“I would’ve thrown 200 pitches,” Webb said. “I would’ve asked for an extra day.”
But this year, the 4.82 ERA Webb took into Wednesday’s 1-0 win over the Brewers was indicative of the rotation’s performance as a whole. AP Photo/Aaron Gash
It didn’t come to that, not once Brice Turang flicked a sweeper below the knees and off the plate just out of reach of a diving Matt Chapman with one down in the seventh inning.
“I hate the word ace, to be honest,” Webb said. “I feel like I haven’t done my job as a leader … I feel like I’ve not led the right way — just in my performance. To be able to get healthy, feel better and throw the way I feel like I should, it was nice to get this one.”
For better or worse, the Giants’ starting rotation has largely taken after its leader. In the past that has meant a bulldog mentality and competing to one-up each other.
But this year, the 4.82 ERA Webb took into Wednesday’s 1-0 win over the Brewers was indicative of the rotation’s performance as a whole. Even after Webb’s seven shutout innings, only the Rockies possess an ERA from their rotation worse than the Giants’ 4.84 mark.
With an example set to follow, there’s hope the winds will begin to change.
Tony Vitello apparently didn’t get the message. Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
It starts with Adrian Houser in the matinee finale of the four-game series Thursday.
“The one group that I felt like the whole season was really good was ‘21 — I hate bringing it up all the time — but it felt like we always tried to out-do each other, in a good way,” Webb said. “Say, OK, I went seven [and] gave up none today. Houser tomorrow, you try to go eight.”
It didn’t just come from Webb: Vitello singled out the way Winn responded after Christian Yelich led off the ninth by placing the tying run on second with a broken-bat double into the right field corner.
It was a whole team effort, with Daniel Susac picking two splitters out of the dirt, preventing them from going to the backstop, with Yelich 90 feet away.
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“In the room, it was a great opportunity to say, ‘Here we go again,’” Vitello said. “We’ve been in that situation a lot and it hasn’t gone our way.”
Webb described the win, complete with a highlight reel of defensive plays, just enough offense from the first home run of Victor Bericoto’s big-league career and a gritty five-out save that was also the first of his career for Keaton Winn, as “a very San Francisco Giants win, in a good way.”
There haven’t been many of those in a season that had produced the majors’ worst record entering the night, having lost seven of their previous eight.
“I’m not saying I’m leading the way, but hopefully this is a step in the right direction,” Webb said. “I think everyone gets excited when you have a game like this because wins are hard to come by, especially ones like this.”
Webb described the win, complete with a highlight reel of defensive plays. Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Webb took his perfect game bid into the sixth and a no-hitter into the seventh. Vitello was asked if there was ever a point where he thought Webb would take it to the finish line.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “I don’t know that it would’ve been fair to him.”
Webb’s pitch count had risen to 85 and he was at 95 when he departed the game for good after the seventh. It had been more than a month since he had thrown that many pitches after a 15-day stint on the injured list nursing bursitis in his knee, one rehab start and an abbreviated return last week at Coors Field.
That context weighed on Vitello’s mind as Webb continued to retire batter after batter in his bid to toss the Giants’ first no-hitter since Blake Snell’s against the Reds in 2024.
“With these circumstances, with it being such a tight score and him being back just his second time after being on the IL, it’s a constant conversation,” Vitello said. “I think we started to kind of talk about him going eight. … But he was going to have to be pretty efficient.”
Webb, on the other hand, watched Tim Lincecum throw 148 pitches during his first no-hitter in 2013 and Alex Cobb come one out away while extending himself to 131 three years ago.
Whether or not Turang’s flare found the outfield grass, Vitello had already shown his hand.
“I’m gonna blame Tony because he did call down [to the bullpen] right before I gave up the hit and said have someone ready,” Webb joked. “So I’m going to blame him.”
SAN ANTONIO — The Knicks waited 27 years for this night.
Landry Shamet had been waiting all his life.
While several of his teammates struggled with the effects of a lengthy layoff and/or the magnitude of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Shamet delivered another strong performance off the bench, leading all reserves with 13 points (5-of-9 from the field, 3-of-6 3-pointers) in the Knicks’ 105-95 win over the Spurs at Frost Bank Center.
“Landry was huge off the bench,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “Not only [scoring, but] defensively he was huge for us.”
After losing his rotation spot early in the postseason, Shamet has become one of Brown’s most trusted options.
Shamet — who shot under 29 percent from the field and scored a total of 14 points in the first round, before adding three points in the first two games of their second-round series — clinched a place in franchise lore with his game-tying 3-pointer in the all-time comeback in Game 1 against the Cavaliers, then cemented his spot in the rotation by missing just one of his 12 3-pointers in the Eastern Conference finals.
Knicks guard Landry Shamet reacts after scoring during the first quarter of NBA Finals Game 1.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The 29-year-old has now scored at least 12 points in five of his past seven games, while shooting nearly 77 percent on 3-pointers (20-of-26).
“My job is my job, and it remains the same: to be ready for whatever situation or moment you’re asked to step into, and that’s the only thing I think about,” Shamet said. “I’m not thinking about how it started, anything in the past. … We’ll do the whole reflection and look back thing when it’s all said and done.
“We are all focused on our job and how we can best help each other try to get a win.”
Shamet — whose seven postseason appearances rank first on the Knicks — expected to be on this stage long before coming to New York.
He was on a title favorite in the 2020 playoff bubble with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George’s Clippers. He was part of the Brooklyn superteam, whose title dreams died on Kevin Durant’s toes. He played for a top-seeded Phoenix team with Devon Booker and Chris Paul that fell in the second round.
Now, after seeing limited playing time under Tom Thibodeau — averaging just 7.5 minutes during last year’s playoffs — Shamet is making the most of a moment that may be passed down to future generations.
Spurs guard De’aaron Fox tries to steal the ball from New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet during the third quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“I’m a believer that everything you go through … prepares you for where you’re ultimately headed in one way or another, even if it doesn’t line up perfectly,” Shamet said. “I’m really grateful for all the highs and lows I’ve been through personally. All I know right now is that I’m here. Like I said, I’m trying not to get too reflective, open up that can of worms of looking back on everything, quite yet.”There’s [three] more wins between me and doing that, that I’m more worried about.
“I definitely think that everything you go through, everything you live through, good and bad, prepares you for where you’re headed.”
Karl-Anthony Towns drives by Victor Wembanyama during Game 1 of the NBA Finals on June 3, 2026.
SAN ANTONIO — Karl Anthony-Towns played inspired basketball Wednesday night.
“I don’t know what it was. but I just felt a calm and a peace that I don’t know, had to be coming from the woman above,” he said in an on-court interview after the Knicks rallied from a 14-point deficit to take Game 1 of the NBA Finals, 105-95, over the Spurs at Frost Bank Center.
Towns was referring to his late mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, who died in April 2020 due to complications from COVID-19. The two were incredibly close.
Karl-Anthony Towns drives by Victor Wembanyama during Game 1 of the NBA Finals on June 3, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“In a way I felt like I was seeing her in the stands,” he said.
Towns waited his entire life for this opportunity, and he rose to the occasion.
The Knicks big man, who had lost in the conference finals the previous two seasons, was the Knicks’ best player for large stretches of Game 1. Matched up with Spurs burgeoning superstar Victor Wembanyama, Towns more than held his own at both ends of the floor.
Karl-Anthony Towns celebrates during the Knicks’ Game 1 win. Jason Szenes for the New York Post
Towns helped rally the Knicks from 14 points down in the second half and finished his first NBA Finals game with 18 points, 12 rebounds and four assists as the Knicks took the series opener.
“You just trust your work and you trust your decision-making, and I always say [I want to be] aggressive in play-making,” he said.
Towns was terrific in the third quarter. He had a pair of three-point plays, a blocked shot that led to a runout in transition and 10 total points and four rebounds in the period.
Overall, it was what the Knicks have come to expect from Towns in the playoffs. Efficient offensively, a playmaker for his teammates and an improved defender. In his 34 minutes, the Knicks outscored the Spurs by 11 points.
Surprisingly, the Spurs started the game with Wembanyama on Towns, and the Knicks center didn’t back down. He went at Wembanyama. One time, it resulted in an emphatic rejection by the 7-foot-4 unicorn after Towns beat him off the dribble.
But that didn’t stop Towns from attacking the league’s first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year.
“He’s a problem. You put a small guy on him, he’s got a chance to offensive rebound. You put a big guy on him, he’s got a chance to pick-and-pop and go around guys,” coach Mike Brown said. “We have to just keep trying to move him around based on who is guarding him throughout the course of the ballgame, but he was huge for us with his double-double.”
Feb 21, 2026; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Head coach Rob Vaughn watches from the dugout during the game with Rhode Island at Sewell-Thomas Stadium in the first game of a Saturday double header. | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Alabama Crimson Tide will host the St Johns Red Storm this weekend with a trip to Omaha for the College World Series on the line. The Tide swept through the Tuscaloosa Regional to advance while the Red Storm worked their way through the Tallahassee Regional as a four seed, beating host Florida State twice. The Super’s are a best 2-3 series and the teams will play Saturday at 8 p.m. CT, Sunday at 2 p.m. CT, and at to be determined time in the if necessary game on Monday. The Tide will host a Super Regional for the first time since 2006 and will playing to reach the College World Series for the first time since 1997. The Johnnies have a long baseball history, having been to six College World Series and have 28 Regional appearances. SJU last reached Omaha in 1980. Alabama has a record of 40-19 while St Johns is 36-24 after starting the season 1-10.
St Johns is on an eight game winning streak after sweeping through the Big East Tournament and the Tallahassee Regional. The Storm carries a team batting average of .282 with a .420 slugging percentage, a .380 on base percentage with 54 home runs, 102 doubles, have stolen 92 bases in 120 attempts, 272 walks, 69 hit batters, with 414 strikeouts. Defensively SJU has committed only 49 errors for a .978 fielding percentage.
On the mound the Red Storm has an ERA of 5.36 over 527 innings pitched and have allowed 546 hits and a batting average of .268 against. The staff has 433 strikeouts against 241 walks.
St Johns is on a roll, and can’t be taken lightly. However the Tide is a favorite in the series for a reason, and should be able to take care of business and earn that long awaited return to the Mecca of college baseball in Omaha. We will look at Alabama’s leaders on tomorrow.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 29: AJ Smith-Shawver #32 of the Atlanta Braves looks on after allowing a two run home run to Rafael Marchán #13 of the Philadelphia Phillies in the bottom of the third inning during game one of a doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park on May 29, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Braves continue to win and are now 42-20. Not only do they continue to win, but they continue to win without many of their best players available. They have the best record in baseball and should see Drake Baldwin return towards the middle of the month, who was having a down-ballot MVP-caliber season, and should be getting rotation reinforcements back from injury perhaps as soon as July. The potential insertions of Hurston Waldrep, AJ Smith-Shawver, and later Spencer Schwellenbach into the rotation could also free up Grant Holmes to add some strength to the bullpen, rather than providing serviceable rotation depth. Other injuries can always happen, of course, but this team is set up quite well for the coming months.
It was a magical 2025-26 season for new head coach Dan Muse and the Pittsburgh Penguins, as the team made the playoffs against all odds and were, legitimately, one of the league's best offenses.
As such, Muse was rewarded when he was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award for NHL Coach of the Year.
And, unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be this time around.
On Wednesday, Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper was named the winner of the 2026 Jack Adams award, earning 226 points. Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff (223 points) was the runner-up, while Muse was third behind the other two with 199 points.
According to NHL PR, the race between the three candidates was the closest it has been since 1983-84, when the balloting results were first published for folks to see.
Muse, 43, was a first-year NHL head coach for the Penguins, and he quickly became popular with his players, who lauded his communication skills and tireless work ethic all year long. He led the team to a 41-25-16 record (98 points), and Pittsburgh reached the postseason for the first time in four years.
The Penguins' 98 points tied a franchise record for the most points earned by the team during a coach's first season behind the bench.
Jalen Brunson was at his best in crunch time. Really, is anyone surprised?
Despite suffering knee and ankle injuries in the first half and starting 1-for-7 from the field, Brunson scored 13 of his game-high 30 points in the final quarter.
His 3-pointer with 1:50 left gave the Knicks the lead for good, and he added a rainbow jumper that pushed the lead to six and iced Game 1.
Zero
De’Aaron Fox missed 10 of 13 shots from the field and was a Spurs weak link.
The former All-Star had been inconsistent in the Western Conference finals, and he struggled in the series opener. His missed jumper in the lane that could’ve pulled the Spurs even with 1:31 left was apropos of his night.
De’Aaron Fox struggles to keep the ball away from Landry Shamet during the Knicks’ 105-95 Game 1 win over the Spurs in the NBA Finals on June 3, 2026 in San Antonio. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
He was a monster on the glass (12 rebounds), efficient on the offensive end (7-of-15 shooting, 18 points) and made plays for his teammates (four assists).
He didn’t back down from the challenge of Victor Wembanyama — he met it head on.
Key stat
10.5: Spurs’ 3-point shooting percentage in the second half. They were 2-for-19.
Quote
“We just have a lot of tough guys, a lot of guys that don’t quit. Everybody in this locker room has faced adversity, and wouldn’t be here if they didn’t. So whenever we’re down, we don’t panic,”
I feel for Tony Santillan at the moment. He’s been such a vital part of the Cincinnati Reds bullpen, when healthy, for several years now, but it’s undeniable that he’s been struggling for weeks now to no avail.
Problem is, the more he struggles, the more that’s still being asked of him. Simultaneous with his foibles have come the injuries to Emilio Pagan, Pierce Johnson, and Graham Ashcraft, as well as the latest derailment of Connor Phillips. In other words, opportunities keep falling on his lap based on his reputation at a time when he, like so many relievers before him, needed just a bit more time to work things out.
The Cincinnati Reds have been worse for it, sadly. There just aren’t enough other good options down there to whom Terry Francona can turn.
Cincinnati clawed their way back to a 2-2 tie against the Kansas City Royals thanks to a late 2-run homer by Blake Dunn, a swing that leveled the score after Chase Burns turned in yet another stellar start (6.0 IP, 2 ER, 9 K). The problem, though, is that the more that was asked of Cincinnati’s beleaguered bullpen, the worse things got.
I hate to pile on Santillan here, but the facts are what they are now. In 23.0 IP this season, he’s pitched to a 6.65 ERA while yielding an impossible nine homers in that time. Seven of those dingers have come since May 5th alone. Yet here the Reds were in the 9th inning of a game against a club that was just 23-38 on the season coming in with Santillan on the mound with the game on the line, and things once again simply collapsed in real time.
Short of swinging a major deal for an entirely new bullpen, I’m not sure exactly where the Reds go from here. We saw in April how vital a fully-functioning Cincinnati bullpen was going to be for the way this roster was built, with thin margins and wins in close games paramount given their lack of obvious ways to win games in blowouts. Now, we’re seeing just how penalized the roster building can be when banking on such thin margins, as the relievers of the Reds are seemingly just out of relief right now.
Thursday is a day off, and Sunday will see Rhett Lowder return to the starting unit. I just wonder whether or not either will be enough of a jolt to get this thing back on track with so many key arms still weeks away from rejoining the roster at any strength, let alone full.
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 29: Logan Webb #62 of the San Francisco Giants pitches in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 29, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Since franchise legend Buster Posey took over as president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants, he’s preached one thing. Well, he’s preached many things, but one has stood taller than the rest: pitching and defense.
Pitching and defense, just as the ballpark was built for.
Pitching and defense, just as they leaned on during their dynastic run that Posey was at the helm of.
Pitching and defense, just as they did in The Good Ol’ Days.
Pitching and defense and pitching and defense and pitching and defense and juuuust enough hitting to prop it all up.
You can say it hasn’t worked, as evidenced by the fact that they entered Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers with the worst record in the National League. Or you can say that it simply hasn’t actually been executed, as evidenced by the fact that the Giants, in the last year and a half, have made no efforts to add to their bullpen, have made only the most meager efforts to improve their rotation, have traded the best defensive player in the sport, and have invested nearly half a billion dollars in a trio of sluggers, only one of which has ever won a Gold Glove.
But on Wednesday, it worked. For one glorious day, the Giants won as the prophecy foretold: with pitching and defense. Pitching and defense and just enough offense to keep you from pulling your hair out and pleading with Posey to trade Logan Webb simply to free him from this cursed existence.
Webb took the mound for his second start since returning from the Injured List, and it was clear early on that this was our first 2026 glimpse of the real Webb, the one who has earned Cy Young votes in each of the last four seasons, as opposed to the one sporting a 4.82 ERA when the game began.
He opened the first inning with a four-pitch strikeout of former MVP Christian Yelich, staying in the strike zone on all four pitches. He followed it up with his signature groundout (courtesy of Andrew Vaughn), and a flyout from Brice Turang.
The second inning? Groundout, lineout, strikeout No. 2.
He opened the fourth by striking out Yelich, again, and getting Vaughn to ground out, again.
And then came the first moment that made it feel like the game could be special. A moment that felt like it could be A Moment. With two outs, Turang chopped one sharply down the third base line. Matt Chapman, shifted over against the lefty hitter, ranged back towards third, plucked the ball out of the air, and threw across his body while falling across the third base line.
A perfect strike to Rafael Devers. A third out in the inning. A 12th out for Logan Webb in as many attempts.
It wasn’t quite Gregor Blanco diving to keep Matt Cain’s perfect game afloat, or even Hunter Pence awkwardly sliding to preserve Tim Lincecum’s first no-hitter. But it was the type of play that makes you feel like something special is brewing; like the baseball deities who have firmly abandoned the Giants this year have remembered the team’s existence.
With that, the watch was on. Once you make it past the fourth inning and the first defensive gem, suddenly the (admittedly still very slim) chance of no-hitter becomes worth paying attention to.
There was just one issue. The Giants offense had proven incapable of supporting Webb. And try as you may, you couldn’t shake the image of the Giants ace carrying a perfect game into the ninth inning, knowing that the 27th out wouldn’t bring a celebration, but instead a 10th inning.
Lefty Robert Gasser, in just his third appearance of the year, had kept San Francisco’s hitters off the bases in the first and second innings. The third had provided the sort of Giants-esque rally that makes you resell those tickets you bought a few months ago. The kind of rally we’ve grown far too comfortable with over the last decade.
It began when Bryce Eldridge reached first on a swinging bunt that traveled that magical distance where both Gasser and catcher William Contreras could have gotten it, but each decided to say “no, you first” until the moment was lost (even at that, the moment was only barely lost, as Eldridge was only ruled safe after the Giants challenged the call). The fortune continued when Daniel Susac hit what felt like a double play off the bat, but was just far enough away from shortstop David Hamilton to ricochet off his glove and trickle into left field.
Just like that, the Giants had two runners on, with no outs. After Victor Bericoto struck out, Casey Schmitt ripped one up the middle. It had RBI single written all over it, but Hamilton dove behind the bag to knock the ball down, holding the Giants’ top hitter to an infield single, and loading the bases.
With less than two outs. Their kryptonite. And indeed, Devers meagerly popped out, and Luis Arráez hit an inning-ending grounder.
They tried again in the fourth, when Jung Hoo Lee lifted a one-out soft liner to the outfield (extending his hitting streak to 11 games), and Eldridge drew a two-out walk. But no dice. It would be that kind of day.
Until the fifth inning.
Just three pitches after Chapman’s defensive heroics, Gasser threw a get-it-in sinker in a 2-0 count to Bericoto. The pitch was on the outer half of the plate and the Giants’ rookie, as he does so well, used that to his advantage, inside-outing it all the way over the right field wall for the first home run of his career.
It’s always special to reflect on what it took for a player to get where they got when such a monumental moment occurs. The 24-year old Bericoto signed with the Giants on July 2, 2018, almost a full eight years ago. It was the same day that the Giants signed Marco Luciano and Luis Matos. He played 569 games in the Minor Leagues before getting his chance. He hit 78 home runs in the Minor Leagues before getting to hit one in the Majors.
And he sure made it count.
With the lead firmly in hand, and visions of the most brutal Caining in history now pushed from our imaginations, Webb got back to work in the fifth. He struck out Contreras, then got Jake Bauers to ground out (in a 3-0 count, no less), and got Garrett Mitchell to lazily fly one to left field.
The perfect game followed him to the sixth inning, where it finally met its match. Facing Sal Frelick to open the inning, Webb missed the zone on three straight pitches. Frelick, unwilling to make the mistake that Bauers had, forced Webb to throw three straight strikes, and while Webb happily obliged for the first two, the third time was not the charm. Frelick took his free jog to first base, and we switched over from perfecto watch to no-no watch.
Even with the tying run lurking, Webb was game. As Frelick took off for second, Webb worked a grounder out of Luis Rengifo for out No. 1. Hamilton grounded out for the out No. 2, as Frelick moved to third. And there at third, 90 feet away from tying the game, he would stay, as Webb worked his third ground ball of the inning, this time from Yelich.
And so the no-hitter followed Webb into the seventh inning, where Vaughn led off with a flyout.
Finally, in a 1-2 count, Turang — the hitter whom Chapman had robbed of a hit — had seen enough. Webb threw a perfect two-strike pitch, whipping a backdoor sweeper below the zone and off the plate. Turang, in Sandovalian fashion, cared not for the location, and golfed it just over the head of a leaping Willy Adames for Milwaukee’s first hit of the game.
History was off the table, but excellence was not. After a brief flirtation with disappointment, Webb tightened his belt and got back to work, getting Contreras to fly out and Bauers to ground out.
With that, his night was over. It was, after all, just his second game since his injury, and with the chance of a no-hitter no longer there, 95 pitches was enough for Tony Vitello to, rightly, decide that it was bullpen time.
But first, an interlude for the Giants to once again age you in double time. This time it was Arráez hitting a one-out single, and Lee with a two-out knock. There was no blown situational hitting attempt this time around, but with the Giants clinging to a 1-0 lead, it felt equal parts fitting and indefensible that they couldn’t give Webb a cushion before handing things over to a bullpen known for implosions.
So the hard way would have to work. And the Giants treated us all to a little dose of torture.
Erik Miller took the mound for the eighth, and promptly gave up a leadoff single to Jackson Chourio. After the gift of all gifts — a popped-up bunt by Blake Perkins — Miller issued a four-pitch walk to Rengifo, moving the tying run into scoring position with just one out.
Vitello, who has developed a bit of a habit for leaving relievers in until all four wheels come careening off, instead of making a switch after the first one exits the vehicle, was decisive this time around, promptly removing Miller and turning to Keaton Winn. Four pitches later, Winn had induced an inning-ending double play from the bat of Gary Sánchez.
But that wasn’t quite enough drama given the circumstances. The Giants were still in prime position to lose the game, and squander not just the best Webb start of the year, but one of the best of his career. It would have been very fitting for the season, so you wouldn’t really even be able to blame them.
And so it felt as though we were headed that way when Winn gave up a leadoff double to Yelich in the ninth. The Brewers had the tying run in scoring position, and the walk-off run at the plate, and they still had all three outs to play with.
A grounder by Vaughn supplied the first out, but moved Yelich to third. It was unclear whether that was the good news or the bad news.
Winn, who appears primed to take over the closer spot that multiple relievers have abandoned this year, showed his merit for the role in striking out Turang, a left-handed hitter who has a .991 OPS against righties this year (Susac deserves an assist for the strikeout, as he sensationally plucked a would-be wild pitch out of the air after it collided with the dirt in front of the plate).
With the sacrifice no longer in play, Winn settled in to face Contreras, needing an out in any old way. Three pitches and one ground ball later, the game was over. The very cool and memorable game, I might add.
Pitching and defense. Pitching and defense and pitching and defense and pitching and defense and juuuuust enough offense to make it all work.
Logan Webb and Matt Chapman and Logan Webb and Daniel Susac and Logan Webb and Keaton Winn and Logan Webb and juuuuuust enough Victor Bericoto.
For a small period of time, it looked like Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Toronto Marlies was destined for overtime, but Rutger McGroarty had other ideas.
With the game knotted at three, McGroarty intercepted a pass from Easton Cowan and then beat Marlies goaltender Artur Akhtyamov through the wickets to give WBS a 4-3 lead with 2:59 left in the third period.
He made sure to give everyone one heck of a celebration after scoring that goal. McGroarty now has two goals and five points in his last five games.
GOALL. Rutger McGroarty steals it and goes five-hole on Artur Akhtyamov to put #WBSPens back in front with 2:59 left in the 3rd period.
It was a huge moment for McGroarty and it's exactly what Penguins fans should want to see from one of the top prospects in the system. McGroarty's game-winning goal tied the series up at two, forcing a Game 6 back in WBS on Sunday evening.
The Penguins showed a lot of grit and determination in winning this game. They got off to a slow start in the first period and goaltender Sergei Murashov made matters worse when he misplayed a puck behind his cage and it popped back in front for an easy shorthanded goal for the Marlies.
The Marlies made it 2-0 later in the period and had all of the momentum going into the middle frame. However, the Penguins woke up and got right back into the game when Scooter Brickey fired a shot from the point, beating Akhtyamov just 3:14 into the second period.
GOAL. Scooter Brickey? Joona Koppanen? 2-1 game.
Looks like Joona Koppanen & a Toronto defender at the net-front double-deflect Scooter Brickey's shot to get #WBSPens on the board early in the 2nd period.
Chase Pietila tied the game for the Penguins with a shot from the point a little less than six minutes after Brickey's goal before Gabe Klassen gave them the lead with 51 seconds left in the period.
Owen Pickering dumped the puck deep from the blue line before Ville Koivunen fired a gorgeous pass to the front of the net and the puck was knocked in by Klassen.
— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) June 4, 2026
WBS tried to hang on to the 3-2 lead in the third period, but Toronto tied it with 6:56 left in regulation. Murashov initially made a save before he was interfered with, and Luke Haymes scored. The play was originally ruled no goal due to goalie interference, but the refs huddled and ruled it a good goal.
Here's the play:
Referees converge and rule this is a good goal with 6:56 left in regulation, tying the game at 3-3.
Unlike the NHL, goaltender interference cannot be reviewed by video in the AHL.
It was a bizarre call, but the Penguins weren't phased by it, and it ultimately led to McGroarty's game-winner.
It was awesome seeing some of the depth players like Brickey and Pietila step up to help the top prospects in this game. If you want to win a title, you need your depth players to make a difference at times.
The Penguins are now 5-1 on the road in the Calder Cup Playoffs and all four games in this series have been won by the road team.
A win on Friday would give the Penguins a 3-2 lead in the series and a chance to advance to the Calder Cup Final in Game 6 on Sunday.
Puck drop for Game 5 on Friday is set for 7 p.m. ET.
Jun 3, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Athletics right fielder Colby Thomas (32) hits a solo home run against the Chicago Cubs during the eight inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
The Athletics battled the Chicago Cubs in the second game of this three-game midweek series. The road-warrior A’s took an early lead and then gave it up. Up 4-2 for most of the night, it looked like the Cubs would hold on to even up the series. Yet, the A’s came back in the eighth to tie and wound up winning 5-4 in ten innings.
A’s Score Right Away
Athletics’ right fielder Carlos Cortes led off with an infield single and first baseman Nick Kurtz walked against Cubs’ starting pitcher Collin Rea. On consecutive ground balls by catcher Shea Langeliers and left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, the Cubs attempted to turn double plays, but both runners beat the relay throws to first. Cortes scored on Soderstrom’s groundout, giving the A’s a 1–0 lead.
Jeffrey Springs kept momentum on the A’s side with a scoreless bottom of the first inning. The A’s added another run in the second. With one out, third baseman Zack Gelof doubled, extending his hitting streak to eight games. He scored on shortstop Alika Williams’ two-out RBI single.
The Cubs immediately got one back. After making a nice catch in the top of the inning, right-fielder Seiya Suzuki led off the bottom of the second with his eighth home run of the season, a solo blast to the left field bleachers. That was Springs’ 13th home run allowed this season. He wiggled out of trouble following Dansby Swanson’s one-out double, keeping his team’s lead intact.
Chicago took the lead the next inning on center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong’s two-run home run to right-center field, his eighth of the season. The blast came after Soderstrom’s defensive misread on a line drive that turned into a double for Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner.
Through three innings, Jeffrey Springs again struggled with a familiar issue—giving up too many home runs, which has been a recurring problem during his ongoing winless streak. Meanwhile, Rea completed a second straight scoreless inning for the hosts in the top of the fourth, preserving their slim lead.
The Cubs scored their fourth run in the fourth inning. Ian Happ doubled, and Michael Busch followed with an RBI triple. Cortes misplayed both hits in right field, especially the triple.
Athletics manager Mark Kotsay pulled Springs after 3 2/3 innings. The A’s starter allowed four runs on seven hits, with those two home runs doing most of the damage, although he was not helped by the poor outfield defense behind him. A’s right-handed reliever Joel Kuhnel came in and got Nico Hoerner to end the threat, escaping a two-on, two-out jam.
Bullpen Time
Kuhnel and left-hander Jose Suarez each turned in 1 1/3 scoreless relief appearances out of the A’s bullpen, keeping the team’s deficit at two.
With one out in the sixth, the Cubs went to their bullpen, pulling Rea from the game despite the starter allowing only two runs on four hits on just 69 pitches. Left-handed reliever Hoby Milner got the final two outs of that inning. In the seventh, right-handed reliever Jacob Webb held the A’s to one hit.
A’s Tie The Game!
Cubs’ left-handed reliever Caleb Thielbar entered to pitch the eighth. Kotsay countered by bringing Colby Thomas off the bench to pinch hit for Cortes. Thomas, who crushes left-handers, delivered by hitting his second home run of the year, a solo blast crushed deep to the left field bleachers.
Langeliers lined a double to the left-center gap with one out, positioning himself as the game-tying run. Soderstrom followed with a hit down the right field line, scoring Langeliers to tie the game. The A’s left fielder tried stretching that hit into a double. Suzuki made a nice throw to nab Soderstrom at second.
The next batter, designated hitter Brent Rooker hit a long single to center. If Soderstrom had stopped at first, he would have likely made it to third with one out on that hit, putting the visitors in prime position to take the lead. Alas, A’s center fielder Lawrence Butler failed again, hitting an inning-ending line out after fouling off multiple potential ball four pitches.
Athletics hard-throwing right-hander Luis Medina pitched the bottom of the eighth, walking Alex Bregman to start the inning before inducing a double play from Seiya Suzuki. He gave up Happ’s two-out double, but then struck out Swanson to keep the game tied.
The A’s went down in order in the ninth against Cubs’ closer Daniel Palencia. Chicago did the same in the last of the ninth as A’s reliever Hogan Harris sent this game to extra innings.
Extra Innings!
Athletics pinch-hitter Jonah Heim led off the tenth with a groundout to first, advancing the ghost-runner Williams to third. Kurtz singled to left, scoring Williams to give the A’s their first lead since the third.
Right-hander Justin Sterner pitched the tenth for the A’s, seeking the save. Hoerner led off with a fly out, advancing the Cubs’ ghost runner to third. Sterner struck out Crow-Armstrong for a big second out and then retired Bregman to end the game and seal the Athletics comeback series-clinching victory.
The series ends tomorrow evening, same time, same place. The Athletics will send right-hander J.T. Ginn to the mound as they go for the series-sweep at Wrigley. The Cubs will counter with left-hander Shota Imanaga.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - JUNE 03: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs defends against Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks during the third quarter in Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 03, 2026 in San Antonio, 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 Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In December’s Emirates Cup Final, New York fell behind by 11 to the Spurs before rallying to win the fourth quarter 35-19 and steal the victory.
Tonight in Game One of the NBA Finals, the Knicks were considered the underdogs. All the talk was about the Spurs—how they’re the second youngest team to play in the Finals (after the 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers); how they came in with a 6-0 record in Finals Game Ones; how you can’t spell VICTORY with “Victor.” The one-sidedness of it all was obnoxious.
Well, guess what? The Knickerbockers heard none of that noise. They arrived with two streaks on the line: 53 games without a championship, and an 11-game win streak. Through the first six minutes, they were rolling, but then the shots stopped falling and gradually the Spurs racked up a 14-point lead in the third quarter. And just like in the Cup Final, New York rallied in the fourth frame, limited the Spurs to 19 points, and took the win, 105-95.
Jalen Brunson drew first blood with a triple, Victor Wembanyama answered with a long two, and they were off to the races. We knew the sweat-mop crew would be busy tonight. The Knicks started at the same pace that made Cleveland so dizzy, and San Antonio struggled to keep up and keep their composure. While the home team missed eight of their first 11 shots, the visitors converted half of theirs and seized a seven-point lead. Inside, Wemby played difficult defense, as usual, but Karl-Anthony Towns was unafraid to drive against him.
Meanwhile, Josh Hart was a rebounding machine, hauling in five over his first six minutes. By the end of the game, Josh would have three points on 1-of-5 shooting. Which looks bad. But run your eye across the statline and let the truth reveal itself: 14 rebounds, six assists, four steals, a block, and a team-high +22 in his 27 minutes. His relentless energy rescued this game from the loss column.
After a hot start, the Knicks’ shooting cooled, and too many one-and-dones allowed the Spurs to chip away. Dylan Harper, San Antonio’s terrific rookie, picked off a Brunson pass and scored five straight points, and the Spurs went on a 20-3 run while Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, and Deuce McBride covered for Towns, Hart, and Bridges.
Around the two-minute mark, Harrison Barnes rolled into Brunson’s knee. Cap briefly turned to the bench, looking like he might exit. He didn’t—and Harper hunted him for his 10th point of the game. When coach Mike Brown called a timeout, Jalen retreated to the locker room. That capped a rough quarter for the captain, who had his jersey pulled and was mauled (without a whistle) time and again. Thankfully, due to a brief burst at the end, New York cut its deficit at quarter’s end to 27-19.
In the second period, the Knicks crept back and pushed their way ahead, especially when Wemby sat.
At the eight-minute mark, Brunson returned and New York reduced the differential to one. Two minutes later, Luke Kornet stomped on his ankle, and back to the bench he limped. He raged at Scott “The Extender” Foster as he went. With four-ish minutes on the clock, it was a Brunson floater in traffic (capping eight straight points) that gave them the lead again.
The score see-sawed from there. Bridges and Harper traded two-pointers, and Shamet and Keldon Johnson swapped treys. Jose Alvarado saw more floor time with Brunson needing rest, and he scored seven points in as many minutes, plus grabbed four boards and a steal. Good stuff, Jose! A fellow Brooklyn boy, he talked quite a bit of trash with Julian Champagnie, who had 15 points in the half on 5-of-6 shooting from deep.
The score was tight until Fox stole from Brunson for a pick-six and Champagnie swished from deep. Unable to close the quarter strong, New York went into halftime on the wrong side of 55-48.
The Knicks were fortunate the game was that close, frankly. Despite slightly better shooting and dominating the paint (26-18), they gave away too many easy points. The Spurs made more threes (+3), attempted more free throws (+9), committed fewer turnovers (five to New York’s eight), and owned a 14-2 edge in fast-break points. Turns out, the Spurs are more fleet-footed than Cleveland. Champagnie led all scorers with 15 points, and Brunson had 11 for New York.
Both teams played solid defense, but more crappy shooting by New York (Brunson was 5-of-16 and counting, Towns was 3-of-9) allowed the Spurs to start on an 8-2 run. We’d start to panic if tonight’s lead tracker didn’t so closely resemble the NBA Cup game’s. (Okay, with so many shots rimming out and so few fouls being called, we’ll admit to a slight twinge of nervousness.)
Little was going right. Mikal Bridges, who had made all 19 of his free throws in the playoffs, missed from the line. Wemby subbed out, and New York cooked up eight unanswered points, cutting the gap to six. Through seven-ish minutes in the quarter, they shot 1-of-9 with Wemby on the floor; while he sat, they made all four shots. One clear advantage was Towns. The home team had no answer for him with Victor out. Thanks to a KAT putback plus a foul, our heroes were close to tying the score—and they did after a Wemby offensive foul led to Brunson magic at the other end.
Frost Bank Center shook with chants of MVP! when Brunson stepped to the charity stripe, and the adage holds true: Wherever you go, you’ll find Knicks fans. The French delight slammed an authoritative dunk late, but McBride swished his second bomb of the game as the quarter wound down to knot the score at 76.
Early in the fourth, my friend observed that Wemby had shot the same number of free throws as the entire Knicks team (10). Weird, no? Anyway, Anunoby was inconsistent through three quarters but scored eight points to give the good guys a brief four-point advantage. The Spurs weren’t folding up yet, though. Devin Vassell laid out Shamet under the rim (no call) and tipped in a layup to tie the score again with seven-plus minutes left.
Out of a timeout, the Knicks scored eight unanswered, all by Brunson. KAT was on the bench during that stretch, with Robinson fighting hard with Wemby for position in the paint. Following a couple of Knicks misses, Victor swished a three-pointer around the five-minute mark, and Brown decided it was time to reintroduce Towns to this fracas. While New York missed four shots in a row, Wemby shot a mess of free throws to regain a one-point lead heading into the final two minutes.
More Hart rebounds—he’s at 14 and counting by this point—kept the ball alive. It swung to Brunson, who swished from the corner, and two Bridges free throws made it 99-95. With under a minute left, Josh stripped Wemby around the three-point line, resulting in a dagger jumper by Jalen. 101-95.
Victor missed from 27 feet, and Fox fouled Anunoby, who added two more points. 103-95. With 21 seconds left, Fox lost the ball out of bounds. That, plus two more freebies for OG, was the final nail in the coffin.
Brunson closed the books with 30 points, shooting 12-of-31 and 2-0f-9 from deep. He was clobbered all night, yet shot just four free throws and came up big when the Knicks needed him most. Captain Clutch, indeed.
Charles Barkley made time for an outdoor workout while on his work trip to San Antonio for the 2026 NBA Finals.
Charles Barkley made time for an outdoor workout while on his work trip to San Antonio for the 2026 NBA Finals.
During “NBA Tip-Off” on ESPN, Barkley explained that the now-viral video of him doing chairlifts on the San Antonio River Walk was all part of his workout before Wednesday’s Game 1 win for the Knicks over the Spurs.
“I took my walk today, everybody was fantastic,” Barkley said as an image of him lifting a chair over his head was showed on the broadcast.
“Somebody took a picture of me doing my exercises. I’m picking up a chair, I do sets of 25. I was down on the river walk. I’m sorry I was down on the creek walk. That’s a creek, that’s not a river.”
San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz, who appeared on “NBA Tip-Off,” disagreed, telling Barkley that she is proud of the river walk, which is the top tourist spot in the state.
Ortiz also chided Barkley over his previous remarks — when he said that San Antonio is the home of “some big ol’ women” while on-air in 2014.
“I learned a long time ago, you can’t teach courage. You can’t teach class,” Ortiz said. “And Mr. Barkley reminds us of that.”
Barkley laughed and added that he’s “just joking around.”
Charles Barkley on “NBA Tip-Off” on durin Game 1 of the NBA Finals on June 3, 2026. YouTube
Barkley is open about his weight loss journey.
In April 2025, he became an ambassador for Ro, a GLP-1 weight-loss medication promoted by Serena Williams.
Harper, the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft who turned 20 in March, became the youngest player in Finals history to score at least 10 points in a game. Harper has now scored 251 points during the 2026 playoffs, passing David Robinson's 243 points for most points in a single postseason by a Spurs rookie.
Right from Game 1's opening tip, Harper played with a poise and intensity that belied his inexperience on the NBA's biggest stage. In the first quarter, he shot a perfect 3-for-3 from the field and scored 10 points in just six minutes. According to ESPN Research, it was the most points by a rookie in the first quarter of Game 1 of the Finals since the play-by-play era started in 1998.
Harper's early scoring outburst helped the Spurs end the first quarter up 27-19, the only quarter in which they outscored the Knicks.
The only other Spurs rookie besides Harper to score double figures in a Finals game is Manu Ginobili, who did it three times in 2003.
Magic Johnson holds the rookie record for most points scored in an NBA Finals game, which he set in 1980 when he scored 42 points and delivered the Los Angeles Lakers the championship with a decisive Game 6 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
