Apr 10, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter Masataka Yoshida (7) goes down after being hit by a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in the first inning. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images
I don’t have many words for this Red Sox team already, so we’re gonna keep it short.
Studs
No one? Is it that bad I don’t have just about anything good to say about this game?
Duds
Where do I even begin with duds for this game. Willson Contreras with a golden sombrero, including getting wrung up then losing an ABS challenge to end a frame. Duran and Durban both with 0-fers at the top of the lineup. Connelly Early not having any real smooth inning, then the bullpen not saving his skin in the least bit. Letting Dustin May look like a superstar on the bump. This was a rough one.
Play of the Game
The only real positive of the game was this bit of base-running to bring home a run.
Apr 10, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) runs out a single against the Athletics during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
The Mets, after falling to the Oakland Sacramento A’s by a score of 4-0, have pushed their scoreless streak to 17 innings. It’s not what you want.
The good news, which is more existential than tangible after three straight losses, is the loss puts the Mets at an even 7-7 to begin the season, which could be worse. While we all expect more from the team, it also is far from a death sentence — the best teams in every baseball season have stretches where they cannot really hit and go .500 for a spell. It mostly is just a big old heaping plate of Feels Bad when you start the season that way, especially when 2025 left a sour taste in everyone’s mouths.
Clay Holmes got the start in this one and looked good, until he left the game with hamstring tightness (more on that later). He only struck out three in his five and one thirds innings, but he did a great job of forcing weak contact continuously. He surrendered just one run, which came in the third inning. Old Friend Carlos Cortes singled to lead off the frame, Lawrence Butler walked, and Shea Langeliers singled to bring Cortes home. Holmes managed to keep the damage at just the one run, but that would have been enough for the A’s.
Holmes continued to keep it a 1-0 game into the sixth inning, where he surrendered a one out single to Jacob Wilson, did some hamstring sweeps beside the mound and grimaced in pain, and was quickly lifted by the trainer for Tobias Myers. In his postgame scrum, Carlos Mendoza said that they hope he does not miss a start, so hopefully it stays a minor thing for Holmes, who has had a nice start to his 2026 season.
The Mets offense could not hit water from a boat, however, so that one run was more than enough. They had six hits on the day, and only took three at bats with runners in scoring position. Another old friend, J.T. Ginn got the start and gave up a single hit in four innings, and it became a bullpen game from there for the A’s. Their biggest threat came in the sixth inning, when Jack Perkins came in to relieve Mark Leiter Jr. Back to back singles by Francisco Lindor and Bo Bichette made it first and third with no outs. Jared Young hit a bouncer to first, and Lindor got held up between home and third. Nick Kurtz made a nice play to freeze him, and threw him out as he retreated to third for the first out. Luis Robert Jr. promptly hit into a double play to somehow escape the inning still down 1-0.
Myers was great in relief of Holmes until the ninth inning. He was perfect for the first two and two thirds innings prior to the ninth, but fell apart in the final frame of the evening. A Jacob Wilson lead off single (coupled with a brutal Carson Benge error in left to turn it into a de facto double) and a single by another Old Friend, Jeff McNeil, made it 2-0. A double by the Younger Max Muncy made it second and third. He got a ground out to finally put an out on the board, but a single by Denzel Clarke made it 4-0 and effectively ended the game. Richard Lovelady came into the game to mop it up and did so efficiently, getting Lawrence Butler to ground into a double play.
The bottom of the ninth inning went by quickly, with Jared Young, Brett Baty and Marcus Semien making the final three outs around a Luis Robert Jr. single.
Losers of three straight, the Mets offense is going through it right now. They obviously miss Juan Soto, and with Jorge Polanco battling Achilles bursitis, and Francisco Lindor ending the day with a whopping 73 wRC+, they are behind the eight ball on the offensive side of the ball. The good news is they are far from a terrible place at 7-7, and there are many many many many games left to be played. Despite that, it has been a frustrating watch over the first 14 games.
Big Mets winner: Clay Holmes, +1.2% WPA Big Mets loser: Luis Robert Jr., -2.0% WPA Mets pitchers: +1.3% WPA Mets hitters: -6.3% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Bo Bichette’s sixth inning single, +16.3% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Shea Langeliers RBI single in the third inning, -11.2% WPA
Apr 10, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dustin May (3) pitches in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images
The St. Louis Cardinals began the 2nd homestand of the 2026 season taking on the Boston Red Sox at Busch Stadium. Before we get to the baseball, the first important moment of the game was the return of Willson Contreras to St. Louis after being traded during the offseason. As expected, he received a warm welcome.
Dustin May looked more like the Dustin May many of us expected/hoped to see as he gave St. Louis six strong innings allowing only 1 earned run. His stat line looked like this: 6 innings pitched, 4 hits, 1 earned run, no walks with 4 strikeouts.
The scoring began early for the Cardinals as they played some small ball in the 2nd inning. After Ramón Urías doubled, Masyn Winn walked and Jose Fermin singled to left. After Pedro Pagés struck out, Victor Scott II got the job done with a sacrifice fly to left.
Of note, Masyn Winn was hit in the calf by a pitch in the bottom of the 3rd inning and he would later leave the game as Thomas Saggese took his place in the lineup.
The Boston Red Sox would scrap back in the top of the 4th inning when Yoshida singled to right followed by a strikeout from Willson Contreras. That would be followed by a single to Abreu moving Yoshida to third. Yoshida would then score on a throwing error by JJ Wetherholt on a Trevor Story groundout. Later that inning, the Red Sox literally stole a run as Mayer stole second, Pages threw to 2nd and Wetherholt was unable to throw out Story at home. That made it 2-1 Red Sox halfway through the 4th inning.
The Cardinals would tie the game up and eventually take the lead in the bottom of the 5th inning when Jordan Walker singled. Urias then walked which brought up Thomas Saggese on his birthday. He did not disappoint. His single tied the game at 2-2.
Later in the 5th inning, Urias advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a sacrifice fly from Jose Fermin making it 3-2 Cardinals.
The Cardinals bullpen held the lead (barely) as Ryan Stanek pitched a solid 7th inning, but JoJo Romero got into trouble in the top of the 8th inning when he allowed a double to Ceddanne Rafaela. After Duran lined out to center, Durbin was hit by a pitch after Romero had 2 strikes on him. JoJo would redeem himself, though, by striking out Yoshida and getting Willson Contreras to flyout to deep right centerfield.
Riley O’Brien was brought in to close out the game in the 9th inning and quickly slammed the door on the Red Sox getting them out 1-2-3.
Other Cardinals stats to pass along from Friday’s game. JJ Wetherholt was 0-3, but managed 2 walks to continue his on-base streak of 12 games. Jordan Walker continued his impressive 2026 start by going 2-4 with singles to both right and left field. St. Louis is now 8-5 this season. Not bad for a rebuilding team, am I right? Let’s not get carried away, but as of right now, the Cardinals are tied for first place. The Cardinals have Kyle Leahy set to start Saturday night’s game against the Red Sox as he’ll do battle with Ranger Suarez. Game time Saturday night is 6:15pm weather permitting. That will be a national broadcast from Fox, by the way.
Mets Keith Hernandez is introduced to the crowd during Old Timers Day celebration before the game when the New York Mets played the Colorado Rockies Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022, at Citi Field in Queens.
It looks like the Mets’ injury bug has infected the SNY broadcast booth as well.
Midway through the Mets’ 4-0 loss to the Athletics on Friday, Keith Hernandez revealed that he will be undergoing back surgery on Tuesday.
Mets Keith Hernandez is introduced to the crowd during Old Timers Day celebration before the game when the New York Mets played the Colorado Rockies Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022, at Citi Field in Queens. for the NY POST
Hernandez, 72, added that he is hoping to return to the booth for the Mets’ home series against the Rockies, which starts on April 24.
“I’m shooting to come back during the Rockies series over the weekend home here,” he said.
He then joked with fellow commentators Gary Cohen and Ron Darling, with Hernandez saying that they don’t think he’s gonna make it out of surgery.
“I know you don’t think I’ll make it,” Hernandez said while the others can be heard laughing in the background.
“I hope you do, I’m rooting for you, Keith,” Cohen quickly interjected.
The broadcast then panned to a graphic titled “Get Well Soon Keith,” which showed a man lying on an island with a full-body cast.
Hernandez (right) said that he is hoping to return to the booth for the Mets’ home series against the Rockies, which starts on April 24. SNY
This is not the first time that Hernandez has had back surgery, having repaired a ruptured disk back in 2019.
Hernandez’s back troubles have already caused him to miss a few games this year, notably being absent from the Mets’ west-coast series against the Giants earlier this month, where the Amazin’s took three of four games from San Francisco.
During Tuesday’s 4-3 over the Diamondbacks, Hernandez said that he tried watching the Giants series back at home, but San Francisco played so terribly that he had to turn it off.
“I tried to watch the Giants series, Gare, but the Giants played so horribly that I had to turn it off,” Hernandez said.
“Todd [Zeile] and I were not compelling enough to keep your attention?” Cohen responded.
“Had nothing to do with you guys. It just was … the defense, I just was stunned,” Hernandez continued.
“When it was finally 6-0, I turned it off,” he added while mimicking turning off a television.
In the Mets’ loss Friday, starter Clay Holmes exited during the sixth inning of his with hamstring tightness.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — AJ Green made 11 3-pointers to set the Milwaukee Bucks’ single-game record and scored a career-high 35 points in a 125-108 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.
Green shot 11 of 16 from 3-point range to break the record of 10 3-pointers that Ray Allen and Damian Lillard had shared. Green’s now has 227 3-pointers as he chases the franchise single-season record of 229, set by Allen in 2001-02.
Milwaukee’s Cormac Ryan added a career-high 28 points in his first start. Taurean Prince had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Prince was 6 of 11 and Ryan 5 of 9 on 3-point attempts.
As a team, Milwaukee shot 24 of 48 from beyond the arc.
This game marked the Bucks’ home finale as they wrap up their first losing season in a decade, snapping a string of nine straight playoff appearances. It comes amid speculation regarding the future of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has spent his entire 13-year career in Milwaukee.
Antetokounmpo was unavailable for a 14th straight game due to what the Bucks labeled as a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise. Antetokounmpo has said he’s healthy and that he wants to play. The NBA is investigating the matter.
The nine-time all-NBA forward will become eligible to sign a four-year, $275 million extension in October. If he doesn’t agree to that extension, Antetokounmpo could become a free agent after next season, or the Bucks could attempt to trade him beforehand.
Antetokounmpo wasn’t alone in being unavailable for this game, as both of these lottery-bound teams rested numerous usual starters.
Tyson Etienne scored a career-high 23 for the Nets.
Brooklyn’s E.J. Liddell was ejected early in the fourth quarter for delivering a forearm to the face of Milwaukee’s Jericho Sims after getting fouled by the Bucks center.
Brooklyn Nets guard Malachi Smith (18) drives towards the basket against Milwaukee Bucks guard Cormac Ryan (30) during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum.
Brooklyn (20-61) are third in the race to the bottom with just one game left, their regular season finale Sunday in Toronto.
They’re a game behind second-place Indiana, but moved 1 ½ games clear of both Utah and Sacramento, pending the former’s tilt against Memphis and the latter’s matchup against visiting Golden State.
Now, after losing without 10 players on Friday and getting wins from Utah and Sacramento, the Nets clinched a top 3 spot in the lottery standings. The Top 3 lottery seeds all have identical 14 percent odds of winning, and a 40.1 percent shot at one of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson or Cam Boozer.
They now have a 14 percent chance of winning the lottery and 40.1% odds of a Top 3 pick, drafting no worse than seventh.
As for Friday night’s ugly loss, the Nets allowed 55.6 percent shooting, with AJ Green pouring in a game-high 35 points on 11-of-16 from deep and Cormac Ryan adding 28.
Nets guard Tyson Etienne had 15 of his career-high 23 points in the first quarter.
Malachi Smith added career-highs of 19 points and 10 assists, along with a career-high tying eight rebounds for the Nets, who played without Michael Porter Jr., Egor Demin, Nic Claxton, Noah Clowney, Drake Powell, Josh Minott, Terance Mann, Day’Ron Sharpe, Ziaire Williams and Danny Wolf.
Brooklyn Nets guard Malachi Smith (18) drives towards the basket against Milwaukee Bucks guard Cormac Ryan (30) during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Smith is the first rookie in team history with at least 15 points, 10 assists and no turnovers in a game.
Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo missed a 13th straight game, theoretically with a hyperextended left knee and bruised bone, but really because of a busted relationship with the Bucks and Milwaukee’s tanking.
For a change, though, the Nets would not be out-tanked.
On an 0-2 pitch with one out in the top of the seventh inning during the Pirates’ 2-0 win over the Cubs, Pittsburgh infielder Nick Gonzales took a 94 mph fastball from Chicago left-handed reliever Caleb Thielbar that appeared to be off the plate.
Home plate umpire Roberto Ortiz thought otherwise and rung up Gonzales for strike three.
The moment Nick Gonzales decided to challenge the strike call. He’d change his mind less than a second later. Talkin' Baseball/X
Nick Gonzales challenged this two-strike pitch and instantly tried to retract it since the Pirates only had one challenge remaining. The umpire insisted that he had to challenge it, and it ended up being successful pic.twitter.com/FpAbRZdSQ1
Gonzales immediately disagreed, tapping his helmet in a visual that baseball fans have become used to over the first few weeks of the season.
Rather than turning his head to the video board and waiting for the robo umpires to give the verdict on the pitch, Gonzales appeared to change his mind, waving toward Ortiz as if to say “never mind.”
Ortiz wasn’t having it.
Despite Gonzales’ wishes, Ortiz went on with the challenge, announcing to the crowd that the Pittsburgh hitter wanted to see if the pitch did in fact clip the strike zone.
It all worked out for Gonzales in the end.
Nick Gonzales learned he couldn’t take back an ABS challenge on Friday. Talkin' Baseball/XNick Gonzales couldn’t believe home plate umpire Roberto Ortiz went through with the challenge. Talkin' Baseball/X
ABS showed that Thielbar’s pitch was more than an inch off the plate, giving Gonzales a second life in the plate appearance.
Gonzales would be set down four pitches later anyway on a fly ball to left field, but players and teams alike learned a valuable lesson — there’s no un-challenging a pitch under ABS.
As the matchup between the Knicks and Raptors returned from halftime, OG Anunoby was not on the court or the bench.
The team announced that Anunoby would not return to the game after suffering a left ankle injury.
It's unclear how or when it happened, but the forward did take a tumble in the waning minutes of the second quarter. Anunoby did play through it and finished with two points on 1 of 4 shooting (0-for-3 from three), five rebounds and three assists in 15 minutes on the court.
With the Knicks having a sizeable lead against the Raptors at halftime, and the Celtics with a sizeable lead over the Pelicans, guaranteeing Boston the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, New York could be sitting Anunoby as a precaution.
Coach Mike Brown didn't have an update on Anunoby after Friday's win. He confirmed that Anunoby tweaked his ankle but hasn't talked to him or trainers just yet.
The Knicks finish the regular season at home against the Hornets on Sunday night, and Brown was asked about resting his starters since they locked into the No. 3 seed.
"We'll talk about it probably. You want to go into the playoffs as healthy as possible," Brown said. "We'll discuss it as a staff in the next day or so and then we'll see what happens."
With Anunoby's tweaked ankle and Sunday's game not meaning anything for the Knicks, it's likely the forward will not play in the season finale.
Mike Brown says that OG Anunoby tweaked his ankle tonight
Brown says he does not have information on where Anunoby stands with the injury pic.twitter.com/lsn8F55RLS
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 10: Arizona Diamondbacks catcher James McCann #8 hits a two run double during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 10th, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Game Summary
The Diamondbacks starting rotation has had a habit of being sunk by the “Blow Up Inning” over the last couple seasons, and after the first inning tonight, I thought Soroka was just another member of the club. In a rare twist on that tired trope, the Diamondbacks offense punched through with their own Blow Up Inning against the now very-well-paid Jesus Luzardo, and when the dust settled, the Diamondbacks 5-run fifth eked out the Phils’ 4-run first.
Michael Soroka had been having a stellar start to the season, and I suppose he can say that is mostly still correct, with the lone exception being the first four Phillies hitters who faced him on this beautiful looking April night in Philadelphia. The Phillies offense was riding a 20 inning scoreless streak and quickly snapped it with Turner, Schwarber, Harper, and Marsh opening the game with Single, Walk, RBI Double, 3-Run Dinger. 4 runs. No outs. Cue the mound visit from Brian Kaplan. From that moment on, Soroka’s pitching line was: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 10 K and ZERO runs allowed. Unfortunately, his final line will include those first four hitters, but Soroka was able to lock in and keep the Blow Up to just the single inning and allow his offense a chance to come back.
It was a bit of a wait for the offense to show up in this game, though, but when it did finally show up, it provided a knockout punch. Jesus Luzardo didn’t have the prettiest ERA coming in to this game, but his 18:1 K:BB ratio was all you really needed to know about this tough lefty. Luzardo had the Snakes hitters flummoxed through the first 4 innings, only being able to muster 2 baserunners via BB and striking out 6 times. Then the floodgates opened in the fifth with young Jose Fernandez leading off with a 110mph single followed by a walk and bunt single from Tawa and AT, respectively. With the bases loaded and 1 out (after Barrosa punched out) Ketel Marte lined a 2-RBI single, Ildemaro Vargas got an RBI single, and James McCann (inserted into the game in the third inning which I’ll discuss more in a bit) rocked a go-ahead 2-RBI double into the right-center gap to put the DBacks in the lead and chase Luzardo from the game.
From that point it was a battle of the bullpens and both were up to the task. Each bullpen only allowed 2 H and 0 BB the rest of the night. Jonny Lasagna was the first out of the pen, getting the final out in the sixth and the first 2 of the 7th, all via strikeout. Juan Morillo then came in for the lefties at the top of the order: Schwarber, Harper and Marsh. Schwarber flew out, but Harper and Marsh went down flailing haplessly at Morillo’s filth. Morillo then got one more strikeout after allowing a single to send the game to the 9th with a Diamondbacks lead. Sewald came in and was living dangerously, his fastball (with velocity at his upper end of 92mph) landing right in the middle of the zone repeatedly, but the Phillies miraculously couldn’t do anything with it outside a 2-out triple and left the Snakes victorious.
The one blemish on tonight’s victory is that Gabi Moreno had to leave the game early due to what the team was saying is lower back tightness. Doesn’t sound too severe, but leaving the game in the third inning is generally not what you want, especially for a guy who has had as much time missed to injury as Gabi has. James McCann hasn’t had the greatest start offensively while Gabi has been one of our best hitters so any extended absence for Moreno would be devastating. Come to think of it, though, tonight makes two nights in a row that the second catcher in the game got a pinch-hit RBI double in a critical moment. Maybe we should use 2 catchers every game! /s
Win Probability and Box Score
Outside the Box Score
No notes from me tonight as I was detained elsewhere for the bulk of this game. Have to get back on it next week.
Comment of the Game
Looks like the GameDay Thread was fairly well attended with a total of 250 comments at time of publishing. Tonight’s COTG goes to the always optimistic ChefAZ with this postscript to the game:
Rolling we are! Not so bad when we aren’t facing a billion-dollar lineup!
Coming Up
The Diamondbacks face the Phillies for the second game of this 3-game set tomorrow afternoon with an early 10:05am start time on FS1 and DBacks.TV. Former Diamondback right-hander Taijaun Walker (0-2, 9.31 ERA) will take the mound for the Phillies and Brandon Pfaadt (0-0, 6.75 ERA) takes the ball for the good guys hoping to make a statement to the front office that he deserves to stay in the rotation after the return of the Mainstay.
Apr 10, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Cormac Ryan (30) drives for the basket in front of Brooklyn Nets forward E.J. Liddell (9) during the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Brooklyn Nets to give fans a cathartic finale in what has been a forgettable season. In the final home game at Fiserv Forum, the Bucks played with purpose and poise, displaying admirable ball movement on offense and great discipline on D. AJ Green paced the Bucks with 35 points, with Cormac Ryan close behind with a career-high 28. Green’s 11 made triples set a new single-game franchise record, and chants of “Dai-ry-Bird” and “A-J-Green” thundered in the late stages, an appreciative crowd serenading the Iowa sniper on his historic night.
Fresh off a lunch meeting with Zeus, Cormac Ryan started dropping lightning and thunder on the hapless Nets from early on. First, a layup off a pick-six. Next possession, a corner three. Then, a drive right that led to a fadeaway, Karl Malone style. Swish. The two-way phenom stayed on fire throughout the frame, finishing with 18 points on nearly perfect shooting. Ryan’s supporting cast matched the shock and awe of their superstar. They started with seven assists on eight buckets, a team zipping the ball around and not settling until the best shot presented itself. All five starters scored when Taurean Prince hit a corner three, not even halfway into the quarter. They were stingy and connected on D, stifling the visitors with a zone that led to contested, missed triples or altered—or rejected—shots down low. After one, it was Bucks 38, Nets 24.
Bafflingly, quarter two started without Ryan on the floor. Yes, he played almost the entire first quarter. Also yes, he was on a historic (for him) tear. His teammates largely picked up for him. AJ Green hit a couple triples and had a near-miss putback dunk, not a regular feature of his game. Jericho Sims made some nice plays, including a driving layup on a nice dish from Dieng. Ousmane did it himself the next possession, skying in for an emphatic dunk through traffic. When Taurean Prince drained a corner triple the next time down, it was 57-39 Bucks. The Nets then went on a 13-3 run to drop the lead to single digits, prompting a Doc Rivers timeout. Kuzma drained a rhythm triple from the logo to close the half and send the hometowners into the half up double digits. The Bucks had 19 assists on 26 made buckets, shooting 60% on field goals and 52% from deep. Halftime: Bucks 66, Nets 54.
The Bucks had no interest in the bad old days of surrendering leads and removing foot from gas pedal in the third quarter. They rode a balanced attack, highlight plays, and continued solid D to steamroll the visitors early before letting up just enough to make the final quarter somewhat interesting. Myles Turner and Ousmane Dieng had monster dunks early, followed by banger triples by AJ Green, including a corner hit that tied him with Damian Lillard for made three-pointers in a season at 220 (he later added to his total and put himself in range to match or exceed 224 and 229, currently nos. 2 and 1 behind Malik Beasley and Ray Allen). Then it was Prince’s turn. An impossible-looking fadeaway corner triple, with hand in his face, saw bottom. Then he picked a pass on the next possession and hit from long range to send Fiserv into a frenzy. Milwaukee was ahead 99-84 entering the final period.
Things got feisty to start the fourth, with E.J. Liddell and Jericho Sims getting tied up, drawing an immediate crowd of teammates. The review clearly showed Liddell throwing a forearm shiv at Sims’ head, earning a flagrant-2 and ejection for Liddell. Sims shot two free throws. The next possession, Dieng hit Sims for a transition alley-oop slam. Even more catharsis came when AJ Green hit yet another long-range bomb the next time down. Green stayed unconscious, connecting on late-game bombs that gave him 11 triples—an all-time Bucks single game record.
Stat That Stood Out
50%. That’s the Bucks’ three-point percentage tonight, in large part due to Green’s 11-16 from long range.
Apr 10, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts after being fouled by Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
80 games in, the 2026 Knicks were still destination unknown. After thrashing Toronto 112-95 in game 81, the picture is clearer.
The Celtics hammered the Pelicans 144-118, locking up the 2-seed, while the Cavaliers showed they’re already in playoff form, falling badly to the Hawks. The East top-four are set: Detroit, Boston, New York and Cleveland. While that’s been in place most of the past few months, there’s still no way of knowing who any of them will face in the first round. Apparently a third of the league not even trying has a kind of muddying effect on the whole.
The Raptors may be the team most Knick fans hope the ’bockers battle in round one, and this was a good reminder why. The Knicks led for the final 36 minutes. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns combined to go 20-of-30 from the field. Despite a lousy teamwide effort shooting 3s, the visiting Raptors weren’t much better from deep, attempted fewer free throws than the Knicks made, were a -7 in the turnover battle, had 36 points at halftime and RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley didn’t even play. Next time just forfeit, dudes.
The biggest concern from this game is OG Anunoby’s health. Ogugua tripped on Scottie Barnes’ foot midway through the second quarter. He did not return, hopefully because the 3-seed was pretty much a lock, because with the Knicks’ real season still over a week away better safe than sorry, and because despite all y’all ready to hand Mike Brown a pink slip I’ll remind you the last Knick coach would’ve had OG back on the floor before halftime.
So yay! The Knicks have won their most games since 2013, their second-most since 1996. They’re off tomorrow, have nothing to play for Sunday and then have another week off. They’ve won 12 of 15. Dunno how much to make out of beating the mad mid dinosaurs, but champions tend to stack Ws. This game kinda crystallized the season so far: the games that matter aren’t here yet, but the Knicks look better than they did 12 months ago and better than they did when this season kicked off. That’s all you can ask for, isn’t it?
Apr 10, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
San Antonio managed to give its superstar center the requisite playing time and keep all of its rotation players under 30 minutes in a 139-120 beating of Dallas tonight. The two superstars – Victor Wembanyama (24 points) for San Antonio (62-19) and Cooper Flagg (25 points) for Dallas (25-56) – went supernova in a high-scoring first half. Despite the Spurs shooting well from the field and perfectly from the line (12-12), Flagg and the Mavericks capitalized on several lulls late in the first half to pull even with the Spurs briefly and stay at their heels throughout much of the third period before fading away. With Stephon Castle nursing a sore foot, All-Rookie Team candidate Dylan Harper (13 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds) capably started in his place.
San Antonio’s Wembanyama (40 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks) and an always ready De’Aaron Fox (18 points and 10 assists) helped the hosts pull away from Dallas in the second half. San Antonio also got balanced scoring throughout the line-up – with noteworthy performances from Julian Champagnie (14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks) from deep and Carter Bryant (12 points and 5 rebounds) as a playoff-ready contributor off the bench. Keldon Johnson (17 points and 5 rebounds) provided his usual brutish consistency. San Antonio also managed to hit the mythical 50 (FG)-40 (3PT)-90 (FT) mark with 54% from the field, 41% behind the line, and 96% from the stripe.
While Flagg (33 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) did his stellar all-around thing in defeat, Max Christie (16 points and 2 rebounds) and unheralded AJ Johnson (13 points) supplied the secondary scoring through the first several periods to keep Dallas reasonably competitive. Khris Middleton (14 points and 3 rebounds) had a solid performance, as well.
The teams came out firing away, with San Antonio finding its shooting touch more often from the tip. Flagg connected on his first two attempts, while Wembanyama – showing residual damage from his recent wear – put up a flashy 11 points – including a whirling dervish of a floater over Marvin Bagley that required lots of core strength to pull off. Bryant shined in transition, bullying his way through two Mavericks and getting himself an and-1. Wembanyama figured prominently in a closing 14-2 run and San Antonio left the first up 37-26.
Flagg continued to accumulate offensive steam to start the second period. The Spurs still remained comfortably ahead with Wembanyama matching the Maverick’s production. Flagg was the recipient of an and-1 and a Flagrant 1 added on a Luke Kornet closeout. A late Dallas run put them in the lead momentarily, but Wembanyama’s closing half-dozen put San Antonio back up 68-65 going to the half.
Dallas matched the Spurs over a number of possessions to start the third period. San Antonio’s Harper and Johnson carried the offense over the middle minutes of the frame, while Flagg gave way to all of the non-injured Mavericks. A personal 7-point spurt by De’Aaron Fox pushed the Spurs’ lead back up to 14. After a spinning lay-up by Wembanyama made it 101-87, Jacob Tobey exclaimed, “Victor makes no sense!” Fox’s individual awesomeness provided San Antonio the necessary cushion heading into the fourth.
Observations
This is the first Spurs game (since the ABA days) where my dad has not been watching his beloved team – in some form alongside family or a text or phone call away from a family member – as he lost his battle to pancreatic cancer on Monday. His primary motivation in the last months through rounds of chemo and recovery was to see his first Wembanyama era playoffs.
For those of us that watched the opening night 125-92 win against Dallas, this is as good a capstone as any for Wembanyama’s campaign of destruction on the league.
It’s really fun to see the younger players ricochet off of Bismack Biyombo after the introductions.
Marvin BADley (shooting), amirite?
Jordan McLaughlin celebrated his 30th birthday with a late three that – due to the timing of the attempt – caused Coach Mitch Johnson to apologize to the Dallas coaching staff.
Sequence of the Game #1: San Antonio had a great after time-out moment early in the second quarter, where Fox floated a pass to Devin Vassell in the right corner, and the guarded lobbed a feather to a diving Kornet for a dunk.
Sequence of the Game #2: After the Spurs forced multiple misses on one possession, Harper backed in John Poulakidas deep in the paint and notched an and-1 halfway through the third quarter.
Sequence of the Game #3: The Bryant threes that all swished like a former Spur used to do (Danny Green).
Wembanyama ‘Thanos’ Sequence of the Game: Figuring he would do it himself late in the opening stanza, he took a rebound all the way downcourt for a soaring eagle slam from 10+ feet out, and then followed it with a three from the pink part of the Fiesta logo.
Fox needs to get 2 or 3 lay-ups deep in the paint during the playoffs to keep the defenses honest and sufficiently off of San Antonio’s perimeter shooters.
One of the early season criticisms of Harper was his outside shooting, so it must have been a very pleasant surprise for so many of us to see this:
Here are the NBA highest 3PT% leaders since March 1st, 2026 with a minimum of 50 3PA: 1. Dylan Harper 2. Kobe Sanders 3. Cam Spencer pic.twitter.com/iRJGVO3NnF
Wembanyama ’excused me’ his way through two defenders for an opening slam, and Champagnie took Wembanyama’s ensuing miss and threw down a Sean Elliott-like baseline dunk. Wembanyama’s stepback three – after some jarringly bad Bagley misses – made it 11-2. Flagg put up five points, and Middleton’s stepback brought the Mavericks within four. Despite drawing his second foul, Harper stayed in the game without picking up a third one. Bryant was brought in to quell Flagg’s production, but the Rookie of the Year candidate hit a jumper over the rookie’s hands seconds later. Johnson put up a quick handful of points to keep San Antonio ahead. Bryant’s catch-and-shoot three made it 32-23, and Wembanyama scored the last five of the quarter to put the Spurs up 11.
Flagg started the second with another five quick points. Wembanyama had the first ‘almost-falling-whoopsie-then-stretching-into-a-dunk ‘move I’ve ever seen. Flagg lofted a floater over Wembanyama to shave Dallas’ deficit to six. Despite San Antonio continuing to put up points at a brisk pace, Flagg’s and-1 kept it a 3-possession game. Harper had a coast-to-coast lay-up that seemed never in doubt despite Ryan Nembhard staying right in front of him. Champagnie swished a wing three and then punched Dwight Powell’s shot attempt high into the sky. Champagnie blocked Moussa Cisse’s dunk attempt on the next possession. Bryant’s second triple from the exact same spot as the first put San Antonio up nine. Threes in succession from Flagg, Max Christie, and Middleton gifted the Mavericks their first lead. Wembanyama scored the last six of the half for the Spurs and they went to the break with a slim three point advantage.
Nembhard tied things immediately out of the break with a corner three. The teams traded baskets over the next several minutes with a handful of ties that occurred on jumpers from Christie and Middleton. Flagg’s bruising lay-up put the Mavericks back up. Harper’s traditional and-1 and Johnson’s three nudged San Antonio back ahead. Fox seemed to have gotten the message that it was time to put his stamp on tonight’s game and hit a couple of jumpers in the lane and followed it with a shotclock beating three. Bryant exacted a bit of revenge on Flagg by blocking his fadeaway attempt in the final minute of the quarter. Fox’s final attempt fell just errant, but his 14 points in the stanza helped make it 108-93 San Antonio going to the fourth.
For the Mavericks fan’s perspective, please visit Mavs Moneyball.
San Antonio finishes its best regular season in a decade with one more battle with Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets Sunday night at 7:30 PM CDT on ESPN.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - APRIL 10: Luis Gil #81 of the New York Yankees throws against the Tampa Bay Rays during the third inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on April 10, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees dropped Friday night’s series opener in St. Petersburg by a final of 5-3, unable to fully recover after Luis Gil’s rollercoaster 2026 debut and a middle-inning Rays bullpen bridge that slowly squeezed control of the game away. Ben Rice’s late homer gave New York a pulse, but the offense simply could not create enough real opportunities to make the comeback feel sustainable.
New York wasted no time taking advantage of Tropicana Field chaos in the top of the first. Aaron Judge singled, then immediately pressured the Rays by stealing second and advancing to third when the throw skipped into center field. Cody Bellinger brought him home with a sacrifice fly, and after Giancarlo Stanton worked a two-out walk, Amed Rosario lifted what should have been a routine ball into left. Chandler Simpson turned it into a full Trop adventure, misplaying it badly enough for Rosario to race all the way to third with a Little League-style RBI triple that quickly made it 2-0.
It was exactly the kind of early gift the Yankees needed, and one everyone hoped would spark the offense.
The problem was Luis Gil’s 2026 debut never really allowed them to settle into it.
Gil’s first inning was immediately labor-heavy, requiring 32 pitches to get through six Rays hitters. After Jonathan Aranda worked a two-out walk, Yandy Díaz punished a hanging slider and sent it deep to right field for a game-tying two-run homer. The Yankees never led again.
Tampa Bay kept the pressure on in the second. Taylor Walls fought through a 10-pitch at-bat before being hit by a pitch, Nick Fortes executed a hit-and-run through the right side, and Simpson beat out a grounder to plate the go-ahead run and make it 3-2.
From there, Gil’s outing became exactly what watching Luis Gil often feels like: a rollercoaster of emotions. The raw stuff flashed enough to keep the optimism alive, but every deep count seemed to threaten another spiral. The biggest moment came in the fourth, when Ben Williamson opened the inning with a walk and quickly moved to second on a wild pitch. Walls then dropped a swinging bunt single to put runners on the corners, and the Rays tried to manufacture another run with a squeeze bunt from Fortes.
This time, Gil answered. The bunt came right back to the mound, and Gil calmly fired home to Austin Wells to cut down the runner at the plate. With two still on, he got the groundball he needed to escape the jam and keep the deficit at one.
That would end up being Gil’s final act of the night.
The right-hander finished at 88 pitches over four innings, allowing three earned runs on three hits, walking three, and striking out two. In many ways, it looked a lot like last season’s version of Gil: inefficient, occasionally electric, and constantly riding the line between escaping trouble and creating more of it.
Jake Bird was the first reliever out of the bullpen and somehow matched the tone perfectly. He struck out the first two Rays he faced before immediately allowing the next two hitters to single, throwing the Yankees right back into stress mode. Still, Bird managed to escape the cuckoo’s nest by his tail feathers, stranding both runners and handing the ball to Brent Headrick with the deficit still just 3-2.
The game tilted harder in the sixth. Headrick allowed a leadoff double, then compounded the trouble with a fielding error on a sacrifice bunt attempt that put runners on the corners. For a brief moment it looked like he might escape when Fortes challenged a called strike three that was upheld, but the momentum disappeared on the very next pitch when Williamson lined an RBI single into center.
Aaron Boone quickly turned to Camilo Doval, but the weirdness only continued. Aaron Judge misplayed a fly ball to right to load the bases, and Jonathan Aranda followed with a slow grounder that only resulted in an out at first while another run crossed to make it 5-2. Doval finally got the groundball he needed from Díaz to prevent the inning from completely unraveling.
That escape kept the game close enough for the offense to matter. Unfortunately, they did not, in fact, matter all that much. Outside of the first-inning defensive chaos behind him, Steven Matz was in complete control. The veteran southpaw finished five innings, allowing two runs on just two hits while walking two and striking out seven, and once he exited the Rays bullpen only tightened the screws.
Griffin Jax breezed through a clean sixth while striking out two Yankees, and Ian Seymour followed with a spotless seventh as the Yankees’ offense could practically hear the collective groans from fans across the country. The bats somehow remained colder than last night’s leftovers, and the early two-run burst already felt like it had happened in another game.
Ryan Yarbrough kept the Yankees within shouting distance in the seventh, though naturally not without adding one more layer of tension. After recording two quick outs, he walked Williamson, who promptly stole second to keep the Trop crowd engaged. The inning finally ended when the large foul grounds and rebuilt roof gracefully allowed Paul Goldschmidt to settle under a popup and make the play.
At 5-2, the Yankees still technically had time. The bigger question was whether the bats had any warmth left to give. The first real sign of life finally came off the bat of Ben “Instant Offense” Rice.
Facing Hunter Bigge, Rice got all of one and launched it deep into the night, cutting the Rays’ lead to 5-3 and instantly changing the energy of the game. The blast left his bat at 104.4 mph and traveled 411 feet, his fourth home run of the season and easily the loudest swing the Yankees had produced since the chaos of the opening inning.
The ninth briefly teased something more.
Bryan Baker came on looking for the save, but Stanton greeted him with a hard-hit single to left. Rosario followed with a single to center, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. beat out a fielder’s choice to put runners on the corners with one out. When Jazz stole second, the tying run suddenly sat just 180 feet away and the Yankees had their best chance of the night to completely flip the script.
Instead, the rally fizzled.
Baker got Randal Grichuk to chase a high strike three for the second out, and Trent Grisham’s pinch-hit appearance ended on a lazy infield fly, bringing a frustrating night to a flat finish. In the end, the Yankees scored a very uninspiring three runs, and even that total somehow felt louder than the actual quality of the offense.
Next up: The Yankees will try to even the series on Saturday night at 6:10 PM ET, with Max Fried set to take the mound against Nick Martinez as New York looks to get the bats going again and avoid letting an early AL East opportunity slip further away at the Trop.
Apr 10, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Shane Baz (34) delivers during the second inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images
Someone’s three-game win streak had to give. The Orioles came into tonight with three consecutive wins against the White Sox, while the San Francisco Giants just swept the Phillies. Shane Baz and the Orioles were not up to the task, and by the end of the night, the Giants’ win streak was up to four games. The Orioles reset their counter after the 6-3 loss and will try to start a new one tomorrow.
Baz battled through five innings. “Battled” is slang for when a pitcher stunk, but did not blow up. He worked around traffic in each of the first two innings before surrendering a run in the third. He got two quick outs, but then Willy Adames went deep. It was a no-doubt opposite field shot to give the Giants a 1-0 lead. Baz went on to walk Luis Arraez for the second time in the game, which is pretty bad. It doubled his walk total on the year. Matt Chapman singled, but Rafael Devers grounded out to keep any more damage at bay.
Until the next inning, that is, when Baz allowed two more runs thanks to four more baserunners. Casey Schmitt doubled, then scored on a single from Heliot Ramos. Ramos scored on an Adames double. Patrick Bailey also singled for good measure. Baz finally retired Arraez to strand two.
Baz flirted with more danger in the fifth but emerged unscathed. After a weak pop-fly single by Devers, Schmitt got his second double of the game. It was a scorcher to left field and put runners on second and third with just one out. But Baz got a strikeout and a groundout to get out of it.
After five innings, Baz’s day was done. It was ugly. He threw 99 pitches and allowed 11 baserunners. He did not have a clean inning. His ERA went from 4.09 to 4.50. He left four innings for the bullpen to cover. But the good thing is that, when he left, the Orioles were in the game. They still had a chance, if the offense were to take it. They did not take it, nor did the bullpen hold the line.
One batter who did not forget how to get on base is Adley Rutschman. With two outs in the first inning, he lofted a ball to left field that fell in for a double. He doubled again in the third, that one a line drive to right field. He had a solid single in the fifth inning. But he wasn’t involved in any scoring on account of the ice-cold Pete Alonso batting behind him. Alonso struck out twice and grounded out once behind Adley, each time ending the inning.
The single run on the board for the Orioles came in the fourth. Dylan Beavers walked, then came all the way around to score on a double by Leody Tavaras. Neither Jeremiah Jackson nor Blaze Alexander could bring Tavaras home, though Alexander made solid contact that lined right to Matt Chapman at third base.
Through six innings, the Orioles had five hits, all by Rutschman or Taveras. Gunnar Henderson walked once along with Beavers. It was not a great night for the offense. Taveras was not in the original lineup; he was a last-minute add after Tyler O’Neill was scratched with illness. Things would have been even more dire if not for his late add.
With the Orioles down by two going into the seventh inning, Craig Albernaz turned to a new relief pitcher, lefty Nick Raquet. Yennier Cano had looked fantastic in the sixth, but that bullpen goodwill was about to be undone. Raquet got two outs sandwiched around a Chapman walk, but had a hard time closing the door. Schmitt hit yet another double, his third of the game. Chapman scored, then Jung Hoo Lee hit his first home run of the year. Just like that, the Giants were up, 6-1. Thanks for trying, Raquet.
Down by five runs after seven innings, the Orioles turned to Albert Suárez. Suárez had two good innings, which was nice. But it didn’t matter in the end.
Giants starter Landen Roupp, who had kept the Orioles offense in check, exited after six innings. With Roupp out of the game, at least Pete Alonso finally got on base. He took a two-out walk in the eighth inning and Samuel Basallo followed with the same. But pinch-hitter Ryan Mountcastle flew out to end the inning.
Rookie pitcher Blade Tidwell came in to pitch the ninth, and he was not good. Too bad the Orioles were already down by five runs, or it might have been more exciting. Tidwell got to two outs with a runner, Jeremiah Jackson, on first base. He threw a fastball down the middle to Henderson, who destroyed it. Gunnar’s fifth home run of the season was of the FUHR variety and cut the score to 6-3.
Taylor Ward followed with a double and Rutschman came to the plate. Even if he had homered, the Orioles would still have been down by two. But he did not. He just missed an 0-1 sweeper and popped out to end the game. I guess he just didn’t have four hits in him.
Orioles lose, 6-3. They and the Giants play again tomorrow at 7:15 with Chris Bassitt scheduled to face off against Logan Webb. What could go wrong?
If this is the Knicks’ opponent in the first round of the playoffs, they have to like their chances for an easy series against their personal punching bag.
And they played like a team that wanted to ensure they get this matchup.
They breezed past the Raptors 112-95 on Friday night at Madison Square Garden, marking another season sweep and their 13th straight win over Toronto — a streak that started in 2023.
Along with the Celtics’ rout of the Pelicans and Cavaliers’ loss to the Hawks, it locks the Knicks into the No. 3 seed in the East.
And the Raptors’ loss, coupled with the Hawks’ win over the Cavaliers, means the Raptors fall to the No. 6 seed — the seed that the Knicks will face in the first round — and the Hawks ascend to the No. 5 seed.
Jalen Brunson reacts after hitting a 3-point shot during the second quarter in a game against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden on April 10, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
The Knicks had a chance to have a big say in their first-round opponent. And their commanding win — with a little help — means it is most likely they’ll get the most favorable matchup — on paper, at least.
“I don’t know who we’ll play in the playoffs, but we’ve played a lot of these teams four or five times, whatever it is,” coach Mike Brown said. “We feel like we have a pretty good feel on what most teams want to do. And it’s no different for teams looking at us.”
There can still be another twist Sunday, though. The Raptors own the tiebreaker on the Hawks, so if the Raptors beat the Nets and the Hawks lose to the Heat, the two teams would flip-flop again and the Knicks would face the Hawks.
The Magic, after beating the Bulls, also still have a long-shot chance to claim the No. 6 seed, though that would require the Raptors to inexplicably lose to the tanking Nets.
Karl-Anthony Towns loses the ball during the first quarter. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
It means the Knicks’ regular-season finale against the Hornets is meaningless — they can sit their main players and get some extra rest ahead of the postseason.
“It’s great when you can be anywhere near the top [of the conference],” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “We had the chance to dictate our destiny and we did that by winning these games. It’s great to be in this position.”
So much of the discourse in recent days has surrounded Jalen Brunson and Towns finally finding a rhythm together as the regular season winds down. And both were excellent Friday.
Brunson finished with a game-high 29 points. Towns was particularly impactful early — he scored or assisted the Knicks’ first seven points — and finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. They carried the scoring load with OG Anunoby missing the entire second half due to a left ankle injury and Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart both quiet.
Jordan Clarkson and Landry Shamet added 10 and eight points, respectively.
The Raptors were shorthanded, playing without ex-Knicks RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.
Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram puts up a shot as New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges defends during the third quarter in a game against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
The Knicks own a five-game winning streak, including three in a row over playoff teams after they went a month without beating a team above .500. They have also won 12 of their past 15 games.
“Tonight was a good night to show our improvement as a team,” Towns said. “Things we can be better at, but I think that right now confidence is high, morale is great in the locker room. It feels good to step into Sunday with that kind of momentum.”
After jumping out to an early 14-3 lead, the Knicks allowed the Raptors to close the first quarter on an 18-8 run and entered the second quarter with just a one-point lead. But the Knicks opened the second quarter with a 10-0 run. Jose Alvarado, after two straight DNPs, got some rare playing time with Miles McBride out (injury management) and helped spark the run. Alvarado finished with 12 points.
They took a 15-point lead into halftime and led by double digits nearly the entire second half.
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns reacts in the fourth quarter. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
Mitchell Robinson’s absence (load management) meant Ariel Hukporti got some rare playing time as well when Towns was on the bench. He recorded eight points.
This Knicks-Raptors matchup hasn’t been competitive in years. And now there’s a strong chance we’ll see an entire series of it.
