Carson Benge – LF Bo Bichette – 3B Francisco Lindor – SS Luis Robert – CF MJ Melendez – DH Mark Vientos – 1B Brett Baty – RF Marcus Semien – 2B Luis Torrens – C
David Peterson – LHP
Cubs lineup
Nico Hoerner – 2B Michael Busch – 1B Alex Bregman – 3B Ian Happ – LF Seiya Suzuki – RF Moises Ballesteros – DH Carson Kelly – C Pete Crow-Armstrong – CF Dansby Swanson – SS
Javier Assad – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 2:20 PM EDT TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 14: Trevor Rogers #28 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 14, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles’ first four-game series of the season has not quite gone according to plan. An impressive eighth-inning comeback on Friday aside, the Birds’ bats have mostly been missing in action during their trip to Cleveland.
The O’s have had no answer for Guardians starting pitchers. Rookie Parker Messick carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning in the opener, the previously struggling Tanner Bibee had no problem shutting down the Orioles in Game 2, and Gavin Williams pumped strikeout after strikeout in his dominant outing last night. That trio combined for a 1.29 ERA in this series. I assume the Orioles do actually game-plan for opposing starters, but you’d never know it based on their performance so far. The offense has seemed woefully unprepared.
Will they have any more luck against Cleveland’s final starter in this series, lefty Joey Cantillo? The 26-year-old Hawaiian is having a nice year so far, with a 2.61 ERA in four starts, and the last time he faced the Orioles, he pitched five solid innings against them last July. I’m not particularly optimistic, especially considering the lineup the Orioles are using this afternoon.
If you thought the days of the O’s using bizarre platoon lineups against southpaws would go out the door with the arrival of Craig Albernaz, you were…mistaken. The Orioles once again have Johnathan Rodríguez in the cleanup spot and right field, and Blaze Alexander playing center. Weston Wilson, who had a big two-run double in Friday’s comeback, gets his first start at third base. But Coby Mayo is still in the lineup anyway as the DH. Sam Huff spells Samuel Basallo behind the plate. It’s an abnormal lineup, for sure, but it’s not as if the normal lineup has been doing anything great. I don’t love that outfield defense, though, and I would’ve liked to see Leody Taveras get the start.
At least the Orioles have Trevor Rogers going for them. The O’s ace suffered his ugliest outing of the season last time out against Arizona, but in general, the Orioles have the pitching advantage every time Rogers is on the hill. The last time he faced Cleveland was in his Orioles debut back on Aug. 1, 2024, when the Guardians torched him for five runs in 4.1 innings. This is, of course, a very different version of Rogers.
Still, no matter how well Trevor pitches, it won’t matter if the Orioles don’t start hitting. Now’s as good a time as any, guys.
Orioles lineup:
LF Taylor Ward SS Gunnar Henderson 1B Pete Alonso RF Johnathan Rodríguez 2B Jeremiah Jackson 3B Weston Wilson DH Coby Mayo C Sam Huff CF Blaze Alexander
LHP Trevor Rogers
Guardians lineup:
CF Steven Kwan LF Angel Martínez 3B José Ramírez 1B Rhys Hoskins RF David Fry 3B Daniel Schneemann 2B Juan Brito C Austin Hedges SS Brayan Rocchio
There were moments. For example, against the Clippers in the first play-in game, when the Warriors got the Kristaps Porzingis they needed — 20 points on 8-of-12 from the field and 3-of-6 from 3-point range, plus five rebounds, five assists and a couple of blocked shots. If the Warriors decide to get the band back together next season and try to make another run in the Stephen Curry era, they could use that Porzingis.
For his part, Porzingis isn't sure what's next. After a roller coaster of a season where, once again, illness and injuries again limited him (32 games), he said he wants to take a step back in an exclusive interview with Melissa Rohlan of the California Post. She asked Porzingis if he wanted to return to the Warriors.
"That's a good question. I do love my time here, honestly. Not one bad thing I can say about the organization, the team, the teammates. I really love it here, I really do.
"As I said before, I haven't had a good year. If I had a good year, I think I'd have a more clear picture of what I want to do. Because I've had an up-and-down year like this, this is an offseason in my career that I think I'm just going to take a step back, look at the whole picture and then see what's the best direction for me."
What's next for Porzingis involves a few questions. If the Warriors are going to get the band back together next season (or make a bold move, such as chasing Giannis Antetokounmpo) to position themselves for another big run in the Stephen Curry era, they would likely want Porzingis back — but at considerably less than the $30.7 million he was making this season. Which leads to the next couple of questions: Would another team step up with a bigger offer? What will Porzingis prioritize in picking where he plays next? Money? Role? Contending team?
Porzingis' value when healthy is not in question, just ask the champion 2024 Celtics. He's an All-Star-level player when on the court. However, his availability is on the table. Porzingis has played in fewer than 60 games in each of the past three seasons, and has cleared 65 games just three times in his 10-year career (and two of those were his first two seasons in the league).
Porzingis isn't going to be the biggest free agent name on the board this summer, but he is one of the more interesting ones.
The Kings are taking on the Avalanche for their first game of the 2025-26 NHL Playoffs. The Kings have made the playoffs in their past 5 seasons, and the previous 4 have featured them facing the Edmonton Oilers in the first round. But this season is different, as the Kings are taking on the President's Trophy winners. Puck drop is scheduled for 3:00 P.M Eastern time.
Here are the projected Avalanche lines for game 1:
Artturi Lehkonen - Nathan MacKinnon - Martin Necas
Parker Kelly - Brock Nelson - Valeri Nichushkin
Gabriel Landeskog - Nazem Kadri - Nicolas Roy
Joel Kiviranta - Jack Drury - Logan O’Connor
Brett Kulak - Cale Makar
Devon Toews - Sam Malinski
Josh Manson - Brent Burns
Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood
Line Changes and Injuries
The Kings' interim coach said that Malott, Turoctte and Kuzmenko are all available for the first round, but only Malott is expected to play in game 1. For the Avalanche, Kadri, who missed 4 games due to a finger injury, and Manson, who missed 2 games with an undisclosed injury, are both expected to play today. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar also said that he would not reveal lineup decisions, including his starting goaltender.
Key Factors
The Kings have done the hard part by making the playoffs, and now they have to prove they deserve to be there. They face the best team in the NHL. The Kings will have to get all of their players at their best, especially the offensive duo of Panarin and Kempe.
While today is only game 1, it is still very important for the Kings to set the tone, and if they can steal a game on the road, that could be extremely impactful later in the series.
While the Avalanche have not released a true starting goaltender, it looks like the Kings will start Anton Forsberg in game 1, and this feels like the right call, as Forsberg has won 4 of his last 5 starts for the Kings.
Overall, the Kings can flip the series on its head with a win tonight. Game 1 between the Kings and the Avalanche starts at 3:00 P.M. Eastern Time, and the Kings are looking to go up 1-0 after today.
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 11: Osvaldo Bido #70 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the eighth inning during the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Truist Park on April 11, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pitcher Osvaldo Bido has been claimed off waivers by the Chicago White Sox. The Atlanta Braves had designated him for assignment on April 16, 2026.
Bido, who pitched last season with the West Sacramento Athletics, has surfed across the waiver wire six times since the end of the 2025 season – including two stints with the Braves. He’s gone from the A’s to the Braves to Tampa Bay Rays to the Miami Marlins to the Los Angeles Angels to the New York Yankees then back to the Braves and now to the White Sox.
The Braves designed Bido for assignment when they brought reliever Ian Hamilton to the big league roster. Bido had pitched in six games for Atlanta, picking up a win and a save cross 10 innings. He allowed seven earned runs but had a respectful 1.20 WHIP.
Bido has started 28 of the 64 career games he’s appeared in since debuting with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2023.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - APRIL 14: Robbie Ray #38 of the San Francisco Giants throws a pitch against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 14, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s series finale time! The San Francisco Giants are wrapping up a nine-game road trip today, and attempting to end it on a high note.
Left-hander Robbie Ray will try to lead them to a happy cross-country flight. Ray makes his fifth start of the season, and is 2-2 with a 2.42 ERA, a 4.69 FIP, and 24 strikeouts against 10 walks in 22.1 innings. In his last start, Ray gave up two runs in five innings against the Cincinnati Reds.
On the other side is veteran righty Miles Mikolas, who makes his fifth appearance of the year, and his fourth start. It’s been a rough year for the 37-year old, as he’s 0-3 with an 11.49 ERA, an 8.47 FIP, and 11 strikeouts against nine walks in 15.2 innings. He’s also allowed six home runs, so there’s an opportunity for the Giants there. In his last game, Mikolas allowed three runs in 3.1 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 18: James Wood #29 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run in the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Nationals Park on April 18, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yesterday’s loss was a real bummer, but the boys have to go again and try to salvage the series this afternoon. The combination of poor pitching, mental mistakes and a lack of situational hitting cost them. Hopefully the boys can be more buttoned up after meeting with Blake Butera about their mistakes.
One player who made a lot of mistakes yesterday was Daylen Lile, who will not be in the lineup today. Instead, James Wood will shift to left and Joey Wiemer will play right field. Curtis Mead will try to redeem himself at first base today. Keibert Ruiz will be behind the plate. The Nats will be creative with their pitching plan. PJ Poulin will be the opener, while Miles Mikolas and the recently called up Andrew Alvarez are also likely to be involved.
The Giants are not making many changes to their lineup. Rafael Devers will DH, while Casey Schmitt will play first base. Other than that, it is mostly the same faces. Luis Arraez has been really impressive this series, as has Heliot Ramos. Robby Ray was actually a Nats draft pick, but never played for the team. Many years later, he will get the ball against the franchise that drafted him.
Giants 4/19
W. Adames SS L. Arraez 2B M. Chapman 3B R. Devers DH C. Schmitt 1B J. Lee RF H. Ramos LF D. Gilbert CF P. Bailey C
The Nats have been two different teams on the road and at home. They are 1-7 at home now, and need to get going. This team has shown life, but it has mostly been when the home fans are not watching. Hopefully that can change today. Follow along down below, and let’s go Nats!
Apr 14, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Ryan Weathers (40) pitches in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
The Yankees have managed to right the ship a little bit this weekend, taking the first two games of this series versus the Royals. After a bit of a rocky week or so, the way to really get back on track isn’t just to win a series, but to sweep it, and ahead of a road trip that would be exactly the kind of momentum the team could really use. On a more personal level, a nice easy blowout win like yesterday would be welcome for hard-luck starter Ryan Weathers, who hasn’t seen a single run in support in his first four starts as a Yankee.
Weathers has been … interesting to watch in those four starts. In his worst outing, earlier this week against the Angels, he had a 5:1 K:BB ratio that if replicated over a full season would almost guarantee a unanimous Cy Young season. He also gave up five runs in five innings, including back-to-back-to-back homers. Every start made by the triumvirate of Weathers, Will Warren, and Luis Gil seems like a mini-audition to stay in the rotation when Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón return from injury, and if that happened today I’m not sure Weathers wins that contest for the final spot (even if Gil is left out as well, as he was at the start of 2026). Then again, if Weathers replicates that eight-inning, one-run showing against the Athletics two weeks ago, he’ll be back on the inside track, run support or no.
Cole Ragans, meanwhile, has been a pitcher I’ve enjoyed watching for a while, even during his injury-hampered 2025. In some ways he’s a classic crafty lefty, not having a dominant or overwhelming pitch but controlling contact quality and taking advantage of a strong Royals defense. His walk rate has been quite high to start the year, which is one avenue the Yankees could use to gameplan against him.
Ben Rice is your leadoff hitter today, taking over the DH spot while Giancarlo Stanton gets a day off amid a 1-for-22 skid (also allowing one of those back-to-back days off situations since New York doesn’t play tomorrow). Facing a lefty, Paul Goldschmidt will be at first. As Aaron Boone previously hinted, Ryan McMahon is back in the lineup today due in part to Ragans’ reverse splits, but Amed Rosario will start anyway — this time at second as Jazz Chisholm Jr. gets a day to clear his head. His 49 wRC+ ranks fifth-worst among all American League players with at least 80 PA on the young season. Fortunately for the Yankees I suppose, two of those four worse than Jazz are in today’s Royals lineup, Sal Perez (36) and Vinnie Pasquantino (46).
Please be advised the team does not expect to start the game on time.
All Yankee Stadium Gates will open for today’s Yankees-Royals game (Sunday, April 19) to fans with valid tickets at 12:00 p.m.
As of 10:25 a.m., please be advised we do not anticipate starting today's game on time due to the current forecast of inclement weather. We will provide…
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 18: Luke Raley #20 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after scoring during the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park on April 18, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Luke Raley sat in front of the assembled media postgame for the first time in this young season after the third game against the Astros, a decisive 6-1 win where Raley fell just a homer short of the cycle. For a split second after sitting down at the podium, he seemed overcome by emotion, maybe struck by how long it had been since he’d last had an opportunity to sit in that spot, after losing most of his 2025 season battling injuries.
Three days later, Raley would record the first four-hit game of his career. Three days after that, he’d add another home run to his season total, already surpassing the number of home runs he hit in all of 2025.
“He’s putting together really good at bats,” said Dan Wilson late this spring, back when Raley began his campaign of terrorizing opposing pitchers. “It’s great to see, especially coming off what he went through last year. It was a difficult year for him with the injuries. But his intent all spring, his intent here in the beginning of the year, is to get back to who he is.”
“And wow, he’s really done it.”
Raley has been showing what he can do as a fully-operational battle station since spring training, where he announced his return to health, slugging his way through the Cactus League. When the bright lights came on, Raley packed his thunderous bat along with him from Arizona. Raley currently ranks in the top 20 in MLB for barrels per plate appearance, right behind Kyle Schwarber and slightly ahead of Bryce Harper.
There’s an argument to be made that not only is Raley set to return to his 2024 form – a campaign where he was worth 2.3 wins – but to improve upon that version of himself. 2024 Luke Raley ranked in the 68th percentile for average exit velocity; currently Raley’s average exit velocity of 93 mph puts him in the 88th percentile. He’s hitting balls harder more regularly, but he’s also hitting balls harder, period. Raley’s second homer of the season, a frozen rope off a Tanner Bibee slider, came off the bat at 113.8 mph, which is currently the twentieth-highest max exit velocity in MLB this season.
That’s just .5 slower than Raley’s max exit velo last season, and 1.6 mph slower than his career-best max exit velocity. As we know from Rob Arthur, for every mile per hour above 108 [maxEV], a hitter is projected to gain about six points of OPS relative to their predicted number. ZiPS projected Raley for an OPS this year of .743; that would create about a thirty-five point push for Raley, to .778, which would put him almost exactly in line with his OPS in 2024. Raley’s current OPS is a robust .971, currently good for fifteenth-best in MLB.
That shiny OPS is due for some dinging. Raley is an imperfect player; those big hits also come with big strikeouts, and he doesn’t walk quite enough to be a real three true outcomes player. But the underlying quality of contact metrics portend a fully-healthy Raley to be at least as good or better than his 2023-24 selves, when he was worth 2.4 and 2.3 fWAR, respectively. Add in Raley’s near-pathological love of getting free passes via hit by pitches and some positive regression in the form of walks returning to his career numbers (can’t walk when you’re hitting dingers) and cromulent outfield defense, and Raley’s pre-season ZiPS projection of 1.2 wins (1.0 WARP at Baseball Prospectus) feels shatteringly low.
It’s been a long journey for Raley, who spent last year fighting his body at seemingly every turn, first with a right oblique strain, and then with related back spasms. For Raley, the specific nature of the injury was irritating, as obliques are notoriously difficult to rehab, as Bryce Miller could tell you (Raley did offer Miller some advice on rehabbing his own oblique injury). An oblique injury can feel fine up until it doesn’t.
“I was always like, is it going to hurt me on this swing?” said Raley. “It was just no fun to deal with. I’d never dealt with it before, and it’s just one of those things that, until you actually go through with it, you don’t know what it feels like.”
The impact of the injury can have knock-on effects, too, explained Raley.
“You lose a little bit of your bat speed or whatever the case may be, and then your contact point changes, and it just means you’re basically relearning how to hit a baseball at this point. So it just becomes really tough.”
Raley did lose some of his bat speed as he tried to return from his oblique injury last season – from 75 mph down to 73 – but moreover, he just never looked fully comfortable and connected in the box. Really, he never got a chance – he was back from a two-month-long IL stint for about a month in July and then went back on the IL with back spasms for most of August.
But Raley’s comeback season isn’t fueled just by reps in the weight room to increase his core strength (although he’s done that) or hours on the Trajekt machine (although he’s done that too).
“I feel like more than anything, the biggest thing is just changing my mindset. We talk about it a lot, myself and the coaching staff. I’m really hard on myself. And sometimes it’s not a great thing to be so hard on yourself in a 162 game season.”
Raley, who isn’t satisfied with his effort in a game until his uniform is more dirty than it is clean, has had to learn to balance his intense style of play with the demands of the long season. Never a showcase star or D1 top-rated prospect, Raley decided early in his career that his path to being a professional player would be to give unrivaled effort in all phases of the game, literally putting his body on the line by wearing pitches to earn free passes (he ranked third in baseball in HBPs in 2024, with the same number as his jersey number: 20). But that grinder mindset took a mental toll, as well as the physical one.
While he was on the IL in 2025, Raley spent significant time talking with Mariners mental skills coach Adam Bernero about how to respond when effort failed him.
“Just being better about letting a bad game go in the past, and showing up the next day as the same person I came in as the day before. Good or bad, just trying to stay the same.”
Raley said it’s been helpful to have a role models of that mindset in his clubhouse: one in his skipper, Dan Wilson, and the other in first baseman Josh Naylor. Naylor, especially, has been a model of consistency, even throughout some early-season struggles.
“I’m sure Naylz would tell you that he’s not overly happy with the start of his season,” said Raley. “But the way he shows up and continues to grind and play and jokes around, having a good time, it’s a reminder how blessed we are to play this game, and you can’t take it for granted.”
“I’ve actually thought about that a lot with this team. Everyone pulls for each other so hard, it’s so easy to be—you know, however you do doesn’t necessarily matter, as long as the team’s doing well. That’s what you want, teammates that are there for you through good and bad, and you feel like their success is your success, and vice-versa.”
“We spend so much time together. These are all my brothers in here, and you have to pull for one another. You never forget, whether you’re doing good or bad, just how hard this game is, and you just have to keep backing each other and support each other day in and day out.”
Luke Raley is healthy now—mind and body—and it is going to be everybody’s problem, because in this clubhouse, everybody’s problem is also everybody’s solution. Right now it’s Raley leading the charge, pouring back into his teammates all the support they gave him when he was struggling last season. Soon it will be someone else – but hopefully not too soon for Raley, who has certainly earned this moment in the sun.
Apr 8, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Tigers designated hitter Gleyber Torres (25) looks on after striking out during the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images | Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images
Detroit Tigers vs. Boston Red Sox
Time/Place: 1:35 p.m., Fenway Park SB Nation Site: Over the Monster Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: LHP Framber Valdez (1-1, 3.75 ERA) vs. LHP Garrett Crochet (2-2, 7.58 ERA)
The San Antonio Spurs play host to the underdog Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference playoffs, and we're looking at NBA player prop projections ahead of tonight's Game 1 clash.
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Trail Blazers Game 1 computer picks
Scoot Henderson Over 9.5 points (+100)
Projection: 11.39 points
The player prop projected to offer the most EV (23.3%) on the slate is Scoot Henderson to go Over 9.5 points at even money.
This year, opposing starting PGs have averaged 50.2% on shots from the field (best in the league) vs. the San Antonio Spurs, creating a positive matchup.
The Portland Trail Blazers check in as the second-best offensive rebounding team in the league (offensive rebounds maintain possession and may therefore provide added opportunities for scoring and assists).
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Deni Avdija Under 6.5 assists (-105)
Projection: 5.48 assists
The Blazers have the sixth-most sluggish pace-of-play offense in the NBA over the last five games, and Deni Avdija has only dished out seven-plus assists five times in his last 10.
One of those recent Unders came against the Spurs.
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Jrue Holiday Over 14.5 points (-112)
Projection: 17.45 points
The computer is projecting Jrue Holiday to clear his scoring prop by nearly a full three points, and it expects him to have a strong matchup from beyond the arc.
The matchup against the Spurs is a strong one for 3-point shots; the opposing team's starting SGs have posted the eighth-highest 3-point percentage in the NBA this year (37.5%).
If you like the risk, Over 2.5 made threes is available at +115, but the computer is only projecting 2.74.
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Spurs Game 1 computer picks
Dylan Harper Over 8.5 points (-110)
Projection: 10.55 points
Dylan Harper has scored at least nine points in 12 straight games and in 16 of his last 17.
Offensive rebounds preserve possession and generate additional scoring opportunities, and the Spurs rank sixth-best in the league with 12.4 offensive boards per game over the last 15 games.
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Devin Vassell Over 12.5 points (+100)
Projection: 13.30 points
Devin Vassell has averaged 13.9 points per game this season and has cleared this line in four of his last six games.
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De'Aaron Fox Over 17.5 points (-105)
Projection: 18.60 points
De'Aaron Fox has averaged 22.5 points per game over the last eight home games, 3.6 points higher than his full-season average at home.
He's also cleared this prop in three straight and in four of six.
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How to watch Trail Blazers vs Spurs Game 1
Location
Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
Date
Sunday, April 19, 2026
Tip-off
9:00 p.m. ET
TV
Peacock
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Nov 29, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) dunks the ball over Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) during the third quarter at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Today’s prompt for the staff was easy: what’s your favorite moment from the season?
Bryan: December 23, 2025. Denver comes to town on national tv as the Mavs are at the peak of annoying me by going on that brief winning streak earlier in the month, just to go right back to being a dreadful watch soon after. The worries with Cooper’s jumpshot are still a prominent topic of conversation and, and with his brother sitting courtside, Coop delivers maybe his best overall performance of the season against the multiple-time MVP, Nikola Jokic and crew. 33 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, a steal, and a block on 14 of 21 from the field and 4 of 6 for three. He only attempted 1 free throw in that game and had 2 turnovers; it was an offensive clinic by Cooper punctuated by a tomahawk slam right on top of fellow rookie Spencer Jones’ head midway through the game. They won that game too, but I couldn’t bring myself to mind it much.
Tyler: When it ended.
Chris: I’m sorry, I’m gonna say it. For me, it has to be when they traded Anthony Davis. That move signaled the official end of the Nico Harrison era, and the Mavs re-shifted the focus to building around Cooper Flagg. The return was never going to be anything close to the true value of Luka Doncic, but Dallas now has a new star and doesn’t have to operate on two different timelines. And even if you were in the camp of wanting to keep Davis, the idea of paying a mid to upper 30’s guy, who cannot stay on the court, $70 million a year on an extension is so outrageously insane, my brain cannot process it. Good job Fin-Cardi.
Josh: When it ended.
Damn, Tyler stole my bit or more like I stole Tyler’s bit.
Jordan: November 10 against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Mavs had a predictably rough start to the season. The long-term direction of the team is muddied. Cooper Flagg was thrust into a role no rookie should have been in — especially one who’d never played the position he’d been asked to play. His answer was an impressive showing against one of the league’s superstars. All of that culminated in this moment with less than a minute left, straight up against Giannis Antetokounmpo:
The most electric moment of the season. It said everything about what Flagg was about, and why it mattered that the organization fully embrace a new era. It took time, no doubt. But this was the moment that sealed it. It is likely coincidence that the next morning Patrick Dumont, after sitting courtside for this game, fired the general manager; putting in motion where the team is today. When I think of the very few true bright in-game moments from a dark season, this is the one I automatically remember.
Kirk: Jordan took the moment I wanted. Crap. Hold on. But man, yeah, that’s a good one.
Brent: The kid in the Luka jersey sitting next to Dumont – because it confirmed the Dallas Mavericks are the ongoing Black Mirror episode of the NBA since the team was sold.
Joe: My favorite Mavs moment was the Dumont-Luka kid thing. Just a bizarre and hilarious way of ending the dumb 10 months that was the Anthony Davis era in Dallas. Obviously, he didn’t get traded till later, but that was when it ended.
Michael: I’m torn between two and will name them both because one is macro and one is micro.
The macro-level moment was the Anthony Davis trade. I have no problem with Davis, didn’t blame him for the Doncic trade, etc. – no animosity to the players involved, but that trade so desperately needed to happen. It truly marked the end of the Nico Harrison era, but more importantly, gave the franchise their second dose of real hope since the ill-fated Doncic trade (the #1 pick/Cooper Flagg being the first dose, of course). It often feels as though other teams have gone from second apron team to under the cap through some manner of instant sorcery, so my hope had long been the Mavs could do the same. The fact they managed to move on from the Harrison era, move away from the oft-injured Davis to officially make it Flagg’s team, come off the financial burden of multiple contracts, and give the team off season flexibility for the first time in a long time – all in one fell swoop, and all despite Davis being injured at the time – cannot be overstated enough. It was the first real Mavs-related “thrill” since lotto/draft night.
The micro-level moment was Flagg’s 51-point game. 19-for-30 overall, 6-for-9 from deep, 7-for-7 from the free throw line, all in 33 minutes of play, was just an outrageous beast-mode moment. It wasn’t a farce like some high-scoring games can be, and from relatively early in the game, it grabbed hold of me and had me guessing just how special it would be. Ultimately, it had me shouting “next point is 50!” to everyone within earshot so they could stop multitasking and focus only on the game to see something amazing.
Both moments ultimately contributed to a feeling of hope for the future that was elusive for large parts of the last 18 months.
Kirk: I think it has to be the Cooper Flagg dunk over Zubac. I knew our guy had hops, by my goodness this is athleticism we’ve not seen often while in Dallas.
Sep 28, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Justin Wrobleski (70) reacts in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
The Dodgers finish off their long weekend series against the Colorado Rockies with one more game on Monday night at Coors Field, the only wraparound series of the season for Los Angeles.
Justin Wrobleski is coming off the best start of his career, on six days rest after throwing eight scoreless innings last Monday against the New York Mets. He’s done pretty well in his previous three appearances at Coors Field, with a 2.89 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings, but those were all in relief. This will be his first start in Denver.
Left-hander Jose Quintana starts the series finale for the Rockies.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 08: Cole Henry #99 of the Washington Nationals is relieved by manager Blake Butera #10 in the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Nationals Park on April 08, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As we all know, the Nationals pitching staff has been a major problem. The team ERA is nearing 6, and the Nats have a real shortage of reliable arms. Sometimes stats can get inflated one way or the other in April, but it does not feel like the Nats are suffering from bad luck. The Nats 5.92 team ERA does not seem very inflated.
One way to see if pitchers are getting unlucky is to look at the underlying numbers. Numbers like FIP and xERA are a good way to measure a pitcher’s true skill level. The Nats FIP of 5.75 and xERA of 5.52 are the worst in baseball. While the Astros have a worse team ERA, their FIP is 5.41 and xERA is 4.49. That suggests they should improve a bit. The Nats are not really in line for that improvement.
Another number that is really poor is their fWAR. Nats pitchers have combined for -2.2 fWAR, which is by far the worst in the league. Back in 2022, Nats pitchers had a 0 WAR for the season. That was the worst mark of this decade. Do not be surprised if this group is in the negatives.
When I said the Nationals had "quite possibly the worst pitching staff of the decade", I may have been too nice. They look worse than the Washington's pitching in 2022 that put up 0.0 fWAR
It is tough to blame too much of this on coaching either. The Nats are just at a real talent deficit on the mound. They just do not have many pitchers who are even average big leaguers. The Nats are filled with young guys trying to prove themselves, journeymen trying to find a home in the big leagues, and arms who are over the hill.
For me, the two biggest problems are walks and home runs. Lately, the walks have not been as bad, but the home runs are out of control. Nats pitchers have allowed 39 home runs, which is five more than the next closest team and 12 more than the team in third place. It is tough to be effective as a staff when you are allowing 1.85 home runs per 9 innings.
I don't know the exact number of relievers since 2022 who have either walked or given up a homer to their very first batter faced as a member of the Nationals, but it's high. Very high.
The bullpen has drawn most of the fans ire, but they have been showing more signs of life lately. I think the bullpen is a slightly easier problem to solve. Guys like Cionel Perez, Gus Varland and PJ Poulin have been throwing the ball better lately. We also saw good things from Richard Lovelady last night.
I have a little bit of faith that the Nats can cobble together a bullpen that is not as bad as last year still. In the past couple weeks, the unit has been better. Even though they blew a 5-2 lead, the unit was good besides Mitchell Parker. My bigger concerns are with the starting rotation.
A Nats starter has only gone 6 innings once this season. That was Cade Cavalli against the Phillies a few weeks ago. Length has been a real issue for this staff. They are struggling to even get through five innings. The quality is also poor with a starter ERA over 6.
Outside of Foster Griffin, the whole unit has been really disappointing. Miles Mikolas was supposed to be an innings eater, but he barely even goes three innings anymore. Zack Littell has just been too hittable so far. Jake Irvin’s stuff looks better, and I think he could improve, but his ERA is still over 6.
For me, Cade Cavalli has been the biggest disappointment. He was supposed to be the staff ace, but has only completed five innings once. The stuff is sharp, but his command and pitch selection leaves so much to be desired. He should get the season to try and figure things out, but eventually, he might have to be moved to the bullpen.
Unfortunately, help is not really on the way. Andrew Alvarez is decent, and just got called up. However, he is a 5 and dive guy who’s pure stuff is not great. Maybe he could be like Foster Griffin, but I am not as high on him as some. Riley Cornelio could be a solution, but he is not very proven. Luis Perales has a lot of pedigree, but I think he is a reliever.
The Nats offense has really been carrying the load right now, yet the team is still 9-12. I worry about what could happen if the offense cools off. Things could get really ugly. This pitching staff has been very bad, and there are not many reasons to believe things will get better. Hopefully this staff can help improve guys, but they do not have a lot to work with.
DENVER , CO - APRIL 18: Nikola Jokic (15) of the Denver Nuggets handles as Rudy Gobert (27) of the Minnesota Timberwolves defends during the fourth quarter of the Nuggets' 116-105 win at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado on Saturday, April 18, 2026. The Nuggets took a 1-0 lead in their best-of-seven series. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) | Denver Post via Getty Images
The Minnesota Timberwolves lost Game 1 of their first-round NBA Playoff series to the Denver Nuggets, 116-105, in a game reminiscent of so many of the Wolves’ shortcomings.
There were gorgeous stretches of basketball, especially early in the game, but those pockets of solid play did not last. The Wolves consistently reverted back to the team that underachieved during the regular season. The phrase “flip the switch” had been used to describe the Wolves coming into the playoffs, and at least for one game, that did not occur.
With the game now in the rear-view mirror, let’s take a second look at what went right, and more often what went wrong for the Timberwolves in Game 1 against the Nuggets.
The Good: Rudy Gobert on Offense
The best aspect of the Timberwolves’ Game 1 came from Rudy Gobert on offense. Gobert struggled mightily on that side of the ball last postseason, but did exactly what the team needed him to do on Saturday afternoon in Denver.
The best offensive action the Timberwolves had all night was the pick-and-rolls with Gobert as the screener. Many ball handlers found Rudy rolling to the rim, with Anthony Edwards specifically finding Gobert early and often with the defense tilted to stop the Wolves’ superstar guard.
Gobert himself caught each pass thrown his way and either made the correct next pass or made a move to the rim for a bucket.
“Both ends he did a good job,” Jaden McDaniels said. “He keep doing that, we’re going to win.”
When asked if this performance is repeatable, Gobert answered, “I think we shall see.”
Rudy Gobert was outstanding on both ends in Game 1. The Offense specifically stood out and I think the Wolves are going to need multiple games like this from Rudy to win the series
Ant and others made the correct pass often and Gobert was great catching and making the next play pic.twitter.com/DQMEBtOPZR
The ball movement that drove the Timberwolves toward a double-digit lead in the first quarter dried up in the second and third quarters. As it so often has this season, the Wolves reverted to isolation basketball and took many ill-advised shots.
One of the main culprits was Edwards, who, after consistently finding Gobert and other teammates in the first quarter, settled for far too many bad shots the rest of the game.
“I don’t know,” Edwards said when asked about the lack of ball movement. “Yeah, I gotta go watch the film. I don’t know. I thought the ball was still kind of moving, but Finchy said the same thing. The ball stopped kind of moving, but I gotta go look at it.”
The ball movement dried up after the first quarter for the Wolves in Game 1. I thought was as big a reason as anyone as to why
The Wolves offense looked great when Ant was making the fight pass to Rudy and others while attacking the rim himself. I thought too often he settled pic.twitter.com/I09vLbWWUV
The player who suffers most due to the lack of ball movement is probably Jaden McDaniels.
In the first quarter and a half of Game 1, the Wolves used the defensive attention toward Edwards with the ball and Gobert rolling to the rim to generate open looks and driving lanes for McDaniels, which led to either open looks at the rim or free throw opportunities with Nikola Jokić guarding the rim.
All of that dried up later in the game as the ball got sticky, and isolation possessions were the primary action of the Wolves’ offense.
The Timberwolves need to get more looks for Jaden McDaniels in the flow of the offense
I think these three plays are a perfect example of how to do that. Use Gobert's roller gravity and the shifted defense toward Edwards to open up driving lanes pic.twitter.com/I1dnJhgPUv
The Timberwolves trailed by as many as 15 points in the third quarter but clawed back into the game. The Denver lead got as small as two points before the Wolves’ poor late-game execution prevented them from shrinking the deficit any further.
“Just key mistakes,” Randle explained. “Just little things, we put them on the free throw line. A bunch of little things at certain moments. We’d get it to five, and they’d go on a 4-0 run, 6-0 run, stuff like that. We just gotta limit our mistakes down the stretch and try not to put ourselves in that position by having a better third quarter.”
Late in the game, Gobert and Julius Randle each had awful turnovers, there were a pair of missed defensive rebounds that led to second-chance points for the Nuggets, and a pair of fouls from Randle that gave Aaron Gordon three free throws before Denver even had to run a play.
“We’ve got to make smarter, more solid plays,” Finch said about the plays late in the game. “We had two turnovers right in the middle of one run back. One in the paint, which was a tough pass for Rudy to handle, and then Rudy does a wraparound DHO, they poke away, and then we get the away from the play foul, and it just wasn’t very smart. We’ve got to be more composed.”
The Wolves kept the game close late, but were unable to execute with a number of mistakes
Turnovers, missed rebounds, and bad fouls all played a role in the 11-point loss pic.twitter.com/18Fx69GPuy
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