The battle of Los Angeles is on this weekend when the Dodgers (40-23) and Angels (24-39) meet for a three-game set. This will be the second series between the two as the Dodgers swept the Angels outscoring them 31-3 through three games.
The Dodgers are coming off a loss to the Diamondbacks, 3-2, losing on a solo homer in the ninth. Los Angeles is 9-3 over the last 12 games, but 3-3 in the past six. Shohei Ohtani received a day off yesterday and is expected back in the lineup for the series opener versus the Angels.
The Angels beat the Rockies, 11-4 on Wednesday, which followed up three straight losses. Los Angeles is 3-6 over the last nine games after they won a season-high four straight games. Both the Angels and Dodgers are top six in batting average over the last seven and 15 days.
Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Angels at Dodgers
Date: Friday, June 5, 2026
Time: 10:10 PM EST
Site: Dodger Stadium
City: Los Angeles, CA
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Angels at the Dodgers
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Los Angeles Dodgers (-199), Los Angeles Angels (+163)
Spread: Angels +1.5 (-131), Dodgers -1.5 (+108)
Total: 8.0
Probable starting pitchers for Angels at Dodgers
Friday's pitching matchup (June 5): Reid Detmers vs. Roki Sasaki
The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani is hitting .301 with 66 hits and 114 total bases over 219 at-bats
The Dodgers’ Kyle Tucker is hitting .243 with 54 hits and 48 strikeouts over 222 at-bats
The Angels’ Oswald Peraza is hitting .283 with 49 hits and 80 total bases over 173 at-bats
The Angels’ Jorge Soler is hitting .220 with 47 hits and 76 strikeouts over 214 at-bats
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Angels at Dodgers
The Dodgers are 33-30 ATS
The Angels are 30-33 ATS
The Dodgers are 37-26 to the Under, ranking first
The Angels are 32-31 to the Under
The Dodgers are 15-16 ATS at home
The Angels are 14-18 ATS on the road
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Dodgers and the Angels
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Angels and the Dodgers:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Dodgers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Dodgers at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 8.0
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Given the chance, John Tortorella would do it again.
The Golden Knights coach unsuccessfully challenged referee Jean Hebert’s call that Ivan Barbashev pushed Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen into the net as Vegas appeared to score with five minutes left in regulation in Carolina’s ultimate 4-3 overtime win in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.
“I saw a loose puck in front of Freddie,” Tortorella said. “Our player stabbed it, didn’t move the goalie and it goes through him into the other side. I’d challenge it 10 out of 10 times.”
Frederik Andersen keeps it out, the puck goes in after the whistle, Vegas challenges for no goalie interference and loses.
The pivotal call took a 3-2 Vegas lead off the board and allowed Carolina to score its third straight goal — in a span of 5:05 — on the power play resulting from the unsuccessful challenge and take a 3-2 lead on home ice.
“The ruling on the play was goaltender interference,” Stephen Walkom, the NHL’s executive vice president and director of officiating, told a pool reporter. “[Hebert] waved it (off) immediately. He believed that it was under the goalie, and the Vegas player went after the puck and interfered with the goalie and his ability to freeze the puck and waived it off immediately.”
Vegas’ Mark Stone sent the game into overtime with a backhander past Andersen with 1:11 left in regulation, but Carolina blueliner Seth Jarvis whistled a slap shot past goalie Carter Hart for the win just 3:56 into the extra frame on yet another power-play goal.
“You’d like to make them pay every time,” Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho said. “It’s a big swing because the other option is going down a goal. But other than that, every time you get a power play, you’re trying to score. So, it’s not that different, but obviously it was a big swing.”
John Tortorella of the Vegas Golden Knights looks on during the third period against the Carolina Hurricanes. Getty Images
Not big enough to change the mind or Tortorella, who took over the Vegas bench with just eight games remaining in the season after the shocking firing of Bruce Cassidy.
Tortorella, a Stanley Cup winner with the Lightning in 2004 and helming his sixth NHL team, understands why it all went down this way — not that he has to like it.
“That’s been explained by the league, and I stand behind my decision,” Tortorella said Friday.
“Elmo causing NBA Finals drama” probably wasn’t on your bingo card.
The famed “Sesame Street” puppet is getting pushback from fervent New York basketball fans after wishing both the Knicks and Spurs well before Wednesday night’s NBA Finals Game 1.
“Elmo hopes both teams have fun,” the Muppet wrote on X before the start of the Finals.
Sesame Street Muppet ‘Elmo’ attends the Sesame Workshop’s 13th Annual Benefit Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 27, 2015 in New York City. WireImage
The post has since drawn over 12 million views and over a thousand comments, mainly from irate Knicks fans stunned Elmo wasn’t fully endorsing his hometown team before its first NBA Finals game since 1999.
Sesame Street is canonically a New York City street — the show was originally filmed in Manhattan before moving to Queens in 1993.
“Elmo this is the first time I’m not rocking with you. You gotta root for your city man!” X user @UTxJGTheDon replied in the comments.
“Hey man, you from Sesame Street, in the middle of New York City. You better be rooting for the Knicks!” another New York sports fan, @RonDeLaPena, wrote on X.
Several of the comments used colorful language not appropriate for the PBS show, and others used anatomical words to describe their feelings about the post.
Even with Elmo getting serious backlash, the Knicks rallied back from down 14 points in the third quarter to steal Game 1 of the Finals 105-95.
Knicks fans celebrate outside Madison Square Garden in Manhattan on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, during the first NBA finals game between the Knicks and the Spurs. (Robert Mecea for New York Post) Robert Mecea for New York Post
In the Knicks’ first Finals win in 27 years, Jalen Brunson stole the show with a game-high 30 points on 12-of-31 shooting.
Brunson struggled in the first half, but hit a clutch 3 to put the Knicks up 97-95 with under two minutes remaining, and they wouldn’t relinquish that lead.
Karl-Anthony Towns also starred in his first NBA Finals game with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Josh Hart grabbed 15 boards and added four steals despite only having three points.
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama couldn’t fit his footing, shooting just 6-of-21 from the field.
San Antonio aims to even the series Friday night at 8:30 p.m. ET.
A repainted blue-and-orange 34th Street subway entrance outside Madison Square Garden has become a viral sensation for Knickerbocker fans, who have been gathering in droves to snap a selfie with the colorful team tribute.
The station was clad in Knicks colors and adorned with basketball light fixtures on Monday to honor the New York team’s first finals appearance since 1999 – and has been drawing hordes of jubilant fans to the new monument since.
A revamped blue-and-orange 34th Street subway entrance outside Madison Square Garden has become Knickerbocker fans’ latest viral landmark. James Messerschmidt for the NY PostFans have been gathering in droves to snap a selfie with the colorful team tribute. Courtesy of Xavier Serrano
“As a fan and a native New Yorker, I’ve never seen anything like this before, where the city really recognizes the sports team,” said Richard Bird of Harlem, as dozens of fans took selfies at the station entrance Wednesday afternoon.
“The Yankees have been doing it for years, but [for] the Knicks, I’m saying it’s amazing.”
“I think [subway stations] should be painted all over the city,” said Cornelio Joseph, known as Beat of New York online. “It’ll elevate the culture,” the 33-year-old added, “and has to celebrate the message: to celebrate the Knicks.”
The subway station makeover comes as part of a citywide celebration, with Big Apple residents coming up with Knicks-themed bagels, lattes, cheesesteaks and even tattoos to celebrate the team.
Joseph noted the historic run has ignited a citywide camaraderie unlike any other – and the subway station revamp has become a viral representation of Big Apple pride.
The station was clad in Knicks colors and adorned with basketball light fixtures on Monday to honor the New York team’s first finals appearance since 1999 – and has been drawing hordes of jubilant fans to the new monument since. Courtesy of Xavier SerranoThe subway station makeover comes as part of a citywide celebration. James Messerschmidt for the NY Post
“If you’re a real New Yorker, you know the colors of blue and orange,” Joseph added. “I definitely think it brings unity.”
“Every time New York stays on top, it always unites the city,” remarked 22-year-old NYU student Andrew. “For [the team] to be down for so long, [and] for it to be back up again, that’s the difference.”
“In 2026, we’re divided on so many economic and political issues. Sports is something that we can all agree on,” said Matt Swirsky, a self-proclaimed “bandwagon” Knicks fan from Long Island.
Long Island residents Kara Vangeli, 40, and Krista LaPlatney (right), 40, take a selfie in front of the revamped blue-and-orange 34th Street subway entrance outside Madison Square Garden. Robert Miller for NY PostBrooklyn resident Vinicio Moran, 36, and Queens resident Genesis Jerez, 30, take a selfie in front of the revamped blue-and-orange 34th Street subway entrance outside Madison Square Garden. Robert Miller for NY PostMTA’s chief customer officer, Shanifah Rieara, said the transit system entrance will go back to its natural colors even if the Knicks win the NBA Finals Robert Miller for NY Post
“It’s great to see the city – just the excitement of people from different backgrounds all come together.”
The selfie spot – which has even drawn Mayor Zohran Mamdani to pose outside with basketball fans – was painted overnight into Monday after being floated for about a week, the MTA’s chief customer officer Shanifah Rieara told The New York Times.
The makeover comes after several Knicks-themed celebrations within the subway system, from actor Tracy Morgan recording a themed announcement to Rapper Fat Joe guest conducting on the 1 train.
The makeover comes after several Knicks-themed celebrations within the subway system. Courtesy of Xavier Serrano
At Penn Station, the lights now shine orange, white and blue in celebration of the finals clinch.
The transit system’s team pride isn’t limited to the Knicks, either: when the New York Liberty won a championship title in 2024, the MTA hung a banner in their honor, the Times reported.
Still, Rieara adamantly squashed any dreams of the entire transit system being re-painted in the near future, even if the Knicks clinch a championship win:
Knicks fans snap photos of the blue-and-orange subway entrance near Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. Courtesy of Xavier SerranoAt Penn Station, the lights now shine orange, white and blue in celebration of the finals clinch. Courtesy of Xavier Serrano
“This is the only one,” she told the outlet. “Doing multiple sort of diminishes the experience.”
An MTA rep told The Post the 34th Street station entrance will remain blue-and-orange “until a time to be determined.
But Knicks fans are far from losing hope – on both a finals win and a city painted blue-and-orange.
“They need to make every train station like that,” argued Duane, 37, of Harlem.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - JUNE 03: Riley Greene #31 of the Detroit Tigers celebrates with teammates after the Detroit Tigers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Alex Zadorozny/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Mariners had their eight-game win streak snapped on Wednesday, but they maintained their 2.5 game lead over the Athletics with the series win over the Mets. Now the team embarks on their longest road trip of the season, a 10-day affair that will take them through Detroit, Baltimore, and Washington DC. Thanks to this extended stretch of play without an off day, Seattle will be reinserting Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo into a six-man rotation.
The Tigers entered the season as the favorite to win the AL Central. With two straight playoff appearances, a competitive showing in the ALDS against the Mariners last year, a bolstered starting rotation, and one of the top prospects in baseball ready to make his debut, it really looked like Detroit was ready to ascend to the top echelon of the AL. Things haven’t exactly gone to plan. Through the end of April, the team was hovering around .500 but battling for the lead in their division. Then, on May 4, Tarik Skubal was placed on the IL with bone spurs in his throwing elbow. Since then, the Tigers have gone 7-21 and have fallen all the way to the bottom of the standings in the AL.
Player
Position
Bats
PA
K%
BB%
ISO
wRC+
Gleyber Torres
2B
R
154
14.9%
16.9%
0.096
122
Kevin McGonigle
SS
L
264
13.3%
13.6%
0.124
130
Dillon Dingler
C
R
231
19.9%
8.7%
0.266
130
Kerry Carpenter
DH
L
129
33.3%
8.5%
0.248
117
Riley Greene
LF
L
263
28.1%
12.5%
0.149
146
Spencer Torkelson
1B
R
240
31.7%
11.7%
0.184
102
Colt Keith
3B
L
180
20.0%
5.6%
0.060
80
Matt Vierling
CF
R
180
17.2%
8.9%
0.150
80
Wenceel Pérez
RF
S
158
15.8%
7.0%
0.150
51
While the injury to Skubal has gotten all the headlines, it’s actually the offense that can be blamed for a lot of the team’s struggles this year. The Tigers scored just 2.89 runs per game in May and scored more than five runs in a game just three times last month. Riley Greene, Dillon Dingler, and Kevin McGonigle have been the lone bright spots. Greene is in the midst of his best offensive season yet, though his BABIP is an unsustainable .439 and his power output has concerningly subsided. Dingler should be getting more attention if it weren’t for Shea Langeliers’ breakout overshadowing Dingler’s big step forward. The young catcher has already blasted 14 home runs and has already accumulated 2.5 fWAR. McGonigle has performed extremely well in his first taste of the majors and is currently the favorite to win the AL Rookie of the Year award. Detroit did just activate Gleyber Torres and Kerry Carpenter off the IL last weekend which means the lineup is pretty close to full strength now.
A familiar foe from his time in Houston, Framber Valdez signed a huge free agent contract with the Tigers this offseason. The idea was that he’d form a formidable one-two punch atop Detroit’s starting rotation with Skubal, though that hasn’t exactly played out as planned. Valdez has struggled a bit to start the year, though a 10-run meltdown against Boston is doing a lot of heavy lifting propping up his high ERA. Still, his strikeout rate and his groundball rate are the lowest they’ve ever been. Those were his two calling cards during his time with the Astros. For whatever reason, he’s allowing a bunch more contact, and the majority of it is in the air.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Keider Montero
61
17.8%
6.2%
7.4%
34.8%
3.69
3.97
Bryce Miller
21
25.3%
3.8%
9.5%
42.6%
1.71
2.86
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
22.1%
41.2%
94.2
92
59
127
0.319
Sinker
42.4%
4.9%
94.6
103
82
164
0.300
Changeup
2.4%
23.6%
87.1
81
79
174
0.178
Curveball
10.7%
16.3%
80.6
91
60
97
0.380
Slider
22.4%
14.0%
85.4
101
80
106
0.281
Keider Montero has been pressed into service as a core piece of the Tigers rotation this year. He’s spent most of the last two years bouncing between starting and relieving, but he’s performed admirably as a replacement for the injured Justin Verlander this year. He won’t overpower batters with stuff; instead he utilizes a deep repertoire well enough and manages to induce a lot of weak contact. His changeup is nearly impossible to square up, though it’s not good enough to induce swings and misses. Instead, batters pop it up or mishit it leading to lazy flyballs.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Jack Flaherty
57.2
25.8%
11.8%
10.3%
31.3%
5.31
4.4
Luis Castillo
55.1
22.4%
8.8%
10.3%
36.6%
5.53
4.18
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
50.9%
47.5%
92.5
107
91
103
0.352
Sinker
2.3%
5.4%
90.6
Changeup
0.2%
3.5%
84.7
Curveball
20.3%
20.5%
78.2
105
114
91
0.297
Slider
26.3%
23.2%
84.7
88
86
107
0.335
Jack Flaherty lives and dies by the feel for his breaking pitches. His fastball is decent enough, but when he can’t command his curveball or slider, it’s very easy for batters to focus on his heater and do damage. That’s been his issue to start this season. Through his first nine starts of the year, he was walking 15.9% of the batters he faced. Over his last four starts, he’s walked just three total. The other issue is that his breaking pitches just aren’t enticing as many chases out of the zone or as many swings and misses overall. All those issues have combined to balloon his ERA over five.
The Big Picture:
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Mariners
33-30
0.524
—
+30
W-W-W-W-L
Athletics
30-32
0.484
2.5
-33
W-L-W-W-L
Rangers
30-32
0.484
2.5
+9
W-W-W-W-L
Astros
28-36
0.438
5.5
-39
W-L-L-W-L
Angels
24-39
0.381
9.0
-51
W-L-L-L-W
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Yankees
37-25
0.597
+7.0
+93
L-W-L-L-W
White Sox
33-29
0.532
+3.0
+11
W-W-L-L-W
Athletics
30-32
0.484
—
-33
W-L-W-W-L
Rangers
30-32
0.484
—
9
W-W-W-W-L
Blue Jays
30-33
0.476
0.5
-7
L-L-L-L-W
Orioles
30-33
0.476
0.5
-37
W-W-W-L-W
Both the Athletics and the Rangers won their respective series this week to keep pace with the Mariners. The Astros dropped their series against the Pirates and fell to 5.5 games back in the division. The A’s and Astros meet in Houston while the Rangers host the Guardians this weekend.
The New York Knicks rallied in Game 1, winning 105-95 and finishing on a 11-0 run, closing out a historic opening matchup of the 2026 NBA Finals versus the San Antonio Spurs. Jalen Brunson led the game in scoring with 30 points and could not be stopped down the stretch. The Knicks trailed by as many as 14 points as New York earned its 12th straight victory.
Knicks at Spurs (-5.5): O/U 215.5
Game 1 was a classic and featured plenty of runs by both teams. When looking toward Game 2, it's clear San Antonio is in a good bounce back spot given how poorly they shot and the lack of contribution from the bench.
San Antonio shot 11-of-43 from the three (25.5%) and 32-of-89 from the field (35.9%) in Game 1. Outside of Dylan Harper, the Spurs bench was even worse scoring four points and going 1-of-7 from the field (14.2%), 1-of-4 from three (25%) with two free throw attempts (one made).
Keldon Johnson won Sixth Man of the Year, but was nonexistent in Game 1 (3 points in 8 minutes), while Harrison Barnes somehow played 12 minutes (0 points). Luke Kornet (0 points) and Carter Bryant (1 point) didn't offer much either off the bench.
When Victor Wembanyama was on the sidelines, New York took advantage and that will have to change to some degree moving forward. San Antonio will have to figure out who outside of Harper can be trusted as the rookie played 28 minutes compared to a combined 34 minutes by the other four bench players.
I think the Spurs have a few players step up alongside Wemby in Game 2 on their home court and San Antonio will look night and day when it comes to their shooting percentages. Whether that comes from the bench, De'Aaron Fox, or Devin Vassell as examples. Give me San Antonio -5.5 out to -6. It's hard to imagine Jalen Brunson and New York playing any better down the stretch than they did in Game 1.
Pick: Spurs -5.5 (1 unit)
Knicks vs Spurs O/U 55.5 First Quarter Points
The first quarter of Game 1 went Under the 56.5 total and finished at 47 with poor shooting all around. To be fair, the Knicks had an extensive layoff of nine days and the Thunder were coming off four days of rest and Game 7 on the road.
Both teams will have a game plan moving forward and the outcome will be more points. New York shot 33.3% from the field (8/24) and 27.3% from three (3/11) with no free throw attempts in the first quarter of Game 1, while San Antonio shot 37.5% from the field (9/24), 33.3% from three (4/12), with six free throws attempts (five makes).
The Knicks did not receive a whistle early with three total free throws in the first half. I have my doubts that both teams start off slow in Game 2. I will take the First Quarter Over 55.5 points.
Pick: Over 54.5 Points (1 unit)
Season Record: 167-138-1 (54.7%) +18.31 units NBA Finals Game 1 Record: 3-1 +2.59 units NBA Finals Future Pick: Series Over 5.5 Games (2 units at -170 odds)
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All 30 MLB teams take the field today, and there's no better time to lock in some MLB picks!
Headlined by the Washington Nationals taking care of business on the road, our baseball experts have you covered with their favorite predictionsfor Friday, June 5.
Sign up now using our exclusive Polymarket promo code 'COVERS' (on your mobile app only) and get a $20 trading bonus after you deposit $20 to trade on any other event contracts — including MLB expert picks!
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Jon Metler's expert pick: Nationals moneyline
Price: 45¢ (+122) at Polymarket
If you’re going to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, it starts with finding a way to slow down Corbin Carroll, who currently leads the National League in fWAR and serves as the engine of their offense.
That’s why I like this matchup for left-hander Foster Griffin and the Washington Nationals. Griffin has been excellent against left-handed hitters this season, holding them to a .178 batting average and a .624 OPS. He also benefits from a familiarity edge, as he has never faced this Diamondbacks lineup before, which is typically an advantage for a starting pitcher.
The Nationals are trading at 45 cents on the moneyline, but I make them much closer to 50 cents in this matchup. With Griffin well-positioned to neutralize Arizona’s biggest offensive threat, I’m willing to back James Wood and the Nationals at this price.
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
How to watch: Nationals.TV, Dbacks.TV
Neil Parker's expert pick: Guardians/Rangers NRFI
Price: 58¢ (-140) at Polymarket
With Texas Rangers right-hander Kumar Rocker pitching a scoreless first inning in three of his past four starts and holding hitters to an overall .159 batting average, I’m anticipating him taking care of a Cleveland Guardians lineup that ranks 26th in wOBA against righties in the opening frame.
Meanwhile, Cleveland southpaw Parker Messick hasn’t allowed a first-inning run all season, holding opposing hitters to a minuscule .371 OPS.
The Rangers are also 28th in wOBA against lefties, and this NRFI hits the break-even mark at -140.
Gusto threw 40 pitches on Tuesday and is pitching on two days of rest. Even if he finds some success, he won't be long for this game.
While it's tempting to take the Under 7.5 at +113, I'll grab the visitors to win straight up behind Rasmussen.
The Rays rank Top 10 in wRC+ against right-handers, and Gusto's small sample size of work in 2026 doesn't magically make me forget about his 5.67 ERA and 22nd-percentile xERA, 11th-percentile hard-hit rate, or 14th-percentile average exit velocity from 2025 over 101 2/3 innings.
I'd happily take the Rays all the way to -150 tonight.
Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
How to watch: Rays.TV, Marlins.TV
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In addition to the actual courtside chairs occupied by some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment, fans can also own game-used signed basketballs, jerseys, and the actual nets.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce attend the Cleveland Cavaliers Eastern Conference Final game against the New York Knicks in Cleveland, Ohio Aaron Josefczyk/Shutterstock
Among the most coveted items heading to auction are the courtside seats used by Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce during the Cavaliers’ playoff run at Rocket Arena. Also available are seats connected to actor Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, comedian and lifelong Knicks supporter Ben Stiller and Cleveland native Machine Gun Kelly.
New York Knicks superfan Ben Stiller sat courtside during the second quarter of Game 4 of the ECF. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
The celebrity chairs headline a larger Eastern Conference Finals collection authenticated and curated by The Realest, the Cavaliers’ Official Authentication and Memorabilia Partner.
The auction also includes the official game-used basketball from Game 3 and the game-used nets from the two conference finals games played in Cleveland on May 23 and May 25. Items any Knicks diehard would love to own, especially if they go on to win their first NBA Championship in 53 years.
Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner and Tracy Morgan watch the second half of Game 4 of the ECF. AP Photo/Tim Phillis
For Cavaliers fans, the auction offers pieces directly connected to one of the most electric playoff atmospheres in franchise history. For Swifties, sports fans and collectors alike, it presents something even rarer.
A chance to own a piece of history from the action on the court.
As most of the hockey world watches the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, many in the industry are gearing up for the NHL Draft, which will take place on June 26-27 in Buffalo, NY.
Despite decent odds of winning the NHL Lottery Draft last month, the Calgary Flames find themselves drafting sixth overall, a spot the franchise is familiar with, having selected Sean Monahan and Matthew Tkachuk in that spot.
This year, aside from the top two prospects, Gavin McKenna (Penn State) and Ivar Stenberg (Frölunda HC), the rest of the draft class is a toss-up.
On June 4, The Daily Faceoff's top prospect writer, Steve Ellis, released his latest Mock Draft, picking right-handed defenseman Keaton Verhoeff from the University of North Dakota with the sixth overall pick.
According to his Elite Prospects profile, Verheoff, who is from Fort Saskatchewan, AB, ranges from #3 all the way down to #12 in pre-draft rankings, with a handful of outlets listing him at #1 and #2.
After tallying 47 points in 75 games in the WHL with the Victoria Royals, Vernhoeff jumped to the NCAA last season, racking up 20 points in 36 games with the University of North Dakota as a freshman. Meanwhile, he was Canada's U18 captain and had four assists at the latest World Juniors, where Canada won bronze.
Vernhoeff will turn 18 on June 19, and if the Flames select him, he'll become the youngest defenseman on the organization's depth chart, taking the spot from Alex Hurtig, the only 20-year-old signed to a deal.
If Calgary drafts him and doesn't ink him to an entry-level deal, Vernhoeff would join Mace'o Phillips (19) and Jakob Leander (19) as the only under-20 defenders in the system, but not under contract.
Despite the many mock drafts that have the Flames staying at sixth overall, many insiders wonder if General Manager Craig Conroy will make a deal to move up in the draft. However, if that doesn't happen, and Calgary stays the course, Vernhoeff may not be the only intriguing option at sixth overall.
I might be jumping the line here to comment on the farm system review by Brendan Gawlowski posted to FanGraphs this morning, as Brady does such a great job covering the minor leagues for McCovey Chronicles already and friend of the site and former contributor Roger Munter has had the corner covered for years via his There R Giants site, but I’m compelled to offer the prospect skeptic’s perspective.
The San Francisco Giants have traditionally, historically had a bad farm system, with the type of success that’s on par with a broken clock being right twice a day. The “broken clock” bit is my description, but I don’t think it’s only a matter of opinion to say that except for the late-60s, mid-80s and definitely the 2010s, the Giants haven’t done much in player development. Except for those little hiccups, it’s vacillated between afterthought or laughingstock. But even now, I think I have to admit that Randy Winn might be the sort of classy, special sauce the farm system needed. The success this season is undeniable (basically every level has a winning record and, overall, is 151-97).
The idea that the system’s luck (or skill, even!) could be turning is worth investigating. Is the FanGraphs piece more evidence of a turnaround?
Let’s look at the piece itself, which offers 14 players with Future Values of at least 45 (Low End Regular or Platoon Player). Five of these are a cut above that:
5. SP – Keyner Martinez (50 FV — Average Everyday Player) 4. SS – Luis Hernandez (50 FV) 3. 2B – Jhonny Level (50 FV) 2. SS – Josuar Gonzalez (50 FV) 1. 1B – Bryce Eldridge (55 FV)
That’s a fun group, and it’s great to see a young pitcher in the top 5. I know of Hernandez and Gonzalez and obviously Eldridge, but I, personally, haven’t heard of Keyner Martinez because, again, in my lifetime, the Giants have been pretty bad at developing prospect and I’ve stayed focused on the funny-in-its-own-right major league team.
Martinez was the 10th-ranked prospect in the Giants’ system by the McCovey Chronicles community back in November despite missing the 44-player list entirely in the previous season. Brady wrote:
Martinez was a slightly older international signee from Venezuela, as he signed in 2023 but didn’t debut until 2024, his age-19 season. He skipped the DSL and made his debut in the Arizona Complex League, where his results were very mediocre.
But he transformed over the offseason, and took the ACL by storm in 2025, posting a 1.90 ERA and a 2.70 FIP, with a staggering 67 strikeouts against just 10 walks in 47.1 innings. At the end of the ACL season he joined Low-A San Jose’s roster, where he continued to shine, posting a 2.86 ERA and a 3.96 FIP, while striking out 30 batters in 22 innings, with 11 walks.
Just as, if not more importantly, is the way it looked. Martinez earned hype from any and all prospect hounds covering the ACL and Cal League, and even rose up to the No. 6 spot in the recently-released Giants prospect rankings at Baseball America.
Brendan Gawlowski sounds like one of Martinez’s hype men.
He was my favorite pitcher on the Arizona complex last summer, and I’m inclined to stay aggressive on his projection even as he’s battled through a few growing pains in the Cal League. […]
He’s well built, he moves well, the delivery flows, and I think he’ll clean up the control and eventually ascend into a big league rotation. Martinez was a Pick to Click for me in the offseason, and Eric and I have seen enough to bump him into the Top 100. He projects as a mid-rotation starter.
But Jhonny Level? I’ve been hearing about him for at least a year. The prospect hounds and amateur scouts love the kid. I’m glad to see him moving up and up and up the lists.
Gawlowski’s writeup paints a pretty picture for we prospect-averse Giants fans out there:
Level is advanced for his age. On the lighter side, he’s strong for his build and has a mature feel for when he can turn it loose and drive a pitch to the pull side from both sides of the plate. His bat is quick, and while he’ll sometimes expand on spin — particularly with two strikes — he’ll also show you good zone control and pitch recognition on the right day. A lot of guys who chase as youngsters tend to keep chasing as they get older, but in Level’s case, he looks more discerning than the numbers indicate.
AWOOGA. HUMMINA HUMMINA. PANT, PANT. I was trying to avoid getting my hopes up, but now I’m even more excited than when I first heard people talking about him last year.
Of course, let’s focus on the two other big middle infield prospects. The FanGraphs writeup affirms the Giants’ scouting of the plaeyrs. Regarding Hernandez:
Even for a player widely seen as advanced beyond his years, it was still something of a surprise when the Giants had him skip the Dominican complex and sent him straight to Scottsdale for spring training this year.
It was the right call, as Hernández has been awesome on both sides of the ball.
The Josuar Gonzalez capsule is a little more concerning with the injury aspects, but he maintains:
Gonzalez ultimately has a very strong heuristic profile as a switch-hitting up-the-middle player with power, and he has All-Star ceiling if his hit tool is average or better.
This is all very encouraging to read. At the same time, it’s tough to ignore the echoes of from the past. Your Marco Luciano report here, a Luis Matos capsule there. Indeed, let’s go back a bit in time.
2019
FanGraphs gave 8 Giants at least a 45 FV grade, but two stood out with 55 FVs: Joey Bart and Marco Luciano. Heliot Ramos was right behind them with a 50 FV, and there’s Logan Webb at #5 with a 45+ FV. Hunter Bishop was between Ramos & Webb with a 45+.
2021
Seems only fair to skip the year when the minor league season was canceled. Of course, the Giants’ farm system still managed to produce something just slightly less depressing than a global pandemic: failed prospects. Marco Luciano led FanGraphs’ ranking with a 60 FV. Joey Bart fell to 50, Heliot Ramos stayed at 50 and — oh, what’s this? — Luis Matos cracked the top 5 with a 50 FV. Prodigal pitcher Gregory Santos moved up to #5 and Patrick Bailey and Kyle Harrison were 6th and 8th, respectively, with 45+ FVs.
2022
Their end-of-season updated report for the year gave us 9 Giants with 45 Future Values, Gregory Santos Heliot Ramos’s stars having fallen into this range (6th and 8th on the list). Averson Arteaga was 5th with a Future Value of 45. The top 4 is a splash of cold water: Luciano (55), Matos (50), Harrison (50), Bart (50).
2023
By the time we get to this update, the top prospect is Kyle Harrison (55 FV) and Luciano has fallen even further (50). Rayner Arias is #3 with a 45+ FV and the Giants only have 6 more to crack 45 — though, debuting at #9 is Bryce Eldridge.
2024
The top prospect is Carson Whisenhunt? A 50 Future Value and 78th on FanGraphs’ top 100. Bryce Eldridge is #2 in the system, per FanGraphs, with the same Future Value and 85th in their top 100. Only four other players have Future Values of 45: Rayner Arias, Joe Whitman, Reggie Crawford, and James Tibbs III. Wow, stupendous work, Farhan Zaidi and co. This is a failed farm system.
2025
Bryce Eldridge is the #16 prospect in their top 100, #1 in the Giants’ system and has a 55 Future Value at the updated prospects report on FanGraphs. Josuar Gonzalez is #2 with a 50 FV and Carson Whisenhunt is #3 with a 50 FV, too. Blade Tidwell checks in with a 45+, and the Giants have four more with 45 FVs: Gavin Kilen, Drew Gilbert, Jhonny Level, and Trevor McDonald.
With 14 players carrying Future Values of 45 or more, this is the best prospects list the Giants have had in at least 7 years. But let’s go back as far as the list goes: 2017. I want to see something. Here are all the Giants prospects who’ve made it to the majors (though, not necessarily with the Giants):
Christian Arroyo (#1 in 2017)
Tyler Beede (#2 in 2017)
Bryan Reynolds (#3 in 2017)
Ty Blach (#4 in 2017)
Andrew Suarez (#5 in 2017)
Steven Okert (#6 in 2017)
Chris Stratton (#9 in 2017)
Matt Krook (#10 in 2017)
Chris Shaw (#11 in 2017)
Steven Duggar (#14 in 2017)
Dan Slania (#15 in 2017)
Reyes Moronta (RIP) (#17 in 2017)
Sam Coonrod (#21 in 2017)
Joey Bart
Heliot Ramos
Marco Luciano
Shaun Anderson
Alexander Canario
Sean Hjelle
Gregory Santos
Jake Wong
Aramis Garcia
Ray Black
Logan Webb
Camilo Doval
Mauricio Dubon (#7 in 2019)
Luis Matos
Joe McCarthy (#13 in 2019)
Tristan Beck (#20 in 2019)
Prelander Berroa (#21 in 2019)
Kai-Wei Teng (#22 in 2019)
Tyler Fitzgerald (#25 in 2019)
Mike Gerber (#30 in 2019)
Grant McCray (#33 in 2019)
Jaylin Davis (#34 in 2019)
Jose Marte (#37 in 2019)
Trevor McDonald (#38 in 2019)
Caleb Kilian (#40 in 2019)
Will Wilson (#7 in 2020)
Casey Schmitt (#21 in 2020)
Luis Basabe (#29 in 2020)
Jose Siri (#33 in 2020)
Caleb Baragar (#35 in 2020)
Patrick Bailey
Kervin Castro (#24 in 2021)
Carson Ragsdale (#28 in 2021)
Jason Vosler (#44 in 2021)
Cole Waites (#46 in 2021)
Dedniel Nunez (#47 in 2021)
Carson Whisenhunt (#5 in 2022)
Keaton Winn (#9 in 2022)
Mason Black (#12 in 2022)
Ford Proctor (#14 in 2022)
Landen Roupp (#25 in 2022)
Tristan Peters (#27 in 2022)
Thomas Szapucki (#28 in 2022)
Randy Rodriguez (#29 in 2022)
Ryan Walker (#47 in 2022)
Wade Meckler (#7 in 2023)
Spencer Miles (#17 in 2023)
Victor Bericoto (#21 in 2023)
Hayden Birdsong (#22 in 2023)
Erik Miller (#28 in 2023)
Bryce Johnson (#44 in 2023)
Nick Avila (#28 in 2024)
Bryce Eldridge
Blade Tidwell (#4 in 2025)
Drew Gilbert (#6 in 2025)
Jesus Rodriguez (#13 in 2025)
Jonah Cox (#15 in 2026)
Daniel Susac (#21 in 2026)** — does this count? I don’t think so.
That’s 70 or 71 players across 10 seasons, and not all of them for the Giants. Many of them not even good, but if we’re to say the jury’s out on Hayden Birdsong, Victor Bericoto, Eldridge, Tidwell, Gilbert, Jesus Rodriguez, Jonah Cox and Daniel Susac (though, he probably shouldn’t be counted as he’s Rule 5), how many “good” players are in this bunch? Well, here are all the ones who’ve had positive fWAR in the majors:
Logan Webb, 25.4 fWAR
Bryan Reynolds, 20.0
Patrick Bailey, 10.2
Mauricio Dubon, 7.9
Jose Siri, 6.8
Chris Stratton, 4.5
Camilo Doval, 4.2
Joey Bart, 3.3
Tyler Fitzgerald, 3.3
Heliot Ramos, 3.3
Landen Roupp, 3.2
Ryan Walker, 2.8
Steven Okert, 2.3
Tyler Beede, 2.0
Ty Blach, 2.0
Randy Rodriguez, 2.0
Reyes Moronta (RIP), 1.8
Casey Schmitt, 1.8
Tristan Peters, 1.1
Steven Duggar, 1.0
Dedniel Nunez, 1.0
Trevor McDonald, 0.9
Gregory Santos, 0.9
Keaton Winn, 0.8
Christian Arroyo, 0.6
Erik Miller, 0.6
Tristan Beck, 0.5
Bryce Johnson, 0.5
Wade Meckler, 0.5
Kai-Wei Teng, 0.5
Sean Hjelle, 0.4
Spencer Miles, 0.4
Andrew Suarez, 0.4
Caleb Baragar, 0.3
Kervin Castro, 0.2
Prelander Berroa, 0.1
Hayden Birdsong, 0.1
Sam Coonrod, 0.1
And how many of these ought to even be considered Giants prospects — Siri, Dubon, and Susac certainly feel like cheats, and if you wanted to include Bryan Reynolds that’d make sense. Of course, if you were to compare farm systems, maybe the Giants don’t seem so unusual. I’m not sure of that, though, because I can pick apart this list pretty easily, and that’s why I have remained a prospect skeptic where the Giants are concerned for so many years. I just think it’s a bad situation when a young baseball player gets drafted by them.
Reynolds, Dubon, and Siri did their best work away from the Giants. Tyler Fitzgerald’s success is based entirely on a 6-week stretch. Patrick Bailey was traded away. I don’t know what it means that only 2 of the top 10 prospects over the past 10 seasons are still with the Giants and that most had success with other teams. It doesn’t seem like it speaks well of the Giants’ situation.
But what the minor league affiliates’ success and this FanGraphs ranking supposes is that it’s a system on the rise. Maybe we’ve seen some version of this idea before, but this time it does feel a little different. A little pre-2010, if you know what I mean…
Does that mean it’ll all work out and we’ll get a parade out of this? No. Baseball is hard. But maybe the Giants are getting a little bit better at developing players?
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 2: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves reacts with Ozzie Albies #1 after hitting a solo home run during the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Truist Park on June 2, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Stop me if you’ve heard this before over the course of this excellent season, so far: The Atlanta Braves have won another series. Sure, they were definitely favorites to take another two-out-of-three games against a Toronto Blue Jays squad that had been spinning its wheels in the mud for a bit but the remarkable consistency of this team is truly something to behold. They’ve taken care of business with nearly every opportunity that they’ve had so far this season and the expectations remained the same as Atlanta returned home from another productive road trip.
Still, this could’ve been a tough series for the Braves. The Blue Jays have had some strong pitching and a lineup that was seemingly itching to return to the level of production that helped propel them to the AL pennant in 2025. If any team currently has a target on their back based on current performance, it’s Atlanta. Toronto was surely looking to use this series as a way to get their season on track but as we’ve seen on numerous occasions, the Braves have no intentions of letting off of the proverbial gas pedal. So let’s take a look at how this series turned out.
As we’ve gotten used to seeing lately, the Braves got off to a quick start in this one as the plated two runs to start things off. Ronald Acuña Jr. didn’t homer this time but his walk did help matters as Michael Harris II immediately followed it up by driving one deep into center field for an RBI double that sent Acuña racing from first to home. Ozzie Albies eventually brought home Money Mike with a sacrifice fly and it was 2-0 Braves to get things going.
Toronto did respond immediately, though. Kazuma Okamoto has hit the ground running since moving over from NPB to MLB and his two-run dinger off of Bryce Elder tied things up in the second. Considering that the Blue Jays had Kevin Gausman going, it sure felt like runs would be at a premium and it was totally feasible to imagine that this thing could’ve stayed 2-2 until both teams dipped into their bullpen.
As it turned out, the Braves weren’t done scoring off of Gausman. Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies got the job done with two outs on the board against Gausman in the third inning as Olson’s double and Albies’ subsequent RBI single put Atlanta back in front. Toronto knotted it back up with a sacrifice fly from Daulton Varsho in the sixth inning but the sixth ended up being the end of the line for Gausman. That was when Matt Olson hit a skyscraper shot out towards the Chop House that just about made it into the grass in home run territory to lead off the sixth in order to put Atlanta back in front by a lone run.
From that point forward, it was on the pitching staff to make sure that that single run from Olson’s blimp shot held up. Elder ended up winning the duel against Gausman by pitching into the seventh before passing the baton to the dynamic back-end duo of Robert Suarez and Raisel Iglesias. The tying run for Toronto did make it into scoring position against Iglesias in the ninth inning but a harmless pop up from the bat of Jesús Sánchez fell into Austin Riley’s glove to end the game and allow the Braves to set the tone in yet another series.
This time, it was Toronto who got off to a fast start as they plated a run in the first inning to go ahead. It could’ve been a lot worse, though, as they loaded up the bases with nobody out against Grant Holmes. Fortunately, Holmes was able to get out of that jam with just the one run allowed and that ended up being a huge development considering how the rest of the game ended up going. Atlanta responded in the second inning with a bloop RBI single from Ha-Seong Kim (who badly needed something like that to go his way for once) to tie the game up at one run apiece.
Nathan Lukes ended up having a very solid series and you know it was good for him because he smacked his first dinger of the season in the third inning to put Toronto back in front. Fortunately for us Braves fans, that was as good as it got for the Blue Jays in this one as the Braves forged ahead from that point forward. Mauricio Dubón came up to the plate in Atlanta’s half of the third inning with two men on and two outs and Dubón proceeded to make some more two-out magic happen as he sent one out to the home bullpen in right-center for a three-run bomb off of Patrick Corbin that put Atlanta back in front.
Thanks to Grant Holmes throwing six steady innings and Atlanta’s bullpen clamping down on Toronto from that point forward (outside of a ninth inning moonshot from Brandon Valenzuela off of Tyler Kinley), the Braves were able to eventually pull away. Ozzie Albies essentially put the game to bed in the seventh inning as he bopped one out off of the scoreboard below the Hank Aaron Terrace in left field for Atlanta’s second three-run dinger of the night. Two innings later, the Braves were celebrating their 17th series win of the season — it’s still just June, mind you.
Well, when you consider how the xBA results went for the first two games (Blue Jays lost the first game despite winning the xBA battle .211 to .188 and lost by four runs in the second game while only losing the xBA battle by .11), it kind of felt inevitable that the Blue Jays would eventually see something go their way in a tangible matter during this series. That was the case in this one, as they racked up sixteen hits (10 of which came off of Chris Sale) and never trailed on their way to salvaging the series with a 7-2 win.
A three-run third inning where Sale really had to labor to get out of it was the early pivotal point of this contest and it sure helped Toronto’s chances when the debuting Chad Dallas managed to escape the bottom of the third by only giving up one run on a Matt Olson sacrifice fly. That one run was all the Braves could muster up against Toronto’s pitching staff until the eighth inning, which is when Mauricio Dubón fired up everybody in the ballpark (particularly the large “Tarps Off” contingent in the 400 level) with a solo shot that cut the deficit to just one run.
Any hopes of a fantastic finish were quashed following the ninth inning, though. Reynaldo López made his first appearance since May 31 and reader, it wasn’t a good one. He got dinged for four runs on five hits and a walk and those four runs essentially made it so that Toronto could breathe a bit easier on their way to completely thwarting any hopes the Braves had of pulling off a comeback win for a sweep.
The Atlanta Braves are currently experiencing some real baseball first-world problems. “Oh no, they’ve won 17 out of 20 series but only two of those were sweeps.” “Oh no, the bullpen had a rare off night.” “Oh no, the star offseason signing is struggling, I guess they’ll have to choose between two perfectly capable replacements on any given night.” Basically, if these are the quibbles that your team has to deal with at any given time, then things are going quite alright.
It was especially nice to see the Braves take the two games where Chris Sale didn’t start. It’s certainly a rare occasion to see Sale give up so many hits and have to deal with so many baserunners in any given start so it’s good that this off-night of sorts came when the Braves already had the series in hand. Bryce Elder continues to simply find ways to get the job done and Grant Holmes showed some real resilience in his start to make sure that he didn’t fall victim to the same pratfalls that have tripped him up in recent starts.
Plus, the offense just continues to keep on raking. Mauricio Dubón had a bit of a blip at the plate but he appears to be determined to prove that he can get the job done with the bat as well as his glove. Ronald Acuña Jr. didn’t carry over his supernova form from the road trip but he’s definitely looked a lot more productive as he starts to find some steady form again. Matt Olson continues to be, well, Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies has been continuing to undergo a resurgence of his own. Despite the wobble on Thursday, Atlanta’s entire pitching staff is still rolling along and doing a great job of limiting any damage that they may sustain so that this offense can keep on having opportunities to change the game with any given at-bat.
So yeah, life continues to be good for the Atlanta Braves during the 2026 season. The Pirates will be coming into this weekend’s series playing some pretty good baseball so it’s not like Atlanta’s going to be getting any type of respite when it comes to the competition. Still, when a team is running as hot as the Braves have been, it’s hard to really bet against them slowing down until it actually happens. We’ll see if that’s the case on the weekend or if the Braves will continue to steamroll over anybody who happens to be in their way on the schedule.
PORTLAND, OREGON - DECEMBER 14: Assistant coach Terry Stotts of the Golden State Warriors looks on before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on December 14, 2025 in Portland, Oregon. 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 Soobum Im/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks parted ways a few weeks ago, the Mavs kicked off the search for his replacement. We previously covered the news that Dallas was exploring potential fits with collegiate stalwarts Jon Scheyer and Dusty May, and now word has come out that Terry Stotts is also being considered for the job.
If Stotts’ name strikes you as familiar, that’s because he was an assistant under Rick Carlisle during the Mavericks’ 2011 championship season. Aside from that memorable run, Stotts has held coaching roles at the NBA level since 1994 when he began as an assistant for the Oklahoma City Thunder’s former iteration, the Seattle Supersonics. That stint afforded him some NBA Finals experience when the Sonics came up short to the Chicago Bulls in 1996. He was then an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks, and then the Atlanta Hawks for whom he eventually took the head coaching job. He then spent a year with the Golden State Warriors as an assistant, before returning to Milwaukee for two years as the head coach.
After that, he was with Dallas as an assistant coach from 2008-2012 where he again returned to the NBA Finals, but with better results. 2011 put Stotts in the rarified air of those that were a part of the pinnacle of Mavericks’ history, playing an instrumental part in the championship run. He parlayed that stint into a long tenure as the Portland Trailblazers head coach from 2012 to 2021, then took some time off before returning to the Warriors as an assistant coach for the past two seasons.
In all, Stotts has accumulated a 402-318 record (55.8% winning percentage) as a head coach in the NBA. Over more than 30 years, he has either coached, or coached against, some of the best coaches and players the league has ever seen. He is a basketball lifer – you don’t stick around as long as he has unless you both belong and badly want to be there.
Rumors are that Stotts now only wants to consider head coaching jobs, and will be in the mix for the open position in Dallas. The Mavericks would be well served with Stotts steering the ship. At age 68 and with his resume, he has seen it all. He would instantly command respect simply based on who he is – there would be no rookie coach inexperience to harp on from either the players or media. He would bring the necessary discipline to what will likely be a young team led by Cooper Flagg, while also knowing full well how to manage the veteran players. Throwing back to the 2011 championship team would also bring a nice connection to the past for the Mavs, who could still afford to bolster good will with the fanbase.
Stotts would likely be something of a transitional coach, but that too could be a boon to the franchise. He could ably prepare one of his assistant coaches to take the reigns from him in a few years, or Dallas could simply choose to go another way when the time comes. Either way, Stotts brings a safe – but not mundane or low-ceiling – coach to the franchise, and one who can help lead the team into the next phase. The Mavs could certainly do worse.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
Apr 28, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Seranthony Dominguez (58) celebrates after defeating the Los Angeles Angels at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
Before the season, it was expected that the Chicago White Sox wouldn’t have many save opportunities for their relievers to convert. They were coming off three straight 100+ loss campaigns, including a 41-121 bottoming out in 2024. But the Sox have been one of the biggest surprises this season, checking in at 33-29, good for second place in the American League Central.
As a result, there have been plenty of save opportunities, and the man who has closed out the majority of them is former Phillie Seranthony Dominguez.
You likely remember Dominguez as the rookie who looked electric in his rookie season of 2018, only to lose effectiveness, and then ultimately over two years of his career thanks to a UCL injury. After his return, he showed flashes of his former dominating self, but there was too much inconsistency, and the Phillies ultimately shipped him to Baltimore at the 2024 trade deadline.
For the 3rd time in his last 5 outings, Seranthony Dominguez allows a go-ahead or game-tying home run. Cardinals up 6-5 in the 8th.
He served as the Orioles closer down the stretch and while he converted ten saves, he gave up a decent number of runs. He was used in a setup role for 2025 until the Orioles traded him to the Blue Jays at the deadline.
After serving as a setup reliever for the Jays, he signed a two-year deal with the Sox in the offseason and was established as their closer. Results have been mixed: While he has eleven saves, he’s also blown three chances, and his FIP is at 5.22. Basically, he’s the same guy he was for the Phillies: He can look dominating for much of the time, but there will be games when he looks incapable of retiring a batter.
Hating on the White Sox
There’s not much of a rivalry between the Phillies and the White Sox with only 28 games played between them all time, and I’m having trouble remembering any that were particularly memorable. (Oddly, five of the 28 have gone to extra innings, including all three games in 2013.)
But you know what? Screw the White Sox.
The White Sox used to be cool. They had iconic uniforms, with their hats being worn by famous rappers, and as a result became really popular with suburban white kids.
Ice Cube spearheaded the Chicago White Sox snapback’s popularity, replacing his former Raiders gear (which was too associated with his days with NWA). He debuted the hat in his video for “Steady Mobbin,” cementing it in Hip Hop culture. pic.twitter.com/Hoy42OsM0r
However, that coolness never really translated to the on-field product, because they rarely make the playoffs (since somehow winning the 2005 World Series, they’ve made the postseason just three times) and will be forever known as Chicago’s “other team.”
The White Sox could have beaten Camden Yards in kicking off the retro trend with their stadium but instead built perhaps the most boring stadium ever. (Though Nationals Park would have a word.) They were “fortunate” enough to find a corporate sponsor that matches the stadium’s vibe, because Rate Field sounds like it should be hosting adult league games, not a Major League Baseball franchise.
You know a franchise is down bad when they start retiring the numbers of players like Paul Konerko and Mark Buerhle. Admittedly, I’m a retired number elitist who thinks the honor should be reserved for iconic, all-time greats, but when you start hanging the numbers of “Hall of Very Good” players, it feels like it cheapens the honor. Frank Thomas should have his number retired; Konerko should be on the Wall of Fame or whatever equivalent they have.
Last week’s answer: The Phillies recorded one hit off of Roki Sasaki in the 2025 NLDS. World War II buffs will appreciate the irony that the one hit was off the bat of Max Kepler. 7redseven was correct.
This week’s question: The first ever Phillies vs. White Sox game was played on June 18, 2002 and saw the White Sox prevail 6-3 in 12 innings. What future Phillie delivered the go-ahead hit in the 12th?
Additional thought about the series
Are you sure we can’t get any more games against the Padres?
The schedule makers say no, so the Phillies will see if their recent strong play can be duplicated against a different opponent. The good news is that different opponent is missing its best offensive player.
Much of the Sox’ success has been fueled by rookie Munetake Murakami who is on the IL with a hamstring strain. The Japanese import made a huge early splash, prompting several Phillies fans to ask why the Phillies didn’t pursue him to replace Alec Bohm at third base.
The Phillies reportedly did pursue him, but the biggest problem – aside from Japanese players apparently hating Philadelphia – is that he’s probably not a major league quality defender at third base. The Sox have had him exclusively at first base and designated hitter, and the Phillies have players already entrenched at those positions. There were also questions about how well his Japanese league numbers would translate, but he’s had no problem adjusting to major league pitching so far.
Since he’s on the IL, there will be little opportunity for irate Phillies fans to question why they didn’t sign him. Then again, if Alec Bohm continues to hit into double plays at a prodigious rate, those questions still might get asked.
It’s a loaded 15-game slate on the diamond Friday, June 5, and I’ve got a trio of NRFI predictions to cover you throughout the action.
My top MLB picks call for a low-scoring first frame between the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers to start the night, with the Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins also blanking the first inning to round out my betting card.
This is a tough matchup for the Tigers, too. Seattle righty Bryan Woo has fired four consecutive scoreless opening frames to improve to 10-2 to the NRFI this season, and Detroit has been held without a first-inning run in seven of its past 10 games while ranking 16th in batting average and 15th in xwOBA during the stretch.
It’s a similar matchup in the bottom half, too. Cleveland southpaw Parker Messick hasn’t allowed a first-inning run all season while holding opposing hitters to a minuscule .371 OPS. The Rangers rank 28th in wOBA against lefties, too.
This is also a soft matchup for Twins righty Zebby Matthews. The Royals have only scored in the first inning in 25% of their games while struggling to a 26th-place wOBA over the past 30 days.
Matthews also sports a smooth 3.01 xERA through four starts, which slides in well below his front-facing 4.63 ERA, so this is a spot for him to sail through the opening frame.
I’d back this NFRI down to -125.
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Apple TV
Neil Parker's 2026 Transparency Record
NRFI/YRFI picks: 11-11, -3.54 units
What is a NRFI prediction?
NRFI (No Run First Inning) and YRFI (Yes Run First Inning) picks add a thrilling twist to the start of an MLB game. A NRFI pick is a prediction that no runs will be scored in the first inning. You're predicting that the starting pitchers for both teams will get through the first inning without allowing any runs, whether by striking out batters, inducing ground balls, or through solid defensive play.
A YRFI pick is the exact opposite. You're predicting that at least one run will be scored in the first inning. In this case, you’re hoping for an early offensive burst such as a leadoff walk, a timely hit, or even a home run.
NRFI and YRFI picks add excitement to the early part of a game and offer immediate gratification for those looking for a quick resolution.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
On this day 107 years ago, Eddie Collins hit the only grand slam of his career, in a win at the Yankees. | (Photo by TPLP/Getty Images)
1919 With the score tied, 1-1, deep into a game at the Polo Grounds facing the Yankees, Eddie Collins belted an inside-the-park grand slam that rolled into the very deep reaches of right-center field. Eddie Cicotte completed the win, improving to 10-1 on the season. The White Sox went three games up in the American League race, at 25-11.
Given that he hit just four homers in his career before 1910, when complete records became available, this was the only grand slam of Collins’ 47-homer career.
1923 While long road trips were not uncommon in the days of train travel and fewer teams, the White Sox set a franchise mark that remains today in embarking on a monthlong road trip. The Pale Hose visited all seven American League clubs on the journey, which lasted 27 games and a full month — not returning home until a July 7 doubleheader. Strangely enough, the long trip did wonders for the club, as the White Sox went 18-9 and improved from last in the league (eighth) at 15-24, 13 games out to third place, at 33-33.
Ultimately the club faltered and fell back to seventh place at a 69-85-2 record by season’s end. The culprit? That awful home cooking! (For the season, the White Sox were 39-40 on the road and 30-45 at home!)
1935 White Sox rookie pitcher John Whitehead saw his eight-game winning streak to start his MLB career snapped, losing to the St. Louis Browns, 2-0. Whitehead would finish 13-13 in his rookie campaign, with 18 complete games and 4.9 WAR, finishing 19th in AL MVP voting.
“Silent John” amassed in impressive 11.6 WAR in 127 games over four-plus seasons on the South Side. Ironically enough, he was dealt to the Browns during the 1939 season.
1960 White Sox pitchers Russ Kemmerer and Frank Baumann both fired shutouts in beating the Kansas City Athletics in a doubleheader. The Sox won both games by the same score: 2-0. The A’s combined for only 10 hits on the Sunday afternoon.
1967 Eddie Stanky did it again. The White Sox manager let loose a verbal assault on Red Sox All-Star Carl Yastrzemski. Before a three-game set in Comiskey Park, Stanky was quoted as saying, “He may be an All-Star from the neck down, but in my book he’s a moody ballplayer … and I don’t like moody ballplayers.”
Red Sox fans were incensed, and let Stanky and the Sox have an earful, as well as throwing tomatoes at him whenever he went to the mound when the Sox went to Boston the following week.
2022 With a ground-rule double to drive in the first two runs of a 6-5 win over Tampa Bay in a game the White Sox would never trail, Jake Burger recorded the game-winning RBI in a fourth straight White Sox win — a record that dates back to at least 1974.
Burger’s streak started with a three-run homer on May 25 vs. Boston, the only runs needed for a 3-1 win. Next was a 12th-inning single that won it against the Cubs on May 29. Then came a two-run shot in the eighth inning of a 2-1 game vs. the Rays on June 4, which the White Sox held on to win, 3-2.
You might note the wide range of dates, indeed during this 10-game stretch that Burger established his clutch mark the White Sox went 4-6. This win brought the club to 25-27, in its seemingly endless quest to get past the .500 mark. It would end up exactly there, at 81-81 in the disappointing spin into another rebuild — one that seems like it will last the rest of the 2020s.
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