Would you blame the kid if he thought he could help the D.C. United this year?
Ryan Yarbrough allows eight runs, Yankees' comeback falls short in 10-7 loss to Red Sox
Ryan Yarbrough was knocked around for eight runs and the Yankees' comeback fell short in their 10-7 loss to the Red Sox on Saturday night in The Bronx.
Before Saturday, Yarbrough allowed six total runs in his first five starts since moving to the rotation, and had not allowed more than two runs in any start.
The Yanks (39-24) struck out 15 times to drop the middle game of this three-game set.
Here are the takeaways...
-The Red Sox would get to the southpaw early. After Yarbrough stranded Rafael Devers, who doubled with one out in the first, he couldn't do the same in the second. After allowing a leadoff double, struggling rookie Kristian Campbell slapped a two-out single the opposite way into right field to give Boston a 1-0 lead.
With Anthony Volpe (elbow) and Jazz Chisholm Jr. (rest) out of the lineup, Aaron Boone had to go with a ragtag bunch for Saturday's game. Pablo Reyes started at third and Oswald Peraza started at shortstop. And that configuration would play a big part in the Red Sox's five-run third inning.
After Yarbrough hit Devers to lead off, Rob Refsnyder doubled on a ball that Cody Bellinger tried to catch on a slide, but whiffed, allowing runners on second and third with no out. Carlos Narvaez hit a hard groundball to Paul Goldschmidt, but the Gold Glove first baseman picked the grounder and threw home to get Devers out at home. After Peraza grabbed a groundball in the hole on the left side, but Reyes didn't cover third in time to get the force, resulting in an infield hit that loaded the bases, Abraham Toro blooped a single to center to cut the Yankees' lead to 3-2. Trevor Story followed with a bases-clearing double that bounced off of Reyes' glove to put Boston up 5-3. Campbell singled to cap off the five-run third.
It wouldn't get much better for Yarbrough, who gave up a two-run shot to Romy Gonzalez -- his first of the season -- in the fourth.
Yarbrough would only go four innings (67 pitches/45 strikes), allowing eight runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out three batters. His ERA jumped from 2.83 to 4.17.
-On the other side, Garrett Crochet was making his Yankee Stadium and Red Sox/Yankees rivalry debut on Saturday. The hard-throwing lefty came into the start allowing more than two runs in a start just once this season, but Austin Wells upped that to two with his three-run blast in the second inning. The home run was set up by a leadoff infield single by Bellinger and a one-out walk to DJ LeMahieu. Wells jumped on the first-pitch cutter to send it over the short porch.
Wells would get Crochet again in the fourth with a double in the left-center gap with runners on first and second and one out to drive in his fourth run of the game. Reyes got the Yankees closer with an RBI groundout.
But aside from that, Crochet was great. He would go six innings (97 pitches/67 strikes), allowing the five runs on six hits, one walk, while striking out nine batters. Aaron Judge struck out three times against the southpaw, who settled down and gave Boston what they needed.
-The Yankees lineup wouldn't wake up until the eighth inning. After Ben Rice led off with a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Judge moved him to third on a flyout before Bellinger walked ahed of Jasson Dominguez. Bellinger stole second, but Dominguez struck out. LeMahieu picked up his teammate with a two-run single to cut the Red Sox's lead to 8-7 and advanced to second on an overthrow from the outfield, setting up Wells to potentially drive in the tying run. But the catcher struck out to end the inning.
-In relief of Yarbrough, Yerry De los Santos pitched three innings of one-hit ball -- with two walks mixed in -- to keep the Red Sox off the board. Mark Leiter Jr. pitched a scoreless eighth inning, but Ian Hamilton wouldn't have the same success in the ninth. A walk, and back-to-back singles loaded the bases with no outs for the Red Sox. Story made Yankees pitching pay again with a single up the middle to drive in two. Hamilton would finish the inning without allowing another run, but the damage was done.
Longtime Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman came on for the Red Sox in the ninth. He struck out Chisholm swinging, Peraza and Goldschmidtgrounded out to end the game.
-Judge finished 0-for-4 with three strikeouts to drop his average to .390. Reyes finished 0-for-2 with an RBI and Chisholm pinch-hit for him and finished 0-for-2 with two strikeouts. Volpe pinch-ran for LeMahieu in the eighth and stayed in to play shortstop in the ninth.
Peraza went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.
Game MVP: Trevor Story
The veteran shortstop had the big hit in that five-run third and the huge two-run single in the ninth when the Yankees were lurking. Three hits and five RBI for Story
Highlights
Austin Wells three run homer to put the Yankees ahead!
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) June 8, 2025
(via @Yankees) pic.twitter.com/E0MSYM9B0P
What's next
The Yankees and Red Sox complete their first series of the season on Sunday night. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m.
Carlos Rodon (8-3, 2.49 ERA) will look to continue to his hot streak of starts while Boston will have Hunter Dobbins (2-1, 4.06 ERA) on the bump.
Thunder Game 2 changes have to start with better nights from Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams
OKLAHOMA CITY — Any doubts about the Thunder entering the playoffs seemed to have been wiped away before the NBA Finals tipped off. Nobody had really questioned MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the Thunder defense had more than lived up to its fearsome reputation.
Perhaps the only question not entirely answered this postseason was the one that lingered from last year's playoffs, when the Mavericks eliminated the Thunder: Were Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren good enough to be the No. 2 and 3 players on a championship team?
They were not in Game 1. They shot a combined 8-of-28, and they had some defensive lapses.
If the Thunder are going to even this series in Game 2 Sunday night, a few things need to improve for them, but that starts with better games from Williams and Holmgren.
"[Holmgren] and [Williams], specifically, obviously they have carved out huge roles on our team," OKC coach Mark Daigneault said. "Usually, delivering in the Finals is not on the curriculum for third-year players, and they have thrust themselves into that situation, which is a credit to them. And now that they are here, they have to continue to do what they have done all the way through the playoffs...
"They haven't always played their best game, but they always get themselves ready to play the next one. The last guy I'm worried about that is Chet."
Williams played down the idea of being a third-year player mattering.
"I don't ever think that I'm in my third year because then that allows me to make excuses. I should just go out there and play. Pressure is a privilege," Williams said on the eve of Game 2. "So I enjoy being counted on and doing that, and I just think I've been counted on since, I feel like, last year, to be totally honest, just in regard to being there for the rest of the guys. And now we're here in the Finals."
Holmgren’s rough shooting night
Holmgren shot 2-of-8 within four feet of the rim in Game 1, finishing the night with six points on nine shot attempts. It was a night where Daigneault leaned more into Isaiah Hartenstein (9 points on 3-of-5 shooting, plus 9 rebounds).
"I feel like I could have slowed down, kind of finished some of those plays at the rim," Holmgren said. "Obviously, it hurts in a one-point loss. One single difference on one single play could have decided the whole game...
"I'd say [I went] on some of them, too quick. On the ones that involved help side, just slowing down and understanding where they are is a big thing. Some of the one-on-one plays, I wouldn't say so much slowing down as I'd say kind of just being a little bit more under control, I guess."
Williams’ rough shooting night
Williams put up better counting stats with 17 points, but was 6-of-19 shooting. He was respectable around the rim, hitting 5-of-9. However, he was 1-of-10 outside that range, including 1-of-4 on 3-pointers.
We've seen this before this postseason. Against the Nuggets, Williams showed out with 32 points on 21 shots in Game 3 (an OKC loss), but in the next three games Williams shot 2-of-13, 5-of-14 and 3-of-16, a combined 23.3%.
Williams bounced back in the Thunder's Game 7 victory, scoring 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting. What Oklahoma City needs from him in the Finals is consistency. Williams is an All-NBA player who will be offered a five-year maximum contract extension by the Thunder this summer. These games, however, are where that money and his reputation are really earned.
All playoffs long, when the Thunder have been challenged — individually and as a team — they have responded. Expect Williams and Holmgren to bounce back with better games on Sunday night.
If they don't, the hole the Thunder find themselves in could be a lot deeper.
A Level Of Uncertainty Regarding Golden Knights' Alex Pietrangelo Health For The 2025-26 Season
The Vegas Golden Knights are heading into a peculiar offseason, filled with rumours about possible big moves and philosophical changes by the head coach, but now their veteran defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has his health put into question.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas, on their podcast 32 Thoughts, shared that there is a level of uncertainty about Pietrangelo's health and a fear that he could be unavailable for the 2025-26 season.
Throughout the 2024-25 campaign, Pietrangelo dealt with numerous issues. Some were health-related, and others were linked to injuries. He sat out the 4 Nations Face-Off, electing to rest an ailment, and missed some time towards the end of the season. In all, the 35-year-old played 71 regular-season games, scoring four goals and 33 points to go along with 10 playoff games, where he scored two goals and six points.
Bruce Cassidy Says He's Not Concerned With Alex Pietrangelo's Injury, Expects Him To ReturnLAS VEGAS -- Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said Saturday after morning skate that he is not concerned long-term with an injury that's kept Alex Pietrangelo out of the lineup.
thehockeynews.comBruce Cassidy Says He's Not Concerned With Alex Pietrangelo's Injury, Expects Him To ReturnLAS VEGAS -- Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said Saturday after morning skate that he is not concerned long-term with an injury that's kept Alex Pietrangelo out of the lineup.
“Every year, I hear, ‘Oh, Pietrangelo is so badly beaten up, and he’s put his body through so much, and he’s not going to be able to play next season,’” responded Friedman to a question from Bukauskas. “And every year I get told, ‘That’s wrong.’ And every year, he’s back, and he plays, and he plays hard, and he plays great.
“You’ll remember that the NHL and the countries have an agreement [about naming Olympic teams],” Friedman continued. “The full team is the end of December, but they have to name six players by the end of June. The dates aren’t set up yet, but it sounds like it could potentially be the week of [June] 16th— which is a week and a half from now. I put together a long list for all these teams of who could be on it, and I had Pietrangelo on that list. And someone indicated to me that he might not be available.
“I don’t have any confirmation on that yet,” finished Friedman. “I still think it’s one of those things where, at this time of year, teams are trying to figure out what their rosters might look like for next year and [if there are] any injury concerns. So, we’ll see what happens with Pietrangelo… But it sounds like there’s at least the possibility that they’re trying to figure out what his health will be like for the start of next season.”
At the moment, Friedman doesn't have enough information to confirm or deny what he's been given and couldn't provide any information on what Pietrangelo is dealing with, but the news is concerning.
Pietrangelo is under contract for two more seasons, and although the team could stash him on the long-term injury reserve while he recovers, they feel they are better with him on the ice.
The Golden Knights have been linked to Mitch Marner, a top free agent this offseason and would need to be moving money around to add him to the roster. Reports have stated that the team could move Nicolas Hague and/or Ivan Barbashev to do so, but if Pietrangelo is indeed out for the season, the Golden Knights could have more cap space to freely chase free agents.
It'll be a major blow if Pietrangelo is indeed injured, but the Golden Knights will need to get to work quickly to find a way to keep the roster clicking. Kaedan Korczak has been waiting for an opportunity, and it could be his time to step in and shine.
Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.
Cassidy Has Good Reason To Consider Load Management For Certain Knights In Last Two Games LAS VEGAS -- The Golden Knights are Pacific Division champs, they'll host a Wild Card team starting Easter Sunday and barring a casualty in the first round, will host a second-round series, too. Mets Notes: Francisco Alvarez ‘working hard’ to break out; updates on Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas
Ahead of Saturday night's game in Colorado, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza gave updates on a few players...
What's next for Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas
Manaea came out of his first rehab start on Friday night, "all good," the manager said, adding the left-hander will throw again on Tuesday or Wednesday for the High-A Brooklyn. "See how the next couple of days goes," Mendoza said.
The southpaw had a rough go of it, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits and a hit by pitch in 1.2 innings while throwing 36 pitches (26 strikes).
Montas will make his fourth rehab start on Sunday for Triple-A Syracuse, and the plan is for him to throw 80-85 pitches. While Montas is "getting closer to normal" with the high pitch count, Mendoza said the 32-year-old will likely make another start at Triple-A before he is ready to be activated from the IL.
"After he gets through this one, we'll see where he's at," the manager said. "But I don't think this is gonna be his last one."
Results have not been there for the right-hander, as he has allowed runs in all of his previous outings (the first two coming with Brooklyn). On Tuesday, he surrendered five runs on eight hits (including four home runs) and a walk in 4.0 frames, throwing 61 pitches (43 strikes).
When asked what point he might start to care about the results from these rehab appearances, Mendoza said it is "still early, especially for Manaea."
"With Montas, I'll say we'll see how [Sunday] goes and then we'll start to look more at results and all that," he said. "More about how they are bouncing back. For Sean, after the first one, it's too early for him."
Francisco Alvarez still grinding
The contact has been there for the 23-year-old catcher – a 92.8 mph average exit velocity and a 47 percent hard-hit rate – but the results haven't quite been there – just four extra-base hits and a .301 slugging percentage – through his first 93 at-bats of the season.
"We haven't seen him driving the ball with authority," Mendoza said of Alvarez, who was not in the lineup for Saturday's game. "I feel like he's on and off. There's been some games where I feel like he's put himself in a good position to make swing decisions, and you see the barrel and the bat path coming through the zone. But then there's also been games where he's late.
"We just gotta continue to grind, continue to help him. And hopefully he gets there because he's too good of a player, too good of a hitter. And, obviously, we know the power is there, but we just haven't seen that yet."
About three weeks ago, Mendoza said he was seeing Alvarez get beat on fastballs quite a bit. The skipper indicated he's seen some improvement in that area, but not consistent strides.
"I feel like last week he was making progress," he said. "[Friday] night, he looked like he was late with some of the fastballs. Part of some of the inconsistency that we've seen from him. But he's working hard, that's the one thing with him: He's such a hard worker and he's always looking for ways to get better.... And we gotta get him there."
Alvarez batted .315 with a .534 slugging percentage against 690 fastballs a season ago. After Friday's game, those numbers were down to .264 and .302, which are down 46 points and eight points from three weeks ago. But there have been improvements in his expected numbers, which could indicate some of the work is paying off, even if the results haven't been there just yet. His xBA on fastballs is up to .225 from .213 on May 19 and xSLG is up to .373 from .299.
Alvarez also "made a very significant swing change in the offseason," president of baseball operations David Stearns mentioned in late May, something that could be impacting his production, which was further hampered by a stint on the IL.
In 27 games on the year, Alvarez is batting .237 (the same mark he finished with in 100 games last season) with a .625 OPS (down from .710 a year ago).
Bullpen workload on skipper's mind
Manage the personalities and vibe in the clubhouse, manage the lineup, manage the in-game strategy, and manage the bullpen's usage. Those are the four big areas a big league manager can show they are worth their salt.
"We've been using them pretty hard," Mendoza said when asked about the workload of Ryne Stanek, Huascar Brazobán, and Reed Garrett.
Of course, the hitters could do something to help the relievers out.
"When you look at Reed Garrett, I feel like the past week he's been on and off, on and off. That's not sustainable," he said. "This is something that we gotta be careful here. Same with Stanek, the past week I feel like [he's been used] every other day. I'm not gonna complain, but we're playing so many tight games that every time they're available, we're using them. Same thing with Brazoban.
"That's the balance here that we're gonna have to watch those guys closely."
NHL Trade Rumors: Flyers Could Swoop Back In for Bowen Byram
The Philadelphia Flyers already tried to trade for star Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram once, and the latest NHL trade rumors indicate they'll try once more.
Before they traded Cutter Gauthier to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick, the Flyers, as reported by NHL insider Elliotte Friedman in Jan. 2024, tried to move Gauthier to the Colorado Avalanche for Bowen Byram.
“I think Philly did ask about Bowen Byram, and I just think Colorado wasn’t going there,” Friedman said on the Jan. 12, 2024 episode of the "32 Thoughts" podcast. “I suspect Colorado’s answer was ‘We are not doing this 1-for-1, it’s got to be more than Gauthier for Byram.’”
Fast forward to today, and Byram, 23, is a pending restricted free agent on a Buffalo team with a number of players rumored to be dissatisfied with the team's lack of success and direction, which is no surprise having won a Stanley Cup with Colorado already.
Byram has recently changed agents and purportedly wants more power play time, which he won't get as long as Rasmus Dahlin is on the Sabres. The Flyers, on the other hand, do not have a dedicated power play quarterback for either of the two units that were no better than 30th in each of the last three years.
Friedman has again found a pulse on Byram's latest situation, reporting on his Thursday episode of "32 Thoughts" that Byram's name was a hot one at this week's NHL Scouting Combine, with Sabres GM Kevyn Adams putting in the leg work whilst searching for ways to bolster his languishing roster.
"That's just a hot name. It's just a hot name. Kevyn Adams, he's doing his due diligence there. I think there's a lot of interest, as you would expect," Friedman said of Byram. "We've said it's going to be a hot name this summer. I've just heard there's been a lot of noise around him at the combine."
The Flyers, like the Sabres and Byram, are having a bit of trouble with an RFA defenseman of their own in Cam York, who is one of two Flyers free agents still without a new contract.
Fellow RFAs Noah Cates and Tyson Foerster seemingly put pen to paper on new deals with ease in recent weeks.
If role and playing time is an issue for Byram but not for York, it's reasonable to assume that the Flyers and the Sabres are in positions to help each other out without sacrificing much else at either end.
Revisiting GM Danny Briere's First Flyers Trade, 2 Years LaterPhiladelphia Flyers GM Danny Briere has seen and done it all during his brief time in charge of his former team, and his first piece of business is looking like his best so far.
York, who has established himself as a reliable defensive safety valve at the expense of his own offensive talents, could perform well in a similar role next to either Dahlin or Owen Power.
The Sabres are, additionally, in need of right-shot defensemen, as Dahlin, Power, Mattias Samuelsson, and York or Byram are all left-shots.
Perhaps a reunion with Rasmus Ristolainen, now an established veteran whose game has improved dramatically, would make sense on some level, just not as a direct swap for Byram.
The Flyers have plenty of talented options available on the NHL trade market this year, but what ultimately comes of it is up to them to decide. A Stanley Cup-contending roster won't make itself.
Bulldogs Extend Head Coach Jay McKee
Yesterday, Brantford Bulldogs GM Spencer Hyman, the brother of Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman, announced the extension of Head Coach Jay McKee through the 2027-28 season.
"I'm deeply grateful for the trust and responsibility the Brantford Bulldogs' owners have afforded me," said McKee. "I'm thrilled to continue working alongside such talented players and equally excited for what we'll achieve together with our amazing fans in the city of Brantford."
McKee has led the Bulldogs since being hired by the organization in 2021. That season, he coached the team to the best record in franchise history on the way to winning an OHL championship.
Next season will mark McKee's ninth season coaching in the OHL. Before joining Brantford, he worked as the Head Coach for the Kitchener Rangers between 2016 and 2020.
During his playing days, McKee was a 6-foot-4 defender who played for both the Sudbury Wolves and Niagara Falls Thunder.
Rangers Sign University of Michigan CommitYesterday, the Kitchener Rangers announced the signing of Adam Valentini to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. Valentini played in the USHL last season after being pick in the first round of the 2024 OHL Priority Selection.
The Buffalo Sabres ended up drafting McKee with the 14th-overall pick in the 1995 NHL Draft. He went on to play more than 800 OHL games over the course of 14 seasons.
The Bulldogs find themselves in an interesting situation this offseason. They will more than likely be without Chicago Blackhawks prospect and star forward Nick Lardis, as it seems likely he will join the AHL. They will also be without overage players Thomas Patrick, Ottawa Senators prospect Thomas Hamara and Thomas Budnick, who are ineligible to return.
Last year's team also featured five other 2005-born players besides Lardis. Due to the overage rules in the OHL, they will have to shed at least one of those players, and are more than likely to move two.
19 OHL Players Invited To NHL Scouting CombineThe 2025 NHL Scouting Combine started on Monday. A total of 19 of the OHL's top draft eligible players were invited to the combine ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft.
With that said, they have a very solid core that includes Chicago Blackhawks prospect Marek Vanacker, 2025 NHL Draft eligible forward Jake O'Brien, St. Louis Blues prospect Adam Jiricek, Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Protz and Buffalo Sabres prospect Ryerson Leenders.
There is also room for younger players and depth players to grab a bigger role higher up the lineup based on those players who are leaving.
If the team adds a few more big hitters, they will likely be a top team in the Eastern Conference once again next year.
With McKee at the helm, the Bulldogs have solidified the Head Coaching position for the next three seasons. He bring stability and expertise that will help the Bulldogs continue to compete with the other top teams in the OHL.
"We're thrilled to extend Jay McKee for three more years," said Hyman. "Jay is the best coach in the CHL, and make no mistake, he chose the Bulldogs. Our players, staff and community will be thrilled to know Jay is our Head Coach. We're grateful for his commitment and are excited for what's ahead."
Bowling probably the best over my career’: Aussie quick firms case for WTC final
Australian quick Josh Hazlewood has tried to dismiss any concerns that he will not be ready for the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lords, starting Wednesday.
Mets sign RHP Julian Merryweather to minor league deal
The Mets have signed right-handed pitcher Julian Merryweather to a minor league deal, the club announced on Saturday evening.
Merryweather, 33, spent the past three seasons with the Chicago Cubs organization before he was released on the penultimate day of May.
In 21 games this season, the reliever posted a 5.79 ERA and 1.821 WHIP over 18.2 innings with 15 strikeouts to 11 walks. During an injury-plagued 2024 campaign, he was limited to just 15 innings over 15 outings and posted a 6.60 ERA and 1.800 WHIP.
New York is hoping the MLB veteran of six seasons can regain the form of his first season on the North Side of Chicago when he posted a 3.38 ERA and 1.306 WHIP over 72 innings and 69 games with 98 strikeouts to 36 walks.
A hard-thrower, Merryweather has become a two-pitch reliever relying on his slider and four-seam fastball. The heater's 96 mph average velocity is good for the 80th percentile in the majors this year.
A late bloomer, he got his start in the majors at the age of 28 with the Blue Jays in 2020, and appeared in big league games in Toronto for three seasons. In 152 career games, Merryweather has posted a 4.72 ERA and 1.434 WHIP over 158.1 innings with 127 strikeouts to 56 walks.
Earlier on Saturday, the club announced the acquisition of RHP Justin Garza in a deal with the Giants, sending cash considerations to San Francisco.
Potential First-Round Draft Targets For The Ottawa Senators: Defenceman Blake Fiddler
With the 2025 NHL Draft fast approaching, the Ottawa Senators are preparing to make their selection at 21st overall in the first round, set for June 27 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. As speculation heats up, one name consistently appearing in mock drafts near Ottawa's slot is Blake Fiddler, another big right-shot defenseman from the WHL.
Fiddler checks many of the boxes that Senators general manager Steve Staios and his amateur staff seem to value. Last year, in his first draft as GM, Staios used his top pick on Carter Yakemchuk, a big, right-shot blueliner from the Calgary Hitmen. He followed that up by selecting 6-foot-7 Gabriel Elliason later in the draft, further reinforcing the club's preference for bulking up their size and strength on the blue line.
Fiddler fits that mold all the way.
In a way, as big right-shot WHL defensemen go, Fiddler is Yakemchuk's opposite. While Yakemchuk needs to work on defence and skating, those are Fiddler's calling cards. Even though he had decent stats and got power play time, Fiddler probably needs a little more development on the offensive side, which probably won't be an issue for Yakemchuk.
At 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds, Fiddler has the kind of smooth skating ability you don't often see in a player that big. He played a key role in helping the Edmonton Oil Kings make the playoffs this season, and NHL amateur scouts took notice.
Potential First-Round Draft Targets For The Ottawa Senators: Maybe Another Calgary Hitman? Leading up to the 2025 NHL Draft, we’ll examine some of the young players that the draft experts think might be available to the Ottawa Senators when they step up to the podium to make the evening’s 21st overall selection.
Fiddler posted 10 goals and 23 assists for 33 points in 64 WHL games, which is pretty serviceable for a player with a rep for being more of a shutdown guy. He's not shy about jumping up in the play, gapping up in the neutral zone or pinching in the offensive zone.
He represented Team USA at the U18 World Championship, tallying three points (2G, 1A) in seven games. The event was played in his hometown of Frisco, Texas. Fiddler was the American captain last summer at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
The draft rankings have him very much in play at 21. TSN’s Bob McKenzie (21), along with The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy (21), and Tony Ferrari (20) all have him pegged right around 21st overall, though TSN's Craig Button places him as low as 39th. Some analysts wonder if Fiddler has enough on the offensive side of the puck to merit first round status.
But like the old beer ad used to say: Those who like him, like him a lot.
Fiddler’s defensive reliability, size and physicality could allow him to thrive in a top-four shutdown role at the NHL level, particularly at playoff time when you're asked to contain the likes of Sam Bennett who really, really wants to fall hard on your goaltender. At the moment, Fiddler looks like he has a chance to be a right-shot version of Tyler Kleven.
Bloodlines are another factor that might appeal to Ottawa, although like Sens defenseman Jake Sanderson, his dad was an NHL forward. Fiddler is the son of Vern Fiddler, who played 877 NHL games before retiring in 2017.
Ultimately, if the Senators stick with last year's trend of drafting big, particularly defencemen, Blake Fiddler could be a strong candidate at 21.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News-Ottawa
Banner image credit: Western Hockey League
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Which NHL Teams With New Coaches Will Make The Playoffs In 2025-26?
The Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins filled their coaching vacancies this week, meaning that 31 NHL teams now have their coaching situation settled for next season – the Dallas Stars fired Peter DeBoer on Friday and have yet to replace him.
There are eight coaches in new markets, and we’re going to cover them below and take a stab at predicting which new coaches will guide their teams into a Stanley Cup playoff spot next year.
To do so, we’re going to use a sliding scale from 1-to-4. The scale breaks down as follows:
1 = Next To No Chance Of Making The Playoffs
2 = Outside Chance Of Making The Playoffs
3 = Solid Shot Of Making The Playoffs
4 = Virtual Lock To Make The Playoffs
That’s clear as day, right? With that said, let’s look at the teams below, in alphabetical order:
Anaheim Ducks
New Coach: Joel Quenneville
Rating: 2
Breakdown: Quenneville inherits a Ducks team that finished sixth in the Pacific Division this season. Anaheim is a team slowly on the rise, and this off-season will likely see GM Pat Verbeek make extensive roster changes. But you have to ask yourself – what Pacific playoff team this year is going to fall out of the playoffs and open up a spot for the Ducks? Vegas, Edmonton and Los Angeles are all playoff locks, so Anaheim won’t have it easy getting back into the post-season.
It’s not a confidence-building situation for Anaheim fans, but it is the reality. They just don’t have the experience or depth to make a major jump in the standings. Quenneville’s on-ice reputation is that of a winner, but he probably will have to live without a post-season appearance for his Ducks next year.
Boston Bruins
New Coach: Marco Sturm
Rating: 3
Breakdown: Sturm got the final coaching job opening this week, but he’s going to be under intense pressure to get the Bruins back into the post-season right away. Boston needs to start developing a new generation of long-term Bruins, and Sturm’s task is all about balancing the short-term needs of stars like David Pastrnak and Elias Lindholm with the future of youngsters like Fabian Lysell and Fraser Minten.
Sturm was a capable NHLer in his playing days, but he’s got a different animal to wrestle now that he’s running the Bruins. And while the Atlantic Division will be at least as competitive as it was this year, Boston has enough experienced horses – and a new approach from Sturm – to get at least close to a post-season berth next season.
Chicago Blackhawks
New Coach: Jeff Blashill
Rating: 1
Breakdown: The Blackhawks do have some clear building blocks for the future – most notably, young star forwards Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar, 2024 first-round pick Artyom Levshunov and fellow defenseman Kevin Korchinski. But make no mistake – Chicago has a very long way to go before they’re a playoff team once again.
Not only do the Hawks play in the most competitive division in the league, but their NHL roster is a dog’s breakfast of veterans near the end of their careers (Nick Foligno and T.J. Brodie) and mid-tier veterans who aren’t needle-movers (Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen). As such, the Blackhawks aren’t a serious danger to make the playoffs next year. They need more elite young players and more patience, and Blashill will be charged with taking his lumps and building Chicago’s core into a consistent threat to win. But that threat won’t materialize next season.
New York Rangers
New Coach: Mike Sullivan
Rating: 3
Breakdown: Sullivan brings his championship pedigree to Manhattan, and he’s going to face immediate and prolonged pressure to make Rangers fans forget about their catastrophic play this past season. But even with some presumed alterations to their roster, the Blueshirts have the talent to rebound under Sullivan and once again be a playoff team in the Metropolitan Division.
Sullivan’s biggest challenge will be to revitalize the Rangers’ defense and hope their offensive-minded players will show that last year was an aberration. Some of that falls at the feet of star goalie Igor Shesterkin, but Sullivan has to install greater structure in the Rangers’ own zone to make Shesterkin’s life easier. Two straight seasons with no post-season appearance would be abominable for the Blueshirts, but Sullivan’s know-how and high demands should get the Rangers back where they’ve been accustomed to.
Philadelphia Flyers
New Coach: Rick Tocchet
Rating: 2
Breakdown: Tocchet comes into Philadelphia with the reputation of instilling confidence in his players, but even the best confidence-builder can’t put an NHL-caliber goalie in the Flyers’ net, and netminding probably will still be Philly’s biggest issue for the short term. So we’re envisioning the Flyers being slightly better in 2025-26, but still not close to being a playoff team next year.
Tocchet is going to need to be a teacher with a high panic threshold for his team, but the Flyers are still very much a group in transition from frustrating also-rans to legitimate post-season contenders. Philadelphia has some great youngsters its fans can be excited about – Matvei Michkov and Jamie Drysdale, among others – but it will be difficult indeed for Tocchet to deliver playoff games to the organization next year. You can make progress as a team without making the playoffs, and that’s how we see things shaking out for the Flyers in 2025-26.
Pittsburgh Penguins
New Coach: Dan Muse
Rating: 2
Breakdown: Muse is an unknown quantity for most hockey fans, but Penguins GM Kyle Dubas hired him to make Pittsburgh a much tougher team to play against. The Pens still have the cornerstone components of their glory years, but there’s a clear mandate to start giving opportunities to the next wave of Penguins youngsters. And given that there are no future Sidney Crosbys or Evgeni Malkins in Pittsburgh’s pipeline, the Pens could yet again struggle in the standings.
Muse also needs a lot of help in the goaltending department if the Penguins are to get anywhere close to the playoffs in 2025-26. And we’re envisioning Dubas making further roster changes this summer, so the lineup Muse is looking at now will be far different than the one he begins next season with. The Pens weren’t good enough to be a playoff team this year, and it’s not at all likely that will change anytime soon, regardless of bringing in a new coach.
Seattle Kraken
New Coach: Lane Lambert
Rating: 2
Breakdown: In their infancy as a team, the Kraken tried to emulate the success of the fellow recent expansion team, the Golden Knights, but in recent years, their trajectory has looked more like that of a team still developing its identity. They fired veteran Dan Bylsma and hired Lambert, who worked wonders running the Toronto Maple Leafs’ penalty kill this year. But Seattle’s distinct lack of depth, particularly on defense, is probably going to be the reason they fail to make the playoffs next season.
The Kraken have their starting goalie in Joey Daccord, and they do have some solid building blocks for the long term. But the Pacific won’t be easy to make up ground in, and Lambert has to do his best to be a patient bench boss as his youngsters try to take the next competitive step in their careers. Seattle may not be a lock to miss the playoffs, but they certainly are no shoo-in to end their playoff-less streak at two seasons.
Vancouver Canucks
New Coach: Adam Foote
Rating: 4
Breakdown: Yes, we know the Canucks looked disinterested in doing the hard work to become a playoff team in 2024-25. And yes, we know Vancouver GM Patrik Allvin likely has extensive renovations coming for his lineup this summer. But so long as star goalie Thatcher Demko and superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes are healthy, the Canucks have an excellent chance of getting back into the post-season.
Foote’s familiarity with his roster after serving as Canucks assistant coach is likely to work in his favor. And Vancouver has no interest in tearing things down for a full rebuild, so we anticipate the Canucks will only be adding talent in the off-season. If they can shake off the malaise that hampered them this year and Foote can squeeze more pop out of their offense, the Canucks should almost certainly be a playoff team once again.
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Mets acquire RHP Justin Garza in trade with Giants
The Mets have acquired RHP Justin Garza from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for cash considerations, the team announced Saturday.
Garza, 31, first signed a minor league deal with the Giants organization in March 2024. After pitching to a 3.42 ERA and 1.310 WHIP over 52.2 innings in 37 appearances that year with Triple-A Sacramento, success has been much harder to come by in 19 games at that level this season.
The right-hander carries a 1-2 record (6-for-7 on save attempts) with a 6.11 ERA and 1.47 WHIP, totalling 20 strikeouts over 17.2 innings.
Originally drafted by Cleveland in the 2015 MLB Draft, Garza debuted with them in 2021. He then spent the 2022 season in the minors with Cleveland before a brief stint with the Los Angeles Angels in 2023 and then the Boston Red Sox. He was outrighted and instead elected free agency after the 2023 season.
Graza owns a 2-3 record with a 5.74 ERA in 47 innings over 38 major league games with Cleveland (21 games in 2021) and Boston (17 games in 2023).
Webb joins Bumgarner, Lincecum in elite Giants strikeout club
Webb joins Bumgarner, Lincecum in elite Giants strikeout club originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Another stellar outing from Logan Webb has placed the Giants’ No. 1 starter in elite company with a pair of aces from San Francisco’s past.
Webb stuck out 10 while walking none in the Giants’ 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday at Oracle Park, marking the fifth such time he has recorded at least 10 punchouts without walking a batter in the same outing.
Madison Bumgarner (12) and Tim Lincecum (5) are the only other pitchers in franchise history to accomplish that feat at least five times in a Giants uniform.
Logan Webb now has 5 career outings with 10+ strikeouts and no walks
Only other Giants with 5+ in at least last 125 seasons:
Madison Bumgarner: 12
Tim Lincecum: 5— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) June 7, 2025
After Saturday’s win, Webb revealed his Giants teammates haven’t let his high strikeout numbers this season go unnoticed.
“All the guys joke around with me because I’ve always said I’m not a strikeout guy, but I think this year, just mixing things up and trying to do different things and having a really good game plan has just kind of elevated that,” Webb told reporters. “A lot of games left, I feel like I’m always due for a one-strikeout game or a two-strikeout game, but hopefully I’ll keep that trend up. Makes things a little easier.”
Webb is one of only four pitchers in MLB to eclipse 100 strikeouts during the 2025 season, with his 101 punchouts ranking second in the National League, trailing only Washington Nationals southpaw Mackenzie Gore (108).
While the strikeout statistics certainly standout, Webb is confident he always has had the ability to rack up gaudy punchout numbers.
“I feel like I’ve always been able to strike people out,” Webb said after Saturday’s win. “I look back at some of the years, (2023) I feel like I was close to nine (strikeouts) per nine (innings), (2021) I feel like I struck out more guys. I think there’s a lot of other things that go into it. It’s the scouting part of it, it’s the throwing the right pitches at the right time, setting guys up and as a collection we’ve done a really good job of that … Having [Justin Verlander] and [Robbie Ray] who are both very good strikeout pitchers, having both those guys here has been very helpful for me.
“It’s not necessarily that I’m trying to go out there and strike everybody out, I think It’s just getting to the point where I’m able to maybe set people up better for it and at that point, just try it out, try and get the strikeout.”
Whatever approach Webb is taking this season is being reflected in his numbers, as the seven-year MLB veteran is posting a 2.58 ERA in 87.1 innings pitched this season.
Dodgers' offensive woes continue in walk-off loss to Cardinals
The Dodgers’ offensive woes went from worrisome to a five-alarm emergency Saturday when they lost their second game in less than 24 hours, falling 2-1 to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Nolan Gorman started the winning rally with a ground-rule double in the ninth. He gave way to pinch-runner Jose Barrero, who moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Pedro Pages before scoring on Nolan Arenado’s pinch-hit single off Dodgers reliever Ben Casparius (4-1) to end the game.
The Cardinals appeared to have won the game in the eighth when Alec Burleson hit a one-hop comebacker that ricocheted off Casparius with two out. Casparius chased after the ball and made a hurried throw to first that pulled Freddie Freeman off the bag, allowing Masyn Winn to race home.
Read more:Dodgers place starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin on the injured list
But the Dodgers matched that in the ninth on consecutive one-out singles by Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts. Freeman then struck out swinging, but the ball got away from catcher Pedro Pages, allowing Ohtani to score to tie the game.
The Dodgers left 12 runners on base and were hitless in 12 at-bats with runners in scoring position. They are one for 25 with runners in scoring position in their two games in St. Louis.
The slump couldn’t come at a worst time for the Dodgers, who begin a three-game series Monday in San Diego. The Padres entered Saturday a game back of the Dodgers in the National League West.
The Dodgers wasted a splendid performance from starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who allowed four hits while striking out nine in six scoreless innings, lowing his earned-run average to 2.20.
No Japanese pitcher has ever led an American major league in ERA; the Cubs’ Yu Darvish came closest when his 2.01 mark in the COVID-shortened 2020 season was second-best in the National League. Only two NL pitchers have better marks than Yamamoto this season.
The right-hander won four ERA titles in seven seasons with Orix in the Japanese Pacific League. Only Kazuhisa Inao, who debuted in 1956, won more. Three times Yamamoto had ERAs under 1.69 and his career mark in Japan was 1.72 in 188 starts.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yankees Injury Notes: Anthony Volpe given another day to treat elbow; Luis Gil needs more side sessions
Prior to Saturday's game with the Red Sox, Yankees manager Aaron Boone gave updates on a number of injured players...
Volpe needs another day
Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe left Friday's win over Boston early after being struck on the elbow with a pitch. Although Volpe ran the bases and took the field at the top of the next inning, he was pulled as a precautionary measure.
Volpe isn't in the starting lineup on Saturday and Boone said that he initially had the shortstop in, but once he got to Yankee Stadium and spoke to the training staff, they thought it was best that the third-year player took a day.
"Strength, everything’s good. He's got pretty good-sized swelling in there still," Boone said. "Talking to the trainers, it will do him well to try and get one more day and get some treatment. Hope to be back there tomorrow."
Boone said that Volpe is available if needed, but they will look to get past the Red Sox with Oswald Peraza starting at shortstop.
Jazz gets a planned off day
While Volpe's exclusion from Saturday's lineup isn't surprising, Jazz Chisholm Jr. being left off was.
Boone was asked about Jazz's status, and the longtime Yankees manager said it was just a planned off day for his third baseman.
"Plan from the start when he came back Tuesday," Boone said. "We were going to give him one as he built back up into the off day. And it made sense with the one lefty we're facing to give it today."
Since his return from the IL, Chisholm has been hotter than hot. Across four games, Chisholm is 8-for-16 with two home runs and six RBI. He also has back-to-back three-hit games.
Minor updates on injured players
Boone was then asked about a trio of injured players looking to make their way back onto the team in the coming weeks.
First was Luis Gil, who had a side session recently but will need to go through a handful of them still before he faces live batters. Boone categorized it as "touch-and-feel" right now.
As for Marcus Stroman, he's throwing a side session on Saturday, so they'll see how he comes out of that. And finally, Boone was asked about slugger Giancarlo Stanton.
Boone gave a pseudo update earlier in the week, but gave a more solid plan for Stanton heading into next week.
"He's in Tampa still, I think he's coming back tomorrow or Monday and hopefully starting rehab next week up here," Boone said. "But he's doing well."