NEW YORK, NY - MAY 04: Flowers are placed at home plate for John Sterling prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on May 4, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We come together this Sunday for what is a sorrowful edition of our weekly social media roundup, as we mourn the loss — and celebrate the life — of John Sterling, who passed away this past Monday. How did the Yankees, and others throughout the league, honor the legendary Yankees broadcaster? And what else were they up to this week? Let’s find out!
In memory of John Sterling
Our main story of this week, of course, needs no introduction. As soon as the news broke about Sterling’s passing, tributes poured down throughout the league, from within and outside of the Yankees organization.
Players who posted in Sterling’s memory, but whose posts are unable to be embedded for whatever reason, include Aaron Judge and CC Sabathia, while Gleyber Torres posted on his Instagram story.
Speaking of CC, he spoke about his time with the Brewers as the Yankees visited Milwaukee this week, where the Brewers honored him for his contributions to the 2008 squad.
MILWAUKEE!!! So grateful for this honor. Some of the best baseball memories of my career. Loved all my teammates, coaches, and THE FANS. Thank you for this recognition @Brewers 🙏🏾 https://t.co/2lgYiiZnvx
In this week’s episode of Behind the NY, we learn about Yankees pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange, who put himself on the map during spring training with his dominant fastball — and caught the eye of Yankees ace Gerrit Cole.
Use the Force, Aaron
We cap off this week with Aaron Judge messing around and pretending to use the Force, recreating what is in my opinion the most relatable scene in the entire Star Wars franchise, Sabine Wren’s battle with the cup.
“I’m really sorry to all our fans,” Pritchard wrote. “I own taking this risk. Surprised it came up 5th after this year. I thought we were due some luck.”
The Pacers entered the lottery with a 52.1% chance of securing a top-four pick after finishing 19-63, the second-worst record in the NBA. It wasn’t enough.
Indiana sent Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 first-round pick to Los Angeles in the midseason deal for Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown, along with the conditional 2026 first-rounder. The pick was theirs to keep only if it landed in the top four.
Zubac appeared in just five games for Indiana after the trade because of a fractured rib.
“This team deserved a starting center to compete with the best teams next year,” Pritchard wrote. “We have always been resillient.”
Pritchard will have to be resilient if he looks at the replies to his statement. About half of the Pacers fans’ comments were not happy, and fans of other teams called him out for “tanking.”
There were also a large number of fans who were supportive of Pritchard taking that risk.
Tyrese Haliburton is expected to return next season after tearing his Achilles in last year’s NBA Finals. The Pacers will have him Pascal Siakam and a roster they think is built to compete. They just won’t have that first-round pick to add to it.
May 10, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge (99) is tagged out by Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Joey Ortiz (3) trying to steal second base in the sixth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
There were a lot of similarities between today and yesterday’s loss, but at least this one was quicker. The Yankees couldn’t get the one extra hit they really needed, and the Brewers showed why they’ve been so formidable over the past couple years. In the end, breakout star Brice Turang clubbed David Bednar’s offering over the center-field wall in the bottom of the ninth to give the Brew Crew a 4-3 win and sweep the Yankees right out of town.
For the seventh time this season, Aaron Judge was able to spot his club a first-inning run:
That’s Judge’s 16th bomb of the year, moving him back into a tie for the most in baseball, now knotted up with Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies. He also passed Hall of Famer Larry Walker on the all-time home run list, No. 384 putting him in a tie for 69th with Harold Baines. In his first three PAs, the Captain was the Three-True-Outcome player, going deep, striking out, and working a walk in the sixth. Unfortunately old friend Gary Sánchez gunned down Judge’s stolen base attempt in that frame.
The following inning, Spencer Jones got the monkey off his back with his first career hit and RBI, a single to center that scored José Caballero and made it 2-0, New York:
I am not a Spencer Jones believer, and it had been a tough weekend for the sixth-ranked prospect. Good for him for getting his first MLB knock, and even better that it brought a run in. Hat tip to the kid.
We had a bit of a mixed bag from Carlos Rodón today. I think you can and should be encouraged by the pure stuff we saw — sitting 96 with his fastball and 87 with his slider, both notably harder than he threw them in 2025. The issue, perhaps predictably, was control. Three of the five innings he appeared in opened with a free pass to the leadoff hitter, and while he was able to get through three frames without trouble, if you poke a bee’s nest enough you’ll get stung.
William Contreras and Sánchez both walked to kick off the bottom of the fourth, before Rodón dotted Andrew Vaughn to load the bases. The Yankees cut Contreras down at home but couldn’t get Luis Rengifo out at first, meaning Garrett Mitchell’s fly ball was a sac fly and RBI rather than the third out of the inning, and the Brewers were on the board. A two-run single by recently-recalled erstwhile Yankees farmhand Blake Perkins put Milwaukee up 3-2, and while that would be the totality of damage against Rodón, all of the damage was because of that poor control.
Jake Bird was called upon to navigate a two men on, one man out situation relieving Carlos, and did just that to keep the deficit to just one. Jazz Chisholm Jr. wasted little time rewarding Bird for the clutch bit of pitching with a big swing in the top of the sixth:
That RBI double was as good as it would get though. The Yankees would get a man on in each of the final three innings, but in a repeat of yesterday, couldn’t manage the one hit to push another run across. Five Bombers struck out in the seventh, eighth and ninth, and Cody Bellinger and Jones were the only hitters to get a ball out of the infield — a single and a fly out respectively.
David Bednar was asked to work the ninth, and actually got two outs before facing Brice Turang, who entered action with a 158 wRC+ and a top-10 fWAR that matched Rice (1.8):
This is the second time the Yankees have been swept this year after that nightmare series down at Tropicana Field.
There’s nothing else really to say about the series, the Brewers outplayed the Yankees in all three games, took advantage of mistakes and their pitching staff was seemingly able to stave off disaster at will. Milwaukee’s a very good team, for a reason. The only thing you can do from here is fly down to Baltimore and take a couple games against a team that you should be able to, with a back-t0-health Ryan Weathers back in the rotation for the opener of that series tomorrow against righty Brandon Young. First pitch is at 6:35pm Eastern, and hopefully we get a more robust offensive effort in a different town.
Daniil Miromanov’s NHL chapter appears to be closing not with a dramatic farewell, but with the quiet reality so many fringe players eventually face — the dream never fully becoming permanent.
After bouncing between the NHL and AHL for much of the last five seasons, the Calgary Flames defenseman is heading back to familiar territory. According to Sport-Express reporter Fyodor Nosov, Miromanov has agreed to a deal with SKA St. Petersburg for the 2026-27 KHL season, officially leaving North America behind for now.
For a player once viewed as an intriguing late bloomer with offensive upside and size on the blue line, the move feels less like a surprise and more like the inevitable conclusion to a difficult year.
A Career That Never Fully Took Hold
The 28-year-old spent the overwhelming majority of the 2025-26 campaign with the Calgary Wranglers, where he quietly pieced together one of the better offensive seasons among AHL defensemen. Miromanov produced 11 goals and 38 points across 66 games, showcasing the puck-moving instincts that once made him an intriguing project for NHL organizations.
But opportunity at the highest level never truly materialized.
Miromanov appeared in just one game for the Flames this season after skating in 44 contests the year prior, where he managed nine points while rotating in and out of Calgary’s lineup. Despite flashes of mobility and offensive touch, he struggled to cement himself as a reliable everyday option on a team beginning to pivot toward a younger core.
His path to the NHL was unconventional from the beginning.
Undrafted and overlooked for years, Miromanov worked his way through the KHL before eventually earning an opportunity with the Vegas Golden Knights organization. He debuted during the 2021-22 season and spent the next several years shuttling between the NHL and AHL, unable to fully secure a long-term role at either stop.
The talent was always visible in stretches. So were the limitations.
At 6-foot-4 with a right-handed shot, Miromanov likely still could have generated interest on the open market as a depth defenseman or seventh option. But timing, roster construction and salary all work against players fighting for the margins of NHL rosters. After clearing waivers earlier in the year carrying a $1.25 million cap hit, the market around him never appeared particularly strong.
Back in Russia, the equation changes entirely.
With SKA St. Petersburg, Miromanov will have a legitimate chance to play meaningful minutes again instead of waiting for injuries or roster openings. He returns closer to home, to a league where his offensive instincts and puck-moving ability may be better suited for a larger role.
For Calgary, the departure also reflects the organization’s evolving direction. The Flames continue leaning heavily into youth movement and long-term development, leaving little room for veterans caught between prospect status and established NHL certainty.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Miromanov’s North American career is over forever.
A strong season in the KHL has revived NHL opportunities for plenty of players before him. But for now, this move feels like something more human than transactional — a player choosing stability, opportunity and a fresh start after years spent trying to carve out permanence in the toughest league in the world.
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was ejected for throwing an elbow out of frustration at the throat of Minnesota Timberwolves forward Naz Reid early in the second quarter of Game 4 of their rugged second-round NBA playoff series on Sunday night.
Wembanyama was whistled for an offensive foul as soon as he struck Reid, who had swarmed the NBA Defensive Player of the Year outside the paint along with teammate Jaden McDaniels after the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama rebounded a missed 3-pointer by the Spurs.
After a video review of the play, with the fans at Target Center chanting, “Kick him out! Kick him out!,” the foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 2 for excessive contact above the neck. That penalty triggers an automatic ejection, immediately swinging the balance of a pivotal game in the series toward the Timberwolves. The Spurs took a 2-1 lead with their 115-108 win in Game 3 on Friday.
When the penalty was announced, Wembanyama appeared to ask teammate Harrison Barnes: “What does that mean?”
After he slapped hands with each of his Spurs teammates on his way off the floor, with the arena sound system blaring Michael Jackson’s “Beat it!,” Reid sank both free throws to give the Timberwolves a 38-34 lead. Wembanyama finished with four points, four rebounds and three fouls in 13 minutes.
With Reid, Julius Randle and McDaniels in their frontcourt, the Timberwolves have had plenty of muscle and tenacity to send at Wembanyama, even if he’s been good enough offensively to overcome it. He had 39 points on 13-for-18 shooting from the floor in Game 3.
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was ejected for throwing an elbow out of frustration at the throat of Minnesota Timberwolves forward Naz Reid early in the second quarter of Game 4 of their rugged second-round NBA playoff series on Sunday night.
Wembanyama was whistled for an offensive foul as soon as he struck Reid, who had swarmed the NBA Defensive Player of the Year outside the paint along with teammate Jaden McDaniels after the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama rebounded a missed 3-pointer by the Spurs.
After a video review of the play, with the fans at Target Center chanting, “Kick him out! Kick him out!,” the foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 2 for excessive contact above the neck. That penalty triggers an automatic ejection, immediately swinging the balance of a pivotal game in the series toward the Timberwolves. The Spurs took a 2-1 lead with their 115-108 win in Game 3 on Friday.
When the penalty was announced, Wembanyama appeared to ask teammate Harrison Barnes: “What does that mean?”
After he slapped hands with each of his Spurs teammates on his way off the floor, with the arena sound system blaring Michael Jackson’s “Beat it!,” Reid sank both free throws to give the Timberwolves a 38-34 lead. Wembanyama finished with four points, four rebounds and three fouls in 13 minutes.
With Reid, Julius Randle and McDaniels in their frontcourt, the Timberwolves have had plenty of muscle and tenacity to send at Wembanyama, even if he’s been good enough offensively to overcome it. He had 39 points on 13-for-18 shooting from the floor in Game 3.
Davis Martin earned the spiritual win today, if not the statistical one. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Though things looked precarious for a moment there, but the Davis Martin Hype Train choo-choos on!
In the first inning, it looked as if the 29-year-old’s magical run to start this interesting 2026 campaign might finally be at its end. Martin struggled to put hitters away early, letting in a run in the first inning — just the second time this season he’s been tagged for a tally in the first — when Julio Rodríguez drove a double into the left field gap, moved to third on a wild pitch and ultimately scored on a Randy Arozarena poke into center field.
With those hits sandwiching a nine-pitch walk of Josh Naylor, it was one of the more laborious innings we’ve seen from Martin in a while. At that point, I was bracing myself for the inevitable turning of Martin’s luck.
Wrong. Martin gritted his teeth, dug in, and proceeded to allow just two baserunners over his final five innings, one via hit and one via walk. And it wasn’t all soft contact, either — Martin has become a bona fide whiff machine, tying the career high he set just six days ago with 19 swinging strikes.
His pitch chart is a thing of beauty, showing how effectively and consistently located his fastballs up and to the glove side, paired with a healthy dose of changeups and breaking balls just below the zone — more or less exactly where you want them.
Unfortunately, Martin was robbed of what should have been his sixth win of the season by virtue of Seattle starter Logan Gilbert, who the White Sox simply couldn’t touch in what was easily his best start of the season.
That the White Sox managed to win a game in which the opposing hurler twirled six one-hit innings, facing just a hair over the minimum, seems like an alien idea. Yet that’s exactly what happened today.
Sox hitters were clearly pleased to see Gilbert depart the game for José Ferrer in the seventh inning, although Ferrer followed his starter in keeping Chicago scoreless. In the eighth inning, it was Antonio Bazardo’s turn to quiet the Sox bats — and this time, the home team won the matchup with just a few swings of the bat.
First, Bazardo hung a dry-aged ham of a breaking ball to Randal Grichuk, who managed to deposit it into the bleachers despite a heady wind blowing in from left field.
It’s pretty refreshing when the declining veterans get cast off into the White Sox lineup and still actually have something left in the tank, isn’t it!
Almost immediately following, Drew Romo continued his tear at the plate, slicing a double into the right field corner to put the lead run in scoring position. After Sam Antonacci laid down a perfectly-executed sacrifice bunt to move Romo to third, it was Miguel Vargas’ turn to play clutch again. Though he certainly wishes he had hit this fly ball a little deeper, it was just deep enough for Romo to bait Arozarena into air mailing his throw home, allowing what was ultimately the winning run to cross the plate.
Seranthony Domínguez had a very Seranthony Domínguez ninth inning, loading the bases with just one out — and looking like his feel for the strike zone was irreparably gone for the day — before inducing a pop out and a weak ground ball to end the game and earn his ninth save of the season. We’re not even halfway through May, and those nine saves are already tied with Michael Kopech’s 2024 for the most saves by a Sox reliever since Liam Hendriks notched 37 in 2022. What a time to be alive!
With this win, the White Sox remain within striking distance of .500, and with Cleveland dropping their matinee to the Twins this afternoon, they’re just a single game back of the Guardians in an AL Central that is fully AL Central-ing, with four teams all hanging around .500 and refusing to take the reins and separate from the pack. They’ll look to keep climbing during the rest of this season-long homestand, next hosting Kansas City for a three-gamer from Tuesday through Thursday. Erick Fedde takes the hill in the first game of that set, scheduled for 6:40 p.m. CT. We’ll see you there!
May 6, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) skates against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period of game two of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone will miss Game 4 of their second-round playoff series against Anaheim on Sunday night with an undisclosed injury.
Coach John Tortorella said veteran Brandon Saad will draw in for Stone, who got hurt in the first period of Game 3 on Friday.
Stone attempted to return to the game, but couldn’t do it after apparently injuring some part of his lower body while chasing down a puck in the first period of the Knights’ 6-2 victory. Vegas leads the series 2-1.
Stone had picked up a first-period assist on Shea Theodore’s opening goal in the rout, giving him three goals and four assists in nine playoff games this season.
The 33-year-old Stone scored 73 points in 60 games for Vegas during the regular season. The two-way forward has been a mainstay for the Golden Knights since late in the 2018-19 season, becoming the first captain in club history before leading Vegas to the 2023 Stanley Cup championship with a hat trick in the clinching victory.
Saad scored nine points in 49 games for Vegas during the regular season. Game 4 will be his first appearance in this postseason, but the well-traveled forward played in eight postseason games for the Golden Knights last spring.
“Playoff hockey is the best time of the year, so I’m excited to get in and help the team win,” Saad told reporters at the pregame skate.
Tortorella chose Saad over Reilly Smith, who played all six games of Vegas’ first-round series victory over Utah before being scratched for every game against Anaheim.
MILWAUKEE — The Yankees don’t lose series often, but when they do, they get swept.
At least the last two times, anyway, and this one in crushing fashion.
After arriving here as one of the hottest teams in baseball, winners of 16 of their past 19 games, the Yankees delivered a dud of a series, getting swept by the Brewers, including a pair of walk-offs in the last two games.
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Sunday afternoon, it was David Bednar who gave up the game-winning home run to Brice Turang with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, handing the Yankees a 4-3 loss in front of a sellout crowd at American Family Field.
That came on the heels of Saturday’s 4-3 loss in 10 innings when the bullpen and lineup combined to waste Cam Schlittler’s gem, making for a frustrating weekend as the Yankees (26-15) dropped their first series since being swept by the Rays last month, going 6-0-1 in series in between.
They also fell to 1-8 against teams with winning records — the Brewers, Rays and A’s, accounting for their only three series losses of the season — though they haven’t had many chances to improve on that because there are currently only two other teams in the American League above .500.
“We’re really good,” manager Aaron Boone said. “We had a bad series.”
Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang (2) celebrates with teammates after hitting a game winning home run in the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at American Family Field. Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Carlos Rodón was hurt by a lack of command while giving up three runs in 4 ¹/₃ innings in his season debut, but the biggest issue for the Yankees all weekend was trying to figure out the tough Brewers pitching staff.
Coming into this series, the Yankees had outscored opponents 123-52 over their past 19 games, then mustered six runs on 16 hits in three games against the Brewers. They also struck out 39 times in 28 innings, hindering their ability to break any games open the way they had so often of late.
“They got an incredible pitching staff, from the starting rotation to their bullpen, their back-end bullpen,” said Aaron Judge, who crushed his 16th home run of the season in the first inning for the 1-0 lead. “Guys that, from the bullpen to their starters, run up to 97-plus. They got a good thing going over there. So it made for some tough at-bats, some long days, kind of battling back and forth all series long.”
Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon (55) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Making his first start in seven months, with elbow surgery in between, Rodón looked like he was still knocking off some rust. The left-hander walked five (three to lead off innings), hit a batter and threw a wild pitch, which turned into three runs — all coming in the fourth inning to erase a 2-0 Yankees lead — across 4 ¹/₃ innings allowing only two hits.
After scoring two runs early off righty Logan Henderson — Judge’s solo shot and Spencer Jones’ RBI single, his first career hit — the Yankees tied it up in the sixth inning on Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s RBI single against lefty reliever DL Hall. But that was all they would get, as the Brewers’ hard-throwing, back-end bullpen trio of Trevor Megill, Aaron Ashby and Abner Uribe shut them down late.
Then, after Jake Bird, Paul Blackburn, Fernando Cruz and Tim Hill had all put up zeros out of the bullpen, Bednar struck out the first two batters in the bottom of the ninth before throwing a first-pitch curveball over the heart of the plate to Turang, who snuck it over the center field wall to end the game.
Yankees outfielder Spencer Jones hits an RBI single during the second inning of their game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mark Hoffman/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
“Just didn’t execute the way I wanted to,” said Bednar, who had not allowed a homer in 16 appearances this season. “But that’s baseball. It sucks.”
So did much of the weekend for the Yankees, who will now try to get back on track against the Orioles on Monday.
“Tough weekend, obviously,” Boone said. “Didn’t play our best and I thought they pitched really well against us and matched up well against us. But just not able to string together enough big hits there. Good swing by Turang to finish it off. Obviously a tough weekend, part of it, and look forward to getting on to Baltimore and righting the ship.”
May 10, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (29) tags Athletics right fielder Carlos Cortes (26) for an out at home plate during the seventh inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
Ahead of Sunday’s series finale against the Athletics, the Orioles gave off the usual signs of chaos. There was a roster move to shuffle for a fresh bullpen arm who nobody really wants to see. There was a day-of decision to have Keegan Akin go as an opener instead of Chris Bassitt making a regular start. If you took those things and also were told that the Orioles would only get six hits and only score two runs, you’d probably be expecting a loss. The O’s surprised us all, avoiding a sweep by the once-Oakland Athletics with a 2-1 win.
The first prong of a successful opener strategy is actually having the opener get through a scoreless inning. When Akin is involved, this is not something you can take to the bank. On Mother’s Day, Akin turned in a fine outing, retiring his three batters on only 13 pitches.
The second prong is having the guy who otherwise would have been a starting pitcher pitch well. When Bassitt has been involved in the 2026 season, this has not been guaranteed, either. There was a “Here we go again” feeling to Bassitt allowing a leadoff double to the first batter he faced, then bungling the fielding of a comebacker hit by the second batter that he faced. The not-officially-called-Sacramento Athletics had two men in scoring position before Bassitt got anybody out and the first out he recorded was a run-scoring sacrifice fly, giving the A’s a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
Bassitt, to his credit, limited the damage to that one run. Also to his credit, he went on to pitch for five more innings without allowing any more runs. He worked through the Athletics lineup just like the Orioles hoped he might, giving up four hits and a walk while striking out six batters. The Orioles needed this kind of outing from the veteran who they signed with the idea of bolstering the back of their rotation. They’re going to need several more for the signing to look like something other than a bust. Bassitt lowered his season ERA to 5.21.
The Orioles knotted the game back up in their half of the third inning. The bottom of the lineup got things going, as Dylan Beavers led off with a double and Weston Wilson drew a walk. Those were the 7 and 8 hitters. #9 guy Blaze Alexander squared, dropped a bunt, and advanced the two runners as the lineup turned over.
In general, I am not a fan of sacrifice bunts. This one gets a pass because Alexander’s chances of doing damage are not high, might as well move the guys over for better hitters and see what happens. Not that the hitter who was at the top of Sunday’s lineup, Gunnar Henderson, has been at his best in the 2026 season; he entered the game with a 30.2% strikeout rate for the season and could very easily have struck out and ruined the point of getting a guy to third with only one out.
Henderson did not strike out. He did not even get to two strikes. After fouling off the first pitch he saw, Henderson was able to pull the bat inside and get to a cutter boring in on his hands. This resulted in a grounder to A’s first baseman Nick Kurtz, who was playing deep, not worried about cutting down a runner going home. Kurtz was slow to start running the ball to first himself and A’s starter Luis Severino didn’t rush there initially either. Henderson ran hard all the way for an odd infield hit. This was going to get the run in regardless, but Gunnar will certainly take the hit.
The Orioles still had Wilson at third base with only one out, but he was stranded by Taylor Ward and Adley Rutschman. This was not the only case of stranding runners on Sunday. Over the 5.1 innings that Severino was in the game, the Orioles got six hits against him and drew four walks. That’s a lot of traffic. They just couldn’t capitalize as much as you’d like, in part because they only loaded the bases in the fifth inning after they had two outs.
They did manage to get to Severino for one more run, which turned out to be the game’s decisive run. Samuel Basallo got things started with a double in the sixth inning. Leody Taveras moved him up to third as he added a single to center field; the ball hung up in the air too long for Basallo to be sure it wouldn’t be caught, so he wasn’t able to score. Basallo scored easily as the lefty Beavers slashed a line drive to the opposite field. The Orioles took a 2-1 lead that proved to be the final score.
The game did not lack for drama from then on. The Athletics threatened again in the seventh – Bassitt’s last inning – with Carlos Cortes picking up a one-out single and stealing second base during a strikeout to get himself into scoring position. Then they got one last hit against Bassitt as Nick Gelof drove a single into center field. That probably sounds like a recipe for a game-tying hit, doesn’t it? Except that Taveras, the center fielder, charged in hard on the ball and made a strong, accurate throw home. Basallo picked up the ball and was ready to tag out the runner.
Cortes is listed at 5’7” and 197 pounds. If he ran into you or I, that would probably go badly for us. Cortes’s problem is that he wasn’t running into us, he was running into Basallo, who is listed at 6’4” and 250 pounds. That’s a basic problem that Isaac Newton could have explained for Cortes with his laws of motion. You did this one in middle school math class. Does this moving object have enough force to budge a larger object that is braced to remain still? No, man. You’re going to look like an idiot if you try that. And so:
This was barely even dramatic enough to call it a collision. Cortes, probably realizing that he was running dead, and also realizing that he had no interest in a full-force crash into Basallo – which, remember, is against the rules now anyway – just kind of bumped awkwardly into Basallo. The young Orioles catcher sent Cortes flying as if he was a bumper in a pinball machine and Cortes was the ball.
Basallo stood up and regarded Cortes with a look of disdain. Like, you really tried that? This was a badass sequence reminiscent of Matt Wieters holding on to a ball after a collision during the Chris Davis Pitching Game, after which he flipped up his mitt and showed the umpire the ball, while grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Basallo has his own moment now. Runners beware. If any Orioles outfielder can execute a good throw home, you’re in trouble.
Fortunately, Anthony Nunez didn’t spoil the party in the eighth inning even though he gave up two walks and tossed a wild pitch. In the ninth, Rico Garcia came in and closed the door, allowing a two-out walk but otherwise keeping the maybe-some-day-Las Vegas Athletics off of the bases. This was Garcia’s third save of the year.
It is safe to say that this victory does not dispel any lingering concerns about the Orioles, particularly the state of their offense. Most games, six hits and two runs isn’t going to cut it, especially with another series against the Yankees coming up.
The Orioles are now three wins better than they were through the same number of games last season. That’s good. They are also now on pace to win 71 games this season. That’s not good. Avoiding the free fall is only the first problem. They still need to actually get good. These are problems for tomorrow and beyond. Today, they won the one game they could win today. That’s still worth something.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom earned his 1,900th career strikeout in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, becoming the second-fastest pitcher to that milestone by games and innings.
Seiya Suzuki struck out swinging on a 91.3 mph slider to end the first inning after Moisés Ballesteros swung and missed on a 98.1 mph fastball for the second out.
The 1,900th strikeout came in deGrom's 256th appearance, all as a starter. Hall of Famer Randy Johnson reached that mark in his 252nd game in 1997.
Johnson is second on the career strikeout list at 4,875. The left-hander was 33 when he reached 1,900, while deGrom turns 38 next month and has dealt with numerous injuries the past five years.
After the first inning, deGrom was at 1,578 1/3 for his career. Atlanta left-hander Chris Sale reached the milestone in 2019 at 1,560 1/3 innings, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Oh. Wait. You come here for game recaps and by gum, you are going to get one, though there’s not much to recap.
Jameson Taillon and Jacob deGrom matched zeroes through three innings. The Rangers scored in the bottom of the fourth. Josh Jung singled and one out later Joc Pederson doubled him to third.
Michael Busch went home right away and it looked like Carson Kelly tagged Jung before his foot came down on the plate. But he was called safe on the field and it was ruled “call stands.” Jim Deshaies, as you can hear on the clip, was not happy on the Marquee broadcast and I agree with JD, though the angle that showed the tag wasn’t the best.
That’s all the Rangers got while Taillon was in the game. He threw really well, I thought — 5.1 innings, four hits, just the one run, and no home runs allowed. It was just the second of Taillon’s eight starts this year in which he did not allow a home run, and the other was his first, way back on March 31.
But Jacob deGrom was throwing like 2018-19 vintage deGrom in this one. The Cubs had just three hits off him, a single and a double by Nico Hoerner and another single by Michael Busch. deGrom struck out 10 and didn’t walk anyone, and I rarely show you the pitcher report on the Cubs opponent, but holy moly look what deGrom did in this one [VIDEO].
Hoby Milner had relieved Taillon and didn’t allow a run, and Phil Maton, who’s been very good recently, threw 1.1 scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts.
The Cubs couldn’t do anything with Jacob Latz in the eighth, and with the score still 1-0, Craig Counsell called on Daniel Palencia to keep it that way. Friends, he did not do that. After Palencia recorded the first two outs routinely (one on an ABS challenge), he allowed a single to right and then Evan Carter smashed a home run just out of the reach of a jumping Seiya Suzuki.
Those were the first runs Palencia allowed this year, in his eighth outing. It happens.
Unfortunately, that put the game out of reach and the Cubs went down quietly 1-2-3 in the ninth to end things.
Here are some notes on this one from BCB’s JohnW53:
Yesterday and today are the 94th time since 1901 that the Cubs have been shut out in consecutive games.
The most recent was Sept. 6-7, 2024, by 3-0 and 2-0 at home vs. the Yankees. They made one hit in the first game and four in the second, including a triple.
That was the 84th instance that ended at two games. The Cubs were blanked in three straight games eight times: seven in 1902-24, then July 23-25, 1950.
They did not score in four in a row June 16-20, 1968, and April 27-May 1, 1992. ….. There had been only 29 previous shutouts since 1901 by all teams with three hits, no walks and exactly 10 strikeouts. Three had been by the Cubs, by 1-0 at Brooklyn in 1951, 2-0 at home vs. the Expos in 1981 and 3-0 at home vs. the Reds on Sept. 9, 2020.
In all games since 1901 with exactly three hits, the Cubs have won 80, lost 445 and tied four, a percentage of .155. ….. This was the 12th Mother’s Day game in which the Cubs have been shut out. The previous one was at St. Louis, 5-0, in 2017.
The Cubs also lost on the holiday last year. They have dropped five of six and seven of nine. Their overall record is 54-73-2, a winning percentage of .426.
This series, despite the two shutout losses, doesn’t really concern me that much. The Cubs did score seven runs Friday in a ballpark that appears to be playing as an extreme pitchers’ park this year. They allowed one, six and three runs in the three games, a total of 10, which isn’t too terrible.
All they can do is pick up the pieces, try to get things together after an off day Monday, and try to begin winning again against the Braves. The Cubs and Braves entered the day tied for MLB’s best record, though the Braves are leading the Dodgers late at the time of this recap. Colin Rea is listed as the Cubs starter for the series opener in Atlanta on Tuesday. At this time the Braves do not have a starter listed, but if they stay on rotation it could be Martin Perez facing the Cubs. Game time Tuesday is 6:15 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network (and TBS outside the Cubs and Braves market territories).
The Montreal Canadiens are set to face off against the Buffalo Sabres in Game 3 of the second round. The Canadiens will be looking to build on their momentum after defeating the Sabres by a 5-1 final score in Game 2.
It is no secret that the Canadiens have a big opportunity in front of them in Game 3. A victory in Game 3 would give the Canadiens a 2-1 series lead over the Sabres. A loss, on the other hand, would make the Habs be down 2-1 in the series, which would be far less than ideal.
The Canadiens are also playing Games 3 and 4 at home, so this is a major opportunity for them. Home-ice advantage during the playoffs is big, and it will be intriguing to see if the Canadiens can seize the opportunity in front of them.
It will now be interesting to see if the Canadiens can pick up a victory in Game 3. If they do, it would put them in an excellent spot for Game 4 at home. However, after how Game 2 went, there is no question that the Sabres will be looking for revenge in Game 3.
The Yankees were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday afternoon after the Brewers walked them off for a second day in a row.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Carlos Rodon was making his season debut for the Yankees, but before the left-hander could even take the mound Aaron Judge gave him the lead by launching an opposite-field solo home run in the top of the first inning against Brewers starter Logan Henderson.
It was Judge’s AL-leading 16th homer of the season and his seventh in the first inning.
-- Rodon graciously accepted the early advantage and held Milwaukee scoreless for the first three innings despite some early control issues which led to two walks. Those control issues followed him into the fourth inning, when Rodon walked the first two before hitting a batter to load the bases.
-- Rodon nearly escaped the inning with just one run allowed after a force out at home and a sacrifice fly got him on the doorstep of a successful inning. However, following a wild pitch, Blake Perkins got the Brewers’ first hit of the game, a single to center, that drove in two and put Milwaukee in front, 3-2.
It was terrible timing by Rodon, who allowed just two hits during his outing, to give up his first hit. Rodon was pulled with one out in the fifth after a hit and his fifth walk of the day to give way to Jake Bird,who struck out the next two batters.
Rodon’s final line: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 4 K on 78 pitches (42 strikes).
-- New York tied it in the sixth on Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s RBI double, but it could’ve been more had Judge not been caught stealing following a walk. Cody Bellinger also walked and scored from first on Chisholm’s double.
-- The game stayed tied into the bottom of the ninth inning after Bird, Paul Blackburn, Fernando Cruz and Tim Hill kept Milwaukee off the board. In the ninth it was David Bednar’s turn, but after he retired the first two of the inning via strikeout, Brice Turang ambushed the closer’s first pitch of the at-bat and deposited it 411 feet for the walk-off home run.
-- Spencer Jones will remember this game for a long time as he got his first major league hit in the second inning, a single that had an RBI attached to it. He finished 1-for-4.
Game MVP: Brice Turang
Turang sent the home fans happy with his walk-off blast.
BALTIMORE — All-Star shortstop Jacob Wilson suffered a left shoulder sprain diving for a ground ball and was removed in the fifth inning of the Athletics' game against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards on Sunday, May 10.
Wilson's left arm was in a sling following the A's 2-1 loss to the Orioles, and manager Mark Kotsay said Wilson will need to undergo additional imaging before a full prognosis is made. The A's are off Monday and play host to the St. Louis Cardinals in West Sacramento on Tuesday.
Wilson went to his left and laid out on the grass attempting to corral Gunnar Henderson's line drive up the middle. He smothered the ball, preventing a run from scoring, but stayed down on the grass momentarily as Henderson reached on a single.
After a brief consultation with an athletic trainer and Kotsay, Wilson jogged off and was replaced by Darell Hernaiz.
"He knew he injured something in the shoulder area," Kotsay said. "It's unfortunate. He made a great play, but anytime you're put in that position of making a great play and it results in injury, it's kind of tough.
"But that's the way Jacob plays the game. He plays the game hard."
Wilson, 24, is batting .292 with a .709 OPS this season. He finished runner-up in 2025 American League Rookie of the Year voting, a season during which he batted .311 with an .800 OPS. Hernaiz is likely the stopgap solution should the club place Wilson on the injured list.
While Wilson has not matched the breakneck pace of his rookie season, when he banged out 151 hits in 125 games, any significant loss would be significant for the A's, who at 21-19 are atop the American League West and have the AL's third best record.
"He’s been huge. He’s our everyday shortstop," says catcher Shea Langeliers, who at .336 leads the AL in batting. "We need him in the lineup. Hopefully, it’s not bad."