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In The Lab: An Astros Thought Experiment

This is the lab. In the lab we do experiments. Sometimes it is the moral and ethical equivalent of shining a magnifying glass on an ant. In other times, it is a little more serious. I should note that when I put things like this in the lab, it is not proceeded by “the Astros should…” or “the Astros should not….” This is not a hot take. If it were a hot take I certainly would not put it in a lab.

What we are looking at here is ultimately the value of a superstar. Branch Rickey is obviously known as the executive that broke the color barrier. He was also an executive with the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates. He infamously told Ralph Kiner that he could finish in last with him or without him. We have obviously seen the huge numbers that Yordan Alvarez has put up and I have spent the last two labs comparing those numbers with the rest of the team and the best hitters in baseball history.

Obviously, if the Astros were shopping Alvarez it would be big news. There have been a few superstar level moves in baseball over the last several years. Heck, Juan Soto was involved in two of those deals as the teams that held him cashed in with prospects. I shouldn’t have to tell anyone that if Yordan became available, there would be at least a half dozen teams waiting in line to make their offer. So, what would a Yordan Alvarez trade even look like?

We should start by accurately pegging his value. Last time, we saw that he is on pace to get close to 12 wins at the pace he is currently at. However, that is not horribly realistic. The best thing we can do is look at what he has done and project from there. There are two ways to do this. We can look at the WAR numbers and project those over 150 games or we can look at the traditional hitting numbers and do the same.

Yordan Alvarez: 25.8 FWAR in 703 career games through Thursday, 5.5 FWAR per 150 games
Yordan Alvarez: .298/.392/.580, 39 HR, 96 Runs, 111 RBI, 2 SB, 78 BB

Those are pretty sparkling numbers. We could surmise that this is a career season for Yordan and he might be closer to a seven or eight win player. This is where things get more dicey than what we might think. It would be simplistic to suggest that you want something equivalent to seven or eight wins to break even on the exchange. However, that misunderstands the designation of a replacement level player. The players coming up to replace injured bench players are replacement level players. Most teams are not employing those players as regulars and the Astros are no different.

I hate to pick sides in a debate over metrics because that would taint the lab and its purpose. However, most sabermetricians seem to prefer Fangraph’s WAR over baseball-reference.com’s WAR. Again, I use both because I like getting a cross-section of thought on a player. In this case, we will use FWAR just to keep everything simple. Below would be the Astros regular lineup according to their 2025 FWAR numbers when Yordan Alvarez is removed from the equation.

FWAR
C Yainer Diaz1.6
1B Christian Walker1.1
2B Jose Altuve2.1
3B Carlos Correa2.6
SS Jeremy Pena5.7
LF Joey Loperfido*0.8
CF Jake Meyers2.3
RF Cam Smith1.0
DH Isaac Paredes2.4

Asterisk: Joey Loperfido’s 2024 and 2025 FWARs were combined to simulate the number of plate appearances he would likely get in a full season.

So, as you can see, none of the regulars would be a replacement level player, so you are not starting at zero. The effective difference between Loperfido and Yordan would be an average of five wins and maybe closer to six or seven wins this season alone. I have to emphasize again that we are not simply looking for six or seven wins. We are looking for players that would be six or seven wins better than the players they are replacing.

For instance, if you wanted to upgrade at catcher then you would take the wins above 1.6 as the net improvement. So, a three win catcher is not a net three wins. It would be a net 1.4 wins. As you might imagine, it would be a group of players (likely three or four) that you would hope would combine to add six or seven wins of value to make up for the six or seven wins you are losing. One could easily look at the lineup and pitching staff and identify the spots where an upgrade would be nice. I’d surmise at least one of the players would be a pitcher if not two. The thinner outfield would also be a place where they would likely add.

Unfortunately, that would not be the end of the ledger on any such trade. A look at the wins added would also have to include the element of time. Yordan would have considerable value this season as someone under contract through the 2028 season on a pretty friendly hometown discount (6 years, 115 million). So, we are not only talking about the seven or eight wins he would produce this season, but also those same wins in 2027 and 2028. If we assume Loperfido is fixed at about a win then the Astros would need to recuperate conservatively 18 wins total.

The good news is that they wouldn’t have to do this only through 2028. The players they would likely get back with have more club control than Yordan. If those players were on the younger side then you would be talking five or six seasons of club control remaining for each player. So, three or four players with an average of five seasons of club control each would need to add 18 net wins over the span of those five seasons.

For instance, the tale of the tape on the Kyle Tucker trade is still ongoing. The Cubs got 4.5 wins out of Tucker last season which is probably three to 3.5 wins more than a marginal starter would have gotten. However, the Astros get the services of Cam Smith for six seasons, Isaac Paredes for this year and next year, and Hayden Wesneski for three additional seasons after this year. The Astros have not recouped the four wins yet, but they have through 2030 to recoup a grand total of four wins.

Obviously, the downside is bringing in prospects that produce zero wins. That is always the chance you take with these kinds of deals. However, while it seems foolish to think that you could get bang for your buck when you trade a superstar, the math actually works out more often than not. Naturally, math is not making these trades and it is a lot harder to do because you have to pick the right prospects and accept the fallout of trading a superstar player. Keep in mind, this is a lab experiment where we explain the math behind a theoretical deal. I am not advocating trading Yordan and I’m certainly not predicting it. What do you think? Could we ever recoup that value back?

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Thoughts on a 2-1 Rangers loss

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 26: Jake Burger #21 of the Texas Rangers walks back to the dugout after striking out in the fourth inning against the Athletics at Globe Life Field on April 26, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images

A’s 2, Rangers 1

  • And back to .500.
  • So far this year, the Rangers have been at .500 eight times. Well, nine, if you count Opening Day, which I don’t.
  • Kumar Rocker was fine on Sunday. The problem was, he apparently needed to be perfect.
  • A pair of two out walks in the first were followed by a Carlos Cortes triple, and that ended up being the ballgame.
  • It didn’t matter that Rocker didn’t walk anyone the rest of the way, went six innings with only those two runs coming across off of him, that the bullpen threw up three shutout innings.
  • Rocker only struck out three A’s hitters in the game, and generated just eight swinging strikes, none of which came on his fastball or sinker. Not a dominating performance, but at the end of the day, he allowed just two runs in six innings, and you’d like to think that the Rangers offense would take advantage of that.
  • The relievers the Rangers used — Tyler Alexander, Gavin Collyer, and Peyton Gray — are currently sporting a 0.63 ERA, a 0.00 ERA, and a 0.00 ERA. That’s good, it seems like.
  • Offensively, the Rangers put a lot of runners on base but didn’t do anything with them once they were on base. Texas was 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position, and the “1” was a Josh Smith bunt single that loaded the bases.
  • The Rangers totaled six hits and five walks, and also had Evan Carter reach once on an HBP and once on an error on an attempted sac bunt. That Evan Carter sac bunt/error play also brought home the lone run of the game, but with no RBI credited because of the error. So the Rangers didn’t even get an RBI in this game.
  • How sad.
  • Part of the problem was a lack of extra base hits. Josh Jung had a pair of doubles, but every other hit was a single, and its harder to score runs with singles and walks than with extra base hits.
  • Texas left runners on second and third with two outs in the second. Evan Carter reached on an HBP with one out in the fourth, stole second, was joined on the bases by Josh Smith with a two out walk, and both were stranded.
  • In the sixth, after the E1 that brought Jung — who led off the inning again with a double — home and put Carter on base, Jake Burger walked and Smith had that aforementioned bunt single, loading the bases. Danny Jansen then struck out. Sam Haggerty, who had hit for Alejandro Osuna the inning before, struck out. Brandon Nimmo then hit a line drive that, had it been in the gap, would have cleared the bases, but instead was to straightaway center field, and thus was caught for an out.
  • It felt then that it was over, and in fact, the Rangers only had two more baserunners the rest of the way, and didn’t get a runner past first base.
  • The old adage says that you are going to win a third of your games and are going to lose a third of your games, and its what you do with the other third that matters. This was a game squarely in that other third, and the Rangers let it get away.
  • Kumar Rocker hit 95.8 mph with his sinker, averaging 94.4 mph. Tyler Alexander reached 91.8 mph on his sinker. Gavin Collyer hit 97.8 mph with his fastball. Peyton Gray’s fastball touched 92.7 mph.
  • Corey Seager had a 108.4 mph line out. Jake Burger had a 107.9 mph sinlge. Josh Jung had a 107.7 mph fly out and a 100.2 mph fly out. Brandon Nimmo had a 104.6 mph fly out and a 103.0 mph line out.
  • Another game looms on the horizon. Maybe the Rangers will win it.
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How the Knicks picked themselves off the mat to win Game 4 and save their season

Apr 25, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) looses the ball in front of Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) and guard Gabe Vincent (4) during the second half during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

How low can the vibes get before you reach a point of no return?

We got pretty close to that after the demoralizing beatdown the Knicks got at the hands of the shorthanded Mavericks back on MLK Day in January to fall to 2-9 in their last 11 games. Even throughout all the frustration in the prior year and a half, it felt like the Knicks were dangerously close to something irreparable that night. Fortunately for them, they solved their woes two nights later.

The Game 3 defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday somehow found a lower point. While January is still a ways away from the playoffs and most fans knew they had enough time to shape up, the Knicks were suddenly fighting for their lives in Game 4. A loss would mean a 3-1 deficit and an all-but-assured first-round exit in the season with the highest expectations in nearly three decades.

The discontent was already beginning. Mike Brown was being flamed for every single decision. Jalen Brunson’s struggles were having fans question his long-term viability as the face of this franchise (don’t believe me? We got that discourse in our very own comment sections!). Mikal Bridges became the most slandered man in basketball. For the sake of the franchise and everyone involved, Game 4 was a must-win, even if they could technically afford to lose.

But they didn’t. They almost led buzzer-to-buzzer, and aside from a brief charge to start the second half, the Hawks were down double digits for essentially the final three quarters. Every small run was answered. Every time Atlanta countered an offensive strategy or found a way to exploit a defensive hole, it was patched immediately. It was 48 minutes of pure execution.

You could not script a better feel-good victory that has you take a step off the ledge and believe better days are ahead. But what exactly changed about how the team played in Game 4 compared to the first three?

Defensive Intensity and Pressure

The No. 1 thing that the Knicks did right in Game 4 was to not make anything easy for the Hawks on offense. There was significantly more full-court pressure, a higher pick-up point, and more physical on-ball defense. CJ McCollum, whose performance in the first three games mirrored the Black Mamba, got a variety of looks to keep him off balance and it wore him down, to the point where he played significantly more off-ball than usual.

The Knicks forced 18 turnovers and made play after play, gambling for steals and deflections to slow down a potent offense that thrives on early shot clock action.

A different referee crew might disrupt the game flow with a litany of fouls on these plays, but the Knicks recognized early that Scott Foster’s crew was going to let them play, and they looked the part of a veteran team playing with the type of desperation they needed against a young, athletic team on the road.

But it wasn’t just the way they were dragging down Atlanta in the halfcourt; it was the way they prevented them from playing to their pace.

Game 4’s pace sat at just 94 possessions, compared to 101 in Game 3.

The Hawks went from scoring 40 combined fast-break points in their two wins to just seven in Game 4.

The Hawks scored 37 points off 29 combined turnovers in Games 2 and 3, but only scored 14 points against 14 turnovers on Saturday. The Knicks turned the Hawks over 18 times on Saturday, a series-high.

All of this is absolutely necessary to continue to take firm control of this series.

Working Through Karl-Anthony Towns

Pretty much everyone here at P&T believed that Karl-Anthony Towns was the X-factor, so there’s no coincidence that Towns’ two best games have been the two wins this series.

What’s fascinating, however, is that you’re not getting the 35-point masterpieces. Instead, you’re getting low shot totals and 20-point triple doubles.

Gravity is extremely impactful in evaluating the impact of an offensive player. Even when Jalen Brunson is struggling with his shot some nights, he can have a big impact by drawing defenders and spraying to open shooters. While that’s not precisely what happened with Towns’ last game, his gravity led to openings for his teammates, specifically using the exact same back screen concept with Brunson and OG Anunoby that worked to perfection over and over again.

When he wasn’t the facilitator, Towns was going right at both Onyeka Okongwu and Jonathan Kuminga. Unlike before, when he was content to sink into the corner when the Hawks switched up the coverages with Kuminga, he was a man on a mission all night long.

The only player that the Hawks have no answer for is Towns. We’ve seen them hound Brunson with a variety of wings that have made him struggle through four games, but no coverage in the world can stop the Big Bodega when he’s decisive and playing with purpose.

Better Rotations

The only time in this series that the minutes with both Brunson and Towns on the bench have been catastrophically bad was the start of the second quarter of Game 2. Outside of that, they’ve played about even.

That said, we saw very few of those minutes in Game 4 as part of a very different rotation.

For one, the struggling Bridges was limited to just 19 minutes, as his impact on offense was incredibly muted and, due to the team-wide priority on more defensive intensity, his defensive impact was more replaceable. That meant more minutes for Deuce McBride, whose minutes alongside Brunson and/or Towns this series have been exceptional this series:

There was still no double big lineups, but Mike Brown’s real stroke of genius was how he deployed Brunson and Towns. He did an effective line change with four minutes left in the first quarter to get all starters but Josh Hart out of the game, but re-inserted Brunson after a one-minute recharge to finish the quarter before starting him on the bench and Towns on the floor in the second.

His trust in Jose Alvarado was also similarly important, and he’s been willing to play the hot hand by putting in the fiery Brooklyn native over Landry Shamet, who’s currently out of the rotation. There’s still potentially more moves to be made, but the moves made thus far have stabilized this series.

Effort. Pure Effort.

At the end of the day, this is what it’s all about.

The Hawks have flat-out played harder through three games in this series. Talent can overcome intensity every so often, but the Knicks put themselves in the muck for long enough that energy won out in Games 2 and 3. The Knicks needed to match the intensity, and they played the type of ankle-biting basketball that we haven’t seen enough from this group.

They’re diving for loose balls. They’re communicating on defense. They’re getting in each other’s faces to lock in. Just look at what Rick Brunson was saying to his own son.

Every time this team faces any sort of adversity, there are detractors in the media who want to tear down everything that this team has built. Regardless of how Boston, Detroit, and Cleveland have fared in the playoffs so far, it’s the Knicks that have the most negative coverage. It’s not just the fanbase that was ready to write the Knicks’ obituary after Game 3; it was the national media. What other team gets mentioned on a WWE show as “cursed”

For the Knicks, the No. 1 key is intensity and effort. They played Game 4 like they only had 96 minutes left in their season, and that mentality needs to remain. Dropping Game 5 in MSG is a similar death sentence to dropping Game 4. The season is in similar peril on Tuesday, even if you feel a helluva lot more confident now than you probably did going into Saturday.

Keep Atlanta on their heels, and the series is yours. They’ve shown you the blueprint.

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New York Yankees vs. texas Rangers Series Preview

HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 02: Max Fried #54 of the New York Yankees pitches during the first inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on September 02, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Outside that pair of series against the Athletics and Rays, this Yankees team has been pretty adept at quickly brushing off losses. That’s something they’ll look to do in the backend of this road trip after missing out on a sweep opportunity against the Houston Astros. After Luis Gil’s increasingly disappointing efforts on Sunday—ultimately leading to his demotion—the Yankees will start the series against the Rangers with the best they have to offer on the mound in a three-game set of high-profile pitching matchups.

Monday: Max Fried vs. Jack Leiter (8:05 pm ET)

Already making his fifth start on the road in 2026, Max Fried has been superb early on, but if there is one element to his game that’s lacked a bit, it is in the strikeout department—not that this is ever the primary aspect of his game. The Rangers’ offense presents quite the opportunity for Fried and other left-handers on the Yankees pitching staff—Texas has struggled the most against southpaws in the big leagues, only one of 30 clubs with a strikeout rate of at least 30 percent against them, and also boasts a pitiful 67 wRC+. Further damaging the Rangers’ prospects against left-handers is the absence of Wyatt Langford, their premier right-handed hitter and one of the more exciting young players in the American League, currently on the IL.

One of the few pleasant pieces of news for the Rangers last season was that Jack Leiter established himself as a solid starter. However, in the middle of a campaign that placed him seventh on the Rookie of the Year voting roll call, Leiter had his shortest outing against the Yankees. The young right-hander struggled with the free passes—conceding four of them—and not even finishing four innings. Yankee hitters will once again look to work deep counts against Leiter. It’s a bumpy start to 2026 for the former Vanderbilt standout, as he hasn’t finished the sixth since March and has allowed 12 runs on 17 hits and 9 walks across his last trio of outings (14.1 innings) against the Dodgers, A’s, and Pirates.

Tuesday: Cam Schlittler vs. Jacob deGrom (8:05 pm ET)

For the first time since he squared off against George Kirby in his second start of the season, Cam Schlittler will not be the center of attention of a pitching matchup, as he and the Yankees face one of the more dominant starters of this century of baseball. There is not a whiff of hyperbole in that statement when you assess what deGrom has done—the two-time near-unanimous Cy Young Award winner’s level of dominance in a post-prime period with the Rangers only enhances his legend, still just about as good as it gets out there. He has a 2.13 ERA and a 1.066 WHIP in his five starts for 2026, fanning 35 — including 10 Bucs his last time out.

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It remains to be seen how Giancarlo Stanton will recover in the following days, having been out of the lineup on Sunday. Jasson Domínguez’s reported promotion seems to indicate that an IL stint is a lock (and Domínguez will be ready to face the Rangers’ righties from his superior side). If the Yankees’ designated hitter is indeed unable to suit up on Tuesday, it’ll be a particularly impactful hit; Stanton has potent numbers he has shown against deGrom over the years, hitting four home runs in 27 at-bats against him, doing so with a .333 batting average. Other than Stanton, the Yankee hitter who has faced deGrom the most is Cody Bellinger, also featuring quality numbers against the Rangers ace with a pair of bombs in 19 at-bats.

Wednesday: Will Warren vs. Nathan Eovaldi (2:35 pm ET)

On one side, an undefeated pitcher, who has been quietly solid early on in 2026 (only 11 qualified pitchers have topped Warren’s 0.9 fWAR in 31.1 innings); on the other, a starter that, as of Sunday, April 26th, is tied for the league lead in losses with four. As a former Yankee, it’s weird to think that Nathan Eovaldi has faced them more than any other club in his career as a big leaguer. Eovaldi was so magnificent last year that with this disappointing beginning to his 2026 campaign, the veteran is only four earned runs away from matching his total the previous season (25), achieved in exactly 130 innings of work.

While the results for Eovaldi have been vastly underwhelming, nothing under the hood corroborates the potential expectation of a rapid decline, so the Yankees should expect the usual customer who has a 3.22 ERA in 24 career appearances against them. While Stanton’s numbers against deGrom stand out more and the impact of his potential absence might be especially hurtful, his career stats against Eovaldi are also impressive. The currently sidelined Yankees DH has four bombs in 38 at-bats against Eovaldi, facing him one more time than Judge, who has gone deep twice with a .324 average facing him.

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Mets Morning News: In the dark times, should the stars also go out?

Apr 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; A fan sits alone in the sixth inning of the game between the Colorado Rockies and the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Meet the Mets

The Mets lost twice to the Rockes in the span of six hours. Do you really want to hear any more?

Choose your recap: Amazin’ Avenue Game One and Game Two, MLB.com Game One and Game Two, Newsday, New York Daily News, New York Post, The Athletic

Following Sunday’s losses, the Mets designated Tommy Pham for assignment and signed Austin Slater to take his place in a move I am sure will right all wrongs.

After another bad start in a stretch of 10 months worth of bad starts, the future of Kodai Senga in the Mets rotation or on the team at all isn’t well-defined.

Around the National League East

Chris Sale passed Chuck Finley on the strikeouts leaderboard and recorded the 150th win of his career in the Braves’ 6-2 win over the Phillies.

In a 10-inning contest, Dicky Lovelady enjoyed the greener pastures of Washington got his first victory in a Nationals uniform in a 2-1 contest against the White Sox.

Graham Pauley hit his first home run of the season, but a home run from Casey Schmidt in the seventh inning canceled that out and put the Giants ahead of the Marlins in what ended up a 6-3 game.

Around Major League Baseball

An age-old question for professionals and children alike: how the hell do you break in a new glove?

In the aftermath of the Red Sox’s mass firing of coaches, John Henry remains a silent and looming force in the entire process.

On the field, Not That Chad Tracy made his managerial debut in the Red Sox dugout and recorded a win in his first game.

Future trivia question answer and former Rookie of the Year Luis Gil was demoted to Triple-A by the Yankees after another disappointing start, this time in Houston.

At the stage in his career where every move he makes moves him up some sort of leaderboard, Mike Trout’s home run on Sunday put him ahead of Alfonso Soriano on the all time list and made him the Angels franchise leader in extra base hits.

Thanks to MLB’s oddly-terrible job marketing it, you may not have known that the Diamondbacks and Padres were playing in Mexico, but they were!

A bad day for their battery, the Angels placed Logan O’Hoppe on the 10-day injured list with a broken wrist and designated beleaguered closer Jordan Romano for assignment.

On his 34th birthday, Aaron Judge homered for the Yankees, but they lost the game leaving his level of birthday happiness a mystery.

This Date in Mets History

Happy birthday to esteemed Mets legends Frank Catalanotto, Orber Moreno, and and J.D Davis.

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Box Grades: Dominant second half propels Spurs to 3-1 lead

Apr 26, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) embraces guard Stephon Castle (5) after a game against the Portland Trail Blazers during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Talk about a tale of two halves! I’ll be honest, as halftime approached, I was comforting myself with the argument that this game represented an unfortunate but understandable stumble for a young, inexperienced team that was still coming off a critical Game 3 win without its superstar. It certainly wasn’t an ideal scenario, but I kept telling myself that this would be another one of those playoff scars that ultimately leads to winning.

Fortunately, my insincere, grasping rationalizations quickly gave way to delight, as the Spurs narrowed a 15-point deficit to just four via a 2-and-a-half minute burst early in the third. To their credit, Portland did not immediately crumble after this onslaught, as the remainder of the quarter was a back-and-forth affair that ended with the score knotted up at 74. The Blazers continued to keep things close for several minutes in the fourth; however, by the middle of the quarter San Antonio had a double-digit lead that continued to grow as the game drew to a close.

In pulling off this comeback, the Spurs became the only team in NBA playoff history to win a game by 15+ after being down by 15+ at half. As you might imagine, a performance like this produces some wild stats, as we will discuss below:

Note: Now that we’ve moved into the postseason, the reference period used for grading changes from the set of regular season games since 2012-2013 to the set of postseason games since 2012-2013. Unless otherwise noted below, this set DOES include play-in games. As of the end of April 26, 2026, this group include 1,151 games.

Factors that decided the game

  • This is one of those games in which the overall box score obscures wild variation in play for both teams over the course of the game. Of course, the factors discussed here are still completely valid, but it is important to note that essentially all of the Spurs’ key advantages were built in the second half.
  • San Antonio invested heavily in stocks (steals + blocks) in this game, logging 22 as a team to Portland’s 11. That Blazers total is unspectacular but perfectly respectable; unfortunately for them, Wemby matched it by himself.
  • The Spurs’ stifling defense produced a turnover margin of -5, which helped them build a FGA edge of +7. However, another reason that San Antonio attempted more field goals is that they fouled more often and at worse times, giving Portland a +6 advantage in FTA.
  • The Blazers’ notable edge at the free throw line (+5 FTM) was completely swamped by the Spurs’ massive advantage from the field, which was partly driver by volume but mostly the result of big margins in FG% (+9.43 percentage points) and 3P% (+10.17 percentage points). As a result, San Antonio made 11 more shots, four more threes, and outscored Portland by 26 from the field.

Rare Box Score Stats

  • I mentioned above that Victor had 11 stocks in this game (seven blocks and four steals). Only seven other players have met of surpassed this total in a true playoff game (i.e., no play-in contests) since the start of the 1996-1997 postseason.
  • The Spurs’ team total of 22 stocks is not nearly as rare a feat, but still far from common. In the 1,151 postseason games since 2012-2013, a stock total of 22+ has happened 30 times, including 22 times for winners and eight times for losers. That’s about once in every 39 contests, or a bit more than twice per postseason.
  • This was just the 19th postseason contest since 2012-2013 in which a winning team had an assist margin of +12 or more while having no more than 26 assists.
  • In the 2,380 true playoff games played since the start of the 1996-1997 postseason, this game marked just the 29th time that any team (winner or loser) recorded 10+ blocks as a team while no more than three members of that team had a block. Furthermore, it is was just the 21st time in the same period that 9+ players on one team had at least one steal.

What are Team Graded Box Scores?

Very briefly, these box scores grade winner-loser differentials for basic box score statistics, with the grade being based on the winning team’s differential relative to other NBA winners during a defined reference period. Think of it like a report card for understanding how a given winner performed relative to other winners. The reference period used runs from the start of the 2012-2013 season to the latest date of play, including only games in the same season category (i.e., regular season and playoff games are not compared to each other).

Data Source: The underlying data used to create these box scores was collected from Basketball Reference. In all cases, the data are collected the morning after the game is played. Although rare, postgame statistical revisions after data collection do occur and may affect the results after the fact.

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Guardians News and Notes: Two Series Losses in a Row

CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 17: Catcher Bo Naylor #23 of the Cleveland Guardians watches the scoreboard during the top of the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field on April 17, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Russell Lee Verlinger/Cleveland Guardians/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Good feeling’s gone.

The Guardians have now lost two straight series to the injury-depleted Astros and injury-depleted Blue Jays. Not great, Bob.

Nicole has the recap of a feckless performance by the hitters against Patrick Corbin. I had forgotten that Corbin inexplicably owns Jose Ramirez. Meanwhile, Steven Kwan has a 73 wRC+, Kyle Manzardo has a 58 wRC+, George Valera has a 55 wRC+, Juan Brito has a 44 wRC+ and Bo Naylor has a 9 wRC+. Those numbers have to change, one way or another. Also, I don’t know that they can continue to play Fry in right field or Brito at second base, defensively.

Aside from that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?

Guardians Weekly featured Gavin Williams and Peyton Pallette, and a focus on the Hill City Howlers.

AROUND MLB:

The Tigers beat the Reds, the Royals beat the Angels, and the Twins and White Sox lost.

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Ex-Flyers Forward Having Big Postseason After Trade

It is no secret that the Philadelphia Flyers' decision to trade for Trevor Zegras was a fantastic one. The 25-year-old forward had a strong first regular season with the Flyers in 2025-26, setting new career highs with 26 goals and 67 points in 81 games. He has also made a big impact for the Flyers so far this postseason, recording one goal and four points in four games. 

While the Flyers have benefited by bringing in Zegras, the Anaheim Ducks have also gotten good value from Ryan Poehling from the trade. In 75 regular-season games during his first season with the Ducks, he scored 11 goals and set new career highs with 25 assists and 36 points. With numbers like these, he has been a solid part of the Ducks' forward group since being traded by the Flyers. 

However, Poehling has been notably stepping up his game for the Ducks during the playoffs so far. 

In four playoff games this spring for the Ducks, Poehling has three goals and a plus-2 rating. This included him putting together a two-goal game against the Edmonton Oilers on April 22. He also scored the Ducks' overtime winner against Edmonton in Game 4, giving Anaheim a 3-1 series lead. 

With this, it is clear that Poehling is having a very good start to the playoffs for the Ducks. It will be interesting to see if the former Flyers forward can continue to be a difference-maker for Anaheim from here. 

In 145 games over two seasons with the Flyers, Poehling had 23 goals, 36 assists, and 59 points. 

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Atlanta Braves News: Braves Win Another Series, JR Ritchie Gets Second Start, Reynaldo Lopez to Bullpen, More

The Braves once again took care of business on Sunday, beating the Phillies and winning yet another series as their great start to the season rolls along. The amount of positive data points from the past few weeks is highly encouraging to see, including the Braves going 10-3 against NL East opponents over the past two weeks. Plus, the Braves now have the best record in baseball, a needed start as they enter May and a tougher stretch of the schedule.

Braves News

The Braves also made some notable changes to their pitching setup for the week ahead. JR Ritchie will get a second start against the Tigers. Meanwhile, Reynaldo Lopez will, at least for the near future, work out of the bullpen as he continues to lock in his mechanics.

Brett Sears shined on the farm over the weekend.

Another significant development on Sunday was a second solid start from Spencer Strider in Gwinnett, which is his third rehab start overall. While nothing is yet official, Strider’s return to the rotation could happen as early as this week.

Another fun storyline to watch this season is Chris Sale climbing the board on the all-time strikeouts list.

MLB News

The woes for the Mets continue as they were swept by the Rockies over the weekend. They also DFA’d Tommy Pham and signed Austin Slater.

Plenty of fallout continued for the Red Sox after several coaches were fired on Saturday.


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Ellie Rodríguez, former Dodgers catcher, dies at age 79

Mets' Joe Torre slides under Dodger catcher Ellie Rodriguez as he scores on a single by Jerry Grote. Umpire Andy Olson makes the all as the Mets take an eight inning 4-1 lead. The Dodgers came back in the ninth inning to score four runs and beat the Mets 6-5. (Photo by Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)

Ellie Rodríguez, the Puerto Rican catcher who played nine major league seasons died on Thursday at age 79.

Rodríguez only played the one season for the Dodgers, but he held a notable place in local baseball lore. The Dodgers acquired Rodríguez at the end of spring training in 1976 from the Angels for backup outfielder Orlando Álvarez. That was the only trade involving multiple major league players between the Dodgers and Angels from 1976 for nearly four decades, a streak that was only snapped at the 2014 winter meetings when intermittent Dodger Andrew Heaney was sent to Anaheim for Howie Kendrick.

In his one season for the Dodgers, Rodríguez played 33 games behind the plate, with 21 starts, batted a total of 90 times and had no extra-base hits. But he walked 19 times and was hit by three pitches, giving him the wonderful .212/.400/.212 batting line. The .400 on-base percentage was rare among Dodgers catchers in franchise history.

Dodgers catchers with a .400+ OBP in 90+ PA

  • Babe Phelps (1935) .408
  • Babe Phelps (1936) .421
  • Ellie Rodríguez (1976) .400
  • Mike Scioscia (1985) .407
  • Mike Piazza (.400) 1995
  • Mike Piazza (.422) 1996
  • Mike Piazza (.431) 1997
  • Chad Kreuter (.416) 2000
  • Austin Barnes (.408) 2017
  • Will Smith (.401) 2020
  • Will Smith (.404) 2025

Rodríguez played nine years in the majors, and hit .245/.356/.308 with 76 doubles and 16 home runs in 775 games with the New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Angels, and Dodgers. He was the first All-Star in Royals history, in 1969, and also was an All-Star with the Brewers in 1972. Rodríguez caught Nolan Ryan’s fourth no-hitter with the Angels in 1975.

For 15 years (1998-2012), Rodríguez was the Latin American coordinator and player development consultant for the Atlantic League and also managed in the league.

“Ellie was an integral part of the foundation and growth of the Atlantic League with his ties to baseball throughout the world,” Atlantic League president Rick White said in a statement. “He was a dear friend who helped create many opportunities for players throughout Latin America, both in the Atlantic League and in Major League baseball. We owe him a debt of gratitude for his outstanding work in helping the league grow both in the U.S. and internationally.”

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Canadiens Make Significant Roster Move With Top Prospect

The Montreal Canadiens have announced that they have assigned defenseman David Reinbacher to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Laval Rocket. 

Reinbacher had been with the NHL club but did not make an appearance during their ongoing first-round playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He did play in his first two NHL regular-season games to round off the campaign, though, where he had one assist. 

Down in the AHL this regular season, Reinbacher had five goals, 19 assists, 24 points, 56 penalty minutes, and a plus-18 rating. It was the most amount of games Reinbacher has played since starting his AHL career in 2023-24, which was certainly good to see. 

Reinbacher will now be looking to make a big impact for the Laval Rocket during their playoff run. The 2023 fifth-overall pick is a huge part of the Canadiens' prospect pool, and he should get more chances at the NHL level next season with the Habs. 

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Orioles minor league recap 4/27: A not-so-nice Sunday on the farm

SARASOTA, FL - FEBRUARY 18: Bullpen catcher Silas Ardoin #77 of the Baltimore Orioles poses for a photo during the Baltimore Orioles photo day at Ed Smith Stadium on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Triple-A: Memphis Redbirds (STL) 14, Norfolk Tides 4

A rough way to close out the series at Harbor Park. The story of the afternoon was a scary moment in the third inning when starter Trey Gibson took a comebacker off his left leg and had to exit the game. He’d allowed five runs (four unearned) on three hits over his 2.2 innings before leaving. Gibson had been the Tides’ most reliable starter this season, so any injury concern around him is worth watching closely.

So many unearned runs—nine of Memphis’s 14 runs—speaks to lots of errors. There were four, in fact: one apiece by Willy Vasquez, José Barrero, Bryan Ramos and Jud Fabian. It was the kind of day where the final score doesn’t reflect the full picture, but that picture still wasn’t pretty. A rehabbing Dietrich Enns also allowed a home run.

The runs were too few and came too late to matter, but the bright spot on offense was catcher Silas Ardoin, who homered and drove in three runs. Willy Vasquez, Jhonkensy Noel, Bryan Ramos and Fernando Peguero each had a hit from the bottom of the lineup.

Box Score

Double-A: Akron RubberDucks (CLE) 10, Chesapeake Baysox 5

More rough pitching, but it wasn’t starter Trace Bright’s fault. The righty threw four one-run innings and struck out eight. But he ran into trouble in the fifth and the bullpen couldn’t stem the tide. Carlos Tavera allowed two runs, Tyson Neighbors four, and Daniel Lloyd three more.

The Baysox had been up 4-0 before that. They scored one quick run on a Brandon Butterworth homer in the first. In the third, Anderson De Los Santos hit a bases-clearing double to put Chesapeake up 4-0. They’d get one back on an eighth-inning sac fly by Tavian Josenberger.

Box Score

High-A: Wilmington Blue Rocks (WAS) 5, Frederick Keys 2

The Keys dropped the finale of this series against Wilmington, all with one bad inning. Starter Carson Dorsey, a seventh-rounder in 2024, had thrown three scoreless but he allowed the first three hitters to reach in the fourth, then got pulled for Ryan Cabarcas. It didn’t go any better for Cabarcas, who allowed the score to balloon to 5-0.

The Keys got two back, one on a sac fly that scored Nate George, the other on an RBI groundout—Nate George scored again here, too. The O’s high-ranking prospect reached base three times on Sunday, in fact. Wehiwa Aloy and Victor Figueroa each had a hit, but that was it as the Keys only racked up three base knocks on the day.  

Unfortunately, one major story from this game was Vance Honeycutt, who was removed during the game with left thumb discomfort. Honeycutt is the organization’s top 2024 draft pick and has been a key piece of the Frederick lineup. No diagnosis has been reported yet, but it’s the kind of thing that will be worth monitoring closely over the next few days.

Box Score​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Low-A: Wilson Warbirds (MIL) 6, Delmarva Shorebirds 3

The Warbirds built a 5-1 lead with four runs on four hits off starter Kiefer Lord, a third-rounder in 2023. The loss put Lord at 0-3 for a 3.98 ERA on the season thus far. After him, Kenny Leiner, Keegan Gillies, Riley Cooper and Brandon Downer combined for 4.2 two-run innings.

First baseman Jordan Sanchez had four hits, including a homer and a double, in what was ultimately a losing cause for the Shorebirds. Sanchez’s huge individual performance gave him half of his team’s total hits. Luis Almeyda, Braylon Whitaker, and Johnny Tincher accounted for the others, Whitaker’s a double.

Box Score

Today’s Schedule

There are no games scheduled for today.

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Which series are Giants fans most interested in this week?

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 05: A detailed view of the cap and Rawling baseball glove belonging to Willy Adames #2 of the San Francisco Giants sitting in the dugout in the bottom of the second inning of a major league baseball game at Oracle Park on April 05, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Good morning, baseball fans!

It’s a new week of San Francisco Giants baseball, so let’s see what’s on deck.

The Giants continue their recent trend of having a day off today, before they hit the road again and head for the East Coast. First up will be a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies, before they head to Florida for a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

I’m going to go ahead and pick the Phillies series as the one I’m most interested in this weekend. Nothing against the Rays, they’re actually the more competitive team at the moment (at second place in the AL East, compared to the last-place Phillies). I just have more interest in National League teams, I guess.

Which series are you most interested in this week?

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2026 Brewers Week in Review: Week 5

Apr 26, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Kyle Harrison (52) reacts after pitching six scoreless innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Last Week’s Results

  • Monday: Off Day
  • Tuesday: Brewers 12, Tigers 4
  • Wednesday: Tigers 5, Brewers 2
  • Thursday: Tigers 5, Brewers 4
  • Friday: Pirates 6, Brewers 0
  • Saturday: Pirates 6, Brewers 3
  • Sunday: Brewers 5, Pirates 0

Division Standings

  • Reds: 18-10
  • Cubs: 17-11
  • Pirates: 16-12
  • Brewers: 14-13
  • Cardinals: 14-13

Last Week

  • Reds: 4-2
  • Cubs: 5-2
  • Pirates: 3-3
  • Brewers: 2-4
  • Cardinals: 1-5

Top Pitching Performance of the Week

This is an easy one. Harrison’s start on Sunday versus the Pirates was probably the Brewers’ best of the season. In Sunday’s win, which busted a four-game losing streak, Harrison went six shutout innings, allowed only one hit and one walk, and struck out 12. On top of that, Harrison was the starter in Milwaukee’s only other win this week, on Tuesday versus the Tigers. He wasn’t nearly as sharp in that game and needed 72 pitches to record just nine outs, but he only allowed one run and thus went nine innings with a 1.00 ERA and 15 strikeouts this week.

Shoutout to two bullpen arms, Aaron Ashby and Trevor Megill, who went a combined seven appearances without allowing a run this week.

Top Hitting Performance of the Week

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a great week for the Brewer bats, but somebody needs to be the batter of the week, and that person is going to be Jake Bauers. Bauers played five games this week and went 8-for-21 (.381) with a trio of doubles (two of which came in Sunday’s win) and a couple of RBIs.

The only real viable alternative here is David Hamilton, who was 7-for-19 (.368), knocked in a couple runs, had four hits in Tuesday’s win, and who had his first extra-base hit of the season on Sunday, leaving Joey Ortiz as the only player in the league with at least 45 plate appearances and no extra-base hits.

Injury Notes & Roster Moves

  • Thankfully, it was a quiet week on the injury front and the news there was mostly good. Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn are both getting closer to returns, with Chourio seemingly in line to get some game action pretty soon. Quinn Priester also started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville and pitched twice this week.
  • On the minor league front, Craig Yoho was activated from the IL and could be an option at some point for the beleaguered Brewer bullpen.
  • Tyler Black, who came off the minor league IL last week, played just three games with Nashville before being brought up to the big-league club for his first MLB action of the season. He started on Friday and Saturday and picked up a couple of hits in the latter game. To make room on the active roster for Black, Luis Matos was designated for assignment.
  • Shane Drohan was also summoned back to the big leagues in place of Carlos Rodriguez, who was optioned back to Nashville. Drohan pitched four innings in relief in Milwaukee’s loss on Friday.
  • Down in the minors, there was a scary situation with Milwaukee’s No. 2 prospect Luis Peña on Wednesday. Thankfully, Peña seems to be okay based on what we’ve been told, but he hasn’t gotten back into game action yet and it’s not clear when he will.

On Deck

  • Monday: Off Day
  • Tuesday: vs. Diamondbacks (6:40 p.m.)
  • Wednesday: vs. Diamondbacks (6:40 p.m.)
  • Thursday: vs. Diamondbacks (12:40 p.m.)
  • Friday: @ Nationals (5:45 p.m.)
  • Saturday: @ Nationals (3:05 p.m.)
  • Sunday: @ Nationals (12:35 p.m.)
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MLB News: Alex Cora firing, Chad Tracy, Mike Trout, Mason Miller, Shohei Ohtani rule

Feb 22, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (13) looks on during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Happy Monday, everyone. The big news from over this weekend, of course, was the firing of Red Sox manager Alex Cora. The Red Sox are among the teams that have been struggling to start the season, but they are the first to take such drastic action. Alongside Cora, the team fired five additional coaches in a sweeping attempt to course-correct that many critics think is the wrong decision. But it’s more than just critics who are speaking out against the team; it’s the club’s own players. And nowhere to be found in all the fray is Red Sox owner John Henry, making many suggest it might be time for Henry to sell the club.

We’ve got lots more on the Cora firing below, as well as more little tidbits from around baseball.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.