HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 24: Will Warren #29 of the New York Yankees pitches in the third inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on April 24, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I think I speak for everyone here when I hope the 2026 iteration of the Yankees does not prove to be as starkly bipolar as it has been throughout the season’s first month and a half. New York has dropped four consecutive games following a torrid stretch when they briefly had the best record in baseball—and that brief skid has allowed the Rays to not only catch up in the division, but go up by two games.
For what it’s worth, the last three Yankee defeats including last night’s 3-2 heartbreaker against the Orioles have all been one-run margins, but they have shone a spotlight on some weaknesses in this roster, one only exacerbated by a spate of recent injuries. Tonight they’ll look to avoid dropping their second straight series after winning their previous six.
Last season, the Bombers often needed to turn to Max Fried to stop a losing streak. They’re hoping they don’t have to wait an extra day for Fried’s turn in the rotation, sending Will Warren to the hill tonight. Warren has a tough act to follow: Ryan Weathers was outstanding against Baltimore, bringing a no-hitter into the seventh inning before one little hit (and later, a big one off Brent Headrick) spoiled the party. With Carlos Rodón back from the IL and Gerrit Cole continuing to ramp up for his long-awaited return, Weathers and Warren are both auditioning to stay part of the regular starting crew. Thankfully, both pitchers have impressed to start the year.
Warren’s last start was not his finest work, as the Rangers had little trouble stacking baserunners on him. He gave up seven hits, three walks, and a pair of homers in a 6-1 loss; though he still managed to squeeze in seven strikeouts amid all that hullabaloo. His previous three starts before that one were all high-quality—and hey, three good starts out of four while posting a strikeout rate over 30 percent is a body of work any team would take from their fourth or fifth starter.
Naturally, a strong outing from Warren won’t mean diddly squat if the Yankees can’t get out of their sudden funk at the plate.
I was actually in person for Trevor Rogers’ last start before he hit the IL with a nasty case of the flu. It wasn’t pretty—he got stuck in the mud in the second inning against a struggling Red Sox lineup and just couldn’t claw his way out. Once he reached over 30 pitches in the inning, Craig Albernaz sent him on his way. Boston won that game 17-1, and Alex Cora was fired later that evening. Baseball!
Rogers tore up the league last year for Baltimore, earning down-ballot Cy Young love as a result. His 2026 campaign has been uneven: his first three starts were 2025 Rogers-esque, but his next three were messy before he fell ill. Well, a recent illness didn’t stop Weathers from finding his footing on the slab—let’s see if Rogers can shake off the rust, too. (In case you’re curious, his last two starts of 2025 were both against the Yanks; one was great, the other was rough.)
In case you missed it, José Caballero officially went on the IL with a broken finger and Anthony Volpe was recalled. However, the latter won’t necessarily make his 2026 debut tonight—at least not in the starting lineup anyway. Max Schuemann gets the nod at the six after doubling in his last two starts. Paul Goldschmidt leads off against the lefty Rogers, and Amed Rosario subs in at second for the ever-slumping Jazz Chisholm Jr.
How to watch
Location: Oriole Park at Camden Yards — Baltimore, MD
First pitch: 6:35 pm ET
TV broadcast: YES, MASN
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), 98 Rock 97.9 FM, WBAL 1090 AM (BA. L) n
Heading into Tuesday's game against the Detroit Tigers, the Mets own the worst record in the MLB at 15-25 and find themselves 12.5 games back in the NL East standings.
New York was expected to be one of the top teams in the league, but have been far from it. They dealt with a 12-game losing streak in April while Juan Soto was out with a calf injury, and now Francisco Lindor, among others, are sidelined on the injured list as well.
With things are looking like it's now-or-never for the Mets to save their 2026 season, president of baseball operations David Stearns expressed optimismthat the team can still make a run and "get this together."
"I do believe that," Stearns said. "We have not shown that yet, but I do believe that."
He added: "I think we have the talent on the roster and the character on the roster to make a run. We've got a lot of season left. I'm not going to say it's early, it's not. We're a quarter into the season, it's not early anymore, but we do have enough season left to make a run and I think we have the talent to do that."
Stearns admitted that the group has "underachieved" from what they expected the season would look like, but still believes they can turn it around.
"I think we've underachieved, there's no question," Stearns said. "Collectively as an organization, we've got to figure out a way to get better and I think we will."
Some thought making a change at manager would be the short-term solution to save the season, taking after the Red Sox and Phillies, but Stearns backed Carlos Mendoza on May 1 and doubled down on those comments Tuesday. He made it very clear the organization has no plans to move on from Mendoza any time soon.
"I'll let my words speak for themselves, I've been very clear and consistent that I think Mendy does a really good job," Stearns said. "I believe Mendy does a really good job. I like coming to work with him every day. I'm not going to address this every two weeks when I talk to you guys and I'll leave it at that."
Looking ahead, the Mets will try to become just the fifth team in MLB history to suffer a 10-game losing streak and still make the postseason. When asked what gives him confidence in the talent of the players to flip the script on the 2026 season, Stearns said he believes in the experience and background the individuals on the roster have.
"I think we have a lot of players with really good track records in this league," Stearns. "We are counting on those track records. Not only on the field, but how they prepare for games. How they go about their business, how hard they're working right now. And we believe that ultimately that's going to show."
Talking to the fans, Stearns acknowledged their frustration with how the year has gone, but again, pointed to the "talent on this team" to be able to right the ship.
"I think our message to fanbase is we recognize that the first six weeks of this season haven't been close to good enough," Stearns said. "We understand that, we're disappointed in it. We also believe we have the talent on this team to turn this around and our focus is doing everything we can every single day to get it there."
The Mets' talent will get their chance to turn things around one last time this week with six straight home games, three against the Tigers and another three in the first Subway Series of the year against the Yankees over the weekend.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - APRIL 1: Trevor Rogers #28 of the Baltimore Orioles throws a pitch in the sixth inning during a game against the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 1, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the first time since April 25, Trevor Rogers is back on the bump for the Orioles. The lefty hit the IL with an illness that coincided with his shortest start of the year a few weeks back (1.2 IP, four hits, three runs, two walks, two strikeouts). Hopefully he is 100% now because the O’s could use the pitching help.
More good news: Samuel Basallo is in the lineup after being scratched on Monday night due to knee discomfort. The rookie might be the team’s most important hitter, so avoiding a lengthy injury is a big boost. He will DH while Adley Rutschman handles the catching duties once again.
Coby Mayo keeps his place in the order after smacking the winning three-run homer in the series opener. Craig Albernaz is trying anything he can to find consistent offense from his lineup. Mayo going 3-for-11 over his last four games is about as good as it gets for the back half of the order, which has been scuffling.
Dylan Beavers is your centerfielder, giving Leody Taveras a breather. It’s Beavers’ first start at the position since April 26. Colton Cowser is, by far, the better glove, but his bat is unplayable at the moment, so Beavers gets the nod instead. Again, the lineup needs whatever help it can get, and Beavers has been putting together some nice at-bats lately.
The Yankees made a roster move today. They put José Caballero on the IL and brought Anthony Volpe up from Triple-A. Caballero came in as a pinch runner in the ninth inning of Monday’s game and got thrown out trying to steal second for the final out of the evening. It doesn’t seem like he was hurt on the play. Caballero had been nursing a finger injury and was likely headed for the IL today anyway, so Aaron Boone put his legs in the game. Volpe is not starting tonight but could make his return to the big league squad at any point.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 10: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves drives to the basket against Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs during the second quarter in Game Four of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Target Center on May 10, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First, RIP to Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, who recently died in California. There is also one playoff game today.
Minnesota Timberwolves at San Antonio Spurs — 8:00 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
Enjoy the basketball and the constant playing of John Tesh below.
Brandon Clarke’s Grizzlies teammates flooded social media on Tuesday after learning of the 29-year-old’s death.
The news sent shockwaves through the NBA, particularly in Memphis, where Clarke was widely viewed as one of the team’s most respected locker room presences.
“Everything he’s went through in the time I’ve been in Memphis he still came in with a smile on his face and was a light in the locker room, truly an inspiring person,” said Jaylen Wells, who has spent the last two seasons in Memphis, wrote on his Instagram Story.
“Memphis won’t be the same without you.”
Jaylen Wells shared a gut-wrenching message after Brandon Clarke’s passing.
Clarke was a key contributor for the Grizzlies for the first few seasons of his career before injuries derailed him, starting with a torn left Achilles in March 2023.
He would play just six games during the 2023-24 season and 64 games the following year before sustaining a high-grade PCL injury in his right knee.
Brandon Clarke of the Memphis Grizzlies during the game against the Sacramento Kings on March 17, 2025 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NBAE via Getty Images
Clarke then missed the start of the 2025-26 season and returned for two games in December before a right calf injury sidelined him once again.
“One of my favorite teammates and people ever. Fly high king,” Lamar Stevens, who spent two seasons from 2023-25 in Memphis, wrote on his Story.
Grizzlies star Ja Morant, who was part of the same 2019 draft class as Clarke, also spoke out on Instagram.
Ja Morant was heart broken by his Grizzlies teammate’s passing. Instagram/Ja Morant
“This hurt BC,” he wrote. “Love you broski. gone way too soon.”
Kyle Anderson, who was Clarke’s teammate in two stints with the Grizzlies, wrote that he was “so f—in hurt” by his passing. “I love u so much brother i wish i coulda been there for u im so f—in hurt man,” he added.
On April 1, Clarke was arrested in Arkansas on charges of trafficking a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, fleeing in a vehicle exceeding the speed limit and improper passing.
Mar 29, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich (22) reacts after hitting a three-run home run in the eighth inning against the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres are getting a three game series started at American Family Field. The Brewers are coming off a sweep of the New York Yankees while the Padres just finished a four game series split with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Milwaukee is getting healthier as Christian Yelich was activated off the IL prior to tonight’s game. Tyler Black was optioned back to Triple-A Nashville as the corresponding move. Yelich is back at DH in his customary third spot in the batting order.
“It’s a sure good feeling to have Yeli back. He means so much to our team.” manager Pat Murphy said.
Murphy has the Brewers lineup loaded with six lefties to counter the right-handers the Padres will be throwing. Bradgley Rodriguez will be the opener for San Diego with the previously scheduled starter Matt Waldron expected to follow him. Waldron is a knuckleballer, which will present quite the unique look for the Brewers lineup. Waldron also has a 7.71 ERA on the season.
No Andrew Vaughn in the lineup tonight. Instead Jake Bauers will get the start at first base, batting fifth. Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick, and David Hamilton will be the lefties that follow. Joey Ortiz rounds out the lineup at shortstop, batting ninth.
Overall, this Brewers lineup looks so much deeper and stronger with Yelich back in it. A top four of Brice Turang, Jackson Chourio, Yelich, and William Contreras is a fearsome group. It allows Mitchell to be in a lower pressure spot in the order and provide some more protection up and down the lineup.
The Brewers will have Brandon Sproat on the mound. Sproat has a 5.87 ERA on the year, but had a solid outing his last time out, throwing 4 scoreless IP, allowing just one hit. His pitch count was high at 76 pitches through those four innings, but he’s taken some steps forward lately. We’ll see if he’s able to continue that tonight.
Sproat will be facing a star studded Padres lineup, including Jackson Merrill, Fernando Tatis Jr, and Manny Machado at the top. That also means we’re due some loud booing during tonight’s game from the Brewers faithful every time Machado steps to the plate.
First pitch is at 6:40 PM.
The Big Dawg returns just in time for Bark at the Park
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 10: José Ramírez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians bats against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field on May 10, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here’s the Angels lineup:
Angels 5/12
Z. Neto SS M. Trout CF N. Schanuel 1B J. Soler DH V. Grissom 2B Y. Moncada 3B J. Adell RF J. Lowe LF O. Martinez C
“The world’s game is coming to the greatest city in the world,” Johnson said Tuesday.
In Los Angeles, Johnson joined in a celebration marking one month until the World Cup arrives in town. Meanwhile, in New York, representatives of Major League Baseball and its players’ union held the first session of collective bargaining negotiations widely expected to be so contentious that the 2027 season could be in jeopardy.
The Dodgers might not be the lone reason for the dispute, but they are Exhibit A. For these negotiations, the owners have shifted their benchmark for competitive balance from making the playoffs to winning the World Series.
No small-market team has won the World Series since the Kansas City Royals in 2015, and the Dodgers last year became the first team in 25 years to win back-to-back championships.
If you’re a Dodgers fan, these are the best of times. If you own one of the other 29 teams, you can complain that you cannot sell championship hope and faith if the Dodgers are spending five times as much as the Cleveland Guardians.
On the day the negotiations started, the Guardians were in first place in the American League Central. Of the first-place teams in the six divisions, four reside in small markets: Cleveland, San Diego, Tampa Bay and Sacramento/Las Vegas. The team with the highest payroll in the majors — not the Dodgers, but the New York Mets — had the worst record in the majors.
On opening day, Dodgers chairman Mark Walter told me this: “Here’s what the problem is: Money helps us win. We can’t win all the time. We’ve got to have some parity.”
So, after the soccer talk was done Tuesday, I asked Johnson what a Dodgers fan should think when the Dodgers chairman says the team can’t win all the time.
Johnson, who is one of Walter’s ownership partners, laughed.
“We want to win all the time,” Johnson said. “But, realistically, we can’t win all the time.”
Why not?
The Dodgers just went back-to-back, and everyone at the championship rally — including Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Dave Roberts, Andrew Friedman and even Walter himself — giddily talked about a threepeat. They run L.A. — and now Japan — and their star-studded team leads baseball in road attendance, generating money for the rival owners that complain about the Dodgers.
“Nobody can win all the time,” Johnson said. “Mark made that comment, and I think he wants — everybody wants — the game to be great. It’s great when there is parity. That’s what it’s all about. That’s what you’re seeing in the NBA now. You want the same thing in Major League Baseball.
“Do I ever want to lose? No. But it’s great for the game that it can be even and everybody has a real fair chance of winning.”
In the NBA, which has the salary cap that major league owners covet as a supposed solution to competitive balance, the Oklahoma City Thunder are eight victories from winning back-to-back championships, just like the Dodgers did. The Sacramento Kings, the kind of small-market team a salary cap is intended to lift toward parity, have made the playoffs once in the past 20 seasons.
However baseball’s owners and players resolve their differences, the almost certain lockout in December is expected to be followed by a season-threatening stare down: Do the players give in on a salary cap rather than give up their salaries for part or all of the season?
Or do the owners surrender on the salary cap, well aware that a 2027 lockout could drive away fans on the eve of media rights negotiations in 2028? After the 1994-95 strike, the average attendance did not return to prestrike levels until 2006.
And how long might the unified front Walter and the other 29 owners are putting up now last, once games and the revenues that flow from them are lost?
Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob, one of the runners-up in the sale of the Padres, said at a Sportico conference last week that his group’s bid assumed the possibility of MLB not playing the 2027 season. In order for the NHL to secure a salary cap, its owners shut down the sport for an entire season.
The Dodgers sold 4 million tickets last season. If parity would make it harder for the Dodgers to win, what would Johnson tell the team’s fans?
“We’re going to try to win all the time,” he said. “That’s what we are telling our fans. But, probably, things are going to change after this season, so we’ll see what those changes are.”
If the Dodgers do not threepeat, or even if they somehow fail to make the playoffs, no matter. The bargaining battle is on.
But the baseball gods surely had a laugh about this: On the eve of the first bargaining session, and for the first time in the Walter ownership era that started in 2012, the Dodgers lost a third consecutive game by at least five runs.
Brandon Clarke #15 of the Memphis Grizzlies goes to the basket during the second half against the Utah Jazz at FedExForum on March 12, 2025 in Memphis, Tennessee.
A barber who cut Clarke’s hair on Friday in Los Angeles told TMZ that Clarke seemed perfectly content during the haircut and that they were even watching the NBA playoffs during the appointment.
Clarke was staying with a friend from college while he was in Southern California.
The barber said they were watching Spurs-Timberwolves Game 3 when Clarke was getting his haircut.
Brandon Clarke of the Memphis Grizzlies goes to the basket during the second half against the Utah Jazz at FedExForum on March 12, 2025 in Memphis, Tennessee. Getty Images
NBC Los Angeles reported that the fire department received a 911 call shortly after 5 p.m. on Monday and that the Grizzlies player was pronounced dead at the scene.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league was “devastated” over Clarke’s death and called the player a “beloved teammate and leader” who “played the game with enormous passion and grit.”
The Grizzlies mourned Clarke with a statement of their own.
“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies said. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten.
Brandon Clarke of the Memphis Grizzlies shoots a free throw during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 14, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images
“We express our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
Clarke was taken by the Grizzlies with the 21st overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and played in 309 NBA games, averaging 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds.
He spent all seven seasons of his NBA career in Memphis and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2020.
Clarke appeared in two games this season due to a knee and calf injury.
May 6, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen (24) delivers a pitch against the New York Mets in the first inning at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
After spending the weekend and going 1-2 against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Colorado Rockies (16-25) will look to reset as they begin a three-game set against the Pittsburgh Pirates (22-19).
They will, however, have their work cut out for them with a much-improved Pirates squad. Moreover, Colorado has lost five-straight in Pittsburgh dating back to their last win at PNC Park on May 3, 2024.
The Rockies have gone 8-14 on the road overall but are 6-4 over their last 10 road games dating back to April 16 at Houston. The are averaging 4.4 runs per game of that span while batting .256 (90-for-351) with nine home runs. Worth noting, Rockies pitchers have posted a 4.30 ERA (88.0 IP, 42 ER) over their last 10 road games, including a 4.38 ERA (51.1 IP, 25 ER) by the starting pitchers.
Starting for the Rockies is Michael Lorenzen. This will be his tenth start for the Rockies in 2026.
The righty has a 6.92 ERA in 39.0 IP. He’s struck out 26, walked 12, and given up seven home runs. Lorenzen has a 1.90 WHIP.
He suffered his fourth loss of the season May 6 against the Mets at Coors Field, a 10-5 Rockies loss. During that outing, Lorenzen allowed seven runs on 11 hits with three walks and two strikeouts across five innings.
Taking the mound for the Pirates will be RHP and Cy Young winner Paul Skenes.
Currently, he has an ERA of 2.35 in 40.2 IP. He’s struck out 47 while giving up seven walks and allowing four home runs with a 0.71 WHIP.
He won a 1-0 decision after allowing just two hits (back-to-back singles from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Nolan Arenado in the fourth inning) and striking out seven batters over 8.0 scoreless innings in his last start on May 6 at Arizona. Skenes became only the sixth Pirate (seventh instance) to pitch at least 8.0 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, two or fewer hits allowed and zero walks issued in a game during the Modern Era.
He has a 1.83 career ERA (73.2ip/15er) vs. the National League West.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 06: Starting pitcher Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates reacts after pitching out of the eighth inning of the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on May 06, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pitching Matchup: Michael Lorenzen (2-4, 6.92 ERA) vs. Paul Skenes (5-2, 2.36 ERA)
The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home with a three-game series against the visiting Colorado Rockies at beautiful PNC Park.
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BOSTON, MA - MAY 10: Manager Chad Tracy #17 of the Boston Red Sox looks on from the dugout during the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on May 10, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One of the old adages in Major League Baseball is that all teams win a third of their games, all teams lose a third of their games, and it’s that middle third that separates pretenders from the contenders. Well, let’s just say that on paper, this is one of the games that looks like a loss for Boston.
The Red Sox have Jovani Moran opening for Brayan Bello, they’re down both Roman Anthony and Willson Contreras in the lineup (although Contreras did avoid the IL today after getting hit in the hand with a pitch on Sunday), and Mickey Gasper batting second. They’re also facing Zack Wheeler, who has a 3.12 ERA and has been the second best starter all year for the Phillies.
But then again, the Red Sox were facing almost this exact same predicament last Tuesday when they were on the road in Detroit. They had Moran opening for Bello, were missing Roman Anthony from the lineup, and were facing the Tigers’ second best starter in Framber Valdez. But because baseball is baseball, they won that game going away 10-3.
Will something like that happen again tonight? And if it does, does Brayan Bello start to earn some trust tokens back in his quest to stay in the rotation? We’ll all find out together over the next few hours.
Morant shared a series of posts to his Instagram stories on Tuesday, May 12 expressing his appreciation for Clarke, who spent all seven seasons of his NBA career in Memphis with Morant.
The first post was a media day photo of Morant laughing while reaching out for a high-five from Clarke with Jaren Jackson Jr. also grinning widely on Morant's other side.
The second picture showed Clarke hugging Morant from behind during a game.
"this hurt BC," Morant said with a broken heart emoji, "love you broski. gone way too soon." He added, "its' bigger than basketball."
The third Instagram story reshared a post from Devin Walker, the Grizzlies' social/digital coordinator, paying tribute to Clarke. Morant specifically shared a video of himself walking off the court after the 2019 Summer League championship with Clarke, holding a trophy. Clarke was the game's MVP after notching a double-double with 15 points and 16 rebounds as the Grizzlies beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 95-92 to win the championship.
"I'm walking with a GOAT right here," Morant said in the video.
"still our goat," he added in the Instagram story caption with a goat emoji. "BC15"
Both players were selected in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft. Morant was taken No. 2 overall by the Grizzlies and Clarke was chosen at No. 21 by the Oklahoma City Thunder, who traded him to Memphis the same day.
BOSTON – Zack Wheeler worked so quickly (and efficiently) Tuesday night you’d have thought he was double-parked out in Kenmore Square.
Wheeler led the Phillies to a tight 2-1 win over the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park. His recipe for success was simple: Get the ball, throw the ball, get back in the dugout.
Nineteen days before his 36th birthday and just shy of eight months after he had surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome, Wheeler pitched 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball. He took a shutout into the seventh before the Red Sox nicked him for a run on three singles. Wheeler left the game with one out in the eighth and a runner on first base. Jose Alvarado survived some shaky work by his defense to get out of that inning with the tying run on third.
Jhoan Duran got the final three outs for the save. He recorded the final two outs with two men on base.
The win improved the Phillies to 11-3 under new manager Don Mattingly. Phillies starting pitchers have delivered nine quality starts in those 14 games.
Kyle Schwarber and Bryson Stott both hit balls over the wall for the Phillies. Schwarber homered (No. 17) for the fifth straight game, tying a team record, in the first inning and Stott clubbed a ground-rule double in the second inning for the Phillies’ second run.
The pitching did the rest. It had to because the Phillies’ bats produced just five hits.
Wheeler gave up six hits, all singles. He walked none, hit a batter and struck out four. His economy of pitches was exceptional. He threw eight or fewer pitches in four innings. He needed just 16 pitches to complete the first three innings and 59 to complete the first six. He faced one batter over the minimum over that span, thanks to two double plays.
Wheeler has won both of his career starts in Fenway Park. He’s given up just two runs in 14 1/3 innings in those games.
Given the expectations for the 2025-26 Pittsburgh Penguins heading into the regular season, the fact that general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas could include playoff discourse as part of his season-ending press conference Tuesday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry says a lot about what he is building organizationally.
And it looks like the next steps forward are coming into focus as well.
Even though the team made tangible progress this season, Dubas stressed that there is still a "long way to go" for the Penguins to be Stanley Cup contenders to the likes of the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, and others. But, that said, he feels as though it's on him to deliver on that next stage in the process.
"I thought we were a good team, and at times we flirted with becoming very good, but ultimately, we are still well short of where we aspire to be, which is a contender," Dubas said. "That falls on me, and the work to push to get us there will continue."
He added: "Have we made progress? I’d say yes, we have. Are we where we want to be and aspire to be? No, not even close. And the work has continued since the minute that our season has ended and will continue through the summer. That’s what we’ll aim for is to continue to deliver contending championship hockey back to Pittsburgh."
1. Dubas is high on the prospect pool they've put together so far
Half of the press conference consisted of Dubas gushing about the prospects the Penguins already have in their system, many of which the organization believes have bright futures with the Penguins.
I did ask Dubas about - despite the discourse that core talent is usually obtained by selecting high in the draft - whether or not he believes some future pieces of a potential "core" are, indeed, already in their system.
"When it comes to the high end, you look throughout the league now, and everyone here knows it because that's what the Pittsburgh Penguins have always been about: the Penguins have always had high-end talent," Dubas said. "Obviously, there's two very notable first-overall picks, but then it's supplemented by players picked later in the first round or deeper into the draft.
"We have to find it any way that we can. That could be through trade, it could be in free agency, [or in] finding a player that goes undervalued and we're able to get more out of."
But, despite that, he gave some rave reviews for some of the top prospects in the system.
Dubas also touched on defenseman Harrison Brunicke and the progress he's made since training camp. He stressed that they believe his development plan - which included off-ice conditioning, five pre-season games, nine NHL games, five AHL games, and the World Junior Championship before ultimately being sent back to the WHL - ended up working out well for him. He is also impressed that Brunicke is playing on the top pairing for WBS during the Calder Cup Playoffs and that he has been tasked with some of the toughest minutes.
"He can play center, he can play wing. He's been a part of teams that always seem to be winning. He's deeply committed to doing all the small things," Dubas said. "The best thing I've heard in the last couple of weeks is that the American League staff, they told Amanda Kessel that they went to show him the systems on intake when he got there last week after his team had lost in Game 7 to Moncton. And he had been watching every game and studying the systems, and he knew them all himself.
"So it's those types of small, little intangible things that fuel the size, the skating, the habits, the ability to carry the puck, create offense, get to the net."
Clearly, Dubas is happy with the pool of young talent that the Penguins already possess - even if he knows there is more work ahead to pull in big talent.
2. The Penguins still have some work to do in order to become Stanley Cup contenders... but, no, they're not "tearing it down"
One of the biggest points of emphasis in this press conference was the fact that - again - despite the progress the Penguins made this season by making the playoffs and proving they are a "good team," they're still pretty far off from being Stanley Cup contenders.
And a major part of that, Dubas said, is that they have to improve defensively - and that they intend to address that this summer.
"When we’re looking at the group as we transition moving ahead, I think, as a whole, defensively, we still continue to give up a lot both in terms of what we’re expected to give up and in terms of what we actually gave up," Dubas said. "Both were in the bottom-10 in the league, and it was a massive topic amongst [head coach Dan Muse] and me throughout the year, but more importantly in the last couple of weeks since we’ve been out. And it is the major focus as we head into the offseason.
"Really, it’s the area that we have to improve upon the most if we’re going to continue to make strides and push the team back into being a contender."
Sam Girard (front) and Kris Letang are two blueliners with uncertain futures heading into next season for the Penguins. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
"You look at all the other teams around the division, and you measure yourself up against them day in and day out," Dubas said. "Carolina, they're obviously the class of the division right now, they won the division by 15 or 16 points, and they haven't lost a playoff game. We're not close to that, so that's what we have to push to get to be at that stage where they're at, going to the Eastern Conference Final. They've obviously been at it for a long time now, 10-plus years.
"But that's what we have to work to get to. And until we get to that point — and I think even when you get there, you're happy only for a few minutes and then you start to worry about what's coming up behind."
So, if they're still that far off of contention, it makes sense to sell off veterans and go younger now, right? Well, not necessarily. And that brings us to the final point of emphasis from Dubas's presser.
There were multiple references in this press conference to Dubas heavily exploring the trade market this summer. Sure, he mentioned deals in the "Chinakhov mold," which definitely makes sense for where they're at and where they want to go. Those options would be more cost-effective, even if there is inherent risk.
But that's not the only thing he said. And there is one portion that stood out in particular:
“I think what we really lack are those players in their later 20s that are really true difference makers. Or mid-20s, late 20s, that are true difference makers," Dubas said. "I think if you’re one of those players that’s a free agent or your situation in your spot is not going well and you have some control, you can look at us and see very clearly that you’re going to be supported by a great coaching staff that gets the most out of players. But you’ll also have young players that are going to push from behind and older players that are going to set the tone.
“I think Pittsburgh, for all that it is as a city, a sports city, it’s a great place to play, a great place to grow and have a family. But also, I think in terms of the sporting side, for us on the hockey side, I think it should be one of, if not the most, appealing places to any player that has a choice in those matters. We’ll investigate all those as we go into the summer."
I don't know about you, but that sure sounds like a sales pitch to me.
And with some bigger names who fit that mold rumored to, potentially, be on the trade block this summer - such as Stars superstar Jason Robertson (26 years old), Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (28), St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas (26), and Stars defenseman Thomas Harley (24) - could Dubas and the Penguins be pitching to those guys directly?
It's quite possible, and the Penguins have plenty of draft capital, cap space, and tradeable assets to work with. They would have to build out quite a big package in comparison to those other teams, but in the end, they have flexibility in terms of "tacking on" in trade packages that other organizations don't.
Dubas is confident in the young players the Penguins are already developing. But he recognizes that returning to sustainable contention will require both homegrown talent and the willingness to swing big when opportunity arises.
"I think if we're going to take really big steps next year that [are] sustainable, it's going to be by using the cap space that we have, but [also] the assets that we have, the draft picks, the prospects, etc, to go and acquire somebody," Dubas said. "Is that going to be possible? We're sure going to find out. But I'm being open with you because that's the path ahead.
"We don't have a mirage in our view, in the office, that next year all these young guys are going to magically all hit. They're prospects for a reason. Some of them are going to reach their potential. Some of them are going to go beyond their potential. But you don't know if some of them are. We've amassed a good quantity there. We have to see which ones can develop into true quality guys, and then we have to use that to just supplement, really, on the proven players in their mid 20s, late 20s, that we know what we're getting. I think that's the area where we'll be able to take steps."
In conclusion: Buckle up, Penguins' fans. This could be a pretty fun summer.
