SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 24: Ty France #25 of the San Diego Padres is tagged out at home by Jonah Heim #15 of the Athletics during the fifth inning at Petco Park on May 24, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Philadelphia Phillies (26-27) at San Diego Padres (31-21), May 25, 2026, 3:40 p.m. PST
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Apr 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shrortstop Francisco Lindor (12) at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Ahead of the start of the Mets’ three-game series with the Reds, manager Carlos Mendoza offered a number of injury updates in his pre-game press conference.
Most pressing for this series is that Juan Soto is still feeling week and has a fever, and so isn’t playing today and his status for the rest of the series is still unknown. Jared Young and A.J. Minter are both set to rejoin the team this week, with Young likely on Tuesday and Minter either Tuesday or Wednesday.
In a rare bit of Mets’ good news, Francisco Lindor has started doing baseball activities and so is on the road back to playing. Similarly, Francisco Alvarez is already running and doing catching drills and may be ahead of the initial eight-week assessment for his return.
Jorge Polanco will “hopefully” start a rehab assignment this week, which is a situation that truly needs to be seen to be believed. And finally, Kodai Senga will throw a bullpen today and make his second rehab start on Thursday.
In an interview with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Montreal Canadiens’ veteran defenseman Mike Matheson lifted the curtain on the happenings in the Habs’ dressing room during Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres. There’s a reason the 32-year-old blueliner has a letter on his jersey; it’s not just about what he does on the ice, but also about what he does off it.
During the intermission between the third frame and the start of overtime, Matheson spoke up in the Canadiens’ room:
The thing that I wanted to get across was just to look back at your eight-year-old self and ask him how he’d be feeling. Just kind of remind yourself that this is exactly what, whether you’re on the outdoor rink growing up or playing ball hockey, you’d be pretending you’re in this situation: Game 7, going into overtime. I feel like putting that into perspective sometimes takes the pressure off a little bit and just lets you go play, and I feel like we did that in overtime.
Matheson may not have gotten a point on Alex Newhook’s series-winning goal, but he was on the ice and watched it unfold in front of his eyes. He played 31:28 on that night. The rearguard might not have put up a lot of points in these playoffs; he only has a goal and two assists in 16 games, but he is still contributing in other ways, and that’s a perfect example of it.
Friedman also revealed that the Mathesons welcomed their third child the morning after that Game 7 win. You have to hand it to the Canadiens’ kids; they know not to show up during games. Both Matheson and Suzuki welcomed new arrivals in these playoffs, and neither had to miss any action. The defenseman did admit that he has thought about putting his newborn on the Stanley Cup, smiling.
There are other news arrivals on the way, as Noah Dobson, Alexandre Carrier, Samuel Montembeault and Brendan Gallagher will all be welcoming new family members soon. Hopefully, they’ve all got the memo about showing up when the Canadiens aren’t playing.
DUNEDIN, FL - FEBRUARY 16: General Manager of the Houston Astros Dana Brown speaks to the media during the Spring Training Grapefruit League Media Day at Blue Jays Player Development Complex on Thursday, February 16, 2023 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
As frustrating and inconsistent as this season has been for Astros fans, one question is becoming impossible to ignore: how much trust should this fan base have in general manager Dana Brown between now and the end of the season?
The timing of that question matters because, despite early struggles, injuries, and inconsistent play, the Astros remain within striking distance. Sitting just four and a half games out of first place and hovering around playoff contention, this team is still very much alive. For all the disappointment surrounding the season to this point, the reality is that meaningful baseball is still on the table.
That creates a complicated situation for the organization because Brown is operating in the final year of his contract.
Many fans have already reached the point where they would welcome a change, arguing that ownership should move on immediately and begin searching for a replacement. But from an organizational standpoint, the timing simply does not make sense.
The Astros are approaching one of the most important stretches of the baseball calendar: the amateur draft and the trade deadline. Both are critical to the immediate and long-term health of the franchise. Maintaining leadership continuity during this period matters, especially for a team trying to remain competitive while simultaneously rebuilding depth in a thinning farm system.
The draft alone makes an in-season move difficult to justify. A franchise that has relied heavily on player development to sustain championship contention cannot afford instability when evaluating and adding young talent. The farm system desperately needs reinforcements, and getting those decisions right could shape the next era of Astros baseball.
Then comes the trade deadline, perhaps the most important checkpoint of Brown’s tenure.
Between now and that moment, Brown has the opportunity to improve a flawed but talented roster and position this team to compete for another postseason run. But there is also a legitimate concern attached to his current situation: desperation.
History has shown that general managers operating as “lame ducks” can sometimes make short-term decisions with long-term consequences.
When a general manager knows he may not be around to see draft picks develop or prospects mature, the temptation can be to prioritize immediate survival over organizational sustainability. That often means sacrificing younger talent for veteran help in an attempt to save a season — or save a job.
And that is the balancing act Astros fans should be watching closely.
Would Brown make calculated, disciplined moves to strengthen the roster? Or could pressure force the organization into mortgaging future assets for temporary fixes?
Complicating the conversation even more is Brown’s overall track record.
What Astros fans may never fully know is how much autonomy Brown has actually had. How many decisions were truly his, and how many were influenced, or restricted, by ownership?
At times, the moves that were not made stand out more than the moves that were.
Questions continue to linger around roster construction, depth issues, and player acquisitions. For a roster talented enough to compete, there have been glaring holes left unaddressed. Injuries have also fueled frustration, particularly when projected recovery timelines have repeatedly shifted or failed to materialize.
Communication has become part of the criticism as well.
Too often, timelines have felt unclear, expectations have been reset, and fans have struggled to get consistent answers regarding player availability and organizational plans. Whether fair or unfair, much of that scrutiny lands at Brown’s feet.
Even his perceived strength, talent evaluation, has come under increased examination.
Take Brice Matthews, for example. While there is still time for development, he has yet to become the player many envisioned. Prospect growth is never linear, but patience becomes harder to maintain when the organization is searching for impact talent.
Then there is Cam Smith.
Brown deserves credit for finally turning an expiring veteran asset into future value instead of simply watching a player leave in free agency. That kind of proactive decision-making matters. But if Smith was the centerpiece of the return, fans are understandably watching closely as he struggles to establish himself consistently at the major league level.
Which brings us back to the uncomfortable reality facing the Astros.
This organization is stuck in something of a catch-22.
You cannot realistically move on from your general manager in the middle of a season when playoff hopes remain alive, the draft looms, and the trade deadline could determine how far this team goes. Stability matters too much.
At the same time, it is fair to question whether a general manager on an expiring deal can separate job security from long-term organizational health.
The Astros need smart, disciplined decisions over the next several months, moves that improve the team without sacrificing the future.
Because the biggest concern is not whether Dana Brown can save this season.
It is whether the pressure to save his job could influence decisions that impact the franchise long after this season ends.
Now that the St. Louis Blues and their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, have finished their seasons, the focus turns to the NHL draft and the off-season.
Heading into the 2026 off-season, new GM Alexander Steen will have seven restricted free agents he must make decisions on. Those RFAs are Jonatan Berggren, Matthew Kessel, Dylan Peterson, Zach Dean, Thomas Bordeleau, Leo Loof, and Will Cranley.
Of those seven players, only two played in NHL games with the Blues: Berggren and Kessel. Berggren was a waiver-wire pickup from the Detroit Red Wings, and he turned out to be a serviceable NHLer.
Originally drafted by the Red Wings in the second round of the 2018 NHL draft, Berggren posted six goals and 16 points in 36 games with the Blues this season. While finding a spot in a healthy lineup might prove to be challenging, having a player of Berggren’s level as the 13th forward would go a long way in keeping the Blues competitive.
Kessel played 29 games with the Blues this season, and zero with the Thunderbirds. Kessel was exclusively used as a seventh defenseman, filling in when the Blues were shorthanded due to injuries. Similar to Beggren, Kessel is a serviceable depth piece.
The remaining five RFAs did not play any games in the NHL this past season.
Peterson, a 24-year-old forward, was drafted in the third round of the 2020 NHL draft, but has yet to make his NHL debut. He’s spent the past two seasons in the AHL, where he most recently scored 12 goals and 24 points in 57 games. Peterson isn’t afraid to mix it up physically, recording 85 penalty minutes this past season.
Dean was a former first-round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2021 NHL draft, but was traded to the Blues as part of the Ivan Barbashev package. Since arriving, Dean has played just nine NHL games, failing to record a point.
Dean missed a large chunk of the AHL season because he was in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program at the start of the season. When he returned, he notched four goals and 14 points in 36 games.
Bordeleau, 24, was acquired by the New Jersey Devils during the 2025-26 season. Upon arriving, Bordeleau scored seven goals and 13 points in 25 games.
Loof, another 24-year-old, was also drafted by the Blues in the third round of the 2020 draft. In his third season with the Thunderbirds, Loof took a step back production-wise, notching just two goals and six points in 47 games, compared to his sophomore season, which saw him record 17 assists in 63 games.
The final RFA is 24-year-old goaltender Will Cranley. Cranley split his time between the AHL and ECHL. In the AHL, he posted a .892 save percentage, and in the ECHL, he posted a .915 SP.
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Once a massive underdog, winger Mitch Marner is dominating Conn Smythe Trophy odds as his Vegas Golden Knights enjoy a 3-0 series lead in the Western Conference Final.
Key Takeaways
Marner leads the entire playoffs in points scored.
Despite being up 3-0 in the conference finals, the Golden Knights aren’t favored to win the Stanley Cup
Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki was the favorite on prediction markets Monday morning.
Marner was a +6,600 candidate to win the Conn Smythe Trophy when the NHL Playoffs began.
The Colorado Avalanche, who now find themselves on the brink of getting swept, rostered the previous favorite in Nathan MacKinnon.
BetMGM insights shared with Covers showed that MacKinnon was a +250 leader in the award market near the end of the conference semifinals. He surged to +170 when the Avs booked their ticket to the next round, leaving Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen as the next-closest candidate (+400).
MacKinnon was also the overwhelming pick for public bettors, boasting 22% of tickets and 27.5% of all money wagered in the market. The second-highest amounts in the respective categories were 5.7% and 17.6%.
Marner, 29, has managed to completely flip the odds. After spending nine years with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the first-year Golden Knights star leads the entire playoffs in points with seven goals and 14 assists, including a trio of helpers in three games against the Avalanche.
Prediction markets largely agree
Prediction market sites, such as Polymarket, have emerged as viable rivals to sportsbooks thanks to their sports event contracts. Users buy and sell yes/no outcomes associated with various events in sports and win or lose money depending on the accuracy of their prediction.
Marner, whose +175 odds at BetMGM carry a 36.4% implied probability, barely leads in likelihood to win the Conn Smythe at Polymarket.
While his 35% probability nearly mirrors BetMGM’s odds, he finds himself entangled with Avalanche center Martin Necas (34%) and Hurricanes center Seth Jarvis (30%).
Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki was favored as of Monday morning, although his probability wasn’t visible as of noon ET.
Polymarket’s top rival in the prediction space, Kalshi, has Marner as a dominant 50% favorite. Andersen is second at 23%, while Golden Knights center Jack Eichel is the only other player with a double-digit probability (11%) at the time of writing. Suzuki is listed at 8% after spiking as high as 67%.
Stanley Cup odds
The Avalanche were the team to beat heading into the conference finals. Not only were their +135 Stanley Cup odds the shortest of the four remaining teams, but they had leading marks with 17.7% of tickets and 23.7% of the pot. The Golden Knights were +575 with 7.3% of wagers and 11% of the handle.
The Knights still aren’t in the lead in odds to win the Stanley Cup, as their +145 value just trails the Hurricanes at +140. The Canadiens are at +425, and the Avs are down at +1,400.
Barstool founder Dave Portnoy is one of many fans who are hoping the Golden Knights defy the odds and win the championship. The well-known celebrity wagered $100,000 at +650 odds, meaning he stands to win $750,000 if Vegas cashes his ticket.
KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 20: Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha (52) pitches in the first inning during a MLB game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals on May 20, 2026, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The AL Central 4th place 22-31 Royals play at home on Memorial Day against the 31-22 Yankees, who are in 2nd place in the AL East behind the Rays.
I was at the game yesterday and got to see all the good parts. I skipped the bad parts at the end to go home. In my head, they beat the Marinaras 8-3. Yes, Marinaras. That’s what my 8-year-old and 5-year-old called them. Let’s hope today is full of the good parts and none of the bad parts.
The Royals will put up Michael Wacha on the bump to start against Will Warren. Wacha has continued to pitch like himself – just reliable and steady. He’s had four quality starts in a row; in fact, 8 of his 10 starts have been quality starts. He started with four in a row, had two blips, and now has another four in a row. I’m hoping we can count on that today against the Yankees.
Warren’s first full season was last year, and he has followed it up well so far this year. He’s improved the FIP metrics – strikeout rate, walk rate, and home run rate. It’s a good pitching matchup today.
The game starts at 2:40pm US Central. It is a nationally-televised game on ESPN. You can also listen on 96.5 The Fan or the Royals Radio Network.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 16: Will Warren #29 of the New York Yankees looks on from the dugout during the game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on May 16, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees got out of town at a good time. Aaron Judge’s walk-off home run salvaged the tail-end of a lackluster (not to mention rainy) homestand for the Bombers, who will spend their Memorial Day in a much warmer neck of the woods. The forecast calls for sunny skies with game-time temperature somewhere in the low-80s at a ballpark where the Yanks have generally had success in prior seasons: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. The Royals, who the Yankees swept in a three-game set last month, enter this series at 22-31. However, their starter in tonight’s opener is a familiar and pesky foe.
Michael Wacha has faced the Yankees 13 times in his MLB career, posting a 3.12 ERA across 69.1 innings, posting 70 strikeouts against only 22 walks. He took a turn in the rotation in that April series, completing six quality innings with two earned runs on three hits, striking out six and walking three. The Yankees still won the game 4-2, but the veteran righty has demonstrated a knack at blunting the Bombers. He’s having a terrific start to his season overall, posting a 2.70 ERA through his first ten starts.
Will Warren, though, was not to be outdone. When he faced the Royals on April 18th, he took their lunch money. In seven full innings, he struck out 11 batters to tie his career-high without allowing a single walk, with two runs allowed on five hits in a 13-4 blowout victory. Warren’s progress has slowed a tad this month, but with a 3.01 FIP entering action, he is still doing enough to win ballgames more often than not. And hey, he has a 6-1 record to prove it. No matter how obsolete wins are as a stat, pitchers still value them; and you can’t totally bumble your way into winning six games before the end of May.
Warren and the Royals offense are evidently a good match for the Yankees’ purposes; though in all fairness Kansas City has had little success against AL pitching across the board. The encouraging strides they took to make it to the Bronx for a playoff series two years ago have slowed substantially. Bobby Witt Jr. remains a can’t-miss star, but the supporting cast has been quite unimpressive. There’s still a gaggle of younger hitters who are trying to prove themselves, such as Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen; they’re both a little above-average, trying to offset the lack of production from guys like Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino.
Put another way, the slumping Yankee offense needn’t move heaven and earth to succeed in this series. It wouldn’t hurt, though.
The lineup will start like yesterday’s, with Trent Grisham in the leadoff spot ahead of Aaron Judge and Ben Rice. Cody Bellinger will clean up ahead of Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm Jr. The bottom third of the lineup will see Anthony Volpe inserted at shortstop, with J.C. Escarra taking the day behind the dish and José Caballero shifting to the hot corner.
Seeing as today is Memorial Day, this game will be broadcast on national TV! ESPN has the rights to this one, and it’ll start at a strange 3:40 pm time slot. But hey, that’s what holidays are for.
How to watch
Location: Kauffman Stadium — Kansas City, MO
First pitch: 3:40 pm ET
TV broadcast: ESPN
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | 96.5 The Fan, Royals Radio Network (KC)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 14: Nolan McLean #26 of the New York Mets pitches against the Detroit Tigers during their game at Citi Field on May 14, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 16: The sneakers worn by Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns during the game against the Boston Celtics on March 16, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Juan Soto missed Sunday's series finale against the Miami Marlins due to an illness and will remain out on Monday.
"He developed a fever again last night, still weak," Mendoza said. "We just got to wait the next few hours, how he develops, and hopefully there's some type of availability there. Who knows, we got to wait."
With Soto out of the lineup, MJ Melendez served as the DH on Sunday and Carson Benge will slide into that role Monday afternoon.
Mendoza had said Sunday that there was "kind of like a flu going around" the clubhouse, as it appears to still be affecting Soto.
Lindor starting baseball activities
On the bright side, Mendoza noted that Francisco Lindor has started doing baseball activities as he works his way back from a calf injury that has sidelined him since April 22.
"He started running and doing baseball activities. Now hitting in the cages. He's going to take ground balls," Mendoza said. "So now, we got to that phase where there's baseball involved."
The manager made it clear there is still not a timetable for Lindor's anticipated return, but he is progressing.
"I think we just go day-by-day, week-by-week. The good thing is he's already in that phase where he's doing baseball. But again, it's hard to put a timetable. He's still got to check a lot of boxes."
Additionally, Mendoza gave a positive update on catcher Francisco Alvarez, who underwent surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee on May 14.
"Alvarez, I mean this guy is unbelievable. He's already hitting, he's already doing catching," Mendoza said. "We were talking about eight weeks, I'm not sure about that now, this guy is built different... There's a lot of positive from him too."
Knocking on the door
Mendoza was optimistic on Saturday about Jared Young being ready to return during the team's six-game homestand and it sounds like Tuesday may be the day.
Veteran reliever A.J. Minter also appears to be in a similar situation and could be activated Tuesday or Wednesday.
"Jared Young, there's a good chance that he'll be active tomorrow. He's going to go through a workout today," Mendoza said. "Same thing with A.J. Minter. He's going to go through his throwing progression today. Hopefully either tomorrow or the next day."
Mendoza added that he sees Minter has a "big part of our bullpen" once he returns.
Young has been on the IL since April 13 due to a torn meniscus in his left knee, while Minter last pitched in the majors on April 26, 2025 as he missed the remainder of the season following surgery for a torn left lat muscle.
Upcoming rehab assignments
Kodai Senga, who threw 58 pitches into the fourth inning on Friday in his first rehab appearance for St. Lucie, is expected to pitch again on Thursday. Mendoza said they are unsure if that rehab appearance will be in Double-A or Triple-A, but the right-hander will get another start before they determine the next steps.
"Senga's throwing a bullpen today and the goal is for him to make another rehab outing on Thursday. Whether that's Double-A or Triple-A, that's TBD, we're monitoring weather and all that. That's the plan for him."
Meanwhile, Jorge Polanco could also play in a rehab game later this week as he recovers from Achilles bursitis.
"Polanco, another good day yesterday, he got some at-bats in Port St. Lucie," Mendoza said. "He's go gonna through a full workout today. Hopefully, he starts a rehab assignment at some point this week."
When Polanco returns, Mendoza said they will likely use him as DH instead of inserting him back at first base.
"The way we see it is gonna be a lot of DH, to be honest with you," Mendoza said. "Hopefully we can get him a game or two at first base, but try to keep him off his feet as much as possible. He'll play some first base once he starts going through his rehab assignment, but probably looking more like DH and try to keep his bat in the lineup as much as possible."
Adam Silver's anti-tanking quest — a dramatic reaction to this year's unique situation with an especially deep draft — comes to a head this week when the NBA owners are scheduled to meet and vote on that latest lottery reform proposal.
That proposal is a modified version of the "3-2-1" proposal put forward last month (named after the number of ping-pong balls a team could get). A number of league front offices have serious concerns about what this will mean in terms of trading draft picks and for the value of picks already traded. This new proposal dramatically flattens the odds of the lottery and expands it to 16 teams — that changes the value of picks that could be traded or picks that already have been. From Mike Vorkunov at The Athletic.
Team executives have predicted that first-round picks would be harder to trade under the new rules, as the 3-2-1 format gives teams higher up in the standings a better chance to land not just a high draft choice but the No. 1 pick...
Earlier this month at the draft combine, some team executives bemoaned that these changes are coming after those picks have been dealt. A majority of the league would be impacted by these after-the-fact changes. In 2027, 14 teams have already traded away control of their first-round picks. In 2028 and 2029 each, only 12 teams control their own first-round picks without any encumbrances, swaps or as part of elaborate waterfall conveyances.
The NBA offseason loves the attention that offseason blockbuster trades generate, but making first-round picks less likely to be traded means it’s harder to put together a deal for someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The value of all those already traded picks and swaps changes under this new "3-2-1" system, which is the latest, further flattening the odds that seems to be the league's only solution to tanking.
As a reminder, here is how the new system would break down:
• Three teams with the worst records: They fall into a poorly-named "relegation zone" and be penalized for their poor performance by only getting two lottery balls, giving them a a 5.4% chance at the No. 1 pick, and they could fall all the way to 12th in the lottery. • Teams with the 4-10 worst records: They get three lottery balls and an 8.1% chance at the No. 1 pick. • Teams that finish as the No. 9 and 10 seeds in each conference will each get two lottery balls and a 5.4% chance at the No. 1 pick. (If this had been in place this season, Golden State, the LA Clippers, Miami and Charlotte would have had the same odds at getting the No. 1 pick as Washington, Utah and Sacramento.) • Teams that lose the 7-8 play-in for each conference get one lottery ball, and with it a 2.7% chance of landing the No. 1 pick (this season that would have been Orlando and Phoenix).
The 3-2-1 proposal also grants Commissioner Adam Silver dramatically expanded, unchecked authority to punish teams he perceives as tanking. Again from The Athletic.
"He would be able to fine a team up to $10 million, force them to forfeit or transfer draft picks, reduce lottery odds, change draft positions or suspend team officials, according to league sources."
The NBA owners, so scared of the perception of tanking — even though fans of teams in places like Utah and Washington were good with it for this season to chase the talent they need to win — that they are expected to pass it.
This new system moves the NBA another step away from the very point of having a draft in the first place — to get the worst teams the best incoming players to help balance the talent around the league. For small or mid-market teams, the NBA Draft remains the best — and for some, the only — way to acquire the talent needed to win. Those teams also could trade draft picks to help bring in winning talent, but now those picks' values have changed, and trading them may no longer make sense.
In the league's attempt to refine the system over the past decades, they've moved away from that core idea of helping the struggling teams, and now teams that lose because they just don't have the needed talent are likely to be bad longer. And if the NBA is concerned about fan bases tuning out, having them struggle for years on end with little hope of getting quality players is a good way to do it.
Toledo won the final game of the series against Indianapolis on Sunday, 8-4, to tie things at three games apiece.
It was a good day for the offense, with Max Clark doubling and homering. Jace Jung did the same, and Max Anderson also doubled. Clark got the scoring started in the first inning with a solo shot to right field. It was a no-doubter into the second deck.
Meanwhile, Dylan File put together his best start of the season. File only allowed one run on two hits and no walks while striking out four through five innings. He drew 10 whiffs on 40 swings and touched 96.6 with his fastball. He used six distinct pitches, according to Baseball Savant’s data, and was effective with each of them.
File retired the lineup in order his first time through, but leadoff man Ronny Simon got to him for a double in the fourth. Billy Cook singled in Simon two batters later, but those were the only baserunners File gave up on the day.
Beau Brieske took over in the sixth and erased a leadoff single with a double play, but he walked the next batter and gave up a game-tying home run after that. Woo-Suk Go was much more efficient in the seventh, working around a one-out walk, and that’s when the offense came back to life.
Is a double-double in baseball a thing?? bc if not, the Max's just invented it pic.twitter.com/deQz7iJa6y
Clark and Anderson hit back-to-back doubles with one out, and Eduardo Valencia stole the RBI train going with a single. Jung capped off the five-run frame with a two-run homer.
Go came back out for the eighth and struck out the side, and Yoniel Curet closed things out in the ninth. Curet gave up a run, but he still got the job done.
Clark: 2-4, 2B (13), HR (2), 2 R, 2 RBI, BB
Anderson: 2-4, 2B (3), R, RBI, BB
Jung: 2-4, 2B (10), HR (6), 2 R, 2 RBI, K
File: 5.0 IP, 2 H, R, ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a rare Monday game to open the home series against Columbus, starting at 11:05 a.m. ET.
Erie dropped the series against Altoona 4-3 on Sunday with an 8-6 loss.
A brutal 6-run third inning all but doomed the SeaWolves. Sean Hunley was cruising until a one-out walk and catcher’s interference put two men on base. A double started the bleeding, and it was hard to stop from there. Hunley exited the game after hitting the next batter, but Yosber Sanchez didn’t fare much better.
Sanchez gave up a pair of RBI singles to the first batters he faced, and a bases-clearing double made it 6-0 before the end of the inning.
Erie answered with two runs in the top of the fourth, courtesy of Andrew Jenkins, who tripled in John Peck (reached on error) and Justice Bigbie (walk).
Lael Lockhart kept Altoona at bay for three innings of no-hit work. Unfortunately, Erie didn’t do anything significant offensively during that period.
The SeaWolves added another two runs in the seventh. Jenkins started off a string of four straight singles, followed by Peyton Graham, E.J. Exposito and Bennet Lee, who got the RBI. Brett Callahan drove in the other run with a sacrifice fly.
Lockhart left the game after that, and his replacement, Tyler Owens, immediately got into trouble with a one-out double. A disengagement violation moved the runner over to third, and an RBI single made it a three-run game, whic his significant because Erie wasn’t done scoring.
Thayron Liranzo led off the eighth with a single, and Altoona’s pitching staff walked the next three batters to bring him across. Exposito drove in another run with a sacrifice fly, which would have been the tying run if not for Owens’ troubles. Either way, Lee grounded into a double play after that, so the comeback was dead anyway.
Johan Simon got the eighth. He hit the first two batters he faced and gave up an RBI single before getting yanked. Moises Rodriguez got cleanup duty.
Liranzo: 1-5, R, 3 K
Jenkins: 2-3, 3B (2), R, 2 RBI, BB
Callahan: 2-4, RBI
Lockhart: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next: Erie is at home next week against the Chesapeake Baysox, starting Tuesday at 6:05 p.m. ET.
South Bend Cubs 5, West Michigan Whitecaps 4 (box)
West Michigan finished its series against South Bend with a 5-4 loss, the fifth-straight defeat for the 14-31 Whitecaps.
This was a weird one for West Michigan. The Whitecaps only had one hit and two baserunners through six innings and four hits on the day, but a four-run seventh inning gave them a brief lead.
Jackson Strong had two of those base knocks, including an RBI single in that eventful seventh inning. Samuel Gil drove in the second run, and Strong scored the tying run on a ball thrown into center field by the catcher. Luke Shliger got the go-ahead, pinch-hit RBI with a base hit into left field, and everyone was happy for a bit.
Let’s rewind, though, because it’s a miracle West Michigan wasn’t trailing by a lot more at that point. Gabriel Reyes walked SEVEN batters in his 4 1/3 innings of work, and somehow only two of them scored. A pair of double plays and two clutch bases-loaded flyouts got Reyes there, but there’s still no excuse for seven free passes.
Reyes gave up a pair of runs in the first inning after a leadoff error from Cristian Santana at third and (you guessed it) a walk set him for a rough opening frame. South Bend didn’t score its third run until the fifth, when Carlos Lequerica took over with a runner on base. A two-out double brought that one around.
Okay, back to that brief lead in the seventh. Ethan Sloan relieved Lequerica in the top of the seventh and worked around a leadoff base hit and one-out walk, but the long inning didn’t do him any favors. A pair of one-out singles set up a two-run single, and just like that the Whitecaps are losing again…
West Michigan blew all of its energy in the seventh, so a quick eighth inning kept the momentum on South Bend’s side. Bryce Rainer struck out for a third time on the day with Ricardo Hurtado on base to send the game to the ninth.
CJ Weins worked around a leadoff single in the top of the ninth, but there was no magic in the bottom half of the inning. West Michigan went down 1-2-3 to take the loss. Womp womp.
Rainer: 0-4, 3 K
Shliger: 1-1, RBI
Reyes: 4.1 IP, H, 3 R, 2 ER, 7 BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: West Michigan is in Lansing next week, starting Tuesday at 6:05 p.m. ET.
What was supposed to be 14 innings of baseball down in Lakeland ended up being just five, which is probably a good thing since the Flying Tigers were getting no-hit. Despite the 2-1 loss on Sunday, Lakeland still won the series 3-2, with the rest of the doubleheader cancelled due to wet grounds.
Even though Lakeland had no hits through the five innings played in this game, the Flying Tigers led for a bit. An error, hit-by-pitch and walk loaded the bases in the bottom of the second, and a wild pitch brought Jesus Pinto home for a 1-0 lead.
Caleb Leys got the start, but he only went three innings. Three hits and no runs is a good day, but three walks led to a high-ish pitch count of 68. Jose Guzman took over in the fourth and immediately gave up runs. The inning went: leadoff double, single, popout, three-run homer.
Preston Howey got the fifth. He retired all four batters he faced, and then the rain came. Oh, well.
Leys: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: Lakeland is in Palm Beach next week, starting Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. ET. I’ll be at some of the games for some live coverage, so stay tuned!
Phil Neville is no longer in charge of the Portland Timbers after they announced they had “mutually parted ways” with their head coach.
“In my nearly two decades of owning and operating the Portland Timbers, there are very few people I have enjoyed working with more than Phil Neville,” said Timbers owner Merritt Paulson. “Phil has outstanding leadership qualities and a boundless sense of positivity even in the face of adversity. I cannot thank Phil enough for his tireless dedication to this club and the Portland community, which he and his family truly embraced.”
It looks like Senators fans will have another alternate jersey to look forward to next season.
Icethetics, the excellent YouTube channel by Chris Smith, reported on Sunday in its latest Jersey Watch episode that all 32 teams will be adding an extra alternate jersey for the 2026-27 season.
This rollout by Fanatics will apparently be called NHL Hometown Remix Jerseys, and according to Smith, two designs have leaked out already.
Smith says the Florida Panthers will roll with the NHL's first pink jerseys, featuring the team's secondary sunset logo on the front. The New York Islanders will bring back the old sea captain uniforms, the ones with the patch on the front that's often referred to as the Captain Highliner logo.
⚠️ REPORT: Details emerge of rumored NHL “Hometown Remix” jersey program, set to launch in September for 2026-27, via @icethetics.
The collection features #Isles fisherman look + #FlaPanthers **pink** sweater + other jersey color details
There have been no leaks or even hints yet as to what Fanatics has planned for the Senators' version of the Hometown Remix jersey, and frankly, it seems like a pretty quick turnaround. The Sens just rolled out their new red third jerseys last September.
Those were also leaked out in the offseason.
The new reds have a splash of black at the shoulders and waist, with metallic gold striping. They were pretty sharp, but from a distance and on television, the lack of contrast made the numbers very hard to identify.
The Senators also toyed with black helmets to go with their white road jerseys a few times this season. Those seemed to draw mixed reviews among fans.
Icethetics says the remix jerseys are likely to be hockey's answer to City Connect in baseball, produced by Nike. An example of that was the Blue Jays' dark blue jerseys with the city's skyline and CN Tower on the front.
According to NHLUniforms.com, the Senators have tinkered with their uniforms 17 times before, including special event jerseys like the 2014 Heritage Classic and the NHL 100 Classic.
