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Washington Nationals give the Brewers a taste of their own medicine in a gritty win

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 10: Joey Wiemer #21 of the Washington Nationals bunts for a base hit in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on April 10, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Brewers are well known as a team that loves to play small ball. They grind out at bats, get infield hits and are not afraid to drop down a bunt. Tonight, the Nats gave them a taste of their own medicine in the biggest spot. The Nats used three huge bunts to win this one 7-3.

In the first inning, it looked like this game was going to be a high scoring slugfest. The Nats started things out with a two run inning, thanks to RBI knocks from Curtis Mead and CJ Abrams. However, the Brew Crew responded with a three run blast from Jake Bauers.

For Jake Irvin, he did not have great command, but was able to battle. He walked five and really struggled in that first inning. However, the big right hander was able to settle in and give the Nats five key frames. Irvin was not only able to save the bullpen, he was also able to keep the Nats in the game.

Despite getting five frames from Irvin, the Nats still needed their rickety bullpen to keep the Brewers at bay. Surprisingly, they did just that. Paxton Schultz, Cionel Perez, PJ Poulin and Clayton Beeter combined for 4 scoreless innings. This bullpen has taken a lot of heat, and rightly so. However, they did their job tonight and we have to give them credit for that.

If you told me that the Nats would win a bullpen battle with the Brewers, I would not believe you. That is exactly what they did though. The ‘pen also did not issue any walks tonight, which is a very encouraging sign.

While the pitching staff was putting up zeroes, the Nats were trying to get back in the game. Jacob Young provided a pinch hit spark in the 7th, with a two out RBI double to tie the game. He got thrown out trying to extend it to a triple, but it was still a success even if the patient died.

When the 9th inning rolled around, the Brewers turned to their closer Trevor Megill. That is when the magic really started. It all started with a CJ Abrams hit by pitch and a Joey Wiemer bunt hit. The Nats must have known Megill was not a strong fielder because they were torturing him with bunts that inning. After a Luis Garcia Jr. RBI single, a barrage of bunts made it 6-3.

After all those soft bunts, James Wood decided to turn it up a notch, drilling a 115 mph double down the right field line to make it 7-3. Clayton Beeter shut the door with a clean 1-2-3 9th, and the Nats improved to 5-8.

Speaking of Wood, he is on an absolute tear right now. After the way he finished last season, his first week or so was concerning. However, we have seen the best of Wood in the last week. Somehow, his 115 mph double was not even his hardest hit ball of the night. He launched one 116 mph in the first inning for a double.
With four hits tonight, Wood is now hitting .268 with a .930 OPS. I do not think this guy is going to Rochester any time soon folks. Overall, it was a great win for the Nats and hopefully they can finish the job and win the series tomorrow.

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Sixers Bell Ringer: We’ll find out Sunday about the Play-In after win over Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - APRIL 10: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket during the game against the Indiana Pacers on April 10, 2026 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Pepper Robinson/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Facing an Indiana Pacers team seeking as many lottery balls as possible and suiting up the sort of roster to prove it, the Philadelphia 76ers got an ugly “a win’s a win” by the final score of 105-94. With one game now remaining in the regular season, the Sixers can finish anywhere from sixth to eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Here are the possible scenarios:
– Finish 6th and avoid the Play-In: beat Milwaukee, see Toronto lose to Brooklyn and Orlando lose in Boston
– Finish 7th and host the 7-8 Play-In game: beat Milwaukee, one of Toronto or Orlando loses and the other wins
– Finish 8th and hit the road for the 7-8 Play-In: lose to Milwaukee or both Toronto and Orlando win
We’ll find out how that all shakes out on Monday. For now, let’s talk Bell Ringer.

Tyrese Maxey: 32 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – APRIL 10: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers brings the ball up the court against the Indiana Pacers during the first quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on April 10, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It wasn’t a scoring masterclass by Tyrese Maxey on Friday night, but you can’t say he was passive again, and there’s a certain “willing his team to victory” virtue to scoring 32 points on 28 shots. The finger is still clearly an issue for him, as the 1-of-10 mark from behind the arc would attest, as well as his heading to the locker room to get it checked out at one point in the second half. But Tyrese kept attacking, earning 10 free throw attempts, and ultimately did enough for his team to get the W. Making sure his team avoids the 9-vs-10 Play-In game may not seem like a lofty goal, but the Sixers’ floor would be Earth’s core low without number 0 around.

VJ Edgecombe: 16 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 3 turnovers

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – APRIL 10: VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers on April 10, 2026 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Pepper Robinson/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

If nothing else, it’s still fun to watch VJ Edgecombe run around in Game 81 like he still has a rocket booster strapped to his back. The rookie guard was all over the place, taking the elevator to the penthouse to reject Taelon Peter early in the game, or having his steals lead to soaring dunks in transition on the other end. The quieter parts of his game are coming along nicely too, like when he recognized a double team and hit a cutting Kelly Oubre in the lane for a bucket. Throw that all together along with an efficient 7-of-14 night from the floor and more than anything, I want to see what Edgecombe can do in the bright lights of a playoff environment.

Paul George: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – APRIL 10: Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers dunks the ball against the Indiana Pacers during the second quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on April 10, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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 Justin Casterline/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Playing in the town where he spent the early part of his NBA career, George showed he can still get buckets with the best of them. PG hit a trio of triples of the contested catch-and-shoot variety, but also did a fair amount of his damage in the mid-range with four pull-up jumpers inside the arc. I’m all for analytics and getting the most efficient shots possible, but there’s no denying a certain artistry to having a guy playing perfect defense on you and still just rising up from 15 feet and hitting a shot right in his face. As the Sixers’ offense stagnated throughout the evening, it seemed like George was always there to make something from nothing with a timely bucket.

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Matz does it again: Rays 5, Yankees 3

Apr 10, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Steven Matz throws a pitch during the first inning against New York Yankees at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Pablo Robles-Imagn Images | Pablo Robles-Imagn Images

Through his first three starts of the season, Steven Matz is making the 2- year, $15M deal he signed with the Rays this offseason look like quite the steal. The 34-year-old southpaw took the mound for the third time this season and left with this third win. This time, Matz held the dangerous Yankees lineup to just two runs over five innings. He allowed only two hits, struck out seven, and walked two.

Across 16 innings pitched this year, he has struck out 17, allowed just 10 hits, and walked five. He has pitched to a sub 4.00 ERA and sub 1.00 WHIP.

Tonight, he kept the Yankees lineup off balance throwing as many changeups as he did fastballs. Matz worked around a sloppy first inning in which two runs crossed the plate and gave the Yankees an early 2-0 lead. Early on it appeared we were in for more of the same bad baseball we saw in the final two games of the previous series. Judge stole second and advanced to third on a rare error by Walls on the throw down to second. Later in the inning Chandler Simpson misplayed a line drive to left and turned a single into an RBI triple.

Nonetheless, the new look Rays lineup featuring Simpson at the top and Yandy hitting cleanup, had an answer. A two out walk to Aranda issued by Yankees starter Luis Gil brought Yandy to the plate with a chance to tie the game with one swing of the bat. He did just that launching a two-run opposite field blast to tie the game at 2-2 in the first.

The Rays quickly grabbed their first lead of the game the next inning as Taylor Walls scored on a Chandler Simpson ground ball fielder’s choice. Walls was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning and had advance to third on a Fortes single. The 3-2 lead would hold until the bottom of the sixth when the Rays added two more runs. Williamson started the inning with a leadoff double and Walls reached a sac bunt that the Yankees pitcher Brent Headrick couldn’t handle. With one out, Simpson jumped on the first pitch he saw and lined it into center scoring Williamson. Walls eventually scored on a ground out by Aranda. After six innings, the Rays held a 5-2 lead.

The Rays bullpen was solid tonight as they pieced together four innings of one run baseball. The one run came against Hunter Bigge in the eighth as Ben Rice hit a solo shot to center bringing the Yankees to within a bloop and a blast.

Bryan Baker didn’t make it easy on himself in the top of the ninth, but worked around back-to-back singles to lead off the inning and earned his second save of the season. With the tying run standing on second base, Baker struck out Grichuk and retired the pinch-hitting Grisham via a pop fly to seal the deal.

Jax, Seymour, Bigge, and Baker struck out five over four innings of work and allowed just one run on three hits.

Luis Gil took the loss in his season debut while Matz moved to 3-0. The win moved the Rays to just one game shy of .500 (6-7) as they look to even their record and secure a series win on Saturday evening with Nick Martinez on the mound. Max Fired will take the ball for the Yankees and look to maintain his strong start.

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Nets fall to Bucks, clinch No. 3 lottery position with one game left

Apr 10, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Cormac Ryan (30) drives for the basket in front of Brooklyn Nets forward E.J. Liddell (9) during the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

With the Brooklyn Nets season coming to an end, the focus remained where it’s been for weeks, months, maybe even years… the tank. And with some help from the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings, the Nets clinched the third seed in the May 10 Draft Lottery.

How it happened: In Milwaukee, Brooklyn lost 125-108 at the hands of the Bucks. then later, the early morning scoreboard showed the Jazz had blown out the Grizzlies and the Kings had beat the Warriors late.

With a game to go, neither Utah nor the Kings can catch the Nets. Despite a lot of panic earlier in the week when the Nets won two straight, the Brooklyn along with the Washington and Indiana will go into the May 10 lottery with a 14.0% shot at the overall No. 1 pick and a 52.1% at the top four. That was the plan in preseason and it worked.

Onto the game…

With a whopping ten players ruled out and Brooklyn’s draft positioning more important than ever, the Nets rolled out a starting lineup featuring a flurry of players who have spent much of the season in the G League, opening with Malachi Smith, Trevon Scott, E.J. Liddell, Tyson Etienne, and Ben Saraf.

For Etienne and Scott, Friday marked the second NBA start of their careers, while Smith made his third. Ultimately, the team went just seven players deep. Nolan Traoré and Jalen Wilson were the team’s lone bench players, and every starter logged over 30 minutes. Smith led the way with 43 minutes.

After scoring 19 points in each of his last two outings, Saraf stayed hot and finished with 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the field — 3-of-9 from three. Traoré poured in 14 points throughout just 16 minutes, though he did so on 5-of-14 shooting from the field (1-of-9 from three). Oof.

Milwaukee stormed out to an early 21-6 advantage, opening up the half by shooting 8-of-11 from the floor and 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. Brooklyn, meanwhile, stumbled out of the gate at just 2-of-10 shooting, showing similar bad habits as they did on Thursday night’s start against Indiana.

By the end of the first quarter, the Nets trailed 38-24. Tyson Etienne kept the game within reach with 15 points to go along with four rebounds and two assists.

Cormac Ryan led the way for Milwaukee with 18 points and three rebounds in the first half, en route to a career-high 28 points in the victory. He is, in theory, Brooklyn Nets fans’ biggest ally at the moment.

By halftime, the Nets cut a 21-point deficit to 12. They caught fire from deep in the second quarter, knocking down six of 10 attempts from beyond the arc. Then, the 12-point deficit only turned to 15 after the third… and no run followed in the fourth.

Just two minutes into the fourth quarter, E.J. Liddell was ejected after appearing to strike Jericho Sims in the face with his forearm during an altercation. Is it fitting? The Nets go down fighting. Just not on the scoreboard.

One game left!

📣 Milestone Watch: Tyson Etienne

Tyson Etienne logged 15 points in the first quarter tonight against Milwaukee, which is his most points in any career quarter or half. He has already tied his career high with four 3-pointers made (4-for-6). His career high in scoring was 18 points on 3/23/26 at Portland.

🏟️ Friday’s Fan Appreciation Night

Judging from the Nets social media page, it appears they continued the tradition of having players meeting with season ticket holders after the final regular season game.

➡️ Next Up: The End

Closing out the 2025-26 season, the Nets will face off against the 45-36 Raptors in Toronto. Tip-off is set for 6:00 PM ET on Sunday.

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Mariners – Astros series opener: game discussion

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 10: JP Crawford #3 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates after scoring on a wild pitch during the first inning against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park on April 10, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Make sure to look back at the previous game thread and preview if you’re looking for game information.

Mariners Game #14 Preview and Discussion: SEA vs HOU, 4/10/26

Otherwise, have at it here as we watch the back half of this game.

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Stats Rundown: 4 numbers to know from the Mavericks’ 139-120 loss at the San Antonio Spurs

SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 10: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket during the game against the San Antonio Spurs on April 10, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Dallas Mavericks (25-56) went out with a whimper against San Antonio Spurs (62-19) at Frost Bank Center on Friday, dropping a 139-120 blowout loss to their once hated rivals. Cooper Flagg matched Victor Wembanyama step for step with 33 points and six rebounds in the loss, but no one rode shotgun alongside the rookie superstar. Eight Mavericks, including Naji Marshall, P.J. Washington and Klay Thompson were held out with injuries with just one game to play following Dallas’ 11th loss in the team’s last 13 games.

Wembanyama led all scorers with 40 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Spurs in the win.

Here are four stats that tell the tale of the Mavs’ latest trip to the ‘L’ column.

15-4: Spurs’ first-quarter rebounding advantage

With eight Mavericks listed as out on Friday’s injury report, Khris Middleton started at power forward, and Marvin Bagley III started at center. The Spurs feasted on the glass early on as a result. They missed 12 shots in the first quarter and grabbed five offensive boards in the frame. Victor Wembanyama, who needed to play in one of the Spurs’ final two games of the year to maintain his eligibility for postseason awards, and Julian Champagnie each recorded five rebounds in the first quarter as the Mavs’ smallish frontcourt struggled to start the game. San Antonio took a 37-26 lead after one, aided by their outsized advantage on the boards.

The Mavs made up some of the difference in the second quarter, when they out-rebounded the Spurs 15-9. San Antonio out-rebounded the Mavericks 58-42 on the night and bludgeoned the Mavs 72-42 in the paint.

25: First-half scoring by Cooper Flagg

With so many bodies on the sidelines, it was a foregone conclusion as to who would shoulder the scoring and playmaking burden for the Mavericks, who seem intent on campaigning for Flagg’s candidacy for NBA Rookie of the Year as the regular season comes to a crashing halt.

Flagg shot 10-of-16 from the field in the first half, including 3-of-6 shooting from 3-point range, to lead all scorers with 25 points at the break. It was the 14th 20-point half of his rookie season. Since the 1996-97 season, only Allen Iverson (16) has recorded more halves with 20 or more points scored than Flagg has this year.

13-2: Mavs’ late second-quarter run

With 4:32 left in the second quarter, Chapagnie hit a runner in the lane to put the Spurs up 60-50. Over the next 2:45, the Mavs went on a 13-2 run to take a 63-62 lead on Middleton’s 3-pointer from the right wing. The Mavericks hit three straight 3-pointers on the run, as Christie nailed one near the top of the key the possession before Middleton hit his, and Flagg banged one in with a hand in his face from the left wing as the shot clock showed just one second before that.

The Mavericks’ first lead of the game was short-lived, though, as Wembanyama scored the Spurs’ final six points of the first half to give San Antonio a 68-65 lead at halftime. The Mavs’ unlikely but timely shooting (8-of-20, 40%) from deep kept them afloat in the first half.

2-of-14: Mavs’ shooting to end third quarter

The Mavericks took back the lead with 7:55 left in the third quarter, 81-79, on Flagg’s driving score assisted by Dwight Powell. Dallas made just two field goals across the rest of the third, shooting an anemic 2-of-14 from the field.

All Mavericks not named Flagg went 0-of-14 from the floor in that span, as San Antonio outscored Dallas 29-12 the rest of the way in the third. And that was basically all she wrote. The Spurs led the Mavs 108-93 as the fourth quarter loomed.

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Red Sox 2, Cardinals 3: Where Oh Where Are The Bats?

Apr 10, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter Masataka Yoshida (7) goes down after being hit by a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in the first inning. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

I don’t have many words for this Red Sox team already, so we’re gonna keep it short.

Studs

No one? Is it that bad I don’t have just about anything good to say about this game?

Duds

Where do I even begin with duds for this game. Willson Contreras with a golden sombrero, including getting wrung up then losing an ABS challenge to end a frame. Duran and Durban both with 0-fers at the top of the lineup. Connelly Early not having any real smooth inning, then the bullpen not saving his skin in the least bit. Letting Dustin May look like a superstar on the bump. This was a rough one.

Play of the Game

The only real positive of the game was this bit of base-running to bring home a run.

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Mets offense continues to flounder in loss to A’s

Apr 10, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) runs out a single against the Athletics during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Mets, after falling to the Oakland Sacramento A’s by a score of 4-0, have pushed their scoreless streak to 17 innings. It’s not what you want.

The good news, which is more existential than tangible after three straight losses, is the loss puts the Mets at an even 7-7 to begin the season, which could be worse. While we all expect more from the team, it also is far from a death sentence — the best teams in every baseball season have stretches where they cannot really hit and go .500 for a spell. It mostly is just a big old heaping plate of Feels Bad when you start the season that way, especially when 2025 left a sour taste in everyone’s mouths.

Clay Holmes got the start in this one and looked good, until he left the game with hamstring tightness (more on that later). He only struck out three in his five and one thirds innings, but he did a great job of forcing weak contact continuously. He surrendered just one run, which came in the third inning. Old Friend Carlos Cortes singled to lead off the frame, Lawrence Butler walked, and Shea Langeliers singled to bring Cortes home. Holmes managed to keep the damage at just the one run, but that would have been enough for the A’s.

Holmes continued to keep it a 1-0 game into the sixth inning, where he surrendered a one out single to Jacob Wilson, did some hamstring sweeps beside the mound and grimaced in pain, and was quickly lifted by the trainer for Tobias Myers. In his postgame scrum, Carlos Mendoza said that they hope he does not miss a start, so hopefully it stays a minor thing for Holmes, who has had a nice start to his 2026 season.

The Mets offense could not hit water from a boat, however, so that one run was more than enough. They had six hits on the day, and only took three at bats with runners in scoring position. Another old friend, J.T. Ginn got the start and gave up a single hit in four innings, and it became a bullpen game from there for the A’s. Their biggest threat came in the sixth inning, when Jack Perkins came in to relieve Mark Leiter Jr. Back to back singles by Francisco Lindor and Bo Bichette made it first and third with no outs. Jared Young hit a bouncer to first, and Lindor got held up between home and third. Nick Kurtz made a nice play to freeze him, and threw him out as he retreated to third for the first out. Luis Robert Jr. promptly hit into a double play to somehow escape the inning still down 1-0.

Myers was great in relief of Holmes until the ninth inning. He was perfect for the first two and two thirds innings prior to the ninth, but fell apart in the final frame of the evening. A Jacob Wilson lead off single (coupled with a brutal Carson Benge error in left to turn it into a de facto double) and a single by another Old Friend, Jeff McNeil, made it 2-0. A double by the Younger Max Muncy made it second and third. He got a ground out to finally put an out on the board, but a single by Denzel Clarke made it 4-0 and effectively ended the game. Richard Lovelady came into the game to mop it up and did so efficiently, getting Lawrence Butler to ground into a double play.

The bottom of the ninth inning went by quickly, with Jared Young, Brett Baty and Marcus Semien making the final three outs around a Luis Robert Jr. single.

Losers of three straight, the Mets offense is going through it right now. They obviously miss Juan Soto, and with Jorge Polanco battling Achilles bursitis, and Francisco Lindor ending the day with a whopping 73 wRC+, they are behind the eight ball on the offensive side of the ball. The good news is they are far from a terrible place at 7-7, and there are many many many many games left to be played. Despite that, it has been a frustrating watch over the first 14 games.

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Box scores

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Win Probability Added

Big Mets winner: Clay Holmes, +1.2% WPA
Big Mets loser: Luis Robert Jr., -2.0% WPA
Mets pitchers: +1.3% WPA
Mets hitters: -6.3% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Bo Bichette’s sixth inning single, +16.3% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Shea Langeliers RBI single in the third inning, -11.2% WPA

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Dustin May Sharp as St. Louis Cardinals Defeat the Boston Red Sox 3-2

Apr 10, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dustin May (3) pitches in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals began the 2nd homestand of the 2026 season taking on the Boston Red Sox at Busch Stadium. Before we get to the baseball, the first important moment of the game was the return of Willson Contreras to St. Louis after being traded during the offseason. As expected, he received a warm welcome.

Dustin May looked more like the Dustin May many of us expected/hoped to see as he gave St. Louis six strong innings allowing only 1 earned run. His stat line looked like this: 6 innings pitched, 4 hits, 1 earned run, no walks with 4 strikeouts.

The scoring began early for the Cardinals as they played some small ball in the 2nd inning. After Ramón Urías doubled, Masyn Winn walked and Jose Fermin singled to left. After Pedro Pagés struck out, Victor Scott II got the job done with a sacrifice fly to left.

Of note, Masyn Winn was hit in the calf by a pitch in the bottom of the 3rd inning and he would later leave the game as Thomas Saggese took his place in the lineup.

The Boston Red Sox would scrap back in the top of the 4th inning when Yoshida singled to right followed by a strikeout from Willson Contreras. That would be followed by a single to Abreu moving Yoshida to third. Yoshida would then score on a throwing error by JJ Wetherholt on a Trevor Story groundout. Later that inning, the Red Sox literally stole a run as Mayer stole second, Pages threw to 2nd and Wetherholt was unable to throw out Story at home. That made it 2-1 Red Sox halfway through the 4th inning.

The Cardinals would tie the game up and eventually take the lead in the bottom of the 5th inning when Jordan Walker singled. Urias then walked which brought up Thomas Saggese on his birthday. He did not disappoint. His single tied the game at 2-2.

Later in the 5th inning, Urias advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a sacrifice fly from Jose Fermin making it 3-2 Cardinals.

The Cardinals bullpen held the lead (barely) as Ryan Stanek pitched a solid 7th inning, but JoJo Romero got into trouble in the top of the 8th inning when he allowed a double to Ceddanne Rafaela. After Duran lined out to center, Durbin was hit by a pitch after Romero had 2 strikes on him. JoJo would redeem himself, though, by striking out Yoshida and getting Willson Contreras to flyout to deep right centerfield.

Riley O’Brien was brought in to close out the game in the 9th inning and quickly slammed the door on the Red Sox getting them out 1-2-3.

Other Cardinals stats to pass along from Friday’s game. JJ Wetherholt was 0-3, but managed 2 walks to continue his on-base streak of 12 games. Jordan Walker continued his impressive 2026 start by going 2-4 with singles to both right and left field. St. Louis is now 8-5 this season. Not bad for a rebuilding team, am I right? Let’s not get carried away, but as of right now, the Cardinals are tied for first place. The Cardinals have Kyle Leahy set to start Saturday night’s game against the Red Sox as he’ll do battle with Ranger Suarez. Game time Saturday night is 6:15pm weather permitting. That will be a national broadcast from Fox, by the way.

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Keith Hernandez to undergo back surgery and miss time in SNY booth

Keith Hernandez waves to the crowd during Old Timers Day.
Mets Keith Hernandez is introduced to the crowd during Old Timers Day celebration before the game when the New York Mets played the Colorado Rockies Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022, at Citi Field in Queens.

It looks like the Mets’ injury bug has infected the SNY broadcast booth as well.

Midway through the Mets’ 4-0 loss to the Athletics on Friday, Keith Hernandez revealed that he will be undergoing back surgery on Tuesday.

“Can’t happen soon enough,” Hernandez said during the WPIX broadcast. “I’ll be the first one under the knife, and I’ll feel better, hopefully.”

Mets Keith Hernandez is introduced to the crowd during Old Timers Day celebration before the game when the New York Mets played the Colorado Rockies Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022, at Citi Field in Queens. for the NY POST

Hernandez, 72, added that he is hoping to return to the booth for the Mets’ home series against the Rockies, which starts on April 24.

“I’m shooting to come back during the Rockies series over the weekend home here,” he said.

He then joked with fellow commentators Gary Cohen and Ron Darling, with Hernandez saying that they don’t think he’s gonna make it out of surgery.

“I know you don’t think I’ll make it,” Hernandez said while the others can be heard laughing in the background.

“I hope you do, I’m rooting for you, Keith,” Cohen quickly interjected.

The broadcast then panned to a graphic titled “Get Well Soon Keith,” which showed a man lying on an island with a full-body cast.

Hernandez (right) said that he is hoping to return to the booth for the Mets’ home series against the Rockies, which starts on April 24. SNY

This is not the first time that Hernandez has had back surgery, having repaired a ruptured disk back in 2019.

Ahead of this season, Hernandez signed a three-year deal to remain at SNY that reduced his workload from 110 games to 95.

Hernandez’s back troubles have already caused him to miss a few games this year, notably being absent from the Mets’ west-coast series against the Giants earlier this month, where the Amazin’s took three of four games from San Francisco.

During Tuesday’s 4-3 over the Diamondbacks, Hernandez said that he tried watching the Giants series back at home, but San Francisco played so terribly that he had to turn it off.

“I tried to watch the Giants series, Gare, but the Giants played so horribly that I had to turn it off,” Hernandez said.

“Todd [Zeile] and I were not compelling enough to keep your attention?” Cohen responded.

“Had nothing to do with you guys. It just was … the defense, I just was stunned,” Hernandez continued.

“When it was finally 6-0, I turned it off,” he added while mimicking turning off a television.

In the Mets’ loss Friday, starter Clay Holmes exited during the sixth inning of his with hamstring tightness.

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Tyson Etienne scores a career-high 23 points but Nets fall to Bucks, 125-108

MILWAUKEE (AP) — AJ Green made 11 3-pointers to set the Milwaukee Bucks’ single-game record and scored a career-high 35 points in a 125-108 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.

Green shot 11 of 16 from 3-point range to break the record of 10 3-pointers that Ray Allen and Damian Lillard had shared. Green’s now has 227 3-pointers as he chases the franchise single-season record of 229, set by Allen in 2001-02.

Milwaukee’s Cormac Ryan added a career-high 28 points in his first start. Taurean Prince had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Prince was 6 of 11 and Ryan 5 of 9 on 3-point attempts.

As a team, Milwaukee shot 24 of 48 from beyond the arc.

This game marked the Bucks’ home finale as they wrap up their first losing season in a decade, snapping a string of nine straight playoff appearances. It comes amid speculation regarding the future of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has spent his entire 13-year career in Milwaukee.

Antetokounmpo was unavailable for a 14th straight game due to what the Bucks labeled as a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise. Antetokounmpo has said he’s healthy and that he wants to play. The NBA is investigating the matter.

The nine-time all-NBA forward will become eligible to sign a four-year, $275 million extension in October. If he doesn’t agree to that extension, Antetokounmpo could become a free agent after next season, or the Bucks could attempt to trade him beforehand.

Antetokounmpo wasn’t alone in being unavailable for this game, as both of these lottery-bound teams rested numerous usual starters.

Tyson Etienne scored a career-high 23 for the Nets.

Brooklyn’s E.J. Liddell was ejected early in the fourth quarter for delivering a forearm to the face of Milwaukee’s Jericho Sims after getting fouled by the Bucks center.

Up next

Nets: Visit the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.

Bucks: Visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.
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Nets help their lottery chances with loss on road to Bucks

Brooklyn Nets guard Malachi Smith (18) drives towards the basket against Milwaukee Bucks guard Cormac Ryan (30) during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum.
Brooklyn Nets guard Malachi Smith (18) drives towards the basket against Milwaukee Bucks guard Cormac Ryan (30) during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum.

The Nets lost 125-108 in Milwaukee on Friday in a result that greatly enhanced their lottery chances next month.

Brooklyn (20-61) are third in the race to the bottom with just one game left, their regular season finale Sunday in Toronto.

They’re a game behind second-place Indiana, but moved 1 ½ games clear of both Utah and Sacramento, pending the former’s tilt against Memphis and the latter’s matchup against visiting Golden State.

Now, after losing without 10 players on Friday and getting wins from Utah and Sacramento, the Nets clinched a top 3 spot in the lottery standings. The Top 3 lottery seeds all have identical 14 percent odds of winning, and a 40.1 percent shot at one of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson or Cam Boozer.

They now have a 14 percent chance of winning the lottery and 40.1% odds of a Top 3 pick, drafting no worse than seventh.

As for Friday night’s ugly loss, the Nets allowed 55.6 percent shooting, with AJ Green pouring in a game-high 35 points on 11-of-16 from deep and Cormac Ryan adding 28.

Nets guard Tyson Etienne had 15 of his career-high 23 points in the first quarter.

Malachi Smith added career-highs of 19 points and 10 assists, along with a career-high tying eight rebounds for the Nets, who played without Michael Porter Jr., Egor Demin, Nic Claxton, Noah Clowney, Drake Powell, Josh Minott, Terance Mann, Day’Ron Sharpe, Ziaire Williams and Danny Wolf.

Brooklyn Nets guard Malachi Smith (18) drives towards the basket against Milwaukee Bucks guard Cormac Ryan (30) during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Smith is the first rookie in team history with at least 15 points, 10 assists and no turnovers in a game.

Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo missed a 13th straight game, theoretically with a hyperextended left knee and bruised bone, but really because of a busted relationship with the Bucks and Milwaukee’s tanking.

For a change, though, the Nets would not be out-tanked.

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Pirates infielder wanted to back out of ABS challenge — it was a good thing he didn’t

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows The moment Nick Gonzales decided to challenge the strike call. He'd change his mind less than a second later, Image 2 shows Nick Gonzales learned he couldn't take back an ABS challenge on Friday, Image 3 shows Nick Gonzales couldn't believe home plate umpire Roberto Ortiz went through with the challenge

Big league teams are still getting used to the automated ball-strike system, but they learned Friday that there are no take-backs on a challenge. 

On an 0-2 pitch with one out in the top of the seventh inning during the Pirates’ 2-0 win over the Cubs, Pittsburgh infielder Nick Gonzales took a 94 mph fastball from Chicago left-handed reliever Caleb Thielbar that appeared to be off the plate. 

Home plate umpire Roberto Ortiz thought otherwise and rung up Gonzales for strike three. 

The moment Nick Gonzales decided to challenge the strike call. He’d change his mind less than a second later. Talkin' Baseball/X

Gonzales immediately disagreed, tapping his helmet in a visual that baseball fans have become used to over the first few weeks of the season. 

Rather than turning his head to the video board and waiting for the robo umpires to give the verdict on the pitch, Gonzales appeared to change his mind, waving toward Ortiz as if to say “never mind.”

Ortiz wasn’t having it. 

Despite Gonzales’ wishes, Ortiz went on with the challenge, announcing to the crowd that the Pittsburgh hitter wanted to see if the pitch did in fact clip the strike zone. 

It all worked out for Gonzales in the end. 

Nick Gonzales learned he couldn’t take back an ABS challenge on Friday. Talkin' Baseball/X
Nick Gonzales couldn’t believe home plate umpire Roberto Ortiz went through with the challenge. Talkin' Baseball/X

ABS showed that Thielbar’s pitch was more than an inch off the plate, giving Gonzales a second life in the plate appearance. 

Gonzales would be set down four pitches later anyway on a fly ball to left field, but players and teams alike learned a valuable lesson — there’s no un-challenging a pitch under ABS.

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Knicks' OG Anunoby suffers left ankle injury vs. Raptors

As the matchup between the Knicks and Raptors returned from halftime, OG Anunoby was not on the court or the bench.

The team announced that Anunoby would not return to the game after suffering a left ankle injury.

It's unclear how or when it happened, but the forward did take a tumble in the waning minutes of the second quarter. Anunoby did play through it and finished with two points on 1 of 4 shooting (0-for-3 from three), five rebounds and three assists in 15 minutes on the court.

With the Knicks having a sizeable lead against the Raptors at halftime, and the Celtics with a sizeable lead over the Pelicans, guaranteeing Boston the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, New York could be sitting Anunoby as a precaution.

Coach Mike Brown didn't have an update on Anunoby after Friday's win. He confirmed that Anunoby tweaked his ankle but hasn't talked to him or trainers just yet. 

The Knicks finish the regular season at home against the Hornets on Sunday night, and Brown was asked about resting his starters since they locked into the No. 3 seed. 

"We'll talk about it probably. You want to go into the playoffs as healthy as possible," Brown said. "We'll discuss it as a staff in the next day or so and then we'll see what happens."

With Anunoby's tweaked ankle and Sunday's game not meaning anything for the Knicks, it's likely the forward will not play in the season finale.

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Diamondbacks beat Phillies in Battle of Blow Up Innings

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 10: Arizona Diamondbacks catcher James McCann #8 hits a two run double during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 10th, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Game Summary

The Diamondbacks starting rotation has had a habit of being sunk by the “Blow Up Inning” over the last couple seasons, and after the first inning tonight, I thought Soroka was just another member of the club. In a rare twist on that tired trope, the Diamondbacks offense punched through with their own Blow Up Inning against the now very-well-paid Jesus Luzardo, and when the dust settled, the Diamondbacks 5-run fifth eked out the Phils’ 4-run first.

Michael Soroka had been having a stellar start to the season, and I suppose he can say that is mostly still correct, with the lone exception being the first four Phillies hitters who faced him on this beautiful looking April night in Philadelphia. The Phillies offense was riding a 20 inning scoreless streak and quickly snapped it with Turner, Schwarber, Harper, and Marsh opening the game with Single, Walk, RBI Double, 3-Run Dinger. 4 runs. No outs. Cue the mound visit from Brian Kaplan. From that moment on, Soroka’s pitching line was: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 10 K and ZERO runs allowed. Unfortunately, his final line will include those first four hitters, but Soroka was able to lock in and keep the Blow Up to just the single inning and allow his offense a chance to come back.

It was a bit of a wait for the offense to show up in this game, though, but when it did finally show up, it provided a knockout punch. Jesus Luzardo didn’t have the prettiest ERA coming in to this game, but his 18:1 K:BB ratio was all you really needed to know about this tough lefty. Luzardo had the Snakes hitters flummoxed through the first 4 innings, only being able to muster 2 baserunners via BB and striking out 6 times. Then the floodgates opened in the fifth with young Jose Fernandez leading off with a 110mph single followed by a walk and bunt single from Tawa and AT, respectively. With the bases loaded and 1 out (after Barrosa punched out) Ketel Marte lined a 2-RBI single, Ildemaro Vargas got an RBI single, and James McCann (inserted into the game in the third inning which I’ll discuss more in a bit) rocked a go-ahead 2-RBI double into the right-center gap to put the DBacks in the lead and chase Luzardo from the game.

From that point it was a battle of the bullpens and both were up to the task. Each bullpen only allowed 2 H and 0 BB the rest of the night. Jonny Lasagna was the first out of the pen, getting the final out in the sixth and the first 2 of the 7th, all via strikeout. Juan Morillo then came in for the lefties at the top of the order: Schwarber, Harper and Marsh. Schwarber flew out, but Harper and Marsh went down flailing haplessly at Morillo’s filth. Morillo then got one more strikeout after allowing a single to send the game to the 9th with a Diamondbacks lead. Sewald came in and was living dangerously, his fastball (with velocity at his upper end of 92mph) landing right in the middle of the zone repeatedly, but the Phillies miraculously couldn’t do anything with it outside a 2-out triple and left the Snakes victorious.

The one blemish on tonight’s victory is that Gabi Moreno had to leave the game early due to what the team was saying is lower back tightness. Doesn’t sound too severe, but leaving the game in the third inning is generally not what you want, especially for a guy who has had as much time missed to injury as Gabi has. James McCann hasn’t had the greatest start offensively while Gabi has been one of our best hitters so any extended absence for Moreno would be devastating. Come to think of it, though, tonight makes two nights in a row that the second catcher in the game got a pinch-hit RBI double in a critical moment. Maybe we should use 2 catchers every game! /s

Win Probability and Box Score

Outside the Box Score

  • No notes from me tonight as I was detained elsewhere for the bulk of this game. Have to get back on it next week.

Comment of the Game

Looks like the GameDay Thread was fairly well attended with a total of 250 comments at time of publishing. Tonight’s COTG goes to the always optimistic ChefAZ with this postscript to the game:

Rolling we are! Not so bad when we aren’t facing a billion-dollar lineup!

Coming Up

The Diamondbacks face the Phillies for the second game of this 3-game set tomorrow afternoon with an early 10:05am start time on FS1 and DBacks.TV. Former Diamondback right-hander Taijaun Walker (0-2, 9.31 ERA) will take the mound for the Phillies and Brandon Pfaadt (0-0, 6.75 ERA) takes the ball for the good guys hoping to make a statement to the front office that he deserves to stay in the rotation after the return of the Mainstay.