After an unscheduled day off on Tuesday because of inclement weather in Colorado, the Mets resume their three-game series against the Rockies on Wednesday night.
Before the game, manager Carlos Mendoza spoke about a number of topics regarding his team.
Catching combo, same lineup
For the second game in a row, catchers Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens are in the same lineup, with Alvarez hitting eighth as the DH while Torrens does the catching and in the nine spot.
It worked out for New York the first time as the duo played a big hand in the Mets’ 4-2 win, combining to go 2-for-6 with two doubles (back-to-back in the sixth), two runs and an RBI.
Still, it’s pretty uncommon for a team to have both catchers in the same lineup, but Mendoza is doing what he can to maximize his offense in the face of a ton of injuries while losing nothing defensively.
The skipper broke down what went into the decision to have both Alvarez and Torrens in the lineup, saying it’s a combination of a lot of things, including Juan Soto.
“Soto being able to play in the outfield, having a day game tomorrow where there’s a good chance [Soto’s] gonna DH,” Mendoza explained. “Just looking at okay one of the days Avy’s going to catch, Luis’ is going to catch, the righty today, the lefty tomorrow. So there’s a lot that goes into it and I decided to go with the combination again today.”
With Soto back in the outfield after strictly DHing when he returned from the IL with a calf strain, it frees Mendoza up to be a little more creative with his lineups, especially with a shorthanded roster and a team that has struggled to score runs early in the season.
Speaking of Soto, Mendoza was asked about his comfort level with having the superstar play the outfield the same day it snowed in Denver.
“It’s pretty impressive the work they’ve done,” Mendoza said, referring to the grounds crew at Coors Field. “You look at some of the pictures and some of the things that we were looking at earlier today and the outfield, and the field in general, you gotta give those guys a lot of credit.
“But I’ll make sure I go out there and walk it again. But as of right now we feel pretty good [about Soto in the outfield].”
With MJ Melendez (playing right field on Wednesday) also on the roster, the Mets have a third player who has MLB catching experience which also helps them if anything were to happen to one of their main catchers.
So, will this lineup variation become the new norm for New York?
"It depends," Mendoza said. "... There’s a lot that goes into it, but we’ll see."
Injury updates rapid fire
Jorge Polanco: Off from baseball activities today after running yesterday. Likely won't need a rehab assignment when he’s ready to play, but Mendoza reiterated that he's “day-to-day”.
“It’s been like that for a long time, but we’ll see how this continues to progress.
Luis Robert Jr.: Feeling better, but back in New York.
Kodai Senga: Started playing catch today. Feeling a lot better. The process now is to build him back up.
Dec 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics General Manager Brad Stevens watches warmups prior to game against the Milwaukee Bucks at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens has no reason to feel satisfied — and he isn’t.
Just four days after the team’s Game 7 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, a defeat that marked the first blown 3-1 playoff lead in franchise history, Stevens spoke at his end-of-season press conference at the Auerbach Center. He didn’t sugarcoat his feelings about the team’s brief postseason run, making it clear that getting bounced in the first round isn’t a spot the organization wants to be in.
“I’m pissed,” Stevens told reporters on Wednesday, per NBC Sports Boston. “I’d rather be playing New York tonight. We all would.”
The Celtics set their bar after winning 56 games in the regular season and locking the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Even without Jayson Tatum through their first 62 games, they found a way to adapt and adjust their system to cater to the plethora of roster additions made in the offseason. It allowed for an open-mic-styled rotation where anybody, on any given night, could get an opportunity to contribute.
Some nights, rookie Hugo González got the start. Other nights, it was Jordan Walsh, Luka Garza, or Baylor Scheierman.
Early on, the Celtics unlocked their cheat code. Instead of tanking for the draft lottery — which nobody would’ve blamed them for — they chose the tougher path. They shook off their 0-3 start to the season, built their identity from the ground up, and went from underdogs to contenders while many other teams in similar positions across the league pulled the plug.
But once the playoffs began, the Celtics reverted to old, unhealthy habits against the Sixers.
They lost three games at home, putting their win percentage at TD Garden since their 2022 NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors at .568 (25-19). Their issues weren’t anything new. They expanded a concern that we thought the team had resolved in its 2024 championship two years ago, yet still lingers.
“The reality is that we came up short,” Stevens said. “So now the job is to do an honest assessment. I’ve got a little sign above my desk that says, ‘What do you want? What’s true? And how do you get there?’ And there’s no question what we want. There’s no question, when you look at what’s true, that though we did a lot of good things, we lost in the first round, and we’re also 3-11 against the top three seeds in the West and the other top two in the East. So we’ve gotta get better.”
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – FEBRUARY 06: General Manager Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics watches warmups before a game against the Dallas Mavericks at the TD Garden on February 06, 2025 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. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s encouraging for Stevens to demonstrate the kind of frustration that everyone in the organization should’ve expressed after Game 7. At the end of the day, Stevens calls the shots and understands the next steps after falling short.
Three years ago, when the Celtics fell to the No. 8 seed Miami Heat in the conference finals, Stevens immediately got to work. He made the difficult decisions of trading away Marcus Smart, a year removed from being named Defensive Player of the Year, Malcolm Brogdon, the then-reigning Sixth Man of the Year, and fan-favorite Robert Williams III — in exchange for acquiring Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday.
Those moves were banner-motivated, but more importantly, they reflected Stevens’ awareness. He knew the Celtics couldn’t run it back with the same group, and that their postseason failures were an indictment of that. This time around, with an albeit overachieving group that lost sight of its identity, Stevens doesn’t feel all that different. He noted that with teams getting better and healthier going forward, the challenge of competing next season and beyond will only become more difficult for Boston.
“This is where the honest assessment part’s gotta come in, right?” Stevens said. “We’ve been to six Eastern Conference Finals, a couple of Finals in the last few years. We’ve won one (championship). And when you get beat in the first round, you’re not there. I think that the moves to get there — obviously, you have to consider the other teams that are at those levels — and I think the other thing that you have to consider, especially for next year, is there were a lot of teams in the NBA that were playing for draft positioning this year. That will not be the case next year. So the league’s gonna be a lot better. The regular season could be a lot harder, and it will probably give you a better indication of what everybody really is.”
Last offseason, the agenda was shedding payroll. Stevens did that, and, due in large part to a stellar job by head coach Joe Mazzulla in the regular season, kept the team on track without Tatum for most of the year. They built González into the league’s most underrated rookie. They turned Garza into a legit 3-point shooting threat (career-high 55 makes on 43.3 percent) and developed Queta into an impactful starting center after parting ways with Porziņģis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet.
The problem became sustaining that formula. Jaylen Brown admitted after Game 5 that Boston just wasn’t “good enough” to close out Philadelphia. It wasn’t the foul-baiting by Joel Embiid or the officials or any other underlying factor that dragged the Celtics. It was them. They had their chances — three, in fact — and caved.
One way or another, Stevens intends to hold the team accountable for that.
There’s no question that roster improvements are vital if the Celtics plan to compete next season. The path to a return trip to the Finals has been squandered, but Stevens has been in this position before. He’s already turned the distraught emotions of a Game 7 loss to Miami into a flooded two-mile celebration after hoisting the franchise’s record 18th Larry O’Brien Trophy the following year. So this isn’t anything new to him.
What matters most is that the hunger for more hasn’t left Stevens one bit.
“I just want to win,” Stevens said.
“I don’t think play style comes before roster. You gotta figure out who you have and then play to the strengths of your team. But that’s on both ends of the court, and I thought our coaching staff did an amazing job this year. The series, I think, we all could’ve done better. There’s no question about it, and we’re all looking forward to improving off that. But it starts with we have to put the best roster we possibly can together, and we need to maximize the strengths of that group.”
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Hornets guard Brandon Miller underwent surgery on Wednesday to address left shoulder instability.
Miller will be out indefinitely and additional updates on his status will be provided as appropriate, but the team said he is expected to make a full recovery.
He missed 13 consecutive games beginning in late October after sustaining a left shoulder subluxation injury. He played the remainder of the season with a wrap around the shoulder.
Despite the injury, Miller played in 65 games and averaged a team-leading 20.2 points as well as 4.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 30.3 minutes per game. He shot a career-high 38.3% from 3-point range and made 204 3-pointers.
The No. 2 overall pick in 2023 also ranked ninth in the NBA by hitting 89.2% of his free throws.
DETROIT — Detroit Tigers pitcher Framber Valdez was suspended for five games and fined on Wednesday, one day after he was ejected for hitting Boston's Trevor Story with a pitch during a 10-2 loss in which he allowed a career-high 10 runs.
Valdez was at first banned for six games by MLB, which cited him for intentionally throwing a pitch at Story, but the penalty was reduced in an agreement between Major League Baseball and the players' association. He started serving the penalty during Wednesday night's series finale and barring rainouts will be eligible to pitch Wednesday at the New York Mets.
Detroit already is missing injured starting pitchers Tarik Skubal (elbow), Casey Mize (hamstring) and Justin Verlander (hip).
"Generally when you have an event like last night where there’s a disruption of play and there’s a guy kicked out of the game for what is deemed throwing at somebody, that doesn’t come for free,” Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said.
Hinch was suspended for one game for what MLB said was Valdez's intentional actions and was to serve the penalty Wednesday.
Valdez already allowed eight runs in the first three innings when Willson Contreras hit a 449-foot homer on the first pitch of the fourth. Contreras watched the flight of the ball from home plate before flipping his bat.
Two pitches later, Wilyer Abreu boosted the score to 10-2 when he homered into the right-field seats, a 109.1 mph drive. His next pitch was a 94.4 mph offering that hit Story between the numbers on his back. Valdez had not thrown a four-seam fastball since last Aug. 3 when he hit Boston's Ceddanne Rafaela under the left arm with a 95.5 pitch with a 3-1 count leading off the sixth inning. The Astros trailed the Red Sox 6-1.
When home plate umpire Adam Beck and Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler got between Story and the mound Tuesday, the Red Sox dugout emptied, followed by Detroit's bench and both bullpens. There was no physical contact and few harsh words.
Valdez denied hitting Story on purpose, saying the unfamiliar four-seam fastball got away from him.
Last season while pitching for Houston, Valdez denied intentionally hitting his catcher César Salazar in the chest with a pitch almost immediately after he gave up a grand slam in a loss to the New York Yankees. Two pitches after Trent Grisham’s slam in the Yankees’ 7-1 victory on Sept. 2, Valdez crossed up catcher César Salazar by throwing a 92.8 mph sinker to Anthony Volpe. Valdez and Salazar both said after the game the pitch that hit the catcher wasn’t on purpose.
It’s hard to believe it’s now been 20 years since Claude Giroux was drafted into the NHL. Selected 22nd overall in 2006, Giroux’s name famously slipped the mind of Philadelphia Flyers GM Bobby Clarke when he walked up to the podium microphone that day.
Two decades later, Giroux has carved out a career that's been completely unforgettable.
A spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame probably awaits the man they call 'G,' because at 1,165 points in 1,345 NHL games, his numbers are just getting too good to ignore. But that's a question for another day.
The immediate question is this: How much longer does Giroux, one of the most respected men in hockey, actually want to play?
At 38, and coming off a one-year, bonus-laden deal signed last summer, Giroux is probably feeling a strong case of deja vu. He's a veteran UFA coming off another disappointing first-round defeat and ready to open offseason talks with the Sens again.
From a performance standpoint, GM Steve Staios might as well just print off a duplicate of Giroux's contract from last summer, because he was almost exactly the same player.
Staios signed Giroux to a one-year, $2 million extension for the 2025–26 season, which included an additional $2.75 million in performance bonuses.
As a sidebar, Giroux scooped up all the individual bonuses, but none of the $1.75 million attached to winning playoff rounds.
He did that while doing what he always does: staying healthy, leading, and producing. Giroux, who's missed only one game in four years with Ottawa, put up 49 points this season, just one less than the season before.
He also delivered a serious plus/minus turnaround, for those of you who are still serious about that stat, going from a -8 in 2025 to a +20 this season, second-best on the team.
But before contract talks begin, Giroux has to decide for sure if he wants to keep rolling. Although, based on his recent, season-ending media availability, it's pretty clear he does.
"Yeah, I think everybody does, but it's too early to even answer that question for me," Giroux said. "I need to calm down a little bit. I'm still a little fired up about (losing) the series, and sometimes you need to take a step back and give yourself a chance just to kinda chill and then see what's next."
It wasn't a firm commitment by any stretch, but he left the door wide open.
If there's a knock on Giroux, as we watch the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs where the pace of play is off the charts, the 38-year-old isn't the fastest guy out there. But that's been true for all of his years in Ottawa, and he's managed to overcome that with his offensive production, hockey IQ, faceoff ability, defence, and leadership.
He's also built a reputation for being a beast in the gym, which has helped slow the physical punishment that time doles out to all of us. But the mental grind of the NHL is another animal altogether, and it might be some time before Giroux recharges enough on both fronts to be completely sure about his future.
"Yeah, you wake up in the morning and it's hard to wrap your head around that the season's over, and it's frustrating for sure. Definitely, it takes a long time."
In the short term, Giroux will do what he always does this time of year: spend time with his young family here in Ottawa, decompress, and book a few tee times.
But when the dust eventually settles, he's still a man who wants a Cup before he goes, and there’s still a strong sense of unfinished business in Ottawa.
"The guys in that locker room, I love spending time with those guys. They make it fun coming to the rink, and they definitely keep me young, and being around them is... I feel very lucky."
That connection can’t be overlooked. If Brady Tkachuk signs an extension here next summer, that connection with the room will be the biggest reason why. Giroux is still a key part of the leadership here, helping to guide a core that took some big steps forward as one of the best teams in the NHL from January to April.
"Yeah, I think this year we dug ourselves in a little hole early in the season. And in the last two months, we were playing playoff hockey and played some really good hockey to get into the playoffs, and it's something that we should be proud of. But sitting here right now, it's not what we had planned."
With four years now under his belt in Ottawa, Giroux was part of some Senators teams that, to put it mildly, didn't stick to their identity. So he was pleased to see this one find its swagger, sticking to the process even when results didn't go their way for a long time.
"(I liked) the way we stuck to how we wanna play, our identity. Guys didn't start doing their own things, and we just believed that the way we play, we're gonna be successful. And usually that doesn't happen."
So where does that leave things for the wily veteran?
All signs point to another one-year deal that keeps Giroux wearing the centurion crest for at least one more run. In what appears to be an Ottawa-or-nothing situation. The fit is there, his role is clear, and the motivation is certainly still there as well. As any teammate will tell you, Giroux hates losing... at anything.
The final decision will come after Giroux gets the time he needs to step back and decompress. But based on his words, his play, and his connection to the boys in that locker room, it’s hard to imagine this NHL story ending just yet.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Check out more great Sens features from The Hockey News at the links below:
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 26: A general overall aerial view of the downtown Phoenix skyline on December 26, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
PIRATES
DIAMONDBACKS
Oneil Cruz – CF
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Brandon Lowe – 2B
Ketel Marte – 2B
Bryan Reynolds – LF
Corbin Carroll – RF
Ryan O’Hearn – RF
Adrian Del Castillo – DH
Nick Gonzales – 3B
Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
Marcell Ozuna – DH
Lourdes Gurriel – LF
Spencer Horwitz – 1B
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Konnor Griffin – SS
Gabriel Moreno – C
Henry Davis – C
Alek Thomas – CF
Paul Skenes – RHP
Michael Soroka – RHP
Just a quick intro today, work continuing to kick my ass. But it’s probably a good thing the D-backs were able to start out the series with a win, because things only get tougher tonight. After Paul Skenes’s Opening Day outing ended with a 2026 ERA of 67.50 (!), normal service has been resumed. In April, he made six starts, with an ERA of 1.62 and 38 strikeouts over 33.1 innings, while walking just five. Even including that initial disaster, opponents are still batting only .174 against Skenes. So it’s not going to be easy for the D-backs’ hitters tonight, and I’m basically going into this one not expecting much. I hope to be pleasantly surprised!
SAN ANTONIO, TX. - MAY 2026: San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) gets tripped up in the first quarter in Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference Semifinals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on Monday, May 4, 2026. (Photo by Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images) | Star Tribune via Getty Images
Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.
A lot of writers say that a series doesn’t become interesting until a team loses on their home court. The Spurs are in the unenviable position being in a series that became interesting right out of the gate, as the Timberwolves bullied theirselves1 to a 1-0 lead with a road win by shutting down the offense of the Spurs key players, and scoring just enough to hold onto a two point when Julian Champagnie’s last second three-point shot clanked off the rim.
The Spurs are going to have to adjust to the pressure of the second round of the NBA playoffs, while the Timberwolves are fully acclimated, having been to the conference finals the last three season. I expect a better game tonight from Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox tonight, but the Chris Finch will also try to throw some more wrinkles at the Silver and Black to keep them off balance, so they will have to both adjust to Game 1, and anticipate that the opponent will try some new things to gain any advantage they can.
For some reason, Finch has chosen to spend his time in front of the press to play mind games with Victor’s record-breaking performance on Monday, claiming that it was due to a series of bad and missed calls. Leaving aside the fact that referees always miss calls, I don’t think that playing mind games with the tall French dude is a worthwhile use of energy, because Victor’s mind is as strong as the rest of his game, and he’s not going to be distracted by Finch’s antics.
The Spurs’ assignment for tonight is simple. Contain Randle. Don’t let Gobert shut down the paint by using more offensive motion to move him away from the basket. Use better shot selection and hit some damn shots. Don’t let Ant go crazy. Carter Bryant, if he’s available to play (Questionable), may be able to help with that. Keep blocking McDaniels’ shots. Get Wembanyama’s offense uncorked early, and don’t play him so many minutes that he’s worn out at the end of the game. Wow, this stuff is easy, I should be a basketball coach. Just kidding … Anyway, GO SPURS GO!!
Google says that this word is grammatically incorrect. Suck it, Google.
Game Prediction:
Finch tries to tutor the referees on how he expects them to call fouls and is quickly assessed two techs and ejected from the game.
San Antonio Spurs vs Minnesota Timberwolves, Second Round, Game 2 May 6, 2026 | 8:30 PM CT Streaming: ESPN App TV: ESPN [NOTE: since this the second game on ESPN, it may start on another ESPN-affiliated channel to start if the first game runs long. Which channel to watch should be announced during the broadcast if the first game runs past about 8:42 PM] Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.
May 6, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo (22) reacts in the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
Bryan Woo sat in the Mariners media room a week ago, adrift. Normally thoughtful, eloquent, and precise in postgame interviews, Woo’s responses were disjointed, starting sentences and trailing off, as he searched for answers to questions posed by the media about his back-to-back rough starts – answers he didn’t have. The last thing he said, transcribed verbatim, was:
“But…I don’t know. It’s…I got…not a ton of answers.”
Somewhere in the past week he found those answers. It was a much different Bryan Woo who sat before the media today, fresh off a series win against the Braves, handing Atlanta their first series loss of the season. Woo pitched six innings, matching his season-high in strikeouts (nine) against Atlanta, the team that strikes out the least in the National League. He credits his performance to thinking…less.
“It’s like I was good and I wanted to be great. You try to do more, you try to be perfect, and you lose sight of what makes yourself so good. And for me, that’s simplifying and just competing…It felt like the last two starts, just trying to do too much, think too much, dive into scouting reports too much, just thinking too much, honestly. My best brand of baseball is, do my homework before and talk to catchers and whatnot, but when it’s time to go on the mound, just go be. And I feel like I kind of got away from that the last two starts.”
Woo said what got him on track was actually staying on track – creating a plan beforehand, but trusting himself on the mound no matter what. It wasn’t easy for Woo from the start; he had a 24-pitch first inning, battling Matt Olson for nine pitches before eventually walking him. But Woo stuck to his plan, being aggressive in the zone, and he was able to use his slider and sweeper effectively today – he opened the game by striking out reigning NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin on the slider, and then got Michael Harris to fly out harmlessly on the sweeper to end the inning. Shaking off his last two rough starts, Woo was aggressive in the zone as always, throwing 17 of 21 first-pitch strikes, which the Braves offered at 10 times. For his efforts, he was rewarded with a boatload of weak-contact outs; he allowed just one exit velocity over 100 mph, a first pitch fastball that Mauricio Dubón, who has built an entire career out of ambushing those exact pitches, tagged into right field for a single. As the game wore on and Atlanta batters got choosier with swinging at the first pitch, Woo dialed it in even more; six of his nine strikeouts came in the second half of his outing, finishing off his day with a called strike three to Mariners’ sleep paralysis demon Matt Olson.
Bryan Woo dots a slider on the lower black for a huge ꓘ to Matt Olson to clear the 6th inning, scoreless.
The Braves' big slugger thought about using an ABS challenge but ultimately held off. pic.twitter.com/96K1Rr8psy
Having wandered in self-doubt for the past two weeks, Woo was able to find himself again, all while facing the best offense in baseball.
“St. Louis – obviously, I got whacked, but I felt like I was still pitching like myself. And then with Kansas City I think I just tried to do too much and think too much and try too hard. And it also didn’t work. So it’s just being honest with yourself about when are you at your best, and what does that look like, and what does that feel like to you? And then getting back to that as soon as you can.”
In addition to sticking to himself and not overthinking, Woo said he got a lot out of talking to his teammates—pitchers and hitters—about what it’s like to be in the weeds.
“I don’t know what it is about baseball, but it’s like when you’re not committed in yourself, you don’t trust yourself, for some reason the same pitches – whether they’re really, really good, same velocity, same movement – they just don’t work. I don’t know what it is. Baseball is a weird sport like that. You try too hard, you try to be too perfect, and 98 at the top of the zone gets whacked. 93 with conviction and commitment and trust just works. I don’t know what it is. It’ll never show up on a stat sheet but you just have to have a little bit of like, I don’t really give a shit. Excuse my language.”
Unfortunately, as Woo retired Atlanta on a lot of weak contact, and as George Kirby retired Atlanta on a ton of weak-contact groundballs last night, today it was the Mariners’ turn to suffer at the hands of former Texas Ranger and known Lefty Martin Pérez, making a start in place of scheduled starter Grant Holmes, playing the handedness-matchup-game.
The Mariners loaded the bases in the third thanks to some production from the bottom of the lineup. Jhonny Pereda led off with a line-drive single and then Leo Rivas got some of that BABIP devil magic Mateo had last night with a double down the left field line of his own, pushing runners into scoring position with no outs. J.P. Crawford walked to load the bases but Cal Raleigh reached after a changeup on the outer part of the plate for an easy double play, which scored the run but also burned away future scoring opportunities, as Julio Rodríguez chased after that same changeup for an easy inning-ending groundball out. So, a run, but a deflating one.
Still, Woo made that run hold up, turning away Atlanta’s hitters again and again. After Woo’s strong finish, Julio decided to give him a little extra breathing room in the bottom of the sixth, to the tune of 110.4 mph:
The Mariners had a chance to add more after Pérez exited for Tyler Kinley: Randy Arozarena singled through the five-six hole and Cole Young doubled into the right-field corner – but might have actually hit the ball too hard, at 107.3 mph, so Randy couldn’t quite scoot home. Connor Joe couldn’t push across the extra insurance with two outs.
Woo gave way to Cooper Criswell in the seventh, who hung a zero in a tidy 1-2-3 inning. It seemed like he might be back out to face the bottom of the lineup in the eighth, but Dan Wilson went to the higher-leverage Eduard Bazardo. Given the tight score and the off-day tomorrow, the move made sense in theory, but Bazardo was shaky, going to a full count before surrendering back-to-back singles to his first two hitters to put runners on the corners with no outs. Pinch-hitter Dominic Smith brought in the Braves’ first run of the day with a sacrifice fly, turning the lineup over for Drake Baldwin. The Mariners caught a break, as Bazardo picked off pinch-runner Jorge Mateo at first. Postgame, Dan Wilson offered credit on what could have been a game-changing challenge to Mariners replay coordinator Jake Kuruc, and also Josh Naylor, who applied the tag.
“I got to give Naylz some credit. I think the temptation a lot of times is to go get that ball and then go back to tag. He let that ball travel really well and got right to his hip, and that’s what made the difference.”
That pickoff turned out to be significant as Baldwin laced the first pitch he saw—a sinker three apples below the zone—for a single. Bazardo then got Ozzie Albies swinging after the same sinker Baldwin chased for an inning-ending strikeout, saving the Mariners’ bacon.
The Mariners were able to get that run back in the bottom of the inning against Didier Fuentes, working for his second inning. Josh Naylor singled with one out and then stole second because he is Perfect, and then Cole Young followed with his second double of the day, again wearing out that right field corner. This was an especially nice at-bat by Cole, who had a three-hit day. Fuentes worked him away that whole at-bat with a variety of pitches, and, in a full count, when Cole got a slider in the exact same location he’d just seen a 98 mph fastball, he was ready to hit it.
With that little bit of extra breathing room, José A. Ferrer made his third straight appearance of the series, filling in for Andrés Muñoz, who had pitched in back-to-back nights. Ferrer was anxious to get the ball and said he wanted the opportunity to try to get a save, saying the pitching coach initially told him before the game he was down to which he replied, essentially, no I’m not!
“I felt super good when I woke up this morning,” he said through translator Freddy Llanos. “I was ready to go. My arm felt great. So when they told me I was in, I was excited.”
Ferrer gave up some hard contact on a first-pitch sinker to Matt Olson, but the park held it; he then got Michael A. Harris to ground out on a sinker. Mauricio Dubón worked the count full but was called out on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, a 99.5 mph sinker right on the inner edge. Dubón immediately challenged, and the call was upheld.
Was Ferrer sure it was a strike?
“I had faith that it was,” he smiled.
It was a great series win for the Mariners, but also a great win for Bryan Woo, who had been struggling for the past two weeks.
“Sometimes you’re good, and you want to be great, and you just kind of do too much. But I’m human. It sucks when you suck. It sucks to sit on it for two weeks. Those thoughts still creep into my head just as much as anybody else, after a bad game, after two really bad games, it’s not easy to do. But to get back to my brand of pitching, my brand of baseball, was the first thing that I looked at, and that’s what I felt I did today.”
Thanks to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Philadelphia Flyers are positioned nicely to add another extremely talented young player to their cupboard in the near future.
On Tuesday night, the Maple Leafs, perhaps unsurprisingly, won the NHL draft lottery outright, securing themselves the No. 1 overall pick and the rights to draft Gavin McKenna after a disastrous 2025-26 season.
Toronto, we can expect, will keep the first overall pick and select McKenna or another top prospect, which also means the Maple Leafs will be giving away their first-round picks in 2027 and 2028.
The Maple Leafs originally traded a conditional 2026 first-round pick to the Boston Bruins for Brandon Carlo, with the conditions being top-five protection. Because the Maple Leafs won the first pick, that 2026 first-round pick slides to 2027.
But the Flyers received a conditional 2027 first-round pick from the Maple Leafs in the Scott Laughton trade, which is top-10 protected. So, if the 2027 first-round pick is another top-10 pick, the Maple Leafs will have to choose whether it goes to the Flyers or Bruins.
The Maple Leafs and the Bruins are obviously rivals and play in the same division, and the Flyers will get the pick anyway if it is outside of the top 10.
To make a long story short, the only way the Flyers don't get the Maple Leafs' 2027 first-round pick is if they decide to give a top-10 pick to their division rival. We can assume that probably isn't going to happen.
As things stand, with all that said, the Flyers have their first-round pick this year, their own first and Toronto's first next year, as well as both second-round picks and three total third-round picks.
That's a lot of ammo to go out and trade for a good player.
We all know the Flyers need a No. 1 center and another really good defenseman, and the odds suggest they will find neither of those things in the 2026 draft since they are still alive in the playoffs.
But, with Toronto's pick, they could very well do that in 2027, should the Flyers decide not to trade that pick outright.
Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews may or may not be out there on the NHL trade market, and players like Adam Fantilli, Shane Wright, Jason Robertson, Ivan Demidov, Kent Johnson, Alex Nikishin, Simon Edvinsson, Olen Zellweger, and Pavel Mintyukov are all RFAs this offseason or the next.
The Flyers will have a host of intriguing options available to them at multiple positions over the next two summers if they choose not to draft a player and accelerate the Stanley Cup timeline a bit.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 30: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park on April 30, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pitching Matchup: Paul Skenes (4-2, 3.18 ERA) vs. Michael Soroka (4-1, 4.70 ERA)
The Pirates continue their road trip, traveling out west to face the Diamondbacks in a three-game series at Chase Field in Phoenix.
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Luckily for Ben Stiller, the Met Gala is only one night.
The actor and director was back at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night for the Knicks’ 108-102 Game 2 win over the 76ers after missing the second-round series opener on Monday night due to his prior commitment at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
At the gala, Stiller supported his Knicks when he wore an orange tie, while his wife, actress Christine Taylor, donned a royal blue gown designed by Bibhu Mohapatra. Stiller put up six fingers while he entered the gala, signifying he believed New York would beat Philly in six games in the series. New York did its part with a Game 1 rout of the 76ers.
He had a much more toned-down look at the Garden with a black Knicks hoodie. Sitting not too far from him along the first row was actor Timothée Chalamet — who did skip the Met Gala to attend Game 1 — and his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner.
Actors Tracy Morgan and Ben Stiller on celebrity row during the second quarter on May 6, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Jenner attended the gala without her beau. On Tuesday, Chalamet posted a video of him draining a 3-pointer at MSG, prompting the Knicks to reply in the comments: “check your dms we just sent you a 10-day,” jokingly offering him a contract.
Jason Bateman, Sam Rockwell, Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet chat courtside at Knicks vs 76ers Game 2 at MSG pic.twitter.com/S8WiQweu6O
Actor Timothee Chalamet and his girlfriend Kylie Jenner on celebrity row during the second quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York PostJay-Z jokes around with New York Knicks alum Tim Thomas during the third quarter.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The actors were only part of the equation for the Game 2 celebrity scene, as rapper and mogul Jay-Z — the former Nets part-owner — posed for some pictures with Knicks legend and MSG Network analyst Walt “Clyde” Frazier.
Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Larry Johnson, Latrell Sprewell, Spencer Haywood, Chris Childs and Kurt Thomas rounded out the Knicks alumni contingent for the evening.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - APRIL 30: Michael Lorenzen #24 of the Colorado Rockies throws during a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 30, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s not May baseball in Colorado without the annual snowstorm that pops up. Denver woke up to a winter wonderland and one of the biggest May snowstorms in a long while. As a result of the ongoing weather today, the Colorado Rockies and New York Mets resume their series with the second game but at a much later start time than originally planned.
Luckily for the Rockies, the groundscrew is always up to the challenge of clearing the field.
Michael Lorenzen (2-3, 6.09 ERA) takes the hill for Colorado, looking to find a groove. Lorenzen has faced some inconsistency at the start of the season, making it hard to gauge what he’s doing to do each start. His last outing against Cincinnati was progressing well until he gave up a two-run home run in the fifth inning to surrender a 2-1 lead. His best outing of the season did come against the Mets, however, as he fired seven innings, allowing just one run on seven hits. Walks and a lot of contact have proven to be the main issue for Lorenzen, especially if he isn’t getting ground balls at home. However, he has managed to deliver two solid starts at Coors Field after his disastrous outing against Philadelphia in the home opener
Freddy Peralta (1-3, 3.52 ERA) makes his eighth start of the year for New York. Among the many things that have gone wrong for the Mets, Peralta has been as solid as ever in the rotation. In his last outing, he faced off against Washington, allowing three runs on four hits over six innings of work. Before that, he allowed two runs on seven hits over 5.2 innings against the Rockies in New York. Peralta’s ability to rack up strikeouts is his greatest tool, but he is prone to walk at least three batters in a game. In four career appearances at Coors Field, Peralta has been quite comfortable with a 1.59 ERA in 17 innings of work with 30 strikeouts against eight walks.
First Pitch: 7:20 p.m. MDT
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM KOA Rockies Radio Network; KNRV 1150 AM (Spanish)
Juan Soto – LF Bo Bichette – SS MJ Melendez – RF Mark Vientos – 1B Brett Baty – 3B Marcus Semien – 2B Carson Benge – CF Francisco Alvarez – DH Luis Torrens – C
Third base coach Gabe Alvarez #85 and Buddy Kennedy #70 of the Detroit Tigers a solo home run hit by Kennedy during the sixth inning of a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark on March 15, 2024 in Dunedin, Florida.
Tigers Triple-A manager Gabe Alvarez was removed from his position after an investigation into allegations of harassment by a female employee.
Alvarez had his contract terminated on Tuesday “due to violation of club policy.” The Athletic then revealed the harassment allegations in a report on Wednesday afternoon.
The firing is another black eye for the Tigers organization after assistant general manager Sam Menzin resigned abruptly in April 2025 after an internal investigation by Ilitch Sports + Entertainment — the parent company of the Tigers — had discovered he sent lewd photos to female team staffers, The Athletic reported.
The latest issue was brought to light to IS+E on Monday.
Alvarez said in a statement to ESPN that he sent a lone “inappropriate” text message to a female colleague and he regretted it “created this situation.”
“I sent a single text message to a colleague that I intended as a lighthearted joke,” Alvarez told the outlet. “Shortly after sending it, I recognized that the message was inappropriate and did not reflect the values and judgment I strive to uphold, and I immediately reached out to clarify my intent.
“I never intended to cause discomfort or offense, and I regret that the message created this situation. This was an isolated incident and not reflective of my long-standing record of professionalism, respect for colleagues, and conduct over the course of my career.”
The IS+E employee handbook states that a violation of the company’s harassment policy are subject to “including immediate termination,” The Athletic reported.
Alvarez’s dismissal continues a troublesome pattern that has come to light for the organization after Menzin and seven other men employed by the franchise were accused of inappropriate conduct toward women since 2023.
Third base coach Gabe Alvarez and Buddy Kennedy during the sixth inning of a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark on March 15, 2024 in Dunedin, Florida. Diamond Images/Getty Images
Alvarez had been a member of the Tigers organization that was looked at as a possible future big league skipper after being promoted to manager of Triple-A Toledo last year.
Alvarez, 52, was the manager of Double-A Erie when the team won the Eastern League title in consecutive seasons in 2023 and ’24.
When The Athletic released its report in September, Ilitch Sports + Entertainment CEO Ryan Gustafson denied the need for outside counsel to examine the workplace culture.
“Do we need to focus on continued improvement in our culture? Yes,” he told the outlet in September. “But I’m very confident that there isn’t a larger issue from a misconduct standpoint.”
Gabe Alvarez of the Detroit Tigers in action during a game against the Kansas City Royals at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Michigan on July 14, 1998. Getty Images
Alvarez had a short stint in the major leagues, playing for the Tigers from 1998 through 2000, when he was traded in the middle of the season to the Padres.
He remained with the Padres for the rest of the 2000 season.
Alvarez started coaching in 2010 when he returned to USC, where he played college baseball in the early 1990s, to serve as an assistant coach.
The Mets pulled left-handed reliever A.J. Minter off his rehab assignment on Wednesday after he reported experiencing left hip discomfort before Triple-A Syracuse’s game against the Rochester Red Wings.
Minter, recovering from lat surgery, was scheduled to pitch for Syracuse in Wednesday’s game as part of the first leg of a back-to-back that would’ve been the final step in his rehab process before re-joining the Mets. Now, that process has been put on pause.
“We’re not too concerned, but probably giving him a couple, few days there and then he’ll continue to throw,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “But as of right now, we pulled him off.”
Neither Minter nor New York is too worried about the severity of the setback despite the hip discomfort being on the same side that he got surgery on in August 2024 to repair a torn labrum.
Still, it does set the lefty back a bit with the clock on his rehab restarting.
With a downtick in velocity in a few of Minter’s appearances this year, Mendoza was asked if he thinks the hip discomfort had any role to play in that.
“I don’t know because there were days where we saw the velo at 92, 93, couple of 94,” the skipper said. “But there were some ones where it was like 91. But I don’t know, I would have to talk to him personally. I will have to talk to the trainers, but I didn’t get that [sense] when I was talking to the trainers when they gave me the report today.”
Minter hasn’t pitched for the Mets since April 2025, when he suffered a lat strain that required season-ending surgery. He's pitched to a 1.17 ERA across three minor league levels during his rehab assignment.
