Mets starter Clay Holmes broke his leg in Friday's game against the Yankees, fracturing his fibula, manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters after the team's 5-2 loss.
The injury occurred in the fourth inning when Spencer Jones hit a liner up the middle that deflected off Holmes' leg. Holmes was shaken up and looked at by team trainers, but continued his outing and finished the inning. The right-hander then came out for the fifth inning and recorded one out before walking Jazz Chisholm Jr., which ended his outing.
"He's going to be down for a long time," Mendoza said after the game.
The skipper also called the injury a "huge blow" for New York, which had been leaning on Holmes this season. The right-hander has a 2.39 ERA in nine starts this season after allowing four earned runs in 4.1 innings against the Yanks in Friday's series opener.
After the liner by Jones, nothing looked amiss for Holmes, but after his last pitch of the night, he said something didn't feel right, per Mendoza.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 15: Rhys Hoskins #8 of the Cleveland Guardians runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field on May 15, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well. Frustrating night for Cleveland sports. Let’s start with the pitching.
Bibee was fine. 6.2 innings of 3-run ball should be more than enough for a decent offense to rally behind. In fact, it very well would have been. It wasn’t the prettiest 3-run start, but it was one nonetheless. Let’s talk bullpen.
Matt Festa was the first man out of the ‘pen… again. I have no idea why Vogt treats Festa like a lockdown reliever. He is a fine middle reliever, but has no business routinely coming out of the bullpen with runners on in a close game. Both his ERA and FIP are just shy of 5. That is not a reliever that should be coming on in leverage. Especially not when it’s in the 7th inning.
Payton Pallette. I was really hopeful about him early on in the season, but I think the experiment should be over soon. His K-BB% was a measly 8% coming into tonight. A good reliever will sit around a 20ish K-BB%. (For reference, Cade Smith’s is 30, Matt Festa’s is ~17). Pallette’s outing cost the Guardians the game, giving up 3 runs in his lone inning of work. In the ninth, Vogt brought in Hoosier Herrin. Another questionable choice because, despite the surface-level results from Herrin this year, he has not been great. He’s walked more batters than he has struckout (very bad), and owns a FIP a full 3 runs higher than his ERA. He gave up a leadoff double that eventually scored, putting the Reds up 2.
I’m not sure why Vogt went to Festa, Pallette, and Herrin in a tight game, but that was the difference between a come-from-behind victory in honor of the 2016 Pennant-winning team and a (perhaps more fitting) come-from-behind-but-fall-just-short loss. Yes, I know we can’t pitch our only two (reliably) good relievers every night. But, you have two very fun relievers who could very well pitch successfully in leverage in the minors. No reason for Walters and Aleman to not be in Cleveland. Regardless, let’s move to the offense!
The offense was fine tonight. I’m not going to be overly critical of any offensive effort that results in 5+ runs. 2 of their 6 runs came via RBI walk. 1 came via an extremely impressive hustle play from Bazzana to score on a shallow flyout from Jose. 1 came from a ball that Hoskins absolutely demolished into the porch in left.
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) May 16, 2026
— and an Angel Martinez RBI groundout. After Pallette’s 3-run outing in the top of the 8th, the Guardians rallied to score 4 in the bottom of the 8th, bringing the game within a run. After Herrin pitched, the deficit was 2. Hoskins popped up a sweeper down the middle, but then Manzardo laced a triple into center which CF Dane Myers couldn’t quite corral, leading to a rare Manzardo triple. Martinez drove him in with a groundout, and then Bazzana laced a ball through the right side that 2B Matt McClain made an incredible play on to end the game.
That’s all. It’ll be Gavin vs. Chris Paddack tomorrow. $10 to anyone who knew (no cheating) that Paddack was a Cincinnati Red.
May 15, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) reacts after hitting a two-run double during the third inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The Mets fell to the Yankees 5-2 in the opening game of this Subway Series at Citi Field. On a night when young flamethrower Cam Schlittler was facing off against the Mets’ best pitcher through the first month and a half of the season in Clay Holmes, you knew it wouldn’t take much offense to give one team the edge and indeed it was one big inning from the Yankees that was the difference in tonight’s contest.
Holmes worked around a base runner in each of the first two innings to take a scoreless game into the third when the Yankees mounted a rally against him that was built entirely with two outs. Ben Rice and Aaron Judge got things started with back-to-back singles and then Cody Bellinger ripped a double to put the Yankees on the board. Jazz Chisolm Jr. followed with another double to plate two more runs and put the Yankees up 3-0.
Clay Holmes did a good job to keep the game from getting away by retiring Aaron Judge in a huge spot with the bases loaded in the fourth to end the inning, but the Yankees added a run in the following frame. With one out, Chisolm worked a walk and with Holmes’ pitch count rising, he was removed from the game in favor of Austin Warren. Warren got Ryan McMahon to ground out for the first out, but Chisolm advanced to second and was driven in on a Spencer Jones single that expanded the Yankees’ lead to 4-0.
That was all the run support Cam Schlittler would need, as he was dominant this evening, striking out nine Mets in 6 2/3 innings of work, as the Mets continue to struggle against velocity. The Mets’ best chance to come back came in the bottom of the seventh after Tobias Myers retired the Yankees in order in the top of the inning. Juan Soto, who had yet another nervy moment earlier in the game when he was seen holding his back and grimmacing on the way back to the dugout after a strikeout, was clearly okay because he launched a solo home run to left-center to lead off the inning and break up the shutout. Schlittler bounced back to retire the next two batters, but then Brett Baty worked out a walk to put Schlittler’s pitch count over 100 for the first time this season and chase him from the game. Fernando Cruz came in the game and Marcus Semien hit a slow grounder down the third base line that he beat out for an infield hit to bring the tying run to the plate for the Mets. A wild pitch by Cruz advanced the runners to second and third, but Cruz retired A.J. Ewing on a fly ball to right field to put an end to the rally and the inning.
Both Myers and Cruz came back out for a second inning of work and each pitched a scoreless eighth. The Yankees added an insurance run in the form of a Ben Rice solo homer off Craig Kimbrel in the top of the ninth inning. The Yankees were poised to possibly pile on even further, but after hitting a single, Jazz Chisolm was picked off first base to end the inning. Despite the fact that it was no longer a save situation, Yankees manager Aaron Boone still turned to his closer David Bednar to close things out. It wasn’t an easy inning for Bednar. Juan Soto walked to lead off the inning, but he was erased on a double play grounder by Mark Vientos. The Mets were down to their final strike twice, but MJ Melendez singled, took second on defensive indifference, and Brett Baty singled to drive him in. Marcus Semien also hit the ball hard, but it was right at third baseman Ryan McMahon to end the game and secure the victory for the Yankees in the opening bout of this season’s Subway Series.
Big Mets winner: Juan Soto, +5% WPA Big Mets loser: Clay Holmes, -16% WPA Mets pitchers: -18% WPA Mets hitters: -32% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Juan Soto’s solo homer in the seventh, +5.2% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Jazz Chisolm Jr.’s RBI double in the third, -17.1% WPA
HOUSTON, TX - MAY 15: Alejandro Osuna #19 and Ezequiel Duran #20 of the Texas Rangers arrive prior to the game between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on Friday, May 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Michaela Schumacher/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Texas Rangers had one hit but the Houston Astros scored two runs.
If you thought perhaps the Rangers’ miraculous ninth inning comeback win on Wednesday evening would help them carry over some momentum to their first matchup against the Astros this season, well, how silly of you. Instead, tonight’s game nearly proved to be the culmination of the perpetual lurking threat that any night could be the night that the Rangers get no-hit.
Usually you have pitchers who you think “tonight could be the night” but the Rangers have a whole lineup. In fact, for a while there, the only thing Texas really made contact with was viral meningitis.
Indeed, someone named Spencer Spaghetti or whatever took a no-hitter into the top of the eighth before Justin Foscue rescued Texas from the indignity of a no-hitter with a one-out single. He was picked off first base moments later to end a rare rally as the Rangers were shut out in the first game of the 2026 edition of the Silver Boot series.
The threat, I fear, continues to lurk.
Player of the Game: Jack Leiter was an even harder luck loser than you usually see during a no-hit bid as he allowed just one run via an Isaac Paredes solo home into the quaint formerly-Minute Maid Park short porch in left field. Cole Winn labored through the bottom of the eighth before allowing Houston’s second run to all but put this one to bed.
Leiter made one mistake all night and it cost him. Otherwise he enjoyed one of his better outings of the season despite issuing a few more walks than he’d surely like. Overall Leiter went seven innings and allowed the run on three hits and three walks while striking out six.
Up Next: The Rangers will try to get a hit or more tomorrow with RHP Jacob deGrom set to pitch for Texas against RHP Kai-Wei Teng for Houston.
The Saturday evening first pitch from Daikin Park is scheduled for 6:10 pm CDT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network.
Cam Schlittler can add Queens to his list of conquered locales.
All it took for the Mets to revert to their pre-homestand form Friday was a visit from the Yankees ace, in his Subway Series debut, carrying the weight of the team’s weeklong downturn.
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The Mets barely touched him in a 5-2 loss at Citi Field that snapped their three-game winning streak.
Only adding to the Mets’ angst: Clay Holmes sustained a broken right fibula on a 111-mph rocket off Spencer Jones’ bat leading off the fourth. Holmes remained in the game and pitched into the next inning, but now faces a long absence from the Mets rotation.
“Every team is going to deal with adversity,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We have got to keep going.”
Mendoza was noncommittal about who the Mets will use to fill Holmes’ rotation spot. Candidates could include Jack Wenninger, who has dominated at Triple-A Syracuse.
Schlittler, in helping the Yankees win for only the second time in seven games, allowed one run — on a Juan Soto homer — departing after 6 ²/₃ innings in which he surrendered two hits and two walks with nine strikeouts. He threw a season-high 106 pitches and his ERA remained at 1.35.
Cam Schlittler (31) throws during the Yankees’ win over the Mets on May 15, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
“You are going to be a little extra locked in for situations like this, so those don’t faze me and I know that doesn’t faze the guys around here,” Schlittler said. “It’s a lot of fun to be part of.”
The Mets managed five hits on a night the Yankees received 2 ²/₃ solid innings in relief from Fernando Cruz and David Bednar.
It was a comedown for the Mets after blasting a season-high five homers a day earlier to complete a three-game sweep of Detroit. The Mets scored 22 runs in the three games and appeared offensively on track after a deep slumber during their last road trip.
Brett Baty singled with two outs in the second against Schlittler for the Mets’ only hit until Soto homered leading off the seventh. Schlittler had a fourth straight start allowing one run or less.
Holmes lasted only 4 ¹/₃ innings and surrendered four earned runs on seven hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. He was checked by the Mets’ trainer after Jones’ 111-mph line drive hit his leg in the fourth, but he was in pain in the fifth. A subsequent X-ray revealed the fracture.
“It’s really sad what happened to him,” Soto said. “It’s part of the game. We’re going to support him. We’re going to be right there for him in any kind of way that he needs us, but it just sucks.”
Holmes got two outs in the third before allowing consecutive singles to Ben Rice and Aaron Judge. Holmes got ahead 1-2 in the count to Cody Bellinger, who swung at a curveball below the strike zone and golfed a two-run double to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead. Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed with a fourth straight hit against Holmes, an RBI double.
New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes (35) reacts as he walks back to the dugout after ending the third inning. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POSTNew York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) reacts after safely diving into second base for a two-run double during the third inning. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Jones hit a rocket off Holmes’ leg for a single to begin the fourth. Holmes walked Anthony Volpe on three straight pitches before striking out Austin Wells and Trent Grisham. Rice’s ensuing infield single loaded the bases before Judge was retired on a fly to right.
Chisholm walked in the fifth, prompting Mendoza to replace Holmes with Austin Warren. After a fielder’s choice moved Chisholm to second, Jones stroked an RBI single that widened the Mets’ deficit to 4-0. Anthony Volpe followed with a walk before Warren escaped by striking out Wells.
Soto ended the shutout bid by clearing the fence in left-center leading off the bottom of the seventh for his second homer in as many games. Soto fell behind 0-2 in the count before smashing a 97-mph four-seam fastball from Schlittler for career homer No. 250.
Schlittler walked Baty with two outs in the seventh and was removed. Cruz allowed a bunt single to Semien and unloaded a wild pitch, advancing runners to second and third, before retiring A.J. Ewing.
Rice homered leading off the ninth against Craig Kimbrel to extend the Yankees lead to 5-1. The blast was Rice’s 14th this season, moving him within two of Judge for the team lead.
New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger (35) hits a two-run double during the third inning. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
Bednar gave up one run in the ninth for the Yankees after Cruz’s perfect eighth. Bednar walked Soto in the ninth before getting Mark Vientos to ground into a double play. MJ Melendez’s single extended the inning and he stole second before Baty singled in the final run.
“There was a lot of buzz around [the ballpark],” Schlittler said. “Great atmosphere and it was good to get the win.”
May 15, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early (71) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the second inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
The last week feels like rinse and repeat for these Boston Red Sox. From Peyton Tolle, Brayan Bello (post opener), Ranger Suarez, and now tonight with Connelly Early, the starting rotation is doing just what they need to do for this ball club. It’s when they step up to the plate they’re still like ghosts. The Red Sox haven’t scored more than four runs in a loss since April 13th. That’s more than a month ago. Thankfully, instead of putting up a lead and giving it up, it was clawing back from a small deficit, but it’s still just a frustrating watch. We’re onto tomorrow.
Also RIP Bobby Cox—you were one fiery dude and made watching baseball outside of Boston a joy to keep track of.
Studs
Connelly Early (5.0 IP 5H, 2 ER, 6K, 2HR)
These starting pitchers continue to just do their job. It felt like he really wanted to stay out there for the sixth but 86 pitches is fine for a young pitcher with so much season left.
Jovani Morán (1.2 IP, 1 H, 3 K)
Is this the Morán we’re supposed to be getting? Cause three strikeouts against one of the best offenses in the league—let alone sluggers like Matt Olson and Austin Riley—is damn good. Maybe this is an actually competent arm for the bullpen for once!
Yes, Gasper got caught stealing, but he did something not many Sox players can do at this point—drive in a run. Marcelo, sheeeeeeesh that was a moonshot to right-center field.
Duds
Tyler Samaniego (0.0 IP, 1 H, I R, loss)
This sucks to put Samaniego here for literally five pitches but he did get the loss. That’s the way the cookie crumbles.
Team RISP (especially Andrew Monasterio)
A combined 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position continues to underscore the woes of this Red Sox offense. Monasterio left two on base with two out, which hurts.
Team Baserunning (especially Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela)
Oh guys. Duran getting picked off in the first inning and then Rafaela getting caught stealing third in the fifth? I feel like each was so bad for different reasons. Duran is normally fantastic chaos on the base paths and it would have been great to get to Spencer Strider early. Instead? Momentum shift their way. Ceddanne hit a lead-off ground rule double and then wastes himself trying to get to third. Yes, Micky Gasper also got caught, but shhhhh. Both CS are from former friend Sandy Léon. Cool.
Play of the Game
You don’t get to extras without this gorgeous homer from Marcelo. Yes we got another Car Max ad and it rejuvenated his bat? He can keep making em if it’ll keep him hiting!
That was the Pistons team that won 60 games and was the No. 1 seed in the East.
Detroit was the more physical team and owned the paint, outscoring Cleveland 48-29. The Pistons' defense was locked in, holding the Cavaliers to 38.5% shooting overall, with Donovan Mitchell shooting 6-of-20 and Evan Mobley 6-of-14. That was the deep Detroit team from the regular season, and on Friday, it got 48 points from its bench, led by 17 from Paul Reed, compared to just 19 total points from the Cavaliers' bench.
And that was the All-Star Jalen Duren that has been missing this series: 15 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and he was a huge presence inside.
The result is Detroit forcing a Game 7 with a dominating win, 115-94. That is the second-straight series the Pistons won Game 6 on the road to keep their season alive
Also, for the second straight series, the Pistons will host a Game 7, this time on Sunday.
While we saw a far more balanced Detroit offense on Friday night, this is still Cade Cunningham's team and he led the way with 21 points, including five 3-pointers, plus eight assists. What was different was the shooters around him knocking down shots: The Pistons hit 16 3-pointers while shooting 44.4%.
However, for the Pistons, everything started with their defense, as it did during the regular season.
Detroit also forced 18 turnovers, allowing them to get out and run, getting easy buckets in transition that they had been missing for much of the last few games.
Detroit was resilient all night. Thanks to the energy of their home crowd, Cleveland went on a 17-7 first-quarter run to take a six-point lead. Detroit just put its head down and hustled its way to a 10-2 run to end the first, and it was 27-25 Detroit after a quarter. If the Cavaliers wanted to know why they were down, it was the seven first-quarter turnovers that became nine Pistons points.
Pistons extended that run to 16-2 early in the third and eventually pushed the lead to 12. How did Detroit earn that lead? Outscoring Cleveland's bench 17-0 to start the game, and the Pistons grabbing five offensive rebounds — they dominated the possession game early.
Detroit led much of the night, but the Cavaliers finished the first half on a 7-0 run — in part due to a couple of lazy passes by Cunningham that became turnovers going the other way — and it was close, 54-51, at the half. Cunningham had 16 at the half, Mitchell 13.
In the third quarter, Detroit just kept grinding. Cleveland would make a little run, the Pistons would answer. Detroit was just more driven, more relentless, and it just kept getting to the loose balls and making plays when it needed them.
Cleveland was led by Harden, who scored 23 points but has now fallen to 4-14 in his career in Game 6s. Mitchell had 18 points on his 20 shot attempts, and Evan Mobley also had 18.
Detroit got 17 off the bench from Paul Reed, 14 from Duncan Robinson, including four 3-pointers, and Marcus Sasser was 4-of-5 for nine points, but that undersells his impact — he was a team high +27. Duren and Daniss Jenkins each scored 15 for the Pistons.
If these Pistons show up on Sunday, they will be playing the Knicks for the Eastern Conference title starting Tuesday. However, expect a much better outing from a desperate Cavaliers team on the road Sunday.
The Mets’ three-game winning streak came to an end on Friday night at Citi Field as they lost 5-2 to Cam Schlittler and the Yankees in the opener of this three-game Subway Series.
After the bats came to life in sweeping the Detroit Tigers this week, the Mets returned to their quiet ways offensively, managing five hits.
Here are the takeaways...
-Schlittler dominated the Mets as he continued to make an early case for being an AL Cy Young Award favorite.
The righthander allowed one run, on a Juan Soto home run in the seventh inning, and only two hits as he pitched 6.2 innings, coming out at 106 pitches after walking Brett Baty.
Schlittler attacked Mets’ hitters mostly with his 97-mph fastball, as has been his style, racking up nine strikeouts. His ERA stayed at 1.35.
-Clay Holmes didn’t have the form that had made him one of the top starters in the majors, as he struggled with his command and wound up going only 4 1/3 innings, his shortest outing of the season. By then, he’d already thrown 95 pitches.
The righthander allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks, and he was also hit on the foot by a line drive from Spencer Jones in the fourth inning that seemed to contribute to his command problems. He appeared to be limping slightly as he headed to the dugout after being taken out of the game.
With the poor start, Holmes’ ERA jumped from 1.86 to 2.39.
Holmes’ lack of sharpness cost him in the third inning, where he couldn’t get his sinker down. Ben Rice, Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Jazz Chisolm Jr. delivered four straight hits, three of them on mistake-sinkers about thigh-high or so, and the Yankees scored three runs to take a 3-0 lead.
Rice and Judge each singled to right off sinkers. Bellinger then showcased his two-strike hitting ability, going down to get a 1-2 curveball at his ankles and hook it down the right field line to put the Yankees ahead. Chisholm, hitting only .203 on the season, then got a middle-middle sinker on a 1-0 count and hooked it down the right field line for a two-run double.
In the fourth, the Yankees were perhaps one hit from blowing the game open, with Judge at the plate and the bases loaded, two outs.
Holmes threw a first-pitch sweeper, slower than usual at 81 mph, and though he left it in the middle of the plate, Judge was fooled and out in front, popping a routine fly high to right field to keep the game at 3-0.
The Mets had one chance to get back in the game, in the seventh inning. After Soto took Schlittler deep for a home run to left-center, cutting the lead to 4-1, the Mets put runners on first and second with two outs, and rookie sensation AJ Ewing at the plate against reliever Fernando Cruz.
Ewing got ahead in the count 2-0, but after fouling off a fastball, he was a bit out in front on another fastball, making contact toward the end of the bat as his fly ball died in medium right field, an easy play for Judge.
-Soto’s home run was the 250th of his career. It was also only the second long ball that Schlitter has given up all season.
The home run was also notable in that Soto appeared as if he may have injured himself in his previous at-bat. As he struck out against Schlittler in the fourth, he maneuvered his right arm, putting it behind his back as if something was bothering him with either his hand or his arm.
But he stayed in the game in left field and then went deep in his next at-bat.
-Rice hit his 14th home run of the season, off Craig Kimbrel in the ninth inning.
Game MVP: Cam Schlittler
The Yankees’ young star mostly took the air out of the building at Citi Field with his dominance of the Mets’ lineup. He is putting up some spectacular numbers this season: coming into the game, according to OptaStats, he was the first major leaguer to record a sub-1.50 ERA, at least 50 K’s, fewer than 10 walks, and one or zero home runs over his first nine starts since Walter Johnson in 1913.
The Subway Series continues on Saturday night with first pitch scheduled for 7:15 p.m. on FOX.
The Mets have not announced their starter, but the Yankees are going with LHP Carlos Rodon (0-0, 6.23 ERA) who is making his second start of the season.
Even with the level of competition increasing, Thornton has continued to impress on the mound.
Tonight, the lanky lefty starter pitched six complete innings, fanning nine Scranton/Wilkes-Barre batters. He dominated, allowing just four total baserunners, three hits and one walk, as his squad emerged 8-2, victors.
This was Thornton's second start so far at the top level of the Mets' farm system. In his first start, he allowed three earned runs on five hits through six innings of work.
Fellow Mets top prospects Nick Morabito (OF, #11 overall) and Ryan Clifford (1B/OF, #6 overall) also featured in Friday's fixture. Morabito led off and went 3-for-5 with one RBI, while Clifford went 0-for-5.
May 15, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Coleman Crow (57) pitches to Minnesota Twins second baseman Luke Keaschall (not shown) in the second inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
The Brewers got some help tonight, as a mistake by Royce Lewis and a key (see: correct) call by the umpires allowed them to tie and later take the lead in the eighth inning in Minnesota, giving the Brewers their 25th win of the season against the Twins.
Milwaukee got things started with a bang, as Jackson Chourio doubled, advanced on a flyout from Brice Turang, and William Contreras brought him around with a single off the glove of Brooks Lee at shortstop with the infield in.
After the top of the first, Coleman Crow and Joe Ryan exchanged 1-2-3 innings for a bit, as neither team had another baserunner until the top of the fourth, when Jake Bauers singled (extending his on-base streak to 17) and stole second but was ultimately stranded at third base after a nice play by Lee at short.
Crow’s first baserunner allowed came in the fourth, as Ryan Jeffers reached on an error by Luis Rengifo, whose throw pulled Bauers off the base at first.
The Twins finally put up a threat and picked up their first hit of the evening in the fifth, as Kody Clemens was hit by a pitch and Ryan Kreidler moved him to third with a single, putting runners at the corners with two outs. Kreidler was then caught stealing second, ending the threat just as it was getting started.
In the sixth, Crow got into some more trouble, allowing back-to-back singles to begin the inning and putting runners at the corners once again. That marked the end of the night for him, as he was pulled in favor of Aaron Ashby. Ashby immediately induced a double play to clear the bases, though the run scored to close the book on Crow with a no-decision.
Crow threw just 68 pitches, 49 of them for strikes, as he went 5+ innings with one run allowed on three hits, a hit batter, and no walks. He also struck out three.
In the seventh, the Brewers immediately responded with a threat of their own, as Andrew Vaughn and Sal Frelick hit a pair of one-out singles. Rengifo then grounded into what was initially called a double play, but the Brewers challenged the out call at first, and the call was overturned. The runners at the corners went for naught, though, as David Hamilton hit a soft grounder in front of the plate for the final out.
With Ashby still on the mound in the bottom of the seventh, the Twins took their first lead of the night, hitting three consecutive singles (though the first of those could certainly have been ruled an error on Bauers, as he deflected the ball into the outfield). On the third single, though, the throw home from Chourio was cut off, and Clemens was caught between second and third. Ashby allowed one more single to Kreidler, but he got out of the jam with a strikeout of James Outman.
Now down 2-1, Ashby was suddenly in line for his first loss of the season. Not for long, though.
Chourio singled and moved to third on a single by Turang, as he was in motion on the 3-2 count. Turang then stole second to put the go-ahead run in scoring position with no outs. With Contreras at the plate and the infield in, things got strange fast.
Contreras hit a routine groundball right to Lee at shortstop, and with Chourio a few steps off the bag, Lee went to third with the throw. A sliding Chourio was initially called out, but third base umpire Jordan Baker’s hands immediately went up as he called for an umpire meeting. Both managers stepped out of their dugouts at this point.
After a short discussion, Chourio was awarded home plate due to obstruction by Royce Lewis at third, as Lewis clearly blocked the bag with his foot (the play is technically ruled as an E5 by Lewis). Both Contreras and Turang were also safe at first and second, respectively. Understandably upset at the situation, Twins manager Derek Shelton was tossed after a few words with the umps.
Put on your umpire hat and ill-matching trousers: Obstruction or no obstruction? pic.twitter.com/jsLzb9KOOU
After all of that, Milwaukee was still in the driver’s seat with Bauers at the plate. Bauers lined a 2-1 sinker that hung over the middle into right-center, allowing Turang to score and putting runners at second and third, still with no outs. Unfortunately, the Brewers couldn’t cash anything else in, as Blake Perkins grounded out with the infield in, Vaughn flew out to shallow left (after missing a two-run ground-rule double by mere inches down the right field line), and Frelick lined out. Still, Milwaukee led 3-2, and Ashby was now in line for his MLB-leading eighth win.
Abner Uribe, who has had his share of struggles this season with a 4.96 ERA entering tonight, took the eighth. After a strikeout, he allowed a single and a walk, but a Josh Bell grounder turned into an inning-ending double play.
After a 1-2-3 ninth for the Crew, Trevor Megill, who was demoted from the closer role roughly a month ago, entered for what would be his first save chance since an extra-inning save in Miami on April 17 (which also happened to be Crow’s first and only MLB start to date). He set the Minnesota batters down with ease, ending things with a strikeout of Lewis on the sixth pitch of the at-bat.
It may not have been pretty, but the Brewers escaped with their seventh win in their last eight games, moving them to 25-17 on the season. Despite allowing the go-ahead run in the seventh, Ashby is now a perfect 8-0 on the season, a full two wins ahead of Chris Sale, Paul Skenes, and José Soriano, three Cy Young candidates who sit tied for second with six wins each. Megill picked up his fifth save of the season with a clean ninth.
Chourio and Bauers led the offense with two hits each, including a double for both. Bauers brought in the go-ahead run with his double in the eighth, and he added a stolen base, too (as did Turang). No other player reached more than twice, as the Brewers totaled nine hits and one walk on the night.
The Brewers will look to keep it rolling on Saturday night, as Logan Henderson gets the start against Connor Prielipp in a matchup of rookies. First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 15: Paul Reed #7 of the Detroit Pistons celebrates after a basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third period in Game Six of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Rocket Arena on May 15, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Daniss Jenkins would get the start in Game 6 despite Duncan Robinson returning from injury. The decision would pay off as the Detroit bench scored 48 points in a complete team win with a 21-point victory over Cleveland.
The Pistons got out to a 10-6 start until back-to-back threes from James Harden and Donovan Mitchell gave Cleveland the lead. Caris LeVert hit two important threes – one took back the lead to make it 17-16 and another tied the game up 25-25 before the end of the quarter.
Paul Reed started the second quarter for Detroit and the Pistons instantly went on an 11-2 run after a Cade three made it 38-27. The Bball Paul Impact continues to be felt every time he has hit the court recently. Although Ausar Thompson was called for a flagrant one foul against Sam Merrill, he also had this insane block:
After Cade hit back-to-back threes to make it a double-digit game again, he had two careless turnovers and Detroit allowed an offensive rebound off a free throw into a three-pointer that led to a 7-0 Cavs run before the half. It felt like another one of those times where Detroit was shooting itself in the foot, but they held a a 54-51 lead halfway through the game.
Cade would lead the way for Detroit with 16 points and five assists while Duren added nine points and six rebounds. Thompson was doing it all with eight points, five rebounds, two assists, and four steals. Mitchell led Cleveland in scoring with 13 points.
Once the second half started, it was over.
Detroit got out to a 15-4 start after halftime and never looked back. Duren rolled his ankle halfway through the third, though, he would return a quarter later. Paul Reed finished this hilarious possession in JD’s absence:
Duncan Robinson still had his scoring impact off the bench as did Marcus Sasser. Sasser hit a floater at the buzzer to finish off a 10-2 Detroit run that made it an 84-70 lead – the largest lead of the night at the moment.
Sasser’s hot hand continued in the final quarter as did the rest of the bench. Daniss Jenkins also added some quality minutes including a couple made threes in the fourth. It felt like a complete team effort despite Cade struggling late as Detroit would outscore Cleveland 61-43 in the second half. The Pistons would go on to beat the Cavs 115-94 to force another Game 7 back in Detroit.
Cade still led the way for Detroit with 21 points despite taking 19 shots and only having five points in the second half. Despite an unfriendly whistle from the referees, Cade made his impact from deep by shooting 5-for-10. He also added eight assists.
Jalen Duren had his best game of the playoffs so far with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks while shooting 7-for-10 from the field. He was able to overpower Jarrett Allen down low and looked like the regular season version we’re used to seeing when he puts the ball on the floor. He converted multiple drives, finished well around the rim, and also provided great rim protection on defense.
Fellow big man Bball Paul also had a great game with 17 points (playoff career-high) and six rebounds while shooting 7-for-9 from the field, including a made three. Reed’s performance these playoffs is a big part of why they’re still playing postseason basketball and he continues to be worthy of more minutes.
Ausar Thompson fouled out and had some questionable calls against him (again), but he stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Jenkins, Robinson, and Sasser all provided efficient scoring, and it’s worth noting how ready Sasser looked for this moment.
We’re now heading back to Little Caesars Arena for a Game 7 for the second round in a row.
This guy scored twice. The second time was Weird. (Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A rookie pitcher making his second MLB start mostly stymied the Twins’ offense, and when this team gets into a bullpen battle, they’d lose to the Bad News Bears. Inning-by-inning notes:
1: We begin a sparsely-attended game with a Jackson Chourio double; he scores on a William Contreras single. Three hits for Milwaukee in the inning; each at 107 MPH or higher. Not ideal.
The Twins go down in a hurry to Brewers starter Coleman Crow; not ideal. Incidentally Crow was part of a trade that went from the Angels to the Mets for Eduardo Escobar! (The Mets later traded Crow to Milwaukee.)
EE is still playing, or was as of this winter. For the Tigres de Aragua of the Venezuelan Winter League. No word on if he knowsthenamesofhisteammatescorrectlyornot. Brewers 1-0
2: Easier go-round for Ryan this inning. The Ball Talc must finally be working.
Also easy is Coleman Crow’s second inning. Here’s the ascending order in which I hate the movies of writer/director Cameron Crowe. Almost Famous, Say Anything, We Bought a Zoo, Elizabethtown, Aloha, Singles, Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky. I actually haven’t seen four of these but I’m ranking them by how much I hate the plot outlines. I hate Cameron Crowe. A friend told me Almost Famous was OK but I think they’re trying to make me suffer after I made them watch In the Loop and it pissed ‘em off. Well, it’s SUPPOSED to piss you off!
3: Another good inning for Ryan. I like how GameDay foretells the Future:
I mean, it’s currently still light out in St. Paul, but the sun will go down in 105 minutes or so. GameDay KNOWS.
Coleman Crow is throwing a perfect game. This pisses me off.
4: A leadoff Jake Bauers single; he steals second. Ryan stops him from scoring. As in, he doesn’t allow an RBI. Not that he stands in front of home plate as Bauers is running from third and goes “You shall not pass!” Although that would be good.
Hey, Ryan Jeffers breaks up the perfecto! A one-out single. Which probably could have also been ruled an error, but what the hey. We’ll take it. Does he score? This is a journey of a thousand miles, folks, you’ve got to make the little steps before you can make the big ones. In other words no, he doesn’t score.
5: David Hamilton takes a one-out walk (on a rare missed ABS challenge by Ryan Jeffers) and is caught stealing for out #3. Nice job, Joe.
Would you like a bagel recipe? Here is a bagel recipe. Skip the whole part about putting the dough in the fridge. After the bagels are shaped into rounds, I cover them with a damp cloth for exactly one hour. Then I boil them for 30 seconds on each side before they go in the oven. I usually make 7 at a time and freeze 4 or 5 of them.
Why a bagel recipe? Because I’m making bagels. Why am I making bagels? Because after you’ve lived in either New York or Los Angeles, you DEMAND good bagels, and no place in the Twin Cities has them.
Why am I writing about bagels? Because the Twins’ offense sucks. Kody Klobberin’ Klemens gets HBP, and with two outs Ryan Kreidler singles him over to third… then gets thrown out by a mile trying to steal second. Booooo. Make bagels, not basepath outs.
6: According to Dan Gladden on radio, Kreidler missed a sign. He was supposed to stop about halfway, try to draw a throw and get into a rundown so Clemens could scamper home. Oops. No bagels for you Kreidler.
Hey, a leadoff single for Minnesota! James Outman belying his name for once! Austin Martin with a single; it confuses Outman for a bit, but he takes third anyways. Coleman “Ben Sheets” Crow leaves the game. Good news, except the Brewers’ bullpen guys are quite good — and none pitched in last night’s 7-1 Brewers victory.
LHP Aaron Ashby gets about the ideal result; a Brooks Lee GIDP. At least it’s tied 1-1
7: Taylor Rogers in for the Twins (Ryan had 90 pitches). One-out weak singles to Andrew Vaughn and Sal Frelick. Luis Rengifo BARELY beats out the back end of a GIDP. (The umps called him out at first; Milwaukee made the successful challenge.) Rogers still gets out of it on an itty-bitty grounder by David Hamilton.
All right! Twins POINTS! A one-out single (maybe error) from Luke Keaschall where Jake Bauers boots the ball. Then a solid single from Klobberin’ Kody, and another by long-lost Royce Lewis to score Keaschall. (For some da*n reason Clemens gets himself out in a rundown between second and third.)
A wild pitch puts runners on second and third, but James Outman can’t knock them in. It’s Twins Bullpen Confidence Is With Us All time! Better half of Duluth/Superior 2-1
8: Fu***ng youngster nobody Andrew Morris in to pitch? GREAT. Right off the bat, an infield single for Chourio. He runs on the 3-2 pitch and takes third on the Brice Turang single. THIS EFFING BULLPEN. Turang steals second. Infield in.
Contreras hits it sharply to short and Chourio heads back to third; Lee throws it to Lewis and Royce tags Chourio out.
Bauers doubles home another. Morris gets two outs, and Anthony “He’s Bad” Banda gets a lucky lineout hit RIGHT at Outman, but the damage is done, and the f***in’ bullpen sucks again.
Brewers tough pitcher Abner Uribe (no relation to former ChiSox infielder Juan) gives up a one-out Lee single and Jeffers walk, but induces a Josh Bell GIDP to continue the Twins’ inevitable loss. ‘Sconnies 3-2
9: Banda still in. A nice play by Clemens! A one-out grounder to short, and Lee throws it a bit too high to first. Clemens jumps, grabs it, and tags pinch-hitter Joey Ortiz on his way down. Well done, son of Rog. Yoendrys Gómez comes in to K Chourio for the final out.
Radio tells us the Twins have not won a game trailing by one in the ninth so far this year.
Trevor Megill in to pitch for Milwaukee. He was a Twin in 2022. Master Dealer Derek Falvey traded him to the Brewers for a PTBNL (turned out to be Taylor Floyd, a righty reliever now with the Reds’ organization in AA).
Keaschall grounds out, Clemens has an easy flyout, Lewis strikeout. Thanks Falvey! Twins lose
Studs: Joe Ryan, and that’s it. (Nice plays by Lee, Lewis, and Martin, and that good tag by Clemens, though.) Duds: Josh Bell (0-4), Derek Falvey for trading Megill for bupkis and setting up yet another of what’s gonna be a LONG season of Twins’ bullpen game blows.
Happy birthdays to Kody Clemens (30th), Brian Dozier (39th) and Justin Morneau (45th).
COTG goes to Naginskiinnortheast for “I know it’s suboptimal but id rather not see freshness back on the mound… gotta preserve him especially after the recent injury scare.” (“Freshness” meaning Captain Ball Talc Ryan.)
Thanks to everyone who participated in the GT on a night where, on radio at least, it practically sounded like there were more Twins fans here than at Target Field.
Tomorrow’s game is at 6:10 Central, and features Brewers RHP Logan Henderson against our own Connor Prielipp. Catch ya next time!
ATLANTA, GA - MAY 15: Mike Yastrzemski #18 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates after hitting a walk off double in the tenth inning during the game against the Boston Red Sox at Truist Park on May 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Braves started their series against Boston off with Spencer Strider on the mound, looking to build on his strong start against the Dodgers.
Spencer worked around a leadoff walk with two contact outs and a nice pickoff for a clean first inning. It didn’t take long for the Braves to give him some help, as Drake Baldwin hit his sixth home run against left-handed pitching this season, just barely eluding Ceddanne Rafaela’s glove in centerfield. The Braves got another couple of baserunners, as Ozzie was hit by a pitch and Austin blistered a single, but to no avail.
Exactly half of Baldwin's 12 homers have come against left-handed pitchers. His six left-on-left HRs matches Yordan Alvarez for the MLB lead. David Justice (1993) and Fred McGriff (1996) share the Braves single-season record of 11 left-on-left HRs pic.twitter.com/cL8clUS6bc
Strider walked another in the second, but struck out two batters on high heat and got a groundout to end the frame. Both pitchers settled in and pitched around a few scattered baserunners until Michael Harris added on with another lefty-on-lefty solo shot to lead off the fourth.
After a quiet fifth, Strider allowed a soft leadoff double before striking out Durbin, at which point Walt Weiss pulled him for Dylan Lee, keeping him to just two times through the Boston lineup. His 5.1 innings with 4 strikeouts and 3 walks isn’t his best, but he kept the Red Sox to one run and induced 16 whiffs, with his fastball averaging 95.5 MPH. It wasn’t quite the Dodgers start, but those whiffs are still a good sign for Spencer. Dylan Lee struck out Duran, but allowed an RBI single before inducing an inning-ending pop-up.
After another quiet outing from the Atlanta offense, Tyler Kinley got the seventh and recorded two outs before allowing a Chop House homer and a ground rule double. Robert Suarez came in to finish the inning and worked a clean eighth as well after more of nothing from the Braves’ offense. Drake Baldwin led off the home eighth with a scalded single, but Ozzie, Olson, and Austin went down in order. Iglesias got the ninth and recorded the first two outs before allowing a single and a walk to put the go-ahead run in scoring position for Boston. Iggy struck out Monasterio to keep the game tied and give the Braves a chance to walk the game off in the bottom of the ninth.
They did not, however, as Aroldis Chapman breezed through the 6, 7, and 8 spots of the order. Didier Fuentes took the tenth and gave the Braves a golden opportunity with a scoreless frame, despite the ghost-runner. Mike Yastrzemski took quick advantage of that opportunity after trying to bunt for his first two strikes, ultimately landing a walk-off single to bring Kim home.
The Braves will have two chances to win the series now this weekend, so join us tomorrow at 7:15 PM ET, as they look to take their first chance behind Bryce Elder.
The Pistons forced a Game 7 with their win against the Cavaliers on Friday.
CLEVELAND — Cade Cunningham scored 21 points and the top-seeded Detroit Pistons dominated the second half, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-94 on Friday night to force a Game 7 in their Eastern Conference second-round series.
The decisive game is Sunday in Detroit.
Jalen Duren had 15 points and 11 rebounds while Daniss Jenkins also scored 15 for the Pistons, who have won four games this postseason when facing elimination.
They were down 3-1 to Orlando before winning the last three to advance out of the first round.
Cunningham made five 3-pointers as the Pistons went 16 of 36 from beyond the arc. Duncan Robinson, who missed Wednesday’s Game 5 with a lower back injury, had four 3-pointers and scored 14 points off the bench.
Cade Cunningham reacts during the Pistons’ May 15 win over the Cavaliers. Getty ImagesJalen Duren drives to the basket during the Pistons’ May 15, 2026 win over the Cavaliers. NBAE via Getty Images
Paul Reed also had 17 points as Detroit’s reserves outscored Cleveland’s 48-19.
James Harden scored 23 points for Cleveland, which suffered its first home loss of the postseason. Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley scored 18 apiece.
Detroit asserted its will on the offensive boards and took advantage of Cleveland turnovers. The Pistons converted 13 offensive rebounds into 20 points. The Cavaliers had 20 turnovers, which resulted in 28 Detroit points.
Donovan Mitchell attempts a shot during the Cavaliers’ May 15 loss to the Pistons. NBAE via Getty Images
The Pistons were up 54-41 at halftime and started the second half with a 12-2 run. The Cavaliers rallied to get within 74-68 before the Pistons put it away with a 13-2 spurt.
Evan Mobley missed a dunk and Marcus Sasser drove the length of the floor for a layup at the buzzer to give Detroit a 84-70 lead at the end of the third quarter.
May 15, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Detroit Pistons forward Duncan Robinson (55) during the first half in game six of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers fumbled an opportunity to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. Now they face their second Game 7 of the postseason. This time, on the road against the Detroit Pistons.
Let’s go over today’s losers.
LOSER – Donovan Mitchell
Closing out a team as talented as the Pistons isn’t easy. It’s borderline impossible if you can’t have the best player on the floor. Cade Cunningham fully took that title as Donovan Mitchell failed to replicate any of his magic from the last time they played in Cleveland.
Mitchell couldn’t find it tonight. He shot 6-20 from the floor and was a team-worst minus-20. He had the right idea, at times bursting downhill towards the basket, but his insistence on shooting floaters instead of going all the way to the rim or trying to dunk is a concern. This isn’t the same athlete that layed it all on the floor and scored 40+ points over the Orlando Magic in 2023. The vertical pop just isn’t there.
The idea of the core four was never for the Cavs to win a title with Mitchell as their outright best player. But I have believed they can win with him as their best scorer.
That’s something that felt possible in the past, and looked realistic as recently as Game 4. But currently, this isn’t it. The door is closed when Mitchell doesn’t score efficiently. And it’s harder for him to score efficiently when you remove one layer of the floor away from him. The rest of his game hasn’t been enough to make up for the lack of rim finishing. He’s more reliant on finesse than ever before, and that can come and go.
LOSER – The Force Battle
Big games can be decided on the margins. Especially in an evenly-contested matchup like this one. The Cavs have stressed the importance of winning the possession battle in each game. But all of that is easier said than done.
In a case of Deja Vu, first-half turnovers put the Cavs in a hole. 13 turnovers led to 15 points for the Pistons. That’s the type of stuff you can’t concede to a team that is fighting for its life. They’ll claw for every last opportunity. You can’t make it easy for them.
James Harden had 8 turnovers while Donovan Mitchell added three more. Dennis Schroder coughed it up three times in his first six minutes. The guards can’t be this loose with the ball. Not if you want to win.
Fortunately, the Cavs managed to force turnovers of their own. Cleveland finished with 20 turnovers while Detroit had 17. That kept them in it for most of the game, and they managed to snag 16 offensive rebounds to further cut into the gap.
Still, Cleveland allowed the Pistons to salvage a handful of possessions that should have been defensive stops. Cade Cunningham, in particular, converted on multiple three-point attempts off of second-chance opportunities. Detroit claimed 13 offensive rebounds of its own.
By the end of the night, the Pistons took five more shots than the Cavs and beat them 48-26 in the paint. Their force and physicality won out.
LOSER – Dennis Schroder
I don’t want to pile on the third-string point guard. The contributions Schroder gave in Game 5 versus Toronto should have made the rest of his postseason bulletproof. But… the Cavs have continued to lean on him way past the point of no return.
Again, Schroder is the third-best guard on the roster. There’s no reason he should be carrying as much usage as he did, particularly in the third quarter when Donovan Mitchell was alongside him, and Ausar Thompson was on the bench. Those are the minutes that Mitchell needs to hit the ground running and score in bunches. Instead, Schroder bricked a three-pointer and was swatted on a layup attempt while Mitchell spaced the floor away from the ball.
There’s only so much that Schroder is supposed to give this team. In the biggest moments, Harden and Mitchell should be the ones determining the game. It was a bizarre decision to lean on Schroder for 15 minutes as he went 0-4 from the field and finished with as many turnovers as assists.
