New York Yankees @ The Athletics: Carlos Rodón vs. Luis Severino

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MAY 26: Trent Grisham #12 of the New York Yankees celebrates his home run with Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees in the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on May 26, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images

After an up-and-down homestand, the Yankees opened this week with a quite successful series in Kansas City against the Royals. Now, it’s time for them to go even further west as they take on the Athletics in West Sacramento.

The A’s come into this series just half a game back in the AL West standings, although with a 27-29 record, that says more about the division than anything. Even so, they did take two of three over the Yankees back in the Bronx in April. They have an interesting offense, as while they’re about league-average, they do have the third-most hits in the Junior Circuit. Shea Langeliers, Nick Kurtz, and the surprising Carlos Cortes are their best hitters thus far, all with an OPS+ over 145. Brent Rooker has disappointed so far, but he can’t be overlooked thanks to his 106 homers and two All-Star appearances since the start of 2023.

As the Yankees look to get the weekend off to a good start, Carlos Rodón will take the mound. While his time since coming back from the injured list has been iffy, Rodón is coming off his best appearance so far. The lefty went five innings with three hits, three walks, and one run allowed, striking out a third of the batters he faced (seven in total). His main issue has been walks; if he can get that under control he’d be set. Elsewhere in the lineup, there are no major surprises.

On the mound for the A’s will be our old friend Luis Severino. Sevy’s numbers on the whole this year are a bit above average, but it should be noted that his splits in road games are much better than at home, where he sports a 5.55 ERA. The man has made his distaste for this facility well-known.

Here’s everything you need to know to catch the action, and we hope you’ll come join us in the game thread!

How to watch:

Location: Sutter Health Park — West Sacramento, CA

First pitch: 9:40 pm EDT

TV Broadcast: YES Network (NYY) | NBCSCA (ATH)

Radio Broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | Talk 650 KSTE, KVMX 92.1/105.5, A’s Cast (ATH)

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Mets' Jorge Polanco smashes home run in second rehab game with Double-A Binghamton

Playing in just his second rehab game with Double-A Binghamton, Jorge Polanco made his presence felt on Friday night.

The Mets veteran was in as the DH and had walked in his first two at-bats before coming up with in the fifth inning with runners on first and second base. 

Polanco made the most of the scoring opportunity, blasting a three-run home run over the right field wall against Portland Sea Dogs RHP Cade Feeney, giving the Rumble Ponies a 3-0 lead.

It's Polanco's first HR and second hit during his rehab assignment, having gone 1-for-2 with a single on Wednesday. He was pinch-hit for in the bottom of the seventh inning by TT Bowens, finishing the day 1-for-1 with three RBI and two walks.

The DH/1B will play again with Binghamton on Saturday and then get an off day on Sunday as nears a return to the majors, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said earlier Friday. The team will then take it day-by-day and he could be back for the next road trip, mostly playing DH.

Polanco has been out with Achilles bursitis and a wrist issue since April 14 and is hitting just .179 with one home run and two RBI through 14 games.

Dodgers call up Ryan Ward, re-sign Santiago Espinal with Teoscar Hernández on injured list

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 13: Santiago Espinal #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates after hitting a home run during the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

LOS ANGELES — Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández was placed on the 10-day injured list on Friday with a left hamstring strain, which he suffered during Wednesday night’s win over the Colorado Rockies. Ryan Ward got called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to help fill in in left field with Hernández out. That was the expected move, but it wasn’t all.

Santiago Espinal also re-signed with the Dodgers, after getting designated for assignment on Monday and cleared waivers on Wednesday. Hyeseong Kim was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City, giving Alex Freeland more of a runway at second base, especially against right-handed pitchers.

Hernández suffered the injury in the third inning on Wednesday running out a groundout, and expressed frustration in the dugout before finally retreating to the clubhouse. There’s never a good time for an injury, but the timing was especially rough for Hernández, who found his hitting stroke of late after a three-week stretch with no extra-base hits. Hernández in his last 16 games hit .364/.419/.600, with three home runs, four doubles, and a 186 wRC+.

It’s a Grade 1 hamstring injury for Hernández, manager Dave Roberts said, the mildest severity, though there is not yet a timetable for his return.

With Hernández out, left field will likely be split between Alex Call, a right-handed hitter, and the lefty-batting Ward. After playing two games for the Dodgers in April while Freddie Freeman was on paternity leave, Ward in Triple-A struggled, hitting .211/.346/.312 with an 80 wRC+ and only six extra-base hits in his last 29 games. While Ward has played more first base this season in Oklahoma City — 27 starts, compared to nine in left field — he’s played plenty of corner outfield in Triple-A with 122 starts in left field and 92 starts in right field since the start of 2023.

Call this season has started 11 games in a fill-in capacity all over the outfield — six starts in left, four in right, and once in center field — hitting .294/.413/.373 with four doubles and a 132 wRC+ in 63 plate appearances.

“It’s not a complete platoon,” Roberts said. “I see Ryan Ward taking some at-bats versus right, I see Alex Call taking some at-bats versus left. But today, where Wheeler is just a really good pitcher, I want Alex to be in there, and feel that Alex can manage him and take some good at-bats.”

Ward will likely start on Sunday against right-hander Andrew Painter, Roberts said.

When Espinal was jettisoned on Monday, he left a Dodgers roster that had both Kiké Hernández and Teoscar Hernández. But within three days they lost both players, depleting the right-handed depth. The other right-handed option already on the 40-man roster is Tyler Fitzgerald, who has played third base, shortstop, second base, left field, and right field in Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Dodgers opted instead for the familiarity of Espinal, who played sparingly in his previous stint on the roster, with only 44 plate appearances in his 53 games active, and had just four hits in 26 at-bats against left-handed pitchers, against whom he has a career 104 wRC+.

“With a star-studded team, you also have to have guys that know their roles. Espy is a guy that is good on the team, understands his value, is ready when called upon, and I trust him defensively,” Roberts said. “I like him versus left-handed pitching. I think having him back is pretty seamless too, because we only lost him for a few days.”

Look for Espinal to start on Saturday against left-hander Jesús Luzardo, likely at third base as the Dodgers ease Max Muncy back in after getting hit by a pitch on his wrist.

Kim was the odd man out, after just eight hits in 46 at-bats (.174/.250/.174) with 17 strikeouts over the last three weeks.

“I think his swing has changed, I think he’s losing his legs a little bit, and he’s coming around the ball a little. There’s a lot more swing and miss than there was early. I think he is just playing a little bit more tentative, to my eyes, and not as free and easy as he was in some parts of last year and early on,” Roberts said. “Getting him back to playing everyday [in Triple-A] in a little bit less of a hotbox, he’ll perform back to where he can and will. That’s kind of what we were hoping for.”

To make room on the 40-man roster for Espinal, Blake Snell was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Snell, who had arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies in his left elbow on May 19, isn’t eligible to return until July 11 — just two days before the All-Star break — at the earliest.

Nebraska Kicks Off Regional with 4-1 Over Jackrabbits

Jett Buck does it in the field and at the plate today | Nebraska Athletics

They showed up!  Nebraska fans turned out in mass to cheer on their Cornhusker baseball team on a day that flipped back and forth from light rain to beautiful sunshine.  Hosting a regional for the first time in 18 years, the seats were full in the stadium with an announced sell out and the berms were full.  Along the rails around the field people were standing three-deep trying to get a glimpse of the action on the field.  

Nebraska’s top starter Carson Jasa took the mound for Nebraska against the familiar opponent from north of the border.  Jasa brought a 9-2 record to his matchup against SDSU starter Sam Schlecht (4-4).  Both of them are tall right handers, but their collection of pitches could not be any different with Jasa the flamethrower and Schlecht being the master of the change up and off-speed stuff.

Nebraska threatened early but could not muster a run, leaving two runners on base in each of the first two innings, and another one in the third.  They struggled with Schlecht’s change-up and were not able to put the barrel of the bat on the ball.

The Jacks put runners on the corners in the top of the third thanks to a walk and a hit, but a very slick double-play turned by Dylan Carey and Rhett Stokes bailed Jasa out of the inning with no damage done.

Jett Buck led off the bottom of the fourth ripping a liner off the glove of third baseman Nolan Grawe and ended up on second base as well as sparking the Cornhusker crowd.  Joshua Overbeek followed with a single to left, putting runners on the corners.  Up came Trey Fikes who hit a line-drive that tipped off the glove of a leaping second baseman Matthew Werk.  Buck scored for the first run of the game.

The Big Red added one more off reliever Ty Madison as Stokes bunted the baserunners up 90-feet bringing up the top of the order.  Mac Moyer put the ball in play on the right side allowing Overbeek to come home with the Cornhusker’s second run.  After four innings, Nebraska was up 2-0.

In the top of the sixth inning, Jasa plunked lead-off man Carter Taylor in the ribs and Dayton Franke followed with a single down the rightfield line to move him to third.  Wanting to take advantage of some momentum, the Jacks called on Keagan Jirschele to lay down a bunt to squeeze home a run.  Maybe a good idea, but poor execution as he sent the ball right back to Jasa, who flipped it to Worthley for the easy tag at the plate.  Run averted.

The Jackrabbits weren’t done trying to get that first run on the board.  Werk laced a single to leftfield with runners on first and second.  Franke was sent home and Jett Buck came up throwing.  He threw a laser home to Fikes, who did a brilliant job grabbing the ball and putting the tag on the runner before he reached the plate.  Second run averted.

SDSU would finally get a run in the inning when reliever J’Shawn Unger gave up his second single of the inning to Owen Siegert, who drove in Jirschele to make it 2-1 Nebraska.  Unger walked the next batter to load the bases, raising the tension in the ballpark, but then gave the red-clad masses a chance to release it as he struck out Nate Wachter swinging.  

Dylan Carey gave the crowd what they were waiting for in the bottom of the eighth.  He blasted a towering home run on a 2-2 pitch from Madison that brought the crowd to their feet once again.  It looked like Nebraska may be able to blow this one open as Madison walked Sanderson and Drew Grego came to the plate.  However, Grego’s bunt attempt flew into the glove of Grawe at third, who then fired across the diamond to double-off Sanderson.

All was not lost on the inning though as Jett Buck showed that opposite field power we saw earlier in the season as he homered to the party porch in right-centerfield.  Going to the ninth, Nebraska extended their lead to 4-2.

With Ty Horn tossing lightly in the bullpen, Unger came back out for his third inning of work and faced the bottom of the Jackrabbit order. Franke grounded out to Overbeek and then Unger stepped up to win it in style by striking Jirschele and Werk.  Ball game!  Nebraska 4, South Dakota State 1.

Carson Jasa sat down at least three of his strikeouts looking at a sneaky off-speed pitch on the inside black.  Of his eight strikeouts, six were called third strikes.  He went 6.1 innings, giving up five hits, walking two and hitting one with 92 pitches for the win.  J’Shawn Unger got his 13th save recording four strikeouts in 2.2 innings.

The ballpark was full so it is a little surprise that official attendance was 7828.  It appeared there would be more than that.

With rain in the forecast most of the day Saturday, it could be a mystery what time Nebraska will play.  They are scheduled for a 7:06 first pitch.


Notes:

  • Jett Buck’s throw-out at the plate brought the loudest roar in the stadium for quite some time.  Plus, you rarely get to see that play in a game.  
  • As always, there are a few upsets in the first round of the regional tournament.  One that matters to Nebraska is Milwaukee’s 13-7 win over 4th seeded Auburn.  This took place in the regional that Nebraska’s is paired with.  Yes, there is a lot of baseball to play!  We can’t ignore St. Mary’s 3-2 win over top-seeded UCLA.  That one has stolen the headlines.
  • While the Nebraska – South Dakota State matchup was not a really attractive one, it is interesting that it was relegated to streaming rather than carried on one of the many ESPN networks when they assigned their top college baseball broadcast team to the regional.  Karl Ravitch and Kyle Peterson are in the house for the weekend.  The Mothership apparently wanted to save some travel expenses as Peterson could just drive down from Elkhorn. 

What about Wagler … Lopez, Flemings, Mara, Ament?

CHICAGO, IL - MAY 12: Keaton Wagler participates in the pro lane drill during the 2026 NBA Draft Combine on May 12, 2026 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. 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 Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Nets, it would seem, are more than like to take one of two lead guards on the night of June 23 at Barclays Center, either Mikel Brown Jr. or Darius Acuff. The are the most mentioned candidates for the No. 6 pick by draftniks and assorted pundits. And indeed, both are worthy of such consideration.

But, no one is claiming to know Sean Marks & co. thinking as we sit down a little more than three weeks away from the NBA’s big event. No one seemingly has the goods on who the Nets have had in HSS Training Center nor when they might work out and sit from interviews. There’s been no leaks from the annual May meeting of scouts that was featured in last year’s SCOUT docu-series.

So it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that speculation about the Nets’ likes and dislikes is rising along with fan interest. On Friday, Brian Lewis profiled Keaton Wagler who most have penciled in at No. 5 to the Clippers, while ESPN’s Jeremy Woo added some intelligence on the full-range of prospective picks between Nos. 5 and 10, suggesting the Nets may have interest in Brown, Acuff and Wagler as well as the 6’9” Karim Lopez of the New Zealand Breakers, 6’4” Houston point guard, Adary May, the 7’3” center and anchor of Michigan’s NCAA champs and Nate Ament, the 6’10” wing whose draft stock has been up and down and now up again all year long.

Lewis highlights both Wagler’s positives — his height and wingspan plus his winning ways — as well as negatives — his lack of athleticism and whether he fits with Egor Demin.

There’s a very real possibility Wagler could be available for the Nets when they’re on the clock at Barclays Center. And as many non-Peterson guards as there are in this class, Wagler is confident he’s the best of the lot.

“I think I’m just super-versatile, being able to play multiple positions, not just a point guard or just shooting guard, but being able to play on or off the ball,” Wagler said. “And then also being able to play with other really good players is a skill that I think I have, knowing when it’s my time or when it’s someone else’s time.”

Despite middling athleticism and explosion, that versatility would be useful for the Nets.

Wagler met with the Nets at the NBA Combine and they’re expected to have him in, but there are issues, chief among them his athleticism. As our Collin Helwig reported after the Draft Lottery measurements were released, he not only finished fourth among the quarter in 3/4- court sprint but placed 50th among the 70 participants. He doesn’t worry about that hurting him. The rest of the game compensates, he says.

“I mean, I’ve heard it my whole life, that I’m not the most athletic, not the fastest,” Wagler told Lewis. “I think all last year I showed that you don’t have to be the most athletic to score the ball or be a really good player. And that’s kind of what I did. I just find different ways to use my body, even though I’m not the strongest, but being the aggressor, using my pace [of play] and then getting into the lane.

“I’m definitely super-versatile, can play multiple positions — the 1, 2 right now — and I continue to put on weight and get stronger, even the 3,” Wagler told Lewis. “So, my ability would also be my playmaking ability to be able to pass the ball, make the right play, take care of the ball.

“I definitely say my vision, going along with my height, being a tall guard, is something really good to be able to come off ball-screens and read defenders, see over defenses, and … make the right play.”

And he said all the right things about playing in the Big Apple.

Woo wrote about the Nets possible interest in Wagler as part of his top 100 rankings out Friday.

Wagler’s positional size, versatility and unique trajectory have continued to set him apart as a prospect worth investing in, with teams including the LA Clippers and Brooklyn Nets closely studying his case at No. 5 and No. 6 and his draft range unlikely to stretch far beyond those teams.

Wagler wasn’t the only prospect Woo linked to the Nets eith. Of Acuff, he wrote you have to consider the Nets as possibility as well.

Acuff’s range as relatively narrow, with his best-available case beginning with the Clippers at No. 5 and Nets at No. 6, and the Sacramento Kings at No. 7 considered by many to be his floor.

His ability to score at all three levels and increased willingness to involve teammates have greatly boosted his profile as a player potentially worthy of shouldering heavy responsibility and driving good offense.

And Flemings:

Although his mechanics aren’t textbook, he has continued to flash enough shooting growth to excite teams long term, drawing consideration from teams inside the top 10 after a breakout freshman season, with his range starting at No. 5 with the Clippers

And Ament:

He continues to draw looks throughout the lottery, with the Nets and Milwaukee Bucks viewed as possible destinations — two teams that could afford him time and minutes to develop immediately. Finding the right fit will be imperative for his long-term growth.

And Mara:

Rival teams consider him to be in play as high as No. 6 for Brooklyn, with the Hawks, Warriors and Thunder also viewed as potential landing spots in the lottery. Landing with a team that wants to lean into his playmaking skills will give him the best chance to maximize his impact.

And Lopez, assuming the Nets wind up with a pick lower than No. 6:

Lopez is drawing interest from a number of teams in the lottery, including the Clippers, Nets, Bucks and Warriors, with rival teams viewing him as more of a trade-back candidate later on in the case of the Clippers and Nets.

He was helped by his combine measurements, affirming his size to play both forward positions capably and massive hands. He continues to improve and has positioned himself as an intriguing development bet coming off a strong second season in the NBL.

That covers, it would seem, the range of Nets possibilities, but as a close reading of Wo0’s reporting shows, he’s not quoting anyone inside the Nets organization. The most common sourcing is “rival teams.”

Woo hints at the possibility of a Nets move out of No. 6 or finding a way to add another pick — OKC’s two picks at Nos. 12 and 17 have often been mentioned and certainly, the Nets have the assets to make a move with 32 picks, including nine tradeable first rounders. Moreover, the Thunder have some interesting decisions to make with the payroll and rotation. Remember, they’ll be adding two former first round picks next season who have been laid low by illness — point guard Nikola Topic — and injury — big man Thomas Sorber. Both are 20. So adding two more rookies might not be the most efficient development planning. They might want to move those picks back a year or more and the Nets have the bulk of their firsts starting in 2028.

It will take a while for things to work out or even come out. It’s a rare thing for the Nets to telegraph who they like, the two exceptions being Dzanan Musa in 2018 and Day’Ron Sharpe in 2021. So as we keep saying, stay tuned and be patient.

David Stearns doubles down on belief in a Mets turnaround: ‘Not insurmountable’

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows David Stearns, President of Baseball Operations for the New York Mets, speaks at a press conference before the game when the New York Mets played the Detroit Tigers Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at Citi Field in Queens, Image 2 shows Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) walks back to the dugout in the fifth inning against the against the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field, Monday, May 25, 2026, in Queens, NY

If almost 8,000 people can climb more than 29,000 feet to the top of Mount Everest, what sounds so daunting about the Mets overcoming a 7 ¹/₂-game deficit in the National League playoff race?

Well, just about everything. But president of baseball operations David Stearns isn’t ready to pack up and head down the mountain in defeat.

“We have not had a good year so far,” Stearns said Friday in an understatement, hours before moving to 24-33 with a 9-7 win over the Marlins in 10 innings. “We’re not where we thought we would be. We’ve dug ourselves a hole. It’s not an insurmountable hole.”

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Seventeen days, eight wins and eight losses after he acknowledged feeling a time crunch to improve, Stearns projected a there’s-still-time vibe Friday before opening a three-game series against the Marlins. Whether he convinced any outsiders to believe in the NL’s third-worst team is another story.

“We’re going to have to play a lot better baseball to do what we want to do this year,” Stearns said.

Ace Freddy Peralta started Friday against the backdrop that he could garner the best return — even in his walk year — if the Mets want to start trading off pieces.

“We’re not there yet,” Stearns said. “We’ve got time.”

Tick, tick, tick.

The MLB trade deadline is Aug. 3, but the Mets aren’t the only flailing big-expectations contender. What if the Red Sox, Tigers, Giants or Rangers want to get a jump on the seller’s market?

David Stearns, President of Baseball Operations for the New York Mets, speaks at a press conference on May 12, 2026 at Citi Field in Queens. Robert Sabo for NY Post

“I still think it’s early to have very robust trade discussions,” Stearns said. “If you look at the history of midseason acquisitions, we really are talking about the majority taking place in a very concentrated period after the All-Star break and close to the end of July. We’re still a long ways away from that. Is there a specific set of circumstances this year that maybe accelerates that? I think that’s possible, but we haven’t seen that yet.”

Stearns’ patience in the face of the fans’ impatience is good for …

The coaching staff: As mental mistakes mount every game — as SNY analyst Ron Darling recently vented after pitcher David Peterson failed to back up an errant throw — it reflects poorly on the coaching staff.



Or does it?

“I think our coaching staff does a really good job,” Stearns said. “On the Petey one in particular, that’s a pretty heady player who is frustrated.”

Manager Carlos Mendoza received a vote of confidence from Stearns earlier this season but continues to twist in the wind with no contract security beyond this season.

“We’re not always going to be public about it, but we’ve had certain players at times get a little bit off the rails in their respective disciplines,” Stearns said. “And I think our staff has done a very nice job of course-correcting in certain instances. I also think that the motivation and energy from these players remains very high. I understand there is frustration everywhere, there is exasperation — we all get that — but our players are playing hard and they compete. That’s a reflection on them and our coaches.”

The young veterans: One of the failings of the Mets has been the development of former top prospects Brett Baty and Mark Vientos into core pieces who can complement Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor (when healthy). The same could be said for injured Francisco Alvarez.

“Any player who demonstrates a level of inconsistency over multiple years or over their careers, there are probably individual reasons,” Stearns said. “Candidly, I think … we know the reasons and are working. In certain cases, we don’t. That’s the reality of baseball and player evaluations.”

Still-developing minor leaguers: You could make a case center fielder A.J. Ewing (12 games at Triple-A) and Jonah Tong (5.68 ERA at Triple-A) were rushed to the majors because of injuries, but Stearns isn’t quite ready to keep dipping down for more reinforcements.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) walks back to the dugout in the fifth inning against the against the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field, Monday, May 25, 2026, in Queens, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
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The time will come, though. Maybe for first baseman/outfielder Ryan Clifford or pitcher Jack Wenninger.

“We have to be confident those players are ready and can contribute,” Stearns said. “We’re certainly not going to preclude ourselves from adding more from our minor league system. We believe we have very good players down there — some of whom aren’t too far away. We have players in the minor leagues right now that we would anticipate contributing at the big leagues over the course of the season. It’s very difficult for me to put a time frame on it.”

Hurricanes roll past Canadiens 6-1 in Eastern Conference Final, earn trip to Stanley Cup Final

Hurricanes roll past Canadiens 6-1 in Eastern Conference Final, earn trip to Stanley Cup Final originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Carolina Hurricanes have finally broken through their Eastern Conference Final roadblock. Now comes the chance to play for the Stanley Cup for the first time in two decades.

Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven and Eric Robinson scored in a dominating first period that helped push the Hurricanes past the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 on Friday night, closing a five-game series that sent the Eastern Conference’s top seed on to face Vegas for the Cup.

Jackson Blake and Shayne Gostisbehere added second-period goals that pushed the Hurricanes to a 5-0 lead entering the final period, while Seth Jarvis scoring into an empty net with 3:41 left. Frederik Andersen carried a shutout until midway through the third in net.

Carolina swept through the first two rounds of the playoffs, then regrouped from a Game 1 loss to the Canadiens after an extended between-rounds break to win four straight. That included a run of 10 straight goals going back to Andrei Svechnikov’s overtime winner in Game 3 before Montreal finally got on the board with Cole Caufield’s power-play score at 10:50 of the third.

That made the Hurricanes the first team to reach the Stanley Cup Final with only one loss since 1983, according to SportRadar, and the only team to do so since the league went to best-of-seven series in all four postseason rounds in 1987.

It was a long-awaited moment for the franchise, which is on an eight-year run of postseason appearances under Rod Brind’Amour. The Hurricanes have been a perennial contender in the East, yet they entered this series having gone 1-12 in the Eastern Conference Final under Brind’Amour — falling in sweeps to Boston in 2019 and Florida in 2023 before losing in five games to the Panthers in last year’s rematch.

But they were tested, and wounded, from those past postseason failures. Throw in their depth and talent, and the Hurricanes were finally ready to punch through for their third shot at the Cup since the former Hartford Whalers relocated to North Carolina before the 1997-98 season.

The last time the Hurricanes reached this point? Brind’Amour was the captain on a team that hoisted the Cup in a seven-game series against Edmonton in 2006.

After regrouping from a 6-2 loss in Game 1, the Hurricanes took control of the series from the young and skilled Canadiens — who had arrived at this round ahead of schedule after Game 7 road wins against Tampa Bay and Buffalo through the first two rounds. They won consecutive 3-2 overtime wins, then took Game 4 in a 4-0 road romp Wednesday.

Beyond the score, Carolina was getting to its smothering game in pressuring the Canadiens in their own end or shutting off most high-danger chances they could muster going the other way.

By midway through the second period, festive and rowdy Hurricanes fans were offering mocking “Olé! Olé! Olé! Olé!” chants with Carolina up 4-0. By the final two minutes, they were chanting “We want the Cup! We want the Cup!” as the Hurricanes closed this one out.

Hurricanes roll past Canadiens 6-1 in Eastern Conference Final, earn trip to Stanley Cup Final

Hurricanes roll past Canadiens 6-1 in Eastern Conference Final, earn trip to Stanley Cup Final originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Carolina Hurricanes have finally broken through their Eastern Conference Final roadblock. Now comes the chance to play for the Stanley Cup for the first time in two decades.

Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven and Eric Robinson scored in a dominating first period that helped push the Hurricanes past the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 on Friday night, closing a five-game series that sent the Eastern Conference’s top seed on to face Vegas for the Cup.

Jackson Blake and Shayne Gostisbehere added second-period goals that pushed the Hurricanes to a 5-0 lead entering the final period, while Seth Jarvis scoring into an empty net with 3:41 left. Frederik Andersen carried a shutout until midway through the third in net.

Carolina swept through the first two rounds of the playoffs, then regrouped from a Game 1 loss to the Canadiens after an extended between-rounds break to win four straight. That included a run of 10 straight goals going back to Andrei Svechnikov’s overtime winner in Game 3 before Montreal finally got on the board with Cole Caufield’s power-play score at 10:50 of the third.

That made the Hurricanes the first team to reach the Stanley Cup Final with only one loss since 1983, according to SportRadar, and the only team to do so since the league went to best-of-seven series in all four postseason rounds in 1987.

It was a long-awaited moment for the franchise, which is on an eight-year run of postseason appearances under Rod Brind’Amour. The Hurricanes have been a perennial contender in the East, yet they entered this series having gone 1-12 in the Eastern Conference Final under Brind’Amour — falling in sweeps to Boston in 2019 and Florida in 2023 before losing in five games to the Panthers in last year’s rematch.

But they were tested, and wounded, from those past postseason failures. Throw in their depth and talent, and the Hurricanes were finally ready to punch through for their third shot at the Cup since the former Hartford Whalers relocated to North Carolina before the 1997-98 season.

The last time the Hurricanes reached this point? Brind’Amour was the captain on a team that hoisted the Cup in a seven-game series against Edmonton in 2006.

After regrouping from a 6-2 loss in Game 1, the Hurricanes took control of the series from the young and skilled Canadiens — who had arrived at this round ahead of schedule after Game 7 road wins against Tampa Bay and Buffalo through the first two rounds. They won consecutive 3-2 overtime wins, then took Game 4 in a 4-0 road romp Wednesday.

Beyond the score, Carolina was getting to its smothering game in pressuring the Canadiens in their own end or shutting off most high-danger chances they could muster going the other way.

By midway through the second period, festive and rowdy Hurricanes fans were offering mocking “Olé! Olé! Olé! Olé!” chants with Carolina up 4-0. By the final two minutes, they were chanting “We want the Cup! We want the Cup!” as the Hurricanes closed this one out.

76ers hire Mike Gansey as new president weeks after firing Daryl Morey

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Mike Gansey current Cleveland Cavaliers General Manager and former basketball player arrives at Perth Airport on December 13, 2022, in Perth, Australia, Image 2 shows Daryl Morey talks to the media during Paul George's Philadelphia 76ers introductory press conference on July 23, 2024 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The post-Daryl Morey era of 76ers basketball is underway.

The team has hired Mike Gansey as its new president of basketball operations after a 15-year stint with the Cavaliers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Gansey had worked his way up the Cavs front office for years and was the team’s general manager since 2021 after a four-year stint in the same role with the Cavaliers’ G League team.

Mike Gansey arrives at Perth Airport on December 13, 2022, in Perth, Australia. GC Images

Gansey, 43, helped build the current Cavs roster, which earned its first Eastern Conference finals appearance since LeBron James left in 2018, though they were swept by the Knicks.

The Cavaliers have been a playoff mainstay in the Eastern Conference, making the postseason in each of the last four seasons, which they hadn’t done since 2014-18 during James’ second stint.

Gansey is assuming a 76ers roster entering the offseason with many questions after Morey’s firing.

Joel Embiid is going to make a combined $120 million for the next two seasons, with a $67 million player option in 2028-29.

Daryl Morey talks to the media during Paul George’s Philadelphia 76ers introductory press conference on July 23, 2024 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NBAE via Getty Images

Embiid, 32, would turn 35 that March.

Paul George enters the third year of a four-year deal, pocketing $54 million next season with a $56.6 million player option for 2026-27.

Tyrese Maxey has three years left on his contract and is scheduled to make north of $40 million next season.

Philly also has Kelly Oubre, Quentin Grimes and Andre Drummond as notable free agents to be.

Mariners provide injury updates on Cal Raleigh, Brendan Donovan

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 15: Brendan Donovan #33 of the Seattle Mariners looks on against the San Diego Padres at T-Mobile Park on May 15, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Justin Hollander met with the media prior to the Mariners’ series opener with the Diamondbacks to provide updates on some key injured Mariners. Unfortunately, there’s no set timetable for return for either Cal Raleigh (oblique) or Brendan Donovan (groin), even though both are making steady progress in their recoveries.

Donovan remains in Arizona, but has not yet progressed to baseball activities. The team’s chief concern for Donovan is his ability to run, given the nature of his lower body injury. Currently he’s running on an anti-gravity treadmill, with the hopes that he can transition to a baseball running progression on a field next week when the team heads out on the road, provided he clears the next couple of days without the pain returning. For the baseball running progression, he’ll start by running in straight lines before moving to more intense game-type movement: lateral cuts, starts and stops, etc. Hollander says it’s a deliberately slow build to try to ensure Donovan’s injury won’t be re-aggravated during normal baseball activities.

“These are the type of injuries that you want to be really deliberate with to makes ure we don’t have any kind of setback like we did last time.”

Cal Raleigh will make a visit to the team tomorrow from where he’s been rehabbing in Arizona tomorrow and get a check-in with the medical staff in Seattle while also being able to connect with his teammates. “I think he misses us,” said Hollander. In addition to catching and playing long toss, Raleigh swung off a tee today – 15 swings per side – at moderate (80%) intensity. The goal is next time for him to ramp up the intensity rather than increase the number of reps. Similar to Donovan, the team is managing Raleigh’s ramp-up very carefully, and there’s no official timetable for his return.

“We want to build responsibly and make sure that when he cuts it loose at 100%, that he feels 100%”, said Hollander.

While it can be frustrating for fans – and for the players themselves – to not have a definitive timeline for their return, Hollander was careful to highlight why the organization is being especially careful with these two players, known for their gritty play style and high pain tolerance levels, in particular.

“You want to treat the patient, not just treat the diagnosis,” said Hollander. “And I think the reason we’re being extra-cautious with these guys [Donovan and Raleigh] is I think if we put a date on the calendar and say they’re going to go on a rehab assignment on this day, they will go on the rehab assignment on that day, whether they’re actually feeling good enough to do it or not.”

“I don’t want to say we’re ignoring what they’re saying, but we’re taking what they’re saying in the context of who they are and making sure that when they’re ready to go out, they’re actually ready to go out and not playing to the day on the calendar that they set up for them weeks in advance.”

Other injury updates:

  • Carlos Vargas is having a repeat MRI today as a final checkpoint before he returns to the ramp-up program he was shut down from a month ago after experiencing aggravation. He’ll have a more defined return to play program once the results from the scans are back.
  • Miles Mastrobuoni (L, R calf) is currently on a rehab assignment with the Rainiers.
  • Will Wilson (thumb) should be able to begin a rehab assignment in the next week or so.
  • On the minor-league sign, Brock Rodden has a minor hamstring strain and will be down for the next one to two weeks. Same for Michael Arroyo, who has had a couple issues with his right hamstring this year but is, in Hollander’s words, a “quick healer.”

Gamethread 5/29: Phillies at Dodgers

May 1, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

After a sweep of the San Diego Padres, the Phillies will return to the place where their 2025 season ended as they begin a three-game series against the defending champion Dodgers in Los Angeles.

Zack Wheeler gets the start for the Phillies. Wheeler has been fantastic since his return from the Injured List, and has given up just one total run in 20.1 innings over his last three starts.

The Dodgers will go with lefthander Justin Wrobleski. Considering the Phillies’ struggles against lefty pitching this season, runs may be at a premium on Friday night.

Game time is 10:15 PM and will be televised exclusively on Apple TV.

Hurricanes pay tribute to late Canadiens standout Claude Lemieux

The Carolina Hurricanes paid tribute to a legend of the opposing team before their Friday, May 29, NHL playoff game against the Montreal Canadiens.

The Hurricanes mentioned the "lasting legacy" of four-time Stanley Cup winner Claude Lemieux, who died on Thursday at age 60.

Lemieux won his first Stanley Cup with the Canadiens in 1986, scoring 10 goals, including four game-winners, as a rookie. He had taken part in the Canadiens' torch-bearing ceremony before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Lemieux would go on to win three other Stanley Cups with the New Jersey Devils (twice) and Colorado Avalanche. He was playoff MVP in 1995 with the Devils.

Lemieux's son, Brendan, had played for the Hurricanes. Lemieux was also the agent for Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen.

The Hurricanes lead the best-of-seven series 3-1 and can advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006 with a victory in Game 5. The Vegas Golden Knights, who won the Western Conference finals, await the winner.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricanes honor Claude Lemieux before NHL playoff game vs Canadiens

Zack Wheeler serves up Dodger dingers, another lefty stifles Phillies

Zack Wheeler serves up Dodger dingers, another lefty stifles Phillies originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

LOS ANGELES — The Phillies have been winning lately with a pretty narrow formula.

It has usually come with a homer, or multiple, and a strong starting pitching performance. That recipe has worked during their recent surge, but it is only so sustainable.

And on Friday night at Dodger Stadium, they did not fit that bill in their 4-2 loss to the Dodgers. They got the homer, but not the kind of starting pitching performance they have become used to.

Los Angeles got to Zack Wheeler — the first time in his seven starts since returning from thoracic outlet decompression surgery that he has looked human.

Wheeler went six innings, allowing five hits, four runs and four solo homers. He struck out four and walked one.

He knew he was not sharp.

“I was a little out of whack,” Wheeler said. “Some pitches didn’t get where they needed to be, especially against this kind of lineup. It’s just the combo of being out of whack and pitches not going where I want, but against a good lineup, they’re going to hit it.”

In the first three innings, the Dodgers hit three solo homers against him. Freddie Freeman got him in the first. Max Muncy left the yard in the second. Shohei Ohtani followed with another in the third.

Will Smith added a fourth solo shot against Wheeler in the fifth.

He looked toward the sky after that ball left the park. It was that kind of night.

“It’s baseball,” Wheeler said. “It’s a weird sport when things happen. Sometimes you feel out of whack and you do well. Sometimes you don’t. Just little frustrations, all. Just a good lineup, a good team. You want to come in here and do well against them.

The Dodgers were hitting his misses. Up, middle, down. It did not matter. They kept leaving the yard.

Wheeler’s stuff was there. He had swing-and-miss pitches. His velocities were up. But the thing that makes the Dodgers such a difficult lineup from top to bottom is that they consistently punish mistakes.

Don Mattingly did not think Wheeler was far off. The misses were just loud.

“I didn’t think he was terrible,” Mattingly said. “Just the solo homers.”

Wheeler ended his night with a nine-pitch, scoreless sixth. That was about all he could take from it.

“It was good, feeling like I should, leaving that outing,” Wheeler said. “That was the only good part of it.”

“Besides the four home runs, I felt like I did well. But at the end of the day, I let them up and we lost because of that.”

That damage was too much.

The Phillies were being no-hit by Dodgers lefty Justin Wrobleski through 5 2/3 innings, and their clearest offensive issue showed up again.

They continue to struggle against left-handed starting pitching.

It was a problem under Rob Thomson. It has remained one under Mattingly.

With Friday’s loss, the Phillies are slashing .187/.251/.320 against left-handed starters. If you take out their seven-run showing against Rockies lefty Kyle Freeland on May 9 at Citizens Bank Park, they are at .169/.239/.279.

Mind-boggling, especially compared to recent seasons.

Last year, the Phillies had a .718 OPS in games against left-handed starters. That was not spectacular, and it still pointed to a weakness. In 2024, they had a .807 OPS in those games. In 2023, it was .825.

With a fairly similar personnel group, it has gotten much worse in 2026.

It was exposed again Friday.

Wrobleski did not need to get overly creative. He almost exclusively used two pitches against Phillies hitters: a four-seam fastball and a slider. He used essentially the same mix against lefties and righties.

The plan was there in front of them.

The Phillies still had no answers.

Mattingly pointed to the fastball as the pitch that controlled the night.

“I thought he beat us with a fastball a lot tonight,” Mattingly said. “He was getting ahead in the count. He was on the attack, it seemed like, from the first on.”

Wrobleski’s four-seam fastball, which had averaged 93.7 mph this season, sat at 94.9 mph Friday. He generated a 57 percent swing-and-miss rate with the pitch, threw it for a strike 76 percent of the time and recorded all nine of his strikeouts with it.

None came on any other pitch.

That has been part of the larger trend.

The Phillies have not hit fastballs well when they face left-handed starters. They are batting .193 against all heaters in those spots with a .628 OPS. Somehow, it has been worse against breaking balls, where they have a .364 OPS.

Mattingly did not have a sweeping explanation for the lefty issue. Friday, to him, was more direct.

“We just didn’t get on the fastball,” Mattingly said. “It took us a while to get going with the fastball and trusting what he was doing.”

At 29-28, the Phillies still need to gain ground to fit more comfortably into the National League Wild Card picture. But if they keep getting handled by left-handed starters, that climb becomes tougher.

The Phillies finally broke up the no-hit bid with a Kyle Schwarber solo shot, extending his Major League lead with 22 homers.

Schwarber has been one of their few bright spots against lefties, posting a .987 OPS against southpaws.

He still believes there is more in the lineup than the results have shown.

“I like our offense,” Schwarber said. “I know that the results aren’t there. I think we all have the most confidence in each other.”

Schwarber credited Wrobleski, who kept the Phillies behind in counts for most of the night.

“He had a really good game against us,” Schwarber said. “Felt like he was getting ahead, putting the ball in really good spots the whole game.”

Brandon Marsh helped the Phillies climb back against the Dodgers’ bullpen with a one-out double in the eighth. Steward Berroa, hitting from the left side, followed with his first Phillies hit, an RBI single that cut the deficit to two.

Berroa also made a strong play in right field earlier in the night, tracking a ball near the wall and holding a runner at first.

“He’s an energy guy,” Mattingly said. “He knows what he’s doing out there. It’s not like this is some young kid that hasn’t played a lot of baseball. He’s got a good idea what he’s doing out there.”

They had nothing going in the ninth against Tanner Scott.

Friday was a reminder that the flaws are still there.

Wheeler had his first rough night since returning. The Phillies, who just swept three Padres right-handed starters, were quiet against another left-hander. Against a team like the Dodgers, those two things are hard to overcome.

The Phillies have won plenty of games recently by finding one big swing. Schwarber knows that cannot be the only path.

“We want to keep finding ways to get guys on base and keep trying to find ways to produce runs, not just via home run,” Schwarber said. “We have all the trust in the world that we’re going to find a way to get that done at the end of the day.

How to watch San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 5: Logan Webb #62 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park on May 5, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The San Francisco Giants head to Coors Field tonight to begin a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Logan Webb, who enters tonight’s game with a 5.06 ERA, 3.52 FIP, with 42 strikeouts to 15 walks in 48 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 10-5 loss to the San Diego Padres on May 5th, in which he allowed six runs on seven hits with four strikeouts in four innings.

He’ll be facing off against Rockies right-hander Michael Lorenzen, who enters tonight’s game with a 7.21 ERA, 5.13 FIP, with 41 strikeouts to 18 walks in 53.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Rockies’ 5-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday, in which he allowed five runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and a walk in five innings.

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Game #57

Who: San Francisco Giants (22—34) vs. Colorado Rockies (20-37)

Where: Coors Field, Denver, Colorado

When: 5:40 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

Marlins pitcher Eury Pérez expected to miss approximately 8 weeks with odd leg injury

NEW YORK (AP) — Miami Marlins pitcher Eury Pérez is expected to miss about two months with a bizarre leg injury sustained while he was stretching in the dugout.

The right-hander exited Wednesday’s start in Toronto after throwing four shutout innings because his right hamstring spasmed while he was doing lateral lunges on the bench to limber up for the fifth. He was in such pain he needed assistance from a teammate to descend the steps into the clubhouse.

Pérez had imaging Thursday that revealed a high-grade strain of his right gracilis, a long, thin muscle on the inside of the thigh.

The 23-year-old Pérez is 3-6 with a 4.60 ERA in 12 starts, but his last two outings were excellent. He struck out a season-high nine against the Blue Jays before getting hurt, giving him 14 strikeouts without a walk while allowing just one run and five hits over his last 10 1/3 innings. He has 72 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings this year.

“Unfortunate, with his last couple starts how well he was throwing the ball. We’ll just have to pick up and keep going,” manager Clayton McCullough said Friday before the Marlins opened a three-game series against the New York Mets. “It’s a team thing, so guys just have to step up and that’s all you can do.”

McCullough said there’s no plan in place yet for how Miami will fill Pérez’s rotation spot beginning next week.

Pérez was put on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Thursday, and the club recalled right-hander Josh Ekness from Triple-A Jacksonville. In another move, Leo Jiménez was reinstated from the seven-day concussion injured list and fellow infielder Graham Pauley was optioned to Jacksonville.

Jiménez got hurt when he took a knee to the head from Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. while he was sliding into third base on May 19.

Armed with a 98-99 mph fastball, the 6-foot-8 Pérez was rated one of baseball’s top prospects before making his major league debut at age 20 in May 2023.

He sat out the 2024 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery with an internal brace, and returned to Miami’s rotation in June 2025. He is 15-18 with a 3.93 ERA in 51 career starts.

“We know it’s a young pitcher that still had a lot of experiences to gain from just getting the chance to take the ball at the major league level every fifth or sixth day,” McCullough said.

“So, that’s kind of the most frustrating part is, you sense a little bit that maybe this was a player that was starting to get on a little bit of a roll, put some things together, and now he’s obviously going to have to miss a significant amount of time.”