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Mets staying positive amidst five-game losing streak: 'It’s just a bad stretch'

After a 1-0 loss to the Athletics on Sunday afternoon, the Mets have now lost five games in a row. 

During those five games, they’ve scored a total of nine runs, six of which came in Saturday’s loss. They’ve been shut out twice in the last three days and were outscored 33-12 during their six-game homestand.

Now, New York heads to Los Angeles for a three-game series against the NL West-leading Dodgers who entered Sunday winners of seven out of their last eight games.

Despite the state of the team right now, the Mets are staying the course and believe greener pastures are on the horizon.

“You just gotta stay consistent, you gotta stay positive with the guys,” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “There’s a lot of good hitters there and it’s just a bad stretch. You gotta continue to trust the players there – they’re really good – and continue to work with them.”

Unfortunately, those hitters couldn’t come through on Sunday for Freddy Peralta who threw a gem without having his best stuff. 

The Mets’ ace went six innings and allowed a run on four hits while walking three and striking out six. He threw one bad pitch, an 0-2 curveball to Nick Kurtz who launched it into right field for a solo homer in the third inning which was the difference in the game.

After that, the right-hander allowed just one more hit and retired eight of the last nine batters he faced.

“For some reason they weren’t swinging at the low changeups,” Peralta said about his outing. “But we made adjustments and we got better as the game was moving on and that’s what I’m happy with because we were able to make adjustments.”

As for the Mets hitters, they were unable to figure out Athletics starter Aaron Civale, who retired 13 in a row at one point, or the rest of the bullpen and scratched together four hits, half of them by Francisco Lindor.

“Today some balls were hit hard and we had a little bit of bad luck,” said Bo Bichette. “But overall I mean this team is really talented so we’re gonna score runs, but just overall everybody needs to have better at-bats and compete better. But we’ll be alright.”

The absence of Juan Soto in the lineup has exacerbated New York’s struggling offense. It was able to tread water for the first few games without him, but has been unable to pick up the slack since.

Still, one player, no matter how important, cannot be the team’s saving grace all year. At some point, other players need to step up as well.

“Nobody will deny the absence of Soto in the lineup, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have the capacity to score runs,” Mendoza said. “It’s a tough stretch for the hitters but we continue to have confidence in the players that are active and their abilities to get out of a slump.

“Obviously it won’t be easy to replace Juan, but at the same time we have the resources necessary to get hits and score runs and we will do it.”

One player who has been great all year for the Mets is Luis Robert Jr. who got the day off on Sunday after playing in five straight games. New York continues to be cautious with Robert whose season ended last year with a hamstring injury and who has had a history of injuries in his career.

Asked why Robert, who is slashing .319/.458/.447 in 47 at-bats this season, didn’t pinch-hit late in the game on Sunday, Mendoza said he wasn’t available to play in the field and would only have got an at-bat with the game on the line.

“Tough homestand overall offensively,” the skipper said.

It’s still early enough in the season for anybody to start panicking, but with such high expectations for the Mets this year and such a disappointing season last year, everything will be magnified.

Nevertheless, New York deserves a little more time to try and get things right before getting too worried. It’s a long season after all.

“I know we are way better than this and we have a great team and we believe in each other and I know that we are gonna do better,” Peralta said. “The time is gonna come. I know that there’s a lot of people who want us to win and we want to win too. But sometimes baseball is tough and we gotta get through this and these moments and I know we have a great team.”

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Cubs 7, Pirates 6: Carson Kelly walks it off

Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field was better than Saturday in every single way.

First, the weather was more than 30 degrees warmer — 80 at game time, a nice day to have in mid-April.

And the Cubs came from behind with good relief work and some excellent baserunning, tying the game in the eighth. Then Carson Kelly’s single walked it off in the ninth for a 7-6 win over the Pirates.

80-degree temps in April generally come with strong winds blowing out at Wrigley and this day was no exception. Six miles per hour, as reported in the boxscore? I think not, as howling winds made the flags look like this pre-game (Bluesky link):

It got so windy that they took the team flags down from the board. Jameson Taillon got taken deep by Oneil Cruz on the third pitch of the game. That one definitely had some help from the wind.

Then in the second, Taillon loaded the bases with two out, one of those outs thanks to a ball-four call that Kelly got overturned [VIDEO].

After that, Taillon threw ball one to Brandon Lowe and then laid one right down the middle of the plate that Lowe did not miss. It still had some help from the wind, but Lowe had a grand slam and the Pirates led 5-0. More on the slam from BCB’s JohnW53:

The grand slam off Taillon was the fifth he has served up among 174 career homers allowed.

It was the first at home. The others were at Cincinnati, in 2018, while with the Pirates, then as a Cub in 2023 at Philadelphia and Detroit, and on June 28, 2024, at Milwaukee.

The slam today was the 40th homer off him since then.

Credit to Taillon: He settled down after that, at one point retiring eight straight Pirates. That streak was ended by Lowe’s second homer of the game in the fifth — and that one had no help from the wind at all.

Meanwhile, the Cubs were inching their way back into the game. They had two solo homers in the third. First, Dansby Swanson [VIDEO].

Two outs later, Moisés Ballesteros [VIDEO].

At that point it was 5-2 and, well, early enough that a comeback was certainly possible. The Cubs got a one-out double from Kelly in the fourth, but he was stranded. Lowe’s second long ball made it 6-2 in the top of the fifth, but the Cubs got that run back in the bottom of the inning. Nico Hoerner led off with a single and went to third on a single by Ballesterois.

Alex Bregman scored Hoerner with this sac fly [VIDEO].

So now it’s 6-3, and, well, Cubs pitching is holding the Pirates down. Again, props to Taillon for sticking it out through the sixth and striking out 10. Here are the 10 K’s [VIDEO].

Here’s more on Taillon’s afternoon [VIDEO].

And more on Taillon from John:

Jameson Taillon is the first Cubs starter since 1901 to pitch exactly 6.0 innings, give up three home runs and strike out 10.

Kerry Wood went 6.0 with three homers and eight strikeouts at Toronto on June 13, 2003.

Yu Darvish went 6.0 with three homers and nine strikeouts at Cincinnati on Aug. 9, 2019.

Taillon gave up six runs on six hits and two walks; Wood, five runs on seven hits and two walks; and Darvish, four runs on four hits and no walks.

Riley Martin threw a scoreless seventh and was replaced after he allowed a one-out single in the eighth. I like what I’ve seen from Martin so far — he doesn’t mess around, goes right after hitters and has a good pitch mix. Always good to have another useful left-hander in the pen.

Meanwhile, the Cubs chipped away in the bottom of the seventh, thanks to some heads-up baserunning. Swanson led off with a walk. One out later, he took third on a double by Nico. Miguel Amaya, batting for Ballesteros, walked to load the bases.

Then this happened [VIDEO].

That is just outstanding baseball sense from Swanson. Seeing that Lowe fell over after catching Bregman’s popup, he broke for the plate. The Pirates, not expecting that, didn’t come close to throwing him out and it’s now 6-4. You don’t see too many sacrifice flies to the second baseman. All credit to Dansby for making that happen.

Ethan Roberts relieved Martin in the eighth, hit the first batter he faced, but then set down two Pirates in a row to end the inning.

Then the Cubs tied the game with even more heads-up baserunning. Seiya Suzuki led off the eighth with a walk. Kelly and Pete Crow-Armstrong struck out, but Swanson also walked.

Michael Busch, given a day off from starting as he’s been in a horrific slump, batted for Matt Shaw, and Swanson did it again [VIDEO].

Busch’s single scored Suzuki easily, but when Bryan Reynolds’ throw to second got away, Swanson picked right up on that and scored the second run of the inning, tying the game. Can’t say enough about how aware Swanson is and how smart he is. That’s two runs basically stolen in this game by Swanson because he was heads-up on the basepaths. Great stuff.

Daniel Palencia retired the Pirates scoreless in the ninth, despite a two-out walk to Cruz, who wore the Cubs out all weekend. Cruz stole second and took third on a passed ball, but Palencia struck out Lowe on a 99 mile per hour fastball to set up the dramatic finish to this game.

Michael Conforto batted for Amaya and doubled. Scott Kingery ran for him. Bregman hit a ball to short and beat Konnor Griffin’s throw, putting runners on first and second with nobody out. Ian Happ hit into a force play, with Kingery taking third. Suzuki walked to load the bases.

Take it away, Carson! [VIDEO]

Like I said — great weather, solid relief pitching, timely hitting and outstanding baserunning gave the Cubs this win, salvaging the final game of this series.

And one more note from John:

According to my research, this is the Cubs’ 998th regular-season walk-off win since 1876, first year of the National League.

It is their 900th of the Modern Era, which began in 1901.

It is their 795th at Wrigley Field, their home since 1916.

I still am not worried about this team, though there are some things that need shoring up. Consider: The Nationals just finished a sweep of the Brewers — in Milwaukee. There have been some very odd results early in this season, good teams like the Blue Jays, Mariners and Phillies have struggled, as have the Cubs. It is still VERY early.

Speaking of the Phillies, the Cubs travel to Philadelphia for a one-series, three-game road trip beginning Monday evening. Javier Assad will start the series opener for the Cubs and Cristopher Sánchez goes for the Phillies. Game time Monday is 5:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.

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Ovechkin, Capitals keep postseason hopes alive with 3-0 victory over Penguins

WASHINGTON — Logan Thompson stopped 24 shots, and the Washington Capitals kept their slim playoff hopes alive by beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 Sunday in perhaps the final home of Alex Ovechkin’s brilliant career.

To reach the postseason, the Capitals must defeat Columbus in the season finale Tuesday night, and hope Philadelphia fails to win either of its last two games.

The 40-year-old Ovechkin intends to wait until the offseason to decide whether to retire or return for a 22nd season. The all-time NHL leader in goals with 929, Ovechkin has played in every game this season and leads the Capitals in goals (32) and points (63).

The spirited, sellout crowd saluted Ovechkin during the game with chants of “One more year!” and “Ovi! Ovi! Ovi!”

Ovechkin helped seal the victory by picking up an assist on an empty-net goal by Connor McMichael, who scored earlier in the third period.

Pittsburgh last week clinched a postseason berth and home-ice advantage in the opening round. But the rivalry between these teams runs deep, and the Penguins tried hard to throw a wet blanket on the Capitals’ playoff hopes and Ovechkin’s big day.

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was back on the ice after he and several teammates received a day off Saturday when Washington won in Pittsburgh 6-3. This was the 100th — and perhaps final — matchup between Ovechkin and Crosby, two of the game’s biggest names.

To mark the occasion, the two stars lined up at center ice for the opening faceoff. It was only the 175th career faceoff for Ovechkin, counting playoffs, compared to No. 32,131 for Crosby.

The game was scoreless until Trevor van Riemsdyk jammed the puck under Pittsburgh goalie Stuart Skinner’s right leg at 12:22 of the second period.

That was enough offense for Thompson, who notched his fourth shutout of the season.

Up next

Penguins: Close the regular season at St. Louis on Tuesday night.

Capitals: At Columbus on Tuesday night.

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The NHL playoffs have plenty of fresh blood, and a new Stanley Cup champion will be crowned

The Stanley Cup will have a new home this year after the back-to-back champion Florida Panthers had their season derailed by injuries.

They’re not the only perennial contender to miss the playoffs, either, with the Buffalo Sabres among the roughly half dozen newcomers in the 16-team field. The Pittsburgh Penguins are back in the dance, too.

The Colorado Avalanche have been dominant since October and go in as the favorite after clinching the best regular-season record in the NHL. That has rarely been an indicator of who hoists the Cup at the end of four rounds, and it’s anyone’s guess who comes out of the Eastern Conference, as well as the West.

“Every team in the playoffs can win,” Dallas Stars defenseman Tyler Myers said. “Every series is a tough series. That’s what’s so amazing about the NHL playoffs: It brings out the best in everybody, in every team, and it creates an unbelievable battle no matter who’s playing.”

New blood in the NHL playoffs

Buffalo ended the longest postseason drought in league history at 14 seasons and did so after losing 18 of its first 29 games.

“It’s something that we strived for from Day One,” said Lindy Ruff, who is among the favorites to be coach of the year. “You’ve got to feel good about getting there. It’s hard. We’re in a division that’s been extremely hard to get there. You’ve got to look back and say that we did a lot of good things to get to this point.”

The Sabres also look as if they can do some damage in the wide-open East without Florida. They’ve been the best team since the Olympic break.

Also hot down the stretch was Pittsburgh, which qualified for the first time since 2022 in new coach Dan Muse’s first season. The Penguins were 6-1 long shots on BetMGM Sportsbook in October to make it, but now the trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang gets another chance.

“A lot of people doubted us and I guess counted us out, and it just put fuel on the fire for us,” said defenseman Ryan Shea, who’s set to make his NHL playoff debut at 29. “I’ve been in the playoffs in the AHL, which was fun, but this is the best league in the world.”

The Utah Mammoth made it in the franchise’s second season in Salt Lake City. The Anaheim Ducks are also back with a young core coached by three-time Cup-champion Joel Quenneville.

The Central Division path is the toughest

Colorado is justifiably the best bet to win it all. Nathan MacKinnon could be the MVP, Cale Makar the top defenseman, and the reacquisition of Nazem Kadri at the trade deadline gives the Avalanche the depth to envision another parade in Denver this summer, four years since the previous one.

To do so, they’ll have to go through either Dallas or the Minnesota Wild in the second round just to reach the West final.

“Confident for sure: Believe in this group. I know we have what it takes,” captain Gabriel Landeskog said. “It’s going to be a long, tough road and mentally, physically grinding. I think we’re ready for it.”

Stars versus Wild opens the playoffs with a bang, pitting two of the top seven teams in the league in a best-of-seven series that ensures one of them will be golfing by mid-May. It’s the result of a division-focused format that Commissioner Gary Bettman has said leads to the best first round in sports.

“That makes for great matchups,” Bettman said. “If you’re a fan of the game and you’re looking for excitement, you’re looking to be entertained, you’re looking for intriguing stories, this format does it.”

From going for gold to chasing the silver chalice

Several players who won gold with the U.S. at the Olympics have the chance to add a Stanley Cup ring to their trophy case for the year.

Colorado’s Brock Nelson scored 30 goals after being a difference-maker in Milan. Carolina’s Jaccob Slavin, Buffalo’s Tage Thompson, Tampa Bay’s Jake Guentzel, Minnesota’s Matt Boldy, Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber, Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson are all in the running, as are two goaltenders: Boston’s Jeremy Swayman and Dallas’ Jake Oettinger.

The same goes for some Canadian stars who see their silver medals as a symbol of losing and get an opportunity to make up for it. That includes Edmonton’s Connor McDavid following two consecutive losses in the final, and Crosby after an injury kept him from playing in the gold medal game and is chasing a fourth NHL title.

“That’s the best time of year,” Crosby said. “That’s why you play.”

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What Rangers can learn from three franchises heading to playoffs after turnarounds

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows General manager of the Anaheim Ducks, Pat Verbeek, speaks at the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft, Image 2 shows Utah Mammoth player Logan Cooley #92 celebrating a goal against the Seattle Kraken

The NHL playoffs will commence Saturday with some notable turnover in the 16-team bracket.

Access the Rangers beat like never before

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Entering Sunday’s slate of games, four teams that didn’t compete last postseason — the Sabres, Mammoth, Penguins and Bruins — already qualified for this year’s dance. The Ducks, Flyers and Blue Jackets are still in the running to join them, with Anaheim having a chance to clinch Sunday night with a win against the Canucks.

Buffalo ended a historic playoff drought of 14 seasons. Utah made it in (technically) the organization’s second season of existence.

The Rangers are caught somewhere in the middle as they inch closer toward their second early summer in a row.

The Post’s Mollie Walker analyzes three turnarounds and what the Blueshirts could learn from them:

Bruins

Boston general manager Don Sweeney made a lot of home run decisions that turned his team around from 76 points last season to the 96 they carried into their matchup in Columbus on Sunday. This after coming off a tumultuous 2024-25 campaign, in which captain Brad Marchand was traded to Florida as part of a considerable deadline sell-off.

New Rangers (re)hire Kevin Maxwell can look at the fact that 10 of the players on the current Bruins roster were acquired via trade. A smashing success with Sweeney’s offseason signings — including Tanner Jeannot and Jonathan Aspirot — also filled organizational needs. Aspirot is now Charlie McAvoy’s top-pair partner.

Even if several players overperformed, the Bruins deployed a much more balanced offense this season. Depth scoring was pivotal in their push to clinching a playoff berth. The Rangers have been a top-heavy lineup for years. The Rangers know better than most that game-changing goaltending makes anything possible. Jeremy Swayman not only improved as the Bruins’ clear-cut No. 1 goalie when it mattered, but he was a real difference-maker down the stretch.

General manager Don Sweeney of the Boston Bruins speaks with the media before the first round of the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Sphere on June 28, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NHLI via Getty Images

Boston’s return to the playoffs certainly wasn’t picture perfect. They’ve had three separate losing streaks of five or more games this season. It was still a process, which is what Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan references frequently. The Rangers had two really strong seasons that preceded their runs to the Eastern Conference Final in 2022 and 2024. It won’t always be that way, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be.

Utah

The Mammoth were on a five-game winning streak when they clinched the organization’s first playoff berth. Without rehashing the disaster that was the Arizona Coyotes, a commitment was made to a trio of first-round draft picks — Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther — that has significantly paid off. They were nurtured. Cooley and Guenther have enjoyed breakout seasons and the young Utah core seems to be clamoring for a crack at the playoffs.

The Rangers’ largely failed track record with their organizationally grown prospects is well documented. Special circumstances surrounding the transition from the desert to Salt Lake City meant the club had to be patient, but with the geographical shift came a cultural one. Most of that came with a change in ownership. Ryan Smith has been lauded for his handling of the players and staffers during the move.

There is no indication MSG sports executive James Dolan, who owns the Rangers and Knicks, is going anywhere, but Utah is proof the most significant changes can stem from the very top down.

Logan Cooley of the Utah Mammoth celebrates a goal by Dylan Guenther against Seattle on April 2. Getty Images

Penguins

Projected to face-plant coming into this season, the Penguins proved a lot of people wrong. Pittsburgh, which hasn’t reached the postseason since 2022 and hasn’t won a single series since 2018, was rejuvenated by a new coach, remarkable play from the Big Three and the players GM Kyle Dubas surrounded them with. The Penguins probably emulated the closest process to a “retool,” which is what the Rangers are striving for.

Never underestimate the power of impactful leaders. Captain Sidney Crosby is one of a kind. His trio with Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang is one of the greatest to do it in all of professional sports history. The fact that they have each had strong individual seasons at ages 38 and 39, respectively, has been nothing short of incredible.

So much of what the Rangers become will hinge on captain J.T. Miller and what he brings both on and off the ice. This is who Blueshirts president and general manager Chris Drury chose to be the guy. Miller has had his moments this season, both positive and negative, but it was all hindered by injuries throughout the season. Ex-Rangers assistant Dan Muse provided a fresh voice and presence behind the Penguins bench as well.

Dubas was able to rebalance and restructure the lineup, which benefited the most from the additions of Anthony Mantha, Egor Chinakhov and rookie Ben Kindel.

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Utah Jazz vs Los Angeles Lakers Preview: It’s the season finale!

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - DECEMBER 18: Jaxson Hayes #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks the ball during the game against the Utah Jazz on December 18, 2025 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Utah Jazz will take on the Los Angeles Lakers in what is more than just the season finale. It feels more like the finale to four years of rebuild. Tonight will be the last time the Utah Jazz will go into a game for the foreseeable future with hopes of losing.

This offseason will be an offseason designed to make the team better for wins next year.

Wins, real wins!

Can you feel that? That’s the sound of change not only coming to the Jazz but to the coverage as well. With a winning team, we’ll get back to criticizing the team in meaningful ways. When trade rumors abound, Jazz fans will be able to discuss if it’s a player worth going after. Gone will be the days of hoping for big-time hauls of picks for our best player, as we hope to hit the reset button and get lucky come lottery night.

That is, if catastrophe doesn’t strike next season.

Let’s not think about anything bad, though. We’ve dealt with enough losing seasons these last four seasons. Now, we can root for wins, and it’s the right thing to do. It’s not premature, it’s not shortsighted, it’s the right, logical move. Utah has gone through enough draft picks, trades, and development that they are set to start going hard to win as much as they can. Personally, I’m excited.

That said, tonight is the last time. One last tank for all the tanks. After four years, one more tank is all they have to do. The Kings will be playing and Utah will certainly have their eyes on that game. But regardless of whether the Kings win or lose, Utah has to lose this game. They have to, at minimum, tie with the Kings to end the season so they can at least have the hopes of winning a coin toss. If the Kings somehow win, that gives Utah the chance to gain the #4 spot in the lottery outright, which would be incredible considering the season they have had with the scrutinty they’ve been under. This would be an incredible end to what has been a crazy four years.

So, Jazz, it’s time to lose. It’s time to lose like you’ve never lost before.

How to watch Utah Jazz vs Los Angeles Lakers

Who: Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers

When: 6:30 MT – April 12, 2026

Channel: KJZZ, Jazz+

Injury Report

The Utah Jazz are not messing around in this one and will be with a lineup that should lose pretty easily. If the Lakers can’t beat this lineup, there’s an issue in LakerLand.

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Mets lefties A.J. Minter, Nate Lavender efficient in second minor league rehab appearance

A pair of Mets southpaws were back in action with Low-A St. Lucie on Sunday afternoon as they continue working their way back from respective injuries.

A.J. Minter and Nate Lavender took the mound for their second appearance. 

Minter again cruised his way through a perfect inning of work, throwing just seven pitches and striking out a batter in the top of the seventh. 

He used his full arsenal and topped out at 94 mph on his fastball.

Lavender was also effective, striking out one as well as he worked around a single in a scoreless inning of his own. 

He touched 93, but mainly sat around 92 mph on his fastball. 

The pair have now combined to allow just one hit while striking out five in two appearances back with St. Lucie. 

Both are expected to require lengthy minor league rehab stints. 

Minter is returning from a season-ending lat injury suffered early on last year, but is expected to play a significant role in New York’s bullpen when he returns. 

Lavender is still progressing his way back from Tommy John surgery, and will likely start the year down in Syracuse but figures to make his major league debut at some point.

The 26-year-old pitched to a 2.98 ERA across three levels in his last healthy campaign.

Putting the two of them alongside fellow lefty Brooks Raley in the Mets' bullpen could allow Carlos Mendoza to be agressive and creative with his usage. 

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Penguins/Capitals Recap: Pens dress stars, have little juice in 3-0 loss for potential last game against Ovechkin

Pregame

The late-season roster shuffle continues. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust and Parker Wotherspoon all dress for this game after sitting out yesterday. Noel Acciari, Anthony Mantha, Ryan Shea and Connor Clifton all rotate out with official ‘undisclosed day-to-day injuries’.

The home Capitals celebrate their final home game of the season and the potential last time to see Alex Ovechkin playing in DC with this lineup.

Ovechkin and the Pens’ crew get a pregame faceoff. No official announcements or anything but it sure looks like a lot of signs pointing to this being it for the Great 8.

First period

Dylan Strome gets himself kicked out of the opening faceoff so that Ovechkin can line up for a faceoff against Crosby. The Penguin captain wins it cleanly and the game is on.

The improved Penguins surpass yesterday’s one shot in the first period very easily. Karlsson draws the first power play of the game but Pittsburgh doesn’t score.

Crosby takes a penalty late in the period. The Capitals cash in quickly, Ovechkin makes a pass down to Justin Sourdif that gets tipped off the crossbar and then Sourdif finished it off by tapping the puck into the empty net. But wait, a coach’s challenge for offsides and Ilya Protas was very clearly a step ahead of the play at the blueline wipes out the goal.

The first ends with no goals that count, the Pens were better in the earlier parts of the start, the Capitals came on stronger as play went along.

Second period

Washington starts the second still on the power play, Pittsburgh kills it off.

Both teams skate back and forth, the Caps score for real this time. Trevor van Riemsdyk pokes at a puck in the crease about three times, it finally gets over the line. 1-0 Washington with 7:36 to go in the period.

The Pens wake up a little, Logan Thompson denies Tommy Novak on a great chance from in front off a pass from Rickard Rakell, then Novak is sprung for a breakaway but lets the puck slide off his stick to negate a scoring chance. Pittsburgh gets their second power play of the game soon after. Erik Karlsson slams a slap shot off Tom Wilson’s foot, otherwise nothing happening.

The Caps take a 1-0 lead into the last frame.

Third period

The Pens get their chance to pin the Caps in their zone for a long time, their pinch fails and the Caps go the other way on a 2-on-1 where forward Egor Chinakhov is the last player back. Next up, Connor McMichael scores, beating Skinner on backhand deke. 2-0 with just 4:10 to go.

Pittsburgh pulls the goalie with over 3 minutes to play, apparently wanting Ovechkin to get career goal No. 930 to send the people home happy. Ovechkin gets the assist to spring McMichael into space and score on the unguarded cage. 3-0 game.

Some thoughts

  • I think the Penguins really missed the mark with the decisions of playing/sitting players before the playoffs. Namely, how are you going to hold all the star players and key players out from ‘fan appreciation day’ to play them on the road the next day? Awful. And why play them at all today? Ovechkin nailed Letang, Karlsson took a high-stick and Rust blocked an Ovechkin shot in the foot in the first period alone. If you’re going to rest them, then go all the way and rest them all weekend. If you’re going to play them in games after being clinched then it shouldn’t have been today.
  • That said, it is what it is. Not like it’s wise to put hockey players on the shelf for 10 days and pick right up for the playoffs. Rotating almost every key player out either today or yesterday (besides Rakell, Chinakhov, Novak, Girard and maybe Brazeau if giving him the honor of being a ‘key player’) is a nice boost at this time of year to pick a spot for a day off for the crew.
  • Crosby/Ovechkin head to head 100 times. 56 wins for Crosby, point battle is 127-103 (48 goals, 79 assists for Crosby, 53 goals and 50 assists for Ovechkin).
  • Not too much going on in this game, Skinner was pretty good, Thompson was great. Everyone else was just kinda there. The game had an odd feel to it almost as a wake for the career of Ovechkin hanging over all of the proceedings.

The Pens wrap up the regular season on Tuesday night in St. Louis.

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Yankees Social Media Spotlight: At Least Jeter’s Happy

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 07: Derek Jeter is seen on the field during a game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Texas Longhorns at Michigan Stadium on September 07, 2024 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It’s Sunday once more, and you know what that means — it’s time for our weekly social media roundup! The third week of the season has seen the Yankees hit their first real snag of the season, as they dropped four of five games, including three straight, to cap off their first home stand of the season. Despite these hiccups on the field, however, the social media game remained strong. What was the team up to this week? Let’s find out!

Congrats, Derek!

It is a great pleasure for me to remind the world that Dan Hurley and the University of Connecticut lost the Men’s NCAA National Championship last Monday. Why does that matter? Well, as a Villanova alumnus, I think that’s all that matters, but for those of you seeking a Yankees connection, Derek Jeter is a Michigan fan.

The Game Belt

Despite their losses this week, the Yankees still had a couple of game belts to give out. First, we had Giancarlo Stanton earn the belt last Saturday for his work as a speed demon en route to the Easter Vigil victory over the Miami Marlins.

Then, of course, we had the Amed Rosario game.

Honestly, Big G seems more excited for Rosario receiving the belt than he did for himself!

Happy Birthday!

The Rodón family celebrated a birthday this week.

Rain Delay Wholesomeness

This past Friday, the Scranton RailRiders had a rain delay, and decided to take this picture of Spencer Jones hanging with the clubhouse crew. Except, I’m going to be honest with you, my eyes do not at all go to Spencer Jones or the clubhouse crew in this picture; rather, the more I look, the more absurdity I see.

Ouch!

Yankees 2022 legend Matt Carpenter posted a highlight of him pitching in youth baseball this week and, uh, I certainly sympathize with him on that hop.

Ichiro’s Statue

Over the weekend, the Seattle Mariners unveiled a statue of Ichiro Suzuki outside their stadium, and, uh, broke it during the unveiling. Ichiro, quickwitted as always, immediately joked that he “didn’t think Mariano would come out here and break the bat,” to which the Yankees replied on Twitter:

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The Washington Nationals get first sweep in Milwaukee since 2006 powered by an electric offense

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 12: James Wood #29 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with teammate Luis García Jr. #2 after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on April 12, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images

After a 1-5 home stand, the Nationals got off the mat in a big way with a sweep in Milwaukee. The Nats looked like the better team throughout the weekend series against a team that won 97 games last year and dominated the Nats in the season series. This was actually the Nats first sweep in Milwaukee since all the way back in 2006.

This game showcased who the Nats have been so far. The starting pitching was decent, if homer prone. The bullpen gave fans heart problems and the offense was electric. That is who the Nats have been so far. It is a great watch for neutral fans, even if it is stressful for Nats fans.

The Nats offense got off to a slow start in this one. Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff retired the first nine Nats he faced. However, James Wood got the party started in the top of the fourth with a majestic pull side homer. We are used to seeing Wood go backside, but on this pitch he got his hands inside and powered a ball into the upper deck.

After his sluggish start, Wood has woken up in a big way. His OPS is now over 1.000 and Wood has 5 homers and 14 RBI’s from the leadoff spot. When Wood is seeing the ball well, there are few players as scary as him at the plate. After that homer, the Brewers mostly pitched around Wood, even intentionally walking him once.

On the mound, Zack Littell was solid when he was not giving up home runs. He went five innings, allowing three runs, all on solo homers. Home runs have always been an issue for Littell, but he did not let the solo shots bother him too much.

Heading into the 7th, it was 3-2 Brewers, but the Nats offense woke up. They had a huge top of the 7th once Woodruff departed. Abner Uribe is one of the most underrated relievers in the league, but he was no match for this offense. 

This was a true rally, where the Nats were stringing hits together. Jacob Young started things off with a double that turned into three bases with an outfield error. Then Jose Tena delivered a huge pinch hit knock to drive him in. 

After Nasim Nunez made the second out, the Nats offense went into over drive. Curtis Mead made the Brewers pay for walking Wood by driving in the go-ahead run. Then, the Nats got another run in after they executed a steal of home on a first and third play. That was a play they could never get right last year, but they have done it right twice this season.

Just playing good offensive baseball has been the name of the game. The base running was not good yesterday, but it was fixed in this game. The broadcast made a comment about how Corey Ray said he was up all night upset after the base running mistakes. It is clear those got fixed, which you love to see.

However, this would not be a Nats game without a bullpen meltdown. After Ken Waldichuk got two outs in the 7th, he suffered an arm injury with the count 2-0 on the third batter. Unfortunately, Cole Henry was not able to pick him up. He walked that batter and then the guy after that. After falling behind Gary Sanchez, he left a cutter over the plate, which the veteran destroyed.

This could have demoralized the Nats offense, but there is no quit in this group. The offense just keeps coming in waves and they are getting production from throughout the lineup. 

Keibert Ruiz was the hero in this one. He replaced Drew Millas, who was pinch hit for. Then, in the 8th inning, he got a chance to deliver with men on second and third with one out. For a second straight game, the Nats catcher delivered with a massive hit up the middle to give the good guys the lead.

Ruiz’s overall offensive numbers have not been great, but he has delivered in clutch situations on a couple of occasions. His ability to put the bat on the ball serves him well with runners in scoring position. The Nats have not gotten outstanding play from their catchers, but Ruiz has certainly been the better of the two.

The game still felt totally up for grabs with the Nats bullpen having to get six more outs. However, PJ Poulin and Gus Varland finished off the Brewers in shockingly easy fashion. They retired six straight and closed the door on this one to give the Nats the sweep.

It was Varland’s first career save, and he stepped up with Clayton Beeter unavailable. When Varland is on his game, his stuff looks really crisp. The consistency is not always there, but I am bullish on him.

This was a huge statement series for the Nats, who improved to 7-8. They head to Pittsburgh to face a young and hungry Pirates squad for four games. It will not be easy, but if anyone could solve this Pirates pitching staff led by Paul Skenes, it would be these scrappy Nats.

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Game Thread: Knicks vs Hornets, April 12, 2026

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 26: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks plays against the Charlotte Hornets during their game at Spectrum Center on March 26, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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 Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Knicks (53*-28) close their regular season Sunday night at Madison Square Garden against the Hornets (43-38), with New York locked into the East’s No. 3 seed and Charlotte still battling for home-court advantage in the Play-In. The Knicks enter on a five-game winning streak, but have little to gain by exerting too much effort today. Charlotte has been hot for a while, behind the breakout of rookie Kon Knueppel and improved play from Brandon Miller.

Tip-off is 6 pm EST on MSG Network. This is your game thread. This is At the Hive. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Be cool, but not cold; chill, but not chilly. And go Knicks!

* Should be one more, but NBA Cups are Adam Silver’s paper mache projects.

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Aaron Judge: Yankees need to 'simplify some things at the plate' to overcome offensive woes

It's been a frustrating past five days for the Yankees, who have not only dropped all five of their games, but have also scored a combined 13 runs (2.6 runs per game).

In Sunday's 5-4 loss to Tampa Bay, which secured a three-game sweep for the Rays, the Yankees scored four runs, but two came two came in the ninth inning, and it was too little, too late.

And while it's still early, sure, and the Yankees are still over .500 at 8-7, offensive inconsistency has been a trend.

"Guys are having some tough at-bats, but I think we just need to simplify some things at the plate," said Aaron Judge, who hit a two-run homer in the ninth but is still hitting at just a .218 clip for the season. "We’re trying to hit every single pitch we see up there and kind of getting ourselves in some bad counts and some bad situations. So I just think as a group, we simplify some things and refine our approach a little bit, hunt the pitch that we’re looking for and kind of pass the baton, and I think we’ll be in a better spot. 

"It’s tough, but it’s our job. We’ve got to go out there and take care of business."

Rays starter Drew Rasmussen allowed just one Yankees hit, a Jazz Chisholm Jr. double, over his 6.0 shutout innings, striking out seven Yankees without a walk. 

"He’s a good pitcher, mixes up his cutter shape, plays with his slider shape," said Ryan McMahon, who went 1-for-4. "It’s good stuff, so sometimes you’ve gotta just tip your cap. He had good stuff today and we weren’t able to figure him out."

It's no secret that McMahon has been struggling in a big way this season, as he's now hitting .114 on the campaign. Despite all the Yankees' issues on Sunday, McMahon had a chance to tie the game with a runner on third and two outs, but he grounded out to first base on one pitch to end the game.

McMahon said that he's "working every single day" to get on the right track, and he's not concerned with the team's early offensive problems.

"I hate to use this cliché, but literally that’s baseball," he said. "We’re going to get going, we’re not worried about it. We’ve just go to start doing it."

And the Yankees' captain shared a similar statement, saying the Yankees need to flush this game immediately as they head back home for the start of a seven-game homestand, which starts on Monday night with the first of four against the Los Angeles Angeles.

"It’s baseball. We’ve just got to show up the next day and re-right the ship," Judge said. "You’ve got to have a short memory and move on to the next one. It’s tough, but that game’s over with. Move on to the next one."

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Red Sox 9, Cardinals 3: Coasting

Apr 12, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Brayan Bello (66) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The Red Sox have only six wins this season. We’re not dealing with a large sample size. Still, today felt like the “easiest” win of the season. The offense jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a home run off the bat of Willson Contreras and never looked back. They were up 3-0 when Jordan Walker hit his seventh home run of the season to get a run for the Cardinals, but the Red Sox added four more in the fourth inning, and two more in the ninth. They didn’t need innings from Garrett Whitlock or Aroldis Chapman in a win for only the second time this season.

Brayan Bello also had his best game of the season, throwing 6 2/3 innings while allowing two runs. It was a different game plan from the righty, who went with a sinker-heavy approach. He kept the ball down frequently, moved it from side to side, and got six outs on balls in play with the pitch. As a result of the high-sinker use, he hardly spun the ball at all. He threw nine sweepers and six curveballs. He didn’t have a feel for either pitch at the beginning of the game, but when he located them near the zone, the results were positive. He’s been through so many iterations of his breaking pitches that I’m not confident he’ll ever consistently locate them, and strikeouts will be hard to find without spin, but on his day, he can be effective. It was a great building block for Bello, who will get the Tigers in his next start. They handed the ball to Danny Coulombe and Zack Kelly in relief of Bello, who held the Cardinals to one run, giving the Red Sox a 9-3 victory.

If the Red Sox win every series for the rest of the season, they’ll win the World Series. The record still doesn’t look great at 6-8, but stacking series wins will slowly get them back over 0.500. They’ve won two in a row now and head to Minnesota to face the Twins, who don’t have their best starters lined up. Just keep winning series, mix in a sweep now and again, and you’ll look up one day with the standings much easier to stomach.

Three Studs

Willson Contreras (4-5, 3 RBI)

Contreras’ two-run home run opened the scoring. He added a single in the fourth inning for another RBI. He also played fantastic defense at first base all afternoon, when he was busy thanks to a groundball-heavy day from the pitching staff.

Trevor Story (4-5, 2 RBI)

A ninth-inning double gave the Red Sox some breathing room. When Story gets hot, he gets red hot. Hopefully, it continues into Minnesota and beyond.

Brayan Bello

See above

Three Duds

Roman Anthony (0-5)

An 0 for day for Anthony, who’s now 1 for his last 16. Just growing pains, nothing to see here.

Technology

It was a rough day for NESN and NESN360 customers. I’ll leave it at that.

My MLB App

It’s telling me the Yankees have lost five straight. That can’t be right. Right?

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Another day full of Orioles post-game injury updates

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 08: Ryan Mountcastle #6 of the Baltimore Orioles looks on against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Rate Field on April 08, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jayden Mack/Getty Images) | Getty Images

One way that the 2026 Orioles season continues to emulate the 2025 one is the way that injury news is a daily feature. Following Sunday’s 6-2 win over the Giants, O’s manager Craig Albernaz provided updates on three players who have recently had issues pop up: Ryan Mountcastle, Tyler O’Neill, and Adley Rutschman.

O’Neill was the surprise addition to the list of injured on Sunday when the team placed him on the concussion injured list, which has only a 7-day minimum stay instead of the usual 10. The Orioles had been saying O’Neill was out of the lineup for previous games due to an illness.

Albernaz said that due to O’Neill’s illness, he got dehydrated and fainted on Thursday, hitting his head on the fall and apparently suffering a concussion in the process. O’Neill’s roster spot was, at least temporarily, taken by Johnathan Rodriguez, acquired from the Guardians in a minor transaction back on March 29.

The team had also been awaiting MRI results for Mountcastle and Rutschman. Albernaz did not give the exact diagnosis on Rutschman’s left ankle inflammation, just calling the results “encouraging” and indicating that Rutschman’s stay on the injured list may be a short one. This is a story that I’ve heard before and the first injury update does not always prove to be the final situation, so we’ll see how that plays out. Rutschman was placed on the 10-day injured list yesterday. He’s got a little more time to wait. If he does have a short IL stint, the team may not have him do a rehab assignment.

For Mountcastle, the diagnosis is a broken fourth metatarsal on his left foot. This was apparently suffered during his run on the bases in Saturday’s game. At this moment, he’s not on the injured list and Albernaz didn’t say whether Mountcastle would be placed on the IL. They might see how he responds to “try to play through it after a little rest,” or they might take an easy excuse to place him on the IL. It’s not like there are a ton of good options to replace him at Norfolk.

The Orioles now have 12 players on the injured list and if Mountcastle goes on too, that’ll make 13. It’s a lot of injuries. Despite all of this, the team is in a three-way tie atop the AL East with its 8-7 record. The daily injury updates may be familiar from 2025, but the team managing to stay afloat while absorbing all of the injuries? That’s something new. Hopefully they can keep that going.