Francisco Lindor – SS Bo Bichette – DH Jared Young – 1B Luis Robert – CF Brett Baty – RF Marcus Semien – 2B Ronny Mauricio – 3B Francisco Alvarez – C Carson Benge – LF
SP: Clay Holmes – RHP
Athletics lineup
Lawrence Butler – RF Nick Kurtz – 1B Shea Langeliers – C Tyler Soderstrom – LF Jacob Wilson – SS Jeff McNeil – 2B Max Muncy – 3B Carlos Cortes – DH Denzel Clarke – CF
SP: J.T. Ginn – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 7:10 PM EDT TV: PIX11 Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
The Sixers have a single game left in their regular season and still might avoid the NBA’s play-in tournament.
Significant help is needed, but the Sixers kept that possibility alive Friday night by earning a 105-94 win over the Pacers. They also got the necessary result of a Raptors loss to the Knicks.
Below are the Eastern Conference standings from fifth through 10th. The No. 7 through No. 10 teams will comprise the play-in.
5. Hawks 46-35
6. Raptors 45-36
7. Magic 45-36
8. Sixers 44-37
9. Hornets 43-38
10. Heat 42-39
The Sixers’ regular-season finale is Sunday night vs. the Bucks. To end up in the top six, they’d need to both win that game and get assistance elsewhere. Toronto would have to lose to the lowly Nets and Orlando would need to fall to the Celtics. The Sixers now cannot finish below the eighth seed.
“Joel Embiid was discharged from the hospital today following a successful appendectomy and is returning to Philadelphia. Embiid’s surgical recovery will be managed by team physicians in consultation with his surgeon. A timeline for return to basketball activities has not yet been determined.”
Tyrese Maxey’s 32 points led the Sixers in Indiana.
Paul George added 21. VJ Edgecombe posted 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Here are observations on the Sixers’ win over the Pacers:
George gets back on track
It took Maxey almost no time to record his first points in the first quarter of the last three games. He blew by Jarace Walker and made an and-one scoop shot to open the scoring.
The young, future-focused Pacers fired away from three-point range and had early success. With a Walker triple and Kobe Brown layup, Indiana took an 11-3 lead.
George continued to play in both legs of back-to-backs since returning from his suspension. He only logged 24 minutes Thursday in the Sixers’ loss to the Rockets and had a rough night, posting just seven points on 2-for-8 shooting and four rebounds.
Though he was whistled for his second foul at the 5:38 mark of the first quarter, George didn’t sub out. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse was immediately rewarded for keeping George in. He swished a three on the next possession to give him eight points and cut the Sixers’ deficit to 18-17.
Edgecombe shows off defensive tools
The Sixers went on a run late in the first quarter with their second unit on the court. A Quentin Grimes lay-in put them up eight points.
Andre Drummond had a very productive first half, tallying eight points and nine rebounds. The Sixers outscored Indiana by 24 points in the game during Drummond’s 29 minutes on the floor.
The Sixers cleaned up their turnover issues from the night prior and also forced plenty of Indiana giveaways. Kelly Oubre Jr. swiped four steals and totaled seven thefts over the back-to-back. Edgecombe picked up three steals and had a highlight block, too.
As he piles up reps and learns more nuances of NBA defense, it’s not difficult to imagine Edgecombe reaching an elite level in terms of defensive disruptiveness.
Maxey grinds through pinky issues
Maxey finished 1 for 10 from three-point territory on the night.
He appeared to be bothered throughout the game by his taped-up right pinky finger. Of course, Maxey missed much of March after hurting that finger. Late in the third quarter, he absorbed a hit to his right pinky as he and Pacers center Jay Huff both pursued a loose ball. Maxey went back to the locker room with Sixers head athletic trainer Kevin Johnson. He subbed back in with 10:05 left in the fourth quarter.
Maxey takes a ton of pride in suiting up whenever he can and logging enormous minutes as the Sixers’ lead guard. He’s clearly below 100 percent with the postseason nearing.
As a team, the Sixers went 5 for 29 beyond the arc (17.2 percent). Their shooting troubles helped the Pacers erase a seven-point halftime deficit. Micah Potter’s put-back slam knotted the game at 62-all.
The Sixers eventually restored a decent lead. An Edgecombe mid-range bucket on the Sixers’ final possession of the third quarter lifted the team to an 89-77 advantage.
The Sixers handled business in the fourth and wrapped up their road campaign with a 22-19 record.
The Sixers have a single game left in their regular season and still might avoid the NBA’s play-in tournament.
Help is needed, but the Sixers kept that possibility alive Friday night by earning a 105-94 win over the Pacers. They also got the necessary result of a Raptors loss to the Knicks.
Below are the Eastern Conference standings from fifth through 10th (presuming the Magic hold on to a large fourth-quarter lead against the Bulls). The No. 7 through No. 10 teams will comprise the play-in.
5. Hawks 46-35
6. Raptors 45-36
7. Magic 45-36
8. Sixers 44-37
9. Hornets 43-38
10. Heat 42-39
The Sixers’ regular-season finale is Sunday night vs. the Bucks. To end up in the top six, they’d need to both win that game and get assistance elsewhere. Toronto would have to lose to the lowly Nets and Orlando would need to fall to the Celtics. The Sixers now cannot finish below the eighth seed.
“Joel Embiid was discharged from the hospital today following a successful appendectomy and is returning to Philadelphia. Embiid’s surgical recovery will be managed by team physicians in consultation with his surgeon. A timeline for return to basketball activities has not yet been determined.”
Tyrese Maxey’s 32 points led the Sixers in Indiana.
Paul George added 21. VJ Edgecombe posted 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Here are observations on the Sixers’ win over the Pacers:
George gets back on track
It took Maxey almost no time to record his first points in the first quarter of the last three games. He blew by Jarace Walker and made an and-one scoop shot to open the scoring.
The young, future-focused Pacers fired away from three-point range and had early success. With a Walker triple and Kobe Brown layup, Indiana took an 11-3 lead.
George continued to play in both legs of back-to-backs since returning from his suspension. He only logged 24 minutes Thursday in the Sixers’ loss to the Rockets and had a rough night, posting just seven points on 2-for-8 shooting and four rebounds.
Though he was whistled for his second foul at the 5:38 mark of the first quarter, George didn’t sub out. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse was immediately rewarded for keeping George in. He swished a three on the next possession to give him eight points and cut the Sixers’ deficit to 18-17.
Edgecombe shows off defensive tools
The Sixers went on a run late in the first quarter with their second unit on the court. A Quentin Grimes lay-in put them up eight points.
Andre Drummond had a very productive first half, tallying eight points and nine rebounds. The Sixers outscored Indiana by 24 points in the game during Drummond’s 29 minutes on the floor.
The Sixers cleaned up their turnover issues from the night prior and also forced plenty of Indiana giveaways. Kelly Oubre Jr. swiped four steals and totaled seven thefts over the back-to-back. Edgecombe picked up three steals and had a highlight block, too.
As he piles up reps and learns more nuances of NBA defense, it’s not difficult to imagine Edgecombe reaching an elite level in terms of defensive disruptiveness.
Maxey finished 1 for 10 from three-point territory on the night.
He appeared to be bothered throughout the game by his taped-up right pinky finger. Of course, Maxey missed much of March after hurting that finger. Late in the third quarter, he absorbed a hit to his right pinky as he and Pacers center Jay Huff both pursued a loose ball. Maxey went back to the locker room with Sixers head athletic trainer Kevin Johnson. He subbed back in with 10:05 left in the fourth quarter.
Maxey takes a ton of pride in suiting up whenever he can and logging enormous minutes as the Sixers’ lead guard. He’s clearly below 100 percent with the postseason nearing.
As a team, the Sixers went 5 for 29 beyond the arc (17.2 percent). Their shooting troubles helped the Pacers erase a seven-point halftime deficit. Micah Potter’s put-back slam knotted the game at 62-all.
The Sixers eventually restored a decent lead. An Edgecombe mid-range bucket on the Sixers’ final possession of the third quarter lifted the team to an 89-77 advantage.
The Sixers handled business in the fourth and wrapped up their road campaign with a 22-19 record.
Talk about a bummer ending for Blue Jays fans in last year’s World Series; losing a late lead in Game 7, then losing the game in extra innings (the same happened in Game 3). In the offseason, the Jays picked up Dylan Cease, Taylor Rogers’s brother, and today’s starter, Patrick Corbin. Corbin’s a low-90s junkballer who’s a fan of politicians that cheat at golf, plus he’s lefthanded and breathing, which means he’ll probably give Twins hitters fits. (Or, maybe not, if Zach’s got this squad measured correctly.)
The 36-year-old Corbin (old by baseball years, but in life years, I’d trade with him) was called up after the Jays got pummeled by L.A. on Tuesday, and they’re currently below .500. I’d expect them to do better soon; still, a depressing start after last year’s depressing finish. Jays fans have always been some of the nicest, politest visitors to Target Field, so I wish them the best after this weekend.
If you’re not aware, a few years back the Jays did a major renovation project to the Skydome (corporate name, Rogers Centre, but always Skydome to me). The refit was planned to cost C$ 300, and came in 33% more costly, as refits always do. A huge undertaking was re-angling the lower-level seats with better sightlines. You can see photos of the old layout and new layout and the refit construction at this site, which loves fawning over the beneficence of baseball owners. While some of the other renovations created more family-friendly seating (yay!) and a lot of new exclusive special luxury sections (barf!).
But, one thing that doesn’t make me barf: this was all paid for by private investment. Not a single taxpayer dollar was spent.
If Rogers Communications wants to spend their own money (and that of investment partners) putting in more luxury boxes and such, that’s their business. If you want to buy a car dealership and paint every car on the lot in swirling 1960s psychedelic colors, that’s your business. Customers will like it or not. Caveat emptor, or whatever the reverse is.
Alas, naturally team president Mark Shapiro has said that in 10 years or so, the team *might* need a brand-new stadium, which generally means “I’m gonna threaten to move to Punxsutawney if they offer me three billion taxpayer dollars,” but we’ll see what happens then. Or you will, or neither of us if we’re both dead.
In the meantime, let’s celebrate what the Skydome is really best known for; hotel-in-the outfield exhibitionism. From the Toronto Sun in 2014:
I love how the two mustached dudes are like, “we are so luxury with our expensive hotel, look at us,” and absolutely nobody is looking at THEM.
I tend to think of intentionally leaving the shades open on personal moments as a Manhattan thing (many Manhattan residents have binoculars near their window for this reason), but hey, Toronto can be open for wackiness, too.
Since Jays fans are generally so nice when visiting Target Field, how about some Twins fans going to the Skydome Marriott and giving the locals a show?
On Thursday, as I type this, there’s a room with a baseball view available Saturday for only C$ 1776 (or $1285 US), with comfy chairs you can move right over to the window:
C’mon, people. Take a trip and let your freaky side out! You know you WANT to. I would, but my TwinkieTown company credit card’s been frozen (lawsuits are pending). So it’s up to you!
And if you’re not into that sort of thing, at least enjoy one of my favorite team songs:
Mets rookie Carson Benge made headlines on Opening Day, homering to pick up his first career hit, which may have raised the immediate expectations around the 23-year-old a bit too high, too fast.
Since going 1-for-3 against the Pittsburgh Pirates with that home run, Benge is just 3-for-34 at the plate without another extra-base hit. Overall, Benge is hitting .108 over 11 games this season, causing some to question if he's actually ready to play in the majors.
Even with president of baseball operations David Stearns and the team backing Benge, it was asked by a reporter on Friday if there comes a point where the Mets should send Benge down to Triple-A to help improve his confidence at the plate. Stearns didn't bat an eye and said that's not something up for discussion, believing he will continue to adjust and improve as the season continues.
"We're not discussing that at all," Stearns said. "I think our view is Carson's going to figure this out. He's a good player and we're happy to have him on the team."
When asked what he's thought of Benge so far and what he needs to show to remain in the big leagues, Stearns expressed full confidence in the young outfielder.
"I think we've seen a really good athlete," Stearns said Friday ahead of the team's game vs. the Athletics. "I think we've seen, at times, some really good at-bats, and at times, maybe getting a little bit jumpy. Probably trying to do too much, maybe subconsciously trying to do too much. This is a really good athlete, it's a good baseball player. You can go through stretches at the big leagues and tie yourself in knots a little bit, and part of being in the big leagues is figuring how to get yourself out of it.
"I've been encouraged over the last couple games he's played. I think we've seen some better at-bats. We've seen a couple really nice plays made against him, which also seems to happen when you're going through stretches like this, balls seem to find gloves. Our feeling toward the player, our evaluation of the player hasn't changed at all based on the last few weeks."
Stearns went on to say that Benge has shown his athleticism in the outfield and on the basepaths, going 4-for-4 on stolen base attempts. The team is OK being "patient" with his development early in the season and believes his versatility will help them win games.
"Yeah, we're going to be patient," Stearns said. "Carson's a part of this team, we believe he's going to help us win games this year.
"The nice thing about Carson and what he brings to the team is that he can contribute in a variety of different ways, so it's not all on his bat. He's a good defender, he's a good baserunner and I think that allows someone to be able to work through things at the plate a little bit when they're contributing to wins in other ways."
In addition to the Mets' confidence in Benge, sending him down to the minors at this time would make it hard for them to construct a starting outfield with Juan Soto sidelined. Benge showed his hitting capabilities in spring training with a .366 batting average and will look to build more momentum after singling in Wednesday's loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks to snap his 0-for-24 streak.
Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-football sports, you name it. As long as it’s allowed by the site’s ToS, it’s fair game here.
Two rival, proud franchises will meet for the final time in the 2025-26 season when the St. Louis Blues (33-33-12) and Chicago Blackhawks (28-37-14) meet for the fourth and final time on Saturday at 4 p.m. at United Center in Chicago.
The Blackhawks have already been eliminated from playoff contention for the sixth straight season, but for the Blues, who made a valiant push when they were at one point 14 points back but got to within as close as three points on April 3 and 5, can be officially eliminated on Saturday.
With four games remaining, the Blues are seven points behind the Los Angeles Kings, who currently hold down the final wild card in the Western Conference ahead of the Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets and San Jose Sharks, so a regulation loss or any Kings win on Saturday would officially close the book on the Blues, who must win out to have any hope and prayer. But those all but went out the window coming off home losses to the Colorado Avalanche (3-1) on Tuesday and Jets (3-2) on Thursday.
"It's pride (at this point)," Blues defenseman Colton Parayko said. "It's a privilege to play in this league every single day you show up to the rink and play in the NHL. It's even more special to wear the Bluenote. I've been fortunate to do it for 11 years and I don't take that lightly.
"For me, it's going to be easy to show up and play for this Bluenote."
Chicago has won two of the three matchups in the season series this year, including 7-3 on home ice on Jan. 7. The teams split two games in St. Louis earlier in the season.
Blues coach Jim Montgomery echoed Parayko's thoughts after the team had its picture day and practiced before heading to Chicago.
"One, it's a privilege just to be part of the NHL and be part of the St. Louis Blues hockey club. And then to be able to be with the other people that are in the background doing so many other great things for us, so that the game is entertaining for our fans, that we have seats and all that. We're a real team."
- - -
Two Blues that continue to tear it up in points are Robert Thomas, who extended his point streak to seven games (six goals, six assists) and has 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in his last 20 games played, and Dylan Holloway, who had a goal and an assist Thursday to give him 13 points (five goals, eight assists) the past eight games and 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) the past 21 games.
"This is two years in a row where in the month of March he's probably if not the best, one of the top three players in the NHL, right," Montgomery said of Thomas. It's not easy to be that dominant and that good. He has the tools to do it and I think it's just every year that he gains more experience, then he's going to be able to put it all together."
Thomas is healthy finally, and so is Holloway, who looks like the player that was setting a blazing trail for this team before tearing the abductor muscle off his hip April 5, 2025 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
"He's the same guy that's just continually getting pucks, getting it back, taking hits, giving hits," Montgomery said. "He's inspiring to his teammates.
"Compared to last year, he's just someone that energizes the team."
- - -
The Blues will make a couple changes to their forward lines heading into Saturday. Out will be Jack Finley and Nathan Walker and in their spots on the fourth line will be Pius Suter, who was given a game off Thursday, and Oskar Sundqvist, who has played in just one of 10 games since March 15.
"I think anyone that's been in and out of the lineup, it's really hard," Montgomery said, "because you don't know when you're playing, preparation's a lot tougher. It's what you love to do. When you're out of the lineup, it's really hard emotionally and mentally."
One has to wonder what the future holds for Sundqvist, who will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1. His body has taken a beating in his 11-year career, including parts of eight seasons with the Blues.
The 32-year-old has 19 points (four goals, 15 assists) in 50 games this season. The 50 games this season will be his fewest since playing in just 28 for the Blues in 2020-21 when he tore his ACL.
"Just a safety net," Montgomery describing Sundqvist, "because he understands the game so well and he understands how to help and he always thinks about the team first. He will make sure he is in the right spot so that the team has success and he doesn't care about any of the recognition."
- - -
Blues Projected Lineup:
Dylan Holloway-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud
Otto Stenberg-Pavel Buchnevich-Jordan Kyrou
Jake Neighbours-Dalibor Dvorsky-Jonatan Berggren
Alexey Toropchenko-Pius Suter-Oskar Sundqvist
Philip Broberg-Logan Mailloux
Theo Lindstein-Colton Parayko
Cam Fowler-Tyler Tucker
Joel Hofer is projected to start in goal; Jordan Binnington would be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Jonathan Drouin, Jack Finley, Nathan Walker, Justin Holl and Matthew Kessel. The Blues report no injuries.
- - -
Blackhawks Projected Lineup:
Ryan Greene-Connor Bedard-Nick Lardis
Tyler Bertuzzi-Anton Frondell-Ilya Mikheyev
Ryan Donato-Frank Nazar-Andre Burakovsky
Andrew Mangiapane-Sacha Boisvert-Teuvo Teravainen
Wyatt Kaiser-Sam Rinzel
Alex Vlasic-Louis Crevier
Kevin Korchinski-Ethan Del Mastro
Spencer Knight is projected to start in goal; Arvid Soderblom would be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Sam Lafferty, Dominic Toninato and Landon Slaggert. Matt Grzelcyk (upper body), Artyom Levshunov (hand) and Oliver Moore (lower body) are out.
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People visit the Liberty Bell on the eve of Independence Day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 3, 2025. (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP) (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
DIAMONDBACKS
PHILLIES
Ketel Marte – 2B
Trea Turner – SS
Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
Kyle Schwarber – DH
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Bryce Harper – 1B
Gabriel Moreno – C
Brandon Marsh – LF
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Bryson Stott – 2B
Jose Fernandez – DH
Adolis Garcia – RF
Tim Tawa – LF
Alec Bohm – 3B
Alek Thomas – CF
J.T. Realmuto – C
Jorge Barrosa – RF
Justin Crawford – CF
Michael Soroka – RHP
Jesus Luzardo – LHP
After a successful start to the road-trip in New York, taking two of three, it’s on to Philadelphia for the D-backs. We’ve lost the series here each of the past two seasons – last time, it took an 11-9 victory in ten innings for Arizona to avoid the sweep. That game gave Jalen Beeks his one and only save as a Diamondback. [I note, he has tossed six scoreless innings for the Rangers since signing there] Of course, we will always have those stunning wins in Games 6+7 of the 2023 NLCS. In Game 7, the D-backs bullpen pitched five innings of no-hit baseball after Joe Mantiply allowed a lead-off double, to lock down the pennant. So, yeah: this ballpark has some good memories.
Michael Soroka’s second start was nowhere near as dominant as his Diamondbacks debut. He had a K:BB of 3:3, rather than 10:1. But it still got the job done. Five innings of one-run ball, from your #5 starter is definitely something you’ll take any day. I doubt his minuscule ERA will remain that way forever, but enjoy it while it lasts. Still no Corbin Carroll in the line-up, but according to Jody Jackson, “Corbin Carroll says he feels a lot better today and all indications are that he will be back soon.” No imaging or further tests are scheduled. Good to hear: the line-up could certainly use the power.
Because the last time a Diamondbacks’ hitter left the yard? That would be in the third inning of last Friday’s game against Atlanta, when Jordan Lawlar went deep. They have had 218 at-bats since then, without a home-run. If they don’t hit one tonight, it’ll be the first time they have gone seven games without once since September 2014. The franchise record is eight, from July 2002. Also of note, this is the only occasion where the D-backs have gone longer than four games without a homer and had a winning record over that time. They are 4-2 during the current streak, and have averaged better than four runs per game, which is… not terrible.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 07: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors dribbling the ball is guarded by Doug McDermott #7 of the Sacramento Kings in the second half of an NBA basketball game at Chase Center on April 07, 2026 in San Francisco, California. 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 Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a five-game homestand, the Golden State Warriors will close out the regular season with a two-game California road trip, beginning Friday night against the Sacramento Kings. Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM PT in Sacramento and can be watched on NBC Sports Bay Area.
The Warriors dropped what could potentially be their final home game of the season Thursday night, losing 119–103 to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Playing without Steph Curry, Kristaps Porzingis, Gui Santos, and several others, the undermanned Warriors kept the game competitive for much of the night. However, the Lakers seized control in the fourth quarter, opening with a 13–2 run in which LeBron James scored or assisted on all 13 of the team’s points. It ended up being a vintage performance for James, who finished with a near triple-double of 26 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds.
Golden State will play Sacramento for the second time this week after beating them on Tuesday, 110-105. While the Kings haven’t played since that day, the Warriors will be on their second night of a back-to-back. They did choose to rest most of their players on the front end of the back-to-back, meaning they are expected to be closer to full strength for this one with Curry and others set to return.
Al Horford will make his return for the Warriors tonight in Sacramento. Missed the last month with a calf strain. Steph Curry and Kristaps Porzingis are both probable. Warriors gearing up their rotation for the play-in next week.
Having said that, these remaining two games hold little significance with the Warriors already locked into the 10th seed. Still, as head coach Steve Kerr noted after Thursday’s loss, the focus remains on building rhythm. And with much of their expected rotation back in the lineup, Friday’s matchup could serve as a final dress rehearsal before the Warriors potentially rest their stars ahead of Wednesday’s Play-In game.
“We’re in a position where we have a chance to get into the playoffs… Tomorrow and Sunday, maybe we get a couple games to develop a little rhythm and get a swing at it. We got some hope.”
Apr 8, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) dribbles around Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) in the first quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images
Tthe Atlanta Hawks (45-35) try once against to clinch the Southeast Division title and a playoff appearance against the Cleveland Cavaliers (51-29) tonight in the home finale.
Jock Landale (ankle sprain) has been ruled out.
Starting lineup:
G CJ McCollum
G Nickeil Alexander-Walker
F Dyson Daniels
F Jalen Johnson
C Onyeka Okongwu
Please join in the comments below as you follow along.
Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen
Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Start Time: 7:00 PM EDT
TV: Atlanta News First (WANF), Peachtree Sports Network (PSN)
Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)
Streaming: Amazon Prime, Fubo (out of market), NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)
Marcus Smart was available for the Lakers’ home game against the Suns on Friday after being sidelined for the previous three weeks due to an ankle injury.
Smart was upgraded to available and taken off the team’s injury report Friday afternoon after being sidelined with a right ankle contusion he sustained during the March 21 road win over the Magic.
Marcus Smart was available for the Lakers’ home game against the Suns on Friday. NBAE via Getty Images NBAE via Getty Images
The 32-year-old veteran guard has started in 53 of 60 games he played entering Friday, including playing in 46 of 48 games before his absence due to his ankle.
The Lakers had missed Smart’s defense and ball-handling leadership while he was out, though Smart was often seen talking to players on the sideline or on the bench.
“He just naturally wants to help people,” coach JJ Redick said of Smart. “[Assistant coach Scott Brooks] and I talked a couple months ago, we were like, ‘He may end up being a coach.’”
“He likes speaking in front of the group. He likes teaching. It’s a really good quality. He’s been great for a number of our players and been great for a number of our young guys. It’s just his natural instinct.”
Shōta Imanaga was absolutely magnificent Friday at Wrigley Field.
He allowed just one baserunner, a two-out walk in the second inning. (More on that later.) He struck out nine.
Imanaga had to be removed after six innings, having thrown 100 pitches. No one quibbles with that. He was the first Cubs pitcher to throw 100 pitches this year. In fact, out of 376 games started in 2026 before Friday, just 26 pitchers (6.9 percent) had thrown 100 or more pitches, with the most being 109 by Robbie Ray of the Giants this past Tuesday.
Caleb Thielbar, who’s been so good out of the pen since the beginning of last year, wasn’t today. A leadoff single by Ryan O’Hearn in the seventh spoiled any thought of a combined no-hitter and then Bryan Reynolds’ homer gave the Pirates a 2-0 lead that they did not give up, and that was the final score on a chilly Friday at Wrigley Field, a 2-0 Cubs loss.
This is largely because the Cubs had baserunners all over the place but could not do anything with them. Runners in the first and second came to naught because Alex Bregman (first) and Pete Crow-Armstrong (second) hit into inning-ending double playes. The Cubs had two on with one out in the third — nothing doing. They loaded the bases with two out in the fourth, but Moisés Ballesteros flied to left. They loaded the bases again with two out in the sixth, and Matt Shaw, batting for Ballesteros, struck out.
There was one last potential rally for the Cubs in the eighth. Again, they had a runner in scoring position with two out, but Shaw flied to right.
If you are counting — and helpfully, that boxscore link does that for you — that’s 0-for-8 for the Cubs with RISP and 11 men left on base. They had six hits and drew six walks and, well, teams should score more than zero runs with all those baserunners. Just to give you an idea how rare it is to not score at all with that many runners, here’s BCB’s JohnW53:
The Cubs had been shut out in only five previous games since 1901 with at least six hits and at least seven walks, their totals today. This was the first by 2-0. The previous five: April 10, 1979: lost at St. Louis, 7-0 (seven hits, seven walks) May 19, 1985: lost at Atlanta, 3-0 (seven hits, eight walks) May 17, 1991: lost at Philadelphia, 1-0, in 16 innings (10 hits, nine walks) May 7, 2008: lost at Cincinnati, 9-0 (six hits, seven walks) Aug. 22, 2011: lost at home to the Braves, 3-0
Shōta Imanaga’s start was just the fifth by a Cub since 1901 in which he gave up no hits, threw at least 6.0 innings and did not complete a nine-inning no-hitter. Imanaga also was the last to do it, going 7.0 vs. the Pirates at Wrigley Field on Sept. 4, 2024.
The three others: King Cole, on July 31, 1910, in a seven-inning game at St. Louis Zach Davies, on June 24, 2021, with 6.0 at Los Angeles vs. the Dodgers Ben Brown, on May 28, 2024, with 7.0 at Milwaukee
At the beginning of this recap, I mentioned I’d have more on Imanaga’s walk. That’s because… it shouldn’t have been a walk:
As you can see, pitch 9, which was called ball four, was a strike. The Cubs opted not to use an ABS challenge on this pitch, which I suppose I can understand that early in a scoreless game. On the other hand, if they had… the inning would have been over and it would have saved Imanaga the five pitches he had to then use to strike out Konnor Griffin to actually end the inning.
Only you can’t necessarily assume that, because the sequencing would have been different with Griffin then leading off the third. So who knows? I assume the Cubs brass will discuss this and decide whether, in the future, they might want to challenge a pitch like this.
Anyway, the offense, or lack thereof, is what made this a frustrating game. After Thielbar, Ethan Roberts and Riley Martin set the Pirates down with no further damage, giving the Cubs at least a chance to come back, but they could not. The Pirates appear to be a better team this year than last, so hopefully the Cubs will be better prepared for the rest of this series.
Saturday, Edward Cabrera, who’s been excellent so far this year, will try to help the Cubs even up the series. Braxton Ashcraft goes for Pittsburgh. Game time is again 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
David Peterson has had a disappointing start to his 2026 season.
After making his first All-Star Game a year ago, the Mets southpaw has stumbled out of the game with three subpar starts, including back-to-back outings where he's allowed five earned runs.
But for Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, it's still a small sample size and he believes Peterson will right the ship.
"Petey, I’m sure the last two haven’t gone the way he wanted, haven’t gone the way we wanted," Stearns told the media ahead of the team's series opener against the Athletics on Friday. "But we believe in who he is as a pitcher. He's a great competitor, and I think he'll put this past him."
Across his first three starts, Peterson has allowed 11 runs (10 earned) across 14.2 innings pitched. His ERA stands at 6.14 and the Mets are 1-2 in his starts.
Following Peterson's latest loss, there were questions as to whether his place in the rotation should be reconsidered, especially with Sean Manaea pitching effectively in long relief.
Stearns is confident that Manaea will make starts for the Mets in 2026 and doesn't necessarily have to replace someone in the rotation to do it.
"My expectation, just based on my experience of how many starters you need over the course of a major league season, is that Sean’s going to make a bunch of starts for us this year," Stearns said. "He’s very capable of doing that. We’ve seen some progress over the last couple of outings and that’s good to see. I give Sean a lot of credit for understandably being disappointed, but then going down there and helping the team, and he has helped us every time he’s taken the ball down there."
After experiencing decreased velocity in spring, Manaea broke camp in the bullpen. He's made three appearances, allowing three runs across 9.0 innings. While the velocity isn't where it was at his peak, it has improved and Manaea's pitching overall continues to trend in the right direction.
Should we expect Craig Kimbrel up with the Mets?
Stearns was asked about the prospect of Kimbrel joining the club this season and if there's a timeline for that to happen.
While Stearns didn't go into details on whether the veteran reliever has any opt-outs, he was happy at what he saw from him in his first rehab assignment.
Pitching for Port St. Lucie, Kimbrel worked a clean inning and struck a batter out.
"Craig threw the ball well yesterday. That was very good to see," Stearns said. "We continue to believe he can help us this year; he wants to help us. We have a stable pen so far. We haven’t made a move, but eventually we will. He’s certainly a candidate when we have an opportunity."
With Manaea giving them length and saving the bullpen twice, the Mets relievers are relatively rested and have been generally effective. But as Stearns said with Manaea, it's a long season and Kimbrel's name is likely to be called upon sooner rather than later.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 04: Nikola Jović #5 of the Miami Heat drives to the basket against Will Riley #27 and Jamir Watkins #5 of the Washington Wizards during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center on April 04, 2026 in Miami, Florida. 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 Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Washington Wizards play the Miami Heat at 7 p.m. tonight. Watch the game on Monumental Sports Network.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 16: Kyle Nicolas #19 of Team Italy pitches in the eighth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Semifinals between Italy and Venezuela at loanDepot park on March 16, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Gene Wang - Capture At Media/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jose Franco played the role of long man in the Cincinnati Reds bullpen through the first two weeks of the 2026 season. He’s a starter by trade – and a promising one, at that – but manager Terry Francona needed to lean on him in that role given the banged-up nature of the rest of his pitching staff at the moment.
Franco mopped up Thursday’s 8-1 loss to the Miami Marlins in the series finale in south Florida, throwing 43 pitches to get through 2.0 IP. It was his second multi-inning outing of the week, and the gassed Reds bullpen simply needed another fresh arm. So, it was unsurprising to see Franco optioned back to AAA Louisville on Friday as the team brought up righty Kyle Nicolas to take his spot on the roster.
MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon relayed the news on Bluesky.
Nicolas came to the Reds in exchange for Tyler Callihan during spring training, though he was away with Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic at the time. So, it took a bit of time for the Reds to fully understand exactly what they had in him, and he began the year with AAA Louisville to get his feet wet within the new organization despite having appeared in 82 games at the big league level across the previous two seasons.
Nicolas allowed an earned run in his first appearance of the season with the Bats back on March 31st but has since fired 3.1 IP of scoreless ball with just a lone hit and a 6/2 K/BB. His high velocity stuff will play just about anywhere in the Cincinnati bullpen, though it would certainly appear now that they’re going to operate without a ‘long man’ until Nick Lodolo returns from his blister issue and someone gets bumped back from the rotation.
Cincinnati begins a weekend series (and 6-game homestand) on Friday night at Great American Ball Park, and they’ll do so with Chase Burns on the mound and the Los Angeles Angels in town. First pitch in that one is set for 6:45 PM ET as the game is being broadcast by Apple TV. Here’s how the Reds are going to line up for the opener:
