PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: Raisel Iglesias #26 of the Atlanta Braves throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Things might be going very well for the Atlanta Braves on the field but their bad luck with injuries is apparently going to just stick around. In the middle of the series in Philadelphia, Raisel Iglesias ended up being unavailable for a game because he slept badly on his shoulder overnight.
All appeared to be well after Iglesias ended up closing out the sweep on Sunday but apparently his shoulder started acting up on him again on Monday and it’s bad enough to where he’ll have to take a trip to the IL with right shoulder inflammation.
The #Braves today recalled LHP Dylan Dodd to Atlanta and placed RHP Raisel Iglesias on the 15-day injured list, backdated to April 20, with right shoulder inflammation.
Additionally, the club transferred C Sean Murphy’s and RHP Spencer Strider’s rehabilitation assignments from…
Needless to say, I think we’ve all had our fill of these bizarre trips to the IL for Braves players over the course of the past two years. Their primary shortstop is still recovering from having slipped on ice during the offseason and now they’ll be losing their primary high-leverage reliever because he slept funny one night. Is it relatable? As a 37-year-old, sure! Is it fun to see? Absolutely not!
Anyways, Dylan Dodd will be taking Iglesias’ place for the time being. This’ll be Dodd’s second stint with the Braves this season after his most recent cup of coffee saw him pitch three scoreless innings against the Guardians on April 12. Iglesias, meanwhile, has 8.2 scoreless innings under his belt so far this season with five hits, one walk and 11 strikeouts to his name. The Braves are going to miss him while he’s gone.
Fortunately, the depth in the bullpen has been shored up to the point where they can actually afford to take a hit here. Robert Suarez has also been lights out so far and he will now be taking on closing duties while Iglesias is out. Losing the closer means that everybody’s responsibility has bumped up a bit but moving Suarez into that spot is about as much of a lateral move as you can get.
Either way, here’s hoping that Iglesias didn’t sleep his way into a long stint on the IL and that we’ll see him again in two weeks. It’s frustrating but that’s just the type of injury luck that the Braves have had in recent years. We’ll see what happens.
Murphy beats Fan Zhengyi; O’Sullivan leads by five
Judd Trump sees off Gary Wilson to reach second round
Shaun Murphy clawed back a 36-point deficit in the deciding frame to secure a nail-biting 10-9 win over the Chinese qualifier Fan Zhengyi in the first round of the World Snooker Championship.
The pair traded blows throughout a thrilling second session and Fan moved to the verge of victory after taking the first chance in the last – but Murphy, who won the title in 2005, drew on all his years of experience to nudge home with a superb break of 50.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 17: Wandy Peralta #58 of the San Diego Padres delivers to the plate during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 17, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One of the San Diego Padres relievers who does not get much attention is also the elder statesman in the group. Wandy Peralta, who pitched for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, has been a mainstay in the San Diego bullpen since he left the New York Yankees. The left-hander is known as a groundball pitcher and has been called upon in some tough spots to get the Padres out of a jam. Like any reliever it has not always been good for Peralta. There have been times when he did not get the out or when he surrendered a home run to tie a game, but through it all he has maintained a good relationship with his teammates and has remained a positive presence in the locker room. Peralta may be overlooked by baseball pundits and media members who like to rave about the various aspects of the San Diego ‘pen, but his value is known and recognized by the Padres players, coaches and front office.
Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribuneprovided some news and notes about the Padres. More specifically he covered topics surrounding Mason Miller, Bradgley Rodriguez and Fernando Tatis Jr.
By now, many if not all of the Friar Faithful have seen the home run-robbing catches by Jackson Merrill in center field. The rest of MLB has seen them too and decided one of the most recent was good enough for Play of the Week.
Dennis Lin of The Athletic says Ramon Laureano is shorter thanks to ABS this season, which has improved his performance on offense.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 3: Andre Drummond #1, Tyrese Maxey #0, Joel Embiid #21, and Kyle Lowry #7 of the Philadelphia 76ers look on from the bench against the San Antonio Spurs in the fourth quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 3, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Spurs defeated the 76ers 131-91. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Celtics host the 76ers on Tuesday night for Game 2, two days after a 32-point Game 1 demolition. And, they’ll mostly be at full strength: only Ron Harper Jr. is on the injury report. He’s listed as probable with a right ankle sprain that he suffered earlier this month.
The Cetics have one player on the injury report tomorrow vs Philly: Ron Harper Jr, who is probable with a right ankle sprain.
Jayson Tatum, who made his return from an Achilles injury on March 6th, continues to be fully uninhibited. He tallied 25 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals in 32 minutes on Sunday, and even said after the game that he feels stronger than he’s felt in years past.
For the 76ers, everyone is available except for Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid has been ruled out of Game 2 after undergoing a successful emergency appendectomy surgery on April 9th. However, on Monday, the 76ers announced he had begun his strength and conditioning program.
Whether Embiid returns in the first round of the playoffs vs Boston remains to be seen.
NBA injury analyst Joel Stotts reported that the average time lost for in-season surgery is 23 days, while the median time lost is 18 days (meaning that half of the NBA players who have undergone appendectomy surgery have missed more than 18 days, while the other half have missed less than 18 days).
Say Embiid falls right in line with that 18-day mark; he’d return on April 27th. Game 3 is scheduled for Friday, April 24th, and Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday, April 26th.
The 76ers undoubtedly hope Embiid can make his return sooner rather than later, as Embiid has been crucial to Philadelphia this season. He’s averaged 26.9 points and 7.7 rebounds, while shooting 48.9% from the field. The 76ers were a much better team with him available — they were 24-14 with him (63.2% win rate) and 21-23 without him (a 47.7% win rate).
But for now, Philadelphia will continue to rely on Adem Bona and Andre Drummond to hold down the fort in the post.
WASHINGTON – For the past three years, Dominic Smith has waited for the phone to ring, for a guaranteed job to emerge, for an assurance that his baseball life will continue unfettered.
Then the winter will grow colder, the employment offers no less certain, and Smith will steel himself for the weeks ahead: A spring training invite, a job to win, perhaps an opt-out to find greener pastures, or a humbling trip to the minor leagues that would seem beneath a valued veteran first baseman.
And then Smith, now 30, returns to his mantras of faith and self-confidence to realize another team will recognize his skills, but perhaps most important his humanity that can galvanize a clubhouse over however long a team will have him around for the 162-game grind.
Through it all, Smith’s belief will not waver.
“It’s never stressful,” Smith, now the primary designated hitter for the Atlanta Braves, tells USA TODAY Sports. “It’s a blessing to play this game – whether it’s overseas, if it’s in Triple-A. This is a game. Life is way more important outside of the game to put that much stress on yourself.
“I just believe in God and believe God is always going to make things work. And look where I’m at.
“That’s why I have this mindset.”
This spring, it has guided him not just through professional uncertainty but also personal tragedy.
Smith did not sign with the Braves until Feb. 19, a week after spring training camp opened. It was then that his mother, Yvette LaFleur, nearly perished after she was diagnosed with cancer in September. It left Smith in a near-impossible position: Aiming to make the team while balancing his mother’s diminishing time left.
He left camp for one week to be at Yvette’s side in Los Angeles, then returned to Florida to win a job. She died while he was away.
What’s transpired since says even more about Smith.
In his first start for the Braves on March 28, Smith became the first player in major league history to hit a walk-off grand slam in his debut with a club. Smith admittedly “got choked up a bunch of times” thinking about his mother amid the celebration.
And as this young season unfolds, Smith has only become more integral to the Braves’ stunning 16-7 start.
He flipped another game with a three-run double in the bottom of the eighth to beat Miami April 15. The hitter with a career .252 average and .316 on-base percentage is slashing .345/.362/.600 with four home runs and likely has a lock on the DH job – at least against right-handed pitchers – even when Sean Murphy returns from injury.
Perhaps more significant is his impact on Atlanta in just a few weeks.
“Everybody loves Dom. He’s a tremendous human being,” says first-year Braves manager Walt Weiss. “He’s been through a lot, right? He’s had to deal with DFAs, he’s had to deal with the garbage stuff that the players, if you stick around long enough, have to deal with.
“There’s a lot of experience, a lot of wisdom there. There’s also a lot of perspective, a lot of humility through it all. Just a wonderful, wonderful guy and I’m glad we have him.”
It is a common sentiment wherever Smith goes.
'He kept us alive'
He’s lived a few baseball lives since the New York Mets selected him 11th overall in the 2013 draft. Smith debuted in 2017 but by 2019, Pete Alonso arrived with a 53-homer season. Smith batted .299 with a .936 OPS across the 2019 and COVID-shortened 2020 seasons, but tumbled to below league-average production the following two seasons.
By 2022, the Mets optioned him to Class AAA for 54 games, and non-tendered him after the season. The Washington Nationals gave him his last guaranteed deal – one year, $2 million – and he spent the year a sage for a 91-loss team.
Since then? Spring invites to the Cubs and Yankees, minor league trips to Durham and Scranton, brief stints with the Red Sox and Reds in 2024 before hooking on with the San Francisco Giants last June.
It was there that he fully emerged as a glue guy, on a club that would eventually fire manager Bob Melvin and significantly alter the franchise by trading for Rafael Devers two weeks after Smith’s arrival.
The Giants went 81-81 and at times that felt like a miracle.
“He was crucial to the success we had last year. He kept us alive for a lot of it,” says Giants third baseman Matt Chapman. “He knew how to take a good at-bat, how to do what the situation calls for. You see what he’s doing right now – he has the ability to really, really swing the bat and play well.
“He’s never too high, never too low and has a knack for getting the big hit, which is why you saw him come up clutch so much.”
And for a guy who’s never hit more than 12 home runs in a season and only twice played more than 100 games, Smith has found a way to communicate what he can bring to a team.
It is challenging, within the context of making a team out of spring training, or convincing another one to carve out a major league roster spot to leapfrog organizations. Yet that is where that Dom Smith energy comes into play.
“It’s not easy to do when your back’s against the wall,” says Chapman. “A lot of people could be pissed off about not getting an opportunity or feel like they’ve been slighted. He didn’t have that energy. He always had good energy, showed up and did what he was asked to do.
“That’s very respectable and why me and him are going to be close for a long time.”
Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams says he and Smith remain close, and talk often on the phone. He learned from Smith the art of self care, the importance of diet and the concept of availability as the best ability.
“When the opportunity presents itself, he comes and gets the job done,” says Abrams. “As you can see right now, he’s doing his thing.”
'Understanding who you are'
As Smith adds stamps to his baseball passport, he sees the value of his accrued experiences – the compact pressure of playing in Boston, the glare of New York, and, with San Francisco and Atlanta, getting tutelage from franchise legends Barry Bonds and Chipper Jones.
All the while, knowing thyself.
“Understanding who you are,” Smith puts it. “For me, the biggest thing was being available and be able to compete at a high level. Not necessarily put up All-Star numbers, but compete. I think that’s what teams value.
“Guys that they don’t have to worry about. Guys who put together good at-bats. I’ve been around for a while now. So, I understand the value to a team so they don’t lose a beat, regardless of what happens internally.”
Sometimes, those internal developments can roil a squad. This spring, the Braves lost left fielder Jurickson Profar to a PED suspension for the second consecutive year, the multiple offenses costing Profar all 162 games of 2026.
Given they were down an entire rotation due to injury, it looked like another dark cloud that would produce the Braves’ second consecutive sub-.500 season after winning seven consecutive division titles.
Instead, the Braves are tied with the Dodgers for most wins in baseball, the clubhouse and its first-year manager seemingly in lockstep, and GM Alex Anthopoulos holding steady even as pitching injuries threatened to sink the season.
“Alex preaches having a positive attitude to the ballclub,” says Smith, who also lauds Anthopoulos for "understanding guys and understanding what being a good human means."
“That’s the biggest thing – coming in here open-minded and just help them win. It’s a great ballclub and we have World Series aspirations. We want to play meaningful games, playoff games, World Series games. It was a dream come true how it all unfolded.”
Then again, Smith has a knack for making his own breaks, even when nothing’s guaranteed, even when personal turmoil could have sidetracked him.
“To have that uncertainty held over you,” says Chapman, “and now the story’s out but he was battling things off the field with his mom. For him to be able to get to the field and do what he did just shows how special he is.”
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 27: Luke Fox #89 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the fifth inning of a spring training game against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Jeremy Chen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tulsa Drillers left-hander Luke Fox is off to a nice start to his 2026 season, and on Monday was named Texas League pitcher of the week for his efforts for the week of April 14-19.
The Dodgers drafted Fox in the 17th round in 2023 out of Duke, where he missed his final season after Tommy John surgery, which delayed his professional debut until May 2024. Fox finished last season with nine starts for Tulsa, and in 13 Double-A starts to date has a 2.57 ERA with 69 strikeouts and 27 walks in 63 innings.
This season, Fox has only walked five batters to go with his 23 strikeouts and 32.4-percent strikeout rate in four starts.
At long last, the Anaheim Ducks participated in an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff game. They traveled to the northern-most destination possible to take on the Edmonton Oilers for game 1 of their first-round matchup on Monday.
This was the Ducks’ first playoff game in 2924 days, since game 4 of their first round matchup against the San Jose Sharks in 2018, where they were unceremoniously swept by San Jose.
This was the second time these two franchises met in the playoffs; the first was in the 2006 Western Conference Final, where the Chris Pronger’s Oilers won in a 4-1 “gentleman’s sweep,” and the second was in 2017, a seven-game second-round series that the Ducks pulled out in the very first playoff series loss for this same Oilers core, consisting of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Darnell Nurse, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
This iteration of the Oilers has won back-to-back Western Conference titles, hungry to get over the hump and hoist the Stanley Cup. The Ducks roster featured a litany of players making their postseason debuts in this game, including the entirety of THEIR young core: Leo Carlsson, Jackson LaCombe, Cutter Gauthier, Beckett Sennecke, etc.
The Oilers would see the returns of Leon Draisaitl, who missed Edmonton’s last 14 games of the regular season with a lower-body injury, and Jason Dickinson, who missed the last three with a lower-body injury as well.
The Ducks were as healthy as they’d been all season, with every roster player participating in morning skate except for Troy Terry, who took a maintenance morning, but was confirmed to play after skate.
Here’s how the Ducks lined up in this game:
Kreider-Carlsson-Terry
Killorn-Granlund-Sennecke
McTavish-Poehling-Gauthier
Viel-Washe-Moore
LaCombe-Trouba
Mintyukov-Carlson
Hinds-Gudas
Lukas Dostal got the start for the Ducks, his first career playoff game, and saved 30 of 34 shots. Edmonton went with Connor Ingram as their starter in game 1, and he stopped 25 of 28.
Game Notes
Through most of the first period, the Ducks were intent on playing as mistake-free as possible. They made simple plays with the puck, kept a third forward back in every zone, and tried to keep Edmonton to the outside as much as possible.
Despite playing more responsibly, the Ducks still allowed the first two goals to Edmonton, putting themselves in a hole at first intermission. The Ducks answered, dictating game flow and possessing more pucks, which led to three straight goals in the second period.
The third period was tighter on both sides, as the middle of the ice was protected at both ends. Edmonton potted one halfway through the period and took a late lead to complete the comeback and seal the game.
“I think we lost a little bit of our momentum there when we gave up the third one,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said. “I thought we were playing a perfect third period, and just the way we wanted to play. We had a good start to the game, (but) we gave up a couple in the first. Not happy at all about those plays. They were preventable, and they’re dangerous.
“They can make some plays off the rush, with their speed, alone. You think you’re in a good spot, but they still got to make sure you exaggerate a little bit to help.
“That was a tough loss. We did a lot of good things right, and we’re happy about certain things. Disappointed, but it creates a more desperate appetite going forward.”
Jackson LaCombe-Edmonton seemed to make it a point to finish every check on LaCombe, and finish hard, after every puck advancement he made. In the first, that may have led him to be a step slower than usual up ice, potentially preventing him from involving himself on rush attacks.
He quickly adjusted and used a crashing F1 to his advantage in the second and third, as he realized he could draw forecheckers out of position and beat them up ice, as displayed on the Ducks’ first goal.
Sennecke/Poehling/Viel-Troy Terry and Leo Carlsson were driving the Ducks’ offensive production in this game and were dangerous whenever they touched the puck. Moving forward, the Ducks will need to rely on their forward depth a touch more if they want to pull out some wins.
That starts with maintaining possession, but only after gaining it. Beckett Sennecke, Ryan Poehling, and Jeffrey Viel gave impressive efforts to disrupt attacks in the neutral and defensive zones, negating a significant aspect of how Edmonton generates their looks. Poehling was a puck hound on backchecks, angling rushes off at the defensive blueline. Sennecke utilized outstanding anticipation skills to knock down outlets and get sticks on passing attempts. Viel was impactful on the forecheck and forced point men into bad decisions at the Ducks’ blueline.
Penalty Kill-Anaheim allowed just two shots and six shot attempts on two attempts to the best power play in the NHL. Though Edmonton appeared dangerous when they got set up, the Ducks did as well as they could have to disrupt entries and deny at their blueline with clever poke checks and angles on the walls.
When entries were denied and dump-ins were forced, Dostal did well to knock them down, acting like a fifth penalty killer, and moved them to safety. Puck-retrieving defensemen were smart with their routes to loose pucks and efficient with their clears.
The Ducks will look to even the series on Wednesday, again in Edmonton at 7 PM PST for game 2.
BRONX, NY - APRIL 08: Athletics Left Fielder Tyler Soderstrom (21) and Center Fielder Denzel Clarke (1) and Right Fielder Lawrence Butler (4) celebrate the victory after the ninth inning of a Major League Baseball game between the Athletics and New York Yankees on April 8, 2026, at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, NY. (Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
I’ve noticed that the A’s have worn strictly grey on the road this season. Last year, it was a mix between the grey, gold, and the kelly green tops but with the 2010s style gold jerseys being retired in the offseason in favor of their new “Sacramento Saturdays” jersey, we’ve seem to have lost the gold top as an option on the road. Which is strange when you think about it, given that it’s the only jersey in their collection that pays respect to the city they’re sort’ve resting in for the time being. I guess this is because they don’t want to give opposing fans the wrong impression. They are The Athletics. Not the Sacramento Athletics. Even on Sacramento Saturdays, they’re still The Athletics. Sporting “Sacramento” across their chests is simply just an act of fan service. A reason for locals to flock to the team shop in between innings.
Now why they’ve stopped wearing the kelly greens on the road, I don’t know. My working theory is that the players have grown tired of them. It’s been adopted as their spring training look in recent years and maybe because of that, it’s lost a little bit of its big league charm. In fact overall, it might be the least worn jersey this season. I can only recall it being worn once. If that continues to be the case, it would actually be so for the second consecutive year. Tim Kelly from MLB.com did a power ranking going into the season, where he broke down where every MLB club’s uniform combos stood in comparison to one another, as well as how many times they were worn throughout 2025.
The A’s came in second (easy first imo) behind the St. Louis Cardinals and this was their overall slashline:
Grey — 67; White — 59; Yellow — 23; Kelly Green — 13
At the pace we’re moving, grey will remain the dominant jersey. 67 times out of 81 opportunities is already pretty insane when you think about it. Take one more option out of the mix and grey has a real shot at cracking 75 this season.
Now if they go the whole year without ever veering from ole reliable on the road, we the fans should get some sort of pizza party…or at least a verbal commitment to bringing back the black tops from the late 2000s.
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: As manager Alex Cora #13 of the Boston Red Sox signals the bullpen for a pitcher, starting pitcher Sonny Gray #54 leaves the game with a trainer after being injured during the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park on April 20, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you’re in the imaging ward at Mass General today, keep an eye out for Sonny Gray (but don’t bother him; that’s weird and lame). He’ll be getting an MRI on his hamstring today after the Sox placed him on the 15-day IL and gave his spot on the roster to Tyler Samaniego — a spot that will likely go to someone else when Gray’s turn in the rotation comes around again. As of now, the Sox don’t sound too worried. “I’m not concerned it’s a long-term thing … It doesn’t [feel] as bad as it has other times where I have missed time,” said Gray. But this wouldn’t be the first time in recent years that the Red Sox have downplayed a pitching injury only for it to turn out much worse than anticipated. (Hey, how are things going, Kutter Crawford? Say hello to Johan Oviedo for us.) (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)
But at least the pitching universe is trying to balance itself out a bit. Just as Gray goes down, Greg Weissert returns to form. His incredible sixth inning yesterday was paramount in the Red Sox’ Patriots Day win. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
Should some credit to Weissert’s bounce-back go to… Jarren Duran? The reliever says yes. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
Now maybe Greg Weissert can give Duran some advice to help him turn his season at the plate around. Alex Cora points to Duran’s tendency to chase pitches outside of the zone as his big problem so far this year. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
Chasing pitching outside the of the zone is Ceddanne Rafaela’s biggest weakness, of course. But yesterday he turned a bad swing decision into a game-winning hit. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
Though Ceddanne wouldn’t have even been in a position to get the game-winning RBIs if Carlos Narvaez of all people hadn’t come through with a clutch stolen base the inning before. (Ian Browne, MLB.com)
After splitting the four-game series with the Tigers, the Sox will now turn their attention to the, ugh, New York Yankees. Here’s a look at where to the two teams stand as we begin the 2026 chapter of the greatest rivalry in North American sports. (Jen McCaffrey, Brendan Kuty, The Athletic)
And if you’re wondering where the rivalry itself stands, Cam Schlittler says he’s getting death threats. (Conor Ryan, Boston Globe)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 13: Julio Rodríguez #44 of the Seattle Mariners high-fives Brendan Donovan #33 after the game against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park on April 13, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Mariners won 6-2. (Photo by Maddy Grassy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Tuesday! An uncharacteristic Emerson Hancock start and unfortunate, late-game bullpen meltdown resulted in a 3-6 loss for the Mariners against the Athletics yesterday. Luis Castillo will hope to get the Mariners back in the win column today as he takes the mound at 6:40 PM against Jacob Lopez.
Mar 27, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Diaz (3) delivers to the plate as he earns a save in the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Carlos Santana was taken off the field due to an adductor strain, but his glove is still being put to good use.
That’s because versatile infielders Ildemaro Vargas and Jose Fernandez have shared the leather while splitting reps at first base in Santana’s absence, keeping the purple Rawlings with a gold patch to honor Santana’s 2024 Gold Glove win.
Manager Torey Lovullo described it as “leave the glove at first base and run in,” like kids playing on a sandlot.
Arizona’s top overall prospect was hitting a mere .238/.396/.381 through his first 11 games at the Triple-A level. The walk ability and on-base percentage was still there, as it has been for the outfielder at every minor league level.
In the 10 games that have followed since then, Waldschmidt has raised his slash to an eye-popping .338/.448/.563. He’s hitting .375 and slugging .594 for the month of April thus far; that includes four doubles, two triples and two home runs.
“We work very hard at bunting,” Lovullo said. “You can see a lot of clubs are doing it now. It’s coming back into this game. I think for a long time it was, we will accept swing and miss, let’s launch the ball into the seats, let’s create some walks and build innings.
“But over the past three or four years, I think it started somewhere in the 2023 season, we thought and figured out this part of the equation that when we can put somebody in scoring position in combination with baserunning, put the ball on the ground, it was going to create a little bit of chaos.”
The Blue Jays’ journey from Phoenix to Anaheim on Sunday didn’t involve a chartered jet or a first-class cabin. Instead, it involved three buses, a five-hour stretch of Interstate 10, and felt a lot more like a scene from the Northwest League than the Major Leagues.
The trouble started around 4 p.m., when a mechanical failure was discovered in the plane’s joystick — the primary control for takeoffs and landings. The Blue Jays were faced with a choice: wait for a replacement aircraft to fly in from Vancouver, which wouldn’t have landed until 10 p.m., or load the 60-person traveling party onto buses for the long trek across I-10.
As often happens in sports, manager John Schneider took the decision to a team vote. The decision to bus passed by roughly 30 votes, as the majority of players preferred to get moving immediately. However, not everyone was thrilled with the outcome; Schneider joked that he was already reprimanded by veteran Max Scherzer, who issued a full-letterhead kangaroo court summons over the travel decision.
Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz is scheduled to undergo surgery Wednesday to remove loose bodies in his right elbow, the team announced. The expectation is that the reliever could sit out around three months, a source told ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez on Monday.
Los Angeles put Diaz, 32, on the 15-day injured list before the team’s series finale with the Colorado Rockies on Monday, adding in a statement that he’d be back “during the second half of the season.” In a corresponding move, the Dodgers recalled left-hander Jake Eder, 27, from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
FanGraphs Power Rankings: April 13-19 by Jake Mailhot [FanGraphs] {Ed. Note: The Diamondbacks are sandwiched between the Padres and Yankees at #4, but in the write up of Tier 2, they are completely ignored.}
Mason Miller picked up his league-leading eighth save on Sunday, though he only struck out two, pushing his FIP up a few points to -1.11. It was a return to form for Miller after he allowed just his second hit and second walk of the season in his appearance on Saturday — there was a man in scoring position against him before he shut the door! With so much elite pitching in the league these days, the idea of a reliever winning the Cy Young is farfetched, but Miller is quickly off to one of the strongest starts for a relief pitcher in history. His dominance is a big reason why the Padres are just a half-game behind the Dodgers in the NL West.
Aaron Judge isn’t leading the Yankees offense right now. That honor is currently held by Ben Rice, with his .338/.476/.800 (a 245 wRC+) slash line. He’s hit a home run in four straight games. Not to be out done, Judge cracked five homers last week, including four in a four-game series against the Angels — Mike Trout hit five of his own in that series — in a fantastic display of slugging. After a rough sweep in Tampa Bay to close out the previous week, the Yankees look like they’ve righted the ship with five wins in their last seven games.
Apr 20, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) takes a shot against New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet (44) at the end of the third quarter of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Hawks overcame a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to even their best-of-seven series against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday night, taking a 107-106 victory. CJ McCollum led all scorers with 32 points while Jonathan Kuminga added 19 points off the bench. For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson scored 29 points with Karl-Anthony Towns adding 18 points.
The Hawks began this game with a change in approach, using Dyson Daniels to guard Karl-Anthony Towns, who similarly began the game guarding Daniels. In a physical affair in the first quarter, it was the Knicks who just exploited the Hawks’ lack of size and attacked on the offensive glass, scoring seven second chance points in the first quarter alone. The hosts established a double-digit lead in the first quarter but a strong start to the second quarter — with Towns and Brunson on the bench —saw the Hawks take a brief lead. Three-point shooting and capitalizing on New York turnovers contributed to this quick turnaround, but it did not last.
The Knicks re-took the lead and took a five-point lead into the second half, where a quick burst led by Josh Hart and Towns saw the Knicks re-establish their double-digit lead, running as high as 14 points. While the lead, at times, hovered in and around double-digits for much of the second half. Even as the fourth quarter arrived, the Knicks still held a double-digit lead having successfully kept the Hawks at arm’s length for the third quarter. Then, the tide began to shift.
The Hawks began to find success getting to the rim, in fact, converting all 11 of their attempts around the rim in the fourth quarter:
The Knicks had success earlier in the game lobbing to Mitchell Robinson, but when they try to run it again in the fourth it’s broken up by Kuminga and falls to Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who gets the ball to Corey Kispert, who finishes at the rim:
Working at the three-point line waiting for a hand-off, Onyeka Okongwu receives a great contribution from Gabe Vincent, who not only manages to push Mikal Bridges out of the way and sets the screen on Robinson which allows Okongwu to go from waiting for a hand-off option to being able to spot the opportunity and drive the ball himself to the rim for the dunk, leading to a quick New York timeout:
Vincent is involved again, this time in the pick-and-roll with Kuminga, who receives the ball and darts down the lane, rising effortlessly for the slam dunk:
The help defender for the Knicks here is OG Anunoby, who is quick to rotate but Kuminga quicker getting in the lane and with his athleticism, Anunoby quickly makes the executive decision to not contest this dunk.
The Knicks suffer another lapse at the rim, this time it’s Robinson who allows Okongwu to wander behind him, and Kuminga finds Okongwu for the easy lob:
Kuminga’s first half wasn’t brilliant, but he was excellent in the second half, and his strong played continued as he attacks Jordan Clarkson, getting into the lane, drawing the contact and hitting the hook shot, plus the foul:
Again faced with a mismatch in Jalen Brunson, Kuminga attacks him off of the dribble and gets to rim for the basket:
A good job of recognizing and attacking the mismatch, but a bad mistake for the Knicks to make to allow it to happen and lack of organization sorting their matchups out heading down the floor. It also marks one of many possessions where Brunson gets torched defensively.
For now, another basket on a mismatch, this time courtesy of Jalen Johnson, who takes it to the chest of Hart, and finishes off glass to reduce the Knicks lead further:
Now with the Hawks down by one point, the CJ McCollum show begins.
Having already had a strong game up to this point (particularly in the first quarter), McCollum got his run started as he puts Brunson on skates with the dribble move, and drives to the rim for the basket, lifting his layup high off of the glass to avoid Towns’ block attempt to give the Hawks their first lead since the second quarter:
In isolation this time beyond the three-point line, McCollum drives by Brunson with ease — who makes a poor attempt to stay in front of McCollum and then reach from behind — and rises into his runner to extend the Atlanta lead:
A three from Brunson ties the game at 103 apiece, and McCollum takes charge again. This time, he’s guarded by Anunoby, who does a much better job defending McCollum, following him towards the baseline after the screen from Okongwu. Despite Anunoby’s efforts, McCollum connects on the fadeaway jumper to return the lead to the Hawks:
While all of these baskets were important, arguably the most important one comes here, as Brunson is stripped by Alexander-Walker as he rises into the shot, and the turnover is created. Alexander-Walker finds Johnson, who streaks ahead and dunks at the rim, giving the Hawks a four point lead with 10 seconds remaining:
From trailing all of the way in the second half, the Hawks have rallied to take a two-possession lead with 10 seconds remaining and on course to steal Game 2. However, a quick three out of the timeout by Brunson and two missed free throws from McCollum put the game in doubt.
The Knicks elect not to take a timeout and push up the floor. They get the ball to Bridges, who rises near the corner amidst the contest of Johnson, and the ball hits the front of the rim. The game is over, and the Atlanta Hawks steal Game 2 on the road to even the series:
The Hawks shot 72% in the final quarter to outscore the Knicks 28-15, while the Knicks shot just 22% — 5-of-22 and 3-of-11 from three. An utter collapse on both ends of the floor for the Knicks, who couldn’t stop the Hawks at the rim, nor could find success through Brunson.
Postgame, the word ‘resilience’ was put forward to Hawks head coach Quin Snyder when describing the comeback, a sentiment he felt summarized their efforts in this game.
“I think that’s a great word to describe the night for us,” said Snyder postgame. “New York was dialed in and knocked us back at the beginning of the game. We were competing, we just needed to continue to raise our level and the guys did that. I just thought the way they fought and competed throughout the whole game, and then obviously, we’re able to make some plays late.”
Despite the Knicks clearly establishing themselves as the superior team for three quarters with the counting stats pointing in their favor (shooting 52% from the field, holding the Hawks to under 30% from three, scoring 22 second chance points through three quarters), the Hawks were, mostly, getting the shots they wanted up to that point.
“…I missed four wide-open threes, I missed a corner three, I missed a left wing three, I missed a left slot three, I missed a one-legged three at the end of the quarter, which is whatever,” McCollum listed. “Mo missed a left corner three, ‘JK’ missed a left-corner three, Nickeil missed a trail three, and he made a right corner three. We had possessions where guys that we wanted to shoot were shooting. We had a swing-swing to JJ, he pumped faked and shot a three at the end of the shot clock. Those are great possessions where we did what we said we wanted to do going into the game, and we just missed, and it’s a make-or-miss league.”
Despite the deficit, McCollum rallied the Hawks and encouraged them that they were never far away in this game.
“It’s a long game,” said McCollum. “I think with the experience and just watching so much basketball and playing in so many big moments, you know don’t get caught up in the possessions, don’t get caught up in misses, turnovers, fouls, good or bad. It’s a long game; you’ve got to play it to zero. The way the game is played now is so fast, there’s so many threes, there’s so many possessions. You always have a chance. So, I just told them we’ve just got to stay within one, two possessions, stay a punch away, and then we’ll throw the last punch.”
The Hawks produced multiple defensive stops in the fourth quarter which allowed them to build their run, founded upon their success at the rim.
“I think we just kept competing,” said Snyder of the fourth quarter defense. “Over the course of a game, if you don’t let up and you don’t give in to that, you have an opportunity to have more success late if you just hang in there. We know they’re such a good team and they’re so hard to guard offensively that I think our guys understand that when they do score, you just can’t get discouraged. You just need to keep trying to raise your level. We had a hard time on the defensive glass. Those plays can really be deflating but I thought we responded to those as well. We never quite figured it out, but we dug in in other aspects of the game.”
Let’s talk CJ McCollum now.
Hands up: I wrote before the series that I was concerned with the potential reliance on McCollum in the stretch versus Brunson and said there was a gap between the two players. I said it, and I still think it’s not an outrageous assessment, or concern, to hold, especially in a game where the Hawks’ top two options in Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker struggled to make their usual impact.
However, I was wrong to be concerned about McCollum’s clutch play, because it’s just won the Hawks a playoff game that they probably fall short in otherwise. McCollum was brilliant down the stretch (free throws aside, which, had the Bridges shot gone in, we’d be having a very different conversation — it didn’t, so we aren’t) and took offensive responsibility when the Hawks needed it, with Alexander-Walker scoring nine points, and Johnson scoring 17 points after finding a better rhythm in the second half.
“I make the hard shots and miss the easy ones,” said McCollum of missing his free throws late. “I’m going to have to get in the gym and work on my wide-open free throws. Credit to JJ for getting back on defense and us doing enough to win but got to make those (free throws).”
McCollum scored 32 points on 12-of-22 shooting from the field, but it was his leadership which impressed Quin Snyder even more so.
“The things I really liked, I really liked CJ’s leadership as much as the shot making,” said Snyder. “I thought Nickeil and JJ, their recognition of how we were playing the game offensively and their selflessness in those situations. When they needed to make plays, they made plays too. But as I said, CJ’s leadership was really good with the ball in his hands and hopefully we can shoot better. But to win a game when you don’t shoot well sometimes is more gratifying than the other.”
The media narrative after the game focused on a new guard for the Knicks to center their ire on in the absence now of Trae Young; these were the first questions that were asked of McCollum after the game. I can’t say I’m a fan that this is the narrative chosen when there are other angles to take instead which also praise McCollum’s impact and clutch performance in the face of those who picked the Knicks to comfortably win this series (again, I’m guilty of this, for the sake of transparency), but it is something that has to be highlighted. This was McCollum’s response when asked in the opening question how he felt about being a villain and another guard who has drawn the ire of the Knicks crowd.
“I am no villain, I’m a nice guy with two kids and a wife,” McCollum replied postgame. “I think it’s admiration. Great, passionate fans in a really hostile environment. It’s fun, it’s basketball, it’s the playoffs. If anything, I think it’s a sign of respect.”
McCollum was asked further about playing to the animosity of the Knicks crowd, but didn’t play into it the narrative too much, outlining the respect he has for the Knicks and their fans, as well as playing in the Garden in the postseason.
“I love it, I love it,” added McCollum when asked about feeding off the animosity of the crowd. “It’s why we play the game. It’s fun being in opposing arenas and when the buzzer sounds, and it’s quiet and you walk off the court. I think there’s a level of mutual respect. It was a tough game against a good team on their home floor and they’re supposed to be passionate, and I think they do a great job of showing up consistently throughout the year. I’ve been to games in the Garden as a fan and watched, I’ve seen playoff games here. It’s a pleasure to be able to play here and it’s a pleasure to be able to walk off the court with a win.”
“CJ, that got him going, I think he enjoyed it,” added Jonathan Kuminga. “The crowd shouldn’t really do that or say that. I think that really got him going, I think it got all of us going, just the energy.”
McCollum’s efforts in the fourth quarter down the stretch will rightly be praised, but his shot-making in the first half I thought was equally important as it kept the Hawks in the game at a time where the Knicks could have begun to stretch away. In future games, the Hawks hope that Alexander-Walker and Johnson will have more offensive impact scoring the ball, but how comforting it must be for the Hawks to know that they can still win a playoff game on the road with neither Johnson or Alexander-Walker having great games, the Hawks shooting 30% from three, and the Knicks scoring 24 second chance points. The belief will have grown massively off of the back of this win, and McCollum has a very large role in that as the series now shifts to Atlanta.
Another reason the Hawks were able to pull off this victory was due to the play of Jonathan Kuminga off the bench. Kuminga scored 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, including seven in the fourth quarter as we looked at — a quarter where he played the entire 12 minutes.
Snyder acknowledged the contributions Kuminga made on offense, but praised his defensive contributions, too.
“He made some plays offensively that were great,” said Snyder of Kuminga. “I think you could just feel the way he competed on the defensive end. It was a huge lift for us, just his physicality, the way he defended the ball, the way he got to the glass, guarded Towns at times. On the offensive end he got us a few big buckets, too.”
Kuminga sensed that the Hawks’ energy was perhaps lower in the first half, and his objective was to play physically in order to change the tempo in the game.
“I think just setting the tone, mostly on defense,” said Kuminga of bringing the energy off the bench. “Being physical as much as I can, because I feel like our energy was a little bit lower because we wasn’t hitting shots that we usually make. There was something else that needed to be done, and I think it’s just the mindset coming out there, trying to engage all the guys and trying to be as physical as much as I can.”
Kuminga had some high energy defensive plays and leapt for loose balls that were heading out of bounds. His effort did not go unnoticed out on the floor. Offensively, he provided a big spark in the fourth taking it to the rim and exploiting the mismatches in front of him. Heading into the series, the Hawks needed strong performances like this from Kuminga to have a chance in swinging the bench battle and to have any chance winning this series they need these types of games from Kuminga. His efforts helped the Hawks win the bench battle 28-20.
Snyder was pleased not just with Kuminga’s contribution, but there were mentions for the other members of the bench.
“…We got some big plays from other guys,” added Quin Snyder. “I think everybody from Tony Bradley, when Mo went down, I thought Corey and Gabe, both off the bench, sparked runs. Two guys that are just really competitive and good basketball players. It was a team win.”
Quick-Hitters
This section is more dedicated to the other talking points of this game/series that we’ll discuss quickly.
Jalen Johnson had a difficult start to this game, scoring four points in the first half on 0-of-4 shooting before finishing with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting. The ball went through Johnson more in the second half, and he was able to get to the rim and finish more in the second half. Overall, however, this was a pretty quiet Johnson game. This is his first postseason appearance as a leading star of the team, and first experience with all the nuances the postseason provides, and Quin Snyder described this particular process and how Johnson proceeds in this scenario where he has to give the ball up in certain situations as a matchup develops.
“I think him just keeping an even keel,” said Snyder of Johnson of the next step in the series. “As the game progressed, he found more of a rhythm. That’s hard to do than maybe coming out and having everything go your way. His ability to kind of grind through those situations, and when that happens and then the ball goes to CJ, or Nickeil’s in an action, that’s a big thing for Jalen to understand how important he is and how much we need his offense. But then for him to also be able to recognize there are certain times in the game where he’s playing more of a secondary role. That doesn’t happen as much, obviously, but that’s the playoffs.”
Speaking of the Hawks’ other leading scorer, Nickeil Alexander-Walker is having a much more difficult time of things offensively in the postseason compared to the regular season matchup with the Knicks. As we saw with McCollum in the fourth, this is what happens when you’re guarded by Brunson and not Mikal Bridges. McCollum was easily able to get by Brunson, and Alexander-Walker has had a much difficult time offensively with Bridges guarding him instead of Brunson — averaging 15 points per game on 30% shooting from the field, shooting 3-of-12 in Game 2. Bridges spent over seven minutes of game time guarding Alexander-Walker, holding him to 1-of-4 shooting in their Game 2 matchup.
Interestingly, OG Anunoby spent the majority of his defensive time on Okongwu, while Josh Hart took the Jalen Johnson assignment (guarding him for over nine minutes with Johnson shooting 5-of-8 when guarded by Hart), leaving Towns on Daniels. It was an interesting adjustment for the Knicks, and I imagine there may be another adjustment to take Brunson off of McCollum, who shot 83% when guarded by Brunson, all per NBA.com’s matchup stats. The next step, I have to imagine, involves Brunson guarding Daniels, and while this would require a reshuffling — potentially placing Anunoby back on Johnson, and Hart onto McCollum — I think it’s a logical place for New York to look next.
Elsewhere, the Hawks have a Dyson Daniels problem in this series. His playing time was limited last night due to foul trouble — and some questionable fouls at that — but offensively he hasn’t been able to get to his drive and spin moves where he can either score himself or create for others in the manner he’s used to — only two assists in Game 2. Daniels is already left alone to shoot threes, and at the beginning of the game Towns was guarding him and just can stands off him until Daniels gets to the paint, leaving Towns free to roam defensively and help elsewhere.
If Daniels isn’t even able to get inside himself or get to his spin/floater/kick-out, all he’s doing at the moment offensively is setting screens for others. While there’s definitely value in that — and it was seen to have success in the regular season matchup with the Knicks — it’s not enough offensively and creates a problem for the Hawks. These ball screens haven’t been able to free up Alexander-Walker as they did in the regular season to get downhill. Fortunately, Alexander-Walker was able to pick up the defensive responsibilities on Brunson (and did a fantastic job at the end of the game, and held Brunson to 4-of-9 from the field per NBA.com’s matchup tracking), and Kuminga was able to get to the rim and score, and make a couple of plays such as the Okongwu lob.
Game 3 is a big one going forward for Daniels in this series, and I suspect his playing time may decrease slightly going forward from an offensive perspective. Defensively, he’s still very important for what the Hawks want to do and for guarding Brunson, but offensively I wonder if the Hawks can find another way for Daniels to be involved. Right now, it’s a lob of probing and then hand-off/screen, and that’s mostly it. Speaking of defense very quickly, I thought this was a much better showing from Johnson, highlighted by his effort at the end of the game on the Bridges contest to seal the game.
The second chance scoring is still a massive problem for the Hawks, with Snyder even admitting afterwards the Hawks still have no answer for this and didn’t figure it out in Game 2. On a different night, this is the defining feature of a New York Knicks victory — 22 second chance points through three quarters is monumental in a playoff game, and the Hawks are very fortunate it didn’t cost them victory.
All in all though, a great road victory for the Hawks, and a collapse from the Knicks at home, who really ought to have wrapped this game up after their strong three quarters. There were some shots you look back in that, had they gone in, change the course of this game — two consecutive three-point attempts from Bridges in the fourth that looked like they were in spring to mind.
But I think for the Knicks, those really difficult shots that Jalen Brunson hit in the regular season with such consistency finally fell out, and he shot just 10-of-26 from the field. McCollum and Kuminga were excellent, and they led the way for the Hawks to take a famous playoff victory in New York and swing home court advantage in their favor.
Game 3 takes place on Thursday night at State Farm Arena, and it’s set to be an enthralling affair.
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: Ceddanne Rafaela #3 of the Boston Red Sox reaches out to hit a two-run single against the Detroit Tigers during the seventh inning at Fenway Park on April 20, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Editor’s note: Welcome to the slightly revamped Rivalry Roundup! The American League is a bit of a muddled mess right now, even by April standards, so we’re taking a slightly different approach until the picture gets at least a little more clear. We polled the Rivarly Roundup writers to determine two teams who would get our closest focus and landed (for now) on Boston and Toronto. We will additionally have more abridged coverage—again, for now—of the Tigers, Guardians, Orioles, Rays, Mariners, Astros, and Rangers in “Other Teams.” There is sure to be some overlap in matchups; we just want to make sure we’re covering our bases. Thanks!
With the Yankees off Monday before heading to Boston, it was a great day to hate cheer against our enemies. The day got off to a shoddy start, with Boston defeating Detroit in the annual Boston Marathon morning game. Monday night, unfortunately, the Jays and Orioles followed suit with wins of their own.
The Rays at least had the decency to lose. As did the Mariners, who are off to a brutal start. Houston unfortunately won. I’m sure I’m not the only Yankees fan wondering how far that ship can sink.
Boston Red Sox (9-13) 8, Detroit Tigers (12-11) 6
It’s been rough times in Boston to start the season… you just hate to see it. After the BoSox jumped out to a 2-0 lead early, the Tigers chipped away, taking the lead in the top of the sixth and giving hope, for a brief moment, that they could hang another early season loss on the Red Sox.
Alas, Roman Anthony knotted the game back up at three in the home sixth and then Boston took over in the seventh. With the bases loaded and one out, Ceddaanne Rafaela came to the dish. His single down the right field line scored two, though former Yankee farmhand Caleb Durbin was out at the dish. Rafaela later came around to score the Sox’s sixth run. In the bottom of the eighth, former Yankee Isiah Kiner-Falefa added a two-run single of his own to make it 8-3 and put Boston on the verge of a laugher.
Needing three outs and up five, the Sox left Ryan Watson in to try and close the game out. They chose… poorly. With runners on second and third and one out, former Yankee Gleyber Torres singled in a fourth run, prompting Boston to bring closer and former Yankee (bit of a theme in this one) Aroldis Chapman in. Riley Greene doubled in two more runs to bring Detroit to within two and bring the tying run to the plate but Chapman got Dillon Dingler to ground out to end it. I’m sure Boston would have prefered to not bring Chapman in but on a day where they went through seven relievers while the Yankees relaxed before heading to Fenway, it seems par for the course.
Toronto Blue Jays (9-13) 5, Los Angeles Angels (11-13) 2
The Jays have been off to a miserable start, much like Boston. You also hate to see it. Monday night, however, they played the Angels pretty tough. Unlike the Yankees, they managed to keep Mike bleeping Trout in the yard. Lo and behold, that helped keep the Angels from racking up runs.
On the mound, offseason addition Dylan Cease was in his bag. The righty tossed five innings of two-run ball, whiffing 12 Angels hitters. Tough to score when you’re striking out constantly. The downside though, is Cease could only go five, with a pitch count at 110.
At the dish, franchise player Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. supplied the heroics. With Toronto down one early, Vladito clubbed a two-run bomb, one of three hits on the day. The Angels tied the game but the Jays managed single runs in the sixth and seventh to extend their lead to 4-2. They added a fifth run in the top of the ninth and held on for the 5-2 win.
The Astros have been a hot mess early this season but thanks to a bevy of long balls, they took down Cleveland Monday night. Christian Walker, who was abysmal in the first half of 2025 for the Astros but markedly improved down the stretch, has come out of the gates strongly in 2026 and tonight was no exception. Walker punctuated his three-hit night with a two-run home run. The Astros’ hero of the day, however, was Isaac Paredes. The former Ray mashed two round-trippers of his own as Houston ran away with this one.
Tampa Bay Rays (12-10) 1, Cincinnati Reds (15-8) 6
This one was never all that close. The Rays managed a first inning run. But they were already down two when they did. From there, Cincinnati kept adding on. The big blow for the Reds was Sal Stewart’s eighth homerun of the year, a two-run blast in the first that gave them a lead they never surrendered. In the top of the sixth, Rece Hinds hit a two-run double that put the Reds up 5-1 and put this one out of reach, as the Rays never came close after that.
Baltimore Orioles (11-12) 7, Kansas City Royals (7-16) 5 (12)
Man, the Royals are just awful. The Yankees swept them away at the Stadium this weekend and, even having returned home, they’re still down bad. God bless their hearts, they got out to an early lead, thanks to a Jac Caglianone solo home run in the first. And they even held onto it… until the ninth. Baltimore tied it in then, and the two teams traded runs in the 11th. In the 12th, Leody Taveras put the game away for the O’s with a grand slam, continuing Kansas City’s immiseration.
Seattle’s offense is going through it. The Big Dumper hit his third home run of the season… he finished the night with a .538 OPS. Josh Naylor had a three-hit night… .520 OPS. Julio, with his two hits, finished the night at .609. You can’t predict baseball, Suzyn.
To be fair, Seattle did jump out to a 3-0 lead, which must have felt really good, given their struggles at the dish. Alas, they gave it all back. A trio of long balls from the Athletics knotted the game at three. Then, in the eighth, a sacrifice fly and a two-run single put the A’s up 6-3 and they held on, handing the Mariners another April loss. You hate to see it.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 20: Elmer Soderblom #25 of the Pittsburgh Penguins battles for position between Noah Juulsen #47 and Dan Vladar #80 of the Philadelphia Flyers in Game Two of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 20, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
After generating just 18 shots on goal (and only one goal before resorting from pulling their goalie in desperation time to find a second goal) in Game 1, the Pittsburgh Penguins were unable to get much of anything going as a counter to that slow start in Game 2. In fact, the opposite happened for the Pens, they only registered two shots on goal in the first period. It was a telling sign that they didn’t not figure out how to break through the Flyers’ defense in the short time between Games 1 and 2 and went on to get shutout in a game where they were looking for a big response.
As a result, the Penguins leave Pittsburgh having lost the first two games of the series. They’re in a big hole now.
How was the game lost? Surely the Pens are wondering the same thing, desperately searching for an answer before it becomes too late. Philadelphia made Rick Tocchet one of the league’s highest paid coaches and he’s proving to be worth every penny by instilling a physical mindset and restrictive defensive strategy that has confounded the star power of the Penguins, making them look old and ineffective.
Tocchet’s finger prints are all over the series, and a big reason Philadelphia took Game 2. The Penguins can run from starting Sidney Crosby against Sean Couturier at the beginnings of periods, but they can’t stop the Flyers from putting Couturier and Travis Sanheim on the ice for defensive zone faceoffs. Couturier won 13 of his 18 overall faceoffs last night, many against Crosby who won just 39% of his 31 faceoffs. That alone isn’t a big reason that Pittsburgh lost, but it starts to explain the story of how the matchups are going all over the ice, in ways big and small.
Couturier besting Crosby knocks areas like the power play out of whack before it can even get on track. Then the Flyers’ defensive posturing, physicality and the Pens’ lack of urgency take over. It did last night when Tommy Novak took an indirect, slow route to a puck up for grabs (not even starting to skate towards the wall for a full beat after Stuart Skinner played the puck), threw a halfhearted bump and then slid all the way out of the picture in what started the sequence for Philadelphia’s second goal, which then really turned into something when Tippett went by Kris Letang like he wasn’t even there. It served as a backbreaker before the end of the second period to extend the lead to 2-0. It might as well have been 20-0 at that point.
The difference in the Pens and Flyers is the difference between Novak and Letang and Owen Tippett on that play, how much effort and energy is on display. One side is busting their ass to make something happen, the other is just kinda there. It should be needless to say but it can’t be like that in the NHL playoffs.
The above play was the only goal scored during a full 8:00 of game play where the Penguins had a power play. That, in a nutshell, is the simplest answer and explanation for how Pittsburgh lost Game 2. They have almost nothing going right so far and their opponent looks more hungry, smarter, faster, better-coached, better in net (not that Stuart Skinner could do too much about winning with zero goal support), you name it and it’s been an uphill climb.
Erik Karlsson summed it up, in what could have been the entirety of this article and been correct. (A 34-word quote isn’t good for the search engines, though). But Karlsson pretty much nails it here.
“We don’t really get in sync, and you would think that we would dictate what we want to do out there,” Karlsson said. “But they’re doing a good job, and we’re not. That’s the bottom line.”
Wrap it up, that’s all there is to say. Despite what elements of coaching or goaltending or any other variable that factors into the overall big picture, playoff hockey often comes down to which side is simply playing better or worse than the competition on the ice. So far the results have been very clear in that regard, with Game 2 serving as a terrible indictment of the Pens’ ability to find any answers on how to solve what their opponent has been throwing at them.
The Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche will hit Ball Arena for Game 2 of their Round 1 series on Tuesday, April 21.
My top Kings vs. Avalanche predictions and NHL picks call for Colorado to pull away with a convincing win to take a 2-0 lead tonight.
UPDATE: Added a prediction for who will win tonight.
Kings vs Avalanche Game 2 prediction
Who will win Kings vs Avalanche Game 2?
Avalanche: The Avs went 26-9-6 at home during the regular season while averaging 3.8 goals per game, allowing just 2.54 and ranking second in both Corsi For percentage and expected goals percentage at 5-on-5. With Kings starter Anton Forsberg eyeing a statistical correction to his unsustainable .940 save percentage across his past nine games, look for Colorado to pull away tonight at Ball Arena.
Kings vs Avalanche best bet: Avalanche -1.5 (-105)
The Los Angeles Kings have received unsustainable goaltending from Anton Forsberg over the past month, with the veteran posting a godly .940 save percentage and 9.1 goals saved above expected across his past nine games.
Forsberg’s body of work to this point in his career doesn’t line up with those numbers. He posted a .900 SV% with 13.52 GSAx across his first 28 games of this season.
The Colorado Avalanche went26-9-6 at home while averaging 3.8 goals per game, allowing just 2.54 and ranking second in both Corsi For percentage and expected goals percentage at 5-on-5.
Kings vs Avalanche Game 2 same-game parlay
Colorado's top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, and Artturi Lehkonen was on the ice for a high-end 5.39 goals per 60 minutes during the regular season, and Necas has gone four games without a goal despite recording a solid 2.33 expected goals.
With Forsberg expected to regress, I’m anticipating the MacKinnon-Necas-Lehkonen line to leave their mark tonight.
Kings vs Avalanche SGP
Avalanche -1.5
Martin Necas anytime goal
Artturi Lehkonen Over 0.5 points
Kings vs Avalanche Game 2 goal scorer pick
Martin Necas (+155)
Another big draw for Necas to find the back of the net is Los Angeles' 30th-ranked penalty kill. Colorado went 0-for-4 on the power play in the series opener, and this dam will break in Game 2.
Necas has scored 65 goals over the past two seasons, and playing so much ice time with MacKinnon at both even strength and on the PP increases his chances of finding the back of the net.
The Colorado Avalanche have won six of their last seven games (+4.70 Units / 34% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Kings vs. Avalanche.
How to watch Kings vs Avalanche Game 2
Location
Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Date
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Puck drop
10:00 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN
Kings vs Avalanche latest injuries
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