Worldwide Sports News
Justin Wrobleski and the Dodgers host the White Sox at Camelback Ranch for a Saturday matchup.
Big Baby hopefully, has done some growing up following a stint in prison.
Glen Davis, who played for three NBA teams over eight seasons in the league, was released this week from prison 17 months into a 40-month sentence for his part with several other former players in defrauding the league’s health insurance plan.
“They tried to hold me down. You know what I’m saying?” the 40-year-old Davis, a member of the Celtics’ 2008 championship team, declared earlier this week in a video posted to X. “But I’m back, man. I’m back, baby.”
Davis, 40, was among two dozen former players, also including former Lakers player Andrew Bynum, and doctors convicted in a Manhattan court in November 2023 of cheating the NBA Players’ Health and Benefit Welfare Plan out of more than $5 million over a four-year span for submitting bogus medical and dental claims.
You & Diamond… Been playing gaaammmmeezzzz!! BIG BABY FREE!! WELCOME HOME KING KILO!! pic.twitter.com/R1CWkLLZsK
— Kris D. Lofton (@RealKrisDLofton) March 13, 2026
The start of his sentence was initially delayed several months so he could complete a documentary he was working on to help pay some of the $80,000 in fines and restitution associated with this case.
Davis still faces time in a halfway house and three years of probation as part of his early release
“He used his time productively while serving his sentence and took many programs during that time,” attorney Brendan White told The Athletic.
“He’s ready to become a productive member of society again.”
CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — Wales tasted Six Nations success for the first time in 1,099 days after blowing away Italy 31-17 in Principality Stadium on Saturday.
The growing confidence from spirited losses against Scotland and Ireland spilled over into an unexpected and dominant bonus-point win, Wales' first in the championship since March 2023 when it beat Italy in Rome.
Wales was physical, direct and ruthless, leading 21-0 by halftime then 31-0 before Italy scored.
“That performance has been coming,” Wales coach Steve Tandy told broadcaster the BBC. “We've focused on not getting ahead of ourselves and making sure each part of our game improves. But the intent was there from the start from this young group. They’re desperate to learn and get better whether they win or lose. Their effort is amazing.”
Their scramble defense was also amazing as Italy had two tries disallowed, one held up, and another prevented by an ankle tap.
While Wales ended the nightmare of a national record 15-match losing streak in the Six Nations, it finished with a third consecutive wooden spoon.
“Not ideal to finish bottom of the table but everyone can see we're growing and moving in the right direction,” Wales No. 8 and player of the match Aaron Wainwright said. “The way we started today and hung in there shows how far we've come.”
Italy equaled its best Six Nations finish — fourth in 2007 and 2013 — but it wanted more, an historic third win in a single championship after beating Scotland and England. However, the Azzurri were smashed in the first half, and ultimately missed 30 tackles.
“We gave away too many penalties, too many times in their 22. ... We lost a lot of energy to try and max the energy Wales were giving,” Italy captain Michele Lamaro told ITV. “In the end it was too late. The first half cost us.”
Wales made the eight first-half penalties count.
A kick-chase penalty earned by workaholic winger Ellis Mee was booted into the corner and Wainwright crashed over. Despite lineout issues, Wales used the platform again to drive at the line for a second Wainwright try.
Another lineout drive finished with captain Dewi Lake touching down. With Dan Edwards a perfect four-of-four off the tee and nine-for-nine in the tournament, Wales was a deserved 21-0 up after 29 minutes.
They resumed from the second half kickoff. Edwards slanted through a tired defense, converted his try and chipped a drop goal for a scarcely believable 31-0 lead.
Italy ruled the last 30 minutes. But Wales still made it tough for the visitor.
Paolo Garbisi and replacements Tommaso Di Bartolomeo and Tommaso Allan dotted down for Italy but Wales' defense shone.
Mee held up hooker Giacomo Nicotera and made a try-saving tackle on opposite wing Monty Ioane, Edwards ankle-tapped Tommaso Menoncello when the midfielder looked like he was away, Tomos Williams stopped Allan on the tryline, and James Botham's sliding hip ruined a chance for Leonardo Marin.
“Those tries were not tries because (Wales) didn't give up,” Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada said. “The will was bigger for them. Their heart and physicality they put out there was stronger than ours, at least in the first half. That first half defined the game.”
___
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
The Winnipeg Jets have quietly built a respectable prospect pipeline in recent years, with several intriguing young players working their way toward the NHL. However, when TSN's Craig Button released his ranking of the top 50 NHL-affiliated prospects for the 2025-26 season, the Jets were notably absent from the list.
Despite having promising names such as Brayden Yager, Colby Barlow, Kieron Walton and Kevin He developing within the organization, none were included in Button’s ranking. The list is difficult to crack, particularly with several high-end recent draft picks occupying prominent spots. Prospects like Anton Frondell, Brady Martin and Caleb Desnoyers headline the rankings, many of them still in junior or European leagues but carrying the pedigree of top draft selections.
That pedigree often carries significant weight in prospect rankings. Many of the players listed have yet to make the transition to professional hockey, but their draft status and projected ceilings keep them highly regarded among evaluators.
Iginla No. 1, Habs among NHL leaders in Button’s Top 50 prospects rankingThe Kelowna Rockets forward has had a mammoth season, while a clear line is drawn between the haves and have-nots among Canada's NHL teams.Both Yager and Barlow made the jump to the American Hockey League this season and have experienced quieter starts as they adjust to the pro game. While that transition period is common for young players, it can sometimes stall momentum in prospect rankings that prioritize immediate impact or standout performances.
Still, the omission of any Jets prospects feeds into a narrative that has followed the organization for years: the sense that Winnipeg teams and players often fly under the radar compared to larger markets around the league. While the names included on Button’s list are undeniably elite, there is a growing argument that a few Jets prospects could have warranted at least consideration.
One of the strongest cases belongs to Walton as the young forward has emerged as one of the most productive players in junior hockey this season, recording 13 goals and 19 assists for 32 points in just 25 games. That production places him on pace for roughly 90 points over 62 games.
Another compelling candidate is He, whose breakout campaign has become one of the most notable stories in junior hockey this year. The Chinese forward has been electric offensively, posting 36 goals and 36 assists for 72 points in 56 games while showcasing a dynamic scoring touch and strong playmaking ability.
Both Walton and He are building impressive resumes that could push them onto more prospect radars moving forward. While the Jets’ system may lack the top-heavy collection of elite prospects found in organizations that have recently drafted near the top of the NHL Draft, it remains a pipeline filled with promising talent.
Winnipeg’s sustained success at the NHL level has naturally limited its opportunities to select near the top of the draft in recent years. As a result, the organization’s prospect pool leans more on depth and development rather than headline-grabbing blue-chip names.
Even so, the performances of players like Walton and He suggest the Jets may have more emerging talent than some rankings currently recognize. If their upward trajectories continue, it may only be a matter of time before Winnipeg prospects begin appearing on lists like Button’s in the future.
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During LA’s current homestand, they’ve faced some of the toughest competition in the league. They responded impressively, earning results over the Knicksand Wolves. Even more surprising is that they won these games while LeBron James was out.
LA winning and Austin Reaves playing better in James’ absence led people to speculate that this team is better when James is unavailable.
While narratives like that can be exhausting to hear when the main takeaway should’ve been that the Lakers are playing well, everyone wanted to see what they would look like upon LeBron’s return. On Thursday, the answer came as James joined LA in their contest against the Bulls.
The result was the Lakers winning dominantly. LeBron was part of a starting lineup that scored 137 points, the most by a starting unit in a regular season game since the 1970-71 season.
After the game, Redick talked about LeBron’s willingness to take on whatever role benefits the team.
“LeBron and I, we talked, we had a great conversation over the last couple days,” Redick said. “I think again, he wants to do everything possible to help this team win. He understands the importance of making sure Luka and AR can be at their best. That’s incredible of him. It speaks a lot to just how much he cares about this team and his teammates and how much he wants to win.”
Throughout his career, LeBron has always been a team-based player. On the floor, he makes the right play even if it means he doesn’t take the last shot. So, of course, he’s willing to take a backseat to Luka Dončić and even Reaves if it means the team’s play is more optimized by him doing so. After the win over the Bulls, LeBron talked about how he did it against them.
“I’m able to adapt to whatever needs from the team,” LeBron said. “With Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber being out, two of our really good screen setters, Jaxson being one of our best rollers, that’s a void that I could put myself in to help the team while Jaxson and Maxi are out. Just try to do that.
“Allowing AR and Luka to continue on the things that they’ve been doing. Obviously, ball handling, scoring, pick-and-roll play. Trying to help on the glass. I mean, I’m always past the ball, so I’m not worried about that. Also trying to be a little more active.”
The idea that the Lakers are actually better without LeBron was always ridiculous. This season, LeBron is still an All-Star and averaging 21.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and seven assists per game. At worst, he’s the third best Laker and no team improves when a player of that level is out.
The main thing to figure out is how to make three players who are best with the ball in their hands work well together as a unit. Against the Bulls, we saw signs of what that can look like.
LeBron had seven assists, did more offensive work inside the post and shot less than Dončić or Reaves.
While Chicago is one of the weaker teams in the NBA, the process the Lakers took toward success with their big three can be replicated against many teams.
Overall, there is still work for the Lakers to do, but with LeBron embracing any role that’s needed, they should be able to figure out how to optimize their roster.
And if they do that, they’ll enter the playoffs as a Western Conference team with homecourt advantage in the opening round. All things considered, that’s a great place to be in.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
Jacob Misiorowski is on the mound today as the Milwaukee Brewers take on a split-squad Colorado Rockies lineup this afternoon. Zach Agnos will start for the Rockies.
It’ll be just Misiorowski’s second outing in the Cactus League, following his March 8 outing against the Mariners in which he allowed one run on two hits and a walk while striking out six in 3 1/3 innings. Miz threw 59 pitches in that one, so expect to see an uptick there. With news that Quinn Priester will start the season on the injured list and questions about how ready Brandon Woodruff will be, Misiorowski could end up as the team’s de facto ace when the season starts.
It’s a fun day beyond Misiorowski for those interested in the Brewers’ pitching staff. Brandon Sproat will follow Miz, and while is spring has been rougher than Miz’s—he’s allowed three runs in 4 1/3 innings across two outings—he remains an intriguing possibility for the early season pitching staff. After Sproat, we should also see Grant Anderson and Jared Koenig.
In the lineup, Joey Ortiz is back after Mexico was eliminated from the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday; it’ll be his first action with the Brewers since February 28. The rest of the lineup includes Sal Frelick, Christian Yelich, Jake Bauers, Gary Sánchez, Brandon Lockridge, David Hamilton, Blake Perkins, and Jett Williams, who was back in action on Thursday after a couple weeks off with a mild quad injury. He walked and hit a double on Thursday, raising his spring OPS to 1.214.
Today’s first pitch is at 3:10 p.m., and while there’s no TV, you can catch the game on ESPN Radio in Milwaukee.
Puerto Rico lineup
SP: Seth Lugo
Italy lineup
SP: Sam Aldegheri
lineups to follow
For a team that has spent much of the season overwhelming opponents with speed, skill, and offensive pressure, the Colorado Avalanche have one oddly persistent blemish on their résumé.
They keep giving up shorthanded goals.
The Avalanche have allowed 12 shorthanded goals through 64 games this season — the most in the NHL — a surprising statistic for one of the league’s top teams. On the surface, it sounds alarming, and to some degree, it is.
But history suggests it’s far from a fatal flaw.
Colorado has dominated large portions of the season despite operating with a power play that hasn’t always been among the league’s elite. The penalty kill, meanwhile, has remained one of the NHL’s most dependable units, consistently shutting down opposing power plays and keeping the Avalanche firmly in control of games.
WILD GET A SHORTHANDED GOAL AND THEY'RE UP 2-1!!! 😱🚨 pic.twitter.com/cdco9G04XS
— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) March 8, 2026
Recently, however, a strange trend has emerged.
While the Avalanche power play has started converting at a higher rate, the risk has grown on the other end of the ice. Colorado has surrendered eight shorthanded goals over its last 24 games — a spike that stands out for a team with legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations.
It’s not a crisis, but it is something the Avalanche would prefer to clean up as the calendar inches toward the playoffs.
Oddly enough, shorthanded goals against have followed the Avalanche before — even during championship seasons.
When the franchise captured its first Stanley Cup after relocating to Denver in 1996, Colorado allowed an astonishing 22 shorthanded goals during the regular season. That total remains tied for the most in NHL history, alongside the 1984–85 Pittsburgh Penguins and the 1991–92 Minnesota North Stars.
Yet that didn’t stop the Avalanche from hoisting the Stanley Cup.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the other two teams. The Penguins — despite having Mario Lemieux, who debuted that season and scored on his very first NHL shot — finished with a 24-51-5 record. The North Stars weren’t much better, ending the season at 32-42-6.
The Avalanche were the clear anomaly, and it certainly didn’t hurt that they had one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history — Patrick Roy — anchoring the crease.
Even the legendary 2000–01 Avalanche, widely regarded as one of the most talented teams of the modern era, wasn’t immune to the issue. That team allowed 11 shorthanded goals during the regular season, which ranked ninth-most in the league.
In other words, elite teams can survive this problem — and sometimes even win championships despite it.
Still, the numbers are worth keeping an eye on.
Colorado’s 12 shorthanded goals allowed already lead the league, and there are still 18 regular-season games remaining.
At their current rate — 12 goals in 64 games — the Avalanche are on pace to allow about 15 shorthanded goals over an 82-game season. That would still be a notable number, but it remains comfortably below the all-time record.
In the grand scheme of things, it’s a manageable issue rather than a catastrophic one.
At this stage of the season, sweeping changes are rarely the answer.
The Avalanche aren’t going to reinvent their power play system with the postseason looming — nor should they. What matters now are the small adjustments that separate good teams from championship teams.
Puck management becomes critical. So does anticipation.
Loose pucks at the blue line must be won. Risky cross-ice passes have to be timed properly. When a play breaks down — and eventually one will — the response has to be immediate.
That’s where championship habits take over.
Backchecking urgency. Defensive awareness. The instinct to recover rather than hesitate.
In the playoffs, every mistake is magnified. A single shorthanded goal can swing momentum, silence a crowd, or flip an entire series.
But if the Avalanche continue generating offense on the power play while tightening those defensive gaps, the equation becomes simple.
A dangerous power play paired with elite five-on-five play makes Colorado one of the toughest teams in the NHL to beat.
And if history has taught us anything, it’s this:
Even Avalanche teams with flaws have found a way to win it all.
The Islanders really need to not mess this up. The second-worst team in the league (even worse than the Rangers) is in town and the Isles need the points in the very tight Eastern Conference playoff race. David Rittich will get the start, so hopefully he and the skaters in front of him recapture their better forms.
The Flames are two games from finishing a long trip, having lost 4-0 at MSG but then winning 5-4 in Newark. Both teams have equally putrid power plays, clicking at 16% for a tie for 29th in the league.
With the Isles having played (and lost to) the Kings last night, lineup updates and injury statuses will come closer to game time.l
First Islanders Goal picks go here.
Only two games last night. In the other, the Blues rallied to top the Oilers in overtime.
The jump that Thomas Haugh has made from last year cannot be overlooked. With the transfers of Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee to Florida the hopes of a back-to-back National Championship run were at an all-time high, and with the departures of Will Richard, Alijah Martin, and Walter Clayton Jr. to the NBA there was certainly a need for someone to step up into the roles that were left behind. I’m not sure that many people would have suspected that Thomas would be the guy after his season last year, but he proved us all wrong.
Team: Florida Gators
Position: Forward
Height: 6’9”
Weight: 215 lbs
Counting Stats: 17 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2 APG, 1.1 Steals Per Game, 1 Block Per Game
Shooting Splits: 46.4 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 76.4 FT%
Hardware/Honors: First-Team All-SEC, Potential All-American Team Selection (?)
The jump from year to year should not be overlooked. Haugh had a perfectly respectable 2024-2025 campaign, but to be asked to carry so much more responsibility AND deliver should be praised. Last year during Florida’s NCAA Championship season he averaged nearly 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game on decent shooting splits. He didn’t have many opportunities (only shot 6 times per game on average) but when he did get a chance he made it count.
Now when you compare that to this year, it is almost night and day. He added seven points to his scoring average, nearly doubled his shot attempts, sacrificed very little in efficiency (at least for his standards), and was able to step up on the defensive end as well. Not everyone that gets a green light can stay close to their previous efficiency numbers but Thomas was able to do that.
The counting stats look great but what’s going to get him to the league and keep him there is his ability to play without the ball. When we usually see these kinds of scoring jumps it’s because the ball is constantly in their hands but that hasn’t been the case this year. Lee and Fland still command a lot of the touches so Haugh has been able to take this leap by doing more of what he did well last year: off-ball cutting and rim-running.
Haugh has never seen a 45 cut he hasn’t liked and he is constantly running with his guys in transition. When Florida is in the half court set he also does a great job of relocating. You’ll see a few times in the video above where a Florida player will get a post touch and before you know it their dumping the ball off to Haugh who was in completely different position than he was at the start of the play. Taking advantage of the defense like this and being deceptive would be a welcome addition to any team in the association. Shooting nearly 63% around the rim doesn’t hurt either.
Truthfully, there aren’t many shortcomings for Thomas other than a very glaring one; his shooting touch. He’s a great off-ball cutter, a good downhill attacker, and the percentages show that: he’s shooting nearly 91% on his dunk attempts and 63% around the rim that we just mentioned. Everything outside of that range? Could use some work.
Just looking at the 46.4 FG% you could say to yourself “yeah, that’s not very efficient, but he can work on it.” It gets a little worse when you realize that he’s shooting 32.4% from 2-point range that isn’t at the rim. Midrange shots are difficult (believe me I’m on a horrific midrange run at my local park) but in today’s NBA it’s vital to be accurate in your shot attempts, especially if you aren’t going to be the 1A, 1B, or 1C kind of guy.
His three point shooting, again, looks respectable on paper. On 5 attempts a game 33% is decent, but these are WIDE open shots he’s taking. Like, lick your finger and check the wind type of open. There’s a very good chance that he will get these same kind of looks in the NBA during his first few years, but depending on where he gets drafted there’s a chance that his coach won’t allow him to shoot through his mistakes and slumps. There is a silver lining in all of this and it’s that his shooting mechanics seem really solid. I’m not sure that he’ll ever be a 40% guy from deep but I also don’t think he’ll ever be any worse than league average once he get’s his footing in the NBA.
At the end of the day I do think that Thomas Haugh is going to be a very serviceable role player in the NBA. Will he be an All-Star? I doubt it. Will he be an elite 3-and-D guy? Elite might be stretching it. I do think that he has the intangibles to have a long career, though. He’s already played with NBA caliber players in a role player capacity. He’s been able to taste a bit of that “star player” role this year for the Gators, and now that he has a chance to be a first round draft pick I think he’ll be able to fall back into that role player mold very well.
For the Jazz specifically, we are in the midst of finding our role players for the future. A lot can be said about the play of guys like Elijah Harkless, Blake Hinson, and Brice Sensabaugh. I still believe in all of their futures but I know that the fanbase is split. The real question is how does the front office feel about them?
The way our first round pick is protected this year is if it falls between 1-8 we get to keep it, and if it falls after 8 it goes to the Oklahoma City Thunder (of course it does). If our pick lands in the top 3 I think there is a very clear hierarchy we need to adhere by to find our next “Face of the Franchise.” If it falls between 4-8, I also think that there are better prospects we could select from because this draft class seems to be so deep. With that being said, I don’t think that it would be wise for us to take Thomas Haugh at 8 when we could have someone else with a bit more upside.
So much of your early career is dependent on where and who you get drafted to, and I think that Haugh would be best served to be drafted by a team that is ready to compete right now or in the near future: the San Antonio Spurs, the Golden State Warriors, and the Charlotte Hornets come to mind. If we had another first round pick this year around the 12-20 range I would LOVE it if we could snag him, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards for us unless our front office can make some magic happen after the season is over.
So is he worth the pick? I think so… just not for us. Just don’t be surprised when he’s an impact player for a Playoff team soon.
What kind of career do you think Thomas Haugh will have? Do you think Florida can repeat as NCAA Champions? Sound off in the comments!
Be kind. Tell someone you love them.
ATLANTA (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn't available for the Milwaukee Bucks' matchup with the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, marking the 31st game the two-time MVP has missed this season.
Although Milwaukee's injury report initially had listed Antetokounmpo as questionable due to injury management of his right calf, the team later ruled him out because of a left ankle sprain.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers said at his pregame availability that the issue stemmed from the Bucks’ 112-105 loss to Miami on Thursday night.
The Bucks are playing on back-to-back days; they return home to face the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. Antetokounmpo hasn’t played on consecutive days since returning on March 2 from a right calf strain.
This represents the highest total of games Antetokounmpo has missed in any season during his 13-year career.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
LORIENT, France (AP) — Substitute striker Aiyegun Tosin scored the winner as second-placed Lens lost 2-1 at Lorient in the French league on Saturday, missing the chance to move back to the top of the standings.
With Paris Saint-Germain not playing this weekend, Lens had the chance to move two points clear with a win at mid-table Lorient.
But coach Pierre Sage's players struggled to get things going and were punished in the 18th minute when Bamba Dieng was left unmarked and scored from close range with a right-footed effort.
Following Odsonne Édouard's second-half equalizer, Tosin snatched three points for Lorient in the 65th minute, fluffing his initial attempt before rounding the Lens goalkeeper to score. Lorient goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo made five saves for the hosts.
PSG is off duty because Nantes agreed to postpone their scheduled game on Sunday in order to give PSG better preparation for the Champions League second leg against Chelsea next week. PSG is leading 5-2 from the last-16 first leg on Wednesday.
American forward Folarin Balogun continued his excellent run of form as Monaco posted a fifth consecutive win. He broke the deadlock from close range before Aleksandr Golovin made it 2-0 against Brest.
Monaco moved up to fifth place. Balogun has 14 goals overall this season.
Elsewhere, Nice won 2-0 at Angers with goals from defender Melvin Bard and Elye Wahi. The striker, a France youth international, joined the Riviera club on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt this winter until the end of the season.
Third-placed Marseille won 1-0 against struggler Auxerre on Friday. The result left Marseille in third place, three points clear of Lyon, which plays at Le Havre on Sunday. Marseille was seven points behind Lens and eight adrift of PSG.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
The Texas Rangers have a pair of split squad games today, one at home against the Padres and one on the road against the Reds.
The Padres game has Nathan Eovaldi starting and is being broadcast on RSN.
The lineup:
Nimmo — RF
Langford — CF
Seager — SS
McCutchen — DH
Smith — 3B
Carter — LF
Haggerty — 2B
Duran — 1B
MacIver — C
3:05 p.m. Central start time.
The Reds game is not being telecast, it does not appear.
The lineup:
Pederson — DH
Osuna — LF
Burger — 1B
Canha — RF
Wade — SS
Helman — CF
Cauley — 2B
Bride — 3B
Herrera — C
3:05 p.m. Central time.
Saturday notes…
Here are today’s particulars.
Cubs lineup, including Carson Kelly at 1B and the return of Jonathon Long to action:
Rockies lineup (on the left, the Rockies are a split squad today):
Ben Brown will start for the Cubs. Other Cubs pitchers scheduled today: Hunter Harvey, Ryan Rolison and
Gavin Hollowell.
Kyle Freeland will start for the Rockies. Other Rockies pitchers scheduled today: Eiberson Castellano and Konner Eaton.
No TV today. There will be a radio broadcast on WSCR The Score.
Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.
Please visit our SB Nation Rockies site Purple Row. If you do go there to interact with Rockies fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
As we have done in the past, we’ll have a first pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time. For today, that will be 3:05 p.m. CT and 4:40 p.m. CT.
These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked ”Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page. There will also be a StoryStream on the front page with all the game thread links, as well as the recap after the game is over. The pitcher photos and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.
Discuss amongst yourselves.
The second day of the knockout stage is here. The United States and Dominican Republic—the latter of which did so in dominant fashion—claimed their spots in the semifinals. Today we find out who their opponents will be.
Venue: Daikin Park — Houston, Texas, USA
A fun squad in their own right, the Puerto Ricans finished pool play as the second seed in Pool A with a 3-1 record (with their only loss being to Canada). Now Puerto Rico faces an uphill battle to get back to the finals like they did in 2013 and 2017.
The “Quarter-Rican” right-handed pitcher Seth Lugo of the Kansas City Royals will make the start. His previous outing against Colombia went well as he struck out three batters over four scoreless innings. Meanwhile, new Rockies infielder Willi Castro has been a major contributor with his glove and bat. Castro is 3-for-10 at the plate with four walks , two RBIs, and a stolen base.
The surprise darling of the tournament so far has been Team Italy, who finished the group stage as one of just three undefeated teams after an upset of Team USA and a sound drubbing of Team Mexico.
Italy has combined solid pitching with power in their bats to make it this far. They have the second most home runs in the tournament, leading to a motivated—and highly caffeinated—squad. Each home run hitter is greeted in the dugout with a shot of espresso for their efforts.
Making the start for the Italians is Los Angeles Angels lefty Sam Aldegheri. Aldegheri pitched a masterful 4 2/3 innings against Brazil during pool play, striking out eight batters while giving up just one hit and no earned runs.
First Pitch: 1:00 PM MDT
TV: FS1
Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM
Lineups:
RHP Seth Lugo vs LHP Sam Aldegheri
Venue: loanDepot Park — Miami, Florida, USA
The Venezuelans may be the underdogs against Samurai Japan, but they are a formidable squad that enjoyed an excellent group stage. They only had one loss because someone had to lose their match-up with powerhouse Dominican Republic.
Venezuela’s bullpen has been a strength alongside good performances at the plate by Luis Arraez, Ronald Acuña Jr, and Ezequiel Tovar. 2024 Philadelphia Phillies All-Star lefty Ranger Suárez—now with the Boston Red Sox—will be making his second start of the tournament. During the group stage he made one two inning start, giving up one earned run on three hits with a strikeout and a walk.
Undefeated in pool play, Samurai Japan dominated Pool C and are one of the favorites for total victory in this year’s tournament. Last year’s champions will be led on the mound by Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 2025 World Series MVP pitched a hitless 2 2/3 innings of shutout baseball with two strikeouts against Chinese Taipei during the group stage.
First Pitch: 7:00 PM MDT
TV: Fox
Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM
Lineups:
LHP Ranger Suárez vs RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto
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