d be able to ramp up pretty quickly to provide some relief for the pitching staff. After four minor league starts, he’s ready to go and San Diego will be activating him for his season debut on Saturday. Giolito was a solid mid-rotation starter for Boston last year in a return to form after a few miserable years marred by injury and ineffectiveness. It wasn’t too long ago that he was the ace of the White Sox rotation, though that ceiling is probably past him. His best pitches are a tight slider and a straight changeup. Both of those secondary offerings play off his fastball to earn their deception which means the deterioration of his heater has some outsized knock-on effects on the rest of his repertoire.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
George Kirby
57
20.3%
6.2%
8.2%
57.0%
2.84
3.26
Walker Buehler
36.1
19.6%
7.6%
9.1%
46.9%
5.20
3.64
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
22.7%
17.3%
93.9
90
33
127
0.340
Sinker
24.3%
8.7%
93.8
94
Cutter
16.3%
33.7%
89.9
92
60
86
0.379
Changeup
1.2%
17.6%
88.9
82
Curveball
12.7%
20.0%
77.3
108
113
61
0.389
Slider
22.7%
2.7%
86.7
99
Sweeper
16.3%
2.1%
82.7
99
From a previous series preview:
I can only assume that Walker Buehler’s 2019 and ‘21 seasons are doing a lot of heavy lifting for his reputation as he’s bounced between three different teams over the last two seasons. He put up 5.1 and 5.6 fWAR in those two campaigns but underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022. He hasn’t been the same since and he was legitimately one of the worst pitchers in baseball last year. His four-seam fastball was one of the best in baseball at his peak but it’s lost a ton of its carry and just isn’t an effective pitch anymore. He’s tried to adjust by deepening his repertoire and mixing in all of his secondary pitches a lot more often. It didn’t work in Boston last year, but the Padres desperately needed starting pitchers this spring, so they’re giving Buehler another shot to see if he can figure things out.
The Big Picture:
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Athletics
22-21
0.512
—
-5
W-L-L-W-L
Mariners
22-23
0.489
1.0
+16
L-W-W-L-W
Rangers
21-22
0.488
1.0
+0
W-W-L-W-W
Astros
17-28
0.378
6.0
-48
L-L-L-W-L
Angels
16-28
0.364
6.5
-32
L-W-L-L-L
It’s “regional” rivalry weekend across baseball which means the two Texas teams are playing each other and the A’s are rekindling their Bay Area rivalry with San Francisco in Sacramento.
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 24: Atlanta mascot Blooper waves a flag after an Atlanta Braves win following the conclusion of the MLB game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves on April 24th, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Red Sox have returned to the Dead Ball era.
“Sell the team” chants have taken over NESN.
Alex Cora was fired at 10-17. Chad Tracy is at 8-8. Craig Breslow is probably fielding calls about Aroldis Chapman, Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, Garrett Whitlock…guys who can help winning clubs right now. And Boston travels to face the only team with 30 wins. Baseball being what it is, they could sweep, of course. But this is going to be a tough series. The pitching matchups might favor Atlanta despite the Red Sox having good pitchers too. Chris Sale won’t be pitching so at least one of their aces misses the weekend series.
Connelly Early takes the ball Friday night against Spencer Strider. Early is coming off an excellent outing against Tampa Bay, 7.0 scoreless innings in their lone win in three games against the AL East leader. Strider began the year on the IL and, after being knocked around in Colorado for 3.1 inning,s shut down the Dodgers for 6.0. Maybe he’ll be rusty again. Kinda of an even-odd thing. One hit, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts even during an Ohtani slump is nothing to sneeze at.
Payton Tolle, aka Mass Pike, has made three starts on at least five days rest and one start on four days rest. Those three have included two gems and one kinda OK start. In the one on four days he wasn’t as sharp and issued four walks. Hopefully the Braves are a good matchup for him. They are actually the 23rd ranked offense in walks but 24th in strikeouts. So maybe this will be a defense-heavy workload. Durbin to the rescue? Bryce Elder is a righty who strikes people out but not at the elite level. He has 53 Ks in 54.2 innings but struck out 8 and 9 batters, respectively, in his last two starts. He does have 20 walks over that time which is…fine. He only averages 87 pitches per outing so if they work a few deep counts (I know, I know) maybe they can hold him under the 6.0 inning mark. He has reverse splits and this year righties are hitting .268/.297/.310 with lefties at an insane .130/.246/.236. Basically every lefty becomes Caleb Durbin. Not great for Tracy’s matchups.
Brayan Bello just pitched on Tuesday. He could be the TBD after an opener again. That’s four days rest. Jake Bennett can’t be recalled yet. The opener is working out for him. Whatever is causing him issues at the start of the game just doesn’t seem to be there. With 6.1 and 7.0 innings and 1 run allowed each time the Red Sox should keep the arrangement going as long as they can. Grant Holmes is the weak link of the series. Not that it matters when a guy with an ERA of nearly seven can shut down the lineup and given Wednesday. He’s a righty with essentially even splits. He’s given up an OPS of .680 to same-sided hitters and .678 to lefties. He hasn’t made it into the fifth in three of his last five starts.
Ronald Acuña Jr. has been on the IL. With any luck they’ll miss him.
Drake Baldwin is having a tremendous season with 11 homers and 37 runs scored (leading the league) while slashing .295/.378/.520.
Matt Olsen has 14 homers and 15 doubles.
Old friend Dom Smith is hitting .358/.386/.543 in limited playing time.
Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Michale Harris II…basically the entire lineup is dangerous. Must be nice.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Friday, May 15: Connelly Early (3.16 ERA / 4.35 FIP) vs. Spencer Strider (2.89 ERA / 3.75 FIP)
Saturday, May 16: Payton Tolle (2.78 ERA / 2.80 FIP) vs. Bryce Elder (1.81 ERA / 3.09 FIP)
Sunday, May 17: TBD (— ERA / — FIP) vs. Grant Holmes (4.35 ERA / 5.19 FIP)
When/Where to Watch
Friday, May 15: 7:15 PM ET on NESN
Saturday, May 16: 7:15 PM ET on NESN
Sunday, May 17: 1:35 PM ET on NESN
In the meantime, imagine Craig Breslow slowly turning into a Batman villain…
The Knicks got a big boost ahead of the Eastern Conference Finals as OG Anunoby was a full participant in Friday's practice, head coach Mike Brown said.
“He practiced today in full,” Brown said, adding, “Everything we did today, he did.”
The forward, who made his return to practice in a limited capacity on Wednesday, has been sidelined with a hamstring injury he sustained in New York’s Game 2 win over the Philadelphia 76ers last Wednesday.
Asked if he saw that as an encouraging development, the head coach said that “anytime anybody is able to do anything like that, it’s always encouraging.”
With the Detroit - Cleveland series playing Game 6 on Friday night, the earliest the Eastern Conference Finals could begin is Sunday. Brown didn’t go as far as to say that Anunoby would be able to return after missing the final two games of the sweep of the Sixers.
“At the end of the day, I’m a wait and let the medical group tell me each day what he can do,” he said. "We'll see if they tell me something different tomorrow. But it's definitely encouraging to see somebody be able to go out there and practice a full practice like OG did."
SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley reported last week that Anunoby's hamstring strain was minor and truly a day-to-day thing, adding that the general feeling about it was "optimism" inside the locker room.
Begley also noted at the time that it was possible Anunoby could suit up for Game 3 or Game 4 against Philadelphia. However, once the Knicks took a 3-0 series lead, it made little sense to have Anunoby play in Game 4.
If the Pistons win on Friday to extend the series with the Cavaliers, the ECF would not begin until Tuesday.
With three of the final four teams locked in for the 2026 Conference Finals, the NHL has released tentative schedules for the upcoming round.
The Hurricanes are currently awaiting the winner between the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres, but they know that they'll either start on Tuesday or Thursday depending on if that series ends in six games or seven.
The Canadiens currently lead the series 3-2 and if they win again on Saturday, here's how the Eastern Conference Final will play out: Game 1: Tuesday, May 19 (Lenovo Center) Game 2: Thursday, May 21 (Lenovo Center) Game 3: Saturday, May 23 (Bell Centre) Game 4: Monday, May 25 (Bell Centre) Game 5: Wednesday, May 27(Lenovo Center) Game 6: Friday, May 29 (Bell Centre) Game 7: Sunday, May 31 (Lenovo Center)
However, if Buffalo forces a Game 7, then this is how the schedule will go, regardless of which team advances:
Game 1: Thursday, May 21 (Lenovo Center) Game 2: Saturday, May 23 (Lenovo Center) Game 3: Monday, May 25 (Bell Centre/KeyBank Center) Game 4: Wednesday, May 27 (Bell Centre/KeyBank Center) Game 5: Friday, May 29 (Lenovo Center) Game 6: Sunday, May 31 (Bell Centre/KeyBank Center) Game 7: Tuesday, June 2 (Lenovo Center)
No start times gave been decided yet and the broadcast will be exclusively carried by TNT (truTV, HBO MAX) in the U.S. and on Sportsnet, CBC and TVAS in Canada.
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