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Nets’ tanking plan in more danger after beating Bucks for second straight win

An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows E.J. Liddell, who scored a game-high 21 points, shoots over AJ Green (20) and Andre Jackson Jr. (44) during the Nets' 96-90 win over the Bucks on April 7, 2026 at Barclays Center

Are Brooklyn’s lottery dreams turning into a nightmare?

The first Nets winning streak in a month — beating the Bucks 96-90 before a crowd of 16,834 at Barclays Center on Tuesday night — had the players cheering and their tank-happy fans in a collective meltdown.

In a tanking season that is all about jostling for lottery positioning, Tuesday’s victory was counterproductive.

The Nets — who had a chance to pull into a first-place tie in the lottery race with a loss to Washington on Sunday — have essentially forfeited all hope of landing the top seed. The Nets (20-59) are three games behind the Wizards and two behind the Pacers with just three to play — two of those against tanking squads.

Now the Nets have fallen to third and are suddenly in very real danger of sliding out of the top three altogether.

They enjoyed a 2 ½-game cushion on both the Jazz and Kings entering Sunday, but have seen that lead cut to a half-game on Utah and just one on Sacramento, pending the latter’s game at Golden State.

Holding on to third would give the Nets a 40.1 percent chance of landing a top three pick, and 52.1 percent odds of a top four pick. AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cam Boozer are all seen as franchise-changing prospects, followed by Caleb Wilson.

The Nets will host the pitiful Pacers on Thursday.

E.J. Liddell, who scored a game-high 21 points, shoots over AJ Green (20) and Andre Jackson Jr. (44) during the Nets’ 96-90 win over the Bucks on April 7, 2026 at Barclays Center. Corey Sipkin for New York Post

E.J. Liddell had a career-high 21 points on 7-for-9 shooting, despite not playing a second in the fourth quarter. Ben Saraf scored 17 points, while sparkplug Tyson Etienne — generously listed at 6 feet — had nine points and a team-high six boards.

“I talked to my mom after my first NBA start; couldn’t stop smiling. So the second one felt the same way,” said Liddell. “Any opportunity I get to put on this Brooklyn jersey, it feels special.”

Terance Mann (right patellar tendon/left Achilles), Noah Clowney (left ankle), Ziaire Williams (left foot), Nic Claxton (right fifth finger), Danny Wolf (left ankle), Michael Porter Jr. (left hamstring), Day’Ron Sharpe (left thumb surgery) and Egor Dëmin (left plantar fascia) were out for the Nets.

The Bucks played without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Myles Turner, Kyle Kuzma, Kevin Porter Jr., Bobby Portis, Ryan Rollins and Gary Trent Jr.

Cam Thomas didn’t stick with the Bucks long enough to make his return to Barclays Center Tuesday.

He got waived by the Nets because he didn’t defend or pass or take Brooklyn’s two-year contract offer, but Thomas got cut by Milwaukee on March 23 to make room for a 26-year-old two-way Pete Nance.

“At the end of the day, it really came down to contracts with him,” said Doc Rivers. “When we got him, we thought we were going to make a run. Then right when we saw we were not, ownership [decided] we’re just not going to take the extra salary on there, [hurting] our flexibility. And I got that, too. I don’t know all the stuff here, but with me, him and the team, I thought overall he was pretty good for us.”

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Mavericks dispute JJ Redick’s comments on Austin Reaves’ initial MRI

The Mavericks disputed how Lakers coach JJ Redick charactersized the imaging process that led to Austin Reaves being diagnosed with a Grade 2 left oblique strain. 

After the Lakers’ practice on Saturday at Southern Methodist University, Redick said the team was waiting for the results of Reaves’ MRI after he suffered the oblique injury during last Thursday’s loss to the Thunder. 

At the time, Redick said Reaves’ second MRI was on Saturday after the team arrived in Dallas on Friday. 

The Mavericks disputed how Lakers coach JJ Redick charactersized the imaging process that led to Austin Reaves being diagnosed with a Grade 2 left oblique strain.  Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

“Again, I don’t know where the chain of command lies with Dallas imaging, but they scanned the wrong area,” Redick said. “So not on our end. We made it explicit what was supposed to be scanned but they scanned the wrong area.”

The Mavericks issued a statement, first to DLLS Sports, that disputed Redick’s comments. 

“Our medical team followed standard imaging protocols based on the information provided at the time,” the Mavericks said. “There was no error in the scan performed.”

When asked about the comment ahead of the Lakers’ home game against the Thunder on Tuesday, Redick said the Lakers were going to move forward.

“Well, I just, look, I think in the end we got the image we needed,” Redick said. “And obviously very appreciative, because it’s happened throughout the season whenever the home team is accommodating to us, just like we would be for them. And we’re gonna move on.”

Reaves is out for the remainder of the regular season because of the oblique injury, joining fellow star guard Luka Doncic (Grade 2 left hamstring strain) as Lakers who are on the shelf for the foreseeable future. 

Reaves is out for the remainder of the regular season because of the oblique injury. NBAE via Getty Images

Smart update

Marcus Smart missed his eighth consecutive game on Tuesday, but Redick said the starting guard should be back in the lineup within the next few days. 

“He’s progressing well,” Redick said. “We thought he’d be back by now. It’s not that he had a setback last week. He was doing on-court work and he wanted to dial it back. So he had a great day [on Tuesday] on the court, trending towards playing at some point this week.”

The Lakers will play the Warriors in San Francisco on Thursday before hosting the Suns on Friday.

Star forward LeBron James also wasn’t available on Tuesday against the Thunder, sitting because of left foot injury management. 

Doncic in Spain 

With Doncic in Spain to seek medical treatment for his hamstring, Redick emphasized how Doncic is motivated to do what he can to get back on the court as soon as possible during the Lakers’ playoff run.   

“I’m not going to share how long he’s gonna be over there, but I think he’s in good spirits,” Redick said “In my conversations with him, he’s motivated to do everything possible. And I know for him, it’s hard for him not to be on a basketball court. That’s his happy place. And he’s one of the handful of guys that really plays year round. And it’s not just international competition. But he likes to be in the gym. He likes to be working on his craft. And I think it’s hard for him. He wants to get back on the court.”

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Caufield and Texier score in shootout as Canadiens beat Panthers 4-3

MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield and Alexandre Texier scored in the shootout after Nick Suzuki’s late tying goal as the Montreal Canadiens beat the Florida Panthers 4-3 on Tuesday night.

Ivan Demidov and Phillip Danault also scored in regulation as playoff-bound Montreal won for the ninth time in 10 games. Juraj Slafkovsky added two assists and Jakub Dobes made 30 saves for his sixth consecutive win.

Caufield remained one goal shy of his 50th for the third consecutive game after scoring twice Thursday against the New York Rangers. He is scoreless in three straight games for the first time since posting four consecutive goalless outings from Jan. 8 to 12.

Eetu Luostarinen, Carter Verhaeghe and Cole Reinhardt scored for fading Florida, which lost its eighth straight game against the Canadiens. Daniil Tarasov stopped 29 shots.

The two-time reigning Stanley Cup champions entered the night 27th in the overall league standings and out of playoff contention.

Canadiens forwards Kirby Dach and Texier returned to the lineup, while veteran Brendan Gallagher (healthy scratch) and Joe Veleno (flu) sat out.

Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk missed the game for the birth of his first child, adding to a long list of absences for Florida. More than half of the Panthers’ usual roster is out for the season after three straight trips to the Stanley Cup final.

Up next

Panthers: Visit the Ottawa Senators on Thursday.

Canadiens: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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Hurricanes overcome Geekie's hat trick, top Bruins in OT to claim the Metropolitan Division title

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Jaccob Slavin scored at 1:13 of overtime as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Boston Bruins 6-5 on Tuesday night and claimed their fourth Metropolitan Division title in six years.

Slavin's first goal of the season helped offset a hat trick by Boston’s Morgan Geekie. Andrei Svechnikov, K’Andre Miller, Logan Stankoven, William Carrier and Taylor Hall also scored for Carolina. Brandon Bussi overcame a shakey start and finished with 16 saves.

Hampus Lindholm and Pavel Zacha also scored for Boston, with Zacha's goal at 12:33 in the third period tying the game at 5. Boston's Jeremy Swayman made 18 saves before being pulled after allowing five goals, including three in the first nine minutes of the second period. Joonas Korpisalo stopped the 16 shots he faced in regulation, but Slavin beat him in OT by tapping in a pass from Sebastian Aho.

The Hurricanes will be home for the Stanley Cup playoffs as the Metropolitan champions for the third time under coach Rod Brind’Amour. They also won the Central Division in the shortened, reconfigured 2020-21 season.

Geekie, a third-round pick of the Hurricanes in 2017, claimed his second career hat trick with his third goal of the game with 1:10 left in the second period, cutting Carolina’s advantage to 5-4. Geekie had only one goal in the previous 20 games, but his scoring outburst on Tuesday pushed his season total to a career-best 37. Geekie had six goals in 38 career games with Carolina.

Stankoven scored on the power play to tie the game at 3 at 5:17 in the second period. The Hurricanes have scored 14 power-play goals in the past 11 games.

Carrier made it 4-3 at 7:20 in the second and Hall scored 73 seconds later, chasing Swayman. Jackson Blake and Sean Walker assisted on Hall’s goal and each finished with two assists.

Up next

Bruins: Host Tampa Bay on Saturday.

Hurricanes: Begin a four-game trip at Chicago on Thursday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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Rapid Recap: Nets 96, Bucks 90

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 07: Pete Nance #35 of the Milwaukee Bucks defends the ball from E.J. Liddell #9 of the Brooklyn Nets during the second quarter at Barclays Center on April 07, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Pamela Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Milwaukee Bucks had a bad shooting night against a poor 20-win team, the Brooklyn Nets, losing 96-90. AJ Green led the Bucks with 20 points on 6/12 from three, while E.J. Liddell scored a career-high 21 in as many minutes (as he didn’t play in the fourth quarter because… you know why).

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

The game started back and forth, and no side truly earned an advantage early in the first quarter. However, through three quick triples from AJ Green, Milwaukee established an advantage over Brooklyn as the game wore on. Milwaukee continued its characteristic defensive lapses as Brooklyn exploited opportunistic double-teams for easy points in the paint and open threes. That, coupled with an inability to find good looks on offense and frequent turnovers, allowed Brooklyn to storm to a 10-0 run, giving them a 30-29 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Milwaukee looked shocked by Brooklyn’s resolve during the second quarter. They had to fight for every shot, dealing with an uncharacteristically tough Nets defense. Even when they found open shots, they didn’t land. Milwaukee shot 1/12 from long range throughout the quarter, opening the door for a 10-4 run by the Nets. They ran circles around the Milwaukee offense, using a mixture of pick-and-rolls and handoffs to find open shots. Both teams began to falter offensively towards the end, settling for contested shots. Despite finding some important stops towards the end of the half, Milwaukee continued to trail Brooklyn 49-43.

The Bucks struggled to chip away at the Nets’ increasingly imposing lead. They struggled on defense, frequently giving up physical paint buckets to Liddell and rookie Drake Powell. On offense, the three-ball didn’t fall, and they continued to make clumsy turnovers in transition. As Liddell reached a career high in points, Milwaukee fell behind by as many as 16 points. Although Milwaukee’s shooting from range gradually warmed up, the game’s stop-and-go nature continued to frustrate the Bucks’ offense. They ended the quarter down 70-62.

Milwaukee continued to get in its own way in the final frame; careless turnovers, a general softness in the paint, and woeful shooting stopped any momentum. Cormac Ryan’s open three-pointer three minutes deep into the fourth was their first three in around six minutes of game time, and, although the team followed it up with a Green triple, they subsequently turned the ball over twice inside a minute. However, Green’s scoring came in clutch during crunch time, pouring in 11 of his 20 points in the final quarter. Taurean Prince’s corner three trimmed Brooklyn’s lead to just one with 2:30 left. However, a pair of missed threes, along with two clutch Brooklyn layups, put the Nets up five with little under a minute to go. Although Green’s 30-foot heat-check gave Milwaukee life late, Ben Saraf drew a tricky foul on Ousmane Dieng and put the Nets up by four. Dieng’s late contested three-pointer from range missed the mark, effectively icing the game for the Nets.

Stat That Stood Out

The Bucks only hit 5/8 from the free throw line, their third-lowest total of the season. By comparison, the Nets hit 21/23.

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Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dodgers bullpen hold off Blue Jays for fifth-straight win

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers runs after hitting a single against the Toronto Blue Jays, Image 2 shows Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Hyeseong Kim throws a baseball, Image 3 shows Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto mid-delivery on the mound

TORONTO –– Last time he was in Toronto, Yoshinobu Yamamoto almost single-handedly neutralized the Blue Jays.

In his return Tuesday night, he needed a little help.

Through five innings in the Dodgers’ 4-1 win, the reigning World Series MVP was mimicking his Fall Classic brilliance. He’d struck out six batters, including three in a row to begin the game. He’d allowed only one hit, on a second-inning fly ball that got over Kyle Tucker’s head in right.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the second inning at Rogers Centre. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The outing might have lacked the stakes of his previous visit to Rogers Centre, when Yamamoto logged back-to-back victories in Games 6 and 7 of an epic World Series battle. 

But up to that point, he’d been almost as dominant.

“He commanded everything,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He threw the baseball really well.”

Then, out of nowhere, he almost squandered the Dodgers’ 3-0 lead.

The Blue Jays finally broke through in the sixth, when Andrés Giménez hit a leadoff single and George Springer brought him home with an RBI double. In the seventh, Yamamoto left behind an even bigger jam, exiting the game with the tying runners aboard after Kazuma Okamoto doubled (staying alive via an ABS challenge that negated a called third strike earlier in his at-bat) and Ernie Clement bunted for a hit.

Just like that, reliever Alex Vesia was inheriting a high-leverage mess. And after he walked his first batter, the Blue Jays had the bases loaded with no outs.

“You gotta walk the first guy,” Vesia deadpanned, “and then make it really hard for yourself.”

Alas, as became their habit last October, the Dodgers found a way to escape and prevail.

Vesia prevented any runs from scoring, skipping off the bump three outs later with a pump of his fist. Blake Treinen and Edwin Díaz took care of the next two innings, sewing up the team’s fifth-consecutive win to clinch this week’s highly-anticipated rematch series.

And this time, it was Yamamoto cheering the biggest moments from the dugout, getting a lift from his teammates in a victorious six-plus-inning, one-run performance.

“I was saved by Vesia,” he said.

Shohei Ohtani hits a single against the Toronto Blue Jays in the third inning. Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

What it means

The Dodgers had already clinched a winning road trip with their victory in Monday’s series opener. Now, they’ve secured two series wins and have the chance Wednesday to go 6-0 on this East Coast swing.

It’s a sign that everything is clicking for the team right now –– from the offense (which now has 49 runs on the trip) to the starting pitching (led by Yamamoto and his 2.50 ERA through three outings) and even a bullpen that is off to a resurgent start to the season (lowering its ERA to 2.70 after Wednesday’s three scoreless innings).

At 9-2 overall, the Dodgers are also on the verge of reaching the 10-win mark faster than they have since 2021.

Who’s hot

How about the two names at the bottom of the order Tuesday, who helped spark all three scoring rallies for the Dodgers on the night.

No. 8 hitter Hyeseong Kim (who was a late addition to the lineup after Miguel Rojas was scratched because of a family matter) hit a leadoff double in the third inning, spurring a two-run frame that also included a 105 mph RBI single from Shohei Ohtani off the wall in right. In the fifth, he drew a leadoff walk before advancing to second on a Kevin Gausman balk.

No. 9 hitter Alex Freeland, who was in a 1-for-21 slump entering Tuesday, scored Kim in the fifth with an RBI single. Later, he added a double in the seventh, then a two-out infield single in the ninth. The latter knock was also accompanied by a throwing error from Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela, allowing Freeland to go to second. He eventually scored on an RBI single from Tucker, giving Díaz a little extra insurance for his fourth save.

Hyeseong Kim throws out Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho in the fifth inning. Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Who’s not

Just like Monday night, it remains the Blue Jays.

And to be more specific, their manager John Schneider.

After Gausman’s balk in the fifth inning, Schneider came out of the dugout with only one intention. With his team in an early-season rut, it seemed like he was begging to get ejected from the game.

Following an extended argument, home plate umpire Dan Merzel finally obliged –– prompting a red-faced Schenider to dramatically spike his cap to the ground before berating Merzel inches away from his face.

If the outburst was intended to wake up his team, it failed. Instead, the banged-up Blue Jays dropped their sixth-straight game, and fell to 4-7 on the season. 

Up next

The Dodgers will go for the series sweep Wednesday, when Shohei Ohtani will take the mound for the second time this season. He’ll face off against Toronto’s marquee offseason signing, Dylan Cease, for a 12:07 p.m. Pacific first pitch.

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Senators Explode For Five Third Period Goals In 6-2 Win Over Tampa Bay

The Senators took care of their own business on Tuesday night.

Jake Sanderson scored twice, and Brady Tkachuk had a career-best four assists as the Senators defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2 to maintain their two-point wild card lead in the East with just four games to play.

Tim Stützle had three points on the night, while Linus Ullmark led the way with 28 saves.

The game was tracking to be a defensive affair through the first 40 minutes, but the third period didn’t get that memo.

Jordan Spence and Nick Paul swapped goals late in the second before the Senators erupted for five goals in the third en route to the win.

Fabian Zetterlund scored early in the third, banking one in off the upper body of Tampa Bay defenceman Erik Černák to make it 2-1.

Jake Sanderson then made it 3-1 with a gorgeous goal, cutting hard to the net and slipping the puck through Tampa goalie Jonas Johansson.

Corey Perry cut the lead to 3-2, standing alone at the side of the net and redirecting a slap pass from the point past Ullmark. The Lightning appeared to be gaining momentum before Tampa was called for hooking.

Stützle restored the two-goal lead on the ensuing power play, jamming home a loose puck during a goalmouth scramble. Tampa challenged for goaltender interference, but the goal stood.

Then came the dagger. On ensuing delay of game penalty, the Senators executed a gorgeous set play off the centre ice faceoff.

Jake Sanderson dropped the puck off to Drake Batherson who hit Tkachuk with a long stretch pass at the blue line. Tkachuk quickly fed Sanderson, who had turned on the jets after quietly and slowly jumping into the rush after the original drop pass. Sanderson, now on a breakaway, beat Johansson with a slick backhander to make it 5-2.

Shane Pinto then added a hard working empty-netter to seal the 6-2 victory.

With the win, the Senators maintain their hold on a wild card spot in the East, two points up on Columbus, and three points up on Detroit and the Islanders. All four teams have four games remaining and the Senators own the tiebreaker on all three opponents.

Out of town on Tuesday, the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in overtime. The Philadelphia Flyers handled the New Jersey Devils 5-1, while the Boston Bruins, who sit in the second wild card spot, lost 6-5 in overtime to the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Senators are back at it Thursday night at home against the Florida Panthers, a team they’ll be eager to get another crack at after Florida handed them a lopsided loss a week ago.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

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Walker, Church & Wetherholt Heroes as Cardinals Beat Nationals 7-6

Apr 7, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop JJ Wetherholt (26) celebrates in the dugout after scoring a run against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday night game against the Washington Nationals was a parade of missed opportunities and sloppy play, but the St. Louis Cardinals found more late game magic as Jordan Walker, Nathan Church and JJ Wetherholt played the role of the heroes.

The Cardinals got off to a fast start Tuesday night as JJ Wetherholt drew a walk to lead off the game and then stole 2nd. Alec Burleson singled to right, but Wetherholt was unable to score as he had to make sure Burleson’s ball was not caught. Thanks to an error by JJ Abrams, Wetherholt scored on a ground ball from Jordan Walker. Nolan Gorman then singled to score Alec Burleson making the score 2-0 Cardinals, but he was thrown out trying to take 2nd base.

Matthew Liberatore was not able to take advantage of his early lead as Washington answered in the bottom of the 1st as Wood singled to center. After Mead struck out looking, House singled to center moving Wood up to 2nd. Lile singled Mead in making the score 2-1 Cardinals.

Washington would draw even in the bottom of the 3rd inning when James Wood hit an opposite field bomb. Mead would give the Nationals a 3-2 lead when he hit a 398 foot home run in the bottom of the 5th inning making it 3-2 Nationals. Lile would also score in the bottom of the 5th inning on a single from Abrams giving Washington a 4-2 lead. The Nationals would get another RBI single from Mead in the bottom of the 6th inning scoring Wood making it 5-2 Washington. Matthew Liberatore was not sharp as he completed 5 innings giving up 9 hits, 2 walks and 4 earned runs.

The Cardinals missed an opportunity in the top of the 4th inning when Thomas Saggese grounded into a double play after a Gorman single and a walk by Winn. Similar situation in the top of the 6thn when Saggese would strike out with Gorman and Winn on base again, but he would more than make up for it later.

The score would stay 5-2 Nationals until the top of the 7th inning when Jordan Walker would slam an opposite field home run getting the Cardinals one run closer making it 5-3.

In the 8th inning, Masyn Winn walked after nearly being hit by another pitch. That brought up Nathan Church who would turn on a 1-2 pitch from Varland and tie the game with a 2-run bomb.

George Soriano entered the game in the bottom of the 8th inning and quickly set the Nationals down 1-2-3 including 2 strikeouts. He would also shut down Washington in the bottom of the 9th inning to send the game to extras after the Cardinals failed to score in the top of the 9th.

In the top of the 10th inning, Thomas Saggese would redeem himself with a hustle double to left-center scoring Masyn Winn making it 6-5 Cardinals.

Yohel Pozo successfully moved Saggese to third base grounding out to the right side of the infield. Nathan Church was unable to bring him in, but JJ Wetherholt picked him up as he ripped a double down the right field line giving St. Louis a 7-5 lead.

Riley O’Brien was brought in to shut down the Washington Nationals in the bottom of the 10th inning. He would bring drama as he hit Vivas after getting two strikes, but he then struck out JJ Abrams. Nolan Gorman channeled his inner Nolan Arenado making an incredible barehanded throw to first base to get Young which Alec Burleson also made a great play on. Lile would score on a wild pitch to make the game 7-6, but O’Brien struck out Nasim Nuñez to end the game.

The Cardinals are now 6-5 through the first two weeks of the season and will face former teammate Miles Mikolas Wednesday afternoon. Game time is scheduled to be 3:05pm central time.

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Walker, Church & Wetherholt Heroes as Cardinals Beat Nationals 7-6

Apr 7, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop JJ Wetherholt (26) celebrates in the dugout after scoring a run against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday night game against the Washington Nationals was a parade of missed opportunities and sloppy play, but the St. Louis Cardinals found more late game magic as Jordan Walker, Nathan Church and JJ Wetherholt played the role of the heroes.

The Cardinals got off to a fast start Tuesday night as JJ Wetherholt drew a walk to lead off the game and then stole 2nd. Alec Burleson singled to right, but Wetherholt was unable to score as he had to make sure Burleson’s ball was not caught. Thanks to an error by JJ Abrams, Wetherholt scored on a ground ball from Jordan Walker. Nolan Gorman then singled to score Alec Burleson making the score 2-0 Cardinals, but he was thrown out trying to take 2nd base.

Matthew Liberatore was not able to take advantage of his early lead as Washington answered in the bottom of the 1st as Wood singled to center. After Mead struck out looking, House singled to center moving Wood up to 2nd. Lile singled Mead in making the score 2-1 Cardinals.

Washington would draw even in the bottom of the 3rd inning when James Wood hit an opposite field bomb. Mead would give the Nationals a 3-2 lead when he hit a 398 foot home run in the bottom of the 5th inning making it 3-2 Nationals. Lile would also score in the bottom of the 5th inning on a single from Abrams giving Washington a 4-2 lead. The Nationals would get another RBI single from Mead in the bottom of the 6th inning scoring Wood making it 5-2 Washington. Matthew Liberatore was not sharp as he completed 5 innings giving up 9 hits, 2 walks and 4 earned runs.

The Cardinals missed an opportunity in the top of the 4th inning when Thomas Saggese grounded into a double play after a Gorman single and a walk by Winn. Similar situation in the top of the 6thn when Saggese would strike out with Gorman and Winn on base again, but he would more than make up for it later.

The score would stay 5-2 Nationals until the top of the 7th inning when Jordan Walker would slam an opposite field home run getting the Cardinals one run closer making it 5-3.

In the 8th inning, Masyn Winn walked after nearly being hit by another pitch. That brought up Nathan Church who would turn on a 1-2 pitch from Varland and tie the game with a 2-run bomb.

George Soriano entered the game in the bottom of the 8th inning and quickly set the Nationals down 1-2-3 including 2 strikeouts. He would also shut down Washington in the bottom of the 9th inning to send the game to extras after the Cardinals failed to score in the top of the 9th.

In the top of the 10th inning, Thomas Saggese would redeem himself with a hustle double to left-center scoring Masyn Winn making it 6-5 Cardinals.

Yohel Pozo successfully moved Saggese to third base grounding out to the right side of the infield. Nathan Church was unable to bring him in, but JJ Wetherholt picked him up as he ripped a double down the right field line giving St. Louis a 7-5 lead.

Riley O’Brien was brought in to shut down the Washington Nationals in the bottom of the 10th inning. He would bring drama as he hit Vivas after getting two strikes, but he then struck out JJ Abrams. Nolan Gorman channeled his inner Nolan Arenado making an incredible barehanded throw to first base to get Young which Alec Burleson also made a great play on. Lile would score on a wild pitch to make the game 7-6, but O’Brien struck out Nasim Nuñez to end the game.

The Cardinals are now 6-5 through the first two weeks of the season and will face former teammate Miles Mikolas Wednesday afternoon. Game time is scheduled to be 3:05pm central time.

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Walker, Church & Wetherholt Heroes as Cardinals Beat Nationals 7-6

Apr 7, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop JJ Wetherholt (26) celebrates in the dugout after scoring a run against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday night game against the Washington Nationals was a parade of missed opportunities and sloppy play, but the St. Louis Cardinals found more late game magic as Jordan Walker, Nathan Church and JJ Wetherholt played the role of the heroes.

The Cardinals got off to a fast start Tuesday night as JJ Wetherholt drew a walk to lead off the game and then stole 2nd. Alec Burleson singled to right, but Wetherholt was unable to score as he had to make sure Burleson’s ball was not caught. Thanks to an error by JJ Abrams, Wetherholt scored on a ground ball from Jordan Walker. Nolan Gorman then singled to score Alec Burleson making the score 2-0 Cardinals, but he was thrown out trying to take 2nd base.

Matthew Liberatore was not able to take advantage of his early lead as Washington answered in the bottom of the 1st as Wood singled to center. After Mead struck out looking, House singled to center moving Wood up to 2nd. Lile singled Mead in making the score 2-1 Cardinals.

Washington would draw even in the bottom of the 3rd inning when James Wood hit an opposite field bomb. Mead would give the Nationals a 3-2 lead when he hit a 398 foot home run in the bottom of the 5th inning making it 3-2 Nationals. Lile would also score in the bottom of the 5th inning on a single from Abrams giving Washington a 4-2 lead. The Nationals would get another RBI single from Mead in the bottom of the 6th inning scoring Wood making it 5-2 Washington. Matthew Liberatore was not sharp as he completed 5 innings giving up 9 hits, 2 walks and 4 earned runs.

The Cardinals missed an opportunity in the top of the 4th inning when Thomas Saggese grounded into a double play after a Gorman single and a walk by Winn. Similar situation in the top of the 6thn when Saggese would strike out with Gorman and Winn on base again, but he would more than make up for it later.

The score would stay 5-2 Nationals until the top of the 7th inning when Jordan Walker would slam an opposite field home run getting the Cardinals one run closer making it 5-3.

In the 8th inning, Masyn Winn walked after nearly being hit by another pitch. That brought up Nathan Church who would turn on a 1-2 pitch from Varland and tie the game with a 2-run bomb.

George Soriano entered the game in the bottom of the 8th inning and quickly set the Nationals down 1-2-3 including 2 strikeouts. He would also shut down Washington in the bottom of the 9th inning to send the game to extras after the Cardinals failed to score in the top of the 9th.

In the top of the 10th inning, Thomas Saggese would redeem himself with a hustle double to left-center scoring Masyn Winn making it 6-5 Cardinals.

Yohel Pozo successfully moved Saggese to third base grounding out to the right side of the infield. Nathan Church was unable to bring him in, but JJ Wetherholt picked him up as he ripped a double down the right field line giving St. Louis a 7-5 lead.

Riley O’Brien was brought in to shut down the Washington Nationals in the bottom of the 10th inning. He would bring drama as he hit Vivas after getting two strikes, but he then struck out JJ Abrams. Nolan Gorman channeled his inner Nolan Arenado making an incredible barehanded throw to first base to get Young which Alec Burleson also made a great play on. Lile would score on a wild pitch to make the game 7-6, but O’Brien struck out Nasim Nuñez to end the game.

The Cardinals are now 6-5 through the first two weeks of the season and will face former teammate Miles Mikolas Wednesday afternoon. Game time is scheduled to be 3:05pm central time.

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Zach Werenski scores in shootout to lead Blue Jackets over Red Wings 4-3

DETROIT (AP) — Zach Werenski scored in the shootout to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 on Tuesday night, ending a six-game skid.

Adam Fantilli tied the game with 17 seconds left, Danton Heinen also scored and Werenski also added a goal and an assist in regulation. Jet Greaves stopped 34 shots and assisted on Werenski's goal for his first career point.

Werenski notched his 26th multipoint game of the year, setting a single-season record for the Blue Jackets.

Justin Faulk scored twice, Dylan Larkin added one goal, and John Gibson had 32 saves for the Red Wings.

Red Wings center Michael Rasmussen left in the second period with a lower-body injury and did not return.

The Blue Jackets blocked 21 shots and the Red Wings blocked 25.

Up next

Blue Jackets: Visit the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.

Red Wings: Host the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Amed Rosario's two home runs powers Yankees' 5-3 comeback win over Athletics

Amed Rosario hit two home runs to lead the Yankees to a 5-3 comeback win over the Athletics on Tuesday night at The Stadium.

With the Yanks' offense as cold as the outdoor temperature, Rosario's second blast in the eighth helped New York avoid their first losing streak of the season. 

The Yankees (8-2) have now won the first game of each of their series to start the season.

Here are the takeaways....

-Cam Schlittler started the game by getting behind Nick Kurtz 3-0, but bounced back to strike out Kurtz and Shea Langeliers, throwing six straight strikes. The young right-hander would sit down the first six batters, but the A's led off the third with back-to-back singles. Kurtz would make Schlittler pay with a one-out double to give the A's a 2-1 lead. Two batters later, Tyler Soderstrom doubled home the third Athletics run of the inning. 

It's the first runs Schlittler has allowed all year, ending a streak of 15 scoreless to start the season. 

Schlittler would gut through five innings to give the Yankees a chance. He tossed 84 pitches (58 strikes) across those five frames, allowing three runs on five hits and no walks. He also struck out seven batters.

-Rosario started at third base in place of Ryan McMahon and the move by manager Aaron Boone paid off. Rosario got around a 91 mph sinker up and in and deposited it 399 feet over the left field wall to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. 

Aside from that, the Yankees offense could not figure out A's starter Aaron Civale. Civale came into the game with a 6.35 ERA in seven career starts against the Yankees, including a 7.15 ERA in five starts at the Stadium. The right-hander allowed just one run on two hits and four walks while striking out six batters across five innings. 

-The Yankees went 0-for-7 with RISP entering the eighth, but going up against former Yankees reliever Mark Leiter Jr.,Giancarlo Stanton got the team their first hit with RISP with a single to score Cody Bellinger. Rosario followed, two batters later, with a three-run shot to put the Yankees up for good. It's the third time Rosario has had a multi-homer game (8/31/21 & 5/20/18).

-Another bright spot for the Yankees was the bullpen. After allowing four runs in their loss on Sunday, and three in their win on Saturday, they shut down the A's. 

Here's how the bullpen performed...

  • Jake Bird: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 K
  • Brent Headrick: 1.0 IP, 2 BB, 3 K
  • Fernando Cruz: 1.1 IP, 2 BB, 1 K
  • David Bednar: 1.0 IP, 1 K

Game MVP: Amed Rosario

The Yankees offense stalled for most of this game, but Rosario's blast woke up the team and the fans. 

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees continue their three-game set with the Athletics on Wednesday night. First pitch of the middle game of the series is set for 7:05 p.m.

Will Warren (1-0, 2.70 ERA) will take the mound against former Yankee Luis Severino (0-1, 6.48 ERA).

Posted on

Amed Rosario's two home runs powers Yankees' 5-3 comeback win over Athletics

Amed Rosario hit two home runs to lead the Yankees to a 5-3 comeback win over the Athletics on Tuesday night at The Stadium.

With the Yanks' offense as cold as the outdoor temperature, Rosario's second blast in the eighth helped New York avoid their first losing streak of the season. 

The Yankees (8-2) have now won the first game of each of their series to start the season.

Here are the takeaways....

-Cam Schlittler started the game by getting behind Nick Kurtz 3-0, but bounced back to strike out Kurtz and Shea Langeliers, throwing six straight strikes. The young right-hander would sit down the first six batters, but the A's led off the third with back-to-back singles. Kurtz would make Schlittler pay with a one-out double to give the A's a 2-1 lead. Two batters later, Tyler Soderstrom doubled home the third Athletics run of the inning. 

It's the first runs Schlittler has allowed all year, ending a streak of 15 scoreless to start the season. 

Schlittler would gut through five innings to give the Yankees a chance. He tossed 84 pitches (58 strikes) across those five frames, allowing three runs on five hits and no walks. He also struck out seven batters.

-Rosario started at third base in place of Ryan McMahon and the move by manager Aaron Boone paid off. Rosario got around a 91 mph sinker up and in and deposited it 399 feet over the left field wall to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. 

Aside from that, the Yankees offense could not figure out A's starter Aaron Civale. Civale came into the game with a 6.35 ERA in seven career starts against the Yankees, including a 7.15 ERA in five starts at the Stadium. The right-hander allowed just one run on two hits and four walks while striking out six batters across five innings. 

-The Yankees went 0-for-7 with RISP entering the eighth, but going up against former Yankees reliever Mark Leiter Jr.,Giancarlo Stanton got the team their first hit with RISP with a single to score Cody Bellinger. Rosario followed, two batters later, with a three-run shot to put the Yankees up for good. It's the third time Rosario has had a multi-homer game (8/31/21 & 5/20/18).

-Another bright spot for the Yankees was the bullpen. After allowing four runs in their loss on Sunday, and three in their win on Saturday, they shut down the A's. 

Here's how the bullpen performed...

  • Jake Bird: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 K
  • Brent Headrick: 1.0 IP, 2 BB, 3 K
  • Fernando Cruz: 1.1 IP, 2 BB, 1 K
  • David Bednar: 1.0 IP, 1 K

Game MVP: Amed Rosario

The Yankees offense stalled for most of this game, but Rosario's blast woke up the team and the fans. 

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees continue their three-game set with the Athletics on Wednesday night. First pitch of the middle game of the series is set for 7:05 p.m.

Will Warren (1-0, 2.70 ERA) will take the mound against former Yankee Luis Severino (0-1, 6.48 ERA).

Posted on

Amed Rosario's two home runs powers Yankees' 5-3 comeback win over Athletics

Amed Rosario hit two home runs to lead the Yankees to a 5-3 comeback win over the Athletics on Tuesday night at The Stadium.

With the Yanks' offense as cold as the outdoor temperature, Rosario's second blast in the eighth helped New York avoid their first losing streak of the season. 

The Yankees (8-2) have now won the first game of each of their series to start the season.

Here are the takeaways....

-Cam Schlittler started the game by getting behind Nick Kurtz 3-0, but bounced back to strike out Kurtz and Shea Langeliers, throwing six straight strikes. The young right-hander would sit down the first six batters, but the A's led off the third with back-to-back singles. Kurtz would make Schlittler pay with a one-out double to give the A's a 2-1 lead. Two batters later, Tyler Soderstrom doubled home the third Athletics run of the inning. 

It's the first runs Schlittler has allowed all year, ending a streak of 15 scoreless to start the season. 

Schlittler would gut through five innings to give the Yankees a chance. He tossed 84 pitches (58 strikes) across those five frames, allowing three runs on five hits and no walks. He also struck out seven batters.

-Rosario started at third base in place of Ryan McMahon and the move by manager Aaron Boone paid off. Rosario got around a 91 mph sinker up and in and deposited it 399 feet over the left field wall to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. 

Aside from that, the Yankees offense could not figure out A's starter Aaron Civale. Civale came into the game with a 6.35 ERA in seven career starts against the Yankees, including a 7.15 ERA in five starts at the Stadium. The right-hander allowed just one run on two hits and four walks while striking out six batters across five innings. 

-The Yankees went 0-for-7 with RISP entering the eighth, but going up against former Yankees reliever Mark Leiter Jr.,Giancarlo Stanton got the team their first hit with RISP with a single to score Cody Bellinger. Rosario followed, two batters later, with a three-run shot to put the Yankees up for good. It's the third time Rosario has had a multi-homer game (8/31/21 & 5/20/18).

-Another bright spot for the Yankees was the bullpen. After allowing four runs in their loss on Sunday, and three in their win on Saturday, they shut down the A's. 

Here's how the bullpen performed...

  • Jake Bird: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 K
  • Brent Headrick: 1.0 IP, 2 BB, 3 K
  • Fernando Cruz: 1.1 IP, 2 BB, 1 K
  • David Bednar: 1.0 IP, 1 K

Game MVP: Amed Rosario

The Yankees offense stalled for most of this game, but Rosario's blast woke up the team and the fans. 

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees continue their three-game set with the Athletics on Wednesday night. First pitch of the middle game of the series is set for 7:05 p.m.

Will Warren (1-0, 2.70 ERA) will take the mound against former Yankee Luis Severino (0-1, 6.48 ERA).

Posted on

Raptors one game closer to making playoffs

TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 7: Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors looks on during the game against the Miami Heat on April 7, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Toronto Raptors are holding onto their playoff spot for their lives as the last few games in the NBA regular season creep by. A pair of home games against Miami this week are essential to their playoff positioning, and the first one on Tuesday saw some injured Raptors return to the lineup. Fumble this last week of games, and you end up in a Play-In Tournament situation — something the Raptors would obviously rather avoid.

The Miami Heat are also holding onto their spot for their lives, but they are fighting just to stay in the Play-In Tournament period. As Masai Ujiri once said, “play-in for what?”

The Raptors did well in the second quarter to defend the Heat, stopping a budding Wiggins scoring run and effectively shutting down Bam Adebayo. Adebayo was held to four points in the first half. On the other end, the Raptors were holding steady, and both Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes were pushing offensively to help Toronto to a 13-point lead at halftime.

From there, it was about keeping that lead through the rest of the game… something the Raptors have struggled with at times this year. Tyler Herro and Andrew Wiggins weren’t going to make it easy on them, either. Luckily, Brandon Ingram was in peak form, scoring a neat 23 points on 9-16 shooting from the field.

Scottie Barnes was right there with Ingram, scoring 25 points on 10-16 shooting from the field. Poeltl had 17 points, and RJ Barrett scored 16 of his own. The only starter below 10 was Quickley, in his first game back from resting his plantar fasciitis. Still, it was enough for the Raptors to get the win, 121-95 over Miami.

“There are some things to clean up,” Darko Rajakovic said after the game. “but they did what their job was tonight.”

It was a simple, locked-in defensive game for the Raptors. Exactly what they needed this week — low drama, good results, something to be confident about. A near wire-to-wire win, one game closer to locking down their 6th seed. The thing about playing the same team twice in a row, though, is that the second game can be highly unpredictable. Toronto, as the winning team in the first game, knows what it needs to do to win. Yet, Miami also knows exactly what it needs to do to not lose again. The next game could be a carbon copy of this one, or go completely different.

The Raptors need to stay focused in these last few games. They are banged up and tired, but the difference between the 6th seed and 7th seed is so vast that they need to stay where they are. Having a week off before a playoff series instead of having to grind through the Play-In would make so much difference for this young, slightly injured team. More than that, the difference between who you play as a six-seed versus a 7-10th seed could be major as well.

The Raptors play the Heat again at home on Thursday. Then, all they have is a road game in New York, followed by the last game of the regular season on Sunday against Brooklyn.