Connor Clattenburg stood out with the Edmonton Oilers last season through his absolute acceptance of his role on an NHL team.
The 21-year-old scored his first NHL goal, threw 17 hits in just over 36 minutes of ice time and gave the Oilers a look at the physical game that got him drafted in the fifth round in 2024.
Now, with another training camp approaching and Edmonton already dealing with injuries, Clattenburg has an opportunity to put himself back in the NHL.
Clattenburg said Saturday that his five games in Edmonton gave him something to take back to Bakersfield.
“It was good to carry the experience from when I played the few games up here,” Clattenburg said. “You know, it's a quicker game, and it was good to kind of go down there and have that speed up, and just learning from the guys up there was pretty cool. And I just took it back and did what I could no more.”
His season didn't go exactly as planned after returning to the AHL. Injuries limited Clattenburg to 32 games with Bakersfield, where he scored two goals and four points, and his development became difficult to judge over an interrupted season.
“I mean it was kind of tough. Few injuries when I went back down,” Clattenburg said. “But yeah, it was definitely some parts of the game where I felt a little better and a little more confident in, and just got to carry it into this year.”
Clattenburg's physicality has always been a large part of his identity, and his brief NHL stint showed he was willing to play that way. It also happens to fit what Mike Babcock wants from his team.
Babcock has talked about accountability, work and establishing an identity since taking over behind the Oilers bench. Clattenburg's path to the Oilers is through his forechecking, physicality, and ability to be a dependable skater near the bottom of the lineup.
“Definitely I feel way more confident myself and what my skill set is, and I just kind of know where I stand with this organization,” Clattenburg said. “And you know it's helped made me feel comfortable, and I can just be myself.”
Matt Savoie and Mattias Janmark are already expected will miss an unclear amount of time, leaving the Oilers without two forwards who were supposed to be part of the lineup when camp began.
“They're in one mode now, and they're just looking for the next guy up,” Clattenburg said. “You never know what that injury could be, and it's a very high energetic team right now, so it's just keeping the energy around and just play hard.”
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will drive the Oilers' offence, while Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Vasily Podkolzin, and Isaac Howard will play beside them. Babcock has several options for the rest of his forward group, though, and the depth chart is not set in stone.
Clattenburg can hit, forecheck and bring energy to a fourth line. He has already played NHL games for Edmonton, and the coaching staff has some idea of what he will bring when he is put into the lineup.
His biggest problem at rookie camp is that he can't fully show it right now.
“I'm still recovering from injury, so I'm non-contact,” Clattenburg said when asked why he was wearing a different jersey. “So that's what they gave me.”
Clattenburg needs to be healthy enough during main camp to show the Oilers the parts of his game that give him a chance to make the roster. Albeit, his five games last season should buy him some familiarity with the organization in the meantime.
Clattenburg has been inside the Oilers dressing room, played alongside their regulars and gone through the process of being called up from Bakersfield. When he returned to the AHL, he had a much clearer idea of what Edmonton would require from him the next time his name came up, which could be now.
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DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 12: Hao-Yu Lee #50 of the Detroit Tigers dives into home plate to score against the Colorado Rockies from second base on a hit by Colt Keith during the fourth inning at Comerica Park on September 12, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This was one of the wilder games of the season. There were baserunners aplenty, missed chances, stirring rallies followed by disappointment, only to do it all over again. The Tigers came back in this one repeatedly, and a huge rally in the eighth inning was the difference maker as they snatched victory from the jaw of defeat and took down the Rockies 11-7 at Comerica Park on Saturday.
Right-hander Tanner Gordon took on rookie left-hander Andrew Sears in Saturday’s matchup. Keider Montero went on the paternity list to open the spot for the southpaw. Sears got a quick wake-up call when Jake McCarthy lined one right off of him as the first batter of the game. Kevin McGonigle got the ricochet and threw McCarthy out anyway. Sears walked Hunter Goodman with two outs, and TJ Rumfield doubled to left, but they had to hold Goodman at third. Sears punched out Cole Carrigg on a good fastball up to end the inning unscathed.
Kevin McGonigle led off the bottom half with a single back through the box, but Hao-Yu Lee was locked up for strike three, Colt Keith lined out to center, and Riley Greene went down swinging.
Sears tossed a 1-2-3 second inning, striking out Jordan Beck on a another good fastball, and touched 96 mph in the inning. The Tigers missed a chance in the bottom half when Eduardo Valencia led off with a double. Max Clark flew out, but Spencer Torkelson singled and Brett Callahan walked to load the bases. Unfortunately, a double play ball off the bat of John Peck ended the inning.
Sears got into trouble with one out in the third as he hit McCarthy and then gave up a single to Connor Norby. Hunter Goodman stepped in, worked a full count, and managed to turn on a Sears fastball that was actually inside off the plate. He pulled it out to left for a three-run shot, and it was 3-0 Rockies.
McGonigle led off the bottom of the third with a solo shot, his 17th homer of the season. Lee and Keith flew out, but Greene lined a single to center, and Valencia lined one to left to put two on for Clark. The center fielder came through with a single through the right side to score Greene. Torkelson flew out to end the inning as McCarthy pulled one back that looked like it would’ve cleared the fence into the visitor’s bullpen, but it was 3-2 Rockies.
Sears gave up a one-out single to Jordan Beck in the fourth, and Adeal Amador doubled him in. Sears outing was teetering, but he bounced back, striking out Ezequiel Tovar and popping up McCarthy to end the inning. 4-2 Rockies.
The Tigers kept fighting back in the bottom half, once again getting the leadoff man on. Callahan hammered a double to left to start things off. Peck struck out and McGonigle followed suit, taking a called strike three. Lee came through with an opposite field double to score Callahan, and Keith singled in Lee to tie the game 4-4.
Keith wasn’t done either, stealing second base. However, Greene struck out and we were on to the fifth.
Sears gave up an automatic double to Norby to start the fifth, but bounced back to whiff Goodman. Rumfield singled, and that was the end of the day for Sears. Not a good outing for the rookie, but Goodman’s three-run shot was just a really good piece of hitting and Sears didn’t shy out of the zone. Tyler Kinley took over and popped up Carrigg and Kyle Karros to strand the runners. Nicely done by the veteran there.
Juan Mejia took over from Gordon in the bottom half. He walked Valencia, putting the leadoff man on for five straight innings, and Max Clark smoked a ground ball up the middle and hit the afterburners as Valencia took the turn and got to third, and Clark followed him to second with a double.
Once again, the Tigers frustrations with runners in scoring position continued as Torkelson flew out, Callahan struck out, and Peck flew out in foul territory to strand them both.
Kinley pulled a nice escape in the fifth, but then he walked Beck and hit Amador to open the sixth inning. Tovar dropped down a bunt to move the runners, making the first out. AJ Hinch went to Drew Sommers at that point, but McCarthy got a 1-2 sinker over the middle and singled to left, scoring both runs. 6-4 Rockies.
Norby followed with a hard hit line drive for a single, but Goodman grounded one back to Sommers, who fired to Peck and on to first for an inning ending double play.
As was their custon, the Tigers then put two men on immediately and couldn’t score them either. McGonigle and Lee walked to start the bottom of the sixth, but the Rockies turned to lefty Brennan Bernardino. Hinch hit Gleyber Torres for Keith, but he took a called strike three. Greene flew out to center, and Valencia grounded out to strand everyone.
Sommers gave up a leadoff single to Rumfield in the seventh. A sac bunt from Carrigg followed, getting Rumfield to second. Beau Brieske took over from a somewhat struggling Sommers. He gave up a single, but then he whiffed Beck on a perfect slider, and Amador grounded out to end the frame.
Max Clark caught the Rockies napping with a nice bunt single to start the bottom half. They knew how to get on base early in an inning. Scoring the runners remained the issue. Torkelson popped out in foul territory, Ben Malgeri hit for Callahan and took a called third. Peck game through with a hilarious swinging bunt that stayed true down the third base line and hit the bag while Karros waited for it to rumble foul. It just never did. It also didn’t matter much because McGonigle smoked a drive to center field, but it was caught by Carrigg to again frustrate the Tigers.
Brieske was still on the mound in the top of the eighth. A 1-1 slider to Tovar got yanked deep down the left field line for a leadoff solo shot. A fan got his paws on the ball as it was close to hitting the base of the foul pole, and the whole thing looked sketchy, but after review the call on the field was confirmed. Truly the ball looked like it was going to miss on the foul side of the pole, but presumably it was a Tigers fan getting involved there so -1 WAR for the crowd in my opinion. Brieske cleaned up the rest of the inning with no issues, but it was 7-4 Rockies.
Would the Tigers get the leadoff man on in the eighth? They would! Hao-Yu Lee led off against new reliever Jaden Hill with a double to left, and Torres followed suit with an RBI double. Riley Greene ripped a single through the right side, scoring Torres, and suddenly it was 7-6 Rockies, and no outs in the inning. Zach McKinstry pinch-ran for Greene, which was interesting, and with the outfield playing him to pull, Valencia placed a drive into right center field for a single, and McKinstry went first to third.
Max Clark flashed bunt to keep the Rockies on their toes and they proved shaky. Hill missed with three straight. Clark was taking all the way on the a 3-0 fastball down the middle, but Hill missed away with a changeup to walk him and load the bases. Mr. Clark is looking extremely pro out there at this point, doing a whole lot of little things to go with the more obvious skills.
Couldn’t help noticing in Friday night’s victory that after scoring on a wild pitch from Nick Frasso, Clark didn’t go bouncing into the dugout like an excited rookie. He scored and went straight to the next hitter, Zach McKinstry, to share some intel on the pitcher before going into the dugout to celebrate.
As you might imagine, that was it for Hill. Veteran right-hander Jordan Romano took over against Torkelson.
Romano got a pitch clock violation and fell behind against Torkelson 3-1. A foul toward the tarp on the first base side saw Rumfield crash into it trying to catch the ball. He failed, misjudging how much room he had, and then Romano missed 3-2 to walk Torkelson, score McKinstry, and tie the game up 7-7.
There were still no outs in the inning as Malgeri stepped into the batters’ box. Romano just couldn’t find the controls, and he walked Malgeri as well. Three straight walks, two of them of the RBI variety. That scored Valencia, gave the Tigers an 8-7 lead, and there were still no outs. Peck was up and he drove a ball into the right center field gap. Carrigg made the play, but Clark tagged and scored to make it 9-7.
McGonigle smoked a line drive right to McCarthy in left for the second out, but the Tigers weren’t done in the inning yet. Romano just started spamming sliders to Hao-Yu Lee and got ahead of him, but Lee fought off everything Romano was throwing. The rookie wisely took a break 2-2 and went and got more stick’em for his bat, giving himself time to think. Then he went back to fouling off everything Romano could throw. Eventually, Lee broke Romano’s spirit on the 12th pitch of the at-bat. The right-hander came with a high fastball and Lee hammered it off the right field wall. Beck got turned around or he could’ve caught it, but instead two runs scored, and Lee came flying into third base with a triple.
As you’d imagine, Lee was fired up, roaring at his teammates in the dugout, slapping himself in the face, and generally hyping the whole stadium to the nines. Awesome stuff. What a professional at-bat that was. 11-7 Tigers, and suddenly they just needed to close this one out. Quite the turn of events.
Kenley Jansen was on in the ninth, but the Tigers had broken open to the point that it wasn’t a save situation anymore. He whiffed Rumfield on a nasty cutter, and Carrigg hit one hard, but to Clark for the second out. Against Karros, Jansen missed first pitch and the Tigers challenge was unsuccessful. A good slider was yanked foul, but at that point Hinch and the training staff came out to check on Valencia. He stayed in anyway, though Dillon Dingler was getting his gear on. Finally, a slider backed up from Jansen and clipped Karros on the hand. So, it was down to Beck, and neither team had a challenge remaining. OLD SCHOOL!
Jansen fell behind 2-0 to Beck, then coaxed a foul ball to make it 2-1. A whiff on a high cutter made it 2-2, and a miss high worked the count full. A cutter down the middle was popped foul and out of play. Another one was fouled tipped into the glove, and just like that the Tigers had won 11-7 for their third straight victory and a chance at the sweep on Sunday.
Great to see the rookies so productive in a back and forth game like this. Lee, Clark, and Valencia all had three hits, with McGonigle and Greene each collecting a pair. Callahan, Malgeri, and Peck all contributed as well.
It’s an early start on Sunday, as RHP Jackson Jobe takes on RHP Gabriel Hughes at 12:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Fans react after New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) puts up a three-point shot during the first quarter of Game 6 of the NBA Playoffs on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
Secondary ticket prices to the New York Knicks home opener have shot up more than 500% from last year — now costing over $1,300 to get in the door.
The cheapest seats on the secondary market for the Oct. 20 opening night game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden cost $1,346 a piece, including fees, according to data company TicketIQ.
That is a massive 526% increase from the 2025 home opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers, which had a final get-in price of $215, according to the company.
Knicks fans will be shelling out more than 500% more for opening night this season than last season. Aristide Economopoulos for NY Post
Opening Night get-in price is higher than all Knicks playoff games last season except for Game 3 and Game 4 of the NBA Finals, TicketIQ reported.
“The championship has completely reset the Knicks ticket market,” said Jesse Lawrence, CEO of TicketIQ.
The get-in price for games at MSG will be roughly 47% higher than last year — jumping from $234 last season to $344 this upcoming season, according to TicketIQ.
The opening night will see the Knicks raise a championship banner into the rafters thanks, in part, to NBA Finals hero OG Anunoby (left) and Karl-Anthony Towns (right). Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Driving the price surge for the home opener are two major basketball milestones.
The Knicks will raise a championship banner into the rafters in MSG for the first time in 53 years — when the team last won the NBA Finals in 1973.
The game will also be the debut of LeBron James as a 76er after he ditched the Los Angeles Lakers for the City of Brotherly Love this past off season.
The market for tickets on opening night is still fluid and the get-in price is down 5% over the last four days from $1,417, according to TicketIQ.
The Post reached out to MSG for information regarding ticket prices for the 2026-27 season.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 12: Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets celebrates his first inning home run against the New York Yankees with his teammates in the dugout at Yankee Stadium on September 12, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 Mets season has been a pretty terrible one, and nothing that happens in this final stretch of the season can change that. Hell, one can make the argument that their decent play over the past month or so has only furthered the disappointment of the season, given the negative effects it’s had on the team’s draft odds. But sometimes in a season like this, you just gotta enjoy the good times that do come along. And the Mets hitting six home runs today to deliver a 12-2 defeat over their crosstown rival Yankees? Well, disappointing season or not, that sure is an enjoyable thing to watch. So let’s recount the fun we witnessed in the Bronx today, shall we?
Francisco Lindor started off the game with a classic Yankee Stadium cheapie, hitting a solo homer to the short right field porch to give the Mets an early 1-0 lead against Gerrit Cole. One inning later, they struck against the former Cy Young winner again. Jared Young led off the frame with a single, and after Cole retired the next two batters, Luis Torrens struck with a two-run homer to left field to put the Mets up three. And were they done with the long-balls? No, sir, not even close. Carson Benge hit the third bomb in as many innings against Cole with a one-out solo shot to right-center field, making it a 4-0 ballgame.
Meanwhile, Zac Thornton took the mound for the Mets attempting to rebound from what was arguably his worst start as a big leaguer last weekend against the Giants. He came out of the gate strong, tossing three perfect innings with three strikeouts to start. He finally stumbled slightly in the bottom of the fourth, surrendering a leadoff double to Paul Goldschmidt and then a one-out single to Cody Bellinger to give the Yankees their first run of the afternoon and making it 4-1 Mets. But Thornton rebounded to get the next two outs without any further damage, and the Amazins turned right around and got the run back in the following inning. After Cole finally put up a zero in the fourth, he surrendered a leadoff double to Juan Soto to start the fifth, and then with one out Benge got his second RBI of the game—this time on a single to center to bring Soto home from second. That would prove to be the end of Cole’s afternoon, and the mighty Mets had given him a statline—4.1 innings, 9 hits, and 5 earned runs—to forget.
Meanwhile, Thornton continued to pitch efficiently. He surrendered a second run in the bottom of the sixth inning—this one on a two-out solo homer from Bellinger to cut the lead down to 5-2—but nevertheless still made it through six innings on just 66 pitches. And once again, right after surrendering seeing their lead cut, the Mets immediately turned around and got the run right back—this time via a long Soto bomb with two outs in the top of the seventh off lefty Tim Hill, who had just entered the game specifically to face the $765 million star. That put the lead back at four runs.
Thornton faced more trouble in the bottom of the seventh, as the young lefty allowed two one-out baserunners on a single and a walk, respectively. But he hunkered down and induced a groundball double play off the bat of Anthony Volpe to get out of the inning unscathed. Thornton was as jubilant as we’ve ever seen him coming off the mound, and for good reason. That would prove to be the end of his afternoon, and it was a quality bounceback start for the rookie—7 inning, 5 hits, 4 strikeouts, 1 walk, 2 earned runs, all the while outdueling a Cy Young winner and likely future Hall of Famer.
The Mets then completely blew the game open in the top of the eighth, as Hill came back on and retired the first two batters before allowing two baserunners on a single to Marcus Semien and a walk to A.J. Ewing. Bradley Hanner then came out of the bullpen to try to get the Yankees out of the inning, but Torrens—following his homer earlier in the game—instead got his second extra-base hit of the afternoon, this one a double which scored Semien from second to bump the lead up to 7-2. Nick Morabito then walked to load the bases, and Lindor followed that by providing the dagger: a grand slam to right field (his second homer of the day) to give the Mets five runs in the inning—all after two outs!—and a comfortable 11-2 lead.
Tobias Myers came on to relieve Thornton, and he put up a scoreless eighth—aided by another sterling diving catch from Benge in right field off the bat of Aaron Judge. The Mets then decided to add one more for good measure, as Jared Young hit a two-out solo bomb in the top of the ninth for the team’s sixth homer of the day and giving them a double-digit lead. Myers came back on for the bottom of the inning and tossed a second scoreless frame to end the ballgame and give the Mets the 12-2 victory.
The Mets will still be sitting at home in October, and the Yankees won’t be. The ass-kicking today certainly doesn’t change that. But after winning the first Subway Series of the year back in May, the Amazins now have the chance to take the season series over their New York counterparts with a win tomorrow. So like we said at the top, let’s just enjoy the small victories as they come, shall we?
Big Mets winner: Zac Thornton and Luis Torrens, +18% WPA Big Mets loser: Marcus Semien, -6% WPA Mets pitchers: +18% WPA Mets hitters: +32% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Luis Torrens two-run homer in the second, +17.8% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Cody Bellinger solo homer in the sixth, -5% WPA
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 12: Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets runs the bases after his first inning home run against Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on September 12, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This one started bowling-shoe ugly and ended up Sam the Chinese Crested Dog ugly, with Bradley Hanner proving why he is the definition of the 26th man on an MLB roster. Gerrit Cole gave up more home runs—three of ’em while not making it out of the fifth inning—but Hanner wasn’t any better, allowing two dingers while five men crossed the plate against him. All this is to say the Yankees were kicked around Saturday afternoon, losing 12-2 to the Mets.
I don’t know what it is about Gerrit Cole. He’s always been a little bit homer-prone, especially since coming to Yankee Stadium. Fastballs in the zone lead to some kinds of nasty contact, but the thing that’s really been different about him since returning from Tommy John is how many pitches he’s keeping in the zone. He has the lowest walk rate of his career, and indeed he didn’t walk a single batter today. He also has the highest Zone%, or, throws more pitches in the strike zone than any other season of his career.
In his last two starts he’s allowed seven home runs. Comparatively, there were only three today, though they still counted for four runs like last weekend against the Padres.
Part of this is just random variance, enough monkeys at enough typewriters for long enough. Any time you talk about two games’ worth of data, you have to throw up your hands at the universe. He’s also been stung by Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Jake Cronenworth, Francisco Lindor…guys that have been around the block. Lindor especially looked keyed up to swing in the game’s first AB, the first dinger Cole allowed today. Former Baby Bomber Luis Torrens and rookie Carson Benge tacked on homers off Cole to build a 4-0 lead.
I’m also reserving the right to wonder if this “fill the zone, do not walk anyone” strategy is going to continue to be a success. MLB hitters will adjust, they will figure out what you’re trying to do. Maybe you have overwhelming stuff like Cam Schlittler or Jacob Misiorowski and it doesn’t matter if they know what you’re trying to do. Maybe you merely have good-to-great stuff, like Cole does now, and those adjustments hitters make start to hurt you.
Then again Tim Hill got thrashed by Juan Soto, who took the left-hander into the right field bleachers, so maybe the Mets just got the rabbit balls today. Then again, Hill has a 4.70 ERA and 7.32 FIP since Canada Day so maybe teams have figured him out too.
The Mets hit a grand slam at some point. I have to confess once someone called Bradley Hanner is pitching with your team down seven, I kinda checked out. Oh look it was Lindor again, with the slam in the eighth. Good for him, he gets too much hate.
Bad pitching aside, and there was enough of that to sate whatever sick pleasure you have, I think what’s most frustrating about this ballclub is the Yankees should be able to outslug some bad pitching from time to time; they have for the better part of 125 years. This version seems incapable of that bailout. Cody Bellinger was the only guy seemingly interested in digging his club out of the hole:
The closest the team got to scoring after that was putting two men on with one out in the seventh, at that point only down four runs. A ball in the gap, with Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr. running, would likely have halved the lead, and Anthony Volpe bounced into a double play. Then came the aforementioned Hanner, and the game was all but over.
The actual description of this game is less important than the impact on the standings. If the Rays beat the Astros tonight, they will be four full games ahead of the Yankees with just 14 left to play. Yes, that four-game set against Tampa next week could still change some fortunes around, but you can’t really count on sweeping four straight against the best team in the AL.
Even if the Rays lose, you’ve burned another game. Sand is running out of this hourglass. At best the Yankees can stopper it up a little bit with a win in the finale tomorrow, icing a win in this round of the Subway Series to boot. If nothing else it’ll be #CamBumpDay, with the AL Cy Young favorite tabbed to take the ball and deliver that much-needed win. First pitch on Sunday comes at 1:35pm Eastern.
Zac Thornton was terrific in a bounce-back start Saturday afternoon and the Mets slugged six home runs, including three off Gerrit Cole, in a 12-2 Subway Series victory over the Yankees in front of 46,864 at Yankee Stadium.
Francisco Lindor had two home runs for the Mets, including his eighth career grand slam. He now has 24 career multi-home run games.
The win means the Mets clinched at least a split of the season series between the teams. Entering Sunday’s Subway Series finale, the Mets hold a 3-2 advantage over their Bronx neighbors.
The Mets’ victory also delayed the Yankees' hopes of clinching an inevitable playoff berth, at least for one day. The Yanks held a magic number of two to clinch a postseason slot going into Saturday’s game.
Here are the takeaways...
-The Mets pounded Cole (8-9) for five runs and nine hits in 4.1 innings, including home runs by Lindor, Luis Torrens and Carson Benge. The Yankees had a reliever warming up as early as the third inning as Cole struggled and Cole heard some boos as he walked toward the dugout after being removed. Cole’s been one of baseball’s best pitchers over the length of his career, but he’s had trouble with the longball against the Mets. He has allowed 17 homers against them in 50.2 innings over 10 starts. That’s more than three homers per nine innings, more than three times worse than Cole’s lifetime rate. In five career Subway Series starts, Cole has an 8.49 ERA.
-Cole has been burned by the longball lately, too. He was coming off a start in which he gave up four home runs in a loss to the Padres, including one to each of the first three batters of the game. Saturday’s start began the same way, at least pertaining to the first hitter. Lindor cracked a 359-foot drive to right for a leadoff homer and a 1-0 Met advantage. It was Lindor’s 19th homer of the season, his fifth leadoff homer of the year and his 36th career leadoff homer. In the second inning, Torrens smoked a 2-1 pitch from Cole over the wall in left field, a two-run shot that gave the Mets a 3-0 lead.
-Benge’s home run came with one out in the third inning and it was a high, arcing drive to right-center that traveled 368 feet, according to Statcast. Also according to Statcast, it would have been a home run in just one of the 30 MLB ballparks – the one it was hit in. Whatever the case, it counts as Benge’s 17th home run of the season and it gave the Mets a 4-0 lead.
-The Mets got their fifth run in the fifth. Juan Soto, who heard boos again from the Yankee Stadium crowd, doubled into the right-field corner leading off and, one batter later, Benge swatted an RBI single into center.
-Soto hit his 25th home run with two outs in the seventh inning, a drive to right. It came against lefty Tim Hill, who had mostly had success against Soto in his career. Entering the at-bat, Soto was 1-for-6 lifetime against Hill with three strikeouts. Soto’s home run gave the Mets a 6-2 lead.
-In the eighth, Torrens added an RBI double off reliever Bradley Hanner, expanding the Mets lead to 7-2. Torrens finished 2-for-4 with a homer, double and three RBI.
-Cody Bellinger had both RBI for the Yankees. He hit an RBI single in the fourth inning to drive in Paul Goldschmidt, who had led off with a double for the Yanks’ first hit of the game. In the sixth, he smoked his 15th home run of the season over the right-field wall. It was the second straight game with a homer for Bellinger. Interestingly, the blast came just two pitches after Thornton, who normally works at a brisk pace, was cited for a pitch-clock violation.
-Lindor had his huge day on the five-year anniversary of his three-homer game against the Yanks in 2021, if you recall that emotionally-charged affair at Citi Field. Lindor’s slam on Saturday came in the eighth inning off Hanner and pushed the Mets lead to 11-2. Lindor now has 14 career home runs against the Yankees.
-With two outs in the ninth, Jared Young homered off Hanner, too. It was Young’s ninth of the season.
-The Mets, who had 14 hits, including eight for extra-bases, scored in every inning except for the fourth and the sixth.
-When the game was still relatively close, the Yankees had a strong threat in the seventh inning, putting runners on first and second with one out after a Spencer Jones single and a walk to George Lombard Jr. After a visit to the mound by interim manager Andy Green to give Thornton a moment, the lefty got Anthony Volpe to bounce into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.
-Entering the day, the Yankees had been 33-18 in games against left-handed starters. Two of their best hitters, Ben Rice and Luis Garcia Jr., who both bat lefty, did not start the game.
-When Cole struck out A.J. Ewing in the second inning, it gave him 1,029 career whiffs as a Yankee, moving him past Al Downing and into 11th place on the club’s all-time list. Overall, Cole struck out four and did not walk a batter.
Game MVP: Zac Thornton
Thornton, who was coming off his worst start of the season in which he got dinged for four homers by the Giants. Saturday, the rookie lefty retired the first nine batters he faced and gave up just two runs and five hits over seven innings, working economically. Thornton (4-5) threw just 81 pitches (61 strikes) and perhaps would’ve come out for the eighth inning if the Mets hadn’t had a long top half of the frame, scoring five times. Thornton struck out four and walked one.
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 11: Ozzie Albies (1) of the Atlanta Braves scores in the 11th innning to tie the Friday evening MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies on September 11, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Braves are rotating their lineup a bit to mitigate the Phillies’ ability to play the matchup game. Instead of Harris batting cleanup behind Olson, Albies bats cleanup between the two as a deterrent against lefty relievers. Additionally, Mauricio Dubon replaces Mike Yastrzemski in left field.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 18: The sneakers worn by Skal Labissiere #64 of the Orlando Magic during the game against the Dallas Mavericks during the 2025 NBA Summer League game on July 18, 2025 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Tom O'Connor/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 04: A general view of Petco Park stadium on May 04, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Arizona Diamondbacks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
There are currently 14 games left in the season, and once again, the D-backs will be playing meaningful baseball in the second half of September. Really, I tend to think that’s all you can ask for. We are almost in a post-season situation already: it took 12 games for Arizona to reach the World Series in 2023, and that was with two of the three series being sweeps. And as we all know, almost anything can happen over that number of contests. The bulk of the teams in the major leagues would happily swap places with the D-backs right now: per Fangraphs, 17 of them have lower playoff odds than Arizona.
But expectations are clearly that it’s going to come down to the last three games, against the Padres in San Diego, the weekend after next. Here’s how you voted.
Nobody thinks it will be a meaningless series. Everyone thinks that we will go into the series with San Diego and Arizona still locked in a battle for a wild-card spot. The great majority think the Diamondbacks will need to win the set to make it through, with relatively small but equal numbers thinking one and three wins will be required. Of course, anything can happen between now and then, and as Snake_Bitten pointed out this morning, “They have some games to win before the season finale series.” There are tough contests remaining, most obviously the trio against the New York Yankees next weekend.
However, if you go over and lurk on Gaslamp Ball, you’ll see a fanbase who are perhaps more like us than we want to admit. Read the comments, and a lot of them might well seem familiar in tone. Padres fans are both excited about a potential post-season, and concerned about the team’s obvious deficiencies bringing it all crashing down. The recency bias both there and here is almost impressive. Confidence surges up and collapses back down, with each victory or defeat. It’s increasingly true as the number of games remaining is reduced, making each win or loss that much more significant.
Part of me, naturally, wishes that the Padres collapse, and the D-backs cruise into the playoffs, able to rest their best players over three meaningless games in San Diego. Because, on the one hand, it doesn’t matter in the slightest how you reach the post-season. 2023, and all the snarky “backing into the playoffs” comments, laid that myth to rest. But everything coming down to a win or go home series – perhaps even a win or go home game – is the stuff of legend. It’s the kind of thing which is great if your team wins. But defeat, and it’s a long, dark winter of quiet recriminations and pondering all of the “what ifs?”. It wouldn’t be something to forget in a hurry, either way.
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 08: Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians checks on catcher Samuel Basallo #29 of the Baltimore Orioles after Basallo was injured in the seventh inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 08, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. Basallo remained in the game. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here’s the Guardians lineup:
Guardians 9/12
S. Kwan CF J. Ramírez 3B C. DeLauter DH J. Adell RF A. Martínez LF D. Fry 1B T. Bazzana 2B A. Hedges C B. Rocchio SS
DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 30: Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow (31) pitches during the seventh inning of a regular season Major League Baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Detroit Tigers on August 30, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Can the Dodgers make it nine in a row, facing the Marlins?
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - JUNE 27: Ryder Fetterolf of the United States looks on after being drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes with the one hundred and twenty fifth pick during day two of the 2026 NHL Draft on June 27, 2026 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Have you been missing hockey since the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup three months ago?
Yes, it’s been almost three months since the Hurricanes skated off the ice in Las Vegas with Lord Stanley’s Cup. It’s felt both like ages and just yesterday because of how deep the Canes went into the season playing plus all the celebrations throughout the summer. Still, for the rest of the NHL it’s been ages since actual competative hockey has been played—and that includes fans of the two teams that will be in Wake County starting this weekend.
That’s right, folks. Actual, real hockey will be available for fans to watch kicks off this weekend, and in one week this team will go from no hockey to playing a preseason game down in Florida. That’s how quickly things are going to go from zero to 60. We are, after all, only about two weeks from the 5 PM season opener against Florida.
Let’s talk about the signs of the season getting closer and soak them all in:
First off, anyone concerned that the renovations in Lenovo Center wouldn’t be ready in time for the home opener in two weeks had their fears tamped down on Saturday morning as the team released photos of what the ice will look like. It’s a fitting setting for a team that is the defending Stanley Cup Champion, reminding everyone coming in who they’ll have to knock off in order to take the Cup this year.
The decision to leave empty space at the red line except for the occasional Hurricane Warning flag was an especially good one, it makes the design pop.
Fans will get a chance to see this logo for themselves for the first time next Tuesday, September 22nd in the only true home game of the preseason before they head to Greensboro on Thursday, September 24th.
It took until the last possible second but we now know when the actual Training Camp for the players that’ll play on that ice will start. On Friday, the Hurricanes announced the official start of Training Camp. The Wake Competition Center will host the start of camp on Thursday, September 17th at 9 AM. Along with that, we even have a schedule.
Looking at that schedule it is notable that a lot of the camp will happen at the Wake Competition Center, with only the sessions next weekend and then before the season opener to be over at Lenovo Center. Something important to note for the fans—none of the sessions will be open to the general public this camp. Media will be allowed in on all morning skates and camp sessions, so it will be worth following the usual folks on the various social media channels to get your information about how the sessions are going.
Of cousre, some of the players that’ll be participating in those training camp sessions will be on the ice starting Sunday in the Prospect Showcase. There are some big names that are going to participate. Bradley Nadeau will likely pop after getting some NHL exposure next year, not to mention it’s his chance to earn a roster spot with Seth Jarvis missing the start of the season recovering from his shoulder surgery. There’s also the Canes debut of Charlie Cerrato after a couple of successful years at Penn State.
The Canes will be taking on both the prospects of the Nashville Predators and the Tampa Bay Lightning over at the Wake Competition Center. The good news for fans is that this event is not only open to the public, it is free! This includes the event that faces off at 2:30 Sunday. If you can tear yourself away from the opening of the NFL season, you’ll get the chance to see the future of the NHL on display in a more intimate session.
That said, dropping what you are doing and driving to squeeze yourself into a freezing arena in Morrisville isn’t the easiest thing to do. So, if you want to have a feed of the event going on while you enjoy other events on Sundays, keep an eye on the social media channels for the links or head to https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/ and find the links to the feed. With the event happening locally, the familiar voices of Mike Maniscalco and Tripp Tracy will call the two Hurricanes games. The first game will be Sunday at 2:30 PM against the Predators, while the second Carolina game will be Tuesday against Tampa at 2 PM. On Monday at 2 PM the Lightning and Predators prospects will face off, and the outstanding Casey Ditzel of the Greensboro Gargoyles will call that game.
As an aside it’s been fun seeing the Gargoyles and the Canes collaborate more. Once the Charlotte Checkers moved to the Panthers, it’s great having one of the affiliates so close to Raleigh to where fans have a chance to see the future so close to the home club. The Gargoyles have been working hard as an org to embrace Carolina, and expect that collaboration to present itself further when the Canes play in Greensboro on Thursday, September 24th.
If you want to know just what to make of both the Prospect Showcase and how some of the prospects are fairing at Training Camp, make sure to follow Canes Prospects on the social media platform of your choice. This is their time to shine, and the insight will be valuable.
Actual hockey to talk about, and soon. Let the excitement build, and can we hear of other ways to watch the Hurricanes Hockey Network please?
KANSAS CITY, MO - SEPTEMBER 06: Randy Dobnak #62 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday, September 6, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Tanner Gatlin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Royals pulled off their first win against Boston in over a year last night. If they win tonight, it would be their first series victory over the AL East team since they took three of four in August 2022 and their first series victory in Boston since July of 2017. The first win of that series was the last of a nine-game winning streak ahead of the 26-35 stretch that finished their season and guaranteed they would miss the playoffs for the final time with the last core group that had won them a World Series.
Many of the players from the final game of the series have retired. Only Salvador Perez, Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Christian Vázquez, and Drew Pomeranz are still playing major league ball. Ramon Torres started at third for the Royals in that game. Do you remember him? Because I sure as heck don’t. It was Devers’ fifth game as a big leaguer and he hit his second career home run off of Jason Hammel. The Royals had a four-run eighth inning to pull off the comeback win. It was capped off by a two-run Alex Gordon triple to center.
Today’s game will see Randy Dobnak take the mound for KC. Dobnak had his roughest outing of the season two starts ago against Miami, and some among us wondered if Dobnak Time might finally be coming to an end. But he was strong in picking up the Royals’ only victory against Toronto last week. So perhaps it can keep going for a bit longer.
Ranger Suarez will go for Boston. He has faced KC once already this year and allowed a single run in 4.1 innings while striking out 3 and walking 3. It wasn’t his best outing, but he didn’t do enough to prevent Boston from winning, either. He’s a lefty, so this will be a tough game for KC’s offense.
Lineups
Still no Jac Caglianone, despite him taking batting practice and shagging fly balls ahead of last night’s game. I guess his first 30-home run season will have to be next season.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 11: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals forces out Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels to start a double play in the fourth inning at Nationals Park on September 11, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nats snapped a 7 game losing streak with a tight 4-3 win last night. Now they will look to build off that and claim a series win. They have actually been playing fairly well at home and will seek to continue that. The offense will have a tough task against an underrated young pitcher.
With a righty on the mound, the Nats will make a couple changes. Abimelec Ortiz will be playing first base in this contest. James Wood will actually move to DH. That means the outfield will be Daylen Lile, Jacob Young and Dylan Crews. Keibert Ruiz will be behind the plate. Andrew Alvarez is on the mound.
The Angels actually have an all righty lineup. Jose Siri, Oswald Peraza and Kyren Paris come in the lineup. Tyler Heineman also comes in behind the plate. This righty heavy lineup plans to counter Alvarez. Walbert Urena is a 22 year old flame thrower who is one of the most underrated pitchers in the league.
Angels 9/12
Z. Neto SS M. Trout CF J. Siri LF V. Grissom 1B C. Moore 2B O. Peraza DH D. Guzman 3B K. Paris RF T. Heineman C
After last night, the Nats have a weight off their shoulders. Hopefully this can lead to some better play down the stretch. It will be tough against a pitcher like Urena though. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 01: Cesar Perdomo #83 of the San Francisco Giants pitches in his major league debut in the fourth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on September 1, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants lost their series opener against the San Diego Padres on Friday. Today, they’ll try to even the series up.
On the mound for San Francisco is left-hander César Perdomo, a 24-year old rookie who will making his third professional appearance. Perdomo has been excellent so far, posting a 0.90 ERA and a 3.40 FIP, with eight strikeouts and just two walks in 10 innings. In his last game, he threw six shutout innings against the Mets in his first career start.
For the Padres, it’s veteran right-hander Michael King, who makes his 30th start of the season. The 31-year old King is 10-9 on the year, with a 3.00 ERA, a 4.17 FIP, and 144 strikeouts to 66 walks in 168 innings. King has been on an absolute heater lately, with three straight starts with at least six innings thrown and no runs allowed.
“Don’t Be Sad It’s Over, Be Happy It Happened.”: Connor Ingram Says Goodbye To The NHLFrom overcoming OCD and depression to backstopping a playoff run in Edmonton, the resilient goaltender hangs up his skates after a career defined by honesty and perseverance.
Grading Every Defenseman's Contract On The Oilers This SeasonFrom Evan Bouchard’s high-value deal to aging veteran extensions, we analyze which Oilers blueliners provide elite surplus value and which contracts could soon weigh down Edmonton’s cap.
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