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Edwin Díaz reveals reason behind knee concern, what he told Steve Cohen in Mets reunion

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher wearing white uniform with

When Dalton Rushing hit a grand slam against the Mets on Wednesday night, Edwin Diaz had conflicting feelings.

On one hand, he was overjoyed for Rushing, the second-year catcher who has made the most of his limited playing time as Will Smith’s backup.

On the other hand …

“I wanted to go in the game,” a chuckling Diaz said in Spanish.

Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz said he’s ready to pitch again after feeling back to normal. Getty Images

Rushing’s home run had turned a save situation into a blowout. With a series in hitter-friendly Colorado set to start on Friday, manager Dave Roberts elected not to use Diaz in the ninth inning, even though he hadn’t pitched in five days.

Diaz, the former Mets star who signed with Los Angeles on a $69 million contract this offseason, consoled himself with a reminder the Dodgers will play his former team again in late July, this time in New York.

He said he’s confident that will happen, downplaying the issues with his surgically repaired knee that sidelined him for most of last week.

“I feel ready to continue pitching,” he said.

Deactivate the alarm bells — for now.

Diaz, the former Mets star who signed with Los Angeles on a $69 million contract this offseason, consoled himself with a reminder the Dodgers will play his former team again in late July, this time in New York. Allan Henry-Imagn Images

Diaz’s improved status should be a major relief for the Dodgers. Of their early-season concerns, Diaz’s health could be the most impactful. The Dodgers can win without Kyle Tucker performing like an MVP-caliber hitter or Roki Sasaki pitching like a major leaguer. 

Being able to count on Diaz to close games, however, is critical for a team whose bullpen was a weakness for extended periods last season. With the ninth inning spoken for, Roberts has been able to deploy Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen in favorable situations. The Dodgers’ bullpen ERA is 3.24, fourth best in the National League.

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Diaz blew his first save of the season in his most recent appearance, which was against the Rangers in the opening game of the Dodgers’ recently completed homestand.

He said he experienced discomfort in his right knee, which he injured in a celebration at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. 

“After what happened to my knee,” he said, “it sometimes feels a little weak.”

Edwin Diaz hurt his knee during a celebration at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Instagram

But not like this.

“I knew that something wasn’t right,” he said. “I’ve been pitching for many years, and I know my repertoire. I felt the ball wasn’t jumping out of my hand.”

He averaged 95.5 mph with his fastball, down from 97.2 mph last year. His slider was flat.

“I didn’t have either pitch that day,” Diaz said. “I didn’t have velocity and life on my fastball. There was no life on my fastball. It was dead.”

He knew something wasn’t right when he gave up a homer to Evan Carter.

“I almost never give up a home run on an inside fastball to a left-handed hitter,” he said.

Before the opening game of the series, Diaz had a chance to catch up with Mets owner Steve Cohen. Jack Harris

Diaz alerted the training staff of what he felt, which led to him taking a couple of days off. He said he was ready to pitch Tuesday in the second game of the three-game series against the Mets, but that the team asked him to test his knee in a bullpen session.

Feeling back to normal, Diaz was ready to pitch in the series finale the next day, and he went as far as to warm up. Then, Rushing homered.

Before the opening game of the series, Diaz had a chance to catch up with Mets owner Steve Cohen, who said in February that he was perplexed by Diaz’s decision to leave his team and sign with the Dodgers over the winter.

“We have a good relationship,” Diaz said. “He understands this is a business.”

“We talked about many things. We didn’t talk about my decision. We talked about our families, how he was doing, how the boys were doing. My relationship with Steve goes beyond sports. They treated me really well in New York, and we always had good communication.”

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What the Cavs playoff rotation should look like

CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 20: Max Strus #1 jokes with Jaylon Tyson #24 of the Cleveland Cavaliers gestures before game one of the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Miami Heat at Rocket Arena on April 20, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images

This is it. 

The last eight years for the Cleveland Cavaliers will come down to the next eight weeks. From LeBron James leaving town that jumpstarted a rebuild featuring Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. To acquiring Donovan Mitchell in 2022 to start their contention window. To multiple playoff failures, including last year’s catastrophe against the Pacers. To Garland being traded for James Harden in February.

This is without a doubt the most crucial, critical, important…you get the point. There is a lot riding on this Cavs playoff run. They have arguably their deepest and most talented roster of the Mitchell era. They have the experience now with a battle-tested group that is adding someone with 174 playoff games of their own in Harden. Now is the time for them to break through, and it starts with the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.

With that comes tough lineup decisions, and it will be on head coach Kenny Atkinson to push the right buttons. This is what his rotation should look like against the Raptors.

Starters: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

This lineup projects to be the most reliable and complete unit that Atkinson will put on the floor against Toronto. The sample size is extremely small with this group, but in the 75 possessions this five has shared the court, the Cavs have a +38.9 net rating.

Not much needs to be said about Harden and Mitchell. They are the orchestrators of the offense and are one of the more lethal backcourts in the league. 

Wade, Mobley, and Allen have been Cleveland’s three best defenders for quite some time now. Their length, size, and switchability make them an extremely tough trio to get past on that end. In the 364 possessions those three have together this season, the Cavs have a 99.4 defensive rating. For a team that struggled on the defensive end at times this year, leaning on your best defenders will help alleviate those concerns.

Bench: Sam Merrill, Max Strus, Keon Ellis, Jaylon Tyson

The bench unit may not have as much size as the starters, but Atkinson will be able to stagger the minutes between the nine he ends up deciding on.

Merrill and Strus bring a lot of shooting, movement, and overall toughness that Cleveland is going to need from their role guys. Strus especially has a lot of playoff experience and has proven a willingness to do the dirty work and make winning plays. 

Ellis has shown that he can be an absolute defensive menace for the Cavs. He is great at putting pressure on the ball, getting deflections and steals, and has enough length to disrupt ball-handlers. His offense has been a pleasant surprise as well, as he is knocking down nearly 36% of his threes and shooting 49% overall from the field. 

The last spot should go to Tyson. When Cleveland was struggling early on in the season, he was one of the lone bright spots. His development into a key role player has been nothing short of amazing for the Cavs. His synergy with Mitchell in the short roll, his ability to knock down threes, and just playing with 110% effort every play is what Cleveland needs.  All of the bench guys I mentioned have the toughness, spacing, and tenacity that make them the essential bench pieces. 

Cutting Dennis Schroder from the initial rotation was a tough decision, but Schroder has struggled for the most part since he arrived in February. He’s shooting only 40% from the field and 29% from three. Atkinson could turn to him in spot minutes, and Schroder has enough defensive activity and veteran experience to be called upon at times, but he should not be a nightly fixture in the playoffs.

The Cavs have the star power and depth to make a run. It will be on Atkinson to push the right buttons against the Raptors and hopefully beyond. But this is how he should start out.

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Royals lose a heartbreaker to Tigers, 10-9

Detroit Tigers third baseman Kevin McGonigle (7), right, and second baseman Gleyber Torres (25) celebrate a 2-RBI double from left fielder Riley Greene (31) during the ninth inning against Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park in Detroit on Thursday, April 16, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In a game marred by delays, it looked like the Royals would take the series finale against the Tigers to avoid the sweep, and this after trailing by five runs midway through the game.

Unfortunately, the top of Detroit’s lineup had other plans.

The game started after an hour-plus rain delay. Detroit struck first in the bottom of the second when Spencer Torkelson doubled to left, scoring Matt Vierling. Not very long after, the Royals tied it in the top of the fourth when Bobby Witt Jr., who doubled to lead off the inning and then moved to third on a very long fly ball by Vinnie Pasquantino, scored on an infield single by Carter Jensen.

By the end of the game, the Royals, who had greatly struggled scoring runs and hitting with runners in scoring position lately, finished 5-for-10 with RISP. Bobby Witt Jr., who had only scored one run entering today’s contest, scored three times.

Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic ran into trouble in the fifth inning, which the Tigers entered winning 2-1. By the end of the frame, Bubic was out of the game and Detroit had extended their lead to 6-1 thanks in large part to a two-run home run by catcher Dillon Dingler off reliever John Schrieber. In all, Bubic lasted only 4-and-2/3 innings while allowing five earned runs on six hits and three walks to go along with three strikeouts. He did not look sharp.

The Royals didn’t fold, though, instead chipping away at the lead. In the top of the sixth, Bobby Witt Jr. once again led off the inning with a double and once more moved to third on a fly out by Pasquantino, who hit several hard ball outs during the game. Bob ended up scoring his second run of the game on a sacrifice fly by Salvador Perez, who roped a screamer to left that Riley Greene caught sliding.

6-2, Tigers.

Alex Lange entered for the Royals against his former team, and while he allowed a runner to reach third, escaped the sixth with the score intact. In the next half-frame, the top of the seventh, the Royals bats busted open as the team batted around while scoring six runs to take a 8-6 lead.

The fun started with a lead-off double by Jonathan India who scored when Jac Caglianone singled up the middle on a ball that hit the second base bag. It was Cags’ first RBI of the season. I’ll note here that in the fourth, Cags, who had three hits and a walk yesterday with an outfield assist, nailed a runner at the plate for yet another outfield assist. Couple of good days for the youngster.

Lane Thomas then pinch-hit for Michael Massey, today’s starting left fielder. Thomas drew a four-pitch walk. Kyle Isbel then sacrificed Cags and Thomas over. The lineup flipped and Maikel Garcia drove in Cags to cut the lead to 6-4.

Bob followed with a check-swing infield single that scored Thomas and made it a one-run game. Pasquantino lined out to bring up Salvy with two on and two out. After completely whiffing on an 86-MPH cutter right down the middle, Perez battled back, and on the 10th pitch of the at-bat, ended up on one knee as he corked a go-ahead three-run homer to left. Thus ended an 0-for-22 with RISP skid for Salvy. 8-6, Royals.

Immediately, the fourth and final delay of the game took place as rain briefly poured. About 40 minutes later, the game resumed, as Carter Jensen singled, but India fanned to end the big inning.

Nick Mears entered for the Royals, and hoo boy, was that an adventure. Kevin McGonigle tripled to start and scored on a foul-out by Kerry Carpenter. 8-7. Isbel then robbed Dingler of extra bases with a fantastic sliding catch at the wall. After giving up another hit, Mears escaped with the Royals clinging to the lead.

Not much happened for either team in the eighth. Daniel Lynch IV kept the Tigers at bay and the game headed to the ninth. In the top half, Pasquantino finally hit a hard ball fair, and it went out for his first homer of the season. The Royals had their insurance run, and Lucas Erceg came out to close down the game.

Erceg couldn’t do it. He allowed the first two batters to reach, on a single and walk, respectively. He then struck out Carpenter and induced a line-out by Dingler. Two down.

Next up, Riley Greene, who on the payoff pitch lined one down the first-base line. Torres scored easily from second with McGonigle not too far behind him. Erceg slapped his glove in frustration.

The game ended in the next at-bat as Colt Keith singled home Greene. Cags had a chance to get him, but Greene slid in ahead of the throw. Ballgame: 10-9 Detroit.

Now the Royals are 7-12 and begin a three-game trip to the Bronx tomorrow night against the Yankees.

Today’s game was great, and it would’ve been fantastic to write about a Royals win to staunch the bleeding and move them to 8-11. Instead, the Royals are suddenly five games below .500 and don’t return home until Monday.

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Giants skipper Tony Vitello on fight: Brings needed 'competitive edge'

Tempers flared between the San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds causing both dugouts to clear following the last strike to secure the Giants' 3-0 win at Great American Ball Park on April 16.

Giants first-time manager Tony Vitello, who was a college coach at Tennessee last year, told reporters after the game he didn't see what caused the disagreement between his closing pitcher Erik Miller and Reds rookie Sal Stewart, who was struck out to end the game.

"I looked up and everything was going on," Vitello said. "I know the guys were joking but Miller doesn't say much to anybody, so I don't know who talked first between those guys, or if it's one-sided, but I think something was said. You know, maybe people reacted because of what went on early in the game. I didn’t have a great view."

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Braves minor league open thread: April 16

Spencer Strider is set to make his first rehab appearance of year, tonight with the Rome Emperors.
Feb 28, 2026; Sarasota, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider (99) throws a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The big league team may be off, but we got a full slate of minor league games including a pair of rehab appearances. Spencer Strider makes his first rehab appearance, while Sean Murphy makes his second appearance. Let’s take a look at who is playing around the organization today.

(11-6) Gwinnett Stripers @ (12-5) Memphis Redbirds

(6-5) Biloxi Shuckers @ (6-5) Columbus Clingstones

(7-3) Jersey Shore BlueClaws @ (4-7) Rome Emperors

(2-9) Fayetteville Woodpeckers @ (6-5) Augusta GreenJackets

Who is tuning in? What game are you tuning into? Let’s hear what you got to say about today’s slate of minor league games below.

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Dodgers pitcher snares custom glove with Pokemon card implant

It’s going to be a bit easier for Will Klein to catch ’em all these days.

The Dodgers pitcher revealed on Wednesday he recently netted a custom baseball mitt that features an actual Pokemon card implanted inside of it.

Klein said the guys over at 44 Pro, who’ve created custom gloves for him and other athletes for years, surprised him with it after they out of the blue asked him what his favorite Pokemon was.

Will Klein’s new glove has a Pokemon card actually stitched inside of it.

“Obviously I said Tyranitar because that’s the only right answer,” Klein said. “They were like, ‘All right,’ and they went to work.”

Klein — a massive Pokemon fan — said he had no idea what his mitt-making friends were up to, but this week, he got an unexpected package from them wrapped in foil.

“I whip this bad boy out,” he said, “and I didn’t even know you could do anything like this.”

Will Klein called the new Pokemon-themed glove “probably now the coolest thing I own.”

The glove is all Dodger blue with some red accents, and on the webbing, a Tyrantir card can be prominently seen.

Klein said he’s unsure if he can actually use it in a game, but he nonetheless is considering it one of his most prized possessions.

“It’s probably now the coolest thing I own,” he said.

Klein later revealed in addition to Tyrantir, he’s got love for Nidoking, Flygon and Swampert — perhaps indirectly presenting a whole new set of challenges for 44 Pro folks.

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Former Yankees prospect Oswald Peraza 'absolutely hurt' NY in series finale against Angels

Former Yankees prospect Oswald Peraza had himself some series against his former team.

The infielder helped lead the Angels to an 11-4 win over the Yankees on Thursday afternoon with a home run and three RBI that helped Los Angeles split the four-game series.

And while his teammate Mike Trout will get the headlines for his five-homer performance in the series, you can't overlook what Peraza did against the Yankees. His former manager, Aaron Boone, certainly didn't.

Peraza got the scoring started out of the cleanup spot with a two-run shot off of Max Fried to give the Angels a 2-0 lead in the first inning. But he wasn't done; his game-tying double in the sixth knocked Fried out of the game, and led to the four-run inning that gave the Angels the lead for good.

In the four-game set, Peraza started just three but went 5-for-10 with two home runs and four RBI, while playing his usual slick defense at third base. As Boone said, it was the type of offensive performance they hoped for when he eventually came up to the bigs. 

“A lot of good memories here,” Peraza told the media before the series began. “It’s business, it’s baseball. Now I’m with the Angels and enjoy every day.”

While he found playing time with the Angels last season, he struggled offensively. This season, however, he's gotten off to a much better start. He has four home runs this season (18 games) when he had five all of last year (106 games), and has launched three longballs over his last five games. Overall, he's slashing .368/.478/.947 (7-for-19) with four runs, two doubles, three home runs, six RBI, four walks and two stolen bases over his last seven games.

"He looked like what we were excited about several years ago," Boone said after the game. "And then obviously, went through a couple of years of struggling. He’s super talented, always has been. He’s fast-twitched, has power, can run and can do all those things. Clearly, in as good a place as he’s been in a few years. And he absolutely hurt us in this series."

Peraza joined the big league club at the end of the 2022 season and was 15-for-49 (.306) in 18 games. That offseason, there was a lot of hype surrounding Peraza and Anthony Volpe as the next generation of Yankees infielders. However, Volpe outplayed Peraza that spring and won the starting shortstop job. With DJ LeMahieu and Josh Donaldson on the roster at the time, Peraza's path to the club was blocked.

The Venezuela native would get his shot that season, but struggled at the plate, going 33-for-173 (.191) in 52 games. Peraza would start the 2024 season in the minors, but injuries and offensive struggles kept him from seeing any time with the big league club.

Peraza would get his biggest chance with the Yankees in 2025, but it was more of the same for the infielder. He slashed .152/.212/.241 with an OPS of .453 across 71 games with New York before he was ultimately traded to the Angels for a minor leaguer and international money.

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10-9 – Rangers survive the wrath of Zephyrus with 9-6 win over A’s

Apr 16, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (6) reacts after hitting a two-run home run against the Athletics during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers scored nine runs while the Sacramento River Athletics scored six runs.

Brother I don’t know what that was. It was barely even baseball.

Anyhow, the Rangers dropped like ten popups and nearly lost a ridiculous, blustery finale in not-Oakland before the potential shame of blowing a 5-3 lead on a bases clearing popup kicked in and they scored four runs in the 9th to escape Yolo County with a series split.

Player of the Game: Josh Jung had three hits, scored twice, drove in two and had the most wind-aided dong you’ll ever see. It was his first homer of the year.

The game was drunk but Jung was imbibing.

Up Next: The Rangers continue traveling north along the West Coast with their weekend destination bringing them to Seattle for their second look at the hated Mariners. RHP Jacob deGrom will make the start for Texas in the opener against RHP Logan Gilbert for Seattle.

The Friday evening first pitch from T-Mobile Park is scheduled for 8:40 pm CDT and you can catch it via the Rangers Sports Network.

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Wizards GM says he expects coach Brian Keefe to return next season

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said he's expecting coach Brian Keefe to return next season after Washington finished with the NBA's worst record.

“Yeah, I anticipate Brian Keefe to be here,” Dawkins said Thursday at his end-of-season news conference.

Keefe took over in the middle of the 2023-24 campaign, replacing Wes Unseld Jr. That was Washington’s first season under its new front office led by Michael Winger and Dawkins. The team eventually took off Keefe’s interim tag.

But the Wizards haven’t been built to win right away under Keefe. He went 8-31 in that first season, then 18-64 in 2024-25. This season Washington lost 26 of its last 27 games to go 17-65, ending any danger of the Wizards losing their first-round draft pick if it wasn’t in the top eight. It’s the first time since 1967 — when the franchise was the Baltimore Bullets — that the team finished with the league’s worst record.

“We put him in a situation this season which was a little difficult," Dawkins said. "We led the NBA in starts for players under 21. I think we had 50-plus different starting lineups. So we threw a lot at him.”

But soon, Washington hopes to turn the focus away from collecting picks and lottery odds and improve its performance on the court. There were certainly some steps in that direction this season, when the Wizards traded for both Trae Young and Anthony Davis, although Young played only five games for them and Davis didn’t play any. If both are healthy next season, Washington could be improved.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

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Prized Pirates rookie Konnor Griffin makes disastrous mistake, delivers big triple in roller-coaster day

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows A baseball player slides into home plate as another player attempts to tag him out, Image 2 shows Washington Nationals second baseman Nasim Nuñez (26) slides into Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (6) at second base, forcing an error and allowing two runs to score, Image 3 shows Konnor Griffin, a baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates, celebrates as he stands on third base
Griffin

Welcome to the Konnor Griffin experience.

The highly touted Pirates 19-year-old shortstop spiked a throw on a potential double play in the top of the fifth inning of Thursday afternoon’s 8-7 loss to the Nationals in 10 innings — moments before launching a game-tying hit.

With one out in the fifth, Griffin fielded a weak grounder from first baseman Luis Garcia Jr., stepped on second and spiked a throw to first into the dirt that rolled into shallow right field to allow all three runners on base to score.

Washington Nationals second baseman Nasim Nuñez (26) slides into Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (6) at second base, forcing an error and allowing two runs to score. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The umpire crew ruled runner Nasim Nuñez — whose hard slide into Griffin impacted the throw — safe at second.

The Pirates unsuccessfully challenged the play, which was scored as a throwing error.

The Nationals added another run later in the inning after starting pitcher Braxton Ashcraft made a throwing error of his own.

Pittsburgh rallied to tie the game at four before again falling behind 5-4 in the sixth. And that’s when Griffin made up for his miscue.

Griffin’s spiked throw rolled into shallow right field as three runs scored.
Griffin made up for his miscue with a game-tying triple in the sixth inning of Thursday’s 8-7 loss. AP

In the bottom of the inning, Griffin launched a ball to center — missing his first career home run by inches — before it caromed far enough for a game-tying RBI triple.

He recorded another hit in the 10th inning on a weak grounder down the third base line, but the Pirates failed to tie the game.

The whirlwind performance encapsulated Griffin’s first few weeks in the majors.

Entering Thursday, Griffin was hitting .189/.279/.243 with five RBIs while striking out 12 times in 37 at-bats.

He hit a booming double in his MLB debut, but notched just six hits in the 11 successive games before Thursday.

Griffin, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the top prospect in baseball entering 2026, was called up in early April after hitting a scorching .438/.571/.625 in five Triple-A contests.

The ninth-overall pick in the 2024 draft hit an eye-popping .333/.415/.527 with 21 homers, 94 RBIs and 65 stolen bases over 122 games between three levels in 2025, his first professional season.

Griffin inked a nine-year, $140 million extension this month to stay with the Pirates long term.

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Yankees weigh in on Mike Trout's historic power-hitting series: 'He’s an all-time great'

The Yankees fell to the Angels by a score of 11-4 on Thursday afternoon, and while the two teams ended up splitting the four-game series, Mike Trout did something that no visiting player has done in the Bronx.

Ever.

Trout demolished a solo home run off of reliever Angel Chivilli in the seventh inning. With that blast, he became the first visiting player ever to hit home runs on four consecutive days against the Yankees (h/t Sarah Langs). 

“It means a lot,” Trout told FanDuel Sports Network West after the game. “Obviously, there’s been a lot of great players who have played here. It’s awesome.”

Trout, a three-time MVP and 11-time All-Star, has seen injury issues derail him over the past few seasons, but he was in vintage Mike Trout mode in this series, hitting five home runs and driving in nine.

“He’s not chasing, and he’s deadly in some certain parts of the zone,” Aaron Boone said after the game. “Chivilli, really the entire at-bat against him I thought executed pretty well, and then all of a sudden he goes back to that changeup and he hammers it. Look, he’s clearly healthy and he’s an all-time great... Hurt us this series. 

“There are some places that you can go to execute against him, but we weren’t able to do that enough this series.”

“It’s great to see a guy like him…. Obviously not against us, but he’s one of the greatest in this spot and he’s showing it,” added Jose Caballero. “Congrats to him, he’s amazing.”

And while Trout was putting on a tremendous power display, Yankees captain Aaron Judge was nearly just as incredible, hitting four homers of his own while driving in five. 

In the first game of the series on Monday, both Trout and Judge homered twice each. 

“Yeah, it was really fun,” Trout said. “That first game set it off… It was a fun series.”

“It was a cool, cool showing from him and Judgey all series,” said Giancarlo Stanton, who also homered on Thursday. “Obviously, we don’t want that against us, but you’ve got to acknowledge the great. It was a deciding factor today, so not what we want, but obviously a great talent.” 

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Tigers 10, Royals 9: Colt Keith is the walk-off hero

DETROIT, MI - APRIL 15: Colt Keith #33 of the Detroit Tigers bats (wearing #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson) during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Izzy Rincon/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

After a rain delay at Comerica Park, the Tigers were looking to wrap up their hopeful sweep of the Royals before heading to Boston for the weekend to take on the Red Sox. Hoping to get them there was Keider Montero on the mound, up against Kris Bubic for the Royals. Montero has had a decent start to his season and has a lot to prove, so he’s showing up eager to each start. The Tigers have floundered this series in terms of converting runs, with two 2-1 wins. They’d also be down one Zach McKinstry as he dealt with a slew of injuries from Wednesday night’s game and the Tigers were taking a wait-and-see approach to decide the best course for him.

When things finally got underway, the Royals went down 1-2-3 in the top of the first. Gleyber Torres got a leadoff walk to start the home half, but a flyout and a double play quickly kiboshed the Tigers’ efforts.

Salvador Perez singled to start the second inning. There was a brief pause in play as it looked like Perez jammed his finger getting to first, but he stayed in the game. Three outs followed, leaving the man stranded and the score still at goose eggs. In the home half, Riley Greene got a one-out walk, but was then eliminated in a force out off the bat of Matt Vierling. A wild pitch allowed Vierling to advance to second, then a Spencer Torkelson double brought Vierling home and put the Tigers on the board. They’d need to settle for just the one run, but it was a good start.

In the top of the third, the Royals went 1-2-3 again. The Tigers, likewise, went down in order in the bottom of the inning.

Bobby Witt Jr. started the fourth with a double. He’s been a relatively minor pest this series, so we were due. With two outs, Carter Jensen singled, bringing Witt home and tying up the game. Feels familiar. In the home half, Dillon Dingler hit a one-out double, followed by a Riley Green single. Dingler was tagged out at home trying for the go-ahead run. Greene ended up on second. A wild pitch then allowed Greene to advance to third. Game hero Matt Vierling then singled, bringing Greene home and putting the Tigers ahead again. 2-1 game, feeling some deja vu right now.

With one out in the top of the fifth, Michael Massey singled for the Royals, but two outs followed. In the home half, Javier Baez got a one-out walk, then Gleyber Torres followed that up with a double to bring Baez home. The 2-1 curse is broken! One out later, Jahmai Jones singled, bringing Torres in. That was it for Bubic, who was replaced by John Schreiber, who then gave up a two-run homer to Dingler. A mighty big inning for the Tigers.

Keider Montero certainly had to be grateful for that extra buffer going into the sixth, especially after he gave up a leadoff double to Bobby Witt Jr. With one out, Perez hit a sac fly to bring Witt home, and that made all the Tigers very grateful for that cushion. In the home half, Alex Lange came out of the Royals’ bullpen. He gave up a leadoff single to Matt Vierling, who then stole second. Jeez, Vierling, what’s gotten into you, we love it! A Spencer Torkelson single pushed Vierling to third. Three outs in a row followed, however, leaving Vierling 90 feet from home.

The Royals love doubles. Jonathan India got the seventh inning going with a leadoff double. A Jac Caglianone single then brought India home, and that was it for Montero. His final line for the game was 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K on 83 pitches. Lots of contact unfortunately, but not the worst start we’ve seen this season. The run support really helped. Drew Anderson came in to replace him. A pinch-hitting Lane Thomas walked. There was then a very lengthy game break for the home plate umpire to… go to the clubhouse? He didn’t appear to be injured, so perhaps nature just made an unfortunately timed call. There was some umpire shuffling and the game resumed. A Kyle Isbel bunt advanced both baserunners. A Maikel Garcia single then scored Caglianone. A Witt single then scored Thomas and suddenly that lead wasn’t looking so healthy anymore. Anderson was then pulled, replaced by Tyler Holton. A wild pitch by Holton advanced Witt, and then a Perez home run scored three runs to put the Royals ahead. At this point there was a lengthy game delay because of inclement weather. We gotta keep it dramatic, I guess. After the delay, Holton was done, replaed by Enmanuel De Jesus who gave up a single to Jensen. The final out of the inning came with no additional damage done, but it was plenty bad enough already.

Nick Mears came in for the Royals in the bottom of the seventh and gave up a leadoff triple to Kevin McGonigle. A sac fly from a pinch-hitting Kerry Carpenter brought McGonigle home, putting the Tigers back within one run of tying.

Dillon Dingler hit a long fly and Isbel came out of nowhere (well, out of center field) for one of the best catches I’ve seen in ages. I mean, it sucks that he caught it, but credit where credit is due. Riley Greene then doubled. Colt Keith came on for Vierling, and Keith missed a couple of opportunities to make good ABS challenges, but instead, he grounded out to end the inning.

In the top of the eighth, Thomas got a one-out single. With two outs in the inning, De Jesus was done, making way for Connor Seabold. Seabold got the final out of the inning. Daniel Lynch IV came on for the Royals, and the Tigers quickly went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning.

The Royals extended their lead in the ninth as Vinnie Pasquantino got a one-out solo home run. The Tigers had at least two run to make up now to tie the game, three if they were going to get a walk-off win, and it was all down to the bottom of the ninth inning. Lucas Erceg was out for the Royals. Torres got a leadoff single. McGonigle finally remembered the team had all their ABS challenges and had a called strike overturned into a walk, putting two on. Riley Greene laced a run right down the right field line, scoring two runs to tie up the game. Colt Keith then hit a walk-off single, scoring Greene and the Tigers actually had a comeback miracle. They also completed the series sweep.

Final: Tigers 10, Royals 9

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Exclusive: NBA matchup for 2026 Mexico City game revealed

The matchup for the 2026 NBA Mexico City Game is set.

USA TODAY Sports has learned that the Denver Nuggets will face the Indiana Pacers at Arena CDMX on Nov. 7, 2026, marking the 35th NBA contest played in the city since 1992.

It’s an intriguing matchup that should feature a fully healthy Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers star point guard who missed the entire 2025-26 season as he recovered from the torn Achilles tendonsuffered during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. The Pacers are also likely to end up with a top selection in the 2026 NBA Draft after they finished with the second-worst record (19-63) in the league.

The Nuggets, one of the premier teams in the Western Conference, are led by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić, who averaged a triple-double this season. This will mark the second game in Mexico that the Nuggets play, while the Pacers will be making the trip for the first time.

And, for the third consecutive season, the game will coincide with the Día de los Muertos festivities across the country. To commemorate that, the game will be played on a themed court.

The NBA has continued to expand its reach across Latin America, with Mexico as its most prominent market. In fact, removing the U.S. and Canada, both of which are home to current and former NBA franchises (including the Vancouver Grizzlies), no country has hosted more NBA games than Mexico since 1992, when the first NBA game was played in the country.

That game, an Oct. 27 preseason matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets, spawned a relationship that will enter its 34th year when the Pacers and Nuggets square off.

"The NBA Mexico City Game continues to give fans in Mexico a front‑row connection to the league, its teams and its players," Raul Zarraga, NBA Latin America and Canada senior vice president and head of operations, said in a statement. "Hosting our 35th game in the country reflects the depth of the NBA’s relationship with Mexico and the role this event plays in bringing the global game to fans locally, across Latin America and around the world."

The NBA will make the formal announcement with Zignia Live, a live event promoter, about the matchup Thursday, April 16. As is typical with the NBA’s international games, the league will offer social programs and activities in Mexico City to engage with the local community.

The 2026 Mexico City Game will air on ESPN.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA reveals teams for 2026 Mexico City showdown: Exclusive

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GAME THREAD: Orioles at Guardians, game 20 of 162

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 12: Chase DeLauter #24 of the Cleveland Guardians reacts after a double during the fifth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on April 12, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Here’s the Orioles lineup:

Here’s the Guardians lineup:

Let’s go, Guardians!

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Mike Trout makes Yankee Stadium history in five-homer series

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout (27) hitting a home run, Image 2 shows Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels is greeted at the dugout after scoring a solo homer

Mike Trout punctuated his outstanding series in The Bronx by making some Yankee Stadium history.

The Angels superstar launched another home run against the Yankees during Anaheim’s 11-4 win Thursday afternoon, his fifth blast of the four-game set, putting himself in the record books.

Trout’s 446-foot solo homer in the seventh inning made him the first visiting player in history to homer in four straight days at Yankee Stadium, per MLB.com’s Sarah Langs.

Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout hits a home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees on April 16, 2026. AP
Trout made history by becoming the first visiting player in history to homer in four straight games at Yankee Stadium. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

After struggling through a myriad of injuries over the past five seasons, the three-time MVP’s performance turned back the clock to his peak form — a reminder of the dominance that once made him the game’s most feared hitter.

The 34-year-old hit two home runs in Monday’s 11-10 loss to the Bombers, matching fellow three-time American League MVP Aaron Judge in the contest.

On Tuesday, Trout, Jo Adell and Jorge Soler went back-to-back-to-back in the first inning against lefty Ryan Weathers as the Angels slugged their way to a 7-1 win.

Trout hit a go-ahead home run off Luis Gil in the fifth inning of Wednesday’s tilt, a game the Yankees rallied to win on a walk-off hit by José Caballero.

On Thursday, the Yankees led 3-2 going into the sixth inning before the Angels’ offense erupted for nine total runs across three of the final four frames.

Trout’s latest blast came against reliever Angel Chivilli, who was making his Yankees debut, putting the Angels ahead 7-4.

Adell hit a grand slam in the eighth to put the game out of reach.

Trout’s solo blast came against reliever Angel Chivilli who was making his Yankees debut. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

Judge, who hit his fourth home run of the series in Thursday’s loss, had high praise for Trout earlier in the week.

“He’s the greatest… he’s the greatest of all-time,” Judge told reporters after the sluggers each slugged two bombs apiece Monday night. “He’s been fun to watch his whole career.

“Coming up at such a young age and to instantly put yourself at the top of the list, it’s special. He’s led those boys over there for quite a few years. I know he’s had some tough injuries over the years but [it’s great] to see himself put himself back in a better spot.”

Trout is now tied for second in the majors in home runs with seven, trailing Cardinals slugger Jordan Walker and Judge (eight).

“Every time he comes to The Bronx, he puts on a show, I hate to see it,” Judge added with a laugh.