Apr 26, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets players react after game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard were handed fines of $35,000 and $25,000, respectively, for separate issues involving the officials. Smart’s fine came for “questioning the integrity of game officials,” while Kennard’s was “for directing inappropriate language toward officials.”
Kennard’s incident likely came at the end of the game. During the little altercation between the two teams, Kennard also yelled some expletives at the officials, which lip readers will be able to pick up.
dude luke is not what I expected him to be😳 he was so furious it made vando change habits and hold him back😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/Kerkdb0gFY
As for Smart’s, it’s a bit more unclear. The phrasing of his fine usually comes after a player criticizes officials to the media postgame. However, this was basically as critical he was of the officials when talking about Deandre Ayton’s questionable ejection.
“Then, obviously, the ejection, we all understood it was some BS,” Smart said. “That’s what we felt. He was just trying to brace himself. Two guys who are sweating their butts off playing the game, his arm slips up, right? But we’re proud of the way he handled and I think that just speaks volumes about who he is and just his progression.
“He’s learning and he could have just as easily – it probably would have been justifiable if he went off. But to keep his composure and stay positive, I think it’s only going to help him and his team.”
Relatively speaking, that’s a pretty tame criticism of officiating and doesn’t feel like one that warrants a fine. He, too, could have said something to the officials on the floor, but that’s typically going to result in phrasing that came with Kennard’s fine.
Nevertheless, this is now $95,000 in fines in the last four days tied to James Williams and his officiating crew. Devin Booker was also handed a $35,000 fine for calling out Williams by name in his postgame presser.
In that instance, the league also rescinded all the technical fouls handed out that game. This time, it doesn’t appear that move came with the fines. But it’s pretty clear this officiating crew shouldn’t officiate another postseason game.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 27: Minnesota Twins infielder Kody Clemens (2) celebrates his three-run home run with Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers (27) during the third inning of a MLB game between the Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners on April 27, 2026, at Target Field in Minneapolis MN. (Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It was a dark and stormy night when a dark plague descended upon downtown Minneapolis. A plague of losses, a plague of runs, never leading at any point in a game in nearly a week. But our hero Kody Clemens emerged from one blogger’s hate-filled game preview with a single goal: score.
Thanks, Kody. I’ll trade being wrong for a Twins win any day. Now back to your regularly scheduled posting.
For the first time in way too long, the Twins struck first. Josh Bell hit a lead off single and was stuck there for the next two batters. Then, struggling Luke Keaschall came to the plate and delivered a line drive to right field. It took a Neo-esque slide from Bell to avoid being tagged out at home, but after a replay review the Twins led 1-0.
The Twins added plenty more runs from there, thanks in large part to home runs from Byron Buxton and, of course, Kody Clemens. Clemens’ three-run dong gave him his first three of five total RBIs on the evening. Rain be damned, these boys were here to hit the ball.
Connor Prielipp, meanwhile, was dealing through the first four frames. He threw 4 scoreless, hitless frames with the only baserunner coming on a walk. He ran into trouble in the 5th after walking the first two batters of the inning. An RBI single from Twins legend Mitch Garver and Cole Young sac fly netted the M’s their first two runs, but Prielipp buckled down and struck out the final two batters he faced to get out of the jam with a healthy 7-2 lead.
It’s only two starts, but the Twins have to be very encouraged from the early returns of their top pitching prospect. He got himself into trouble with the walks, but only allowed a single hit and has plenty of stuff to pitch himself out of those jams. He’s still limited to 80-85 pitches after two elbow surgeries in the past four years, but he’s doing everything he can to ensure he stays up when Mick Abel returns in a few weeks.
Andrew Morris came in to piggyback off of Prielipp’s stellar start and did what he typically does. That is, pitch two excellent innings and then struggle in the third. A two-run blast allowed to Cal Raleigh brought Seattle within striking distance, closing the lead to 8-4.
Luckily, the Twins had a few more runs in them. After rookie Alex Hoppe struck out the first three batters of his career (between two separate innings), he walked the next two to put a couple of runners on base for the middle of the lineup. Josh Bell SMOKED a line drive to right field at 108 MPH, but it landed right in Rob Refsnyder’s glove. Luckily, Ryan Jeffers delivered his second RBI single of the night, stole a base, and then let the titular hero Kody Clemens deliver the kill shot.
Apr 27, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo (58) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Twins 11, Mariners 4
Sasha Hoppe: Mitch Garver, .08 WPA
Challenging the first pitch of a player’s career/stealing up 5 runs in a blowout/walking up to the Rocky theme/other assorted acts of Midwest tackiness: Luis Castillo, -.29 WPA
Yet, just five years ago, the NBA announced 363 players had filed as early entry candidates – reportedly the highest number in league history. And the numbers have dipped every year since then.
There’s little mystery behind the trend. The Name Image and Likeness (NIL) era began in July 2021, allowing college athletes to cash in like never before. Clearly, it’s made staying in school more appealing for players not guaranteed to be picked high enough – or at all – during the two-round NBA draft that determines a rookie's salary. The year's draft will be held June 23-24.
Last year, Cooper Flagg, by virtue of getting picked No.1 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, was guaranteed a four-year deal worth more than $62 million, according to spotrac. Getting picked No. 30, the last pick of the first round, guaranteed a four-year deal worth $14 million, according to spotrac.
By contrast, not all second-round picks are guaranteed contracts.
Rasheer Fleming, the top second-round pick last year, was guaranteed about $6 million for a four-year, $8.7 million contact, according to spotrac.
Those who go undrafted, good luck.
The case of Florida Gators star Thomas Haugh
The Athletic helped spotlight the new dynamics when Thomas Haugh, a rising senior forward at Florida who was considered potential draft lottery pick, recently diclosed he will return for a fourth season with the Gators.
“Haugh is expected to be among the highest earners in college basketball next season, with sources familiar with the decision projecting that he’s in line to make around what he’d earn in his first two NBA seasons combined if he’d been drafted in the top 20 in this year’s draft,’’ The Athletic reported.
Meanwhile, the number of early entry candidates likely will shrink further before the NBA draft lottery, which is May 10 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC. That’s when the order of selection will be determined for the 14 teams who qualified for the lottery.
In its release, Monday, April 27 the NBA explains the process if a player wants to withdraw his name. Under NCAA rules, in order to retain college basketball eligibility, college players who have entered the 2026 NBA Draft must withdraw by May 27. Players who have applied for early entry have the right to withdraw their names from consideration for the draft by notifying the NBA of their decision in writing no later than 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 13
That could include Morez Johnson Jr. (Michigan), Ebuka Okorie (Stanford) and Meleek Thomas (Arkansas), according to Kalbrosky.
Alijan Arenas likely to return to USC despite being on early-entry list
Alijah Arenas, the son of retired NBA Al-Star Gilbert Arenas, will return for his sophomore season at Southern California, the Los Angeles Times has reported. He was a five-star high school recruit who seemed likely to opt for the NBA draft after one season with the Trojans, and his name appears on the early-entry college list the NBA released Monday.
In April 2025 Arena was placed in an induced coma after a car crash, and the accident resulted in a slow start to his freshman season.
NBA draft early-entry college players
Non-international players from colleges who have applied for early entry into the 2026 NBA Draft, with player name, school, height and class (FR=freshman, SO=sophomore, JR=junior).
Matt Able, N.C. State, 6-6, FR
Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas, 6-3, FR
Amari Allen, Alabama, 6-8, FR
Nate Ament, Tennessee, 6-10, FR
Christian Anderson Jr., Texas Tech, 6-3, SO
Alijah Arenas, USC, 6-6, FR
Flory Bidunga, Kansas, 6-10, SO
Finley Bizjack, Butler, 6-4, JR
John Blackwell, Wisconsin, 6-4, JR
Shane Blakeney, Drexel, 6-5, JR
Anton Bonke, Charlotte, 7-2, JR
Cameron Boozer, Duke, 6-9, FR
Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville, 6-5, FR
Rowan Brumbaugh, Tulane, 6-4, JR
Brayden Burries, Arizona, 6-4, FR
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan, 6-1, JR
Cameron Carr, Baylor, 6-5, SO
Chris Cenac Jr., Houston, 6-11, FR
Rueben Chinyelu, Florida, 6-10, JR
Jacob Cofie, USC, 6-10, SO
Cruz Davis, Hofstra, 6-3, JR
Kennard Davis Jr., BYU, 6-6, JR
Keanu Dawes, Utah, 6-9, JR
AJ Dybantsa, BYU, 6-9, FR
Gabe Dynes, USC, 7-5, JR
Eian Elmer, Miami (Ohio), 6-6, JR
Isaiah Evans, Duke, 6-6, SO
Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State, 6-2, SO
Kingston Flemings, Houston, 6-4, FR
Colby Garland, San Jose State, 6-0, JR
Allen Graves, Santa Clara, 6-9, FR
Juke Harris, Wake Forest, 6-7, SO
Isiah Harwell, Houston, 6-6, FR
Lou Hutchinson, Alabama A&M, 6-7, JR
Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan, 6-9, SO
Acaden Lewis, Villanova, 6-2, FR
Aday Mara, Michigan, 7-3, JR
Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State, 6-8, JR
Malachi Moreno, Kentucky, 7-0, FR
Paulius Murauskas, Saint Mary’s, 6-8, JR
Ebuka Okorie, Stanford, 6-2, FR
Dennis Parker Jr., Radford, 6-6, JR
Koa Peat, Arizona, 6-8, FR
Darryn Peterson, Kansas, 6-6, FR
Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama, 6-4, SO
Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky, 6-10, SO
Sebastian Rancik, Colorado, 6-11, SO
Billy Richmond III, Arkansas, 6-6, SO
Hannes Steinbach, Washington, 6-11, FR
Andrej Stojakovic, Illinois, 6-7, JR
Dailyn Swain, Texas, 6-8, JR
Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt, 6-0, SO
Meleek Thomas, Arkansas, 6-5, FR
Aiden Tobiason, Temple, 6-5, SO
Bryson Tucker, Washington, 6-7, SO
Henri Veesaar, North Carolina, 7-0, JR
Keaton Wagler, Illinois, 6-6, FR
LeJuan Watts, Texas Tech, 6-6, JR
Caleb Wilson, North Carolina, 6-10, FR
Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor, 6-5, FR
NBA draft early-entry international players
International players who have applied for early entry into the 2026 NBA Draft, with player name, team (country of team in parentheses) and date of birth):
Mohammad Amini, Nancy (France), 6-7, 2005
Pavle Backo, Mega (Serbia), 7-0, 2007
Bassala Bagayoko, Bilbao (Spain), 6-10, 2006
Francesco Ferrari, Virtus Bologna (Italy), 6-9, 2005
Marc-Owen Fodzo Dada, Nancy (France), 5-11, 2006
Vsevolod Ishchenko, Lokomotiv (Russia), 6-3, 2005
Jack Kayil, Alba Berlin (Germany), 6-3, 2006
Sergio de Larrea, Valencia (Spain), 6-6, 2005
Karim Lopez, New Zealand Breakers (Australia), 6-8, 2007
The 2026 NBA Draft lottery will be held in Chicago on Sunday, May 10 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC. The lottery will determine the order of selection for the 14 teams who have qualified for the so-called lottery picks.
The 2026 NBA draft will take place June 23-24 in New York at the Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets.
The first round will be held at Tuesday, June 23 at 8 p.m. ET (ABC and ESPN)
The second round will be on Wednesday, June 24 at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN).
Speaking to the media Monday for the first time since having an elbow procedure last week that will sideline him until the second half of the season, Díaz said that he’s had loose bodies in his elbow “since I think I signed as a professional player back in 2012.”
Edwin Diaz details when he expects to begin throwing and eventually return to the mound. Kevork Djansezian for CA Post
For most of his 10-year MLB career, however, the issue hadn’t bothered the three-time All-Star.
It was only this season that the problem finally reared its ugly head.
During the opening weeks of the campaign –– Díaz’s first with the Dodgers after signing a three-year, $69 million contract –– the closer’s fastball velocity had been below average, even for a veteran who has dealt with slow starts in recent years.
At first, he said, he believed the problem was with his knee, which he also had surgically repaired in 2023 when he suffered a torn patellar tendon celebrating a win in that year’s World Baseball Classic.
Thus, after suffering a three-run blown save against the Rangers on April 10, the Dodgers stayed away from him for the next eight days while he worked through that issue in side sessions and bullpens.
By the time he returned to action on April 19 against the Rockies in Denver, Díaz insisted he was once again “feeling great” and expecting an uptick in his stuff.
After recent struggles, including a massive dip in velocity, Diaz underwent elbow surgery last Wednesday. Carlin Stiehl for CA Post
Instead, he suffered a disastrous outing, failing to retire any of the four batters he faced while bottoming out with a fastball velocity of 92.8 mph (one of the 10 slowest heaters of his career).
It was during that appearance, he said Monday, that he felt discomfort in his throwing arm for the first time.
“I didn’t know it was the loose bodies,” he explained. “I just felt tired, tight.”
Up to that point in his career, the right-handed said he had never been advised that the loose bodies would eventually have to be removed. He had also never previously experienced such a sensation in his elbow.
“That’s something a lot of pitchers have,” he said. “Every pitcher has something in his arm.”
But, he added, “this is my first time in my career I’ve felt my arm was sore or whatever.”
The good news, Díaz noted, is that his arm is already feeling better just days after getting his procedure done last week. Even though he won’t return until after the All-Star break, he described the prognosis and operation as “the best-case scenario.”
“I can move my arm really good right now,” Díaz said. “I’m really surprised, because surgery was on Wednesday, and today is Monday.”
Will Smith, left, and Diaz on March 28 in Los Angeles. AP
Even at this early stage of his recovery, the 32-year-old explained that such range of motion was highly encouraging –– after feeling it “was a little bit shorter than normal” during his early-season struggles.
“Now, after surgery, I’m getting close to what I was, what I am when I was good,” he said, professing confidence he will regain his typically dominant form when he returns.
“I think that maybe that’s why the velo was a little bit inconsistent (before),” he added.
While he’s out recovering, Diaz said he not only wants to strengthen his arm, but also his legs after the issues he experienced there earlier this month. He hopes to begin throwing again in a couple weeks, though any more specific timeline remains unclear.
“I didn’t know it was the loose bodies,” he explained. “I just felt tired, tight.” Kevork Djansezian for CA Post
Missing so much of the season still “sucks,” he acknowledged, especially after joining a new team on a big contract this winter.
“But that’s something I can’t control,” Díaz said. “Everyone here is supporting me. All of my teammates, they’re supporting me. They’re happy that I’m doing way better than before. They just can’t wait to see me on the mound in the second half.
“They say take your time, we need you in October,” he added. “But I want to come back as soon as possible and help this team to win games.”
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Landry Shamet has been replaced by Jose Alvarado in the Knicks' rotation.
Landry Shamet’s tumble out of the Knicks rotation was a multistep process.
Sure, his struggles — during both the postseason and end of the regular season — played a factor.
Since March 1, he has shot 26-for-86 (30.2 percent) from 3-point range.
He played 18 and 10 minutes in the first two games against the Hawks before logging three minutes in Game 3 and not entering Game 4 until garbage time.
Landry Shamet dribbles during the Knicks’ April 25 game against the Hawks. NBAE via Getty Images
Jose Alvarado has usurped him in the rotation.
“It’s a little bit of a story of how it evolved,” coach Mike Brown said after practice Monday. “We won Game 1 with Landry as the backup point guard. I made a shift in Game 2 and put ‘Deuce’ [Miles McBride] as the backup point guard, and it threw our guys off a little bit when they came out on the floor. So we needed a true point guard on the floor to settle us once we got a little bit discombobulated. And when we threw Jose out there, he played well. And so I gave him another opportunity and then another, and he played well. So that’s kind of where we are.
Jose Alvarado looks to move the ball during the Knicks’ April 25 game. NBAE via Getty Images
“I said this before: Everybody has to be ready to play because anybody’s number can be called at any time. Similar to Jordan Clarkson during the course of the year, Jose wasn’t playing at the end of the year. He didn’t play the first game of the playoffs. But he stayed present, and when his number was called, he performed.”
Jalen Brunson said he spoke with Donte DiVincenzo, who ruptured his Achilles tendon during the Timberwolves’ Game 4 win over the Nuggets on Saturday.
Brunson has a long history with DiVincenzo, with whom he was teammates on both the Knicks and Villanova.
“He seemed in good spirits,” Brunson said Monday. “He’s formulating a plan, and [I] wish him nothing but the best. It sucks to see it. Honestly, after [the Knicks’ Game 4], that was like the first thing I heard, and looked it up and saw it. That’s my brother. Tough to see, but he’ll be back stronger.”
The Knicks have a clean injury report for Game 5, while Jock Landale (high ankle sprain) remains out for the Hawks.
Brunson briefly went to the locker room during the third quarter of Game 4 after Dyson Daniels fell on his left leg, but returned later in the quarter.
Pressure is mounting on Test opener Zak Crawley ahead of England’s home summer following another underwhelming outing with the bat as one of the leading candidates to take his spot in the national side produced a match-winning century in the County Championship.
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 10: Detail of the scoreboard of the San Diego Padres against the Colorado Rockies in the ninth inning at Coors Field on May 10, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On Sunday, in the second game of a doubleheader — and when the bullpen had to cover 3.2 innings in Game 1 — Chase Dollander threw seven shutout innings to help the Rockies shut out the Mets 3-0. The result was Colorado’s first shutout of 2026.
In 2025, the Rockies only held opponents scoreless three times. The first was on July 23 with a 6-0 win over St. Louis at Coors Field. The second came in St. Louis on Aug. 12 when the Rockies won 3-0. The last came on Sept. 5 when Colorado blanked the Padres 3-0 in Denver.
On the other side, the Rockies were shut out by opponents 18 times last year. I suppose that’s to be expected with a -424 run differential. Colorado put up goose eggs in three games in 2025 by April 13 alone.
This year, it’s been a totally different story. The Rockies have only been held scoreless once this season, and that came on April 21 in a very un-Coors Field-like 1-0 loss to San Diego.
Having the Rockies first shutout almost three months earlier than last season and being held scoreless only once so far is another indicator of why baseball is more fun in 2026.
It also raises an interesting question: would you rather see the Rockies pitchers hurl more shutouts or the Colorado offense get shut out fewer times? As a fan, what is more satisfying?
Apr 25, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Vince Velasquez (not pictured) throws a wild pitch to catcher Miguel Amaya (9) against Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) during the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
The Dodgers and the Marlins meet for the first time in 2026.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 27: Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (80) has the puck bounce of him for a goal by Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (58) (not pictured) during the second period in Game Five of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 27, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Pregame
The Penguins use the same players, lines and goalie from Game 4 for Game 5.
The Flyers get a few chances early and some close calls when Arturs Silovs makes the first stop and leaves a couple of rebounds just in front of him. It’s the Penguins who strike first, almost out of no where on their first shot of the game. Elmer Soderblom dumps the puck, looks routine until Anthony Mantha barges in on the forecheck and wins the puck from Rasmus Ristolainen. Mantha centers the puck and it ends up on the stick of Soderblom who hammers it by Dan Vladar. Pittsburgh up 1-0 just 2:45 into the game.
ELMER SODERBLOM SCORES ON THE FIRST SHOT OF THE GAME!!! #StanleyCup
Sam Girard takes the first penalty of the game with a tripping call early, the Pens’ PK kills it off.
Soderblom gets tripped to draw a penalty then shenanigans ensue after the whistle. Travis Konecny goads Evgeni Malkin into punching him, Mantha gets tied up with someone. Both the Pens go off, Konecny joins them, Pittsburgh ends up with a 5v4 power play out of it, nothing comes of it.
The Flyers get a push at the end, Trevor Zegras has a puck roll off his stick when he tries to lift a backhand shot, then tries to shoot after pulling the puck between his legs but misses wide.
Time runs out in a hectic first. Philadelphia has an 11-9 edge in shots, Pittsburgh has a 1-0 lead where it counts.
Second period
The Pens’ third line stacks another tremendous shift with zone time to trap the Flyers in. They start getting a change and Connor Dewar gets a pass from Sidney Crosby that he blows a wrist shot over the shoulder of Vladar. It’s in and out so quickly the refs on the ice didn’t see it was a good goal. A quick review confirms it was. 2-0 Pens.
Before the crowd stops cheering, Alex Bump zooms by Parker Wotherspoon and flips a shot that leaks through Silovs. 2-1 just 12 seconds after the last goal.
Erik Karlsson has to trip a player to prevent a rush and he’s the next to the penalty box, his teammates kill it off without giving up as much as a shot.
Chaotic ending, Crosby is felled by a Ryan Shea shot to his knee. He’d leave the game and return momentarily.
Momentum shifts to the Flyers, they catch the Pittsburgh fourth line for a long d-zone shift where they just can’t clear the puck. Eventually that comes back to haunt them, Travis Sanheim shoots the puck, it clicks off the stick of Karlsson and in. 2-2 game.
Then it’s the Pens turn for a good bounce, Kris Letang shoots from deep, the puck bounces off the end wall and Vladar’s skate and into trickle into the net with the Flyer goalie unable to find where it went. 3-2, Pens back in front.
The second period amped up quickly. Both teams scored two goals, a couple of zany bounces along the way and this game heads into the third period at 3-2 Penguins.
Third period
Bryan Rust dekes around a defender and tries to go forehand but Vladar gets the big leg outstretched to it in the first minute. The Pens stay on their front foot with zone time and Andrae trips Malkin to send the Pens to their second power play of the game. They mainly just pass it around, getting only a long and predictable shot that’s easy to stop/
The rest of the period moves quickly, both teams battle along the walls and middle of the ice but few shots are found for either side. The clock runs for about 7 minutes straight in the second half of the period and that becomes a big ally for Pittsburgh.
Whistles come, the Pens hang on with a few icings and Crosby has narrow misses on a few chances at the empty net after the Flyers pull Vladar. The crowd roars as the time grows short and runs out. Pittsburgh forces a Game 6.
Some thoughts
The Pens have kept the Flyers off the scoreboard in the first period of all five games. First period scoring was a major edge to Pittsburgh in the regular season and that’s held up in this series so far.
The second periods on the other hand have been tough goes. The Flyers have been very strong in the middle period.
Great to see Mantha show up and finally make something happen. That line was devoid of offense in the series until that point and they got back to basics. Dump the puck, create some havoc on the forecheck, get to the net. Worked out well.
It seems like as this series has gone on the Penguins are finding more ways to break through the Flyer trap and neutral zone. The weak side outlet is often there and they’re starting to find it more for some easier releases into space all the way up to entering the offensive zone.
Kudos to whoever put Crosby out for a change on the fly in the second period instead of Acciari to play with the other fourth liners. It was the perfect moment for it with so much momentum building and paid off when Crosby made a great play to glove done a clearing attempt and then Dewar finished for the second goal.
Two game winning goals for Kris Letang. This one was a fluky one, but they count just the same. By hook or crook the Pens have found some unusual ways to manufacture goals in the last few games.
Another multi-point night for Crosby, the formula was kinda the same as Game 4 with the captain finding a way to help create offense.
On that note, Ilya Solovyov only played 10 shifts and 6:09 total in this game. Exactly like last time, the Pens are going to be leaning on Karlsson and Letang for as far as that will take them.
Another solid night from Silovs too. The first goal against was one he’ll want back, not much can be done about the deflection on the second. Kudos to him that was all there was to talk about, if he can keep finding ways to keep the goals against to 2 then you gotta like the Pens’ chances. (That said, the Flyers missed the net on 22 shots tonight, including several very good looks. Again, might be classified as by any means necessary but for now you gotta take what you can get).
The Flyers were always going back to Philadelphia after tonight. What they didn’t want is for the Penguins to follow them. Well, that’s happening, courtesy of Pittsburgh’s big win that will start to shift the pressure a bit to the other team that haven’t been able to close things out. Game 6 on Wednesday night.
Apr 27, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Davis Schneider (36) dives to catch a fly ball hit by Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (not shown) in the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Red Sox 5 Blue Jays 0
Any game where your team only gets one hit is not going to be a good game. Jesús Sánchez had our hit, a double. That and Davis Schneider’s walk, gave us two base runners on the day. Whoops make that three base runners, Daulton Varsho doubled in the ninth, pinch hitting.
Ranger Suarez was terrific.
Dylan Cease wasn’t great, either. The first three innings went well, but he kind of lost his delivery in the fourth and would give up four runs in his last 2.2 innings. In all, 5.2 innings, 7 hits, 4 earned, 3 walks and 5 strikeouts. He also made an error on a pick off throw to second. I’d love to check this out, but my feeling is there are as many errors on pick offs at second as there around pick offs of the runner. I hate the play.
Our bullpen gave up one run in 3.1 innings:
Joe Mantiply got 3 outs, with 1 hit and 2 k.
Chase Lee got 4 outs, giving up a home run with one strikeout.
Tommy Nance got 3 outs, with a walk.
It really was one of those night’s that make you wonder why you like baseball. But the GameThread was fun.
No Jays of the Day, though Davis Schneider deserves an honourable mention for a terrific catch in left field.
Other Award: Cease (-.14 WPS) and Tyler Heineman (-.09) for an 0 for 3. Of all the guys on the IL, I think we miss Kirk the most.
Tomorrow we have lefty Payton Tolle making his second start of the season for the Red Sox. And Trey Yesavage making his first start of the season for the Jays. It almost has to be better than this one.
Apr 27, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the second inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
It was Ernie Clement hockey sweater night in Toronto, and the Sox won 5-0. Sorry to Ernie Clement, but you stink now. Them’s the rules. Ranger Suarez doesn’t. He is good. He is very good! And there was much rejoicing.
Three Studs
Ranger Suarez
This was an incredible performance. Eight innings, no runs, one walk, 10 K’s.
Marcelo Mayer
Had the game-winning RBI in the fourth inning, and that was that.
TEMPE, ARIZONA - MARCH 13: Travis Bazzana #72 of the Cleveland Guardians runs across the field during the Spring Training game against the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium on March 13, 2026 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Editor’s Note: Today’s analysis is brought to us in a guest post from Always the Jake “a Guardians Twitter account run by a fan just like you—if you were twice as irreverent and three times more reactionary while watching baseball.” Follow them at @JacobsFieldRBW. We thank them for their time and effort on this excellent piece!
The only problem with Travis Bazzana is your expectations
Last week while being broiled against my will by the hot sun and repulsed by the stench of my own B.O., I was so ticked off I could barely answer the questions a customer service rep was asking me over the phone.
My family and I were out on our first boondocking trip in our new RV, and thanks to a faulty generator and water pump, we had no air conditioning and no shower. I was livid. This is what I get for all the money I spent on this thing?
At the risk of spoiling the ending to this story, I’m going to admit to you that I was being unreasonable. Turns out, my anger was the result of irresponsible expectations that I had set for myself haphazardly.
I’ll explain more about that later on, but let’s be real: you came here for baseball opinions, and it would be pretty embarrassing for me to lose your attention because I rambled about a camping trip for too long. So let’s talk about how this relates to Travis Bazzana.
What should a reasonable fan expect from a #1 overall pick?
To be fair, the Guardians franchise has never picked first overall in the draft, so maybe we should offer some grace to fans who genuinely just never knew what to expect. That said, I feel obligated to point out that a large fraction of the fan base appears to have set expectations for themselves that were, much like my expectations as a first-time RV owner, pretty unreasonable.
Let’s talk about some of those expectations:
Unreasonable Expectation #1: The first overall pick should turn out to be the best player from that draft.
This is rare. In fact, it almost never happens.
Assuming the image below is accurate (h/t: the Reddit user at this link), I can’t find a single instance in the past twenty-five years in which the player taken number one overall had the consensus best career of everyone in his draft class.
Even for some of the biggest success stories on this list, at least one player picked later had a more productive career. Take Gerrit Cole, for instance. Francisco Lindor has put up 14 more fWAR and was taken seven picks later. Bryce Harper? Great career. Chris Sale’s has been slightly better, and he was taken 12 picks later. David Price? Nah, Freddie Freeman will end up with almost twice as much career fWARand wasn’t picked until the second round.
If you’re still not convinced, consider that Stephen Strasburg was seen as a generational pitching talent and was the consensus number one overall draft prospect in 2009. By 2012, the Nationals (and nearly two dozen other teams) were no doubt kicking themselves for not taking Mike Trout, who remained on the board until pick 25.
Ready for the crazy part? Drafting the best player isn’t even necessarily the goal for an MLB team. A smart club’s goal is simply to get good value relative to where they’re picking. That means weighing each player’s ceiling, floor, injury risk, signability, character, and ten thousand other factors before making a selection.
It’s tough because what so many guys behind him are doing it raises the expectations even more of a first overall pick
The player drafted #1 overall never ends up being the best in his class. More realistically, a first overall pick who isn’t a total bust usually ends up posting at least 30 fWAR across his career. If you didn’t know this when you set your expectations, that’s okay. I didn’t know that first-time RV owners usually camp in their driveway for a few nights to test out the systems before taking it on its maiden voyage. We all learn the hard way sometimes.
Reasonable Expectation #1: The first overall pick should ideally be a successful major leaguer who produces at least 30 fWAR during his career.
Unreasonable Expectation #2: The GM should be fired if the #1 overall pick doesn’t pan out as expected.
No matter how good scouts are, or how modern an organization’s analytics department might be, nobody can predict the future. Case in point, nearly 40% of all #1 overall picks end up producing less than 3 fWAR during their entire career—in layman’s terms, they end up being busts.
2024 MLB Draft Class going to be one of the best classes in history and Guardians took “Travis Bazzana” 1.1. Someone needs fired https://t.co/ufHwW7DK8x
If you’re expecting anyone to get fired over a draft slot that’s got nearly a 50/50 shot to bust, you’re going to be disappointed. But rather than go any deeper down that path, let’s take one big step back into the world of rational behavior for a second and acknowledge something: if you’re already putting Travis Bazzana in “bust” territory, you’re trying to be miserable.
Bazzana sucks..look at his AAA numbers and overall minor league numbers and stop calling for him..hes a bust.
While I’m writing this, Bazzana currently owns a .287/.422/.511 batting line in AAA while walking nearly as often as he strikes out. He hit a 110 MPH laser over the right field fence last week. Most importantly, he hasn’t even played a game in the big leagues yet. Turns out, tonight is his first! It seems like bare minimum due diligence to let him have a career before calling for the head of the GM who drafted him.
It’s unreasonable to call Bazzana a bust. And even if it somehow turns out that way down the road, nobody is losing their job over it. Number one overall picks bust all the time—much like new RV parts bust all the time. Turns out they’re made with light materials to reduce the vehicle’s weight, and are mass produced cheaply to make RVs affordable for people like me. That’s why they issue a warranty to replace faulty parts! Who knew?
Reasonable Expectation #2: It’s impossible to know whether any #1 overall pick will be a bust, and if he is, nobody will be fired over it because drafting is hard.
Unreasonable Expectation #3: A college hitter drafted first overall should be close to MLB ready.
A pro scout in the Rays organization once told me “the path to the big leagues is not a racetrack”. That simple phrase has lived rent free in my head for years. There’s no award for reaching MLB faster than your peers. Would you rather have Jackson Holliday, who debuted in April of 2024, or Roman Anthony, who was picked in the same draft class but debuted over a full year later?
You do not get a whole lot of grace when you are a college bat selected #1 overall.
The same applies to college players. The Royals promoted Jac Caglianone on June 3rd of last year, only to be the second-worst player in all of baseball that season (-1.6 fWAR). Sources tell Always the Jake that he still has not received his gold trophy for being first in his draft class to make his MLB debut. Fellow 2024 draftee Konnor Griffin has also struggled since being promoted earlier this year.
Skeptics will point to guys like Nick Kurtz, Chase Burns, and JJ Wetherholt, all of whom have had varying degrees of success as major leaguers. I will point to my butt and tell them to kiss it. I don’t care. I care about what Bazzana does during the 6-7 years that he wears a Cleveland Guardians uniform.
It’s a consensus among industry experts that making the jump from AAA to the majors is tougher for players than it’s ever been. Consider what that means for a player trying to get there from college baseball, and you’ll probably realize that the expectation of a “quick rise” from D1 to MLB is unreasonable. Not as unreasonable as my expectation that I could skip straight to a week of boondocking in a brand new RV, but unreasonable nonetheless.
Reasonable Expectation #3: A college hitter will reach the majors on his own timeline.
Unreasonable Expectation #4: A first overall pick’s development should be linear.
This one deserves the most emphasis because it trips up even some of the most avid and well-researched fans I’ve met. What worked for a kid in college is almost never going to work for him in the bigs. So young players fail, learn, make adjustments, and repeat that cycle about three dozen times before finally getting a chance to fail, learn, and make adjustments indefinitely at the MLB level.
Fans have more data available to them than ever before. That’s awesome, but it comes with a curse: they don’t always know how to interpret it rationally. Too often, fans will spot a hole in a prospect’s swing, a flaw in his contact profile, or struggles against a certain pitch type, and lunge for the panic button.
A few well-known Guardians fan accounts, run by people for whom I have a great deal of respect, have in recent weeks taken to Twitter to ring the alarm bells. Some of their tweets on Bazzana offer us proof of why high draft picks can be a trap even for some of the smarter people you know. Hitting the panic button is not a sound reaction to a top prospect adjusting to AAA pitching in the first two weeks of the season.
Then again, I didn’t have a sound reaction to the struggles of my last camping trip, either. So I definitely have no right to point fingers.
Reasonable Expectation #4: Even a first overall pick will have ups and downs as he makes adjustments to prepare for The Show.
Your expectations are more powerful than you realize. I’m embarrassed to admit that last week I spent several hours of a beautiful vacation being irrationally angry about issues with my RV—issues that were apparently not uncommon and that were covered by the unit’s warranty.
But the shame of my silent tantrum dives even deeper. For nearly a decade, my wife and I have taken our son camping with a hand-me-down tent and some cheap foldout chairs. Even without water and electricity, our proud new family purchase was an upgrade over what we’d been able to afford in years past. We had gotten this great new vessel in which to create memories, at a great price, and all it needed was a few minor, common warranty claims. Why did I let myself waste moments of a precious experience with my family being angry when I should have spent it being grateful for what I had?
Anger is a product of unmet expectations. Happiness is a product of met or surpassed expectations. We as human beings have the power within us to set expectations, which means we have power over our own happiness. Cool, right?
Two years ago, the odds that the Cleveland Guardians would even get the first overall pick in 2024 were just 2%. Today, we have a top prospect debuting for oue team who is excited to play for our city, and who is likely to become a very, very good hitter.
The Mavericks star narrowly defeated his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel for NBA Rookie of the Year honors on Monday night, beating him out by 26 points in the voting.
“I was watching Kon just because that’s one of my brothers,” Flagg told NBC after he was named Rookie of the Year. “We have that connection and we’re always going to be there for each other.
“I was watching him as a fan as well, but there’s also going to be that competition at the same time.”
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) dunks the ball in the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Flagg became the first rookie since Michael Jordan during the 1984-85 season to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals. The forward also led all rookies in scoring during the 2025-26 season
The 19-year-old had averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals this year.
The voting was expected to be close after the two former Blue Devils had impressive rookie seasons.
Flagg received 56 first-place votes and Knueppel received 44 first-place votes, with other finalist V.J. Edgecombe not receiving any first-place votes.
Knueppel had averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists during his first year in the league with the Hornets. He had also set the rookie record for 3-pointers made with a league-best 273.
Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets dribbles the ball during the game against the New York Knicks on April 12, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
Knueppel was taken with the fourth overall pick in the draft last year and helped Charlotte reach the NBA Play-In Tournament, where his side eventually fell to the Magic.
Flagg went first overall to the Mavericks and saw his team go 26-56 during the 2025-26 campaign.
The teen became the youngest player in league history to record games with 35, 40, 45 and 50 points.
He also became the youngest player to have at least 10 assists in a game.
TEMPE, ARIZONA - MARCH 13: Travis Bazzana #72 of the Cleveland Guardians stands in the dugout during the Spring Training game against the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium on March 13, 2026 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Zack Meisel of the Athletic is reporting that the Guardians are promoting top prospect Travis Bazzana:
Source: The Guardians are calling up Travis Bazzana, the No. 1 overall pick from two years ago.
In the middle of a three-game losing streak, Guardians fans can hope that the former #1 overall draft pick from Australia can provide a needed spark for the team. The roster is currently at 39 players so no accompanying move is necessary to add Bazzana to the active roster.
Bazzana will undoubtedly replace Juan Brito, whose debut with the club was… in a word… disastrous. I hope Brito goes to Columbus and works on left and right field. I am not out on him as a hitter but I was definitely wrong in thinking he could be playable at second base as a defender.
Bazzana currently has a 152 wRC+ in Columbus with a 21.2/17.9 K/BB%. He will take time to adjust to the big league level as he has at every previous level so far. But, he will bring an immediate bust of speed, competitive fire and plate discipline. As Brayan Rocchio establishes himself as a gold glove-level defender at shortstop with a bat that looks to be league average, I think we can be optimistic this will be our middle infield until Angel Genao is ready.
In the meantime, I wonder if Daniel Schneemann begins to get more games in centerfield to help Steven Kwan find himself. He may also find himself in left field on occasion with George Valera scuffling. It is hard to imagine taking Schneemann out of the lineup the way he is currently swinging the bat.
This is an exciting night, but I hope Guardians fans are ready to be patient as the Bazzmanian Devil finds his way. Welcome to Cleveland, Travis!
