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This week in baseball: Almost everywhere you look in the AL, there’s mediocrity to be found

Brice Turang’s homer in the ninth inning gave Milwaukee a three-game sweep of the New Yankees and was the latest example of an early-season trend.

The American League has been taking it on the chin.

By the end of the night Sunday, only three AL teams had a winning record, and one of them was the Athletics, who were only two games above .500. The Rays (26-13) and Yankees (26-15) are the only junior circuit teams that have been really impressive, and the latter ran into quite a roadblock against the NL Central’s Brewers.

If the season ended now, the last two AL wild cards would be the White Sox and Rangers, who are both 19-21.

Eleven AL teams are under .500. That’s the most through May 10 of any league in the divisional play era, according to Sportradar. The 2019 AL and the 2012 and 2010 NL each had nine teams under .500 at this point in the year.

Part of what makes this scenario possible is the proliferation of interleague play. The NL is 107-82 against the AL this season for a .566 winning percentage. The best interleague season was when the AL had a .611 winning percentage against the NL in 2006. But there were only 252 interleague games that whole year. There have already been 189 this season.

The more interleague games, the further one league can move ahead of the other. And even at the top of the AL East, the Rays are 8-10 against the NL and 18-3 against the AL.

Crucial stretch

Despite the soft AL playoff race, Orioles fans have become increasingly ornery as their team sputters at the start of a second straight season. Baltimore is 18-23, just 1 1/2 games out of a postseason spot, but May has already included a four-game sweep in the Bronx in which the Orioles were outscored 39-10.

Now the Yankees come to Baltimore for a three-game set, and the Orioles host the Rays in a series that starts Memorial Day. The big question in Baltimore is whether the Orioles can simply stay afloat for the rest of the month and avoid digging too big a hole.

Motown mess

It was a rough week for the starting rotation that was supposed to be such a strength in Detroit. Tarik Skubal was scratched from his start Monday and could be out a while because of loose bodies in his elbow. Then Framber Valdez was shelled by Boston on Tuesday and hit Trevor Story with a pitch, drawing a five-game suspension.

Jack Flaherty hasn’t been good either and Justin Verlander has made only one start.

The Tigers are 19-22, although that means they’re only a half-game out of a wild card and 1 1/2 out of first place in the AL Central.

Trivia time

Milwaukee’s Aaron Ashby is already 7-0 in relief this season. Pittsburgh’s Roy Face holds the modern single-season record for relief wins with 18 in 1959. But who has the career mark?

Performance of the week

Andy Pages had three homers and six RBIs for the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 12-2 win over Houston on Wednesday. It’s been Pages — not Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman or Kyle Tucker — making an outsized offensive contribution early this season for the two-time defending champs. Pages is hitting .333 with nine home runs and 35 RBIs.

Comeback of the week

Down to their last out Sunday, the San Diego Padres tied the game against St. Louis on Nick Castellanos’ two-run homer. Then they won 3-2 in 10 innings on Manny Machado’s walk-off sacrifice fly.

The Cardinals had a win probability of 95.4% in the bottom of the ninth, according to Baseball Savant.

San Diego already has four walk-off victories this season, second to the Chicago Cubs’ six. Neither has a walk-off defeat.

Trivia answer

Hall of Fame knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm earned 124 of his 143 wins in relief.

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Fantasy baseball streaming starting pitchers and arsenal changes for Robby Snelling, Christian Scott, more

Welcome to your fantasy baseball starting pitcher happy place. This is a new column for me this year that will combine a few things I've done in the past. In this article, every Monday, you'll not only get a list of my favorite streaming starting pitchers for the whole week, but underneath that, you'll get a breakdown of a few pitchers who are making interesting changes to their pitch mix. Today I covered Robby Snelling, Griffin Jax, Griffin Canning, and Christian Scott.

It's a little bit of rankings and a little bit of analysis, and hopefully a lot of help for your teams.

As far as which pitchers on this list you'll want to stream, your decisions will change based on your league type and settings. Since I'm listing starters for all week, I'm not going to be able to give a detailed analysis for each one; I'll just highlight the matchup and some quick thoughts. As is usual with my articles, a streaming starter pitcher is rostered in less than 40% of Yahoo formats, so just keep that in mind as we’re going through because I won't be mentioning pitchers who are rostered in more leagues than that, and I also won't be mentioning pitchers who I would not start in any format.

Check out this week’s MLB Power Rankings!

Starting Pitcher Streamers of the Week

Monday

Strong Preference

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Joey Cantillo38%vs LAA12s and deeper

Fairly Confident

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Peter Lambert27%vs SEA12s and deeper

Some Hesitation

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Alek Manoah1%at CLE15s and deeper

There are not a lot of games on Monday, so not a ton of streaming choices. I like this matchup for Joey Cantillo. As we've discussed a bunch of times, if his changeup is located well, he's going to pitch well against any team. This is a bit of a stiffer test for Peter Lambert, but he has been good for Houston, and it'll just be nice to see what Alek Manoah can do in bulk relief innings. I'm not starting him anywhere.

Tuesday

Fairly Confident

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Walbert Urena4%at CLE15s and deeper
Michael Lorenzen1%at PIT15s and deeper

Some Hesitation

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Brady Singer16%vs WAS15s and deeper
Brandon Sproat5%vs SD15s and deeper
Patrick Corbin4%vs TB15s and deeper
Erick Fedde3%vs KC15s and deeper
Stephen Kolek2%at CWS15s and deeper
Andre Pallante6%at ATH15s and deeper

None of the options today really stand out as being elite. Walbert Urena has shown flashes but is tough to trust, and Cleveland is going to throw all lefties at him. Andre Pallante is in a terrible ballpark, Brady Singer and Brandon Sproat have not been pitching well enough to inspire confidence, and the rest of the guys are all matchup plays.

Wednesday

Strong Preference

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Reid Detmers38%at CLE12s and deeper

Fairly Confident

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Noah Schultz34%vs KC12s and deeper
Griffin Jax24%at TOR12s and deeper
Christian Scott10%vs DET12s and deeper
Jose Quintana2%at PIT15s and deeper

Some Hesitation

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
J.T. Ginn9%vs STL15s and deeper
JR Ritchie17%vs CHC15s and deeper
Bryce Miller32%at HOU15s and deeper

Reid Detmers is going to need his changeup in this one, and the Guardians offense is pretty good against lefties, so I'm a little worried, but I'm going to perhaps foolishly trust Detmers here. The Tigers' offense is also far better against righties, which gives me mild pause with Christian Scott, but I do like him as a pitcher. I also don't know what we're getting out of Griffin Jax, who is being stretched out as a starter, and Noah Schultz, who is just inconsistent. I know J.T. Ginn also had a tremendous last game, but using him in Sacramento is incredibly risky.

Thursday

Strong Preference

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Connor Prielipp11%vs MIAAll league types
Chase Dollander40%at PITAll league types
Robby Snelling27%at MIN12s and deeper
Camen Mlodzinski11%vs COL12s and deeper

Fairly Confident

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Mike Burrows17%vs SEA12s and deeper
Sean Burke28%vs KC15s and deeper
Keider Montero5%at NYM15s and deeper

Some Hesitation

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Ben Brown9%at ATL15s and deeper
Griffin Canning11%at MIL15s and deeper

This is the best day for streaming this week. I know Connor Prielipp hasn't thrown more than five innings yet, but he's gone over 90 pitches in back-to-back games, and his defense really let him down in the last outing. We also always start Chase Dollander on the road, but Carmen Mlodzinski gets to face the Rockies outside of Coors, which we love. I also think prospects tend to perform much better after the nerves of their MLB debut are over, so Robby Snelling is a decent bet here. Mike Burrows is also starting to turn things around a bit, and the underlying metrics are good. I know Ben Brown has been good in a multi-inning relief role this year, but he still hasn't added anything to his pitch mix, and that was always the problem when he had to pitch deeper into games.

Friday

Strong Preference

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Janson Junk25%at TB12s and deeper
Logan Henderson35%at MIN12s and deeper

Fairly Confident

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Shane Baz40%vs WAS12s and deeper
Jesse Scholtens2%vs MIA12s and deeper
Jack Leiter31%at HOU12s and deeper
Dustin May16%vs KC15s and deeper

Some Hesitation

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Ty Madden3%vs TOR15s and deeper
Zack Littell3%vs BAL15s and deeper
Tyler Mahle14%at ATH15s and deeper

I know there's word about Brandon Woodruff working his way back, but he also had fluid drained from a cyst in his shoulder, so I don't think Logan Henderson has to worry about his spot in the rotation right now. Janson Junk is also pitching well enough to be trusted in any sort of decent matchup.

Saturday

Fairly Confident

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Kendry Rojas0%vs MIL15s and deeper
Cade Cavalli19%vs BAL15s and deeper
Jameson Taillon32%at CWS15s and deeper

Some Hesitation

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Noah Cameron22%at STL15s and deeper
Luis Severino29%vs SF15s and deeper

This is another rough day for streaming with a lot of aces going. Kendry Rojas is intriguing, but his command is all over the place, so I can't recommend him higher than this, and Cade Cavalli is simply too inconsistent as really a one-pitch pitcher with a bunch of average other offerings.

Sunday

Strong Preference

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Joey Cantillo38%vs CIN12s and deeper

Fairly Confident

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Stephen Kolek2%at STL15s and deeper
Peter Lambert27%vs TEX15s and deeper
Colin Rea21%at CWS15s and deeper
Andre Pallante6%vs KC15s and deeper

Some Hesitation

PitcherRoster%OpponentLeague Type
Brandon Young4%at WAS15s and deeper
Brady Singer16%at CLE15s and deeper
Lucas Giolito5%at SEA15s and deeper

The Reds on the road are usually a good matchup, so that works for Joey Cantillo this week. We also get better second starts for Peter Lambert, Andre Pallante, and Stephen Kolek. We also should get Lucas Giolito's debut here, but I find it hard to start him since it's his first start of the season, and he hasn't looked great in the minors.

Starting Pitcher Pitch Mix Changes

Griffin Jax - Tampa Bay Rays (Sweeper Usage, Cutter Usage, New Curve)

Jax is moving to the rotation, so there will obviously be some pitch mix changes. However, there has also been some overall growth to his pitches coming over to Tampa Bay, especially with his four-seam fastball. We expected a velocity dip moving from the bullpen, but overall, his fastball is down one mph, and he has added 1.2 inches of vertical movement to increase his height-adjusted vertical approach angle to be even steeper. He's also using that four-seamer up in the zone more often, which is the right idea, but that has also led to him missing up in the zone more often, so that's something he'll need to keep addressing.

This season, he also added a curveball, which he’s throwing primarily to left-handed hitters at 11% overall, and at 61% to lefties in two-strike counts. It has a tremendous 36.4% PutAway Rate, so even though the usage isn't high, it's clearly doing its job after getting ahead with the four-seamer and/or changeup. He's also changed how he's attacking lefties with his cutter, throwing it up in the zone 36% more often, but not being so focused on jamming it in on their hands. The pitch isn't missing tons of bats, but it is getting a lot of weak contact. Considering he's using it 77% of the time early in counts to lefties, it's just a solid get-ahead or get an early ground-out pitch.

Another change we've seen, primarily as he has moved to starting, has been a reduction in his sweeper usage. Last year, he used his sweeper 44% of the time, but this year, it's down to 26%. A big component of that is that he's now seeing more lefties. In his first 11 appearances out of the bullpen, he used the sweeper 34% of the time overall and even 26% of the time to lefties. In fact, his pitch mix to lefties as a reliever was 31% changeups, 26% sweepers, 22.5% four-seamers, and 16% curveballs. In his three starts, he's now 42% four-seamer, 25% chanegup, 19% cutter, 7.5% sweeper, and 3% curveball. I think the curveball count is so low because he's only thrown 67 pitches to lefties as a starter, and we know his curve is reserved for two-strike situations.

Yet, we can clearly see some change in his approach after just three starts. I think he has a deep enough pitch mix to attack both lefties and righties and offerings to miss bats to both. It may take a little while for him to fully click as a starter, but I can certainly see this working.

Griffin Canning - San Diego Padres (New Fastball Shape, Changeup Usage, New Sweeper)

Griffin Canning has made two starts with the Padres, and even though the last one was a real disappointment, we can still look at the changes he's made. For starters, after being primarily a four-seam and slider pitcher with the Mets, the Padres have him throwing almost 40% changeups, and his slider usage has decreased from 31% to 18%. I'm not fully sure I understand that since his slider has always been his best pitch, and it was good to both righties and lefties last year when it posted a 20.7% swinging strike rate (SwStr%) and 34% Ideal Contact Rate (ICR) to lefties alone. This season, the Padres have him throwing it more as an early-count pitch, even though it continues to have lots of success in two-strike counts. This one I don't get.

The increased changeup usage itself is fine. It's been a pretty good pitch for him. This year, it has over three inches more horizontal movement and almost three inches more drop. The zone rate on it has fallen from 50% to 35% as the Padres try to use it as more of a swing-and-miss pitch. It does have a really impressive 22.4% SwStr% to lefties and has been successful in limited usage as a two-strike pitch. However, it has just a 10% SwStr% to righties at 24% usage, and I think he'd be better off using his slider more to righties and dialing back the changeup as more of a weak contact pitch early in the counts.

Canning has also added over one inch of vertical movement to his fastball, but has also added horizontal movement as well. It's technically a flatter fastball, and he's using it up in the zone 17% more often, which has led to far more swinging strikes and far fewer called strikes. It's also still getting hit pretty hard, with a 50% ICR allowed. It is succeeding as a two-strike pitch, so maybe he should be more focused and changeups early to lefties and sinkers early for righties, and use the four-seam for swinging strikes

Lastly, Canning has seemingly turned his cutter into a sweeper. The pitch is now 86 mph with 11 inches of horizontal movement and 1.6 inches of drop. He's used it just three times to righties and has yet to throw a single one in the zone, so this is clearly still a work in progress.

Christian Scott - New York Mets (New Cutter, New Sinker)

I like a lot of what I've seen with Christian Scott this year. Scott has elite extension at 7.0 feet, and not a lot of vertical movement on his four-seam fastball, but he has a low-release height, which still gives him a pretty flat fastball attack angle. The Mets are getting that pitch up in the zone almost 20% more often this year than they did in 2024, which has led to a boost in swinging strike rate, but as is the case with many pitchers adjust to ABS and a new approach, far fewer pitches in the strike zone. However, because of the involvement of the cutter and sinker, he can use his four-seamer more often in two-strike counts, which will work.

The sinker is a little-used pitch, but he does throw it 7% of the time to righties and primarily early in the count. The four-seam is his primary pitch to righties, but he also throws his sweeper nearly 25% of the time and 55% of the time in two-strike counts. Scott's sweeper is unique because it has five inches of vertical break, which is more "rise" than a lot of sweepers due to his lower arm angle. Overall, the pitch has a 25% SwStr% to righties, but he has struggled to find the zone with it right now, and it has a below-average strike rate.

After not throwing a slider and not a cutter in 2024, he is now using a cutter 33.6% of the time to lefties. He uses it primarily early in counts, and it doesn't miss many bats, but he is getting it in the zone often. However, even though he has a .111 batting average against it, it's also given up a 50% ICR, which is well below average. The good news for him is that hitters are struggling to elevate it, so he's not getting tons of damage on it right now. That makes me question the success against lefties a little bit, but I think the sinker-four-seam-sweeper combination will play against righties, so that's half the battle.

Robby Snelling - Miami Marlins (MLB Debut)

I know the stats weren't there for Snelling, but they usually aren't in an MLB debut. What we saw was pretty impressive. He went four-seam, curve, changeup, slider to righties and curve, sinker, four-seam to lefties with some changeups mixed in. His four-seam fastball is about 95 mph with plenty of vertical movement and should do far better than a 7% SwStr% going forward. His command of it was a bit all over the place in this one, which is to be expected in an MLB debut, but he did a better job of elevating it against righties. The sinker is a fine pitch, but its main job is to keep lefties from leaning out over the plate against the curveball.

That curve will be his bread and butter, and it looked like a great pitch. It's 83 mph with almost 11 inches of horizontal movement and over seven inches of drop. He will throw it for strikes and also bury it under the zone for whiffs. He had a 17% SwStr% and 30% CSW in the debut, and I think it's going to be a weapon for both righties and lefties. The changeup is going to mainly be a focus for right-handed hitters, but we love a good changeup to righties from a lefty. It's a harder changeup at 90 mph, and the Marlins are kind of famous for these sinker/changeup types. He does a really good job keeping it low in the zone against righties, and it didn't give up any contact at all in the debut.

The slider also graded out well from a movement standpoint, and is more of a mix-in pitch against righties, but not a bad fourth weapon to have. At the end of the day, there will be volatility, as there is with any rookie, but Snelling has lots of swing-and-miss upside and the pitch mix to handle both righties and lefties. It will just be about command, sequencing, and his mentality on the mound. All things that can take a while to develop at the MLB level.

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Canadiens’ Dobes On His Way To Make History?

Rookie netminder Jakub Dobes now has six playoff wins. That’s the third-highest total for a Montreal Canadiens’ rookie goaltender in history. Sunday night’s win over the Buffalo Sabres has allowed him to overtake Carey Price, who now slides to fourth place with five wins. The Czech netminder can now set his sights on Ken Dryden, who’s in second place with 12 wins, and Patrick Roy, who’s at the top with 15. There’s only one way to overtake Roy: winning the Stanley Cup.

There’s only one rookie goaltender in NHL history who has won more playoff wins than Roy: Jordan Binnington in 2019. He led the St. Louis Blues to 16 wins and a Stanley Cup in 2019.

Canadiens' Farm Team Eliminated As Number 1 Goalie Rides The Pine In Montreal
Canadiens’ Dobes Is No Battlin’ Billy, But He Can Handle Himself
Exclusive: Annakin Slayd Could Have A Big Surprise For Canadiens’ Fans

After 10 games, the 24-year-old has a 6-4 record, with a 2.13 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. On Sunday, the Sabres tried to get him to lose his focus, crashing the net and being very insistent to get some rebounds. Still, they couldn’t, even when Beck Malenstyn crashed into him at full speed, earning himself a two-minute penalty for goaltender interference.

Asked after the game if he had time to brace for that contact, the rookie netminder said:

No, I was focusing on the puck, and then I was on the ground. I tried to get up as fast as possible so that the spotters [the NHL concussion spotters] wouldn’t take me out of the game. I drank some water, and I was good to go for the next shift.
- Dobes on the contact with Malenstyn

When it was put to him that he was becoming a hero for the fans, he chuckled and answered:

I’m not a hero, I’m just me. I’m just a goofy goalie who tries to stop pucks. Trust me, I don’t call myself a hero. Pretty much, I will go home, eat, watch Game of Thrones and go to bed. I don’t think that’s anything heroic. When it’s time to do my job, I will do anything to win.
- Dobes on being considered a hero

That’s a far cry away from Martin St-Louis’ go-to show after a game; Seinfeld, but it seems to work well for the youngster.

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Yankees Birthday of the Day: Walt Terrell

NEW YORK - CIRCA 1987: Walt Terrell #35 of the Detroit Tigers pitches against the New York Yankees during a Major League Baseball game circa 1987 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Terrell played for the Tigers from 1985-88 and from 1990-92. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The 1989 Yankees were a mostly forgettable squad. Situated squarely within the late-80s decline that came before the dynasty years of the late ‘90s, the ‘89 team combined lengthy winning and losing streaks to reach the All-Star Break with a 43-43 record — good for second in the AL East, 5.5 games behind the division-leading Baltimore Orioles. A late-July swoon, however, prompted the Bombers to swing some deals at the deadline, bringing today’s birthday boy to the Bronx: 11-year big-league pitcher Walt Terrell, who had a 13-start Yankees career.

Charles Walter Terrell
Born: May 11, 1958 (Jeffersonville, IN)
Yankees Tenure: 1989

Born to a factory worker and seamstress in rural Indiana, Walt Terrell grew up without either indoor plumbing or a telephone for a good chunk of his childhood, receiving the former in 1965 and the latter in 1967. Despite this, the 6-foot-7 Terrell proved to be a remarkable athlete from a young age, playing high school baseball, football, and basketball. Off the back of a strong senior season, in which he threw a no-hitter and posted a batting average above .300, he went on to attend Morehead State University in Kentucky, where he learned a changeup — and how to truly pitch, not simply throw the ball — from coach Steve Hamilton, a 12-year Major Leaguer who spent eight seasons with the Yankees.

Originally drafted in the 15th round of the 1979 draft by the New York Mets, Terrell returned to college for his senior season. In the short term, this cost him draft stock, as he wound up going to the Texas Rangers in the 33rd round the following year. In the long term, however, this turned out to be the right move: when he finally took ta professional mound that summer, he hit the ground running, steadily climbing through the system. When he was traded, along with Ron Darling, to the Mets in April 1982 for Lee Mazzilli, he was immediately added to the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate, and made his debut that September when rosters expanded.

Terrell started the 1983 season back in the minors, but returned to The Show for good that June. For the next year and a half, he was a mainstay in the rotation in Queens. At that point, though, his time with the Mets came to an end, as he was traded to the Detroit Tigers on December 7, 1984. He would go on to spend four seasons there. Across the first three, he was one of Detroit’s most reliable pitchers, averaging 34 starts per season while posting a perfectly league average 4.14 ERA. An ankle injury and underperformance ruined his 1988 campaign, however, prompting the Tigers to trade him to the San Diego Padres a few weeks after the season ended.

Terrell was an effective middle-of-the-rotation starter in San Diego, going 5-13 with a 4.01 ERA (88 ERA+) in 19 starts as a member of the Padres. With the Padres in fourth place and 9.5 games behind the first place Giants in the NL West, San Diego opted to flip the impending free agent at the deadline for struggling Yankees third baseman Mike Pagliarulo and pitcher Don Schulze.

The Yankees undoubtedly hoped Terrell would provide a jolt to the middle of their rotation as they tried to battle back in the division. That, unfortunately, did not happen. He allowed four runs or more in six of his first seven starts, getting tagged with the loss in four of them. Below is one such blow-up, when the “Why Not” Orioles—stunning contenders in ’89 after record-setting misery in ’88—got to him for five runs on eleven hits in six innings of work on August 26th:

In truth, Terrell only had one major highlight with the Yankees, a five-hit complete-game shutout at Fenway Park against Wade Boggs and the Boston Red Sox. That ended his season on a high note at the very least.

That offseason, Terrell was interested in a return to the Bronx, but ultimately signed a three-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates for $3.6 million. That contract lasted all of 16 starts, as the Pirates released him in the middle of July after he started his Pirates career with a 2-7 record and a 5.88 ERA. The Tigers picked him up, and he spent the last two and a half years of his career with them. He signed a minor league deal with the Toronto Blue Jays ahead of the 1993 season, but failed to make the team out of spring training and, when it was clear that the team had no interest in bringing him up, retired in July.

After his career, Terrell moved to Kentucky and, according to SABR, worked for Pepsi and coached high school and travel baseball. In 2005, he was inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

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2026 NBA Draft scouting report: Chris Cenac Jr.

Houston's Chris Cenac Jr. (5) cheers during a second-round game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament between Houston Cougars and Texas A&M Aggies at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday March 21, 2026. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Chris Cenac Jr. is one of the more intriguing big men in the 2026 NBA Draft, and it’s the potential that he has shown on both sides of the ball that makes him someone teams could keep their eyes on. At 6-11, the Houston center has the size to be a solid big in the league, but it’s his mobility that helps him stand out more than others at his height. To add on to that, some of the things that he does on the defense are important for what teams are looking for nowadays.

The one thing that sticks out when watching Cenac is his knack for grabbing rebounds (7.9 per game). He may be one of the best in the draft in that category, because when the ball comes off the rim, he seems to always be in the vicinity. That’s where his athleticism comes in, because he has a solid second jump that keeps him in play for grabbing rebounds.

Cenac still has a long way to go with building out his frame, and there were times throughout his collegiate career where he got outworked by bigger centers than him. There’s no doubt that he has to get stronger, especially when comparing him to what he’ll see once he enters the league. As far as perimeter defense, he slides his feet well, but it’s not something that he’s best at right now. He’ll be better off staying down low and defending players around his height.

The biggest concern with Cenac’s defense is picking up fouls. He’s typically been aggressive closing out on shooters, and he can be undisciplined if he’s on the perimeter, reaching in when he doesn’t have to or getting beat off the dribble.

On offense, Cenac has a nice mid-range jumper that can help teams spread the floor. He also took a few threes with Houston, shooting 2.4 attempts per game, and making 0.8 of them. They mostly came off catch and shoot, and he’s not known as a creator. For a center, shooting 3-pointers are big, and he’ll need to continue that when he enters the league.

As far as what he can do in the interior, Cenac’s athleticism allows him to finish well around the rim. All you have to do is throw the ball up, and he’ll throw it down, no matter where the ball is coming from. He also has a nice touch at the rim, and he has the ability to take advantage of mismatches if he has to.

Cenac has the motor that teams want in a center, but it’s the inconsistency that could hold him back at times. Nonetheless, if he’s actively engaged in the game, there will be a lot of good things to come from him.

The Atlanta Hawks had a problem with their center depth throughout the season, and adding a player like Cenac could be the start to improving that area. With his size and potential to space the floor, he’s a player the Hawks might look at with their pick later in the draft.

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Where to Watch San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers: Live stream, start time, TV channel, odds for Monday, May 11

The San Francisco Giants, ranked fourth in the NL West with a 16-24 record, face the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are tied for first in the NL West with a 24-16 record. The Los Angeles Dodgers are favored with a -185 moneyline compared to the San Francisco Giants' +150. Starting pitchers are Trevor McDonald for San Francisco, with a 1.29 ERA, and Roki Sasaki for Los Angeles, with a 5.97 ERA.

  • Date: Monday, May 11

  • Time: 10:10 p.m. ET / 7:10 p.m. PT

  • Where: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA

  • TV Channels: SportsNet LA, NBCS BA

  • Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

  • San Francisco Giants: 16-24 (fourth in NL West)

  • Los Angeles Dodgers: 24-16 (tied for first in NL West)

  • Spread: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5

  • Moneyline: Los Angeles Dodgers -185 / San Francisco Giants +150

  • Over/Under: 9.5

San Francisco Giants: Trevor McDonald (1-0, ERA: 1.29, K: 8, WHIP: 0.29)

Los Angeles Dodgers: Roki Sasaki (1-3, ERA: 5.97, K: 26, WHIP: 1.67)

Weather: 74°F at first pitch

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Where to watch New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles: Live stream, start time, TV channel, odds for Monday, May 11

The New York Yankees, ranked second in the AL East with a 26-15 record, face the Baltimore Orioles, who are fourth in the AL East with an 18-23 record. The New York Yankees are favored with a -160 moneyline compared to the Baltimore Orioles' +135. Starting pitchers are Ryan Weathers for New York, with a 3.03 ERA, and Brandon Young for Baltimore, with a 4.35 ERA.

  • New York Yankees: 26-15 (second in AL East)

  • Baltimore Orioles: 18-23 (fourth in AL East)

  • Spread: New York Yankees -1.5

  • Moneyline: Baltimore Orioles +135 / New York Yankees -160

  • Over/Under: 9.0

New York Yankees: Ryan Weathers (2-2, ERA: 3.03, K: 45, WHIP: 1.19)

Baltimore Orioles: Brandon Young (3-1, ERA: 4.35, K: 14, WHIP: 1.45)

Weather: 61°F at first pitch

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Sacramento Kings have the No. 7 pick: All eyes on Darius Acuff Jr.?

The Sacramento Kings landed the No. 7 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, which might seem like a consolation prize.

The Kings had a tie with the Utah Jazz after both posted 22-60 records during the 2025-26 season and thus a pretty good chance at landing a top-4 pick. That decision was decided by a coin flip and resulted in Utah getting the No. 2 pick.

With the No. 7 pick solidified, Sacramento can start figuring out who it'd select in the draft. General manager Scott Perry has said that he was prepared with at least nine prospect during an April exit interviews in April.

It most likely won't be AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer, Darryn Peterson or Caleb Wilson that the Kings select but there are still number of prospects that they could grab at No. 7.

Perry said the team would select the "best player available" during his exit interview with media, but acknowledged that the team needs a starting-level point guard for the long-term future.

Here's which prospects USA TODAY Sports and other sports experts predict the Kings could select at No. 7 in the 2026 NBA Draft:

DRAFT LOTTERY WINNERS AND LOSERS: Who got rewarded for the rebuild?

USA TODAY Sports: Darius Acuff Jr.

  • TEAM: Arkansas
  • POSITION: Guard
  • BORN: Michigan
  • HEIGHT: 6-3
  • DRAFT AGE: 19

The Kings need a potential star like Arkansas freshman Darius Acuff Jr. in this class.En route to the Sweet 16, the SEC Player of the Year proved he is one of the most enticing offensive prospects in recent memory. Acuff Jr. led the nation for points created (1,394) either by himself or through an assist, per CBB Analytics. He led freshmen for field goals made in transition (72) and field goals made from both the left and right side of the court. He was among the freshmen leaders in alley-oop assists (17) as well. He has significant defensive deficiencies but is one of the most exciting offensive prospects in recent memory. – Bryan Kalbrosky, USA TODAY

ESPN: Kingston Flemings

  • TEAM: Houston
  • POSITION: Guard
  • BORN: Virginia
  • HEIGHT: 6-4
  • DRAFT AGE: 19

The Kings fell from No. 5 to No. 7 in a critical draft for the franchise, considering their older, expensive roster and the need for a younger face to rebuild around as general manager Scott Perry enters his second season. If there's a silver lining, it's that Sacramento has a clear need at point guard, with several options likely on the board at this spot.

Flemings' explosive speed and winning intangibles swayed NBA executives this season, and he projects as a lead playmaker who puts downhill pressure on defenses and should also add value as a defender. The continued progression of his jump shot is key for him and something he'll need to demonstrate effectively in team workouts, but he got positive results at Houston (38.7% from 3, 84.5% from the line) and has shown growth already in that area. – Jeremy Woo, ESPN

CBS Sports: Kingston Flemings

  • TEAM: Houston
  • POSITION: Guard
  • BORN: Virginia
  • HEIGHT: 6-4
  • DRAFT AGE: 19

Flemings is an elite athlete who can get a piece of the paint on demand, rise up explosively at the rim, get to his pull-up at virtually any time, and be solid on the defensive end. His swing skill is his shooting, and if it holds up, then he too has legit star-type outcomes. In Sacramento, Flemings will have an opportunity to earn the starting point guard job from day one. – Adam Finkelstein, CBS Sports

Yahoo Sports: Darius Acuff Jr.

DRAFT AGE: 19

TEAM: Arkansas

POSITION: Guard

BORN: Michigan

HEIGHT: 6-3

Kings fans must be disappointed by not moving up in the draft, but there are tons of guards available in this range who could run the show for the next decade. The most electric one? Acuff is a wiry scorer who can get a bucket from anywhere on the floor with a quick trigger, slippery handle, and a feel for manipulating defenses. He has a knack for clutch moments too. He is not the biggest guard or the most explosive athlete, but he reads defenses like someone who's been in the league for a decade. He emerged as a freshman as a skilled, low-turnover playmaker. The question that follows every undersized guard into the draft is whether the brilliance survives contact with bigger, longer, faster defenders. The Kings will have to find big wings and forwards, plus a rim-protecting center to support Acuff. But for now, fans can enjoy the Acuff show. – Kevin O'Connor, Yahoo Sports

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sacramento Kings pick No. 7, experts predictions in NBA mock drafts

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Golden State Warriors with No. 11 pick: What will they do?

The Golden State Warriors have got a couple questions answered about their future: they know their coach will be and which pick they'll have in the 2026 NBA Draft.

A day before the NBA draft lottery, Steve Kerr ended a three-week negotiation with the Warriors, deciding to remain in the Bay Area on a two-year contract extension, his agents told ESPN. Kerr will remain the highest-paid coach in the NBA on a yearly basis, ESPN reports.

Next, the Warriors found out at the lottery that they would have the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft in June.

A team that's looking to add a superstar in the offseason whether it's via trade or a free agent signing, that No. 11 pick could look enticing to suitors. But also, the Warriors could choose to take a look at some of the prospects on the board projected to fall between No. 10 to 15.

Golden State is nearing the end of its Stephen Curry era. Whether they package the pick in a trade or utilize it is yet to be determined. However, in the event the Warriors get young talent to add to their core, experts have them adding a ready-now player.

Here's which prospects USA TODAY Sports and other sports experts predict the Warriors could select at No. 11 in the 2026 NBA Draft:

DRAFT LOTTERY WINNERS AND LOSERS: Who got rewarded for the rebuild?

USA TODAY Sports: Karim López

  • TEAM: International (Australia)
  • POSITION: Forward
  • BORN: Mexico
  • HEIGHT: 6-8
  • DRAFT AGE: 19

Karim López had a low usage rate and played few minutes than other players in this range while playing against pros but was still very productive for the NBL Next Stars program in Australia. The Mexican-born forward is physically gifted, athletic, and universally seen as the top prospect from this class currently playing overseas. He exploded for 32 points (11-of-13 FG) with eight rebounds, two blocks and one steal against Melbourne on Jan. 30. Despite his age, he played a huge role for his team defensively for a team that won the NBL Ignite Cup. – Bryan Kalbrosky, USA TODAY

ESPN: Karim López

  • TEAM: International (Australia)
  • POSITION: Forward
  • BORN: Mexico
  • HEIGHT: 6-8
  • DRAFT AGE: 19

The Warriors had long odds and no luck in their first draft lottery since 2021. They have an important decision to make with this pick, as they weigh the long-term health of the roster versus maximizing the team's competitive chances with Stephen Curry still playing at a high level. Coach Steve Kerr agreed to an extension Saturday and presumably didn't sign on for a rebuild. Selecting a younger player such as Lopez, who has the experience to potentially slot in early on his rookie deal, might help mesh the short- and long-term goals. Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan) is another player who will draw strong consideration here.

The top player in a thin international prospect class, Lopez has a chance to help himself in pre-draft workouts, where teams will gain a better sense of his physical traits and skill level coming off a positive year in the NBL. Showing progress as a perimeter shooter in those settings would help his case to sneak into the top 10. – Jeremy Woo, ESPN

CBS Sports: Aday Mara

  • TEAM: Michigan
  • POSITION: Center
  • BORN: Spain
  • HEIGHT: 7-3
  • DRAFT AGE: 21

Mara kept getting better as the college season went on and ultimately led Michigan to a national championship. At 7-foot-3, he's a giant, even by NBA standards, and a tremendous rim protector. He's also got sneaky mobility, good hands, real passing ability, and provides vertical spacing. With Steve Kerr returning next season, the Warriors' style of play will be staying largely the same, and Mara's facilitating ability fits that. – Adam Finkelstein, CBS Sports

Yahoo Sports: Karim López

  • TEAM: International (Australia)
  • POSITION: Forward
  • BORN: Mexico
  • HEIGHT: 6-8
  • DRAFT AGE: 19

It's been a brutal year. The Warriors lost Jimmy Butler to a torn ACL and Moses Moody to a torn patellar tendon, watched Steph Curry miss 27 games with knee issues, and finally gave up on Jonathan Kuminga. Golden State has been desperately searching for a young star to extend Curry's championship window, and bridge into whatever comes next. It will be harder to do that here after not getting lucky in the lottery. But maybe the Warriors will still find a hit prospect. López is the best basketball prospect Mexico has ever produced. He left Hermosillo at 14 to play professionally in Barcelona, then at 17 moved to Auckland, New Zealand, where he shined for two years in the NBL Next Stars program. He checks a lot of boxes with his excellent physical tools, a hardnosed approach, and a well-rounded ability to defend multiple positions, handle the ball, and a blossoming shot. But he’s thus far more of a jack of all trades since his jumper runs hot and cold and he lacks the burst to blow by defenders off the bounce. Regardless, not every player is drafted with stardom in mind. López has all the requisite skills to enhance a star teammate as a key piece on a winning team — and the Warriors could be looking to win now after Steve Kerr re-signed on a two-year deal. And sometimes those players with high floors end up proving their ceiling is a lot higher than you think. – Kevin O'Connor, Yahoo Sports

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Golden State Warriors pick No. 11, experts predict NBA mock draft

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Dodgers Week 7: Hitting malaise & cracks in pitching armor

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 10: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers checks an iPad in the dugout during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium on May 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The good news is that, unlike last week the Dodgers did hit a home run this week, eight of them in fact. But outside of two solid hitting games in Houston, the offense was mostly shut down in the other four games, leading to a split of six games against the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves.

Though the Dodgers scratched together a win against Chris Sale on Friday night, the Dodgers only scored seven runs in three games against Atlanta, owners of the best record in baseball, none against starters Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder on Saturday and Sunday. The Dodgers in their three losses this week didn’t score until the eighth, ninth, and eighth innings. Two hits in Sunday’s loss was a season low.

Scoring has been an issue for a while now for the Dodgers, with three or fewer runs eight times in their last 11 games, and 12 times in their last 21 games. That’s the recipe for going from a 15-4 start to the season to just 9-12 since.

“We really haven’t been able to put together innings,” manager Dave Roberts said of the offense on Sunday. “As a unit, I don’t think we’re one piece right now.”

“We have some guys that aren’t in the spot they want to be in right now, and they’re trying to figure it out. It’s kind of tough to compete when you’re trying to figure things out,” third baseman Max Muncy said. “We’ve preached in the past that you have to forget what you’re doing off the field and when you get into the batter’s box you have to compete. That’s probably something we need to harp on again right now, because there are a lot of guys trying to find some mechanics. And it’s hard to hit when you’re doing it.”

In addition, the stability of the starting rotation, which did some real heavy lifting over the first month and a half this season, finally took a hit with Tyler Glasnow sidelined with back spasms. The Dodgers got Blake Snell back, but earlier than originally planned which led to lots of rust on Saturday.

Only three games into another span of 13 game days in a row, the Dodgers already added three pitchers to the active roster, with the fresh arm express revving up for heavy use, making up for lost time after being mostly out of service for the previous 13-day stretch this year.

Batter of the week

Andy Pages was the standout thanks in part to his three-homer game (see below), but even if you remove that game he still would have led the team in hits for the week.

Honorable mention goes to Kyle Tucker, who doubled twice, homered, and led the team with five walks.

Pitcher of the week

Shohei Ohtani struck out eight in a season-high seven innings on Tuesday in Houston. He allowed only two runs, on the first two home runs he has allowed this season, but suffered the tough-luck loss thanks to the aforementioned offensive struggles.

We are seven weeks into the season, and Ohtani has won pitcher of the week more times (twice) than he has batter of the week (once).

Week 7 results

3-3 record
28 runs scored (4.67 per game)
22 runs allowed (3.67 per game)
.609 pythagorean win percentage

Year to date

24-16 record
203 runs scored (5.08 per game)
134 runs allowed (3.35 per game)
.681 pythagorean win percentage (27-13)

Miscellany

Triple double: Center fielder Andy Pages hit three home runs in Wednesday’s series finale in Houston, his first career three-homer game. Pages joined Max Muncy, who hit three home runs on April 10 as Dodgers to reach the trifecta this season, after not having any three-homer games in 2025. The franchise record for most games with at least three home runs is four, in 1950. That year, Gil Hodges hit four home runs for Brooklyn on August 31, along with three-homer games by Duke Snider (May 30), Roy Campanella (August 26), and left fielder Tommy Brown (September 18).

Century mark: First baseman Freddie Freeman started using a slightly different stance at the plate, turning his front foot inward to help his stance stay closed and keep his right hip from flying open during his swing. It paid off this week with three extra-base hits, including on Friday the first home run by a left-handed batter off Chris Sale since last May 23. That home run on Friday — “I would have taken a broken-bat bloop against Chris,” Freeman quipped — was Freeman’s first since April 6, snapping a 114-plate-appearance drought that’s the fourth-longest of his career. That Friday home run was also Freeman’s 100th with the Dodgers, the 37th player in franchise history to hit triple-digit homers. Freeman also ended the week with 299 extra-base hits for the team — 190 doubles, 100 home runs, nine triples — just one shy of joining the group of 32 others with 300 extra-base hits for the Dodgers.

Throwback outing: Justin Wrobleski’s errant throw prevented a sure inning-ending double play in what became a four-run second inning that decided Sunday’s game. But after that, Wrobleski retired 16 in a row to get through seven innings on only 80 pitches. After heavy bullpen usage over the previous three days, Wrobleski’s role at this point shifted to soaking up as many outs as he could, so he remained in while trailing. He allowed home runs in the eighth and ninth innings and three more runs, but still only needed 100 pitches to record 26 outs, finally removed after hitting Mike Yastrzemski in the head with a pitch. Wrobleski’s final line of 8 2/3 innings and seven runs allowed was a combination only seen one other time by a Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher — Rick Sutcliffe allowed eight runs in 8 2/3 innings in a winon July 25, 1979. Wrobleski now leads the Dodgers with 44 2/3 innings this season

Welcome back: After Wrobleski departed, Wyatt Mills got the final out in the top of the ninth inning on Sunday, after allowing two hits of his own. It was the first major league outing since 2022 with the Kansas City Royals for Mills, who was called up earlier in the day.

Transactions

Wednesday: After missing the first 36 games of the season, Brock Stewart was activated off the injured list, with left-hander Jake Eder optioned to Triple-A.

Friday: Starter Tyler Glasnow was placed on the injured list with back spasms two days after leaving his start in Houston before the second inning. Taller right-hander Paul Gervase was recalled from Oklahoma City.

Saturday: Left-hander Charlie Barnes was claimed off waivers from the Chicago Cubs, and sent to Oklahoma City. Tommy Edman was moved to the 60-day injured list.

Saturday: Southpaw Blake Snell was activated off the injured list to make his season debut, but Stewart landed back on the IL with a bone spur in his left foot. Stewart is expected to miss at least three weeks this time around.

Sunday: The fresh arm express started revving up, with Wyatt Millscalled up to replace Gervase, who took down three innings in relief the night before. Edwin Díaz was moved to the 60-day IL to make room on the 40-man roster.

Game results

PlayerPARH2BHRRBIBBBA/OBP/SLG
Pages255100481.417/.440/.917
Tucker23462145.333/.478/.611
Freeland20340124.250/.400/.438
Call9222001.250/.333/.500
Freeman24252143.238/.333/.476
Smith17142011.250/.294/.375
Ohtani22441033.211/.318/.263
Kim17230001.188/.235/.313
Muncy21220123.111/.238/.278
Hernández20130001.167/.250/.167
Rushing13120000.154/.154/.154
Espinal7010000.143/.143/.143
Rojas8100000.000/.000/.000
Offense2262846982423.228/.310/.401
Kim also hit a triple; Pages & Ohtani each stole a base
PitcherRecordIPHRBBSOERAWHIP
Sheehan0-04.761171.931.500
Ohtani0-17.042082.570.571
Yamamoto1-06.053184.501.000
Wrobleski0-18.777177.270.923
Glasnow0-01.011029.001.000
Snell0-13.0652512.002.667
Starters1-330.329195375.341.121
Dreyer1-04.330030.000.692
Hurt0-03.020150.001.000
Stewart0-02.000130.000.500
Scott0-0, Sv2.000010.000.000
Vesia1-01.300010.000.000
Klein0-01.010110.002.000
Mills0-00.320000.006.001
Henriquez0-03.721122.450.818
Gervase0-03.041153.001.667
Treinen0-02.021034.501.000
Bullpen2-0, Sv22.71635241.190.926
Totals3-353.0452210613.571.038

Previous reviews: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6

Up next

The Dodgers have a full week running the Greg Minton gauntlet, finishing off the homestand with four games against the San Francisco Giants, before traversing down Interstate 5 to play the Angels in Anaheim. The Angels broadcasts of the weekend games in Anaheim will also be simulcast to over-the-air television, with Friday’s game on KTTV channel 11, then Saturday and Sunday each on KCOP channel 13.

Mon, 5/11Tue, 5/12Wed, 5/13Thu, 5/14Fri, 5/15Sat, 5/16Sun, 5/17
GiantsGiantsGiantsGiantsat Angelsat Angelsat Angels
7:107:107:107:106:386:381:07
SasakiYamamotoOhtaniSheehanSnellWrobleskiSasaki
McDonaldHouserRayRouppKochanowiczSorianoTBA
SNLA/MLBSNLASNLA/MLBSNLASNLA/KTTVSNLA/KCOPSNLA/KCOP
Saturday at Angels also televised by MLB Network, out of market only
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Penguins Select Skilled Offensive Defenseman In New Mock Draft

Although the Pittsburgh Penguins made the playoffs this year, they are still very much a team that is focused on the future. Because of this, they will be looking to hit with their first-round pick this year. 

In his latest mock draft for The Athletic, Corey Pronman predicted that the Penguins would select defenseman Ryan Lin with the 22nd overall pick of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. 

Lin would have the potential to be an excellent pickup for the Penguins' prospect pool if he is still available when they are on the clock. The 5-foot-11 offensive defenseman has shown plenty of promise at the junior level and would immediately become one of Pittsburgh's most fascinating prospects if selected. 

In 53 games during this season with the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL), Lin recorded 14 goals, 43 assists, and 57 points. This is after he had five goals and 53 points in 60 games during this past season with the Giants. With numbers like these, it is clear that Lin has good offensive upside, and he could be a strong pickup for the Penguins because of it. 

It will be interesting to see if Lin ends up being the Penguins' first-round pick this season. They could use another right-shot defenseman, and Lin is among the most notable as we inch closer to the draft. 

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UPDATED: Ha-Seong Kim activated ahead of Cubs opener, Eli White to IL

DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 19: Ha-Seong Kim #9 of the Atlanta Braves rounds the bases during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Friday, September 19, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Monica Bradburn/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

After an an eventful and emotional week for Braves Country, we’ve arrived at a well-deserved off day.

The Braves will be back in action tomorrow night, kicking off the homestand with a series versus the Chicago Cubs. Tuesday’s shaping up to be an eventful opener.

Ha-Seong Kim set to return to the majors, updates to come on Sean Murphy as Eli White hits IL

Per reports from Korean outlet SBS News and Lindsay Crosby, Ha-Seong Kim has completed his rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett and is set to be activated for his season debut tomorrow night.

Kim ends his Triple-A rehab stint slashing .263/.333 /.316 with a .649 OPS in five games with the Stripers. Factoring in his four games with the Double-A Columbus Clingstones, that line is .286/.412/.321 with a .733 OPS.

In additon to the corresponding move for Kim, the Braves are expected to report an update on Sean Murphy’s hand tomorrow.

UPDATE: The Braves make it official and have reinstated Kim. The corresponding move for now is Eli White to the 7-day concussion IL. Feel better soon, Eli!

Honoring Ted Turner and Bobby Cox

It was also announced on the Braves Q1 earnings call that they will honor Ted Turner and Bobby Cox during tomorrow night’s game. More details to come.

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Football Daily | Arsenal emerge after being fed feet-first through the emotional wood-chipper

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Well, that escalated slowly. While Arsenal left it late to score their winner against West Ham on Sunday, they got the job done and now find themselves a couple of straightforward wins against the second worst team in the league and Crystal Palace Under-9s from the Premier League title that has eluded them for 22 years. Except this Arsenal team doesn’t really do “straightforward”, as they showed when letting West Ham nab an added-time equaliser, only for it to be snatched away following an intervention from the curtain-twitching buzzkills in their Stockley Park joy-vacuum. If Football Daily was an Arsenal fan, our soul would almost certainly have left our body as we watched Chris Kavanagh repeatedly rock-and-roll the footage on his touchline monitor, trying to pick through the weeds of the 1,057 different fouls being committed simultaneously by players from both teams. Eventually, he arrived at what (everyone except Peter Schmeichel and a few Pearly Kings agreed) was probably the correct decision.

I write with admiration of Stockport’s Dave Challinor for one or indeed two hidden skills (Friday’s Still Want More, full email edition). May I explain: he either has great willpower for not eating the Smarties on his tactics board and/or he knows how long he can keep his finger on the confectionery before it melts while the picture is taken” – Shaun Clark.

I really enjoyed the photo of Dave Challinor. My question: does he prefer using Skittles, M&Ms or Reese’s Pieces on his whiteboard? I’ve experimented with all three candies in my coaching sessions with U8 and U10 teams over the years. I’d appreciate his expert insight about which is most effective. Or tastes best” – Mike Wilner.

This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.

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West Ham’s goal against Arsenal was correctly disallowed. The rest is just noise | Jonathan Wilson

The Gunners’ title charge was strengthened by a goal called back, in a perfect encapsulation of what modern soccer has become

A corner. A melee. Bodies everywhere. Blocks and tugs, pulls and shoves. A VAR decision. Fury. Empty noise. A title perhaps decided; a significant impact on the relegation battle. Shouting. Confused pundits ranting. Social media figures rallying to the side they were always going to take. Welcome to modern soccer.

After what looked like an injury-time equaliser for West Ham was ruled out on Sunday, Arsenal now need only to beat Burnley and Crystal Palace to be sure of their first Premier League title in 22 years. In the relegation scrap, West Ham are a point behind Tottenham, who play at home to Leeds, now safe, on Monday evening. But the big issue is a VAR decision. Of course it is: this is 2025-26.

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Series Preview: Milwaukee Brewers vs. San Diego Padres

Feb 23, 2026; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Andrew Vaughn (28) takes a lead off third base in the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers will enjoy what feels like their 20th off day on Monday in Milwaukee before hosting the San Diego Padres for three games beginning Tuesday evening. The Crew, coming off a big three-game sweep of the Yankees, is sitting at 22-16 on the season, tied with the Cardinals for second place in the NL Central. The Padres, coming off a 2-2 series split with the Cardinals, are 24-16 this season and find themselves tied atop the NL West with the Dodgers.

After getting Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn back last week, the Brewers are still waiting on Christian Yelich to rejoin the lineup. It seems possible — if not likely — that Yelich could be ready for this series. The team also lost outfielder Brandon Lockridge on a nasty slide that injured his right knee on Friday night, an injury that is likely to keep him out for at least a few weeks/a month, though it seems he avoided the worst-case scenario as initial X-rays came back negative. For the pitching staff, Brandon Woodruff, Quinn Priester, and lefty relievers Angel Zerpa, Rob Zastryzny, and Jared Koenig are all out. Woodruff is set to resume throwing this week, meaning he could be back in the next week or two, while Priester’s return is TBD after dealing with shoulder soreness during his rehab assignment. Zerpa is out for the season as he’ll undergo Tommy John surgery today, and Zastryzny and Koenig are both targeting late May/early June returns.

The Padres IL is a balanced mix of pitchers and position players. On the pitching front, San Diego is without Jhony Brito (midseason), Joe Musgrove (second half), Nick Pivetta (midseason), Bryan Hoeing (out for season), and Yu Darvish (out for season) with serious injuries. Germán Márquez is also out until at least June with a forearm injury. On the offensive side, the team is without Jake Cronenworth, who is in concussion protocol, and catcher Luis Campusano, who went on the IL last week with a big toe fracture, keeping him out until at least late May.

Brice Turang leads Milwaukee’s offense through the first month-plus of the season, as he has six homers, eight doubles, and is hitting .298/.422/.511 overall. William Contreras and Chourio round out the heart of the lineup, while Jake Bauers and Gary Sánchez have also been key contributors, especially on the power front. The returning Vaughn is another major boost to the lineup, and Tyler Black, Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick, David Hamilton, Blake Perkins, Luis Rengifo, and Joey Ortiz round things out. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .240/.333/.353 (.686 OPS ranks tied for 24th), with 26 homers (tied for last), 195 runs (eighth), and 40 steals (tied for fourth).

The leaders of San Diego’s offense are probably not who you’d think. Xander Bogaerts leads the team with seven homers, and Manny Machado is right behind him with six (though he’s hitting just .191/.294/.353 on the season). Ty France has had quite a bit of success, albeit in a small sample size, as he’s only played in 23 games, while Jackson Merrill, Gavin Sheets, and Ramón Laureano have also been key pieces offensively. Fernando Tatis Jr. has no homers, though he has driven in 15, scored 14 runs, and has 10 steals through 39 games.
Freddy Fermin, Miguel Andujar, Rodolfo Durán, Sung-Mun Song, Nick Castellanos, and Bryce Johnson round out the active roster. As a team, the Padres are hitting .223/.297/.370 (.667 OPS ranks tied for 27th), with 39 homers (20th), 170 runs (tied for 19th), and 40 steals (tied for fourth).

Aaron Ashby leads Milwaukee’s bullpen with 19 appearances, spanning 26 innings with a 2.08 ERA, a perfect 7-0 record, and 41 strikeouts. Grant Anderson and DL Hall have been the other fairly reliable arms, while Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill have also been solid pieces, even if their ERAs may not show it. Jake Woodford has been a key low-leverage piece for Milwaukee, with Shane Drohan and Brian Fitzpatrick rounding things out. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.43 team ERA (fourth), including a 3.44 starter ERA (sixth) and a 3.42 bullpen ERA (eighth). They’ve struck out 366 batters (fifth) over 338 1/3 innings.

Mason Miller leads the Padres’ pitching staff in virtually every category. Across a team-high 18 appearances, he’s a perfect 12-for-12 in save chances with just two runs allowed (0.96 ERA) and 38 strikeouts over 18 2/3 innings. Adrian Morejon, the only other reliever with 18 appearances, has a less-than-sterling 5.57 ERA, while Wandy Peralta (3.00 ERA over 18 IP), Bradgley Rodriguez (1.83 ERA over 19 2/3 IP), and Jason Adam (1.50 ERA over 12 IP) are the other key pieces. Ron Marinaccio (4.37 ERA over 22 2/3 IP), Jeremiah Estrada (3.97 ERA over 11 1/3 IP), and Yuki Matsui (2 2/3 scoreless innings in one appearance since IL stint) round out the bullpen for San Diego. As a staff, the Padres have a 4.07 team ERA (15th), including a 4.55 starter ERA (23rd) and a 3.50 bullpen ERA (ninth). They’ve struck out 350 batters (12th) over 358 innings.

Probable Pitchers

Tuesday, May 12 @ 6:40 p.m.: RHP Brandon Sproat (0-2, 5.87 ERA, 6.00 FIP) vs. RHP Matt Waldron (1-1, 7.71 ERA, 5.43 FIP)

Entering his 10th career start (12th career appearance) in his second season, Sproat is still seeking his first major league win as he’s 0-4 with a 5.44 ERA thus far in his young career. The 25-year-old righty had a solid outing against the Cardinals in his last appearance, going four scoreless innings, allowing three walks, a hit, and a hit batter to go with five strikeouts on 76 pitches. This marks Sproat’s first career appearance against San Diego.

Waldron, 29, is in his fourth MLB season, all with the Padres. After making 27 appearances (26 starts) in 2024, he’s had a 7.71 ERA over five appearances (four starts) in 2025 and 2026. Waldron tossed five innings after an opener in his last appearance against the Giants, picking up the win, allowing just one run on two hits (including a solo homer) and striking out seven on just 67 pitches. Waldron has never pitched against the Brewers.

Wednesday, May 13 @ 6:40 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (3-2, 2.45 ERA, 2.63 FIP) vs. RHP Michael King (3-2, 2.76 ERA, 3.87 FIP)

Misiorowski, 24, is also in his second major league season, though he’s had quite a bit more success compared to Sproat. Over 23 career appearances (22 starts), Miz has a 3.60 ERA, 3.22 FIP, and 157 strikeouts over just 110 innings, including an MLB-leading 70 strikeouts over 44 innings this year. He’s coming off back-to-back wins against the Nationals and Yankees, totaling 11 1/3 scoreless innings with two hits and four walks allowed, striking out 19, including 11 against the mighty New York lineup. This marks Misiorowski’s first career appearance against San Diego.

King, 31 later this month, is in his eighth MLB season and third with the Padres after spending the first five with the Yankees. The former 12th-round pick has made eight starts this season, with a 2.76 ERA, 3.87 FIP, and 45 strikeouts across 45 2/3 innings. He took a no-decision against the Cardinals in his last outing, going six innings with one run allowed on two walks and a hit (a solo homer), striking out six in a 2-1 loss. King has made three career starts against Milwaukee, including a pair while with the Padres. He’s 0-2 with a 3.38 ERA and 27 strikeouts across 18 2/3 innings in those games.

Thursday, May 14 @ 12:40 p.m.: LHP Kyle Harrison (3-1, 2.41 ERA, 3.28 FIP) vs. RHP Griffin Canning (0-1, 6.75 ERA, 3.56 FIP)

Harrison, 24, has had a great start to his Milwaukee tenure after being acquired this offseason from the Red Sox. Over seven starts this year, he has a 2.41 ERA, 3.28 FIP, and 41 strikeouts across 33 2/3 innings, allowing two runs or fewer in all seven outings. He took a no-decision in an abbreviated start on Saturday night against the Yankees, going just four innings with two runs allowed on four hits and four walks, striking out six. Harrison has made three career starts against San Diego, all during his time with the Giants. He’s totaled 16 innings, with a 1-1 record, a 7.31 ERA, and 13 strikeouts against the Padres.

Canning, who turns 30 on Monday, is in his seventh MLB season and first as a Padre after agreeing to a one-year, $2.5 million deal. After missing the second half of last season and the beginning of this year due to left Achilles surgery, Canning was activated earlier this month and has made two starts this season. After going five innings and allowing one run on three hits and three walks with seven strikeouts in his season debut against the White Sox, he got hit hard for six runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out five in a loss against the Cardinals in his last outing. The longtime Angel made his only career appearance against Milwaukee while with Los Angeles, taking the loss in a 2024 start where he went five innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on eight hits and two walks to go with four strikeouts.

How to Watch & Listen

Tuesday, May 12: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Wednesday, May 13: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Thursday, May 14: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Prediction

The Padres have been a consistent threat over the last several years, making the playoffs in three of the last four seasons. This should be a fun midweek battle, but I’ll take the Crew to win two of three to wrap up the homestand.