PLAY-IN GAME: The Suns and Trail Blazers meet to decide the seventh seed in the Western Conference.
BOTTOM LINE: The Phoenix Suns host the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA Playoffs Play-In Tournament. The winner secures the seventh seed in the Western Conference Playoffs.
The Suns are 29-23 in Western Conference games. Phoenix averages 112.6 points and has outscored opponents by 1.5 points per game.
The Trail Blazers are 29-23 in conference games. Portland is 23-18 in games decided by 10 or more points.
The Suns average 14.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.3 more made shots on average than the 12.5 per game the Trail Blazers allow. The Trail Blazers average 14.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.3 more made shots on average than the 12.2 per game the Suns give up.
TOP PERFORMERS: Royce O'Neale is scoring 9.8 points per game and averaging 4.8 rebounds for the Suns. Devin Booker is averaging 23.8 points and 2.8 rebounds over the last 10 games.
Donovan Clingan is averaging 12.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks for the Trail Blazers. Deni Avdija is averaging 24.5 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Suns: 5-5, averaging 115.1 points, 44.2 rebounds, 24.0 assists, 7.8 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 46.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.1 points per game.
Trail Blazers: 7-3, averaging 118.3 points, 46.3 rebounds, 25.3 assists, 9.4 steals and 6.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.2 points.
INJURIES: Suns: Collin Gillespie: day to day (shoulder), Grayson Allen: day to day (hamstring), Devin Booker: day to day (ankle), Mark Williams: day to day (foot), Royce O'Neale: day to day (knee), Jalen Green: day to day (knee), Jordan Goodwin: day to day (ankle), Dillon Brooks: day to day (hand).
Trail Blazers: Jerami Grant: day to day (calf), Damian Lillard: out for season (achilles).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Taking the ball on Monday night, though, the Mets' lefty was roughed up again.
Peterson did well to limit the damage against, but found himself facing traffic from the very start against the high-power two-time defending champion Dodgers.
He hit Shohei Ohtani opening the bottom of the first, then allowed the next three batters to reach on two walks and an RBI single, before pitching coach Justin Willard came out to talk.
Whatever the message, it certainly worked, as Peterson struck out the next three batters to dance his way out of danger with just one run on the board.
He picked up two more punchouts, one on Ohtani, in a perfect second.
“Your back is against the wall,” he said. “Bases loaded in the first inning, you’re just trying to execute one pitch at a time -- was able to slow myself down, get in a better rhythm with my mechanics and go forward from there.”
The Dodgers would make Peterson pay for two walks in the third, though, as Andy Pages lifted a three-run homer to deep left to make it a 4-0 ballgame.
He then worked around a ground-rule double in the fourth, and finished his day gutting his way through a second and third with one out jam in the bottom of the fifth.
Peterson’s ERA is up to 6.61 after allowing four runs on four walks and five hits with seven strikeouts in the loss.
While the results still aren’t where the Mets need them to be, they were encouraged by how his stuff looked.
“Stuff-wise, it was probably the best we’ve seen,” Carlos Mendoza said.
“I felt a lot better,” Peterson added. “I felt like I was able to get my sinker down, changeup I was missing down, slider was consistently at the bottom. Left the one curveball up, but I felt a lot better about my stuff.
“Would obviously not like to give up the three-run homer and some of the free passes, but overall it was a step in the right direction -- now we learn from it, clean things up we need to clean up, and move on to the next one.”
This week, Zack Wheeler is on the verge of his season debut with the Phillies. The Athletics lose Brent Rooker to an oblique strain. Jeremy Peña is sidelined with a hamstring strain. And we anxiously await updates on Nick Pivetta and Christian Yelich. Let's break it all down and more from around the league in the latest MLB Injury Report.
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Jeremy Peña (hamstring)
Peña was pulled from Saturday’s game against the Mariners with what was described as right posterior knee tightness. After he was held out on Sunday for evaluation, the team placed him on the 10-day injured list with a Grade 1 hamstring strain. There’s no timeline for a return, but in a best-case scenario, he could be back before the end of the month. It’s been a rough start for the 28-year-old shortstop. He missed a couple of weeks this spring recovering from a fractured ring finger. While he started the season on the active roster, he didn’t play in back-to-back games until April 3-4. With Peña out, Isaac Paredes steps in at third base, with Carlos Correa sliding over to shortstop.
Brent Rooker (oblique)
You knew it wasn’t going to be good when Rooker departed in the middle of an at-bat in the first inning against the Yankees on Thursday. The 31-year-old slugger was in clear discomfort from his side following a swing. The team called it “right flank discomfort” before a proper right oblique strain diagnosis that landed Rooker on the 10-day injured list. There’s been no word on the severity of the injury, but it would be a shock to see him back before the end of the month. Zack Gelof was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas to take his place on the active roster, but it’s Carlos Cortes who should benefit from playing time in Rooker’s absence. Cortes has some batting average upside and sneaky pop, streamable in deeper leagues against right-handed pitching, especially when the A’s are at home.
Brent Rooker left today's game after appearing to injure himself on this swing pic.twitter.com/SqQxypVZMc
Pivetta exited Sunday’s start against the Rockies after three scoreless innings with right elbow stiffness. Anything elbow-related has the potential for an extended absence, but more news on the status of the 33-year-old right-hander should be known on Tuesday. Pivetta was bouncing back well from his six-run outing in his first start, giving up two runs over his next 13 innings. We’ll be on the lookout for an update on Tuesday.
Adley Rutschman (ankle)
Ryan Mountcastle (toe)
Rutschman was scratched from Saturday’s lineup against the Giants with ankle soreness and placed on the 10-day injured list with ankle inflammation. An MRI revealed no structural damage, so there’s a great chance we see Rutschman return either when first eligible or shortly after. Samuel Basallo steps in as the primary backstop, opening more DH duties for Dylan Beavers, who has started each of the last two games as designated hitter. Rutschman’s absence might’ve opened some playing time for Mountcastle, but he suffered a broken toe on his left foot on Saturday and is set to miss extended time on the 60-day injured list. The team acquired Christian Encarnacion-Strand on Monday from the Reds. He’ll likely join the Orioles in the coming days. The 26-year-old flashed some big power potential in 2023, hitting 13 homers in only 63 games, but has struggled to find playing time over the last two seasons. It’s a low-cost upside acquisition for the Orioles.
Christian Yelich (hamstring)
Yelich exited in the fifth inning on Sunday against the Nationals with left hamstring tightness. Manager Pat Murphy said after the game that there would likely be further bad news regarding the 34-year-old veteran. It’s another big blow to a Brewers lineup that is already missing Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn, both sidelined with a fractured hand. Chourio’s latest imaging showed signs of healing, but he’s not been cleared to hit. A stint on the injured list for Yelich would likely bring Jeferson Quero back from Triple-A Nashville, though he offers very little fantasy appeal.
George Springer (toe)
Springer suffered a fractured left big toe after fouling a ball off his foot on Saturday against the Twins. Manager John Schneider said Sunday that Springer could just miss the minimum time as he recovers. So, look for him to return before the end of the month. Meanwhile, the team recalled Eloy Jiménez from Triple-A Buffalo to take Springer’s spot on the active roster. Jiménez started at designated hitter, batting seventh against Minnesota on Sunday. The 29-year-old slugger comes with some pedigree as a former top prospect, but has struggled to stay healthy over the course of his career, now seven years removed from his 31-homer rookie campaign.
Spencer Strider (oblique)
Strider, rehabbing from an oblique strain, threw three innings against live hitters during a batting practice session on Saturday and reportedly reached 95 mph on the radar gun. The next step would be a rehab assignment starting later this week. Strider will need to get fully ramped up before joining the Braves, likely sometime in early May. The velocity would be right in line with where he was last season, but still much lower than the 97 mph he averaged at his best. Despite prospects Didier Fuentes and J.R. Ritchie pitching well in Triple-A, the team doesn’t seem rushed to bring them up, instead opting for a four-man rotation for at least the next week.
Joe Boyle (elbow)
Ryan Pepiot (hip)
Boyle was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to April 10, with a right elbow strain. He’ll be shut down from throwing for the next week. While manager Kevin Cash reported Saturday that the MRI came back negative, emphasizing that they caught the injury early, elbow issues are always concerning. He had pitched well in his first two starts before giving up five runs in a loss to the Cubs last Wednesday, but his spot in the rotation could be in jeopardy with Ryan Pepiot working his way back from right hip inflammation. Pepiot threw a bullpen session on Sunday and could be headed for a rehab assignment soon. A couple of rehab starts could put him in line for a return by the end of the month.
This week, the Yankees and Brewers are headed in the wrong direction while the Padres, Pirates, and Athletics continue to climb.
D.J. Short
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Tatsuya Imai (arm)
Imai couldn’t make it out of the first inning as he walked four and surrendered three runs against the Mariners in Seattle on Friday. He returned to Houston to be evaluated for a tired arm and ultimately landed on the 15-day injured list with right arm fatigue. It’s a curious diagnosis, just a couple of weeks into the season. The Astros are quickly running out of healthy pitchers after losing Hunter Brown (shoulder) and Cristian Javier (shoulder) to the injured list. There’s no timetable for a return for Imai. You have to imagine Spencer Arrighetti gets the call soon. The 26-year-old right-hander has posted a 1.26 ERA with a 20/6 K/BB ratio over 14 1/3 innings with Triple-A Sugar Land. He should be added and stashed in all fantasy leagues.
Gabriel Moreno (back)
Moreno left Friday’s game against the Phillies with tightness in his lower left back. He’s sat out the following three contests, with manager Torey Lovullo stating he was likely to land on the injured list. Adrian Del Castillo has started two of the three games with Moreno out. Del Castillo has a bit of power upside, but only warrants consideration in deep two-catcher formats if he ends up seeing extended time behind the plate. Moreno’s status will be worth watching on Tuesday.
Royce Lewis (knee)
Lewis apparently injured his right knee during his final at-bat against the Tigers on Thursday. The team placed him on the 10-day injured list with a right knee sprain. There’s no timetable for a return. The 26-year-old third baseman is no stranger to the injured list. Hamstring injuries limited him to 106 games last season, and he totaled just 82 in 2024. Tristan Gray and Ryan Kreidler have worked in a platoon at the hot corner, with Gray in the lineup against right-handed pitching. Though neither appears to offer much fantasy juice.
Wyatt Langford (quad)
Langford has been held out of the lineup for the last several days since departing Friday’s contest against the Dodgers with right quad tightness. He told reporters he was dealing with a small strain, but has continued to work out before games with the expectation he’ll avoid the injured list and return to the Rangers lineup during their four-game series in Sacramento against the A’s.
Jackson Holliday (hand)
Holliday has been on a rehab assignment as he makes his way back from a hamate fracture. Orioles Manager Craig Albernaz told reporters Holliday won’t be activated this week. The 22-year-old second baseman has 46 plate appearances in Triple-A, hitting .167/.239/.214 with one steal. He’ll get another week to get going in the minors before a potential return next week. Jeremiah Jackson has filled in nicely at second base, hitting .318/.326/.545 with three homers and 11 RBI over 46 plate appearances. He’s worth a look even when Holliday returns, as he’s capable of playing third base and outfield.
Zack Wheeler (shoulder)
Wheeler will take the mound for Double-A Reading on Tuesday for his fourth rehab start as he makes his way back from thoracic outlet surgery. He’s expected to throw 80-85 pitches. He’s then scheduled for what should be a final rehab outing on Sunday in Reading, putting him in line for a return to the Phillies rotation next week, lining up for a start against the Braves in Atlanta. The 35-year-old right-hander has struggled to maintain velocity in his first few outings, something that will warrant monitoring in these final rehab appearances.
Trout, not to be outdone, homered again in the eighth, this time off Camilo Doval to tie the game again before the Yankees won it on a wild pitch by Jordan Romano with Ryan McMahon on the plate — and Judge on deck.
Aaron Judge rounds the bases after his solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels in the sixth inning at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, USA, Monday, April 13, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
“He’s the greatest of all time,” Judge said of Trout. “Coming up at such a young age, he’s special. He’s had to battle injuries, but he’s in a better spot now.”
For Trout, it was a somewhat rare moment in the spotlight, as he typically toils in anonymity for the also-ran Angels.
“It was definitely one of the better games,” Trout said. “It was fun to be a part of, [but] the loss is disappointing. … To throw blows like that, both teams, pretty cool.”
As usual, Judge came out on top — and made more history in the process, as the Yankees snapped a five-game losing streak.
It was his sixth homer of the young season, but it also put Judge in the franchise record books again.
“That’s special,’’ Judge said of passing Mantle. “I’m glad it came in a win. Hopefully, we can keep going.”
Mike Trout #27 hits a three-run homer in the 6th inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
He’s had more multihomer games than any player with his amount of time in the majors — 1,161 games. Ralph Kiner is next with 39.
And of his six homers on the season, four have given the Yankees the lead.
The night was another encouraging game for Judge, who homered in his last at-bat against the Rays in Sunday’s loss.
On Monday, the Yankees needed every bit of offense they could get.
Boone called Judge’s game “huge.”
The manager added, “Hopefully, we start to see him lock in here as we get rolling. I don’t have to tell you what he means to the offense.”
Certainly not this year, as the Yankees seemingly can’t afford any drop-off from Judge with worries in the bullpen and all over the infield, where Jazz Chisholm Jr., McMahon and José Caballero have all disappointed in multiple facets of the game.
And the pen nearly robbed the Yankees of a much-needed win, with Bird optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after the game.
Apr 13, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets pitcher David Peterson (23) sits in the dug out before the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The Mets fell to the Dodgers 4-0 as a lineup that seems more hapless by the day was held scoreless for a second straight day and for the third time in four games.
After the Mets set the appropriate tone by going down 1-2-3 in the top of the first, it appeared as if this game was going to be effectively over rather quickly as David Peterson—coming off two straight rough outings—got into trouble immediately in the bottom of the first. After getting ahead of Shohei Ohtani—a hitter Peterson has historically dominated in his career, interestingly enough—0-2, Peterson hit him square in the back with a pitch. Peterson then walked Kyle Tucker and allowed an RBI single to Will Smith to put the Dodgers on the board early. He then issued yet another walk to Teoscar Hernández to load the bases still with no one out and just as the Dodgers seemed poised for a crooked number that would send many Mets fans on the East Coast off to bed, Peterson struck out the next three batters in a row to somehow limit the damage to just a single run.
But these days a single run is all the opposition needs and today turned out to be no different. The Mets hit into a couple of hard outs in the early innings against Justin Wrobleski but the bats were otherwise completely inept again. Even the characteristic working deep counts was absent tonight; the Mets went down quickly and easily, frame after frame.
Peterson bounced back to pitch a 1-2-3 second inning, but the Dodgers more or less put the game away in the bottom of the third. Peterson walked Tucker again to lead off the inning and after retiring the next batter he faced, Peterson induced a potential double play grounder off the bat of Freddie Freeman on which Francisco Lindor made a nifty flip to Marcus Semien at second base, but Semien could not get the ball out of his glove to turn two, so a potentially inning-ending play turned into first and third and two outs. Of course, the Dodgers capitalized, as good teams do. The very next batter Andy Pages took Peterson deep for a three-run homer to give the Dodgers a 4-0 lead, which feels awfully insurmountable for the Mets right now. Peterson did ultimately last five innings and struck out seven batters (including Max Muncy thrice), but walked four and was charged with four runs, falling to 0-3 on the season.
Meanwhile, Wrobleski was perfect through 4 1/3 innings before Jorge Polanco laced a one-out single in the fifth for the Mets’ first hit (and first base runner). But Francisco Alvarez promptly grounded into a double play, ensuring that Wrobleski still faced the minimum through five innings. In fact, Wrobleski—who hadn’t gone more than five innings in any of his previous starts—pitched eight scoreless innings. He only struck out two batters, but he allowed just two hits, as the Mets seemed eager to ground out as efficiently as possible.
What else is there even to say about this embarrassing stinker of a game in Los Angeles? The bullpen pitched well. Craig Kimbrel contributed a scoreless sixth inning and Joey Gerber threw two scoreless innings in his Mets debut, leg kicking his way to an impressive five strikeouts along the way. Tommy Pham also made his 2026 Mets debut tonight, but his was less successful than Gerber’s. Like pretty much everyone else in the lineup, Pham took an 0-fer.
You know what they say, though. Every day you have a chance to see something in a baseball game you’ve never seen before and that did happen tonight. During the bottom of the sixth, Francisco Alvarez called time for a mound visit and was granted it by the home plate umpire, but Craig Kimbrel—apparently in his own world—did not realize time had been granted and almost threw a pitch with Alvarez already halfway out to the mound, resulting in an amusing mid-trot squat by Alvarez and a hastily aborted delivery by Kimbrel to narrowly avoid something weird and potentially dangerous transpiring.
But that was just about the only interesting thing that happened in an otherwise uneventful loss that marked the Mets’ sixth defeat in a row, dropping them to 7-10 on the season. The Mets have better pitchers going the next two days, but the Dodgers do too, so we shall see if the offense is able to find some sort of spark and salvage the series.
Big Mets winner: Craig Kimbrel and Joey Gerber, +1% WPA Big Mets loser: David Peterson, -20% WPA Mets pitchers: -18% WPA Mets hitters: -32% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Jorge Polanco’s single in the fifth, +1.9% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Andy Pages’ three-run homer in the third inning, -21.3% WPA
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon scored the decisive goal in a shootout and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 on Monday night.
Sam Malinski scored in regulation for the NHL-best Avalanche, who have won three of four overall and seven straight road games.
Connor McDavid scored his 48th goal for the playoff-bound Oilers, who have lost four of five. Edmonton fell two points behind first-place Vegas in the Pacific Division.
McDavid leads the league with 134 points and needs one more to become the seventh player in league history to reach 135 at least twice. The others are Wayne Gretzky (12 times), Mario Lemieux (five), Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, Marcel Dionne and Steve Yzerman.
Scott Wedgewood made 30 saves for Colorado, and Edmonton’s Connor Ingram also stopped 30 shots.
In the shootout, McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored in the first two rounds for Edmonton, and Valerie Nichushkin and Martin Necas replied for Colorado. Wedgewood then stopped a wrist shot by Jack Roslovic, opening the door for MacKinnon's game-winner.
The Avs were missing Nazem Kadri (finger), Cale Makar (upper body) and Josh Manson (upper body) as they prepare for the playoffs.
The Oilers remained without forwards Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman, although both resumed skating with the team on Monday.
Necas was held scoreless and still needs one point to reach 100 for the first time. Only four Avalanche players have ever hit the century mark — Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.
Jake Bird’s tumultuous time with the Yankees hit another bump Monday night, as the right-hander gave up a three-run homer to Mike Trout and was then optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre following an 11-10 win over the Angels in The Bronx.
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Bird, who struggled after being acquired from Colorado prior to last year’s trade deadline, got off to a promising start this season, with four straight scoreless appearances.
But he gave up three runs in a loss to Miami on April 5 and then allowed the first homer by a Yankees reliever this season when Trout took him deep to tie the game in the sixth.
Boone said the Yankees were “a little short” in the bullpen Monday, as they planned on staying away from Brent Headrick and Ryan Yarbrough.
Jake Bird #59 reacts as he walks back to the dugout after ending the 6th inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“It was a tough night for him, but I thought he made a lot of really good pitches,” Boone said. “A couple of mistakes they really put charges into to get back in the game. He had a hard time finishing off a couple of at-bats.”
Camilo Doval also allowed a homer to Trout, as the Yankees look to get him to be a consistent setup man for David Bednar.
Jake Bird #59 reacts as Los Angeles Angels right fielder Mike Trout #27 rounds the bases on his three-run homer in the 6th inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Anthony Volpe was cleared to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday.
Boone said Volpe likely would play four games this week for Double-A Somerset. In his first couple of games, Volpe would play just three to five innings as the Yankees build him up “kind of like spring training,” Boone said.
After the week, the Yankees would reassess Volpe, who is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
Cade Winquest, the Rule 5 draft pick who did not appear in a game before he was designated for assignment, was officially returned to the Cardinals. … Facing a lefty in Yusei Kikuchi, Boone opted to start Paul Goldschmidt at first and sit Ben Rice, who is trying to prove he can hit southpaws but began this year with a .522 OPS against lefties and 1.431 against righties.
Boone also stuck with Randal Grichuk in left field. A lefty killer in recent years, Grichuk began this season 0-for-12 with six strikeouts.
“Erratic playing time,” Boone said. “What’s he got nine at-bats, 10 at-bats? He’s swung through some pitches. He’s also smoked a ball up the middle that they made a great play on. He’s hit a ball to the wall in center.
Somehow, they avoided getting no-hit, but it wasn’t easy. Dodgers left-hander Justin Wrobleski had that kind of mastery over this sputtering bunch.
The Mets collected three measly singles and called it a night in their 4-0 loss before a sellout crowd of 52,838 at Dodger Stadium, extending their losing streak to six games. Shut out for a second straight game, the Mets have played 20 straight innings without scoring.
Wrobleski allowed only singles to Jorge Polanco and Francisco Alvarez over eight innings before Marcus Semien singled against Tanner Scott in the ninth. The Mets didn’t even place a runner in scoring position.
“These types of stretches are going to happen,” Semien said. “It’s tough when it happens early in the season. It’s tough when we’re not winning ballgames and the microscope is going to be right there on the offense.”
Mets Mark Vientos looks on after striking out during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, April 13, 2026. Jessie Alcheh for CA Post
Only adding to the Mets’ angst: ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, last year’s World Series hero, is the Dodgers’ scheduled starting pitcher on Tuesday.
This latest no-show by the lineup followed a homestand that finished with five straight losses, a stretch in which the Mets averaged 1.8 runs against the Diamondbacks and Athletics.
Among the distressing numbers entering play was the team’s .658 OPS, which ranked 23rd in MLB. The Mets were 23rd with a .305 on-base percentage and their .353 slugging percentage ranked No. 24.
Simply, that is not good enough for a lineup that was overhauled by president of baseball operations David Stearns this winter with an eye toward becoming more athletic and less dependent on home runs.
Dodgers’ Andy Pages rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets in Los Angeles, Monday, April 13, 2026. AP
Juan Soto’s absence from the lineup has been felt, as he sits on the injured list with a strained right calf. It appeared this might not be the case a week ago: The Mets were returning from a successful weekend in San Francisco that included three straight victories (with excellent offensive production) with Soto sidelined.
“We’re trying to control the strike zone and swings at the right ones, but that is only half the battle,” Semien said. “Quality of contact is something we are all striving for, [too].”
In a third straight lackluster start, David Peterson allowed four earned runs on five hits and four walks with seven strikeouts over five innings. The left-hander has pitched to a 6.41 ERA in his four starts this season and has pitched into the sixth inning only once.
“This is probably the best we have seen him,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He got some swings and misses, but the walks … I thought the [velocity] was better. But even when he got ahead there were three-ball counts and then he got behind, but the stuff itself was better.”
Peterson nearly buried himself in the first inning when he allowed an RBI single to Will Smith and walked Teoscar Hernández to load the bases with nobody out. But following a visit from pitching coach Justin Willard, the left-hander struck out Freddie Freeman, Andy Pages and Max Muncy in succession. Peterson’s trouble began when he drilled Shohei Ohtani and walked Kyle Tucker.
After a perfect second inning, Peterson returned to trouble in the third and this time didn’t escape: Pages launched a three-run homer that gave the Dodgers a 4-0 lead. Tucker and Hernández each walked in the inning before Peterson hung a 2-0 curveball in the middle of the plate that Pages blasted over the left-field fence.
“I left the one curveball up, but I felt a lot better about my stuff,” Peterson said. “Obviously I would have liked to not give up the three-run homer and some of the free passes, but overall a step in the right direction.”
Mets pitcher David Peterson (23) meets on the mound with catcher Francisco Alvarez, manager Carlos Mendoza, and shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, April 13, 2026. Jessie Alcheh for CA Post
Polanco bounced a single through the first-base hole with one out in the fifth to give the Mets their first base runner against Wrobleski. But that breakthrough was negated when the ensuing batter, Alvarez, grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Peterson escaped fifth-inning trouble by striking out Muncy after Hernández doubled in the inning and Freeman singled him to third.
Craig Kimbrel allowed a single to Miguel Rojas in the sixth, but Rojas was thrown out by Alvarez attempting to steal second. Kimbrel finished with a scoreless inning.
Joey Gerber, in his Mets debut, escaped trouble in the seventh by striking out Pages after walking Smith and surrendering a two-out double to Freeman.
Polanco bounced a single through the first-base hole with one out in the fifth to give the Mets their first base runner against Wrobleski. But that breakthrough was negated when the ensuing batter, Alvarez, grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Peterson escaped fifth-inning trouble by striking out Muncy after Hernández doubled in the inning and Freeman singled him to third.
Craig Kimbrel allowed a single to Miguel Rojas in the sixth, but Rojas was thrown out by Alvarez attempting to steal second. Kimbrel finished with a scoreless inning.
Joey Gerber, in his Mets debut, escaped trouble in the seventh by striking out Pages after walking Smith and surrendering a two-out double to Freeman.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 13: Justin Wrobleski #70 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the first inning of a game against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium on April 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As two starting pitchers delivered starts on the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to efficiency, Justin Wrobleski and the Dodgers got the better of David Peterson and the Mets in a 4-0 win. On one side, Wrobleski delivered the standout performance of his career, generating quick outs at a staggering rate; on the other, Peterson had to labor immensely to complete every inning.
While it’d be harsh to put a label on Justin Wrobleski quite so early in his career, the stark difference in his numbers as a starting pitcher and reliever is quite evident. Still, for one game here, he silenced any doubts about his capabilities as a full-time starter. Facing a New York Mets lineup missing Juan Soto and coming off a shutout loss in their last performance, the Dodger starter was phenomenal in tossing eight innings of scoreless baseball.
The key to this magnificent outing from Wrobleski wasn’t particularly tricky—the left-hander simply peppered the zone with four-seam fastballs, far more often than what is the norm for him, both in the number of pitches and the frequency of those inside the zone. Wrobleski’s heater isn’t imposing enough that it should generate this kind of result; in fact, Met hitters only whiffed once on 29 swings on the pitch—they just did absolutely nothing when they put the ball in play, and a lot of pitches in the zone normally induce quick at-bats, hence such a deep outing. Wrobleski’s pitch count was so low for the vast majority of this game that there was even a chance he’d go the distance. Unfortunately, a base runner in the eighth put a wrinkle in those plans, and the lefty settled for eight scoreless on 90 pitches. Dave Roberts turned to Tanner Scott in the ninth in a non-save situation, and he shut the door on the Mets.
Wrobleski was also supported by a Dodger offense that gave him the lead right at the start of the game, adding to it early on. After allowing all four of the first Dodger hitters to reach base safely to open the game, David Peterson set the stage for what looked like could be a blowup outing. With one run across after a Will Smith single, and the bases loaded, Peterson defied the odds and got out of the inning by striking out the side. Peterson didn’t exactly settle in after that opening frame, and an Andy Pages three-run shot in the third really put a dent in his final line.
The Mets starter kept managing to put out his own fires—Peterson left the game after five, having allowed only those four runs in an outing in which 11 Dodgers reached safely. Reverting back to his normal struggles against left-handed pitching, Muncy was one of the primary hitters responsible for the Dodgers not punishing Peterson further, striking out all three times, and stranding a total of five runners.
It wasn’t just Peterson, though, as all three of the Mets relievers who entered the game allowed at least one base runner—the Dodger offense couldn’t tack on to those four runs, which turned out to be more than enough to win the game comfortably.
Same start time on Tuesday, with the Dodgers getting their first look at one of the prized jewels of this Mets’ staff, the youngster Nolan McLean, who burst onto the scene last season. For the reigning back-to-back champs, it’ll be Yoshinobu Yamamoto looking to carry on his outstanding early-season form.
Luis Severino gave up two homers in the 8-1 loss to the Texas Rangers | Getty Images
Fresh off a three-game sweep of the inter-league rival New York Mets, the A’s returned home to Sutter Health Park today to begin a division series matchup with the Texas Rangers. Luis Severino returned to the Sutter Health Park mound for the first time in 2026. He faced off against 36-year-old righty Nathan Eovaldi for the Rangers.
The Rangers jumped out early on Severino with a three-run homer by Jake Burger. Texas sent eight batters to the plate in the first and the A’s were lucky to escape with only three runs on the board. Burger led off the third with his second homer of the night to increase the Rangers lead to 4-0. Max Muncy got the A’s first hit in the bottom of the third but was erased by a double play ball. At the end of three Eovaldi had faced the minimum A’s batters.
In the top of the fifth, Lawrence Butler showed off his best Denzel Clarke, reaching above the wall to steal a homer from Corey Seager.
Jack Perkins replaced Severino in the top of the seventh. Seve’s final line was: six innings, four earned runs on six hits and three walks. He struck out seven and would have kept the Rangers off the board had it not been for the two long balls. Perkins set the Rangers down in order in the seventh with two strikeouts following a soft ground out.
Perkins ran into some trouble in the eighth. Corey Seager doubled. Joc Pederson grounded a ball that hit the umpire for a single. Then Perkins walked Kyle Higashioka. Josh Smith singled softly to left field, scoring two runs. Josh Jung doubled into the left-centerfield gap to clear the bases. After Perkins got Brandon Nimmo out on strikes, his fourth of the night, He was replaced by Luis Medina. He got Carter to ground out, but not before the Rangers doubled their run output to eight.
Lawrence Butler got the A’s on the board finally in the eighth with a homer to right field. At the end of eight, the A’s still trailed 8-1. Unfortunately, that was all the A’s could muster and dropped the series opener to the Texas Rangers 8-1. The two teams will be back tomorrow for game two.
Behind a big night from Quinton Byfield, the Los Angeles Kings (35-26-19) took care of business against the Seattle Kraken (38-34-8) on Monday to clinch a playoff spot, winning 5-3.
Even with Seattle already out of the playoff hunt, they gave everything they had tonight against the Kings. This was not an easy game for the Kings; they fought hard down the stretch and came up big in crunch time.
Despite all that, the game remained very close in the third period, with the Kraken nearly mounting a full comeback to steal the game at home and take all hope away from LA. But clutch goals and defense helped secure the Kings' fifth consecutive playoff berth.
Quinton Byfield had a big night on National Television, scoring two goals and two points. Trevor Moore pitched in one goal and two points, bringing nice energy for the Kings on the road.
Adrian Kempe had one goal and one point, scoring the huge goal in the third period after LA allowed the Kraken to get back in the game. Kempe silenced the crowd, extending the lead to a two-goal lead.
Anton Forsberg got his fourth consecutive start under the crease and once again continued where he started, anchoring the Kings' defense, finishing with 28 saves on 31 shots.
The Kings began with an impressive start again. Byfield opened the scoring at the 17:17 mark after a faceoff win by the Kraken. Byfield forced a turnover and broke through transition on the 2-on-1, sniping the shot in the net to give LA a 1-0 lead.
LAK Goal - Back Bar Byfield!
Outstanding play by 55. Self pass off the wall, 2-on-1 rush, keeps it himself and snipes one off the back bar for the goal. 1-0 Kings.
The game got physical midway through the open period, with Jacob Melanson and Samuel Helenius getting into it, resulting in both being called for roughing.
Los Angeles was doing everything it could to win this game, under pressure to clinch a playoff spot against a Seattle team that had nothing to play for.
The one issue the Kings were having early in the game and for most of the match was controlling the puck and turning it over. Even with Seattle trailing in this game, the Kings' careless turnovers were letting the home team stay in it.
Off another Seattle turnover, Byfield once again sprinted past everyone for the loose puck, this time by himself versus the goaltender, and did a good job controlling the puck to finesse a shot high glove side for the goal.
2-0 Kings after 20 minutes.
Two nasty goals from Byfield are the difference, alongside another stout period from Anton Forsberg.
Once again, the Kings ended the period on a strong note on the road, holding a commanding 2-0 lead with Byfield leading the way offensively and Forbserg playing stout defense to hold Seattle scoreless through 20 minutes.
The second period began with Seattle continuing to struggle to control the puck. This time at the 12:47 mark, Trevor Moore converted on the rebound shot from Alex Laferriere to extend LA's lead to a three-goal cushion.
LAK Goal - Trevor Score!
Moore makes it 3-0 with a quick release from the slot. Alex Laferriere picks up his 40th point of the season with the only assist.
LA was once again spreading the wealth and getting others involved. It seems like every night, it's a different player on the Kings shining and leading the Kings to big wins.
Kings would hold onto a 3-0 lead after 40 minutes, once again holding Seattle scoreless to end the period. Great second period from Los Angeles, considering how much trouble they've had this season in the second period.
The third period would seemingly take away everything the Kings had done to build that 3-0 lead. It looked like the same old Kings in the final frame, holding a big lead and letting the opponent claw its way back.
In a span of seven minutes to open the final period, LA allowed two goals from the Kraken, trimming the lead down to just one. It was slowly looking like the momentum had shifted to Seattle, playing at home and getting two huge goals up.
But the Kings silenced the crowd at the 7:31 mark after another turnover by Seattle led to a rush play. The 2-on-1 play led by Anze Kopitar and Kempe held strong, with Kempe scoring off the nice feed by Kopitar to score a big insurance goal, extending LA's lead back to a two-goal lead.
LAK Goal - JUICE!
That's a massive insurance goal. Kopitar and Kempe 2-on-1 rush, 11 feeds 9, back of the net. 4-2, 7:31 on the clock.
Seattle still wouldn't go down without a fight, though, scoring with under two minutes to go, cutting the lead back down to one. The game was progressing as if it would be a massive loss for the Kings in the final minutes of regulation, after holding a 3-0 lead to start the third period.
But the defense would stand tall for Los Angeles in the final two minutes of regulation. With two seconds to go, Los Angeles would convert on the empty net goal to put this one away, winning 5-3 at Seattle.
Key Takeaways
Your Los Angeles Kings are officially playoff-bound and will make their fifth consecutive postseason appearance after the Nashville Predators lost on Monday. It's still unknown as to who Los Angeles will play in the first round, but if everything stays as is, it will most likely be the Colorado Avalanche.
Since Edmonton lost to Colorado tonight, if Los Angeles wins tomorrow, they'll be tied with the Oilers for the second seed, and a Ducks loss tomorrow will drop Anaheim to fourth in the Pacific Division.
Still, a big opportunity for the Kings to move up in the division and earn home ice advantage to start the first round.
The Kings continune its road trip tomorrow against the Vancouver Canucks at 7:00 PM PT.
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The Mets dropped their sixth straight, as they were defeated by the Dodgers 4-0 in Los Angeles on Monday night.
Here are some takeaways...
- David Peterson's struggles continued from the get-go, as he allowed the first four Dodgers to reach on two walks, a HBP, and an RBI single. He was able to rebound nicely after a mound visit, though, striking out the next three batters on 11 pitches to somehow limit the damage to just one run against.
Peterson picked up two more strikeouts in a perfect second, but the Dodgers got to him again in the third. The lefty almost danced around two more walks, until Andy Pages crushed a 2-0 hanging slider for his fifth homer of the season. He worked around a one-out double in the fourth, then ended his night by stranding runners on the corners in the fifth.
Peterson's ERA is now up to 6.41 after allowing four runs on five hits and four walks with seven strikeouts.
- Unfortunately for the Mets, when it rains, it pours, as their offense continued to struggle, as well. Lefty Justin Wrobleski came into the game with a 4.74 ERA through his first nine career outings, but he was in complete control all night, facing the minimum through 7.2 innings.
Wrobleski struck out just two, but he allowed as many hits in eight terrific innings.
- Craig Kimbrel and Joey Gerber showed positives in relief of Peterson. Kimbrel was helped by Francisco Alvarez's first caught stealing of the season as he worked his way through a scoreless bottom of the sixth. Gerber then struck out five batters around allowing two hits and a walk in the final two innings.
- Jorge Polanco, Marcus Semien, and Alvarez accounted for the Mets' three hits, all singles, two of which were erased on double plays.
- Tommy Pham went hitless across three at-bats in his first game back with the Mets -- striking out on three pitches, then grounding out to shortstop each of his next two times up.
- New York has now gone 20 straight innings without scoring a run, dating back to Saturday.
Game MVP: Andy Pages
Pages had the big blow against Peterson, crushing his three-run shot in the third.
Highlights
After allowing a run and loading the bases, David Peterson strikes out three straight Dodgers to avoid further damage in the first pic.twitter.com/p7v8EROHQO
After two arduous years of tanking, Nets fans want to know whether their team is going to flip the switch and accelerate their rebuild — and if so, when.
GM Sean Marks’ answer was as evasive as expected.
“It depends a little on what becomes available. You just never know,” said Marks. “We’ve put this Nets team and franchise in a place to be able to be opportunistic. Does that fit our timeline? Does this particular trade work for us right now?
“You can always add talent, but does that talent fit our approach and for the development of these young guys, fit in with the group we have? So, those are discussions I look forward to having with Jordi [Fernández] and the rest of the coaching staff, front office, mostly Joe [Tsai] — when we want to add and how we want to add.”
Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Marks speaks with the media during post season interviews at HSS Training Center. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
That was in line with The Post’s reporting that Brooklyn’s timeline would partly hinge on whether a star shook loose after the playoffs.
Michael Porter Jr. had a career year, but tailed off to shoot just 40.9 percent — and 25.6 from deep — in his final 14 games.
“Once All-Star break happened and I realized I wasn’t an All-Star, I had a little slippage in my focus, a little slippage in my preparation,” said Porter. “And that can’t happen regardless of what’s going on with the team and the team record.”
Fernández spoke on the emotional strain of a losing season.
“You don’t know how you’re going to deal with your emotions until you have to go through it,” said Fernández. “I remember getting the job and some people were like ‘Oh, it’s going to be hard. It’s not going to be easy’. I always have a positive mindset; I’m like ‘Oh, no, we’ll be OK’. [But] it’s really hard because you want to go out there and win.”
Noah Clowney averaged career highs of 12.3 points and 4.1 rebounds, and showed a knack for getting to the line. But he didn’t make the strides he’d hoped for defensively.
Noah Clowney speaks with the media during post season interviews at HSS Training Center, Monday, April 13, 2026, in Brooklyn, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“I progressed this year, maybe not as much as I wanted to, which I thought I would have,” said Clowney. “But I got better at some different things, and I got more experience. So I’m gonna take that for what it is.
“I got a lot better at getting to the rim. [My handle] can get a lot better, and that would prevent my turnovers…Defensively, it’s just always been consistency. I can do it at times, and other times I just don’t..”
As impressive as Josh Minott was after arriving at the trade deadline, he was playing hurt from his earlier season ankle sprain.
“I look forward to seeing him healthy,” said Marks. “He was playing on one leg with us for most of the time here, so it is nice to get that ankle taken care of and then again have another big summer for a young man like that..”
For a second straight year, there will be no playoff hockey in Nashville.
After the Predators' loss to the San Jose Sharks, 3-2, on Monday at home and the Los Angeles Kings' 5-3 win over the Seattle Kraken, Nashville has been officially eliminated from playoff contention.
Los Angeles clinches the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference with 89 points. Nashville is three points back and, even with a win over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, will still be trailing the Kings by a point at the end of the season.
"I'm sure we'll digest the season and probably look back at it. We were asked a lot to get ourselves in this position, and something we'll have to look forward to working on," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said following the loss to the Sharks.
The Kings prevailed with a two-goal win over the Kraken from Quinton Byfield in the second period. They will likely face the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Nashville's elimination and Los Angeles' qualification ends a nearly four-month-long chase for the final Wild Card spot that saw the Predators crawl out of the basement of the league and, at one point, into a playoff spot.
Nashville was 6-12-4 going into November and, at one point, the worst team in the NHL. Powered by a stretch from Thanksgiving to mid-January, where Nashville went 17-8-0, the Predators suddenly had life.
Nashville's change in fourth was specifically charged by Steven Stamkos, who had just four points through the first month of the season. He is now sitting at 40 goals, which is tied for the 10th most in the NHL.
Filip Forsberg and Ryan O'Reilly also notched 70-plus points each as two of the most consistent players this season. Roman Josi also recorded his 1,000th career game and has tallied 54 points in 67 games.
However, Nashville struggled to find consistent success down the stretch. It's gone 4-5-1 in its last 10 games, which included a three-game losing streak where Nashville was in the final Wild Card spot.
With one game left, the Predators sit at 38-33-10 with 86 points.
After homering in his last at-bat against the Rays in Sunday’s loss, Judge went deep twice in an 11-10 win over the Angels in The Bronx on Monday.
And it was just enough, as the Yankees bullpen repeatedly blew leads.
The back-and-forth victory snapped a five-game losing streak, as the Yankees took advantage of five home runs and won it on a Jordan Romano wild pitch that scored José Caballero with Ryan McMahon at the plate — and Judge on deck.
In his first at-bat versus the Angels Yusei Kikuchi, Judge took a 2-0 changeup and blasted a two-run, 456-foot shot halfway up the bleachers in left-center for an early lead in the bottom of the first.
With the Yankees involved in a battle with the Angels — thanks to a bad night by just about every pitcher Aaron Boone went to, starting with Will Warren — the Yankees needed Judge again in the bottom of the sixth.
New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge #99 reacts in the dugout after he scores on his solo home run during the 6th inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
He gave them the lead again with a solo shot to left.
It was his sixth homer of the young season, but it also put Judge in the franchise record books.
The multihomer game was Judge’s 47th of his career, passing Mickey Mantle and leaving him behind only Babe Ruth, who had 68 with the Yankees, as well as the most in MLB history with 72.
Still, the Yankees don’t want to completely rely on Judge, but a combination of poor performance from half the lineup for much of the season- and an ugly one from the bullpen on Monday, forced that to be the case again.
And that’s why the Yankees can’t seem to afford any drop-off from Judge and weren’t able to during the five-game losing streak entering Monday’s game.
Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge #99 hits a solo home run during the 6th inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The encouraging start to the season has been replaced by worries in the bullpen and all over the infield, where Jazz Chisholm Jr., McMahon and Caballero have all disappointed in multiple facets of the game.
And the pen has been inconsistent at best.
With Warren knocked out in the fourth inning — despite bringing a no-hitter into the frame — Boone had to turn to Fernando Cruz, who walked a pair of batters and forced in a run.
Lefty Tim Hill allowed three hits and a run in 1 ²/₃ innings, but the Yankees have generally been able to rely on both Cruz and Hill.
That has not been the case with Jake Bird, a disaster after coming over from the Rockies at last year’s trade deadline.
The right-hander gave up a three-run homer to Mike Trout, and two innings later, Doval allowed a two-run shot to Trout, who entered the game with just a pair of homers on the season.
But with the threat of Judge in the on-deck circle, Romano threw a 3-2 pitch in the dirt to give the Yankees the win.
D.J. Short
