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Nationals 14, Mets 2: More like David Peters-out

Apr 29, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher David Peterson (23) follows through on a pitch against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

After the bats woke up in the first game of the series with the Nationals, David Peterson and Sean Manaea collectively got shelled in another terrible loss, 14-2. On Gary Cohen’s birthday no less.

The Mets were down from the top of the first, when Peterson allowed singles to three of the first four hitters in the game, which resulted in the first run of the game. A passed ball and an RBI ground out made it 2-0 before the Mets came to the plate.

The Mets loaded the bases in the bottom of the first against Cade Cavalli, but Tyrone Taylor struck out to end the frame without any scoring. The Mets added their first run in the bottom of the third when Juan Soto hit an opposite-field solo home run.

Peterson started to tire in the fourth. After striking out CJ Abrams, he walked Jacob Young and allowed back to back singles to Daylen Lile and Joey Wiemer, scoring Young. Two more walks with a strikeout sandwiched in between made it 4-1, and Peterson was done. Sean Manaea entered the game and promptly forced in a run when he hit Curtis Mead. Brady House then hit his first career grand slam, and it was 9-1. The pain continued.

The Mets put men on in almost every inning, but only managed to score in the fifth, when three straigth singles to lead off the inning led to Bo Bichette scoring the second run of the game. However, a Francisco Alvarez double play and a Brett Baty strikeout ended the bases loaded, no-out threat right quick.

The Nats continued to tattoo Manaea, adding a tenth run in the sixth and two more in the seventh. That would be enough for Carlos Mendoza, who pulled him in favor of Carl Edwards Jr. An infield single, a strikeout, a walk, and a single by Young brought in the thirteenth run of the game for Washington.

At one point, Edwards had struck out five Nationals in a row, but that streak was ended when Curtis Mead hit a solo home run, making it 14-2.

Two small bits of Mets minutia/Immaculate Grid information: Austin Slater made his first appearance as a Met, flying out in his only at-bat and playing left field, and Luis Torrens made his first appearance since 2021 (and first as a Met at first base).

The Mets hope to take the series tomorrow afternoon with Freddy Peralta facing Miles Mikolas.

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Win Probability Added

WPA Chart for Mets/Nationals 4/29/26

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Juan Soto, 17.0% WPA
Big Mets loser: David Peterson, -30.0% WPA
Mets pitchers: -44.0% WPA
Mets hitters: -6.0% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Juan Soto’s home run, 11.3% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: C.J. Abrams’s first inning single, -9.2% WPA

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Cunningham, Banchero put on show with 45-points a piece, but Pistons rally around star to get critical win

It took five games, but the Detroit Pistons found their offense — just in time to extend their season.

That started, as it has all year long, with Cade Cunningham, who dropped 45 points on 13-of-23 shooting. Except he wasn't alone — Orlando's Paolo Banchero matched him shot-for-shot and scored 45 as well, including six 3-pointers. It was an epic showdown between the back-to-back No. 1 picks.

Cunningham got more help in Game 5 than he has all series — the Pistons played with the desperation of a team trying to stave off elimination. Tobias Harris added 23, but the real key was the Pistons finally shot the ball well as a team — 48.8% overall and 35.7% from beyond the arc. A Detroit team that had an offensive rating below a point per possession through the first four games showed out, posting a 119.6 offensive rating in Game 5.

The result was Detroit never trailing and hanging on at the end for a 116-109 victory at home, forcing a Game 6 in Detroit on Friday night. No. 8 seed Orlando still has a 3-2 series lead and will look to close out the series at home, but there is life in the No. 1-seeded Pistons.

Game 5 was just different than the series up to this point.

Through four games, this series resembled a rock fight classic Eastern Conference playoff basketball, then Game 5 was an offensive explosion. For both teams.

Detroit had the ninth-best offense in the NBA in the regular season, and it looked like it on Friday night, in large part because Cunningham finally got some help. He also put up 27 in the first half, including eight from the free throw line. Jalen Duren looked better than he has this postseason with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting. Duncan Robinson added a dozen as well.

As good as things were going, the Magic were always within striking distance thanks to Banchero, and despite Franz Wagner being out with a strained calf (his status for Game 6 is unknown).

Anthony Black scored 19 off the bench for the Magic, and Desmond Bane had another strong game with 18 points. As a team, the Magic shot 44.7% from beyond the arc and recorded their best offensive rating of the series at 113.

It just wasn't enough because of Cunningham. Orlando will look to get a few more stops at home on Friday night.

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Big fourth quarter from Dennis Schroder gives Cavs 125-120 Game 5 win over Raptors

Apr 23, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cleveland Cavaliersguard Dennis Schroder (8) steals a ball from Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles (12) during the first half of game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers fought back from a double-digit second-half deficit to regain control of the series. Eleven fourth-quarter points from Dennis Schroder and multiple clutch shots from Evan Mobley carried the Cavs to a 125-120 victory to take a 3-2 series lead over the Toronto Raptors.

Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson decided to make a change with his starting lineup: Dean Wade was out, Max Strus was in. The idea behind this move was to primarily juice an offense that couldn’t get anything going in either Game 3 or 4.

This move didn’t produce instant results. The Cavs were outscored by nine points in the first five minutes with the starting lineup on the floor. They weren’t physical defensively, and the insertion didn’t provide the offensive boost Atkinson was likely hoping for.

Momentum changed after the initial subs came in. Dean Wade and Sam Merrill provided an immediate spark, but the real story was James Harden playing some of his best basketball since coming to Cleveland.

Harden carried the Cavs through the opening quarter. He poured in 14 points in that frame to help the Cavs secure a narrow 38-34 lead after one.

Cleveland gave that advantage away at the beginning of the second quarter.

Atkinson decided to give Thomas Bryant his first minutes of the series at the start of the second quarter, and it didn’t go well. The Raptors picked on him defensively and neutralized any advantage he would’ve created inside because they could cheat off Mobley.

This allowed the Raptors’ offense to get going. Toronto rattled off 40 points in the second quarter, led by 11 points from Ja’Kobe Walter, and the team went 5-8 (62.5%) from beyond the arc.

Turnovers were once again a problem for the Cavs in the second quarter. After a lights-out first quarter, Harden turned it over four times himself. As a team, Cleveland gave it up six times in the quarter, leading to 14 Toronto points off turnovers.

This all resulted in the Cavs going into the half with a seven-point deficit.

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Brandon Ingram left the game in the second quarter with a heel injury that kept him out the rest of the game. He scored just one point on 0-2 shooting in 11 minutes.

The Raptors pushed their advantage to 12 at the start of the third quarter. The Cavs fought back to keep the game within reach, and then cut the deficit to just three at the end of the quarter, thanks to a three and dunk by Mobley just before the clock expired.

A Jaylon Tyson three-pointer at the start of the fourth quarter tied the game. The Cavs took their first lead since midway through the second quarter with a Mobley triple. Dennis Schroder took over from there.

After being an afterthought for the first four games of the series, Schroder made his presence felt. He ran the offense in the fourth quarter and carried the team over the finish line. He scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter on an efficient 5-8 shooting.

Schroder’s emergence came at the expense of Donovan Mitchell’s minutes. Mitchell was held to just six and a half minutes in the final frame and didn’t re-enter the fourth quarter until under three minutes left in the game.

It was a weird game for Mitchell. There were spurts — particularly in the third quarter — where he was his usual aggressive self. Still, this wasn’t typical playoff form. He finished just four of his 10 shots in the paint. Mitchell had 19 points on 7-17 shooting with three assists.

Harden and Mobley led the Cavs with 23 points apiece. Harden went 7-13 from the field with nine rebounds and five assists. Mobley had six points in the fourth quarter.

RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 25 points on 9-19 shooting with 12 rebounds and five assists. Walter had 20 points on 7-16 shooting. Scottie Barnes had 17 points on 6-16 shooting with 11 assists and eight boards.

It’s been a hard-fought series that hasn’t necessarily been pretty throughout. The same warts that have plagued the Cavs throughout this era of basketball have cropped up at the worst times. Still, they have a chance to close out this first-round series as it shifts back to Canada.

Game 6 is on Friday evening.

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Mets suffer latest ugly disaster to Nationals as nightmare start hits new low

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea reacts after giving up a grand slam to Washington Nationals third baseman Brady House, Image 2 shows New York Mets pitcher David Peterson reacts as he walks back to the dugout against the Washington Nationals after ending the first inning at Citi Field in Queens, New York, USA, Tuesday, March 29, 2026, Image 3 shows New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez reacts after he strikes out looking against the Washington Nationals in the first inning
Mets lose

It’s official: The Mets are the worst team in baseball. 

And on Wednesday, especially, they looked the part. 

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Five weeks into the season and with a sky-high payroll, the mismatched disaster that is the Mets roster was overmatched again in a 14-2 loss to the lowly Nationals at Citi Field that wasn’t as close as the score might indicate. 

“We have to be better,” Carlos Mendoza said after his team’s 16th loss in 19 games. “There’s no excuses. It’s been a long period of time here that we’re not playing well. We’ve got to fix it.” 

Whether that’s even possible is a serious question. 

With their latest defeat, when they allowed a season high in runs, the Mets fell to 10-20. 

David Peterson reacts as he walks back to the dugout at the end of the first inning of the Mets’ 14-2 blowout loss to the Nationals on April 29, 2026 at Citi Field. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST

That’s a half-game behind their NL East rivals, the Phillies, who were rained out and remained 10-19. 

The weather was not as kind to the Mets faithful, as a few thousand masochists stuck around on a miserable, wet night in Queens to watch … what, exactly? 

David Peterson delivered his latest awful start, as the lefty’s ERA as a starter jumped to 8.10 after allowing seven runs in just 3 ²/₃ innings. 

Another rotation castoff, Sean Manaea, was called upon to replace Peterson and gave up a grand slam in the fourth. 

And the offense, which briefly awoke during a seven-run fourth inning in Tuesday’s win, went back to its typical ineptness against Washington right-hander Cade Cavalli. 

Sean Manaea reacts after giving up a grand slam to Brady House during the Mets’ blowout loss to the Nationals. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST

The lone exception to the collapse was Juan Soto, who looked to be in peak form. 

He homered in a second straight game and added a single and a double. 

But as everyone from Mendoza to David Stearns to Soto himself has said, even Soto can’t carry the team by himself. 

The Mets, though, apparently wanted to test that theory against the Nationals, as Soto — serving as the DH again as he deals with left forearm discomfort — provided just about the only positives for a Mets team that’s now dropped four of five. 

And there are five months to go. 

“The challenge is coming back tomorrow with a good attitude, a good mindset, work hard and try to take care of tomorrow’s game,’’ Peterson said. “It’s easy to let things compound. It’s easy to get caught up in it, but the only way to get out of it is to take it one day at a time and attack and win tomorrow.” 

As Mendoza said before the game: “We’ve got to play better baseball, period. Regardless of who we’re playing, we’ve got to start winning series. We haven’t been able to do that for a long period of time now.” 

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez reacts after he strikes out looking against the Washington Nationals in the first inning. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST

And they may have even made it harder on themselves Wednesday during their rare win Tuesday, when Mendoza went to Tobias Myers — who has pitched well out of the bullpen — for two innings with an eight-run lead. 

So the right-hander was unavailable to either open for Peterson — who started because Washington had two left-handers among their top four hitters — or take over for him in the fourth. 

Honestly, it’s hard to fathom any combination of pitchers or position players — short of cloning Soto — would have helped the Mets on Wednesday. 

An announced crowd of 32,624 — and fortunately, not nearly that many actually showed up — made its displeasure known throughout the latest defeat. 

New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza walks back to the dugout after making a pitching change against the Washington Nationals in the seventh inning. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST

As there has been with alarming frequency this season at Citi Field, the booing could be heard at some point during nearly every inning. 

With five months to go in what’s already been an interminable season, the Mets surely have hit rock bottom. 

But as they’ve proven consistently so far this year, there’s apparently always lower to go.

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Pistons vs Magic final score: Detroit will head back to Orlando for Game 6

Apr 29, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) dribbles defended by Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) in the second half uring game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

With Franz Wagner ruled out for Orlando with a calf strain, Detroit looked to capitalize inside. Jalen Duren was working inside early and the Pistons were in the bonus quickly with nine minutes left in the first. They got back to playing basketball the Detroit way with seven offensive rebounds and 12 second chance points. They led Orlando 38-26 after the first quarter.

The game turned into the Cade Cunningham vs Paolo Banchero show in the second quarter. Banchero was doing it all for Orlando as he looked to step up with Wagner’s injury, but Cade was a man on a mission. He had nine straight points at one point and finished with 20 points in just the second quarter alone. A couple bad fouls at the end of the quarter by Detroit gave Orlando a 7-0 run to give the Pistons a 66-60 lead heading into halftime despite Detroit holding a 17-point lead earlier.

There were two scares to start the second half as both Ausar Thompson and Tobias Harris rolled ankles. Duren picked up his fourth foul halfway through the quarter and Ausar was in the locker room, but Thompson returned to the floor shortly after. He found Tobias Harris in transition for a dunk then Cade for a three – so strange how good things happen when Ausar’s on the floor! Detroit took a 89-79 lead heading into the final frame.

Thompson had a nice behind-the-back move and drive on Jalen Suggs followed by two threes from Javonte Green and Duncan Robinson to push Detroit’s lead back to 16. Orlando battled back as Cade knocked down free throws for his 40th point to put Detroit up nine with five minutes to go. Banchero turned into a flamethrower from deep, hitting four threes in the final quarter and two late to make it a 112-109 game, but Cunningham hit Desmond Bane with a nasty step back midrange jumper that would end up being the dagger to force a Game 6 back in Orlando. Detroit would win 116-109.

I mean, give it up to Cade freakin’ Cunningham – he had 45 points on an incredibly efficient 23 shots, along with going 14-for-14 from the free throw line. Cade set a new franchise record as his 45 points were the most in Detroit Pistons playoff history. He also knocked down five of his eight three-point attempts. This guy is the real deal.

Tobias Harris continues to be the steady vet, and frankly, Detroit’s #2 option in this series. He finished with 23 points and eight rebounds while shooting 50% from the field. Duncan Robinson and Jalen Duren each finished with 12 points.

This might’ve been one of the most impressive games of Ausar Thompson’s career. He finished with six points, 15 rebounds, six assists, five steals, and two blocks. He was everywhere defensively and continues to be a difference maker on both sides of the court. He flashed some more ball-handling ability tonight and it’ll get more comfortable to him with time, but there’s no doubt he has been Detroit’s second most important player in this series.

While Paolo Banchero also had 45 points, it’s a good strategy to let him shoot the ball 31 times. To show how much of an anomaly this game was for him, it was the first time all season that he attempted double-digit threes while also being the first time he has made more than five of them. Frankly, the fact that Paolo had one of the best sharpshooting games of his career and Orlando still couldn’t get the job done should be good news for Detroit.

The series is now 3-2 heading back to Orlando as the Pistons will need to find a way to claw out another win. If they can win Friday night, Game 7 will take place in Detroit on Sunday.

Lock in, sickos.

Go Stones.

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Cade Cunningham propels Pistons to season-saving Game 5 win over Magic

An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows Cade Cunningham, who scored a team-high 45 points, drives by Anthony Black during the Pistons' 116-109 Game 5 win over the Magic on April 29, 2026 in Detroit

DETROIT — Cade Cunningham came through for the Pistons when they needed him. With Detroit teetering on the brink of elimination, Cunningham outdueled Orlando’s Paolo Banchero in a sensational scoring matchup of former No. 1 overall picks.

Cunningham had a franchise playoff-record 45 points and the top-seeded Pistons held off the eighth-seeded Magic for a 116-109 win on Wednesday night in Game 5 of their first-round series, avoiding elimination for at least a couple of days.

“We dug ourselves a hole and now it’s time to climb our way out,” Cunningham said. “It’s possible.”

Orlando leads the series 3-2 and will get a second chance to advance at home on Friday night. If the Pistons win their first road game of the series, they will host a decisive Game 7 on Sunday.

Banchero also scored 45 points for a playoff career high — but missed 7 of 12 free throws — and fell one point short of equaling the franchise postseason record shared by Tracy McGrady and Dwight Howard.

The Magic were outrebounded by 16 and made just 16 of 30 free throws.

“We got to be better on the glass and obviously, better on the free-throw line,” said Banchero, drafted No. 1 overall by Orlando in 2022. “If we make our free throws, we got a real chance of winning the game. We lost by seven, and missed 14 free throws. That’s the game.”

Cunningham set a single-game playoff scoring record for Detroit that had stood since Dave Bing had 44 points in 1968. Isiah Thomas approached that mark with a 43-point performance in 1988.

Cade Cunningham, who scored a team-high 45 points, drives by Anthony Black during the Pistons’ 116-109 Game 5 win over the Magic on April 29, 2026 in Detroit. Getty Images

In NBA history there was only one other playoff game with two players scoring 45 or more.

Donovan Mitchell scored 51 points for Utah in a win over Denver in 2020, while the Nuggets’ Jamal Murray had 50 points.

When Detroit drafted Cunningham first overall in 2021, it was hoping he would have games like this one.

He was 13 of 23 from the field, made a playoff career-high five 3-pointers and was 14 of 14 at the line.

“We’re going to see this a long time,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “He’s going to do a lot of special things.”

The 24-year-old Cunningham came up short in late-game situations with the ball earlier in the series and in last year’s first-round series against the New York Knicks, but he was clutch in key moments to extend the matchup with the Magic.

The Pistons never trailed, going ahead by 17 points in the first half and by 15 early in the fourth quarter.

The Magic pulled within three points on Banchero’s sixth 3-pointer with 1:09 left.

On the ensuing possession after Ausar Thompson hustled for an offensive rebound, Cunningham made a step-back, 16-foot jumper to help seal it.

Orlando’s Paolo Banchero, who scored a team-high 45 points, drives past Daniss Jenkins during the first half of the Pistons’ Game 5 win over the Magic. Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

“Not everybody is blessed with those opportunities to have pressure and have things on the line like that,” Cunningham said. “I’m just thankful for it and trying to make the most out of it.

“We’ve had a great season so far and none of us want it to end.”

The Pistons are hoping to bounce back from the brink of elimination as they did against the Magic two-plus decades ago.

Detroit’s comeback in 2003 as a No. 1 seed against eighth-seeded Orlando was the first of seven times NBA teams have come back from a 3-1 deficit this century.

The Nuggets were the last team to pull off the feat six years ago — in the same series that featured Mitchell and Murray each scoring 50-plus point — and they became the first team in the league to do it twice in one postseason.

“You don’t want to put yourself in this situation, but this is what we expected,” Bickerstaff said. “When our backs are against the wall, we come out swinging. We come out kicking. We come out scratching, biting, clawing.”

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Nathan Church’s Game-Saving Catch Helps Cardinals Beat Pirates 5-4

Apr 29, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II (11) and left fielder Nathan Church (27) and right fielder Jordan Walker (18) celebrate after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

At times it wasn’t pretty, but the St. Louis Cardinals got it done again as they beat the Pittsburgh Pirates Wednesday night 5-4 thanks to Andre Pallante, two doubles from JJ Wetherholt and a game-saving catch by Nathan Church.

Let’s start with the excellent start from Andre Pallante as he went deeper into Wednesday night’s game than any of his appearances this season. He tossed 6 strong innings giving up only 1 run before he turned the game over to the bullpen. More on that almost dumpster fire later.

The St. Louis Cardinals got on the board first when JJ Wetherholt continued his homecoming party doubling to the opposite field in the 3rd inning which scored Urias making it 1-0 Cardinals.

St. Louis would add to their lead in the top of the 5th inning when Alec Burleson hammered a 411 foot home run to left-center giving the Cardinals a 3-0 lead.

The Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t roll over as they answered in the bottom of the 5th inning cutting into the Cardinals lead 3-1. Victor Scott’s speed would become a factor in the top of the 7th inning when he stole a base and scored on a single by Ivan Herrera increasing the Cardinals lead to 4-1.

Herrera would score on a single by Jordan Walker also in the top of the 7th inning making it 5-1 St. Louis and they would need that additional run because…the bullpen. Ryne Stanek would come in for the bottom of the 7th inning and he was ineffective and that’s being kind. He walked Konnor Griffin then gave up a single to Bart. Griffin would advance to third on a wild pitch by Stanek. Ryne followed that up with a walk to Cruz to load the bases. Manager Oli Marmol went to the bullpen for emergency help in the form of JoJo Romero. He would immediately give up a single to Yorke scoring 2 runs cutting the St. Louis lead in half 5-3. Reynolds was then walked, but JoJo was fortunately able to get O’Hearn on a strikeout followed by a groundout by Ozuna to end the bottom of the 7th.

George Soriano was brought in for the bottom of the 8th inning, but drama followed him, too, not all of his doing. Gonzalez singled followed by a walk to Horwitz. Mangum grounded into what should have been at least a force-out if not a double play to Masyn Winn, but he bobbled it for an error leaving everyone safe. Cruz would ground out on a fielder’s choice for the 2nd out to JJ Wetherholt, but a run scored on the play making it 5-4 Cardinals.

Riley O’Brien came in for the save in the bottom of the 9th and he succeeded – barely. After getting Reynolds to ground out to start the 9th, O’Hearn hit a bloop single to left. Riley struck out Ozuna for the second out, but the final out would be dramatic. Gonzalez hit a ball to deep left that looked like it would be a walk-off winner for the Pirates, but Nathan Church did a very Nathan Church thing.

St. Louis will go for the 4-game sweep against Pittsburgh on Thursday as Hunter Dobbins will take the mound for his first St. Louis start against a guy you’ve probably heard of named Paul Skenes. First pitch scheduled for 11:40am central time Thursday.

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Victor Wembanyama vehemently defends crying on court: ‘Refuse to carry the burden’

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) raises his arms and acknowledges the fans before leaving during the second half of game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers at Frost Bank Center, Image 2 shows Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during the fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers in Game Five of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Frost Bank Center on April 28, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas
Victor Wembanyama

Victor Wembanyama is putting a new spin on Lesley Gore’s 1963 hit, “It’s My Party.” 

In it, she sings, “It’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to.” 

Wembanyama, 22, essentially said the same thing when he addressed fans who have criticized and mocked him for crying following emotional wins for the Spurs in an interview with French outlet L’Équipe. 

The Spurs superstar recently received attention from fans who noticed him crying after a comeback victory over the Clippers last month.

Victor Wembanyama raises his arms and acknowledges the fans before leaving during the second half of the Spurs’ series-clinching Game 5 win over the Trail Blazers at Frost Bank Center. Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

On Tuesday, he was visibly emotional on the bench as San Antonio clinched its opening-round series in five games over the Trail Blazers. 

When the French outlet asked Wemby about it, he had no problem defending his show of emotions. 

“That’s a tough question. I think it’s first and foremost a fear of judgment,” he told L’Équipe reporter Maxime Aubin. “Like this feeling that you have to act a certain way, social codes, I guess. Personally, I refuse to carry the burden of having to hide my emotions.” 

Wembanyama has become a massive star — both in his literal stature and popularity — through his first three seasons in the NBA. 

During the postseason, he’s averaged 21 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.0 blocks through four games. 

Victor Wembanyama reacts during the fourth quarter of the Spurs’ Game 5 series-clinching win over the Trail
Blazers. Getty Images

As for the emotion after the win on Tuesday night, Wembanyama explained it as having felt like the Spurs had passed a “step.” 

“It feels like a step passed, step 1 done. I’m personally happy to see things are moving forward in the right direction,” he said. 

San Antonio is going through its first playoff run since the 2018-19 season, and it’s hard to imagine any Spurs fan having any issue with the big man’s emotional displays as the team keeps winning. 

The Spurs will face the winner of the Nuggets-Timberwolves series.

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Matt Olson's walk-off bomb clinches series win vs. the Tigers, 4-3

 ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 29: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves reacts with Ozzie Albies #1 after hitting a walk-off two-run homer in the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Truist Park on April 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images 

The Tigers needed their ace tonight, and they got him. 

Tarik Skubal was as advertised. Outside of one blemish to start the game, he did not allow a Braves runner in scoring position in his seven innings of work. It would’ve been a well-deserved, tip-your-cap type of win.

But the 2026 Braves simply won’t be denied. Pitching by Ritchie, Lee, and López kept them in it, and our patience was richly rewarded with a Matt Olson walk-off home run to clinch another series win for Atlanta.

JR Ritchie’s first inning set the tone for his home crowd debut: serviceable, but not as dominant as what we’d seen in the DC matinee. The Tigers worked deep counts and didn’t go down 1-2-3 in any inning he pitched. In the first inning, he worked around a Gleyber Torres walk and Colt Keith single, but got two K’s to strand them.

In the bottom half of the first, the Braves drew first blood against Skubal by way of a Drake Baldwin single and an Ozzie Albies home run that looked identical to the one he hit to left field last night. 

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However, Ritchie would give those runs back in the top of the second in a two-out rally by Detroit. Wenceel Pérez, who spoiled last night’s shutout with a homer off Aaron Bummer, doubled to left. Ritchie walked the recently-recalled nine hole hitter Jace Jung. Hitting machine Kevin McGonigle’s single made it 2-1. An ill-advised pickoff attempt would tie it up 2-2. 

Unfortunately, Skubal settled in to shut down the Braves, sending us to the third. Riley Greene’s leadoff homer would give the Tigers the lead, 3-2.

The next few innings would be largely uneventful. Drake Baldwin notched a second hit off Skubal, Ritchie worked around runners on the corners in the fourth. In their respective innings, Matt Olson and Michael Harris II tried to set the table for a Braves offensive rally, only to be erased by double plays by Austin Riley and Jonah Heim, respectively. 

Ritchie came back out for the sixth and walked Kerry Carpenter, but got Spencer Torkelson to fly out before exiting to an appreciative ovation from the fans at home. Ritchie’s final line: five and a third innings pitched, five hits, three earned runs, four walks, and the homer to Greene. It wasn’t as efficient or commanding as his performance against the Nationals, but selfishly, I hope he is able to stick around to start in his hometown vs Seattle next week. 

Dylan Lee, back from his one-day stint on the paternity list, finished off the sixth and set them down in order in the seventh. 

Midway through Matt Olson’s at bat in the seventh, Tarik Skubal summoned his coaches and trainers and seemed to indicate that he was feeling something in his elbow or forearm. But after seemingly easily convincing him that he was fine enough to stay in, he looked more than fine as he struck out Olson, Riley, and Dubón in order.

Reynaldo López came trotting out of the bullpen to relieve Lee and only needed eight pitches to retire the Tigers in order. Efficient, but sideyeing that velo a little as he irons out his mechanics. Another thing to watch? Michael didn’t seem comfortable after gloving a sharp lineout. 

Former National Kyle Finnegan came in to face the Braves in the eighth. He struck out Mike before Walt Weiss went to his bench to pinch-hit for White and Heim. Mike Yastrzemski flew out, and Dominic Smith worked an ABS-assisted walk. Ronald walked and the table was set for our clutchest boy, Drake Baldwin. It was looking promising as he fouled off pitch after pitch and the speedy Jorge Mateo ready to rev the wheels and tie it up on a base knock. But it wasn’t to be as he grounded out to end the inning. Disappointed, but not in you, sweet Drake. Never in you.

Reynaldo went back out for the top of the ninth and threw another nine pitches to get three outs. 

Old friend Kenley Jansen took the mound for the Tigers looking for a save to add to his illustrious career. But he must still harbor some love for his ATL days, as he walked Ozzie on six pitches and getting the leadoff man aboard for Matt Olson. Matt had been hitting the ball pretty hard all night without much to show for it. Austin Riley lurked on the on deck circle. But all Riley had to do was watch it go off the bat of Matty O. 

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Bring out the Dubble Bubble bucket hat! This one feels especially good after Tarik Skubal did Tarik Skubal things for so much of the evening. That’s another series win, and an extension of the winning streak vs Detroit we mentioned earlier. 

The Braves will go for the sweep in some brunch baseball tomorrow. Elder and Valdez will face off starting at 12:15 pm ET. 

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Cade Cunningham stats tonight: Pistons star sets franchise scoring record

Facing elimination, Cade Cunningham willed the Detroit Pistons to a massive victory in Game 5.

Detroit withstood a late Orlando Magic surge Wednesday, April 29, winning 116-109, to force a Game 6, though Detroit still trails in the series 3-2.

It had been a frustrating round for Cunningham, who committed 24 turnovers over the previous three games prior to Wednesday night. Cunningham’s scoring had been there, but his supporting cast on the Pistons had been struggling to provide enough contributions.

At the risk of being closed out, Cunningham took matters into his own hands, setting a new Pistons franchise record for most points in a single playoff game.

Here’s Cade Cunningham’s full box score from Game 5 of the first round against the Orlando Magic.

Cade Cunningham stats vs. Magic

  • Points: 45
  • FG: 13-for-23
  • 3PT: 5-for-8
  • FT: 14-for-14
  • Rebounds: 4
  • Assists: 5
  • Steals: 1
  • Blocks: 0
  • Turnovers: 6
  • Fouls: 3
  • Minutes played: 43:39

Cade Cunningham highlights

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cade Cunningham points tonight, Magic vs Pistons stats

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David Peterson, Sean Manaea roughed up in Mets' blowout loss to Nationals

The Mets were routed by the Washington Nationals 14-2 on Wednesday night at Citi Field.

Here are some takeaways...

- David Peterson's return to the starting rotation didn't quite go as planned. Washington jumped on the left-hander for a pair of runs on three hits and a passed ball in the top of the first, continuing his season-long struggles in an inning he mastered all of last season. 

- Peterson appeared to have settle in nicely, retiring nine in a row, but the roof caved in on him in the fourth. Washington flipped the script on the Mets from Tuesday, putting together a seven-run inning of their own, with two of those coming against Peterson before they chased him from the ballgame. 

- Sean Manaea entered after a bases loaded walk and he didn't fare much better, forcing in another run with a HBP then giving up a grand slam to put this one out of reach. Peterson's ERA now sits at an ugly 6.53 after allowing seven runs on five hits and three walks over just 3.2 innings of work in his first start back in the rotation. 

- The Mets' offense did try to pick Peterson up after his rough start to the night, as they used a double and two walks to load the bases against Cade Cavalli with two outs in the first, but the righty struck out Tyrone Taylor with a 3-2 sinker up in the zone to dance his way out of danger. 

- Juan Soto had the double which started that first inning rally. The red-hot outfielder also got the Mets on the board in the third with an opposite-field homer for the second straight night, and then picked up his third hit to try to start a rally trailing by eight in the bottom of the fifth. 

- MJ Melendez followed Soto's knock with a single off the first baseman's glove. Francisco Alvarez immediately rolled into his sixth double play of the season, though, killing any hopes of a rally and allowing the Nats off the hook. The young backstop struck out looking in his other three AB's, bringing his average down to .123 over his last seven games. 

- Marcus Semien enjoyed himself a nice day at the plate, singling twice across his three at-bats. 

- Manaea ate the next two innings but fared just as poorly as Peterson. Washington tacked on five more runs against him, ripping seven hits, five of which went for extra-bases. Manaea has given up 15 runs over his last five appearances, raising his ERA to 6.14 for the season. 

- Carl Edwards Jr. gave up a run but threw well, striking out six over 2.2 innings of work. 

Game MVP(s): Curtis Mead 

Mead fattened up against the Mets' pitching, stringing together his first career four-hit game. 

Highlights

What's next

Freddy Peralta takes the mound as the Mets look to rebound in the rubber game with the Nats on Thursday at 1:10 p.m.

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Orioles place ace Trevor Rogers on 15-day IL with illness as rotation faces setback

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Trevor Rogers reacts after loading the bases during the second inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Trevor Rogers reacts after loading the bases during the second inning against the Boston Red Sox, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Baltimore.

The Orioles will be without a key arm in the rotation for at least the next two weeks.

Baltimore placed lefty Trevor Rogers on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday with an undisclosed illness. The move is retroactive to Sunday.

 Pitcher Cameron Foster was summoned from Triple-A to fill the open roster spot.

In a start Saturday against the Red Sox, Rogers lasted a season-low 1 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on four hits and two walks in what turned into a 17-1 loss.

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Trevor Rogers reacts after loading the bases during the second inning against the Boston Red Sox, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Baltimore. AP

“I felt really good going into today. My body feels good. I think my stuff’s in a really good spot,” the 28-year-old told reporters after the loss, according to MLB.com. “I’m just going to keep working and keep staying disciplined and I know, in the long run, this will turn around. … I know if I continue to do what I need to do and keep throwing the pitches in good spots, eventually, it’s going to go my way. I pride myself on getting contact and getting guys to swing the bat. I’m doing that. It’s just falling and just some big innings right now.”

Even though he didn’t take the hill until May, Rogers was one of the bright spots on the Orioles last year when he carried a 1.81 ERA and 0.903 WHIP across 18 starts. He received down-ballot Cy Young Award votes and finished ninth in the American League voting.

It looked like a revival for a starter who came to the Marlins as a first-round pick in 2017 and earned a National League All-Star spot in 2021 before struggling in each of the next three seasons resulting in a midseason trade to Baltimore in ’24.

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Trevor Rogers wipes his face in the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Sunday, April 19, 2026. AP

This year, so far, hasn’t been as promising with a 4.75 ERA through 30 1/3 innings. He’s now the 11th player on Baltimore’s current injured list.

The Orioles, who were rained out on Wednesday, have a 14-15 record and are third in the AL East. The starting pitching has not gotten the job done, as not a single one of their rotation members with at least 20 innings this season has an ERA under 4.00.

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Rockies 13, Reds 2: Big hits in the Queen City

Colorado Rockies designated hitter Hunter Goodman (15) gestures after hitting a 2-run home run in the seventh inning of the MLB baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Colorado Rockies at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It looks like the Colorado Rockies offense just needed an extra day to arrive in the riverside city of Cincinnati. After last night’s two-run affair, the Rockies exploded on offense tonight while largely shutting down the Reds.

A spoonful of Tommy Sugar

Tomoyuki Sugano 菅野 智之 continued his run of strong pitching for the Rockies with 5.1 scoreless innings against what has been a fairly potent Cincinnati offense. Sugano wasn’t as sharp as usual, issuing three walks with two strikeouts, but he kept the Reds off the board despite those walks and four hits. He also had a little help from a sharp Rockies defense. In the bottom of the first inning, Ezequiel Tovar made a diving stop and threw out a Reds baserunner at home to end the inning.

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After issuing a single and a walk to start the sixth inning, Sugano managed to get one final out before his pitch count and situation pulled him from the game. His ERA for the season now sits at just 2.84, the lowest of any member of the Rockies’ rotation. Only Chase Dollander—operating largely as bulk relief with an opener—has a lower ERA.

Believe in the bullpen

Lefty Brennan Bernardino entered the game with two runners on and only one out with the goal of keeping the Rockies’ shutout intact. Brett Sullivan and Ezequiel Tovar caught the lightning-quick Elly De La Cruz stealing before an easy flyout ended the inning. Bernardino would work another full inning with a strikeout before his night was done, though he did give up one hit.

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Juan Mejia took over for the eighth inning and did give up a leadoff base hit, only to quickly set down the next three batters swinging.

Jimmy Herget, newly reinstated from the paternity list, had a little rust to shake off in a ninth inning that was largely a formality. All three outs he recorded were strikeouts, but he did give up two earned runs on four hits. The earned runs were via a Will Benson home run, the first home run Herget has given up since July 29th of last season.

Pizza or taco’s?

The Rockies still struck out 11 times against Cincinnati pitching—which apparently earns Reds fans a free small, one-topping pizza courtesy of LaRosa’s Family Pizzeria—but that hardly seems to matter in an offensive effort that gave Rockies fans taco’s and more. The Rockies plated 13 runs on 15 hits and drew a strong six walks against Reds pitching staff.

The game had a promising start when Brenton Doyle doubled in his first at-bat of the day and was followed up walks issued to Willi Castro and Hunter Goodman. Backup catcher Brett Sullivan then slapped a bases-clearing double to right field to give the Rockies an early 3-0 lead.

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A Willi Castro RBI double in the third inning and a Hunter Goodman solo home run in the fifth had the Rockies up 5-0, but the damage kept coming. In the top of the seventh inning Hunter Goodman demolished a second home run—his eighth of the season and the Rockies’ league-leading fifth multi-home run game of the season—to score another two runs. A Kyle Karros sacrifice fly scored yet another run.

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With the Rockies up 8-0 in the top of the ninth inning, the Reds chose to wave the white flag and send in catcher Jose Trevino to pitch. The Rockies didn’t take it easy on Trevino, scoring another five runs on six hits. The inning saw Ezequiel Tovar, Kyle Karros, and Mickey Moniak get their first hits of the ballgame, with Moniak’s double extending his current hitting streak to 13 games. When all was said and done, the Rockies had gone 7-for-14 with runners in scoring position. It was a breath of fresh air after yesterday’s 1-for-11 mark.

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Sadly, only Jordan Beck was left hitless after the festivities. Beck went 0-for-6 with two strikeouts and currently has a .440 OPS this season. Meanwhile, Brett Sullivan and Hunter Goodman were the heavy hitters of the evening, both going 3-for-4 with a walk and three RBIs.

Coming Up Next

The Rockies have an early start time tomorrow as they close out the series against the Reds and look for a series win on the road. Righty Michael Lorenzen will make the start for Colorado against Cincinnati lefty Andrew Abbott. First pitch is scheduled for 10:40 AM MDT.

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Tigers 3, Braves 4: Atlanta walks it off as Kenley Jansen drops the ball

Apr 29, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detroit Tigers right fielder Kerry Carpenter (30) catches a fly ball against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Tigers were hoping to bounce back from their Tuesday evening loss to the Braves, and they were hoping Tarik Skubal would be the man on the mound to make that happen. Atlanta was leaning on J.R. Ritchie to get them the second win of the series.

The Tigers started out aggressively against Ritchie, with a one-out walk to Gleyber Torres followed by a single for Colt Keith. But two outs followed, despite Dillon Dingler’s attempt to challenge a third strike call that ended the inning. Skubal, meanwhile, had a rough start to the first. with Drake Baldwin getting a one-out single, followed by some unfortunate deja vu as Ozzie Albies homered into left to score two runs. Atlanta would have to settle for just those runs, but it was a tough way to get the game going.

With two outs in the second it seemed like the Tigers might already be fizzling, but then Wenceel Perez doubled, followed by a Jace Jung walk. Kevin McGonigle then singled on a liner into center, bringing Perez home. Then, Ritchie made an error attempting to pick off McGonigle, which allowed Jung to come home and tie up the game. It was all the Tigers would get, but they were two mighty important runs.

The Braves went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning because Skubal doesn’t like having bad innings and tries to make teams suffer for them.

The third showed that the Tigers weren’t going to let this game stay tied for long. With one out, Riley Greene hit a solo home run practically to dead center. Two outs followed but the Tigers sure did have the lead when it was all said and done. Now they just had to keep it.

With two outs in the bottom of the third, Drake Baldwin singled, but the Braves weren’t able to convert the baserunner.

In the fourth, Perez got on base for the second time in the game with a one-out walk. Another out later, McGoingle continued to McGonigle, singling to put two men on. Unfortunately, a Gleyber Torres groundout ended the inning with no additional runs scored. In the home half, Matt Olson singled to start things off, but don’t clutch your pearls just yet because he was quickly eliminated in a double play off the bat of Austin Riley. A groundout then ended the inning no harm done.

The fifth inning saw the Tigers going 1-2-3. Michael Harris II singled to start the home half, but a flyout and double play then safely ended the inning.

Kerry Carpenter got a leadoff walk in the sixth, and while Ritchie did collect the first out of the inning with a Spencer Torkelson flyout, his day was still done. Dylan Lee came out of Atlanta’s bullpen to get the final two outs of the inning. A nice little 1-2-3 outing for Skubal in the home half had to feel good for everyone involved, especially Colt Keith whose precision throw to first got the final out of the inning.

The seventh was another 1-2-3 inning, and I don’t know about everyone else watching but I do feel like some insurance runs might be a good idea here. There was a concerning pause at the start of the home half where Skubal had Dingler come out to the mound and it looked like he might be having some left forearm discomfort. A.J. Hinch and assistant athletic trainer Kelly Rhoades came out to look at him, but he waved everyone off and stayed in the game. Whatever was going on with him didn’t seem to lessen his skill, though, as he mowed through the side in order.

Reynaldo López was the new Atlanta pitcher out of the pen in the top of the eighth. He got the Tigers three-up, three-down. In the home half, Skubal’s day was done after seven, his final line for the game was 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 1 HR on 91 pitches. Kyle Finnegan came in out of the Tigers’ pen. While a missed call would have gone Detroit’s way with a called third strike, it was overturned by the ABS for ball four for Dominic Smith. Ronald Acuña Jr. then drew a walk. A groundout from Baldwin ended the inning, though, and Finnegan was no worse for the wear.

The Tigers once again went 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth, and had to hope they’d done enough to hold onto the lead. Helping them manage it would be Kenley Jansen in the bottom of the inning, trying to add to his all-time saves total. Jansen started out rough, with a leadoff walk to Ozzie Albies. Matt Olson then hit a home run right into the bullpen to walk off the game and make the Tigers regret not getting more insurance runs.

Final: Braves 4, Tigers 3