LeBron James and Bronny James continue to share more time on the court together as the Los Angeles Lakers’ regular season comes to a close.
The James family set another unique milestone for the league as Bronny was credited with an assist to LeBron on Thursday, April 9, during the Lakers' game against the Golden State Warriors.
Bronny stole the ball with 51 seconds left in the first quarter and bounced the ball toward LeBron, who then crossed halfcourt and finished the play in transition with an uncontested dunk. It's the first son-to-father assist in NBA history.
The Lakers led the Warriors 53-49 at halftime in San Francisco.
The father-and-son duo completed a similar milestone on March 27, recording the first father-to-son assist the league has seen.
Bronny passed the ball to LeBron with 7:54 left in the second quarter of a game against the Brooklyn Nets before the veteran drew a double team and immediately passed the ball back to his son, who made a wide-open 3-pointer.
In the third quarter of Thursday night's game, LeBron got an assist on a Bronny 3-pointer.
Nolan McLean let out a roar as he bounded off the mound after freezing Arizona Diamondbacks’ first baseman Ildemaro Vargas on a knee-high sinker on the inside corner to close the top of the sixth inning on Thursday night at Citi Field.
The Mets' young right-hander’s emotional explosion came after his seventh strikeout of the night, stranding a leadoff base runner as he protected a 1-0 lead and looked to outduel Eduardo Rodriguez, his foe from the WBC final 23 days prior.
Entering the seventh with the score unchanged, McLean said he “felt good” coming in at 85 pitches and facing the heart of the D-backs' order, having allowed just two hits and two walks to that point.
“Felt like I had a lot left in the tank,” he said after the game.
But after a leadoff walk and a strikeout, McLean's final pitch of the night, the 100th he threw, was muscled into center off the end of Jose Fernandez's bat. The next four batters all managed to knock in a run off reliever Luke Weaver, and McLean's dominant start felt like a memory in what would become a 7-1 defeat.
“It’s part of baseball at the end of the day,” McLean said of being the hard-luck pitcher of record. “I’m sure I’ll leave guys out there, and our bullpen’s gonna strand them for me plenty of times this year – and it’s already been done, actually, this year a couple times. It’s part of the game, it’s a long season, I know those guys got my back out there.”
McLean’s final line of his third start of the year: 6.1 innings, two runs on three hits and two walks with eight strikeouts on 100 pitches (64 strikes). But the numbers are deceptive, as he was better.
“He was really good today,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He had everything working, especially the sinker. [Which] has been a pitch that’s been kinda off the first couple of outings, but today the movement, the way he was just commanding that pitch.”
McLean leaned heavily on that sinker, including throwing 10 in a 12-pitch, 1-2-3 first inning. He threw 44 of them on the night and got 15 called strikes with it, including four times for strike three.
“That’s been a pitch that hasn’t felt great for me so far this year. But it felt really good today,” McLean said, adding that the difference with the sinker on this night was “just getting more reps with it.”
“It’s a little bit different feel throwing it in cold weather versus back in Florida,” he said. “So it’s just finding the grip that works, and also some mechanical stuff getting cleaned up.”
Mendoza said there was no consideration to leave McLean in beyond the 100-pitch mark, and was “banking on how good that sinker was there” for the 24-year-old to get one more groundball to end his night on a high note.
And, unlike his previous start in which he said he had only one pitch working, the sinker was buttressed with a good sweeper and curveball, complementing his four-seam fastball nicely.
“Curveball’s been feeling good, definitely felt good tonight,” McLean added. “Landing it for strikes more than just a chase pitch for me, so I was excited to see that.”
“He had pretty much everything else working,” Mendoza said. “He was pretty solid.”
Overall, the righty got 26 called strikes, including getting four on 16 sweepers, four on 14 fastballs, and two on seven cutters. He got just six whiffs on 36 swings, with the sweeper (2-for-4) and curve (2-for-6) working best.
McLean didn’t think the high number of called strikes said much about his stuff, but more about Arizona batters’ plan going into the game.
“I haven’t shown a great ability to throw strikes in the first couple of games,” he said. “So I think part of their plan was to force me to get into the zone. And luckily, I was able to do that early.”
Through three starts of the season covering 16.2 innings, McLean has allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits, six walks, and one hit batter with 20 strikeouts.
But all of this is just a silver lining.
“It happens,” Mendoza said. “Gotta move on. Had some opportunities to score, we didn’t cash in. But you take the positive, and that was Nolan today.”
HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 9: VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers & Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets hug after the game on April 9, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 22.5 VJ Edgecombe – 13 Joel Embiid – 11.5 Paul George – 8 Kelly Oubre Jr. – 5 Justin Edwards – 4 Quentin Grimes – 3 Jared McCain :’( – 3 Dominick Barlow – 2 Andre Drummond – 2 MarJon Beauchamp – 2 Adem Bona – 1 Cam Payne – 1 Jabari Walker – 1 Trendon Watford – 1 15th roster spot – 1
The Philadelphia 76ers fell to the Houston Rockets 113-102 on Thursday night to conclude a nightmare day for the Sixers.
Joel Embiid was a surprise scratch on Wednesday afternoon, being ruled out for illness before it was announced that Embiid was suffering from appendicitis and would undergo surgery today in Houston. During the game, the team released a statement that the center had undergone a successful appendectomy.
A night that was supposed to feature a major, pivotal contest for the Sixers quickly devolved into kind of a sad mess. This one felt like it was already over when the afternoon news dropped, and the Sixers’ performance out of the gate didn’t exactly inspire any optimism to the contrary. Philadelphia went down by more than 20 points before halftime, with the absence of Embiid palpable throughout.
For awhile, it looked like the game was just about over. In the fourth period, though, the Sixers put up a solid fight, clawing back to within five points in the final few minutes. It was the first real signs of life from the squad we saw all night. They outscored the Rockets 29-17 in the final frame, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback. The Sixers fall 113-102 on Thursday.
Two games still remain in the regular season for Philadelphia, but this loss (combined with the Toronto Raptors’ win) just severely reduced the odds of the Sixers clawing back into a guaranteed playoff spot. It is all but guaranteed now that the Sixers are headed for the Play-In Tournament.
First, though, they still have two regular season games to go. They’ll play the first of the final pair on Friday night, closing their 16th and final back-to-back with a visit to the Indiana Pacers.
Let’s get to the Bell Ringer. And yes, we know this is kind of pointing out the tiniest silver lining surrounding a gigantic storm cloud.
<p>(Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)</p><br> | Getty Images
Kelly Oubre Jr. hasn’t been exactly tearing it up the last few games, but he looked hot to start this one. Oubre was the first on the floor to 10 points in the first period, beginning the game 4-for-4 from the floor and 2-for-2 from long range. It’s a good thing, too, because he was just about the only person for the Sixers that could produce offensively early on Thursday night.
Oubre cooled off from there, but continued to chip in on both ends of the floor when the opportunities presented themselves. It was a pretty efficient outing from him as well, with him shooting 7-for-10 from the floor and 2-for-4 from long range.
A perfect night overall? No, but we just need to shout him out because he was the only one keeping this from getting completely out of hand before we even made it out of the first frame.
Oubre finished Thursday with 16 points, four rebounds, one assist, three steals and one block.
Kelly Oubre Jr. is the first on the floor to double digits here with 10 points in Q1 so far, shooting 4-4 FG, 2-2 3PT pic.twitter.com/5jk8Zl0I3E
<p>(Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images)</p><br> | NBAE via Getty Images
VJ Edgecombe chipped in points throughout this one but, as he has so many times this season, the rookie really showed off his abilities down the stretch as the Sixers put up their late fight in the fourth quarter. Even faced with what feels like insurmountable deficits or just truly tough nights on this team, Edgecombe never seems to give up or phone it in when he’s on the floor. He continues to impress with play making for his teammates while also creating opportunities for himself beyond what you can expect from your typical rookie, like the late bucket below where he dances right around guys like Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun for a tough finish through contact at the rim. He was a crucial part of the Sixers’ late comeback push on both ends of the floor, coming up with a few clutch points and making some defensive plays.
Edgecombe finished Thursday with 20 points, six rebounds (three offensive), eight assists and two steals.
The rookie VJ Edgecombe dancing his way around Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun for the tough finish pic.twitter.com/VzrDQ6kGqM
Tyrese Maxey, coming off one of his worst games in his NBA career in his 40-minute, 15-point performance against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, looked like he might be continuing that pattern on Thursday night. He still just looked off, with sloppy turnovers and a poor touch on the ball apparently early in this one. Fortunately, things turned around for him in the second quarter. After a scoreless first, Maxey got into a groove for 15 points on 6-for-9 field goal and 3-for-4 long range shooting in the second.
The Sixers were already down about 20 points by then, but it’s still never a bad thing to see one of your players work through a slump and figure it out a bit. It wasn’t as if every single shot was falling, with Maxey finishing the night 9-for-20 from the floor, but seeing a few go in and especially hitting five triples on 10 attempts hopefully helped the guard a bit mentally going as we go into the close of the regular season.
Maxey finished Thursday with 24 points, three rebounds and five assists in just over 33 minutes. It’s still a very far cry from the level of play we all know Maxey is capable of at his best, but it’s a step in the right direction compared to where we started the week, for sure.
Sixers continuing to turn defense into offense here in Q4, with Tyrese Maxey turning the VJ Edgecombe steal into a three-point play pic.twitter.com/Mot8XKY0ut
<p>(Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images)</p><br> | NBAE via Getty Images
Quentin Grimes provided a decent offensive punch off the bench for the Sixers tonight, especially as they strung together that late-game run that saw Philly cut their deficit down to just five points (after being down over 20 at some points). After putting up just a handful of points in the entire first half, Q hit a few buckets to close the third quarter before bursting for 11 points in the final frame, mostly early in the period when the Sixers took advantage of Durant being on the bench to put a dent in their deficit.
The Quentin Grimes experience has been up and down this season to say the least, with the guard having moments of performing well separated by plays and games that have you confused what he’s trying to accomplish. Tonight wasn’t a perfect night by any means, but it was truly one of the better performances from Grimes as of late, especially down the stretch.
Grimes finished with 20 points, two rebounds and one steal in 26:29 off the bench.
NOT the Miami Heat
Couldn’t help the Sixers at all, huh? The Toronto Raptors are the wall between the Sixers making the playoffs or the Play-In. They faced the Miami Heat twice this week, on Tuesday and tonight. A win (or two) would have gone a long way to helping the Sixers have a shot at climbing back over them for that No. 6 seed.
Instead, the Heat lost both games by double digits. Thanks for nothing, Miami!
Don’t get me the wrong, the Sixers’ finish will be completely of their own making… but still, we wouldn’t have argued with a little outside help.
Apr 9, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) reacts after a made basket against the Philadelphia 76ers during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images
The Rockets have won 8 games in row and for most of Thursday’s matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers it looked as if they would coast to their 52nd win of the season. However, even if you have just followed this Rockets team causally, you were not comfortable even with the Rockets leading 96-73 going into the fourth quarter.
The Rockets only made 5-of-20 shots in the final quarter of the game, while the Sixers scored 29 points in the quarter. The key for the Rockets was the timeliness of the shots made. With about four minutes to go in the game, Philly had cut the lead to 101-94, leading to a timeout immediately being called by Ime Udoka. The Rockets would get back-to-back corner threes, first from Kevin Durant off of an Aaron Holiday drive to the basket, followed by an Aaron Holiday corner three off of a Kevin Durant assist.
The Sixers would cut the lead back down to five points with less than two minutes to go, when Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun ran the pick-and-roll at the top of the key to perfection, which lead to the defense collapsing on Alpi, leaving Durant wide open for the three-pointer that would give KD his 29th point and seal the deal for the Rockets with just over a minute remaining in the game.
Alperen Sengun struggled scoring the ball with only 8 points on 4-of-14 shooting, but he did grab 12 rebounds and dished out 4 assists. Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson each posted 19 points and 5 rebounds respectively. Tari Eason shined off the bench despite playing with an illness. He scored an efficient 15 points 0n 5-of-10 shooting and grabbed 8 rebounds. He was 3-of-6 from the three-point arc. Aaron Holiday was 3-of-5 in the 14 minutes he played, scoring what turned out to be 7 crucial points.
Rockets fans have been wanting to see team they have been watching over this 8-game win streak; all season. This fourth quarter aside, they seem to be clicking at the right time. There are still some weaknesses that opposing teams will definitely try to exploit in the postseason. However, the things they have done well are sustainable. They must continue to move the ball and protect the ball. Turning the ball over the way they did in the fourth quarter of this game, will lead to losses in the playoffs. Tonight, when they were able to handle the desperation pressure the Sixers, they ended up finding good looks at the basket and they knocked them down. That will need to be the rule and not the exception moving forward.
The Hometown Heroes are back at it tomorrow night at 8:00 PM CST against another playoff contender, the Minnesota Timberwolves, at Toyota Center. As always, we will be here with Game Previews, in-game discussion, and recap after.
The milestones keep coming for Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser. Shortly after reaching ninth all-time in points by a Canuck, the forward has claimed sole possession of eighth all-time by scoring his 479th career regular-season point against the Los Angeles Kings. In doing so, he has passed Pavel Bure, who previously held eighth with 478 points as a Canuck.
Only a few games after passing Tony Tanti for ninth all-time with his 471st point, Boeser put together a four-point effort that saw him score his first hat trick of the season against the Colorado Avalanche. He also collected a point in each of the team’s games against the Calgary Flames and the Vegas Golden Knights ahead of that.
While this season came off the rails for nearly every player on the Canucks, including Boeser, the forward has managed to find his form since the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. Through 71 games this season, he has scored 21 goals and 24 assists. With his three goals against the Avalanche on April 1, Boeser also notched his seventh-career season with 20+ goals.
The next player Boeser will be looking to pass on the Canucks’ all-time points list is none other than his current teammate, Elias Pettersson, who currently holds the record for points by an active Canuck. Pettersson’s 505 points sit at seventh all-time behind Thomas Gradin (550).
Mar 21, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks right wing Brock Boeser (6) ready for the face-off during the second period against St. Louis Blues at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images
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But which version? The 2024 Rookie of the Year who so often could not be touched? Or the 2025 starter who spent much of the season on the injured list and then returned without the same velocity and stuff?
Gil will begin to answer that question when he takes the mound in St. Petersburg to open a series in which the Yankees will need a fifth starter for the first time this year.
The 27-year-old did not look his best through much of spring training, which meant he slotted in behind Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers and began his campaign with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
But his velocity ticked up in a dominant start against the Orioles to end his time in the Grapefruit League. On Sunday, he made his lone start with SWB during a chilly afternoon in Rochester, where his velocity was down but the environment may have played a role.
Gil allowed three runs on four hits and four walks, including walking the first two batters he faced, while striking out six in 4 ²/₃ innings.
Yankees pitcher Luis Gil walks off the mound after being removed from a spring training game in the third inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“You could tell it was a really cold, windy day in Rochester,” said manager Aaron Boone, who watched Gil pitch on a monitor during a rain delay in The Bronx. “That first inning, he gave up a couple runs. I think he struck out the side in the first inning.
“… Managed contact pretty well. A little struggle in that first inning with his command, but overall threw the ball alright.”
The stuff during a frigid matinee at a minor league park was less interesting than the pitch mix. Of Gil’s 85 pitches, 30 were sinkers — a pitch he did not have in his arsenal in his first two major league seasons.
“Hopefully it’s just something that’s a little bit of a different look to help the four-seam play up a little bit and also help out with his secondary,” Boone said of Gil, who previously threw just a four-seamer, slider and changeup.
The Yankees are three games in to a stretch of 13 games in 13 days, which suggests that they likely will roll with the five-man rotation for a short while and enable Gil to make two starts.
Yankees pitcher Luis Gil pitching. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Whether he sticks in the majors beyond that will hinge upon injury and upon which Gil takes the mound this year.
In a lineup filled with righties against southpaw Jeffrey Springs, Paul Goldschmidt sat and Ben Rice started at first base in what became a 1-0 loss in The Bronx on Thursday.
Goldschmidt is fine, Boone said, and likely will play Friday against another lefty in Steven Matz, but the Yankees want to expose Rice — who went 1-for-4 and collected the lone Yankees hit — to lefties.
Yankees starting pitchers have allowed 16 runs, which is the fewest through 12 games in franchise history.
Carlos Rodón threw around 40 pitches while approximating two innings in a bullpen session Wednesday, Boone said. The next step — whether more side work or a rehab assignment — is unclear.
Gerrit Cole is set to throw a simulated game Sunday morning in Hudson Valley.
The Yankees designated reliever Cade Winquest for assignment before he pitched a game, The Post’s Jon Heyman reported.
Winquest, a Rule 5 pick this winter, will go to waivers, where he will be available to any team. If he is not claimed, he will be removed from the Yankees’ 40-man roster and offered back to the Cardinals, his original team. If it gets to that point and St. Louis declines to bring him back, the Yankees could then send Winquest back to the minor leagues.
Apr 9, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Tim Tawa (13) and center fielder Alek Thomas (5) and left fielder Jorge Barrosa (1) celebrate after defeating the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
On a cold blustery evening, the Arizona Diamondbacks were able to take the series against the Mets today after the bats broke out late against the Mets bullpen. The victory today is a key win for this team in the early going as the W/L record against a team like the Mets could prove to be very important down the line.
The beginning of the game was a solid pitchers duel for as it was a rematch of the World Baseball Classic championship game of Eduardo Rodriguez vs Nolan Mclean. Despite a first inning home run given up by Erod, the 2 pitchers went toe to toe inning for inning. Eduardo Rodgriguez managed to go 6 Innings of just the 1 run allowed while being the first Dbacks pitcher of the season to reach the 100 pitch mark. Although still early, he has really seemed to turn a corner in his career adapting his pitch arsenal. A historically fastball heavy pitcher, Erod continued the recent trend of throwing his changeup 32% of the time tonight while cutting his fastball usage almost in half. The early season results have been astonishing as he has pitched to a microscopic 0.50 ERA. Has to be one of the highlights of the early season so far.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Dbacks failed to score going into the 7th inning and I think every fan was thinking, “Oh great here we go again! Another wasted Erod masterpiece” Things turned around in the 7th however as Geraldo Perdomo led off the inning with a walk, Jose Fernandez notched his 2nd hit of the night moving Perdomo into scoring position, and Gabi Moreno pinch hit for James McCann and promptly rips a double over the head of the right fielder Brett Baty tieing the game. Alek Thomas was up next and knocked in the go ahead run Jose Fernandez on a fielder’s choice and a masterful slide by the young Fernandez. His elite sprint speed was definitely a factor on that play and caused a rushed throw by the first basemen. It is really nice having that athleticism on the field! From there, the Dbacks would open this game up on a sac fly by Tim Tawa and a triple by Jorge Barrosa bringing the score to 4-1 and some much needed breathing room.
The bullpen was nails tonight as Taylor Clarke did a tremendous job of holding the score there in a quick and efficient bottom of the 7th inning. A very underrated thing for a reliver to do by maintaining all that momentum and getting the team back in the dugout quickly. Taylor Rashi came in after Clarke and had perhaps the most dominant relief outing we have seen from a Dbacks pitcher in the early going as he pitched 2 flat out filthy innings striking out 3 Mets batters. Like he was in complete control tonight and he was even smiling on the mound as he was toying with the Mets batters with his high arm slot 4 seamer, splitter, and slider combination. He even threw a slurve tonight. Is Taylor Rashi a leverage reliever all of a sudden? Would be a huge break for this team if so.
Gabi Moreno was able to notch 2 doubles in a game that he didn’t even start in and the Dbacks were able to have a nice little 7 run outburst tonight on the offense bringing the final score to 7-1. The offense though it was late to show up tonight was a welcome sight for the Dbacks and their fans given some of the early season struggles they have had in that department. All in all, the Dbacks won tonight with excellent starting pitching, and athleticism on the offensive side. A welcome sight in my opinion and certainly playing the likes of Jose Fernandez, Ildemaro Vargas, and Jose Barrosa were paramount. Hopefully we see more of this brand of Dbacks baseball. This is the type of offense that is sustainable especially considering the Dbacks once again scored all 7 runs without the benefit of the longball. Refreshing!
The Dbacks will get on the bus tonight a game over .500 and head to Philadelphia to begin the weekend series against the Phillies. Lets see if the young guns get rewarded with more playing time, and this team can keep the momentum going into Philly!
After four long years, the Pittsburgh Penguins have once again punched their ticket to Lord Stanley's dance.
With a 5-2 win against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, the Penguins clinched their first Stanley Cup Playoff berth since 2022, when they lost to the New York Rangers in the first round. In addition, with the Philadelphia Flyers losing, 6-3, to the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh also clinched home ice advantage for the first round.
With second place in the Metropolitan Division etched in stone, the Penguins turn their focus to the final three games of the regular season, which feature a home-and-home against the Washington Capitals this weekend before a Tuesday regular season finale against the St. Louis Blues.
The final day of the NHL regular season is Thursday, Apr. 16, and the first round is set to begin on Saturday, Apr. 18. Follow along with our playoff coverage on the THN - Pittsburgh Penguins site for updates, live game blogs, playoff features, and more.
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (AP) — Alex Iafallo, Josh Morrissey and Jonathan Toews scored as the Winnipeg Jets beat the St. Louis Blues 3-2 Thursday night, keeping their playoff hopes alive.
Mark Scheifele had two assists and Connor Hellebuyck made 20 saves for Winnipeg (35-31-12), which has 82 points. The Jets went into the game four points behind Nashville (84 points) for the second Western Conference wild card.
Dylan Holloway and Colton Parayko scored for St. Louis (33-33-12) and Jordan Binnington had 31 saves. The Blues, who have 78 points, took a hit to their playoff hopes with four games remaining in the regular season.
Morrissey slammed home the rebound of a shot by Jacob Bryson to give the Jets their first lead of the game with 5:49 left in the second period and Toews made it 3-1 just 1:40 later.
Robert Thomas flicked a pass backward between his legs to Holloway for a goal from the right circle that opened the scoring at the 4:56 mark of the first period. Thomas has 325 assists for the Blues, tied with Al MacInnis for fifth-most in franchise history.
Iafollo poked home a feed from Scheifele from point-blank range near the midway point in the first period.
Parayko, on a breakaway, beat Hellebuyck to the glove side to cap the scoring with seven minutes left in the third period.
To make room for Luis Gil on the roster, the Yankees are reportedly designating right-hander Cade Winquest for assignment.
NY Post's Jon Heyman reported that the Rule 5 draft pick will be off the Yankees' roster when the transaction becomes official on Friday.
Back in Dec. 2025, the Yankees selected the 25-year-old in the Rule 5 Draft. Winquest earned the distinction of being the first player selected by the Yankees in this particular draft since 2011.
As a Rule 5 pick, Winquest had to make and stay on the Yankees' roster for the entirety of the 2026 season, or he would be offered back to the Cardinals. The right-hander made the team out of camp after seven spring games. In that span, Winquest allowed eight runs on 13 hits, four walks and eight strikeouts across 10 innings pitched.
Although Winquest was with the team, he did not make an appearance in the team's first 12 games.
Winquest was originally drafted by the Cardinals in the eighth round of the 2022 MLB Draft and did not make the big league club.
In 58 minor league games (38 starts) in the Cardinals system, Winquest pitched to a 4.19 ERA with 219 strikeouts in 212.2 innings.
Winquest finished the 2025 season at the Double-A level, appearing in eight games for Springfield with a 3.19 ERA in 42.1 innings.
Gil is set to make the start for the Yankees in Friday's series opener against the Rays and the Winquest move will be made official sometime before first pitch.
Two years of tanking have taken a mental toll on the Nets.
Nic Claxton is convinced it’ll be over next season, and he’s happy about that.
“It wasn’t always easy, honestly, with the lineup changes, with playing with a lot of younger guys at this stage of my career,” Claxton admitted. “This year was rough, obviously. So we’ve got a few more games this year, we flush that out, we get back to the drawing board this summer and we go from there.
Nic Claxton, who did not play, celebrates after one of the few good plays by the tanking Nets’ in their 123-94 loss to the Pacers on April 9, 2026 at Barclays Center. Corey Sipkin for New York Post
“You can’t let it affect your preparation and your mindset. Even this year I struggled with that some. Going into games you have to go in with the mindset, ‘OK, we’re going to win this game.’ But as far as wins and losses, I get what [coach] Jordi [Fernández] is saying. It doesn’t always come with the scoreboard. It can be seeing our rookies go out and spread their wings and gain confidence. … It can be me maturing and finding that peace within myself no matter what’s going on out there on the court. … Then next year hopefully we get some more actual wins.”
What the Nets (20-60) need is some lottery luck. They entered Thursday clinging to the third-best lottery odds.
Brooklyn’s 123-94 loss to Indiana at Barclays Center only helped their cause. They moved a game clear of the idle Jazz and Kings, tied for fourth.
Losses in their final two games — Friday in Milwaukee and Sunday in Toronto — would guarantee top three odds in the lottery and falling no lower than seventh in the June draft.
Claxton missed his third straight game with a sprained right fifth finger. He’ll likely end the season averaging 11.7 points and 6.9 rebounds.
That latter figure needs improvement. Claxton has not only regressed from his old defensive form, but has always struggled on the glass.
“One [key] is getting my teammates getting the easy ones,” Claxton said. “Sometimes you’ve got some rebound-hungry dudes on the team that can make your numbers dip because when I average more rebounds, my teammates would pretty much let me get the rebounds. That’s one.
“Two, it is just a mentality thing of going after all of the rebounds. Sometimes the rebound numbers can be skewed because my teammate can be right there to get the rebound and we secure the rebound, but if I don’t go after it, I finish the game with a lower number of rebounds, but my teammate grabbed the board. But it is a numbers game at the end of the day with the NBA, so it’s something you always want to just put some focus and energy towards.”
E.J. Liddell led the threadbare Nets with 26 points against Indiana, while Ben Saraf added 19 points, six assists and five boards.
Claxton, Noah Clowney, Egor Dëmin, Terance Mann, Josh Minnott, Michael Porter Jr., Day’Ron Sharpe, Nolan Traore, Ziaire Williams and Danny Wolf were all out.
Anthony Kay bent but didn’t break, grinding through 5 2/3 scoreless to lead the Sox past Kansas City. | (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Pitching ruled the night, and the bats did just enough to drag the White Sox across the finish line, 2-0. Raise a glass: the South Siders finally snap that 14-game Kansas City curse.
This evening’s contest was influenced a little by the ABS, with a few calls overturned on both sides. It added a bit of rhythm disruption to an otherwise crisp, low-scoring, slow-moving game. A key moment was Edgar Quero winning a challenge strike three call in the bottom of the first after a very lengthy at-bat from Vinnie Pasquantino.
Chicago finally broke the stalemate in the fourth after a quiet start by both sides. Munetaka Murakami coaxed one of two walks on the night and then hustled home on a 106.6 mph rocket RBI double from Colson Montgomery, putting the Sox ahead 1-0.
The Good Guys tacked on another tally in the seventh, capitalizing on a little chaos. Who doesn’t love a little on-field turmoil? Two free passes, a throwing error by Vinnie Pasquantino, and a sacrifice fly from Luisangel Acuña made it 2-0. It felt delightful to take advantage of the other team’s mistakes for once.
On the mound, the South Side staff was good enough, but did have to work around quite a bit of traffic. Veteran Anthony Kay set the tone with a strong start, getting key swings and misses for 5 2/3 scoreless frames. The bullpen didn’t light itself on fire and kept the Royals off the board. Grant Taylor tossed 1 1/3, and Jordan Leasure managed a drama-free inning with just one walk in the eighth. Seranthony Domínguez came out and slammed the door in the ninth.
KC had more than a few chances with baserunners everywhere. Bobby Witt Jr. provided most of the spark and did his best to play spoiler with a double, steal, and single, but thankfully for the White Sox, the Royals just weren’t able to cash it in. With the victory, Chicago snaps their three-game losing streak and improves their record to 5-8. The club will be back at it tomorrow at 6:40 p.m. CST with Davis Martin on the bump.
Detroit Red Wings team captain Dylan Larkin, who is battling through injury, came through for his team in a major way on Thursday evening.
Larkin netted the third hat trick of his NHL career, helping the Red Wings earn two badly-needed points in the standings with a 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at Little Caesars Arena.
In doing so, Larkin has now established a new career-high in goals with 34, besting his previous top output of 33 goals in 2023-24.
With the win, the Red Wings remain mathematically alive in the tightly packed race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with just three regular-season games remaining; they're still three points behind the Ottawa Senators, who defeated the Florida Panthers, for the second and final Wild Card spot.
The Red Wings opened the scoring early in the first period on the power-play thanks to the 40th tally of the season from Alex DeBrincat; he became the first Red Wings player since Marian Hossa in 2008-09 to register 40 goals.
However, the Flyers tied it later in the frame after Christian Dvorak deflected a shot from former Michigan State Spartans forward Porter Martone.
Detroit's offense caught fire in the second period, fueled by goals from defenseman Moritz Seider and the first of Larkin's eventual three.
Just 18 seconds after Seider's goal, Larkin beat Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar blocker-side from in tight on the power play, then later slipped the puck five-hole on a partial breakaway just moments after exiting the penalty box.
Larkin completed the hat trick on a two-on-one rush, taking a pass from Seider and beating goaltender Samuel Ersson (who had replaced Vladar) with a top-corner snipe. It took several minutes for the ice crew to clear the hats that rained down from the fired-up crowd.
Detroit also got a third-period goal from Patrick Kane, who converted off a beautiful cross-ice feed from Simon Edvinsson.
Former Red Wings forward Luke Glendening scored his second goal of the season late in regulation, making the score look slightly better for Philadelphia.
Both teams utilized both of their goaltenders. John Gibson was shaken up in the second period after Owen Tippett collided with him; he departed after making 13 saves. In relief, Cam Talbot stopped 11 of 12 shots.
Meanwhile, Vladar was pulled after allowing four goals on eight shots; Ersson stopped 12 of 14 shots.
Up next for the Red Wings is the New Jersey Devils on Saturday evening at home in another must-win contest.
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Apr 9, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals designated hitter Jac Caglianone (14) reacts after striking out in the fourth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images
You can’t win if you don’t score.
For the second time this season, the Royals failed to score a run in a game. A 2-0 loss to the White Sox drops Kansas City to 5-8.
It’s the Royals’ third straight loss, and in that time, the offense has averaged a single run per game.
Tonight, the Royals faced lefty Anthony Kay, who came it having not yet reached five innings in an outing sporting a FIP near seven while not winning a Major League game since 2021.
He looked dominant tonight. Against left-handed batters, he retired all seven he faced with six strikeouts. He pitched 5-and-2/3 innings, allowing only three hits and two walks. His offense didn’t give him much against Seth Lugo, but tonight, Kay didn’t need much help.
Lugo continued his strong season with 6-and-1/3 innings while allowing two runs (only one earned) while striking out four. He allowed four hits and walked four.
He also benefited from some stellar defense from Maikel Garcia:
The White Sox scored their first run in the top of the fourth when Colson Montgomery doubled home Munetaka Murakami. Lane Thomas took a very curious route to the ball, not only failing to catch it but also allowing it to get by him and reach the wall.
Colson Montgomery sends one to the gap as Munetaka Murakami races home from first to give the @WhiteSox the lead! 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/NWEaIwS4Ss
The scored remained 1-0 until the seventh when Luisangel Acuna hit a sacrifice fly to right off John Schreiber, allowing Andrew Benintendi to come home.
Royals batters only managed five hits for the night, the best of them a 113-MPH line drive off the left field wall by Bobby Witt Jr. for a double. Another foot or so higher and it would’ve been a home run. Aside from that, the Royals managed four other hits—another by Bob, two by Garcia, and one by Thomas. They also managed four walks, including one to start the ninth.
In the end, the Royals stranded 11 baserunners while going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Mother Nature pending, they’ll get another crack at the White Sox tomorrow night as they look to snap their three-game skid and even up the series.
