MONTREAL (AP) — The Montreal Canadiens wrapped up their second straight playoff spot Sunday when Detroit fell 5-4 to Minnesota, making them the first Canadian team to secure a postseason berth.
Last season, Montreal took the final spot in the Eastern Conference before falling to Washington in five games in the first round.
Montreal dropped a 3-0 decision to New Jersey at home Sunday night. The Canadiens are third in the Atlantic Division, even in points with second-place Buffalo and five ahead of Boston.
WASHINGTON –– Sunday was one of those games the Dodgers had no business winning.
Not after Roki Sasaki gave up six runs in five innings. Not with Mookie Betts out injured and Will Smith, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy all getting off days. And certainly not after facing a five-run deficit entering the sixth inning, then a three-run hole going into the eighth.
Alas, on a rain-delayed getaway day at Nationals Park, the Dodgers battled back, flipped the script and secured a weekend sweep over the Washington Nationals, scoring the game’s final seven runs in an 8-6 win.
“It was a good fight,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We just didn’t quit.”
Shohei Ohtani hits a home run in the third inning at Nationals Park. Getty Images
The turnaround started as soon as Sasaki completed his calamitous outing –– one that featured two home runs, three walks and a bit of bad luck when a potential inning-ending grounder in the fourth ricocheted off the first-base bag to spur a four-run rally.
Even in the face of a 6-1 deficit, the Dodgers (7-2) kept stringing together late-game hits.
Dalton Rushing had the first big swing, launching a two-run blast in the top of the sixth that put the club within striking distance.
Then, in the eighth, the team completed the comeback against overmatched Nationals reliever Cionel Pérez, who failed to record an out while letting the game slip away.
The inning started with a single from Freddie Freeman. Andy Pages followed with a double down the left-field line. Alex Call loaded the bases after that, reaching base for the fourth-straight time by drawing a four-pitch walk.
That set the stage for Santiago Espinal, who recorded his first Dodgers hit with a two-run single to center.
Nationals shortstop Nasim Nuñez steals second base in the first inning. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Pérez was mercifully removed after loading the bases again on a walk to the pinch-hitting Smith. But by then, the damage was already done.
A fielder’s choice grounder from Tucker, in another pinch-hit at-bat, tied the game. A sacrifice fly from Shohei Ohtani –– who opened the scoring Sunday with a 438-foot homer back in the third inning –– gave the Dodgers the lead.
Thanks to four combined innings of scoreless work from the bullpen, there would be no further late-game dramatics. Instead, Teoscar Hernández hit a ninth-inning insurance homer into the Dodgers bullpen, where closer Edwin Díaz was preparing for what would be his third save with the team.
“It is a mark of our ball club that every out matters, every game matters,” Roberts said.
From five runs down, to a first series sweep of the season.
From a game they shouldn’t have won, to one they wrapped up with relative ease.
Ohtani rounds the bases after hitting a home run. Getty Images
What it means
That, even on a day so many other things went wrong, the Dodgers always have enough firepower to mount a late comeback.
In doing so Sunday, they got Sasaki off the hook for what should’ve been an ugly loss to the Nationals (3-6).
In the third inning, he started losing his command, and ultimately gave up a two-run homer to Luis García Jr. on an elevated fastball. The fourth was even worse, with the right-hander coming unraveled after a potential inning-ending grounder from Keibert Ruiz kicked off first base for an RBI single.
While that was a moment of bad luck, what followed was decidedly not. Sasaki gave up another single to José Tena, then hung an 0-2 splitter to James Wood that was clobbered for a three-run shot.
On any other day, his struggles would’ve been the story.
He can thank the team’s offense for ensuring that it wasn’t.
Freddie Freeman fields a ground ball by Washington Nationals right fielder Daylen Lile (not pictured) during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Who’s hot
The Dodgers’ late-game offense.
Sunday was already the team’s fifth come-from-behind victory –– and in all of them, they’ve trailed by multiple runs early on.
It might not be a sustainable recipe for success. But it does epitomize the relentless nature of their deep and talented offense.
And this time, they didn’t even need superstar contributions, instead being led by Call (2-for-3 with two walks), Hernández (2-for-4 with his home run after being bumped up to the No. 3 spot in the order), and Espinal and Rushing (two RBIs apiece).
Sasaki’s calamitous outing featured two home runs, three walks and a bit of bad luck. AP
Who’s not
In the wake of Betts’ injury, Alex Freeland is slated to get more regular starts at second base.
The Dodgers can only hope it snaps his poor start to the season.
Since hitting a home run and a double in his season debut, Freeland has looked more like the hitter who had a .190 batting average in the big leagues last season and a .125 average in an underwhelming spring.
After going 0-for-3 Sunday, he now has just one hit and three walks in his last 19 plate appearances. Even more concerning is that –– for a player tasked first and foremost with taking quality at-bats –– he has struck out two times in each of his last four games.
Up next
The Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays begin a World Series rematch on Monday at Rogers Centre. Justin Wrobleski is expected to get his first start of the season in the opener, opposite former Dodger and future Hall of Fame right-hander Max Scherzer.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Nolan Traore hit five three-pointers and finished with 23 points and seven assists, Jalen Wilson added 19 points and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Washington Wizards 121-115 on Sunday.
The Wizards (17-61) have a two-game lead on the Nets (19-59) for the best lottery odds. Indiana is 18-58 entering Sunday’s game at Cleveland.
Washington has lost six in a row and 22 of its past 23. The Wizards had given up 305 combined points in back-to-back losses to Philadelphia (153-131) and Miami (152-136).
Brooklyn won for just the second time in its past 14 games.
Will Riley, who had a career-high 31 points Saturday against the Heat, scored 30, Jamir Watkins added 20 points, and Julian Reese had 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Wizards. Anthony Gill also scored 17 points and Bub Carrington had 13 points.
E.J. Liddell and Josh Minott each scored 15 for Brooklyn. Drake Powell added 13 points and Ochai Agbaji scored 12.
Watkins hit a three-pointer that gave the Wizards a four-point lead with 3:50 left in the game. The Nets answered with an 8-0 run that culminated when Traore made a layup that made it 109-105 with two minutes remaining and Brooklyn led the rest of the way.
Leaky Black responded with a three-pointer that cut the deficit to a point, but Wilson and Traore hit back-to-back threes before Trevon Scott’s layup made it 117-108 with 42 seconds to go.
BROOKLYN, NY - APRIL 5: Will Riley #27 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on April 5, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards lost to the Brooklyn Nets, 121-115 on Easter Sunday. This game was important for the upcoming NBA Draft Lottery! The Brooklyn Nets coming in a full game behind the Wizards in the standings, and if the Wizards managed not to lose, they would enlarge that gap to 2 full games!
Yes, the Wizards were standing at 17-60, and the Nets at 18-59.
Things started well for the Nets (and the Wizards’ Draft Lottery hopes) as the Nets stormed to a 35-24 lead at the end of the first quarter. Traore and Agbaji were hitting their threes, and on the other side the Wizards were kept in the game by their 6th man of the month, Will Riley, who would go on to score 15 points in 20 minutes of action in the first half alone.
Indeed, the second quarter shifted towards the Wizards, much thanks to Riley, and at halftime the scoreboard showed a close contest 59-54 in favor of the hosts in Brooklyn.
The Nets came strong out of the gates in the locker-room, pushing the lead quickly (within less than a minute) to double digits after two quick turnovers by the Wizards. Four quick buckets by the Wizards showed they are in this game, and the remainder of the third quarter remained close with several lead changes. Ultimately, the Nets took a one-point lead 85-84 heading into the final stanza.
The final quarter started with a couple quick buckets by Gil and Watkins, with Washington taking a small but quick lead 89-85. And, the contest remained close! The scoreboard showed 105-105, knotted up, with less than three minutes to go.
At that point the Nets made two quick buckets, by Powell and Traore (who is shaping up to be quite a player), but Leaky Black answered with a clutch three, 109-108 with 100 seconds to go. Traore then drew a couple defenders and sprayed out to Jalen Wilson who nailed a clutch three of his own from straight ahead, 112-108 in favor of the nets, with 92 seconds on the clock.
Timeout for the Wizards.
Whatever the ATO was, Will Riley turned the ball over in-bounding…. Jalen Wilson heat-check for a dagger three, missed, but after a rebound, Traore (who else) came up big with a three, 115-108 for the Nets, and the game was pretty much sealed.
Some stats to close: Anthony Gil played 40+ minutes. Black, Reese, and Watkins topped 42 minutes. Overall the Wizards were decent with 55 percent from the field and 36 from deep. But they missed a ton from the charity stripe (18-for-28). Will Riley led the Wizards in scoring with 28 in 35 minutes off the bench.
Traore led the Nets with 23 points including 5-for-11 from deep in 28 minutes. Nobody on the Nets actually played more than 29 minutes. Which makes sense.
The Wizards now return home where they will face the Chicago Bulls twice in the last stretch of the regular season.
Caroline Dubois added the WBO world lightweight title to her WBC crown with a unanimous points victory over her fellow Briton Terri Harper. The London-born younger sister of heavyweight Daniel Dubois scored a 98-91, 97-92, 98-91 win to see off Harper at London Olympia on Sunday night.
Dubois struggled to get to her opponent initially, but floored her in the sixth round and never looked back as she moved a step closer to unifying the division.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MARCH 30: Kyle Leahy #62 of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch against the New York Mets at Busch Stadium on March 30, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals will try to salvage the final game of their series against the Detroit Tigers in a night contest. According to MLB.com, Kyle Leahy will start the game for St. Louis while it will be Keider Montero for Detroit. This will be Montero’s first start of the season while Kyle Leahy is 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA. Game time at Comerica Park is 6:20pm central time. The broadcast of this game is being handled by NBC Sports Network/Peacock.
Detroit Tigers left fielder Riley Greene (31) looks up after a pitch, during the Detroit Tigers Opening Day at Comerica Park in Detroit, Friday, April 3, 2026. The Tigers won 4-0 | Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Detroit Tigers (4-4) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (4-4)
Time/Place: 7:20 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site: Viva El Birdos Media: Peacock, NBC Sports, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Keider Montero (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Kyle Leahy (0-1, 7.20 ERA)
BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 26 points, Jayson Tatum had 23 points and 13 rebounds and the Boston Celtics beat the Toronto Raptors 115-101 on Sunday.
Neemias Queta had 18 points and seven rebounds, and Payton Pritchard scored 17 points for the Celtics, who won their third straight to move closer to clinching second place in the Eastern Conference.
Ja’Kobe Walter led Toronto with 16 points, and Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett each had 15.
Coming off consecutive games of putting up at least 43 points in the opening quarter, the Celtics looked a bit sluggish and were cold from long range early, missing 13 of their initial 16 shots from 3-point range. The teams were tied at 26 after one.
Fighting for a top-six spot in the Eastern Conference to avoid the play-in tournament, the Raptors were outscored 35-24 in the final quarter that was filled with their turnovers and breakdowns defensively. Walter even missed all three free throw attempts on one trip to the line.
BUCKS 131, GRIZZLIES 115
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Ryan Rollins scored 24 points and Milwaukee withstood a triple-double from Memphis’ Rayan Rupert to outlast the Grizzlies in an afternoon matchup of short-handed, lottery-bound teams.
Rupert established new career highs with 33 points and 10 assists, and he matched a career best with 10 rebounds. The 21-year-old Rupert entered Sunday averaging 4.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists.
Milwaukee snapped an eight-game skid in this series and beat the Grizzlies for the first time since a 126-114 decision on Jan. 19, 2022. The Bucks committed 20 turnovers but shot 60.2% overall and went 16 of 32 on 3-pointers.
The Grizzlies have lost four straight and 17 of their last 19.
Memphis had so many injury-related absences that it dressed four players on 10-day contracts (Dariq Whitehead, Toby Okani, Lucas Williamson, Adama Bal).
NETS 121, WIZARDS 115
NEW YORK (AP) — Nolan Traore hit five 3-pointers and finished with 23 points and seven assists, Jalen Wilson added 19 points and Brooklyn beat Washington.
The Wizards (17-61) have a two-game on the Nets (19-59) for the best lottery odds. Indiana is 18-58 entering Sunday’s game at Cleveland.
Washington has lost six in a row and 22 of its past 23. The Wizards had given up 305 combined points in back-to-back losses to Philadelphia ( 153-131 ) and Miami ( 152-136 ).
Brooklyn won for just the second time in its past 14 games.
Will Riley, who had a career-high 31 points Saturday against the Heat, scored 30, Jamir Watkins added 20 points, and Julian Reese had 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Wizards. Anthony Gill also scored 17 points and Bub Carrington had 13 points.
E.J. Liddell and Josh Minott each scored 15 for Brooklyn. Drake Powell added 13 points and Ochai Agbaji scored 12.
SUNS 120, BULLS 110
CHICAGO (AP) — Devin Booker scored 30 points, Jalen Green added 25 and Phoenix ended the game on an 11-2 run to top Chicago.
Dillon Brooks scored 15, and the Suns shook off back-to-back losses at Orlando and Charlotte.
The Suns led by 13 late in the third quarter before the Bulls went on an 11-0 run. They were clinging to a 109-108 advantage with about three minutes remaining when Brooks hit a turnaround jumper to start the decisive run and added a 3-pointer.
The Bulls missed four shots on their next possession, including three straight at point-blank range by Leonard Miller, before Booker made a 3 to make 117-108 with 1:33 remaining.
Chicago’s Josh Giddey (strained left hamstring) and Matas Buzelis (illness) missed the game. And with their two best players out, the Bulls lost their seventh in a row.
Tre Jones scored 29 for Chicago. Collin Sexton had 18 points and nine rebounds, and Miller scored 17.
In a very messy, stop‑and‑go kind of game that wasn’t exactly pleasant to watch, the Suns pulled out a 120–110 win against a courageous Chicago team. The matchup was defined by constant rhythm swings, sloppiness, and physical intensity. In short: a classic Sunday game at a European-friendly tipoff.
The night was highlighted by Booker and Green on the Suns’ side (54 points combined), and by Tre Jones (29 points) along with the Miller/Sexton duo (35 points and 20 rebounds between them) for the Chicago piece. Phoenix shot the ball relatively well (50% from the field, 40% from three), didn’t get crushed too badly on the boards (41 vs 46), and dominated in forcing turnovers: 18 turnovers created, 10 steals.
The win moves the Suns to 43-35 on the season.
Game Flow
First Half
Rough start, clearly. Tons of sloppiness on both sides: Chicago coughing up the ball, Phoenix stacking up short misses. It takes 2–3 minutes before Devin Booker finally gets the Suns on the board with a fadeaway. In the middle of this messy opening, Leonard Miller is already locked in: 8 points in 4 minutes, mixing it up perfectly (drive, corner three, transition).
First real turning point: as expected, the Bulls impose their presence on the glass and push the pace. Push it hard. As a result, Phoenix’s paint is under pressure, and offensive possessions become rushed and poorly constructed. After six minutes, Chicago is in control (12–19). Jordan Ott goes to his bench: Grayson Allen first, then Oso Ighodaro, Collin Gillespie, and Royce O’Neale.
End of the quarter is more encouraging for Phoenix. The defense ramps up, gets more aggressive, disrupts Chicago’s flow, and slows down transition, but at the cost of fouls. Offensively, though, it’s still very poor: little movement, lots of static situations, and points coming almost exclusively from individual creation. Despite that, the Suns manage to stay afloat and tie it up: 30–30 after one.
The main issue remains obvious: Chicago scores way too easily in transition. The Suns’ transition defense and overall floor balance are not good enough and need to be fixed quickly.
Start of the second quarter follows the same pattern: the Bulls keep hurting Phoenix in transition, and the Suns still struggle to match the pace. Offensively, it’s a bit cleaner, more fluid in stretches, but still heavily reliant on individual talent — mainly Jalen Green and Collin Gillespie. The point guard does a genuinely good job as a creator, repeatedly finding Oso Ighodaro on pick‑and‑rolls, helping Phoenix take the lead (39–38).
First real adjustment from the Suns: they play faster, but more importantly, they play smarter. Physical intensity rises, transition defense improves, and Chicago is gradually forced into half-court offense. Immediate result: bad decisions pile up for the Bulls, shots get tougher, and turnovers increase (already 10 with four minutes left in the half, shooting percentage dropping below 50%). Phoenix capitalizes and builds its first real gap (52–47).
But as has been the theme of this first half, the end of the quarter collapses into chaos again. Sloppy, choppy, poorly managed. Phoenix’s defense holds up, but the offense wastes possessions instantly: 5 turnovers in just a few minutes. Jordan Ott calls a timeout with 3 minutes left (54–49). Despite the messy stretch, the Suns limit the damage and head to the locker room up 63–56.
Worth noting: Grayson Allen already has 4 fouls, and Phoenix gave up way too many free throws (13 team fouls). On the bright side, they dominated the rebounding battle in the second quarter (15–6). Individually, Jalen Green is on fire: 18 first‑half points with a real impact on the offensive rhythm.
Second Half
Phoenix comes out of the locker room locked in. This time, they dictate the pace from the jump — and even outrun the Bulls. The offense is sharper, cleaner, and more decisive, and it shows immediately: +10. Billy Donovan has to burn a timeout quickly (69–59).
Phoenix stays in control afterward. The plan is clear and well executed: limit Chicago’s transition and force them to play in the halfcourt. And collectively, the Suns do a solid job. The Bulls remain dangerous whenever they can run, but overall, they’re contained. On the other end, Phoenix keeps producing and maintains a solid lead (82–69 with four minutes left in the quarter).
And then… another collapse. Again. The end of the quarter completely kills the momentum. Just when Phoenix seemed in control, the lead doesn’t grow — it evaporates. A 13–2 run allowed, with the offense going totally silent. No field goals in the last four minutes, only free throws. Instead of putting the game away, the Suns let Chicago right back in it.
86–84 heading into the fourth. Everything resets.
Start of the fourth is fairly balanced. Both teams score, but no real run emerges. The rhythm is constantly broken: fouls, turnovers, interference calls… the game never finds flow. Phoenix still holds a small edge (102–97) with seven minutes left.
Tension rises, but the Suns handle it reasonably well at first, especially physically. The tempo slows down — maybe too much. In trying to control the game, Phoenix lets Chicago hang around, giving up easy buckets both inside and from three. Jordan Ott calls a timeout with four minutes left (109–106), aware that the game could swing.
And then, individual talent takes over. Dillon Brooks, quiet until then, completely shifts the momentum: valuable connective play on offense, strong defensive impact, influence on both ends. At the same time, Devin Booker takes command in the clutch and punishes Chicago, pushing the lead to +9 with 1:30 left.
The Bulls fade on the final possessions, and Phoenix closes it out without trembling: 120–110.
Up Next
After this hard‑earned win, Phoenix will host the Rockets to kick off the final week of the regular season.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 05: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Nationals Park on April 5, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers began their road trip in a similar fashion as their first home series, with a comeback win to complete a three-game sweep. This time it came against the Washington Nationals as the Dodgers scored seven unanswered runs and erased a five-run deficit to win 8-6.
It took a two hour and 15 minute rain delay to pass before Roki Sasaki could make his second start of the season, and although he allowed a hit over his first two hitters he faced, he got through a scoreless first inning on just nine pitches. He notched another scoreless inning bottom of the second, striking out a pair of hitters while also working around a two-out walk to Jorbit Vivas.
The Dodgers managed to strike first for a second consecutive game as Shohei Ohtani crushed his second home run of the series 438 feet to dead center field against left-hander Foster Griffin to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. Ohtani later picked up a double in the top of the fifth inning to give him his third consecutive multi-hit game against Washington.
The Dodger lead was short lived as Sasaki surrendered a two-out, two-strike home run to Luis García Jr., helping give Washington since the second inning of Friday’s contest. He was still pitching relatively efficiently with just 44 pitches over his first three innings, but his confidence and his faith in his stuff began to weaken in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Sasaki was working with a C.J. Abrams at second base with two outs when he induced a weak ground ball from Keibert Ruiz down the first base side, but the ball ricocheted off the first base bag well over the head of Freddie Freeman, allowing Abrams to score and make it a two-run Washington lead. José Tena kept the two-out rally going with a single to put two men on with two outs for the struggling James Wood. Wood got a splitter right down the middle from Sasaki, and deposited it into the center field bleachers to make it a 6-1 Nationals lead.
Sasaki was able to have a clean bottom of the fifth inning, facing the minimum in order while picking up a pair of strikeouts, but it was yet another roller coaster of a performance. Over five innings of work, he allowed six earned runs on five hits and three walks while striking out five, now carrying an unconvincing 7.00 ERA on the season.
Dalton Rushing was given his second straight start against a left-hander this season, and he cut the deficit in half with a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning.
The Dodgers bullpen continued to shine in relief of Sasaki, as both Alex Vesia and Jack Dreyer posted scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh innings respectively and continue to post spotless earned run averages.
The Nationals kept rolling with southpaws throughout the first seven innings, as PJ Poulin completed two innings of work despite being responsible for the Rushing home run. Left-hander Cionel Pérez took over for Washington in the top of the eighth, and he immediately put the Nationals lead in jeopardy by allowing a single to Freddie Freeman and a double to Andy Pages to put two men in scoring position with nobody out. The former National Alex Call worked a four-pitch walk to load the bases and Santiago Espinal had his first big moment as a Dodger with a two-run single to center field, trimming the deficit to one.
Will Smith came in as a pinch-hitter for Dalton Rushing, even though Rushing had gone deep against a left-hander in his previous at-bat, and Smith kept the line moving with a walk to once again load the bases with nobody out. As the Nationals brought in former Dodgers prospect Clayton Beeter, the Dodgers countered with Kyle Tucker as a pinch-hitter for Alex Freeland, and Tucker brought home the tying run by reaching on a fielder’s choice. Shohei Ohtani gave the Dodgers their first lead since the third with a sacrifice fly to make it a 7-6 game.
The Dodgers added some insurance in the top of the the ninth inning as Teoscar Hernández took Beeter deep to left-center field for his first home run of the season, giving the Dodgers a two-run lead.
Tanner Scott kept up the impressive work from the bullpen and Edwin Díaz recorded his first save on the road as the Dodgers remain undefeated away from Dodger Stadium.
Game particulars
Home runs— Shohei Ohtani (2), Dalton Rushing (1), Teoscar Hernández (1); Luis García Jr. (1), James Wood (2)
The Dodgers fly north of the border as they prepare for a rematch of the 2025 World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays beginning Monday at Rogers Centre (4:07 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Justin Wrobleski makes his first start of the season, going up against Max Scherzer.
NEW YORK (AP) — Nolan Traore hit five 3-pointers and finished with 23 points and seven assists, Jalen Wilson added 19 points and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Washington Wizards 121-115 on Sunday.
The Wizards (17-61) have a two-game on the Nets (19-59) for the best lottery odds. Indiana is 18-58 entering Sunday's game at Cleveland.
Washington has lost six in a row and 22 of its past 23. The Wizards had given up 305 combined points in back-to-back losses to Philadelphia ( 153-131 ) and Miami ( 152-136 ).
Brooklyn won for just the second time in its past 14 games.
Will Riley, who had a career-high 31 points Saturday against the Heat, scored 30, Jamir Watkins added 20 points, and Julian Reese had 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Wizards. Anthony Gill also scored 17 points and Bub Carrington had 13 points.
E.J. Liddell and Josh Minott each scored 15 for Brooklyn. Drake Powell added 13 points and Ochai Agbaji scored 12.
Watkins hit a 3-pointer that gave the Wizards a four-point lead with 3:50 left in the game. The Nets answered with an 8-0 run that culminated when Traore made layup that made it 109-105 with two minutes remaining and Brooklyn led the rest of the way.
Leaky Black responded with a 3-pointer that cut the deficit to a point, but Wilson and Traore hit back-to-back 3s before Trevon Scott's layup made it 117-108 with 42 seconds to go.
But by Sunday afternoon, Pete DeBoer's new squad lost its spot to the Philadelphia Flyers (89 points, one game in hand), who beat the Boston Bruins 2-1 in overtime. That moved the Islanders to the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
That result also guaranteed that the Islanders will be on the outside looking in when they return to play on Thursday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Ottawa Senators (90 points) beat the Hurricanes, so the Islanders are now a point out of a wild-card spot.
We will see just how far out of a playoff spot the Islanders are when Toronto comes to town for a 7 PM showdown on Thursday.
Once they got Logan Webb out of the game, the Mets pounced. And thanks to a four-run top of the eighth against the Giants’ bullpen, they went on to win the game 5-2 and take the series in the process.
Webb was fantastic for San Francisco, as he gave up just one run on seven hits in seven innings of work. That wound up being the better starting pitching line in the game, as Kodai Senga started better than Webb but faltered a bit in the sixth inning. Having struck out five batters in a row at one point across the first three innings of the game, Senga saw his fastball velocity taper off a bit in the sixth, and he gave up two runs before he was able to finish that inning.
Still, it was a very good start from Senga, whose work through his first two games has been one of the most encouraging things about this very early phase of the Mets’ 2026 season. Sure, he topped out at 98 miles per hour today with his fastball, a slight decrease from touching 99 in his first start. But his average velocity and results are both very clearly improved following his late-season struggles in 2025.
Huascar Brazobán deserves praise for his work in relief of Senga, as he got the final out of the sixth after inheriting a runner on first base when he came into the game. And he worked a quick scoreless seventh inning, too, to keep the game well within reach.
As for the Mets’ runs in this one, Mark Vientos stayed hot with an RBI single in the second to open the scoring. Jared Young had a 3-for-3 day at the plate—and made a great throw from left field to get a runner advancing to second base on a single—but wasn’t able to score as Webb found ways to keep the Mets to that one run.
Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr., and Vientos all had multi-hit games, too, but the Mets’ biggest opportunity through the first seven innings came with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the seventh. Unfortunately, Francisco Lindor grounded out to second base, leaving the Mets trailing by one.
Polanco sparked the Mets’ eighth inning rally, though, as he hit a one-out double, after which he was immediately pinch run for by Tyrone Taylor. Robert singled to put runners on the corners, and with the left-handed hitting Young due up, the Giants turned to left-handed rleiever Erik Miller.
Carlos Mendoza countered by sending Luis Torrens up to pinch hit. After working the count full and getting a stolen base from Robert to put two runners in scoring position, Torrens roped an outside pitch down the right field line for a double, easily scoring both runs to give the Mets the lead. And the Mets tacked on a couple more runs, as Mark Vientos hit a ground ball to third base that Matt Chapman fielded and threw to first base quickly. Rafael Devers, playing his first game at first base this year, botched the scoop, though, bringing Torrens home with the Mets’ fourth run.
To top things off, Marcus Semien smoked a double to left field to plate Vientos with the team’s fifth and final run of the afternoon.
Luke Weaver and Devin Williams threw a scoreless inning apiece to close out the win. Weaver didn’t strike anyone out, but he only needed 12 pitches to get through the eighth. And while Williams gave up a pair of hits, he notched a strikeout and didn’t really make it feel like the Mets’ lead was at any risk of slipping away.
The Mets are off tomorrow, but they’re 6-4 on the season. They’re set to host the Diamondbacks for a three-game series the starts on Tuesday night at Citi Field.
Big Mets winner: Luis Torrens, +30.6% WPA Big Mets loser: Francisco Lindor, -20.6% WPA Mets pitchers: +10.9% WPA Mets hitters: +39.1% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Luis Torrens hits a go-ahead two-run double in the eighth, +31.2% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Matt Chapman doubles in a run in the sixth, -19.4% WPA
SAN FRANCISCO — Tony Vitello was showered and changed out of his No. 23 home jersey and cream baseball pants into athletic shorts and a hoodie by the time he faced reporters Sunday afternoon.
Vitello watched the final two innings of the Giants’ 5-2 loss to the Mets from his office after the rookie manager earned the first ejection of his major-league managerial career.
The Giants got seven strong innings from Logan Webb and timely hits from Matt Chapman and Rafael Devers but were dealt their third loss of the four-game set against New York.
They were leading 2-1 when crew chief David Rackley tossed him in the bottom of the seventh. Things began to fall apart the following inning as Keaton Winn served up hits to Jorge Polanco and Luis Robert, and Erik Miller allowed both inherited runners to score in a four-run frame.
“I saw blips of the last two innings,” Vitello said. “… It’s hard to watch on TV. I’m sure there’s plenty to criticize.”
Tony Vitello after being ejected by umpire David Rackley. AP
Vitello was upset with the ruling from home plate umpire Edwin Jimenez that resulted in Jerar Encarnacion being called out on a dribbler in front of the plate, despite the Mets failing to complete the play. Jimenez said Encarnacion had left the base path, interfering with Mark Vientos’ ability to catch the throw from Huascar Brazoban.
“I didn’t watch the replay. I saw it from a great angle,” Vitello said. “Umpire couldn’t have been better with balls and strikes. I’m sure he got it technically right.It’s just a play I’ve got a lot of history (with).”
What it means
The Giants weren’t able to take advantage of Webb’s strongest start of the season and dropped three of four to the Mets. The loss was their third in a row, already the second time in 10 games that Vitello’s squad has strung together a losing streak of at least three games.
Through seven games at Oracle Park, the Giants are 1-6.
Logan Webb in the top of the first inning at Oracle Park. Getty Images
Who’s hot
Vitello, first of all. The manager had a history with SEC umpires, once earning a suspension for bumping chests during an argument on the field. He was upset by the call on Encarnacion, which prevented the Giants from getting a runner on with one out, but his temper didn’t seem to escalate until Rackley tossed him as he was heading back to the dugout with his back turned.
“I said one last thing, just out of frustration or being all fired up that was complete nonsense,” Vitello said, adding that he was upset over something else from the top half of the seventh that he declined to expand on. “I think it was misinterpreted a little bit.”
Vitello added that he planned to pinch-run speedy outfielder Jared Oliva.
“In my mind, we lost a double there,” Vitelo said. “So there was a little bit of frustration.”
The ejection came moments after Webb departed the mound for the last time, limiting the Mets to one run, a ton of ground balls and little hard contact over seven innings.
Webb entered the game with a 7.36 ERA through his first two starts, but he had everything working against the Mets. The Giants couldn’t capitalize and fell to 1-2 with their ace on the mound.
Tony Vitello ejected by crew chief Dave Rackley for arguing call that Jerar Encarnacion was out of the base path.
Miller surrendered multiple runs for the second outing in a row. The hard-throwing lefty looked to be vying for some save opportunities as Vitello goes closer-by-committee, but he may have lost some confidence after the Mets tagged him for four runs in two appearances this series.
The Giants also committed multiple errors for the second time in 10 games, bringing their total to eight, more than all but three other clubs.
Devers wasn’t able to pick a low throw from Chapman after an acrobatic stop in the Mets’ big eighth inning, and Patrick Bailey was charged with a critical catcher’s interference that brought up Francisco Lindor with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh.
Chapman also made an inexcusable mistake on the bases, getting caught stealing as the second out of the ninth inning with the Giants trailing by three runs.
“All three (losses to the Mets) kind of had similar things going on,” Vitello said. “There was either defensive mistakes, guys not running the bases hard enough or smart enough … (and) not good enough on the pitching end of things on a couple of occasions.”
The Mets’ Tyrone Taylor celebrates with Luis Robert Jr. after both scored on Luis Torrens’ two-run double . AP
Up next
The Phillies visit San Francisco as the Giants wrap up a seven-game home stand. RHP Adrian Houser (0-1, 1.69) gets the ball against RHP Andrew Painter (1-0, 1.69) to open the three-game set with first pitch on Monday set for 6:45 p.m.
The loss dropped the Giants to 1-7 in their last eight games against the Mets at Oracle Park. The good news is they’ve fared much better against the Phillies, who haven’t taken a series in San Francisco since 2013. At home, the Giants are 12-3 against the Phillies dating back to 2021.
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The Mets scored four runs in the eighth inning to beat the San Francisco Giants, 5-2, on Sunday.
New York recorded 13 hits to extend their winning streak to three games after dropping the first game of the four-game series.
Here are the key takeaways…
-- With Logan Webb out of the game, the Mets bats woke up in the eighth inning with five straight hits to take the lead. Jorge Polanco doubled and Luis Robert Jr. singled, knocking relief pitcher Keaton Winn out of the game after facing just three batters. Robert evaded Luis Arraez' tag to steal second base with one out and came around to score on Luis Torrens' pinch-hit two-run double to put the Mets ahead, 3-2.
Torrens then scored after a low throw from Matt Chapman on Mark Vientos' hard hit got by Rafael Devers at first base, making it a 4-2 game. The hits kept coming as Marcus Semien doubled to bring Vientos in, pushing the lead to 5-2.
-- Kodai Senga, starting on four days rest, looked great for the first five innings. He struck out two in the first inning (thanks to some help from Francisco Alvarez and the ABS challenge system) and then struck out the side in the second inning. The right-hander kept San Francisco scoreless through the fifth, allowing just two singles up to that point.
Things took a turn in the sixth inning as Senga ran out of gas. Chapman tied the game with a two-out RBI double and Devers put the Giants ahead, 2-1, on a bloop single to center field. Senga's day ended after 5.2 innings and 88 pitches, allowing the two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.
-- Vientoscontinued to swing a hot bat and gave the Mets a 1-0 lead in the second inning with an RBI single, driving in Robert from second base. He had another RBI opportunity in the bottom of the fourth inning with runners on the corners, but grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.
-- Starting in the outfield for just the second time in his career, Jared Young made a nice sliding catch in left field for the second out of the third inning. Young made an impressive throw in the fifth inning, fielding a ball off the wall and launching it in time to get Jerar Encarnacion out at second base on Semien's tag.
-- Manager Carlos Mendoza expressed some frustration in the seventh inning after a strike was called against Semien, but the first base ump said he swung, preventing him from challenging the pitch. Semien ended up striking out swinging with Young on third base.
New York still had a scoring chance after the strikeout, as Carson Benge walked and stole second base, and Alvarez reached first on a catcher's interference. Although, Francisco Lindor couldn't come up with the big hit, grounding out to second to end the inning.
-- Giants manager Tony Vitello was ejected in the bottom of the seventh for arguing a runner's interference call with Encarnacion at first base with Vientos.
-- Huascar Brazoban, Luke Weaver, and Devin Williams combined to toss 3.1 scoreless innings to secure the win. Williams allowed a one-out hit in the ninth, but Torrens helped him earn his second save of the year by throwing out Chapman trying to steal second base.
GAME MVP
Jared Young, who made two clutch defensive plays to help out Senga and went 3-for-3 at the plate with a double.
Vitello’s first MLB ejection. 