The Colorado Avalanche picked up a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings in their Game 3 matchup. With this, the Avalanche now have a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Kings and have increased their odds of advancing to the second round significantly.
Former Montreal Canadiens forward Artturri Lehkonen certainly played a role in the Avalanche winning Game 3, as he put together a strong performance for the Central Division club.
First, Lehkonen recorded an assist on Cale Makar's second-period goal that gave the Avalanche a 2-1 lead. Then, the former Canadiens winger scored the Avalanche's game-winning goal at the 7:39 mark of the third period.
After a game like this, it is clear that Lehkonen was the Avalanche's hero for Game 3. The former Canadiens forward now has two goals and three points in three playoff games for Colorado this spring. This is after he had 21 goals, 27 assists, 48 points, and a plus-32 rating in 70 games this regular season.
It will now be interesting to see if the former Canadiens forward can stay hot for the Avalanche from here. He is having a great start to the playoffs.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - APRIL 10: A general view of the video board during an ABS challenge against Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees in the third inning during the game between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Friday, April 10, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mary Holt/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
When I first started writing here about a decade ago, the biggest gripe we had with the institution that is MLB is how scared they were to make changes. Replay review had been instituted but in comparison to the other Big Four leagues, baseball seemed unwilling to challenge the century-old traditions that enveloped it, even to the point of self-harm. Fast forward to 2026 and the game looks very different, and in a good way.
We’re a couple years into the pitch clock era, and pulling up highlights from 2015 make me wonder why it took so long to implement that little change. Larger bases and the pickoff limit have helped incentivize a more athletic, dynamic style of play on the basepaths, one that the Yankees surprisingly finally started to take advantage of this season. The “Ohtani rule”, allowing Shohei to remain at DH even once he’s been taken out as a starting pitcher, helps keep the biggest start in the sport in the spotlight as long as possible — regardless of how you feel about the guy, MLB is truly marketing its marquee attractions, a complaint levied many times in my adult life against the league.
And of course we’re a month into the ABS era, and after the whirlwind of excitement that was the rule’s first week, we’ve settled into a nice rhythm with it. Fans aren’t waiting with quite the bated breath the way that Cincinnati crowd tormented CB Bucknor, and Ben Rice seems to have learned his lesson about challenging, but the ABS challenge itself has simply become another part of the game. Any addition to game time seems marginal — average gametimes so far this year have been two hours, 40 minutes, exactly in line with averages the last couple of seasons — and I haven’t felt any disruption to the “flow” of things, although others may differ.
In short, MLB has been getting it right with their rule changes post-COVID. They have identified areas where tweaks and fixes have been needed, experimented with the right solutions in the minors, and then allowed those solutions to graduate to the majors. That process itself deserves credit, as MLB teams are graduating prospects to the 26-man roster that have already experienced pitch clocks and challenge systems while in the developmental system, so they’re used to the changes before things start to really matter.
Each of these rule changes has also addressed an actual need, and that’s the cautionary tale going forward. You can get far too cute with rulebook tinkering — the way the NBA calls fouls jumps immediately to mind — and that does eventually degrade the product. Instead, MLB wanted to cut down overall game time, keep the most bankable name on the field as much as possible, introduce a faster alternative play style, and clean up the most egregious missed calls. Specific needs, targeted solutions.
Everything we write and talk about with respect to baseball in 2026 is overshadowed by coming labor troubles. Whether we lose games in 2027 or not, this winter is going to be ugly. MLB has had a load of successes come its way, from an emergent dynasty (and dynasties are always good for business) to the World Baseball Classic to the growing international spotlight shone on the game. The rule changes the league has implemented have contributed to that success, both in terms of a higher-quality game and positive coverage.
The game itself is healthy, thriving, and growing, which is not something we’ve been able to say at many points in my lifetime. Squabbling over what exact percentage of a few billion dollars — when the San Diego Padres are worth four billion on their own — will halt all that progress in its tracks. The most acute, appropriate rule changes on the planet cannot undo the harm of a lost season. MLB has made great strides to improve the state of baseball, and keeping that momentum going needs to be the focus, not a salary cap.
Fans of both sides are feeling similar levels of stress at different ends of the Premier League table
Zadie Smith once wrote that “the square mile around Arsenal’s stadium could be a suitable surrogate for the whole wide world”. Perhaps you only really glimpse this on a match day, when the jerk chicken grills and paella pans fire up and belch delicious smoke across the rows of terraced houses, when the locals in weathered replica shirts brush shoulders with tourists bearing selfie sticks, when a small group of dedicated volunteers at a kiosk by the Ken Friar Bridge accepts non-perishable donations for the Islington food bank.
And you shall scoff, and you shall sneer, because there is a north London of the popular imagination, and Islington in particular, which has become a surrogate for something else entirely. A slur, an insult, a byword for privilege and entitlement and metropolitan effeteness, the place of Blair and Corbyn and Starmer and a shrink on every street corner. North London is elite, north London is out of touch, north London looks down on the rest of you while eating plates of £16 pasta.
The Buffalo Sabres were in a precarious position trailing 1-0 in the second period and facing a penaltyshot attempt from Viktor Arvidsson, who scored a pair of goals in the Boston Bruins 4-2 victory in Game 2 earlier this week. After a loss where Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen dropped the ball by allowing a center-ice dump-in to get past him and change the momentum of the series, Lyon stopped Arvidsson and gave the Sabres the boost they needed in a 3-1 victory in Game 3 at TD Garden on Thursday to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
"(The Lyon save was) definitely a turning point,” Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said after the game. “I mean really bad luck, (Rasmus Dahlin) breaks a stick and can't do anything with the puck, and (Alex) came up with a huge save for us, at a crucial time of the game."
Bowen Byram tied the game soon after, and Alex Tuch scored the game winner early in the third period, with Noah Ostlund adding the empty-net insurance goal. The rookie center had a two-point night (1 goal, 1 assist) in his first NHL playoff game in relief of the injured Josh Norris.
“He's got experience, he's been in the (AHL) playoffs. Everybody's a little nervous going into a game like that, I totally understand that," Ruff said. "I thought (Noah) played a really solid game for us, a little disjointed with all the penalties, I'd like to see them play a little bit more because he was going so good. But for a first playoff game with us, you could say, gets an A plus."
The power play continues to be a sore spot for the Sabres, as they went 0 for 5 in Game 3, and are 0 for 14 in the playoffs, but unlike the first two games in Buffalo, where Boston scored with the man advantage in each game, the Sabres killed off four penalties, including a pair of minors in the final 10 minutes of regulation with the Bruins pressing for the tying goal.
"We weren't really happy with our first couple kills. We lost a little bit of our positioning, and gave him a couple big opportunities. We went through through some of those after the first period. And I thought those last two kills were, were excellent," Ruff said "I thought we got a couple great blocks. I thought especially those top four guys up front they were killing and the (Conor)Timmins block, I thought (Mattias) Samuelsson was really solid around net front and didn't really give him that second opportunity."
The Sabres have an extra day of rest in before Game 4 on Sunday afternoon, and Ruff is conveying the message to his club not to get overconfident and flush the results of the win, just as he instructed them to get past the loss in Game 2.
"You've got to get through the emotion of losing a tough game. You lose at home, and you had all this emotion after Game 1. That's the battle of the playoffs is you've got to be ready to put put away a big win, like we have to be ready to put this game away and get ready for a really desperate team on Sunday in their building, Ruff said. "Just the same way they have to put the game away and and know that they got a battle to bounce back. It's something that our guys, some of them, haven't been through, but they've got a little bit of a taste of it."
Leading up to the 2026 NHL trade deadline, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen was a big name in the rumor mill. However, the Flyers decided to hold on to him past the deadline.
Now, the Flyers' decision to not trade Ristolainen is paying off for them.
Ristolainen has had a strong start to the postseason for the Flyers, as he has three points and a plus-2 rating in three games. This included him scoring in the Flyers' Game 3 win over the Penguins. He also had two assists for the Flyers in Game 1, which was the first playoff game of his 13-year NHL career.
With this, there is no question that he has been making a positive impact for the Flyers this postseason. Had the Flyers decided to trade him, they very well might not have had their strong finish to the regular season that got them into the playoffs.
Ristolainen is exactly the kind of big right-shot defenseman that teams need during the playoffs, and he is showing that with the Flyers right now. It will be interesting to see how he performs as the playoffs continue from here.
The rhythm of this playoff series for the Philadelphia Flyers has been built on repetition. Same lines and pairings, same opponent, same patterns sharpened and re-sharpened until something gives.
But every so often, in the throes of postseason hockey, something small can come in and disrupt that rhythm. Not enough to cause panic, not enough to demand overhaul, but just enough to force a recalibration.
For the Flyers, that recalibration may come in the crease.
Dan Vladar has been, in many ways, one of the crucial constants behind their early series control against the Pittsburgh Penguins. A stabilizer and a leading voice in the locker room, his game has been defined by both spectacle and sequence—save selection, rebound control, emotional presence. It’s the kind of goaltending that pulls focus for all the right reasons.
But Vladar has been asked to backstop three consecutive high-intensity, physical games against Pittsburgh, rarely getting a day off with travel and practices in between. He's stepped up to the challenge (and then some), but he's not immune from joining the banged-up brigade that makes up so many playoff hockey teams.
Head coach Rick Tocchet isn't sweating it, though, should he have to sit Vladar to avoid risking injury. He has full confidence in the other half of the Flyers' goalie tandem, Sam Ersson, to take care of business if he's called upon.
The Wear Beneath the Workload
Vladar took a knock to the hand in Game 3 on April 22. It wasn't dramatic or immediately consequential, but it was cause for a bit of worry.
He followed with a pre-planned maintenance day on April 23. Then another on April 24.
Maintenance days for Tippett, York, and Vladař. Rick Tocchet said Vladař is feeling better today after taking a knock to the hand last night, clarifying that he probably would have a maintenance day today regardless.
Rick Tocchet’s framing was careful, but not dismissive of the question of Vladar's fitness for Game 4 on April 25.
“It’s more of a maintenance thing," he said after practice on Thursday. "He was gonna probably be off [today] anyway, but he’s a little banged up. He feels better today.”
The name of the game for playoffs—especially a series as physical as this one has been—is maintenance, management, and precaution. The Flyers have admitted that they came out of the regular season banged up, but as many NHL players do, have refused to sit out games like these—especially since for most of this Philadelphia team, this is their first playoffs.
But goaltending, more than any other position, lives in the margins of physical precision. A fraction of a second in tracking, a slight hesitation in sealing the post, a rebound that travels a few inches farther than intended—small disruptions like those can compound quickly.
And Vladar has played a lot. Not just in volume, but in intensity. These have not been passive minutes. They’ve been layered, high-attention performances in games where structure has held, but still required finishing touches. The Flyers have not needed him to steal games, but they have needed him to complete them.
The Value of Readiness Over Reaction
If there is a potential shift coming for Game 4, it doesn't feel like one born of urgency. It feels like one born of preparedness.
Sam Ersson has not been an afterthought in this series. He’s been, in Tocchet’s words and actions, a parallel track—developing quietly, staying engaged, maintaining a rhythm that isn’t always visible from the outside.
Tocchet didn’t hedge when asked about the possibility of turning to him for what could be the final game of the series (Flyers currently hold a 3-0 series lead over the Penguins).
“His mental and physical game since the Olympics—I don’t think he’s had a bad start," Tocchet said on Thursday. "I’ll tell you, the Montreal game [on April 14], going in there, we have half [Lehigh Valley Phantoms call-ups], people are saying we’re throwing him to the wolves, and he was really good. So I’m not really worried if he had to play. He’s locked in, even in practice. If his number is called, he’ll be ready to go.”
Tocchet's viewpoint is clear: Should Ersson be put in net for Game 4, they have full confidence that he could slam the door on the Flyers' western Pennsylvania counterparts.
Ersson’s trajectory since the Olympic break has been defined by correction—refinement rather than total reinvention. His game has tightened in predictable ways: cleaner reads through traffic, more controlled rebounds, a steadier presence in moments where games begin to stretch.
“I think that a good finish was well needed," Ersson told media on Thursday. "I had to take a step up from how I was playing and just trying to do my best and contribute. We knew that every point during that stretch mattered. It was very important… I feel like I’m in a good spot with my game. Obviously it helps stringing wins together, makes you feel better about your game.”
The Psychological Balance of a Possible Change
Switching goaltenders in a playoff series—especially with a dominant lead—could be framed as a risk. But it can also be insulation.
The Flyers are not reacting to a breakdown. Vladar has been extremely effective, composed, and aligned with the structure in front of him. The question isn’t whether he can continue. It’s whether he should, right now, in this moment of the series.
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (80) against the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 22, 2026. (Megan DeRuchie-The Hockey News)
Rest, in this context, is not retreat. It’s preservation.
And if Ersson starts Game 4, the responsibility doesn’t change. The environment will.
Philadelphia will still have the advantage of home ice in this game, with a chance to sweep, yes, but also with the expectation of a response from Pittsburgh. The Penguins will push—harder, earlier, with greater urgency. The Flyers know this.
So does Ersson.
“I try to work very hard throughout the year and build day by day and just be ready at all times," he said. "I think that’s something you work on to just keep your game in a good spot so that when your name is called upon, you’re ready to go.”
Continuity, Even in Change
The most important detail in all of this is not who starts Game 4, because at the moment, we just don't know yet. It's that, structurally, very little changes regardless.
The Flyers have built their early series success on predictability—not in the sense of being easy to read, but in the sense of being internally consistent. For a goaltender, that matters.
It defines sightlines, dictates shot quality, reduces the number of situations that require improvisation. And whether it’s Vladar or Ersson, or even AHL call-ups Aleksei Kolosov or Carson Bjarnason, the expectation is not that the goaltender will redefine the game. It’s that he will fit into its existing shape.
If Vladar plays, it will be a continuation with the understanding that he’s managing more than just the opponent.
If Ersson plays, it will be an opportunity—not as a deviation, but as an extension of the same identity.
Either way, the Flyers are not approaching Game 4 as a pivot point. They are approaching it as part of a sequence they believe they control. The crease, for now, is simply the most visible place where that control might be tested.
And the most telling thing about this moment is that it doesn’t feel like this team is uncertain or panicking at a possible point of adversity. Every reaction feels considered. They trust their lineup enough to handle whatever the chaos of the postseason throws at them. Which, in a playoff series defined by structure, discipline, and emotional balance, may be the clearest sign yet of where the Flyers are—and how prepared they are for whatever comes next.
BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 28: The Baltimore Orioles mascot on field before a game against the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 28, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
But enough about the Yankees series. Let’s move right on.
The Red Sox are headed to Baltimore to play the Orioles. Baltimore is 12-13 and Boston is 9-16 and on a three-game losing streak. Things haven’t gone great for the O’s while missing Jackson Holliday, Adley Rutchman, Tyler O’Neill, Ryan Mountcastle, Zach Eflin and playing sub-.500 baseball, but they’re still close to a coin flip away from the postseason.
Shane Baz and Chris Bassitt have been bad in the rotation. Sadly they won’t be facing the Sox. Who is?
Friday night the O’s start things off with Brandon Young. Young is a 27-year old righty who made 12 starts last season for Baltimore to the tune of a 6.75 ERA / 5.35 FIP. In one appearance this year he tossed five scoreless innings, giving up two hits and two walks while striking out two. He’s a fastball/splitter/slider/sinker guy who tends to give up more ground balls than fly balls. Perfect for a team struggling for power. However, last year he allowed 12 homers in in 57.2 innings of work so, I don’t know, pencil in 1 home run. Let’s be optimistic.
Brayan Bello will oppose Young for the Red Sox. The arrival of Payton Tolle gave Alex Cora the chance to push him back a day. Bello has had good numbers against the Yankees but given his current funk who can argue with extra rest? In that 6.2 inning, 2-run outing against the Cardinals was back on 4/12 (coincidentally the last time Payton Tolle pitched before last night) he still looked like he was figuring some things out. Let’s hope he can channel that energy.
Trevor Rogers pitched like an ace last year in his short season. For 109.2 innings he posted an ERA of 1.81 (2.82 FIP) and won 9 games. Wins aren’t really meaningful this century because of baseball’s structural changes, but the O’s only won 75 games. In fact, the Orioles would win 13 of his 18 starts. He alone kept their season from becoming truly awful. For Boston, Garrett Crochet will be on the mound. What can you even say at this point? Just assume Tommy John and he’s back in 2028? Or is he really just a tweak away from being a Cy Young pitcher again? He certainly thinks this is a tweak situation and his start against Detroit looked good – still had 8 Ks, his season high – before the wheels fell off again. Bring back the War Pig!
The Sunday matinee features Kyle Bradish for the O’s. Through five starts he’s allowed two runs three times while allowing four and one, respectively, in the other outings. He’s been averaging about 5.0 innings per start. It would be nice to see the opposing starter leave the game early for a change. In 25 innings he’s allowed 31 hits plus 13 walks. The bases could be absolutely filled. Connelly Early will finish then series for the Red Sox. He was cruising through 5.0 innings against the Yankees before trouble hit. Can’t think of anyone the Sox have started you’d feel most certain about how he’ll do though. 90 pitches, 5 innings, probably 1 run. And he might do better!
Gunnar Henderson leads the O’s with 7 homers and as a team they’ve hit 26. He also leads the team with 36 strikeouts. And steals with 4. He’s pretty good.
Pete Alonso is hitting .213/.327/.372 with 3 homers and many years remaining.
Taylor Ward, acquired for frequent IL visitor Grayson Rodriguez has hit 13 doubles.
Roman Anthony should return to the lineup.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Friday, April 24: Brayan Bello (6.75 ERA / 5.77 FIP) vs. Brandon Young (0.00 ERA / 3.54 FIP)
Saturday, April 25: Garrett Crochet (7.88 ERA / 4.98 FIP) vs. Trevor Rogers (4.08 ERA / 3.87 FIP)
Sunday, April 26: Connelly Early (2.88 ERA / 4.18 FIP) vs. Kyle Bradish (3.96 ERA / 3.50 FIP)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 13: Grant Holmes #66 of the Atlanta Braves takes the mound during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Truist Park on April 13, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Braves and Phillies again. Grant Holmes vs. Andrew Painter again. Not on BravesVision again.
In the time we’ve been apart, the Braves took three out of four against the very pesky Nats to conclude a 6-1 road trip. The boys will return home to Cobb County with the best record in baseball (18-8).
The Phillies… were swept again. If you’re not a sicko who’s scoreboard watching in April like some of us, you’d be shocked to learn of their current streak of nine straight losses. (The Mets snapped their skid at 12, but lost Lindor to the IL in the process.)
After losing three at Wrigley, I’m sure they’re thrilled to be in Atlanta for the weekend. Sunday’s short-lived starters will have a second chance on Star Wars Night at Truist Park.
After the starter switcheroo that brought us the callups of Didier Fuentes and JR Ritchie, Grant Holmes will pitch on regular rest to open this three-game set. Only going 4.2 innings the last time out versus Philadelphia, he threw 81 pitches, gave up four hits, allowed two earned runs on a Schwarber homer, walked one, and struck out four. He allowed the home run in the first and locked it down until Walt Weiss came to pull him just shy of qualifying for a win. While encouraging, Holmes is fighting to stay in the rotation instead of being moved to the bullpen in a long relief role. His longest outing to date was 6.2 innings in Anaheim on April 8, where he threw 99 pitches. Spencer Strider looms, and JR Ritchie had a strong debut. The saxophones are getting louder.
Holmes did outlast Phillies starter Andrew Painter, who threw 84 pitches in 4 innings on Sunday. In the rookie’s first loss, he was charged with a Michael Harris homer and two runs inherited by Tim Mayza. He walked one and struck out four. The only Braves to record a knock off him so far are Harris (twice), and Ronald Acuña Jr., Dom Smith, and Mike Yastrzemski all have one apiece. Ozzie Albies recorded a walk.
Same clubs seeing the same pitcher in less than a week. What could go wrong?
If we’re going to feel this much déjà vu, we might as well lean all the way in – might be an unpopular opinion, but I wouldn’t mind another Atlanta series sweep.
Elliot Anderson completed a stunning victory for Forest, who moves eight points clear of relegation after thrashing Sunderland
3 min A regrettable square pass from Sadiki, deep in his own half, is nicked by Hutchinson. Alderete makes an immportant challenge on the edge of the area and Anderson’s long-range shot deflects over the bar for a corner.
The corner is half cleared to Williams, who mishits a difficult volley well wide.
Apr 17, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Casey Legumina (64) pitches to the Texas Rangers during the seventh inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
The Tampa Bay Rays are acquring right-handed pitcher Casey Legumina from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Ty Cummings.
Legumina, 28, was originally selected in the 8th round of the 2019 draft by the Minnesota Twins; Legumina was actually drafted twice prior to signing with the Twins (25th round in 2016 by Toronto & 35th round in 2018 by Cleveland). After quietly working his way up through Minnesota’s system, the Twins would trade Legumina to the Cincinnati Reds for Kyle Farmer in November, 2022. It was with Cincinnati that Legumina made his big league debut, appearing in 11 games during the 2023 season and compiling a 5.68 ERA | 6.73 FIP with a 18.0 K% & 14.8 BB% over 12.2 IP.
Legumina spent one more season with Cincinnati and then was claimed off of waivers by Seattle in February, 2025. Since joining the Mariners, Legumina compiled a 5.43 ERA | 4.15 FIP with a 23.5 K% & 10.3 BB% over 61.1 IP. The Mariners designated Legumina for assignment April 21st following a string of appearances in which he allowed six runs on 10 hits over 4.1 IP.
The cost to acquire Legumina was minor leaguer Ty Cummings, whom the Rays originally acquired from the Mariners as the Player to be Named Later in the Randy Arozarena trade. The 24-year old was originally a starting pitcher in the Rays system but they recently moved him to the bullpen. Prior to this trade, Cummings had made 3 appearances in Double-A, compiling a 1.69 ERA | 4.57 FIP over 5.1 IP.
Legumina is out of options, so the Rays will need to clear a spot on the active roster as well as on the 40-man roster. Marc Topkin is reporting that the move will be made official over the weeknd or on Monday.
The New York Knicks now find themselves in some adversity after two gut-wrenching losses to the Atlanta Hawks.
Jalen Brunson struggled from 3-point range in New York’s latest 109-108 loss in Game 3, but that won’t stop the Knicks’ superstar from putting the team on his back Saturday.
Over his last 21 playoff games, Jalen Brunson has averaged a healthy 29.2 points per contest, and the New York Knicks' point guard finished with 27+ in 14 of those outings. Brunson came up just shy of that mark in Game 3 against the Atlanta Hawks, finishing with 26 points.
Each of the last two games in the series have been decided by one point, and four of six head-to-head matchups in 2025-26 have been settled by three points or fewer. After coming up just shy in Games 2 and 3, I expect the Knicks to play with urgency and get the job done on the road before coming back to the Garden.
Game 3 totaled 217 points despite Josh Hart shooting 1-for-9 from the field and Mikal Bridges being held scoreless. I’ll bet the Over as New York gets back on track offensively.
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In a move to bolster their bullpen, the Mets are calling up relief pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. and optioning Christian Scott to Triple-A Syracuse, SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes confirmed.
Scott made his first start in the big leagues since 2024 on Thursday night, but struggled in a short outing. The 26-year-old walked the bases loaded in the first inning and then walked in a run. He didn't fair better in the second inning, walking the leadoff man and then plunking Byron Buxton.
Overall, Scott finished after 1.1 IP and allowed one run on no hits with five walks and a strikeout.
Edwards, 34, joined the organization in the offseason and has started four games for Syracuse this year in the minors. He's gone 1-2 with a 5.29 ERA and 1.247 WHIP over 17.0 IP.
The veteran hurler has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen in the majors across 11 seasons with eight different teams. In 2025, Edwards owned a 4.50 ERA over 6.0 IP with the Angels and Rangers. His best seasons in the bigs came from 2016-2018 with the Chicago Cubs, posting a 2.60 ERA over 58 appearances in 2018. Overall, Edwards has a career 3.56 ERA and 334 strikeouts over 300 appearances in 286.0 IP.
ST. LOUIS -- In a season that was blatantly obvious, at least prior to the Olympic break, that the St. Louis Blues were not a playoff team and looking more and more like a shoe-in for a lottery pick, the fan faction became divided.
On one side, you had the 'Embrace the Tank' faction, that was clamoring for a lottery pick, getting one for the first time since 2008 when the organization took defenseman Alex Pietrangelo with the fourth pick, and on the other hand, you had the loyal diehards that wanted to see the team turn things around and play competitive hockey.
And with each Blues win, when they went 17-5-3 in the final 25 games to go from second-worst in the NHL standings only to the Vancouver Canucks to now jumping all the way up to 11th from the bottom and having just a slim three percent chance (3.5 percent if it includes the first-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings the Blues acquired in the Justin Faulk trade) of winning the draft lottery and moving up, the tanksters continued to get louder and louder.
Why in the world would you double down and not only mess the season up but also mess up the chance at a lottery pick, they screamed? And when the Blues were putting together a stretch of three four-game winning streaks among their 17 wins in the final 25 games, the other side could be heard from with a collective, "finally."
So how should this be viewed? Did the Blues mess up their chance at drafting the next star in the organization or is this a steppingstone to finding a blueprint for playing the way that this group can have success moving forward and let the chips fall where they may when it comes to draft prospects?
Of course, there will be more clarity on this when the draft lottery takes place on May 5, but from the Blues' perspective, they've prepared for either scenario. But in the process, there was never a question of playing poorly just to play poorly and lose compared to playing the right way.
"Once
the season’s over, you wish you had the high pick," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. "It’s the pain
of going through that to get it. I did talk to the players after the
trade deadline and I told them, our mandate (was) we’re going to
bring up younger players and we’re going to put them in positions
that reflect what we want to see them. Theo [Lindstein] came up, he never played
an NHL game and he was a top four defenseman. It’s not like we hid
him as a seven. [Dalibor] Dvorsky against the other teams’ top players a lot
of nights with Robert [Thomas]. [Otto] Stenberg came up, [Logan] Mailloux, what was his ice
time pre- and post-Olympics? I said to the players, ‘We have a plan.
Your job is to disrupt the plan. You’re professionals. This is how
you make your living. I expect you to disrupt our plan, and they did
and I give them full marks. Could we have picked (No.) 2 or 3 this
year? It would have ... I think there would be less belief in our group.
In the players that you have asked about, that you have talked about,
there would be a lot less belief in that if we just had rolled over
and just got door-matted for the last seven weeks of the season."
As it sits now, the Blues have the Nos. 11, 15 and 32 picks in the first round; they have the New York Islanders' second first-round pick from the Brayden Schenn trade, which belongs to the Colorado Avalanche, and Armstrong was asked if those picks, depending on where they align after the draft lottery and playoffs are concluded, could be part of a trade or move up.
Everything is in play.
"We’re
all going to have our amateur scouting meetings," Armstrong said. "We’re all going to
go to the U-18s, Alex [Steen] and I and the decision-makers on the amateur
side. That’s (today), we leave. We’ll be in Slovakia for 10
days. We’ll come back, we’ll go to the combine, we’ll interview
the players. After that we’ll go to amateur scout retreat with part
time, full time (scouts). We’ll get our list together and the way that I’ve
done it in the past is OK, give me lines, blocks of players. Where’s
a block? So if there’s a block of four guys and we want to get into
that block, then yeah. Yes we would, I guess that’s the long
answer. We would move up if we can. We’ll also move back if we
don’t like what we see. We can use the picks, we can use prospects,
we can use players, but every team is the same in that fashion. If
there’s somebody there that we believe is in a block outside of our
pick and we can acquire him, we’ll give it our best chance. You
also have to have someone that wants to move out of that pick too."
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We’re nearly a month into the MLB season now, and I’m targeting some players whose starts have me expecting big things from them tonight.
I’m looking for Gavin Williams to continue striking out batters at a fast rate, and for Bo Bichette to build off his best game of the year.
Read on to see all my best MLB player props for Friday, April 24.
Best MLB player props today
Player
Pick
Odds
Gavin Williams
Over 5.5 strikeouts
+104
Bo Bichette
Over 2.5 H/R/R
+125
Kyle Tucker
Over 0.5 RBI
+170
Gavin Williams Over 5.5 strikeouts (+104)
Cleveland Guardians starter Gavin Williams has struck out about a batter per inning throughout his career, but he’s never mowed down hitters like he’s doing in 2026. Not only is he holding batters to 3.9 hits per nine innings, but he’s also striking out 12.1 per nine, by far the highest rate of his career.
The Toronto Blue Jays have been the hardest team to strike out in the majors this year, but in modern baseball, that doesn’t make them immune to strikeouts. The Jays have struck out at least six times in nine of their last ten games. Williams has 7+ strikeouts in four of his first five starts this season, and should be able to hit this very reasonable total tonight.
Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Peacock, SN1
Bo Bichette Over 2.5 hits + runs + RBIs (+125)
Bo Bichette had been slowly heating up after a terribly slow start, but New York Mets fans finally got the breakout game they were waiting for from their new addition on Thursday. Bichette went 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs to help extend the Mets' winning streak to two.
Bichette will have a shot to stay hot tonight as he faces off against Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen, who has a 7.84 ERA and 2.226 WHIP as a starter this year. The entire Mets lineup should be able to build on last night’s outburst around him as well, which makes Bichette an excellent pick to get at least three combined hits, runs, and RBIs tonight.
Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Rockies.TV, WPIX-11
Kyle Tucker Over 0.5 RBI (+170)
The vaunted Los Angeles Dodgers offense has gone cold over the last three days, scoring just four runs in a three-game series with the San Francisco Dodgers. But even that’s not enough to cool off their overall numbers: Los Angeles is averaging 5.48 runs per game, and leads the majors with an outstanding .828 OPS.
Kyle Tucker sits in the middle of this lineup, and while he’s had a relatively slow start, he’s still been able to pick up 13 RBIs in his first 24 games. I see no reason to believe that Jameson Taillon (1-1, 3.97 ERA) will shut down the Dodgers tonight, and if the top of the lineup gets on base, Tucker will be in a great position to drive in at least one run.
Time: 10:15 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Apple TV
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
On this day 94 years ago, Bill Cissell was shipped east to Cleveland. | (Photo by Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images)
1901 It wasn’t planned this way, but three games in other cities were postponed by rain, putting the White Sox in position to host the first major league game in American League history. Some 9,000 fans at South Side Park — or maybe it was 14,000, reports conflict — saw the home club beat the Cleveland Blues, 8-2. The White Sox scored five times in the first inning, and ran the score to 7-0 in the first two frames. Still, the win took just an hour-and-a-half to complete.
Roy Patterson started, and got the complete-game win. Outfielder Billy Hoy took the first White Sox at-bat. Fred Hartman’s single scored the first two runs in (MLB) American League history.
Hoy was deaf and mute, and referred to himself by his nickname, Dummy — correcting people who called him William. In order for Hoy to understand what the umpires were calling, the arbitrators came up with a series of hand signals indicating safe/out and ball/strike.
The ceremonial first ball, by the way, was supposed to be thrown out by Robert Burke, special counsel to the mayor of Chicago. Burke declined, however, stating that he was afraid the ball might get hit back to him. (True story!)
1932 The White Sox traded infielder Bill Cissell and righty reliever Jim Moore to Cleveland for utilityman Johnny Hodapp and outfielder Bob Seeds. For a four-player deal it was a nothingburger of a trade, but the White Sox probably got the short end of the stick: Moore reported to the minors and never played another MLB game but Cissell was great for the remainder of the season (2.4 WAR, .320/.354/.440), while Seeds slashed .290/.342/.372 for 0.8 WAR in full-time play and Hodapp was terrible (-0.6 WAR despite being just two years removed from leading the AL in hits and doubles.
1946 Ed Walsh, the second-best pitcher by WAR in White Sox history and author of a six-year run in the majors more dominant than anyone, ever, was elected to the Hall of Fame.
1955 In a game at Kansas City just one day after the White Sox set a major league record with 29 runs, White Sox starter Dick Donovan was hit early and often by the Athletics. When manager Marty Marion came out to take the ball from him, Donovan — making his starting debut with the White Sox and showing his competitive spirit by being concerned about a possible return trip to the minors — refused to give it up!
Marion had to reassure Dick that he’d remain in the rotation before Donovanwould turn the ball over and leave the field. That season, he’d win 13 of 17 decisions before an emergency appendectomy felled him in late July.
That injury may have cost the White Sox the pennant, as Donovan wasn’t the same after the surgery and the Sox finished in third place, five games behind the Yankees at 91-63-1.
1994 Still mired in a somewhat slow start for a defending division champion, the White Sox lost to Detroit, 7-6. Chicago blew two leads, and then lost the game itself after rallying to tie in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Why is this loss notable? White Sox No. 4 and 5 hitters, Julio Franco and Robin Ventura, hit back-to-back homers — twice, and in consecutive plate appearances in the game.
In the top of the sixth, tied 3-3, Franco led off with a homer to deep right field, and Ventura repeated the act. In the eighth, down 6-4, Franco again led off with a solo shot, and Ventura tied the game with a homer.
The loss (on a Cecil Fielder single in the ninth) dropped the White Sox to 11-7, tied for first in the AL Central.
2010 With a 7-11 record, it was still far from a magical season. But the White Sox accomplished something that had never happened before in their history: walk-off home runs on back-to-back days. In this game, Alex Ríos clocked a two-out walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Mariners and David Aardsma, 5-4. The Seattle reliever completely melted down in the ninth, entering up 4-2 and giving up a one-out home run to Paul Konerko to move the White Sox closer. An A.J. Pierzynski fly out and Carlos Quentin walk later, the stage was set for Ríos’ record-setter.
On April 23, it was Andruw Jones who achieved the feat, clocking a full-count, two-out pitch out for a 7-6 White Sox win in front of 24,653 happy fans.
Now, this was NOT the first time the White Sox had won consecutive games on walk-off homers, but the previous time, the wins came on the same day. J.C. Martin and Ken Berry upended Cleveland with game-ending homers on July 25, 1967.
Gavin Williams
Bo Bichette 
Kyle Tucker 
