One of hockey's most anticipated spectacles is about to become one of the hottest tickets of the year, as fans will soon get their first opportunity to witness the Utah Mammoth and Colorado Avalanche collide beneath the open sky.
Tickets for the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic at Rice-Eccles Stadium on the campus of the University of Utah will officially go on sale Tuesday, June 16, giving fans the chance to secure seats for the outdoor showdown scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 31.
Sales begin at 10 a.m. MT through Ticketmaster, the NHL's official ticketing partner, with tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. Purchasing through Ticketmaster guarantees buyers receive the seats they select through Ticketmaster.com or the Ticketmaster app.
The New Year's Eve showcase will mark a historic milestone for the Mammoth franchise, which is set to make its outdoor debut during just its third NHL season. The event also brings one of the league's newest clubs onto one of its biggest stages, creating another chapter in the NHL's continued expansion of marquee outdoor events.
Colorado enters the game with previous experience under the elements, having appeared in three regular-season outdoor contests and posting a 1-2-0 record.
The Avalanche first took part in the 2016 Stadium Series at Denver's Coors Field, falling 5-3 to the Detroit Red Wings before a crowd of more than 50,000. Four years later, they dropped a 3-1 decision to the Los Angeles Kings at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs during the 2020 Stadium Series.
Their lone outdoor victory came in memorable fashion at the 2021 NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe, where Colorado defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 against one of the most picturesque backdrops the league has ever showcased.
With Utah making franchise history and Colorado looking to add another signature outdoor win, the Winter Classic promises to deliver one of the NHL's premier events to Salt Lake City for the first time.
Fans looking for additional Winter Classic updates or historical information on NHL outdoor games can also visit the league's official resources ahead of what is expected to be one of the season's signature attractions.
Jun 10, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer #4 slides into home plate against Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto #10 during the seventh inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images | Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images
Phillies 7 Blue Jays 4
That was bad in a lot of ways.
Might as well get the congratulations out of the way first, Max Scherzer got his 3500th strikeout, just the 11th pitcher to get to that number. He’s at 3503 now. Number 10 in the list is Walter ‘Big Train’ Johnson at 3509. But I really don’t care if Max passes him. It very much appears that Max has aged out of being a useful MLB pitcher.
Max threw 3.1 innings, allowed 5 hits (with 2 home runs ), 5 earned, 3 walks with the 4 strikeouts.
When Shane is ready to come back, I’d likely hand Max his gold watch.
And the offense did very little. There are a couple of moments I’d like to mention. In the third inning, with two out, George Springer walked on five pitches (it could have been four, he swung at one off the plate) and then Vladimir Guerrero walked on four pitches. Next up Ernie Clement, who, one would imagine, would have seen the two at bats before him and thought ‘maybe I should take a strike’. Nope swung at the first pitch, that was outside and almost bounced. And he swung at the second pitch, but it was a strike. And then he swung at the third pitch, which was a little further outside than the first.
I know that Ernie is like that (though he did walk later in the game), but we were down by four. I mean, I can see going up and thinking ‘I’m likely to get a first pitch fastball down the middle’ and then sit on that, cause the pitcher doesn’t want to walk the bases loaded. But anything else, he should have kept the bat on his shoulder.
Sorry Ernie, you are having a great year, but that could have been our chance to get in the game.
And in the fifth, we had runners on first and second (Myles Straw and Nathan Lukes hit singles) with one out. A pitch was bounced, Straw got a bit of a jump off second, but the ball bounced off the catcher and up the third base line. Straw saw he’d be out and went back to second, but Lukes saw Straw take the couple of steps and headed to second. He didn’t see Straw retreat and Lukes was an easy out, ending the inning.
You gotta be watching the guy ahead of you.
We did get some runs:
One in the sixth: With one out, Clement (now he walks) and Kazuma Okamoto walked. Yohendrick Piñango, in a tough spot against a lefty, struck out. But Brandon Valenzuela singled. Clement ran through the stop sign at third and scored. If he had been thrown out, I’d have benched him. We were down six and would have had the bases loaded. Unfortunately Andrés Giménez flied out to end the inning.
Three in the seventh: Phillies reliever Chase Shugart had all sorts of trouble with the strike zone. Straw singled. Lukes (on four pitches) walked. Springer (on four pitches) walked. Vlad (on five pitches, one right dead center) walked in a run. Ernie Clement, who had the bad at bat earlier, took a strike and then hit a deep fly to the opposite field, unfortunately caught at the wall, for a sac fly. Okamoto hit another sac fly (Springer was just safe). Piñango ground out to end the inning.
In total, we had eight hits and seven walks. Straw had 3 hits. Vlad and Springer each had a hit and two walk. . Lukes a hit and a walk. Piñango and Charles McAdoo were the only starters not to reach base.
With Scherzer coming out early, we used a bunch of relievers, thankfully tomorrow is an off day.
Mason Fluharty got the last two outs of the fourth, but gave up another run.
Tommy Nance pitched the fifth, giving up just a hit.
Jeff Hoffman pitched the sixth, with just a walk and a strikeout.
Braydon Fisher started the seventh, but gave up a couple of hits, a walk and run, while getting just one out.
Spencer Miles finished the seventh and pitched the eighth, without giving up a baserunner, with 2 strikeouts.
Tyler Rogers pitched the ninth. He made a couple of nice defensive plays. On a comebacker he looked the runner at second back to the bag and then threw to first and, on the last out, it was a roller down the first base line, and
Jay of the Day: No one, the high mark was Springer (0.05).
Jun 10, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Jordan Walker (18) runs out an RBI single against the New York Mets during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Gregory Fisher/Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Jordan Walker homered and drove in four runs, his latest big game in a breakout season, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Mets 9-2 on Wednesday night to match a season high with their sixth straight victory.
St. Louis starter Andre Pallante (7-4) allowed two runs and three hits in six innings. Pallante earned his third straight win and surpassed his win total from 2025 when he finished 6-15.
Walker knocked in the first run with an RBI single off New York opener Austin Warren (1-3) in a two-run first. Walker gave the Cardinals a 7-0 lead in the fourth by hammering David Peterson’s fastball into the center-field seats for a three-run shot.
Walker’s single and 401-foot drive gave him 52 RBIs, one more than his previous career best set in his rookie season. He also surpassed his previous high by hitting his 17th homer, and he has at least one RBI in five straight games.
The 24-year-old Walker had multiple hits for the fifth time in six games and is batting .424 over his last seven games.
Nelson Velázquez preceded Walker’s homer with a two-run shot in the third to give the Cardinals a 4-0 lead. Alec Burlerson homered for the second straight night in the ninth and extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
St. Louis has outscored the Mets 16-2 in the first two games of the three-game series.
Masyn Winn added an RBI and reached base three times. José Fermín provided an RBI single as the Cardinals won a sixth straight game for the second time this year.
Francisco Alvarez hit a two-run homer in his second game back after missing four weeks with a torn meniscus in his knee, but the Mets were held to three hits. Juan Soto was 0 for 3 and is mired in a 3-for-30 skid.
Warren threw 33 pitches to seven hitters in his second appearance as an opener. Peterson was tagged for six runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.
Up next
St. Louis RHP Hunter Dobbins (1-0, 2.77 ERA) faces New York RHP Christian Scott (2-0, 2.50) in the series finale Thursday afternoon.
Jun 10, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (28) hits a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the third inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images | Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images
Over the course of his long, illustrious career, future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer has had many dominant performances against the Phillies.
Tonight was not one of them.
The Phillies victimized the 41-year-old Scherzer in his first start back from the injured list, teeing off for five runs and two home runs off of their old nemesis while Jesús Luzardo delivered 5.2 strong innings and the Phillies bullpen avoided disaster to deliver a series win in Toronto with a 7-4 victory in the finale.
How many times do we have to teach you this lesson old man?
Bryce Harper opened the scoring in the first, taking the first pitch he saw from Scherzer to deep left field, and it kept on carrying right over the head of Blue Jays left fielder Yohendrick Piñango for Harper’s 15th homer of the year.
Scherzer needed 47 total pitches to get through the first two innings. Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner then led off the third inning with back-to-back singles before Harper grounded out to put runners on the corners with one out. Brandon Marsh then popped up to shortstop, putting the scoring threat in jeopardy, but Alec Bohm blasted a hanging slider from Scherzer into left for a three-run home run to push the lead to 4-0.
Bryson Stott then drew a five pitch walk and stole second, but J.T. Realmuto grounded out to end the inning. Scherzer was already at 75 pitches through three and the knockout blow would come in the fourth. That inning started with an Adolis Garcia strikeout before Justin Crawford singled on an infield hit to third base that chased Scherzer from the game. Mason Fluharty entered in relief and Schwarber greeted him with a two-run homer, his MLB leading 24th home run of the season, and gave the Phillies a 6-0 lead.
Jesús Luzardo entered tonight with a drastic split in his home/away ERA, with a 1.54 ERA in six road starts and a 7.34 ERA in seven starts at Citizens Bank Park. That trend continued as he went 5.2 and allowed one run on four hits and four walks with eight strikeouts. Luzardo looked to be headed for trouble in the third following back-to-back two-out walks, but a mound meeting with pitching coach Caleb Cotham and catcher J.T. Realmuto seemed to do the trick, as Luzardo then struck out Ernie Clement on three pitches.
He couldn’t quite finish his strong outing though, as Luzardo again walked two in the sixth, this time with one out, and then allowed a two out single to Brandon Valenzuela to get the Blue Jays on the board and end the night for the Phillies lefty after 96 pitches. Jonathan Bowlan replaced Luzardo and quickly retired Andrés Giménez to end the sixth. Stott meanwhile singled in Harper in the top of the seventh to get the run back that Luzardo surrendered.
Too close for comfort
Chase Shugart was then tasked with giving the Phillies leverage relievers some much needed time off with a 7-1 lead, but he couldn’t get the job done. Shugart allowed a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh before issuing three straight walks, forcing a run in and cutting the lead to 7-2. Clement followed with a sacrifice fly, finally getting the first out but bringing in yet another run. Brad Keller was called upon to clean up Shugart’s mess and he allowed another sacrifice fly, this time to Kazuma Okamoto that cut the lead to 7-4 before getting a groundout to end the inning. To add injury to insult, Adolis Garcia was injured making the throw on Okamoto’s sac fly and had to be replaced by Steward Berroa.
José Alvarado pitched around a two out single to throw a scoreless eighth, but the three-run lead once again led to Jhoan Duran entering for a save situation, making his 17th appearance in 33 games since returning from the injured list and fifth in a back-to-back over that span. He erased a leadoff single with a double play off the bat of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. but surrendered a two-out single to Ernie Clement. An ABS-assisted strikeout of Okamoto ended the game and gave the Phillies the lead, but Duran added 10 more pitches to his recent workload.
Friday’s Matchup
The Phillies will head to Milwaukee to face Jacob Misiorowski (7-2, 1.50) on Friday night. Andrew Painter (1-7, 6.21) will once again search for consistency on the mound for Philadelphia. First pitch is scheduled for 7:40 pm.
The bullpen has largely been a strength of the Mets this season, but it was a weak spot Wednesday night.
Allowing at least seven runs to the Cardinals for the second straight game — as well as the 18th time overall this season — the Mets relievers struggled to contain St. Louis in a 9-2 loss that was exacerbated by another meek team performance at the plate.
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In front of a sparse crowd at Citi Field, the four Mets pitchers who took the mound combined to give up 11 hits, four walks and three home runs in the Mets’ third loss in their past four games.
“Obviously, the last two nights, not the way you want it,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said following the loss. “It starts on the mound with starting pitching. We haven’t done that the past couple of nights. And then you get in a hole and then offensively, it’s going to be a challenge. We need starters. We need the offense. We need to play defense. We need to play consistent games.”
It took the Cardinals until the third inning to break through in the series opener Tuesday, but the visitors wasted no time Wednesday.
As a result, the Mets, who continue to ride these periodic bullpen games, trailed 4-0 by the third inning for the second game in a row.
Austin Warren required an early mound visit after giving up a run four batters into the game.
Finishing with two earned runs, two walks and one strikeout on 33 pitches through the first inning, Warren had the Mets chasing the game from the get-go before another night of cold bats ensured the team was never able to recover.
While David Peterson replaced Warren and pitched for the majority of the game (3 ²/₃ innings), the 6-foot-6 hurler was not at his sharpest either. With two outs and two strikes on Masyn Winn in the third inning, Peterson ultimately fumbled the leading count with three straight balls and walked him.
On the very next pitch, Nelson Velázquez blasted a 92.4 mph sinker right over the plate for a two-run homer.
David Peterson looks down at the ground after giving up a two-run homer to Nelson Velázquez who round the bases in the third inning of the Mets’ 9-2 loss to the Cardinals at Citi Field. Robert Sabo for New York Post
“It’s hard to describe, [Peterson is] a good pitcher and we’ve seen flashes, especially coming out of a bullpen,” Mendoza said. “I think it’s just outings where whether it’s a walk, whether it’s pitch selection, not executing, and today was one of those. I look at him as a guy that we’re going to need to get big outs for us, and I’m confident in Peterson even though it’s been hard for him. Continue to trust him and continue to work with him.”
The Mets managed to load the bases in the bottom of the third, largely thanks to Brett Baty’s leadoff single and stolen base. Cardinals pitcher Andre Pallante then hit Luis Torrens and walked Juan Soto.
Jared Young, however, grounded out to end the inning and strand all three.
Nelson Velázquez (38) celebrates with teammate Masyn Winn after hitting a two-run homer off David Peterson in the third inning of the Mets’ loss to the Cardinals. Robert Sabo for NY Post
While Peterson wasn’t trusted enough to make it to the end of the fifth, finishing with seven hits, six earned runs, two walks, two homers and one wild pitch, the Mets got a couple of scoreless innings out of Cionel Pérez and Jonathan Pintaro before the latter gave up a home run to Alec Burleson in the ninth inning.
Despite being requested by the media, Peterson left the clubhouse before reporters entered the locker room.
When Francisco Alvarez was asked if he’s sensed any frustrations from Peterson over what has been a rough start to the season, the Mets catcher denied the notion.
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“No, no, Petey is a strong-minded person,” Alvarez said through a translator. “There have been points in his career where he’s had tough stretches, but he always finds a way to get out of there. I know as long as he continues to work, he’ll get out of it and by the end of the season, he’ll have the numbers that he wants to have.”
Jun 10, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday (7) celebrates with his teammates after hitting a grand slam during the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
It may have started on time and finished without interruption, but Wednesday night’s game was rain-delayed in spirit for the Mariners. They could never really get the engine to start for their offense as they dropped the third game of their series in Baltimore, 7-2.
Orioles starter Brandon Young cruised as the Mariners struggled to get the ball in the air. He induced 12 ground-ball outs — a recipe for success against a Mariners team that leads baseball in percentage of runs scored via the home run. At one point, he set down 12 consecutive hitters. When all was said and done, Young worked seven scoreless innings of two-hit ball, striking out five and walking two.
Both offenses struggled to get much of anything going through the first half of the evening. The biggest threat of the early-going came in the third, when George Kirby pulled off quite the escape act. After the Orioles loaded the bases with nobody out to begin the inning, Kirby was able to force a shallow fly ball and strike out a pair to leave all three base runners stranded and keep the score 0-0.
After five innings, the game was scoreless. As it turns out, that was as long as Kirby could hold off the Orioles. To lead off the bottom of the sixth, Pete Alonso drove a 97 mph four-seamer over the wall in right-center to open up the scoring.
The O’s saw the crack in the armor, and they took advantage. Following the Alonso dinger, Colton Cowser drew a four-pitch walk and promptly stole second on the first pitch of the next plate appearance. Leody Taveras, who was briefly a Mariner in 2025, drove him in with an RBI double into the gap, making the score 2-0.
For a moment, it looked as though Kirby might stop the bleeding there; he was able to strike out both Jackson Holliday and Tyler O’Neill to get the first two outs of the inning. However, Blaze Alexander brought in Taveras with a ground-rule double, extending the lead to 3-0. Since the Mariners are dealing with a taxed bullpen, Kirby finished out of the sixth anyway. He’d end the night at 104 pitches, just shy of his career-high at 106.
When all was said and done, Kirby finished with a line that probably doesn’t accurately represent his performance. His velocity was up all evening, topping out at 99 mph with both the sinker and four-seamer, and he struck out 10 Orioles hitters. He also notched a quality start, going six innings and allowing three earned runs, but was given no breathing room by his offense. Eventually, the floodgates opened.
Down several runs, Domingo González was brought in to pitch in relief in the seventh, having been recalled from Triple-A Tacoma earlier today. He allowed a single and walked a pair of hitters before surrendering a grand slam to Holliday, breaking the game wide open.
If there’s a silver lining to this one, González was allowed to eat the final innings, giving the rest of the bullpen a much-needed breather. The Mariners also avoided a shutout by scratching across a couple of runs in the eighth with the result no longer in much doubt.
A series win is still on the table for the Mariners as they close out the four-game set against the Orioles tomorrow with a 4:05 p.m. PDT first pitch. As a quick programming note, tomorrow’s game is available exclusively on ESPN and will not be broadcast on Mariners.TV, so plan accordingly.
Cricket Australia has scrapped the national women’s team’s T20 series against Bangladesh after the ICC unexpectedly brought forward the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy.
NEW YORK — In sports, sometimes, there are moments that feel impossible. Where it seems that what we have all just borne witness to was script of outrageous fantasy. Where, once it ends, it all feels like a blur.
And for a team that is seeking its first championship in 53 seasons — now just one victory away — this was, without question, the greatest game in the storied history of this franchise.
The Knicks clamped down on the Spurs with fervor in the second half, with San Antonio missing 28 of their first 34 attempts after intermission. This was a game in which New York completely unraveled in the first half, only to course correct and play their most composed game of the season.
And with this 3-1 lead, the Knicks have inched closer to stamping their spot in history with one of the most remarkable runs in postseason history.
This took the entire team, from Jalen Brunson’s 36 points, to OG Anunoby’s 33 (including the game-winning tip-in and a torrid 7-of-9 from 3-point range).
This is the type of game that etches these players in the hearts and minds of a city. Years from now, they will talk about this night, about Brunson and Towns, about Anunoby. They will become icons. They will become verbs.
This was a victory so inconceivable that many fans likely turned the game off at halftime. It was so inconceivable that fans might have have been scouring the internet for trivia and stats on biggest blowouts.
To say this was a tale of two halves doesn't do it justice. You need to read it to understand:
'Masterclass of self-sabotage': Knicks comepletely unravel in first half
Victor Wembanyama, sprawled on the court after Mitchell Robinson cheap-shotted him in the throat with an elbow, stared at Robinson and pointed repeatedly to his temple. And while he did it, Wembanyama was smiling.
All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns, who has become an essential piece of New York’s offensive operation, committed two fouls in the first 1:02 of the game. The second was wholly unnecessary, when he was driving to the hoop and had a step on Wembanyama, but pinned Wembanyama’s arm to his body.
There was the Robinson elbow, an eventual flagrant foul 1, which came after Wembanyama worked Robinson in the post to score a scoop lay-in. Wembanyama jawed at Robinson as both players made their way up the floor until Robinson’s frustrations boiled over.
Later in the second quarter, backup guard Jose Alvarado found himself needing to box out Wembanyama — giving up 16 inches in height — before he stumbled onto the court. As he got up, Alvarado needlessly hooked one of Wembanyama’s thighs. It resulted in an and-1 foul that tacked on a free throw to a made De’Aaron Fox 3.
It was a masterclass of self-sabotage, and it seeped into New York’s aggression, execution and overall disposition.
It’s tough enough to play in the NBA Finals, especially against an up-and-coming team with a singular and generational talent like Wembanyama. Yet, New York managed to manufacture a narrative that it was also playing against the officials. That’s a recipe for ruin.
The Knicks shot 29.4% in the first quarter. By the end of the first half, the Knicks had committed 7 turnovers — compared to just 2 by San Antonio — yielding to a -11 differential in points off turnovers. On defense, New York was all over the place and allowed the Spurs to lace 14-of-26 attempts (53.8%) from beyond the arc, setting the record for most 3-pointers in a half in NBA Finals history.
Earlier this week, before Game 3 tipped off, this city was electric. Fans were downright jubilant. The only question here concerned whether it would be a sweep or if the Spurs could find a way to extend the series.
But now, facing a 27-point deficit at the half, the Knicks have ceded all momentum in the NBA Finals, with the series turning back to San Antonio for Game 5 Saturday, June 13.
Forget the sweep and the parade. The Knicks now need to save the series. And the only way they can do that is with a semblance of composure.
The Mets were routed for a second straight night by the St. Louis Cardinals, losing 9-2 on Wednesday night at Citi Field.
The Cardinals have outscored the Mets 16-2 in the two games to start this six-game homestand.
Here are the takeaways...
-The Mets’ offense continues to be woefully inconsistent. After a strong series in San Diego seemed to give them some momentum, they’ve managed only eight hits in two games against the Cardinals, including three on Wednesday night. The Mets did manage to get runners into scoring position six times tonight, but went 0-for-6 in those situations.
-The only real good news offensively for the Mets was Francisco Alvarez’s two-run home run in the third inning, cutting the Cardinals’ lead to 7-2. It was Alvarez’s second game back from the IL after his remarkably fast recovery from meniscus surgery on his right knee. After catching on Tuesday, Alvarez was in the lineup as the DH tonight, as the Mets want to both ease him back into action as well as give Luis Torrens the playing time behind the plate he has earned.
-It was also notable that A.J. Ewing walked ahead of Alvarez’s home run, making it a two-run shot. The rookie continues to show remarkable plate discipline in working counts and laying off tough pitches.
-The Mets couldn’t do much with Cardinals’ righthander Andre Pallante, who gave up only three hits over six innings, including the Alvarez home run. Pallante has been solid for the Cards, pitching to a 3.88 ERA, but he has a statistical quirk, with a 9.00 ERA in the first inning this season, tied for the highest of all qualified starters. However, the Mets couldn’t take advantage, going 1-2-3 in the first inning.
-Rookie right-hander Jonathan Pintaro had a strong outing for the Mets, pitching three innings in relief, allowing only one hit and one run, a home run by Alec Burleson.
-David Peterson’s run of dominance out of the bullpen as a bulk reliever came to an end as the lefty gave up six runs in 3.2 innings, including a three-run home run to Jordan Walker that blew the game open.
-Coming into tonight, Peterson had a 1.88 ERA in six appearances as a reliever, spanning 24 innings, compared to a 7.56 ERA in seven starts. He also had a whopping 1.950 WHIP as a starter. But this relief outing didn't follow this trend. Peterson never looked sharp, giving up seven hits and two walks, and on the home run to Walker, his 1-1 fastball was left hanging agonizingly over the plate. For the season, Peterson now has a 5.75 ERA.
-The Mets used an opener tonight, using reliever Austin Warren to start the game. Warren couldn’t command his signature slider/sweeper, which he throws on nearly 50 percent of his pitches, and gave up two walks and two hits, which led to two first-inning runs for the Cardinals.
Game MVP: Jordan Walker
Jordan Walker delivered the biggest hit for the Cardinals, a three-run home run in the fourth inning that made the score 7-0 at the time.
After failing to live up to huge expectations for a few years, Walker appears to be emerging into a star slugger.
The home run was Walker's 17th of the season. He’s also hitting .304 with a .929 OPS.
Then, they turned around and stole the whole game.
At the start of the seventh inning Wednesday night, the Dodgers had a five-run lead, Ohtani on the mound and a series-clinching win all but secured at PNC Park.
By the end of the eighth, the script had turned upside down on them, with the Pirates storming back –– then holding on –– for a 9-8 win that marked one of the most painful results of the Dodgers’ season.
“This one stung because I thought we were playing good baseball,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We have no business losing that game.”
First, the Pirates robbed Shohei Ohtani of a sure-fire home run. Archie Carpenter/UPI/ShutterstockAt the start of the seventh inning Wednesday night, the Dodgers had a five-run lead, Ohtani on the mound and a series-clinching win all but secured at PNC Park. Getty Images
The collapse began with Ohtani, who was pulled from a start mid-inning for the first time all year.
After six strong frames of one-run ball –– and a near two-run homer as a batter in the third that was brought back on a leaping effort from Pirates right fielder Bryan Reynolds –– Ohtani issued a leadoff walk to begin the seventh, then couldn’t get to a swinging bunt in front of the mound that put two runners aboard with no outs.
The two-way star nearly pulled off an escape act from there, striking out his next two batters while nursing a 6-1 lead Ryan Ward had given him with a grand slam an inning earlier.
Alas, after falling behind 3-0 to Brandon Lowe in an at-bat that featured a couple missed ABS challenge opportunities, Ohtani fired a fastball that was ambushed for a two-run double down the line.
“After the [first] two hitters, the two outs felt pretty good,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “It was just a mis-execution on that 3-0 pitch.”
The collapse began with Ohtani, who was unable to finish a start with a completed inning of work for the first time all year. AP Photo/Gene J. PuskarBut then, in a 3-0 count to Brandon Lowe, Ohtani fired a fastball that was ambushed for a two-run double down the line. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
That ended Ohtani’s night, pushing his ERA over 1.00 for the first time all season (granted, his 1.06 mark is still best in the majors among pitchers with 60 innings).
Meanwhile, it would only be the beginning of the Dodgers’ meltdown, as their once-stout bullpen suffered an increasingly familiar late-game implosion.
Lowe came around to score against Alex Vesia, after a hard-hit ground ball got past Max Muncy at third base.
Then in the eighth, Kyle Hurt became the night’s biggest culprit, walking his first two batters before giving up a three-run, go-ahead blast to Pirates youngster Tyler Callihan on a hanging first-pitch changeup.
The homer marked the second big fly of the night for Callihan, who had recorded his first career big-league blast on a solo blast against Ohtani in the fourth inning that left the stadium over the right-field seats.
It would also be the first of two balls the Pirates (35-33) sent out of the yard in the eighth, with Spencer Horwitz making it a five-run rally with a two-run shot off Jack Dreyer later in the frame.
“When you give free passes, it sort of builds momentum for the other team,” Roberts said. “It takes one hit for them to score a run instead of a couple hits to build an inning. I think right now we’re doing a little self-inflicted damage.”
Down 9-6 at that point, Ohtani got the Dodgers back within one with a two-run homer in the ninth, ensuring he wouldn’t have a second long ball robbed by driving his 12th of the year deep to center.
However, it was too little, too late, with the Dodgers (43-25) losing for just the fourth time this year when leading after seven innings.
“I know there have been some others that stung a little bit,” Roberts said. “[But of] recently, this one doesn’t feel good.”
That ended Ohtani’s night, pushing his ERA over 1.00 for the first time all season (albeit, his 1.06 mark is still best in the majors among pitchers with 60 innings). AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
What it means
While the Dodgers are still 19-7 since May 13, they are also only 6-5 in their last 11 games. And four times in that span, poor bullpen pitching has been to blame.
There were the two losses charged to Tanner Scott against the Phillies and Dbacks a couple weeks ago. There was Sunday’s all-around blunder against the Angels this past weekend. And now, with Wednesday’s defeat representing the team’s biggest collapse yet, the concern level is starting to rise with the Dodgers’ relief corps –– a unit that only last month set a franchise record with a 38-inning scoreless streak, but is now struggling to avoid walks and limit damage.
“Hitting is hard,” Roberts said. “[But] When you give away free bases, it just makes it a little easier. That’s something we’ve got to get back to attacking the strike zone.”
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It was not Ohtani’s best night, but he was still the Dodgers’ best player.
Technically, he turned in a quality start of 6 ⅔ innings and three earned runs (his fourth run was unearned, as it came on Muncy’s error).
His homer in the ninth, meanwhile, continued his recent tear at the plate, leaving him just one point back of the Washington Nationals’ James Wood for the best OPS in the National League at .940.
If only Reynolds hadn’t robbed him earlier in the evening, on an acrobatic catch that saw him lean halfway over the short wall in left field, it might have been enough to salvage the game.
“I thought it was gonna be a homer,” Ohtani said. “But the left fielder made a fantastic catch. Gotta tip my cap on that one.”
In the eighth, Kyle Hurt then became the night’s biggest culprit, walking his first two batters before giving up a three-run, go-ahead blast to Pirates youngster Tyler Callihan. Getty Images
Who’s not
Hurt had started this season promisingly, giving up just one run in his first 15 outings after returning from a 2024 Tommy John surgery and being called up from triple-A in mid-April.
The last several weeks, however, have been a nightmare for the 28-year-old and once highly-touted prospect.
In his last seven appearances, the right-hander has given up nine home runs, issued five walks, and seen his ERA balloon from 0.60 to 4.22 on the season.
On Wednesday, he bemoaned his lack of command, noting he “fell behind every single hitter” and “didn’t throw one first-pitch strike” outside of the changeup that Callihan walloped for the go-ahead homer.
“Just didn’t execute,” Hurt said. “I had some guys, 3-2, I didn’t execute there either. Just missing a little bit, let a few go, sped up a little bit. There’s always tomorrow, so just ready to get back at it.”
He isn’t alone, either. Over the last two weeks, he is one of a whopping six Dodgers relievers with an ERA over 4.90.
Up next
The Dodgers will try to take the rubber match of this three-game series on Thursday, when Justin Wrobleski (7-2, 2.62 ERA) faces Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller (5-3, 4.81 ERA).
The New York Knicks had the worst start possible in Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals. The Knicks were forced to pull Karl-Anthony Towns only 62 seconds into the game on Wednesday night after the star center picked up two controversial fouls. From there, the Spurs started a two-way avalanche that helped the team take a 19-point lead into the second quarter, and a 76-49 lead into halftime.
Towns was called for a foul on the very first play of the game when defending De’Aaron Fox on a drive. A couple possessions later, KAT was called for another foul after the refs reviewed his drive to the basket and determined he hooked Victor Wembanyama on his way to the rim.
Those weren’t the only calls the Madison Square Garden crowd was upset about. There was an apparent missed goaltend on Spurs center Luke Kornet, plus a botched out of bounds call that favored San Antonio. Knicks fans also won’t love that big man Mitchell Robinson was called for a flagrant-1 for hitting Wemby with a forearm to the head after the French star got away with decking Jalen Brunson in Game 3.
The refs didn’t tell the whole story for the Spurs’ dominant start. The Spurs shot 65 percent from the field in the first quarter while the Knicks shot 29 percent. San Antonio didn’t turn the ball over while New York turned it over four times. San Antonio was getting easy looks and hitting everything, while the Knicks’ offense was stuck in the mud.
The officiating was a storyline after Game 3, with Mike Brown pleading with the refs for more consistency after the Spurs shot 10 more free throws in a tight win. It’s bound to be a storyline again after Game 4. Watch the calls for yourself and be the judge. First, let’s start with Towns’ first foul on the very first play of the game:
The game JUST started and the refs already trying to foul out KAT
I don’t love that call so early in the game, especially after the refs allowed so much physicality earlier in the series.
The second foul on Towns was more legit to me. This was originally ruled a foul on Wembanyama, but San Antonio challenged, and the refs overturned the call. Towns clearly hooks Wemby on his drive and holds it all the way to the rim before the Spurs star gets a clean block. Watch the play here:
Wembanyama was also taunting Robinson, which appeared to coax the Knicks backup big into a flagrant foul. First, Wembanyama hit Robinson was a beautiful pirouette to finish a layup. Wembanyama started barking at Robinson as they ran down the other end, and when the Spurs star got a little too close for his liking, Robinson decked him with a forearm to the neck.
The refs reviewed the play and determined it was a flagrant-1 on Robinson. Wembanyama called and pointed to his noggin, appearing to say “I’m in your head.”
The refs aren’t the reason the Knicks got smoked in the first half of Game 4. San Antonio’s offense was just too spectacular, while New York couldn’t get anything going. Still, the early foul calls on Towns were a game-changer, and the inconsistent nature of the officiating throughout the series has put players on both teams in a bad spot.
The refs allowed a ton of physicality in the first three games. In Game 4, the officials were even calling some ticky-tack fouls, and it clearly took the Knicks out of their rhythm. It also made Madison Square Garden go eerily silent.
The Knicks won the first two games in San Antonio. The Spurs won Game 3, and they’re already routing the Knicks through the first half of Game 4. Two days ago, it seemed like this might be a sweep. Not anymore.
The 2026 Finals feel like they’re just getting started. This series couldn’t be more intense.
Victor Wembanyama walked away clean when the NBA decided not to punish him for shoving Jalen Brunson in Game 3. On Wednesday night, he made sure Mitchell Robinson and everyone on the court remembered it too.
“I’m in your head,” Wembanyama said with a smile as he pointed to his head.
That was after Robinson was hit with a flagrant foul for a forearm to Wembanyama’s chin. Madison Square Garden erupted.
The flagrant came with the Knicks already in deep trouble. Karl-Anthony Towns had picked up two fouls in the game’s second minute, the Spurs had hit six of 10 3-pointers and led 41-22 after the first quarter. Wembanyama had 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting when Robinson fouled him. He hit both free throws and pushed the lead to 39-20.
It was the latest episode of an officiating controversy that has shadowed this series since Game 2.
The day before, the league reviewed the play after San Antonio’s 115-111 win at Madison Square Garden and decided to not upgrade Wembanyama’s shove to a flagrant foul, despite NBA head of officiating Monty McCutchen going on ESPN to acknowledge that the officials got it wrong.
Wembanyama shoved Brunson hard with both hands as Brunson tried to set a screen. Brunson didn’t fall all the way to the floor but he had to brace himself from the push, which drew an immediate reaction from the MSG crowd. Brunson got up and got in Wembanyama’s face before the game moved on.
No foul was called. No review was triggered at the time.
McCutchen addressed the missed call on ESPN’s "NBA Today."
“Well most certainly, I think we can all agree that a foul was missed on that play. We have a big part of our job is to, on-ball, off-ball exchanges between referees. We did a poor job of that here where we got two people on-ball and we don’t see the screening action. Lots of fighting over screens throughout the game and if we break down in our fundamentals, in even the smallest amounts, we have the opportunity to miss a clear foul, as we missed here.”
The ruling kept Wembanyama at two flagrant foul points for the postseason, both from his Flagrant 2 ejection against Minnesota in the second round. Had the shove been upgraded to a Flagrant 1, he would have been at three points, one shy of the automatic suspension.
The contrast with how officials handled a similar moment later in the game was not lost on the Knicks. In the third quarter, with New York leading 71-67, Brunson closed out on Julian Champagnie on a 3-point attempt. Their feet tangled and officials upgraded the contact to a Flagrant 1 on Brunson. Champagnie completed a four-point play, the Spurs cut the deficit to one and went on to win.
For the second time in as many nights, the Mets found themselves in an early hole against the Cardinals and went on to lose. As had been the case in their loss in the series opener, the game never felt competitive, and it ended with St. Louis winning 9-2.
The fact that the Mets spared themselves the embarrassment of getting shut out in back-to-back games doesn’t really serve as consolation. The team is now 29-38 on the season, and the relative excitement about them taking two of three games from the Padres over the weekend has already been squashed.
The Mets chose to go with an opener-plus-David Peterson approach in this one, and it didn’t go well. Austin Warren served as the opener, and he was somewhat fortunate to give up just two runs in his one inning of work. He gave up two hits, walked two, and only struck out one. It could’ve easily been worse.
Peterson made Warren’s outing look effective, as the Cardinals tattooed him for six runs in three-and-two-thirds innings. They got him for seven hits, and he walked two, struck out just one, threw a wild pitch, and gave up a pair of home runs.
It probably didn’t matter in the end, but the Mets had their best shot at making it a ballgame shortly after Peterson gave up his first two runs of the night, both of which scored in the top of the third. Trailing 4-0, the Mets had runners on first and second with two outs and Juan Soto at the plate. A home run would’ve made things interesting, but Cardinals starter Andre Pallante—who was pitching to get Soto out—wound up walking the bases loaded instead. And Jared Young, who represented the tying run as he came to the plate, grounded out softly to end the inning.
Peterson gave up his next three runs in the top of the fourth. Trailing 7-0 in the bottom of that inning, the Mets finally got on the board when Francisco Alvarez hit a two-run home run. Peterson gave up his sixth and final run of his brief outing in the top of the fifth, and the Mets’ bats went silent from there. Cardinals pitchers retired sixteen batters in a row, nearly finishing the game without allowing a single Mets baserunner up until a hit-by-pitch with two outs in the ninth broke that streak. The fact that they retired seventeen of the final eighteen Mets hitters they faced still served as a reminder that these Mets don’t do comebacks.
If you’re looking for some relatively positive stuff to take out of the game, Cionel Perez threw one-and-one-third scoreless innings in relief of Peterson. And Jonathan Pintaro, who got called up earlier in the day, went three innings and gave up just one run in the top of the ninth. He has a 1.35 ERA in his limited major league time this year, and it’d be fun to see more of him if he weren’t seemingly destined to return to Syracuse as part of the Mets’ ongoing bullpen churn.
Big Mets winner: none Big Mets loser: David Peterson, -19% WPA Mets pitchers: -35% WPA Mets hitters: -15% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Jared Young hits a double in the second inning, +6.6% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Nelson Velásquez hits a two-run home run in the top of the third, -15.2% WPA
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 10: Spencer Horwitz #2 of the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrates his two-run home run with third base coach Tony Beasley #27 during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at PNC Park on June 10, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers had a five-run lead in the sixth inning on Wednesday, but the Pirates rattled across eight runs against the Dodger bullpen as they stole the middle match 9-8.
The Dodgers ensured Pittsburgh’s starter Jared Jones wouldn’t face the minimum over his first three innings as Alex Freeland worked a two-out walk to bring up Shohei Ohtani in the top of the third. Ohtani sent a ball to deep left field that would’ve given him his third home run over his last four starts, but Bryan Reynolds made a leaping catch over the short wall to keep the game scoreless.
Freddie Freeman laced career hit no. 2,501 with a one-out double down the left field line to end the short no-hit bid for Jones. It was also career double no. 564, placing him one shy of 2026 Hall of Fame inductee Carlos Beltrán for 28th on the all-time list. Max Muncy had two hits with runner in scoring position on Tuesday, and he made it three hits with a double down the right field line to plate Freeman and give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Kyle Tucker collected his third RBI in as many games with a single up the middle to make it a two-run lead.
Ohtani was one out away from keeping the Pirates silent over four full innings, but Tyler Callihan launched his first big league home run over the right field bleachers and into the Allegheny River to trim the lead to a run. Jake Mangum doubled to put the tying run in scoring position, but Ohtani bounced back with a strikeout of Jared Triolo to end the two-out threat.
After going down in order against Carmen Mlodzinski in the top of the fifth, the Dodgers put the first two men on with a single from Andy Pages and a walk to Freeman. Muncy worked a walk to load the bases, and after Mlodzinski struck out Tucker for the second out, Ryan Ward launched his first career grand slam to break the game wide open and give the Dodgers a five-run lead.
The home run from Callihan was the only dent on Ohtani’s outing over his first six innings of work. The two-way superstar pitched into the seventh inning for the first time since May 13, but the decision proved costly as the Pirates put the first two men on with nobody out. Ohtani managed to strike out two in a row, but Brandon Lowe brought home two on a double down the right field line to cut the lead in half.
After 102 pitches over 6 2/3 innings, Ohtani was pulled after allowing a season-high three earned runs. Despite the runs given up, his ERA now sits at 1.06, still ranking best in baseball for any starting pitcher with at least 65 innings on the year.
Alex Vesia came in relief of Ohtani, and he got Bryan Reynolds to roll one to third, but the Muncy had the ball roll under his glove allowing Lowe to score to make it a two-run lead. With Ryan O’Hearn representing the tying run, Vesia got him to roll one right back to him to get out of the inning with the lead intact.
Kyle Hurt came in relief for the bottom of the eighth and immediately put the first two men on base with nobody out. Tyler Callihan, who had the home run against Ohtani in the bottom of the fourth, crushed a go-ahead three-run home run as the Pirates took their first lead of the night.
Hurt could only get one out before he was relieved by Jack Dreyer to face the left-handed hitting Horwitz. Horwitz jumped on an 0-1 fastball down the middle, sending it out to give the Pirates a five-run eighth inning and a three-run lead. Just one day after the Dodgers sent 15 men to the plate in the top of the seventh inning, the Pirates bat around against Hurt and Dreyer.
Shohei Ohtani made sure the Dodgers didn’t go down without a fight with a two-run home run against Gregory Soto in the top of the ninth, making up for the robbery from Reynolds in the third. The comeback attempt was too little and too late, as the Pirates stole the middle match from the Dodgers to snap their four-game losing streak. The Dodgers division lead now sits at 7 1/2 games after the San Diego Padres walked off the Cincinnati Reds.
Game particulars
Home runs— Tyler Callihan, 2 (2), Spencer Horwitz (9); Ryan Ward (3), Shohei Ohtani (12)
The Dodgers will look to take the series in Pittsburgh on Thursday (3:40 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA) before heading to Chicago for a three-game set with the White Sox over the weekend. Justin Wrobleski faces Mitch Keller.
With the San Antonio Spurs currently taking on the New York Knicks in the NBA finals, Spurs star Devin Vassell reflected on his history with Gwinnett in an interview with the Players’ Tribune. Vassell, who grew up in the community, attended Suwanee Peachtree Ridge (Ga.)
Growing up in Gwinnett County, the Spurs star revealed his inspiration during his varsity days and onwards was Comets legend Lou Willams. Following the conclusion of his varsity career, Williams was the leading scorer in Georgia high school basketball history.
“Every hooper got that one guy from their hometown that made them fall in love with the game. Everybody got that guy. For me? That was Lou Will. Lou went to South Gwinnett, so when I was growing up, all I heard was story after story about him.” Vassell revealed in an interview with the Players Tribune.
Helping to guide the Comets to a 5A state title in his junior year, South Gwinnett overcame Tifton Tift County (Ga.) in the championship final. By the end of his career, he had totaled over 3,390 career points, choosing to declare for the NBA instead of playing D1 basketball.
To honor his accolades, William’s varsity school presented him with more than just a shirt retirement. Renaming their entire gym as “LouWillVille”, forever etching him in Gwinnett history in 2020.
“They used to start off pretty much every game with a lob play to Lou. He’d get an early look at the rim and score. Right out the gate. The crowd would already be standing in the bleachers before the ball dropped through the hoop. Everybody had seen it happen enough times to know it was going in. I’ll never forget how the gym would go crazy for like the whole game.” Vassell stated in his interview.
Unlike Williams, the Spurs guard never had his championship moment. However, he did have experience as the leading man in his senior year, averaging 21.6 points and reaching the Elite Eight of the GHSA Class AAAAAAA state championship. And with his current NBA career, he has had the same impact on other fans that Williams had on him.
“He gives our guys hope that they can be the next guy,” Peachtree Ridge head coach Jordan Griffin told WSBTV Atlanta news.
And at just 25, Vassell can also do something Williams never did in his seventeen-year NBA career. Despite having multiple accolades, including being a three-time NBA sixth man of the year, the Spurs star’s inspiration never won a title. Meanwhile, San Antonio is currently up by a significant amount in New York as they hope to tie the Finals, with Vassell shooting 12 points.
