Mets vs. Cubs, Game 2: Lineups, broadcast info, and open thread, 6/24/26

Sean Manaea #59 of the New York Mets throws a pitch during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on June 18, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Mets won 6-4.

Mets lineup

Carson Benge – LF
Francisco Lindor – SS
Bo Bichette – 3B
Mark Vientos – 1B
Marcus Semien – 2B
Francisco Alvarez – C
Eric Wagaman – DH
A.J. Ewing – CF
Brett Baty – RF

SP: Sean Manaea – LHP

lineup

Pete Crow-Armstrong – CF
Matt Shaw – LF
Seiya Suzuki – RF
Alex Bregman – 3B
Michael Busch – 1B
Nico Hoerner – 2B
Carson Kelly – C
Pedro Ramirez – DH
Dansby Swanson – SS

SP: Shota Imanaga – LHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 7:10 PM EDT
TV:
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2

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Breaking: Jack Drury traded to Nashville

DENVER, COLORADO - MARCH 10: Jack Drury #18 of the Colorado Avalanche warms up prior to the game against the Edmonton Oilers at Ball Arena on March 10, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images) | Getty Images

After an unprecedented day of trades in the NHL, the Colorado Avalanche got in on the action completing another transaction with their former GM Chris MacFarland in Nashville. The deal sends Jack Drury, Chase Bradley and their 2029 third round pick to the Predators for a pair of 23-year-old former first round pick forwards in Fyodor Svechkov and Zachary L’Heureux.

It’s been rumored for a while that Jack Drury wanted a hefty payday and the writing was on the wall when Colorado acquired Nicolas Roy at the trade deadline that Colorado wasn’t going to pay 3 million dollars to two bottom six players. Both Sakic and MacFarland should have been aware of Drury’s ask and value on the market as well as his Restricted Free Agent arbitration eligible status. Parting with a third round pick so far in the future seems unnecessary in this transaction but it doesn’t touch Colorado’s upcoming nine-pick draft class. Including Chase Bradley is just an expiring contract moved to even out the deal with Colorado taking on two contracts.

Incoming to Colorado is a pair of Nashville Predators 2021 first round draft selections in center Fydor Svechkov and winger Zachary L’Hereaux. Both are in the same situation in a lot of ways as the two just signed two-year extensions that expire as RFA in 2028. They each have a notable amount of NHL experience but have played in the AHL as recent as this year. The other kicker is both are no longer waiver exempt so pencil them into the Avalanche opening night lineup in the fall.

Svechkov is a 6-foot left shot center and comes with the higher pedigree of being a former 19th overall pick and spent the majority of the 2025-26 season in the NHL at 70 games played with 17 points and 122 career NHL games overall. He spent 10 games in the AHL, mostly over the Olympic break, and scored eight points including five goals. Svechkov is signed the next two seasons at $1.25M, which sounds like the right price for Colorado in their search for the next fourth line center.

L’Heureux was the 27th overall selection in the 2021 draft and has 87 career NHL games. The majority of it was in the 2024-25 season while he split time in the NHL and AHL last season. The 5-foot-11 left shot left wing scored five points for Nashville and 28 for Milwaukee. L’Heureux is a controversial player who not only plays with an edge but goes over the line sometimes. He pretty much averages a penalty minute per game and set a record for 198 hits his rookie season. He is also signed at a very reasonable $875k (one way) for the next two seasons.

What do you think of the trade? Let us know in the comments!

Game Thread: Jax is settling out a bit

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - JUNE 19: Griffin Jax #22 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Friday, June 19, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Alex Zadorozny/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Go Rays!

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GameThread: Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees, 6:40 p.m.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) looks on from the dugout during the ninth inning between Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees at Comerica Park in Detroit on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Detroit Tigers (34-45) vs. New York Yankees (47-31)

Time/Place: 6:40 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site: Pinstripe Alley
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: LHP Tarik Skubal (3-3, 3.02 ERA) vs. LHP Ryan Weathers (2-5, 4.13 ERA)

PlayerGIPK%BB%GB%FIPfWAR
Skubal953.226.93.845.72.751.5
Weathers1480.227.26.743.04.330.9

Lineups

YANKEESTIGERS
Paul Goldschmidt – 1BKevin McGonigle – 3B
Ben Rice – DHDillon Dingler – DH
Jasson Dominguez – RFMatt Vierling – CF
Cody Bellinger – LFRiley Greene – LF
Anthony Volpe – SSSpencer Torkelson – 1B
Jazz Chisholm – 2BHao-Yu Lee – 2B
Jose Caballero – 3BBen Malgeri – RF
Austin Wells – CZach McKinstry – SS
Max Schuemann – CFJake Rogers – C

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Rockies rally late to stun Red Sox bullpen in 8-6 victory

DENVER, CO - JUNE 24: Tyler Freeman #2 of the Colorado Rockies hits an RBI single in the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Coors Field on June 24, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Playing from behind for the majority of the game, the Colorado Rockies stunned the Boston Red Sox with a late-game rally against the bullpen to secure an 8-6 victory and the series win. Contributions from top to bottom underlined yet another gutsy win for Colorado.

Freeland grinds out another start

Coming off what was arguably his best start of the season last time out, Kyle Freeland once again found himself having to grind out a start at Coors Field.

The Red Sox came out swinging against Freeland despite him looking comfortable on the mound with his command. Nate Eaton led off the game by flying out to right field. Ceddanne Rafaela then popped up a cutter to behind first base that deflected off the glove of Willi Castro, resulting in a triple. Freeland recovered to get Wilyer Abreu to ground out to second base with the infield playing in, but then allowed an RBI double to Willson Contreras to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead.

The aggression continued in the second inning as Anthony Seigler laced a single on the first pitch and two batters later, Connor Wong launched his first home run on a first-pitch knuckle-curve to make it 3-0 Red Sox. In the fourth inning, Andrew Monasterio launched a third-pitch knuckle-curve offering to left field for a home run to extend the lead and Rafaela later delivered an RBI single for the Red Sox’s fifth run of the game. In the fifth inning, Marcelo Mayer and Seigler delivered back-to-back doubles for their sixth run of the game.

Through five innings, Freeland had thrown around 70 pitches, but Boston already had 10 hits against him. He departed after the sixth inning, having allowed six runs on 11 hits with four strikeouts and a walk. He threw just 81 pitches, 61 of which were strikes. He also generated 11 swing and misses, but the Red Sox just found plenty of success when making contact.

“The name of the game here at Coors is to hang with it when things don’t go your way,” said manager Warren Schaeffer. “‘Free’ completed like crazy. But at the end of the day, he gave us six innings, and we were still in the ball game.”

Rockies 3rd inning

The Rockies showed some life in the third inning as they chipped away at the deficit and made it a 3-2 game heading into the fourth inning. Kyle Karros got on board thanks to a throwing error to kick things off. Castro then grounded into a fielder’s choice force out to replace Karros at first. Tyler Freeman then chipped in a single to put men on first and second, setting up Rumfield’s RBI double to get the Rockies on the board.

Hunter Goodman then drew a walk to load the bases with one out to allow Cole Carrigg an opportunity to swing the game in the Rockies’ favor. Carrigg connected on a 90 mph sinker on the outside corner, shooting a line drive to right field that turned into a funky play. Abreu was in the perfect position to make the catch, but the ball just popped out of his glove. Freeman scored on what was deemed a sacrifice fly for Carrigg, but Goodman was thrown out at second. Unfortunately, the Rockies couldn’t add on as Jake McCarthy grounded out to end the inning.

Mighty Morphin’ Power Ranger

Colorado responded to Boston’s two runs in the top of the fourth by stringing together three straight singles in the bottom half of the inning from Karros, Castro, and Freeman, who collected the RBI. However, the Rockies couldn’t figure out much else against Ranger Suarez. The lefty delivered another excellent outing against the Rockies and at Coors Field as he retired the final seven batters in order after Freeman’s single.

The Rockies chipped away early and managed seven hits against him, but he collected nine strikeouts against just one walk while registering 13 swing and misses. He threw 68 of his 102 pitches for strikes, utilizing his command to keep the Rockies’ lineup off balance and limit them to softly hit singles.

Attack on the bullpen

Once Suarez left the game, the Rockies rejoiced as the hard-throwing right-handed reliever Tyron Guerrero entered the game in the seventh inning.

After getting Castro to strike out, Guerrero plunked Freeman with a pitch and then got Rumfield to fly out. The Rockies then got a gift when Mayer botched a ground ball from Goodman that would have ended the inning, putting two on base. Carrigg and McCarthy both delivered RBI singles to make it a 6-5 game.

Troy Johnston was then called upon to pinch-hit, which prompted Boston to bring in the lefty Danny Coulombe to face him. On a 90 mph sinker left over the middle of the plate, Johnston shot the ball back up the middle for a single to score Carrigg and tie the game 6-6. With a chance to take the lead, Tovar grounded out to end the inning.

The Rockies kept up the attack mentality in the bottom of the eighth against reliever Justin Slaten. Three pitches into the inning, Mickey Moniak had a pinch-hit single and advanced to third on a single from Castro that deflected off the second baseman. Freeman then dropped a bunt that allowed Moniak to score the go-ahead run as the Red Sox only had a play at first base.

Rumfield followed with a single to put runners on the corners, followed by a lineout from Goodman for the second out of the inning. Facing yet another big scoring opportunity, Carrigg laced a ball into the right field gap for a hustle double to drive in his third RBI of the game and give the Rockies the 8-6 lead.

Having scored just three runs on seven hits through the first six innings, the Rockies had five runs on seven hits in the seventh and eighth innings. They ended up with 14 hits in total, while striking out 11 times against one walk. Four hitters ended up with two hits, while Castro had three.

Senza settles the ship

After not working for a few days, the Rockies turned to Antonio Senzatela in the seventh inning with the 6-3 deficit. Senzatela ended up being exactly who they needed as he blazed through two perfect innings on 33 pitches, striking out two, en route to collecting his eighth win of the season.

Jimmy Herget then delivered a perfect ninth to seal the series victory and his second save of the year.

Up next

The Rockies are off on Thursday as they kick off a new road trip on Friday. Their first stop will be in the Twin Cities as they face off against the Minnesota Twins. Tomoyuki Sugano (8-4, 4.31 ERA) will make the start for the Rockies, while Minnesota will send out Taj Bradley (6-3, 4.11 ERA).


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Washington Nationals vs Philadelphia Phillies Game Thread

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 23: Jorbit Vivas #84 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with teammates after hitting a three-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the eighth inning at Nationals Park on June 23, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The loss last night was absolutely devastating, but at this point, the boys are almost used to it. They have bounced back from demoralizing bullpen meltdowns before, and they will try to do it again tonight. We will also see a new arm for the first time in this one.

After being scratched last night, CJ Abrams is good to go in this one. He will be playing shortstop and hitting cleanup. That will move Nasim Nunez to second and Jorbit Vivas to third. Curtis Mead will get the night off after striking out 4 times yesterday. Daylen Lile, Jose Tena and Drew Millas will also be in the lineup. Funky lefty Carson Palmquist will make his Nats debut and he will open for Miles Mikolas.

Unlike Abrams, Kyle Schwarber is not back in the Phillies lineup after missing last night. Alec Bohm will actually move to first base and Bryce Harper will be the DH. Edmundo Sosa will move to third. It is a similar cast of characters as last night for the Phillies. Aaron Nola has had a rough season yet again, and the veteran will take the ball tonight.

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Game Info:

Stadium: Nationals Park

Time: 6:45 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

Yet again, the Nats have to bounce back from a demoralizing loss. They have shown they are a resilient team, but it would be nice if they did not have to come back from all these gut wrenching bullpen meltdowns. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

Celtics' president Brad Stevens downplays rumors, 'Jaylen Brown is a big part of us'

Brad Stevens is trying to slow down the rumor mill. Good luck with that.

In the wake of Jaylen Brown being put in a trade offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo, rumors have been flying around the league that Boston is listening to trade offers for Brown. Tuesday night, after the first round of the draft, Stevens, Boston's president of basketball operations, said that he has had multiple meetings with Brown this summer and that Brown is "a big part of us." Here are his quotes, via Ben Golliver of ESPN.

"Jaylen Brown is a big part of us," Stevens said. "I'm never going to predict the future. Every indication, everything I think about, over the last few years, has been building around those guys [Brown and Jayson Tatum]. You never know. But at the same time, the one thing I want to make very clear is how valued he's always been. He's been amazing. He's been an amazing teammate and a great person to be around...

"With all the rumor mill and all that stuff, and his name being splashed all over the place, that's not easy. We certainly wanted to be as proactive and up-front with that as possible. I thought we had really good, candid conversations... There's always gonna have to be get-togethers, there's always gonna have to be things that you talk about."

Stevens may be trying to throw cold water on things, but other teams are preparing for a bidding war for Brown, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said Tuesday.

There would be real demand for Brown, who is coming off the best season of his career, where he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game and was sixth in MVP voting. Houston and Atlanta are two teams often mentioned.

The challenge in trading Brown is matching his $57.1 million salary — he has three years and about $183 million left on his contract. Not every team can or will want to take that on.

This may ultimately come down to what Brown wants, how he feels after having his best — and in his words, "favorite" — season, then finding himself in trade talks. There are a lot of rumors that he wants a fresh start, but does he want that more than to chase another ring with Tatum?

We'll find out in the coming weeks whether this was just a speed bump in Brown's relationship with Boston or if things are about to take a sharp turn.

Mariners Game #81 Preview and Discussion: SEA at PIT, 6/24

PITTSBURGH, PA - JUNE 23: Cole Young #2 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates after hitting a two run home run in the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on June 23, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Mariners will reach the midway point in their regular season on Wednesday night in Pittsburgh.

Bryan Woo will be on the mound as his team looks to secure a series win on the road and return to .500 in games away from T-Mobile Park this year. Woo is coming off one of his best outings of the season last week, a seven-plus-inning start against the Orioles where he allowed no runs and only three hits. That said, the righty has faced his fair share of challenges on the road this year, and he’ll look to improve upon a 4.29 FIP on the road in 2026.

The Pirates will tap right-hander Braxton Ashcraft in the middle game of the three-game set. The 26-year-old is putting together a fantastic sophomore campaign, with a 3.18 ERA and 3.04 FIP in 15 starts. He’s already accumulated 2.5 fWAR this season, which is good for 10th among all major league starting pitchers (for reference, Woo ranks 16th in the category).

Lineups

News anchor voice: they’re calling it the most complete Mariners lineup in weeks. Dominic Canzone returns after missing Tuesday’s game with a sore hamstring.

Game Information

First Pitch: 3:40 p.m. PDT

TV:Mariners.TV, with Aaron Goldsmith, Angie Mentink and sideline analyst Brad Adam

Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Gary Hill Jr. and Shannon Drayer

New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers: Ryan Weathers vs. Tarik Skubal

TORONTO, CANADA - JUNE 12: Ryan Weathers #40 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning in their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on June 12, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tara Walton/Getty Images) | Getty Images

After evening up this series on Tuesday the Yankees have a chance to walk out of Detroit with a series victory, but they’re going to have to face the two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner to manage it.

Tarik Skubal turned what could’ve been a lengthy injury into an blip on the radar, undergoing elbow surgery at the start of May to remove bone spurs but with a new procedure that minimized the invasiveness of the operation and cut his recovery time down to a 4-6 week timetable from what could’ve been months. Sure enough, four weeks later Skubal was pitching in a rehab start and by mid-June was back in a Tigers uniform and on the mound taking on the Guardians.

That being said, Detroit’s ace has needed to build back to his previous form after the time off. Skubal was pitching lights out to start the year, looking to defend his title and perhaps win a third-consecutive Cy Young — in his seven starts across March and April, he pitched at least six innings in all but one of them and owned a 2.70 ERA for his troubles. Since returning he’s made two starts, lasting 4.2 innings against Cleveland while allowing three runs (two earned) before facing off with the White Sox and pitching 5.2 innings in that outing with three more runs to his name. He’s allowed a fair bit of solid contact with three home runs in that short span, but in that second start he looked a bit more like the old Skubal striking out eight batters. We’ll see if he’s settled in yet, or if the Yankees can take advantage of the ace not quite being at full strength.

The Yankees are countering with Ryan Weathers, the team’s fifth starter who righted the ship after a dreadful stretch of starts. Weathers concluded his May with a mixed bag outing against the A’s, striking out 10 batters in 6.2 innings but allowing five runs on three homers in the process. He followed that up with a couple of no-doubt stinkers, going six innings against Boston and again allowing five runs on two more blasts before Toronto tagged him for six runs in 4.1 innings with two more long balls to the tally. The homer has been the death of Weathers throughout this season, as his early successes came when he could keep it in the park but the majority of his duds had the common thread of giving up too much through the air. Weathers’ last outing served as a much-needed reset pitching into the seventh inning and allowing a lone solo shot to leave the yard, one of just three hits he allowed in his 6.1 innings of work. Now can he make it two quality outings in a row?

With Ryan McMahon hitting the IL today due to a throat infection, we’ll see both Anthony Volpe and José Caballero entrenched on the left side of the infield for a bit and the same remains true today as they start at shortstop and third base, respectively (plus the recalled Oswaldo Cabrera on the bench). Paul Goldschmidt hits leadoff and will play first base with the lefty on the mound, and he’s followed by Ben Rice at DH and Jasson Domínguez alongside Cody Bellinger as the corner outfielders to round out the top of the lineup. Jazz Chisholm Jr. slots in between the other infielders in the lineup and will play second base, Austin Wells gets his second consecutive start behind the plate, and it’ll be Max Schuemann roaming center field tonight to complete the batting order.

How to watch

Location: Comerica Park — Detroit, MI

First pitch: 6:40 pm ET

TV broadcast: Detroit SportsNet

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), WXYT 97.1 FM, LaZ WDTW 1310AM/207.9 FM (DET)

Online stream: Amazon Prime Video

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Mets activate Francisco Lindor, designate Zack Short for assignment

Apr 22, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) reacts after his RBI infield single against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Ahead of Game 2 of today’s day/night doubleheader, the Mets activated Francisco Lindor from the Injured List. In a corresponding move, Zack Short was designated for assignment. Ronny Mauricio was also activated from the Injured List, and was assigned to Triple-A Syracuse.

Tonight will mark Lindor’s first game since April 22, when he strained his calf, and subsequently spent the next two months on the shelf. He started his rehab assignment on Friday in Binghamton, where he went 1-4 with a strikeout and a run scored. In two subsequent games in Syracuse, he went 3-12 with a stolen base and three runs scored.

The Mets are currently 11 games under .500, and so the injection of a perennial superstar into the lineup, especially as their other superstar recently went down, cannot be better if there is any chance at this team producing meaningful games in July, let alone September.

Short, on his second stint as a Met after a cup of coffee in 2024 where he appeared in ten games, appeared in just three games this go ’round, collecting one hit in nine plate appearances, while also tossing an inning of scoreless relief against the Phillies over the weekend.

Mauricio, who injured his thumb on May 2, had been filling in for Lindor on the big league roster, and so will return to Syracuse where he hopes to get regular playing time.

Boston Celtics Daily Links 6/24/26

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 28: The sneakers worn by Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One Game Five of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 28, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

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Jaylen Brown lashes out at Stephen A. Smith, calls ESPN 'unethical'

Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown criticized Stephen A. Smith and ESPN for their coverage of his recent comments, calling the network "unethical" as part of an appearance at the Sports Beach Cannes event in France on Wednesday, June 24.

Brown was a featured speaker on a panel called, "The Spiritual Game" during the annual conference, which bills itself as "a global platform connecting brands, athletes and marketers through lived experiences." Footage of his comments, which come in the midst of speculation about his future with the Celtics after being included in Giannis Antetokounmpo trade talks, began to circulate on social media via an incomplete clip.

The initial question, beginning of Brown's answer and the end of his answer are not included. But based on what Brown can be heard saying, his response is related to the "favorite year" comments that raised eyebrows around the league at the end of Boston's 2025-26 campaign in which Brown starred mostly without an injured Jayson Tatum.

"The leader behind that was ESPN. ESPN is unethical, and Stephen A. Smith is the head face of that," Brown said in the viral soundbite of his answer. "But, you know, the organization, the players, they were all in agreeance, they all knew what I meant by that. Our team was basically salary dumped. We lost a lot of players and for us to emerge and still be in the same position, we got to start to understand success doesn't always mean ..."

That's where the clip of Brown's remarks cuts off.

Brown's "favorite year" comments occurred on his Twitch stream after the Celtics were eliminated from the 2026 NBA playoffs by the Philadelphia 76ers. Though Smith has been vocal in his criticism of Brown at times, he did not appear to have a problem with what Brown said during a segment on ESPN's First Take. He called the reference "no big deal" and noted Brown is being "candid with how he feels."

"I'm so proud of this group and the way we played," Brown said on the Twitch stream last month. "I wish we trusted that style of play a little bit more, and playoffs kind of shifted our rotations and what we wanted to do. But I'm so proud, and it was my favorite year of my basketball career."

Brown was a 2026 NBA MVP finalist after the best season of his career, but he's now been dangled by the Celtics in prominent trade discussions twice in four years. He was also mentioned as a trade possibility in 2022 when Boston pursued Kevin Durant.

Celtics General Manager Brad Stevens praised Brown when he met with reporters late Tuesday following the end of the 2026 NBA Draft first round, but he declined to discuss the Antetokounmpo negotiations.

Though Stevens noted he met with Brown multiple times this offseason, including before the Celtics star went on his current overseas trip, he hedged when addressing if Brown would be on the team's next season.

"Jaylen Brown's a big part of us," Stevens said. "I'm never going to predict the future, but every indication, everything that I think about over the past few years has been building around those guys, right, and so obviously you never know. But at the same time, the one thing I want to make very clear is how valued he's always been. He's been amazing, he's been an amazing teammate, a great person to be around.

"And whether that run ends 10 years from now when he retires or before," Stevens continued, "there's a lot to celebrate and we have a great relationship and an open relationship, where we talk about everything. But I don't want to predict the future. But I look at it as this is our team."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Celtics' Jaylen Brown blasts Stephen A. Smith, ESPN as 'unethical'

San Diego gets huge series win, going for sweep over Atlanta

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 23: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres is doused with Gatorade after hitting a walk-off single in the tenth inning during the game against the Atlanta Braves at Petco Park on June 23, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The San Diego Padres have looked resurgent lately. After losing consecutive series to the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers, the Friars reeled off a quick series victory against the Atlanta Braves. But, despite winning the series in just two games, each win was a battle.

San Diego reeled off a 1-0 victory against Atlanta in the series opener. They did so on the backs of a Manny Machado solo shot and Michael King’s seven scoreless innings. Last night, the club battled back from a four-run deficit in the second inning to win the game, 7-6, in extras. 

The Padres have finally shown some fight after floundering for the last few weeks. They’ll need to keep that momentum in order to sweep Atlanta tonight, and to face the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in their upcoming series.

Taking the mound

Martín Pérez (ATL) v. JP Sears (SD)

The former Padre was picked up on a minor league deal with the Braves, and was called up after injuries plagued Atlanta’s rotation. Pérez has surged with the Braves, posting a career-best 2.78 ERA through 68 innings.

But Pérez has struggled a bit recently. He’s still been good (3.27 ERA in last seven starts), but it hasn’t been the same dominance displayed in the start of the season.

Sears, on the other hand, has yet to find a groove at the big-league level. The lefty was recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move after starter Lucas Giolito hit the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation.

He hasn’t posted great numbers in the minors this season (7.92 ERA, 63.2 IP), but it’s important to remember that the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate plays in the Pacific Coast League. The PCL is known for its hitter-friendly environs, which has certainly affected Sears. It’s impossible to say how he’ll fare tonight against Atlanta because of that. 

Batter up!

After struggling to score in a major way, the offense has finally clicked. The club has scored 30 runs in their last six games. Their approach at the plate looks much more lively than it has in a while, and it’s working for them.

  1. Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
  2. Samad Taylor, RF
  3. Jackson Merrill, CF
  4. Manny Machado, 3B
  5. Gavin Sheets, LF
  6. Xander Bogaerts, SS
  7. Ty France, 1B
  8. Miguel Andujar, DH
  9. Freddy Fermin, C

Fermin was activated yesterday after being on concussion protocol for the last week. Blake Hunt was sent back down to Triple-A in a corresponding move. He’ll likely start in order to give Rodolfo Durán a day off.

The stars have finally started raking for San Diego. Machado, Merrill and Tatis have looked like themselves at the plate again. It’s proved that the Padres will go as far as that trio can take them. 

Relief corps

Starter Griffin Canning had Wandy Peralta as an opener in Tuesday night’s game. Peralta pitched a fantastic first inning before giving way to Canning. Unfortunately, the strategy didn’t work nearly as well as it did in Canning’s last start. The righty lasted only 2/3 of an inning before being lifted for the bullpen. He gave up four runs to the Braves in the process. 

Because of that, it became an impromptu bullpen game. Thanks to King’s gem on Monday, the relief corps was ready for the task. Kyle Hart and Yuki Matsui covered two-plus innings apiece. David Morgan and Adrian Morejon pitched a perfect seventh and eighth. Mason Miller followed it up with two no-hit innings to put San Diego in position to walk it off. 

The only problem is that now puts pressure on Sears to perform tonight. The bullpen is depleted, with just Jason Adam and Ron Marinaccio immediately available. Morejon and Morgan could pitch in relief (each threw less than 15 pitches on Tuesday night), but the likelier option is for Marinaccio to cover multiple innings for the Friars. 

NBA Draft 2026 Day 2 discussion

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 23: AJ Dybantsa is drafted first overall by the Washington Wizards during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The second round of the 2026 NBA Draft is tonight at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Washington Wizards hold the No. 51 and No. 60 picks, or at least held them at around 6:40 a.m. ET when I wrote this first thing in the morning.

The Washington Mystics also play the Minnesota Lynx at 7:30 p.m. ET tonight on Monumental Sports Network. I think there will be some Wizards rookie sitting courtside. I just think there will be.

Enjoy chatting about the second round of the draft below!