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Dodgers can't keep pace with Nationals after giving up five home runs in loss

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 21, 2025: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Dustin May.
Washington's James Woods runs the bases after hitting a solo home run off Dodgers pitcher Dustin May in the fourth inning of the Dodgers' 7-3 loss Saturday at Dodger Stadium. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Dodger Stadium is the proud owner of the most home runs in baseball this season. The long-ball trend might not be an anomaly.

On Saturday night, the Dodgers and Washington Nationals combined for eight home runs, the most in a Dodgers game this season, but only three came off L.A. bats.

Dodgers right-hander Dustin May gave up three of those home runs, all solo shots, in a 7-3 loss to the Nationals. Andy Pages, Will Smith and Teoscar Hernández hit home runs in the fifth, sixth and ninth innings, respectively.

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In the fourth inning, Nationals slugger James Wood used all of his 6-foot-7, 234-pound frame to launch a sinker from May to break a scoreless game. Pages only took one step from his position in center field as he tracked the ball off Wood's bat — he knew where it was headed.

The 451-foot solo blast gave the Nationals (32-45) a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Three-hole hitter Luis Garcia Jr. followed Wood with a home run.

“The solo homers, they suck, but they’re solo homers,” May said. “Going back-to-back — that’s not what you want to see.”

For being a middle of the pack offense — ranked 18th overall in runs scored — the Nationals flexed their muscle with their young stars. CJ Abrams socked a two-run home run in the seventh off Dodgers reliever Jack Dreyer, his second in as many games.

Washington's Nathaniel Lowe celebrates in the dugout after hitting his second home run of the game.
Washington's Nathaniel Lowe celebrates in the dugout after hitting his second home run of the game in the eighth inning Saturday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Wood and Abrams were acquired by the Nationals in the Juan Soto trade with San Diego in 2022. The former prospects now represent the heart of the Nationals lineup.

May gave up a home run in the sixth to Nathaniel Lowe — who also hit a homer in the eighth inning for his first multi-home run game. May gave up five hits, struck out five and walked two, tossing six innings for the third time in his last five starts.

Outside of Pages, Smith and Hernández's home runs, the Dodgers (47-31) threatened to score when Mookie Betts and Tommy Edman reached via singles in the fifth. Nationals starting pitcher Jake Irvin, however, struck out Freddie Freeman to end the threat. Irvin struck out seven and walked none in 5 ⅓ innings.

“I haven't been very good for a while,” said Freeman, who is batting .182 over his last 15 games. “Just trying to figure it out, did the net drill many, many times [the] last few days, but still not clicking.”

Read more:Shaikin: Why is Dodger Stadium SO LOUD?

He continued: “The swing’s still in Arizona, I think.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn't disagree with his star first baseman’s assessment. He said through conversations with Freeman, it’s clear that he’s still trying to find a fix.

Freeman is still batting .322 on the season — good for seventh-best in Major League Baseball.

“He's certainly his toughest critic, but I've talked to him numerous times, and he just hasn't found something that clicks, where he feels like himself, since spring training, which certainly is a long time,” Roberts said. “But Freddie's going to be as honest as can be, and it's not going to stop him from working."

Eight home runs at Dodger Stadium is unusual, but low humidity in L.A. could be a factor in helping hard hits soar. Climate change researchers have even pondered the effect that warmer climates could have on home runs, with a 2023 study in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society stating that more than 500 home runs since 2010 could be credited to global warming.

“I just thought those were really good, well-executed pitches,” Roberts said of the Wood and Garcia home runs. “But the air, as it starts to get a little bit warmer, the ball does fly here."

Across the last six seasons, Chavez Ravine has ranked top five in home runs on five occasions. In the 43 games the Dodgers have played at home in 2025, there have been an average of 3.39 home runs per game (146 home runs overall and 23 more than second-place George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla.).

Shohei Ohtani, who will make his second pitching start of the season Sunday afternoon, went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. Roberts said he would "leave it open-ended" for how long Ohtani would pitch.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani strikes out during the third inning Saturday.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani strikes out during the third inning Saturday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Glasnow update

Tyler Glasnow (right shoulder) is scheduled to pitch two innings for triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday. Relief pitcher Luis Garcia (right adductor) is set to appear for single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday as well.

Both rehabilitation outings are their first since joining the injured list.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Bulldogs forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan opens up on mental health struggles and hitting ‘rock bottom’

  • AFL star speaks about struggles for the first time since taking a leave of absence

  • He says there were times he ‘didn’t want to leave the house’ but he wants to play football again


The Western Bulldogs forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has opened up about his mental health struggles for the first time since taking a leave of absence, saying there were times he “didn’t want to leave the house”.

The former No 1 draft pick is hoping to make his AFL comeback after recently visiting a health retreat in northern New South Wales.

In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org

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Mets' top pitching prospects Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong deliver big performances

It was another great day for Mets pitching prospects Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong as both were on the mound for their respective clubs on Saturday night.

In Triple-A, McLean pitched five innings and allowed two earned runs on three hits (two home runs) and two walks while striking out six. He threw 90 pitches (55 strikes) and saw his ERA for Syracuse rise slightly to 2.68.

Over McLean's last six outings, the right-hander has allowed two earned runs or fewer each time and continues to impress since his promotion from Double-A earlier this season.

Speaking of Double-A, another young right-hander had himself another stellar showing as Tong struck out 11 and allowed just two hits over 7.2 scoreless innings for Binghamton.

The 22-year-old is up to 107 strikeouts this season in just 67 innings as Saturday was the fourth time Tong has reached double-digit strikeouts for the Rumble Ponies. Tong also lowered his ERA to 1.75 and is 3-0 with a 0.78 ERA across four starts this month.

After giving up three earned runs in his first two starts this year, Tong hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in his last 11 starts as his ascension up the Mets' prospect list continues.

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After snapping skid, Mets 'gotta come back tomorrow' to get season 'back on track'

After losing seven straight games and looking bad in the process, the Mets needed a game like Saturday night against the Philadelphia Phillies -- one that they won, 11-4, on the strength of their lineup which blasted seven homers and totaled 15 hits.

At the center of the convincing win were Brandon Nimmo and Juan Soto who each hit two home runs and went a combined 6-for-9. In fact, the top four hitters in New York's lineup all had multi-hit games, totaling 10 hits and driving in nine runs.

"You know that at some point those guys are gonna come through and today we saw it, especially from the top of our lineup," manager Carlos Mendoza said after the game. "It was a pretty impressive showing there from a lot of our guys. Hit some bombs. Quality at-bats, especially early on with two strikes. Those guys kept battling and finally got a pitch and were able to drive the ball out of the ballpark. So, overall, a good game for us offensively."

All told, the Mets' seven home runs (all solo shots) tied a MLB-record for the most solo homers hit in a single game.

The offensive onslaught also came on the heels of New York struggling mightily at the plate, scoring just 16 runs during its seven-game slide. And although it was a great night for the Mets, the goal is to keep it going starting on Sunday night as they look to win the series against the Phillies.

"We haven’t finished anything so we gotta get back on track tomorrow, try to do the same thing and move forward," Soto said. "Whatever happens in the past is in the past... We’re gonna face a really good team tomorrow and we just gotta come back tomorrow and try to beat them again."

For his part, even when the Mets were losing, Soto has begun to come around offensively after a rough first two months to begin his tenure in Queens. In June, the right fielder has slashed .338/.500/.708 with seven home runs and 14 RBI.

It was only a matter of time for the All-Star to pick it up, especially considering his hard-hit rate and other underlying numbers. Now, the Mets are seeing the fruits of his labor come to fruition.

"I’ve been feeling good since Day 1, things just haven’t been going my way but finally I’m getting some luck and we’re just going from there," Soto said.

As for the team as whole, it's easy to forget but before losing seven in a row New York was playing like one of the best teams in baseball and is once again tied for first place in the division.

"It happens man. You’re gonna go through it, but we know we’re good," Mendoza said. "We know we got good players and it’s part of the grind of 162 and we’ve been in situations like this before. I think every team has. You just have to be consistent. Me as the manager, as the leader, keep coaching these guys, keep pushing them… It was good to get that one and we got a long way to go."

Nimmo echoed his skipper's thoughts.

"You can’t let what was going on for seven games derail what you were doing for two and a half months," he said. "There are definitely things to work on during that time to be better at, but that’s even the case when you’re winning – you can find little things to be better at."

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Reds’ Elly De La Cruz, Mariners reliever Trent Thornton fall ill while playing in extreme heat

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz and Seattle Mariners reliever Trent Thornton got sick Saturday while playing in the extreme heat that covered much of the United States.

De La Cruz vomited on the field with two outs in the fourth inning of Cincinnati’s extra-inning loss at the St. Louis Cardinals. He was checked on by a trainer, and two workers from the grounds crew cleaned up the area.

“I actually watched him. He drank a bunch of water. I mean a bunch,” Reds manager Terry Francona said, “and then he went right out and got rid of it.”

The 23-year-old De La Cruz, who is from the Dominican Republic, stayed in the game and hit a two-run homer in the seventh.

Thornton pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings for Seattle before departing in the eighth in a 10-7 loss at the Chicago Cubs. The 31-year-old right-hander had to be helped from the field.

Mariners manager Dan Wilson said Thornton had “a little bit of a heat-related illness.”

“It was a scary moment, for sure,” Wilson said. “He battled hard. But just really glad that he’s feeling a little bit better now and should be OK.”

The temperature for Reds at Cardinals was 92 degrees, and it was 94 for the first pitch of the Mariners’ loss to the Cubs. Milwaukee’s game at Minnesota was played under an excessive heat warning.

Seattle and Chicago finished their game with three umpires after Chad Whitson got sick. Dexter Kelley moved from second base to home plate.

Whitson was treated in the Mariners’ dugout.

“He came in, same kind of thing. Just was not feeling well,” Wilson said. “Threw up a few times in the dugout and then they came and took care of him from there. The heat was a real thing today, for sure.”

Whitson was dealing with some dehydration, but a Major League Baseball spokesman said he was doing better Saturday night and had been cleared to work third base for the series finale.

A Wrigley Field staffer had a heat-related medical issue right after Saturday’s game, according to a spokesman for the Cubs. He was tended to by medical personnel and walked off the field on his own.

The Cubs set up cooling and misting stations throughout Wrigley to help fans with the heat on Saturday, along with additional emergency personnel. The team had similar plans in place for Sunday, along with bringing in a city bus to use as a cooling station on the street.

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Mets tee off against Phillies with home run barrage to snap seven-game losing streak

The Mets took out some recent frustration at the plate on Saturday night, pummeling the Philadelphia Phillies by a score of 11-4.

Here are the takeaways...

-Mired in a team-wide slump during its seven-game losing streak, New York's offense busted out in a huge way on Saturday by drilling seven home runs, including three straight by Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo and Juan Soto in the third inning. It was the first time the Mets hit back-to-back-to-back home runs since Oct. 4, 2022 against the Washington Nationals.

-Nimmo and Soto each had two homers with Nimmo's first coming in the first inning that gave New York a 1-0 lead. Soto's second blast of the night happened in the fifth which extended the Mets' advantage to 5-3.

-Including Pete Alonso, New York's top four in the lineup combined to go 10-for-18 with every hitter finishing with a multi-hit game. Soto had the biggest night of all with a 4-for-5 performance with four RBI and two runs scored.

-With his home run to lead off the third and start the three-peat, Lindor snapped an 0-for-19 skid. It was also the shortstop's first long ball in 16 games which spanned 64 at-bats. The Mets have now won the last 28 games in which Lindor has hit a home run. He also added a two-run double high off the right-field wall in the sixth inning to give him three RBI on the night.

-Jared Young smacked a solo shot of his own in the eighth for his only hit and Francisco Alvarez added another bomb in the ninth as part of a 2-for-5 game.

-On the mound for New York was Griffin Canning who stumbled out of the gates, allowing the Phillies to score two runs in the first inning after the Mets gave him a quick lead. The right-hander gave up another run in the second to put his team down 3-1 and it appeared as if New York was in for another disappointing game.

However, Canning steadied the ship after the Mets' offense bailed him out and ended up going 5.0+ innings. In total, he gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out four and doing enough to earn his seventh win of the season.

-Huascar Brazoban (2 IP), Ryne Stanek (1 IP) and Chris Devenski (1 IP) pitched in relief of Canning and finished out the game without allowing a run. The same can not be said about Philadelphia's bullpen who needed five guys to come in after starter Mick Abel left before the start of the fourth inning. This sets New York up well for Sunday's rubber game.

Game MVP: Mets offense

For the first time in a while, the Mets had a laugher and totaled 11 runs on 15 hits, including seven home runs.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets cap off their six-game road trip with a Sunday night tilt against the Phillies. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.

LHP David Peterson (5-2, 2.60 ERA) will face off against LHP Jesus Luzardo (6-3, 4.41 ERA).

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Pacers vs. Thunder Game 7: Four things to watch in one game to decide a champion

OKLAHOMA CITY — Nobody should be talking about market size or ratings now. We have witnessed one of the most entertaining, well-played NBA Finals in recent memory — it needed to go seven games. It's had a little bit of everything.

While this series has been a chess match that will thrill fans of the Xs and Os of the game (Indiana moving the pick-up point back in Game 6 was one big one that threw Oklahoma City off for a night), Game 7s are more about execution than strategic changes. At this point in the series, there are no secrets.

"It's a contest of wills. I think the reason it swung between the two teams is because these are two teams that have leaned on that heavily to get to this point," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "It's two teams where the whole is better than the sum of the parts. It's two teams that are highly competitive. Two teams that play together. Two teams that kind of rely on the same stuff for their success that are squaring off against each other."

Game 7 will be about execution under the brightest lights in basketball. Which team, which players will step up?

We've got four things to watch for in Game 7. Four things will determine who will be on the podium next to Adam Silver after the game.

Thunder’s home court advantage

This is not about how home teams are 15-4 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals (the most recent one, in 2016, went to the road team, Cleveland, over Golden State).

The Thunder's home court advantage is much more potent than that — OKC is 10-2 at home in these playoffs. That easily could have been 12-0 save for some last-second heroics (Aaron Gordon's 3-pointer with 3 seconds left for Denver; Tyrese Haliburton's pull-up with 0.3 left in Game 1 of this series).

It's much more than the record: The Thunder have a +20.7 net rating at home, compared to a -6.2 net rating on the road (where they are 5-5). Thunder players openly discuss how they feed off their raucous crowd, and this becomes most noticeable on defense — the Thunder's defensive rating is 12.7 points per 100 possessions better at home this postseason.

"You're ultimately in your complete comfort zone," Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said of their home court advantage. "The flow to the day doesn't change. You're in your own bed. You have shootaround at your building. You eat your pregame meal from your chef or your whoever. It's very comfortable, the whole flow to the day, and then the crowd is behind you. They give you energy, whether you're up or down or whatever is going on in the night. It's an advantage."

The energy the Thunder players get from their deafening crowd is real.

"The crowd. You know, they work in our favor," Cason Wallace said. "They're rowdy and they're into the game, and that gives us a boost and an edge."

The Pacers have been a strong road team this postseason, with a 7-4 record away from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and have generally played teams evenly (a minus-0.6 point differential). They have won one game on the road this series, they know what is coming and how to withstand it.

"Crowds give you a little bit more energy, a little bit more burst. We are going to be practically alone tomorrow," T.J. McConnell said. "This crowd here in Oklahoma City is amazing. It's going to be very loud. We have to be ready."

Haliburton’s health

Tyrese Haliburton's strained left calf wasn't much of an issue in Game 6. That doesn't mean it should be ignored in Game 7.

There were a couple of moments early in Game 6 when he clearly hesitated to push off on his left leg, but it ultimately didn't matter because his shot was falling and the Thunder's defensive pressure was not cranked up to its usual intensity. Haliburton finished with 14 points, five assists, and played less than 23 minutes in the blowout.

Also of note: The Thunder rarely dragged Haliburton into a pick-and-roll and made him move laterally quickly on defense. Expect more of that in Game 7.

Haliburton says he is ready.

"I'm pretty much in the same standpoint I was before Game 6. A little stiff, a little sore, rather," Haliburton said. "Good thing I only had to play like 23 minutes. I've been able to get even more treatment and do more things. Just trying to take care of it the best I can. But I'll be ready to go for Game 7."

Watch how he is moving early and how much the Thunder test him.

Turnovers, offensive rebounds

Both of these teams are built on winning the possession game: forcing turnovers, not turning the ball over themselves, securing some offensive rebounds, scoring easy buckets in transition, and simply creating more scoring opportunities than their opponent.

Which team has executed that has swung from game to game, but in Game 6 it was clearly Indiana.

"I think last game, we didn't play our brand of basketball and we didn't play our brand of defense and we just let them be comfortable," Isaiah Hartenstein said of the Thunder. "So I think it's a mix of things. They do a great job of never changing the way they play. So they get out, they run. And it's our job to just get back to playing our style of defense and going from there."

Turnovers and bench points will be bellwethers in Game 7, as they have been throughout the series.

Lessons from Game 6, former Game 7s

Game 7s don't happen in a vacuum, and both teams talked about learning from past experiences.

For the Thunder, it was Game 7 against the Nuggets in these playoffs. This Finals series has eerily followed the form of the second-round showdown between Denver and Oklahoma City, from the heartbreaking loss in Game 1 to the blowout loss in Game 6. Against the Nuggets, the Thunder played their best game of the series in Game 7, winning comfortably at home.

"What Game 7 taught me from Denver is the swings — three feels like you're down 10, you know what I mean? One feels like you're down five," Jalen Williams said. "That's just like the swing of a game, and what is going on feels much larger. It's about honing in your emotion and understanding the state of the game is big for Game 7."

The Pacers have a few things to draw on.

"Honestly, for us the last three games have all been Game 7s," Myles Turner said.

One of those was Game 6 from just a couple of days ago. With their backs against the wall, Indiana played with a genuine desperation that Oklahoma City did not come close to matching.

"Last game, we didn't want them celebrating on our court, so we understood the assignment, we understood we had to come in here and be dogs, and get that job done," Obi Toppin said. "And now it's on to game seven. We got, we got to do the same thing we did in game six and get the job done."

Asked about his favorite Game 7 memory, Aaron Nesmith didn't hesitate to bring up the Pacers' biggest win of a season ago — one that can apply to this year.

"Ours, against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden," Nesmith said, referencing a Game 7 win on the road the team had last season. "That was an incredible atmosphere and a moment that I loved playing in."

This Pacers core has won a Game 7 on the road in an incredibly hostile environment. It has won in this building in the NBA Finals. Don't sleep on their chances to do it again — but this is a much bigger stage and much brighter lights.

What has been a brilliant series hopefully ends with a Game 7 to match.

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Penguins Are Getting Excellent Coach In Todd Nelson

Hershey Bears head coach Todd Nelson is soaked by his players as he holds the Calder Memorial trophy after winning Game 7 of the Calder Cup Finals at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., Wednesday, June 21, 2023.

On Friday, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced who would be filling out their coaching staff - in addition to new head coach Dan Muse - for the 2025-26 season.

And they may have struck gold with one of their hires.

Todd Nelson - who was head coach of the AHL's Hershey Bears for the past three seasons - was named as one of the assistants on Muse's new staff on Friday. Nelson coached the Bears to back-to-back Calder Cup championships in 2023 and 2024, and he has a boatload of coaching experience at both the AHL and NHL levels. 

Given the phase of their rebuild that the Penguins find themselves in - and their focus on development - Nelson may just be the perfect hire.

Even some former players under Nelson agree. Goaltender Zachary Fucale - who was part of the 2023 Bears' championship team and now plays in the KHL for Chelyabinsk Traktor - gave Nelson a glowing endorsement on socials:

"The best of the best!" Fucale wrote. "Thank you Nelly for everything. Unforgettable moments being part of your team. Absolutely 0 doubts you will have success with @penguins. All the best to you."

Although Nelson was wildly successful as head coach of the Bears, the AHL accolades don't stop there. He also won a Calder Cup as an assistant coach for the Chicago Wolves in 2008 and as head coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2017, which makes him one of only six coaches in AHL history to win three times as a head coach. He is also only one of three people in AHL history to win the Calder Cup as an assistant coach, a head coach, and a player.

Nelson also has a bit of experience at the NHL level, too. He was an assistant with now-defunct Atlanta Thrashers before they moved to Winnipeg, he was the interim head coach of the Edmonton Oilers after Dallas Eakins was fired in 2014-15, and he had another assistant gig with the Dallas Stars from 2018-22.

And his playing career? Ironically, he was selected by none other than the Penguins as a defenseman in the fourth round (79th overall) of the 1989 NHL Draft. He only appeared in one NHL game with Pittsburgh on Nov. 23, 1991 in a 2-2 tie against the New York Islanders. He also later appeared in a few games for the Washington Capitals later on.

Penguins Name Full Coaching Staff For 2025-26 SeasonPenguins Name Full Coaching Staff For 2025-26 SeasonBack on Jun. 4, the Pittsburgh Penguins hired Dan Muse as the 23rd coach in franchise history.

The history with the Penguins' organization is there. But, more importantly, the developmental angle is there. Nelson has personal experience in the arena of fighting tooth and nail for NHL playing time, and he has spent a great deal of time working with developing young players and maximizing their potential.

And this - in addition to that track record of success - is something that drew him to Muse when he was filling out his staff.

“With over two decades of coaching experience, Todd brings a championship pedigree and a winning history that speaks for itself,” Muse said. “He has consistently demonstrated an exceptional ability to get the most out of his players, most recently in Hershey, and his leadership qualities and wealth of experience will be a tremendous asset to our team as we continue to build a culture of excellence.”

Over the next several seasons, the Penguins hope to build back up that culture of excellence that they became so renowned for. And - given his track record - Nelson could be a big part of helping them get there. 

Former Penguin Set To Join Coaching Staff For 2025-26 SeasonFormer Penguin Set To Join Coaching Staff For 2025-26 SeasonA few weeks after it was announced that Dan Muse would become the 23rd head coach in Pittsburgh Penguins franchise history, it appears that a former Penguin will be joining his coaching staff as well.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!       

Feature image credit: Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Several Potential Suitors Named For Panthers' Brad Marchand

Brad Marchand is one of the top pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) who can hit the market on July 1. Both the Florida Panthers and Marchand have expressed interest in getting a new contract done. However, with Panthers stars Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad also needing new deals, there is certainly a possibility that No. 63 could end up becoming a UFA at the start of next month. 

After the playoff run Marchand just had, he would be a very popular target if he became available on the free-agent market. The 37-year-old winger has proven that he is still a star and that he can still step up big time in games that matter most. 

Due to this, in his most recent 32 Thoughts column, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman mentioned several potential suitors for Marchand if the Panthers are unable to re-sign him by July 1. These teams include the Utah Mammoth, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils, and Washington Capitals.

The Mammoth making a push for Marchand would be understandable, as they could use a star winger like him as they look to take that next step and become a playoff team. Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs, Kings, Devils, and Capitals also make sense as possible suitors, as they each are playoff-caliber teams with high expectations for next year. Thus, bringing in a clutch playoff performer like Marchand would be huge for them.

Nevertheless, it is going to be intriguing to see what happens between Marchand and the Panthers this off-season. If Florida is unable to keep him around, it's clear that the future Hall of Famer will have plenty of other options to consider. 

Brad Marchand Has Big Message For Panthers GM Bill ZitoBrad Marchand Has Big Message For Panthers GM Bill ZitoBrad Marchand is one of the Florida Panthers' top pending unrestricted free agents (UFA) with the summer here. The star winger has undoubtedly increased his value after his marvelous playoff run, as he recorded 10 goals, 20 points, and a plus-17 rating in 23 games. With this, he was one of the major reasons why the Panthers were able to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. 

Photo Credit: © Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

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Clarke Schmidt pitches seven hitless innings, Yankees lose no-hit bid vs. Orioles in the eighth

NEW YORK — Clarke Schmidt exited the mound after getting through his seventh hitless inning and exchanged a glance with manager Aaron Boone in the dugout as an indication he was not continuing.

While Schmidt was disappointed, the right-hander certainly understood not going beyond the seventh inning to continue his no-hit bid.

Schmidt was pulled after tying a career high with 103 pitches, and the New York Yankees lost a no-hit bid against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday when Gary Sánchez singled to start the eighth against J.T. Brubaker.

“It’s more him like looking at me like this is it for you right here,” Schmidt said after the 9-0 win. “There’s a little bit of a back-and-forth where you’re having a conference, some dialog, but you can tell with the look in his eyes, it’s ‘You’re at (103). We’re not driving you to 130 today.’”

“You’re going to power through pitch limits or within reason,” Boone said. “Today was not that day for Clarke.”

Schmidt threw 27 pitches in the first inning, when he issued consecutive walks to Jordan Westburg and Gunnar Henderson. He stranded a runner in the fourth after hitting Ryan O’Hearn with a pitch.

Schmidt breezed through a nine-pitch fifth inning and needed eight pitches to get through the sixth.

“I knew he was struggling a little bit, even in the fifth, in the sixth and when he came through in that seventh and I was kind of down there waiting,” Boone said. “I knew he was done.”

Schmidt threw 21 pitches in the seventh as Brubaker warmed up. He ended by retiring Colton Cowser on a fly ball to center field.

“Unbelievable,” Brubaker said of Schmidt. “He absolutely dominated with every single pitch he had in the arsenal and went right after their hitters and that can go show you what attacking hitters can do and it can put you in a really good spot.”

It was the fifth time in team history a pitcher threw at least seven hitless innings and did not finish the no-hitter. The previous instance was Oct. 3, 2022, at Texas when Luis Severino was pulled after seven and Josh Jung singled in the eighth off Miguel Castro.

Brubaker threw two strikes to Sánchez, but the former Yankees catcher hit a clean single to left one pitch after first base umpire Jansen Viconti said he checked his swing. After the hit, some in the crowd of 46,142 lightly booed.

“Everybody in the stadium knows the situation,” Brubaker said. “I’m not ignoring it. Anytime I toe the rubber, I don’t want to give up a hit. At the end that’s always the goal. It happened to be that there was the no-hitter going.”

Brubaker finished New York’s second one-hitter this season by retiring Dylan Carlson. It was the Yankees’ 73rd one-hitter and sixth since the start of the 2022 season.

Schmidt threw first-pitch strikes to 16 of 24 hitters, struck out five and walked two. He ended the game with a scoreless inning streak of 25.1, the third-longest by a Yankees player since 1961. Only Gerrit Cole (25 2/3 innings in 2023) and Catfish Hunter (26 innings in 1975) had longer scoreless streaks.

New York has thrown 24 no-hitters in team history. The last was June 28, 2023, in Oakland when Domingo Germán threw the Yankees’ major league-leading fourth perfect game.

The Orioles have been no-hit 15 times in team history. Baltimore was last held hitless on Aug. 12, 2015, in Seattle by Hisashi Iwakuma.

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Sabres Potential Trade Partner: Pittsburgh Penguins

Bryan Rust (Charles LeClaire, USA TODAY Images)

The NHL's 2025 off-season is here, and teams are going to be jockeying for trades and free agents in the coming days and weeks. And in this ongoing THN.com Buffalo Sabres site series, we've been examining potential trade partners for the Sabres.

We began the series with a look at the  Utah Mammoth, followed by the Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings. And in this file, we're going to break down the potential trade fit with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Let's get straight to it:

TEAM: Pittsburgh Penguins

CAP SPACE:  $22.9 million

FREE AGENTS:  Matt Nieto, LW; Connor Dewar, C (RFA); Phillip Tomasino, RW (RFA); Vasily Ponomarev, LW (RFA); Matt Grzelcyk, D;  Pierre-Oliver Joseph, D (RFA); Conor Timmins, D (RFA)

NEEDS: Help on offense, but especially, on defense; depth at left wing; change in goaltending tandem

SABRES FIT? The Penguins have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NHL in the past three seasons, failing to make the playoffs in each year despite a veteran-laden lineup that includes icons Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson. Astonishingly, Pittsburgh has gotten progressively worse each year, going from a 40-win season in 2022-23 to 38 wins in 2023-24 to 34 wins this past season. It's inexcusable for a team with this many experienced hands to come up so short, but that's where the Pens are at today.

Consequently, Penguins GM Kyle Dubas has a gigantic problem on his hands -- namely, how to balance the needs of the now with the long-term future of the franchise, Dubas is under extreme pressure to steer the Pens into the post-season in 2025-26, but to do that, he'll have to change Pittsburgh's lineup considerably.

That starts with goaltending, as longtime starter Tristan Jarry was an absolute disaster last year, posting a 3.12 goals-against average and an .893 save percentage. Jarry was waived by the Penguins last season, but with three years left on his contract at $5.375 million per year, nobody will be taking him off the Pens' hands. Jarry is a key candidate to have his contract bought out, but if that doesn't happen, Dubas could bury him in the American League.

Sabres Potential Trade Partner: Los Angeles KingsSabres Potential Trade Partner: Los Angeles KingsTHN's Sabres site is continuing a new series in which we examine potential trade partners for Buffalo. We've kicked off the series by looking at teams including the the Utah Mammoth, Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers.and New Jersey Devils.

If that's the case, would Pittsburgh be intrigued by Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen? The Finnish netminder's play fell off in a big way last season, with his GAA ballooning from 2.57 in 2023-24 to to 3.20 in 2024-25, and his save percentage falling from .910 to .887. Luukkonen is signed through the 2028-29 campgain at a relatively reasonable average annual salary of $4.75 million -- essentially, in the same range as Jarry's pay slot.  And Luukkonen doesn't have any no-trade or no-move protection until 2026-27. 

What would the Sabres want in return for Luukkonen? Well, let's start by talking about Penguins winger Bryan Rust. The 33-year-old is a proven offense-producer, and last season, he set new career-highs in goals (31) and points (65) in only 71 games. Rust would give a terrific jolt to Buffalo's offense, and Rust doesn't have any no-trade or no-move protection on a contract that pays him $5.125 million to shoot down a deal to the Sabres.

That said, if Luukkonen isn't a target for Dubas, there are other options on the Sabres who could be moved in a trade for Rust -- namely, veteran winger Alex Tuch, or young RFA winger J.J. Peterka. Both of those Sabres wingers might benefit from a change in scenery, and getting dealt to the Penguins as they aim for the playoffs once again could turn out to be just what Tuch or Peterka may be looking for.

Sabres Potential Trade Partner: New Jersey DevilsSabres Potential Trade Partner: New Jersey DevilsThe NHL's off-season has arrived, and here at the Sabres team website on THN.com. we're in the midst of a series of columns examining which teams Buffalo could make a notable trade with.

Another potential fit for Buffalo is Pens winger Rickard Rakell. The 32-year-old does have a modified no-trade clause allowing him to veto a trade to one of five teams of his choosing, but for all we know, the Sabres may not be one of those five teams.

Rakell's salary of $5 million runs for the next three seasons, so Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams could rest assured he had a cost-controlled asset in Rakell for the foreseeable future. Rakell posted career-bests in goals (35) and points (70) last year, and he'd be a welcome addition to a Sabres squad that needs all the firepower it can get.

Sabres Potential Trade Partner: New York RangersSabres Potential Trade Partner: New York RangersThe NHL's off-season has arrived, and we're turning our attention in this THN.com series to potential trade partners for the Sabres.

As you can see, there are multiple avenues Adams and Dubas can go down to consummate a major trade between Pittsburgh and Buffalo. Both teams are desperate to make the playoffs, but both teams can't afford to run it back with the status quo. The pressure is squarely on Adams and Dubas to get something done in terms of changing their respective rosters, and both teams have pieces that aren't essential to their core.

And that means a trade that shakes up the Sabres and Penguins would ultimately be beneficial to each team's competitive bottom line.

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Rafael Devers hits first home run for Giants against former team Red Sox

SAN FRANCISCO — Rafael Devers hit his first home run for the Giants, connecting against his former Boston Red Sox team just six days after being traded to San Francisco.

Devers began his first series against the Red Sox by going 0 for 5 on Friday night and grounding out in his first at-bat Saturday. He then delivered just what his new team had been expecting when he hit an opposite-field drive off Brayan Bello over the left-field fence for a two-run homer in the third inning.

Devers got loud cheers from the big crowd in San Francisco as he rounded the bases for his 216th career home run that just happened to be caught by a fan in a Red Sox T-shirt.

Devers became the 10th player to homer for and against the same team in a span of seven days or fewer, according to Sportradar. The last player to do it was Abraham Toro, who homered for Houston against Seattle on July 26, 2021, and then for the Mariners against the Astros the next day.

This is the third time it happened with a player traded by the Red Sox. Don Lenhardt and Walt Dropo both did it in 1952, with their homers for Detroit against Boston coming in the same game on June 6 that season, three days after they were traded together in an eight-player deal.

Devers was traded by Boston less than two years into a 10-year, $313.5 million contract extension that he signed in 2023.

Devers’ relationship with the Red Sox began to deteriorate when the team signed Gold Glove third baseman Alex Bregman during spring training and asked Devers to move to DH; he balked before agreeing to the switch. When first baseman Triston Casas sustained a season-ending knee injury, the Red Sox approached Devers about playing the field and he declined, saying the front office “should do their jobs” and look for another player.

A day after Devers’ comments to the media about playing first, Red Sox owner John Henry, team president Sam Kennedy and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow flew to Kansas City to meet with Devers and manager Alex Cora.

Devers’ stance didn’t change and he was eventually traded to San Francisco where he is practicing at first base to play there later this season. Devers said Friday that he wouldn’t have done anything differently in his time in Boston, adding that he was as happy as he has been in years after joining the Giants.