The Detroit Tigers evened up their four-game series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Saturday with a 4-1 win behind an ace performance by Tarik Skubal and his 10 strikeouts.
The victory brought AJ Hinch’s squad back above the .500 mark and within a half game of the American Central Division lead, behind the 12-10 Cleveland Guardians; they are also tied with the Minnesota Twins at 11-10. Not that the standings mean too much early in the season, but it always feels good to be trending toward the top.
On Sunday, the two teams will play Game 3 in a faceoff between a pair of big-name southpaws. Detroit has Framber Valdez on the mound, having given the Tigers many quality innings so far this season, up against Garrett Crochet, who has not been quite as good as his talent level would suggest.
Take a look at how they match up below.
Detroit Tigers (11-10) vs. Boston Red Sox (8-12)
Time (ET): 4:35 p.m. Place: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts SB Nation Site:Over the Monster Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 22: LHP Framber Valdez (1-1, 3.75 ERA) vs. LHP Garrett Crochet (2-2, 7.58 ERA)
The New York Yankees look for a series sweep when they host the Kansas City Royals this afternoon. New York starter Ryan Weathers has thrown better than his numbers suggest, and my Royals vs. Yankees predictions anticipate a comfortable win for the Bronx Bombers. Find out more in my MLB picks for Sunday, April 19.
Who will win Royals vs Yankees today: Yankees -1.5 (+165)
Ryan Weathers doesn’t need to be perfect today — he just needs to be better than Cole Ragans, and that bar isn’t especially high.
Ragans walks nearly 15% of the batters he faces, and the Kansas City Royals bullpen has been leaking runs, posting a 6.08 ERA with 1.55 home runs allowed per nine innings.
The moneyline price is solid, but the run line is where the real value lies.
COVERS INTEL: The Royals’ bullpen ranks bottom five in MLB with a 4.67 xFIP and a ninth-worst 4.25 SIERA.
Royals vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (+100)
Ragans has command issues and is prone to the long ball. When he exits early, the Kansas City bullpen has been a disaster, and this Yankee lineup is beefy, having already scored 17 runs in this series.
The Yankees will feast, but Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia are no pushovers either, both posting xwOBAs above .350 against a mediocre Yankees bullpen.
Runs are coming from both sides, poor weather be damned. Back the Over.
Phil Naessens' 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 2-3, -0.85 units
Over/Under bets: 3-1, +1.94 units
Royals vs Yankees odds
Moneyline: Royals +122 | Yankees -127
Run line: Royals +1.5 (-200) | Yankees -1.5 (+165)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+100) | Under 8.5 (-120)
Royals vs Yankees trend
New York has covered the run line in four of its last five meetings with the Royals. Find more MLB betting trends for Royals vs. Yankees.
How to watch Royals vs Yankees and game info
Location
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Date
Sunday, April 19, 2026
First pitch
1:35 p.m. ET
TV
Royals.TV, YES
Royals starting pitcher
Cole Ragans (0-3, 3.78 ERA)
Yankees starting pitcher
Ryan Weathers (0-2, 4.29 ERA)
Royals vs Yankees latest injuries
Royals vs Yankees weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Sunday’s 15-game slate offers some intriguing value spots that the markets may not have fully priced in.
We’ve got several starting pitchers due for regression against lineups that underlying metrics suggest are primed to break out, while some seemingly weaker starters are actually performing better than the surface numbers indicate.
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Expert MLB moneyline picks for April 19
Tigers vs Red Sox: Tigers (+117)
Tigers win probability: 46%
Framber Valdez is one of the best arms in this game. Boston sits at 8-11, and being favored at -122 is a market mistake.
Tigers plus money offers strong value.
Royals vs Yankees: Yankees (-150)
Yankees win probability: 60%
This matchup features shaky starting pitching, and I expect a slugfest.
That being the case, the Yankees have better hitters, while Kansas City has been brutal on the road.
Giants vs Nationals: Giants (-122)
Giants win probability: 55%
Miles Mikolas has been highly inefficient.
Robbie Ray has been good thus far, and we’ll eat the juice and roll with Ray and the Giants to hammer Mikolas today.
Rays vs Pirates: Rays (+117)
Rays win probability: 46%
Shane McClanahan is coming off his best start of the season, while Mitch Keller is coming off his worst.
The Rays' sticks have been solid and are worth backing at plus-money.
Orioles vs Guardians: Guardians (-122)
Guardians win probability: 55%
Joey Cantillo is the real deal, while Trevor Rogers boasts a .404 xFIP.
Cantillo is a fireballer, and the Orioles’ top-10 strikeout rate should get overwhelmed by the young lefty and the Guardians’ bats.
Brewers vs Marlins: Brewers (-104)
Brewers win probability: 51%
We have two fireballers on the hill this afternoon, along with a low total.
Jacob Misiorowski has been prone to the long ball, but I’m backing the Brewers' bats against Eury Perez and his command issues.
Reds vs Twins: Reds (+104)
Reds win probability: 48%
Believe it or not, Cincinnati has been more effective away from Great American Ballpark.
Bailey Ober has struggled to find any consistency, and Minny's bats won’t save him today.
Cardinals vs Astros: Cardinals (+122)
Cardinals win probability: 45%
Mike Burrows has struggled mightily to begin the season.
The Cardinals can score runs, and Matthew Liberatore will pitch decently enough to give the Cardinals' bats a chance to pull off the road upset.
Mets vs Cubs: Cubs (-113)
Cubs win probability: 53%
David Peterson and the Mets have both been brutal this season.
I’ll back the home team and its surging offense as short home favorites.
Dodgers vs Rockies: Rockies (+261)
Rockies win probability: 28%
We have two starters prone to the long ball, and two lineups full of sticks to capitalize on it.
The Rockies have a plus .500 mark at home, and there is no way I am backing Roki Sasaki at Coors.
Hold your nose and take Colorado.
White Sox vs Athletics: Athletics (-156)
Athletics win probability: 61%
Jeffrey Springs has been dynamite for the Athletics, while Noah Schultz is a rookie coming off a tough start.
The A’s are a more consistent offense with a better bullpen. Back Springs and the Athletics bats today.
Padres vs Angels: Angels (-104)
Angels win probability: 51%
Mike Trout seems to have found his stroke, and the Angels are scoring runs in bunches.
Michael King’s underlying metrics suggest he could get lit up today, while Reid Detmers numbers are solid.
Rangers vs Mariners: Rangers (+117)
Rangers win probability: 46%
Mackenzie Gore’s numbers are better than they already suggest, and the Mariners' offense will give Bryan Woo little support.
Texas has been heating up on offense, and I’ll take the Rangers at good value.
Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks: Blue Jays (+113)
Blue Jays win probability: 46%
Although Toronto’s offense is riding the struggle bus, Ryne Nelson surrenders nearly two bombs per nine.
Let’s bet on the Jays' offense turning things around this afternoon.
Braves vs Phillies: Phillies (-107)
Blue Jays win probability: 52%
Andrew Painter and his 2.20 xERA look solid, whereas Clay Holmes’ xERA is two points higher than his ERA.
The Phillies' bullpen is also elite, so I’ll back Painter and the bullpen to get the job done tonight.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 18: Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) celebrates after hitting a home run during the eighth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Guardians on April 18, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Hello, friends.
In yesterday’s edition of the Bird Droppings, Tyler Young began by saying, “The Orioles offense is having a weird weekend in Cleveland.” They’re still doing it. They lost on Saturday to add another weird game to the pile, one in which they had only four hits all game (actually out-hitting the Guardians) but also struck out 16 times, with Pete Alonso and Colton Cowser each collecting the ol’ golden sombrero. It wasn’t great. Check out Andrea’s recap of the game for more of the not-so-lovely totals.
This was a game that was winnable, if not for the total lack of offense beyond each of Leody Taveras and Gunnar Henderson hitting a solo homer. Dean Kremer turned in the minimum quality start, six innings with three earned runs allowed, with all of the damage coming on one swing. Annoying to get beaten by the #9 hitter getting a three-run homer. Still, if the offense was performing according to expectations, that’s good enough to win. They just… aren’t.
If you’re inclined to make allowances for the Orioles this weekend, it is worth noting that yesterday’s Guardians starter, Gavin Williams, was pretty darn good a year ago and so far this year has been on an even greater form for recording strikeouts. He brought a 2.38 ERA into yesterday’s game. It’s not like getting rocked by some random joker who came in with a 9 ERA. Still, it doesn’t feel good.
Although the Orioles are, at least, successfully mounting some comebacks to fight off this feeling somewhat, there are still a lot of games where it feels like not enough has changed since last year’s set of problems. It’s too early to say they haven’t fixed them. We are 13% of the way through the season. It’s just, it would feel better if it seemed like they had fixed some of them – especially if guys like Colton Cowser and Coby Mayo were looking capable at the plate instead of… whatever they are doing.
Today is a new day and a chance to start writing a different story. Not that it will be easy to do this. Another Guardians starter who’s been good so far this year awaits. This one is Joey Cantillo, a lefty with a 2.61 ERA through his first four starts. Are we going to get the whopper lineup with Johnathan Rodríguez as the cleanup hitter again all because it’s a lefty? The Orioles also have a lefty going on the mound in the form of Trevor Rogers. Last year’s ace wasn’t too good last time around. Hopefully it goes better. The finale is set to start at 1:40 Eastern. It’s going to be cold over there in Cleveland.
Rico Garcia’s hitless streak to open the season (Orioles.com) People are noticing that Rico Garcia has been very, very good, which means his excellent streak is definitely going to end today.
In their 21st game last year, the Orioles were figuratively slaughtered on Easter against the Reds, getting pasted by a 24-2 margin. Every Oriole who pitched in the game, starting with Charlie Morton and ending with backup catcher Gary Sánchez, gave up at least three runs. They fell to 9-12 after this blowout loss.
There are a pair of former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2008-09 reliever George Sherrill, and 1997-99 pitcher Scott Kamieniecki. Today is Kamieniecki’s 62nd birthday, so an extra happy birthday to him.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: Declaration of Independence signer Roger Sherman (1721), Al Capone investigator Eliot Ness (1903), actress Ashley Judd (1968), and baseball Hall of Famer Joe Mauer (1983).
On this day in history…
In 1713, the reigning Holy Roman Emperor, Charles VI, who at that point had no living male children, issued the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 to state that his titles, including the throne of Austria, could be inherited by a daughter. In spite of this, a seven-year conflict called the War of the Austrian Succession broke out after his death.
In 1775, colonial militias clashed with the British military in battles around Lexington and Concord in present day Massachusetts, the first substantial battles in what ultimately became a successful war for American independence.
In 1861, a mob of secessionists attacked army troops who were marching through Baltimore. 17 people were killed during this rioting, among them five soldiers. These were the first Union soldiers killed in some kind of hostile action of the Civil War.
In 1995, the federal office building in Oklahoma City was bombed. There were 168 people killed by this act of domestic terrorism, including 19 children who were six or younger.
**
And that’s the way it is in Birdland on April 19. Have a safe Sunday. Go O’s!
Lakers guard Luke Kennard protects the basketball under pressure from Rockets guard Amen Thompson Saturday. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Luke-ah?
With star guard Luka Doncic back on the Lakers sideline but still out indefinitely, Luke Kennard did his best impression of the NBA’s leading scorer Saturday, catapulting the Lakers to a 107-98 win over the Houston Rockets to give the Lakers a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round playoff series.
Kennard drained all five of his three-point attempts, including three in the fourth quarter. Threes while curling off screens or taking hand-offs from teammates are routine for the NBA’s leading three-point shooter. But Kennard may have surprised even himself when he drove against Houston’s Jabari Smith, U-turned, scampered back outside the three-point line and drained a three from the wing.
The Crypto.com Arena crowd that was buzzing from the opening tip to the final horn erupted. Kennard screamed.
"My word is speechless, to be honest," center Deandre Ayton said of Kennard's performance. "Seeing him five-for-five in a playoff game as a Laker. Yeah, it hits different."
Lakers center Deandre Ayton, left, celebrates with guard Luke Kennard after hit a three-pointer against the Rockets during Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
“To do it especially at a place like this, playing for the Lakers on the biggest stage in basketball, it means a lot to me," Kennard said, "and what I've done and just credit to the work I've put in and how I prepared leading up to this."
Since Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) were injured on April 2, Kennard has had to adjust his role to include more ball handling. He typified the Lakers’ adaptability with 32 assists in the last five games of the regular season after averaging 1.7 assists per game since joining the team. But he lamented that he wasn’t shooting to his standard.
Compared to his league-best 47.8%, his 30.8% shooting from three during the past five games felt like a slump.
Each shot, whether a make or miss, still helped Kennard develop a rhythm entering the playoffs, he said. Now if he sees even a sliver of daylight, he’ll be ready to shoot. It’s exactly what the Lakers want to see.
“I just liked that he was aggressive shooting threes,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “I mean, he played a fantastic basketball game.”
Kennard, who also had three assists and four rebounds, was nine for 13 from the field as the Lakers, who shot 60.6% as a team, shot 60% or better in a playoff game for the first time since the first round of the 2009 playoffs. Led by Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, the Lakers won their first of back-to-back titles that year.
All five of the Lakers starters scored in double figures. LeBron James had 19 points and 13 assists, and Ayton had 19 points and 11 rebounds while helping keep two-time All-Star Alperen Sengun to 19 points on inefficient six-for-19 shooting. The Rockets, who were without Kevin Durant because of a minor knee injury, shot 37.6% from the floor.
“Everybody played a big role tonight and I feel that just speaks to what we've been the last few weeks with guys out,” Kennard said. “It's going to take everybody. We know that. We got to continue to elevate each other and push each other and continue to be a team.”
Doncic reunited with the team Saturday after he spent the past two weeks in Europe getting specialized treatment on his Grade 2 left hamstring strain. Dressed in a crisp white button up shirt and khaki pants, Doncic sat next to Reaves on the bench. They rose to their feet every time Kennard set up for a three. They handed out high fives at every time out.
The injuries to Doncic and Reaves turned the Lakers into the perceived sitting duck of the competitive Western Conference playoffs. Critics felt the team couldn’t survive one playoff round with the 41-year-old James as its sole offensive catalyst.
A welcoming cheer from Lakers fans during starting lineups serves as a reminder that James still has backup.
New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov still has work to do before getting back to the NHL. But he took steps in the right direction this past week, playing in two rehab games down in Bridgeport.
He went 2-0-0, making 18 saves on 20 shots in a 5-2 win back on Wednesday before turning aside 28 of 29 in a 2-1 win over the Hershey Bears on Saturday.
These were his first two games since Nov. 29, 2024, before he underwent knee procedures on both knees.
Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said that Varlamov, who has one season left on his contract at $2.75 million, is a realistic backup option for Ilya Sorokin in 2026-27.
If he keeps looking the way he's looked, Varlamov's dream to get back to the NHL after so much time away will become a reality.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could receive league MVP honors for the second year in a row.Photograph: Nate Billings/AP
The NBA has not seen a reigning champion take its title defense as far as the conference finals, let alone hoist a second consecutive Larry O’Brien trophy, since the Golden State Warriors were cut off at the ankle and calf by the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 Finals. That’s seven straight seasons in which parity has ruled supreme, for better or for worse, and dynastic runs seem fated to be a thing of the past.
Not if one team in America’s heartland has anything to say about it. The Oklahoma City Thunder embark on these 2026 playoffs in search of historic greatness, trends be damned. And less than two weeks before the first game of the postseason tips off, you’d be hard pressed to find substantive evidence to believe their goal won’t be achieved.
Oklahoma City will be the No 1 seed in the bloodbath that is the NBA’s Western Conference for the third consecutive year this season. The last time a team has accomplished this particular feat, three straight years atop their conference? That aforementioned Warriors outfit (in 2017). And it’s rarefied air in NBA history in general: the only other teams to hold down the top spot that long, respectively, are the creme de la creme: the Celtics and Lakers’ top rosters in their storied histories, and the Jordan Bulls. Every team with this accomplishment finished with the ultimate accomplishment: an NBA championship.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, MVP frontrunner for the second consecutive year, also exists in rarefied air at the moment. He has the potential to receive both league MVP and NBA Finals MVP honors in consecutive years. If he does, he’d be the first to do it since LeBron James in 2012 and 2013. A big part of Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP case – and why he’s heavily favored to win the award again this season – comes down to his hyperreliable efficiency, something of which even James himself has taken note. Of the Thunder star on the most recent episode of his Mind the Game podcast, James said: “That’s one of the things I love about Shai – for him to play on the perimeter as much as he does, in the midrange as much as he does, and still be as super efficient as he is? It’s Jordan-esque, for sure.”
But there’s a reason, of course, that no team has successfully mounted a title defense since the 2017-18 Warriors. It’s really difficult to do, and increasingly so as the league has become more and more talented, and as the ability to weather the war of attrition nature of the playoffs has become paramount. The mental and physical toll of an 82-game regular-season grind certainly doesn’t get any easier to muddle through after a championship, and the only Thunder with experience in that particular arena, veteran guard Alex Caruso, knows that all too well. I ask him what advice he had, if any, for his younger compatriots this summer, heading into a title defense.
“Really just trying to stay present. Each year is a different team in the league,” he says. “I tried to tell them just stay present, enjoy the moment with the team we have now, because it’s not guaranteed that you get to try and play for a championship or play on a great team every single year.”
What about the natural lag in urgency that seems almost inevitable once you’ve submitted the mountaintop?
“You fight human nature a little bit through the regular season,” he tells me. “But once the postseason starts, it’s kind of do-or-die, and that mentality, that feeling, is pretty easy to chase again.”
It’s worth noting that another notch in the “Oklahoma City will repeat” column is that, by all accounts, the young bucks on the team didn’t even really need much cajoling when it came to maintaining their focus throughout a long, arduous season. I ask head coach Mark Daigneault about the unique challenge that a championship defense presents, and how he’s steered his troop through it.
“This team, to be honest with you – it is a long season and it is a grind, but this is a team that truly enjoys being around one another,” he says. “The minute they get together on the bus, it seems that their energy goes up. When they’re together in practice or shoot-around, their energy goes up. Even in games, they gain energy by being around each other, and they’ve kind of always been like that. So, that’s been a quality that’s existed independently of context.”
Daigneault also emphasizes that he encourages players not to even consider the season a “defense”, per se. “We’ve tried to look at it as a new season, that started from scratch,” he tells me in Los Angeles. “Last year was great, no one’s taken that away from us, but it’s also over. And we’ve tried to look at this season as a new blank canvas that we’ve had to paint on, or whatever you will. So, they’ve done a great job of that, and we’ve been able to play pretty consistent basketball throughout the season as a result.”
The Thunder aren’t repeat champions yet – that’s why you play the games, as they say. But between their level heads, stellar leadership, youth, athleticism and skill, they are as primed as any team in recent NBA history to get the job done.
This photograph of Rick Monday saving the American flag, taken by James Roark of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, was lauded by Times columnist Jim Murray as "the most famous picture of its kind since the flag-raising at Iwo Jima." (Herald Examiner / Associated Press)
There are the great moments we saw, and then there are the great moments we feel we saw. We have heard about them, seen them, talked about them so often that we feel like we were there, even if we might not have been alive at the time.
For generations of Dodgers fans, Vin Scully was our historian, with words so memorable we feel as if we lived those experiences, so perfect fans repeat them to this day.
In 1965, for the Sandy Koufax perfect game: “There’s 29,000 people in the ballpark and a million butterflies.”
In 1988, for a walk-off home run by the hobbled Kirk Gibson in the World Series: “In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened!”
In 1990, for the Fernando Valenzuela no-hitter: “If you have a sombrero, throw it to the sky!”
On April 25, 1976, for perhaps the only time in the 67-year career of the best broadcaster in baseball history, Vin Scully didn’t know quite what to say.
“There’s two of them,” Scully said. “All right.”
Two people had run onto the field at Dodger Stadium, in the middle of the game. That was not entirely unusual in the disco era. A woman nicknamed “Morganna the Kissing Bandit” hopped fences and interrupted games to smooch players.
But this was something unfamiliar. Tension was in the air. Three seconds of silence, then Scully resumed his narration, his voice flat for the first sentence, rising with incredulity in the second and with exclamation in the third: “I’m not sure what he’s doing out there. It looks like he’s going to burn a flag.
“And Rick Monday runs in and takes it away from him!”
“It just happened in 10 seconds,” Dodgers historian Mark Langill said. “Fifty years later, we’re still talking about it.”
It was the play that defined an already distinguished career. On Saturday, the 50th anniversary of the day he rescued the American flag, the Dodgers will honor Monday before they play the Chicago Cubs — the team for which he played on that day in 1976.
The flag itself — presented to Monday two weeks later by Dodgers general manager Al Campanis — will be on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, as America celebrates its 250th birthday.
Monday, who served in the Marine Corps reserves during his major league career, has used the flag to raise money for veterans and their families, but he never has loaned it for a long-term exhibition.
Seldom does a day pass without someone coming up to Monday to say thank you, or to shake his hand.
“It is nothing that he seeks out,” said Charley Steiner, Monday’s partner on Dodgers broadcasts for 22 years. “Whether we’re at Dodger Stadium or on the road somewhere, people will just come up and say hi.
There was nothing flashy in the rescue. Monday leaned down, grabbed the flag without breaking stride, and delivered it to pitcher Doug Rau in the dugout. He returned to his position in center field, serenaded by a standing ovation.
Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ publicist at the time and later the general manager, sent word to the scoreboard operator to display a congratulatory message. When Monday came to bat in the next inning, the scoreboard read: “RICK MONDAY … YOU MADE A GREAT PLAY.”
Said former Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley: “It’s one of the great moments in Dodger history.”
That moment came courtesy of a guy wearing a Cubs uniform, but Monday grew up in Santa Monica and delivered his spontaneous commemoration of Flag Day in the year of America’s bicentennial.
“It all came together,” Steiner said. “The hometown kid, visiting from Chicago, doing what he did at that time in American history, it was just an unbelievable confluence of events.
“And then, lo and behold, he becomes a Dodger. And he has been a Dodger ever since.”
After the 1976 season, the Dodgers traded Bill Buckner to the Cubs for Monday, who played the final eight years of his career in Los Angeles. He was the first player drafted in the first-ever baseball draft in 1965, a two-time All-Star and 1981 World Series champion that might have been best remembered for hitting the home run that lifted the Dodgers past the Montreal Expos in the 1981 National League Championship Series.
Best remembered, that is, if not for the flag rescue that elevated him from a ballplayer to a hero.
“Whether you’re a casual fan or an avid fan, you know of that moment if you grew up as a fan in Los Angeles,” Hall of Fame president Josh Rawitch said.
And beyond. Steiner, who was news director of a radio station in Hartford, Conn., that day, said Monday’s play instantly made headlines on the East Coast. President Ford called Monday after the game.
In 2006, the U.S. Senate formally presented him with a proclamation of appreciation. Two years later, President George W. Bush invited him to the White House.
Rick Monday stands near a flag he rescued from being burnt by protesters at Dodger Stadium during a news conference on Capitol Hill on June 14, 2006 in Washington. The news conference was held on Flag Day to support the proposed Flag Protection Amendment. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images)
The award-winning photograph of Monday swiping the flag, taken by James Roark of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, was lauded by Times columnist Jim Murray as “the most famous picture of its kind since the flag-raising at Iwo Jima.”
“It about as unique a moment in U.S. baseball history as there’s been,” Rawitch said, “and I think that’s probably why people connect to it.”
Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, but that game was on the schedule. History, yes, but no surprise. Same when Bush threw out the first pitch during a World Series game in New York after 9/11.
The father and son that invaded the field at Dodger Stadium that day never have spoken publicly about why they did. But all was not well in America in 1976, in the aftermath of the unpopular Vietnam War and the presidential scandal that was Watergate, and beset by soaring gasoline prices amid crisis in the Middle East.
We hear echoes of all three themes today. In an Ipsos poll released this month, a majority of Americans said the country’s best days are behind us and said we are “splitting apart” as a nation.
However, 80% said military veterans reflect “core America values,” including service and commitment to the greater good. And, among a list of icons that included the Statue of Liberty and the White House, respondents most often selected the U.S. flag as the one they associated most closely with America.
Perhaps Monday and his flag can help renew a sense of national unity, borrowing from the astonishment that pervaded Scully’s voice that day in 1976, once he finally figured out what was happening: “I think a guy was going to set fire to the American flag. Can you imagine that?”
It turned out to be a great call after all. In 2022, as soon as he learned Scully had died, Monday listened to Scully’s call one more time.
Lakers forward LeBron James wraps a pass around Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. as coach JJ Redick watches from the sideline during the second half of their first-round playoff series opener on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers limped painfully into the playoffs Saturday night only to delightfully discover a miracle salve.
An opponent as mangled as they were.
Yes, the Lakers are beginning this tournament seriously hampered by the indefinite absences of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
But — surprise, surprise — the Houston Rockets showed up with a bad leg of their own, a recently suffered knee contusion that sidelined leading scorer Kevin Durant for at least the first game of this first-round series.
The result? Check out the wide-mouthed scream unleashed by the Lakers' Luke Kennard midway through the fourth quarter.
No Durant meant no Laker problem, a potentially tough battle never appearing in doubt, the Lakers earning a 107-98 victory at Crypto.com Arena that represented the triumph of connection over confusion.
The Lakers were connected, apparently having had time to adjust to the loss of their two leading scorers, LeBron James acting as a brilliant playmaker for scorching hot shooters like Kennard, who hit all five of his treys in scoring a career playoff-high 27 points.
The Rockets were confused, Durant being a late scratch and their attack being lost without him, Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson combining for 38 shots and a bunch of misses.
At one end, the Lakers were perfectly executing, the 41-year-old James becoming the oldest player to have 13 assists in a playoff game, Deandre Ayton missing only two of 10 shots inside, so much nifty passing, so many open looks.
On the other end, the Rockets were a complete mess, dissolving in two whining technical fouls in the third quarter that sealed their fate.
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, sprawled on the court, reaches for a loose ball in the paint during the first quarter. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers might be missing Doncic and Reaves but, man, the Rockets really, really, really missed Durant.
The Lakers were good enough to win despite being outrebounded 21-3 on the offensive glass. They were good enough to survive despite committing 20 turnovers.
They were so efficient despite their obvious deficiencies, one has to wonder … could this one game blend into several games? Say, as many as three more wins in this best-of-seven series?
Could the Lakers actually steal this first round?
At first glance, this result could mean nothing, just one fortunate win by an injured team against another injured team, the Lakers underdogs again in Game 2 if Durant returns as expected.
However, this result could also mean everything, the Lakers gaining the confidence they need to defeat the Rockets even with Durant, this being a game that could create the kind of rich belief that could result in a deeper spring run.
Lakers center Deandre Ayton dunks between two Rocket defenders in Game 1. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Think about it. This game could be a springboard to a series win that would lead to a Western Conference semifinal series in two weeks. By that time, even though the odds are against it, let’s say Doncic and Reaves attempt to play and, even though the likely opponent would be the NBA-best Oklahoma City Thunder, who knows what happens?
It won’t happen. It can’t happen. It was recently written in this space that it should never happen, that the Lakers shouldn’t risk further injury by rushing back Doncic or Reaves, that they should forget about this season and focus on next October.
Then again … who knew Kevin Durant would bang his knee? And who knew the NBA would stretch out this first-round series long enough to give Doncic and Reaves more healing time?
Enough, enough. Let’s put a pause on all this speculation and just enjoy what Saturday’s playoff opener wrought.
For the first time since the two injuries, the Lakers were fun again. For the first time since they went 15-2 in one stretch this spring, they seemed actually really good again.
After they blew a distraction-filled, first-round series against Minnesota last season, coach JJ Redick has long preached to them about ignoring the noise and creating a singular playoff mentality. That mentality was in full effect Saturday as they played as if they were at full strength, and the Rockets were at full strength, and they were just the better team.
“You can’t worry about who is in or out of the lineup,” said Redick. “Its our game plan, our standards, it’s how we play, we’ve built toward that.”
And thus bulldozed the hapless Houstoners.
“Our guys … met the moment,” he said.
Coach JJ Redick and the Lakers executed a game plan to steal Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Saturday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
So did Redick, who deserves credit for reacting to the late news of Durant’s absence, as he and his esteemed coaching staff drew up effective adjustments on the fly.
“There’s a lot that you have to do with Kevin,” Redick acknowledged. “You scrap that and move on to all the other stuff.”
Meanwhile, the Lakers showed some seriously good stuff early, coming out firing in the first quarter, scoring on their first three shots, eight of their first nine, and eventually 16 of their first 20.
James was everywhere, moving the ball, setting up his teammates, recording an amazing eight assists in the first quarter, his best single assist quarter among his 294 playoff games. All that, and during the quarter he flew into the baseline seats striving for a loose ball.
“He displayed great vision throughout,” Redick said of James, who scored 19 points in 38 minutes and was a team-high plus 11. “We talked all week about being connected offensively. He led us there.”
The tone had been set … and continued to be set after James made a flying pin-against-the-backboard block of Thompson in the second quarter … and then he really got loud after Houston took advantage of all those Lakers turnovers to take a brief lead early in the third.
James barked at Rui Hachimura, who screamed back, ‘What?'”
Lakers forwardLeBron James celebrates a basket over Rockets forward Tari Eason during Game 1 on Saturday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Play better, that’s what. And that’s exactly what they did, Hachimura hitting a three, Kennard hitting a three, James scoring twice on back-in layups and then making a great steal at midcourt. The ferocity of the Lakers answer rattled Houston such that the Rockets were hit with two technical fouls on unbridled anger from Jae’Sean Tate and coach Ime Udoka. Then they absorbed further insult on a soaring blocked shot by Jake LaRavia.
By the fourth quarter, this game was over, leaving it to Kennard to send the crowd howling into the night by supplying three fourth-quarter treys on three attempts and making a Game 1 MVP out of Rob Pelinka.
The Lakers embattled basketball boss smartly acquired renowned shooter Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks in early February for Gabe Vincent and a second-round draft pick and … are you kidding me? Kennard was making half of his three-point attempts at the time of the trade. How did Pelinka acquire him so relatively cheap?
“I liked that he was aggressive,” said Redick of Kennard’s Saturday showcase. “There’s a snowball effect to that.”
Before this series, the Lakers had a snowball in hell’s chance of winning it.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 18: Anthony Mantha #39 of the Pittsburgh Penguins looks on against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game One of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 18, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
There was a fun nugget in Elliotte Friedman’s recent 32 Thoughts
The Penguins are one of the league’s great stories and they are fun to watch. One scout said Anthony Mantha may be the most-watched player by other teams in Round 1
Mantha had a career-best season, exploding for 33 goals and 64 points, while appearing in 81 games. That’s the legwork to get a big contract this summer but now teams will be watching to see what happens when the spotlight gets the brightest. That’s been a problem for Mantha traditionally, he hasn’t scored a goal in 14 NHL playoff games while adding six assists. Mantha also got relegated to being a healthy scratch the previous time he was in the playoffs with Vegas in 2024.
So even for a guy who has proved a lot this year, there’s always more work to do and people to impress.
That started in Game 1, Mantha was credited with five hits and amped up the physicality in a major way. However, he also took two offensive zone stick penalties and came up empty in a last second chance near the net that ended up as his only shot on goal for the game.
It’s a long series and teams out there will have a close eye on what impact Mantha is able to have for the Penguins during this playoff stretch. It might just determine how aggressive his market will be on July 1.
Mar 2, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg (31) defends the goal against Colorado Avalanche center Parker Kelly (17) in the third period at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Here are all the other games!
Game 1: Los Angeles vs. Colorado
Whoever showed up from the second wildcard spot for the West was getting fed into a woodchipper. Through a series of misadventures, it happened to be the LA Kings.
If you are wondering which of the first round series could be a sweep, this is your best bet; LA absolutely sucks at even strength and has fewer goals than even Seattle, who famously does not have talent to score. The only way I could actively see Colorado losing a game, let alone this series, is if they suddenly experienced a mass injury event or fell into the Springfield Mystery Spot. The only other realistic possibility is that Colorado’s power play is bizarrely terrible given the caliber of player they usually ice, so maybe LA could find a way to get back into games through short-handed chances…if only their own special teams weren’t apocalyptically terrible.
I dunno man. This is going to be a very short series unless the Avs just don’t show.
Game 2: Meteor Series
Montreal vs. Tampa Bay is a series designed to kill me specifically.
On one hand, the Tampa Bay Lightning are a uniquely obnoxious team; they win all the goddamn time and still have the temerity to try and juice the refs for calls, both on the ice and off of it. Even their best players are total nutcases who sometimes fly off the handle and cause grevious injury to players just because he’s feeling especially petty. And they don’t need to do that. That just brings my piss to a boil. They’re good enough that they just Do Not need to do any of that and still do it. Either because they’re petty or they’ve found the exact formula to dupe NHL refs into doing their bidding.
And on the other hand…the f!#king Habs. A team that isn’t much better than Boston at getting shots off but has the entire hockey world so happy that they’re good again. They aren’t even all that good! They just have an ok defense and a garden gnome who can score! Anybody can do that!
Here’s my answer: go as long as humanly possible. Double OT every game. Any endorsement of a team I’d like to see come out of this is just an endorsement for the next team they play to drop them unceremoniously.
Game 3: Bruins vs. Sabres
If you’re on this website, you’re probably already gonna watch that.
Game 4: Utah vs. Vegas
I don’t like Vegas. I don’t think anyone outside Nevada likes Vegas. That isn’t anything new.
I do respect the hell out of Vegas’ business ethos. I think more teams in the NHL could stand to be more like Vegas…but I draw the line exactly at Carter Hart. Even being ruthless in all things means you at least need to be able to generate positive buzz about yourself most of the time. That’s just asking for trouble. Oh, and Torts is here? Fantastic. Let’s get all the repugnant twerps in that glittering mustard sweater.
Meanwhile the Utah Mammoth have just been cruising, have been trying to find something that works to entertain their audience of largely bewildered but excited mormons, who likely have not had an outlet of violent competition in Salt Lake in a good long time. Making the playoffs in year two is a great sign; they should anyway given how young and talented they are, but what they have to do is establish a baseline in this series. Whether I like them or not, Vegas is pretty good. Great on some shifts, even. What Utah has to set is the tone for future years; can they adjust to the pressure? Can they find another gear? If not, where does the hesitation come from?
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 17: Ben Rice #22 of the New York Yankees crosses home plate following his two-run home run in the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium on April 17, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees finally got some home cooking going on Saturday, putting a beatdown on the Royals to the tune of 13 runs while Will Warren made it a worry-free day tossing seven innings and striking out 11 batters. Cody Bellinger slugged two home runs on the day, Ben Rice made it three straight days with a bomb, and Amed Rosario continued to earn his starting time with another homer to round out the long balls. Now the team sits a win away from a sweep that would turn the homestand overall into a decent one when it started off incredibly rocky.
While we wait for the finale to start up, let’s run through what’s in store for the day. Scott profiled Dom Hamel before he went up against his old organization in Scranton’s doubleheader yesterday, and Andrew goes over the latest scores from around the AL in the Rivalry Roundup. Nick wishes Scott Kamieniecki a happy birthday and goes over his Yankees career in the early ‘90s, Estevão looks around the AL landscape and sees some expected contenders floundering leaving a path to the top for the Yanks, and after the game John will have the weekly social media spotlight featuring plenty from Jackie Robinson Day.
Today’s Matchup
New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals
Time: 1:35 p.m. EST
Video: YES Network, Royals.TV
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Questions/Prompts:
1. What do you make of Will Warren’s gem? Was it just a nice surprise, or will he find his way into the sixth and seventh innings more frequently?
2. Can Ben Rice make it four straight games with a homer?
SNY | John Flanigan: Will Warren dominated the Royals Saturday, holding them off the board into the seventh inning to continue an encouraging start. “The four-seam was really playing well,” Aaron Boone said of his second-year starter. “He got a lot of swing-and-miss, the changeup was good today too, I just think it was the overall mix — it was good to see him take that lead and run with it, really good job.” Warren has pitched to a 2.49 ERA through five starts, building on a campaign in which he finished eighth in AL Rookie of the Year voting last year.
NY Post | Greg Joyce: The offense also played its part in making the win a rare comfortable victory. Cody Bellinger led the charge with two homers, as the lineup overall coasted to 13 runs. This outburst came against left-hander Noah Cameron, a particularly encouraging sign as the team had entered play with a .535 OPS against southpaws, second-worst in baseball.
ESPN | Jorge Castillo: Aaron Boone threw some cold water on anyone anticipating a rapid return from Gerrit Cole, who made his first rehab start on Friday against Double-A Somerset, indicating he will need “several more” rehab outings first, with a return expected by early June. “Nothing’s imminent here,” the Yankees manager noted. “We’ll be disciplined and make sure we take the right amount of time.” Cole threw 44 pitches across 4.1 innings, and his fastball was sitting around 95 mph. Carlos Rodón still appears ahead of Cole, even though he won’t begin his rehab until this week.
SNY | John Flanigan: Saturday’s rout was also a showcase for Ben Rice, who’s begun 2026 proving the predictive nature of analytics which indicated he was profoundly unlucky last season. Boone sat lefty-masher Paul Goldschmidt against the left-handed Cameron and the gambit paid off, with Rice crushing a 398-footer lefty-on-lefty to notch his third straight game with a home run. After the game, his OPS sat at 1.224, second-best in baseball.
NJ.com | Bob Klapisch: Day games at Yankee Stadium have been kicking off a little later than in years past this season. At the request of several veterans, including Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees pushed their start times back from 1:05 to 1:35 with the goal of allowing more time for recuperation and preparation. The seemingly minor change has had a noticeable impact. “It’s a 100 percent improvement,” said Stanton. “For some guys, the extra sleep in their prep. For other guys, they use time here getting treatment. I like it. The extra half hour feels like an hour.”
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 28: A general view of the Boston Celtics 2024 World Champions banner hanging from the rafters seen during the women's free skate in the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2025 on March 28, 2025, at TD Garden in Boston, MA. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
At a certain point, you have to stop circling possibilities and just make a call. Nobody enjoys that part, because it means putting something on record and living with it for the next two months.
The Celtics enter the playoffs as one of the most difficult teams in the league to pin down. They’ve shown enough to believe in a deep run, but also come with questions that leave the door open for doubt. So we asked the CelticsBlog staff to do the thing everyone eventually has to do this time of year: make a prediction and stick with it.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – JUNE 22: The Oklahoma City Thunder celebrate with the Larry O'Brien Trophy after winning Game Seven of the 2025 NBA Finals on June 22, 2025 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
What is your Celtics playoff prediction?
Jeff Clark: C’s over Philly in 4, C’s over the Knicks in 5, C’s over Pistons in 6, C’s over Thunder in 7.
Bill Sy: Ultimately, I think the Celtics lose to the Spurs in six and there’s no shame in that. It’ll be a resounding endorsement of everything that Mazzulla and Stevens have built and the franchise will reload in July.
Rich Jensen: I hate predictions even more than I hate hot takes. I will, therefore, go the safe route. The Celtics are going to win another championship. I don’t think that we’ve seen all that this team is capable of. This is quite different from 2024, where the C’s showed the whole league what they were during the regular season.
Here, the Celtics have evolved before our very eyes into a team that is peaking at the right time. They are the great unknowns heading into the playoffs. None of the other contenders have played the Celtics at full strength, they are deep and multifaceted, and they present challenges to defenses at every position on the court.
Now if the C’s don’t win, that’s fine with me because this team is still very much a work in progress, and I think there’s every reason to expect that they’ll be even better next year.
The San Antonio Spurs were projected to win 44.5 games. They won 62
Ian Inangelo: My playoff prediction is that the Celtics have the talent to make it all the way to the finals and have a chance to beat any team out of the west once they get there. I’ll say Celtics beat the Thunder in 7.
Mark Aboyoun: Boston gets to the Finals. I’m not sure whether they’ll win it or not, and I don’t want to jinx the team, but I feel they have enough to get back. If Tatum can stay healthy and Brown continues to play at an MVP level, they’re a hard team to beat, especially at TD Garden.
Nirav Barman: This is incredibly tough, again because of my superstitious self. I see the Celtics in the Finals this year. I leave it up to fate from there.
Mike Dynon: In 2024, we expected the ultimate high, and the Celtics delivered. Dominant regular season, never threatened in the playoffs, cue the duck boats. This year’s team was the opposite because we expected little – but Celtics culture proved all the doubters wrong. No doubt, it will be very difficult to reach the pinnacle again.
BOSTON, MA – JUNE 21: Derrick White #9, Al Horford #42, Jayson Tatum #0, Jaylen Brown #7, Kristaps Porzingis #8, and Jrue Holiday #4 of the Boston Celtics pose for a photograph with the Larry O'Brien Trophy and the Bill Russell Finals MVP Trophy before the 2024 Boston Celtics championship parade on June 21, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Despite their amazing season, the reality check was a 1-3 record versus both the East’s first and third seeds (Pistons and Knicks) and a combined 1-5 against the West’s top three (Thunder, Spurs and Nuggets). However, most of that was without Jayson Tatum. And after seeing the Celtics trample all expectations over the past 82 games, this is no time to be rational. The only possible prediction is: Banner 19.
Ryan Paice: I think the Celtics either lose to the Knicks or make a run to the Finals. The Knicks have been a thorn in the team’s side since last year’s Eastern Conference Semifinals. I think the C’s have more than enough firepower to take NY down, but it will be a battle. New York has the wings to slow down the Jays and performs well in clutch time, something Boston has struggled with at times in the Jays era. If Boston can overcome that challenge, they’ll ride the high right through the Pistons and to the Finals.
Gio Rivera: The Celtics reach the NBA Finals and meet the Spurs (not OKC). Officiating won’t be nearly the nuisance it was for JB back in January, and by then, Garza will have delivered several key moments/performances up to that point to earn a player’s tunnel reception reminiscent of KP’s in Game 1 against Dallas two years ago.
Grant Burfeind: I’m going Celtics…losing in seven to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a full-on Brothers Grimm ending. OKC looks like the next machine, and as much as I trust this version of Boston, I’m not totally convinced Jayson Tatum has had enough runway to get all the way back to peak form after everything he’s been through.
And if they do win it all, you’re welcome, Celtics Nation, for the anti-hex I’m casting with this prediction.
Ottawa Senators (44-27-11, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (53-22-7, in the Metropolitan Division)
Raleigh, North Carolina; Monday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Hurricanes -148, Senators +124; over/under is 5.5
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Hurricanes lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Carolina Hurricanes host the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 1-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Saturday for the fifth time this season. The Hurricanes won the previous matchup 2-0.
Carolina has a 30-10-2 record at home and a 53-22-7 record overall. The Hurricanes are 19-4-3 in games decided by a single goal.
Ottawa is 44-27-11 overall and 21-16-5 on the road. The Senators have a 25-14-1 record in games they have fewer penalties than their opponent.
TOP PERFORMERS: Sebastian Aho has scored 27 goals with 53 assists for the Hurricanes. Logan Stankoven has eight goals and five assists over the past 10 games.
Dylan Cozens has 29 goals and 30 assists for the Senators. Drake Batherson has four goals and four assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hurricanes: 8-1-1, averaging four goals, 6.8 assists, 3.4 penalties and 7.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game.
Senators: 6-3-1, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.1 assists, 3.6 penalties and 8.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.
INJURIES: Hurricanes: None listed.
Senators: Tyler Kleven: day to day (upper body), Nick Jensen: out for season (lower-body).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
COVERS INTEL: The Royals’ bullpen ranks bottom five in MLB with a 4.67 xFIP and a ninth-worst 4.25 SIERA.
DET
BOS
KC
NYY
SF
WSH
TB
PIT
BAL
CLE
MIL
MIA
CIN
MIN
STL
HOU
NYM
CHC
LAD
COL
CWS
ATH
SD
LAA
TEX
SEA
TOR
AZ
ATL
PHI
