Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was fuming over the injury to his star player, Bam Adebayo, in the second quarter of the team’s play-in loss to the Hornets Tuesday night.
Adebayo was tripped by LaMelo Ball just over a minute into the second quarter and did not return due to a lower back injury after falling hard to the court.
Ball fell after driving to the basket and grabbed Adebayo’s left ankle.
Spoelstra felt Ball should’ve been ejected from the game and put the onus on the referees, naming Curtis Blair and Zach Zarba, specifically.
“I don’t think it’s cute. I don’t think it’s funny. I think it’s a stupid play. It’s a dangerous play,” Spoelstra said after the game. “Obviously, our best player was out. I’m not making an excuse. The Hornets played great and they made those plays down the stretch. We had our opportunities to win.
“That’s a shame. [Ball] should be penalized for that. I don’t think that belongs in the game, tripping guys, shenanigans. Curtis was there. It’s his responsibility to see that, and if it’s not his responsibility then Zach’s got to see it. Somebody has got to see that. He should have been thrown out of the game for that. I don’t know [Ball] from anyone. There’s no place in the game for that.”
Heat center Bam Adebayo writhes in pain after getting tripped by the Hornets’ LaMelo Ball in the second quarter on April 14, 2026. AP
The NBA is reviewing the incident, insider Chris Haynes reported Wednesday, and a decision on potential discipline is expected before the Hornets’ next game on Friday.
“I apologize on that one. I got hit in the head, didn’t really know where I was, but I’mma check on him and see if he’s okay and everything,” Ball said after the game.
Ball ended up making the game-winning layup with 4.7 seconds left in overtime, giving ninth-seeded Charlotte a 127-126 win at home.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra objects to a call during the second quarter against the Hornets on April 14, 2026. Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Charlotte will visit the loser of Wednesday’s 76ers vs. Magic game with the final playoff spot in the East on the line, while Miami’s season is over.
Ball’s poor shooting kept the Heat in the game. The 24-year-old went 12-for-31 and was 2-for-16 from 3-point range. He finished with 30 points, 10 assists and five rebounds.
Adebayo had six points and three rebounds in 11 minutes.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - APRIL 05: Pitcher Trevor Megill #29 of the Milwaukee Brewers in action during the game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on April 05, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On a night where Jacob Misiorowski felt like throwing up every time he threw a curveball, most of Brewers’ fandom felt the same way watching the latest Trevor Megill ninth-inning implosion this season that cost the team a chance to end their five-game losing streak.
It was the second straight outing for Megill where he gave up a crooked number in the ninth inning. Last Friday, in a tie game against the Nationals, Megill allowed four runs and struggled to field his position against a number of bunts. He got another opportunity on Tuesday, this time staked to a one-run lead, and allowed three runs.
The Brewers must make a change in the ninth inning.
Manager Pat Murphy was asked if he’d consider making a change and he said yes. When pressed on if he will make that change, Murphy said, “We’ll see. I don’t know for sure. I like to talk to other people about it. I mean, obviously you can’t have a guy go out there six times and three times not to do the job. The way he’s throwing the ball now, he doesn’t deserve it. But he can earn it back. But what are we gonna do? Who’s throwing the ball good back there that deserves it more? So we’ll figure that out. We won’t make those decisions after a heart wrenching loss like this.”
That’s certainly an understandable position for Murphy to take. He didn’t want to make a full declaration last night in the heat of the moment after a tough loss but instead wants to talk with his assistant coaches and come to a consensus and a plan for that ninth inning. Plenty fair, but the admission of considering it is enough to recognize that it probably should happen.
Megill, to his credit, spoke to reporters and was quite blunt about his performance.
“Just some dog(expletive) out there. That’s about it. Definitely way better than that. Pitches could be a lot better. Pitch execution could be a lot better. A lot of things could be better,” Megill said.
However, Murphy also raised another good point: Who do you replace him with? Abner Uribe would seem like the obvious candidate, but he gave up a run last night and struggled in the outing before, too. Angel Zerpa, who started strong, has also not looked as good of late. The leverage arms the Brewers have relied upon all seem very unreliable at the moment.
So, while you can move Megill off the closer’s spot, there may not necessarily be a ready-made replacement to take it over.
Murphy also wanted to defend Megill as well and spoke out about the fans booing Megill during that ninth inning.
“But the fans booing him after he saved 30 games for this team. A kid that’s been through all that he’s been through and what he did the year before to help us win the division and then what he did last year, and then came out with an arm injury and still pitched, and pitched one of the biggest innings of (NLDS) Game 5, and for them to be booing him up there. That’s just not, not our best fans. That’s for sure. We have great fans, but let’s remind them of that. Are they OK to be disappointed, but sometimes young men go through tough stuff. I was disappointed. And that those people wouldn’t support him when he’s going through that stuff. Does he probably care? No. Is it expected? That’s fine. But let’s not forget these aren’t machines out there. These are people. I thought that was in poor taste, but I’ve done things in poor taste, too.” Pat Murphy said.
The home fans booing their own players is never a good sign for anyone. The players, the fans, the coaches — no one is happy about the situation.
The only way to solve it, really is to play better and pitch better. Winning cures all.
The best way to get there has got to be to move Trevor Megill out of the closer’s spot for the time being. As Murphy said, he can earn it back, but the key word is “earn.” He’s not pitching well enough to deserve to keep it, despite what he did for the team last season. It’s a new year. The closer position, almost more than any other spot on the team, is a ‘What have you done for me lately?’ kind of position. What Megill did last year was great, no one can take that away from him. But with what he’s done lately, the Brewers need to make a change.
Red Bull driver outspoken about regulation changes
‘In a meeting he was very keen to give suggestions’
Formula One must listen to Max Verstappen’s grievances about the sport’s new regulations and their effects on racing, according to F1’s CEO, Stefano Domenicali. His intervention comes as key players hold meetings to consider adjusting the rules for the remainder of the season.
Verstappen has been outspoken in his dissatisfaction with the new formula and the part energy management now plays in preventing being able to race flat-out. The four-time champion is not alone in his feelings with other drivers also critical of the deployment and recharging of electrical energy.
The New York Mets (7-11) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (13-4) meet up on MLB TV for the final matchup of a three-game series in Los Angeles. The Dodgers won 2-1 yesterday and 4-0 on Monday.
New York is now on a seven-game losing streak and has been outscored 36-10 over that span. In the last seven days, the Mets rank 28th in batting average (.174) with the second-fewest walks (9), while the pitching staff owns a 5.02 ERA (17th) and the most strikeouts tossed (55).
Los Angeles is 4-1 over the past five games and 9-2 in the last 11 outings. The Dodgers' pitching rotation has the fifth-best ERA (3.26) and the offense has the best batting average (.279) with the most home runs (29). The Dodgers are 1-1 in Ohtani's starts this season with a 4-1 win and 4-3 loss.
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Mets at Dodgers
Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Time: 10:00 PM EST
Site: Dodger Stadium
City: Los Angeles, CA
Network/Streaming: ESPN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Mets at the Dodgers
The latest odds as of Wednesday:
Moneyline: Los Angeles Dodgers (-219), New York Mets (+179)
Spread: Mets +1.5 (-115), Dodgers -1.5 (-105)
Total: 8.0
Probable starting pitchers for Mets at Dodgers
Monday’s pitching matchup (April 13): Clay Holmes vs. Shohei Ohtani
The Mets’ Luis Robert Jr. is hitting .259 with 15 hits and 20 total bases over 54 at-bats
The Mets’ Francisco Lindor is hitting .194 with 14 hits and 14 strikeouts over 72 at-bats
The Dodgers’ Andy Pages is hitting .397 with 25 hits and 44 total bases over 63 at-bats
The Dodgers’ Alex Freeland is hitting .190 with eight hits and 14 strikeouts over 42 at-bats
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Mets at Dodgers
The Mets 6-12 ATS this season
The Dodgers are 10-7 ATS this season
The Mets are 7-9-2 to the Over this season
The Dodgers are 8-9 to the Over this season
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Mets and the Dodgers
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
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Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Dodgers and the Mets.
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Dodgers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Dodgers at -1.5.
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The Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees meet for the third game in their four-game series after splitting the first two. The Angels hit back-to-back-to-back homers while winning on Tuesday. Starting pitchers are scheduled to be Jack Kochanowicz for the Angels and Luis Gil for the Yankees.
How to watch Los Angeles Angels vs. New York Yankees
Date: Wednesday, April 15
Time: 7:05 p.m. ET / 4:05 p.m. PT
Where: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
TV Channels: Amazon Prime Video, FanDuel Sports Network West
The Montreal Canadiens have announced that they have assigned forward Vinzenz Rohrer to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Laval Rocket.
Rohrer was selected by the Canadiens with the 75th overall pick of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He has spent each of the last three seasons overseas with ZSC Lions of the Swiss National League. Yet, with this news, Rohrer is set to begin his AHL career with Laval.
Rohrer appeared in 41 regular-season games this season with the ZSC Lions, where he had four goals and 12 points. He also had one goal and 33 penalty minutes in nine playoff games for the club this spring.
Rohrer's best season with the ZSC Lions was in 2024-25, as he had 15 goals, 10 assists, and 25 points in 52 games.
Rohrer will now be looking to impress with Laval. The 21-year-old forward has good upside, and it will be interesting to see how he performs at the AHL level from here.
The numbers are in, and the NBA says Year 1 of its new television deals were a hit.
The league released numbers for the regular season on Wednesday, showing that 170 million people in the U.S. watched NBA games across the league’s four primary broadcast platforms this year — those being ABC/ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, NBC/Peacock and NBA TV.
Those numbers are the league’s best in 24 years, the NBA said, plus represented an 86% rise over last season.
Prime Video was part of the league’s television rights package for the first time this season and NBC/Peacock returned for the first time in a generation. The league signed a new 11-year, $76 billion-plus media rights deal in 2024 to show games on those two platforms along with ABC/ESPN and NBA TV.
Those deals kicked in at the start of this season.
Other highlights of the viewership numbers:
— NBA games across ABC/ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, NBC/Peacock and NBA TV had the the highest average viewership in 13 years, up 35% over last season.
— A total of 57 telecasts this season reached an average of 2 million viewers, the most since the 2011-12 season.
— People watched NBA games for more than 920 million hours, up 25% over last season and the most since 2011-12.
— The NBA’s social media channels generated a record 228 billion views this season, according to Videocites. That’s up 13% over last season.
— Attendance over the past three seasons in NBA arenas is higher than any three-season span in league history.
— Viewership for NBA Cup group play games was up 90% from last season.
— The audience for the All-Star Game on NBC, averaging 8.8 million viewers, was the largest for the league’s midseason showcase event since 2011.
The NBA Play-In Tournament continues tonight with the Orlando Magic heading to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Philadelphia 76ers in the 7/8 matchup.
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Magic computer picks
Franz Wagner Under 19.5 points (-125)
Projection: 17.65 points
While he finished the season with back-to-back 20-point outings, Franz Wagner failed to reach this number in nine straight games before that.
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Jalen Suggs Over 13.5 points (+100)
Projection: 14.88 points
Jalen Suggs finished the season with a 23-point game against the Celtics and hit 11 threes over his last two games. That shooting will continue against a middling Philadelphia 76ers defense.
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Desmond Bane Over 3.5 assists (-130)
Projection: 4.42 assists
Desmond Bane has cleared this number in four of his last six games and also logged five and six assists over his last two games against Philly.
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76ers computer picks
Quentin Grimes Over 2.5 assists (+155)
Projection: 2.92 assists
Quinton Grimes' assist numbers come and go, but he had 3+ assists in five straight games to end March and has cleared this number in every game against the Orlando Magic this season.
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Andre Drummond Over 6.5 points (-112)
Projection: 8.41 points
Joel Embiid's absence has boosted Andre Drummond's role, and the big man has scored 22 points over his last two games to end the season.
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Quentin Grimes Over 9.5 points (-120)
Projection: 11.14 points
Grimes is averaging nearly 15 points per game over his last three games in a stretch that includes two 20-point nights. That scoring streak continues tonight.
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How to watch Magic vs 76ers tonight
Location
Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Date
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Tip-off
7:30 p.m. ET
TV
Prime Video
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ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 31: Martín Pérez #33 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the fifth inning during the game against the Athletics at Truist Park on March 31, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ah, the veteran DFA process for a player without minor league options has come and gone full circle. In the case of Martín Pérez and the Braves, this situation felt like it went from “Huh? He got DFA’d?” to “Okay, maybe he’ll go through the entire waiver wire and not get claimed” to “Oh. He didn’t get claimed but he’s not going to Gwinnett, either. Farewell!” to “Ah, he just signed another minor league deal. He’s back.”
Indeed, Pérez is back with the Braves after having signed a minor league deal with the organization on Wednesday morning. Jon Heyman of the New York Post was the first to report the news.
If this process sounds familiar, it’s because we saw it play out a bunch of times with Jesse Chavez near the end of his career. I’m not saying that Martín Pérez is the new Coach Hat Man around here but it’s at least good to know that he’ll be sticking around in the minors for the time being. Pérez was pretty effective as a fifth starter for the Braves as he produced an ERA of 3.14 and a FIP of 4.07 across 14.1 innings of work and three appearances. Those numbers aren’t spectacular but for a fifth starter, that is perfectly fine.
For the time being, it seems like he’ll be staying active at Gwinnett while serving as organizational depth in case the Braves need him for a start or two — then he’ll either pitch his way into staying in the rotation or we’ll just have to do this merry-go-round all over again at some point down the road. We’ll see what happens.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 14: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 congratulates Jackson Merrill #3 after he scores on an RBI single hit by Xander Bogaerts #2 of the San Diego Padres during the third inning of a game at Petco Park on April 14, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres improved to 11-6 on the season with their sixth consecutive win last night. The Padres combined a solid start from Michael King with just enough offense off Seattle Mariners starter Bryan Woo to take the first game of the three-game series, 4-1. Xander Bogaerts drove in three of the four runs scored for San Diego and finished the night with three hits. Jackson Merrill also logged three hits in the game. King allowed just one run over six innings, and the bullpen trio of Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam and Mason Miller secured the win. The start from King was good to see after Padres fans learned prior to the start of the game that Nick Pivetta was going to the 15-day IL with elbow inflammation. The move allowed San Diego to bring Matt Waldron up from Triple-A El Paso and he was joined by Alek Jacob who also joined the MLB club. The Padres will look to continue their winning ways in the second game of the series against the Mariners today at 6:40 p.m.
Padres News:
Mason Miller has been the most dominant pitcher in the game since he joined the Padres at the trade deadline a season ago. Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball points to some minor changes to his mechanics that have allowed him to be even more effective this season.
Craig Stammen has had an interesting start to his managerial career with the Padres. He has shown he is not afraid to change the lineup, to give veterans days off or to play his superstar right fielder at second base. Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune says that is because Stammen is not managing scared.
Baseball News:
Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed a leadoff homerun to start the game against the New York Mets, but then settled in and shutdown the Mets offense to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 2-1 win.
Dominic Smith hit a walk-off home run to help the Atlanta Braves earn a win earlier in the season and he was the hero again on Tuesday with a three-run double to help the Braves complete a comeback win over the Miami Marlins.
Apr 14, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) looks on after a bulk is called on himself against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Welp, just when it seemed like the Yankees bats were waking up with their 11-10 walk-off win in the series opener against the Angels, they immediately went back to sleep scoring just one run in a listless middle-game loss. It never helps when your starting pitcher gives up back-to-back-to-back home runs in the first inning, but the offense has yet to score a run for Ryan Weathers in any of his four starts.
It was a full day of action around the league, so let’s see how the games involving the Yankees’ AL rivals shook out.
Minnesota Twins (11-7) 6, Boston Red Sox (6-11) 0
A day after Garrett Crochet got rocked in his worst start with the Red Sox, the Twins again thoroughly outclassed their opponents to continue their surprisingly hot start to the season. This time it was Mick Abel — headliner in the trade that netted the Phillies closer Jhoan Duran at last year’s Deadline — and Byron Buxton who stole the headlines. Abel authored the best start of his major league career, twirling seven scoreless innings allowing four hits and no walks to go along with ten strikeouts.
Buxton meanwhile was a one-man wrecking crew, going 4-for-5 with a pair of solo home runs. The first was to lead off the third — a 401-foot moonshot to left — followed by a mammoth 438-foot missile to left-center in the sixth.
The Twins tagged Sonny Gray for five runs on nine hits in four innings. Brooks Lee also left the yard to lead off the fourth, and three batters later Trevor Larnach drove in a pair with a single.
Toronto Blue Jays (7-9) 9, Milwaukee Brewers (8-8) 7
What looked like a pitchers’ duel pitting Kevin Gausman against the flame-throwing Jacob Misiorowski didn’t quite deliver on that billing, Gausman allowing three runs on six hits and three walks in five innings while Misiorowski allowed two runs on five hits and no walks across 5.1 innings, both striking out five. Instead, this contest was all about late-game chaos that continued into extra-innings, the Blue Jays riding clutch hitting to tie and then win the game.
Jake Bauers opened the scoring in the fourth with a three-run blast after Brice Turang led off with a single followed by a Gary Sánchez walk. Andrés Giménez responded with a two-out solo shot an inning later, and Daulton Varsho cut the deficit to one with a solo homer of his own in the sixth. The two sides traded runs in the seventh and eighth, Sánchez crushing his fifth home run of the year only to see it canceled out by an RBI groundout from Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
That brought Toronto to the ninth trailing by a run, only for Trevor Megill to blow the save. Eloy Jiménez drew a leadoff walk, advanced to third on a Davis Schneider double, and scored the game-tying run on a single by offseason signing Kazuma Okamoto. Giménez followed with an RBI groundout and Ernie Clement extended their new-found lead to two with a single.
To their credit, the Brewers immediately fought back, leveling the score on a two-out, two-run double by ex-Yankees farmhand Brandon Lockridge. Garrett Mitchell drew a walk to load the bases, but Louis Varland entered the game and put out the fire by striking out Joey Ortiz to send the game to extras.
In the tenth, Vladito slugged a one-out double to drive home the automatic runner, Jesús Sánchez then being issued an intentional walk to set up the killer two-run double by Myles Straw. Varland remained in the game, and though he allowed a pair of two-out singles to William Contreras and Turang to draw Milwaukee within two, he struck out Sánchez to end the game, single-handedly stranding five runners in 1.1 innings.
The Astros’ nine-day nightmare is over, Houston snapping their eight-game losing streak with the narrowest of victories over the Rockies, who had just swept them last week. Colorado actually scored the first three runs of the game, Hunter Goodman smashing a two-out solo shot in the first and Jake McCarthy a two-out, two-run triple in the second after Jordan Beck and Kyle Karros reached on consecutive two-out singles. Christian Walker crushed a solo shot in the second to get the Astros on the board, but it was the third inning that decided the outcome of this contest.
Michael Lorenzen gave up six runs in the frame, but only one of them was earned as Willi Castro committed a pair of back-breaking errors at second on a Jose Altuve pop up and Joey Loperfido soft liner. It wasn’t the only bit of shoddy defending that prolonged the frame and allowed runs to score, Karros failing to make a throw on a fielder’s choice and Ezequiel Tovar failing to make a play on a grounder that was generously scored a single. Yordan Alvarez drove in a pair with a double and Cam Smith another on a single as the only truly clean hits of the frame.
The Rockies didn’t go down quietly, Jordan Beck adding a solo shot in the fourth and Goodman his second of the night to lead off the fifth, while a Troy Johnston RBI single in the eighth made it a one-run game. They had other opportunities to score, but Mickey Moniak popped out to strand the bases loaded in the fourth and Beck struck out with a pair on to end the game.
San Diego Padres (11-6) 4, Seattle Mariners (8-10) 1
Michael King turned in six sharp innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits and two walks against five strikeouts to gain the upper hand over Bryan Woo and his seven innings of three-run ball on eight hits and a walk. Seattle struck first, Randy Arozarena and Luke Raley reaching on a pair of one-out singles followed by a J.P. Crawford hit-by-pitch to set up a sac fly from Dominic Canzone.
San Diego responded with three runs in the third. Ramón Laureano reached on a one-out triple and scored on a Fernando Tatis Jr. single. Jackson Merrill then singled and stole second to put a pair in scoring position, Xander Bogaerts cashing them both in with a bloop single to center.
Bogaerts drove in his third run of the contest in the eighth with a single after Merrill led off with a double. Mason Miller extended his scoreless streak to eight games to open the season, locking down what is already his fifth save.
Other Games
Detroit Tigers (8-9) 2, Kansas City Royals (7-10) 1
Cole Ragans an Framber Valdez put on a show, the former tossing six scoreless innings allowing one hit and four walks while the latter went seven innings, allowing a run on three hits and two walks. Kansas City held a 1-0 lead for most of the game, singles by Salvador Perez and Starling Marte and a Jonathan India walk loading the bases in the second to set up a Carter Jensen RBI ground out. But then Detroit finally broke through in the eighth, scoring two off reliever Nick Mears as Zach McKinstry led off with a double, rookie phenom Kevin McGonigle drew a walk, and Dillon Dingler drove them both home with a double.
St. Louis Cardinals (9-8) 6, Cleveland Guardians (10-8) 5
The start of this game was all about the solo home run, José Ramírez and Daniel Schneemann leaving the yard in the first and second only to have them canceled out by Iván Herrera in the first and JJ Wetherholt in the third. The rookie Wetherholt looks like the real deal, adding a two-run blast in the eighth after Cleveland scored three in the top-half of the frame on an RBI double by George Valera and two-run double by Angel Martínez. Cleveland closer Cade Smith was the most valuable reliever in each of the last two seasons, but he has struggled to start 2026. He came within one out of locking down the save, but a fielding error by second baseman Juan Brito on a Masyn Wynn grounder kept the inning alive for Yohel Pozo to send the game to extras with an RBI double. After the Guardians went down in order in the top of the tenth, Tim Herrin uncorked a first-pitch wild pitch to allow the automatic runner to advance to third, and on the next pitch Nathan Church walked it off with a sac fly.
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 29: Didier Fuentes #72 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the ninth inning during the game against the Kansas City Royals at Truist Park on March 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The story of Tuesday had to be a rough first inning for Atlanta Braves top prospect Didier Fuentes. More importantly the way he bounced back in a big way after facing that adversity to give Gwinnett seven solid innings. We also saw Sean Murphy start his rehab assignment, Aiven Cabral pitch a gem, and Herick Hernandez continued to make hitters struggle to make contact.
Memphis Redbirds 4, Gwinnett Stripers 3
Brett Wisely, 2B: 2-4, HR, 2B, R, RBI
Jim Jarvis, SS: 1-3, BB, R, RBI, 2 SB
DaShawn Keirsey Jr., CF: 2-4, 2B, R
Didier Fuentes, SP: 7 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Memphis scored four in the first and the Stripers were in comeback mode for the rest of the night, before falling just short at 4-3. It was Didier Fuentes’ night, which means he struggled out of the gate. He allowed those four first inning runs, though only three were earned, including a homer. However he settled down and went six additional innings without allowing a run. He allowed just three hits and no walks over his final six innings and picked up a total of five strikeouts on 13 whiffs. This ability to bounce back from adversity is definitely a plus for the talented young prospect, especially while facing a good lineup featuring a number of Cardinals prospects. Anderson Pilar pitched the eighth and didn’t allow a base runner, as the Stripers only needed two arms on Tuesday.
Once again Jim Jarvis stayed hot, but the story for the Striper lineup was actually his double play partner. Second baseman Brett Wisely was two for four with a homer and double, picking up a run scored and one batted in in the process.
Jarvis reached base multiple times again, going one for three with a walk, two steals, a run scored, and one batted in. Center fielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. also had a multi-hit game, going two for four with a double, and scoring one of the Stripers runs. The only other hit was a Jair Camargo single.
Biloxi Shuckers 4, Columbus Clingstones 2
Lizandro Espinoza, CF: 2-3, HR, BB, R, RBI, SB
David McCabe, DH: 1-3, BB, R
Herick Hernandez, SP: 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 7 K
The Herick Hernandez experience was on in this one. Hernandez mixed making guys swing and miss and missing with his command as he threw 46 of his 81 pitches for strikes, picking up four walks and seven strikeouts on 13 whiffs. Hernandez, who allowed a homer, was charged with three runs – though none of those were earned. Luis Vargas was next and allowed the fourth run to score during his inning and two thirds. Blayne Enlow pitched a scoreless inning and a third, while Blane Abeyta and Ryan Bourassa each threw a scoreless frame to complete things from the pitching side.
Columbus struggled to get the offense going in this one, which made this game feel like it was more out of reach than the final 4-2 score indicates. As a team they managed just three hits, from only two players, plus five walks. Lizandro Espinoza and David McCabe essentially were the offense. Espinoza homered, singled, walked, stole a base, scored a run, and batted one in as he reached base three times in his four trips to the dish.
McCabe singled, walked, and scored a run. Those two accounted for all of the Columbus hits and 40% of the walks, with Archer Brookman, Jordan Groshans, and Luke Waddell each having a walk as well.
This one was over early on, as Jersey Shore struck for two in the first and never looked back on their way to what looked like a 12-0 shutout, before Rome was able to punch in a run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Jeremy Reyes started for Rome and lasted just three and a third, allowing four runs on seven hits and a pair of walks. On the positive side he had four strikeouts and eight whiffs. David Rodriguez got the next inning and two thirds, allowing two runs (one earned), before Jacob Wallace went a scoreless frame – the lone Rome pitcher not to have anyone score on him last night. The game broke open when Trent Buchanan came in for a third of an inning and gave up four runs. The night was finished off by Logan Samuels allowing an unearned run in an inning and two third and finally Jacob Kroger allowing a run in his inning of work.
The offense never got started for the Emperors, as they scored their lone run with one out to go in the game after totaling just three hits in the game. Isaiah Drake, who scored the only run, Colby Jones, who had a double for the lone extra base hit, and Owen Carey, who also walked and batted in the run, were the three players to record hits. John Gil, Cody Miller, and Mason Guerra each joined Carey in drawing walks. A rehabbing Sean Murphy was hitless in two at bats, with one strikeout, before being removed from the game – something normal for rehabbing players in the Braves system.
Augusta GreenJackets 4, Fayetteville Wood Peckers 2
Aiven Cabral turned in a great start in this one. A late pick from Mike Glavine’s Northeastern squad last team, Cabral allowed a run on four hits and two walks over six innings for a quality start. Cabral struck out eight and picked up 14 whiffs in the process.
Styven Paez relieved Cabral and in his inning and two thirds, he didn’t allow a hit or run, though walked two and picked up a pair of strikeouts on seven whiffs. Jaylen Paden went the final inning and a third for the save, though the undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech did allow a solo homer in the ninth inning.
The story of the Augusta offense was a pair of recent high draft picks who struggled here last year, but are off to strong starts this year. Catcher Nick Montgomery, an overslot fifth rounder from 2024, was two for four with a double and a run, as he is looking far more advanced with both the bat and behind the plate than he looked just last year. Last year’s first round pick, Tate Southisene, was hitless in three at bats, but walked, scored a run, batted one in, and also stole two bases. Southisene continues to look great following a big week for himself last week. Luis Guanipa and Alex Lodise were each hitless in four at bats, with each picking up a pair of strikeouts. The recently activated Juan Mateo had a single in four at bats, and came home to score a run.
Apr 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz (55) argues with home plate umpire James Jean (61) after being ejected from the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Yesterday, the Mariners fell to the Padres 4-1 in the first of a three-game set. They’ll look to get back in the win column this evening with Emerson Hancock taking the mound.
If you’re local to the Seattle area, don’t forget to join the Lookout Landing community at the Mariners watch party tomorrow, taking place at The Rebel in Wallingford!
Julio Rodríguez is following in the footsteps of Mariner greats before him — such as Ken Griffey, Jr. and Randy Johnson — by picking up a photography hobby (well, videography in his case, but just roll with it).
J.P. Crawford showcased his value as a bottom-of-the-order table setter in this recent series against the Astros, writes Brent Stecker.
Speaking of, John Trupin and Isabelle Minasian recorded an episode straight off the high of the four-game sweep of the Astros (Spotify link; Apple link).
Around the league…
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz suffered at least seven fractures in his cheek and a broken jaw when he was hit in the face by a line drive during Monday’s game against the Diamondbacks.
MLB players are just like us, using group chats to communicate with one another. Andy McCullough at The Athletic dove into how players use modern modes of communication to speak to one another, and how trades impact the group chat dynamic. ($)
It sounds like Astros starter Tatsuya Imai is struggling with the adjustment to American baseball.
When asked about outside of baseball, Imai said through interpreter: "The travel is different from Japan, and also the timing when players eat. So in Japan, the players, when they get back to the hotel, they eat their dinner. But in here, the players eat at the stadium." https://t.co/zD3YgBTpMx
Welcome back to A Pod of Their Own, an all-women led Home Run Applesauce podcast where we talk all things Mets, social justice issues in baseball, and normalize female voices in the sports podcasting space.
This week, we begin by discussing the Mets’ current losing streak and evaluate our level of concern about the offense, which has been struggling mightily during this stretch.
Next, we talk about how nobody (except the Dodgers) really looks all that formidable across the league. We also highlight two excellent pieces of baseball reporting from the past week: a piece by Alden Gonzalez of ESPN about the tragic death of a Dominican teenager at the hands of a corrupt system and a story by Sam Blum at The Athletic about corruption of a different stripe—a sham frozen yogurt company that managed to scam the Angels and Diamondbacks out of millions of dollars.
Finally, we wrap things up with Walk-off Wins, where each of us talks about what’s making us happy this week, baseball-related or otherwise.
You can listen or subscribe to all of our wonderful Home Run Applesauce podcasts through Apple Podcasts, where we encourage you to leave a review if you enjoy the show. It really helps! And you can find us on the Stitcher app, Spotify, or listen wherever you get podcasts. You can also support our work by subscribing to our Patreon, which will get you bonus episodes, access to our Discord server, livestream experiences, an exclusive monthly playlist, and more!
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Oct 27, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) and Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) have words during the third quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
It’s win or stay home (to play the Hornets) for the Sixers when they host the Orlando Magic in the East’s 7-8 Play-In game Wednesday night.
After Charlotte’s thrilling overtime win Tuesday night, we know what’s at stake in this one: the winner of Sixers-Magic will head to Boston for a playoff matchup with the Celtics starting Sunday afternoon. The loser will host the Hornets Friday with one last chance to make the postseason and take on the top-seeded Detroit Pistons.
Both teams come into this one in weird places.
The Magic made a huge splash this past offseason to acquire Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies. The thought was Bane could be an ideal complement to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Orlando became a trendy pick to potentially win the Eastern Conference. Between injuries and inconsistencies, the team never truly took off this season. Their regular season culminated in a loss to the Hospital Celtics, which cost the Magic the opportunity to host this game instead of heading to South Philly.
The trio of Bane, Banchero and Wagner is still a dangerous one. Any of them could go off and have a big scoring night. Their top reserve, Anthony Black, had a strong regular season and was excellent against the Sixers this season. The biggest challenge for the Sixers will be contending with the Magic’s size, but with Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Dominick Barlow all healthy, they should be able to handle it.
Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe will be one of the most dangerous backcourts in the NBA playoffs (if they make it there). They face a stiff test tonight from the dogged Jalen Suggs and Bane. We’ll see how Maxey and his strained pinky tendon fare with those two aggressive guards swiping at it all night.
The center position might be the X-factor in this one. With Joel Embiid still out, Andre Drummond and Adem Bona will be the only true bigs available for the Sixers. The guess here is Drummond gets the starting nod based off his experience and Orlando’s aforementioned size. The good news for the Sixers is the Magic don’t have a true stretch big option. Wendell Carter Jr. will shoot threes, but he made just 31.9% on the season. However, both Carter and backup Goga Bitadze average over two offensive rebounds a game — and we all know about the Sixers’ issues there.
This game has serious rock fight potential. Neither squad is a great three-point shooting team. The Sixers hold a slight advantage there with Maxey, George, Edgecombe and Oubre all being legitimate threats from deep this season. And don’t forget about Drummond entering his Splash Mountain era.
Without Embiid, this will be a difficult matchup for the Sixers, but it’s a winnable game. The Magic are in a weird place after a disappointing regular season with plenty of questions surrounding the job security of head coach Jamahl Mosley. It might behoove the Sixers to jump on Orlando early by forcing turnovers and getting out and on the break.
Aside from Embiid, the Sixers will still be without rookie big Johni Broome. Trendon Watford is considered probable with an illness. For the Magic, Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain) and Jett Howard (left ankle sprain) are questionable. The health of Wagner, who’s still battling back from a high left ankle sprain, is also worth monitoring.
Game Details
When: Wednesday, April 15, 7:30 PM ET Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA Watch: Amazon Prime Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic Follow:@LibertyBallers