A change of scenery has benefitted former Nashville Predators forward Cole Smith, forward Colton Sissons and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon as the trio will play in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Colorado Avalanche, 2-1, on Tuesday to sweep their way to their third Stanley Cup Finals appearance in nine seasons.
Smith scored the game-winning goal with 5:45 left in the game, tipping in a shot from Dylan Coghlan for his third goal of the playoffs.
Sissons and Lauzon were traded to the Golden Knights in late June for defenseman Nicolas Hague and a 2027 third-round draft pick, which was later upgraded to a second-round selection after Vegas advanced to the Western Conference Finals.
Smith was dealt at the trade deadline in March for a 2028 third-round pick and defenseman Christoffer Sedoff.
VEGAS HAS SOME BREATHING ROOM AS COLE SMITH SCORES WITH 5:45 TO GO, KNIGHTS UP 2 😱🚨 pic.twitter.com/lMlnaJ2l5G
Sissons has six points (two goals and four assists) in 15 playoff games, and Lauzon has played in six games. Smith has four points (two goals and two assists) in 15 games.
While this will be Smith and Lauzon's first trip to the finals, Sissons will return for the first time since 2017, when the Predators faced the Pittsburgh Penguins and fell in six games.
In the run to the finals, Sissons had 12 points (six goals and six assists) in 22 games.
The Golden Knights have been seen as the winner of the trade with the Predators. Hague played 62 games with the Predators this season, scoring 15 points (three goals and 12 assists) and having a plus/minus of minus-10.
Nashville also signed Jonathan Marchessault out of free agency in 2024, who had been with the Golden Knights for seven seasons. Since joining the Predators, Marchessault's play has declined, recording 31 points (12 goals and 19 assists) in 62 games this past season.
The Golden Knights will await the winner of the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens. Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals is TBD.
May 26, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Raisel Iglesias (26), third baseman Austin Riley (27), catcher Sandy León (9) and first baseman Matt Olson (28) react after defeating the Boston Red Sox in nine innings at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Braves kept things interesting on Tuesday night but ultimately improved to 37-18 after a 7-6 win over the Boston Red Sox. Spencer Strider got the start, and the win; things started out shaky, but he settled in to give the offense a chance to even things up. His night ended after five innings, allowing three runs on three hits. He walked three and struck out five.
The Atlanta lineup tallied nine hits, and Michael Harris II accounted for four of those. He went 4-for-4, recorded three RBI, and scored two runs. It was a sight to see after he had a quiet series offensively against the Washington Nationals.
The Tampa Bay Rays have agreed to a major league deal with veteran Craig Kimbrel. He was designated for assignment by the New York Mets last week and elected free agency.
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Cast your vote here for Player of the Game after the series-opening win at Fenway Park.
While, arguably, the hottest news topic of the summer for the Penguins has already been taken care of, there is still a fair amount of business to attend to. GM and POHO Kyle Dubas still needs to make some decisions regarding free agents Anthony Mantha and Stuart Skinner, as well as consider whether or not Arturs Silovs's strong playoff showing warrants an extension.
But the biggest outstanding piece of business pertaining to a player rostered last season involves restricted free agent winger Egor Chinakhov.
Chinakhov, 24, was brought over from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a late-December trade for forward Danton Heinen, a 2026 second-round pick, and a 2027 third-round pick. He requested a trade last summer and found himself in the press box a few times and relegated to fourth-line role in Columbus, producing just three goals and six points in 29 games.
When Dubas and the Penguins acquired Chinakhov, however, they believed in his potential as a high-end top-six winger. And, if his tenure with the Penguins post-trade is any indication, it looks like they may have been correct in that assessment.
In 43 games with the Penguins, Chinakhov had 18 goals and 36 points, and he flashed that potential with his elite shot - among other tools - that helped the Penguins win hockey games and qualify for the playoffs. The impressive thing, too, is that just two of those goals and six of those points came on the power play, as Chinakhov was relegated to minutes on the second unit.
His five-on-five play was impressive. And much of it was spent playing alongside Malkin.
Of his 18 goals with the Penguins, seven were assisted by Malkin, with six of those tallies being primary assists. Chinakhov spent the better part of the last month of the season - beginning with Malkin’s exit from the lineup due to a five-game suspension in early March - playing on a line with either Rickard Rakell or Sidney Crosby, and he also found success with those guys. But of the 10 goals he scored before Malkin was suspended, Malkin factored in on six.
Chinakhov and Malkin have some legitimate chemistry, and the Russian linemates were clearly able to feed off each other. A huge priority for the Penguins moving forward will be to best-position their young players to find the consistency required for long-term success.
The soon-to-be-40 Malkin may not be around for the long-term future of the franchise. But, Chinakhov, hopefully, will be. So, if having Malkin around - even for a short while - helps Chinakhov build on what he accomplished with the Penguins last season, it’s worth it.
And, well, the Malkin part of it is done. Now, the focus has shifted to the Chinakhov part of it, and it's something the Penguins should not take lightly, especially in a situation where they have plenty of talent on the verge of the NHL in their system but not a high quantity of talent that has the ceiling potential Chinakhov possesses.
Of course, giving Chinakhov a lucrative deal after half a season of performing well is probably doing too much at this point. Even if he showed a significant degree of potential as a legitimate top-six winger, it’s still on him to prove that he can sustain that over a longer period of time. So, with that, a bridge deal makes some sense in this case — perhaps in the two-year, $12 million range, taking into account the rising cap.
After all, the Russian sniper is an RFA, and the Penguins hold the leverage. They can drag out this process, or they can get a deal done that meets the needs and expectations of both parties. It’s always possible that Chinakhov is betting on himself and may seek a bit more term and a little more average annual value, although a prove-it extension does seem to make sense.
But, Chinakhov himself has expressed his desire to return to the Penguins for the long haul — and he has been pretty emphatic about that for a while.
“Yeah, for sure,” he said during locker cleanout day. “I’d love to be part of this organization for a long time, and yeah, we’ll see. But, I love to be here, for sure.”
Malkin, too, loves playing with Chinakhov, and he even quipped that he wanted his linemate to sign first. Things may not have panned out that way, but the fact remains that the Penguins are a much better team with both Chinakhov and Malkin on it.
So, if they truly value taking big steps next season, a Chinakhov extension has to be priority No. 1 in the coming days and weeks.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 26: Enrique Hernandez #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a solo home run in the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium on May 26, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Kiké Hernández got off to an excellent start in his first two games back, collecting two hits in each of his first two games since getting activated off the injured list on Monday. But the Dodgers infielder/outfielder left Tuesday’s game after four innings with a strained left oblique strain.
Hernández doubled and scored in the Dodgers’ four-run fourth inning. But on replay appeared to be laboring while running around first base on the hit.
He was replaced on defense by Hyeseong Kim in the top of the fifth inning, with SportsNet LA showing manager Dave Roberts talking to a frustrated Hernández in the dugout, before Hernández retreated to the clubhouse.
“I think I was in so much pain this year that it helped with the patience,” he said Monday.
Hernández started at third base on both Monday and Tuesday. He doubled in a run and singled on Monday, then homered in his first at-bat on Tuesday before the fourth-inning double. Now we’ll see how long that 1.000/1.000/2.250 batting line holds for the utility man.
A “defeated” Kiké Hernández said he first hurt his oblique yesterday during batting practice. Thought he could play through it. Said his home run swing was full of pain. Then felt it when swinging and running on the double. Clearly and understandably frustrated after.
It's been more than a year since A.J. Minter took the ball in a major league game, but on Tuesday night, the veteran left-hander completed his long road back.
Although the Mets' offense continued to struggle in their 7-2 loss to the Reds, the biggest silver lining from the game was Minter's first action since April 2025.
Minter allowed one hit and struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning.
"Felt like I debuted all over again," Minter told reporters after the game. "Some butterflies...The first one is always the hardest."
"It was great to have him back," catcher Luis Torrens said through the team interpreter. "He’s obviously an important part of the team and it’s great to have him back in the fold."
It was a good outing for Minter, who had season-ending lat surgery that erased most of 2025 and the start of the 2026 season. The 32-year-old spoke about the range of emotions he was feeling from his rehab to getting on the mound, and was effusive about the Mets' organization for helping him get back out there.
"A lot of emotions. Makes you not take this game for granted. Never know when it will be your last one," Minter said. "A lot of people got me back here. I can’t speak any more highly of this organization."
Minter only made 13 appearances for the Mets in 2025 before his injury. With the loss of Minter, many believed the Mets' bullpen was never the same as it was taxed following the starting rotation's struggles, which resulted in the team missing out on the postseason last year.
Now that he's back, Minter wants to bolster a Mets bullpen that has pitched very well -- seventh in the National League with a 3.35 ERA -- and try to save the team's season.
"
Last year, I feel like I let the team down. Took me a little bit longer to get back here," Minter added. "Got this first one, but now it’s time to help this team get back in the right direction."
"It was good to see him after a long recovery, long year for him," manager Carlos Mendoza said of Minter's outing. "Couldn’t wait to get back on a big league mound, he looked good. He looked sharp…it’s not easy to go through what he went through."
Including Tuesday night, Minter has pitched to a 3.22 ERA over his 10-year career, with 36 saves and 121 holds. And to be that successful over that period of time, Minter understands he needs to pitch to his strengths and be able to adapt.
He said that he's pitched long enough to be a pitcher and not just a "thrower," and that he hopes to pitch for seven more years, and to do that, he needs to stay healthy, be durable and throw strikes. And while he tries to do that, he wants to learn from his first big league start in nearly 400 days and keep improving.
"Felt like I still need to improve on a few things, and can still get better," Minter said of his outing. "I’ll take that first one. Feel like the weight is off my shoulders and now I feel like I can get back to doing what I know I can do."
May 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher David Peterson (23) walks off the field after getting taken out in the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
What can you even write for recaps nowadays? After a strong early May where the Mets legitimately got themselves back into the conversation, they immediately said that was enough of that and lost five in a row, and six of their last seven, to bring themselves down to a lowly 22-33.
The game was whatever. David Peterson, sans opener, was bad, surrendering 11 hits, three walks, and six runs. The bullpen was good, with The Most Expensive Mop-Up Guy In MLB History(™) Sean Manaea throwing three innings of one run ball, striking out six. Carlos Mendoza said postgame that its possible he will switch Manaea and Peterson in the rotation, which does make sense, even if I was being rather glib a sentence ago. A.J. Minter came back from a torn lat that sidelined him for a year and played well, which is lovely to see. Juan Soto hit a two run home run, and the Mets had a whopping four hits outside of that.
Games, losing streaks, seasons like this, drive me to existentialism. Will the Mets ever be good again? Will Juan Soto play meaningful baseball in Queens while he is here? Will I be one of those grandpas you saw after the Cubs won in 2016, saying they’ve been waiting 90 years for this? As one of the rare Lakers-Mets fans in existence (it’s a really funny story that involves my dad trolling his high school best friend about the Lakers being better than the Knicks back in the 1970’s despite not watching basketball at the time, and working himself into a shoot, brother, accidentally giving himself a lifelong Lakers fandom he passed onto me), will Soto and Luka Dončić get their primes wasted by nonsensically bad organizations? Frankly, all of these thoughts are more compelling than 99% of the games the Mets played this season, because everyone is either hurt, bad, or a rookie (or Juan Soto).
Of course, while things seem terribly hopeless at 10:49 pm, the exact time I am typing this sentence, things change on a dime in baseball. The 2024 Mets were once 22-33, and the Jorge Lopez glove throwing game happened on May 30th of that year. If you told a Mets fan at that time that they would go to the NLCS your sanity would have been called into question, and rightfully so. While that is not a recipe for success, its an example of how things can change. The 2025 Atlanta Braves were a disaster, and they did not do much this offseason, and look like the Atlanta Braves again in 2026. Because sometimes, stuff happens.
The recaps to the these games are dull, its true. A.J. Ewing looks like a future building block, Carson Benge has really turned it around after an absolutely horrific April, and, like I said a few times, Juan Soto is Juan Soto. However, with the amount of injuries on the offensive side of the ball, they just do not have the juice right now. The pitching has largely been fine, outside of the recent McLean blowups and the Peterson/Senga/Manaea spots. They lose in alarmingly similar ways almost daily: they fall behind early, Soto does something cool, Ewing and Benge get on base, and nothing else happens.
Maybe they’ll go on a run, maybe they won’t, but the beauty of baseball is it’s always on tomorrow. The Mets will look to get back into it starting then.
Big Mets winner: Luis Torrens, 5% WPA Big Mets loser: David Peterson, -28% WPA Mets pitchers: -27% WPA Mets hitters: -23% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Juan Soto’s two run home run in the sixth, +4.1% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Eugenio Suarez’s two run double in the first, -19.1% WPA
May 26, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) dribbles against Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) during the third quarter in game five of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images
The San Antonio Spurs have been pushed by the defending champions to the edge of elimination, and will now return to Frost Bank Center, trying to hold it off on Thursday. They didn’t get enough from Victor Wembanyama who only scored 20 points on 26.7 percent shooting, with seven rebounds, and De’Aaron Fox had nine points on the same efficiency, plus the team eventually started gambling too much on defense.
They were working too hard while the Thunder played more forcefully, and their ball movement plus dribble penetration exposed more openings. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the best player, and seized the day with a masterful performance while his team was without significant firepower.
Observations
The pressure in the first quarter was unforgiving, but they loosened up, and while it wasn’t terrible, it allowed enough breathing room for SGA and Jared McCain (in the third) to get hot. The team subsequently got back to its ways at times, when they weren’t fouling, but Stephon Castle and Keldon Johnson picked up their fifth fouls early in the fourth, which gravely affected coverages. Notably, coach Mitch Johnson kept K. Johnson in after his.
The second quarter was rough since Alex Caruso got MVP chants, and they allowed too many free throw attempts, which cut the flow of their offense and they had to play too much in the half-court after scoring a good chunk in transition in the first. They had a brief spurt of success, going on a 9-0 run that included K. Johnson powering through Holmgren at the rim, yet couldn’t sustain it because of more fouls and went to halftime down 11 points.
Carter Bryant hustles like the rent is due at midnight, but he can be his own worst enemy by trying to do too much on defense. He committed a foolish foul on SGA, putting him on the line after giving up a 3-pointer. He wasn’t in control and that’s why he played fewer than three minutes before garbage time.
Julian Champagnie had the hot hand in the first quarter, scoring 13 of the team’s 27 points, and he helped the them get over multiple droughts. His most impressive move was driving against Holmgren and finishing against him on the baseline. On top of that, Champagnie and K. Johnson were the only Spurs to log at least three first-half field goals.
San Antonio’s bench didn’t do enough, aside from K. Johnson, since OKC’s outscored theirs by seven when McCain started and Ajay Mitchell didn’t play. Still, it was Johnson’s multiple treys and hustle that was critical in making the game competitive again in the second half.
The team initially struggled to pressure Holmgren with smaller players while Wemby played help defense. But Holmgren got weaker as the game went on.
The Thunder have not lost consecutive games in the playoffs. On top of that, teams that lead a best-of-seven series 3-2 advance 84 percent of the time, per the NBA’s Facts and Figures.
The Spurs’ rebounding had been a big factor in their wins, but they got beat on the boards by nine and they permitted 26 second-chance points in Game 5.
Turnovers were a problem early, and while it was just an OK night in ball security, timely misses emerged as the late problem, like when Devin Vassell, who was a non offensive factor, missed a layup, and McCain raced down the court fro a transition triple to put OKC ahead by 13 points with six minutes left.
If things are going to get any better for New York, there will have to be changes. One of those may be switching David Peterson and Sean Manaea's roles in the rotation after the two had another game of very different outcomes.
"I'm pretty sure there's going to be a conversation. We just ended here, but we're going to need all of them," manager Carlos Mendoza said. "We're going to need Petey to throw important innings for us, whether it's a starter, whether it's coming after an opener, or pitching out of the bullpen. We're going to need innings from them, especially with how the rotation is right now.
"And Sean, another good outing for him. So I'm pretty sure there's going to be a discussion here what's next when it comes down to the next turn in the rotation."
Peterson allowed six runs on a career-high 11 hits in Tuesday's loss, while Manaea let up just one run over 3.0 innings in relief with six strikeouts.
"It was a tough one for him from the very beginning, missing arm side," Mendoza said of Peterson. "Looked like he didn't have the best feel for his pitches. And they put some really good swings on it. There was some hard contact there; we made some good plays behind him, but there was a lot of traffic in those early innings.
"He competed, but it was a tough one for him today."
Peterson had gone 3-0 over four outings in May, but looked more like his April self (0-4, 7.92 ERA) against the Reds. Manaea, on the other hand, has looked good recently and is down to a 3.75 ERA in May.
Mendoza went on to say Manaea's delivery and his success against right-handed batters stood out against the Reds.
"There's a lot to like there," Mendoza said. "With his delivery, you got to give him credit, man, he kept working and he continues to work. The life on the fastball. I think you see the swing and misses, especially at the top of the zone. The cutter, the sweeper, some changeups in there. He faced a lot of righties today... but overall, he came in with runner on third and got out of it.
"He's been very good against lefties, but it was good to see him today against righties."
When asked about a potential move to the bullpen or something else, Peterson said he is just focused on getting better.
"I haven't thought about it," Peterson said. "It's been week-to-week every week. I'm focused on going back and looking at what we did well, what we need to do better, and move forward. Focus on the next one, whatever situation that's in."
For now, Mets pitching will remain in flux as they look to snap their losing streak on Wednesday against the Reds and avoid a second straight sweep.
May 26, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger (35) singles in two run in the third inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images
Tuesday marked the 12,000th game in the already historic career of Aaron Judge. He became the 33rd Yankee to reach that plateau in pinstripes and the player with the most home runs by game 12,000 in MLB history with 385, 58 ahead of Ralph Kiner. The captain and his teammates marked the occasion with aplomb, dismantling a 22-33 Royals squad in a laugher to take a three-game set while notching a nice little bit of history.
Bailey Falter served as the Royals’ opener, entering play with a 9.82 ERA. It didn’t take the Yankees long to show him why. After retiring the first two batters of the game, the veteran southpaw allowed a home run to Clay Bellinger, a Stantonian blast that left the bat at 105 mph and cleared the right-field wall on a line.
Paul Goldschmidt, starting his sixth straight game after beginning the year in a reserve role, laced a double just over the head of the reigning AL Gold Glover at third base, Maikel Franco, before coasting into second with a double.
Despite the rocky start, Falter nearly got through the frame with just one run on the board. The struggling Ben Rice, who came into the game mired in a 5-for-37 funk, smoked one to right. The ball was playable for Jac Caglianone and the hulking right fielder initially appeared to make the inning-ending grab. Yankees manager Aaron Boone challenged the apparent snow-cone grab, and upon review it became clear the ball scraped the ground while in Caglianone’s glove, netting Rice a single and an RBI as Goldschmidt was awarded home.
Amed Rosario, making his first start in over a week, made that defensive miscue hurt two pitches later, yanking a hanging curveball 420 feet to left field.
When it landed, the Yankees had a 4-0 lead, an embarrassment of riches given their starter, Cam Schlittler, had yet to allow as many as four runs in any of his 11 outings entering play.
In the bottom half of the inning, Schlittler worked around a two-out single to put up a zero. He was aided by a nifty play from Anthony Volpe, gloving a ball in the gap between short and third and throwing across his body to retire a plodding Salvador Perez. Tuesday’s game marked Volpe’s second straight start at shortstop while his competition for the job, Jose Caballero, was on the bench for the first time since returning from injury on Friday. A few minutes after the inning-ending play, Volpe smoked a center-cut fastball deep to left center for his first home run of the season.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro let it ride with Falter, presumably in hopes of saving as many of his relievers as possible in what was quickly becoming a nightmare scenario: an unwinnable game requiring an emptying out of the bullpen. After allowing four more hits, he threw in the towel, pulling his opener with two on and one out in the third. The next man out of the Royals’ ‘pen, Luinder Avila, didn’t get off to a much better start. Volpe, the first batter he faced, lined an RBI single to score Rice.
Then, after Austin Wells singled to load the bases, Trent Grisham grounded out to first, scoring Rosario. Judge followed with a walk before Bellinger hit a hard grounder through the hole between first and second, scoring two more to stake the Yankees to a commanding 9-0 lead. The inning only ended, mercifully for KC, when Judge was thrown out advancing to third.
The Bombers continued to pile on, with Grisham and Jazz Chisholm Jr. going yard in the late innings. Every starter ended up with at least two hits, a first in the Yankees’ long history. In total, New York hitters reached base 29 times, accounting for more than half of their plate appearances. After winning their last two games in the ninth inning to break out of a 4-10 skid, the comfortable victory was, as Ryan Ruocco put it on the broadcast, a much-needed chance to exhale.
Bellinger, who entered this series facing a narrative that he was struggling to hit away from Yankee Stadium, led the way with a three-RBI showing. Rosario, buoyed by a two-run shot in the ninth against utilityman Tyler Tolbert, actually ended up with the gaudiest stat line, notching four hits and as many RBI to make a case for expanded playing time.
Judge reached safely in four of his five plate appearances from the two hole. Rice notched three hits to break out of his slide. Perhaps most consequentially in the scope of the Yankees’ season, Volpe’s three-hit, three-run, two-RBI day continued to build on the erstwhile golden boy’s case to regain the starting shortstop role he’d held the last three seasons.
This offensive output placed Schlittler firmly in the catbird seat. He took full advantage, allowing just one run (on a Bobby Witt Jr. homer) on four hits. Despite throwing just 77 pitches, he was pulled for Ryan Yarbrough after six innings, cruising to his seventh victory of the season. The showing was just another day at the office for the sophomore starter, whose 1.50 ERA was unchanged by the dominant showing.
The Yankees will go for the sweep tomorrow. Gerrit Cole’s scheduled to make his second start of the season for the Yanks while the Royals will hand the ball to left-hander Noah Cameron. The game, which will air on Amazon Prime, is scheduled to start at 7:40pm ET.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 25: Brooks Lee #22 of the Minnesota Twins celebrates hitting a home run during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on May 25, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a pitching duel tonight with the starters Joe Ryan and Sean Burke exchanging zeros for the first 3 innings before the Twins scored first in the 4th. Trevor Larnach started things off with a double, then Kody Clemens drove him in with a triple. A single by Austin Martin scored Clemens to give the Twins a 2-0 lead.
This lead would stick with Ryan through 7 shutout innings. In the 8th, however, a hanging sweeper to Munetaka Murakami would be hit over the right field wall for a game-tying two run homer. Joe was brilliant tonight, otherwise, striking out 9 over 7.2 innings, but just one bad pitch in the 8th slated him with the no-decision.
Meanwhile, the Twins couldn’t get much of anything going against Sean Burke and company, as 12 straight Twins batters were retired by Chicago pitchers after the fourth inning.
The game moved to extra innings, and, with 2-outs, Orlando Arcia got a single to right field, but Clemens was thrown out by Rikuu Nishida (his second assist in as many games).
Going to the bottom of the 10th, Taylor Rogers came in to pitch and got Nishida to strike out, then Sam Antonacci hit an infield single advancing Luisangel Acuna to 3rd. Then Rogers got Murakami to ground to 1st baseman Josh Bell, who stepped on first and Antonacci just sort of backed up and left the base path for an inning ending unassisted double play.
In the top of the 11th, Luke Keaschall singled to 3rd, then Byron Buxton walked after James Outman’s 4th strikeout of the night, loading the bases for Brooks Lee. In the biggest at bat of the night, Lee lined a double down the right field line, scoring 3, and giving the Twins a 5-2 lead going into the bottom of the 11th.
The Twins would call on Yoendrys Gomez to pick up the save. He got Vargas to fly out, and Colson Montgomery to strikeout. Chase Meidroth picked up an RBI single to left, but Gomez got Randal Grichuk to ground out to end the game and give the Twins their second extra inning win of the season.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Yankees may have a new Twins, or at least a budding twin of the Twins — another AL Central team that has become their personal punching bag and a cure to all that ails them.
The Royals do not yet have the longevity of the Twins, but they may be on their way.
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During a recent stretch when hits and runs have largely been at a premium, the Yankees enjoyed an all-you-can-eat buffet of them Tuesday, courtesy of the Royals, en route to a much-needed laugher.
Attacking early and often while racking up a season-high 24 hits — 21 before facing a position player pitching in the ninth — the Yankees cruised to their third straight win, 15-1 over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
For the first time in franchise history, every member of the starting lineup had at least two hits. Amed Rosario led the way with four, and Trent Grisham, Ben Rice, Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells each added three. Rosario homered twice, and Grisham, Cody Bellinger, Volpe and Jazz Chisholm Jr. also went deep on a night the Yankees led 9-0 by the third inning.
“As hard as hitting is and as hard as it is now, night in and night out, to have a day where everyone can fatten up a little bit is good,” manager Aaron Boone said.
The Yankees (33-22) have won 13 straight games against the Royals (22-33), dating to the 2024 ALDS, and will go for the sweep Wednesday with Gerrit Cole on the mound. They have won 22 of their past 23 completed series against the Royals. In five wins against them this season, the Yankees have outscored them 43-10.
Before Tuesday, each of their past eight games — including Monday’s ninth-inning comeback win — and 11 of their past 15 had been decided by two runs or fewer.
That made Tuesday’s blowout a nice change of pace, allowing Cam Schlittler to get a breather — in the form of six innings of one-run ball on 77 pitches, on a night when he did not think he had his best stuff, keeping his ERA at 1.50 — and Ryan Yarbrough to finish the game and give an overworked bullpen a rest.
Cody Bellinger hits a solo home run in the first inning of the Yankees’ 15-1 blowout win over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium on May 26, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“It’s electric,” Schlittler, who struck out six, said of the hitting outburst. “Long sits there [between innings], but I think that’s the most hits this season in MLB, so really impressive up and down the lineup.”
The Royals used Bailey Falter as an opener, and the left-hander simply faltered. The Yankees clobbered him for seven runs across 2 ¹/₃ innings.
Falter faced 16 batters, all of them putting the ball in play and 13 of them registering hard-hit balls at exit velocities of 95 mph or higher.
Cam Schlittler throws a pitch during the first inning of the Yankees’ blowout win over the Royals. Peter Aiken-Imagn Images
“That stuff’s contagious,” said Rice, who went 3-for-5 with a walk and three runs. “Started early and then just kept our foot on the gas. It’s really fun when everyone’s clicking like that.”
Bellinger started it off with a two-out homer in the top of the first inning — his second home run in as many days — before Paul Goldschmidt doubled.
Then, after a successful Yankees challenge turned the third out into an RBI single for Ben Rice on a sinking liner to right field that touched grass as Jac Caglianone tried to make a snow-cone catch, Amed Rosario took advantage by crushing a two-run shot.
Rosario, who had not played in six days and not started in eight days, later added another two-run shot off infielder Tyler Tolbert in the ninth inning.
“Feels great to be part of Yankee history,” Rosario said through an interpreter, referring to every starter collecting at least two hits. “It’s a great fraternity. It’s great to be part of that. It’s a team effort.”
Volpe — who played hero Monday with a two-run, go-ahead single in the top of the ninth — led off the second inning Tuesday with his first home run of the season.
Amed Rosario hits a two-run home run in the first inning of the Yankees’ blowout win over the Royals. Getty Images
It was a 409-foot blast that came off the bat at 103.1 mph, his first home run since Aug. 29.
The shortstop ended up a triple short of the cycle, going 3-for-6 with two RBIs and three runs, making a case for more playing time as the Yankees continued their domination of the Royals.
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“It’s one of those things where we’ve probably run into them at a good time, where we’ve had some good series at different points,” Boone said. “Just a ton of really good at-bats, and guys that were hitting the ball out of the ballpark, too. One of those nights where everything’s falling.”
May 26, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (27) hits a triple to left field as Boston Red Sox pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) looks on in the sixth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images
For a while, in the early part of this game, it looked like the Red Sox were on their way to a satisfying victory. Ranger Suarez got through the first inning on eight pitches and held Atlanta scoreless into the fifth, Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela led things off with back to back home runs, and all the high leverage relievers were ready and rested following an off day. Unfortunately, it didn’t materialize.
For a while, in the bottom of the ninth inning, it looked like the Red Sox were on the verge of piecing together their most impressive comeback of the season. They were facing Raisel Iglesias — one of the best closers in the game — down by three, and had the bottom of the lineup due up. But five batters into the inning, four men had reached, the tying run was at second, the potential winning run was at first with speed in Jarren Duran, and the heart of the order was coming up. Again, it didn’t materialize.
And that kind of sums up the 2026 Red Sox, doesn’t it? The ingredients are always in the kitchen, and the meal is never made.
We could pinpoint an extraordinary number of moments from the middle of this game where it all fell apart, particularly if you want chronicle Ranger Suarez slowly melting away, but offensively, it’s hard to find a more costly at bat than Mickey Gasper’s double play in the sixth inning. Atlanta was struggling to bridge the gap to their better relievers and looked frustrated they had to leave Didier Fuentes in to face a third hitter, but somehow, they still got the best result they could have hoped for in their most problematic inning on paper.
But regardless of where you want to point the telescope, the night night sky was filled with an array of Red Sox shortcomings. There were approximately 874 different things the Red Sox could have done slightly differently in this game, and if they had done any of them, they probably would have won. Alas, things didn’t materialize.
Here’s a few other fun facts about where the Red Sox stand after this game:
They’re nine games under .500 for the first time since 2022
They hit three home runs at Fenway Park for the first time all year, and still lost.
They’re 0-4 on the homestand and 8-18 at Fenway Park this season.
They’re still winless when they fall behind by at least three runs.
Alas, things are not materializing.
Three Studs
Jarren Duran: For leading off the bottom of the first inning with a home run:
Isiah Kiner-Falefa: For a home run of his own in the bottom of the seventh and a single up the middle to help make things interesting in the bottom of the ninth.
“We’re honestly just lucky to be in the American League”
You can say that again!
Three Duds
Ranger Suarez: Five runs in five plus innings just isn’t good enough, especially after being handed a two run lead early.
Mickey Gasper: It was a questionable night behind the plate, and that double play was a complete backbreaker.
Wilyer Abreu: Not only did he go 0-4 on the night, but he also made the final out and killed what could have been the most fun rally of the entire season. If you’re going to be one of the biggest sticks in the lineup, you eventually need to start cashing some of these big moments in.
You could pick a half dozen items here and not be wrong, but for me, it’s the Gasper double play. (A base hit here and there’s a decent chance the Sox put up a number large enough to get the high leverage relievers in the game.)
Anyway, leave it to the 2026 Red Sox to make the play of the game a moment where they score a run, and it still simultaneously crushes their chances to win.
May 26, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell (5) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fifth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers have hit the fewest number of homers in the major leagues this season, coming into the night with just 35 long balls. It’s been a tough year for Bernie Brewer, not being able to go down his slide as often as he’d like. But on Tuesday night, he was able to make use of his slide a couple of times in the Crew’s 6-0 win over the Cardinals.
Jake Bauers got the scoring started for the Brewers with a solo shot in the fourth inning on an 0-1 cutter that leaked too far out over the plate. It was Bauers’ eighth home run of the season, which leads the team. He’s now surpassed his home run total from last year.
Then the Brewers really busted the game open in the fifth inning. It started with a leadoff double from Christian Yelich, which was followed by walks from Jackson Chourio and Brice Turang. That loaded the bases for William Contreras, who ripped a double to the opposite field on the first pitch he saw, bringing home two runs. That was all for Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy as Oli Marmol went to his bullpen.
For some reason, with both a lefty and a righty warming, and four of the next five batters being true lefties, Marmol opted for the right-hander Ryan Fernandez. Fernandez hung a slider to Garrett Mitchell, who sent the ball 421 feet to dead center to give the Brewers a 6-0 lead and sent Bernie Brewer down the slide again. It was the first time the Brewers had multiple homers in a home game since April 30 against the Diamondbacks.
Meanwhile, on the mound, Kyle Harrison was twirling a gem once again. He carved through the Cardinals’ lineup with ease, allowing just two baserunners to reach scoring position all night and not a single runner to reach third base. Harrison had just two strikeouts on the night, well below where he was in his last start when he had 11 punchouts.
Harrison extended his scoreless innings streak to 18 IP, covering his last three starts. In those 18 IP, Harrison has allowed just 11 total hits, only one walk, and has 20 strikeouts.
After 92 pitches from Harrison, Pat Murphy went to his bullpen. Grant Anderson posted a 1-2-3 seventh with the help of a 4-6-3 double play. Then Abner Uribe had a pair of strikeouts in the eighth inning and added a new emote to his end-of-inning celebration, the DX chop. Directed at the Cardinals’ dugout.
Pat Murphy strongly condemned Uribe’s celebration, saying, “That’s unacceptable. I don’t know what got over him. I mean, he’s been an emotional guy, but that kind of thing, that’s just not how we do things. And I was embarrassed by it.”
Uribe offered a different story, saying via translator Daniel de Mondesert, “I understand that that’s unacceptable to go out there and react in a way like that, but at the same time I don’t think it’s professional for their manager to be making signs toward our dugout that he’s going to be hitting guys,” Uribe said. “There was an event that occurred during the practice today, too, and I don’t think that was right, and I have my teammates’ backs, always.”
Uribe declined to comment on what the pre-game incident actually was. He apologized to his Brewers teammates, coaches, and all the higher-ups, but declined to apologize to the Cardinals.
After that, it was on to Trevor Megill back in a ninth-inning role, even though this was not a save situation. Megill slammed the door, kept the shutout intact, and gave the Brewers the series win.
While the rivalry between the Brewers and Cubs has been the hottest the last couple of years, the rivalry with the Cardinals sure seems to be alive and well. The Brewers have a chance for a sweep on Wednesday. First pitch in that one is slated for 1:10 p.m., with Dustin May starting for St. Louis and the Brewers not yet announcing a starter.
