It has been a rough month for the Detroit Tigers, who have just four wins in 15 tries so far in May after dropping two of three to the Toronto Blue Jays in the first leg of their seven-game homestand. The visitors struck early on Sunday, getting a pair of runs in the first and third innings, and the offense simply could not catch up, resulting in a 4-1 loss.
On Monday, the Cleveland Guardians come to town for a four-game set that is as important as one can be before crossing the 50-game mark of the season. The Guards have won five of their last six, including a series-winning 10-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.
The Tigers have their current de facto top starter taking the mound on Monday night, left-hander Framber Valdez. The 32-year-old is coming off a quality start last time out that saw him allow two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out seven New York Mets batters en route to a 10-inning team loss.
Amazingly, Valdez has not faced Cleveland since 2023, when he threw a complete-game no-hitter for the Houston Astros back when it was still called Minute Maid Park. What Tiger fans would do to see that happen again…
Opposite him is right-hander Slade Cecconi, who has been more or less replacement-level this season, logging just one quality start while turning in mixed results for Cleveland. The 26-year-old’s last start was solid, throwing four shutout innings on five hits and a walk while striking out seven Los Angeles Angels in a team win.
Cecconi faced Detroit twice last season, turning in a pair of quality starts, allowing one and two runs, respectively. He earned the win in the first game, 3-1, but was saddled with a 2-1 loss in the second.
Take a look below at how the two match up for Monday evening’s American League Central battle.
Detroit Tigers (20-27) vs. Cleveland Guardians (26-22)
Time (ET): 6:40 p.m. Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan SB Nation Site:Covering the Corner Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 48: LHP Framber Valdez (2-2, 4.32 ERA) vs. RHP Slade Cecconi (2-4, 5.60 ERA)
BINGHAMTON, NY - JULY 06: Jacob Reimer #23 of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies reacts during the game between the Hartford Yard Goats and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at Mirabito Stadium on Sunday, July 6, 2025 in Binghamton, New York. (Photo by Matt Kipp/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Syracuse got on the board in the top of the first on a pair of extra base hits off the bats of Nick Morabito and Christian Arroyo, but Scranton recouped both runs in the bottom of the third. Syracuse took the lead once again in the top of the sixth, this time on a Yonny Hernandez RBI single, but the RailRiders took the lead permanently in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs off of Alex Carillo and taking a 5-3 lead. The Mets had a couple of opportunities, getting the tying run up in the eighth and ninth, but weren’t able to cash in.
Binghamton trailed early on, at one point as much as 6-1, but the bats came through. In the fourth, they plated three runs, in the fifth, they plated two, and in the sixth, they scored four more, taking the lead. Jacob Reimer had a big game, going 3-3 with two doubles and a homer, raising his batting line from .200/.328/.355 coming into this game to .221/.346/.416; the infielder has quietly been enjoying a solid May after a very poor April and is hitting .279/.373/.581 on the month.
The Emperors scored a pair of runs off of Brady Miller in the second and one more in the third; that would end up being all they needed to win, as the Cyclones managed just a single run on the afternoon, a Trace Willhoite RBI single in the seventh. With the loss, the Cyclones lost the series two games to four and have just four wins in the entire calendar month of May.
St. Lucie got on the board in the bottom of the first on an AJ Salgado RBI double and held onto the lead for the rest of the ballgame. Branny De Oleo plated two more in the bottom of the fourth to give the Mets a little breathing room, which came in handy when Nicolas Carreno allowed a run in the sixth. That run ended up being the only one that the Hammerheads would score on the afternoon, and all’s well that ends well.
WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA - MAY 17, 2026: Gunnar Henderson #2 of the Baltimore Orioles circles the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of an interleague game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on May 17, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. The Nationals beat the Orioles, 7-3. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Happy Monday, Camden Chatters! I hope you had a nice weekend. Things started off poorly for the Orioles with two losses to the Nationals, including an embarrassing 13-3 rout on Saturday. But they finished the series with a solid 7-3 victory to salvage one game.
The offense yesterday was powered by home runs from guys who had been struggling. Gunnar Henderson, Coby Mayo, and Colton Cowser all went deep yesterday, which felt pretty good. If those guys can rebound, it would work wonders for the offense.
No offense to Cower or Mayo, but Henderson is the one who matters most. And he had himself a fine weekend. On Friday, in the team’s 3-2 loss, Henderson singled and doubled in five trips to the plate. But he hit the ball hard four times up, with exit velocities of 97.5, 100.1, 106.1, and 111.9. He went hitless on Saturday, but did pick up a walk. And yesterday, Henderson had a four-hit game, including a double and a home run. His exit velocity in those four hits? 100.3, 100.3, 105.6, and 106.7.
It has only been one weekend’s worth of games, and I am not declaring Gunnar to be back. But I feel like I am ready to start asking the question. If he keeps hitting the ball hard, we’ll have our answer soon. He has been in the 57th percentile of exit velocity this year, averaging 89.1. In 2023-25, he was around the 90th percentile. A hard-hitting Gunnar is a good Gunnar.
He and the rest of the team will face a tough test over the next 10 days, where six of their nine games will be against the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays. They have won every series they’ve played this month and have only lost four all year. Weirdly, all of those series losses have come against the NL Central. They have not been swept. You can check back to this website at 10 a.m. to read Paul Folkemer’s series preview, which will tell you all the ways the Rays will beat the Orioles this week.
One last thing: former Oriole Grayson Rodriguez made his 2026 debut yesterday. It had been 655 days since his last start back on July 31, 2024. I wish I could say he had a triumphant return. Against the Dodgers, Rodriguez allowed seven runs on seven hits and four walks in just 3.2 innings. Here’s hoping he feels good physically after the start and that he can keep going.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have four Orioles birthday buddies, including the legendary Brooks Robinson. Robinson spent his entire 23-season career with the Orioles. He won 16 Gold Gloves, was an 18-time All-Star, won two World Series, was named American League MVP, World Series MVP, All-Star Game MVP, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983. He was also the nicest human of all time. Brooks Robinson passed away in 2023 at the age of 86.
Believe it or not, Brooks Robinson isn’t the only former Oriole and Hall of Famer born on this day. Today is Reggie Jackson’s 80th birthday. Jackson spent one season, 1976, with the Orioles.
Also born on this day is 2026 Oriole, Trey Gibson. Gibson has pitched in two games with the Orioles this year, and is currently with Triple-A Norfolk. We’ll see him in Baltimore again this season, I’m sure. Happy 24th birthday, Trey!
Last (and also probably least, sorry), today is Luis Terrero’s 46th birthday. Terrero appeared in 27 games with the 2006 Orioles.
On this day in 1957, the Orioles and White Sox were playing in Baltimore with a 10:20 curfew put in place to ensure the White Sox could catch the last train out of town. At 10:19, Oriole Dick Williams hit a ninth-inning, game-tying home run. The game was called for curfew as he touched home plate. The two teams later replayed the game, and the Orioles won. Why didn’t the White Sox pitcher just stall for one minute? That’s what everyone else wondered too.
In 1983, the Orioles and White Sox were again playing, and White Sox pitcher Rich Dotson pitched a one-hitter against the Orioles. Unfortunately for him, the one hit was a home run by Dan Ford. Storm Davis and Tippy Martinez combined to pitch nine shutout innings for the O’s.
In 1990, the Orioles tied an American League record with eight straight singles in the first inning against the Rangers’ Bobby Witt (who wouldn’t become Bobby Witt, Sr. for 10 more years). The Orioles scored seven runs in that first inning and went on to win, 13-1.
And on this day last year, the Orioles lost to the Nationals, 10-4. Zach Eflin started for the Orioles and was torched for eight runs, including a six-run second. The Orioles had nine hits, including solo home runs by Jackson Holliday, Gunnar Henderson, and Cedric Mullins.
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 02: Dougie Hamilton #7 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates his goal with teammates on the bench during the first period against the Washington Capitals at Prudential Center on April 02, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
“Everybody knows the Hughes brothers want to play together. Maybe Jack wants to come to Minnesota now to join forces with Quinn rather than wait or have it the other way around. It would be complicated, though, because it’s hard to believe Jack would leave their youngest brother, Luke, behind with the New Jersey Devils. That may be why, per league sources, the Wild made a pitch to former Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald to acquire Luke this past season.” [The Athletic ($)]
“While he’s still young enough to improve, it stands to reason Nemec may not be looked at as a long-term core piece by Mehta. If that’s the case, here are a few landing spots that could make sense:” [Infernal Access ($)]
What should the Devils do about Dougie Hamilton?
Hockey Links
Hurricanes have had a long break:
The Carolina Hurricanes will have 12 days off between games, the longest layoff in NHL playoff history 🤯
By the time the Eastern Conference Final begins, Carolina will have played just eight games in 36 days. pic.twitter.com/GaAWqsRszz
Quinn Hughes on the idea of resigning in Minnesota: “I can say that I really like it here. I love the team. I love the city and the fans. Just being in that locker room, it’s a special group. Would definitely be open to re-signing here with the guys that we have in the room and just the people we have in the room. A lot of trust with Billy, as well, and love (coach John Hynes) and (associate coach Jack Capuano) and the coaching staff.” [The Athletic ($)]
“The Vegas Golden Knights have been stripped of their second-round pick in this year’s draft, with coach John Tortorella also receiving a $100,000 fine, for ‘flagrant violations’ of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoff media regulations, the league announced Friday.” [ESPN]
“It’s safe to say the ‘Yzerplan’ has not worked out. And as the Detroit Red Wings enter a critical off-season, they need to change up their methods, even if that doesn’t include Steve Yzerman.” [The Hockey News]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 06: Jalen Johnson #1 of the Atlanta Hawks is defended by Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks during the first quarter at State Farm Arena on April 06, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After sweeping away the hapless Philadelphia 76ers last Sunday, the Knicks were able to spend the last week in a rare spot as spectators, watching the seven-game clash between the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers while resting, practicing, and rehabbing for the series. Ultimately, it was Cleveland that prevailed on Sunday night in the Motor City, finally finalizing our Eastern Conference Finals clash.
It’s the No. 3 seed New York Knicks (53-29) against the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30) for a spot in the NBA Finals, kicking off on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Here’s everything you need to know about this matchup.
Season Recap
You know how the Knicks’ season has gone. After all, you’re reading this on a Knicks site, but just to sum it up.
After firing Tom Thibodeau, engaging in a long coaching search, and keying in on Mike Brown, the Knicks mostly ran back the same team, albeit with new faces Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, while drafting Mo Diawara. It was supposed to be a deeper, offensive powerhouse, and, for the most part, it was. The Knicks started 23-9 and even got some hardware along the way, beating the Spurs in the NBA Cup Final in December. Everything was coming up New York as 2025 turned into 2026.
And then everything fell apart. Starting with a New Year’s Eve collapse in San Antonio, the Knicks lost nine of their next 11 games, capped off by a terrible effort on Martin Luther King Jr. Day at MSG against the tanking Mavs. The sky was falling, we had podcasters saying he couldn’t wait to blow up this core, we had loud calls for Mike Brown’s job, the defense was abhorrently bad, and the season was in a tailspin.
Then, they mollywhopped the Nets by 54 and everything calmed down. After going from 23-9 to 25-18, the Knicks won 28 of their final 39 games, powered by the NBA’s second-best defense over the final 2.5 months of the season. They swapped the disappointing Yabusele for Jose Alvarado and finished the season strong. After struggling through three games with the feisty Hawks, they made the last three games look like varsity playing JV. They then proceeded to make a talented Sixers team look just as helpless, sweeping them in uncompetitive fashion.
Coming off a tremendous 64-win regular season, expectations were high for the Cavaliers with both Boston and Indiana diminished. They were considered co-favorites in the East alongside the Knicks, even amidst the shakiness of prior postseason failures and the increasingly worrying health of Darius Garland’s toe.
A 12-6 start bled into an alarming 17-16 record shortly after Christmas, and the discourse surrounding the team was getting louder. Evan Mobley wasn’t properly progressing, the depth was in and out of the lineup, and Garland was struggling badly when he wasn’t in street clothes. Aside from Donovan Mitchell, this was a concerning operation.
All that changed as soon as January hit, as Cleveland got hot. They were 29-21 entering February, but fully sent things into hyperdrive after a blockbuster move to flip Garland to the Los Angeles Clippers for James Harden, pushing all of Cleveland’s chips into the middle for an all-in push right now. The move was a big success, as the Cavs pushed for the No. 3 seed with a 23-9 finish to the year. They lost more games before New Year’s than they did afterwards.
It hasn’t been easy for them in the playoffs. A tougher-than-expected seven-game battle with the Toronto Raptors took a lot out of them, but they were fortunate to run into a similarly beaten-up Pistons team that they similarly battled to seven games, prevailing on the road despite a blowout home loss with a chance to close it out on Friday.
Two of the three meetings with Cleveland had the eyes of the entire world on them on big days. The first matchup came all the way back in October to open the season, where both teams were banged up (no Garland, Mitchell Robinson, or Josh Hart).
The Knicks took two separate 15-point leads, but the Cavs had a response to both, ultimately taking the lead early in the fourth quarter. Despite seeming to have all the momentum, a 14-0 run early in the fourth spearheaded by OG Anunoby and Deuce McBride buried Cleveland to open the season. Jalen Brunson struggled, but Anunoy picked up the slack with an impressive 24/14 performance, while Donovan Mitchell scored 31.
The next meeting on Christmas could not have started worse for the Knicks, as Cleveland burst out to a 19-5 lead early in the first before the Knicks’ second unit slowly ate away at the deficit. The home team somehow managed to take the lead at the half, but once again was blitzed in the third quarter and trailed by as much as 16 with just eight minutes to go.
A Blue Christmas quickly shifted into a White Christmas at MSG, however, as a fourth-quarter avalanche by Tyler Kolek dragged the Knicks back into the game until Brunson brought it home by finishing off a 34-point gem. Kolek and Jordan Clarkson combined to score 41 points on 14-for-26 and 9-for-15 from three, while they survived another big game by Spida (34/7/6) and a big game by Jaylon Tyson.
The third meeting came underway in different circumstances. Harden was in, Garland was out. As the season series shifted to Cleveland in late February, the energized Cavs dominated action for 48 minutes and stifled the Knicks’ offense that couldn’t buy a shot. Mikal Bridges and Brunson combined to go 12-for-36 as a balanced attack from Harden, Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Dean Wade proved just enough for a commanding win.
Playoff History
(Cavaliers)
1978 East 1st Round: Knicks won 2-0 1995 East 1st Round: Knicks won 3-1 1996 East 1st Round: Knicks won 3-0 2023 East 1st Round: Knicks won 4-1
Trends: Knicks since 1/20: 118.5 ORtg (6th), 108.2 DRtg (2nd), +10.3 net rating (3rd) Cavs since Harden trade: 22-9, 120.8 ORtg (4th), +5.7 net rating (9th)
Coaching Breakdown
Mike Brown (NYK): Season with team: 1st Season as head coach: 12th Career teams coached: CLE, LAL, SAC, NYK Career record: 507-333 (.604) Career playoff record: 54-42 (.563) Best finish: 2007 Cavaliers (Finals appearance)
Mike Brown is entering the postseason as the head coach of a third different team. He’s never won a game past the Eastern Conference Finals, but he’s certainly experienced deep playoff runs as an assistant under Gregg Popovich from 2001-03 and an assistant under Steve Kerr from 2017-22, winning four championships as an assistant coach.
Brown’s philosophy is a stylistic change from former head coach Tom Thibodeau, in that he prioritizes ball movement, spacing, and a drive-and-kick to open shooters (which he calls “sprays”). He was mostly unsuccessful in increasing the Knicks’ pace, showing that the team’s slow play is rooted in the way their captain operates in the offense, rather than the scheme. His biggest success has been increasing three-point attempts, but those have slowly decreased as the season has gone on.
Defensively, Brown has been flexible in his scheme. While Thibodeau always required a true rim protector on the floor, Brown has been more willing to mix up lineups in certain areas. After starting the season with a scheme that funneled the ball towards the middle of the floor into the help, Brown switched the scheme to look to send the ball towards the sidelines after the Knicks endured a month-plus stretch of abhorrent defense, powered by other teams driving and kicking to open shooters.
Kenny Atkinson (CLE): Season with team: 2nd Season as head coach: 6th Career teams coached: BKN, CLE Career record: 234-248 (.496) Career playoff record: 14-14 (.500) Best finish: 2026 Cavaliers (ECF and counting)
Atkinson got his start in NBA coaching with the Knicks, serving as an assistant under Mike D’Antoni from 2008-12 before D’Antoni’s spats with Carmelo Anthony wound up leading to a coaching change. After four good years, he latched onto Mike Budenholzer’s staff in Atlanta in 2012, where he helped groom a future No. 1 seed with four all-stars. It eventually led to him being hired by the Brooklyn Nets in the midst of their deep rebuild.
That deep Brooklyn rebuild finally bore fruit in 2018-19, when a fun collection of players spearheaded by All-Star D’Angelo Russell emerged as a playoff team in a soft Eastern Conference. The tremendous progress that Brooklyn made as a franchise made them a desirable landing spot for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving that summer in the “Clean Sweep”, but Atkinson never saw them through. He was canned midway through the next season while Durant recovered from Achilles surgery.
He rehabilitated his coaching prospects as a lead assistant under Tyronn Lue in LA with the Clippers, and later joined Steve Kerr’s staff and won a championship in 2022. After JB Bickerstaff was canned in Cleveland in 2024, he has spearheaded a balanced Cavs attack for the last two years, winning NBA Coach of the Year in 2025.
Projected Rotations
Knicks: Jalen Brunson Mikal Bridges Josh Hart OG Anunoby Karl-Anthony Towns – Jose Alvarado Deuce McBride Landry Shamet Jordan Clarkson Mitchell Robinson
Situational: Mo Diawara, Ariel Hukporti, Jeremy Sochan
Cavaliers: James Harden Donovan Mitchell Max Strus Evan Mobley Jarrett Allen – Dennis Schroder Sam Merrill Jaylon Tyson Dean Wade
Situational: Thomas Bryant, Keon Ellis
Injury Report
For the Knicks, it’s all centered around OG Anunoby. He missed the last two games of the second-round series in Philadelphia with a balky hamstring, but all signs point to him suiting up on Tuesday night. Will it look like Game 7 against Indiana two years ago, or will the eight-day layoff heal all wounds?
For the Cavs, they are pretty healthy, but are surely aching from playing 14 high-intensity playoff games in a little over four weeks. The only concern right now is that there’s a stomach bug running through the locker room, but no major player has missed time.
Broadcast Schedule
(The full schedule has yet to be released, this will be updated)
Game 1: Tues, May 19, 8 pm (ESPN) Game 2: Thu, May 21, 8 pm (ESPN) Game 3: Sat, May 23, 8 pm (ABC) Game 4: Mon, May 25, 8 pm (ESPN) Game 5*: Wed, May 27, 8 pm (ESPN) Game 6*: Fri, May 29, 8 pm (ESPN) Game 7*: Sun, May 31, 8 pm (ESPN)
May 17, 2026; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander speaks during a press conference after the announcement he won the 2025-2026 NBA Most Valuable Player award. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
I don’t know if there is a way to write this article on a Spurs site without it coming off automatically as sour grapes, but I am going attempt to do it anyway.
First, I will say congratulations to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s an incredible player who has had an incredible year. For those who remember, he was traded in 2019 from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Oklahoma City Thunder with Danilo Gallinari, five first-round draft picks, and the rights to swap two other first-round picks.
The trade is considered one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history. And the picks the Thunder acquired still haven’t fully conveyed, but the addition of Jalen Williams via the 2022 pick has been an essential piece of their success.
I will also add if I was a fan of any of the other 29 teams, I’d probably be more supportive of SGA picking up the MVP for the second year. Alas, I am a Spurs fanatic and a Wembanyama devotee and have to admit he is my choice for MVP.
But Victor Wembanyama did not start the year with MVP statistics, and the trophy is based on the entire season. I believe Maxime Aubin, who covers the Spurs and Wembanyama for the French publication L’Equipe, said it best. (See translation below.)
Maintenant que Shams a spoilé l’info, je vous révèle mon vote pour le titre de MVP :
“Now that Shams has spoiled the news, I’m revealing my vote for the MVP award:
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
2. Victor Wembanyama
3. Nikola Jokic
Victor Wembanyama experienced an incredible surge over the course of the season—to the point where, in my view, he became the best player in the NBA during the final few weeks. However, I believe the MVP trophy is meant to reward the best player over the entire regular season, and SGA demonstrated exemplary consistency, in addition to finishing with the best team record in the league.“
SGA was the favorite all year, and Wemby made his case in the latter half of the season. It was an uphill battle to get the voters to change their minds. I believe his making the top three was a win in an of itself.
The other difficult selling point for Wemby was his playing time. He averaged under 30 minutes compared to SGA’s 33.2 or Jokic’s 34.8. While I believe Victor does more with less time, voters often see the MVP as the player running most of the game.
So maybe Wembanyama wasn’t truly in a position to entice the voting reporters to chose him this year, but should it have been Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?
These stats suggest Jokic should have earned his fourth MVP award.
Game 1 of Western Conference Finals begins tonight. Expect a fast-paced, competitive, and often heated series.
Nothing else to say, but-
GO SPURS GO!
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The Thunder appear to be on their way to becoming the NBA’s next dynasty.
Even though they’ve only won one championship, they’re already being talked about in the same breath as the league’s most elite teams.
This season they joined the Bulls (1995-97) and Warriors (2014-16, 2015-17) as the only teams to win at least 80% of their games over a two-season span. And they set the NBA record for the highest cumulative point differential over that span.
The Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has led the team to the Western Conference finals, but Oklahoma City has loftier goals. Getty Images
“The Thunder is one of the greatest teams ever in NBA history,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “It’s just the reality. They’re that good.”
Does Shai Gilgeous-Alexander agree?
As he walked out of Crypto.com Arena amid his team’s 8-0 postseason run, he was asked to weigh in on whether he believes his team is as good as Michael Jordan’s Bulls and Steph Curry’s Warriors that dominated the league.
“I don’t know,” Gilgeous-Alexander told The California Post. “That’s so far from where we are today. Those teams have won multiple in a row. We’ve won one and are in the [Western Conference finals] of this run, so it’s so far away. We still have a lot to do to get there.
“So, to answer your question, right now, no. We’re far from it.”
Jordan led the Bulls to six championships over an eight-year span from 1990-98. Curry carried the Warriors to four titles in eight years from 2015-2022.
The Thunder swept the Lakers in the second round of the NBA playoffs Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
There’s a Mount Everest-sized difference between a team that won one championship and franchises that dominated the league for nearly a decade.
But if you watch the Thunder, it feels as though you’re witnessing greatness.
They could be on the verge of etching their name onto the Mount Rushmore of NBA dynasties.
For two straight seasons, the Thunder have had the league’s best net rating and top-rated defense. They have a two-time MVP in Gilgeous-Alexander. They’re a well-oiled machine with a seemingly endless cadre of fresh legs that are able to dismantle teams on both ends of the court.
Get past the swarming defense of Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace? You have a frontcourt of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein waiting to swat your shot or displace your body with their physical, 7-foot physiques.
On offense, try to contain Gilgeous-Alexander, who can be likened to a metronome because of his consistency? There are nine other lasers waiting to shine. It’s like playing Whac-A-Mole.
The Thunder don’t have any weaknesses. They’re deep, strong, agile and young. Their chemistry is palpable. After spending 48 minutes as a cohesive tidal wave swallowing their opponent, they sit around the locker room after games joking with each other.
Perhaps no one knows that more than LeBron James, who was recently asked if the Thunder are as good as the dynastic Warriors, whom he met in four straight Finals from 2015-2018 when he played for the Cavaliers.
“They’re pretty damn good from top to bottom,” said James, whose Lakers were swept out of the second round of the playoffs by the Thunder. “They don’t let their foot off the gas.”
The Thunder are so deep that they won four games against the Lakers by an average of 16 points even though Gilgeous-Alexander only scored 24.5 points per game, a marked dip from the league-leading 33.7 points he averaged in the first round. Oh, and Oklahoma City was without Williams, who was sidelined with a strained hamstring.
None of that mattered.
This postseason, Holmgren is averaging 18.6 points and 9.1 rebounds. Ajay Mitchell became a breakout star, averaging 18.8 points, 4.9 assists and four rebounds. Jared McCain and Wallace are shooting better than 46% from beyond the arc. The Thunder have weapons everywhere, including deep into their bench rotation.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who won his second consecutive NBA MVP Award, says the Thunder have a chance to be mentioned among the NBA’s elite teams. Getty Images
But the Thunder’s biggest challenge is next.
They’re playing the Spurs in the Western Conference finals, the one team they’ve struggled against this season. Of the 18 games they lost, four were to San Antonio. The Thunder won 64 games this season, the Spurs won 62.
For the Thunder to become the first team to repeat for a title since the Warriors in 2018, they will have to get past Victor Wembanyama, the 7-4 Defensive Player of the Year who is expected to become the next face of the league.
Gilgeous-Alexander is far more focused on winning two more playoff series than basking in the talk around his team’s potential.
He believes the Thunder could become a dynasty.
But they haven’t accomplished anything yet.
“We have the opportunity in front of us,” Gilgeous-Alexander told The California Post. “But so does every team that wins one. You win one and you have the opportunity to repeat. In the past few years, teams haven’t been able to do it. But it’s our goal, and that’s what we’re after.”
Gilgeous-Alexander wants the Thunder to become the next Bulls or Warriors. It’s why he gives his all every night on both ends of the court. It’s why he empowers his teammates. It’s why his team is soaring.
But while the comparisons are nice, he believes they’re empty.
At least for the moment.
“Today, no,” he said of whether his team belongs in the same conversation as the Bulls and Warriors. “But hopefully we are.”
May 17, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (28) prepares to take the field before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Above .500 before Memorial Day. Who’d have thunk it?
It does help that they are playing some of the middle class teams in baseball instead of repeating viewings of the upper crust, but the Phillies are still playing good baseball right now, getting back to the spot we thought they’d be in.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W, 5-3 vs. Syracuse Mets
SS George Lombard Jr. 2-4, RBI — tied the game on an infield hit in the sixth, also hit a ball 106.3 mph in the first (though a groundout) DH Yanquiel Fernández 0-2, 2 BB, RBI, K — drew bases-loaded walk to put Scranton ahead 2B Marco Luciano 1-4, 2B, RBI, K, fielding error LF Oswaldo Cabrera 0-2, BB, RBI, 2 K, SF DH Ernesto Martínez Jr. 0-4, K C Payton Henry 1-3, BB 3B Jonathan Ornelas 0-4, 2 K CF Duke Ellis 1-3, BB, K RF Kenedy Corona 0-3, BB
Carlos Lagrange 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 6 K — per YES Network’s Conor Foley, four-seamer averaged 100.2 mph, topping out at a season-best 103 mph, smokin’ (though still might be a reliever long-term) Dylan Coleman 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 0 K (win) Kervin Castro 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K Bradley Hanner 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (save)
Double-A Somerset Patriots:L, 7-10 vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies
LF Jace Avina 1-5, 4 K DH Garrett Martin 1-4, 2B, 3 K RF Jackson Castillo 0-4, K SS Tyler Hardman 1-4, HR, RBI, K, fielding error — go-ahead homer briefly made it 7-6, Somerset (also I guess they’re trying to add versatility because he’s normally a third baseman) 3B Coby Morales 2-4, 3 RBI, 2 K, SB — Patriots’ second three-run homer of the day put them ahead 6-1 CF DJ Gladney 0-4, 3 K C Manuel Palencia 1-2, 2 BB, K, SB 1B Miguel Palma 1-4, HR, 3 RBI — three-run blast in the second 2B Duncan Pastore 1-3, BB
Chase Chaney 4.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R (5 ER), 3 BB, 6 K, 2 HR — fortunate to be spared the loss as he let 6-1 Patriots lead go by the wayside Chris Kean 1 IP, 3 H, 4 R (4 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, HR, HBP, throwing error (loss) — gave up back-breaking three-run dinger to Jacob Reimer Hayden Merda 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K Michael Arias 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K Matt Keating 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:L, 3-6 vs. Frederick Keys
SS Kaeden Kent 0-3, BB C Eric Genther 2-4, K DH Kyle West 1-4, K LF Wilson Rodriguez 0-2, 2 BB 2B Roderick Arias 0-4, RBI, 2 K 3B Enmanuel Tejeda 1-3, 2B, BB, 2 RBI, K — only run-scoring hit of the day for the ’Gades on his double 1B Josh Moylan 0-4, 2 K CF Camden Troyer 0-4, 2 K RF Cole Gabrielson 1-3, BB, K
Franyer Herrera 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, HBP, throwing error (loss) — most consequential pitch might have been plunking 2025 first-rounder Ike Irish on the wrist Tanner Bauman 1.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, HR Wilmy Sanchez 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K — bullpen combined for Thomas Balboni Jr. 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 HBP, pickoff error Hansel Rincon 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K Chris Veach 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
— Hudson Valley Renegades (@HVRenegades) May 17, 2026
Low-A Tampa Tarpons:L, 0-5 vs. Dunedin Blue Jays — shut out on five hits
3B Jackson Lovich 0-4, 3 K SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 1-4, throwing error 1B Hans Montero 0-3, BB, K, picked off LF Luis Puello 0-4, K CF Willy Montero 2-3, 2B — the lone multi-hit day in the batch DH Engelth Urena 0-3, K C Ediel Rivera 0-3, K RF Luis Durango 1-3 2B Santiago Gomez 1-3, SB
Tyler Boudreau 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 7 K, fielding error (loss) — 11 swings and misses from his fastball/slider/changeup/curveball mix, not that bad a day honestly for the 2025 undrafted free agent, just needs to work on that PFP since his E1 led to the two runs Bryce Warrecker 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K Brennan Stuprich 3 IP, 1 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 4 K, HR, balk
Feb 15, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; NBC Peacock analysts Reggie Miller (left) and Jamal Crawford (center) and play-by-play announcer Noah Eagle watch during the 75th NBA All Star Game at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Former NBA sixth-man of the year winner Jamal Crawford has been a star for NBC and Peacock on their NBA coverage this season. After spending a season with MSG contributing to their coverage of the New York Knicks, Crawford joined one of the major networks and has shined all season long.
It’s been reported that Crawford has been offered an assistant coaching position on Mark Pope’s staff and reports on Sunday led to the fact that Crawford has yet to turn down the offer — leaving the door open for him to join Kentucky for the upcoming season.
NEW: Kentucky's pursuit of Jamal Crawford isn't dead yet.
The 3x NBA Sixth Man of the Year is still considering the offer from Kentucky to be an assistant coach on Mark Pope's staff, he tells @JackPilgrimKSR and @PolacheckKSR.
Pope and the Wildcats lost both Alvin Brooks (NC State) as well as Jason Hart (USC) so bringing Crawford fills an immediate need but also gives the Cats a likely edge in recruiting.
The problem is, though, Crawford’s son is the No. 1 recruit in the 2029 class and is currently located on the west coast. As he’s entering his peak high school years, a move to Kentucky would be tough.
IF Crawford were to join Pope at Kentucky, he would be the second former NBA player to join recently as Mo Williams was added to the staff this off-season.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 14: Ryan O'Hearn #29 of the Pittsburgh Pirates rounds third after hitting a two run home run in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at PNC Park on May 14, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates were swept by the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday, with even staff ace Paul Skenes failing to secure a win for the Buccos. That was Pittsburgh’s third straight loss, as they sit tied in the basement of the NL Central with the St. Louis Cardinals, both with 24-23 records on the year. But they got some evern worse news on Sunday, when they were forced to place outfielder / first baseman Ryan O’Hearn on the 10-day DL with a strained right quad. Jake Mangum was called up to replace O’Hearn.
O’Hearn has been one of the Pirates’ key offseason acquisitions, batting .289 for the year with 7 homers and 29 RBIs for the season, becoming a key cog in Pittsburgh’s offensive resurgence this season. However, according to Bucs GM Ben Cherington, the quad strain is moderate and will sideline O’Hearn for about four weeks. So that’s a full month without their one of the top bats for the Buccos. It’s an unfortunate injury for Pittsburgh’s second best batting average.
His replacement Mangum was also an offseason acquisition for the Bucs, though he came over in trade, while O’Hearn signed as a free agent. Mangum can get it done in the field, but the Bucs will take a hit at the plate when Mangum plays over O’Hearn. Mangum is hitting .253 on the season with no homers and 3 RBIs in 75 at bats. He was 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout on Sunday.
Last season, with Tampa Bay, Mangum played in 118 games in did hit .296, but with 3 homers and 40 RBIs. He can get it done in the average department, but the Bucs are definitely going to take a power hit.
The Pirates are now off today after being swept, but they’ll return to action on Tuesday, when they will head to St. Louis to take on the Cardinals in what will be a battle for one of them to get out of the basement of the NL Central. The first game of the three-game set starts at 7:45pm Tuesday.
Dylan File had a rough day on the mound, and the Hens offense just couldn’t string enough runs together as they dropped the series four games to two in Omaha on Sunday.
The Hens took an early lead when Ben Malgeri led off the game with a double. An Eduardo Valencia single and a Jace Jung sacrifice fly made it 1-0, but as it went most of the day, they couldn’t add on runs.
File quickly surrendered the lead as Omaha scored two in the bottom of the firs, but Tomás Nido cracked a solo shot in the second that made it 2-2. Omaha came right back with a three run bottom of the third punctuated by a Brett Squires two-run homer. Luke Ritter led off the fourth with a solo shot to make it 5-3, but that was as close as they’d get.
Pitching dominated the rest of the way. Ricky Vanasco spun a perfect inning with a strikeout in the fourth, and Tanner Rainey worked two innings, allowing a run that made it 6-3. Woo-Suk Go continues to pitch really well and handled the seventh and eighth in perfect fashion with three strikeouts, but no rally by the Hens’ offense was forthcoming.
Nido: 2-4, R, RBI, HR, K
Ritter: 2-4, R, RBI, HR, K
File (L, 1-4): 3.0 IP, 5 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: The 22-23 Hens come home to welcome in Indianapolis for six starting Tuesday night.
Carlos Peña was knocked around in a short start, but the duo of Brett Callahan and John Peck continue to be the run scoring engine for the SeaWolves and brought them back in the middle innings to win the first of two on Sunday.
Peña gave up a pair of solo shots in the first, and Peck answered back with a solo shot in the bottom of the first. Peña then pitched a scoreless second before giving up two more solo shots to start the third. The Squirrels seemed to have him dialed in and could read what was coming but Peña’s low powered stuff doesn’t play well over the middle of the plate. Uniquely so on this day.
Dariel Fregio took over after Peña allowed a double to follow the homers, and he was able to settle things down.
In the bottom of the third, Andrew Jenkins singled and rode home on Callahan’s seventh home run to make it 4-3, Richmond. Peck followed with a single and stole second base, and Thayron Liranzo walked, but Justice Bigbie flew out to end the inning.
Brett Callahan crushes a 2-run homer to deep left center and the SeaWolves are back within a run. It’s his 7th home run of the year, and he’s now batting .310 with 3 homers against left-handed pitching this year. pic.twitter.com/0w1VZ0cG2n
The rest of the comeback didn’t take long. Chris Meyers and Izaac Pacheco doubled to open the fourth. That scored Meyers and tied the game 4-4. Pacheco took third on a balk, and Jenkins walked. Pacheco would eventually scored on a Seth Stephenson ground out and Callahan dropped a ball into left field on an error that brought home Jenkins. 6-4 Erie.
Luke Taggart handled the fifth and sixth, allowing a run that brought the Squirrels within one run. Moises Rodriguez got into a little trouble in the bottom of the seventh. A walk started things, and then a single moved the runner, Scott Bandura, to third base. Parks Harber bounced one back to Rodriguez, who made a nice play to fire home to Liranzo, who dropped the tag and prevented the tying run. Rodriguez shut it down from there to earn his first save of the year.
The offense was out of gas for Game 2. The SeaWolves managed just two hits and two walks over seven innings, and never really threatened to score.
Kenny Serwa held the Squirrels down for four scoreless innings in his start, but the offense couldn’t take advantage. Yosber Sanchez allowed a run in the fifth, and Tyler Owens one in the sixth. It wasn’t much of an offensive performance on either side, but the Squirrels came out ahead and split the series.
Serwa: 4.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves head out to Altoona this week with a 20-19 record, while the Flying Squirrels continue to rule the division at 28-10 for the first half.
Great Lakes Loons 4, West Michigan Whitecaps 0 (box)
The Whitecaps lost their 19th game out of their last 20 on Sunday as their brutal May continues.
Gabriel Reyes managed to hold the Loons to just one run over five innings, despite walking five hitters on the day. The Whitecaps didn’t get much of a threat going until Luke Shliger was hit by a pitch and stole second base, and then Cristian Santana and Caleb Shpur walked to load the bases. However, their were already two outs and Ricardo Hurtado struck out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, Reyes walked the first two hitters and they pulled off a double steal. Reyes struck out the next hitter, and then a grounder to Santana at third turned into an out at home plate as he fired home in time. Reyes then picked of Jose D. Hernandez off third base to escape.
That was about as interesting as it got in this one. The ‘Caps made a bunch of nice defensive plays, but the offense was lifeless. Sounds familiar. They were still right in it until Ethan Sloan allowed three runs in the bottom of the eighth.
Shpur: 1-3, BB, SB
Strong: 1-4, 3B
Reyes (L, 0-3): 5.0 IP, ER, H, 5 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: The 13-26 Whitecaps come home to lick their wounds this week as the South Bend Cubs come to town. Manager Rene Rivera needs to find a way to turn things around.
The resurgence of young pitching in the Tigers’ system has seen Ben Jacobs and Malachi Witherspoon off to good starts this spring. Kelvis Salcedo is still stretching out after missing time early in this season, but he continues to show off the best stuff in the system. Owen Hall is finally pitching consistently and seems bound to join the Flying Tigers out of rookie ball shortly. We can probably add Charlie Christensen to the list.
The Tigers’ 15th rounder last summer out of the University of Central Arkansas, Christensen features a quick, snappy release from a low arm slot and a good slider-changeup combination. He’ll need to add velocity, as he’s currently 91-92 mph with his sinker, but at 6’4”, 190 pounds, he has the frame to build on. He profiles as a sinkerballer, but the low release also begs for him to develop a riding fourseamer.
The right-hander punched out seven in four scoreless innings of work on Sunday, walking one and allowing two hits. He struck out the side twice, and the slider in particular was just lethal.
For the second time today Charlie Christensen strikes out the side on 13 pitches. pic.twitter.com/yfa0WRdSLK
The game was scoreless until the Flying Tigers broke through in the top of the fourth. Jude Warwick was hit by a pitch and Jesus Pinto walked to open the inning, and they went on to pull off the double steal of second and third. A Zach MacDonald sacrifice fly scored Warwick, and walks to Carson Rucker and Edian Espinal followed to load the bases. That got starter James Tallon yanked, but his relief immeditaely gave up a bases clearing double to Beau Ankeney. 4-0 Lakeland.
In the top of the fifth, Pinto singled with one out, and after MacDonald struck out, Rucker blasted his fifth home run of the season to make it 6-0 Lakeland.
That was, of course, the high water mark for the Flying Tigers. Preston Howey allowed a run in the sixth and Jan Carabello coughed out three more as the Threshers closed the game to two runs. Pedro Garcia allowed a run in the eighth, and then blew the save as the Threshers walked them off.
Ankeney: 2-4, 3 RBI, 2 2B, K
Pinto: 1-2, 2 R, BB, K, SB, CS
Salas: 2-4, 2B
Christensen: 4.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, BB, 7 K
Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers head down to Palm Beach on Tuesday to open a series with the Cardinals.
Justin Turner runs through a gauntlet of teammates as punishment after not wearing the right jersey to batting practice before Saturday's Tijuana Toros game. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
Justin Turner did not wear the correct jersey one day, and now he would pay for his sin.
His teammates formed two lines, one facing the other. Turner snaked through the gauntlet, as his teammates playfully slapped and shoved him around.
Turner is 41, an All-Star and World Series champion, one of the most beloved players in Dodgers history. Yet there he was on a gloomy Saturday afternoon in a 50-year-old stadium in Tijuana, subjecting himself to a mashup of a kangaroo court and a hazing ritual, three hours before he would play in a uniform with six advertisements on the jersey and four more on the pants.
“Justin doesn’t have to be here,” said former major leaguer Roberto Kelly, the manager of the Tijuana Toros. “He doesn’t need this to continue his life.”
For the first time in 17 years, Turner is not playing in the major leagues. No team wanted him.
In Tijuana, whether he decides to end his career here or elsewhere, he has nurtured a special bond with his son and emerged as an improbable tourist attraction for Dodgers fans.
The sun sets in the neighborhood surrounding Toros Mobil Park.
A fan hands Justin Turner a bobblehead of Turner to sign before the start of Friday's Tijuana Toros game.
Justin Turner follows through on a swing while warming up in the batting cages before the start of Saturday's Tijuana Toros game.
Life is what you make of it. When Turner signed with the Toros, he wanted to make a video introducing himself to their fans. He drove 45 minutes from Studio City to East Los Angeles, to the only store he could find in L.A. that stocked Toros caps, then stood in line to buy some.
“Are you buying these hats because Justin Turner just signed in Tijuana?” the clerk asked, without looking too closely at the customer.
“Yes,” Turner said, without letting on.
When Turner went job hunting last winter, the top line of “41-year-old with a .602 OPS” carried the day, even if he was primarily a platoon player last season, with a .759 OPS against left-handers.
Justin Turner jokes with batboy Valentin "Chevale" Burgos before the start of Saturday's Tijuana Toros game. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)
He said he pursued a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training, then simply a minor league contract, where he could start the season at triple A and both he and the team could evaluate as the season went on. Even the Angels, whose annual lack of depth already is on stark display, said no.
“I wasn’t expecting to be handed anything or guaranteed anything,” Turner said. “But I was not expecting to not even get a chance to play at all.”
He looked into playing in Japan and South Korea, but the guaranteed roster spots there filled as he held out hope for a job in the United States. In Mexico, where the season does not start until mid-April, three teams offered him contracts.
He chose Tijuana, where he and his family could live in San Diego and commute to the games.
Lights in the stadium turn on and off as Saltillo Saraperos players have a mound visit. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)
“It’s hit and miss, same as L.A.,” he said. “Depending on what time you go, it could be 20 minutes, or it could be an hour.”
Turner’s son, Bo, turns 2 in July. Dad could have stayed home with him all year but, in baseball as in life, diamonds are forever.
Bo Jordan is held by his father, Justin Turner, while he takes photos with fans after Saturday's Tijuana Toros game. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)
“I got a late start in parenthood,” Turner said. “I’ve been around a lot of guys who had the opportunity to have their kids grow up in a clubhouse, and I’ve always thought that was really cool.
“He wakes up in the morning, and the first thing he says is ‘baseball.’ He’s definitely not at the point where he’s going to retain any of this, I don’t think, but he’s already developing the love for baseball that I have.
“I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Neither would the Toros. With Dodgers fans regularly making the trip from Los Angeles to see Turner, and with the Dodgers having the largest fan base of any team in Mexico, Toros president Omar Canizales said, ticket sales are up 30%. The Dodgers’ Pantone 294 fan club has bought a block of tickets for the Toros’ June 2 game.
The Toros never had sold jerseys with player names on the back until this year, a team official said, and 98% of the jerseys sold have Turner’s name on the back.
Luchador masks and other Tijuana Toros merchandise on display for sale. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)A roasted pig lays on a flat iron stove at a food stand. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)
Canizales declined to say how much the Toros are paying Turner this season. He said top Mexican League players make in the $150,000 range and Turner would generate enough business by himself for the Toros to recoup the entire cost of Turner’s contract.
“We haven’t seen anything like this before,” Canizales said through an interpreter. “There’s nothing to compare it to the impact Justin has made in such little time.”
The influence Turner had in Los Angeles lives on among fans that have not forgotten that he is one of them.
The kid who watched Kirk Gibson’s 1988 World Series home run in his grandmother's living room grew up to be the third baseman that helped the Dodgers win their next World Series, in 2020. Turner took a moment every night to sign a ball for the military veteran honored at each game at Dodger Stadium, and no Dodger did more in the community.
About 15 minutes before game time in Tijuana, a line forms next to the Toros’ dugout, and Turner signs for fans in Dodgers caps and lucha libre masks.
Fermin Padilla of Los Angeles got Turner’s autograph on a jacket, cap and jersey. “It would have been impossible to get that at home,” Padilla said.
Tijuana Toros fans scream for a baseball during Saturday's game. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)
David and Samantha Anderson of East Los Angeles got a selfie with Turner, who signed two baseball cards for the couple.
“If it wasn’t for Justin, I wouldn’t be here,” David Anderson said. “Now I’m going to come all the time.”
The tickets are cheaper than Dodger Stadium, of course, and the food is better. The kiss cams and sing-alongs and air horns and thunder sticks are all integrated into the game, not reserved for stoppages in play.
“It’s three hours of music, dancing, drinking and entertainment, with a sprinkle of baseball,” Turner said. “There’s not really any lines they won’t cross down here.”
In one skit between innings, a character wore a sign around its neck that said “ICE.” Another character pretended to rough up the first character until the sign opened to say “ICE CREAM,” and then everyone danced happily.
Newlywed couple Jessica Oneda Rojas and Moises Benitez celebrate with mascots Tonia and Toron after signing marriage papers before the start of Friday's Tijuana Toros game. This was the first wedding held at a Tijuana Toros game.
Torina the mascot lays on the ground trying to catch her breath as a member of the Toritos dance crew performs on the field in between innings on Friday.
Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles TimesToron the mascot dresses up as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
Kelly, the manager, played the last two years of his career in the Mexican League. It can be a long season if the bitterness of the major league rejection of the winter lingers into the spring and summer, but Kelly does not see that in Turner.
“He’s been a good addition, not because he was a big leaguer but because of what he brings to the club. He’s not just a name,” Kelly said. “He doesn’t let us know that he played in the big leagues or how good he was. To see somebody like that come down and just be one of the players is very good for our team.
“He enjoys it. You can see him around these guys and he’s having fun.”
Orel Hershiser, the officiant at Turner’s wedding, ended his career at 41.
“I had really lost my ability,” Hershiser said.
Justin Turner works out with a barbell in the Tijuana Toros' gym. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)
At the same age, Turner is betting he has not. Hershiser said he has not talked with Turner recently but wondered if a season in Japan could be in his future if a return to the major leagues is not.
Is Turner going to keep playing until he either gets back to the majors or knows he is not?
“No,” he said. “I’m playing until I want to be done playing.”
I told Turner that Julio Franco played in the Mexican League at 49. Turner laughed. That might be about all he rules out at this point.
“I love playing,” he said. “I love competing. As long as I feel I’m serviceable and not just here for entertainment purposes, I’m going to keep doing it.”
Turner should have the same ending as Hershiser, a Dodger standout that represents the organization in some capacity after retirement.
Hershiser said Turner could join him in the broadcast booth, or become a great manager, or an outstanding hitting coach.
“He’s almost a hitting savant,” Hershiser said. “He’s like a Manny Ramirez for me as far as how he understands swings and how he can put himself in other people’s bodies or make adjustments for them.
“He’ll be good at whatever he tries to do.”
Justin Turner walks out of the battling cages onto the field to finish warming up before Friday's Tijuana Toros game. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)
The one thing he probably would not do: serve as a Dodgers community ambassador, shaking hands and posing for photographs at Dodger Stadium and various events around town.
“I don’t want to be paraded around and be a sideshow,” he said.
For now, he just wants to play baseball. On Tuesday, he can, in Zapopan, Mexico.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 16: Austin Wells #28 of the New York Yankees runs during the game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on May 16, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
What an awful road trip. The Yankees got swept in Milwaukee, lost two of three to an underwhelming-as-hell Orioles team, and then did the same against the Mets, who entered as one of the worst teams in baseball. The 2-7 trip ended when David Bednar couldn’t hold a three-run lead in the ninth, evaporating the edge on a three-run blast by Tyrone Taylor. They then stranded the zombie runner and lost in the bottom of the 10th. That’s some bad baseball, folks.
Now, they get to play the Blue Jays! It doesn’t matter that they’ve been kind of whatever thus far in 2026; it’s not as though the O’s or Mets were rolling when the Yankees faced them this past week. So… joy.
For our Question of the Day today, we want to know what you would do to try to get the Yankees out of this funk. I only have one request: Please do not say “Fire Aaron Boone,” “Fire Brian Cashman,” or “Hal Steinbrenner should sell the team.”
Even if you think these are valid solutions, we’re trying to remain in the realm of plausibility here. None of those guys are going anywhere at the moment (if indeed ever), so consider something that could actually happen right now, in mid-May 2026. Be more creative! It sounds like the Yankees might bring a fresh reliever aboard for this series, so something along those lines could be an idea if there’s a particular target or two.
Here’s my pitch: Bench Austin Wells for this full series. I suppose if the game situation calls for him to come in off the bench and catch a couple innings, that’s fine. But the point is to largely give him a mental reset.
This isn’t about any confidence in backup J.C. Escarra, as I really have none; he may hit as poorly (or worse) as Wells. They just need to try to get Wells right though; he looks completely lost at the plate. There’s no real cavalry coming because Ben Rice is essentially a pure first baseman now (probably for the best to preserve his bat anyway because 2025 Cal Raleigh seasons are just so damn rare) and the catching alternatives at Triple-A are late-20s former big leaguers Payton Henry and Ali Sánchez. So just turn the keys over to Escarra for a few days and let Wells attempt to work things out behind the scenes. It’s brutal out there and all-too-reminiscent of Chris Stewart.
Let us know your pitch!
It’s a light slate today on the site ahead of the opener of the four-game set against the Jays. Jeremy will have the preview of the pitching matchups for this series and I’ll have the Rivalry Roundup coverage of yesterday’s notable American League action. Later, Nick will offer an 80th birthday salute to the one and only “Mr. October,” Reggie Jackson, and Madison will ask for your mailbag questions.
PITTSBURGH - MAY 18: Sidney Crosby #68 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates a goal by teammate Ryan Malone #12 , surrounded by goaltender Martin Biron #43, R.J. Umberger #20 and Lasse Kukkonen #28 of the Philadelphia Flyers at 11:42 of the second period of game five of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Mellon Arena on May 18, 2008 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Eighteen years ago today, the Pittsburgh Penguins punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1992.
The Penguins, full of a mix of youth and grizzly veterans, had made their return to the postseason a year prior, quickly dispatched in five games by the Ottawa Senators.
Now a year later, Pittsburgh had seemed to have learned a lot from their loss, storming through the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 4-0 sweep of the Ottawa Senators and a 4-1 series win against the New York Rangers.
Up next were the Penguins’ cross-state rivals from Philadelphia, but the series shifted heavily towards Pittsburgh from the start.
The Flyers held off being eliminated in Game 4, but all things went Pittsburgh’s way in Game 5 at the Mellon Arena.
Ryan Malone scored twice along with goals from Evgeni Malkin, Marian Hossa, Jordan Staal, and Pascal Dupuis as the Penguins cruised to the Stanley Cup Final with a 6-0 win.
