MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 05: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks before the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Fiserv Forum on April 05, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The season might be over (at last), but that doesn’t mean your interest wanes—or the coverage stops. With this in mind, we present to you our end-of-season player pop quizzes. Each quiz focuses on a single Buck, posing three “totals” based questions, two “advanced stats” based questions, and one “obscure” question about their 2025-26 campaign. Six questions, total. For the culture. So, are you truly the Bucks sicko you think you are? Dip your feet in the water with Milwaukee’s all-time best player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and find out.
Season in a snippet
Giannis made noise this year, mostly for all the wrong reasons. On the court, he was his typical dominant self. But, for the first time in his career, he was off the court more often than he was on it thanks to a litany of lower limb injuries—groin strains, calf strains turning to soleus strains, ankle injuries, and hyperextensions. The result: a career-low 36 games after playing at least 61 games in each of his previous 12 seasons—and investigations into the Bucks’ decision to “tell [him] to not play.” Unlucky number 13, huh?
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 16: Joey Ortiz #3 of the Milwaukee Brewers hits a RBI sacrifice bunt against the Toronto Blue Jays during the seventh inning at American Family Field on April 16, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees were Mike Trout-ed once again on Thursday. The future Hall-of-Famer walked twice and homered for the fifth (!!) time of the series. Against a not-great Angels team, the Bombers could only manage a split in the four-game series at home. But, life goes on, as does other action around the American League. Let’s take a look at what happened on Thursday.
Toronto Blue Jays (7-11) 1, Milwaukee Brewers (10-8) 2
For a second consecutive game, the Blue Jays lost to the Brewers by a score of 2-1. Toronto actually put a tally in the run column first in this one, when Taylor Heineman laid down a perfect safety squeeze to kick off scoring in the third inning. The Brewers manufactured a run of their own an inning later, thanks to a Luis Rengifo sacrifice fly, but outside of that, the bats were quiet on both sides.
That was thanks, in large part, to excellent starting efforts on the mound. Patrick Corbin tossed 5.2 innings of one-run ball, striking out six for the Blue Jays. Out of the other dugout, Milwaukee’s Darren Sproat produced a remarkably similar line over 6.2 frames. Both starters allowed one run on four hits while striking out six.
In the spirit of how this game shaped up, the decisive run came via some small ball once again. This time, a retaliatory squeeze bunt from Joey Ortiz scored the go-ahead run for the Brew Crew in the seventh inning. As things would have it, that would be the play that decided the game, as the Jays dropped another one, 2-1.
With the loss Thursday, the Astros officially lost the season series with the Rockies, a deal every other team in the Junior Circuit would happily sign up for. Houston jumped out to an early lead thanks to RBI hits from Yordan Alvarez and Joey Loperfido, but that would be all the noise the Houston bats would be able to make.
Following that, Colorado’s bulk guy Chase Dollander was terrific, allowing just one hit and striking out nine across 5.1 scoreless innings out of the ‘pen.
The Rockies made their charge in the middle innings, with runs in each of the third through fifth innings. An RBI knock and a run-scoring double play sandwiched Hunter Goodman’s fifth homer of the season, a solo shot in the fourth inning off of Houston’s Ryan Weiss.
By dropping another game, to the lowly Rockies no less, the Astros find themselves knotted up in last place in the AL West.
Seattle Mariners (8-12) 2, San Diego Padres (13-6) 5
Right down there with the Astros in the West basement is the Mariners, who took a lost to an NL West opponent on Thursday as well.
Luis Castillo struggled in his fourth outing on the season, as the Padres plated four runs in the first inning, and the right-hander eventually exited in the sixth inning having walked three and allowed seven hits. The damage San Diego did early came thanks to a couple of timely hits, punctuated by Fernando Tatis Jr.’s two-run single to make it 4-0.
On the mound for the Dads, Walker Buehler did a nice job across five innings of work, allowing just a pair of runs and striking out seven. The Mariner’s lone action on offense came in the sixth, when Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez each managed RBI singles, but it wasn’t enough to match the early output of the Padres.
Like the Astros, the M’s drop to 8-12, and find themselves in a bit of a hole to kick off the 2026 season.
Detroit Tigers (10-9) 10, Kansas City Royals (7-12) 9: The Tigers took home a slugfest to crawl above .500 on Thursday. Five different Detroit batters recorded multiple hits in this one, which included three from Riley Greene and a two-run blast from Dillon Dingler. The Royals staged a comeback in the seventh, scoring six runs led by a three-run dinger from Salvador Perez. Suddenly trailing 9-7 in the last of the ninth, a clutch double from Greene tied the game up, and he was later scored thanks to Colt Keith’s walk-off knock.
Cleveland Guardians (11-9) 4, St. Louis Cardinals (10-9) 2: Contrary to the other AL Central winner on Thursday, the Guardians took one home thanks largely to some terrific pitching. José Ramírez led the scoring charge with a two-run blast in the first, but the story of the night was Parker Messick. In his 11th career start, the lefty delivered his finest work, ultimately taking a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the Cardinals. He finished on the hook for two runs in the ninth, but he pitched a near-perfect eight innings, allowing just two hits and striking out nine in the win.
Aug 6, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs first base Justin Turner (3) is safe at home plate as Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson (37) makes a late tag during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images
Good morning everyone and happy Friday!
The Mariners dropped the series finale to the Padres last night, completing San Diego’s sweep in the first leg of the 2026 Vedder Cup. The team heads back home to open a new series tonight against the first-place Texas Rangers.
As we’re now 20 games into the season, which AL West team are you the most afraid of moving forward? The Rangers are in first place, though the Angels are seeing a rejuvenated Mike Trout, the A’s are an up-and-coming team that might be more competitive than expected, and the Astros are…also there.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 16: Nick Kurtz #16 of the Athletics hits a double that scored three runs in the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on April 16, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Morning everyone and welcome to another Friday!
Yesterday the A’s wrapped up their four-game series with the Texas Rangers, splitting the series and remaining in a tie atop the AL West. Not the best outcome but certainly not the worst. Now these two teams will split up and face a couple other teams before seeing each other again next weekend in Texas. Who will be in first place at that point?
Looking ahead to the next series, we welcome the Chicago White Sox to town for a weekend three-game set. Chicago has been one of the worst teams in baseball history over the past two seasons, and while they are back at the bottom of the AL Central with a 6-13 record they seem to have a bit more fight in them than the past couple of years. Can’t ever take a game for granted but the A’s should have the goal of taking at least two of three against the South Siders, with a sweep being the ultimate goal.
Tonight’s game will feature right-hander Aaron Civale on the bump for what will be his fourth start in an Athletics uniform. He’s gotten off to a terrific start with his new team as he’s gone at least five innings in each of his starts, which is exactly what the team was hoping for. They’re probably surprised at Civale’s ability so far this season to avoid giving up runs: he’s allowed just three baserunners to cross home plate in 15 2/3 innings of work. The team will be hoping he can keep that up against Chicago, who will be sending fellow righty Davis Martin to the mound to kick off the series for them. Martin has been arguably their best starter in the early going as he’ll bring a 2.50 ERA in three starts so far this year.
After that Friday night matchup it’ll be Luis Severino versus Erick Fedde on Saturday afternoon followed by a matchup between Jeffrey Springs against Noah Shultz on Sunday. That’ll be Schultz’s second career major league game so an excellent chance to jump on a fresh-faced rookie. The pitching matchups favor the Athletics all series but you still gotta go out there and play the games. Severino has had major home struggles so perhaps Saturday is the day he can begin turning that around.
On another note, two of the organization’s top pitching prospects got starts yesterday and did not disappoint. Left-handers Jamie Arnold and Gage Jump both had Thursday assignments and both posted quality outings. Jump, pitching at Triple-A Las Vegas and making his third start, collected eight strikeouts against just one walk in 4 1/3 innings of work. He allowed a pair of runs on four hits but he’s still sporting a pristine 2.61 ERA through three (short) starts. The team is clearly being cautious as they ramp up the young lefty but this was his longest outing of the year as he got up to 80 pitches. The current major league rotation is full and no one other than Severino is truly struggling so there’s no obvious opening but the team must be happy with how Jump is handling his first taste of Triple-A. Maybe if Jacob Lopez’s struggles get worse the team may elect to press fast forward towards the future a little earlier than expected.
As for Arnold, the 22-year-old southpaw had an even better performance a level lower in Double-A. In 3 1/3 innings of work (remember, slow ramp up for these two) Arnold punched out 7 of the 10 outs he collected, not allowing a run compared to just one walk. Many expected Arnold to be a fast riser through the system and so far in his first three starts as a professional, he hasn’t done anything to dispel that belief. It’s starting to feel like a foregone conclusion that we will see not only Jump at some point this season but Arnold as well. We’ll see if the A’s get aggressive with these two if they’re still in a playoff race but the smart money would be on seeing these guys in the Green & Gold sooner than later.
That’s all we have today everyone. Game tonight at 6:40. Until then, have a great day everyone!
Disappointing considering he needs every hit he can possibly get. He had time for jokes earlier this week about his lack of hitting skills, but this wasn’t funny to watch:
The search for a new head of hockey operations for the Toronto Maple Leafs continues, and word has surfaced that a franchise legend might be in the mix. TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that Mats Sundin is currently in Toronto to meet with the club regarding a potential role within the team’s new management structure.
Mats Sundin is in Toronto to meet with the #leafs about a potential role in the new management structure, per sources
This is not the first time Sundin has been linked to a possible increased role with the organization. The Hockey Hall of Famer attended the Leafs’ training camp in 2024, where he spent nearly a week engaging in activities that went far beyond typical alumni appearances. During that time, he traveled with the roster to an exhibition game against the Montreal Canadiens.
Following Brendan Shanahan’s departure in 2025, many believed his position might be replaced by a role that is not as involved in day-to-day roster decisions as a general manager would be. This shift comes after MLSE CEO Keith Pelley parted ways with GM Brad Treliving on March 30, 2025, following a disappointing season where the Leafs went 32-36-14 and missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
While Sundin typically prefers a quiet life in Sweden, he was asked about a potential return to the game when the club visited Stockholm for the 2023 Global Series. At that time, he notably did not dismiss the idea as he had in the past. Sundin’s return would bring significant goodwill to a franchise currently struggling to find its identity. Over his 18-season NHL career with the Leafs, Quebec Nordiques, and Vancouver Canucks, he amassed 564 goals and 785 assists across 1,346 games.
The Knicks' playoff run begins on Saturday night when they open the first round against the hot Atlanta Hawks.
Game 1 will be a feel-out process for both teams, but the Knicks will need to take care of the glass and defend the three-point line well to take early control of the series.
New York’s All-Star tandem of Brunson and Towns is a lethal one-two punch. Both are capable of carrying New York’s offense for long stretches on their own. But as we’ve learned, there is power in teamwork.
One of the largest criticisms at times is the lack of synergy they have in playing together. As this season wore on, we saw both players build chemistry and unite. Down the stretch of New York’s wins against the Hawks and the Boston Celtics last week, the Brunson and Towns two-man game hummed.
Towns has a massive physical advantage in this series. The Hawks are guarding him with center Onyeka Okongwu and beyond the 6-10 starter, there’s not many other viable defenders for Atlanta to use. They could go to Jalen Johnson or one of their wings, but Towns and the Knicks should be able to handle any defensive strategy from the Hawks.
After establishing a pick-and-roll offense that works with Brunson and Towns, it would be less than ideal to go backwards now. New York should lean into their two stars more during this run.
Control the boards
The Knicks were seventh in offensive rebound rate this season. They owe that top-10 finish almost entirely to Mitchell Robinson.
In the seven-footer’s 1,175 minutes, the Knicks collected 39.5 percent of their misses, per NBA Stats, a figure that would lead the NBA. In 2,776 minutes with Robinson on the bench, that number dropped to 29.8 percent, a more pedestrian 17th in the league.
Against this smaller Hawks lineup, the Knicks should increase Robinson’s playing time after he averaged just 19.6 minutes in 60 games.
Dec 5, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) grabs a rebound in the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at Madison Square Garden. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Head coach Mike Brown might need Robinson to crack 25 minutes, a number he reached just seven times all season. That could mean more double big lineups with Robinson and Towns.
In New York’s win last week against Atlanta, the Hawks had 19 offensive caroms. So it’s not a guarantee that the Knicks will automatically outrebound the Hawks. Controlling the glass on both ends will be important to controlling the pace and slowing down Atlanta’s up-tempo offensive attack.
Contain Hawks' three-point shooters
The Knicks did not defend the three-pointer well this season, giving up the fifth-most three-point attempts to opponents per 100 possessions, and allowing teams to shoot 36.2 percent from three, 20th in the NBA.
The Hawks are dangerous on the perimeter, finishing fifth in three-point shooting percentage (37.1 percent) in the NBA this season. They have several players on the roster capable of going off.
Specifically, containing Nickeil Alexander-Walker should be a top priority for the Knicks. The Most Improved Player of the Year candidate erupted for 36 points in New York’s last game against Atlanta, knocking down seven trifectas.
Okongwu has evolved into a stretch-five. He made 37.6 percent of his threes this season. Veteran CJ McCollum is a career 37.5 percent shooter from deep, and Johnson shot a respectable 35.2 percent from behind the arc.
Most of Atlanta’s core rotation can do damage from deep. And if they knock down shots from outside, they all are capable of putting the ball on the floor and driving to the rim. With the Hawks looking to run, they will be searching for transition three-point attempts.
New York’s wing trio of Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart will be relied upon to defend the perimeter better and get out to shooters to secure the win.
Boston, MA - January 26: Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday and Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown greet each other before the game. The Boston Celtics played the Portland Trail Blazers at TD Garden on January 26, 2026. (Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
BOSTON — Jrue Holiday’s two-year tenure in Boston technically ended in May. After he was traded from the Celtics to the Trail Blazers, Jrue and his wife, Lauren, packed up their family and moved to Portland, where the two-time NBA champion would join a younger, up-and-coming squad hoping to punch their first ticket to the playoffs since 2021 (spoiler alert: on Tuesday, they did just that).
But, though they physically left the city last summer, the Holidays’ off-court impact in Boston hasn’t waned. In fact, their philanthropic collaboration with Jaylen Brown — which started a year and a half ago — is only growing.
How Jrue Holiday impacted Boston in two years
Holiday only spent two years in Boston, but it’s hard to describe his stint as anything other than a massive success. After earning All-Defensive honors and shooting a career-high 42.9% from three in the Celtics’ title year, he served as a pivotal part of the dominant 2024 championship run, responsible for key steals and defensive stops.
But off the court, his impact in the city extended even deeper than his on-court play, though much of his philanthropic involvement flew under the radar. Just a few months after the successful title run, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, and Lauren Holiday together launched the Boston Creator Accelerator, an incubator aimed at supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs in the Greater Boston Area.
The Accelerator provided 10 creators with monetary grants totaling $1 million — as well as mentorship, resources, and direct access to Brown and the Holidays.
Year 1 of the partnership was an undeniable success. The Boston Creator Accelerator invested in ten startups, including the: Future Master Chess Academy, a chess academy for underserved communities that focuses on lifelong skills; Little Cocoa Bean Company, a cafe that creates culturally diverse and nutritious food for toddlers and kids; PYNRS, a streetwear-inspired performance running apparel company, and Everybody Gotta Eat, a food culture and catering company, among others.
Brown, who launched Boston XChange last season in hopes of supporting entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities, was thrilled to collaborate with the Holidays.
“Sometimes, you’re asking other guys, they’ve been advised not to be involved because of whatever reason, I don’t know,” Brown said last season. “But Jrue and Lauren Holiday are great people. They’ve been doing this everywhere they go.”
It’s true: The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Foundation has operated in five cities since its launch in 2020: Los Angeles (Jrue’s hometown), Indianapolis (Lauren’s hometown), New Orleans (where Jrue played for seven years), Milwaukee (where Jrue won his first NBA title), and, now, in Boston.
In its first four years, the fund awarded grants of $25,000 to $50,000 to more than 150 Black-owned businesses and charities, while providing mentorship and resources that oftentimes far exceeded the financial support. Since launching, the monetary investment and hands-on support have continued to grow.
Though Jrue Holiday now lives in Portland, he’s investing in yet another Boston Accelerator Fund co-hort
For Lawyer Times, a lifelong chess player and instructor who had doubled as a post office worker for more than 40 years, the financial investment allowed him to retire from his day job and go all-in on the Future Masters Chess Academy. Lawyer’s wife, Angela, credits Brown and the Holidays for their unwavering belief in the vision.
“The Holidays have such a giving spirit,” Angela Times said. “They just want to create community and bring people together.”
Since joining the Boston Creator Accelerator, the Academy’s annual revenue increased from $50,000 to $300,000, said Renee King, who helps lead the Jrue and Lauren Holiday Fund.
“They all attribute it to the training the village that was wrapped around them, with the resources from all of the partners,” King said.
The initial cohort’s success has compelled Brown and the Holidays to bring in an additional cohort for Year 2. With the playoffs around the corner, they’re together investing another $1 million into ten businesses, with applications closing on April 21st.
Urina Harrell, the CEO of Vox Pop Branding, has long worked on the marketing side of the JLH Fund.
“This is a true partnership between the JLH Fund and the Boston XChange,” she said.
King said that Jrue and Lauren never considered ending their investment in the Boston community just because he was traded.
“Their ethos has always been any city that we are, that we’ve inducted into the JLH, we’re still locked into those cities, regardless of if they’re there to play,” King said. “They’re just used to the fact of like, this is what they were put here for, right? They come in, they touch lives, and then they go; they get pulled to another place, to do the same. We were still going to be locked in on Boston.”
Jrue Holiday and Jaylen Brown have influenced lawmakers on Capitol Hill
The Boston Creator Accelerator could have ramifications that extend far beyond the city; the start-up has also helped inform a new piece of legislation that is pending in Congress, the SPARK Act to Supercharge Minority Entrepreneurship Nationwide. The bill, introduced in February, is meant to spur entrepreneurship and increase access to capital and resources for underserved entrepreneurs nationwide.
“Yes, this is a great pilot. But, the work that’s being done here is being used to shape policy, and we know once we shape policy, then that’s the bigger ripple effect, right?” King said. “Like, we can help more people, because that’s the goal. The goal is to have more people coming together to help more businesses that are creating solutions that all of our entire world needs.”
For now, Boston will continue to benefit from the athletes’ private investment. And, King said it’s been a wonderful city to work in, in large part because of how collaborative the partners that Brown and the Holidays have brought in have been. That list includes
“You have so many folks who are just willing to work together, from government, private institutions, the athletes — it was a very good ethos,” King said. “It was a great place for this pilot to launch, to grow it, because you had so many things within that space that you could pull together. And the energy from everyone, the community around pulling it together was really great.”
Applications close on April 21st, and interested entrepreneurs can apply here.
“We’re looking forward to adding more people to the family,” King said.
The Trail Blazers’ playoff run begins on Sunday against the San Antonio Spurs. As the team’s fourth-leading scorer, Holiday will be a crucial part of the team’s upset chances. Across the country, the Celtics begin their playoff run the very same day.
But Jrue Holiday and the city of Boston will forever be linked — even if the Hall of Fame guard never again dons Celtics green.
“Once you’re in the family, you’re always in the family,” King said. “That’s literally the ethos.”
Opening round series can often be duds in the NBA Playoffs. This Round 1 pairing of the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers can be something better.
Game 1 of what should be a very tight series tips off in Cleveland on Saturday, and I’ve got a same-game parlay that draws options from interesting situations and circumstances for both teams.
Here are my best Raptors vs. Cavaliers predictions and NBA picks on April 18.
Our best Raptors vs Cavaliers SGP for Game 1
The Cleveland Cavaliers draw first blood at home against a Toronto Raptors team that has been cursed in the opening contest of the playoff series. The Raptors are 4-12 SU in Game 1 outings since 2014. Cleveland has the inside-out scoring and tightens the bolts on defense when it has to.
Not all fans may be familiar with the Cavaliers’ Dean Wade. However, the 6-foot-9 forward plays an important role in how Cleveland will defend Toronto. He’s expected to jump into the starting lineup and log more minutes than his standard 21 per game.
When Wade gets 25+ minutes of floor time, his rebounding rate soars over five boards per game.
Scottie Barnes will draw plenty of touches for Toronto, especially if point guard Immanuel Quickley is limited (questionable). When he went down in March, Barnes became the Raptors’ primary ball handler, and his assist production spiked.
He’s dished out seven or more dimes in eight of his past dozen outings.
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It’s a jam-packed 15-game slate across the majors today, and I’ve dug deep to find the top MLB player props. I’ll include CJ Abrams, Andy Pages, and Yordan Alvarez.
CJ Abrams is off to a red-hot start this season. He’s hitting .371 in 18 games with six home runs and 19 RBI, which ranks second in the big leagues.
The youngster has collected an RBI in three of his last five contests, and the Washington Nationals will face San Francisco Giants righty Logan Webb tonight.
Webb has struggled out of the gates, posting a 5.25 ERA so far. While Abrams is just 2-for-14 lifetime against Webb, he’s driven in two runs.
Webb gave up four earned runs last time out, and Abrams is the engine of this Nats offense. Eight of his RBI have come at home as well.
Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBCSBA, Nationals.TV
Andy Pages 1+ runs (-110)
Andy Pages has been one of the biggest surprises of this young season so far. He leads the MLB in batting average, hits, and RBI.
The Cuban-born outfielder has been coming across the plate himself a lot more lately, however, recording a run in two of his last three games. Pages has five hits across his last five appearances as well.
He’s putting himself in a great position to let his teammates do their thing and drive him in. Pages and the Los Angeles Dodgers are at Coors Field tonight taking on the Colorado Rockies. L.A. is hitting .283 with RISP.
Time: 8:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SNLA, Rockies.TV
Yordan Alvarez 1+ runs (-150)
A healthy Yordan Alvarez is simply good for the game. The slugger is a force to be reckoned with offensively, and he’s doing it all right now. He’s hitting .328 with seven homers, 18 RBI, and 16 runs.
Alvarez has come across the plate four times over the last three games. The Cuban also has four hits during that span, and he’s up against Kyle Leahy of the St. Louis Cardinals tonight. Alvarez is 2-for-2 lifetime vs. Leahy with two hits.
The Astros are also batting .264 with RISP.
Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Cardinals.TV, SCHN
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 15: Andre Drummond #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers grabs the rebound during the game against the Orlando Magic during the SoFi Play-In Tournament on April 15, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Before their matchup with Orlando, I had wondered who the unsung hero of the game would be for the Sixers if they pulled this one out. I would’ve not guessed Andre Drummond, who, to be frank, infuriated me throughout the season whenever he was on the court. That wasn’t the case at all on Wednesday.
Joel Embiid was sidelined and Adem Bona got the nod as starting center, but Drummond played 31 minutes, totaling 14 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, three blocks and three steals. He stuffed the box score! The 32-year-old Drummond brought a level of physicality that the Sixers desperately needed against an opponent like Orlando. The Sixers don’t win that game without him delivering that level of performance.
The two threes he made during the game that made the Sixers faithful erupt at the arena? Those were the highlights of the evening.
Tyrese Maxey debuted his new signature New Balance sneakers in the win
Maxey, donning the Sixers’ black throwback uniforms on Wednesday, had the perfect sneakers to match with his new New Balances:
My wife would kick me out of the house if I bought another pair of sneakers, but these look like perfect summer footwear for bopping around the city.
Per GQ, the sneakers will release later this year for $130.
Paul George needs to hit another gear, but I’m not sure he still has one
Paul George, who would turn 36 the day of a potential Sixers-Celtics Game 7, was 6-of-16 from the field and 1-of-6 from deep on Wednesday. The Play-In was his 11th game since returning from a 25-game anti-drug policy suspension. He needs to be better than that if the Sixers are to have even a puncher’s chance against Boston, particularly with Embiid’s timeline to getting back unknown as he recovers from surgery for appendicitis.
I always thought the “Playoff P” nickname was a bit of a misnomer for a guy, in the middle of his 16th pro season, who’s never reached the NBA Finals, but if he was ever going to live up that billing in its true form, it needs to be now.
‘We want Boston!’
As the Sixers inched closer to victory over Orlando, “We want Boston!” chants broke out at Xfinity Mobile Arena:
Famous last words? I respect the energy from our fan base even though I’m sure people online will clown us in the event that the Celtics make quick work of the Sixers over the next week-plus.
A Sixers-Celtics prediction…
Celtics in five, sadly. Am I a coward for not at least tricking myself into hoping and dreaming of an unprecedented upset given the talent disparity and the specific opponent? Maybe! I’ll still be rooting like hell either way.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 12: Dylan Dodd #46 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the seventh inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Truist Park on April 12, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There’s no real way to answer this, but give me your take anyway. I think this is kind of a funny situation.
The Braves have the guys they think are the Good Relievers: Tyler Kinley, Dylan Lee, Robert Suarez, Raisel Iglesias. Maybe Aaron Bummer is in that group, maybe not, I’m not sure yet. But then there’s everyone else, who largely exists to throw mop-up and get shuttled off the roster for a fresh mop-up arm. That creates a bit of a situation, because by virtue of throwing mop-up and getting shuttled off the roster, it’s hard to prove to the team that you should be getting higher-leverage work. The only way to “fall into” higher leverage work is to enter a blowout, have the offense get the Braves back in it, but then stick around and keep pitching in a closer game.
So, without going into all the considerations: do you think any pitcher in the organization breaks into the quartet/quintet of Good Relievers Used Accordingly this season?
Mike Schmidt rounds third after hitting the first of his four home runs on April 17, 1976 | | Bettmann Archive
EDITOR’S NOTE: A version of this article appeared here on the 42nd anniversary of this event, eight years ago. Since it’s now been exactly half a century since Mike Schmidt’s four-homer game at Wrigley Field, I thought you might like to read about that day again. Here’s a lightly edited version of the 2018 article.
Fifty years ago today, it was 84 degrees at game time for a contest between the Cubs and Phillies at Wrigley Field with a wind blowing out at 20 miles per hour.
As you might imagine, that sent quite a few baseballs heading toward the Wrigley Field bleachers that Saturday afternoon, April 17, 1976.
The Cubs used that wind to produce an 11-run lead. My friends, that lead did not last.
The Cubs hit three home runs by the fourth inning: two by Rick Monday and one by Steve Swisher. Two of the three homers were off future Hall of Famer Steve Carlton, who didn’t make it out of the second inning, allowing seven hits, two walks and seven runs.
All of that gave the Cubs a 13-2 lead after four innings. A no-brainer fun win, right?
Well, no. These were the 1976 Cubs, who would bottom out at 19 games under .500 (39-58) on July 26, before playing a bit better the rest of the way (36-29, perhaps presaging a good start the following year. From July 27, 1976 through June 28, 1977 the Cubs were 83-51, one of the best long stretches in franchise history).
Anyway, most of what happened the rest of that long-ago afternoon was courtesy of another future Hall of Famer, Mike Schmidt.
Cubs starter Rick Reuschel actually retired Schmidt in his first at-bat, in the second inning. (Amazingly, Schmidt batted sixth in that Phillies lineup.) Schmidt singled in the fourth and was forced out, but the Phillies scored their first run.
He came up again with a runner on and two out in the fifth and homered. That made the score 13-4.
It was still 13-4 in the top of the seventh. The Phillies had already scored twice when Schmidt batted with two out and no one on base. He homered again, cutting the Cubs’ lead to six.
A six-run lead heading to the bottom of the seventh. What could possibly go wrong? (You likely already know the answer to that question.)
In the top of the eighth, Dick Allen singled in two runs with the bases loaded to make it 13-9. By this time Mike Garman had replaced Reuschel. It mattered not. Schmidt smashed his third homer of the game, this one a three-run shot, and suddenly it’s a one-run game, 13-12.
Darold Knowles relieved Garman. Knowles, famed for his work in the 1973 World Series for the Athletics, did not have a good outing on this windy day. Another homer — this one by Bob Boone — tied the game, and Knowles allowed two more runs in the inning, so the Cubs now trailed 15-13.
The Cubs weren’t done, though. With two out and runners on second and third in the ninth, Swisher singled in both and the game headed to extra innings tied 15-15.
Schmidt’s fourth homer of the game — and remember, he didn’t hit his first until the fifth inning — was off Rick Reuschel’s brother Paul, and the Phillies scored once more to make it 18-15. (That’s the WGN radio call on the video, with Vince Lloyd and Lou Boudreau.)
This game — which eventually ran three hours, 41 minutes — wasn’t quite done. With two out in the last of the 10th, Bill Madlock doubled in Mike Adams — the only run Adams scored as a Cub — and Jerry Morales stepped to the plate as the potential tying run.
Phillies manager Danny Ozark called on Jim Lonborg, normally a starter. Lonborg got Morales to ground out, and posted one of just four saves he had in his big-league career. Here’s how Tribune writer Richard Dozer recapped this game:
The combined delights of hitting behind a 20 mile-an-hour wind in Wrigley Field against a Cub pitching staff that only a foe could love thrust Mike Schmidt, the National League home run champion, full force into the big league record book Saturday.
Schmidt smashed four consecutive home runs to set a modern National League record. With them, he drove across eight runs and dragged the Philadelphia Phillies off the floor to an incredible 18-16 victory in 10 innings before 28,287 shellshocked spectators.
Unbelievably defeated in this one, the staggered Cubs actually were ahead at one stage by a 13-2 score. But while Philadelphia pitchers were knocking down Cub hitters to gain a measure of respect Cub hurlers rarely attain, the whipped Chicagoans were overtaken in a three-run Philadelphia ninth.
The Cubs thus lost a game they’d led by 11 runs — and by six going into the eighth! — by that 18-16 score.
Half a century later, the 11-run blown lead still stands as the biggest in National League history. (There have been a couple of AL games where a 12-run lead was blown.)
It all happened 50 years ago today, Saturday, April 17, 1976.
Columbus Clippers Travis Bazzana (12) throws the ball to first base during home opener at Huntington Park on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Columbus made a valiant effort to battle back in this one after falling behind 5-0, but the Clippers fell one run shy in extra innings Thursday.
Travis Bazzana had a spectacular game, going 3-for-6 with two doubles. He’s currently riding a six-game hitting streak with four multi-hit games in his last five. Don’t look now, but he’s really starting to figure it out at Triple-A.
3-hit, 2-XBH day at the plate for Travis Bazzana!
The former 1st overall pick is batting .282 with an .829 OPS to start out the 2026 season.
C.J. Kayfus also had a three-hit game, going 3-for-5 with a double and a walk. Stuart Fairchild went 2-for-5 with a double and a hit by pitch while Kody Huff went 2-for-4 with two doubles.
Dayan Frias hit his first home run of the season while Milan Tolentino had a two-run double.
Starting pitcher Ryan Webb was tagged for seven runs (six earned) on nine hits with four walks and just one strikeout in 5.0 innings of work.
Will Dion was solid in relief, tossing 2.0 scoreless innings.
Daniel Espino gave up his first run of the season, a solo home run, but he also topped 100 mph with his fastball three times. His slider was over 94 mph and his changeup was over 93. His stuff is getting filthier every time we see him and I’m legitimately getting excited for what he’s going to be able to do as long as he continues to stay healthy.
Steven Perez pitched a scoreless ninth inning, giving Columbus the chance to send the game to extra innings — which it did — but then he was hammered for three runs in the top of the 10th. Columbus managed to score two back, but the rally fell just short.
Akron continues to get excellent pitching and timely hitting as the RubberDucks own their third straight game. This time, it was starting pitcher Josh Hartle who had himself a game.
Hartle tossed 5.1 shutout two-hit innings with seven strikeouts and three walks. The performance lowered his season ERA to 2.45.
Jay Driver completed the final 1.2 innings of the shutout in a rain-shortened game.
On offense, Angel Genao had a terrific game, going 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. Christian Knapczyk went 1-for-3 with a walk and Jake Fox went 3-for-4.
Alfonsin Rosario went 1-for-4, but his one hit was a huge one, a three-run home run in the seventh inning to help Akron seal the win. It was his fifth home run of the season.
You wouldn’t think it from the final score, but this was by far the best start of pitching prospect Jackson Humphries’ young career.
An eighth round draft pick out of high school in 2022, Humphries has historically struggled to throw strikes, but that wasn’t the case on Thursday. He pitched five innings, allowing one run on two hits with 10 strikeouts and 0 walks. Still just 21 years old, he’s yet another arm in a loaded Guardians system that’s worth keeping an eye on.
Unfortunately, the bullpen didn’t have Humphries’ back on Thursday. Sean Matson gave up two runs in 1.2 innings, Cam Schuelke gave up another run in his 1.1 innings and Logan McGuire was absolutely blistered for four runs in his lone inning of work to remove the Captains from contention.
Offensively, the Captains scored all of their runs on solo shots. Jaison Chourio had a strong game, going 2-for-4 with a home run and a walk. He’s now up to a rock solid season slashline of .273/.389/.523 through 11 games. If he keeps this up, he’ll be right back on track as a top outfield prospect in the loaded Guardians system.
Esteban Gonzalez also had a great game, going 3-for-4 with a home run. Dean Curley went 1-for-3 with a walk, a hit by pitch and a stolen base and Nolan Schubart went 1-for-4 with a double and a walk. Luke Hill went 1-for-2 with a walk and a hit by pitch.
Hill City went absolutely ballistic this game, scoring 14 runs on a whopping 17 hits with seven walks. This is going to be fun to break down, especially the top of the batting order, who all had downright disgusting games.
Juneiker Caceres had an absolute monster game, going 3-for-5 with a three-run home run and a walk. After a slow start to the season, he now sports a solid .872 OPS.
Guardians 18 year old prospect Juneiker Caceres is heating up after a slow first week. One of the prettiest swings in the entire system with legit plus raw power. He will be a consensus top 100 prospect very soon. pic.twitter.com/W2jitf5C8Y
Leadoff hitter Dauri Fernandez also was elite, going 4-for-6 with two doubles and a stolen base. Top teenage outfield prospect Robert Arias was moved up to No. 2 in the batting order and he responded by going 3-for-6 with a double, raising his season batting average to .308 in the process.
Anthony Martinez reached base safely three times, going 1-for-4 with two walks. Yelferth Castillo went 2-for-6 with a double and catcher Ty Howard walked three times and scored a pair of runs.
Jhorvic Abreus went 2-for-5 with a stolen base and Yaikel Mijares went 2-for-5.
The incredible offensive eruption buried the lede of some tremendous pitching performances from Hill City.
Top pitching prospect Joey Oakie had his best start of the 2026 season thus far, throwing 4.0 shutout innings of three-hit ball with seven strikeouts and just one walk.
Jervis Alfaro followed with 5.0 innings, allowing one run (zero earned) on two hits with five strikeouts and two walks to earn the win.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 13: Jake Burger #21 of the Texas Rangers is congratulated by teammates after he hit his second home run of the game against the Athletics in the third inning at Sutter Health Park on April 13, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Phillies have plenty of early season problems, but perhaps one of the most concerning ones is the performance of Jesús Luzardo.
Four starts into the season after signing a five year, $135M extension, Luzardo sports a 7.94 ERA in 22.2 innings. He’s allowed five or more runs in three of those starts, with the most recent edition being his 9 runs on 12 hits in just 5.1 IP shellacking at the hands of the Cubs. His struggles are reminiscent to the tipping pitches situation from last summer, but he insists that’s not the case now.
So, what is the problem then? One of the first things to look at when a pitcher is struggling is the stuff. In this case, Luzardo’s stuff looks good and, in some cases, looks better than last year. He’s averaging 97.3 MPH on his fastball, a slight increase from 2025, his sweeper has a 49% whiff rate on 140 pitches, and his changeup has a 46.3% whiff rate on 77 pitches thrown so far. There’s nothing under the hood to suggest that Luzardo’s stuff has regressed, in fact there’s more evidence to show it’s slightly improved.
Luzardo suggested in his post-game interview that some of the problem could be pitch usage and sequencing. Here we can see a noticeable change, at least in the small sample size of four starts. He’s greatly increased the usage of his sinker, up to 19.1% from 10.8% last year at the expense of his four-seam fastball. The four seamer has fallen from his most used pitch at 33.3% to 24.1%, being overtaken by the sweeper for most used. Last season, Luzardo used the fastball and sweeper at similar rates, 33.3% and 32.1% respectively. So far in 2026, he’s tried to incorporate the sinker more into that mix at the expense of his regular fastball.
Elsewhere, his problems with runners on base have once again reared their ugly head. Opposing hitters are hitting .441 with five extra base hits including three home runs against Luzardo with runners on base. When the bases are empty, opposing hitters are hitting .220 with three doubles and 20 strikeouts to 3 walks. He’s also struggled mightily the second and third time through the order. Opponents are hitting .171 with a .394 OPS and 12 strikeouts to one walk against Luzardo the first time through a lineup. But the second time through, those numbers jump to a .281 AVG and .861 OPS. They soar even higher the third time through, with Luzardo getting pulverized to the tune of a .500 AVG and 1.231 OPS in a sample of 26 batters faced.
At least part of the explanation to this poor start for Luzardo is bad luck. He’s sitting on a league worst .417 BABIP (Cristopher Sánchez is second with .411), well above his .324 mark from last year and way above the league average of .288 so far in 2026. That suggests that Luzardo is due for at least some positive batted ball regression. There was some soft contact that found grass in his latest start, but there were also some hard-hit rockets among the balls in play he surrendered, including four balls at over 100 MPH in exit velocity. Nevertheless, his 86.2 MPH average exit velocity for the season so far is right in line with his 88.5 mark from 2025.
It is still early, and Luzardo was able to rebound from a string of poor starts last year. His batted ball luck should normalize as the season goes on, but his struggles with runners on base is a trend that dates back to last season and was thought to have been fixed. So, is it time to worry about JesúsLuzardo? Or are you confident that he’ll be able to right the ship again?
CJ Abrams
Andy Pages
Yordan Alvarez
