Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L, 8-5 (10) vs. Lehigh Valley IronPigs
SS George Lombard Jr. 2-5, 2 2B— feels like he might be starting to figure it out in Triple-A RF Jasson Domínguez 1-4, K, SB LF Kenedy Corona 1-1, RBI, SB LF Yanquiel Fernández 0-5, 3 k 3B Oswaldo Cabrera 3-4, 2B, BB 1B Seth Brown 1-4, BB, K DH Ernesto Martinez Jr. 2-5, HR, 3 RBI 2B Jonathan Ornelas 1-5, 2 K CF Duke Ellis 1-5, HR, RBI, K C Miguel Palma 0-2, BB, K PH Tyler Hardman 0-1, K C Abrahan Gutierrez 0-1
Angel Chivilli 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K — starting a rehab assignment Yerry De Los Santos 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K Danny Watson 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K Rafael Montero 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K (hold) Zach Messinger 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K (hold) Dylan Coleman 1.1 IP, 3 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 HR (blown save, loss) — yikes, blew a 3-1 lead in the ninth, and gave up three in the tenth Bradley Hanner 0.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 0 K
🎙️George Lombard leads off with a Double (15th on the season)
Double-A Somerset Patriots:W, 3-0 vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies
DH Jackson Castillo 2-3, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB, K — managed three homers in four at-bats including Tuesday RF Garrett Martin 0-3, BB, 2 K, SB 1B Nick Torres 1-3, BB, SB CF DJ Gladney 0-3, BB, K 3B Coby Morales 0-3, K C Manuel Palencia 1-3 2B Connor McGinnis 1-3 SS Owen Cobb 0-3, 2 K LF Cole Gabrielson 1-3, K, SB
Cade Smith 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K (win) — best start of the year for the right-hander Kelly Austin 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (hold) Ben Grable 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K (save)
Cade Smith (@Yankees No. 16 Prospect) matched a career-high 7⃣ innings in a LIGHTS OUT start!
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:W, 11-3 vs. Jersey Shore BlueClaws
3B Kaeden Kent 0-5 SS Core Jackson 0-2, 2 BB, K C Eric Genther 0-4, 3 K 1B Kyle West 2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, BB, K, SB — 2025 13th-rounder has had a rough year but that’ll do RF Wilson Rodriguez 3-3, 4 SB PH Santiago Gomez 1-1 RF Luis Durango 0-0 DH Roderick Arias 1-3, RBI, K, SF 2B Enmanuel Tejeda 1-5, 2 RBI LF Josh Moylan 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, K CF Camden Troyer 1-3, 2B, BB
Luis Serna 6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K (win) Tanner Bauman 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K Aaron Nixon 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K Thomas Balboni Jr. 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
— Hudson Valley Renegades (@HVRenegades) June 11, 2026
Low-A Tampa Tarpons:Game suspended at Bradenton Marauders
3B Jackson Lovich 0-1, BB SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 1-2, K LF Logan Maxwell 0-2, K C Luis Puello 1-2 CF Willy Montero 0-0, 2 BB DH Engelth Urena 0-2, K RF JoJo Jackson 0-1, BB 1B David McCann 0-0, BB 2B Luis Escudero 0-1, K
Thatcher Hurd 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K — unfortunate suspension for the former third-rounder, who was in the midst of one of his stronger starts
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - MAY 18: Manager Craig Albernaz #55 of the Baltimore Orioles reacts in the dugout during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on May 18, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hello, friends.
The Orioles snapped their losing streak last night. Yay! An excellent Brandon Young start was backed up by a comfortable amount of offense, and even when Grant Wolfram stumbled later, there wasn’t enough going on to turn things against the O’s. Check out Stacey’s recap of the game for more of the lovely totals.
In wrapping up the win on MASN, Kevin Brown said that this is the seventh straight Young start where the Orioles have won the game. That one floored me. Not that I doubted my honorary cousin, but I looked it up and sure enough, the O’s have won every Young start going back to May 6. Young himself has been the winning pitcher in three of these games. He’s pitched at least decently in all but one of these seven outings and pretty good in three of them. His 3.04 ERA leads the team’s starters and so does his 1.24 WHIP.
If so much wasn’t going wrong with the Orioles up to this point, Young’s development would be one of the biggest stories. This is the exact kind of thing that has not happened in Mike Elias’s tenure as GM of the Orioles. They have not developed a pitcher they signed as an amateur into a capable major league starting pitcher. They haven’t been doing too well with pitchers they traded for, either, other than Kyle Bradish putting together a brilliant 2023 campaign. Not to take anything away from Young, but it still is just ten starts for him this year. He’s got to keep it going for this to keep being interesting. Still, this is ten more good starts than I thought we’d ever get out of him.
The Orioles have a chance to pull off a split of this four-game series if they can put together a good game against the Mariners tonight. It’s a 7:05 start time and will only be televised on ESPN, so tough luck to the cord-cutters out there. That includes me. Kyle Bradish and Bryan Woo are the scheduled starting pitchers. We need to see a better version of Bradish than was there in his last start.
Before last night’s win turned in an excellent direction, the MASN broadcast spent a little time discussing the situation with Samuel Basallo not having played as a starter for a few days in a row. This is all the more notable because it coincides with Adley Rutschman dealing with some kind of hamstring issue. As the team has placed neither player on the injured list, the Orioles are without their two main catchers and seemingly short on the bench as well, though Basallo has at least been available off the bench.
Manager Craig Albernaz made some remarks that seemed to be critical of Basallo for not being willing to play through some discomfort, apparently stemming from a bony growth in Basallo’s wrist that he has dealt with before. Basallo was asked about the situation by reporters and while he did not directly beef with the manager, he refuted the substance of what Albernaz said.
Kevin Brown asked Jim Palmer for his thoughts on the back and forth during Wednesday’s game, prompting this response from the Hall of Famer:
He’s the manager. He said it’s about accountability. He’s the one responsible for wins and losses. All I know, and I said this Monday night, if you don’t play Adley Rutschman, if you don’t play Samuel Basallo … if I’m one of the Mariners pitchers, I’m elated. I’m joyful. I would send them flowers. If he’s able to play late in the ballgame, I’m surprised he’s not in there, that’s all. I don’t think this is the time, when you’ve lost four in a row, to teach a lesson. I don’t care how young you are. But that’s just my opinion.
I went through every story I could find in the local media outlets about this yesterday and there’s nothing directly attributed to Albernaz about either accountability or teaching a lesson or whatever. Here’s one from Orioles.com; those phrases aren’t in there. Steve Melewski, who also took away Albernaz saying there’s “no disconnect” as his headline about the situation, also doesn’t use those words. You can read between the lines and wonder if something is there.
Apparently, the radio broadcast, which I wasn’t listening to, made comments implying they thought that Basallo not playing was some kind of disciplinary measure and they agreed with it. That’s what was indicated by Camden Chat commenters who were listening. I might have written that off if not for Palmer also addressing the situation in a way that suggested there’s more going on than has been publicly said. The Hall of Famer had a different take as far as whether it is a good idea if Basallo is not playing for manager’s choice reasons. I’m going with Palmer on this one.
For me, this is the first real blemish against Albernaz as the manager. I’ve cut him more slack than a number of people over tactical decisions that didn’t work out because, honestly, the guy is dealing with a lot of bad situations that have no good solutions other than “players magically start playing better.” It’s not that they don’t frustrate me, it’s just that he can’t make Pete Alonso or Gunnar Henderson get the big walkoff hit with the bases loaded.
This kind of stuff, though, this is what Albernaz was supposed to be good at, handling situations with players and not having his young star catcher have to defend himself in the media against stuff the manager said to the media. Whatever is going on, I think Albernaz has failed for it to reach this point. Based on what has trickled out publicly, I think he’s bungling it, but I will concede I have no idea what has transpired behind closed doors.
We can only hope all of this amounts to little more than a bump in the road when the season is all said and done. For now, it doesn’t feel good. Hopefully Basallo gets back in there promptly and shows the manager why not playing him for any reason other than “he’s physically unable to play nine innings at a high level” is a bad idea.
In their 69th game last year, the Orioles beat the Angels, 6-5, improving their season record to 29-40. Home runs hit by Cedric Mullins and Gary Sánchez put the Orioles on top and they held on the rest of the way. This year’s Orioles are currently three wins better than last year’s guys, an uncomfortably small number of games. They have lost ground since their recent hot streak.
One current Oriole has a birthday today. Happy 27th to Blaze Alexander, who has been looking a whole lot better lately than he did at the start of the season. He is also our only Orioles birthday today. Before he came along, there were no June 10 O’s birthdays.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: composer Richard Strauss (1864), Nobel Prize-winning novelist Yasunari Kawabata (1899), legendary football coach Vince Lombardi (1913), and actor Hugh Laurie (1959).
On this day in history…
In 1429, during the Hundred Years War, the French launched an attack on the English, beginning the two-day Battle of Jargeau. The decisive French victory, following the lifting of the siege of Orléans, paved the way for France recapturing much of the territory that England possessed at the start of that phase of the war. One notable aspect of Jargeau is it was the first battle where Joan of Arc went on the offensive.
In 1776, the Continental Congress appointed five of its members – John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman – with the task of drafting a document laying out the reasons demanding American independence from Great Britain. From this committee, Jefferson himself ultimately drafted the now-quite-famous Declaration.
In 1940, Axis powers began a siege of the Mediterranean island of Malta with attacks by the Italian Air Force. Over the next nearly two and a half years, Italian and German forces tried to bomb or blockade the island, never succeeding in getting its defenders to surrender.
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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on June 11. Have a safe Thursday. Go O’s!
FORT MYERS, FL- MARCH 01: Kaelen Culpepper #76 of the Minnesota Twins bats during a spring training game against the Atlanta Braves on March 1, 2026 at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Kaelen Culpepper hype train is full speed ahead right now. The Twins have lost 10 of their last 14 while getting very little production out of the shortstop position, both offensively and defensively. Meanwhile, Culpepper just keeps getting better and better this season. He’s batting .357 with a 1.062 OPS so far in June with 4 walks and just 1 strikeout in 33 plate appearances.
Kaelen Culpepper absolutely launches his 13th homer of the season!
Since being drafted with the 21st overall pick out of Kansas State in 2024, Kaelen Culpepper has quickly climbed through the minor leagues. In 113 games between High-A and Double-A last year, he posted a 138 wRC+ with 20 homers and 25 stolen bases. In his first taste of Triple-A this season, he is on pace for career highs in home runs, RBIs, walks, and stolen bases while posting a continuously improving 123 wRC+. Poor swing decisions and a tendency to chase leave some level of concern, but he has a sweet swing that produces impressive contact skills mixed with a power tool that has pushed into average territory.
The bat possesses plenty of talent, but Culpepper can also be an asset on the bases and in the field. He stole 25 bags last season in 29 attempts and has picked up 14 more steals already this season while being caught twice. Defensively, he may not have elite, gold glove-level tools but is a good athlete with a good arm and has developed into a reliable defender. This season, Minnesota ranks 30th in defensive runs saved and 29th in outs above average at the shortstop position. While the Twins ultimately hope for 2025 first round pick Marek Houston to become the long-term shortstop, Culpepper should be a significant improvement for the time being.
The Twins’ 3rd ranked prospect is ready for the show, and it is no secret that they could really use him right now. With the losses piling up, the fanbase needs something to get excited about and the team needs a jolt of energy from a talented young prospect. The summer is in full swing, and all signs are pointing to a Kaelen Culpepper debut in just a matter of days.
Jun 10, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (31) celebrates his career 3500th strike out against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images | Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images
Good morning and happy Thursday everybody. Ders is still out of town so you get a double-dose of Nick links this week. The Mariners got trounced 7-2 by the Orioles yesterday but have a chance to bounce back in the series finale with Bryan Woo on the mound at 4:05 PST on ESPN.
I know it is maybe a little main-charactery of me to say this, but I really feel like every time I put together the links there’s always more injuries to report on than normal. Spoiler alert but there’s SIX (6) links today about various players either getting hurt or getting placed on IL yesterday. Do I actually believe that my reporting on the news and notes is leading to more injuries in the league? I’m not confident enough to answer that question right now. Anybody else tangentially convinced they’re cursed in a hyper specific way?
In Mariners news…
The Mariners greeted us all with a litany of roster moves yesterday, with the headline being reliever Matt Brash is going back to the IL with a lat strain. Miles Mastrobuoni is returning to the M’s and taking Ryan Bliss’ spot, while Domingo González is coming up to fill in for Brash.
Don’t forget to vote for your favorite Mariners to go to the All-Star game this year in Philadelphia! It’s your civic duty to vote. Don’t make me come over to your house to make you vote. I’ll do it. I know where you live. I’ll march right in. Won’t even knock. You might not like it, but if that’s what it takes to get you to vote then so be it.
Around the league…
Max Scherzer was activated by the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday morning to make his first start since April and got his 3,500th career strikeout against the first batter he saw. Scherzer is the eleventh man in MLB history to reach 3,500 strikeouts, and is now just twelve away from tying Walter Johnson at 10th all-time.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told the media after their game last night that they will be placing All-Star catcher Will Smith on the IL. Smith hasn’t played in a game since last Friday while he’s been suffering from neck stiffness.
Former MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. is going to the IL with a Grade 1 hamstring strain. Acuña left Tuesday’s game early after coming up lame trying to beat out a ground ball.
The Philadelphia Phillies announced that outfielder Johan Rojas, who was only just beginning to work out for his return from PED suspension, will now miss the full 2026 season with a UCL strain in his right elbow.
Los Angeles Angels backup catcher Sebastián Rivero exited the game on Tuesday in significant pain after fouling off a ball. The team put him on the IL yesterday with a broken hamate bone and announced he will be out for about a month.
In a game where the Giants stormed back from an eight run deficit to ultimately win on a Bryce Eldrige walk-off grand slam, this diving play by the ball dude down the right field line is the play of the day.
The Detroit Tigers have been on fire this month, but on Wednesday night they cooled off a bit, taking their second loss of June against the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park, 6-4. Framber Valdez struggled, surrendering a pair of home runs, while the offense just did not have enough juice to keep up.
However, Kevin McGonigle had a great performance in the field to go with his three-walk, two-run effort at the plate — the kid did everything he could with the glove and the bat.
With a third-straight series win still in reach, right-hander Keider Montero will get the start on Thursday afternoon looking to continue his solid efforts on the mound. The 25-year-old’s last outing was lackluster, however, giving up four runs on six hits (one home run) and a walk over five frames in a 4-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners.
Montero has not seen Minnesota since 2024, when he faced the American League Central rival twice, with vastly differing results. One was a 6-plus inning quality start that resulted in his first win of that season; the other was a five-inning effort that saw him contribute six runs to a 9-6 loss.
Fellow righty Zebby Matthews will toe the rubber for the Twins in his sixth start of the season after opening the campaign in Triple-A. The 26-year-old has been solid since his mid-May call-up, including his most recent outing against the Kansas City Royals, in which he gave up two runs on five hits and four walks while striking out a pair over seven innings to earn the win.
He faced the Tigers twice last year, allowing three runs on 10 hits (one home run) and five walks while striking out 12 over nine innings of work, earning a win along the way.
Here is a look at how the two starters match up in Thursday’s afternoon matinee.
Detroit Tigers (28-40) vs. Minnesota Twins (31-38)
Time (ET): 1:10 p.m. Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 69: RHP Keider Montero (2-4, 3.95 ERA) vs. RHP Zebby Matthews (2-3, 4.15 ERA)
Mar 22, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Rajon Rondo (left) talks with head coach Rick Carlisle in the fourth quarter against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Mavericks 98-92. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Your favorite Trade Machine has approved thousands of deals and never once flagged one for personality incompatibility. It checks the salaries, blesses the math, and leaves the human beings to sort themselves out. Three months ago, Secret Base’s Beef History series revisited the most instructive case of humans failing to sort themselves out in Mavericks history: the brief, loud cohabitation of Rajon Rondo and Rick Carlisle.
On paper, the December 2014 trade was exactly right. Dallas was a contender missing a point guard. Rondo was a championship point guard, a basketball savant who saw the floor like a chessboard. Carlisle was an offensive mastermind with a ring of his own. Two geniuses, one goal. The video lays out how seductive the logic was, and the logic came with a precedent: Jason Kidd. Kidd and Carlisle butted heads over pace early in their partnership, Carlisle loosened his grip, and the compromise ended with a parade in 2011. Mark Cuban openly compared Rondo to Kidd. Dallas believed it had a road map.
The problem, as Secret Base details, is that the warning labels were public record. Carlisle had worn out welcomes in Detroit and Indiana with a my-way-or-the-highway approach and a compulsion to call plays on nearly every possession. Jamaal Tinsley had already lived the experience of being a point guard ordered to slow down for him. Rondo, meanwhile, spent years clashing with Doc Rivers in Boston while quarterbacking a roster full of Hall of Famers. Two men with documented allergies to surrendering control were now expected to share a steering wheel. League whispers, per the video, suggested Carlisle was never sold on the deal in the first place.
It unraveled on schedule. Seventeen games in, Carlisle benched Rondo for the final five minutes against Chicago and called it a coach’s decision. After an ugly loss in Oklahoma City, Rondo told reporters that Carlisle calls the plays and he just follows orders, which is the point guard equivalent of “per my last email.” Then came February in Toronto: Rondo walking the ball up the floor while Carlisle erupted at half court, an exchange that carried into the locker room and ended in a one-game suspension over play-calling responsibilities. The whole fight, beginning to end, was about who decides what happens next.
Then the playoffs arrived, and so did the part I will never need a documentary to remember. Game 2 against Houston: Rondo played 34 seconds after halftime and spent the rest of the night looking like a man waiting on a delayed flight. He ducked the media. The next day, Dallas issued a press release about a back injury, and reporters called cap in unison. Rondo has since offered the revisionist version, telling Chandler Parsons in 2023 that he never quit, that he was told Carlisle didn’t want to coach him, and that the injury was a mutually agreed cover story. Revisionist history is the chief occupation of the retired athlete. I watched those games. A championship veteran gave a playoff series 34 seconds of second-half effort. Call it whatever you want. I know what I saw.
Carlisle’s own autopsy, recounted in the video, is the sharpest part. Kidd and Rondo looked similar and were fundamentally different. Kidd had developed into a legitimate three-point threat by the time he reached Dallas; defenses happily ignored Rondo. Above all, pace: Kidd taught Carlisle to let go and play fast, while Rondo wanted to walk it up. Asking Rondo to change his tempo in the middle of a season was, by Carlisle’s own admission, impossible. The Kidd precedent that justified the trade was the exact thing that doomed it. Dallas pattern-matched the résumé and missed the person.
The mercy is that it was a fireball. Rondo was a Maverick for barely half a season, and fireballs burn out fast. It’s the slow corrosion that reshapes a franchise. But the lesson travels. The new brain trust is about to run the two highest-stakes chemistry experiments in basketball: hiring a head coach and remaking a roster around a 19-year-old franchise player. Every candidate and every trade target will look right on paper. Paper is undefeated that way. The Rondo half season is a reminder that fit is also temperament, ego allocation, pace preference, and the unglamorous question of who decides what happens next. The résumé tells you whether a man can do the job. It cannot tell you whether two men can do it together.
The Trade Machine will keep saying yes all summer. Someone in the room needs to ask the other question.
Mar 7, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears guard Cameron Carr (43) scores a layup as Utah Utes guard Terrence Brown (2) defends during the first half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images
Cameron Carr may have been one of the more talked-about players coming out of the NBA combine after dropping 30 points in the scrimmage. It felt reminiscent of his year with Baylor, as he took the program by storm, averaging a school record 18.9 points per game. The 6’5 wing showed a little bit of everything, and he could be an exciting player coming out of the draft.
The first thing that may pop out when watching Carr is his athleticism, and he uses that to get to the rim to get easy points. He has a quick first step, and once he gets to his spot, he’ll leave it up to you to find out if it’ll be a crafty layup or a dunk. He might be one of the best dunkers in the class, and he had a lot of opportunities to show off his vertical at Baylor.
With that athleticism, Carr also has the ability to rebound better than most players at his position, in which he averaged 5.6 per game. On top of that, he was a solid shot blocker, averaging 1.3 per game. It’s obvious that he has the intangibles that can change a game on either side of the ball, and that goes a long way for teams looking for a winner.
Outside of the athleticism, Carr’s other strength is his shooting, specifically from the 3-point line. He shot 37% from the perimeter, and he’s probably never taken a shot he doesn’t like. His mechanics are smooth, and he can raise up for a shot that can be hard to defend. What makes it even better is that he can go beyond the 3-point line, and that’s a plus in a league that is all about spacing.
Not only has Carr shown the catch-and-shoot ability, but he has flashes of being able to shoot off the ball and as a pick-and-roll handler.
In all, his 3-point shooting is probably what teams will enjoy about him the most, and if he can continue to show consistency in that area, he’ll be a player who can see a lot of time on the court.
Just as much as Carr’s shooting can be a plus, it can also turn into a negative depending on his shot selection. This was Carr’s first time as a true No. 1 option, and he probably felt like he had to do everything in order for the team to succeed. He won’t have the problem early into his NBA career, but teams will definitely want him to be smart about the types of shots he takes.
Defensively, Carr has the tools to be serviceable at the next level, and his length allows him to get in the passing lanes. He still has to get stronger and smarter on that side of the ball, which is where teams have taken advantage of him when he’s on the ball. Again, his frame and athleticism show promise for him to improve, so it shouldn’t be much of a problem.
Carr is a player who could be drafted in the lottery range to the early 20s, and that could be a spot where, if the Hawks like him, they can take him. He offers 3-point shooting that would be an instant plus on the team, and his defense is solid enough that he can make an impact. It’s hard to know if the Hawks would want to add another guard, especially when they have needs at guard and center, but Onsi Saleh is all about drafting the best player available.
That said, I ended Wednesday night completed deflated. Did the Spurs play the first half as if they were sending Knicks fans home in disbelief? Yes. Did they blow the biggest Finals lead in NBA history and go down 3-1? Absolutely. Should they have won this game? Most definitely. Are Spurs fans now the ones in disbelief?
Well, are you?
I recently posted an article regarding Wembanyama’s demeanor after losing Game 1. He sat upright with no hint of regret, clearly stated there were adjustments to come. He admitted he had to figure some things out. He did not get sullen or too introspective in front of the cameras. He owned the moment, showed leadership, and gave hope to his teammates and fans.
Last night, Wemby was stoic. His answers were short, filled with uncertainty. He was being asked his take on plays that he had not yet reviewed or seen film of. His involvement in the moments limited his ability to speak about them confidently. That said, he showcased the disappointment he was internalizing in real time.
For 46 minutes and 38 seconds it looked as if the Spurs were going to even the series. In fact, for the entire first half, it looked to be a foregone conclusion. But no lead is safe in basketball. And twice now in the postseason, the Knicks have come back from over 20 point deficits to win. They took back Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals from the Cleveland Cavaliers and then swept the series. Last night they took back home court advantage just in time to send the Spurs home with their backs against the wall.
I reiterate what I said at the start. I still believe.
I believe that all four of these games could have gone either way. One missed shot. One foul call. One tipped ball goes the other way. One pass lands in possession of the intended receiver.
All four of these games were winnable by both teams. Well, the first three for sure could have gone either way. Last night’s game shouldn’t have, but the Knicks proved that any game — ANY GAME — is in play as long as you keep fighting.
The Spurs have shown the same sort of resilience throughout the season. Fighting back from 25 down against the Clippers. Wemby’s buzzer-beater against the Suns. Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.
This series isn’t over. We all need to relax. Trust the process. Trust the team. Trust the Spurs Way.
60 hours in New York. I am not leaving empty handed, and neither are the Spurs. They won one with the relentlessness that carried them through the season. They need to regroup and pull off another complete wire-to-wire game. Remind themselves what got them here and why they deserve another game.
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The Chicago Blackhawks should be looking to add a veteran defenseman to the left side of their blueline this summer. While this year's free agent market is not the strongest, San Jose Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro is one pending UFA who would make a lot of sense for Chicago to target if he hits the market on July 1.
Ferraro is the NHL's top pending UFA left-shot defenseman and would have the potential to be a strong addition to the Blackhawks' roster if signed. This is because he is a steady top-four defenseman who plays a heavy game, blocks shots, and contributes a bit of offense from the point. With this, he would have the potential to be a nice pickup for the Blackhawks as they look to be more competitive in 2026-27.
Ferraro's age also adds to his appeal, as he is only 27 years old. With this, he has multiple years left in his prime and would be a good fit on a Blackhawks club that is focused on the future.
Ferraro is coming off a solid season with the Sharks, too. In 82 games this campaign with the Pacific Division club, he posted seven goals, 23 points, 137 hits, and 150 blocks. With numbers like these, he provides a bit of everything from the point.
Ultimately, with the Blackhawks' blueline needing a boost, Ferraro is a player who they should strongly consider pursuing. Let's see if they do just that from here.
All England Club announces 20% rise from last year
Increase unlikely to appease tennis player group
Wimbledon has announced the biggest prize money increase in the history of the Championships, but this significant rise still may not be enough to appease the demands of the top tennis players in dispute with the grand slam tournaments.
The All England Club revealed a prize-money purse of £64.2m, a 20% increase from last year and a £10.7m rise. There have been rises across all rounds, with the men’s and women’s champions receiving £3.6m prize money this year while players who lose in the first round will receive £80,000.
Colorado Avalanche fans have spent weeks debating whether Jared Bednar should stay or go, but the conversation could always be worse.
Just ask the Edmonton Oilers, whose reported interest in Mike Babcock has prompted the NHL Players' Association to push for the league to revisit the coach's controversial past before he lands another job.
The Debate Around Bednar Suddenly Looks Different
According to multiple reports, the NHLPA has asked the league to examine Babcock's brief and turbulent tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets before Edmonton—or any other franchise—is allowed to make him its next head coach.
The request surfaced after reports connected Babcock to the Oilers' coaching vacancy, with two people familiar with the discussions telling The Associated Press that the union wants the NHL to take another look at the circumstances that ended his last opportunity before it truly began. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because the conversations remain private.
Babcock returning to the NHL would be one of the more shocking news stories of the season. Credit: Kyle Robertson - Imagn Images
Whether the league has officially reopened its previous investigation is unclear, but any coaching hire must ultimately receive NHL approval.
Babcock's stint in Columbus lasted less than three months.
Hired in July 2023 with hopes of restoring a struggling franchise, he resigned before coaching a single regular-season game after reports emerged that he had asked players to share personal photos from their phones as a way of getting to know them. What was intended as a team-building exercise quickly became a league-wide controversy, with players questioning professional boundaries and the union stepping in.
"Our players deserve to be treated with respect in the workplace," NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said then. "Unfortunately, that was not the case in Columbus. The club’s decision to move forward with a new head coach is the appropriate course of action."
The players' association conducted its own review of the situation, while the NHL chose not to continue its planned investigation once Babcock resigned.
Now, nearly three years later, his name is once again circulating in coaching rumors.
The Oilers are searching for a replacement after surprisingly moving on from Kris Knoblauch following a first-round playoff exit, despite reaching the Stanley Cup Final in each of the previous two seasons. If Edmonton ultimately decides Babcock deserves another chance, it appears the NHLPA wants every question from his Columbus departure answered first.
A Second Chance Comes With Plenty Of Questions
It isn't the first time Babcock's methods have drawn criticism.
After the Toronto Maple Leafs fired him early in the 2019-20 season, reports surfaced that he asked a player to rank teammates from hardest-working to least-hardest-working before sharing those rankings with the locker room. The story became another example cited by former players who described an environment built on intimidation rather than motivation.
Former Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen was among Babcock's harshest critics, telling a Swedish publication that Babcock was "the worst person" he had ever met and revealing there were times he was terrified to go to the rink.
Those accounts have dramatically reshaped the public perception of a coach who once stood among hockey's most respected figures.
Babcock's résumé remains difficult to ignore. The 63-year-old led the Detroit Red Wings to the Stanley Cup in 2008, reached another Final in 2009, guided the Anaheim Ducks to the championship series in 2003, and coached Canada to consecutive Olympic gold medals in 2010 and 2014.
Edmonton has already explored other options during its coaching search. The organization requested permission to speak with Bruce Cassidy, but the Vegas Golden Knights denied that request because Cassidy remains under contract through next season.
The decision frustrated the NHL Coaches' Association, although Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly defended Vegas' position.
"We don’t find it unreasonable because we’re allowing it to happen," he said. "I do think Vegas is clearly within their contractual rights to do what they’re doing."
For Avalanche fans frustrated by another playoff disappointment, the debate surrounding Bednar isn't likely to disappear anytime soon. But as Edmonton weighs the possibility of bringing one of hockey's most polarizing figures back behind an NHL bench, Colorado's coaching conversation suddenly feels far less chaotic.
02/27/1971--Connie Hawkins (42), Phoenix Suns, scores against Philadelphia. Seen in this photograph in the air, ball leaving his hand on a lay up.
Connie Hawkins was an immense talent who missed some of his best years professionally after being falsely implicated in the notorious 1961 point shaving scandal. He signed with Iowa, but was kicked out of school in his freshman year. The NBA warned teams not to draft him, so he played for a year with the old ABL before it folded, then with the Harlem Globetrotters, and then the ABA, before the NBA, under public and legal pressure, finally allowed him to play in 1969.
Few fans got to see him in those pre-NBA years, but he played a lot of ball and had a lot of stories.
This story involves Rucker Park, the Mecca of New York / Harlem basketball, Wilt Chamberlain, and a freakishly athletic street player named Jackie Jackson.
Just 6-4, Jackson blocked a Chamberlain shot, which kind of set Wilt off. Keep in mind that Chamberlain reportedly had a 50” vertical. It’s a great story.
Wolves have sacked Rob Edwards and are poised to appoint the Portuguese head coach César Peixoto as his replacement. The 46-year-old Peixoto was most recently in charge of Gil Vicente, who finished sixth in the Portuguese top flight last season.
The news came as a huge shock to Edwards, who was alerted to rumours on social media of a deal for Peixito. Edwards, who is abroad on holiday, was informed in a phone call that his tenure was over after seven months, leaving even senior club staff stunned.
The high school season has wrapped up, almost every college team has packed and punched out and portaled, and now Major League Baseball’s draft evaluation period quiets just a bit – even as some of the most important work remains.
As the men’s College World Series arrives, pitting the final eight teams against each other (and this year’s group is, relatively speaking, not bursting with potential high-round draftees) the next phase has begun. MLB’s draft combine begins June 22 in Phoenix, where skills will be measured but perhaps more important interviews and personal evaluations will occur, a key time for clubs and players alike to determine how well they match up.
And while it won’t really affect the first round, the MLB draft league is up and running, giving prospects of all ages a Statcast-able platform to buoy their stock or at least get on the 2027 radar.
With that, USA TODAY Sports takes another stab at projecting the first 30 picks when the draft commences July 11 from Philadelphia:
We’re rolling with consistency here. While much has and can and will change over the next five weeks, Cholowsky still represents the best fusion of current value and impact. While Cholowsky’s season ended as quietly as his team’s – two singles in 12 at-bats in the No. 1 Bruins’ stunning regional elimination - he still did nothing to betray the notion he’s not the best option atop this draft.
2. Tampa Bay Rays: SS Grady Emerson, Fort Worth Christian HS
Now the consensus national high school player of the year, Emerson’s also the lone prep player named a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist; he batted .532 during his regular season with seven homers and 31 stolen bases.
Easily the nation’s leader with a 1.06 ERA (No. 2 was 1.98), Flora ran through the tape in his junior season, winning his last seven starts and posting a 30-4 strikeout-walk ratio in his final three. Lots of positional temptations but Flora represents a slam dunk foundational piece.
We’ll see how far north Lackey’s arrow points. It’s just gotten harder to see him slip this low, where Buster Posey can sell a building block catcher for an organization that needs one. Lackey finished his season with 20 homers and a 1.291 OPS in 61 games.
5. Pittsburgh Pirates: SS Jacob Lombard, Gulliver Prep (Fla.) HS
Still a chance he goes higher, and hard to conceive this isn’t his floor. Lombard’s speed-power profile nearly matches Emerson’s and his 6-3 frame and athleticism is perfect to play shortstop a long time in the big leagues.
Produced a .358/.473/.657 slash with 16 home runs, not an effusive platform year but one that will keep him near the top of the round, where the Orioles never met an SEC/ACC outfielder they didn’t like.
8. Athletics: SS Justin Lebron, Alabama
With Burress gone the A’s go with the more dynamic skill set while brushing off Lebron’s suboptimal platform season, especially in SEC play. Yet the 6-2 shortstop should benefit from the advanced college players who have already beat a quick path to Yolo County.
9. Atlanta Braves: LHP Gio Rojas, Marjory Stoneman Douglas (Fla.) HS
A perfect match between an organization that excels at nudging prep pitchers toward the majors and a 6-4 lefty who pairs a fastball that touches 98 mph with a devastating sweeper.
The Rockies’ semi-successful Coors pitching project will get a readymade Patient One to mold from the start of a professional career. Flukey’s 6-6 frame and bat-missing ability (11.6 strikeouts per nine in three seasons) give them a lot to work with.
After revamping their offensive apparatus, the Nationals do themselves a favor and draft a guy already gifted with excellent swing decisions. Curiel struck out 43 times and drew 34 walks in 58 games and had a .452 OBP across two seasons in Baton Rouge.
He has a lot to clean up, and the Angels usually like their rush-to-the-big-leagues guys close to finished products when they draft them. But Peterson’s big stuff will be too much to ignore for a regime that will already ponder how soon the 6-5 prospect can get to Anaheim.
13. St. Louis Cardinals: INF Chris Hacopian, Texas A&M
Not really sure what his future position will be but the Cardinals know what to do with another plug-and-play guy who can keep the line moving and perhaps grow into more power. If not, no biggie.
Three years into Peter Bendix’s tenure should give us a better idea this innovative club’s draft approach. In this scenario, a potentially elite bat from the college ranks falls to them.
The Diamondbacks haven’t used their top pick on a catcher since 2012 (where art thou, Stryker Trahan?) but Helfrick is too good a value to pass on here after his 18-homer, .979-OPS final season in Fayetteville.
16. Texas Rangers: OF AJ Gracia, Virginia
A steady left-handed collegiate bat with excellent bat-to-ball skills, Gracia could move quickly toward Arlington.
We’re now at the point where every pick can go in so many different directions, but the Astros opt for the former Houston Cougar with power to all fields; Reese smacked 24 home runs in his final year in Starkville.
18. Cincinnati Reds: SS Tyler Bell, Kentucky
A switch-hitting sophomore-eligible shortstop who may require shoulder surgery, Bell may eventually develop an elite offensive profile but for now is a steady player with excellent plate discipline, drawing 30 walks to just 36 strikeouts in earning first-team All-SEC honors.
An excellent senior season and the lure of a lefty topping 100 mph with the athleticism that comes with being an elite basketball player, Bumila will puncture the top 20. While the Guardians prefer college arms, they did OK in 2024 with prep lefty Braylon Doughty, now in high Class A.
20. Boston Red Sox: LHP Hunter Dietz, Arkansas
At 6-6, 235 pounds, Dietz can stand eye-to-eye with Garrett Crochet and also touches 98 mph with his fastball. Still in need of polish but struck out more batters than anyone in the SEC, punching out 13.76 per nine innings.
21. San Diego Padres: LHP/OF Jared Grindlinger, Huntington Beach (Calif.) HS
He doesn’t turn 18 until April 2027 and Grindlinger’s drafting team has the luxury of workshopping him as a pitcher or hitter. Here’s guessing the mound wins out, especially as Grindlinger’s frame fills out.
22. Detroit Tigers: RHP Cade Townsend, Mississippi
The Tigers generally prefer higher-ceiling prep players but go for a little more certainty with Townsend, a draft-eligible sophomore with a powerful profile in his repertoire.
23. Chicago Cubs: SS Eric Becker, Virginia
A steady choice, Becker is a technically sound player with gap-to-gap power who should move methodically through a minor league system.
24. Seattle Mariners: OF Trevor Condon, Etowah (Ga.) HS
Condon brings high energy and elite speed, along with the profile to stick in center field. A long-term investment for a club with the luxury to wait.
25. Milwaukee Brewers: OF Aiden Robbins, Texas
Now slashing .342/.435/.720 for the Omaha-bound Longhorns, Robbins boosted his homers from six to 24 in transferring from Seton Hall to Austin.
26. Atlanta Braves: RHP Jensen Hirschkorn, Kingsburg (Calif.) HS
A 6-7 frame that already produces a mid-90s fastball, Hirschkorn is another pitcher with basketball athleticism and tons of projectability. Two picks in the top 26 should help Atlanta keep Hirschkorn away from LSU.
27. New York Mets: OF Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M
Quite a skill set, as Sorrell produced 23 homers, 11 steals and a 1.177 OPS – all in a center fielder’s package - in his final year in College Station.
28. Houston Astros: OF Zion Rose, Louisville
A career 1.023 OPS at Louisville, Rose stole 24 bases in 27 attempts and had a .491 OBP in his final season. Strong 205-pound frame could produce more power than he’s shown.
29. San Francisco Giants: Daniel Jackson, C, Georgia
We’re just going to assign Buster Posey catchers with Georgia connections until he’s had his fill. Jackson transferred from Wofford to become a Bulldogs legend, ripping 31 homers to key their CWS run.
30. Kansas City Royals: RHP Logan Reddemann, UCLA
They’re buying low on Reddemann after arm issues slowed a platform year that seemed to push him closer to the top 10. Reddemann hasn’t pitched since April 17 but posted a 0.97 WHIP and 12.7 strikeouts per nine before he was idled.
Justin Verlander was shelled for four home runs, and the Hens couldn’t put much together at the plate against Twins’ starter Mick Abel and the Saints’ bullpen on Wednesday.
Well, Justin Verlander appears healthy, so I don’t know how much longer the Tigers can keep him on the injured list. He also looks incapable of starting successfully in the major leagues right now. Enjoy that dilemma, Scott Harris.
The right-hander allowed four solo shots in 5.2 innings of work, and there were several other very sharply hit balls in play in this outing. What there was not, was much swing and miss. Verlander threw 86 pitches, recording six whiffs, four of them on the fourseam fastball, which averaging 92.9 mph with below average extension. The riding action is still good, and he topped out at 95.5 mph, but we would’ve liked to see him sitting more comfortably around 94 mph. He worked on his slider for much of the outing but it wasn’t very sharp.
Aaron Sabato and Kyler Fedko recorded the first two homers in the second and third innings, respectively. Verlander settled in for a couple of innings, but in the sixth, Matt Wallner crushed a slider and Gabriel Gonzalez a fastball back-to-back to finish Verlander’s outing on a pretty sour note.
Ben Malgeri hit a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth for the Hens only run.
Ben Malgeri rips a solo homer over the wall to get Toledo on the board. That’s his 8th home run of the year, and it raises his slash line against left-handed pitching to .375/.478/.750 pic.twitter.com/zXBM1b08eA
Things got even rougher for the future Hall of Fame set when Kenley Jansen took over the in the seventh. He quickly gave up three runs on a walk and two hits, striking out one, and Yoniel Curet had to take over with two outs. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up three more runs of his own, and Konnor Pilkington gave up two more before this came to an end.
Cruz: 3-4, 2B, 3B
Malgeri: 2-4, R, RBI, HR, 2 K
Verlander (L, 1-1): 5.2 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Jansen: 0.2 IP, 3 ER, 2 H, B, K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start time on Thursday with the series tied at a game apiece.
Tigers have acquired RHP Jacob Waguespack from the Brewers in exchange for cash or a player to be named later.
Waguespack currently has a 1.66 ERA and 13.7 K/9 in Triple-A.
The 32-year-old has a 5.11 ERA in 105.2 career MLB innings, most recently with 2024 Rays
Carlos Peña was hit hard in this one, but the SeaWolves fought back and then seized control in the middle innings to win on Wednesday.
Justice Bigbie cracked a solo shot in the bottom of the second to open the scoring, but Peña was knocked around for four runs in the third, and another in the fourth.
So it was 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth when the SeaWolves started turning this game around. Thayron Liranzo led off with a walk and was wild pitched to second. Bigbie singled home Liranzo, and Chris Meyers singled as well. After a pair of strikeouts, E.J. Exposito finally cashed in the runners with a double to left, and it was 5-4 Akron.
Unfortunately, Peña wild pitched a run home in the fifth, and so the task was again more difficult down 6-4.
Brett Callahan kicked started the final push with a solo shot to right field for his 11th home run of the year in the bottom of the fifth. That was Callahan’s fourth homer in five games, and the well rounded outfielder is starting to make a serious push toward Toledo.
Brett Callahan hit this ball a long way for his team-leading 11th home run of the season. pic.twitter.com/4acaico1fJ
In the sixth, Meyers led off with a single and stole second base. He eventually scored on throwing error, while Exposito walked and Seth Stephenson singled. Stephenson stole second base, and a swinging bunt toward third from John Peck scored Exposito as Peck beat out the throw to first. Stephenson never stopped running and tore around third base and home under a tag at the plate for an 8-6 lead.
Dariel Fregio and Tyler Owens were each excellent in relief, throwing a pair of scoreless innings apiece.
Callahan: 1-3, R, RBI, HR, BB, K (.913 OPS on the year)
Bigbie: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, K
Stephenson: 3-5, R, 2B, SB
Peña: 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Thursday with the SeaWolves up 2-0 in the series.
West Michigan Whitecaps 8, Lake County Captains 4 (box)
Ben Jacobs was a little wild in this one, which made for another relatively short outing, but he allowed just one run while his teammates went off at the plate.
Jacobs struck out the side in the bottom of the first, and in the top of the second, Clayton Campbell singled with one out and took second on a wild pitch. Luke Shliger flew out, but Cristian Santana drew a walk to keep the inning alive. Juan Hernandez singled in Campbell, and Caleb Shpur singled in Santana for a 2-0 lead.
Jackson Strong, Garrett Pennington, and Bryce Rainer all walked in the third, but Pennington was thrown out in a double steal attempt with Strong taking third, and they couldn’t push across a run.
Jacobs walked the first two hitters in the fourth, and wild pitched a runner to third. A single scored the run before Jacobs dug in for a strikeout, pop up, and a ground out to escape the inning.
So it was 2-1 Whitecaps, and it was quickly 3-1 when Woody Hadeen and Strong doubled back-to-back to start the fifth. In the seventh, Shpur singled, and Strong walked before Pennington mashed a three-run shot to left center field for a 6-1 lead.
Logan Berrier gave up a run to the Captains in the seventh to make it 6-2. he gave up a two-run shot in the eighth as well.
However, Strong launched a two-run shot to right in the top of the ninth to make it 8-4 and put this one away. After a solid but unspectacular first two months, Strong is suddenly scorching hot. The strikeout rate is still way too high, but he’s homered four times in five games and may be turning the corner a bit.
Strong: 2-3, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR, 2 BB, K, SB
Campbell: 2-5, R, K
Pennington; 1-4, R, 3 RBI, HR, BB, 2 K
Jacobs: 4.0 IP, ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 6 K
Coming Up Next: The series is tied heading into a 7:00 p.m. ET start on Thursday.
Cash Kuiper put together a solid start and the bats were hot as the Flying Tigers built an early lead and then poured it on to take a 2-0 lead in the series on Wednesday.
Kuiper wasn’t getting a ton of whiffs, but he spun five innings of one run ball.
The offense took over in the top of the second as Carson Rucker walked with two outs. Singles from Nick Dumesnil and Jack Goodman followed for a 1-0 lead. Anibal Salas doubled in both runs, and then scored on a Jordan Yost double for a 4-0 lead.
Jordan Yost with a nice inside-out RBI double to left that put Lakeland up 4-0. pic.twitter.com/sgjTQktBWi
In the fifth, Jesus Pinto, Beau Ankeney, and Edian Espinal all singled with one-out. That scored one run, and Rucker drew a two out walk to load the bases. Dumesnil was hit by a pitch to make it 6-1, but that was all they’d get.
However, in the top of the sixth, Salas was hit by a pitch to leadoff the inning, and Yost then went deep to right field with a 102.3 mph shot for his first home run of the season. 8-1 Lakeland.
Congratulations to Jordan Yost, who launches a 2-run blast to right for his first professional home run. Left his bat at 101.2 MPH and went 384 feet. pic.twitter.com/PitNF3nhbI
Later in the inning, Espinal doubled and scored on a Jude Warwick single. Yost was walked with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth to make it 10-1.
Win Scott, Andrew Pogue, and Eliseo Mota were all solid in relief, allowing just two baserunners over the final four innings.
Yost: 2-5, R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR, BB, K
Espinal: 2-3, R, RBI, 2B, 2 BB
Salas: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, K
Kuiper (W, 1-2): 5.0 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Thursday as the Flying Tigers look to run their winning streak to four.
