SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 11: A detailed view of the shoes and socks with Pride colors worn by San Francisco Giants players during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Oracle Park on June 11, 2022 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
First, a note that this was written before yesterday’s “press conference,” so it will not include information about that or responses to that. Stay tuned until tomorrow on that front, because I have a lot to say, but not enough time at the moment.
Earlier this week, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley posted a response that he received from Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred. Hawley had initially reached out to MLB complaining that it was unfair to force the players to wear Pride hats in the first place, after their initial response to the San Francisco Giants pitchers who defaced theirs in the June 12th Pride Night game.
Manfred clearly didn’t want the full force of the United States Department of Justice to come down on MLB, so his response throws the Giants organization under the bus entirely, and probably unfairly. I’ll pull the most pertinent quote from Alex Simon’s reporting over at SFGate.
“Unfortunately, this year the Giants communication with players was inadequate and not clear. Some players apparently did not understand that they had the option to wear their normal uniform and elected to add messages to their hats bearing the pride logo as a result. The Giants players were allowed to wear the hats with the biblical references for the entire game. After the game had concluded, my office issued a routine oral warning about the uniform policy violation — unfortunately it was issued before we became aware of the Giants’ lapse in communication. The players were never fined or disciplined, nor will they ever be.
This reads as a load of blame-shifting garbage, in my opinion. It has been confirmed that members of the organization (such as manager Tony Vitello) were aware of the players’ plan to deface the hats well before the day of the game. So conversations were clearly had. Other players were well aware of their right to not wear the Pride uniforms at all if they didn’t want to. Because they chose not to.
While communication is clearly an issue within the organization, I don’t think the problem is with the team not letting the players know they weren’t required to wear the uniforms.
Also, and I cannot stress this enough, the players are grown adults with the ability to read their contracts and ask their teammates, coaches or organizational staff for clarification if they’re unsure about something. This reads as further infantilization of the players involved. See, they’re just wittle babies and no one told them they didn’t have to wear the uniforms!
If we decide to be generous and assume that any of this excuse is true, then that’s even more damning for the organization as a whole. Because what do you mean Vitello was aware of the protest and didn’t bother to inform the players involved that they didn’t have to wear them in the first place? Did he not know? And if so, why did he not bother to check?
This feels very much like an attempt by MLB to throw the Giants organization under the bus while also trying to state that the matter is now closed. It is absolutely not, but that is our update for today.
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants continue this three-game series against the Athletics tonight at 6:45 p.m. PT.
The Giants beat the Athletics last night, but other than that, things have been a whole bunch of awful for the team by the Bay. Grant Brisbee writes that the Giants are somehow making losing baseball look even worse (Free The Athletic reg. req.), including the Rafael Devers incident where he refused to leave for a pinch runner.
However, Devers also blamed the media for making a big deal out of it all. (Free The Athletic reg. req.) Giants team president Buster Posey also defended Vitello, and said he still had the respect of the players. Ouch.
Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll said the team has “no plans” to trade center fielder Byron Buxton. Combined with Buxton saying he won’t waive his no-trade deal and it looks like he’s staying in the Twin Cities another year at least.
If you want to feel better about Cubs bullpen meltdowns, the Phillies were down two to the Nationals with two outs and no one on in the top of the ninth. The Phillies, who had been down to their final strike, then exploded for eight runs and won 14-9.
Slightly better pitching news for the Nats comes from Spencer Nusbaum, who takes us inside their brand-new pitch design team. (Free The Athletic reg. req.) The article in particular looks at their work with Cade Cavalli.
And finally, how do you get a loud, lively crown at a Marlins game? Just fill LoanDepot Park with Scotland’s “Tartan Army” fans. Since the Marlins were playing the Rangers, I’m almost surprised the Scotland fans didn’t come to blows with half of them cheering for the Rangers and the other half cheering for the Marlins, whom they insist on calling “Celtic” for some reason.
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 8: Matthew Knies #23 of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks on against the Washington Capitals during the third period at the Scotiabank Arena on April 8, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
Player X is a free agent. Player X can sign with any team. Player X ultimately decides to sign with Team Y because the GM or head coach of the team is a former teammate. Or they’re from the same hometown and came up through juniors together. Or, to quote a classic film in Spaceballs, he’s their father’s brother’s nephew’s cousin’s former roommate.
I wouldn’t go as far as to say that nepotism is running rampant across the NHL, even though this is a league where we see players drafted all the time in part because of their bloodlines. Heck, the NHL themselves are all too happy to put a PDF out there showing direct ties between players, as they did this as recently as last year’s draft. But I do think connections and networking matter to some extent.
It’s something we see in the real world all the time. People might leave one job for another because of a personal connection with someone who is at the new place. People who are looking for work may leverage their network and talk to people they know until they land somewhere new. Why would the NHL be any different?
Sheldon Keefe had nearly a decade of experience in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, first with the Marlies and then the Maple Leafs, before coming to New Jersey. New general manager Sunny Mehta was in the Panthers organization from 2020-2026, with a brief consultation stop in Washington between his time in New Jersey and Florida.
Neither Keefe or Mehta are old, but they’ve been around long enough where they know people. They’ve built up those relationships over the years, whether its Keefe coaching someone or Mehta being a part of a front office that brought said player in.
This week, I thought it would be noteworthy to at least take a look at players who either will be or might be available this offseason with some previous connection to Keefe or Mehta. Some of these players will be under contract, but they may or may not be available for a trade. Some of these players might be free agents. But are any of them potential fits for a Devils team that will need to undergo some changes this summer as Mehta reshapes the roster?
I’m well aware there are a lot of players around the league who played for Keefe or Mehta, but for purposes of this article, I’ll try to avoid fourth line types. I already mentioned AJ Greer a few weeks ago and I’m not going to dive deeply into the Ryan Lombergs and Kevin Stenlunds of the world, with all due respect to those players.
Matthew Knies
Contract: 5 years, $7.75M AAV, 10-team no trade list starting in 2030-31
Matthew Knies has been on the trading block for what seems like several months now, and despite the Maple Leafs landing the #1 pick in the NHL Draft and their recent sign-and-trade acquisition of Darren Raddysh, it appears that Knies is very much still in play. In fact, Knies came dangerously close to being dealt to the Montreal Canadiens at the trade deadline for a package including a pair of first round picks and prospect Alexander Zharovsky.
Knies isn’t a perfect player as he doesn’t really drive play and his defensive metrics are so-so, but he does a lot of things well. He’s a big body winger who can get to the dirty areas in front of the net and make things happen with rebounds and redirections. He’s shown that he’s more than capable of playing with elite level players, and one would presume he’ll be tethered to Jack Hughes’s wing if the Devils were to land him. And in a rising cap environment, having a player like Knies locked in at under $8M AAV for the next half decade is a tremendous value. That should not be understated.
Keefe was in Toronto as Knies was breaking into the NHL, and while Knies didn’t have his breakout seasons until after Keefe left Toronto, we’re talking about a player who has yet to turn 24 years old and is still scratching the surface of what he’s going to be as a player.
Morgan Rielly
Contract: 4 years, $7.5M AAV, NMC, 10-team no trade list starting in 2028-29
Rielly, the current longest-tenured Maple Leaf, may or may not be on the trading block in Toronto.
Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos wrote a few weeks ago that the belief is that Toronto is open to moving on from Rielly and that his NMC “wouldn’t be a major hurdle to overcome”. And Rielly did enjoy some of his finest seasons as a Maple Leaf with Keefe as the head coach, posting 68 points in 2021-22 and 58 points in 23-24. Rielly did struggle the last two seasons under Craig Berube, but it would stand to reason he could be a bounceback candidate if he were to play in a system better suited to his strengths as a player. And if anyone would know what those strengthts are, it’s Sheldon Keefe.
Rielly is not the greatest defensive defenseman, but he is still a good skater and he can move the puck….two things the Devils need more of from the backend.
Rielly could make sense for the Devils if they wind up sending a defenseman back Toronto’s way to help offset some of the salary, and with Raddysh in the fold in Toronto, Rielly might now be expendable to some extent. But with his NMC, Rielly has final say on his destination, so he’d have to want to be reunited with Keefe.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Contract: 2 years, $3.5M AAV, 16-team no-trade list
Keeping our eyes on Toronto, let’s take a look at another veteran defenseman on Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
OEL didn’t play for Keefe in Toronto, but he did play for Sunny Mehta in Florida in the 2023-24 season, picking up a Stanley Cup ring as a depth defenseman for the Panthers. OEL parlayed his Florida run into a four-year deal with the Maple Leafs, and while he was nearly traded this past season at the deadline, he ultimately stuck around in Toronto through the end of the season.
Ekman-Larsson enjoyed some of his best seasons in Arizona when he was with now-Leafs GM John Chayka, so its certainly possible that Chayka decides to hold on to the veteran blueliner. Considering Toronto is a team that has already been active this summer, I don’t know if that future includes Ekman-Larsson. But he’d be, at least from a contractual perspective, a relatively inexpensive veteran option who should help provide a little more offense from the backend.
I don’t know what the trade market would even look like for Ekman-Larsson, but I don’t think he’d cost a first-round pick to acquire.
Radko Gudas
Contract: Unrestricted free agent
At 36 years old, I don’t know how much Gudas has left in the tank in terms of being an effective hockey player.
Gudas, who spent three seasons in Florida with Mehta, is what he is at this stage of his career. He’s a defensive defenseman who blocks shots, hits people, and provides veteran leadership. He will not help a team offensively, and it’s debatable whether or not he’s helping the team enough defensively anymore. He’ll also throw the occasional and unnecessary dirty hit that will draw faux outrage from the Department of Player Safety.
The Devils would need to completely overhaul their backend to create enough openings where then I could justify considering Gudas for a 1-year deal. They may trade some defensemen, but I doubt its to create a spot for this type of player.
Anthony Duclair
Contract: 2 years, $3.5M AAV, 16-team no-trade
Duclair is a speedy winger who has generally been a decent source of secondary offense, but fairly or unfairly, has always managed to wear our his welcome no matter where he’s been. For a player who turns 31 this summer, there’s a decent chance he’ll be on his TENTH NHL team next season, and he hasn’t managed to last with any one team more than three seasons. Duclair was also benched by now-former Islanders coach Patrick Roy this past season.
I don’t write all of that to pick on Duclair or make fun of him. He’s a guy who can skate well and he has a good shot. He also had some of his best seasons in Florida with Sunny Mehta. Add in that the Islanders likely need to clear some cap space if they want to make additions to a group that nearly made the playoffs this past season and Duclair could be an odd man out in Elmont.
I’m not really interested in Duclair unless the Islanders were retaining salary, but he could be a name to keep an eye on if they choose to buy him out. In that scenario, I would have some mild interest in Duclair as a depth forward if he’d take a 1-year prove-it deal.
Vladimir Tarasenko
Contract: Unrestricted Free Agent
Admittedly, I had this article done and ready to publish. Then I saw the news that Vladimir Tarasenko is switching agents for what seems like the hundredth time and remembered that it was just over two years ago that the Panthers acquired Tarasenko for what would be a Stanley Cup winning run.
Tarasenko has been a long-time goalscorer, topping the 30+ goal plateau six times in his career with the Blues before bouncing around the league for much of the last half-decade, with stops in Minnesota, Detroit, South Florida, Ottawa, and that team across the Hudson River. Injuries and aging have seen a bit of a dip in his production, but he is coming off of a season where he scored 23 goals in Minnesota. That would place him fourth on the 25-26 Devils behind Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, and Timo Meier. Tarasenko wound up finishing third on the Wild in even-strength goals, showing he doesn’t need to be a power play specialist to be productive.
I don’t really know what to make of Tarasenko switching agents. Players don’t typically do that and then simultaneously sign team-friendly deals. AFP Analytics might be underselling Tarasenko with a one-year projection at roughly $3.4M AAV considering the rising cap and he’s coming off of a deal that paid him $4.75M AAV the last two years. Tarasenko might be a bit of a one-trick pony at this stage of his career, but it just so happens that that one trick is something the Devils could use more of in their lineup in goal scoring.
That said, Mehta was part of a Panthers front office that thought enough of him to bring him in as a depth piece and to provide secondary offense for a championship run. Tarasenko fit in well on that Panthers team before departing as a free agent. I could see Mehta being interested, and if Tarasenko is interested in another short-term deal, this is one that could make a lot of sense for the Devils.
Owen Tippett
Contract: 6 years, $6.2M AAV, 10-team no trade
I’ll preface this next part of the article saying this is from David Pagnotta, so take it with a grain of salt. But he did mention Owen Tippett’s name as a potential trade option recently, and it does seem like there’s a least a little smoke there, so let’s talk about it.
To be clear, the Flyers trading Tippett now makes little to no sense. They’re a team emerging from a multi-year rebuild, they made the playoffs this past season, and Tippett was arguably one of their best players during Philadelphia’s playoff run. Danny Briere signed Tippett to a contract extension not too long ago. They really shouldn’t be looking to move off of Tippett unless they’re convinced this is fool’s gold or someone makes them an offer they can’t refuse, and if I were the Devils, I’m not emptying the tank on an Owen Tippett trade as much as I respect the player.
That said, there’s a connection there as Mehta and Tippett overlapped in Florida. Florida did wind up moving Tippett, along with draft picks, in the Claude Giroux trade, and I can understand why Florida moved on when they did. To Tippett’s credit, he established himself as a regular with more consistent playing time in Philadelphia.
I don’t blame Mehta if he kicks the tires here. I just think its more likely he’ll have to try to find the next Owen Tippett rather than trading for the actual Owen Tippett. I think if the Devils and Flyers were to hook up on a trade, its unlikely to be involving a player of this magnitude.
Frank Vatrano
Contract: 2 years, $4.571M AAV, 7-team no trade
Vatrano overlapped with Mehta in Florida from 2020-2022 and was ok there as a secondary source of offense. But he took his game to another level when he initially landed in Anaheim.
Vatrano found a good landing spot on a team that had young players that had yet to establish themselves as NHL regulars. He saw the most ice time in his career, played in all situations, and posted career high marks in goals and points in 2023-24. He earned a nice three year contract extension with a modest pay raise as a result.
Unfortunately for Vatrano, he saw his role diminish this past season under the first one with new head coach Joel Quenneville in Anaheim. His ice time? One of the lowest of his career. His production? Career worst considering he appeared in 50 games. His playoff performance this season? Non-existent, as he was scratched for Anaheim’s run.
Vatrano needs a change of scenery, and to be clear, I have ZERO interest in Vatrano at his current number. But he might be worth keeping an eye on if Anaheim chooses to buy him out. And they might, as they’d save $4M against the cap the next two seasons by doing so and they have several key RFAs who need new contracts.
Michael Bunting
Contract: Unrestricted Free Agent
At this stage of his career, Bunting is a journeyman veteran winger who on his best day can chip in 15-20 goals over the course of a season.
That said, it wasn’t too long ago that under Sheldon Keefe, Bunting enjoyed some of the finest seasons of his career, with 112 points over 161 games with Toronto before departing in free agency.
With the benefit of time and hindsight, it’s clear that Bunting was more than adequate playing the Robin to the Batman of the Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner’s of the world. It’s also clear that he’s not quite the same player away from elite NHL talent. That’s not a knock, just an acknowledgement of the situation and an analysis of the player.
There are a lot of things about Bunting’s game that are easy to like though, such as his ability to get under the skin of the opposition, his compete level when it comes to winning puck battles, and a willingness to drive to the net.
Bunting is another guy where if his contract demands are anywhere near close to his AFP analytics projection of 4-years and $5.8M AAV, he’s probably a non-starter as far as the Devils are concerned given their cap situation. But he’s also coming off of a not-so great season between Nashville and Dallas, and I suppose an argument could be made that he’d be the goal-scoring, agitator compliment that Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt could use to round out that line. I don’t think he’d have to take a one-year, prove it type of deal, but maybe New Jersey is a situation given Keefe’s history with him makes sense.
Evan Rodrigues | Eetu Luostarinen
Rodrigues’ Contract: 1 year, $3.075M AAV
Luostarinen’s Contract: 1 year, $3M AAV
Florida is a team that probably doesn’t need to make cap casualty moves as they currently have roughly $15M in available cap space.
That said, Florida is a win-now team that will surely be looking to get back to the Stanley Cup playoffs next season. Florida will be a threat to win a championship next season if they get in. And perhaps most importantly, Florida is a destination NHL city. They literally just traded for Brady Tkachuk. Dylan Larkin wants to play in Florida. Connor Hellebuyck likely wants to as well. And why wouldn’t they? Florida provides warm weather, no taxes, and a legitimate chance to win.
If I’ve learned anything in recent years, its never say never when it comes to teams like Vegas and Florida when it comes to big game hunting. If they want whoever the next star player is that wants to go there, they’ll probably find a way to make it happen. And while it might be possible the players I just mentioned could go the other way in a potential deal to offset costs, it’s also possible they’re spun off in a different direction entirely if Florida needs to free up cap space in a hurry. Most of Florida’s big money players have some sort of no move clause or trade protection. Rodrigues and Luostarinen do not.
Rodrigues has been a perfectly fine role player for the Panthers for the last three seasons. He can play anywhere in the lineup and not look out of place. He can shift to center if needed, which may be ideal for a Devils team that could use a few more options in that respect. He’s a versatile Swiss army knife type of piece that fits on good hockey teams. As for Luostarinen, he’s another big, left-handed center slash winger option who plays a good two-way game, is physical, and provides secondary offense.
Sunny Mehta is obviously familiar with both players, and while I’m not saying they’re definitely going to be available this summer, I could see him being interested if either one was dangled out there on the open market, particularly Luostarinen.
Final Thoughts
All in all, I’d call this exercise…..mostly uninspiring.
The Devils aren’t really in a position to take on a big salary player unless they move more money out. They’re not in a position to pay top of the market prices in UFA, nor should they in a weak UFA class. And even if they were, history has shown time and again that’s not a winning formula in the long-term.
I do think a couple of the forward options could make sense if their respective teams ate salary and/or bought the players out entirely. I do think most of the defensemen could make sense if the Devils make drastic sweeping changes on their blueline. But we’re talking about some drastic changes moving on from several players with no-trade clauses of some sort and overhauling the operation at this point, which doesn’t seem likely given the contractual situations Sunny Mehta is inheriting.
Still, I think a few of these names are probably worth keeping in mind in the off-chance they do become available. In the former Panthers cases, Mehta was a key voice in a front office that ultimately signed off on bringing them in. There’s something there with these players that he likes. And in Keefe’s case with the former Leafs, we’re talking about players he has coached before and has that familiarity with, as opposed to exclusively bringing in external free agents with no previous ties.
These players probably won’t become Devils in the next month or so. But would it be all that surprising if a few of them passed through Newark in the next 12-24 months? Probably not.
Juan Soto left the Mets’ series opener against the Cubs early last night, and the team announced that he was experiencing tightness in his lower left back. After he was removed from the game, SNY showed replays of his at-bats earlier in the evening, during which he appeared to be in discomfort after swinging the bat.
With Francisco Lindor returning as soon as today, any time that Soto might miss with the back issue would be another cruel twist in the team’s already-embarrassing season. The team’s two best players, Lindor and Soto have appeared together in just nine of the team’s 78 games thus far this season. Soto suffered a calf injury that landed him on the injured list from April 4 through April 22, and in the very game that he returned to the field, Lindor suffered an even worse calf injury that’s kept him off the major league field for two months.
The Mets say that Soto is day-to-day with his back tightness. Here’s hoping that’s really the case and that he’s feeling better soon. At 34-44, it’s silly to talk about a potential comeback in the Wild Card race, but the Mets would simply be more enjoyable to watch if their two best players were on the field at the same time.
The Sacramento Kings were active on Day 1, taking an anticipated franchise cornerstone prospect in Darius Acuff Jr. at No. 7 and pairing another shooter and winning role player with him at No. 29 in Alex Karaban, following a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers sending the No. 34 pick and a future second round pick.
Sacramento aims to follow up on its first round wins in the second round. The Kings have the No. 45 pick in the second round of the NBA Draft.
The second round has a wide variety pool of talent featuring some players that can help contribute to a NBA team in the immediate future and others might need a year or two.
The Kings need guys who are defensive-minded. They are stacked at the wings. It would be ideal for Sacramento to target a big or another guard to backup Acuff.
Here's a list of players that the Kings should look to select if they're available:
Who should the Sacramento Kings target in round 2?
There is a bevy of guys that can contribute to a team like the Kings. Guys can contribute to secondary roles where they find their niche within a team whether it's as a knockdown shooter, board man, hustle guy, playmaker or lockdown defender. The Kings focus lies within perimeter defenders, interior defenders and additional ball-handlers. These following players fit within that mold.
Henri Veesaar (North Carolina, Forward): Veesaar likely won't be available but the Tar Heels big man is an example of what the Kings should look for.
Braden Smith (Purdue, Guard): Smith is someone who can facilitate with the best of them. The proof? He finished his collegiate career as the NCAA Division I career assists leader with 1,103.
Emanuel Sharp (Houston, Guard): Sharp is sharp offensively. The two-guard is a true shooting guard. He can knock it down from deep, he can slash and get to the rim. He averaged 15.5 points for the Houston Cougars. However, an area that needs improvement is shooting percentage, averaging 41% from the field.
Felix Okpara (Tennessee, Big): Okpara played a huge role for Tennessee, as an anchor to their defense. If that translates to the NBA, the Kings could beef their frontline with aggressors who play physical, giving Sacramento an edge.
Ugonna Onyenso (Virginia, Big): Onyenso could be a project but with huge defensive upside. He led the ACC in blocks and ranked second nationally with 2.92 swats per game in 2025-26 in just 18.6 minutes.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JUNE 22: Masyn Winn #0 and JJ Wetherholt #26 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrate after beating the Arizona Diamondbacks at Busch Stadium on June 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
No one expected JJ Wetherholt and Jordan Walker to be two of the best players in MLB. I had a hunch Wetherholt would be good, but not THIS good. I don’t think anyone realized the level of defensive range he brought, or the poise at the plate. I sure didn’t, at least.
Jordan Walker is the albatross causing much discussion on the true plans of Chaim Bloom and the Cardinals. He wasn’t supposed to be this for real-good and has been providing a lot of run creation dynamics. I suppose plans might be different if he was a non-factor.
As it stands with the 2026 versions of JJ Wetherholt and Jordan Walker, the Cardinals position players are a top 5 MLB team, with only the Dodgers, Yankees, Cubs, and Nationals ahead of them. And all but the Nationals (maybe?) spent a ton more than the Cardinals did to reach that total fWAR. The Cardinals are one of 10 teams to have produced at least 10 fWAR on the position side.
Look out now! the Cardinals are in a home run race vs the Cubbies! We are only 3 HR behind and the Cubs have played less games. Fun!
Perhaps, surprisingly, the Cardinals are one of the only team defenses in MLB that show as a net positive on fangraphs. Just outside the top 5, the Cardinals are not a liability on defense. Mostly because the middle infielders and center fielders offset the rest of the team, but it’s a good run prevent defense overall.
Is this positional player advantage some sort of mirage? Perhaps the team’s xwOBA can give us a hint: the Cardinals are the third best team in MLB on baseball savant according to xwOBA! This offense is maybe just starting to click.
That said, this is an offense forward team with good enough defense to make the pitching a little better than it is. The real question is if the pitching can actually improve enough to carry this team forward. Just as the offense seems like it is just beginning to tap into its true potential, the pitching staff shows few signs of encouragement. It almost seems like a miracle that the team is doing this well, considering that the pitching feels like it has been neglected at least to some extent by the organization. And if they deal away Dustin May, it will lose one of the only focal points to the season when it comes to the pitching staff. After him flirting with no hitters this year, he has stolen the spotlight.
***
One thing I’ve noticed about St Louis after moving here is that it loves its heavy metal bands. Hopefully, the fight of the metal can be instilled into the winning ways of this tenacious team. As part of a weekly writing project, I present to you a whole truckload of heavy metal for hardball fans! This focuses on 1991. Enjoy some black coffee with this!
1991 Heavy Metal Edition
Sepultura – ‘Arise’ death thrash at its finest! This one put Brazil’s Sepultura on the world map, paving the way for the big success of ‘Chaos AD’ and ‘Roots’ as the decade progressed away from old school death metal sounds. On ‘Arise’, you will hear their early sound perfected into a masterpiece level recording. All killer, no filler, and Sepultura at their very best. One of my favorite heavy metal album covers as well…
Corrosion of Conformity – ‘Blind’ more Headbanger’s Ball action here. Blind was COC’s only album with Karl Agell on vocals (love it or hate it). They were at their heaviest on this album, with massively dark and chunky thrash riffs and a pessimistic view of the future with a political bent. If you want to hear one of the most overlooked and/or underrated thrash metal albums of all time, look no further.
Prong – ‘Prove You Wrong’ more MTV late night action! This is my favorite Prong album, mainly because that bass tone is absolutely insane. The last Prong album with Troy Gregory on bass, and the perfection of their early days sound out of NYC. Another forgotten classic metal album!
Morbid Angel – ‘Blessed Are The Sick’ Morbid Angel as their ferocious early selves, one of their best albums and maybe even better than fan favorite from a couple of years prior, ‘Altars of Madness’. Death Metal Hall of Fame type album. My favorite OG Tampa Bay death metal band, with honorable mention to Death.
Immolation – ‘Dawn of Possession’ NYC’s answer to Tampa Bay death metal, Immolation came storming onto the scene in 1991 with Dawn of Possession, a death metal sound like no other and as extreme as it gets. Another death metal classic! But a little more underground than the first four.
Melvins – ‘Bullhead’ the Melvins further hone their Gluey Porch Treatments/Ozma sound into fan favorite sludge metal masterpiece Bullhead. On this album you can hear the song “Boris” which ended up being a similar Japanese band that named themselves after a Melvins song! The song “Zodiac” might be my favorite on the album, though.
Death – ‘Human’ Chuck Schuldiner assembles a supergroup of studio musicians to learn his death metal creative vision and records this masterpiece! One of the first progressive technical death metal albums of all time, but possibly influenced by Atheist and Nocturnus releases a year prior.
Protector – ‘A Shedding of Skin’ an unexpected find, I don’t think I would ever listen to a band like Protector if I was not purposely trying to find hidden gems, but this is one of the best-produced and overlooked heavy metal albums off all time, a total classic even upon first listen. Finding stuff like this makes it all worth it.
Carcass – ‘Necroticism, Descanting the Insalubrious’ grindcore originators continue with the goregrind but make it a little more death grind. Lyrics featuring obscure medical terms and social commentary decorate so much fast shredding! Utter musical insanity.
Coroner – ‘Mental Vortex’ Swiss technical thrash metal, laid down with cold timekeeping precision.
Sadistik Exekution – ‘The Magus’ so fast as to be a blur, these Australian legends produced some of most rough, chaotic and raw extreme metal from anywhere in the world. One of a kind! An acquired taste.
Massacra – ‘Enjoy The Violence’ more wild heavy metal from 1991! What a find! A bad message/dumb album title, but a fun listen nonetheless. Another hidden gem.
Idolatry – ‘Devastation’ this is the kind of music I listen to when I do cardio at the gym. And yep, another hidden gem 1991 heavy metal find!
Convulse – ‘World Without God’ some of the darkest, most brutal underground death metal you’ll find. Crusty tomb sounds. Way ahead of their times, there would be more death metal bands that sound like this years later.
Bolt Thrower – ‘War Master’ the only heavy metal band to have a tie-in with a board game, Warhammer 40k! Literally the soundtrack to a fantasy miniature based war board game. And the music really does kick ass, this is no gimmick.
O.L.D. – ‘Low Flux Tube’ perhaps the band MOST ahead of their time! No pun intended. No one else sounded like this back then. The weirdest band on the list, except for perhaps the mighty Melvins. Alt metal weirdness with high-energy fun sounds. Hidden gem!
Jumpin Jesus – ‘The Art of Crucifying’ more weirdo metal you’ve never heard of, I find both the name of the band and the name of the album utterly ridiculous, but that was 1991 for ya! This is a real freakin’ good heavy metal album that all fans of the genre should hear.
Revenant – ‘Prophecies of a Dying World’ there were PLENTY of warnings about environmental collapse that were unheeded, and yet here we are. Still dying… top tier death metal here.
Gorefest – ‘Mindloss’ it’s like death metal hatched a giant egg of amazingly heavy bands in 1991! I can’t get enough of these heavy heavy old school death metal riffs…
Sarcofago – ‘The Laws of Scourge’ the lesser know South American death metal band on the list, but faster and deadlier… probably just as influential as Sepultura, or close.
Invocator – ‘Excursion Demise’ and the award for album cover that looks most like an old school Magic The Gathering card goes to: Invocator!
Anacrusis – ‘Manic Impressions’ Anacrusis (as relatively unknown as they were) were one of the biggest heavy metal bands from St Louis in the 90’s! Check ‘em out!
Skin Chamber – ‘Wound’ industrial metal at its finest! to round out 25 ultra heavy albums from 35 years ago
Tune in the same time tonight for more Cardinals hardball action at 6:45pm in St Louis vs the Diamondbacks! Cardinals stand 6.5 games behind the overachieving Brewers and a game and a half up on the cursed Cubbies, which is good for the first wild card. But, the Cubs are 7-3 over the last 10 games so they are on the upswing again. Watch out, Cardinals. There’s over half a season left to play. Do well.
The Chicago Cubs (41-37) and New York Mets (34-44) are set for an old school double header on Wednesday with games at 1:10 and 7:10 ET. In their meeting Tuesday, Chicago won 9-6 being an explosive five-run second inning.
Chicago was powered by Pete Crow-Armstrong and Dansby Swanson's home runs which resulted in five of the Cubs' nine runs scored. The Cubs have won three of the last four games and six of the previous nine. Chicago leads the MLB in batting average over the last week (.324) and are showing some insane plate discipline with the second-most walks (29) compared to the fewest strikeouts (26).
New York has lost three straight games and have been outscored 30-11 in that span. The Mets didn't record an extra base hit in yesterday's loss as they have the second-fewest over the last week. As the Mets' offensive struggles continue, so does the pitching rotations. New York has a 6.49 ERA (28th) over the last week and a 5.06 ERA (27th) in June.
Nolan McLean takes the mound for Game 1 and Sean Manaea for Game 2. The Mets have won three of the last four games that McLean has started and two of the past three for Manaea. Chicago has yet to name their starting pitchers for the doubleheader.
Let’s dive into the matchup 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 & how to watch Cubs at Mets
Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Time: 1:10 PM EST
Site: Citi Field
City: Flushing, NY
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
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.
Odds for the Cubs at the Mets
The latest odds for Game 1 as of Wednesday:
Moneyline: TBA
Spread: TBA
Total: TBA
Probable starting pitchers for Game 1 of Cubs at Mets
Wednesday's pitching matchup (June 24) for Game 1: Nolan McLean vs. TBA
The Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong is hitting .287 with 84 hits, 17 home runs and 43 RBI over 293 at-bats
The Cubs’ Dansby Swanson is hitting .189 with 46 hits and 66 strikeouts over 243 at-bats
The Mets’ Juan Soto is hitting .299 with 66 hits, 17 home runs, and 38 RBI over 221 at-bats
The Mets’ Marcus Semien is hitting .216 with 61 hits and 67 strikeouts over 282 at-bats
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 to know ahead of Cubs at Mets
The Cubs are an 30-48 ATS, ranking second-worst
The Mets are 32-46 ATS, ranking fifth-worst
The Cubs are 41-36-1 to the Over, ranking ninth-best
The Mets are 35-35-8 on the total
The Cubs are 16-22 ATS on the road, ranking sixth-worst
The Mets are 15-22 ATS at home, ranking seventh-worst
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Cubs and the Mets
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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 Wednesday's game between the Cubs and the Mets:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Mets on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Mets at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a pass on the Game Total
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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 13: Nate Eaton #18 of the Boston Red Sox of the Boston Red Sox looks on from the dugout during a game against the Texas Rangers on June 13, 2026 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Nate Eaton, known this spring as The Pride of Great Britain, has brought a spark of interest to the Red Sox lineup. He’s still Nate Eaton, a guy who didn’t stick in Kansas City during some lean years, but sometimes you need a presence. Mickey Gasper is all mustache, no real bat, glove, or arm. Nate Eaton fills that final roster spot (yes, they are both on the roster now) in a more useful way.
In the fall of 2025, as Roman Anthony went down, Nate Eaton came up. He had brief appearances in June, July, and August, but September was his time. Down the stretch Eaton hit an absurd .370/.420/.478 with a home run and 6 steals. He played all three outfield positions and third base. He pinch ran. That’s utility outfielder work.
This is one of the problems with the Red Sox outfield logjam. We’ll ignore that Roman Anthony has been injured for a minute here. The Red Sox went inot the 2026 season with Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and Masataka Yoshida as the outfield/DH rotation. To his credit, Alex Cora (and later Chad Tracy) said that the priority would be to keep the Gold Glovers – Rafaela and Abreu – in the outfield and rotation the DH among Anthony, Duran, and Yoshida. Which is a solid plan. But it was missing something: outfield flexibility.
Duran can cover left and center. Masa can cover left (kinda) but might need a defensive replacement at some point. Roman Anthony could cover right field but he’s probably your left fielder or DH. And Rafaela was scheduled for center field and that’s it. No infield for him, and no DH rotation, though maybe as an occasional “half day off.”
Given the talent, if you’re looking to field your best team, Anthony, Rafaela, and Abreu are in there every game. That leaves you with a left/center fielder (Duran) and a left fielder (Masa) as the DH and guy off the bench. This lead to, while Anthony was on the IL and before Nate Eaton was called up, Wilyer Abreu playing every inning of right field. Which is not ideal.
And, in addition to another source of right-handed power, that’s where the roster fell short all season so far. There are more roster spots than ever at 26 and yet it felt like the team was always shorthanded. Which brings us back to Nate Eaton.
In six games – obviously a small sample size – the utility outfielder is hitting .333/.467/.750. More importantly, he was able to pinch hit in two games and pinch run in another. In three games he was the starter relieving Rafaela, then Abreu, then Duran in center, right, and left field, respectively. He’s stolen two bases. Last night he started the game with a leadoff walk.
Should Eaton be the leadoff hitter? He has a career .293 OBP so probably not. Can he fill in there? No one else has claimed it in Anthony’s absence so he can’t really be worse than some of the options that have cycled through if you’re playing matchups. And while it’s old school, having his speed in front of your better hitters is worth something. Being right handed helps too. Last night’s Rockies starter, Sean Sullivan, is a lefty so maybe that was all the thinking behind it. A low OBP leadoff guy is definitely not ideal, even with speed. Mostly we’ll see Eaton off the bench.
But he was a spark in September 2025. He’s flexible defensively. He hits from the side they need. He can run. As it becomes increasingly difficult to find positives while watching these games, he’s providing a high likelihood of something enjoyable to watch. Maybe that Great Britain team was right on their roster choice, even if they couldn’t nail down Aroldis Chapman.
The trade market for a second-line center isn’t exactly booming right now; the potential candidates are few and far between, and if the Montreal Canadiens want to land a pivot who could really unlock Ivan Demidov’s potential, it won’t be cheap. On Tuesday morning, BPM Sports and RG Media’s Marco D’Amico reported that the Vancouver Canucks are open to retaining some salary to trade Elias Pettersson. Could he be a fit for the Canadiens?
To me, the most interesting trade and bounce-back candidate is Elias Pettersson.
Hearing that Vancouver is open to retention (to a degree) on his deal. At 9M/9.5M with the cap rising, that would quickly become 2C money.
Playing behind Suzuki would be a huge load off for him.
At 27 years old, he fits right in with the Canadiens’ core age group. Captain Nick Suzuki will be 27 himself in October, and both were products of the 2017 draft. Suzuki was taken 13th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights while the Canucks used the fifth overall pick to claim the Swedish center. Pettersson is a right-shot, something the Canadiens do need down the middle, and he’s already proven that he can perform at center in the NHL, unlike Kirby Dach or Alex Newhook when Kent Hughes acquired them.
The pivot signed an eight-year contract with Vancouver back in March 2024, and since then, he’s been struggling. In 2022-23, he put up 102 points in 80 games, then followed up with 89 points in 82 games in 2023-24. After signing his contract, he dropped to 45 points in 64 games in 2024-25 and put up 51 points in 74 games this past season. Those numbers are not worthy of a player who has an $11.6 million cap hit for the next six seasons, and it’s hardly surprising that the Canucks are looking to move him.
Pettersson is a former Calder Trophy winner as the rookie of the year in 2018-19 and is definitely a talented and skillful player, but he has a full no-movement clause and will need to approve any trade. Could he be able to bounce back in Montreal? That remains to be seen. If the Canucks retain part of his salary and he becomes the elite performer he once was, it could be a great deal for the Canadiens. A bit like when the Vegas Golden Knights traded for Jack Eichel with the Buffalo Sabres.
Vancouver doesn’t want to unload Pettersson at any cost, though, and a team that wants him will have to pay handsomely for the privilege. Elliotte Friedman said last month that a team that wants the pivot will have to be ready to send a center back the other way. Who could that mean for the Canadiens? Oliver Kapanen and other pieces? Michael Hage and other pieces? It’s not yet a guarantee that he will become a center in the NHL. Would Vancouver be ready to roll the dice on that?
Sending Brendan Gallagher to the Pacific Division team would make sense, as he has said that he would like to go home, and it could help make money work, but his trade value isn’t great right now.
The Canadiens would really have to do their due diligence on Pettersson to understand what went wrong and whether they feel Montreal could be the right destination for him to bounce back. If he were able to do so for less than his full cap hit, he could be a great fit for the Habs. But it wouldn’t be a risk-free investment. With just three days to go before the draft, all GMs are currently working the phones, and this is just one of the possible avenues the Canadiens could choose to go for. On the plus side, given that he’s a Swede, the Habs wouldn’t have to worry about the current exodus of American players to the USA…
While it may be disappointing to see the Philadelphia Flyers again miss out on a coveted trade target, at least they aren't stretching themselves thin by paying ridiculous prices.
On an action-packed Tuesday in the NHL, the Buffalo Sabres traded defenseman Bowen Byram, alongside fourth-liner Jordan Greenway, to the Chicago Blackhawks for the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the 45th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, and 6-foot-8 defenseman Louis Crevier.
Byram, 25, hasn't quite lived up to his draft status as a former fourth overall pick himself, but buried on Buffalo's depth chart, the Sabres still managed to get surplus value on his original draft slot and then some.
For the Flyers, paying that kind of cost for someone who may or may not grow into a No. 1 defenseman would be indefensible and ludicrous.
To start, the Flyers don't even have a top-five draft pick this year, and an equivalent to that value likely starts with the names Matvei Michkov or Porter Martone.
Then, to add a serviceable bottom-pair defenseman with size, as well as another top-50 pick, to acquire a grinder like Greenway, makes it that much more unfathomable.
The Flyers already have their de facto No. 1 defenseman Travis Sanheim, who is signed at a modest $6.25 million cap hit.
Byram is reportedly looking for double digits on his next contract, and he has just one more year remaining on his current deal at a $6.25 million cap hit of his own.
Yes, Sanheim is older, but he is more proven and established, and will be cheaper this time next year.
The risk of adding Byram at that trade cost, then paying the financial cost to keep him, just made no sense for the Flyers.
Plus, the Flyers need the breathing room to develop their own players--namely David Jiricek and Oliver Bonk--into top-four caliber defenders, and we can assume that the majority of Jiricek's NHL value will come on the power play.
If Byram usurps that quarterback role and doesn't do it like one of the best in the league, Jiricek's chances of becoming a useful player for the Flyers are undermined significantly.
If Byram was one of the best in the league, then it wouldn't have mattered. We, and the Flyers, can't put that cart before the horse.
Sometimes frustratingly so, the Flyers are very good at conducting risk assessment on the trade market and finding deals that work for them.
Adding Byram would have been nice, to be clear, but it's also clear that there was no scenario in which this would have made sense for the Flyers from a value standpoint.
Jun 5, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs silver dancers perform during a timeout from the game against the Miami Heat in game one of the 2014 NBA Finals at AT&T Center. The Spurs beat the Heat 110-95. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
On Monday, the Spurs issued this press release:
The San Antonio Spurs have announced the return of the Silver Dancers for the 2026-27 season. pic.twitter.com/aD7hXQqUgi
“The San Antonio Spurs today announced the expansion of their in-game entertainment lineup with the return of the Silver Dancers for the 2026-27 season. The Silver Dancers will join the Spurs Hype Squad as part of a dynamic entertainment team designed to elevate the game-day experience and connect with fans both in the arena and throughout the community.“
The Silver Dancers were supplanted by the Hype Squad is 2018. They will now share the spotlight as they integrate into the current rotation of in arena entertainment.
Jordan Mandelkorn, Vice President of Marketing, Creative & Retail for Spurs Sports & Entertainment, stated:
“We’re always looking for ways to make the Spurs game-day experience more exciting and engaging for our fans. The Silver Dancers and Hype Squad each bring their own energy, skillset and connection to our fans, and we’re excited to expand our entertainment lineup in a way that reflects the spirit of the Spurs both on the court and in the community.”
Those interested in auditioning for either the Silver Dancers or Hype Squad can do so through Sunday, June 28. Information is available at Spurs.com/Auditions.
Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.
Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.
A busy lead-up to the draft. Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
Farewell to Simon Nemec:
TRADE ALERT: We’ve acquired two conditional first-round picks, a 2026 second-round selection, and defenseman Etienne Morin from Calgary in exchange for defenseman Simon Nemec and forward Maxim Tsyplakov.
Assessing the Simon Nemec trade: “This trade ensures the Devils avoid a risky contract and arms them with draft picks that can be leveraged as currency to add top-six winger help.” [The Athletic ($)]
“The Brady Tkachuk blockbuster to the Florida Panthers underscores an unfolding truth in today’s NHL. Power is shifting in favor of the NHLs star players. New Jersey Devils fans watching the Hughes speculation might feel uncomfortable. However, they’re not in a Tkachuk-like predicament… yet.” [New Jersey Hockey Now]
NEWS | The Washington Capitals have acquired forward Jordan Kyrou from the St. Louis Blues for forwards Connor McMichael and Milton Gastrin and Washington’s first-round pick (16th overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft.#ALLCAPS | @Shift4
Seems like Morgan Rielly could be on the move soon:
Morgan Rielly’s agent J.P Barry has submitted a list of 4 Western based teams Rielly is willing to go to. This will be a team by team assessment and depending on the fit, there could be some flexibility to add teams to the list.
“Commissioner Gary Bettman said that the NHL found no basis to prevent the Edmonton Oilers from hiring coach Mike Babcock but that the league expects ‘a certain level of decorum and conduct’ from him.” [ESPN]
“The NHL is exploring putting a second team in Texas, with Austin and Houston as potential targets, commissioner Gary Bettman announced on Tuesday following a board of governors meeting.” [ESPN]
“Will Connor Hellebuyck be the next American-born star to leave a Canadian NHL franchise? It appears the Team USA Manifest Destiny is real, and we have to take the trade rumors seriously at this point.” [Daily Faceoff]
“For decades, NHL teams asked players to be loyal and commit on long-term deals that locked them up from their teenage years until retirement. These teams then acted in cutthroat ways to buy out or otherwise dump them, however, when their play declined. That paradigm has now changed entirely, to where star players (and their agents) realize they hold the cards, especially with how free agency has been hollowed out and how vital the trade market has become to building a top team. Whether that shift has created a permanent imbalance in the league, with talent flowing from north to south, remains an open question. But it’s one worth asking yet again, as another top player heads to Florida and another Canadian team’s GM is left scrambling to fill a gaping roster hole.” [The Athletic ($)]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
Happy birthday to Doug Jones, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 2021, Four Cubs pitchers combine on the seventh no-hitter of the season, one shy of the all-time record, in a 4-0 win over the Dodgers. Zach Davies pitches the first six innings, then Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin and Craig Kimbrel add one inning each to complete the feat , and other stories as well.
Today in baseball history:
1908 – Honus Wagner does it all today, smacking a home run and double, then breaking a 3-3 tie with an eighth-inning single. He ends his scoring with a steal of home as the Pirates win, 5-3, over the Reds.
1960 – Willie Mays hits two home runs, singles, steals home, and makes ten putouts to lead the Giants in a 5-3 win at Cincinnati. Mays has three RBI and three runs scored.
1991 – California’sDave Winfield goes 5 for 5 and hits for the cycle as the Angels defeat Kansas City, 9-4. In so doing, he becomes the oldest player in history (39) to accomplish the feat.
1993 – Carlton Fisk of the White Sox, plays his 2,226th and final major league game, surpassing Bob Boone‘s record of 2,225 for most games caught. Fisk reluctantly retires with 3,999 total bases, the most ever for a catcher.
1994 – Aided by a nine-run 6th inning, Houston goes on to defeat the Dodgers, 16-4. 1B Jeff Bagwell drives home six of the Astros’ runs as he slugs three homers, including two in the sixth inning. He is the 28th player in major league history to homer twice in the same inning.
2000 – The Reds beat the Padres, 11-5, as Barry Larkin goes 5 for 5 with two home runs, four RBIs, and four runs scored.
Today in Cubs history:
1894 – The Chicago Colts score five runs in the top of the ninth to take the lead over Baltimore, but the National League leaders respond with three runs in the bottom of the inning to claim an 11-10 win.
1374 – Sudden outbreak of St. John’s Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion.
1853 – US President Franklin Pierce signs the Gadsden Purchase, buying 29,670 square-miles (76,800 square km) from Mexico for $10 million (now southern Arizona and New Mexico).
1889 – Butch Cassidy commits his first bank robbery with Warner and two McCarty brothers at the San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride; they steal about $21,000, equivalent to about $735,000 today.
1963 – First demonstration of a home video recorder at BBC Studios in London.
1968 – Joe Frazier stops Mexican challenger Manuel Ramos in 2nd round TKO at NYC’s Madison Square Garden in his first heavyweight boxing title defense.
1973 – Marlene Raymond (15), limboes under a flaming bar at 6 1/8″.
2013 – Stanley Cup Final, TD Garden, Boston, MA: Chicago Blackhawks defeat Boston Bruins, 3-2 for 4-2 series victory; Blackhawks’ 5th Championship.
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 23: Brandon Marsh #16 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a two-run home run against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Nationals Park on June 23, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Usually, we eschew stories about other sports, but this is a pretty funny Phillies connection to be made. The Trail Blazers hired Micah Nori as their next head coach. Does that name sound familiar?
Every story is local: Phillies outfield prospect Dante Nori’s dad is an NBA head coach now. https://t.co/DwrSdAasP6
Deadlocked at 0-0 for the first few innings, Syracuse finally broke the ice with a two-run fourth but they wouldn’t hold the lead for long, as the IronPigs plated four runs in the bottom of the inning on a Dylan Moore grand slam. Syracuse scratched back, scoring a run apiece in the fifth and sixth, and despite allowing another Lehigh Valley run in the bottom of the sixth, retook the lead in the seventh, when the rehabbing Francisco Lindor led off the inning getting on base thanks to an error and Tyrone Taylor drove him in with a home run to left center. After a balk in the bottom of the inning tied things up at 6-6, those rehabbers once again had an impact on the game in the top of the eighth. Lindor singled, Taylor doubled, and with runners on second and third, Ronny Mauricio singled to drive both home and give Syracuse the lead, a lead they would finally hold onto.
Nick Lorusso homered in the top of the first to give the Rumble Ponies an early 1-0 lead, but the SeaWolves reversed things in the fourth with a big six-run inning and controlled the rest of the game from there on in. Jose Ramos hit a solo homer of his own in the sixth, but a lot of good it did, as it was Binghamton’s only additional run. So much for the Rumble Ponies starting the second half on the right hoof.
Both teams scored a few runs in the early innings, but Jersey Shore landed what seemed at the time to be the decisive blow, plating five runs in the fifth and surging ahead to a 7-3 lead. To their credit, the Cyclones kept things competitive, scoring three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to bring them within one. A few innings later, in the eighth, the recently reassigned Sam Biller successfully plated that run, tying things at 7-7. In the tenth inning, Hoss Brewer hunkered down and was able to prevent the BlueClaws from scoring. In the bottom of the inning, Daiverson Gutierrez led off the inning and drove the first pitch he saw in the zone for a line drive into left that the fielder played poorly to win the ballgame.
The St. Lucie Mets were on the basepaths all evening, logging 10 hits, drawing 4 walks, and getting on base an additional 4 more times thanks to defensive miscues on the part of the Mighty Mussels. They made the most of those opportunities, stealing eight bases in ten attempts. The team hit only two extra base hits, a Julio Zayas double in the first and a Jeremy Rodriguez double in the fourth, but kept the train going, scoring six runs; with a few more extra base hits, this one could’ve been a true blowout, as St. Lucie only went 3-18 with runners in scoring position and left 9 runners on base.
