It took Joey Cora 886 at-bats, but he finally hit his first career home run on this day, 33 years ago today. | (OTTO GREULE/ALLSPORT)
1925 The White Sox scored 15 runs vs. Detroit — and lost.
Ty Cobb was a villain, lining a one-out, full-count pitch from Ted Blankenship out of Tiger Stadium in the bottom of the ninth for the walk-off win. It was the second straight walk-off win for the Tigers over the White Sox, losing on a one-out homer in the bottom of the ninth the previous day as well.
Bibb Falk and Willie Kamm both lined four hits in the game for the White Sox, who tallied 21 in the game. Kamm drove in five runs as well.
Chicago trailed 7-1 and 15-5 in the game before rallying to tie the game at 15 in the top of the ninth on a two-run Kamm double.
The game tied the franchise record for most runs in a loss, along with identical scores in 1911 and 1934.
1958 In a 3-0 win over the White Sox, Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford tied an AL record by punching out six in a row, including striking out the side in the fourth inning. Jim Wilson held New York to six hits in a shutout loss that saw the White Sox tally seven hits.
In the third inning, Luis Aparicio was gunned down at second base by Yogi Berra on a botched hit-and-run with Nellie Fox, ending Luis’ streak of 26 consecutive thefts.
1959 Down through the seasons, when the White Sox played the Orioles strange and bizarre things seemed to take place. For the most part those instances took place in Baltimore, but on this night Comiskey Park played host to one that fans attending never forgot.
Future Sox pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm was on the mound for the O’s in the first inning when a swarm of gnats descended on the pitching mound area. It was so bad he couldn’t see the plate, and the game was halted as trainers, the grounds crew, even umpires tried to get rid of the bugs.
After a 16-minute delay, Sox owner Bill Veeck ordered the fireworks crew in from the center field bullpen to set up a launch site. One explosion later, the gnats were gone and the game resumed.
Wilhelm and Baltimore won, 3-2.
1967 The White Sox traded infielder Jerry Adair to Boston for two players, one of whom was pitcher Don McMahon. McMahon would pitch spectacularly out of the bullpen for the 1967 White Sox, going 5-0, grabbing three saves and having an ERA of 1.67 in 51 games in a little more than 91 innings for the “near-miss” White Sox.
1993 It took 886 at-bats, but Joey Cora slugged his first career homer in a 10-1 rout at Detroit. After Tim Raines walked to open the game, Cora crushed a 1-0 pitch from Mike Moore deep to right field in the first inning, putting the White Sox up, 2-0.
The White Sox would hit four homers in the game, including two by Ron Karkovice.
1995 With the White Sox having blown four straight games to Cleveland and off to an 11-20 start, manager Gene Lamont was fired and replaced by abrasive, taciturn third-base coach Terry Bevington. Bevington would turn out to be a disaster on the field and in the clubhouse, and the long-term effects of the way Lamont was dismissed would cause his mentor and former Sox coach Jim Leyland to turn down overtures by owner Jerry Reinsdorf to take over after Bevingtonwas removed before the start of the 1998 season and replaced by first-time manager Jerry Manuel.
2024 A 6-3 loss at Milwaukee finished off a sweep, and marked a 11th straight loss and 15th in 16 games for the White Sox. But more than that, it dropped the club to 15-45, 30 games worse than .500, at the earliest date in franchise history. That record was tied for the seventh-worst start to a season in baseball history.
Brackett previously spent six years with the Minnesota Wild as their director of amateur scouting and has run the last five drafts for that organization. Before his time with the Wild, he was with the Vancouver Canucks for 12 years, with his final five years there as the director of amateur scouting.
Brackett's new role with the Maple Leafs is to oversee player evaluation across amateur and professional scouting. So while he's not the director of amateur scouting for Toronto - that's Mark Leach's role - he'll likely have a strong say in the upcoming draft.
With that in mind, here is a look at Brackett's drafting history when he was the director of amateur scouting with the Wild and Canucks over the last 11 years.
Brackett helped decide on six first-round picks in his last five drafts for Minnesota. There are a few notable names that come up, but no one that jumps out as a clever pick late in the draft.
Zeev Buium, Charlie Stramel, Liam Ohgren, Danila Yurov, Jesper Wallstedt and Carson Lambos are the five first-rounders. Of the batch, Ohgren has the most NHL games under his belt with 97 appearances.
None of these picks has set the league alight, but Buium and Wallstedt could be on a path to becoming stars in this league. And even though Buium and Ohgren are no longer on the Wild, they were assets that helped acquire defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Canucks.
Some other notable prospects that have come outside the first round include second-rounders Hunter Haight in 2022, who is an AHL regular at 22 years old and Riley Heidt in 2023, who has recorded three 90-plus-point seasons in the WHL.
Another notable selection is fourth-round pick Adam Benak, who scored 77 points in the OHL this past year and had a big showing for Czechia at the 2026 World Junior Championship.
In five drafts as the director of amateur scouting for the Canucks, Brackett had four first-rounders to work with, two of which were top-five picks.
The biggest name Vancouver selected with Brackett at the wheel was Elias Pettersson at fifth overall in 2017 and Hughes at seventh overall in 2018.
One not-so-great pick was Olli Juolevi, who was selected fifth overall in 2016. The next two players on the draft board were Olympic gold medallists Matthew Tkachuk and Clayton Keller. Juolevi only appeared in 41 NHL games, and currently plays for Tappara in Finland's Liiga.
There are a few players that the Canucks selected deep in the draft under Brackett's leadership.
In 2019, Vancouver picked Nils Hoglander in the second round, and he has played 331 games in the NHL. In that same draft, they selected goaltender Arturs Silovs in the sixth round. Silovs has had some big moments in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the Canucks and with his current team, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Another notable player is Jonah Gadjovich, selected in the second round of the 2017 draft. He's not a game-breaker, but he does have two Stanley Cups to his name with the Florida Panthers, and thrives in the role of a pesky fourth-liner. The 27-year-old has featured in 130 NHL regular-season games and 16 playoff contests.
Outside of leading clubs at the draft table, Brackett has also served as a scout for Team USA in the last three World Junior Championships. The Americans have won two of those three competitions.
See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Vancouver Canucks could be adding some size to their lineup for next season. According to a report by Daria Tuboltseva of RG Media, Russian forward Ilya Safonov could be making the move to the NHL next season. The 25-year-old center is listed at 6'4", 205 lbs and played last year in the KHL with Ak Bars Kazan.
As reported by Tuboltseva. "Safonov initially had an agreement with Vancouver’s previous management group. After the changes, his move became uncertain. However, according to the latest information, the player and the club have now reached an agreement on a contract. Safonov is expected to sign a one-year entry-level contract."
Vancouver acquired Safonov from the Chicago Blackhawks just after the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The trade was for future considerations. Chicago initially drafted Safonov in the sixth round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
Over his KHL career, Safonov has played 331 regular-season games and recorded 128 points. This year, he finished with 16 goals and 33 points in 68 games. Safonov and Ak Bars Kazan made it to the KHL Final this year, but fell in six games to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.
Ilya Safonov at Vancouver Canucks Development Camp (Photo Credit: Kaja Antic/The Hockey News)
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Stanley Cup Final is set. The Western Conference Champion Vegas Golden Knights are going to take on the Eastern Conference Champion Carolina Hurricanes.
This has the makings of an incredibly entertaining hockey series between two teams that have tremendous skill while also being great at shutting down their opponents.
It has been a while since the Chicago Blackhawks have made it to the playoffs, let alone sniff the Stanley Cup Final. When the Blackhawks faced these two teams in the regular season, however, they held their own most of the time.
Vs Vegas
The Chicago Blackhawks, as fellow members of the Western Conference, played against the Vegas Golden Knights three times. In those games, they went a modest 1-1-1. Taking three points out of six is not bad, but all three games came before the Knights started to look like the team they are now.
On December 2nd, the Golden Knights won 4-3 via the shootout in Las Vegas. Connor Bedard was still on his early-season heater, and his 17th of the season gave them a lead before Braeden Bowman eventually tied it late. Shea Theodore earned the shootout winner to send the home fans away with a smile.
On January 4th, Vegas' only trip to Chicago, the Blackhawks got the best of them 3-2 in overtime. It was Tyler Bertuzzi who scored his 22nd goal of the season in the extra frame to secure the win. This was his third goal of the game to complete a hat trick. Bertuzzi reached the 30-goal plateau in 2025-26, and this game was huge in that quest.
It wasn't until March 14th back in Las Vegas that either team earned a decisive victory, as the Golden Knights won 4-0. At that point, Vegas hadn't made the coaching change yet or started to look like the machine that made their way to the final, but there were signs.
Vs Carolina
Both of Chicago's matchups with the Carolina Hurricanes came in the second half of the season. Chicago went 1-1-0 against the eventual winners of the East.
The first game was a victory for the Blackhawks in Raleigh on January 22nd. Despite being outshot, the Blackhawks found a way to hang in there. Frank Nazar and Connor Bedard were back from their mid-season injuries, but it was Nick Lardis and Oliver Moore who stole the show.
Tied up at three, this match needed a shootout. Eventually, Moore secured the win for Chicago. Little did they know at the time that they had just beaten the eventual Eastern Conference Champions. The shootout goal doesn't count as a real goal, but he did have an assist and a fight to go with the shootout winner, so it was a lite version of a Gordie Howe Hat Trick.
The second game was a tough look for the Blackhawks on home ice. On April 9th, with just four remaining in the season, it was one of their more lopsided losses of the season. Anton Frondell scored twice, but those were the only two goals for the Hawks in a 7-2 rout that favored the Hurricanes.
With a large portion of their core sitting out to rest up for the playoffs after already clinching the division, they still found a way to take care of their business against the Hawks in a big way.
Conclusion
Spencer Knight started four out of the five games against these two teams. Arvid Soderblom started the fifth one, which was the home-ice win over the Golden Knights on January 4th.
It wasn't the best set of games for Knight, who had a tremendous breakout year as the number one starter, but it was clear that these two good teams were a lot for Chicago's defense to handle in front of their star goalie.
The Blackhawks went 2-2-1 against the two teams competing for the Stanley Cup this week. To go NHL .500 against teams like that is impressive, but there is important context.
All but one of these games took place before things really fell apart for Chicago in the final month of the season.
The Blackhawks overachieved at times this year, and that included playing up to their competition. That certainly didn't help them avoid coming in 31st place.
A lot of improvement to their roster and player development is needed before they are truly competing with these types of teams in playoff-like atmospheres.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
Happy, one of the five Humboldt penguin chicks born during hatching season at Blair Drummond Safari Park, near Stirling, which has recorded it's highest ever number of Humboldt births. The fluffy newcomers hatched after an incubation period of around 40 days, and are currently being kept safe in their nest boxes, cared for by their parents and closely monitored by the park's experienced keeper team. Picture date: Thursday May 21, 2026. (Photo by Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images) | PA Images via Getty Images
It’s a new month, and June is a big one on the hockey calendar. The Stanley Cup gets awarded, teams gear up for the draft, some trades and player movement happens as the league looks toward the big day on free agency on July 1st.
Checking back in with last month’s list got a few items off the list:
Step 1: The Wilkes-Barre playoff run
Still ongoing, WBS had Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals last night.
Step 2: Find out draft position
The Penguins stick with 22nd overall, getting no help from other teams to move up a spot or two. Bummer, but so it goes, at least now they know.
Step 3: Sort out Evgeni Malkin
Resolution on this was reached by signing Malkin to a one-year extension.
Step 4: Ownership transition
Status quo holds for awaiting the official finalization league. Word is that could be this month, including more involvement out of Mario Lemieux. That would be a nice opening impression for a new ownership group.
Step 5: Other free agents
The unrestricted free agents on the NHL roster, along with Malkin, are Kevin Hayes, Anthony Mantha, Noel Acciari, Connor Dewar, Connor Clifton, Ryan Shea, Ilya Solovyov and Stuart Skinner.
Malkin, Dewar and Solovyov were re-signed in May. There’s still a month before free agency but if there was a 0.5 over/under for another signing out of this group to come back, you might be fine in taking the under. Contract/market forces make it reasonable for Mantha and Shea to see what the free agency will bring, it doesn’t look like there’s interest from the team on anyone else still out there.
—
Now, as we ease into June here’s the current checklist of what to watch for.
Step 5b: More about free agents
On a related note to Step 5 above, there’s restricted free agency ahead for Arturs Silovs, Egor Chinakhov, Joel Blomqvist, Ville Koivunen and Alex Alexeyev. Aside from what the decision is about Alexeyev, either new contract agreements or at least qualifying offers will be sent to the rest of that group by the deadline later this month for progress in that area in the near future.
Down a notch further, several key AHL players are headed into unrestricted free agency. It was already announced in March that Joona Koppanen agreed to a 2026-27 contract to play in Sweden. Boko Imama, Rafael Harvey-Pinard and defenseman Sebastian Aho are free agents on a level of player that tend to bounce around at this stage of their careers (though the well-regarded Imama is a solid candidate that the Pens may keep for a third season in the organization). Taylor Gauthier is on that path too as a free agent, though the Pens have expressed public interest in returning.
Step 6: June 1 free agents
This year there wasn’t much drama for the Penguins on drafted players whose rights expired yesterday. Zam Plante and Luke Devlin don’t apply since they are still enrolled in college that means Pittsburgh retains their rights a while longer. Max Graham was on an AHL contract last year and played more in the ECHL without looking like much of an NHL prospect.
Next year’s June 1 could have been bigger since 2025 CHL prospects who don’t have college commitments will be on the clock to sign by 6/1/27 or re-enter the draft. But many, including Quinn Beauchesne who opted to commit to Boston College for next season, have helped push back that quick clock, Ryan Miller, Kale Dach and Carter Sanderson are on the CHL to NCAA path as well. Travis Hayes, who was in Wilkes as an ATO this spring, still is in-line to be a June 1, 2027 sign-by date and see his pro career start in 2027-28.
(For further detail, there’s also an August 15th sign by date for NCAA players who have graduated, which is when Cruz Lucius is expected to opt for free agency after turning down an offer for Pittsburgh).
Step 7: Front office silly season
Todd Nelson’s name is starting to get floated around as a potential head coaching candidate. There are three openings currently (Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver) and more situations that could up in the air (LA has an interim coach, Vegas doesn’t have a coach for next season as of yet). Nelson is an veteran coach with three AHL championships and plenty of NHL experience, it wouldn’t be a shock if he’s offered a chance somewhere given the strong season the Penguins had and Nelson’s role with the power play and player development.
Three general manager jobs have recently been filled (Toronto, New Jersey, Vancouver), Nashville remains looking for a new GM. Jason Spezza’s name has been out there as a rising star, it may or may not be this cycle but it does look like eventually he will be getting a GM job somewhere in the future.
On the surface, Pittsburgh is set with all key members in the front office under contract for next season. Whether anyone decides to leave and responding to vacancies after waiting and seeing if they develop will be the name of the game.
Step 8: Draft prep
The bulk of the month will likely be spent finalizing a plan for the NHL draft, to be held June 26-27 in Buffalo.
The Penguins currently have seven picks, including three in the top 54 selections of the draft. Pittsburgh only has one pick over Rounds 4-7 (Nashville’s sixth rounder). The word ‘currently’ looms large. The Pens made four trades at the 2025 NHL draft – twice they traded down, once they traded up and they made another deal to send out an NHL player for a second round pick. They’re often very active to shuffle around on draft day and that could again be the case this season to attempt to extract as much value as possible for the future, depending on how the situation plays out in real time.
Step 9: Pro Scouting
Another behind the scenes action point, the Penguins will definitely be trying to find the next versions of Parker Wotherspoon, Anthony Mantha, Arturs Silovs and Justin Brazeau, if they can. All of those players contributed mightily to team success in 2025-26 and any NHL team can always strive for improvement around the margins if they find the right fits available. The results of this work won’t be seen until July but the time now for preparation is at hand to scour which players may be available as free agents and how they might fit with the organization.
TOPSHOT - A fan wears a likeness of Victor Wembanyama spray painted on their hair as they cheer awaiting the selection during an NBA Draft Watch Party at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas on June 22, 2023. The San Antonio Spurs in Thursday's NBA Draft in New York, are expected to choose French player Victor Wembanyama, widely viewed as a once-in-a-generation talent capable of transforming a franchise, as the No. 1 pick. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
The Spurs are returning to the NBA Finals. For most, getting a ticket is nearly impossible. In San Antonio, the Spurs are monitoring ticket sales and reaching out to season ticket holders involved with reselling tickets through unapproved sites.
According to TickPick, the current price for Game 3 in NYC is now $4,115 – 336% more expensive than the current price of $944 for Game 1 in San Antonio. For those who can’t afford the “get in” price of the NBA Finals, the Spurs Organization is continuing to create opportunities for fans to gather communally as the Race for Seis continues.
Per a Spurs press release:
The San Antonio Spurs announced fan activations that will continue across the city as the team advances to the NBA Finals, taking on the New York Knicks. The organization will continue fostering fan engagement and team spirit with free, public activations such as watch parties, giveaways and more. All the latest Playoff information can be found at Spurs.com/Playoffs.
Official Watch Parties The Rock at La Cantera, 1 Spurs Way Official watch parties, presented by Michelob ULTRA, will continue at The Rock at La Cantera for all Finals games. Attendance is limited and will be granted on a first come, first served basis. RSVP at Spurs.com/Playoffs is encouraged but does not guarantee entry. Frost Bank Center, 1 Frost Bank Center Drive Frost Bank Center will continue to host free watch parties for all away games, presented by USAA. Tickets are required but do not guarantee entry. Join the Spurs Fan Club to be notified when tickets are available to claim at Spurs.com/FanClub. Attendance will be limited and will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis with required ticket. Participating Pluckers Wing Bar Locations Participating Pluckers Wing Bar locations in San Antonio and Austin will stream all Spurs Finals games, and customers who wear Spurs gear to these viewings can receive five free wings with the purchase of an adult entrée. Offer available while supplies last and subject to Pluckers’ offer terms.
As you can see, there are many ways to watch and to share in the experience with your fellow Pounders.
Be safe and Go Spurs Go!
Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.
Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.
The Dallas Mavericks have not seen much of Dereck Lively throughout his nascent career. In fact, the promising young center has played in only 98 of 240 (41%) possible regular season games since being selected with the number 10 pick in 2023. The bulk of his missed games stacked up this past season, when he only logged time in seven contests before undergoing season-ending foot surgery.
Lost in the mix of the NBA Draft Lottery, the hiring of Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz and the firing of now-former head coach Jason Kidd, was an update provided by Lively himself. Lively joined Myles Turner and Breanna Stewart on the Game Recognize Game podcast to discuss a range of topics, beginning with his recovery process.
Seen throughout the season with some combination of walking boot and scooter, and even sporting a cane for a while, Lively offers the good news of having jettisoned all of that. “No boots, no crutches, just normal walking shoes,” he said when asked about his current status, following that up with “it’s solely just getting back to building my lower leg strength.”
That last part sounds concerning, but underscores what Lively has been through in a long recovery process. He has not seen game action since December, so a measured process to his return is to be expected. Fortunately, he has over four months before next season tips off and it sounds as though he is well on his way to putting all of this behind him.
Lively is certainly on the Cooper Flagg timeline, but whether or not he is part of Ujiri’s long-term vision is yet to be determined. Lively is up for a contract extension prior to next season, so it will be interesting to see what happens. Does Dallas package him up as part of a rebuild, or do they have confidence in a return to form and attempt to lock down his services on a favorable deal as he comes off a lengthy injury hiatus?
When healthy, he is an exciting, dynamic player that can bring a defensive presence and offensive lob threat (with a burgeoning three-point shot?) that can help the Mavs. Hopefully he will find a more permanent return to action right here with the Mavericks.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks
The Post’s hockey experts make their selections for the Stanley Cup Final:
Mollie Walker
Rangers beat writer
Pick: Hurricanes in 7
Conn Smythe: Frederik Andersen
The Golden Knights will be the toughest opponent Carolina has faced in these playoffs, especially if Mitch Marner continues at this rate. But the Canes have looked unstoppable and will be galvanized by this long-awaited opportunity.
Goaltender Frederik Andersen #31 of the Carolina Hurricanes tends the net during practice on Media Day ahead of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center on June 01, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. NHLI via Getty Images
Ethan Sears
Islanders beat writer
Pick: Hurricanes in 6
Conn Smythe: Frederik Andersen
Carolina will get a bigger challenge than any Eastern team could offer, but Rod Brind’Amour’s club is deeper, faster and finally seems to have the goaltending to match. The Candy Canes lift Lord Stanley’s Cup.
Michael Leboff
Sports betting writer
Pick: Golden Knights in 6
Conn Smythe: Mitch Marner
Styles make fights, and for the first time in this postseason, the Hurricanes will run into an opponent that can counterpunch against their relentless pressure. John Tortorella’s springtime master class ends in a Cup.
May 31, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Rico Garcia (50) hugs Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (29) after a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Eleven days ago in this space, I wrote that the Orioles were beginning a season-defining homestand that, if it went well, would help them build some momentum and start to salvage their season — or, if it went poorly, could spell “stick a fork in ’em” time for the 2026 team. Truthfully, I was fully expecting the latter to happen, and that I’d be coming back in 11 days to write about which players the O’s should start putting on the trade market for the inevitable selloff.
Happily, the Orioles had other plans. They rattled off an excellent 7-3 homestand, with two series wins and a split, and they do indeed appear to have some momentum on their side for once. They’re not out of the woods yet, of course; the O’s are still four games under .500, so let’s hold off on printing the playoff tickets. But, as our Tyler Young pointed out, there was a lot to like about the Orioles’ performance of the last week and a half. The starting pitching has improved, their offense started scoring runs more consistently, and the O’s showed a lot of heart with some thrilling late-inning comebacks.
Now comes the tricky part: can the O’s bring their winning ways with them on the road? So far this year, the team has been utterly hopeless away from Camden Yards. The Orioles’ road record is just 9-17, and only one team in baseball (the Royals) has fewer road wins than the Birds. The majority of that damage happened in May, when the Orioles went a dreadful 3-10 on their two road trips, which included being swept by two AL East opponents, the Yankees and Rays.
This next road trip, too, will pit the Orioles against divisional foes, albeit two — the Red Sox and Blue Jays — who are having much worse seasons than New York and Tampa Bay. The Red Sox in particular have been awful at home, carrying a 9-19 record at Fenway Park, so theoretically these next three games should be ripe for the Orioles to take. That doesn’t mean they will. The Birds are going to need to continue the recent solid work from their starting staff and the improved plate approach from their hitters, and they’ll need to do it in hostile territory.
I’ll hold off on declaring this as a season-defining road trip, although obviously the worst-case scenario of six straight losses would leave the Orioles hopelessly buried in the standings. If the O’s can keep their wits about them and at least split the six games against two teams that they should be able to beat, then they’ll still be in position to gain some ground when they return to the friendly confines of Oriole Park next Monday.
If you’d told me before the season that the Orioles would lose Zach Eflin for the season, Dean Kremer for who knows how long, and have Trevor Rogers post a 6.84 ERA, I’d have expected their rotation to be even more in shambles than last year. The fact that they’re holding their own — and even thriving of late — is kind of remarkable.
Some of these guys are before my time, but Nick Markakis is the name that jumped immediately to my mind, as it did Rich Dubroff’s. Any other suggestions, Camden Chatters?
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Three former Orioles were born on this day: left-hander Jack O’Connor (68), infielder Bob Saverine (85), and the late outfielder Roger Freed (b. 1946, d. 1996).
On this date in 1958, Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson, then in his first full MLB season, grounded into a triple play against the Senators. It was the first of four triple plays he grounded into during his 23 seasons, setting a dubious major league record. His career turned out pretty okay anyway.
And in 2016, the O’s mashed seven home runs in one game, second most in team history, to defeat the Red Sox at Camden Yards, 12-7. The Orioles homered in every inning from the fourth through the eighth, with Mark Trumbo and Adam Jones each hitting two, while Manny Machado, Pedro Álvarez, and catcher Francisco Peña (in his O’s debut) bashed one apiece.
Random Orioles game of the day
On June 2, 2010, the Orioles suffered their seventh straight loss of what eventually became a 10-game skid, dropping a 9-1 blowout at Yankee Stadium. The O’s were out of the game almost immediately as starter Brad Bergesen coughed up six runs in just 2.1 innings, while the Yankees’ Phil Hughes dominated the Birds’ lineup for seven strong innings. The embarrassing contest featured Miguel Tejada getting thrown out trying to score on a double in the eighth when the Orioles were losing by seven runs. The loss dropped the Orioles to 15-38, by far the worst record in baseball, and they fired manager Dave Trembley two days later.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 25: Brandon Marsh #16 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the San Diego Padres during the seventh inning at Petco Park on May 25, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Detroit Tigers opened up June with a white-knuckle 10-9 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, as one of the worst teams in the majors took down the top squad in the American League. AJ Hinch’s squad went wire-to-wire in the victory, but the team nearly collapsed in characteristic fashion in the final innings.
The Tigers can string together two straight victories for the first time since the opening days of May on Tuesday, but they will have to do it with right-hander Jack Flaherty on the mound. To his credit, the 30-year-old has done an admirable job over the past starts, limiting his free passes to just one while keeping up his strikeout totals with 20 over the last 15 innings of work.
Still, Detroit is just 2-10 this season with Flaherty on the mound. The last time the Tigers won with him starting was back on April 15 against the Kansas City Royals in what was easily his best outing of the 2026 campaign — a six-inning effort that saw him cough up a run on two hits and three walks while striking out seven.
Up against him is left-hander Steven Matz, who had a string of three straight solid starts — two of them of the quality variety — snapped last time out against the Baltimore Orioles, who shelled him for six runs on seven hits (one home run) and two walks while striking out two over three innings.
The 35-year-old saw the Tigers thrice last season — once with the St. Louis Cardinals and the other two with the Boston Red Sox, all in relief — holding Detroit scoreless across four frames of work, surrendering just one hit and zero walks while striking out three. We will see if he can bring that same mojo to the mound on Tuesday night.
Detroit Tigers (23-38) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (36-21)
Time (ET): 6:40 p.m. Place: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida SB Nation Site:DRaysBay Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 62: RHP Jack Flaherty (0-7, 5.81 ERA) vs. LHP Steven Matz (4-2, 4.67 ERA)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MAY 28: Jamal Crawford talks to the media before the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs during Game Six of the NBA Western Conference Finals on May 28, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Good morning, BBN!
We have all been on Milan Momcilovic watch over the last few days as we wait for the top uncommitted transfer to announce where he will play his college basketball next season.
It finally came late Monday night when Momcilovic announced his commitment to the Kentucky Wildcats. It marks one of the biggest commitments in recent memory for the basketball program, as well as the biggest recruiting win Mark Pope has had as a coach.
It also saved Kentucky’s 2026-27 season. While the pre-Momcilovic roster had some nice potential, it’s hard to see that group doing anything more than maybe sneaking into the Sweet 16 with a good draw.
Now we can start thinking about a fun season that ends with a special March Madness run.
While Kentucky now has its roster pretty much set, should we also be on commitment watch for a new assistant coach?
Only one name has really been connected to the final assistant coach opening on Mark Pope’s staff as they have honed in on former NBA superstar and current announcer Jamal Crawford.
It has been over a month since Crawford was initially linked to the job, and according to the most recent reports by Jack Pilgrim and Jacob Polacheck of KSR, he is still considering it.
With his NBC duties now over as the NBA Finals move to ESPN and ABC, will we finally get an answer from Crawford? If we do, it should be coming soon, especially with the summer recruiting circuit heating up.
This once again has some similarities to the Tyran Stokes recruitment all-over it. How so? Well, if Crawford really does finally turn it down, they will enter summer basketball with an open seat. Now, although we haven’t heard any other names connected, you have to believe they have been doing their due diligence.
At least, that is what we can hope.
Now, we wait on the former NBA Sixth Man of the Year.
A scouting report on NBA draft prospect Bennett Stirtz:
Position: Guard
Height: 6-foot-2.5 (without shoes)
Weight: 186 pounds
College: Iowa
Strengths
Stirtz had an incredible rise from Division II Northwest Missouri State to Drake to Iowa alongside head coach Ben McCollum. As he climbed the ranks, Stirtz kept improving and showing he very much belonged.
Stirtz shoots with range, variety and volume. On top of his three-point shooting, he can keep the scoreboard moving with crafty finishes inside and soft touch on well-honed floaters, runners and leaners. Over his two Division I seasons, Stirtz went 48.7 percent from the floor, 37.2 percent from three-point range and 82.0 percent at the foul line. He got up 6.9 threes per game as a senior and fired away with the kind of confidence that’s needed in the NBA.
Stirtz is a polished pick-and-roll ball handler who’s clever about manipulating defenses but doesn’t force high-risk passes. He posted a 2.40 assist-to-turnover ratio last year.
Weaknesses
Stirtz isn’t a player with much blow-by explosiveness or traditional athleticism. Defensively, he knows there will be major challenges against NBA speed and strength.
“That’s the main thing that we’re working on right now,” he said in an interview with League Him’s Jacob Myers. “Just watching the NBA, they pick on dudes. They get the same dude in the action every time who they don’t think can guard. I don’t want to be that guy. … I want to be able to guard in the league and be able to guard different positions.
“I think playing (almost) 40 minutes (per game) this year, it didn’t help because I was so tired and I was doing so much on the offensive end. Trying to get a breather, it was on the defensive side of the ball. So that was a tough spot for this year, but I really want to be become a great defender.”
Is Stirtz truly an elite shooter? He might make that look like a silly question, but Stirtz was 10 for 39 from three-point territory (25.6 percent) in the 2026 NCAA tournament, including an 0-for-9 game against Florida. Much of that can be chalked up to having to take difficult off-the-dribble looks and the toll of game after game with zero rest. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if Stirtz has more open shots next to NBA talent and hits a high percentage. However, his ceiling would obviously be lower if he doesn’t end up as a full-blown sharpshooter.
In terms of upside, it’s also notable that Stirtz will turn 23 years old in October. He’s an unconventional prospect and could continue making significant development, but NBA teams will generally expect more growth from the younger players in this draft class.
Fit
With Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe as backcourt cornerstones, Stirtz would presumably not step into the Sixers’ starting lineup as the 22nd pick.
In the event that most of Stirtz’s college strengths translate to the NBA, it’s still easy to envision him being a valuable piece. The Sixers could absolutely use more three-point shooting and more players capable of handling the ball besides Maxey and Edgecombe.
May 25, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) lifts the 2026 Eastern Conference trophy with teammates after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in game four of the eastern conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images
Last week, I had recap duties for the Mets’ series opener against the Reds. After the Mets suffered another in a long line of hapless losses, I chose to mostly write about the New York Knicks, who at that time were one win away from the NBA Finals. A dereliction of duty? Perhaps, but in my defense: Can you really blame me for preferring in that moment to talk about the Knicks—who went on to finish their sweep of the Cavaliers that night and be declared Eastern Conference champions for the first time since 1999, i.e. the first time since I’d started watching them in the mid-2000s—over a Mets team that has spent their 2026 trying—and mostly failing, despite a decent winning streak here and there—to simply hold their head above water?
I don’t even live in New York right now, but even hundreds of miles away it’s pretty clear that a certain blue and orange squad has taken over the hearts and minds of the city, and it ain’t the one we usually talk about on this site.
From my Mets fan point of view, 95% of me has appreciated having the Knicks as a diversion from the awful baseball we’ve been subjected to over the past couple months. No matter how terrible things have been at Citi Field, it’s been a comfort to know that all I needed to do was wait until the next game at Madison Square Garden to experience some significantly better vibes. I fear for what things will be like in the dog days of July and August when I will be forced to give all my attention to the Mets once more (perhaps some people could simply spend those months building up anticipation for football season, but as a Jets fan… well, yeah).
That other 5%, however, is a different story. That other 5% is looking at what’s happening with the Knicks and wondering when we will get to experience something similar with the Mets. And to be clear, I’m not just talking about making a championship run, though of course, that is the ultimate goal in all sports. But what I’m looking at is not just the last two months of basketball, but rather the past four years of it. During that time, the Knicks have accomplished something that the Mets have pretty much never accomplished during their entire history: continuous relevance.
Let’s back it up. Even those who don’t watch basketball probably know that the 21st century had not been kind to the Knicks before the 2020s. The organization spent the first two decades of the 2000s being a perennial laughingstock, putting up just three winning seasons in nineteen years from 2001 to 2020 and winning just one playoff series in those three winning seasons from 2011-2013. But then Leon Rose took over as team president in 2020, and a series of moves—most notably, the free agency signing of Jalen Brunson—transformed the team’s identity. They easily made the postseason in all four seasons since Brunson joined the team, and they had some measure of success once there in each of those seasons, as they won at least one playoff series in all four years before finally making it to the Finals this year. Now they are a mere four wins away from giving Knicks fans their first title since 1973, an event which would undoubtedly cause New York City to burn to the ground. If you need any more evidence for how thoroughly the team has taken over the city, look no further than Mayor Zohran Mamdani signing an executive order to repeal kids’ bedtimes for the Finals, a decision I was sure to inform my sister about so she could adjust my three-year-old nephew’s sleeping schedule accordingly.
Again, winning a championship is the final goal, and if the Knicks don’t manage to get it done this year or in the near future it will certainly limit the level of fondness we can feel about this era in the years to come. But there is still something to be said about rooting for a team that is always a factor come playoff time, that goes into each season genuinely believing that it has a chance at being the last squad standing. Having spent most of my life rooting for a team that was always a laughingstock of the sport instead of at the forefront of it, it has been a special feeling to get to experience the latter for a change and I have tried not to take that for granted.
The Mets, on the other hand? Making the playoffs four years in a row is something the franchise has quite literally never done. Their record is two straight years, which they’ve only accomplished twice (1999-2000 and 2015-2016). In theory, it should be easier than ever to finally break that streak nowadays with the expansion of the wild card. They had the chance to make the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the third time in history last year, but their collapse prevented that from happening. And barring a miraculous turnaround, odds are they won’t be making the playoffs this year, either, so the stretch of perennial irrelevance will continue for an unforeseen period of time. Despite playing in a league whose collective bargaining agreement is far more generous towards big market, deep-pocketed franchises in comparison to a salary cap league like the NBA, the Mets have simply never been able to establish the kind of year-to-year consistency that the Knicks have had for the past few years.
This should all be familiar enough to those of us who have rooted for the team for a while, so why complain about it now? Well, beyond the fact that the Knicks are now reminding us what extended success looks and feels like, there’s also the fact that this time a year ago, it really and truly seemed like things were finally changing for the better.
The Mets had their rich owner and a president of baseball operations who was seen as one of the best in the business. They were coming off a magical 2024 season in which they came up just short, but not before getting one over on some of the foes (the Braves and the Phillies, namely) who have historically been the ones to get the last laugh over the Mets. They had won a bidding war for one of the best players on the planet, beating the goddamn Yankees, of all teams. And in the first half of 2025, they were succeeding at the major league level while also boasting a strong farm system and improved player development apparatus. A World Series victory was not guaranteed, of course, but it seemed like another playoff berth was in store and that a string of them would still follow in the years to come. If you get enough bites at the apple, eventually it stands to reason that you’ll have a pretty good chance at winning it all.
Mets fans have certainly fallen victim to false hope before, but this didn’t feel like that at all. This felt sustainable. This felt real.
But we all know how things played out from there. The second half of 2025 was a slow-moving train wreck, and they missed the playoffs by one game. After a tumultuous offseason which still ended with most people feeling optimistic about how things would go this year, 2026 has largely picked up right where the end of last season left off. And now, 2024 looks like what 2015 and 2006 were before them: not the start of an exciting new era of Mets baseball, but rather a flash in the pan, an oasis of glory (and fairly limited glory at that, given that all of these seasons ended without a ring) amid a desert of ineptitude. Indeed, one good season a decade seems to be all that the baseball gods see fit to give us.
So while watching the Knicks has given me all sorts of joy over the past couple months, it has also made me look at the Mets and wonder: When is it their turn? When will we finally get to see not just a good season here and there, but rather an extended period of meaningful, important, and just plain good baseball? Every single time we think they’re on the verge, things go wrong. Players get hurt, prospects bust, managers and GMs get fired. All of this has happened before, and seemingly, all of it will happen again. And again. And again. It’s the sort of thing that can make a skeptic believe in curses.
So again: When it is the Mets’ turn? Usually when we ask a question like that, we’ll be able to offer some kind of attempt at a sensible answer. But I’ve got nothing for this one. All I can do is watch the Knicks and be reminded of what it is that we’ve been missing.
If there’s a silver lining here, it’s this: The current success of the Knicks showed how dramatically a franchise’s fortunes can change before you know it. One day you can be the worst-run team in the league, and then you hire the right person and sign the right player and suddenly you’re at the top of the organizational rankings. One day, perhaps we will look up and the Mets will have accomplished the same level of annual relevance that the Knicks have achieved over these past few years. Maybe it will even still be the current people in charge to get them there; after all, for all the things that have gone wrong over the past calendar year, they still have some bright young players on their roster, and their player development apparatus remains far ahead of where it was just a few years ago.
So yes, maybe we will finally see the Mets get over the hump if we just wait a little bit longer. But we have already been waiting so long, and despite all the positive steps they had seemed to have taken over the past few years, it still oftentimes feels like we remain so far away.
Now, just four wins away from an NBA title, these young Spurs are on the cusp of recasting the balance of power in the league and announcing itself as a dynastic force.
Wembanyama is 22. Stephon Castle 21 and Dylan Harper 20.
The average age of the Spurs (25.06 years old) makes San Antonio the second-youngest team to reach an NBA Finals in the shot clock era.
Even their head coach, Mitch Johnson, is young; he’s 39 and in his first full season on the job. And if he can top the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, which begin Wednesday, June 3, he would become the fifth-youngest head coach to win an NBA championship since 1970.
These Spurs, it would seem, are ahead of schedule.
That has been the predominating thought surrounding San Antonio’s ascension, but that framing is too simplistic. Yes, the Spurs are winning as a very young team, but that notion minimizes other qualities necessary in championship teams, qualities the Spurs have: commitment to an identity, maturity, a willingness to adapt, a willingness to sacrifice.
“People don’t talk as much about the habits, the character, the togetherness, the competitive response — the things we talk about in these media sessions every single day,” Johnson said May 30, after San Antonio dethroned the Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. “And this team has now been pretty damn consistent for a long time, for over 100 games for the most part.
“When you look back at how we started the year, how we got to the (NBA) Cup on the road versus Denver and L.A., what we did in the Cup, playing (the Thunder) around Christmastime a few times, expectations. We’ve played in three playoff series, (at times) without Victor, without (De'Aaron) Fox multiple games — I don’t know who has as much experience as we do, this year, in terms of the 2025-2026 season.”
Whether you subscribe to the notion that this team is ahead of some nebulous schedule, the Spurs are nonetheless favored to win the Finals, primarily because of one thing: this team is much more than just Victor Wembanyama.
The Spurs showed that in Game 7, when they topped the Thunder, 111-103, on their home floor. Seven different players reached double-figures in scoring, and contributions from all over the rotation predominated.
Julian Champagnie, who finished with 20 points, dropped 11 in the third quarter. Backup center Luke Kornet, who played just six minutes, hustled back during a pivotal Thunder fastbreak to pin a momentum-changing block against the backboard in an eventual four-point swing. De’Aaron Fox was a menace on defense all night and collected three steals and later found his shooting stroke. Harper knocked down huge shots down the stretch and scored 12 points off the bench on 5-of-8 shooting. Backup Keldon Johnson, the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year, knocked down two massive 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, both of which came when the Thunder had trimmed the deficit to two points.
And then there’s Mitch Johnson, the coach who came up in the organization and who was hand-picked to be Gregg Popovich’s successor.
San Antonio has built a culture of hard work and discipline, of growth and learning, of consistency. Wembanyama and Johnson are merely the next stewards of that culture, but this front office recognizes that it’s about building a structure and empowering players to own their results.
The Thunder are still a force in the West. The Timberwolves, with Anthony Edwards, and the Nuggets (with three-time Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokić) are always lurking. But, first, it’s the Knicks who stand in the way of history.
And with NBA All-Defensive second-team selection OG Anunoby expected to be the primary defender on Wembanyama, and with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns leading an offense that has posted the most dominant stretch in league history over any 11-game stretch, the challenge is daunting. Other Spurs will need to step up.
“Winning the Larry O’Brien, it’s a childhood dream,” Wembanyama said after Game 7. “Having a real shot at it. Having a chance — a tangible chance at winning it — at realizing a dream, it’s a lifetime chance. You never know when it’s going to happen again.
“The day we win it, speaking for myself, it’s going to be an amazing day of the realization of a dream. It’s hard to put into words. It’s almost like the meaning of my life.”
