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Washington Nationals offense finally gets rewarded with a comeback win

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 06: Nasim Nuñez #26 of the Washington Nationals drives in a run with a single in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Nationals Park on April 06, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images

How about this Washington Nationals offense folks! Despite some bullpen shenanigans, the Nats snapped their five game losing streak with a comeback win against the Cardinals. The Nats started the game well and ended it well. In the end, that was enough to give them a 9-6 win. James Wood also looks to be getting on track, which is great to see.

Before we talk about the offensive fireworks, I wanted to give a shoutout to Zack Littell. The veteran right hander showed what he can provide to this Nats rotation in his five innings of work. His command was mostly excellent and his splitter was dancing. Littell signed late in the offseason, so he is still not totally built up. However, once he is off his leash, he should be able to give the Nats length as well as quality.

The offense was the star of the show today though. All the worries we had about the unit in Spring Training are gone. This offense looks like it is a force to be reckoned with, especially with James Wood seeming to turn a corner. There is a ton of young talent and guys who are being unlocked by this new hitting staff.

It has also been different guys contributing up and down the lineup. Tonight, the star was James Wood, who seems to be coming out of his hibernation. Wood hammered a 114 MPH homer in the 8th inning to tie the game. His ability to hit homers at lower trajectories is truly a sight to behold.

Wood’s homer was part of a massive six run 8th inning explosion that propelled the Nats to victory. It was started by bottom of the order hitters, like Drew Millas and Jorbit Vivas, who both got key singles to start the rally. They got it done off of Ryne Stanek, who the Nats have always seemed to see well over the years.

After Wood’s homer to tie the game, the boys were not done. Curtis Mead ripped a double down the line to keep the pressure on. Then Brady House stepped to the plate and delivered, with a monster two run blast. Ever since the start of Spring Training, House has looked like a different hitter compared to the guy we saw last season. The 22 year old is a young player who is truly figuring it out in the big leagues.

CJ Abrams delivered yet another homer in the inning to give the Nats insurance. However, with this bullpen that had already blown it a couple times, things were not comfortable. The situation became particularly uncomfortable when Blake Butera threw Cionel Perez into the fire the night after he gave up four runs without giving up an out.

That was a move that could have been disastrous if it backfired. Butera would have had a lot of arrows heading his way. To his credit, Perez delivered and put up a zero in the 9th to make it a 9-6 Nats win. The Nats pitching staff is clearly a problem, but they slugged too much for it to bite them today.

One other play that helped keep a run off the board also made the 9th slightly less stressful. In the 4th inning, James Wood made the best defensive play of his career, robbing Nolan Gorman of a homer. He had to run a long way to get to the ball and then he timed his jump perfectly to keep the ball from going in the Nats bullpen.

After Jo Adell had his crazy game, I guess James Wood wanted to get into the mix. It is great to get back into the win column. The Nats pitching staff needs to be addressed badly, but hey we can talk about that tomorrow. How about James Wood and how about your Washington Nationals.

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Jalen Brunson’s late-game brilliance delivers win over Hawks as Knicks survive near buzzer-beater

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) dunks the ball against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at State Farm Arena. , Image 2 shows Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on April 6, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. , Image 3 shows Karl-Anthony Towns dribbles the ball during the game between the New York Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks

ATLANTA — Captain Clutch was back.

After two consecutive dud performances from Jalen Brunson — and after he struggled for most of Monday’s game against the Hawks — the point guard emerged as he often does: when it matters most.

Brunson scored 17 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter of a 108-105 victory over the Hawks, including the biggest buckets of the evening — a go-ahead pull-up jumper with 30 seconds remaining, and then the final free throws with 1.2 seconds left.

“It wasn’t necessarily going his way the whole night. But he stayed with it and did what great players are supposed to do and carried us home down the stretch,” coach Mike Brown said.

Still, the victory was in doubt after the final buzzer, as the referees reviewed a banked-in half-court heave from Atlanta’s CJ McCollum — which would’ve sent the game into OT. But the attempt was determined invalid because it occurred after the buzzer, and the Knicks left here with their biggest win in more than a month.

It was also a lesson learned for Brown, who advised Brunson to hit his final free throw with 1.2 seconds left rather than miss on purpose and burn the clock. That almost came back to burn the Knicks. Almost.

Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on April 6, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NBAE via Getty Images

“It’s tricky. If he misses it, obviously it’s a long heave. But if you foul him on the rebound or you foul him when he’s turning to heave it now they get three free throws,” Brown said. “It’s something we’ve talked about before — it’s still a toss-up situation. … The whole thing was at worst they’ll tie it and we’ll go to overtime. Lesson learned on a couple possessions down the stretch.”

Other than the pre-buzzer dramatics, the game served as a reminder of Brunson’s greatest strength come playoff time — the ability to create for himself in the most pressurized situations off the dribble — and that the Knicks, despite their flaws, have an equalizer for sticky situations.

Until that fourth quarter, Brunson was misfiring. He shot just 11-for-26 for the evening — albeit often in a facilitator role with 13 assists — hounded by Atlanta double-teams and All-Defensive selection Dyson Daniels.

But the Knicks deployed a two-man game with Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns in clutch time, allowing the point guard to shake off the double teams. And it unlocked a powerful offense down the stretch.

“I thought we did a great job today of utilizing [the two-man game with myself and Brunson],” said Towns, who finished with 21 points, 12 boards and six assists. “When the game got dicey, the coaching staff and our teammates leaned on us to have that two-man game show up when we needed it the most. And it worked. We have a good rapport where I think that, what you saw at the end of the game with me and JB allows him not to have so much pressure on him and allows me to help him out and do what I do best, cause gravity which allows him to get a step on a defender and that’s all he needs to score.”

This result mattered to the Knicks. That was obvious. After five straight losses against teams with winning records — and with the playoffs around the corner — Brown used his likely playoff rotation with heavy minutes for his two top performers — Brunson (39 minutes) and OG Anunoby (37).

With Charles Oakley watching from the third row, the Knicks were stuck in the mud until about midway through the third quarter, when they used a 20-8 run to recover from a double-digit deficit.

New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) dunks the ball against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at State Farm Arena. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Then it became Brunson time.

“The ball found a way to go in the hoop for me,” he said.

Both teams were motivated. It carried the look and feel of an important NBA game in April, a rarity. There were playoff implications.

The scorching-hot Hawks (45-34), winners of 18 of their last 20 games before Monday, are trying to clinch a playoff spot for the first time in three years. They’re trying to secure the fifth seed.

The Knicks (51-28) clinched a postseason berth but are still in the mix for seeds Nos. 2-4. The victory Monday meant greater emphasis on Thursday’s game at the Garden against the Celtics, with the No. 2 seed still very much in play.

Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on April 6, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NBAE via Getty Images

Beyond the seeding implications, the Knicks need to build momentum heading into a postseason with the highest expectations since at least Jeff Van Gundy roamed the sideline.

As owner James Dolan made clear in January, it’s Finals or bust.

“We put the antennas up for the rest of the league as well,” Towns said. “They know what we can do.”

But even though everybody knows what New York’s closer can do, it’s hard to stop Brunson down the stretch. The Hawks became the latest victim — but also the first victim in a while for the point guard.

“It’s huge to know a guy like Jalen can shoot and score the way he does,” Brown said. “On top of that, he’s crafty.”

Crafty and clutch.

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Dallas Stars ban fan after viral video of Nazi salute

The Dallas Stars banned a fan from the American Airlines Center, according to the Dallas Morning News. The ban comes one week after a video went viral on social media which showed a group of fans performing what looked to be a Nazi salute during a home game in December.

Per the Dallas Morning News, the Stars were only able to identify the one fan who had purchased the ticket out of the four seen in the video. He was not identified publicly, but a team spokesman told the Dallas Morning News that the individual had received an indefinite ban from all American Airlines Center events.

The Stars will also reportedly increase in-arena messaging about the fan code of conduct and how fans can report violations, and provide additional training to arena staff to recognize and handle these situations as they come up.

“Any type of discriminatory or hateful behavior will not be tolerated and has no place in our arena," the team spokesman told the Dallas Morning News. "Creating and sustaining environments that are inclusive, safe and respectful is a non-negotiable for the Dallas Stars.”

The video — which first blew up on Reddit before being reshared to other platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Twitter — shows the group of white male fans sitting in the upper deck and timing the gesture to the rhythm of "Puck Off" by Pantera, the Stars' goal song. The user who first posted the 18-second clip wrote that the group allegedly repeated the salute every time Dallas scored and that they sent the video to arena management, but no immediate action was taken as the team was unable to identify the group.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dallas Stars fan banned from arena after Nazi salute

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Spurs' Wembanyama leaves game against 76ers in first half with bruised left rib

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama suffered a bruised left rib and was ruled out of the second half of the San Antonio Spurs' game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.

Wembanyama took an inadvertent elbow to the ribs from Paul George when the Philadelphia forward was attempting to deflect a pass as the 7-foot-4 center was sprinting up court on a fastbreak with 10:49 remaining in the first half. Wembanyama remained on the court for a minute while George patted him on the backside apologetically.

Wembanyama subbed out of the game 13 seconds later and immediately went into the tunnel leading to the locker room while keeping his arm pressed to his side.

Wembanyama returned with 5:33 remaining in the period, and asked San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson to take him out with 44 seconds remaining in the first half. He again went into the tunnel leading to the locker room while holding his arm to his side and was ruled out at the start the second half.

Wembanyama had 17 points, five rebounds and three blocks while playing 15:40 in the first half.

Wembanyama has made it clear that he wants to win the league's MVP award this season. The NBA allows a maximum of two games in which a player logs between 15 and 19.59 minutes to count toward the league-required minimum of 65 games played for award eligibility.

Wembanyama has played 63 games this season, including the NBA Cup Final.

San Antonio (59-19) is closing its regular season with a four-game homestand, starting with Philadelphia.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

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Streaking Reds pull out another close win, this time against the Marlins

MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 06: Brandon Williamson #55 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches against the Miami Marlins in the first inning at loanDepot park on April 06, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Cincinnati Reds swept the Texas Rangers in their first road series of the 2026 regular season, and their road exploits didn’t stop on Monday in their 2-0 series opening win against the Miami Marlins. Lefty Brandon Williamson, making just his second start since late 2024, bounced back from a rough first outing of the season and was simply brilliant, and the Reds offense did just enough to bring home another win.

Williamson kept the Marlins completely off the board in 6.2 IP, his mix of a cutter and slider keeping Miami hitters completely off-balance throughout. He was efficient, needing just 93 pitches, and yielded just 3 hits and a lone walk against 4 strikeouts as he picked up the win. Brock Burke, Tony Santillan, and closer Emilio Pagan similarly were efficient in their ability to shut down the Marlins for the win, as the team needed just 127 pitches in total to win their fourth straight game.

Right now, the Cincinnati Reds are undefeated as the road team this year. Undefeated!

Williamson, tonight’s Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game, only truly faced one bout of trouble, that coming after Miami catcher Agustin Ramirez tripled off the top of the wall in RF – a triple that was a foot away from being a game-tying homer. Cincinnati’s lefty pitched out of that jam in short order, however, and that’s as close as the Marlins got.

The Reds took all the lead they’d need in the Top of the 4th when Elly De La Cruz smashed a hustle double into the RF gap and scored a batter later when Sal Stewart smashed an RBI-single up the middle. They got an insurance run in the Top of the 8th, though, when catcher Tyler Stephenson smashed his second homer of the young season over the LF when Miami starter Janson Junk hung a breaking ball in the heart of the zone.

Reds 2, Marlins 0 – and Cincinnati moves to a 7-3 record on the season.

Other Notes

  • TJ Friedl shrugged off his rough start to the season by smashing a single up the middle to lead off the game. He later added a bunt single to go 2 for 4 on the evening (and he didn’t strike out once after having fanned 11 times already entering the game).
  • Stewart stole his second bag of the game, doing so in front of tons of friends and family in his hometown. He also got thrown out on at TOOTBLAN at 3B a few pitches later, but we’ll let that one slide.
  • Will Benson got the start in RF again in lieu of Noelvi Marte and had another laser of a hit.
  • Dane Myers, in his first game against his former club, came on as a defensive replacement late (at the expense of Spencer Steer). He walked in his lone PA.
  • The Reds and Marlins will recommence their series on Tuesday at 6:40 PM ET, and they’ll do so with Andrew Abbott and Sandy Alcantara sharing the mound.
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Dodgers high-octane road trip continues with rout in Toronto

TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 6: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates his two run home run with Shohei Ohtani #17 against the Toronto Blue Jays during the third inning in their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on April 6, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The opening salvo of the three-game rematch of last year’s World Series was a one-sided affair, in which the Dodgers drubbed the Toronto Blue Jays 14-2 on Monday night at Rogers Centre.

After scoring only seven runs in three games in a languid series against the Cleveland Guardians at home, the Dodgers offense has come alive on the road, topping that figure in each of the first four games of the road trip.

Home runs provided the highlights of the series opener, including a career day by catcher Dalton Rushing.

Rushing got a second straight start behind the plate on Monday — manager Dave Roberts told reporters in Toronto it was partly so Will Smith would catch Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Ohtani in the final two games of the series — and had four hits, his first major league game with more than two hits. He homered in the seventh and eighth innings as the Dodgers just kept scoring.

Coupled with his home run in Sunday’s comeback win in Washington D.C., Rushing has hits in each of his last five at-bats, with three home runs, and he’s reached base six plate appearances in a row.

Teoscar Hernández started off the scoring with a two-run shot in the first inning, part of a four-RBI night for the left fielder. Hernández, who played for the Blue Jays from 2017-22, has 53 career home runs in 252 career games at Rogers Center, his most at any MLB park, though he entered Monday with a 117 wRC+ in this ballpark, right in line with his overall 118 wRC+ line to that point.

Freddie Freeman added a two-run shot in the third inning and later doubled home another run, giving him six extra-base hits in his last five games. Freeman, whose parents were both from Canada and who represented the country in two World Baseball Classics, has seven home runs in 19 career games in Toronto.

Shohei Ohtani reached base two more times Monday, including a solo home run in the sixth inning, his third home run on the road trip after hitting none on the opening homestand. Ohtani has now reached base in 41 consecutive games, the tied with Eric Karros for the ninth-longest longest streak in Dodgers franchise history.

Justin Wrobleski’s first turn this season in the rotation hit a speed bump in a two-walk, two-single first inning that brought home run and needed 29 pitches to complete. But after that, the left-hander settled down and was much more efficient.

Wrobleski needed only 49 pitches to get through the next four frames, during which he allowed only two walks and no more hits. On the night he allowed only four hard-hit balls, two of which came in the first inning.

Notes

  • Four straight game scoring at least eight runs is one shy of the Dodgers franchise record. The team has had seven five-game streaks, the last coming from September 15-19, 2024. The last game of that last streak was quite memorable in Miami.
  • Dodgers have scored in 22 of 36 innings on this road trip, including multiple runs in 12 different innings.
  • Max Scherzer left after only two innings and 36 pitches with forearm tendinitis, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. Toronto’s rotation was already literally hurting, with starters Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, José Berrios, and Cody Ponce all on the injured list.

Monday particulars

Home runs: Teoscar Hernández (2), Freddie Freeman (3), Shohei Ohtani (3), Dalton Rushing 2 (3)

WP — Justin Wrobleski (1-0): 5 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 4 walks, 2 strikeouts

LP — Max Scherzer (1-1): 2 IP, 2 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts

Up next

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has won all three of his career games at Rogers Centre, and will go for a fourth win in Toronto on Tuesday night (4:07 p.m.; SportsNet LA, TBS), in a fantastic pitching matchup against Kevin Gausman for the Blue Jays.

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Giants, Matt Chapman air frustrations over poor start, base running gaffe

SAN FRANCISCO — Nobody on the National League’s worst team has had a worse week than Matt Chapman. To his credit, the veteran third baseman and leader in the Giants clubhouse stood at his locker and answered every question in a lengthy session Monday afternoon.

The latest incident in a stretch to forget came in the ninth inning of Sunday’s 5-2 loss to the Mets, when the typically savvy base runner made an inexcusable mistake and ran into the first out.

Chapman took responsibility with reporters and in a private conversation with manager Tony Vitello. There was no missed or misinterpreted sign. No stat-padding or situational ignorance.

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor tags out San Francisco Giants’ Matt Chapman. AP

He just made a bad read.

“If I could do it over again, I would not elect to steal that base,” Chapman said. “I was paying attention. I just kind of made a bad decision there. If he was long to the plate and I steal second base, then maybe we’re not talking about it, but I did and I got thrown out and it looks really ugly, on top of how things went yesterday and kind of transpired toward the end of the game.”

Trailing 5-2 against Mets closer Devin Williams, Chapman represented a meaningless run but could have been the start of a rally. Instead, it was snuffed out as quickly as it began.

San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello walking to the mound during a game. Getty Images

After reaching first to lead off the ninth, Chapman saw Williams was taking his time getting the ball to the plate. The Giants had already grounded into one double play, and Chapman saw an opportunity to potentially avoid another. Only it turned into another kind of rally killer.

“I just picked a really bad time to do it,” Chapman said. “Because he was really slow to the plate, and then when I stole, he sped up a bit and that looks really bad when you get thrown out making an out at second base, killing our rally. … I know that’s completely my fault.”

The display of personal accountability was especially important for Chapman, given his finger-pointing back-and-forth with Casey Schmitt that was captured on camera in San Diego.

San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello holding a lineup card. D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Even if only in terms of optics, it was a tad awkward that, in the aftermath of chiding his teammate for not catching a throw, the Gold Glove third baseman has made an uncharacteristic three errors in the five games since. Add on top his base running mistake, and it was hardly a banner week for one of the most respected players in the clubhouse.

“Yeah, it doesn’t look great when things like that happen and things get sloppy,” Chapman said. “But it’s not something that this team is thinking about or I’m thinking about. It’s just something that happened and we’ve moved on.”

It’s been a frustrating start to the season for just about all involved.

San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello argues with umpire Dave Rackley during a game against the New York Mets. D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

According to Vitello, Chapman’s frustrations boiling over on the mound in San Diego was only one of three similar incidents that have taken place.

The other two occurred behind closed doors and were only revealed by the manager, who put a positive spin on it, confirming that each happened before their three wins.

“I think our best games have come when our guys have let loose a little bit – and coaches too – said what they think, do what they think is the right thing in the moment and go out there and just play,” he said. “As opposed to being a little too careful. I’d rather those moments come up than not.”

Vitello didn’t divulge too many other details besides describing the interactions as “minor” compared to the one between Chapman and Schmitt and that “cuss words (were) involved.” He confirmed that different team members spoke up each time.

“Our guys did a good job of turning it into a real positive in a couple different ways,” Vitello said. “The three times that I can remember that that’s occurred, it’s kind of brought our team closer together or it’s gotten our team to play more free.”

San Francisco’s 3-7 start has been the worst in the NL, and worse yet, has included a 1-6 record in front of its home fans — outscored 24-5 over their final three losses to the Mets.

Chapman is responsible for three of the Giants’ eight errors, tied for the fifth-most in the majors. They’ve been held to three or fewer runs in eight of their 10 games, averaging a league-worst 2.6 per game. And his gaffe on the bases even drew the ire of Mets broadcaster Gary Cohen, who said the play “cap[ped] off a horrible, no good, awful week for Matt Chapman.”

“It just hasn’t clicked yet,” Chapman said. “It sucks when it looks like it’s sloppy baseball and we’re making some sloppy mistakes that kind of shot us in the foot a little bit last year and was one of the reasons why we weren’t able to finish as strong.

“But I don’t think it’s going to be something that’s the story of our season, by any means.”

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Victor Wembanyama injury update: Spurs' MVP candidate leaves Monday's game

Another potentially massive injury is now looming over the NBA Playoffs — this one to San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama.

The 22 year old Most Valuable Player candidate left San Antonio’s game Monday, April 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers with a left rib contusion. Suddenly, his candidacy for individual awards is in jeopardy.

Wembanyama appeared to suffer the injury after drawing contact multiple times in the first half. Late in the second quarter, with 2:56 left to play in the half, Wembanyama made a layup and bumped into Spurs forward Keldon Johnson as he landed. Wembanyama immediately grimaced and labored through the free throw. Earlier in the game, he also collided with Sixers forward Paul George.

Wembanyama was not out on the floor at the start of the second half, and backup center Luke Kornet started in his place. The Spurs announced shortly afterward that he would miss the remainder of the game with the rib injury.

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“I think it would be a positive that he felt he could play the last four-to-five minutes of the half,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson told reporters after the game. “That’s a positive from my perspective, but I have nothing (on his future status).”

In 15:40 minutes of action Monday night, Wembanyama scored 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, adding 5 rebounds, 3 blocks and 1 assist.

“At halftime, I was told he wasn’t coming back, and honest to God, I haven’t heard anything else at this point,” Johnson added.

Because the NBA Cup Championship counts toward the 65-game rule for individual award eligibility, and because the league grants two exceptions for games in which a player recorded between 15 and 20 minutes, counting those as full games, Wembanyama’s time on the floor Monday night will count as his 64th game this season.

That means he will need to play in at least one of San Antonio’s remaining three games, and he’ll need to record at least 20 minutes on the floor to be eligible for individual awards.

Wembanyama’s first partial game exception came in a 119-94 victory over the Washington Wizards December 18, in which he played 17:18.

Wembanyama entered the night as the heavy favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year and was also a candidate for MVP. He was averaging 24.9 points, 11. 6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.1 blocks per game this season, while shooting 50.9% from the field, entering Monday night's game.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama leaves 76ers vs Spurs with injured rib

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Brewers 8, Red Sox 6: The rollercoaster always ends at the bottom

Apr 6, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich (22) slides past Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Garret Whitlock (22) during the eighth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Sheesh, that was a game. The Sox stormed out to a 3-0 lead: one run in the second two in the third, all manufactured. Then Brayan Bello’s wildness caught up with him, and he exited with a bases-loaded situation and the Sox up 3-1. Danny Coloumbe came on and then it was 4-3, Brewers. In the bottom of the fourth the Sox struck back, making it 5-4. The Brewers summarily tied it. At some point there was a pointed argument on the field. Most importantly, the Brewers took a 7-5 lead in the eighth inning against new dad Garrett Whitlock, and that was that. The only way to go is up, right?

Three Studs

Roman Anthony

Started the game with a double, followed it up with another hit, ho hum. He’s easily their best hitter.

Willson Contreras

No Jarren Duran means some lineup shuffling, and Big Willie managed two hits while being plunked by Brandon Woodruff for the sixth time in his career owing likely to some vestigial NL Central beef. Then he hit a ninth-inning solo shot. Fun!

Jovani Morán

Went three innings in relief, allowing one run and striking out four. That’ll doo.

Three Duds

Brayan Bello

He managed to avoid disaster in the first three innings but it was illusory. The Sox were down 4-3 in the inning he left, which was the fourth — notably not the, like, seventh. Not great.

Garrett Whitlock

Literally buying a sandwich is difficult on new dad sleep, so I don’t really blame him, but oof.

The bottom of the lineup that isn’t Caleb Durbin

Hitless! Is that good?

Play of the Game

Garrett Mitchell’s two-run single in the eighth, some Garrett on Garrett violence:

View Link

Boo. Except that in the great COVID baseball card craze, I got a delicious Garrett Mitchell First Bowman Sparkle Refractor:

So who’s to say what’s good or bad? I mean maybe this builds character for us and equity for me. A guy can dream, even if the Sox stink!

BOX

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McCollum’s miracle shot .1 seconds too late as Hawks fall to Knicks

Apr 6, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) dribbles against Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

On Monday night, the Atlanta Hawks hit the floor at home for a game against the New York Knicks. Atlanta came into this one winners of four in a row, while New York was looking to push its own streak to three straight victories.

This contest was a back and forth affair throughout, with the Knicks ultimately winning by a score of 108-105 after a CJ McCollum potential game-tying miracle shot was ruled to have come after the buzzer.

The Hawks got off to a lethargic start to this one, at one point relinquishing an 11-point run in the first quarter to fall behind early. The Knicks started off hot from the field, but their scoring numbers weren’t too dramatic, namely thanks to 11 turnovers in the first half.

For the Hawks, Nickeil Alexander-Walker got the scoring party started, despite the Knicks making a clear effort to deny him the basketball, a strategy that head coach Mike Brown confirmed during his on-court interview.

Meanwhile, Hawks wing Dyson Daniels hit a three-pointer for the third straight game, taking advantage of New York daring him to shoot.

Atlanta ended up finding itself trailing by just one point despite a relatively clunker first quarter effort.

Things wouldn’t get better at the beginning of the second frame, as the Knicks made a surge to go up 43-36, their largest lead of the first half.

During this stretch, Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson dominated Atlanta, as has been the case in previous matchups between the Hawks and Knicks, playing elite defense and crashing the offensive glass on the other end of the floor.

Notably, the first half also saw the Hawks debut of big man Tony Bradley, who the team signed earlier this week to fill the void left by Jock Landale’s ankle injury. Bradley struggled in his first stint in Atlanta, throwing a bad pass that resulted in a turnover and also missing badly on an ill-advised midrange jumper. He didn’t make an appearance in the second half.

However, once Robinson went out of the game, the Hawks quickly responded with a 12-0 run of their own to take a five-point lead, and Alexander-Walker continued to torch an increasingly frustrated Knicks defense with a barrage of tough jumpers and Kyrie Irving-esque finishes around the basket.

The Hawks ended up taking a 57-53 lead into the locker room, holding the visitors to just 21 points in the second quarter thanks to some improved defensive communication, as well as the Knicks cooling off after a hot start from the perimeter.

OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges led the way for the Knicks with 13 points apiece in the first half, while Alexander-Walker led the scoring for Atlanta with 20, and Jalen Johnson added nine points to go along with five rebounds.

The Hawks would continue their momentum into the third quarter, eventually going ahead by as many as ten points.

They reached that lead courtesy of a monster slam from Johnson over multiple Knicks defenders.

New York began to chip into the lead later on in the period, thanks in large part to the play of Karl-Anthony Towns, who began by bullying the smaller Hawks around the basket, before stretching out the range to near half-court to knock down a deep three-pointer.

Mitchell Robinson continued his dominance when he reentered the game, altering and blocking many Hawks shots around the rim, and getting more clean-up opportunities on the offensive end for New York. Jalen Brunson’s three-pointer late in the period gave the Knicks a sudden four-point lead, although Atlanta would get the deficit back to two heading into the fourth and final frame.

Both teams went ice cold to open up the fourth quarter, with the Hawks crashing the offensive glass relentlessly to help offset some of Robinson’s heroics. Atlanta took a three-point lead at the 8:30 mark thanks to a three-pointer from Johnson.

Atlanta ended up taking a five-point advantage when Alexander-Walker knocked down yet another contested three around the midway point of the fourth quarter.

However, the Knicks would come back to tie things at 90 with under six minutes remaining thanks to another putback from Robinson under the basket.

After a couple more minutes of back and forth play, Alexander-Walker buried yet another triple from the wing to give Atlanta a five-point lead following a steal by Johnson.

After a Jalen Brunson and-one, Alexander-Walker stayed scorching hot with a fadeaway triple from the corner.

However, Brunson wasn’t finished, burying a triple after NAW fell down on a borderline illegal screen, and then taking advantage of a CJ McCollum turnover to score in transition and give the Knicks a two-point lead with two minutes remaining.

With the game tied under a minute to go, Brunson knocked down another clutch jumper over McCollum. Atlanta couldn’t answer on the other end, with Johnson missing a contested floater leaning to his left.

OG Anunoby and Brunson knocked down four free throws in the closing seconds, but the Hawks still had a chance, with McCollum launching a shot from three-quarters court. Miraculously, the shot banked in, but the officials ruled that it had come a tenth of a second after the buzzer, and Atlanta’s winning streak came to an end.

This was an ugly offensive game overall for the Hawks, who shot just 40 percent from the field. NAW led all scorers with 36 points on an efficient 12-19 from the field, while Brunson finished the game with 30 of his own, including 17 in the fourth quarter. Any concerns about the Hawks’ ability to contend with bruising centers like Robinson in the playoffs were not exactly alleviated, and Atlanta’s crunch time offense also needs some tuning up over the next week.

The Hawks will look to shake this one off and get back in the win column on Wednesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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Jalen Brunson scores 17 points in fourth quarter to lead Knicks over Hawks, 108-105

The Knicks stormed back in the fourth quarter to beat the Atlanta Hawks, 108-105, on Monday night for their third straight win.

New York is now 51-28 with three games left in the regular season, giving them a chance to top their 51-31 record last season.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Despite committing five turnovers in the first quarter, New York got out to a strong start and shot 59 percent from the field. Mikal Bridges led the way with 11 points, including a last-second tip-in to put the Knicks up 32-31 at the end of the first quarter. OG Anunoby added in eight points, while Karl-Anthony Towns had five points, three rebounds, and five assists. Atlanta kept up thanks to 10 first-quarter points from Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

-- Miles McBride drilled his second three-pointer of the night early in the second quarter to keep New York going. Mitchell Robinson began to make his mark on the game by blocking a three-pointer, forcing a turnover on defense, grabbing an offensive rebound, and scoring on the second chance to extend the lead to 43-36 with about eight minutes left in the quarter.

Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, and Jalen Johnson then took over, leading the Hawks on a 12-0 run to go up 48-43 and force a Mike Brown timeout with five minutes remaining in the first half.

-- The Knicks defense stepped up with clock winding down and blocked two shots before the buzzer, but they still trailed at the break, 57-53. Alexander-Walker led all scorers with 20 points on 7-for-9 shooting (3-for-4 from three), while Bridges and Anunoby continued to pace the Knicks with 13 points each.

Jalen Brunson had an uncharacteristic first half with just six points on 2-for-8 shooting (0-for-3 from three). New York also committed 11 turnovers and were outrebounded, 24-19.

-- Brunson made back-to-back shots in the third quarter to cut the Atlanta lead down to two points, but Alexander-Walker and CJ McCollum countered with two straight three-pointers to make it a 69-61 game. Johnson pushed the Hawks' lead to double-digits before Towns caught fire and scored 10 straight points, including his second three of the game.

Robinson made another clutch steal, leading to a Bridges layup to cut the lead to one point. The big man then scored inside to give New York a lead and Brunson hit his first three-pointer to make it a 78-74 game thanks to a 14-1 run. Anunoby drilled a three-pointer as time expired to put the Knicks up 81-79 at the end of the third quarter. They outscored Atlanta 28-22 in the third thanks to Towns' 14 points in the quarter.

-- Atlanta opened the fourth quarter on a 7-2 run to reclaim the lead. But New York fought back and tied the game at 90-90 on Robinson's multiple offensive rebounds and eventual tip-in midway through the quarter. Alexander-Walker's night continued as the wing made a step-back jumper and two straight acrobatic three-pointers to give him 36 points and the Hawks a 100-95 lead with three minutes left in the game.

As he's done so many times before, Brunson flipped the switch and scored 10 points in 90 seconds to give the Knicks a 102-100 lead. McCollum tied the game on a floater, but it was Brunson who had the last word -- rattling in a foul-line jumper over McCollum to go up two with about 30 seconds left on the clock.

-- McCollum nearly sent the game to OT, making a shot from beyond half court that would've tied the game, but replay showed he didn't get it off in time. Luckily, Anunoby and Brunson made all four of their free throws down the stretch to have the Knicks up three points. Brunson scored 17 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, finishing 11-for-26 from the field with 13 assists. Anunoby had 22 points and two blocks, while Bridges finished with 15 after his big first half.

Game MVP: Karl-Anthony Towns

Towns' 14-point third quarter propelled the Knicks while they were down 10 points. The All-Star finished with 21 points on 9-for-12 shooting with 12 rebounds, six assists, two steals, and a block.

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks return home for their final three games of the regular season, starting with the current No. 2 seed Boston Celtics on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

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Bryce Harper ‘loves' Oracle Park, fuels Phillies' rally past Giants

Bryce Harper ‘loves' Oracle Park, fuels Phillies' rally past Giants originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

SAN FRANCISCO — The Phillies needed somebody to come through Monday night.

With the boos pouring down on him, Bryce Harper delivered. All night long.

For much of the offseason and through the first week of the season, Harper had taken his share of criticism — for a still-solid 2025 campaign, for his slump in the World Baseball Classic and for a slow start through his first two dozen at-bats.

The message from Harper and his teammates stayed the same: the hits would come. He homered in consecutive games to close the homestand and open the road trip. Then, in the Phillies’ opener of a three-game series against the Giants, Harper carried them to a 6-4 win at Oracle Park.

The Phillies’ first baseman, who entered the night hitting .139, delivered a three-hit, three-RBI performance. It was exactly what Philadelphia needed.

For much of the game, it felt like another night when the offense might go quiet. The Phillies were scoreless through the first four innings.

Their rookie, Andrew Painter, dazzled in his Major League debut. His second outing was not nearly as forgiving.

The 6-foot-7 right-hander allowed four runs over four innings and did not provide the length Rob Thomson would have preferred in the middle of a demanding six-game west coast stay. Still, it ended up being enough.

Painter’s outing, plus strong work from the bullpen, kept the Phillies close. And even Painter knew it. He said after the game that the offense and the relievers bailed him out after he failed to consistently work from ahead in counts.

“I’m super happy that they broke through and picked me up,” Painter said.

In the top of the fifth, down four, J.T. Realmuto and Justin Crawford lined a pair of hits. Both finished with two on the night. That turned the lineup over. Trea Turner drove in the Phillies’ first run on a groundout and brought Harper to the plate.

On the first pitch he saw, Harper scorched a low-and-in slider off the brick wall in right field to bring home another run. The ball, which nearly left the yard, slammed off the Levi’s Landing sign at 112.5 mph, his hardest-hit ball of the year.

For Harper, it was the environment that made him aggressive early in counts.

“When it’s windy and cold, right, it’s a little tough to play,” he said. “Throughout the whole night, it felt really good [swinging the bat].”

The Phillies and Harper kept pushing with the deficit in half.

In the seventh, they built a nearly identical rally. This time, Crawford and Turner opened the inning with singles. Harper took his slow walk to the box and, as his name was announced, was met by a fresh wave of boos from the San Francisco crowd.

Ryan Borucki tried to move him off the plate with a 95.1 mph sinker in on the hands. Then he went back inside.

This time, Harper got the barrel there. He ripped the ball through the right side of the infield, and two runs came around to score, tying the game. Harper pumped his fist, turned toward the dugout and roared.

At that point, the Giants no longer had control of the night. The momentum belonged to the Phillies.

Alec Bohm, who came into the game hitting just .176, followed Harper by shooting a base hit down the first-base line to put the Phillies ahead. It was the kind of inside-out swing that shows why Bohm can still work in the cleanup spot when the hitters in front of him are getting on base.

That’s his game. Put the ball in play. Use the whole field. It ended up being the game-winning knock.

Harper later scored on a sacrifice fly, capping an electric four-run seventh that ultimately changed the game.

The Phillies needed another offensive night where they could string hits together, the way they did in Friday’s 10-1 win in Colorado. Just as importantly, they needed to pick up Painter after he battled through four uneven innings.

Thomson believed the matchup at the top of the order gave them a real chance to do that, even when the Giants went to their best left-on-left option in Borucki.

“Typically those guys hit left-handed pitching,” Thomson said of Schwarber and Harper. “That’s why we sort of stacked those guys together. If they want to take their best shot and do it right there, then that’s okay.”

Harper and the Phillies have long had issues at Oracle Park. Harper came into the night a .215 hitter there, including postseason play. And the club has not won a series in San Francisco since 2013.

That history was part of the backdrop Monday, but Harper made it sound like one he was never particularly bothered by.

“I love playing here,” he said. “It’s one of my favorite parks to play in.”

“I just feel good [here], man,” Harper continued. “My body feels good. My mind feels good. Every time I get in the batter’s box, too. I always have good mornings here too, like going to eat, dinner places. It’s just a good city to come visit.”

The boos, of course, are part of the deal on the road.

“That’s everywhere I go,” Harper said. “I’m used to it.”

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Jordan Walker Homers, But Cardinals Bullpen Implodes, Nationals Win 9-6

DETROIT, MI - APRIL 03: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals looks on during the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Friday, April 3, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Carl Jones II/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Andre Pallante started the game wild, but was able to bring the game under control giving the St. Louis Cardinals a chance to win. It looked like they would win with clutch home runs from Ramón Urías and Jordan Walker, but the Cardinals bullpen blew it in the late innings as the Nationals came from behind for a 9-6 victory.

The Washington Nationals took advantage of a wild start from Andre Pallante banking 2 runs in the bottom of the first inning as Wood scored on a Lile groundout and Garcia Jr. scored on a single by Nuñez. However, Pallante was able to work his way out of the inning and didn’t allow another run through the remainder of his 5 innings.

One of the best plays in the game came in the top of the 4th inning when Nolan Gorman hammered a pitch to deep right, but the ball was pulled back into the park thanks to an amazing catch by James Wood.

The Cardinals would get on the board in the 5th inning after Thomas Saggese doubled and later scored on a fielder’s choice groundout by Alec Burleson. But, it was in the top of the 6th inning when the Cardinals would take a temporary lead on a two-run center field blast from Ramón Urías.

The Cardinals bullpen could not hold the lead as Justin Bruihl came into the game relieving Pallante in the bottom of the 6th. He’d get the first two outs, but then walked two leading to a double by Young which tied the score. JoJo Romero was brought in to put out the fire. He promptly walked Wood, but was able to get Mead to flyout to right to Walker.

The Cardinals went down quietly 1-2-3 in the top of the 7th, but JoJo Romero got into trouble in the bottom of the 7th giving up a leadoff double to House. He advanced to 3rd on a single by Lile. Abrams hit a fly ball to left field that looked like it would be a sacrifice fly, but Lile was thrown out by Thomas Saggese at home which was confirmed after review.

Jordan Walker continued his much improved start to the 2026 season with an opposite field home run traveling 366 feet to lead off the 8th inning giving the Cardinals a 4-3 lead.

After a Masyn Winn walk, Ramón Urías struck again. The Cardinals got aggressive again with a hit-and-run which put another run on the board when Winn was able to score from first base on a double by Urías.

Ramón advanced to third on an infield hit beat out by Saggese. He would then score on a sacrifice bunt by Victor Scott II. giving the Cardinals a “comfortable” 6-3 lead that turned out to not be comfortable at all. Stanek was brought into the game to get the last out in the bottom of the 7th. He gave up 2 hits in the bottom of the 8th inning which brought up Wood who tied the game with a laser shot over the 402 mark in center field tying the game 6-6. Matt Svanson was brought in to relieve Stanek and immediately gave up a double to Mead and then a 2-run bomb to Brady House giving Washington an 8-6 lead. Abrams followed that with his own line drive home run over the right field wall putting the Nationals up 9-6.

Jordan Walker would continue his hot hitting with an opposite field single to start the 9th, but the Cardinals were unable to rally resulting in the final score of 9-6.

Monday’s loss brings the Cardinals back to the .500 mark with a 5-5 record. They’ll try to get back to their winning ways Tuesday night as Matthew Liberatore will make his 3rd start of the season against Cade Cavalli who’s scheduled to start for the Nationals.

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Ex-Yankees, Mets coach Tom Nieto dead at 65 after heart attack

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Catcher Tom Nieto #23 of the St. Louis Cardinals looks on from the field during a Major League Baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium in 1984 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Image 2 shows Yankees'' coach Tom Nieto #50 during the New York Yankees Media Day in 2002

Tom Nieto, a World Series champion with the Twins and a former coach for the Yankees and Mets, died of a heart attack at the age of 65. 

Nieto died on March 27 while at his home in Florida, his sister wrote in a post on Facebook on Sunday and the Twins later confirmed the news in a social media announcement on Monday.

“On Friday, March 27th, my brother Tom passed on after a heart attack, leaving cherished memories in Florida with his family; his strength and resilience will continue to inspire us all,”

Yankees” coach Tom Nieto #50 during the New York Yankees Media Day in 2002. Getty Images

Nieto played seven years in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first being drafted by the Cardinals organization in the third round of the 1981 amateur draft and made his debut in 1984. 

He played the 1984 and 1985 season in St. Louis before joining for the Expos in 1986 followed by two seasons with the Twins. He finished his playing career with two seasons in Philadelphia. 

Nieto reached the World Series twice in his career, first in 1985 with the Cardinals, where they lost to the Royals in seven games, and then was part of the 1987 World Series-winning Twins. 

“The Twins organization mourns the loss of 1987 World Series champion, Tom Nieto. Our thoughts are with the Nieto family in their time of grieving,” the ballclub wrote on X. 

After his playing career came to an end, Nieto coached in the Twins, Yankees and Cardinals systems.

From 1995-2002, he coached in the Yankees organization, which included serving as the their major league catching coach from 2000-2001. 

Catcher Tom Nieto #23 of the St. Louis Cardinals looks on from the field during a Major League Baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium in 1984 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Getty Images

He spent three years with the Mets beginning in 2005 after Willie Randolph was hired as Mets manager. 

Nieto served as the Mets’ catching instructor before being moved to first base coach. 

Nieto was let go along with Willie Randolph during the 2008 season.

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Lakers vs. Thunder Preview: An unfair rematch

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 02: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket during the first half against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Paycom Center on April 2, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Cooper Neill/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Lakers (50-28) are back home where they will play three of their last four games of the season, starting with a rematch against the Oklahoma City Thunder (62-16) on Tuesday.

Realistically speaking, Los Angeles looks to make this one a, at the very least, respectable matchup against the best team in the league.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

When: 7:30 p.m. PT, Apr 7

Where: Crypto.com Arena

Watch: Spectrum Sportsnet

Like any team that just two of its two best players, the Lakers are currently in scramble mode, being left to figure out how to survive the tail end of the regular season. In their most recent frustrating loss to the Dallas Mavericks, the purple and gold gave a glimpse of how they’re handling their current situation and that involves requiring a handful of their role players to step up.

In doing so, Los Angeles’ successfully stayed afloat on offense. Luke Kennard had himself a triple-double, Rui Hachimura was efficient from all over the field while Jaxson Hayes and Deandre Ayton provided ample contributions across the board. All things considered, it was a commendable effort.

However, the team’s defense was putrid. And it’s likely that they’re not going to win any of their remaining games if that holds up.

While it’s fair to give the Lakers some grace in this tough time, what won’t is the NBA schedule that has them playing the OKC Thunder next. Yes, the same Thunder team that demolished them by 43 points only days ago.

What was supposed to be an opportunity for the Lakers to respond to their most embarrassing defeat of the season turned out to be the worst possible situation for them with two of their best players down while LeBron James is now listed as questionable.

But even if their big three were playing, the Lakers are considered heavy underdogs against the Thunder. That’s why it’s easy to say that this is pretty much a loss unless a miracle happens. The least the Lakers can do is attempt not to get blown out by 43 points or more again on their home floor.

For that to happen, they have to keep up with OKC from the get-go. The biggest reason why the Lakers lost against the Thunder was that they didn’t start strong. The Thunder are the type of opponent who will make you pay for your mistakes, and the fewer L.A. makes them in this rematch, the better.

Who knows? Maybe the Lakers pull off the impossible and defy all odds again like they’ve been doing all season. Let’s see if the purple and gold can pull off the most surprising victory of the season on Tuesday.

Notes and Updates

  • For the Lakers’ injury report, Luka Dončić (left hamstring strain), Austin Reaves (left oblique muscle strain) and Marcus Smart (right ankle contusion) are out.
  • LeBron James (left foot injury management) is questionable.
  • As for the Thunder, only Thomas Sorber (ACL surgery) and Jalen Williams (right hamstring) are out.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.