The 2025-26 season has been a tough one for Montreal Canadiens goalie Samuel Montembeault. Due to his struggles, the 29-year-old has lost the Canadiens' No. 1 goalie job, and questions about his long-term future have come up because of it.
In 25 appearances this season with the Canadiens, Montembeault has a 10-8-4 record, a 3.43 goals-against average, and an .872 save percentage. This is after he had a 31-24-7 record, a 2.82 goals-against average, and a .902 save percentage this past season with Montreal.
Montembeault was also assigned to the Laval Rocket on an AHL conditioning loan back in December, where he had a 0-2-0 record and a .904 save percentage in two appearances.
While this season has not gone to plan for Montembeault, his past success will make him an interesting bounce-back candidate to watch next season.
However, Montembeault has now landed some praise. The Canadiens' netminder was given the No. 1 spot on The Athletic's goalie mask power rankings, and it is hard to disagree with their take. Montembeault's snake mask is an incredible look.
Joey Daccord (Seattle Kraken), John Gibson (Detroit Red Wings), Scott Wedgewood (Colorado Avalanche), and Jake Oettinger (Dallas Stars) were ranked behind Montembeault in The Athletic's goalie mask rankings. While they all have great masks, there is no question that Montembeault's mask is the coolest.
Nov 15, 2007 - Chicago, Illinois, USA - Group photo of players in the American League All-Star game in 1933. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images/Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images) | Sporting News via Getty Images
Oral Hildebrand’s baseball story feels almost too perfect for its era. Disney could easily turn it into a coming-of-age summer classic.
Born in Indianapolis in 1907, his journey to the Yankees did not begin under bright lights. It started in the kind of Midwestern setting that shaped so many ballplayers of his generation, where imagination and a patch of open, mostly flat land could become a ballpark by afternoon. By the time Hildebrand hung up his cleats, that grounded beginning had turned into a 10-year major league career, capped by joining the Yankees for the final two seasons of his professional life and winning a World Series.
Oral Clyde Hildebrand Born: April 7, 1907 (Indianapolis, IN) Died: September 8, 1977 (Southport, IN) Yankees Tenure: 1939-40
The roots of that journey began on the family farm outside Indianapolis.
Long before Butler, before Cleveland, and before the Bronx, Hildebrand’s early mornings were spent milking cows, hauling water, and tossing hay bales, the kind of repetitive, strength-building work that quietly shaped both his body and his discipline. Somewhere between the barn chores and the open fields, he began to realize his future was not meant to stay rooted in the barnyard.
The same strong arm that could sling feed and stack hay kept finding a more natural purpose on the diamond. That arm turned him into a star pitcher at Southport High School, but the road forward was hardly smooth. After graduating, Hildebrand remained on the farm for two years because he simply did not have the money to attend college.
Then came the break that changed everything.
A summer job in a machine shop, paired with extra money earned pitching weekend games for the Indianapolis Power and Light Company team, finally gave him the chance to move forward. That team happened to be owned by Norman Perry, who also owned the Indianapolis Indians, a connection that would quietly shape the next chapter of Hildebrand’s life.
With money finally in hand, the Indiana kid stayed close to home and enrolled at Butler University. Hildebrand was far more than just a pitcher there. He was also the center on Butler’s 1928-29 national championship basketball team, a reminder of how naturally athletic he was. But his Butler story took a turn when it was discovered that, under the alias “Roy Hilden,” he had been pitching for a semipro team in Brazil, Indiana, earning $40 a game.
That side hustle cost him his eligibility. Ruled ineligible by Butler’s Faculty Committee on Athletics, Hildebrand took the most logical next step and signed with Perry’s Indianapolis professional team. It proved to be the turning point that officially pushed him toward the majors.
In 1931, the Cleveland Indians acquired Hildebrand, and he soon made his major league debut. His Cleveland years formed the backbone of his career. In 1933, he put together one of the finest seasons by an American League starter that year. Hildebrand won 16 games, led the league with six shutouts, earned a selection to the first-ever All-Star Game at Chicago’s Comiskey Park, and even tossed a one-hitter in a game that lasted only 82 minutes.
From 1933 through 1936, he became exactly what every good pitching staff needs: durable, dependable, and capable of eating up innings.
That reliability made him a valuable trade piece.
On January 17, 1937, Cleveland sent Hildebrand, Bill Knickerbocker, and Joe Vosmik to the St. Louis Browns. His stop in St. Louis never quite matched the peak of his Cleveland years, but he remained a veteran arm who continued to log meaningful innings, even as both the team and his numbers trended in the wrong direction.
Then came the move that changed how his career would be remembered. On October 26, 1938, the Browns traded Hildebrand and Buster Mills to the Yankees. What could have easily been just another late-career transaction instead became the defining turn of his journey. The veteran pitcher who had once dreamed of wearing pinstripes finally got his chance.
By the time Hildebrand arrived in the Bronx in 1939, the Yankees were already baseball’s standard. For a veteran entering the final chapters of his career, it represented the perfect chance to put the cherry on top. And he absolutely made the most of it. Hildebrand went 10-4 with a 3.33 ERA in 1939, giving the Yankees meaningful innings on a 106-win championship team. Perhaps the most historic game he started came on April 30, 1939, a cloudy afternoon that unknowingly would become the final game of Lou Gehrig’s legendary streak.
Then came October.
In the 1939 World Series against Cincinnati, Hildebrand took the ball in Game 4 and delivered four shutout innings, helping close out the sweep and secure the championship. For a player who had openly said he wanted to join the Yankees because of their winning tradition, there could not have been a better first season in the Bronx.
His own words say it best:
“I always wanted to be with the Yankees. When I was with the Indians, and later with the Browns, Joe McCarthy was just another manager of a rival team, in my estimation. Still, I always admired the way he ran his team, and I hoped someday I would be playing for him.”
A few days later, Hildebrand was involved in a car accident that left him with injuries to his hands and arms. He recovered enough to return in 1940, pitching in 13 relief appearances and going 1-1 in what became the final season of his major league career.
That 1939 championship became the perfect cherry on top of a decade-long journey that stretched from Indianapolis farm life to Cleveland success, through St. Louis, and finally to baseball immortality’s most famous stage. His career totals, 83 wins across 10 seasons, reflect a pitcher who kept finding ways to contribute at every stop.
But like so many of your favorite birthday pieces, it is the path that makes Oral Hildebrand memorable.
From the barnyard to the ballpark in the Bronx, his story remains one of the cleaner, more satisfying journeys in Yankees history.
Happy birthday, Oral Hildebrand. Or maybe, just for legends’ sake, Roy Hilden.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series he
SAN DIEGO, CA — Nineteen regulation wins. That's the number that tells the story of the Los Angeles Kings' 2025-26 season better than anything else.
According to Sportsnet Stats, the Kings are clinging to a playoff spot despite recording just 19 regulation wins this year, the fewest for a playoff-bound team since the 1987-88 Toronto Maple Leafs, nearly four decades ago. That's not a flattering comparison. That Leafs team missed the playoffs the very next season.
Kings are currently in a playoff spot with 19 regulation wins.
The last team to make the playoffs in an 80+ game season with 20 regulation wins of fewer was the 1987-88 Maple Leafs
For a franchise riding the final year of Anze Kopitar's legendary career, this season has been a far cry from the send-off anyone had in mind.
The Kings have scored just 211 goals this season while allowing 236, carrying a minus-25 goal differential that doesn't belong to a playoff team by any conventional measure. They have survived not because of dominance, but because the Pacific Division has been anything but. Connor McDavid himself called it a "pillow fight," as Pacific teams have repeatedly gone winless on the same nights, with Eastern Conference also-rans outperforming some of the West's supposed contenders.ESPN
And yet, here they are, still in. But still very much in danger.
With 83 points through 77 games and just five remaining, Los Angeles has no margin for error. And here's the cruelest twist of all: even if the Kings were to win out, they are not guaranteed a playoff spot. The San Jose Sharks are right on their heels and carry a massive edge in regulation wins, 25 to Los Angeles' 19. Under NHL tiebreaker rules, if two teams finish level on points, regulation wins are the very first tiebreaker applied. In other words, if the Kings and Sharks end the year tied, San Jose wins that battle by six regulation wins. Six.
Fortunately for the Kings, the road to getting in is layered with pillows, so to speak.
On paper, two games against Vancouver and one against Calgary represent winnable matchups to close things out, though the Flames game comes on the road, where Los Angeles has struggled in the Saddledome. Those contests are manageable. But the schedule also includes a Saturday date against the Edmonton Oilers, the team that has knocked the Kings out of the playoffs in each of the last four seasons. Los Angeles was eliminated by Edmonton in six games last season, five in 2024, six in 2023, and seven in 2022. Now, of all times, Los Angeles needs a win against that same team just to stay alive in the regular season. The Oilers are almost certainly not going to play the Kings in the playoffs for a fifth consecutive year, but an opportunity is materializing to massively dent their playoff aspirations.
And if they do survive, if the Kings navigate this gauntlet, hold off San Jose, and scrape into the postseason, what awaits them? In all likelihood, a date with the Colorado Avalanche, who became the first team to clinch a playoff spot this season and made history by recording only two regulation losses through their first 40 games. Colorado currently sits at 50-16-10, leading the league in goals scored with 287 while allowing just 196. They are not a flawed giant waiting to be slain. They are the class of the NHL.
For those who prescribe nostalgia, stop right here. This is not 2012. That Kings team, an eighth seed, was an underperforming juggernaut that caught fire at exactly the right moment, opening all four series 3-0 on their way to the franchise's first Stanley Cup. There was latent talent waiting to be unleashed. This version of the Kings is not hiding anything. What you see is what you get: a minus-25 goal differential team with 19 regulation wins, with a poorly constructed backend, a starter who hasn’t been the same since injury, running out of time, running out of runway, and potentially running headlong into the best team in hockey.
And I do respect a last hurrah for Kopitar.
But don’t make the mistake of not concluding that this is an extremely poor construct of a roster.
This is Kopitar's final season, and the aftermath will be met with boundless curiosity from those inside and outside the organization. The hope was that Los Angeles would honor his farewell with a genuine run. Instead, the Kings find themselves in a position where winning every remaining game might still not be enough, and even if it is, the reward might be the hardest possible path forward.
The 1987-88 Maple Leafs are their only peers in this dubious historical footnote. Sometimes that's all a team can hang onto, the fact that they're still here. For now, at least, the Kings are still here.
The New York Mets open a homestand against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday afternoon, and both teams are looking to stay hot in chilly NYC.
My Diamondbacks vs. Mets predictions and MLB picks for April 7 are calling for the Mets to keep it going with a home cover in a low-scoring affair.
Who will win Diamondbacks vs Mets today: Mets -1.5 (+145)
The New York Mets will once again not have Juan Soto, who strained his calf on Friday and is on the injured list. However, the Mets scored at least five runs in each of the three games they took at San Francisco over the weekend without Soto.
The Arizona Diamondbacks also enter on a streak, going 5-2 straight-up in the last seven and covering the run line in seven of the last nine.
I believe pitching will make the difference today.
New York has allowed the fourth-fewest runs in MLB and start Freddy Peralta against Arizona, which is averaging just 3.5 runs a game.
Zac Gallen has been up-and-down in two starts this year, and the D-backs bullpen is 28th in ERA (6.50).
COVERS INTEL: After striking out 9.4 batters per nine innings over his career, Gallen struck out just 5.1 per nine in spring training, and is at 3.6 per nine in two regular season starts in 2026.
Diamondbacks vs Mets Over/Under pick: Under 7 (-105)
Eventually, replacing a six-time Silver Slugger like Soto with Jared Young, Carson Benge, or Brett Baty will catch up with the Mets. This offense may come back to earth, especially with Francisco Lindor (two extra base hits in 48 AB) slumping.
Arizona has seen everyone except Corbin Carroll mired in early-season slumps.
The Mets start last season's NL wins leader in Peralta, while the D-Backs start former All-Star Zac Gallen. Even with the earlier start, the air will be crisp and cold, so it's not the ideal hitting environment.
Shawn Krest's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 2-4, -2.64 units
Over/Under bets: 4-6, -2.15 units
Diamondbacks vs Mets odds
Moneyline: Arizona +130 | New York -155
Run line: Arizona +1.5 | New York -1.5
Over/Under: Over 7 | Under 7
Diamondbacks vs Mets trend
The Mets have covered the F5 run line in 44 of their last 78 games at home (+7.00 Units / 7% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Diamondbacks vs. Mets.
How to watch Diamondbacks vs Mets and game info
Location
Citi Field, Queens, NY
Date
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
First pitch
4:10 p.m. ET
TV
ARID, SNY
Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Zac Gallen (1-1, 3.60 ERA)
Mets starting pitcher
Freddy Peralta (1-0, 4.35 ERA)
Diamondbacks vs Mets latest injuries
Diamondbacks vs Mets weather
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.
As the Pittsburgh Pirates get into the swing of the MLB season, fans can catch all of Paul Skenes' strikeouts, Ryan O'Hearn's home runs and the double plays without ever leaving the couch.
With two games already out of the way this week and four ahead, there are several ways to tune in to Pittsburgh's Major League Baseball games from afar. Whether you're a diehard fan or a casual viewer, here are all your options for catching a Pirates game this week.
The Pirates will have an evening game at home on Tuesday, April 7, then games in the afternoon for the rest of the week.
Tuesday, April 7, 6:40 p.m. ET vs. San Diego Padres
Wednesday, April 8, 12:35 p.m. ET vs. San Diego Padres
Friday, April 10, 2:20 p.m. ET at Chicago Cubs
Saturday, April 11, 2:20 p.m. ET at Chicago Cubs
Sunday, April 12, 2:20 p.m. ET at Chicago Cubs
What teams are the Pittsburgh Pirates playing?
The Pirates have two more home games this week and an off day before three away games over the weekend.
After finishing a series against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday, April 5, they welcomed the San Diego Padres on Monday, April 6. Pittsburgh has an off day before a three-game series in Chicago against the Cubs starting on Friday, April 10.
Tickets for Pirates games can be purchased on MLB's website. Discounts are available for groups and events like Education Days, and the team has several Pup Nights during the season where dogs are welcome to the games.
Following a dominant 14-2 victory in the series opener, the Dodgers look to extend their winning streak to five games while the Blue Jays seek to snap their five-game losing streak when these two teams take the field tonight in Toronto in Game 2 of their three-game series.
The Dodgers smacked five home runs last night including a pair by Dalton Rushing and Justin Wrobleski allowed but a single run over five innings to secure his first win of the season. Max Scherzer lasted two innings for the Jays giving up a couple of hits and a pair of runs in taking the loss.
Runs may be at more of a premium tonight as the pitching matchup features Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the Dodgers and Kevin Gausman for the Blue Jays. Gausman has looked elite despite Toronto's team struggles, striking out 21 batters over his first 12 innings this season. Yamamoto, the 2025 World Series MVP, takes the mound looking to earn his second win and lower his 3.00 ERA in the process.
The Dodgers’ offense has been historically good of late scoring 47 runs during this four-game winning streak. Shohei Ohtani has led the assault on opposing pitchers collecting a pair of hits in each of the past four games (8-21). The Blue Jays have yet to win in April primarily because they simply are not hitting. Toronto has scored 10 runs in their last five outings.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and the opener of this three-game series and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Dodgers vs. Blue Jays
Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Time: 7:07PM EST
Site: Rogers Centre
City: Toronto, Ontario
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, TBS, Sportsnet, Sportsnet LA
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: Dodgers vs. Blue Jays
The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Dodgers (-149), Blue Jays (+123)
Spread: Dodgers -1.5 (+113) / Blue Jays +1.5 (-136)
Blue Jays: Kevin Gausman Season Totals: 12.0 IP, 0-0, 0.75 ERA, 0.25 WHIP, 21K, 0 BB
Who’s Hot? Who’s Not! Dodgers vs. Blue Jays
Freddie Freeman has hit safely in 6 straight games (8-26)
Teoscar Hernandez has hit safely in 6 straight games (11-24)
Andy Pages has hit safely in 7 straight games (16-28)
George Springer is 2-18 in April
Andres Gimenez is 1-19 in April
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: Dodgers vs. Blue Jays
The Blue Jays are 2-8 on the Run Line this season
The Dodgers are 6-4 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 6 times in the Dodgers’ 10 games this season (6-4)
The OVER has cashed 5 times in the Jays’ first 10 games (5-5)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions: Dodgers vs. Blue Jays
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday’s game between the Dodgers and the Blue Jays:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Dodgers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Dodgers on the Run Line.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 8.0.
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Sportsbooks are struggling to handicap one of the best Rookie of the Year races in NBA history, thanks to the excellence of Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg.
Flagg is currently the odds-on favorite at major sportsbooks, despite Knueppel, his roommate at Duke, claiming a massive lead as recently as Sunday.
Key Takeaways
Odds flipped to Flagg after two huge games, despite a recent poll among voters favoring Knueppel.
Last year’s Rookie of the Year winner (Stephon Castle) was picked fourth, just like Knueppel.
The Charlotte Hornets face three top-five defenses to close their season.
Knueppel was a strong favorite to take home the NBA’s award for the most impressive first-timer in the league. That was compounded Friday when ESPN shared a straw poll of 100 league media members conducted Monday through Wednesday last week.
The results showed that Knueppel received 80 first-place, 19 second-place, and one third-place vote, resulting in 458 total points. Flagg received 20 first-place votes, 79 seconds, and one third, for 338 points, only 74% of his college teammate’s total. Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe was third with 98 points.
The results of the poll empowered DraftKings to shorten Knueppel’s odds from -250 on April 1 to -300 two days later when the results were released.
Knueppel became an even larger favorite (-330) on Sunday morning, despite Flagg becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 50 points (51) on a Friday night loss to the Orlando Magic. Those odds gave him an implied 76.7% chance to win the award, while Flagg’s +230 odds translated to a 30.3% probability.
Everything changed on Monday, one day after Flagg followed his 51-point explosion with 45 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds in a nationally televised matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers. He flipped to a -200 (66.7% chance) favorite at DraftKings overnight, and Knueppel ballooned to +140 (41.7% chance).
Rookie of the Year Odds movement for Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel over the past 2 weeks:
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) April 6, 2026
The total instability in the Rookie of the Year odds leaves everything to play for during the final week of the regular season. The Dallas Mavericks still have four games remaining, while the Charlotte Hornets will play three.
Flagg, Knueppel can’t shake each other
The back-and-forth between the former Duke Blue Devils isn’t anything new. The pair took turns jostling for position on the board, although Knueppel truly hit his stride during Flagg’s near-monthlong absence from Feb. 10 through March 5.
There are strong merits to both players’ cases. Flagg averaged 21.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, putting him on pace to become the fourth rookie since the NBA-ABA merger to average 20/6/4, joining Luka Doncic, Michael Jordan, and Larry Bird.
He’s also had several individual moments of history, such as only being 19 years and 103 days old when he dropped his first 50-piece.
Knueppel put up a stat line of 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, while already establishing himself as a historically efficient shooter. Even more impressively, he produced his 48/43/86 shooting splits while leading the NBA in made threes (265) at the time of writing, having already set the rookie record for made threes in a season.
He also started all but one game for the Hornets amid their remarkable franchise turnaround, helping to lead them to a 27-8 record since Jan. 22 that was the second-best mark in the league during that span.
Although the team record does not normally factor into the Rookie of the Year race, the Hornets only need to win one more game to have their best season as a franchise since 2015-16.
Kon Knueppel breaks the Charlotte Hornets franchise record for 3PM in a single season 🔥
▪️ KON KNUEPPEL: 261+ ▪️ Kemba Walker: 260 ▪️ Jason Richardson: 243
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) April 3, 2026
The final days ahead
Everything about the ongoing NBA Rookie of the Year race has made it clear that the race won’t be over until the winner is officially announced. Even the sportsbooks have had an uncharacteristically difficult time staying on top of the oscillating battle.
Flagg and the Mavericks finish their season by facing the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls. Those teams rank 18th, 10th, third, and 23rd in defensive rating, respectively, giving Flagg a varying degree of difficulty to bolster his final numbers.
Knueppel and the Hornets have a tough finish to the year, with matchups against the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, and New York Knicks, who rank third, fourth, and fifth in defensive rating.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 05: Cam Smith #11 of the Houston Astros hits a game-tying, two-run single in the top of the eighth inning against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on April 05, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was an inning Joe Espada, Ryan Weiss, and (most surprisingly) Jeremy Pena would like to forget.
All things considered, things were going about as well as could possibly be hoped for the Houston Astros through the first four innings of Monday’s game.
They built a 3-0 lead through the first four innings thanks to back to back doubles by Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa, and then an RBI single by Christian Walker to account for a pair of first inning runs.
Spot starter Cody Bolton had put up four straight zeros in an emergency fill-in role, taking the place of the injured Hunter Brown.
Unfortunately, there was a fifth inning. It was one that the Astros would like to forget, especially the manager, the shortstop, and the pitcher who came on in relief who wants to start.
Bolton, who had allowed only 2 hits and 1 walk through 4 innings while striking out 5, had given the Astros more than they could have expected. Joe Espada chose to roll the dice and send him back out for the 5th instead of going to Ryan Weiss for a clean start of an inning. It would be a mistake.
A tiring Bolton surrendered a leadoff single, and then a questionable walk (the first pitch was a strike but called a ball by home plate umpire Nestor Ceja. The Astros did not challenge.) After a sacrifice bunt moved runners to 2nd and 3rd, Espada then summoned Weiss to come into a situation he isn’t used to – men on base mid-inning.
Weiss has primarily worked a s a starter, and as a reliever come in to clean innings. This was Espada’s second miscalculation of the inning. It would only get worse from here.
Weiss would walk Kyle Karros to load the bases. A 2-run single by Edouard Julien would draw the Rockies with a run at 3-2.
Weiss would then seem to settle in, getting Mickey Moniak to pop up with Correa making a terrific catch against the netting for out number two. He would then get Hunter Goodman to ground to short for what should have been the third out.
Should have been.
Unfortunately for Weiss and the Astros, Pena seemed to misread the ball off the bat. His initial step was the wrong direction. What should have been a routine ground out became an RBI single and now the game was tied. The Rockies still has runners on the corners with 2 out.
The next batter was Troy Johnston. Weiss induced a soft grounder up the middle that Pena waited for behind the bag instead of charging. The ball hit the second base bag and caromed over Pena’s head. It would wind up scored a double and an RBI, and the Rockies would take a 4-3 lead.
T.J Rumfield would clear the bases with a 2-run triple to left center field that Jake Meyers (who was shaded to right center) couldn’t run down, and then over ran the ball. Joey Loperfido, backing up the play from left, had to field the ball and throw it in. It was now 6-3 Rockies.
Willi Castro would follow with an RBI single and the nightmare inning continued, it was now 7-3 Colorado.
Brenton Doyle would then ground to short to seemingly end the inning, but Pena dropped the ball for an error, and everyone was safe.
It was the third time Weiss should have been out of the inning.
This inning should've ended five batters ago. Ryan Weiss has gotten three inning-ending ground balls.
Jake McCarthy would walk to load the bases before a single by Karros would drive in the Rockies 8th run of the inning. Julien would fly to left to finally end the nightmare, but not before the Rockies turned a 3-0 deficit into an 8-3 lead.
The Astros would try to claw their way back into the game. In the top of the 6th, they had bases loaded and only one out. A sacrifice fly by Loperfido would make it an 8-4 game, but that’s all the Astros would get.
In the bottom of the inning, Johnston would take an inside sweeper off the plate from Weiss 407 feet to right for a solo homer, and a 9-4 Colorado lead.
In the top of the 7th, a one-out double by Pena and a two-out single by Altuve would generate a run, making it a 9-5 game.
In the 8th, Walker would lead off with a base hit, and Smith would follow with a double, giving the Astros two runners in scoring position with no out. An RBI groundout by Loperfido would make the score 9-6 and push Smith to 3rd. Yainer Diaz would follow with a single to drive in Cam to make it 9-7.
A Meyers double would give the Astros 2 runners in scoring position again, this time with one out, but they would fail to cash in. Pena would fly out to right. Yordan Alvarez was intentionally walked, and then Altuve would ground out to end the inning.
Juan Mejia would get the Astros 1-2-3 in the 9th to earn his first Save of the season and second save of his career.
Houston fell to 6-5 with the loss.
The Astros look to get back in the win column Tuesday with Mike Burrows on the mound, opposed by the Rockies’ Kyle Freeland.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 06: Tyler Stephenson #37 of the Cincinnati Reds rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Miami Marlins in the eighth inning of the game at loanDepot park on April 06, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You know the story of the 2025 Cincinnati Reds. They found a way to keep their record just above the .500 mark, slipped into the playoffs as the final Wild Card in the National League, and were promptly bounced in two games by the future World Series champs.
They got their on the backs of their pitching – namely, their starting rotation, which was stellar all year long. Their offense, though, was simply lackluster at best. A guy who played on a bum thigh and slugged .373 with 4 homers over his final 83 games (360 PA) still managed to lead the team in homers.
Looking back at the statcast data for that club, you’ll find that the numbers backed up what we all watched. It never looked like the Reds hit the ball hard, and they certainly didn’t hit the ball over the fence much. Per statcast, only two teams hit the ball softer in terms of average exit velocity, the Reds mark of 88.6 mph worsted only by Cleveland and Houston. Their 99.2 EV50 was also second to last, their number of balls hit over 95 mph third worst.
We all hoped 2026 would be different. Cincinnati, too, certainly hoped so, and went out and added Eugenio Suarez to help bring some much needed thump. They also knew Elly De La Cruz would have a more healthy thigh to begin this year, while the likes of Tyler Stephenson and Matt McLain would be further removed from debilitating oblique problems. Plus, there’d be Sal Stewart in the lineup from the get-go, and we all know Sal smokes the ball as often as anyone.
So far, the evolution of Cincinnati’s offense into a more powerful one looks to be working.
In the extremely small sample size that is the season’s first 10 games, the Reds rank 4th in average exit velocity so far at 90.7 mph. That’s a jump of over 2 mph off last year’s dismal mark, and their 100.2 mph EV50 ranks 5th in the game. Individually, each of Stephenson (95.2 mph avg, 10th overall), De La Cruz (95.0 mph, 12th), and Stewart (93.8 mph, 28th) rank in the Top 30 in the game, and only the Kansas City Royals can make a claim of having three of their hitters all ranked that high.
The runs have yet to come, but the process seems to be impactful already.
The Cincinnati Reds are once again hitting the crud out of the ball.
Mar 9, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone talks to guard Jamal Murray (27) during a break in the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
After a couple of weeks of excruciating patience, the North Carolina Tar Heels have their new head coach. Former Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone is bringing his talents to Chapel Hill, which was an unexpected hire by many. His name started getting brought up near the end of UNC’s coaching search, but nobody really knew how much there was behind that. Now he is the guy that will try his best to return the Heels to the elite ranks in college basketball, and the immediate reviews are pretty mixed.
First, let it be known that former UNC players who have spent time in the NBA really like this move. Theo Pinson and Ty Lawson were two Tar Heels that sounded off immediately via X.
Tyler Hansbrough was one of the first Tar Heels to mention Malone before the school ultimately hired him. He told Field of 68 that he felt like the former Nuggets coach could get some momentum in the coaching search.
“The last name that a lot of people really haven’t talked about publicly, who I think could actually get some momentum, is Mike Malone.” pic.twitter.com/cKQnWp6Qlt
On the ACC Basketball Podcast, Joel Berry asked Danny Green about the hire, and Green feels like bringing in a NBA guy that knows how to develop players is huge. He also pointed out that Nuggets star Nikola Jokic was drafted 41st overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, and Malone had a sizable role in developing one of the best players in the NBA.
"What player wouldn't want to play for a coach that knows the NBA level and knows how to develop."@DGreen_14 weighs in on UNC's intention to hire Mike Malone. pic.twitter.com/mQlMidP6O4
Outside of the Carolina alumni bubble, things are way more mixed in terms of whether or not this was a good move. In the Field of 68 video that was recorded after Malone was hired, Jeff Goodman pushed back on Hansbrough stating that former NBA guys have not had a good track record in the college ranks. But if that is the case, why did anybody want current Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan so badly? Bomani Jones is one of those people, and he expressed his confusion on The Right Time.
Bomani reacts to UNC's bizarre decision to hire Michael Malone as their new head coach
— The Right Time with Bomani Jones (@righttimebomani) April 6, 2026
Jones’ reaction signaled what it feels like a lot of fans were going through, which is confusion. Throughout the entire search, we heard a handful of specific names that ultimately did not pan out. One could argue that having such a harsh reaction over the hire is projection for some — there were a lot of people that thought they knew who UNC was actually after that did not see the Michael Malone hire coming. CBS Sports’ Seth Davis expressed this sentiment in his post regarding the hire.
Shocker for sure. His name wasn’t mentioned as a candidate by anyone. My first reaction is that it’s a bad idea. But if he is truly all in and ready to work then it has a chance to succeed. https://t.co/Jx6QxOVrGv
To be fair, Seth Davis wouldn’t like UNC if they hired Coach K in his prime, but the fact remains that a lot of people were caught off guard by the hire. But here’s the thing: Michael Malone didn’t come out of nowhere for those who paid enough attention (and admittedly, I did not pay enough attention). By now everyone has caught wind of the fact that his daughter plays volleyball for the program, and he also had spent time around the basketball program this past fall. He even made time to make an appearance on the Carolina Insider Podcast with Jones Angell and Adam Lucas. One thing he has that Billy Donovan, Tommy Lloyd, and Dusty May didn’t have is some type of tangible tie to the program. It remains to be seen if he’s willing to completely buy in, but this clip of him talking to Kenny Smith while wearing a Tar Heels hoodie should at least warm fans’ hearts a little bit.
"I'm definitely not done coaching."
Former Nuggets HC Michael Malone sets the record straight on Inside the NBA 😤🔥 pic.twitter.com/2qli9HJyKd
For fans that want a reason to be optimistic, it is clear that many players are a big fan of this move. Nobody knows ball like the guys that used to play it, especially the ones that played both for UNC and played in the NBA. For those who seek pessimism, there are more than enough questions that need to be answered. Can Malone handle the NIL/Transfer Portal era? Can he even coach at the college ranks? Will the harsh reality that players at this level aren’t nearly as good as they are in the NBA be too much for him? We can only hope that he can check every box and return UNC to glory, but there’s a lot of work that needs to be done between now and November in order to accomplish that.
Here’s the latest on Cade Horton, and it isn’t good (Bluesky link):
Now, here’s the rest of the news about Horton from earlier today.
This, clearly, is not good news about Cubs right-hander Cade Horton:
**Breaking News** Per @JesseRogersESPN on Kap and JHood on @Espn1000 Cubs star Cade Horton will visit Dr. Keith Meister in Texas today after his MRI was not clean and not good. Trending down a bad path.
While we don’t hav any definitive information yet, a “not clean and not good” MRI is certainly not positive news. We’ll just have to wait until we get more news after Horton visits Dr. Meister.
Horton has already had one Tommy John surgery. Having a second one isn’t great, but pitchers can and do recover from those and are still productive. If it happens, it would mean Horton would miss the rest of 2026.
Justin Steele went down the same road. He’d had a previous TJS, had another one last year and will be returning soon. The Cubs were able to win 92 games without Steele. Losing Horton would be a big blow, but the Cubs do have some starting pitcher depth. That depth is about to be tested.
Let’s hope for good news instead of bad. As always, we await developments.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 09: Hayden Senger #30 of the New York Mets in action against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field on April 09, 2025 in New York City. The Marlins defeated the Mets 5-0. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If these trends continue, Hayden Senger is on his way to being the greatest hitting catcher of all time. Odds are, these trends are not going to continue, but that sure would be fun, wouldn’t it? Hayden Senger isn’t exactly a guy who is known for his bat; in 46 games in Syracuse last season, he hit .218/.268/.339 with 5 home runs and in 2024, he hit .252/.323/.401 in 46 games with 3 home runs. At this rate, if Senger plays 46 games this year, he is on pace for roughly 27 long balls, and if he plays an entire season, he is on pace for roughly 84.
The 29-year-old was drafted back in 2018 out of Miami University of Ohio and in the first few years of his professional tenure with the Mets, was getting roughly a full-time catcher’s load, averaging 85 games in 2019, 2022, and 2023 and playing 61 in the COVID-delayed 2021 season. When he made it to the upper levels of the minor league ladder, it became apparent that his bat was a bit too anemic for the levels and he lost out on a lot of playing time, primarily relegated to back-up catching duties. Last season, he got a quick cup-of-coffee when Francisco Alvarez began the season hurt, but Luis Torrens eventually emerged as the better of the pair due to his better bat.
Barring the unlikely chance that Senger is a .412/.474/1.000 hitter from now until September, it is likely that the backstop will remain in the role that he’s settled into over the last few years. Better performance in Syracuse may buy him some more playing time, and depending on how well he does, could even theoretically get him some Major League playing time if certain factors line up, but we know who the “minor league veteran” is at this point, and his strength lies in his defense, ability to handle a pitching staff, and his baseball intangibles, not his bat. A random outlier season is obviously possible, but odds are, Senger will regress to the type of organizational guy you want in your system for everything else he brings to the table except his bat.
Cam Tilly
Week: 1 G (1 GS), 5.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (Single-A)
Not bad for your first professional game. Toeing the rubber for the St. Lucie Mets against the Palm Beach Cardinals in his first ever start as a member of the New York Mets organization, the 22-year-old right-hander threw five no-hit innings, walking one and striking out six. Tilly was drafted last season out of Auburn, where he threw two uninspiring seasons primarily in relief. The Mets selected him in the seventh round and he signed for $397,500, roughly $150,000 over the MLB-assigned slot value of $254,000 for the 223rd overall pick.
Based on reports and evaluations at the time, the 6’2”, 205-pound right-hander possessed a four-pitch repertoire featuring a four-seam fastball, slider, curveball, and splitter. His fastball sat in the mid-90s fastball, topping out at 97 MPH, and featured high spin rates and above-average vertical induced break. His slider sat in the low-80s and featured spin rates in excess of 3,000 RPM, giving it late gyroscopic slice. His curveball sat in the upper-70s and also featured high spin rates, but lacked the bite that his slider possesses. His splitter sat in the low-to-mid-80s and featured late tumble. In a vacuum, all of his pitches looked good, but the right-hander had trouble commanding them, partially due to the break on them and partially because of the crossfire in his three-quarter delivery.
Looking at statcast data from his start for better clarity about Tilly as a pitcher, he utilized a four-seam fastball (19 pitches, 39%), changeup (10 pitches, 20%), cutter (8 pitches, 16%), slider (7 pitches, 14%), and curveball (5 pitches, 10%). His fastball was thrown for a 78% Strike Rate, his changeup was thrown for a 70% Strike Rate, his cutter was thrown for a 63% Strike Rate, his slider was thrown for a 57% Strike Rate and his curveball was thrown for a 20% Strike Rate. His fastball drew the most swings and misses, with a 60% Whiff Rate, while his curveball did not cause any swings and misses.
His fastball averaged 92.2 MPH, sitting between 89.9 MPH and 93.7 MPH. It averaged 2,420 RPM, ranging between 2,300 RPM and 2,540 RPM, giving the pitch an elite 19 inches of induced vertical break and 10 inches of horizontal movement. His cutter averaged 85.6 MPH, sitting between 84.5 MPH and 86.3 MPH. It averaged 2,520 RPM, ranging between 2,450 RPM and 2,600 RPM, giving the pitch 4 inches of horizontal jerk.
His changeup averaged 84.8 MPH, sitting between 83.3 MPH and 86.1 MPH. It averaged 910 RPM, ranging between 750 RPM and 1,090 RPM, giving the pitch 34 inches of vertical drop and 12 inches of horizontal hop.
His slider averaged 82.7 MPH, sitting between 80.8 MPH and 85 MPH. It averaged 2,710 RPM, ranging between 2,540 RPM and 2,880 RPM, giving the pitch 36 inches of vertical drop and 10 inches of horizontal slice. His curveball averaged 80.4 MPH, sitting between 79.8 MPH and 80.9 MPH. It averaged 2,810 RPM, ranging between 2,740 RPM and 2,895 RPM, giving the pitch 43 inches of vertical drop and 14 inches of horizontal break.
As is the case with any pitcher, these numbers and trends may change throughout the year, as Tilly is still not only a developing player, but it is literally the beginning of his baseball journey.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 19, 2026: Kevin Alvarez #11 of the Houston Astros bats during the fifth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Miami Marlins at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 19, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
This will be your weekly look at the hottest prospects in the system, highlighting the top performers at the plate and on the mound. Here’s the first hotlist.
Who’s Hot At The Plate?
Kevin Alvarez – While it’s only been two games for one of the Astros top prospects, Alvarez has looked the part. He went 4-for-9 with a double, 2 runs batted in and 2 stolen bases. Great start for him.
Alejandro Nunez – Nunez is starting off the year back in Asheville after a solid 2025, and he’s off to a nice start this year. In two games, he is 3-for-8 with a double, home runs and 5 runs batted in.
Max Holy – Holy doesn’t provide a ton of power, but he gets on bases and steals bases, and he’s done that so far this year. In just two games, the 23-year-old has five walks and three stolen bases.
Shay Whitcomb – All Whitcomb does is hit in the minors, and this year is no different. He’s played in six Triple-A games and is hitting .308 with a doubles, 2 home runs, 7 runs batted in and 3 stolen bases.
Who’s Hot On The Mound?
Spencer Arrighetti – Arrighetti has made two starts for Sugar Land and to this point he hasn’t gone deep, but he’s been dominant. He’s tossed 8.1 scoreless innings allowing 1 hit while striking out 13.
Miguel Ullola – Ullola has also made two starts and been dominant so far. He’s totaled 9.2 innings allowing 2 runs while striking out 15 batters. A good start for him.
Cole Hertzler – Hertzler has battled injuries in his pro career but now he’s healthy and performing well. In his one start this week, Hertzler struck out 5 over 4.2 scoreless innings for Asheville.
Gabel Pentecost – Pentecost, a 6th round pick from last year, made his pro debut this week. The right-hander struck out 7 batters over 4 scoreless innings while allowing just 2 hits.
Javier Perez – Perez was a choice of mine to breakout and he performed well in week one. In his first outing, the right-hander went 4 scoreless innings allowing just 1 hit while striking out 8.
Brett Gillis – Gillis has also battled some injuries but appears to be healthy now and had a nice Double-A debut. The right-hander struck out 5 over 4 scoreless innings allowing 2 hits in his outing for the Hooks.
Jesus Carrera – Carrera has one thing the rest don’t have to this point, a no-hit streak. In his one outing this week, the 21-year-old tossed 4 no-hit innings while racking up 4 strikeouts.
NBA general managers and scouts are heading home from the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament with plenty to think about after three weeks of incredible action on the court. Now they have to figure out which March Madness performances are indicators of future greatness and which are more of a mirage.
The 2026 NBA draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft, Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr. is expected to go in the first round after declaring for the NBA draft on Tuesday. Here's how USA TODAY currently projects the guard's draft night will play out.
Our draft order is based on ESPN's projected records and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.
Mikel Brown Jr. 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 10 overall, Milwaukee Bucks
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
The Milwaukee Bucks need to simply draft the best player available with whatever pick they have and will likely keep Louisville floor general Mikel Brown Jr. highlighted on their big board. The All-ACC guard has deep shooting range and was among the freshmen leaders in 3-pointers made from beyond 25 feet (27) this year, per CBB Analytics. Brown was averaging 29.2 points per game over his last five appearances, including 45 points against NC State on Feb. 9, while hitting 10 shots from beyond the arc, before an injury on Feb. 28 forced him to miss March Madness.
Canadiens: Montembeault’s Amazing New BucketSamuel Montembeault looked like a new man in the net on Wednesday night. He played a fantastic game backstopping the Montreal Canadiens to a 5-1 win while rocking a brand new mask thanks to artist Jordon Bourgeault.
COVERS INTEL: After striking out 9.4 batters per nine innings over his career, Gallen struck out just 5.1 per nine in spring training, and is at 3.6 per nine in two regular season starts in 2026.
