WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 20: CJ Abrams #5 and Brady House #12 of the Washington Nationals celebrate after scoring in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park on April 20, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a very complete performance last night, the Nats are back in action tonight. They split the first two games of the series, so the Nats will look to secure at least a split tonight. Grabbing a split against a team the caliber of the Braves would be big for this young group.
As usual, manager Blake Butera made a few alterations to his lineup. Brady House is back at third base, which pushed Jorbit Vivas to second. Jacob Young was moved out of the three hole and is hitting 6th tonight. Keibert Ruiz is back in the lineup after Drew Millas started the first two games of the series. Zack Littell will look to bounce back from a rough outing last time. He will need to keep the ball in the yard.
The Braves are not making a ton of changes tonight. Mike Yastrzemski will be back in left field, but otherwise it is the same group as last night. Jonah Heim will catch again, which pushes Drake Baldwin to DH. The Braves decided to call up 20 year old Didier Fuentes to make this start. Fuentes is one of the youngest players in the league, but his stuff is loud and his control is very good for a 20 year old.
Last night was a great performance, it is all about stacking those types of games. The Braves will be up for the fight, but the Nats have shown they can compete with anyone, except maybe the Dodgers. Follow along down below and let’s go Nats!
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 21: Drake Baldwin #30 of the Atlanta Braves bats during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alyssa Piazza/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Well folks, we’ve got ourselves a series. If the Braves can win tonight, they’ll at least ensure that their streak of not losing series goes on through another midweek and they can go for an impactful series win of a four-game series on the road. If not, then the pressure will be on to salvage a split on Thursday afternoon.
Didier Fuentes has been called up and will be making the start for the Braves. Opposite of him will be Zack Littell, who has gotten off to a rocky start to begin his season for the Nationals. Will Fuentes be able to quiet this Nationals lineup that’s been doing some damage lately? Will the Braves continue to make baseball life miserable for Littell? This likely won’t be a boring one, so let’s see what happens.
Pace bowlers Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger shared five wickets between them as Rajasthan Royals defended a modest total of 159 to beat Lucknow Super Giants by 40 runs in the IPL on Thursday morning AEDT.
Clay Holmes | (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
Mets lineup
Bo Bichette – 3B Juan Soto – DH Luis Robert – CF Francisco Lindor – SS Francisco Alvarez – C Mark Vientos – 1B Marcus Semien – 2B Tommy Pham – LF Tyrone Taylor – RF
Clay Holmes – RHP
Twins lineup
Byron Buxton – CF Trevor Larnach – LF Josh Bell – DH Victor Caratini – C Kody Clemens – 1B Luke Keaschall – 2B Matt Wallner – RF Royce Lewis – 3B Brooks Lee – SS
Connor Prielipp – LHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 7:10 PM EDT TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
The San Jose Barracuda, the American Hockey League affiliate of the San Jose Sharks, start the postseason tonight in Henderson, NV as they face the Henderson Silver Knights. Let’s take a look at some of the most interesting players to watch heading into the playoffs.
Kasper Halttunen
During his time with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, Kasper Halttunen’s offensive production always found a higher gear in the playoffs. Halttunen, the Sharks’ second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, had a respectable rookie season in the AHL, scoring 16 goals and 35 points in 69 games with the Barracuda.
Back in November, Elite Prospects scout David St-Louis wrote, “Kasper Halttunen is taking steps toward becoming more of a complete power forward in the AHL, forechecking with more intensity, using his body, and helping defensively. He’s winning battles and making short passes to the middle.” Although he had a few dry spells throughout the season, his goal scoring was picking up when the regular season came to an end as well, with three goals in his last five games.
Igor Chernyshov
This one seems a bit obvious, but Igor Chernyshov can be a game-changer for the Barracuda in the playoffs. He was playing very well for the Barracuda during his time in the AHL this season, but Chernyshov seemed to really find another level during the last month of the season when he was playing in the NHL.
With the Barracuda, he scored 13 goals and 33 points in 41 games this season. Meanwhile, with the Sharks, he scored nine goals and 19 points in just 28 games. Given his performances to close out the 2025-26 regular season with the Sharks, this will likely be the last time we see Chernyshov in the AHL.
Nolan Allan
During Sharks general manager Mike Grier’s exit interview, one player he mentioned by name when discussing the future of their blue line was Nolan Allan. The 22-year-old defenseman is known for his strong skating ability and defensive play, plus he already has some NHL experience under his belt as well.
As a member of the Chicago Blackhawks organization, Allan played 43 games in the NHL during the 2024-25 season. During that time, he scored a goal and seven assists while being a -13. While he’s not a player that should be expected to contribute a lot of offense at any level, the Sharks need to figure out a way to keep the puck out of their own net, which means Allan could be on the shortlist for an NHL job as soon as next season. He’s not the flashiest player in the world by any means, but he’s a player to keep an eye on this postseason.
Filip Bystedt
The Barracuda’s leading scorer this season, Filip Bystedt, was a player who needed to take a major step forward this season. Entering the 2025-26 season, his production during his limited time in the AHL was a bit disappointing for a prospect of his caliber, but he seems to have adapted to the North American game fairly well at this stage in his career.
The Sharks’ 27th overall pick in 2022, Bystedt finished the regular season with 22 goals and 60 points in 65 games. Despite his strong play this season, he’s a player who still hasn’t gotten a look at the NHL level, but a strong playoff performance could help him out when training camp comes around in the fall. As a 22-year-old, there’s still time for Bystedt to break into the NHL and be an impact player, but it’s starting to reach the point where questions can start to arise in the near future if he doesn’t earn a spot on the Sharks.
Luca Cagnoni
It seems like there’s a high chance that Luca Cagnoni will be on the Sharks’ opening night roster for the 2026-27 season unless Mike Grier makes some major additions to the blue line over the summer. Grier has expressed his desire for a puck-moving defenseman on the Sharks, and internally, Cagnoni would be the option that makes sense to fill that role. He earned a “tryout” with the Sharks, so to speak, at the end of the NHL season, appearing in their final three games of the season.
Despite not recording a point in his three games with the Sharks this season, Cagnoni certainly didn’t look out of place and showed some signs that he’s on the verge of being NHL-ready. Much like Chernyshov, there’s a good chance that this postseason could be the last time we see Cagnoni in the AHL, but it seems like less of a sure thing at this stage.
Honorable Mention: Leo Sahlin Wallenius
Leo Sahlin Wallenius was the Sharks’ most recent addition to the Barracuda, as he was loaned to the AHL on Wednesday afternoon. It’s unknown when he’ll join their lineup, but it’s hard to imagine he’d play in Game 1 against the Silver Knights tonight.
As another puck-moving defenseman, Sahlin Wallenius would be an intriguing player to watch at the AHL level. He’ll be learning to adapt to North American ice on the fly, and his physicality is one of the biggest concerns surrounding his game. As a result, the playoffs will be a difficult place for him to learn the intricacies of North American hockey, but it would certainly be interesting to see how well he can adapt.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 21, 2026: Alejandro Osuna #19 of the Texas Rangers bats during the fourth inning of a spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 21, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford has been placed on the 10 day injured list, the team announced today. To take his place on the active roster, the Rangers have recalled outfielder Alejandro Osuna from AAA Round Rock. In addition, the team announced that pitcher Marc Church, who was designated for assignment last week, has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Round Rock.
Langford left yesterday’s game after two at bats due to soreness in his right forearm. After an MRI today, he has been diagnosed with a grade one flexor strain. Per the beats, Langford was optimistic that he will be able to return after the 10 day minimum.
This is the third year in a row Langford has landed on the injured list early in the season. In 2024, he went on the i.l. in early May due to a hamstring strain, and in 2025, he went on the injured list in early April due to an oblique strain.
Osuna, 23, had 63 games in the majors for the Rangers in 2025, slashing .212/.313/.278. He has gotten off to a slow start at AAA this year, slashing .262/.355/.354 in 17 games. Ezequiel Duran, who has played well of late, would seem likely to get the bulk of the playing time in left field while Langford is sidelined, though the Rangers could opt to sit Josh Smith some and put Duran at second to get Osuna some playing time.
As for Church, his star has fallen significantly since thirteen months ago, when he broke camp with the Rangers. One would think that someone would have put in a claim on him, but apparently not. He will remain in Round Rock for the time being.
Despite icing a roster rich with talent, the Vegas Golden Knights often find themselves in an offensive rut. Their season has been defined by highs and lows, all dictated by game-to-game shooting percentages and a sporadic inability to finish.
Struggling to score isn’t a new issue for the Golden Knights— this has been a problem for a few years now. This struggle is, of course, most evident in the playoffs because of how little time and space they have. Everyone always says that it’s harder to score in the postseason. And for the third year in a row, an inability to solve that particular problem might send the Golden Knights to an early vacation.
The Golden Knights have scored just three goals at 5-on-5 over the first two games of this series against the Utah Mammoth. Two of those three goals came in Game 1, and they both came from the fourth line composed of Cole Smith, Nic Dowd, and Colton Sissons. That’s been their best line at 5-on-5, which simply can’t continue.
In a seven-game series, it’s important not to get too high or too low. It’s not yet time to hit the panic button. But alarms have to be flashing as a familiar demon rears its ugly head once more.
Their saving grace has been their power play, which helped them win Game 1 and kept them in Game 2. But even if the Golden Knights boasted a power play to rival the one that the Edmonton Oilers had in 2023, that’s not a long-term recipe for success.
The Mammoth seemed to break through at 5-on-5 in Game 2, and it’s up to the Golden Knights to respond on Friday.
Utah’s brightest stars are showing up, and the Golden Knights can’t say the same. They also haven’t found an answer for Kailer Yamamoto, Logan Cooley, and Dylan Guenther. In 17:19 TOI, that line outshot their opponents 13-5 and outscored them 2-0. And it’s not a fluke— they’ve generated five high-danger scoring chances while limiting their opponents to one.
And just think: for the next two games, the Mammoth have the last change.
Quite frankly, if the Golden Knights didn’t have such a strong penalty kill, they would likely be on their way to Salt Lake City down 2-0 in the series. Their penalty kill, which was tied for 6th in the league during the regular season, remains one of their greatest strengths. That success when down a man has carried over into the playoffs, and the Mammoth are 0-fer on five power play chances.
But the Mammoth are probably going to score a power play goal eventually. And when that happens, the Golden Knights will need to respond by breaking through at 5-on-5 unless they want to see their season abruptly end.
If anyone thought the rivalry between the Flyers and Penguins had lost its luster, they can think again.
The dislike between these two teams was alive and well Wednesday night as this best-of-seven first-round playoff series shifted to Philadelphia for Game 3.
The Flyers fueled off the intensity of the game and their rabid crowd to notch a 5-2 win over Pittsburgh at Xfinity Mobile Arena, which featured a sea of orange in the stands.
The victory handed Rick Tocchet’s club a commanding 3-0 series lead.
Trevor Zegras, Rasmus Ristolainen and Nick Seeler ripped off three goals in a feisty and decisive second period.
Noah Cates provided crucial insurance with a power play goal in the third period after Pittsburgh cut the Flyers’ deficit to one.
Owen Tippett iced the game with an empty-netter.
The Flyers enjoyed their first home playoff game in exactly eight years (the 2020 postseason was in the bubble). The last time the fan base saw playoff action in Philadelphia was April 22, 2018, when the Flyers lost a first-round Game 6 to the Penguins.
Michal Neuvirth was in net for the Flyers. The team’s defense featured Shayne Gostisbehere, Ivan Provorov, Radko Gudas, Andrew MacDonald, Brandon Manning and Robert Hagg. Porter Martone was just 11 years old.
In this series, the Flyers have outscored Pittsburgh 11-4 through three games. They’re one win away from advancing to the second round.
Flyers’ introduction and starters as playoff hockey returns to Philly for first time since 2018. pic.twitter.com/cpABa7UsMG
• The game went completely upside down just 4:33 minutes into the second period.
Travis Konecny, the Flyers’ emotional leader, was pinned to the ice by Bryan Rust behind the Penguins’ net. Konecny’s helmet was knocked off as Rust gave him some shots.
The Flyers, along with Konecny, became incensed. And the chaos loaded up the penalty boxes.
When the dust finally settled, the Flyers were awarded a power play. The Flyers and Pittsburgh each had five players whistled for roughing, but Rust received four minutes.
The Flyers took advantage of the power play when Zegras tied the game at 1-1 on a slap shot from the circle. At that point, Xfinity Mobile Arena had turned into a madhouse.
The Flyers made it a game-changing second period. They built on the energy as Ristolainen scored his first career playoff goal in his 13th NHL season before Seeler joined the fun with a blast from the blue line.
The three goals came in the span of six minutes. The Flyers went into second intermission with a 3-1 lead and all of the momentum.
Flyers fans went bonkers when the fifth Penguin took his place in the penalty box. pic.twitter.com/deefvWtOdL
The 28-year-old continued to be the Flyers’ all-important piece.
Vladar appeared to survive an injury scare in the third period. He was shaking his right blocker hand after Rust tried to make a play around the crease on a Pittsburgh power play.
After an injury stoppage, Vladar was able to stay in the game. Fans chanted his nickname of “Vladdy.”
The Flyers avoided damange on that Penguins power play. However, Matvei Michkov then committed an ill-timed roughing penalty. Pittsburgh capitalized as Erik Karlsson trimmed the Flyers’ lead to 3-2 a little under midway through the final stanza.
But Cates responded.
Penguins netminder Stuart Skinner stopped 24 of 28 shots.
As the Flyers surged ahead, 2-1, in the span of just 3:48 minutes, fans started to chant Skinner’s last name. Seeler then zipped a long-distance shot past Skinner’s glove to pad the Flyers’ lead and elicit more chants.
• After the Flyers held Sidney Crosby scoreless over the first two games of the series, the three-time Stanley Cup champion picked up an assist just 4:18 minutes into Game 3.
Pittsburgh’s power play struck for the first time in the series after Sean Couturier was whistled for tripping. Evgeni Malkin finished off a tic-tac-toe sequence to give the Penguins a 1-0 edge, their first lead of the series.
Some theatrics ensued late in the first period with Crosby and Garnet Hathaway. The Flyers’ winger clipped Crosby in the face with his stick as Pittsburgh’s center was preparing to take a faceoff.
Hathaway was whistled for high-sticking, but he was also visibly adamant that Crosby took a dive. After consultation, the officials hit Crosby with an embellishment penalty, evening out the infractions.
• The Flyers and Penguins have two days before the series resumes Saturday with Game 4 at Xfinity Mobile Arena (8 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - APRIL 19: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons drives past Desmond Bane #3 of the Orlando Magic in the second half during game one of the first round of the eastern conference playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on April 19, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. 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 Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Of all the superlatives that one can bestow on the Detroit Pistons this season, one of the most significant is the team’s resilience. The 60-win Pistons have experienced multiple-game losing streaks three times this season. When the team dropped four in a row in early March, you would have thought the roof was caving in on their season.
When a bunch of starters were out at the beginning of the season, the team stepped up. Whenever they would lose, they bounced back. When Cade Cunningham went down with a collapsed lung the team banded together. It’s just what these Pistons do. We shouldn’t expect anything different tonight in what is effectively a must-win game against the Orlando Magic.
Detroit is down 0-1 in the best-of-seven series, and doesn’t want to fly to Orlando facing a giant two-game deficit. We know Cade will step up. He tried to will his team to victory in Game 1, scoring 39 points while the rest of the team seemingly short-circuited. We need Jalen Duren to step up, one game after one of his worst showings of the season. We need JB Bickerstaff to step up and find the lineup combinations and matchups that unlock the offense and slow down Orlando, no offensive juggernaut.
The Pistons are looking to break an 11-game losing streak at home, the longest in the NBA. They have spent the entire season brushing aside old, embarrassing records. Tonight shouldn’t be any different. It can’t be.
Game Vitals
When: 7 p.m. ET Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan Watch: ESPN Odds: Pistons -9.5
This announcement was not a surprise, Acuff is expected to be a top-10 pick in this June's draft. In most mock drafts, he is projected as either the No. 5 or No. 6 pick, near the top of a group of point guards expected to be taken between fifth and eighth.
Acuff led the SEC, averaging 23.5 points per game, shooting 44% from 3-point range, while dishing out 6.4 assists per game. He is a high-motor player with a good shot and a high basketball IQ — qualities that will have coaches enamored with him. Acuff has shown he can play on or off the ball, but maybe his greatest asset is his ability to be a great floor general who can also get a team a bucket.
That said, scouts and front offices have some concerns. Acuff is listed at 6'3", but many scouts expect him to measure shorter at the NBA Draft Combine (he measured 6'1" barefoot at the 2023 Nike Elite 100). He also is likely the worst defender to be taken in the lottery in this draft. The recent history in the NBA of smaller guards who don't defend well is not good.
Acuff's dynamic offensive game may cover over those concerns, he's a player with All-Star potential. Which is why he is wisely entering the draft — he's ready, and it's the smart financial move.
The clock is ticking for potential 2026 NBA draft prospects. The early entry deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft is Friday, April 24 and the draft lottery to determine the exact order of picks is less than a month away.
Most of the top players have already made their decisions known, although several have elected to enter college basketball's transfer portal and test the NBA draft waters to keep their options open within the NIL landscape. But artificial intelligence, like the various mock draft experts around the country, can already predict how the first round of this loaded draft class stacks up.
USA TODAY Sports once again queried the Microsoft Copilot chatbot for its version of a 2026 NBA mock draft based on information and analysis currently available on the internet, and it continued to have BYU's AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson of Kansas and Duke's Cameron Boozer as the top-three picks. But the order was slightly different than the most recent USA TODAY Sports NBA mock draft, and selections varied even more further down the draft order.
How the order settles is likely to depend on the pre-draft process if the current variety in mock drafts are to be believed. Here's Microsoft Copilot's latest 2026 NBA mock draft, as curated by USA TODAY Sports:
USA TODAY Sports asked Microsoft Copilot AI to generate a mock draft for the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft featuring only players who could be eligible this year, with an additional prompt to include players that had either already declared for the NBA draft or not announced a return to college.
Microsoft Copilot assigned the draft order based on regular-season NBA records and recent draft lottery tiebreakers, with the worst record getting the No. 1 pick and the best record getting the No. 30 pick. It used current mock drafts from reputable websites, as well as team needs, prospect analysis and potential pick swaps/protections, to determine the first-round selections for each team in this exercise.
AI models still have issues with accuracy as seen in the mock draft below. Of particular note, Microsoft Copilot had several picks inaccurately assigned to teams based on previous trades and pick swaps.
Here's a 2026 NBA first-round mock draft, according to Microsoft Copilot AI, as of April 22.
7. Atlanta Hawks (via New Orleans): Kingston Flemings, Houston
Note: The Hawks receive the better pick between the New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks through a trade during the 2025 NBA draft. The Bucks get the lesser of the two selections.
Apr 22, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Coby Mayo (16) is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a three run home run against the Kansas City Royals during the sixth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Well, the Orioles did what they needed to do and won their series against the worst team in the American League. But it sure as heck wasn’t easy.
The O’s took the rubber game in Kansas City, 8-6, behind a six-run explosion in the top of the sixth, then held on for dear life to fend off the Royals’ late comeback attempt. The offense got contributions from up and down the lineup, including much-maligned underperformers like Colton Cowser (two hits) and Coby Mayo (a massive three-run homer), and Anthony Nunez filled in as closer for the day and notched his first major league save. The victory completes a 3-4 road trip for the Orioles, who bring a 12-13 record into their first off day in two weeks.
The Orioles offense faced a tough assignment in Michael Wacha, the veteran Royals right-hander who entered the game with a microscopic 1.00 ERA in his first four starts. But Wacha was a bit rough out of the gate. After a leadoff strikeout, the next three Orioles hitters — Taylor Ward, Dylan Beavers, and Pete Alonso — each mashed deep fly balls. Ward’s slammed off the wall for a double. Beavers’ was knocked down by the wind and caught on the warning track. But nobody was catching Alonso’s. The Polar Bear lofted a 410-foot, opposite-field blast over the wall in right, giving the Orioles a 2-0 lead. That’s the kind of easy power we’d like to see more of from the Birds’ shiny new slugger.
Despite the early O’s advantage, the vibes quickly turned sour. While Wacha settled into a groove and threw four straight scoreless innings, Orioles starter Chris Bassitt frittered away the lead. Vinnie Pasquantino provided the first Royals run with a solo homer in the first, snapping an 0-for-16 drought and giving the Royals just their second run in the first inning all season. Bassitt got through the second and third unscathed before the Royals flipped the lead in the fourth.
Pasquantino started the rally with a double, and two batters later — just as the MASN announcers were mentioning that the Royals are the worst hitting team in MLB with runners in scoring position — Carter Jensen delivered one such hit, a single up the middle to plate Pasquantino with the tying run. Later in the inning — just as the MASN announcers were mentioning that Lane Thomas was 0-for-8 in his career against Bassitt — the aforementioned Lane Thomas socked an RBI single to give the Royals a 3-2 lead. Just stop mentioning things, MASN announcers! Only silence from now on.
Staring down a deficit in the top of the sixth against a cruising Wacha, things looked bleak for the Orioles. And then: something amazing happened. The O’s scored six runs. Seriously! Not only that, but it was one of the most un-Orioles type of offensive rallies you’ll ever see. They hit the ball to all fields. They shortened their swings with two strikes, putting the ball in play however they could. It was a nearly unrecognizable Orioles attack, and it was delightful.
It all started innocently enough, when Alonso drew a four-pitch walk and Samuel Basallo doinked a changeup into right for a single. That brought up the Orioles’ dynamic duo of Leody Taveras and Jeremiah Jackson — two of the best hitters on the team, as we all predicted in spring training — and both of them delivered again. On a 2-2 curve from Wacha, Taveras flicked the ball into right field, bringing home Alonso to knot the score at three. Basallo aggressively ran to third base on the play, and Taveras alertly advanced to second on the throw to third.
Up next was Jackson, who dunked a single into left-center field, driving in two more runs and putting the Birds back on top, 5-3. There we go! Where would the Orioles be without Jeremiah this season? Not bad for a guy who might not have even made the team if Luis Vázquez weren’t hurt. The Orioles, improbably, had knocked Wacha out of the game. They hung six earned runs on a pitcher who’d allowed only three runs in his first four starts combined. Not too shabby!
But the Orioles had saved the best for last. Against reliever Eli Morgan, Colton Cowser singled on an 0-2 changeup — his second hit of the game — to bring up Coby Mayo. It’s no secret that Coby has struggled mightily this season, but when he’s on, he’s capable of hitting massive, jaw-dropping, moon-shot dingers. Eli Morgan got a first-hand look at that when Mayo jumped on his hanging slider and crushed it OVER THE FOUNTAINS AT KAUFFMAN STADIUM, a prodigious blast measured at 452 feet. Wowza. An Orioles fan in the second deck, who probably never thought in her wildest dreams that she was in home run territory, ended up with the ball. It was the Orioles’ longest home run since July 5 of last year, when Jordan Westburg crushed a 461-foot blast in Atlanta.
The Earl Weaver special gave the Orioles an 8-3 lead, and against a lousy offense like the Royals, you’d think that would be plenty. You’d think. But just as the MASN announcers mentioned how important it was for Bassitt to pitch a shutdown inning, you’ll never guess what happened. He almost immediately gave back a chunk of it. Jensen led off the bottom of the sixth with a homer, followed by a Michael Massey double. Bassitt got just one out in the sixth before Craig Albernaz went to the bullpen.
The good news, I suppose, is that Bassitt’s 5.1-inning performance was his longest of the season. But he still wasn’t good. Against a bad offense, he gave up eight hits and five runs, with his inherited runner scoring on Kyle Isbel’s two-run homer off Yennier Cano. With Cade Povich and Brandon Young pitching well at Triple-A, I’m wondering how long the O’s will persist with Bassitt in the rotation.
The Royals’ sixth-inning rally made it an 8-6 game, and the Orioles squandered numerous opportunities to add insurance runs. Beavers doubled to lead off the seventh but never advanced. In the ninth, Ward was thrown out at the plate on another Beavers double. Eight runs would have to do.
Fortunately, it did. Tyler Wells had his best high-leverage outing of the year, working 1.2 scoreless innings, and Anthony Nunez entered the ninth for his first career save opportunity (closer Ryan Helsley went on the bereavement list earlier in the day). Nunez retired the first two batters before the third baseman Mayo, on what should’ve been the final out, spiked a routine throw to first to bring Bobby Witt Jr. to the plate as the tying run. Oh boy. Here we go.
No worries. Nunez racked up a clutch strikeout of Witt, nailing down the win and earning his first save. Congrats to the rookie, who has been a great addition to the O’s bullpen (again, not bad for a guy who almost didn’t make the Opening Day roster).
That’s an Orioles victory. Who is your Most Birdland Player, Camden Chatters? Coby Mayo for his breathtaking three-run homer? Alonso for his dinger? Taveras or Jackson for their clutch hits? Wells or Nunez for their relief work? There are no wrong answers. Except Chris Bassitt.
STREAKING: The Cubs’ seven-game winning streak is their 107th since 1901 of at least seven games. It is their longest since they won eight in a row July 2-192, 2023. Their last that ended after seven games was Aug. 31-Sept. 6, 2021. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
PITCHING: Cubs pitchers have allowed exactly six hits in each of the last three games. They have allowed no more than six in 11 games this season. The Cubs have won nine of them. Last year, they were 46-13 in such games, a winning percentage of .780. When they gave up seven or more, they were 46-57, .447. The Cubs rank third among all 30 teams in fewest hits per nine innings (7.3), fewest walks per nine (3.0) and fewest hit plus walks per nine (1.146). (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
DANSBY, HEATING UP: Dansby Swanson, last 13 games since April 7: .233/.393/.535 (10-for-43) with a double, four home runs, 10 RBI, 12 walks and 16 runs scored.
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Jason Heyward’s 10th inning walk-off single scored Javier Báez to give the Cubs a 4-3 win over the Mets. It happened five years ago today, Thursday, April 22, 2021.
The Cubs lineup was not available at posting time. Please check BCB social media for the Cubs lineup.
Matthew Boyd returns tonight from an injured list stint for a bicep issue.
His first start this year on Opening Day wasn’t good; his second was excellent, with 10 strikeouts in 5.2 innings. Overall Boyd has 17 strikeouts in 9.1 innings this year (struck out 17 of 37 batters faced). In his rehab start last Thursday for Triple-A Iowa, Boyd struck out six of 16 batters faced.
Boyd made one start vs. the Phillies last year, June 9 in Philadelphia, and the difference in the game was, in part, Boyd’s own throwing error on a pickoff that led to an unearned run. No current Phillie has more than six career AB vs. Boyd.
Kyle Backhus is opening tonight’s game, and likely throws only one or two innings. The most pitches he’s thrown in any game this year is 41, last Wednesday against the Cubs in Philadelphia. Dansby Swanson homered off him. He also threw to five batters in Monday’s game at Wrigley Field.
Taijuan Walker was supposed to get the start tonight, and he’s likely the “bulk guy” in this game.
Walker’s 2026 season has been pretty awful. He’s made four starts, has a 9.16 ERA (yikes!) and has allowed six home runs in just 18.1 innings (double yikes!). He had one decent start (April 11 vs. the D-backs) where he allowed two runs in five innings, the other three were .. yikes.
Perhaps Alex Bregman will break out tonight. He’s 6-for-11 (.545) lifetime vs. Walker.
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The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
Mar 30, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Detroit Tigers second baseman Colt Keith (33) gets ready to hit against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Detroit Tigers infielder Colt Keith is rolling in the early going of the 2026 season, and after two years of incredibly slow starts to seasons, that’s a positive development. On the other hand, Keith’s hot hand early on has led to a lot of frustration in the fanbase with the fact that manager AJ Hinch still chooses to keep him in reserve when an opposing team has a left-handed starter on the mound. Don’t be deceived. There are certainly some positive hints of a breakout for the 24-year-old, but so far this season he’s done nothing new to warrant playing everyday.
As we covered after the first series of the season in San Diego, Keith does show some underlying improvements that point to an impending breakout. He’s swinging the bat faster than ever, and he’s hitting the ball harder. His new upright stance, combined with the breathwork he started this offseason to help his body to stay more relaxed in the batter’s box, certainly have him looking more comfortable and much less tense than in his first two seasons. No one would argue that those aren’t positive developments, but they still have to translate to upgraded production before we can really say that Keith is unlocking a new level in his offensive game.
Really this is all pretty simple in terms of what a real, sustainable breakout from Keith would look like. For all the angst about him being platooned to hit right-handed pitching only, we have to recognize that Colt Keith is still only a modestly above average hitter against right-handed pitching. Until that changes and he becomes a force, he’s not going to get that many chances to hit left-handed pitching as well. That’s not a slight on Keith as much as it is important to get your right-handed hitters into the lineup because they’re generally going to outhit Keith by a significant margin in the proper matchups against lefties.
So, if you’re wondering how Keith is supposed to get better at hitting lefties when he rarely faces them, the answer is that he’ll earn those chances by hitting right-handed pitching better than he has in the early stages of his major league career. He’d also have a lot easier time if he played plus defense somewhere or was a big basestealing threat, something else to augment the bat.
Right now, Keith holds a 112 wRC+ after two previous seasons in which he posted a 95 mark, and then a 109 mark in 2025. If you prefer OPS+ that’s fine, but they’re generally not much different, and those two metrics are the best “one stop shop” to get an idea of a hitter’s overall contribution to run production. They’re reset each year so that 100 represents league average. So far, Colt is 12 percent better at doing the things that produce runs than the average major league hitter. That’s reasonably good, but considering he’s generally protected from tough lefties, it’s not really great in the sense of an everyday, full-time player.
Yes, Keith is hitting .309, but batting average is more of a descriptive statistic than one that tells you anything about how productive a hitter actually is. The simplest way to frame this, is that offense is all about collecting bases. Two singles or two walks equals one double in the simplest calculation. Sure, with runners on base, a single is better than a walk because said runners can often advance two bases, but without runners on base, a walk is better because it costs the opposing more pitches typically, and because walking has more of a psychological effect on a pitcher than giving up a ground ball that happens to get through the infield or a routine liner into the outfield for a single. But again, the goal is to collect bases, and move your teammates ahead of you around said bases, and using wRC+ or OPS+ gives you the best idea how well a hitter is succeeding.
Keith is hitting .309, but his batting average on balls in play is a whopping .396. Keith’s average BABIP mark is .307, meaning that a bit over 30 percent of his balls in play are going for hits. This year so far, he’s close to 40 percent, and that just isn’t sustainable. A higher batting average, without significant improvements in walk rate, strikeout rate, and power production, is the definition of fool’s gold in baseball. Keith is hitting the ball harder, and so a higher BABIP is appropriate, but something closer to a .310-.320 batting average on balls in play is probably the high water mark here and with enough time his numbers are going to settle at or below that level. Only 26 qualified hitters topped that mark in 2025. Riley Greene’s .323 mark made him the only Tiger to do it.
Incidentally, Kevin McGonigle will be one of those elite guys who consistently runs a high BABIP too. No worries there, although like Keith, it’s just about impossible to be a top shelf hitter without plenty of home runs and extra base hits.
At the moment, Keith has zero home runs. His strikeout rate is at 21.1 percent, which is essentially his career average. After posting a 10.3 percent walk rate last year, this season he’s at 4.2 percent. No doubt the walks will show up. Keith has swung a little more aggressively early on this year, and it’s largely paid off, but he’s always been a pretty disciplined hitter, and the walks will show up as the season progresses. He’s actually chasing pitches out of the zone 5.4 percent less than last year, showing increasing strike zone judgement that could be sustainable. I’m not concerned at all about the low walk rate. Keith is getting pitches to hit and he’s successfully taking his hacks. Until he starts doing damage, pitchers are going to continue pitching him aggressively.
The positive signs of a breakout developing are still in place. Keith is swinging the bat faster, and he’s hitting the ball hard more often. Per Statcast, his hard hit rate is 58.5 percent. Last year it was 43.7 percent. His current mark is 11th best among all qualified hitters so far, and this is the really positive development that has many of us expecting the awaited Keith breakout.
The issue? So he’s actually hit nine percent more ground balls than he did last year, and most of that eight percent comes from his fly ball rate dropping from 38.6 percent last year, which still isn’t that great, to 30.2 percent so far this season. That is not the direction we want to see his batted ball profile move. Yes, hitting the ball harder overall is good, and may be sustainable. That will keep his batting average a little higher potentially, but that’s not really going to make him a much more productive hitter. What needs to happen is for Keith to start collecting a lot more total bases, and the only way those are going to compound is two and four at a time.
Colt Keith has hit 13 home runs in each of his first two big league seasons, while getting roughly 4/5ths of a full season of plate appearances compared to a full-time MLB regular. This is the same guy who hit 27 total home runs in just 577 plate appearances split between the Double and Triple-A levels in 2023. The raw power isn’t in question. We’ve seen him destroy the upper levels of the minor leagues and hit many epic tape measure shots. Keith is 6’2” and probably 220 pounds, built like an undersized linebacker in incredible shape. He’s hitting the heck out of the baseball this season. And he has zero home runs.
This is where the breakout has to show up if it’s coming. It’s great to hit the ball really hard, but it doesn’t really convert to much more run production unless you’re pumping line drives to the wall and tons of fly balls over the wall. A 110 mph ground ball is a single unless it’s right down the lines. A 100 mph fly ball to the pull field is generally a home run is hit between 25-35 degrees of launch angle.
So, we have positive signs from Keith but no actual results. He’s a productive, above average hitter who has some of the underlying metrics of a young player about to break out. But he has to actually break out before any of this really matters much. Before people get to fretting over his ability to hit left-handed pitching, he’s got to become more of a force against right-handed pitching. Start there.
Keith is a talented, still young hitter who runs the bases well, has some speed, and is a useful but still somewhat below average infielder. That basically adds up to an average major leaguer. The ticket to an upgraded profile is still tied up in the need for more fly balls to the pull field. When we see him catching more balls out front and doing big time damage, then his role can expand. I’ve been a big Colt believer since he was in A-ball, and have confidence he’s going to figure that last part out, but until he does his role is going to remain the same. Hopefully the Tigers can get him more starts at first base to develop his defensive profile and give them more options beyond Spencer Torkelson, but the ticket to more playing time is still more power.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 21: Ezequiel Duran #20 of the Texas Rangers hits an RBI double in the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Globe Life Field on April 21, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for April 22, 2026 against the Pittsburgh Pirates: starting pitchers are Jack Leiter for the Rangers and Braxton Ashcraft for the Pirates.
The Rangers play game two of their series against the Pirates this evening. Wyatt Langford is out of the lineup, and per the beats, he’s apparently going on the i.l. with a flexor strain.
The lineup:
Nimmo — RF
Seager — SS
Burger — 1B
Pederson — DH
Jung — 3B
Carter — CF
Higashioka — C
Smith — 2B
Duran — LF
7:05 p.m. Central start time. The game is a pick ‘em.
