Thunder and Pistons make winning start in semi-finals

Chet Holmgren celebrates after scoring for the Oklahoma City Thunder during game one of their NBA play-off series with the Los Angeles Lakers in May 2026
Chet Holmgren earned his first All-Star selection this season [Getty Images]

The Oklahoma City Thunder proved too strong for the Los Angeles Lakers to take a 1-0 lead in the NBA's Conference semi-finals.

The defending champions are the Western Conference's top seed and made a strong start to the best-of-seven series with a 108-90 win at home on Tuesday.

The Thunder produced a balanced offensive performance while their defence restricted the Lakers to their lowest score in a play-off game since 2021.

LeBron James claimed a game-high 27 points for the Lakers while Chet Holmgren led the Thunder with 24 points and 12 rebounds.

The NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell added 18 points apiece for the hosts.

"You're playing the world champs, your margin for error in terms of mistakes is not that high," said Lakers head coach JJ Redick.

"[There were] just too many tonight. We've got to clean that up."

LA guard Luka Doncic remained out with a hamstring injury and could also miss game two on Thursday.

The Detroit Pistons drew first blood in their series with the Cleveland Cavaliers, holding off a late rally to claim a 111-101 home win.

Cade Cunningham scored 23 points for the Eastern Conference's top seed Detroit, with Tobias Harris adding 20.

Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs with 23 points while James Harden added 22 but had seven turnovers.

MacKinnon has goal and 2 assists in 5-2 win over Wild as Avalanche take 2-0 lead in series

NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Minnesota Wild at Colorado Avalanche

May 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) awaits the puck during the third period against the Minnesota Wild in game two of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

DENVER — Nathan MacKinnon scored a goal and assisted on two more as the Colorado Avalanche rolled through Minnesota's newest netminder, Filip Gustavsson, on their way to a 5-2 win over the Wild on Tuesday night, grabbing a 2-0 lead in the second-round playoff series.

The Avalanche have now won six straight postseason games, which ties the 2021 squad for the franchise's longest win streak to begin the playoffs.

This game featured a little more defense than the 9-6 eruption in Game 1. The 14 goals for the Avalanche are the most in the first two games of a playoff series since the Calgary Flames had 15 against the Los Angeles Kings in 1988.

Martin Necas, Gabriel Landeskog and Nicolas Roy all scored their first goals of the series. Valeri Nichushkin added an empty-netter in the closing seconds. Twelve different Avalanche players have scored in the series, an NHL record for the first two games of a series.

“It’s great. I mean, right now, that’s what you need,” defenseman Cale Makar said. “You need everybody contributing and we’re finding ways to do that. There’s a lot of jelling minds right now.”

Scott Wedgewood made 29 saves on a night where he drew contact — he was knocked into the net on one occasion — and took a puck off the mask, leading to some quick repairs. It was a bounceback performance after giving up six goals in Game 1.

“He’s been unbelievable for us,” Roy said. "You can feel the confidence he’s got and it bleeds through the lineup.”

The Wild went with Gustavsson in net after Jesper Wallstedt gave up eight goals in the 9-6 loss. Gustavsson got off to a rocky start by giving up goals on the opening two shots of the first period and the first shot of the second. He settled down and finished with 18 saves.

“Just fine. Nothing special," Gustavsson said of how he felt Tuesday. “Not bad, not good.”

The series shifts to Minnesota for Game 3 on Saturday.

The Avalanche are 18-2 in best-of-seven playoff series when winning the first two games since moving to Denver in 1995-96.

Kirill Kaprizov and Marcus Johansson had goals for the Wild. Tempers flared in the third, with Parker Kelly getting into a scuffle with Matt Boldy and hitting the linesman with his glove. No penalties were called.

Colorado weathered a late rush by the Wild after they pulled Gustavsson for an extra skater late in the game. Boldy took a big hit from MacKinnon along the boards.

The game boiled down to special teams. The Avalanche were 2 of 5 on the power play while the Wild finished 0 of 2.

“It’s not good enough,” said Boldy, whose team is missing two big pieces with forward Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin sidelined by lower-body injuries. "We know that. It’s on us. We’ve got to make adjustments and be way better.”

Necas gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead in the first period but just six seconds later Kaprizov tied it. The six-second gap between the goals was tied for the fifth-fastest two goals by both teams in postseason history, according to NHL Stats.

Landeskog later added a power-play score on a pass from MacKinnon, who notched two assists in the first period for his 21st career multipoint playoff period. He passed Hall of Famer Joe Sakic for the most in franchise history.

“Just excited to play playoff hockey,” said MacKinnon, whose team has scored five or more goals in three straight postseason games for the fifth time in franchise history. “Obviously, the best time of year.”

Offense is not offensive, but pitching sadly is

View from behind of Logan Webb wiping the sweat off his forehead.
Logan Webb (62) wipes his head after giving up an rbi double to Sung-Mun Song (24) in the fourth inning as the San Francisco Giants played the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park San Francisco on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (Photo by Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

The San Francisco Giants’ offense came to life on Tuesday, and it is critical that you understand that “come to life” is a relative term. Life, in living and breathing human being terms, may be binary, but in baseball parlance it is not.

For the Giants, coming to life means they scored exactly five runs, which marked just the 11th time they’ve done that through 36 games this year. It might not be a sign of life for the eight MLB teams that are averaging at least five runs per game.

But the issue with an offense that comes to life is that you never know whether its relationship with the other half of the game will be symbiotic or parasitic. Can life on offense beget life on the mound? Or must life on offense funnel life from a pitcher in order to stay alive?

On Tuesday, it was emphatically the latter. San Francisco’s life in the batter’s box, relative as it may be, came at the direct expense of their life throwing pitches. And the result was a 10-5 loss at the hands of the San Diego Padres.

That’s disappointing enough as is, but disappointment gives way to concern when you get to the critical detail: Logan Webb was on the mound.

We keep waiting for Webb’s season to arrive, and it keeps putting us on hold, and making us listen to that annoying music while we wait. There are flashes though, and Webb treated us to a few right out of the gates. He opened the night by striking out Jackson Merrill, and immediately followed it by K’ing Manny Machado. He did allow a two-out triple to Miguel Andujar, but in vintage Webb fashion, looked utterly unbothered while quickly retiring the next batter.

And on the other end, the offense wasted no time upping its game, and trying to prove to Buster Posey and Tony Vitello that the roster buttons being pressed are not in vain, and that the roster messages being yelled are heard, chef. Jung Hoo Lee quickly started a rally with a leadoff single against old frenemy Walker Buehler, setting the first inning in motion.

That set the stage for seemingly the only player employed by the Giants who knows how to hit these days, but my goodness does he know how to hit. For the second day in a row, Casey Schmitt (playing second base this time) launched a majestic first-inning moonshot that tickled the fog and hugged the left field line.

Just like that, the Giants had struck first with a pair of runs. With their offense looking lively and their ace on the mound, it didn’t even feel concerning when Xander Bogaerts bopped a solo shot in the second inning, cutting the lead in half.

You had more confidence than a one-game winning streak should afford you, but you felt sure that the offense would get the run back and Webb would settle down.

Right on the former; wrong on the latter.

The offense got the run back and then some in the bottom half of the inning thanks to the final third of the lineup. The seventh, eighth, and ninth hitters — Willy Adames, Drew Gilbert, and Jesús Rodríguez, respectively — all singled with one out. It was the third and final knock in that hit parade that was special: Rodríguez, getting a second straight start behind the dish to begin his MLB campaign, slapped one to right field for his first career hit. Adames, meanwhile, with his head down in reckless hustle, never looked up to see Hector Borg’s stop sign, and ran right through it, challenging Fernando Tatis Jr.’s dynamic arm, and winning ever so slightly.

Lee would follow that up with a fielder’s choice to score Gilbert, and the Giants led 4-1. Life was good, and it was even better when Webb would set down the side in order in the third, once again striking out Giants killers Merrill and Machado.

But soon it would not be very good at all. The fourth inning ended any and all hopes we garnered for an enjoyable baseball game. It started with a one-out, mild-mannered, seeing-eye single by Gavin Sheets. Such is the life of a sinkerballer.

It escalated a pitch later, when Tatis mashed a double to put runners at second and third with one out. Now the Padres were threatening to not just score a run, but get right back into the game.

They scored a run indeed, on a productive groundout by Bogaerts. It cut the score to 4-2, but it also gave Webb the second out of the inning, and escaping mostly intact was still in play. But Tatis would score when Nick Castellanos, who somehow still has a job, singled. And the danger only mounted further when Webb hit Luis Campusano with a pitch, putting the go-ahead run on the bases. And those runs would both score when Sung-Mun Song one-upped Rodríguez with his first career hit, which went for two bases and scored two runs. Take that, Jesús!

Song, who had taken third on an error by Adames on the play, would score easily on a Merrill single, and just like that, the Padres had flipped the game on its head. The inning had started with what felt like a comfortable lead. It had ended with the worst inning Webb has had in ages, and a 6-4 deficit.

It would be the final inning for Webb, who finished with four frames thrown, seven hits allowed, six runs, and four strikeouts (but no walks!). He had only thrown 62 pitches, but Vitello announced after the game that Webb had some leg discomfort, and the training staff wanted to play in safe after a long inning.

Ever the gamer — and in this case, likely ever the truth-teller — Webb was adamant that any soreness he felt had no impact on the way he threw the ball. He just didn’t throw it well, and with that, his ERA ballooned to 5.06.

What came after wasn’t much prettier. JT Brubaker took over for the fifth, and managed to give up two hits and two walks in his only inning, though he somehow allowed just one run along the way. Despite the second and third batters in the sixth inning being right handed, Tony Vitello shockingly opted for Ryan Borucki in the frame, and it went about how you would expect: he didn’t even get through the opening lefty unscathed, as Merrill bopped a leadoff single. After stealing second, he scored on the most predictable of outcomes: Borucki allowing a hit to a righty.

Gregory Santos handled the seventh and eighth, and while his stuff was nasty — and 20 of his 28 pitches were strikes — his second frame featured a single by Song, a stolen base, an RBI double by Merrill, and, just because this is the kind of day the Giants were having, a balked-home run.

The lone clean outing belonged to Joel Peguero, who made his return from the Injured List and pitched a scoreless ninth inning in his season debut. Welcome back, Joel. And happy birthday!

As that chaos and disappointment unfolded on the mound, the Giants’ offense realized that resistance was futile, and tucked their hits into their back pocket for Wednesday’s game (or at least that’s what I’m telling myself). They went down in order in the third, fourth, fifth, eighth, and ninth innings. But while the showing was feeble during that time, it wasn’t devoid of highlights or feels, because in the seventh inning we were treated to one of the most special things in baseball: the first career home run.

No, it wasn’t off the bat of the highly-anticipated slugger Bryce Eldridge, though he did single for his first hit of the year. Instead, it was Rodríguez, who is getting the playing time preference over Patrick Bailey, it seems. With one out in the inning, Rodríguez got a slider from Jeremiah Estrada and, as he did earlier in the day with his single, inside-outed it to right field.

One day the rookie will learn about the disappointments that await hitters who hit fly balls to right field at Oracle Park, but that day will have to wait. Because in just his second career game, Rodríguez took on the arcade and emerged victorious, with his first slow jog around the bases.

I’ll say this much about the Giants following Monday’s desperation promotions: they may still be awful, but they sure are a lot more interesting.

Thunder take 1-0 lead into game 2 against the Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers (53-29, fourth in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (64-18, first in the Western Conference)

Oklahoma City; Thursday, 9:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: Thunder -15.5; over/under is 209.5

WESTERN CONFERENCE SECOND ROUND: Thunder lead series 1-0

BOTTOM LINE: The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference second round with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Thunder won the last matchup 108-90 on Wednesday, led by 24 points from Chet Holmgren. LeBron James led the Lakers with 27.

The Thunder are 41-11 in Western Conference games. Oklahoma City ranks fifth in the Western Conference in rebounding with 44.1 rebounds. Holmgren leads the Thunder with 8.9 boards.

The Lakers are 33-19 in Western Conference play. Los Angeles scores 116.3 points and has outscored opponents by 1.7 points per game.

The Thunder score 119.0 points per game, 4.4 more points than the 114.6 the Lakers give up. The Lakers average 11.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.5 fewer made shots on average than the 14.3 per game the Thunder allow.

TOP PERFORMERS: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.1 points and 6.6 assists for the Thunder. Isaiah Joe is averaging 2.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

James is scoring 20.9 points per game and averaging 6.1 rebounds for the Lakers. Rui Hachimura is averaging 2.7 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 8-2, averaging 120.6 points, 43.8 rebounds, 28.8 assists, 9.8 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 49.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.2 points per game.

Lakers: 7-3, averaging 104.8 points, 40.6 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 9.6 steals and 5.6 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 98.3 points.

INJURIES: Thunder: Jalen Williams: out (hamstring), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).

Lakers: Luka Doncic: out (hamstring), Jarred Vanderbilt: day to day (finger).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Cunningham and the Pistons host Cleveland with 1-0 series lead

Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Detroit Pistons (60-22, first in the Eastern Conference)

Detroit; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT

LINE: Pistons -3.5; over/under is 216

EASTERN CONFERENCE SECOND ROUND: Pistons lead series 1-0

BOTTOM LINE: The Detroit Pistons host the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference second round with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Pistons won the last meeting 111-101 on Tuesday, led by 23 points from Cade Cunningham. Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 23.

The Pistons have gone 12-4 against division opponents. Detroit is fourth in the Eastern Conference with 18.0 fast break points per game led by Cunningham averaging 3.9.

The Cavaliers are 11-5 in division matchups. Cleveland scores 119.5 points and has outscored opponents by 4.1 points per game.

The Pistons average 11.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.2 fewer makes per game than the Cavaliers allow (14.2). The Cavaliers score 9.9 more points per game (119.5) than the Pistons give up to opponents (109.6).

TOP PERFORMERS: Ausar Thompson is scoring 9.9 points per game and averaging 5.7 rebounds for the Pistons. Cunningham is averaging 27.1 points and 5.3 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Mitchell is averaging 27.9 points, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals for the Cavaliers. James Harden is averaging 18.6 points, 5.5 assists and 1.6 steals over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pistons: 7-3, averaging 107.9 points, 47.1 rebounds, 23.6 assists, 9.0 steals and 8.3 blocks per game while shooting 46.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 100.6 points per game.

Cavaliers: 5-5, averaging 111.6 points, 44.7 rebounds, 22.9 assists, 8.1 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.3 points.

INJURIES: Pistons: Kevin Huerter: day to day (adductor).

Cavaliers: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Padres slug their way to 10-5 win over SF Giants

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 05: Jesus Rodriguez #79 of the San Francisco Giants hits a single that scored a run against the San Diego Padres in the second inning at Oracle Park on May 05, 2026 in San Francisco, California. This was Rodriguez' first Major League hit. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Near the end of Tuesday’s telecast of the San Diego Padres’ 10-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants, broadcaster Duane Kuiper tried to look on the bright side of Matt Chapman’s 0-for-4 night.

“If it’s any consolation,” Kuiper said, “Chapman’s had the longest out in this game.”

That’s how hard it was to find a positive on a night where the Padres overcame early deficits of 2-0 and 4-1 with a five-run 4th inning off Logan Webb. As the Padres were coming back, starter Walker Buehler (2-2) settled down with three straight shutout innings. By the time a Rafael Devers single and Bryce Eldridge’s first hit of the season chased Buehler in the 6th inning, the Giants were trailing 8-4.

Buehler worked 5.1 innings and gave up seven hits and four runs. Three Padres relievers retired 11 of the 12 Giants they faced, with the lone exception being rookie catcher Jesus Rodriguez, who launched an opposite-field blast off Jeremiah Estrada for his first big-league home run.

Rodriguez got his first big-league hit and first big-league RBI five innings earlier, when he slapped the ball into right field and Willy Adames was rewarded by absolutely blowing through a stop sign at third base to score the team’s third run of the game. After a Jung Hoo Lee groundout, 25-year-old Drew Gilbert came around to score, following his 33rd big-league hit earlier in the inning.

The Giants took an early lead on the 29th big-league home run by Casey Schmidt, his sixth of the 2026 season and one that inspired a truly wretched pun from the NBC Sports social media intern.

This author contends that the sheer awfulness of “HOTTER THAN SCHMITT GREASE” doomed the Giants to their defeat Tuesday night. Maybe reading that tweet in the dugout made Webb lose focus, leading to Xander Boegarts’ solo homer that halved the Giants’ lead in the 2nd.

Aside from the Bogaerts blast, Webb cruised for the first three innings until disaster struck in the top of the 4th. Gavin Sheets continued his career-long ownage of Webb with a single, and No. 5 hitter Fernando Tatis, Jr., hitting the lowest in the Padres lineup since his rookie year, doubled to right.

After an RBI grounder from Bogaerts, Webb brushed back Nick Castellanos, which woke up the slumping outfielder, and his single to center score Tatis. Then Webb really did hit a Padre, catcher Luis Campusano. Sung-Mun Song, in his second big-league at-bat, got his first two big-league RBIs with a double off the wall and scored his first major-league run on a Jackson Merrill single.

Webb’s final line: 4IP, 7H, 6R, 4K, but hey, zero walks!

JT Brubaker had a miserable, 38-pitch 5th inning, but escaped having allowed only one run on a Castellanos sac fly despite walking the bases loaded twice. Merrill singled, stole second, and scored in the 6th on a Miguel Andujar (3-for-5) single off Ryan Borucki.

Gregory Santos gave up two runs in a mistake-filled 8th inning, where Song reached on an infield single, stole second and took third on a Rodriguez throwing error, a double from Merrill (he went 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs) and a balk. All in all, the Giants’ defense was sloppy all game, with dropped throws, balls bouncing past outfielders, wild throws, and ill-timed balks.

But Matt Chapman really did hit that ball a long way when he flew out to right field in the 4th inning.

Journey to .500 on hold as Angels defeat White Sox, 4-3

Chase Meidroth mashed his second homer of the year in White Sox loss. | (Getty Images)

The White Sox (17-19) fought to the very end, but the bats were inconsistent with runners in scoring position, and the Angels (14-23) knocked Erick Fedde around as the Good Guys dropped game two of their LA road trip, 4-3. Now just two games under, the South Siders are hopefully just taking the scenic route on the road to .500, because we won’t be seeing it tomorrow. The good news is that since both the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers lost Tuesday as well, the Sox are still just a half-game back in the division.


It was not Fedde’s night. The Angels hit him pretty hard, and his pitches simply just weren’t as effective. He only drew a 9% whiff rate over his 4 2/3 innings, and his sweeper typically averages around 23%, whereas it recorded only two whiffs (13%) tonight. The righthander came into this game with five home runs allowed, and added three more Tuesday as Mike Trout, Jorge Soler, and Zach Neto all took him deep.

The White Sox provided a small two-run cushion for Fedde to begin the game, quickly loading the bases in the top of the first and actually taking some advantage of it. Chase Meidroth led off the game with a base hit, and a pair of walks from Miguel Vargas and Colson Montgomery loaded ’em up. Making his first start as a South Sider and batting in the cleanup spot, Randal Grichuk dropped a broken-bat flare over the second baseman to score the first run of the game. In all honesty, the batting order was a bit weak after Montgomery without Munetaka Murakami in the lineup. I wasn’t expecting much with Edgar Quero up to bat, but he (sort of) proved me wrong and drove in the second run on a sacrifice fly out to center, but those two runs were all the Good Guys could push across the plate, 2-0.

That lead lasted for all of 10 minutes as both Trout and Soler launched solo bombs to tie the game up at two, making it a brand new ball game. Fedde maneuvered through the next few innings without many issues, but once the batting order swung around for the third time, Los Angeles started to get to him. This is when Neto struck, hanging for a second at the plate to watch it fly to give the Angels the lead, 3-2.

Trout walked for the second straight at-bat, and Nolan Schanuel doubled to drive him in and give LA a two-run lead, 4-2. Fedde met the end of his night after that, finishing with four runs surrendered on six hits, two walks, three bombs, and two strikeouts. Fortunately, this didn’t severely impact his ERA, which increased to 3.79 after starting the night at 3.23, and hopefully these types of outings don’t become a habit.

After the first inning rally, it took until the seventh for the South Siders to scrape another run across. They got something going in the sixth after Derek Hill reached on an infield single, and Will Venable called on Murakami to pinch-hit. In another universe, he might have hit the game-tying homer, but he did knock a single to put runners on the corners for Sam Antonacci, who flew out to end the inning. Finally breaking the scoring drought, Meidroth mashed his second long ball of the season in the seventh to bring the Sox within one, 4-3.

The bullpen was solid coming in to relieve Fedde, only allowing one base runner while keeping Los Angeles at bay in hopes that the bats could figure something out. For the final 3 1/3, Tyler Davis, Jordan Leasure, and Bryan Hudson shut the Angels down, combining for just one hit (from Hudson) and three strikeouts.

Sure, the three homers from Fedde were a killer, but the Sox had ample scoring opportunities, especially being within just one run. It’s a shame that the hitting couldn’t pull it together.

The Good Guys applied more pressure in the top of the ninth after Antonacci was hit by a pitch, stole second, and then made it to third base with one out and the heart of the order coming up. Vargas walked to bring Colson up with one out, needing just a measly fly ball to tie the game. He unfortunately struck out, but naturally Jared Kelenic walked to extend the inning and loaded the bases up for the second time of the night. A walk is fine, I guess, but with the Angels fan that was screaming his name throughout the entire broadcast, I was hoping that he would tank one out of the park.

That brought us to … Quero with the bases loaded. Just who you want in that situation, the guy with a .425 OPS. Shockingly enough, he rolled over on a ground ball to second to end the game. Unless Drew Romo was completely incapacitated, he should have been available off the bench, and that might have been a good time to use him — the guy that is mashing homers lately — but I digress.

Though they (barely) outhit the Angels again, 8-7, the White Sox weren’t able to convert as they did in the series opener. There were plenty of opportunities to drive in runs, but outside of Grichuk’s base hit in the first, no one else could get the job done, going 1-for-7 with RISP and 11 left on base. Literally any one of those runners would have made for a completely different ball game, but unfortunately, the South Siders won’t be making it back to .500 on this road trip.

George Kirby grounds Braves, Mariners strikeout 16 times in 3-2 loss

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 05: George Kirby #68 of the Seattle Mariners delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at T-Mobile Park on May 05, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images

George Kirby kept the Braves on the ground for seven innings, but the Mariners struck out 16 times while watching an early lead slip away.

Andrés Muñoz allowed the go-ahead homer to Matt Olson in the ninth inning Tuesday, giving the Braves a 3-2 win. The Mariners had gotten out to an early lead on a two-run home run from J.P. Crawford in the third. But they picked up just one more hit the rest of the way, rarely threatening while, again, punching out 16 times.

The highlight of the game, however, was another strong start from Kirby. It’s been a weird season for him so far. He’s walking more and striking out fewer batters than ever, but he entered the day with a 56.5% ground ball rate — the fifth best in baseball. His 2.84 xERA suggests the approach has been working, but even he’s not quite sure where all the grounders are coming from.

“Guys are just kind of hitting them on the ground, honestly,” Kirby said after the game. “I think that’s just kind of what happens when you try and get strike one. You’re in the zone a lot throwing quality strikes. So, the more ground balls, the better. Helps me go deeper in games and eventually get the swing and miss when I need it.”

Here’s how his first pass through the order went: 

1st inning: Groundout, groundout, strikeout
2nd inning: Groundout, single, groundout double play
3rd inning: Strikeout, weak fly out, ground out

The plot below doesn’t reflect Tuesday’s outing, in which Kirby posted a 65% ground ball rate, but it’s clearly a trend. We’ve simply never seen this type of contact from him before.

The other, less-fortunate trend for Kirby in the early going is a noticeable dip in effectiveness on the second turn through the order. He entered the day with a stellar 2.79 FIP on the first pass and a less flattering (but not terrible) 4.21 FIP on the second. 

That issue “technically” cropped up again in the fourth inning. Ozzie Albies and Olson picked up back-to-back singles, and Mauricio Dubón doubled them home to tie the game at 2-2. The contact wasn’t particularly hard, and it was mostly on the ground, so it’s not like he was getting rocked.

“I don’t think they made any good swings in that inning,” Kirby said of the fourth. “I thought I executed really well, it just kind of found a hole. So I’m gonna keep doing my thing, keep inducing weak contact, and those will eventually go my way off the bat.”

The flukey double from Dubón was hit at just 66 mph down the right field line.

Kirby mixed his pitches effectively throughout the game, helping keep a great Braves’ lineup off balance. He really leaned on his sweeper, throwing it 36% of the time — the most he’s thrown in a game this season. He was even throwing it 30% of the time to lefties, or about double his rate from his previous seven starts. He was clearly trying to back door the pitch, starting it way outside before scraping the outer part of the zone.

It often worked. In his final at bat of the game, Kirby started Mike Yastrzemski with a changeup right over the center of the plate, which he was clearly not expecting. Then he threw a biting hook that Yastrzemski chased at his toes. Kirby followed with two 96+ mph fastballs up, and Yastrzemski fouled them off. Then came the sweeper, looking like a fastball way up and away before landing right on the outer black for a called strike three.

“Tonight Garv did a good job establishing the outside to lefties with the sweeper, getting them to lean over and then attacking with heaters and then crowding them with spin. So, got a a lot of good weak contact…We game-planned to steal them back-door. I feel like that’s always been a good pitch of mine, I can get it there whenever I want to. And then with two strikes, I was able to get it down below the plate when I needed to. I’m always working on that pitch, trying to get some swings and misses.”

The paired pitches tool from FanGraphs illustrates just how tough it is for a batter to offer at that backdoor pitch:

Kirby’s final line was seven innings, six hits, one walk, four strikeouts, and a 65% ground ball rate. It’s sixth time in eight starts Kirby has gone at least six innings, and he’s now two-thirds of an inning short of Max Fried for the most in the majors.

“As a starter, I want to go as deep in the game as possible and give my team the best chance to win. So if it’s ground balls, great, strikeouts, awesome, if it’s a little bit of both, even better,” Kirby said.

Jose Ferrer came on in the eighth with the game stilled at 2-2. He delivered another impressive outing: strikeout, strikeout, pop out. He lowered his FIP to 2.31 in 18 innings, making him one of the top 15 relievers in baseball this year. Hhis role is only going to increase with Gabe Speier and Matt Brash each on the injured list.

Dan Wilson turned to Muñoz in the ninth with the game tied 2-2. He hung a slider not quite middle-middle but clearly within the reach of Olson, who deposited it over the center field wall at 110 mph. It was a leadoff homer that gave the Braves a 3-2 lead, which wound up being the final score.

It was the third home run Muñoz has allowed this season and raised his ERA to 6.00. He also picked up two more strikeouts to raise his K/9 to 15.00. He has a 3.81 FIP and 2.34 xFIP. This pesky homer problem crops up from time to time with Muñoz, mostly because he’s a reliever. A few bad outings looks like a streak when they come one inning at a time. The stuff continues to look dominant. I’m not worried.

Then there’s the Mariners lineup. Again, they struck out 16 times Tuesday. Cal Raleigh returned at DH after three days dealing with “general soreness” in his side, and he struck out three times. Julio Rodríguez, Randy Arozarena, Mitch Garver, and Cole Young each struck out twice. Crawford also struck out twice, but he did this as well:

It’s the second homer in as many nights for Crawford, who swatted a tremendous go-ahead blast in Friday’s 5-4 win. He’s clearly seeing the ball well right now, drawing walks, avoiding strikeouts, and elevating to the pull side. Yes, the defense is worse than ever and unplayably bad — not an ideal for a team with several other DHs. But in general, Crawford remains with the team because he’s a solid hitter who can occasionally get scorching hot. His contact quality has outpaced his results most of the season, and the results are starting to come.

That’s the only positive thing to say about the offense Tuesday.

The Mariners will look to take the series Wednesday afternoon, with Bryan Woo facing Martín Pérez. The Braves have not lost a series in 2026.

Lakers lost Game 1 by 18. It might only get worse vs. Thunder

Right before Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder tipped off on Tuesday, May 5, Lakers head coach JJ Redick took a seat on the bench, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He's going to need to take a few more throughout this series.

Because even though the Lakers led for most of the first quarter, even though they hung around for the first three quarters and were a foul call and a missed buzzer-beater away from going into halftime trailing by just five points, it just wasn't enough to keep it all from unraveling in a 108-90 loss.

Redick's gameplan was solid. LeBron James had 27 points, six assists and four rebounds. Four of the Lakers' five starters scored in double figures. None of it was enough.

Not against this Thunder squad. Redick said it himself when he told reporters pregame that "we've sucked against this team."

Sure, Austin Reaves had a very, very rough night. And LA as a whole struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 33% from long range. But it was clear that the Lakers were simply bested and worn down by a well-rounded team. They were outscored 39-25 over the final 18 minutes. They had no answer for Chet Holmgren and their offense looked completely stumped by OKC's physical defense by the final frame, which translated to easy buckets far too often as the Lakers allowed 20 points off of their 18 turnovers.

"Once you make a couple mental mistakes, it seems like they take advantage of every one of them," Reaves told reporters.

It all underscores one simple sentiment that has reverberated throughout NBA discussion circles: the Lakers just don't have a chance of winning this series. Not without Luka Doncic.

"When you play against great defense, you have to have guys that can attract multiple defenders on the floor at all times," James told reporters. "... When you play against the world champions, having a guy that averages 34, 35, that's special."

But even if Doncic — whose rehab from a Grade 2 right hamstring strain that's kept him sidelined since April 2 has been slow going — returns at some point this series, how effective will he really be? That's not to say he won't play well, because he more than likely will. Doncic has historically played some of his best ball in the playoffs, even in series that his teams have been overmatched in (see: 2020 and 2021 against the Clippers, 2024 NBA Finals against the Celtics), and that has a good chance of being the case in this series.

The Lakers did many things right in Game 1, like holding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to a season-low 18 points and just three free throws and forced him to turn the ball over seven times, the most he's had since last season's Finals. They had open shots that just didn't drop. The offense was hot to start the game and good enough to claw back into it in stretches, but they weren't able to keep a consistent effort on both ends of the floor throughout the entire game. Each time the Lakers made a run, OKC responded with a bigger one. The Thunder showed just how much deeper their roster is, as shown by their bench outscoring LA, 34-15.

"We had some gameplan breakdowns," James told reporters. "They're gonna test you. They're gonna see how many times they can make you have gameplan breakdowns, and we had a few. Almost too many versus a team like this."

There's plenty of areas for the Lakers to clean up for Game 2 and beyond. Reaves can play better and Doncic can come back before it's too late, but there's a decent chance almost none of it might matter beyond a game or two.

That's just how much of a gap there is between them and a championship team.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lakers outclassed by Thunder in Game 1

Happy .500 de Mayo! Dbacks 9, Pirates 0

May 5, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (57) throws against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

On the same day that manager Torey Lovullo called the entire starting rotation into his office to tell them they needed to pick up the pace, Dbacks starter Eduardo Rodriguez did just that and then some. ERod put this team on his back tonight shutting down the Pirates offense taking some of the pressure off his team and allowing them to get back to .500 on Cinco de Mayo as they beat the Pirates 9-0.

Eduardo Rodriguez was commanding all of his pitches to all parts of the zone today. His final line was 7 innings pitched, allowing only 2 hits, while walking 3, and striking out 7.  Early in the game he did a great job of getting some strikeouts on the curveball low in the zone. The curve is a pitch that ERod has not used much historically but tonight it was critical. That low curveball opened up the top of the zone for his fastball later in the game which generated a 47% whiff rate striking out 4 Pirates hitters. In the words of Jim McLennan earlier on twitter, only 2 AZ pitchers this year have thrown 7 shutout innings and Eduardo Rodriguez is both of them. Tonight’s outing lowered ERod’s season ERA down to 2.50, far and away the best of the starting rotation and I don’t even have to check.

The Dbacks offense got off to a great start in this one pushing across 2 runs in the first inning also pushing Pirates starter Bubba Chandler to 38 pitches. The Pirates actually had their bullpen up in the first and would’ve likely pulled Chandler had 1 more batter reached in the inning. Rather than continue to focus on getting the Pirates starter out of the game, the Arizona offense would proceed to have the next 7 batters get retired in order. This game was looking like it was going to be closer as the offense failed to record a hit in innings 2-5, however their patient approach would pay off in the 6th inning as they sent 9 men to the plate and scored 5 runs blowing the game open.

The offense did do a much better job tonight staying patient at the plate walking 7 times creating a lot of base traffic and setting up some timely hits. Certainly a positive sign for an offense that has been perhaps overly aggressive in recent weeks. The most timely of the hits were a pair of doubles in the 6th inning by Gabi Moreno and Geraldo Perdomo. It was also great to see some of Ketel Marte’s early season tough like start to dissipate tonight as he hit a triple, a single, scored 2 runs, and 2 RBI. Tonight was a good example of what this offense can do when they take their walks and cut down on the chase.

This was only the 2nd win of 5 or more runs this season. Certainly a welcome beginning of the homestand for a team that has played so many high leverage close games. All eyes will be on Michael Soroka tomorrow night as he faces Paul Skenes. If Soroka can get back to the form he showed earlier in the season and keep this momentum rolling in the starting rotation, that could be a big boost for this team. Perhaps we will be able to look back on today as the day the starting rotation got back on track following a timely group meeting? Let’s hope!

Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer named finalist for Calder Memorial Trophy after historic year

New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) reacts to a goal by New York Islanders left wing Anders Lee (27) during the first period when the New York Islanders played the Chicago Blackhawks Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at UBS Arena in Elmont, NY.
New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) reacts to a goal by New York Islanders left wing Anders Lee (27) during the first period when the New York Islanders played the Chicago Blackhawks Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at UBS Arena in Elmont, NY.

Matthew Schaefer’s historic rookie season is one step away from being immortalized in hardware. 

During a live broadcast of the NHL draft lottery Tuesday night, the 18-year-old defenseman was announced as a finalist for the 2026 Calder Memorial Trophy, which is awarded annually to the player “selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the NHL.” 

Schaefer was announced alongside Montreal’s Ivan Demidov and Anaheim’s Beckett Sennecke. 

Matthew Schaefer (48) reacts to a goal by Anders Lee (not pitured) during the first period of the Islanders’ 4-3 loss to the Blackhawks on March 24, 2026 at UBS Arena. Robert Sabo for NY Post

The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers Association members at the conclusion of the regular season. 

Schaefer has long been considered the front-runner for the award after making an immediate impact on the Islanders in more ways than one. 

After the Islanders selected Schaefer with the top pick in last year’s draft, the Ontario native endeared himself to the fanbase and the entire NHL both on the ice and off. His stardom has pulled a much-needed spotlight onto the hockey club on Long Island. 

Posting 59 points (23 goals, 36 assists) over 82 games, Schaefer tied Brian Leetch’s record for the most goals by a rookie defenseman in a single season. 


After a strong first season behind the bench of the Isles’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, Rocky Thompson earned a place with the varsity club as an assistant coach, the team announced Tuesday. 

3 takeaways from Lakers’ Game 1 loss vs. Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 5: Rui Hachimura #28 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Round Two Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 5, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Well, that wasn’t a particularly encouraging loss.

Despite facing a Thunder team coming off a week of rest, the Lakers were the ones who looked out of sorts for most of Tuesday’s Game 1 loss. While they didn’t trail by 30 at halftime — an improvement over the last two trips to Oklahoma City — it never really felt like they were in the game in the second half.

That is despite closing the gap to single digits numerous times. But each one of those runs was answered immediately by OKC, which not only had the solutions to what the Lakers threw at them but also had different players step up throughout the night.

The Lakers, meanwhile, were out of viable options two injuries ago. Now, they also have to figure out what to do with Jarred Vanderbilt’s spot in the rotation after his nasty injury in the second quarter.

Let’s take a look at the three biggest takeaways from Tuesday…


The Austin Reaves conundrum

Austin Reaves was bad on Tuesday. There is no debate or conundrum there. In fact, it was one of the worst performances by a Laker in the playoffs in decades.

But this is a situation with plenty of nuance.

For one, the Lakers can’t win this series if he isn’t playing at an All-Star level. For much of this game, the Lakers were hanging around despite Reaves having one of the worst games of his career. Even an average game from him in this one would have made it a far more interesting contest.

At the same time, you can understand why Reaves isn’t playing well. There isn’t much more of a “thrown in the fire” situation than being put into two closeout games against the Rockets and then a series against the defending champions. He clearly doesn’t have his legs under him and is being forced to catch up on the fly.

Even when he was healthy, this was a defense and team Reaves struggled against. In three regular season games, he shot 42.9% from the field, 23.1% from three and had nearly as many turnovers (14) and made field goals (15).

The Lakers need Reaves to be better. It’s an incredible tall ask, but if he can’t get back to his regular season form, this is going to be a short series.

Not enough horses

LeBron James was fantastic tonight from the get-go. There was no feeling out for him in Game 1 as he was aggressive out of the gate, helped the Lakers jump out to an early lead and finished with 27 points on 12-17 shooting.

Rui Hachimura added 18 points on 7-13 shooting and 3-6 shooting from range, making it his 12th straight game of shooting over 50% from three. He continues to rise to the occasion in the playoffs.

However, after that, the Lakers lacked offensive firepower. Deandre Ayton was alright in his 27 minutes with 10 points as foul trouble limited his action. Reaves, as we discussed, was way off the mark. Marcus Smart was 4-15 and can not be relied upon for any level of consistent offense.

The Lakers’ bench, meanwhile, has been a liability all season. Only in the stretch where Rui serves as the sixth man did the team have any level of regular production from it’s reserves.

Compare that to the Thunder, who seemingly have an endless supply of role players who can step up. The Lakers made it their mission to limit Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, so you saw Chet Holmgren (24 points), Ajay Mitchell (18), and Jared McCain (12) step up at various points. Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein and Lu Dort had various big moments and plays as well.

Part of this is the Lakers being limited by injuries. But the difference in depth between these two teams is stark. The Thunder have different players they can turn to each night while the Lakers simply do not have the horses to keep up.

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Mixing up the rotation

You don’t want to overreact too much to one game, but the Lakers’ bench woes are not unique to Game 1 of this series.

Jaxson Hayes’ spot is pretty locked in as the backup center. But Luke Kennard is now on his fourth game running with seven points or fewer. Jake LaRavia had a good Game 6 but, otherwise, has struggled these playoffs, particularly offensively. And now Vando seems likely to miss at least some time.

So, does Redick look to mix things up a bit in Game 2? Bronny James provided nice minutes in the Houston series. Maxi Kleber could step into Vando’s minutes and give LA a two-big look. If you really want to get spicy, Adou Thiero is the only other athletic wing on the bench. Or Nick Smith Jr. could get some run to see if he’s got the shot going.

The Lakers have now gone four straight games without reaching 100 points. They are 1-3 in those contests. There needs to be some level of change. It’s not guaranteed to fix anything, but the Lakers can’t keep trotting out the same rotation hoping for different results.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Giants’ multi-homer game goes to waste as Padres light up Logan Webb

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb (62) stands on the mound during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres in San Francisco, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. , Image 2 shows Sung-Mun Song #24 of the San Diego Padres is congratulated by Manny Machado #13 against the San Francisco Giants in the fourth inning at Oracle Park on May 05, 2026 in San Francisco, California.
Gianrts-Padres

An early lead with their ace on the mound wasn’t enough for the Giants to beat the Padres.

Casey Schmitt clubbed his second home run in as many games, and San Francisco built on that early advantage, but Logan Webb allowed it all back and more in a 10-5 loss Tuesday night at Oracle Park.

Webb was responsible for six of San Diego’s runs, including a five-spot in the fourth inning that turned the game in the Padres’ favor after the Giants jumped ahead 4-1 after two.

He didn’t return for the fifth, his shortest start of the year — only his 11th time in 140 starts since the start of 2022 going four innings or less. Manager Tony Vitello said knee discomfort was the reason Webb departed after only 62 pitches.

Logan Webb stands on the mound during the fourth inning of the Giants’ 10-5 loss to the Padres on May 5, 2026 in San Francisco. AP

It put a damper on a night to remember for rookie catcher Jesus Rodriguez, who followed his first major-league hit and RBI in the second with a solo shot to right for his first career homer in the seventh.

San Diego brought nine men to the plate in the fourth. Only one run was in when Webb recorded the second out of the inning, but he allowed the next four Padres to reach.

Sung-Mun Song delivered the biggest hit of the inning — and the first of his MLB career — with a bases-clearing double that split Heliot Ramos in left and Drew Gilbert in center.

The six earned runs on Webb’s line were one away from a career high, raising his ERA to 5.06. It’s the highest mark he has carried this late into a season since 2021.

He had never allowed five runs in one inning at home before this season, but it has happened twice this year.

The Yankees also pounced on him for five runs in the second on their way to a 7-0 Opening Day win.

Sung-Mun Song of the San Diego Padres is congratulated by Manny Machado against the San Francisco Giants in the fourth inning at Oracle Park on May 5, 2026 in San Francisco, California. Getty Images

What it means

The Giants hit multiple home runs for only the fifth time this season, fewer than any team besides the Red Sox.

They had been unbeaten in those games but fell to 4-1 — 11-4 when getting any homers at all.

Who’s hot

Schmitt’s two-run shot stayed fair down the left field line for his team-best sixth home run of the season — his fourth in his past 10 games.

He has also hit safely in all but one of those games and now leads San Francisco in most offensive categories.

San Francisco Giants first baseman Casey Schmitt (10) and San Francisco Giants right fielder Jung Hoo Lee (51) reacts after hitting a home run during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Meanwhile, Rafael Devers extended his hitting streak to a season-long six games with an opposite-field single. He stuck in the three-hole while Vitello slotted their other struggling veterans, Willy Adames and Matt Chapman, below rookie Bryce Eldridge in the lineup.

Jackson Merrill has been a thorn in the Giants’ side so far this series with five hits in nine ABs.

Who’s not

Adames struck out in his 15th consecutive game, matching the third-longest streak of his career.

While he singled and scored on Rodriguez’s knock in the third, it was just his seventh hit in 63 at-bats (.111 BA) since his last game without a strikeout.

Willy Adames fields the ball during the seventh inning of the Giants’ loss to the Padres at Oracle Park. Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Chapman came up empty in four tries and is now hitless in his past 21 at-bats.

Fernando Tatis Jr. moved down to fifth in the Padres order, the lowest he has batted since 2019, as his homerless drought to begin the season extended to 148 plate appearances with a 1-for-5 performance.

Tatis shot a double into right field and scored in San Diego’s big fourth inning, but he went down swinging against J.T. Brubaker with two on and nobody out his next time up.

Up next

RHP Adrian Houser (0-3, 7.12 ERA) gets the ball in the rubber match against RHP Matt Waldron (0-1, 9.88 ERA). First pitch is set for 12:45 p.m.

Sung-Mun Song delivers in first start, helps Padres top Giants

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 05: Sung-Mun Song #24 of the San Diego Padres hits a single against the San Francisco Giants in the eighth inning at Oracle Park on May 05, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Sung-Mun Song made his MLB debut in Mexico City against the Arizona Diamondbacks when the San Diego Padres added him to their roster as the 27th man. Song made an appearance as a pinch runner but did not do much more than that. Song changed that in his first MLB start when he hit a two-run double to left-center field to give the Padres a 5-4 lead in the top of the fourth inning against the San Francisco Giants.

The double by Song was part of a five-run fourth inning for the Padres against Giants starter Logan Webb. San Diego entered the top of the fourth trailing 4-1, but after scoring five runs to take a two-run lead, they never looked back while earning a 10-5 win at Oracle Park Tuesday night.

Walker Buehler started on the mound for the Padres and surrendered two runs in the bottom of the first inning on a Casey Schmitt two-run home run. San Diego answered in the top of the second inning when Xander Bogaerts hit a solo home run to left field, but Buehler returned to the mound in the bottom of the second and quickly surrendered two more runs to San Francisco, giving them a 4-1 lead. Buehler settled in after the second and completed 5.1 innings allowing four runs on seven hits with no walks and five strikeouts.

The new-look Padres offense continued to apply pressure to Giants pitchers, scoring runs in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings. Jackson Merrill was 3-for-5 with two runs scored two RBI and a stolen base from the leadoff spot. Miguel Andujar batted third and finished 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, a run scored and an RBI. Gavin Sheets and Xander Bogaerts each finished 2-for-5 batting in the fourth and sixth spots respectively with Sheets adding a stolen base and Bogaerts opening the San Diego scoring with a solo home run in the second.

Perhaps the most notable change to the Padres lineup was Fernando Tatis Jr., who moved from the first or second spot in the lineup for much of the season, all the way down to fifth. Tatis Jr. finished 1-for-5 with a run scored.

San Diego will look to win the series when the two teams meet Wednesday at 12:45 p.m.

Minor league hockey fans throw debris on ice, refuse to leave arena after bizarre overtime goal

Hershey Bears angry fans
Hershey Bears angry fans – https://x.com/Jlass21/status/2051846746087563305/video/1

The Sweetest Place on Earth turned sour on Tuesday night when minor league hockey fans began throwing debris onto the ice after they didn’t believe a game-winning goal had been actually scored in a rivalry playoff matchup. 

Hershey Bears fans “refused to leave” Giant Center in Hershey, Pa., after Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins winger Rutger McGroarty scored the deciding goal 5:03 into overtime to give his side a 4-3 win and a 2-1 series lead in the best-of-five Atlantic Division semifinal. 

The issue?

Hershey Bears fans were made after the loss. Jlass21/X

Some Bears fans didn’t believe the puck had gone in the net and became irate after the officials left the ice without reviewing the goal. They then began chucking trash onto the ice. 

Video posted to social media showed beer cans being flung onto the playing surface after both teams left the ice, with AHL reporter Tony Androckitis describing it as a “wild scene.” 

CBS21 assistant news director Tyler Jeski wrote on X that Bears fans were “bewildered at how the OT game against Wilkes-Barre ended with a shot that didn’t appear to go into the net.”

In another video, fans could be heard chanting, “Refs, you suck!” One supporter also violently banged on the glass behind one of the goals. 

Hershey Bears fans were mad after the loss. Jlass21/X

“Totally unacceptable throwing things on the ice. I saw a group of Bears fans hit with objects sitting in the 1st row. Terrible behavior,” former TV sports anchor Andrew Kalista wrote on X

But the replay showed that the puck did go in, despite the confusion from fans. 

An overhead shot of the goal clearly showed the puck hitting the back bar of the net and deflecting out.

The loss puts the Bears on the brink of elimination amid a battle against a rival. 

Not only do both teams call Pennsylvania home, but the Bears and Penguins are also the farm teams of the NHL’s Capitals and Penguins, respectively.