INDIANAPOLIS — A Final Four matchup of high-scoring offenses was instead decided by Michigan’s defense, which held Arizona in check and delivered a 91-73 win to send the Wolverines to Monday night’s national championship game.
Michigan won despite the extended absence of All-America forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who battled foul trouble and an apparent lower-body injury and played a season-low 14 minutes. He still managed to score 11 points on 3 of 4 shooting.
Without Lendeborg serving as the focal point, the Wolverines leaned on center Aday Mara, who had a career-best 26 points to go with nine rebounds and three blocks. Point guard Elliot Cadeau had 13 points and 10 assists while guard Trey McKenney added 16 points while hitting 6 of 9 attempts.
Arizona was led by forward Koa Peat's 16 points, though the freshman made just 6 of 18 shots from the field. Overall, Arizona shot 36.6% and committed 14 turnovers. The Wildcats came into the semifinal ranked 11th with an average of 86.5 points per game.
Thanks to a suffocating style that unsettled Arizona’s tempo, Michigan took a 26-10 midway lead through the opening half despite losing Lendeborg, who picked up two quick fouls and then limped off the court later in the half to have his ankle re-taped.
After returning to the Wolverines’ bench with about five minutes to go, Lendeborg was escorted back to the locker room and didn’t return until entering the lineup to open the second half.
The Wildcats finally gained their footing with a 13-2 spurt to make it 28-23 with 6:43 to play until halftime. Michigan answered with a quick 7-2 run of its own and pushed the lead to as many as 18 points before heading into the break ahead 48-32.
The 48 points were the most in the first half of a national semifinal since North Carolina had 49 against Villanova in 2009.
Both teams went into halftime with foul issues. Morez Johnson jr., Mara and McKenney also had two fouls for the Wolverines. Arizona guard Jaden Bradley picked up three fouls, limiting him to just 11 minutes in the first half, while star freshman Brayden Burries had two fouls and was 0 of 5 from the field.
The Wolverines kept their foot down coming out of the break, pushing the lead to 53-32 on a Lendeborg 3-pointer with 17:47 to play. That edge grew to 23 points at 64-41 on a Mara dunk with 14 minutes left and then ballooned to 27 points under two minutes later.
Michigan would continue to control the flow of the game on both ends, answering every brief Arizona run with a key bucket while forcing the Wildcats into increasingly difficult looks thanks to its lengthy frontcourt.
After the Wolverines went in front 77-47 with 10:31 to play, the only question left in this matchup asked they'd become the first team to score 100 points in the Final Four since Michigan State in 1979.
While they came up short of the century mark, the Wolverines’ 91 points were the program’s most in a semifinal since beating Princeton 94-76 in 1965.
Michigan is chasing the program’s second national title. The Wolverines previously reached the title game in 1965, 1976, 1989, 1992-93, 2013 and 2018, winning it all in 1989.
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 04: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees looks on during the game against the Miami Marlins at Yankee Stadium on April 4, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In Saturday night’s game thread, we mentioned how Giancarlo Stanton hadn’t had much success against his former team, but in this back-and-forth affair, the game-winning at-bat came from the Yankees’ DH. Stanton drove in a pair in the eighth inning with a single to give the Yankees the lead in what ultimately became a 9-7 win, making the absolute most out of an ungodly number of free passes handed out by the Marlins: 10 in total.
Before the Yankees could take control of things late in the ballgame, plenty of walks were distributed on both sides as the pitching staffs struggled to find their footing. In a matchup of young starters, efficiency is half the battle. Unfortunately for Ryan Weathers, that was something he sorely lacked against his old teammates, averaging well over 20 pitches per inning and thus unable to complete four full frames before Miami could chase him out of the ballgame.
The Yankees have made a point of getting Weathers to trust the changeup more, but he couldn’t really generate many chases on it against Miami. Able to lay off the changeup consistently, the Fish worked three walks against Weathers, which was pivotal in driving up his pitch count for an early exit. Still, the worst result on a changeup for Weathers came in one that generated a chase. Up at the plate with one on and two outs in the first, Otto Lopez protected against a two-strike change down below the zone, lifting a pop fly to right that had no business dropping in front of Aaron Judge. That hit kept the inning going, and quickly thereafter both runners came around to score on a Heriberto Hernández triple—the Marlins took the lead, an advantage they kept until the bullpens got involved.
As much as Weathers could lament the poor batted-ball luck in that first inning, his performance over the whole game didn’t quite justify a much better result than the three runs allowed in 3.2 innings of work — needing 88 pitches to record just 11 outs. In the third, Hernández proved he was locked in against Weathers, this time taking him on a ride to right field on a ball that fell just short of going out, requiring a leaping grab from Judge.
While Max Meyer did a better job than Weathers at stranding runners, the Miami starter walked in the early goings, allowing only a single hit through four; the Yankees got to him in the fifth. Aaron Judge hit a rocket single, and then Cody Bellinger took advantage of a slider up in the zone to go deep for the first time in 2026.
That would be the last pitch Meyer would throw, and while the Yankees were unable to exercise a starting pitching advantage—sort of a regular thing these days—they had ample time to get to the Marlins bullpen with only a minor deficit to erase.
Andrew Nardi came in for Meyer, walked two, but got out of the fifth by retiring Jazz Chisholm Jr. Surprisingly, the Marlins sent Nardi back out there for the sixth in a move that didn’t work out. Aaron Boone was aggressive with his bench and deployed the lefty-masher Goldschmidt against Nardi. The southpaw was careful, leading to a walk that would spark the big inning the Yankees needed to take control of this affair (for the first time, anyway).
In a game where virtually every pitcher struggled with command, Anthony Bender, who came in for Nardi, hit José Caballero to put the go-ahead run on base. Following Ryan McMahon’s inability to get a bunt down, the top of the order was ready to pounce on this opportunity—Judge tied it with an opposite-field poke down the right-field line, and Bellinger secured the lead on a sac fly despite a worrisome slide from Trent Grisham.
The sequence of the matchup saw the Yankees starter falter, the Marlins starter falter, and the Marlins bullpen falter. The Yankees held a late lead, but the win wouldn’t come that easy, as the Yankees’ bullpen also faltered.
Stanton had been successful in giving the Yankees an insurance run with a—dare we say it—Rickey Henderson-inspired turn around the bases. He walked on five pitches against Calvin Faucher, and one out later, he took advantage of the Marlins completely disregarding his presence on first. Stanton said “thank you very much” and stole second base, his first regular-season swipe in six years (though he did steal a base in the 2024 ALDS against the Royals). A slow groundout from J.C. Escarra moved him to third, and when Faucher threw a wild one, Stanton scored his economic run.
Protecting a two-run lead, Camilo Doval collapsed rather easily against the bottom of the Marlins order. The Yankees’ right-handed reliever allowed a two-run, game-tying double to Javier Sanoja, the Marlins’ ninth-hole hitter. Brent Headrick cleaned up his mess, but the lead had already vanished.
As all else before, this 6-6 tie would be short-lived, as the Marlins managed to gift-wrap the Yankees an opportunity in the bottom of the eighth by walking the bases loaded for Stanton with two outs. Stanton had enough strength to muscle a ground ball through the infield and drive in a pair.
Just before he was sent to the Yankees in December 2017, Stanton rejected a trade from the Marlins to the mid-2010s Cardinals. Well, this was the kind of rally that would’ve made that iteration of the Cards’ franchise proud.
Walks and passed balls were the Yankees’ friend, and the latter added an insurance run after that Stanton single, making it 9-6 when Ben Rice dented home plate. That was just enough to survive a massive scare in the ninth by David Bednar, who seems to have penchant for late drama (not helped by some nonchalance from Chisholm that allowed the first man on). The Yankees’ closer coughed up one run and loaded the bases, putting the tying run at second and the go-ahead margin at first. before striking out Griffin Conine to wrap up the W. With both sides well short of their best game, the Yankees had just more reliable production in key moments for the victory.
It’s always a good day when Max Fried takes the mound, and with a sweep on the line, that’ll be the treat for fans attending Yankee Stadium on Sunday afternoon, particularly those who hung around for the end of his marathon. The start time is scheduled for 1:35 p.m (EST). The Marlins will counter with Chris Paddack, who got absolutely rocked by the White Sox in his first start of 2026.
It's no surprise that he broke a 43-year-old record on Saturday night in Carolina. The rookie phenom broke Phil Housley's 43-year-old record for the most points by an 18-year-old defenseman.
With the primary assist on Anders Lee goal, #Isles rookie Matthew Schaefer recorded point No. 58 to surpass Phil Housley for the most points by an 18-year-old defenseman in #NHL history.
He has 22 goals & 36 assists through first 78 games.
It's a wildly impressive feat for Schaefer, one that further cements just how special this season has been for him.
It's easy to lose track of how special these records and achievements are, especially when it feels like a new one gets met every single game.
It shouldn't be lost on any Islanders fan that Housley originally set this record back in the 1982-83 season, the same year the Islanders last hoisted the Stanley Cup.
That's how long it's been since there's been a game-destroying rookie of this talent, and that was the NHL saw its highest-scoring ever.
At this point, there are no more historical comparables. Schaefer's truly in a league of his own, blistering a new trail ahead.
The unfortunate side is that the record-breaking point came in a fourth-straight defeat for the Islanders.
Schaefer is the silver lining in that frustration.
Schaefer and the Islanders have four long days off before their next game. They'll host the Toronto Maple Leafs in UBS Arena next.
DENVER, CO - APRIL 4: Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesús Luzardo (44) pitches in the first inning during a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on April 4, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Philadelphia Phillies (5-3) grew their early season win streak to four games as they came out on the right side of a rare pitchers’ duel in Denver, defeating the Colorado Rockies (2-6) by a score of 2-1 on Saturday night.
Jesus Luzardo bounced back from his rough first start with a 6.2 IP 11 K gem. The Rockies scattered five hits and scored once against Luzardo during his 99 pitch performance.
The Rockies opted for a left-handed opener in Brennan Bernardino, who didn’t make it out of the first inning as the Phils opened the scoring two batters into the game via a leadoff walk by Trea Turner and a broken bat double by Kyle Schwarber.
Colorado tied it up in the bottom of the third on a pair of singles by Troy Johnston and Brett Sullivan.
Rockies’ young right handed starter, Chase Dollander, ate the majority of innings in the game from the third into the seventh and largely kept the Phillies’ offense at bay.
They finally cracked him in the top of the fifth inning as Brandon Marsh led off with a single followed by a JT Realmuto walk. Marsh came in to score the eventual winning run on a Turner double. Trea finished with two hits, a walk, a run scored and a run batted in, not to mention several solid defensive plays.
Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott and Justin Crawford each collected a hit while Bryce Harper and Adolis Garcia failed to reach base. Crawford notched his first of many career stolen bases and Garcia did contribute with a nice running catch.
Jose Alvarado came on in relief of Luzardo with two outs and a man on second in the bottom of the seventh and walked the next batter before getting out of the jam with a strikeout of Kyle Karros.
Brad Keller pitched a one-hit scoreless eighth and Jhoan Duran collected his third save of the season with a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth.
Taijuan Walker goes for the sweep tomorrow afternoon against Rockies’ right hander, Tomoyuki Sugano.
Okay, so this was a strange one. As was noted in 1AZFan1’s recap of last night’s shutout loss, our offense has been completely AWOL for several days now. This is something we’ve seen happen plenty over the last several years, but these multi-day offensive outages get exponentially more concerning when, as I and others have expended a lot of words on already this year, our pitching staff, both in the rotation and in the bullpen, is very much constructed of chewing gum, baling wire, and whatever found objects Mike Hazen was able to salvage from the local bins on garbage night. Having to rely primarily on our pitching does not fill me with confidence. Like, ever.
And yet.
This game, like all baseball games (at least the ones that don’t involve one or both teams using the “opener” strategy and therefore deciding in advance that it’s going to be a bullpen game), is first and foremost a contest between two pitchers. This was not a game where any openers were used. Bryce Elder was starting for the Atlanta Braves; Michael Soroka was going for the Diamondbacks. Usually, the team whose starter pitches the better game wins the baseball game. This is not always the case of course—the baseball gods are cruel and fickle and often whimsically malicious. But more often than not, that is the case.
So let’s break down the two pitchers’ performances. Both pitchers pitched well today, let’s get that out of the way right up front. Each starter only surrendered four hits over the course of the ballgame. Both bullpens, once they got involved, put up zeroes and allowed no baserunners. It was, by all measurements, a very well-pitched game on both sides.
Pitcher A threw 90 pitches over the course of seven innings of work. As noted, he gave up four hits. He walked one. He struck out eight. He surrendered zero earned runs. He faced the minimum in six of the seven innings he worked.
Pitcher B threw 91 pitches over the course of five innings of work, only giving up four hits and allowing one earned run. He walked three, and hit a batter, and struck out three. He allowed runners in every inning that he worked, not recording a single clean inning.
Naturally, you might expect that Pitcher A was Michael Soroka, given the fact that by the numbers it’s the far better performance, and as you gleaned from the headline, the Diamondbacks emerged from the contest with the victory.
You would be wrong. Remember, the baseball gods can be, after all, cruel and fickle and whimsically malicious. Also, the numbers don’t always tell the entire story. Pitcher A was in fact Bryce Elder. PitcherB was, in fact, Soroka. And yet we won.
So here’s how it happened. This will be necessarily short, because today as much as just about any game recently, our offense was pretty much entirely absent. Both Soroka and Elder worked a scoreless first, though Soroka tossed 17 pitches and walked Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson with two outs, while Elder sat down Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll, and Geraldo Perdomo in order, only needing 10 pitches to do so.
It all comes down, really, to the second inning. Soroka walked former Giant Mike Yastrzemski to lead off the top of the second. Ozzie Albies followed with a grounder to the right side of the infield that advanced Yastrzemski to second. Michael Harris flew out to center, and then Dominic Smith, perpetual journeyman and currently the Braves’ designated hitter, swung at a full-count Soroka pitch that was up and outside, well out of the strike zone, and slapped it into left field to score the runner from second. 1-0 Atlanta
In the bottom of the second, however, it was our turn. Gabriel Moreno led off the frame with a ground ball single into center field. Adrian Del Castillo, who was functioning as our “designated hitter” (and, as it turned out, sinkhole of suck) today, struck out. Nolan Arenado grounded his own single to center, putting runners on first and second for everyone’s favorite dark horse rookie and Savior of the Lineup(TM), Jose Fernandez, who was manning first base this afternoon. Fernandez, somewhat surprisingly, squared up and bunted the first pitch he saw up the third base lane. It was supposed to be a sacrifice, but, well, instead this happened:
So, yeah, that sure was wacky. Throwing error by Elder that rolls up the line, Arenado runs through a J.R. House stop sign, the bunt is scored as a single, and two Diamondbacks runs cross the plate. Neither run was earned, so this game also earns the fun distinction in the box score of us scoring two runs but zero runs batted in.
I tell ya, you gotta love baseball sometimes. 2-1 D-BACKS
And that is also the last time the Braves pitchers faced more than the minimum three in an inning. That was in part thanks to the Diamondbacks grounding into two 3-6-3 double plays: one in the third off the bat of Perdomo to erase a one-out Corbin Carroll walk, and one by Del Castillo in the fourth to erase Gabriel Moreno’s leadoff single.
Seriously. The offense was not in the building today, once again. Which is both disappointing and concerning, but what can you do?
Meanwhile, Soroka pitched around more traffic in his remaining three innings of work—doubles, walks, singles, hit batsmen, all kinds of good stuff. But somewhat miraculously, while it felt, at least to me, like he was flirting with disaster the entire time, he nevertheless managed to escape again and again and finish his day with only the one run allowed.
Of course, when the starter exits after five frames, that means that the bullpen has to get involved, which tends to produce acid reflux responses in the Diamondbacks faithful, and with good reason. There was, however, no need to worry today. Wonders truly will never cease.
Taylor Clarke threw 12 pitches in a scoreless sixth, allowing no Braves to reach base. Jonathan Loaisiga threw 10 pitches in a scoreless seventh, allowing no Braves to reach base. Juan Morillo threw 14 pitches in a scoreless eighth, allowing no batters to reach base. Paul Sewald struck out two of the three batters he faced while throwing 21 pitches to redeem himself for last night’s implosion and nail down the save without any Braves hitters reaching base.
Dang. What a genuinely strange baseball game. 2-1 D-BACKS FINAL
Superfriends: Diamondbacks pitchers (9 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, +64.6% WPA) Boy Wonder: Jose Fernandez (3 AB, 1 H, +15.1% WPA) Suicide Squad: Diamondbacks hitters other than Fernandez (23 AB, 3 H, 1 BB, 9 K, -29.7% WPA)
It was a pretty quiet Gameday Thread today, which is understandable given how the first two games of this series went, and also that the NCAA Final Four was underway while the game was going on. At time of writing, we’re looking at 126 comments. A number went Sedona Red (or what passes for it these days), because we were apparently feeling generous with our rec’s today. By popular acclaim, this one goes to Snake_Bitten, who was not present in the Thread but was doing their part by being at the game in person, and also invoking the grace of the baseball gods to ensure Soroka’s success against his former team:
So despite the inauspicious beginning to the series, we find ourselves going into tomorrow’s game with the opportunity to salvage a series split! Brandon Pfaadt goes for us, lefty Michael Perez goes for Atlanta. This one will feature our home team broadcasters, which will be nice after two days of national broadcasts of varying quality. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm AZ time. Hope you can drop by!
As always, thanks so much for reading my maunderings, and as always, go Diamondbacks!
For the first time this season, they could not rely upon supreme pitching, the club’s historic run thwarted with Ryan Weathers and later Camilo Doval on the mound.
It did not matter. The Yankees turned to Giancarlo Stanton and a multi-pronged offensive attack that helped them score nine of the final 12 runs to seize a wild and ugly game from the Marlins.
The Yankees dug a four-run hole, climbed back on top, blew that lead and then surged back ahead on the back (and legs) of Stanton in a roller-coaster, 9-7 victory in The Bronx on Saturday night. The 44,150 shivering fans on hand were rewarded for not leaving early on a night when the wind chill (in the 30s) and early deficit (trailing 4-0 after 4 innings) made the notion appealing.
With the comeback, the Yankees (7-1) matched their best start through eight decisions in franchise history, just the second time in the past 23 years they have won seven of their first eight.
Cody Bellinger (35) hits an RBI sac fly allowing New York Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham (12) to score during the 6th inning when the New York Yankees played the Miami Marlins Saturday, April 4, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Victory No. 7 was created differently. Yankees pitching had allowed eight runs over the first seven games, matching the 2002 Giants and 1993 Braves for the fewest in MLB history.
Weathers then allowed three runs before the end of the second inning and did not escape the fourth. Doval allowed two more in a wayward, lead-costing eighth.
But the Yankees lineup — which was outhit 15-6 but drew 10 walks and scored creatively rather than emphatically — was the difference-maker.
“Cold, windy, behind early,” manager Aaron Boone would say, “and the quality of at-bat just never went away.”
Cody Bellinger (35) is greeted by New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) after they both score on Bellingers two-run homer during the 5th inning when the New York Yankees played the Miami Marlins Saturday, April 4, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
The biggest moment belonged to Stanton, who watched Doval struggle in the top of the eighth and then stepped up with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning with the game tied.
Known for blasts, Stanton fought a seven-pitch battle against righty Michael Petersen before poking a single through the left side that plated the two go-ahead runs for a lead that would hold up.
The Yankees hope this season ends differently in part because they believe they will be less reliant on the long ball and can jump-start their offense using various means. Stanton — and his teammates — demonstrated as much during the comeback:
In the fifth, the four-run deficit was cut in half when Aaron Judge singled and Cody Bellinger crushed a Max Meyer slider over the wall in right-center for a two-run shot.
Yankees pitcher Ryan Weathers (40) throws a pitch during the third inning when the New York Yankees played the Miami Marlins Saturday, April 4, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
In the sixth, small ball and substitutions were the key. A pinch-hitting Paul Goldschmidt walked before José Caballero was drilled. Trent Grisham chopped an RBI single through the left side for one run before Judge snuck a single down the first-base line for another to tie it. Needing contact, the Yankees found it again with Bellinger, who lifted a fly ball to left that was just deep enough to score Grisham from third as he angled a slide and dragged his foot across home plate.
Insurance arrived in the seventh in a fashion that the Yankees probably cannot count upon ever happening again. Stanton — whose last steal came in the pandemic season of 2020 — walked, took a lead, took a bigger lead as he was not being held on the base and then took off for a sneak-attack steal.
“Awesome,” Boone said.
“The boys were fired up,” Bellinger added.
“If they’re going to give it to me,” Stanton said, “I got to go get it.”
He moved to third on a groundout and then scored on a two-out passed ball, one of the slowest runners in baseball single-handedly manufacturing a run that made it 6-4.
That lead disappeared in the eighth, when Doval — who struggled last season after coming over from the Giants — allowed three hits that turned into two runs.
But further hiccups from Doval did not matter. Neither did a misplay from Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the ninth, which created more work for David Bednar (fourth save). Neither did the issues of Weathers, who let up three runs on six hits in 3 ²/₃ innings.
A Yankees offense that scored every which way made sure of that.
“It seems like everyone had a big at-bat tonight in some way, shape or form,” Boone said, “to allow us to score a bunch of runs, which obviously tonight we needed.”
The Yankees offense woke up from their slumber to score six unanswered runs. But after the bullpen coughed up the lead, Giancarlo Stanton's two-run single in the eighth lifted New York to a 9-7 win on Saturday night at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees had just six hits and were 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position -- with nine left on base -- but they took advantage of their 11 walks, the second consecutive game in which they had that many, and the Marlins' mistakes.
Here are the takeaways
-Ryan Weathers wasn't long for this game as he labored early and often. In the first inning, a one-out walk and a two-out bloop single put runners on the corners before Heriberto Hernandez split the outfielders with a triple that plated two. Weathers would get out of the inning without further damage, but it took the young southpaw 31 pitches.
The second inning wasn't much better. Back-to-back singles (one of the infield variety) to lead off the inning put Weathers in another jam. Weathers got a slow roller to Jazz Chisholm Jr., but he and Jose Caballero couldn't complete the double play. Austin Wells caught the runner trying to steal second for the second out, but Weathers could not get the third out. He walked the next batter and allowed an RBI single to Agustin Ramirez to put the Yankees behind 3-0.
Weathers struggled in the third but escaped without allowing more runs and got the first two batters out in the fourth before he was pulled.
The southpaw tossed 88 pitches (53 strikes) in 3.2 innings pitched. He allowed three runs on six hits, three walks, while striking out four batters. In his first two starts of the season, Weathers has now allowed four runs in 7.2 innings pitched.
It's the first time a Yankees starter allowed more than two runs this season.
-The Yankees offense struggled early on against starter Max Meyer, but they had their chances. Their best chance came in the third. The first two batters reached for Aaron Judge, but the reigning MVP hit a deep drive to center that the center fielder ran down. After Cody Bellinger walked to load the bases, Ben Rice struck out swinging before Stanton popped out to the catcher to end the threat.
New York had one hit through the first four innings, but then Judge hit a two-out single and Bellinger launched his first home run of the season to cut the Marlins' lead to 4-2. The Yankees would get two more batters on, but Chisholm struck out swinging to strand two more.
The Yankees had another chance in the sixth after the first two batters got on. McMahon struck out looking before Trent Grisham singled home Paul Goldschmidt -- who pinch-hit for Wells. Judge followed with an opposite-field single down the first base line to tie the game. Bellinger hit a sacrifice fly to give the Yankees their first lead of the game.
-The Yankees' sixth run of the game came in an unexpected way. Stanton led off the seventh with a walk, and then stole second as the Marlins weren't holding him on. He moved to third on a groundout and came home to score on a wild pitch. It was Stanton's first regular season stolen base since 2020. But Stanton wasn't done. In the eighth, with the score tied at six apiece, Stanton muscled a two-run single with the bases loaded to put the Yankees up for good. Rice scored from third on a wild pitch, the second run scored this way of the night.
- Paul Blackburn was the first arm out the bullpen, but would allow an unearned run thanks to some poor defense. Blackburn gave up an infield single and then Jakob Marsee singled to left field, but Bellinger's throw to third base was not caught by Ryan McMahon or Blackburn -- who was covering -- allowing Ramirez to score from third.
Blackburn rebounded to get a few more outs before Tim Hill and Fernando Cruz locked the Marlins down. However, Camilo Doval came on in the eighth and allowed a single and a double to lead off the inning. He struck out a pinch-hitting Owen Caissie, but Javier Sanoja doubled to tie the game at 6-6. Brent Headrick replaced Doval and got the final two outs of the inning without further damage.
David Bednar came in and after an infield single thanks to Chisholm's double clutch, the Yankees closer delivered a one-out walk to bring the tying run to the plate. Xavier Edwards singled to cut the Yankees lead to 9-7. Caissie and Griffin Conine struck out swinging to end the game.
Here's the bullpen breakdown:
Blackburn: 1.2 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 2 K
Hill: 1.0 IP
Cruz: 0.2 IP, 1 K
Doval: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 K -- he's now allowed four runs in his last two outings
Headrick: 0.2 IP, 1 BB
Bednar: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Game MVP: Giancarlo Stanton
Stanton's bat and feet were the difference in this game.
Highlights
Cody Bellinger cuts the deficit in half with a 2-run shot 💪
Yes, the player who has been plagued by lower body injuries for much of his time with the Yankees, basically manufactured a run by himself in the seventh inning against Miami in The Bronx.
Giancarlo Stanton reacts after stealing a base during the Yankees’ game April 4. Screengrab via X/@Yankees
He walked to lead off the bottom of the seventh and then stole second base with J.C. Escarra at the plate.
It was Stanton’s first stolen base in a regular season game since 2020 — although he did have one in the postseason two years ago, when he swiped second in Game 3 of the 2024 ALDS against the Royals.
The Vancouver Canucks celebrated two NHL game milestones tonight in their 7–4 loss to the Utah Mammoth. Prior to puck-drop, they honoured Evander Kane for his 1000th NHL game played on March 30 against the Vegas Golden Knights. On the ice, Linus Karlsson scored twice in his 100th NHL game, while Jake DeBrusk and Marco Rossi also found the back of the net. Nikita Tolopilo started in net, stopping 17 of 23 shots faced.
The biggest piece of news occurred prior to puck drop. While Tolopilo was named the starting goaltender ahead of tonight’s game and ultimately ended up playing, Jiří Patera was called up only a few minutes prior to Vancouver’s warm-up. When both teams took to the ice for warm-ups, only Tolopilo came out. Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote later clarified why Kevin Lankinen was absent so close to puck-drop.
“He woke up and didn’t feel right, didn’t feel good. So we had to make that call this morning,” he said post-game, also clarifying that there is no current timeline on Lankinen’s absence.
The 100-game man made the biggest impression of his teammates in tonight’s matchup. Karlsson found the back of the net early in the first, collecting the puck along the boards and bringing it into the slot to score his 14th of the season. In the second period, it was Karlsson again who scored to even the score up at two, deflecting a shot from Victor Mancini past Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka.
“It’s something you dream of, to play in the NHL, and hopefully I have a couple more in me,” Karlsson said of his 100th game tonight. “You want to be a full-time NHLer and a hundred is a good start.”
Vancouver’s power play has been hot as of late, continuing their streak of success by scoring twice tonight in what is now their fifth consecutive game. With the two tallies tonight, the Canucks are now up to 11 goals in their past 10 games. Adding to that is the fact that DeBrusk currently has five of these goals down this particular stretch.
“I think the main thing is Hronek getting more comfortable up there. Two is where Boeser and DeBrusk are playing off each other in the right spot, whether one’s low, depending where the puck is, they’re a good tandem. They’re working well together with tips and rebounds. And I think Marco is pretty patient on that half wall. He doesn’t just throw pucks away, usually. He’s pretty consistent at making the right play,” Foote said about the power play’s recent string of success.
Having said that, their first opportunity lacked the same inspiration that it has shown recently. The Canucks gave up more high-end chances than produced their own during this man-advantage, allowing two breakaway sequences and ultimately giving Utah the space to score their fourth goal of the game.
“We were struggling early in this game. They were pressuring us up high. We weren’t getting down low quick enough. Then I thought our breakouts gave them a little bit of momentum. In the second period, we had two bad breakouts and gave them momentum. And then they got one right after that, 5-on-5. But then we got a couple quick ones.”
While tonight’s score ultimately didn’t paint the best picture, Vancouver still managed to get some goals on a night that celebrated two players’ career milestones.
Apr 4, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks center Linus Karlsson (94) skates with puck against Utah Mammoth center Nick Schmaltz (8) during the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images
Stats and Facts:
Brock Boeser tallies his 477th point, tying Pavel Bure for eighth all-time in Canucks history
Canucks extend their current power play goal streak to five consecutive games
Vancouver remains winless against the Mammoth
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
2:28 - VAN: Linus Karlsson (14) from Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Liam Öhgren
13:34 - UTA: Kailer Yamamoto (11) from Logan Cooley
18:30 - UTA: Clayton Keller (23) from Lawson Crouse and Nick DeSimone
2nd Period:
2:05 - VAN: Linus Karlsson (15) from Victor Mancini and Teddy Blueger
7:04 - UTA: Clayton Keller (24) from Dylan Guenther and Mikhail Sergachev (PPG)
11:55 - UTA: Dylan Guenther (38) from John Marino and Logan Cooley
3rd Period:
0:20 - VAN: Jake DeBrusk (19) from Filip Hronek (PPG)
1:32 - UTA: Lawson Crouse (21) from Clayton Keller
4:40 - VAN: Marco Rossi (10) from Filip Hronek and Brock Boeser (PPG)
11:45 - UTA: Liam O’Brien (3) from Brandon Tanev and Nate Schmidt
19:07 - UTA: Clayton Keller (25) from Nick Schmaltz and Ian Cole (ENG)
Up Next:
The Canucks will play in their second-last game at home when they take on the Golden Knights on Tuesday. Vancouver has dropped both of their first two games against Vegas this season, losing 5–2 on February 4 and 4–2 on March 30. Tuesday will be the first and only time Vegas comes to Vancouver, with puck drop slated for 7:00 pm PT.
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Artemi Panarin continues his great play with the Kings, this time with a great find to Quinton Byfield on the rush in overtime to score the game-winning goal and lift the Los Angeles Kings (31-26-19) over the Toronto Maple Leafs, 7-6.
In a tie game in overtime, we've seen this before from the Kings, and it's never good. But this time, Los Angeles capitalizes in the clutch to win a huge game in a must-win situation to stay alive in the playoff race.
This win makes up for that heartbreaking loss the Kings suffered on Thursday against the Nashville Predators.
If you are looking for the final score, you can just google the year when the Leafs last won the Stanley Cup. #GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/CaPEpJtE5l
The game opened up as it has in the last four games. Once again, the Kings went down by two goals to start the first period; it's the third time in their last four games that they have started off this poorly in the opening frame.
The recent defeats the Kings have been suffering stem from terrible early starts and fighting their way back into the game, which ends in the same pattern: losing in overtime.
Los Angeles went six minutes in the first period, not even recording one shot on goal, which tells you everything about why Toronto held a 2-0 lead to end the first period.
The early sluggish turnovers by Los Angeles led to the two-goal hole that the Maple Leafs poured on the Kings.
Despite the offensive struggles early on by the Kings, they still outshot Toronto 11-8 after 20 minutes.
The second period began immediately with Los Angeles playing with more urgency and tenacity, scoring two goals in two minutes. At the 18:49 minute mark, the Kings played a beautiful rush on transition with Jared Wright leading the play to find Quinton Byfield for the tap-in goal.
Another goal was capitalized on by the Kings after a Maple Leaf turnover. Mikey Anderson led the 2-on-1 rush out of the box and fed a trailing Adrian Kempe on the rush to bury his 31st goal of the season, tying the game up 2-2.
LAK Goal - Tie game!
Just off the kill, Anderson comes out of the box and feeds Kempe off the rush. Juice buries his 31st of the season. Perfect center-lane drive by Kopitar too. 2-2.
Toronto had two consecutive goals that were called off, which helped the Kings dodge a bullet. One goal was called off for offside, and the second for too many players on the ice, which would've had the Maple Leafs up 4-2, leaving the score tied.
Despite the two overturned goals, the Kings didn't capitalize on those calls and ended up giving up another goal, which counted.
The Maple Leafs converted on their first of two power plays, scoring on the loose puck, to give Toronto back the lead.
But, over five minutes later, the Kings once again tied things up after a beautiful pass from Brandt Clarke, finding Artemi Panarin for the tip-in goal in tight, tying the scoreboard 3-3.
With just under 11 seconds to go in the second period, the Maple Leafs would once again score on their second power play of the night after great passing. Easton Cowan beat Darcy Kuemper to give Toronto the lead again.
Despite trailing 4-3, Los Angeles was much better in the second. Recognizing that the playoffs are on the line, they were more aggressive on both sides of the ice and outshot the visiting team 17-6.
Now, this is where all the chaos began for Los Angeles. Entering the third period down by one, the Kings scored three consecutive goals to take a two-goal lead. Here's how it all started.
Panarin led with terrific patience on the puck, skating around the neck, redirecting traffic passing the puck to Adrian Kempe, who scored his second goal of the night through traffic to once again tie the game up.
LAK Goal - 10 ➡️ 9.
Good players making good plays. Panarin with terrific patience, finds Kempe in the slot, Juice buries his second of the day through traffic. 4-4.
Big Sammy Helenius put Los Angeles back in front for the first time just 28 seconds later after tying it up. Helenius got help with a nice moving screen by Jeff Malott to fire the puck through the Maple Leafs' goaltender and give the Kings their first lead.
Over a minute later, Los Angeles continued its great passing and movement, getting a lot of open looks. This time, it was Alex Laferriere joining the party after a great setup by Trevor Moore on the left side of the ice to finish the play and let Laferriere score.
Despite holding on to a two-goal lead, the Maple Leafs didn't go away that easily. The Kings started playing like how they did early on, careless turnovers and errors, letting Toronto capitalize and score two consecutive goals, tying the game 6-6 just like that.
TOR Goal - Tie game.
Turnovers by Edmundson and Kuemper, Leafs quickly turn them into 6-6. Knies the goal, his second of the game.
Both teams failed to score in the final five minutes of regulation after Toronto tied it up, forcing another overtime for the Kings, who now have the most overtime games played in NHL history with their 31st today.
After a breakaway chance for the Maple Leafs to score and win the game, Darcy Kuemper got a huge stop to set up the 3-on-2 led by Artemi Panarin, who found Quinton Byfield on the rush to score the game-winning goal, lifting the Kings over the Maple Leafs.
Key Stats
Adrian Kempe finished with two goals, two assists, and four points. Artemi Panarin had a great night as well, scoring a goal, assisting on the game-winning goal, and finishing with three points. Quinton Byfield pitched in two goals and two points, while Trevor Moore had a nice showing with two assists and two points.
The Kings are now back in the playoff picture with tonight's win, at 81 points and holding a two-point lead over the Sharks and Predators, who will face off tonight. The winner of that game will tie the Kings for the final playoff spot.
The Kings' next matchup is Monday against the Nashville Predators at 7:30 PM PT, in what will be the biggest game of the season for the Kings to continue to stay in the playoff hunt.
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NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Oliver Kapanen’s decisive goal in the shootout gave the Montreal Canadiens a 4-3 win over the New Jersey Devils for their eighth straight win on Saturday.
Kapanen scored on a wrist shot past Devils goalie Jake Allen in the fifth round of the shootout.
The win gave Montreal 100 points for the first time since the 2016-17 season when it accumulated 103 points.
Ivan Demidov, Lane Hutson and Jayden Struble scored for Montreal, and Jakub Dobes had 35 saves.
Timo Meier, Jack Hughes and Dawson Mercer scored for New Jersey and Allen stopped 26 shots.
Cole Caufield picked up two assists, but failed to notch his 50th goal for Montreal. Caufield will get another shot Sunday when these two teams face off again in Montreal. He is sitting at 49 goals.
Caufield is looking to be the first Montreal Canadiens player to score 50 goals in a season in more than three decades.
Mercer scored from Meier and Nico Hischier at 13:08 of the second period to cut the Montreal lead to 3-1.
Hutson’s unassisted goal came just 1:16 after Demidov scored on the power play at 8:12.
Struble’s second goal of the season and just the sixth of his career provided Montreal with a 1-0 lead late in the first period.
Alejandro Kirk #30 of the Toronto Blue Jays looks on during the fourth inning of a spring training game against the Detroit Tigers at TD Ballpark on March 14, 2026 in Dunedin, Florida.
The injuries are piling up for the Blue Jays.
All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk was placed on the injured list Saturday after dislocating and breaking his left thumb, which he suffered on a foul tip during Friday’s game against the White Sox.
He is set to meet with a specialist to determine if surgery is needed.
After the game, Kirk was feeling about as one would expect.
Alejandro Kirk #30 of the Toronto Blue Jays hits a home run against the Athletics during the ninth inning in their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on March 28, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Getty Images
“He’s all right, as [Kirk] can be,” Toronto manager John Schneider said, per ESPN. “He’s pissed, obviously. Tough news for us and for Kirky for sure.”
Kirk has been one of the best backstops in baseball, making two All-Star appearances and winning the 2022 Silver Slugger since taking over full-time behind the plate for the Blue Jays four years ago.
Last season, Kirk hit .282/.348/.421 with 15 homers in 130 games.
He was one of the Blue Jays’ biggest bats during their American League pennant-winning run in October, hitting .254/.349/.493 with five long balls.
Tyler Heineman and Brandon Valenzuela are expected to split time at catcher in Kirk’s absence.
Kirk’s thumb issue adds to a long list of injuries the Blue Jays are dealing with during the early going of the 2026 season.
The team began the year with starting pitchers Shane Bieber (right elbow inflammation), José Berríos (right elbow stress fracture) and Trey Yesavage (right shoulder impingement) on the injured list.
Earlier this week, starter Cody Ponce went down with an ACL injury while trying to field a ground ball, which is expected to sideline him for a significant amount of time.
The Blue Jays are sitting at 4-3 on the season heading into Saturday’s play despite the injuries.
VANCOVUER, British Columbia (AP) — Clayton Keller had the third hat trick of his career and the Utah Mammoth extended their winning streak to three games with a 7-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.
Keller's first three-goal game of the season came on a disputed power-play score and two empty-net goal. His man-advantage goal at 7:04 of the second period came on the deflection of a point shot by Dylan Guenther that gave Utah a 3-2 lead. The goal was originally waived off due to his stick touching the puck above the cross bar. After a video review, the referee ruled the stick was at or below the cross bar.
Dylan Guenther and Lawson Crowse each had a goal and an assist for Utah (40-30-6), which continued to push for a Western Conference playoff spot. Kailer Yamamoto and Liam O’Brien, who was in the lineup after 18 games as a healthy scratch, also scored for the Mammoth, who won their fourth straight road game. Logan Cooley added two assists. Karel Vejmelka made 19 saves for Utah.
Linus Karlsson, playing in his 100th NHL game, scored twice for Vancouver (22-46-8). Marco Rossi and Jake DeBrusk added power-play goals and Filip Hronek had two assists. Nikita Tolopilo stopped 17 shots for the Canucks, who have one win in their last nine games.
The Canucks called up goaltender Jiri Patera from Abbotsford of the AHL as the backup to replace Kevin Lankinen, who was a late scratch.
Before the opening faceoff there was a tribute to Vancouver native Evander Kane, who returned to the lineup to play his 1,001st game after missing the last two games with an undisclosed injury.
Up next
Mammoth: Host the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.
Canucks: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 4: Adem Bona #30 of the Philadelphia 76ers dunks the ball during the game against the Detroit Pistons on April 4, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 22.5 VJ Edgecombe – 12 Joel Embiid – 10.5 Paul George – 8 Kelly Oubre Jr. – 5 Justin Edwards – 4 Quentin Grimes – 3 Jared McCain :’( – 3 Dominick Barlow – 2 Andre Drummond – 2 MarJon Beauchamp – 2 Adem Bona – 1 Cam Payne – 1 Jabari Walker – 1 Trendon Watford – 1 15th roster spot – 1
Well, that wasn’t great.
The Philadelphia 76ers fell 116-93 to the Detroit Pistons on Saturday evening. The game was the close of the 15th of 16 back-to-backs for the Sixers this season after they defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves just last night. Unfortunately, the Sixers looked like a team on the end of a back-to-back.
Joel Embiid was out on Saturday for oblique injury management and illness (he hadn’t played both legs of any back-to-back this season, though). The Pistons were without Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart.
It’s a testament to the Pistons’ depth how good they still are even without a player like Cunningham. Every time the Sixers would pull close to them, Detroit would suddenly have a burst of scoring to stretch their lead again. For the first half, Philadelphia were doing an alright job hanging in and battling back and forth.
The third quarter, as it has been so many times this season, was a different story. The Sixers started falling victim more often to the Pistons defense, committing a number of turnovers (some relatively unforced, even) while the Detroit offense continued to cook. In what truly felt like one fell swoop, the Sixers were suddenly down nearly 20 points. The Sixers were never able to recover in any meaningful way from then on.
With tonight’s loss, Philadelphia falls to the No. 7 seed in the East at least temporarily, now half a game behind the Toronto Raptors who did not play on Saturday. The Pistons, meanwhile, clinched the No. 1 seed in the conference with their victory over the Sixers.
The Sixers get a day to rest on Sunday before getting back to work on Monday visiting the San Antonio Spurs. Just four games remain.
Until then, let’s get to the Bell Ringer.
Paul George: 20 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
<p>(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)</p><br> | NBAE via Getty Images
Paul George was available to play tonight after initially being listed as probable. Good thing, too, because he went right back to work doing exactly what he’s been able to do since returning from suspension: pretty much whatever he wants. He scored nine points in the first four minutes of the game by way of a catch-and-shoot three and a few mid-range jumpers. The only thing that slowed PG down was picking up two early fouls in the first. It didn’t stop him for long, however, with George reentering the game to start the second quarter and sinking yet another catch-and-shoot three in the first two minutes. By halftime, he was leading the field with 18 points on 6-for-7 field goal and 3-for-4 long range shooting in just under 14 and a half minutes on the floor.
PG’s night slowed down drastically from there as did the night for all of the Sixers, but it was still a good sign to see how well George is playing coming out of 25 games sidelined due to suspension.
George finished the game with 20 points on 7-for-14 field goal and 3-for-5 three-point shooting. He also had five rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Paul George still looking DAMN good since returning, starts this one off with nine points in the first four minutes 🔥 pic.twitter.com/OoEX6VAV0p
<p>(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)</p><br> | NBAE via Getty Images
Tyrese Maxey hit a number of really tough twos in the first and led the Sixers with 14 points after one on 5-for-8 field goal shooting (1-for-2 from long range). That being said, Maxey was another Sixer hamstrung by early fouls, picking up two in the first frame (and he was NOT happy about it). He went scoreless in the second, but fortunately PG and Edgecombe picked up in the slack in that frame.
As the game went on, Maxey seemed to start to fall out of sorts. Not sure if it was the fatigue of playing last night, a testament to the Detroit defense, or maybe a bit of both, but Maxey struggled in the third frame with some sloppiness and missed shots. His body language and facial expressions seemed to match the issue, with Maxey looking tired and/or frustrated quite a bit as things went on. He struggled, and the Sixers struggled without his offensive production setting the tone and pace the way it typically does.
Nevertheless, Maxey still found ways to chip in offensively here and there, and it added up. Despite what could probably be considered a lackluster game by Maxey’s standards, he still led the Sixers with 23 points. He also finished the game with one rebound, one assist and one steal.
<p>(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)</p><br> | NBAE via Getty Images
It took a little bit for the rookie to get going tonight, posting just two points on 1-for-4 field goal shooting in the first frame, but he seemed to lock in quick once the second came around. Edgecombe began relying more on his speed and footwork and suddenly the shots started falling, totaling 11 points on 4-for-5 field goal shooting in the second quarter.
It just continues to be impressive to see the shots that the rookie is able to create for himself even against the better teams in the NBA. It doesn’t seem to matter how many defenders are right in his face, Edgecombe is able to use his athleticism and quick footwork to create just enough space that he’s able to sink buckets. Sometimes, I think we even take for granted just how good Edgecombe looks at just 20 years old, still in his first year as a professional. Sure, his efficiency shooting still leaves some to be desired on nights like tonight (he shot just 7-for-18 from the floor), but there’s so many positives to this rookie’s game night in and night out that it’s easier to have some grace for that… especially since no one else on the team can seem to shoot either at times.
The rookie finished with 19 points, six rebounds (three offensive), one assist, two steals and a block.
VJ Edgecombe makes the most of a little space and the rookie is up to 13 points so far tonight pic.twitter.com/ljzny7qb5C
<p> (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)</p><br> | Getty Images
Nick Nurse opted to start Andre Drummond instead of Adem Bona in place of the absent Embiid tonight, but Bona made the most of his minutes on the floor. He started his first stint with a tap-in put-back, something we have seen him do plenty of times. Then, however, he found success in a much different way: putting some genuinely nice footwork moves on Jalen Duren to find buckets. It was nothing incredibly wild, but it was really unexpected from someone we typically don’t see that from like Bona. Nevertheless, it paid off with six points on 3-for-3 field goal shooting in the first half (in addition to an offensive board and two assists).
Bona continued his efforts in the second half, seemingly having a lot more success against the Pistons (both offensively and defensively) than Drummond was able to at any point.
Bona finished the game with 10 points on perfect 5-for-5 field goal shooting with four rebounds (three offensive) and two assists in 23 minutes off the bench.
Just a really nice sequence from the Sixers here to pull within two of the Pistons. Another PG three, a steal, and Adem Bona with a great move for a bucket. pic.twitter.com/uKxnnmeXia
