It has become quite clear that the Oklahoma City Thunder will not be bothered by the Los Angeles Lakers, especially with L.A. potentially without Luka Doncic for the entire series.
However, my Lakers vs. Thunder props and NBA picks actually question Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as Oklahoma City’s reigning MVP won't need to exert much effort for Game 2 on Thursday, May 7.
Best Lakers vs Thunder props for Game 2
Player
Pick
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Under 29.5 points
-112
Austin Reaves
Under 18.5 points
-105
Jared McCain
Over 4.5 points
-110
Game 2 Prop #1: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Under 29.5 points
-112 at bet365
What happens when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is awarded only three free throws? He falls short of 20 points for the first time since last year's postseason.
The Oklahoma City Thunder star doesn't need to hurl himself into the floor in this series to produce offense. Given how outgunned the Los Angeles Lakers are, the Thunder will find offense regardless.
On top of that, the Lakers ranked No. 4 this year in foul rate. Opponents took fewer than one free throw for every four field goal attempts.
Perhaps that is a Los Angeles bias; perhaps it is quality defense. Either way, it is a reality.
And without renting space at the free throw line, Gilgeous-Alexander should fall short of his points prop for most of this series, something that will reverse quickly next round with the return of the free throw merchant.
Game 2 Prop #2: Austin Reaves Under 18.5 points
-105 at bet365
Austin Reaves really struggled in Game 1, going 3-for-16 from the field for eight points in 36 minutes.
With injuries working their way through the Lakers’ rotation, Reaves is likely to see even more of a workload, worrying oblique notwithstanding. The problem is that Oklahoma City is well aware of that Los Angeles necessity.
The Thunder have a bounty of defenders seemingly designed to bother a scorer like Reaves. With so few genuine threats in the Lakers’ rotation, Reaves never has a moment away from someone like SGA, Lu Dort, or Alex Caruso.
It is, not to be dramatic, a miserable existence, and it will be the case throughout this entire series for the ailing Reaves.
Game 2 Prop #3: Jared McCain Over 4.5 points
-110 at bet365
Did the oddsmakers not watch Game 1? Do they think the Lakers are suddenly going to solve the Thunder despite going 0-5 against the spread against them this season?
Jared McCain played 15 minutes in Game 1, going 4-for-7 from the field for 12 points, and there is no reason to think Game 2 will be close enough to limit his playing time.
Oklahoma City can't reach much further than McCain in a blowout. He is the ninth or tenth man on this roster, a reflection of the Thunder's embarrassment of riches.
There is even some logic in firing on the McCain 20-point milestone prop, available at +3500. He could get there in a blowout, and this should be exactly that.
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LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 10, 2025: Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) gets congrats from Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James (23) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart (36) after scoring against the San Antonio Spurs at Crypto.com Arena on December 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
It’s easy to have camaraderie when teams are winning. Jokes are funnier, roles are embraced and the game of basketball is pure bliss.
How you respond to adversity, though, says a lot more about your team. So far, the Lakers remain united even after falling behind 1-0 in their series against the Thunder.
There are plenty of things the Lakers can do better as a unit and as individuals, but a lot of the criticism has been aimed at Austin Reaves. Which is understandable since he had a putrid performance, going 3-16 from the field, scoring just eight points.
With LA taking on the best team in the NBA on the road, their best player can’t be a no-show on this stage. However, after the loss, his teammates all advocated for him and reminded everyone of the situation Reaves is in.
“He was out a month,” LeBron James said. “We know he’s going to make shots and make plays but that’s tough. You’re out a month toward the end of the season. Obviously, we were trying to fast track him getting back on the floor and doing the things he was doing before the injury but he was out a month so rightfully so if he has some games where he’s missing shots or whatever the case may be. But his presence alone helps us, no matter what.”
It’s true that this is far from an ideal scenario for Austin. He did everything he could to come back from his Grade 2 oblique strain and returned earlier than anticipated. For him to get back so fast and immediately have to play in close-out playoff games is tough. He has no time to ramp up or get whatever rust he has off his game.
Instead of bemoaning his misses, his teammates are focused on how to get Reaves going.
“Just try to get him some easy shots,” Marcus Smart said. “Do a good job of putting him in spots to not only create for himself but create for others as well and just talking to him. We understand that he’s coming back. It’s only his third game back. We understand that. We understand it’s going to take some time. But we’re here and that’s why you got four other guys out there with him to help pick him up and we got to do a better job.”
Reaves wasn’t just missing wide-open shots against the Thunder, OKC worked hard to make him earn every shot he got.
Most of Reaves’ shots required a ton of on-ball activity before an attempt went up. Reaves took four shots, where he had to take seven or more dribbles. No other Lakers took as many shots, dribbling that much. In the paint, he was surrounded by OKC defenders, and they forced him to settle for tough twos. On his attempts outside of the restricted area, but inside the arc, Reaves went 1-6.
“He didn’t play well, but he’s going to bounce back,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said. “He’s a great player.”
Even superstar Luka Dončić chimed in on Reaves’ struggles and offered some vocal support.
“My message to him is just be yourself,” Luka said. “We all know he’s an amazing player, and we all know he’s going to bounce back. So I’m just here to support and whatever he needs I can help, but. Just, just be yourself. He’s an amazing player.”
We have years of data that Reaves is a special talent. Overreactions to Game 1 of a series are commonplace and always a bit too much.
Sure, Reaves was awful, but he’s played great games at this stage plenty of times before. He’s had a 23-point performance against the Grizzlies, Warriors, and Nuggets during the team’s 2023 Western Conference Finals run. He’s only gotten better since then, and one bad night doesn’t erase years of hard work.
His teammates have his back, and so does his coach. The playoffs are all about adjustments, and now that the Lakers have seen how the Thunder defend Reaves, changes will be made and it’s more likely than not that Reaves will bounce back.
Don Kolloway (left) took some hitting tips from Washington Senators manager Ted Williams in 1970 — 21 years later than necessary for the tutoring to help his mediocre MLB career. | (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)
1927 The Comiskey Park upper deck officially opened to fans, as 37,000 fans streamed in to watch the New York Yankees crush the home team, 8-0. The upper deck added 23,200 seats to the ballpark’s capacity. It was a tight contest until the ninth inning, when Lou Gehrig capped a six-run frame for the Bronx Bombers by christening the upper deck with a grand slam to mark the first-ever home run in the new seats.
The crowd of 37,000 set a new White Sox and Chicago city record for attendance for a game. That record wouldn’t last long.
1941 For the sixth time in Comiskey Park history, a player homered over the roof. Again, as the first five, it was an opponent: Ted Williams. And in a rarity, the clout made a big difference in the game: Williams clubbed his homer with one out in the top of the 11th, giving the Boston Red Sox a 4-3 lead and eventual win.
1949 The White Sox sent Don Kolloway to the Tigers for Earl Rapp. Despite playing for eight seasons on the South Side (missing two years serving in the military, Kolloway was shockingly mediocre, never once reaching the 2.0 WAR mark of an MLB regular in spite of three full-time seasons at second base; he ended his Chicago career with 2.8 WAR over 683 games. Kolloway would be no better in Detroit, and by his career’s end five of his 12 seasons were sub-replacement (negative WAR) level.
Rapp was terrible in right field for the White Sox over the next month (-0.1 WAR), but arguably the trade was a Chicago win just in getting Kolloway off of the books (Nellie Fox would be taking over second base in 1950, anyway). The White Sox shipped Rapp to Oakland of the PCL in June as a player to be named later afterthought; he scraped back into the majors for the Giants, Browns and Senators in 1951-52, playing about as well as Kolloway would.
1975 After Dick Allen refused to report to Atlanta after the White Sox traded him there prior to the 1975 season, the Braves shipped the slugger and Johnny Oates to Philadelphia for Jim Essian, Barry Bonnell, and cash. Eight days later, without having played a game for the Braves, Essian was sent to the White Sox as a player to be named later in a prior deal.
What was the prior deal? Why, it was the Allen-to-Atlanta deal back on Dec. 3, 1974, which yielded the White Sox cash and a PTBNL.
While not unheard of, this trade was odd in that the player received by the White Sox from Atlanta for Allen (Essian) wasn’t even on the Braves at the time of the original deal!
1989 Groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the start of construction on the new Comiskey Park, across the street from the original stadium built in 1910. Dignitaries from the state, city and White Sox franchise were on hand for the occasion.
1991 Sammy Sosa became the first Sox player with a “walk-off” home run at new Comiskey Park, when he beat Milwaukee with a blast leading off the 12th inning. The final score was 2-1. Sosa hit his game-winner off of Brewers relief pitcher Mark Lee.
1999 White Sox outfielder Carlos Lee homered in his first at-bat in the majors, becoming the first player in team history to hit a home run in his first major league at-bat.
Lee connected off of Oakland’s Tom Candiotti, in the second inning of a 7-1 White Sox home win.
2023 The White Sox scored 11 runs in the second inning of a 17-4 romp in Cincinnati, triggered by a two-run homer from Hanser Alberto. The White Sox sent 14 batters to the plate and rang up three walks, five singles, a triple and two homers in the assault. In the inning the Sox went 5-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Gavin Sheets’ three-run homer bookended the scoring in the frame.
It was the most runs ever scored in a second inning in White Sox history, and tied for the second-most runs ever by the White Sox in a single inning.
Only a 13-run outburst in the fourth inning at Washington on Sept. 26, 1943 beat this day’s output.
Backed by that kind of support, Michael Kopech pitched six innings and got the easy win.
The 17-run game is tied for 32nd-most in White Sox history. Despite playing relatively few games in their history in Cincinnati (interleague play being a mostly-21st Century concept), the Pale Hose also put up 17 runs at the Reds in a 17-12 win on June 6, 2000.
PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 17: Collin Gillespie #12 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the game against the Golden State Warriors during the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament on April 17, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
When the offseason hits, part of me gets excited. The season is long, and anytime there’s an opportunity for a reprieve, I’ll take it. That feeling doesn’t last long, however. I get restless fast. I need to occupy my time, whether it be movies (I’ve watched 25 Marvel movies since the regular season ended as I prepare for Doomsday), video games (God of War is filling some time), or TV shows (have you checked out The Audacity?). Whatever it is, I have to be doing something.
Thankfully, even with the Phoenix Suns’ season over, there’s still work to do. Player reviews. Free agent lists. SunsRank. It almost feels administrative, and that’s kind of what this process is. We’re closing the book on the season while also creating a snapshot of how we currently view every player on the roster.
We’re halfway through, so where do we stand?
#
Community SunsRank
Writers SunsRank
9
Rasheer Fleming
Royce O’Neale
10
Khaman Maluach
Rasheer Fleming
11
Royce O’Neale
Ryan Dunn
12
Ryan Dunn
Khaman Maluach
13
Jamaree Bouyea
Haywood Higsmith
14
Haywood Highsmith
Jamaree Bouyea
15
Koby Brea
Amir Coffey
16
Amir Coffey
Isaiah Livers
17
Isaiah Livers
Koby Brea
18
CJ Huntley
CJ Huntley
After going through the Wild Card tier, you can once again see the differences in opinion. Not massive gaps, still noticeable ones.
On to the Pillars tier. Five players landed here, and what’s interesting is how much changed from preseason SunsRank to postseason SunsRank. Before the season started, the community had Ryan Dunn and Royce O’Neale in the pillars conversation. Both slid down into the Wild Card tier. That tells a story. Some players grew, while others regressed.
That’s where the real value of this exercise lives. Once it’s complete, we can compare where the community stood before the season to where it stands now. From there, you can start building theories about what the Suns should do next. Who should stay? Who should go? Which assets does the community believe are trending in the wrong direction?
We’ll get there soon enough. First, let’s get to the Pillars tier. Definition? “Not quite cornerstones, but strong enough to hold weight. These are the stabilizers, the players who give structure to the roster. If they rise, the ceiling rises.”
Five players, with spots 4 through 8 up for grabs. Let’s delve.
Grayson Allen
It was a regression year for Grayson. His three-point percentage dipped, and his overall efficiency fell as he battled injuries, often limping around while trying to tough it out. Still, he averaged a career-high 16.5 points per game, surpassing his previous best by three points. Considering his production, experience, and skill set, it’s easy to see why he belongs in this tier.
GP
MIN
PPG
RPG
APG
STL
FG%
3PT%
FT%
OFFRTG
DEFRTG
+/- (TOTAL)
51
28.8
16.5
3.0
3.8
1.4
40.3%
34.9%
85.7%
113.9
113.8
+18
Collin Gillespie
Collin took a massive leap as a player, setting career highs across the board. He’s firmly established himself in the Suns’ rotation and has significantly boosted his value on the open market, especially with unrestricted free agency looming this offseason. It’s a stark rise. Just two years ago, he ranked 17th in SunsRank, and now he’s in the Pillars tier, a clear testament to his progression.
GP
MIN
PPG
RPG
APG
STL
FG%
3PT%
FT%
OFFRTG
DEFRTG
+/- (TOTAL)
80
28.5
12.7
4.1
4.6
1.2
41.8%
40.1%
87.4%
113.7
110.0
+200
Jordan Goodwin
To think that Jordan Goodwin was a castoff from the Lakers just makes you smile. He put together a stellar season and was one of the biggest surprises, especially considering he barely made the roster. Remember the Jordan Goodwin vs. Jared Butler debate? He pretty clearly put that to rest, and his place in the Pillars tier reflects that.
GP
MIN
PPG
RPG
APG
STL
FG%
3PT%
FT%
OFFRTG
DEFRTG
+/- (TOTAL)
70
22.5
8.7
4.9
2.2
1.5
41.3%
37.1%
69.6%
113.4
110.1
+93
Oso Ighodaro
Whether you love Oso or not, his impact was certainly felt this season. For a team focused on development, his progression was a clear example of that approach paying off. Is he perfect? Far from it. Players drafted 40th overall rarely are right away, but he undeniably took a step forward this past season.
GP
MIN
PPG
RPG
APG
STL
FG%
3PT%
FT%
OFFRTG
DEFRTG
+/- (TOTAL)
82
22.0
6.5
5.1
2.3
0.9
65.3%
0.0%
45.3%
114.8
109.7
+161
Mark Williams
It was nice to have a capable rim-running big, even if the team didn’t always utilize him as effectively as they could have. Still, Mark Williams showcased his value and reinforced the reasoning behind trading for him on draft night.
GP
MIN
PPG
RPG
APG
BLK
FG%
3PT%
FT%
OFFRTG
DEFRTG
+/- (TOTAL)
60
23.6
11.7
8.0
1.0
0.9
64.4%
1.000%
77.1%
111.3
113.3
-42
We turn to you, faithful readers of Bright Side, to assist in ranking The Pillars.
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Cavaliers Game 2 computer picks
Dean Wade Over 3.5 rebounds (+105)
Projection: 4.19 rebounds
Jarrett Allen looked unplayable in Game 1, meaning the Cleveland Cavaliers may have to mix up rotations. That will provide Dean Wade with more minutes, which will lead to more rebounds
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Donovan Mitchell Over 3.5 assists (-140)
Projection: 4.60 assists
Donovan Mitchell is known for his scoring, but he's a capable playmaker as well. Spida's shot hasn't been falling the way he's wanted to, and our model suggests he'll look to pass more in Game 2.
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James Harden Over 19.5 points (-112)
Projection: 20.40 points
No matter how bad he's shooting, James Harden has no fear. He still put up 22 points in Game 1 after shooting an abysmal 6-for-15 from the floor. His field-goal percentage will even out, getting him to this point total.
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Pistons Game 2 computer picks
Jalen Duren Over 14.5 points (-125)
Projection: 16.79 points
Jalen Duren is a must-have for the Detroit Pistons as they try to deal with Cleveland's size, which will keep his minutes up all series. Our models have him scoring close to 17 points after a rough shooting night in Game 1.
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Ausar Thompson Over 10.5 points (+105)
Projection: 11.28 points
Ausar Thompson scored 11 points in Game 1 on an efficient 4-for-6 shooting. He knows when to pick his spots, and he'll take enough shots to reach 10 points.
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Tobias Harris Under 17.5 points (-110)
Projection: 17.06 points
With our model expecting strong games for Thompson and Duren, it sees Tobias Harris regressing slightly in Game 2. He's had a good run, but Detroit will look to get everybody involved as it looks to go up 2-0.
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How to watch Cavaliers vs Pistons Game 2
Location
Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
Date
Thursday, May 7, 2026
Tip-off
7 p.m. ET
TV
Prime
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The young Yankees outfielder is officially in concussion protocol, he and will be monitored and evaluated over the next several days after a hard collision with the LF fence knocked him out of Thursday's game in the top of the first.
Dominguez is also undergoing an MRI on his right shoulder at New York Presbyterian.
The 23-year-old raced back on a Brandon Nimmo liner to deep left, and he went down in significant pain after crashing his head/shoulder hard into the outfield fence.
He remained face down for several moments as the training staff rushed out.
Dominguez was eventually able to get back up to his feet, and trainers did some testing on his shoulder/neck before he walked over to the cart under his own power.
This is just the latest tough blow for the youngster, who has been hampered by the injury-bug early in his career.
Dominguez was finally able to stay healthy last season and put together a strong showing, but he ended up in the minors to begin this year with no spot for him on the depth chart out of camp.
He didn't let the demotion get to him, as he got off to a scorching hot start to the Triple-A season, and was called up at the beginning of the month with Giancarlo Stanton landing on the IL.
He's been able to carry over that success, lifting a double and two homers over his first eight games back with the Yanks, but now will be forced to the sidelined for some time.
Jasson Dominguez makes a tremendous catch but leaves the game on a cart after hitting the wall HARD
Ryan McMahon enters the game at 3B, Amed Rosario goes from 3B to RF and Cody Bellinger goes from RF to LF pic.twitter.com/OkaTwAUvtC
UPDATE: Added a prediction for who will win tonight.
Business is picking up between the Vegas Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks, with their series tied 1-1 and heading to the Honda Center tonight.
My top Golden Knights vs. Ducks predictions and NHL picks for Friday, May 8 are calling for Anaheim to take the series lead in a higher-scoring Game 3.
Puck drop is set for 9:30 p.m. ET from the Honda Center in Anaheim, with the game airing on TNT and Sportsnet.
Golden Knights vs Ducks Game 3 prediction
Who will win Golden Knights vs Ducks Game 3?
Ducks: The Ducks have been the better 5-on-5 team this series with a 57.1 Corsi For percentage and 56.2 expected goals percentage, and Golden Knights starter Carter Hart isn’t maintaining his .951 SV% through two games after posting a .864 mark on the road in Round 1.
Vegas No. 1 Carter Hart has a .951 save percentage with 3.57 goals saved above expected, and Anaheim starter Lukas Dostal sports respective .930 and 2.11 marks.
The window for positive regression is particularly wide open at 5-on-5, with the Golden Knights posting a 6.0 team shooting percentage and the Ducks at 6.7.
So, considering they respectively posted 9.72 and 9.1 marks in Round 1, the uptick in scoring is coming.
Golden Knights vs Ducks Game 3 same-game parlay
Anaheim has caved Vegas in at 5-on-5 with a 57.1 Corsi For percentage and 56.1 expected goals percentage through two games, and now the Ducks have the last-change advantage on home ice for Game 3.
In addition to Hart's highlighted unsustainable numbers, the Vegas netminder also posted an .864 SV% on the highway in the opening round.
Turning to the final leg of this same-game parlay, Ducks star Cutter Gauthier has been held without a point despite posting an elite 67.2 CF% and 84.2 xGF% at 5-on-5 and pacing Anaheim with 1.22 individual expected goals and 12 scoring chances. After recording seven points in Round 1, he's positioned to leave his mark on the scoresheet in Game 3.
Golden Knights vs Ducks SGP
Ducks moneyline
Over 5.5
Cutter Gauthier Over 0.5 points
Golden Knights vs Ducks Game 3 goal scorer pick
Cutter Gauthier (+175)
Sticking with Gauthier, the last-change advantage stands to help head coach Joel Quenneville find his star scorer more favorable on-ice matchups, and 24 of Gauthier’s 41 goals came on home ice during the regular season.
Puck Line: Golden Knights -1.5 (+210) | Ducks +1.5 (-270)
Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-135) | Under 5.5 (+115)
Golden Knights vs Ducks trend
Anaheim has hit the Over in six of its last 10 home games (+4.75 Units / 39% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Golden Knights vs. Ducks.
How to watch Golden Knights vs Ducks Game 3
Location
Honda Center, Anaheim, CA
Date
Friday, May 8, 2026
Puck drop
9:30 p.m. ET
TV
TNT, Sportsnet
Golden Knights vs Ducks latest injuries
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RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 04: Taylor Hall #71 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in Game Two of the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center on May 04, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Carolina Hurricanes take their undefeated postseason record on the road as they visit the Philadelphia Flyers for Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semi-finals on Thursday night at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. Game time is 8 P.M.
According to reports from the morning skate the Canes will have their full complement of players available, including Alexander Nikishin, who has missed the last two games while he recovered from a concussion.
The #Canes are all set for tonight's Game 3 in Philadelphia (8 p.m.; TNT, truTV).
Alexander Nikishin appears set to draw back in for the first time since R1, G4, working with Shayne Gostisbehere this morning. Mike Reilly is on the extra pair.
The injury bug has bit the Flyers. Not only is Owen Tippett out (confirmed) but Noah Cates is out for the rest of the series. Officially, he has a lower body injury, (he was seen walking on crutches with a boot after Monday night’s game.)
“He’s Mr. Consistency,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “He does a lot of things for us, but it’s no different than other teams. Next man up.
“You’ll see (Denver) Barkey getting more time at center; thought he did a nice job (in Game 2). Trevor (Zegras) is going to have to go back to center again. We’ll try to get him going. And obviously ‘Coots’ (Couturier) is playing really well, and you got ‘Devo’ (Christian Dvorak). We’re good there. We’ll be OK.”
It should be another good one tonight.
The game will be nationally televised and broadcast on TNT/truTV starting at 8 P.M. The normal characters will be on 99.9 The Fan starting at 7 P.M. with the local perspective.
The Hockey News has opened its full archive to subscribers, giving fans access to 76 years of hockey history, feature stories, and unforgettable moments. In the latest issue, we rank the NHL’s top 100 players, with Winnipeg Jets lethal scoring winger Kyle Connor coming in No. 57th overall. Here is a free preview featuring players ranked 51 through 57.
Subscribe today to see where other standout Winnipeg players, including Mark Scheifele, Connor Hellebuyck and Josh Morrissey landed on the list, explore the complete top 100 rankings, and dive into the full THN Archives
Top 100 NHL Players: 51-57 - Apr. 17 2026 - Vol. 79 Issue 10
51 JAKE OETTINGER
POS: G | AGE: 27 | LY: 51
‘Otter’ has helped the Stars author three consecutive trips to the conference final, but his success has halted there – often in shocking fashion. In fact, entering the 2026 playoffs, Oettinger had an .881 save percentage across 18 conference-final outings. No goaltender with more than five games had fared worse.
52 JAKOB CHYCHRUN
POS: D | AGE: 28 | LY: 95
Should he have been on Canada’s Olympic team? You won’t find any dissenters in Washington. Big, athletic and talented, Chychrun led the Capitals in ice time while also providing a nice helping of offense. And on a team featuring Alex Ovechkin, it was Chychrun with the most game-winning goals this year.
53 WYATT JOHNSTON
POS: C | AGE: 22 | LY: 63
Buoyed by a career-best shooting percentage and league-leading 26 power-play goals, three-time 30-goal scorer Johnston hit the 40-goal plateau for the first time. That offensive outburst is just another tool in his arsenal. The most respected aspects of his game, though, are his two-way acumen and high hockey IQ.
54 JAKE SANDERSON
POS: D | AGE: 23 | LY: 88
Sanderson is easily the best Senators defenseman since Erik Karlsson. Sanderson resembles Karlsson in many respects, namely skating, puckhandling, hockey IQ and a penchant for being a one-man breakout. Even when Ottawa was struggling early in the season, Sanderson was one of the bright spots.
55 SAM REINHART
POS: C | AGE: 30 | LY: 25
He’ll probably never score 57 goals again – as he did two seasons ago – but you can pretty much put Reinhart down for 30 a year in indelible marker. He can also be counted on to be a Selke-level player in the defensive zone. There are really no deficiencies in his game, and he’s one of the NHL’s most cerebral on-ice performers.
56 DYLAN LARKIN
POS: C | AGE: 29 | LY: 53
If there’s a modern-day player who was destined to play for the Red Wings, Larkin is the guy. His 200-foot game is almost without peer, and he’s developed a surprising sneaky-dirty facet to his overall game. Larkin is a possession beast, and when he doesn’t have the puck on his stick, he’s very good at getting it back.
57 KYLE CONNOR
POS: LW | AGE: 29 | LY: 38
Connor’s consistency is remarkable. He’s eclipsed 30 goals in each of his full seasons, barring the shortened 2020-21 campaign. He’s also an all-strengths asset in Winnipeg. Over the past five seasons, Connor ranks second in even-strength, first in power-play and sixth in shorthanded ice time among Jets forwards.
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The rumors flew after Jaylen Brown sounded frustrated on his Twitch stream earlier in the week, calling out Joel Embiid as a flopper and the referees for being biased — the NBA fined him $50,000 for his comments about officiating. Adding fuel to the fire was Tracy McGrady, who said on his podcast "Cousins" with Vince Carter: "I think [Brown's] frustration lies deeply within the organization and other things that we don't really have the details to. There's just been a lot of stuff that I've been hearing just going on with the Boston organization, with JB."
"A lot of stuff swirling around the Celtics and the organization. I hate that our president of basketball operations even had to respond to this. Me and Brad [Stevens] have a great relationship. I love Boston. And if it was up to me I could play in Boston for the next 10 years."
Stevens was asked about the rumors at his end-of-season press conference earlier on Wednesday and said Brown had not said anything to him.
"I talked to Jaylen Monday a little bit... and was nothing but positive. He has not expressed those frustrations to me."
Brown also reiterated that this was his favorite season as a pro, despite the early exit from the playoffs. For him, it was about the Celtics coming together while Jayson Tatum was out injured for much of the season to become the No. 2 seed in the East.
"You got to see all of these guys, all of my teammates, grow. I got to see them overcome adversity as a group, up close and personal…
"Obviously, we're not satisfied with the result. If it sounds like an excuse, it's not. But to fight and maneuver through adversity and grow, and galvanize with a bunch of guys and to have that mindset and approach, this was my favorite year."
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 06: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals hits a grand slam in the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Nationals Park on May 06, 2026 in Washington, DC. Washington defeated Minnesota 15-2. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nats bats responded in a big way last night after getting crushed 11-3 on Tuesday, dropping 15 of their own en route to a 15-2 victory. Miles Mikolas made his deepest start of the year, going 5 1/3 innings and allowing 2 runs, before handing it off to Mitchell Parker and newest National Zak Kent to finish it off. 4 Nationals went yard, beginning with a 2-run shot from Drew Millas in the 5th, a 2-run bomb from Brady House in the 7th, a grand slam from CJ Abrams in the 8th, and a solo shot by Jose Tena in the 8th as well.
Blake Butera isn’t messing with the lineup that scored 15 runs last night, keeping it the same aside from Keibert Ruiz swapping in for Drew Millas behind the dish. Getting the ball as the Nats look for the series win and an even homestand is Jake Irvin, who has gone at least 5 innings and allowed 3 or fewer runs in 6 of his 7 starts this season.
As for the Twins, while the names in the lineup remain roughly the same, with Austin Martin and Victor Caratini in for Josh Bell and Ryan Jeffers, the construction of the lineup is heavily shaken up, with new faces in the 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 spots of the lineup from yesterday. The pitcher for the Twins in the rubber match is Simeon Woods Richardson, who has allowed at least 4 runs in 4 of his last 5 starts and has an ERA north of 6 on the year.
After a 1-3 start to the homestand, winning the final two games and at least going even would be a big morale boost for a Nats club that has played much worse at home than on the road. It would also put them back to just 2 games under .500, with a chance to climb over the .500 mark this weekend in Miami. Follow along in the comments below and let’s go Nats!
DEFEATING THE WINNERS: In each of the Cubs’ eight consecutive wins, their opponent has had a winning record going into the game. This is the Cubs’ 60th winning streak of at least eight games since 1901. Only once before did a streak include eight straight wins over opponents that were above .500: Sept. 16-27, 1935. Those were the final nine of 21 straight wins, still the National League record. During their recent 10-game winning streak, the Cubs won only one game vs. an opponent that was above .500: the last game, at Los Angeles vs. the Dodgers. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
STREAKING, PART 1: The Cubs have won 14 straight games at home. A win this afternoon will make it their second-longest such streak since 1901. They won 18 straight, Sept. 4-22, 1935, during a surge that lifted them to the pennant. They have had six previous streaks that ended after 14 games, most recently May 18-June 22, 2008. The earlier ones were in 1906, 1910, 1928, 1932 and 1936. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
STREAKING, PART 2: The Cubs are 18-3 in their last 21 games, their best 21-game record since they also were 18-3 from July 27-Aug. 18, 2016. That is their only span of 18-3 or better since they went 18-3 on June 30-July 18, 1945. They were last 19-2 on June 4-26, 1936. They were 20-1 in 12 overlapping spans in 1906 and four in 1935. They won 21 in a row, still the National League record, Sept. 4-27, 1935. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
CUBS vs. REDS:This is the Cubs’ 83rd series vs. the Reds at Wrigley Field since 1994, first season of the Central Division. It is the 17th of the 83 that was scheduled to be more than three games. The Cubs have swept four games just once, in 2018. The current series is the only other in which they won the first three games. They went 3-1 in four earlier series, including the most recent before the current one, in 2023. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Shōta Imanaga has just been excellent this year. A couple of starts have been not-great, but overall his numbers are outstanding, especially regarding long balls, considering his issues with them last year. He has allowed just three home runs in 41.1 innings. Keep that up!
Shōta did okay vs. the Reds last year: two starts, 3.18 ERA, three home runs in 11.1 innings, 11 strikeouts. If he can keep the ball in the yard today — and thank heavens Cubs nemesis Eugenio Suárez is out right now! — good things should follow.
Rhett Lowder was the Reds’ No. 1 pick (seventh overall) out of Wake Forest in 2023. He made his MLB debut in 2024 and threw five shutout innings vs. the Cubs Sept. 28, 2024 at Wrigley Field. Then he missed all of last year (except for a handful of rehab starts) with elbow and oblique issues.
This year he has made seven starts and was doing pretty well until his last outing, last Saturday in Pittsburgh, when he didn’t make it out of the second inning and was part of the Reds tying a MLB record with seven straight walks (he had four of those).
The Cubs are a pretty patient hitting team, so perhaps they can use that to their advantage.
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The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
NEW YORK CITY, UNITED STATES - MAY 06: Josh Hart (3) of the New York Knicks in action during the Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 2 of the National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs between New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden in New York City, U.S., on May 6, 2026. (Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images
Mitch was ill, Embiid was sore, and the Sixers are growing sour.
New York swept the home half of their second-round series, and it’s now time to do the same, only a few miles out southwest.
Here’s the latest from a delightful Game 2 victory.
BP "When Brunson runs offense how come OG's not getting the opportunities he's gotten when offense thru KAT?"
Wally "Normally when JB running it, it's high PnR…OG spaces floor…in corners…When ball in KAT's hands, JB's a cutter…as a result help from all over…OG free to roam" pic.twitter.com/VIjHNgHCeH
“I haven’t talked to anybody. He looked like he was hopping.”
On OG Anunoby’s overall impact throughout his career:
“He was freaking good back then, and he’s freaking good now. At that size and athleticism and IQ, feel, two-way player — you want a guy like OG on your team.”
On Anunoby’s feel for the game:
“As we continue to move along, you really get a better sense or a better feel of his feel for the game. He’s more than a willing passer at his size. He causes matchup problems because you can’t really always switch a smaller guy on him because he’s pretty big and strong and athletic around the basket, especially if the spacing is right. He could play pick-and-roll. He can come off a pin-down and make plays. So these are things that you learn more and more about him as you kind of go along and see him in different situations.”
On Anunoby’s never-ending sacrifices:
“He’s a quiet guy, so you have to observe more than anything else, like a few other guys on our team. The ultimate definition of sacrifice is where you just go and do your job as best you can to try to help the team win.”
On Mitchell Robinson’s illness keeping him out of Game 2:
“I don’t know. I know he’s sick and that will be up to our performance group, the doctors and then him at the end of the day. But I know just as much as you do.”
On Philadelphia’s scoring threats without Joel Embiid:
“We know that [Tyrese Maxey is] going to be ultra aggressive. Paul George is going to be aggressive. [VJ] Edgecombe is going to be aggressive. Those guys probably see it as an opportunity for more touches for themselves. Those guys are all capable of stepping their game up to another level.”
On defending Tyrese Maxey collectively:
“You’re gonna have to keep working and give multiple efforts and the team defense behind him is gonna have to be great in order to even think you’re gonna slow him down, because he’s a great player. But Mikal did what he could, as well as everybody else behind him. And then on top of that, Mikal hit some big shots for us down the stretch, especially when we looked a little discombobulated offensively. He got to his spot and knocked down some big shots. So great game on both ends of the floor for Mikal.”
On the need to avoid falling into foul trouble:
“We can’t put ourselves in the position to put the whistle on the referees’ hands of making a call or no call. So we gotta do a better job of leading with our chest and showing our hands.
“We have to try to do something about it, because they’re killing us from the free-throw line in this series. I know it’s only two games, but they had 34 and 28 tonight. So let’s add them up now. That’s 62, and we had 17 and 25, so that’s 42, right? Forty-two to 62. So, we have to do something right. I have to do a better job addressing it. Hopefully, it can get evened out a little bit more throughout the course of the series, but it’s tough to win a ballgame if you’re getting beat from the free-throw line like that versus a really good team.”
On Maxey’s ability to draw fouls:
“Maxey and Embiid are really, really good at drawing fouls. Maxey’s speed, he’s going to drive and he’s gonna attack your chest. I thought our guys did on some of the calls, but most of them you can’t lead with your hands, you got to lead with your chest. You hope that the referees see that at times, we’re not initiating the contact. We can’t put ourselves in the position to put the whistle in the referees hands of making a call or no call. We’ve got to do better of leading with our chest and showing our hands. With Embiid he’s really crafty … we have to be disciplined and we have to stay down … we can send those two guys to the free-throw line, and the rest of their team, 34 times, and expect to get a win.”
On the team’s defensive effort late on Wednesday:
“The shots are not going to always go in. And you’ve got to give Philly’s defense some credit. Just like you got to give our defense some credit. But we know we missed some shots that we normally make. And they missed some shots that they normally make. And it’s about trying to find a way to get a stop. That’s what you can control more than the ball going in. And I thought our guys did a decent job of that as we were going down the stretch without fouling.”
On Brunson’s play late in Game 2:
“They started switching a little bit and he got to his spots and scored. That’s what he’s expected to do for us.”
Q "You & OG rly good chemistry…No update on [him] but if you do wind up having to play w/o him…can you find somewhere else?"
KAT "Uh yeah but I don't have any plans of doing that. I don't rly know. We'll regroup tomoro, see what whole situation is. Obv they'll give you update" pic.twitter.com/jYizMvY2Rk
On the need for more discipline to stay out of foul trouble:
“I don’t ever want to lose the physicality. That’s done us well. I’ll look at the tape. I’ll get better, more disciplined. I don’t want to put my team in that position again, so I gotta do a better job. For better, for worse, I may not have been able to play many minutes in the first half, but I tried to use that as an advantage to have a more rested body than everybody else on the court and try to be a spark plug for our team coming out of halftime.”
On wanting to impact winning no matter what:
“I just want to [make] the right plays when the ball hits my hands, whether that’s driving, passing, taking the shot or slowing down our offense to get us organized. I just want to impact winning, and I was able to do that.”
“Most importantly just staying poised, staying composed, just figuring out one play at a time, one step at a time and not looking too far ahead. Just focusing and paying attention to the details and finding a way to make the next play.”
On the fourth-quarter defense:
“I think we made things difficult. I also think they missed some good looks, so we got away with a couple, but we strung some stops together down the stretch when we needed to.”
“This team just came back from 3-1, so you can’t sit here and be happy about where we are or complacent. There are 15 or 16 teams, ever, that have come back from 3-1, so we know what this team is capable of. We have to continue to be focused.”
On Anunoby’s status:
“Hey, man, I don’t know. You gotta holler at him on that one.”
Jeremy Sochan and Kevin McCullar attempt to congratulate VJ Edgecombe and Kelly Oubre for not getting blown out but for some reason it is not received with the intended warmth pic.twitter.com/6TS45kE8AR
On how he feels about replacing OG in the lineup if he misses time:
“Extremely comfortable. I feel like the coaching staff trusts me, I know my teammates trust me and I trust myself overall. So if that happens, I know I’ll be ready.”
On how to replace OG:
“He’s one of the best two-way players in the league so it’s tough to replace that but you don’t replace him with one guy. Everyone is going to have to step up.”
On Bridges’ Game 2 defense:
“Honestly, it started with Mikal. He’s just been great for us at the point of attack. And the team has been locked in. He’s a tough player. And for Mikal, he’s just going to keep going at him. He’s going to step up every time.”
On the final minutes of Game 2:
“We’re really comfortable. We’ve got a bunch of leaders in this locker room, a bunch of guys who want this moment. And we’ve been here before, so we just got to attack it with an open mind, with an aggressiveness, and just trust it.
“I feel like we just had to lock in. It was a tough game. I felt like our focus could’ve been a little bit better. Sometimes it takes a little scare like that for you to lock in in the fourth.”
“They’re not two completely different players because they’re both lockdown defenders. When they make up their mind to start guarding people, it gets pretty tough. OG’s a better shooter…Kawhi’s probably a better 1-on-1 player.”
On Anunoby’s career development:
“OG’s just continually, year after year, just keeps getting better and better. And he was amazing in our last series. He was really, really great and I thought he was really, really great in Game 1, too. He’s kind of always been really great at defense, and then the shooting came and now he’ll rebound heavily when they need him. His cutting game’s gotten a lot better. I think his starting and ending on drives have gotten better as well. So he just kind of keeps getting better year after year, and he’s just a hardworking guy.”
On Anunoby’s shooting improvement being the most impressive to him:
“When I had him, he was really fascinated with the art of shooting, and that was really cool to see him dig into that and just take his own journey on it to improve. He’s a guy you cannot leave open, so he’s really done a great job at just working, and so that’s what happens when you do that year after year, and you keep playing heavy minutes and all that stuff. You’re going to get better.”
On why Embiid missed Game 2:
“He woke up with a bunch of soreness. They were treating him during shootaround, etc., and then after shootaround, they determined he’d be out.
“I mean, listen, he’s really disappointed. He really wants to be out there. He has been doing — I mean I said this before — but coming back from that appendectomy so quickly was not easy for him to do. He’s worked extremely hard to get back and he continues to want to play badly and I feel really bad for him. He really wants to be out there and we want him out there.”
On the Sixers’ bigs gettting quickly into foul trouble:
“Yeah, I mean it’s a bit of a concern. All the bigs on both teams were in foul trouble tonight, so I don’t know what to tell you about that.”
On being forced to give extended minutes to the backups:
“Well, there was a number of things. I thought Barlow — excuse me, Bona — was impacting the game, especially early with the rim protection. He got in foul trouble. They went small, so there was a couple factors that at least get out there and look at it. We felt we could switch a little bit more too with him. We had a couple breakdowns on some of that stuff, but I thought again, I mean we played good enough defense to win that game, especially in the fourth. Yeah, that certainly had a factor of them being in there and then we — it’s like you go through the playoff series and you’re trying some stuff and we decided to throw Paul on Towns and he did a nice job so we just kind of rolled with it.”
“I shot, like, one shot in the third quarter. Mainly, they were just putting two on the ball. Every ball screen, every action, every switch, they would just put two on the ball, and I was just getting rid of it, getting off of it. That’s really it. I was just trying to create and do different things like that and use my gravity.”
On Dominick Barlow’s unexpected cameo:
“He was pretty good. He was pretty good. He got in, he was active, played the right way, so we appreciate him for that.”
VJ Edgecombe: "We feel like we shoulda won it…came down to shotmaking…Brunson made a lot of tough shots towards the end, we missed wide open ones…We did pretty good [on Brunson.] He's gonna score 😆 we're not gonna hold him scoreless, he's a good player" pic.twitter.com/pkfNu1tSdQ
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 22: Rainiel Rodriguez #88 of the St. Louis Cardinals at bat during a spring training game against the Houston Astros at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 22, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Let’s think about the horizon for the St. Louis Cardinals. Is it too early in the rebuild to do this? Yes, of course. Are there more ups and downs coming than a prairie dog in the summer? No doubt. But, isn’t this what it is to be a fan? I love a numbers deep dive that reveals something about a player’s approach that has changed in some way. That’ll always be the bulk of my writing for Viva El Birdos. There will be numbers here, too. But, I’d like to think philosophically about the larger forces that will shape the franchise over the next few years.
Let’s consider the future of Rainiel Rodriguez. The readers of this site are legendarily plugged in to this team, so it’s not like you need an introduction. He’s the all-world 19 year old catching prospect in single-A that’s rocketing up national prospect lists all over the place. How’s he doing so far this season? Well, I’m glad I can set up a straw man question to answer whenever I want. In short, he’s lighting the world on fire.
It’s early (Can we just all caveat this until June? We all know it is, so let’s just all know it inherently together!), but Rodriguez (R-Rod? Rainman? Something else?) is torching the Peoria environs to the tune of a .307/.440/.557 slash line, good for a 157 wRC+. He’s walking nearly as much as he’s striking out and hammering balls all over the yard for a .249 ISO. He’s also adjusting, at least according to the inimitable coverage of Kyle Reis.
— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) May 3, 2026
Did I mention he’s 19 years old and will be the entire season? He’s the youngest player in single-A as of this writing. MLB.com has him ranked 31st in their pipeline and if he continues this type of offensive pace, he’s surely going to rise on that list. He’s a precocious hitter. So much so that I compared his 18 year old season to Juan Soto’s for a site that you’re not going to like (before I joined VEB!) and found his batting line to be comparable, but Rodriguez hit for more power at age 18. Is this exciting? Um, was Ozzie Smith good at defense? (I’m not going to answer that – you’ve got this!)
To me, this is where things get interesting. There are several issues that present themselves here about the future of Rodriguez, and those questions overlap to a stunning degree with the questions about the future of the franchise. Alas, Rainiel Rodriguez is a catcher. That’s an interesting position for a top prospect to have to begin with, but especially in a franchise that has two (flawed) catching prospects older than him and an awkward middle school dance with Ivan Herrera and his future at the position. Obviously, we have no idea if Jimmy Crooks or Leo Bernal will work out at the position, but my concerns run deeper than the stockpile of catchers the franchise has.
A study published at fangraphs compared the top position players at each position in their careers and found catchers to be noticeably lagging.
Granted, these are the ten highest WAR players of all time at each position, but it’s not a massive logical leap to tell you that trend would continue down the player value spectrum. So, let’s assume for this argument that Rainiel Rodriguez’s career will be shorter and his offensive production will be lower if he stays at catcher. It’s not like his production will crater at the position, but there’s a clear indication that catching is going to cost some offensive value.
Here’s where R-Rod’s (I’m just going to start trying out nicknames casually until one feels right) ascent through the minors crashes headlong into the Cardinals trajectory. In case you weren’t aware, the Cardinals are in a rebuild (ok, don’t call it a rebuild – but it’s a rebuild!). However, ss of this writing, they are winning at a pace that no one really expected. What if that…keeps up? I have doubts about the ability of the pitching staff to continue to support wins at this rate, but let’s consider a path where the Cardinals contend quicker than anyone expects.
Do the Cardinals consider moving Rodriguez off of catcher? Decoupling the bat from the onerous position would certainly speed his movement through the minors. What if you could add a solidly above average bat as soon as late next season? What if it’s a monster bat? Where do you play him? You already have Herrera soaking up lots of DH appearances. Burly is a solidly above average major league hitter at first base. Can the Rainman even play anywhere else? He’s listed at 5’10”, not a traditional first baseman by any stretch. Is it even worth changing his position? What if you just have Samuel Basallo on your hands? That’s an incredibly valuable commodity!
It’s really only an odd situation if the Cardinals decide to hit the gas pedal. I do not believe that’s the plan from Chaim Bloom and Co, but I’ve been thinking lately about the scenario in which the team makes Bloom hit the gas a little and contend. I’m not talking about selling the farm for vets – I don’t think that will ever happen. But I do wonder if, because of the unique position the Cardinals franchise is in with the catchers they have, and due to the nuclear nature of Rodriguez’s bat, the Cardinals would consider moving him off of catcher for his long term offensive benefit and a potential accelerator pedal on the rebuild.
This is all premature. No doubt. But, I just let my mind wander down this path. I’ve also had some compelling conversations about this IRL and wanted to write this into the universe. The Cardinals will likely do a smarter version of Mo’s path of least resistance (sorry for the unexpected Mo drop). As for me, due to the unique nature of the current franchise and R-Rod’s skills, I’d be looking for a secondary position for him (he’s played some 1B already this year) at a minimum. Flexibility is always good when it comes to a roster.
It’s worth watching how they handle this 19 year old wunderkind if he continues to produce at such high levels. There are lots of legitimate positions to stake out on this issue – let me know what path you see in the comments. And, as always, thanks for reading!
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 1: Simeon Woods Richardson #24 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Target Field on May 1, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First Pitch (CT):12:05 PM TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN/830 WCCO/102.9 The Wolf /Audacy App Know Yo’ Foe: Federal Baseball
After what we’ve seen from the Twins’ bullpen of late, we might need a stronger word than “implosion” to describe what’s happening. It’s unlikely to get better today with Simeon Woods Richardson amid arguably the worst stretch of his career.
So far in 2026, SWR’s strikeout rate is half of his career average at just 10.6%, the second worst in baseball among players with at least 30 IP. His 8.76% walk rate is around league average, but you can’t be league average in walks while not striking anyone out. The main issue seems to be Sim’s splitter, which was a big part of his resurgence in the second half of 2025. Opponents are hitting .350 with a .625 SLG off his splitter this season. His slider isn’t any better (.343 BAA, .600 SLG) so batters are just sitting on his fastball which has also made that pitch underperform. SWR’s path to success was already very limited, but this has been pretty much a worst case scenario for a rotation already missing Pablo Lopez, Mick Abel, David Festa, and had a Joe Ryan injury scare a few days ago.
What’s the solution? Beats me! With every one of his pitches getting hammered and nothing generating swing-and-miss, the solution might be moving to the bullpen where you can see if his funky delivery could get some added velocity and movement. Given the state of things down there, it’s not like he’ll be worse than Justin Topa or Luis Garcia. And the Twins have a knack for rescuing pitchers careers after flaming out in the rotation (see: Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Louis Varland, Brock Stewart, Cole Sands, Taylor Rogers, etc).
For now, Woods Richardson will get a chance to right the ship at least until Mick Abel is ready to return. Andrew Morris and John Klein seem to be transitioning to bullpen roles, at least for this season, and Kendry Rojas is still severely limited on pitch count at the moment. Unless Zebby Matthews rediscovers how to pitch, SWR will be a mainstay.
Lineup notes:
Austin Martin gets yet another start against a righty, something that should become increasingly common with Josh Bell, Kody Clemens, and Matt Wallner all severely struggling.
Speaking of Wallner, he gets bumped up to the 5th spot in the lineup after 1 good game. Shows how desperate the Twins are for anyone to get going outside of the top 4 of Buxton, Larnach, Martin, and Jeffers.
Tristan Gray is starting at 3B over Royce Lewis for the third time in the past five games. Gray is thoroughly outperforming Lewis both offensively and defensively, and the Twins probably need to start thinking about replacing the former #1 pick. Kaelen Culpepper is playing well in St. Paul and will likely be a regular for the Twins by the All-Star break.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Austin Reaves
Cavaliers
Pistons
