SAN FRANCISCO — So far, the bullpen help the Yankees were looking for at last year’s trade deadline has been significantly more effective this season than it was in 2025.
Not only has Camilo Doval been sharp in his first two appearances this year after a rough few months in The Bronx, but Jake Bird has also looked like a different pitcher.
The right-hander got five huge outs in Saturday’s 3-1 win to finish a sweep of the Giants at Oracle Park.
Jake Bird delivers a pitch during the seventh inning of the Yankees’ 3-1 win over the Giants at Oracle Park on March 28, 2026 in San Francisco. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Before Saturday, Bird hadn’t pitched a scoreless inning in a victory since June 29.de
That was due in part to how bad the Rockies were when he was there, but also to how poorly he pitched over his final six weeks in Colorado and in his short time with the Yankees before he was sent down to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
“It’s good to have a fresh start,’’ Bird said.
He needed one.
Aaron Boone said throughout the spring that if Bird had his command, he would be a weapon for the Yankees.
Against the Giants, he entered in the bottom of the sixth with the Yankees up by a pair of runs.
Brent Headrick had just allowed a leadoff double to Rafael Devers.
Bird gave up a single to Heliot Ramos to send Devers to third.
Jake Bird throws a pitch during the seventh inning of the Yankees’ road win over the Giants. AP
But Bird recovered to strike out Willy Adames and then got Harrison Bader to ground into an inning-ending double play to preserve the lead.
The right-hander came back out to start the seventh, getting Patrick Bailey to pop out to shortstop and striking out Casey Schmitt before Boone turned to Tim Hill to finish the inning.
Boone called Bird’s escape job “awesome.”
“He finished spring training strong and both of his outings [in the regular season] have been really sharp,’’ the manager said.
With Doval unavailable, Boone said the pen had to “piece it together” after Will Warren pitched well, but was done after 4 ¹/₃ innings.
The potential emergence of Bird in the bullpen would be huge for a team that lost Devin Williams and Luke Weaver in free agency — and is relying on Bird and Doval, among others, to pitch to their potential.
Doval clearly struggled to adjust to a new role when the closer was asked to pitch in lower-leverage innings last year.
Bird was in the midst of a horrific stretch to end his time with the Rockies when the Yankees acquired him.
He allowed 18 earned runs in 9 ²/₃ innings in his final 12 appearances and gave up six runs over two innings in three outings with the Yankees before he was optioned.
The Yankees were intrigued by Bird’s ability to strike out batters — if they could get him to reduce his walks.
His first two outings of 2026 have been promising, with three strikeouts and no walks — and with Boone not afraid to use Bird in an important spot.
“To get him going through a whole season would be electric,’’ Aaron Judge said.
TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 28: Shea Langeliers #23 of the Athletics hits a grand slam home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the seventh inning in their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on March 28, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Athletics’ rough season-opening series continued this afternoon as the team’s bullpen blew a late four-run lead to the Toronto Blue Jays, who ultimately prevailed 8-7 in 11 innings.
This game started out slowly as both A’s starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs and his Blue Jays counterpart Dylan Cease pitched well in the game’s early going. The only run the Blue Jays got off of Springs came in the third inning. Outfielder Myles Straw and shortstop Andrés Giménez led off that inning with singles and then veteran designated hitter George Springer doubled to left, scoring Straw to give Toronto a 1-0 lead. Springs limited the damage, getting first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr and catcher Alejandro Kirk out to keep the A’s deficit at one.
Cease showed why Toronto shelled out over $200 million to sign him as he struck out 12 A’s batters over 5 1/3 innings, a record breaking performance for a pitcher making his Blue Jays debut. He was especially dominant in the fourth and fifth innings during which he struck out six straight hitters.
The A’s finally got to Cease in the sixth inning. First baseman Nick Kurtz walked to leadoff the inning, stole second and then scored the game-tying run on left fielder Tyler Soderstrom’s opposite-field double down the left field line.
The visitors had a chance to take the lead as shortstop Jacob Wilson came to the plate with runners on third base and first base and only one out. However, Wilson grounded sharply to Giménez, who made a nice stop and then turned the inning-ending double play.
The hosts promptly regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. In relief of Springs, who was pulled with his pitch count at 83 with one out in the sixth inning, A’s pitcher Mark Leiter Jr allowed Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho to hit an RBI single to put his team up 2-1. Their lead would only last a few minutes as the A’s immediatelyanswered back. Second baseman Jeff McNeil and third baseman Max Muncy led off the seventh inning with back-t0-back infield singles that bounced off Blue Jays reliever Mason Fluharty, Muncy’s hit forcing the left-hander to leave the game injured.
Fellow left-hander Brendon Little entered the game and the A’s took advantage. With one out, center fielder Denzel Clarke’s slow dribbler scored McNeil to tie the game. A few minutes later, catcher Shea Langeliers bashed a grand slam to center field, his third home run in two games.
Up 6-2 entering the bottom of the seventh, the A’s had a strong chance to win if they could hold the lead, something their makeshift bullpen failed to achieve. Several A’s relievers combined to allow six runs in the final five innings. Thanks to several walks and base hits, the Blue Jays scored at least once every inning from the sixth to the 11th frame. Meanwhile, their bullpen held the A’s to only one additional run, Brent Rooker’s go-ahead RBI single with two outs in the tenth inning.
Guerrero Jr singled in a run in the seventh. The next inning he came up with the bases loaded and his team down one following back-to-back RBI singles, the latter one of Giménez’s four hits in this game. That time, A’s reliever Michael Kelly got him to line out to second to keep his team up one after eight innings. Unfortunately for the A’s, Kirk rocketed Kelly’s hanging sweeper over the left field fence in the bottom of the ninth for a game-tying home run.
Each team scored once in the tenth. After the A’s failed to score in the 11th inning, it seemed like only a matter of time until the Blue Jays would walk it off for the second straight day. Sure enough it did not take long. Making his first MLB appearance post Tommy John surgery, right hander Luis Medina was thrown into a tough situation. In the wake of striking out Kirk, A’s manager Mark Kotsay had Varsho intentionally walked to set up the double play. That proved meaningless as former Athletic Ernie Clement was today’s hero for Toronto, lining a walk-off single to left to finally end this game.
With better bullpen decisions like putting in someone new for the eighth inning rather than having Alvarado go back out there, the A’s might have prevailed. Another concern is the A’s hitters 19 strike outs today, which combined with their 16 strikeouts yesterday set a new franchise record. On the other hand, the A’s defense was better today, aside from Muncy missing a catchable pop-up in foul territory.
Through two games, the A’s have more than held their own against the defending American League champions and arguably could have two wins for their efforts. Entering the season, the team’s bullpen looked to be its biggest weakness and while it is still early, little has been done to qualm those concerns. It feels like the team should have done more to add an accomplished reliever or two to its roster, but at this stage there are few notable names available for the team to sign.
The A’s will try to avoid the sweep tomorrow. Luis Morales will make his first start of the season as he looks to translate potential into results and cement himself as one of the team’s longterm rotation pieces. The Blue Jays will counter with left-hander Eric Lauer, who went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 28 games, 15 starts last year.
It should be another good game. Hopefully the A’s can get out of Canada with at least one win before flying to Atlanta!
ST.
LOUIS – If you watched the St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs
on Saturday night, there was one obvious observation that could be
made: one team played with desperation and urgency; the other didn’t.
It
was that kind of game for the Blues, who dominated the Leafs in every
facet, except for maybe in goal because Dardenne Prairie’s Joseph
Woll was bombarded with 38 shots to just 13 faced by Jordan
Binnington, and that's no disrespect to Binnington but he simply didn't have to see as much vulcanized rubber on this night ... not nearly as much. And this game was only close in the third period because
of Woll.
The
Blues’ 5-1 win was their fourth straight, they swept the three-game
homestand and are 10-1-2 in their past 13 games.
“It’s
great,” defenseman Cam Fowler said. “Winning in this league is
always fun. No matter how it ends up happening, it gives our group a
lot of momentum. It’s fun coming to the rink when you’re having
some success and guys have smiles on their faces. It’s a humbling
league and that can change quickly. We’re trying to stick with the
right things that have given us that success and trying to keep that
momentum going.”
Dylan
Holloway had a goal and an assist; Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas and
Jake Neighbours each had two assists, and Justin Holl scored against
his former team, Jimmy Snuggerud, Pius Suter and Philip Broberg also
scored for the Blues (31-30-11), who moved over .500 for the first
time since Oct. 21 when they were 3-2-1.
“Playing
with confidence has been big,” Thomas said. “The guys have really
stepped up and taken over on how we want to play. We’re just
playing with a ton of confidence. Our ‘D’ are getting up in the
plays, we’re transitioning so quick, we’re finding the middle.
Our attack off the rush is really dangerous. There’s a lot of
things going well right now, especially when you have so many young
guys coming in. They’ve really stepped up, not only their play but
just showing maturity and stepping up and talking in the room. I
think it’s been really important lately.”
Don't look now, but with the loss by the Nashville Predators, 4-1, against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, the Blues sit four points out of the second wild card in the Western Conference with a game in hand. But they have to jump five teams to gain that position.
Buckle up.
Let’s
get into the game observations:
*
Puck dominance – When I prefaced the first question to Jim
Montgomery by saying that the Blues had the puck “quite a bit,”
the Blues coach jumped in with, “All night long.”
And
he wasn’t far off.
The
38-13 discrepancy in shots on goal was no misnomer. In fact, the shot
attempts were 60-34, and again, had it not been for Woll, the Blues
had this game blown out of the water much sooner than needing to pull
away after things got dicey in the third period when Toronto cut it
to 2-1.
“The
way we played north, the way we played connected,” Montgomery said.
“Our guys were connected in all three zones. Our puck decisions
were really good. We hardly had any turnovers. We made them defend a
lot."
It
prompted Leafs coach and former Blues Stanley Cup-winning coach Craig
Berube to surmise.
“We
had one player that showed up tonight and that was our goalie,”
Berube
said.
“That's what it really boils down to.
“It's
very disappointing. I mean, I thought the last couple of games we
were
pretty
good and we were building. Like
I talk about staying together and playing competitive and we did not
have that out there tonight.”
The
Blues had the puck for large swaths, it was as if they were playing
keep-away with it. It was that advantageous for the home side.
“That's
because we didn't check. We had no pressure,” Berube
said.
“We let them come at us all night. They had the puck all night.
Checking is a will and a want and an urgency. We let them do whatever
they wanted with the puck tonight.”
Woll
kept the Leafs in it for as long as he could, but after denying
Colton Parayko between the hash marks, the Blues regained the zone
pretty quick after that, and Snuggerud once again got things started
with the opening goal at 5:21 that made it 1-0 when Cam Fowler slid
past Max Domi and curled a pass to Snuggerud to redirect past Woll:
“I
came in, ‘Holly’ made a great play and I looked up at the net and
I didn’t see much of a screen so I wasn’t sure if it was a good
opportunity to shoot,” Fowler said. “’Snuggy’ either beat his
man out of the corner and found a spot there. I figured it was better
on his stick than mine. I made the play and he did the rest.”
When
Holloway made it 4-1 at 9:10 of the third period, it was another easy
zone entry after the Blues stick-checked the puck back and moved into
transition, and Kyrou finished off the play by feeding Holloway into
the slot and the finish:
“Well,
it's one of those things where the confidence grows and you see the
success you're having,” Montgomery said. “We're repeating it --
it's like rinse, repeat and go to work the next day. We see it on
film. Guys are believing in how well they're playing together and
being connected. We're changing at the right times. Everything that
we weren't doing correctly we're doing correctly right now.”
*
Holl
gets his revenge … again – Holl doesn’t score often, but when
he does, he likes to stick it to his former club.
It
was his first goal this season in his sixth game and just his second
goal since April 17, 2025, also against the Leafs as a member of the
Detroit Red Wings:
Holl
played for Toronto from 2017-23 before signing with the Red Wings as
a free agent July 1, 2023.
Holl
played 16:21 and was a plus-1 for the third straight game; he’s a
plus-5 in just six games with the Blues after spending the season in
Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League.
But
it happened in an area that has been problematic for the Blues all
season long: net front traffic.
“It's
a hard thing to do,” Montgomery said. ‘It's an area of our game
that still needs to improve 5-on-5, but we had two tonight.
Neighbours did it on Holl's deflection. I think their goalies aren't
seeing pucks, so we're scoring more. We're starting to become a
hungrier, dirtier offensive team.”
*
Suter’s goal was a shift of all shifts from Thomas – Suter’s
goal stunted any potential comeback thought from the Leafs when he
scored the team’s sixth shorthanded goal of the season at 6:46 of
the third that made it 3-1.
Suter
started it off by deflecting the first pass, and then it was all
Thomas, who won an airborne loose puck away from John Tavares, took
off down the left hand side before cutting back towards the middle.
He tried throwing a pass to Suter but it got deflected away, but not
taking anything for granted, Thomas outhustled two Leafs (Oliver
Ekman-Larsson and Matthew Knies) to win the puck back in the corner
before flipping it to Suter above the hash marks for the one-timer:
“Playing
with confidence has been big,” Thomas said. “The guys have really
stepped up and taken over on how we want to play. We’re just
playing with a ton of confidence. Our ‘D’ are getting up in the
plays, we’re transitioning so quick, we’re finding the middle.
Our attack off the rush is really dangerous. There’s a lot of
things going well right now, especially when you have so many young
guys coming in. They’ve really stepped up, not only their play but
just showing maturity and stepping up and talking in the room. I
think it’s been really important lately.”
*
Penalty
kill continues to shine – The Leafs were 0-for-3 on the power play
tonight, and quite frankly, the Blues were better playing 4-on-5
against Toronto, especially when the Leafs had a four-minute
power-play courtesy of Jack Finley’s double minor for high-sticking
at 12:41 of the first period.
Not
only did the Leafs not get a shot on goal in those four minutes,
although they did hit a cross bar at the end of it, but they barely
could gain the zone.
St.
Louis’ penalty kill, which was 29th in the league at 73.2 percent
before the Olympic break, is first since starting on Feb. 26, going
37-for-42, good for an 88.1 percent clip.
They’re
still 28th in the league overall but have lifted the season
percentage to 76.4 percent and it’s part of the commitment to
defending that’s led to the resurgence.
“I
think if you look at kind of the DNA of our team, I think that’s
something we always try and put an emphasis on is taking care of our
own zone and transitioning from offense in that way,” Fowler
said.
“If you look at this last little stretch, the amount of goals that
we’re giving up, it’s been good in that regard. One, two goals a
night. Our goaltenders are playing great for us and giving us
opportunities to win games. We know that’s the blueprint for us to
have success and that hasn’t changed. It’s just we’re starting
to find a little more consistency with it now.”
Defense
leads to offense, and it’s showing none better than the balance in
scoring.
“The
commitment to defense, it helps our goalies too,” Snuggerud
said.
“I think we have one of the best goalie corps in the NHL and when
we commit defensively, they’re there for us and they’re making
saves as you guys can see from stellar performances from them back
there. Give them a lot of credit. Defense creates offense. We’re
just trying to create defense to create offense.”
It’s
the fifth straight game the Blues have allowed one or fewer goals,
the second time in the past decade according to league stats (March
19-29, 2016). They could tie a franchise record on Monday against the
San Jose Sharks (Oct. 31-Nov. 15, 1970).
The
power play still needs some work, but Broberg at least for them on
the board there late in the game at 18:24 of the third to make it a
5-1 game, the Blues’ third goal on the man advantage in the past 28
opportunities:
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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 28: Eduard Bazardo #83 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after being pulled during the seventh inning against the Cleveland Guardians at T-Mobile Park on March 28, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Guardians 6, Mariners 5
Good: Julio Rodríguez, +0.40 WPA Bad: Andrés Muñoz, -0.47 WPA
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 28, 2026: Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) runs the bases after hitting a two-run homer giving the Dodgers a 3-2 lead and the win against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium on March 28, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES — After catching the first two games of the opening series, Will Smith wasn’t even supposed to be in the lineup on Saturday, which was his 31st birthday and his bobblehead giveaway at Dodger Stadium.
“I didn’t have him in there tonight. He really wanted to be in there on his bobblehead night, and said he felt good,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It proved to be the right decision.”
“He’s always really good about letting us talk about stuff,” Smith said of Roberts. “I just kind of dropped the bobblehead card on him.”
Trailing by a run late, Smith fell behind 0-2 to Juan Morillo, but on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, the man born on 3/28 put the Dodgers up 3-2 in the 8th inning, in what proved to be the winning margin for the Dodgers, who are now 3-0 to open the season.
“We talked about a lot of our guys, but man, when you’re talking about big hits, clutch, Will is right at the top of the list as well,” Roberts said. “There’s just no panic in his at-bat.”
“I was sitting in here watching. Just came up clutch. His birthday and his bobblehead day” said starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow, who completed six innings Saturday. “What a magical night.”
“Everyone on our team I feel like could hit third in the lineup. It’s just All-Stars up and down,” said Freddie Freeman, who doubled home the Dodgers’ first run in the sixth inning, cutting the deficit to 2-1 at the time. “I think everybody wants that at-bat, and that’s the key to our lineup.”
“I don’t know [about being a clutch player], but I can definitely stay calm in those situations, not try to do too much, and stick to my approach that I’m looking for,” Smith said. “And whatever happens, happens.”
Along with the bobblehead, Smith’s wife Cara and his two young daughters Charlotte and Layton were part of pregame festivities. His two daughters adorably delivered ceremonial first pitches to Dalton Rushing (since Smith was warming up starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow). Then Cara said “It’s time for Dodger baseball,” followed by Charlotte saying the same.
Celebrating Will Smith Bobblehead Night with his girls, Cara, Charlotte and Layton. 💙 pic.twitter.com/Pia1KQotBy
“I thought Char crushed ‘It’s Time For Dodger Baseball.’ A little late, but she did really well,” Smith quipped.
After Smith started all three games against the Diamondbacks, the plan is for him to sit in Monday’s series opener against the Cleveland Guardians. Coupled with Sunday’s schedule off day, that’s potentially two full days off in a row for Smith before catching the final two games against Cleveland. The Dodgers are off on Thursday as well, when they will travel to Washington D.C. to play the Nationals.
The Yankees pitching has been impressive through the first three games of the 2026 season, allowing just one run in their sweep of the San Francisco Giants.
In fact, New York started the year on a 20-inning scoreless streak, the longest in franchise history, per YES Network.
The first and only run allowed this season came in the bottom of the third inning of Saturday's 3-1 win. Overall, it's the fewest amount of runs the Yanks have ever allowed through three games.
On Saturday, Will Warren allowed one run on five hits and walked two over 4.1 IP (83 pitches), and then four relievers held the Giants scoreless to lock up the victory. After the game, manager Aaron Boone was honest about what he saw from Warren, but said he was still pleased with the end result.
"Just not as sharp with his command, thought the stuff was really good," Boone said. "They pressured him, especially in some two-strike situations where he had a chance to put them away... Just not as sharp with his command. And as a result, they drove his count up pretty good.
"But overall, still, got big outs when he needed to. One run into the fifth inning, set us up for a victory."
Warren agreed with Boone that his command was "a little wonky," blaming it on over excitement, but said he was proud of being able to fight through it.
"There was a lot of chaos there. I think the fact that I had a slow heartbeat early there in the first and minimized the damage there in whatever inning they scored was good," Warren said. "A lot of fight, a lot of grit. Overall attacking and getting outs any way we can."
After Warren's day was done, RHP Jake Bird came up big for the bullpen by tossing 1.2 scoreless innings to get through the sixth inning and record the first two outs of the seventh. Boone said he was impressed with the righty's two appearances in the series, especially coming in on Saturday after Rafael Devers led off the inning with a double.
"It was awesome," Boone said. "Again, I thought he finished spring training strong. Both outings here he's been really sharp. And today was huge, to roll through that part of the lineup. Not having Camilo [Doval] today, so you know you got to piece it together a little more. To get five big outs for us there and get the ball to Timmy [Hill] and let him do his thing, that was big."
Boone added that he "has a lot of faith" in David Bednar, who closed things down after issuing a leadoff walk and letting up a single in the bottom of the ninth inning. The veteran was able to strike out Harrison Bader and then force a game-ending double play. Warren was also impressed with both Bird and Bednar, expressing the team's trust in their bullpen early in the season.
"Yeah, I mean Jake Bird, that was huge right there," Warren said. "First-and-third no outs, you get the strikeout and then the double play, that was monster. Then you got Bednar to go shut the door. They've done a great job. We have a lot of trust in handing them the ball."
When asked about how an opening series like this helps the bullpen, Bird said it's great for the group's confidence.
"It's great," Bird said. "Anytime you throw up zeroes as a bullpen it's awesome. Everybody did a great job. It was really fun to watch from a spectators perspective too."
New York will look to continue its early pitching success when they take on the Mariners in Seattle on Monday for the first game of a three-game series.
On Saturday, March 28, Underwood helped lead Illinois to a 71-59 victory against Iowa in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, sending the Fighting Illini to their first Final Four since 2005.
After his team’s triumph, Underwood was asked about his career trajectory, which has taken him from the junior-college ranks to the lowest levels of Division I to, ultimately, the Big Ten. Specifically, he was asked about a comment he made more than a decade ago that Illinois was his dream job.
Despite having no obvious ties to the school – he didn’t attend it and had never coached there before he was hired by the Illini in 2017 – Underwood said it was.
“I'm going to get emotional, but I've been doing this 39 years, and you dream about this as a kid, and I dreamt about doing it at Illinois,” Underwood said in his post-game news conference. “Back in the day when my wife bought Tyler, who was maybe two, a Brian Cook jersey, and you knew what a special place this was. And it always has been, and there's been no other thing for me. This is my dream job, and it's very fulfilling to get where we're going.”
Brad Underwood on making his first Final Four:
"I'm gonna get emotional, but I've been doing this 39 years. You dream about this as a kid. I dreamt about doing it at Illinois, when my wife bought Tyler, who was maybe 2, a Brian Cook jersey. It's always been a special place.… pic.twitter.com/2xAOJntPLN
Though much of his coaching career has taken place away from the Land of Lincoln, Underwood had experience in the state. For 11 years, from 1992-2003, he was an assistant coach at Western Illinois, about 140 miles west of Illinois’ campus in Champaign, Illinois. The Illini were an NCAA tournament regular for much of that time under Lou Henson, Lon Kruger and Bill Self, opening Underwood’s eyes to the program’s potential.
The experience of watching that from across the state stayed with him. When he was hired as the head coach at Stephen F. Austin in Texas in 2013, he was asked by his secretary to name his dream job. He told her Illinois, which she wrote down on a card, dated and mailed to Underwood when he accepted the position with the Illini four years later.
Though he inherited a program that had gone four-consecutive years without an NCAA tournament appearance, Underwood has restored the Illini to national prominence. Even before it punched its ticket to the Final Four on Saturday, Illinois was in the tournament for the sixth year in a row and advanced as far as the Elite Eight in 2024.
As Underwood will quickly note, he had a lot of helping getting the Illini there, from his coaching staff to the school’s athletic administration.
“I don't want to sound arrogant – I've never doubted us getting to a Final Four would happen,” Underwood said. “I have thought we have had other teams capable. But I also know how doggone hard it is to do it. For that, I just say thank you.”
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 28: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball against Brice Sensabaugh #28 of the Utah Jazz during the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center on March 28, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Suns came into this game off some much-needed rest and took care of business against the Jazz in a much-needed win. Jalen Green and Devin Booker took command in this one, combining for 57 points and dominating throughout. The Suns’ rookies also had a great showing, as Rasheer Fleming and Khaman Malauch both made big impacts on both ends as well. Overall, the Suns came together and pulled this one out, dominating the weak Jazz frontcourt and scoring all over the interior.
The Jazz are unfortunately tanking and not doing great this year. This certainly showed in this one, as even though some players tried to keep them in offensively, the defense was not stopping anything.
Game Flow
First Half
In the first quarter, it got off to a rough start as the Jazz matched the Suns in scoring. Jalen Green, as he does best, started this one on a hot note, bringing some life to the Valley and keeping the fans alive. This would then translate and trickle down the roster as the Suns became involved. Devin Booker started going inside and attacking alongside Green. Then Grayson Allen and Rasheer Fleming started nailing some threes.
The Suns saw a lead of up to 20 and seemed to take command early in a must-win game. After losing six of their last seven, a much-needed bounce back against a weak Western Conference team is needed to shift momentum heading to the playoffs. The Suns understood that and took advantage of this by leading 39-21 after one.
The second quarter was a lot like the first as the Suns continued to dominate against the Jazz. Green and Booker continued to attack and score in the paint. With the Jazz having seven players out and top-tier frontcourt players absent, it was feast time for Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach down low.
The Jazz are tanking, and it’s clear as day. Even with players out, the reserves are just chucking up shots and playing little to no defense. This has allowed the Suns to lead 73-45 at the half and to close this one early. Jalen Green and Devin Booker have 34 of the team’s points and continue to show that they can torch weak defenses. If Phoenix can continue this onslaught into the second half, it will only mean an early night for the starters.
Did the Jazz even come to play the second half? You could definitely question that, as Phoenix once again just massacred the Jazz defense. Green and Booker were trading baskets, both attacking the lane and making some tough finishes. The Suns have 91 points, and the game is not even halfway through the third, and the Jazz cannot match the Suns’ offense. Every shot, they continue to make the Suns answer tight back as Booker continues to bring the intensity.
This game seems unfair, and with these injuries and the situation the Jazz are in compared to Phoenix. Kyle Filipowski and Brice Sensabaugh are trying their best to keep Utah in it offensively, but it just does not seem to be enough. Just an absolute tear kept on continuing from Phoenix, as even Maluach had a nice alley oop finish. The Suns, whose biggest lead has been 34, now head into the fourth up 110-83.
The Jazz got off to a hot start here in the fourth with Svi Mykhaholiuk getting hot, with Ace Bailey trying to heat up as well. That being said, the Suns were feeding Ighodaro once again, and he continued to feast inside on the weak Jazz interior defense. Grayson Allen also had a big game off the bench, hitting some big threes and attacking the lane.
This one was over before the second half, even if the Jazz did try to come back in the fourth. The rookies and young guns go to take the floor, and in this game, every rookie scored a point once Kobe Brea made a three-pointer as well. The Suns ended up taking down the Jazz 134-109.
Up Next
The Suns begin a four-game road trip on Monday, as they play another team simply trying to get to the finish line in the Memphis Grizzlies.
On Friday evening, the Detroit Red Wings got off to the start that they needed against the Buffalo Sabres with three first-period goals.
24 hours later on home ice against the Philadelphia Flyers, it was back to the familiar, sluggish start that had doomed them earlier in the week against the Ottawa Senators.
The Flyers not only scored on their first shot of the game, but built a 4–0 lead by the early third period, then held off a furious late push from the Red Wings to secure a 5–3 win and hand Detroit another damaging setback.
Had the Red Wings won, they could have leapfrogged the Columbus Blue Jackets, who lost earlier on Saturday to the San Jose Sharks, for the second Wild Card position. Instead, they remain tied at 86 points and are still on the outside looking in at the playoff picture.
Flyers forward Owen Tippett registered a hat trick for the Flyers, the third of his career. He opened the scoring on a first-period breakaway, beating Red Wings goaltender John Gibson through the five-hole.
In the second period, he increased Philadelphia's lead to 2-0 when his shot from the face-off circle squeaked through the pads of Gibson. Noah Cates made it 3-0 soon afterward on the power-play, jamming home a loose puck at the side of the net past a sprawling Gibson.
For the second time in three games, the Red Wings had a would-be goal disallowed because of being offside. This time, a goal from Moritz Seider was taken away after replays showed Alex DeBrincat entered the offensive zone a step too early.
While the Red Wings successfully challenged a would-be Flyers goal early in the third period for offside, Tippett completed the hat trick, a goal that not only chased Gibson from the net but would also eventually prove to be the game-winner.
Mason Appleton scored his first goal in 32 games at 13:43, followed by Alex DeBrincat's 37th of the season at 15:10. With goaltender Cam Talbot on the bench for a sixth attacker, Lucas Raymond fired a shot past Flyers goalie Dan Vladar from the face-off circle just 1:04 later.
The fans who hadn’t already headed for the exits were on their feet, cheering loudly and urging the Red Wings to tie the game.
Unfortunately, the comeback bid was halted after Flyers team captain Sean Couturier hit the open net; Tippett picked up his fourth point of the night with an assist.
Gibson made 17 saves before being pulled for Talbot, who stopped all four shots he faced. Meanwhile, Vladar made 30 saves.
Time is running out for the Red Wings, who have nine games remaining on the schedule and will face the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday.
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HOUSTON — The Illinois men’s basketball team was in the airport in Champaign, Illinois, preparing to board a flight to Houston for the NCAA Tournament regional, when Illini freshman forward David Mirkovic made a prescient purchase.
Mirkovic’s teammate, Keaton Wagler, sent him a link to an artificially generated photo of Mirkovic wearing a black cowboy hat. It was meant as a joke, but Mirkovic found a similar looking hat on Amazon and ordered it for $34. It was delivered to the Illini’s hotel in Houston on Friday, the day before Illinois played Iowa in the Elite Eight.
Mirkovic only intended to wear the hat if the Illini won. They did, 71-59, and after the team celebrated in the locker room by spraying each other with water guns – a program tradition that began two years ago in the NCAA Tournament – Mirkovic proudly donned his new headwear.
Asked if he felt like a cowboy, the Montenegro native paused and replied, “I don’t know. What does it mean, being a cowboy?”
He paused and reconsidered: “Yeah, why not. We’re in Texas.”
Mirkovic scored nine points and had a team-high 12 rebounds in Illinois’ Elite Eight win, coming just one point shy of his second consecutive double-double. He was still named to the South Regional All-Tournament team and his performance helped Illinois advance to the Final Four, where it will play either Duke or Connecticut.
None of Mirkovic’s Illini teammates joined him in buying cowboy hats, but he retained hope that he could start a new NCAA Tournament tradition.
Utah center Logan Cooley (92) scores past Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper during the first period of the Kings' 6-2 loss Saturday at Crypto.com Arena. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
There is bad news and good news to report on the Kings’ push for a fifth straight playoff berth.
First, the bad.
With a chance to move into a playoff position Saturday, the Kings came out flat and were routed 6-2 by the Utah Mammoth at Crypto.com Arena, leaving them a point out of postseason position.
It was the Kings' most one-sided loss in more than a month, not exactly the way it wanted to start its final sprint to the postseason. And that left coach D.J. Smith with more questions than answers with nine games left in the season.
“We were not sharp in any facet of the game. It's not good enough,” said Smith, after Utah scored two goals on the power play and three in transition.
“We're going to ask ourselves why. Why we weren't ready. What didn't we do? The excuses really don't matter. We’ve got to be way better than we were tonight.”
Saturday’s game was also the first of a seven-game homestand, matching the Kings’ longest in 15 years. But that’s not the advantage it would appear to be since only the Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers have been worse at home than the Kings this season.
“I don't know what it is,” Smith said. “Last year we couldn't lose here. Right now, we don't lose very much on the road. That's in your head. People say it's luck. You make your own luck.
“We didn't come ready to play today. And whether it's our building or the road or wherever we played this game, that isn't good enough.”
The Kings are also bucking history since 18 of their losses have come in either overtime or a shootout. Just one team — the 2012 Florida Panthers — have lost that many games after regulation and made the playoffs since the shootout was adopted 21 years ago.
Kings forward Quinton Byfield tries to shoot in front of Utah Mammoth defenseman Nate Schmidt during the second period Saturday. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
If the Kings had won just half those overtime games, they’d be a point back of the Pacific Division-leading Ducks. Instead, they appear to be going backward at the worst possible time, dropping seven of their last 10 games and nine of 14 since Smith replaced Jim Hiller behind the bench.
And suddenly there’s traffic in their rear-view mirror, with four teams bunched no more than three points behind them in the Western Conference standings.
Despite all that, the Kings took the ice against Utah with a chance to control their own playoff destiny, only to play with little urgency, falling behind for good 2½ minutes after the opening faceoff on the first of two goals by fourth-line winger Alexander Kerfoot.
Kerfoot entered with three goals on the season and nearly doubled that in two periods against the Kings. For a team with everything to play for, the Kings looked distracted and disinterested.
“I don't know what it was,” defenseman Drew Doughty said. “There's no excuses for the way we performed.”
Now for the good news — and there is some.
Despite the loss, the Kings are still just a point out of the second wild-card berth — with two of their final six regular-season home games coming against Nashville, the team that currently owns that final playoff berth. Win those two, and the Kings are back in the driver’s seat.
“We're still in the thick of things,” said captain Anze Kopitar, whose career ends when the Kings’ season does. “We're not out by any means. But we're going to have to play much better.”
Added Doughty: “Take it one [game] at a time and win every one.”
A wild-card is no longer the Kings’ only — or even clearest — path to the postseason, however. The Vegas Golden Knights, the team directly ahead of the Kings in the Pacific Division standings, have lost six of their last 10, whittling their lead to four points over the Kings in the battle for the division’s third and final postseason berth.
Pass them and the Kings will likely face the Edmonton Oilers — again — in the first round of the playoffs. The opportunities are there for the taking. But the Kings need to play like they want them.
“We've got three days to figure it out, and then we've got nine games [left],” Smith said. “We're going to turn the page and find a way to be better for the next one. It's got to be a playoff mentality.
“You can't dwell on it. You’ve got to move on. But you’ve got to get better and you have to learn from why we lost the way we lost tonight."
NORTH PORT, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Sean Murphy #12 of the Atlanta Braves poses for a photo during Spring Training photo day at CoolToday Park on February 20, 2026 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well the Braves are 2-0, on a breezy complete victory on Opening Day and an epic walk-off grand-slam on Saturday. Before the walk-off, it was reassuring to see Reynaldo Lopez’ velocity back up in the mid-90s and his stuff generally looking good. I remain highly skeptical of his durability, but he looked the part of a solid starter on Saturday. On the offensive side, the bats were a little quieter on Saturday than on Friday, but they got some key contributions from new members of the team, such as Mike Yastrzemski and, of course, Dominic Smith, while also getting production from their incumbent contributors. This has been about everything you could ask for from two games for the Braves.
Dec 18, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard/forward Saddiq Bey (41) dribbles against the Houston Rockets during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Tonight, the Houston Rockets return to the scene of their second-biggest collapse of the season. Until their demoralizing loss in Minnesota, I figured the New Orleans game in December would stand alone. Of course, this team has surprised me over and over again with ways to frustrate us.
I was at the Smoothie King Center on December 18. I was visiting my brother and the Rockets just so happened to be in town. Houston led by 22 at halftime and 25 early in the second half. The Rockets even held a 16-point lead heading into the final frame. However, turnovers and poor defensive effort would rear their ugly heads. New Orleans scored 38 points in the third quarter and 36 more in the fourth. Houston missed nine free throws, and all of them came from players 6-10 and taller. More than one miss was an airball. The New Orleans crowd, which had had nothing to cheer about for 30 minutes, roared to life for the final 18 minutes of regulation and all of overtime.
I could tell you about how Saddiq Bey had the kind of game that can get players paid a lot of money in free agency. Or how Derik Queen talked trash all night and backed it up. I could talk about how Kevin Durant didn’t miss a shot in the first quarter and dominated until New Orleans sent a second defender at him, which led to six turnovers. Or how Amen Thompson went 11-14 and made some clutch plays to give the Rockets a fighting chance in the fourth.
None of it matters, though. It was the beginning of a disturbing trend for the Rockets that still hasn’t resolved. Houston still struggles defensively. They still turn the ball over a ton. They have found a few answers for the double team, but it’s still mostly a winning strategy against Durant, who is on pace to turn the ball over more times than in any season since turning 25. They still miss free throws. And they continue to struggle in fourth quarters despite bringing in one of the best closers in NBA history.
The other two matchups against New Orleans have been tight affairs, too. In January, the Rockets rode a monster night from Jabari Smith Jr. to win a game where they never really put the Pelicans away. And last week, Houston needed some boneheaded mistakes down the stretch from New Orleans to walk away with the win after blowing a 7-point lead with under four minutes to go. You were shocked, I know.
The Pelicans have cooled off a bit since that game, where they came into Toyota Center on a hot streak. They won their next three but have dropped four straight against four of the top five teams in the East. They’re returning home after a long week on the road against good teams. They’ll be looking for a bounce back.
And in case in needs to be restated, the Pelicans do not own their 2026 first round draft pick. So unlike Memphis, who was happy to let Houston run away with the game in the fourth quarter, New Orleans is here to play spoiler and decide if this core has what it takes to keep them around for another year. And the early returns are that this team is definitely going to be a tougher out next season, especially if they stay healthy.
The upcoming interdivisional matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Islanders on Monday was always going to be a big one, as the two teams are jousting for playoff positioning in the Metropolitan Division standings.
And, after Saturday's game versus the Dallas Stars - and the Islanders' tilt against the Florida Panthers - that game looms even larger.
The Penguins lost in regulation to the Stars, 6-3, in a game that was much closer than the score or the shot totals indicate. The loss kept them at 88 points, but they were leapfrogged by the Islanders for second place in the Metro after the Isles scored four unanswered goals in the second period against Florida and came away with the 5-2 regulation win.
Of course, every game is big at this time of year when you're trying to make the playoffs. But the Penguins are well aware of how big Monday's game is now, as the Penguins sit one point back of the Isles with a game in hand and just one point ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who lost in regulation to the San Jose Sharks Saturday.
"I think if we're not getting up for that one, I think there's something wrong," Bryan Rust said. "I think we all know what's on the line there. I think it's going to be a fun, playoff-type game, and I think we've got to go there and be ready."
This one started out well for the Penguins, who were dominating possession early on in this game. They jumped out to an 1-0 lead a little more than two minutes into the game courtesy of a power play goal from Anthony Mantha, who deflected an Erik Karlsson shot from the point.
But, after that goal - and after some sustained five-on-five pressure, as the Stars didn't register their first shot on goal until after the midway point of the period - the Penguins started to run into some costly penalty trouble, and the back-and-forth started.
They were able to kill off a few penalties - including 37 seconds of a five-on-three opportunity - before closing out the first period. But the Stars cashed in five-on-five two minutes into the second period when Justin Hryckowian got one past Stuart Skinner to tie the game.
However, Erik Karlsson responded just 48 seconds later in the form of a top-shelf wrister from the slot - his ninth goal and 23rd point in 15 games during the month of March, which is second in the league only to Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov (26 points) - to give the Penguins back the lead at 2-1.
That's NINE multi-point games in the month of March for Erik Karlsson 🤯
Karlsson is the sixth defenseman in NHL history to record nine multi-point games in a single month, joining Bobby Orr (10 in Dec. 1974 & 9 in March 1973), Cale Makar (9 in Nov. 2023), Paul Coffey (9 in Jan.… pic.twitter.com/Jm3syOQ7gQ
And that's when things started to go downhill. Parker Wotherspoon took a tripping penalty less than six minutes into the middle frame, and Jason Robertson scored his 40th goal of the season on the ensuing man advantage to knot things back up at 2-2. And just a couple of minutes after Robertson's goal, Elmer Soderblom took a high-sticking penalty to send the Penguins back to the PK.
Once again, Dallas - who has the second-ranked power play in the league - took advantage. Mikko Rantanen - playing in his first game since being injured during the Olympics - put home a one-timer from the right circle to give Dallas its first lead - a lead they wouldn't surrender.
Dallas's fourth goal came just a minute and a half later, but not without some controversy. Stars' defenseman Lian Bichsel took Karlsson's stick out of his hand near the goal line, tossed it aside, and made his way to the point as Karlsson was screaming at the official for missing the call. Bichsel took a feed from Mavrik Bourque and one-timed it into the net behind Skinner, drawing the wrath of Karlsson in the aftermath, and made it 4-2.
Bichsel GRABBED Karlsson's stick, dropped it and then ripped home a goal 😭🚨
But, the Penguins got a little bit of momentum off of a Jamie Benn holding penalty in the first half of the third period, and they were rewarded when Elmer Soderblom shot a puck toward the net from the right wall, and it hit Noel Acciari on the way in for Acciari's 10th of the season to make it 4-3.
With Pittsburgh beginning to push a bit with three and a half minutes to go, head coach Dan Muse decided to pull Skinner a bit early, which ended up backfiring. Bourque scored an empty-netter shortly after, and he added a second one two minutes later to give Dallas the 6-2 win.
"I thought we had an opportunity, we were in-zone, and we had it," Muse said. "I know I didn't have the timeout, but still felt like we wanted to make sure we had time to operate and time to get in there."
Here are some brief thoughts and takeaways from this one:
- The Penguins have seen several calls, and fairly obvious ones, go against them in recent games.
The non-call on Bichsel ahead of Dallas's fourth goal was the most egregious, I think, that I've seen all season long. And it is up there with the most egregious calls/non-calls I've seen throughout the league this season.
Referee Michael Markovic was standing right there and saw the entire thing unfold. On a hot mic - which included Karlsson screaming all the air out of his lungs - he appeared to confirm that he saw the play happen.
Erik Karlsson was visibly frustrated that there was no penalty called after Lian Bichsel took his stick and scored. pic.twitter.com/qIzoQqY9TD
You cannot grab an opposing player's stick, let alone force it from their hands and throw it away from them. It's in the rule book. Yet, it happened, and Bichsel's goal ended up being the game-winner.
"We saw what happened," Karlsson said about the play in the post-game. "I don't think it does me any good, or us any good, by standing here and having excuses or pointing fingers. We all watched the same game."
In his post-game presser, Muse was asked if officiating - whether goaltender interference or penalty calls and non-calls - is something that the Penguins will just have to overcome to make the playoffs, and if it's just something he's "numb to."
"Yeah, we've got refocus in on what we can control," Muse said. "I don't think anybody's going to walk out of today feeling good about our game. Like, we've got to be better. Again, it's all of us - myself included - but the things that we have zero control over, we're not going to waste our time on that.
"We're going to focus in on our game and what we can do to, right now, it's going to be tomorrow [to] prepare for going to New York."
- Although it felt like the Penguins had more than 12 shots in this game - 24 were blocked by Dallas - it simply was not enough. They mustered exactly four shots on goal per period.
Honestly, the Penguins carried most of the play at five-on-five in this one. It was a matter of not being able to generate enough offense when given the opportunity.
"Being in the box a lot didn't help," Rust said. "Against a team like that who plays hard defensively, I think we passed up too many opportunities to shoot. And, when we did shoot, I think they did a really good job of getting in shooting lanes where we either shot wide or got our shots blocked.
"And, I guess, moving forward against a lot of really good teams, we're going to, hopefully, be playing playoff hockey... that's what you've got to do because there's not going to be a lot of space."
- Even if calls didn't swing in their favor Saturday, the Penguins' penalty kill is a legitimate problem right now.
The unit has now surrendered a goal on seven of the last 15 opportunities against. It's clear that the team is missing Blake Lizotte - as he is their best penalty-killer, and the Penguins went into a funk the last time Lizotte was injured, too - but they have to find a way to get back to basics. Right now, they're giving PPs too much time and space, and they're not getting in enough lanes to shut down opportunities. There are also too many cases of failed clearing attempts in a general sense.
I do think the PK will find its footing again, but it has to happen fast - and it has to happen without Lizotte, who isn't even scheduled to be reevaluated until the final week of the regular season.
Also, the Penguins can't keep going back to the box like they did against Dallas. It disrupted what they had going at five-on-five, and given the struggles of their penalty kill at the moment, they need to play a more disciplined brand of hockey.
Mar 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson (21) moves the puck between Pittsburgh Penguins center Tommy Novak (18) and defenseman Parker Wotherspoon (28) during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
- It was interesting to see how Muse played with the lines on Saturday. In the third period, he came out with entirely different combinations than he started the game with, and for the first time, Ben Kindel got a look as the first-line center.
He had Kindel centering Rickard Rakell and Rust, Tommy Novak centering Anthony Mantha and Egor Chinakhov (who had a rare off-night), Connor Dewar centering Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty, and Noel Acciari in the middle of Elmer Soderblom and Justin Brazeau.
Kindel helped generate some opportunity, and I thought he played a pretty good game overall. He started on a "kid line" with Koivunen and McGroarty - and they had some opportunities earlier in the game - but those two didn't generate too much in this one.
And they aren't getting it, period. Mantha, Chinakhov, Karlsson, Rakell, Crosby, and Rust have accounted for 16 out of the Penguins' last 18 goals. And Crosby, Rust, and Mantha only have one each.
So, essentially, the Penguins are pretty heavily relying on scoring from three people right now, and that is not going to be enough if they expect to make the playoffs. Novak has been the team's second-line center for the better part of the second half, and if he is to stay in that post, he needs to produce. And Brazeau, honestly, could be fighting Soderblom for a spot in the lineup once everyone is healthy, should his drought continue.
I actually think it might make sense to keep Rakell as first-line center right now, along with Rust and Chinakhov, as that line had been pretty lethal when put together a few times. But I'd have Kindel center a second line with Mantha and, perhaps, McGroarty, and allow Novak to find his game again in a third-line center role.
But, there are no easy lineup decisions - especially at center - when the team is as depleted down the middle as this one is. So, this is probably going to continue to be a situation where Muse will throw everything at the wall just to see what sticks.
- Luckily for the Penguins, the Blue Jacket and Detroit Red Wings both lost in regulation. Since the Isles won earlier, had both of those teams won in regulation, the Penguins would have been pushed out a playoff spot.
Again, the game on Monday against New York is massive. It's probably the biggest game the Penguins have played in a couple of years, and then, they have to turn around and play another big game against the Red Wings on Tuesday.
Not every game is a must-win, and this one against Dallas was not. However, if there are two "must-win" games in the final nine games of the regular season for the Penguins, it's these two.
So, buckle up, folks. These next two games are going to be playoff-style hockey with the involvement of three desperate teams.
The Dodgers have shown one thing in their opening three games of the season.
They have no problem erasing early deficits.
For a third-straight night against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Dodgers found themselves in a two-run hole at the start of the game.
But for a third-straight night, they managed to rally behind strong pitching and timely offense, riding Will Smith’s go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth to a 3-2, sweep-clinching win.
The Dodgers rode Will Smith’s go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth to a 3-2, sweep-clinching win on Saturday. AP
Smith’s big swing almost felt kismet, coming on a night he celebrated both his 31st birthday and a bobblehead giveaway commemorating his game-winning, Game 7 World Series home run last year.
For much of the night, though, it seemed doubtful such late-inning heroics were coming for the Dodgers –– whose star-studded lineup was once again held in check until the end.
Though Tyler Glasnow pitched well in his season debut –– allowing just two runs in six innings, while striking out six batters and retiring 10 of his final 11 –– Arizona left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez was better.
In five-plus strong frames, he limited the Dodgers to just a single unearned run; when Freddie Freeman doubled home Kyle Tucker in the sixth following an error to begin the inning.
After that, the Dodgers (3-0) struggled to crack the Dbacks bullpen, making six-straight outs before Mookie Betts drew a walk with two outs in the eighth.
That, however, cracked the door just enough, with Smith sending an elevated 98 mph heater from Juan Morillo sailing out to straightaway center field in the next at-bat.
“You’re going to hear this word a lot: Grinding,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Just really trying to grind at-bats and wait for these guys to make a mistake and not get yourself out. That’s what we did. That’s what we’ll do.”
Added Glasnow: “There is no opponent lead that is safe.”
Freddie Freeman doubled home Kyle Tucker in the sixth following an error to begin the inning. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
What it means
The Dodgers aren’t hitting on all cylinders yet. But they’re doing just enough, with several little moments helping swing Saturday’s game.
There was Tucker robbing a home run in front of the short fence down the right-field corner in the sixth; then using his speed to set up Freeman’s RBI double in the sixth by beating out a play at first and stealing second to get into scoring position.
There was Betts’ walk that set the stage for Smith’s winning blast, a four-pitch free pass that erased the frustration of his 0-for-3 night up to then.
And in the end, there was closer Edwin Díaz, emerging for his second save in as many nights to the playing of a live trumpet performance. That completed three spotless innings of work from the bullpen on the night, and ran the group’s scoreless streak to 11 2/3 innings overall to start the season.
There was Kyle Tucker robbing a home run. AP
Who’s hot
Entering Saturday, Freeman didn’t have a hit yet –– despite nothing but hard-hit balls in his first two games (literally, each one had an exit velocity of at least 90 mph).
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That changed in a hurry, however, with the first baseman singling his first two times up before getting the Dodgers on the board with his sixth-inning RBI double.
That double, which came on a scorching ground ball just inside the third-base line, was the 548th of Freeman’s career, tying him with Alex Rodriguez for 33rd-most all-time.
Alas, the slugger ended the night 3-for-4 after watching another fly ball die at the warning track, already the fifth time that happened this season. Still, he finally has some results to go along with what looks to be an in-sync swing.
That changed in a hurry, however, with Freeman singling his first two times up. Getty Images
Who’s not
It’s only a matter of time before Shohei Ohtani gets going.
But one series in, the four-time MVP has yet to really shine.
Ohtani has been on base plenty, already collecting four walks (including two free passes Saturday) and a hit-by-pitch. However, he hasn’t had a hit since a leadoff single Thursday, and missed multiple chances to help start a rally earlier in Saturday’s game, falling to 0-for-his-last-7 with a double-play in the fifth inning and a groundout to first to lead off the eighth.
“I think that they’re obviously pitching him very careful, and there’s some pitches that he’s swung at that he’s just missing,” Roberts said. “They were trying to crowd him a lot this series. But I honestly think Shohei’s fine. As long as he’s taking his walks, he’ll slug. He’ll get his slug.”
Up next
Thanks to the strange quirks of MLB’s staggered Opening Week schedule, the Dodgers will get a rare day off on Sunday, before hosting the Cleveland Guardians for a three-game series beginning Monday night. Roki Sasaki will start in that game, trying to reverse the fortunes of his disastrous spring training.
