Category: Sports News

Worldwide Sports News

Posted on

2026 NL Central Power Rankings: Week 5

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Abner Uribe (45) reacts after a the third out during the ninth inning of their game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Saturday, April 25, 2026 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Welcome to week 5 of our 2026 NL Central Power Rankings — let’s rank some teams!

1. Chicago Cubs (17-11); 5-2 this week; 73.7% chance to make postseason (FanGraphs)

The top of these rankings remain a tough 1-2 punch, as the Cubs and Reds are both vying for the division lead. Chicago extended their win streak to 10 games with a four-game sweep of the Phillies before a win on Friday against the Dodgers, but they lost the final two games of the set over the weekend as they were outscored 18-4.

Seiya Suzuki slugged four homers this week, and Michael Busch and Dansby Swanson each added a pair of long balls. Suzuki and Busch also tied for the team lead with 10 hits apiece. Alex Bregman homered and totaled nine hits this week, and Nico Hoerner added eight hits, including a homer.

None of Chicago’s starting pitchers had an outstanding week, as the two starters to pick up wins (Shota Imanaga and Colin Rea) also took a loss in their second start of the week. The bullpen, however, was great. Ben Brown, Corbin Martin, Ryan Rolison, Yacksel Ríos, Vince Vealsquez, and Jacob Webb combined for 13 innings with no earned runs, striking out 11 batters.

The Cubs now visit the Padres for three games before returning to Wrigley to host the D-backs and Reds.

2. Cincinnati Reds (18-10); 4-2 this week; 35.0% chance to make postseason

The Reds have continued to win, as they’ve now won four consecutive series after a pair of 2-1 series wins over the Rays and Tigers this week. They remain atop the NL Central standings.

It was a power-heavy week for the Reds, as they totaled 16 homers in their six games this week. Nathaniel Lowe led the way with four homers, and Elly De La Cruz added three homers and five other hits. Sal Stewart hit two more homers, driving in a team-high 10 runs and swiping three bags as he looks like an early-season NL Rookie of the Year frontrunner.

Rhett Lowder made a pair of solid starts, totaling 11 innings with 10 strikeouts and three runs allowed. Chase Burns struck out eight and allowed two runs over 5 2/3 innings in his start, and Brady Singer went 5 1/3 innings with one run allowed and three strikeouts. Graham Ashcraft, Brock Burke, and Emilio Pagán all put up scoreless weeks for the bullpen, with Burke leading the way with four scoreless frames and four strikeouts over four appearances.

After an off day on Monday, Cincinnati will host the Rockies for three games before a road trip takes them to the Pirates and Cubs.

3. Pittsburgh Pirates (16-12); 3-3 this week; 62.0% chance to make postseason

The Pirates split their two series with the Rangers and Brewers this week, losing two of three in Texas before taking two of three against Milwaukee over the weekend.

Oneil Cruz led the Pittsburgh offense with a pair of homers, but he had just one other hit and struck out 11 times in 23 at-bats. Nick Gonzales led the team with 10 hits, driving in two and scoring three runs, while Konnor Griffin picked up his first career homer on Friday night in Milwaukee.

Paul Skenes turned in a sterling start against the Brewers on Friday night, allowing just one hit and striking out seven over seven scoreless innings. Braxton Ashcraft went seven innings with two runs allowed and five strikeouts in his start. The bullpen had an all-around solid week as eight arms combined to allow zero runs over 19 innings with 18 strikeouts — in fact, the only reliever to allow any runs this week was Gregory Soto (two runs in two innings).

Pittsburgh heads back home for four games against the Cardinals before hosting the Reds for three games next weekend.

4. Milwaukee Brewers (14-13); 2-4 this week; 35.7% chance to make postseason

The Brewers continue to struggle with consistency on offense, as they scored 17 runs in their two victories this week but just nine runs in their four losses, as they dropped two of three to both Detroit and Pittsburgh.

Milwaukee’s offense failed to pick up a homer this week, but Jake Bauers led the squad with eight hits, including three doubles. David Hamilton finally found a bit of success, going 7-for-19 with a double, two RBIs, and three runs scored. Brice Turang led the team with four RBIs despite only picking up three hits (all singles).

Kyle Harrison turned in arguably the best start of his career on Sunday, striking out 12 over six shutout frames. For the week, he went nine innings with one run allowed and 15 strikeouts. Jacob Misiorowski struck out nine and allowed three runs over six innings in a no-decision, while Aaron Ashby continues to set the pace for the bullpen, as he allowed no runs and struck out eight in 4 1/3 innings this week. DL Hall, Grant Anderson, and Trevor Megill also had scoreless weeks for the ‘pen, allowing just three hits and three walks with seven strikeouts over 7 2/3 total innings.

The Brewers get an off day on Monday before hosting the D-backs to wrap up their homestand. They’ll then head to Washington and St. Louis on a six-day, six-game road trip beginning Friday.

5. St. Louis Cardinals (14-13); 1-5 this week; 9.6% chance to make postseason

The Cardinals finally look like they’re falling back to earth, as they dropped five of six games this week, losing two of three in Miami before being swept by the Mariners in St. Louis.

Nathan Church had a huge week offensively, picking up eight hits, including four homers, to go with seven RBIs. Iván Herrera and JJ Wetherholt each added a pair of homers, and Masyn Winn totaled eight hits and four RBIs.

The pitching staff didn’t have a great week overall, as every player who appeared on the mound allowed at least one run, with the lone exception of Justin Bruihl, who went 3 2/3 scoreless innings over three appearances. Michael McGreevy made a pair of starts, allowing five runs and striking out nine over 11 2/3 innings, while Dustin May picked up the only win this week, going 5 1/3 innings with one run allowed and five strikeouts.

St. Louis now heads to Pittsburgh for a four-game set against the Pirates before a homestand against the Dodgers and Brewers to begin May.

Posted on

Bright Side Wonders Week 27: Sweep incoming?

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 25: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns attempts a shot against Jalen Williams #8 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half in Game Three of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 25, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Thunder defeated the Suns 121-109. 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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Phoenix Suns are down 3-0 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. No NBA team has ever come back from losing the first three games of a series, and Phoenix hasn’t played like they’d have a chance to change that record.

With Game 4 tonight, here are the questions we want your thoughts on for Week 27 as the Suns face elimination:

Could the Suns steal Game 4 by getting hot from deep?

Phoenix hasn’t particularly shot the three-ball well this series, hitting just 33% of their triples. One way the undermanned and less talented team can steal a game in the series is by getting hot from deep; it’s how the seven-seeded Philadelphia 76ers beat the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of their series: Philly went 19/39 from three in their win.

With Phoenix missing their starting center for the entirety of the series so far, the team has been forced to play small, opting for more spacing on the floor, including playing forward Haywood Highsmith at the center spot to help with spacing.

Is the key to victory in Game 4 a hot shooting night?

Assessing Devin Booker’s performance

Devin Booker has been limited by the Oklahoma City defense, averaging nearly six points less per game than he did in the regular season, on worse efficiency from three and the field. With lengthy and versatile defenders like Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, and Cason Wallace, the Thunder have made it their mission to make sure that anyone but Booker can beat them, and they’re doing so. Both Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks are averaging more shots per game during the series and are averaging more points per game, consequently.

With Mark Williams out, Phoenix’s inside/out game is not as strong as it was during the season, also prohibiting the team’s top ball handlers’ ability to operate on offense, but being the Suns best player and leader, should more be being asked of Booker?

Would a sweep be a disappointment?

The Suns have been heavy underdogs in every game during their first round series. If they do lose and get swept by the defending champions, does that make the team’s playoff run a disappointing one? Or should this have been expected. The Thunder had the best record in the league, came into the playoffs winning 18 of their last 21 games, while the Suns came into the series with less rest and dealing with multiple injury to key players.

Has this series gone as you expected it to go?

On the Suns’ plate this week

Game 4 is tonight at the Mortgage Matchup Center. If they lose, their season is over, if they win, they’ll head back to OKC for Game 5. If they get to Game 6, it’ll be on Friday, while Game 7 would be Sunday. Tonight’s game is on Peacock and NBC.

Posted on

Cooper Flagg is poised for Superstardom

DALLAS, TEXAS - APRIL 12: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts to a play during the first half against the Chicago Bulls at American Airlines Center on April 12, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. 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 GettyImages License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images

When the Dallas Mavericks selected Cooper Flagg last June, the franchise was saved, but there were still questions about Flagg’s upside.

Those questions were answered, as Flagg had one of the best scoring seasons for a teenager ever, and left no doubt about his future.

Season Review

Flagg’s season started off poorly, as he averaged just 15.5 points in the first 15 games. He looked uncomfortable and rushed, with no go-to moves.

These problems were only exacerbated by the truly awful two-big lineups the Mavericks were relying on, with multiple non-shooters always clogging the paint.

But it wouldn’t take long for Flagg to find his rhythm, as after the bad start he proceeded to average 23 points, 5 assists, and 7 rebounds over his last 51 games.

These stats show the biggest reason for optimism regarding Flagg, which is his superhuman ability to improve. At the beginning of his lone college year at Duke Flagg was seen as a mainly defensive prospect with some connective offensive tools. By the end of that season Flagg had become Duke’s de-facto point guard and lead ball handler.

And somehow he kept improving this year, even as the team around him crumbled. It started with his gigantic improvement as a ball-handler, allowing him to get to his spots much easier. But the biggest improvement was his touch around the rim, which was seen as a weakness before the draft. This touch has become his best weapon, as his floaters are already some of the best in the league.

He even found a new level in April, with step-back threes becoming part of his repertoire.

Flagg also rewrote the record books for players his age. Flagg became the youngest player in the league history to score: 30, 40, and 50 points, as well as being the first teenager to have multiple 40 point games.

This type of scoring production

All in all, Flagg showed consistent effort and buy-in all year, with the circumstances of the team never really affecting him, and his winning mentality never wavering.

Best Game

It is very hard to pick Flagg’s best game, with there being multiple generational performances. You could easily make a case for his 51 point explosion against the Magic, or his near 45 point triple double against the Lakers.

But to take a page out of Ryen Rusillo’s book, I’ll zag against the obvious.

My pick for Flagg’s best game was his 33 point, 9 rebound, 9 assist performance against the Denver Nuggets.

This game is far from Flagg’s best statistical outing, but it was maybe his most impactful. Not only did the Mavericks win this game, but it was against a bona-fide contender that was trying to win.

Flagg was amazing all night, with his three ball dropping all game, including a clutch-time three over multiple defenders.

He was also incredibly efficient, nailing 14-21 from the field and only having two turnovers.

This was also one of his best playmaking games of the season, as he consistently leveraged his downhill scoring to create opportunities for others.

My pick for his second best game would have to be his 45 point game against the Lakers.

Contract Status

Flagg will be entering year 2 of his 4 year, $62.7 million contract he signed last year.

Looking towards the future

Now that Flagg’s rookie season is over, what does he have to do to reach the level of a true superstar?

In my opinion, the most important improvement Flagg has to make is his shot selection. Flagg often settled for long mid-range jumpers over three pointers last year, leading to some of his poor efficiency.

Flagg only attempted 3.5 three point shots a game, accounting for just 20% of his total shots on the year. There were many moments throughout the season where defenses simply ignored Flagg from behind-the-arc, which made his paint finishing that much harder.

Shooting more threes, with hopefully more efficiency, should make Flagg nearly ungradable in almost any situation, forcing defenses to bend to his gravity.

Besides shooting, Flagg could also stand to attempt more free throws, as his Free Throw Rate was .29, which is slightly above average. Obviously this isn’t bad, but comparing it to other stars it lags behind. Shooting more free throws would help to ease the difficulty of his shot diet, and get more easy points.

But all of this doesn’t really matter if Mavericks do not build a smarter team around Flagg.

The spacing of last year’s team was a disaster, with Flagg always dealing with stacked paints. Having Kyrie Irving back will help to ease this issue, but it does not solve it. The Mavericks should prioritize adding this offseason, and hopefully give Flagg the space he needs to dominate.

Grade: A+

There’s no other grade that makes sense for Cooper Flagg.

Flagg exceeded any expectations as a scorer and shot creator, while simultaneously showing off incredibly impressive playmaking.

Detractors might point to his below-average efficiency, or disappointing advanced metrics; however, these issues can mostly be explained by the team around him.

Flagg was able to succeed in the most dire possible circumstances, and with the addition of a top 10 pick, Kyrie Irving and a hopefully healthy Dereck Lively II, he should be poised for a historic second season.

Posted on

NL West report: Padres, D-backs split in Mexico, Rockies hanging tough

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - APRIL 26: General view of Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú prior the MLB Mexico City Series game between San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú on April 26, 2026 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Divisional battles highlighted the week in the National League West.

The San Francisco Giants took two of three games against at home the Dodgers, a series in which runs were at a premium, with 10 runs total between the two teams and two shutouts, nobody scoring more than three in any contest.

Dalton Rushing was in the middle of things, running through the old baseball cycle of perceived slight, followed by retribution with a hit batter, then a hard slide. That was mostly background noise in a rivalry that still has some juice to it even when one team is competitive and the other isn’t.

Tuesday’s game was decided on a three-run home run by light-hitting catcher Patrick Bailey on an extremely hittable slider by Jack Dreyer. That spoiled six scoreless innings by Shohei Ohtani, which reminded Brady Klopfer a lot of Matt Cain’s time in San Francisco.

The San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks played south of the border, splitting two games in Monterrey, Mexico.

Mason Miller amazingly didn’t strike anybody out in his two appearances this week, lowering his strikeout rate to a still gaudy 61.4 percent. On Saturday he set a Padres record with 34 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, dating back to last August.

Division notes

San Diego has starters Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove, and Griffin Canning all on the injured list, so they signed free agent Lucas Giolito last week to a one-year deal worth $3 million plus a mutual option for 2027. He pitched in a tuneup game Saturday in Class-A Lake Elsinore, and left in the third inning after taking a comebacker off his hand, but after the outing Giolito said he was fine, per Marty Caswell.

Arizona lost four games in a row last week before winning Sunday. Over at AZ Snakepit, Ben Siegel wondered how much time Alek Thomas — hitting .213/.253/.400 through Sunday with a career .276 on-base percentage — has before the Diamondbacks pursue other options in center field and/or the roster.

Rockies hanging around

Renee Dechert, who writes for Purple Row and her own Rockies Pitch newsletter, offered some perspective after the Rockies’ Friday win over the New York Mets.

Colorado also won the last two games of that series in New York to complete a weekend sweep, and are now 13-16. Still in last place, but no longer hopeless.

Colorado reached its nadir as a franchise in 2025, losing 119 games, and since then they have revamped the front office for the first time in years — including hiring former Dodgers executives Paul DePodesta and Josh Byrnes — and have new partial ownership coming as well. Last season, the Rockies lost 50 games before they won their 10th game.

Evan Lang at Purple Row noticed the improvement as well:

The Rockies are still not a great team. The offense has a lot of question marks when it comes to their “swing first and ask questions later” approach to hitting and inconsistent ability to win close games. However, most of the games are still close, the pitching has been shockingly solid—dare I say even good—and they’re keeping fans engaged. Our comments sections are proof positive of that!

NL West standings

Dodgers 19-9, – –
Padres 18-9, 0.5 GB
D-backs 15-12, 3.5 GB
Giants 13-15, 6 GB
Rockies 13-16, 6.5 GB

The week ahead

  • Dodgers: vs. Marlins, at Cardinals
  • Padres: vs. Cubs, vs. White Sox
  • D-backs: at Brewers, at Cubs
  • Giants: at Phillies, at Rays
  • Rockies: at Reds, vs. Braves
Posted on

Recap: Bruins on the brink of elimination after Game 4 blowout

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 26: Members of the Boston Bruins look on from the bench during the third period of Game Four of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on April 26, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Sabres defeat the Bruins 6-1. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images

After a tightly played Game 3, where the Bruins could point to missed opportunities as the difference between a win and a loss, fans hoped to see a little more jump on offense and a little more finish in Game 4.

Instead, the Bruins turned in one of the more calamitous defensive performances in recent memory and got absolutely pummeled by Buffalo, losing Game 4 by a score of 6-1.

The Bruins were booed off the ice at the end of a first period that saw them allow four goals, including three within a span of less than five minutes.

It was, in a word, an embarrassing effort from just about everyone wearing a Bruins jersey or standing behind the Bruins bench.

The B’s ultimately trailed 6-0, only for Sean Kuraly to score the team’s only goal with 40 seconds left in the third period.

The Bruins melted down further down the stretch, with Nikita Zadorov getting five-and-a-game for cross-checking Rasmus Dahlin, potentially earning himself supplemental discipline in the process.

If you enjoy watching horror movies, here are your highlights:

View Link

The B’s will have to win in Buffalo on Tuesday night in order to extend their season, though fans could be forgiven for being hesitant to coming back out after Sunday’s debacle.

Bruins lose, 6-1.

Game notes

  • This game was a horror show for the Bruins, just about from the opening face-off. They came out flat, with Buffalo outshooting them 3-0 in the first couple minutes of the game, then the wheels fell off. To me, the game was reminiscent of the B’s more recent playoff loss to Florida, where they spent the majority of the series looking like they were playing on half speed and ended up completely overwhelmed.
  • Perhaps the most frustrating part is that the B’s first period meltdown was almost entirely self-inflicted. The first goal was a calamity of errors: Charlie McAvoy and Jonathan Aspirate couldn’t complete a 15-foot pass. Fraser Minten tried to carry the puck back into the defensive zone instead of just chipping it out. Buffalo scores ten seconds later. They compounded that by taking a too many men on the ice penalty a couple minutes later, then gave up a goal just after that power play expired when Hampus Lindholm failed to clear the zone. It was mistake after mistake after mistake.
  • To compound matters, the Bruins showed pretty much no push-back the entire game. It wasn’t until just about the end of the second period, when the B’s were given a power play opportunity down 4-0, that they showed a little jump on offense; predictably, it didn’t lead to a goal.
  • Jeremy Swayman was pulled after allowing six goals, the vast majority of which (if not all) can be placed squarely on the shoulders of the team in front of him. He could be seen barking at the bench on his way down the tunnel as frustration boiled over.
  • You could make an argument that Swayman should have been mercy-pulled earlier than that, given the way the team was playing, but Marco Sturm failed to really pull any of the right levers yesterday.
  • Viktor Arvidsson left the game with an upper-body injury after skating just over three minutes. He didn’t return, and his status for Tuesday is in doubt.
  • I’d imagine Sturm makes another swap on the third line in Game 5, as Lukas Reichel wasn’t the solution. I don’t mean to call him out directly for any real reason, but he ended up with no shots, blocks, hits, etc., so we’ll likely see Mikey Eyssimont or Alex Steeves tomorrow.

Games like this certainly take the proverbial wind out of your sails, but hey, there’s still another game to enjoy!

Game 5 will be back in Buffalo on Tuesday night, with a 7:30 start.

Get stoked!

Posted on

Monday’s Brotherhood Playoff News & Links

TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 26: Brandon Ingram #3 of the Toronto Raptors drives to the basket during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 26, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

In Monday’s Brotherhood Playoff Action, RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram helped lead Toronto past Cleveland, 93-89. Mason Plumlee and San Antonio took care of Portland, 114-93. Jayson Tatum and Boston smacked Philadelphia around, 128-96. Finally, Luke Kennard and Los Angeles fell to Houston, 115-96.

Ingram had 23 for Toronto, while Barrett finished with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Neither shot well, with Ingram hitting 6-23 while Barrett was slightly better at 8-22.

Rookie Tyrese Proctor got a DNP for the Cavs.

Plumlee got in for 2 minutes for the Spurs but didn’t put anything in the box score.

For his part, Tatum racked up 30 points, 11 assists, and 7 rebounds to pace the Celtics.

And for JJ Redick’s Lakers, Kennard finished with 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists.

On Monday, we’ll see Paolo Banchero and Orlando take on Detroit, Oklahoma City try to eliminate Phoenix, and Denver and Minnesota in the nightcap.

Go to the DBR Boards to find Blue Healer Auctions || Drop us a line

Posted on

Catan, blacking out, and Reggie Miller: inside Payton Pritchard’s Game 4 masterpiece

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 26: Payton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics reacts during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 26, 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

PHILADELPHIA — Payton Pritchard is sitting at his locker, his ankles submerged in ice.

“I need another win on the way home,” he says, grinning.

Neemias Queta chuckles and shakes his head.

Pritchard, after all, is just a few minutes removed from the best individual playoff game of his six-year NBA career, a 32-point, 5-assist masterpiece that saw him drain 6 three-pointers, including a ridiculous end-of-first-quarter buzzer-beater.

But, with the Celtics’ 128-96 Game 4 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in the rearview, he’s already begun to think about his next conquest, which will come on the plane ride home. That’ll be a victory in the team’s plane-ride game of Catan, which Pritchard, Queta, Ron Harper Jr, Jordan Walsh, and Derrick White all regularly partake in.

The first time I heard Pritchard talk about Catan was a month ago, when he crashed my pregame interview with Hugo Gonzalez about the team’s obsession.

Gonzalez had been carrying a Catan board in several Celtics social media posts, so I mistakenly assumed he was passionate about the game (“I am the Catan hater,” Gonzalez clarified emphatically, explaining it was his rookie chore. “I am the Catan hater.”)

Pritchard, always one of the chattiest Celtics in the locker room, wanted to make sure I knew that he won more than anyone else on the roster.

That he was the ultimate Catan competitor.

That, really, the rest of them were just battling for second place.

“I’m the best,” Pritchard told me, explaining that Walsh sucked. “It’s more of a strategy game, more mental to it. You’ve got to be better.”

During that interview, in which Pritchard’s demeanor appeared hilariously serious, I tried my best to suppress a smile.

I just might be talking to the most competitive person in the world, I thought to myself.

Four weeks later, at the Xfinity Mobile Arena, Pritchard yells at Reggie Miller, who is announcing Game 4, after each one of his made baskets.

“Reggie is my man,” he said afterwards. “It’s just a friendly banter. I get going off that, and I probably use it to my advantage to get going even more. I don’t even know. I black out in those moments, so I don’t really know what I say at times. But it helps.”

Jaylen Brown says he doesn’t know what it is that Pritchard is yelling, either, but he laughs at the question.

“Whatever it is, tell him to keep doing it.”

Four days before that, Pritchard felt he had let the team down

After the Celtics’ 111-97 Game 2 loss on Tuesday night, Pritchard was bummed out.

In the loss, he attempted 8 shots — making just two — and finished the night with just 4 points, 13 less than his season average.

“I was definitely very disappointed after Game 2,” Pritchard said. “Felt like I was kind of a shell of myself. Bad decisions. Shot making wasn’t great.”

“I did not give the game what it needed, or my team, and it hurt us.”

It was time to turn the page.

On the flight to Philadelphia, Pritchard took care of business: he handily beat his teammates in the plane ride Catan game, a reality that Derrick White conceded at shootaround on Friday.

Then, with the series back on the road, Pritchard was back in his element, in a hostile environment, faced with a whole sea of 76ers fans he could talk trash to.

In Game 3, the tides began to turn. He hit 5 three-pointers, including a massive one with just over a minute to play that gave the Celtics a five-point lead.

He claims he doesn’t remember what he said after that shot, though the words were flowing.

”I probably blacked out in that moment,” he said. (I’m honestly still not sure if Pritchard truly can’t remember what is that he’s bellowing after these big-time shots, or if he just knows that he can’t repeat it).

Still, though Pritchard said that Game 3 was a step in the right direction after a lackluster Game 2, he emphasized after that one that it still wasn’t his best.

He had another gear to reach.

Two days later, he reached it, pouring in 13 first-quarter points, and another 14 in the third quarter, en route to Sunday’s career night.

“When you get in that flow stage, it’s the rhythm: how you’re dribbling, the moves you can get to, the shot making,” Pritchard said afterwards.

It’s a feeling that he’s — intentionally — used to: “In my workouts, I try to hit that on the daily, so then when I get in the games, it’s a regular thing.”

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – APRIL 26: Payton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics celebrates a basket with head coach Joe Mazzulla during the first half of game four of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 26, 2026 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. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Game 4 served as Pritchard’s ultimate bounce-back

Pritchard’s best game of the series came on a night when Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum both struggled in the first half, combining for just 13 points on 4-17 shooting.

Brown didn’t score until the second quarter. Tatum started the game 1-8.

Still, the Celtics led by 16 points after one quarter, and never looked back.

“It’s a luxury to have a guy like that, that can score with the best of them, coming off the bench on your team,” Tatum said.

Brown felt that, two nights after he and Tatum combined to score 27 of the team’s 29 points, the 76ers made a concerted effort to take the ball out of their hand.

“They wanted to take away me getting to my spots, and also, JT — and make us play on the backside,” he said. “And we made the right rim read in the seam. Our bigs made the right plays, and then our shooters punished them, and then once you see a couple go down, it’s open from there. I thought we just did a good job of just trusting our system. And then everything took care of itself.”

On Sunday, Pritchard attempted 21 shots, his most attempts in a month. He’s only reached that number 7 times all year.

But, there’s a direct correlation between his shot attempts and the team’s success: The Celtics were 9-10 (47.4%) this season when Pritchard took less than 11 shots, and they were 45-15 (75%) when he took 11 or more shots.

“We’re at our best when he’s aggressive,” Joe Mazzulla said.

Mazzulla makes sure that the former Sixth Man of the Year knows that, too.

“He’s definitely in my ear all the time about being aggressive, especially since the playoffs have come around. He wants me to be in attack, and to be able to touch the point,” Pritchard said. “When you’re hearing your coaches say that — that gives you the ultimate freedom.”

And ‘free’ is a pretty good way to describe how Pritchard played on Sunday.

He beat the end of the first quarter buzzer with a wild three-pointer and drew a shooting foul at the end of the third quarter. Gonzalez, Harper Jr., Baylor Scheierman, and the rest of the Celtics bench watched it all unfold in disbelief, chuckling to themselves at the shotmaking display.

Scheierman typically watches Pritchard play with a grin.

From my vantage as someone who’s been around this team almost every day this season, it’s long felt like the two have something unique in common: a seemingly unshakeable confidence that is rare even in the NBA, this belief that they’re destined to be on the court, a swagger, a showmanship.

Everyone is confident at the pro level — that’s how they got here — but Scheierman and Pritchard seem to be on another level.

After Pritchard’s 32-point masterpiece, I asked Scheierman if he felt that was an accurate representation, if he could confirm my perception that he and Pritchard were uniquely competitive.

He grinned. He agrees.

“We’re both just super confident in our abilities,” Scheierman said. “And I think that comes from being maybe under-looked, overlooked throughout our careers, and maybe just [playing] with a chip on our shoulder, just wanting to go out there and just kind of put on a show every night.”

All of Pritchard’s teammates are familiar with his almost ridiculous level of competitive spirit at this point.

“I’ve known P since we was in high school, same high school class,” Tatum said. “Obviously, he’s a better version of himself, but he’s always been that competitive. Doesn’t back down from anybody. Always takes on a challenge.”

They also know him as one of the most relentlessly hard-working people.

“The work ethic speaks for itself,” Brown said, “and when you see someone put in the work behind the scenes, moments like this are all the better.”

“He’s a gym rat,” Tatum said. “That’s one thing that is consistent and constant about him always, is he is always gonna be in the gym, working on his game, working on his craft, trying to get better. It shows in moments like tonight.”

On Saturday, a day before his monster Game 4, I asked Pritchard where his Game 3 three-pointer ranked as far as big shots made in his Celtics tenure.

He was reluctant to herald it as one of the biggest because he wanted it to be followed by many more.

“I knew it was a big shot,” Pritchard said. “It was needed in the moment. But, hopefully, I can hit more like that.”

A day later, amid the heater of all heaters, that line felt prescient.

Posted on

Blackhawks Goalie Should Keep Getting Better Next Season

Chicago Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight had a solid 2024-25 season. In 55 games on the year, he had a .902 save percentage, 2.82 goals-against average, and three shutouts. With numbers like these, he showed that he is capable of being a solid starting goaltender in the NHL.

Yet, with Knight still being only 25 years old, the possibility of him hitting a new level with the Blackhawks next season should not be ruled out. The Darien, Connecticut native has high potential, and he could take that next step now that he has gained more experience as a true No. 1 goaltender for the Blackhawks.

Goaltenders can take a longer to develop at the NHL level, so it would not be particularly surprising if we see Knight improve next season. He has already shown plenty of promise with Chicago, and if the Blackhawks' defense improves in front of him, he could have a big year in 2026-27. 

It will be interesting to see what kind of campaign Knight has for the Blackhawks next season, but there is plenty to be optimistic about when it comes to his game. 

Posted on

Game Preview: Philadelphia Flyers @ Pittsburgh Penguins , Round 1 Game 5, 4/27/2026

PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 20: Dan Vladar #80 of the Philadelphia Flyers eyes the puck against Connor Dewar #19 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Two of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 20, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Who: Philadelphia Flyers (3-1) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1-3) in Game 5 of the best of seven series

When: 7:00 p.m. ET

How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and NBC Sports Philadelphia, nationally on ESPN, streaming on ESPN+

Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins are fighting to make sure they have a path ahead. That would be a Game 6, back in Philadelphia on Wednesday night if Pittsburgh wins today to extend the series.

Opponent Track: The Flyers are up 3-1 in the series and looking to close out and move onto next round against the Carolina Hurricanes. Carolina wrapped up a sweep of Ottawa on Saturday and now sits back to await the PIT/PHI winner in the next round.

Hidden Stat: From Pens PR, Arturs Silovs (28 saves in Game 4) became the second goaltender in franchise history to make his Penguins playoff debut in an elimination contest and earn a win, following Frank Pietrangelo (Game 6 of 1991 division semifinals). 

Hidden Stat 2.0: By my count the Penguins are 11-13 in the Sidney Crosby era when facing elimination in the playoffs (11-12 in the games Crosby has played, 0-1 when he hasn’t in 2011 vs TB). The Pens have won two games in the same series when facing elimination on three occasions (2009 vs DET, 2012 vs PHI, 2016 vs TB).

Getting to know the Flyers

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Travis Konecny – Christian Dvorak – Porter Martone

Denver Barkey – Trevor Zegras – Owen Tippett

Alex Bump – Noah Cates – Tyson Foerster

Luke Glendening – Sean Couturier – Garnet Hathaway

DEFENSEMEN

Travis Sanheim / Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York / Jamie Drysdale

Nick Seeler / Noah Juulsen

Goalies: Dan Vladar and Samuel Ersson

Potential scratches: Matvei Michkov, Garrett Wilson, Carl Grundstrom, Emil Andrae, Helge Grans, David Jiricek, Oscar Eklind, Oliver Bonk, Hunter McDonald, Jacob Gaucher, Aleksei Kolosov, Carson Bjarnason

Injured Reserve: Rodrigo Abols (fractured ankle), Nikita Grebenkin (upper body)

  • It looks like there is going to be a lineup change among forwards for the Flyers for the first time in this series. Michkov is going out and Alex Bump is headed in to make his NHL playoff debut, based on a practice the Flyers held yesterday before traveling to Pittsburgh.
  • Michkov hasn’t done much of anything (no points, four shots on goal and barely averaging above 10 minutes per game) but was Philadelphia’s fourth highest scorer with 51 points in the regular season. Removing him would take some skill out of their lineup, even though he hasn’t been able to get much of anything going as it was.
  • There was another change in the middle lines with Barkey and Foerster trading spots. Barkey scored a goal in Game 4 on a nice setup from Zegras, it looks like the Flyers will be wanting to see them play together.
  • Updated the scratch list for the Flyers, with their AHL affiliate didn’t qualify for the playoffs they have quite the taxi squad of young players sticking around.

And now for the Pens

Projected lines 

FORWARDS

Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust

Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin

Elmer Soderblom – Ben Kindel – Anthony Mantha

Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari

DEFENSEMEN

Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson

Sam Girard / Kris Letang

Ryan Shea / Ilya Solovyov

Goalies:  Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner

Potential Scratches: Connor Clifton, Justin Brazeau, Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Jack St. Ivany, Sergei Murashov

IR: Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones (season-ending shoulder surgery)

  • The Penguins did not have practice yesterday while traveling back home. That probably means there will be a well-attended gameday skate this morning for the club where we’ll see what, if any, changes happen from last game. Being as it was a win, the status quo sounds like the play at this point.
  • We updated the Penguin scratch list as well, technically Murashov is up with the NHL roster right now to serve as an informal emergency third goalie. It’s expected he’ll be assigned back to the AHL by the time WBS’s series kicks off on Thursday against Hershey, assuming the NHL Penguins are still alive and kicking by that point.
  • Crazy good stat about Letang being the first Penguin defenseman to register a playoff GWG in an elimination game since Darius Kasparaitis ‘sniped’ Dominik Hasek in the 2001 series against Buffalo. Wild last game was the first time since back then given all the playoff games played in the Crosby era, though from the hidden stat above there were ‘only’ 10 GWG’s when facing elimination prior to Letang’s goal on Saturday.

Multi-point monsters

Evgeni Malkin had a two-point night in Game 1 to tie Joe Sakic for seventh all-time in NHL playoff history multi-point games. Sidney Crosby still sits solidly in third place after his multi-point last outing in Game 3.

Posted on

DitD & Open Post – 4/27/26: Mending Fences Edition

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 02: Dougie Hamilton #7 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates his goal with teammates on the bench during the first period against the Washington Capitals at Prudential Center on April 02, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

“Given the importance of stacking undervalued players and making every dollar count in the cap world, there are a few guys on the Devils who stand out as bets Mehta will not want to make. Let’s take a closer look.” [Infernal Access ($)]

“Dougie Hamilton is still the New Jersey Devils’ best defenseman. They need to mend fences and get him back in the fold for 2026-27.” [Devils on the Rush]

“Sunny Mehta is the New Jersey Devils’ newest GM, a position he himself dreamed of as a kid. It’s a dream come true for many of us as well, with a data-driven, calculated individual at the helm who has a back-to-back Stanley Cup-winning pedigree to boot. Of course, there are certainly some lessons he likely learned or integrated with the Panthers during his five years there, and, as such, I certainly hope he brings those with him to his new organization.” [Devils’ Advocates]

Hockey Links

The Hurricanes and Avalanche advance:

Anze Kopitar heads to retirement:

What does the future hold for Brady Tkachuk in Ottawa? “…He was a major disappointment this series. Tkachuk is now two years away from unrestricted free agency. His future and the chatter around him will hang over the team until he’s signed to an extension, is traded or walks away from the nation’s capital. Next season could even be a last dance of sorts for this core.” [Sportsnet]

A scary moment for Nils Lundkvist the other night:

PWHL expansion is coming:

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

Posted on

Chicago Cubs history unpacked, April 27

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to the Rajah and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history 1997, Ryne Sandberg breaks the major league record for most home runs by a second baseman, and other stories as well.

Cubs Birthdays:Michael Rucker, Joey Gathright, Rogers Hornsby* HOF. Other notables, Enos Slaughter HOF.

Today in history:

  • 1392 – Korean Confucian scholar and statesman Jeong Mong-ju is assassinated on the Sonjuk Bridge in Gaeseong (now North Korea). A brown spot on the bridge is still said to be his blood.
  • 1859 – US Congressman Daniel E. Sickles is acquitted in the murder of Philip Barton Key on grounds of “temporary insanity,” the first time this defense is used successfully in the US.
  • 1865 – Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrenders remaining forces to Union General William T. Sherman at Bennett Place in Durham, North Carolina, ending the American Civil War.
  • 1905 – Cubs Jack McCarthy becomes only major league player to throw out 3 runners at plate in 1 game, all were ends of a double play.
  • 1954  – “Seven Samurai”, Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa, starring Toshiro Mifune, is released
  • 1954 – Mass trials of Jonas Salk‘s anti-polio vaccine begin; the first shot is delivered in Fairfax County, Virginia; more than 443,000 children receive shots over three months.
  • 1986 – The world’s worst nuclear disaster occurs when the fourth reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in the Soviet Union explodes, resulting in 31 deaths and radioactive contamination spreading to much of Western Europe.
  • 2021 – US Census results shows its population growth second slowest in recorded history, population at 331,449,281 with only 7.4% increase on 2010.

*pictured.

Posted on

The Red Sox are Craig Breslow’s team now, so what happens next?

Fort Myers, FL - February 11: Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. The Boston Red Sox held their second day of Spring Training at JetBlue Park on February 11, 2026. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images

Long time readers of the MMBB know that I like to divy these articles up into three points discussing three things that caught my attention across the previous week. They could be positive trends, concerning developments, or stuff about the Red Sox that I just find amusing and fun. Either way, I like to give the OTM readers a collection of things to discuss.

But, like, what else am I gonna write about this week?

Am I really gonna sit here and try to dive into the plate approach of guys hitting in the bottom half of the order? Do you really need me to drone on about pitch mixes and why Brayan Bello shouldn’t be throwing his cutter as much anymore? I like doing that analysis, and I hope you folks continue to read it because I enjoy outlining it to you. More typical Brushback articles will be published on a consistent basis in the future.

Alex Cora just got fired, though! That’s the only topic worth diving into today! Normally I’d be looking forward to talking about a series victory after an awful mid-week series, but there are bigger fish to fry here. That’s the only thing I have the bandwidth to talk about right now! Regardless of how you feel about the decision, it’s one that’s so massive that I would hope you’d understand the decision to only focus on that this time around. I’d also hope you’d understand that the rest of the site is going to be flooded with the Cora fallout in the coming days; these things happen when a manager with almost a decade’s worth of experience with a team is cut off in late April after a piss poor start.

As for the specific topic of my musings, though, I do want to focus on President of Baseball Operations Craig Breslow. This is the not the first time the front office has made a decision at this scale, so I think it makes sense to discuss what it could mean for Breslow’s future.

It’s Monday Morning Brushback time, y’all.

Before We Begin…

I want to give a summary of where I think I stand, as I write this early Sunday afternoon before the finale in Baltimore, regarding the Red Sox’s decision to fire manager Alex Cora along with numerous members of his now-former coaching staff. Apologies if these thoughts are a bit scattered, because I’ve got a lot to say before I get into my main point. I wanted to make this a quick snapshot, but if you’ve ever read the MMBB or listened to Pod On Lansdowne before you’d know that brevity is not really in my toolbox.

I was shocked when I heard the news Saturday, and it’s still very surprising now. I thought Cora was made of teflon. I’ve been more of a Cora apologist in years’ past, but perhaps it was time for a change—as our own Bryan Joiner wrote recently.

The 2026 Red Sox have had an unacceptable start as they’ve simply looked unprepared out of the gates. A bad plate approach, some bone-headed decisions, you know how this shit has gone in the first few weeks. And not for nothing: this is not the first time the Sox have had stretches of playing sloppy and—frankly—dumb baseball.

Errors are a funky stat, yes, but Boston has been in the top three in errors per game (so, I guess overall errors too because everyone plays 162 lmao) in each of the previous three seasons; that ain’t a small sample size. I know you’ve noticed how many outs this team has had a tendency of running into in recent years. Entering play Sunday, the Red Sox only had the 17th best OPS with runners in scoring positions (.737; thought it would be worst frankly, though I’d guess that Saturday’s win boosted those stats a bit). They haven’t ranked within the top 10 in MLB in OPS with RISP since 2021. Does that not speak to some approach with the coaching? Have you not lamented the lack of situational hitting from this club in recent times? The platooning within the lineup at times made sense, but didn’t it annoy you to see Wilyer Abreu consistently get benched against lefties prior to this year? A guy who has 30 home run potential, even if he’s cooled off recently? I know my answer to that.

Yet at the same time, I can’t levy every failure at Cora’s feet. He wasn’t the guy ultimately tasked with buying the groceries, to borrow a platitude from Bill Parcells. Craig Breslow was, and still is, that guy. Those groceries have been pretty shit to start this year. The checks are being signed by the FSG brass, but the decisions he’s made in developing this roster haven’t gone swimmingly in 2026. There’s still a huge question mark regarding the outfield logjam, a conundrum he’s been unable to solve for months at this point. Guys can’t consistently get playing time because of that pickle. The infield defense has improved overall (Contreras has been awesome at first, Durbin has gotten way better at third after a shaky start, while Mayer and IKF have rated out as positive defenders thus far. Just don’t look at Trevor Story’s OAA). But that’s come with big offensive production dips at third base and second base. Breslow made huge decisions to bring on—and also let go—of guys with offensive track records at the hot corner (Devers has been bad to start the year, to be fair, while Bregman is starting to turn things around after his slow start. So, who knows how those deals end up. Whether you liked those decisions or not, the final story on those sagas have yet to be written). The club is currently tied for last place in homers after we (me, you, your friends and family who watch this team regularly, the front office guys themselves!!!!!) identified power as a big thing to address this winter. The pivot in the off-season was to invest in run prevention through sound defense and improved pitching; the Sox’s errors per game has dropped from 0.72 to 0.59 prior to Sunday’s game, sure, but that’s still in the bottom 10 across MLB.

If guys ultimately aren’t performing to the level they should be, I don’t know how much I can blame the manager for that. AC doesn’t go out there and cough up a ton of runs as the starter. AC doesn’t strike out on three pitches with ducks on the pond. How much of those struggles are coaching, and how much of those struggles are stemming from the front office’s philosophies?

Cora’s also seen pretty consistent roster churn over the last few years; the 26-man list has been consistently inconsistent. But on the other other hand, isn’t his job to elevate that roster—regardless of the churn—to be the best that they can be? They’ve under-performed in 2026. They under-performed between 2022 and 2024.

How all of the guys in that clubhouse feel about a clubhouse guy-type of manager being shown the door remains to be seen, though I do know that Trevor Story ain’t happy about it. I also want to make it clear that players learning about this news on social media with the rest of us, per Chris Cotillo of The Mexican Times MassLive, is unacceptable stuff from FSG—especially when you consider that guys like John Henry and Sam Kennedy were physically there in Baltimore when the news broke over the weekend. Jarren Duran didn’t seem to have any thoughts about it (hmm), while Roman Anthony was actually pretty well-spoken for a guy who’s just 21 and was just thrown through an absolute loop along with his teammates.

All of this is to say that there’s a lot of blame to go around for where we stand right now, well below .500 and with legitimate questions about the future. I don’t think Cora is totally innocent, though I do think he will continue to have a solid career in coaching within this sport. I hate to sound like a fence-sitter here, but this is a complicated situation. It’s a clusterfuck, and it often takes a lot of different people to create a clusterfuck. The team did not look prepared to start 2026 (a coaching issue) while there are legitimate question marks regarding the roster construction (a front office issue). I get why FSG and/or Breslow (they can’t even agree about who made this decision; more on that later) would want to pull the plug now if they didn’t want this soap opera to drag on for months, though I can’t say for sure that this is or is not the right decision right here and right now. Sorry to disappoint.

Is there something to be said about a new perspective in the clubhouse? Maybe; the guys playing still seem to like Cora, but I’ve also heard nothing but good things about Chad Tracy—a guy who has already mentored a lot of young Sox players in Worcester. At least there’s some familiarity there, though who knows if Tracy’s interim title turns into a full-time one. I’ll forever be appreciative of the 2018 Red Sox, and he’s going to land on his feet, but how much leeway do you give to the manager of the 2018 club if that same franchise is currently on pace to have its fourth losing season in five years when he’s been the one constant that entire time? Simultaneously, how much do you blame the guy who has already made transactions—and balked at others—that are going to have ramifications that haven’t even come to pass yet? These aren’t only rhetorical questions, folks; I’m genuinely asking these things out loud, because I just don’t know.

Over 1,600 words to say “I don’t know.” Nice job, Fitz, you fuckin’ stiff.

I know it sounds like a cop out, but that’s just how I feel. There are merits to the “Cora should’ve stayed” camp. There are merits to the “Cora had to go” camp. These are the realities, at least in my book, when you have a complicated clusterfuck like the one that the Red Sox have found themselves in. It’s complicated. There are nuances here. I can’t look at this as a black-and-white thing. I don’t know what else to tell ya…other than the entire novel I just wrote.

Either way, I suppose I’m happy that AC is happy.

With All That Said…

Regardless of how you feel about the Cora decision itself, it seems pretty obvious to me that this is the end of a power struggle between manager and CBO. Mr. Breslow himself doesn’t think it’s fair to call the relationship he had with Alex Cora as a power struggle, but come on dude: when your guy Andrew Bailey is the only major coach not given a pink slip this weekend, what do you expect this to look like?

I do find it funny that FSG’s failure to communicate doesn’t even stop at their communications with their players and their fans; no, it leaks into their own understanding of franchise-altering decisions. Breslow and Kennedy couldn’t even seem to find…………….alignment……….on where the onus of this decision fell.

Regardless of who actually pulled the lever here, this is now Craig Breslow’s show whether you like it or not (again: not sure if I’m all the way in on that myself, but this is the nature of the situation we’re living in). This team is primed to be shaped in his vision.

The question then becomes: how much time did Craig Breslow just buy himself with this decision?

If he’s being given the keys to the car, does FSG ride this out until at least the end of 2026? Barring a 2027 lockout (oh God I don’t even want to think about that in this equation, just assume we’ve got a season next year), does he also get the lion’s share of that year to see out another season of the contracts he provided and traded for? Does he get to go through his own managerial search in the coming months? If he’s canned within the next year and a new full-time manager had already been appointed, does that hinder the team from finding the best CBO candidate considering that they won’t have their choice of a manager—just like the hand that Breslow was dealt following Chaim Bloom’s departure? Does Breslow even make it to the end of 2026? Does he even make it to fumble one last trade deadline this summer, for ol’ times sake?

Are we talking years here? Months? Weeks?! Say this team has really and truly taken a nosedive and the season is dead by Memorial Day; how does the guy who took enormous swings such as the Devers trade last year, the Bregman balk this winter, and the firing of Alex Cora survive a nightmare opening third of the 2026 campaign? His DNA would be all over the body of a dead team. If John Henry and the rest of Fortress Fenway really wanted to turn the page, that would have to be final straw, no?

Point is: Breslow better be reeeeeeeeeeally fuckin’ sure, for our sake as fans and for his own sake as a professional within the sport, that this gambit pays off. He showed the door to a respectable manager within the baseball world (look at just about any national writer’s take within the last 48 hours; regardless of how you feel about Cora, that’s the perception he has nationally); he better be certain that this is the right call for the team we all love.

Maybe Breslow thinks he bought himself at least another year or so of time in charge here. Hell, maybe he’s right. He could also be dead wrong and he could be sent packing sooner than he expects. Mr. Henry’s been present at games more often. For all of his faults (I don’t have another 2,000+ words in me this weekend; perhaps another time) and for all the criticism he’s been hit with for seemingly being tuned out of the baseball team he owns, Henry’s now currently watching. The excuses for Breslow are gone, right, wrong, or indifferent.

Jake T. O’Donnell (great Twitter follow, by the way) had a great point while referencing the greatest TV show ever, ironically while the team was playing in Baltimore.

Jake’s right: Craig is in the game. Let’s see what happens.

Song of the Week: “Whatever” by Oasis

Yeah. 🙂

Same time and same place—with what I would imagine would be a regular format, barring Breslow being fired—next week! Go Sox.

Posted on

Mets Daily Prospect Report, 4/27/26: Prepare for trouble, and make it double

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 19: Randy Guzmán #39 of the New York Mets stands on the field prior to the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Mets at Clover Park on Thursday, March 19, 2026 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (13-13)

WORCESTER 6, SYRACUSE 2 (BOX)

Jonah Tong’s maddening start to 2025 continues. The right-hander continues getting plenty of strikeouts (38 in 25.1 innings), but has been allowing too many free passes (15 in 25.1 innings) and has been far too hittable, leading to afternoons like this one, where he allowed three runs in four-plus innings. Jonathan Pintaro, he wasn’t great in relief, and the offense on the whole kind of stunk.

·  RF Nick Morabito: 1-4, 2B, RBI, K

·  SS Vidal Bruján: 0-4, 2 K

·  LF Ryan Clifford: 1-4, 3 K

·  2B Christian Arroyo: 1-4, 2 K

·  CF Cristian Pache: 0-4, 3 K

·  3B Yonny Hernández: 2-4, R

·  C Hayden Senger: 0-3, K, PB (5)

·  DH Ben Rortvedt: 1-3, R, K

·  1B Trace Willhoite: 1-3, 2B, RBI, K

·  RHP Jonah Tong: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, HBP, L (1-2)

·  RHP Jonathan Pintaro: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, WP

·  RHP Mike Baumann: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

·  LHP Anderson Severino: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (8-12)

GAME ONE

ERIE 5, BINGHAMTON 1 / 7 (BOX)

The SeaWolves plated three runs off of Jonathan Santucci before the southpaw could even record a single out. He settled down, allowing one more in the top of the sixth, his last inning of work, but the Rumble Pony offense wasn’t able to do much against starter Joe Miller or the Erie bullpen despite plenty of batters getting on base.

·  CF A.J. Ewing: 0-2, R, 2 BB, K, SB (11)

·  SS Marco Vargas: 0-3, BB, K

·  DH Jacob Reimer: 1-3, RBI, HBP

·  C Chris Suero: 0-2, BB, K

·  RF Jose Ramos: 0-2, HBP

·  1B JT Schwartz: 0-2, BB, K

·  3B Nick Lorusso: 0-2, K, HBP

·  LF Matt Rudick: 0-3, 2 K

·  2B Wyatt Young: 1-3

·  LHP Jonathan Santucci: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, L (0-3)

·  LHP Matt Turner: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, WP

·  LHP Felipe De La Cruz: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

GAME TWO

BINGHAMTON 5, ERIE 2 / 7 (BOX)

In Game Two of the afternoon, Binghamton struck first, with AJ Ewing and Marco Vargas hitting back-to-back triples. Vargas did the heavy lifting for the Rumble Ponies in this one, going 3-3 with 3 of their 5 runs. Binghamton used seven pitchers in total, with only Jordan Geber and Zach Peek allowing runs.

·  DH A.J. Ewing: 2-3, 2 R, 3B, BB, K, SB (12)

·  2B Marco Vargas: 3-3, 2 R, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, BB, SB (9)

·  3B Jacob Reimer: 0-2, 2 BB, K, CS (1)

·  CF Eli Serrano III: 1-3, 2B

·  LF Jose Ramos: 0-3, 2 K

·  C Kevin Parada: 1-3, RBI, K, SB (3)

·  RF Matt Rudick: 0-3

·  1B Vincent Perozo: 1-3, R

·  SS Wyatt Young: 1-3, 2 K

·  RHP Jordan Geber: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

·  RHP Douglas Orellana: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, W (1)

·  LHP Jefry Yan: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, H (2)

·  RHP Zach Peek: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HBP, H (1)

·  RHP Saul Garcia: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, H (1)

·  RHP Kevin Gowdy: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, BLK, H (2)

·  RHP Brian Metoyer: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, S (2)

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (5-15)

GAME ONE

BROOKLYN 6, HUDSON VALLEY 2 / 7 (BOX)

Brooklyn’s own Channing Austin continued his excellent week with another four-plus innings of scoreless ball, giving him 9.1 innings against the Renegades this week. The Cyclones took the lead in the top of the second on an RBI single by Kevin Villavicencio and a two-run homer off the bat of Mitch Voit and never looked back. A Kaeden Kent two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh broke up the shutout, but this one was all Brooklyn.

·  SS Mitch Voit: 1-3, R, HR (3), 2 RBI, HBP, SB (6)

·  3B Antonio Jimenez: 0-3, R, BB, K

·  1B Corey Collins: 1-4, 3 K

·  DH Ronald Hernandez: 2-4, 2B, RBI, SB (2)

·  C Daiverson Gutierrez: 0-4, 2 K

·  CF John Bay: 1-2, R, BB, HBP, SB (5)

·  2B Colin Houck: 2-4, 2 R, 2B, K, SB (2), E (3)

·  RF Yohairo Cuevas: 0-4, 4 K

·  LF Kevin Villavicencio: 2-3, R, 3 RBI, SB (3)

·  RHP Channing Austin: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K

·  RHP Hoss Brewer: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HBP, W (1-1)

·  RHP Danis Correa: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Juan Arnaud: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

GAME TWO

HUDSON VALLEY 7, BROOKLYN 2 / 7 (BOX)

The Cyclones were a bit less fortunate in Game Two, with Jonathan Jimenez allowing a five-spot in the fourth to put Brooklyn well behind the eight ball. Corey Collins put the Cyclones in the driver’s seat in the top of the first with a solo homer, but Jonathan Jimenez sunk any chance of Brooklyn sweeping the doubleheader, allowing seven runs- six earned- in total.

·  SS Mitch Voit: 1-3, R, BB, 2 SB (7, 8)

·  2B Antonio Jimenez: 0-4, 2 K

·  1B Corey Collins: 1-2, R, HR (2), RBI, BB, E (1)

·  DH John Bay: 0-1, 2 BB, CS (1)

·  C Ronald Hernandez: 1-3, K, E (5)

·  RF Yohairo Cuevas: 0-3

·  3B Kevin Villavicencio: 0-2, 2 K

·  LF Diego Mosquera: 0-3, K

·  CF Heriberto Rincon: 0-2, BB, K, E (1)

·  REHAB ALERT RHP Dylan Ross: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Jonathan Jimenez: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, WP, 2 BLK, HBP, L (0-2)

·  RHP Bryce Jenkins: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, WP

·  RHP Cristofer Gomez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (10-11)

ST. LUCIE 11, PALM BEACH 2 (BOX)

The St. Lucie offense found their stroke, with Randy Guzman having another explosive day. Getting a start at the hot corner, a position he only has a handful of professional games at, Guzman went 3-4 with two doubles and a homer, his fourth of the season. Branny De Oleo also had a three-hit afternoon; in fact, every St. Lucie batter notched at least one hit, with five of the nine getting on base multiple times. Nicolas Carreno threw five scoreless, and while the bullpen after him allowed a pair of runs, St. Lucie won convincingly.

·  RF Sam Biller: 1-4, 2 R, RBI, BB, K, HBP, 2 SB (6, 7)

·  2B Sam Robertson: 2-4, R, 2B, RBI, BB, K, HBP, SB (12), E (2)

·  LF JT Benson: 1-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 K

·  3B Randy Guzman: 3-4, 3 R, 2 2B, HR (4), 2 RBI, BB, K

·  DH AJ Salgado: 1-5, R, 2 K

·  CF Simon Juan: 1-5, R, HR (1), 3 RBI

·  1B Chase Meggers: 1-3, 2 R, 2 BB, K

·  C Francisco Toledo: 1-5, R, HR (1), 3 RBI, K, E (2), PB (2)

·  SS Branny De Oleo: 3-4, R, BB, 2 SB (1, 2)

·  LHP Nicolas Carreno: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

·  RHP Luke Jackson: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

·  RHP Emilio Obispo: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, WP, W (1-0)

Rookie: FCL Mets (0-0)

NO GAME (SCHEDULE)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Randy Guzman

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Jonathan Jimenez

Posted on

Phillies news: Zack Wheeler, Rob Thomson, Alex Cora

Apr 26, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) reacts after striking out against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Phillies are off today and that’s probably best for everyone involved. They won a game Saturday, but they’re still playing pretty badly, so maybe a day off will help them.

That and the schedule, which eases up a bit with the Giants coming into town.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

MLB news:

Posted on

Orioles news: The O’s are spinning their wheels

BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 26: Jarren Duran #16 of the Boston Red Sox steals second base in the third inning during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Sunday, April 26, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Alyssa Piazza/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

What if I told you that one team at Camden Yards this weekend dropped two out of three games and lost one of them by 16 runs…and it wasn’t the team that fired their manager and half their coaching staff in the middle of the series?

Such is life for the 2026 Orioles. Even when playing against an opponent that’s going through a public self-immolation, the O’s still can’t seem to find a way to win. After briefly getting back to the .500 mark on Friday, the Birds are now two games under .500 heading into their off day, losing back-to-back contests both before and after the Red Sox fired Alex Cora. Tyler Young recapped the Orioles’ 5-3 loss in the rubber game.

The same old problems continue to plague the Orioles. In both of their losses, the defense was sloppy again, committing three errors and turning some possible outs into Red Sox baserunners. Key members of the Orioles lineup continue to struggle, including Pete Alonso — whose 1-for-13 performance in the series dropped him below the Mendoza line to .196 — and Gunnar Henderson, who is hitting for plenty of power but isn’t getting on base (.280 OBP). That duo makes up the heart of the Orioles lineup, so until they get going, the O’s will struggle to score runs consistently.

Also distressing is the underperformance of the Orioles’ starting rotation. Both Trevor Rogers and Kyle Bradish turned in outings this series that ranged from mediocre (Bradish) to outright disastrous (Rogers). When the front office eschewed acquiring an ace this offseason, much was said about how they already had a pair of #1-type starters on the roster in Rogers and Bradish. That idea is, uh, aging poorly. The two have combined for a 4.48 ERA and each is averaging more than 10 hits per nine innings. Elsewhere in the rotation, Shane Baz hasn’t broken out as the top-flight starter the O’s envisioned, Chris Bassitt is rocking a 6.75 ERA, and Zach Eflin is out for the season after one start. The Orioles’ rotation plan has soured quickly, and it’s not even May.

At times, the Orioles have shown they’re capable of playing quality baseball. The opener of this series, when the O’s bashed six home runs behind a solid Brandon Young start, was evidence of that. But those impressive showings are just too few and far between.

It’s still early, but it’s not that early anymore. It’s time for the Orioles to start playing with a purpose. So far, they just haven’t been able to get any traction.

Links

As tough stretch continues, O’s affirm they’re ‘more than capable of stepping up’ – MLB.com

This would be more encouraging if we hadn’t heard these same sentiments from the Orioles last April. The O’s always think they’re capable of stepping up until they prove they aren’t.

What’s wrong with Henderson, Alonso, Cowser? | MAILBAG – BaltimoreBaseball.com

I’m reasonably confident in two of those three guys being able to turn it around. Sorry, Colton.

Slow-starting offense and traffic against Bradish conspire to leave Orioles with 5-3 loss (updated) – School of Roch

Gunnar Henderson says that Samuel Basallo has “the stupidest juice I’ve ever seen.” And he’s not talking about crab juice.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! The only O’s player in history with an April 27 birthday is 2019 right-hander Aaron Brooks (36). You could also sort of count righty Michael Rucker (32), who pitched in spring training with the Orioles in 2020 as a Rule 5 pick but was sent back to the Cubs near the end of camp.

On this date in 1968, Baltimore-born Orioles righty Tom Phoebus pitched a no-hitter against the Red Sox, the second individual no-no in O’s history. Phoebus walked three and struck out nine in throwing his masterpiece, shutting down a Sox lineup that included Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski. Phoebus even had two hits at the plate (remember, this was the pre-DH era) to help the Orioles compile six runs of support.

And on this day in 2015, the Orioles canceled their scheduled game against the White Sox at Camden Yards due to civil unrest in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray in police custody. The O’s would cancel the next day’s game, too, and play the following game with no fans in attendance.

Random Orioles game of the day

On April 27, 1989, the Orioles lost to the Athletics in Oakland, 9-4. The game was tied 3-3 until the bottom of the seventh, when the A’s erupted for a six-run rally. The Athletics pounded out eight hits in the inning, including five singles, a double, a triple, and a Mark McGwire home run, his second of the game. Orioles reliever Mark Williamson took the brunt of the damage, giving up five runs and seven hits while recording just one out. Mickey Tettleton and Phil Bradley homered for the Birds in the losing effort.